Hong Kong: Chris Sun to visit Shenzhen

Secretary for Labour & Welfare Chris Sun will tomorrow lead a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region delegation to Shenzhen, where he will attend the 2nd National Conference on the Development of Human Resources Services.

Mr Sun will call on leaders of the Ministry of Human Resources & Social Security, visit the Hong Kong SAR exhibition area at the conference and attend a recruitment event for young talent in the Greater Bay Area.

The delegation will comprise over 30 members, including Commissioner for Labour May Chan, Director of Hong Kong Talent Engage Anthony Lau, President of the Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management Lawrence Hung, and representatives of the human resources sector.

Mr Sun and the delegation will return to Hong Kong tomorrow evening.

This story has been published on: 2023-11-21. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
The owner of a restaurant on Reisterstowns Main Street was ordered Monday to pay the federal government over $2.8 million in restitution for taxes that prosecutors said were withheld from employees or owed by the business, but were never paid.

John Worthington, who last year told IRS investigators he has been running The Grill at Harryman House since 1989 but not very well, was also sentenced by U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin to serve three years of probation, including four months on home detention, and to perform 300 hours of community service.

At his arraignment in June, less than a month after federal prosecutors filed a complaint alleging Worthington failed to file quarterly returns for the business to the IRS, the 60-year-old pleaded guilty to two tax offenses.

In his plea agreement, Worthington admitted to failing to file the employment tax returns, which would document the taxes withheld from employees earnings and the share he owed as an employer, between 2010 and 2021. He admitted that he did not remit any of the employment taxes to the IRS during that period, and had falsely claimed over $24,000 in federal income withholding on his 2016 individual tax return.

The two convictions, failing to account for and pay over taxes, and willfully making and subscribing a false tax return, carried a combined maximum sentence of eight years in prison.

Worthingtons attorneys, David Polashuk and Andrew White, said the reasonable sentence of probation came after roughly 50 community members attended his sentencing hearing. White said the residents, many of whom spoke in Worthingtons support, sent an unequivocal message to Rubin regarding the restaurateurs character.

This case was notable for one thing: the absence of greed, White said. There was no greed involved.

The unpaid taxes were really about survival  the survival of the business and the individual, Polashuk said, noting that Worthington is a solid, contributing, positive individual within the community.

Federal prosecutors, however, described him as a serial tax cheat in a court document seeking Worthington to be sentenced to over two years of incarceration. In the sentencing memorandum, they said Worthingtons actions were not born out of desperation but rather to live a fraud-funded lifestyle where he purchased international vacations, membership in a country club, season tickets to the Baltimore Orioles, and multiple family vehicles, as well as mortgage payments and college tuition for his two children.

They said the Owings Mills resident collected thousands of dollars in ostensible taxes from his employees wages each year during that 11-year period, but kept that money for himself by taking advances from his business.

Unlike many criminal defendants, Worthingtons decision to commit crime is not mitigated by a significantly disadvantaged background, prosecutors wrote in the court filing. To the contrary, Worthington reported that he had a normal upbringing with all of his needs met, and that he shares a close relationship with his family.

They noted that former Harryman House employees had reported they werent able to claim the correct amount of certain benefits, such as disability, as the Social Security Administration did not have any record of contributions from their time working at the restaurant.

Investigators from the IRS searched Worthingtons home in September 2022, writing in a memorandum that Worthington told authorities that his restaurant doesnt make any money, and that he has tried everything he can do to turn the business around, but it has just gotten harder.

He told IRS agents that he considered the unpaid taxes his dirty little secret, and that his family did not know about it, adding that he knew judgment day was coming and that he hoped to sell the business and pay off as much of his tax bill as possible, according to the memo.

He said he is not a liar and not an embezzler, but is just not a good businessman, and doesnt sleep, noting he never wanted to shut the business down because he feels responsible for the income of his employees, who he considers a part of his family, the filing says.

Worthingtons lawyers said Tuesday that he has been fully compliant with his taxes over the past two years.

They said he intends to keep the doors open to the restaurant, which serves New American cuisine in a restored version of a log cabin once owned by Samuel Harryman, who ran a grocery store, saddlery and pharmacy from the building during the 18th century.

Its a fantastic place to eat, White said.
Embakasi East MP Paul Ongili Owino would secure a landslide win over Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja if elections were held today. This is according to a recent survey conducted by the pollster firm Centre for African Progress (CAP).

CAPs Operations Manager, Abel Oyieyo, disclosed that Babu Owino would take the lead, garnering support from 42 percent of city voters.

In contrast, Governor Sakaja would secure second place with 23 percent of voters supporting his re-election bid.

7 out of 10 city residents think Governor Sakaja has failed because of the chaotic transport, soaring insecurity, corruption at the county, and a failed school feeding program, Ayieyo said.

While currently serving his second term, Babu Owino has not formally announced his intention to run for Governor. Nevertheless, Oyieyo said that if he chooses to enter the race and secures the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party ticket, his path to the governorship could be relatively seamless.

Despite Babu Owinos potential candidacy, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga has already endorsed Westlands MP Timothy Wanyonyi for the 2027 gubernatorial election.

According to the survey, Wanyonyi garnered the support of 11 percent of city voters, positioning him behind Embakasi North MP James Gakuya, who holds the third spot with an approval rating of 12 percent.

It is crucial to point out that almost all the elected MPs from Nairobi County do not think that Sakaja is a good Governor, Oyieyo noted.

Conducted between November 16 and 17, 2023, the survey incorporated a sample size of 3,000 registered voters in Nairobi.

Oyieyo emphasized that Governor Sakaja is expected to encounter difficulties in the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party primaries, the same party that facilitated his ascent to the Governorship. He cited the discontent among certain Nairobi lawmakers who are dissatisfied with Sakajas administration of city affairs.

According to Oyieyo, the internal dissatisfaction within the ruling party could play in Babus favor, presenting a substantial opportunity for him to beat Governor Sakaja in the upcoming election.

Governor Sakaja still has enough time to shift the tidings because as they say a single day in politics can be a long time, and it will be interesting to see what happens in the coming days as more realignments occur, Oyieyo said.
President William Ruto has announced that Germany has committed to supporting Kenyas mission to Haiti and promoting peace in the Horn of Africa.

Ruto, who left the country on Sunday evening for a four-day visit to Germany and Belgium, engaged in discussions with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

While attending the G20 Compact with Africa conference in Berlin, I engaged in discussions with Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany on the sidelines. He pledged support for Kenyas mission to Haiti and peace efforts in the Horn of Africa, stated Ruto in a post on his official social media account, X.

President Ruto said Kenya and Germany share strong historic ties and considerable interests, especially in areas of trade, investment, environmental conservation and industrial promotion.

We will build on these bilateral relations to benefit our people, added Ruto.

On Monday morning, Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi arrived in Berlin, Germany.

He is set to accompany President Ruto during his visit to the federal state. The ongoing G20 Compact with Africa conference aims to enhance private investment in the worlds poorest but rapidly developing continent.
The Government is formulating a policy to ensure that qualifications that Kenyans acquire through Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and skills acquired beyond the classroom can be upgraded through transfer of credit up to university.

State Department for Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Principal Secretary Dr Esther Muoria said this will ensure young people can go to any TVET institution and progress up the ladder until they can acquire the highest qualification including a doctorate in their area of qualification.

Dr Muoria said this policy of upgrading qualifications will help in improving mobility of our young people by encouraging them to advance their skills through continued learning and added this advancement will be enhanced through credit transfer from one level to another.

Therefore it will no longer be true that when you complete your training in TVETs you can only do technical work you trained for, but we want to ensure that progression is achieved for your credits from one level to another, Muoria stated.

Dr Muoria was speaking in Naivasha on Monday during a Multisectoral workshop for members of an ad hoc committee appointed to review the Kenya Credit Accumulation and Transfer System (KCATS).

She also recommended that every young person should have a skill which they can fall back on to make a living when their main career gets into a hitch and said even those in colleges and universities can still go back to learn a skill in TVET institutions.

In his remarks read by Dr Mworia at the opening of the five-day workshop, Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Mr Ezekiel Machogu said this policy will mark a significant milestone towards meeting the national, regional, and continental aspirations on the attainment of learner mobility and lifelong learning.

Through this system, the Ministry envisages easing movement of learners between and within various programmes, institutions and levels of qualifications such as TVET institutions, universities and even professional examining bodies. This will not only facilitate credit transfers, exemptions, but also vertical and horizontal mobility of learners at all levels to enable entry, re-entry and exit, Machogu noted.

The CS said the global megatrends require that education and training respond to the emerging needs, allow for compatibility and transferability of skills and people and as a result of these demands, the Government of Kenya has embarked on reforms to develop tools and instruments that empower and skill young Kenyans to thrive in a competitive, industrializing and closely networked and globalized world through flexible, but quality assured qualifications pathways.

He observed that the dynamic and emerging global trends for both skills and knowledge-based economy calls for systems that embrace lifelong learning and reiterated that the Government is committed to providing inclusive quality education and training which is in line with UN Sustainable Development

There has never been a time in this country when the Government has put a lot of emphasis on learner mobility, recognition and internationalization of qualifications than now. The Presidential Working Party Report on Education and Training indeed flagged out the need to develop and implement a Credit Accumulation and Transfer system to facilitate mobility of qualifications, Machogu said.

Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA) Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr Alice Kande said the move to review the policy was timely as it will help the country to come up with quality training for her young population.

She said the policy framework was permeable through a process of transfer and therefore will ensure no skill of knowledge is wasted, whether acquired through formal or informal processes outside the classroom.

Dr Kande explained that the framework will indicate at what level a person with these skills or knowledge can be awarded or conferred with a diploma or a degree for that matter, as it enumerates a proper and coordinated system of doing that and ensures vertical or horizontal mobility.

Everyone should be able to move vertically or horizontally, while at the same time encouraging lifelong learning and recognizing of prior learning, she said.

Dr Kande also noted that the policy will address various issues in education that have not been addressed, for instance where recognition of knowledge and prior learning skills has been regarded in a very varied manner by different institutions.

The Government also recently proposed a policy framework that seeks to recognize people with certain skills but lacks the necessary academic papers to make them identified.

RELATED  Govt To Formalize Skilled Workers without Academic Credentials

The move will see people, especially in the informal sector who possess exemplary skills (competencies) in areas such as plumbing and masonry among others being vetted through a procedure that has been established and awarded certificates. Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA) is coordinating this whole process.

Kande said Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is a process used to identify, assess, and certify a candidates competencies regardless of when, where, and how they were acquired against prescribed standards or learning outcomes and is meant to help these people achieve some level of professional recognition in their work.

The move targets mainly workers in the informal sector, who possess exemplary competencies in what they do, migrant workers and refugees, asylum seekers, and out-of-school youths.

According to the Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA), Kenya still faces a severe shortage of quality and relevant skilled workforce due to a mismatch between skills produced and labour market needs.

Via Kenya News Agency(KNA)
Some political leaders from northern Kenya are urging the government to declare the ongoing floods a national disaster, given the widespread devastation in various parts of the country.

With the forecast predicting sustained rains in the upcoming days, indicating that counties in the region will continue to bear the brunt of the adverse effects of floods, the leaders emphasize that the likelihood of disease outbreaks remains high.

Led by Wajir North MP Ibrahim Saney, the group is advocating for increased support from the national government. They argue that county administrations in the region have exhausted their emergency funds, and the financial constraints faced by some have compromised their ability to reallocate budgets to address the current crisis.

The flood situation is now dire, with 19 counties affected. Wajir has suffered the blunt. The government should declare the current situation a national disaster, stated Saney.

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua provided an update on the ongoing floods over the weekend. He said that 33 counties have been affected by the ongoing rains, with northern Kenya and the coastal regions experiencing the most severe consequences.

He noted that the government has implemented heightened mitigation measures to support those affected, including enhanced surveillance and security. Gachagua urged county administrations to allocate funds to complement the national governments efforts.

As per the Kenya Meteorological Department, the ongoing rains are anticipated to persist until January, potentially extending until April of the following year.
Six years following the tragic burst of Solai Dam that claimed the lives of 47 people and caused widespread devastation, the ODPP is seeking the withdrawal of the criminal case against farm owner Perry Mansukh.

Acting under a Certificate of Urgency, the ODPP stated that an out-of-court settlement had been reached between the victims and the accused parties. As part of the settlement, families who lost adults are to receive Sh 1.2 million, while minors will receive Sh 800,000 from the farm owner.

In the case, Perry Manusukh, a director at Solai Farm, and eight others faced charges of 48 counts of manslaughter filed on May 8, 2018. They were also accused of failing to prepare an environmental impact assessment report. The remaining eight individuals on trial were Vinoj Jaya Kumar, Johnson Njuguna, Luka Kipyegen, Winnie Muthoni, Jacinta Were, Tomkin Odo Odhiambo, Williec Omondi, and Lynette Cheruiyot.

During a session with Naivasha Chief Magistrate Nathan Lutta, State Counsel Alex Muteti, representing the ODPP, said the victims and the accused, along with their legal representatives, held multiple meetings, leading to a consensus on compensation.

Urging the court to consider the withdrawal application, he noted that the case had endured for over six years, causing emotional and financial strain on all parties involved.

The victims in a letter to the ODPP requested that the matter be resolved out of court and after reviewing the case, we support alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, he said.

The victims and the owner of Solai farm have had a good working and living relationship and they want to maintain this even after the case, he added.

Advocate Ferdinand Masinde informed the court that they endorsed the ODPPs application, emphasizing that all affected victims had signed the agreement. Masinde also noted that the farm owner had established an account and deposited the necessary compensation in a cash escrow, demonstrating a commitment to resolving the matter extrajudicially.

Lawyer Hagai Chimei, representing the victims, also expressed support for the petition to withdraw the case.

The magistrate will deliver a ruling on November 23rd.
Biordi Art Imports will open an Authentic Italian Holiday Market in downtown Napa this holiday season, said a news release.

The temporary shop opens at First Street Napa on November 24 at 1300 First St., Suite 251 in Napa.

The selection of Italian items will include: hand-painted Italian ornaments, Christmas decorations, serving platters and bowls, Champagne buckets, wine chillers and coasters and wine stoppers, Alessi espresso pots and hand-painted espresso cups, Dolce & Gabbana panettone and dolce, Ortigia Sicilia soaps, lotions and candle, linens by Busatti 180 linen company, and Moorish heads from Sicily as seen in The White Lotus.

Established in 1946, Biordi Art Imports is headquartered in San Francisco.

Photos: Napan carries on tradition of iconic San Francisco Italian pottery retailer Deborah Baldini, Biordi Art Imports Deborah Baldini, Biordi Art Imports Deborah Baldini, Biordi Art Imports Deborah Baldini, Biordi Art Imports Deborah Baldini, Biordi Art Imports Deborah Baldini, Biordi Art Imports Deborah Baldini, Biordi Art Imports Deborah Baldini, Biordi Art Imports Deborah Baldini of Biordi Art Imports

Photos: Go inside the most expensive home sold in Napa in October
Armenia economy minister on cars customs clearance fees: We will have internal discussions with EAEU

Armenia president attends COP 28 opening ceremony

Google introduces more than a dozen new and interesting functions for Android

Defense minister meets with head of EU delegation to Armenia (PHOTOS)

Armenia Security Council chief to travel to US

Armenia was informed about antiterrorist measures in Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan FM claims

Ambassador Kvien: US proud to work with Armenian counterparts to preserve Armenias cultural heritage

SpaceX will soon connect smartphones directly to Starlink satellites: Mobile testing will begin in December

482 cases of HIV recorded in Armenia in first 9 months of 2023, specialist says

PM lauds Romania role in deploying EU civilian monitoring mission in Armenia

Europa Conference League: 12 teams advance to playoffs

Porsche holds 3rd generation Panamera world premiere

First Armenian Hayasat-1 satellite to be launched into space tonight

Hamas violated ceasefire, Israel says

A Gmail massive outage delays emails for hours

Champions League: Assists of the week

US dissatisfied with Turkey

Ana Maria Markovic, considered sexiest female footballer: Ronaldo is my motivation

Newspaper: Armenia national air carrier suspending flights

Europa League: Liverpool, Roma, 12 other clubs qualify for playoffs

Archaeologists to soon reveal Great Pyramid of Gizas main secret

Fast & Furious 9 movie producers fined $1M

Armenia, mediators are to blame for military aggression against Karabakh Armenians, Azerbaijan FM claims

Smartphone addiction and digital well-being: How to balance between connectivity and mental health?

Armenia did not participate in the meeting of representatives of the CSTO member states

The OSCE Chairmanship supports the dialog aimed at concluding a peace treaty between Baku and Yerevan

We need Azerbaijan to stop rejecting proposals of facilitators to meet and finalize the peace treaty. Ararat Mirzoyan

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Representatives of CSTO member states met in Northern Macedonia

Nassim Taleb: Painful that Mt. Ararat is in Turkey, Armenia is having territorial reductions

Nassim Taleb predicts 3 major global risks: pandemic, financial collapse, rising debt

Armenian captive Gagik Voskanyan not brought to court, Azerbaijan media report

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Mirzoyan to Colomina: Azerbaijan public position on territorial integrity mutual recognition is of paramount necessity

Lavrov: Russia ready to contribute to normalization of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations

Mirzoyan presents to Lavrov Armenia positions regarding Russia steps

Ararat Mirzoyan, Javier Colomina discuss Armenia-NATO partnership

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Kremlin: Russia considers Armenia an ally

France envoy to Armenia: Karabakh refugees have the right to return to their homes

Armenia-Azerbaijan border delimitation commissions 5th meeting held at border

The best Android apps of the year are revealed

Poland First Lady arrives in Armenia

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Armenia president travels to Dubai for UN Climate Change Conference

Armenia, Azerbaijan FMs meeting not planned in North Macedonia

A Supercomputer center for AI will be created in Armenia with a budget of $8,5 million

International law expert: Torture, inhumane treatment of Armenian detainees continues in Azerbaijan

US deputy assistant secretary of state for education, cultural Affairs is in Armenia

FM to France official: Armenia sent recommendations package to Azerbaijan to move settlement process forward (PHOTOS)

Monument Watch: Azerbaijan propaganda machine circulates new theory

Study finds link between early coronary heart disease and dementia

Armenia FM, EU foreign policy chief confer about South Caucasus security

Maragos: There is move towards situation stabilization on the ground ever since EU mission deployment in Armenia

EU ambassador: Armenia citizens largely benefit from Visa Facilitation agreement

Armenia, Azerbaijan border delimitation state commissions meeting kicks off

Ambassador Maragos: EU hopes Armenia, Azerbaijan will come to some understanding during border delimitation talks

Yerevan hosting international conference on Armenian communities of Middle East

Ararat Mirzoyan, David Cameron speak about South Caucasus developments

Two strong flares were recorded on the Sun, which may cause a magnetic storm on Earth today and tomorrow

Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger dies aged 100

Towards a Brighter Tomorrow: India's G20 Presidency and the Dawn of a New Multilateralism

Champions League: 12 teams so far qualify for Round of 16

Newspaper: Armenia, Azerbaijan deputy PMs to meet today in Tavush Province

Sergio Ramos scores 10,000th goal in Champions League history

Mirzoyan, Blinken discuss South Caucasus security, stability

Ararat Mirzoyan underscores Netherlands support to Armenia sovereignty

EU reiterates support to Armenia-Azerbaijan relations normalization based on 1991 Almaty Declaration

Deputy PM Mher Grigoryan stresses EU programs strategic importance for Armenia

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Envoy presents vision of Armenias Crossroads of Peace project to Greece lawmaker

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Armenia, Georgia security councils chiefs discuss regional security, stability (PHOTOS)

Another judicial farce to begin in Azerbaijan against another Armenian

Amazon introduces a competitor to ChatGPT, designed also for developers

Opposition MP: Armenia will face serious economic problems next year

Karabakh ex-official says he does not consider signing Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty possible at this phase

Dollar, euro go up in Armenia

Armenia premier meets with big businessman from Egypt

Armenia economy minister: Situation at Upper Lars checkpoint is strange

EU Special Representative for South Caucasus discusses peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Turkey

Amazon Web Services representative to Armenia PM: We are in active discussions with high-tech ministry

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Armenia FM to attend OSCE Ministerial Council

Armenia-UK 6th strategic defense consultations held in London (PHOTOS)

IT companies play leading role in Armenia, but economy is not always ready to use their solutions

Kendall Jenner becomes third KarJenner to land Forbes cover after Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner

Gagik Aghajanyan: Upper Lars border checkpoint closure means Armenia-Russia relations termination

Vahan Kerobyan: Armenia, Russia representatives will discuss situation at Upper Lars border checkpoint

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Freight-forwarding company director: Yerevan is 2nd largest cargo-container hub in South Caucasus

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Armenia, Azerbaijan deputy PMs meeting to be held in Tavush-Kazakh sector of border, media report

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Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown on Tuesday suspended a member of the states relatively new hate crimes commission for her social media comments on the latest war between Israel and Hamas.

Zainab Chaudry, who is the executive director of the Maryland office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, is temporarily suspended from her position as a member of the Maryland Commission on Hate Crimes Response and Prevention, the attorney generals office said.

Brown, chairman of the hate crimes commission created by the Maryland General Assembly this year, has the authority to remove any member who disrupts the work and mission of the commission, the attorney generals office said in a news release.

Chaudrys personal social media posts about the war since the terrorist organization Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, the attorney generals office said, challenged the Commissions ability to do its work.

The commission must serve as a model for the entire state on how to respond to incidents of hate and bias. The commission is facing its first test, said Brown, a Democrat, in a statement. How we respond has deep implications. I take this very seriously, and I will do everything possible to bring people together to move forward the critical work of this commission.

Some have criticized Chaudrys Facebook posts, which promote the Palestinian cause and criticize Israel, as antisemitic.

Zainab Chaudry, Maryland outreach director for the Council on AmericanIslamic Relations (CAIR), speaks at a press conference on the attack on a Muslim employee of the Baltimore Police Department.

She told The Baltimore Sun on Tuesday the her comments reflect only her views, not those of the commission or the Council on American-Islamic Relations, and said she was exercising her right to free speech.

Its a shame that at this time there temporarily wont be any representation for the Muslim, Arab and Palestinian community in Maryland when we are seeing an unprecedented rise in Islamophobia and Palestinian hate crimes and bias incidents, Chaudry said.

Islamophobic and antisemitic incidents, including those featuring violence, have increased across America since the latest Israel-Hamas war erupted Oct. 7.

Seven Republican state delegates wrote a letter to Brown on Wednesday decrying one of Chaudrys posts as aggressive antisemitism and calling on the attorney general to not allow her to return to the commission.

We are grateful for your swift suspension of Ms. Chaudry and hope that your commitment to defending the Jewish people will continue and that you will ultimately decide not to reinstate someone whose views pose such a danger to the Jewish community, the Republican delegates wrote.

A group of Muslim organizations in Maryland followed up later Wednesday with a letter demanding Brown reconsider.

Characterizing his decision as unacceptable, the organizations said suspending Chaudry amounted to censoring an American who expressed support for Palestinian human rights.

This attack on her is an attack on all of us and we will not accept it, the Muslim organizations said.

In addition to suspending Chaudry, Brown ordered his staff to create draft values statement about commission members personal communications, to be taken up at the commissions next meeting, according to his office. Brown also called on commission members to exercise great care in their communications and conduct, considering the duties and responsibilities they assumed when joining the commission.

Borne from legislation passed by the legislature this year and signed into law by Democratic Gov. Wes Moore, the commission is responsible for developing strategies to prevent and respond to hate crimes as well as evaluating state hate crime policies and laws, according to the attorney generals office.

The development with Chaudry comes after Johns Hopkins Medicine placed one of its physicians on leave earlier this month for his social media posts about Palestinians after Hamas Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

The Council of American-Islamic Relations filed a complaint with the Maryland Board of Physicians against Dr. Darren Klugman, the Johns Hopkins Childrens Centers director of pediatric cardiac critical care and an associate professor at the university.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has accused France of "destabilizing" the South Caucasus.

What is more, in order to make accusations against France and Western countries, Baku is hosting the International Conference on Decolonization: Women's Empowerment and Development, whose participants were addressed by Aliyev.

"France destabilizes not only its past and present colonies, but also our region, the South Caucasus, by supporting separatist tendencies and separatists. By arming Armenia, it implements a militaristic policy, encourages revanchist forces in Armenia, and prepares the ground for the start of new wars in our region. At the same time, France abuses its status as a permanent member of the UN Security Council to carry out its biased and prejudiced policy, engages in geopolitical intrigues in various regions, and tries to use Western organizations as a means of pressure on other states," Aliyev said in his message.

Expanding the topic, Aliyev accused France of committing crimes all over the world.
The members of the OSCE Minsk Group supported Armenia's position. Assistant of the president of Azerbaijan, head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Azerbaijani presidential administration, Hikmet Hajiyev, informed reporters about this, APA reported.

"Armenia should understand that the roots and seeds of peace are not in Washington, Brussels and Paris, but here," Hajiyev said.

According to him, in order to advance this peace and achieve serious achievements, Armenia should look into the region and continue negotiations with Azerbaijan.

"Azerbaijan has goodwill. The sovereignty of our country has been ensured, a new status quo has emerged in the region, and this status quo is a legitimate status quo based on justice and international law. The previous status quo, which was created by Armenia by occupying the lands of Azerbaijan, is supported by Armenia also defended the members of the [OSCE] Minsk Group, this was unjust and unacceptable," said the Azerbaijani presidential aide.
Within the framework of the new realities emerging in the region, we do not see any obstacles to signing a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Assistant of the president of Azerbaijan, head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Azerbaijani presidential administration, Hikmet Hajiyev, told reporters this, APA reported.

"It is difficult to say a word about it yet. We are waiting for clear ideas from Armenia. Armenia is still looking beyond the region when it comes to a peace treaty. What we are saying is that instead of bringing the agenda of third parties here, it is necessary to own the region itself and advance the negotiations on the peace agreement. The ball is currently in Armenia's court," Hajiyev added.

At the same time, he placed the "blame" of closing the border with Azerbaijan and Turkey on Armenia.

"The conclusion of fraternal Turkiye [(Turkey)] is always that the normalization of relations with Armenia is possible if Armenia stops the occupation of Azerbaijani lands, renounces territorial ambitions from both Turkey and Azerbaijan, and finally comes up with a positive agenda in the region. Azerbaijan and Turkiye have always supported the normalization of relations and always sent positive messages to Armenia. It is clear that Armenia, assessing the potential of the region, should proceed from the approach of resolving problems within the region," Hikmet Hajiyev noted.

To note, however, that Turkey had closed its border with Armenia after Azerbaijan had unleashed an aggressive war against Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.
Armenia is ready for negotiations with Azerbaijan. Hakob Arshakyan, deputy speaker of the National Assembly (NA) of Armenia, told this to reporters at the NA Tuesday.

"Furthermore, various drafts of the peace treaty are being exchanged, and our foreign ministry constantly gives comments on it and announces in case of news. The document with proposals comes to Yerevan, from Yerevan it goes with proposals to Baku," he said.

Arshakyan called on to follow the Armenian foreign ministry, and if a new comment is needed, the ministry will make it.

"Armenia has never shied away from negotiations, and the platforms it considered effective participated in the negotiations, and statements also were made about it," added the NA vice-speaker.
ARMBUSINESSBANK announced about rebranding, presented the new name and trademark during a solemn event held on November 17. The bank introduces itself to customers with a new brand, concept and values.

The Bank presents itself to customers with a new brand, concept and values.

Carrying out a complete rebranding, the Bank is henceforth presented under the name "AMIO BANK". The activity of AMIO BANK is aimed at ensuring financial access for various groups of clients and introducing advanced international experience in banking.

New Brand's vision is to be a caring partner in the field of financial and related services. AMIO's logo, with a bright and friendly smile, symbolizes the approach of creating a warm and friendly atmosphere for all customers.

AMIO BANK will implement new development projects with modernized digital and innovative services. Appearing at a new level of development, the Bank with the introduction of modern standards of international best practice, will compete in the system in a new way, meeting all challenges.

"AMIO will be by your side from now on with its care, immediacy and smile, dictating a new culture in the Armenian banking system. Human-centricity, professionalism, trust, dynamism and honesty complete the values that are essential for the Bank and with the help of which the AMIO team will move forward "said Alfred Moeckli, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of AMIO BANK.

Care for all this is the new slogan of AMIO.

Chairman of the Executive Board of AMIO BANK Gevorg Tarumyan presented AMIO's mission to support people in important initiatives with new digital technologies and available financial solutions, making their lives easy and convenient.

He expressed belief in his speech, that AMIO will give new breath and colors to the Armenian banking system by being accepted as a modern, digital and innovative bank. "And of course, we will move forward together with our customers, employees and partners on the basis of which AMIO will pave its way, providing innovative services in a caring and reliable environment," stated Gevorg Tarumyan.

Here has come so much awaited moment, the Chairman of the Central Bank of A, Martin Galstyan, handed over the license of AMIO BANK to the Chairman of the Executive Board, Gevorg Tarumyan.

The AMIO team celebrated the exciting result of joint work with partners, from the start of the rebranding to the launch of the New Brand. And new goals lie ahead, making the most daring and innovative goals of AMIO clients come true.

AMIO BANK is supervised by the Central Bank of RA
There is no issue of refusing cooperation with the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) on Armenia's agenda. Hakob Arshakyan, deputy speaker of the National Assembly (NA) of Armenia, announced this to reporters at the NA Tuesday.

"Such a matter was not discussed," he said.

The NA vice-speaker noted that Armenia has turned down the CSTO aid package because the CSTO does not record where the territory of this organization begins and ends.

"Sadly, that territory and the concrete map of Armenia with its borders have not been recorded; that is the problem," Arshakyan said.

And responding to the question of whether Armenia can refuse cooperation with the CSTO, Arshakyan said: "Such a matter has not been discussed on Armenia's agenda. I said what the challenge is, where the issues came from; these matters need to be addressed. From my point of view, they have not been addressed."

It became known Monday that Armenia had asked its CSTO partners to remove the document on the Collective Security Treaty Organization aid to Armenia from the agenda.
Food brings people together during the holidays, but higher grocery prices and a decrease in emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, payments are creating hardships for many families in Howard County.

In March, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 law passed by Congress returned all SNAP benefits to standard amounts, without the added supplement issued during the pandemic.

Households throughout the state are seeing at least $95 per month less in food stamp payments, according to Tracy Broccolino, president of the Community Action Council of Howard County.

This collision of circumstances has forced county residents from all backgrounds and professions to seek help to feed themselves and their families. Sometimes its a choice between a car payment or rent or putting food on the table.

Many residents are turning to the county food bank.

In 2022, the food bank would help, on average, 80 families per week, said Carrie Ross, director of Food Bank Services for the Community Action Council.

In September 2022, the food bank helped 1,549 households. This September the number jumped to 2,180.

Ross said the council has seen a 32% increase in households needing help this year, when compared to 2022. Most of those are families with children under the age of 18.

Two-thirds of the clients we see have some form of college education, or some kind of trade, Broccolino said. Theyre working families.

In the past, the average clients were seniors on fixed incomes with no pension to fall back on. Today, single moms make up the bulk of the households coming for help.

The Community Action Council is a nonprofit agency that provides housing, energy assistance, early childhood education, and operates 17 food pantries throughout the county, including the Howard County Food Bank.

The food bank, at 9385 Gerwig Lane, Suite J, in Columbia, is set up like a small grocery store. There are aisles of boxed and canned food, freezers for cold food, breads, pastries, feminine hygiene products, diapers, and baby formula. Clients come through the door, take a grocery cart, and shop for what they need.

The food bank has been at its current location since 2016. It is open for walk-ins from 1-4 p.m. on Tuesdays, 1-7 p.m. on Wednesdays, and 1-4 p.m. on Thursdays. On Saturdays its by appointment only, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Clients can shop twice each month.

Meals are also delivered to people who are homebound, or not able to afford transportation to the food bank, Ross said.

To have access to the food bank, clients must live in Howard County, and earn an income that is 150% below the federal poverty guideline for Maryland, which is updated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Currently, the annual income limit for a family of four to receive assistance is $45,000. Residents must apply each July to be eligible for service.

In 2022, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball announced that Howard was named the wealthiest county in Maryland by U.S. News & World Report, using median income rates. With a median income of $129,549, Howard County was the only Maryland jurisdiction to make the list.

But the poverty rate in the county is 6.2% and there are families that are struggling here, Broccolino said.

Weve seen an increase in housing prices, increase in rent, she said. Its not just food, its everything. Here in Howard County, you have folks above the federal poverty level who still cant afford to live here. The need is here.
The UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence, Fabian Salvioli, will conduct an official visit to Armenia from November 16 to 24. This is noted in a statement released by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

During his visit, the UN expert will assess the measures in the areas of truth, justice, reparation, memorialization and guarantees of non-recurrence that have been adopted by authorities in Armenia to address the legacy of serious violations of human rights committed in situations of conflict, state repression or civil unrest.

The expert will meet with Armenian government officials, members of the legislature, the judiciary, the security forces, national human rights institution, civil society organizations, victims groups and representatives of the international community. He will visit capital Yerevan and other parts of Armenia.

The Special Rapporteur will hold a press conference on November 24 at 10:30am local time at the UN Conference Hall of the UN House in Armenia (14, Petros Adamyan Street). Access will be strictly limited to journalists.

Salvioli will present his report to the UN Human Rights Council in September 2024.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Azerbaijan has called upon Armenia to negotiations at the state border, where the peace process will be discussed. This was noted in a press statement by the Azerbaijan MFA, the Azerbaijani media reported.

Azerbaijan stands prepared for direct negotiations with Armenia on a bilateral basis to finalize the peace agreement as soon as possible. We believe it is up to the two countries to decide together the future of their relations.

Responsibility for the continuation of the peace process, including the selection of a mutually acceptable venue, or a decision to meet at the state border, belongs to the two countries.

We encourage the Armenian side to avoid new unnecessary delays and hope it will positively respond to this call, so the negotiations will be resumed soon, the aforesaid press statement reads, in particular.
The position of the European Union in Ukraine during the Maidan period was clear. Ukraine faced a very simple choice: if you are not with us, then you are against us. Russian ambassador to Armenia Sergey Kopyrkin stated this on the air of Sputnik Armenia radio.

According to him, the West applies this policy to post-Soviet countries, and, in general, to countries with close ties with Russia.

Kopyrkin noted that this approach reflects the real objective of the West, which is not to find ways to develop mutually beneficial cooperation, but to use the situation created after the collapse of the Soviet Union to establish its supremacy in the world.

The colonial mentality has not disappeared, it has simply changed, the Russian diplomat noted.

"These long-proclaimed principles still operate under the guise of beautiful rhetoricalthough this rhetoric is becoming more and more overt. We see this in connection with the South Caucasus, when the American representatives directly define their policy in the context of the fight against Russia and Iran. What is happening in Ukraine is a very cruel lesson. It tells us that the leaders of the countries should really be ready to protect the national interests of their countries," the Russian ambassador added.

The lesson of what is happening in Ukraine is that if the social engineering, which has been tested by the West, contradicts the realities of the country, with its culture and the identity of the people, then there will be severe retaliation, the Russian diplomat believes.

"The West's attempt to put itself in the place of God ultimately led to the tragedy that the Ukrainian and Russian peoples are now experiencing. This should be a very serious lesson and warning for all of us. World events show that this approach has outlived its usefulness, as it is becoming a threat to the existence of humanity. It is becoming clear to more and more people on Earth that the current world order cannot be maintained, it is extremely dangerous. The situation is volatile in various regions of the world. We are already starting to seriously talk about the threat of the third world war, and some say that it has already started. And it is not Russia that provokes; the consistent policy of the West has led to this situation," said the Russian ambassador to Armenia.
The United States, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), on Tuesday announced more than $4.1 million in additional humanitarian assistance for people affected by the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. This additional funding brings total US humanitarian assistance for the Nagorno-Karabakh response to nearly $28 million since 2020, the USAID informed in a press release.

Azerbaijans military operation in Nagorno-Karabakh between September 19 and 20 displaced more than 100,000 people into neighboring Armenia and generated significant humanitarian needs.

With this additional assistance, USAID is supporting efforts on the ground to provide urgently needed humanitarian assistance for almost 74,000 vulnerable refugees and displaced persons from Nagorno-Karabakh who are sheltering in Armenia. This funding will increase life-saving food assistance and provide humanitarian protection and emergency shelter.

The U.S. stands with civilians affected by Azerbaijans military operation and supports the Armenian governments efforts to help those in need, the USAID added.
One more person succumbed to injuries sustained after a family, which was returning after perfoming Chhath Puja in Lakhisarai district of Bihar on Monday was shot at by unidentified persons,police said on Tuesday. The Patna Medical College and Hospital administration in Patna confirmed the death, bringing the total number of fatalities to three. Two others died on the spot after they were shot at on Monday. The deceased have been identified as Chandan Kumar, Rajnandan Kumar, and an unidentified individual. The incident took place at Punjabi Mohalla under the Kabaiya police station on Monday morning. The victims were returing home after offering prayers at Chhath Ghat when they were attacked. According to police the shooting incident was in connection with a love affair. Lakhisarai Superintendant of Police, Pankaj Kumar had said: "The incident took place in Punjabi Mohalla. Six to seven members of a family were returning from Chhath Ghat when one Ashish Chaudhary a neighbour of the family opened fire on them. "Ashish Chaudhary wanted to marry a girl belonging to the victim's family but they were not ready for this," the police official said. Four other members of the family- Lovely Kumari, Preeti Kumari, Durga Kumari, and Shashi Bhushan Kumar, were injured in the incident. Initially, they were rushed to Begusarai Sadar Hospital and later shifted to the PMCH for further treatment. Police said they have recovered a pistol used in the crime from the site of the crime. Meanwhile, on Monday the BJP hitting out at the ruling Janata Dal (United)-Rashtriya Janata Dal alliance in connection with the shooting incident. BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla lashed out Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over a "jungle raj" in Bihar, particularly after he joined forces with the RJD. "In Lakhisarai, when some members of a family were returning after offering Arghya (Chhath Puja ritual), they were shot incessantly and they were attacked without any fear of law...Since RJD came to power with Nitish Kumar, criminals' dominance has increased in Bihar due to which Bihar is turning to Jungle Raj...," Poonawalla said. (ANI)
This column is something like a Thanksgiving feast, with much to offer and much to be grateful for, if mainly for the good fortune of others  in this case, the people of East Baltimore, Broadway East and the congregation of Southern Baptist Church.

They have an energetic pastor and community leader who for years has boldly pushed redevelopment efforts around the church.

They also have a quiet benefactor whose name will appear later in this column.

And there are others for whom we should be happy, notably the hundreds of people in Baltimore who benefited from a government program and a certain mortgage company willing to help them move from renting to owning a home. They figure in this, too.

As I said, its something like a feast.

The founder is the pastor of Southern Baptist, Bishop Donte Hickman. A major part of his ministry is removing blight from his community and building what Broadway East needs. Hes received lots of deserved attention for redevelopment projects around his church, so many I asked him to list them again.

Hickmans organization acquired and demolished an old industrial laundry on North Chester Street. The space is slated to become a large health-and-wellness center, with a pharmacy, diabetes care center, child care center and health care job training program run by a nonprofit, Dwyer Workforce Development.

Hickmans group bought and demolished a blighted supermarket, vacant rowhouses and three of the too-many liquor stores in Broadway East. There are plans to build in their place a senior center, affordable multifamily housing and a small grocery. A lot of this, Hickman says, is about to finally become a reality.

The Rev. Donte Hickman, right, pastor of Southern Baptist Church in East Baltimore, joined David Waters, center, one of the churchs major benefactors, in handing out Thanksgiving turkeys outside the church.

The first major piece of the plan, just down Chester Street from his church, is the Mary Harvin Transformation Center, with 61 affordable apartments for senior citizens.

The first time most of us heard about the place it was going up in flames.

On the day of Freddie Gray unrest in West Baltimore, in April 2015, someone set fire to the Harvin Center, then under construction. But Hickmans supporters and contractors came right back and finished building the place. It opened less than a year after the fire.

Among the millions who saw the Harvin Center burn on national television was David Waters. He grew up in Sparrows Point and Towson, worked in mortgage banking, then started his own lending company in 1990.

After the fire in 2015, he contacted Hickman.

What do you need? he asked.

Hickman did not know Waters, but answered his question. A church bus had been destroyed in the fire; Southern Baptist needed a new one.

Waters replaced it.

Hickman was a bit shocked by the generosity, even more so the following year, when Waters bought a second bus for the church.

And then he offered to buy all the turkeys and trimmings for the churchs annual Thanksgiving offerings to the congregation and community.

And then he bought coats for children at Christmas. Hes done this numerous times since 2015 and never once issued a news release about it.

David Waters has enabled us to give 2,000 turkeys for Thanksgiving and over 3,000 coats and gifts to children for Christmas, Hickman wrote in a text last week. I think people need to know that there are people behind the scenes who care and make meaningful contributions.

But did Waters want that? It was not clear.

Curious about the means of his generosity, I looked him up and found him listed as CEO of First Home Mortgage. That company, named one of the regions top workplaces by The Baltimore Sun in 2016, has been a leading lender in the Maryland Mortgage Program, the states effort to help with down payments and closing costs, especially for first-time homebuyers and those with student debt.

I asked around and learned that First Home Mortgage has been a steady player in the Baltimore residential lending market, willing to help prospective buyers with the process of getting help through the MMP.

First Home works with the citys housing agency, Neighborhood Housing Services, Live Baltimore, Garwyn Oaks Northwest Housing Resource Center and within the Belair-Edison community to promote incentives to turn renters into owners.

A news release from the company last year said First Home has 35 offices serving customers in 21 states. Since 2017, the release noted, we have originated more than $9.2 billion for first-time homebuyers, with over 29,000 buyers purchasing their first home through First Home Mortgage.

Waters mentioned his business only in passing on Saturday, when I met him at Southern Baptist. He and Hickman handed out some of the hundreds of frozen turkeys Waters purchased for the annual giveaway. The line of people who came for turkeys, as well as vegetables and pies, stretched from Chester Street, up the church driveway to a parking lot where volunteers distributed the makings of Thanksgiving dinner.

I asked Waters about his acts of charity. He said he learned from his parents, especially his father. Dad was a tither, he said, He used to say, Its not enough that good men do no evil.'

When I asked if Waters wanted to be named in this column, he hesitated. But then Hickman delivered the convincer. Youve supported thousands of families that dont know you exist, he said. To give and to be recognized for it is a blessing.

And neither Waters nor I was about to argue with the pastor.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday slammed the Delhi government for a breach of undertaking given to it to provide funds for the Regional Rapid Transport System (RRTS) project and directed it to transfer the funds meant for advertising to the project. A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia however put the order in abeyance for a week and said that the order would come into force if the Delhi government did not provide the required funds for the project. While hearing an application filed by NCRTC against not releasing the funds for the project despite the court's order, the bench pulled up Delhi's AAP government and warned it of attaching its advertisement budget. "Why you (Delhi government) have not complied with (court's) order? We will stay your (Delhi government's) advertising budget. We will attach it and take it here," said Justice Kaul said. Expressing disappointment with the stand of the Delhi government, the apex court observed that there was a "gross breach" of the assurances given by the Delhi government. It said in April, the apex court had specifically mentioned that the balance amount payable by the Delhi government was to be paid promptly for the timely implementation of the Delhi-Meerut RRTS corridor, the Delhi-Alwar corridor and the Delhi-Panipat corridor. During the hearing, the bench noted that the budgetary allocation for advertisements for the last three years was almost Rs 1100 crores and for this financial year is Rs 550 crore. "Gross breach of directions by this court of assurance given on behalf of state government... In April, we had specifically mentioned the balance amount payable by the Delhi government and directed them to pay the amount promptly. Amount is not paid... Details show that the three-year budgetary provision was almost Rs 1100 crores, while for this financial year was Rs 550 crores... If such national projects are affected, and if money is being spent on advertisement, we would be inclined to ask the money to be directed to the infrastructure," said the bench. As senior advocate Meenakshi Arora, representing the Delhi government, sought one week's time, the bench listed after a week, and said if the fund allocation is not made in the meantime, then the order will come into operation. "We are thus constrained to direct the funds allocated for advertisement purposes to be transferred to the project in question. At the request of the counsel's request, we will keep this order in abeyance for a period of one week. If the funds are not transferred, the order will come into operation," ordered the bench. In its application, National Capital Regional Transport Corporation (NCRTC) the apex court had directed the Delhi government to contribute to the Delhi-Meerut RRTS Project Rs 500 crores within ten days. However, there is still a balanced amount of Rs 415 crores left. The Delhi government in spite of a delay of more than six months since the order dated April 21, 2023, was passed by the apex court has released only an amount of Rs 80 crores against the due amount which is highly disturbing/discouraging and clear non-compliance of the order passed by this court, the application stated. It added that giving early approval and making budgetary provisions for the Delhi-Alwar corridor and Delhi-Panipat corridor and release of the instalment amount of Rs 100 and 50 crores respectively for these corridors for the financial year 2023-24 is pending. (ANI)
Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) will extend invitations to over 25 lakh families in Madhya Bharat Prant (Central India) in connection with the consecration program of Ram Mandir to be held in Ayodhya in the coming January, according to a release. The release stated that Akshat (yellow rice) Kalash worshipped in Shri Ram temple on November 5 has arrived in Madhya Bharat Prant. The distribution program of these worshipped Akshat Kalash was organised at Gufa mandir, Lal Ghati in the state capital Bhopal on Tuesday. During this, saints, members of VHP and key members of other organisations of Sangh Parivar (referring to RSS), along with representatives of 32 districts of the organisation were present to take the worshipped Akshat Kalash to their districts. The VHP workers, together with other Hindu organisations, will go to Hindu families in the cities and villages of the state between January 1 and January 15 with Akshat Kalash to invite them. "We celebrate Diwali in the happiness of the return of Lord Shri Ram to Ayodhya after 14 years, but January 22 next year, it will be the second Diwali when Ramji will return to his birthplace after 500 years, in the amrit vela of India's independence. Therefore, it is necessary that the entire Hindu society of the world should participate in this Pran Pratistha ceremony," the release read. All Ram devotees cannot be called to Ayodhya on the same day. Therefore, VHP's call is that Hindus from all over the state should consider the temple of their locality or village as Ayodhya and gather there. Perform puja, worship and rituals according to the tradition there, chant the victory mantra given by the saints - "Shri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram" and watch the live telecast of the grand program of Ayodhya and offer prayers in the Aarti, it added. VHP has divided the country into 45 parts and requested each part to visit Ayodhya on a fixed day between January 27 and February 22. In this sequence, arrangements have been made for the darshan of about 2500 people from Madhya Bharat Prant on February 17, next year. The release further read that VHP requested that every Hindu family should light at least 5 lamps on the holy night January 22 and after that, should visit Ayodhya with family for darshan on some day. Vishwa Hindu Parishad is confident that this temple of Lord Ram will spread harmony, unity and self-respect among the Hindus in the world and will emerge as a national temple to take India towards ultimate glory. (ANI)
Likening the intervention of the DYFI members to rescuing people staring at death in the face in front of a speeding train, the CM lauded the action as exemplary.

Earlier, a fracas ensued on Monday after Youth Congress workers were allegedly beaten up for showing black flags at the motorcade of CM Vijayan at Pazhayangadi, Eripuram.

Vijayan was visiting his home district as part of Navkerala Sadas, an outreach programme of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) when he was shown black flags by Young Congress members.

The protesting cadre of the Congress youth wing claimed that they were intercepted by DYFI members, resulting in a scuffle.

Sudheesh Vellachal, a Youth Congress leader, sustained head injuries as the DYFI members allegedly came at him and others with flower pots and helmets during the scuffle.

The injured workers were subsequently admitted to a private hospital in Thaliparam.

Simultaneously, several leaders of the KSU and Youth Congress were taken into preventive custody ahead of the chief minister's 'Nava Kerala Yatra'.

A video of the incident went viral purportedly showing Youth Congress workers waving black flags at the CM's motorcade and being attacked by a mob.

As part of the 'Nava Kerala Sadasu', CM Vijayan and his ministers will visit all assembly constituencies of the state.

Weighing in on the black flag protest and the attack on Youth Congress members that followed, CM Vijayan claimed that it wasn't merely a protest but an attack on his motorcade. (ANI)
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday said that Prime Minister Modi has no issues to deliberate on but he has only one issue to abuse the grand old party. Kharge told ANI "Modi ji has no other issues. He(PM) has only one issue is to abuse Congress. We are the people who work on the ground." On the continuous attack by PM Modi on Ashok Gehlot government over the Lal Diary , Kharge said, "Let him say whatever he wants. If Lal Diary had to be opened, it would have been opened in Parliament session. Threatening someone is not a good thing." Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday took a swipe at Rajasthan Chief Minister and Congress leader Ashok Gehlot, calling him a "jaadugar" (magician) and said that his face is fading away with each turning page of the 'red diary'. Addressing a public rally in Baran's Anta in poll-bound Rajasthan, the PM alleged that there is documentation of how the land, forest and water have been sold during the last five years of Congress' governance in the dairy."Nowadays, there is talk of the Red diary and the Jadugar ji's face is fading away with each turning page of the red diary. In this red dairy, it is clearly written how your land, water and forest have been sold out," the PM said. Further speaking on the party's manifesto in Rajasthan, Kharge said that especially the poor have been taken care of in the manifesto released today. "In our manifesto, for the poor, we have decreased the cylinder price from Rs 500 to Rs 400. In Chiranjeevi scheme, Rs 25 lakh has been increased to Rs 50 lakh. If seen overall, the poor have been taken care of," Mallikarjun Kharge said. Welcoming the DMK's call to support Congress in Telangana, Kharge said that DMK is our alliance party and we welcome their support. As the Congress launched the party manifesto for the Rajasthan elections, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge attacked Prime Minister Modi claiming that the PM was always abusing him or Rahul Gandhi. "The Prime Minister has not done any work apart from abusing us in the Congress. He abuses me, Rahul Gandhi, and recently he has started abusing Ashok Gehlot as well. He says that I abused his father. Why would I abuse his father who is not in this world anymore, what right do I have to speak about his father? I myself lost my mother, sister and uncle at a young age. Just me and my father were left. I am telling this to let you know that we do not speak like him (Modi)," Kharge said in a news conference in Jaipur on Tuesday. Rajasthan is set to undergo assembly polls on November 25, and the counting of votes will be done on December 3. Of the 200 seats, 199 seats will be contested on November 25 as the Congress candidate for the Karanpur assembly constituency in Rajasthan, Gurmeet Singh Koonar, passed away due to sepsis. The Election Commission, therefore, adjourned elections in the Karanpur assembly constituency. In the 2018 assembly elections, the Congress won 99 seats, while the BJP won 73 seats in the 200-member House. Gehlot eventually took the oath as CM with the support of BSP MLAs and Independents. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi came down heavily on the Congress government in Rajasthan and the party high command in the national capital over its guarantees to farmers in the poll-bound state. Addressing a public meeting at Rajasthan's Karauli on Tuesday, PM Modi said, "Rajasthan's Jaadugar (CM Ashok Gehlot) and Delhi's Baazigar (Rahul Gandhi) are both lying to the people. They cheated the farmers and betrayed the trust that they had reposed in the Congress. Only the BJP understands the needs of the farmers and can fulfil them. The Congress government failed their promises to the farmers and pushed them into a debt trap." "They promised to build Kisan Bhavans for farmers but big bungalows were built instead for leaders of the ruling party," PM Modi added. He further alleged that ever since the Congress took the reins of power in Rajasthan, there have only been riots in the state. "There have been riots in Rajasthan during every festival. In a way, every year, during the Congress rule, the state saw a riot. There was a big riot in Tonk in October 2019, in Dungarpur in 2020, in Jhalawar and Baran in 2021, and again in 2022 when the Congress government was a mere by-stander as riots broke out in Jodhpur and Karauli. Can we forget what happened in Karauli during the New Year procession last year?" PM Modi said. PM Modi also accused Chief Minister Gehlot of "letting criminals have a free run" in the state. "Many were left bleeding from stone pelting while local traders watched on helplessly as their businesses were reduced to ruins. Even as the violence continued unabated, the riot-accused were hosted and treated to a feast at the chief minister's residence. Can the Congress, which patronises criminals and hosts them for feasts, ever protect you? This has been a familiar story in Rajasthan over the last 5 years. Instead of acting against them, the Congress government let criminals run free in the state," PM Modi added. Claiming that Rajasthan currently tops the country in incidents of crime against women, he added, "This is the soil where men would even die protecting the dignity of women. But when there is no fear of the law, criminals run amok and our mothers and sisters bear the brunt of it. The Congress made Rajasthan No. 1 in crimes against women. The CM says the complaints filed by women are fake. Can a woman ever fake being harassed or abused? Isn't this an insult to women?" "I assure people here that the BJP, if elected, will bring all those involved in atrocities on women to justice," PM Modi said. He alleged that the Gehlot-led Congress government failed to their mandate to ensure law and order in the state. "When the lives of your loved ones, children, are at risk, what's the use of all your money and properties? If there's no peace and public safety, what will you do with all your bungalows and land? Can the Congress assure your safety? Women live in fear every day. The parents and elders here worry if their children are going to be back home safe," PM Modi said. "There's no law and order in Rajasthan. The government is giving a free hand to criminals instead of putting them behind bars. I feel disheartened and sad. Ask yourselves if you deserved a chief minister like this," he added. Urging people to "sweep the Congress" out of the state in the November 25 Assembly elections, PM Modi said, "It's barely been a week since we celebrated Diwali. Our mothers and sisters take care of household chores 15-16 hours every day. But when Diwali comes, they would pick up the broom and sweep every corner of their homes. This election is also like the Diwali. It is a festival of democracy. Hence, as you immerse yourselves in this festival, I would ask each and every one of you to sweep the Congress out in such a way that no traces of them are left undetected in any corner of the state." He said while the Centre sent crores of rupees to Rajasthan under the 'Jal Jeevan Mission', "the Congress government indulged in a scam and left you all to drink unsafe water". Rajasthan will go to polls in a single phase on November 25 and the votes will be counted, along with those of Mizoram, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh, on December 3. In the last assembly elections in 2018, the Congress won 99 seats while the BJP finished at 73 seats in the 200-member House. (ANI)
Launching a blistering attack on Congress, Union Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said that the grand old party has only one mission which is 'Dynastic politics' and they have been trying to launch Rahul Gandhi since 2015, but have failed." Addressing a rally in Neem ka thana, Amit Shah said "Congress has only one mission, dynastic politics. Sonia Gandhi wanted to launch Rahul Gandhi. She has been trying to launch him since 2015, but he is not getting launched. Congress can never uproot corruption or atrocities from Rajasthan. They can never develop Rajasthan. Rajasthan government is number 1 in corruption. Number 1 on atrocities against mothers and sisters. Only PM Modi can safeguard the rights of the people of Rajasthan and develop it." Pressing on the paper leak issue in the state, Union Minister Amit Shah said that if BJP comes to power, it will provide employment to 2.5 lakh youths without any paper leak. "Congress has cheated youth of the state and has reached the peak as far as cases of paper leak are concerned. Paper leak in SI recruitment, Constable recruitment, Medical Officer, Librarian, REET level-2 paper, Technician paper leak in electricity department," Amit Shah said. Amit Shah further said that Congress while in the Centre from 2004-14, gave only 2 lakh crore of devaluation and grant-in-aid to Rajasthan. "Sonia-Manmohan government had given Rs 2 lakh crore of de-valuation and grant-in-aid to Rajasthan from 2004-2014 in 10 years. Then Modi ji came and gave Rs 6 lakh 70 thousand crores to Rajasthan in 9 years. Modi's government broke all records for the welfare of the poor. BJP will give Rs 12000 to 89 lakh farmers every year under Kisan Samman Nidhi. If our government is formed, we will bear the medical expenses up to Rs 10 lakh," he added. Rajasthan is set to undergo assembly polls on November 25, and the counting of votes will be done on December 3. "When Pulwama and Uri's attacks took place, We entered Pakistan's homeland and eliminated the terrorists by carrying out surgical and air strikes. Modi ji has brought respect to the country by conducting G-20 ," Amit Shah said. The term of the 200-member Legislative Assembly of Rajasthan is scheduled to end on January 14, 2024. The last time Assembly elections were held in the state was in December 2018. Of the 200 assembly seats in the state, 199 will be contested on November 25. The BJP won 163 seats in the 2013 Legislative Assembly elections and formed the government in Rajasthan. In the 2018 assembly elections, the Congress won 99 seats, while the BJP won 73 seats in the 200-member House. (ANI)
The Supreme Court has refused to interfere with the Chhattisgarh High Court order, which dismissed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) plea regarding the 2013 Jheeram Ghaati Naxal attack. A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Mishra on Tuesday rejected the NIA appeal in connection with the Jheeram Ghaati massacre. In 2013, 27 people, including Congress leaders, were killed in the Naxalite attack in the Jheeram Ghaati in Bastar district. Then state Congress chief Nand Kumar Patel, former leader of the opposition Mahendra Karma and former Union minister Vidyacharan Shukla were among those killed. The case was investigated by the NIA and a trial was going on. On a complaint by the son of a deceased Congress leader, an FIR was lodged by the State Police on allegations that the NIA had failed to investigate a larger political conspiracy. The NIA moved the Trial Court for the transfer of the State Police's FIR to the NIA since, according to the NIA, the state FIR was connected to their investigation. The trial court as well as the High Court of Chhattisgarh rejected the petition of the NIA. NIA has moved against the trial court order. The Supreme Court initially granted a stay of further investigation by the State Police in 2020. Additional Solicitor General SV Raju appeared for the NIA. Advocates ANS Nadkarni and Sumeer Sodhi represented the State of Chhattisgarh and told the Court that the NIA had never investigated the political conspiracy angle since 2013 and had in fact closed the case. The Supreme Court was informed that even the previous political regime in 2016 had written to the Central Government to initiate a CBI investigation since the NIA had not done its job. After hearing the parties at length, the bench headed by the CJI dismissed the Special Leave Petition filed by the NIA. (ANI)
For those who may not be attuned to the state of offshore wind energy, the fledgling industry has hit a patch of rough seas in recent weeks. Sharply rising costs for such essential components as giant turbines and cables caused the cancellation of two large New Jersey projects by Orsted, the Danish multinational company that just so happens to be developing one of two coastal Maryland wind farms. That project, Skipjack Wind, may still move forward, a company spokesperson has promised, but only if its financially reconfigured. In other words, the company wants some help, presumably from ratepayers.

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy has suspended its plans to open a turbine blade factory in Portsmouth, Virginia, despite its nearby customer, a 2.6 gigawatt wind farm planned by Dominion Energy. The brightest spot may be that Marylands other wind developer, U.S. Wind, is promising that its collection of offshore turbines are moving ahead. Yet even if both its project and Skipjack move forward, the combined effort would bring the state only a quarter of the way toward its offshore wind energy goal of 8.5 gigawatts by 2031. And then theres also the matter of building turbine parts in Maryland, including at Tradepoint Atlantic in Sparrows Point. Whats to become of those promised jobs?

Oh, and has anybody mentioned that Maryland could face a shortfall in its power supply as it moves away from fossil fuel-powered electrical generation while the demand for electricity to power homes and businesses and even electric vehicles increases? The last of the states coal-fired plants in Allegany County is now set to retire next year. Has Maryland bet on the wrong energy producer? Is there a future in wind?

Theres no doubt that exactly what projects will ultimately move forward and where they will be located is not exactly clear right now, but its far too soon to declare offshore wind as no more than a passing zephyr. Climate change is real. The need to generate clean energy is real. The potential of offshore wind is real, too. And thats particularly true in Maryland, which has less potential for solar than less developed locales. The problem is in the nitty-gritty of how to pull it off. Those high prices may actually be a healthy sign as companies vie for limited supplies.

What this pause in development does raise is a structural concern about how to move forward. Should the financial burden be shared with taxpayers? What incentives are appropriate? And then theres the other side of the coin: At what point are power plants that spew air pollution going to pay for the harm they cause? Were looking at you, coal- and natural gas-fired power plants. Nearly two-thirds of U.S. electricity comes from burning fossil fuels. And the carbon dioxide produced is having a big impact on climate change. When do these producers pay for the damage theyve done?

Unfortunately, climate change denial remains a popular fantasy, particularly among right-wing Republicans. Polls show a majority of Americans favor developing renewable energy, but about one-third favor expanded oil, coal and natural gas production, according to Pew Research Center. Among Republicans, the numbers differ markedly: A whopping 58% want more coal, oil and natural gas, and when you ask 65 and older members of the GOP, its 75% who favor traditional fossil fuels. Small wonder some residents of Ocean City have been more worried about being able to see skyscraper-sized turbines a dozen or more miles from the beach than about rising ocean levels wiping out their condos and boardwalk. Donald Trump won Worcester County by a 3-2 margin in 2020 despite Joe Bidens landslide 2-1 win statewide.

Whats needed now is for policymakers from Washington, D.C., and state capitals includingAnnapolis to sharpen their pencils and figure out how best to facilitate green energy, including wind, in the most affordable way possible. A small increase in electricity prices or taxpayer subsidies now may prove a whole lot cheaper than paying for environmental disasters down the road. We cant afford to stay fixated on the short term when the climate threat looms so large. Sea-level rise, saltwater intrusion, loss of ecosystems, stifling weather patterns and worsened human health  all are forecast by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for Maryland. The sooner those offshore turbines start spinning, the better for our future.

Baltimore Sun editorial writers offer opinions and analysis on news and issues relevant to readers. They operate separately from the newsroom.
The Baloch National Movement has accused the Pakistani forces of abducting and killing three Baloch youth by placing them in a vehicle and detonating it. BNM has alleged that Pakistan repeatedly carried out these atrocities by killing, abducting and torture to instil fear and exert control over the Baloch system which is demanding independence from Pakistan. "Pakistan Army is the primary perpetrator of human rights violations and enforced disappearances in Balochistan," BNM posted on X (formerly Twitter). Hakeem Baloch, the Focal Person of Baloch National Movement's Foreign Committee in video message from the UK, said that there is a sentiment in Balochistan calling for the independence of the Baloch state. "I am recording this message to let the world know that Pakistani forces have killed three Baloch youth. They were abducted in August. The complaint was registered and it was requested by human rights group to find the abducted the youth. He said that the three deceased Baloch will be claimed as militants, who were allegedly carrying out armed violence against Pakistani state. "There is a reality that Baloch are resisting. There is an armed struggle going on. There are organisations that are operating, and their demand is clear, a free and sovereign Balochistan," he added. Hakeem Baloch said that the Baloch National Movement is a political organisation, that is advocating for the independence of Balochistan, a free and independent Baloch state. "But, this does not mean that every Baloch who believes in the independence of Balochistan and Pakisrtani forces should leave Balochistan. Juts on the basis of those ideas, people must not be abducted," Hakeem Baloch further said. He added, "If the killings, abductions and torture continue, this means the Pakistani establishment, the security forces, the so-called Balochistan government are involved in the direct genocide in Balochistan". In a press conference, the BNM further emphasised about the atrocities being committed by Pakistani security forces to stoke fear among the residents. Qazi Dad Mohammad Rehan, the Information Secretary of BNM said, "Enforced disappearances in Balochistan are a grave issue, perpetuated by the Pakistan Army as a means to instil fear and exert control over the judicial system. The Pakistan Army's notorious practice of conducting a Kill-and-dump policy has resulted in the deaths of thousands of individuals who have been forcibly disappeared "This is the bleak reality of Balochistan, where innocent individuals are being arrested from their homes, during travel, in educational institutions, hospitals, and busy markets, Many of them are being buried in anonymous graves, deprived of their names and identification," he added. Rehan further described about a "deeply disturbing" incident "shaming humanity" where three young children from the same family were callously killed "These innocent souls were placed in a vehicle, still partially alive, and subjected to an explosion that utterly devastated their fragile bodies. It is crucial to note that these children were under the custody of the Pakistan Army," he said. He also informed of another incident when in August 2023, seven children belonging to the same family were "forcibly disappeared" by Pakistani forces. "It is important to emphasize that the Pakistan Army is the primary perpetrator of human rights violations and enforced disappearances in Balochistan. The Frontier Corps (FC) is not an independent force, but rather an extension of the Pakistan Army," Rehan said. He added, "The so-called Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of the police plays a pivotal role in facilitating these grave crimes committed by the Pakistani army". The BNM further urged the international organisations to take immediate action and journalists to bring greater attention towards the human rights violation in the region. "BNM urges international organizations to take immediate action to prevent enforced disappearances in Balochistan. We appeal to journalists to bring greater attention to the human rights violations occurring in this region. When it comes to Balochistan, it is crucial not to solely rely on the narrative presented by the Pakistani army and authorities," the BNM Information Secretary said. (ANI)
A senior journalist from Gilgit Baltistan, Yousuf Nashad has expressed his anger against the ruling dispensation in Pakistan and said that despite having abundant water, the people in the occupied region have neither received education nor electricity in the last 75 years. People in Gilgit Baltistan are forced to live in harsh conditions as Pakistan has denied basic rights to them. Amid several atrocities carried out by the Pakistani government, the residents of Gilgit Baltistan are compelled to live under darkness. Suffering major power breakdowns for months, Gilgit Baltistan is witnessing a wave of protests against the ruling dispensation. Moreover, people are disappointed over the fact that when it comes to exploitation of resources and people, the puppet government in Gilgit Baltistan is also not behind the Islamabad dispensation. Recently the government in Gilgit Baltistan announced an increase in the subsidised wheat rate from Rs 20 kg to Rs 52 per kg. The Islamabad-controlled government is also facing backlash for supplying low-quality wheat. Yousuf Nashad said in an interview, "Despite having abundant water, we neither received education nor electricity in the last 75 years. We didn't receive anything. Regarding wheat, I would like to say that its quality is very bad. People are falling ill after consuming it. Chapatis made of this wheat look completely black. Any minister or chief secretary should try this, then they will come to know the reality." The residents in Gilgit Baltistan are carrying out demonstrations to seek economic and political rights. While demanding the basic necessities like employment, energy, wheat, and education, the residents are also bringing up the problem of land grabbing. According to reports, the Pakistani Army and officials of security services are engaged in illegal land grabbing in the region. In such troublesome circumstances, the opening of the Skardu-Kargil road has been demanded by the people of Gilgit Baltistan, who feel that it is the only way to lessen the darkness in their lives. "The tenders for 14 Megawatt and 16 Megawatt were allotted together. 14 Megawatt is ready but 16 Megawatt is still not ready. Some are saying that the related company is also connected to the administration. If 16 MW had been completed, we would have got adequate electricity. The area is being looted in every way. We feel that we are once again standing on the crossroads of 1947, where we could repeat history", said Yousuf. Amid mass protests in Gilgit Baltistan, the politics of Islamabad seems to be in doldrums. With people threatening to repeat history, Pakistan is facing a new phase of turbulent time. Pakistan's own misguided policies over the years have left it in a difficult situation. The startling aspect of the entire tale, though, is that Pakistan is still unwilling to own up to its mistakes. (ANI)
The Australian Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, visited the Australian High Commission on Monday to attend the showcase of upcoming exhibitions featuring Australian First Nations artists in India. Speaking during the event, Penny Wong expressed interest that Australia wants to make connections between the first nation's culture and India together and said that "India is a global powerhouse in film." "We really want to bring the connection between our first nation's cultures and the cultures of India, together. We spoke a bit earlier about the Gondwana Art project, the Indian Gond Art from Central India which I am told base a similarity to some first nation art forms, will be explored in separate exhibitions participating in the Gondwana Art Project," she said. She added, "This isn't just about history. It's also about the future and I was really pleased to announce an important agreement between India and Australia, which is the Audio Visual co-production agreement which will encourage collaboration and creative exchange...Now India is a global powerhouse in film. So it's pretty exciting to imagine what we can produce together, Bollywood in Brisbane, Melbourne in Mumbai, or something similar." Additionally, Australian High Commissioner to India, Philip Green expressed hope that the exhibitions will help Indians experience another part of Austranian vibrant culture. "What an honour to showcase this diverse group of First Nations artists in India. I hope through these exhibitions people in India can experience another part of our vibrant Australian culture," he said. The Founder of Gondwana Art Project, Sundeep Bhandari said, "Gondwana Art Project is very excited to announce our collaborative exhibition with Australian artists. Gond and Bhil art from the Gondwana region in central India have a remarkable similarity with the First Nations art from Australia. These artworks will showcase these cultural artforms evolving with modern times." Moreover, Fair Director, India Art Fair, Jaya Asokan said, "India Art Fair has always celebrated traditional artforms and their living practitioners in the same breath as modern and contemporary art and artists. We are thrilled to see the Australian High Commission bring works by Australian indigenous artist Sarrita King to India and to the upcoming edition of India Art Fair, taking place in New Delhi from 1st to 4th February 2024, bringing in a global perspective to conversations around indigenous art and giving pride of place to these invaluable traditions in the cultural landscape." This event highlighted the importance Australia places on its First Nations cultures as a vital part of its modern national identity. In the event, three groups of works were featured including a video installation of the 'Walking Through Songlines' immersive experience which will tour India; painted works by Sarrita King, who will be showcased at the India Art Fair; and painted works that will be included in an exhibition titled 'Modern Tribal - Connecting Traditions' by The Gondwana Art Project which will show Australian works alongside those from Indian artists. As Foreign Minister, Senator Wong appointed Australia's inaugural Ambassador for First Nations People. This is part of the Australian Government's efforts to embed Indigenous perspectives, experiences and interests across the work of the Australian Foreign Service and develop a First Nations Foreign Policy Strategy. Earlier on Monday, India-Australia 2+2 Defence and Foreign Ministerial Dialogue was co-chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles and Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong. S Jaishankar and Rajnath Singh warmly received Richard Marles and Penny Wong for the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue. The ministers shook hands and posed for the cameras. (ANI)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repudiated any notion of entering peace negotiations with Moscow, despite an increasingly deteriorating Ukrainian force on the combat line of engagement, TASS reported. In Zelensky's opinion, Russia is not ready to halt combat, "therefore, we [Ukraine] are not speaking about peace at any price." "Is it difficult on the battlefield? Yes. But making friends or entering diplomatic table now with Russia? No!", TASS reported citing The Sun newspaper. On November 4 there were reports coming out of Ukraine that US and European Union officials were discussing with Ukraine about possible peace talks with Russia and what Kyiv might have to give up for a compromise. Nevertheless, Zelensky denied these claims, expressing his "irritation" at media reports about the pressure to negotiate with Russia, saying he had "no idea" where those claims came from, reported TASS. "Time has passed, people are tired...But this is not a stalemate," Zelensky said at a news conference on November 4 in Kyiv. The Ukrainian conflict is now in its 20th month of conflict, with continuous Western aid being provided to the Kyiv regime. A recent US military aid package to Ukraine was labelled as a "sedative pill" for the Kyiv regime which is on the verge of a complete collapse, Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov said. "The message about another American arms supply to the regime is nothing more but a sedative pill prepared by overseas 'benefactors' for [Ukrainian President Vladimir] Zelensky. The situation on the front and in the Ukrainian state institutions is on the verge of complete collapse," the diplomat said as quoted by the Russian Embassy's Telegram channel. The Pentagon announced a 100-million-dollar package in new military aid to the Kyiv regime on November 20. US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin's package will include anti-tank weapons, air defence interceptors and an additional High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, TASS reported. (ANI)
Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong said her country will host the Indian Ocean Conference in Perth in February next year. She said the conference will be an opportunity to discuss practical solutions for the key challenges facing the region. "I'm pleased to confirm today that Australia will host the Indian Ocean Conference in Perth in February of next year. It's an opportunity to discuss practical solutions for the key challenges facing the region. And I also look forward to welcoming Jaishankar to Australia," the Australian Foreign Minister said during a press briefing on the India-Australia Foreign Ministers' Framework Dialogue alongside External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar. The Indian Ocean Conference started in 2016 in Singapore featuring 30 countries. In the last six years, the Conference has emerged as a consultative forum for countries in the region over regional affairs. The Indian Ocean Conference works towards bringing critical states and principal maritime partners of the region together on a common platform to deliberate upon the prospects of regional cooperation for Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR). Wong on Tuesday met Jaishankar in New Delhi for the Foreign Ministers' Framework Dialogue. The two leaders held discussions on advancing the strategic partnership between the two countries. Wong said at the press briefing, "Today, we did discuss many issues. We discussed, amongst other things, our work in the Indian Ocean region, how we can collaborate on shared challenges climate change, maritime security, the health of the oceans." She said India, Australia are at either end of the Indian Ocean, and "we have the largest Indian Ocean coastlines of any nation. So we share a lot. So it's central, defining both of us, and it brings us together." She said the two countries are working hard to expand their cooperation, "including through a new 1.5-track strategic dialogue". The Australian Foreign Minister said, "Today, I also announced an Australia-Indian Audio Visual Coproduction agreement, which has come into force, which we are very interested in and which will, we hope, open up new markets and allow more Australian and Bollywood films and series to reach new audiences." "We are, as Jaishankar said, we are comprehensive strategic partners. We're also Quad partners. We share traditions. We also share an interest in the sort of region we live in, an Indo-Pacific that is peaceful, stable and prosperous, in which sovereignty is respected and where all countries can benefit from a strategic equilibrium," she said. Wong added, "We can only build and sustain this region by working with others. And I can't emphasise sufficiently how important we see India to that project." She added, "I thank Jaishankar for his kind comments about our support for the G20. We certainly did want to ensure we worked with India as much as we were able to make it a successful G20 year. India is also hosting the Quad meeting early next year, so we equally would want to work with India to ensure that that is as successful and positive as it can be." On Australia-China relations, Wong said, "...China is a country with whom we will continue to engage. In the way which we describe, - we will cooperate where we can, we will disagree where we must and we will engage in our national interests." Penny Wong recently said that Canberra deeply values its bilateral relationship with New Delhi, adding that it is "crucial to a region" where sovereignty is respected. In her opening remarks at the India-Australia 2+2 Defence and Foreign Ministerial Dialogue in New Delhi, Wong noted that the two nations have done a lot together bilaterally and hope to do more. She recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi's State visit to Australia. "We've done a lot of work together bilaterally and we hope to do more again today. I think what I would emphasise is that we value deeply the bilateral relationship, economic ties, two-way trade and investment, and the people-to-people links the climate initiatives particularly ... that we're working on together. But to again underline what we all know which is this is a partnership which is consequential for us but it is crucial for our region and we see you India as central, crucial to the sort of region we continue to work for peaceful, stable, prosperous where sovereignty is respected and we look forward in this discussion to going further on the ways in which we can both work to deliver that," she added. The India-Australia 2+2 Defence and Foreign Ministerial Dialogue was co-chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles and Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong. (ANI)
Japan is carrying out precautionary measures after North Korea announced plans to launch a new satellite between November 22 and December 1, with the Pyongyang government disregarding warnings from Tokyo and Seoul not to go ahead with the launch, The Japan Times reported. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's office said it had "strongly demanded" that North Korea halt preparations for the launch, with Kishida later adding that Japan was preparing for "unforeseen circumstances" and cooperating with the United States, South Korea and others. "Even if the purpose is to launch a satellite, using ballistic missile technology is a violation of a series of United Nations Security Council resolutions," Kishida said. "This is also a major national security concern," he said. Attempts in May and August to launch military spy satellites failed, meaning this will be North Korea's third attempt to launch over the far-flung southern Japanese islands. That missile launch came just ahead of a visit to Russia by leader Kim Jong Un for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, reports The Japan Times. Pyongyang is prohibited from conducting ballistic missile launches under United Nations Security Council resolutions, but has in the past said these measures do not cover its nominally civilian space program. Japan, South Korea and the US are not convinced claiming that the launch is a veiled attempt of advancing the reclusive nations missile programme, as similar missile technology is being employed. Since 1998, the North has attempted six satellite launches, with just two appearing to have been successfully placed in orbit, the last in 2016, reports The Japan Times. Tokyo has deployed countermeasures in preparation for a potential shootdown of the proposed satellite. It has sent PAC-3 ground-based missile-defense batteries to Okinawa's Miyako, Ishigaki and Yonaguni islands, while also deploying Maritime Self-Defense Force Aegis destroyers -- which are equipped with SM-3 interceptors -- to waters around Japan. South Korea's chief director of its Joint Chiefs of Staff, Lt. Gen. Kang Ho-pil said that North Korea could make an attempt to launch the rocket within the week. If North Korea goes ahead with the military reconnaissance satellite launch despite our warning, our military will come up with necessary measures to protect the lives and safety of our people," Kang said, reports The Japan Times. The "necessary measures" that South Korea are prepared to take have not been made clear, however, the nuclear-powered USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier arrived at the South Korean naval base in the port city of Busan. North Korea's state-run media has called the country's spy satellite program an "indispensable" measure to counter U.S. and allied space militarization. The United States Navy's third Nimitz-class supercarrier, the third aircraft carrier to visit the country this year, demonstrates Washington and Seoul's "firm resolve to respond to advancing North Korean nuclear and missile threats", The Japan Times reports. (ANI)
A new report has highlighted that an unlikely trio have joined together and are using "a bait and switch" to weaponize caste as an issue in the United States and that the narrative is "about an anti-India push" and not any real effort at addressing discrimination against Dalits in the United States. The Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) discussed the new report 'The Weaponization of Caste in America' with its author, Dr. Salvatore Babones, Associate Professor at the University of Sydney. The study calls out the overlap between the players pushing antisemitism and the 'Caste in US' narrative. "This is about an anti-India push and not any real effort at addressing discrimination against Dalits in the United States," according to the author. Babones stated that a section of Muslims, Dalits and Khalistanis have joined together "and are using a bait and switch" to weaponize caste as an issue in the United States. He said the study lays out evidence that players involved in the 'CasteinUS' narrative are the same ones pushing "antisemitc tropes". Prof Babones, a statistician, also dismissed the Equality Labs report, calling it a "biased poll of Dalit activists". "The conclusions in that report are just mathematically unlikely." In a strong repudiation, he said, "All evidence suggests that the 2016 Equality Labs survey should not be taken seriously". He called the report by The Equality Labs - which is based in the US - as "deeply flawed" statistically and not a reliable measure of the experience of Dalits in the United States given its "deep sampling bias and snowball methodology". Digging further into the numbers that have underlaid the whole narrative, Prof Babones embarked on a quest for the primary source behind the widely cited datapoint that "only 1.5 per cent of Indian immigrants in the United States were Dalits." Elaborating on the bait-and-switch at the core of the weaponization of caste, he said "Dalits in India are not the same as Dalits in America, 80 per cent of whom have post-graduate degrees". "The fact that there were only two sponsors of SB403, ever, suggests that the legislators were tricked into thinking--I don't want to be the person who stood against saying no to caste-based discrimination, so I will vote for the bill. I don't want to be the person who stood against saying no to caste-based discrimination, so I will vote for the bill. If I could speak to the legislators, I would say -- don't be a tool in someone else's battle. Find out what is really going on," Babones stated. Earlier in February, Seattle became the first US city to ban caste-based discrimination by incorporating it into its anti-discrimination laws. The legislation, SB 403, originally sought to add caste as a new category under the state's non-discrimination law, but it now enumerates caste as one protected class under the larger umbrella of "ancestry." In May, the California Senate passed a bill to ban caste-based discrimination in the state. Media reports said that the bill was later vetoed by the Governor. (ANI)
Mr. President, you cant say Dallas doesnt love you.

Nellie Connolly, the first lady of Texas, turned around and spoke those words to President John F. Kennedy. He was sitting behind her in the open-top 1961 Lincoln Continental convertible, and he agreed: No, you certainly cant.

These were among his last words.

Then as the car entered Dealey Plaza and passed the Texas Book Depository, three shots rang out. A bullet hit Kennedy, flung him back, then to the left, as he slumped into Jackies arms. The cavalcade rushed to Parkland Memorial Hospital, where he died shortly thereafter.

The irony of Nellie Connallys final words and JFKs reply lingers to this day, 60 years later.

Its ironic too that we Baby Boomers who considered JFK our president, and who loved him and his beautiful wife and children, are now much older than he was when he died and left us bereft.

We have only images to remember him by. These final scenes seem especially poignant: Kennedy with his arm resting on the side of a dark blue convertible sedan; Kennedy waving at the crowd who was watching the presidential motorcade as it traveled the streets of Dallas; the grassy knoll; the stretcher carrying JFK into Parkland Hospital; Jackie, her pink suit stained with blood, standing beside Lyndon Johnson as he takes the oath of office; John-John saluting his deceased father.

Lyndon Johnson takes the oath of office aboard Air Force One after President John F. Kennedys assassination. Also pictured are first lady Jackie Kennedy, right, first lady Lady Bird Johnson, left, Jack Valenti and Rep. Albert Thomas on Nov. 22. (Photo by Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images)

When he died, JFK took our youth with him as well as the innocence of our country. Weve never been able to retrieve it. No president after him has been loved as much by so many people. Nor have we as a people loved one another as much as we did then.

Weve tried but never actually understood what happened on Nov. 22, 1963. Was there one assassin? Or were there several? Did the shots come from one area? Or two? The Zapruder film had sections that were damaged or missing. Why?

The assassination of John F. Kennedy is among the most significant events in U.S. history. In the last 60 years, approximately 2,000 books have been written about the tragedy. Over the years, weve had numerous investigations, theories and conspiracy theories. In December, the National Archives released troves of information, with thousands more trickling out throughout the year.

In July 2012 only about 28% of the population were of an age to remember JFKs assassination. A decade later, only 16.8% of us are old enough to remember living through that Friday, partly because of the number of years and partly because of the pandemic.

I asked the members of the Memoir Seminar, a group of senior citizens that I teach for the Johns Hopkins Osher program, to write about their memories of the Kennedy assassination. They did. Twenty-four people  most in their 70s and 80s, a few in the 90s  remembered the details of Kennedys assassination as if it were yesterday. Several read descriptions of their day and choked up at particularly poignant moments, especially Walter Cronkite looking at the clock and announcing that Kennedy had died.

John F. Kennedy Jr. salutes his fathers flag-draped casket as it passes on Nov. 25, 1963. Behind JFKs son is Robert Kennedy, and Ted Kennedy is on the other side of Jackie, behind young Caroline, who was about to turn 6.

A man from India remembered people wearing white  their color of mourning  and packing into the memorial service at the Anglican Cathedral. Another man who lived in British Guiana recalled hearing the song My Daddy Is the President and then leaving school early on Nov. 22, 1963, when he heard of JFKs death. A Johns Hopkins medical student remembered his pathology professor telling the class to stop looking into their microscopes, then announcing that the president had been assassinated. He allowed them to quietly leave the lab.

One woman who had just started as a girl reporter at The Washington Post remembered that every teletype machine in Metro clanged out at top volume when Kennedy died. Another woman who was a student at Antioch College remembered being in Rome. She was on an independent study assignment and was awakened to the word, Assasinato. But she did not know who or what it meant.

Everyone seemed to see the tragedy not so much as a political event but as a pivotal moment in their own lives. Many grew up during the tranquil 1950s. It seemed unbelievable that this handsome, young, idealistic president could be assassinated. It still does. But then it happened, and we were devastated.

Most can recount everything they were doing that day; the person who told them about the tragic death; what their immediate reaction was; where they were when they learned about the assassination; what time it was; what they did the rest of that day and that following weekend. Most watched the unfolding story on television.

They can still envision President Kennedys flag-draped casket; the caisson drawn by six horses; and Blackjack, the riderless black horse. They see crowds lining Pennsylvania Avenue weeping and the ever-silent, eternal flame at Arlington National Cemetery where President Kennedy was buried.

Ultimately, these memories from JHU Osher members attempt to once again understand what happened to them and the country on that long ago Friday, and to find words for this unspeakable tragedy, which deeply affected them whether they were young children, adolescents, or young adults. In a sense, these memories are part of JFKs eternal flame. They attempt to share one of the countrys darkest moments. May they bring light from that darkness.

Diane Scharper (dscharper@gmail.com) edited the Johns Hopkins University/Osher Journal special edition on the assassination of John F. Kennedy. This essay is an excerpt from the Introduction.
Following the recent fights between the rebel groups and the military junta in the bordering areas of Myanmar, India has issued an updated travel advisory for Indian nationals. "In view of the evolving security situation in Myanmar, all Indian nationals are advised to avoid non-essential travel," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a press release on Tuesday. "Those already living in Myanmar are advised to take precaution and avoid travel to the regions affected by violence. Inter-state travel by road should also be avoided," the MEA release also said. "Indian nationals living in Myanmar are requested to register with the Embassy of India, Yangon by filling up the form," the release added. Indian nationals living in Myanmar need to download and fill out a registration form available on the MEA website and submit its hard and soft copies to the embassy. Along with the filled form, they are also required to submit two colour passport size photographs of each member of their family, one copy of Passport's first page, last page and current visa page, and passport of each individual for verification. Applicants will not be charged any fee for their registrations and will be provided with a certificate of registration within one month. Indian nationals can submit their documents either in person or through authorised representatives who will be required to produce an authority letter and proof of identity, according to the MEA website. A number of Myanmar nationals fled from their country following the recent airstrike by the Myanmar army in the bordering areas of the country. More than 26,000 from Myanmar's Rakhine state have been displaced since Monday after fresh fighting between Myanmar Armed Forces (MAF) and the Arakan Army (AA) according to the United Nations. Meanwhile, around 5000 people from Myanmar have entered the Indian state of Mizoram following a fresh airstrike by the Myanmar army in the bordering areas along the Indo-Myanmar border. In the wake of the situation. India has called for the end of violence after an airstrike at the Indo-Myanmar border and emphasised the resolution of the situation through constructive dialogue. "Our position on the ongoing situation in Myanmar is very clear. We want secession of the violence and the resolution of the situation through constructive dialogue. We reiterate our call for the return of peace, stability and democracy in Myanmar," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Thursday in a weekly briefing. Bagchi further emphasised that, as a result of fighting in the Rikhawdar area, which is opposite Zokhawthar on the India-Myanmar border in Mizoram, in the Chin state of Myanmar, "there has been a movement of Myanmar nationals to the Indian side. We are deeply concerned with such incidents close to our border." "We reiterate our call for the return of peace, stability and democracy in Myanmar," Bagchi stressed. According to Reuters, Myanmar's military junta is facing its biggest test since taking power in a 2021 coup after three ethnic minority forces launched a coordinated offensive in late October, capturing some towns and military posts. Last week, the military-installed president said that Myanmar was at risk of "breaking apart" because of an ineffective response to the rebellion. As per Reuters, the new combat will be another blow for the junta, which is increasingly stretched amid mounting armed opposition, fuelled by anger over the coup and crackdown. (ANI)
Noting that the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza is causing immense human suffering, India said on Tuesday that it welcomed all efforts of the international community towards de-escalation while emphasising that all hostages should be released and international humanitarian law should be observed.External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who participated in a virtual extraordinary meeting on the West Asia situation of leaders of BRICS countries, said that immediate crisis was triggered by the terrorist attack of October 7 on Israel and that there should not be compromise with terrorism. "The ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza is causing immense human suffering, including to civilians,elderly, women and children. We welcome all efforts of the international community towards de-escalation. Right now, there is an urgent need to ensure that humanitarian aid and relief effectively and safely reach the population of Gaza," Jaishankar said. "It is also imperative that all hostages are released. We believe that there is a universal obligation to observe international humanitarian law," he added. Expressing concern over civilian casualties, Jaishankar said India strongly condemns any death of civilians. "We are all aware that the immediate crisis was triggered by the terrorist attack of 7th October. Where terrorism itself is concerned, none of us should or can compromise with it. Hostage taking is equally unacceptable and cannot be condoned. Subsequent developments have deepened our concern even more as we witness large-scale civilian casualties and a humanitarian crisis. We strongly condemn any death of civilians," he said. He thanked South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for convening this extraordinary meeting. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin also addressed the meeting."I speak for Prime Minister Narendra Modi who could not join us today. We are gathered to discuss the deeply concerning situation in the Middle East, with a particular focus on Gaza. South Africa has rightly taken the initiative to convene the BRICS, and also to include those who would be part of the group in due course. I convey Prime Minister Modi's greetings to all the leaders, virtually present," Jaishankar said. The minister said that along with the need for restraint and immediate humanitarian support, India also emphasizes peaceful resolution of conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy. "Prime Minister Modi has spoken to several leaders in the region and across the world in this context. He has highlighted the need to create conditions for peace and restart direct and meaningful peace negotiations." He said India believes that the concerns of the Palestinian people must be addressed in a "serious and sustainable manner". "This can only happen with a two-State solution that is based on peaceful co-existence. We have been consistently supportive of international efforts towards this end."Jaishankar said international community is today facing a very complex situation that has many dimensions. "We have to address them all; and yet, have to prioritize. Our endeavour should be to both make a difference on the ground immediately while also creating conditions for lasting solutions. This exchange of views can be helpful in that regard and I thank South Africa once again for gathering us all at this difficult time." The minister said that over the years, India has supported the socio-economic welfare of the Palestinian people and strengthening of their national institutions. "Our development partnership is geared towards these objectives. We continue to provide assistance both bilaterally and through the UN. Our economic assistance to Palestine, developmental projects there and financial support to Palestinian Authority reflect our position. India remains supportive of the UN Relief and Welfare Agency's (UNRWA) role and have been contributing USD 5 million annually." Jaishankar said that India has also sent 70 tonnes of humanitarian assistance including 16.5 tonnes of medicines and medical supplies in response to the crisis in Gaza. "We thank Egypt for facilitating this delivery. Our relief assistance will continue." The leaders of the BRICS countries--Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa-- joined the meeting along with their counterparts from newly added member states. At least 12,700 Palestinians have been killed since October 7, according to figures from the Palestinian Ministry of Health in the West Bank, which draws its data from Hamas-run health authorities in Gaza. In Israel, the official death toll from Hamas's attacks stands at about 1,200. (ANI)
A reader states unequivocally that criticism of the state of Israel is not anti-Jewish (Criticism of Israel not always an attack on Judaism, Nov. 14). I fully agree. As a Jew and ardent Zionist, I also have been critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his populist far-right regime, and I, too, deplore the continued expansion of settlements on the West Bank.

However, it all depends on the specifics of the criticism. Some criticism has been reasonable and constructive. Other criticism has displayed blatant antisemitism, such as the statement from the river to the sea on a protesters sign suggesting that there is no place for a Jewish homeland in the Middle East, which was shared on social media by the Maryland-based immigrants rights group CASA, which also argued that the Arabs are the indigenous people to the region and that Jews are colonizers (and for which it has since apologized).

I would consider that claim antisemitic, considering that Jews have lived continuously in Palestine since well before the days of King David and are absolutely indigenous to that area.

 Jack Kinstlinger, Towson

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Your recent article on Towson Universitys new president, Mark R. Ginsberg (Towson Universitys new president emphasizes listening, being present on campus: Hes just everywhere,' Nov. 20), was appropriately positive and encompassing.

Let me add some perspective as a longtime faculty member, now retired, who still comes to campus virtually every day to my College of Education office and who was the longest-serving member of the University Senate (41 years).

Towson has had some excellent presidents during my nearly half-century at the university. These include James Fisher, Hoke L. Smith, Robert L. Caret, Kim Schatzel, Melanie Perreault (who recently served as interim president) and the very best of an impressive group, Maravene Loeschke.

I have interacted with the new president many times already, and we have a lunch pending. I have not seen in my tenure an incoming president more unanimously positively received than President Ginsberg. Every element of the university, past and present, with which I still interact  administration (including a candidate for the presidency), faculty, staff, former faculty, students, alumni, and his former colleagues at George Mason University  is impressed by his energy, comprehensive understanding of the university and genuineness without affectation.

I think we have another Maravene Loeschke leading the university, and that is the best compliment I can give him. Ginsberg is precisely the best president we could have in these fractious times to help make the best comprehensive university in Maryland one of the very best in the country.

 Richard E. Vatz, Towson

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A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that a state law requiring Marylanders to obtain a handgun qualification license before purchasing or receiving a firearm is unconstitutional.

This is a significant ruling for the Second Amendment and every American who cherishes our constitutional freedoms, said Randy Kozuch, the executive director of the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action, in a statement.

In a split 2-1 decision, a three-judge panel of the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals found a portion of the states Firearm Safety Act of 2013 to be unconstitutional. That part of the law prohibits Marylanders from purchasing, renting or receiving a handgun unless they have received a valid handgun qualification license.

It is also illegal to sell, rent, gift or transfer a firearm to a person without a license under that law.

To receive a handgun qualification license, applicants must be Maryland residents aged 21 or older. They are required to pass a firearm safety course and undergo a background check to ensure they arent prohibited from owning a gun under state or federal law. The licenses are issued by the Maryland State Police. The application review process can take up to 30 days.

The case, brought on behalf of the firearms rights organization Maryland Shall Issue, two individual plaintiffs and a gun store, was filed initially against former Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican. Hogan met his term limit earlier this year and was replaced by Democratic Gov. Wes Moore, who is now considered the defendant in the case.

Moore said he is disappointed by Tuesdays decision.

This law is not about stripping away rights from responsible gun owners  its about every Marylander having the right to live free from fear, the governor said. I am determined to do more than just give thoughts and prayers and attend funerals  and thats why this law is vital to our administrations commitment to keeping guns out of the wrong hands and saving lives.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, a Democrat, said he is incredibly frustrated, and that Tuesdays ruling threatens the safety of our communities.

State Senate President Bill Ferguson, a Baltimore Democrat, called the ruling crazy.

Every responsible gun owner supports basic firearm training and keeping guns out of criminals hands, Ferguson said. This decision will unequivocally lead to more gun violence and firearm-related deaths.

The law was upheld when it was initially challenged in 2016.

Tuesdays opinion, written by U.S. Circuit Judge Julius Richardson, reversed that ruling. Richardson, an appointee of former President Donald Trump who clerked for former Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist, cited the U.S. Supreme Court decision in the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, which overturned New York states gun licensing policy and disrupted the licensing process in Maryland, California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island.

The state has two weeks to ask for a review of the decision by the entire 14-judge 4th Circuit. It also may ask the Supreme Court to review the decision.

The New York law that the Supreme Court deemed unconstitutional in 2022 required people applying for permits to carry guns in public to demonstrate proper cause to successfully receive a concealed carry permit.

In his opinion, Richardson wrote that the Bruen decision effected a sea change in Second Amendment law and that, in order for the law to be constitutional, the state must demonstrate that the challenged law is similar enough to a historically recognized exception to the right to keep and bear arms.

U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, said that the ruling is yet another disastrous consequence of the absurd new Supreme Court standard that todays gun laws need to match those from centuries ago.

In a statement issued after the release of the opinion, William Taylor, the deputy director of Second Amendment litigation at Everytown Law, a group that advocates for gun safety, said that the now-stricken licensing process is not only common sense, it is entirely consistent with the Second Amendment and the new test established by the Bruen decision.

While todays decision is a setback to public safety, we fully expect that the full 4th Circuit, or if necessary, the Supreme Court, will reverse this dangerous decision and uphold Marylands critical gun safety law, he said.

The three-judge panel ruled Tuesday that the states argument for upholding the law did not meet the Bruen cases historical standard.

The 4th Circuit Courts decision to overturn Marylands restrictive gun license law sends a clear message: Law-abiding Marylanders fundamental right to self-defense must not be infringed, Kozuch said.
The U.S.'s deliveries of NATO-standard 155mm shells to Ukraine have decreased "by more than 30%" since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict on Oct. 7, an unnamed Ukrainian official told ABC News on Nov. 21.

"They (U.S. officials) were telling us it (the Israel-Hamas war) wouldnt influence the commitments (from the U.S.), but it did," the official said.

However, an unnamed senior U.S. defense official disputed that connection, saying to ABC News that the reduction in shell provisions has "absolutely nothing to do with what's happening in Gaza."

According to the U.S. official, the U.S. presidential drawdown authority packages "start to get put together weeks in advance, so there is no link between what's happening in Gaza to whats happening in Ukraine."

It is not the first time that such a connection has been drawn.

President Volodymyr Zelensky echoed the assessment, saying on Nov. 16 that the delivery of shells from Western allies had "really slowed down" since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

"Lets be frank: the crisis in the Middle East is already having a lasting impact on our policy in Ukraine," said Josep Borrell, the EU's top diplomat, in a speech on Nov. 6.

Read also: Congressional leaders want to pass military aid for Ukraine, Israel before Christmas

Unnamed Israeli officials told Axios on Oct. 19 that the U.S. was set to deliver shells to Israel that had been originally earmarked for Ukraine.

Top U.S. officials, including President Joe Biden, have regularly reiterated that the U.S. has the capability of supporting Israel and Ukraine at the same time.

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) announced a new military package for Ukraine worth $100 million on Nov. 20, which stemmed from the president's drawdown authority and included both 155mm and 105mm shells.

The president is authorized to provide weapons to Ukraine via the drawdown authority without additional approval from Congress, but the supplies are not limitless.

The previous U.S. aid package on Nov. 3 exhausted the remaining funds available from the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI). New funding for the initiative would have to be approved by Congress, which is currently at a months-long deadlock on passing a new bill for Ukraine aid.

Hopes that Ukraine's European allies may be able to fill in the gaps in shell provisions were also likely proving to be overly optimistic, as Bloomberg reported on Nov. 10 that the EU pledge to deliver one million shells to Ukraine by March 2024 was behind its target.

Read also: Ukraine war latest: Austin visits Kyiv, US announces new $100 million military aid package

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
 AC-130J Ghostrider Gunship circling Al-Asad Air Base in Iraq, which has been attacked at least 14 times since 17 October.



Source: @SpeckleBelly64 @SR_Planespotter https://t.co/F8SDhB7PNh pic.twitter.com/58Gimho8cO  Ian Ellis (@ianellisjones) November 21, 2023

A U.S. Air Force AC-130J Ghostrider gunship struck a vehicle Tuesday near Baghdad involved in recent attacks on the Al-Asad airbase in Iraq, a U.S. official told The War Zone Tuesday. It was the first time the U.S. has struck a target in Iraq since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war Oct. 7.

At least one member of the Iranian-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia was killed in the attack, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss operational details. The official did not specify what role the vehicle or occupants had in the attacks on Al-Asad.

Multiple explosions reported in Khan Dhari, Iraq. Initial reports claim an airstrike against an unknown target. pic.twitter.com/BE7CwS5Zcc  Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) November 21, 2023

A U.S. military official told The War Zone that "at least one member of a hostile force belonging to an Iranian-backed militia" was killed when the U.S. responded to an attack on Al Asad today that injured several U.S. troops and caused minor damage to infrastructure.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq released a footage of the missile attack on Ain Alasad Airbase as a retaliation for the USAF airstrikes.



As you can see in these 2 pictures of the missile launch pads. #Iraq pic.twitter.com/Ah7tvLqpm4  Tammuz Intel (@Tammuz_Intel) November 21, 2023

It was the 65th such attack on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria since Oct. 17, according to the Pentagon. It was also the third time, including Oct. 21 and Oct. 17, that U.S. troops have been injured by attacks on Al Asad, according to the Pentagon, which said the base has struck at least 15 times by drones and rockets since Oct. 17.

The U.S. military official, also speaking on condition of anonymity for the same reasons, could not immediately say how many troops were injured or offer details about what kind of injuries. That official would not say how the U.S. strike was carried out nor what role the vehicle or occupants played in the attack on Al Asad.

This marks the fourth known U.S. airstrike against Iranian-backed militias since Oct. 26 and the first in Iraq, as well as the first by a Ghostrider. The previous three attacks - Nov. 12 , Nov. 8 and Oct. 26 - were carried out by Air Force fighters on targets in Syria.

US official tells me in last 2 hrs US carried out 2 precision defensive strikes in Syria on facilities belonging to groups supported by IRGC - 1 weapons facility, 1 C2 center. All US assets returned safely. BDA underway.  Howard Altman (@haltman) November 12, 2023

USAF targeted a vehicle belongs to the PMF in Abu Ghraib, west of Baghdad.



The airstrike was carried out by AC-130.#Iraq pic.twitter.com/ezLa7Fo7kA  Tammuz Intel (@Tammuz_Intel) November 21, 2023

Open source trackers began reporting seeing a Ghostrider flying patterns over west Baghdad last night. The fact that it was doing so with its transponder on was very peculiar.

Very odd.



 AC-130J Ghostrider 18-5886 #AE6201 made many very visible flight tracks around the time it was reported that there were airstrikes occurring in Iraq.



I feel like this is unprecedented: I've never seen an aircraft likely involved carry out a sortie. Publicly. pic.twitter.com/IsFMwycj2b  Evergreen Intel (@vcdgf555) November 21, 2023

A U.S. Air Force AC-130J Ghostrider Attack Gunship with No Callsign and operated by the 73rd Special Operations Squadron is currently Orbiting over Iraq to the West of Baghdad near where the Drone Strike on Iranian-Backed Forces is said to have taken place roughly an hour ago. pic.twitter.com/vOFf4nYbUR  OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) November 21, 2023

 AC-130J Ghostrider Gunship circling Al-Asad Air Base in Iraq, which has been attacked at least 14 times since 17 October.



Source: @SpeckleBelly64 @SR_Planespotter https://t.co/F8SDhB7PNh pic.twitter.com/58Gimho8cO  Ian Ellis (@ianellisjones) November 21, 2023

The latest attack on Al Asad was claimed by a loose-knit group of those militias calling itself the Islamic Resistance. There were also three reported over the weekend, two in Syria and one in Iraq.

The group said one of the fighters associated with it, Fadil Al-Maksusi, was killed. He belonged to Kataib Hezbollah and was killed in the airstrike, Atlas News reported .

The Pentagon says the attacks on U.S. forces since Oct. 17 have been fairly evenly split, with 31 in Iraq and 34 in Syria. They have been carried out "by a mix of one-way attack drones and rockets," a U.S. official said. "Most of these attacks were successfully disrupted by our military. Most failed to reach their targets, thanks to our robust defenses."

Still, more than 60 troops have been injured in these attacks, including the ones in the most recent attack on Al Asad. Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters Nov. 16. About 27 troops were evaluated for traumatic brain injury and 32 for non-serious injuries and all have returned to duty, she said.

US and coalition forces came under attack 3 more times on Saturday  twice in Syria, once in Iraq  by a mix of drones and rockets. There were no casualties or infrastructure damage reported: US official.



These mark at least 64 attacks against US & coalition forces since Oct 17.  Haley Britzky (@halbritz) November 20, 2023

In January 2020 , Al Asad was struck by 11 Iranian Qiam-1 short-range ballistic missiles had hit Al Asad in response to an attack that killed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps leader Qassam Soleimani.

As for the platform involved here, the AC-130J, it's Air Force Special Operations Command's flying arsenal ship equipped with 30mm Bushmaster chain gun, a 105mm Howitzer and a wide variety of air-to-ground guided weapons. Its sensor and communications suite, as well as its long loitering time and surgical air-to-ground arsenal, make it extremely capable when it comes to finding and attacking targets of opportunity in lower threat airspace, especially at night. You can read more about the latest AC-130J developments here and here .





This is a developing story. We will update it when there is more news to report about the attack.

Update: 2:29 PM EDT -

The strike by the AC-130J Ghostrider was the first attack on Iranian-backed militias that was not pre-planned, Singh told reporters Tuesday.

The aircraft was already in the air over Al-Asad at the time and was responding to an attack, she said. The three prior reported attacks were all planned in advance. Singh declined to say why the gunship was in the air, but that it had "eyes on" the militia attack as it unfolded.

In addition, she said this was the first attack on U.S. personnel since Oct. 17 by a close-range ballistic missile. She declined to specify what kind, but the official U.S. definition is a missile with a range of less than 300 km (about 186 miles). Singh also said that several militia members were killed in the strike, the first time the U.S. has confirmed casualties in its responses.

Singh also updated the total number of strikes against U.S. forces and the number of injuries that have resulted.

"U.S. forces have been attacked approximately 66 times since Oct. 17," Singh said. "It's 32 separate times in Iraq and 34 separate times in Syria. U.S. personnel have sustained approximately 62 injuries. But this does not include any injuries from last night's attack, but they are still being evaluated."

On 21 Nov. an AC-130 gunship engaged individuals responsible for launching a missile attack on U.S. and Coalition personnel at Al Assad Airbase, Iraq. The gunship maintained visual confirmation of the individuals from the time of the launch to the time of engagement. This strike pic.twitter.com/KGSeAGi3fk  U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) November 21, 2023

Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com
Mosab Abu Toha, a Palestinian-born poet, has been arrested by Israeli authorities in the Hamas-governed Gaza Strip, multiple media outlets have reported.

Attorney Diana Buttu told The Washington Post on Monday that Toha was arrested by Israeli officials when he, along with his family, were attempting to evacuate southern Gaza. Toha was arrested at a checkpoint along with about 200 other people, Buttu said.

Toha recently returned to his home country after completing his graduate studies in the U.S., according to the Post.

Colleagues of Toha said that the poet is currently being detained by Israeli authorities.

Its very scary, writer Laura Albast, a friend and colleague of Toha, told the newspaper. We dont know where he is.

Buttu also said that Toha has been in contact with the U.S. government in the past weeks in an effort to gain the approval to evacuate his family from the war-torn strip.

One of Tohas three children, Mostafa, 3, was born in the U.S. and is a U.S. citizen, the Post reported.

In a statement to the Post, an Israel Defense Forces spokesperson said it is looking into the matter.

However, Buttu shared on Tuesday that the Israeli army has released Toha from detainment.

Update on Mosab Abu Toha: he has been released by the Israeli army, Buttu wrote in an X post, noting that Toha, along with other prisoners, suffered through abuse from Israeli soldiers during the time he was detained. Israeli soldiers beat him and he getting medical treatment now and with his family.

Mosab was taken to an Israeli prison in the Naqab where he was interrogated and beaten along with more than 200 others, Buttu added.

The Hill has reached out to the IDF for comment on the matter.

The ordeal comes as Toha, 30, gained acclaim in recent years for his work as a poet, having his work published in major publications such as The New Yorker and The New York Times.

Toha, who founded an English-language library in the territory, was also named a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Awards earlier this year for his 2022 collection, Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear: Poems from Gaza.

The New Yorker, which published Tohas first-person essay earlier this month about daily life in the besieged territory of Gaza, issued a statement in its daily newsletter calling for Tohas safe return to the U.S., the Post noted.

The Palestinian poet @MosabAbuToha lives with his wife and three children in Gaza. Over the weekend, Israeli forces reportedly detained Abu Toha in central Gaza, the publication wrote in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. The New Yorker joins other organizations in calling for his safe return.

Its been a month since Hamass surprise attack against Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and the taking of around 240 hostages.

In response, Israel has launched a series of airstrikes and a ground invasion in Gaza, resulting in the death of at least 13,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.

Updated at 12:09 pm on Nov. 21.

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One of the most prominent backers of the effective altruism movement at the heart of the ongoing turmoil at OpenAI, Skype co-founder Jaan Tallinn, told Semafor he is now questioning the merits of running companies based on the philosophy.

The OpenAI governance crisis highlights the fragility of voluntary EA-motivated governance schemes, said Tallinn, who has poured millions into effective altruism-linked nonprofits and AI startups. So the world should not rely on such governance working as intended.

His comments are part of a growing backlash against effective altruism and its arguments about the risks AI poses to humanity, which has snowballed over the last few days into the movements second major crisis in a year.

The first was caused by the downfall of convicted crypto fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried, who was once among the leading figures of EA, an ideology that emerged in the elite corridors of Silicon Valley and Oxford University in the 2010s offering an alternative, utilitarian-infused approach to charitable giving.

EA then played a role in the meltdown at OpenAI when its nonprofit board of directors  tasked solely with ensuring the companys artificial intelligence models are broadly beneficial to all of humanity  abruptly fired CEO Sam Altman on Friday, creating a standoff that currently threatens its entire existence.

Three of the six seats on OpenAIs board are occupied by people with deep ties to effective altruism: think tank researcher Helen Toner, Quora CEO Adam DAngelo, and RAND scientist Tasha McCauley. A fourth member, OpenAI co-founder and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, also holds views on AI that are generally sympathetic to EA.

Until a few days ago, OpenAI and its biggest corporate backers didnt seem to think there was anything worrisome about this unusual governance structure. The president of Microsoft, which has invested $13 billion into OpenAI, argued earlier this month that the ChatGPT makers status as a nonprofit was what made it more trustworthy than competitors like Meta.

People get hung up on structure, Vinod Khosla, whose venture capital firm was among the first to invest in OpenAIs for-profit subsidiary in 2019, said at an AI conference last week. If youre talking about changing the world, who freaking cares?

Less than a week later, Khosla and other OpenAI investors are now left with shares of uncertain value. So far, it looks like Microsoft and Altman  a billionaire serial entrepreneur  are successfully outmaneuvering the effective altruists on the board. Nearly all of OpenAIs employees have threatened to quit if the directors dont resign, saying they will instead join their former boss on a new team at Microsoft.

Know More

Effective altruism emerged over a decade ago with a new way to think about helping the world. Instead of donating to causes that people found personally compelling, its leaders urged adherents to consider invented variables like expected value, which they said could be used to objectively determine where their impact would be the greatest.

EAs initially focused mostly on issues like animal welfare and global poverty, but over time, worries about an AI-fueled apocalypse became a central focus. With funding from deep-pocketed donors like billionaire and Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz, they built their own insular universe to study AI safety, including a web of nonprofits and research organizations, forecasting centers, conferences, and web forums.

Toner and McCauley are both leaders of major EA groups backed by Moskovitz. McCauley sits on the board of Effective Ventures, one of the most important institutions of the movement. Earlier this year, Oxford philosophy professor William MacAskill, perhaps the most famous EA ever, named her as one of a small group of senior figures. Toner is the director of strategy at the Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET), a think tank at Georgetown University funded by Moskovitzs grant-making organization Open Philanthropy.

Before joining CSET, Toner worked at Open Philanthropy and several other EA-linked organizations, and she and McCauley also sit on the board of another one called the Centre for the Governance of AI. DAngelo, meanwhile, worked with Moskovitz at Facebook in the early aughts and sits on the board of his software company Asana. He has repeatedly echoed similar concerns about AI espoused by EA.

Despite these connections, OpenAI told a journalist in September that none of our board members are effective altruists. It argued that their interactions with the EA movement were largely focused on topics related to AI safety.

Louises view

Among the issues that the OpenAI saga revealed is EAs strange detachment from practical expertise. As this week painfully showed, its acolytes seem to be more effective on message boards than in boardrooms.

The entire AI safety field is interwoven with effective altruism, with some concepts borrowed from related niches like the rationalist subculture. Since its inception, it has been divorced from the broader, preexisting world of civil society groups thinking about potential harms from automated systems, which frequently focused on gender and racial bias, invasions of privacy, and other present-day ills.

Ive spent much of the last few months trying to understand the arguments made by AI safety researchers and their growing influence around the world, particularly among government regulators. What I saw is how incredibly isolated EA-linked groups appeared to be from everyone else, frequently to their own detriment.

For example, many AI safety proponents focus on the possibility of AI-fueled bioterrorism, a concern also parroted by OpenAI. But they rarely take into consideration the wealth of existing expertise about how biosecurity threats have been handled in the past.

An early report indicated that OpenAIs board also apparently didnt think it needed the advice of lawyers or communications professionals before it ousted Altman, a decision that has now backfired spectacularly. Before he was arrested last year, Bankman-Fried surrounded himself with fellow effective altruists as well, failing repeatedly to follow widespread, established norms about evaluating the risks of volatile investments.

For a long time, the inward-looking nature of AI safety and effective altruism benefited OpenAI and its investors. The ideology allowed the startups own researchers to help shape the debate about what risks were the most important, without needing to worry about dissenting opinions from outside its bubble. And giving lip service to safety concerns provided a layer of public relations cover for the fast-moving tech startup.

Many EA figures are now again turning to their own methods for making sense of what has transpired, guided by sources like a prediction market website backed by Bankman-Fried and other EA donors. I remain confused but I note that the market now predicts that this was bad for AI risk indeed, Tallinn said, citing one of its polls.

Notable

Internal tensions over balancing OpenAIs nonprofit mission with its for-profit aspirations have been growing for years, The Atlantic reported earlier this week.

Many of the AI safety communitys policy recommendations amount to maintaining the status quo of non- or self-regulation, and support the approach companies like OpenAI and Microsoft are already taking, finds a new ethnographic study by researchers at UCLA and Princeton.
Humanitarian organizations met privately with national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Monday to discuss ways to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza, two people familiar with the meeting said.

The six groups in attendance requested the conversation to present their view that only a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas would make it safe enough for assistance to reach those in need. Sullivan reiterated the administrations position that a cease-fire is not an option, prompting the exchange to center around other steps the administration could pursue.

One of the people said that President Joe Bidens team is looking for short-term solutions to improve humanitarian conditions in the Hamas-run enclave. The other, though, said what we're talking about, there's nothing creative about it. It's just the stuff that's more meaningful than the status quo, but nowhere in the ballpark of sufficient. Both people were granted anonymity to detail the private conversation in the West Wing.

The White House didnt immediately return a request for comment. On Monday, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the administration is still looking to increase the flow of lifesaving humanitarian assistance, advocating for international law to be followed and humanitarian pauses so that people can get out of harms way and that aid and assistance can get in. He also noted a deal to pause fighting to secure hostages is nearing finalization, but nothing is done until its all done.



The meeting comes at a critical time for the administration, which has received increasing criticism for its response to the humanitarian conditions in Gaza.

The situation on the ground for aid groups is extremely dire. The United Nations alone has lost more than 100 workers in Gaza since Israel launched its retaliation following Hamas Oct. 7 attack. One person was killed and another injured over the weekend in an attack that struck a Doctors Without Borders convoy evacuating Palestinian staffers and their families.

Organizations say they lack the basic fuel and supplies needed to treat injured civilians. Kirby said Israel is now allowing more fuel for humanitarian groups to use at America's "strong request." They have long pushed for the need to get more fuel into Gaza to power hospitals and bakeries. Only about two tanker trucks enter the enclave a day, humanitarian groups say, as Israeli officials claim more fuel only helps Hamas propel rockets at Israel.

In the roughly 45-minute conversation, the groups discussed alternate routes to deliver aid to Gaza, including sending food and other assistance via maritime passages or the Kerem Shalom border crossing at the enclaves southeastern tip. Its much better suited to whats needed, said one of the people, adding it could be opened along with the current transit point at the Rafah crossing.

The groups also broached the need for a deconfliction channel that would allow humanitarian organizations to operate more safely. Another point of discussion was getting water to Palestinians, as one group outlined how half of the above-ground water networks have been destroyed and the status of the below-ground networks are likely in worse condition. Ensuring access to basic services like water is a fundamental element of international humanitarian law, the organizations noted.

None of the six organizations in the meeting wanted to confirm their attendance on the record, with some citing fears they could lose access to the highest levels of the Biden administration.

Attendees did not detail Sullivans reactions and its unclear if he will incorporate the groups thinking into the administrations policy.

The top Middle East adviser on the National Security Council, Brett McGurk, over the weekend appeared to link sending more humanitarian aid to Gaza to Hamas releasing a large number of its roughly 200-plus hostages. The White House strongly pushed back on that idea Monday, with NSC spokesperson Adrienne Watson saying the United States does not support conditions on the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza. We never have, and never will.

The administration contends it has been appropriately focused on humanitarian issues from the beginning, with Biden getting personally involved to ensure around 100 trucks enter Gaza a day to provide necessary food, water, fuel and medical supplies. On Friday, the president ordered members of his cabinet to prepare options for penalizing extremist settlers in the West Bank committing violent acts against Palestinians.

Senior administration officials have said theyre encouraging the Israeli military to prioritize civilian safety as they operate within a dense and booby trapped urban environment.

Speaking on CBS News Face the Nation Sunday, deputy national security adviser Jon Finer said Israel had the right to keep fighting Hamas, including moving southward in Gaza where hundreds of thousands of people fled following Israels instruction. We think that their operations should not go forward until those additional civilians have been accounted for in their military planning, he said.

Israel has already entered Gazas al-Shifa hospital, which it claims Hamas used as a central operation center to attack Israel. Israeli forces took media to the entrance of what it says is a tunnel used by the militants to move hostages and equipment underground. Fighting broke out around the enclaves Indonesian hospital on Monday, which currently houses thousands of patients and displaced Palestinians.

Even if tomorrow morning, this were to end in terms of a cease-fire, we still have a huge problem on our hands, Michael Ryan, a top World Health Organization official, told reporters on Monday from Geneva. The hospital situation  the primary health care system situation  in Gaza is catastrophic and it is the worst you can imagine [in the] north.
This is shameful, said Ameshia Cross, Democratic strategist, tells theGrio.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) launched a multi-million-dollar campaign against some members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) over their views on the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Democratic strategist Ameshia Cross told theGrio, I believe this is shameful.

I say that because there has been a long-standing history of support between the Black community and the Jewish community, which largely came from the uproots of the civil rights movement, said Cross.

UNITED STATES  MAY 9: Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev., chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, conducts a news conference following the CBCs National Summit on Democracy & Race near Capitol Hill on Tuesday, May 9, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

She continued, AIPAC is a very large organization, a very well-funded organization, one that has also experienced a lot of Black support from not only various CBC members but also state and local government leaders who happen to be Black.

Last week, the pro-Israel lobbying group announced that it would spend upwards of $100 million to unseat all eight members of the so-called Squad in the 2024 midterm elections. The Squad includes Reps. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., Ilhan Omar, D-Minn, Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., Summer Lee, D-Pa., Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez D-N.Y., and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich.

A spokesperson for Pressley told theGrio, AIPAC has become a right-wing group that spends millions in Republican donor money to silence anyone who advocates for the dignity, humanity, and rights of Palestinians, Israelis, and all people.

Its unsurprising they would target progressive women of color with strong support in their districts and whose advocacy for a cease-fire is overwhelmingly supported by the American public, said the Pressley spokesperson.

Cross said AIPACs campaign against the Squad is heart-wrenching because of the fact it speaks to something deeper.

It is a step toward something that is largely being funded by conservatives to knock off Black leaders, she argued. Cross said its particularly troubling as the group is targeting Black lawmakers who are fighting for modern civil rights, equity, criminal justice reform, and education.

Congresswoman Lee took to X to respond to AIPAC, writing, 1 PAC promising to spend 100 MILLION dollars against 5 working class, Black & brown reps in working class districtsis why we cant have a representative democracy.

She added, what if we had governing that reflected our communitys needs instead of AIPACs?

Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez also took to X: Gotta spend $100 million to unseat the few who believe in Palestinian human rights & a ceasefire that most Americans already support. The acceptable level of dissent is 0.

In October 2022, House Democrats, including some members of the Squad, introduced a resolution demanding the Biden-Harris administration to encourage Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to call for a cease-fire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

(From L) US Representative Cori Bush, D-MO, US Representative Ayanna Pressley, D-MA, US Representative Ilhan Omar,D-MN, US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez,D-NY, attend a rabbis news conference calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on November 13, 2023. 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 Mandel NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

The resolution came days after Hamas launched an attack against Israel, killing at least 1,200 people on Oct. 7. Since then, more than 11,000 have died in Gaza amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.

In a previous interview, Congressman Bowman called for a cease-fire in the region and told theGrio that President Biden should be leading in terms of a cease-fire and in terms of getting to a place of talking about a pathway forward.

Bush previously told theGrio that was was disturbed by the U.S. governments willingness to immediately cave to calls for unconditional support and write a blank check for the Israeli military while blatantly ignoring the violence and dehumanization of Palestinian civilians.

Cross said she thinks this moment is bigger than the war in Israel right now as AIPAC targets Congress Black and brown progressive leaders.

I dont think that the Black community will forget. Specifically, because of the policies these Congress members actually stand on, she explained.

During the 2022 midterm elections, AIPAC endorsed 109 Republican congressional members who voted to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

The lobbying group was also a top donor for Republican House Speaker Mike Johnsons 2022 re-election campaign in Louisiana.

TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, and Android TV. Please download theGrio mobile apps today!

The post AIPAC seeks to unseat Congressional Black Caucus members over Israel appeared first on TheGrio.
Kyle Toomey's viral rant may have contributed to his getting reimbursed, he says. Mateusz Slodkowski/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

A disgruntled Airbnb host said he had to refund an 11-night booking after his guests canceled.

Kyle Toomey took to TikTok to share his story and encouraged viewers to tag Airbnb in the comments.

The host said he was later reimbursed by Airbnb and got a new booking for the same time period.

An Airbnb host who said he initially lost thousands of dollars after a booking was canceled at the last minute shared the story on TikTok and went viral. He said he was later reimbursed alongside extra profit he made from a new booking, and he pledged to give away hundreds of dollars to those who showed him support.

On November 9, Kyle Toomey, a 31-year-old real-estate agent from Alexandria, Virginia, posted a TikTok where he said he was "getting absolutely fucked by Airbnb" as his guests had booked an 11-night stay at his property but were allowed to cancel and leave shortly after their arrival, which meant he was left without payment.

Toomey said his property was in an old neighborhood with a lot of construction in the area, which meant there were sometimes rodents nearby. He said there were periodical visits from pest control to his property, including the day before his guests were set to arrive. But after a neighbor mentioned they'd seen a mouse in their own home, Toomey said, he decided to give his guests a heads-up as well and sent them a message about it, which he shared in the video.

Within hours of their arrival, Toomey said, he received a call from Airbnb support telling him the guests wanted to cancel and leave because they had expected a private parking spot. Toomey shared screenshots in the video, which appeared to show he'd made it clear in his listing and to his guests that there was only street parking available, and he said he sent this information to Airbnb, too.

But he said an Airbnb representative later called again to tell him the guests wanted to leave because of Toomey's message about the mouse.

"Airbnb basically was saying because there was a mouse in the neighborhood, the guest didn't feel safe, and could, in fact, check out and leave early," Toomey said in the video, adding they said he would receive no money from the stay.

According to a screenshot seen by Business Insider, Airbnb support told Toomey the reservation was canceled because it fell under their Rebooking and Refund Policy, which addresses issues ranging from cleanliness to listing inaccuracies for which hosts may not be refunded.

In his video, Toomey suggested he thought this was unreasonable and asked viewers to tag Airbnb in the comments to get their attention.

The video received 1.1 million views and more than 5,100 comments, though they weren't all on his side. Many expressed a lack of sympathy for Toomey and criticized Airbnb hosts in general for having multiple properties, making it more difficult for first-time buyers to purchase their own homes to live in. Others seemed to have the opposite view, saying they thought Toomey had been too nice by telling his guests about the mouse the neighbors had seen.

Toomey estimated that about 400 people left comments tagging Airbnb's TikTok account in a bid to bring the video to their attention. And it may have worked.

The host said he eventually received his money back and thanked his followers for their help

A few days later, Toomey stitched his own video and said that he hadn't heard from Airbnb in days but that the company had just called him and refunded "the entire booking amount from that 11-night stay." Screenshots of a purported conversation with Airbnb seen by BI say the company agreed to reimburse $2,439.58 after reviewing the case.

Toomey told BI he was also able to secure a new booking during the 11-night period after his former guests canceled so ended up making additional money from the situation. He said he couldn't be sure whether Airbnb Support had seen his viral video, as it did not mention it when getting in touch, but after a comment suggested the host should share the refunded money with his viewers, Toomey posted another video saying he loved the idea.

Toomey said he would write down the names of everyone who tagged Airbnb in the original post, put them into a random name generator, and pick out three winners who would receive $100 each as a thank you just in case they had helped get the company's attention.

On Friday, Toomey posted a video in which he once again thanked everyone who had tagged Airbnb and appeared to randomly select the prize winners.

Aaron Swor, a spokesperson for Airbnb, told BI in an email statement: "Our support team was able to thoroughly review this issue, and we have made things right with our Host. We are also taking steps to address the original handling." The company declined to comment on whether the viral TikTok was a factor in its decision.

Read the original article on Insider
A horrible video showing airport baggage handlers throwing a wheelchair down a ramp  and to the ground  has been met with anger by social media users.

American Airlines is under scrutiny after the footage was captured at Miami Airport, with the airlines logo printed across the high-vis jackets of the employees in the video. The operator called the incident deeply concerning.

The clip, uploaded to TikTok by @haez93, shows a wheelchair pushed down a ramp before catapulting off the end and hitting the ground.

The caption also claims this wasnt the only mobility aid treated in this fashion.

Dang, after I saw them do this and laugh with the first two wheelchairs I had to get it on film, it states, adding: That is not what Id call handling with care for someones mobility device.

The video has been viewed more than 1.4 million times, attracting almost 5,000 comments.

One user wrote: This makes me absolutely rageful. My sisters wheelchair is her lifeline to the able world, American Airlines are you kidding me?

Another said that when they worked for a different airline they always had to carry them down the steps, no exceptions, while one comment read: I SCREAMED. Thats someones $20k legs they just broke. Damn.

This is horrible. Dont they realise that person can remain completely incapable of going places. Sh*t people, wrote another.

Many others shared their own experiences, either travelling as a passenger with disabilities or accompanying someone with mobility issues.

We recognise how important it is to support the independence of customers with disabilities by ensuring the proper care of mobility devices throughout their journey with us, an American Airlines spokesperson told USA Today.

This visual is deeply concerning and we are gathering more details so that we can address them with our team. We will continue to work hard to improve our handling of assistive devices across our network.

US Department of Transportation data shows that more than 11,000 wheelchairs or mobility aids were damaged by US airlines in 2022.

In the UK, the law surrounding this type of equipment states: Where wheelchairs or other mobility equipment or assistive devices are lost or damaged during handling at the airport or during transport on board aircraft, the passenger to whom the equipment belongs should be compensated.

However, the amount is calculated under the standard Montreal Convention terms, which limits compensation to a total of around 1,150.
A 20-year-old Akron man who faces multiple charges in connection with the August shooting death of Antenio Louis, 17, is a suspect in an April murder.

Ahmere Williams faces a murder charge in Akron Municipal Court in connection to the April 12 shooting death of Tyson Arnold, 24.

Arnold was found by Akron police in the Ohio & Erie Canal after they were called to a reported shooting in the 700 block of Fleming Drive. He died from a gunshot wound to the chest.

Akron in the Crossfire: Data shows grim picture of growing gun violence

According to police, officers recovered more than a dozen shell casings at the scene of the April incident, which they said suggests more than one shooter.

Williams was supposed to be arraigned in Akron Municipal Court on Saturday, but, according to a representative with the municipal clerk's office, he did not appear for the 8 a.m. arraignment.

Williams was initially arrested by U.S. Marshals on Sept. 7 and charged with aggravated murder, felonious assault, having weapons under disability, contempt of court, murder and tampering with evidence.

He is one of three arrested in connection to the murder of Louis who, along with a 23-year-old driver, had been traveling down East Glenwood Avenue toward Dan Street when a second vehicle pulled in front of their car and opened fire, killing Louis and injuring the driver, according to police.

Williams is currently in the Summit County Jail.

Reporter April K. Helms can be reached at ahelms@thebeaconjournal.com. Reporter Bryce Buyakie contributed.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Ahmere Williams charged in second Akron murder
Democratic freshman U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost is one of the most progressive members of Congress, but in the past few months, hes been working alongside Republicans, including neighboring conservative Rep. Cory Mills, on bills ranging from military voting to hurricanes.

Im really proud of the fact that weve released six bills, and half of them are bipartisan, Frost told the Orlando Sentinel in an interview.

When I first got to Congress, a lot of people would come up to me and say, Are you going to be someone who fights and makes noise? said Frost, 26, the first Gen Z member to win a seat in the House. Or are you going to be someone who gets things done? And I always rejected that binary choice. Ive always done both.

Its a viewpoint that could be seen as similar to his Democratic predecessor in Orlando, former U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, who was a partisan bomb-thrower and yet successfully shepherded bipartisan bills during his time in office.

Although he was certainly an outspoken liberal firebrand, [Grayson] actually had a reputation of getting legislation through Congress, said Aubrey Jewett, a professor of political science at the University of Central Florida. And it sounds like Maxwell Frost is, to some degree, following in that style.

Frost, who defeated Grayson and seven other Democrats in the 2022 congressional primary, has been outspoken on progressive issues, including gun safety and abortion rights. He had also been extremely critical of the GOP for the recent chaos of overthrowing House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and rejecting three nominees before electing a new one.

But at the same time, the reality of the world is not every issue is liberal or conservative, Jewett said. And there are a number of issues where legislators can work together if they choose to.

Reaching out in a storm

Frosts hurricane preparedness bill with U.S. Rep. Dan Webster, R-Clermont, would require the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to review how seniors, people with disabilities, non-English speakers and rural and urban populations receive and react to emergency notifications to make sure theyre successfully reached.

The bill was turned into an amendment to a larger weather bill currently moving through Congress.

This is an idea that my team and I came up with, Frost said.  In our research, we found out that most people who die in storms are seniors. And we found out that not everyone who needs evacuation warnings gets information in time to make a good decision for them and their family.

Frost said he approached Webster because they both serve on the Science, Space and Technology Committee.

Having him on board would be very helpful in passing the Weather Act, but also I know he cares about it and hes passionate about it, Frost said. [He and] his team were very interested and he joined me on that bill, and were leading it together.

An unsigned statement from Websters office said the seven-term congressman was no stranger to bipartisan legislation, citing bills from 2023 including those on mental healthcare, fentanyl and passport services.

Working with Mills

Frosts other two bipartisan bills are with Mills, R-New Smyrna Beach, his fellow freshman to the north representing Seminole and parts of Volusia counties.

Despite representing adjoining districts, the two are far apart ideologically. While Mills was part of a Black Lives Matter protest that was tear-gassed in 2020, Mills, an Army veteran, was a defense contractor who bragged in ads about supplying tear gas to police.

But Frost and Mills have joined up to take on excess defense spending and military voting expansion.

The first bill seeks to avoid waste, fraud, and abuse in defense spending by empowering inspectors general to crack down on the billions of unaccounted taxpayer dollars given to the [Department of Defense] and military contractors, Frost said. It just seems like theres insufficient accountability.

A similar amendment was included in the larger National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2024, but Frost also wants to pass it as a standalone bill.

So I approached Cory, because even though we agree or disagree on a lot of different things, I know hes very committed to fiscal responsibility, no matter where it is, Frost said. I knew this might be a place where we can have synergy.

The other Frost-Mills bill would fix a gap in federal law that mandates active duty military members stationed overseas receive ballots early enough to successfully return them, which often doesnt apply to reservists or National Guard members.

We have just under a million service members who, if theyre overseas, dont have a federally mandated right to vote, Frost said. And its an oversight that we wanted to fix. So I approached Cory on it. I know he cares about U.S. service members, and he hopped on the bill.

Mills office did not return a request for comment.

So far, Frost has been lobbying Republicans more than Democrats, he said.

Conceivably, there might be a period here soon where you go on the [congressional] website, and you actually see more Republicans and Democrats on it, Frost said. Not because Democrats dont believe in it, but because I just prioritize the conversations with Republicans first.

Jewett said that even in an ultra-ideological Congress, a bill expanding military voting rights is one where parties can work together.

On the one hand, if youre conservative, they traditionally have been very, very pro-military, and progressives have typically been very pro, Lets make it easier to vote and make sure that people have an opportunity to vote, Jewett said. Its a case where the ideologies can sort of merge on that issue.

The old Florida way

David Jolly, a former GOP congressman from St. Petersburg and co-founder of the Forward Party, said he and former Democratic colleague Gwen Graham called such bipartisan efforts the old Florida way.

It should be natural for members of Congress from the same geographic region to work together in support of the local community, regardless of where the lines actually split up districts, Jolly said. Its not always the case. I was a little surprised when I got to Congress at the level of partisanship even within the Florida delegation, the unwillingness of members to work across the aisle, and this is on both sides, Republican and Democratic.

Jolly said the increasingly ideological voters in party primaries dont encourage members facing challenges, as Webster does with former state Rep. Anthony Sabatini, to boast about working with the other party.

I think youll hear Webster talking about his work on hurricane preparedness, Jolly said. But the words Maxwell Frost wont come out of his mouth.  But in a general election? Its exactly the message that youll hear Webster and others talk about.

The future of politics

Despite his progressive bona fides, Frost is not a member of the Squad, the informal group of the most left-wing members of the House that includes some of the biggest targets for Republicans, such as U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich.

Hes worked very hard not just to become a stereotype of a Democratic progressive, Jewett said.

Mills, though one of the most conservative members of Congress, is also not a member of the ultra-right Freedom Caucus in Congress and didnt join them in ousting McCarthy last month. He was, however, one of 20 Republicans to torpedo moderate U.S. Rep. Tom Emmers bid before Speaker Mike Johnson was ultimately chosen.

In the broader perspective, it just makes you realize that whether you identify yourself as conservative or liberal or progressive, that everyone on your side is not in lockstep, Jewett said.

Frost and Mills had been scheduled to square off at a Tiger Bay Club of Central Florida event on Nov. 17, but Mills canceled due to a scheduling conflict.

Working with the other party while maintaining an identity as a strong progressive is sometimes a tough line to walk, Frost said.

Our motto is Lead with Love in our office, Frost said.  [That means] youre going to fight for what you believe, and youre going to stand up to bullies and stand up for the people. But it also means that you come together, when you can, to fight for what you need.

Jolly said that Frost and his viewpoint could be the future of politics.

We see, in all of the data, all of the polling numbers, that young people are frustrated with the two major parties and dont like seeing the world through partisan lenses, Jolly said. And what they want is a government that works.

And I think in Maxwell, youre seeing somebody who kind of shocked the nation a little bit in his ability to win a congressional seat, Jolly added . But he clearly came to Washington interested in getting things done. And that is exactly what people want to see.
Sam Altman may have been asked to leave OpenAI, but his involvement in crypto project Tools for Humanity, which is building Worldcoin, remains uninterrupted, a source close to the project told TechCrunch.

Altman has consistent and valuable engagement with Tools for Humanity and that is not expected to change, the source said. The source added that Altman is still chairman and co-founder of the project, confirming that the information on the project's website is up to date.

News of Altman's ouster sent the Worldcoin token, WLD, plummeting to a low of $1.84 on Saturday, but the token recovered over the weekend and is currently trading on par with previous levels at $2.40, per CoinMarketCap data.

Worldcoin raised $115 million in May in a Series C round led by Blockchain Capital. As of March, Altman was on the project's board, but was not involved in day-to-day operations.

Proof of personhood is becoming increasingly important in the rapidly advancing age of AI, The Worldcoin Foundation told TechCrunch late on Monday. The team supporting Worldcoin is still focused on the project's mission, building a more human internet and a more accessible global economy through World ID, a privacy-enhancing way to verify humanness and uniqueness online, the company said.

Worldcoin is well-known for its controversial Orb hardware, which scans peoples irises and assigns them an ID that lets users access Worldcoins application and a digital passport. The verification process is meant to prove individuals identities and stop anyone from making multiple accounts.

The crypto project has faced pushback from some countries, especially Kenya, which banned Worldcoin from scanning any more of its citizens eyeballs on concerns that the company failed to inform users about the data security and privacy measures it had taken, and how the data collected would be used or processed.

Worldcoin has also faced backlash from critics, who allege the company targets developing countries with laxer privacy rules. The project gives most participants (outside the U.S. and some other countries) 25 WLD tokens, worth roughly $58.5, in exchange for signing up, and that has spurred its critics to call it exploitative.

That hasnt stopped individuals from signing up. Since launching to the public 120 days ago, more than 2.46 million people have signed up for Worldcoin, according to its website. Over the past seven days, more than 65,200 new accounts have been created and the project has averaged 137,000 wallet transactions daily.

Tiago Sada, head of product for Tools for Humanity and a core contributor to Worldcoin, previously told me that focusing on developing countries and providing free tokens was "fair" because most tech projects focus on emerging markets first, given that they are the easier ones to operate in. And Altman should be around to help for the foreseeable future.

Read more of our ongoing coverage of Sam Altmans firing from OpenAI and the subsequent fallout:


Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey often likes to portray himself as a staunch defender of free speech  at least for his conservative friends. His commitment to open expression is very much in question when it comes to progressive activists, however.

Two examples from the past week highlight Baileys inconsistency.

First, Bailey last week joined a group of conservative state attorneys general who asked an appellate court to strike down a gag order on Donald Trump in his Washington, D.C., election interference case. (Kansas Kris Kobach was also part of the group.) The order was designed to keep Trump  one of the most famous men in the world  from using his campaign rallies or social media accounts to attack witnesses and other individuals involved in the judicial process.

Theres a good reason for the concern. Americans have seen the former president use his public platforms to unleash violence: We all remember the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. His more unhinged followers remain quite dangerous  a Texas woman was charged in August making racist death threats against the judge in the D.C. case.

Attorneys general and other prosecutors typically dont like it when criminal defendants lash out publicly at witnesses and judges, or cause their friends to do the same. But Donald Trump is no ordinary defendant. The gag order is infringing on President Trumps free speech rights, the AGs said in their filing.

Missouri is a champion for free speech, Bailey said in a press release. President Trump, like so many Americans, has been silenced on social media platforms for daring to be a political opponent of Joe Biden, and now theyre attempting to silence his right to speak at all.

That might seem noble, if not for what happened next.

Elon Musk, the multibillionaire owner of the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) over the weekend threatened to file a thermonuclear lawsuit against the progressive outfit Media Matters after it published a story on its findings that advertisements on X were being run next to user posts with pro-Nazi and other racist messaging.

Big companies that advertise on the platform  including Apple, Comcast and Disney  quickly halted their campaigns. (Musks X Corp. filed the federal suit in Texas Monday evening.)

But Musks allies charged that Media Matters had committed fraud by creating X accounts for the purpose of eliciting such ugly results. Fraud is both a civil and criminal violation, Stephen Miller, the notorious anti-immigrant adviser to Trump, wrote online, and added suggestively: There are 2 dozen+ conservative state Attorneys General.

Bailey took the bait. My team is looking into this matter, he wrote online Sunday afternoon.

The implication, of course, is that Bailey is willing to use the investigative powers of his office against a progressive group for the offense of criticizing Musk  who just happens to be a hero these days among many of the same right-wing Americans who love Trump so much.

Thats not really the kind of thing a free speech champion does, is it?

These inconsistencies are nothing new, of course. The Star in July noted that Bailey has a clear pattern of vigorously arguing for the free speech of conservative groups and individuals while at the same time working to curb expression on topics he dislikes  most notably on LGBT issues. Hes a defender of free speech that he likes, said Chuck Hatfield, who worked in the attorney generals office under Democrat Jay Nixon, but hes certainly willing to try to shut down speech that he doesnt like.

Bailey has continued to regularly posture as a First Amendment champion since then, even as his actions have indicated otherwise. It is difficult to know whether he is trolling his critics, or simply being disingenuous.

But Missourians shouldnt be fooled. Baileys stance boils down to unfettered expression for me, but not for thee. Which means he really isnt a free speech champion at all.

Joel Mathis is a regular Star Opinion correspondent. He lives in Lawrence with his wife and son. Formerly a writer and editor at Kansas newspapers, he served nine years as a syndicated columnist.
Anne Bonny is back. Not the pirate, but a tagged great white shark of the same name was swimming in the deep water off the New Jersey coast as of late Sunday evening.

The female apex predator was tagged April 23 by OCEARCH when she was in the waters near Ocracoke, North Carolina. On her migration north she swam through the Chicken Canyon, a fishing ground off the coast here, before spending most of the summer hunting in the waters around Nova Scotia.

A juvenile white shark nicknamed Anne Bonny by OCEARCH researchers is seen here when she was tagged in April off the coast of North Carolina.

This time, she swam across the Hudson Canyon, another prolific fishing ground that starts about 85 miles off the coast of New Jersey. The Hudson is one of the submarine canyons on the continental shelf where the water depth drops off quickly. Due to warm water eddies breaking off from the Gulf Stream, the canyon draws in marine life large and small including whales, sharks and a variety of tuna.

Her latest "ping" was 10:21 p.m. Sunday night just inshore of the Toms Canyon, according to OCEARCH's global shark tracker, which uses satellite to track the shark's movements up and down the coast.

A ping occurs when the tag is above water long enough to be picked up by satellite.

She's not alone: More great white sharks spotted cruising off NJ coast as migration drive kicks in

Anne Bonny is a juvenile that weighed 475 pounds, and measured 9 feet, 3 inches when OCEARCH captured her briefly in the spring for research purposes. OCEACH is a nonprofit research group that has been studying great white sharks' behavior for over a decade off the eastern seaboard of the U.S. and Canada. To date, the group has tagged 92 great whites, eight short of its goal of 100 sharks.

OCEARCH's Western North Atlantic White Shark Study is one of if not the most comprehensive study of great white sharks in the world and includes a full health assessment of each shark, microbiological studies, movement, temperature and depth studies through the use of three different tags.

The study has shown that the great white sharks winter in the waters off the southeastern coast of the U.S. and migrate north to waters off New England and Canada in the summer.

Anne Bonny is just one of several sharks to have passed inshore of the canyons off the New Jersey coast during the fall migration south.

When Jersey Shore native Dan Radel is not reporting the news, you can find him in a college classroom where he is a history professor. Reach him @danielradelapp; 732-643-4072; dradel@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Great white shark Anne Bonny returns to New Jersey shore
China  the biggest internet market globally with more than 1 billion users  is no stranger to online censorship. For years, authorities in the country have built out a series of techno-policy restraints, commonly referred to as The Great Firewall, to restrict open access to the internet. But those restrictions have also given rise to a creative industry: circumvention tools used by tens of millions of people to get around the wall and use the internet like others do elsewhere.

Yet recently, some of the most popular of these tools have mysteriously started to disappear.

Earlier this month, client software Clash for Windows, a popular proxy tool that helps users bypass firewalls and circumvent China's censorship system, suddenly stopped appearing on GitHub: The repository had been the main route for users to download it and the developer to update it.

After deleting the repository, the developer of Clash for Windows, who goes by the pseudonym @Fndroid, posted on X that they would stop updating the tool, with no further detail. "Stopped updating, see you soon," the developer wrote in Chinese.

"Technology is not good or bad, but people are," the developer continued. "Its time to face the light and move forward."

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Fndroid, reached for comment, was equally evasive in a response to TechCrunch.

"Thank you for your email and for considering me for a comment on the recent developments regarding the Clash for Windows project," the developer wrote in a message.

"I must inform you that I am not in a position to provide any insights or comments on this matter. My current commitments and policies prevent me from discussing this topic publicly. I appreciate your understanding and respect for my privacy in this regard. I wish you success in your reporting and hope you find the information you need from other sources."

Proxies are a notable weapon in the artillery of those in China who want to use the internet without state restrictions and monitoring.

Acting as a gateway between a user's device and the internet and enabling private Web access by masking the user's IP address, they have grown as a popular alternative to VPNs in China since the government's crackdown on the latter in 2017. (Since VPNs are now only legal if they comply with certain Chinese data regulations, that has had an impact on adoption and usage, with major platforms like Apple among those that have pulled access to VPNs altogether.)

Since then, there has been no mainstream distribution for censorship-fighting tools in China, and so consumers typically access "unofficial" VPNs and proxy clients like Clash by word of mouth.

But setting up a proxy client requires technical know-how, which has both been a blessing and a curse.

It's meant that adoption has been more limited to the technically adept. Yet it became an effective way to bypass state controls since the tech traditionally was less familiar to the Chinese government, too. That also boosted the credibility of the tool and others like it.

"I think there's a sense that anything that is easily accessible is kind of compromised," said Maya Wang, interim director of China for Human Rights Watch, in an interview with TechCrunch.

Overall, proxies are still less popular than VPNs, which were estimated to have some 293 million users in China as of 2021.

Proxy server usage is also tracked less well. GlobalWebIndex, an analytics firm, found that some half of all Facebook users in China accessed the platform via proxy servers, but that is a stat from a decade ago, 2013.

While proxy server usage is estimated to be in the high millions, among that number are a lot of internet "power users" making it possibly an area that would get disproportionately scrutinized.

So it was unsurprising that when Clash disappeared, the move appeared to trigger a domino effect.

Associated tools in the Clash ecosystem maintained by other developers on GitHub -- for example Clash Verge, Clash for Android and ClashX, among other proxy tools -- all started to get deleted or archived. Censorship monitoring platform GFW Report was the first to track this.

It's unclear why Fndroid and the other proxy tool developers deleted their repositories.

A look at GitHub's takedown request log seems to indicate that the government was not involved.

"GitHub does not generally comment on decisions to remove content. However, in the interest of transparency, we share every government takedown request that we action here," a GitHub spokesperson told TechCrunch in a statement. Proxy server content developers were not on the list when TechCrunch evaluated it.

Yet the sudden disappearance has triggered speculation online that the Clash for Windows developer was identified and thus pressured by Chinese authorities, citing the issue that proxy servers reveal too much personal information online.

There are other indications that those representing the state are definitely seeking out and shutting down the activities of individual developers if they are deemed to contravene Chinese policies around internet use.

Another proxy developer, who goes by the pseudonym EAimTY and has deleted its proxy repository TUIC, posted a blog post in which they suggested state pressure was involved.

"The authorities will not hesitate to pay visits to Chinese developers who are openly creating circumvention solutions. Often, these developers work on different projects, so they are putting their income at risk if they continue to work in the circumvention space," Charlie Smith, the pseudonymous head of anti-censorship group Great Fire, told TechCrunch.

The affected censorship circumvention tools are no longer available for installation, as users typically get their install packages from their GitHub pages. However, TechCrunch understands that some of these tools, including Clash, were still working on the systems they were installed at the time of filing this article, even as they were no longer receiving updates.

Chinese developers building tools to bypass the Great Firewall regularly get detained or punished by authorities, creating a chilling effect for future activity.

Proxy server developers are not the only ones being targeted, either. Last year, censorship circumvention tools based on transport layer security (TLS) were also blocked in the country. TLS-based tools were estimated to be used by over half of China's internet users -- 500 million users -- to bypass online censorship.

Even though it is hard to estimate the exact number of users bypassing censorship using a particular tool, Clash was normally on the list of recommended clients for proxy services in China. A Clash group on Telegram with users of its various versions that have been developed with Clash Core currently has nearly 40,000 members.

"I think it's a significant presence for the people who want to circumvent the internet that are not given official access," said Wang at Human Rights Watch. "There are lots of universities, research institutes in China, they have to access the internet outside of China, and those institutes usually have some kind of official VPN access. But for the people who don't have official access, or who don't want to use that, I think they resort to a number of the smaller ones and Clash was one of them."

Raman Jit Singh Chima, senior international counsel and Asia Pacific policy director at the digital rights organization Access Now, told TechCrunch the arms race between China's system of censorship and opposing circumvention tools raged for years but has been accelerated since Xi Jinping became president in November 2012. It received another major burst of attention during the "blank paper" A4 protests of 2022, where protesters displayed blank sheets of paper as a symbol against censorship in response to Chinas harsh COVID policies.

"The more the authorities shut off access to information, the more Chinese citizens look for ways around these blocks. Innovative solutions are and will continue to be developed. Chinese will find ways to access information, and it is likely that the demand for such services will only increase," Smith said.
The spotlight is on Geert Wilders, a divisive figure in the Netherlands but one who could become the country's next prime minister if the polls are correct - Shutterstock /Robin Utrecht

Geert Wilders, the anti-migrant firebrand known for his fierce rhetoric against Islam, has taken a shock lead in the polls before a knife-edge general election in the Netherlands on Wednesday.

The veteran leader of the hard-Right PVV was on Tuesday predicted to win 28 seats, enough to potentially make him prime minister in a country where nearly one million people, more than five per cent of the population, are Muslims.

In the latest poll we are the biggest party in the Netherlands!, the shock haired populist said. Make it the truth tomorrow.

It would be a seismic victory for Mr Wilders, who has been an MP since 1998 but never a formal part of any Dutch government.

The election is being held to replace Mark Rutte, the former VVD leader and the longest-serving prime minister in Dutch history.

Mr Wilders increased his support by two seats in 24 hours, to lead by one, while his rivals in the three-way race remained tied in second place in Tuesdays poll. Some 63 per cent of voters were still undecided.

Polls on Monday evening showed Mr Wilders had moved from fourth to third place before taking the lead over the pro-business VVD and Groenlinks-PvdA, an alliance of green and left wing parties led by Frans Timmermans, the former EU climate change chief.

Mr Wilders has moderated his inflammatory rhetoric in a campaign dominated by migration, the cost of living and a housing crisis, amid reports he could be kingmaker in a future coalition. Victory in the election would give him the first attempt to form a government.

As momentum built behind his campaign in the final days before the vote, aided by a strong performance in a televised leaders debate at the weekend, he has soaked up the anti-establishment vote from populist rivals. That support has shifted from the BBB, the Dutch farmers party which triumphed in regional elections earlier this year, to the radical centrist New Social Contract party, founded by the hugely popular Pieter Omtzigt just three months ago, before alighting on the PVV.

But the Eurosceptic Mr Wilders, 60, will face stiff opposition from Dilan Yesilgoz, the 46-year-old leader of the VVD, who was tied at the head of the polls with Mr Timmermans before the PVVs latest surge.

Wilders has toned down his inflammatory rhetoric recently - Shutterstock /Koen van Weel

Ms Yesilgoz, an Ankara-born former refugee nicknamed a pitbull in high heels, had earlier appeared to be on course to become the first female prime minister of the Netherlands after vowing to crack down on migration. She still could head a conservative coalition if the divisive Mr Wilders proves unable to form a government, keeping her party in power after 13 years under Teflon Mark Ruttes leadership.

The latest polls have her taking 27 seats, the same as Mr Timmermans, who has warned Left-leaning voters he is their only chance to prevent a Right-wing coalition.

Ms Yesilgoz moved to the Netherlands as an eight year old in 1984 with her mother and sister to join her father, a Kurdish human rights activist who had fled Turkey three years earlier. She was Mr Ruttes uncompromising justice minister, earning comparisons to former UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman, whose parents moved to this country from India and who spearheaded the controversial Rwanda plan.

Yesilgoz rules out coalition with Wilders

Mr Ruttes coalition government collapsed in July when his partners bridled at his push for tougher migration rules after a crushing March defeat at the hands of the BBB in a regional vote dominated by tractor protests against his green policies.

Ms Yesilgoz stands to benefit from widespread support for other Right-wing parties promising limits on migration who may baulk at entering an alliance with Mr Wilders, who goes everywhere with bodyguards because of his frequent criticism of the Koran.

Mr Omtzigt, a possible ally who had led in the polls but has lost support after suggesting he might not want to be prime minister, is predicted to win 21 seats. The BBB, which also backs a cap on asylum seeker numbers, is set to take five.

Early in the campaign, Ms Yesilgoz declared she would not exclude Mr Wilders from coalition negotiations, unlike her predecessor Mr Rutte. Mr Timmermans accused her of opening the door for Mr Wilders to enter government, who he accused of treating a million Dutch Muslims as second class citizens.

On Tuesday, however, Ms Yesilgoz said she would not enter into coalition with Mr Wilders if he was to be prime minister and that she did not think the PVV would win the election.

I am not going to do that, she said, This country needs a leader who can connect.

Dilan Yesilgoz (R) says she will not enter into a coalition with Wilders (L) if he was to become prime minster - Shutterstock

Andre Krouwel, who teaches political science at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, said Ms Yesilgoz had tried to split the anti-establishment vote between the PVV and NSC by not explicitly ruling out any coalition. The associate professor told the Telegraph that encouraged voters to turn to the PVV because it had a chance at government, unlike in the past.

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.
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides told the Associated Press on Nov. 20 that he had invited financial crime experts from an unnamed third-party country to assist with investigations into the use of Cyprus as a means of circumventing sanctions against Russia.

There should be absolutely no shadows over Cyprus because it harms the ability to attract "quality" foreign investment, he said.

Christodoulides' comments came after a massive leak of millions of files on Nov. 14 obtained from Cypriot financial service providers, dubbed "Cyprus Confidential," and a subsequent wide-ranging investigation by the International Consortium of Investigate Journalists (ICIJ).

Together, they comprise a complex picture of "how Cypriot financial enablers scrambled to help Russian oligarchs and Putin allies shield their assets and avoid Western sanctions," the ICIJ wrote.

In one of the disclosures, the ICIJ found that Ukraine's richest man, Rinat Akhmetov, allegedly borrowed $400 million from Russia's largest bank, Sberbank, and also allegedly purchased a luxury penthouse in London in 2021 for 87.5 million British pounds ($107 million) through a shell company based in the British Virgin Islands.

Read also: Media: Ukrainian oligarch Akhmetov borrowed $400 million from Russian bank

Although Christodoulides defended Cyprus' efforts so far to reform its banking sector, he also acknowledged that the perception of the country as a place to evade sanctions and launder money would be hard to shake.

The AP wrote that in 2013, "nearly a third of the countrys 68 billion euros ( in deposits  more than triple the entire economy  was held by Russians."

Cypriot Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides said in January 2023 that Russian deposits in banks in the country had decreased from 40% before the 2013 financial crisis to 3.8%.

In addition, he added that Cyprus had frozen about 1.5 billion euros ($1.6 billion) in Russian assets in accordance with the European Union sanctions against Russia since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

Apart from inviting foreign experts, Christodoulides said that Cyprus would continue to reform its financial system to demonstrate that the country "has zero tolerance for corruption.

Cyprus has long been a destination for Russians since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, but increasingly, the Turkish-occupied region in the northern part of the country has become popular with Russian emigres as well.

Almost 40,000 Russians settled there in 2023 alone, the Guardian wrote in September, out of a total population of 382,000 in the de-facto republic.

Read also: Guardian: Top German journalist received funds from Russian oligarch close to Putin, leak reveals

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Rakim Mayers, aka A$AP Rocky, in the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center during a preliminary hearing in his assault with a semiautomatic firearm case in Los Angeles. (Allison Dinner/EPA via AP, Pool)

A$AP Rocky  the rapper and Rihanna's partner  is headed for trial after being accused of shooting an ex-friend.

The ex-friend testified that the disagreement originated over a failed plan to pay for a friend's body to be flown back to New York.

Evidence presented Monday included video showing a gun.

Rapper A$AP Rocky will go to trial after he was accused of shooting a former friend. A judge ruled Monday that enough evidence exists to support his two assault with a firearm charges.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge M.L. Villar in Los Angeles said California state law requires only a "scintilla" of evidence to support the charges, and prosecutors have provided" more than sufficient evidence," including video showing a gun. The judge said she agrees with Rocky's lawyer that another video doesn't show the shooting, but in another, "You do hear two shots."

Rocky, who is Rihanna's boyfriend and the father of her two children, is accused of firing shots at Terell "A$AP Relli" Ephron on Nov. 6, 2021, in Hollywood. Ephron testified on Nov. 8 that the first bullet grazed the knuckles on his left hand. The evidence against Rocky includes a photo of Relli's scraped knuckles. He sought medical attention at a hospital in New York after flying back there from Los Angeles.

His lawyer, prominent New York lawyer Joe Tacopina, told reporters outside the courthouse that he isn't surprised Villar found probable cause given the low standard. He said he welcomes a trial.

"I am certain Rocky is going to be vindicated when all is said and done," said Tacopina, who also represents former President Donald Trump in his tax fraud case related to the hush money paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Tacopina also was Trump's lawyer in the civil trial with a woman who accused him of raping her, columnist E. Jean Carroll, that ended with a Manhattan federal jury ordering Trump to pay Carroll $5 million for defaming and sexually abusing her.

He says the shooting never happened, and that Relli is falsely accusing Rocky to try to extort money from him.

"There's some evidence that's going to be insurmountable. The witness is not going to be able to withstand cross-examination in front of the jury," Tacopina told reporters.

Relli testified on Nov. 8 that he was angry with Rocky because he believed Rocky had backed out of a plan to pay for a friend's body to be flown back to New York. Relli sent Rocky a text that began, "You so fucking fake it's sad," then overheard Rocky disparaging him in a phone call to a mutual friend. Rocky later texted him asking him, "Wya?"  short for "Where you at"  "Lets get to it" and "Stop duckin my calls."

They met near a hotel in Hollywood, and Rocky was "coming hot," Relli testified. He said Rocky pointed the gun in his stomach and said "I'll kill you right now." He then fired three to four shots, the first of which grazed Relli's knuckles, he said.

"He was on my ass. He was trying to, like, shoot me," Relli said. Relli said he ran from the scene, then contacted the police on Nov. 8 after contacting a lawyer.

Los Angeles police Detective Frank Flores was the only other witness beside Relli. He testified Monday about collecting the surveillance video and extracting still images from it, including one he said shows Rocky holding a gun.

Legal name Rakim Mayers, 35-year-old Rocky was charged in November 2022 with two counts of first-degree assault with a firearm.

Rocky was arrested in April 2022 at the Los Angeles airport as he returned from Barbados with Rihanna, and police raided the couple's home in Los Angeles. He posted $550,000 bond and has been out of custody ever since.

Asked what he would tell Rihanna if she wanted to go to court to support Rocky, Tacopina said Rocky "would never subject his family. He wants to shield them."

"He's handling it like Rocky would handle something. He protects his family," Tacopina said.

Relli also is suing Rocky and Tacopina for defamation, and he's represented by Benjamin Chew and Camille Vasquez, the same lawyers who represented Johnny Depp in his defamation lawsuit against Amber Heard.

Relli has another lawsuit against Rocky for assault, battery, negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Judge Villar shut down Tacopina's questions about the lawsuits and Relli's hiring of a civil lawyer, saying she doesn't believe the issue is relevant to whether probable cause exists.





Read the original article on Insider
Reverse, Reverse

Remember last week, when the alt-smartphone company Nothing  pause for the sigh  announced that it was releasing an app, dubbed Nothing Chats, that would allow its customers to send blue-bubbled iMessage sans iPhone? Well, forget about it. As Ars Technica reports, the messaging service didn't even make it a full 24 hours on Google Play before researchers discovered that the system was plagued with egregious privacy issues.

Sunbird, the platform on which Nothing Chats was built, promises to provide users with "end-to-end encryption" for their messages  a claim that was reiterated by Nothing on its since-updated landing page for the Chats feature.

"Nothing Chats is built on Sunbird's platform and all Chats messages are end-to-end encrypted," the Nothing webpage read, "meaning neither we nor Sunbird can access the messages youre sending and receiving."

But as it turns out, the app was anything but encrypted, with tech-savvy researchers quickly finding that Nothing and Sunbird were storing users' messages and attachment links in plain text. This would make the text data easily accessible to folks at Nothing, Sunbird, and anyone else who could gain access.

"Nothing Chats app (skinned Sunbird) is an absolute privacy nightmare that sends/stores ALL data unencrypted on firebase," one such researcher, who goes by "wukko" on X-formerly-Twitter, wrote in an X post on Saturday, adding that "for whatever reason" the app also sends "ALL messages and attachments" to Sentry, the crash-reporting cloud platform.

Wukko's allegations were corroborated by researchers over at 9to5Google and Texts.com, who collectively concluded that Nothing and Sunbird were essentially storing user texts, images, and all other attachments  PDFs, videos, you name it  in broad daylight.

https://twitter.com/evowizz/status/1725872540873081000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1725872540873081000%7Ctwgr%5Eb30bbb9fa7bf97139148f14592ee9720d7920b8d%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2F9to5google.com%2F2023%2F11%2F18%2Fnothing-chats-sunbird-unencrypted-data-privacy-nightmare%2F

Bugging Out

Nothing has since walked back the beta Chats feature, with its updated Chats webpage now noting that due to "several bugs," the startup will be "delaying the launch until further notice."

Gotta say, though: to call a massive privacy issue that a company definitely should have known about before partnering with a service like Sunbird a "bug" is a massive understatement. And rest assured, when Nothing took that "bug" announcement over to X, the ensuing community notes were nothing short of brutal.

"Contrary to Nothing's claim about fixing 'bugs' in their upcoming app, these issues are serious security & privacy lapses," reads the top note. "Falsely advertised as end-to-end encrypted, exposes user data in plain text."

Anyway. If you used this app, or any other Sunbird-supported messaging service out there, you should be wary of what data of yours might be out there. In the meantime, we're sorry to say that the sad, sad drumbeat of the green bubble march plays on.

More on privacy: Researchers Just Found Something Terrifying about Talking to AI Chatbots
From the Boiling Frogs on The Dispatch

When was the last time a candidate badly underperformed expectations in his first campaign for president, then went on to win the White House later?

Trump won the first time he ran. (Seriously ran, that is. His 2000 Reform Party stunt candidacy doesnt count.) Ditto Barack Obama. Ditto George W. Bush. Ditto Bill Clinton.

The last president who failed in his first try was Bush the elder, but not every failure is due to poor performance. Ronald Reagan was the favorite in 1980 and Bush managed to beat him in Iowa en route to earning a spot on the national ticket. Its hard to call winning the vice presidency a disappointment.

Reagan also failed in his first run for president, but that cant fairly be described as underperformance, either. He faced an incumbent in Gerald Ford in 1976 and nearly pulled an historic upset. If anything, he beat expectations.

The only bona fide first-time disappointment to end up as president recently is the current guy, who was regarded as a serious contender in the 1988 cycle before plagiarizing his way into irrelevance. So take heart, Ron DeSantis fans: There is hope for a newbie candidate who underwhelms in his first grab at the brass ring.

All it took for Joe Biden to regain national viability was 32 years, another failed run for president in 2008, two terms as vice president, and an image makeover across decades that turned a brash young loudmouth in the Senate into a kindly enfeebled grandpa. Even then, he barely overcame an opponent in 2020 whose portrait might as well accompany the term dark triad in psychology textbooks.

DeSantis 2056 is a live possibility. What about DeSantis 2028?

Candidates who flame out in their first runs for president do often bounce back to win their partys nomination in their next try. Mitt Romney did it in 2012. So did Hillary Clinton in 2016. Their first campaigns gave voters a look at their agendas, expanded their donor networks, and helped them build relationships within the party which they would leverage later to give them a leg up in their second campaigns.

DeSantis finds himself in that position now. Insofar as any next in line dynamic remains in presidential party politics after 15 years of Obama and Trump, the governor of Florida will have the strongest case in 2028 that hes next in line to be the Republican nominee. Hes probably the second-most widely known figure in the GOP at this point, and he has the distinction of having led all other candidates in the current primarysave onesince the start of national polling last summer.

But check back in a week or two, as that might not last much longer.

Assume that the current numbers bear out and Trump wraps up the race early with victories in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina. Does the 2028 campaign begin with Ron DeSantis as the favorite?

Im skeptical. And not just because Trump might be running in that cycle as well.

Its too soon to talk about 2028, you might be thinking.

Is it? The latest Harvard-Harris poll has Trump at 67 percent nationally and DeSantis and Nikki Haley tied for second place at 9 apiece. How much suspense do you suppose is realistically left in this primary?

Its certainly not too soon to talk about Ron DeSantis future. He trails Haley in polling of New Hampshire and South Carolina, and he is perilously close to falling behind her in Iowa despite having been endorsed a few weeks ago by Gov. Kim Reynolds. Two recent surveys of the state, including one conducted after the endorsement, have Haley inching up into a tie with him.

To this point, DeSantis 2024 has resembled a patient following a terrible accident whos barely breathing on his own. If Haley overtakes him in polls of all three early states, hell be placed on life support. Im not sure he makes it to caucus day in Iowa in that case.

Thats one reason to start thinking about 2028. This is another.

Because we want to make sure Tiny D is crushed so bad he wont ever think about running in 2028. https://t.co/LFur7OYrTy  Steven Cheung (@TheStevenCheung) November 19, 2023

Steven Cheung is Trumps spokesman. You may remember him from the recent vermin episode, when he vowed that the entire existence of Trump-hating journalists will be crushed if his boss returns to office. Now here he is promising to ruin Ron DeSantis presidential ambitions not just in this cycle but in the next one as well.

Maybe it means nothing. Vindictive bravado is the default setting on which all Trump cronies operate, the ocean in which the entire MAGA movement swims. Cheungs tweet isnt necessarily evidence of a nascent vendetta, its just how Trumpist gremlins talk. Besides, even when Trump and his gremlins do follow through on a vendetta, theyre surprisingly willing to forgive remorseful outcasts and welcome them back into the cult. Steve Bannon went from being derided as Sloppy Steve in presidential tweets to receiving a presidential pardon a few years later.

Cheung might be blowing smoke. But consider this: Arguably no one in American politics has been as disloyal to Donald Trump as Ron DeSantis.

Was Ted Cruz disloyal in 2016 when he fought Trump tooth and nail for the Republican nomination? Not really. Trump wasnt the leader of the party then. If anything, he was the usurper in the race while Cruz was the brand-name conservative. And Cruz owed Trump nothing politically. When he got elected to the Senate in 2012, the future president was still a private citizen pretending to search for Barack Obamas birth certificate.

Is Nikki Haley being disloyal by fighting Trump for the nomination now? Sure, sort of. She served in his administration, after all. But Haley was also a known quantity in the Republican Party long before Trump took a serious interest in politics, having won two gubernatorial elections before he came down that escalator in 2015. And Haley comes from a different faction of right-wing politics than Trump does. Her challenging him feels less like a usurpation than a test of strength between conservatism and populism.

It was easy for Trumpworld to forgive Cruz in 2016 after he (belatedly) endorsed Trump. I think itll be similarly easy for them to forgive Haley when she does the same.

DeSantis will be harder to forgive.

Hes the only person in the party to have semi-seriously threatened Trumps dominance of it in the past seven years, surging to 30 percent in the national polling average this past winter. Unlike Cruz and Haley, he really does owe his national stature to his rival to a meaningful degree: If not for Trumps endorsement in the 2018 Florida gubernatorial primary, DeSantis would probably be a lobbyist right now. And he isnt coming at Trump as a member of a rival right-wing faction, a la Haley. Hes claiming to be more populist than the populist-in-chief himself.

Few Republican politicians are as indebted to Trump as the governor of Florida, and not one has repaid that debt by challenging him for control of the GOP. An authoritarian movement obsessed with loyalty will very plausibly bear Ron DeSantis a special, lasting grudge.

The only person I can think of whose disloyalty offended Trump to a similar degree is Jeff Sessions (Mike Pence didnt quite reach full-fledged enemy status until recently, weirdly), and Sessions is a poor analog for DeSantis. He attained high office on his own, almost 20 years before Trump entered politics; it was his endorsement of Trumpnot vice versathat proved influential in a major race; and as furious as Trump was when Sessions recused himself from the Mueller investigation, at least Sessions wasnt so impertinent as to have tried to snatch the crown from off his head.

Of the two, in other words, DeSantis appears to be guilty of the greater disloyalty. Given how Trump held a grudge against Sessions long after hed resigned as attorney general, going so far as to ruin his bid for a Senate comeback in 2020, why shouldnt we expect him to do the same the next time the governor runs for president?

And if he does, how viable is DeSantis in 2028, really?

Lets rephrase that question. Which scenario would make Ron DeSantis winning the Republican nomination in 2028 most likely: That Trump wins the presidency next year, that Trump loses the presidency next year, or that he heads off to the big Bedminster in the sky sometime before the next primary?

If Trump gets reelected, I think DeSantis odds of becoming the heir apparent drop to zero. Thered be no reason for Trump to prefer him as a successor to, say, J.D. Vance or Kari Lake in the next primary. No matter how obsequious DeSantis becomes toward Trump in order to atone, hell always be the guy who spent the better part of a year on the campaign trail questioning his mental competence, blaming him for Americas pandemic failures, and broadly accusing him of having been all hat and no cattle in keeping the populist promises he made in 2016. His disloyalty will haunt him forever; future primary opponents will make sure of it even if Trump doesnt.

But Trump will. Its inconceivable that he would reward DeSantis for mounting the current campaign by endorsing him next time over contenders whose loyalty has never been in doubt. He rules by fear. Instinctively, hell want to make an example of the governor to show other critics that when you come for the king and miss, you dont get to become king afterward.

Theres another problem. A second Trump term is shaping up to be so insanely authoritarian that DeSantis brand as Trump but more polished will suffer by comparison. By 2028, the new party standard for owning the libs wont be passing dubious laws targeting woke curricula that end up being immediately enjoined in court. Itll be stacking law enforcement departments with proto-fascists wholl do the chief executives bidding unquestioningly, whether judges approve or not.

Lots of ambitious young Republican governors will follow Trumps lead on that, defending his abuses of power and normalizing the aggressive flouting of statutes and court rulings. DeSantis will too in order to keep pace, no doubt, but increasingly hell be just one face in a crowd of post-liberal rising starsand unlike the rest, hell have already failed dismally in running for president. Why would Republican voters rally around a demagogue whos earned a reputation for being uncharismatic and underperforming instead of some exciting newcomer with more presence on the trail?

Worst of all, DeSantis wont be able to assemble the hybrid coalition in 2028 that he had hoped to build this cycle. His promise as a contender this year lay in being populist enough for MAGA populists yet conservative enough for National Review conservatives; only he, I thought, could build a base with enough members of both factions to threaten Trump for the nomination. The lunacy of Trumps second term will either chase those conservatives out of the party once and for all or convert them at last into earnest post-liberals.

There wont be any hybrid potential next time. Only authoritarians will be left. I dont see why theyd settle for an opportunist like Ron DeSantis who hedges his ideological bets when they could have Tucker Carlson or J.D. Vance or some similarly earnest proponent of the causeespecially after Trumps victory in 2024 proves that gonzo revanchist post-liberalism can win in America.

Things would be easier for DeSantis in 2028 if Trump were to lose next year. But not much.

If Trump loses, the governor will be able to say I told you so. Republican voters might finallyfinallytake that to heart by making youth and electability top priorities in the 2028 primary campaign.

I told you so would be a risky message under the circumstances, though. Trump will get right to work after his defeat on brainwashing the right into thinking that 2024 was another rigged election. DeSantis will need to decide how bold he wants to be in contradicting that message, knowing how true believers will hold it against him in the next presidential cycle.

Trumps status as a two-time loser probably wont meaningfully diminish his influence within the party either. (Youre not really a loser if both of your losses were rigged, right?) Assuming he remains the GOPs leader, hell enjoy enormous influence over whom the party nominates in 2028 if he opts not to run again. The surest way for DeSantis to squander what little chance he has of earning Trumps endorsement is to cite the defeat of 2024 as proof that Trump is a loser.

Even if Republican voters grudgingly agree with DeSantis that the party needs a new direction in the next cycle, its an open question whether DeSantis himself would be deemed new enough. Haley, not him, is the Republican whos crushing Biden head-to-head in recent polling. A party that made electability its highest criterion in 2028 might skip right past DeSantis and land on a somewhat more traditional conservative.

Whether Trump wins or loses, things will get harder for the governor in Florida. His imperviousness and lack of personal charm have made him many enemies back home. He too ruled by fear for the past few years, knowing that no one wants to risk crossing a future president; now that his White House future is hanging by a thread, those enemies are sharpening their knives. Its unclear how much hell be able to get done in the last few years of his term, and its also unclear how much of what hes already gotten done will stick, as court challenges are pending against many of his most notable culture-war initiatives. If they go down in flames, hell be known as the guy who fights but doesnt actually winironically, the very criticism hes leveled at Trump of late.

And by early 2027 hell be out of office altogether, with no path to another prominent position like senator unless he undertakes to primary Marco Rubio. Hell lose his ability to do anything legislatively to impress right-wingers right around the time they start paying attention to the presidential contest in the next cycle. Some other governor (Gov. Ramaswamy of Ohio, maybe?) will be the one moving an aggressive agenda to try to dazzle populists looking for a fighter to champion them.

Which leaves us with the third scenario.

A sudden vacancy at the top of the GOP, ideally in the next few years when hes still governor and can work his will on policy, is DeSantis best chance to reposition himself as heir apparent to Trump.

In the chaos after Trumps eventual death, Republican voters will initially be uncertain about how to fill the power vacuum. The governor would be a natural candidate to fill itwell-known, Trumpy, and newly blessed with an excuse to praise Trump and his legacy lavishly. That might soften some of the hard feelings Trumpworld and its disciples bear toward him.

More importantly, with Trump gone, thered be no one left to impose a litmus test on populist voters requiring them to punish Ron DeSantis for the disloyalty he showed in 2023 the next time he runs for president. Some would-be successors might try. One can imagine Donald Trump Jr. presuming to declare DeSantis persona non grata in the GOP, if only to eliminate a threat to his own future political ambitions. But whether Junior or anyone else in Donald Trumps inner circle will wield anything approaching his influence after hes gone is questionable. I doubt it, frankly.

The problem for DeSantis in a Trump-less universe would be this: Has the damage to his reputation already been done?

Trump appears to take shot at DeSantis height with new polling graphic. pic.twitter.com/3tmCXYuUhR  PatriotTakes  (@patriottakes) November 21, 2023

Cheungs belittling reference to Tiny D is along the same lines. The insults, the nicknames, the jabs about height and boots, etc., are all signals from Trump to his devotees that the governor of Florida isnt to be taken seriously as a leader. Passing anti-woke state laws is fine and all, but real leadership requires dominance. And a figure worthy of ridicule cannot dominate.

In an authoritarian party with a fetish for strength, I dont know that any politician can overcome the impression that he cant dominate. The question is whether that impression has been made widely and deeply enough in this campaign among the populist voters whom DeSantis would target in 2028 that theyre now convinced he lacks the charisma or (literal) stature to command the party effectively post-Trump.

That question will dog him even when you-know-who isnt around anymore. He wont be The Apprentice in the next cycle, I suspect.

Read more at The Dispatch

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Xi calls for pushing China-France relations to new level

Xinhua) 08:09, November 21, 2023

BEIJING, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday called on his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, to carry forward the traditional China-France friendship and push the relations to a new level.

As the year 2024 marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations, both sides should pass the baton of history, stick to the original intention in establishing the diplomatic relations, carry forward the traditional friendship and push the China-France relations to a new level, Xi said during a telephone conversation with Macron.

In the phone talks, Xi pointed out that since Macron's successful visit to China in April this year, China-France exchanges at all levels have resumed rapidly, and bilateral cooperation in various fields has made solid progress and achieved fruitful results.

China is ready to maintain high-level exchanges with France, make a success the next meeting of the China-France high-level dialogue mechanism on people-to-people exchanges, push for new progress in bilateral cooperation in such areas as education, culture and scientific research, and promote friendly exchanges between the two peoples, Xi said.

Applauding France's active participation in the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and the sixth China International Import Expo, Xi said China is glad to see the entry of an increasing number of French products into the Chinese market and welcomes more investment of French enterprises in China.

China hopes France could provide a fair and non-discriminatory business environment for the investment of Chinese enterprises in France, he added.

Xi said China is ready to strengthen cooperation with France in the United Nations and other multilateral institutions.

Noting that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the China-European Union (EU) comprehensive strategic partnership, Xi said China and the EU should remain partners for mutually beneficial cooperation in a volatile and intertwined world.

It is hoped that France will play a constructive role in promoting the positive development of China-EU relations, he said.

Highlighting that China and France have maintained sound cooperation on climate change, Xi said the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Dubai will take stock of the Paris Agreement for the first time, review and assess the progress of its implementation, and guide the future process of global climate governance.

The institutional framework of the Paris Agreement, in particular the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and nationally determined contributions, should be upheld, he said.

China stands ready to work with France in sending a strong signal of jointly addressing the issue of climate change, so as to prompt the success of the COP28, he added.

Macron said that his successful visit to China in April this year is still within his recollection, and that he is satisfied with the recent exchanges and dialogues between the two countries at all levels.

Under the current international situation, it is of great significance for France and China to maintain strategic communication and cooperation, he said, adding that the French side is willing to take the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between France and China next year as an opportunity to intensify high-level exchanges with China, and deepen exchanges and cooperation in such fields as economy, trade and aviation, as well as people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

France hopes to communicate closely with China on the UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai and continuously cooperate to address global issues such as climate change and biodiversity protection, said the French president.

Besides, France is ready to promote the further development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the EU and China in a spirit of mutual respect, mutual benefit and cooperation, he said.

Exchanging views on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the two heads of state said it is imperative to avoid further deterioration of the Palestinian-Israeli situation, especially the emergence of a more serious humanitarian crisis.

They agreed that the two-state solution is the fundamental way to solve the cycle of Palestinian-Israeli conflicts.

The two heads of state also agreed to maintain communication on international and regional issues of common concern, and contribute to the maintenance of world peace and stability.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Arizona man arrested on suspicion of killing older brother in wake of 'repeated physical altercations'

An Arizona man has been arrested on suspicion of killing his brother, authorities said Monday.

The death of George Thomas Morgan, 45, first began as a missing persons case, the Phoenix Police Department said. Morgan had been involved in "repeated physical altercations" with his brother, Michael John Morgan, 44, at their home Nov. 11, authorities said.

Michael Morgan was eventually arrested and booked on numerous charges, including murder, police said.

ARIZONA HIKER'S DEATH ON GRAND CANYON TRAIL MARKS 10TH FATALITY AT NATIONAL PARK THIS YEAR

The altercation took place sometime between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., police said.

Michael Morgan, 44, is accused of killing his older brother earlier this month.

"The repeated incidents ended, and neither were seen for a period of time," read a portion of a Phoenix Police statement. "When Michael returned to the residence, but George did not, [it caused] family to report George missing on November 12, 2023."

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Authorities have not released details of the altercation that led to George Morgan's death.

Missing persons detectives brought the case to homicide investigators after learning of suspicious circumstances, FOX Phoenix reported.

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"Homicide assumed the investigation and eventually established probable cause to arrest Michael for being responsible for the death of George," read a portion of the statement. "Michael was booked on multiple charges to include murder."

George Morgan's remains have not been found, police said.





Original article source: Arizona man arrested on suspicion of killing older brother in wake of 'repeated physical altercations'
Czech President Petr Pavel during the meeting with the commanders of Czech Armed Forces warned the public that the supply of weapons needed for the success of Ukraine is being obstructed and does not meet the expectations.

Source: Pavels speech cited by a Czech information agency CTK, as reported by European Pravda

Quote: "This is not the best starting point to survive a hard winter and achieve success against an opponent who used all his time, learned his lessons, increased military production, enhanced military production plans and is able to achieve the same quantity or even more of military equipment and ammunition than we are able to send from the West."

Details: Pavel remarked that the Ukrainian counteroffensive is not developing in the way Ukrainians had expected: among other things, the Western support was not sufficient and quick enough, and the time spent on preparations allowed Russia to prepare for the offensive by the Ukrainian forces "very well".

Pavel added that the supply of armament needed for Ukraine to achieve success is still being obstructed and does not reach the necessary level. And the Ukrainian soldiers are not only understandably tired but also more and more disappointed with the Western support.

The Czech president noted that Russias war against Ukraine brings with it "a big risk", which is tiredness from the war, felt not only by the two sides at war but also by all the countries which support them.

"This may cause increasing pressure to end the conflict with some sort of an agreement. An agreement, if it is made, will of course be based on the real situation in the battlefield," Pavel added.

Background:

This is not the first time that Pavel, former head of the NATO Military Committee, expresses pessimistic forecasts about the course of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

At the beginning of November he said that the current situation on the front shows no signs that Ukraine may prevail on the front. Meanwhile Pavel is against "tiredness from the war" and concessions to Russia.

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In keeping with its theme from 2022, this year, the Army Black Knights football team will again sport an infantry division-themed uniform designed by Nike.

The 2023 Army West Point uniforms for the 124th Army-Navy Game tells the story of the soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Division during the opening phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom, a release said.

In March of 2003, the Iraq War began  making this the 20th anniversary of the conflict  with an offensive invasion by 3rd ID. It was the largest deployment of the division since World War II.

The 3rd Infantry Divisions success hinged upon its ability to seize and maintain the initiative against a determined adversary in harsh and unforgiving terrain, the release noted. The Dogface Soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Division accomplished this feat through the clear application of the U.S. Armys characteristics of the offensive: surprise, concentration, audacity, and tempo.

The Nike uniforms are tan throughout, denoting the desert nature of the war as well as being reminiscent of the camouflage pattern worn by OIF troops. Player numbers and lettering mimic the font from Army vehicle bumper numbers.

Both sides of the matte gold helmet feature 3rd ID mascot Rocky the Bulldog. In addition, 3rd ID soldiers have been given the nickname dogface soldier.

The division is known as the Rock of the Marne after holding its position on the Marne River in France during World War I, earning a decisive victory over the Germans. As such, much of the uniform pays homage to this history with denotations on the pants and back of the helmet.

In adopting their mottos, symbols, and ethos on the field of friendly strife, we seek to emulate their application of these characteristics to defeat our rivals, the release added.

The 2023 Army-Navy game is on Dec. 9, 2023 and will be played at Gillette Stadium.
CHICAGO  Mayor Brandon Johnsons administration cleared all asylum-seekers from the one of the citys most crowded police stations over the weekend, a significant move that symbolizes his ongoing pivot on how to handle the humanitarian crisis as winter approaches.

The 18th District station at Division and Larrabee streets was decompressed Saturday as part of the citys efforts to move the migrant population from police stations to brick-and-mortar shelters, Johnsons spokesman Ronnie Reese said Monday.

The action comes less than a week after the mayor rolled out a series of new protocols, including a 60-day shelter limit policy aimed at getting migrants to move to more permanent housing and plans to crack down on rogue buses that drop off asylum-seekers without the city knowing ahead of time.

While some advocates for migrants applauded the effort to shift asylum-seekers out of the police stations, they also raised serious reservations the moves were setting up migrants to find themselves back out on the streets in mid-January due to the 60-day shelter policy.

As more migrants continue to arrive in Chicago, while at a slower pace than in previous months, the administration also said it is beginning to augment plans to redirect incoming migrants who wish to go elsewhere, though it was unclear whether those efforts entail subsidized tickets out of the city.

The emptying out of migrants from the Near North police district station comes as several other stations across the city have seen their migrant population decrease significantly, city officials and volunteers at the stations told the Tribune.

The recent maneuvers paint a picture of the Johnson administrations evolving response to the thousands of asylum-seekers whose fates have presented some of the mayors biggest challenges. Though his office maintains that its goal is to resettle new arrivals, the recent updates and new policies signal Johnson is walking a thin line of both trying to reiterate Chicagos values as being a welcoming city while prioritizing current residents.

The city continues to identify viable sites  base camps and brick and mortar shelter  as an alternative to new arrivals sleeping outdoors and on the floors of OHare Airport and police stations as winter fast approaches, Johnsons emergency communications spokeswoman Mary May wrote in a statement. The goal is to decompress all police districts and airports and provide adequate shelter for new arrivals.

During the summer, the police stations, as well as OHare International Airport, became the go-to locations for many migrants arriving from the southern border, most notably Venezuela. The stations got so crowded that many chose to set up tents outside. But the city has moved to slow those temporary encampments as temperatures have dropped in the past six weeks.

Still, as of Monday afternoon, about 1,600 individuals remained camped out among another 20 police districts, while belongings inside the Near North station and the cluster of tents that had dotted the sidewalks outside were gone. Whether the results at the 18th District will last hinges on whether the city can keep up with the ongoing  albeit slower  volume of buses from U.S. southern states, among other factors.

So far this week at least three new buses have arrived in Chicago, and some of the passengers are still being funneled to police stations or airports. That is because Johnsons promise of erecting winterized base camps to hold asylum-seekers before they are moved to shelters has yet to be fulfilled.

Meanwhile, the 60-day policy that began last Friday will not see its first results until mid-January and, even then, the initial impact will be meager as only new arrivals to the shelter system on Friday plus about 50 residents who have been there since 2022 received a first wave of notices from city officials.

One of the volunteer leaders at the 18th District station, Amanda Betts, said she was happy to see the city move migrants staying there to shelters on Saturday.

Im so thrilled that they are out of the stations, and at least they arent sitting on the sidewalk, in tents, with rain pouring down and snow, she said.

Betts, who has been volunteering at the station for seven months, said the stations were untenable. Migrants werent allowed to use inside bathrooms during the day. Chicago police turned off outside electricity, so people couldnt charge their phones to find job opportunities and apartments  or to call their relatives. And the weather was getting worse by the day.

While she lauded the citys decision to move people out of the cold, the new announcement of removing migrants from city-run shelters after 60 days has dampened her relief.

Its as though theyre just putting Scotch tape on gaping wounds, Betts said.

At another police district on the West Side, some longtime migrant response volunteers took their sharpest stand yet against the Johnson administration.

Mutual aid volunteers at the 10th District station at 3315 W. Ogden Ave. released a statement via member Lydia Wong that said they will no longer coordinate their efforts with the city due to the 60-day shelter limit policy.

Every person entering the shelter is being placed in a system that is designed to fail, and will burden the city of Chicago with increased homelessness and with a public health crisis, Wong said in a statement to the Tribune. To this end, we can no longer in good conscience facilitate the moving of migrants from stations to shelters  (or) support the citys work related to move migrants from airports and police stations to city-run shelters, only to inevitably turn them into the streets again.

As city officials focus on police stations, they also are turning attention to incoming asylum-seekers by trying to identify and punish so-called rogue buses whose operators, city officials say, are not coordinating with them and dropping off migrants in scattered areas throughout the city.

Utilizing a new provision quietly included as part of Johnsons 2024 budget that sailed through the City Council last Wednesday, Johnson and his team plan to fine intercity buses that dont obtain approval via an application with the Chicago Department of Transportation before unloading at designated bus stands, zones or other locations. Unscheduled buses from out of town must pick up or drop off at designated sites: currently only the west-side curb of South Desplaines Street south of West Polk Street, and only between 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Companies that break the new ordinance will be subject to fines between $2,000 to $10,000, one per each unauthorized unloading, the city said.

That designated site at 800 S. Desplaines St. will continue to be used as a landing zone for incoming migrants arriving by bus before they are temporarily moved into Chicago police stations and airports, but Reese said the goal is to bypass those destinations altogether once more shelter beds open up or the winterized base camps debut.

In addition to the 1,600 remaining at police stations as of Monday, another 570 individuals were sleeping inside OHare. But the combined number of migrants awaiting shelter beds has dropped sharply from a peak of about 3,800 earlier this fall.

Johnsons team said it will increase staff at the Desplaines Street site, which is the Maxwell Street Market, to try to trim the population entering the shelters. The city intends to guide new arrivals with family or connections elsewhere out of the city.

Johnson administration officials would not say whether that change comes with free bus, train or plane tickets, as has been the case in other cities struggling to keep up with new arrivals. May, Johnsons emergency office spokeswoman, said Catholic Charities in partnership with the state provides onward movement without elaborating.

The mayors office added that the state of Illinois may also step in at the Desplaines site, though questions remain on what that cooperation would look like.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker last week announced an additional $160 million infusion to help the city address the crisis, $65 million of which is expected to be used to set up another tent encampment for migrants that, while funded by the state, would be operated by the city. The remaining $95 million would go toward a new centralized intake center for new arrivals and other assistance.

As of Monday, city and state officials did not have details on where either the state-funded tent encampment or welcoming center would go.

(Chicago Tribunes Laura Rodriguez contributed.)

_____
The Scoop

ADDIS ABABA/LAGOS  Staffers across the African Development Bank are pushing back at attempts by its top management to quietly resolve a major diplomatic spat with the government of Ethiopia after two members of its country management team were physically attacked in Addis Ababa.

The Oct. 31 assaults took place during an AfDB visit by the country manager to Ethiopias finance ministry. Two people familiar with the matter said there had been an email phishing incident by fraudsters which had led to the disappearance of over $5 million intended to be deposited into the bank. But it is still unclear if the attacks on the AfDB officials by the ministrys security guards were directly related to the disappearance of the funds. The bank said it is awaiting the outcome of Ethiopias investigation which we expect to be prompt and transparent.

The AfDBs senior leadership in Addis Ababa, led by Ethiopia country manager Abdul Kamara, were initially detained but then later violently assaulted leaving Kamara with visible facial injuries in a photo seen by Semafor Africa that has been shared in influential Ethiopian social media circles. An earlier AfDB statement said the two staff members were unlawfully arrested, physically assaulted, and detained for many hours by elements of the security forces without any official explanation.

The AfDBs president Akinwumi Adesina has tried to reassure staff that the matter is being taken seriously and reached out to Ethiopias Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed over the incident. Adesina has also filed a complaint. In an internal memo to staff, seen by Semafor Africa, Adesina said: The safety, security, rights, privileges and diplomatic immunities of our staff in all countries where we operate are of paramount importance. He also said that none of the banks operations in Ethiopia had been affected by the incident.

But there is some disquiet among long-time staffers who want the bank to take much more bold action with harsh sanctions on Ethiopia to ensure the banks staff are not at risk in even more volatile countries. At the least we should have suspended operations and withdrawn all personnel. To send a strong signal, said one staffer in a text message seen by Semafor Africa. Another text suggested the bank would be endorsing state-sponsored thuggery if the AfDB did not take strong action.

In a statement, the bank described such characterization of its response as incorrect pointing out the very serious diplomatic matter had been addressed at the highest levels.

Know More

The AfDB is Africas leading development finance institution, and its staffers are typically accorded with diplomatic immunity like other DFIs. One of the ways it is seen as different from the larger World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, is that it is perceived to have specialist expertise and a closer understanding of Africas economic realities.

The bank, headquartered in Cote dIvoires capital Abidjan, has been an important partner for Ethiopia on a string of development projects across energy, transport, water supply and sanitation, and agriculture.

The bank sent a delegation of senior leadership to Addis Ababa this week to address the incident.

Samuels view

The incident is a major embarrassment to Ethiopias reputation as Africas diplomatic capital and headquarters of the African Union. In the last three years, the nation has been forced to grapple with the reality of conflicts and violence hurting its reputation as a hub for foreign direct investments.

Key parts of the country remain in conflict amid loss of investments and destruction of critical infrastructure. The bulk of industrial parks are currently deserted as a result of Ethiopias removal from preferential trade agreements, including the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

This is a really bad time for any Ethiopian officials to be seen as antagonizing one of the Horn of Africa nations most impactful economic partners. The economy is in the doldrums, several international organizations have left, and more are likely to leave. Theres a lot riding on Abiy carefully negotiating and reaching some sort of agreement with Adesina rather than allowing the situation to escalate.

But Adesina himself will start to feel pressure if more senior members of his team voice concern about how this is being handled. It is an incredibly sensitive matter, especially if the banks staff start to feel unsafe in the African countries they operate in. Adesina will be seeking a reasonable compromise that doesnt appear to let the Ethiopians off the hook without suggesting there wont be a significant punishment for those involved.

Room for Disagreement

Not everyone internally thinks the bank has been weak in its response. One senior staffer, who took a more long view, told Semafor Africa that they didnt agree with some of the strong sentiment among colleagues. I think the bank is being cautious to not be overly dramatic.

Notable

The African Development Bank (AfDB) is expected to launch its first hybrid capital note, valued between $500 million and $1 billion, before the end of the month if market conditions are right.


The US Air Force's future EC-37B electronic warfare jets are now EA-37Bs, which is meant to highlight their ability to not only find and attack various types of targets, but destroy them.

The U.S. Air Force has quietly changed the designation of its new electronic warfare jet from EC-37B to EA-37B. The service says this new moniker better reflects the aircraft's roles and missions , which it says includes attacking and destroying certain targets. The War Zone has long highlighted how powerful active electronically scanned array (AESA) antennas like the ones on the EA-37B could be used to send out highly focused beams of electromagnetic energy that can damage electronics within aircraft, missiles, and other systems.

The Air Force announced the designation change for what has become the EA-37B last week, but said at that time that the new nomenclature had been formally applied back in October. The Air Force formally took delivery of the first of these jets in September. The service currently plans to acquire 10 in total and hopes they will begin entering operation service next year.

The EA-37B/EC-37B is a heavily modified Gulfstream G550 business jet. It leverages the Israeli-developed Conformal Airborne Early Warning (CAEW) configuration , which notably has large 'cheek' fairings on either side of the fuselage among other distinctive features.

A picture of the initial EA-37B/EC-37B prior to the application of its overall gray paint scheme. The 'cheek' fairing on the left side of its fuselage is prominently visible. USAF

The electronic warfare jet's original designation was based on the fact that there are G550s configured as VIP transports already in U.S. military service with the designations C-37A and C-37B. The U.S. Navy also now has a specialized missile tracking subvariant, for test and evaluation use, that is also based on CAEW configuration and is currently designated as an NC-37B .

U.S. military cargo and transport aircraft converted into electronic warfare platforms have typically received "EC" designations in the past. This includes the C-130 Hercules airlifter-based EC-130H Compass Call aircraft that the EA-37B/EC-37Bs are now set to replace. The designations for versions of tactical combat jets optimized for electronic warfare, like the U.S. Navy's EA-18G Growler and the Air Force's long-retired EF-111A Raven , have similarly leveraged the aircraft's original base nomenclature.

An EC-130H Compass call aircraft, at left, alongside the initial EA-37B/EC-37B. L3Harris

As an aside, the new EA-37B designation is what is known as a non-standard one that breaks certain rules and conventions the U.S. military has for assigning nomenclature to aircraft. The Air Force already had an A-37B, a completely unrelated and now-retired light attack jet , and any new "attack" designation should follow in the established sequence, not reuse a previously assigned one.

"The EA-37B aircraft designation was selected to better identify the platforms mission of finding, attacking, and destroying enemy land or sea targets," the Air Force press release about the designation change says. "The EA-37B sustains Joint Force military advantage in [the] electromagnetic battlespace and builds a more lethal force by modernizing electromagnetic attack capabilities to deny peer competitors tactical networks and information ecosystems."

There had been signs that this nomenclature shift was coming before now.

"The EC-37 ... frankly operates as much like an EA-37," Air Force Gen. Mark Kelly, head of Air Combat Command (ACC), said during an online event hosted by the Air & Space Forces Association back in March.

Air Force Col. Josh Koslov, head of the Air Force's 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing, also referred to the aircraft offhandedly as an "EA-37" during a media roundtable on the sidelines of the Air & Space Forces Association's main annual conference back in September. The 350th stood up in 2021 and serves as a focal point for electronic warfare-related developments as you can read more about here .

The Air Force has long stressed the value offered by replacing the EC-130H with a new business jet-based platform in terms of operational flexibility and reliability.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9iy98JFM1k

"The EC-37 ... flies at a much different altitude, you can move it around the theater faster, etc, etc," displays in a much different opportunity to move it around the theater faster, etc, etc," ACC head Gen. Kelly said at a separate roundtable at the Air & Space Forces Association conference in September. He added that the G550 offered a "more reliable airframe" compared to the aging C-130Hs underneath the existing Compass Call aircraft.

The Air Force has offered less detail about exactly what the EC-37B/EA-37B is capable of in the past, noting that many of its capabilities are highly classified. Beyond its electronic warfare suite, it does not have any other means of attacking targets, at least that we know about. The other "EA" electronic warfare aircraft in service now, the Navy's EA-18G, can engage threats with AGM-88-series anti-radiation missiles and is also able to carry AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) for self-defense in addition to its electronic warfare capabilities .

An EA-18G Growler with a pair of AGM-88 missiles under its wings, among other stores, and two AIM-120s on the stations underneath its fuselage outboard of its engine intakes. USN

For the EA-37B/EC-37B, "it's all about the mission systems," Gen. Kelly said in September. "When we dial up the jamming power or ask for a specific waveform, that waveform needs to come out [with] exactly the amount of ramp and power and frequency we asked for."

An Air Force officer directly familiar with the program speaking on the condition of anonymity did offer more significant details to The War Zone in an exclusive interview last year .

"Those big bulges on the side [of the EA-37B/EA-37B], that's basically a big transmit antenna, and then all the amplifiers to get all the power stacked inside right behind it at each side," they explained. "We were also able to get that power into lower frequency ranges by moving it into the EC-37, which is helpful because if we're flying high, we can fly higher and further away and still have the same capability, which gives you more survivability.  Thats what is keeping us alive, just because its got so much power."

USAF

The EA-37B/EC-37B's mission systems have also been designed from the start to be open architecture to help with the rapid integration of new and improved capabilities and other functionality in the future.

The open architecture systems "will basically allow us to share among the Air Force," the anonymous Air Force officer said. "I could take an F-35 waveform, an F-22 waveform, a B-21 waveform, or a Growler waveform and I can put it on my plane, and we can all work together to figure out who needs to do what because we all have similarities."

So far, the Air Force has expressly confirmed that the EA-37B/EC-37B will be able to use its electronic warfare suite for more physically destructive attacks. It is possible that "destroying" enemy targets in the context of this aircraft's mission set is actually about clearing the way for other platforms to strike.

Still, The War Zone has previously pointed out that the EA-37B/EC-37B's combination of large AESA arrays and its other capable, open-architecture systems could lead to future capabilities well beyond traditional jamming, including electronic attacks capable of causing real damage or cyber attacks. That's if this aircraft, as well as its predecessor the EC-130H, doesn't already have these abilities, at least to some degree.

The EA-37B/EC-37B, on a basic conceptual level, is not "overly different" from the EC-130H, Gen. Kelly, the head of ACC, said in September. The "EC-130 has updated their waveforms and their techniques to catch up with what will be on the EC-37."

The Air Force has already stated in the past that many of the mission systems on the EA-37B/EC-37B will be directly ported over from the EC-130H.

"If you look on the [EC]-130 there are big pods out the wingtips, and thats an active electronically scanned array (AESA), and that has been put into the cheeks of the G550 variant," the anonymous Air Force officer explained last year.

An EC-130H. The AESA pod under its left wing can be clearly seen. USAF

Reports in the past have said that EC-130Hs were used to knock down ISIS drones over Iraq and Syria, or at least called attention to this possibility . This, of course, could have been achieved by jamming the control links, as well as by using bursts of electronic magnetic radiation for the aircraft's AESAs to directly fry the electronic systems on those uncrewed systems.

A 2012 U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) document that The War Zone obtained via the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) also laid out details about how the command, which oversees American military operations in the Middle East, could employ electronic warfare capabilities. One mission set was entirely redacted. We highlighted previously how this could potentially point to more destructive electronic warfare attacks or cyber operations. There has been speculation for years now the U.S. military may have one or more operational capabilities in this vein in the classified realm.

Whether more specific details will emerge about the ability of what is now called the EA-37B to 'destroy' as well as 'find and attack' targets remains to be seen. Regardless, the new designation certainly reinforces previous evidence that these aircraft will have significant electronic warfare capabilities that will not just be limited to traditional jamming.

Contact the author: joe@thedrive.com
Investigative Summary:

The Travis County district attorney publicized a sharp increase in the conviction rate for violent, sexual and weapons-related offenses, but KXAN investigators found the formula used to calculate these statistics left some experts with questions. After KXANs reporting, the district attorney said his office is re-evaluating the method and trying to find the best way to present its data.

AUSTIN (KXAN)  Flanked by supporters and other top county leaders, Jose Garza announced his re-election campaign for Travis County District Attorney with a strong message: Across the street, they can play politics with our public safety, but here in this community, together, we choose to act.

As Garza called out the Texas Legislature for targeting prosecutors offices, he highlighted data on the successes of his office  particularly noting an increase in wins for cases of violence and family violence.

Over the last four years, we have increased the conviction rate for violent crimes from 38% to 91%, he said.

In the weeks that followed that August re-election announcement, his campaign touted the same increase in emails to supporters, on social media and on his candidate website.

District Attorney Jose Garza announced his campaign at the Texas AFL-CIO headquarters. (Source: Garza campaign livestream)

Conviction rate messaging often comes up during campaign season, according to David LaBahn, president of the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys.

Its very common that  whether its asked by an opponent, whether they put it out themselves  theyll come out and say, I have a conviction rate of 90% or, you know, were doing really great in our violent crimes, or something like that, he said.

However, the association recommends prosecutors avoid using conviction rates as a measure of success for several reasons.

For one, Labahn emphasized that the role of a prosecutor is to seek a just outcome in a particular incident, not simply to win the case. Beyond that, he pointed to the many variables that could go into calculating a conviction rate  meaning the public would need to know exactly how a rate was calculated to understand what it means.

The trouble with a conviction rate is  its really  its a data point. Right? It doesnt show you the whole of what the situation was, LaBahn said. What did you put in it? You can get really thick on this. And what did you get out of it?

In emails from August and a social media post from September, Garza touted a 91% increase in his office's conviction rate for violent, sexual and weapons-related offenses. (Source: @JosePGarza/X and Garza campaign emails)

What is the formula?

In May, during an interview about the number of cases dropped by his office, the district attorney told KXAN investigators his offices highest priority was prosecuting violent, sexual and weapons-related offenses.

I think that is reflected in the number of convictions that we are securing and the percentage of cases that come through our door that are resulting in convictions, Garza said at the time.

His team also provided several tables with percentages, showing a conviction rate for different types of felony crimes each year since 2018  including the rate of 91% in 2022 for violent, sexual and weapons-related crimes.

In the weeks that followed, KXAN requested the raw data underpinning these percentages and asked for the formula used to calculate them.

Is Travis County DA Garza dropping more felonies? Heres what the data show

Over a series of conversations, his office explained they looked at the total number of convictions secured for a certain class of offenses during each listed year, regardless of the year the case was received. Then, the office divided this number of convictions by the total number of cases received for that same class of offenses in the same year, that were ultimately closed.

For example, the office took the 1,977 convictions in violent, sexual or weapons-related cases obtained by the office in 2022, regardless of what year each case was received by the office. Then, it divided that number by the 2,165 of those same types of cases that the office received in 2022 and later closed  a calculation that comes out to 91%.

This graph shows the cases considered in the Travis County district attorneys conviction rate calculation compared to the formula suggested by an expert to KXAN. Only felony cases of violent, sexual and weapons-related felony offenses are included in this graph. Source: Travis County District Attorneys Office. (KXAN Interactive/Christopher Adams)

Garza explained during an October interview with KXAN, his office was obtaining similar raw numbers of convictions for violent offenses each year  despite outside factors such as court closures during the pandemic and a backlog of cases to work through.

What we were looking for was a formula that captured the reality that we were seeing in the raw data, and what we were seeing in the raw data is it looked to us like our prosecutors were incredibly effective and efficient. Because what we were seeing is that the number of cases coming into our office  pre-pandemic to now  has declined significantly, were just receiving fewer felony cases post-pandemic than we were before. But what we are also seeing is that we are securing a comparable number of convictions, even though the number of cases coming in has declined.

This graph shows the number of felony cases of violent, sexual and weapons-related felony offenses received each year and ultimately closed by the Travis County district attorneys office. Source: Travis County District Attorneys Office. (KXAN Interactive/Dalton Huey)

Alex Piquero, a criminologist and professor at the University of Miami, said he had never seen this specific formula used to calculate a conviction rate.

Piquero said he has worked with police chiefs, district attorneys, and public defenders to try and improve data collection and use in the criminal justice system. He also served as director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics for one year, after being appointed by President Biden last year.

FBI report: Violent crime decreases to pre-pandemic levels, but property crime is on the rise

He noted the importance of measuring the outcome of the same batch of cases over time when calculating a conviction rate  which he did at the federal level by taking the number of cases filed in a year and seeing how many of those resulted in a conviction sometime in the future.

It could be in that year, but it could also be in that next year, but youre still following the exact same case over time, Piquero explained.

For example, 755 of the 2,165 cases of violent, sexual, or weapons-related offenses that were received in 2022, and eventually closed, were closed by conviction. That calculation comes out to 35%.

In mathematical terms, Piquero said the numerator should always be a function of the denominator. Otherwise, the equation contains a number of cases that are not comparable. For example, the 1,977 convictions in the district attorneys method includes more than 1,500 convictions in cases received prior to 2022. Those cases are not included in the 2,165 received cases that made up the denominator in this equation.

It could still be comparing apples to apples, but ones red and ones green, he said. Its still an apple, its still a conviction, but it just doesnt come from the same tree or same orchard.

Piquero said he believes outside factors, such as workload and incoming cases are important, but separate, data points to consider.

Theyre both equally important, right? You need to understand what the workload is because then you have issues of staffing and resources and those kinds of things  thats perfectly legitimate, but that is a different question that has nothing to do with the conviction rate, he said.

LaBahn said these variables and influences are the reason he said a conviction rate is an unreliable way to measure what an office is doing.

Crime is always either rising or falling. Youve got a  very much  a human system. Also, theres so many alternatives as to what happens to a case. Does it get charged? Does it come in as a felony and get charged as a misdemeanor? Does it get diverted? he posed.

KXAN brought us new information that we are evaluating, and we just want to make sure that we get that stuff right. Jose Garza, Travis County District Attorney

However, LaBahn agreed that if an office chooses to calculate them, it does need to follow the outcomes of the same group of cases.

You cant take a case from 2018 and use it as a conviction in 2023. Unless youre using other cases from 2018 and following them longitudinally. So, theres got to be a relationship between the top number and the bottom number, and it has to be a causal relationship, LaBahn said. Otherwise, youre engaged in very much fuzzy math.

The district attorneys conviction rate includes convictions obtained through plea agreements and guilty verdicts reached at trial.

LaBahn noted that prosecutors will sometimes tally their trial record, or the number of convictions obtained solely in cases brought to trial in a given year.

A very small percentage of the cases go to trial, he explained, making it a simpler calculation.

For example, the Travis County district attorneys office obtained a conviction in the one murder case it took to trial in 2021  a rate of 100%. In 2023, the data shows their office obtained seven convictions of the eight murder cases it took to trial that year  a rate of 88%.

This graph shows the types of convictions for cases received by the Travis County district attorneys office in 2022. Only felony cases of violent, sexual and weapons-related felony offenses are included in this graph. Source: Travis County District Attorneys Office. (KXAN Interactive/Dalton Huey)

The best snapshot

KXAN brought Garzas team the formula proposed by Piquero and used by the bureau. In response, Garza expressed concern about how open cases could influence the percentages, particularly when calculating rates in recent years  when more cases are likely to still be making their way through the court system.

Because we have been in office for about two and a half years, we dont have the benefit of the long look of how the cases resolve. So it was important to us to be able to give the best snapshot we can for the two years that weve been in office, he told KXAN. When you look  for example, using this formula  when you look at 2018 data, you should have a pretty full data set and a pretty full understanding of how cases were resolved. On the other hand, when you look at 2022 data, I think the reality is that most  especially violent cases, which are our most complex  those cases take longer.

However, it should be noted the data his office used to calculate its own percentages only contains closed cases.

Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza goes over felony disposal data with KXAN Investigators (KXAN Photo/Chris Nelson)

KXAN investigators requested conviction rates from other Texas district attorneys offices, as the statistic was not readily publicized by their offices. Most said we would need to formally request the data through the public information system.

There is also no national standard for calculating conviction rates.

Piquero said he tried to address the disjointed nature of crime and courts data during his time as director at BJS. In May 2023, his agency delivered a report focused on policing to the president, but Piquero said one of the main conclusions was the need to more standardized data throughout the system.

County Attorney: Spike in DPS arrests contributes to backlog as prosecutors focus on more nonviolent cases

Standardization isnt trying to control things. Its trying to make it easier for journalists and researchers in the American public to say, OK, well, I know now what happened in Seattle, and I can compare it to what happened in Kansas City and in Dallas because its the same or its collected the same, he said.

He had another message for any agency putting out this kind of data: The more transparent agencies can be about how theyre collecting their data and how theyre presenting their calculations, makes it easier for you, for me and the American public to understand what those numbers are about.

Which makes the most sense

When KXAN interviewed Garza about conviction rates in October, he said his office was still working to understand what data was most valuable to the community that it serves.

He went on to say, I think its important for viewers to know that we shared with KXAN the data set and the formula that we used to secure this number. It is important to us to be transparent about how we got there, and well continue to do that.

By November, KXAN investigators noticed the 91% statistic had been removed from Garzas campaign website.

The image on the left is a screen capture from Garzas campaign website in October. KXAN has highlighted the portion of the website featuring the 91% claim. The second image on the right is a screen capture from November of Garzas updated campaign website. Use the sliding tool to compare the differences in the images. (KXAN Interactive/Christopher Adams)

When we followed up with him about the change, Garza said his team was evaluating how they would calculate their conviction rate, following KXANs reporting.

You know, at the end of the day, we are attorneys, not statisticians, and so we take the presentation of data very seriously, and, as I said, KXAN presented us a couple of different formulas, he said. And so, we just want to work through those and figure out which makes the most sense  or if there is another way to present this data that is clear and transparent and that captures all of the factors that we are seeing.

Digital Data Reporter Christopher Adams, Investigative Photojournalist Richie Bowes, Director of Investigations & Innovation Josh Hinkle, Investigative Producer Dalton Huey, Lead Editor Eric Lefenfeld, Investigative Photojournalist Chris Nelson, Digital Executive Producer Andrew Schnitker and Graphics Artist Christina Staggs contributed to this report.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
An audit conducted by Ukraine's Defense Ministry concerning a military unit in Chernihiv Oblast revealed a loss of more than Hr 38.8 million ($1.08 million) of state funds, the ministry reported on Nov. 21.

One of the primary discrepancies was related to the purchase of generators, which were significantly marked up from their sticker price. The losses related to the generators formed the vast majority of the discrepancies found in the audit.

Officials from the military unit made extra arrangements with suppliers, the ministry said, which led to the unjustified markup in prices. As a result, 163 fewer generators were purchased than were needed.

In addition, many of the generators sat in warehouses during the winter of 2022-2023, when they were most needed by military units in the region, according to the ministry.

Officials from the unit in question also allegedly obstructed the audit and investigation.

The ministry concluded that the audit findings were turned over to law enforcement agencies to continue the investigation.

"According to the law, we treat obstruction of internal audit activities as a criminal offense," said Deputy Defense Minister Yurii Dzhyhyr.

"We need strong organizational immunity from financial abuses," he added

Corruption allegations involving procurement have previously occurred within the Defense Ministry, most notably a case involving overpriced military jackets.

The case ultimately led to the removal of former Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov in September 2023, whose tenure in office had been tainted by such corruption schemes.

He was replaced by the current Defense Minister Rustem Umerov on Sept. 6.

Read also: Reznikovs tenure as defense chief ends after latest corruption allegations

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Israeli security forces look on as Palestinians pray in Jerusalem on Oct. 13, 2023. Nearby is a site sacred to both Jews and Muslims that has been one focus of tensions over the years. (Afif H. Amireh/The New York Times.

JERUSALEM  Eight years after the foundation of the state of Israel, Moshe Dayan, the chief of staff of the Israeli military, stood close to the Gaza border to pronounce a eulogy for a 21-year-old Israeli security officer slain by Palestinian and Egyptian assailants.

Let us not today cast blame on his murderers, he said in 1956. What can we say against their terrible hatred of us? For eight years now, they have sat in the refugee camps of Gaza and have watched how, before their very eyes, we have turned their land and villages, where they and their forefathers previously dwelled, into our home.

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His short speech, a little longer than Lincolns Gettysburg Address and a powerful reference for Israelis, is perhaps recalled less for this insight into Palestinian anger than for Dayans resolute conclusion.

Without the steel helmet and the cannons maw, we will not be able to plant a tree and build a home, he said.

Today, 67 years later, at a time when Jews have again lost their lives to Palestinian gunmen at the same kibbutz, Nahal Oz, that Roi Rotberg guarded, Dayans explicit evocation of the sources of Palestinian hatred and desire for revenge remains rare in Israel. Many Israelis have preferred to avert their gaze from the rage at their doorstep.

In the same way, Palestinian insight into the devouring specters of antisemitic persecution awakened in Jews by the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack appears negligible. Mutual empathy is very hard to find.

Each side begs for the status of five-star victim, said Mohammad Darawshe, the director of strategy at the Givat Haviva Center for Shared Society, which promotes Jewish-Arab dialogue and is about an hours drive north of Jerusalem. If you are stuck in victimhood, you see everyone else as victimizing and dehumanizing.

The consequence is a psychological chasm so deep that Palestinians are invisible as individuals to Israeli Jews, and vice versa. There are exceptions, of course: Some Israelis and Palestinians have dedicated themselves to bridging that divide. But generally, the narratives of the two sides diverge, burying any perception of shared humanity.

The 1948 Arab-Israeli war, known to Israelis as the War of Independence, is the Nakba, or catastrophe, to Palestinians. Nakba vies with Holocaust as each side invokes genocide.

The relentless weaponization of history goes all the way back to biblical times and the divergent fates of the estranged sons of Abraham  Isaac, the patriarch of the Israelites, and Ishmael, a prophet of Islam.

On Oct. 7, Hamas trampled on every sensitive nerve in the Israeli psyche, said Itamar Rabinovich, a former Israeli ambassador to the United States. Hatred, fear and anxiety are now at their most extreme. But in the end there are two peoples coveting the same land, and two sides to the story you have to try to see.

The demonization knows no bounds. Since the Hamas attack last month, Yoav Gallant, the Israeli defense minister, has spoken of fighting human animals. Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the Hamas political bureau, has described Israel as neo-Nazis supported by colonial forces. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has in turn called Hamas the new Nazis.

One Israeli lawmaker, Ofer Cassif, has alluded to pogroms against Palestinians to describe the relentless Israeli bombardment of Gaza, a word whose specific historical meaning is the slaughter of Jews and a word that many Israelis have used to describe the killing by Hamas of some 1,200 people last month, according to Israeli authorities.

Of course, wartime propaganda describing enemies as monstrous is not confined to the Middle East. The United States portrayed the Japanese as subhuman during World War II, and the Japanese represented Americans as deformed brutes. Nazis depicted Jews as vermin to justify mass murder.

But something in the Israeli-Palestinian confrontation  two peoples located at the nexus of places holy to Judaism, Islam and Christianity  imbues the conflict with a peculiarly ferocious charge resistant to every attempt to tame its potency.

After 76 years, Israelis and Palestinians have only one thing in common: the sense of living beside people who want to kill you, said Rula Daoud, a Palestinian Israeli who works to promote peace as a director of an organization called Standing Together.

She dates her decision to try to build bridges between the two peoples to an incident in a bakery in the southern Israeli city of Ashdod during the 2014 war in Gaza. She was standing in line for bread reading a newspaper with a photograph of Palestinian children who had been killed. I hope they all die, I hope they all burn to death! the Israeli woman next to her exclaimed.

Oh really? Daoud said, gripped by rage. Shall we stand on the roof here and watch the children of Gaza burn?

Soon after, she quit a job in audio therapy, determined to overcome the blindness of hatred.

In general the decades since the collapse of the Oslo Accord of 1993 have accentuated the psychological gulf. Day-to-day interaction between Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza has been drastically reduced by walls and fences in a push for physical separation.

Almost forgotten are the Palestine Liberation Organizations recognition in 1993 of Israels right to exist in peace, and Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabins determination to pursue that peace, a decision that cost him his life in 1995 at the hands of an extreme right-wing Israeli assassin who said he acted on the orders of God.

These were the ephemeral glimmerings of shared humanity, soon quashed.

In the intervening decades, Hamas and the ultranationalist religious Israeli right have each extended their influence. The conflict now involves fundamentalist religious ideologies, distinct in critical regards but equally convinced that all the land between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River has been deeded to them by God.

A political and military struggle between two national movements for the same land can be resolved by compromise, at least in theory. France and Germany settled their differences in Alsace-Lorraine. Peace came to Ireland. But absolutist claims of divine right to territory appear impossible to reconcile.

The humanity of the other is less acknowledged for the simple reason that human contact has become rare, said Yuval Shany, a professor of international law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Where there is contact, as between Israels Jewish and Palestinian populations, some measure of empathy stirs.

In 2014, during an earlier round of Israel-Hamas fighting, I stood in eastern Gaza City, gazing at tangles of iron rods, jagged outcrops of masonry and air thick with dust. At the time, a 9-year-old child in Gaza had memories of three wars in six years and needed no indoctrination in hatred.

Mahmoud al-Zahar, a co-founder of Hamas, whose charter calls for Israels destruction, told me in an interview that year: Israel will be eliminated because it is a foreign body. Referring to Israeli Jews, he said, Why should they come from Ethiopia, or Poland or America? There are 6 million in Palestine. OK, take them. America is very wide. You can make a new district for Jews.

The delusional fantasy that the enemy can be made to vanish has since grown. On the Palestinian side, the ideal solution has become that Israel disappear, Shany said. On the Israeli side, there is a desire for Gaza to go away, even if that means bombing it away. Of course, that is not a solution.

Neither people, Israeli nor Palestinian, present in roughly equal numbers on the land to which they are fiercely attached, is going away. But increasingly each has denied even the identity of the other. West Bank Palestinians seldom refer to Israelis, almost always to Jews. Israel resists calling its Arab minority, more than 20% of the population, Palestinians, which is what they are.

You are dealing with two traumatized peoples, said Gershom Gorenberg, a historian and author. The trauma of the present is linked to multigenerational trauma. People cant even agree on events, let alone what the events mean.

A deadly explosion occurred at the Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City on Oct 17. Beyond that, everything about it is disputed.

Absent recognition, dialogue or understanding, blood flows. Rabinovich, the former Israeli ambassador, said he had seen a video of a Hamas gunman involved in the Oct. 7 massacre. The gunman phones his father back in Gaza and says: I am on the other side killing Jews. They cannot live happily when we live the way we live.

The Palestinian hatred Moshe Dayan perceived and vowed to resist by being prepared and armed, strong and determined, grows still, fed by Israeli oppression, fencing-off and control, as well as chronic Palestinian misgovernment. Palestinians in Gaza, whose dead number more than 12,000 according to the Health Ministry in Gaza, fear annihilation.

These fears are met by the Never Again of a Jewish people that knows the meaning of genocide in the form of the Holocaust and sought through the foundation of its own state to put an end to millennial persecution.

The defeat on Oct. 7 was a shattering blow to this aspiration. This war in Gaza, triggered by Hamas ruthless application of its charter, is existential in that sense for an Israel that suddenly feels smaller and more vulnerable.

If we cannot get beyond the walls, share this land, and come to value life over death, we are all doomed, Daoud said. Every three years or so, we will be sending kids of 18 and 19 to their deaths.

c.2023 The New York Times Company
Some Biden administration officials quietly say the hostage exchange agreement is the clearest signal yet its strategy toward the Israel-Hamas war is working.

Under the breakthrough deal, 50 women and children will be released by Hamas in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners, women and teenagers held by Israelis. A four- to five-day pause would allow them a safer transfer and ease the delivery of life-saving aid to suffering Palestinians in Gaza. Amid so much wreckage and chaos, the hostage deal  which was finalized late Tuesday  might prove a rare bright spot in a dark time.

Three U.S. administration officials said theres no explicit victory lap to take as around 200 hostages will stay behind in Hamas grasp. And it would be uncouth to celebrate any win after Hamas killed 1,200 people on Oct. 7, leading Israel to forcefully respond with a military campaign that Hamas-led health ministries claim killed more than 13,000 people.

But all suggested President Joe Biden shouldnt shy away from what the policy has accomplished to date. Its vindication, said one of the officials earlier Tuesday before the deal was finalized, but theres more to do.

Increasing demands from progressive-minded Democrats for a cease-fire and an end to support for Israels retaliation fell on deaf ears in the White House. Biden and his team repeated, again and again, that the only way to make meaningful humanitarian progress was a hostage deal to cool passions and temporarily stop bombs from falling throughout the enclave.

To reach such a moment, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who already faced immense pressure from hostage families and a restless nation, could only be nudged with hugs in public and quiet cajoling.

The deal may still fall apart, with U.S. officials insisting nothing is really final until the hostages are brought home and the guns go silent. Still, on the verge of the administrations biggest diplomatic victory of the conflict, questions are swirling internally about how much credit Bidens approach deserves.

Another three administration officials, including one senior official during an on-record interview, said that working to secure the release of hostages, and pause the fighting for four or five days, was simply necessary as Israels retaliation against Hamas for the Oct. 7 attack has devastated Gaza and sparked a humanitarian crisis.

Its not a question of vindication of strategy, said David Satterfield, the U.S. lead on humanitarian issues in the Israel-Gaza war during a live Tuesday interview with al-Monitor. It is the right and necessary thing to do.

All the officials were granted anonymity to discuss sensitive internal discussions and the state of negotiations. On Tuesday morning, Biden said "nothing is done until it's done," adding that he'd spoken recently to Netanyahu as well as the emir of Qatar. "But things are looking good at the moment."

The hostage talks have been complicated at times by the sheer range of parties involved  including Israel, Hamas, Qatar and the U.S.  as well as various outside groups that tapped their own diplomatic channels, said one former U.S. official familiar with the discussions. The large number of hostages, who range in nationality and age and in some cases had pressing medical needs, added another tricky variable to the mix.

Hostage negotiations are always challenging, the former official said. But this one has been very complex.

The Biden administration insists that Israel has an obligation to defend itself but should minimize civilian harm in the process. Over recent weeks, the U.S. worked to get 100 aid trucks a day into Gaza from Egypt and is in touch with humanitarian groups on how to further alleviate the suffering of Palestinians in the enclave.

But the administration remains wary about Netanyahus endgame and seeming lack of a plan for what to do once Hamas is defeated. There was no sense that the pause would turn into a lengthier cease-fire, a senior administration official said. And there was some concern in the administration about an unintended consequence of the pause: that it would allow journalists broader access to Gaza and the opportunity to further illuminate the devastation there and turn public opinion on Israel.

Israel is unlikely to ramp down its military operation in Gaza when the temporary pause ends, experts say. Israeli officials have vowed to continue the offensive until it destroys Hamas, arguing in some cases that the campaign from the enclaves north to the south helped the hostage negotiations by making a halt more attractive.



There is no indication on the Israeli side that they think this actually changes what they need to do on the military side, said Ivo Daalder, president of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Daalder, who is close to senior administration officials, added that the White House remains deeply, deeply worried about Israels longer-term strategy and what the next phase of the war may look like, making the next few days critical for the U.S. to ramp up pressure on Netanyahu to think through his approach.

The administration has judged that supporting Israel post-Oct.7 was a necessary ingredient of having influence on Israel, said Daalder. It doesnt mean that influence has been total  but had they not done that, they wouldve had no influence. And in some ways that remains very much the focus of their strategy.

Back home, Biden has resisted calls from his own party to endorse a cease-fire and condition for military aid for Israel, even though his stance is hemorrhaging support from younger voters heading into the 2024 presidential election.

A Democratic aide in the House said that, depending on the circumstances of the deal, progressives would leverage the moment to push Biden toward backing longer pauses in fighting. "If there are no bombings for five days, the goal would be to turn that temporary respite into a longer-lasting cessation to deal with humanitarian issues, the staffer said.

Shibley Telhami, a University of Maryland professor who held conversations with Senate Democrats on conditioning support to Israel, said all parties needed the deal right now, including the Biden administration, which has come under increasing pressure not only globally, but also among Democrats who fear Biden is taking them for granted.

A pause and prisoner exchange is welcome of course, but whether or not it will be an opportunity for the parties to reconsider the disastrous path they have been on remains to be seen, he said.
The Biden Justice Department is taking some heat after praising the conviction of a 75-year-old pro-life activist for an alleged crime that took place three years ago but so far ignoring hundreds of violent anti-Israel rioters that pepper-sprayed police last week.

Last week U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew Graves announced the conviction of Paula "Paulette" Harlow, 75, of Kingston, Massachusetts, for a "federal conspiracy against rights" and Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act violations for participating in a protest at an abortion clinic in 2020.

Graves said Harlow and a group of eight others "conspired to prevent fellow citizens from exercising their rights to receive and to provide reproductive health care," and he praised the conviction for a crime that could carry up to 11 years in prison and $250,000 in fines.

But some critics are crying foul, noting that Graves has yet to condemn or preview possible prosecution efforts for roughly 200 pro-Palestinian activists, some armed with pepper spray, who violently rioted at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters and injured six Capitol Police officers on Nov. 15.

MICHIGAN DEM SAYS VIOLENT PRO-PALESTINIAN DNC PROTEST 'RATTLED' HER MORE THAN JAN 6 RIOTS

The U.S. Capitol Police removes protesters from the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee during a demonstration against the war between Israel and Hamas on Nov. 15, 2023.

"President Biden and his administration have been merciless in their efforts to punish pro-life Americans," CatholicVote President Brian Burch told Fox News Digital. "He is doing lasting damage to the trust and integrity of a critical part of government."

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"It is one thing to hold an alternative view on abortion. It is entirely different when the president of the United States turns our independent law enforcement agencies into a pro-abortion police force," he added.

John Shu, a constitutional law expert who served in both the George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush administrations, questioned why the Justice Department would not be "equally aggressive" in prosecuting the protesters who turned violent and trapped top congressional Democrats inside for a time.

"Because pro-abortion groups and policies are very important to the Democrat party, one would expect Democrat administrations, including the current one, to aggressively enforce the FACE Act, especially post-Dobbs," Shu told Fox News Digital in a statement.

The FACE Act makes it a federal crime, with potentially steep fines and jail time, to use or threaten to use force to "injure, intimidate, or interfere" with a person seeking reproductive health services or with a person lawfully trying to exercise the First Amendment right of religious freedom at a place of religious worship. The FACE Act also prohibits intentional property damage to a facility that provides reproductive health services or a place of religious worship.

The DOJs Civil Rights Division has prosecuted dozens of FACE Act cases since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, a notable uptick in applications that disproportionately involve pro-life defendants.

"At the same time, one would think that the DOJ also would be equally aggressive in prosecuting anyone who intentionally injured a federal Capitol Hill police officer, a Metropolitan Police Officer, or any other sworn law enforcement personnel, as the violent [protesters] did at last weeks violent protest at the DNC," Shu continued.

REPUBLICANS BLAST PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTS AT DNC: 'NATION'S CAPITAL IS UNDER SIEGE'

Police form a barricade outside the DNC headquarters as protesters demand a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war.

"The U.S. Capitol Police specifically stated that it was not peaceful, that [protesters] pepper sprayed and punched law enforcement officers, and that they blocked exits with dumpsters, trapping people, including Democrat Members of Congress, inside. All of these are serious crimes both under the D.C. Crimes Code and the U.S. Code," Shu added.

Shu said Graves should "thoroughly investigate and prosecute these crimes, regardless of whether most, if not all, of the protesters were on the political left."

"Otherwise, there is a real risk of appearing to have different or unfair standards of justice based on politics and thus opening up the office to criticism and perhaps oversight hearings," he added.

Among those laws is the D.C. code that makes it a crime to "riot or incite a riot," and if someone is injured, it could carry a penalty of $25,000 and 10 years in prison.

PRO-PALESTINIAN VIOLENT PROTEST ERUPTS OUTSIDE DNC HEADQUARTERS IN WASHINGTON, DC, CAPITOL POLICE INJURED

Protesters block the entrance of the DNC headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Graves' office responded to Fox News Digital's inquiry saying they will "carefully evaluate all cases referred to us by law enforcement for possible criminal prosecution, particularly where they involve assaults on our federal law enforcement partners."

The U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) released a statement after the "unlawful demonstration," saying, "We have handled hundreds of peaceful protests, but last nights group was not peaceful."

"The crowd failed to obey our lawful orders to move back from the DNC, where Members of Congress were in the building," the statement reads.

"When the group moved dumpsters in front of the exits, pepper sprayed our officers and attempted to pick up the bike rack, our teams quickly introduced consequences  pulling people off the building, pushing them back, and clearing them from the area, so we could safely evacuate the Members and staff," the statement continues.

Six officers were treated for injuries, from minor cuts to being pepper-sprayed to being punched, and one arrest was made, according to the USCP.

Annabelle Rutledge of Concerned Women for America, a Christian conservative activist group, said the DOJs "new normal" is an inability to discern a "real threat."

"Congrats to the DOJ for protecting our nation from prayerful grandmas who oppose the murder of unborn life," she said.





Original article source: Biden DOJ under fire for prosecuting 75-year-old pro-life activist but taking no action on violent DNC rioters
President Biden on Tuesday directed all flags at U.S. government buildings and military bases be flown at half-staff in honor of former first lady Rosalynn Carter, who died Sunday.

Throughout her life as First Lady of Georgia and First Lady of the United States, Rosalynn Carter exemplified hope, warmth, and a steadfast commitment to doing all she could to address many of our societys greatest needs, Biden said in a proclamation issued by the White House.

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She was a champion for equal rights and opportunities for women and girls; an advocate for mental health and wellness for all; and a supporter of the often unseen and uncompensated caregivers of our children, aging loved ones, and people with disabilities, Biden added. Above all, the deep love shared between Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter is the definition of partnership, and their humble leadership is the definition of patriotism.

Biden ordered flags be flown at half-staff from Saturday until sunset on the day of Carters interment.

The Carter Center said in a statement Sunday that the former first lady died peacefully, with family by her side at her rural Georgia home of Plains. She was 96 and had lived with dementia and was in declining health for several years.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Joe Biden seemingly tried to own the conversation about his age as he cracked several jokes at his own expense on his 81st birthday.

Mr Biden, who is the oldest president in United States history, made multiple quips throughout the day on Monday as he presided over the annual turkey pardoning ceremony and later celebrated with a birthday cake.

Democrats have been trying to delicately navigate Mr Bidens age, as he continues to face criticism from both sides of the political spectrum.

His administration has tried to spin it as a positive given his years of experience, especially as he prepares to head into a potential rematch with former president Donald Trump next year.

On Monday, at the annual pardoning of the turkey ceremony, Mr Biden told crowds: By the way its my birthday today and they actually sang [happy] birthday to me.

The president made multiple quips throughout the day on Monday as he presided over the annual turkey pardoning ceremony (AP)

I just want you to know its difficult turning 60  its difficult, he added, drawing laughter from the crowd.

Later, about the ceremony itself, he said: This is the 76th anniversary of this event, and I want you to know I wasnt there for the first one  I was too young to make it up.

According to the White House, in 1947 the beginning of the official turkey presentation from the poultry industry, the turkey pardon remained a sporadic tradition.

The practice of sending a turkey to a farm did not become the norm until the Reagan administration and the formalities of pardoning a turkey were gelled by George W Bush.

However, at the same event, Mr Biden stumbled somewhat when it came to his knowledge of modern pop culture, appearing to confuse Taylor Swift for Britney Spears.

As he began pardoning the turkeys, Liberty and Bell, he referenced Swifts current tour and accidentally called her Britney. The president said: Just to get here, Liberty and Bell had to beat some tough odds and competition. They had to work hard, to show patience, and be willing to travel over 1,000 miles.

You could say its even harder than getting a ticket to the Renaissance tour, or Britneys tour. Shes down, its kind of warm in Brazil right now.

Mr Biden also referenced his age on social media, as he joined Instagrams Threads app, in a joke that referred to his support for workers unions.

I turned 81 and all I got was a new social platform! Thanks for the well-wishes, folks, read the post, which featured a picture of the president smiling next to a birthday cake.

He added: And to the workers at the birthday candle factory, I hope your union got you overtime.
[Source]

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has signed a bill to establish the first-ever New York State Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Commission.

About the bill: Bill A3301, proposed by State Assemblyperson Jenifer Rajkumar, aims to address the growing needs and challenges faced by the Asian American community in the state, which has increased 40% over the past decade.

The commission, consisting of 13 members appointed by the governor, state senate and state assembly, will be housed in the New York State Department of State. It is tasked with developing policies to enhance the safety, health, economic stability and education of the Asian American community. New York reportedly joins at least 12 other states with similar commissions.

Rajkumar's efforts: The legislation garnered unanimous support in Albany, with 40 co-sponsors and backing from every Asian American legislator in the Capitol. Rajkumar's efforts also included mobilizing a coalition of 49 Asian American community organizations and securing funding for the commission in the state budget.

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I am proud to have established a historic Commission that will bring Asian-American New Yorkers across our State to the table of government, Rajkumar said, according to The American Bazaar. I introduced this historic legislation to meet this critical moment in time: Asian Americans are now the fastest growing ethnic group and making large gains in representation across many fields.

Empowering the community: Assemblywoman Rajkumar emphasized the significance of the historic commission in empowering Asian Americans and addressing their unique challenges. The legislation comes at a crucial time, marked by a 2,900% surge in hate crimes against Asian Americans during the pandemic. The establishment of the commission reflects a broader societal desire, with 72% of Americans expressing the need for government action against racism targeting Asian Americans.

About Rajkumar: Rajkumar is the first South Asian American woman elected to New York State Office. She has been an advocate for the Asian American community, achieving historic results in increasing political participation and legislative victories.

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We made history! I am proud to announce the Governor has signed into law my bill creating the first ever NYS Asian American & Pacific Islander Commission. The Commission meets this moment in time: Asians are now the fastest growing ethnic group with unique needs & challenges. pic.twitter.com/HWdmeaUgHL  Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar (@JeniferRajkumar) November 19, 2023

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The Binance chief executive, Changpeng Zhao, has resigned after pleading guilty to money laundering violations.

"I made mistakes, and I must take responsibility. This is best for our community, for Binance, and for myself", he said in a post on X.

The Justice Department said it was requiring Binance, the largest crypto-exchange in the world, to pay $4.3bn (3.4bn) in penalties and forfeitures.

It said Binance had helped users bypass sanctions across the world.

"Binance enabled nearly $900 million in transactions between US and Iranian users, and facilitated millions of dollars in transactions between US users and users in Syria, and in the Russian occupied Ukrainian regions of Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk", a spokesperson said.

Binance, which is registered in the Cayman Islands, is known as the world's largest platform for buying and selling cryptocurrencies and other digital assets.

The Justice Department also said the exchange had made it easy for criminals and terrorists to move money.

"Between August 2017 and April 2022, there were direct transfers of approximately $106 million in bitcoin to Binance.com wallets from Hydra. Hydra was a popular Russian darknet marketplace, frequently utilised by criminals, that facilitated the sale of illegal goods and services," the department said.

Binance must now report suspicious activity to federal authorities.

"This will advance our criminal investigations into malicious cyber activity and terrorism fundraising, including the use of cryptocurrency exchanges to support groups such as Hamas," the Justice Department said.

Richard Teng, the company's head of regional markets, has been named the new CEO.

In a post on X, Changpeng Zhao said it was "not easy to let go emotionally."

He is one of the most influential figures in crypto.

Today, I stepped down as CEO of Binance. Admittedly, it was not easy to let go emotionally. But I know it is the right thing to do. I made mistakes, and I must take responsibility. This is best for our community, for Binance, and for myself.



Binance is no longer a baby. It is  CZ  Binance (@cz_binance) November 21, 2023

In March, US regulators sought to ban Binance, alleging that the firm had been operating in the country illegally.

The lawsuit from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) said the firm cultivated US business while failing to register properly with authorities.

It accused Binance of breaking numerous US financial laws, including rules intended to thwart money laundering.

At the time, Binance defended its practices.

It said it had made "significant investments" to ensure that US users were not active on the platform, including blocking users identified as American citizens or residents, or who had a US mobile number.

The firm was also hit with another lawsuit in June.

The company was accused of a "web of deception" by The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The agency said the trading platform and Zhao, its founder, ignored the rules meant to protect investors, in order to keep operating in the US.

At the time, Binance said it would defend itself "vigorously".

US authorities had pledged to use existing laws to root out fraud and other issues in the crypto industry, especially after the dramatic collapse of Binance rival FTX last year.

Earlier this month Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of FTX, was found guilty of fraud. 
Binance Founder Changpeng Zhao has pleaded guilty to money laundering charges and agreed to pay $50 million in fines and to step down from his post, according to documents published Tuesday. File Photo by Miguel A. Lopes/EPA-EFE

Nov. 21 (UPI) -- The founder of the world's largest cryptocurrency currency trading platform Binance agreed to step down from his position and pay $50 million in fines Tuesday as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors.

Changpeng Zhao, who launched Binance in 2017, pleaded guilty to money laundering charges, according to court documents published Tuesday and dated Monday.

Binance also agreed to pay $4.3 billion in fines and restitution to victims.

In June, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a complaint against Binance, along with BAM Trading and BAM Management, which are also owned by Zhao.

"Defendants have unlawfully solicited U.S. investors to buy, sell, and trade crypto asset securities through unregistered trading platforms available online at Binance.com," the SEC said in its complaint filing.

The SEC said, "defendants had unlawfully solicited U.S. investors to buy, sell, and trade crypto asset securities through unregistered trading platforms available online at Binance.com."

The SEC also said Zhao and his co-defendants had taken steps to dodge U.S. regulations.

"They consistently claimed to the public that Binance.com Platform did not serve U.S. persons, while simultaneously concealing their efforts to ensure that the most valuable U.S. customers continued trading on the platform," the SEC said.

Binance called the lawsuit "baseless" in a post on X in June.

"To be clear, we believe the lawsuit is baseless and we intend to defend ourselves vigorously," the company said.

According to court documents, users in nations that are under U.S. sanctions were able to use the platform.
Changpeng Zhao, the founder of cryptocurrency exchange Binance, stepped down from his chief executive role on Tuesday, after pleading guilty to failing to prevent money laundering on his companys platform.

The entity that operates Binance, the worlds largest cryptocurrency exchange, also pled guilty on Tuesday to violating the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), an anti-money laundering act, and other charges. In doing so, the crypto company agreed to pay more than $4 billion, marking one of the largest corporate penalties in U.S. history, according to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland.

Zhao announced his decision to step down as Binances CEO on X, formerly known as Twitter, later Tuesday, saying his choice is best for our community, for Binance and for himself.

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Binance is no longer a baby, Zhao wrote. It is time for me to let it walk and run. I know Binance will continue to grow and excel with the deep bench it has.

The Justice Department said Zhao pled guilty to failing to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program, a violation of the BSA.

Binance became the worlds largest cryptocurrency exchange in part because of the crimes it committed  now it is paying one of the largest corporate penalties in U.S. history, Garland said. The message here should be clear: using new technology to break the law does not make you a disruptor, it makes you a criminal.

Binance, which launched in 2017, admitted to putting growth and profits over compliance with U.S. law, according to the Justice Department (DOJ), citing court documents.

In becoming the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world, Binances greatest share of customers was from the United States, according to the DOJ. As part of serving U.S. customers, the company was required to register with the Treasury Departments Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) as a money services business, as well as establish a program to prevent money laundering on its platform.

Binance chose not to comply with U.S. law and failed to implement controls and procedures to prevent money laundering, the DOJ wrote in a statement, adding the company also did not put in place controls to prevent U.S. customers from conducting transactions with those in sanctioned jurisdictions.

In 2019, the company announced it would block U.S. customers and launched a separate U.S. exchange called Binance.US.

Binance, however, continued to maintain a substantial number of U.S. customers, specifically those who boosted the companys trading volume and revenue, the DOJ said.

Federal prosecutors said U.S. users generated more than $1.6 billion in profit for Binance between August 2017 and October 2022.

For years, Binance also did not file a suspicious activity report with the Treasury Department and allowed users to open accounts and trade without any information besides an email address, according to prosecutors.

The company was first accused of U.S. security law violations over the summer, accusations that were similar to the practices revealed in last years collapse of FTX, the second-largest cryptocurrency exchange, according to The Associated Press.

Ever since Binance launched its convertible virtual currency platform, it has knowingly evaded the U.S. laws designed to protect these systems, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said. Binance was allowing illicit actors to transact freely, supporting activities from child sexual abuse, to illegal narcotics, to terrorism, across more than 100,000 transactions.

Binance allowed Hamass military wing al-Qassam Brigades, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), al Qaeda and other criminals and money launderers to conduct transactions, according to the U.S. Treasury.

Richard Teng, Binances global head of regional markets, will replace Zhao in the role.

Richard is a highly qualified leader and, with over three decades of financial services and regulatory experience, he will navigate the company through its next period of growth, Zhao wrote on X, adding later he is confident that the best days are ahead for Binance and crypto industry.

The judge set Zhaos sentencing for Feb. 23, though this could be delayed, according to the AP. He faces a guideline sentence range of up to 18 months.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The New, Black-Owned Thurst Lounge Is A Love Letter To DCs Black Queer Community | Photo Courtesy of Shaun Mykals and Brandon Burke via Sam Gross Studios

Theres a new Black-owned safe place in Washington D.C. for the LGBTQ+ community.

On Dec. 2, Brandon Burke and Shaun Mykals will open the doors of Thurst Lounge, the only Black-owned lounge in the area since the 2021 closing of the beloved club The Bachelors Mill, dubbed The Mill by many frequenters, according to a press release provided to Blavity.

The creators of the establishment believed it was time to have a location that welcomes all in addition to being a comfortable space for the Black gay community.

Since the start of the #BlackLivesMatter movement, weve seen a tremendous increase in Black and brown people wanting spaces that center us as their target audience, co-owner Brandon Burke said per the press release.

And as weve seen spaces like Lambda Lounge and 4West open in New York City, people have been questioning why we dont have at least one black-owned LGTBQ+ space in DC, co-owner Shaun Mykals added.

Some of the places that were once the threshold of the Black LGBTQ+ community like Nob Hill, Culture Club, Lace on The Avenue and The Mill were hubs that offered welcoming environments that allowed Black and brown people a place to be their authentic selves at a time when being queer was not as widely accepted.

With those environments no longer in business, Burke and Mykals are excited to fill in the gaps and bring what they feel the DMV area is missing.

Thurst is our love letter to DCs Black queer community. We wanted to create a space that represents and honors the unique and culturally rich black gay experience. As a community, we deserve so much more than just special nights or events at spaces that do not center our experience, the two said in a joint statement.

Theyve worked in the club scene for some time now with a recognized event known as Thursday Bliss: An Open Mic Experience, which has been consistent for 11 years. Despite it created being for everybody in mind, the LGBTQ+ community has been the main demographic.

It wasnt easy for the entrepreneurs to make it to this point though. The duo was met with several challenges pertaining to money and experience that caused them to revise their strategy along the way. They decided to partner with Mosab Salih and Doaa Aloori, who own multiple commercial real estate properties, where the two hosted some of their events. They are thrilled to see their vision now become a reality.

We are overjoyed that our vision is finally coming to fruition, Burke said.

Its been a long road, but we look forward to the many opportunities we believe this venture will bring to our community, Mykals added.

Thurst Lounge is located at 2204 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009. More details about the grand opening will be shared soon, so be sure to keep an eye on the companys website to stay in the know!
FILE - A sergeant-at-arms in the North Carolina state Senate passes out copies of a map proposal for new state Senate districts during a committee hearing at the Legislative Office Building in Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023. A federal lawsuit filed Monday, Nov. 20, 2023, in North Carolina alleges newly adopted district boundaries for the state Senate divide a cluster of predominantly Black counties in the northeast corner of the state in a way that will unfairly dilute the voting power of Black residents. (AP Photo/Hannah Schoenbaum, File)

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  A lawsuit filed Monday in North Carolina alleges newly adopted district boundaries for the state Senate divide a cluster of predominantly Black counties in the northeast corner of the state in a way that unfairly dilutes the voting power of Black residents.

Two Black voters drawn into a majority-white district are asking a federal judge to block state officials from conducting future elections under a new map they argue unlawfully deprives them the opportunity to elect their preferred candidates.

Plaintiffs Rodney Pierce, a social studies teacher from Halifax County, and Moses Matthews, a retired chemist from Martin County, are requesting the court order a redrawn map including an eastern North Carolina district where minority voters would have an equal opportunity to elect candidates of their choice.

Attorneys for the eastern North Carolina residents also filed a motion to expedite proceedings, asking the court to finish arguments and decide on a motion for a preliminary injunction by Dec. 1  three days before candidate filing begins.

The totality of the circumstances establishes that the enacted state Senate districting plan has the effect of denying Black voters an equal opportunity to participate in the political process and to elect candidates of their choice," the lawsuit states.

The Republican-controlled General Assembly adopted a Senate plan last month that appears to keep the GOP in a good position to retain its current veto-proof supermajority, according to redistricting experts and statewide election data. While Republican map architects considered past election data when drawing districts that favor Republican candidates, they said they did not take into account voter population data based on race.

The office of Republican Senate Leader Phil Berger did not immediately respond Monday to emails seeking comment on the lawsuit.

The state Supreme Court flipped last year from a Democratic to a Republican majority, and the GOP justices ruled in April that the state constitution did not limit shifting district lines for partisan gain. But critics of the state Senate map, and the state House and congressional maps passed last month by Republicans, say they see some avenues to challenge those plan based on their division of minority groups.

If the new state legislative maps hold up in court, they put Republicans in a decent position to retain complete control of both chambers through the rest of the decade.

The Black Belt counties of eastern North Carolina have significant and politically cohesive populations of Black voters who overwhelmingly support Democratic candidates, the lawsuit states. A white majority in the surrounding area is also politically cohesive, and the plaintiffs argue they historically vote as a bloc to defeat candidates supported by Black voters.

North Carolina's eight majority Black counties are split between four separate districts under the Senate redistricting plan enacted by the General Assembly. One of those districts, Senate District 2, where Pierce and Matthews reside, stretches more than 160 miles from the Virginia border down parts of the Atlantic coastline.

The lawsuit argues it was feasible for legislators to draw those counties into their own district with a majority of racial and ethnic minorities while adhering to the state's redistricting criteria. Example maps present alternative configurations that the plaintiffs argue would be fair, compact and composed of whole counties.

Senate Minority Leader Dan Blue, a Wake County Democrat, said the lawsuit provides a glimmer of hope to Black voters in eastern North Carolina. He criticized Republican redistricting leaders for rejecting Democratic suggestions last month to make sure the maps complied with the Voting Rights Act.

The plan enacted by the General Assembly in late October splits, cracks and packs Black voters to dilute their votes and blunt their ability to fully participate in the democratic process," Blue said Monday, adding that the GOP map constitutes cracking on steroids.

___

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.
This Black Woman-Owned Tea Brand That Supports Survivors Of Domestic Violence Is Now In Over 700 Grocery Stores | Photo: Getty Images

The Black woman-owned tea brand Pennies Tea is making waves in the beverage industry with its latest products, now found in over 700 grocery stores nationwide.

Black-owned tea brand

CEO Pennie Crocketts new line, What Tea Is for Me, is part of the Heal & Empower collection, which offers various flavors for those experiencing different ailments or conditions, Black Business reported.

According to the companys website, customers can choose from various flavors that aim to help with issues like acid reflux, anxiety, common colds and bloating. Customers can also select from teas ranging from no caffeine to high caffeine.

Crockett, a Chicago native and former health science professor, launched her tea brand to revitalize the health and wellness field. She witnessed several family members experiencing illnesses and decided to create Pennies Tea to offer flavorful loose-leaf teas and cold brew iced tea.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Pennies Tea (@penniestea)

We craft each blend with purpose and passion, combining exquisite flavors with unparalleled quality, Crockett said, according to Black Business.

In addition to her entrepreneurial success, Crockett is also a survivor of domestic violence, and she uses Pennies Tea to shed light on the growing number of women who are affected by it.

As a survivor of domestic violence, it has become Pennies mission to increase awareness of the aftermath, both mentally and physically, of domestic violence and how to live with the trauma, a statement on the companys website reads. Utilizing the power of specially-blended tea recipes, Pennie combines the healing potential of her brews with the message that health and wellness can help you heal.

Crockett also donates a portion of her sales to the Crisis Center for Women in Domestic Violence, which provides resources for women survivors.

Every sip is a step toward healing and empowerment. Were not just in the tea business; were in the business of transforming lives, Crockett said, per Black Business.
Two of the four scanners are set to be in use this week, Ports of Jersey says

Two new body scanners will be in operation at Jersey Airport this week, bosses said.

Due to go live on November 23, they are part of a 3m project to upgrade security at the hub, Ports of Jersey added.

Head of security Maria Le Tiec said the scanners would complete the security system "required of most UK airports" from June 2024.

Four body scanners were due to be in operation by then, she added.

Ms Le Tiec added: "The scanners are safe, non-invasive, and easy to use with the right preparation.

"Security staff will explain to passengers how they need to prepare for the new scanners, which will go into operation this week."

The "completely safe" scanners use "millimetre wave imaging" to locate objects on a person "concealed under clothing", said Ports of Jersey.

The imaging works by producing an outline image of a person, "much like a gingerbread man", the body said, without revealing "the naked body or insides of a body".

The images are then analysed digitally "within the equipment" without being "seen, stored, printed or transmitted".

The upgrade, intended to "enhance screening of passengers and hand luggage", also included the installation of three new X-ray machines, bosses said.

Those opting out of the scanners would need to be "searched by hand", they added.

Follow BBC Jersey on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. Send your story ideas to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk.
A Boeing 787 Dreamliner carrying 45 passengers successfully landed in Antarctica  a first for that model.

The widebody plane landed on a 3,000-yard-long landing strip of blue ice.

Landing on the seventh continent is challenging due to the harsh weather and lack of infrastructure.

Aviators have hailed a successful flight to Antarctica as a world first when a Boeing 787 Dreamliner touched down at Troll Airfield on Wednesday night.

European low-cost carrier Norse Atlantic Airways was behind the flight, chartering 45 researchers and staff from the Norwegian Polar Institute, as well as 12 tons of research equipment.



It's the first time a Boeing 787 has landed on the continent.

Antarctica has no permanent residents due to its extreme cold, but about 4,000 people reside there during the summer months. The seventh continent also sees more than 100,000 tourists who arrive via plane or ship each season.

"In the spirit of exploration, we are proud to have a hand in this important and unique mission," Norse CEO Bjorn Tore Larsen said in a statement. "It is a true testament to our highly trained and skilled pilots and crew, and our state-of-the-art Boeing aircraft."

Troll's 3,000-yard-long landing strip of blue ice is only open between October and March, and the process of maintaining and preparing it for aircraft is long and tedious.

According to Flightradar24, teams spend two weeks removing snow, repairing any cracks or deficiencies in the runway, and adding a thin layer of crushed snow and ice to create the required friction for aircraft operations.

The Norse Boeing 787 after its arrival in Antarctica. Norse Atlantic Airways

Crews use heavy machinery like snow throwers and modified snow tractors for the task, with safety kept at the forefront.

"Each person [who will work on the airfield] goes through training in Svalbard [Norway] on much the same equipment before coming to the station," Troll operations manager Sven Lidstrom told Flightradar24 in 2021.

With the arrival of Norse's 787, Norwegian Polar Institute Director Camilla Brekke said the successful flight would open up "entirely new possibilities for logistics at Troll," adding that using large and modern aircraft will also achieve environmental benefits by reducing the need for more frequent trips via smaller planes.

"This can help to reduce total emissions and the environmental footprint in Antarctica," she said.

Norse joins the Antarctic club

The first Airbus A340 to land on Antarctica, which flies tourists and supplies to and from the continent on behalf of luxury tour company White Desert. Hi Fly

Norse isn't the only air carrier to land a large jetliner on Antarctica, with a handful of others also chartering adventurous individuals for both tourism and science.

In November 2021, an Airbus A340 operated by Portuguese charter company Hi-Fly landed on the seventh continent, becoming the first of its type to make the trek.

The jet, which landed on a different Antarctic runway called Wolf's Fang, carried camp supplies for luxury tour operator White Desert. The company still uses the plane to ferry cargo and tourists.

Meanwhile, Icelandair's charter subsidiary Loftleider Icelandic Airlines landed a Boeing 757 in Antarctica in 2015  another world first for that model. The carrier has since made more recent trips in 2021 and 2022 using a Boeing 767.

Besides commercial flights, the barren continent also hosts aircraft operated by the US military, including C-17 Globemaster cargo jets and ski-equipped Lockheed LC-130s.

A US Air Force C-17 in Antarctica. National Science Foundation

Although all of these giant planes are capable of landing on Antarctica's icy runways, the operation is no small feat.

According to Hi-Fly A340 captain Carlos Mirpuri, harsh weather conditions and the reflecting runway create added challenge and risk  meaning clear conditions and low winds must be present to safely land on the rugged glacial landing strip.

"There is also no visual glide slope guidance, and the blending of the runway with the surrounding terrain and the immense white desert around, makes height judgment challenging, to say the least," he said, noting the extensive pre-flight planning and preparation required.

White Desert takes extreme precautions as well, with company CEO Patrick Woodhead telling Business Insider in February that it has a team of meteorologists to assess and monitor the weather.

He further explained that, similar to Troll's weeks-long pre-flight preparations, White Desert spends 22 hours grooming its blue ice runway to ensure it has the "right friction level" to handle the mammoth A340.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Boeing is starting production of the next generation of military aircraft. The MH-139A Grey Wolf will replace the UH-1N Huey helicopter, which has been in service since the Vietnam War.

The helicopters are made to protect intercontinental ballistic miles across the U.S. and for transportation VIP and security personnel, said Boeing.

Boeing said its starting initial production of the Grey Wolf after sending a final test aircraft to the U.S. Air Force last month.

Right now, Boeing has a contract to build the first 13 choppers but it plans to provide up to 80 of them.

Delivering all of the RDT&E aircraft to the Air Force enables them to continue critical operational testing and allows Boeing to focus on building the first production aircraft, said MH-139 program director Azeem Khan. The Grey Wolf will provide crucial national security capability improvements to the Air Force. This is an important step in getting the aircraft into service.

The first production aircraft delivery is slated for 2024.

With the final test aircraft delivered, were headed into an exciting production phase. With the MH-139, the United States Air Force is getting a faster and more capable aircraft to bring them into a new era of service for this mission, said MH-139 Senior Program Manager, Robert Beyer.
A recount is a good opportunity to test the integrity of elections.

The race for the Boise City Council seat in District 3 this year provided just such an opportunity. Candidate Josh Johnston was right to request a recount; the results were close enough to warrant one.

After the Nov. 7 count was tallied, Kathy Corless had received 2,566 votes, just 15 more than Johnstons 2,551. Two other candidates, Theresa Vawter and Chris Blanchard, received 1,630 and 1,059 votes, respectively.

The 0.19% margin between Corless and Johnston, out of the total 7,806 votes cast, was too high for a free recount (state code sets the free recount limit at an incredibly low 0.1%), so Johnston had to pay the $1,600 for the recount in all 16 precincts, as well as absentee and early voting ballots.

Once Johnston requested the recount, officials with the Ada County Elections Office on Thursday hand-counted a sampling of 5% of the ballots in the race. If the hand count had differed from the machine count by less than 1%, or two votes, whichever is greater, then the recount was to be conducted by a machine scan of the ballots.

As it turned out, the hand count of 5% of the ballots matched the machine count from Election Day exactly, so the Elections Office recounted all of the ballots by machine.

After the recount, which was overseen by the Idaho Attorney Generals Office, the results turned out to be the exact same. Every precinct, every ballot, the exact same.

You would think that maybe one or two votes got messed up somewhere along the line, but that wasnt the case.

As Corless told the Idaho Statesman by text, the unchanged result exhibits the integrity in our election process.

Elections in general continue to be under attack in the U.S., stemming primarily from former President Donald Trumps debunked claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged and stolen. To this day, an alarming number of people still believe him and repeat the conspiracy that voting machines can rig elections.

People who peddle The Big Lie that the election was stolen continue to claim  falsely  that the 2020 presidential election was electronically manipulated even in states that Trump won, like Idaho, with MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell leading the charge. He claimed  and continues to claim  electronic tampering in all 44 counties in Idaho, a suspicious accusation, given that seven counties in Idaho dont even count ballots electronically.

As it is, Trump won Idaho with 64% of the vote, tallying 554,119 votes to President Joe Bidens 287,021.

Lindells baseless accusations prompted the Idaho attorney general in 2021 to conduct an investigation of the results. If anything, votes for Trump were overcounted, as audits of results in two counties showed an overcount of nine votes in Butte County for Trump and an overcount of one vote for Trump in Camas County.

Another recount conducted in Bonner County showed nine ballots in error, with eight attributed to Trump and one to Biden, likely due to extremely light markings that the tabulation machine could not pick up on Election Day, according to the AGs office. It wasnt, as Lindell claimed, because of Chinese government hacking into the machines. As Bonner County Clerk Michael Rosedale pointed out, the computer that tabulated the votes wasnt even connected to the internet.

So why is this important?

Before the 2020 election, Trump said he would accept the election results  only if he won. If he lost, well, as we saw, he didnt accept the results, leading his supporters to attempt an insurrection on the Capitol on Jan. 6.

As we head into another presidential election next year, its vital that Americans have faith that, even if their candidate doesnt win, the results are fair, true and accurate. As they have been for decades.

The recount results in the Boise City Council District 3 race should bolster that faith.

Statesman editorials are the unsigned opinion of the Idaho Statesmans editorial board. Board members are opinion editor Scott McIntosh, opinion writer Bryan Clark, editor Chadd Cripe, newsroom editors Dana Oland and Jim Keyser and community members Mary Rohlfing and Patricia Nilsson.
Slovak haulers began to block the movement of trucks at the Vysne Nemecke checkpoint, Ukraine's State Border Guard Service spokesperson Andrii Demchenko told Ukrainska Pravda on Nov. 21.

"The information received from the Border Police of the Slovak Republic indicates that today at 1:30 p.m., traffic blocking for cargo vehicles moving in the direction of the Slovak checkpoint Vysne Nemecke, adjacent to the Ukrainian Uzhhorod checkpoint, began," Demchenko said.

"It was initiated and conducted by the... (Slovak Union of Freight Carriers). The end date of the blockade is not reported, although it is possible that Slovak carriers may be planning for their action to be a long one."

The movement of passenger cars and buses is unaffected, Ukrainska Pravda reported.

Slovak haulers threatened on Nov. 16 to join Polish truckers in blocking border crossing points with Ukraine to protest the EU's liberalization of transport rules for Ukrainian trucks.

Read also: Trucker protests: Unraveling the standoff between Polish and Ukrainian haulers

The Slovak Union of Freight Carriers blocked the Vysne Nemecke border crossing for one hour on Nov. 16 as a warning.

Protests on Nov. 11 also forced trucks traveling toward Vysne Nemecke to wait in an 18-kilometer line.

Polish protests at the Ukrainian border stretch into their third week, with Ukraine accusing the protestors of causing further harm to its wartime economy.

Polish truckers complain that the high number of Ukrainian drivers entering Poland are hauling goods from Poland to other countries, undercutting local businesses that cannot match cheaper Ukrainian prices.

Ukrainian officials and industry representatives deny the accusations.

Read also: Slovakia scrutinizes Ukrainian trucks amid long lines at border

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
ROCKLAND  A 38-year-old Boston man is facing charges in connection with the nonfatal stabbing of a 43-year-old town resident, the Rockland Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Sunday.

Justin Shenett, 38, of Boston, was arrested by Rockland police and charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon resulting in serious bodily injury, assault with intent to murder, attempted murder and disorderly conduct.

Police responded to the incident near an apartment complex at 115 John Dunn Drive in Rockland shortly after noon on Sunday. First responders found the victim suffering from a stab wound to his torso, officials said. The Rockland Fire Department transported the victim to South Shore Hospital in Weymouth for treatment.

The stabbing took place near 115 John Dunn Dr. in Rockland.

Police did not say whether the two men were known to each other.

Shenett was held pending his arraignment in Hingham District Court on Monday. The result wasn't immediately available.

Enterprise staff writer Amelia Stern can be reached by email at astern@enterprisenews.com.

This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Boston's Justin Shenett charged in Rockland stabbing
Trade

The Recording Industry Association of America hired Colton Street Group to lobby on issues related to intellectual property protection in trade negotiations and artistic copyrights. The recording industry group adds to its expansive lobbying operation: The association has already spent $5 million on federal lobbying during the first nine months of 2023, according to OpenSecrets data. John ONeill, former tax counsel on the Senate Finance Committee, will work on the account.

Glass

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck registered to lobby members of Congress and Treasury Department officials regarding a rule to provide a level playing field for glass packaging of spirits-based products on behalf of the Glass Packing Institute. One of the lobbyists on the account is Russell Sullivan, former staff director and chief counsel on the Senate Finance Committee.

Artificial intelligence

Brownstein was also hired by Palantir Technologies to lobby on government programs relating to artificial intelligence. The data mining and software company contracted by several major government agencies was co-founded by PayPal founder and Republican mega-donor Peter Thiel. Lobbyists on the account include Ari Zimmerman, a former professional staff member on the House Armed Services Committee, and William Duhnke, former staff director and general counsel on the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Batteries

The U.S. Battery Machine Builders hired Venn Strategies to lobby on funding and tax incentives for American-made battery machines and equipment. Ben Steinberg, whose resume includes stints as chief of staff and senior adviser at the Department of Energy, will work on the account.

Advocacy

Public Citizen hired Pioneer Public Affairs to advocate on issues related to agency deference, consumer protections and climate change. In addition to annual appropriations bills, the firm disclosed plans to work on legislation including the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act of 2023, a bill that passed the Republican-led House this summer that would require congressional approval of certain major executive agency rulemaking. Public Citizen has opposed the legislation. Charlie Ellsworth, a former budget and appropriations legislative assistant to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), will work on the account.

Health

The New Venture Fund hired Manatt, Phelps, and Phillips to lobby on health policy issues. This is the third firm to register to lobby on behalf of the left-leaning group, which does not voluntarily disclose its donors, so far this year. Cindy Mann, former deputy administrator at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and director of the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services, will work on the account.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
An Iowa Park man has been indicted on charges of intoxicated manslaughter in the death of Cha'Quon Jeffrey in a wreck on June 3 in the 3000 block of Spur 325.

No caption

A Wichita County grand jury on Nov. 15 also indicted Brandon Michael Wright, 40, with Aggravated Assault Causing Bodily Injury for injuries suffered by Veronica Diaz in the same incident.

Affidavits filed in the case claim Wright had a blood alcohol content of 0.238 at the time of the wreck, which is well above the 0.08 legal limit in Texas. Police said Wright was traveling the wrong way on the highway when he struck Jeffrey's vehicle.

The indictments allege second-degree felonies in the case, which means Wright could be sentenced up to 20 years in prison if convicted,

Total bail for the charges was set at $200,000 on the charges and Wright was released from jail in June.

Anyone accused of a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.

This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Brandon Wright indicted in death of Cha'Quon Jeffrey
SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Tuesday he had told European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen that he wants to clinch a trade deal between the European Union and Mercosur while still presiding over the South American bloc.

Lula and von der Leyen had a phone call on Monday. According to the Brazilian leader, they will try to meet this month at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai to advance talks towards the long-awaited deal.

Brazil holds Mercosur's temporary presidency until the end of this year. The South American trading bloc also includes Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.

"I showed her all our points and she said she would try to have a meeting with me at the COP28 to present their definitive response to our demands," Lula said in a weekly live broadcast on social media.

A trade treaty was agreed in principle in 2019 after two decades of talks, but additional environmental commitments demanded by the EU led Brazil and Argentina to seek new concessions that prolonged negotiations.

Diplomats and trade experts do not expect far-right libertarian Javier Milei's presidential election win in Argentina to derail the agreement. Milei has been a vocal critic of the South American common market.

Reuters reported on Monday that according to Brazilian negotiators, there were few details left to negotiate and they planned to announce the deal at a Mercosur summit on Dec. 7 in Rio de Janeiro, before Argentina's change of government.

(Reporting by Gabriel Araujo, editing by Ed Osmond and Sharon Singleton)
A new bridge across the Irpin River in the village of Romanivka, Kyiv Oblast, has been officially opened.

Source: Oleksandr Markushyn, Mayor of Irpin, on Facebook

Quite: "The opening [of the bridge] is, without exaggeration, historic. And although it was cold, difficult and scary, this bridge will forever remain in Irpins history as the Road of Life."

Details: Markushyn noted that the bridge across the Irpin River in Romanivka saved 40,000 residents of Hostomel, Bucha and Irpin during the occupation of Kyiv Oblast.

The mayor expressed his confidence that a Road of Life memorial will soon be opened there.

The new bridge is in operation alongside the destroyed structures that will serve as a memorial.

The new bridge should relieve traffic in Romanivka for entry and exit during peak hours.

Background:

The bridge in Romanivka was destroyed on the second day of Russias full-scale invasion when the Ukrainian military blew it up to prevent the Russian army from advancing on Kyiv.

The bridge was the only evacuation route for residents of several Russian-occupied settlements in Kyiv Oblast.

On 28 March 2022, Irpin in Kyiv Oblast was liberated from the Russians after about a month of occupation.

It was reported in April 2022 that about US$1 billion will be needed to rebuild Irpins destroyed or damaged housing stock and infrastructure facilities.

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"A nimble or even half-witted Treasury would assess that theyll reap more tax by lowering stamp duty rates," writes one reader - The Telegraph/The Telegraph

The Telegraphs campaign to scrap inheritance tax has widely been backed by MPs and readers alike, as pressure piles on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to scrap the divisive duty.

However, the focus on death duty has left some urging for other controversial levies to not be forgotten. Namely, stamp duty.

A short excerpt of a letter written into The Telegraph by one reader, who prefers to remain anonymous, reads:

Our anonymous reader is not alone in his views on stamp duty. The growing cost of stamp duty levied on property transactions means that buying a home now usually comes with a large tax bill, and many Telegraph readers, including Adam Atkinson and Jack T P, argue that it taxes aspiration and is a tax to stifle growth that has always been counterproductive.

In last years mini-Budget, then-chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng doubled the nil-rate stamp duty band from 125,000 to 250,000 in England and Northern Ireland.

The other tax bands remain unchanged, so one will pay stamp duty at a rate of 5pc on the value of a property above 250,000 up to 925,000, 10pc on the value between 925,000 and 1.5m, and then a top rate of 12pc above 1.5m.

In a country which increasingly feels like the Government is out for every penny you earn, stamp duty is one of the taxes that readers feel is the most unjust - second only to inheritance tax (IHT).

The anonymous readers letter on stamp duty, and others alike, prompted the commission of an exclusive poll conducted by this newspaper asking which tax readers believe to be the most unjust.

62 per cent of over 12,000 voters believe inheritance tax is the most unjust tax of all, while 18 per cent think stamp duty is.

Despite a vast number of readers agreeing that stamp duty is the unfairest tax, IHT still comes out on top for reasons which our readers go on to explain.

Many, for example, warn how easy it is under the current system for the very wealthy to avoid paying, while the middle classes get stung for the full 40 per cent.

Reader Nigel Curtress, for example, supports the argument that its the middle classes who are hit the hardest - its only the little people who pay the tax, he says.

Nigel explains that the really rich avoid it completely by transferring estates to their children when they still have a very good chance of survival. They then live in a nice house on the estate and the children inherit the stately pile. And so it goes on.

In another vein of argument, Simon Pearson argues: Any tax that can be avoided by people like the King and the Duke of Westminster, or anyone else with the wit and resources to get timely advice, is pure evil.

Some also emphasise that IHT is double taxation, which they view as deeply immoral.

As David Summers explains, hard earned money that an individual used to accumulate wealth has already been taxed. Just because they get old and die should not give the Government the right to take it, denying loved ones and families what is rightfully theirs.

Others despise the tax for more sentimental reasons.

People forget that an inheritance is about more than hard cash, asserts R Whinnett, whose maiden aunt, a nurse her whole life, was liable for IHT when she died at 82.

Her many beneficiaries considered themselves lucky to inherit the remaining money and for me it transformed my life.

What hurt was the realisation that all her worldly goods had to be valued and sold, including items of sentimental value Seeing cherished but not particularly valuable items monetised in this was distressing.

This sentiment is shared by John Hall who believes, leaving the family home to ones children is an act of love. The state stealing it is criminal.

While some take issue with not having a say over how their hard-earned money is spent, raising fears of it being wasted in the hands of the Government, particularly on strategies and causes such as immigration and net zero.

D Morrell argues that it is better for private individuals to have the money than give it to the Government to waste.

Reader K Furley shares how his kids have worked since they were 14, and went to university, but cannot afford a house. Therefore, Mr Furley feels it is his right and theirs to benefit 100 per cent from my meagre estate.

Why should the Government take from it? Who personally will benefit? It would be wasted and disappear into government hands, he continues.

Echoing Mr Furley, John Youngs sees inheritance tax as stealing from the responsible members of our community and giving to the feckless.

For most, scrapping the levy is the only reasonable outcome, urging the Government to follow in the footsteps of Australia, New Zealand, Israel and Sweden. Reader Andrew Okoye, for example, believes that no one should be punished for being highly productive, sensible with money or for sacrificing themselves for prosperity.

Some, however, favour reform over abolishing the tax entirely. Reader J Ward, for example, suggests raising the threshold to 5 million for each person to make it much fairer, while the likes of Tim Higgs suggest closing those exclusionary loopholes so everyone eligible actually pays.

For others, such as our original anonymous reader, along with another reader, Mark Johnson, stamp duty is more unjust as inheritance is an unearned gift to the beneficiary, whereas stamp duty is a tax on the mobility of the living, where you get taxed time and time again on the same income every time you sell your house.

Others in agreement highlight how the current rate of stamp duty discourages pensioners from downsizing when necessary.

Fritz Smith, for example, shared: We are in a five bed in London and would want to downsize locally but paying stamp duty of over 120,000, plus all the costs of moving, isnt worth it.

Reader Gertrude Bloom, who believes the levy discourages mobility and reduces transactions, instead suggests a property tax on the value of the property would be fairer and would incentivise downsizing.

Graham Barnes advocates for the scrapping of stamp duty, and like Ms Bloom, argues that it is hugely damaging to mobility around the country and to economic productivity.

Mr Barnes continues: Why take a new job somewhere in the country if you have to pay 20,000-30,000 stamp duty to buy a new house?

The bottom line is that everyone is put off moving by stamp duty, not just pensioners.

Of the rates, P. ED thinks they are totally out of whack with house prices, particularly in areas like London and the Home Counties where you would be coughing up the guts of 100,000 for moving into a good family home.

Mikael Armstrong believes stamp duty should be axed or significantly reduced, as it would allow for people to move to properties which suit their needs and would allow for a much better allocation of property. It would allow people to move house to where they work more frequently and it would also dissuade people from endlessly extending houses rather than just moving to somewhere more suitable.

Few would disagree with paying a certain amount of tax, but it is clear when listening to Telegraph readers that it is not simply inheritance tax that they find unpalatable and in need of abolition - stamp duty needs revising, too.

Recommended

The personal taxes draining your income  how to make sure you dont overpay

Read more

Which tax do you think is the most unjust? Join the conversation in the comments section below

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The UK and South Korea will enforce sanctions against Pyongyang with joint navy patrols under a new defence partnership.

The accord will lead to the nations jointly enforcing United Nations Security Council (UNSC) measures intended to curb North Koreas nuclear weapons programme for the first time.

It is expected to be signed on Wednesday, the second day of South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeols state visit.

The agreement will also strengthen future joint defence exports, pave the way for a new industrial defence partnership, and ensure closer cooperation on cybersecurity and the sharing of information to more effectively tackle maritime threats in the Indo-Pacific region.

North Korea relies on smugglers to help it bypass international restrictions on imports and exports which could be used to support its nuclear weapons programme.

A significant amount of this smuggling takes place in the East China Sea, where Royal Navy ships have previously deployed and gathered evidence of such activity.

The UK is leading the way in supporting our Korean friends in countering North Koreas aggressive posturing and ensuring the safety and security of the Indo-Pacific, said Grant Shapps, the Defence Secretary.

Yoon Suk Yeol, the South Korean president, is on a state visit to the UK - Victoria Jones/PA

Under the new agreement, the Royal Navy will work more closely with the South Korean navy in a region not only tackling threats from nuclear-armed North Korea, but also facing military escalation in flashpoints in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.

Beijing on Monday told Seoul to stay out of disputes over the South China Sea after Mr Yoon called for a rule-based maritime order in the hotly contested region.

Mr Yoon made his comments, while also stressing the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, in an exclusive interview with The Telegraph ahead of his state visit.

He also suggested it would not be in Chinas interests to align itself with Russia and North Korea who are allegedly cooperating on a weapons deal in violation of UN Security Council resolutions. It would not be helpful for Beijings international reputation and standing, he said.

Mr Yoons views prompted a frosty response from Chinas foreign ministry.

China knows what its responsibilities and interests are. We dont need to be told what to do or not to do, said spokesman Mao Ning.

The Taiwan question is entirely Chinas internal affairs and brooks no foreign interference, she said, adding that Beijing and South Asian countries had the ability, confidence and wisdom to handle the South China Sea.

The ROK (Republic of Korea) is not a party to the South China Sea issue and theres no point in getting involved, she said.

Taiwan Strait tensions

Democratic Taiwan, which China threatens to invade if it refuses to accede to Beijings rule, welcomed Mr Yoons comments.

Rising tensions in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea  which both contain maritime trade routes vital to the global economy  have rattled world capitals.

Some of the worst recent clashes have seen Chinese coast guard vessels bump and turn water cannons on Philippine boats in disputed waters.

Ferdinand Marcos, the Philippine president, this week warned that Chinese military facilities on reclaimed land features were appearing alarmingly close to his countrys coastlines, and raised concern over false narratives, coercive tactics and dangerous manoeuvres.

Mr Marcos has approached regional countries such as Malaysia and Vietnam to discuss a separate code of conduct for the South China Sea. He said partnering with neighbours would help maintain peace as the situation had become more dire than it was before.

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 British Library acknowledged it had been a victim of a cyber attack

The British Library has confirmed that a cyber attack in October has led to a leak of employee data.

The attack, which took place on 31 October, has also resulted in the library's website being down for almost a month.

The Rhysida ransomware group claim to be behind the attack, and say they will auction off the stolen data.

The cyber gang say the price for data, that includes passport scans, has been set at 20 Bitcoin (596,459).

The British Library, the UK's largest library, posted on X, saying: "Following confirmation last week that this was a ransomware attack, we're aware that some data has been leaked. This appears to be from our internal HR files."

However, it added that it has "no evidence that data of our users has been compromised", and it has not confirmed that the data being sold at auction belongs to British Library employees.

A National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) spokesperson said it was working with the library to "fully understand the impact" of the incident.

It added: "Ransomware is the key cyber threat facing the UK, and all organisations should take immediate steps to limit risk by following our advice on how to put in place robust defences to protect their networks."

On Monday the Rhysida ransomware group said it was behind the attack and shared an image to its leak site on the dark web showing various documents, some of which appear to be HMRC employment contracts and passports.

The BBC has not verified whether the data is real.

The cyber criminals said an auction for "exclusive, unique and impressive data" would end just before 0800 GMT on 27 November, and would be sold to one single-party winner.

On 15 November the FBI and the US Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency issued a warning on the threat posed by Rhysida.

In a joint statement, it said: "Threat actors leveraging Rhysida ransomware are known to impact 'targets of opportunity', including victims in the education, healthcare, manufacturing, information technology, and government sectors."

Rhysida ransomware group has also stolen data from the Chilean army and the University of West of Scotland

The group are also behind recent attacks on the Chilean army, the Portuguese city of Gondomar and the University of West of Scotland.

Analysis

Joe Tidy, BBC Cyber Correspondent

These kinds of attacks are sadly extremely common with ransomware gangs like Rhysida successfully stealing troves of data from companies and disrupting operations every day.

Advice from law enforcement agencies around the world is always to refuse to pay a ransom to these criminals as it fuels their industry, but sadly many victim organisations do to cover it up or return to normal as swiftly as possible.

As a public institution it's highly unlikely that British Library will cave to the cyber criminals' demands so Rhysida are left with a mass of stolen data that they need to make money from as quickly as possible before moving on to the next victim.

The timer on their darknet leak site appears to be counting down to a time (in six days) when the stolen data will be either given away for free or deleted.

It's a troubling time for the employees who may be more at risk of identity fraud, but it also could have been far worse had the hackers gained entry to more sensitive or larger data sets housed by the British Library.

In a statement, the world-renowned library, which has one of the largest book collections in the world, says it "anticipates restoring many services in the next few weeks, but some disruption may persist for longer". The attack has had an impact on the library's website, online systems and services such as book ordering.

The statement added: "If you have a British Library login and your password is used elsewhere, we recommend changing it as a precautionary measure.

"We've taken targeted protective measures to ensure the integrity of our systems, and we're continuing to investigate the attack with the support of NCSC [National Cyber Security Centre], the Metropolitan Police and cybersecurity specialists."
The European Space Agency has vowed to develop a SpaceX-style rocket to help it catch up with the United States, with the help of British companies.

The ESA is suffering a major launch crisis after it retired its Ariane 5 heavy-load rocket in July only to experience multiple problems with its replacements, which has forced the agency to hitch a ride with SpaceX.

At the UK Space Conference in Belfast, Josef Aschbacher, the ESA director general, said the crisis had forced the agency into a paradigm shift in which they will launch a competition for new rockets capable of rivalling SpaceXs Falcon 9 and Starship.

Launchers are a risky business, they are literally rocket science and sometimes fail, but we have to regain guaranteed access to space, he said. We have decided, collectively, on a paradigm shift that means for the next launcher, we will run a competition and the best company will win.

This is a completely new way of doing it in Europe but it was done already in the US by Nasa, out of which, as we all know, SpaceX with Falcon 9 emerged. Were doing more or less the same.

These will be small launches, at the beginning, with a few hundred kilos of payload. They will go into a tonne, maybe two tonnes and eventually five to 10 tonnes for the heavy launcher category.

The European Space Agency wants to stop hitching a lift on private rockets like Elon Musk's Starship - JOE SKIPPER/REUTERS

Nasa is increasingly outsourcing its launch capability to Elon Musks SpaceX and the company is scheduled to take astronauts back to the Moon as part of Nasas Artemis III mission, which could launch as early as 2025.

However, SpaceX has suffered a number of mishaps in recent months, with its giant Starship spacecraft exploding twice during test-flights, leading to fears the Artemis III mission may need to be pushed back.

Mr Aschbacher said companies across Europe would be invited to develop the new rocket system for the ESA which is likely to include several companies, such as Skyrora, who are already developing launchers in Britain.

I see the future of launches in Europe being very much more diverse, he added. The UK already has a few launchers that are ready to fly or getting ready to fly.

Huge challenge

Yes, its a huge challenge, some people may say its impossible to catch up. It will take time but this is exactly the way Falcon 9 developed, and eventually Starship, and I think we can learn a lot. Im pretty hopeful that we can catch up in the launcher sector.

The ESA said it was vital to regain consistent access to space but as well as delays with the Ariane 6 rocket, Europes Vega C rocket has been grounded since last December, and European astronauts can no longer fly on the Russian Soyuz after relations broke down with Roscosmos over the Ukraine War.

It has left the ESA relying entirely on SpaceX, although Mr Ashbacher said there was now light at the end of the tunnel for Ariane 6. Final tests of the rockets Vulcain engines are due to take place this week and, if successful, a date for its maiden test flight will be announced soon after.

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Alejo Vidal-Quadras, 78, was shot in the face on 9 November (AP)

A British woman is said to be among three suspects arrested in connection with the shooting of a Spanish former politician.

Alejo Vidal-Quadras was shot in the wealthy neighbourhood of Salamanca in central Madrid earlier this month by a gunman wearing a helmet who was riding behind a driver on a motorbike.

The 78-year-old conservative politician survived the attack as the bullet passed through his jaw.

He is still in hospital recovering from a double fracture of the jaw, the hospital said on Tuesday, but is making good progress.

An anti-terrorism court is in charge of the investigation.

Spanish police on Tuesday said they had detained three people as part of its investigation into the shooting. The National Police force's press department said two suspects were detained in the city of Lanjaron in southern Spain and the third in the city of Fuengirola.

Spanish state news agency EFE and other media outlets said none of the three are suspected of having fired the shot that hit Mr Vidal-Quadras.

EFE said the two people arrested in Lanjaron were a Spanish man and his partner, a British woman. A man detained in Fuengirola, also a Spaniard, was arrested in connection with a motorbike used in the shooting, the news agency reported.

The woman and her partner was being held in Lanjaron in the Alpujarras mountain region in southern Spain.

Police are looking into whether they have links with foreign countries.

Police work at the site where Alejo Vidal-Quadras, former head of Spain's People's Party in the Catalonia region, was shot in the face (REUTERS)

Mr Vidal-Quadras is former head of the centre-right Peoples Party (PP) in Catalonia and a founder of Spains far-right Vox party. He was also the European Parliament vice-president between 2009 and 2014.

The Paris-based Iranian opposition group, the Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, described him as a staunch ally.

In October 2022, Mr Vidal-Quadras was included in an Iranian sanctions list in retaliation for European Union sanctions imposed on the country following the death in custody of 22-year-old Iranian-Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini.

The Iranian sanctions included a visa and entry ban on Mr Vidal-Quadras and seizure of any property in Iran.

Ms Aminis death triggered months of nationwide protests that represented one of the fiercest challenges to the Islamic Republic since its establishment in 1979.

Associated Press contributed to this report
[Source]

A cat in China successfully delivered the countrys first "fully Chinese" cloned kitten over the weekend.

Meet the newborn: The kitten, an orange male weighing 141 grams, was born in Qingdao, Shandong Province, on Sunday from a surrogate female cat. The pregnancy reportedly lasted for 69 days.

Zhao Minghui, an associate professor from Qingdao Agricultural Universitys College of Life Sciences, praised the project as the kitten became Chinas first cloned cat using home-grown equipment and reagents, making it "fully Chinese." China previously relied on the U.S. and other countries for such resources.

How it happened: The project, a collaborative effort between the university and Qingdao PanGene Technologies Co., began in 2020. As per local reports, Zhaos research initially encountered problems during cloning attempts on pigs. The said issues were due to imported reagents and their recurring performance instability.

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The team eventually found a way to make the reagents domestically, with a partner in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, offering their facility.

Successful efforts: Zhao's team successfully cloned 20 pigs using domestic reagents and equipment between the end of October and early November. However, the scientist noted that cloning cat somatic cells was different as they demanded more resources in terms of facilities, reagents and materials.

Despite the initial hurdles, Zhao told the state-run Global Times on Monday that the kittens birth showed how China now has a complete industrial chain in animal cloning.

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Not the first: China's first-ever cloned cat is Garlic, a British shorthair cloned in 2019. The distraught owner dug up the animals body hours after it died for the procedure. Beijing-based Sinogene performed the cloning for 250,000 yuan ($35,190).

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese criticized China for a dangerous encounter between Chinese and Australian warships while declining to say whether he had raised the issue in recent talks with President Xi Jinping.

One Australian diver was injured when a Chinese destroyer used sonar while near an Australian frigate in international waters last week, official said. Defense Minister Richard Marles said over the weekend that he had raised serious concerns with Beijing about the destroyers unsafe and unprofessional behavior.

US Navy upgrading torpedoes, leveraging cloud computing for submarines

The U.S., Canadian and Australian militaries have complained multiple times about what they say have been dangerous actions by the Chinese navy and air force in the western Pacific. Analysts say a collision or other accident could spark an international incident and escalate into conflict.

Australia said the Chinese destroyer CNS Ningbo operated its sonar while Australian naval divers were underwater trying to clear fishing nets that tangled the propellers of their ship HMAS Toowoomba.

Albanese said one diver was injured. Defense officials have not specified the injuries or number of divers, but media have reported the divers ears were injured.

Analysts say sonar pulses can cause extensive soft tissue damage to divers at close range.

Australia says the Toowoomba notified the Ningbo that diving operations were underway and asked the Chinese to keep clear. But the Ningbo approached using a hull-mounted sonar equipment, placing the divers at risk and forcing them from the water, defense officials say.

Chinas Defense Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian on Monday dismissed Australias allegations as completely untrue, and the ministry denied Australias account that the interaction occurred within Japans exclusive economic zone.

Wu said the destroyer had been tracking and monitoring the frigate in accordance with international laws and regulations. The Chinese ship had maintained a safe distance and did not interfere with the Australian divers operations, he said.

We urge the Australian side to respect the facts, stop making reckless and irresponsible accusations against China, do more to build up mutual trust between the two sides and create a positive atmosphere for the sound development of relations between the two countries and two militaries, Wu said.

Between the encounter and Marles statement, Albanese spoke to Xi on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific leaders summit in San Francisco. Albanese said on Monday his discussions with Xi were private, rather than a formal bilateral meeting in which content summaries are made public.

I dont talk about private meetings on the sidelines, discussions I have with any world leader, Albanese told Sky News in his Parliament House office.

Its something that is a regrettable incident. Thats why we have put our very strong objections to China very clearly, very directly through all of the appropriate channels in all the forums that are available to us, Albanese added.

He said the incident does do damage to Australias relationship with China. This was dangerous, it was unsafe and unprofessional from the Chinese forces, he said.
Sharon Holland told the BBC about her daughter's experience of a controlling partner

A woman calling for perpetrators of coercive control to face manslaughter charges if their victims take their own life has described her daughter's experience of domestic abuse.

Sharon Holland said her 23-year-old daughter Chloe, from Portsmouth, killed herself after a year of torment from her ex-partner Marc Masterton.

In an interview with the BBC, Sharon described how Masterton controlled Chloe and destroyed her confidence.

She now wants to see a law change.

Chloe began a relationship with Masterton in early 2022, having known him since school, and enjoyed the initial "honeymoon" stage of their relationship, her mother said.

But Chloe, herself a parent, later suffered incidents of physical abuse at the hands of Masterton, and the coercive behaviour began.

"He controlled who she spoke to, what friends she had on Facebook, he controlled her phone, I would say he controlled her finances, he controlled her freedom - and he also controlled her seeing her son," Sharon said.

"Her appearance changed - she stopped wearing her fake eyelashes, her makeup, her hair was tied up, her clothes were more covered up - she just didn't look herself."

However, she said her daughter "brushed off" any concerns she raised.

In August 2022 Chloe left Masterton and started to rebuild her life, but by October they were back in contact.

Chloe's mother said she did not know about this until two months later, shortly before the couple broke up for the second time.

She said her daughter went "quiet for a few days" after having a final "disagreement" with Masterton.

She recounted her "shock" and "not feeling it was real" when she said police told her that Chloe had made an attempt on her own life. Chloe died in hospital in February.

"I just wish I'd known everything that was going on because I could have done more," said Sharon.

"I miss her so much... she was really, really energetic, very loving and caring - she'd do anything for anyone."

Sharon Holland said Chloe (pictured as a child) had been a loving and caring young woman

Before her death, Chloe had reported Masterton for domestic abuse and gave a two-hour video submission to police that led to the 26-year-old's conviction for coercive and controlling behaviour.

He was jailed for 41 months.

Sharon does not believe this was long enough and is petitioning for a separate statutory offence for those perpetrators of coercive control whose victims take their own lives.

"If someone has coerced someone into feeling that bad that they take their own life then that should be manslaughter or they should be held accountable for that," she said.

She recently raised the issue at a Portsmouth City Council meeting and received unanimous support for her motion calling for coercive control offenders to face legal consequences in line with the suffering they have caused.

Councillor Kirsty Mellor has been supporting Mrs Holland with her petition to Parliament

Councillor Kirsty Mellor has been helping Mrs Holland with her journey.

"There is a glaring gap around this subject," said Ms Mellor.

"Suicide in domestic abuse situations is incredibly common - and it is increasing."

Dr Shonagh Dillon, chief executive of domestic abuse charity Aurora New Dawn, said it was "devastating" that Chloe's death was "not a unique story".

She said she supported the petition calling for a new law and that raising the profile of the impact coercive and controlling behaviour has on its victim was important.

"Perpetrators who are that controlling don't just stop after a woman has died or they've left the relationship, they go on to perpetrate again - so it's really important we hold those perpetrators to account," she added.

Sharon Holland's petition will require a response from the government if it reaches 10,000 signatures and at 100,000 signatures it would be considered for debate in Parliament.

Controlling or coercive behaviour became an offence under the Serious Crime Act 2015 and includes economic, emotional or psychological abuse and threats alongside physical or sexual violence.

If you have been affected by issues raised in this report, details of organisations offering information and support about suicide and emotional distress are available via BBC Action Line.

Follow BBC South on Facebook, X, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to south.newsonline@bbc.co.uk.
The handoff was quick and seamless, a coffee cup containing the DNA of a suspected Russian spy swapped for an identical one in a hallway exchange between a CIA operative and an FBI agent.

The move was textbook spycraft, but everything else about the scenario was extraordinary: The handoff went down within the bowels of CIA headquarters, and the suspected mole was one of the agencys own  but so was the man tasked with catching him.

The target was Harold Jim Nicholson, a charismatic career spy and devoted single dad whod been working for the CIA for 16 years.

The CIA colleague whod swiped the coffee cup from his desk was John Maguire, a former Baltimore cop whod carved out a counterrorism niche within the spy agency.

Maguire had been recalled from overseas by CIA superiors  banished to HR as punishment, hed thought, for rejecting a posting in Pakistan in autumn 1995  before being called into a secret meeting at Langley, asked if hed accept an unidentified job, then whisked to an off-site location.

There, in an FBI safe house in an unprecedented interagency spy-catching collaboration, he learned the details of the ask: Someone within the CIA was sneaking secrets to the Russians. Nicholson was the likely culprit. Maguire was to get Nicholson to hire him as his righthand man, spy on him from within his own department, then nail him with evidence so they could lock Nicholson up for treason.

By the summer of 1996, Maguire was working next to the suspected spy.

There were times when I just wanted to stab him in the neck at his desk and just say, F*** it, hes dead. Its over. Here, Maguire, now retired from the agency, tells The Independent.

Harold James Jim Nicholson, a longtime CIA officer and father of three, was described as smooth and crafty  and mercenary  by the man who was tasked with catching him (FBI)

He resisted the urge, however  and in just a matter of months, using an arsenal of tricks from old-school detective work to info-seeking liquid lunches, Maguire pulled it off. A spy had never been used to catch a spy at Langley before, and theres been no public announcement of any such feat since.

After more than two decades behind bars, Nicholson will be released from prison on 26 November. He was sentenced in 1997 to 23 years and 7 months for conspiracy to commit espionage  one of the highest-ranking CIA officers ever convicted of the offence. But the turncoat spy wasnt done; from prison, he duped his youngest child  a son in his mid-20s who worshipped his dad and long believed hed been railroaded  into continuing his traitorous relationship with the Russians.

They were caught and both convicted, the younger Nicholson avoiding jail time with a plea deal while his father was slapped with eight more years. The disgraced CIA man was also transferred from his cushy Oregon facility to the hardcore Colorado prison colloquially known as Supermax  from which hes scheduled to walk free after Thanksgiving.

Jim Nicholson was what they call a double hitter: There was his first crime, which he got caught for, went to prison, and then from prison organized his second one, author Bryan Denson, who interviewed Nathaniel Nicholson, Maguire and other players extensively for his 2015 book The Spys Son, tells The Independent.

Denson believes the release will be a gut-check moment for the spy, who turns 73 just days before hes scheduled to walk free.

Maybe Jim is a better person than he proved himself to be there for a bit, and maybe he will show fealty for his family and want to, you know, put his grandchildren on his knee and be that guy  but hes going to be a pauper if he does it, Denson tells The Independent, noting that Nicholson, like any convicted spy, will be legally barred from profiting off of his crimes.

Maguire, who has more firsthand experience of Nicholson and his personality, is convinced hes going to run.

Hes not going to stay here, says Maguire, who remains incredulous that the US government never used Nicholson as a bargaining chip to get back Americans imprisoned in Russia like Brittany Griner and Paul Whelan. Hell be gone in a couple of weeks.

Nicholsons lawyer, contacted by The Independent, said neither he nor his client could comment before the release.

Very few turncoats have been released from prison in recent years  Robert Hanssen died behind bars earlier this year and Aldrich Ames remains serving a life sentence without parole. Ana Montes, who spied for Cuba and was released in January, moved to Puerto Rico, and Jonathan Pollard, who spied for Israel, moved there after his 2015 release.

After covering Nicholson for years and literally writing the book on him, Denson says the spys next steps remain a big question to me.

Does he just get himself plucked by the Russians and go back to Moscow where the moneys waiting for him? Denson says. Or does he stay here and do right by his family?

Because Nicholson, when it comes down to it, betrayed everyone and everything in his life that he purported to hold dear: His country, his colleagues, his career and, most importantly, his family and his children.

Nicholson was arrested in 1996, on the eve of his 46th birthday, and sentenced to more than 23 years in prison but he then co-opted his son into continuing his relationship with the Russians while he was behind bars (FBI)

Its all a far cry from the life Nicholson imagined as he idolized James Bond while growing up on Air Force bases with a former Army cryptographer mother, Betty, and Air Force serviceman stepfather, Marvin Nick Nicholson. Bettys first husband and Jims biological father had walked away from the family, and Marvin married her when Jim was seven, formally adopting the child.

Inspired by his familys military history and the spy stories he devoured, a young Nicholson enrolled in ROTC during college at Oregon State, where he met his future wife, Laurie, who would later give birth to the couples three children. Nicholson worked in military intelligence but left the Army in 1979 and held a civilian job briefly, before joining the CIA the following year.

He hauled his growing family to various posts abroad. From the Philippines to Romania to Thailand, his marriage grew ever more tumultuous with allegations of cheating on both sides; by 1992, Laurie, fed up with her husbands selfish ambition and infidelity, had returned to the US and filed divorce papers. She later told Denson that one of Jims greatest faults  was that he had somehow accustomed himself to champagne tastes on a Budweiser budget, he writes in The Spys Son.

Two years later, Nicholson walked into the Russian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, where he was stationed, the CIA under the impression he was trying to recruit their intelligence chief. Instead, the veteran operative offered his own services to the SVR (the Russian foreign intelligence department that preceded the KGB) for payment  just weeks after infamous CIA turncoat Ames was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Nicholson, Denson writes in his book, figured that with Ames out of the way, the SVR might be in the market for another highly paid mole inside the CIA.

They were. So began a deeply damaging double-cross that would continue, in various guises, for more than a decade.

In the immediate, however, Nicholson pulled off some of his most damaging work. With primary custody of his children, he moved the family back to Virginia in 1994 and began working as an instructor at the CIAs training facility, colloquially referred to as The Farm. There, he gathered intelligence on the upcoming recruits and sold it to the Russians, rendering the future US spies effectively useless going forward. He was also photographing and summarizing top-secret files and reports to pass along, everything from information about US policy to foreign cables to debriefings of Ames that could prove useful to the Russians.

By 1996, US intelligence had realised it had a problem and was frantically trying to root out the mole.

Thats when the higher-ups tapped Maguire, who was miserable at his temporary Langley desk assignment after years of exciting and efficacious field work. Hed been recalled from overseas as authorities zeroed in on Nicholson as the mole  unaware that higher-ups were readying him for a mammoth in-house espionage challenge, he says.

Theres a reason that HR is only on the second floor, he jokes You cant even jump out of the window high enough; youll land in the bushes, break your legs and then youll be in HR in a wheelchair.

Hes the type of no-nonsense guy who cracks those jokes in between explaining how he took down one of the most damaging spies in history. He learned the details in the safe house after passing a polygraph from the first-string, varsity officers  people that know their s***.

Eventually, says Maguire, The lead agent said, Weve got another Ames.

Nicholsons son, Nathaniel, travelled in his stead to meet-ups with Russians in exotic locales but was spared prison through a plea deal after his arrest (Nathan Nicholson)

He was instructed to get [Nicholson] to pick you to be his deputy and use the position to surveil and snare him  and fast.

Youve got to catch that f****r in a year; we cant afford to wait five years, Maguire says another high-ranking superior told him at a later meeting. Youve got to catch him doing something.

Real-life espionage, he says, is not some swashbuckling James Bond thing, although he noted that Nicholson, who was enamoured with 007 as a child, himself was a real womanizer, known for being tall, dark, handsome, and very smooth, very, very, crafty.

The spywork itself was more mundane, a methodical mind game of four-dimensional chess, and you have to plan and role play, Maguire says.

What I had to do for this was essentially an operational meeting for eight to nine hours a day and not make a mistake and not mess up, says Maguire  all the time watching for clues that Nicholson might be readying to do something operational.

I needed to make sure I didnt miss anything, he tells The Independent. It was very stressful an enormously straining mental exercise.

Nicholsons MO included targeting younger officers and collecting background information on them to share with the Russians, so that they would be vulnerable to being convinced to share information themselves later down the track on overseas missions.

He was a clever guy and a mercenary son of a bitch, because he didnt care what happened to those kids, those young officers  theyre working for a guy whos set up a target package on them so they can be approached later in their careers, he says. Ive never seen that before.

Nicholsons predecessor, Ames, executed horrible crimes, Maguire says  but he didnt headhunt in the building,

And we know Jim was headhunting in the building.

So was Maguire, though  and his efforts paid off after a liquid lunch in Georgetown in October 1996, not long before Nicholson was scheduled to make an overseas trip.

He had a six-pack of beer on the floor of the car, and Im drinking beer in his car on the way back to the building; were driving around in rural Virginia, and I say, Are you lost? And he goes, No, no, no, and theres a place out here, this is one of the days when they release unique runs of stamps.

Nicholson hopped out at a rural post office, bought stamps, got back in the car, and they returned to Langley, Maguire triggering a meeting with the FBI to tip them off that it seemed his boss was readying to do something operational.

They just bet the farm on that night, and they had a tremendous amount of manpower deployed and prepared, Maguire says. And sure enough, he went out late at night, left his house, left his kids at home alone and went out  and they actually caught him in the act mailing something, and then that was the stamp that he bought  and he licked it, so there was DNA on it. And he threw it in the mailbox, and before the sun came up that thing was processed and in the evidence system, and then the real postcard went back in the mailbox and went on its way to the overseas address, and he established a direct link to the KGB.

Nicholson was arrested on the eve of his 46th birthday and sentenced in June 1997 to 23 years and seven months in prison. His childrens lives had been uprooted unceremoniously, the family home in Virginia turned upside down before the oldest, Jeremi, who was in college in Oregon, flew his younger sister, Star, and brother, Nathaniel, back to the West Coast.

Nicholson, who turns 73 this week, served as overseas case officer and instructor at the CIAs training facility before taking up a position at Langley, where his righthand man was tasked with spying on him to prove his treason (NCSC)

The youngest Nicholson was just 12 when his father was arrested, and the spys mother and stepfather refused to believe their feted, patriotic scion had done any wrong. Along with the children, theyd visit the imprisoned ex-CIA officer at the Oregon facility where he was sent, and it was there that Nathan recalled his father apologising  and explaining that hed just wanted to help you kids out, Denson writes in The Spys Son.

Nathan never let go of the memory of that painful heart-to-heart, Denson writes. Seeing his dad so sorrowful, head literally hung low, churned in his young mind. He convinced himself that the government must have pressured him to confess  even to his own kids  that he spied for Russia.

Nathan followed his fathers footsteps into the Army, but an injury sidelined his military career and he returned to Oregon, where he enrolled in community college in 2005, visiting his father in prison every other Saturday. Nicholson had been cooking up ways to resume contact with the Russians, and it wasnt long before he enlisted his son.

During one visit, he told Nathan that his old friends in Moscow were holding an account open in his name, and that together they might be able to make some early withdrawals, Denson writes. Jim had lost his freedom in service to the Russian Federation, and now he felt it was Russias turn to help support his kids while he was away. He wanted to know if Nathan was willing to serve in his stead on the outside.

His youngest agreed on the spot  soon establishing contact with the Russians by walking into the consulate in San Francisco, before travelling to meetings in far-away locales from Mexico to Cyprus, passing messages and accepting money between 2006 and 2008 before he was caught. The younger Nicholson, at 26 years old, narrowly avoided jail in a plea deal that helped him build the prosecutions case against his father, who received an additional eight years.

I think his heart was really, for a time, broken when he realized, finally, what his dad had done, Denson, a fellow Oregonian who now considers Nathan a friend after extensively interviewing him for the 2015 book. His dad made it sound like it was no big deal  and this is, of course, coming from Nathan himself. [His dad] made it sound like he was just doing him a little favour, but he had to be secretive.

I think, in his heart, Nathan probably knew that it was wrong, but  hes a guy who is a pleaser, Denson says. He loves his close circle of friends and family and shows it  Nathan Nicholson is a fundamentally decent man.

Denson and Maguire, both fathers, could not believe the spy had coopted his son into crime.

That was the most mercenary thing, Maguire says, adding: He used his son and destroyed the basis of trust that a kid has with their father.

That ruthless streak and demonstrated fairweather loyalty only supports Maguires theory that Nicholson will high-tail it out of America as quick as his treasonous feet can carry him.

Hell behave himself for a couple of weeks, hell get a plan together and figure out what he wanted to do, says Maguire, adding that every officer has a long-term contact break plan that investigators never uncovered among Nicholsons things.

He is a traitor he made his bed. He is a spy. He doesnt believe in the country. He hates the system, and he signed up with an enemy nation, he says. And if thats where he wants to have his allegiance, then ship him there and get a good innocent man back.
LANCASTER, Pa. (WHTM)  The city of Lancaster has announced its list of holiday events that will officially kick off the areas holiday season.

Mayors Tree Lighting- Nov. 24th

The event is from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and will take place in Penn Square. Because of the event, there will be street closures in place. The 40-foot Norway Spruce was donated by a Mount Joy resident. To see the full list of street closures, click here.

Small Business Saturday- Nov. 25

A full list of participating businesses can be found by clicking here.

Tuba Christmas- Dec. 1

Beginning at 8 p.m. tuba players will be in Ewell Plaza playing classic holiday songs.

Menorah Lightings- Dec. 7  14

The public menorah in Penn Square each evening at 5:30, except from Dec. 8 when it will be lit at 4 p.m.

Santa in the City- Dec. 8, 9, & 16

Santa, escorted by the Lancaster City Bureaus of Fire and Police, will visit downtown and neighborhoods. Click here for details on Santas schedule.

Holiday Arts Market- Dec. 8

From 5 p.m. to 8 pm., Ewell Plaza will be home to an inaugural outdoor holiday arts market featuring local artisans, visits with Santa, food trucks, and organizations.

Lancaster Shops Late- Dec. 8

From 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Lancaster Citys shops, boutiques, and more stay open late into the night. Click here for a list of businesses that will be open during the event.

Light Up Southeast- Dec. 8

From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., residents can colorful displays along the South Duke Street Mall.





For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27.
More extreme and hotter weather is expected with climate change, which poses challenges for current cranberry production regions. Cranberries are sensitive to heat stress, leading to declines in yield and fruit quality and increases in disease pressure, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which is working to make cranberry farming more resilient , says on its website.

Not unlike wine grapes, cranberries, which are harvested in the autumn, need cool evenings to properly ripen, according to Hilary Sandler, a cranberry expert at the University of Massachusetts. But those cool evenings now come much later in the year, which means the fruit endures warmer temperatures for several more weeks than in previous years. The longer the fruit are on the vine, the more rot youre going to get. So, its always a very anxious time, Sandler told public radio station CAI.


Paul Tomita poses for a portrait in a historic barracks at Minidoka National Historic Site, July 8, 2023, in Jerome, Idaho.

Paul Tomita poses for a portrait in a historic barracks at Minidoka National Historic Site, July 8, 2023, in Jerome, Idaho.

Manyofus these days are contemplating the various ways that cultural and ethnic erasure play out globally. In one example in the U.S., theres been a recent clash between the government and survivors of Japanese American incarceration camps over the development of land near a memorial thats crucial to the community.

According to a report by The Associated Press, the Bureau of Land Management is planning to build a wind farm that would include 118 square miles of 400 turbines near the Minidoka National Historic Site in Jerome, Idaho  one of the few remaining sacred spaces for Japanese American survivors of U.S. incarceration camps.

A group of survivors are trying to stop this, arguing that the project will challenge the accessibility of the memorial, and that building the wind farm here will contribute to the erasure of a crucial moment in Japanese American history.

For decades, the Minidoka National Historic Site has been a place of healing for survivors who were forcibly shuttled into concentration camps in the supposed interest of national security after the 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor. During this time, the government saw even innocent civilians, including children, as a threat  based on nothing more than their race, and despite the fact that these individuals had no prior history of violence.

From 1942 to 1946, 10 incarceration camps were scattered across the western United States  some of them on tribal lands. According to the National Archives, the camps held 120,000 Japanese Americans, adults and children alike, who were forced to leave their homes and everything they knew for a life of heightened surveillance and state-sanctioned violence.

Since closing these camps in 1946, the government has done little to keep a physical record of this history  outside of Minidoka, which became a national park in 2001. Now, it serves as a memorial for survivors and their families visiting the site. The land holds the truth about their experiences of imprisonment, and has been central to many survivors healing processes. In all likelihood, it is one of the last pieces of physical evidence that this atrocity ever took place. The families of survivors  or anyone who knows what its like to be a feared and disenfranchised minority in this country  understand how important it is to have monuments like this to reflect on Americas darker history.

Because of this, individuals who spent traumatic periods of their lives at Minidoka are now speaking out to challenge the decision to convert areas near the national park into a wind farm. The conversion would be a part of a plan to produce up to 1,000 megawatts of power for Idaho residents. According to the AP, supporters of the project cite the increasing need for clean energy to the area.

Reducing our dependence on planet-warming fossil fuels is indeed an urgent priority. Still, while our nations leaders look to address climate issues that affect all of us, incarceration camp survivors and their families are trying to bring to light the U.S. governments pattern of finding solutions that just so happen to contribute to the erasure of marginalized communities and histories.

If Minidoka was a white memorial to white soldiers who died in whatever war it is, do you think that they would offer free land to Lava Ridge to develop their windmills there? Paul Tomita, an 84-year-old incarceration camp survivor, told the AP. Hell no.

Theres a lot to consider here. How can we effectively address climate change without performing acts of cultural erasure? How do we protect sacred land and include their stewards in our response to climate change? And how can we work collectively to create equitable solutions for everyone?

Zora Neale Hurston once said: If youre silent about your pain, theyll kill you and say you enjoyed it. Reducing access to the Minidoka memorial site is arguably a form of blotting out a dark history that we all need to keep in our memories  so the same mistakes are never repeated.

Related...
A manhunt was underway in Colorado Tuesday morning for a gunman who shot and killed three people after an apparent argument over property lines escalated into deadly violence.

The shooter opened fire on a group of five people around 1 p.m. Monday in a wooded area along Rocky Ridge Road, some 50 miles southeast of Colorado Springs. Two men and a woman were fatally struck, Custer County Sheriff Lloyd Rich Smith told reporters during an evening news conference. Another victim, also a woman, suffered multiple gunshots to the chest and was airlifted to an area hospital in critical condition .She is expected to survive, Smith said.

Their names have not been released.

A fifth person who was with them at the time, identified by KMGH-TV as a surveyor, managed to escape unharmed.

Authorities have since identified the suspect as Hanme Clark. He is believed to be traveling in a White [Dodge] Ram 1500 pickup with a topper, Colorado license plate: BHLK27, according to police.

The suspect and at least one of the victims have been in previous civil disputes about property lines, Smith said, without providing further details.

The gunfire on Monday triggered an hours-long shelter-place-order for residents across Custer County  a rural part of the state with a little more than 5,000 residents  as officers combed the area in search of the suspect. A SWAT team also responded to aid in the efforts.

The order was lifted shortly after 8 p.m. despite the shooter remaining at large.

We have a very good lead on almost exactly where the suspect and the vehicle are, and were working with another law enforcement agency to take him into custody, Smith said Monday night.
The hunt is on for a Colorado man who shot four people, killing three and seriously wounding another, over an ongoing property line dispute, police said.

Police have since identified the suspected shooter as Hanme K. Clark, 45, and asked locals to be on the lookout for his covered white Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck with the license plate number BHLK27.

Clark stands at 6'3" and weighs about 200 pounds, the department wrote in their alert, and may be traveling with a dark-haired woman.

"We have a very good idea on where the suspect and vehicle is. We are working with another law-enforcement agency to take them to custody," Custer County Sheriff Rich Smith told 11 News.

COLORADO PLASTIC SURGEON SENTENCED TO JUST 15 DAYS AFTER TEEN DIES DURING BREAST IMPANT SURGERY

Hanme K. Clark, 45, who stands 6'3" and weighs about 200 pounds, is driving a covered white Dodge Ram 1500 pickup and may be accompanied by a dark-haired woman. After allegedly killing three people and wounding a fourth on Monday, per the Custer County Sheriff's Office, he has managed to evade police custody.

Custer County Sheriff's Department deputies received reports around 1 p.m. Monday of a shooting at 173 Rocky Ridge Road in a wooded area about eight miles northeast of Westcliffe, about 75 miles southeast of Colorado Springs.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

The first deputy of a SWAT team arrived about 25 minutes later due to the remote location, the department wrote in a press release.

"We entered kind of at a high risk and checked to see if there's any survivors," Smith told CBS 11 News.

Once on the scene, police found two men and a woman shot dead. A fourth victim  a woman in critical condition who is expected to survive her injuries  was reportedly airlifted to a Colorado Springs hospital.

A surveyor was on the property line with the group when the shooting happened, but managed to get away safely, the department told ABC Denver 7.

"Its not something we normally see. The first thing I want to say... my thoughts are with the families of the victims," Smith told 11 News.

CHICAGO MAN, 72, FATALLY SHOT IN DRIVE-BY WHILE LEAVING FAMILY PARTY

The Salida Police Department, which is assisting the Custer County Sheriff's Department in their search, posted this photo of the Dodge Ram 1500 fugitive Hanme K. Clark is believed to be driving.

Clark and one of the victims, the department said, had been involved in an ongoing property line dispute.

Clark is considered armed and dangerous, the department wrote, and residents are asked to call authorities rather than approach him.

It took 25 minutes for deputies to get to the remote area of Westcliffe after a shooting was reported at 173 Rocky Ridge Road, per the Custer County Sheriff's Department.

EXPERTS RECOMMEND ISOLATING DOGS AMID RESPIRATORY 'MYSTERY ILLNESS'

A shelter-in-place order has been announced in the Salida area as police continue to search for the homicide suspect.

School buses will not be picking up children within the shelter-in-place zone. Fox News Digital could not reach the Salida School District for clarification on whether classes were in session on Tuesday.





Original article source: Colorado police hunt gunman after 3 people killed in quadruple shooting over property dispute
SALT SLAKE CITY (ABC4)  A Colorado university has launched an online course inspired by Utah Gov. Spencer Coxs Disagree Better initiative, addressing problems of polarization in America.

The course, offered by Colorado State University Global is aptly called Disagree Better. It aims to help students learn tools and strategies and styles for healthy conflict.

Man charged with smashing glass door at Gov. Coxs campaign office

The Disagree Better initiative was implemented by Cox while he served as Chair of the National Governors Association. Cox said Americans need to learn to disagree better in a way that helps find solutions and solve problems without endlessly bickering.

Cox said his intention with the initiative is to model how to have a civil disagreement with the hopes that by setting an example, the movement could spread throughout the public at all levels of government and beyond. CSU Globals online course is one of many public-facing projects of the Disagree Better initiative with more projects becoming available by the end of the year.

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Partisan animosity is not good for individuals and its not good for the country. Thats why I launched this Disagree Better initiative to show there is a better way to find solutions, and Im excited that CSU Global is amplifying the effort, said Gov. Cox. This course provides an excellent opportunity for students to learn conflict resolution skills, skills that will improve their personal and professional relationships as well as our political discourse.

CSU Global Provost Dr. Audra Spicer said students enrolled in the course will learn to identify communication styles and conflict management skills that will help effective collaboration between advocates and adversaries.

Whether it is a dinner table conversation or a business negotiation, healthy and respectful conflict management and persuasion are tools for finding success in everyday situations, said Dr. Spicer.

In todays challenging environment, it is more critical than ever that we can address conflict in a positive and effective way to try to reach a resolution on the many problems facing our nation, society, and communities, said CSU Global President Dr. Becky Takeda-Tinker. CSU Global is delighted to have the opportunity to design and provide this course to teach those important tools to professionals in our state and beyond.

The course is worth one college credit and can apply to a CSU Global degree or certificate or apply to another program at other institutions that have created transfer pathways for the credit, according to the governors office.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
The city of Columbia will decline an estimated $12 million to scrub toxic forever chemicals from its drinking water, saying the money offered in a major legal settlement isnt nearly enough to do the job.

Instead, the city is considering filing its own lawsuit to gain funds from makers of forever chemicals that are liable for toxins now showing up in drinking water supplies across the country.

Columbia says it could cost $150 million to $200 million to upgrade its drinking water system to filter out forever chemicals, not including millions of dollars in additional annual operating expenses.

Earlier this year, lawyers suing major makers and suppliers of forever chemicals  3M, DuPont and companies related to DuPont  reached class action settlement agreements with the chemical giants totaling more than $11 billion. The money would go to drinking water systems across the country. The companies individually agreed to provide the settlement money after scores of lawsuits were filed.

Forever chemicals have a variety of toxic effects on people, including certain types of cancers, thyroid conditions and high cholesterol.

This is a legal step the city is taking on the advice of counsel to take us out of the class settlement, to allow us to seek a better judgment for the city of Columbia, Councilman Howard Duvall said after the council voted not to accept the settlement funds.

Columbia took action because the deadline is nearing for drinking water systems to decide whether to take settlement funds that could be used to filter out the pollution.

Deciding not to accept the settlement money carries risk. Columbia would have to raise water rates substantially to cover the costs of upgrading its water plant, if money from other sources is not available.

Columbia and other cities that choose not to take the settlement money may get nothing to clean up their water later. If DuPont or 3M, for instance, were to go out of business, there would not be money in the future. It also could take years for those cities to obtain funds through their own lawsuits, if the suits were successful.

Unlike Columbia, the city of Cayce plans to take the settlement money, according to a statement Tuesday.

Cayce, whose system is substantially smaller than Columbias, did not provide a figure on how much it would receive in the settlements. But Cayce officials said the 3M and DuPont settlements are an opportunity to collect money in the near future to the benefit of Cayce and its citizens, without the uncertainty and delay that comes from opting out of either settlement.

The city of Columbias decision to reject the settlement money reflects the thinking of many other local governments that provide water across the country.

Earlier this month, 22 governments and water districts across the country raised objections in federal court, saying the settlements arent adequate to cover the costs of cleaning up water, and that the settlements shield 3M and the DuPont companies from further liability.

In the Columbia area, the town of Lexington and the Lexington Joint Municipal Water and Sewer Commission are among those that also have decided against taking the money, officials said.

Those governments provide customers with water that originates from West Columbias water plant, one of the areas largest systems. The West Columbia City Council has not voted on whether to opt out of the settlement, a spokesperson said Tuesday.

The Lexington Town Council voted against the settlement money Monday night after determining it would be no more than a few million dollars, Mayor Steve MacDougall said. Not only was the money not enough, but accepting the funds would tie Lexingtons hands from taking its own legal action if that is necessary to recover more funds from the manufacturers, he said.

Statewide, more than 50 utilities  including Columbia and West Columbia  have at one point registered forever chemicals above a proposed new federal limit on forever chemicals in drinking water, state Department of Health and Environmental Control records show.

Separately, attorneys general in some states have taken their own action against manufacturers of forever chemicals, including S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson.

According to the resolution approved Monday by the Columbia City Council, the legal settlement for Columbia is not in its best interests. The resolution empowers City Manager Teresa Wilson to opt out of the settlement.

Clint Shealy, an assistant city manager over Columbias utilities, said the city estimated it would receive about $12 million from the settlement, based on the level of forever chemicals in its water and other factors.

The city will be out of compliance with a new federal drinking water standard of 4 parts per trillion for certain forever chemicals, if the federal standard takes effect as proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The class action lawsuit does not give us the highest chance in reclaiming as much of the investment needed as possible, Shealy said, noting that the estimated amount was woefully low.

Duvall told The State that its possible the EPAs proposed new standard will be raised from 4 parts per trillion to a higher level, which would put Columbia in compliance. Levels in the citys drinking water are slightly higher than the proposed standard of 4.

Duvall said the city also doesnt want to limit itself legally, if more money is needed. Lawyers advising the city have told Columbia to pursue a legal course of our own, or with like-minded utilities, Duvall said.

Forever chemicals have been widely used in foam developed to put out fires and in coatings for non-stick frying pans, stain-resistant carpet and water resistant clothing. The toxic compounds were developed in the 1940s and used for decades. But for years, 3M and DuPont did not provide information about the hazards, despite knowing about the toxicity, according to multiple media outlets.

Forever chemicals are formally known as per and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, but received the name forever chemicals because they can linger for decades in the environment.

The 22 governments and agencies known to have filed objections across the country to the DuPont and 3M settlements said the deals could release the companies from too much liability, while not fully covering clean up costs, Reuters reported Nov. 13.

The funds proposed are grossly inadequate, according to comments from Dallas, Texas, in the Reuters story. The story also said an attorney who negotiated the settlement said he took objections seriously, but he believes many concerns have already been resolved.
A Columbus man who prosecutors say killed a neighbor last year in an argument over a parking spot at a duplex has been found guilty of murder by a Franklin County jury.

After a five-day trial in Franklin County Common Pleas Court, the jury returned its verdict Friday against 33-year-old Johnnie Wappner, finding him guilty of murder, reckless homicide and felonious assault.

On Sept. 21, 2022, Wappner killed 32-year-old Marcus Deloney outside a duplex in the Sharon Heights area on the city's North Side.

During a fight over a parking space, Wappner hit Deloney on the head with a firearm before shooting him in the back, according to the Franklin County Prosecutor's Office.

Police said at the time it was an ongoing dispute between the two over parking.

Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Mark Serrott will sentence Wappner on Nov. 29. Wappner faces 21 years to life in prison.

jlaird@dispatch.com

@LairdWrites

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus man found guilty of murdering neighbor over parking spot
Nearly a decade ago, my husband was diagnosed with stage-3C colon cancer. Given our limited insurance plan would not cover the costs of chemotherapy and surgery, we were left with two options: either sell our house to cover those costs or start my husbands treatment in Switzerland, where he is originally from.

Ultimately, we chose the latter until my husband could find another job that offered better insurance.

Today, he is doing well and we are incredibly grateful for the advancements in medical research and innovation that made his treatment possible. However, no one should have to make the difficult choices we had to make because their insurance company refuses to cover the cost of care  and not everyone has the option to begin treatment in another country.

Congress should work to address this issue, which impacts millions of Americans, by reforming the profit-driven practices of insurance companies and Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), the healthcare middlemen that control 80% of the prescriptions available today.

PBMs use an array of restrictive policies to increase their profits while delaying or denying access to care for patients. Reforming PBMs and the harmful practices they use should be a top priority in Congress.

Hopefully, Sen. Todd Young and the rest of Indianas congressional delegation will help push for PBM and insurance reform that reduces costs and improves access for patients here in Indiana and nationwide.

Laurie A. Roesli is a resident of Martinsville.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Column: Asking Sen. Young to address insurance reform
Stand-up comedian Matt Rifes sarcastic response to critics calling him out for making a domestic violence joke has been branded disrespectful and offensive.

Rife, whose viral crowd work interaction videos have earned him a massive social media following, recently scored his first Netflix comedy special after self-releasing his material on YouTube.

However, his streaming debut became embroiled in controversy after the 28-year-old comedian opened the special, titled Natural Selection, with a joke about domestic abuse.

The Ohio-native begins his hour-long set, which was filmed in Washington DC, with an anecdote set at a restaurant in ratchet Baltimore where the hostess who seats you had a black eye.

"A full black eye. It wasn't like, 'What happened?' It was pretty obvious what happened, he continued. But we couldn't get over, like, this is the face of the company? This is who you have greeting people?

"And my boy, who I was with, was like, 'Yeah, I feel bad for her, man, I feel like they should put her in the kitchen or something where nobody has to see her face, Rife carried on. And I was like, 'Yeah, but I feel like if she could cook, she wouldn't have that black eye.

After the special was released on 15 November, several X/Twitter users called Rife out for the misogynistic joke about domestic abuse  especially considering his online fan base is predominantly comprised of women.

One user wrote: The way women catapulted Matt Rife into popularity and the second he gets a comedy special on Netflix he immediately betrays them with a joke about domestic violence crazy innit.

The girls and gays were Matt Rifes biggest demographic and he used his Netflix special to pander to toxic masculinity, another person commented. It feels like a betrayal.

Not Matt Rife building his platform on catering to his female audience and then opening his Netflix special with a domestic violence joke, a third, similar comment read.

Ridiculing the criticism against him, Rife directed people who may have been offended by a joke I told to his official apology that was labelled Tap to solve your issue on his Instagram Stories. Those who clicked the link were led to a website selling helmets for people with special needs.

Many social media users felt Rifes fake apology was in poor taste, with one person writing: Theres a difference between an edgy joke and just being disrespectful and distasteful.

Rife responded to criticism about a sexist joke with a sarcastic apology (Instagram @mattrife)

Oh good. Ableism to chase the misogyny, another Twitter user wrote.

The Independent has contacted Rifes representatives for comment.

Ahead of the release of his Netflix special at the centre of a social media storm, Rife told Variety that Natural Selection is way more for guys.

One thing I wanted to tackle in this special was showing people that, despite what you think about me online, I dont pander my career to women, he said. I would argue [Natural Selection] is way more for guys, he told Variety.

I LOVE the Matt Rifes crowd work - hes so witty & playful - so I watched his Netflix special Natural Selection.



What happened?



That was such uninspired, lazy, crass middle school humor and his demeanor was bitter and resentful. NOTHING like the persona that made him famous.  Noah Kinsey (@thenoahkinsey) November 17, 2023

When asked whether hes worried about offending audiences with his darker material, Rife replied: You dont know what other people are into and thats why you have to go out there and do your comedy and just lay it all out there, vulnerably, to find your audience.

The way I look at it is, as a comedian everything comes down to intent, he added. I know for me, everything that leaves my mouth on stage is purely with the intention of making people laugh. Its never any deeper, never any more or never any less than that.

This isnt the first time Rife has courted controversy; earlier this year, his vulgar comments about womens bodies during an episode of the Stiff Socks podcast were widely panned.

Reflecting on the insane backlash to his podcast appearance during a subsequent interview with The New York Times, Rife said: Youre mad at somebody thats just trying to make you laugh? Thats such an insane concept to me.
Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, has congratulated Ukrainian air assault troops on their professional holiday.

Source: Zaluzhnyi on Telegram

Quote: "Ukrainian air assault troops are always first, and these are not just words or a slogan. This is a life principle.

Ukrainian airborne troops are always at the most challenging parts of the contact line. They're always where the victory is!

I bow my head in respect and in memory of each and every airborne trooper who has laid down their lives for Ukraine, for our dignity and freedom in the fight against the Russian invaders.

I am proud of the invincible knights of the Archangel Michael! Courageous and wise, noble and brave  thats the elite of Ukraines Armed Forces, the Air Assault troops."

For reference: Since 2017 the Ukrainian Air Assault Troops have celebrated their professional holiday on 21 November, the feast day of St Michael the Archangel, the supreme commander of God's army in the battle against evil forces.

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At least 53 journalists and media workers have been killed since the latest outbreak of fighting in Gaza, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. File Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI

Nov. 21 (UPI) -- At least 53 journalists and media workers have been killed since Oct. 7, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday.

The CPJ said in a press release the deaths include 46 Palestinians, 4 Israelis and 3 Lebanese citizens.

Additionally, 3 journalists have been reported missing, 11 have been injured, and 18 have been arrested.

"Journalists across the region are making great sacrifices to cover this heartbreaking conflict," said CPJ Middle East and North Africa program coordinator Sherif Mansour. "Those in Gaza, in particular, have paid, and continue to pay, an unprecedented toll and face exponential threats."

On Oct. 7, the day Hamas breached Gaza's border wall, killed 1,200 people and took hostages, six journalists were killed, making it the deadliest day in the conflict for journalists.

The CPJ says the fighting has resulted in the deadliest month for journalists since the organization started gathering data in 1992. File Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI

The second deadliest day was Nov. 18, when five journalists were killed.

According to the CPJ, the current Gaza war has resulted in the deadliest month for journalists since the organization began gathering information in 1992.

Palestinians receive bags of flour distributed by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees. At least 108 UNRWA workers have been killed in the conflict. Photo by Ismail Muhammad/UPI

Earlier this month, Reporters Without Borders filed a war crimes complaint with the International Criminal Court in response to nine journalists who were killed while covering the war.

At least 13,000 civilians have been killed in the Gaza strip since Oct. 7, the United Nations said citing the local Ministry of Health with at least 4,000 children among them as U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said "what is clear is that we have had in a few weeks thousands of children killed."

The United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestinian Refugees said more than 1.7 million people in Gaza have been displaced including 880,000 internally who have sought refuge in its shelters. Photo by Ismail Muhammad/UPI

"This is what matters. We are witnessing a killing of civilians that is unparalleled and unprecedented in any conflict since I have been secretary-general," he said.

The United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestinian Refugees said more than 1.7 million people in Gaza have been displaced including 880,000 internally who have sought refuge in its shelters.

At least 13,000 civilians have been killed in the Gaza strip since Oct. 7, the United Nations said citing the local Ministry of Health with at least 4,000 children among them as U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said "what is clear is that we have had in a few weeks thousands of children killed." Photo by Ismail Muhammad/UPI

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said Wednesday that more than 108 of its staff members have been confirmed killed as nearly 67 UNRWA installations have been struck, including 17 direct hits.

"The people of Gaza are not safe anywhere: not at home, not under the U.N. flag, not in a hospital, not in the North and not in the South," he said.
An Oregon District shooting survivor was at the Beavercreek Walmart after a shooting Monday night.

>>UPDATE: Dayton man identified as Walmart mass shooter, 4 still hospitalized

>>4 victims hurt, shooter dead after shooting at Beavercreek Walmart

Dion Green was at home when he got a text message that there was a shooting at the Beavercreek Walmart on Paragon Boulevard.

>>PHOTOS: Large Police Presence called to Beavercreek Walmart

This is my community, he told News Center 7s Brandon Lewis on Monday night. I looked at the news and said, I have to be there, to see if there is any support that I can lend to the victims or the officers.

Green is both a survivor of a mass shooting and a family member of a victim. His father, Derrick Fudge, was one of nine people killed in the Oregon District shooting on August 4, 2019.

>>RELATED: Heartbroken; Walmart releases statement following shooting at Beavercreek store

>>RELATED: Dozens of police swarm Beavercreek Walmart, sprint into store after shooting, witnesses say

He was in the parking lot Monday night and saw Walmart workers and gave each of them a hug.

I told them, Hey, Im here if you need me, he said. Its still a fog to them. But I know in a couple of hours, maybe tomorrow, that tremble will kick in. I wanted to let them know that you have a support system.

Green reiterated to them that they are not alone and there are people across the state to provide support.

>>RELATED: Oregon District Shooting: How the nine victims will be remembered

He also told Lewis that its always tiring seeing events like what happened Monday night in Beavercreek.

I am tired of seeing families being part of this network, said Green. Im a man of faith. This is a job he tasked me to do. Whether Im down or up, Im here to be able to comfort those who are experiencing those who dont have to experience it.

>>RELATED: Man who lost father in Oregon District mass shooting heads to Maine to show support

News Center 7 previously reported that Green traveled to Maine last month to provide support to families after a gunman killed 18 people at a bowling alley and restaurant.

>>PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Oregon District shooting survivor traveling to Texas to offer support in wake of school shooting

Green also traveled to Uvalde, Texas in 2022 after a gunman entered Robb Elementary School and opened fire, killing 19 children and two teachers. He went to Buffalo, New York to comfort families after an 18-year-old gunman opened fire at a supermarket and killed 10 people.

News Center 7 will continue to provide updates on the deadly shooting at the Beavercreek Walmart throughout the day on Tuesday.
SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU)  Rates for water could be on the rise for residents in Scranton and Dunmore. Earlier in November, Pennsylvania American Water (PAW) proposed water and sewage rate increases of up to 32% for the areas of Scranton and Dunmore.

According to local lawmakers, these rate hikes are being caused by the need to repair aging infrastructure in the area.

A plan proposed by PAW to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission could significantly raise water and sewer rates for people in Dunmore and Scranton.

Local lawmakers and residents are fighting back, saying the rates are too high to handle.

These arent just numbers on a page. Theyre a burden on the affordability to our residents, said Pennsylvania State Senator Marty Flynn.

After Scranton and Dunmore homeowners were hit with a more than 70% rate increase back in January, PAW has proposed even more increases, ranging from 25% to 32%.

We cannot expect our constituents between paying their utility bills or affording essential medicines, Fylnn explained.

On Monday, Flynn, along with State Representative Kyle Mullins, Kyle Donahue, and Bridget Kosierowski called for a community campaign to take action against PAW, but theyre not the only ones who are outraged over the proposed rate hikes.

Local residents say theyre not happy about the proposed increases.

Stroudsburg Mayor charged with DUI

Its just out of line. As a person trying to make things work, its just not happening, one Scranton resident expressed.

Ann Harrington is a senior citizen who lives in the southside section of Scranton.

Its ridiculous. It really is ridiculous, Harrington said.

Shes on a fixed income and says these rate hikes would put a strain on her financially. She says its time for big corporations like PAW to start thinking about the little guys.

Just think about the common people. And all these CEOs that are making all this money and all these people that are collecting money on their stocks, to think about us. We dont have all that stuff. Were just going from payday to payday and its tough sometimes, Harrington added.

According to the officials, at Mondays conference, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission has until March 2024 to make a decision on the proposed rate increases.

If they pass, theyll go into effect for residents in August.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com.
An owner of a natural-gas company manipulated meters to charge a Kentucky city for gas it didnt receive, a federal grand jury has charged.

Its not clear how much the alleged scam cost the city of Somerset, but it was in the millions of dollars, said Mayor Alan Keck, who ended the contract with the company soon after taking office.

The men named in the indictment are Mark Edward Holbrook and his son, Marshall Holbrook.

The two founded a company called Puissant Industries, which leased, brokered and sold natural gas.

The city of Somerset, which owns a gas pipeline from Eastern Kentucky to the city but does not own wells, bought gas from Puissant to sell to residential and industrial customers.

Sometime before 2016, Marshall Holbrook came up with a way to manipulate meters that measured gas going into the Somerset and Delta Natural Gas systems, so that the meters would show Puissant put in more gas than it really did, the indictment alleges.

Delta Natural Gas transported gas for Puissant.

A Lexington company, Greystone Equine LLC, bought much of the gas Puissant moved by Delta pipelines during the time covered in the indictment.

In January 2016, Marshall Holbrook allegedly showed his father how to rig meters. They called the process propping up the meter, according to the indictment.

From early 2017 to May 2019, the two rigged meters with increasing frequency, with Mark Holbrook focusing on Somerset meters near his home in London and his son focusing on Delta meters closest to his residence near Barbourville, the indictment says.

The effect of the manipulation was that Somerset paid Puissant for gas the company didnt actually provide, according to the indictment.

In the case of the Delta meters, Greystone Equine, the Lexington company, paid the Holbrooks company for gas that actually belonged to Delta, because Delta credited Puissant for gas it didnt provide, the indictment says.

The indictment charges Mark Holbrook with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and conspiracy to convert property from a gas pipeline, which carries a top sentence of five years.

The indictment describes alleged illegal conduct by Marshall Holbrook but it does not charge him.

Keck, the Somerset mayor, said the manager of the city gas system came to him early in his first term in 2019 and raised concerns about the issue.

After looking into the situation, the city stopped doing business with Puissant  the Holbrooks company  and reported concerns to authorities, in conjunction with Delta Natural Gas, Keck said.

Keck said the city would have had more money to spend on other needs if it hadnt paid for gas it didnt receive.

I think the real victim here is the city of Somerset, he said.

Eddie Girdler, who preceded Keck as mayor, said he was not aware of the situation or the people or company allegedly involved.

The indictment against Mark Holbrook includes a count under which the government will try to recoup money he received from the alleged crimes if he is convicted.
The army wants to recruit about 1,500 people between the ages of 18 and 25

At least 37 people have died in a stampede during an army recruitment drive at a stadium in Congo-Brazzaville, the government has said.

People tried to force their way through the stadium's gates in the capital, Brazzaville, causing the stampede, residents have been quoted as saying.

Last week, the army announced plans to recruit about 1,500 people between the ages of 18 and 25.

Many were injured in Monday night's crush, a government statement said.

It did not give a number, but said that a "crisis unit" has been set up under the authority of Prime Minister Anatole Collinet Makosso, the AFP news agency reports.

According to the Associated Press (AP) agency, as many as 700 people a day have been registering over the last week at recruitment centres.

Youth unemployment is at around 42% in Congo-Brazzaville, with many young people seeing the army one of the few places where they can secure a job.

The army said it had suspended recruitment in the capital following the stampede at Michel d'Ornano stadium at around 22:00 GMT.

Public prosecutor Oko Ngakala said that an investigation would be launched into the cause of the crush.

Thousands of young people had reportedly gathered outside the stadium on Monday.

Brandon Tsetou, a graduate who survived the crush, said he had queued since early in the day.

"According to the organisers, it was to be the last day. That's why many of us decided to wait until late into the night, hoping to register," he told AP.

"Some were so impatient that they had to force their way in, causing a stampede that left a number of people dead or injured, which we deplore."

Morgue official Adelard Yvon Bonda told AFP that 32 bodies had so far been identified by family members.

"We must first of all pay our respects to the memory of those who have just left us," he is quoted as saying.

"This is a situation that arose. It was not provoked, but it happened because young people need jobs."
Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) at a Nov. 14 hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on the benefits of labor unions. At the hearing, he challenged a witness, the Teamsters president, to a fight.

Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) at a Nov. 14 hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on the benefits of labor unions. At the hearing, he challenged a witness, the Teamsters president, to a fight.

On Feb. 15, 1798, Rep. Roger Griswold of Connecticut finally had enough. It had been weeks of bickering with Rep. Matthew Lyon of Vermont.

Lyon accused Griswold of ignoring the interests of the people to line his own pockets. Griswold called Lyon a coward for using a temporary dishonorable discharge to keep him from fighting during the Revolutionary War. Lyon spit tobacco juice in Griswolds eye.

Congress looked to expel Lyon for the gross assault, but a vote along party lines wasnt enough to get Lyon, a member of the Democratic-Republican Party, expelled. So Griswold, a Federalist Party member, took matters into his own hands and walked onto the House floor and began beating Lyon with this walking stick. An all-out brawl ensued, and the two men had to be pulled apart by fellow members of Congress.

Ahhhh, the good ole days, when men were men and there was nothing that a little tobaccy juice in the eye and a walking stick to the head couldnt handle. It was the kind of Congress America could be proud of. The kind of Congress that got things done, and when they couldnt, they didnt stand around lobbing insults, they got busy and back to the business of American violence.

Because violence has always been the American way.

So when the news broke Tuesday about a fight in Congress, I went searching for the hot takes that noted we were finally getting back to the basics of calling each other down to the mats and being the knucklehead country weve always been.

And I found nothing.

But the situation was promising! Though theyd barely gotten the smell of Bud Light and the moose fur from the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection out of the building, it appears that two men in suits almost came to blows. During a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing, perpetually insecure Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma decided that now was the time to take a Twitter (now called X) beef to the congressional streets when he confronted Teamsters President Sean OBrien over a post in which he called the Republican a clown and a fraud.

Mullin decided that a hearing, in which Congress members and those invited to testify were gathered, was the best place to read OBriens tweet, in which he called the Republican a Greedy CEO who pretends like hes self made. In reality, just a clown & fraud. Always has been, always will be. Quit the tough guy act in these senate hearings. You know where to find me. Anyplace, Anytime cowboy, NBC News reported.

OBrien also hashtagged the tweet #LittleManSyndrome and showed a photo of Mullin standing on a wooden box during a debate.

This is a time; this is a place, Mullin said. You want to run your mouth, we can be two consenting adults. We can finish it here.

OK, thats fine, perfect, OBrien said.

You want to do it now? Mullin replied.

Id love to do it right now, OBrien said.

Then stand your butt up then, said Mullin.

You stand your butt up, said OBrien.

When hearing this, I thought two things: America is back, baby!

And that this might be the most polite lead-up to a fight Ive ever witnessed. But leave it to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) to want to push for a better America.

Sanders began yelling at both men, Stop it! No, no, sit down! You know, youre a United States senator.

The dust-up fizzled just as fast as it sparked, and both men agreed to get coffee and squash whatever beef they had. The peace talks didnt last long, as later that same day, Mullin felt the need to post a photo of himself surrounded by a table of weaponry with the caption Lets do it. Anyplace, anytime.

The very next day, Mullin, a former mixed martial arts fighter, went on a podcast to note that hes not above biting a man in a fight.

By the way, Im not afraid of biting, Mullin told podcaster Kyle Thompson on Wednesdays episode of Undaunted.Life.

I will bite, he continued. Ill bite 100%. In a fight, Im going to bite. Ill do anything. Im not above it, and I dont care where I bite, by the way, its just... going to be a-biting.

It didnt take long for the folks on X to remind Mullin that he was hiding behind chairs during the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

This was tough guy Markwayne Mullin on January 6 while peaceful tourists were invading the Capitol.



Not so tough then was he? pic.twitter.com/B3pzUDWcMG  No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) November 15, 2023

But ignore that part because Im here for the prime-time main event of man dancing. You know, the kind of pre-fight rituals that lead to a caning or, even worse, a drive-by spitting like the good ole days.

Even before the highly contentious Civil War, there were some 70 events of violence inside Congress, Joanne B. Freeman writes in The Field of Blood: Violence in Congress and the Road to the Civil War. Because the institution of slavery was such a viciously savage endeavor, the violence would find its way into Congress.

Congressmen during this period commonly carried pistols or bowie knives when they stepped onto the congressional floor, History.com notes. In fact, by the late 1850s, some constituents actually sent their congressmen guns.

OBrien and Mullin werent the first two men to challenge each other to a fight inside the congressional walls. In 1838, Congress followed gang rules. You couldnt talk about another Congress member without the entire party wanting to fight you, so because two other Congress members had a beef, Reps. Jonathan Cilley and William Graves, who werent even at odds, were forced into a duel. The men were so bad with guns that each missed the other on their first two rounds until Cilley was then fatally shot.

The bloody history of Congress sounds a lot like the mythical Chicago that Republicans often allude to. You know the Chicago that was consistently referenced during the Black Lives Matter marches. The Chicago thats talked about incessantly on Fox News.

And though the killings in Congress have stopped, the chaos continues. One could argue the GOP lost its ability to properly adult after Democrat Bill Clintons first election, when Republican Newt Gingrich became speaker after the GOP took over the House in 1995. And, as the saying goes, the inmates have been running the asylum ever since, only gaining more and more power, from the wingnuts and religious fanatics to the tea partyers to the Freedom Caucusers to now the Trumpy MAGA worshipers.

Democratic House leaders, in modern history, have never governed over such dismay as when their counterparts were at the helm. Nancy Pelosi would never have allowed the children to behave like this while she was running the day care. Even the progressive Squad could do nothing with Pelosis iron-clad grip over her people. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has also become the great uniter during these troubling times. But for the past 50 years, if not more, its been the yahoos of the Republican Party who have dragged America into the petty bickering, pre-fight shoving matches and dysfunctional governance that are more concerned with inflicting punishment on outliers or pushing an agenda than they are with ensuring that their constituency can still afford groceries.

But this is what happens when the party tips too far right and the tinfoil hats begin to run amok.

This congressional performative pre-fight-male-dance is exhausting. The posturing, the puffing up of chests, the egos: Its all as taxing as it is wasteful  which may actually make all of this tough guy act a part of big government  if it isnt going to lead to actual violence.

A simmering feud between a Republican congressman and former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy almost turned violent. Almost.

Apparently McCarthy, who may still be upset about losing his speakership and becoming a national embarrassment as the first speaker voted out of this position, wasnt pleased to see Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) giving an interview in a congressional hallway. See, Burchett was one of the eight Republicans who voted with Democrats to kick McCarthy out of his speakership post and, well, McCarthy (allegedly) decided to hit Burchett with the old chicken wing.

For the uninitiated, the old chicken wing is when you elbow someone, preferably in the kidneys. Its a unique move because if done subtly enough it can appear to be an accident, but anyone whos ever been hit with the old chicken wing will tell you that it doesnt feel like an accident.

Whyd you elbow me in the back, Kevin?! Hey, Kevin, you got any guts?! Burchett said. He also called McCarthy a jerk and reportedly chased him down the hallway saying, What kind of chicken move is that? Youre pathetic, man. You are so pathetic.

Burchett told reporters later that the move was definitely intentional: Oh, it was 100% on purpose, maam. What are the chances ... 435 members of Congress, eight of us voted against him. Im the one who did it, one of them who did it. He publicly called me out.

When asked, McCarthy noted, If Id kidney-punched him, hed be on the ground.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) told reports that he cant worry himself about what his fellow Republicans in the House have involved themselves in, adding: [Its] very difficult to control the behavior of everybody whos in the building. I dont view that as my responsibility. Thats something that the Capitol Police have to deal with.

And hes right. The police do need to get a handle on this lest the Congress of now become the Congress of old. At the very least, there needs to be a deep dive into the upbringings of these men who appear to be prone to violence and are unable to engage in civil discourse without the threat of danger.

But if they are going to act like thugs, then I say go all the way. Be full on in their thuggishness. Republicans seem to long for a time that was long ago, so take it back to May 22, 1856, when Rep. Preston Brooks, a pro-slavery Southerner, walked over to Sen. Charles Sumner of Massachusetts and beat him unconscious with his cane and then walked out like nothing happened.

Thats the level of gangster Im looking for  it would at the very least make congressional hearings prime-time viewing. But if they arent going to go this hard, then they really need to grow up and act like adults in the room. I mean, theyre only responsible for the fate of the country and the laws that make us civilized.
This article was originally published in CT Mirror.

Eighty-nine Connecticut school districts will receive thousands of dollars of additional funding to expand their dual credit programs, which offer students both high school and college credit, state officials announced Tuesday morning.

I think what were trying to do with these dual [credit programs], or trying to do with internships, and what were trying to do with apprentice programs  is were trying to make education real and give it a sense of purpose for young people, Gov. Ned Lamont said. [These courses can] give a sneak preview of what happens next, in terms of confidence and sense of direction.

About $3.8 million is being split among the chosen districts, with most of the funding designated to those that serve high percentages of students of color, including Bridgeport, Danbury, East Hartford, Hartford, New Haven, Norwalk, Waterbury and CREC Magnet Schools, which received $90,000 grants each.

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Its really about increasing access for all students. I think there are clearly disproportionalities in terms of students of color and students from low-income families, so our grant program that we have launched now is focused explicitly on not just increasing participation but losing those disparities as well, said Ajit Gopalakrishnan, the chief performance officer for the states Department of Education. The grant program helps with defraying district planning costs and works with institutional direct partners to make the work happen.  Long term, we do need to think about, as a state, supporting the costs involved, even though the costs are minimal for some families.

Related

Fall College Data Shows Big Gains  And Jarring Freshmen Declines

Earlier this year, the CT Mirror reported how students of color were being left out of Advanced Placement courses, another type of class that offers college credit if students pass a test at the end of the year. Experts, who said the disparities are often exacerbated in the same classroom or school because of school climate or systemic structures, also said college-level classes could become more equitable by shifting from AP into more dual-credit classes.

Three students interviewed at the time, all recent graduates of Wilby High School in Waterbury, said they werent offered dual credit courses at their school.

On Tuesday, Gopalakrishnan said almost all high schools have some availability of dual-credit courses through partnerships among the education department, individual high schools and UConn and CT State, but was unable to immediately answer how many didnt offer these classes.

At least 17 schools have suppressed data on the number of students who earned at least three college credits through dual enrollment during the 2022-23 school year, according to state data. Data is typically suppressed for confidentiality reasons because the number of students participating is low.

Wilby was one of those schools.

Other high schools like New Milford High only had seven of 602 upperclassmen, or 1.2%, obtaining at least three college credits through dual-enrollment.

Some schools in districts that are expected to receive funding like Danbury High School, Hartford Public High School and Brien McMahon High School in Norwalk reported under 10% of students were receiving college credit through dual-enrollment.

Meanwhile, in other districts, like Colchester, Weston and Westport, the rate is around 82%.

Related

College Is Not the Only Answer: 7 Policy Recommendations to Help Youth Succeed

In Ansonia, where about 40% of the high schools upperclassmen earned three college credits or more, Superintendent Joseph DiBacco attested to the impact of those courses.

Just last year, the senior class at Ansonia High School had 900 university credits they acquired, DiBacco said at the states press conference Tuesday.

DiBacco was joined by two students, both of whom said they began taking these courses when they were underclassmen.

I feel really prepared for college, and I really think that gave me a step forward, said Paul Palmer, a senior at the high school. It also saves a lot of money, and thats my main focus.  I wouldnt be able to do that without all of these partnerships.

The state said grant funds are expected to be used mainly for:

Stipends for high school teachers and college faculty to create course work that lines up with college expectations;

Tuition reimbursement for high school teachers who need to complete additional training to teach these courses;

Purchasing additional equipment for fields like health care, technology, etc.;

Developing strategies to engage more students and explain the benefits of earning college credit, including saving money and skipping general education courses.

This story was originally published in CT Mirror.
From the Boiling Frogs on The Dispatch

The most interesting question about Republicans whove accommodated themselves to Trumpism is one that can never be answered definitively.

Cynic or convert?

Ted Cruz, Lindsey Graham, Elise Stefanik, Marco Rubio: You and I can guess whether theyre opportunists whove made peace with MAGA to protect themselves in primaries or whether theyve talked themselves into believing sincerely that America must be cleansed of leftist vermin. But all were doing is guessing. Only they know for sure.

To complicate matters, hardly anyone left among the rights political establishment is clearly either one or the other. We can safely say that most Republicans in Washington began as cynics about Trump, but the human mind resists cynicism as a permanent state. An opportunist who knows that he or she is engaged in something sleazy inevitably will start to rationalize why it isnt. Its actually virtuous!

Practically every Republican in D.C. has traveled some distance from cynicism to conversion in the past eight years, and theyre the only ones who can read their respective odometers. Observers like us are left to size up the condition of the vehicle from the outside and try to deduce from that how much mileage there might be under the hood.

On Sunday, my colleague Andrew Egger sized up Sen. Mike Lee of Utah and offered a guess as to how far Lee has journeyed from cynicism to conversion. Not much, Andrew theorized.

Hard to think of a worse heel turn in all of politics than Mike Lee suddenly realizing getting based was the way to the heart of the worlds dumbest people and becoming a willing accessory to whitewashing January 6, he tweeted. None of these guys views have changed about J6 an iota. They know the feds!! conspiracy theory is just as bullsh-t as the antifa!! one that developed in real time was. What theyve realized is where their political incentives lie.

Well come to the substance of what Lee said about January 6 below. What I want to stress up front, though, is how much I disagree with Andrew. I dont think Mike Lee is being cynical.

Not about this and really not about anything. Mike Lee is one of the most earnest converts to Trumpism in Republican politics in my assessment. If we could see the odometer on his trip from cynicism to conversion, I suspect wed find its higher than practically anyone elses.

Countless small-government Tea Party constitutional conservatives have been radicalized since 2015 and become cultish conspiratorial post-liberals. Why should it surprise us that the first man to successfully primary an establishment Senate incumbent during the Tea Party revolution of 2009-10 would become one as well?

There are two problems with thinking that Lees enthusiasm for MAGA-style populism is a matter of calculated pandering. The obvious one is that he doesnt need to pander to get reelected.

He needs to pander a little, perhaps. Making an enemy of Donald Trump the way his colleague Mitt Romney has would be dangerous. But of all the solidly red states in the union, Utah may be the least Trump-y of the bunch. Trump himself got less than 50 percent of the vote there in 2016 in a three-way race with Hillary Clinton and native son Evan McMullin. Romney won a Senate seat two years after he famously attacked Trump in a speech as phony and a fraud.

On Election Day 2016, having called on the GOPs presidential nominee to quit the race over the Access Hollywood tape that was released just a few weeks earlier, Lee nonetheless won election to the Senate in Utah by more than 40 points. When his seat came up again last year, Democrats tried to knock him off by declining to nominate a candidate of their own and throwing their support to the conservative-ish McMullin. Lee won by double digits anyway.

In other words, he has a wide berth in his home state. Had Mike Lee remained his old constitutional conservative self and quietly checked the requisite MAGA loyalty boxes as neededendorsing Trump, voting no on impeachmenttheres no reason to think he wouldnt be in the Senate until doomsday. He doesnt have to pander lavishly for the sake of his career, particularly right now when hes in year one of another six-year term.

So if he sounds like a crank, its not because he has to. Its because he wants to.

Which brings us to the other problem. Only a true convert to crank populism would embarrass himself to the degree Lee routinely does nowadays. Theres a gratuitousness to some of his lapses of judgment that suggests hes not faking them to impress the grassroots rights worst elements, as is often the case with his buddy Ted Cruz. One simply cant step on as many rakes as Mike Lee has lately without being genuinely blind.

Lets start with a minor example.

Vivek Ramaswamy = badass  Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) November 9, 2023

The number of Republicans who still take Vivek Ramaswamy seriously is a small and shrinking group; its flabbergasting that a United States senator is not only one of them but is willing to broadcast that fact to the world. (More than once, in fact.) Ramaswamys grandstanding to MAGA types has been so farcically over the top, and so self-contradictory, that he often sounds like a game of post-liberal Mad Libs. Even Cruz found his blatant grandstanding at the last debate obnoxious.

Imagine being such a transparently phony populist huckster that Ted Cruz thinks youre inauthentic. Mike Lees bar is considerably lower than that, it seems.

Heres another tweet that caught my eye, mainly for the weakness of the argument.

No matter how much one might dislike Robert E. Lee and want him written out of history, hes an historical figure whose image was captured in this work of art.



I struggle to see the point of expunging his image and memory from public consciousness. #WrittenOutOfHistory https://t.co/5XdUH9G8Ka pic.twitter.com/Zb7INMb9Vz  Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) October 26, 2023

Whatever one thinks of the virtues of preserving Confederate iconography, its obviously not the case that removing Robert E. Lees statue will amount to writing him out of history. Historical records will continue to recount the actions of a defunct slaveholding regime even if/when America stops celebrating that regime with statuary in public spaces.

Mike Lee is a former Supreme Court clerk and a credible-ish candidate to eventually serve on the court himself. He didnt need to offer an opinion this embarrassingly feeble on a subject so far afield from his usual hobby horses; his chances of being reelected to the Senate in Utah in 2028 do not hinge on him having an opinion on a monument in Virginia in 2023, another blow to the cynical theory of his behavior. He sounded off about Robert E. Lee because he wanted to. A guy who used to be known mainly for wanting to cut spending has had his revanchist culture-war consciousness awakened. The heroes of the Confederacy are predictable beneficiaries.

One more, worthy of mention precisely because its so trivial and embarrassing.

Someones behind the pro-Ukraine troll campaign known as NAFO. Who is it? A few possible candidates have been suggested. Which one seems most likely to you? https://t.co/8AiULE4d98  Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) September 24, 2023

NAFO, in this instance, stands for North Atlantic Fella Organization. Pro-Ukraine social media users adopted the term early in the war with Russia to describe their collective efforts to counter enemy propaganda online, mostly through jokes and memes poking fun at the Russian militarys haplessness. Theyre trolls, yes, but trolls who, for once, are siding with the good guys in a conflict.

They came to Lees attention after he posted a Twitter poll asking his followers if they want to send another $100 billion in U.S. aid to Ukraine. The NAFO guys saw it and promoted it to their own users, leading the send the money side to win overwhelmingly, which was funny given the way Lee expected the polling to go.

Instead of learning a lesson about the usefulness of online polls and laughing it off, Mike Lee, United States senator, demanded to know whos paying NAFO. A group with a smirking Shiba Inu as its mascot.

A politician doesnt flash paranoia like that because he sees electoral advantage in it. He flashes it because he cant help it, because the brainworms hes developed from eight years of populism have devoured his critical faculties and left him seeing sinister plots behind every setback.

Which brings us to January 6.

For the sake of brevity, I wont rehash Lees underhanded role in Donald Trumps coup plot. I wrote about it last year. And youve all seen the texts to Mark Meadows, I hope.

One would think a guy who spent the post-election period in 2020 trying to find a legal way to overturn the election wouldnt want to revisit the last gory chapter of that episode. But Lee couldnt help himself after House Speaker Mike Johnson announced on Friday that he would make most of the Houses security footage from January 6 available to the general public.

Why any populist Republican should care about that at this point is unclear, as Tucker Carlsons staff was given access to the footage many months ago. If there was proof on the tapes that your lying eyes had deceived you, that somehow a bunch of feral MAGA goblins trying to bust their way into the Capitol to disrupt Joe Bidens victory wasnt what it appeared to be, one would think Team Tucker would have found it.

But this is what it means to see sinister plots behind every setback: January 6 was a major setback for right-wing populism (and was recognized as such at the time), and so populists have spent the better part of three years trying to find the plot behind it that will at last exculpate them and their movement. Maybe Antifa was behind the riot. Or maybe it was undercover federal agents inciting MAGA voters to violence.

Or maybe there really was no riot at all and the cops were part of it? Or something?

And just like that the J6 Committees violent insurrection narrative has crumbled



The Capitol Police facilitated the protesters passage through the building



The vast majority of J6ers should be immediately released.pic.twitter.com/Lb1dEGT1yI  Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) November 17, 2023

I remember conspiracy theories after 9/11 alleging that the planes that struck the World Trade Center and the Pentagon werent actually real. If people could believe that, I suppose they can believe that outnumbered cops judiciously deciding not to confront Trumpist goons after theyd breached the Capitol is proof that the videos weve all seen of the battle outside  also arent real? Or dont matter? Or that the people chanting hang Mike Pence wouldnt have actually hanged Mike Pence if theyd found him?

The point Lee and his fellow travelers are trying to make, it seems, is that there was less violence than one might assume that day. That January 6 was, er, fiery but mostly peaceful, to borrow a term that right-wingers used to mock before now apparently adopting it.

Outside the MAGA base, no one can understand what the new footage is supposed to prove. But inside the MAGA base, where enemy schemers are forever conspiring to suppress some secret truth that would vindicate the right, the new footage is explosive.

And of course Mike Lee, United States senator, is well inside the MAGA base. A true convert.

So he bit on the new footage, hook, line, and sinker. He did more than that, in fact: He promised to put the director of the FBI on the hot seat about it.

I cant wait to ask FBI Director Christopher Wray about this at our next oversight hearing.



I predict that, as always, his answers will be 97% information-free. https://t.co/m3rRE4Byfu  Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) November 19, 2023

Is that rioter flashing a badge? Was this evidence at last of a clandestine federal operation to embarrass saintly Trump supporters by posing as hooligans in red caps and wrecking the Capitol?

It was not. Thats not a badge, its a vaping device. And thats not a fed. Its a guy named Kevin Lyons whos sitting in prison right now for his role in the insurrection. Im an idiot, I realize that. I was stupid. I dont know what came over me, he told the judge at his sentencing. I apologize to you, the country, and my family. Take 60 seconds and scroll through this thread by NBC News reporter Ryan Reilly, which has all you need to know about Lyons conduct that day.

Lee has spent the past 48 hours being pummeled by critics for his moronic error. Liz Cheney tweeted a heads up at him to alert him that a nutball conspiracy theorist appeared to be posting from his account. His babbling about hidden January 6 footage is what inspired Andrew Egger to accuse him of lying about the insurrection deliberately in order to pander to the Republican basethe height of cynicism, if true.

But I dont think it is true. Mike Lee wouldnt humiliate himself for electoral advantage by publicly mistaking a vape for a badge. Sure, he might hype the new footage; he might demand answers from Chris Wray and Liz Cheney; but he wouldnt detonate his own credibility by amplifying a sloppy, easily-debunked conspiracy theory about a supposed federal agent provocateur caught on video surveillance. (Why would an undercover fed flash his badge knowing that there are security cameras around, anyway?) Thats not the sort of thing a cynic, who knows better, does.

Thats the sort of thing an earnest converta true sucker who believes his own sides propagandawould be duped by. Ted Cruz wasnt duped by it. Lee, the convert, was.

How did Mike Lee, of all people, end up a true-believing Trump cultist?

I wonder, ironically, if hes a victim of his own idealism.

That may be wishful thinking on my part, as I used to think Lee was the most impressive young politician to come out of the Tea Party era. He was intelligent, conservative, soft-spoken, and appeared to take the Constitution seriously. His finest hour was when he tried to lead a floor revolt against Trump at the 2016 Republican convention. Who knows how much Ted Cruz really believed the conservatarian dogma he used to preach, but Mike Lee? He believed it.

Within a few years, he was comparing Donald Trump to Mormon religious figures.

Maybe I was wrong about his commitment to conservatarianism, although I dont think so. What happened to Lee, I suspect, is the same thing that happened to millions of other Tea Party devotees: He was gradually radicalized toward paranoid hyperpartisanship through charismatic attraction to Donald Trumps authoritarian persona, relentless consumption of right-wing media propaganda, positive reinforcement of his beliefs by his social circle, and the insidious transformation of political identity under immense tribal pressure.

Those grassroots Tea Party alumni are idealists too. They used to hold signs at rallies complaining about Barack Obamas spending before their hero became president and tacked another $6 trillion onto the debtand they meant it. Now they claim the January 6 riot was a joint Antifa-FBI operation designed to make Trump look badand they mean that too. They revered the Founding Fathers circa 2010 as a bulwark against Obama-style government expansion; now they want to undo some of James Madisons work because its limiting Trumps ability to persecute leftists. They were serious in both cases. Their priorities may change over time but they care passionately about whatever the priority at a given moment happens to be. They believe it.

Isnt that Mike Lee?

I suspect hes uncomfortable being cynical. How could he not be? He spent most of his career being thought of as a man of unusual principle and probably came to view himself that way. Cruz may be able to talk out of both sides of his mouth about Trumppublicly and privatelybut for Lee, nothing short of an earnest conversion might do if hes to exist contentedly within the party in its current phase. Hes still a man of principle; its just that his principles now require him to believe things that would make Alex Jones cringe.

I expect to see him offered a position in Trumps kakistocracy Cabinet in 2025, if not a seat on the Supreme Court should one open. The next time Mike Lee tries to undermine democracy on Trumps behalf, he wont do so a la 2020 as someone whos still transitioning from traditional conservatism to MAGA; hell do it as a convert in full, with all the zealotry pursuant thereto. He wont just say the right words. Hell believe them.

Read more at The Dispatch

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Its less than two weeks until Cop28, the biggest event on the climate calendar, and RSVPs are rolling in, with a few notable exceptions.

This years conference in Dubai, the tourism hotspot of the United Arab Emirates, is expected to draw 70,000 people to the citys Expo Centre.

Heads of state or prime ministers from 167 countries have RSVPed, with most expected to attend the World Leaders Summit, which kicks off the two-week event on 1-2 December. Leaders from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, India, Japan, Brazil, Iran and Saudi Arabia are among those who will deliver statements on their nations climate commitments.

Leaders from Israel and the State of Palestine will deliver remarks as brutal conflict continues in the region. Since the 7 October Hamas attack, 1,200 Israelis have been killed and 240 people taken hostage. More than 11,000 people have been killed in besieged Gaza, the UN reports, including thousands of children.

One of the most controversial attendees will be Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who has visited the UAE twice in the past year. The presence of Mr Assad, who presided over a brutal and ongoing civil war and has committed countless war crimes against his own people, has outraged human rights campaigners. Last week, France issued an arrest warrant for the Syrian dictator over the alleged use of banned chemical weapons against civilians in Syria, CNN reported.

The Cop28 climate summit is being held in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates from 30 November - 12 December (REUTERS)

Fellow pariah, President Vladimir Putin, is not expected in Dubai. He has barely left Russia since invading Ukraine in 2022, and a subsequent international war crimes warrant was issued for him. Russian state-run media reported earlier this year that Mr Putin said Russia would be represented at a decent level at Cop28.

Ukraine has confirmed its attendance at the climate summit. The Independent has asked the countrys Ministry of Foreign Affairs if President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will make the journey to Dubai but received no immediate response.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is slated to attend despite his recent U-turns on the UKs net-zero plans. Thats not the only roll-back that Britain brings into this Cop  Mr Sunak will be accompanied by the new Foreign Secretary, and former PM, David Cameron.

It is not clear whether President Joe Biden will travel to Cop28 and the White House did not respond to an email when asked by The Independent. Similarly, no information has been forthcoming on President Xi Jinping of China.

However, the two superpowers meeting in California last week has provided a note of optimism heading into the summit after Mr Biden and Mr Xi agreed to push efforts to cut emissions, particularly of the powerful, short-term warming gas, methane. The US and Chinas climate envoys, John Kerry and Xie Zhenhua, long-time counterparts who have kept climate talks ticking over amid bilateral tensions on other issues, are expected in Dubai.

The US also intends to send a Senate delegation to take part in an event on 10 December but who precisely is attending remains unclear. The Senate press office did not immediately respond to an email seeking information from The Independent.

Beyond the political sphere, Britains King Charles is playing a key role and will travel to Dubai to deliver the opening address on 1 December.

Pope Francis is attending the summit, the first time that the leader of the Catholic church will address a UN climate conference. Francis has made repeated appeals for global climate action, particularly for protection of the most vulnerable, and called out fossil fuel companies over their outsized responsibilities.

Dubais glitz and five-star resorts are likely to attract a bevy of climate-interested celebrities to the conference. In past years, Leonardo DiCaprio, Idris Elba, Matt Damon, Stella McCartney and Ellie Goulding have attended.

While hundreds of climate activists and campaign groups will be on the ground, the fossil fuel industry will also be out in force at the event in the oil-rich nation. Hundreds of oil and gas delegates are expected at Cop28 however unlike in previous years, the UN has said they must declare their affiliations making their reason for attending much more transparent.
Cop28 kicks off in Dubai next week: Whos going and whos not?

Its less than two weeks until Cop28, the biggest event on the climate calendar, and RSVPs are rolling in, with a few notable exceptions.

This years conference in Dubai, the tourism hotspot of the United Arab Emirates, is expected to draw 70,000 people to the citys Expo Centre.

Heads of state or prime ministers from 167 countries have RSVPed, with most expected to attend the World Leaders Summit, which kicks off the two-week event on 1-2 December. Leaders from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, India, Japan, Brazil, Iran and Saudi Arabia are among those who will deliver statements on their nations climate commitments.

Leaders from Israel and the State of Palestine will deliver remarks as brutal conflict continues in the region. Since the 7 October Hamas attack, 1,200 Israelis have been killed and 240 people taken hostage. More than 11,000 people have been killed in besieged Gaza, the UN reports, including thousands of children.

One of the most controversial attendees will be Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who has visited the UAE twice in the past year. The presence of Mr Assad, who presided over a brutal and ongoing civil war and has committed countless war crimes against his own people, has outraged human rights campaigners. Last week, France issued an arrest warrant for the Syrian dictator over the alleged use of banned chemical weapons against civilians in Syria, CNN reported.

The Cop28 climate summit is being held in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates from 30 November - 12 December (REUTERS)

Fellow pariah, President Vladimir Putin, is not expected in Dubai. He has barely left Russia since invading Ukraine in 2022, and a subsequent international war crimes warrant was issued for him. Russian state-run media reported earlier this year that Mr Putin said Russia would be represented at a decent level at Cop28.

Ukraine has confirmed its attendance at the climate summit. The Independent has asked the countrys Ministry of Foreign Affairs if President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will make the journey to Dubai but received no immediate response.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is slated to attend despite his recent U-turns on the UKs net-zero plans. Thats not the only roll-back that Britain brings into this Cop  Mr Sunak will be accompanied by the new Foreign Secretary, and former PM, David Cameron.

It is not clear whether President Joe Biden will travel to Cop28 and the White House did not respond to an email when asked by The Independent. Similarly, no information has been forthcoming on President Xi Jinping of China.

However, the two superpowers meeting in California last week has provided a note of optimism heading into the summit after Mr Biden and Mr Xi agreed to push efforts to cut emissions, particularly of the powerful, short-term warming gas, methane. The US and Chinas climate envoys, John Kerry and Xie Zhenhua, long-time counterparts who have kept climate talks ticking over amid bilateral tensions on other issues, are expected in Dubai.

The US also intends to send a Senate delegation to take part in an event on 10 December but who precisely is attending remains unclear. The Senate press office did not immediately respond to an email seeking information from The Independent.

Beyond the political sphere, Britains King Charles is playing a key role and will travel to Dubai to deliver the opening address on 1 December.

Pope Francis is attending the summit, the first time that the leader of the Catholic church will address a UN climate conference. Francis has made repeated appeals for global climate action, particularly for protection of the most vulnerable, and called out fossil fuel companies over their outsized responsibilities.

Dubais glitz and five-star resorts are likely to attract a bevy of climate-interested celebrities to the conference. In past years, Leonardo DiCaprio, Idris Elba, Matt Damon, Stella McCartney and Ellie Goulding have attended.

While hundreds of climate activists and campaign groups will be on the ground, the fossil fuel industry will also be out in force at the event in the oil-rich nation. Hundreds of oil and gas delegates are expected at Cop28 however unlike in previous years, the UN has said they must declare their affiliations making their reason for attending much more transparent.
Tens of thousands of people are heading to Dubai in early December for COP28, the annual international climate summit convened by the United Nations.

With time quickly running out to prevent fossil fuel pollution from causing irreversible harm, discussions between global leaders, negotiators, climate advocates and industry representatives have shifted to how the world should adapt to more deadly heatwaves, stronger storms and catastrophic sea level rise.

Despite the widespread impacts of the climate crisis, the annual negotiations have been contentious. The road to consensus on solutions has proven rocky, and has highlighted divisions between rich countries  which emit a majority of the worlds planet-warming pollution  and poor nations, which have contributed the least.

Heres what to know about the worlds most critical climate change conference.

What is COP28?

Then-US Secretary of State John Kerry speaks at a news conference at the COP21 Climate Conference in Le Bourget, north of Paris, on December 9, 2015. - Ian Langsdon/AFP/Getty Images

A little over 30 years ago, more than 150 countries signed a UN treaty to limit the alarming rise of planet-warming pollution in the atmosphere. While the science behind human-caused climate change was still young, scientists knew even then it would be life-changing.

The first COP  the Conference of the Parties to that agreement  took place in Berlin in 1995. Member states have been convening on climate change almost every year since. In 2015, at COP21, more than 190 countries approved the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, but preferably to 1.5 degrees.

Although the Paris Agreement was a landmark moment and set the world on a path that scientists supported, it didnt get specific about how countries should achieve its goal. Since then, COPs have sought to make the plans attached to the Paris Agreement more ambitious and to be more specific about the changes society would need to make.

The controversy at COP28

The climate summit is hosted at a different location each year. While there have been other host countries mired in controversy, the backlash to this years host  the United Arab Emirates  has been particularly sharp; not only is the UAE a major oil-producing nation, it has also appointed a top fossil-fuel executive as its COP president.

Critics say its a conflict of interest to have Sultan Al Jaber, the head of the UAEs national oil company, taking charge of the most important climate conference of the year. In facing that criticism, the UAE has embarked on a major campaign to boost its green credentials ahead of the summit, CNN has previously reported.

Britain's King Charles III shakes hands with United Arab Emirates' Minister of State, CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and President of COP28, Sultan Ahmed al Jaber, at Buckingham Palace in February. - Aaron Chown/Pool/AFP/Getty Images

In May, more than 100 members of the US Congress and the European Parliament called for Al Jaber to step down, claiming that his role could undermine negotiations.

Some key players  including US climate envoy John Kerry  have praised Al Jabers appointment. The UAE has rejected criticism that the country is unfit to host the worlds largest climate summit, with the COP28 team previously telling CNN that the UAE was the first in the Middle East to set 2030 and 2050 emissions reduction targets.

The big names attending COP28

Heads of states and governments deliver speeches in the first days of the summit. More than 160 member nations, including the UK, France, Germany and Japan, have confirmed their attendance.

Perhaps the highest-profile attendees will be King Charles III, who will deliver an address at the summits opening ceremony.

Pope Francis was planning to be the first pontiff to attend COP, but the trip was cancelled Tuesday following his doctors advice.

The Popes state of influenza and inflammation of the respiratory tract has improved, but the doctors have asked the Pope not to make the trip planned for the next few days, Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni said in a statement. Pope Francis accepted the doctors request with great regret and the trip was therefore cancelled.

Absent from the speakers list are US President Joe Biden and Chinas Xi Jinping  the leaders of the worlds top polluting countries. In mid-November, Biden and Xi pledged to significantly ramp up renewable energy in lieu of planet-cooking fossil fuels, and agreed to resume a working group on climate cooperation.

In lieu of Biden, US Vice President Kamala Harris will attend the summit  a trip that was announced following pushback that Biden was missing global meeting on an issue important to young voters.

An array of solar photovoltaic power generation in the desert in Hami city, Xinjiang province, China, on November 5, 2023. - CFOTO/Future Publishing/Getty Images

Leaders from major oil-producing countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Syria, Russia and Iran, are among those attending.

There are concerns that the Israel-Hamas war could overshadow action on climate this year, particularly in the Middle East. But representatives from both Israel and the Palestinian territories are listed to speak in the first week.

The UAE has also invited many fossil fuel executives to the climate talks, where they are expected to announce new commitments to decarbonize. A list of Wall Street financial heavyweights led by BlackRock CEO Larry Fink will also be present, after missing the summit in Egypt last year.

COP28s global stocktake

Its been eight years since the Paris Agreement, yet the world has made barely any progress on slashing climate pollution, and the window is rapidly narrowing to do so, according to the agreements first scorecard  the global stocktake  which was published in September.

COP28 will be the first time that countries will be going into the negotiation rooms with an analysis that shows how seriously off-track they are on their climate targets.

It tells us clearly that the world is not on track to achieve our global climate goals, Melanie Robinson, the global climate program director for the World Resources Institute, told CNN.

But it also offers a really interesting concrete blueprint [and] mountain of evidence on how we can get the job done, so it should be a wakeup call of what we need to do but with a roadmap to get there.

COP28s biggest issues

Some of the biggest concerns that will take center stage in Dubai are continuations from COP27 in Egypt: finalizing a loss and damage fund and discussing how to ramp down planet-warming fossil fuels.

A major debate among the parties has been whether to phase out or phase down fossil fuels. At COP27, a number of nations, including China and Saudi Arabia, blocked a key proposal to phase out all fossil fuels  including oil and gas  and not just coal.

The most important thing is the outcome at this COP sends a really strong signal that the world must rapidly shift away from fossil fuels, Robinson said. I would note that its important for the language to refer to all fossil fuels.

A major debate that will again take center stage at COP will be whether to phase out or phase down all fossil fuels  including oil and gas  and not just coal. - Maya Siddiqui/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Another focus this year will be on the so-called loss and damage fund, which countries included in last years agreement. The fund would help shuttle money from the richest countries, which are responsible for the vast majority of the climate crisis, to poor countries, where the impacts have hit hardest.

The goal is to get the fund up and running by 2024. With time running out, a special committee met in Abu Dhabi in early November and recommended the World Bank host the fund and serve as its trustee temporarily for four years.

The loss and damage fund is a delicate and nuanced issue, said Nate Warszawski, a research associate with WRIs International Climate Action team. I do think this could be one of the key issues that makes or breaks the COP, he told CNN.

CNNs Ivana Kottasova contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
The city of Coral Gables has contracted with a third-party drone operator that will stream footage to the police department in response to calls to locate missing persons, identify suspects, respond to crimes in-progress and assess major accident scenes and fires before first responders arrive.

The City Commission last week authorized the police department to begin an aerial piloted drone program with a company called Bond. The $240,000 contract, active through May 2024, stipulates that the city will lease four drones from Bond that will be operated from the ground by Bond pilots  not by Coral Gables police.

The citys police department will use Bond as an on-call provider to assist the department as situations arise, city spokeswoman Martha Pantin said in an email. She added that Bond will be securely streaming the drone footage in real-time to police department personnel.

According to a letter from Bond CEO Doron Kempel to the police department, Bonds drones are equipped with infrared and visible light cameras, a megaphone and spotlight, six propellers, which allow the drone to stay airborne if it loses one, as well as a parachute, and a telecommunications system optimized for support in urban environments that can connect to LTE through different cell phone carriers. The city did an earlier trial period with the drone company in the summer of 2022.

Other city departments previously had drones, but those models were made in China and are no longer in use, Pantin said. Chinese-made drones have caused concerns over national security, prompting U.S. lawmakers to propose severe restrictions. Gov. Ron DeSantis in April banned the use of Chinese-manufactured drones by government agencies in Florida, including police and fire departments.

According to the new contract, the city will be leasing Easy Aerial Osprey aircraft. The company website describes its drones as developed with the support of the US Air Force and proudly built in the U.S.A.

The $240,000 for the citys latest drone program is coming from Federal Asset Forfeiture funds.




A Los Angeles judge ruled Monday that there is enough evidence for A$AP Rocky to stand trial on charges that he fired a gun at a former friend and collaborator on the streets near a Hollywood hotel in 2021.

Superior Court Judge M.L. Villar made the ruling at at a preliminary hearing, after hearing roughly a day and a half of testimony from two witnesses. Rocky, who gave no visible reaction to the decision, has pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm.

The 35-year-old rapper, fashion mogul and two-time Grammy nominee is in a relationship with Rihanna, with whom he has two young sons.

He could get up to 24 years in prison if convicted on all charges, prosecutors said.

Villar said the totality of the video and testimony shows there is sufficient evidence for the defendant to go to trial. She emphasized that preliminary hearings have a much lower evidence standard than a trial.

Were not disappointed, not surprised, we expected to go to trial, weve been planning for trial all along, Rockys attorney, Joe Tacopina, said outside court. Rocky is going to be vindicated when all this is said and done, without question.

At the first day of the hearing, which resumed Monday after a long delay, Terell Ephron testified that he and Rocky, a friend since childhood, had belonged to the same collective of musicians and artists at their New York high school.

He said their relationship had started to go sour and resulted in the standoff in Hollywood on Nov. 6, 2021, when he said Rocky first pulled a gun on him, and in a later confrontation fired shots that grazed Ephrons knuckles.

You need nothing more than Mr. Ephrons testimony by itself, Deputy District Attorney Paul Przelomiec told the judge before her ruling, adding that the surveillance video that captured parts of the incident corroborates exactly what Mr. Ephron said.

Tacopina countered that there are some real problems with the testimony of the complainant, adding, I think theres not enough evidence.

Tacopina established while questioning a police detective earlier Monday that seven officers who searched a sidewalk and street about 20 minutes after the shots were allegedly fired found no evidence of the shooting, and that a pair of 9 mm shell casings in police possession were recovered by Ephron, who returned to the scene about an hour after the standoff.

Tacopina played body camera video of the officers, who searched the ground for about 10 minutes. Ephron, who first went to police to report the incident two days later, turned over the shell casings, which the detective said had no recoverable fingerprints on them.

Prosecutors played a video from near the scene where no people are initially visible, but what sounds like two gunshots can be heard. Then a man comes running around a corner, then slows to a walk. The mans identity is not clear in the video, but LAPD Detective Frank Flores testified they have established it is Rocky.

Flores testified that no 9 mm pistol was recovered when a search warrant was served on Rocky.

Prosecutors showed a still from surveillance video showing a man in a hooded sweatshirt whose face is not visible holding what appears to be a gun, along with another image from the same video showing the face of the man in the sweatshirt, with no gun visible. Flores testified that the images led them to establish it was Rocky.

Tacopina, who is also representing Donald Trump in his New York criminal case, pressed the detective on the weapon, suggesting police had no way of knowing whether it was a loaded or even real gun.

That gun or whatever it was was not tested, right? Tacopina asked. No, it was never recovered, Flores said.

Tacopina asked, Youre not sure if its an operable gun or a non-operable gun or whatever?

Without having it, I cant tell you whether its operable, the detective replied.

Tacopina also tried to cast doubt on the minor injury to Ephrons hand, questioning why he waited until he returned to New York to seek medical treatment.

He showed the detective a photo of the scraped fingers and said, sarcastically, Its a miracle he survived that shooting.

The judge admonished him, one of several times she told Tacopina to change his tone.

Rocky was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport in the case in April, and charged in August. He arrived in the courtroom Monday morning wearing a dark suit, sunglasses and a face mask, after spending the weekend at the Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix auto race, where he had a prominent role as Pumas creative director in the clothing brands partnership with F1.

He has released little music in recent years, and has become better known as the romantic partner, fellow fashion influencer and co-parent of Rihanna, with whom he had a second son in May. His first two studio albums in 2013 and 2015 both went to No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Asked outside court whether Rocky would ask Rihanna, who did not attend the preliminary hearings, to attend his trial, Tacopina responded, He would never subject his family, he wants to shield them, hes handling it like Rocky would handle something, he protects his family.

Rocky also became an unlikely cause for then-President Donald Trump, who said he was trying to get the rapper freed and returned to the U.S. when he was jailed after a brawl in Sweden in 2019. He was found guilty of assault at trial but was given a conditional sentence that meant no additional jail time.
China, U.S. meeting halfway sends positive signal for global economic recovery

Xinhua) 08:14, November 21, 2023

BEIJING, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Following the highly anticipated summit between President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, last week, there is growing optimism that increased communication, dialogue and consultation between the world's two largest economies will strengthen cooperation, align common interests and add much-needed certainty to the evolving global landscape.

Bilateral economic and trade cooperation, long seen as the stabilizing force and driving factor in China-U.S. relations, is among the first to experience a thaw, as a series of dialogues and exchanges in this regard has sent a positive signal to both sides and the global economy.

DISCUSSIONS MATTER

One of the key consensuses reached between China and the United States during the San Francisco summit meeting is that the two sides decided to step up high-level interactions, and agreed to start consultations on extending the China-U.S. Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement, and on resuming the China-U.S. Joint Committee on Cooperation in Agriculture.

Rather than seeking economic "decoupling," the two sides have welcomed the development of healthy economic relations, according to top Chinese and U.S. economic officials.

China and the United States have agreed to enhance communication, seek consensus, manage disputes, and avoid misunderstandings that may lead to unintended escalation, noted China's Vice Finance Minister Liao Min, citing talks between Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and U.S. Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen before the summit.

"The China-U.S. economic relation takes roots in the two countries' common interests in the economic field," Liao told media after He and Yellen concluded several rounds of talks in San Francisco.

Chinese and U.S. commerce ministers also met on the sidelines of the 30th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting. It was the first ministerial-level talk after a new communication mechanism was announced when U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo visited China in August.

While both governments agreed to step up exchanges in relevant fields, the two sides had in-depth exchanges on national security issues pertaining to the economic field.

It was very important to have such discussions, said Commerce Minister Wang Wentao at the meeting, as overstretching and politicizing of the concept of national security would impact regular trade and investment activities.

CONSTRUCTIVE ENGAGEMENT

Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, has hailed the Xi-Biden summit as "a constructive engagement."

"It sends a massively important signal that cooperation can bring benefits to everyone," she said in her opening remarks at the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting Friday, expressing appreciation from a global economic perspective.

The business circle echoed a similar sentiment. The American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai (AmCham Shanghai), in a statement after the summit, also called the talks "a positive signal," noting that "the two countries are committed to managing the world's most important geopolitical relationship."

"A stable U.S.-China relationship is also crucial for raising the confidence of American companies in China and will benefit the American people," the AmCham Shanghai said.

At the sixth China International Import Expo in Shanghai earlier this month, a total of 505 million U.S. dollars worth of deals were signed by exhibitors participating in the American Food and Agriculture Pavilion.

The pavilion, co-hosted by the United States Department of Agriculture and AmCham Shanghai, marks the first U.S. government participation in the expo in six years.

Robust agricultural trade mirrors the strong resilience of China-U.S. trade, which has not been dampened by either trade disputes or the pandemic in recent years. In 2022, total two-way trade hit a record high of nearly 760 billion U.S. dollars, Chinese official data showed.

Apart from efforts to improve relations, China and the United States, which together account for over one-third of the world economy, have also agreed to join hands against common challenges related to economic growth, financial stability and regulation, according to Vice Minister Liao.

The two countries will also cooperate on climate-related economic issues and the debt issues of low-income and emerging economies, strengthen the international financial structure, and push forward reform at multilateral development banks to make them better, larger and more effective.

However, the Chinese side has also stressed the need to maintain equality and mutual respect in future bilateral cooperation.

"China-U.S. economic and trade relations will truly sustain stable development only when the legitimate concerns of both sides be properly responded to," Liao said at the media briefing.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Authorities arrested an 18-year-old man in connection with a Morgan State University shooting that injured five people, Baltimore Police said Monday.

Police said in a news release that D.C. Metropolitan Police on Friday arrested Jovan Williams, 18, who was charged with attempted first-degree murder last month.

Last month, police arrested a 17-year-old in D.C. who is charged with 34 counts related to the Oct. 3 shooting that canceled homecoming festivities and classes at Marylands largest historically Black university.

At a bail review for that teen, prosecutors said the shooters fired 17 rounds. The teens public defender, Robert Linthicum, said investigators had not linked his client to the 9 mm bullet casings found at the scene. Baltimore District Judge Kent J. Boles Jr. ordered him held without bond, calling him an extreme danger to the community at large.

Lindsey Eldridge, a police spokesperson, said Baltimore Police are working with other law enforcement to have Williams extradited to Baltimore.

Police have been seeking Williams since June 15, when he was indicted in a federal guns and drug trafficking case. Although Baltimore Police and the U.S. Marshals Service identified him as Jovon Williams on Monday, the federal indictment in that case lists his first name as Jovan.

Williams does not have an attorney listed in the D.C. case and it is unclear whether he has one for this one.

The indictment said Williams dealt drugs and carried an AR style .223 pistol, a privately manufactured weapon often called a ghost gun. That weapon, which according to the indictment, counts as a machine gun under federal law, had a tool allowing it to shoot automatically rather than a round per trigger pull.

His arrest means that he is no longer able to terrorize our communities, Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said in a statement. Our Department is committed to working alongside all of our communities and partners in identifying and apprehending those responsible for crime in our neighborhoods.

All of those wounded in the shooting were 18 to 22 years old, and four of them were Morgan students. Morgan State President David Wilson has since proposed enhancements to the schools security, including a $6.4 million security barrier to surround the campus and limit public access. A Baltimore Sun analysis of campus crime data found Morgan ranks in about the middle of Maryland institutions.

Today, the Morgan Community can continue to move forward with the comfort of knowing that both shooting suspects have now been captured and taken off the streets, Wilson said in a statement Monday. This is indeed great news.

Baltimore Sun reporter Alex Mann contributed to this article.
Changpeng CZ Zhao, the billionaire founder of the worlds largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance, has stepped down as CEO and pleaded guilty to money laundering charges as part of $4.3 billion settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Tuesday.

Zhao will be personally required to pay $50 million as part of the fines.

The message here should be clear: Using new technology to break the law does not make you a disruptor, it makes you a criminal, Garland said at a press conference.

Prosecutors said that Binance enabled the financing of terrorist and militant groups like Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, ISIS, and Al Qaeda through its exchange.

Binance prioritized its profits over the safety of the American people, Garland said.

The development comes months after the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed charges against the crypto giant for artificially inflating its trade volume on its U.S. platform. The company also faces allegations of offering U.S. citizens crypto derivatives, such as futures or options contracts, without registering as a futures commodity merchant. Kraken, another trading firm, was sued by the SEC on Monday for similar alleged violations.

Zhao is based in Dubai, which means he is unlikely to face prison time as the United Arab Emirates does not have an extradition agreement with the U.S.

The settlement suggests that Binance might just come through this alive, Jeff John Roberts writes for Fortune. Earlier leaks from the Justice Department suggested that officials were pursuing more dire consequences, but may have been stymied by bureaucratic mismanagement. Prosecutors likely ended up viewing the case as a sprawling mess that the agency just wants to be done with, Roberts writes. Another reason the DOJ may have not sought more severe penalties against Binance is because it has helped law enforcement crack down on terrorist activity across the world. While Binance executives knew customers were funneling money to groups like Hamas and others targeted by U.S. sanctions, the company has also helped Israeli police shut these accounts down. Zhao still has a few cards to play of his own, Roberts predicts, and simply trying to nail the company to the wall would leave authorities struggling to figure who owns millions of Binance wallets.

Any attempt to fully shut down Binance in the U.S. will accelerate Binances transition to a fully decentralized structure, one blockchain executive told Forbes. Despite its legal troubles, Binance has remained one of the most important financial backbones of the 21st century, the executive says, trading, on average, more than $65 billion per day: more than the Hong Kong Stock Exchanges record for this year. But the SECs recent actions signal that the U.S. is less likely to become a hub for crypto trading, and crypto firms are migrating to places like Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates where governments are pursuing innovation in regulation, a crypto compliance expert said.

The fall of a crypto legend like Zhao might be an ultra-bullish development for crypto, writes Mister Crypto, an influential cryptocurrency trading account on X. While hailing Zhao as the single person who has contributed the most to significant market adoption, Mister Crypto writes that as an evolving market, crypto needs more regulation and traders need to adhere to another set of rules. Given the need for increasing regulation, being found guilty of money laundering crimes is not something that can coexist in crypto, the blogger writes. Zhaos downfall and exit from Binance might just be the final crackdown needed before the path for crypto opens to new heights.
Welcome to the Daily Weather Update from FOX Weather. Its Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023, and a reminder to take your turkey out of the freezer to thaw if you haven't already. Start your day with everything you need to know about today's weather. You can also get a quick briefing of national, regional and local weather whenever you like with the FOX Weather Update podcast.

A coast-to-coast storm system will continue moving through the U.S., wreaking havoc on air and road travel on Tuesday. The large weather system is bringing showers and storms from parts of the Great Lakes to the Southeast.

Chicago O'Hare, Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta, and Ronald Reagan Washington National could see disruptive weather that could delay flights in and out of these major airports.

Click here to see what you can expect each day this week as you head to the airports or hit the road.

After a night of severe weather along the Gulf Coast, the threat of showers and thunderstorms moves east to parts of the Southeast on Tuesday.

Areas of Alabama, Georgia, and Florida's Panhandle have the greatest risk for damaging wind and a few tornadoes.

As we head toward the end of the 2023 hurricane season, the National Hurricane Center is monitoring two areas for possible tropical development.

In the central Caribbean Sea, an area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms has a low chance for development. However, the NHC says dry air is still likely to prevent significant development of the system as it begins to drift slowly to the west later this week.

The second area is located in the central subtropical Atlantic and has a medium chance for tropical development over the next week.

The NHC says that environmental conditions appear to be somewhat conducive for the system to gradually acquire some subtropical or tropical characteristics later this week while it moves east across the central subtropical Atlantic.

Here are a few other stories you might find interesting.

Need more weather? Check your local forecast plus 3D radar in the FOX Weather app . You can also watch FOX Weather wherever you go using the FOX Weather app, at foxweather.com/live or on your favorite streaming service .

Its easy to share your weather photos and videos with us. Email them to weather@fox.com or add the hashtag #FOXWeather to your post on your favorite social media platform.





Original article source: The Daily Weather Update from FOX Weather: Powerful storm plagues Thanksgiving travel on Tuesday
Dame Sandra Burslem, who has died aged 83, survived childhood internment by the Japanese in a Shanghai prisoner-of-war camp reminiscent of JG Ballards Empire of the Sun to become a leading figure in British higher education. Having been prevented by single motherhood from enrolling at university until she was 28, then juggling her undergraduate studies with the care of her two sons, she later campaigned to make university more accommodating of mature students complicated lives, and was pivotal in turning Manchester Metropolitan University, of which she was Vice Chancellor from 1997 to 2005, into one of the countrys largest non-collegiate universities.

She was born Alexandra Vivien Thornley in Shanghai on May 6 1940, the only daughter of Stanley Morris Thornley, a chartered accountant from Blackpool, and his wife, Myrra (nee Kimberley). The couple, with Sandras older brother Ian, had moved to China in 1937, when Stanley joined the traders Jardine Matheson, and had settled in Shanghais French Quarter, where they enjoyed a reasonably prosperous expat existence.

However, after Pearl Harbour, Britain declared war on Japan, annd the family, now including 15-month-old Sandra, became prisoners of war. Together with other European internees, the four of them were all sent to Lung-wha camp. They managed to survive, courtesy of Swiss Red Cross food parcels.

It would be 1946 before the family was able to make the six-week journey back to Britain on a merchant ship. They settled on the Fylde Coast, and Sandra attended Arnold High School for Girls in Blackpool, where she was an outstanding student.

Instead of university, however, she fell into an early marriage at the age of 20, which soon left her the single mother of two sons. It was not until she was 28, and her younger son was in primary school, that she had enough spare time to enrol as a mature student at the University of Manchester. Juggling childcare, she had to pick her course options because of where they came in the timetable, rather than because she wanted to do them, but she graduated in 1971 with a first in politics and modern history. In my third year, one lecturer taught me individually because I couldnt get to lectures. It was a kindness I have never forgotten, she later told Times Higher Education.

Irish President Mary McAleese receiving an honorary degree at Manchester Metropolitan University, from Vice Chancellor Sandra Burslem, 2001 - Alamy

She was offered some money to research government-industry relations by Manchester University, but there was no guarantee of a permanent job and I had a family to feed, she said. Instead she joined Manchester Polytechnic (as Manchester Metropolitan was then called) in 1973 as a lecturer in politics and public administration.

Early in her career she had worked for the BBC both as an announcer and as a programme director. In tandem with her burgeoning broadcasting career, she also began working for the Family Planning Association at a highly controversial time when family planning was first being offered to unmarried girls. As Chair of the Medical Services Committee of the Family Practitioner Committee, she spent 10 years adjudicating complaints against medical practitioners.

In 1982, she was made the head of Manchester Polytechnics Department of Applied Community Studies, then Dean of Faculty in 1986. She helped launch innovative degrees aimed at mature students, for example in the public administration of local police forces. In 1988 she was made Academic Director, then Deputy Vice Chancellor in 1992 (the year Manchester Polytechnic was granted university status, and rechristened Manchester Metropolitan), then Vice-Chancellor in 1997  one of only seven female Vice-Chancellors in the country.

She served under two successive Chancellors (the Duke of Westminster, then Dame Janet Smith), but as the role of Chancellor was more of a remote figurehead, she was effectively the flegling universitys on-the-ground head, successfully uniting its many disparate elements: Manchester Mechanics Institute, Manchester School of Design, Schools of Education, Domestic Science and Commerce, Cheshire Training College and Hollings College (housed in the 1960 Toast Rack building, which Pevsner called a perfect piece of pop architecture).

'One lecturer taught me individually because I couldnt get to lectures. It was a kindness I have never forgotten': Dame Sandra Burslem - Alamy

The already extensive campus acquired many modern buildings, and she campaigned against the bias in funding towards a small number of older institutions, and spoke in favour of tax relief for childcare to help women pursue their careers. After her retirement in 2005, the law schools premises was renamed The Sandra Burslem Building.

Her public service was extensive. From 2005 to 2011, she chaired the Education Honours Committee; she also served as a Civil Service Commissioner, and was a member of the Executive Committee of the Association of Commonwealth Universities, the UK Erasmus-Socrates Council, the Higher Education FCE Audit Commission and the Council for International Co-operation in HE; she was chair of the BBC Regional Advisory Counciland deputy chairman of the National Learning and Skills Council and the board of Ofqual. She was also a Justice of the Peace, a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater Manchester, and head of the Manchester and Cheshire branches of the Anchor Housing Association.

Despite these myriad commitments, she never failed to keep in touch with a small group of friends from her Blackpool schooldays, with whom she would invariably meet up each summer and take delight in travelling to the cultural capitals of the world.

In 1993 she was appointed OBE, and in 2004 advanced to DBE.

Her first marriage was dissolved in 1971; in 1977, she married Richard Waywell Burslem, who predeceased her in 2001. She is survived by two sons from her first marriage and a daughter from her second.

Dame Sandra Burslem, born May 6 1940, died November 3 2023

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Rebecca Bryan listens to opening statements during her murder trial in the Canadian County Courthouse in El Reno , Wednesday May 8, 2013.

Just months after the 2013 Oklahoma trial of Rebecca Bryan concluded, a Dateline episode aired about her husband's death and the ensuing "Mystery in Mustang."

But according to the prosecution and the jury, there wasn't much of a mystery after evidence was gathered.

Here's what you need to know about the killing of Keith Bryan, and who was convicted of his murder.

Keith Bryan shot in head, how Rebecca Bryan became prime suspect

Keith Bryan was shot in the side of the head the night of Sept. 20, 2011. He died the next morning at OU Medical Center.

Bryan had worked for the Nichols Hills Fire Department for 31 years and was chief at the time of his death.

Rebecca Bryan called police on the night of the shooting, claiming an intruder came into their home through the garage and shot her husband. She told police the shooter was getting revenge over not being hired by Bryan at the fire department.

But the Nichols Hills Fire Department had not hired anybody in the last four years. This, along with the wife's vague description of the intruder and evidence found in the home, led police to single Rebecca Bryan out as their main suspect.

Investigators found a gun, which matched the bullet used to shoot Keith Bryan, a spent shell casing, and a left-handed rubber glove with Rebecca Bryan's DNA wrapped in a bullet-riddled blanket in the dryer in her utility room.

The gun also matched the serial number to the gun box kept under Rebecca Bryan's mattress, and she was known to carry the gun in her purse. The utility room was also not on the path Rebecca Bryan repeatedly said the killer took as he entered and exited the home.

Rebecca Bryan's conviction in 2011 killing of husband

During Rebecca Bryan's trial, not only was the evidence stacked against her story, but witnesses testified of her repeated infidelity against her husband.

According to testimony, she boasted to friends of sex she had with strangers in the days leading up to the shooting at Dallas wedding and a work conference in Tulsa. Another man testified she stopped at his house in McLoud on her way home from Tulsa and they had sex hours before the shooting.

Several friends and family members testified Rebecca Bryan showed them a photo of the man's penis and bragged about the tryst while she rode with them to the hospital to see her husband after he was shot.

Mark Holbrook, of Hugo, also testified about his affair with Rebecca Bryan which ended in January 2010. Holbrook testified that in voice mails and text messages less than three hours before the shooting, she said she still loved him, expected to get a large inheritance soon and planned to buy a house so she could be near him.

It took jurors about four hours to find Bryan, 54, guilty of killing Nichols Hills Fire Chief Keith Bryan because of her obsession with a former lover. She was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Former staff writers Michael Kimball, Bryan Dean contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: What to know: Rebecca Bryan convicted in 2013 murder case
The dates and venues for the three 2024 presidential debates have been announced.

The debates, which will take place in September and October will be staged at US university campuses in the states of Texas, Virginia and Utah.

The news was announced by the nonpartisan, nonprofit Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) on Monday.

The first debate will take place on 16 September at Texas State University in San Marcos. It will be followed by the second at Virginia State University in Petersburg on 1 October.

The final debate will take place just over a week later at The University of Utah, in Salt Lake City, on 9 October.

A vice presidential debate has also been scheduled to take place on 25 September at Lafayette College, in Easton, Pennsylvania.

Further details about the debates, including format and moderators, will be released in 2024, the CPD said.

In a statement, CPD Co-Chairs Frank Fahrenkopf and Antonia Hernandez said the chosen sites would help bring another set of historic conversations to audiences here and abroad.

"The United States general election debates, watched live worldwide, are a model for many other countries: the opportunity to hear and see leading candidates address serious issues in a fair and neutral setting, the statement read.

This tradition remains unbroken since 1976. In 2024, students at our four debate sites will help bring another set of historic conversations to audiences here and abroad. And their campuses will anchor four unique chances to listen and learn.

"We are deeply grateful to the University of Utah for hosting its second general election debate, to Lafayette College and Texas State University for the first CPD debates in Pennsylvania and Texas, and to Virginia State University for the first debate ever held at a Historically Black College or University (HBCU)."

It comes as the races for each partys chosen candidate continues.

Recent polls have shown that Donald Trump is still a clear leader for the Republican candidate, while president Joe Biden continues to slip down in national popularity polls.

A national poll released by NBC on Sunday shows Mr Trump leading the rest of the Republican field by 40 points and beating Biden by two points, while Mr Bidens approval rating has dropped to 40 per cent.

If Mr Trump does claim the Republican nomination, as expected, there is no guarantee he will attend the three presidential debates.

He has so far refused to take part in any of the Republican debates, arguing that there is no point as he is so far ahead in the polls, and holding spoiler events instead.

In 2020 the first debate between Mr Trump and Mr Biden was widely interpreted as having gone badly for the then-president, who kept shouting over his opponents answers and was repeatedly upbraided by moderator Chris Wallace for ignoring the rules. Mr Trump was challenged to condemn far-right groups like the Proud Boys but instead said: Proud Boys, stand back and stand by.

The second debate was cancelled after Mr Trump caught Covid. The third debate was less contentious than the first as the candidates microphones were muted by the production company during each others inital two-minute answers to try to limit the interruptions that had characterised the first debate.
Sen. Rebecca Felton of Georgia is pictured at her desk in Washington, D.C. On October 3, 1922, Mrs. Felton was chosen to fill the seat left vacant following the premature death of Sen. Thomas E. Watson, becoming the first woman to serve in the United States Senate. She was sworn in on November 21, 1922, and served 24 hours. Photo by National Photo Company/Library of Congress/UPI

Nov. 21 (UPI) -- On this date in history:

In 1783, in Paris, Jean de Rozier and the Marquis d'Arlandes made the first free-flight ascent in a balloon.

In 1877, Thomas Edison announced his invention of the phonograph.

In 1916, the HMHS Britannic, originally built as a passenger liner and later pressed into service as a hospital ship during World War I, was sunk by a naval mine. Thirty people died and 1,035 survived.

In 1922, Rebecca Latimer Felton of Georgia takes the oath of office, becoming the first female United States senator. Her appointment was of a temporary nature, as she served just 24 hours.

On November 21, 1916, the HMHS Britannic, built as a passenger liner and later pressed into service as a hospital ship during World War I, was sunk by a naval mine. File Photo by Allan Green/Wikimedia

In 1938, Nazi forces occupied western Czechoslovakia and declared its people German citizens.

In 1974, the U.S. Congress passed the Freedom of Information Act over President Gerald Ford's veto.

On November 21, 2005, General Motors Corp., the world's biggest carmaker, announced it was cutting its payroll by 30,000 employees and would be shutting down all or parts of a dozen plants. File Photo by Scott R. Galvin/UPI

In 1985, Jonathan Jay Pollard, a civilian U.S. Navy intelligence analyst and Jewish American, was arrested on charges of illegally passing classified U.S. security information about Arab nations to Israel. Pollard, sentenced to life in prison, was released on November 20, 2016.

File Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI

Palestinians celebrate the Israel-Hamas cease-fire in Gaza City on November 22, 2012, a day after it was declared. The Egypt-brokered truce took hold in the Gaza Strip after a week of bitter fighting between militant groups and Israel, with both sides claiming victory but remaining wary. File Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI

In 1991, U.S. President George H.W. Bush signed the Civil Rights Act of 1991, making it easier for workers to sue in job discrimination cases.

In 2005, General Motors Corp., the world's biggest carmaker, announced it was cutting its payroll by 30,000 employees and would be shutting down all or parts of a dozen plants.

On November 21, 1877, Thomas Edison announced his invention of the phonograph. UPI File Photo

In 2006, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki announced a restoration of diplomatic ties with Syria after 24 years of strained relations.

File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI

In 2012, a cease-fire was announced after eight days of fighting that officials said killed about 130 Palestinians and six Israelis. Hundreds of people were injured. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said he held Hamas responsible to keep the truce.

In 2013, the U.S. Senate made a historic rules change that weakened the power of the filibuster, which opposition parties have used to slow or derail presidential nominations. The change cut the number of votes needed for approval of executive and most judicial nominees from 60 votes to 51. Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada said the action was taken because Americans "believe the Senate is broken -- and I believe they are right."

In 2021, six people were killed and dozens others injured after a car plowed into the Waukesha Christmas Parade in Wisconsin. The driver, Darrell Brooks, received six consecutive life sentences.

In 2022, a 5.6-magnitude earthquake struck near Cianjur on the island of West Java, Indonesia, killing more than 325 people.

File Photo by Adi Weda/EPA-EFE
WASHINGTON (DC News Now)  Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department said they arrested a former teacher for sexual abuse of a minor.

Police allege that between January 1, 2014, and May 31, 2014, Mark Anthony Williams, 56, of Fairfax County, engaged in sexual acts with a minor. Detectives learned that Williams had since left the country.

Parents appalled; 2 kids hit, killed by car while walking to school in Prince Georges County

On November 16, 2023, police were alerted that Williams was back in the country. The following day, the DC Superior Court issued an arrest warrant for Williams.

Police arrested Williams on November 18, 2023, as he was attempting to again leave the country.

Williams is charged with First Degree Sexual Abuse of a Secondary Education Student.

Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact police at (202) 727-9099.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
WASHINGTON - A man was shot and killed Monday afternoon in Southeast D.C.  just a few feet away from an elementary school.

Marquelle Jones, a behavior technician at Hendley Elementary School, told FOX 5: "Its frustrating because at the end of the day, we just want the kids to be safe here."

Deadly afternoon shooting near DC elementary school leaves community on edge

But protecting children can be difficult for Jones when gunshots are going off near their classrooms.

"With the situation today, it was in the middle of dismissal, so we are all just focused on trying to get everybody inside and just making sure the kids are good," Jones recalled.

Hendley Elementary behavior technician Marquelle Jones

When school leaders were informed by D.C. police that there was a shooting just up the street, the school went on lockdown.

On 4th Street near the intersection of Chesapeake Street, police are investigating what led to the deadly shooting of a man at a housing complex.

Mr. Jones said these shootings are becoming way too common for his students.

"We hear the kids talk about it within each other," Jones said. "Sometimes, they will be like Oh did you hear the shooting last night? My mom had me hide under the couch. My mom had me hiding under the table.'"

The behavior technician says that's an environment children shouldnt have to live in.

"I work here because the kids here are wonderful," he said. "We have some of the best kids in the city, regardless of what goes on outside of this building, inside this building they are regular kids."

Police have not yet made any arrests in this case. The victim has been identified as 35-year-old Rodney Snead of District Heights, Maryland.

Recent data from the Metropolitan Police Department shows there have been 247 homicides so far in 2023  the highest total in nearly two decades.
Should the UNC System Board of Governors revisit its policy on financially penalizing universities that exceed their limits on the percentage of first-year, out-of-state students they are allowed to enroll?

Some board members think so.

After exceeding its limit for the second year in a row, UNC Wilmington will face a $4.1 million penalty from the university system. Its a move that generated lots of discussion  and suggestions for change  at a Board of Governors meeting last week in Greensboro.

Welcome to Deans List, a weekly roundup of higher education news in the Triangle and across North Carolina from The News & Observer and myself, Korie Dean. We plan to publish this roundup in an email newsletter format soon, but we wanted to first give you a taste, on our website, of the insights on higher education trends and research you can expect each week.

This weeks edition includes more on the UNC System boards discussion of out-of-state enrollment penalties, an upcoming study on high school students earning college credits and more.

Lets dive in.

UNCW fined for out-of-state enrollment

The fine UNCW faces stems from a UNC System policy limiting the number of nonresident, or out-of-state, undergraduate students that each university in the system is allowed to enroll. That policy, which increased nonresident caps for some schools last fall, sets the following limits:

Appalachian State University, NC State University, UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC Charlotte and UNC Wilmington are capped at 18%, the rate most schools generally followed before the Board of Governors raised some caps in recent years.

East Carolina University, Fayetteville State University, UNC Asheville, UNC Greensboro, UNC Pembroke, Western Carolina University and Winston-Salem State University are capped at 25%.

NC A&T State University and NC Central University are capped at 35%.

Elizabeth City State University is capped at 50%.

The policy requires a universitys state operating budget to be reduced if it exceeds its out-of-state cap for two academic years in a row. This year marked UNCWs second-straight year of exceeding its cap, after receiving a warning last year.

The fine is assessed based on the number of students by which the university exceeds its allowable percentage. Based on last falls enrollment, UNCW was expected to enroll a maximum of 426 out-of-state students this year. But it enrolled 630 out-of-state students  204 more than the cap allowed  accounting for 27% of all of the universitys first-year students this fall.

Multiplying the number of excess students, 204, by the out-of-state tuition rate at UNCW this academic year, $20,111, the total fine comes out to $4.1 million. Those funds will be directed to the North Carolina Need-Based Scholarship for Public Colleges and Universities for the benefit of UNC System students, according to a UNC System document presented to the Board of Governors last week.

UNC-Chapel Hill, which exceeded its out-of-state enrollment cap by 166 students, did not exceed the cap last year and thus only received a warning this year. If the university exceeds its limit again next year, it will be fined.

Board member Kirk Bradley said during a committee meeting Wednesday that he expects the board to continue to review the systems policy on out-of-state enrollment.

Our first goal is to make sure every North Carolina citizen that wants to come to one of our institutions can can do so, Bradley said. But we also realize that universities, by their nature, are high fixed-cost enterprises.

At the full board meeting Thursday, the action against UNCW was originally on the consent agenda, but board member Joel Ford asked for it to be removed for discussion.

I think that this policy needs to be revisited and I would appreciate any thoughtful consideration going forward, Ford said.

Board member Woody White, who previously served on the UNCW Board of Trustees, said he would vote in favor of the action, noting that it was being taken in accordance with existing policy. But he said he saw the fine against UNCW as a springboard and hoped the board will undergo a very thorough and comprehensive evaluation of this policy.

Board of Governors Chair Randy Ramsey, who noted that the board has taken appropriate steps to increase the caps for the systems historically Black universities in recent years, said he expects the board to have a very spirited discussion about this policy going forward.

After discussion, the board passed the action.

A statue of the Seahawk mascot at UNC Wilmington is pictured here on Friday, July 24, 2020.

UNCG research to study high schoolers college credits

The Early College Research Center at UNC Greensboro received a $1.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to study how well college-level credits earned by North Carolina high school students transfer.

The project will examine college credits students earn through both dual-enrollment courses, in which high school students take courses through community colleges, and Advanced Placement course exams.

More and more students are given the opportunity to earn college credits in high school, principal investigator and Early College Research Center director Julie Edmunds said in an announcement. However, the advantages of these courses depend on the extent to which the credits successfully transfer and can be applied to students postsecondary degree plans. Our study hopes to describe how well the credit transfer process is working and identify areas for improvement, thereby maximizing the benefits for students.

The project will look at the association between successful transfer of the course credits and these outcomes: enrolling in upper-level courses, enrolling in multiple majors/minors, attaining a post-secondary degree, time to degree and amount of student loan debt.

The study is expected to conclude in 2027.

Davidson-Davie Community College names new president

Jenny Varner will be the fifth president of Davidson-Davie Community College, following approval by the colleges Board of Trustees and the State Board of Community Colleges last week.

Varner had been serving as acting president since July, following the death of previous president Darrin Hartness. She previously served as the colleges vice president for external affairs and executive director of its foundation.

Jenny Varner brings a unique set of qualifications that will carry the college into the future, Board of Trustees Chair William Steed said in an announcement. She has been a steadfast advocate for the school for the past 15 years, and has already been instrumental in helping guide the college through growth and change. She is deeply rooted in not only the fabric of the school but of our communities, and we look forward to furthering the mission of Davidson-Davie under her leadership.

Varner, a Davidson County native, holds bachelors and masters degrees in public policy from Duke University. She has also worked for former U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole and for the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators.

Higher ed news Im reading

After UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz confirmed he was weighing becoming the next president of Michigan State University, faculty senate leaders at MSU requested a meeting with him, The State News , Michigan States student newspaper, reported.

Critics say a Texas law restricting diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in higher education is vague and leaves too much to interpretation  which experts say could lead to legal challenges for colleges in the state, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported.

A Raleigh landlord is under investigation by the state Attorney Generals Office and Real Estate Commission after fining NC State students $23,000, The Technician reported.





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Thats all for this weeks roundup of North Carolina higher education news. I hope youll stay tuned for more in the weeks to come.

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After moving to Monkton from the city during the pandemic, Richard Chisholm began taking his dog, Flynn, for walks along the Northern Central Railroad Trail. Their route took them by the Phoenix Road Bridge in nearby Phoenix, so Chisholm and his dog often stopped to watch the contractors who began replacing the 100-year-old bridge in the summer of 2022.

Chisholm was one of a handful of nearby residents and city and county officials who gathered Monday to celebrate the reopening of the crossing. It had been restricted to a single lane of traffic over Gunpowder Falls since 2010, and had been closed since June 2022 for the replacement project.

We would watch the demolition in slow motion and then watch all these construction people doing their thing, said Chisholm, who said his father worked in construction. You cant tell when youre up here, but the bridge is really heavy. It used to be a dinky one-lane bridge, and now its a two-lane road.

Almost two dozen members of the Antique Automobile Club of Americas Chesapeake Region chapter joined in the festivities, driving their vintage cars across the bridge. One said his car dated to 1915, while others drove more recent models like Corvettes, Thunderbirds and Mustangs.

The new bridge, which cost $10.5 million, is 435 feet long, spans three steel girders, and is reinforced with a concrete deck.

A routine inspection in 2009 found significant deterioration to the floor beams along the exterior of the bridge, which was built in 1922, according to the Baltimore City Department of Transportation. After that, the bridge was reduced to a single lane of traffic, controlled by signals at each end.

Its replacement is the Cadillac of bridges, according to Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, who are Democrats.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, in front at lower right, and Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr., behind him, joined other city, county and state officials Monday at an opening ceremony for the new Phoenix Road Bridge over Gunpowder Falls. A parade of cars from the Chesapeake Region Antique Auto Club of America inaugurated the replacement span.

While the bridge is in Baltimore County, it is owned and maintained by Baltimore City, which is responsible for maintaining infrastructure in the nearby Loch Raven, Liberty and Prettyboy reservoirs.

We really do hope that this is a bridge that literally connects our neighbors and our friends in a way that reminds us of just how interconnected both our communities and our region is, Olszewski said.

The bridge replacement, slated to take about 20 months, was federally funded via Maryland Department of Transportations State Highway Administration, according to the city transportation department.

Ensuring our roads and bridges actually work for our residents is one of the most important and, unfortunately, most challenging responsibilities in local government, Scott said.

We are here to celebrate this project together in partnership so that we can continue to show that Baltimore City and Baltimore County can work together to make our shared assets and our shared community better each and every day, the mayor said.

Paul Merski applauded the reopening Monday, saying the construction had periodically shut off trail access for him to bike alongside his dog, Tucker.

Im so glad its done now, because it was a disruption to traffic, and it was a safety concern, he said.
The road up to Bogus Basin is a tricky one  16 miles of tight twists and turns through the Boise Mountains with little room for error.

The drive can become even trickier in winter, as a constant stream of snowstorms over the Boise Foothills and mountains often create dangerous driving conditions. Sometimes those storms extend into Boise, too, turning the downtown area into a slippery and slushy mess.

Although snow isnt in the forecast yet for Boise, the mountains have already enjoyed their first snowfall of the season. Bogus Basin has already received 12 inches of snow this month, and with Boises average first snowfall of the year landing on Nov. 18, its only a matter of time until fall gives way to winter.

Why switch to winter tires?

The average person will only ever deal with three types of tires: all-season, all-terrain and winter, according to Eli Roberts, store manager at Discount Tire in Boise. Pickup trucks, SUVs and larger vehicles typically employ all-terrain tires, while most other cars come with all-season tires.

While all-season tires can offer some traction through the colder months, winter tires are designed to work when temperatures drop below 45 degrees. Regular tires begin to harden when they drop below 45 degrees, Roberts told the Idaho Statesman last winter, while a winter tire will remain soft and easier to drive in snow and ice.

Studded tires, which work best on snow- and ice-covered roads.

The tread on the tires is also explicitly designed to have better traction on snow and ice and to evacuate slush from under the tires more easily, Roberts noted.

Its also important to make sure your tires tread hasnt been worn down too much, according to AAA Idaho public affairs director Matthew Conde. Tread allows a car to turn more corners tightly, accelerate smoothly and brake quicker.

This time of year, we remind drivers to check their tires to ensure they have adequate tread, Conde said in a news release. A quick way to check is the quarter test  turn a quarter upside down in the tread, and if you can see the top of George Washingtons head, its time to think about replacing your tires.

Its not just snow and ice for which winter tires are helpful; theyre effective even when the roads are dry, but temperatures are bitterly cold.

Roberts noted that all-season tires will take longer to stop when braking in low temperatures because the rubber cant grip the cold surface as well as winter tires.

When should you change to winter tires?

If you havent switched to winter tires, youre already late to the party. Fortunately, its never too late to make the switch.

Roberts recommends changing to winter tires when temperatures are consistently below 45 degrees, which in Boise happens around mid- to late October. The opposite applies for taking off the winter tires: when temperatures are consistently above 45 degrees, which is typically around late March and early April.

Are you considering just keeping the winter tires on year-round? Thats also not recommended.

The more flexible rubber compound on winter tires will wear down more quickly in warmer temperatures, according to Bridgestone, which means having to replace them more often. The softer tire compound will also offer slower response times for turning and breaking in warm weather than summer or all-season tires.

How much do winter tires cost?

Winter tires are slightly more expensive than all-season tires, Roberts said. You can purchase winter tires for about $100 per tire on the low end, while all-season tires cost approximately $70.

Prices also depend on the type of car and brand of tire; tires for trucks, vans and SUVs typically will cost more money than tires for smaller cars.

Winter tires can be purchased at multiple locations throughout the Treasure Valley, including Discount Tire, Big O Tires and Les Schwab Tire Center.
A nonprofit assisting families in the search for three Georgia fishermen who disappeared a month ago said they have found debris from the boat.

Tyler Barlow, Caleb Wilkinson, and Dalton Conway went on a trip on Oct. 14 aboard the Carol Ann but never returned to shore. Their family and and the boats owner havent been able to contact them since then.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

After the boat disappeared, the Coast Guard searched more than 94,000 square miles for a week and found no traces of the boat or the missing men. They called off the search on Oct. 27.

United Cajun Navy posted a statement that fish box and buoy balls were found around 16 miles off the coast of St. Augustine. The nonprofit confirmed with the boats owner that the debris belonged to the Carol Ann.

TRENDING STORIES:

Barlow, Wilkinson and Conways families told Channel 2s sister station Action News Jax that they werent giving up hope.

We need something. We cant go with nothing and not knowing ever. Heart cant take that, Barlows mother Kim Jones told Action News Jax.

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.

Action News Jax reported that the families reached out to the United Cajun Navy for their help as well as a private pilot to continue the search.

If anyone is in this area and can join the search or reach out to others in the area to help us! Thank you to everyone involved in the search, for SHARING this post, and praying with us that these boys are found, the group posted on Facebook.

*****URGENT ******URGENT *******URGENT ***** It has been confirmed by the owner of the CAROLANN that the recent debris... Posted by United Cajun Navy on Sunday, November 19, 2023

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European Council President Charles Michel arrived in Kyiv on Nov. 21, the tenth anniversary of the Revolution of Dignity or Euromaidan Revolution  the third top European official to arrive in the Ukrainian capital on an unannounced visit on the day.

Good to be back in Kyiv  among friends, Michel wrote on his X/Twitter account.

Read also: Nearly 10 years after murdering protesters during the Revolution of Dignity, some Berkut riot police found guilty

Earlier today, unannounced visits were made to the capital by the German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Moldovan President Maia Sandu.

Nov. 21, 2013, marked the beginning of the Revolution of Dignity. The pro-Russian government led by PM Mykola Azarov ordered the halt of the preparation process for the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU.

Subsequently, former President Viktor Yanukovych halted Ukraines Euro-Atlantic integration by declining to sign the agreement, prompting thousands of Ukrainians to take to the streets in protest.

The European Commission recommended initiating negotiations regarding Ukraines accession to the EU on Nov. 8, 2023.

Read also: Ukraines stance on Yanukovych-era figures raises questions amidst US sanctions

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
FILE - Navy Lt. Don Walsh is photographed on Jan. 23, 1960. Walsh, an explorer who in 1960 was part of a two-man crew that made the first voyage to the deepest part of the ocean  to the snuff-colored ooze at the bottom of the Mariana Trench  has died. He was 92. Walsh died Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023, at his home in Myrtle Point, Ore., his daughter, Elizabeth Walsh, said Monday, Nov. 20. (AP Photo, File)

Retired Navy Capt. Don Walsh, an explorer who in 1960 was part of a two-man crew that made the first voyage to the deepest part of the ocean  to the snuff-colored ooze at the bottom of the Pacific's Mariana Trench  has died. He was 92.

Walsh died Nov. 12 at his home in Myrtle Point, Oregon, his daughter, Elizabeth Walsh, said Monday.

In January 1960, Walsh, then a U.S. Navy lieutenant, and Swiss engineer Jacques Piccard were sealed inside a 150-ton, steel-hulled bathyscaphe named the Trieste to attempt to dive nearly 7 miles (11 kilometers) below the surface. A bathyscaphe is a self-propelled submersible used in deep-sea dives.

The two men descended to 35,800 feet (11,000 meters) in the Challenger Deep, the deepest point of the Earth's oceans, part of the Mariana Trench, about 200 miles (320 kilometers) off Guam in the Pacific.

After a descent of about five hours, the steel-hulled submersible touched down on what the log described as the snuff-colored ooze of silt stewed up by the ship reaching the bottom.

When they reached the seafloor, the two men shook hands.

I knew we were making history, Walsh told The World newspaper of Coos Bay, Oregon, in 2010. It was a special day.

After spending 20 minutes on the floor and confirming there was life there when a fish swam by, they began their 3 1/2-hour ascent.

We were astounded to find higher marine life forms down there at all, Piccard said before his death in 2008.

Piccard designed the ship with his father, and they sold it to the U.S. Navy in 1958. Walsh was temporarily serving in San Diego when Piccard requested volunteers to operate the vehicle. Walsh stepped forward.

There was an opportunity to pioneer, Walsh told The World. I wasnt sure what I was going to be doing, but I knew Id be at sea. It wasnt until later they told us what they had in store.

Walsh was born Nov. 2, 1931, in Berkeley, California. He joined the Navy at age 17, and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy. He earned a masters degree and a doctorate in oceanography from Texas A&M.

He served in the Navy for 24 years, retiring with the rank of captain and serving on various submarines. He then became a professor at the University of Southern California before opening his own marine consulting business in 1976.

In 2010 he received the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award and served on many boards, including as a policy adviser to the U.S. State Department.

Walsh was a Navy officer, a submariner, an adventurer, and an oceanographer. To his family, we extend our deepest condolences and gratitude for allowing him to explore, and share his extraordinary experiences and knowledge with us, Chief of Naval Research Rear Adm. Kurt Rothenhaus said in a Navy press release.

Walsh traveled the world, including many trips to Antarctica, where the Walsh Spur pointed rock is named in his honor.

His daughter said one of the earliest lessons she and her brother Kelly learned from their parents is that the world is not a scary place  a lesson that was reinforced because their parents always came home after their various travels.

He encouraged them to venture out, as well.

Dont be scared of it and go have adventures and learn things and meet people, she recalled him teaching. Hes certainly instilled an enthusiastic curiosity about the world in Kelly and I, and thats a tremendous gift.

In 2020, Kelly Walsh made his own journey to the bottom of the Challenger Deep in a vessel owned and piloted by Dallas explorer Victor Vescovo.

An extraordinary explorer, oceanographer, and human being. Im so honored I could call him my friend, Vescovo posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, the day after Don Walshs death.

In addition to his children, Walsh is also survived by his wife of 61 years, Joan.

___

Thiessen reported from Anchorage, Alaska.
A federal appeals court in Arkansas ruled on Monday, Nov. 20, 2023, that only the federal government  not private citizens or civil rights groups  could sue to enforce the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

This decision will likely be appealed to the Supreme Court  but if it stands, it could gut individual peoples and civil rights groups legal right to fight racial discrimination in voting.

The Conversation spoke with Anthony Michael Kreis, a scholar of constitutional law, democracy and civil rights, to better understand the significance of this court ruling.

Martin Luther King III, eldest son of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., speaks about voting rights in January 2022. Samuel Corum/Getty Images

What is most important for people to understand about this court decision?

There are currently two ways to safeguard the Voting Rights Act and try to enforce it in court. One is through the federal government and the Department of Justice. The other is private groups, often civil rights organizations, that try to enforce the Voting Rights Act when there is a violation and people are not being given equal opportunity and the ability to vote.

I believe it is important that groups like the American Civil Liberties Union, or ACLU, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, or NAACP, can go to court and litigate voting rights questions. Part of the reason is that the Department of Justice is a government office with limited resources and a finite capacity to assess all of the different jurisdictions where voting takes place. It also requires the enthusiastic support of Justice Department leaders  and this cannot be guaranteed from administration to administration.

These private groups have a broader reach in terms of being able to document what is happening locally and at the state level  and whether peoples voting rights are possibly being violated.

A ruling that private groups can no longer file lawsuits related to the Voting Rights Act removes key voting rights protectors from their roles  primarily of stopping discriminatory rules or legislation that either deprive people of their right to vote or dilute the full force of their vote.

How often do private groups file lawsuits to enforce the Voting Rights Act?

The NAACP or the ACLU regularly file these lawsuits. Sometimes there have been multiple private groups filing lawsuits at the same time. This happened in 2021, when a new election law in Georgia made it harder for some people to vote by limiting access to drop boxes and making it also more challenging to get an absentee ballot mailed. This law is still under litigation.

The NAACP has also brought lawsuits against voting rights questions in Alabama, like whether people should have to present a photo ID in order to vote. Generally, these lawsuits have had a great deal of success at protecting peoples right to vote, especially the rights of Black people and other minorities.

It is because they have been so successful that some conservative people who would prefer to limit voting rights in a democracy, rather than expand them, have gone after organizations ability to file these lawsuits.

Black Americans line up to vote in 2008 outside of a Baptist church in Birmingham, Ala., one of the places that has faced new voting restrictions in the past few years. Mario Tama/Getty Images

How has the Voting Rights Act been interpreted so far?

Over the years, numerous courts, including the 5th, 6th and 11th circuits, have taken up this issue. These courts have determined that you cannot plausibly read the Voting Rights Act in its totality and not see there is a clear, private right of action for groups like the ACLU to go to court.

There is a reason why this issue of private groups filing voting rights lawsuits has kind of become a new fad. In a Supreme Court case in 2021, Justices Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas both raised this question of whether this should be allowed.

Now, the 8th Circuit Court has taken that cue and ruled that nongovernmental groups do not have the right, under the Voting Rights Act, to sue states for voting rights violations. The reasoning is that Congress never explicitly provided this right in the acts text.

But the Supreme Court has informally recognized for decades that Congress recognizes the right of private groups to take action. And while Congress has amended the Voting Rights Act through the years, it has never tried to curtail private lawsuits. This confirms the long-understood premise that Congress empowers people and groups other than the federal government to bring voting rights litigation under the 1965 law.

How does this ruling shift the legal landscape on this issue?

Most of the appellate courts that have addressed this issue head-on have easily batted away arguments about private groups not being able to file lawsuits, because they have found them to be so implausible that they are not worth their time to analyze in a deep and serious way.

I think this ruling is part of a systemic attack against voting rights in the U.S. at an especially precarious time for American democracys health. This court ruling will likely go to the Supreme Court, but if the Supreme Court affirms the decision, only the Department of Justice could enforce voting laws in a meaningful way. That is exceptionally dangerous and challenges the principle that all eligible voters get to have their voices heard in a democracy.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and analysis to help you make sense of our complex world.

It was written by: Anthony Michael Kreis, Georgia State University.

Read more:


WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR)  During his surprise visit to Ukraine Monday Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced more help is on the way.

Ukraine matters. What happens here matters not just to Ukraine, but to the entire world.

The U.S. is sending additional air defense capabilities, artillery ammunition, and anti-tank weapons.

Austin praised Ukraines president for how his country used previous aid.

The Secretary reinforced the United States commitment to the country especially as fighting moves in the winter months.

They did a great job last year. This year, we expect for them to be just based upon what the president has said, President Zelensky, he has said for them to be even more aggressive, he said.

The White House says approving more aid is the right thing to do.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, The brave people of Ukraine continue to fight against the aggression that weve been seeing from Russia against it. Its their fight against tyranny.

Later this week, Secretary Austin will also host the 17th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which is made up of about 50 nations.

The group will discuss providing additional aid to Ukraine.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
Delia Derbyshire has long enjoyed legendary status among fans and creators of electronic music. Her standing among fans has continued to grow since her death in 2001.

She is most famous for taking Australian composer, Ron Grainer's score for the Doctor Who theme tune and realising it into the instantly recognisable tune we know and love today. Not bad going considering Grainers original score had been described as a scribble on top of a piece of manuscript paper.

Derbyshire studied mathematics and music at Cambridge University and after brief stints at the United Nations in Geneva and a primary school in her hometown of Coventry, she joined the BBC in 1960 as a trainee assistant studio manager.

Delia Derbyshire with Desmond Briscoe, co-founder and original manager of the Radiophonic Workshop (1965)

Two years later she was working in the BBC's Radiophonic Workshop and before long had given Doctor Who producer, Verity Lambert, the piece of music that would secure her legacy.

Derbyshire can be seen recording vocal sounds in World of Sound from 1962. The Radio Times described it as "a recollection in sound and vision of the life and quality of radio in Britain as it developed and met the challenges of war and peace, and a look at radio today, in the age of television".

In 2018, the BBC Proms celebrated Pioneers of Sound from the Radiophonic Workshop including work from Delia Derbyshire and Daphnie Oram, who co-founded the unit and created the 'Oramics' technique of producing electronic sound. Here the musicians involved explain how this pioneering work has influenced them.

Composer Anna Meredith introduces the opening performance of the evening, The Delian Mode, which illustrates how far ahead of her time Derbyshire was. It is easy to see her influence on ambient and electronic music which came much later.

The Delian Mode first appeared on the compilation album BBC Radiophonic Music in 1968 and Desmond Briscoe, head of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, said it was "without parallel in our output".

Derbyshire worked on more than 200 BBC programmes, often uncredited as happened with her work on Doctor Who. It was BBC policy at the time that only the Radiophonic Workshop was credited, and no on-screen credit or royalties were given to individuals.

One example is French Eyes on the Future, where it is clear how her music adds to the narrative of the piece and even takes centre stage. The ominous and foreboding score heightened the peril suggested in the documentary about France's nuclear expansion.

Today, Delia Derbyshire Day is celebrated by music lovers around the world on the 23 November each year, which marks the day Doctor Who first appeared on our television screens and the day that the unforgettable theme tune first entered the public's consciousness.
The court ruled that staff are not in an 'employment relationship' with Deliveroo (Daniel LEAL)

Food delivery riders for the firm Deliveroo are not entitled to trade union rights such as collective bargaining, the UK Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday.

The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) had tried to represent Deliveroo riders in north London in order to negotiate on issues of pay, hours and holiday with the company.

But in a unanimous ruling, five judges at the UK's highest court dismissed the appeal.

They said they agreed with lower court judgements that the staff are not in an "employment relationship" with Deliveroo and are therefore not entitled to collective bargaining rights.

Its judges said multiple factors, including that riders are free to reject offers of work and to work for Deliveroo's competitors, are "fundamentally inconsistent" with such a relationship.

However, the judges noted there is "nothing in the UK legislation to stop the riders from forming their own union or joining the union as they have done".

"There is also nothing to prevent Deliveroo from engaging in collective bargaining with the union to seek to agree the terms and conditions applied to the riders if they so choose," they stated.

After losing a bid for recognition at a specialist tribunal in 2017, the IWGB unsuccessfully challenged that decision at the High Court and Court of Appeal.

In April the union took its case to the Supreme Court.

A Deliveroo spokesperson welcomed the judgment, saying UK courts had repeatedly and "at every level" confirmed that Deliveroo riders are self-employed.

"This is a positive judgement for Deliveroo riders, who value the flexibility that self-employed work offers," the spokesperson said.

"Thousands apply each week to work with Deliveroo because they want to be able to decide for themselves when, where and whether to work.

"We are proud to be able to offer tens of thousands of riders this flexibility alongside the security of free insurance, sickness coverage, support for new parents and a unique union recognition agreement."

The IWGB said the ruling came as a "disappointment".

"As a union we cannot accept that thousands of riders should be working without key protections like the right to collective bargaining," it said.

"We will continue to make that case using all avenues available to us, including considering our options under international law."

srg/jj/giv
The News

Democrats are fretting about President Bidens weaker numbers with Black voters. The new messaging shop Blueprint has a solution: Keep talking about his record until these voters hear about it.

In a new batch of polling, Blueprint found that Black voters, while overwhelmingly Democratic, have priorities and issue awareness much closer to swing voters. The vast majority want the president to bring down prices and raise wages, which the White House is already messaging; between 35% and 40% of Black voters arent aware of Biden policies designed to drive down drug prices and end junk fees, which are overwhelmingly popular.

You dont have to do some crazy targeted ad buy that only goes on conservative talk radio in swing counties in Wisconsin, said Blueprint strategist Evan Roth Smith. You can talk about these things everywhere, at the loudest possible volume. You can put the president on a podium in front of a pharmaceutical company headquarters, talking about bringing the prices down.

Blueprint, whose first round of polling found that voters were more concerned with prices than unemployment, focused on a sample of 335 Black voters to get the new numbers. Another conclusion from their data: Black voters are more likely to consider the president too liberal than too conservative. That, said Roth Smith, should show Democrats that we dont have to force some big intraparty fight over who really matters to us.

Davids view

The Biden campaign has already run economy-focused paid messages for Black voters, starting with a series of ads in September that talked about the president lowering the cost of living, including health premiums, prescription drugs, and the cost of insulin. Blueprints advice mirrors what most Democrats already think. Whats it not advising? Appeals to racial equity and justice that Biden ran on then implemented after the summer 2020 protests.
A political committee that helped expand the Democratic majority on the Illinois Supreme Court and was backed by Illinois Senate President Don Harmon emptied its bank account just weeks after being notified it faced one of the largest state election fines ever for failing to timely disclose millions of dollars it spent until after last Novembers election.

On Tuesday, the State Board of Elections issued a final order assessing $99,500 in fines against the All for Justice political action committee. The action followed a Tribune story earlier this year detailing the PACs reporting deficiencies as it spent more than $7.3 million on independent expenditures supporting Democratic Justices Elizabeth Rochford and Mary Kay OBrien, both of whom won their campaigns and increased the courts Democratic majority to 5-2 from a previous 4-3 advantage.

All for Justice was notified Aug. 3 by the state elections board it would be fined for 35 specific violations of failing to timely disclose to the public its spending on behalf of Rochford and OBrien in the crucial closing months before the November 2022 election.

The PAC was given 30 days to appeal or seek a reduction in the fines, but did not do so. Instead, on Aug. 31, it transferred its remaining cash balance of $149,516 to another independent expenditure committee, Chicago Independent Alliance, a PAC that has been dormant since July 2019, six months after it was created.

All for Justice and the Chicago Independent Alliance share the same Chicago address as the Andreou & Casson law firm. Documents filed with the state elections board show Luke Casson, a founding partner of the law firm, as chair and treasurer of All for Justice. On his previous LinkedIn profile, which is no longer active, Casson listed himself as counsel for the office of the president of the Illinois Senate, who is Harmon, and political director of the Democratic Party of Oak Park, which is Harmons political base.

A day before All for Justice transferred its remaining cash to the Chicago Independent Alliance PAC, the alliance PAC also received a $200 donation from the Andreou & Casson law firm. It was the first contribution the alliance PAC had received in more than 4  years.

State election board officials said they moved forward with a final order to assess the fines against All for Justice  despite its empty bank account  by citing a provision in its administrative rules that makes the officers of a PAC personally liable for civil penalties if the PAC lends or donates funds to a second political committee while it owes fines to the State Board of Elections.

Casson is the only officer of the All for Justice PAC, according to state election records.

Reached by the Tribune, Casson said he had no comment on the boards action. He said, I didnt know and I had no knowledge of the fines, despite the boards Aug. 3 notice levying the fines. He did not respond when asked if he was saying he did not receive the boards notice.

Asked why 28 days after the boards notice of the fines was issued All for Justice transferred its remaining funds to the dormant Chicago Independent Alliance PAC, Casson responded: Thats none of your business. Asked if the funds transfer was an attempt to circumvent paying the fines, Casson said, It wasnt. I just said we dont have any comment.

The Chicago Independent Alliance PAC was launched with $20,000 in small donations and spent more than $13,000 in its first three months, including $9,000 in support of a Chicago mayoral candidate that it did not name  a violation of state campaign finance laws but it was never cited by the state election board.

The Chicago Independent Alliance previously paid a $950 fine to the state elections board in July 2019 for filing its required quarterly report of funds raised and spent 25 days late, state records showed. The alliance PAC lists its purpose as making independent expenditures in support of independent candidates and common sense economic policies for growth and prosperity, state election records showed.

For years, the Chicago Independent Alliance PAC had a cash balance of $5,206. With the transfers from All for Justice PAC and the contribution from Cassons law firm, the independent alliance PAC reported a cash balance of nearly $155,000.

The All for Justice committee was fined Tuesday by the state elections board for falling to timely file expenditures of $1,000 or more within two days of spending the money. The committee spent heavily on television ads painting Rochford and OBriens Republican opponents as virulent anti-abortion candidates in the months after the U.S. Supreme Court decision ended Roe v. Wade and sent the issue of abortion rights to the states.

Rochford, a Lake County judge, beat Mark Curran, a former Lake County sheriff, with a healthy 55.2% of the vote. OBrien, an appellate court judge, defeated Michael Burke, a sitting Supreme Court justice who had been appointed to fill a vacancy, with only 51.1% of the vote.

By not following the disclosure rules, the spending by All for Justice  which represented a quarter of the more than $23 million spent overall on the two Supreme Court races and nearly 40% of the money behind the Democratic candidates  went undisclosed until the end of January, months after the election.

All for Justice was formed in August 2022 as an independent expenditure political action committee, which can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money to support or oppose candidates but cannot coordinate its spending with the contenders it backs.

Because it began spending money on Sept. 29, within 60 days of the Nov. 8, 2022, election, All for Justice was required to file detailed public reports within two days for each expenditure of $1,000 or more that it made on behalf of Rochford and OBrien or against Curran and Burke. Instead, they filed nothing until amended reports were filed months after the election.

Kent Redfield, a professor emeritus of political science at the University of Illinois at Springfield and a campaign finance expert, called the actions of All for Justice in shedding its bank account the moral and ethical equivalent of hiding assets before filing for divorce or bankruptcy.

The Illinois campaign finance law relies on transparency and timely reporting to (ensure) that the general public and the news media know who is supporting a candidate for public office, Redfield said. When the system is working correctly, citizens and the news media know in real time where the money supporting elections comes from and who it is benefiting.

But, he said, A willful violation of this magnitude strikes at the heart of the trust and sense of legitimacy that is necessary to sustain our political system.

Although All for Justice did not file timely expenditure reports, it did file the mandated timely reports on money it was taking in from contributors, indicating an awareness of the states campaign finance laws.

All for Justice filed quarterly reports on what it raised and spent, but because the filing of the report covering Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, 2022, was not required until Jan. 17, it wasnt until more than two months after the election that the group publicly disclosed spending nearly $6 million of its $7.3 million in independent expenditures.

And even then, it did not list which candidates it spent money on to benefit from the work of specific vendors, such as those involved in nearly $6.3 million in TV ads and nearly $800,000 in mailers, as required by law.

Election authorities, alerted to the transparency issue by Redfield and the Tribune earlier this year, contacted representatives of All for Justice and it filed amended quarterly reports providing the required detailed expenditure information Jan. 31  weeks after Rochford and OBrien were sworn in.

Harmon, the state Senate president, was a major donor to All for Justice, contributing $500,000 from his personal campaign fund and another $200,000 from the Illinois Senate Democratic Fund he controls.

The Harmon-backed donations were part of nearly $1.1 million in contributions from Democratic politicians, including $75,000 from state Rep. Jay Hoffman of Swansea and five senators who gave $50,000 each.

Another nearly $3.4 million came in to All for Justice from organized labor groups, while lawyers, law firms and related entities provided more than $2.3 million to the group.

Overall, All for Justice spent $3.7 million on behalf of Rochford and more than $3.6 million on behalf of OBrien, election reports ultimately showed.

Harmon has played a leading role in the passage of several campaign finance reform initiatives.

A spokesman for Harmon said Casson acts as an outside legal counsel for the Senate presidents office and is not a state employee.

Asked through his spokesmen about what relationship Harmon has with Casson and the actions Casson has taken divesting funds from the All for Justice PAC, Harmon did not directly respond.

Instead, Harmon released as statement saying, All political committees in Illinois have a responsibility and duty to comply with all applicable campaign finance regulations.

When the Tribune first reported issues surrounding the transparency of All for Justices spending in February, Harmon said in a statement that if the state elections board needs new tools to make disclosures more intuitively and more timely, I am happy to work with them to achieve the shared goal of meaningful campaign finance transparency.

The General Assembly took no action on the issue this year.

rap30@aol.com

jgorner@chicagotribune.com
H. Mebane Meb Turner, the longtime president of the University of Baltimore who later headed Boys Latin School, died Sunday at Roland Park Place.

He was 92 and formerly resided in Guilford.

His wife, Ivana Iva Turner, said he suffered from heart disease and had been in the retirement homes memory care unit.

Mr. Turner came to the University of Baltimore in 1969. He served briefly as provost and then became president. He retired in 2002, then headed Boys Latin for two years.

Baltimore has lost one of its unsung heroes of civic leadership. For decades, he was not only Mr. UB, but he was also a civic volunteer par excellence who undertook service, said University of Baltimore President Kurt L. Schmoke, the former mayor.

He led the transition of the University of Baltimore from a struggling private university to a thriving public member of the University System of Maryland. He led University of Baltimore for 33 years, a record that places him among the countrys longest-serving college and university presidents, Mr. Schmoke said.

Mr. Turner also championed efforts to rehabilitate what is today the Lyric Performing Arts Center on Mount Royal Avenue and expanded the universitys campus throughout the Mount Vernon Belvedere neighborhood.

A 2002 Sun story on Mr. Turners long tenure noted, The school came to be identified with the dapper Virginian known for his bow ties and Southern charm  a university that has, because of Turners skilled real estate dealing, greatly increased its presence in midtown Baltimore, expanding from three properties on 2.4 acres in 1970 to 40 properties on 14 acres today.

Mr. Turner took the school into the Maryland university system in 1975. He shepherded the universitys growth to about 4,600 students divided among its law school, business school and college of liberal arts.

William Brit Kirwan, the chancellor emeritus of the University of System of Maryland, said: When I became president of College Park in 1988, Meb took me under his wing, unselfishly. He was my friend, counselor and confidante. He was larger than life and people called him the mayor of midtown Baltimore. He inherited a financially challenged institution and brought it to life. His tenure as president reflected his leadership and respect.

H. Mebane Meb Turner speaks at Boys Latin School in 2008.

Halcott Mebane Turner was the son of Edgar Halcott Turner, a Richmond, Virginia, tobacco executive, and Betty Tarpley, a homemaker. He was born in Danville, Virginia, and raised in Richmond.

Mr. Turner was a graduate of the old Augusta Military Academy in Fort Defiance who received his undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and belonged to the Omicron Delta Kappa honor society. He played football and was captain of the wrestling team.

Some knew Meb only as a bow-tie-wearing, laid-back Southern gentleman. Few knew that he had been a collegiate wrestler who retained a competitive spirit in the higher education arena, Mr. Schmoke said. Having worked with him when I was mayor of Baltimore and during my university presidency, I can say without hesitation that it was a delight to know him and to be advised by him over many years.

As an undergraduate, he majored in religion with a minor in dramatics.

I didnt act, but I had a lot of fun backstage, he told The Sun in 1983.

Mr. Turner was a graduate of Union Theological Seminary and the Teachers College, Columbia University, both in New York. He received a doctorate from American University in 1974.

He later recalled enjoying lectures from prominent theologians while a graduate student, but never gave up his fascination with theater.

I remember getting in line at 4 a.m. on a winter morning to see My Fair Lady,' he said in The Sun story.

He was an Army chaplain, an investments adviser, a University of Virginia administrator and dean of students at what was then George Mason College in Fairfax, Virginia, before coming to Baltimore.

He was a recipient of the Maryland Association for Higher Educations 2003 Lifetime Achievement Award.

Mr. Turner reflected in the 1983 Sun interview on his theory of life: The most important thing is that we must be civil to one another. Humans began living in towns so that they could help each other and improve the city at the same time. Thats one reason for the University of Baltimore.

Mr. Turner served on the boards of the old Maryland General Hospital and the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House. He was a past governor general of the General Society of Colonial Wars and past president of the Baltimore City Jail Board, Baltimore Rotary and Virginians of Maryland.

Friends recalled him walking along Charles Street and heading to the Maryland Club for lunch. They said he was a spirited conversationalist who never lost his Virginia accent.

After leaving the University of Baltimore he headed Boys Latin.

Dr. Turner was an extraordinary man  wise and kind, sharp and insightful. He had a wonderful demeanor that immediately put people at ease, said Christopher J. Post, the schools current headmaster.

Mr. Turner became so identified with efforts to improve the Charles Street and Mount Royal Avenue section that in 2002, Mayor Martin OMalley and the City Council named the then-newly renovated Charles Street span over the Jones Falls Expressway the H. Mebane Turner Bridge.

In 2016 the universitys Learning Commons building was named in his honor.

A funeral will be held at 1 p.m. Dec. 8 at Second Presbyterian Church at 4200 St. Paul St.

Survivors include his wife, Ivana Obst Turner; two sons, Edgar Halcott Turner and Andrew D. Martire; and five grandchildren.
Ukrainian units on the now-snowbound front lines are reportedly commonly 20 to 40 per cent below strength - Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu

Ukrainian soldiers say that they fear losing a war of exhaustion against Russia as Kyiv struggles to replenish its battle-weary forces.

Units on the front lines are commonly 20 to 40 per cent below strength as Ukraine counts the costs of its summer counter-offensive, a retired Ukrainian lieutenant general told The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

It was hoped that Nato-trained brigades equipped with Western tanks would liberate swathes of territory occupied by Russia as part of the much-heralded push.

But in reality, while Ukrainian troops battered and bruised Russian forces and their logistics, the heavily fortified front lines have barely moved in months of brutal fighting.

Pte Bohdan Lysenko, of Ukraines 47th Brigade, told the WSJ: We dont have a chance playing [a] war of exhaustion with Russia.

We need a fundamental change in our army.

It was hoped that Nato-trained brigades equipped with Western tanks would liberate swathes of territory occupied by Russia - Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu

Pte Lysenkos unit is defending the town of Avdiivka, in Ukraines eastern Donetsk region, with only 20 men.

The company began the summer with 120 men, many of whom are now dead, wounded or have been transferred away from the front line.

Among the 20 remaining are several replacements, most of whom are more than 40 years old, according to Pte Lysenko.

Were still motivated, but were exhausted, Pte Oleksandr Siergeichikov, who has been defending Avdiivka since the spring of 2022 with Ukraines 110th Mechanized Brigade, told the WSJ.

Avdiivka, which lies about 16 miles from the Russian-occupied city of Donetsk, is surrounded by Russian-held territory to the north, east and south.

Once home to some 30,000 people, the town has been on the front line of the war since Russias initial 2014 Donbas invasion.

Russia has a population more than three times the size of Ukraine, meaning that it can strategically afford to lose thousands of soldiers to make marginal gains before replacing them.

It is estimated that approximately 30,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died and a further 100,000 have been injured to date - Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu

The Kremlin sent tens of thousands of men to their deaths in meat waves to capture Bakhmut, about 30 miles north of Avdiivka, in a 10-month battle that featured some of the most ferocious fighting of the war.

Kyiv has meanwhile sought to safeguard its troops, arguing that the Ukrainian leadership values the lives of its people.

Cpl Mykhailo Kotsyurba, a Bradley commander in the same company as Pte Lysenko, said of Moscows tactics: Theyre not stupid. Its a strategy.

They look for weak points, then go there. We dont have enough ammunition, but they have enough people.

Britain, the United States and Ukraine all estimate that Russia has suffered more than 300,000 casualties  including those killed or wounded  since Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion in February last year.

The Ukrainian government, which has voiced concerns that vital military support from the West is dwindling, does not release such numbers for its own forces.

But a group led by historians and researchers has estimated that approximately 30,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died and a further 100,000 have been injured.

One Ukrainian soldier said that his forces 'dont have enough ammunition' - Ozge Elif Kizil/Anadolu

Ukraines ranks, once made up of highly motivated volunteers, are now being bolstered by briefly trained conscripts.

Many of the losses are blamed on Soviet-trained commanders whose rigid tactics have not allowed those forces with Western training to flourish on the battlefield.

This week Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, acknowledged the struggles of his military, after opting to sack the commander of the countrys medical forces.

Mr Zelensky demanded rapid operational changes to medical support for Ukraines troops following the dismissal of Maj Gen Tetiana Ostashchenko amid criticism about the poor quality of supplies available to soldiers.

He also said that Nato-standard communications would have to be introduced for Ukraine to recapture more occupied territory from Russia.

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Police conduct a search and verification drive for undocumented Afghan nationals, on the outskirts of Karachi

Police conduct a search and verification drive for undocumented Afghan nationals, on the outskirts of Karachi

KARACHI (Reuters) - The U.N. refugee agency on Tuesday expressed concern over widespread distress in large Afghan refugee communities across Pakistan where authorities are conducting searches to round up and expel undocumented foreigners.

Islamabad last month announced it would expel over a million undocumented refugees, mostly Afghans, amid a row with Kabul over charges it harbours anti-Pakistan militants. Over 370,000 Afghans have fled Pakistan since Oct. 1.

Pakistan says documented refugees are exempt, but the U.N. High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) said even those with the right documents were being targeted.

"The announcement and follow-up actions, including reports of intimidation by local authorities and evictions by landlords, have created a sense of panic," UNHCR's Pakistan representative, Philippa Candler, said at a briefing in Geneva, according to a statement from the agency.

She reiterated that the return of Afghans should be voluntary and that Pakistan should identify vulnerable individuals who need international protection.

Pakistan says harassment of documented refugees is rare and it is taking action against perpetrators. But it has continued a search operation in various cities to verify the status of refugees, many of whom have lived in the country for decades.

In the southern port city of Karachi, where hundreds of thousands of Afghans live, police carried out door-to-door searches in refugee settlements along with officials of the national database authority.

In one area on the outskirts of the city, a slum settlement of hundreds of small houses, officials knocked on the doors and asked residents to provide identification, which was cross checked by electronic tablets.

Reluctant and visibly distressed residents allowed a female police officer into their homes to verify the identification of women and children as well. None of the families wanted to speak to Reuters journalists present at the site.

There was no resistance and search parties did not have to use force and returned documents of those whose documents checked out.

Thousands of Afghans have gone underground in Pakistan fearing deportation, saying they feared for their lives if they returned to Afghanistan, which is now run by the Islamist Taliban movement following the hasty and chaotic withdrawal of U.S.-led western forces in 2021.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in a press note that the sudden arrival of hundreds of thousands of Afghans had created a fresh crisis in Afghanistan where the returnees needed aid and shelter as winter sets in.

"With over six million people already internally displaced throughout the country, Afghans returning from Pakistan face a precarious, uncertain future," IOM said. (This story has been corrected to fix the spelling of Philippa Candler's name in paragraph 4)

(Reporting by Gibran Peshimam and Akhtar Soomro; Editing by Nick Macfie)
WAVERLY TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD)  Authorities say a woman accused of driving drunk with her 4-year-old daughter in the car was arrested after a police chase in Van Buren County early Tuesday morning.

The Van Buren County Sheriffs Office said it started after authorities received a report of a silver SUV with no taillights driving erratically and going through traffic lights in Paw Paw.

A Paw Paw police officer tried pulling the driver over, but she did not stop and continued northbound on M-40. A Van Buren County sheriffs sergeant was able to deflate both front tires with stop sticks. The driver continued for a quarter mile before stopping near the intersection of M-40 and M-43 in Waverly Township, according to the sheriffs office.

The driver tried to run away but lost her balance and fell, hitting her head on the asphalt. She was then taken into custody, the sheriffs office said.

When authorities checked her vehicle, they found her 4-year-old daughter in the backseat. The girl was put in the custody of a family member, according to VBCSO.

When the woman was taken to the hospital, the sheriffs office said she tried to kick a deputy. She was later taken to the Van Buren County Jail and faces several charges, including operating while intoxicated, child endangerment and assault on a police officer.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.
Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted for the murder of George Floyd, spoke out in his first prison interview as part of a recently released documentary.

At the end of the day, the whole trial, including sentencing, was a sham, Chauvin, who was ordered to spend 22-and-a-half years in prison, said from a federal facility in Tucson, Arizona.

The former officer was found guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for placing his knee on Floyds neck for approximately nine minutes.

During that time, Floyd begged officers to release him, telling them, I cant breathe.

Chauvins comments in The Fall of Minneapolis largely centred on his sentencing, the media narrative surrounding his case and the training he and other officers undertook prior to 25 May 2020, the day Floyd was killed.

J Alexander Kueng, one of the four officers who responded to the incident outside Cup Foods, also spoke to documentarians from a prison in Lisbon, Ohio. He pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter and was ordered to serve three years in prison.

Speaking of his sentencing, he said, Whats been done is done. I just hope at the very least, people in the future keep an open mind and not let instances like this happen.

Use my case as an example to not jump the gun, not knee jerk, not fall to this race bait, to the social media, to the media and not let them get away with what they do.

Former officers Thomas Lane and Tou Thao were separately charged and sentenced for their involvement in Floyds death. Lane was given three years in prison, while Thao was handed four years and nine months.

Kueng, who is Black, said he did not blame Chauvin for the outcome of the case.

The way I see it, he made the decision he thought was right. Hes always been one that was by the book and legally abiding.

The officers said that evidence regarding the use of force technique called the Maximal Restraint Technique, implemented on Floyd was put before the 12-member jury. Both Chauvin and Kueng said their training included using the technique.

Furthermore, the amount of media attention on the case during the trial meant that it would be difficult for the jury to remain impartial, Floyds attorney said at a hearing.

In June, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced its findings into a probe of the Minneapolis Police Department and the city of Minneapolis, claiming investigators found a pattern of both agencies engaging in conduct violating the U.S. Constitution and federal law.

In particular, The DOJ said it found instances of excessive force, including unjustifiable deadly force and unreasonable use of tasers, instances in which they discriminated against Black people and Native American people and violating the rights of people to engage in protected speech, among others.

On Monday, the US Supreme Court rejected Chauvins appeal based on an argument that he did not receive a fair trial.
The Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear an appeal from former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the latest bid to overturn his murder conviction for the fatal arrest of George Floyd more than three years ago.

Derek Chauvins latest attempt to appeal his conviction is once again rejected. (Credit: Minnesota Department of Corrections)

The latest legal setback for Chauvin adds to a series of unfruitful appeals, including one that was turned down by Minnesotas high court in July, while marking another failed bid by the 47-year-old ex-cop to challenge his April 2021 conviction for killing Floyd.

In his filing to the high court, Chauvin requested a judicial review citing concerns over pervasive media coverage leading up to his trial in Minneapolis, arguing that prejudice among the jury warranted a change of venue in the case that he never got.

Additionally, Chauvin urged the justices to assess his conviction, questioning whether the trial judge was obligated to conduct a hearing to address jury misconduct allegations following the trial.

The appeal also emphasized concerns about potential riots in the city due to the racial aspects of the trial, suggesting jurors might have been swayed by a personal interest in delivering a guilty verdict to appease the Black community for Floyds death.

Mr. Chauvins case shows the profound difficulties trial courts have to ensure a criminal defendants right to an impartial jury consistently when extreme cases arise, his attorney wrote in the filing.

By refusing to take up the case, the nine justices on the high court affirmed Chauvins 2021 state conviction, allowing the verdict to stand without further action, including no statement from the court.

Previously, a federal appeals court twice rejected Chauvins request for a new evidentiary hearing on several other legal grounds.

The latest development in Chauvins legal saga comes a week after the ex-cop filed a motion in federal court to overturn his conviction based on an unsubstantiated theory on Floyds cause of death, which was proposed by a Kansas pathologist who never examined the body.

Officially, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner determined Floyd died as a result of a heart attack that was likely caused by Chauvins brutal knee restraint. Doctors hired by the family found Floyd died from asphyxia, while Chauvins attorney argued in court that Floyd died from natural causes due to drug abuse.

Chauvin has so far served 16 months of a 21-year federal sentence for violating Floyds civil rights during the deadly arrest on Memorial Day 2020.

Thats when the white officer kneeled on Floyds neck for more than nine minutes after Floyd was accused of passing a counterfeit $20 bill at a nearby convenience store.

As the life drained from his body, Floyd pleaded with Chauvin to let him up, screaming, I cant breathe, while also calling out to his mother for help.

By the time paramedics arrived, it was too late.

The excruciating episode was filmed by several bystanders who then shared the videos to social media, triggering months of sustained protests around the world while bolstering the Black Lives Matter movement in America.

After his state conviction, Chauvin was sentenced to more than 22 years in prison before he pleaded guilty to federal civil rights charges in December the same year. Chauvin agreed to plead guilty after prosecutors amended the case to include a 2017 incident in which Chauvin used excessive force to restrain a 14-year-old boy.
The Des Moines City Council approved a settlement with a man who said police improperly restrained him after he suffered a seizure.

Nick Templeton will receive $12,500 after he alleged Des Moines police used excessive force when they pinned him to the ground and "hogtied" him after he suffered a medical issue while driving and drifted off the road in 2019.

Attorneys for the city had the case moved to federal court and asked the judge to grant summary judgment to the city, arguing that the officers had not violated Templeton's rights and that, even if they had, those rights had not been clearly established by prior case law.

In August 2022, the court agreed and granted the officers qualified immunity on all federal law claims, although claims under Iowa law could continue in state court.

Why did Des Moines police arrest Nick Templeton?

Templeton, who has a seizure disorder, remembers going to lunch on May 15, 2019, with his mother, leaving to return to the Iowa Capitol, where he worked as a groundskeeper, and then waking up at Iowa Lutheran Hospital.

According to police reports, onlookers saw Templeton's Jeep Cherokee drive off the road on Court Avenue near the Hoover Office Building and across the grass until he drifted to a stop in a parking lot. The first officers on the scene reported that Templeton was awake and conscious behind the wheel, but appeared to be in an "altered state of mind."

Officers reported that Templeton resisted efforts to get him out of his SUV, repeatedly locking the doors, slamming a door on one officer's fingers and kicking another. Templeton continued kicking and struggling as officers removed him from the vehicle and eventually cuffed him face down on the pavement.

As more officers arrived, one supplied a "hobble," a strap used to connect a detainee's cuffed wrists and ankles behind the back, to better control Templeton's movements.

Body camera video from the scene shows Templeton calling out for help and asking for water as the officers tell him to calm down. The officers can be seen on video from the scene kneeling on the prone man, until, according to court records, a paramedic noticed his face was turning blue, and he was transported to the hospital.

Templeton was charged with a drug offense related to pills found in his vehicle, although the charge was later dropped. He said in court filings the medication was legally prescribed to him.

In 2021, when he filed the suit, Templeton told the Des Moines Register he looked at the incident as a near-death experience.

"It weighs pretty heavy on me. Reading the EMS report really hit me hard ... being hogtied," he said.

"Knowing that I almost died, I think about it pretty much every day."

Templeton's lawyer and the city did not comment on the settlement approval.

Register reporter William Morris contributed to this article.

Noelle Alviz-Gransee is a breaking news reporter at the Des Moines Register. Follow her on Twitter@NoelleHannika or email her at NAlvizGransee@registermedia.com.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Des Moines settles excessive force lawsuit with man hogtied by police
A meeting where high-level strategists for Florida Governor and presidential candidate Ron DeSantis were supposed to discuss strategy against his rival Nikki Haley almost descended into a melee, according to a report from NBC News.

Sources who spoke to NBC revealed that the near-brawl, which took place last Tuesday, reflected growing tensions within the board of Desantis main PAC, Never Back Down. According to one source who was in the room, Jeff Roe, a consultant for Never Back Down, nearly came to blows with Desantis advisor and PAC board member Scott Wagner.

You have a stick up your ass, Roe reportedly told Wagner, who responded by demanding that Roe come over here and get it. Wagner was reportedly restrained by his fellow board members before the two could actually duke it out. Three DeSantis allies unaffiliated with Never Back Down launched a new PAC following the disastrous strategy session.

The DeSantis campaign, once the great Republican hope for a challenge to former President Donald Trumps 2024 bid, has failed to perform to expectations. Sources told NBC News that the Florida governor, his wife, and other prominent members of the campaign had become frustrated with what they viewed as a lack of effectiveness by the leadership of Never Back Down, which had opened the door for Haley to gain significant ground in the lead-up to the primaries.

The new PAC, named Fight Right, reportedly seeks to tackle DeSantis Haley problem in a way Never Back Down seemed incapable of doing. The PAC has already launched ads in Iowa comparing Haley to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The ads insinuate that Crooked Hillary is a role model for the former South Carolina governor and United Nations Ambassador.

The reality is that a new PAC may do little to stop DeSantis receding tide of support. The Florida governor has delivered lackluster debate performances, the highlights of which have been memes mocking how deeply uncomfortable he looks in his own skin. Trump himself singled out DeSantis as the designated punching bag for his own campaign, and as previously reported by Rolling Stone, had his campaign cook up strategies to humiliate DeSantis in every way they could imagine.

With less than two months remaining before the Iowa caucuses, the next weeks are make or break for candidates. In DeSantis case, sliding polls and infighting amongst his chief strategists may have already left things beyond repair.

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JACKSON, Miss.  More than eight months after 37-year-old Dexter Wade was killed and later buried in a paupers field, his mother gave her only son the formal funeral that hed been denied.

Civil rights leaders flew in from around the country for the service Monday. Several elected officials, including a member of Congress, found seats in the church audience alongside grieving family members. A gospel choir sang of hoping for better days to come, flanked onstage by 15 ornate flower bouquets, including one shaped in the initials of the man whose violent death and discreet burial had sparked a national outcry: DW.

At the front of the room, standing before a ruby red casket, Bettersten Wade, Dexter Wades mother, wiped tears from her cheeks and prepared to say goodbye.

From the church stage, with Dexter Wades two teenage daughters standing next to her, Bettersten Wade spoke of the months shed spent searching and praying for her son to return, unaware that hed been run over by an off-duty police officer and buried at the county penal farm.

When this battle started, Bettersten Wade said, I started by myself.

Now, with a live video feed streaming the service to a national audience, she addressed her son directly.

Dexter, she said, choking up, you made it home.

Image: Dexter Wade's funeral with Rev Al Sharpton (Ashleigh Coleman for NBC News)

Her quest to find her son began soon after he left home on March 5 and didnt return. For months afterward, missing persons investigators with the Jackson Police Department told her that they didnt have any leads. Then, in late August, officers revealed that hed been struck by a Jackson police cruiser while he was crossing a six-lane highway less than an hour after hed left home.

The Hinds County coroners office told her his body had been buried in a paupers field in July after authorities had failed to reach his next of kin  even though, according to the familys lawyers, an independent autopsy conducted on the familys behalf this month found that Dexter Wade was buried with a state ID listing his home address.

The case sparked public outrage when NBC News reported about it last month. Civil rights lawyers Ben Crump and Dennis Sweet took on the case, helping arrange for Dexter Wades exhumation, the independent autopsy and, finally, a funeral. Last week, county workers exhumed his body hours before an agreed-upon time, adding another indignity to Bettersten Wades ordeal.

Both Crump and Sweet were in the audience at the New Horizon Church International as the Rev. Al Sharpton, who hosts MSNBCs PoliticsNation, delivered Dexter Wades eulogy Monday. Sharpton spoke of Wade's daughters, who would finish growing up without a father, and of fighting to hold the city of Jackson and Hinds County accountable. In all his years advocating on behalf of the families of those killed by police, Sharpton said, hed never heard one like this.

His life mattered to his mama, to his daughters, Sharpton said. And were going to make it matter all over this country.

Crump said giving Wade a respectable funeral was just the beginning of the fight for accountability. He has called on the Justice Department to investigate.

Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss, attended the funeral and said Dexter Wades family deserves to know more about what happened to him.

Who was investigating? Were any policies violated? Thompson said. To my knowledge, none of this information has been made available.

In a statement last week responding to the allegation that Dexter Wade was buried with an ID listing his home address, a spokesperson for the city of Jackson said Hinds County was responsible for examining, burying and exhuming his body, which remained in county custody from the moment a coroners investigator arrived at the scene of the collision. The coroners office didnt respond to requests for comment.

Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens and Jackson City Council member Kenneth Stokes were also in attendance, part of an outpouring of support from local leaders. Owens has said his office is working with city and county authorities on a full review of the case. Stokes issued an apology Sunday on behalf of the City Council and apologized again during the funeral.

Image: Dexter Wade's funeral (Ashleigh Coleman for NBC News)

Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba has blamed communication failures for the botched case and said police officers didnt mean to cause the Wade family any harm. Last week, Police Chief Joseph Wade said he had enacted the police departments first-ever policy on death notifications; the city hasnt provided a copy in response to NBC News requests.

But Bettersten Wade and her lawyers have said the citys responses arent enough.

Thats just trivial stuff, Sweet said. We need some real change.

Bettersten Wade said Mondays funeral brought her some comfort but didnt bring her peace, because so much remains unexplained.

Now hes going to rest, she said of her son. He can rest. But his mother is not going to rest until I get justice. Till I find out what happened to him. Till I find out who and what was involved.

When he was buried in a county plot this summer, his grave was marked only by a number: 672.

Image: Dexter Wade's funeral with Rev Al Sharpton (Ashleigh Coleman for NBC News)

Now, a white hearse drove Dexter Wades casket to a newly constructed cemetery, where his mother, father, grandmother, daughters and other relatives gathered around a freshly dug grave. A pastor said a final prayer. Family members placed white, yellow and red roses on the casket. They chanted Justice for Dexter Wade.

The casket was slowly lowered into the ground. A cover was placed over it with a nameplate: Dexter Alex Wade 1985-2023.

At her sons second burial, Bettersten Wade rose and dropped a handful of dirt onto his casket.

Dexter Wade's funeral with Rev Al Sharpton (Ashleigh Coleman for NBC News)

Ill see you when I come home, she said.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Photo: The Canadian Press This grab from the UK COVID-19 Inquiry Live Stream shows former chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance giving evidence at Dorland House in London, Monday, Nov. 20, 2023. Boris Johnson, the former British prime minister, struggled to come to grips with much of the science during the coronavirus pandemic, according to his then chief scientific advisor. In keenly awaited testimony Monday to the countrys public inquiry into the COVID-19 pandemic, Patrick Vallance said he and others faced repeated problems getting Johnson to understand the science. (UK COVID-19 Inquiry via AP)

Boris Johnson, the former British prime minister, struggled to come to grips with much of the science during the coronavirus pandemic, his chief scientific adviser said Monday.

In keenly awaited testimony to the countrys public inquiry into the COVID-19 pandemic, Patrick Vallance said he and others faced repeated problems getting Johnson to understand the science and that he changed his mind on numerous occasions.

I think Im right in saying that the prime minister gave up science at 15," he said. I think hed be the first to admit it wasnt his forte and that he struggled with the concepts and we did need to repeat them  often.

Extracts from Vallace's mostly contemporaneous diary of the time were relayed to the inquiry. In them, he wrote that Johnson was often bamboozled by the graphs and data and that watching him get his head round stats is awful."

During the pandemic, Vallance was a highly visible presence in the U.K. He and the chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, regularly flanked Johnson at the daily COVID-19 press briefings given from the prime minister's offices on Downing Street.

Vallance, who stepped down from his role as the British government's chief scientific adviser earlier this year, said Johnson's struggles were not unique and that many leaders had problems in understanding the scientific evidence and advice, especially in the first stages of the pandemic in early 2020.

He recalled a meeting of European scientific advisers where one country leader was said to have problems with exponential curves and the telephone call burst into laughter, because it was true in every country.

Johnson was hospitalized with the virus in April 2020 less than two weeks after he put the country into lockdown for the first time. Vallance conceded the prime minister was unable to concentrate on things when he was really unwell but that after his recuperation there was no obvious change between him and what he was like beforehand.

The U.K. has one of the highest COVID-19 death tolls in Europe, with the virus recorded as a cause of death for more than 232,000 people.

Johnson, who was forced to step down as prime minister in September 2022 following revelations of lockdown rule-breaking parties at his Downing Street residence during the pandemic, is due to address the inquiry before Christmas.

The probe, led by retired Judge Heather Hallett, is expected to take three years to complete, though interim assessments are set to be published. Johnson agreed in late 2021 to hold a public inquiry after heavy pressure from bereaved families, who have hit out at the evidence emerging about his actions.

The inquiry is divided into four so-called modules, with the current phase focusing on political decision-making around major developments, such as the timing of lockdowns. The first stage, which concluded in July, looked at the countrys preparedness for the pandemic.

The inquiry is set to hear from current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who was Johnson's Treasury chief at the time and as such had a particular focus on the economic impacts of Britain's lockdowns.

When he does appear at the inquiry, Sunak is likely to face questioning about his Eat Out to Help Out initiative, which sought to encourage nervous customers back to restaurants in August 2020 as the first set of lockdown restrictions were being eased and before subsequent lockdowns were enacted.

Vallance said scientists weren't aware of the restaurant program until it was announced and that the messaging around it ran opposite to the need to limit mixing between households.

I think it would have been very obvious to anyone that this inevitably would cause an increase in transmission risk," Vallance said.

Soon after, positive cases started rising and the government came under huge pressure to institute a second national lockdown, something Johnson eventually announced at the end of October 2020.

The inquiry was shown a diary entry Vallance wrote before that lockdown and which referred to Dominic Cummings, Johnson's chief political adviser at the time, saying that Sunak thinks just let people die and thats OK."

When asked about the diary entry, the prime minister's spokesman, Max Blain, said Sunak would set out his position when he gives evidence to the inquiry.

Im sure the public will understand the importance of listening to all the evidence of the inquiry before coming to a conclusion," Blain said.
Photo: TIMES COLONIST Protesters march down Government Street on Sunday in a rally callying for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Hundreds of people attended two separate rallies in front of the B.C. legislature on Sunday on the ongoing Gaza conflict, one calling for a ceasefire and the other for the release of Israeli hostages.

About 950 people marched through downtown Victoria on Sunday afternoon with signs and Palestinian flags, before gathering at the legislature.

The protesters accused Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and B.C. Premier David Eby of standing by while a genocide unfolds in the Middle East, and took aim at members of the media for their coverage of the conflict.

Every time the media lies, a family in Gaza dies, they chanted while marching down Government Street.

Near the end of the rally, protesters cheered at news that B.C. NDP delegates, who had gathered for their convention in the Victoria Conference Centre just a few blocks away, had overwhelmingly endorsed an emergency resolution calling on the B.C. NDP to ask the federal government to back an immediate ceasefire.

Yahya Odatallah, president of the Muslim Student Association at the University of Victoria, said in a speech at the rally that the NDP vote shows demonstrations make a difference. Well be here every week until a ceasefire does happen.

Less than 90 minutes after the pro-Palestine rally ended, people began gathering for the second demonstration in support of the 240 hostages taken by Hamas militants during the Oct. 7 attacks.

Close to 400 people stood along the Belleville Street sidewalk in the fading light, holding up posters of Israeli hostages and heart-shaped balloons.

Vigil organizer Noa Marnin Gilad, co-director of Congregation Emanu-Els Hebrew school, said while attendees hold many different viewpoints, everyone was united in their support for the hostages. Our hearts have been stuck in a tunnel for five weeks now with all of them.

There were no speakers at the event, but at one point, a group began singing songs and prayers in Hebrew, including the song Gesher Tzar Meod, a well-known tune about resilience and peace.

Gilad said police had asked that the vigil be moved to later in the evening so it would not overlap with the first demonstration. We got a lot of feedback from unhappy people in our community for doing that.

Rabbi Meir Kaplan of the Chabad of Vancouver Island said he attended the vigil to remind people of why Israel got into the war in the first place. Hundreds of our brothers and sisters, babies and infants were killed.

Kaplan said hes puzzled about why so many people attend pro-Palestinian rallies and demonstrations in Victoria after the Hamas attack on Oct. 7. I thought the entire world would unite and say that this kind of evil needs to be destroyed.

MP Laurel Collins, who was at the vigil, said its important to show solidarity with everyone affected by the crisis, adding she plans to attend a pro-Palestine demonstration but has yet to do so due to scheduling conflicts.

More than 12,700 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since Oct. 7, with another 4,000 missing, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in the West Bank, which co-ordinates with officials in the Health Ministry of Hamas-run Gaza.

About 1,200 people were killed on the Israeli side, mainly civilians during the Oct. 7 attack, in which Hamas took some 240 captives back into Gaza. The Israeli military said 66 of its soldiers have been killed in Gaza ground operations.

More than 1.7 million people  nearly three quarters of Gazas population  have been displaced, with 900,000 packing into crowded UN-run shelters, according to the UN.

Violence also has surged in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where attacks by Jewish settlers are on the rise and where more than 200 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war, mostly in gun battles triggered by Israeli military raids.

 with files from AP

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A downtown State College restaurant owner avoided jail time for failing to turn over hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales tax, a decision from a Centre County judge aimed at allowing her to most effectively pay what she owes.

Little Szechuan owner Yean C. Sharon Ngan, 35, was sentenced Tuesday by Centre County President Judge Jonathan Grine to seven years of probation. She was ordered to pay nearly $580,000 in restitution to the state Revenue Department.

Pennsylvania prosecutors sought at least three months in jail for what they described as a gross mishandling of a business. Defense lawyer Adam Klein said he was very happy with the decision and thanked Grine for his consideration.

Whats the ultimate goal here? Thats to have the defendant pay back what she owes, Grine said before handing down his sentence. This is a financial crime, so the court doesnt really see any benefit outside of pure punishment to incarcerate her when she could be out with her family and running a business and hopefully paying those payments.

Ngan failed to turn over the money during a five-year period. She also failed to file and pay tax returns intermittently between 2017 and 2022.

The Revenue Department consistently worked with Ngan to recoup the money, prosecutors wrote in a memo, but those efforts were futile. She pleaded guilty in September to one felony count of theft and two misdemeanors; three dozen charges were dropped.

Ngan apologized before she was sentenced, telling Grine she was under a lot of stress.

Im sorry this happened, she said.

Ngan emigrated in 2005 from Malaysia with her extended family in hope of finding a better life in the United States, Klein wrote in a memo sent to Grine. She settled in State College with 10 family members.

Little Szechuan, which opened in 2016 at 228 W. College Ave., was the first restaurant she launched. It proved successful enough to provide for her immediate family  which includes four children  and other extended family members.

She then opened Tea-Time State College and took over Little Food Court, each of which closed in 2021. The latter was a disastrous investment and left her deeply in debt, Klein wrote.

As is true of most businesses in State College, Ms. Ngan relies greatly upon the patronage of the Penn State student body. The pandemic, along with the various forced closures and dining restrictions imposed during that time frame, caused Little Szechuan to suffer immense losses and accelerated her inability to pay her taxes, Klein wrote. The failure of Tea-Time State College and Little College Food Court, along with the pandemic, decimated her finances and put her in a financial hole that she could not escape.

Little Szechuan remains a thriving business, often considered one of the best Chinese restaurants in the area. It likely would have been forced to temporarily close if Grine opted to sentence Ngan to jail, Klein said during the hearing.

Jail time could be an option, however, if Ngan fails to pay what she owes, Grine said. Its not yet known how much and how often payments must be made.

It is her hope that she can continue to live the American dream of being the owner of a successful small business, and ultimately put this unfortunate situation behind her, Klein wrote.
A Cape Coral man remains hospitalized Monday night after police in the Florida Keys say he refused to pull over the day before while speeding up the island chain in his Corvette  snorting cocaine and popping pills all the while.

Though Odelin Regis is receiving treatment in a Miami-Dade hospital, the 25-year-old is also under arrest on a slew of charges, including cocaine possession, marijuana possession, reckless driving, driving under the influence and fleeing and eluding police.

According to the Monroe County Sheriffs Office, deputies first noticed him at mile marker 35 heading north on U.S. 1 around noon, traveling at more than 100 mph. Police dispatchers had also received several calls at the time about the speeding Chevy, sheriffs office spokesman Adam Linhardt said.

Deputies and Florida Highway Patrol troopers made several tries to convince him to pull over, but Linhardt said he kept going. Deputies have a policy to normally not chase fleeing cars. Instead, they radio to colleagues further ahead on the highway.

Deputies laid down tire spikes on the Channel 2 Bridge, forcing the car to come to a stop at mile marker 74, Linhardt said.

But the chase wasnt finished. Regis got out of the car and fled, Linhardt added, until deputies finally caught up to and arrest him. A woman in the car with him was not taken into custody.

Then came the findings. Inside the car, which was a rental, deputies recovered $27,300 in cash, about 3.3 grams of cocaine and 2.8 ounces of marijuana, Linhardt said.

Deputies also found a loaded .45 caliber handgun near the Channel 2 Bridge. Lindhardt said deputies are investigating whether Regis tossed the weapon out of the car during the pursuit.

Because Regis ingested the drugs during the pursuit, deputies took him to Mariners Hospital in Tavernier to be evaluated. He was later taken to a hospital in Miami-Dade County for further treatment.

Linhardt said his condition as of Monday night was not available, adding it is not immediately known what kind of pills he ingested.

Information on Regis bond was not immediately available.
GAYLORD, Michigan (KFOR/Storyful)  A belligerent 57-year-old woman was just arrested in Gaylord, Michigan, after her unoccupied car narrowly missed a state troopers vehicle, then crashed into an SUV parked at a gas station pump.

That trooper was responding to a call from a witness who claimed the woman told them that she had just been involved in a crash. When the witness called 911 to report the crash, troopers say the woman became belligerent, and hopped out of her running vehicle.

WATCH: Thief riding flaming ATV leads police on 70 mph chase

According to Michigan State Police, The trooper spoke with the woman and noticed she emitted a strong odor of intoxicants, had blood shot watery eyes, and had slurred speech. She had difficulty maintaining her balance, refused to listen to the trooper, and attempted to walk away.

The trooper arrested the woman for driving while intoxicated, and resisting and obstructing police.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
Fire officials are reminding local residents to make sure their smoke alarms are working after a dryer hose caused a one-alarm fire in West Newbury early Tuesday morning.

At 2:42 a.m. Tuesday, emergency crews responded to 7 Chestnut St. after the homeowner called 911 and reported activated fire alarms and smoke in the home, West Newbury Fire Chief Michael Dwyer said in a statement.

No injuries were reported.

When crews arrived, they found heavy smoke showing from outside the home. Firefighters quickly found that the fire was active in the basement and then extinguished it, Dwyer said.

The fire originated from a dryer exhaust hose.

Our crews quickly found where the fire originated, and they were able to knock it down, Dwyer said. The homeowner had active smoke alarms, which alerted them to the fire early and meant we could get there quickly. Incidents like this give us the opportunity to remind residents that smoke alarms should be checked at least twice a year to make sure theyre still operational.

The homeowner also closed all doors, and that was important to limiting the spread of the fire, Dwyer said.

Groveland and Georgetown provided mutual aid and Newbury and Newburyport provided station coverage.

West Newbury Police and the towns water, inspectional services, public works and emergency management departments also responded.

The State Police Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit attached to the State Fire Marshals Office assisted with the investigation.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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ST. LOUIS  Dubuque Coffee products will be available in 90 Schnucks Markets across Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana. This expansion will make the locally roasted coffee brand more widely accessible. The company is working to be in more homes and businesses.

The Dubuque Coffee brand has been available from the roastery in Brentwood or through the online store. It can also be found on Dierbergs Market shelves.

Were thrilled to be the coffee of choice in hundreds of the best restaurants, private clubs and favored establishments throughout the Midwest and the nation, stated Charles Dubuque. Defining the art of coffee is our commitment. We like taking that to new heights every day and are excited for the opportunity with Schnucks to bring our coffee directly into your homes.

Dubuque Coffee started in 2015 in St. Louis. They source coffee beans from Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Kenya, Sumatra and roast them to make signature blends.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.
EYEWITNESS NEWS (WBRE/WYOU)  State police announced DUI checkpoints will be placed for Thanksgiving weekend across various roadways in Pennsylvania.

According to Pennsylvania State Police, the aim of sobriety checkpoints and roving patrols is to deter drinking and driving. Troopers say they are operating with a zero-tolerance enforcement policy.

Police stated one or more checkpoints and roving patrols will be placed for Thanksgiving weekend starting on November 22 through 26 on roadways experiencing high rates of DUI-related traffic violations and DUI-related crashes.

Search for missing Pennsylvania CYS teens underway

The counties participating in the DUI checkpoints are as follows:

Wilkes-Barre in Luzerne County

Stroudsburg in Monroe County

PSP did not give details on the areas where the patrols will be conducted.

State police encourage those who are out during the holiday weekend and choose to consume alcohol to not drive a car.

Officials warn drivers Pennsylvanias DUI laws issue a legal limit of .08% blood alcohol concentration (BAC). DUI offenses can range from a $300 fine with six months of probation, all the way up to fines of $5,000 with prison sentences of up to 5 years.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com.
The High Court heard on Tuesday that the Duke and Duchess of York had reached a confidential settlement with Mrs Isbilen - Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

The Duke of York has reached a confidential settlement with a Turkish millionairess after accepting huge sums of her money from an alleged fraudster, The Telegraph can reveal.

Prince Andrew, 63, his ex-wife the Duchess of York, 64, and their daughters, received a series of payments totalling some 1.4 million from Selman Turk, a former Goldman Sachs banker accused of stealing 40 million from Nebahat Evyap Isbilen.

The Yorks were dragged into a complex legal case after Mrs Isbilen, 77, sued Mr Turk and various offshore companies over the missing money and issued contempt proceedings over an alleged breach of a court order.

The High Court court heard on Tuesday that the Duke and Duchess, who still live together, had reached a settlement with Mrs Isbilen.

Although the terms were not disclosed, any financial transfer is likely to have been considered repayment for the large amount of cash that had found its way into their bank accounts.

Most of the money was paid via a UK-based company called Alphabet Capital.

Mr Turk, 37, argued that an agreed statement of fact, signed by the Yorks and Mrs Isbilen, which included references to the various payments but was not read out in court, was plainly self-serving and presumably prepared as a quid pro quo for settling Mrs Isbilens claim against the Yorks and others.

James Counsell KC, representing Mr Turk in the contempt case, said his client had not been privy to the negotiations leading to the settlement.

He has no independent knowledge of the statement, he said. He has been given no opportunity to cross-examine the parties to the settlement.

Mrs Isbilen hired Mr Turk to help transfer her assets out of Turkey, where her husband, a wealthy MP, is a political prisoner.

She has alleged that he tricked her into making one payment of 750,000 to the Duke, after claiming Prince Andrew had helped to secure her a passport.

The money was transferred just nine days after Mr Turk won an award for his digital bank business idea from Pitch@Palace, the Dukes Dragons Den-style initiative, at St Jamess Palace.

Prince Andrew (in the background) at a dinner at the South Kensington home of Mr Turk (foreground) in December 2019

Asked if there was any connection between the payment and his victory at the ceremony, he told the judge Sir Anthony Mann: No.

He added: I just helped arrange the payment. It was a gift to the Duke of York for his daughters wedding.

He told the court that Mrs Isbilen had wanted to make the transfer.

Series of payments made to Duke and family

Prince Andrew repaid the sum in March 2021 after Mrs Isbilens solicitors wrote to him about his dealings with Mr Turk, but has offered no explanation as to what he thought it was for.

A series of further payments were made to the Duke and his family through Alphabet Capital.

The court has previously heard that Alphabet, owned and operated by businessman Adrian Gleave, 52, who made his name running caravan parks, is also a signatory on the agreed statement of fact with the Yorks and Mrs Isbilen.

The York payments included unexplained instalments adding up to 350,000 to the Duke, 225,000 to the Duchess and 25,000 to Princess Eugenie.

The payments to the Duchess began in August 2019, just three months before the Pitch@Palace event, and were said to relate to her work as a brand ambassador for solar power firm, Pegasus Group Holdings, with which Mr Turk has no obvious connection.

Mr Turk told the court that the Duchess was due to be paid 25,000 a month for 12 months.

The Duchess asked me if I can give her the money and she will pay it back to me in instalments, he said.

However, bank statements suggest that in the event, the Duchess was paid, via Alphabet, in a series of 25,000 and 10,000 instalments over several months, an arrangement that was described in court as extremely odd.

The York payments included unexplained instalments adding up to 350,000 to the Duke, 225,000 to the Duchess and 25,000 to Princess Eugenie - Adam Davy/PA Wire

The Duke was introduced to Mr Turk in May or June 2019 by Tarek Kaituni, a convicted Libyan gun smuggler who had links to Colonel Gaddafi.

The three men are said to have met again at a dinner with potential investors at Mr Turks home in December 2019. Two months later, Mr Turk and Kaituni were pictured together at Frogmore House in Windsor Great Park.

The court heard that the Duke had received a series of payments from Alphabet in December 2019, including one for 50,000 labelled TK wed, which Dan McCourt Fritz KC, for Mrs Isbilen, suggested was proof of Kaitunis involvement.

The barrister alleged that invoices created by Alphabet had been a sham to disguise the fact that Mr Turk had stolen money from Mrs Isbilen and then transferred it to the Duke.

The reason for the payments was baffling, he said.

Are you able to shed any light on why the Duke was receiving so much money from Alphabet? he asked Mr Turk.

I suggest it was a scheme between you and Mr Kaituni.

Mr McCourt Fritz told the judge: We do not know why they were paying the Duke money.

He was currying favour with the Duchess and the inference is that he was currying favour with the Duke.

Mr Turk at a Pitch@Palace event in November 2019

Similarly, Mr Turk could not explain why he had given the Duchess an interest-free loan, agreeing that it was simply out of the goodness of his heart.

He claimed he had met her up to 30 times by October 2019 but an email she sent on the 13th of that month, introducing herself as Sarah, a friend of Tarek and spelling his name incorrectly, indicated they had not met at all, the court heard.

Princess Eugenie said last year that she did not know Mr Turk or Mrs Isbilen and that the 25,000 cash transferred to her was a gift from a longstanding family friend to assist with the cost of a surprise party for my mother.

It is thought that the family friend was Kaituni, who had attended her October 2018 wedding and once gave Princess Beatrice an 18,000 gold and diamond necklace after he was invited by Andrew to her 21st birthday party in Spain.

Neither the Duke nor the Duchess are accused of wrongdoing.

A source close to the Duchess said she was completely unaware of the allegations made against Mr Turk when she entered into an agreement with him, sympathised with Mrs Isbilen and was pleased things had been amicably resolved with her.

Similarly, neither Princess Beatrice nor Princess Eugenie are believed to have had any knowledge of their parents dealings with Mr Turk, nor knowingly corresponded with him in any way.

Mr Turk denies dishonestly misappropriating the money. He said Mrs Isbilen decided to give Prince Andrew the money on her own initiative and denies all allegations made against him.

The case continues.

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DUNCANVILLE, Texas - A neighbor helped save the life of a man shot by two masked gunmen who wanted to rob him in Duncanville.

The Good Samaritan said he was following his gut when he raced to help a neighbor who was shot on Friday.

He got into his truck, found Avila and rendered air until paramedics arrived.

The Good Samaritan tells FOX 4 he heard gunshots, then tires screeching in his Duncanville neighborhood.

"When I got there and saw him laying on the ground, there wasnt a time for emotions. It was kind of like, hey, you need to go in there and help this man," said the neighbor, who wants to remain anonymous for security purposes.

Family members of the victim, 34-year-old Sebastian Avila, say that gut reaction helped save the life of their loved one.

Home security footage shows what happened minutes before.

Two armed assailants in hoodies and masks walk through the front lawn of a home on Linkwood Drive.

"Hey homeboy, don't move. Where's the money?" you can hear one of the suspects say.

One of the gunmen fires and hits Avila twice in the back.

"When I saw the shot to the lung, I knew that was kind of a dire situation. That something needed to be done fast to help give him the best chance possible," said the neighbor.

The Good Samaritan says he is trained to help in situations like this, due to his law enforcement background.

"Grabbing those chest seals and trying to get the holes covered to help him breathe a little bit, that was my main concern," he said.

The bullets damaged Avila's lung and liver.

Duncanville police says Avila may have been followed by the armed robbers after he cashed his paycheck.

They were driving a red Dodge Challenger.

"I would hope that if people did know who did it or know the whereabouts that they would call right away," the Good Samaritan said.

Until then, the family is grateful Avila is alive and the Good Samaritan was there.

"I had a great feeling come over my body that I actually did something to help someone," he said.

The family says Avila is out of the ICU and continuing to recover at the hospital.

Duncanville police are looking at the family's security footage to help identify the two gunmen.

If you have any information, you're asked to contact Duncanville Police.
Election billboards are seen near the parliament building in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, Nov. 20, 2023. Dutch voters will go to the polls on Wednesday Nov. 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP)  Dutch political leaders sought support from undecided voters in frantic campaigning Tuesday, on the eve of a general election that will change the face of the countrys politics after 13 years of leadership by Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

Pollsters were predicting a knife-edge vote with four parties across the political spectrum vying to become the largest bloc in the 150-seat lower house of parliament.

Rutte's fourth and final coalition resigned in July after it failed to agree on measures to rein in migration. Rutte subsequently said he would not seek re-election but he remains in power as caretaker prime minister until a new coalition is formed  a process that could take months.

The vote could provide the Netherlands with its first ever female prime minister  the new leader of Rutte's People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) is 46-year-old Dilan Yesilgoz-Zegerius, a former refugee who now advocates cracking down on immigration.

But also polling strongly in the final days of the campaign is veteran lawmaker Geert Wilders, who has toned down his trademark strident anti-Islam rhetoric in campaigning in favor of promoting policies aimed at halting asylum-seekers from entering the Netherlands and tackling the cost-of-living crisis and housing shortages.

One poll Tuesday even put Wilders Party for Freedom, or PVV, in first place, very narrowly ahead of the VVD.

A center-left bloc of the Labor Party and Green Left also was in a three-way race to win the vote. Its leader, former European Union climate chief Frans Timmermans, was in his home city of Maastricht campaigning at the city's university.

Were Wilders' party to win the most seats, he would take the lead in moves to form a new ruling coalition in this nation where the voting system all but guarantees that no single party wins an overall majority.

If he does, he shouldn't count on the support of Yesilgoz-Zegerius.

Asked Tuesday on NPO Radio 1 if she would serve in a Cabinet led by Wilders, she replied: I don't see that happening.

The Netherlands is looking for a leader who can unite the country ... who is for all Dutch people, who can lead our country internationally," she added. "I also don't see that Mr. Wilders could build a majority.

Wilders said the comments were a sign that the VVD fears his party could win the vote.

Panic at the VVD. The PVV is getting too big for them, he said in a statement urging supporters to make his party the biggest. The closest Wilders has come to power previously was when he agreed to support Rutte's first coalition without actually joining the Cabinet.

Meanwhile Thierry Baudet, leader of the far-right Forum for Democracy, was back in parliament on Tuesday after being attacked at a campaign event Monday night by a man who hit him on the head with a beer bottle.

I was very lucky, Baudet told reporters, saying the attack did not seriously injure him. A small wound was visible above his left eye.

I see it as a political attack, he said, adding that we must continue with our campaign.

Polls suggest that Baudet's party, once seen as a rising star of the populist far right, will win a handful of seats Wednesday.

The New Social Contract party, set up over the summer by lawmaker Pieter Omtzigt, was trailing slightly behind the top three contenders.
Photo: The Canadian Press The Canadian Chamber of Commerce says it has formed a council aimed at shaping public policy around artificial intelligence. People take photos of an AI robot at the All In artificial intelligence conference in Montreal, Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce says it has formed a council aimed at shaping public policy around artificial intelligence.

The chamber says the council will advocate for government policies to be centred on the responsible development, deployment and ethical use of AI in business.

The 30-member Future of AI Council will be co-chaired by e-commerce giant Amazon and software business SAP Canada.

Other members include Meta Platforms Inc., Google, BlackBerry Ltd., Cohere, Scotiabank and Microsoft.

The chamber says the council will support government policies that establish AI as a positive economic driver, but also acknowledge the technology's potential risks.

Among its first tasks will be looking at Bill C-27, which the federal government plans to use to curtail some of the dangers AI could cause.
(Bloomberg) -- For centuries the Netherlands got rich by being open to the world.

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Known for its permissive attitude to sex, drugs and corporate profits, in economic terms the small, waterlogged country has punched above its weight. As an expansionist trading power it spawned the worlds first multinational corporation, and remains Europes biggest stock-trading hub.Now, faced with housing shortages and tensions over immigration, theres a new consensus against unbridled growth at all costs. As voters go to the polls the candidates for Wednesdays elections are competing to close their country off.

The outgoing government has set the others a high bar. To complement Amsterdams Stay Away campaign aimed at young British men, theyve designed policies to deter the expats for whom the country has long been so attractive. Theyre planning to cut flights, cut migration numbers and cut tax breaks for foreign workers.

And it seems to be cutting through. For much of the pre-election period, the center-right incumbents have been ahead in polls. One rival has a slogan summing up this new era of modest ambition: Not everything can be done everywhere at the same time.

Thats not been the prevailing attitude in the European Unions 5th largest economy, much of which is built on land reclaimed from the sea. Until a few years ago, the Netherlands reputation among the most business-friendly nations was intact.

Now, the bigger the challenges, said Sandra Phlippen, chief economist at ABN Amro, the more we look inward. In a country whose fragmented electoral system makes coalition governments inevitable, consensus matters, and right now its aligning around a recalibration of the Netherlands open-to-all image.

Even though she was once a refugee herself Dilan Yesilgoz-Zegerius, whos spent many of the recent weeks as the first-placed candidate, has made cracking down on immigration central to her campaign for the ruling VVD, whose leadership she took over from outgoing premier Mark Rutte.

Ascendant in the polls published just before the elections was Geert Wilders, who for many inside and outside the country is responsible for mainstreaming anti-migration sentiment. His far-right Party for Freedom had jumped into first place as of an I&O Research poll published Tuesday. Yesilgoz-Zegerius refused to rule out partnering with him in a recent Bloomberg interview.Frans Timmermans leads an alliance of the Green Left and Labor parties. He was, as the EUs climate czar, the architect of bloc-wide environmental policies that in his home country have played out in the forced closure of farms. In the latest poll he was shown climbing to a tie for second place. Pieter Omtzigt, who represents a breakaway party formed just before these elections, is the architect of a plan approved by parliament last month to shrink an income-tax exemption for expat salaries. He had dropped to fourth place as of Tuesdays poll.

The mood had already begun to shift under Rutte, who plans to retire from parliament as soon as the next prime minister becomes clear. In the wake of some high-profile corporate scandals, he seized on burgeoning popular perception that the compact between business and the state wasnt working.

Oil giant Shell PLC in 2019 confirmed media reports that it paid no corporate income tax in the Netherlands the previous year. In 2020 a Dutch newspaper revealed that travel e-commerce company Booking.com BV had received millions of euros in state support during the pandemic, while paying next-to-no tax and conducting share buy-backs worth $16 billion.

Later, even though Rutte expended a great deal of political capital trying  and failing  to scupper a popular dividend tax against which corporates balked, Shell still ended up decamping for the UK in a move that left the Dutch government unpleasantly surprised.

In his first decade in power, the Netherlands longest-serving prime minister found himself facing down critics who accused him of being all too ready to lend corporates an ear. But those critics arent carping so loudly any more.

During what will be the last term of his 13-year premiership, the Netherlands shut down extraction from Europes largest gas field, even while prices skyrocketed in the wake of the war in Ukraine. In deference to local anger about earthquakes, the closure of the Groningen field left liquefied natural gas worth a trillion dollars in the ground.

For some voters, the changes are too belated. The coalition governments of the last 20 years have managed the Netherlands more as a corporation than as a society, according to Maurice van Uden, who runs a headhunting firm employing 50 people. Hes switching his vote from Ruttes soon-to-be-former party to the NSC led by Omtzigt, who made his name as a thorn in the former premiers side.

Van Uden told Bloomberg he cant sleep at night. The 56-year-old lies awake while planes roar over his house in Amsterdams leafy south. Hes one of the citizens the government is looking to appease with a plan to limit flights at Europes biggest transfer hub, Schiphol Airport, arguing that its location in a highly urbanized area in one of the busiest parts of the country meant it needed to do a better job of protecting residents wellbeing.The plan has put the the airport at the center of a global battle between politicians and the airlines who stand to lose business from the cuts. Yet the government isnt just asking others to tighten their belts. It also owns a majority stake in the airport. Most rival parties are in favor of reducing flights, and some want to take measures further by raising aviation taxes.

When Rutte came across glowing charts on the Dutch economy in the international business media, he liked to proudly point them out to his colleagues, according to a person familiar with his habits.

Yet whats centered in the campaign for Wednesdays elections has been the detriment to living standards, with voters motivated by a growing sense that, like with the Dutch Golden-Age expansion celebrated in canvases by Rembrandt and Claesz, this economic record had a flipside.

In centuries past, the dark undercurrent to the Netherlands prosperity was the plunder of its colonial possessions; a legacy the state has just started to reckon with, as late last year Ruttes government apologized for the countrys role in the slave trade.

Todays problems include rowdy British tourists, a housing shortage and soaring rents. The Amsterdam city government has called into question the sex-work industrys tourist-driven business model, and moved to prevent cannabis being smoked on the streets of the red light district. We now have to choose for restriction instead of irresponsible growth, said Amsterdams deputy mayor Sofyan Mbarki, whos been working on discouraging the tourists whose average monthly arrivals outnumber the resident population.

Sure enough this year the Dutch economy has slipped into recession, as exports shrank by 0.7% in the second quarter.In the latest Ipsos poll of Dutch voter concerns, healthcare, the cost of living, and housing are voters top three. But much of the campaign has been dominated by the fourth: immigration.

Omtzigt has vowed to shrink net migration to a target of 50,000 annually from 200,000 last year by curbing the number of people arriving for work, asylum and study. In a country where over half of people speak two or more foreign languages, according to eurostat data, he wants to make Dutch and not English the default language at universities.

The nationwide housing shortage means universities like Eindhoven University of Technology have already had to turn foreign students away, according to its president. It is very tempting to blame migrants for the shortage of houses. It distracts people from the failure of your own housing policy, according to Leo Lucassen, professor of global labor and migration history at 448-year-old Leiden University.

Firms who stand to lose out are themselves sounding the alarm. Peter Wennink, chief executive of ASML Holding NV, told the Nieuwsuur TV program that knowledge migration was central to his 120-nationality firm, which ranks as Europes most valuable tech company.

The Netherlands has always been an open country, which has brought us enormous prosperity, said Robert-Jan Smits, the president of Eindhoven University of Technology. The plans to deter foreign students and staff will be detrimental to the economy, he said.

ABN Amro is forecasting two scenarios after the elections; one where a progressive coalition will put the Netherlands on a good path to tackle difficult topics. In another scenario, a very conservative coalition could start backpedaling on certain issues, perhaps by withdrawing climate policies, said Phlippen, their chief economist.

If I look at the Netherlands today, I truly think its one of the best countries to be in, Ali Niknam, founder of Dutch bank Bunq BV, told Bloomberg. Sometimes it seems as if were taking that for granted. We should be very careful not to lose all the great things we worked so very hard for.

(Updates with details of the latest polling.)

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There isnt much Elon Musk hasnt made a hash of at the social network once called Twitter. But over the last week, the man who has described himself asa free-speech absolutist has gone from promoting a vile antisemitic conspiracy theory to far too aggressively trying to control political debate on X.

And as Musk has trashed his own credibility as the head of what should be one of the internets most vibrant public squares, the antisemitism watchdogs at the Anti-Defamation League have stepped in it as well. What a mess.

Last Wednesday, a tweet complained about antisemitic rhetoric: To the cowards hiding behind the anonymity of the internet and posting Hitler was right, You got something you want to say? Why dont you say it to our faces.

A white nationalist then answered the challenge thusly: Jewish commun[i]ties have been pushing the exact kind of dialectical hatred against whites that they claim to want people to stop using against them and proclaimed Im deeply disinterested in giving the tiniest st now about western Jewish populations coming to the disturbing realization that those hordes of minorities that [they] support flooding their country dont exactly like them too much. You want truth said to your face, there it is.

To which Musk replied You have said the actual truth.

The odious claptrap Musk so publicly endorsed is essentially the same one that animated the man who perpetrated the deadliest antisemitic attack in American history, the 2018 Tree of Life synagogue massacre in Pittsburgh: that George Soros and other Jews bring invaders who purposely and corrosively undermine the cultural and racial sanctity of America.

It was well and good that the ADL under Jonathan Greenblatt took extreme umbrage, calling it indisputably dangerous to use ones influence to validate and promote antisemitic theories; and X advertisers started jumping ship; and a White House spokesman said, We condemn this abhorrent promotion of antisemitic and racist hate in the strongest terms.

But rather than apologizing like a responsible person would, Musk made matters worse. The very man who upon taking over Twitter said he wanted free speech with as few restrictions as possible reacted to the backlash by declaring that  decolonization, from the river to the sea and similar euphemisms necessarily imply genocide and would therefore result in suspension from the platform.

Greenblatt  who just days earlier had lambasted Musk  praised this as an important and welcome move, lending it essential support.

We dont in the least bit like either term Musk forbade, nor do we suggest Musk doesnt have the right to do what he wants on the platform he owns. But its deeply counterproductive for those who support Israel and revile terrorists to try to win the argument by censoring speech, that, while often used by Jew-haters, has legitimate uses as well.

Dont hold your breath to see if X suspends the accounts of those who call for the restoration of Judea and Samaria  or, put another way, the creation of a unified Israel from the river to the sea. Or if it will take action against those who embraced the casting off of colonial control in subsaharan Africa, India, the Philippines and elsewhere.

It all would be funny if it werent tragic.

___
Legacy High School juniors Giovanni Parra, Luke Frysak, and Isaiah Estrada take part in a lesson on electrical circuits during their Oil and Gas Production II class on Nov. 6 in Midland. Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune

MIDLAND  When Giovanni Parras instructor asked the class to weld the opposite ends of a wire during a lesson on soldering, the 16-year-old sprinted to the nearest workstation.

Parra is among dozens of students in a technical education program offered by the Midland school district that is preparing students to work in their own backyard, the oil-rich Permian Basin.

Unlike other classes at his high school, this one makes Parra feel connected to his familys legacy.

My whole family works in the oil fields, Parra said. Im trying to see what Im good at.

Parra, a sophomore, is one of a few students who have access to this sort of hands-on learning. Within the 55 counties making up the Permian Basin between Texas and New Mexico, just four school districts offer classes that directly prepare students for work in the oil fields  a highly competitive market always short of workers. And two programs are fully enrolled.

In Odessa, hundreds of students are on a waitlist to take classes that teach them the basics of oil and gas.

Midland College assistant professor Anthony Cummins instructs area high school students during an Oil and Gas Production II class. Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune

An effort to expand access to oil and gas production courses to other high schools in Texas and New Mexico is underway, led in large part by energy companies. The regions education leaders say the support helps both the schools and the industry.

From the energy industrys perspective, they are developing the next generation of workers, said Scott Muri, superintendent of the public school district in Ector County, which includes Odessa.

Working with the states education department, the Permian Strategic Partnership, an organization made up of the leading energy companies including Chevron, ConocoPhillipps and ExxonMobil, is helping two schools in the Permian Basin and two in New Mexico put in place similar coursework that Parra is learning today.

Despite the fact that the West Texas economy has long run on the extraction business, this is one of the first modern attempts to prepare high school students to work in the fields before they graduate.

A group of high school students create an electrical circuit using two lightbulbs and a set of cables on a specialized electronic training board during their Oil and Gas Production II class. The class was designed by the Midland Independent School District to teach students vocational oil and gas studies. Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune

Its part of a shift in public education to work closely with local business leaders to provide students with specific employable skills. The partnership plans to foot the cost of classroom supplies, teacher training and marketing.

The oil and gas industry in the Permian Basin is going to be around for decades to come, said Tracee Bentley, president of Permian Strategic Partnership. We want the region to be successful. We know we are missing out on so much talent right here at home.

A heated statewide debate over how to teach climate change in schools serves as the backdrop to the industrys efforts to expand vocational instruction in the Permian Basin. Last week, the State Board of Education, a 15-member body controlled by Republicans, voted to reject seven of 12 proposed science books.

The board rejected textbooks containing policy solutions for climate change, as well as those published by companies that advocate for certain policies to combat climate change.

Human activities, especially emissions of greenhouse gasses from fossil fuel use, are the leading cause of climate change, according to the National Climate Assessment, a federal report requested by Congress in 1990 and signed into law by Republican President George H.W. Bush.

School districts arent obligated to exclusively use state-approved titles, but most will since those books are guaranteed to comply with state standards.

The Permian partnership, which led the $4.5 million effort to put the class in place, declined to specifically address how climate change is addressed in Texas classrooms. In a statement, the partnership said it would follow all state standards.

However, in New Mexico, the partnership said, the curriculum specifically addresses energy efficiency and renewable energy, in addition to oil and natural gas.

Midland College assistant professor Anthony Cummins instructs a group of high school students in a lesson on electrical circuits. Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune

The program is one of several industry-specific classes being taught in Texas classrooms. More than 100 courses in Texas schools are offered to educate students on jobs from farming to dentistry to pharmacy.

Establishing and maintaining these skills-specific courses is difficult, said Jeff Horner, executive director of the Career and Technical Education Center in the Midland school district. Getting courses green-lit for the classroom requires exhaustive administrative upkeep to meet requirements, a time and resource-intensive commitment schools cant always afford.

The states education agency calls for sponsors, a pilot program that lasts at least a year, and a renewal every two years. Horner said that fulfilling the states requirements while keeping up with an industry that changes frequently makes the program difficult to maintain with limited resources.

Its hard to keep the students up to date, Horner said.

In Midland, classes are outsourced in the local college, and two instructors who belong to the faculty divvy the workload. One instructor commutes to the high school two times a week, while a second instructor waits for the students to commute from school to attend classes at the college.

High school juniors Kimberly Arredondo, Elyse Alvarez and Frannevic Alcala take part in an electrical circuit activity during their Oil and Gas Production II class. Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune

More staff is always ideal but not feasible, said Anthony Cummins, assistant professor of energy at Midland College. Teachers are in short supply, and it can take anywhere from six months to a year before the college secures a qualified instructor, he said.

It can be difficult to hire instructors because we can make more in the oil fields, Cummins said.

Exxon Mobil Corporation has been a financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
Former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson on Monday ripped former Attorney General Bill Barr during an MSNBC interview with Jen Psaki. Psaki highlighted a Washington Post report that showed many of former President Donald Trump's former staffers are hesitant to speak out against him because they don't want to be labeled a Democrat. Barr has even argued that while Trump is unfit for the presidency, they may still vote for him. "There was a point that I felt that way too. I am not proud of that. But what I will say to that is that it is an egregious form of partisanship," Hutchinson said. "Donald Trump is not a Republican. Yes, maybe by name, he considers himself a Republican. But Donald Trump cares more about the authoritarian role than he does the rule of law."

Hutchinson then slammed Trump for his disregard of the Constitution, accusing him of "leveraging it for his own power" and gain. Among other subjects, Hutchinson also explained that people should stop underestimating Republican voters. While she conceded some Trump supporters may never change, she argued that other conservative voters will. Hutchinson added that she's hopeful Trump won't become the GOP nominee and urged voters to choose Joe Biden "if they want our democracy to survive." She went on to declare that the GOP frontrunner will not receive her vote and vowed to continue speaking out against him to push voters toward the same realization she had about Trump  that he's "uniquely unsuited for the Office of the Presidency and should be nowhere near the Oval Office ever again."
El Paso police arrested a teenager after he allegedly boasted on social media about robbing a pizza delivery driver.

The robbery took place Nov. 9 after a Pizza Hut delivery driver knocked on an apartment door but received no answer in the 500 block of Center Way, located off North Loop Drive in the Lower Valley, an assistant district attorney said at a Sunday teleconference bond hearing.

Crime: Bold, bald thieves sought in rampant beer thefts across El Paso

The prosecutor said the driver saw someone looking into his parked vehicle. The man wore a black ski mask and a black hoodie and when the driver asked him if he had ordered pizza, he said, "yes."

Is Pizza Hut good enough to go to jail for? El Paso police arrested a 17-year-old man accused of robbing a pizza delivery on Nov. 9 outside a Lower Valley apartment building.

The man reached into a pocket, took out some dollars and then put them back into his pocket before making a reaching motion as if he had a gun in his waistband, the prosecutor said, citing a police affidavit.

"I have a gun, gimme the stuff and your phone or I will shoot you," the robber allegedly told the driver, who later told police that he feared for his life before handing over the meal, the prosecutor said.

A police sergeant later learned of an Instagram video stating, "tryna tax me for pizza" (meaning "trying to get me to pay for pizza.") The post showed the delivery driver leaving in his vehicle and a 2-liter bottle of Mountain Dew, a half-eaten pizza and chicken wings, the prosecution said.

Homicides: Who shot man after Wing Daddy's robbery? Deadly shooting a mystery after El Paso stickup

The person who made the post was allegedly identified by police as 17-year-old Carlos Luna Garza III and an arrest warrant on a felony robbery charge was obtained, officials said.

In the Texas justice system, persons 17 and older are considered adults and go to adult courts and jails.

On Friday, Nov. 17, Garza was arrested and booked on charges of robbery and resisting arrest. On Tuesday, he remained at the El Paso County Jail in Downtown under a total bond of $11,000 after Magistrate Judge Ruben Nunez refused to lower the bond amount during Sunday's bond hearing.

Teen boy arrested 3 times in November

Jail records show Garza had a busy month of November, having been arrested twice before.

On Nov. 3, he was arrested by police on charges of drug possession and evading arrest. He was booked via fast-track booking and released the same day on a $1,500 personal recognizance bond on each count, requiring only a signature and a promise to show up to court, according to jail records.

On Nov. 11, he was arrested on an evading arrest charge and freed two days later on a $1,500 surety bond. Police would soon arrest him again on the pizza robbery case.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Instagram boast leads to El Paso teen's arrest in pizza robbery
Most people seem to view electricity pylons as a blight - ugly landmarks towering over the landscape.

There are online communities who view them as beautiful, but there's concern local resistance could hamper the government's plans to build a huge number of new power lines as the country moves towards greater use of renewable power.

In a bid to counter opposition, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is expected to announce that households living close to new pylons and electricity substations could get up to 1,000 a year off their energy bills.

But could communities feel more favourable to pylons if they had a different look?

Some design companies have had a go at providing alternatives.

Back in 2008, US-based architects Choi + Shine came up with the idea of making pylons that look like huge human sculptures - a project entitled Land of Giants.

Jin Choi explains she had the idea when she and Thomas Shine were driving to Montreal.

"There were miles of pylons running next to the road - I though they were like a hybrid between real giants and insects.

"It feels as though it is not you who are moving - they are the ones that are moving, like they are approaching you."

After seeing her sketches, Thomas was instantly captivated by the idea: "Once someone shows it to you, you can't unsee it."

Designs from the Land of Giant project show human-style figures

Choi + Shine architects have also applied their designs to wind turbines

The pair argue there is no reason why infrastructure shouldn't be attractive.

"When someone designs a bridge it is accepted it should be beautiful, when someone builds a power station no-one thinks it should be beautiful," says Thomas.

Despite winning a competition run by an Icelandic power company, their pylon giants have yet to be built anywhere in the world.

The designers say the issue isn't necessarily one of cost, pointing out that their pylons are made out of the same material as a regular pylon, simply put together in a different way.

They add that there can be political wrangling over who gets to have one of the pylons in their area.

A proposal in Norway faltered after a local mayor - spotting the visitor attraction potential of the structures - agreed they could be built in his town, as long as they weren't built anywhere else in the country.

The designs have also been considered in New Mexico, Georgia and Chile.

Jin acknowledges she has some frustration that, despite plenty of attention, the designs have not so far been constructed. "Of course it is difficult, I wouldn't pretend it isn't, but it is better than no interest.

"I've started calling it the burden of dreams - the price to pay to have this privilege to keep dreaming."

Others have also tried to improve the look of pylons. In 2010 artists transformed a pylon in Essen, Germany:

A pylon designed by artists Ail Hwang, Chung-Ki Park, Hae-Ryun Jeong

In Hungary, a pylon was built to resemble a clown

In Florida, home of Disney World, a pylon is shaped in the silhouette of a familiar cartoon mouse

Maybe if you can't "beautify" infrastructure, the answer lies in trying to camouflage it.

Last year, telecoms company Three built a phone mast in South Queensferry, Scotland which was designed to look like a tree. A spokesperson for Three said that, having consulted with the local community, they decided a mast in the style of a tree would "coordinate with the broader surroundings".

The planning application attracted some complaints, with one local arguing the structure looked "utterly ridiculous" and another saying it would be "inconceivable that this will blend in".

Three's tree phone mast in South Queensferry

Disguising every pylon in the country would likely be expensive and impractical; however the National Grid has made efforts to change the traditional design of a pylon into something less obtrusive.

In 2011, along with the Royal Institute of British Architects, it launched a competition to find a new model of pylon - the first major redesign since 1927.

The eventual winner was Danish architect Bystrup, with a giant T design with two diamonds hanging off either end.

The structure means the height of the pylon is reduced by a third, compared to traditional models, as well as being quicker to put up.

The first of these models were built and energised earlier this year between Bridgwater and Loxton in Somerset.

Local residents have compared the new structures to, among other things, Pat Butcher from EastEnders' earrings, MC Hammer and a contraceptive coil.

The National Grid says it received more than 11,000 pieces of feedback about the pylons and most people expressed a preference for T-pylons over the lattice versions.

Somerset has become home to the first of a new generation of pylons

Another alternative to making pylons more amenable to the local population is to incentivise people.

It has already been tried in Ireland where people living within 200m of a new overhead line or transmission station can get 2,000-30,000, depending on how close they are, and the capacity of the line.

And earlier this year, energy expert Nick Winser in his report for the UK government recommended this approach.

He argued that the cost of compensation would be lower than building cables underground which costs between five and 10 times more than overhead lines.

The government appears to have accepted this recommendation, with the chancellor expected to set out details on Wednesday in his Autumn Statement.

But, maybe instead of making pylons prettier and smaller, disguising them as trees, or paying people to put up with them, it would be cheaper and easier to simply learn to love the pylon for what it is.

Kevin Mosedale - founder of the slightly tongue-in-cheek Pylon of the Month blog - says he can understand why people might not want to live near the structures.

However, he argues they can be beautiful "in their own way" and uses his blog to celebrated them.

They have, he says quoting architectural writer Jonathan Glancey, a "gaunt skeletal beauty".
Elon Musk has now amplified the widely debunked Pizzagate conspiracy theory on X, just days after he sparked outrage for pushing an antisemitic conspiracy theory.

On Monday, an X user attempted to link the founder of Media Matters  the left-leaning non-profit group that last week accused X of promoting adverts from global companies alongside pro-Hitler content  to the owner of the so-called Pizzagate restaurant.

Mr Musk then boosted the post by replying to it, with the one-word phrase: Weird.

Now, the three-year-old conspiracy theory and baseless claims of its ties to Media Matters have been promoted to the tech moguls 160 million followers.

Pizzagate is an anti-Hillary Clinton conspiracy theory promoted on 4chan, Reddit, Twitter and other platforms in the final days before the 2016 US presidential election.

Believers accused then presidential hopeful Ms Clinton and other senior Democrats of running a child sex trafficking ring out of a Washington DC pizza joint. The conspiracy theory led to a shooting at the restaurant.

The amplification of the theory by the tech billionaire comes amid a growing row between Mr Musk and Media Matters after the organisation published a report revealing that adverts from big brands including IBM, Apple, Oracle and Bravo were running next to pro-Hitler and antisemitic content on Mr Musks social media platform.

The revelation prompted a series of major companies  including Disney, Apple and IBM  to pull advertising from X.

On Monday, Mr Musk responded by filing a thermonuclear lawsuit against Media Matters. Mr Musk has also branded the organisation evil in a post on X.

Mr Musk and other X executives have denied the accusations in the Media Matters report, saying that the research strategy used by the non-profit to uncover the content placed next to company adverts was not representative of how regular people use its platform.

Elon Musk has been accused of amplifying the Pizzagate conspiracy theory (EPA)

The organisation had followed accounts that posted the content, then refreshed the X timeline until adverts appeared, X executive Joe Benarroch said.

Meanwhile, an X spokesperson told The Independent the company did not intentionally place the adverts next to the posts from the antisemitic accounts, which have now been demonetised, meaning advertising can no longer run on their profiles. However, the accounts have not been removed.

Media Matters president Angelo Carusone issued a statement on Monday addressing Mr Musks campaign against the organisation, calling the lawsuit meritless and an attempt to silence reporting that he even confirmed is accurate.

Musk admitted the ads at issue ran alongside the pro-Nazi content we identified. If he does sue us, we will win, the non-profit said.

After Mr Musks $44bn acquisition of X closed last year, he relaxed moderation policies on X and cut many staff involved with safety on the platform.

Since then, Mr Musk has come under fire on multiple occasions over content promoting antisemitism on the site.

Mr Musk has also sparked outrage over his own posts and comments which have promoted antisemitic content.

On Wednesday, the self-described free-speech absolutist said a post which promoted an antisemitic theory was the actual truth.

The Comet Ping Pong pizza restaurant that was at the center of the Pizzagate conspiracy theory (EPA)

A social media user had appeared to push the great replacement conspiracy theory on X, claiming that Jewish communities have been pushing the exact kind of dialectical hatred against whites that they claim to want people to stop using against them.

Im deeply disinterested in giving the tiniest s*** now about Western Jewish populations coming to the disturbing realisation that those hordes of minorities that support flooding their country dont exactly like them too much. You want truth said to your face, there it is, the post added.

Mr Musks responded by writing: You have said the actual truth.

His response received praise from white nationalist Nick Fuentes  while prompting widespread backlash from dozens more, including the White House, with many accusing him of antisemitism.

He later responded to the accusations of antisemitism, insisting nothing could be further from the truth.

This past week, there were hundreds of bogus media stories claiming that I am antisemitic. Nothing could be further from the truth, he wrote.

I wish only the best for humanity and a prosperous and exciting future for all.

This came after an earlier scandal in the days after the 7 October Hamas attacks on Israel, where Mr Musk was forced to delete a post in which he amplified an account widely accused of antisemitism and promoted debunked videos as reliable sources of information about the attack.

Last year, advocacy organisation the American Jewish Committee called on Mr Musk to apologise over a controversial post that made a satirical comparison between Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Adolf Hitler.

Mr Musk has previously insisted that he is pro free speech but against antisemitism of any kind.
Elon Musk is going scorched earth on Media Matters after the news watchdog revealed that X (the social media network formerly known as Twitter) was placing ads from reputable companies alongside antisemitic, pro-Nazi posts.

On Monday, Musk filed a lawsuit against the company in a U.S. District Court in Texas, alleging that the publication defamed his platform by publishing its investigation.



The reports explosive findings resulted in the mass hemorrhage of some of Xs biggest and markedly safe advertisers, such as Apple, IBM, Disney, Lionsgate, and Paramount.



The overall effect on advertisers and users was to create the false, misleading perception that these types of pairings were common, widespread, and alarming, the lawsuit reads. Media Matters hid its manipulations through omissions, deceptive image selections, misrepresentations, and secrecy settings.



In a legal complaint, the company argued that the Media Matters investigation exploited the platforms features and algorithm in order to force a situation in which a brand ad post appeared adjacent to fringe content.



X CEO Linda Yaccarino, who has faced immense pressure to resign as chief executive amid the scandal, said shes siding with the company. If you know me, you know Im committed to truth and fairness. Heres the truth, Yaccarino said.

Not a single authentic user on X saw IBMs, Comcasts, or Oracles ads next to the content in Media Matters article. Only 2 users saw Apples ad next to the content, at least one of which was Media Matters. Data wins over manipulation or allegations. Dont be manipulated. Stand with X.

On Monday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that his office was opening an investigation into the publications report, claiming he was extremely troubled by allegations that Media Matters had manipulated data on the social media platform.



Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, who introduced an emergency rule earlier this year to ban health care for transgender adults in his state, also joined the legal charge, posting that his team is looking into this matter.



Great!, responded Musk.



Media Matters appeared unthreatened by the challenge, shrugging off the lawsuit in favor of standing behind its reporting. This is a frivolous lawsuit meant to bully Xs critics into silence, Media Matters president, Angelo Carusone, told Reuters in an emailed statement.

After Musk initially threatened the lawsuit on Friday, Carusone called Musk a bully who threatens meritless lawsuits.



Musk admitted the ads at issue ran alongside the pro-Nazi content we identified. If he does sue us, we will win, Carusone said.


Elon Musk at an event in London earlier this month. (Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Elon Musks X  the social media company formerly known as Twitter  filed a lawsuit against Media Matters for America on Monday for defamation after the media watchdog group reported that the platform had been placing ads for major brands next to pro-Hitler and white nationalist content.

What does the lawsuit say?

The complaint, which was filed in a federal court in Texas, alleges that Media Matters engaged in a smear campaign by "knowingly and maliciously manufacturing images that show advertising for companies including Apple, Bravo, IBM, Oracle and Xfinity placed next to content supporting Nazis.

Those companies, as well as other major advertisers including Disney, Discovery and Warner Bros., paused advertising on X last week after Media Matters published a pair of reports about the ad placements.

This is a frivolous lawsuit meant to bully Xs critics into silence, Media Matters president Angelo Carusone said in a statement. Media Matters stands behind its reporting and looks forward to winning in court.

How did we get here?

Elon Musk at a Tesla factory in Gruenheide, Germany, in 2022. (Patrick Pleul/AP) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Musk threatened to file a thermonuclear lawsuit against Media Matters late Friday, saying its reports were an attempt to undermine freedom of speech and mislead advertisers.

Not a single authentic user on X saw IBMs, Comcasts, or Oracles ads next to the content in Media Matters article, Linda Yaccarino, Xs chief executive, wrote in a post announcing the lawsuit on Monday afternoon. Stand with X.

The company was already facing an advertiser revolt after Musk publicly endorsed an antisemitic trope posted on X suggesting Jewish people are supporting the hordes of minorities who are flooding into the United States to replace white people. That conspiracy theory was the same one that motivated the gunman to carry out the Tree of Life synagogue massacre in 2018.

Musk shared the post, and added a comment: You have said the actual truth.

Elon Musks ownership of Twitter/X: A brief timeline

Musk shortly after he acquired Twitter, now known as X, in 2022. (Illustration by Dado Ruvic/Reuters) (Dado Ruvic / reuters)

 October 2022: Musk buys Twitter for $44 billion and lays off hundreds of employees, including those overseeing content moderation and user safety.

 November 2022: Musk reinstates former President Donald Trumps Twitter account, which had been suspended since shortly after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection.

 November 2022: Musk announces a plan to offer verified badges to any user who pays an $8 monthly fee, making harder if not impossible to authenticate accounts for celebrities, journalists or government officials.

 December 2022: Musk bans @ElonJet, a Twitter account that monitored the movements of his private jet in real time, saying it had violated the companys doxxing policy.

 December 2022: Musk runs a Twitter poll asking whether he should step down as the head of Twitter, vowing he would abide by its results. After yes votes win, Musk tweets: I will resign as CEO as soon as I find someone foolish enough to take the job!

 May 2023: Musk announces that NBCUniversal executive Linda Yaccarino has been hired as the new CEO of Twitter.

 July 2023: Musk rebrands Twitter as X, replete with a new logo and X.com URL.

 August 2023: Yaccarino tells CNBC that the company was working to reduce the risk of advertisers being placed next to toxic content.

Whats next?

A screen grab of Elon Musk's Twitter account, taken Oct. 28, 2022. (Dado Ruvic/Reuters) (Dado Ruvic / reuters)

Yahoo Finance reported Monday that advertising executives are urging Yaccarino, the former chair of global advertising at NBCU, to resign from X over Musks antisemitic remarks.

But Yaccarino says she is committed to staying at the embattled social media company even as advertisers flee.

Our work is critical, but its not always easy, Yaccarino said in a note to staff Sunday night. What were doing matters, which means it naturally invites criticism from those who do not share our beliefs.

I believe deeply in our vision, our team, and our community, she posted Monday morning on the platform. Im also deeply committed to the truth and there is no other team on earth working as hard as the teams at X.

Recommended reading

 AP: Musk's X sues liberal advocacy group Media Matters over report on ads next to hate groups' posts

 CNN: With antisemitic tweet, Elon Musk reveals his actual truth

 The Wrap: Elon Musk seems hell-bent on destroying X, media experts say
X, the social media platform owned by billionaire Elon Musk, has filed a lawsuit against Media Matters for America, alleging the liberal media watchdog group defamed his platform with reporting about ads for major advertisers appearing next to posts with antisemitic rhetoric.

In a complaint filed in federal court in Texas on Monday, X alleged Media Matters exploited the platforms features of allowing users to control the content they see on their feed by creating a secret account designed to evade normal safeguards and manipulate every aspect of the system through which posts and advertisements appear, ultimately creating the side-by-side images of objectionable content and advertisements.

X also alleged Media Matters only followed 30 users on its secret account  fewer than the average user follows  noting that the watchdogs excessive scrolling and refreshing generated between 13 and 15 times more advertisements per hour than would be seen by a typical user, essentially seeking to force a situation in which a brand ad post appeared adjacent to fringe content.

The overall effect on advertisers and users was to create the false, misleading perception that these types of pairings were common, widespread, and alarming, the lawsuit reads. Media Matters hid its manipulations through omissions, deceptive image selections, misrepresentations, and secrecy settings.

The lawsuit comes days after Musk wrote in an X post that his company will file a lawsuit against Media Matters after the liberal watchdog published its report on the platform last week, detailing how major advertisers on the platform had their ads shown alongside white supremacist content.

The split second court opens on Monday, X Corp will be filing a thermonuclear lawsuit against Media Matters and ALL those who colluded in this fraudulent attack on our company, Musk wrote in a post Saturday.

Media Matters President Angelo Carusone said in a statement: This is a frivolous lawsuit meant to bully Xs critics into silence. Media Matters stands behind its reporting and looks forward to winning in court.

Musk, who purchased the platform then known as Twitter in October 2022, also saw controversy last week for engaging in antisemitic rhetoric on his platform.

As a result, major companies such as IBM, Disney, Lionsgate, Paramount, and Apple announced they were leaving the social media platform. The European Union (EU) also halted advertising on X.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) announced in a post on Musks platform that he has launched an investigation into Media Matters for potential fraudulent activity, noting Musks accusation of the Washington, D.C.-based liberal watchdog manipulating data.

If you know me, you know Im committed to truth and fairness. Heres the truth. Not a single authentic user on X saw IBMs, Comcasts, or Oracles ads next to the content in Media Matters article, Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino wrote in an X post defending the company.

Only 2 users saw Apples ad next to the content, at least one of which was Media Matters. Data wins over manipulation or allegations. Dont be manipulated. Stand with X.

Updated at 10:29 p.m. ET

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Photo: Steve Dunsmoor-file

There are some records teams cherish and others they would just as soon avoid.

The Kelowna Rockets find themselves on the cusp of the latter.

The Rockets head into Tuesday's home tilt at Prospera Place on a historic run of nine straight defeats, a run that equals the franchise futility record set during the 2006-2007 season.

They had a chance to end the streak at eight Saturday, but gave up the final four goals in a 5-4 defeat at the hands of the league-leading Prince George Cougars.

Tuesday's game marks the first visit by the Hurricanes since the 2019-2020 season.

Lethbridge is making their third stop on a five-game BC Division road trip after starting with wins in Victoria (8-3) and Vancouver (4-3 in OT).

Rockets leading scorer Andrew Cristall remains listed as day-to-day with an upper body injury. He has missed the last two game and his availability for Tuesday is not known.

Following Tuesday's game the Rockets will hit the road for Seattle and a Wednesday date with the Thunderbirds.

The Rockets and T-Birds will renew acquaintances Saturday at Prospera Place for Teddy Bear Toss night.
Musk at an AI conference in November

Elon Musk's social media platform X has sued a left-leaning pressure group that accused the site of allowing antisemitic posts next to advertising.

X's lawsuit alleges that Media Matters for America "manipulated" data in an attempt to "destroy" the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Firms including Apple, Disney, IBM and Comcast have paused adverts on X since the watchdog released its analysis.

After Mr Musk threatened the lawsuit, Media Matters called him a bully.

The advocacy group said last week that ads had appeared on X alongside posts supporting Nazism, such as Hitler quotes and Holocaust denial.

Separately, Mr Musk himself last week was accused of amplifying an antisemitic trope on the platform.

The lawsuit, filed in Texas on Monday, argues: "Media Matters knowingly and maliciously manufactured side-by-side images depicting advertisers' posts on X Corp's social media platform beside Neo-Nazi and white-nationalist fringe content and then portrayed these manufactured images as if they were what typical X users experience on the platform.

"Media Matters designed both these images and its resulting media strategy to drive advertisers from the platform and destroy X Corp."

X chief executive Linda Yaccarino condemned the Media Matters report

X said in the lawsuit that ads for Comcast, Oracle and IBM had only appeared alongside hateful content for Media Matters, and no other viewer.

Linda Yaccarino, chief executive of X, posted on Monday: "Here's the truth. Not a single authentic user on X saw IBM's, Comcast's, or Oracle's ads next to the content in Media Matters' article."

In the wake of the Media Matters allegations, the European Commission, Warner Bros Discovery, Paramount and Lionsgate have also pulled ad dollars from X.

On Saturday, Mr Musk vowed to file a "thermonuclear" lawsuit against Media Matters, and anyone "who colluded in this fraudulent attack on our company".

In response, Media Matters president Angelo Carusone said they would win any legal action.

"Far from the free speech advocate he claims to be, Musk is a bully who threatens meritless lawsuits in an attempt to silence reporting that he even confirmed is accurate," Mr Carusone said in a statement.

Founded in 2004, Media Matters is known for its criticism of conservative commentators and media outlets.

It describes itself as a non-profit "progressive research and information center dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the US media".

Last Wednesday, Mr Musk came under fire after he replied to a post sharing a conspiracy theory accusing Jewish communities of pushing hatred against white people, calling it "actual truth".

The billionaire Tesla and SpaceX entrepreneur later denied antisemitism, saying his comments referred not to all Jewish people, but to groups like the Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish anti-hate monitor.

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Meanwhile, Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton said on Monday that he had opened an investigation into Media Matters "for potential fraudulent activity" over its allegations about X.

His office released a statement calling the liberal group a "radical anti-free speech organization".

Mr Paxton also vowed to ensure that "the public has not been deceived by the schemes of radical left-wing organizations who would like nothing more than to limit freedom by reducing participation in the public square".

Also on Monday the White House announced President Joe Biden would join Threads - the Meta-owned rival to X.

Threads accounts have also been created for the president, first lady, vice-president and second gentleman.
CHICAGO - A woman was shot by a 92-year-old man Monday morning on Chicago's South Side, according to police.

Around 10 a.m., police say the 43-year-old female victim was inside of a residence in the 5800 block of S. Aberdeen when she sustained a gunshot wound to the right arm by the male offender.

She was transported to the University of Chicago Hospital in good condition, and the 92-year-old was taken into custody.

Police say multiple firearms were recovered at the scene. The investigation is ongoing.
A financier descended from freed enslaved people is suing an oil company for $900 million alleging that his familys claim on a resource-rich tract of land was unfairly ignored, according to a report. Kneeland Youngblood, 67, told The Wall Street Journal that his ancestors bought the land in the Eagle Ford shale in Karnes County, Texas, after they had been freed from slavery. Youngblood now alleges that oil company ConocoPhillips disregarded his familys claim on the property and sided with another family in order to begin drilling on the land as quickly as possible. The financier, who co-founded private-equity firm Pharos Capital Group, told the Journal that he and his family are trying to honor their ancestors. This is about legacy, Youngblood said, adding that while a favorable outcome in the case wouldnt change his life, for many of my relatives it could be transformative.

Read it at The Wall Street Journal

Read more at The Daily Beast.
(Bloomberg) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans steadfast ally ruled out a change in the constitution suggested by the president himself in a rare display of discord within a political alliance that has helped Erdogan secure victory in successive elections.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The simple majority needed to elect a president is the essence of the executive presidency that Turkey adopted in 2018, said Devlet Bahceli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party, addressing his partys lawmakers on Tuesday in Ankara. This is not about electing lawmakers, its about electing the president. 50%+1 is the backbone, the core and democratic security of the system, Bahceli, 75, said.

Turkey Faces Constitutional Crisis as Courts Clash on Opposition

The nationalist leader was responding to Erdogan, who voiced his desire to amend the constitution in a way that would dismiss the simple majority requirement. Making sure one who gets the most vote is elected would help complete the election rapidly, Anadolu Agency cited him as saying on Saturday. The president also complained of piecemeal alliances that political leaders are forced to concoct to get elected.

Erdogan relies on support from Bahceli as well as other smaller parties within his alliance to secure at least 360 votes to change the constitution, a threshold that would still require a referendum. His Justice and Development Party has 264 seats in parliament while Bahcelis MHP has 50.

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ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. (WKRG)  A Muscovy duck is on the mend after being struck by an arrow and receiving a non-life-threatening injury.

Pensacola woman thanks her dogs for alerting her before breast cancer diagnosis

On November 16, Escambia County Lead Animal Welfare Officer Merideth Roberson responded to a call about the duck in the Wildwood Lakes neighborhood.

LOCATION:

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Local residents noticed she had an arrow stuck in her wing. Although the arrow looked like a toy without a sharp tip, people still worried about the bird.

Roberson shared these concerns, particularly as the duck, estimated to be less than a year old, couldnt fly due to the injury, according to Escambia County Community and Media Relations.

However, despite several attempts to capture the elusive duck, Roberson faced challenges.

Bush House Market in Crestview to feature arts and crafts, live music

Fortunately, a nearby resident provided a canoe, which proved instrumental in the rescue. Finally securing the duck, Roberson paddled back to shore with the injured waterfowl.

Escambia County Lead Animal Welfare Officer Merideth Roberson borrowed a nearby residents canoe to rescue the duck. (Photo courtesy of Escambia County)

Escambia County Animal Welfare took the duck to the Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida, where she received radiographs and an examination.

Expected to recover fully, the Muscovy duck will be transferred to a partner agency for adoption.

Escambia County Animal Welfare Director John Robinson commended Robersons dedication to animal well-being.

Milton man arrested after fraudulent return, resisting arrest with pepper spray: ECSO

Regardless of the nature of the call, the safety and well-being of animals in our community is always our top priority, Robinson said.

I appreciate Sgt. Roberson going above and beyond to rescue this duck and bring it to safety, and Id also like to thank the Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida for their continued partnership and dedication to animal welfare.

ALSO ON WKRG.com: Spanish Fort now allowing tattoo parlors under multiple restrictions

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5.
Caolan Gormley is on trial at the Old Bailey, accused of being involved in an unlawful immigration plot

A haulage boss accused of being linked to the deaths of 39 migrants tried to stop his mother "gossiping" after news of the tragedy broke, a court heard.

Caolan Gormley, 26, denied involvement in an unlawful immigration plot with his former boss Ronan Hughes and truck driver Christopher Kennedy.

Giving evidence on Tuesday, Mr Gormley told jurors he thought they were engaged in smuggling alcohol rather than humans.

The trial is ongoing at the Old Bailey.

Mr Gormley, of Caledon, County Tyrone, told of his "shock" and "total disbelief" when 39 Vietnamese men, women and children were found dead in one of Hughes's vehicles in Essex early on 23 October 2019.

He said he saw the breaking news on social media then someone sent him a photograph of the truck and trailer on WhatsApp, which he sent on to Kennedy. He then spoke to Hughes.

Many of the 39 victims hoped to find better-paid work in the UK

Mr Gormley said: "He called me the night before and I was returning the call. I remember when he answered he sounded different, panicked, making no sense at all. It was just mumbo jumbo."

At 15:46 on 23 October, Mr Gormley received a text from his mother asking if the truck in the news belonged to one of Hughes' brothers.

He replied: "Don't know and neither do u (sic)."

Asked to explain the message, Mr Gormley said: "My mother works in a doctors' surgery and is a bit of a gossip, and I didn't want her gossiping. Perhaps there would be repercussions for her."

Defence barrister Stephan Alfred asked: "You thought it would be unsafe for her bandying names about?"

Mr Gormley replied: "I mean talking about that in general, you wouldn't want people going around talking about it."

'Total disbelief'

He added that he never heard anything bad about any member of the Hughes family until the migrant deaths.

Mr Alfred suggested the tragedy had sent a "shockwave through the industry".

Mr Gormley said there was "total disbelief this had happened", adding: "I was just shocked, to be honest."

Jurors have been told that a number of individuals have already been convicted of their part in the people-smuggling operation.

Hughes and Romanian Gheorghe Nica were said to have been in charge of a network of drivers "willing and able" to take lorry loads of migrants to the UK.

Mr Gormley denies a single charge of conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration. The trial continues.

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The decision to appoint Estonia to the chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) for 2024 was blocked by a veto from Russia and Belarus, the Estonian Foreign Ministry said Nov. 21.

The OSCE was formed in the 1970s as the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe, which provided a platform for dialogue between the Eastern Bloc and Western Bloc during the Cold War.

As its chairmanship is rotating, one of the 57 participating state holds the position each year, with the foreign minister of that state acting as the chairperson.

"It is regrettable that due to the veto imposed by Russia and, at their instigation, Belarus today in Vienna, Estonias candidacy for the Chairmanship of the OSCE in 2024 was not confirmed," Estonian Foreign Affairs Minister Margus Tsahkna said in a statement.

Russia vetoed the appointment because it does not want the next country to hold the chairmanship to be a NATO member, Tsahkna said, describing this as "blackmail."

According to Tsahkna, Russia has been blocking the organization's work for years.

"Moscow has prevented the organization from adopting its budget, holding official OSCE events, and extending foreign missions, resulting in the end of all OSCE foreign missions in Ukraine, which has been subjected to Russias aggression."

Tsahkna pointed out that, six weeks before the end of 2023, the OSCE still does not have a confirmed chairmanship for 2024.

Estonia has been the joint candidate of the European Union for the chairmanship since 2020.

The current chairperson of the OSCE is Bujar Osmani, North Macedonia's foreign affairs minister.

Read also: Estonias parliamentary commission backs using frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Smoke rises after Israeli air strikes in Gaza, as seen from southern Israel

Smoke rises after Israeli air strikes in Gaza, as seen from southern Israel

By Andrew Gray

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union faces growing animosity across the Muslim world and beyond due to accusations of pro-Israel bias and double standards over the war in Gaza, the bloc's foreign policy chief has warned.

Josep Borrell said he feared such acrimony could undermine diplomatic support for Ukraine in the Global South and the EU's ability to insist on human rights clauses in international agreements.

He said the EU had to show "more empathy" for the loss of Palestinian civilian lives in Israel's war against Hamas, launched in response to the deadly Oct. 7 cross-border assault by the Palestinian militant group.

His comments came in interviews with Reuters during a five-day Middle East trip that took him to the rubble of Kibbutz Be'eri devastated by Hamas, the West Bank, a regional security conference in Bahrain and royal audiences in Qatar and Jordan.

On the trip, which ended on Monday evening, Borrell heard Arab leaders and Palestinian civil society activists complain that the 27-nation EU was not applying the same standards to Israel's war in Gaza that it applies to Russia's war in Ukraine.

"All of them were really criticising the posture of the European Union as one-sided," Borrell said.

Waving his mobile phone, he said he had already received messages from some ministers signalling they would not support Ukraine next time there was a vote at the United Nations.

"If things continue a couple of weeks like this, the animosity against Europeans (will grow)," he added.

In response to the criticism, Borrell stressed human lives had the same value everywhere and that the EU had unanimously urged immediate humanitarian pauses to get aid to Palestinians in Gaza and quadrupled its humanitarian aid for the enclave.

But Arab leaders want an immediate end to Israel's bombardment, which has killed at least 13,300 Palestinians, including at least 5,600 children, according to Gaza's Hamas-run government.

They have lambasted both the EU and the United States for not condemning Israel's bombing campaign in Gaza, in contrast to the West's response to the invasion of Ukraine.

Israel has stressed that it is responding to the deadliest attack in its history, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 240 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.

It says it is attacking civilian areas as that is where Hamas operates and it is trying to avoid innocent casualties.

EUROPE STRUGGLES

As High Representative for foreign policy, Borrell is charged with crafting common positions among EU members.

A neighbour of the Middle East and home to substantial Jewish and Muslim populations, the EU has a major stake in the latest crisis. Although not in the same league as the United States, it has some diplomatic weight in the region, not least as the biggest donor of aid to Palestinians.

But the bloc has struggled for a united stance beyond condemnation of the Hamas attack. It has largely limited itself to support for Israel's right to defend itself within international law and calls for pauses in fighting.

Individual member countries, meanwhile, such as Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic and Hungary have stressed strong support for Israel while others such as Ireland, Belgium and Spain have criticised Israel's military action.

France has called for a humanitarian truce that would pave the way for a ceasefire.

Borrell, a veteran Spanish Socialist politician, last month declared that some of Israel's actions contravened international law - to the annoyance of some EU member countries.

He avoided such direct public criticism on his trip. He also sought to show understanding for the pain felt by Israelis, recalling his own experience on a kibbutz in the 1960s.

But he said the EU also should do more to demonstrate it also cares about Palestinian lives and this could come through stronger calls for aid to get into Gaza and a renewed push for a Palestinian state under the so-called "two-state solution".

(Reporting and writing by Andrew Gray; Additional reporting by John Irish; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
The European Union must show more sympathy for Palestinian civilians because accusations of pro-Israel bias are fuelling anger across the Muslim world, the blocs top diplomat has said.

Josep Borrell said Arab leaders had accused Brussels of not applying the same standards to Israels war with Hamas that it applies to Russias invasion of Ukraine.

All of them were really criticising the posture of the European Union as one-sided, he said after holding talks with Arab leaders and Palestinian activists during a five-day trip to the Middle East.

Mr Borrell claimed ministers from the region had signalled they would not support Ukraine the next time there was a vote on the war at the United Nations.

If things continue a couple of weeks like this, the animosity against Europeans will grow, he added.

As the EUs High Representative for foreign policy, Mr Borrell, a veteran Spanish socialist, is tasked with formulating common positions amongst the blocs 27 member states.

But he has struggled to balance pro-Israeli voices in Germany, Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic with the likes of Spain, Belgium and Ireland, which have voiced criticism of its offensive in Gaza.

A neighbour of the Middle East and home to substantial Jewish and Muslim populations, the EU has a major stake in the latest crisis.

Although not in the same league as the United States, it has some diplomatic weight in the region, not least as the biggest donor of aid to Palestinians.

However, the EU has yet to reach a united stance on the conflict, beyond condemnation of the Hamas attack. Instead, it has largely limited itself to support for Israels right to defend itself within international law and calls for pauses in fighting.

Broken international law

During a fierce debate over whether the EU should back calls for a ceasefire last month, Mr Borrell was criticised for suggesting Israels response to Hamass Oct 7 terror attacks had broken international law.

Last week, he declared that one horror does not justify another, and urged Israel not to be consumed by rage as it moves to eradicate the terror group.

Israel insists it is working hard to prevent civilian casualties in Gaza while arguing it has has no choice but to take its fight to civilian areas where it says Hamas terrorists operate.

In response to criticism of the EU, Mr Borrell has insisted the bloc has backed humanitarian pauses  short breaks in the fighting to pave the way for vital supplies to be delivered and evacuations to be carried out  while quadrupling its own aid to Gaza.

Pro-Palestine protests calling for an immediate ceasefire have taken place across the bloc in recent weeks.

Some governments, such as in France and Germany, have tried to limit the demonstrations citing concerns over security and anti-Semitism, which has spiked in the wake of last months massacre by Hamas.

Arab leaders have demanded an immediate ceasefire to end Israels bombardment of Gaza, which has killed at least 13,300 Palestinians, according to the enclaves Hamas-controlled health ministry.

Similar criticisms have been made of the US, which is seen as the foreign power most capable of tempering Israels response.

EU roadmap to peace

Mr Borrell outlined an EU roadmap to peace after fighting between Israel and Hamas ends during his visit to the Middle East, which ended on Monday after taking him to the rubble of Kibbutz Beeri, devastated by Hamas, the West Bank, a regional security conference in Bahrain and royal audiences in Qatar and Jordan.

The plan called for a commitment from Israel not to occupy Gaza and hand control of the coastal enclave to a Palestinian authority, as well as promises not to forcibly displace Palestinians.

Mr Borrell said the draft plan would require the help of the US and Arab states to implement.

He also voiced fears the conflict could further enflame the volatile situation in the West Bank and drag in other actors in the region if left unchecked.

In light of increased extremists and settlers violence against Palestinians there is a real risk that the situation could escalate, Mr Borrell said.

Reports of a ship hijacked by the Houthis are another worrying signal of a risk of the regional spill over, he added, citing the recent seizure of a Japanese-operated vessel in the Red Sea by the Iran-backed Yemeni rebel group.

Meanwhile, Cyprus said it was ready to open a maritime humanitarian aid corridor between its ports to Gaza.

Nikos Christodoulides, the Cypriot president, said the proposal was the only one currently being discussed on an international level that could increase the trickle of aid reaching Gaza through Egypts Rafah border crossing.

The plan would require the backing of Israels government, which controls and restricts access to the enclaves coastline.

Supplies reaching Gaza would be distributed by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees using its established network, Mr Christodoulides said.

Planning for the corridor of about 230 miles is essentially completed, and aid can begin to flow when a pause in fighting is declared, he added.

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Photo: UBC Okanagan

B.C.s government is continuing wolf kills this winter while planning a moose population survey, all part of plans designed to assist central mountain caribou populations.

We know that predator management is an effective, temporary measure to halt and reverse population declines and local extinctions of caribou in B.C., the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship told Glacier Media. Predator management helps herds by increasing the rate of calf survival and reducing adult cow mortalities.

Still, the ministry stressed, the decision to reduce predator populations is not taken lightly. Treatment is only undertaken when there is evidence that wolf populations contribute to declining caribou herds, the ministry said.

In documents inviting contractors to submit bids, the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship is seeking a company with a helicopter to do 40 hours of aerial work with the objective of assessing moose population response to continuous intensive wolf removal.

The count is projected to run December through February with the proposed outcomes being continuing and improving long-term monitoring of central mountain caribou and primary prey species.

The work would also assess the impact of ongoing caribou recovery actions and collaborating with First Nations on caribou recovery actions.

The work would be staged out of Chetwynd in northeastern B.C.

The ministry said there are an estimated 37,500 to 60,500 moose in northeastern B.C., with about 153,000 provincewide.

The province continues to monitor moose populations in areas where there have been wolf removals, and wolves are a predator for moose, the ministry said.

The ministry estimates there are approximately 8,500 wolves (ranging between 5,300 and 11,600) in B.C.

Without addressing high predation pressure from wolves, many caribou herds could face the risk of local extinction, the ministry said. We monitor wolf populations closely to ensure that we have the best data available to support decisions related to predator management."

Caribou population protection has been a key issue for the province for some time and led to the creation of the Provincial Caribou Recovery Program (CRP) in 2017.

Multiple measures are required to help stabilize and reverse this iconic species decline, the ministry said. There is strong evidence that the CRP is reversing the decline of caribou populations across B.C.

The CRP web page said due to significant changes in the species preferred habitat over the last century, the number of B.C. caribou has dropped from about 40,000 animals to about 17,000, with the steepest declines occurring over the past 40 years.

Scapegoats

Aaron Hofman, director of advocacy and policy for The Fur-Bearers animal rights group, said the province hires contractors to shoot hundreds of wolves from helicopters every winter.

Hofman provided a Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship document that said, A total of 217 wolves were removed through aerial shooting and eight cougars were removed through ground-based hunting, at a cost of approximately $1.65 million.

These keystone species are being used as scapegoats and killed to offset the destruction of critical caribou habitat caused by resource industries, Hofman told Glacier Media. A recent public opinion survey shows that the majority of Canadians believe that the killing of wolves is wrong, even if it's done to save another species.

Hofman said that survey found 83% of Canadians believe wolves are important members of the ecosystem and should be protected.

The war on wolves by the B.C. government is unethical, unscientific, and needs to end, Hofman said.

The ministry documents said a wolf reduction program began in 2015 and that the last moose count was done in 2018.

As part of ongoing efforts to monitor the response of moose populations to consecutive years of wolf reduction, the province is committed to conducting moose population inventories every five years, the documents said.
Photo: The Canadian Press Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly.

Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly says Canada is closely watching for a potential deal between Israel and Hamas to release hostages.

Joly says Canada expects that any deal will include the freeing of all hostages, permission for all foreign nationals to leave the Gaza Strip and substantially more humanitarian aid for those in the besieged territory.

Senior Hamas officials say that an agreement could be reached today in which the militant group would release hostages and Israel would free Palestinian prisoners.

The possible breakthrough follows weeks of negotiations between Israel, the U.S. and Qatar, after Hamas gunmen and their allies killed an estimated 1,200 people and captured roughly 240 hostages on Oct. 7.

Israel's army is widening its military operations today across northern Gaza, part of a retaliation campaign that the territory's health officials say has killed more than 12,700 people.

No Canadians were added today to a list of foreign nationals approved to cross into Egypt from the territory, where Joly says about 200 people with ties to Canada are still waiting for a chance to get out.

Ottawa says more than 450 Canadians, permanent residents and their relatives have made the trip out of the Palestinian territory since the conflict began.

Joly told reporters that she spoke about a possible hostage deal with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week, and that she discussed it on Tuesday morning with her Qatari counterpart.

"What we expect from this deal is we want to make sure that all hostages are released, that all foreign nationals are allowed to get out of Gaza  including, of course, the around 200 Canadians that are still in Gaza  and humanitarian (aid) needs to be able to get in, and way more than has been allowed to at this point," she told reporters on Parliament Hill on Tuesday.

"We are still calling for humanitarian pauses, a humanitarian truce, which would lead to a potential ceasefire."
On the evening of 21 November, the media reported that explosions thundered in Zaporizhzhia.

Source: Suspilne, Ukraine's public broadcaster

Details: Prior to this, the Air Force reported a threat of attack UAVs and missile danger in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

Update at 21:52: Yuriy Malashko, the head of Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administration, said that at around 20:43, the Russians launched a missile attack on one of Zaporizhzhia's districts. The missile, the type of which is currently being established, hit an open area.

Quote: "The relevant services have not received any information about casualties. The blast wave damaged several private houses."

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An "extremely venomous" two-metre-long green mamba snake is on the loose in the Netherlands, police said Tuesday, warning residents to stay indoors and under no circumstances attempt to ensnare the serpent.

Police in the southern Dutch city of Tilburg said they were alerted by the mamba's owner on Monday evening that "he was missing a snake."

Issuing a wanted poster with a mugshot of the coiled green mamba, police warned: "The snake is very dangerous."

"The green mamba's bite is extremely venomous. If anyone is bitten, it is important to seek immediate medical attention," police added.

On the plus side, police said the green mamba "does not seek confrontation" and the cold-blooded tropical creature is unlikely to slither outside into the chilly Dutch winter.

"He likes dark and warm spaces. If he finds that, he will be very passive," the statement said.

ric/acc
Claim:

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter once said or wrote, "Christianity has been hijacked by people who would give Jesus himself the boot if he knocked on their door."

Rating:

Rating: False

Context:

The quote is a paraphrase of statements Carter made to a Star Tribune reporter as part of a Nov. 11, 2005, article promoting his book "Our Endangered Values." The statement appears without quotation marks in that Star-Tribune article, and the book in question does not include that sentence.

A popular quote about alleged hypocrisy in far-right evangelical Christian circles is often attributed to former U.S. President Jimmy Carter in meme form:

The origin of this statement is a Nov. 11, 2005, article in the Star Tribune. At the time, Carter was promoting his recently published book "Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis." A Tribune journalist interviewed Carter for the story, paraphrasing his book's broader point (emphasis ours):

Donning the mantle of alarmed prophet in "Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis," the 81-year-old former president is promoting the book, which implores Americans to reject the fundamentalist values that now marble domestic and foreign policy. Referring often to his own brand of evangelical Christianity, Carter said he could remain quiet no more about the Christian far right and its influence on government. Evangelical Christianity has been hijacked, he said, by people who would give Jesus himself the boot if he knocked on their door.

This is not a direct quote from Carter. If it was, it would be contained in quotes. This is, instead, the reporters colorful paraphrase of the views contained in Carters book.

According to its publisher Simon and Schuster, Carter's book "offers a passionate defense of separation of church and state, warning that fundamentalists are deliberately blurring the lines between politics and religion." This book, importantly, does not contain the statement about evangelicals theoretically giving Jesus "the boot."

Because the words in the meme stem from a newspaper reporter and not Carter, and because there is no documented evidence of Carter saying or writing the words, Snopes concludes that this quote has been falsely attributed to Jimmy Carter.

Sources:

Carter, Jimmy. Our Endangered Values: Americas Moral Crisis. Simon and Schuster, 2005.

Carter Warns against Fundamentalists. 24 Nov. 2005, https://web.archive.org/web/20051124232539/http://www.startribune.com/stories/614/5721784.html.

Evelyntheowl. Evangelical Christianity Has Been Hijacked by People Who Would Have given Jesus Himself the Boot If He Knocked on Their Door. -Pres. Jimmy Carter. iFunny, https://ifunny.co/picture/evangelical-christianity-has-been-hijacked-by-people-who-would-have-e7r7CfXuA. Accessed 20 Nov. 2023.

Our Endangered Values. 2006. www.simonandschuster.com, https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Our-Endangered-Values/Jimmy-Carter/9780743285018.


The Falkland Islands are a British overseas territory in the south-west Atlantic Ocean

Rishi Sunak's spokesman has said there is "no doubt" the Falkland Islands are British after Argentina's new president said it was time to "get them back".

Javier Milei, elected as Argentina's president on Sunday, said Buenos Aires had "non-negotiable sovereignty" over the islands.

And he vowed to get the islands back through "diplomatic channels".

But the UK prime minister's spokesman said the issue of sovereignty "was settled decisively some time ago".

Argentina has long claimed sovereignty over the islands, a British overseas territory in the south-west Atlantic Ocean. The two countries fought a war over the issue, after Argentine forces invaded the islands in 1982.

The Falklands, known in Argentina as the Malvinas, are about 8,000 miles from the UK and about 300 miles from mainland Argentina.

In a 2013 referendum, the people of the Falkland Islands voted 99.8% in favour of remaining a UK overseas territory.

Rishi Sunak's official spokesman said on Tuesday that the British government would continue to "proactively defend the Falkland Islanders right to self-determination".

'Malvinas are Argentine'

Earlier this year, Argentina pulled out of a co-operation deal signed in 2016 and has been pushing for talks on sovereignty.

In the agreement, Argentina and the UK pledged to "improve co-operation on South Atlantic issues of mutual interests".

Mr Milei said during a TV election debate: "What do I propose? Argentina's sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands is non-negotiable. The Malvinas are Argentine.

"Now we have to see how we are going to get them back. It is clear that the war option is not a solution.

"We had a war - that we lost - and now we have to make every effort to recover the islands through diplomatic channels."

In a newspaper interview with La Nacion, a daily newspaper in Argentina, he proposed that the UK hand over the Falklands to his South American country in a similar way to how Hong Kong was given back over to Chinese rule in 1997.

The populist politician, who has described himself as an anarcho-capitalist and is said to have lauded Margaret Thatcher - the British prime minister during the Falklands conflict - said the views of those living on the islands "cannot be ignored".

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said it is "non-negotiable and undeniable" that the Falkland Islands are British.

In a social media post he said: "99.8% of islanders voted to remain British and we will always defend their right to self-determination and the UK's sovereignty."

In his tweets, Mr Shapps rejected any negotiation on the future of the Falklands, pointing out that the Royal Navy had redeployed HMS Forth to "protect the islands" in the southern hemisphere.

It follows a nine-month stint by HMS Medway patrolling the islands waters.
It is non-negotiable and undeniable that the Falkland Islands are British, Grant Shapps has insisted, in the wake of demands from Argentinas president-elect for diplomatic talks.

Mr Shapps, the Defence Secretary, noted the Government had sent a new Royal Navy ship back to the islands, which were invaded by Argentina in 1982 before their liberation by British forces.

Javier Milei, who won a landslide victory in the Argentinian election on Sunday, has previously asserted his countrys sovereignty over the Falklands, arguing in the final television debate of the campaign that every effort must be made to reclaim the territory.

But in a tweet reasserting the Falklands status as a British overseas territory, Mr Shapps said:

The Falkland Islands are British. That is non-negotiable and undeniable 



99.8% of islanders voted to remain British and we will always defend their right to self-determination and the UKs sovereignty with @HMS_Forth now back to protect the islands.https://t.co/9Hlj2FegpF  Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) November 21, 2023

Mr Shapps was referring to the results of a referendum in 2013 in which just three out of 1,516 islanders rejected remaining as an overseas territory of the United Kingdom.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed on Monday that HMS Medway, a Royal Navy patrol ship, had completed its nine months in the Falklands and handed patrol duty back to HMS Forth, its sister ship.

HMS Forth, which has spent most of this year in Gibraltar, is central to the Falklands mission, which the MoD said was focused on reassurance to and support for the island community.

During the final television debate of the campaign, Mr Milei said: What do I propose? Argentinas sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands is non-negotiable. The Malvinas are Argentine.

Now we have to see how we are going to get them back. It is clear that the war option is not a solution. We had a war - that we lost - and now we have to make every effort to recover the islands through diplomatic channels.

Mr Milei, who won a landslide victory in the Argentinean election on Sunday, has previously asserted his countrys sovereignty over the Falklands - LUIS ROBAYO/AFP via Getty Images

The hardline position taken by Mr Milei is nonetheless less hostile than that of Alberto Fernandez, his Left-wing predecessor, who had called for immediate negotiations.

Mr Milei has insisted any transfer of power must be peaceful and has deemed it a lesser priority than the countrys return to economic growth.

The libertarian economist also argued on the election trail: What we are proposing is to move towards a solution like the one England had with China over the Hong Kong issue and that, in this context, the position of the people who live on the islands cannot be ignored.

In July, Rishi Sunak criticised the European Union for its regrettable choice of words after the bloc referred to the Falklands as Islas Malvinas, the name that Argentina claims is correct.

Mr Sunaks spokesman said at the time: Look, the Prime Ministers view is that it would have been entirely unacceptable for the EU to question the Falkland islanders right to decide their own future. Lets be clear  Falkland islanders are British.

The EU has now rightly clarified that their position on the Falkland Islands has not changed after their regrettable choice of words. We will continue to defend the Falkland Islands right to determination.

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GRANDVIEW HEIGHTS, Ohio (WCMH)  A Grandview Heights family said this holiday season will not be the same as they are now left searching for answers to their loved ones death.

The family of 57-year-old Stephen Albright said he was a person who showed being peaceful and loving is the right way to be in this world.

Fatal shooting suspect in custody after police standoff

Albright was found unconscious with head and face injuries near the railroad tracks on 5th Avenue a week ago. He died from those injuries four days later. Grandview Heights police have since been handling the case as a death investigation, though they initially called it a felonious assault investigation.

Police have released pictures of two people of interest in the investigation.

(Courtesy Photo/Grandview Heights Division of Police)

(Courtesy Photo/Grandview Heights Division of Police)

James Albright, Stephens brother, said the familys focus right now is keeping Stephens spirit alive and finding those persons of interest.

He really was the best of us, James Albright said.

James Albright said his brother was a giver and helping others was in his nature.

If there ever was a person who would indicate that being peaceful, loving, family-oriented and just a good old soul was appropriate for this world, he was the one, he said.

James said the night of the incident, Steve had dropped his daughter off at a class and decided to go for a run as he often does.

Worlds first space lab on earth to be built near Ohio State airport

When Stephens wife alerted him of what happened, James Albright came to Columbus right away. He said sitting by his brothers side in the hospital was one of the hardest things hes had to do.

I drew strength from his wife and his daughters who were there by his side and, you know, just deeply committed to being there while he was still alive. I cried more than Ive ever cried, James Albright said.

James calls what happened to his brother senseless and now the focus needs to be on finding the people of interest in the incident.

Grandview Heights Police are looking for a man and a woman they believe to have information about the incident. Police released pictures and videos of the two people. They say the people of interest were riding bikes in the area of 5th Avenue at the time.

Weve received a number of messages, I know, that have been forwarded to the police, that these are well-known individuals, James Albright said. So, its less a question of, you know, how do we help identify them? And more like where could they be? The sad, sad irony here is that it appears Steve was killed by people who, in many ways, he would have done much in his life to help them.

East Columbus drive-by shooting remains unsolved three years later

James said if he could say one final thought to his brother, it would be this.

I will not forget you and I will dedicate my time to be more like you, he said.

James said he is asking the community to keep Stephens wife and teenage daughters in their thoughts and help them through this tough time.

Grandview Heights police asked anyone with any information about the pairs whereabouts to call 614-488-3157.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
The suspect in the disappearance of a Washington couple who went missing from their home last week and may be dead was a tenant who was about to be evicted, the sister of the missing woman said Monday.

Karen Koep and her husband, Davido, have been missing for a week and the investigation into their disappearance continues. The sheriffs office said in a Friday news release the couple is believed to be dead.

Thurston County Sheriffs Office deputies have arrested Timothy Burke in connection to the case, Lt. Mike Brooks told CNN on Monday.

Burke worked at the couples rental property in exchange for housing and was about to be evicted, according to Koeps sister, Pauline Dutton.

Dutton wasnt aware of any previous incidents between Burke and the couple, but believed they were in the process of having him evicted from their rental property where he worked in exchange for housing.

I believe that my brother-in-law was in the process of evicting Timothy, Dutton said. He gave him a lot of chances and was really kind to him.

Burke appeared in court Monday for a preliminary hearing, where he was informed of the first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping charges against him, according to the Thurston County Sheriffs Facebook page. He was denied bail.

CNN has reached out to Burkes attorney for comment.

Deputies discovered the couple missing from their Lake Forest Development home on November 13 while conducting a welfare check after Koep didnt show up for work, police said.

Koep worked at a chiropractor clinic and was always prompt, which raised suspicion when she hadnt arrived at her usual time of 5 a.m., Dutton said.

She was a workaholic and very dedicated to all her patients, Dutton said.

Dutton told CNN authorities said the crime scene was violent. There was blood in the house, and they were gone, she said.

Koeps car was later found at a trailhead a few miles away from their home.

Dutton said to honor her sister and brother-in-law, she was encouraging everyone to smile at a stranger.

Do something where you engage with your community and give back. I want to be more like them, she said.

Thurston County is south of Seattle, and home to Olympia, the state capital.

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Kansas City Chiefs fans were not the only ones disappointed by Monday Night Football.

The moment Taylor Swift fans hoped to see didnt materialize: A meeting of her parents and boyfriend Travis Kelces family.

The only notable Swift at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium turned out to be Eagles running back DAndre Swift, and he was most unwelcome as Philadelphia beat the Chiefs 21-17.

The pop superstars parents, Scott and Andrea Swift, were not in the crowd. Donna Kelce, mother to Travis and his brother, Eagles center Jason Kelce, attended, as did Jasons wife, Kylie Kelce.

Several national media outlets had earlier reported that Swift would fly back to the States after her Sunday concert in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, giving her four days to enjoy Thanksgiving  perhaps in Kansas City  before performing again in South America.

Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones gave credence to the reports during an interview on The Rich Eisen Show, saying he and some of his teammates planned to go out with Swift and Kelce after the game Monday.

After catching a pass from Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce got past a Philadelphia Eagles defender to score a touchdown in the first half of the game Monday at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. But the Chiefs ended up losing.

But Swift postponed her Saturday concert in Rio to Monday after a fan died before the Friday show in extremely hot weather.

Photos posted online by fans at the three-day stand in Rio showed her father, Scott, at one of the concerts, but it was unclear which night he was there.

Fans noted that her dad still wore the red Kansas City Chiefs lanyard that Kelce gave him when the two men met earlier in Argentina, where Swift kicked off the international leg of her tour.

Swift heads back to Brazil for a concert in Sao Paulo on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving.

Its unclear now who will show up in Kansas City for any Thanksgiving celebration. The Chiefs were expected to hold practice on Thanksgiving Day and have the day off on Tuesday. Swift has December and January off before hitting the road again.
When it comes to Chinese food in the Treasure Valley, consensus tends to be that its not exactly mind-blowing.

Still, there are unassuming favorites. Places that are affordable. Crowd-pleasing. Maybe even special.

Guang Zhou, 7609 W. Overland Road, arguably was one of those  but no more.

The local restaurant at the Boise Spectrum has been sold and closed, Guang Zhou posted on Facebook.

Thank you everyone for your patronage over the last 20 years. ... The location has new owners and will become a different restaurant soon. We are so sorry for the sad news.

With ratings of 4.0 out of 5.0 stars on Yelp and 4.2 out of 5.0 on Google, Guang Zhou had its share of enthusiastic fans.

Good luck finding a better spot for Chinese food! Guang Zhou is top notch, a Yelp Elite reviewer wrote in September.

By far the best Chinese in the valley, a Google Local Guide declared weeks ago.

Pepper steak was among the menu items.

A Thai restaurant is slated to take over the former Guang Zhou spot, according to a representative of D.D. Dunlap Companies, which owns the Boise Spectrum. Depending on city approvals and permitting, it could open before the end of 2023.

Although Guang Zhou thanked customers for two decades of support, it wasnt always in that space  or under that name.

On the From the Business part of its Yelp page, Guang Zhou explained that it was established in 2002.

The owners come from a small village near Guang Zhou, China, and have been cooking in restaurants for over 20 years, it says. The owners worked at the Boise Towne Square location originally called Yen Ching. They purchased that location and renamed it Yang Sheng. That location closed so PetSmart could move in. Guang Zhou has been open since 2009.
Photo: The Canadian Press Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao answers a question during a Zoom meeting interview with The Associated Press on Nov. 16, 2021.

The founder of Binance, the worlds largest cryptocurrency exchange, pleaded guilty Tuesday to a felony charge that he failed to take steps to prevent money laundering as the company agreed to pay more than $4 billion following an investigation by the U.S. government.

CEO Changpeng Zhao pleaded guilty to one count of failure to maintain an effective anti-money-laundering program in federal court in Seattle. Binance is a Cayman Islands limited liability company.

The plea comes as the company agreed to pay over $4 billion as part of an agreement with the U.S. government, a person familiar with the agreement told The Associated Press. The person confirmed the amount on the condition of anonymity ahead of an expected announcement.

The charge was similar to practices uncovered after the collapse of the second largest cryptocurrency exchange, FTX, last year.

Zhao had previously faced allegations of diverting customer funds, concealing the fact that the company was commingling billions of dollars in investor assets and sending them to a third party that Zhao also owned.

It comes months after the company was accused of operating as an unregistered securities exchange and violating a slew of U.S. securities laws in a lawsuit from regulators.

The cryptocurrency industry has been marred by scandals and market meltdowns. Sam Bankman-Fried, the 31-year-old founder of the failed cryptocurrency brokerage FTX, was convicted earlier this month of fraud for stealing at least $10 billion from customers and investors.
In Season 5 of the FX anthology series Fargo, a small-town sheriff explains his concept of freedom: Zero consequences for his actions. You want freedom with no responsibility, a formidable woman tells him, and theres only one person on earth who gets that deal. A baby. Youre fighting for your right to be a baby.

Creator Noah Hawleys TV adaptation of the 1996 Coen brothers crime comedy has been hit-and-miss for my taste. But at its best, its a deep dive into the violence, corruption and resentment that burns hot beneath a chilly landscape and neighborly Minnesota nice facade.

Its an absorbing tale this time out, anchored by Juno Temple (Ted Lasso) as a young wife and mother named Dot, whose past comes back to haunt her in the form of Jon Hamms aforementioned sheriff, a self-satisfied, Bible thumping Marlboro Man out of North Dakota.

Hes a chauvinist who views domestic abuse as necessary for instruction and is offended when he learns a husband has beaten his wife for the wrong reasons. After roughing up the guy for this transgression, he sends the couple home and tells the wife: Try to be deferential. Cater to his needs as a man with your mouth, in order to sow harmony. Thats who this guy is  when hes not a black market arms dealer.

The year is 2019. A decade or so earlier, Dot was married to the sheriff. But she escaped to Minnesota, changed her name and started a new life with a nice if somewhat childlike man (David Rysdahl, an actual Minnesota native!). They are parents to a spunky preteen daughter. Life is uneventful and filled with Bisquick pancakes for breakfast.

Until one day, two men working at the behest of the sheriff break into her home.

They dont anticipate Dots resourcefulness, which brings to mind the skills of MacGyver. Or Kevin McCallister from Home Alone when she devises an improvised home security system. Its a droll character detail.

But this season of Fargo also functions as a furious answer to the question that often follows revelations of abuse: Why didnt she just leave?

Well, she did leave. And he still wont let her go.

Each season, Hawley builds a sprawling world of supporting players, some more compelling than others. Dots current mother-in-law is a powerful businesswoman in a terrific performance from Jennifer Jason Leigh. Patrician on the surface, shes grubby at her core, overseeing a massive debt collection company. She makes her politics known when she has the family pose for their Christmas card photos holding automatic weapons.

Shes very much in charge and makes her own rules, bending everyone to her will, not unlike the sheriff from North Dakota. In other circumstances, they might recognize how much they have in common. But not this time. Not with him intent on forcing his will on her family, even if she has little respect or warmth for Dot.

The sheriff has a son (Joe Keery of Stranger Things) who aims to mimic his fathers authority, but is too much of a screw-up to pull it off. There are also two workaday cops who are worried about Dot and realize somethings amiss (Richa Moorjani and Lamorne Morris), and they function as a nod to the movies salt-of-the-earth Marge Gunderson, played by Frances McDormand.

The shows concept of the Upper Midwest tends to be offset by air quotes  eccentric and therefore authentic  but rarely does it feel grounded in anything recognizable. Sometimes actors get lost in this stylized approach, coming across as little more than boldface names parachuting in with an uncertain sense of the place or its culture. Hamm, in particular, cant quite locate a fully believable performance. But maybe that works for the character. Bullies can never fully mask their insecurities.

At his core, the man is a phony. The kind of person whose ideas about himself, and the world, would likely shatter if anyone with real power pushed back hard enough.



'FARGO' SEASON 5

3 stars (out of 4)

Rating: TV-MA

How to watch: 10 p.m. ET Tuesdays on FX (and streaming on Hulu)


NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  The FBI Memphis Field Office has issued a warning and reminder to Tennesseans as the Christmas season kicks off to be on the lookout for online shopping scams designed to steal money and personal information.

According to the FBIs Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), in 2022, Tennesseans lost $103,960,100 due to a variety of scams, said Special Agent in Charge Douglas DePodesta. Remain vigilant and enjoy a scam-free holiday season. If you believe you have been the victim of a scam, report it to the FBI at IC3.gov.

Online shopping scams

Some common online shopping scams that pop up during the holiday season involve too-good-to-be-true deals sent via phishing emails or advertisements. Such schemes offer brand-name merchandise at extremely low prices or offer gift cards as an incentive. Other sites may offer products at a great price, but the products being sold are not the same as the products advertised.

Consumers should steer clear of untrustworthy sites or ads offering items at unrealistic discounts or with special coupons. The victims end up paying for an item, give away personal information and credit card details, then receive nothing in return except a compromised or stolen identity.

Social media scams

Scammers can also target victims through social media, according to the FBI.

| READ MORE | Latest headlines from Nashville and Davidson County

Much like website ads or phishing emails, social media sites may have posts that appear to offer vouchers or gift cards. Some may appear as holiday promotions or contests, while others may appear to be from known friends who have shared a link. Often, these scams lead consumers to participate in an online survey that is designed to steal personal information.

If you click an ad through a social media platform, do your due diligence to check the legitimacy of the website before providing credit card or personal information.

Gift card scams

During the holiday season, consumers should be careful if someone asks them to purchase gift cards for them. In these scams, the victims receive either a spoofed email, phone call or text from a person in authority requesting the victim purchase multiple gift cards for either personal or business reasons.

The gift cards are then used to facilitate the purchase of goods or services, which may or may not be legitimate. Some of these incidents are combined with additional requests for wire transfer payments.

Reshipping scams

These scams involve fraudsters who use stolen credit cards to buy itemsusually expensive itemsonline. Instead of having the items shipped to the billing address, the fraudster sends them to whats called a reshipper. At the reshipper location, the items are repackaged and usually sent overseas. There, they can often be sold at a high price on the back market.

Fraudsters will convince unwitting individuals to be money mules and accept the deliveries and become the reshipper. That person will then become part of the criminal enterprise without knowing it.

How to avoid being scammed

In order to protect your personal information and banking information online, the FBI recommends everyone do their homework on the retailer/website/person in order to ensure legitimacy, or conduct a business inquiry of the online retailer through the Better Business Bureau.

Consumers should also check other websites regarding the company for reviews and complaints from others.

Another way to prevent from being victim to scams is to be wary of online retails offering goods at significantly reduced prices or who use a free email service instead of a company email address.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

Shoppers should also be aware of any purchases or services that require payment with a gift card.

Never click on links contained from unsolicited emails or respond to them, the FBI said, and be wary of emails claiming to contain pictures in attached files, as those files may contain viruses. Avoid filling out forms contained in email messages that ask for personal information.

Consumers should always verify requests for personal information from any business or financial institution by contacting them directly using the main contact information on their official website; relatedly, make sure to secure your credit card accounts with strong passwords, and change your password routinely.

If youre wanting to make charitable donations, make them directly rather than through an intermediary, and pay via credit card or check; avoid cash donations, if possible. Also, be aware of organizations with copycat names similar to reputable charitiesmost legitimate charity website use a .org address, not .com.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
A federal appeals court struck down part of Marylands laws regulating handguns Tuesday, overturning a requirement to obtain a handgun license before purchasing a firearm.

In a 2-1 ruling, a panel of the Virginia-based 4th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Maryland cannot add more regulations for acquiring handguns than for other weapons. The court said the law was unenforceable in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling last year.

The judges cited last summers Supreme Court ruling that loosened New York gun laws and said the government must show efforts to regulate guns are consistent with this nations historical tradition of firearm regulation.

Under current Maryland law, a person is required to get a handgun license in addition to all other requirements to purchase a firearm. That license requires that a person pass a handgun safety course, a background check and wait up to 30 days.

The majority opinion stated that those extra requirements put an unnecessary burden on Second Amendment rights.

The challenged law restricts the ability of law-abiding adult citizens to possess handguns, wrote Judge Julius Richardson, a Trump appointee. But even though Marylands law does not prohibit Plaintiffs from owning handguns at some time in the future, it still prohibits them from owning handguns now.

In other words, though it does not permanently bar Plaintiffs from owning handguns, the challenged law deprives them of that ability until their application is approved, no matter what they do, he continued.

Tuesdays ruling is the second in recent months to limit Maryland gun control laws. In late September, a federal judge in the state ruled that Marylands restrictions on where firearms can be carried were unconstitutional.

That case was also based on the Supreme Courts ruling from 2022, which has served as the foundation for dozens of suits nationwide aiming to reverse gun control legislation.

In a scathing dissent, Senior Circuit Judge Barbara Keenan argued that her colleagues misapplied the Supreme Courts New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen ruling and should have remanded the case back to the lower district court for a further decision.

Keenan, an Obama appointee, said the decision fundamentally misapplies Bruen by failing to discern between laws that specify that the state shall do something with those which state it may.

Simply stated, the majoritys hyperaggressive view of the Second Amendment would render presumptively unconstitutional most non-discretionary laws in this country requiring a permit to purchase a handgun, Keenan wrote.

Instead of tossing out the law, she argued, the court should have sent the case back to the district court to determine if the Bruen standard applies. Keenan added that her fellow circuit court judges were attempting to pound a square peg into a round hole.

It is unclear if Maryland plans to file an appeal to the ruling. The case was initially brought in 2016 and has been backed by firearms rights groups, including the National Rifle Association (NRA).

The NRA called the ruling a huge victory Tuesday.

In a statement to The Hill, The Maryland Attorney Generals office said they are weighing options over whether to appeal the ruling.

Updated at 3:58 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
FILE - Vanessa Dundon, of White Cone, Ariz., helps handle security, Oct. 24, 2016, at the Dakota Access oil pipeline protest in southern North Dakota. A three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a federal judge's 2021 decision to dismiss a lawsuit filed by protesters of the Dakota Access Pipeline who alleged law enforcement officers used excessive force during a skirmish in 2016. (AP Photo/Blake Nicholson, file) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP)  A three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a federal judge's 2021 decision dismissing a lawsuit filed by protesters of the Dakota Access Pipeline, who alleged law enforcement officers used excessive force during a clash in 2016.

Nine protesters filed the lawsuit in 2016. They alleged civil and constitutional rights violations in officers' use of tear gas, rubber bullets, shotgun bean bags and water in below-freezing temperatures during the clash on Nov. 20, 2016, at a blocked highway bridge. Lead plaintiff and Navajo Nation member Vanessa Dundon said she sustained an eye injury.

The lawsuit's defendants included the Morton and Stutsman county sheriffs, the Mandan police chief and 100 unidentified officers. In 2021, U.S. District Judge Daniel Traynor granted the officers' request to dismiss the case. The protesters appealed in 2022. The appeals court decision affirming Traynor's ruling came Nov. 3.

The defendants' attorney, Randall Bakke, told The Bismarck Tribune that Morton County and the other defendants are pleased with the 8th Circuit appellate courts decision to uphold the North Dakota federal district courts dismissal of all the plaintiffs claims against them.

The protesters' attorney, Rachel Lederman, told the newspaper: This has been a hard-fought struggle by Indigenous-led water protectors to vindicate their constitutional rights, which were so egregiously violated at Standing Rock. It is disappointing to see the federal courts readily absolve law enforcement who brutally pummeled nonviolent, peaceful people with freezing high pressure water and dangerous, maiming munitions for hours on end.

Similar lawsuits continue to play out, including cases filed by three protesters who say they were injured because of officers' actions, and by two photographers who allege officers used excessive force and violated their constitutional rights while they were covering the protest.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently released a draft environmental review of the oil pipeline, part of a lengthy process expected to result in late 2024 with a decision as to the lines controversial Missouri River crossing near the Standing Rock Reservation.

The pipeline has been operating since 2017. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe opposes the pipeline as a risk to its drinking water supply due to the potential of a spill.
BALTIMORE  Former Baltimore police Detective Daniel Hersl, who earned a reputation as a particularly brutal member of the departments rogue Gun Trace Task Force on his way to federal convictions for robbing citizens, wont be released from prison yet.

U.S. District Judge George L. Russell III denied Hersls request for compassionate release, writing in an order Monday that the need to deter others from committing crimes akin to those committed by the disgraced detective outweighed his sympathy for Hersl, who has terminal cancer.

The nature and circumstances of the offense are extremely serious, Russell wrote. The defendant and others within the criminal organization used their legally authorized police powers to commit violent robberies against Baltimore city residents. The defendant and his co-conspirators not only irreparably damaged the victims of their criminal acts but the reputation of the Baltimore City Police Department and the many law abiding public servants therein.

A message certainly needs to be sent, the judge continued, that if you commit criminal conduct or otherwise engage in a racketeering conspiracy you will be held accountable and punished.

In addition to participating in a criminal conspiracy with other members of the since-disbanded Gun Trace Task Force, a jury in 2018 found Hersl guilty of robbing citizens and extensive overtime fraud. A judge sentenced him to 18 years in federal prison.

Slated for release in 2031, according to court documents, Hersl moved in October for compassionate release because of a prostate cancer diagnosis deemed terminal. Doctors in Missouri, where Hersl is in a federal prison medical facility, found his cancer had spread to his ribs, lungs, lymph nodes and liver, estimating in September that Hersl had 18 months to live. The former detective cited the prognosis in his request to spend his remaining months with family in Maryland.

William B. Purpura, Hersls attorney, included in a filing messages his client sent him from prison.

My tailbone and ribs are in constant pain and my reaction time and body movements are really slowing down. ... When I lay in bed at nite [sic] my body trembles so violently and my heart races so fast that I wonder if I will even awake in the morning. Bill[,] Im scared. I hope I can at least make the trip home to spend time with my son & family before my days are done, Hersl wrote to his attorney on Nov. 15.

In another filing, Purpura foreshadowed a painful death and said the federal prison system was ill-equipped to provide the palliative care Hersl needed.

Federal prosecutors objected to Hersls request, conceding that his diagnosis met one legal criteria for compassionate release, but that his crimes and record in prison outweighed his illness.

A terminal diagnosis is indisputably devastating news for the defendant and his friends and family, prosecutors wrote. The defendants prognosis, however, does not end the compassionate release inquiry. ... Here, the defendant used his uniform and his gun to rob victims, and he and his co-conspirators caused immeasurable damage to the criminal justice system and to the community in Baltimore City. The defendant has expressed no remorse, and he accepts no responsibility for his conduct.

Hersl had two infractions while incarcerated, for refusing to obey an order in 2020 and disruptive conduct in 2022, according to court records.

In his order, Russell described the infractions as noteworthy.

His behavior, the judge wrote, demonstrates a continued lack of of personal accountability.

-------
BALTIMORE  A federal court judge ruled Tuesday that a state law requiring Marylanders to obtain a handgun qualification license before purchasing or receiving a firearm is unconstitutional.

This is a significant ruling for the Second Amendment and every American who cherishes our constitutional freedoms, Randy Kozuch, the executive director of the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action, said in a statement. This victory is a tribute to the relentless spirit of NRA members, whose staunch advocacy and support are the backbone of our success.

The measure deemed unconstitutional by U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Julius Richardson is a portion of the Firearm Safety Act of 2013. Under the law in question, people are prohibited from purchasing, renting or receiving a firearm unless they have a valid handgun qualification license.

It is also illegal to sell, rent, gift or transfer a firearm to a person without a license under that law. To receive a handgun qualification license, applicants must be Maryland residents aged 21 or older. They are also required to pass a firearm safety course and undergo a background check to ensure they arent prohibited from owning a gun under state or federal law. The licenses are issued by the Maryland State Police. The application review process can take up to 30 days.

The case, brought on behalf of the firearms rights organization Maryland Shall Issue, two individual plaintiffs and a gun store, was initially filed against former Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican. Hogan met his term limit earlier this year and was replaced by Democratic Gov. Wes Moore, who is now considered the defendant in the case.

Moore said he is disappointed by Tuesdays decision.

This law is not about stripping away rights from responsible gun owners  its about every Marylander having the right to live free from fear, the governor said. I am determined to do more than just give thoughts and prayers and attend funerals  and thats why this law is vital to our administrations commitment to keeping guns out of the wrong hands and saving lives.

During its initial court challenge, the law was upheld. Richardson reversed that ruling Tuesday, citing the U.S. Supreme Court decision in the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, which overturned New York states gun licensing policy and disrupted the licensing process in Maryland, California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island.

The state has two weeks to ask for a review from all judges in the Fourth Circuit. It may also ask the Supreme Court to review the decision.

The New York law that was deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2022 required people applying for permits to carry guns in public to demonstrate proper cause to successfully receive a concealed carry permit.

In his opinion, Richardson wrote that Bruen effected a sea change in Second Amendment law and that, in order for the law to be constitutional the state must demonstrate that the challenged law is similar enough to a historically recognized exception to the right to keep and bear arms.

In a statement issued after the release of the opinion, William Taylor, the deputy director of Second Amendment litigation at Everytown Law, said that the now-stricken licensing process is not only common sense, it is entirely consistent with the Second Amendment and the new test established by the Bruen decision.

While todays decision is a setback to public safety, we fully expect that the full Fourth Circuit, or if necessary, the Supreme Court, will reverse this dangerous decision and uphold Marylands critical gun safety law, he said.

Richardson ruled that the states argument for upholding the law did not meet the cases historical standard, causing him to overturn the previous ruling.

The Fourth Circuit Courts decision to overturn Marylands restrictive gun license law sends a clear message: law-abiding Marylanders' fundamental right to self defense must not be infringed, Kozuch said.

_____
A federal judge refused to halt an investigation into North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls over critical comments she made about diversity in the state court system.

Judge William Osteen Jr. denied Earls motion for a preliminary injunction on Tuesday, saying she had not shown a likelihood of success on the merits of her claim.

The case stems from investigations into Earls by the Judicial Standards Commission, which oversees complaints against judges.

This summer, the commission warned Earls, the only Black member of the state Supreme Court, that recent comments shed made about the predominance of white lawyers and clerks in the Supreme Court could violate the Code of Judicial Conduct.

Earls sued the commission, arguing that its investigation and threats of disciplinary action violate her First Amendment rights.

Osteens decision means the commission can continue to investigate Earls, but her lawsuit will also continue to work its way through the court.

How did it get here?

The Judicial Standards Commission informed Earls in August that she may have violated the Code of Judicial Conduct by speaking on the lack of diversity in the judicial system.

In an interview with a legal publication, Earls had commented on the fact that most lawyers who argue before the state Supreme Court are white and male.

When the culture is that male advocates and advocates who reflect the majority of the court, white advocates, when they get more respect, when they are treated better  I think it filters into peoples calculations about who should argue and whos likely to get the best reception and who can be the most persuasive, Earls said in the interview.

In its letter to Earls notifying her of the impending investigation, the commission cited a portion of the code that requires judges to conduct themselves in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary.

Only a few weeks later, Earls filed a federal lawsuit against the commission and asked for a preliminary injunction to stop the investigation as the case continued.

This was not the first time Earls had been a subject of an investigation. In March, the commission investigated allegations that she had disclosed confidential information concerning matters currently being deliberated in conference by the Supreme Court.

This may refer to comments Earls made in January at a North Carolina Courts Commission meeting. In response to a question from Democratic Rep. Marcia Morey, Earls mentioned the Supreme Court was considering changes that could weaken the Court of Appeals, The News & Observer reported.

The commission ultimately voted to dismiss the March complaint and provide Earls with a verbal reminder to be mindful of your public comments.

The commission has the authority to recommend censure, suspension and even removal from office to the state Supreme Court, following an investigation and hearing.
A fight that started at a Florida Chick-fil-A escalated until one man beat the other person behind a Walgreens, deputies said.

Donovan Matthews, 36, got into an argument with a man and woman at a Palm Coast Chick-fil-A on Nov. 18 that grew until one of them threw a cup of cold coffee into Matthews vehicle, according to a Nov. 21 news release from the Flagler County Sheriffs Office and an arrest report obtained by WOGX.

Deputies did not release what started the fight.

After throwing the coffee, the two people left the restaurant in their vehicle, but Matthews followed them, deputies said.

Matthews drove behind them in an aggressive manner until he crashed into the back of (their) vehicle and they pulled into the parking lot behind a Walgreens, according to the release.

Everyone got out of their vehicles and started arguing before Matthews started to throw punches, deputies said.

He tried to hit the woman in the face, deputies said in the arrest report, according to WOGX, but instead hit the man when he jumped in the way of the strike.

The two men went to the ground, where Matthews continued to beat the other man, the outlet reported.

Out of fear, the (woman) took an unloaded rifle out of the truck in an attempt to stop Matthews from fighting with the (man), deputies said in the release.

Deputies arrived and Matthews was taken into custody.

He was charged with two counts of aggravated battery causing bodily harm, simple battery, simple assault and criminal mischief, according to deputies.

Possible charges against the person who threw the cold coffee are pending after being forwarded to the state attorneys office, the sheriffs office said.

Palm Coast is about 65 miles south of Jacksonville.

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All 10 inmates charged with voter fraud following a 2020 voter drive held by the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections Office have now been adjudicated guilty and sentenced.

Kelvin Bolton, the last inmate to be sentenced, pled guilty Tuesday after initially requesting a trial by jury. He was sentenced to 24 months in prison. Nine of the inmates charged after a state investigation reached verdicts through plea agreements while one, John Rivers, was found guilty after a jury trial in May. Sentences ranged from probation to between 12 and 36 months in state prison.

The investigation into voter fraud in Alachua County stemmed from a series of complaints filed by Gainesville resident Mark Glaeser, a database researcher and programmer who says he found thousands of people across the state who registered or voted illegally.

In Alachua County alone, Glaeser identified about 100 people  many of whom were incarcerated at the time  who he believes voted illegally.

State Attorney Brian Kramer talks about a new Voter Rights Restoration Verification Program created by his office during a press conference with Kim Barton, right, the Alachua County supervisor of elections, on May 17 in Gainesville.

More: Ninth inmate sentenced for felony voter fraud charges in Alachua County

More: Jury splits verdicts for former inmate charged with voter fraud crimes

At least 10 of the initially 34 inmates named by Glaeser had prior felony convictions and registered to vote and/or voted while incarcerated at the Alachua County Jail in July 2020 in connection with a voter drive held by the Supervisor of Elections Office. The jail visits took place after the passage of Amendment 4, which was intended to restore voter rights for felons convicted of non-violent crimes.

Alachua County Supervisor of Elections Kim Barton testified at Rivers trial in May and said her former outreach director, TJ Pyche, who visited the jail and spoke to inmates, was an "outstanding employee." She said she met with the employee each day prior to him speaking with inmates, telling him to be sure he is clear on the Amendment 4 rules.

Despite the numerous people charged with voter fraud in connection to the outreach program, Barton said she feels her office did a good job educating people and that she would continue the inmate outreach program in the future.

No employees with the supervisor's office were found to violate the law.

In April 2022, however, a report released by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections Offices practice of mass registering of jail inmates could compromise the integrity of the Florida Voter Registration System.

So far, State Attorney Brian Kramer's office has chosen to prosecute more former inmates with voter fraud than any other district attorney in Florida. Some blame the state for failing to secure a system that easily identifies whether convicts have paid all associated fines and sentencing, while others blame lawmakers for changing the intention of the voter-approved Amendment 4.

Bolton, who was the only inmate left to be sentenced after Christopher Wiggins was given 53 weeks in June, had an attorney from Orlando, Roger L. Weeden, and filed a felony motion for entrapment.

Bolton wrote The Gainesville Sun a letter from jail to explain his case, saying he interpreted the visits as meaning he could legally vote.

I am writing this letter in hopes that the public can be made aware of my situation due to the trust of (election) officials who I thought was helping me better my life, and now wants to throw me to the wolves instead of accepting responsibility for what they informed us of what was right and legal, Bolton wrote.

"I would first like to say that there was no malicious intent when I registered to vote and voted," the letter reads. "Had I fully understood the laws at that time I would have never done so."

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Inmate sentenced following voter fraud charges in Alachua County
A border guard vehicle moves bicycles used by asylum seekers to cross the border to Finland to an impound warehouse at the Nuijamaa border crossing station

By Essi Lehto and Anne Kauranen

HELSINKI (Reuters) - The Finnish Border Guard said on Tuesday Russian authorities were likely heavily involved in transporting migrants to two border crossings that remain open as Finland seeks to curb the flow of migrants from Russia.

More than 500 asylum seekers, mostly from Yemen, Somalia, Syria and Iraq, have arrived in Finland - an eastern outpost of the European Union - via Russia in a sudden surge over the past two weeks, prompting Helsinki to shut half its border crossings and accuse Moscow of funnelling migrants to its border. Moscow denies the charge.

As Helsinki considers closing the entire border, the migrants have been arriving from Russia bundled into cars and trucks and then dropped off and handed bicycles near the Finnish border for the final stretch, the head of the Finnish Border Guard's legal division, Tomi Kivenjuuri, said.

"It is very likely that the Russian authorities are heavily involved in the transport operation. Very probably the border guards are involved on their side," he told Reuters.

Finland and Russia have jointly banned crossing the border by foot. Last week, Finland's Border Guard unilaterally banned bicycles but Russia continues to allow migrants to cross by bike.

Only two remotely located northern border crossings in Vartius and Salla continue to receive asylum applications from migrants after Finland closed four border stations and erected barriers to prevent illegal crossings.

On Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied Finland's accusation that Russia was deliberately pushing illegal migrants towards the border and said Russian border guards were carrying out their duties in line with the rules.

At the Salla crossing, 41 migrants originating from countries including Afghanistan, Yemen and Morocco arrived on bikes on Tuesday, Lapland Border Guards said in a post.

At the Vartius crossing, 16 migrants from Syria and Somalia had arrived by the afternoon on Tuesday with more expected to come, Captain Jouko Kinnunen said, as temperature in the area dropped to minus 10 degrees Celsius (14F), with an icy wind blowing.

"A couple of women arrived frostbitten," he told Reuters, adding they were not adequately dressed.

Kivenjuuri said access to the border zone on the Russian side was controlled by Russian authorities.

"The border zone is wider on the Russian side and these people are not allowed freely into the border zone. They are transported from outside the zone almost directly to the crossing point," he added.

Finland's immigration authority Migri said all asylum applications received were being processed but that the agency was fast-tracking people out of the country who were clearly not entitled to asylum.

"One typical reason for the accelerated procedure is that a person has not presented grounds for international protection, having applied for asylum citing financial reasons, for example," Migri's Director of the Asylum Unit, Antti Lehtinen, told Reuters.

(Reporting by Essi Lehto and Anne Kauranen, writing by Anne Kauranen)
Foreign specialty crops thrive amid China's economic vitality

08:26, November 21, 2023 By Li Yin, Ji Zhepeng, Yang Jing ( Xinhua

KUNMING, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The border city of Pu'er, southwest China's Yunnan Province, is adorned with an abundance of red coffee fruits in November, dangling generously from the branches before being harvested and prepared for use in cafes across the country.

In recent years, coffee has found a thriving home in Yunnan, along with avocados and macadamia nuts, originating from various parts of the world.

A farmer picks avocados at a farm in Nanya Village of Menglian County in Pu'er, southwest China's Yunnan Province, on Sept. 20, 2023. (Xinhua/Hu Chao)

These products have evolved into pillar industries in the border areas of China and earned widespread acclaim in global markets. Such progress underscores China's expanding engagement with the world and reflects its robust economic vitality.

MELLOW COFFEE

By the end of 2022, with a coffee planting area encompassing 679,000 mu (about 45,267 hectares) and an annual output exceeding 55,700 tonnes, Pu'er had become a leading city within China in terms of both coffee production and output value.

At the Xiaowazi coffee manor in Pu'er, manager Liao Xiugui carefully inspects the quality of this year's beans. A pioneer among local growers, he embarked on his coffee journey in the late 1980s. He has dedicated himself to cultivating excellent coffee and roasting premium products for over three decades.

Manager Liao Xiugui (L) talks to tourists at Xiaowazi coffee manor in Pu'er, southwest China's Yunnan Province, on Feb. 22, 2022. (Xinhua/Chen Xinbo)

"At first, I just wanted to diversify the planting structure and boost local incomes," said 82-year-old Liao. Starting in 2019, he initiated the integration of coffee and tourism, establishing tour routes and immersive coffee-brewing experience sites within his coffee base, which covers 300 mu.

In recent years, the informative content released by the manor, highlighting over 40 varieties of coffee trees, has gained popularity on social media platforms. Around 2,000 coffee enthusiasts from across the globe would flock to the destination each month on average.

For 40 yuan (about 5.5 U.S. dollars), visitors can sample nine distinct types of coffee, explore coffee plantations and processing facilities, and acquire insights into coffee technology.

Xiaowazi is a microcosm of the robust development of coffee in Yunnan. Data from the provincial department of agriculture and rural affairs shows that in 2022, the province's coffee cultivation area topped 1.27 million mu, yielding a total output of 113,600 tonnes. The comprehensive output value amounted to 41.8 billion yuan.

Tourists taste coffee at Xiaowazi coffee manor in Pu'er, southwest China's Yunnan Province, on Feb. 22, 2022. (Xinhua/Chen Xinbo)

FRESH AVOCADOS

Avocados have also gained popularity among China's urban residents as they pursue a healthier lifestyle. Referred to as "forest butter," avocados were almost entirely imported into China in the past. However, Menglian County in Pu'er has emerged as the largest avocado-planting county in China.

This year's fresh avocado output in Menglian is expected to surpass 10,000 tonnes, with an estimated output value exceeding 300 million yuan.

For the ethnic Lahu people in Menglian County, the concept of "avocado" is absent from their local language. The idea that something nonexistent in their linguistic repertoire could evolve into an industry that boosts their income is something they could not have anticipated.

In recent years, through technical support and capital awards, Menglian County has elevated the avocado industry into a leading sector that enriches people's incomes.

Farmers sort out avocados at a farm in Nanya Village of Menglian County in Pu'er, southwest China's Yunnan Province, on Sept. 20, 2023. (Xinhua/Hu Chao)

Naduo, 53, from Nanya Village in Menglian, owns more than 30 mu of land. Previously, her family cultivated sugar cane and corn, and had quite a limited income. In 2018, village officials encouraged them to invest their land in an avocado cooperative.

After thorough research on planting techniques and fruit production, Naduo decided to invest 24 mu of land in the cooperative. She and her husband also took on the role of avocado conservators for the cooperative.

"Taking care of an avocado tree can earn 11 yuan a year," she said, adding that managing the avocado trees can generate an annual income of 22,000 yuan. By raising chickens under the trees, her family can earn an additional income each year.

NUTRITIOUS NUTS

While coffee and avocados have established themselves in the market, macadamia nuts, rich in various nutrients, are also gaining traction on China's e-commerce platforms and in supermarkets.

Farmer Bi Jiafu trims a macadamia nut tree at his plantation in Xingtang Village of Yongde County, Lincang City, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Oct. 23, 2019. (Xinhua)

Native to Australia, macadamia nuts found their way to Yunnan in the 1980s when the province began experimenting with cultivating this exotic nut. During that period, domestic consumers in China had not yet been introduced to such unconventional nuts.

The initial aim of the local government in Yunnan was to alleviate poverty and improve the economic status of ethnic minorities in the mountainous areas, while also generating foreign exchange through exports.

Lincang is a city in Yunnan with a distinctive geographical environment, intersected by the Tropic of Cancer. The area boasts fertile soil, ample sunshine and abundant rainfall, creating unique natural conditions that offer an ideal environment for the cultivation of macadamia nuts.

As of October, the macadamia nut planting area in Lincang had reached 2.63 million mu, yielding an output of 60,000 tonnes. The planting area accounts for over half of the global total.

This undated file photo shows a staff member picking nuts at a nut farm in Zhenkang County of Lincang City, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Photo by Li Ying/Xinhua)

In Lincang, the range of macadamia nut products has evolved beyond the traditional use of dried nuts as food. The industry now utilizes the entire fruit to develop products of high added value, such as health foods, cosmetics and medicines.

Coffee, avocados and macadamia nuts, having traversed the oceans, are thriving in Yunnan and propelling ethnic minority areas toward shared prosperity, said Chen Xiaowei, deputy director of the institute of rural development at the Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences. "This success shows the accomplishments of international agricultural exchanges and cooperation."

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Photo: The Canadian Press Nearly 300 Rogers Communications workers have voted strongly in favour of a new contract, ending a company lockout that began two weeks ago. Locked out Rogers employees who are former Shaw technicians rally outside the company's Lower Mainland headquarters, in Vancouver, on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Nearly 300 Rogers Communications workers have voted strongly in favour of a new contract, ending a company lockout that began two weeks ago.

The United Steelworkers union Local 1944, Unit 60, says in a statement that its members voted 96 per cent in favour of ratifying the tentative agreement reached last Friday.

The Rogers technicians, who build, maintain and repair internet, phone and television infrastructure and services in Metro Vancouver, were locked out Nov. 6, after serving strike notice and announcing plans for rotating strikes.

The union statement says the new five-year contract contains a 14.25-per-cent wage increase, retroactive pay, a $1,000 signing bonus and language that offers protection against automation and layoffs.

Technicians are due to return to the job on Wednesday.

A statement from Rogers Communications says the company is pleased the agreement has been ratified, saying the pact will "grow jobs" and "meet the needs of customers."
By Saurabh Sharma

SILKYARA, India (Reuters) -The first images emerged on Tuesday of 41 men trapped for more than a week in a highway tunnel in the Indian Himalayas, showing them standing in the confined space and communicating with rescue workers as drilling resumed to pull them to safety.

The men have been stuck in the 4.5-km (3-mile) tunnel in Uttarakhand state since it caved in early on Nov. 12 and are safe, authorities said, with access to light, oxygen, food, water and medicines.

They have not said what caused the tunnel to collapse, but the region is prone to landslides, earthquakes and floods. Efforts to bring out the 41 men have been slowed by snags in drilling through the debris in the mountainous terrain.

"We might be able to get a breakthrough in the next 30-40 hours," Mahmood Ahmed, managing director of the state-run National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL), which is building the tunnel, told reporters.

"There can be difficulties as well but we are prepared for it," he said after the drilling resumed.

A 30-second video provided by authorities showed about a dozen of the trapped men standing in a semi-circle in front of the camera, wearing helmets and construction worker jackets over their clothes against the backdrop of the lights in the tunnel.

A rescue worker could be heard telling the men to present themselves before the camera one by one, to confirm their identities on the walkie-talkie gear that had been sent in.

The video was shot through a medical endoscopy camera that was pushed through a second, wider pipeline drilled through the debris on Monday, authorities said.

In the clip, the trapped men appeared to be doing fine, answering that they were all right in response to queries about their well-being, said one official in the rescue control room who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity.

Rescuers resumed drilling horizontally through a 60-metre (195-ft) pile of debris to push through a pipe large enough for the trapped men to crawl out, a government statement said.

Drilling had been suspended on Friday after a machine snag and fears of a fresh collapse.

Work on five other plans to pull out the workers, including drilling vertically from the top of the mountain, is also in progress, the statement said.

One machine for vertical rescue has arrived and is being installed and two more are awaited, it added.

Abhishek Sharma, a psychiatrist sent to the site by the state government, said he had asked the 41 men to walk within the 2-km (1.2-mile) area where they are confined, do light yoga exercises and talk regularly among themselves to keep occupied.

"Sleep is very important for them ... and as of now they have been sleeping well and not reported any difficulties in sleeping," Sharma told Reuters, adding that the men were in good spirits and keen to emerge soon.

The trapped men are low-wage workers, most of them from poor states in India's north and east.

"He said he is doing fine," Sunita Hembrom, the sister-in-law of one of the workers trapped in the tunnel, Surendra Kishku, told reporters after she spoke to him.

"He said, 'Take care of yourselves, the children and parents. Just tell us what they are doing to get us out of here'."

(Reporting by Saurabh Sharma in Silkyara; Writing by YP Rajesh; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Sharon Singleton)
Former first lady Rosalynn Carter died Sunday at 96. The wife of President Jimmy Carter for 77 years, she is being remembered for her roles as an adviser to the president and as an advocate and humanitarian in the decades after the Carters left the White House. And as her legacy is being remembered, a unique, little-known relationship is also being remembered: Mrs. Carters decades-long advocacy for and friendship with Mary Prince, a Black woman who went being wrongfully convicted of murder to becoming a nanny for the Carters children and a lifelong friend to the former first lady.

Mary Prince first met Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter in 1970 when she interviewed for a job working for Jimmy Carter, who was then the governor of Georgia. As noted in a 1977 profile in People magazine, Prince had earlier that year been convicted and sentenced for murder. The killing for which Prince went to prison happened outside of a bar where Prince had gone with a female cousin. The cousin got into an argument with another woman, which turned into a struggle over a gun; the firearm went off as Prince was trying to take it away, and the other womans boyfriend was killed. Prince, a Black woman, ended up pleading guilty at the advice of a white court-appointed lawyer who met with her for no more than 15 minutes. Although she thought she was pleading to involuntary manslaughter, her plea was for murder and she was given a life sentence. As part of a rehabilitation program, Prince applied to work at the governors mansion. Rosalynn Carter immediately hired her to care for the first couples young daughter, Amy, and Mrs. Carter was convinced that Prince was innocent.

After Carters term as governor ended in 1975, Princes work release ended, but Mrs. Carter continued to visit her in jail and at a later work release site. Prince was allowed to attend Carters 1977 presidential inauguration, after which Rosalynn offered her a job in the White House. How would you like to work in this big old place? Prince recalled Rosalynn asking her, according to People. In order to make the arrangement work, the new first lady wrote a letter on Princes behalf to her parole board, which secured to her release and resulted in President Jimmy Carter serving as her parole officer while she worked in the White House. The unusual arrangement ruffled some feathers; Saturday Night Live even spoofed the situation in a 1977 skit, with Garrett Morris appearing in drag as Prince, the ex-convict from Georgia. But the Carters did not let the criticism deter them from advocating for Prince, and Mrs. Carter and Prince remained friends. With the Carters advocating for her, Prince eventually received a full pardon, clearing her record.

After the Carters moved back to Georgia upon leaving the White House, Prince bought a house near theirs. She continued to visit them and she also would babysit their grandchildren. She maintained her friendship with Rosalynn. Author Kate Andersen Brower interviewed both Rosalynn Carter and Mary Prince for a 2015 book, The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House. Carter reiterated her faith in Princes innocence. She was totally innocent, Mrs. Carter said, according to WSB-TV. At the time of the interview, Browser noted that Prince still lived a few blocks away from the Carters and was now babysitting Amys son, Hugo. Decades after their first meeting, Prince was still a huge part of the Carter family, Browser noted, per C-SPAN. They consider her one of their own, and they just love her. Now, the Carter family, Prince included, are left to mourn and remember Rosalynn.
In the 1930s, the UK led the world in connected transport: Gatwick was the first airport anywhere on the planet with a direct connection between trains and planes. Integrated transport has been at the heart of the hubs identity ever since, but the 1960s railway station has been bursting at the seams and a pain to use for many years.

Since 5.46am on Tuesday 21 November 2023, passengers suddenly have more room to breathe. A rejuvenated 250m rail station, doubled in size, is now open as part of the airports South Terminal. Heres what it means for passengers.

What was the problem that needed solving?

Gatwick was built at its current location because of easy access to the main London to Brighton rail line. When the Gatwick Racecourse was repurposed as an airport in the 1930s, a tunnel was built to the terminal. It proved revolutionary: passengers could travel from central London to central Paris in under three hours.

Today London Gatwick is the second-busiest airport in Britain. It has 15 trains an hour to London with some services continuing to Cambridge, Peterborough and Bedford, plus links to Brighton, the rest of the South Coast and Southampton  as well as trains to Reading for connections to the West of England.

But Britains airports are booming again. Arriving and departing airline passengers are rapidly approaching  and in many cases exceeding  pre-pandemic numbers. As anyone who has been to a British airport in the past six months or so will testify, congestion is growing.

With Gatwick returning to the almost 60,000 passengers per day who were using the airport rail station before Covid, the highly constrained space needed a radical solution. Congestion and resulting slow boarding delayed trains and caused disruption to ripple widely across the Southern and Thameslink networks.

According to the principal architect, Jordan Gill: We had issues with safety, congestion and the passenger experience at Gatwick.

What is the solution?

Doubling the available floor space  and separating arriving and departing travellers rather than having everyone milling about together. There are eight new escalators and five jumbo-sized lifts built for passengers with limited mobility or with large amounts of luggage and families with young children.

A pair of platforms are wider. The hope is that passengers will be able to get on and off trains much more quickly, which will also improve punctuality for passengers waiting up and down the line.

The new arrivals space is designed to work intuitively, using the airports style for signage rather than the traditional rail approach.

Who paid for the 250m upgrade?

The taxpayer covered most of the cost (200m). London Gatwick Airport chipped in with 42m, with the rest made up by an enterprise called Coast to Capital.

In comparison, Inverness airport station, which was built from scratch and opened earlier this year, cost just 15m  though wider rail works including a passing loop and additional track added a further 27m. It was, though, a much smaller project.

The Gatwick transformation had to take place above a live railway and within an airport that runs 24 hours a day, with many other constraints  including the height of cranes that could be used, because of airspace restrictions.

What is the aspiration?

The new station forms part of Gatwicks ambition to get three out of five passengers to the airport by public or ultra-low emission transport by 2030. Currently, the figure arriving by rail is 40 per cent, which has nearly doubled in the past two decades.

Easier rail access is part of the carrot; the recently introduced 5 drop-off charge for people who want to be dropped at the terminal is a stick.

But arent passenger numbers down, post Covid?

Yes. Across the network, there are around 20 per cent fewer rail travellers. But Gatwicks decline is probably less, because aviation has rebounded so strongly.

Stewart Wingate, the airports chief executive, says: This year, we'll see about 41 million passengers travel through the airport So we're about 90 per cent recovered across the full year versus 2019. And we're very confident about the future prospects for the growth of the airport.

What we'd like to do in the future is bring into routine use our northern runway. We're currently going through a planning process to make that happen and we should be examined in 2024, with a decision from the government about this time next year.

We could grow to as many as 78 million passengers in the late 2030s.

Do I still need to take the Shuttle from the rail station to North Terminal?

Yes, although it is also a reasonably pleasant 15-minute walk.

What about the coming rail strikes?

Passengers using Gatwick will be impacted twice: once on Sunday 3 December, when Thameslink train drivers will walk out, and Wednesday 6 December when its the turn of Aslef members working for Gatwick Express and Southern.

But for main line passengers between London, Gatwick and Brighton, there should still be a fair number of trains running. They may be very crowded, especially in the mornings. And if youre trying to connect from other parts of England, it could be messy all the way through from 1 to 9 December.

Five things youll find at Gatwicks new station

Wider platforms (for 5, 6 and 7, at least). New lifts and escalators. Seamless signposting that implies you are already within the airport when you reach the arrival level. More reliable trains. A Gatwick Museum above platforms 5 and 6, which charts the development of Gatwick since the name was coined in the 13th century.

Two things you wont find

Retail outlets, including WH Smith, West Cornwall Pasty Co and a bureau de change. A traditional ticket office; instead, staff are on hand to help passengers use the 20 or so ticket machines or, if necessary, dispense more complex tickets directly. Of course, many passengers organise their tickets online.

Listen to Simon Calders podcast report from the new Gatwick station
A Florida Republican wants to expand the some of the states Dont Say Gay gender identity restrictions into the Sunshine States workplaces.

On Tuesday, Florida state Rep. Ryan Chamberlin introduced HB 599, a bill that would ban government employees from being required to use the preferred pronouns of their colleagues, prohibits the penalization of employees on the basis of deeply held religious or biology-based beliefs, and makes it unlawful for nonprofits or employers receiving state funds to require employees to undergo training on matters of sexual/gender identity or gender expression.

It is the policy of the state that a persons sex is an immutable biological trait and that it is false to ascribe to a person a pronoun that does not correspond to such persons sex, the bill reads. An employee or contractor would not be required to refer to another person using that persons preferred personal title or pronouns if such personal title or pronouns do not correspond to that persons sex. Additionally, the proposed law bars employers from asking for a persons preferred pronouns and prohibits employees and contractors from providing their preferred pronouns themselves if those pronouns do not align with their sex.

HB 599 follows HB 1557, commonly referred to as Dont Say Gay, which Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law in March 2022. The law originally prohibited classroom instruction on issues of gender identity and sexual orientation in pre-K through the third grade. Its vague wording and broad application were later used by the DeSantis administration to expand many of the restrictions up through the 12th grade.

One major point of concern raised by Chamberlins bill is its targeting of nonprofit organizations. In barring tax-exempt groups from conducting any training, instruction, or other activity on sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, the bill could have negative repercussions on nonprofits, medical clinics, and advocacy organizations that work with members of the LGBTQ community.

On X, formerly Twitter, civil rights attorney and LGBTQ advocate Alejandra Caraballo pointed out that organizations like Equality Florida, the states largest LGBT advocacy organization, would be barred from conducting vital training and discussions with employees. Just like the original Dont Say Gay they make vague terms with large penalties to chill speech. The intent is clear though, to eradicate LGBTQ people from public life, Craballo wrote.

In a statement to Rolling Stone, Equality Floridas Senior Policy Advisor Carlos Guillermo Smith called the proposed legislation an extreme escalation of right-wing extremism in Florida.

The bill imposes unprecedented government control over the work of nonprofit organizations disfavored by the DeSantis administration and goes far beyond its proposed regulation of pronouns to aggressively target the rights of transgender government employees to simply exist as themselves. This latest attack is a continuation of DeSantiss censorship agenda which attempts to erode our basic democratic freedoms in order to appeal to a far-right base, Smith added.

By introducing the bill, Chamberlin continues a chain begun by his predecessor in District 24, Rep. Joe Harding. Harding, who sponsored the states original Dont Say Gay bill, resigned from office in 2022 after being indicted on charges related to Covid business relief fraud and money laundering. Harding ultimately accepted a plea deal and was sentenced to four months in prison.

Chamberlin, who replaced Harding via a special election held earlier this year, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Rolling Stone.

This article was updated to include additional comment from Florida United.

More from Rolling Stone

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In what could fuel a new round of legislative battles about gender identity, a House Republican on Tuesday filed a bill that would place strong restrictions on government agencies in the use of personal pronouns.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

The bill (HB 599), filed by Rep. Ryan Chamberlin, R-Belleview, for the 2024 legislative session, also would restrict workplace training about issues involving sexual orientation and gender identity.

Mirroring parts of a law that the Republican-controlled Legislature passed this spring about gender identity issues in the education system, the bill says it is the policy of the state that a persons sex is an immutable biological trait and that it is false to ascribe to a person a pronoun that does not correspond to such persons sex.

The proposed bill would ban state and local government agencies from requiring employees and contractors to refer to other people using that persons preferred personal title or pronouns if such personal title or pronouns do not correspond to that persons sex as determined at birth.

Also, the bill would ban employees of government agencies and contractors from providing to their employers preferred pronouns that do not correspond to his or her sex and would prevent employers from asking workers to provide personal pronouns.

Employees or contractors could pursue violations through complaints to the Florida Commission on Human Relations.

It is an unlawful employment practice for an employer to take adverse personnel action against an employee or a contractor because of the employees or contractors deeply held religious or biology-based beliefs, including a belief in traditional or Biblical views of sexuality and marriage, or the employees or contractors disagreement with gender ideology, whether those views are expressed by the employee or contractor at or away from the worksite, the bill says.

READ: Teachers and students grapple with fears and confusion about new laws restricting pronoun use

Along with the personal-pronouns issue, the bill would prevent non-profit organizations or employers that get money from the state from requiring workers to take part in training, instruction or other activity on sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

Republican lawmakers and Gov. Ron DeSantis have approved a series of controversial laws in recent years targeting issues about gender identity and sexual orientation in schools and health care. Parts of Chamberlins bill match almost word-for-word personal-pronoun restrictions included in an education bill (HB 1069) passed during the 2023 session.

The 2024 session will start Jan. 9. Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, immediately blasted the proposal Tuesday, in part calling it highly unconstitutional and saying it would apply to non-profit organizations such as the LGBTQ+ advocacy group Equality Florida.

Florida Republicans just filed legislation that would essentially ban gender pronouns in PRIVATE businesses and prohibit training about pronouns in nonprofits too, Eskamani wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. Would basically ban @equalityfl from existing.

Florida Republicans just filed legislation that would essentially ban gender pronouns in PRIVATE businesses and prohibit trainings about pronouns in nonprofits too. Would basically ban @equalityfl from existing.



Bigoted, unnecessary and highly unconstitutional. pic.twitter.com/o4hzvN3yDY  Rep. Anna V. Eskamani  (@AnnaForFlorida) November 21, 2023

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FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. - A Florida man is facing three felony charges after someone threw a cup of coffee at him Saturday morning, deputies said.

The incident began at the Chick-fil-A on Palm Coast Parkway when the suspect, 36-year-old Donovan Matthews, of Palm Coast, got into an argument with a man and woman, according to an arrest report.

One of the people involved in the conflict threw a cup of coffee at Matthews before leaving the business, deputies say. Matthews then followed the man and woman in his car before purposefully striking their vehicle with his car, the report said.

Donavan Matthews is facing three felony charges after someone threw a cup of coffee at him Saturday morning, deputies said.

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After the collision, both parties left their vehicles near the intersection of Diandra and Palm Coast Parkway. Matthews then continued the argument before attempting to strike the woman in the face, deputies said.

The man was on the receiving end of that strike as he moved to defend the woman before him and Matthews wound up on the ground as Matthews repeatedly hit him, the arrest report said.

Matthews is being charged with multiple felonies, including aggravated battery and assault, according to the Flagler County Sheriffs Office.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP)  Firefighters discovered a woman stabbed to death when they rushed to extinguish a blaze early Tuesday at an apartment in Daytona Beach, while her three young children were taken in critical condition to a hospital where the youngest, an infant, died.

Authorities have not released the babys cause of death or the type of injuries and current conditions of the two surviving kids, ages 4 and 5.

This is a horrific incident two days out from a holiday that centers around family, Daytona Beach police Chief Jakari Young told reporters at the scene.

The mothers name has not been released and police were investigating the fire as a homicide, Young said. Authorities have not named a suspect. The fire began around midnight Tuesday at the Countryside Apartments, Young said, and the infant was found in a crib near the mother.

WKMG in Orlando reported that state investigators believe a fire was intentionally set at the apartment.

Officials also said a police officer was treated for smoke inhalation.

Im very proud of all the officers that initially responded, as well as fire and medical personnel, Young said. If it wasnt for their actions, there probably would have been more lives lost.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
Jones, the states first Black gay lawmaker, also discusses his possible run for governor in 2026.

State Senator Shevrin Jones is fighting back against an environment of fear and anxiety in Florida as a result of culture wars lobbed against Black and LGBTQ+ communities.

Jones, Floridas first openly gay Black lawmaker, has been a frequent critic of Gov. Ron DeSantis and his policies, including banning books by Black authors and African-American history considered to be too woke and the infamous Dont Say Gay law censoring LGBTQ+ identity in public classrooms.

(Left to right) Florida State Sen. Shevrin Jones and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (Photo: Getty Images)

In his latest effort to combat DeSantis and his administration, Jones recently introduced a bill that would eliminate language in the State Board of Educations school curriculum that suggests enslaved Black people benefited from slavery.

The bill, SB 344, would amend the states controversial education standard regarding Black history, which currently instructs students that enslaved people of African descent benefited during their captivity by developing skills and specialized trades.

The proposal revises state law requiring that Florida school curriculum not indicate or imply that an enslaved person benefited from slavery or the enslavement experience in any way.

I never thought that in my lifetime I would have to file a piece of legislation to legitimize my Blackness and to make it clear that slavery was not a benefit to the enslaved, said Senator Jones during a recent interview with theGrio. He added, Its just factually incorrect.



The proposed legislation, which was also introduced in the Florida House of Representatives by Republican Rep. Mike Beltran, also requires public schools to teach efficiently and faithfully, using the books and materials required that meet the highest standards for professionalism and historical accuracy.

Florida, led by Gov. DeSantis, is seen by many activists and political strategists as ground zero for the Republican national agenda to advance conservative right-wing Christian ideology, including eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion in schools and courses inaccurately labeled as critical race theory.

Despite the success in making such policies law, polling shows that a majority of Americans do not agree with bans on race and DEI and even oppose laws barring classroom teachings on gender identity and sexual orientation.

We are seeing across the country that culture wars dont work. Actually, its a very losing issue, said Jones.

Pointing to the Nov. 7 off-year election losses for Republicans, the Democrat said, We should check the results from thegeneral elections, adding, Cultural wars are not popular, and the governor is seeing that.

Jones said DeSantis and Republicans in the state have been fixated on interrupting the everyday lives of Florida residents.

They have gone onthis lineage of culture wars and things that are not making the lives of people better, he said.

Sen. Shevrin Jones speaks during a voting rights rally on Feb. 17, 2022, on the steps of the Historic Capitol. (Photo by  Alicia Devine/Tallahassee Democrat / USA TODAY NETWORK

Jones has been such a visible and vocal opponent to DeSantis and his party that he has been called by many across the state and the country to consider a run for governor in 2026.

When asked how serious he is weighing a possible gubernatorial run in the Sunny State, the lawmaker told theGrio that he is humbled by the encouragement from others but is first and foremost focused on the upcoming 2024 elections.

In addition to working to get President Joe Biden reelected, Jones, a member of the Biden-Harris campaigns national advisory board, said its important that Democrats build on the momentum of the past election cycles. That includes Florida, where Jacksonville elected its first female mayor and the first Democrat in over a decade.

We have the right message for Florida, said Jones. This administration is delivering across communities. Were protecting Social Security and Medicare. Were combating the climate crisis. Were lowering health care costs.

By contrast, the Biden surrogate said Florida has enacted a six-week abortion ban and is banning Black books and freedom of speech for LGBTQ+ communities.

Demonstrators hold signs during a lie-in demonstration supporting gun control reform near the White House on Feb. 19, 2018, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Zach Gibson/Getty Images)

Thats not who we are. We are a diverse statewe can do and be better, he asserted.

Though Florida is seen as a red state and has been controlled by Republicans for a quarter century, Jones still believes the state is winnable for the Democratic Party in 2024.

The Republicans have shown that they cant govern [and]have shown that their biggest fight is fighting woke, said Jones, adding, Republicans are not delivering right now. We see that nationally, and we see it right here within the state of Florida.

The politician said he would like to see the broken bridge in Florida politics be rekindled, where we can bring people back together to govern again.



Referring back to the hypothetical run for governor, Jones said, If that is what people want, and if we can get over the finish line in 2024, maybe that is something that I will consider. He added, I will go as far as the people will take me.

In the meantime, he said, My focus is making sure that we elect Joe BidenFlorida has record numbers and that we organize, we engage, and we register people to vote in the 2024 election.

Gerren Keith Gaynor

Gerren Keith Gaynor is a White House Correspondent and the Managing Editor of Politics at theGrio. He is based in Washington, D.C.

Never miss a beat: Get our daily stories straight to your inbox with theGrios newsletter.

The post Floridas Shevrin Jones never thought hed have to propose bill to legitimize my Blackness appeared first on TheGrio.
Air travel continues to grow year after year after a major slowdown during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic  and the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport is part of that trend.

There will be an estimated 20% increase in the number of travelers flying into and out of San Luis Obispo airport in November compared to 2022, Deputy Director of Airports Courtney Pene told The Tribune on Monday.

In November 2022, 50,690 travelers used the San Luis Obispo County Airport, Pene said.

The increase in travelers expected this year means more than 60,000 travelers will likely be using the airport this month.

As we head into the Thanksgiving holiday  traditionally one of the most travel-heavy holidays in the United States  this means a large number of people will be utilizing the local airport.

To help those travelers, Pene shared several tips to make travel through the airport easy:

Plan ride-share pickup ahead of time

Spaces in the airports normal lots may fill up quickly during peak travel times, so the airport recommends travelers explore other transportation options such as ride-share service or arranging drop-offs when possible.

The San Luis Obispo airport flies to eight different hubs, Pene said, and some travelers coming from metropolitan areas might be surprised by the wait times for a pickup from their ride-share driver.

She recommends travelers planning to use Uber or Lyft schedule a pickup in advance, rather than waiting at the airport.

Use the new cell phone waiting area

Meanwhile, locals planning to pick up or drop off friends and family members at the airport can park in the new cell phone waiting area while they wait for them to arrive at the curb, she said.

Parking has historically been a challenge, Pene said, which is why the airport opened the parking lot.

It is a designated parking area where drivers can temporarily park for free as they wait. The area has free Wi-Fi, is lighted and has on-site restroom facilities.

What time should you arrive?

With increased traffic, expect longer wait times to get through security.

The San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport recommends passengers arrive at the airport at least two hours before their scheduled departure time.

This allows ample time for check-in procedures, security screenings and navigating through the terminal especially during this heightened travel season, airport management said in a news release.

Understand the security process

When going through the security checkpoint, airport officials urged travelers to come prepared to follow the 3-1-1 rule for your liquids and gels: 3 ounces of liquid in a 1-quart bag, 1 bag per person.

Preparing those ahead of time helps to prevent crowding in the security line, officials said.
Juno Temple as a Minnesota wife and mother whose life  and that of her small family, including a daughter played by Sienna King  is turned upside down. (Michelle Faye/FX)

In Season 5 of the FX anthology series Fargo, a small-town sheriff explains his concept of freedom: zero consequences for his actions. You want freedom with no responsibility, a formidable woman tells him, and theres only one person on earth who gets that deal. A baby. Youre fighting for your right to be a baby.

Creator Noah Hawleys TV adaptation of the 1996 Coen brothers crime comedy has been hit-and-miss for my taste. But at its best, its a deep dive into the violence, corruption and resentment that burns hot beneath a chilly landscape and neighborly Minnesota nice facade.

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Its an absorbing tale this time out, anchored by Juno Temple (Ted Lasso) as a young wife and mother named Dot, whose past comes back to haunt her in the form of Jon Hamms aforementioned sheriff, a self-satisfied, Bible-thumping Marlboro Man out of North Dakota.

Jon Hamm as a North Dakota sheriff with a corrupt sense of purpose in Season 5 of "Fargo." (Michelle Faye/FX)

Hes a chauvinist who views domestic abuse as necessary for instruction and is offended when he learns a husband has beaten his wife for the wrong reasons. After roughing up the guy for this transgression, he sends the couple home and tells the wife: Try to be deferential. Cater to his needs as a man with your mouth, in order to sow harmony. Thats who this guy is  when hes not a black market arms dealer.

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The year is 2019. A decade or so earlier, Dot was married to the sheriff. But she escaped to Minnesota, changed her name and started a new life with a nice if somewhat childlike man (David Rysdahl, an actual Minnesota native!). They are parents to a spunky preteen daughter. Life is uneventful and filled with Bisquick pancakes for breakfast.

Until one day, two men working at the behest of the sheriff break into her home.

They dont anticipate Dots resourcefulness, which brings to mind the skills of MacGyver. Or Kevin McCallister from Home Alone when she devises an improvised home security system. Its a droll character detail.

But this season of Fargo also functions as a furious answer to the question that often follows revelations of abuse: Why didnt she just leave?

Well, she did leave. And he still wont let her go.

Each season, Hawley builds a sprawling world of supporting players, some more compelling than others. Dots current mother-in-law is a powerful businesswoman in a terrific performance from Jennifer Jason Leigh. Patrician on the surface, shes grubby at her core, overseeing a massive debt collection company. She makes her politics known when she has the family pose for their Christmas card photos holding automatic weapons.

Jennifer Jason Leigh as a formidable mother-in-law in "Fargo." (Michelle Faye/FX)

Shes very much in charge and makes her own rules, bending everyone to her will, not unlike the sheriff from North Dakota. In other circumstances, they might recognize how much they have in common. But not this time. Not with him intent on forcing his will on her family, even if she has little respect or warmth for Dot.

The sheriff has a son (Joe Keery of Stranger Things) who aims to mimic his fathers authority, but is too much of a screw up to pull it off. There are also two workaday cops who are worried about Dot and realize somethings amiss (Richa Moorjani and Lamorne Morris), and they function as a nod to the movies salt-of-the-earth Marge Gunderson, played by Frances McDormand.

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The shows concept of the upper Midwest tends to be offset by air quotes  eccentric and therefore authentic  but rarely does it feel grounded in anything recognizable. Sometimes actors get lost in this stylized approach, coming across as little more than boldface names parachuting in with an uncertain sense of the place or its culture. Hamm, in particular, cant quite locate a fully believable performance. But maybe that works for the character. Bullies can never fully mask their insecurities.

At his core, the man is a phony. The kind of person whose ideas about himself, and the world, would likely shatter if anyone with real power pushed back hard enough.

Fargo Season 5  3 stars (out of 4)

Where to watch: 9 p.m. Tuesdays on FX (and streaming on Hulu)

Lamorne Morris as a diligent cop in "Fargo." (Michelle Faye/FX)

Nina Metz is a Tribune critic.

nmetz@chicagotribune.com
MADISON, Wis.  Conservative justices on the Wisconsin Supreme Court questioned why it was being asked Tuesday to overturn Republican-drawn legislative maps in a redistricting case that Democrats hope will result in new, more favorable legislative maps for elections in 2024.

The lawsuit was brought by Democratic voters the day after the court flipped to majority 4-3 liberal control in August.

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It is being closely watched in battleground Wisconsin, a state where four of the past six presidential elections have been decided by fewer than 23,000 votes, but where Republicans have built large majorities in the Legislature under maps they drew over a decade ago.

Conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley immediately interrupted the first attorney arguing for new maps, questioning why they waited until after August when liberal justices took majority control of the court. She noted that the newly elected Justice Janet Protasiewicz said during her campaign that the current maps were rigged.

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Everybody knows that the reason were here is because there was a change in the membership of the court, Bradley said. You would not have brought this action, right, if the newest justice had lost her election?

Attorney Mark Gaber, from the Campaign Legal Center, said the election result had nothing to do with the timing of the lawsuit. He said the challenge over whether the districts are unconstitutionally not contiguous would have been filed regardless of the makeup of the court.

I dont see that as a partisan issue, Gaber said.

Chief Justice Annette Ziegler, another conservative, expressed concern about the court being asked to overturn its ruling from last year enacting the maps currently in place.

Is there any end to this litigation? Ziegler asked.

Arguments began shortly before 9 a.m. and were slated to run all morning. The court was expected to issue its ruling no later than early in 2024. The state elections commission has said maps must be in place by March 15 if the new districts are to be in play for the 2024 elections.

Democratic voters who filed the lawsuit heard by the court Tuesday argue that the maps passed in 2022, which vary little from those drawn in 2011, are unconstitutionally unsalvageable and must be struck down and redrawn. The Legislature counters that Democrats are exercising raw political power and trying to take advantage of the new liberal majority on the court to overturn its 2021 ruling that adopted the current maps.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has been controlled by liberal justices since Protasiewiczs election victory in April. She called the GOP-drawn maps unfair and rigged during her campaign, leading Republicans to threaten to impeach her before she had even heard a case. Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos backed off, for now, but has kept the threat alive if she votes to strike down the maps.

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Democrats want the court to strike down the legislative maps, draw new ones, and order elections under those maps for all 132 state lawmakers in 2024. If the court were to rule that way, the case would certainly be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court and its unclear whether there would be a ruling in time for the 2024 election.

The Legislature argues that if new maps are ordered, nothing should be enacted any sooner than the 2026 election.

Litigation is ongoing in more than dozen states over U.S. House and state legislative districts enacted after the 2020 census. New York is among the most prominent. The states highest court heard arguments last week on whether an independent redistricting commission must take another crack at drawing congressional districts. Democrats are hoping a redraw could help them gain seats and, potentially, the House majority.

New Mexicos Supreme Court heard arguments Monday on an appeal of a lower court ruling that rejected assertions the Democratic-led Legislature had illegally gerrymandered the states congressional districts. Last week, a federal judge in North Dakota ruled that state legislative districts drawn by the Republican majority violated the voting rights of two Native American tribes and must be redrawn by Dec. 22.

The Democrats case in Wisconsin centers on whether the current districts are not contiguous and if they violate the Wisconsin Constitutions separation of powers doctrine.

The majority of current legislative districts  54 out of 99 in the Assembly and 21 out of 33 in the Senate  violate the state constitutions contiguity requirement, attorneys challenging the maps argued in filings with the court.

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That makes Wisconsin an outlier nationally, with 46 other states having no noncontiguous districts, and Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Tennessee having a total of nine noncontiguous districts, attorneys argued.

Wisconsins redistricting laws, backed up by state and federal court rulings over the past 50 years, have permitted districts under certain circumstances to be noncontiguous, attorneys for the Legislature argued. Even if the court decided to address the issue, it could only affect alleged areas where districts arent contiguous and not upend existing district lines, Republicans argued.

Those seeking new maps contend that the Supreme Court violated the separation of powers doctrine when it adopted the Republican-drawn map that Democratic Gov. Tony Evers had previously vetoed, improperly seizing powers for itself the Constitution assigns to other branches.

The legislative electoral maps drawn by the Republican-controlled Legislature in 2011 cemented the partys majorities, which now stand at 64-35 in the Assembly and a 22-11 supermajority in the Senate.

Since taking the majority in 2011, Republicans have enacted a wide range of conservative priorities. They have all but eliminated collective bargaining for public workers, and since 2019 theyve been a block on Evers agenda, firing Evers appointees and threatening impeachment of Protasiewicz and the states elections leader.

Wisconsins Assembly districts rank among the most gerrymandered nationally, with Republicans routinely winning far more seats than would be expected based on their average share of the vote, according to an Associated Press analysis.

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Associated Press writers David Lieb in Jefferson City, Missouri, and Harm Venhuizen in Madison contributed to this report.
TechCrunch

Yesterday in Helsinki, this editor interviewed four of the six general partners at Benchmark, the nearly 30-year-old, Silicon Valley firm thats known for some notable bets (Uber, Dropbox), paying each general partner exactly the same way, and for continuing to raise similar-size funds over its many years rather than balloon in size. Victor Lazarte, a gaming company entrepreneur who joined Benchmark five months ago as its newest GP, admitted that there was no business reason for Benchmark to come other than its an exceptional place for the tech world to convene. Larzarte was equally candid when the conversation turned to soaring valuations in recent years, and I asked about his own gaming company, Wildlife Studios, which raised a Series A round from Benchmark in 2019 at a $1.3 billion valuation and, less than a year later, was assigned a valuation of $3 billion when Vulcan Capital led a subsequent round.
A Fox News contributor was ridiculed online after claiming that the price of a turkey in the run-up to Thanksgiving had gone up to an extortionate $90.

Former United States Representative Jason Chaffetz was mocked on X after his bold claim about the price of holiday birds which, he said, was due to president Joe Bidens economic policies.

The remarks came during a special cost-of-living segment of Hannity, hosted by Kaleigh McEnany, in which price increases on everyday items were discussed.

This is Bidenomics in action, Ms McEnany said, before turning to Mr Chaffetz for his reaction.

Attacking the Biden administrations policies and the resulting price hikes, Mr Chaffetz said: We went to go buy a turkey today, it was $90 for a turkey.

Lmao what kind of Turkey were you buying? The country?  Cheesy Gordita Brett (@CreampieOrDie) November 21, 2023

The price of stamps is up 32 per cent in the last four years, but its all a choice by Joe Biden. Thats what Bidenomics is.

Fellow commentator Brian Brenberg added: I hope Jasons turkey was made of steak, because thats a lot of money for a turkey.

According to the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), the average price for a 16-pound turkey is $27.35  at $1.71 per pound  down 5.6 per cent from last year.

The AFBF added that the total cost of an average Thanksgiving dinner in 2023 was less than the record highs seen in 2022  at $65.05  but, at an average of $61.17, was still reflective of historically high costs.

Following Mr Chaffetz claim, social media users were also quick to express their shock and disbelief, though many were not as sympathetic as his colleagues on Fox News.

What kind of turkey were you buying? The country? wrote one user, with another replying with a picture of a world map and writing call me crazy, but thats a bargain.

Another wrote: I just paid $14 for a 16lb turkey. Was his made of gold or something?

Democratic strategist Adam Parkhomenko said Mr Chaffetzs claim gave him the same vibes as when New York Times columnist David Brooks said that an airport meal with a glass of liquor had cost him $78.

This is why Americans think the economy is terrible, Mr Brooks wrote back in September.

Mr Brooks later addressed the post on X, saying that he had screwed up and had not meant to cause offence to those living paycheck to paycheck.

Mr Brooks gaffe was referenced by other users responding to Mr Chaffetzs claims, with one writing this is what happens when you let a man named David Brooks be your InstaCart shopper.

Mr Chaffetz later took to X himself, posting a picture of a nearly 23-pound premium young turkey bought from Meiers for $114.02. Happy Thanksgiving, he wrote.
19192005

[table-of-contents] stripped

Quick Facts

ORIGINALLY: Toyosaburo Korematsu

BORN: January 30, 1919

DEATH: March 30, 2005

BIRTHPLACE: Oakland, California

Who Was Fred Korematsu

Fred Korematsu believed that the United States' decision to send Japanese Americans into internment camps during World War II was racial discrimination and a violation of the Constitution. His case challenging the orders that resulted in his incarceration failed at the Supreme Court in 1944. In 1981, documents were discovered that showed the government had suppressed evidence in its arguments before the court, which led to the vacating of Korematsu's conviction in 1983. He then advocated for an apology and compensation for surviving internees. Korematsu died in 2005 at the age of 86.

Early Life

Toyosaburo Korematsu was born in Oakland, California, on January 30, 1919. His parents, Kakusaburo Korematsu and Kotsui Aoki, had immigrated from Japan and owned a plant nursery. He was the third of their four sons. Korematsu was nicknamed "Fred" in school.

Korematsu v. United States

Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and the subsequent entry of the United States into World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942. Stating the need for"protection against espionage and against sabotage," it gave directions "to prescribe military areas in such places and of such extent as he or the appropriate Military Commander may determine, from which any or all persons may be excluded." This resulted in the detention of around 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry, even those who were U.S. citizens, as the military believed some were likely to aid Japan in the war.

Korematsu, a welder who lived in California, was ordered on May 3, 1942, to report to an assembly center for relocation to an internment camp. Though his family obeyed the directive, Korematsu did not. He instead adopted a fake identity and even underwent plastic surgery in an attempt to alter his appearance. Despite this, Korematsu was arrested on May 30, 1942, in San Leandro, California. He told authorities he'd planned to move away from California with his girlfriend.

While Korematsu was behind bars, a lawyer from the American Civil Liberties Union asked him to take part in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of internment. Korematsu, who faced federal charges for not obeying a military relocation order, agreed. He was sent to an assembly center, which reunited him with his family, as his case began to make its way through the system. At his trial in September 1942, Korematsu, who'd attempted to enlist in the navy, proclaimed his loyalty as a citizen. He was still found guilty and received five years' probation.

Korematsu appealed his conviction, but it was upheld by a federal appeals court. The case was taken up by the Supreme Court and arguments were held in October 1944. The decision came down on December 18, 1944. In a 6-3 vote, the court ruled that Korematsu's conviction had been constitutional. The majority decided that the detention of Korematsu and others was not due to race, but rather"real military dangers." The opinion stated,"We could not reject the finding of the military authorities that it was impossible to bring about an immediate segregation of the disloyal from the loyal."

One of the three justices in the minority noted that internment was spurred by"the misinformation, half-truths and insinuations that for years have been directed against Japanese-Americans by people with racial and economic prejudices," and declared he was dissenting from"the legalization of racism."

Incarceration and Release

Korematsu spent his first months of detention at a horse racing track that served as an assembly center, where he was forced to live in a horse stall. He and his family were next transferred to the Topaz internment camp in Utah. This location was guarded by military police and surrounded by barbed wire. The six adults in his family had to squeeze into two dusty barracks rooms.

Other detainees and Korematsu's family disapproved of his decision to defy the government order. He later shared,"All of them turned their backs on me at that time because they thought I was a troublemaker." The girlfriend he'd hoped to marry, an Italian American, broke up with him, in part because she was subjected to police pressure.

In November 1942, Korematsu and other young camp residents were given permission to leave the Utah camp to work. He received indefinite leave from internment in January 1944, though he was not permitted to go back to the West Coast. Korematsu moved to Detroit, Michigan, after the war ended and the camps were shut down.

Conviction Overturned and Activism

Though Korematsu found work as a draftsman, his conviction hung over him and restricted job opportunities throughout his life. Four decades after his case had been decided, it came to light that the government had suppressed intelligence about the loyalty of Japanese Americans, showing they posed no security threat, in its presentation to the Supreme Court. Arguing that false evidence had deceived the court, a legal team, mostly made up of Japanese American attorneys, petitioned to get Korematsu's case reopened. On November 10, 1983, when Korematsu was 63, his conviction was overturned by a federal judge.

Korematsu lobbied for a 1988 bill that granted an apology to and compensation for those who'd been subjected to internment. President Bill Clinton awarded Korematsu the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1998.

In following years, in particular after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Korematsu tried to bring attention to other potential violations of civil liberties. He criticized parts of the Patriot Act and submitted a friend-of-the-court brief with the Supreme Court in support of prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay Naval Station in Cuba.

Personal Life

Korematsu married Kathryn Pearson in Michigan in 1946. They moved to California three years later. They had two children, Karen and Ken.

Korematsu's daughter stated in a 2012 interview that her father "felt responsible for the loss of his Supreme Court case in 1944 in regard to the rest of the Japanese and Japanese Americans that had been incarcerated, and he carried around the weight of that shame for almost 40 years." Because Korematsu found it too painful to discuss his case with his children, both learned about it in school instead.

Death

Korematsu passed away at the age of 86 on March 30, 2005, in Larkspur, California.

Legacy

The Fred T. Korematsu Institute provides materials to teach younger generations about Japanese American internment. Its executive director is Korematsu's daughter Karen.

The middle-grade biography Fred Korematsu Speaks Up, the biography Enduring Conviction: Fred Korematsu and His Quest for Justice and the documentary Of Civil Wrongs and Rights: The Fred Korematsu Story share Korematsu's life.

Multiple states and cities now recognize Korematsu's birthday as Fred Korematsu Day. It is the first day in the United States named in honor of an Asian American.

Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us!

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FRISCO, Texas - Frisco police are still looking for the person who shot two men, killing one of them, outside a Walmart last week.

The family of the surviving victim is pleading for the shooter to come forward.

20-year-old Army veteran Zachary Lowe was shot twice while fleeing from a shooter.

"I received a phone call from Zachary himself and he calls me and theres like this panic in his voice. The first thing he says is Help, Ive been shot," remembered Morgan Lowe, Zachary's sister.

Another man, Dung Doan, was killed in the shooting.

The shooting happened on Wednesday, Nov. 15, around 9:30 p.m.

Morgan Lowe says her brother was just getting off work.

"He was walking home from work at the time, Ill preface it with that. He now doesnt want to walk home ever again. He said that he is terrified, he used that specific word," she said.

Lowe's family tells us a man approached him.

"The guy assailant asked Zachary for a cigarette and Zachary says, I dont smoke I dont have any" recalled Denny Lowe, Zachary's father. "Then he stuck a gun in his stomach and said give me all your money then. So Zach pulls out his wallet and him his wallet."

He ran, but was shot in the back.

"He does seem to be making a decent recovery, so far, nothings set in stone yet with his recovery. Its too soon to be able to say," said Morgan Lowe.

Frisco police at first described the shooting as "isolated."

Later, police called it random.

The department has not said what led to the shooting, which caused the death of Dung Doan.

He happened to be in the area. It is unclear if he engaged with the shooter.

Doan has just moved to the U.S. from Vietnam last year.

He was a father of two children.

"Things were starting to look up for him. And then, and then we got the call on Thursday, and he's gone," Doan's niece Kaitlin Nguyen said through tears.

Police have not said whether they've identified a suspect.

They also have not given a description of the suspect.

If you have any information about the case you are asked to contact police.
Editors Note: Our coverage of the Israel-Hamas hostage release deal has moved here.

Tensions are boiling over in Israel as frustrated families of hostages demand answers from the government about the fate of their loved ones and a deal for their release.

I demand their commitment that everyone is returning home. All the hostages. We must get answers, and a commitment  in a written form, said Shai Wenkert, who son Omer is being held hostage in Gaza by the militant group Hamas.

Wenkert spoke to media on Monday, before he and other relatives met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war cabinet in Tel Aviv.

So far only a handful of families have met with Netanyahu  infuriating hundreds of other relatives of hostages who say the government isnt doing enough to free them.

But for some, the meeting only deepened their frustration. Udi Goren, whose cousin Tal Chaimi was taken captive, left the meeting early, saying he felt there was no new information on the hostages provided by the war cabinet, including details about a possible deal to release them.

Relative of hostages argue with Israeli security forces, asking to enter into a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the war cabinet in Tel Aviv, Israel on November 20, 2023. - Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images

An estimated 239 hostages are being held in Gaza, abducted during Hamas bloody October 7 attacks on Israel that killed around 1,200 people, according to the Israeli military  the largest such attack on Israel since the countrys founding in 1948.

Just a handful of hostages have been released so far. On October 20, two Americans  Judith Tai Raanan and her 17-year-old daughter Natalie Raanan  were freed on humanitarian grounds following negotiations between Qatar and Hamas.

Soon after, two Israeli women, Nurit Cooper and Yocheved Lifshitz, were also released.

Lifshitz said she went through hell, describing being snatched from her home, driven off on a motorbike before being taken to a network of tunnels.

Israel responded to the October 7 attacks by declaring war on Hamas and imposing a blockade of Gaza, plunging the strip into a dire humanitarian crisis. Around 12,700 Palestinians have died since the war began, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in the West Bank, which draws its data from Hamas-run health authorities in the Strip.

And while there is still overwhelming support in Israel for the war on Hamas, there is growing criticism of Netanyahu and his administration, who many blame for failing to anticipate the October 7 attack, and for the lack of progress in hostage releases.

Earlier on Monday, public anger spilled over during a committee meeting in the Israeli parliament, with family members of hostages clashing with National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and other far-right government figures.

Ben-Gvir, a divisive figure in Israeli politics who wants Israel to annex the Palestinian territories, is promoting legislation that would see the death penalty handed down to terrorists.

But many hostage families accuse Ben-Gvir of endangering their loved ones further, arguing that Hamas could be less willing to release hostages if there is suggestion that Israel might execute Palestinian prisoners.

In the parliament meeting, family members held pictures of their loved ones and vented their frustrations aloud. Bring them home! chanted Gil Dickmann, whose cousin is being held in Gaza.

Maybe instead of talking about the dead, talk about the living. Stop talking about killing Arabs. Talk about saving Jews. This is your job! shouted Hen Avigdori, whose wife and daughter were taken on October 7.

Almog Cohen, a colleague of Ben-Gvir in the Jewish Power party, fired back at family members. You dont have a monopoly on pain. We also buried more than 50 friends, Cohen said.

Ben-Gvirs proposed legislation is making its way through parliament. It still has several stages to pass before becoming law and could yet be withdrawn.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said in a statement on Telegram that the group was close to reaching a truce agreement with Israel, following weeks of negotiations between the United States, Israel and Hamas, mediated by Gulf state Qatar.

The statement came after Hamas had delivered a response to mediators in Qatar. The movement delivered its response to the brothers in Qatar and the mediators, and we are close to reaching a truce agreement, Haniyeh said.

Haniyeh did not provide additional details about the potential agreement.

In recent days, sources told CNN a possible deal to secure the release of some hostages and a temporary pause in fighting may be in sight. An agreement has yet to be struck, with several sticking points left to work through  though negotiators are expressing rare optimism, sources say.

Netanyahu has repeatedly expressed two goals of the war  the release of all hostages, and the destruction of Hamas. Israel has rejected international calls for any ceasefire without the return of hostages.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
The Come Back Alive (CBA) foundation and Ukrainian IT company Genesis are raising UAH 10.7 million (around $296,000) to provide air reconnaissance drones to Territorial Defense Forces, Genesis wrote on Nov. 2.

The fundraiser was launched as part of the Zdiimemo rokit project (loosely translated as Rattle up or Lets make some noise).

Genesis, CBA, and the Territorial Defense Forces have been systematically cooperating since the beginning of 2023, with their first joint initiative being the Captains' Training course.

In total, they plan to purchase 54 quadcopters and 324 batteries for them, along with 36 portable and nine car radios, 30 tablets, 18 charging stations, signal boosters, flash drives, laptops, and monitors.

Genesis

The equipment will be allocated to the 112th, 114th, and 241st brigades of the Territorial Defense Forces, which are currently carrying out combat missions in the east and south of Ukraine.

Read also: Come Back Alive, United24, Monobank launch campaign to fund 10,000 kamikaze drones

The drones, power supplies, and communications will enhance reconnaissance operations, making them more efficient and saving lives. The fighters will have the picture of the battlefield they need at a distance, enabling them to adjust fire, provide defense, and perform other tasks.

This is a new joint project with the Come Back Alive foundation, one of the most competent teams supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said Vladimir Mnogoletniy, the founder and CEO of Genesis.

Genesis, together with partners, is making great efforts to provide systematic assistance to the army in the direction that we have identified as a priority. Soliders who have completed the Captains' Training course will now be able to receive brigade sets to support their reconnaissance units. We are grateful to our fighters for their protection and are proud to be partners of the Zdiimemo rokit project, aimed for the victory.

Genesis. Volodymyr Mnoholyetnyi, Taras Chmut

Currently, 64% of the required amount has been raised, and anyone can join the fundraiser by clicking the link. The project has already received support from businesses in the Genesis ecosystem and partner companies, including Appflame, Solidgate, Quarks, Headway, Universe, and Legit.

Read also: Ukrainians donate $6.3 million for 10,000 combat drones in just 3 days

Come Back Alive joined the development of Ukraine's territorial defense in 2020, says Taras Chmut, director of the CBA foundation.

Since the beginning of the new stage of the war, we have been working daily to provide units, including the Territorial Defense, with necessary ongoing assistance in equipment. We are also purchasing weapons for the Territorial Defense, such as mortars, machine guns, and grenade launchers.

Together with the Genesis Group of Companies, we contribute to the training of combat officers. And these people need eyes on the battlefield  drones for effective and safer reconnaissance. Thanks to our partners and everyone who joins our project."

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
Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission President, has congratulated the Ukrainian people on the Day of Dignity and Freedom.

Source: Ursula von der Leyen on Twitter (X); European Pravda

Quote: "Ten years of dignity. Of pride. Of striving for freedom. The cold winter nights of Euromaidan have changed Europe forever. A whole nation took to the streets and spoke with one voice. You said: Ukraine belongs in Europe, and our future belongs to us," Ursula von der Leyen said.

Details: That is why, she noted, the people of Ukraine wrapped themselves in European flags, challenging snipers and special forces.

"You decided to be Masters of your own future. Today, it is clearer than ever that the future of Ukraine is in the European Union. The future that the Maidan fought for has finally begun. Glory To Ukraine! Long Live Europe!" said the president of the European Commission.

Ten years of dignity.



Of pride.



Of striving for freedom.



The cold winter nights of Euromaidan have changed Europe forever.



Today, it is clearer than ever.



The future of Ukraine is in the European Union.



The future that the Maidan fought for has finally begun. pic.twitter.com/Z0xD4Ss3Qs  Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) November 21, 2023

Background:

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in his address on the Day of Dignity and Freedom, stated that Ukraine's efforts on the way to the EU should undoubtedly end with full membership and the star of Ukraine should shine on the EU flag.

Ingrida Simonyte, Lithuanian Prime Minister, noted on the 10th anniversary of the Revolution of Dignity that the EU family is incomplete without Ukraine.

After the start of Russias full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine applied for EU membership and received candidate status. In December of this year, Ukraine hopes to get the political consent of EU leaders to open accession negotiations.

Kyiv hopes that, in practice, negotiations  a complex and lengthy process  can begin in the spring of next year.

Now, Hungary may hinder the "green light" of the December decision, which promises to block the start of the negotiation process with Kyiv.

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Englands final two qualifiers of the campaign to reach Euro 2024 next summer confirmed one indisputable fact: there are four untouchables in the team that Gareth Southgate cannot do without.

They are: Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice and John Stones. Without any of that quartet England are not the same. They go from one of the two or three strong favourites to win next summer, along with France and Portugal, to merely contenders.

In theory, Southgates first-choice line-up is fairly set. If everyone is fit and playing, it will likely be a 4-2-3-1 formation: Pickford; Walker, Stones, Maguire, Shaw; Phillips, Rice; Saka, Bellingham, Rashford; Kane.

Eight of those players are pretty much nailed-on. The doubts? Luke Shaw at left-back because of his fitness issues, which may allow Kieran Trippier or Ben Chilwell (if he can get fit) in, midfielder Kalvin Phillips, who needs to secure a move away from Manchester City in the January transfer to gain some playing time, and on the left Marcus Rashford, who faces strong challenges from Phil Foden, in particular, and Jack Grealish, and maybe now even Cole Palmer.

Harry Maguire is fortunate to have kept his place and needs to play far better than he did against North Macedonia. Otherwise, he will lose out to Marc Guehi or Lewis Dunk. There will be those who argue Aaron Ramsdale should be considered in goal ahead of Jordan Pickford, but that is no contest, especially if Ramsdale continues to sit on the bench at Arsenal.

They put into perspective the claim England should walk it in Germany

And then there are the Golden Quartet; the Fab Four; the Irreplaceables. England are just not the same without them. Their presence is transformative and puts into perspective the optimistic claim this is somehow Englands strongest-ever squad, who should be walking it in Germany next year.

Of course every side has its core that makes the difference, but what is undeniable for England is the difference those four make to every department on the pitch  from defence, through midfield, to the trio of forward-minded players behind the main striker. It means they are even more important. It is not, say, a pair of strikers or a couple of midfielders. It is the spine.

John Stones's ability to pass out of defence takes England to a higher level - Eddie Mulholland

Without Stones, Englands defence simply lacks the confidence required at the highest level to bring the ball out and pass into midfield. His partnership with Maguire now goes back more than five years and, while the Manchester United centre-half might have originally been its senior player, that is no longer the case.

The worry is Stones has started to suffer injuries that have limited his appearances for City, which is all the more frustrating given how well the 29-year-old is playing and the maturity he has shown to adapt to a role stepping into midfield under Pep Guardiola.

Similarly, Rice is raising his game to the elite level  and not just because he has secured his 105million move from West Ham United to Arsenal. The 24-year-old has eclipsed Phillips, when it appeared the latter was more central to England in the last Euros. Guardiola must surely be regretting signing Phillips and not him in July 2022. City again tried for Rice last summer but baulked at the price, while it also became clear he was far progressed in his decision to join Arsenal.

Declan Rice has become an elite player since joining Arsenal - PA/Nick Potts

For England it is evidently a case of Rice and Bellingham plus one, or Rice plus one if  as is now likely  Bellingham plays as a No 10.

The options are limited  Jordan Henderson is struggling to justify his squad inclusion since moving to Saudi Arabia, Phillips does not play for his club and Trent Alexander-Arnold is yet to fully convince he can play as part of the double pivot that Southgate favours, while James Ward-Prowse is out of favour. Maybe Rico Lewis?

It means that, as with Stones in defence, England would be in real trouble without Rice. Tthe difference he makes was there with the drive he brought coming on as a substitute in the sides leaden performance against Malta.

Bellingham is world class, even aged 20. It is just whether Southgate moves him back into playing as an eight or keeps him in the No 10 role, as he has filled to such devastating effect since his move to Real Madrid. Bellingham enhances England and would do any team in the world, frankly. The goal threat is diminished without him.

Jude Bellingham has developed into a key man for England - Getty Images/Stu Forster

If Bellingham were absent there is a case to argue that Foden could step in although, as Southgate has debated, he does not really play there for City regularly. Foden did so impressively in coming on in the Champions League final, but Guardiola prefers to deploy Julian Alvarez. And there is no way Foden offers the same goal contribution at present as Bellingham.

Then there is Kane who, at 30, has been raising his game to new heights since the move to Bayern Munich. Southgate will be pleased his captain will play at least four fewer league games  34 as opposed to 38 in the more intense Premier League  and will be afforded a proper winter break in Germany.

England obviously cannot do without Kane. Despite performing so well in the Premier League, the likes of Ollie Watkins and Callum Wilson have not taken their opportunities to prove they can at least be a convincing understudy to him. Dominic Calvert-Lewin remains in the reckoning if he can stay fit, while Southgate has name-checked Ivan Toney, who returns from his ban for betting in January. The Brentford striker is in his thinking.

A disappointment of the past two games and the recent friendly against Australia is that few outside Southgates apparent first-choice XI have pushed their claim. Rashford has also suddenly become more of a concern. Having done well for England in October, he has unfortunately brought his poor United form to international duty.

But he is replaceable. The Golden Quartet are not.

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A school in Gaston County will be celebrating after receiving its distinction as a 2023 National Blue Ribbon School.

The celebration is set to take place at 2 p.m. at Highland School of Technology. Teachers, students, and staff are set to attend.

The National Blue Ribbon School award is given annually by the U.S. Department of Education. It is one of the highest distinctions a school can receive.

Highland is one of only eight schools in North Carolina and 353 in the country to earn the award this year. The school won its first National Blue Ribbon School award in 2017.

ALSO READ: Charlotte Mecklenburg Library awarded $500k for literacy programs

Identified as an Exemplary High-Performing National Blue Ribbon School for 2023, Highland has consistently ranked and gained regional and state recognition as one of the most successful schools in North Carolina. The schools performance grade has been an A or an A+ every year since the state began determining grades from 2014 to 2015.

This is the fifth National Blue Ribbon School distinction for Gaston County Schools since the recognition program began in 1982.

VIDEO: Charlotte Mecklenburg Library awarded $500k for literacy programs












Investigators survey the exterior at Calumet Fisheries after a fire heavily damaged the seafood eatery on Chicago's East 95th Street on Nov. 21, 2023. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

Calumet Fisheries on Chicagos Southeast Side caught fire Tuesday, just days after the beloved seafood restaurant reopened following a failed health inspection.

The damage to the restaurant is extensive, according to the Chicago Fire Department. No one was injured in the fire, which broke out around 1 p.m. and spread through the upper area of the building before being extinguished, CFD said.

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Many of the buildings red roof tiles were destroyed and its iconic painted sign appeared to have fallen in an image shared by the department.

Co-owner Mark Kotlick said Tuesday he plans to make repairs and reopen the restaurant. The fire occurred while employees were inside and appeared to start because of electrical issues, he said.

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Its still too early to assess whats really happened. Exterior-wise, that stuffs easy to fix up. Internally, we cant get into the store yet, he said.

He said he is absolutely committed to reopening, unless economically it just doesnt make any sense.

But I doubt that will be the case, Kotlick said. We havent been in business for 95 years to let this shut us down.

[ Calumet Fisheries reopens after passing latest health inspection: Glad its all over ]

The restaurant, known for its smoked and fried seafood, won an Americas Classics Award from the James Beard Foundation in 2010. Vice President Kamala Harris visited the spot in January, and Anthony Bourdain featured it on an episode of his No Reservations show in 2009.

An investigator surveys damage inside Calumet Fisheries following a fire on Nov. 21, 2023, in Chicago. Co-owner Mark Kotlick said Tuesday he plans to make repairs and reopen the iconic restaurant. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

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The restaurant, located at 3259 E. 95th St., was shut down Oct. 31 after health inspectors found evidence of about 400 mice and rat droppings. A week later, inspectors found more evidence of vermin.

At the time, Kotlick said the restaurant had never had an issue with the city in a century of business.

Its an old store. They gotta consider that its not something that was built yesterday, he said.

The restaurant reopened Saturday after passing its latest health inspection.

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Im just glad its all over with and hope it never happens again, Kotlick told the Tribune then.

On Tuesday, he praised the Fire Department and his employees for quickly identifying and responding to the fire. He said he already made an insurance filing, but added that the Thanksgiving holiday may slow down the damage assessment process.

Were survivors, he said. Well be back.
GASTONIA, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  Gastonias Highland School of Technology is one of eight schools in North Carolina to achieve a National Blue Ribbon School distinction.

The National Blue Ribbon School Award is given annually by the U.S. Department of Education, and it is one of the highest distinctions a school can receive.

Three Charlotte-area schools picked up the honor. The other Charlotte-area schools include Jay Robinson Middle School (1,343 students) in Charlotte and Odell Elementary (924 students) in Concord.

National Blue Ribbon Schools of 2023 named: Did yours make the list?

The 506-student high school is one of 353 in the country to earn the award this year. Highland won its first National Blue Ribbon School award in 2017. When it first opened in 2000, it was the countys only magnet school.

The Gastonia school will celebrate its honor on Tuesday, Nov. 11 at 2 p.m.

This is the fifth National Blue Ribbon School distinction (and the second in two years) for Gaston County Schools since the recognition program began in 1982. In addition to Highland earning the award twice, W.A. Bess Elementary School in Gastonia was selected as a National Blue Ribbon School in 2006 and 2022. The former Arlington Elementary School was named a National Blue Ribbon School in 2003 (Arlington consolidated with Sadler Elementary School when it opened in August 2004).

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
A photo posted on social media of Mosab Abu Toha hiking among citrus groves in Beit Lahia, north Gaza, on June 18. Credit - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mosab.abutoha/posts/pfbid02K4FiQQCAWw8ghxDg7AbetJ9BpDsE3yGGuLWbwx5SkmYTGp8gtrggBoiV2kpSerH9la">Facebook</a>

It was only a month ago that award-winning Palestinian poet and writer Mosab Abu Toha, a 31-year-old husband and father of three, published an essay in the New Yorker describing his life in Gaza and the terror and destruction Israeli airstrikes were inflicting on his community. He wrote about bombs dropping in his neighborhood and a barrage of news notifications on his phone alerting to other explosions nearby. Sometimes I decide not to check the news. We are part of it, I think to myself, he wrote.

One idea in particular haunts me, and I cannot push it away, he wrote. Will I, too, become a statistic on the news?

This week, Abu Tohas fears were realized when on Sunday he was abducted by Israeli forces while fleeing south through Gaza to try to evacuate his family. After outcry from Western media companies and publishers including the New Yorker and international rights groups including PEN International over his detention and temporary unknown whereabouts, Abu Toha was released on Tuesday and has reunited with his family in Gaza.

What happened to Mosab Abu Toha?

Diana Buttu, a Palestinian-Canadian lawyer and former peace talks adviser who says she has been in regular communication with Abu Tohas family, told TIME that Abu Tohas family had filed for his three-year-old son, who is a U.S. citizen, to be evacuated from Gaza a couple of weeks ago and that they got the clearance for evacuation days later. They waited until it seemed safe enough to travel from the north where they lived to the southern border with Egypt, but midway they were intercepted by Israeli forces, who allegedly approached a group of travelers and separated dozens of men from their families, despite assurances of safe passage.

The army took Mosab when he arrived at the checkpoint, leaving from the north to the south, as the army had ordered, Abu Tohas brother Hamza posted on social media on Monday. It is worth mentioning that the American embassy sent him and his family to travel through the Rafah crossing.

He was forced to put his son down, Buttu says Abu Tohas wife recounted to her. They were all forced to walk with their hands raised in the air. He raised his arms in the air  [and he and] around 200 others were taken out of this line and abducted.

Israeli Defense Forces confirmed in a statement that a group of civilians including Abu Toha were taken into questioning because they received alleged intelligence indicating a number of interactions between several civilians and terror organizations inside the Gaza Strip. The IDF statement said Abu Toha was released after questioning.

Buttu claims that Abu Toha was beaten while held in a facility in southern Israel and that he has received medical treatment for injuries sustained.

While the death toll in Gaza has surpassed at least 14,000, according to the enclaves health ministry, the total number of Gazans who have been detained by Israeli forces in recent weeks remains unclear. Palestinian authorities estimate that the number of Palestiniansexcluding those from Gazaheld by Israel has risen to 7,800, according to a Nov. 18 report by Reuters. Meanwhile, Israeli intelligence forces said this week that they recently apprehended and interrogated some 300 suspected terror operatives in the Gaza Strip.

Since the beginning of the conflict, some Palestinians have reportedly been arrested simply for expressing solidarity with Gazas civilian population amid the violence. The police say that any slogans in favor of Gaza or against the war mean supporting terrorism, human rights lawyer Abeer Baker told CNN.

Who is Mosab Abu Toha?

Abu Toha, who was born in the Al-Shati refugee camp, graduated with a degree in English from the Islamic University of Gaza before founding the Edward Said Library, the enclaves first English-language public library, in his hometown of Beit Lahia in 2017. (A second branch was opened in Gaza City in 2019). He taught English at U.N. Relief and Works Agency schools in Gaza from 2016 to 2019. In October 2019, he left Gaza for the first time to become a visiting scholar at Harvard University.

Last year, Abu Toha published his debut book of poetry, Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear. It won an American Book Award, Palestine Book Award, and Arrowsmith Presss 2023 Derek Walcott Poetry Prize, and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award.

Since the war that began with terrorist group Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, Abu Toha has published essays and poems about the situation in Gaza in a number of U.S. publications, including the New Yorker, the Washington Post, the New York Times Magazine, the Atlantic, and, most recently, the Nation. In social media dispatches, too, he has documented the destruction of his home, the death of one of his students, and periodic updates on his familys status.

Executive director of the U.S.-based nonprofit The Jerusalem Fund and fellow Palestinian writer Jehad Abusalim took to X to laud the success of relentless pressure put on Israel to resurface Abu Toha. While not everyone knew Mosab personally, his words, essays, and poems brought him closer to our hearts, he wrote. Now, picture this: what if we felt this connected to every individual who has suffered  those killed, injured, or arrested? Consider if each one of them was a poet or a writer, as indeed some were.

Contact us at letters@time.com.
Amid the war ruins of Gaza, an Israeli soldier unfurls a rainbow flag in support of the LGBTQ community, in an image posted on social media (RONALDO SCHEMIDT)

Amid the war ruins of Gaza, an Israeli soldier unfurls a rainbow flag in support of the LGBTQ community, reigniting a debate around "pinkwashing" as activists accuse Israel of deploying its liberal image as a tool against Hamas.

Israel has the most liberal legal approach to homosexuality in the Middle East, in marked contrast to the Palestinian territories, including the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, where it remains a taboo.

Two images showing the soldier in Gaza appear to have been first posted online by screenwriter Lee Kern, who said on X, formerly Twitter, that they showed "the first ever pride flag raised in Gaza".

The emblems were taken there by gay Israeli soldier Yoav Atzmoni, he said, quoting him as saying Israel's army was the only one in the region "that allows gay people the freedom to be who we are. And so I fully believe in the righteousness of our cause."

The post was enthusiastically picked up on by multiple official social media accounts, including the state of Israel on X, and some Israeli embassies around the world.

The post on the Israel X account -- which said Atzmoni "wanted to send a message of hope to the people of Gaza living under Hamas brutality" -- had been viewed nearly 17 million times by Tuesday.

Written across one flag were the words: "In the name of love".

Behind the soldier lay an apocalyptic landscape of ravaged streets and buildings destroyed in Israel's military campaign to oust Hamas.

In the other photo, Atzmoni poses in front of a tank holding a rainbow-edged Israeli flag, crisp folds in the emblems still clearly visible.

The images sparked an outcry among some LGBTQ activists.

Nas Mohamed, the founder of the Alwan Foundation, a LGBTQ campaign group in the Gulf, questioned the use of Israeli LGBTQ rights as a "weapon" against Palestinians who do not have them.

He told AFP the rainbow flag "has absolutely no place in this war".

- 'Trojan horse' -

A Palestinian LGBTQ activist who uses the pseudonym Ahmad Nawwas slammed the photos as "disgusting".

The underlying message was that queer Palestinians "do not exist" or that "they can only be free if they depend on Israel", he said.

That could also reinforce homophobia among Palestinians, who may see homosexuality as something that is "exclusive to Israel," he added.

Israel has vowed to "crush" Hamas in response to the group's October 7 attack when its militants broke through Gaza's border to kill about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took around 240 hostage, according to Israeli officials.

The army's air and ground campaign has killed 13,300 people, including more than 5,500 children, according to Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007.

Israel has long been accused of "pinkwashing", or pushing its reputation for tolerance, in an effort to give a liberal veneer to an image tarnished by its occupation of Palestinian territories.

Israel uses LGBTQ rights as a "Trojan horse to pinkwash Israel's image" and present itself as "a human rights bastion of the region", said Rasha Younes, a researcher on LGBTQ rights in the Middle East at Human Rights Watch (HRW).

- 'Gay capital' -

Neither Kern nor Atzmoni responded to repeated requests by AFP for comment.

But Israel has a large and influential LGBTQ community, particularly in Tel Aviv, widely dubbed the "gay capital of the Middle East".

Legislatively, Israel is a pioneer in LGBTQ rights in the region, despite homosexuality being deeply rejected by conservative religious parties.

While domestically it only registers religious weddings, it recognises same-sex marriages carried out abroad.

That stands in contrast to Palestinian territories where homosexuality remains a taboo.

In a recent US newspaper column, David Kilmnick, president of the NGO LGBT Network, called on the community to support Israel in the war against Hamas as "a matter of principle and survival".

It was undeniable that the Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank restricted the rights of LGBTQ people, said HRW's Younes.

"But that does not erase... the abuses by the Israeli government that have left many Palestinians without access to basic services and any freedom, whether they are queer or not."

pyv/ac/slb/fz
The judge overseeing the Fulton County election racketeering case declined Tuesday to send one of Donald Trumps co-defendants to jail over recent social media posts and other comments he made targeting witnesses.

Judge Scott McAfee said that while the defendant, Harrison Floyd, made technical violations of his bond agreement, not every violation compels revocation.

The judge, however, modified Floyds bond agreement, adding a restriction on his social media activity. Floyd is prohibited from making any social media post of any kind on any platform, whether public or private, concerning any codefendant or witness in this case or concerning any person specifically named in the indictment, according to the modified bond agreement.

Fulton County prosecutors had asked McAfee to revoke Floyds bond, arguing that hes violated the terms of the agreement meant to keep him out of jail because of his alleged effort to intimidate codefendants and witnesses.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis personally argued the case Tuesday, the first time she has appeared in court for a pre-trial hearing in the sprawling election subversion racketeering case.

What we are really here to decide today is does this order mean something or not. He does not get an oh, Im sorry, after Ive already intimidated the witnesses in this case, Willis said. It is too late.

Had McAfee granted prosecutors requests, Floyd would have been the first defendant to be jailed for their actions related to the case  a move that would have sent a strong message to the other defendants that prosecutors are closely watching their public maneuverings as the criminal case unfolds.

He was given an opportunity to cooperate with the rules of this case and what he really did was spit on the court and refuse to oblige by three of the seven conditions of this bond order, Willis said.

Floyd, who has pleaded not guilty to three state felonies, has before been behind bars after being indicted earlier this year. The only defendant to have spent time in jail in connection with the case, Floyd was incarcerated at the Fulton County Jail for one week in August before reaching a bond deal with prosecutors.

The felonies Floyd faces in the case are largely tied to his role in an intimidation campaign targeting two Atlanta election workers in late 2020. Trump and his allies falsely accused the workers of massive voter fraud.

The leader of Black Voices for Trump, Floyd was separately charged in May with simple assault of a federal officer who was delivering a subpoena to him to testify before a grand jury in Washington, DC. He has not entered a plea in that case.

Floyds attorneys on Monday pushed back hard against prosecutors bid to jail him, telling McAfee that they were doing so out of retaliation after he rejected a plea deal offer. They also draw comparisons to Trumps public comments about the case, suggesting that prosecutors decision to not go after Trump was evidence of a double standard.

A review of President Trumps social media posts make the States decision to go after Harrison Floyd hard to justify, Floyds attorneys wrote, citing several posts from Trump about Sidney Powell, an attorney who recently pleaded guilty in the case, as well as Mark Meadows, his former chief of staff and current co-defendant.

None of these posts amount to a threat or intimidation, Floyds attorney Chris Kachouroff said of his clients posts on Tuesday, noting that none of the witnesses presented in court contacted authorities about the case.

We need to give Floyd the benefit of the doubt, Kachouroff later added. Did he walk up close to the line? Yes.

In their request last week, Fulton County prosecutors highlighted Floyds recent social media posts about Georgia election officials who are likely to be called as witnesses in the case, as well as his recent comments on a conservative podcast about Jenna Ellis, who pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate.

The Defendants actions demonstrate that he poses a significant threat of intimidating witnesses and otherwise obstructing the administration of justice in the future, making him ineligible for bond, they wrote in the court filing.

In one recent post, Floyd questioned why his team was accused of leaking videos of conversations between another defendant and prosecutors, invoking Georgia election worker Ruby Freeman, who is a witness in the case.

Why would my team leak Jenna Ellis & proffer videos when there is better stuff? For instance, Ruby Freemans job was the reconciliation of ballots, he wrote. She wasnt even supposed to be on a scanner !!!!!!

Poop emojis and potential threats

Michael Hill, an assistant chief investigator in Fulton County testified about Floyds recent social media posts on X about the case, with the witnesses reading aloud each post, at times taking care to translate internet-speak to adhere to courtroom decorum.

The content is as follows: Black American Dems want the Black Trump Guy to tell on the RACIST WHITE REPUBLICANS but only if its President Trump? Lol, look, the truth is that @GASecofState and @GabrielSterling are the pieces of  and its a  Hill read, before Willis interjected.

Emoji  can you just spell that word as opposed to putting profanity in the record, she said.

Yes, maam. Its an emoji of poop or fecal matter emoji, Hill said. They are the pieces of  that emoji  you should be mad at.

Later during the hearing, Willis called Gabriel Sterling, an election official in the state who testified that while its common for people to tag him in posts on X, he generally doesnt put much stock into the public comments directed at him.

Its par for the course when youre a public figure, Sterling told Floyds attorney when he asked if his clients posts are threatening and intimidating to him.

State witness Von DuBose, who represents Ruby Freeman, a witness in the racketeering case, said that social media posts about his client have caused her to take some precautions, including relocating from her home.

He said that Floyds posts about Freeman have led to a spike in online activity targeting Freeman.

This is the beginning of potential threats, he said, adding that their concerns resulted in them taking more security precautions for Freeman.

This story has been updated with additional developments.

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The Georgia chapter of the NAACP is also remembering the former first lady.

The president of the Georgia NAACP Gerald Griggs said the Carter family has always been strong allies of the NAACP, especially during the Civil Rights Movement.

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Georgia NAACP President Griggs said Georgia lost a real She-ro.

They have been a valuable asset to the Georgia state conference specifically. We appreciated the partnership in human rights issues and civil rights issues, of course mental health issues, said Griggs.

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Georgia NAACP said they look forward to continuing to work with the Carter family.

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IN OTHER NEWS:
Boris Pistorius, the Federal Minister of Defence of Germany, during his visit to Ukraine, will announce a new package of military aid to Kyiv which will not include Taurus long-range missiles.

Source: European Pravda, citing Bild.

Pistorius says that Germany will continue to support Ukraine militarily and on 21 November will announce the provision of a new package of weapons.

As one delegation member noted, the new package includes more or less the same things that Germany has already provided Ukraine with so far, so it will not include Taurus long-range missiles.

"There is no news in this matter," Pistorius told reporters.

During his visit to Ukraine, Pistorius also met with the Ukrainian military at a training centre outside Kyiv, where he was shown Western sniper rifles.

The Federal Minister of Defence also observed tank exercises on a combat simulator with the use of live ammunition, and also visited the soldiers' dormitories.

Ukrainian soldiers expressed their gratitude for Berlin's military assistance to Kyiv to Pistorius, accompanied by his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umierov.

Background:

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius arrived on an unannounced visit in Kyiv in the early morning of 21 November.

Earlier, it was reported that Germany plans to supply Ukraine with two more IRIS-T air defence systems by the end of the year.

Before that, Pistorius confirmed reports that Germany will double military aid to Kyiv by 2024, reaching 8 billion euro.

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German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has arrived in Kyiv in the early morning of 21 November on an unannounced visit.

Source: DW, citing AFP

Details: The programme of the visit includes meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Defence Minister Rustem Umierov, laying wreaths on Independence Square, where pro-European protests began ten years ago, and visiting a Ukrainian military training centre.

#EIL

Um exakt 5:00 Uhr Ortszeit ist Bundesverteidigungsminister Boris #Pistorius heute Morgen zu seinem zweiten Amtsbesuch in Kiew eingetroffen. @BILD pic.twitter.com/NjtpT0gr81  Julian Ropcke (@JulianRoepcke) November 21, 2023

The German Defence Ministry explained the purpose of the trip as reaffirming Germany's support for Ukraine.

The key topics of the meetings include training for Ukrainian soldiers and military aid to Kyiv.

This is Pistorius' second visit to Kyiv since assuming office as Germany's Defence Minister in January. The last time he visited Ukraine was in February.

Background: On 20 November, Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin visited Kyiv. The official assured Kyiv that the US would maintain its support for Ukraine.

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Germany's Defense Minister Boris Pistorius arrived in Kyiv on an unannounced visit, the Defense Ministry reported on Nov. 21.

Pistorius is in Kyiv to "personally see the current situation and the effectiveness of German support," the ministry wrote.

Shortly after arrival, Pistorius visited a memorial to the EuroMaidan revolution and laid flowers in commemoration of those killed, marking the 10th anniversary of the day when the revolution started. Ukraine celebrates the Dignity and Freedom Day on Nov. 21 every year since 2014.

The uprising was sparked in November 2013 after pro-Kremlin President Viktor Yanukovych refused to sign the long-awaited Association Agreement with the European Union.

More than 100 people were killed during the months-long protest turned revolution.

According to Deutsche Welle, citing AFP, the main purpose of the trip was to discuss training programs for Ukrainian soldiers, as well as Germany's continuing military aid for Ukraine.

It is Pistorius' second visit to Kyiv since he became Defense Minister in January 2023.

He will meet with his Ukrainian counterpart, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, as well as with President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Pistorius' arrival in Kyiv came one day after another unannounced visit to the Ukrainian capital by U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

Germany is the world's second-biggest provider of military aid to Ukraine after the U.S.

Read also: Ukraine war latest: Austin visits Kyiv, US announces new $100 million military aid package

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The government of Germany and the European Union will allocate funds for the construction of six hospitals that will be energy-independent. Medical facilities are located in Lviv, Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia and Chernihiv oblasts.

Source: GIZ Ukraine

The first hospital in Lviv began its work in September, five more will open by the end of 2023.

Medical facilities are built from modular structures that meet European energy-saving standards. The new hospitals will operate in Pereshchepyne (Dnipropetrovsk Oblast), Shyroke (Zaporizhzhia Oblast), Berezanka (Mykolaiv Oblast), Trostianets (Sumy Oblast) and Chernihiv.

PHOTO: GIZ UKRAINE

Autonomous solar electric stations with an installed capacity of 70 kW were built for each hospital. They are designed to ensure the uninterrupted functioning of all available medical equipment in the built modules (without considering heating needs). Solar panels are installed both on modular blocks and on the roofs of existing institutions, and on land plots next to the modular hospital  depending on the situation.

The solar station also includes 50 kW backup electric power storage units installed in modular hospitals, hybrid and network inverters, and software for online operation of the stations.

160 kW diesel generators with a fuel reserve have also been installed for emergency power supply to five hospitals.

PHOTO: GIZ UKRAINE

Space has been arranged around the buildings, and access to modular hospitals for people with disabilities is provided. All facilities, together with generators, are protected by HESCO barriers, which are supposed to protect hospitals from debris in case of possible shelling.

GIZ Ukraine implements activities within the framework of the EU4ResilientRegions  Special Assistance Programme Ukraine project, which is co-financed by the European Union and the German government.

Background: Transformers and solar panels from Japanese partners will arrive in Ukraine in the near future.

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Police officers leave a house during a raid in the early hours of the morning in Munich, Germany, Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023. German authorities have raided the premises of 17 people in Bavaria accused of spreading antisemitic hate speech and threats to Jews online. Bavarian criminal police said Tuesday the suspects were two women and fifteen men aged between 18 and 62. German news agency dpa reported that police questioned the suspects and confiscated evidence from their homes, including cell phones and laptops. (Peter Kneffel/dpa via AP) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

BERLIN (AP)  German authorities on Tuesday raided the homes of 17 people in the state of Bavaria accused of spreading antisemitic hate speech and threats targeting Jews online.

According to the Bavarian criminal police, the suspects were 15 men and two women aged between 18 and 62, German news agency dpa reported. Police questioned the suspects and confiscated evidence from their homes, including cellphones and laptops, the agency said.

The suspects were said to have celebrated the attacks by Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israel on Oct. 7, and were accused of spreading hate speech against Jewish people on social media, using symbols of banned terrorist organizations, dpa reported.

The police operation focused on Bavaria's capital city of Munich, where nine of the accused resided. Further searches were carried out in the Bavarian towns of Fuessen and Kaufbeuren as well as in the counties of Passau, Fuerstenfeldbruck, Berchtesgadener Land, Coburg, Aschaffenburg and Hassberge.

One suspect allegedly sent a sticker in a WhatsApp school class chat with the words Gas the Jews. Another person, a German-Turkish dual citizen, allegedly posted on his account that the Jewish sons deserved nothing more than to be exterminated, dpa reported.

Unfortunately, antisemitism has an impact on the daily life of many Jews in Germany," Michael Weinzierl, the Bavarian police commissioner against hate crime, told dpa. "The terrorist attack by Hamas against Israel also has an impact on their lives in Germany.

Weinzierl said it was important to show Jews and Israelis living in the state that we stand behind them here in Bavaria, that we protect them here and also protect them from hostility.

Last month, Germanys chancellor and president strongly denounced a rise in antisemitism in the country following the Israel-Hamas war.

In the state of Bavaria, there were 148 antisemitic incidents from Oct. 7 to Nov. 9, an increase of 285% from the same time period a year earlier, according to the RIAS group, which tracks antisemitism in the country.

Since Oct. 7, Jews in Germany have been experiencing psychological terror," said Josef Schuster, president of the Central Council for Jews in Germany, the country's leading Jewish group.

Antisemitic turmoil first manifests itself in language, but words become deeds, Schuster said. "Society as a whole must now take a clear stance. For too long, we have allowed a ntisemitism to penetrate into the heart of our society via extreme right-wing circles, radical left-wing demonization of Israel or Islamist fanatics.

Germany has strict rules against hate speech. Raids in connection with the publication of banned symbols such as swastikas and other Nazi symbols are not uncommon. The denial of the Holocaust, in which the Nazis and their henchmen murdered 6 million European Jews, is also banned.

The Israel-Hamas war erupted after the militant groups surprise attacks on Israel killed about 1,200 people. Israels retaliatory strikes on Gaza have so far killed more than 12,700 people, according to Palestinian health authorities.
A small wildcat called a serval has died after running loose for three hours in Vernon Hills Saturday night, according to Vernon Hills police.

The serval was first seen around 7:16 p.m. on Saturday, Vernon Hills police said in a statement. A 911 caller reported seeing something that looked like a bobcat in Vernon Hills Grosse Point subdivision.

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The cat chased down a neighbor, cornering her as she walked her dog, the caller said. Using a photograph, Illinois Department of Natural Resources personnel said the fugitive feline was a serval, not a bobcat.

The serval was owned by a Grosse Pointe couple, who worked with police to catch the wildcat after nearly three hours.

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I believe this is a first for us, as far as an exotic pet being on the loose and generating this much concern from the community, Shannon Holubetz, deputy chief of the Vernon Hills Police Department, told the Tribune.

With long necks and massive ears, the small wildcats native to North Africa are capable of causing significant injury.

Servals can live for about a decade in the wild, growing up to 40 pounds. The camouflage-capable carnivores eat rodents, snakes, birds and frogs, hunting more efficiently than lions, according to National Geographic.

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Its legal to keep servals as pets in Illinois, but not to sell them. Vernon Hills ordinances allow exotic pets, though that could change after Saturdays incident, Holubetz said.

We will be kind of taking a holistic look at our local regulations, our village ordinances, surrounding exotic pets, Holubetz said.

The owners believe the serval got out of its enclosure while they were away from home, according to Vernon Hills police. While transporting the serval back into its enclosure, the cat sustained fatal injuries, police said.

This is an unfortunate incident, and we extend our condolences to the animals owners for their loss, Vernon Hills police Chief Patrick Kreis said in a statement. The keeping of exotic pets in suburban environments, though, is not without risk.

No people or additional animals were injured by the serval, Holubetz said. While an investigation is still open, he doesnt expect further penalty for the servals owners.

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Serval sightings have happened before in Illinois as housebound wildcats give their private owners the slip. A serval named Reese escaped its apartment and ran wild on the north side of Decatur in October.

Vernon Hills is about 35 miles northwest of Chicago.
Germany has promised Ukraine another 1.3 billion military aid package, which includes, among other things, four additional IRIS-T-SLM air defence systems, as well as 20,000 155-mm artillery rounds and anti-tank weapons.

Source: German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius in Kyiv at a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umierov, reported by European Pravda with reference to Tagesschau

Details: "This is the fifth such package since last winter. And I am sure that it will help you in your fight against Russian aggression," Pistorius said, as quoted by Suspilne.

It is worth noting that this is the third tranche of IRIS-T air defence systems that Germany has promised to supply to Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale war. Three of the systems from the first tranche have already been delivered, and the fourth is due to arrive this winter. The second tranche of four systems is scheduled for 2024, and the third for 2025.

When asked about the transfer of Taurus long-range missiles to Ukraine, Pistorius said that "there is no new information on Taurus".

Background:

The German Defence Minister arrived in Ukraine on Tuesday morning for an unannounced visit.

Prior to that, Pistorius confirmed media reports that Germany would double its military aid to Kyiv in 2024 to 8 billion.

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Germany will provide Ukraine with another military aid package worth 1.3 billion euros ($1.42 billion), German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said during his visit to Kyiv on Nov. 21.

The tranche will include four IRIS-T SLM air defense systems, 20,000 155mm shells, and anti-tank mines, Pistorius said during a press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov.

"I am sure this will help you in your fight against Russian aggression. This underlines that we stand with Ukraine sustainably and reliably," Pistorius commented.

The artillery shells come on top of 140,000 155mm rounds Germany pledged to deliver in 2024, the German defense minister noted.

When asked about the possible delivery of the much-desired Taurus long-range missiles, Pistorius replied that there is no new information on Taurus.

Read also: EuroMaidan Revolution

Pistorius arrived in Kyiv earlier on Nov. 21 for the 10th anniversary of the EuroMaidan Revolution, meeting both Umerov and President Volodymyr Zelensky.

According to the AFP, the primary purpose of the trip was to discuss training programs for Ukrainian soldiers, as well as Germany's continuing military aid for Ukraine.

Earlier in November, Pistorius confirmed Berlin's plans to double military aid for Ukraine in the following year to roughly $8.5 billion.

Germany has so far provided Ukraine with three IRIS-T SLM systems, which are especially crucial now as the country braces for intensified Russian strikes in the coming winter months.

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Germany's exports to Russia fell by 37.3% in October 2023 compared to October 2022, the Federal Statistical Office of Germany reported on Nov. 21.

Before the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russia was Germany's fifth most important trading partner outside of the European Union, but has since fallen to 18th place.

Nonetheless, the value of Germany's exports to Russia in October still amounted to 600 million euros ($656 million).

The U.S. took first place as the most important country for exports outside of the EU, at 14.3 billion euros ($15.6 billion) in October 2023.

Although exports to Russia have significantly fallen, Germany continues to import large amounts of Russian oil, which in turn adds critical funds to support Russia's war machine.

In addition, Russia's oil exports to India have seen remarkable growth since the full-scale invasion and subsequent introduction of Western sanctions. Once refined, the oil products are no longer treated as Russian and thus can be re-exported back to the EU.

"We in the EU don't buy Russian oil, but we buy the diesel obtained by refining this Russian oil somewhere else," such as in India, the EU's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, noted in May 2023.

"This has the effect of circumventing our sanctions and our member states should take measures to deal with this," Borrell said.

There have been other troubling developments within the scope of German exports to Russia.

The German media outlet Der Spiegel reported on Aug. 29 on the case of a German company allegedly exporting electronic components used in the creation of Russian Orlan-10 drones that are then deployed to Ukraine.

The exports violated sanctions, but the shipment had likely circumvented the restrictions by being transported through third-party countries.

Read also: Investigation: Czech parts make their way to Russian military helicopters despite sanctions

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  A teenage drug trafficker with ties to a recent fatal overdose faces federal charges after being caught transporting multiple packages of powdered fentanyl, according to officials.

Authorities also said that Cristhian Martinez, 18, had a 20-ton shop press used to manufacture fentanyl bricks in his apartment. He has been charged with intent to distribute fentanyl and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Teen driver identified as victim in fatal Portland crash

According to court documents, the Clackamas County Interagency Task Force was called to investigate a fatal overdose in Sept. 2023.

The 20-ton shop press found in the apartment. (U.S. Attorneys Office)

While processing the scene, investigators discovered numerous counterfeit M30 Oxycodone pills believed to be manufactured with fentanyl. Martinez was soon identified as the person who sold fentanyl to the deceased victims dealer, officials said.

Martinez was located by investigators on Nov. 16 traveling from California to Oregon. Authorities followed his car and conducted a traffic stop in Gladstone, the U.S. Attorneys Office said.

During a K-9 sweep of Martinezs vehicle, investigators found multiple concealed packages containing more than 1,000 grams of compressed fentanyl, officials said. Later the same day, investigators executed a federal search warrant on Martinezs Gladstone apartment where they located a fentanyl manufacturing and distribution operation. They seized additional quantities of fentanyl, a 20-ton shop press used to produce bricks of fentanyl powder, 10 handguns, an AR-15-style assault rifle, ammunition, and other materials consistent with drug trafficking.

Martinez made his first appearance in federal court on Monday before a U.S. Magistrate Judge.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
A federal appeals court has dealt a welcome victory to vehicle owners and a scathing rebuke to Detroit's asset forfeiture racket.

A panel of judges for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit unanimously ruled in late August that Detroit's practice of seizing people's cars for months at a time before giving them a chance to contest the seizure violates vehicle owners' 14th Amendment right to due process. The panel found that Michigan's Wayne County, which includes Detroit, "violated that Constitution when it seized plaintiffs' personal vehicleswhich were vital to their transportation and livelihoodswith no timely process to contest the seizure."

The 6th Circuit ruled that Wayne County must provide car owners a post-seizure court hearing within two weeks.

The ruling is the latest development in a series of lawsuits arguing that Wayne County uses civil asset forfeiture to seize cars and then forces owners to pay a $900 settlement fee, plus towing and storage fees, to get them backor wait months, even years, for a court hearing.

The Institute for Justice, a libertarian public interest law firm, filed a class-action lawsuit in 2020 on behalf of three Wayne County residents whose cars were seized for crimes they were either acquitted of or never charged with, arguing that the shakedown violated their Fourth, Eighth, and 14th Amendment rights.

Under civil asset forfeiture laws, police can seize property suspected of being connected to criminal activity, even if the owner is not charged with a crime. Law enforcement says civil asset forfeiture is used to disrupt drug trafficking and other organized crime by targeting illicit revenue. But Wayne County was using its less fortunate residents as a piggy bank.

In a concurring opinion, U.S. Circuit Judge Amul Thapar wrote that Wayne County's scheme "is simply a money-making ventureone most often used to extort money from those who can least afford it."

Wayne County seized over 2,600 vehicles between 2017 and 2019 and raked in more than $1.2 million in asset forfeiture revenues, according to public records obtained by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, a free market Michigan think tank. Of those seizures, 473 were not accompanied by a criminal conviction. In 438 of those cases, no one was even charged with a crime.

After summarizing the experiences of the three plaintiffs, Thapar asked: "Does this sound like a legitimate way of cleaning up Wayne County? Or does it sound like a money-making scheme that preys on those least able to fight it? To ask the question is to answer it."

The post Goodbye to Detroit's Asset Forfeiture Racket appeared first on Reason.com.
Google is celebrating surgeon Dr. Victor Chang with a Doodle on what would've been his 87th birthday. Photo courtesy of Google Doodle

Nov. 21 (UPI) -- Google is celebrating Chinese Australian surgeon Dr. Victor Chang with a Doodle on what would've been his 87th birthday.

Chang is a pioneer of cardiac and transplant surgery and is most known for the creating the St. Vincent's artificial heart valve.

Born in Shanghai, his interest in medicine began when his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. He went to school at the University of Sydney and trained at St. Vincent Hospital and worked at several hospitals all over the world.

In 1972, he returned to St. Vincent Hospital to work as a cardiothoracic surgeon.

In addition to the St. Vincent's artificial heart valve, Chang performed a heart transplant on 14-year-old patient Fiona Coote in 1984, the youngest patient in Australia to receive the surgery and the longest surviving heart transplant beneficiary there.

Also in 1984, he created the Victor Chang Foundation to award grants to teach South East Asian surgeons to bring them to St. Vincent Hospital to be trained in heart transplantation.

Chang was named Australian of the Year in 1986.

In 1991, he was shot dead on a suburban Sydney street on the way to work.

In 1999, Chang was named Australian of the Century at the People's Choice Awards.
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., questions Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin before a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing to examine the national security supplemental request, on Capitol Hill in Washington on Oct. 31, 2023. | Manuel Balce Ceneta, Associated Press

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona is up for reelection in 2024. While she hasnt said whether she plans to run yet, the National Republican Senatorial Committee released an ad trying to give her a boost with Democratic voters, labeling the incumbent senator a liberal Democrat.

At the end of 2022, Sinema switched her party identification from Democrat to independent, and a recent poll by Noble Predictive Insights showed a quarter of her support comes from Arizona Republicans.

Politico described the ad as an attempt to boost Republican support for the Republican nominee and split Democrat voters between the other likely Democratic Senate candidate, Ruben Gallego, and Sinema. The poll showed over three quarters of Gallegos support comes from registered Democrats, while Sinemas was less than a third.

The national committees ad begins, In Arizona, voters have a choice. Ruben Gallego is listed as the first choice, and the ad labels him a proponent of a crooked bank, a bad father who abandoned his ex-wife and is currently married to a D.C. lobbyist.

Or theres Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, the ad continues. Instead of making personal attacks against the current senator, the ad paints Sinema as a liberal Democrat, saying she aligns herself with President Biden 100% of the time.

The ad alleges that Sinema votes with Biden consistently, while Project FiveThirtyEight reports she voted with him 94% of the time.

There are eight Democrat senators who vote with Biden 100% of the time, eight who vote with him 99% of the time, 12 who vote with him 98% of the time, 11 who vote with him 97% of the time and from there the numbers taper slightly.

Casting Sinema as a liberal Democrat, meanwhile, might generate chuckles here in Washington, where shes seen as a centrist spoiler, Politico said. But it makes good political sense back in Arizona, where she has carefully built an aisle-crossing image.

Making the Arizona Senate seat a race between two Democrats and one Republican may prove to be helpful to the Republican candidate. So far former gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake and Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb are running for the Republican nomination, in addition to several lesser-known candidates.

The primary is set for Aug. 6, 2024, while the general election is Nov. 5, 2024.
"When I married in the early 90s, all was well as long as fur didnt spring from your bathing suit. I hadnt realized that in 2014, hair removal happened everywhere," the author wrote.

Youre not supposed to have hair there, Ms. Page.

As beauty trends come and go, I will never forget this update from my high school students. The year was 2014. I was teaching an all-girls health class on unreasonable standards of beauty when the conversation suddenly veered into pubic hair removal.

Despite my high comfort level with sensitive subjects (wed already covered sexual consent, teen pregnancy and STIs), the delivery of this hot-button news item from a 15-year-old honors student left me momentarily speechless. How could there be yet another beauty standard  especially for a concealed body part  to add to the already overwhelming list of superficial ideals?

Worse, I was recently divorced after a 20-year marriage and contemplating the terrifying realm of online dating. When did this new requirement take effect, and what else had I missed along the way?

As I searched for words, the 10th graders seated before me became animated. Each one had a fervent opinion on nether regions upkeep. A hairless pubic zone was time consuming, they said. Maintenance could get expensive. Plus, razors and store-bought depilatories  the only choices for those on a babysitters budget  left rashes and ingrown hairs.

I took a breath and cleared my throat in an effort to take back the reins.

Why should the most adult area of a womans body look like a childs? I began. I think of pubic hair as a sign of maturity.

The hands flew up.

We shave armpits, a student pointed out.

And legs, another chimed in.

Okay, they had me there.

By now, even the girls hiding in the back row had perked up, united around a shared mission: to bring their teacher up to date on modern beauty standards for female genitalia. Their sources? College-aged siblings and unnervingly young stepmothers who invested in waxing and lasers.

My students raised good points. When I married in the early 90s, all was well as long as fur didnt spring from your bathing suit. I hadnt realized that in 2014, hair removal happened everywhere. And although my students questions were centered more on cultural trends than romantic expectations, my mind went to the latter. Was my vulva romance ready? I became every bit as distressed as my sophomores.

At 46, unreasonable beauty standards were hardly a new subject, but dating in my 40s amounted to those standards constantly being spit in my face. When Id first scrolled through dating sites, it was clear that men my age wanted younger women. How did I know this? Because their profiles said, Interested in younger women.

These younger women had undoubtedly gotten the hairless memo. Did I need to give in to this new ideal to find love?

Its because of the porn industry, explained my easy-to-talk-to doctor, a mom around my age. Males are being exposed to porn at a young age through the internet. Its changing the way they think about intimacy, including how women should look naked.

This made sense  privates are now public. This cultural change popularized Vajazzle kits, crotch tattoos, and pubic hair styles like the landing strip. I thought of my grandmother who birthed six children and certainly never thought of her mons pubis as an objet dart. And now here was internet porn dictating a hairless pudendum along with melon breasts, a wasp waist and a bootylicious booty as our cultures ideal female form. While this spotlight on unnatural anatomy filled me with a protective rage for my students, who I insisted should feel good enough exactly as they were, it hypocritically fueled a down-below makeover of my own.

Despite no prospects on the immediate horizon, I decided I should prepare. Arriving at my first (and, as it would turn out, last) Brazilian wax, I was greeted by a genteel aesthetician who led me to a private room filled with tingling music and scents of lavender.

OUCH! I howled, as the relaxing spa experience ended abruptly and transformed into a cosmetic nightmare that made me think of other torturous things women have done  or been forced to do  throughout history in hopes of being chosen, accepted or lusted after. And while some of these other treatments resulted in a lifetime of pain and disfiguration, I realized Id already reached my limit in what I would do to compete in the dating economy.

The author and her husband.

The author and her husband.

Let me be clear: stripped of its hair, bejeweled, inked or professionally styled, the way to fashion ones privates is a personal choice. While some women may find it liberating to remove the carpet, for me, going bare there felt against the feminism I preached to the next generation. Id be choosing the latest cultural ideal over what truly felt like me.

As I contemplated my bare aging vulva, I hoped that my pubic hair grew back quickly, and I vowed to stay true to my roots. From then on, I would be au naturel. In the end, my rationale was similar to something Id tell my students: Since this area was reserved for special guests, anyone with permission to visit should love me exactly as I am.

When I finally met my now-husband, it was a fun first date at a bookstore that turned into hours of easy conversation at the quaint restaurant across the street. Kind, generous and chatty, what drew me to him was the comfortable feeling that I could relax and be just me.

I no longer teach Health but often think of my students. Theyre in their 20s now, establishing careers, finding their way, some are even married and presumably no longer concerned with what constitutes a dateable body. For all my thoughtful lesson plans, my guess is they ultimately needed to arrive at the truth the same way I did: painful  sometimes literally so  life experience. In any case, concerns about my unfashionable privates may have lost their relevance. I hear the bush is back.

Sherrie Page Guyer is a registered nurse and former high school health teacher whose writing focuses on healthcare, wellness and gender equality. Her work has been published by CNN, Newsweek, STAT, Inside Higher Ed, and more. She lives in Richmond, Virginia.

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People look at signs with photos of children being held hostage in the Gaza Strip during a rally outside Tel Aviv's UNICEF offices on Nov. 20, 2023, in Israel. (Amir Levy/Getty Images)

Talking with your enemy during wartime is one of the most psychologically stressful things for a combatant to do. Haggling with the same people trying to kill you leaves a bad taste in the mouth. And yet, more times than not, talking and fighting at the same time is a necessity, both to explore possible avenues out of the war and to win back the release of hostages or soldiers in enemy hands.

Despite the rhetoric from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel also has a dialogue going with Hamas, the terrorist group that swept into southern Israel and committed the worst atrocity against the Jewish people since the Holocaust. While Israeli and Hamas officials arent talking to each other directly, they are using intermediaries such as Qatar to deliver messages, exchange proposals and see whether a deal over hostages is possible.

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While nobody knows how many hostages Hamas has in its custody, the number is thought to be around 240 people. Many of them are civilians of all ages, from babies to senior citizens. Where those hostages are being held is also a mystery, but the Israelis suspect a good portion are housed in the labyrinth underground tunnel system Hamas has constructed in the 17 years the group has ruled Gaza.

All of this presents a problem for the tens of thousands of Israeli troops combing northern Gaza: How can Israel square an intense military offensive in a densely populated area with the goal of bringing innocent civilians back to their families alive?

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It took longer than some would have liked, but Netanyahu appears to have come around to the conclusion that getting the hostages out through diplomatic means is the best way to square the circle. Up until a week or so ago, Netanyahu was highly resistant to the notion of negotiating with Hamas. But Hamas was never going to release hostages for free; captured Israelis are highly valuable for a group that, in the past, has been able to trade them for Palestinian prisoners. The most infamous case study came in 2011, when Netanyahu approved the transfer of about 1,000 Palestinian prisoners to win the freedom of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier captured by Hamas five years earlier. One of those Palestinian prisoners was Yahya Sinwar. Hamas top military official and the architect of the Oct. 7 assault on Israel.

Netanyahu didnt want to repeat the episode. According to The New York Times, there was a draft agreement on the table that would have transferred 50 hostages to Israel in return for a temporary pause in Israeli airstrikes. But for a variety of reasons, including doubt that Hamas negotiators actually had the power to negotiate on anything, the deal died. Israel launched its ground invasion soon after.

[ Elizabeth Shackelford: The US should use its leverage with Israel to help minimize civilian harm in the war ]

The talks, however, didnt die. Over the following weeks, rumors of a possible hostage agreement between Israel and Hamas have percolated. The terms have largely been the same: Hamas hands over the civilian hostages (Israeli troops are also held) in phases in exchange for a multiday pause in Israels military campaign and an increase in humanitarian aid into Gaza. U.S. officials are more optimistic about a hypothetical deal today than they have been in the past.

Many areas of difference that previously existed have been narrowed, deputy national security adviser Jon Finer told CBS Face the Nation program over the weekend. We believe we are closer than we have been to reaching a final agreement.

The outstanding question hovering over all of this is whether the technicalities of any agreement can be resolved. Ushering dozens, if not hundreds, of civilian hostages through a war zone is no easy feat. Evacuation routes need to be established, and fighting would need to stop along those routes until the process is complete. Israel is reportedly insisting on aerial surveillance to ensure the hostages are going where they need to go; Hamas is balking at such a monitoring plan.

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The length of any fighting pause is also up for dispute. Hamas would obviously like the pause to be as long as possible in order to recuperate some of the military capability it has lost. Israel wants the pause to be on the short end for precisely the same reason. Enforcing any short-term truce is also going to be an impossible task. There is no third-party mediator able to pull it off. In the past, truces between Israel and Hamas lasted  until they didnt.

Politics are also at play. Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, doesnt have the same internal limitations as Netanyahu does. Whereas Sinwar seems to have a solid hand on the organizations political and military wings, Netanyahu doesnt have a solid hand on anything. Israels longest-serving prime minister is in an unenviable position: Any decision he makes will be viewed by someone, somewhere, as the wrong one.

If he doesnt sign a deal with Hamas, Netanyahu will feel the full weight and anger of the families who have long since grown tired of his governments ineptitude and lack of compassion. Sign a deal, and Netanyahu risks getting hammered by his far-right coalition partners as a weakling who has caved to Hamas antics.

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The second scenario is not hypothetical; when Netanyahu approved the daily delivery of a measly two fuel trucks into Gaza to ensure the enclaves sewage and water systems were running, he was condemned by folks like National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir as an appeaser giving aid and comfort to the terrorist enemy.

Netanyahu will have to make a judgment call. One hopes he listens to common sense instead of extremists.

Daniel DePetris is a fellow at Defense Priorities and a foreign affairs columnist for the Chicago Tribune.

Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.
Robert Crimo Jr. arrives at the Lake County Courthouse, Nov. 6, 2023, in Waukegan. He pleaded guilty to seven misdemeanors in a case that centered on how his son obtained a gun license. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)

Robert Crimo Jr.s guilty plea to reckless conduct for helping his son obtain authorization to own firearms three years before Robert Crimo III allegedly opened fire on Highland Park paradegoers should be a wake-up call to everyone: If you hear or see things about potential violence, you must alert the authorities. And if you do things that could potentially enable it, you will face legal consequences.

Crimo Jr. agreed earlier this month to plead guilty and was sentenced to 60 days in jail and two years on probation. He also will have to complete 100 hours of community service.

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Prosecutors alleged that Crimo Jr. ignored signs that his son was a danger to himself and others yet signed for him to obtain a firearm owners identification card, which is required to buy guns. Just months before the state permit was issued in 2019, a family member contacted the authorities and said Crimo III had threatened to kill everyone. Police removed 16 knives, a dagger and a sword from the home in response to that but did not make any arrest.

After that incident, Crimo III bought several guns, including a high-powered rifle that prosecutors say he used in a mass shooting during Highland Parks July Fourth parade in 2022, killing seven and wounding dozens more.

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A Smith & Wesson M&P15 semi-automatic rifle is displayed during a National Rifle Association meeting in Houston on May 28, 2022. Lake County prosecutors said in court that Robert Crimo III fired an AR-15-style rifle similar to this at Highland Park's July Fourth parade. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP-Getty)

While prosecutions against family members of mass shooting suspects are rare, the case against Crimo Jr. is not exactly an outlier. James and Jennifer Crumbley, the parents of a school shooter in Oxford Township, Michigan, are awaiting trial for their alleged roles in the slayings of four students by their son in 2021. The Crumbleys are facing involuntary manslaughter charges that they have fought and failed to get dismissed. Their final appeal was to the Michigan Supreme Court, which decided in October not to hear their case. If convicted, each parent faces up to 15 years in prison.

Their son, Ethan Crumbley, pleaded guilty last year to killing his classmates at Oxford High School. His parents are accused of ignoring their troubled son, who was just 15 years old, and instead of getting him help, they allegedly bought him a gun as an early Christmas present in 2021, just days before he went on a shooting spree.

Obviously, the Crumbleys have the presumption of innocence for now, but the fact that they face trial is a good sign and should put parents everywhere on notice. Accountability is an important safety net for all communities.

Chicago Tribune Opinion Weekdays Read the latest editorials and commentary curated by the Tribune Opinion team. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy >

Parents should make sure they do not enable things like this and have to speak up. Notably, even people speaking up about seeing or hearing something alarming it is not guaranteed to stop a determined shooter.

After a 40-year-old man, Robert Card, killed 18 people and wounded 13 others during a shooting spree at two locations in Lewiston, Maine, last month, it was reported that authorities were told of warning signs but may have dropped the ball.

According to reports, in the months before the Oct. 25 shootings, Card told friends or relatives that he was hearing voices and planning violence and that he demonstrated alarming behavior. Family members and colleagues in his Army Reserve unit did the right thing and alerted the authorities, including the Sagadahoc County sheriffs office and the Army, but not enough was done.

That case is still under investigation, and if the courts determine some people should be held accountable, I hope it will serve as another wake-up call. At the very least, it sounds as though different agencies need to communicate more effectively with each other so that another high-risk person doesnt slip through the cracks.

For parents, friends and colleagues, the simple mandate still applies, perhaps now more than ever: If you hear or see something, say something. And if agencies receive reports from someones parents, friends or colleagues of a potential threat, they should follow through to ensure potential shooters are not overlooked. Too many lives depend on it.

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Attorney Jeffery M. Leving has dedicated his career to safeguarding children and reuniting them with their fathers. He has written three acclaimed books: Fathers Rights, Divorce Wars and How to be a Good Divorced Dad. He also is a recipient of a 2023 Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award presented by President Joe Biden.

Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.
He had no chance, Well-known Las Vegas-area road defect not fixed until child dies

HENDERSON, Nev. (KLAS)  A Las Vegas-area driver racing down a residential road hit a bump and lost control, killing a 13-year-old boy on the sidewalk. The 8 News Now Investigators found in the years before, several cars had hit the same obstacle and landed where Rex Patchett lay motionless.

For months, the 8 News Now Investigators have reviewed documents and video connected to the March 7, 2022, fatal crash.

The fear that every parent has when they have children had come true, Jason Patchett, Rexs dad, said from his Henderson home nearly two years after the crash that killed his son. Rex was walking home from a friends house with the help of a scooter when Jose Marmolejo, then 21 years old, collided with him.

March 7, 2022

Body camera video shows a Henderson police officer rushing to Rexs aid as an off-duty nurse tries to revive the eighth grader. Marmolejos Ford Mustang jumped the sidewalk, becoming a four-wheeled missile.

Rex was not responding to our calls or texts or anything like that and we kept trying to ping his phone through the Find My Phone app and it just kept saying offline, Jason Patchett said about that Monday evening.

Rex Patchett waives to the camera in this final photo of him taken about an hour before the crash that killed him on March 7, 2022, his father said. (Jason Patchett)

While Rexs phone lay desperate for an answer, an officers body camera records as he and his colleague begin their investigation.

They hit the bump over here, one officer says in the video.

What bump? another replies.

You know how we have the bump in the hill over here? the first officer says.

The bump, sometimes referred to in the neighborhood as Mannions Bump or Mannions Hump, was an unplanned ridge in the road that became a favorite for racers. Its location on Paradise Hills Drive near Noble Isle Street allowed drivers to go airborne.

Body camera video shows a Henderson police officer rushing to Rexs aid as an off-duty nurse tries to revive the eighth grader. (KLAS)

The car that hit Rex lost control and ended up on the sidewalk in front of Mannion Middle School, where hundreds of students attend class.

Video shared with the 8 News Now Investigators shows cars driving at the 35-mph speed limit riding up and down from the bump. Evidence of the bumps damage is marked on the pavement.

Marmolejo was driving more than 90 miles per hour, police said.

Video from above Paradise Hills Drive in Henderson, Nevada, shows the location of the bump and Mannion Middle School. (KLAS)

Officer: So, what was going on man?

Marmolejo: We were  we were going fast. We were just kind of 

Officer: I know theres that little bump there I know 

Marmolejo: Bump 

Officer: Right, from when you hit that bump it just 

Jose Marmolejo, seen here after his arrest for reckless driving resulting in death, was serving a 2-to-6-year prison sentence. (HPD/KLAS)

Marmolejos car hit the bump, landed on the pavement, popped a tire, and ended up right in Rexs path.

Rex was standing about 150 yards away on the sidewalk and he had no chance, Jason Patchett said.

No chance of making it home to greet his parents, brothers, and sister.

The bump caused the vehicle to lose control and go up on the sidewalk and kill my son, Jason Patchett said.

It happened before

The 8 News Now Investigators filed several records requests with the city of Henderson, finding the bump was no secret. For years, neighbors had complained about the road and constant speeding. Many of those complaints cited the sidewalk and Mannion Middle Schools location in the path of an out-of-control driver.

A crash in 2021 was almost identical to the one that killed Rex.

They were going really fast, and they hit that dip and that car spun out, a witness told a police officer investigating the 2021 crash. The driver hit the same bump and lost control. The car landed upside down with the two people inside left to crawl out, documents said.









Documents the 8 News Now Investigators obtained reveal a witness told police the car hit the bump and flipped.

So, they hit the dip there and  there should be an impact mark right here, the investigating officer says on body camera video.

There would be other marks to capture too.









In 2018, a car landed in the same place  also a victim of the same soon-to-be-deadly obstacle. Its driver told police he did not see [the] large bump in [the] road  went airborne, documents said.

In 2019, a car ended up just feet from where Rex would lie three years later, a crash report said. Its driver told police he took his dads car for a joy ride when he totaled it.





If the bump had not been there would Rex be here today? 8 News Now Investigator David Charns asked Jason Patchett.

But for the bump, we would not be talking, he said. I 100 percent believe that.

Complaints to the city about the road and the bump include one from a neighbor who wrote to the city about a serious chronic problem, calling Paradise Hills Drive a drag strip.

The road

It was not part of the design, Gordon Meth, highway engineering practice group leader for Robson Forensic, said. Meth investigates crashes and the roads where they happen.

In this case, when used at the appropriate speed, its uncomfortable but it doesnt seem to create a hazard, from what I saw in the video, Meth said about the images of the bump from before Rexs death.

A Henderson police officer writes the significant hump in the road led the driver to lose control and crash into Rex Patchett on March 7, 2022. (KLAS)

Meth highlighted drivers speeds in the crashes in the area.

Henderson police would later cite Marmolejo for reckless driving.

Officer: Hey Jose, how fast would you say you were going? You can just give like an approximate.

Marmolejo: Uh  I would say 80 maybe.

Eighty was really 93  almost three times the limit. The road was not designed for that kind of speed, Meth said, nor can prior crashes be enough notice to the city to do something about the now-deadly defect.

Is that enough of a notice? Charns asked.

Its got to be put in context with all other notices and priorities, it just has to be, Meth said.

The bump as seen around the time of the crash that killed Rex Patchett. Markings in the road show where cars scraped the road after going airborne. (KLAS)

Henderson police respond to about 3,200 crashes in the city each year, a spokesperson said. Records the 8 News Now Investigators obtained show police respond to crashes near the area of Paradise Hills Drive and Mannion Middle School about every eight months, though not all involve the bump.

Why does it take a fatal incident for some municipalities to make these fixes? Charns asked.

A lot of it has to do with taking your notice and your investigation and prioritizing what you have with the budget you have, Meth said.

The fix

Two days after Rexs death and after years of violent crashes involving the bump, a Henderson employee sent an email saying traffic engineers were not aware of [the bumps] existence.

A few hours later, a public works employee said, Lets do bump ASAP, as in fixing it. The city first added warning signs and then removed the bump in October 2022 at a cost of almost $150,000. The city also added a roundabout farther down Paradise Hills Drive to better pedestrian safety.

A Henderson police crash diagram showing where the car that killed Rex hit the bump and then traveled before stopping near Mannion Middle School. (KLAS)

Why do you think it took Rexs death to fix the bump? Charns asked Jason Patchett.

Laziness. Complete utter laziness, he said.

Around the time crews fixed the road, amid more cries from neighbors about reckless speeding, a Henderson police captain asked a lieutenant to develop a plan of action to combat speeding in the area. Crash investigators determined Marmolejos speed was the primary factor in the crash.

With repeat incidents before his sons death, Jason Patchett said the bump is to blame.

The bump was why my son isnt sitting here today and why were having this conversation, he said.

The area of the bump as seen in November 2023. The road was fixed at a cost of $150,000. (KLAS)

Nearly two years since Rexs death, Jason Patchett said he avoids the road. A picture created from the last photo taken of rest, one his friends mother took of him before he walked home that night, turned into a painting in Patchetts living room.

He was kind, he just wanted to make you smile, Jason Patchett said. Hes waving at you, and letting you know that Im still here. Im with you. And I firmly believe that.

The response

After several months of back-and-forth emails, the city of Henderson declined an interview request for this story.

In the days after the crash, neighbors emailed then-City Councilwoman now-Mayor Michelle Romero about fixing the bump.

We have the family of the young man whose life was lost on Monday evening in our thoughts and prayers, one email from Romero said to a concerned neighbor. As a mother, I cannot imagine how difficult it would be to bear the pain of this heartbreaking loss.

An email from then-Henderson City Councilwoman Michelle Romero to a neighbor about Rex Patchetts death. Romero was elected mayor last year. (KLAS)

After a Henderson spokesperson declined a request to interview the mayor about the bump and Rexs death, Charns replied: I did not receive a response as to why the mayor cannot accommodate this interview request. I am surprised the mayor does not want to talk about the loss of a child in the community.

We did not receive a response.

Jason Patchett said he too has never heard from the city.

Earlier this year, a judge sentenced Marmolejo to 2-6 years in prison. The Patchetts pushed to stiffen similar sentences and last spring, Republican Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo signed Rexs Law, increasing prison time to a maximum of 10 years. The law also includes an enhancement for speeding in school zones.

Last week, the Patchetts filed a civil lawsuit against Marmolejo, the city, and the Clark County School District. The lawsuit claims the city and the district knew about the bump and failed to fix it.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone, shown in 2022, said the agency would fully cooperate with an investigation into the fire foundation. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

For the record:

8:38 a.m. Nov. 21, 2023: An earlier version of this article said fire foundation President Stacy Mungo Flanigan had stopped paying the cellphone bills for the 585 iPads bought for firefighters. She said the payments are continuing.



Los Angeles County supervisors requested an investigation Tuesday into the Los Angeles County Fire Department Foundation after learning that the charity, created to financially support the county Fire Department, may have collected donations months after the state barred it from fundraising.

On March 10, the California Department of Justice, which regulates charities, informed the foundation by mail that it had not submitted a routine annual financial form for 2021. Four months later, the department sent another letter informing the foundation that it was now considered delinquent, meaning it could not raise funds or dole out donations, per state regulations.

The nonprofit, which has its own volunteer board of directors, was formed in 2016 to support the Fire Department, hosting ceremonies for agency personnel and buying equipment. The foundation's website asks for donations for wildfire support, mechanical CPR devices and new ropes , among other needs.

Your donations save lives that taxes cannot, the website reads.

Read more: Shape Your L.A.  at the county level

Supervisor Janice Hahn, who first called for an investigation, said in a statement she was outraged and disappointed that the foundation kept taking in these donations months after being notified by the state it was behind on its paperwork.

Whether it was malicious or accidental, there is no excuse for jeopardizing this organization that has become so important to our firefighters or for misleading donors who thought they were contributing to a nonprofit in good standing, she said. I am calling for a full investigation into exactly what happened and why it took so long for the fire chief and the Board of Supervisors to be told.

Stacy Mungo Flanigan, the foundations president, said she did not know until last month that the organization was delinquent.

Flanigan said she received the March letter from the Department of Justice informing the foundation it was missing paperwork only in mid-October when it showed up in her mailbox  already opened. She said the mailbox is located at the county Fire Department headquarters, and she checks it only about once a month.

The moral of the story is, I didn't know, she said. The moment I knew we were delinquent, we took it seriously.

The Department of Justice sent out additional letters to the foundation on July 21 and Sept. 29, informing it of its delinquent status and warning that it could lose its tax-exempt status if the proper paperwork wasnt filed. Flanigan said she never received either of those letters.

On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors unanimously voted on a motion, introduced by Hahn, that asked the countys lawyers to investigate the foundation and find out if any deliberate or unintentional wrongdoing has occurred. The motion also asks for an audit of the money the charity has received and spent since it was formed in the spring of 2016.

Roughly a half-dozen supporters of the foundation spoke at the meeting, some calling the audit superfluous and saying the foundation played a critical role within the department, financially supporting department groups, including the Womens Fire League and the Stentorians of L.A. County.

My feeling is if this motion is passed it would be an unnecessary drain on county resources and also foundation resources," said Ryan Nowicki, the foundation's attorney, noting the group was in good standing with other state and federal agencies that monitor nonprofits.

Flanigan said that since 2019, the foundation has given roughly $5 million to the department for items including Pelotons, jaws of life, refrigerators and mechanical CPR devices.

She also noted multiple charitable organizations that support county employees have, at one point, been placed on delinquent status by the Department of Justice.

After the March letter turned up this fall, she said she immediately sent the missing paperwork to the Department of Justice and expects the foundation to be back in good standing, though it is unclear when. She said she was told it could take up to three months for the state agency to process the documents.

Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said the department will fully cooperate with an investigation into the foundation.

On Wednesday, Marrone told the foundations board of directors in a letter that the department would stop taking donations from the foundation. He also ordered the foundation to remove the department name, likeness and logo from its website and postpone an upcoming celebration it had planned in honor of the departments 100th anniversary.

On the same day, he sent out a memo barring staff from requesting donations from the foundation and buying items from the foundation store, which sells T-shirts, keychains and pins.

On Monday, the county's lawyers sent a cease-and-desist letter to the foundation's board of directors over its continued use of the county's name and images on its website.

"This use is unauthorized, improper and must stop immediately," the letter read.

Flanigan said Marrones decisions have ground the foundations gift-giving to a halt.

She said she is still paying the cellphone bills for the 585 iPads the foundation bought for firefighters and is now storing 36 washers and dryers meant for the county's fire stations.





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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The mayor of a seaside Haitian beach town who flew to South Florida to meet with a politically ambitious Haitian-American pastor and others now accused in the July 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise was himself arrested Monday in Port-au-Prince in connection with the brazen killing.

Marky Kessas arrest was ordered by the Haitian judge overseeing the investigation, a law enforcement source confirmed to the Miami Herald.

A photograph displayed by Haitian authorities shows Walter Veintemilla, standing and at right, in a Fort Lauderdale conference room, with, among others, Christian Emmanuel Sanon, upper right, the man who wanted to rule Haiti, Antonio Tony Intriago, upper left, the Doral security consultant on the radar of U.S. and Haitian authorities but not in custody, and James Solages, far left, a Haitian American from Broward who is in custody in Haiti as an alleged participant in the plot to kill President Jovenel Moise.

Kessa is now among at least seven participants in a meeting at the Tower Club in downtown Fort Lauderdale in early April 2021 who are now jailed, either in Haiti or Miami. Haitian authorities have long alleged that the Broward meeting played a key role in the plot to kill Moise, who was shot inside his bedroom after a group of Colombian commandos, accompanied by two Haitian Americans and local police, stormed his residence in the middle of the night.

His wife, Martine, who was home at the time with their two children, was injured while the kids were unharmed.

Arrestation ce lundi de Macky Kessa, agent executif interimaire de la commune de Jacmel, apres son audition dans lenquete relative a lassassinat du president Jovenel Moise. Cest le magistrat instructeur Walther Wesser Voltaire qui a ordonne cette arrestation, confirme son pic.twitter.com/0zpuPDy60w  Passion Info Plus (@passioninfoplus) November 20, 2023

Kessas arrest was ordered after he appeared before Judge Walter Wesser Voltaire, whose inquiry into the shocking and still-unsolved presidential murder has picked up steam over the past week.

Neither Voltaire nor Haiti National Police have given an explanation for the arrest. It is the first significant action taken by Voltaire since he became the fifth investigative judge to lead the inquiry a year and a half ago. The investigation has been characterized by high turnover of judges and allegations of corruption.

The mayors arrest isnt expected to be the last in Haiti, where 17 people, Colombians and others, are in custody but awaiting formal charges more than two and a half years after the assassination.

In the United States, a parallel investigation has already resulted in three suspects pleading guilty, with a fourth, Joseph Vincent, expected to do so on Dec. 5.

Voltaire, in recent days, has both ordered a cadre of new suspects to appear before him and quietly issued arrest warrants. He has also summoned five others to appear before him to give testimony with the possibility of arrest in connection with the case. They include the former secretary general of the National Palace, Lyonel Valbrun.

Valbrun must appear before Voltaire on Tuesday.

Valbrun worked for Moise before being sacked by Prime Minister Ariel Henry after he called diplomats in Port-au-Prince and declared himself president months into Henrys tenure. Hes accused of requisitioning a $3.4 million payment from Haitis finance ministry months before the presidents death.

The money was used to purchase security equipment from Matador, S.A., a company listed as providing development assistance but that sources told the Herald was selling firearms in Haiti despite a U.S. ban. The company is connected to Dimitri Herard, who was the head of Moises presidential guards.

Herard is among several former Haitian police officers jailed in Port-au-Prince after being accused of facilitating the killing by either standing down or not showing up for work.

READ MORE: How a Miami plot to oust a president led to a murder in Haiti

The progress in the Haiti investigation comes after months of stagnation and as the country struggles to move its investigation forward. In January, Voltaire agreed to the transfer of Vincent and two other Haitian American suspects, Christian Emmanuel Sanon and James Solages, and retired Colombian military officer German Rivera Garcia, to the United States.

Last month, the investigation in Haiti received a major boost when a key suspect, Joseph Felix Badio, was finally arrested after spending more than two years on the lam. Badio was taken into custody after a police officer spotted him inside a Petionville grocery store on Oct. 19.

Until now, Kessa had not been a primary target of the the inquiry, and was still operating as mayor in Jacmel, despite his official term ending. His city lay at the center of the defense of two South Florida businessmen, Antonio Intriago and Walter Veintemilla, who insist they had nothing to do with the presidential killing and were looking to get contracts to supply solar equipment in Jacmel following a peaceful transition.

READ MORE: Who was involved in killing of Haiti president Jovenel Moise?

The two have said that they were engaged in talks with Sanon, the South Florida pastor, about a redevelopment program to save Haiti. The discussions took place at the Tower Club, among other places in South Florida.

According to a Haitian police investigative report first obtained by the Herald, Kessa signed an agreement with Veintemilla, the owner of Worldwide Capital Lending Group, a Miramar-based company, that alleges it came onboard to help Sanon with financing for his development scheme.

Miami Herald federal courts reporter Jay Weaver contributed to this report.
(Bloomberg) -- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene Israels cabinet on Tuesday evening after signaling that a deal with Hamas to free hostages in Gaza in return for a temporary pause in fighting is getting closer.

Most Read from Bloomberg

We are making progress, Netanyahu said, referring to the return of some of the 240 hostages abducted by Hamas on Oct. 7. I dont think its worth saying too much, not even at this moment, but I hope there will be good news soon.

Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh earlier indicated Qatar-mediated negotiations were moving forward, following similar comments from US President Joe Biden. The movement delivered its response to the brothers in Qatar and the mediators, and we are close to reaching a truce agreement, Haniyeh, whos based in Qatars capital, said in a statement on Telegram.

Israel, which has vowed to destroy Hamas, has said for weeks that it wont contemplate a cease-fire until all hostages are returned. But in recent days there have been growing signs the two sides are nearing a deal, which would require approval by Israels full Cabinet.

The countrys war effort is being led by a three-man emergency cabinet comprising Netanyahu, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and Benny Gantz, an opposition leader.

Qatar is helping broker the talks between Israel and Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the US and European Union. Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said the negotiations are at a critical stage.

Talks have fallen through in the past, however, and theres no guarantee of success on this occasion.

The developments come as international pressure grows on Israel to end its more than six-week retaliatory offensive in Gaza, which authorities in the Hamas-run enclave say has killed more than 13,000 people and triggered a humanitarian crisis.

An Arab and Muslim delegation headed by Saudi Arabias top diplomat visited Russia on Tuesday, a day after it was in China, and called for an urgent cease-fire in Gaza. Leaders of the BRICS club of major emerging nations who held a video summit Tuesday echoed that message.

Hamas has agreed in principle for more than 50 women and children to be released, Axios reported earlier. In return, Israel would pause its military attacks for a specified time each day and release some Palestinians in Israeli jails.

Israels Channel 12 cited an unnamed senior Israeli official saying that a hostage deal is very close. Those to be released would be children, their mothers, and other women, the report added.

Israeli forces have been engaged in intense fighting with Hamas in the northern Gaza Strip even as the hostage talks have progressed. The main thrust of Israels ground offensive is into Gaza City, which the military describes as Hamass center of gravity.

Troops have taken control of many parts of the citys Al Shifa hospital and over the weekend showed videos they say prove Hamas exploited the facility, building a command center and tunnels underneath.

While Israel has concentrated its air strikes and ground assault on northern Gaza, it is now turning its attention to the south, signaling the possibility of sending troops there. Israel has urged civilians to evacuate to southern Gaza since the beginning of the war.

The United Nations says the humanitarian situation in the densely packed Gaza Strip is dire and that its roughly 2 million inhabitants need much more food and medicine.

Fears also remain of the war growing into a wider Middle East conflict as exchanges of fire along Israels northern border with Lebanon continue daily.

Israeli warplanes on Tuesday struck targets inside Lebanese territory after Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters shot mortar shells at a military post, Israels army said. Three civilians including two journalists died in the Israeli bombing, the Lebanese state-run National News Agency reported.

--With assistance from Michael Heath, Gwen Ackerman and Omar Tamo.

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Outside the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, protesters call on the Israeli government to sign an agreement with Hamas to release hostages. Hours later, the Israeli government approved a hostage deal which calls for the release of 50 women and children being held in Gaza, and a four-day cease-fire, in exchange for the release of approximately 150 Palestinian prisoners. Photo by Abir Sultan/EPA-EFE

Nov. 21 (UPI) -- The Israeli government voted Tuesday night to approve a hostage deal with Hamas, that allows for the release of 50 women and children being held by militants in Gaza in exchange for a four-day cease-fire, according to a government source who told CNN, NBC and CBS that the deal was approved by a significant majority of the cabinet.

The deal also calls for the release of about 150 Israeli-held Palestinian prisoners, which is three Palestinian prisoners for every Israeli citizen released, multiple sources told CNN, NBC and CBS.

The agreement now calls for a 24-hour period, during which families of Hamas' victims can appeal to the Supreme Court. Once that period concludes, the deal will be final.

Before Tuesday night's vote, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reservists that he was optimistic.

"We are making progress. I don't think it's worth saying too much, not at even this moment, but I hope there will be good news soon," Netanyahu promised.

Outside the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, Hadas Kalderon (C), the mother of Israeli hostage Sahar and her husband, Ofer Kalderon, cries during a protest that called on the government to sign an agreement with Hamas for a release of hostages. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has convened his war cabinet to approve a deal for the release of hostages. Photo by Abir Sultan/EPA-EFE

According to Israeli Defense Forces, a total of 236 Israelis including 40 children are still in captivity in Gaza. More than 12,500 Palestinians and 1,200 Israelis have been killed, according to IDF and the Palestinian health authority, in both the Hamas attack against Israel on Oct. 7, and in the Israeli operation that followed.

Before Tuesday's cabinet meetings, Netanyahu released a video statement, stating he and the security forces supported the Hamas deal.

Hamas Chief Ismail Haniyeh said Tuesday that the group was close to reaching a truce agreement with Israel to halt the fighting. File Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI

"Before us tonight is a difficult decision, but it is the right decision: All the security forces support it, fully," Netanyahu said. "They understood that the war effort would not only not hurt, but the opposite: this would allow the Israel Defense Forces to prepare for the continuation of the fighting."

  -        :   ,              . pic.twitter.com/chUp7aalGo Benjamin Netanyahu -   (@netanyahu) November 21, 2023

Israeli infantry from the 55th brigade of paratroopers train with light weapons Monday in a live fire exercise outside the Tze'elim base in southern Israel near the Gaza Strip border. Photo by Jim Hollander/UPI

Netanyahu added that any deal would not end Israel's war on Hamas.

"I would like to make it clear here again: the war continues, the war will continue until we achieve all of our goals: to eliminate Hamas, to return all our hostages, to ensure that the day after Hamas, Gaza will no longer be a threat to Israel, there will be no element in it that supports terrorism, that educates its children to terror, and who threaten the State of Israel," Netanyahu said.

Palestinian relatives mourn over the bodies of a woman and her child from the Palestinian Sheikh el-Eed family, killed along with another child from the household a day earlier, when their home was hit by Israeli bombs in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on Sunday. Photo by Ismael Muhammad/UPI

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke for a second time Tuesday with his Israeli counterpart Defense Minister Yoav Gallant who stressed that despite any short-term ceasefire, security forces must continue to pressure Hamas.

"I understand how important this thing is," Gallant said. "Along with that, without the pressure and the continuity, there will be no chance to bring the next teams that we want to bring."

Former CIA Director John Brennan agreed, and warned that Israel must be prepared for "radical extremist elements" in Gaza to undermine any cease-fire deal.

The meetings of Israel's war and security cabinets began Tuesday as Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh confirmed that the militant group was nearing a truce with Israel to temporarily halt the fighting in Gaza.

According to a report by the Times of Israel, a draft proposal for a hostage exchange and humanitarian pause in fighting was delivered to Israel by Qatar.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh posted comments on social media after Hamas had delivered a response to Qatari mediators who have been brokering negotiations involving the United States, Israel and Hamas for weeks, but gave no specifics.

"The movement delivered its response to the brothers in Qatar and the mediators and we are close to reaching a truce agreement," Haniyeh said.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, another Hamas official, Ezzat el-Reshiq, said the negotiations were focusing on the duration of the truce, preparations to get aid into Gaza and swapping women and children being held by Hamas for women and child Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

The agreement, which would also provide for transferring injured and sick in Gaza to third countries for medical care, would be announced by Doha, said el-Reshiq, who complained negotiations had stretched out for so long because Israel had been dragging its feet.

El-Reshiq also sought to quash doubts over whether Hamas' political and military leadership in Gaza would be on the same page, saying, "We are always united whether it is on the battlefield or in making political decisions."

Mousa Abu Marzouk, a founding member of Hamas, told CBS News on Monday that negotiators were "close" to an agreement under which Hamas would release 50 hostages to secure a multi-day cease-fire.

Israel would also release dozens of Palestinian prisoners, cease all flight operations over the southern portion of Gaza during the cease-fire and pause flights in northern Gaza to allow hostage transfers and delivery of humanitarian aid.

Qatar's Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani also said the two sides were "close to reaching an agreement," as points of contention that remained were "very minor."

White House deputy national security adviser Jon Finer told CBS News that "many areas of difference that previously existed" in the negotiations "have been narrowed."

Earlier, U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said negotiators were "getting close to the end" on the release of hostages but declined to offer details.

"I know that everybody's interested in the numbers and who they're going to be. We're working that through literally in real time with both sides. So, I think it's better if I just don't speculate about what that pool is going to look like," Kirby told reporters Monday.

He said the administration was working especially hard to get American citizens released immediately but did not say whether any would be among those included in the truce agreement.

"Obviously, we are laser-focused on the American citizens that we know are being held hostage and we want them out, all of them. Everybody should be out now," Kirby said.

Asked whether he thought they were still alive, he said he had no reason to think otherwise.
Three people were arrested and charged in New Hampshire on Monday after a building was vandalized and damaged during a pro-Palestinian protest.

The demonstration was held at the property of a defense manufacturing facility whose parent company is based in Israel, according to The Laconia Daily Sun.

Sophie Marika Ross, 22, Cala Mairead Walsh, 19, and Bridget Irene Shergalis, 27, were charged with riot, sabotage, criminal mischief, criminal trespass and disorderly conduct. All three were held on preventative detention.

Merrimack police responded just before 8 a.m. on Monday to calls from employees at Elbit System on Daniel Webster Highway reporting protesters blocking the driveway and multiple people on the roof. The Merrimack Fire Department was also dispatched because of a report of smoke coming from the roof.

NEW HAMPSHIRE FATAL SHOOTING PROMPTS SHELTER-IN-PLACE ORDER

At the location, officers found several pro-Palestinian protesters blocking the driveway. The demonstrators eventually departed the roadway, so officers could access the property.

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After meeting with security, officers learned the front of the building had been spray-painted red, windows had been smashed and at least one of the main lobby doors had been locked shut with a bicycle anti-theft device.

Three people also managed to access the roof, police said.

NEW HAMPSHIRE PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL SHOOTING LEAVES 2 DEAD, INCLUDING ALLEGED GUNMAN

A group of officers accessed the roof and arrested Ross, Walsh and Shergalis without incident. Ross and Walsh are from Massachusetts while Shergalis is from Connecticut.

Police said evidence from the scene suggests the smoke was caused by an incendiary device, which was similar to the ones found on one of the suspects. Officers also found additional damage on the roof, including more spray-painting, smashed skylights and damage to HVAC equipment.

The FBI is assisting Merrimack police with the investigation.





Original article source: New Hampshire police arrest 3 pro-Palestinian protesters after building damaged at Israeli-owned company
Simply banning abortion, for some conservatives, isnt enough. So in April, Idaho became the first state to pass an abortion travel ban, also known by its proponents as the abortion trafficking law. The law criminalizes helping a minor to obtain an abortion out of state; combined with Idahos near-total ban on abortion, this makes abortion nearly inaccessible for people under 18. Late last month, reports appeared stating that Idaho had seen its first abortion trafficking arrest, after the mother of a 15-year-old girl in Bannock County accused her daughters boyfriend and his mother of taking the girl across state lines for an abortion without the girls mothers consent. Although the abortion travel ban was in the process of being challenged in court at that time, the law remained in effect. To some, it looked like the abortion criminalization machine was revving up, courts be damned. But now its clear that some of the facts in the case were misreported. Instead of being a clear-cut first abortion trafficking case, this now looks like a better example of the frightening uncertainty of the post-Roe worldand why that uncertainty presents a very real threat to abortion rights.

The Bannock County case began in June when a mother made a report to police, resulting in the October arrests of another mother and her son. Based on the criminal complaint, prosecutors charged that the accused had [led], take[n], or entice[d] away the minor involved, who is 15, with intent to keep or conceal her from her mother, by transporting the child out of the state for the purpose of obtaining an abortion. The official charge listed in the complaintwhich I obtained with a public records requestis kidnapping, not so-called abortion trafficking.

While charging documents cannot convey the full facts of a criminal case, they do indicate what criminal charges prosecutors have decided to use. But feminist author Jessica Valenti on October 31 nevertheless dubbed the case Idahos first abortion trafficking arrest in her Abortion. Every Day. newsletter, speculating that prosecutors decision to charge with kidnapping rather than abortion trafficking should be understood as a semantic strategy and that it may have something to do with the fact that the law is being challenged. Furthermore, Valenti wrote, prosecutors used the exact language of the trafficking law in the kidnapping charge.

While we cannot rule out the possibility that prosecutors had the motivations Valenti suggested, this last claim wasnt true: The abortion trafficking language (18-623 in the state criminal code) was not used, but rather the states charge of kidnapping in the second degree (18-4501). This error was quickly pointed out by Idaho-based national reproductive rights reporter Kelcie Moseley-Morris. The reporter who broke the original story, Shelbie Harris, also subsequently addressed what she called misconceptions surrounding this case, such as the claims about so-called abortion trafficking: When she followed up with Bannock County Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Erin Tognetti, the prosecutor responded that the trafficking law was not implicated in this case. But Valentis version of events circulated much more quickly and further than any of this local reportingall before the defendants appeared in court for their preliminary hearings. I reached out to Valenti via email several times over the last week, asking about these issues, but did not hear back by publication.

In the criminal complaints in this case (i.e., the list of charges against each defendant), Tognetti, the prosecutor, stated that the purpose of the alleged kidnapping was for an abortion. Arguably, this decision, alongside the states unusual abortion trafficking law, left the door open for some uncertaintywas this a stealth abortion travel ban case? But then, in her few comments on the case, the prosecutor also maintained that the abortion is not an element of the charged offense. That in turn opened the door for Bannock County Chief Public Defender David Martinez, who is representing both defendants, to file a motion to strike mention of abortion from the criminal complaints. The prosecutor kind of made that an issue by including that, said Martinez. The insertion of an overtly political argument in the complaint serves no legal purpose and should be struck, the motion stated.

On its heels but seemingly unrelatedly, the week after Martinez filed his motion in the kidnapping case, there was a development in the state-level challenge to the abortion travel ban, the so-called abortion trafficking law: A judge blocked all enforcement of it by a temporary restraining order while the state-level challenge regarding the constitutionality of the ban proceeds. As U.S. Magistrate Judge Debora K. Grasham wrote in her decision, the state cannot craft a law muzzling the speech and expressive activities of a particular viewpoint with which the state disagrees under the guise of parental rights. Kelly ONeill, an attorney at Legal Voice, the group representing those who brought the challenge, told me that they are confident that this is the step in the right direction for finding this law unconstitutional.

So whats actually going on in this alleged kidnapping case? Valenti could be right that the prosecutor decided not to charge the mother and son defendants under the abortion travel ban as a way to hedge against the possible temporary restraining order on the bans enforcementsomething she called a pretty slick move, allowing prosecutors to charge the two with abortion trafficking without citing the statute specifically. But she was incorrect about something she claimed to support that argument: Prosecutors had, in fact, not used the exact language of the trafficking law in the criminal complaint, but the language of the kidnapping law.

So far in this case, we only have the polices side of the story, one in which they make claims about drug use, consent, and abortion that are impossible to verify right nowcertainly not at the speed of newsletters. The plain reading of the available documents from local law enforcement, as well as the prosecutors direct statement to a reporter, is that the Idaho Abortion Trafficking statute is not implicated in this case. That may not be the whole story. We may never have the whole story.

Given all that, whats the problem with reporting this case as though it is the first abortion trafficking case? Quite simply, it doesnt appear to be an abortion trafficking case, not yet, maybe not ever. Despite that, the understandable fear and anger that resulted from casting the case that way grew larger than the facts. Spreading that fear and anger can help do the work of reproductive freedom opponents for them, by making abortion access seem even risker, possibly dissuading people from getting an abortion. People needing an abortion may hear that the abortion trafficking law was used, and go no further. The readers of a viral story may not know how even the few available facts of the case contradict the claim that the abortion travel ban was used. They may not know that the law is temporarily blocked.

Thats not to say that there isnt reason to fear prosecutors using these laws in underhand ways. As research from reproductive justice groups like If/When/How and Pregnancy Justice has found, prosecutors may use other charges that dont explicitly mention abortionlike the way that Kenlissia Jones was charged in Georgia with malice murder after taking misoprostol in 2015, even with the protections of Roeto effectively criminalize someone for abortion without it making headlines as an abortion case.

What we do know with certainty in a case like this is that the criminal legal system is already difficult enough to extract facts from, even with responsible, thorough reporting. Layer on top of that the at-times misleading, even if well-intended coverage of abortion after Roe, along with the ensuing public conversation, and we have a near-perfect environment in which myths speed ahead of realities.

The truth is that whatever firsts we may hear of in the post-Roe era, abortion criminalization did not begin in late June 2022. When existing risks are reported as new onesrisks that abortion rights defenders have been navigating well for yearsit makes it harder to understand what has changed. It can also serve as free public relations work for anti-abortion groups, who want people fearful of having an abortion, fearful of helping anyone have an abortion. If only in consideration of the stakes for the people involved in the casethe defendants, the girl they allegedly harmedthis tense post-Roe moment is one in which we should proceed with an appreciation of the power that storytelling can have.
What will it take for Ron DeSantis to denounced all antisemitic incidents?

If its coming from the left, the governor is outspoken, in particular about Jewish Americans frightened by threats on college campuses. When antisemitism comes from the far corners of the right, DeSantis appears inconvenienced when asked for his reaction.

When asked this week about Elon Musks endorsement of an antisemitic conspiracy theory, DeSantis wrapped himself into a pretzel to avoid giving a straight answer on a controversy that caused companies such as Apple and IBM to cut advertising spending on Musks social media platform X, formerly Twitter. This looks like a reprise of DeSantis inability to rebuke neo-Nazis who marched near Orlando last year.

Musk agreed with a post that accused Jewish people facing bigotry in the aftermath of the Hamas attacks in Israel of pushing the exact kind of dialectical hatred against whites that they claim to want people to stop using against them.

Im deeply disinterested in giving the tiniest [expletive] now about western Jewish populations coming to the disturbing realization that those hordes of minorities that support flooding their country dont exactly like them too much the post read.

Musk replied: You have said the actual truth.

DeSantis told CNN anchor Jake Tapper on Sunday he hadnt seen Musks comment, but Elon has had a target on his back ever since he purchased Twitter because I think hes taking it into direction that a lot of people who are used to controlling the narrative dont like.

Tapper then explained the post, which makes reference to a conspiracy theory that Jews are behind an effort to replace white Americans with minorities. Known as the Replacement Theory, it fueled the man who killed 11 worshipers at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018.

Since Musk purchased X with the promise to ease content moderation, the site has experienced a spike in hateful speech and misinformation, the New York Times reported. English-language antisemitic posts more than doubled under Musks watch, according to a study by the Institute of Strategic Dialogue.

For DeSantis to defend Musk while boasting about major legislation in Florida to combat antisemitism on college campuses is the highest form of hypocrisy.

Hiding behind the shield of free speech, Musk enables and elevates hate. But he has served DeSantis anti-woke agenda well. The governor even launched his presidential campaign on X, a botched unveiling filled with technical glitches.

We dont believe DeSantis doesnt see antisemitism as a problem. He has, after all, signed legislation to fight the issue and has been a longtime ally of Israel. But DeSantis stronger instincts are deep partisanship and division, even if its to the detriment of speaking up against bigotry thats been on the rise since the Oct. 7 attacks.

After Tapper pressed him, DeSantis said antisemitism is wrong no matter what, and I dont think that weve seen antisemitism this bad in the world, probably since the Second World War.

The problem is, under DeSantis logic, antisemitism isnt as bad when it comes from his side of the aisle.

On the left, [antisemitism] tends to be attached to some major institutional power, like some of our most august universities, whereas I think, on the right, it tends to be, you know, more fringe voices that are doing it, DeSantis said.

Musk, considered the wealthiest person in the world, has almost 164 million followers on X. Hes far from fringe. So is the rapper Ye  Kanye West  who went on an antisemitic tirade on X last year, or the white supremacists who marched in the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, carrying burning torches and shouting Jews will not replace us.

To be clear, the right isnt the only one with a problem. Some far-left groups have expressed support for Hamas, and U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a prominent progressive from Michigan, recently defended the use of a phrase also used by Hamas that many Jews consider a call for Israels destruction.

In this polarized country, its tempting to wield accusations of bigotry to attack political opponents. Politicians must speak out when hatred is coming from their side, as more than 20 congressional Democrats  four from South Florida  did when they voted with Republicans to censure Tlaib over her remarks.

By contrast, DeSantis squandered what should have been a softball question from CNN. He chose instead to rationalize what should never be rationalized. For an aspiring president, it shouldnt be so difficult to resolutely denounce what is wrong.

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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Ahead of a Harney County judges decision on whether Measure 114 follows Oregons constitution, state defendants responded to plaintiffs First Request for Admissions.

In the lawsuit, plaintiffs Joseph Arnold, Cliff Asmussen, Gun Owners of America, Inc., and Gun Owners Foundation filed two points to support their case in the Request for Admissions, asking the defendants to agree to their arguments.

The first point under the plaintiffs admission was for defendants to admit that the FBI has informed Defendant that it will not perform fingerprint-based criminal background checks for permit to purchase applicants, court documents say.

Portlands Holiday Express returns; new historic engine expected in 2024

The second request asks the defendants to admit that the FBI has informed Defendant that the FBI has determined that Ballot Measure 114 does not meet the requirements of Pub. L. 92-544

Defendants Gov. Tina Kotek, Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, and Oregon State Police Superintendent Casey Codding objected to the two requests for admission, according to court documents filed Nov. 10.

The court filings come as Harney County Circuit Court tells KOIN 6 News Judge Robert Raschio will issue his ruling Tuesday afternoon.

Protesters prompt Hollywood Library closure Sunday

A federal judge has already determined that Measure 114 is constitutional on the federal level. However, the law has not gone into effect because it has been held up by state legal challenges.

Measure 114 was approved by voters in November 2022 and requires a permit to buy a gun, bans large capacity magazines holding more than 10 rounds and requires a completed background check.

The plaintiffs argue Measure 114 violates the state constitution regarding gun ownership rights  arguing that the 30-day window a permit to process prohibits someone from their right to access a gun. They also argue that the magazine limit prohibits self-defense.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
A Columbia University history professor called the terrorist attack on Israeli citizens Oct. 7 awesome. A Cornell University student has been accused of making vile, antisemitic threats against Jewish students. In the meantime, his mother defended her son as a kind and helpful person. Jewish students at Cooper Union in New York City had to be locked in a library for their safety during a protest. A law professor at the University of California at Berkeley advised future employers to not hire some of his students due to their virulent antisemitic views.

How did we get this point? Whos to blame? And most importantly, how do we right the ship?

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Most certainly, social media have exacerbated the issue. Too much unsubstantiated information, along with the ability to hide behind an electronic device spewing unequivocal hatred, is most certainly a culprit. Moreover, public education has also played a role. While claiming to promote equity and inclusion, schools have instead molded narrow-minded, callous students by not teaching and celebrating cultural and religious differences.

Finally, its the parents who ultimately bear the burden of blame. Instead of forging a moral foundation in their children based on mutual respect, kindness and tolerance, many parents have instilled a sense of entitlement while ignoring or excusing abhorrent behavior or disturbing views. Parents need to model and facilitate positive values in their children. Furthermore, they need to work collaboratively with schools and their childs teachers. Conversely, schools need to teach students to respect different cultures and religions. Knowledge promotes toleration and empathy. Also, schools must do a better job teaching students to be open to diverse opinions. Children need to understand that Its OK to agree to disagree.

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Also, parents and schools together must sternly monitor the use of technology and overexposure to social media. A reduction of time spent on electronic devices would facilitate healthier and more emotionally well-adjusted children.

The task is great but not insurmountable. Failure to act is quite frankly not an option.

 Lawrence E. Bonk, Roselle

Why we call for a cease-fire

Jay Tcath opens his op-ed with a false equivalency (A cease-fire would reward Hamas and advance its brutal strategy, Nov. 14). He compares the call for an Israeli (and American, thank you, taxpayers) cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war with the imagining of an American cease-fire after the 9/11 attacks. Even though Israel has admittedly dropped more than 6,000 bombs on Gaza and killed more than 11,000 Palestinians, according to the health ministry in Gaza, Tcath goes on to envision an unrelated scenario in which America is engaged in the same strategy  bombing a city to rubble in which America has imprisoned a population as a ham-handed tactic to take down some terrorists along with countless innocent residents  and is then directed to stop the carnage for evacuation of some of the citizenry so it can then continue to level the city. I would say if that had been the case, then I would vote for saving some children from war and terror.

Lets review the carnage resulting from the losing military strategy Israel has taken with the terrorist organization Hamas since 2008. Approximately 18,600 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and the West Bank, according to data collected by CNBC, and more than 183,000 wounded, according to United Nations data. Hamas aggressions have resulted in approximately 1,500 Israeli deaths and 11,700 injuries during this time.

Hamas purportedly receives an estimated $100 million annually in funding from a global network of supporters while U.S. military aid to Israel amounts to more than $3 billion annually. The ugly statistics defining these ongoing conflicts are indicative of a far more powerful Israel.

I have questions. Why is Israel still combating Hamas so ineffectively as to slaughter thousands upon thousands of innocents? Where are the special ops, the intelligence experts? Does Israel actually know the location of those who were abducted or is it OK to bury them in the rubble, too?

We are tired of Palestinians in Gaza being equated with Hamas, thus deserving their fate, even when theyre infants and toddlers. The majority of us calling for a cease-fire are not pro-Hamas; we are not antisemitic or anti-Israel.

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We are pro-peace.

 Bethia Sheean-Wallace, Morton Grove

The actions Hamas is taking

You hear a lot about the actions taken by Israel and a lot about the suffering of the people in Gaza, but I seem to hear nothing about the continuing actions of Hamas. If the Hamas fighters laid down their weapons and came out of their hiding places with their hands up, the war would be over, Israel wound stop fighting, there would be no additional suffering of the people in Gaza and the hostages would be released.

The future actions of Israelis will be dictated by the action Hamas takes now.

 Martin Schranz, Homewood

Voters leanings in presidential race

Recently released polls show Donald Trump and President Joe Biden are even in the presidential race, with Trump actually leading by a few points in many battleground states. This means that about half the country would vote for Trump if the election were held right now.

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Chicago Tribune Opinion Weekdays Read the latest editorials and commentary curated by the Tribune Opinion team. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy >

It is disturbing and unfathomable that even though Trump has vowed to root out the radical-left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country and is planning to turn the presidency into a dictatorship, half the voters are OK with this. Either they are unaware of what Trump is actually saying, or they dont care, neither of which is acceptable. Age notwithstanding, it is clear that sanity, stability and integrity are characteristics that are not important to about half the voters in America.

We voters need to be as well-informed as we can be, and it is our responsibility to get our information and news from a variety of sources. As saddened and deeply disappointed as I am that so many people are willing to support a former president who is under numerous indictments and spews dangerous rhetoric, I have to accept that we are a democracy, and voters get to decide who is elected.

But we all should be very afraid and profoundly grieving for our country if Trump is elected to a second term.

 Judy Weik, Oak Park

Join the conversation in our Letters to the Editor Facebook group.

Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.
A co-defendant in Donald Trump's Georgia election fraud case can remain free until trial, a judge has ruled, rejecting a plea that he be jailed for an alleged "pattern of intimidation".

Prosecutors wanted bail revoked for Harrison Floyd, ex-head of Black Voices for Trump, over his social media posts.

Judge Scott McAfee ruled that Mr Floyd did technically violate his bond, but said the deal should be modified.

Mr Floyd and the ex-US president are among 19 who were charged in the case.

On Tuesday, Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee said that Mr Floyd's bond agreement should be updated to reflect the "nuances of social media".

"I think the ultimate result of today's hearing is that it's very clear to me that this bond needs to be modified," he said.

Lawyers for Mr Floyd, 39, argued that prosecutors were trying to silence his freedom of speech. They said their client would willingly "tone it down" if the judge asked him to do so.

He was initially jailed following his arrest in August, but released after five days when a judge granted him bail.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, a Democrat, personally argued in court on Tuesday that Mr Floyd's tweets were a "disgusting" violation of the bail bond and that he should be sent back to jail.

"It is unfair to those witnesses," Ms Willis said. "And there are real consequences for allowing defendants to intimidate witnesses."

In one social media post, Mr Floyd directly mentioned individuals related to the case, including Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, his office's chief operating officer Gabe Sterling and Fulton County poll worker Ruby Freeman, saying they were "the pieces of [poo emoji] you should be mad at".

Ms Willis said Mr Floyd's posts had caused Ms Freeman to be subjected to "renewed threats of violence".

Von DuBose, a lawyer for Ms Freeman, testified that both the poll worker and her daughter - Shaye Moss, another poll worker - had hired someone to monitor threats against them online.

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Mr Sterling also testified in court. When asked by Ms Willis if he enjoyed being called "a piece of fecal matter", he replied: "No, ma'am."

Ms Willis also presented text messages in court from a co-defendant, Jenna Ellis, in which she said Mr Floyd's social media posts were an attempt to "intimidate and harass" her.

She pleaded guilty last month to lesser charges in a deal with prosecutors.

Mr Floyd's charges stem from allegations that he arranged a meeting with Ms Freeman, in which she was threatened and pressured to respond to unfounded accusations that she was involved in voter fraud.

He was charged along with Mr Trump and the other co-defendants for alleged efforts to overturn the former president's 2020 election loss in the state.

Mr Trump has pleaded not guilty in the case. However, four others - ex-Trump lawyers Kenneth Chesebro, Sidney Powell and Ms Ellis, and bail bondsman Scott Hall - have admitted guilt in plea deals.
A man who was caught with images containing "horrifying" abuse of young children and babies has been jailed.

Lee Dennison, 48, of Furness Street, Hartlepool, was jailed for eight years at Teesside Crown Court.

Cleveland Police welcomed the sentence and said he had shown "no remorse" for his actions.

Dennison admitted two counts of making an indecent photograph of a child and breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

He had almost 1,000 indecent images and tried to hide devices from the police.

Det Con Carl Middleton from the Sex Offender Management Unit said: "Crimes of this nature are unforgiveable, and the children shown in the images Dennison was accessing were subject to the most horrifying ordeals."

Follow BBC Tees on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.
A Colorado judge ruled that Donald Trump engaged in insurrection during the January 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol, but decided that this would not prevent the former president from appearing on the state's primary ballot.

The lawsuit, which was brought by watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington on behalf of a group of Republican and independent voters, sought to disqualify Trump from Colorados 2024 ballot under the 14th Amendments insurrection clause. The plaintiffs argued that Trump is ineligible to hold office again under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which disqualifies anyone who engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the Constitution.

While Denver District Judge Sarah Wallace found that Trump acted with the specific intent to disrupt the Electoral College certification of President Bidens electoral victory through unlawful means, and found that Trump incited an insurrection on January 6, 2021, she ruled his efforts wouldnt keep him off the states primary ballot.

Wallace determined that Section 3 does not apply to Trump because, although it mentions individuals who are an "officer of the United States," it does not explicitly include the presidency. Instead, the clause refers to elector of President and Vice President, along with civil and military offices.

The judge wrote those who wrote Section 3 did not intend to include the President as an officer of the United States although she acknowledged that the amendments provision technically applied to those who swear an oath to support the Constitution. Notably, the oath Trump took after his election in 2016 was to "preserve, protect, and defend" the Constitution, The Washington Post reported.

Section 3 by its terms covers every Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, and any office, civil or military, under the United States, longtime Harvard constitutional law scholar Laurence Tribe told Salon. In my view, and that of nearly every other expert in this field, any means ANY, and there is no genuine ambiguity about the presidency being an office . . . under the United States, as the Constitution elsewhere makes clear and as Mr. Trump has himself conceded in other courts on other occasions.

So there is no genuine ambiguity, but instead an opportunity for lawyers to make mischief by exploiting the oversight of the Fourteenth Amendment's authors who assumed certain principles would be universally understood, he argued.

As Judge Wallace herself conceded in footnote 18 of her opinion, excluding the president would seem to be preposterous, Tribe said. The reason it would seem preposterous is that is exactly that. To exempt the one office that most clearly needs to be included if the Constitution is to be protected against attempted insurrections and rebellions by those with the potential to succeed is, of course, the highest office in the land and the one in which the greatest power is reposed.

Wallace issued the ruling a week and a half after the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled Trump could not be removed from the primary ballot in that state. In Michigan, a judge arrived at a similar conclusion just three days prior to Wallace's ruling.

CREW celebrated the ruling for determining Trump incited the insurrection and said they would appeal to the Colorado Supreme Court.

The courts decision affirms what our clients alleged in this lawsuit: that Donald Trump engaged in insurrection based on his role in January 6th, CREW President Noah Bookbinder said in a statement. We are proud to have brought this historic case and know we are right on the facts and right on the law.

If the Colorado Supreme Court agrees with the insurrection aspect but disagrees with the trial court's exception for the presidency, Trump may be removed from the Colorado primary ballot unless he persuades the U.S. Supreme Court to grant discretionary review, or certiorari, which it would likely do, Tribe explained.

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Whichever way the U.S. Supreme Court rules will set a national precedent binding throughout the country, Tribe said. If, on the other hand, the Colorado Supreme Court upholds the trial courts exemption of the presidency, then the U.S. Supreme Court is likely to disregard whatever the Colorado Supreme Court says about the trial courts ruling as to insurrection because any such statement by the highest court of Colorado wont affect its bottom line if it ends up agreeing with the somewhat bizarre ruling of the trial court that Mr. Trump gets an exemption from the Disqualification Clause on the theory that the presidency isnt an office under the United States or that, if it is, the slightly different wording of the presidential oath takes it outside the ambit of the Disqualification Clause, an equally preposterous supposition.

The recent ruling by the Colorado district court is the first fully reasoned judicial examination of the Disqualification Clause, exploring its meaning and scope, he added. It delves into whether Trump violated his oath to the Constitution by inciting a violent insurrection, and did so in a way that was not protected by the First Amendment.

[The ruling] is bound to reshape the broader conversation around the legal consequences not just of the events of January 6 but of the entire plot to overturn the elections lawful results, a plot that is central both to the four-count federal indictment of Mr. Trump in DC and the multi-count RICO indictment of Mr. Trump and numerous co-conspirators in Atlanta, Tribe said.
The 360 shows you diverse perspectives on the days top stories and debates.

Whats happening

In the nearly 50 years since the Endangered Species Act was enacted, the law has been credited with preventing hundreds of plants and animals from disappearing forever. But that doesnt mean it hasnt been controversial.

The act has sparked some major legal fights and has been blamed for billions of dollars in lost economic development. Even some environmentalists believe it hasnt actually been very effective and is poorly designed to address the changing threats that are driving species toward extinction.

The success of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) depends on how you measure it. Some iconic animal species that were once on the brink of extinction  including the bald eagle and American alligator  have recovered to the point that they are no longer considered under threat. But those creatures are the exception. The overwhelming majority of the 1,600-plus plants and animals that have been added to the endangered list over the years are still on it, meaning their survival is still at risk.

Climate change has also shifted the conversation in ways that Congress could not have envisioned when it passed the ESA five decades ago. Habitat destruction, pollution and toxic pesticides, combined with the effects of rising global temperatures, now lead some scientists to believe as many as 1 million species worldwide could be at imminent risk of extinction.

Why theres debate

Most people support the idea of saving species, but there is intense debate over whether the approach the U.S. has used for the past 50 years is the right way to accomplish that goal.

Under the ESA, strict rules can be put in place to protect a habitat when an endangered species is found there. Conservatives have long argued that these restrictions not only stifle economic growth, but also harm the cause of protecting wildlife by creating a massive incentive for private landowners to keep these species off their property. They say a better system would reward people who nurture endangered animals on their land.

Many critics also say the ESA is far too broad when it comes to the types of species it protects. While grizzlies and bald eagles are the face of the law, a huge share of the species currently listed for protection are things like insects, tiny fish, and mussels whose value is dismissed by these critics.

Environmentalists argue that Americas anti-extinction laws are much too weak. They often refer to the ESA as the emergency room of extinction, meaning species must already be in a state of crisis by the time theyre afforded any real protections. Many ecologists believe the U.S. and the world need a more proactive strategy that safeguards wildlife before its on the cusp of vanishing.

Whats next

The future of the ESA could depend on the next presidential election. Former President Donald Trump sought to significantly roll back the scope of the law and would presumably try again if he regained the presidency. President Biden has been a consistent defender of the ESA since taking office.

Perspectives

We need to start protecting species before theyre in crisis

It's cheapest and easiest to conserve species before they decline to the point where they're in danger of extinction. So what we really need is to extend the safety net beyond the Endangered Species Act.  Robert Fischman, environmental law professor at Indiana University, to PBS NewsHour

Current law makes landowners and wildlife adversaries  they should be allies

If property owners knew there would be a little extra money associated with finding an endangered species, theyd make their land more hospitable to the species and help in its recovery. As it stands, the act puts the well-being of humans in opposition to endangered species and creates perverse incentives that hinder recovery efforts.  Dominic Pino, National Review

Lets be honest, not every species is worth saving

Virtually everyone envisioned the law protecting bald eagles and manatees, not halting infrastructure builds or slowing economic development in the name of slimy invertebrates or obscure fish.  Tate Watkins, Reason

Species protection cant come at the expense of fighting climate change

Sometimes we need to intrude into the critical habitat of an endangered species if that habitat is where we need to put our wind farms, solar arrays, transmission lines to carry the power or the mines to extract essential minerals for the manufacture of the new clean energy equipment.  Because if we dont make this choice, far more birds, bats and much else will die from the ravages of climate change.  Michael B. Gerrard, Columbia University environmental and energy law professor

Our laws dont actually address the real reasons wildlife is being pushed to the brink

The U.S. is far emptier of wildlife sights and sounds than it was 50 years ago, primarily because habitatforests, grasslands, rivers  has been relentlessly appropriated for human purposes. The ESA was never designed to stop that trend, any more than it is equipped to deal with the next massive threat to wildlife: climate change.  Robert Kunzig, Scientific American

Our strategy is fine, it just needs more money

The Endangered Species Act aint broke and needs no fixing, just more funding to get the job done.  Roy Jacobs and Bill Cunningham, Billings Gazette

The No. 1 goal right now is defending the ESA from conservative attacks

The ESA is the hero our wildlife deserves, and the American public on both sides of the aisle are overwhelmingly giving rave reviews for the protections it provides. Yet, despite the popularity of the ESA, anti-environment lawmakers in Congress are still on a mission to gut it.  Katie Hobbs, Natural Resources Defense Council

Humans need to realize that saving animals really means saving ourselves

Though we treat conservation as an altruistic pursuit  a special interest championed by a passionate few  its also a selfish cause. We should approach conservation not as an opportunity for heroics, but as an obligation to the relationships we depend on for survival.  Michelle Nijhuis, New York Times
Contrary to some recent media reports, Ukraine is not experiencing shortages in any group of pharmaceuticals, the Healthcare Ministry said in a statement on Nov. 21.

Read also: Parliamentary committee clears medial cannabis bill

The ministry's press service reports that Ukrainian citizens have been targeted by mass emails spreading false information about a drug shortage and encouraging the use of traditional remedies instead of proven medications. These messages, allegedly coming from the ministry, suggest that the shortage has arisen due to Ukraine's refusal of Russian and Belarusian medical products and complications in logistics.

"The Healthcare Ministry declares that this information is false and part of a hostile information and psychological operation; currently, there is no shortage of any group of medications in the pharmacy networks," the message said.

It further noted that all medications are being supplied to pharmacies from both Ukrainian and foreign pharmaceutical companies, except for those from Russia and Belarus.

Read also: Volunteer fighter crawls to medical unit after tripping enemy mine, loses leg

Moreover, according to their data, there is no shortage of medications in medical institutions either. Each hospital has formed a reserve of medicines necessary for quality and free treatment of patients.

Ukrainian pharmaceutical manufacturers continue to operate, and Ukraine also receives medications from leading global producers, the ministry adds.

Read also: Russia has destroyed almost 200 of Ukraines medical facilities, damaged almost 1,500 more

There is no shortage or potential shortage of medical supplies.

The statement also emphasized that no "traditional remedies" can replace comprehensive treatment and are insufficiently studied in terms of safety and effectiveness.

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
CHICAGO - A man was killed during a drive-by shooting Tuesday morning in the Heart of Chicago neighborhood.

The 24-year-old was getting out of a car around 1 a.m. when a black SUV pulled up and someone inside started shooting in the 2300 block of West 18th Place, police said.

He was shot nine time throughout the body and was transported to Mount Sinai Hospital where he was pronounced dead a short time later, police said. His identity has not yet been released by the Cook County medical examiner's office.

There is no one in custody. Area Three detectives are investigating.
Walmart officials have released their first statement following a shooting at their Beavercreek store.

>>UPDATE: Dayton man identified as Walmart mass shooter, 4 still hospitalized

Were heartbroken by whats happened at our Beavercreek, Ohio store. This remains a developing situation, and were working closely with investigators on the scene, a spokesperson said in a statement to News Center 7.

>> I-TEAM: FBI search Dayton home linked to Beavercreek Walmart mass shooter

As weve reported, the shooting was reported around 8:30 p.m. at the store on Pentagon Blvd. on Monday.

>> RELATED: At least 1 dead, 3 injured after shooting at Beavercreek Walmart

The Greene County Coroners Office is on the scene.

At least three people were injured and taken to Soin Medical Center, a Kettering Health spokesperson confirmed.

>> PHOTOS: Large Police Presence called to Beavercreek Walmart

We have multiple crews on the scene and will continue to provide updates.
Heather Rogers, KC: Deborah Lipstadt praised her 'uncanny ability to put her hands on the precise document at precisely the right time' - Alamy

Heather Rogers, KC, who has died from a pulmonary embolism aged 64, was one of the most talented media and defamation lawyers of her generation and appeared in a string of high profile cases, most memorably as junior defence counsel to Richard Rampton (her longtime friend and mentor) in the Lipstadt/Irving libel trial in 2000.

In her book Denying the Holocaust (1993), the American historian Deborah Lipstadt had called the English author David Irving one of the most dangerous spokespersons for Holocaust denial. Choosing to represent himself at the High Court trial after suing Lipstadt and her publishers Penguin for libel, Irving got himself into several spectacular tangles, once inadvertently addressing the judge, Sir Charles Gray, as Mein Fuhrer during his closing submissions, prompting gasps of disbelief from the rest of the courtroom.

Grays devastating judgment against Irving was based on Heather Rogerss synthesis of the historical evidence and was widely considered a tour de force, destroying Irvings credibility as a historian of the Third Reich and leaving him with a 2 million bill for costs.

David Irving ducking eggs as he arrives at the High Court to hear the verdict in his libel case - MARTYN HAYHOW

In her subsequent account of the case, History on Trial (2005), which was later made into the film Denial (written by David Hare), Deborah Lipstadt paid tribute to Rogerss down-to-earth, no-nonsense quality; her calm but determined manner and evident empathy; and her uncanny ability to put her hands on the precise document at precisely the right time.

The films focus could never be Rogerss painstaking and vitally important analysis of the documents but the outcome of the case (and indeed of all her cases) was always far more important to her than any credit she might or might not receive.

Heather Rogers was born on June 3 1959 in Wolverhampton, where her father George worked as a carpenter and her mother Olga (nee Ingram) as a secretary. After Wolverhampton Girls High School she read Law at the London School of Economics, graduating with a First.

Inspired to become a barrister by watching TV courtroom dramas and determined to fight for truth and justice, she later came top of her year in her Bar exams with what was said to be the highest ever mark.

Called to the Bar in 1983, she was taken on as a tenant at Dr Johnsons Buildings, where she had been Geoffrey Robertsons first pupil, before moving in 1985 to 10 South Square, the set now known as 5RB. There would be several more moves between leading media sets in the years to come.

In 2000 she was one of the founders of Matrix Chambers, where she stayed until she joined Doughty Street Chambers in 2009, then 1 Brick Court (Richard Ramptons set) in 2015, and when that set folded in 2019 she returned to Doughty Street, where she remained.

Heather Rogers as a junior, when she was 'the skilful pen behind many a libel silks sword', according to George Carman's son and biographer Dominic - Matrix Chambers

A specialist in libel defence work, Rogers cut her teeth as a young barrister working as an in-house lawyer on Robert Maxwells London Daily News. Her pre-publication advice was considered second to none.

In 1988 she apologised to the Queen on behalf of the Sun newspaper for publishing a leaked royal family photograph of Princess Beatrice and agreed that it would pay 100,000 to four charities chosen by the Queen in settlement of the case.

She was junior counsel to notable QCs such as George Carman  whose son and biographer Dominic Carman later described her as the skilful pen behind many a libel silks sword  and Charles Gray, who led her in the case of Derbyshire County Council v Times Newspapers (1993), in which the House of Lords ruled that governmental bodies can not sue for libel as they should be open to uninhibited public criticism.

Gray also led Heather Rogers in Esther Rantzen v Mirror Group (1994), in which they succeeded in getting the damages awarded reduced from 250,000 to 110,000, and in Elton John v Mirror Group (1997), in which the Court of Appeal said it was legitimate to draw juries attention to standard tariff awards in personal injuries cases as a means of limiting the size of libel awards.

Led by Carman defending Mohammed Al Fayed against Neil Hamilton, it was Heather Rogers who devised the famous characterisation of Hamilton as being on the make and on the take.

Christine and Neil Hamilton, the former MP for Tatton, arriving at the High Court to hear Mohammed Al Fayed finish his evidence, 2000 - Rob Bodman

Obeying the Bars cab rank rule, she occasionally acted for libel plaintiffs, appearing as junior counsel to Richard Rampton for George Galloway in his successful action against the Telegraph in 2006 over reports that had been in the pay of Saddam Hussein. And she was led by John Kelsey-Fry for Roman Polanski in his successful case against Conde Nast over an article in Vanity Fair claiming he had tried to seduce a Scandinavian model on his way to Sharon Tates funeral by claiming he could make her another Sharon Tate.

In 2003 Heather Rogers again found herself in the media spotlight as counsel to the journalist Andrew Gilligan at the Hutton Inquiry, set up to establish the circumstances surrounding the death of David Kelly, the former UN weapons inspector in Iraq who committed suicide after being named as Gilligans source for his BBC Today programme report that the government had sexed up the dossier into Iraq and its weapons of mass destruction.

After taking Silk in 2006, Rogers defended the Sunday Times over allegations that the cyclist Lance Armstrong had cheated by taking performance enhancing drugs, an unusual case in which damages were paid to the plaintiff but later returned after he confessed his guilt.

In 2010 she was the co-architect of Lord Lesters draft Defamation Bill, which was hailed by the government as the most significant driver of reform and which greatly informed the subsequent Defamation Act (2013).

More recently she had acted for the nephews of Sir Frederick Barclay over allegations that they had planted listening devices to spy on him and his daughter at the Ritz hotel, and for the Media Lawyers Association in Serafin v Malkiewicz, the Supreme Court case which confirmed the reduced burden on journalists advancing a public interest defence to publication, as introduced by the Defamation Act.

She had been due to represent the Stonewall trustee Simon Blake and the drag artist Crystal (Colin Seymour) in their libel action against the actor and political activist Laurence Fox over his tweets calling them paedophiles and his counterclaims against them for describing him as a racist.

Heather Rogerss clarity of expression and ability to make the right point at the right time made her highly effective when speaking on her feet, when she was apt to kick off her shoes beneath the table, out of sight of the judge.

Ferociously clever but also notably warm, kind, generous and unpretentious, she enjoyed the arts, literature, theatre and music, but, always loyal to her working class roots, preferred Greggs to Pret a Manger and was as happy listening to cheesy pop as she was to anything classical.

She is survived by her wife, Julie Edwards, the film and television producer whom she married four years ago after more than 20 years together, and by her younger brother Paul and nephew Jason.

Heather Rogers, born June 3 1959, died October 18 2023

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A traveller going through security at Heathrow Airport has accused staff of daylight robbery after being told she would have to hand over her expensive lipsticks as they were classed as liquids.

Shadia Black, a Swiss law student and model, was heading home after spending time in London when she faced obstacles getting through the UKs largest airport.

In a TikTok video, Ms Black said that she had been pulled aside and told by staff she would be unable to proceed with the amount of liquids she was carrying: an Estee Lauder face cleanser and face serum.

I knew it was travel size and I knew how much you are allowed, she said. She claims security then pulled out three Estee Lauder lipsticks worth 90 and said they would need to confiscate them.

They started putting all my lipsticks in [a clear] bag. They said it was liquid. Its a misuse of position. They didnt throw it away. They just put it aside, she told MailOnline.

The rules are the rules. I didnt like the way staff were handling things. I was enraged.

Ms Black left the items without a fight, she said, as she didnt wanted to miss her flight, but added that she wanted people in power to be kept in check. I am fuming. Ive never been so mad before.

The airport staff are brutally robbing people. They tell you have too many liquids in your bag and then they take it and put it aside but not in the bin.

On the Heathrow website, under the question Can you tell me what is consider a liquid?, solid lipstick is explicitly listed as not considered a liquid.

A spokesperson for the airport told The Independent: Our teams are trained to swiftly and securely ensure hand luggage only contains permitted items and we apologise if an error has been made.

If any passenger has feedback from their journey through Heathrow we would always encourage them to contact us directly so we can investigate.

Revealed: The 37 items you cant bring in your hand luggage
Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, has said that heavy fighting is ongoing near Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast.

Source: Syrskyi on Telegram

Quote: "Heavy fighting continues near Bakhmut. The occupiers continue their attacks. The enemy is trying to drive the Ukrainian defenders out of their positions near Klishchiivka.

The Defence Forces are holding the line and inflicting heavy losses on Russian troops, both in equipment and manpower."

Details: Syrskyi said that the Russians continue to use Storm-Z and Storm-V units, formed of convicts and penal military units, to storm Ukrainian positions on all fronts.

The Russians continue their offensive on the Kupiansk front.

They are trying to reach the village of Synkivka in Kharkiv Oblast in order to continue their attack on the city of Kupiansk.

Ukrainian defenders are repelling all attacks on this front.

Russian forces are pulling together their reserves and regrouping to prepare for further attacks on the Lyman front.

Syrskyi also reported that since the beginning of the month, the Khortytsia Operational Strategic Group had killed more than 6,500 Russian occupiers and destroyed or damaged about 800 pieces of their military equipment. Among them are 79 tanks, 136 armoured vehicles and 170 different types of Russian artillery.

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Large numbers of migrants have been cleared out of a number of Chicago police stations in recent days, including the 1st District station where a new groups of migrants arrives Nov. 20, 2023. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)

Mayor Brandon Johnsons administration cleared all asylum-seekers from the one of the citys most crowded police stations over the weekend, a significant move that symbolizes his ongoing pivot on how to handle the humanitarian crisis as winter approaches.

The 18th District station at Division and Larrabee streets was decompressed Saturday as part of the citys efforts to move the migrant population from police stations to brick-and-mortar shelters, Johnsons spokesman Ronnie Reese said Monday.

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The action comes less than a week after the mayor rolled out a series of new protocols, including a 60-day shelter limit policy aimed at getting migrants to move to more permanent housing and plans to crack down on rogue buses that drop off asylum-seekers without the city knowing ahead of time.

While some advocates for migrants applauded the effort to shift asylum-seekers out of the police stations, they also raised serious reservations the moves were setting up migrants to find themselves back out on the streets in mid-January due to the 60-day shelter policy.

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As more migrants continue to arrive in Chicago, while at a slower pace than in previous months, the administration also said it is beginning to augment plans to redirect incoming migrants who wish to go elsewhere, though it was unclear whether those efforts entail subsidized tickets out of the city.

The emptying out of migrants from the Near North police district station comes as several other stations across the city have seen their migrant population decrease significantly, city officials and volunteers at the stations told the Tribune.

The recent maneuvers paint a picture of the Johnson administrations evolving response to the thousands of asylum-seekers whose fates have presented some of the mayors biggest challenges. Though his office maintains that its goal is to resettle new arrivals, the recent updates and new policies signal Johnson is walking a thin line of both trying to reiterate Chicagos values as being a welcoming city while prioritizing current residents.

Large numbers of migrants have been cleared out of several Chicago police stations in recent days, including the 1st District station where the number of tents being used for shelter is greatly reduced on Nov. 20, 2023. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)

The city continues to identify viable sites  base camps and brick and mortar shelter  as an alternative to new arrivals sleeping outdoors and on the floors of OHare Airport and police stations as winter fast approaches, Johnsons emergency communications spokeswoman Mary May wrote in a statement. The goal is to decompress all police districts and airports and provide adequate shelter for new arrivals.

During the summer, the police stations, as well as OHare International Airport, became the go-to locations for many migrants arriving from the southern border, most notably Venezuela. The stations got so crowded that many chose to set up tents outside. But the city has moved to slow those temporary encampments as temperatures have dropped in the past six weeks.

Still, as of Monday afternoon, about 1,600 individuals remained camped out among another 20 police districts, while belongings inside the Near North station and the cluster of tents that had dotted the sidewalks outside were gone. Whether the results at the 18th District will last hinges on whether the city can keep up with the ongoing  albeit slower  volume of buses from U.S. southern states, among other factors.

[ What to know about Chicagos migrant crisis ]

So far this week at least three new buses have arrived in Chicago, and some of the passengers are still being funneled to police stations or airports. That is because Johnsons promise of erecting winterized base camps to hold asylum-seekers before they are moved to shelters has yet to be fulfilled.

Meanwhile, the 60-day policy that began last Friday will not see its first results until mid-January and, even then, the initial impact will be meager as only new arrivals to the shelter system on Friday plus about 50 residents who have been there since 2022 received a first wave of notices from city officials.

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One of the volunteer leaders at the 18th District station, Amanda Betts, said she was happy to see the city move migrants staying there to shelters on Saturday.

Im so thrilled that they are out of the stations, and at least they arent sitting on the sidewalk, in tents, with rain pouring down and snow, she said.

Betts, who has been volunteering at the station for seven months, said the stations were untenable. Migrants werent allowed to use inside bathrooms during the day. Chicago police turned off outside electricity, so people couldnt charge their phones to find job opportunities and apartments  or to call their relatives. And the weather was getting worse by the day.

While she lauded the citys decision to move people out of the cold, the new announcement of removing migrants from city-run shelters after 60 days has dampened her relief.

Its as though theyre just putting Scotch tape on gaping wounds, Betts said.

At another police district on the West Side, some longtime migrant response volunteers took their sharpest stand yet against the Johnson administration.

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Mutual aid volunteers at the 10th District station at 3315 W. Ogden Ave. released a statement via member Lydia Wong that said they will no longer coordinate their efforts with the city due to the 60-day shelter limit policy.

Every person entering the shelter is being placed in a system that is designed to fail, and will burden the city of Chicago with increased homelessness and with a public health crisis, Wong said in a statement to the Tribune. To this end, we can no longer in good conscience facilitate the moving of migrants from stations to shelters  (or) support the citys work related to move migrants from airports and police stations to city-run shelters, only to inevitably turn them into the streets again.

[ Clocked in 12 hours a day, 7 days a week: How staffing bills for migrant shelters swelled with overtime ]

As city officials focus on police stations, they also are turning attention to incoming asylum-seekers by trying to identify and punish so-called rogue buses whose operators, city officials say, are not coordinating with them and dropping off migrants in scattered areas throughout the city.

Utilizing a new provision quietly included as part of Johnsons 2024 budget that sailed through the City Council last Wednesday, Johnson and his team plan to fine intercity buses that dont obtain approval via an application with the Chicago Department of Transportation before unloading at designated bus stands, zones or other locations. Unscheduled buses from out of town must pick up or drop off at designated sites: currently only the west side curb of South Desplaines Street south of West Polk Street, and only between 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Companies that break the new ordinance will be subject to fines between $2,000 to $10,000, one per each unauthorized unloading, the city said.

That designated site at 800 S. Desplaines St. will continue to be used as a landing zone for incoming migrants arriving by bus before they are temporarily moved into Chicago police stations and airports, but Reese said the goal is to bypass those destinations altogether once more shelter beds open up or the winterized base camps debut.

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In addition to the 1,600 remaining at police stations as of Monday, another 570 individuals were sleeping inside OHare. But the combined number of migrants awaiting shelter beds has dropped sharply from a peak of about 3,800 earlier this fall.

[ Migrant family journeys back to Venezuela, more leaving Chicago as winter looms: The American Dream doesnt exist anymore ]

Johnsons team said it will increase staff at the Desplaines Street site, which is the Maxwell Street Market, to try to trim the population entering the shelters. The city intends to guide new arrivals with family or connections elsewhere out of the city.

Johnson administration officials would not say whether that change comes with free bus, train or plane tickets, as has been the case in other cities struggling to keep up with new arrivals. May, Johnsons emergency office spokeswoman, said Catholic Charities in partnership with the state provides onward movement without elaborating.

The mayors office added that the state of Illinois may also step in at the Desplaines site, though questions remain on what that cooperation would look like.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker last week announced an additional $160 million infusion to help the city address the crisis, $65 million of which is expected to be used to set up another tent encampment for migrants that, while funded by the state, would be operated by the city. The remaining $95 million would go toward a new centralized intake center for new arrivals and other assistance.

As of Monday, city and state officials did not have details on where either the state-funded tent encampment or welcoming center would go.

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Chicago Tribunes Laura Rodriguez contributed.

ayin@chicagotribune.com

nsalzman@chicagotribune.com
The men and women who served in the Vietnam War returned home to find a nation deeply divided over the conflict, and many people were ungrateful to them for their service.

In the years following the war, communities have found meaningful ways to recognize the sacrifices made by these veterans. One local Vietnam-era veteran, Jeff Sampsel, saw his two-year effort to earmark a segment of Old Lincoln Highway, from state Route 250 to state Route 302, in their honor come full circle on when the Wayne County commissioners dedicated the Wayne County Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway following a Veterans Day Service at the fairgrounds.

This project has been on my bucket list for a long time, Sampsel said. I have never seen (a Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway) here in Wayne County, and I felt we deserved to have one after 50 years. This is my way of paying things forward.

Vietnam-era veteran Jeff Sampsel (left) presented Bob Romig with the 2023 Veteran of the Year Award during the Veterans Day Service at the Wayne County Fairgrounds.

Sampsel said the memorial started taking shape after he contacted Commissioner Sue Smail.

I talked to many people about getting this project done, Sampsel said. But Sue is the one who went forward and made it happen for me.

Smail and Commissioners Jon Hofstetter and Ron Amstutz attended the service and dedication ceremony.

Matt Martin (left) holds the American flag next to the newly dedicated Wayne County Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway as Vietnam-era veteran Jeff Sampsel salutes. Sampsel worked for two years to get the memorial finalized.

Throughout the history of our great nation, countless brave individuals have answered the call to serve our country in the armed forces, including 32 from Wayne County who gave their lives fighting in the name of freedom in Vietnam, Smail read from a proclamation. As residents of Wayne County, we must never forget the bravery and courage of the men and women who fought with honor in Vietnam. Let us never forget their sacrifice and always hold their memory in our hearts.

While Sampsel is pleased with the memorial highways tangible connection to the past, he said his work honoring veterans isnt finished.

I want to get the bridge we cross on Memorial Day during the parade leading up to the Wooster Cemetery named the Vietnam Veterans Bridge, he said. But I have to go through the state to get that done.

Dan Starcher is the Public Communications Coordinator for Wayne County.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Wayne highway dedicated to areas Vietnam veterans
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY)  A HIRE VETS NOW event for veterans, transitioning service members and their spouses will be held on Nov. 30.

The HIRE VETS NOW event will be co-hosted by the Naval Air Station Oceana Fleet & Family Support Center, Virginia Chamber Foundation and Virginia Department of Veterans Services.

Jobseekers will have the chance to meet with over thirty Virginia employers and government agencies representing a diverse range of industries including: Boeing, Booz Allen Hamilton, Dynamic Aviation, HII, Navy Federal Credit Union, Oceaneering, Paloalto Networks, Sentara, Siemens, and WestRock.

Those in attendance can receive resume writing assistance and connect with DOD-SkillBridge opportunities. Additionally, a complimentary lunch will be provided.

The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Oceana Conference Center, 906 G Ave., Building 480, Virginia Beach, VA 23460.

To register in advance click here. For more information about the Hire Vets Now program click here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com.
By Louisa Gouliamaki

SESKLO, Greece (Reuters) - The fires came first. Then the floods.

In the small village of Sesklo in central Greece, 46-year old Vasilis Tsiamitas has felt the extremes of both freak weather phenomena this summer, that have made Greece a climate change hotspot.

Storm Elias flooded his house, damaged his beach bar and swept away his car in September, finishing off what was left weeks earlier by Storm Daniel, Greece's most intense on record, and a July wildfire that scorched his family almond grove.

"God only knows how I will get past this," said Tsiamitas, standing outside his two-storey family house. The front door is off its hinges, propped up against a wall next to wooden boards soaked by floodwater.

"What else could hit me? It can't get any worse," he told Reuters.

Fierce storms and floods have become more frequent in recent years while rising temperatures make summers hotter and drier, creating tinder-box conditions for wildfires.

Muddy roads and household furniture stacked up outside to dry in villages across the central mainland region of Thessaly, are a constant reminder of the steps Greece needs to take as it adapts to climate change to mitigate the impact of such freak weather events.

Sesklo, a village of about 800 residents near the port city of Volos and home to one of Europe's oldest prehistoric settlements, has survived natural disasters through the centuries.

But its eldest residents, Tsiamitas says, have never experienced anything like this year's devastation.

"It's the first time that our village is tested so much," said Tsiamitas, who is also the local community leader. "We have elderly people sitting at the village square who are 95 years old, 90 years old, they have never experienced such a thing before."

START FROM SCRATCH

The wildfire that broke out in July was burning uncontrolled for at least two days.

Sesklo residents were evacuated in time but the flames, fanned by strong winds, burned through farmland and groves destroying approximately 70% of the village's almond and olive oil production, said Tsiamitas.

"The weather conditions were so bad, the wind, there was no humidity that day, the fire was moving fast. There was not enough time to do anything," he said.

In early September, Storm Daniel hit Thessaly after Greece's longest heatwave in more than 30 years. It killed 16 people and turned the area into an inland sea, destroying homes, farms, and wiping out swathes of crops.

Tsiamitas, whose beach bar flooded, said most Sesklo residents were not as badly affected as others in the wider region. But their feeling of relief was short-lived.

Weeks later, Elias, a less intense but unexpected storm was the final straw.

Tsiamitas recounts that he had his youngest son in his arms when a raging torrent flung his front door open, forcing him to race upstairs where his in-laws live.

Since then, the water has subsided, revealing the devastation that villages like Sesklo suffered.

"We should learn our lesson," Tsiamitas said, looking at stumps of burnt almond trees. "We need to uproot them ... we need to plant them again. Again and again, we need to start everything from scratch."

(Additional reporting by Stamos Prousalis; Writing by Renee Maltezou; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
Matthew Piccolo signed a contract with Oak Meadow in early 2021 to build a sunroom for $58,000. The project was supposed to take five weeks to complete.

Piccolo says the company did some work, including demolishing the deck where the sunroom was going and framing the room, but then it stopped.

It was bad news, he said.

RELATED: 4 families say contractor left projects unfinished, raked in thousands of dollars

Piccolo says he hired another company to fix the job and finish it, but it ended up costing him more than $100,000.

He sued Oak Meadow and won but he says the company didnt pay.

So I had a judgment. A useless one, but it was a moral victory, he said. I wasnt going to let them get away with it without doing something.

The something was that he filed a claim with the North Carolina Homeowners Recovery Fund and went to Raleigh for the hearing.

I was hopeful of getting a few bucks back. That was the best I hoped for, he said.

Instead, he got much more. They promised me my full claim of $50,000. I was ecstatic. I was so happy, he said.

Piccolo and Action 9s Jason Stoogenke had not met before, but he says he mentioned Stoogenkes reporting about Oak Meadow during the hearing. Where you interviewed some, at least a couple of people, really, who were really in a bad way from these people, he told Stoogenke.

MORE ACTION 9: NC Attorney General sues local flooring company Action 9 investigated

Stoogenke started investigating Oak Meadow in September 2021. The state ended up revoking Oak Meadows license. Action 9 found out the owner, Jennifer Carlson, had been tied to another company, CarBON Custom Homes, which multiple homeowners had complained to Action 9 about.

The same day Piccolo won, the state board that handles the Recovery Fund says it awarded seven families a total of $361,000. The board says each one got the maximum they could get that day -- it varies depending on the day -- or the full amount they were asking.

Action 9 emailed multiple addresses and texted multiple numbers for Oak Meadow, but did not hear back in time for this report.

No matter what contractor you hire:

- When you check out a company, dont just research its name. Research the owners name. You might get a better picture of his/her track record.

- If all else fails, you can try the Homeowners Recovery Fund. Even the people who run it say its under-used. The fund could cover all your losses. There are a lot of details and steps (see below).

NORTH CAROLINA HOMEOWNERS RECOVERY FUND:

 The project must involve your home, not a commercial building.

 It can be your primary residence or a second home as long as you dont rent that home out.

 The project must be attached to your home, so not a pool or detached garage, for example.

 You have to exhaust all your other legal remedies first  that means you have to sue the contractor and win a judgment, and the contractor still doesnt pay.

 Then you can apply for the money. The board says about 50% of customers who apply win.

 If the contractor files bankruptcy, you cant recover money from the fund. You become just another creditor in line in the bankruptcy process.

 Where does the fund get its money? $10 of every permit pulled in the state goes into the fund. The board says that adds up to about $750,000 - $1 million each year.

 The maximum you can get is 10% of the total. But the board has to maintain $250,000 in the pot at all times.

 The board has hearings twice each year. It says about 90% of homeowners who make it to the hearing phase win.

VIDEO: More families complain about contractor not finishing work despite being paid thousands
Honda recalled almost 250,00 sedans, SUV and trucks in the United States due to a manufacturing defect that could result in the engine to stall, stop while driving, not start and run incorrectly. | Associated Press

Honda recalled almost 250,00 sedans, SUV and trucks in the United States due to a manufacturing defect that could result in the engine to stall, stop while driving, not start and run incorrectly.

Which Hondas are being recalled?

The multi-model connection rod recall applies to the following Honda vehicles:

Acura TLX 2015-2020.

Acura MDX 2016-2020.

Honda Pilot 2016, 2018-2019.

Honda Odessy 2018-2019.

Honda Ridgeline 2017, 2019.

Why are they being recalled?

According to a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA): During production of the crankshaft, due to improper settings of equipment used to manufacture the engine crankshaft, the crank pin was improperly ground, resulting in crank pins with a crown or convex shape that are out of specification.

A warning of said defect could be identified by the following symptoms, if the vehicles engine produces an abnormal sound, the engine stalls, there is reduced engine output or if the check engine light goes on, per the NHTSA report.

If the connecting rod bearing seizes, the engine can be damaged and run improperly, stall, stop while driving, and/or not start, increasing the risk of a fire, crash or injury, Honda announced on Friday when the car recall was announced.

The first complaint about the Honda defect was made in February 2020. Honda launched an investigation into the complaint on July 20, 2020l, per NHTSA.

As of Nov. 3, Honda has collected 1,450 warranty claims over the problem but no reports of injuries or deaths, reports NPR.

Owners of the affected vehicles will be notified via mail by Jan 2, 2024, and can take their car to an authorized Honda or Acura dealer for inspection. Reimbursement will be offered to any owner who has already paid to get their affect vehicle repaired, per Honda.
The dizzying death toll in the Gaza Strip  over 13,000 people, according to officials in the Hamas-run Palestinian territory  and the increasingly dire situation for more than 2 million civilians trapped in the enclave have fueled mounting calls for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war, and representatives who had been working around the clock for weeks in Qatar announced an agreement Tuesday. Israel's government approved the deal Tuesday evening, which, if and when it's implemented as expected later this week, should see at least 50 hostages  women and children  released by Hamas during an initial four day cessation of fighting.

According to a U.S. senior administration official, three Americans were expected to be among the 50 women and children released by Hamas. The agreement is expected to be implemented 24 hours after it was finalized  which would be early Thursday morning, local time, according to officials.

Hamas said the terms of the deal include the release of 150 Palestinian women and children held in Israeli prisons, though Israel has not confirmed that number.

Israel launched its blistering offensive against Hamas in Gaza in response to the group's bloody Oct. 7 terror attack, which killed some 1,200 people and saw the militants seize around 240 hostages.

But even with the deal agreed, there was no immediate respite for thousands of families who have been displaced from their homes in Gaza, now living in squalid conditions in a war zone, nor for the dozens of Israeli families desperate to get their kidnapped loved ones back.

CBS News producer Marwan al-Ghoul met displaced Palestinian families as they huddled in what little shelter they could find in southern Gaza, their children wet and shaking from the cold, shielded only by tents.



"If they wanted to displace us from our homes and land, why they didn't build camps for us?" one mother asked about the military operation that Israel insists is targeting only Hamas and other extremists.



"We haven't had food for three days, not a piece of bread. We don't even have water," the woman told Al-Ghoul as rain pounded the tent, filling it and the ground all around with muddy water. The rain has fallen for days, and it's getting colder, leaving countless families miserable and vulnerable as they wait for any news of a cease-fire that could, at least, enable a rush of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Palestinians displaced by the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip seek cover from a winter rainfall at a U.N. camp in the southern town of Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Nov. 19, 2023. / Credit: Fatima Shbair/AP

Across the border in Israel, the families of about 240 hostages taken by Hamas were also holding their breath for a deal Tuesday.

There are children, even toddlers and babies among those believed to be held in Gaza by Hamas and possibly other groups, and some of their families gathered in front of a United Nations' office in Israel Monday to demand that someone do something to rescue their kids. With no certainty about any potential hostage release, they asked Israel's government, the U.S., even the U.N.  anyone willing to listen  to bring their children home.



Hadas Kalderon, whose mother was killed on Oct. 7 and whose 12-year-old son Erez and 16-year-old daughter Sahar were captured, was at the demonstration, knowing that every second without a deal could prove lethal.



She told CBS News she'd received no word at all about the fate of her children since they were abducted by Hamas, which has long been designated a terrorist organization by Israel, the U.S. and many other nations.



"I don't have information," Kalderon said, adding that any information she and the other families did receive seemed, "not relevant, because every moment, it can be changed. One moment, you're alive. One moment, you're not here. It doesn't matter."

Parents and relatives of children kidnapped on Oct. 7, along with supporters, take part in a demonstration outside the UNICEF office in Tel Aviv, Israel, on World Children's Day, Nov. 20, 2023, to demand the return of their loved ones seized by Hamas. / Credit: Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty

With Israeli airstrikes continuing across Gaza and the whereabouts of the hostages in the densely populated enclave unclear, the mother said she was "worried about everything," from disease spreading amid the dire humanitarian conditions on the ground, to bombs falling from the air.

"They are in the middle of a war. How come?" she asked. "Of course, I don't sleep. I don't eat."

She said the politicians involved in the cease-fire and hostage negotiations were "morally and politically obligated to bring them home soon as possible The government, the leaders, have to sign  to make the deal. Come on, make the deal!"

While senior Hamas officials said the terms of a cease-fire agreement had been agreed, there was no word from Israeli officials on whether a final deal had been signed off on by the government, and any prospective agreement between the warring sides could potentially be derailed by events on the ground in the tinderbox region.

Iran-backed groups, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, just across Israel's northern border, and the Houthi movement in Yemen, have threatened for weeks to join the war. On Tuesday, the Hezbollah-linked TV network Al-Mayadeen said two of its journalists and a third civilian were killed in "a cowardly Israeli attack in South Lebanon."

There were also reports that Israel had struck a civilian car in southern Lebanon, killing at least one other person.

In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces said its aircraft had "identified and struck three armed terrorist cells in the area of the border with Lebanon" on Tuesday after "terrorists fired mortar shells at an IDF post in northern Israel."

Could Brightline be a model for high-speed rail in U.S.?

Thanksgiving turkey recipe that cooks in under 2 hours

Hostage negotiation expert unpacks Israel-Hamas deal
U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, at a get-out-the-vote rally in San Antonio on May 4, 2022. Credit: Chris Stokes for The Texas Tribune

SAN ANTONIO  When Henry Cuellars district was redrawn in 2021, it picked up tens of thousands of more people in San Antonio, giving the city more influence in his hotly contested South Texas primary.

And the city spoke, with Bexar County picking his progressive challenger, Jessica Cisneros, by massive margins in the primary and runoff. Even as he narrowly defeated Cisneros overall, Cuellar acknowledged to reporters on the night of the runoff that he needed to go spend time in the areas that need to get to know me better.

He has appeared to make good on that promise, especially when it comes to organized labor in San Antonio. After labor groups vocally supported Cisneros, Cuellar has been working to repair a relationship that was strained at best in some cases.

I take full responsibility and Ive said this more than once: I shouldve done a better job at outreaching, Cuellar said during a meeting with labor leaders here this month. I think after several good meetings of having very frank discussions  were now moving [forward] and Im trying to find ways I can be of assistance.

Cuellars latest overture came last week, when he introduced a bill to provide child care stipends for union apprenticeship programs. The legislation is endorsed by a host of building trades unions.

Its one of several moves Cuellar, known as one of the most moderate Democrats in Congress, has made in the past year in an attempt to show unions he is listening to them more, even if they still do not see eye-to-eye on every issue.

Like any relationship, theres disagreements, but I think the disagreements have gotten far fewer, and ears on both sides have started to open up, said Charles Fuentes, legislative director for the Communications Workers of America in San Antonio.

Fuentes was among four labor leaders that Cuellar convened earlier this month in downtown San Antonio to discuss the child care legislation. CWA vocally backed Cisneros in both her challenges to Cuellar, arguing at the time that Cuellar votes with corporations and Wall Street time and time again.

Wed like to see more compromises on each side so that we can meet our goals, Fuentes added, but I look forward to this working out.

With just under three weeks left until the end of the candidate filing period, Cuellar has not drawn a primary opponent for 2024. Cisneros has not publicly ruled out a third run, but few believe she is inclined to try again.

To be clear, there is a diverse range of labor groups in San Antonio  the states second most populous city  and Cuellar seems to be especially focused on the building trades unions. And whatever the group, they still do not agree on a major issue: the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, or the PRO Act, which would impose new limits and penalties for companies opposing union organizing efforts and add new protections for workers seeking to unionize.

Cuellar was the only House Democrat to vote against it in 2021.

Cuellars business-friendly credentials are well-known. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce backed him in both his battles against Cisneros and even aired TV ads for him in 2020  the first time it spent significantly on behalf of a Democrat in six years.

Cuellars new outreach started in earnest after the 2022 primary runoff, when he was entering the general election as a new target of national Republicans. They were intent on blazing new inroads in South Texas, and Cuellar knew he needed every Democratic vote he could get out of San Antonio despite getting crushed there against Cisneros.

Bob Comeaux, a longtime labor leader in the city, said the Bexar County results put the scare into Cuellar and kind of forced him to come talk to us and beg for our support. While many of his peers remained angry at Cuellar over the PRO Act, Comeaux said he believed they had to be practical  the House Democratic majority was on the line, and Cuellars seat was looking pivotal to that fight.

Some of us who have been around the block more than once, while we were not happy with him for that vote, [we] understood that we dont punish ourselves at the same time were punishing him, Comeaux said.

Cuellar ended up beating his Republican opponent, Cassy Garcia, by a wider-than-expected margin  13 percentage points  and carried Bexar County by 16 points.

Comeaux said Cuellars staff has also become more receptive to labor concerns. Cuellar said he now has a staffer who will work with not only the local unions but with the state [and] national unions.

Cuellar has continued the outreach this year. In June, he held a roundtable with more than 60 members from over a dozen South Texas Unions. In September, he gave the keynote address at the San Antonio Central Labor Councils Labor Day Breakfast. And last week, he introduced the bill on child-care stipends for apprenticeships, along with three Democratic colleagues.

The Apprentice-Related Child Care Act would set up a two-year, $200 million pilot program that would award grants to 10 states to provide stipends to apprentices. The stipends would be paid directly to child care providers who serve apprentices and would be at least $500 a month per child.

At the recent meeting with labor leaders, Alejandra Lopez, president of the San Antonio Alliance, said Cuellars support for apprentices could have a profound impact for his district. Fuentes said the child-care stipends would be especially meaningful, calling child care a very, very large hurdle for a lot of workers currently.

Dale Hanson, representing the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 60, said child care is a major economic hindrance for his fellow workers.

A lot of us, our job sites, we start work at seven oclock in the morning, Hanson said. Good luck finding a child-care place thats going to accept infants at seven oclock in the morning.

As the conversation broadened, it was not long before the PRO Act came up. Fuentes said the proposal  or something similar to it  could strengthen a burgeoning labor movement and rebalance those scales of employers and employees.

Cuellar said he was hoping U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., the ranking member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, would allow Cuellar to make a few adjustments to the bill and he could support it.

We gotta find balance, Cuellar said. I try to find balance between labor and business.

If I think business is overdoing it, Cuellar added, he will say so. Cuellar noted he signed on to a July letter supporting UPS workers right to collectively bargain with their employer. He said UPS was not pleased with him, but it was the right thing to do.

Hanson also mentioned the need for the PRO Act.

I get it. Mr. Cuellars in a very tough district, and you know, balance is important, Hanson said.

The 28th District is heavily Hispanic and stretches from the Rio Grande Valley north through Laredo to the northeast suburbs of San Antonio. It used to include about 197,000 people in Bexar County; now it has roughly 252,000, growing to a third of the districts total population

So far, Cuellars only opponents for reelection are Republicans. One of them is a former staffer, Jose Sanz.

Laura Barberena, a San Antonio Democratic consultant, said she thinks Cuellars outreach to unions is one reason he could have a smoother primary next year. While Cisneros was a very strong candidate, Barberena added, her races showed how costly and personal it can be to challenge Cuellar. And the consultant noted Cuellar prevailed in 2022 despite some uniquely strong headwinds, including a still-unexplained FBI raid on his Laredo home.

Really, if youre gonna bring his numbers down, what more could you do? Barberena said, adding it would be very, very difficult to beat Cuellar in a primary at this point.
Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., announced Tuesday that she will not be running for reelection in 2024 after serving more than three decades in Congress.

"Im choosing this beautiful season of Thanksgiving to announce that I will not seek reelection," Eshoo, 80, said in a video accompanying the announcement. "And I do so with a heart filled with unending gratitude to you, my magnificent constituents."

Eshoo will serve out her term until January 2025, her office said in a press release.

"As my last year in Congress approaches, I will continue my work with vigor and unswerving commitment to you," she said.

Representative Anna Eshoo, a Democrat from California, speaks during a news conference outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, April 15, 2021.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS EYE PRIME OPPORTUNITY IN VIRGINIA AFTER DEMOCRAT ANNOUNCES RUN FOR GOVERNOR

The California Democrat said in her video that she was the first woman and the first Democrat to represent her Silicon Valley district, and that 66 of her bills were signed into law by five presidents over the course of her tenure.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Eshoo, a member of the House Energy and Commerce committee, joins more than two dozen House lawmakers who are not seeking reelection, including seven Democrats who are retiring and another 11 who are running for other offices, according to Ballotpedia.

Fellow California Democratic Rep. Tony Cardenas announced Monday that he will also not seek reelection, and Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., announced last week that she was retiring from the House to run for governor in the state, prompting House Republicans to view her district as a prime pickup opportunity in Virginia.

Eshoo's district, however, is solidly blue and several Democrats are already reportedly being floated as possible successors.

Rep. Tony Cardenas speaks at the Media Solutions Summit at the Russell Senate Office Building on April 27, 2017, in Washington, DC.





Original article source: House Democrat Anna Eshoo announces she will not seek reelection
Lori Wainwright, 63, walks through the flooded basement of her 62-year-old friend's home after almost 9 inches of rain fell within three hours Sept. 19, 2023, in Calumet City. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

President Joe Biden issued a disaster declaration Monday ordering federal assistance for communities affected by heavy flooding on Sept. 17 and Sept. 18, according to White House statement.

The announcement comes after Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Gov. J.B. Pritzker made similar disaster proclamations Oct. 4 and Oct. 26, which unlocked state funds to assist residents in their recovery efforts. The communities most affected by the rains were identified as Burnham, Calumet City, Dolton, Harvey and South Holland.

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Pritzkers proclamation also included waiving penalties for taxpayers who need more time to file their state taxes.

The Sept. 17 storm saw a heavy rains in a very focused area. Calumet City and Riverdale experienced 7-9 inches of rain and Dolton had 5-6 inches, but Midway Airport only had 2 inches of rain, according to data from the Nation Weather Service.

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These heavy rains followed wide spread flooding in Cook County at the end of June and early July which strained sewage and storm water prevention infrastructure already in need of upgrades throughout the area. Biden also issued a disaster declaration for the June and July flooding, bringing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to affected areas for several weeks.

Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster, the White House statement read.

Residents and business owners can apply for assistance at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 800-621-3362 or by using the FEMA App.

A spokesperson for FEMA could not be reached immediately for more comment.

Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy >

According to Preckwinkles office, Burnham, Calumet City, Dolton, Harvey and South Holland were among the hardest hit municipalities in the county.

A spokesperson with Preckwinkles office said Calumet City residents have expressed the most need for support based on damage from the September flooding, with 1,043 damage reports filed compared to 152 damage reports from Chicago residents and 51 from Dolton residents.

These numbers are not reflective of all the damage incurred  there were anecdotal reports from impacted municipalities where residents indicated they sustained damage but did not fill out a formal initial damage report, said Natalia Derevyanny, the director of communications for the Cook County Bureau of Administration, in an Oct. 30 email.

Derevyanny did not provide report counts in other hard hit areas, but said Riverdale had reports of flooding on 15 separate blocks and Burnham had numerous reports over multiple blocks.

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At a City Council meeting Monday night, Calumet City Mayor Thaddeus Jones called Bidens declaration an awesome victory.

Representatives for Burnham and Riverdale did not immediately provide comment.

hsanders@chicagotribune.com
Tech in focus to push new industrialization

08:36, November 21, 2023 By Ma Si ( China Daily

Large-scale application of 5G plus to be encouraged among enterprises

China will ratchet up efforts to cultivate leading global enterprises and unicorns in industrial internet  a high-tech frontier where major countries are all scrambling to establish a beachhead  the country's top industry regulator said on Monday.

The move is part of China's broader push to advance new industrialization, which highlights the use of cutting-edge technologies such as 5G in industrial production and management. It is designed to promote the upgrade and digital transformation of the country's sprawling industrial economy, experts said.

Jin Zhuanglong, minister of industry and information technology, said at the 2023 China 5G plus Industrial Internet Conference in Wuhan, Hubei province, that more efforts will be made to carry out collaborative research on industrial chains and promote systematic breakthroughs in key products, such as industrial internet platforms, industrial software and industrial control systems.

Jin called for more work on leveraging China's edge in 5G technologies to accelerate the research and development of industrial-grade 5G products, and cultivate more leading enterprises and unicorns, or startups with a valuation of over $1 billion.

Data from the ministry shows that China has built the world's largest 5G network, with around 3.19 million 5G base stations as of September. The market scale of the industrial internet industry has exceeded 1.2 trillion yuan ($167 billion) in the country, with more than 8,000 5G-plus industrial internet projects and over 89 million connected industrial devices.

"We will draft guidelines for the large-scale application of 5G-plus industrial internet technologies in different sectors, and encourage leading enterprises to play a vital role in driving the coordinated development of upstream and downstream industries in industrial chains," Jin added.

The plan follows China's top leadership attaching great importance to pushing forward new industrialization to lay a strong material and technological foundation for Chinese modernization.

Zhou Ji, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said, "Since last year, two breakthroughs have strengthened our confidence and determination to focus on intelligent manufacturing as our main strategy."

One is ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence chatbot that has shown the potential of AI in empowering a wide range of sectors. The other is the rapid emergence of China's electric vehicle industry. "The cars are evolving at a fast pace that is way beyond our expectations," Zhou said.

Yang Jie, chairman of China Mobile, said AI has moved up from being an auxiliary means of assisting industrial transformation to an indispensable core capability to support economic and social development.

"AI can not only write poetry, but also can solve practical problems," Yang added.

Hu Houkun, rotating chairman of Huawei Technologies Co, said it used to be hard to connect industrial equipment to the internet, and even if connected, such equipment was difficult to operate or could only perform simple tasks.

To solve such problems, the company has come up with crucial technologies, such as industrial chips, or the "heart" to provide computing power, Hu said.

Meanwhile, Huawei has developed industrial operating systems, namely the "brain "responsible for commanding equipment to complete real-time and complex work tasks, and network connectivity, which is the "meridian" to ensure access to data, Hu added.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
Jessica Pamonicutt, known as Chef Walks First, takes a break Saturday while her harvest soup cooks during Heritage Day at Sand Ridge Nature Center in South Holland. Pamonicutt a member of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, is part owner and executive chef at her Stickney-based Ketapanen Kitchen, which focuses on indigenous foods. (Vincent D. Johnson/Daily Southtown)

Like many households throughout the Chicago area and indeed the entire country, Thanksgiving for Jessica Pamonicutt was a celebration of food and family.

But she didnt celebrate the American storybook Thanksgiving holiday, a pleasant affair from foggy history when friendly English settlers happily feasted with their new neighbors, the Indians.

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At the gatherings she remembers, there were no tall paper hats, no buckled figurines nestled in the table centerpiece, because whats written in storybooks about Pilgrims and Indians never occurred, said Pamonicutt, a member of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin who was born on a reservation north of Green Bay and raised in Chicago.

For me, its a difficult subject, she said. Thanksgiving is always touchy for us.

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Thanksgiving was declared an official American holiday by President Abraham Lincoln as a way to reunite a weary country at the end of the Civil War, centuries after the Massachusetts feast that still adds imagery to November family gatherings. The modern fairy tale of Thanksgiving glosses over years of injustice and conflict between Indigenous people and the colonists arriving from Europe.

Thats not to say Pamonicutt doesnt have fond memories of the holiday.

Our mother was big on family meals, she said. Whether or not it was Thanksgiving that we were celebrating, it was a time for her to feed the family, and a time to bring family that we didnt always see home to share a meal with us.

We celebrate it as a time of connection. There always was more food than anyone could possibly eat. And all that stuff on the menu, she taught me how to make.

Jessica Pamonicutt prepares harvest soup Saturday at Sand Ridge Nature Center in South Holland. She planned to provide tasting samples of the soup to Heritage Day visitors, but said most would be fed to staff and volunteers after the event wrapped up. (Vincent D. Johnson/Daily Southtown)

That cultural and familial inheritance remained largely untapped as Pamonicutt explored different avenues trying to find her calling. About 10 years ago, her husband suggested going to culinary school. It felt right.

I was raised in the American Indian community here in Chicago, and when you grow up in a communal setting, especially as a young girl, you spend a lot of time in the kitchen, she said. Its not a stereotypical thing, that women belong in the kitchen. But thats the way we show our people, our community and our families, that we care for them.

The act of preparing food, the act of serving your community, its a sacred act. I was taught at a very young age how to do that. It was ingrained in me and was part of who I was.

Now with some formal training under her belt, Pamonicutt gazed across the Chicago areas vast and diverse culinary landscape and found a missing ingredient: indigenous food.

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Here in Chicago, there was nobody doing that, she said. So I took it on.

She began a part-time catering gig for the Trickster Cultural Center in Schaumburg and found out she had the chops, and three years ago she ventured out on my own and have been wildly successful.

These days Pamonicutt, of Stickney, is known as Chef Walks First. Though her business, Ketapanen Kitchen, which she owns with her husband, Tony Garcia, and her mentor Chef John Abels, she is busy giving presentations about indigenous foods up to three times day, as well as traveling throughout the Midwest to set up pop-up restaurants and cater private events.

Its rewarding, but it hasnt been easy.

With indigenous foods, you cant just pick up any old book and learn about it. You cant go into grocery stores or restaurants, or even specialty stores and buy our food, she said. You really have to be an educator and have a relationship with the foods.

I had to take the time to understand the stories of these foods. Every food that we use has a story, has a spirit, has an essence. Those stories are part of who we are as Indigenous people. They tell our stories.

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Wild rice and other ingredients simmer in a harvest soup being cooked over an open fire Saturday by Chef Walks First, aka Jessica Pamonicutt, during Heritage Day at Sand Ridge Nature Center in South Holland. (Vincent D. Johnson/Daily Southtown)

Among the foods with the deepest roots and the longest story in the Chicago area is manoomin, a dish that relies upon a form of wild rice thats been harvested throughout the Great Lakes region for thousands and thousands of years, Pamonicutt said, noting the food also has a personal connection.

The Menomonie people are known the people of the wild rice, she said. Thats what Menomonie means.

The manoomin dish she grew up with is flavored by a combination of blackberries, raspberries, strawberries or blueberries, nuts (not peanuts, but walnuts or pecans, she said), and some maple syrup for sweetness.

You can serve it cold or heat it up and it becomes like a porridge, Pamonicutt said. Some people add a protein, like chicken or turkey. But in its traditional format, its just wild rice, berries, maple and nuts.

Pamonicutts use of  and advocacy for  indigenous foods isnt limited to what her direct ancestors in the Midwest ate, though shes partial to regional ingredients such as freshwater fish, venison, bison and a lot of squashes.

She dips into indigenous cuisine of other regions as well.

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If you go Southwest, its chilies, tomatoes, a lot of corn, goat meat, she said. In the plains, its bison, corn and different berries  huckleberries, chokecherries  that we cant get here. Along the California coast there are a lot of acorn dishes.

Theres a regional aspect to cuisine, but Im more intertribal. Lets recognize it all, bring in food from all over the place to create these dishes. Its a dream come true to get my hands on some of these ingredients and offer them to people in my dishes.

Jessica Pamonicutt chops apples Saturday at Sand Ridge Nature Center in South Holland during a cooking demonstration as part of the Forest Preserve of Cook County's Heritage Day. (Vincent D. Johnson/Daily Southtown)

Getting those ingredients can take some effort, as she prefers to source all of her ingredients from Native American producers who harvest food in traditional ways.

It takes a lot of driving, a lot of networking, a lot of knowing people who harvest, Pamonicutt said. Im preferential to the integrity of ingredients and will make that drive. Ill drive 500 miles round trip to pick up bags of wild rice. Thats true for a lot of our ingredients.

Other times, people say, I have a bag of sunflower heads  want them? Thats how we roll.

While the 17th century imagery of Thanksgiving doesnt resonate with Pamonicutt, Thursdays traditional menu is rife with indigenous dishes, she said, but a little bit different.

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Her first tip is to trade in the Butterball bird for a wild turkey.

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Those things run around my reservation like they run the place, she said. Its a traditional food for us.

She seasons her turkey with sage and cedar and sumac  all natural spices and medicines for her people. Theres also a squash dish, a sweet potato dish with all traditional ingredients and cranberry sauce made with maple syrup. The stuffing includes sage sausage with chestnuts, wild mushrooms, wild rice, apples and cranberries.

We dont use a lot of those fancy seasonings or sauces. Our foods are simplistic  we rely on the natural flavoring and natural seasoning, really highlighting the flavor of the food itself, she said.

The rustic surroundings of Sand Ridge Nature Center's Homestead exhibit is the backdrop to Heritage Day presentations. (Vincent D. Johnson/Daily Southtown)

And the food itself is worth celebrating, Pamonicutt said, as well as a great reason to gather with friends and loved ones for a shared culinary experience.

Its a beautiful thing. People have gotten away from that, she said. Food can feed your soul. True comfort foods make you feel all the love that went into that dish. You walk away and your body is full and your spirit is full.

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Those are the dishes I like sharing. There are a lot of cultures that do that, but thats my favorite thing about mine: the way we care for and nourish each other with food.

Landmarks is a weekly column by Paul Eisenberg exploring the people, places and things that have left an indelible mark on the Southland. He can be reached at peisenberg@tribpub.com.
On May 18, a pregnant 15-year-old Idaho girl joined her 18-year-old boyfriend and his mother in a rental car for an eight-and-a-half hour drive west to Bend, Oregon. According to court documents, the girl had an abortion at a Bend Planned Parenthood clinic before returning home to Pocatello a few days later.

The trip soon became the subject of a monthslong police investigation, culminating in the arrest of the boyfriend, Kadyn Swainston, and his mother, Rachael Swainston, in late October on kidnapping charges.

Five days after the Swainstons were arrested, a headline from author Jessica Valentis Abortion, Every Day newsletter declared abortion access advocates fears about a controversial Idaho law had come to pass: The state had its first abortion trafficking arrest.

Since then, prosecutors have denied any ties to the law, which earlier this month was put on pause by a U.S. District court. But the case has raised questions about whether existing Idaho laws could be used to enforce contested abortion restrictions.

Kidnapping charges not tied to trafficking law, officials say

Idaho legislators introduced the abortion trafficking legislation in February. The law added a new section to Idaho code that made it illegal for an adult to help a minor procure an abortion with the intent to conceal the abortion from the minors parents or guardian. Gov. Brad Little signed the law on April 6, and an emergency enactment provision meant it went into effect in early May  about two weeks before the Swainstons traveled to Bend with Kadyns underage girlfriend.

The law had abortion access advocates on high alert, and it was challenged in court by an Idaho attorney, the Northwest Abortion Access Fund and Indigenous Idaho Alliance in July. By then, an investigation into the Swainstons was already underway.

In June, the underage girls mother filed a police report, telling officials her daughter had been sexually assaulted by Kadyn Swainston, a probable cause affidavit showed. The girl alleged that Rachael Swainston dissuaded her from telling her parents about her pregnancy. The minor told police she was initially happy about the pregnancy, while Kadyn wasnt, the document said.

The affidavit said the girl refused to call Planned Parenthood to schedule the abortion appointment. Instead, Rachael Swainston made arrangements with the clinic. The girls parents told law enforcement they were never asked about transporting their daughter across state lines or giving Rachael Swainston consent to make medical decisions for the teen.

The Swainstons were charged with second-degree kidnapping, according to court records, which involves taking a child under 16 years old and concealing the child from their parent or guardian.

In a statement, the Bannock County Prosecutors Office told the Idaho Statesman the girl wanted to contact her parents, and that the Swainstons prevented the girl from calling them before she left the state.

The kidnapping charges against the Swainstons result from their coercion of the child and taking her out of state without letting her communicate with her parents, the statement read. The childs abortion is not an element of the charged offense, and the Idaho abortion trafficking statute is not implicated in this case.

Charges reflect post-Roe America, attorney says

Valenti claimed in her blog post that the Bannock County prosecutor used the exact language of the trafficking law in the kidnapping charges against the Swainstons.

She wrote that the charges detailed the Swainstons intent to keep or conceal (the minor) from her custodial parent  by transporting the child out of the state for the purpose of obtaining an abortion.

But a criminal complaint reviewed by the Statesman did not appear to use the same terms that appear in the abortion trafficking statute. Rather, the complaint alleged the Swainstons led or enticed the girl out of state  language that appears in the Idaho second-degree kidnapping definition.

The abortion statute includes language on intent to conceal an abortion from a parent or guardian. But Idahos second-degree kidnapping definition also includes phrasing about keeping or concealing a child from a custodial parent.

The criminal complaint noted that the minor was taken for the purposes of having an abortion. In the statement provided to the Statesman, Bannock County Deputy Prosecutor Erin Tognetti said its typical to provide a brief description of where they took the minor to provide adequate notice to the defendant.

Despite prosecutors assurances that the trafficking law played no role in the arrests, abortion rights supporters are keeping a close eye on the case.

I think that case and others like it is just an example of the reality that post-Roe America is forcing everyone to evaluate, said Kelly ONeill, an Idaho attorney for Legal Voice, in an interview with the Statesman. Legal Voice, a nonprofit advocacy group for gender equity is part of a cohort that sued the state in July over the abortion travel law.

Since the U.S. Supreme Court reversed federal abortion protections in June 2022 with the repeal of Roe v. Wade, Idaho has instated some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country. They include a complete ban on abortions except when the life of the pregnant person is at risk or in cases of rape or incest that have been reported to police.

The challenge to the trafficking statute is one of four ongoing lawsuits challenging Idaho abortion laws. Another seeks clarity on when a pregnant persons life is in danger, a third challenges the constitutionality of a 2021 law preventing public employees from promoting abortion and the final lawsuit concerns protections for emergency physicians who perform abortions to stabilize patients.

Currently no one can be charged under the abortion trafficking statute. A federal judge earlier this month temporarily blocked the law until a court decides whether the law is constitutional.

Still, ONeill said she believes its possible for prosecutors to leverage existing laws to try to further discourage abortion.

Prosecutors charge things in different ways depending on the tools they have available, ONeill said. Anything is possible at this point. Its a brand new world, and unfortunately those (abortion) protections we had for 50 years are gone.
FILE - Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump speaks to Texas state troopers and guardsmen at the South Texas International Airport, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023, in Edinburg, Texas. A federal appeals court is hearing arguments Monday, Nov. 20, on whether to reinstate a gag order against Donald Trump in the federal case charging him with plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

WASHINGTON  When Donald Trump left the White House, Democrats didnt want to hear another word from him. President Joe Biden dismissed him as the former guy. A party-wide consensus held that he was best left ignored.

Three years later, Bidens reelection campaign and Democratic officials across the partys spectrum have landed on a new solution to his political slump:

More Trump.

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Criticizing the news media for giving Trump a platform is out. Quietly pining for major networks to again broadcast live coverage of Trump campaign rallies is in.

Behind the improbable longing for the former president to gobble up political oxygen again is Democrats yearslong dependence on the Trump outrage machine. Since his ascent, Trump has been a one-man Democratic turnout operation, uniting an otherwise fractured opposition and fueling victories in three straight election cycles.

Now, Democrats worry that the fever of Trump fatigue has passed, and that some voters are softening toward a man they once loathed. Many others may simply be paying little attention, as Trumps share of the daily national conversation has diminished, despite the occasional interruption of campaign-trail pronouncements like his recent vow to root out political opponents like vermin.

Trump, who has never been called a shrinking violet, has nevertheless skipped the three Republican presidential debates and stayed away from the major social media platforms. He is expected to spend large parts of next year in criminal trials that, except for one in Georgia, will not be televised.

Cynthia Wallace, a co-founder of the New Rural Project, a progressive group in North Carolina, said she didnt hear much about Trump these days from the rural Black and Hispanic voters her organization focuses on.

I think its like a relationship, she said. There were a lot of bad things that happened, but the longer distance you get away from the bad things, youre like, maybe the bad things werent that bad.

Bidens campaign, which has been slow to ramp up its operations, is betting that once voters view the election as a choice between Biden and Trump, who remains highly polarizing, they will set aside their reservations about the president and fall in line behind him.

But while Trump is likely to rise in the public consciousness as November 2024 approaches, it is far from certain he will sabotage himself politically. And it remains unclear whether his criminal trials will make him more toxic among moderate and swing voters, or whether weeks of courtroom appearances will keep his presence more muted than normal.

Other Biden efforts are meeting limited success. His campaign has little to show for a $40 million advertising push promoting his economic record. And approval of the president, according to polls released this month by The New York Times and Siena College, has fallen sharply among Black and Hispanic voters  demographics that strategists say are more likely to disregard Trump when he is not front and center in the news.

Not having the day-to-day chaos of Donald Trump in peoples faces certainly has an impact on how people are measuring the urgency of the danger of another Trump administration, said Adrianne Shropshire, the executive director of BlackPAC, an African American political organizing group. It is important to remind people of what a total and absolute disaster Trump was.

Biden and Democrats, of course, cannot control decisions that news organizations make or the topics that absorb voters in person and on social media. But the Biden campaign, which is aiming to make the 2024 election a referendum on whether Trump should return to the White House, can try to push the national discussion in his direction with its messaging.

One big challenge, however, is that many Americans who tuned out the former president when he left office show little interest in hearing more about him.

Several voters who backed Biden in 2020 and are now leaning toward Trump said they had not followed the ins and outs of the former presidents post-White House activities and tended to discount and brush aside his past scandals.

I know a lot of people get mad about what he said years ago about grab them by whatever, said Treena Fortney, 51, a wholesaler from Covington, Georgia, who voted for Biden in 2020 but now regrets it and is supporting Trump. That was kind of aggravating. But, you know, that was years ago. And thats how guys talk in a locker room. I dont think he really would do that. I think he was just saying that.

Arthur Taylor, a business owner from Mesa, Arizona, described himself as a Democrat who voted for Hillary Clinton and Biden and now says he will back Trump in 2024. He said the business climate was better when Trump was president and that the 91 criminal charges against him might not be so bad.

Theres so many things that President Trump does thats just not ethical, Taylor said. But he added that with the former president, theres a level of honesty and almost transparency, even in a way that we might cringe at it.

Those sorts of sentiments have left the Biden campaign this past week to engage in its own media criticism, publicly urging news shows on network television to follow New York Times articles about Trumps plans for immigration and deportation policies if he wins the election.

The more the American people are confronted with who Donald Trump is  a dangerous, extreme and erratic man who only cares about using the power of the government to help himself and his friends  the more they reject him, said Ammar Moussa, a Biden campaign spokesperson. We will continue to highlight for voters whats at stake if Trump and his cronies are allowed anywhere near the Oval Office.

Biden and most of his Democratic allies have adopted a collective vow of silence on what portends to be the biggest Trump-related storyline over the next year  the four criminal trials he faces in Florida, Georgia, New York and Washington, D.C.

In August, 38 House Democrats wrote to the federal courts administrator asking that Trumps federal trials be broadcast live on television. Trump himself last week asked that cameras be allowed in the courtroom for his trial in Washington  a request that federal prosecutors swiftly opposed.

You see one of the court-artist sketches, and you look at that and youre like, Im not really sure which trial hes on, Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said in an interview. Is anyone paying attention to them?

Donna Brazile, a veteran Democratic strategist, said Bidens decision to stay quiet had allowed Trump to frame the cases against him as a one-sided conversation.

We have not engaged on perhaps Donald Trumps No. 1 Achilles heel, which is the 91 indictments, she said. Well see what happens when we do.

Aside from the trials, Democrats are longing for the days when cable networks carried Trumps rallies live. To watch a Trump rally live now, viewers need to find an online stream or a fringy far-right cable station like Newsmax.

On this, Trump and Democrats tend to be in agreement.

The more people see and hear from Donald Trump and what he has planned for the country if he regains power, the better off Democrats will be up and down the ballot, said Ben Wikler, the chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. Trumps voracious need for attention works to Democrats advantage.

Google search interest in Trump remains well below the level it was at when he was in office and running for reelection four years ago. The television ratings for Trumps CNN town hall event in May were strong, but well below what similar events in 2016 and 2020 drew.

Jessica Floyd, the executive director of the Hub Project, a progressive group, urged mainstream cable TV networks to remind people exactly how bad these rallies are and how corrosive they are for our democracy.

She added, They should also show President Biden selling an absolutely historic level of investment in our economy.

Jon Soltz, a co-founder and chair of VoteVets, a liberal veterans group, cautioned Democrats to be patient.

Theres a huge amount of the population right now that doesnt realize that Trump is going to be the Republican nominee for president, he said. When that happens, you will see a different response.

c.2023 The New York Times Company
A 2019 report of an independent investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against an IHOPKC staffer warned leaders that additional allegations against others associated with the ministry had surfaced that needed to be immediately investigated.

Failure to do so and to implement recommended changes, the report said, is likely to result in continued missteps when handling and responding to misconduct issues at IHOP.

The release of the report comes as the International House of Prayer of Kansas City grapples with sexual misconduct allegations against founder Mike Bickle that surfaced late last month. The allegations prompted IHOPKCs leadership team to ask Bickle to step away from public ministry to allow for a proper inquiry to be conducted.

The executive summary of the investigation findings concerning the staffer, which IHOPKC did not make public but was leaked on Monday, was dated Jan. 31, 2019. It involved Jennifer Graves Roach, a Washington woman who in 2018 accused the staff member, Brad Tebbutt, of sexually abusing her for 2  years when she was a teen and he was a youth pastor at a Baptist church in Modesto, California.

Roach, who is referred to as Jane Doe in the report, has spoken publicly about her case and once sued over the allegations.

IHOPKC put Tebbutt on administrative leave and hired GRACE, a Virginia nonprofit whose name stands for Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment, to conduct an investigation after Roach came forward. GRACE was founded by Boz Tchividjian, a former child abuse chief prosecutor and grandson of the late Rev. Billy Graham.

During its investigation into the Tebbutt allegations, the report said, GRACE found other disturbing allegations as well.

GRACE also noted that several different individuals brought concerning information to GRACE relating to specific instances of alleged sexual misconduct reportedly committed by other individuals associated with IHOP, the report said.

This information falls outside the scope of this investigation regarding Brad Tebbutt and is therefore not included here but will be addressed in a follow-up communication with IHOP in the coming weeks.

It is unknown whether follow-up communications with IHOPKC occurred.

An IHOPKC leader told The Star that the organization would comment on the 2019 report later in the day Tuesday. Tebbutt, who has never spoken publicly about the allegations, could not be reached for comment.

Roach told The Star on Monday that the report is evidence of an ongoing pattern at IHOP.

The report investigates Tebbutt but also alludes to victims of other leaders, she said. IHOP was asked to correct these issues in that report and given specific suggestions on how to do so. It does not seem those suggestions were taken.

Bickle, 68, founded IHOPKC in 1999 as a 24/7 evangelical and missions organization with its world headquarters in south Kansas City. The allegations against him were presented to IHOPKC on Oct. 24 by three of its former leaders. IHOPKCs current leadership team then called a meeting to inform staff on Oct. 27. They originally described Bickles alleged actions as misconduct, then later said the allegations were unsettling and involved sexual immorality.

The day after IHOPKC leaders told the staff about Bickle, the three former leaders issued a statement describing the incidents as clergy sexual abuse and said they found the allegations to be credible and long-standing.

Bickle has not responded publicly to the allegations. Last week, IHOPKC leaders released a report of their initial findings involving the allegations against him. The report discounted some of the allegations brought forth by the former IHOPKC leaders.

After three weeks of examination, IHOPKC has identified five of eight alleged victims, said the report, dated Nov. 15. Three of those five have publicly called the allegations lies, a fourth has not wanted to communicate with IHOPKCs attorney, and the fifths allegations relate to incidents that preceded IHOPKCs founding.

The 2019 report leaked Monday said that GRACE has received no information pertaining to Mr. Tebbutts engaging in sexual misconduct or sexual abuse while at IHOP.

It said Tebbutt declined to speak with GRACE during the investigation, which began in March 2018. It found that when Tebbutt applied for an internship at IHOPKC in 2012, the application asked about any previous allegations of physical or sexual abuse. Tebbutt answered that while an intern in youth ministry, he moved outside of (his) marriage to find emotional fulfillment with a 16-year-old girl that went no further than inappropriate touch.

Despite this admission, Mr. Tebbutt was admitted into an IHOP internship, the report said. In 2013, it said, Tebbutt was elevated to director of the Simeon Company Internship, a ministry for those 50 and older.

The report said that IHOPKC should have proactively pursued learning as much information as possible about the true nature of all of Mr. Tebbutts alleged criminal behavior through any and all available sources, including contacting Jane Doe to find out her version of events before he was granted admission, and certainly before he was granted a leadership position.

Tebbutts admission alone, the report said, regardless of whether he committed the act of sexual penetration, should have been enough to prohibit him from working in a leadership and/or pastoral role.

The report concluded that though evidence was not raised during the investigation that Tebbutt sexually abused anyone in the IHOPKC community, the evidence shows that Mr. Tebbutt repeatedly exploited the access and trust granted him by Jane Doe and by the church by sexually abusing a youth in his care from a position of spiritual authority.

It added that his vague responses to the matter when Roach reported it in 2018 and his explanation of those events on his internship application in 2012 demonstrate that Mr. Tebbutt minimizes or fails to appreciate the gravity of his potentially criminal and clearly destructive sinful behaviors.

Among GRACEs recommendations was for leaders to decide whether Tebbutt would be permitted to return to IHOPKC.

Without a proven demonstration of authentic repentance, Brad Tebbutts employment and association with IHOP should be terminated, the report said. Should he be permitted to return to IHOP, he must never be allowed on the property when minors are present. In addition, he must never be allowed at, or granted participation in, any off-campus IHOP activities in which minors are present.

Former staff members, however, say Tebbutt was still at IHOPKC as recently as last month and working as an admissions manager, helping recruit minors.

Not only do they allow him to be on campus when minors are present, they placed him in a position of leadership and authority to work with minors, said Samuel Hood, a former staff member who grew up in the IHOPKC community, attended IHOP University and whose father was a longtime associate director there.

Hood said the report about Tebbutt was devastating. He said the young people being recruited by IHOPU and Tebbutt were the same age range  14- to 17-year-olds  as Roach when she said she was sexually abused.

Its not just that IHOPKC failed to follow GRACEs recommendations, Hood said: They did the exact opposite.

Thats whats so egregious about it, and it breaks my heart, he said. I would consider this one of the greatest betrayals of my trust in the leadership of IHOPKC. What it said to me as someone who grew up there from age 4 to 22 is that IHOPKC is not a community that is safe for youth.

Former staffer Madison Pierce said that in 2021, Tebbutt led a recruitment luncheon with several IHOPU leaders.

He interacted with minors, and basically got all of their contact information for his role, Pierce said. At the time, I didnt think much of it. I was not aware of any of his prior allegations.

Once he found out, Pierce said, I felt incredibly betrayed.

And I felt like I was put in a position where I was entrusted with the safety of children and minors coming to our camps, and I unknowingly put them in a position where they were no longer safe, he said.

If he had known about the GRACE report and Tebbutts history, he said, I would not have put those children in the same room, and I would not have continued in my job.

Pierce said his experiences with Tebbutt had been positive.

Hes been gentle and kind, even beneficial, he said. For me, the greatest betrayal isnt necessarily Brads. The betrayal I feel is about IHOPKC leadership and their blatant ignoring of the GRACE statement.

Pierce said when he left in 2021 to pursue his theological education, he decided not to return as staff because of the Tebbutt situation.

Now reading this report, and understanding that it was actually worse than I was told, is completely disheartening, he said. It has made me no longer trust the ability of IHOPKC leaders to navigate issues of sexual abuse well.

Former IHOPKC staffer Daniel Cawley, who at one point worked with Tebbutt in the recruitment department, said he and other staffers didnt know about Tebbutts past.

It grieves us in the thought of parents putting their childrens lives and trust in this ministry, in this organization, in this camp, he said. As of what we know now, nothing has happened. But I do think its extremely egregious that nothing was communicated outside of, Hey, hes gone through the process. And so finding out that Brad was recommended as someone that shouldnt be around minors is really upsetting.

Cawley said he thinks IHOPKC made an attempt to keep Tebbutt away from minors.

At least from what I could see, the student workers were given the job and the role to be in communication with students, he said. Brad was not necessarily in those conversations. If the school knew, it seems like they were at least attempting to create barriers. But for Brad, no, thats not an excuse.

In May 2018, Roach filed a lawsuit against Tebbutt, First Baptist Church in Modesto and its successor, CrossPoint Community Church. She later dropped Tebbutt from the suit when he agreed to cooperate with the case. CrossPoint settled with Roach in 2019 for $267,500.

IHOPKC issued a news release in April 2019 saying all investigations of Tebbutt had been completed.

The critical conclusion of the report is that no evidence of further incidents was discovered by the independent firm, nor has there been any evidence of further wrongdoing over the last 30+ years, including time spent at IHOPKC, it said.

The statement also said that during both the internal and external investigations, Tebbutt had demonstrated genuine remorse and repentance over the clear moral failure committed at that time, as well as complete cooperation with the litigation. It added that the injured realized that Tebbutt had made a genuine apology and has genuinely forgiven him.

In June 2022, Tebbutt was listed as an alleged sexual abuser in a document released by Southern Baptist officials. When The Star asked if Tebbutt was still on staff at IHOPKC, it responded in an email, referring to Tebbutt as one of our missionaries and referring The Star to its April 2019 news release.

Tchividjian, GRACEs founder, is now in private practice and is representing some of Bickles accusers. Last week on X, formerly Twitter, he sharply criticized IHOPKCs handling of the issue.

Without a legitimate independent investigation, these issues will continue to overshadow IHOPKC for the next 20 years, he said. Unresolved disclosures of abuse dont simply go away. In my opinion, this is a travesty on so many levels.
Renaissance mathematicians were the first to come up with the idea of imaginary numbers. imagestockdesign/shutterstock

For those of us who aren't mathematically inclined, the notion of imaginary numbers is a bit puzzling. What in the heck does that even mean? Are these made-up numbers? Are they invisible like imaginary friends? Send math help!

What Is an Imaginary Number?

An imaginary number  basically, a number that, when squared, results in a negative number  was first established back in the 1400s and 1500s as a way to solve certain bedeviling equations.

While initially thought of as sort of a parlor trick, in the centuries since, imaginary numbers have come to be viewed as a tool for conceptualizing the world in complex ways, and today are useful in fields ranging from electrical engineering to quantum mechanics.

"We invented imaginary numbers for some of the same reasons that we invented negative numbers," explains Cristopher Moore. He's a physicist at the Santa Fe Institute, an independent research institution in New Mexico, and coauthor, with Stephan Mertens, of the 2011 book "The Nature of Computation."

"Start with ordinary arithmetic," Moore continues. "What is two minus seven? If you've never heard of negative numbers, that doesn't make sense. There's no answer. You can't have negative five apples, right? But think of it this way. You could owe me five apples, or five dollars. Once people started doing accounting and bookkeeping, we needed that concept."

Similarly, today we're all familiar with the idea that if we write big checks to pay for things but don't have enough money to cover them, we could have a negative balance in our bank accounts.

Calculating With Complex and Imaginary Numbers

Another way to look at negative numbers  and this will come in handy later  is to think of walking around in a city neighborhood, Moore says.

If you make a wrong turn and in the opposite direction from our destination  say, five blocks south, when you should have gone north  you could think of it as walking five negative blocks to the north.

"By inventing negative numbers, it expands your mathematical universe, and enables you to talk about things that were difficult before," Moore says.

Imaginary numbers and complex numbers  that is, numbers that include an imaginary component  are another example of this sort of creative thinking. As Moore explains it: "If I ask you, what is the square root of nine, that's easy, right? The answer is three  though it also could be negative three," since multiplying two negatives results in a positive.

But what is the square root of negative one? Is there a number, when multiplied by itself, that gives you negative one? "At one level, there is no such number," Moore says.

But Renaissance mathematicians came up with a clever way around that problem. "Before we invented negative numbers there was no such number that was two minus seven," Moore continues. "So maybe we should invent a number that is square root of negative one. Let's give it a name. i."

Once they came up with the concept of an imaginary number, mathematicians discovered that they could do some really cool stuff with it. Remember that multiplying a positive by a negative number equals a negative, but multiplying two negatives by one another equals a positive.

But what happens when you start multiplying i times seven, and then times i again? Because i times i is negative one, the answer is negative seven. But if you multiply seven times i times i times i times i, suddenly you get positive seven. "They cancel each other out," Moore notes.

Now think about that. You took an imaginary number, plugged it into an equation multiple times, and ended up with an actual number that you commonly use in the real world.

Imaginary Numbers Are Points on a Plane

It wasn't until few hundred years later, in the early 1800s, that mathematicians discovered another way of understanding imaginary numbers: thinking of them as points on a plane, explains Mark Levi. He's a professor and head of the mathematics department at Penn State University and author of the 2012 book "Why Cats Land on Their Feet: And 76 Other Physical Paradoxes and Puzzles."

When we think of numbers as points on a line, and then add a second dimension, "the points on that plane are the imaginary numbers," he says.

Envision a number line. When you think of a negative number, its 180 degrees away from the positive numbers on the line. "When you multiply two negative numbers, you add their angles, 180 degrees plus 180 degrees, and you get 360 degrees. That's why it's positive," Levi explains.

The Y axis is helpful when you're thinking about imaginary numbers since you can't put the square root of -1 on the X axis. zizou7/shutterstock

But you can't put the square root of negative one anywhere on the X axis. It just doesn't work. However, if you create a Y axis that's perpendicular to the X, you now have a place to put it.

And while imaginary numbers seem like just a bunch of mathematical razzle-dazzle, they're actually very useful for certain important calculations in the modern technological world, such as calculating the flow of air over an airplane wing, or figuring out the drain in energy from resistance combined with oscillation in an electrical system.

Complex numbers with imaginary components also are useful in theoretical physics, explains Rolando Somma, a physicist who works in quantum computing algorithms at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

"Due to their relation with trigonometric functions, they are useful for describing, for example, periodic functions," Somma says via email. "These arise as solutions to the wave equations, so we use complex numbers to describe various waves, such an electromagnetic wave. Thus, as in math, complex calculus in physics is an extremely useful tool for simplifying calculations."

Complex numbers also have a role in quantum mechanics, a theory that describes the behavior of nature at the scale of atoms and subatomic particles.

"In quantum mechanics i appears explicitly in Schrodinger's equation," Somma explains. "Thus, complex numbers appear to have a more fundamental role in quantum mechanics rather than just serving as a useful calculational tool."

"The state of a quantum system is described by its wave function," he continues. "As a solution to Schrodinger's equation, this wave function is a superposition of certain states, and the numbers appearing in the superposition are complex. Interference phenomena in quantum physics, for example, can be easily described using complex numbers."

Now That's Interesting



Imaginary numbers also are mentioned in Dan Brown's 2003 bestseller "The Da Vinci Code" and Thomas Pynchon's 2012 novel "Against the Day."

This article was updated in conjunction with AI technology, then fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.

Original article: What Are Imaginary Numbers?

Copyright  2023 HowStuffWorks, a division of InfoSpace Holdings, LLC, a System1 Company
FILE PHOTO: Faithful attend a mass to rebuff attacks on Pope Francis by presidential candidate Javier Milei, in Buenos Aires

FILE PHOTO: Faithful attend a mass to rebuff attacks on Pope Francis by presidential candidate Javier Milei, in Buenos Aires

By Philip Pullella

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Argentina's right-wing President-elect Javier Milei, who in past years has called Pope Francis everything from a "son of a bitch" to an "imbecile" to the devil's man on earth, spoke on the phone with his countryman on Tuesday.

"We are pleased to announce that His Holiness, Pope Francis, spoke with our future president to congratulate him and to express his wishes for the unity and progress for our country," Milei's office said in a statement.

The statement added that Pope Francis had promised to send a rosary gift and they hoped to host a visit "very soon."

The Vatican had earlier said the two spoke in the late afternoon but did not disclose what was discussed and who initiated the call.

Before he decided to run for president, the former TV "shock jock" commentator made a series of attacks on the pope, calling him an "imbecile who defends social justice," a "son-of-a-bitch preaching communism" and "the representative of the evil one on Earth."

In September, priests from poor districts in Buenos Aires, the pope's birthplace and where he also was archbishop, held a Mass to defend Francis and condemn Milei's attacks on him.

Argentine newspaper La Nacion reported citing sources that the pope initiated the call, which it said lasted eight minutes.

Francis, 86, has made more than 40 trips outside Italy since his election 10 years ago as the first Latin American pontiff but has yet to visit Argentina.

(Reporting by Philip Pullella; Additional reporting by Kylie Madry and Sarah Morland; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
For the second time in two years, America finds itself providing military support to a friend in the wake of aggression. Within days of Hamas attack on Israel, American munitions began flowing to the Israeli Defense Forces, and no reporting suggests that a single request for military material has yet been denied.

But the situation raises important questions: How long is such support materially sustainable given well-reported strains on defense supply chains? Even if Congress ultimately approves supplemental funding for military assistance to Ukraine and Israel, can the U.S. industrial base cash the checks? If so, what is the harm to the increasingly dangerous security situation in the Pacificthe only critical Eurasian region spared an open war at this momentwhere China is testing American resolve in the South China Sea and preparing for a war over Taiwan?

In other words, are there enough guns, bullets, and bombs to sustain Americas global strategy, long underpinned by our status as the free worlds armory? Or will reality ultimately force us to retrench? The current polycrisis may be manageable for now, but the instrument panels for both our security abroad and our defense supply chains at home are flashing redeven without the United States engaged in combat.

First, the good news: The different nature of the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and the differences between both and a possible fight in the Pacific, means any trade-offs are limited and manageable. The new violence in the Middle East has not resulted in meaningful limitations on the Ukrainians or the Israelis.

In Gaza, Israel is in a largely urban fight, against a prepared but irregular enemy, and enjoys air supremacy. While the Russian-Ukrainian front line is 600 miles long and the shortest distance from the current frontline to the Sea of Azov is 60 miles, the entire Gaza strip is 25 miles in length and only 4 to 8 miles wide. Many critical Ukrainian needsair power, long-range missiles, anti-armor capabilitiesare not critical Israeli needs. Israel is instead churning through U.S.-produced air-dropped precision munitions and missile defense interceptors, which it needs not only to face current threats but in case of significant escalation in the north, where Hezbollahs arsenal is much deadlier than Hamas.

Israel indigenously produces numerous critical platforms and munitions that it does need on the ground, including tanks, artillery, and much of its own ammunition. Even in the unlikely scenario of a U.S.-supported or enabled Israeli strike on Iran, the kinds of systems that might be most useful to IsraelKC-46A air-to-air refueling tankers (purchased, but not yet delivered) or bunker buster bombsare not especially relevant to Ukraine.

Israel and Ukraine are fighting mainly land and air wars, with real but less significant maritime components. A war in the Pacific, however, will be a naval war with a heavy aerial component and potentially significant ground engagements. If it comes, naval assets will be both targets and launch platforms for many of the weapons employed. The most acute needs in the Pacific would be for high-end systems designed to hit moving targets from long distances (and interceptors against Chinese equivalents) like the versatile Standard Missile 6, the Tomahawk cruise missile and its maritime strike variant, and the Long Range Anti-Ship Missile and Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile.

Thats the good news. As of today, the outbreak of war in the Middle East has not created a crisis for munitions supply or Americas current strategy of arming partners in multiple regions.

But the fact that things are more or less manageable now does not mean that there are not grave reasons for concern. A war in the Middle East that metastasizes, with real losses for the IDF and direct American involvement, could strain U.S. supply chains, although in ways that are more likely to force tradeoffs between Ukraine and the Middle East than between either and the Pacific.

We are living in a new and much more dangerous world than the one in which our military operated for decades. One of us, during his military service, on numerous occasions called in high-end platforms like F/A-18s to engage in strafing runs against Taliban IED emplacerssmall groups of men trying to kill Marinescarrying small arms, homemade explosives, and shovels. While satisfying in the moment, such incidents (which have been countless for American troops over the years) obviously relied on an overwhelming, almost comical mismatch in tactical resources between our troops and the enemy.

No one is laughing anymore.

In any direct great-power confrontation, resource limitations could turn into battlefield limitations with stalemate or defeat as possible outcomes. The mere possibility of our limitations weakens our deterrenceand yet, efforts to address the problem by washing our hands of security obligations in one theater to surge platforms and munitions to another will likely have terrible consequences of their own. A long line of policy errors since the end of the Cold War, namely the steady retrenchment of American forces from the European and Asian frontiers and significant reductions in our military capacity, have generated a grave and genuine dilemma.

We must plan for deterrence and, if necessary, victory. But how? In his recent speech promoting the major defense supplemental for Ukraine and Israel, Biden invoked FDR and how America was once the arsenal of democracyand could be again. This is correct, but Bidens policies dont match his rhetoric, as even a cursory examination of Roosevelts record shows.

Roosevelt first spoke of the arsenal of democracy in December 1940, a full year before America went to war, but had been acting with urgency for years before. In January 1939, nearly three years prior to the Pearl Harbor attack, Roosevelt called on Congress to authorize $300 million (more than $6 billion todays dollars) to triple the number of aircraft in the Air Corps to 6,000 planes. In a single swoop, Roosevelt had called for 50 percent more funds than the Air Corps had received in the preceding 14 years combined.

Following the German invasion of France in the spring of 1940, FDR called for the annual production of 50,000 planes. By 1944, with U.S. wartime production at its peak, we produced 96,000 planes in a single year. As FDR put it, This means military implementsnot on paperwhich are ready and available to meet any lightning offensive against our American interest. It means also that facilities for production must be ready to turn out munitions and equipment at top speed. By the wars end, the U.S. had produced a total of 300,000 aircraft.

So it was with naval production. Roosevelt and Congress first passed the 1934 Naval Parity Act to build ships up to the treaty limits and modernize the Navy. Two years later, he passed the 1936 Naval Act that authorized the first construction of a battleship since 1921. In 1938, he passed the Second Vinson Act which authorized a 20 percent increase in the strength of the Navy. And following the fall of France in 1940, he passed the Two-Ocean Navy Act, an $8.5 billion (equivalent to $181 billion) appropriation that increased the strength of the Navy by 70 percent. Peacetime rearmament was responsible for 95 percent of the modern warships and 40 percent of the fleet before the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor.

Roosevelt had the order right: Become the arsenal of democracy first (1934-1940), declare oneself the arsenal of democracy (end of 1940), and then enact the Lend-Lease Act (March 1941), in which the U.S. declared it would provide arms to the allies fighting the Nazis and Japanese free of charge. By December 9, 1940, when FDR said I want to make it clear that it is the purpose of the nation to build now with all possible speed every machine, every arsenal, every factory that we need to manufacture our defense material, it was a credible commitment to Allied power.

Biden, on the other hand, has it backward: He sought to cut defense spending while reactively supporting our allies by sending them arms.

It may seem radical, or at least premature, to compare Americas current strategic situation to that of the 1930s, but the parallels are striking. The Nazis, Mussolinis fascist regime in Italy, and Imperial Japans militarist and expansionist ambitions formed an axis of instability. Their intentions were long clear and their salami-slicing approaches in Europe, Asia, and Africa meant that their initiation of World War Two was not the start, but just the latest military operation to defeat the Allied powers. The intentions of todays Tripartite powersChina, Russia, and Iranhave similarly been clear for years and they too have modernized and massively expanded their military capacities while also invading, terrorizing, and coercing their neighbors.

How can Biden be more like Roosevelt? First, the United States must spend more, significantly more, on its defense. U.S. defense spending, as both a percentage of GDP and percentage of the federal budget, are at near-century-long lows. The situation is even worse when one looks at all the nondefense, noncore spending included in the defense budget. It is encouraging to see most Republican candidates pledge a significantly higher topline budget or material increases in naval capabilities. Increasing defense spending to Cold War-level like numbers would functionally mean a doubling of the defense budget, a feat last achieved by Ronald Reagan. To date, three Republican presidential candidates have pledged to raise defense spending as a percentage of GDP to at least 3.5 percent (Mike Pence), 4 percent (Vivek Ramaswamy), and 5 percent (Doug Burgum) and a fourth (Ron Desantis) has called for a four-oceans navy and a 30 percent increase in active warships during his time in office. If any of these pledges were enacted, these would represent a 15 percent to 60 percent increase in the topline and a serious down payment on what is needed.

Second, we must spend differently. We need to move away from a system in which short-term contracts take multiple years to manifest to one where longer-term contracts can be brought about more swiftly. There will be waste, but nothing compared to the cost of failing to deterlet alone losinga war with another great power, or allowing our allies to collapse in the face of aggression. Appropriations or foreign sales resulting in multiyear contracts will result in investment in the supply chain and the reduction of choke points. Industry needs not just money, but the promise of future money, and that requires a profound change in attitude in the Pentagon and in Congress. Ukraine aid has helped catalyze this change, but much more needs to be done.

Third, we must spend now, beforenot afterour production crisis limits our options. We cannot hit snooze on both the Ukrainian and Israeli alarms. As Benjamin Franklin once wrote, An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. And while there are many difficult, structural restrictions on potential pace, America does retain major industrial capacity. Large supplemental appropriations for aid and defense, like the one currently being debated in Congress, are both critical for American forward defense, but will also further amplify the demand signal needed by industry to make the investments in jobs and infrastructure necessary.

The United States can continue to arm and support both Ukraine and Israel, and their success in those conflicts will bolster American security and deterrence. But, absent getting truly serious about our defense production capacity, success will be fleeting, and tough choices are ahead.

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Readers of this newspaper will be aware that its future ownership is in a state of flux. For the past few months, it has been in the hands of the receivers after Lloyds Bank took control when the bank failed to reach an agreement over the repayment of loans made to the former owners, the Barclay family.

Goldman Sachs, the investment bank, was appointed to oversee an auction of the Telegraph titles and The Spectator. A number of media groups have expressed an interest in bidding and were due to make their dispositions known shortly, but the sale process has now been paused until December 4.

This is because the Barclay family has been pursuing an alternative course of action which has almost certainly scuppered the auction plan. They have secured loans of 1.2 billion from Abu Dhabi-backed funds to pay Lloyds the amount the bank is owed in full.

If the money is forthcoming, and there is no reason to believe it wont be, then ownership will revert to the Barclays. However, because the Telegraph group is collateral for part of the loan, RedBird International Media Investments  an Abu Dhabi-backed investment fund  will exercise an option to convert the debt into ownership at an early opportunity. This could all happen within days.

The takeover of the Telegraph by a fund linked to a state not known for encouraging free expression is bound to concern readers. It has alarmed some Conservative MPs, who have written to ministers urging a Government inquiry under the Enterprise Act 2002 and the National Security and Investment Act 2021, especially if the offer involved taking the publications as security for the loans, an amount which ... the revenue of the publications will not be able to support.

RedBird IMI said it is entirely committed to maintaining the existing editorial team of the Telegraph and Spectator publications, and believe that editorial independence for these titles is essential to protecting their reputation and credibility.

It said the Abu Dhabi arm would be a passive investor only and that transfer of ownership would be subject to regulatory review with which it would cooperate fully. These are encouraging intentions, but RedBird IMI needs to spell out how it will ensure that a cast-iron and binding commitment to the Telegraphs continued independence can be guaranteed.

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FILE PHOTO: Asmita Koladiya carrying her eight-month-old daughter Jiyanshi Gaurang gives a dose of vaccine against COVID-19 to a villager in Lodhida

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Indian researchers found no evidence that COVID-19 vaccination was behind "unexplained sudden deaths", a medical organisation said on Tuesday, instead pointing to the disease itself, binge drinking and intense exercise as risk factors.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) conducted a study following what it called "anecdotal reports about sudden unexplained deaths among apparently healthy adults" aged 18 to 45 between October 2021 and March 2023.

"We found no evidence of a positive association of COVID-19 vaccination with unexplained sudden death among young adults," the research group said in a study published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research.

"At the same time, family history of sudden death, hospitalisation for COVID-19 and lifestyle behaviours such as recent binge drinking and vigorous-intensity physical activity were risk factors for unexplained sudden death."

ICMR researchers identified 29,171 sudden deaths and scrutinised the records of 729 of the cases as well as 2,916 "control" subjects as part of their investigation, the group said.

Government data shows India suffered 45 million COVID infections and 533,295 related deaths but experts say the actual numbers are several times higher.

Many Indian hospitals ran out of beds during the peak of the COVID crisis and many people died at home.

(Reporting by Krishna N. Das; editing by Robert Birsel)
An Indiana County man accused of assaulting a young girl entered a guilty plea on Tuesday.

Mark Juart, 37, pleaded guilty to felony indecent assault of a person less than 13 years old. The harassment charge against him was dismissed.

Police launched an investigation after a report was made to Childline. Investigators determined that between Jan. 1, 2022, and March 19, 2023, Juart had indecent contact with the child. The victim completed a forensic interview at the CARE Center of Indiana, where the victim described the indecent contact to the forensic interviewer.

Nobody should have to endure this type of offense being perpetrated against them. Children should have the opportunity to enjoy their childhood without being victimized Indiana County District Attorney Robert Manzi said in a release. I applaud the strength and courage of this victim and the victims family in standing up against the defendant. I also appreciate the great team we have in our county, including our law enforcement community and forensic team at the CARE Center of Indiana, to bring this defendant to justice.

The judge ordered that Juart complete a sex offenders assessment with state authorities and that the Indiana County Probation Department complete a pre-sentence investigation.

Juart is scheduled to be sentenced on March 22, 2024, at 8:30 a.m.

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Eric Sickbert, architect with DLA Architects, presents a floor-by-floor examination of ceilings at Lockport High Schools Central Campus in Lockport. The ceilings were color coded based on the level of collapse risk. Board members said they want more details about repairs to the medium or medium to high risk classifications. (Michelle Mullins/Daily Southtown)

Voters in Lockport High School District 205 will be asked March 19 to fund $85 million in renovations to its historic Central Campus, where freshmen typically attend.

The school board unanimously approved the referendum Monday, just weeks after a ceiling collapsed in one of the classrooms resulting in the district busing about 900 students to the former Lincoln-Way North High School in Frankfort.

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Voters rejected six requests from 2006 to 2011 to build a high school in Homer Glen. The costs of those proposals ranged from $85 million in 2011 to $141.74 million, which was rejected twice in 2008 and again in 2009.

Board members said this would be the first referendum to address Central Campus, built in 1909.

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If approved, the $85 million referendum could cost a resident with a home valued at about $267,700 an estimated increase of $169 and $187 per year depending on the length of the bond, according to district documents.

Weve put different options to the community a number of times; those have all been voted down, said board member Veronica Shaw. Weve never presented this option.

Restoring and revitalizing Central Campus would be more cost effective than new construction, district officials said, noting a new 471,000-square-foot building would cost nearly $165 million today as opposed to nearly $122 million when that proposal was rejected by voters in 2006.

A piece of heavy plaster taken from a ceiling deemed at high risk of collapsing sits at the corner of a table as Lockport High School District 205 as Superintendent Robert McBride talks to the school board about the referendum for Central Campus repairs. (Michelle Mullins/Daily Southtown)

Funds from the referendum would preserve and protect the exterior of the campus, its Veterans Foyer and main gym, replace the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, renovate and improve classrooms and improve accessibility to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Board member Zyan Navarra said voters have typically fallen in three lines of thought: building a new school, renovating Central Campus or maintaining the status quo. He said he was concerned that unless voters mindset shifted, the referendum would never pass.

Superintendent Robert McBride said maintaining the Central Campus school is not an option, especially after the plaster ceiling collapsed earlier this month. With the age of the building, a similar situation could occur every few years, he said. Architects are examining the ceilings of the building, but have not been tasked to look at windows, roofs, boilers or other aging systems, McBride said.

Renovation is likely the quickest way, the least costly way to create a building that can continue as a school, McBride said. I dont think we want to be known as the community that nearly had a ceiling collapse on kids and then didnt do anything about it. Thats our brand today.

Modernizing and updating Central Campus would help preserve the building, he said.

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We still have quite a few systems that create tremendous amount of moisture, he said. That hurts windows. That hurts ceilings. That hurts roofs. That hurts masonry. And if you can create a more constant environment inside the building, it actually is a preservation technique.

The referendum is whether residents want to keep Central Campus as a school, McBride said.

Two residents spoke in favor of the proposal at Mondays school board meeting.

Like any aging structure, there comes a time when work beyond the scope of your yearly budget must take place, Timothy Russ said. These issues have not gone away magically with time.

The classroom ceiling collapse demonstrated the need for extensive renovations, Russ said.

District officials said freshmen students, who began classes Nov. 15 at Lincoln-Way North High School, have been happy to resume in-person learning after doing their classes online for more than a week. They said the first few days of classes at Lincoln-Way went smoothly and expressed their thanks to Lincoln-Way High School District 210 for making it happen.

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The Lockport District 205 Board approved the intergovernmental lease agreement Monday to use about three-fourths of the Lincoln-Way North building. Lockport Township High School will pay $250,000 a month for the first three months, according to district documents. Lockport maintenance and custodial staff will perform daily cleaning and light maintenance while Lincoln-Way will be responsible for all major repairs and maintenance.

The Lockport board is also continuing to discuss repairs to its ceilings as architects examine their structural integrity.

About 3% to 4% of the schools ceilings pose a high risk, 22% to 25% pose a medium to high risk and 7% of the ceilings are ranked as a medium risk, said Eric Sickbert, an architect with DLA Architects.

Areas that are medium risk or a medium to high risk are a different type of plaster that would not create a catastrophic failure but rather could have parts of the plaster potentially spall off, he said.

Board members said they want more information on repairing the ceilings that are also in the medium and medium to high risk categories.

I wouldnt want to take a chance, board member Michael Travis said.

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Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
Indonesia has pledged to stop building new coal-fired power plants but despite an outcry from activists it is continuing to build plants that were already planned (ADITYA AJI)

Indonesia on Tuesday launched an investment plan to attract $20 billion pledged by Western nations in a renewable energy transition pact agreed last year for the archipelago to slash emissions and wean itself off coal.

The roadmap, which comes less than two weeks before the COP28 summit in Dubai, outlines Jakarta's vision to reach net-zero power sector emissions by 2050 using cash from the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP).

Under the Comprehensive Investment and Policy Plan (CIPP), the Southeast Asian nation will seek to slash its carbon dioxide emissions to 250 million metric tons for its on-grid power sector by 2030.

That is down from a previous cap of 290 million.

"The CIPP provides a strategic roadmap for the ambitious energy transition in Indonesia by considering challenges including technical, financial, and social justice," acting minister of maritime and investments, Erick Thohir said during the launch in Jakarta.

"We need to move quickly because 2030 is less than seven years away," he said.

Indonesia also plans to boost its renewable energy generation share to 44 percent by 2030, up from an initial target of 34 percent.

Jakarta has said it would need at least $97.3 billion worth of investments, nearly five times more than the funding promised by the JETP investors, to achieve its target.

The public and private financing for the JETP, released last year, follows a model first trialled in South Africa and then announced for Vietnam and Senegal, with rich countries pledging funds for the developing world's energy transition.

But Jakarta is reportedly unhappy about the deal's proposed mix of financing, worried it will be offered mostly market-rate loans that saddle it with heavy debt.

The United States, Japan, Canada, and six European nations signed the deal with Indonesia -- one of the world's top coal exporters and coal power generators -- to shift it away from its coal reliance.

Indonesia has pledged to stop building new coal-fired power plants but, despite an outcry from activists, it is continuing to build those that were already planned.

It is also trying to position itself as a key player in the electric vehicle market as the world's largest nickel producer, but some industrial parks that host energy-guzzling nickel smelters are powered by coal. Nickel is a crucial component in batteries used for EVs.

The JETP deal has failed to include the captive coal power stations in its calculations, prompting concerns from experts and environmentalists.

dsa/jfx/dan
FIRST ON FOX: An internal memorandum circulated among lawmakers by Senate Commerce Committee Republicans highlights how the Biden administration is tying billions of dollars in taxpayer funds to "woke initiatives."

The memo, first obtained by Fox News Digital, was sent late Monday evening and spearheaded by Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who is planning to author legislation that would prohibit the Department of Transportation (DOT) from tying federal funds to left-wing priorities. It particularly targets DOT's management of three grant programs that serve as key vehicles to fund various types of surface transportation projects nationwide.

"Billions upon billions of taxpayer dollars meant for infrastructure projects are tied to woke initiatives that are more focused on dismantling Americas infrastructure in the name of equity and climate change than building roads, bridges, and highways to connect the country," the memo states.

"Congress must not allow the Department of Transportation to push the absurd concept of racist roads to prevent Americans from getting much-needed improvements to their highways," it continued. "The funding notices issued by DOT should focus on the law as written, not woke priorities."

PETE BUTTIGIEGS OFFICE STONEWALLS TAXPAYER COSTS OF SWING STATE TOUR ON GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVE JET

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, attends a Senate hearing on May 11.

In June, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced that his agency had started accepting applications for the National Infrastructure Project Assistance, Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA), and Rural Surface Transportation Grant programs. The three programs received a collective $5.6 billion boost, most of which supports INFRA, under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021.

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Buttigieg said the grants eventually awarded under the programs would support "transformational infrastructure projects across the nation." But the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) the DOT issued as part of its grant awarding process states recipients must broadly address equity and climate concerns .

INTERNAL EMAILS SHOW BIDEN ADMIN OFFICIALS COORDINATING ON SHIELDING PETE BUTTIGIEG'S GOVT JET USE

"Projects that have not sufficiently considered equity and barriers to opportunity in their planning, as determined by the Department, will be required to do so before receiving funds for construction," the DOT's NOFO states.

"Projects that have not sufficiently considered climate change and environmental justice in their planning, as determined by the Department, will be required to do so before receiving funds for construction," the document adds.

The two funding conditions cite President Biden's day-one executive order titled "Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government."

Following Buttigieg's announcement, Cruz wrote in July to the Government Accountability Office, asking for confirmation that the NOFO is a rule and, therefore, is subject to Congressional Review Act (CRA), a law dating back nearly three decades that allows Congress to revoke federal regulations. The federal watchdog responded last month, saying it was, in fact, subject to the law.

According to the memo circulated Monday, Cruz will soon introduce a CRA resolution "challenging woke anti-highway policy in DOT grants." The resolution would additionally target other DOT policies such as framing road building as increasing "automobile dependence," and condemning highway expansion projects that don't involve electric vehicle charging stations or bike lanes.

BIDEN OFFICIAL DOGGED BY ETHICS PROBE FACES KEY SENATE VOTE OVER TAXPAYER-FUNDED SALARY: 'SERIOUS SCANDAL'

"Taken together, these additions, which severely deviate from the criteria in law, will favor states seeking to expand mass transit and bike paths over states wanting to build roads. The added requirements on grant agreements, which are necessary for money to be paid after awards are announced, are particularly pernicious," the memo adds.

"The DOT funding notice guarantees that applicants will not get construction funds unless they embrace the administrations extreme views on climate and equity," it states, calling for Congress to support Cruz's forthcoming resolution that opposes the Biden administration's "anti-highway agenda."

The Transportation Department's funding decision prioritizing equity and climate change has been applied to programs created under President Biden's 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

For years, left-wing groups like the American Civil Liberties Union and activists have argued U.S. cities historically used highway infrastructure to further racist discrimination. Buttigieg has sought to reverse past racist policies that led to certain infrastructure decisions.

"There is racism physically built into some of our highways, and thats why the jobs plan has specifically committed to reconnect some of the communities that were divided by these dollars," Buttigieg said in an interview with theGrio in 2021.

In June 2022, Buttigieg launched the $1 billion Reconnecting Communities program that aims to reverse infrastructure policies that divide communities and disconnect certain neighborhoods from economic opportunities.

"Transportation can connect us to jobs, services and loved ones, but weve also seen countless cases around the country where a piece of infrastructure cuts off a neighborhood or a community because of how it was built," Buttigieg said at the time.

"But we can't ignore the basic truth that some of the planners and politicians behind those projects built them directly through the heart of vibrant, populated, communities  sometimes in an effort to reinforce segregation," he said. "Sometimes because the people there had less power to resist. And sometimes as part of a direct effort to replace or eliminate Black neighborhoods."

The DOT didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.





Original article source: Internal Senate memo highlights Biden admin efforts to tie highway funding to woke priorities
For more than a week, Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City was front and center in Israels military offensive. Outside, gunbattles raged and tanks closed in. As power was cut off, doctors reported sniper fire, bomb blasts and deteriorating conditions as trapped civilians crowded onto bloodstained floors, food and water ran out and premature babies died after incubators shut down from lack of fuel. Last Wednesday, Israeli soldiers raided the complex in search of a Hamas command center and hostages.

The Israel Defense Forces has since seized control of at least two other hospitals in the north of the besieged and bombarded enclave. On Monday, Indonesian Hospital came under attack, with the IDF saying it retaliated after terrorists opened fire from within, though it said that it did not shell the hospital in return.

The raids have raised the prospect that the IDF could be found to have violated international humanitarian law, since hospitals, including patients and medical staff, receive special protection during armed conflict.

And while medical facilities, like hospitals, can lose their protection from military attacks under certain conditions, according to experts, the law sets a high bar to justify these attacks.

If Israel is right about the tunnels beneath the hospital, and in particular that a Hamas command-and-control center is located there, then the IDF would be acting within the law, at least in principle, by conducting its military operation within the hospital, Marko Milanovic, professor of public international law at Englands University of Reading, told NBC News, speaking about IDFs raid of Al-Shifa last week.

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A photo released Wednesday by the Israeli army shows soldiers carrying out operations inside Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City. (Israel Defense Forces via AFP - Getty Images)

So far, there isnt enough evidence to determine one way or another, he said.

Judging solely from what the IDF has shown so far, this is nowhere near the quantum of evidence we would need to reasonably justify attacking the hospital, both in legal terms and even more so in public relations terms, Milanovic said.

Meanwhile, experts point out that if it went to an international tribunal, Hamas would no doubt be found guilty of violating international humanitarian law after deliberately killing civilians during their terrorist attack that left 1,200 dead in Israel on Oct. 7.

Using civilian places, including hospitals, as sites for warfare would also be a violation of the law, said Omar Shakir, the Israel and Palestine director for Human Rights Watch. The use of human shields, if proven, is considered a grave violation of the Geneva Conventions.

Palestinian militants of the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades move towards the Erez crossing between Israel and the northern Gaza Strip. (Mohammed Abed / AFP via Getty Images file)

Humanitarian law applies equally to all parties, Shakir said of Hamas potential culpability. International humanitarian law is not a deal between fighters. Its a deal with humanity.

(In 2019, Shakir was expelled from Israel on the grounds that he violated an Israeli law by supporting boycotts against the country. He and Human Rights Watch deny the charge.)

Israeli and American officials say that Hamas secretly housed military infrastructure beneath hospitals, with a major focus being on Al-Shifa in Gaza City. Hospital staff and Hamas officials deny allegations that the hospital housed a headquarters for fighters and housed hostages.

IDF handout of Israeli soldiers delivering aid to Al Shifa hospital in Gaza City (Israel Defense Forces via Reuters)

Since it began its raid on Al-Shifa last Wednesday, the IDF has sought to build its case that Hamas uses Gazas main hospital as a military base. Videos and images released between then and Monday have shown AK-47s, ammunition, grenades, uniforms and computer equipment, which the IDF claims belong to Hamas, inside the hospital.

The release of information from Al-Shifa culminated in a video published Sunday, purporting to show a 55-meter-long terror tunnel underneath the medical complex leading to a blast-proof door and a firing hole. The IDF also released videos and photos it said showed hostages being taken to Al-Shifa on Oct. 7. Hamas said injured hostages received medical attention in hospitals before they were taken to detention elsewhere.

NBC News is unable to independently verify Israels descriptions of what the footage shows, and the claims made by either side.

In a comment to NBC News about the raid on Al-Shifa, an IDF spokesperson said, The IDF rejects outright the claim that it acted not in accordance with international humanitarian law or that it attacked the hospital.

According to the spokesperson, the IDF took many steps to ensure the impact of its ongoing operation on civilians in the hospital and on the hospitals activity would be minimal.

People take shelter at the al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City. (Ali Jadallah / Anadolu via Getty Images file)

In the midst of active combat and with searches by Israeli forces continuing, it is not possible at the moment to determine definitively whether international humanitarian laws have been broken, legal experts said.

Milanovic emphasized that two conditions need to be met for medical facilities, like hospitals, to lose their protection from military attacks. First, they need to be used to commit acts harmful to the enemy, including sheltering able-bodied combatants and storing munitions, he said.

Warnings to cease acts harmful to the enemy must be issued within a reasonable time frame and remain unheeded, he said, adding that Israel had repeatedly issued such warnings.

Even if IDF provides definitive evidence that Hamas is operating under the hospital, the Israeli raid on Al Shifa is still a possible war crime, Shakir, with Human Rights Watch, said, as repeated warnings without guarantee of a safe passage for staff and the injured dont meet the burden of evacuation under international humanitarian law when there is no safe place to go in Gaza.

And even if a hospital may have lost protection from attack does not mean that the civilians inside it have.

They must be protected at all times, Milanovic added.

Dr. Ahmed El Mokhallalati, a plastic surgeon at Al-Shifa, recounted last week that the facility had become a war zone, with vital resources dwindling, including food and water. He said the staff had buried 180 people in a mass grave inside the hospital because they were too afraid to venture outside during the fighting.

El Mokhallalati told NBC News on Friday that the hospital, where there was no electricity or water, had been surrounded by Israeli troops, and no one has been allowed to get in and out.

palestinian israeli hamas conflict (Dawood Nemer / AFP via Getty Images file)

The IDF issued evacuation orders Saturday to the remaining 2,500 internally displaced people who had been seeking refuge on Al-Shifa grounds, but 25 health workers and 291 patients remained in the complex Monday, according to the World Health Organization.

William Schabas, a professor of international law at Middlesex University in London, cautioned that even if a hospital loses its protected status, it does not give the attacking party a blanket authorization to destroy it. A hospital also cannot be attacked if there is a serious risk of harm to noncombatants  patients, doctors and other civilians who could be inside.

This problem is addressed through the notion of proportionality, he said. Obviously, when a hospital is concerned, the balance is heavily tipped in favor of great restraint in any attack given the consequences for noncombatants.

Disproportionate attacks are considered violations of the rules of armed conflict and are war crimes, said Paola Gaeta, a professor of international law at the Geneva Graduate Institute who specializes in armed conflicts. This could mean criminal responsibility for those who have taken part in the attack, she said.

Rather than looking at the legality of a specific military attack, which could be a difficult exercise, Gaeta said one could also try to assess whether an attack on the hospital may be part of a widespread or systematic attack against the civilian population in Gaza and could be considered a crime against humanity.

Crimes against humanity are not linked to violations of the laws of armed conflict, as it is the case with war crimes, but to serious and gross violations of human rights that shock our sense of humanity  in peacetime and in wartime, she said.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Back in the 1970s, in an attempt to control algal blooms in wastewater treatment plants and aquafarming ponds, managers imported four species of Asian carp. Unfortunately  as with many well-intentioned plans that tamper with ecosystems  the carp were inadvertently released or escaped through flood events, and quickly spread to wreak havoc in nearby waterways of the Mississippi River basin, including our own Kansas River. While the carp are present in east Kansas waters, theyve yet to reach some of the states premier fishing lakes. That could change if Nebraskas Department of Natural Resources signs a permit for the Platte-Republican diversion, which is currently under consideration.

I first wrote about this issue in 2021, though the history of this permit reaches back to 2018, when entities affiliated with water and irrigation districts in Nebraska applied to the NeDNR to transfer water from the Platte River Basin to the Republican River Basin to meet the requirements of a 1934 water compact among Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado. In 2018, the application was denied because of objections by opposing parties, including then-Gov. Jeff Colyer, who wrote a letter against the plan in an effort to protect Kansas multimillion-dollar sport fishing industry.

Unfortunately, 2021 brought a second application that ended up in the Nebraska Supreme Court. In October of this year, the court passed down the ruling that parties challenging the permit had no legal standing because water used for the diversion would only be overflow, thus not taking water from opposing parties in the basin. Injury to these parties, stated the court, was only speculative. According to Nebraska Public Media, The decision means the department can now decide on its own whether or not to approve the diversion plan without having local groups participate in a so-called contested-case hearing.

But here is my thought: When dealing with invasive species, it does not matter if water is overflow or not. Any water diverted from the Platte is susceptible to transferring the voracious and destructive carp into Kansas waterways.

Will continuing drought lead to bad decisions?

Attempts to reach Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks for updated comments were unsuccessful. But in 2021, Chris Steffen, aquatic nuisance species coordinator for KDWP, wrote that invasive species are problematic largely because of their extraordinary abilities to take advantage of opportunities to spread and establish in new ecosystems. He also stated this project would provide a new, unnatural, pathway (to our waterways) that currently does not exist.

Five years ago, officials north of the border dismissed concerns about invasive species transfer saying that Asian carp were not found near the diversion point just east of North Platte, Nebraska. But surveys documenting the westward expansion of Asian carp populations in the Platte River have continued through this past summer. As data indicating where the carp have been found is verified by the U.S. Geological Survey, it is published on a map on their website.

This includes a bighead carp found in 2020 near the canals that will be used to transport Platte River water to the Republican River Basin, wrote Melissa Mosier, Platte River Program Manager for Great Plains Audubon. It is reasonable to assume that the interbasin canal will simply ease the movement of this highly mobile and invasive species into the fisheries fed by the Republican River.

In 2021, Gov. Laura Kelly  though concerned about our natural resources  took a wait-and-see position on the permit application. In October of this year, Brianna Johnson, a spokeswoman for the governor, shared the following statement: Governor Kelly is monitoring the situation and its impact on local communities. Our agencies are discussing the impacts of the diversion plan and potential next steps.

My fear is that under the severe drought conditions we face, Kansas officials are so desperate for water, they will take anything, regardless of what comes with it. But I hope, instead, they move for the protection of a unified ecosystem: ours and Nebraskas.

Each spring the Platte River Basin hosts the largest migration of sandhill cranes in the world. They are joined there by endangered whooping cranes and other threatened species, the same species that stop at our own Quivira National Wildlife Refuge each fall, where tourists from across the Midwest gather to watch them arrive. The Platte needs its overflow to sustain habitat for our birds, and our waterways need to be free of dangerous invasive species that populate the Platte River. This diversion plan is wrong for everyone involved, and an alternative must be found that benefits the natural resources of both states.

Shawna Bethell is a freelance essayist and journalist covering the people and places of Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri.
Investigation into dispersal and shooting of Maidan demonstrators is almost finished

The investigation into the case of the organization of the dispersal and shooting of Maidan demonstrators is almost finished, the State Bureau of Investigation or SBI reported on Nov. 21.

Indictments have been sent to court, bureau officials said.

Law enforcement officers accuse high-ranking officials of the time, including then Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, Minister of Internal Affairs Vitaliy Zakharchenko, his deputy, and the head of Ukraines SBU security service Oleksandr Yakymenko, along with other top officials.

The bureau said that on Feb. 18-20, 2014, the defendants, in violation of the law, made a decision and allowed the use of special means, military equipment, and firearms by law enforcement officers to disperse the demonstrators.

Read also: Former Berkut officer suspected of killing Euromaidan protesters taken into custody

These officials also organized the storming of the Maidan, disguising it as an anti-terrorist operation. On the morning of Feb. 20, they ordered to open fire on the participants of the rally. These actions were committed with abuse of power and without any legal grounds.

Subsequently, the suspects fled the country, so the pre-trial investigation was carried out under a special procedure.

In total, the criminal case combines 1,019 episodes of criminal obstruction of protest actions and has 1,878 volumes of collected materials. This year, there will be 28 indictments against 55 people, according to the SBI.

Soon, 13 former law enforcement officers who were direct executors of the shootings of Maidan activists will be tried en absentia. The bureau has already completed the investigation into them.

Read also: Nearly 10 years after murdering protesters during the Revolution of Dignity, some Berkut riot police found guilty

On Oct. 4, the SBI reported that it had completed the investigation of a large-scale case against Ukraine's former leadership for organizing the dispersal and shooting of demonstrators on Feb. 18-20, 2014. Among the accused are fugitive former President Viktor Yanukovych and leaders of the security forces.

An indictment against six former Berkut special forces officers who personally participated in the mass shootings of Maidan activists was sent to court on Oct. 13. The defendants are also hiding in Russia.

On Nov. 6, the Office of the General Prosecutor sent an indictment to court against five former Berkut special forces police officers, who are suspected of shooting at participants in the protest actions in Kyiv on Feb. 20, 2014.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Welcome to Investigative Stories from Ukraine, the Kyiv Independent's newsletter that walks you through the most prominent investigations of the past week.

If you are fond of in-depth journalism that exposes war crimes, corruption, and abuse of power across state organizations in Ukraine and beyond, subscribe to our investigative newsletter.

If you enjoy this newsletter, consider joining our membership or supporting us with a one-time donation. Start supporting independent journalism today.

Kyiv Independents exclusive

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Russian military helicopters get Czech components despite sanctions

Russia uses a chain of intermediaries in Asia to get the vital Czech parts for the Mi-8 transport helicopters involved in the war against Ukraine in an apparent breach of international sanctions.

Trap Aggressor, a project of Ukrainian NGO StateWatch, did an exclusive investigation for the Kyiv Independent, revealing that at least 20 Czech power units required to set in motion the main engines of the Mi-8 helicopters have ended up in Russia after the start of the full-scale invasion bypassing sanctions.

The producer of these power units, First Brno Engineering Plant Velka Bites (PBS Velka Bites), claims to have sold the parts to the Indian Air Force, Aircraft Repair Plant No. 405 in Kazakhstan, and an Indian company, Deep Engineering Industries. These power units, however, then ended up in the hands of intermediaries that then passed the helicopter components over to Russia.

The EU sanctions regulations say companies must run due diligence checks to ensure that the goods they supply to third countries dont reach Russia.

Read the full story in English here.

Top investigative stories

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Cyprus Confidential: Journalists reveal extent of Russian reliance on Cyprus as hub for dirty money

Cyprus acted as a main hub for dirty money from Russian politicians and oligarchs, whose investments were facilitated by financial service providers as big as accounting firm PwC, according to an investigation coordinated by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).

For eight months, journalists from the ICIJ network and 68 media partners, including the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, analyzed a leak of 3.6 million documents from Cyprus.

The journalist investigation found that Cyprus weak financial regulations attracted more than $200 billion in Russian money of questionable origin as of 2020.

Journalists also found a total of 96 Russian individuals under EU sanctions in the leaked records, which date as late as April 2022, three months into Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Transparency experts told ICIJ that Cypriot financial services providers may have been violating EU sanctions by aiding those Russians in concealing their funds, and the government was not doing enough to solve the problem.

The documents also showed that out of Russias 104 billionaires, 67 kept money in Cyprus. Among them, Roman Abramovich, Petr Aven, and Alexey Mordashov, all sanctioned by the EU. They all reportedly used the Cypriot financial services firm Cypcodirect to move their funds.

Cypriot officials told ICIJ that it has significantly cleaned up its banking sector from money laundering and dirty Russian money since 2013, citing reviews by the European Commission and the U.S. State Department. Yet, weeks after Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as sanctions on top Russian oligarchs loomed, the Cypriot branch of accounting giant PwC helped move Mordashovs money out of Cyprus to shell companies outside the EU to protect his fortune, according to the journalist investigation.

Among those who used Cypcodirect to move his billions is also Rinat Akhmetov, Ukraines richest oligarch.

Read the full coverage by ICIJ and OCCRP in English.

Journalists reveal coercive Russification campaign in occupied territories of Ukraine

Russian occupation authorities torture Ukrainians they perceive to be nationalists, withhold essential services from those who refuse to obtain a Russian passport, and indoctrinate children as part of an intense campaign of Russification, according to the European Broadcasting Units (EBU) Investigative Journalism network.

Russias actions amount to violations of international humanitarian law, which must be respected by the occupying power, and acts like torture and forced deportation amount to war crimes.

According to UN figures, as many as 11 million Ukrainians could be living under Russian occupation in the partially seized Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherzon, and Zaporizhizhia oblasts, as well as Crimea.

Survivors of Russias occupation told EBU that authorities detained and tortured those who demonstrated Ukrainian identity, especially police officers or former soldiers. In October 2023, the UN Commission of Inquiry reported a widespread and systematic use of torture by Russian authorities.

According to the EBU investigation, Russia is coercing Ukrainians to take up Russian citizenship by withholding essential services from those who refuse. A Russian occupation official in the Kherson Oblast said on social media that diabetics without a Russian passport would not receive insulin, EBU reported.

Russia is indoctrinating Ukrainian children with a propagandistic curriculum and military training, according to the journalist investigation.

One parent told EBU they could lose their children if they refused to subject them to the new Russia-imposed curriculum. The children could be adopted and transferred to Russia in a campaign of forced deportation, as featured in the Kyiv Independents documentary Uprooted.

The coercive Russification campaign puts Ukrainians living under occupation in an extremely difficult position given the broad and controversial Ukraines collaborationism law, under which any cooperation with Russian authorities could mean criminal prosecution after territories are liberated, according to human rights experts interviewed by EBU.

Read the full story in English here.

Media: Ukrainian men find ways to flee, avoid the draft aided by corrupt officials

A BBC Eye investigation revealed that nearly 20,000 men have illegally fled Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion to avoid being drafted into the military, using smugglers who take them on perilous routes, or relying on fake documents prepared by corrupt officials.

Since the start of Russias full-scale invasion, Ukraine has prohibited men between 18 and 60 from leaving the country without special permission.

BBC journalists followed border guards along parts of Ukraines southern border with Romania and Moldova, the most popular route for men trying to flee conscription. According to border statistics data BBC collected from across bordering Ukraine countries, more than 40,000 Ukrainian men have attempted to flee the country since the full-scale invasion. Almost 20,000 were successful in claiming asylum in neighboring countries.

The crossing can be dangerous, and Ukrainian authorities have found 19 bodies along the river that separates Ukraine and Romania, according to the BBC.

Draft dodgers also use corruption schemes. Some Ukraine officials offer phony documents to get men medical exemptions from the draft that allow them to travel, according to the journalist investigation.

Fedir Venislavskyi, a member of parliament from the ruling Servant of the People faction, told the BBC that authorities are aware of the corruption problem. In August 2023, President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Ukraines military enlistment office chiefs in an anti-corruption drive.

Venislavskyi also said he believed those trying to flee represented a small minority and did not critically undermine Ukraines war effort.

Watch the full story in English here.

Russian army supplier bought $4.1 million of materials from EU companies



According to an investigation by Trap Aggressor, a project of a Ukrainian watchdog NGO StateWatch, manufacturers of footwear for the Russian military bought $4.1 million of materials from EU companies, bypassing sanctions.

Citing import-export data, Trap Aggressor reported that Italian company Conceria Cervina Spa exported $1.7 million of materials to Faraday, a Russian company producing boots for the countrys military.

EU companies can still export so-called dual-use goods used in civilian and military applications to Russia since such items are not yet covered by sanctions.

An October 2023 investigation by independent Russian media outlet IStories highlighted that electronic components exported for dual-use goods continue to fuel Russian missile production.

Read the full story in Ukrainian here.

Impact

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Publisher halts sales of Putin biographies by German author after journalists reveal Russian payments

German publishing house Hoffman und Campe is stopping the sales of two non-fiction books praising Russian president Vladimir Putin by journalist Hubert Seipel after an investigation by a journalist consortium revealed the writer was paid under a Russian sponsorship agreement.

The revelations about Seipel came as part of a large-scale journalist investigation led by the International Coalition of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) that centered around a leak of documents from Cyprus.

According to the journalist investigation, Alexei Mordashov, a sanctioned Russian oligarch and an ally of Putin, organized payments of at least 600,000 euros to Seipel through shell companies in compensation for his books about the Russian president.

Seipel previously told journalists that he had met Putin nearly 100 times, and his 2015 and 2021 biographies were widely seen as sympathetic to the Russian dictator.

Seipel did not deny the payments but maintained that they did not affect the independence of his work, which the publishing house had fact-checked.

Ukraines president sanctions six top collaborators following Kyiv Independent investigation

President Volodymyr Zelensky introduced sanctions against six top political figures who collaborated with Russia, according to an investigation by StateWatch, a Ukrainian transparency watchdog, produced exclusively for the Kyiv Independent.

The StateWatch and Kyiv Independent investigation published in September 2023 identified 25 influential pro-Russian politicians and businesspeople who publicly spread pro-Russian views yet to be sanctioned by the Ukrainian government.

Sanctions unlock the ability to seize the individuals assets and use them for Ukraines reconstruction.

The journalist investigation highlighted that instead of punishing the big fish with power and money, authorities sanctioned hundreds of low-level collaborators who lacked influence and assets to seize.

In June 2023, StateWatch submitted a list of 35 people to Ukraines parliamentary working group on sanctions.

On November 10, 2023, Zelensky passed a decree sanctioning six of the figures named by StateWatch, including introducing new measures against Russia-aligned former Ukraines Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and ex-Ukrainian member of parliament, who is now a collaborator in occupied territories, Oleh Tsarov, which will allow for the confiscation of their assets.

Ukraine sanctions collaborator facilitating deportation of children, identified in Kyiv Independent documentary

On Nov. 18, Ukrainian authorities sanctioned Svitlana Maiboroda, a former Ukrainian official in occupied Donetsk who collaborated with Russian authorities and facilitated the deportation of children to Russia.

Uprooted, a Kyiv Independent documentary, looked into Russias systematic deportation and indoctrination of Ukrainian children and revealed Maiborodas direct participation in the transfer of two kids to Russia.

The documentary showed that along with the Russian military and officials, Ukrainian collaborators are a crucial part of Russias campaign of child deportation and indoctrination.

In March 2023, the International Criminal Court indicted Russias president Vladimir Putin and childrens rights ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova for the war crime of forced deportation of Ukrainian children.

Ukrainian families, civil society activists, and officials are working hard to return children from Russia and occupied territories.

On Nov. 19, 2023, Bohdan Yermokhin, a Ukrainian teenager deported to Russia 18 months ago, safely returned home following a months-long advocacy campaign by lawyers and journalists.

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Bob Vander Plaats, a key evangelical leader in Iowa, officially announced his endorsement of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday.

Im thrilled to throw my personal endorsement and support behind Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, he said in a Fox News interview.

Vander Plaats, the CEO and President of The Family Leader, has clashed with former President Donald Trump and urged Republicans to move on from the former president while heaping praise on DeSantis. A longtime GOP powerbroker, he has thrown his weight behind the eventual winner of the past three Iowa caucuses not to feature an incumbent Republican president.

Vander Plaats said he had leaned toward DeSantis from the outset of the primary due to his strong performance in the 2022 midterm elections, winning Florida by a sizable margin while Republicans around the country largely underperformed expectations. But he said DeSantis closed the sale during his appearance at The Family Leaders Thanksgiving Family Forum event in Iowa last week.

He was very clear about, we need a president who can serve two terms, not one term. We dont need a president thats gonna be a lame duck on day one, Vander Plaats said.

In a tweet, DeSantis thanked Vander Plaats for his endorsement, characterizing support from the Christian leader as a sign that Iowa evangelicals can trust me to fight and win for them.

As Ive made my way through 98 of Iowas 99 counties, Iowans have shared what a critical role @bobvanderplaats plays in engaging Iowas faith community in the key battles that matter. His support tells Iowans they can trust me to fight and win for them, he wrote in a social media post.

The backing from Vander Plaats comes after Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds endorsed DeSantis as the Florida governor has focused his campaigns strategy on Iowas first-in-the-nation caucuses. He previously said that he has discussed a possible endorsement with Reynolds.

Vander Plaats told Fox that he believes his endorsement, combined with the endorsement from Reynolds, could propel DeSantis to success in Iowa, and speculated it could give him momentum in subsequent primaries.

I think Gov. Reynolds endorsement of Ron DeSantis is a key play in the state of Iowa. And if Iowa launches a Ron DeSantis, I think it gives New Hampshire a new look, South Carolina new look, and you have a real primary thats going to take place, he said.

News Nation was first to report the news of the expected endorsement.

On the same day as Vander Plaats expected announcement, Trumps campaign said that more than 150 faith leaders in Iowa had backed the former president.

This announcement is not just a number; its a powerful message that faith communities trust President Trump to lead our nation forward with integrity and moral clarity, Dan McCoy, senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Urbandale, Iowa, said in a news release from the campaign.

Vander Plaats said he believes the Republican primary is a two-person race between DeSantis and Trump and acknowledged that the former president winning the Iowa caucuses would put him in a strong position to become the eventual nominee. But he said he believes the state is tailor-made for DeSantis to win.

If President Trump wins Iowa here, I think its going to be awfully hard to make the case that you can beat President Trump, and hes gonna be your eventual nominee, he said. But I think America would be well served to have a choice, and I really believe Ron DeSantis is that guy and I think Iowas tailor-made for him to win this.

This headline and story have been updated with additional developments.

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U.S. forces stationed at Ain al-Asad air base in Iraq were attacked early Tuesday prompting a U.S. military aircraft to strike back, officials said.

Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said Iran-backed militias used close-range ballistic missiles against U.S. and coalition forces, resulting in "several non-serious injuries and some minor damage to infrastructure."

Iraqi Air Force helicopters land at Ain al-Asad airbase in Anbar province, Iraq.

Reuters, citing two U.S. officials, reported that the attack resulted in eight injuries.

A U.S. military AC-130 aircraft in the area conducted a self-defense strike against an Iranian-backed militia vehicle and personnel involved in the attack, resulting in some "hostile fatalities."

U.S. forces have been attacked approximately 66 times since October 17, including 32 times in Iraq and 34 times in Syria. U.S. personnel have sustained approximately 62 injuries, not including Tuesdays attack, which is still being evaluated.

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The attacks that began on October 17 by Iraqi militia groups have reportedly been linked to the United States support for Israel in its retaliation against the Palestinian militant group Hamas, following its attack on Israel earlier in the month.

Tuesday's strike was the first reported by the U.S. in Iraq in more than two years.

The U.S. has 900 troops in Syria and 2,500 in Iraq on a mission it says aims to advise and assist local forces trying to prevent a resurgence of Islamic State, which in 2014 seized large swaths of both countries before being defeated.

Reuters contributed to this report.





Original article source: Iran-backed militia hits US forces at Iraq air base, injuring 8, prompting retaliation
Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed that Israel will continue its war against Hamas after a potential pause in fighting to allow for the release of hostages held by the terror group.

We are at war, and we will continue the war, the Israeli prime minister said at the start of a government meeting called to consider the deal. We will continue until we achieve all our goals.

Mr Netanyahus cabinet is currently debating the deal, which he urged fellow officials to accept, saying it was a difficult decision but the right one.

Details of the proposed deal have not been officially released, but it is understood that the potential agreement includes a four, or five-day halt in Israels offensive in Gaza, and the exchange of 150 Palestinian prisoners for the release of 50 of the 240 hostages held by Hamas.

It is thought the hostages would be released over several days. Hamas said earlier on Tuesday that the group was close to reaching a deal.

12:10 AM GMT

Blog is now closed

Thank you for joining us for our live coverage of the Israel-Hamas war.

The biggest developments from today are:

Israel and Hamas are poised to reach a deal which would see a temporary pause in fighting to allow the release of Israeli hostages

The agreement is expected to see the release of 50 hostages, mostly women and children, in groups of 12 or 13 per day over a four/five day period

Benjamin Netanyau said Israel will continue fighting Hamas after the potential break, saying we will continue the war

Please join us again tomorrow for all the latest updates.



11:16 PM GMT

Blinken to travel to Israel next week

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is planning to travel to Israel next week to hold talks with Israeli and Palestinian officials, sources told Axios.

It will be Mr Blinkens fourth trip to Israel since 7 October and his visit could take place while the expected multi-day hostage release deal is being carried out.

Sources said he is expected to travel to the Middle East after Thanksgiving and before the NATO foreign ministers summit in Brussels next Tuesday.

10:46 PM GMT

Jordan bolsters border with Israel

Jordan said on Tuesday the army had beefed up its presence along its borders with Israel and warned that any Israeli attempt to forcibly push Palestinians across the Jordan River would represent a breach of its peace accord with its neighbour.

Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh said his country would resort to all the means in its power to prevent Israel from implementing any transfer policy to expel Palestinians en masse from the West Bank.

Any displacements or creating the conditions that would lead to it, Jordan will consider it a declaration of war and constitutes a material breach of the peace treaty, state media quoted Mr Khasawneh as saying, referring to the 1994 peace treaty with Israel.

This would lead to the liquidation of the Palestinian cause and to harming the national security of Jordan, Mr Khasawneh added.

10:14 PM GMT

Pictures from the war as fighting continues

Soldiers place the coffin at the funeral of Israeli Captain Arnon Moshe Avraham Benvenisti Vaspi who died yesterday in the Gaza strip

Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip

A wounded Palestinian child is carried into the Nasser Hospital following an Israeli bombardment on Khan Younis refugee camp, southern Gaza Strip

10:07 PM GMT

Billboard in Tel Aviv shows photos of Israeli hostages

Billboard in Tel Aviv shows photos of Israeli hostages

09:53 PM GMT

Statement by Netanyahu

More details from Benjamin Netanyahus speech on Tuesday evening:

There is a lot of nonsense out there to the effect that after the pause to return our hostages, we will stop the war. Then let me make it clear: We are at war  and will continue the war. We will continue the war until we achieve all of our war aims: To eliminate Hamas, return all of our hostages and our missing, and ensure that there is no element in Gaza that threatens Israel. I told the dear families [of the hostages]: Returning our hostages is a sacred and supreme task  and I am obligated to it together with my colleagues. As Maimonides says: There is no greater precept that redeeming captives. We will not relent in our efforts until we redeem them all, the young men and women, the elderly men and women, the male and female soldiers, all of them. In war there are stages, and in returning the hostages there are stages, but we will not relent until we achieve the absolute victory and until we bring them all back. Before you this evening, now, is a difficult decision but it is the correct decision. All of the security agencies fully support it; they have made it completely clear in their professional assessment, that the security of our forces will be ensured during the pause and that the intelligence effort will be maintained in those days. They have made it clear that not only will the war effort not be harmed, it will enable the IDF to prepare for the continuation of the fighting.

09:45 PM GMT

Fighting rages on

As attention is focused on the hostage release deal, fighting on the ground is raging on, according to Reuters.

Israel has said its forces have encircled the Jabalia refugee camp, a major urban flashpoint and Hamas militant stronghold.

Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip November, 21 - REUTERS/Abed Sabah

The Palestinian news agency WAFA said 33 people were killed and dozens wounded in an Israeli air strike on part of Jabalia, a congested urban extension of Gaza City where Hamas has been battling advancing Israeli armoured forces.

In southern Gaza, Hamas-affiliated media said 10 people were killed and 22 injured by an Israeli air strike on an apartment in the city of Khan Younis.

These accounts could not be immediately verified.

09:35 PM GMT

Vote on hostage deal expected tonight, says Netanyahu adviser

The vote on the hostage deal is still pending but may happen within an hour or two, the adviser to Benjamin Netanyahu Mark Regev has said.

If the deal includes the release of people held in Israeli prisons who were involved in violent extremism, the families of their victims have the right to protest the supreme court against the decision, Mr Regev told Sky News.

Mr Regev said it is the right of the supreme court to decide whether to override the government, but that it was reasonable to assume they would allow the government to press ahead, if the cabinet agreed on a deal.

On the assumption that the government tonight approves the framework for the release of the hostages, then a 24-hour period comes in where the supreme court hears the petitions, on the assumption that it rejects the petitions and allows the government to go ahead  which I think is a reasonable assumption - that means we can start moving on this deal on Thursday, hopefully seeing people come home immediately, he told Sky.

Asked whether a ceasefire, which is included in the potential deal, could end up being extended, Mr Regev said: Theoretically, if we were to get more people out we would consider extending the ceasefire.

08:56 PM GMT

South African lawmakers vote to suspend diplomatic ties with Israel

South African lawmakers have voted in favour of closing down the Israeli embassy in Pretoria and suspending all diplomatic relations until a ceasefire is agreed in its war with Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in Gaza.

The resolution is largely symbolic, Reuters has reported, as it will be up to President Cyril Ramaphosas government whether to implement it.

A presidency spokesperson said Ramaphosa notes and appreciates parliaments guidance on South Africas diplomatic relations with Israel, particularly on the status of the embassy.

The president and cabinet are engaged over the matter, which remains the responsibility of the national executive, Vincent Magwenya said.

Ramaphosa and senior foreign ministry officials have been vocally critical of Israels leadership during its devastating military campaign against Hamas in the densely populated Gaza Strip, calling on the International Criminal Court to investigate them for potential war crimes.

The Israeli embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

08:29 PM GMT

Palestinian Islamic Jihad announces death of a female Israeli hostage

The armed wing of the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad announced late on Tuesday the death of one of the Israeli hostages it has held since the Oct 7 attacks on Israel, Reuters has reported.

We previously expressed our willingness to release her for humanitarian reasons, but the enemy was stalling and this led to her death, Al Quds Brigades said on its Telegram channel.

08:18 PM GMT

Netanyahu says his government faces 'difficult decision' tonight

Netanyahu has said the Israeli government faces a difficult decision tonight as they debate the temporary truce with Hamas which would secure the release of 50 hostages.

Israel minister and retired army general Benny Gantz said the deal is the first step in returning all of the hostages.

08:09 PM GMT

Red Cross will be allowed to visit hostages, Netanyahu says

BREAKING: Netanyahu told the ministers during the cabinet meeting that as part of the agreement the Red Cross will visit hostages that will not be released and provide them with medicine, according to the Prime Ministers office  Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) November 21, 2023

07:39 PM GMT

US says 20,000 gallons of fuel reached Gaza over last day

White House spokesman John Kirby said almost 20,000 gallons of fuel (76,000 litres) had been delivered to Gaza over the previous day by non-governmental organisations. He said this would primarily be used for hospital.

And he said 50 trucks carrying humanitarian aid had entered Gaza in the previous 24 hours.

A truck carrying medicines and medical supplies arrive at the Nassr hospital - Abed Zagout/Anadolu via Getty Images

07:28 PM GMT

Netanyahus 38-minister cabinet now meeting

Netanyahus full 38-minister cabinet is now meeting, according to the Times of Israel.

The war cabinet and the security cabinet have completed their discussions of the hostage release deal, and the full 38-minister cabinet is now meeting, the local media organisation said.

No vote was held in the earlier meetings, with Netanyahu asking ministers in those sessions to wait for the full cabinet meeting for a detailed debate and the vote, Channel 12 reported.

07:26 PM GMT

IDF releases photos of Hamas 'terror tunnel' beneath Al-Shifa hospital

Daniel Hagari, an IDF spokesperson, has released photos which the IDF claims are the terror tunnel under the Al-Shifa hospital.

        : pic.twitter.com/R8jIe11rnm      - Daniel Hagari (@IDFSpokesperson) November 21, 2023

07:18 PM GMT

Ten killed in Israeli strike on a residential building in southern Gaza, says Hamas-affiliated media

Ten people were killed and 22 others injured in an Israeli strike on a residential apartment in Khan Younis, southern Gaza on Tuesday night, according to Hamas-affiliated media and reported by Reuters.

The victims and the injured arrived at Nasser Hospital, according to Shehab News Agency, a channel close to Hamas, said on Telegram.

07:01 PM GMT

Hostages expected to be released will be 'almost entirely' children

Our Deputy US Editor, Rozina Sabur, writes:

The hostages expected to be released from Hamas custody shortly will be almost entirely children, according to CNN.

Around 40 children, including a three-year-old US citizen, are among the roughly 240 hostages the terror group seized during its attack on October 7.

An internationally-brokered deal for a temporary truce between Israel and Hamas is expected to be announced imminently.

The potential deal would free about 50 hostages and allow a four-to-five day pause in fighting.

In exchange for the hostage release, Israel would release Palestinian women and children being held in its prisons, according to sources.

The two sides would agree to a pause in the fighting while the exchanges were coordinated.

Sources suggest the deal could involve the release of one hostage captured from Israel for every three Palestinian prisoners released, with up to 50 hostages and 150 prisoners potentially being freed in the next few days.

CNN journalist Becky Anderson, who is reporting from Doha, Qatar, where the deal is being brokered, said she understood the hostage release would be almost entirely children.

Its almost entirely going to be children and as I understand it, she reported during a CNN broadcast.

06:36 PM GMT

Hostage deal would have majority in cabinet, local media reports

The Israeli government will have a majority in the cabinet to approve a hostage deal, despite opposition from far-right parties Religious Zionist Party and Otzma Yehudit, the Times of Israel reported.

The war cabinet supports the deal and will rally 19 votes held by Benjamin Netanyahus Likud party and five votes held by Benny Gantzs National Unity party, it reported.

Religious Zionism and Otzma Yehudit together hold six cabinet votes, it writes.

06:03 PM GMT

Hamas says death toll passes 14,000 in Gaza

The Hamas-run Gaza government says the number of people who have been killed in the territory since the war on Oct 7 began has reached 14,128.

It says that 5,840 children are among the dead.

05:53 PM GMT

White House says were getting closer to hostage deal

The United States is hopeful about getting a hostage deal in the Israel-Hamas conflict and believes the parties are getting closer to an agreement, White House spokesman John Kirby said on Tuesday.

We are closer than weve been. We believe were getting closer, Mr Kirby said at a news briefing. We wont say and do not want to say anything in these delicate hours that could put a deal at greater risk.

05:41 PM GMT

WHO chief says an employee was killed in Gaza alongside family

The World Health Organization has said that one of its employees had been killed in Gaza alongside her six-month-old baby, husband and two brothers.

My colleagues and I are devastated: we have lost one of our own in Gaza today, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on social media platform X, showing a photo of the victim, named Dima Alhaj. Reportedly multiple other family members sheltering in the same house were also killed, he added.

My colleagues and I are devastated: we have lost one of our own in #Gaza today.



Our young @WHOoPt colleague Dima Alhaj was tragically killed alongside her 6 month old baby, her husband and 2 brothers. Reportedly multiple other family members sheltering in the same house were pic.twitter.com/vURpNFRXe6  Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) November 21, 2023

05:31 PM GMT

MSF doctors killed in strike on Al Awda hospital

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has said it is horrified by the killing of two of its doctors and a third doctor following what it said was a strike on Al Awda hospital in northern Gaza.

MSF doctors Dr Mahmoud Abu Nujaila and Dr Ahmad Al Sahar were in the hospital when it was hit by the strike, the charity said in a statement. Other medical staff, including MSF staff, were also severely injured, it said.

We condemn this strike in the strongest terms and yet again call for the respect and protection of medical facilities, staff and patients, it said.

More than 200 patients are still in Al Awda and must be urgently evacuated to other hospitals in Gaza that are still functioning, MSF added.

Attacks on medical facilities are a serious violation of international humanitarian law, it said, adding that such attacks have become systematic in the past weeks.

05:20 PM GMT

Religious Zionism party says proposed hostage deal bad for Israels security

Israels Religious Zionist Party has said it cannot agree to a proposed deal for the release of some of the hostages held in Gaza.

In a statement, the party described the deal as bad for Israels security, bad for the hostages, and bad for the soldiers of the IDF, the Times of Israel reported.

It said the deal will abandon some of the hostages for an unknown period of time, raise the price for their release, and give Hamas the opportunity to reorganise.

The only way to return all the hostages is by continuing the unceasing military pressure on Hamas until total victory, it said.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said that the deal would be a disaster.

I am very upset because theyre now talking about some kind of deal, Mr Gvir told the news outlet Channel 14. I am disturbed because we are once again being divided and once again we are not being told the truth. And once again, we are being pushed to the side. The rumours are that the State of Israel is once again going to make a very, very big mistake in the style of the Shalit deal.

05:02 PM GMT

Protestors in Tel Aviv demand the release of hostages

A protester in Tel Aviv holds an image depicting world leaders during a demonstration demanding the release of hostages - AMIR COHEN

04:54 PM GMT

Four killed in Lebanon, local media reports

Four civilians were killed in south Lebanon on Tuesday by Israeli bombardment, according to official media.

Lebanons Al-Mayadeen television said two of those who died were its journalists, correspondent Farah Omar, 25, and cameraman Rabih Maamari, 40.

The frontier between Lebanon and Israeli has seen escalating exchanges of fire, mainly between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement, but also Palestinian groups, raising fears of a broader conflagration.

04:39 PM GMT

Reports of ministers planning to vote against the hostage deal

Bezalel Smotrich, Israels finance minister, and Ben Gvir, Minister of National Security of Israel, have said they will vote against the release of the 50 hostages, thought to be mostly women and children, according to a reporter at Axios.

They also reportedly said that their party ministers will also vote against the deal.

'          50      Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) November 21, 2023

04:28 PM GMT

Biden says "very close" to securing release of hostages

President Joe Biden has said that they are very close to securing the release of potentially dozens of hostages held by Hamas.

We are now very, very close, Biden told reporters

04:21 PM GMT

Watch: 'I hope there will be good news soon,' says Netanyahu

04:20 PM GMT

Netanyahu summons Israeli war cabinet

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has summoned his war cabinet amid growing signs of an imminent deal on the release of hostages who were taken by Hamas militants to the Gaza Strip more than six weeks ago.

03:56 PM GMT

More details on the two journalists killed by Israeli strike

An Israeli strike killed two journalists working for a Lebanese TV channel and a third person near the border with Israel on Tuesday, Lebanese state media and the channel, Al Mayadeen, said.

The deaths add to a toll of more than 50 journalists killed covering the war between Israel and Hamas and its spillover to other parts of the region since Oct 7, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Most of those have been killed in the Gaza Strip.

Al Mayadeen said the Israeli strike on Tuesday near the town of Tir Harfa, about a mile from the Israeli frontier, had deliberately targeted the TV crew because the channel was known to be pro-Palestinian and pro-Irans regional military alliance.

Israel denied the claim. Its military said it was aware of a claim regarding journalists ... who were killed as a result of (Israeli army) fire.

This is an area with active hostilities, where exchange of fire occur. Presence in the area is dangerous, it said.

The Israeli military has previously said it cannot guarantee journalists safety in areas where it is fighting.

03:37 PM GMT

Hostages may not be released tonight

The general public in Israel will have 24 hours to appeal a possible hostage deal if the Israeli government approves one, Israeli National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi said on Tuesday.

03:37 PM GMT

EU clears continuation of development aid to Palestinians

The EU has given the green light to continuing development aid to Palestinians after a review found no funds had gone to Hamas, but said tighter controls could be imposed going forward, AFP has reported.

Brussels launched the assessment of its assistance following the Hamas attack on October 7 in which 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and 240 taken hostage.

The 27-nation bloc is the biggest international aid provider supporting Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, with nearly 1.2 billion euros earmarked for assistance from 2021 to 2024.

The review found no indications of EU money having directly or indirectly benefited the terrorist organisation Hamas, European Commission vice president Valdis Dombrovskis said.

The review found that the control system in place has worked, and as a result payment to Palestinian beneficiaries and UNRWA (United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees) will continue without payment delays.

But Brussels announced it now may apply tougher safeguards on its projects, including increased screening for any possible anti-Semitism.

The commission has identified some additional measures, such as the inclusion of relevant anti-incitement contractual clauses in all new contracts and ensure the monitoring of their strict application at all times, a statement said.

03:30 PM GMT

Announcement from Israels Prime Minister's Office

Israels Prime Ministers Office has released the following statement:

In light of developments on the issue of the release of our hostages, Prime Ministers Office Director General Yossi Shelley is now convening the forum of directors general of Government ministries to prepare for dealing with, and assisting on, all necessary civilian aspects.

03:23 PM GMT

Jordan says Israel ordered evacuation of Jordanian hospital in Gaza

Jordan said Israel had ordered the evacuation of a Jordanian field hospital in Gaza, but that it would not heed the order.

Prime Minister Bisher al Khasawneh also said Jordans army was beefing up its presence along the border in view of the developments in Gaza, in comments carried on state media.

03:15 PM GMT

Turkey says its working on release of hostages

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said his foreign minister and intelligence chief were working in coordination with Qatari authorities on the release of hostages held by Hamas.

Both my foreign minister and my intelligence chief, they are continuing the process with a joint effort with Qatar, Erdogan told a news conference with his Algerian counterpart in Algiers.

Our hope is that we reach an outcome on the exchange of the prisoners as soon as possible. We are in constant communication, and our hope is to get positive results from this, he added.

02:57 PM GMT

Pictured: Israeli soldiers repair tank tracks near the Gaza Strip

Israeli soldiers repair tank tracks near the Gaza Strip - MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP

02:47 PM GMT

'I will believe it when I see them walk out,' says relative of hostage

The relative of a hostage being held captive by Hamas has said she is cautiously optimistic about reports of a hostage deal.

Liz Hirsh Naftali, the great aunt of a Abigail Mor Idan, a three-year-old American held hostage by Hamas, told CNN:

Im not a politician, Im not a diplomat. I will believe it when I see them walk out. Until then we just have to keep everything in check because its just too much of an emotional rollercoaster. For me, this is really emotional because I have no idea if this is real, but my heart believes it has to be. I have faith and I just pray that this is going to be the real peace but again until we see them come out and until Abigail is in the arms of her family, I just cant go down to that point where Im relieved and I believe its going to happen fully.

02:42 PM GMT

Palestinian Red Crescent condemns Israeli shelling of Al-Awda hospital

The Palestine Red Crescent has condemned Israeli shelling on the Al-Awda hospital.

The Palestine Red Crescent condemns the Israeli shelling of Al-Awda Hospital which resulted in the martyrdom of 4 doctors.#Gaza #NotATarget  pic.twitter.com/Oah5iYrM3B  PRCS (@PalestineRCS) November 21, 2023

02:04 PM GMT

Pictured: A Palestinian mother holds her newborn baby after being evacuated from Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City

A Palestinian mother holds her newborn Anas Sbeta, who was placed in an incubator after being evacuated from Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City - IBRAHEEM ABU MUSTAFA/REUTERS

01:30 PM GMT

Hostage talks 'making progress,' says Netanyahu

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said progress was being made on the release of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

We are making progress. I dont think its worth saying too much, not at even this moment, but I hope there will be good news soon, he told reservists according to a statement from his office.

His office said that in light of developments in the matter of the release of our hostages, he would convene his war cabinet at 6 p.m (1600 GMT), his broader security cabinet at 7PM (1700 GMT) and the full cabinet at 8 p.m. (1800 GMT).

12:47 PM GMT

UNICEF: Number of children killed in Gaza has exceeded 5000

Another horrifying milestone.

The reported number of children killed in #Gaza has now exceeded 5,000.



Each one is a life extinguished and a family devastated.



This must end!

All children must be protected.  Catherine Russell (@unicefchief) November 21, 2023

12:26 PM GMT

Pictured: Israeli tanks operate in a location given as Gaza

Israeli tanks operate in a location given as Gaza - ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES/via REUTERS

12:17 PM GMT

'Truce deal could see 50 hostages freed and multi-day pause in fighting'

Potential details of what the truce deal may entail continue to emerge.

A source briefed on the talks told Reuters the deal brokers the release of around 50 civilian hostages by Hamas and the release of Palestinian women and children from Israeli custody.

Meanwhile, Axios is reporting that the deal will be split into two phases.

The first phase would see a four-day ceasefire in Gaza and would reportedly entail Hamas release 50 Israeli women and children in exchange for Israel releasing around 150 Palestinian prisoners - mainly women and children.

A second phase could see Hamas release upto 50 Israeli hostages - women, children, and elderly people - in return for a ceasefire lasting several more days.

In addition, Axios report that Israel would permit 300 aid trucks a day to enter Gaza from Egypt.

11:46 AM GMT

Two premature babies died before evacuation from Gaza, says UN

Two premature babies being cared for at the Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza died before the evacuation of 31 others, the United Nations has said, adding that most of those who reached Egypt were unaccompanied.

World Health Organisation spokesman Christian Lindmeier told reporters in Geneva that the Al-Shifa hospital had been caring for 33 premature babies just the evening before the evacuation.

Two of these premature infants died only on that night because of the lack of care available to them, he said.

The United Nations health agency helped evacuate 31 premature babies from Gazas largest hospital on Sunday. Twenty-eight of those babies arrived in Egypt on Monday.

The other three babies moved from Al-Shifa in the north of the Gaza Strip are now in a hospital in southern Gaza and have their families with them.

11:28 AM GMT

Mapped: Israel's advance into Gaza

11:24 AM GMT

Netanyahu: Return of hostages is a 'sacred and supreme mission'

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu called returning Israeli hostages taken by Hamas a sacred and supreme mission.

Mr Netanyahu affirmed his commitment to getting back the hostages taken on October 7 after he and his war cabinet met with hostages families.

He said: We will not let go of the mission to return them, and it is my responsibility as well as the war cabinets.

He added We will not stop fighting until we bring our hostages home.

11:05 AM GMT

Negotiations have reached a 'critical and final stage,' says Qatar

Hostage negotiations have reached a critical and final stage, mediator Qatar has said.

Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said: We are at the closest point we ever had been in reaching an agreement.

We are very optimistic, very hopeful, hw told a briefing.

But we are also very keen for this mediation to succeed in reaching a humanitarian truce, he said.

It comes as a senior Hamas official claimed that a truce agreement with Israel could be agreed in the coming hours.

10:57 AM GMT

In pictures: The Israeli army say they located a cache of weapons in the home of a Nakhaba terrorist in the Gaza Strip

The IDF says combat team fighters of the Harel Brigade located a cache of weapons in the home of a Nakhaba terrorist in the Gaza Strip

The IDF says combat team fighters of the Harel Brigade located a cache of weapons in the home of a Nakhaba terrorist in the Gaza Strip

10:50 AM GMT

World Health Organisation planning to evacuate three Gaza hospitals

A World Health Organisation spokesperson said that three hospitals in Gaza had requested help with evacuating patients and said that planning was underway.

WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said that the three hospitals were Al Shifa, from which a group of babies has already been rescued, Indonesian Hospital and Al Ahli Hospital.

He said such an event was a last resort.

Its robbing the entire population of the north of the means to seek health (care), he told a Geneva press briefing.

10:23 AM GMT

Two reporters 'killed near Lebanese border with Israel'

Two journalists and a third person were killed by a rocket strike near Lebanons border with Israel, the Lebanese state news agency reported.

The agency said the incident took place near the town of Tir Harfa, about a mile from the Israeli frontier.

It gave no further details.

10:13 AM GMT

Israel recalls its ambassador to South Africa

Israel has recalled its ambassador to South Africa for consultations ahead of a parliamentary vote in the African country to decide the fate of the Israeli embassy.

The two countries diplomatic relations have recently witnessed a rise in tensions over the Israeli war on Gaza. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa previously said his country believes Israel is committing war crimes and genocide in Gaza, where thousands of Palestinians have been killed.

Following the latest South African statements, the Ambassador of Israel to Pretoria has been recalled to Jerusalem for consultations. pic.twitter.com/yOSWD8TvhZ  Lior Haiat  (@LiorHaiat) November 20, 2023

This came ahead of a vote in South Africas parliament on a motion to shut down the Israeli embassy and cut all ties with Israel until a cease-fire is implemented in Gaza.

09:51 AM GMT

Israel-Hamas war in pictures:

An Israeli soldier takes position in a location given as Gaza - ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES/via REUTERS

Israeli soldiers during a military operation in the Zeitoun district of the southern part of the Gaza Strip - AFP

An Israeli soldier working on a tank near the Gaza Strip - GIL COHEN-MAGEN/AFP

09:34 AM GMT

'Hostage deal could be announced by Qatar today'

A hostage deal between Israel and Hamas could be announced by Qatar today, Axios is reporting.

BREAKING: A source with direct knowledge tells me Qatar could announce as early as today the hostage deal between Israel and Hamas. The source says he hopes nothing happens on the ground in Gaza that harms this  Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) November 21, 2023

A source with direct knowledge of the talks tells me that as part of the hostage deal Israel will release three Palestinian prisoners held in its prisons for each Israeli hostage that will be released by Hamas (ratio of 3:1)  Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) November 21, 2023

09:27 AM GMT

Group of Muslim countries to reportedly push for Gaza ceasefire

A newly formed group made up of senior officials from several Muslim countries will visit the United Nations Security Councils five permanent members and others to urge an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, a Turkish foreign ministry source has said.

The group was formed earlier this month at a summit of the Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Riyadh. It includes foreign ministers and representatives from Turkey, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, the Palestinian Authority, as well as the OIC Secretary General.

The source said the group had started talking with the permanent UN Security Council members - the United States, China, Russia, Britain, and France - with a visit to Beijing on Monday, and would also visit other countries.

The primary goal of the contact group is for a ceasefire to be announced as soon as possible and for humanitarian aid to be sent to Gaza, the source said.

As an end goal, (the group) aims to contribute to the two-state solution within the framework of internationally accepted parameters; to Palestinians living in their own country safely, with stability and prosperity, the person said.

08:57 AM GMT

Both sides would free women and children in truce agreement, says Hamas

A Hamas official told Al Jazeera TV that negotiations were centred on how long the truce would last, arrangements for delivery of aid into Gaza and the exchange of Israeli hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners in Israel.

Both sides would free women and children and details would be announced by Qatar, which is mediating in the negotiations, said the official, Issat el Reshiq.

Israel has generally avoided giving commentary on the status of the Qatar-led talks. Israels Channel 12 television quoted an unidentified senior government source saying they are close but giving no further details.

08:31 AM GMT

Pictured: An Israeli soldier walks past graffiti saying 'Welcome To Hell' at an observation post overlooking the border with Gaza

An Israeli soldier walks past graffiti saying 'Welcome To Hell' at a fortified forward observation post overlooking the border with Gaza - Christopher Furlong/Getty Images Europe

08:23 AM GMT

Israeli army 'completes encirclement' of Jabaliya

The Israel Defense Forces said it has completed the encirclement of Jabaliya.

In a statement, the IDF said its troops were ready for the continuation of the attack.

Footage released by the military shows Israeli soldiers patrolling in Jabaliya on foot as gunfire echoes around them.

Terrorists were eliminated and infrastructure was destroyed, it said.

08:00 AM GMT

Midnight bombing of refugee camp kills 17 in central Gaza

At least 17 Palestinians were reportedly killed in Israeli bombing of the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza at midnight, the Palestinian news agency WAFA said.

Smoke rises after Israeli air strikes in Gaza - ALEXANDER ERMOCHENKO/REUTERS

There was no immediate comment from Israel.

07:55 AM GMT

Israel claims firing into the Indonesian hospital was 'in complete compliance with international law'

Israels firing at a hospital in northern Gaza on Monday was in complete compliance with international law, Benjamin Netanyahus foreign policy adviser has said.

Ophir Falk, an adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told CNN that the actions were proportional.

Palestinian officials said an Israeli shell struck the hospital early Monday, killing 12 people. Israel denied shelling the hospital, but said its troops returned fire on militants who targeted them from inside the compound.

He told CNN: We are in complete compliance with international law, with proportionality, distinction and there is a clear military necessity to destroy Hamas, and thats exactly what were doing.

In the course of destroying Hamas, which is what the IDF is doing right now, we are distinguishing, making a clear distinction between civilians and terrorists, Mr Falk added.

Mr Falk defended the Israeli military response, adding that no military on Earth that is more moral than the Israel Defense Forces.

07:54 AM GMT

Around 250 Hamas 'targets' struck, says IDF

Around 250 Hamas terror targets were struck in the past 24 hours, the Israel Defense Forces has claimed.

The Israeli military claimed dozens of terrorists, rocket launchers, and infrastructure were struck.

It said troops directed a fighter jet to strike a rocket launch post which they say was used to fire rockets towards central Israel.

The IDF claimed the post was located near a residential area of the civilian population.

07:34 AM GMT

International Red Cross President meets with Hamas leader

The International Red Cross president travelled to Qatar on Monday to meet with the leader of Hamas to advance humanitarian issues related to the groups conflict with Israel, the Geneva-based body said in a statement.

President Mirjana Spoljaric met with Ismail Haniyeh, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said, and also met separately with Qatari authorities which are acting as mediators in the conflict.

The ICRC, a neutral intermediary which is providing aid to Gaza and has helped escort hostages and patients from the enclave, said that the meeting was part of discussions with all sides to the conflict to improve respect for international humanitarian law.

It added that it was not part of negotiations aimed at releasing more than 200 hostages seized by Hamas during their deadly incursion into Israel on Oct. 7.

07:29 AM GMT

In pictures: Injured Palestinians in hospital

Injured Palestinians evacuated from the Indonesian hospital in the north of the Gaza Strip - AFP

A child injured in Israeli attacks is brought to Nasser Hospital - Anadolu Agency/Anadolu

07:26 AM GMT

Palestinian children deserve a ceasefire, says former Labour Foreign Secretary

Palestinian children deserve a ceasefire. #WorldChildrensDay  David Miliband (@DMiliband) November 20, 2023

07:24 AM GMT

Mastermind behind Hamas attacks personally handling hostage negotiations

The Hamas leader who masterminded the Oct 7 attacks is personally handling negotiations for a hostage release even as Israeli troops seek to find and kill him.

Yahya Sinwar, who spent 22 years in an Israeli prison, has taken control of the deal and has been in-and-out of touch with Qatari mediators, according to reports.

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has described Sinwar as a dead man. The terrorist leader has stayed inside Gaza, unlike Hamass political-wing which lives in luxurious exile in Qatar and Turkey.

Read more from Nataliya Vasilyeva here

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Families and friends of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza call for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to bring them home during a demonstration in Tel Aviv on Tuesday. (Ariel Schalit/AP) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

A possible hostage deal between Israel and Hamas is imminent and could be announced as soon as Tuesday. Officials from both sides indicated they were close to an agreement for Hamas to release some of the roughly 240 hostages the militant group seized during its brutal attack on Israel on Oct. 7.

Ismail Haniyeh, the Qatar-based political leader of Hamas, told Reuters that the militant group was close to reaching a truce agreement with Israel. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with military reservists and said, We are making progress. I dont think its worth saying more, even at this moment, but I hope there will be good news soon. He said Tuesday that even if a temporary ceasefire is reached, Israel will continue its war against Hamas.

A hostage deal like this requires approval from Israels government, which is why Netanyahu called for Israels war Cabinet, as well as the security Cabinet, to meet. The war Cabinet will meet first on Tuesday, followed by the security Cabinet and then the government, with the deal needing to be approved at each stage.

The U.S. is helping to broker the deal, though officials with knowledge of the agreement stressed that it could fall through at any moment.

President Biden expressed his optimism about a possible deal on Tuesday. We're now very close, very close to bringing some of these hostages home very soon, but I don't want to get into the details because nothing is done until it's done, he said during a White House event on Tuesday. When we have more to say, we will, but things are looking good for the moment.

All of this comes as multiple large explosions rocked northern Gaza on Tuesday, though in past conflicts between Israel and Hamas, fighting has been known to increase leading up to a temporary ceasefire or pause in fighting.

Netanyahu has taken a hard stance, saying that there would be no ceasefire until Hamas releases all of the hostages the militant group took last month. However, talks behind closed doors indicate that there might be incremental hostage exchanges, according to the New York Times. Heres what we know about the hostage deal so far.

What could the deal look like?

The agreement could call for the release of 50 women and children held hostage by Hamas in exchange for a four- to five-day pause in fighting, according to multiple media outlets that have cited sources familiar with the deal. The deal could also see three Palestinian prisoners released for every civilian hostage released.

Israel would also be required to stop flying surveillance drones over northern Gaza for at least six hours a day, during which Hamas would be expected to release hostages. This would mean Israel would lose ground in tracking Hamas operatives in Gaza.

Hamas has also demanded hundreds of trucks with aid, much of it being fuel that is integral to running its military operations and to provide ventilation and air for the militant groups network of underground tunnels.

Do we know which hostages would be released?

So far, the identities of the hostages who would be released as part of the deal were not immediately clear, though they are of various nationalities, CNN reports. Americans are hopeful that the youngest U.S. hostage, 3-year-old Abigail Edan, whose parents were killed by Hamas, will be among those released. Its unclear whether any other American citizens would be among the 50 released under the agreement.

Are Israel and Hamas talking directly to each other?

No. Qatar is mediating the deal, with the support of the U.S.

Recommended reading

 Wall Street Journal: How Qatar became the worlds lead hostage negotiator



How many other hostages have been freed from Hamas?

Four hostages have been released since they were captured on Oct. 7.

American citizens Judith Tai Raanan and her 17-year-old daughter, Natalie Raanan, were released on Oct. 20 following negotiations between Qatar and Hamas. The pair are now back home in Chicago.

Two Israeli women  Nurit Cooper, 79, and Yocheved Lifshitz, 85  were released on Oct. 23 into Egypt to the International Red Cross and then transferred to the Israel Defense Forces as part of a deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar.
Oak Park-River Forest High School has been named to College Boards Advanced Placement School Honor Roll, earning silver distinction, officials announced in a news release.

According to the release, the honor roll recognizes four levels of distinction  platinum, gold, silver or bronze  based on three criteria: increasing college-going culture, providing opportunities for students to earn college credit and maximizing college readiness.

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Were incredibly proud of the AP program we have at OPRF and, more importantly, the rich learning experience our students are able to enjoy during their four years here, OPRFHS District 200 Superintendent Greg Johnson stated in the release.

Officials noted in the release that OPRFHS overall silver recognition is based on the following three results for students graduating in the class of 2023:

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Silver status for College Culture: 59% took at least one AP exam during high school. The criterion for gold is 65%.

Gold status for College Credit: 47% scored a 3 or better on at least one AP exam during high school. The criterion for platinum is 50%.

Gold status for College Optimization: 12% took five or more AP exams during high school, with at least one of the five taken during ninth or 10th grade. The criterion for platinum is 15%.

We also know that we still have work to do, and this recognition gives all of us even more motivation to ensure that all students at OPRF receive the very best education we can offer, Johnson stated in the release.

College Board has 40 different AP classes available and OPRFHS offers 27 across an array of subjects that include literature and composition, economics, music theory, studio art, European history, computer science, physics and Spanish, the release states.

AP represents an opportunity for students to stand out to colleges, earn college credit and placement, and potentially boost their grade point average, Trevor Packer, head of the Advanced Placement Program for College Board, stated in the release.

Research shows that students who take AP courses and exams are more likely to attend college and graduate on time, and students who enter four-year colleges with credit from AP accelerate their path to graduation and build confidence for college success, the release states.

The schools have shown that they can expand access to these college-level courses and still drive high performance  they represent the best of our AP program, Packer stated in the release.

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Even for those who do not earn college credit, AP coursework provides early exposure to college-level work and contributes to a college-going school culture, the release states.

According to College Boards website, the nonprofit membership association was founded in 1900 to expand access to higher education and now consists of more than 6,000 of the worlds leading educational institutions and is dedicated to promoting excellence and equity in education.
FILE - Pro-Palestinian supporters demonstrate at the entrance to the Israeli embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. Israel has recalled its ambassador to South Africa, Eliav Belotserkovsky, back to Jerusalem for consultations ahead of a parliamentary vote in the African country to decide the fate of the Israeli embassy. The two countries diplomatic relations have recently witnessed a rise in tensions over the Israeli war on Gaza which has killed thousands of people. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell, File)

JOHANNESBURG (AP)  A majority of South African lawmakers on Tuesday voted in favor of a motion calling for the closure of the Israeli embassy and the cutting of diplomatic ties until Israel agrees to a cease-fire in Gaza.

The vote on the motion supported by the ruling African National Congress party came as President Cyril Ramaphosa in a meeting with other world leaders accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza with its military offensive in the beseiged territory in search of its Hamas militant rulers.

The motion tabled by the opposition party Economic Freedom Fighters received the support of 248 parliament members while 91 lawmakers opposed it.

The vote came after Israel's foreign ministry said it had recalled its ambassador to South Africa, Eliav Belotserkovsky, back to Jerusalem for consultations."

The two countries diplomatic relations have witnessed a rise in tensions over the war in Gaza. Ramaphosa previously said his country believes Israel is committing war crimes in Gaza, where thousands of Palestinians have been killed.

South Africa announced last week that it had referred what it called Israels genocide in Gaza to the International Criminal Court for an investigation. Its cabinet has called on the ICC to issue an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Earlier this month, South Africa recalled its ambassador to Israel and withdrew all its diplomatic staff.

Ramaphosa's new comments Tuesday came in a virtual meeting of BRICS countries attended by leaders of the bloc including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The Israel-Hamas war began after the Palestinian militant group's surprise attacks on Israel on Oct.7 killed about 1,200 people. Israel's retaliatory strikes on Gaza have killed more than 12,700 people, according to Palestinian health authorities.
There have been several pro-Palestinian rallies in South Africa

Israel has recalled its ambassador in South Africa "for consultations", Israel's foreign ministry has said.

The move on Monday followed the "latest South African statements" on Israel, ministry spokesperson Lior Haiat said on X without giving specifics.

South Africa has been highly critical of Israel's military operation in Gaza.

On Tuesday, its MPs passed a motion recommending the Israeli embassy's closure until there is a ceasefire and a commitment to negotiations.

The motion was passed in parliament by 248 votes to 91.

All lawmakers from the governing African National Congress supported it, but it is unclear whether the government will act on the recommendation.

Despite the objections of the presiding officer, some MPs chanted "free, free Palestine" after the motion was passed.

Israel launched a major military campaign in Gaza in response to a cross-border attack by hundreds of Hamas gunmen on 7 October, in which at least 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 others taken hostage.

A potential deal that would see Hamas release some of its hostages is now "very close", US President Joe Biden has said.

Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says at least 13,000 people have been killed in the territory since Israel launched its retaliatory campaign.

Israel has said that it is acting in self-defence and its aim is to eliminate Hamas and prevent another attack like the one last month.

The recall of Israeli Ambassador Eliav Belotserkovsky came just before South Africa began hosting a virtual summit of the Brics group of emerging economies, which includes China and Russia, on the Israel-Hamas war.

At its conclusion, the Brics leaders called for an immediate and sustained humanitarian truce in Gaza.

China's President Xi Jinping also called for the release of civilian detainees.

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa denounced what he called the collective punishment of Palestinian civilians.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin accused the US of blocking international efforts to bring peace to the Middle East.

On Monday, South Africa urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by mid-December.

Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said if this did not happen it would signal a "total failure" of global governance.

South Africa, along with Bangladesh, Bolivia, Comoros and Djibouti, has submitted a referral to the ICC to investigate whether war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed in Gaza.

The UN Security Council has called for "urgent and extended humanitarian pauses" for "a sufficient number of days" to allow UN agencies to safely enter the sealed-off territory.

South Africa recalled its diplomats from Israel earlier this month. There has been no South African ambassador in Israel for five years.

More on Israel-Gaza war
Day and night, according to Palestinians, a sound echoes above Khan Younis, the largest city in southern Gaza. The noise isnt the detonation of a bomb dropped by an Israeli jet. Its the low hum of Israeli drones circling overhead.

They never leave the sky, Tareq Hajjaj, a freelance Palestinian journalist, said via WhatsApp.

As civilians flee northern Gaza, the focus of international attention  and the fears of many Palestinians  is how Israel may wage war in southern Gaza. The focus, in particular, is on airstrikes.

Israeli officials, including two active-duty drone pilots, said they follow exacting procedures to minimize civilian casualties. An Israel Defense Forces military attorney must sign off on every strike after a review of intelligence. And pilots must conduct real-time analyses of potential civilian deaths.

We preplan what happens if children enter into our area, said one of the drone pilots, referring to calling off a strike. We preplan what happens if the terrorists launch a rocket and then drive into a crowded area, as they so often do.

Critics of Israels tactics say the sheer volume of airstrikes it has conducted in such densely populated areas is worrying. In the first week of the conflict, which began after Hamas Oct. 7 terrorist attack killed more than 1,200 Israelis, the IDF dropped 6,000 bombs in Gaza. In 2019, the U.S. dropped 7,400 bombs in Afghanistan over the course of an entire year.

Image: A fireball erupts above Gaza City after an Israeli airstrike on Oct. 9. (Mohammed Abed / AFP via Getty Images file)

Professor Janina Dill, a co-director of Oxford Universitys Institute for Ethics, Law and Armed Conflict, said she is concerned Israel might be violating international law.

She cited the number of airstrikes, the reported deaths of 13,000 Palestinians and statements by Israeli officials that she said suggested they believed that not all Palestinian civilians deserve protection.

If we take these three things together, Dill said, then its really difficult to believe that all airstrikes here comply with international humanitarian law.

Since disclosing the number of airstrikes it carried out during the war's first week, the IDF has declined to say how many bombings it has conducted. An Israeli official who asked not to be named said he couldnt disclose whether jets or drones carry out the majority of the Israeli strikes.

A lot of the things in Gaza are unmanned aircraft, and some of the things are not, he said.

Last week, Human Rights Watch accused the Israeli military of "repeated, apparently unlawful attacks on medical facilities" and said they "should be investigated as war crimes." Israeli officials accuse Hamas of building command centers beneath hospitals.

The Biden administration, meanwhile, has provided little information regarding the accuracy of Israeli airstrikes, while closely monitoring and condemning Russian attacks that kill Ukrainian civilians.

With war crimes investigators and international journalists unable to operate independently in Gaza, United Nations officials and open-source data researchers say the full details of Israels bombing campaign remain largely unknown. Its really tricky, said a researcher who asked not to be named. Its difficult to tell.

War is terrible

IDF officials granted NBC News access to an Israeli military drone base south of Tel Aviv and provided interviews with two active-duty Israeli drone pilots. Israeli officials requested that the pilots remain anonymous because the IDF considers their identities classified.

The pilots declined to discuss specific targets, but Israel's strikes in Gaza appear to be focused on two things: undermining Hamas capabilities, such as rocket launching, and killing the senior leadership of Hamas, which is more difficult because of the groups extensive underground tunnel system.

The pilots described how they try to minimize civilian casualties when they carry out strikes. They also said they were aware of the controversy surrounding Israeli air attacks.

War is terrible. Its filled with chaos. And when the other side, Hamas, is using civilians as human shields, it makes our jobs 100 times worse, said the first of the two pilots.

Were an integral part of the battle and the battlefield, the first pilot added. We take full responsibility for anything that goes on.

The other pilot said, Our job is to make sure that whoever needs to be eliminated is taken out exclusively and no one else.

mourners palestinians funeral (Jaafar Ashtiyeh / AFP - Getty Images)

A strike in the West Bank

Drone strikes in the conflict arent limited to Gaza. On Saturday, NBC News visited a damaged Palestinian Authority Fatah party building in the Balata refugee camp, near Nablus, in the West Bank. The drone strike Friday appeared to have created a hole in its ceiling.

The IDF said it had targeted a hide-out used by terrorists, and both the IDF and residents said a member of the armed wing of Fatah was killed. Residents said five people, in all, died in the bombing.

One of them was a man walking by the building, according to witnesses. Another was a 15-year-old boy who died inside it. An interview with his mother that was posted online said he was at his grandfathers house and then went to the Fatah center before the strike occurred. My fate, his mother said, was to become the mother of a martyr.

On Saturday, the bodies of the dead were covered in flags and carried through the streets by crowds of men, some masked and firing automatic weapons in the air. A mobile sound system played songs celebrating Palestinian fighters.

During the funeral, a drone could be seen flying overhead. Even after the bombing, its still roaming around, a man said. It monitors everything in the area.

I see children

It takes two people to fly a weaponized drone: the pilot of the drone and a second person who operates the ball, handling the signals intelligence and imagery.

IDF officials gave NBC News exclusive access to five videos showing what Israeli drone pilots saw surveilling possible targets in Gaza during the first weeks of the war.

In the videos, two IDF pilots discuss whether or not to strike. They talk about people, sometimes children, walking close enough to targets that they choose to cancel the strikes or delay them until civilians have left the area.

There are at least six or seven people wandering the area of the school wearing black. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, an IDF pilot counts in Hebrew. The black and white video shows dark gray images that appear to be people moving on the ground below.

Another IDF pilot refers to an area that comes into view and says in Hebrew, I estimate there are 10 here at least, even 20 or 30. I am mentioning again, we think this is not within the policy.

In a second video, an IDF pilot is heard saying, I see children right beside the building. Later in the video, another pilot asks, Could you show me where the children are? The first pilot replies: Now its out of our eyesight. We cant see, but in the area that Im marking, in that space, there are many people, including children. At the end of the video, a pilot says: We are leaving this target. It isnt approved.

One of the drone pilots interviewed by NBC News said such conversations were common. We have to stay sharp, he said. Thats why we are constantly speaking about the children at the scene and whoever or whatever gets into our picture and why we have to abort airstrikes and call off airstrikes.

The principles of war

U.S. Army Lt. Col. Paul Lushenko, a co-author of the forthcoming book The Legitimacy of Drone Warfare: Evaluating Public Perceptions, reviewed the five Israeli drone videos for NBC News.

First and foremost, this is a complicated business set against the sort of terrain that were operating within, he said, referring to Gaza. You can see how congested, contested and built-up it is.

He said international humanitarian law requires combatants to abide by the principles of distinction (between civilians and combatants), proportionality (the use of commensurate force) and military necessity (the need to achieve a legitimate military objective). The rules apply to both ground operations and airstrikes, including drone attacks.

Lushenko said drone strikes conducted by Israel have most likely resulted in civilian casualties  though probably fewer than would be caused by large bombs dropped by planes  and that the deaths may have been unintentional.

A Palestinian man carries an injured child in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, on Nov. 7, 2023. (Said Khatib / AFP - Getty Images file)

Make no mistake: International humanitarian law is put in place to minimize collateral damage, especially the killing of women and children, Lushenko said. But it doesnt preclude it in the event that you have an overriding military objective.

Israeli ethicists, professors and experts said international humanitarian law is integrated into IDF operations: commanders and soldiers guidelines and orders, their training and real-time legal advice.

There are on-site, hands-on military attorneys who operate at every level from the Israeli chief of staff to the units that operate on the ground, said Netta Barak-Corren, a professor at Hebrew University in Jerusalem and a fellow at Princeton University. They are there to assist the military commander by giving advice in real time about whether a specific operation is legal under international humanitarian law or not.

The IDFs code of ethics also includes a clause explicitly stating that members of the military will not use their weapons to harm civilians.

One of the authors of the IDF code of ethics, Moshe Halbertal, an adviser to the IDF, said the code applies to drones. Drones are operated by humans, and they have to take care while operating a drone, said Halbertal, a professor at Hebrew University and New York University Law School.

Dill, the Oxford University professor, said she worried that commanders may rely too heavily on drone strikes in order to minimize their own troop losses. They may also attempt attacks they would not conduct on the ground.

The disadvantage is that they give commanders the notion that ... they can target anywhere, and so maybe sometimes they bring targets within reach that would otherwise not have been attacked, she said. The ethical and legal upside is that they allow the commander to keep their own forces out of harms way.

War is messy

The Israeli drone pilots acknowledged the dangers of their strikes. I can say that war is messy, and we can train all day and all night not to hit civilians, one said. When it happens, we as IDF soldiers take it very hard, understanding that we have to be better next time and be more precise. And thats what we train to do.

The other pilot said: Our moral code and moral high ground only takes us to some point. And its hard; its difficult. Its unbelievably tricky.

Hajjaj, the Palestinian freelance journalist in southern Gaza, said people there fear what comes next. He said it seemed that larger targets like buildings were being hit with bombs dropped by Israeli F-16s or other planes. Drones, meanwhile, continue to circle overhead, emitting a low hum.

The noise prevents us to sleep, prevents us to speak and prevents us to hear well, Hajjaj said.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Supporters during the ANC KZN Palestinian Solidarity March on Oct. 26, 2023 in Durban, South Africa. The group is standing in solidarity with the Palestinian resistance against Israeli and over the war in the Gaza Strip. Credit - Darren StewartGallo Images / Getty Images

Israel has recalled its ambassador, Eliav Belotserkovsky, to South Africa for consultations, as the African nation prepares to host a summit for world leaders and a vote on whether to shut down its Israeli embassy and sever diplomatic ties.

Belotserkovsky has been called to Jerusalem amid South African President Cyril Ramaphosas criticism of Israels attacks on Gaza, according to Israels foreign ministry. Following the latest South African statements, the Ambassador of Israel to Pretoria has been recalled to Jerusalem for consultations, Israels ministry of foreign affairs posted late Monday on X.

South Africa has been vocal in reprimanding Israels bombardment of Gaza and filed a referral to the International Criminal Court, seeking an investigations into what Ramaphosa has described as Israels war crimes and tantamount to genocide.

Earlier in November, South Africa also recalled its ambassador to Israel and withdrew its diplomatic presence on the ground.

Given that much of the global community is witnessing the commission of these crimes in real time, including statements of genocidal intent by many Israeli leaders, we expect that warrants of arrest for these leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, should be issued shortly, South African minister in the presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, also told reporters on Monday.

South African diplomats have long identified likeness between life for Palestinians under occupation and those who lived under apartheid, the legal system for racial separation in South Africa from 1948 until 1994.

In July 2022, over a year before Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, South African diplomat Nalendi Pandor said, For many South Africans, the narrative of the Palestinian people's struggle does evoke experiences of our own history of racial segregation and oppression."

Israel began striking the Palestinian enclave in response to Hamas attacks, in which 1,200 were killed and around 240 taken hostage.. Since then, at least 13,000 Gazans have died, among them thousands of children, U.N. workers, and journalists. At least 1.4 million people of Gazas 2.2 million population have been displaced by the war.

Ramaphosas ruling African National Congress party, among other smaller parties, will support a motion brought about by leftist opposition party Economic Freedom Fighters to close Israels embassy in the nation. South Africas parliament is set to vote on the matter Tuesday, which would take effect until Israel agrees to a ceasefire in Gaza and further negotiations carried out by the U.N.

The move comes just as South Africa prepares to host a virtual summit with the BRICS, an economic bloc of nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) to discuss Israels war on Gaza. Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, will also join the group in January.

Among the leaders attending are Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has expressed his support for Palestinians and welcomed diplomats from Arab and Muslim nations in Beijing Monday.

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Russia and India have taken a strategic approach to the conflict, keeping in mind longer term aims.

Putin has been accused of using the conflict to his political advantage, placing the blame with the U.S. "I think that many will agree with me that this is a clear example of the failed policy in the Middle East of the United States, which tried to monopolize the settlement process," Putin told Iraq's prime minister on Oct. 10. He offered condolences to Israel on the loss of lives six days after the attack, but said a Hamas delegation was in Moscow for talks on Oct. 17.

At the time of the Hamas attacks, Modi expressed complete solidarity with Israel. While Modi has since strongly condemned civilian deaths in the war, India also abstained from a U.N. assembly vote on a humanitarian truce on Oct. 27.

Ramaphosa is set to chair a meeting where leaders will deliver statements on Gazas humanitarian crisis, after which a joint statement will likely follow.

Write to Armani Syed at armani.syed@time.com.
A Lebanese rescuer holds the bullet proof vest of one of two journalists working for Al-Mayadeen television killed in Israeli bombardment of southern Lebanon (KAWNAT HAJU)

Israeli bombardment of south Lebanon on Tuesday killed eight people, official media said, including two journalists from Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen television, the broadcaster reported, in ongoing violence at the Lebanon-Israel border.

Since the Israel-Hamas war began on October 7, the frontier between Lebanon and Israel has seen escalating exchanges of fire, mainly between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement, but also Palestinian groups, raising fears of a broader conflagration.

The state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported "the deaths of three citizens -- two journalists and another civilian -- in enemy bombing" of the Tair Harfa area.

Al-Mayadeen said its correspondent Farah Omar, 25, and cameraman Rabih Maamari, 40, were killed.

Lebanon's army also said the trio were killed in "enemy bombing".

Israel's military said "soldiers operated against a threat" from a Hezbollah "launching area" in the area of Jebbayn, near Tair Harfa.

"We are aware of a claim regarding journalists in the area who were killed as a result of IDF (army) fire. This is an area with active hostilities, where exchanges of fire occur... The incident is under review," it said.

Al-Mayadeen director Ghassan bin Jiddo said the third civilian killed with the journalists collaborated with the channel.

"It was a direct attack, it was not by chance," Bin Jiddo said in an interview, noting it came after an Israeli government decision this month to block access to the website of Al-Mayadeen, known for its pro-Iran stance.

- Car targeted -

Elsewhere in south Lebanon, the NNA said "enemy aircraft raided inhabited houses in Kfar Kila, leading to the death of citizen Laiqa Sarhan, 80, and the wounding of her granddaughter", a Syrian national.

Hezbollah, a Hamas ally, said that "in response" to the attacks, its fighters targeted Israeli forces with guided missiles and a "military base" with Grad-type Katyusha rockets.

The NNA also reported that "the Israeli enemy attacked" a car between Qlaileh and Shaaytiyeh in south Lebanon, killing four people.

An official from the nearby Rashidiyeh Palestinian refugee camp, requesting anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media, said one of the dead was Khalil al-Kharraz, a senior leader in Hamas's military wing in Lebanon.

Hamas official Khalil Hayya condemned the strike on the car, without elaborating on who was killed, and told a Beirut press conference the group would issue a detailed statement Wednesday after an investigation.

A security source told AFP on condition of anonymity that the bodies were badly charred.

- 'No limit' -

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati expressed his "strong condemnation of the Israeli attack" on the journalists.

"This attack proves once more that Israeli crimes know no limit and that (Israel's) aim is to silence the media who expose its crimes and its attacks," Mikati was quoted as saying in a statement.

US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that "we are concerned by the reports that civilians including two journalists were killed in Lebanon".

"We have made clear we don't want to see the conflict in Gaza spread to Lebanon. That has been one of our top priorities," he told reporters in Washington.

Since the cross-border exchanges began, at least 100 people have been killed on the Lebanese side, according to an AFP tally, most of them Hezbollah combatants but including at least 14 civilians, three of them journalists.

On the Israeli side, six soldiers and three civilians have been killed, according to authorities.

On October 13, Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah was killed and six other journalists from AFP, Al Jazeera and Reuters wounded while covering cross-border fire.

Lebanese authorities have accused Israel of responsibility. The Israeli army said it was looking into the circumstances of the fatal strike.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government have approved a deal for the release of some of the hostages held by Hamas, the Israeli government said in a statement. The decision, early Wednesday local time, came after Netanyahu convened his war cabinet to discuss the deal following recent progress in the negotiations.

"The Government of Israel is obligated to return home all of the hostages. Tonight, the Government has approved the outline of the first stage of achieving this goal, according to which at least 50 hostages  women and children  will be released over four days, during which a pause in the fighting will be held," the statement reads, adding, "The release of every additional ten hostages will result in one additional day in the pause."

Hamas's leadership issued a statement on Telegram saying it agreed to the deal, which it called a "cease-fire from both parties." The group also thanked Qatar and Egypt for assisting with the deal.

According to a U.S. senior administration official, three Americans are expected to be among the 50 women and children released.

The agreement is expected to be implemented 24 hours after it is finalized  which would be early Thursday morning, local time  the official said.

Hamas wrote that the terms of the deal included the release of 50 Israeli women and children hostages in exchange for the release of 150 Palestinian women and children held in Israeli prisons. They said it also required a cessation of all air traffic over south Gaza, and air traffic over north Gaza for six hours a day, and that "hundreds of trucks carrying humanitarian, relief, medical and fuel aid" would be brought into all areas of the Gaza Strip "without exception, north and south."

Earlier, Netanyahu said President Biden had joined the effort to improve the outline of the deal.

"In recent days, I have spoken with our friend, U.S. President Joe Biden, and I requested his intervention in order to improve the outline that will be presented to you," Netanyahu said in a statement before the government meeting. "Indeed, it has been improved to include more hostages and at a lower cost. These talks have been productive. President Biden joined in the effort and I thank him for it."

Netanyahu called the decision before his government "a difficult decision but it is the correct decision," adding that "the security of our forces will be ensured during the pause and that the intelligence effort will be maintained in those days."

During the pause, aid will be allowed into Gaza, with 300 trucks per day carrying aid, including cooking oil for bakeries and fuel for hospitals, a source familiar told CBS News.

The deal will allow for three Palestinian prisoners to be released for each hostage held by Hamas, CBS News has confirmed. That 3-to-1 ratio is notable because there is no cap on potential prisoner releases. In other words, the more hostages Hamas finds and releases, the more Palestinians will be set free from prison.

A source familiar with the talks told CBS News that most of the Palestinian prisoners would be released to live in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, though some did come from Gaza.

If the first phase goes as planned, roughly 20 more hostages will be released by Hamas and the pause in fighting extended.

Children, of whom there are believed to be around 40 among the hostages in Gaza, were to be prioritized in the first wave of captives released by Hamas. The only American child taken by Hamas is a 3-year-old girl.

Sources told CBS News that the deal was expected to see at least 75 hostages, and potentially even more, freed by Hamas in installments.

Families of hostages held by Hamas lead a march from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, ending at a rally in front of the Knesset, on Nov. 18, 2023. Some 30,000 people joined the last portion of the 5-day march. / Credit: TAMAR SHEMESH/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Netanyahu stressed in his statement before the meeting that the short pause would not mean an end to the war.

"There is a lot of nonsense out there to the effect that after the pause to return our hostages, we will stop the war. Then let me make it clear: We are at war  and will continue the war," he said. "We will continue the war until we achieve all of our war aims: To eliminate Hamas, return all of our hostages and our missing, and ensure that there is no element in Gaza that threatens Israel."

Earlier in the day, Netanyahu's office announced that, "in light of the developments regarding the release of our abductees," he would convene his war cabinet, followed by meetings of the political-security cabinet and the full government Tuesday evening local time.

When the agreement is finalized, an operation center is expected to be set up in Doha, Qatar, to monitor the transfers. The neutral Red Crescent, part of the International Committee of the Red Cross, is expected to then take custody of the hostages from Hamas and then hand them over to the Israel Defense Forces.

Officials with knowledge of the negotiations, including President Biden, have said for days that an agreement looked increasingly close.

"We've been working on this intensively for weeks, as you all know," Mr. Biden said Tuesday at the White House. "We're now very close, very close. We could bring some of these hostages home very soon. But I don't want to get into the details of things because nothing is done until it's done. And when we have more to say, we will, but things are looking good at the moment."

Israel has said that Hamas militants took about 240 hostages during their Oct. 7 rampage across southern Israel, in which 1,200 people were killed. Only four hostages have been released by the group so far, and another, an Israeli soldier, was rescued by her fellow troops in Gaza. Israel also said two hostages were found dead near the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza last week.

This is a developing story. Gabrielle Ake contributed reporting.

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Palestinians pray for their relatives killed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip in front of the morgue of al Aqsa Hospital in Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

JERUSALEM (AP)  Qatar on Wednesday announced a truce-for-hostages deal between Israel and Hamas that would bring a four-day halt in fighting in a devastating six-week war, win freedom for dozens of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, and also lead to the release of dozens of Palestinian prisoners.

Qatar's Foreign Ministry said it would announce within a day when the clock will start ticking on the truce, during which 50 hostages will be released in stages in exchange for what Hamas said would be 150 Palestinians prisoners held by Israel. Those freed by both sides will be women and children.

Humanitarian aid to besieged Gaza would also increase.

The announcement came hours after Israel's Cabinet approved the deal. It capped weeks of indirect Qatari-led negotiations between Israel and Hamas, an Islamic militant group that has ruled Gaza for 16 years. The United States and Egypt were also involved in stop-and-go talks to free some of the roughly 240 hostages held by Hamas and other militants in Gaza.

Hostage releases will begin roughly 24 hours after the deal is approved by all parties, said a senior White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matters.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office made no mention of the release of Palestinian prisoners or increased humanitarian aid when it confirmed the Cabinet had approved the deal.

The government of Israel is committed to bringing all of the hostages home. Tonight, the government approved the outline for the first stage of achieving this goal, the office said in a statement.

Ahead of the Cabinet vote, which came after a six-hour meeting stretching into the early morning, Netanyahu said the war against Hamas would resume after the truce expires.

We are at war, and we will continue the war, he said. We will continue until we achieve all our goals.

In welcoming the deal, President Joe Biden emphasized that Netanyahu has committed to supporting an extended pause to make sure not only all hostages are released but that humanitarian assistance can be sent to Palestinians in Gaza.

Biden, who is in Nantucket, Massachusetts, for the Thanksgiving holiday, said the agreement should release some American hostages, and added: I will not stop until they are all released.

The Israeli government statement said that the truce would be extended an extra day for every additional 10 hostages released by Hamas.

A longer-term lull could lead to pressure, both international and domestic, for Israel to end its war without achieving its goal of destroying Hamas military capabilities.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said it is standing by to assist any swap in the Israel-Hamas war. Red Cross President Mirjana Spoljaric met with Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Qatar, as well as Qatari political leaders, earlier this week.

The war erupted on Oct. 7 when several thousand Hamas militants burst across the border into Israel, killing at least 1,200 people and taking hundreds hostage. Most of the dead were civilians, while the hostages include small children, women and older people.

Israel responded with weeks of devastating airstrikes on Gaza, followed by a ground invasion that began over three weeks ago.

More than 11,000 Palestinians have been killed during the Israeli offensive, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-run territory. It does not differentiate between civilians and militants, though some two-thirds of the dead have been identified as women and minors. Israel says thousands of Hamas militants have been killed.

The invasion has caused vast destruction in northern Gaza, including Gaza City, displaced an estimated 1.7 million people and caused a humanitarian crisis with shortages of food, medicines, fuel and other key supplies throughout the territory.

Israel has rejected growing international criticism and vowed to press ahead until it destroys Hamas military and governing capabilities and all hostages are freed. Hamas, an Islamic militant group sworn to Israels destruction, has ruled Gaza since ousting the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority in 2007.

The return of any of the hostages could lift spirits in Israel, where the plight of the captives has gripped the countrys attention. Airwaves are filled with interviews with families of the hostages, who include babies and toddlers, women and children and people in their 80s with health issues.

The families have become a powerful force in Israel, staging mass demonstrations and marches pressuring the government to bring home their loved ones. They have made a central Tel Aviv square their headquarters, where evocative displays like a long white table with seats for all 240 hostages are meant to keep their plight in the public eye.

But the structure of the deal could weaken Israel from various directions.

Any pause would give Hamas and its shadowy leader, Yehya Sinwar, a chance to regroup after suffering heavy losses during the fighting, especially if Hamas drags things out with additional hostage releases.

Israel claims to have killed thousands of Hamas fighters, though it has not presented evidence, and destroyed parts of the groups underground tunnel system. But Israeli officials acknowledge much of the groups infrastructure remains intact.

A cease-fire could also add to the already growing international pressure on Israel to halt its offensive as the full extent of damage in Gaza becomes apparent. Even the U.S., Israels chief backer, has expressed concerns about the heavy toll on Gazas civilian population.

Some three-quarters of Gazas population has been uprooted from their homes and are staying in overcrowded and unsanitary shelters.

Many, if not most, will be unable to return home because of the vast damage in the north and the continued presence of Israeli troops there. That could lead to an even worse humanitarian disaster as people remain in shelters or are forced to live in tents through the cold, rainy winter.

And in Israel, the staggered releases of hostages risks triggering divisions between families of those who are freed and those who remain in captivity. Soldiers, for instance, are likely to be among the last to be freed. Families of the soldiers, who include young women who served as spotters along the border, are likely to press the government not to resume the offensive until their loved ones return home as well.

There are many families and many opinions, Hadas Kalderon, whose two young children were abducted with their father, told Israels Channel 12 TV.

A lengthy truce could also affect Israels battle readiness. While Israeli troops are expected to remain in place and the Israeli military said its battle plans remain intact, it will be difficult and risky for the army to leave its forces stationary behind enemy lines.

Asked about a cease-fire, the armys chief spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said: The army will know how to maintain its operational achievements.

Hamas may try to declare a victory, but Sinwar will have little to celebrate. Even if he survives and Hamas maintains power, he will emerge to vast destruction that will take years, if not decades, to repair.

In the meantime, fighting continued on Tuesday, with the front line of the war shifting to the Jabaliya refugee camp, a dense warren of concrete buildings near Gaza City that houses families displaced in the 1948 war surrounding Israels creation.

Israel has bombarded the area for weeks, and the military said Hamas fighters have regrouped there and in other eastern districts after being pushed out of much of Gaza City.

In southern Lebanon, an Israeli strike killed two journalists with Al-Mayadeen TV, according to the Hezbollah-allied Pan-Arab network and Lebanese officials. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. A separate Israeli drone strike in Lebanon killed four Hamas members, a Palestinian official and a Lebanon security official said.

The Israeli military has been trading fire almost daily across the border with Lebanons Hezbollah group and Palestinian militants since the outbreak of the war.

On Tuesday, Gaza's Health Ministry said that as of Nov. 11 it had lost the ability to count the dead because of the collapse of large parts of the health system.

It believes the actual death toll has risen sharply above the official number of 11,000. Some 2,700 people are missing and believed to be buried under rubble, and hospitals have continued to report deaths from daily strikes, often dozens at a time.

The Israeli military says 68 soldiers have been killed in the ground offensive.

___

Jeffery reported from Cairo. Associated Press writers Wafaa Shurafa in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip; Samy Magdy in Cairo; Melanie Lidman in Jerusalem and Colleen Long in Washington contributed.

___

Full AP coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war.
Gary officials celebrated the launch of the citys new real time crime center at the Gary Police Department on Tuesday.

The center makes data from multiple surveillance technologies deployed throughout the city available to virtual patrol officers in order to aid in the prevention of crimes and the apprehension of suspects.

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Its going to enhance the way that we view and execute public safety in the city of Gary, said Mayor Jerome Prince, backed by an array of monitors showing maps and video feeds from around the city. This is a culmination of a number of initiatives that weve engaged in since the beginning of our administration.

Virtual Patrol Officer Eric Green views camera scenes near recent emergency calls during a demonstration of Gary's newly-opened Real Time Crime Center on Tuesday, November 21, 2023. (Kyle Telechan for the Post-Tribune) (Kyle Telechan/Post-Tribune)

In June 2022, Gary launched Operation Safe Zone, a collaboration with the Georgia-based software company Fusus that allows the citys residents and businesses to aid law enforcement by granting access to privately owned surveillance cameras. Participants can register cameras with the program, letting the Gary Police Department know their location and expediting the process of requesting and accessing footage when a crime occurs nearby. They can also opt to have their cameras integrated into the police departments network, granting real-time access to video feeds by staff at the crime center.

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Gary Police Chief Anthony Titus called the technology a force multiplier for the department.

This allows law enforcement to use technology to be in places that we may not have physically been able to be in times past, he said.

Virtual Patrol Officers view live feeds from cameras around the city during a demonstration of Gary's newly-opened Real Time Crime Center on Tuesday, November 21, 2023. (Kyle Telechan for the Post-Tribune) (Kyle Telechan/Post-Tribune)

Gary is one of two Indiana cities to partner with Fusus, a company representative told the Post-Tribune. Hammond, which launched its BlueNET program in April, is the other.

So far, 1,455 cameras in the Gary have been registered with the program and 546 have been integrated. Prince acknowledged that some Gary residents might have privacy concerns about the program, though he said that residents he has spoken with overwhelmingly support it as a means of improving public safety.

Garys gas station owners, Prince said, have been far more supportive of Operation Safe Zone than they were of an earlier plan to require armed guards at stations open overnight, which Prince first proposed in 2020. The plan failed to pass the Gary Common Council after station owners and employees complained about its cost and questioned its efficacy.

Gary police chief Anthony Titus speaks during a press conference outlining the city's newly-opened Real Time Crime Center on Tuesday, November 21, 2023. (Kyle Telechan for the Post-Tribune) (Kyle Telechan/Post-Tribune)

They certainly balked at the initial idea, Prince said. Once we introduced the concept of Operation Safe Zone and the camera network, which also requires an investment on the businesss part, there was absolutely no resistance.

Chief of Staff Joy Holliday added that only public-facing cameras are included in the program, so there is no ability for us to pry into peoples homes.

The centers staff also have access to data from license plate readers, either mounted on police cars or installed at key locations throughout the city. The readers were purchased by the city with funds from a series of grants from the United States Department of Justice. Corporal Larry McKinley, who has led the development of the crime center, said that the technology monitors all roadways leading into and out of Gary. Anyone vehicle of interest entering or leaving the city, he told reporters, should be spotted by the readers, allowing staff at the crime center to inform officers in the field.

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Gary Police corporal Larry McKinley speaks during a demonstration of the city's newly-opened Real Time Crime Center on Tuesday, November 21, 2023. (Kyle Telechan for the Post-Tribune) (Kyle Telechan/Post-Tribune)

In October, the Gary Police Department marked two years since the first license plate readers were introduced in the city. The department released a data table recording 375 total investigations stemming from license plate reader data. Over the two year period, license plate readers facilitated the recovery of 206 stolen vehicles, the seizure of 21 firearms, and the issuance of 43 felony warrants, according to the table.

Funded through a combination of city, state and federal funds, the center will be attended 16 hours a day by three employees. McKinley said the schedule is subject to change as the department gathers data on when the centers staff can be most useful.

A Gary virtual patrol officer views feeds from a participating business during a demonstration of Gary's newly-opened Real Time Crime Center on Tuesday, November 21, 2023. (Kyle Telechan for the Post-Tribune) (Kyle Telechan/Post-Tribune)

adalton@chicagotribune.com
Racial epithets and an anti-gay slur interrupted a meeting of the Munster Redevelopment Commission at the Monday, Nov. 20 meeting. (Christin Nance Lazerus/Post-Tribune)

Racial epithets and an anti-gay slur interrupted the Zoom broadcast of Mondays Munster Redevelopment Commission meeting, and town officials are trying to find out who it was.

The Munster Town Council had paused its regular meeting to conduct the Redevelopment Commission meeting when the racist, hate-filled speech stunned the room during the public comment period. Normally, the meetings broadcast replay would be posted next day on the towns website, but that wont be the case after what transpired.

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Munster Town Manager Dustin Anderson said that the Munster Police Department is reviewing the video, adding that the Zoom system had not been hacked.

The racist who interjected hate into our meeting did so under the pretense of public comment, Anderson told the Post-Tribune. When called upon during the open-to-the-public portion of the Redevelopment Commission meeting, he introduced himself and then began his bigoted tirade. We muted and kicked him off the meeting as fast as possible.

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While staff were trying to mute the tirade, the commenter also spewed an anti-gay slur, according to a Facebook post from Ryan Dean, who ran for Munster Town Council this fall.

Munster Police Chief Steve Scheckel said that he has assigned a detective to investigate the case and track down the individual, indicating that he would pursue state and/or federal charges if there is evidence a crime was committed.

Were trying to run down that IP address, he said.

Police investigating whether Munster, Highland incidents linked

Scheckel was unsure if the incident is related to a similar occurrence during last weeks Highland Town Council meeting, explaining that the police investigation will probe whether they were the work of the same individual.

On Nov. 13, The Highland Town Council had just sat down after the Pledge of Allegiance and prayer to start the meeting when a person using the name John Williams posted a screenshot through the meeting platforms image-sharing feature. In it, a Black recording artist who goes by the name London Yellow is seen staring at the camera behind a racial epithet, which is repeated over and over again.

Councilwoman Toya Smith, D-2nd, noticed the image 10 seconds after it was posted, though people watching the meeting remotely were said to have seen it on their screens immediately.

Does that say, I dont like (n-word)? Like, really? Smith said. What?

The image remained on the screen for a total of 20 seconds while Highlands IT Director Ed Dabrowski searched for the button to eliminate it.

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Munster Town Council President Chuck Gardiner, R-3rd, described the interruption to the Redevelopment Commission as violent and disgusting speech.

Comments like this really just defeat the purpose of the public input session, he said. So, we will be reviewing our Zoom policies and procedures to make sure that incidents like this dont happen in the future. We do want to keep government open to the people and get their input.

Anderson said that town officials have discussed strategies to eliminate such behavior including, but not limited to, requiring public comment be provided in-person and eliminating the use of any on-line user cameras, mics, chat, or other interactive tool available.

On behalf of the town administration, he stated, We are deeply disturbed by the ugly hatefulness on display yesterday evening and will not tolerate that in our community.

Jim Masters is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.

Post-Tribune freelance reporter Michelle Quinn contributed.
A Georgia judge declined to revoke the bond of one of former President Trumps co-defendants in his 2020 election subversion case Tuesday, allowing him to remain free on bond ahead of a future trial.

Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee determined Tuesday that the bond agreement for Harrison Floyd, a former leader of Black Voices for Trump, must be updated to reflect the nuances of social media. However, McAfee said he believed that Floyd did make a technical violation of his bond.

I think the ultimate result of todays hearing is that its very clear to me that this bond needs to be modified, McAfee said.

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McAfee approved a more detailed bond agreement provided by the state at the end of the hearing, though he said he would be open to modifying it again in the future after prosecutors and Floyds counsel have had more time to examine its specifics.

Floyd was the first defendant threatened with pretrial detention over social media posts that prosecutors say demonstrate attempts at intimidating future witnesses and communicating directly and indirectly with co-defendants in the case.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) herself argued the states case to put Floyd in jail before trial, the first time she has done so in any hearing since handing up charges against Trump and 18 others.

Her appearance Tuesday underscored what already appeared to be a particularly contentious relationship between Willis and Floyd.

In August, Floyd was the only defendant to surrender without negotiating a bond agreement in advance. He was detained for multiple days, and blamed it on Willis.

In recent days, prosecutors seemed to insinuate that Floyds team leaked proffer videos of co-defendants who pleaded guilty being interviewed by prosecutors. Another defendants lawyer later admitted to leaking the videos.

Williss attempt to revoke Floyds bond was filed hours later, alleging his social media posts violated his conditions of release.

What were really here to decide today is, does this order mean something or not, Willis said, asserting that Floyd spit on the court by posting about witnesses and co-defendants online.

Floyds attorneys claimed state prosecutors were seeking to silence Floyds lawful political speech. The Trump co-defendant was present at Tuesdays hearing, donning a kelly green suit jacket.

None of these posts amounted to a threat or intimidation, said Chris Kachouroff, one of Floyds attorneys.

His lawyers also argued that tagging people involved in the case on social media was Floyds way of referring to them, not communicating with them. Willis emphasized the clause in Floyds pretrial release agreement prohibiting him from indirectly communicating with co-defendants or future witnesses, suggesting that tagging witnesses on social media qualifies as such behavior.

Known state witnesses  including Fulton County poll worker Ruby Freeman, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and Gabe Sterling, chief operating officer of the Secretary of States office  were mentioned numerous times on Floyds account on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Look, the truth is that @GaSecofState & @GabrielSterling are the pieces of [shit] you should be mad at, Floyd tweeted Nov. 7, using a poop emoji to replace the expletive.

Sterling briefly testified Tuesday afternoon as a state witness, and Willis asked him whether he enjoys being called a piece of fecal matter.

No, maam, Sterling replied.

Willis also presented a text message from Jenna Ellis  a co-defendant in the case who recently pleaded guilty to lesser charges as part of a plea agreement with the state  where Ellis said Floyds posts about her were meant to both intimidate and harass me and also encourage others to harass me.

Michael Hill, an investigator in Williss office who has worked on the case, and Von DuBose, an attorney representing Freeman, also testified during the hearing.

Floyds charges stem from his alleged efforts to convince Freeman to make false statements about 2020 election operations, under the guise of offering her help. He has pleaded not guilty.

In Williss motion to revoke Floyds bond, she said the Trump co-defendants intimidating communications have caused Freeman to be subject to renewed threats of violence from third parties.

DuBose testified that Freeman and her daughter  Shaye Moss, another Fulton County poll worker  employ a third-party vendor to monitor potential threats against them online. A spike in online activity followed Floyds posts about Freeman, causing her counsel to take precautions to protect her, because spikes are usually followed by threats, DuBose said.

There are real consequences for allowing defendants to intimidate witnesses, Willis told the judge.

Floyd, who was generally posting on X multiple times per day, continued to do so immediately after prosecutors filed their motion to revoke Floyds bond last Wednesday, but he has not posted since Friday.

Updated 6:05 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A federal judge on Monday ordered the Kansas Highway Patrol to stop using its two-step tactic during traffic stops as part of a sweeping court-mandated overhaul of the agencys practices.

U.S. District Court Judge Kathryn Vratil issued a four-year injunction against the Highway Patrol after ruling in July that the agency violated the constitutional rights of motorists in how it conducted traffic stops. The length of the order effectively places troopers and their leaders under long-term judicial supervision, allowing Vratil to keep an eye on their procedures and practices.

When stopping vehicles on Kansas highways, troopers are now prohibited from giving any weight to the fact that a motorist is traveling to or from a drug source state  an incredibly broad category since dozens of states have legalized some form of marijuana. Troopers who want to keep questioning motorists after a traffic stop has ended must now tell them the stop has ended and they dont need to answer additional questions.

The injunctions protections extend to drivers and passengers traveling across I-70, I-35, U.S. Route 54 and U.S. Route 36, who appear to be driving to or from Colorado with out-of-state plates.

The injunction comes in a long-running lawsuit against the agency filed by the ACLU of Kansas on behalf of motorists. The lawsuit took aim at the Kansas two-step, in which troopers at the end of a traffic stop take a couple steps away from the stopped vehicle before coming back to ask more questions. The purpose of the maneuver is to establish a voluntary encounter with the motorist, but Vratil found the questioning wasnt truly consensual.

Vratil, an appointee of President George H.W. Bush, wrote in the injunction that the Highway Patrol had engaged in a pattern of unconstitutional detentions based on impermissible criteria and insufficient reasonable suspicion, and without knowing, intelligent and voluntary consent, and that a permanent injunction is necessary to remedy that pattern and ensure constitutional policing going forward.

An injunction was expected, but its release makes clear the full scope of the changes the Highway Patrol must make. The Highway Patrol on Tuesday said it couldnt comment while the order remains under internal review and review by the Kansas Attorney Generals Office.

The agency in court court had previously argued against an extensive injunction, arguing many of the requirements would be overly burdensome.

ACLU of Kansas legal director Sharon Brett said in a statement that the Highway Patrol is not above the law.

The ACLU had argued the two-step was used to target drivers coming from or heading to states where marijuana is legal, despite previous court rulings limiting how police can use information about a vehicles origin and destination.

While KHP made various attempts to side-step accountability for its practices and put off this injunction, the Constitution has prevailed, Brett said.

Under the injunction, the Highway Patrol is required within 60 days to revise its policies and procedures to ensure troopers document all investigatory stops of vehicles, any searches resulting from those stops and any time an individual consents to a search or agrees to speak with troopers after the stop has ended.

Vratil wrote that troopers in documenting the stops are required to use descriptive language, not boilerplate or pat statements. The judge is also requiring troopers to obtain permission from their supervisors before conducting consensual searches.

The Highway Patrol must also create a revised training curriculum surrounding traffic stops, the difference between reasonable suspicion and mere speculation and the difference between knowing, voluntary and intelligent consent and mere acquiescence to police authority. The agency must confer with the ACLU on the proposed curriculum and then submit it for court approval.

After Vratil approves the curriculum, the Highway Patrol must provide all troopers with at least eight hours of training on the curriculum and at least 16 hours of additional training by Sept. 1, 2024. Every trooper must receive at least 10 hours of training on the curriculum every year after that.

The Highway Patrol will also be required to submit performance compliance reports every six months to demonstrate the agency is adhering to the terms of the injunctions. Vrtail wrote that the court may dissolve the injunction earlier than four years  or extend it  depending on how well it achieves the requirements of the injunction.
A judge has ruled not to revoke the bond of Harrison Floyd.

Floyd is one of 15 defendants facing charges of trying to interfere in the 2020 election, including former President Donald Trump.

Tuesdays hearing was all about social media posts in which Floyd tagged witnesses and talked about witnesses in.

Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Justin Gray was inside the courtroom as Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis fought to have Floyds bond revoked and sent back to jail.

But Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee instead ordered that the bond agreement be rewritten, telling the court the bond was not specific enough to account for the nuances of social media.

Not every violation compels revocation, McAfee said before making the ruling.

Wills argued the case herself in a nearly three-hour hearing.

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He was given an opportunity to cooperate with the rules of this case and what he really did was spit on the court and refuse to abide by three of the seven conditions of his bond order so no he does not have the right to communicate about facts of this case with witnesses.

Among the tweets cited as evidence, was one calling the Secretary of State a piece of poop emoji.

Another one tagged Jenna Ellis, a former defendant turned witness, and several referenced Fulton County election worker Ruby Freeman.

None of the tweets amount to a threat or intimidation. That is to say, none put a person a reasonable person in fear for their safety, the defense said.

Its very clear to me that this bond needs to be modified and it needs to prohibit public comment concerning Ms. Freeman, her daughter, and concerning other witnesses, McAfee said.

They held a brief recess for both sides to iron out new restrictions to the bond order to keep Floyd from talking about or talking to witnesses in this case on social media.

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Defendant Euren Balbuena testifies on Nov. 8 during a trial about the fatal stabbing in 2020 of his girlfriend in Simi Valley. Jurors convicted him of murder on Tuesday.

Jurors found a Simi Valley man guilty of murder Tuesday in the 2020 stabbing death of his girlfriend.

Euren Balbuena, 32, had stabbed and slashed 31-year-old Zaira Patino-Trejo 95 times, prosecutors said during the trial.

The verdict was read shortly before 5 p.m. on the 27th day of the trial. Deliberations had started late Friday afternoon following two days of closing arguments last week.

The panel also found Balbuena guilty of two other felonies, but found him not guilty of the attempted murder of the victim's mother. Balbuena was convicted of battery against Patino-Trejo and of assault with a deadly weapon against her mother, Ariadna Avetisyan.

Patino-Trejo, 31, was found stabbed to death at the Woodside Apartments in the 5400 block of East Los Angeles Avenue on the morning of Feb. 27, 2020, after a domestic dispute with Balbuena.

During closing arguments, prosecutor Melissa Suttner maintained Balbuena was guilty of murder due to his use of a butcher block of knives to stab and lacerate Patino-Trejo 95 times.

Deputy Public Defender Tiffany Stone insisted her client committed voluntary manslaughter, rather than murder, because he acted in self-defense.

Suttner described Balbuena as someone filled with jealousy and anger. She told jurors his emotions led him to argue with Patino-Trejo, make derogatory comments, break her property and control her.

Stone didnt deny some of her clients alleged behavior  saying multiple times she didnt like him either  but asked the jury to remove emotion while deliberating.

Jerks have an equal right to self-defense, she said.

Timeline

On the morning of Feb. 26, 2020, the day before the killing, the couple got into an argument. Balbuena accused Patino-Trejo of cheating on him because she received a spam phone call, Suttner, a senior deputy district attorney, told the jury. He also complained about her taking the trash out in tight pants.

A cell phone video played in court showed the argument continuing the next day, about 2.5 hours before the victim was killed.

Jurors on Tuesday found a Simi Valley man guilty of murder in the killing his girlfriend in 2020.

Another video from an outdoor camera that morning showed Patino-Trejo fleeing the residence in a towel before she was dragged back into the apartment by Balbuena, who was naked. Once the couple was out of view, screaming could be heard.

Avetisyan, the victims mother, later arrived around 9 a.m. and found her daughter wrapped in a bloody towel, Suttner said. The daughter had a swollen eye and a bloody face.

Avetisyan confronted Balbuena but left. When she returned, Balbuena was stabbing Patino-Trejo, according to the prosecution's account. Avetisyan tried to stop Balbuena, but he reportedly attacked her too. Avetisyan then fled to seek help.

Simi Valley Police Department officers later arrived and arrested Balbuena.

Stone, the public defender, argued the situation had calmed down by the time the victim's mother arrived. She pointed out that Patino-Trejo can be heard in a video asking her mother to leave.

She also noted an accidental call and voicemail recording where the couple can be heard having a normal conversation that morning.

Avetisyan "entered a regular day in a toxic relationship, Stone told jurors.

Its only after Avetisyan reacted to her daughters face and confronted Balbuena that he began fighting to defend himself, Stone argued. She said Patino-Trejo also had a knife and was swinging at him.

Stone showed a text message from Patino-Trejo saying she would kill him if he ever laid hands on me. Balbuena was thinking about that text while defending himself, she told jurors.

The prosecution had a different take. Ninety-five stab wounds demonstrates anger, Suttner said. "It's not self-defense."

Prior violence

Both Patino-Trejo and Balbuena had displayed violence in the past, attorneys said.

Patino-Trejo allegedly hit Balbuena with her car and lied about being raped, the defense said. Balbuena even called the cops on her in May 2019.

In January 2020, Patino-Trejo dialed 911 after fleeing the apartment. Balbuena wanted to see her phone, but she denied him. As a result, he trapped her in the home, the prosecution said. She was able to escape by jumping a fence once he fell asleep.

Balbuena has remained in county jail custody with bail set at $3 million. Sentencing has been scheduled for the morning of Jan. 17 in room 46 of Ventura County Superior Court.

Brian J. Varela covers Oxnard, Port Hueneme and Camarillo. He can be reached at brian.varela@vcstar.com or 805-477-8014. You can also find him on Twitter @BrianVarela805.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Jurors convict man of murder in 2020 stabbing of Simi Valley woman
Westminster Magistrates' Court heard it will cost more than 6,000 to repair damage caused to the painting

Two Just Stop Oil protesters have denied damaging glass protecting the Rokeby Venus painting in London's National Gallery.

Harrison Donnelly, 20, of Sillitoe Way, Nottingham, and Hanan Ameur, 22, of Hornsey Road, Islington, are accused of attacking the artwork on 6 November.

The pair both pleaded not guilty to one count of causing criminal damage.

Westminster Magistrates' Court heard it will cost more than 6,000 to repair the glass.

The court heard the artwork was not thought to have been damaged.

District Judge Michael Snow granted the pair conditional bail until their pre-trial plea hearing at Southwark Crown Court on 19 December.

He banned Mr Donnelly from entering inside the M25 other than to attend court or meet his solicitors. Ms Ameur was forbidden from entering the London borough of Westminster, even just to travel through it.

Judge Snow said: "If you come back [to court] for something else I will remand you into custody.

"If you want to be inside [prison] for Christmas commit another offence and that's what's going to happen to you."

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
Actress Amelie Zilber and Tennessee state Rep. Justin Jones join Vice President Kamala Harris, right, as she takes the stage at the College of Charleston in Charleston, S.C., last month as part of her "Fight for Our Freedoms" tour of campuses across the country. (Meg Kinnard / Associated Press)

Vice President Kamala Harris prefers Gen Z to millennials.

"I love Gen Z," she told a crowd of donors at the Ritz-Carlton in Boston earlier this month while reflecting on her "Fight for Our Freedoms" college tour, which took her to campuses across eight states in September and October.

The threats of gun violence, climate change and rollbacks of abortion rights are "a lived experience" for young people, she said, "and they are not going to be patient about us getting something done. And I love that about them."

Over the last year, Harris, 59, has focused on energizing young voters, who were essential to the vice president and President Biden's 2020 victory and will be key to the Democrats' reelection bid next year.

Biden won roughly 60% of 18- to 29-year-old voters in 2020. But young voters have since soured on the oldest-ever president, who turned 81 on Monday. An NBC News poll released Sunday indicated Biden had the support of only 42% of voters aged 18 to 34 compared with 46% who support former President Trump, a Republican, in a hypothetical general election race.

That poll found 70% of Democrats ages 18 to 34 disapprove of Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas crisis.

Read more: Biden support down sharply among California voters for first time in presidency, poll shows

And a New York Times/Siena College poll released earlier this month found a surprising fault line in the Biden-Harris coalition: Of Harris' would-be supporters  a majority of whom are nonwhite or younger than 30  11% do not back Biden. If Biden had captured Harris' would-be supporters, he would have led Trump in the overall poll, according to the New York Times.

Instead, the poll showed Biden virtually tied with Trump among voters under 30, with 30% backing the president and 29% backing his predecessor.

The findings support what Harris aides and advisors have argued for months: Despite her unfavorable ratings in polls of registered voters as a whole, the vice president motivates young voters of color.

After struggling to make significant progress on her initial assignments, which included curbing immigration from Central America and expanding voting rights protections, Harris has sought to find her footing by taking strong stands on abortion rights, gun violence, the climate crisis, student loan debt relief and other issues that matter most to young people.

"She has a portfolio now that people do pay a lot of attention to," said Celinda Lake, a veteran Democratic strategist who was one of two lead pollsters for Biden's 2020 campaign. "Developing the economies of Guatemala and Central America? I don't know that that's seen as a two-sided issue by voters."

Young people "like her style, they like her record and they like her issues," Lake added.

In some ways, Harris' political brand and biography align with the activism that has come to define Gen Z voters (those born between the mid- to late 1990s and the early 2010s), who are more racially and ethnically diverse than previous generations. Harris has frequently referred to her parents' involvement in the civil rights movement during the 1960s as playing a definitive role in propelling her into California politics and ultimately to the White House as the nation's first female, Black and Asian American vice president.

"She's like, 'I come from a family who was not afraid to go out and protest.' ... I think that's something she understands  Gen Z is not taking it lying down," said Annie Gonzalez, an actress who appeared in the Hulu film "Flamin' Hot" and moderated Harris' college stops at Reading Area Community College in Pennsylvania and the College of Southern Nevada outside Las Vegas.

And although campaign officials are counting on a contrast with Trump in next year's election, Gen Z voters are not bound by party loyalty and tend to favor issue-oriented candidates, according to Lake. Third-party candidates such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. or Cornel West could also take away from Biden's coalition, she added. (Kennedy had the support of 34% of voters under 30 in the New York Times/Siena poll.)

Read more: Cornel West is running for president as an independent, leaving the Green Party

The issues that Harris has built a new profile around  abortion, voting rights, discrimination in education  "lend themselves to taking a stronger stand that young voters are more responsive to," Lake said.

"This is the most politically active generation of young people that our country has had, and so we don't need to be told what to care about," said 26-year-old Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.), the first Gen Z member of Congress by most measures. "We want to feel validated in our concerns, and we want to see our leaders present a plan on how we fix it."

Harris decided to launch her nine-stop college tour, timed to coincide with students' return to campus for the new academic year, after spending the summer taking on a more visible role in what she has described as the fight against Republican extremism.

In July, she delivered a fiery response in Jacksonville, Fla., after Gov. Ron DeSantis, a 2024 GOP contender, imposed a new curriculum that said enslaved people "developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit."

Days later, she hastily arranged a trip to Iowa  whose conservative governor had just signed a strict abortion law that has since been placed on hold  to discuss reproductive rights. The timing was deliberate: She arrived the same day Trump and other GOP presidential candidates were attending a fundraising dinner there.

Earlier this month, she flew to South Carolina to formally file Biden's paperwork to appear on the Democratic primary ballot there. The state was responsible for helping Biden turn around his struggling 2020 campaign, and in return the president help put the Palmetto State ahead of Iowa and New Hampshire on the party's nominating calendar.

"She's a visible representation of the bite that this administration is bringing," Quentin Fulks, Biden's deputy campaign manager, told The Times.

Harris is expected to launch another tour focused on reproductive rights in January, according to a source familiar with her planning.

But the momentum the vice president has built on college campuses has been eclipsed by the party's divisions over the Israel-Hamas war. Biden resisted growing calls from Arab allies and progressive members of his party to call for a cease-fire amid Israel's military campaign in the Palestinian Gaza Strip.

The president, who wrote in a Washington Post op-ed published Saturday that "a ceasefire is not peace," has instead pressed for temporary humanitarian pauses to allow the release of hostages and for more aid to be sent into Gaza.

Critics argue Biden's unconditional support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing government and the country's military campaign has been lopsided and exposed a double standard in Biden's foreign policy.

"This is a tough one," said Frost, who was one of 33 representatives in the House and one senator who signed a letter in October calling for a cease-fire. "Even me as a progressive leader, it's something I've been wrestling with  how do we move forward as a movement?"

Divisions over the conflict could undermine Biden's support, Frost added.

"It's still something we've got to work through here, and I do believe it presents some complications" in the coalition, he said.

On college campuses, some Jewish and Arab or Muslim students and professors have feared for their safety as heated debate over the conflict has at times turned violent.

Harris' college tour was winding down as protests heated up. But at her final stop at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff on Oct. 17, 10 days after Hamas militants attacked Israel, a student confronted her about the growing casualties in Gaza.

Harris responded by largely echoing her boss, saying Israelis and Palestinians "both deserve peace, deserve self-determination, and deserve safety," and emphasizing the distinction between Hamas, which the U.S. deems a terrorist organization, and Palestinian civilians.

"Stop talking  do something," one student shouted, according to AZPM, a local PBS and National Public Radio affiliate.

Victor Shi, a 21-year-old podcaster and a senior at UCLA, served as the youngest delegate for Biden at the 2020 Democratic National Convention. Shi, who recently talked with National Security Council spokesman John Kirby on the podcast "iGen Politics," which he co-hosts with former Watergate prosecutor Jill Wine-Banks, said he's heard lots of frustration with the administration's resistance to a cease-fire.

"I've heard more people say, 'I'm just going to tap out of the process altogether,'" Shi said, noting that social media has been flooded with misinformation about the conflict.

The decades-long conflict doesn't fit neatly into a two-minute TikTok video, and combating misinformation and fine-tuning the administration's stance will take time, Shi said.

But drawing a contrast with Trump does seem to work, he added. "It's not satisfying to anyone I talk to, but I think just framing it in terms of that choice in 2024 has worked," he said.

But the messenger matters, Shi said, and although young people may tune out Biden, Harris' energy and age are an asset.

"Perhaps not many people will listen to someone like President Biden, given his age," Shi said, "but having someone like Kamala Harris ... there's a hunger for that."

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
This article was originally published in Kansas Reflector.

TOPEKA  Officials at R.V. Haderlein Elementary in Girard forced an 8-year-old Native American boy to cut his hair, despite objections that he grew it out to connect with his cultural heritage.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas warned the district in a letter Friday that the school policy is both a violation of religious freedom and one that promotes rigid gender norms.

The present-day harms of school policies that restrict Native American boys from wearing long hair must be understood in the historical context of multifaceted efforts to separate Native American children from their families and tribes and to deny them their rights of cultural and religious expression, the ACLU letter reads. Haderleins policy impacts Native American students disproportionately and perpetuates a legacy of cultural, psychological, and spiritual trauma and discrimination.

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R.V. Haderlein Elementary has a dress code policy mandating that boys wear their hair short, with hair not to touch the collar of a crew neck t-shirt  or extend below the earlobes. Female students arent subjected to the same mandate.

The 8-year-old boy, a member of the Wyandotte Nation, started growing his hair out after he attended the Nations annual gathering and saw the cultural tradition of men wearing their hair long. A common Wyandotte Nation spiritual and religious practice is for men to grow their hair out, only cutting it when in mourning.

In August, school officials warned the 8-year-olds family that his hair needed to be cut to comply with the dress code, according to the ACLU letter. For his protection, the family has chosen not to be identified publicly.

In early September, his mother asked for an exemption to the policy because of his heritage and religious practices but was told this wasnt allowed. On Friday, Sept. 22, Joni Benso, assistant principal at the school, sent an email to his mother. Benso said she had noted concerns about the policy, but told the mother she needed to cut his hair over the weekend or he would be sent home, according to the ACLUs letter.

After several attempts to contact the districts superintendent, the childs mother cut his hair that weekend under the belief he would be sent home from school every day and potentially suspended, according to the ACLUs account of events.

The superintendent, Todd Ferguson, said he could not comment on the case. Ferguson said the district would review the dress code policy during a December board meeting.

The ACLU is now urging the school to accommodate the child and allow for an exemption to the policy, arguing the policy violates the Kansas Preservation of Religious Freedom Act, the U.S. Constitution, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Officials also advise the school to rescind the policy altogether and allow all boys to grow their hair out.

The schools discriminatory sex-based hair policy sends a damaging message to boys that they cannot be feminine in any way, and this message harms all students by promoting rigid views of gender norms and roles, the ACLU letter reads.

Kansas Reflector is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kansas Reflector maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sherman Smith for questions: info@kansasreflector.com. Follow Kansas Reflector on Facebook and Twitter.
KANSAS CITY, Kan.  The Kansas Supreme Court has confirmed the security incident affecting court systems is the result of a sophisticated foreign cyberattack.

The cyberattack happened Oct. 12, and Kansas online court systems have been down ever since.

Kansas ACLU moves to reverse block on gender marker changes

This attack has temporarily incapacitated Kansas Office of Judicial Administration information systems, affecting daily operations of the states appellate courts and district courts in 104 counties, the Kansas Supreme Court said Tuesday in a statement.

The Kansas Supreme Court said the criminals behind the cyberattack stole data and have threatened to post it to the dark web if their demands arent met.

We are working with cybersecurity experts to identify the data quickly and securely so we can conduct a comprehensive review to determine the full scope of what personal information the cybercriminals may have stolen, the court said.

Based on an early review, the Kansas Supreme Court believes the stolen information includes Office of Judicial Administration files, district court case records on appeal and other data  some of which could be confidential.

There was a word used in that announcementincapacitatedand I would agree. The courts in Kansas are currently incapacitated. Tyler Garretson, a Criminal Defense Attorney with Garretson and Toth, said.

Lawrence to start installing homeless shelters for The Village

The court said fully reviewing all that might have been stolen will take time, but once its complete, they will notify those affected.

This assault on the Kansas system of justice is evil and criminal. Today, we express our deep sorrow that Kansans will suffer at the hands of these cybercriminals, the court said.

Massive. Thats how one attorney describes the cyber-attack against the Kansas state court system.

The greater concern is for the general public and the information that now is not secured. Once that information is not secured and once that information is divulged, you cant get it back, he said.

All of that information that you provide when you get married, that information is contained in that information management system, every divorce case, every document filed within that divorce case, Garretson said.

Not to mention the criminal cases. Garretson says this has set the courts in Kansas back at least 15 years. A major concern is that it is unknown what information has been compromised.

The Kansas Supreme Court issued a hard copy order, meaning paper filing only, shortly after the cyberattack.

In mid-October, a spokesperson for the Kansas Bureau of Investigation confirmed the agency, along with federal partners, is investigating.

Initially, the states high court only described the issue as a security incident, estimating electronic filing would be down for about two weeks.

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However, over a month later, the states online court systems are still down. Its impacted nearly all Kansas courthouses, including those in Wyandotte, Leavenworth and Douglas counties  and all the way up to the Kansas Supreme Court.

This cant happen again, right? It may have happened to you only once, but we see what the damage of one time can do, Garretson said.

The criminals behind this threaten to post the info they have on the dark web, and once its out, its like putting toothpaste back in the tube.

For the administration of justice, well recover from it. I think that part of the Supreme Court notice today was genuine. Well recover from it, Garretson said.

The Supreme Court said the attack is evil and criminal, but the state is working to find a remedy and in the coming weeks and months, all those who are affected by this will be notified

The Johnson County, Kansas, court system was not affected as its on a separate online system.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
UPDATE: Mohamed has been located and is safe, police said Tuesday.



KANSAS CITY, Mo.  Kansas City police are searching for a 28-year-old man with mental health concerns.

Mohamed Abdi Mohamed was last seen near N.W. 71st Terrace and N. Gower Avenue and might be in a black 2007 Toyota Camry.

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Mohamed was last wearing a red Under Armour hoodie, khaki pants and glasses.

Police said the 28-year-old suffers from multiple mental illnesses and told the person who reported him missing that he was was going to harm himself.

Anyone with information is asked to call 911 immediately or call Kansas City police at 816-234-5043.



You Matter: Find mental health resources and stories on FOX4.

If you are thinking of hurting or killing yourself:

Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.

Please get help immediately.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
IMAX will premiere the critically acclaimed documentary "Asteroid Hunters" in China early next year, marking the first commercial release of an original IMAX film in the country.

An IMAX poster for "Asteroid Hunters." [Image courtesy of IMAX China]

Shot with IMAX cameras and integrated with CGI and digital simulation technologies, the film takes audiences on a journey into deep space for a close-up look at asteroids. It explores their origins and the potential threat they pose to Earth. Top asteroid scientists in the film reveal the cutting-edge technology and techniques used to protect our planet from this preventable natural disaster. IMAX hopes the film will inspire young Chinese children to gaze at the stars and explore the universe.

This unique 40-minute IMAX original film is narrated by Daisy Ridley. For the Chinese version, director and actor Dong Chengpeng, also known as Da Peng, will narrate, becoming the first Asian actor to do so for an IMAX original film.

Supported by China's Huahuang Pictures, "Asteroid Hunters" will be released on Jan. 12, 2024, in IMAX theaters in China and through the National Alliance of Arthouse Cinemas (NAAC). The NAAC, formed in 2016, is operated by the China Film Archive in collaboration with a consortium of theater chains that support arthouse films.

Popular science documentaries have been a crucial aspect of IMAX's business since its inception. For decades, IMAX has led the production of highly educational and groundbreaking original films. These films, shot using IMAX cameras, are showcased in renowned science centers and educational venues worldwide. They take global audiences on journeys through space and the deep sea, exploring the mysteries of science, nature, and the humanities.

"Asteroid Hunters," a widely recognized title among IMAX's original films, has been available in various markets since 2020. IMAX, known for screening cinematic blockbusters in premium large format, has expanded its presence with over 800 IMAX theaters in the Chinese market. The company, which typically showcases its original documentary films at film festivals and science museums, has now finally decided to try a commercial release in China for the first time, exciting its fans.
[Source]

Loki star Ke Huy Quan revealed in a recent interview why he believes his character in the second season of the Marvel Studios series can inspire others.

Joys of playing O.B.: Quan shared with Marvel.com the joys of portraying Ouroboros, also known as O.B., who spent 400 years with no human connection in the basement of the Time Variance Authority (TVA). For Quan, O.B.'s most important characteristic is his enthusiasm: Despite years of solitude, O.B. is genuinely happy to be part of the team when he meets Loki, Mobius, Sylvie and B-15.

Inspiring character: Quan sees O.B. as an inspiration, emphasizing the importance of loving and being passionate about what one does, regardless of the nature of the work. Admiring O.B.'s quirkiness and humor, Quan credits executive producer Kevin Wright and head writer Eric Martin for creating an original character not lifted from the comics.

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"I hope people love his passion, his enthusiasm. He loves being part of the team. Sometimes, it's not always about yourself. It's about the big team, about contributing... That energy, that enthusiasm, is incredible. I hope that people will have that with whatever they do."

Collaborative effort: In the interview, Quan also delved into the impact of the practical sets and physical spaces O.B. inhabits in his portrayal. From the detailed sets to the talents of the team, Quan underscored the immersive experience that allowed him to fully embody O.B. He said "Loki" became a collaborative effort where every element, from costumes to sets, contributed to the character's authenticity.

"It really helped, as an actor, because I didn't have to imagine any of this. Everywhere you look, you can feel, you can touch, you can step on it. The only visual effects that we had were outside the window, beyond the Temporal Loom. But all the physical space was practical, and that was amazing." Trending on NextShark: Boba tea faces challenge in Singapore due to new labeling law

Nostalgic surprise: Quan, known for his iconic role as Data in The Goonies, was able to sneak in a delightful Easter egg from the '80s classic into Loki Season 2. Revealed through a social media post challenging fans to spot the reference, the 52-year-old star said he playfully incorporated a Data utility belt into O.B.'s TVA uniform.

Trending on NextShark: Indian TikToker 'traumatized' after woman brings surprise guests on first date

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As we count down to Black Friday, Keke Keep a Bag Palmer encourages you to get into your Black-owned bag.

Here at theGrio, every day is a great day to amplify Black-owned brands. But this year, leading up to Black Friday, one of the biggest days in consumer retail, Keke Palmer teamed up with Google to emphasize the importance of supporting Black-owned businesses.

Keke Palmer teams up with Google for Black-Owned Friday (100% Supporting) music video. (Photo credit: Screenshot Youtube/Google)

In honor of Googles fourth annual Black-owned Friday, Keke Keep a Bag Palmer starred in a music video, reminding shoppers how easy it is to put Black-owned products in their bags this holiday season. Google began implementing Black-owned Friday in collaboration with the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. to celebrate and encourage consumers to explore, shop and support Black-owned ventures.

In a catchy rendition of Crystal Waters 1994 house classic 100% Pure Love, Palmer sings her support in the new holiday anthem, Black-Owned Friday (100% Supporting).

This isnt just Black Friday, its #BlackOwnedFriday! Palmer wrote on social media promoting the video. Together with @Google, I, an entrepreneur and Black business owner, made a music video to encourage you to search, shop, and support Black-owned businesses 100%. Enjoy!

Im always about my business, said Palmer in the video (which includes a cameo by Waters). But Im 100% about my Black-owned business.

As Palmer sings about being there til the end for Black-owned businesses, the video directed by Andre Muir highlights a variety of Black-owned ventures around the country, including clothing boutiques, beauty supply stores, dental offices, plant shops, coffee shops, and more. In the music videos skit, Palmer also emphasizes the importance of shopping Black in all cities, not just popular chocolate cities like Atlanta, Los Angeles, or her native Chicago.

Just search Black-owned business and boom! Palmer explained. And you aint gotta be Black to do it. You can be white, brown, beige, fluorescent beige We here for all the colors of the rainbow. We want the money, though.

Starring alongside the internets favorite homegirl and Waters are influencers and a number of Black founders with businesses in Oakland, California; Houston; Brooklyn, New York; Detroit; Hazel Park, Michigan; Sugar Land, Texas; and more.

Consumers can explore the Black-owned brands and products featured in the video here.

Never miss a beat: Get our daily stories straight to your inbox with theGrios newsletter.

The post Keke Palmer and Google declare the day after Thanksgiving Black-owned Friday appeared first on TheGrio.
Dont call it a cookbook.

A meditation, maybe. An elegy of memory, loss, and taste. The spoken word poem of a Black Appalachian woman determined to keep her people at the center of her lyrical work.

And, if along the way, you want to try your hand at Praisesong Biscuits, or Chicken and Dumplings, then feel free.

Crystal Wilkinson describes her new book, Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks, as a culinary memoir.

That seems fair.

She goes down so many of the winding paths of her life in Kentucky. She researches the obscured beginnings of her enslaved family in Casey County and imagines their lives there. She describes the sorrow and pride of a feminist and cook whose daughter decides she will not exhaust herself preparing the perfect Thanksgiving feast as her forebears have always done.

Certainly, Wilkinson, 61, a former Kentucky Poet Laureate, pays homage to the mother who loved her and the grandparents who raised her and surrounded her always with delicious, homegrown, homemade food.

Both my sorrow and love have no end in the kitchen, she writes.

Praisesong is the biggest production of Wilkinsons literary career. Its published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin, and was edited by Francis Lam, Clarkson Potters editor in chief and the host of The Splendid Table.

Its publication included a professional recipe tester and a glamorous food photo shoot in Brooklyn, N.Y., plus an upcoming book tour.

Praisesong is blurbed by such literary luminaries as U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limon and Kiese Laymon, who wrote that with Praisesong, Wilkinson cements herself as one of the most dynamic book makers in our generation and a literary giant.

The book now tops several years of literary prizes and fellowships for Wilkinson, including the NAACP Image Award for her poetry collection Perfect Black, and Ernest Gaines Award for Literary Excellence to her novel, Birds of Opulence.

Former Kentucky Poet Laureate, Crystal Wilkinson and her new culinary memoir Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts at Holly Hill in Midway, Ky.

Which is lovely, Wilkinson says, but, Ive never written for fame. I write to access that artistic part of me thats been present since I was a child and it wont matter how old I am, or being published by a big house or to winning awards or having recognition.

I have always wanted to be published so people could read my work, but I didnt have a desire to write just to be published  the goal was to represent my people in some way with characters that show who I am and who I was.

A writer and chef

Wilkinson was always a writer.

As a little girl, she would follow her grandmother into the woods of their community of Indian Creek, Casey County, and write down the names of herbs and wild plants to eat. Then she would sit at the kitchen table and watch her grandmother turn that harvest into yet another meal.

Christine Wilkinson cooked three full meals a day, while grandfather Silas raised the vegetables and animals that kept them all fed.

Every morning of my childhood, my grandmother donned an apron and cooked breakfast, Wilkinson writes.

Slow. Precise. Deliberate. She equated food with love, and she cooked with both a fury and a quiet joy. She fried bacon, sausage or country ham. She scrambled eggs. The eggs came from our chickens. She made biscuits from scratch. The lard was rendered from our pigs. the milk from our cows. She rolled out the dough and threw flour in the air like magic dust. She churned butter, made the preserves from pears, peaches or blackberries that she had harvested herself.

Wilkinson had lived with her grandparents since she was a baby, after her mother, Dorsie, who was a visual artist, suffered her first emotional breakdown. She was later institutionalized at Eastern State Hospital for almost a decade, and her parents raised Crystal.

My grandmothers kitchen was where I got my hair pressed, completed my homework, learned about marriages, divorces and death. My grandmother would look out the window as if dreaming of the past, place her hands on her hips as she began telling the stories of the mothers. She allows me the freedom to practice my culinary skills, and I went from a girl novice to a woman worth my salt in her small kitchen as I listened to her.

As Wilkinson learned her grandmothers recipes, she kept writing  through high school, and into college, and her many jobs.

She wrote through the birth of three children. Sometimes as a single mom working full-time, she didnt exactly know how she would keep writing, but she did.

Kentucky writer Crystal Wilkinson and chef Ouita Michel made Wilkinsons recipe for chicken and dumplings for Up Home with Ouita Michel available at Hollyhillandco.com.

By the late 1990s, she was assistant director of the Carnegie Center for Literacy in downtown Lexington. Thats when the concept of a literary community first surrounded her, first thanks to Laverne Zabielskis Working Class Kitchen, which supported local writers.

Through readings at the old Alfalfas, Wilkinson met Frank X. Walker, a poet from Danville, just 30 miles from Indian Creek. It turned out their first cousins were married.

Wilkinson quickly became involved with Walkers group, the Affrilachian Poets, and at the same time, the Kentucky Women Writers Conference. Thats where she said she first realized that one of her heroines, bell hooks, was a Kentucky writer.

I was raising three small children, but also going to every writerly thing I could possibly find, Wilkinson said. She met such writers as George Ella Lyon, Nikky Finney, and Gurney Norman.

There were all these writers who were older than us, but willing to talk to us and not talk down to us, she said. Thats one of the things Ive always admired about Kentucky and the writing community we have, I dont think theres anything like it. Things are much more competitive other places.

Wilkinson started getting poems and short stories published in magazines all over the country. She got a MFA from the Spalding University low-residency creative writing program. Thats when academia beckoned throughout the 2000s with teaching jobs at Indiana University, Morehead State, Berea College, and in 2019, the University of Kentucky, where she is now a full professor in the MFA program.

Some of you may also remember Wilkinson and her partner, poet Ron Davis, operating Wild Fig Bookstore for many years.

Writers Crystal Wilkinson and Ronald Davis reopened their Wild Fig Books in a renovated turn-of-the-century house on North Limestone last fall. Wilkinson has been named one of Southern Living magazines Southerners of the Year.

Women Ancestors

Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts started with an essay by the same title that appeared in Emergence Magazine.

My intention was to write about my women ancestors in some quick, lyrical way, she said.

Then she found her third great-grandmother, listed as Aggy of Color on a court document, who came to Kentucky from Virginia in 1795.

Wilkinson could trace her white lineage all the way to England (yes, she is related to another Casey Countian, the late Gov. Wallace Wilkinson). But to find Aggy and start to think about her and not to be able to document her was such a haunting experience. I wanted to give honor to her. It was a way of walking with my people and paying homage to them.

Because she could not find more details about Aggie in historical records, as was true for so many Black Kentuckians, Praisesong imagines Aggys life there in Casey County, along with her daughter, Patsy Riffe, who ran a hunting lodge there, and is pictured on the books cover.

At the same time, Appalachian food writer Ronni Lundy, a native Kentuckian who now lives in North Carolina, read the essay and told Wilkinson she had the material for a book.

Wilkinson was coming to the same conclusion. Before COVID, shed attended a program at Western Kentucky Community and Technical College, where the whole school had read Birds of Opulence, and the culinary students prepared every meal documented in the novel.

Birds of Opulence by Crystal Wilkinson won the Ernest Gaines Award for Literary Excellence.

I didnt even realize I had mentioned all those dishes, but culturally food is as much a marker as accents or geographic land, Wilkinson said. Its as much of a character of a people in a region as the people themselves.

She wrote a book proposal, which became the subject of a literary bidding war. And then her COVID project was born.

She started writing, and suddenly Aggy and Patsy and Christine and Dorsie and all the recipes they shared through generations were on the page. Plus, her own life as a mother, writer, and cook.

All these complications converged in this book  what does it mean to be a feminist in 2023 who works herself to the bone to prepare a holiday meal? Wilkinson said.

And what it does mean to get passed down to the next generation? Do these traditions continue or is the knowledge it happened enough? Thats some of the questions that come up in the book, that are important to think about when youre honoring your own kitchen ghosts.

Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts will be out on Jan. 23, 2024 and can be preordered from Joseph Beth at this link: https://www.josephbeth.com/product/pre-order-signed-copy-praisesong-kitchen-ghosts-crystal-wilkinson

A kickoff event will be held at Joseph Beth Booksellers on Tuesday, Jan. 23 at 7 p.m.
The King and South Korean president had a carriage procession along the Mall

The ceremonial splendour of a state visit was deployed to welcome the South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.

King Charles and Queen Camilla greeted the president and his wife at Horse Guards Parade in London.

The royal couple and their guests had a carriage procession along the Mall, lined with South Korean flags, before going inside Buckingham Palace.

Also meeting the South Korean leaders were PM Rishi Sunak and Lord Cameron, now returned as foreign secretary.

The Prince and Princess of Wales were part of the ceremonial greeting for the South Korean president

More than 1,000 soldiers were on parade, with gun salutes in the autumn leaves in Green Park, as the South Korean president was given a ceremonial welcome, with Prince William and Catherine part of the procession.

State visits are a "soft power" mix of pageantry and practical politics - and this was a sign of respect to an increasingly important ally and trade partner, in a region with growing tensions with China.

The jingle of the cavalry harnesses on the Mall is linked to the jingle of cash tills, with trade deals to be negotiated.

Mr Yoon is having a state banquet in the Buckingham Palace ballroom, along with 170 guests, who will hear speeches from the King and the president.

The 'soft power' of a state visit saw an important ally given a red carpet welcome in London

These are opulent occasions, with diplomacy fuelled by fine dining, using a 19th Century dinner service with more than 4,000 pieces.

The table settings are as precise and symmetrical as the military parade - each guest getting a place setting of 46cms.

Although there might not be a repeat of Mr Yoon's karaoke-style performance when he visited US President Joe Biden in April, and sang American Pie.

Prince William and Catherine were part of the welcoming party for the South Korean visit

Earlier this month, the King had a taste of Korean culture and K-pop, when he visited New Malden, in south-west London, which is known as "Korea Town", for having the biggest concentration of South Koreans in Europe.

While in London, the president is launching plans for a new trade deal, including technology and green energy, and closer military ties.

A "Downing Street Accord" is being signed at a meeting between the president and Rishi Sunak, which is intended to boost trade and support "global stability".

President Yoon and his wife Kim Keon Hee visited Westminster

There are plans for a stronger approach to enforcing sanctions against North Korea, and preventing its "illegal weapons programme", with joint sea patrols between the South Korean navy and the Royal Navy.

"Long term, global partnerships are vital to our prosperity and security," said Mr Sunak, who added that "close ties have already propelled 21bn of investment between our countries".

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The New York Knicks are requesting that NBA commissioner Adam Silver not arbitrate their ongoing lawsuit with the Toronto Raptors because of his friendship with Raptors governor Larry Tanenbaum. Furthermore, the Knicks are seeking more than $10 million in damages from the Canadian franchise.

New York filed the suit on Monday in response to Torontos motion to dismiss the formers initial lawsuit. Additionally, along with jettisoning the Knicks complaint, the Raptors were also asking for Silver to be an arbitrator in the case, as opposed to it going to court.

The Knicks are suing the Raptors for more than $10 million in damages. (Photo by Anatoliy Cherkasov/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

In their recent filing, the Knicks assert that because Tanenbaum is the chairman of the NBA's board of governors, there will be a conflict of interest regarding Silvers judgment.

Tanenbaum serves as Silver's boss and exercises control over and heavily influences Silver's continued employment and salary, the Knicks claimed in their filing on Monday.

Moreover, the storied franchise also points to the close relationship between Silver and Tanenbaum as a reason for the former to distance himself from the case.

"Among other things, Tanenbaum has been described as 'a close ally of Commissioner Adam Silver,'" the Knicks claim. "Silver himself described Tanenbaum as 'not just my boss as the chairman of the board of governors, but he's very much a role model in my life.' If Silver were to preside over the instant dispute, he would be arbitrating a case for his boss and ally."

We were the victim of a theft of proprietary and confidential files, which is a clear violation of criminal and civil law, and we remain confident that the Court will decide in our favor in this matter. an MSG Sports Spokesperson told Yahoo Sports Canada.

MLSE, who owns the Raptors, also declined to release a statement according to Sportsnet.

Knicks accuse Raptors of conspiring to steal thousands of confidential scouting files

New Yorks initial filing stems from them alleging that former Knicks employee Ikechukwu Azotam sent Toronto thousands of confidential files after they began recruiting him this past summer. These include but are not limited to scout files, prep books, opponent research, and play frequency reports.

They also claim that Azotam broke the teams confidentiality clause and that Raptors officials "directed Azotam's actions and/or knowingly benefited from Azotam's wrongful acts." Azotam was an assistant video coordinator, as well as a director of video/analytics/player development assistant for the Knicks.

In Torontos October 16 move to dismiss the case, they called New Yorks lawsuit "baseless" and a "public relations stunt.
ELYRIA, Ohio (WJW)  The Elyria Police Department has identified a child who was found wandering around 6 a.m. His mother and her boyfriend have also been arrested.

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A photo of the 4-year-old boy was posted to the Elyria Police Departments Facebook page Tuesday morning.

The mother of the boy, 23-year-old Katrina Guevarez, and her boyfriend, 24-year-old Raymond Clark, were later identified and both charged with child endangering by the Elyria Police Department.

The 4-year-old was found walking alone in the cold rain wearing minimal clothing on Washington Avenue toward Downtown Elyria. He was then taken to the Elyria Police Department until his parents were found.

According to police, officers searched the area where he was found for nearly three hours before his home was identified.

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Investigation showed that there was a lack of communication between Guevarez and Clark and neither made sure the child was safe, according to police.

According to police, Lorain County Children Services is involved.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.
If youre heading to the airport for your holiday travel, its a good idea to know what your rights are as a passenger.

Travel during Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays can be even more stressful than usual with increased chances of bad weather and less room in peoples schedules for delays and cancellations.

Experts recommend that you download your airlines app, sign up for text alerts for your flight, and check the status of your flight even before you get to the airport.

Once youre there, if you learn your flight is cancelled, line up for the airline agents desk as soon as possible. Time is of the essence; getting rebooked is first-come, first-served.

While youre in line, travel experts suggest also calling the airline to see if you get served faster that way. If the U.S. number has a really long wait time, you might want to try an international number, like the Canadian 1-800 number for your airline.

They also advise doing your research while you wait in line. You or another member of your party can look up new flights  including some options on other airlines or from nearby airports  so youre ready to (nicely) explain what you need when you get to an agent. A warning: some low-cost airlines, like Allegiant, Frontier, Southwest, and Spirit generally do not rebook on other carriers.

Experts also suggest asking for hotel and meal vouchers if youre stuck overnight. Often, airline agents wont volunteer these options and its always worth asking for them. In fact, the U.S. Department of Transportation has a new dashboard that tracks what airlines have committed to do if theres a cancellation or delay within the airlines control (not weather). United Airlines, for instance, offer compensation for a United flight delay. The dashboard at FlightRights.gov explains what your airline will provide in different scenarios, like if youre waiting three hours or more for a new flight.

If your flight is cancelled, most airlines will rebook you for free on the next available flight as long as it has room, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. If that doesnt work for you and you want to cancel the trip, you are entitled to a full refund, including bag fees, seat upgrades, and other extras. The USDOT says travelers do not need to take vouchers for future travel and can demand that refund in the form they paid. This even applies to non-refundable tickets.

A lot of travel agents also recommend travel insurance around the holidays. Even if you didnt get it when you booked, you can buy some types of travel insurance up to 24 hours before your trip. A few companies even offer limited insurance coverage, like emergency medical and transportation benefits, the day of your flight, as long as you havent departed yet.

Travel insurance, especially if Im going overseas that has paid off a couple of times, traveler Lona Robertson said. You know, you never know when something is going to go wrong. And it really is very convenient to have its kind of a hassle to file the claim, but you get your money back.

Remember, if you booked with a third-party travel site like Expedia, you need to rebook through them.
Voters in Utahs 2nd Congressional District will cast their ballots Tuesday to decide who fills the only current U.S. House vacancy, in a special election just days ahead of Thanksgiving.

The House has been down one member since Rep. Chris Stewart (R-Utah) resigned from Congress in September after six terms in the lower chamber, citing health concerns for his wife.

Now, Democratic state Sen. Kathleen Riebe and Republican Celeste Maloy, a former Stewart staffer, are vying to succeed him in the states special election and bring the House back up to a full 435.

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The solidly red district isnt expected to see a major upset in the contest, but voter turnout and the breakdown of the ultimate results could reveal new insights about the Beehive State.

I think the election results will be important for telling us something about how competitive this district really could end up being, said Damon Cann, head of Utah State Universitys Department of Political Science.

Maloy, who worked for Stewart as his districts chief legal counsel and has the ex-lawmakers endorsement to replace him, won the Republican primary in September to secure the nomination, beating out businessman Bruce Hough and former state Rep. Becky Edwards in a three-way contest.

Maloy has the advantage of running with a connection to Stewart in the solidly red state, but shes also been saddled with some scrutiny over her status as an inactive voter when she launched her campaign  she did not cast a ballot in the 2020 or 2022 elections, according to reporting from The Salt Lake Tribune.

The district, which spans a swath of the western and southern parts of the state, plus northern Salt Lake City, is expected to be tough for Democrats to take.

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But even if Riebe doesnt pull off a surprise win in the House race, a strong showing from the Democrat could give the party more momentum in the state, Cann said.

A lot of the presumption is that this is just going to be another Republican win in the second district, he said. The question becomes  If this is a little bit closer than expected: With a little more effort, with a little bit better funding and a little better support, would this become the seat to contest?

Stewart won the seat back in 2012 from Democrat Jim Matheson, who had held the slot since 2000.

In last Novembers midterms, Stewart sailed to reelection, fending off a Democratic challenger by roughly 25 percentage points. Utahs other three House seats are also held by Republican lawmakers, as are the states two seats in the Senate.

Former President Trump won the state handily in 2016 and 2020. The nonpartisan election handicapper Cook Political Report gives the specific district a Partisan Voting Index, which measures how districts individually perform during presidential elections, of R+11.

If Maloy wins, its a stay-the-course signal from voters, as the Republican is expected to advocate for similar policies and bring a similar set of interests as her former boss, Cann added.

The Tuesday election comes two weeks after Republican candidates lost several key contests in the 2023 off-year elections, sandwiched between last years midterms  also a successful night for Democrats  and next years presidential election.

Democrats won big in states like Kentucky, Virginia and Ohio, and the losses prompted discord on the GOPs third debate stage in Miami just a day after the results came in. Some candidates expressed frustration with the partys record over the past several cycles.

Nathaniel Rakich, a senior elections analyst at FiveThirtyEight, noted in an analysis that Democrats have also been doing unusually well in special elections and suggested Utah Republicans could get a bit of a scare on Tuesday if that strength continues.

Rakich noted a Lighthouse Research poll released in early October that found Maloy leading by just 9 points among registered voters in the state.

But Maloy has the fundraising edge. She brought in nearly $590,000 between the start of April and the end of October, according to Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings  while Riebe has brought in nearly $300,000.

Over the last 5 months since this race began, Democrats across the state have been motivated and inspired by the incredibly strong grassroots campaign Sen. Riebe is running, promoting an agenda that puts freedom first for Utahns, said Utah Democrats spokesperson Ben Anderson.

No matter the outcome of the Tuesday contest, Anderson said, the state party is confident the final results will reflect how Riebes message has been resonating strongly with voters of all political affiliations.

Riebe said in a statement that as Ive traveled the district, voters are ready for a change  and I trust in their choice.

The Hill has also reached out to the Utah GOP for comment.

Jordan Giles, a spokesperson for Maloys campaign, told the Hill the Republican candidates conservative message of fighting federal overreach and getting spending under control has connected with voters and said he expects we will see the fruits of those efforts on election night.

The winner of the Beehive States special election Tuesday will join Utah GOP Reps. Blake Moore, John Curtis and Burgess Owens.

Stewart is the second Utah congressman in the last six years to leave office before their term expired, according to The Associated Press. In 2017, Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R) resigned after nine years in office, triggering a special election. Curtis won the off-year race to replace him, and then secured his first full term in the 2018 midterms.

The Utah polls are set to close at 10 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Son of a nutcracker! The beloved holiday movie Elf is turning 20, and Krispy Kreme is celebrating the milestone anniversary in the sweetest way possible.

Starting Friday, Nov. 24, Krispy Kreme customers can order the doughnut chains new, limited-edition Elf Doughnut Collection. Heres everything we know about the festive collaboration.

The collection features three new doughnuts and a returning favorite.

Krispy Kreme (Courtesy Krispy Kreme)

The new collection is available for a limited time at participating shops across the country and includes three Elf-inspired doughnuts and a fan favorite:

Buddy Snow Globe Doughnut: This Original Glazed Doughnut is covered in sugar cookie light blue icing and white sprinkles then coated with powdered sugar snow and a chocolate Elf piece.

Buddy Makes Breakfast Doughnut: This twist on Buddys famous breakfast features an Original Glazed Doughnut coated in cake batter spaghetti buttercreme, milk chocolate candies, sprinkles and a maple drizzle.

Christmas Lights Doughnut: This newbie is an Original Glazed Doughnut thats covered in chocolate icing and a green icing drizzle then coated with sprinkles and a chocolate Elf piece.

Krispy Kreme (Courtesy Krispy Kreme)

Santa Belly Doughnut: This returning variety is described as a Santa belly doughnut thats full of Cookies & Kreme filling then topped with red icing and a Santas belt/belt buckle (made of candy, of course).

Our new Elf-inspired doughnuts honor memorable moments from the movie in the most delicious way possible and embody its fun and festive spirit, Krispy Kreme Global Chief Brand Officer Dave Skena said in a press release.

Krispy Kreme (Courtesy Krispy Kreme)

Doughnut lovers will also find a limited-edition Krispy Kreme six-pack that includes the following doughnuts at select stores, including Walmart, Kroger, Food Lion, Publix, Stater Brothers, Wakefern and more:

Buddy Snow Globe Doughnut

Festive Lights Doughnut

Santa Belly Doughnut

Krispy Kreme also has other seasonal treats on its menu.

To celebrate the holidays, Krispy Kreme also has a Sugar Cookie Latte thats available hot, iced or frozen, and a Ghirardelli Hot Chocolate.

Krispy Kreme will offer customers a Cyber Monday deal on Nov. 27.

Cyber Monday is all about deals and steals, and Krispy Kreme is getting in on the fun with a special Cyber Monday deal for customers on Nov. 27.

When you buy any dozen or 16-count Minis, youll get an Original Glazed Dozen for just $1 using the code CYBERMONDAY. The offer is limited to one per customer and is only available online with pickup and delivery orders.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
The government has announced that talks on the border blockade are to be held with Poland and the EU this week.

Source: European Pravda, citing Reuters

Details: "This week we hope to have negotiations in a trilateral format," said Taras Kachka, a Ukrainian trade representative.

He noted that the blockade may affect critical energy supplies for Ukraine, which is suffering from constant Russian attacks.

Kachka said LNG was the worst affected, and gasoline and diesel fuel to a lesser extent, adding that vital imports from the Baltic states have also suffered, not just imports from Poland.

He called it a "pre-crisis situation".

Ukraine and Poland held talks on the blockade last week, but both sides reported no progress. Ukrainian authorities said on Sunday that about 3,000 mostly Ukrainian trucks, some carrying fuel and humanitarian aid, were stuck on the Polish side of the border.

Kachka repeated that licences must not be taken away from Ukrainian hauliers, but said that Kyiv is ready to discuss additional rules to improve the work of both Ukrainian and Polish truckers.

Jacek Soko, a spokesman for the Polish Committee to Protect Transporters and Transport Employers, said drivers on both sides should meet to talk and try to work out a joint agreement.

"All you need is a will, a will to come and listen and understand the problems and to agree something with the other side."

Earlier it was reported that the Polish truckers strike at the border with Ukraine threatens to spread to a group of farmers who plan to join the protest at the Medina checkpoint.

Since 6 November, Polish hauliers have continued to block three other border crossings with Ukraine: Yahodyn-Dorogusk, Krakivets-Korczowa, and Rava-Ruska-Hrebenne.

Yesterday Ukraines Ministry of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure, together with specialised associations and haulage companies, set up a hub to provide food, drinking water, medicines and fuel to Ukrainian drivers stuck at the border.

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Chairman Ren Hongbin of the CCPIT. [File photo]

The central leadership of China attaches great importance to maintaining the stability and smooth operation of the global industrial chain and supply chain. It has repeatedly emphasized that China will deepen international cooperation in these areas through concrete actions.



On May 18, 2022, President Xi Jinping, in his speech marking the 70th anniversary of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and the Global Trade and Investment Promotion Summit, noted, "The CCPIT should maintain the security and stability of the global industrial chain and supply chain, expand the scope of cooperation, and ensure that the fruits of development benefit people worldwide."

President Xi's series of new ideas, proposals, and initiatives reflect the strategic vision and broad perspective of a leader of a major political party and country. They also demonstrate China's commitment to promoting global openness and cooperation.

To fully implement the spirit of President Xi's important speech, the CCPIT will host the first China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) in Beijing from Nov. 28 to Dec. 2. This event aims to foster international cooperation in the industrial chain and supply chain, contributing to the all-round building of a modern socialist country and a global community of shared future.

The global industry and supply chains are intricately interconnected, with all countries participating in the global cooperation chain. Currently, these global systems face threats. Concurrently, a new phase of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation is advancing, leading to profound adjustments in the global innovation landscape and economic structure.

With deep insight into the general trend of international and domestic industrial development, President Xi has emphasized that "maintaining the resilience and stability of the global industrial chain and supply chain is an important guarantee for promoting global economic development." He also noted, "The global industrial system and the global industry and supply chains are experiencing a diversified layout, regional cooperation, green transformation, and accelerated digitalization." Furthermore, he expressed China's willingness to work with other countries to seize new opportunities arising from the ongoing scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, working together to establish a global industry and supply chain system that is secure, stable, unobstructed, efficient, open, inclusive, and mutually beneficial.

President Xi's series of important discussions have elevated the understanding of the public goods nature of industry and supply chains to a higher level. They have also provided clear direction and a path for maintaining the stability and smooth operation of global industry and supply chains. These discussions have injected strong momentum into the construction of a more equitable, inclusive, and constructive partnership in industry and supply chains.

The report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) proposed that the country should prioritize improving the resilience and safety of industry and supply chains. This entails strengthening international macro policy coordination for industrial and supply chains, placing greater emphasis on enhancing the resilience and competitiveness of the industry chain, accelerating the development of a modern industrial system, and striving to establish an independent, controllable, safe and efficient industry and supply chain.

The CCPIT will be guided by the principles outlined in President Xi's important instructions. It will conduct in-depth studies and implement the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress. The focus will be on maintaining the stability of global industry and supply chains, aiming for greater achievements in promoting high-quality development, building a new development pattern, and promoting the construction of an open world economy.

China is firmly committed to maintaining the public goods nature of industry and supply chains. It has demonstrated its responsibility as a major country in maintaining the stability and smooth operation of global industry and supply chains. China serves not only as a beneficiary and defender of the integrated development of the global supply chain but also as an active explorer and builder of a new global supply chain system. The crucial role of global manufacturing and supply chains continues to be prominent.

China needs to continuously improve its industrial system to provide strong support for the operation of the global industry and supply chains. China has the most complete industrial categories and the most comprehensive supporting system according to United Nations standards. The rise of China's high-end industries, such as electronic and electrical equipment, in the global division of labor is accelerating. The development of China's new energy industries, such as photovoltaics, is leading the world. Additionally, China is the first country to achieve large-scale application of 5G mobile communication technology. The scale of China's manufacturing industry has ranked first in the world for 13 consecutive years, accounting for nearly 30% of the global share, making China the "world's factory" in the global supply chain.

Based on its large market size, China is committed to providing ample space for the operation of the global industry and supply chains. The scarcest resource in the world today is the market, and the size of the market determines the depth of division of labor, which in turn determines the level of industrial development. With a population of over 1.4 billion and a middle-income group of over 400 million, China is the world's second-largest consumer market.

Leveraging its large-scale market and domestic demand potential, the country actively expanded imports, and its total tariff level dropped to 7.3%, making it the world's second-largest importer for 14 consecutive years. More than 90% of foreign enterprises in China primarily produce for the Chinese market. In recent years, China has continuously relaxed its market access, optimized the business environment, and ranked second in the world in attracting foreign investment for five consecutive years, with its "magnetic attraction" for foreign investment constantly strengthening.

The deepening of international cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) framework provides important impetus to the operation of global industry and supply chains. Transitioning from a Chinese initiative to an international practice, the BRI has evolved into a well-received international public good and a platform for international cooperation. Over the past decade since the inception of the BRI, China and other countries have engaged in imports and exports valued at $19.1 trillion, with two-way investments surpassing $380 billion. A series of cooperative projects in agriculture, energy, the digital economy, and other sectors have effectively facilitated the upgrading of industrial structures and the optimization of industrial chains in various countries. A total of 79,900 China-Europe Express freight trains have reached more than 200 cities in 25 European countries, establishing a "golden channel" for stabilizing the global supply chain.

China actively participates in global economic governance and offers Chinese solutions for the operation of global industry and supply chains. As early as the 22nd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in 2014, President Xi proposed cooperation initiatives in the realm of global value chains and supply chains. Subsequently, he introduced relevant initiatives or statements in multilateral platforms such as the G20 and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. In 2022, as China assumed the rotating presidency of BRICS, it encouraged BRICS countries to launch an initiative to strengthen supply chain cooperation. During the same year, China hosted the International Forum on Resilient and Stable Industrial and Supply Chains, jointly launching the initiative for international cooperation on resilient and stable industrial and supply chains with Indonesia and six other partner countries.

The CCPIT will spare no effort to successfully organize the first CISCE and provide international public goods and services that can be shared worldwide. Since its establishment in 1952, the CCPIT has played a significant role in expanding the interests of Chinese and foreign enterprises, promoting international economic and trade exchanges, and promoting the development of state-to-state relations. Currently, the CCPIT aims to strengthen its role in connecting government and enterprises, integrating domestic and foreign markets, and facilitating the smooth flow of supply and demand. The goal is to make the first CISCE a world-class expo, contribute to the construction of a resilient global industry and supply chain system, and support the recovery of the world economy and global development and prosperity.

The CCPIT also aims to open a new window for high-level opening-up. The CISCE is the world's first national exhibition focused on supply chains, encompassing trade promotion, investment cooperation, innovation gathering, learning, and exchange functions. It vividly represents China's continuous efforts to create "greater market opportunities," "better alignment of rules," "greater innovation momentum," and "stronger inclusiveness and sharing."

The first CISCE will feature five major supply chain service exhibition areas, including intelligent automobile chains, green agriculture chains, clean energy chains, digital technology chains, and healthy life chains. It will also host the opening ceremony and the Global Supply Chain Innovation and Development Forum, along with six special forums and a series of supporting activities. The expo is expected to facilitate cooperation between Chinese and foreign enterprises across various links of industry and supply chains, enabling them to seize market opportunities, investment prospects, and growth potential.

The CCPIT aims to build a new platform for constructing services in the new development pattern. The first CISCE strives to create an open international cooperation platform that connects the upstream, midstream, and downstream sectors, integrates large, medium, and small enterprises, facilitates industry-university-research collaboration, and promotes application-oriented cooperation with both Chinese and foreign enterprises. From the perspective of serving the domestic cycle, the first CISCE will showcase China's level of scientific and technological innovation and industrial integration, encouraging global innovation elements to enter China. This will, in turn, foster intelligent, green, and integrated industry development and accelerate the construction of a modern industrial system. From the perspective of promoting the international cycle, the first CISCE will bring together new products, technologies, and services related to the supply chain, thereby promoting the global industrial division of labor, resource allocation, innovation cooperation, and the sharing of results. It will also contribute to maintaining the stability and smooth operation of the global industry and supply chains.

The CCPIT endeavors to create a new vehicle for building an open world economy. The first CISCE responds to the international business community's urgent desire to maintain stable and seamless industry and supply chains, focusing on promoting open cooperation and mutually beneficial outcomes. The number of international exhibitors has reached 26%, representing more than 50 countries and regions, with U.S. and European companies accounting for 36% of them. A significant presence of Fortune Global 500 enterprises, China's top 500 enterprises, China's top 500 private enterprises, and "specialized, special, and new" champion enterprises in their respective industries will participate in the exhibition, jointly illustrating the story of international cooperation in the industrial and supply chains. The CCPIT will release the Global Supply Chain Promotion Report, which will quantitatively analyze the development trends of the global supply chain and offer suggestions from the business community to promote technological innovation, open cooperation, connectivity, and inclusive development of the global supply chain.

The CCPIT aims to create new practices to implement the concept of a global community of shared future. The first CISCE serves as a new platform for exchange and cooperation, promoting the stability and smooth operation of the global industry and supply chains. The theme, "Connecting the World for a Shared Future," and the principle of "Joint Contribution, Extensive Promotion, and Shared Benefits," align with the concept of a global community of shared future. Supported by organizations such as the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the World Intellectual Property Organization, the International Trade Centre, and the International Chamber of Commerce, the CCPIT facilitates the participation of underdeveloped countries and supports their integration into the global value chain. Additionally, the Beijing Initiative on Global Industrial and Supply Chain Connectivity will be released. It is hoped that business communities of all countries will meet halfway and achieve mutual success on this major stage, contributing to the deepening of economic globalization and ensuring that win-win cooperation benefits the world.

The author is the head of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade. This is a translation of Ren's signed article published by People's Daily on Nov. 20.
Amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, questions about coverage have divided newsrooms and audiences across the country and world.

On Nov. 9, hundreds of American journalists signed an open letter criticizing the devastating bombing campaign and media blockade in Gaza, as well as the deaths of journalists covering the conflict.

That advocacy has come at a cost, at least for employees of the Los Angeles Times, which has decided to prohibit any reporter who signed that letter from covering Gaza or the conflict for three months, Semafor reports.

The letters call for journalists to use terms like apartheid, ethnic cleansing and genocide, was reportedly a step too far for the Times, which did not respond to a request for comment from Semafor.

After the open letter was published, Executive Editor Kevin Merida sent a company-wide email on the companys ethics and fairness policy. He stipulated that a fair-minded reader of the Times news coverage should not be able to discern the private opinions of those who contributed to that coverage, or to infer that the organization is promoting any agenda, as reported by Semafor.

The L.A. Times declined to comment to KTLA.

After Semafors report, Times reporter Suhauna Hussain took to X, formerly Twitter, to criticize the Times decision.

Clarifying that its about 34 staffers, not just the dozen or so Semafor reported, who were affected by the policy, Hussain noted that its not true or at least not clear signing letter is a violation of LA Times ethics policy.

If anything, it reinforces policy by calling for unbiased coverageno language prohibits signing letters & policy has not previously been used to discipline in this way to my knowledge, she noted.

Regardless, as long as the Times policy remains in place and is enforced as it currently is, the effect remains the same.

Yes its true weve been taken off coverage, which in effect removes a great many Muslim journalists and most [if] not all Palestinians at the LA Times from coverage, she wrote.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
A deputy district attorney in Los Angeles is accusing her boss of strategically withholding information from the public about ousted former Sheriff Alex Villanueva until after he lost in his reelection bid last year, according to a new whistleblower retaliation lawsuit.

Deputy District Attorney Amy Pellman Pentz, a former leader in the justice system integrity division of the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, is alleging that progressive DA George Gascon's office reassigned and demoted her after she took issue with how the events unfolded.

The lawsuit names Los Angeles County in addition to dozens of unnamed officials.

LA SHERIFF VILLANUEVA CONCEDES RACE FOR REELECTION

Central to the issue was a use-of-force case that involved a Los Angeles sheriff's deputy who was shown on video as he kneeled on an inmate's neck, according to the lawsuit. Although investigators cleared deputies of wrongdoing in the incident in June 2022, Gascon is accused of concealing their innocence until after Villanueva, a vocal critic of his controversial policies, lost the election months later.

Video of the incident "was illegally released to the public, and was used by Villanueva's detractors to spread the false narrative that the use of force was illegal and that Villanueva attempted to cover it up," the lawsuit alleges.

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Typically, according to the lawsuit, once the DA's office determines that charges will not be filed, it immediately notifies the relevant law enforcement agency. In this case, however, "the Declination was not provided to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department or any other law enforcement agency."

According to the lawsuit, one of Pentz's supervisors called the move "total BS" and indicated that the office didn't want to give Villenueva "any good news" in the weeks before Election Day.

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon speaks to the media.

Villanueva, a Democrat who opposed vaccine mandates and the "defund the police" movement, was attempting to fend off a challenge from Robert Luna, who is described in the lawsuit as a close Gascon ally.

When the former sheriff became aware that the declination was being kept secret, county officials blamed Pentz and retaliated by removing her from her watchdog position, according to the lawsuit.

Gascon and Villanueva tangled in several high-profile feuds.

LA COUNTY SHERIFF BYPASSES LIBERAL DA GASCON IN PROBE OF COP KILLING: I HAVE NO CONFIDENCE

After off-duty LAPD Officer Fernando Arroyos was murdered in an apparent gang robbery, the former sheriff brought his case to federal prosecutors rather than Gascon's office, telling Fox News that the DA "cannot be counted on to hold people accountable."

And in June 2022, Gascon said that lightweight charges for a suspect who drove a stolen car under the influence and struck a mother while walking her baby in a stroller had the sheriff's stamp of approval.

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon last year defended his unilateral attempts at progressive policy reform amid criticism after reports that the suspect accused of killing two El Monte, California, police officers was out on probation at the time.

"Stop empowering and encouraging criminal behavior," Villanueva wrote on X, which was still called Twitter at the time, as he noted his county deputies had no involvement in the case, which city police had investigated.

The juvenile suspect got a slap on the wrist, served a few months in "probation camp" and was murdered after his release in a drive-by shooting. He died before his 18th birthday.

The retaliation lawsuit alleges additional misconduct on behalf of the county outside of alleged election interference.

Two open positions in the watchdog division were given to former public defenders who were not qualified for the jobs, according to the lawsuit, and one of them went on to try and indict a sheriff's deputy on murder charges without sufficient evidence.

Neama Rahmani, a Los Angeles-based attorney and former federal prosecutor, said the lawsuit will hinge not on Gascon's conduct surrounding Villanueva's failed reelection but on whether Pentz can prove she was the target of retaliation.

"There is no legal requirement that he announce the results of an investigation by a specific time or at all, even though it is typically done right away," he told Fox News Digital. "If Gascon did delay the announcement until after the election to hurt Villanuevas chances, thats dirty politics, but its not actionable."

However, that doesn't mean Pentz doesn't have a retaliation case, he said.

This image shows a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department vehicle.

"If Pentz was retaliated against for speaking out, thats a different question," he said. "Her employment lawyers need to tie her removal from her position or commission to a protected right, such as free speech, to prevail."

For example, if she called her superiors out under California's Government Code 19990, which governs state officers on conflicts of interest, and they demoted her as a result.

"California employees cant engage in political activities in the workplace or use government resources or their title to fundraise," Rahmani said.





Original article source: LA internal affairs watchdog accuses leftist boss of hiding facts to thwart sheriff's reelection
A massive landslide in southeast Alaska killed three people, injured a woman and left three others missing, authorities said Tuesday.

Alaska State Troopers said in a statement that three homes were in the direct path of the disaster around 8:50 p.m. local time Monday near Wrangell, a fishing community with just over 2,000 residents about 155 miles southeast of Juneau. First responders were on the scene searching for survivors, the troopers said. Authorities urged residents to contact local police if they know someone who is missing.

Rescue crews found the body of a girl in an initial search, and the bodies of two adults were found late Tuesday by a drone operator. Crews used a cadaver-sniffing dog and heat-sensing drones to search for two children and one adult who remained missing hours after the disaster. The Coast Guard and other vessels searched along the oceanfront.

The body of one deceased individual was located during the hasty search. Multiple individuals are believed to have been within the slide area .... and are believed to be missing, the troopers said.

The landslide cut off access and power to about 75 homes, the state emergency management office said, and boats have been taking residents from the cut-off area to an unaffected part of town.

Alaskan Gov. Mike Dunleavy issued a disaster declaration on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, for Wrangell as he shared his concerns for residents in the area.

Search and rescue mission difficult amid the damage

Photos posted on social media showed barren earth near the top of the mountain all the way down to the Pacific Ocean and remnants of destroyed homes.

A large-scale search and rescue mission wasn't immediately possible because of the unstable and hazardous land, troopers said. A state geologist would need to survey the site before authorities can safely proceed, they said.

Authorities said they may use planes, helicopters and drones to search the area until a geologist gives first responders the green light to physically comb through the debris.

Storm may have triggered conditions that led to landslide

Aaron Jacobs, a hydrologist and meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Juneau, told the Associated Press Wrangell received nearly 2 inches of rain from 1 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and wind gusts of up to 60 mph in higher elevations.

The storm was part of a system that moved through southeast Alaska and brought heavy snow to Haines and blizzard-like conditions to Juneau, Jacobs said. Areas farther south had minor flooding. Landslides were reported near Ketchikan and on Prince of Wales Island. KTUU, a local TV station in Alaska, reported several landslides happening across the state that damaged homes, caused power outages and closed major highways.

Another storm system is expected in the Wrangell area late Wednesday into Thursday with light to moderate precipitation, Jacobs said.

The state's Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management planned to send staff to Wrangell to determine the community's needs, spokesperson Jeremy Zidek told the Associated Press.

Red Cross of Alaska said on X that volunteers were working with local and state partners to evaluate the needs of community members impacted by the landslide.

Contributing: Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Wrangell, Alaska, landslide leaves 3 dead, 3 missing
Plans to build a new estate with up to 130 houses on a stretch of green belt land in Walsall have been announced.

Property developer William Davis Homes submitted proposals to build "much-needed affordable housing" off Longwood Lane and Sutton Road.

The 13 hectare (32 acre) site was put forward in the Black Country Plan before it was abandoned when Dudley Council pulled out.

The draft proposals will be discussed on Wednesday.

The company submitted an application to Walsall Council planners for Environmental Impact Assessment Screening Opinion.

The procedure will determine whether the proposed development will have a significant impact on the environment.

On a website dedicated to the proposal, William Davis Homes said: "The scheme will assist in delivering a range of new homes to meet local needs for all age groups within the local community, including bungalows and affordable housing.

"The proposal will provide improvements to infrastructure including improved pedestrian, as well as encouraging residents to use green travel."

Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  A grieving wife spoke to 8 News Now, days after a crash near Flamingo Road and Valley View Boulevard claimed the life of her husband.

The crash took place on Nov. 12, and days later, Katie De Los Reyes is preparing for 35-year-old Andrews funeral.

She told 8 News Now her husband was on his way to work at the Aria on the Las Vegas Strip at the time of the crash.

Andrew Yi was hit and killed in a crash near Flamingo Road and Valley View Boulevard on Nov. 12, 2023 (Yi family)

Andrew Yi was hit and killed in a crash near Flamingo Road and Valley View Boulevard on Nov. 12, 2023 (Yi family)

Andrew Yi was hit and killed in a crash near Flamingo Road and Valley View Boulevard on Nov. 12, 2023 (Yi family)

He was driving around 3 a.m. He works the graveyard shift and a drunk driver ran a red light and t-boned him, she told 8 News Now on Monday.

Sean Cornwall, 49, was identified as the other driver by police and is accused of driving twice the speed limit and is also suspected of impairment, according to a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department arrest report.

Cornwall faces charges of DUI, reckless driving resulting in substantial bodily harm, possession of a dangerous drug, and failure to obey traffic laws, according to police.

It was so preventable, pure negligence on someones part and he took the father of my children, De Los Reyes expressed. I would never want anyone to have to go through this.

She described Andrew as a dedicated and supportive partner and father. She told 8 News Now he was declared brain dead, and the decision was made to take him off life support, his organs were later donated.

He had severe brain trauma and thats essentially what took his life, she added. At least three lives were saved by his kidney and liver.

Road Safety Advocate Erin Breen acknowledged the severity of road fatalities across Las Vegas during a recent traffic safety event.

Weve had six fatalities in 48 hours and critical injuries in our community, not statewide but in our community, she told 8 News Now. We are already well over 325 fatalities on Oct. 31 and last year was our second highest record at 416, we could hit that again.

Andrews funeral will be held in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois on Tuesday.

James Daversa, a family friend has organized a GoFundMe account on behalf of Andrew Yis family.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
The Latvian government plans to donate a new batch of vehicles seized from drunk drivers to Ukraine at no cost  the eight vehicles are valued at approximately EUR 37,850 ($41,275), Latvian news outlet Delfi reported on Nov. 21.

The vehicles will be transferred to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, National Guard units, Special Operations Forces, and Matiivtsi village local council. The inventory includes eight SUVs manufactured in 2006-2014.

Read also: West must continue arming Ukraine to keep Russia from strangling it  Latvian President

According to Latvian legislation, state-owned vehicles can be freely transferred to Ukraine. As Delfi adds, this initiative is part of efforts to support Ukrainians in their fight against Russian aggression.

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 bipartisan group of lawmakers on Monday sent a letter to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul asking that the Democrat ban "Students for Justice in Palestine," a pro-Palestinian group whom they allege has "spewed hate and endorsed violence, from NY college campuses."

The letter, signed by more than three dozen lawmakers, points to rising instances of antisemitism at "countless public and private universities throughout New York City and State" in the wake of the Oct. 7 attack by the Hamas terrorist group in Israel.

"These are extraordinarily difficult days for Jewish New Yorkers affected by a steep rise in hate and bias in the weeks following October 7th," the lawmakers say.

The signatories pointed to a group, "Students for Justice in Palestine," that they argue has become "a major growing cause of concern on college campuses" and has chapters "throughout American Universities."

NBC CUTS TIES WITH PALESTINIAN JOURNALIST ARRESTED IN ISRAEL FOR INCITING TERRORISM ON SOCIAL MEDIA

The lawmakers say SJPs umbrella organization, the National Students for Justice in Palestine (National SJP) has heralded Hamas as a resistance movement and regards "Palestinian students in exile" as being part of the movement, not merely in solidarity with it.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

The lawmakers accuse SJP of having released statements across New York State that "endorse the use of violence and attacks on civilians." They allege that SJP members, at events, have chanted incendiary slogans like "from New York to Gaza, Globalize the Intifada" and "when people are occupied, resistance is justified" and "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free."

Pro-Palestine student groups marched on Harvard Business School Wednesday in protest of Israel's "genocide" of the Palestinian people.

"This is a civil rights issue, it is an equal protection of the law issue, and it calls for bold action and moral courage," the lawmakers say. "Jewish students have a right to an education free from persecution, harassment, intimidation, and threats to their physical safety."

Fox News Digital has reached out to National SJP and Hochuls office for comment.

Founded in 1993, SJP has been on several college campuses, including Columbia and Brandeis University, as well as Floridas university system.

The federal government, meanwhile, has opened civil rights investigations into seven schools and universities over allegations of antisemitism or Islamophobia since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war.

The list includes three Ivy League institutions  Columbia, Cornell and the University of Pennsylvania  along with Wellesley College in Massachusetts, Lafayette College in Pennsylvania and Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York. It also includes one K-12 system, the Maize Unified School District in Kansas.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.





Original article source: Lawmakers send letter to New York Gov. Hochul calling for ban of pro-Hamas student group
People injured by the COVID-19 vaccines are suing the federal government, claiming the federal program they're forced to pursue compensation through is an opaque and unconstitutional "kangaroo court" that unjustly rejects almost all claims it receives.

"It has become far more obvious that the program offers nothing close to due process," says Christopher Dreisbach, the legal affairs director for React19, a patient group of the vaccine injured. "There's not [just] one thing about the program that can be tweaked and be fixed."

React19 is one of several plaintiffs challenging the constitutionality of the Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program (CICP). The other plaintiffs are all individuals whose compensation claims were rejected by the CICP, despite many having diagnoses from their doctors that the severe injuries they experienced within a few hours or days of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine were a result of the vaccine.

Their lawsuit was filed in October in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana.

The CICP is currently the only avenue through which those with a COVID-19 vaccine injury can seek compensation.

A mix of federal law and pandemic-era emergency declarations bar the vaccine injured from suing vaccine manufacturers in civil court. Those with a COVID-19 vaccine injury are also prohibited from pursuing compensation through the standard Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP)a decades-old program that approves about 50 percent of injury claims in an expedited civil courtlike process.

Each year, the VICP paid out $200 million in compensation and attorneys' fees, all of which are funded by an excise tax on vaccines.

Contrast that with the CICP, which has paid out a total of around $30,000 compensating eight people claiming a COVID-19 vaccine injury.

That's out of 12,358 total COVID-related claims the CICP has received, according to the latest federal data. The vast majority of those claims are still pending review. Of the 1,600 claims that the CICP has decided, roughly 98 percent were rejected.

The lawsuit filed by React19 and other patients argues the CICP's high rejection rate is a product of a flawed design that includes an exceedingly short deadline for filing for compensation and an impossibly high burden of proof for showing an injury was caused by a vaccine.

People must file a CICP claim within one year of vaccination. That compares to the VICP deadline that gives people three years following the onset of vaccine injury symptoms to file a petition.

"Most of us don't know what's wrong with us for over a year if we can ever get a diagnosis," says Dreisbach, who himself suffered a COVID-19 vaccine injury. "So many in our community don't even know the program even exists."

Of the 1,588 claims CICP has rejected, 933 of them have been for missed deadlines.

In order to get compensation through the CICP, claimants must also show "compelling, reliable, valid, medical, and scientific evidence" that their injury was caused by a COVID-19 vaccine.

By comparison, the VICP has a pretty low threshold for proving a vaccine injury. People who suffered one of several listed "table" injuries soon after receiving their vaccine are presumed to have been injured by the vaccine. Those who suffer a nontable injury need only show by a preponderance of the evidence (i.e., that it's more likely than not) that they were injured by a vaccine.

The higher burden of proof claimants must show the CICP is compounded by the fact that less scientific evidence exists about the effects of the recently invented COVID-19 vaccines.

"When you're talking 40,000 to 60,000 in a study, we know pretty well short-term side effects, but we don't have very much of an idea of what the long-term side effects will be," says Katharine Van Tassel, a law professor at Case Western Reserve School of Law who co-authored a book on the Food and Drug Administration.

Van Tassel says that while vaccines are safe, "we did not have very much time to study [COVID] vaccines, so we know the risk of injury was higher."

The CICP's high burden of proof is compounded by the fact that it's also a purely administrative process, with few guaranteed rights for those seeking compensation. Federal bureaucrats review and decide claims on their own. Claimants have no right to a lawyer to argue their case against the government, no right to submit expert evidence, and no right to appeal a rejected claim to any court.

That all contrasts with the quasi-judicial VICP, where petitioners are guaranteed a lawyer who can submit expert evidence on their behalf and a neutral special master (judge) decides cases. People in the VICP can also appeal a rejected petition all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court. If that doesn't work, they can then sue vaccine makers in civil court.

In addition to all these problems is the fact that the CICP was, prior to COVID, a little-used program that's arguably been swamped by the huge number of claims it's received.

The CICP was first authorized in 2005 by a piece of war-on-terror legislation intended to encourage companies to produce emergency countermeasures to a bioweapons attack or a similar disaster by shielding them from lawsuits.

Prior to the pandemic, it had received only 500 claims and paid out compensation to only 30 people (mostly for swine flu vaccine injuries).

Van Tassel says that the government is within its powers to suspend people's normal right to sue companies for damages, provided that it also provides anyone claiming an injury "a reasonable alternative remedy" to sue for damages.

The CICP's high standard of proof, short filing deadlines, and lack of any real procedural rights all cause it to fall woefully short of being a "reasonable alternative remedy," she says.

The claims in the lawsuit from React19 and other plaintiffs that the CICP violates the Fifth and Seventh Amendments' guarantees of due process and jury trials are on firm ground, she says. "I think this is a very strong lawsuit," she tells Reason.

There are various congressional efforts to help those with COVID-19 vaccine injuries.

Rep. Lloyd Doggett (DTexas) has introduced two bills that would shift COVID-19 vaccine injury claimants into the VICP and then modernize the VICP process. Another much more modest bill proposed by Sen. Robert Casey (DPenn.) would extend the deadline for filing COVID-19 vaccine injury claims.

Last year, Sen. Mike Lee (RUtah) also introduced a bill that would reform the CICP to make it more like the VICP program, with special masters deciding cases in federal claims court.

None of these efforts have made much headway in Congress, much to the frustration of vaccine-injured advocates.

"Our community needed help yesterday. We've been asking Congress to take action for over two years, our hope is that this lawsuit forces their hand," says Dreisbach.

The post Lawsuit: COVID Vaccine Injury Claims Diverted to Unconstitutional 'Kangaroo Court' appeared first on Reason.com.
After Israels assault on Gaza killed five members of Monadel Herzallahs family, he decided to sue President Joe Biden. Herzallaha U.S. citizenhad already taken part in protests and written to his representatives. This felt like the logical next step. We have exhausted every possible way we can raise our voice, he says in an interview with TIME. They did not stop the genocide.

On Nov. 13, Palestinians in Gaza and the U.S.aided by the Center for Constitutional Rightssued Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. The lawsuit aims to stop the U.S. from providing more arms, money and diplomatic support to Israel, on the grounds that the U.S. is legally obliged to avoid facilitating an ongoing genocide.

A genocide scholar, William Schabas, wrote in a declaration in the lawsuit that he believes there is a serious risk of genocide and the U.S. is in breach of its obligation under the 1948 Genocide Convention and customary international law. (Academics disagree on whether Israels assault of Gaza constitutes genocide, but last week, three dozen U.N. experts said, grave violations committed by Israel against Palestinians in the aftermath of 7 October, particularly in Gaza, point to a genocide in the making.)

Monadel Herzallah protests in front of the Israeli Consulate in San Francisco, on Oct. 8, 2023. Ramsey Elqare

Biden is facing intense heat over his administration's Israel policy, not only in court, but from voters and dissenting staffers in Congress and at federal agencies. The president is pushing to supply Israel with an additional $14 billion in military aid and has said there are no red lines when it comes to American support for Israel. The White House has so far said that they have a rigorous process for evaluating whether a country has committed genocide and that Israels actions do not fit that definition.

Israels attacks on Gaza have killed more than 11,000 Palestinians, per the citys health ministry. They follow an Oct. 7 Hamas attack that killed more than 1,200 Israelis and took more than 200 hostages.

More From TIME

Massive pro-Palestinian protests have swept major U.S. cities, and Bidens approach to Middle East policy may cost him significantly ahead of the presidential election. While Arab and Muslim communities dont make up a large percentage of the electorate, they have a disproportionate influence in key battleground statesparticularly Michigan, says Youssef Chouhoud, an assistant professor of political science at Christopher Newport University, an expert in Muslim minorities in the West. When you factor in how close that gap has been between the winner and the loser in presidential elections in swing states, any kind of decrease in support could prove pivotal, he says.

The first national poll of Arab Americans since the war in Gaza began showed a staggering drop in the percentage willing to vote for Biden in 2024only 17%, compared to 59% in 2020. But its not just Muslims and Arab Americans that Biden could lose; young Americans are also disillusioned by his deferential attitude towards Israel, Chouhoud says. The latest national NBC News poll finds that more than two-thirds of voters ages 18 to 34 disapprove of Bidens handling of the war.

Last month, more than 400 congressional staffers signed an open letter calling for a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages. The signatories were predominantly Muslim and Jewish but signed anonymously out of fear that it could endanger their personal safety and their employment. Nationwide and in Congress, the voices calling for de-escalation and peace have been drowned out by those beating the drums of war. As Muslims and Jews, we are tired of relieving generational fears of genocide and ethnic cleansing, the letter stated.

For us to be complicit and actively support Israel with taxpayer money is wrong, a staffer in a Democrats office who signed the letter tells TIME. They requested anonymity for fear of losing their job. The staffer also pointed out inflammatory rhetoric on the Hill that went unpunished, such as members comparing Palestinians to Nazis and talking about flattening Gaza. She says one staffer in another office had been told to let constituents calling for a ceasefire to go to voicemail. Some (lawmakers) dont even realize that their constituents are impacted and have family overseas, she says.

Congressional staff members hold a demonstration calling for a ceasefire outside the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 8, 2023. Pete MarovichThe New York Times/Redux

More than 100 congressional staffers participated in a walk-out earlier this month. They spoke from the steps of the U.S. Capitol, affirming solidarity with Palestinian and Israeli victims and placing more than 10,000 carnations on Capitol grounds to signify the mounting Palestinian death toll. The walkout was a statement to Congressand the world that we see Palestinians, we see their humanity, we see their dignity, the staffer says. She noted that Congress members had held two vigils to mourn the Israelis killed on Oct. 7, without a humanizing mention of Palestinians, even as the death toll soared.

And on Nov. 2, more than 1,000 staff working for USAID anonymously signed an open letter calling for a ceasefire. USAID is tasked with providing humanitarian aid to Gaza, which has been made harder by Israels blockade. More than two-thirds of the citys hospitals have shut down because of a lack of fuel or damage from airstrikes, according to Gazas health ministry. About 70% of the population does not have access to clean water, per the U.N. Relief and Works Agency. Sewage is flowing in Gazas streets and dead bodies remain under the rubble, raising the risk of infectious disease.

One of the letter signers, who also requested anonymity, tells TIME that there is a really large amount of staff who are extremely frustrated by the U.S. policy stance. Even after the letter, no serious policy discussions have been held for staffers to partake in, she says.

She and other colleagues have been questioning working for the governmentparticularly after a State Department official who oversees arms transfers resigned in protest.

Dozens of State Department employees have also sent dissent cables over Bidens Gaza policy. Blinken has told employees that they are listening to those who disagree with approaches we are taking, the Washington Post reported. Last week, more than 500 political appointees and staff members across roughly 40 government agencies wrote to Biden, protesting his support of Israels military actions, the New York Times reported.

Photos of President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris are seen as Jewish-led groups protest and call for a ceasefire in Gaza at the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building in downtown Oakland, Calif., on Nov. 13, 2023. Jane TyskaDigital First Media/East Bay Times/ Getty Images

In the meantime, the Center for Constitutional Rights is focused on proving U.S. culpability in supporting Israels campaign. You cannot breach fundamental principles of international law in the name of self defense, says Katherine Gallagher, a senior attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights and one of the lawyers who brought the case.

Palestinians in Gaza and those with relatives in the besieged territory who signed onto the lawsuit describe a dire situation. Airstrikes have destroyed their homes and killed loved ones. Families are splitting children up between parents to increase the chances that some survive if one group gets killed. They are finding it difficult to access clean water and food.

The lawsuit also details a series of inflammatory statements made by Israeli officials in building a case to prove intent tied to genocide. This includes remarks dehumanizing Palestinians as human animals, promising to eliminate everything and making sure the emphasis is on damage and not accuracy. The lawsuit goes back decades in an effort to establish a pattern of Israeli aggressionhighlighting five previous bombing campaigns and ongoing occupation, which is illegal under international law.

Herzallah is mourning a niece, two nephews and three cousins; the youngest a 4-year-old girl, Ward. (Her name means flower in Arabic.) The father of the two nephewsHerzallahs cousinwont take his calls. Ive been trying to call him just to comfort him, he says. He hasnt been talking to anybody.

Herzallah came to the U.S. after high school and hasnt been to Gaza since the mid-70s. He feels survivors guilt all the time. We eat and we have a roof over our head and enjoy being secure I wish I could go there at any minute right now.

Last weekafter Herzallah filed the lawsuitIsraeli attacks killed his 20-year-old nephew. The nephews two brothers were also victims of Israeli attacks; one was killed in late October and another was killed during the 2009 war, he says. After the 2009 killing, Herzallah protested in front of the Israeli consulate in San Franscisco. We blocked the entrance and we said there is no business as usual, he says. A few weeks ago, he returned to the same spot to protest.

Correction, Nov. 21: The original version of this story misstated in one instance the name of the organization that helped file the lawsuit against President Joe Biden. It is the Center for Constitutional Rights, not the Center for Constitutional Justice.

Write to Sanya Mansoor at sanya.mansoor@time.com.
Children perform at the event celebrating this year's World Children's Day in Beijing, Nov. 20, 2023. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]



On Nov. 20, 49 cities and counties across China illuminated landmark structures in blue to celebrate World Children's Day, emphasizing the theme for this year: "Building a child-friendly society for all."

This is part of the efforts made by the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) to support the building of a child-friendly society. On the same day, with the support of the Ministry of Commerce and China National Children's Center, UNICEF organized a themed event to mark the occasion.

The event featured an exhibition showcasing photos captured by children and young individuals to raise awareness of the challenges faced by children with disabilities. Children present at the event displayed their art and calligraphy works to express their own thoughts on creating a child-friendly society. They also performed "In the Future," a song composed by UNICEF Ambassador Wang Yuan, also a Chinese teen idol, for World Children's Day.

Amakobe Sande, UNICEF Representative to China, highlighted the organization's more than 40 years of collaboration with the Chinese government and other partners in building a child-friendly society.

During the event, Sande announced the appointment of a new UNICEF Youth Advocate, 14-year-old Yin Chuming, who will focus on water and climate action. Yin has already been advocating for water resource conservation, conducting an independent survey of 1,300 of her peers in urban and rural areas across China on water-related issues.

Yin expressed her commitment to actively engaging in water and environmental protection and raising climate change awareness. "I hope to work with young people to promote sustainable development and contribute innovative ideas related to policy-making to address challenges in these areas," Yin said.

UNICEF Ambassador and actress Ma Yili also participated in the event, where she spoke on equality and inclusiveness. She called for listening to children's voices, respecting their will, and taking their opinions seriously to create a friendly and safe environment for children's development.
Incoming President Joseph Boakai has visited the injured in hospital

At least three people have died and 28 others are in hospital in Liberia's capital after a vehicle rammed into supporters of President-elect Joseph Boakai, a medical officer has said.

The police described the incident as an "accident", but Mr Boakai's party called it an "act of terrorism".

It came just hours after Liberia's electoral body declared him the winner of last week's presidential election.

In his concession speech, President George Weah had called for unity.

The election was closely fought, with just over 20,000 votes separating the two candidates in the run-off poll.

Mr Boakai visited the injured at the main hospital in Monrovia, and promised a full-scale investigation into the incident.

Police said the driver of the vehicle has been arrested.

On Monday evening, Mr Boakai's supporters were celebrating the official announcement of Mr Boakai's victory outside the headquarters of his Unity Party (UP) when the vehicle ploughed into the crowd.

"[The vehicle] just picked up with speed and ran into the supporters," UP spokesman Mohammed Ali told the AFP news agency.

The driver reportedly abandoned the vehicle before fleeing. Angry onlookers set the vehicle on fire.

Eyewitnesses told the Liberian Observer newspaper that they initially thought the incident was caused by a brake failure, but the driver's sudden take-off fuelled suspicions of a planned attack.

"We did not hear anything because the music was playing... I don't really know where the car came from. I just found myself on the ground," Bendu Kiadii, one of those injured, told the Reuters news agency in a hospital trauma ward.

The vehicle involved in the incident was burnt by an angry crowd

In a statement, the police called what happened "an accident incident" and urged UP supporters to "remain calm" while investigations were under way.

Dr Sia Camanor, the chief medical officer at Monrovia's John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital, said that three people had died of their injuries.

The number being treated at the hospital had risen to 28 after survivors were brought from other medical facilities. Some are in a critical condition, she added.

Dr Camanor appealed to the public to come forward to donate blood, as some of the victims had lost a lot of it.

In an earlier statement, the UP called what happened a "devastating, wicked and barbaric act of domestic terrorism, leading to loss of precious lives".

The incident followed an election that was deemed largely peaceful, save for some isolated violence in four provinces.

The UP said it was cancelling all celebratory gatherings until further notice.
A solution to the length of air-raid warnings caused by take-offs of Russian MiG-31K fighter jets has been sought in relevant departments with the involvement of leading specialists, but it is not simple.

Source: Yurii Ihnat, Spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, during a briefing in the Ukraine  Ukrinform media centre on 21 November

Quote: "As far as I know, work is being carried out in relevant ministries and agencies. Management and leading specialists are looking for a way. Believe me, the decision is not simple. It is a question of responsibility, security, and a human life.

We need a solution that would satisfy [everyone  ed.]... People want to understand how it will all happen. These multi-hour flights [of MiGs] block vital activities, the economy, and the education level.

This worries society. We have to wait [to find out] what the decision will be. The Air Force will continue to provide information about the threat, and we will also inform the public."

Previously: At a meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief on 17 November, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy instructed officials to develop a solution to prevent the country from being paralysed by the lengthy air-raid warnings that are issued when MiG fighter jets take off.

Background:

Ukraines Air Force attributes the prolonged flight time of Russian MG-31K fighters to the practice of refuelling midair.

The question of whether it is reasonable to issue air-raid warnings has been raised again, given that business and the economy are suffering, services do not function, and children cannot go to school during the prolonged air-raid warnings.

The Air Force noted that the decision on whether to give an all-clear for the lengthy flights of Russian MiG-31K fighter jets can only be made by Ukraines senior leadership. Meanwhile, the threat of Kinzhal missile attacks remains real.

Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat explained that if there is a ballistic missile threat, an air-raid warning is issued in the oblasts that ballistic missiles can reach. MiG-31Ks (and the Kinzhal air-to-surface missiles launched from them) can reach any part of Ukraine.

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In a photograph from September 1966, then Georgia State Sen. Jimmy Carter hugs his wife, Rosalynn, at his Atlanta campaign headquarters. Horace Cort/Associated Press

Former first lady Rosalynn Carter died on Sunday at 96 years old.

She married Jimmy Carter in 1946 in their hometown of Plains, Georgia.

Rosalynn wore a simple dress to the nuptials, though they rarely shared photos of the day.

The former first lady of the United States Rosalynn Carter died at the age of 96 on Sunday, after 77 years of marriage to former President Jimmy Carter.

The Carters are among the great love stories of United States politics, with their affection for each other being a staple of both their careers in the public eye. They were also the longest-married presidential couple in US history.

Jimmy Carter said in a 2015 interview with The Carter Center that marrying Rosalynn was the "pinnacle" of his life.

"The best thing I ever did was marrying Rosalynn," he said.

Rosalynn Carter's wedding dress was simple

The Carters got married in 1946 in their hometown of Plains, Georgia.

They have rarely shared photos of the event, though there is a picture from the Carters' nuptials at the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta, which opened in 1986.

Jimmy Carter, and his wife, Rosalynn, give members of the press a tour at a special preview of the new Carter Presidential Center in 1986. Bettmann/Getty Images

As seen in the black-and-white photo, the former president wore a white Navy uniform for the wedding, while Rosalynn donned a knee-length white dress.

Buttons lined the front of the dress, and she paired it with a black, short-sleeved top with a bow at her waist. A white hat, white gloves, and a flower on her lapel completed the simple bridal look.

Though it was more common for brides to wear simpler gowns when the Carters got married, Rosalynn's dress was particularly laid-back, especially when compared to the wedding gowns other first ladies wore, including Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

When she became first lady, Rosalynn's style remained relaxed, and she was more often seen in skirts and blouses than suits or ball gowns.

President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter in 1978. HUM Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Rosalynn was a life-long mental health advocate, serving on the Governor's Commission to Improve Services to the Mentally and Emotionally Handicapped when Jimmy Carter was Georgia's governor from 1971 to 1975. Later, she oversaw the President's Commission on Mental Health when she was first lady.

But the Associated Press reported that the Carters' grandson, Jason Carter, said his grandparents' love for each other and the world is how both Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter will be remembered.

"That word love is really the one that defines certainly their personal relationship, but also the way they approach this world," he said.

Read the original article on Insider
Here is a list of Thanksgiving holiday closures.

El Paso Community College

El Paso Community College (EPCC) will not hold classes or offer services on Thursday, Nov. 23 and Friday, Nov. 24 for the Thanksgiving holiday. Online registration is available on www.epcc.edu at Self Service Banner.

Classes will resume on Saturday, Nov. 25 and offices will open on Monday, Nov. 27.

Socorro ISD

Socorro Independent School District facilities and campuses will be closed for the Thanksgiving break from Monday through Friday, Nov. 20 through 24. Facilities and campuses will re-open, and classes will resume Monday, Nov. 27. In case of an emergency, please contact SISD Police Services Dispatch at (915) 937-4357.

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso will be closed Thursday, Nov. 23, and Friday, Nov. 24, in observance of Thanksgiving. This includes all Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso clinics and the Texas Tech Dental Oral Health Clinic.

TTUHSC El Paso libraries will close at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 22, and reopen at 7:30 a.m. Monday, Nov. 27.

Normal hours of operation for the university and clinics will resume Monday, Nov. 27.

Dona Ana Community College

Dona Ana Community College (DACC) announces all campuses and centers will be closed in observance of the Thanksgiving Day holiday.

There will be no classes for students from Monday, Nov. 20 to Friday, Nov. 24. However, offices will remain open Monday, Nov. 20th to Wednesday, Nov. 22. Campuses and centers will be closed Thursday, Nov. 23and Friday, Nov. 24. In addition, all DACC campuses and centers will be closed Friday, Dec. 22 through Monday, Jan. 1 for the winter holiday.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
The family of western Massachusetts woman whose fatal asthma attack has been linked to conditions at its marijuana production facility has filed a lawsuit against a local cannabis company, and others.

Lorna McMurreys death was detailed in a federal report published earlier this month, according to the Associated Press. McMurry was 27 years old when she died in January 2022.

Trulieve needs to be held accountable. It was their job to protect Lorna, said McMurreys mother Laura Bruneau. Lorna was my life. This company took my whole life away from me. You cant have the big cannabis industry come into Massachusetts and not protect Lorna and other workers.

In the wrongful death lawsuit, attorneys claim McMurreys death was ...caused by exposure to cannabis dust and mold while working in Trulieves production facility in Holyoke.

At the time of her death, Lorna was employed by Life Essence, Inc., and worked in the pre-roll production room as a technician, according to a statement from her attorneys. Part of Lornas job was to pick up the cannabis product and feed it into the grinding machines which took place in a small production room with four other grinding machines in operation. While in the production room, the cannabis dust and mold from the cannabis covered workers from head to toe.

Her attorneys say McMurrey first suffered a asthma attack while working for the company in November of 2021, two months before a second attack that proved deadly.

Trulieve was aware of this incident, but took no steps to protect Lorna following her first collapse while inside the facility. according to a statement from her attorneys.

The lawsuit alleges negligence, gross negligence, recklessness and willful and wanton misconduct against Trulieve, and others, including the contractors hired to design and install the HVAC system at the Holyoke Facility.

McMurrey was a graduate of Westfield High School, and lived in West Springfield most of her life.

The Defendants in this burgeoning industry failed to develop and implement appropriate safety polices across its facilities throughout the United States, including its Holyoke facility, said attorney Jeremy M. Carroll. Had they done so, Lorna McMurrey would be alive today. Lornas family now seeks accountability from Trulieve and its contractors for their clear disregard for worker afety, in hopes of preventing such needless loss for other families.

The federal report into McMurreys death said the case illustrates missed opportunities for prevention, including workplace exposures, medical surveillance, and treatment according to the current asthma guidelines, according to the Associated Press.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published the report, which it said represented findings of a federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspection that included a worksite exposure assessment, coworker and next-of-kin interviews, medical record reviews, and collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Material from the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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A lost hiker got creative to keep himself and his dog warm on a frigid Pennsylvania night, rescuers said.

The Elkland Search and Rescue team said the hiker went missing Saturday, Nov. 18, while walking his dog near the Laurel Mill Trail in Elk County.

Crews searched throughout the night for the hiker and dog, but the search was scaled back at 3 a.m. as temperatures had plummeted to 20 degrees, according to the search and rescuers.

Sunday, on the second day of bear hunting season, a hunter came upon the missing hiker. Rescue crews caught up to him, and he was evaluated by first responders and released to his family.

The hiker was cold, sore and hungry, but otherwise OK, rescuers said. When interviewing the hiker, he told us that after he didnt hear the helicopter or drone any longer, he used hand sanitizer and a lighter to build a small fire to try to keep warm throughout the night.

The wife of the hiker said in a Facebook comment that their dog bounced back so fast and did not seem affected by the incident after getting a long rest.

More than 75 people were involved in the search, dedicating a combined 1,020 hours to help find the missing hiker.

As are most searches, this was a true group effort to bring this individual home, the team said.

Elkland is in north-central Pennsylvania near the states border with New York.

What to do if you got 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.

Injured hunter crawls to phone, calls for help after fall from tree, Michigan cops say

Lost hunter wanders 8 hours before rescuers find him on dark, foggy trail, WA cops say

92-year-old survives night in freezing cold after fall down embankment, Oregon cops say
A lost hiker called 911 with the last of his phone battery, then waited for rescuers in the dark in Canada.

The man became trapped on steep terrain Nov. 19 near Mount Habrich and Squamish, British Columbia, the North Shore Rescue said in a Facebook post.

He called for help when he realized he couldnt find a way out of the cold and snowy area on his own, rescuers said.

Rescuers began searching for him from a helicopter because of the conditions. They used night vision goggles, the rescue team said.

Eventually, they spotted him even though he didnt have a light, rescuers said.

He was waving his arms madly, North Shore Rescue member John Blown told Saanich News.

Rescuers said they assessed the man and hoisted him into the helicopter.

Blown told the news outlet he was only wearing jeans and a wet puffer jacket when they found him. He would have became hypothermic if he had stayed the night, Blown said.

Squamish is about 40 miles north of Vancouver, British Columbia.

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.

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[Source]

Louis Vuitton will present its first-ever fashion show in Hong Kong next week, with creative director Pharrell Williams unveiling his second men's collection.

About the show: In partnership with billionaire Adrian Chengs K11 MUSEA, the debut Hong Kong show will be held on a section of the iconic Avenue of the Stars at K11 Victoria Dockside in Tsim Sha Tsui, according to a press release. It will showcase Williams men's pre-fall 2024 collection, his second collection with the brand after spring/summer 2024 at Paris Fashion Week in June.

The upcoming show will also mark the first time the French luxury brand showcases a mens pre-fall collection on a runway. It is also the first pre-fall collection designed by Williams.

A win for Hong Kong: Williams, 50, was named Louis Vuittons creative director for menswear in February, taking over the highly coveted role from the late Virgil Abloh after his death in November 2021. In a statement, Cheng said the upcoming event will help strengthen Hong Kongs status as a thriving cultural and economic hub.

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It will also mark an important turning point for our city, propelling us towards our goal of becoming one of the capitals of the most influential fashion designers in the world, he added.

Where to watch: The show will start at 8 p.m. on Nov. 30. It will be available for livestream on digital billboards in Hong Kong and worldwide through the brands social media channels.

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Louisiana woman sentenced to prison in murder of 5-year-old boy found in suitcase in Indiana

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A Louisiana woman has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for her role in the murder of a 5-year-old boy from Atlanta, whose body was found in a suitcase in southern Indiana last year.

Cairo Ammar Jordan's body was found on April 16, 2022, in Washington County, Indiana, near Louisville, Kentucky.

An autopsy found that the boy died from an electrolyte imbalance most likely due to gastroenteritis, or vomiting and diarrhea that led to dehydration, according to Indiana State Police. Investigators said the boy had died within a week prior to his body's discovery.

Police said Cairo had never been reported missing, slowing the investigation of the case, as he remained unidentified for months. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation helped Indiana authorities contact Cairo's father after investigators confirmed the boy's identity.

His mother, Dejaune Ludie Anderson, of Atlanta, is wanted on an arrest warrant on a murder charge. She also is charged with neglect of a dependent and obstruction of justice.

Another woman, Dawn Elaine Coleman, 41, Shreveport, Louisiana, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder in Cairo's death. She has been sentenced to 30 years in prison, with five years of that sentence suspended to probation.

Police have said Coleman and Anderson had known each other for about a year, and had traveled extensively with her and Cairo, and the three had been staying together in a home in Louisville.

Investigators found both Coleman's and Anderson's fingerprints on black plastic bags the boy's body had been placed inside within the suitcase.

Police said Coleman admitted to walking into a bedroom of the home they shared in Louisville, where she saw Anderson lying on top of Cairo, who was face down on the bed. Coleman told police "it was already done" when she walked in, and Anderson asked her to help put Cairo into a trash bag, and then into the suitcase.

They then took Cairo's body to a wooded area in Washington County, outside of Pekin, where they dumped the suitcase. A man searching for mushrooms in April 2022 found the suitcase.

Coleman was arrested in California in October 2022 after police identified Cairo and linked Coleman to his death.

Anderson remained at large as of Tuesday.

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When Michael Ankerich would walk into Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains each Sunday, he would be greeted by Rosalynn Carter who, ...offered her hand and a cheek for a greeting kiss.

After church ended Ankerich would hear her say, We love you. Have a great week. See you next Sunday.

Sitting with Ms. Rosalynn and Mr. Jimmy was like sitting with my grandparents decades ago, Ankerich told the Ledger-Enquirer.

Ankerich said the Carters helped reintroduce him to his Baptist roots. Ankerich said he began attending Maranatha Baptist Church in the Fall of 2016 after the presidential election.

I was in a place where I needed someone like President Carter to reassure me there was hope in humanity in spite of the contentious and angry dialogue coming from that period, Ankerich said.

The church welcomed me as one of their own, but no one more so than the Carters, he said.

Ankerich described Rosalynn Carter as quite chatty and would often lean over and say that she loved the hymn the church was singing or that a particular Bible verse meant a lot to her.

Many words describe her, but compassionate is at the top of the list, followed closely by devoted, Ankerich said.

After his father died in 2020, Ankerich received a phone call from the Carters offering their condolences. He said that Rosalynn told him about the pain she felt after losing her own father.

After saying he was now an orphan after losing both his parents she quipped, Well just adopt you as our own.

Ankerich described Rosalynn as approachable, kind, gracious, and incredibly resilient and said, She was the epitome of what it means to be a Southern lady: genteel and made of steel.

Even years before he got to meet her he sent a letter as a college student to Rosalynn Carter asking advice for a young person starting out in the world.

Ankerich said she responded, Set your goals high and work to achieve them. Never be afraid of failure, for the tragedy comes, not in failing, but in never having tried to excel.

The Gray-Power activist

When former Ledger-Enquirer publisher John Greenman left the paper in 2004, he joined the University of Georgia as a journalism professor occupying a chair endowed by Jimmy Carters cousin Don Carter.

The two shared the same grandparents and same social concerns.

Greenman said he and his wife Alice Budge were not close to Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, but often circled within their orbit, feeling as if they were neighbors.

Budges mother, Evelyn Watts, was a Carter campaigner who in the presidential election of 1976 helped deliver St. Petersburg, Florida and its Pinellas County for Carters victory.

She was a gray-power activist, Greenman said, and Carter never forgot her contribution. Beyond appointing her to commissions, the president from then on regularly sent her handwritten cards and White House mementos for keepsakes, he said.

Rosalynn was like a co-president, Greenman said of the First Lady, whom political analysts compared to similar figures such as Eleanor Roosevelt and Hillary Clinton. She was recognized by Jimmy as his partner in everything.

She will be remembered for her work to alleviate poverty, improve care for the elderly and particularly for those affected by mental illness, he said: She was a First Lady with an agenda.

Connected by art and culture

Cathy and Fred Fussell of Columbus were involved both in the Westville living history village once located in Lumpkin, before it was moved to Columbus, and the Pasaquan art compound visionary Eddie Owens Martin created outside Buena Vista.

The Carters supported both, they said, once serving on the Westville board and backing Pasaquans effort to get a wooded buffer around the property from timber company land.

Pasaquan director Michael McFalls took a picture with former President Jimmy Carter and wife Rosalynn during a tour Sunday. Carter and about 40 members of his family toured the art site which honors the work of Eddie Owens Martin, known as St. EOM.

The Carters liked to bring guests to visit Pasaquan, they said. They would come just for fun and bring their families, even in recent years, Cathy Fussell said. They were always interested in any kind of regional art or culture.

Fred Fussell said Martin, the late artist and fortune-teller who called himself St. EOM, once warned Carter he would not win re-election, of Carters 1980 opponent Ronald Reagan saying, He has a full head of hair and a mean line of talk.

No time to eat

Paul Pierce was the director of the Springer Opera house for over 35 years and hosted many events in which the Carters attended.

Paul Pierce was the director of the Springer Opera house for over 35 years and hosted many events in which the Carters attended. This is a photo of Pierces family with Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter.

He said one memory he held of Rosalynn Carter was during an event in support of Historic Westville that was hosted at the Springer.

Pierce said, Ms. Rosalynn didnt have time to get anything to eat. So, apparently she just kind of kept visiting with people.

Pierce said he was talking with the former president when he looked across the room and saw Rosalynn at a table by herself, ...really chowing down.

Former President Jimmy Carter with his daughter Amy and wife Rosalynn upon the familys return to his hometown of Plains, Georgia, January 1981Chuck Fishman/Getty Images

My impression at the time was like she hadnt eaten all day and she was by golly going to take this opportunity to get something to eat, Pierce said.

Another fond memory of the Carters was when Pierce secured an appointment at the Carter Center to discuss how to turn the presidents childrens book into a play. Amy had illustrated a book by her father called The Little Baby Snoogle-Fleejer about the Presidents time in the Navy at sea.

We were in his office an hour or so. After about 30 minutes, Rosalynn came in and started talking about her memories about the sea tales and Amys book. We had a great visit and they were great to talk to, he said.

Pierce had brought a photo of him and his family with the Carters and asked them to sign it. But the pen Rosalynn used started leaking and she was a little embarrassed. But Pierce said the ink did not damage the photo hardly at all.

It actually makes the photo a bit more precious, he said.
A jackpot-winning Lucky Day Lotto ticket was sold over the weekend at a southern Illinois gas station, Illinois Lottery officials announced Monday.

The winning ticket, worth $325,000, was sold at H&H Fuel, 220 S. Broadway St. in Goreville, a village in northwest Johnson County, off of Interstate 57, about 120 miles southeast of Belleville and 25 miles southeast of Carbondale.

The winning numbers in the Saturday, Nov. 18, drawing were 7-8-9-16-37.

A second winning ticket also was sold at the BP, 17002 Torrance, Avenue in Lansing, Cook County, a press release states.

Each retailer will receive a selling bonus equal to 1% percent of the prize or $3,250,

Jackpot winners have one year to claim their prizes.
On the night Ashley Dale was murdered, the rain was coming down hard in Old Swan, to the east of Liverpool. Ashley was at home, watching television in her pyjamas, her miniature dachshund, Darla, sitting in her lap. At 11.40pm, she texted her mother. The rain just set my car alarm off x. Darla was fidgety. She seemed bothered by something outside the house. Ashley cuddled her and took a selfie, which she texted to a friend. Ive never known anything like it. she wrote. She is scared of something outside.

That photograph was the last Ashley would ever take; the texts documented the final moments of her life. At 12.30am, her door was kicked in. A masked gunman chased her through the house, shooting 10 rounds with a Skorpion machine pistol. One of the rounds hit her in the abdomen. Ashley made it out to the yard while the gunman went upstairs and fired a further five rounds into an empty room. By the time police arrived, alerted by a neighbour who had heard screams and could see Ashley collapsed on the ground, it was too late.

Ashley could never have known that those texts, along with weeks of voice notes  a panicked stream of consciousness that reduced many in a Merseyside courtroom to tears  would later be used to bring the men who murdered her to justice. The contents of Ashleys phone led to what the prosecutor described as an unprecedented trial in which she, the victim, effectively became the narrator, telling her own story in court.

For months, Ashley confided in friends in snatched moments via voice notes and texts - Merseyside Police

The messages and audio files retrieved from Ashleys phone paint a picture of a young woman who was living with fear. My nerves are gone, she texted a friend just three weeks before her murder. When I am out in the car with Lee just feeling like Im looking over me shoulder all the time.

Olivia Cristinacce-Travis, prosecuting, said the contents of her phone served to foretell her own death. These voice notes were harrowing to listen to and chilling when played to the jury.

The messages are a kind of diary of the final few weeks of Ashleys life, documenting the chaos that swirled around her as tensions between her partner and men from a rival organised crime gang began to rise. For months, Ashley confided in friends in snatched moments via voice notes and texts, sharing her fear that something bad was going to happen. For lawyers trying to convict her killers, they provided a running record of concerns.

The voice notes begin shortly after the 28-year-old got back from Glastonbury Festival in June 2022. The weekend had been fraught with drama as a fight had broken out between a group of men in Ashleys wider circle. It was ostensibly about a girl, Olivia McDowell, (known as Liv), who Ashley is heard comforting in voice notes in the days after the festival. In fact, that fight was just the reigniting of a feud that had been burning for far longer.

A long-standing tension between Ashleys boyfriend Lee Harrison and a gangster called Niall Barry  who on Wednesday November 22 was jailed for her murder for more than 40 years along with James Witham, Joseph Peers and Sean Zeisz  had been stoked at the festival.

It began three years earlier, when Harrison sided with an organised crime group known as the Hillsiders after they allegedly stole drugs from Barry. At the festival, one of Barrys associates, Zeisz, was attacked by the Hillsiders. Zeisz was angry afterwards that his girlfriend, McDowell, had left him and spent the rest of the festival with the rival group, including Ashley and Harrison.

Lee Harrison (left) with Niall Barry - Merseyside Police

Ashley sent a voice note to her friend Liv when they arrived back at home:

The fight seems to have reminded Barry, known as Branch, of his vendetta against Harrison, known as Saz. In voice notes, Ashley shared with Liv the violent threat Barry made at the festival. Hes saying wheres Saz, Im gonna stab him up to your Ian, Ashley said. A message to another friend, Sophie, told how Barry had pulled a big knife out and said he wanted to stab Harrison.

It was strange, she told Sophie. Barry hadnt been in the picture for some time. He just disappeared for years and now someones obv rattled his cage. But its scary coz hes on some pure rampage.

Though she must by then have begun to fear for herself, Ashley continued to comfort Olivia. Just try and get through these next few days, she said in a voice note. Hell come round soon and like if he doesnt then f*** him.

Over the course of the next few weeks, Ashleys messages relay the worry that had begun to take hold. Though the dark underbelly of Liverpool organised crime was, in the words of her mother, Julie, not her world, she was perceptive. She could see what was happening, could sense that things were spinning out of control.

She told Liv:

By August, a new ingredient had been added to the mix. A friend, Rikki Warnick, took his own life on July 21. His death  and the events planned to commemorate him  became what the prosecutor described as a pressure point in Liverpool. Ashley told friends she was concerned about the idea of either she or Harrison attending the wake if Barry was going to be there too.

She sent a voice note to one friend, Charlotte:

In another voice note, to her friend Sophie, she admitted how worn down she was by weeks of anxiety. Its just proper draining, she said. I just feel like Im just constantly like worrying and like somethings gonna happen.

She said of Harrison:

Look, she said in another note to Sophie. I can just see see how its gonna pan out now, its gonna be a disaster. [...] Its just all stress, like its just all proper doing me head in. Ive just got a bad, bad feeling about everything to be honest. I just dont even know what to do, so me heads just been chokka, like, I dunno, Im just f------ [sighs].

She told her she had finally asked Harrison to be honest with her about this world he was embedded in. Weve had to speak about it all this week properly. Ive had to say to him like, you need to just be honest about everything. You need to tell me everything. because I dont normally wanna know, but like, youve half gotta prepare me for the worst. I need to know what could happen.

On the day of the wake, at a bar called Ten Streets, Ashley spoke to a friend, Lois, who told her Barry was there. Urggggggh f--- off mate. Lee was like I might just come down. But I dont want him to. She eventually made the call to go inside. She texted Lois: Will you come outside and get me please girl? Like in one min. Lee saying dont go in on my own just in case. Im pulling up outside now.

Inside, Ashley texted Harrison. Just got in here now all rats just sat together in the smoking bit. I dont think you should come Id rather not be here if youre going to a pub Ill come and meet u not staying here. Feel dead bad that youre not here and I am.

Days later, she WhatsApped her friend Lydia, saying she was glad Harrison hadnt come. Lee and that didnt go Ten Streets. They went for scran in Sefton and that, done their own thing. It was moody cos of Branch. Something was gonna happen so they done the right thing like not going, but just a joke you cant go own mates funeral.

The prosecutor told the court it was plain that Rikki had been much liked in the community. His death, and the events that took place to commemorate his life sadly operated to increase the temperature in an already heated situation within Liverpool.

This wasnt Ashleys world, said her stepfather, Rob Jones. She was a beautiful young woman who was close to her family and worked hard. She had studied environmental health at Liverpool John Moores University, graduating in 2017 and worked for Knowsley Council. Her family believes that five years before she was murdered by men who knew her, she had fallen in love with the wrong man.

L to R: Sean Zeisz, Niall Barry, Joseph Peers and James Witham will be sentenced on Wednesday November 22 - Merseyside Police

Witnesses who knew of the background to Ashleys murder declined to give evidence at the trial, something her mother and stepfather have said is a source of great pain for them. I understand people are scared because one of your friends has been killed in the most horrific way, said Mrs Dale. But to sit and hear those details and know these people have not spoke up for her  yeah, its difficult, it really is.

It is perhaps of some small comfort that her daughter was, quite extraordinarily, able to be her own witness. That thanks to her voice, her vulnerability, the honesty with which she shared her deepest fears with her friends, the men who took her life will now be placed firmly behind bars.

*Messages were edited for concision

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FILE PHOTO: Police guard the courthouse of United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York where Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman's was brought, in Brooklyn

By Catarina Demony

LISBON (Reuters) - American writer and filmmaker A.M. Lukas has accused "White Lines" actor Nuno Lopes of drugging and raping her in 2006, in a filing lodged just days before a one-year window to sue over historic sexual abuse expires.

Lopes denied any wrongdoing and said he would not be afraid to take legal action against anyone who tried to defame him.

"I would never drug anyone and I would never take advantage of a woman who was incapacitated, whether due to excessive alcohol or the influence of any other substances," he said in a statement on Tuesday. "Neither today nor 17 years ago."

Lukas lodged a lawsuit in federal court in New York on Monday against the Portuguese actor, now 45, who starred in the Netflix mystery thriller series White Lines.

The filing was seen by Reuters and the incident is said to have occurred after a premiere party linked to the Tribeca Film Festival in New York in 2006. Lukas' lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages.

Lukas, who directed romantic comedy Hollidaysburg, filed her claim under New York's Adult Survivors Act, which expires on Thursday. It gave adults one year to sue over historic sexual abuse, even if statutes of limitations have expired.

Lukas had a forensic examination for sexual assault done the day after the incident at a hospital and "reported the rape to the police," the court filing says.

More than 2,500 actions have been filed under the act, many of them against county jails and state prisons, media reports say. Reuters was not immediately able to confirm those numbers.

In a statement, the law firm representing Lukas, Wigdor LLP, said the alleged rape "caused severe psychological and emotional trauma that Lukas must manage to this day", including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

"We cannot accept a world in which perpetrators of heinous, inhumane behaviour are able to live their lives out in the open, with impunity and no social consequences, while their victims suffer in silence," Lukas said in a statement.

Lukas' case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

(Reporting by Catarina Demony; Editing by Aislinn Laing and Bernadette Baum)
Macedon Police Chief Fabian Rivera was charged with driving while intoxicated in two Wayne County towns, according to the Wayne County Sheriff's Office.

Rivera crashed his patrol car on Waterford Road, near Gananda Parkway, around 8:15 a.m. Monday, deputies said. No injuries were reported, but the patrol car sustained front-end damage and was towed from the scene, according to the sheriff's office.

Responding officers from the Macedon police department said that while investigating the crash, they suspected that Rivera was intoxicated and called Wayne County sheriffs deputies to help with the investigation.

Wayne County Sheriff Robert Milby on Tuesday said that deputies were called to Eagles Roost Lane, where Rivera was located, nearly two miles from where the crash took place.

Milby said he did not know whether Rivera was working at the time of the crash.

Deputies charged Rivera with driving while intoxicated, aggravated driving while intoxicated, and operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content of .08% or higher. He was also charged with DWI by Macedon police.

Macedon Police Chief Fabian Rivera

Rivera was issued appearance tickets to return to both Macedon Town Court and Walworth Town Court at later dates.

Macedon Supervisor Kim Leonard confirmed that Rivera was involved in a crash and did not answer questions regarding the chief's status with the town's police department.

"This is an ongoing investigation, and the Town of Macedon has no further comment at this time," Leonard said in a printed statement. Macedon police referred questions regarding the chief to Leonard.

Monday's crash came less than a year after Rivera went out on a voluntary unpaid leave following an incident at a Macedon restaurant in December 2022 in which Rivera was intoxicated and fell repeatedly in the bar, injuring himself. He apologized for his actions, stating that he was struggling with mental health issues and was battling "demons like many veterans."

Rivera has been Macedon's police chief since March 2022, replacing retiring chief John Colella.

Rivera had previously worked for the Rochester Police Department for more than two decades and was a commander and part of former RPD Chief La Ron Singletary's command staff when he and several other senior officers retired in September 2020. A veteran, Rivera served in both the United States Marine Corps and the Army for more than two decades, starting in 1989, according to Rivera's resume.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Macedon NY police chief Fabian Rivera faces DWI charges in two towns
A new mobile dental unit has taken to the road, offering care and advice to people experiencing homelessness and other vulnerable groups.

The new bus, run by dental charity Dentaid, arrived earlier at Trinity, a community hub in Maidstone.

About 10-12 patients, who have been referred by Trinity, will be seen by local volunteer dentists and nurses.

The charity's chief executive, Andy Evans, said: "Untreated toothache is miserable.

"But for people experiencing homelessness, poverty and abuse, not being able to access dental services can have a huge impact on their wellbeing."

The charity, which started its outreach work in 2015, now has seven mobile units that travel the UK.

The new vehicle, funded by Maidstone company Septodont, will travel across East Sussex, Essex and Kent, to hostels, soup kitchens and community centres run by Dentaid's charity partners.

As well as those experiencing homelessness, its patients will include survivors of abuse, refugees and people recovering from addiction.

The unit will also visit fishing ports and quays so people working unpredictable hours have the chance to see a dentist.

Dentaid head of communications Jill Harding said: "We see a lot of people who need emergency pain relief. We see others who need help with their self-esteem, people on a journey.

"Many people want to move on to the next stage of their lives and your smile is the first thing people see. So, we help them to feel more confident."

Follow BBC South East on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk.
An independent commission in Maine is seeking the military service records of the man who fatally shot 18 people and left 13 others injured at two separate locations in Lewiston last month as part of an investigation into the shootings.

The group voted unanimously to seek Robert Cards records during their first meeting on Monday.

Members of the seven-member commission say they want access to psychiatric records, medical records and the shooters military records, which may not be given to them without the power to subpoena certain entities, including the US Army Reserve and hospitals, which cannot hand out patient information due to HIPAA statutes.

Card previously served as a petroleum supply specialist in the Army Reserve. Two days after the shootings, he was found dead. He had apparently taken his own life.

In a joint statement, Maine Democratic Governor Janet Mills and Attorney General Aaron Frey said they supported the groups decision.

As we pledged when we established the independent commission, we will do all we can to ensure the commission has the resources and powers it needs to discharge its fact-finding responsibilities fully and properly, the government leaders said.

To that end, we support the independent commissions request, and our offices will immediately begin consulting with the independent commission and legislative leadership to prepare legislation granting the commission the power of subpoena.

The statement added that the pair would draft the legislation by the start of next session, scheduled to begin in early January.

Members of the commission are experts with backgrounds in legal, mental health or investigative fields.

They include Former Chief Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, Daniel E Wathen, the groups chair; Dr Debra Baeder PhD, former chief forensic psychologist for Maine; Ellen Gorman, former associate justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, and George Dilworth, former assistant US Attorney for the District of Maine.

The group is tasked with analysing the response of emergency personnel before, during, and after the shootings on 25 October, which occurred at a bar and bowling alley.

The group will also determine why the states yellow flag law did not prevent the assailant from purchasing firearms, despite being admitted to a psychiatric facility in New York months earlier.

The law allows police to initiate a process in which an officer can determine if an individual should be placed in protective temporary custody. From there, a judge can order a 14-day weapons restriction which can be extended up to a year with a court hearing. Individuals who had known him said he behaved erratically prior to the incident.

Family members and other army personnel attempted to warn police about the shooter before the attacks.

The group is expected to produce its report in six months. Upon announcing the commissions creation, Gov Mills asked that the experts follow the facts and act in an unbiased and objective matter guided only by the pursuit of truth.
The majority of respondents in a new survey say they are worried about being tricked by a scammer, making it the second-highest crime concern for Americans.

In a Gallup survey released Tuesday, 57 percent of respondents say they either frequently or occasionally worry about being tricked by a scammer or providing access to a financial account.

That concern ranks only behind the worry of being the victim of identity theft, which concerns 72 percent of Americans. Getting ones car stolen or broken into is the only other crime that concerns a majority of Americans, with 51 percent saying they worry about it frequently or occasionally.

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Asked to indicate which crimes they worry about frequently or occasionally, 44 percent selected home burglary when they were not home; 42 percent selected having a school-aged child physically harmed while attending school; 37 percent said getting mugged; 33 percent said being attacked while driving a car; 30 percent said being a victim of a hate crime; 28 percent said getting murdered; and 27 percent said being sexually assaulted.

The Gallup survey suggested peoples concerns about scammers may be justified. Asked to indicate which crimes they have experienced or someone in their household has experienced in the past 12 months, 8 percent said they have been tricked by a scammer into sending money or providing access to a financial account, and 15 percent said someone in their household has been victimized by this crime.

Eleven percent of respondents said they have been the victim of identity theft; 9 percent said they personally have had their home, property or car vandalized; and 9 percent said they personally have had money or property stolen from them. Sixteen percent said these crimes happened to someone in their household.

This year marked the first time Gallup included scamming in its annual measure of Americans crime victimization.

While every subgroup of Americans seemed susceptible to scammers, U.S. adults who have not graduated college and those with lower incomes were more likely to report falling victim to scams in the past 12 months.

Twenty percent of respondents with an annual income of less than $50,000 reported someone in their household fell victim to a scammer, including 12 percent who identified themselves as the victim. Twenty-one percent without a college degree said someone in their household was a victim of a scam, including 11 percent who identified themselves as the victim.

Contrary to some beliefs, younger people reported more often falling victim to scams in the past 12 months: 22 percent of adults ages 18-29 said someone in their household was scammed, including 10 percent who said they were personally; 17 percent of adults ages 30-49 reported someone in their household was scammed, including nine percent who said they were personally.

Adults ages 50-64 were least likely to report falling victim to a scam, with 9 percent reporting someone in their household falling victim to a scam, including 5 percent personally. Thirteen percent of adults ages 65 and older fell victim to a scam, including 9 percent who personally have been.

The survey was conducted Oct. 2-23 and was based on telephone interviews with 1,009 U.S. adults. The margin of error is 4 percentage points.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Film crews on the site of the former Aida Bliss factory in Derby

A redundant factory in Derby has been the latest location for a Hollywood film shoot.

The former Aida Bliss site on City Road, in Chester Green, has been a hive of activity for the past two days.

Marv Studios, responsible for the Kingsman franchise, is keeping tight-lipped on a name for the future film.

The building is subject to a 13m ($16.3m) investment to turn it into Europe's first state-of-the-art film studio and stunt training facility.

The road was closed on Monday and Tuesday for filming and stunt work.

City Road in the Chester Green area of Derby and surrounding streets were closed for filming

Andy Buckley, the supervising location manager at Marv Studios, is in charge of choosing where filming takes place.

He told BBC Radio Derby the former factory is integral to the story, adding: "The impact to the area will be immense, certainly once the film is released and it will be identifiable as being in Derby.

"There's always a case for the local community."

Asked if any celebrities were on site, Mr Buckley added: "Unfortunately, I cannot say."

The investment project is being led by Marv Studios and Damien Walters, a Derbyshire-born former Team GB gymnast turned stuntman.

The 41-year-old has worked on films such as Captain America: First Avenger, James Bond's Skyfall and Kingsman: The Secret Service.

Marv Studios, the makers of the Kingsmen franchise, is shooting a film in Derby

Bruce Wiggins, who is part of the residents' association for the area, said he believes the film would be released in 2026.

He added many people in the area were able to watch some of the stunts.

"It's been a really positive experience for Chester Green. It's been a lot better than I expected. I thought it would be carnage," he said.

"There's been a rumour there was an actor from Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels here but I think it is mostly stunt people doing their jobs."

The factory joins a list of Derbyshire locations that have appeared in film and TV in recent years.

The village of Stoney Middleton welcomed Tom Cruise and the Mission Impossible franchise in 2021, while parts of the Peak District were used to film scenes for HBO's Game of Thrones spin-off House of the Dragon.

Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.
Environmental and rights groups warn that while reclamation is needed, it must be done with care (Ishara S. KODIKARA)

Rising sea levels threaten to swamp the Maldives and the Indian Ocean archipelago is already out of drinking water, but the new president says he has scrapped plans to relocate citizens.

Instead, President Mohamed Muizzu promises the low-lying nation will beat back the waves through ambitious land reclamation and building islands higher -- policies, however, that environmental and rights groups warn could even exacerbate flooding risks.

The upmarket holiday destination is famed for its white sand beaches, turquoise lagoons and vast coral reefs, but the chain of 1,192 tiny islands is on the frontlines of the climate crisis and battling for survival.

Former president Mohamed Nasheed began his administration 15 years ago warning citizens they might become the world's first environmental refugees needing relocation to another country.

He wanted the Maldives to start saving to buy land in neighbouring India, Sri Lanka or even far away in Australia.

But Muizzu, 45, while asking for $500 million in foreign funding to protect vulnerable coasts, said his citizens will not be leaving their homeland.

"If we need to increase the area for living or other economic activity, we can do that," Muizzu told AFP, speaking from the crowded capital Male, which is ringed with concrete sea walls.

"We are self-sufficient to look after ourselves".

- 'Out of fresh water' -

The tiny nation of Tuvalu this month inked a deal to give citizens the right to live in Australia when their Pacific homeland is lost beneath the seas.

But Muizzu said the Maldives would not follow that route.

"I can categorically say that we definitely don't need to buy land or even lease land from any country," Muizzu said.

Sea walls will ensure risk areas can be "categorised as a safe island", he said.

But 80 percent of the Maldives is less than a metre (three feet) above sea level.

And while fortress-like walls ringing tightly-packed settlements can keep the waves at bay, the fate of the beach islands the tourists come for are uncertain.

Tourism accounts for almost one-third of the economy, according to the World Bank.

Nasheed's predecessor, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, was the first to ring the alarm of the possible "death of a nation", warning the United Nations in 1985 of the threat posed by rising sea levels linked to climate change.

The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned in 2007 that rises of 18 to 59 centimetres (7.2 to 23.2 inches) would make the Maldives virtually uninhabitable by the end of the century.

The warning lights are already flashing red.

Gayoom's fear of his country running out of drinking water has already come true, as rising salt levels seep into land, corrupting potable water.

"Every island in the Maldives has run out of fresh water," said Shauna Aminath, 38, the environment minister until last week, when Muizzu's government took power.

Almost all of the 187 inhabited islets in the archipelago depend on expensive desalination plants, she told AFP.

"Finding ways as to how we protect our islands has been a huge part of how we are trying to adapt to these changes", Aminath said.

- Environmental regulations 'ignored' -

The capital Male, where a third of the country's 380,000 citizens are squeezed onto a tiny island, is "one of the most densely populated pieces of land in the world" with 65,700 people per square kilometre, according to the environment ministry.

A giant sea wall already surrounds the city, but Muizzu said there is potential to expand elsewhere.

Reclamation projects have already increased the country's landmass by about 10 percent in the past four decades, using sand pumped onto submerged coral platforms, totalling 30 square kilometres (11 square miles).

Muizzu, a British-educated civil engineer and former construction minister for seven years, played a key part in that, overseeing the expansion of the artificial island of Hulhumale.

Linked to the capital by a Chinese-built 1.4-kilometre (0.8-mile) bridge, with tower blocks rising high over the blue seas, Hulhumale is double the area of Male, home to about 100,000 people.

But environmental and rights groups warn that, while reclamation is needed, it must be done with care.

In a recent report, Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused the authorities of failing to implement their own environmental regulations, saying reclamation projects were "often rushed" and lacked proper mitigation policies.

It gave the example of an airport on Kulhudhuffushi, where 70 percent of the island's mangroves were "buried", and a reclamation project at Addu which damaged the coral reefs fisherman depended on.

"The Maldives government has ignored or undermined environmental protection laws, increasing flooding risks and other harm to island communities," HRW said.

Ahmed Fizal, who heads the environmental campaign group Marine Journal Maldives (MJM), said he feared politicians and businessmen saw shallow lagoons as potential reclamation sites to turn a quick profit.

"You have to ask 'what is the limit, what is the actual cost of reclamation?'", he said.

aj/pjm/ssy/kma
Traditional Chinese ginger planting spices up village economy

Xinhua) 08:50, November 21, 2023

HEFEI, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- As winter approaches, a ginger factory in Tongling City in Anhui Province, east China, meticulously stores nearly 5,000 kg of local white ginger seeds in a building with earthen walls and a tiled roof.

The building, which locals call the "ginger pavilion," is heated by wood fires and functions as a traditional drying and warming venue to prepare the seeds for planting next spring.

Jin Rulin, a provincial-level inheritor of the Tongling white ginger production technique, said that the cultivation and processing of this ginger involves 29 meticulous steps.

"From storage in the ginger loft to sun-drying the harvested ginger, every step is crucial," says Jin.

This technique, which has been practiced for over 2,000 years in the region, has recently been recognized by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System.

For the local community, this age-old craftsmanship is not just a cultural treasure but also a vital source of livelihood.

At the ginger factory, large jars of fresh white ginger harvested in September are being processed. These ginger pieces, known for their large size and thin skin, are turned into a variety of products and distributed nationwide.

"It's a peak season for the production and sale of Tongling white ginger," said Jin, who manages about 6.7 hectares of land dedicated to ginger cultivation.

His cultivation base boasts a monthly white ginger yield of nearly 5,000 kg. While preserving the essence of traditional methods, Jin has innovated by exploring new flavors, packaging, and product derivatives, rolling out over a dozen white-ginger-related products.

His efforts have boosted local employment, engaging over 300 households in the ginger industry, and generating annual sales of nearly 8 million yuan (about 1.1 million U.S. dollars).

The thriving ginger industry in Tongling has witnessed substantial growth in recent years. According to local statistics, in 2022, the cultivation area reached over 386.7 hectares, with a total output value of 180 million yuan, involving more than 2,600 farming households and 35 processing and sales companies.

More and more young people are infusing innovation and technological advancement into the traditional craft. In 2019, then 33-year-old entrepreneur, Cheng Ling, along with his wife, returned to his hometown in Datong Town, a suburb of Tongling City, and established their own brand.

Beyond conventional ginger products, Cheng's brand has developed novel items such as ginger rice wine and ginger perfume, leveraging the power of the internet to reach a wider audience.

Annually, they produce nearly 25,000 kg of ginger products, distributing them nationwide.

Recognizing the importance of educating people about this ancient craft, Cheng and his wife have organized educational activities around the cultivation and processing of Tongling white ginger. These efforts have welcomed nearly 2,000 students.

"The older craftsmen are preserving (the traditions), and what we young people can do more is to accelerate and change," Cheng said, adding that they are working on online promotion of white ginger products and culture, and employing modern technologies like digital management to enhance efficiency.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
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Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday called on his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, to carry forward the traditional China-France friendship and push the relations to a new level.

As the year 2024 marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations, both sides should pass the baton of history, stick to the original intention in establishing the diplomatic relations, carry forward the traditional friendship and push the China-France relations to a new level, Xi said during a telephone conversation with Macron.

In the phone talks, Xi pointed out that since Macron's successful visit to China in April this year, China-France exchanges at all levels have resumed rapidly, and bilateral cooperation in various fields has made solid progress and achieved fruitful results.

China is ready to maintain high-level exchanges with France, make a success the next meeting of the China-France high-level dialogue mechanism on people-to-people exchanges, push for new progress in bilateral cooperation in such areas as education, culture and scientific research, and promote friendly exchanges between the two peoples, Xi said.

Applauding France's active participation in the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and the sixth China International Import Expo, Xi said China is glad to see the entry of an increasing number of French products into the Chinese market and welcomes more investment of French enterprises in China.

China hopes France could provide a fair and non-discriminatory business environment for the investment of Chinese enterprises in France, he added.

Xi said China is ready to strengthen cooperation with France in the United Nations and other multilateral institutions.

Noting that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the China-European Union (EU) comprehensive strategic partnership, Xi said China and the EU should remain partners for mutually beneficial cooperation in a volatile and intertwined world.

It is hoped that France will play a constructive role in promoting the positive development of China-EU relations, he said.

Highlighting that China and France have maintained sound cooperation on climate change, Xi said the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Dubai will take stock of the Paris Agreement for the first time, review and assess the progress of its implementation, and guide the future process of global climate governance.

The institutional framework of the Paris Agreement, in particular the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and nationally determined contributions, should be upheld, he said.

China stands ready to work with France in sending a strong signal of jointly addressing the issue of climate change, so as to prompt the success of the COP28, he added.

Macron said that his successful visit to China in April this year is still within his recollection, and that he is satisfied with the recent exchanges and dialogues between the two countries at all levels.

Under the current international situation, it is of great significance for France and China to maintain strategic communication and cooperation, he said, adding that the French side is willing to take the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between France and China next year as an opportunity to intensify high-level exchanges with China, and deepen exchanges and cooperation in such fields as economy, trade and aviation, as well as people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

France hopes to communicate closely with China on the UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai and continuously cooperate to address global issues such as climate change and biodiversity protection, said the French president.

Besides, France is ready to promote the further development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the EU and China in a spirit of mutual respect, mutual benefit and cooperation, he said.

Exchanging views on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the two heads of state said it is imperative to avoid further deterioration of the Palestinian-Israeli situation, especially the emergence of a more serious humanitarian crisis.

They agreed that the two-state solution is the fundamental way to solve the cycle of Palestinian-Israeli conflicts.

The two heads of state also agreed to maintain communication on international and regional issues of common concern, and contribute to the maintenance of world peace and stability.
CHICAGO - A man was shot in the face Monday night in the Logan Square neighborhood.

The 18-year-old was in his car around 11 p.m. when a white Jeep pulled up and started shooting into his vehicle in the 2100 block of North St. Louis Avenue, police said.

The victim was shot once in the jaw and was transported to Stroger Hospital where he was listed in good condition.

No one is in custody as Area Five detectives investigate.
When Brian Silas Jones appeared for his initial hearing before Judge William Sleva Tuesday afternoon, he said he understood the charges against him: sexual battery and criminal confinement, both felonies, for allegedly tackling a 20-year-old Indiana University student to the ground the evening of Nov. 10, lying on top of her and attempting an assault.

Bystanders in the area intervened to help the woman and called police when they witnessed the attack in Dunn's Woods.

In court that day, Jones was handcuffed and agitated, grinning inappropriately, eyes darting around the room. The 24-year-old transient man nodded and said "yeah" when the judge asked if he understood the charges against him. But Jones hadn't filled out required paperwork and seemed disconnected from what was going on.

Sleva appointed the public defender's office as legal counsel. A lawyer from the office quietly told the judge "there may be some competence issues." Not guilty pleas were entered on Jones's behalf, and he was escorted back to jail, held on $30,000 surety and $500 cash bond.

The next day, the court canceled a hearing for Jones, which was to be in two weeks, and ordered a psychiatric evalution. The new court date is Jan. 3.

Man accused of similar attack earlier this year

Jones went through the same process this summer when he was arrested in connection to a similar sexual assault near campus. In that case, the charges were dismissed on Oct. 31, after psychiatric reports indicated Jones was incompetent to stand trial and the victim moved away.

In that case, a college-age couple driving in the vicinity of Seventh Street and Indiana Avenue around 11 p.m. June 27 stopped and got out after hearing what they described as "a life-threatening scream" and someone shouting "get off me." They scared off the assailant, who fled as the victim ran toward the couple. They took her to the police station to report what had happened, and Jones was soon arrested at Fourth and Dunn streets.

The 29-year-old woman said Jones followed her from Seminary Park and then tackled her to the ground, held her down and tried to put his hands into her shorts before the two passersby intervened.

Jones was charged then with the same two felonies he faces now, sexual battery and confinement, and jailed on $4,000 bond.

Reluctance to testify, mental incompetence and move for dismissal

Monroe County Prosecutor Erika Oliphant said the accused's mental health issues contributed to the dismissal, but the victim's reluctance to testify was the main reason.

"The alleged victim did not wish to pursue the case and would not maintain communication with the state during the pendency of the case, and she ultimately moved out of state," Oliphant explained in an email. "Mr. Jones was then found incompetent to stand trial. Considering the totality of the circumstances, dismissal seemed like the most prudent course of action at the time."

The law requires two experts to agree that a defendant is mentally incompetent before a ruling is issued. The person would then receive treatment until they were able to understand the charges, and the case would proceed.

But in this instance, because the charges were dismissed, the incompetency ruling was moot.

"If the case were still pending, the defendant would have to be restored to competency through intensive mental health treatment," Oliphant said. "However, if a case is dismissed, there is no statutory requirement or mandate that he participate in mental health treatment."

Other felony charges also dismissed

Jones has been charged with other felonies. In 2018, charges from three cases the previous year that included intimidation with a deadly weapon and battery with injury were dismissed because Jones was being treated for mental illness "and is residing periodically in an inpatient facility or with his mother in Illinois," the dismissal order reads.

In 2019, the prosecutor's office dismissed charges of resisting arrest using a weapon because of the challenges Jones faces.

"It was clear that Mr. Jones was experiencing mental health issues that contributed to his criminal activity," Oliphant said. "He was committed to a facility for mental health treatment, so the state dismissed the criminal case."

Because mental health records are confidential, Oliphant could not comment on them, nor are they available for review to see how long and what kind of treatment Jones received and when and why he was released.

Contact H-T reporter Laura Lane at llane@heraldt.com or 812-318-5967.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Dunn's Woods accused attacker has history of mental health challenges
Damaged books are strewn across the office of Wisconsin Family Action Director Julaine Appling Sunday morning in Madison.

MADISON  The man indicted in the May 2022 firebombing of a prominent anti-abortion group's office in Madison has agreed to plead guilty, according to a court filing.

Hridindu Sankar Roychowdhury faces a minimum of five years in prison, and could face a maximum of 20 years along with financial penalties of up to $250,000.

Roychowdhury, 30, was arrested in March and indicted by a grand jury in April. He is charged with one count of attempting to cause damage by means of fire or an explosive. He pleaded not guilty in April, then in June sought to have the case dismissed arguing the federal arson statute under which he was charged is unconstitutional. That motion was denied in August.

In the proposed agreement, federal prosecutors agree to recommend that Roychowdhury's sentece be reduced for accepting responsibility, and Roychowdhury acknowledges the court may ignore that recommendation.

Federal prosecutors accuse Roychowdhury of efforts to "terrorize" and "intimidate" by vandalizing and setting a fire in the Madison offices of Wisconsin Family Action in spring of 2022. Madison Fire and Police departments responded early in the morning on May 8, 2022, to a 911 call reporting flames coming from the organizations office on Madisons north side.

According to the plea agreement, Roychowdhury and "at least one" other person traveled to the organization's office and "maliciously damaged" it by means of fire.

The incident occurred days after a leaked draft indicated that the U.S. Supreme Court was about to overturn Roe v. Wade, its 1973 landmark decision legalizing abortion.

A threat is spray painted on the building wall near Wisconsin Family Action's offices in Madison.

If abortions arent safe then you arent either was painted in cursive on the buildings outside wall, along with the anarchy symbol and an anti-police slogan.

An investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives determined the fire was started using a device "consistent with the appearance and components of a Molotov cocktail," according to the criminal complaint.

Investigators used DNA evidence, surveillance and social media to track down Roychowdhury nearly a year after the incident took place. Key elements in the investigation included an apparent handwriting match in another graffiti incident and DNA obtained from a half-eaten burrito discarded in a garbage can.

Under the plea agreement, Roychowdhury agrees the facts gathered by federal prosecutors would be proveable beyond a reasonable doubt if the case went to trial.

Wisconsin Family Action officials declined to comment on the proposed agreement. A plea hearing is scheduled for Dec. 1.

Jessie Opoien can be reached at jessie.opoien@jrn.com.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Man to plead guilty in Wisconsin Family Action firebombing
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - Gwinnett County Police, Atlanta Police, and Dekalb County Police recently teamed up to apprehend a suspect accused of orchestrating illegal drag racing activities.

The collaborative effort unfolded on Nov. 20 around 8 a.m. when officers from the Gwinnett County North Precinct Community Response Team, with support from the Dekalb County Intelligence Unit and the Atlanta Police Department Auto Crimes Unit, executed a search warrant targeting the organizer of a criminal street racing group. The warrant was issued as part of an ongoing investigation initiated by the Atlanta Police Department following an incident on Aug. 20.

During the earlier incident, a 911 call at the intersection of Northside Drive and 17th Street in northwest Atlanta prompted the response of Atlanta Police and Georgia State Patrol. A black F-150 was spotted performing donuts in the intersection, leading to the immediate arrest of the driver by a Georgia State Trooper. Subsequent investigations by Dekalb County Police revealed the social media account coordinating the event, while Atlanta Police identified 20-year-old Jhostin Alexander Bardales of Buford as the event's organizer.

Atlanta Police uncovered that the criminal street racing group directed racers to nine different intersections that night, spanning four locations in Gwinnett County, four in Dekalb County, and one in Atlanta. The three jurisdictions then collaborated to investigate the incident.

Jhostin Alexander Bardales was apprehended and booked into the Gwinnett County Jail on multiple counts of Promotion or Organization of Exhibition of Illegal Drag Racing, with additional charges from other jurisdictions possibly pending.

The successful collaboration among Gwinnett County Police, Atlanta Police, and Dekalb County Police was praised, and gratitude was extended to Dekalb County Police and the Atlanta Police Department for their assistance in the operation.
A Versailles man who showed up to University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital in body armor with an arsenal of weapons has pleaded guilty to amended charges this week in federal court.

Bryan Carroll, 46, pleaded guilty Monday to three federal charges, including possessing a gun as a convicted felon, carrying an explosive during the commission of a felony offense and possessing an unregistered firearm, according to court records. The charges stemmed from a March 2021 incident in which Carroll allegedly took homemade explosives and several guns to the hospital, where his mother was receiving treatment.

The response to Carrolls presence at the hospital forced the emergency room closed and caused federal investigators to show up to his home to conduct searches and controlled explosions.

Carroll faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a maximum $500,000 fine and six years of supervised release. He is expected to be sentenced in March 2024  three years after the incident took place.

His attorney, Russell Baldani, was not immediately available for comment Tuesday afternoon.

The federal case was separate from state charges that also stemmed from the incident. Those charges  which include use of weapons of mass destruction, felon in possession of a handgun, possessing a controlled substance, resisting arrest, fleeing police, possessing drug paraphernalia, and being a persistent felony offender  are still active. A status conference in that case is scheduled for Dec. 22.

The incident at UK Hospital unfolded after the Versailles Police Department alerted UK Police that Carroll was on his way to the hospital and he had an active arrest warrant stemming from a drug case. Law enforcement confronted Carroll outside the emergency department, where he was taken into custody after a brief struggle. During a search of Carroll and his Honda CR-V, officers located a total of eight firearms, including a sawed-off shotgun, four explosive devices, and one improvised explosive bomb, according to previous court testimony from a UK Police detective.

Still from video provided by the University of Kentucky that shows Bryan Carroll, a man arrested on multiple state and federal weapons charges, going into UK Chandler Hospitals emergency department.

One of the explosives was a metal container with firework powder and 99 nails inside. When detonated, it would have released shrapnel up to 600 feet away, according to Carrolls federal plea deal, which he signed. He cooperated with law enforcement at the scene and told them about more ammunition which he had inside his Versailles residence.

When officers searched his home, they found six additional explosives, two firearms and Improvised explosive bomb mixtures.

Bryan Carroll (left) looks on as prosecutors present a photo of what University of Kentucky detectives thought was an improvised explosive in Carrolls vehicle the day he was arrested outside UK Hospital. The device wasnt an explosive, according to Lexington investigators, but investigators did find five explosives in Carrolls vehicle.

Carrolls lawyer for his state case, J. Parker Mincy, previously argued in court that Carroll had no intention to harm anyone at the hospital because his own sick mother was in the hospital and his father was with him in the car.
A man is dead after a shooting involving the Jessamine County Sheriffs Office Monday night, according to Kentucky State Police.

The shooting happened around 9:30 p.m. on the railroad tracks near Wilmore Road and Baybrook Circle, according to the Jessamine County Sheriffs Office. KSP said a man was declared dead at the scene.

Neither KSP nor the Jessamine County Sheriffs Office would comment on what led up to the shooting, how it unfolded or who was involved. The sheriffs office directed all questions to KSP and KSP declined to comment, citing an ongoing investigation.

KSP has statewide jurisdiction over investigations into all shootings involving law enforcement agencies. Specific details about the shooting wont be released until vital witnesses are interviewed and facts are gathered, KSP said.

KSP is committed to being transparent while ensuring the integrity of the investigation, KSP said in a press release.
A man arrested last week after he allegedly pointed a rifle at an employee of a charter school in West Hollywood has been charged in connection with the incident.

Vahe Armen, 32, was charged with one count of assault with a deadly weapon and one count of having a firearm on school grounds, the Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office announced Monday.

Armen was taken into custody last Thursday near the Larchmont Charter School campus in the 1200 block of N. Fairfax Avenue.

The D.A.s Office alleges Armen pulled into a school dropoff zone around 8:30 a.m. where dozens of students were in the process of starting their day. Hes accused of then pulling out the rifle and pointing it at a school administrator who was directing traffic.

That employee told investigators that she believed the weapon was an assault-style rifle.

The school was then placed on lockdown and parents were notified through the schools emergency alert system.

West Hollywood School Lockdown

Armen was found shortly after on the 6800 block of Sunset Boulevard and was taken into custody by Los Angeles County Sheriffs deputies. Deputies also allegedly located a weapon in Armens vehicle, although they did not specify the type.

In an era plagued by an epidemic of mass shootings at schools across our nation, every parent in America faces an unimaginable fear when they send their children to school, said Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon. It is an unfair burden that no parent should bear.

The incident also prompted complaints from both parents and school administrators, who said the response time from law enforcement was poor and that nearby schools were not informed of the lockdown happening at Larchmont.

Gascon said the safety and well-being of school children need to be prioritized, adding that students deserve nothing less than a nurturing environment free from the threat of violence.

Armen is also facing unrelated charges for elder abuse and witness intimidation, the D.A.s Office says.

Hes been in custody since and is currently being held on $5 million bail. If convicted, he could face a maximum sentence of more than seven years in state prison.

He was scheduled to be arraigned in court on Monday.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
An Austin man has been charged with fatally shooting his teenage son inside his home on the West Side last weekend.

Leon Taylor, 33, was charged late Monday with one count of first-degree murder in connection with the death of his son, 16-year-old Leontaye Taylor, officials said. Leon Taylor was ordered held without bond during his first court appearance Tuesday.

Police and prosecutors allege the father and son were in a physical altercation in Leon Taylors apartment in the 100 block of North Parkside Avenue shortly after 8:30 p.m. Saturday, authorities said. Taylors CPD arrest photo appears to show several locks of his hair were ripped out.

During Taylors initial court appearance, Assistant Cook County States Attorney Sarah Dale-Schmidt said Taylor and his sons mother got into a heated argument on the phone. Soon after, Taylor and his son also started yelling at each other, and things got physical.

Other family members in the apartment were able to separate the father and son, but Taylor barged into his sons bedroom and shot him eight times, Dale-Schmidt said. Taylor then left the apartment before one of the other family members called 911. CPD officers were able to contact Taylor via phone and arranged for him to turn himself in at the departments Austin District station, according to his arrest report.

Leon Taylor was one of three teen boys shot and killed in Chicago last weekend. Earlier this month, the Tribune reported that while killings have decreased citywide this year, the number of youth homicide victims has risen each year since 2019.

The CPD reported 562 killings between Jan. 1 - Nov. 19, according to department records. Of those, less than 10% were deemed domestic-related.

Through mid-November, gun violence in the Austin District  bounded by Division Street, Roosevelt Road, Cicero Avenue and Austin Boulevard  has remained flat. As of Nov. 19, the district had recorded 32 killings, two more than in 2022, and 116 total shootings.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with visiting U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in Kiev on Monday on military aid for Ukraine, the presidential press service reported.

At the talks, Zelensky briefed Austin about the current situation at the frontline of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and informed him of Ukraine's strategic goals and priority needs.

Noting the importance of Austin's visit to Kiev ahead of the 17th Ramstein meeting, Zelensky urged the United States and other partners to continue uninterrupted supplies of weapons and ammunition to Ukraine.

Zelensky and Austin also discussed the security in the Black Sea and the functioning of the alternative Black Sea export corridor.

After the talks, Austin wrote on social media platform X that the United States and its allies will continue to support Ukraine's urgent battlefield needs and long-term defense requirements.

Later this week, Austin will host the 17th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in the Ramstein format virtually from the Pentagon.

The United States has provided 44.2 billion U.S. dollars in military assistance to Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022, according to figures released by the U.S. Department of State.
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Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, co-chairs the 10th meeting of the China-Russia Investment Cooperation Committee with Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 20, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang co-chaired the 10th meeting of the China-Russia Investment Cooperation Committee on Monday with Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov, pledging to promote investment cooperation for new achievements.



Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that China stands ready to work with Russia to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state and give full play to the coordinating role of the committee.

Ding said China is ready to work with Russia to continue to tap the potential of investment cooperation of the two sides, promote practical cooperation for more achievements and enrich the connotation of bilateral relations to better benefit the two peoples.

Ding put forward a four-point proposal on deepening China-Russia investment cooperation.

The first is that China and Russia should work together for a new future of investment cooperation. Ding called on the two sides to enhance the planning and guidance for bilateral investment cooperation.

The second is to jointly push for new progress in cooperation in key areas, strengthen support and guidance for enterprises of the two countries, and encourage willing, qualified and competent enterprises to strengthen cooperation.

The third is to jointly open up new prospects for sub-national cooperation, promote regional complementarity, better coordinate trade, investment, channels and construction of platforms, and deepen practical cooperation on agricultural cooperation demonstration zones and transport infrastructure.

The fourth is to jointly open up a new vision for long-term cooperation, continue to strengthen synergy and coordination, create a sound environment and promote bilateral investment cooperation.

Belousov said the Russian side is willing to work with China to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, enhance strategical synergy, give full play to the role of the committee and promote further achievements in bilateral practical cooperation.

Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, co-chairs the 10th meeting of the China-Russia Investment Cooperation Committee with Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 20, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]
A jury in Texas on Tuesday convicted a man of murdering a local police officer in a case that pitted no-knock raids against the right to self-defense.

Marvin Guy, who waited in jail for over nine years before his trial, was found guilty of murdering Detective Charles Dinwiddie, whom Guy said he mistook for an intruder after a SWAT team in 2014 smashed his bedroom window and tried to break into his home with a battering ram during a 5:45 a.m. drug raid. The panel declined, however, to convict him of capital murder and instead opted for murder, meaning they did not agreeat least not unanimouslythat Guy knew he was shooting at law enforcement.

The raid was the product of a no-knock warrant, which police pursued in response to a tip that Guy had been dealing cocaine, and which allowed them to break into Guy's apartment without first identifying themselves.

On May 9, 2014, before the sun rose, about two dozen officers arrived at Guy's residence. The team struggled to fully penetrate the door with their battering ram; something was blocking it from behind. One officer accidentally detonated his stun grenade, inflaming what was already a raid rapidly going awry.

Guy, who lived in a high-crime area, said he was woken up and assumed the police were criminals trying to break into his home. He had allegedly been on edge about such a situation: One of his neighbors had reportedly been victimized similarly a week before when an intruder choked her after forcing entry by way of her first-floor window. Guy allegedly hit four officers, killing Dinwiddie and prompting police to fire over 40 rounds in return.

The prosecution, however, theorized that Guy had somehow come to know the police were coming and that he'd set a trap to "ambush" them. "One man's ambush is another man panicked, being scared his home is being broken into," countered Jon Evans, Guy's defense attorney.

Key to the defense's case were the frenzied circumstances characteristic of many no-knock raidsnamely that it was set in motion without warning and before dawn, when the target is likely to be disoriented. A witness for the government testified the first day that during such raids it was department policy to shine a light into the home so police could see in but the subject couldn't see out.

The prosecution concluded their case on Thursday with testimony from Dinwiddie's widow, Holly, in what was effectively a victim impact statement. "He had a zest for life," she said. "He woke up happy." The defense rested the same day after calling one witness: retired Killeen Police Department Commander Scott Meads, who conducted an administrative review of the raid and identified several tactical errors and concerns, including that the officers were confused over the apartment's layout.

Texas has the Castle Doctrine, the legal principle that entitles someone to stand their ground in their home if they perceive a deadly threat. That protection evaporates, however, if the person is engaged in illegal activity. Law enforcement allegedly found traces of white powder on Guy's apartment floor, in his car, and in the trash, though the government did not charge him with a drug crime.

He is not the first defendant who has struggled to reconcile no-knock raids with the right to protect yourself. As I wrote earlier this month:

In 2020, Breonna Taylor was killed by police during a similar raid after her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, grabbed a firearm he legally owned and fired one shot at police, believing them to be intruders. (Police claim they announced themselves before breaking down Walker's door; Walker says he didn't hear them.) Charges against him were ultimately dismissed.

But not everyone's case attracts the attention of the world. Guywho was held on $4 million bond and whose trial was delayed multiple times due to his poor health; the COVID-19 pandemic; defense attorneys leaving or being terminated; and arguments with the District Attorney's office over obtaining evidencewill find out his fate next week at sentencing. Prosecutors originally wanted the death penalty, which they agreed to drop last year in order to expedite the almost decade-long pretrial process.

The post Marvin Guy, Who Shot a Cop During a No-Knock Raid, Is Found Guilty of Murder appeared first on Reason.com.
A member of a Maryland task force aimed at combating hate crimes published numerous antisemitic social media posts, including claiming that the babies brutally murdered in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack were "fake," and comparing the nation of Israel to Nazi Germany.

Zainab Chaudry, an anti-Israel activist who serves as the director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations' (CAIR) Maryland office, made the posts in the weeks following Hamas' attack, which saw more than 1,200 people killed, including children and babies, as well as numerous rapes and destruction of property.

"I will never be able to understand how the world summoned up rage for 40 fake Israeli babies while completely turning a blind eye to 3,000 real Palestinian babies," Chaudry wrote in a Facebook post dated Oct. 26.

WATCH: WHITE HOUSE ISSUES BRUTAL RESPONSE TO BIDEN'S INAPPROPRIATE NICKNAME GIVEN BY ANTI-ISRAEL CRITICS

Zainab Chaudry speaks during a press conference at the Muslim Community Center in Silver Spring, Maryland on February 16, 2015.

"[T]hat moment when you become what you hated most," Chaudry wrote in an Oct. 17 post, including two photos of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, one showing it lit up with the Israeli flag in solidarity with Israel following the attack, and another from a ceremony in 1936 when it was decorated with the flag of Nazi Germany during the Olympics that year.

In another post from Nov. 6, Chaudry appeared to suggest the mere existence of Israel as a nation was the cause of the ongoing war, writing it was an "inconvenient fact." She included an image of the words "it all started in 1948," the year Israel was founded as a nation.

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Others from the weeks following the attack showed Chaudry sharing a quote celebrating "martyred Palestinians," and a post citing what appeared to be an Islamic prophesy that said "garrisons who defend the lands of Islam will be in Ashkelon," an Israeli city north of the Gaza Strip.

DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST MEMBERS OF CONGRESS HAVE NOT CONDEMNED VIOLENT ANTI-ISRAEL PROTEST TARGETING OWN PARTY HQ

Zainab Chaudry, a member of the Maryland Commission on Hate Crime Response and Prevention, made numerous antisemitic social media posts following the Oct.7 Hamas attack.

Despite the posts, Chaudry has maintained her place on the Maryland Commission on Hate Crime Response and Prevention, a position for which she was nominated by Democrat Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown in August.

The commission's goal, according to Brown's office, is to address hate crime incidents across Maryland, and to "communicate and promote understanding of diverse perspectives in a positive and meaningful way."

Brown's spokesperson, Jennifer Donelan, told Fox News Digital that "the views and opinions of any individual Commission member do not reflect those of either the Maryland Commission on Hate Crime Response and Prevention or the Attorney General."

BIDEN'S APPROVAL RATING SINKS OVER ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR; SUPPORT FOR TRUMP IN 2024 RISES: POLL

Chaudry compared Israel to Nazi Germany after sharing photos from Berlin of the Nazi flag hanging from the Brandenburg Gate in 1936 and a recent one of the location lit up with the Israeli flag.

"We understand that there are many viewpoints regarding current events in the Middle East. The Commission will do its best to explore the impact of those events on our community, and to determine how best to address escalations in hate and bias incidents across the state," she said, explaining that the Commission would "develop policies and protocols governing its work" and how its members engage on the issues.

"Just as we urge others to do, the Commission will identify ways in which we can foster productive and empathetic dialogue amongst ourselves that leads to mutual understanding. We, like the rest of the world, must first talk to one another and, most importantly, listen to one another as we work toward the goals of peace and tolerance," she added.

When reached for comment, Chaudry told Fox News Digital that the "Nazi post" was originally shared "by a close Jewish friend," before going on to accuse the Israeli government of wanting to commit genocide against Palestinians.

NYU CANCER DOCTOR SUES HOSPITAL, SCHOOL OVER PRO-ISRAEL POSTS, SAYS HE'S A SACRIFICIAL LAMB

Chaudry claimed the mere existence of Israel as a nation was the cause of the ongoing war, writing it was an "inconvenient fact" that tension had been building up since 1948.

"The Israeli prime minister has analogized the bombing of Gaza to an ancient biblical story about the total genocide of a city, [and] declared that there are no innocent civilians in Gaza, the Israel defense minister has justified starving Palestinian civilians by calling them 'human animals,' the Israeli military spokesman has said that the aim of their bombing campaign is destruction rather than accuracy. Multiple Israeli ministers have called for the ethnic cleansing of Gaza, with one even calling the ongoing war a Nakba 2023,'" she said.

"I strongly and unapologetically condemn Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right, racist government for repeatedly making such genocidal threats towards the Palestinian people and killing over 13,000 Palestinians in Gaza, most of them women and children murdered in their homes. Unlike many of the Israeli government's most extreme supporters, I recognize that killing any civilians is wrong, which is why my office has repeatedly condemned the killing of both Israeli and Palestinian civilians," she said.

"There is no conflict between condemning the Israeli government's genocidal war crimes overseas and standing up against all forms of hate here at home, including antisemitism, Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism. False smears from anti-Palestinian and anti-Muslim extremists will not stop me from standing up for justice here and abroad," she added.

Fox News Digital has reached out to CAIR for comment.





Original article source: Maryland hate crime task force member claimed babies murdered by Hamas were 'fake,' compared Israel to Nazis
The two children who were struck and killed by a van driver as they walked to school in Maryland Monday morning have been named as more details about the fatal collision become known.

The two victims  10-year-old Shalom Mbah and 5-year-old Sky Sosa, both of Riverdale  were on a crosswalk outside Riverdale Elementary School in Prince George's County and on their way to class at around 8 a.m. when a woman driving a Ford van collided with them, Prince Georges County Police Chief Malik Aziz said Tuesday morning.

Responding police provided medical aid to the two students who were suffering from critical injuries. They were both transported to a nearby hospital where they died a short time later, police said.

The Ford van involved in a collision with two students in Maryland on Monday. The victims have been named as 10-year-old Shalom Mbah and 5-year-old Sky Sosa.

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Aziz also revealed that a man who was walking with the victims was also struck. His injuries are not considered life-threatening.

The van driver was not injured.

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A preliminary investigation revealed that the van driver was traveling southbound on Taylor Road toward Riverdale Road. She made a left turn onto Riverdale Road and struck the victims, who were crossing the street on a crosswalk, police said.

"Two families, friends, are without their children today, at a time when we are gearing up to give thanks for all the blessings that have been bestowed on us," Aziz said at a news conference, according to NBC.

Police on the scene of the crash in Maryland that killed two students Monday.

The Prince Georges County Police Departments Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Unit (CARU) is investigating the fatal collision. CARUs investigation could take months to complete, officials said.

A fourth grader who witnessed the tragic incident spoke to FOX 5.

"A lady got out of the van. It was a black van. And then next I saw a whole bunch of teachers running," the student said.

All activities at Riverdale Elementary School were canceled Monday, including an award ceremony for honor roll students.

An aerial view of the accident scene in Maryland Monday.

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Patricia Ramirez, who was dropping her sister off at school, told FOX 5 she did not see a traffic guard at the school that morning.

"Theres no organizing when it comes to picking up, dropping off at all," Ramirez said. "Staff is amazing, and they try to help out as best they can but as far as traffic control out here, its horrible."

Millard House II, the superintendent of Prince George's County Public School, released a statement sharing his grief.

"Our hearts ache as we extend our deepest condolences following the tragic pedestrian accident that claimed the lives of two Riverdale Elementary School students this morning," he said.

"The entire community is grieving, and our thoughts are with the families and loved ones affected by this unimaginable loss during Thanksgiving week."

"As we approach the holiday dedicated to expressing gratitude and cherishing our loved ones, the stark reminder of lifes fragility weighs heavily on us," he wrote.

"In the face of this tragedy, let us unite, supporting one another and holding our children a little tighter, recognizing the preciousness of every moment we have with our loved ones. Our community stands together in shared sorrow, offering comfort and strength during this difficult time."





Original article source: Maryland students fatally struck by van on way to school identified: police
Materials and Chemistry Laboratory Inc. (MCLinc) has donated $100,000 to support Roane States new Knox Regional Health Science Education Center currently under construction in West Knoxville, a news release said.

The 130,000-square-foot center will be at 9575 Sherrill Boulevard. Once complete, the facility will replace Roane States existing Knox County Center for Health Sciences on Hayfield Road. The Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) Knoxville will also move its health science programs into the new facility, according to a news release.

The new center is expected to educate more than 8,000 students each year in a variety of healthcare roles. Current Roane State programs to be offered at the new campus include nursing, EMS, polysomnography, and respiratory therapy, with the college planning to add new programs such as cardiovascular technology, health care administration, and public health.

The main feature of the facility will be a large, multipurpose simulation center with spaces built to replicate a variety of health care training settings, the release said. In each of these settings, live-actor and simulated scenarios will prepare students for real-world situations as they work in teams to learn how to provide quality patient care.

Materials and Chemistry Laboratory Inc. has donated $100,000 to support Roane States new Knox Regional Health Science Education Center currently under construction. From left are Scott Niermann, Roane State Foundation with Barry Stephenson and Michele Sanders, MCLinc

MCLinc is proud to be a part of this regional partnership focused on answering the need for more training capacity in medical support fields, MCLinc President and CEO Barry Stephenson said in the release. This project brings together the skills and infrastructure needed to deliver a successful program in a timely way.

The total estimated budget for the project is $75 million, with the state of Tennessee contributing $67.5 million to the effort. Roane State Foundation is leading a fundraising campaign to provide the remaining $7.5 million needed to complete the project.

It is our hope that MCLincs support of the program will encourage other businesses and individuals to contribute their support, Stephenson added.

Roane State Foundation assembled a campaign cabinet this past spring to help with the fundraising efforts. Stephenson, a longtime Roane State supporter, was one of the first to accept the invitation to join that group.

This is the largest capital project in Roane State history and we are so thankful for partners like Barry Stephenson who are at the forefront of communicating how this facility will serve our students and our communities, said Roane State Foundation Executive Director Scott Niermann. As we continue the major gifts stage of campaign fundraising, we are meeting with area leaders, philanthropists and friends of Roane State to share the impact of this project and how they can help us make a difference.

The projects preliminary timeline has the Knox Regional Health Science Education Center set to open for students in the fall of 2025.

To learn more about how to get involved with the fundraising campaign, or to make a direct contribution, visit roanestate.edu/donate and select the Knox Regional Health Science Education and Simulation Center link under Capital Projects. Additional information is available at roanestate.edu/foundation or by calling Roane State Foundation at 865-882-4507.

The 130,000-square-foot Center for Health Sciences at 9575 Sherrill Boulevard is expected to educate more than 8,000 students each year in a variety of health care roles.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: MCLinc donates $100,000 for Roane States new health science campus
The European Parliament has agreed to open an office in Ukraine following requests by senior Ukrainian officials, Euractiv reported on Nov. 21, citing a document from the European Parliament bureau.

The decision, approved on Nov. 20, reportedly aims to facilitate relations with the Ukrainian parliament, namely to connect it with the European Parliament's committees.

The European Parliament has a liaison office in each member state to strengthen outreach to individual countries. It also has several offices outside the EU, for example, in the U.S. or the U.K.

According to the document seen by Euractiv, President Volodymyr Zelensky asked European Parliament President Roberta Metsola to establish representation in Ukraine during their March meeting in Lviv.

Ruslan Stefanchuk, the Ukrainian parliament chairman, also allegedly raised the issue in late April.

The European Parliament's presence in Ukraine aims to ensure that the EU parliamentary committees are "regularly informed about ongoing issues and processes" in the country, as well as in other Eastern Partnership states, the document said.

Ukraine submitted its EU membership bid in February 2022. The European Commission recently recommended launching formal accession talks, acknowledging Kyiv's reform efforts on its path toward European integration.

EU leaders are expected to make the decision on the accession negotiations in December. While some members voiced support for opening the talks, Hungary said it would oppose such a step.

Read also: How Ukrainian identity evolved since the Revolution of Dignity

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
A group of around 100 farmers plan to join the Polish truckers protest at a border crossing with Ukraine on Nov. 23, Bloomberg reported on Nov. 20.

Polish truckers have been protesting the EU's liberalization of transport rules for Ukrainian trucks at three checkpoints since Nov. 6, causing huge lines on both sides of the border.

Farmers from the Betrayed Countryside association plan to stage a three-day protest at a fourth crossing at Medyka, one of the organizers told Bloomberg.

Drivers stuck in line are facing tough conditions as temperatures plummet and snow falls in eastern Poland.

Kyiv has created a support group to provide Ukrainian drivers with food, drinking water, medicine, and fuel.

According to EU rules, Ukrainian trucks do not require permits until June 30, 2024, after the EU and Ukraine signed an agreement in June 2022 to liberalize transport rules.

Polish truckers claim that the lack of entry permits for Ukrainian trucks is hurting business for Polish drivers. They are also calling for a ban on transportation companies from outside the EU.

Deputy Infrastructure Minister Serhiy Derkach wrote on Facebook on Nov. 19 that 1,200 trucks were blocked at the Korczowa crossing, and 500 trucks were blocked at the Hrebenne crossing.

"There were a total of no more than 15 protesters at these two checkpoints," Derkach said, highlighting that "a dozen people are holding the border hostage."

Read also: Media: Polish border guards allegedly refuse entry of humanitarian goods into Ukraine

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
New Delhi  Forty-one construction workers trapped inside a tunnel under construction in northern India's Himalayan region were seen in a video Tuesday for the first time since a partial collapse of the tunnel 10 days earlier left them stuck behind a mountain of rubble. The video, captured by a medical endoscopic camera slipped into the tunnel through a pipe forced through the debris pile on Monday, showed the men wearing hard hats, reflective jackets and a glimmer of hope on their stubble-covered faces.

The workers were trapped in the highway tunnel in Silkyara, in northern India's Uttarakhand state, by the partial collapse early on Nov. 12 that was triggered by a suspected landslide.

A narrow pipe drilled into the tunnel on the first day of the collapse has enabled rescuers to supply the trapped workers with sufficient oxygen, food and medicine, but since then, the rescue effort has been stymied by a series of challenges.

Rescue workers prepare to conduct an operation after a portion of an under-construction tunnel collapsed in Uttarkashi, in the northern state of Uttarakhand, India, Nov. 14, 2023. / Credit: Uttarakhand State Disaster Response Force/Handout/REUTERS

The rescuers' initial plan, to force a pipe wide enough for the workers to crawl out of horizontally through the rubble heap, has proven unsuccessful, largely due to debris continuing to fall and fear that large-scale drilling could lead to further collapses  including in the 1.5-mile stretch where the workers are trapped.

Authorities have said the rescue could still take several more days, but getting the first glimpse of the trapped men, and a conversation they were able to have with rescuers by walkie-talkie, have raised hopes and morale for the rescuers.

"Are you alright? If all of you are okay, please show yourself before the camera. Please raise your hands and smile," rescuers told the men as the medical camera watched.

The men could be seen lining up for the camera, some of them waving.

A screen shows images being sent from a medical endoscopy camera that was fed through a pipe into a tunnel where a partial collapse left 41 workers trapped in India's northern Uttarakhand state, Nov. 21. 2023. / Credit: ANI/District Information Officer/Reuters

"We will reach you very soon, please do not worry. Please come in front of the camera one by one. We want to show your relatives that you are okay," a rescuer told them through the walkie-talkie.

One of the trapped workers, Jaidev, got the rescuers to record a message for his mother, whom he told not to worry.

"I am fine. Please, you and father eat your meals on time," he told his mother.

Family members of some of the trapped workers have waited outside the tunnel for days, voicing anger and, in some cases, blaming authorities for the still-fruitless rescue efforts. But they've been able to speak with the trapped men regularly.

"I have been talking to him every day. Today also I talked via the big pipe which was inserted," said Indrajit Kumar, whose brother Biswajit Kumar is among the marooned workers. "They are all safe inside."

The rescuers used the same newly-drilled six-inch wide pipe on Monday to send the trapped men their first hot meal, packed into plastic bottles. They have also been sent Vitamin C and anti-depression medicine, to help them deal with the stress of being trapped, officials said.

Rescue workers send food through a pipe during rescue operations for trapped constructions workers 10 days after a section of the under construction Silkyara road tunnel collapsed in India's Uttarakhand state, Nov. 21, 2023. / Credit: ARUN SANKAR/AFP/Getty

Anshu Manish Khalkho, director of the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL) that is building the tunnel, called the pipe the "first breakthrough."

Authorities have come up with five possible plans to extract the trapped men, including drilling vertically from the top of the mountain into the tunnel. Drilling to create that vertical shaft was expected to start Tuesday evening, according to Devendra Patwal, a disaster management official overseeing the rescue.

The rescuers will need to dig down roughly 338 feet to reach the trapped workers, which could take several days. Efforts to reach the men by boring horizontally through the rubble heap were also set to resume after being halted over the weekend due a "loud cracking noise" heard during the drilling.

"This is an extremely dangerous environment auguring requires very precise engineering," Arnold Dix, head of the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association (AITES), who's helping oversee work at the tunnel site, said earlier this week.

Environmentalists have warned for years against major construction projects in the ecologically fragile Himalayan region. The relatively young mountain chain is prone to landslides.

The tunnel is part of a federal government infrastructure project dubbed the Char Dham highway, which is aimed at improving connectivity between four popular Hindu pilgrimage sites in northern India.

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As Georgia became the first state in the U.S. to allow pharmacies to sell medical cannabis, a pharmacy in Warner Robins became one of the first pharmacies in the country to sell the products.

Robins Pharmacy, at 150 South Houston Lake Road, made low-dose THC products available on Oct. 27 to customers who have a medical marijuana card.

Ankit Patel, owner of Robins Pharmacy, said he started following the medical marijuana movement in Georgia with the Haleighs Hope Act, which allowed patients in 2015 to be able to possess up to 20 fluid ounces of low-THC oil with their doctors recommendation.

Im thinking I have patients that can use this medicine, but we dont have a way or access to get it to them, he said.

In 2019, Georgias legislature approved the Georgias Hope Act, which allowed for the production of low-THC products in the state. In September 2022, the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission (GMCC) issued the first production licenses to Botanical Sciences and Trulieve. The two companies opened their first dispensaries earlier this year, said Andrew Turnage, the executive director for the GMCC.

The products that are available in Georgia have 5% THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, the part of cannabis that gives people a high. Unregulated, recreational marijuana has more than 30% THC, Turnage said.

Medical cannabis is available at Robins Pharmacy in Warner Robins. The pharmacy is one of the first in the State to offer medical cannabis.

The Board of Pharmacy, our sister state agency, really gets the credit for the next leg of the progress with our states access for patients. They put rules in place to allow independent pharmacies all across the state to apply for a dispensing license and those rules were signed by the governor in a expeditious manor, and the board has began to issue those licenses, he said.

Robins Pharmacy was one of the first pharmacies to receive their license, and the pharmacy sells oils, capsules, lozenges and creams, Patel said.

I think people just think its like a loophole just to get high, Patel said. We dont even sell products like flour or like a brownie edible. Thats not the case here. So, I think people just dont know when they hear medical cannabis. ... its completely different than what you would think like if you go to a recreational medical dispensary.

So, how do I get medical marijuana?

If you have trouble sleeping at night, thats not criteria for getting the card, Patel said.

In order to receive a Low-THC Oil Registry Card, a patient or caregiver must speak with their physician, who submits an application for the patient or caregiver to receive the card.

The patient must have one of the following conditions to meet the requirements for a card, according to the Georgia DPHs website.

Cancer, when such diagnosis is end stage or the treatment produces related wasting illness or recalcitrant nausea and vomiting Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, when such diagnosis is severe or end-stage Seizure disorders related to the diagnosis of epilepsy or trauma related head injuries Multiple sclerosis, when such diagnosis is severe or end-stage Crohns disease Mitochondrial disease Parkinsons disease, when such diagnosis is severe or end-stage Sickle cell disease, when such diagnosis is severe or end-stage Tourettes syndrome, when such syndrome is diagnosed as severe Autism spectrum disorder, when (a) patient is 18 years of age or more, or (b) patient is less than 18 years of age and diagnosed with severe autism Epidermolysis bullosa Alzheimers disease, when such disease is severe or end-stage AIDS when such syndrome is severe or end-stage Peripheral neuropathy, when symptoms are severe or end-stage Patient is in hospice program, either as inpatient or outpatient Intractable pain Post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from direct exposure to or witnessing of a trauma for a patient who is at least 18 years of age.

There is a $25 fee for the card. In Middle Georgia, the Macon-Bibb County Health Department and the Houston County Health Department are allowed to distribute the cards to qualified patients.

Patients who believe they meet one or more of the requirements should talk to their doctor. If a doctor has never helped a patient through the process, they can visit the Georgia Department of Public Healths website for guidance.

Although Georgia is making strides to allow access to patients with serious medical illnesses, patients with lesser symptoms are still not allowed to get a card.

I encourage people to reach out to their their legislator, because ultimately, the law is what determines who has access, Turnage said. I dont think anyone would choose to watch their loved one continue to suffer when theres a safe, quality, laboratory-tested, highly-regulated product thats available that can help and does help.

Whats it like for patients?

Jim Garrison, a customer of Robins Pharmacy, has suffered from lung cancer for around two years, and he purchased his first supply of medical cannabis from Trulieve Macon Dispensary, he said.

It kind of keeps the pain at the bay, which mine is kind of a weird pain. You cant really describe it because its in the lung, but that discomfort is gone and just your overall mood tends to be a little more, not as harsh, he said.

Although he used traditional pain medications in the past, he said they made him feel bad, and it was hard to do daily tasks, but with the medical marijuana, he is able to manage better.

Its not the evil people say it is, he said.
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  One woman says her 97-year-old mothers medical records were given to the family of a man in his late 50s in a medical mix-up at St. Francis Hospital.

Now, she is trying to sort out how this could happen and whether other patients private information is being compromised.

Kimberly Nash is feeling frustration and disbelief after an unbelievable call this week from a woman she didnt know.

Nash says the woman called her saying she had the medical information for Nashs 97-year-old mother, Beverly Nash.

She started reading out records to me my mothers name and date of birth and the diagnosis and date of discharge. And I realized that she was saying that she had my mothers records by accident, Nash said.

St. Francis doctor accused of unethical conduct, license revoked

All of the personal information was given to Dale Washington, who said she found it in a stack of paperwork she had been given after her late husband, a patient at St. Francis, died in April.

Washington met with Nash to turn over the records.

I thought maybe it was somebody from the hospital. Then I read over it and I said, These are actually somebodys medical papers,' Washington said.

Nash is thankful Washington reached out to her about the documents. Now, she wants answers knowing this could have gone in a different direction in the wrong hands.

I mean, we dont have really a very similar last name. So its not like some people Ive talked to have said its an honest mistake, but its theres not a similarity there that I can see that would justify it, Nash said.

Shes concerned the information could have gotten into the wrong hands.

Identity theft is the first thing of course that comes to my mind, Nash said. And theres so many scams, I cant keep up with all of them, but Im sure that with that as the amount of information thats on those records of a lot of damage could be done in the wrong hands.

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WREG reached out to St. Francis Hospital. They said they are looking into what happened but would need more time to find the information.

That seems like negligence. So I want to make sure that we get it nipped in the bud and that it doesnt continue to happen to us or others, Nash said.

We also asked St. Francis Hospital how often something like this happens and what protocols they have in place to prevent it or respond. We are waiting to hear back.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
 Flash

China deeply mourned the passing of Mr. Daisaku Ikeda, honorary president of Japan's major lay Buddhist organization Soka Gakkai, and extended sincere condolences to his family, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday.

Ikeda, honorary president of the Soka Gakkai, died on Nov. 15 at age 95 in Tokyo. Ikeda proposed the normalization of China-Japan relations in 1968 in Japan and actively involved himself in promoting friendship between the two countries.

Spokesperson Mao Ning told a daily press briefing that China expressed profound grief and deep condolences over the passing of Mr. Ikeda and extended sincere sympathies to his family.

"Over the decades, Mr. Ikeda, as the leader of the Soka Gakkai, remained committed to China-Japan friendship and made an important contribution to rebuilding and growing the relations between our two countries," Mao said, noting that he was a dear old friend of the Chinese people and had their trust and respect.

"When Mr. Ikeda first visited China in 1974, he said he wanted to build a 'golden bridge' of peace between China and Japan. We hope the golden bridge he advocated will stand forever," Mao said.
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  This is an emergency message 

Many were woken up Saturday night to a phone call and text from the Memphis Police Department alerting the city of a manhunt to find Mavis Christian Jr., the man accused of shooting five females and killing four before he was found dead overnight.

Who is shooting spree suspect Mavis Christian Jr.?

It was the voice of Memphis Alerts system, a relatively new system MPD says alerts the public of critical events, severe weather, and any incident that could be a danger to the general public.

How does this emergency alert system work and when does MPD use it?

The Memphis Alerts system was implemented this February, months after Ezekiel Kelly allegedly shot six people across the city, killing three in a shooting spree that gripped the city for hours.

Ezekiel Kelly: Complete case coverage

At that time MPD had no way of alerting everyone that the city of Memphis was put on lockdown.

But how does MPD have your phone number? They say this system allows the City of Memphis to send messages to specific areas or even to the entire city.

MPD says, to make sure you receive alerts through text, calls, or email from the City of Memphis, you need to sign up at Memphisalerts.com

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
A Tennessee man suspected in a shooting spree across Memphis that left four dead and one injured was found dead in his car Sunday of an apparent suicide, Memphis police said.

Police found the body of Mavis Christian Jr., 52, with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound after he had targeted three women and two teenage girls, all of whom were related to him, according to a Memphis Police Department news release. Four of the victims, including a 13-year-old, were declared dead at the shooting scenes, and a 15-year-old girl was in the hospital with critical injuries.

Officers responded to three shootings on Sunday. At about 5:34 p.m., they arrived on a residential street to find the bodies of two of the women as well as the injured teen in what investigators suspect was a domestic violence-related attack, according to the news release from the Memphis police.

An undated photo of Mavis Christian Jr. released by the Memphis Police Department.

An undated photo of Mavis Christian Jr. released by the Memphis Police Department.

Christian reportedly fled the scene in a white car.

About an hour later, at approximately 6:40 p.m., Memphis police responded to a second scene about seven miles away, where they found a third woman shot dead.

Later that night, at about 9:22, police arrived at a third scene about 11 miles from the second shooting, where they found the body of the fifth victim.

Police issued a statement on X (formerly Twitter) declaring all three shootings connected, and launched a multi-jurisdiction manhunt for Christian.

Investigators found Christian inside his car early Sunday morning, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

We are deeply saddened by the tragic and senseless shootings on Saturday ... resulting in the deaths of four innocent family members and a fifth victim critically injured, police said in the statement.

Police have not identified the victims or a motive in the shootings. But a daughter of one of the victims, Selise Manuel, told Memphis news outlet WREG-TV that her mother, Ruby Manuel, had been fatally shot inside her home.

Manuel identified Christian as her uncle. She told WREG that Christian had also killed her sister, Lateisha Bobo, and Bobos 13-year-old daughter before coming to her home.

Manuel identified the surviving victim as her niece. She said she believes Christian carried out the shooting as part of a spat over her late grandmothers house.

We didnt want him staying there, Manuel told WREG. He threatened my mother a few times before and my sister a few times, but we didnt think much of it even though we should have because he went to jail for attempted murder.

According to reports by The Commercial Appeal news outlet, Christian had been arrest in 2007 for attempted second degree murder and aggravated assault, and in 2018, he was taken into custody in 2018 for a felony domestic violence, aggravated assault, theft and vandalism. The Appeal said the arrests, however, did not lead to convictions.

Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) for the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

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The Memphis Police Department said Mavis Christian Jr. shot five women, killing four.

Memphis police have identified the victims who were killed during a night of domestic violence that would ultimately claim four lives and put a fifth in jeopardy.

Lateisha Bobo, 35, Ruby Manuel, 56, and Tawanda Christian, 44, were killed by Mavis Christian Jr., Memphis police said Monday, before he turned his gun on himself. All three victims were related to Mavis Christian Jr. A fourth victim, a 13-year-old, will not be identified due to her age.

The violence began Saturday after 5:30 p.m. Officers responded to a house on Field Lark Drive, south of T.O. Fuller State Park.

At the house on Field Lark Drive, Memphis police found three female victims with gunshot wounds. Bobo and the young teen were pronounced dead at the scene, and a third victim, also a teen, was rushed to Regional One Health in critical condition.

Since the shooting, the lone surviving shooting victim, a 15-year-old girl, has been upgraded to critical, but stable, condition.

Within an hour, police said, Mavis Christian Jr. shot and killed Manuel in a house located in the 5000 block of Warrington Road. in Southeast Memphis.

The Memphis Police Department said Mavis Christian Jr. shot five women, killing four.

By 9:22 p.m., police responded to a third crime scene, this one close to Southaven in the 100 block of Howard Drive. There, police found Christian's final victim  Tawanda Christian.

Within hours, police connected all three shooting scenes to Mavis Christian Jr. and triggered a large-scale, multi-agency manhunt. Public alerts began to blare on cell phones just before midnight.

By 3:30 a.m. Sunday, Memphis police announced Mavis Christian Jr. had been found not far from the first shooting scene in South Memphis, dead in his car from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Memphis police are still investigating what led up to the violent rampage.

Micaela Watts is a reporter for The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at micaela.watts@commercialappeal.com.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Four women killed in Memphis shooting spree identified by MPD
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill.  A well-known rapper from the Metro East was shot and killed Sunday evening in a frightening episode on the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge.

Someone opened fire on Troy Edwards as he drove across the Stan Musial Bridge from St. Louis to Illinois, the Illinois State Police said. Edwards, who went by the stage name Mudd Bughatti, was pronounced dead just after 11 p.m. He was 25.

This was not the first time Edwards was a victim of a shooting. Nearly two years ago, Edwards was shot multiple times in an incident in which one person died.

News of Edwards death spread quickly on social media in the music industry.

DJ Shay Money knew Edwards and said he had a bright future.

Working in the music industry, I have encountered him at the radio stations, concerts, events. Whenever he had new music coming out, he would text me, Money said. I was a supporter of his records. He was just a very happy person; always smiling, good energy, good vibes.

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Investigators said Edwards was in a white SUV traveling east on the bridge when someone in another vehicle opened fire. A passenger in Edwards SUV was wounded and rushed to the hospital. Their injuries were not life-threatening.

The Illinois State Police said no one is in custody.

Very sad. He was a father. If you followed him on social media, he loved his daughters, Money said. Prayers to his family and prayers to his children. Its a loss to St. Louis and the rap community. We have to do better. The violence has to stop.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.
Id like to ask you to close your eyes.

Imagine a woman, 32 years old, 165cm tall. Slim, with light brown skin and slender arms with soft black hair. An oval face and a button nose that turned up at the end. Intense, coffee-coloured eyes. Eyes that expressed joy, anger, calm and sadness.

Juana Laura Garridos voice wavered, but never broke, as she described Viviana, her sister, who vanished almost five years ago in Mexico City.

Garrido was taking part in a seminar that sought to shed light on the thousands of people that have disappeared in the Mexican capital  and challenged the city governments narrative that security has improved dramatically on its watch.

Such questions could shape next years election, as Claudia Sheinbaum, who led the Mexico City government from 2018 until recently, runs for president.

Violence in Mexico soared with the launch of the militarised war on drugs in 2006, and it has remained stubbornly high throughout the term of the president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, which began in 2018.

Calderon sends in the army

Mexicos war on drugs began in late 2006 when the president at the time, Felipe Calderon, ordered thousands of troops on to the streets in response to an explosion of horrific violence in his native state of Michoacan.

Calderon hoped to smash the drug cartels with his heavily militarized onslaught but the approach was counterproductive and exacted a catastrophic human toll. As Mexicos military went on the offensive, the body count skyrocketed to new heights and tens of thousands were forced from their homes, disappeared or killed.

Kingpin strategy

Simultaneously, Calderon also began pursuing the so-called kingpin strategy by which authorities sought to decapitate the cartels by targeting their leaders.

That policy resulted in some high-profile successes  notably Arturo Beltran Leyva, who was gunned down by Mexican marines in 2009  but also did little to bring peace. In fact, many believe such tactics served only to pulverize the world of organized crime, creating even more violence as new, less predictable factions squabbled for their piece of the pie.

Under Calderons successor, Enrique Pena Nieto, the governments rhetoric on crime softened as Mexico sought to shed its reputation as the headquarters of some the worlds most murderous mafia groups.

But Calderons policies largely survived, with authorities targeting prominent cartel leaders such as Sinaloas Joaquin El Chapo Guzman.

When El Chapo was arrested in early 2016, Mexicos president bragged: Mission accomplished. But the violence went on. By the time Pena Nieto left office in 2018, Mexico had suffered another record year of murders, with nearly 36,000 people slain.

'Hugs not bullets'

The leftwing populist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador took power in December, promising a dramatic change in tactics. Lopez Obrador, or Amlo, as most call him, vowed to attack the social roots of crime, offering vocational training to more than 2.3 million disadvantaged young people at risk of being ensnared by the cartels.



It will be virtually impossible to achieve peace without justice and [social] welfare, Amlo said, promising to slash the murder rate from an average of 89 killings per day with his hugs not bullets doctrine.

Amlo also pledged to chair daily 6am security meetings and create a 60,000 strong national guard. But those measures have yet to pay off, with the new security force used mostly to hunt Central American migrants.

Mexico now suffers an average of about 96 murders a day.

But throughout this, Mexico City seemed to be an anomaly.

Official data show the rates of high-impact crimes, such as murder, kidnap and robbery, falling across the board since 2019, and the publics perception of insecurity improving.

Most strikingly of all, homicides in the capital appear to have fallen by half.

Mexicos national murder rate in 2022 was 25.2 per 100,000 people  with more than 30,000 murders for the fifth year in a row  but in Mexico City the rate has fallen to 8 per 100,000, similar to US cities like Los Angeles and Phoenix.

This has coincided with a boom in remote working from Mexico City, as digital nomads flock from the US and Europe to live somewhere much cheaper  and apparently just as safe as their home countries.

Historic city centre, Mexico City. Mexicos national murder rate in 2022 was 25.2 per 100,000 people but but in Mexico City the rate has fallen to 8 per 100,000. Photograph: Bjanka Kadic/Alamy

Sheinbaum is the clear favourite to become Mexicos next president as the endorsed successor of Lopez Obrador, and she has made security improvements in Mexico City an important part of her platform.

She has also suggested that the policies implemented in the capital could be expanded nationwide if she becomes president.

But one data point complicates the picture: the ever-growing number of disappeared people in the capital. Each year hundreds, sometimes more than a thousand, go missing.

Related: The disappeared: searching for 40,000 missing victims of Mexicos drug wars

This has spurred investigators to take a closer look at the citys success story.

I think its quite probable that lots of the people who disappeared have in reality been murdered, said Elena Azaola, an academic and member of the citizen council for the Search Commission in Mexico City. And these homicides are not being counted.

Azaolas research underlines that the official data on homicides and disappearances is so fragmented and inconsistent that it is hard to draw any conclusions with confidence.

Mexicos forensic service, its National Geography and Statistics Institute and the National Public Security System each compile their own homicide tallies  and most years those totals differ by hundreds.

Meanwhile, every year since 2016, the cause of between 25 and 47% of violent deaths has not been identified, making it difficult to know if they were homicides, suicides or accidents. This proportion is far higher in Mexico City than anywhere else in the country, for reasons that are unclear.

These discrepancies and inconsistencies are getting more and more serious, said Azaola. The only conclusion I have is that we dont know [the true number of homicides].

This uncertainty applies equally to the number of disappearances, where various institutions have their own registers. The periods of the data do not align perfectly, but over roughly the same period from 2019 to 2023, their totals range from about 1,000 to 10,000 disappeared people.



According to the National Search Commission, which has data going back decades, there appears to have been a surge in the number of disappearances in Mexico City since 2019. In the four preceding years, 285 people disappeared. But in the four years since, 3,598 people did.

A woman speaks during a protest to mark the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, in Mexico City, on 30 August. Photograph: Henry Romero/Reuters

The city government argues that the figures instead show that more cases are being reported since national and city-level search commissions were established in 2017 and 2019 respectively.

It is also possible that the number of disappearances is inflated. For example, some of the people reported as disappeared do turn up shortly after, but their names are never removed from the register.

Currently the prosecutors office of Mexico City  whose data feeds the National Search Commission  is revising the register to remove such cases.

The problem is that there is political pressure to reduce the number of disappeared people, so we dont know if they will do a serious or responsible job, said Azaola.

The same story is playing out at the national level, where Lopez Obrador announced a census to review the official total of disappearances, which has exceeded 110,000.

Karla Quintana, who led the National Search Commission, resigned shortly after that announcement. Their intention is very clear and it is regrettable: it is to reduce the number of disappeared people, mainly during this government, said Quintana.

For now, again, the only certainty is: we dont know [the true numbers], said Azaola.

The debate over these data looks set to intensify in the run up to the election, with some defending the city governments record, while others suggest it could be massaging the data.

With all honesty, I am in the middle of this debate, and I dont know, said Rodrigo Pena, executive director of Seminars on Violence and Peace. But Ive started to question the way in which not just academics but officials have used crime statistics. I think weve fetishised the homicide rate, and some authorities have grasped this and become fixated on reducing homicides, as if this were the lever to reduce all violent crime.

And there are people for whom it is important that this issue isnt in the spotlight, he added. Because the good impression of the security of Mexico City matters for the election.
Donna Adelson, the fifth person arrested in the conspiracy to kill Dan Markel, her former son-in-law, has arrived in Tallahassee to face charges in the nearly decade-old murder.

Adelson, 73, who had been held in a Miami jail, was transported Monday to the Leon County Detention Facility, where she is being held without bond after spending a week in the Miami-Dade Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. She was booked early Tuesday, according to online jail records.

Donna Adelson, who is charged with murder in the 2014 killing of law professor Dan Markel, was booked early Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023, into the Leon County Detention Facility.

She was arrested Nov. 13 after she and her husband tried to fly out of Miami International Airport with one-way tickets to Vietnam, which has no extradition treaty with the U.S.

Her attempted flight came one week after her son, Charlie Adelson, was convicted in Markel's murder and less than 48 hours before a Leon County grand jury indicted her on charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy and solicitation.

Legal analysis: Adelson flight to Vietnam lets state argue 'consciousness of guilt' in Markel murder

After an eight-day trial at the Leon County Courthouse, Charlie Adelson was found guilty Nov. 6 of the same three charges. He faces a mandatory life sentence in the murder of his former brother-in-law.

Markel, a 41-year-old law professor at Florida State University, was fatally shot July 18, 2014, in the garage of his Trescott Drive home. The murder occurred amid a nasty court fight between him and his ex-wife, Wendi Adelson, over their two sons and other issues. Wendi Adelson, whose motion to relocate with the boys to Miami had been denied by a judge, is Donna Adelson's daughter and Charlie Adelson's younger sister.

Donna Adelson was arrested Monday, Nov. 13, 2023 and booked into a Miami-Dade detention facility.

At the time of Donna Adelsons arrest, law enforcement was aware that she was thinking about going on the run. She and her son had spoken multiple times after his trial ended on jail calls and she was recorded mentioning possibly committing suicide or fleeing to a non-extradition country, according to arrest records.

In 2016, the FBI sent an undercover agent posing as a blackmailer to rattle her outside her South Beach condo and get suspects talking on recorded lines. He handed her an article about Markels killing with his phone number and $5,000 written on it.

She had long been a target of both Tallahassee police and the FBI and featured heavily in both her sons trial and earlier trials of Sigfredo Garcia, one of the hit men, and Katie Magbanua, the mother of Garcias kids who was dating Charlie Adelson at the time of the murder.

Moments after that encounter, dubbed the bump, Donna Adelson called her son to tell him she had been handed some paperwork and that they needed to talk in person. She said it involved probably the two of us. So you probably have a general idea of what Im talking about.

A diagram showing Dan Markel, the Florida State law professor who was shot and killed in 2014, right, his ex-wife Wendi Adelson, her parents and brother, to Katherine Magbanua, who dated Adelson's brother, which then connects her to Sigfredo Garcia, who also had a relationship with Magbanua and finally Luis Rivera.

She also signed dozens of checks totaling $18,000 from the familys dental practice that were given to Magbanua over a period of months after the murder despite the fact that she never actually worked there.

The probable cause affidavit says Donna Adelson and her husband, Harvey Adelson, a retired dentist, spoke with the Tallahassee Police Department's lead investigator at Markel's local memorial in 2014 and promised to call him before returning to South Florida to arrange an interview.

Financial picture: Adelson family had 'piles' of cash and millions in the bank when Dan Markel was murdered

"Harvey and Donna Adelson left Tallahassee with Wendi and the grandchildren the day after the memorial service without speaking with the investigator as promised," court records say. "Since leaving, no one in the Adelson family contacted TPD or inquired about the status of the investigation. In July of 2015, Wendi had her children's surname changed from Markel to Adelson."

Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@tallahassee.com or 850-599-2180.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Donna Adelson booked in Tallahassee jail for Dan Markel murder plot
Miami-Dade police announced Tuesday morning the arrests of two 19-year-old men after a bullet grazed an officers face while monitoring a Miami Gardens house the day before.

Travis Fernandez Jr. and Drequan Humes were booked Tuesday morning into the countys Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, jail records show. Fernandez is being held on a $10,000 bond and Humes on a $32,500 bond.

They are charged with attempted second-degree murder of a police officer. Humes is also charged with gun possession by a convicted felon.

The 29-year-old wounded officer, who has been with the department for seven years, has since been discharged from the hospital, Sierra said.

The shooting happened 10:16 a.m. in the area of Northwest 19th Avenue and 154th Street, police said. The wounded officer was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospitals Ryder Trauma Center while police from Miami-Gardens, Miami-Dade, Opa-locka and other agencies combed through the area for the shooter or shooters.

A Miami-Dade police officer was shot in Miami Gardens on Monday, Nov. 20, 2023, the department said.

READ MORE: Five detained after Miami-Dade officer grazed by bullet in Miami Gardens, police say

According to a police source, the wounded officer was part of a detail watching a house as part of an investigation into a shooting over the weekend. The officer and his colleagues followed a car that left that house, and someone in that car opened fire on the police, the source said. The wounded officer was grazed in the head, according to the source. Daniels said the wound was to the officers face.

The officers returned fire, but its not immediately known if they hit anyone.

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Miami Herald reporters Chuck Rabin and David Goodhue contributed to this report.
An all-star cast will headline a new BBC and Amazon show about British journalist Emily Maitliss infamous 2019 Newsnight interview with Prince Andrew.

Michael Sheen (The Queen) will play the role of the UKs disgraced Duke of York, while Ruth Wilson (The Affair) will portray in Maitlis, in a forthcoming, three-part drama titled A Very Royal Scandal.

This anthology series has previously chronicled The Thorpe Affair  the sex scandal that ended Jeremy Thorpes political career  in A Very English Scandal, starring Hugh Grant. Its second edition, A Very British Scandal, focused on the divorce of socialite Margaret Campbell, Duchess of Argyll, played by Claire Foy.

Production is currently underway in the UK and the show will follow Emily Maitliss professional and personal journey as a Newsnight journalist, leading up to her acclaimed interview with Prince Andrew, according to a Variety report.

Reacting to the announcement on Tuesday (21 November), Maitlis celebrated the shows exceptional cast in a post on X/Twitter.

Michael Sheen (Getty Images)

In 2019, the former Newsnight host questioned the controversial royal about his ties to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein as well as the nature of his relationship with Virginia Guiffre  one of Epsteins victims, who accused Andrew of sexually abusing her when she was 17.

Andrew vehemently denied the sex abuse allegations, eventually reaching an out-of-court, multi-million pound settlement with Guiffre.

In the aftermath of his catastrophic interview with Maitlis, the duke resigned from his role as a senior member of the royal family over his relationship with Epstein, the American financier who died in a New York jail while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

During the interview, which was described as a car crash at the time, Andrew made a number of statements that were widely derided at the time,

Andrew told Maitlis he could not have had sex with Guiffre on the night she accused him of assaulting her because he had taken his daughter, Princess Beatrice, to a Pizza Express in Woking.

Elsewhere, he challenged Guiffres description that Andrew was sweating profusely on the night of the alleged assault, explaining that he had a medical condition which made it impossible for me to sweat.

Ruth Wilson (Tristan Fewings/Getty Images)

Earlier this year, Maitlis said she feared her Newsnight interview ended up hurting the dukes daughters, princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, in an op-ed forThe Times.

What is the duty of care you owe to those who trust you with their stories  particularly if they are in no position to answer back? the 52-year-old wrote. These were things I struggled with in the aftermath that still cost me a fair amount of thought today.

In February, it was announced that Gillian Anderson and Rufus Sewell had been cast in a Netflix original film about Prince Andrews Newsnight interview.

The forthcoming movie is based on former Newsnight producer Sam McAlisters memoir Scoops: The BBCs Most Shocking Interviews From Prince Andrew To Steven Seagal.

Netflix said it will look at navigating Palace vetoes, to breaking through to Prince Andrews inner circle, the high-stakes negotiations and intensity of rehearsal  to the jaw-dropping interview itself.
"I am absolutely convinced that our future will be safer with Ukraine within the European Union," European Council President Charles Michel said during a meeting in Kyiv with President Volodymyr Zelensky and Moldovan President Maia Sandu on Nov. 21.

Ukrainians "are fighting for our common values" and "our common future," Michel said.

Addressing the people of Ukraine and Moldova, he said that their respective presidents "made a very clear and strategic choice" when deciding to apply for EU membership.

Michel said that "it is our moral duty and also our strategic responsibility to do everything to deliver" on this choice.

Michel arrived in Kyiv on Nov. 21 with Sandu on the occasion of the Day of Dignity and Freedom, the Ukrainian holiday marking the start of the EuroMaidan protests 10 years ago and the Orange Revolution 19 years ago.

EuroMaidan is "a landmark in our shared European history" Michel said during a joint press conference with Sandu and Zelensky.

The message that Ukrainians are Europeans "is guiding Ukraine through its challenges and also toward a better future."

"Speaking with one voice, we become stronger and more resilient," Sandu captioned a photo of the press conference on X.

Read also: Historian Serhii Plokhy: The better we prepare for the long war, the sooner it will end

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
LANSING, Mich. (FOX 2) - Nine people from cities around metro Detroit and elsewhere in Michigan were arrested and charged following a police operation that was orchestrated last week.

In coordination with Detroit Police and several other local police agencies, the attorney general oversaw a statewide warrant sweep that led with arrests of several unlicensed builders who allegedly stole money through the state's unemployment agency.

The warrant sweep included law enforcement from Detroit, Lansing, and Muskegon on the west side of the state. There were also sheriffs deputies from Lapeer, Macomb, and Muskegon counties and included operations in Ingham, Lapeer, Livingston, Macomb, Mecosta, Oakland, Roscommon, Saginaw, and Wayne counties.

Dana Nessel said that some of suspects targeted in the warrant sweep have yet to be caught.

According to the attorney general, the unlicensed builders came onto the attorney general's radar after complaints were filed through the state's licensing agency. Typically, the complaints alleged the contractor failed to do their job or agreed to do work before being discovered as unlicensed.

"Im thankful to the many law enforcement agencies and officers who made this successful sweep possible, along with the special agents from my Department," said Nessel. "When fraudsters and bad actors harm consumers and Michigan residents, we will pursue justice however and wherever needed."

The suspects include:

Michael Hill, 66, of Houghton Lake, for operating as an unlicensed residential builder

Darrell Kendrick, 65, of Detroit, for misdemeanor fraud against the UIA

Miroslav Matieska, 49, of Hamtramck, for operating as an unlicensed builder

Maurice Mills, 45, of Inkster, for misdemeanor fraud against the UIA

Robert Mills, 50, of Romulus, for operating as an unlicensed builder

Eddie Mosely, 54, of Auburn Hills, for misdemeanor fraud against the UIA

Patrice Nolden, 51, of Eastpointe, for misdemeanor fraud against the UIA

Tanya Parker, 48, of Detroit, for misdemeanor fraud against the UIA

Jimmie Turner, Jr., 69, of Berkley, for operating as an unlicensed builder
 Flash

Photo taken on Feb. 19, 2020 shows the Pentagon seen from an airplane over Washington, D.C., the United States. [Photo/Xinhua]

The United States on Monday announced an additional package of military assistance to Ukraine worth 100 million U.S. dollars, as Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was in Kiev for a visit to reassure U.S. support.



Included in this tranche of weapons provision were Stinger antiaircraft missiles; one High Mobility Artillery Rocket System and additional ammunition; 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds, Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles; Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems; more than 3 million rounds of small arms ammunition; among other equipment, according to a release from the Department of Defense (DoD).

It marked the Joe Biden administration's 51st round of military aid to Ukraine to be provided from the DoD weapons inventories since August 2021, utilizing assistance previously authorized by Biden under the Presidential Drawdown Authority.

Austin was in Kiev on Monday to hold high-level talks with the Ukrainian leadership, where he underscored "the continued U.S. commitment to providing Ukraine with the security assistance it needs" in the ongoing conflict with Russia, "while also discussing a long-term vision for Ukraine's future force," the Pentagon said in a separate statement.
A top Microsoft executive announced that the company will match compensation for any OpenAI employees who threatened to resign from their positions with the company amid the ouster of former CEO Sam Altman.

Microsoft Chief Technology Officer Kevin Scott made the announcement Tuesday on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

To my partners at OpenAI: We have seen your petition and appreciate your desire potentially to join Sam Altman at Microsofts new AI Research Lab, Scott wrote in his post. Know that if needed, you have a role at Microsoft that matches your compensation and advances our collective mission.

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Scotts announcement comes a day after Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced that Altman, along with former OpenAI co-founder and President Greg Brockman and other colleagues, will join the tech giant to lead a new advanced AI research team.

We remain committed to our partnership with OpenAI and have confidence in our product roadmap, our ability to continue to innovate with everything we announced at Microsoft Ignite, and in continuing to support our customers and partners, Nadella said in his X post, also noting that former Twitch CEO Emmett Shear has taken over as interim CEO of OpenAI.

We look forward to getting to know Emmett Shear and OAIs new leadership team and working with them. And were extremely excited to share the news that Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, together with colleagues, will be joining Microsoft to lead a new advanced AI research team, Nadella added. We look forward to moving quickly to provide them with the resources needed for their success.

Its been days since Altman, who founded OpenAI alongside Brockman in 2015, stepped down from his position with the tech company after an internal review found that he was not consistently candid in his communications with the board.

OpenAI is known for launching the popular ChatGPT last November, an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbot that automatically generates humanlike responses to users queries in a way that is more advanced than previous technology.

The popularity of OpenAIs chatbot resulted in other major tech companies, including Microsoft, introducing or announcing their own AI-powered services this year.

In response to Altmans ouster from the company, more than 600 OpenAI employees signed an open letter threatening to join Altman at Microsoft if their companys current board of directors doesnt step down from their positions, according to CNBC.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
AUSTIN (KXAN)  Dogs of all breeds took to the parade grounds at Camp Mabry Saturday for the 23rd Annual Mighty Texas Dog Walk.

KXAN is a proud sponsor of Austins biggest party for dogs.

Mighty Texas Dog Walk 2023 (KXAN: Kirsten Currie)

Mighty Texas Dog Walk 2023 (KXAN: Kirsten Currie)

Mighty Texas Dog Walk 2023 (KXAN: Kirsten Currie)

Mighty Texas Dog Walk 2023 (KXAN: Kirsten Currie)

Mighty Texas Dog Walk 2023 (KXAN: Kirsten Currie)

Mighty Texas Dog Walk 2023 (KXAN: Kirsten Currie)

The event raised money for the local non-profit Service Dogs Inc, which provides free service dogs to wounded veterans and other disabled Texans.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
Hours before the sun rose over Champaign, Illinois, on the morning of May 19, 2021, Champaign Police Officer Chris Oberheim and his partner were called to the scene of a domestic disturbance.

Darion Lafayette was there to meet them and exchanged fire with both officers, killing Oberheim. Lafayette was also killed.

Within a day, the slain 44-year-old officers squad car was parked outside the department, decorated as a memorial to the father of four and 20-year law enforcement veteran.

The memorial was vandalized in less than 24 hours.

Erik Kaldahl was about two years into his career as a Champaign police officer when his two colleagues were assaulted. By then, he said, hed grown accustomed to verbal abuse from citizens. Bystanders had blocked him and other officers from accessing homicide victims, he said. He and his fellow officers had been ordered not to make arrests for low-level crimes like trespassing, he said, and his short-staffed department didnt bother with most accident reports. There were too many violent crimes for them to attend to fender-benders.

Thats around the time Kaldahl basically threw a dart at the map to find somewhere  anywhere, really  that would offer him and his family more support.

I didnt want to raise my daughters in a place where their dad is seen as a villain, Kaldahl said.

Sioux Falls Police Officer Erik Kaldahl.

He eventually landed at the Sioux Falls Police Department. He was impressed by the way Sioux Falls Police Chief Jon Thum conducted himself in a press conference after an officer-involved shooting, and felt welcomed by the local officers who explained the job in Sioux Falls.

Thered be no income tax in South Dakota, he learned. Hed deal with less violent crime, and he learned hed be free to enforce the law in a way he felt he hadnt been in Illinois.

This just happened to be the first one I came to and visited in person, Kaldhal said. The folks I spoke to here sold it pretty well.

Police Chief Jon Thum talks about scheduling with Sergeant Jessica Speckmeier in Law Enforcement Center on Thursday, August 18, 2022, in Sioux Falls.

Police hiring trends

Kaldahl is far from alone.

The promise of a supportive community  alongside Republican-dominated politics, a lower cost of living, good schools and, for some, lax COVID vaccination policies  has drawn dozens of out-of-state officers to the Rushmore State in recent years.

A South Dakota Searchlight analysis found that at least 90 such officers have been granted reciprocity or a chance to earn it since 2018. That figure doesnt count migrant officers whove been sponsored but have yet to make an official reciprocity request.

Taken together, the 90 officers represent more than 900 years of policing experience.

There are a few ways to become a certified officer in South Dakota. An agency can hire you and send you to the law enforcement academy, where certification comes with graduation. Students at technical colleges with accredited programs can apply for reciprocity, which lets them use their degree and passage of a series of post-graduate skills tests to earn the certificate without a 13-week stint at the academy.

There are two other pathways. If youve been out of law enforcement for two years, you can request a chance to test your way back in from the states Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Training Commission. Pass those tests, and the commission can take a second vote to grant you certification. If youre certified in another state, you can start the testing and weeklong reciprocity course right away, seeing the commission just once to finalize certification.

Those last two pathways are the ones used by current or former officers to get a Rushmore State badge.

Migrant officers sponsored by agency

Sioux Falls Police Department: 19Pennington County Sheriffs Office: 10Rapid City Police Department: 8South Dakota Highway Patrol: 8Box Elder Police Department: 3Division of Criminal Investigation: 5Lincoln County Sheriffs Office: 3Faith Police Department: 2Game, Fish and Parks: 2Aberdeen Police Department: 2Gregory Police Department: 2Yankton Police Department: 2Pierre Police Department: 2Winner Police Department: 1South Dakota State Brand Board: 1Mitchell Police Department: 1Deadwood Police Department: 1Brandon Police Department: 1Butte County Sheriffs Office: 1Brookings Police Department: 1Roberts County Sheriffs Office: 1Tea Police Department: 1Brookings County Sheriffs Office: 1Bennett County Sheriffs Office: 1Hughes County Sheriffs Office: 1Lake Norden Police Department: 1Fall River County Sheriffs Office: 1Spearfish Police Department: 1Lennox Police Department: 1Freeman Police Department: 1Hamlin County Sheriffs Office: 1Custer County Sheriffs Office: 1Charles Mix County Sheriffs Office: 1McCook County Sheriffs Office: 1Clark Police Department: 1

*Does not include officers in the process of earning reciprocity

The pace of officer in-migration quickened significantly since the outrage and protests sparked by the 2020 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Since that year, one in which Gov. Kristi Noem visited Los Angeles to sell the state to dissatisfied police, South Dakota law enforcement agencies have welcomed officers from San Francisco, Orange County and San Diego in California; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Austin, Texas; Madison, Wisconsin; and Denver, Colorado. Still more came from Midwestern or Southern states, including Louisiana, Missouri, Tennessee, Nebraska, North Dakota and Minnesota.

Some agencies, the Sioux Falls Police Department among them, have hired multiple out-of-state officers. The list of 90 includes 19 SFPD officers, and two others await a hearing before the state commission.

Five members of the 11-person Box Elder Police Department are South Dakota transplants, as is one of two police officers in Lake Norden, who came from California.

The chief of police in Brookings, about 40 miles southeast of Lake Norden, retired as a major from the New York State Police after 27 years and now addresses his South Dakota officers in a New England brogue.

The Highway Patrol, Division of Criminal Investigation and Department of Game, Fish and Parks have also hired out-of-state officers.

Everyone has their own story, said Sioux Falls Police Captain and recruiter Jon Lohr, but there are common themes.

COVID mandates were a big one a few years ago, he said. Income taxes and the low cost of living continue to be major selling points, especially for those whose urban homes are sure to fetch far higher prices than similar homes in South Dakota.

Ultimately, Lohr said, support from all levels of government in the state and a general pro-police sentiment are prime enticements.

They recognize that theyre probably going to be moving to a little bit safer environment, where people probably have a little more positive feeling about their law enforcement and the officers that are doing the job, Lohr said.

Theres another reason Sioux Falls works to be welcoming: The city and its police force are growing. Out-of-state recruits can help fill the dozen or more open positions the SFPD typically has at any given time, a number that holds steady even with the promise of a $5,000 bonus for officers who make it through their 15-month probationary period.

Reciprocity process

Officers certified in another state cant just walk through the doors of a South Dakota department, fill out an application and be accepted into the fold of sworn South Dakota law enforcement. Reciprocity testing involves a 200-question written test to show basic competence and three proficiency exams, in firearms, use of force and emergency vehicle operations. In addition, they need to spend a week in a reciprocity class to learn the ins and outs of South Dakota law.

That process also involves a background check, according to Hank Prim, the training administrator with the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation.

Prims office uses a database called the National Decertification Index to screen reciprocity candidates for suspensions and revocations of an applicants law enforcement certification. That check is separate from any background investigations conducted by the hiring agency, which typically involve calls to references and previous employers and sometimes, particularly in larger departments like the SFPD, psychological evaluations and even polygraph tests.

Were trying to make sure that a bad officer isnt trying to escape another state and lay their nest here, Prim said.

None of the officers granted reciprocity or eligibility for it had their certification revoked prior to their arrival in South Dakota, according to the state commission meeting minutes. The lack of a revocation isnt a guarantee of good behavior, however. The commission relies heavily on the background checks done by the hiring agencies, which may vary from agency to agency and may not flag all potential issues.

The commission offered a shot at reciprocity for a Pierre police officer named Jeremiah Erickson in mid-2022, but he was let go from the department before becoming certified after picking up a drunken driving charge.

The 90 out-of-state officers whove requested reciprocity or eligibility since 2018 only represent a fraction of total reciprocity requests. Tech school graduates from South Dakota and surrounding state represent a larger share of the total.

Even so, the impact of the pandemic and other cultural factors is reflected in overall reciprocity certifications. The commission granted 26 requests in fiscal year 2021, which began in mid-2020. It granted 61 the following fiscal year and 65 in each of the two fiscal years that followed.

On a single day in July 2022, the commission approved reciprocity or eligibility for 14 out-of-state officers.

The promise of support, Prim said, is not a secret outside the states borders.

That secrets come out, and thats a good thing, Prim said.

Welcoming community

Former Scottsdale, Arizona, officer Joseph Young joined the Box Elder force last fall. The California native and seven-year veteran of policing in the Phoenix suburb is in the process of obtaining reciprocity from South Dakotas law enforcement commission.

Young followed his family back to South Dakota, where his grandparents grew up. He didnt leave Scottsdale because of increased scrutiny of law enforcement, he said, but the shifting attitudes made the decision easier.

His months in Box Elder have been a culture shock for Young.

Its not just the slower pace of life in the city of 11,000 or the reality of more frequent interactions  at grocery stores or community events, for example  with people he may have arrested or ticketed. Its the time  time to meet people and get to know them between calls for service, and the time people make for him.

Theres a lady I talk to almost every day whos always out and about in her neighborhood, said Young, who works the overnight shift. She jogs every night. When she sees me, she starts to talk to me every time. We never had time for that in Scottsdale.

Its been a welcome change of pace, Young said. That slower pace has also meant a safer work environment. His father was part of the California Highway Patrol and didnt wear a Kevlar vest for protection during the first two decades of his career, Young said.

South Dakota feels like a place where the now-standard vest feels more like a failsafe than a reminder of near-constant threat.

Young was proud to work in Scottsdale and had a larger salary there, but he doesnt see himself leaving the community thats embraced him.

At the end of the day, when I go home, I feel like Ive done my job more than I ever did in Scottsdale, Young said.

South Dakota as retirement haven

Adam Masters was going to retire in South Dakota, with or without a job in policing.

The Texas native and his wife are horse people and love the Black Hills for the trails and open spaces to ride.

Even so, politics and police reforms had a hand in the timing of his retirement from Austin, Texas. Masters spent more than two decades in the city, an artsy, liberal island in Texas Republican political sea, and said he enjoyed nearly all of those years.

It took a while to get used to Austin when he first moved there decades ago, Masters said, but he came to love it and rarely doubted the communitys appreciation for the role of policing.

The death of George Floyd and ensuing calls to defund the police shattered that certainty, Masters said.

We always assumed that the silent majority still supported us and backed us, and it became apparent pretty quickly that there wasnt much of a solid majority left in Austin, Masters said. I dont want to speak for anybody else, but, based off the number of resignations and retirements, I think a lot of people felt the same way I did.

The city cut funding for its police department in 2020, and elected a district attorney who ran on a platform of prosecuting officers for misconduct. Masters and his wife decided it was time to head to the Black Hills.

He wasnt planning to join the ranks of law enforcement in South Dakota, but hes also young enough to keep working. In May, he took on a part-time gig as an investigator for the state Brand Board, which manages ownership inspections and investigates fraud in livestock.

Masters was surprised by the number of experienced officers he met in his reciprocity class. He walked in thinking hed meet a lot of younger officers from the Midwest, but met seasoned officers from all over the country.

I kind of thought I would be one of the only ones with the amount of experience that I had from as far away as I came, but that wasnt the case at all, Masters said.

He hasnt regretted his decision to move to the state. Its conservative political environment suits Masters as well as the trails do  police represent a very conservative-minded group of people, he said  and like Young, hes been pleasantly surprised by how welcoming the state has been.

We knew nobody in South Dakota, but you meet your neighbors and get to know people pretty quick, Masters said. It feels like home now.

Back in Sioux Falls, Kaldahl has started to feel at home, as well. He loves the school system, has sampled chislic and looks forward to going out to hunt.

That so many of his fellow officers are learning the same lessons about South Dakota at the same time has been a help.

We have no family here. We had no friends, we have no ties, Kaldahl said. And Ive run into quite a few people who are going through that exact same thing.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Migrant officers flock to South Dakota police departments
Mike Johnson, the new speaker of the House, voiced support for revisiting Supreme Court decisions that struck down restrictions on the use of contraception, barred bans on gay sex and legalized same sex marriages, according to a CNN review of his prior public statements.

On a conservative talk radio show the day the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in June 2022, Johnson underscored Justice Clarence Thomass concurring opinion that the high court should reconsider those other landmark rulings.

Johnson, citing his years as an attorney against activist courts, defended Thomas view, insisting that what Thomas was calling for was, not radical. In fact, its the opposite of that.

Theres been some really bad law made, he said. Theyve made a mess of our jurisprudence in this country for the last several decades. And maybe some of that needs to be cleaned up.

When asked about Johnsons post-Roe comments, a spokesman for the congressman told CNN that Johnson views the cases as settled law.

Still, CNNs review of more than 100 of Johnsons interviews, speeches and public commentary spanning his decades-long career as a lawmaker and attorney paints a picture of his governing ideals: Imprisoning doctors who perform abortions after six weeks; the Ten Commandments prominently displayed in public buildings; an elimination of anti-hate-crime laws; Bible study in public schools.

From endorsing hard labor prison sentences for abortion providers to supporting the criminalization of gay sex, his staunchly conservative rhetoric is rooted in an era of biblical morality, that he says was washed away with the counterculture in the 1960s.

One of the primary purposes of the law in civil government is to restrain evil, Johnson said on one radio show in 2010. We have to acknowledge collectively that man is inherently evil and needs to be restrained.

His vision has been well received as a congressman in his deeply conservative district in western Louisiana. But his surprising rise to the speakership has brought his particularly subtle brand of fire-and-brimstone to second in line to the presidency  delivering him a national platform from which to shape and influence laws.

Johnsons endorsement of Thomas opinion, legal experts say, positioned him significantly outside the mainstream.

Speaker Johnson embraces a view that is not only outside of the mainstream but is so radical in terms of his endorsement of the Thomas position, that even the extremely conservative Supreme Court majority isnt willing to go there, said Norm Eisen, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institute and a CNN legal analyst. It would take the country back more than a half-century.

The frontlines of the culture war

CNN unearthed more than two dozen radio interviews from Johnsons time as an attorney at the socially conservative legal advocacy group Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) where Johnson litigated and voiced support for what he sometimes described as a battle for the country between the forces of good and evil.

The arrows in the culture war are particularly directed at our youth, where the Enemy often has the greatest effect, read the 2005 webpage for God & Country, a Christian local radio show co-hosted by Johnson. We cannot lose our children to the forces of darkness. Be aware and get active in your kids schools.

Topics discussed on the show included creation science in public schools; how to fight the porn industry; Gods design for government; and the true meaning of separation of church and state.

As an attorney at ADF, Johnson repeatedly battled two organizations in his fight to keep religion in the public square: The American Civil Liberties Union, which he called the most dangerous organization in America, and Americans United for Separation of Church and State. The groups clashed over prayer in public schools, public displays of nativity scenes and the right to open public meetings with prayer.

They have convinced an entire generation of Americans that theres this so-called separation of church and state, Johnson said in 2008 about the ACLU.

Johnsons rhetoric has tapped into a persecution complex for evangelicals as American culture leans increasingly left on social issues, said Ryan Burge, a political scientist at Eastern Illinois University and a Baptist pastor.

They want to feel embattled. They want to fight the culture war, Burge told CNN.

When he talks about Griswold and Lawrence, evangelicals know that what he really is saying to them is: Our way of life is under attack and liberalism is on the march. Stand firm in our convictions, added Burge, referring to the landmark cases that legalized gay sex and contraception use.

Rep. Mike Johnson speaking outside the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington during arguments over whether businesses may decline services for same-sex weddings in December 2022. - Michael A. McCoy/The New York Times/Redux

Johnson served not only as an attorney at ADF but a national spokesman for the organization, making appearances on radio and national television where he often addressed so-called right of conscience cases involving Christian businesses.

Discussing one case in New Mexico, where a wedding photography company was found in violation of the states anti-discrimination laws for refusing to photograph a same-sex couples commitment ceremony, Johnson argued anti-discrimination laws did not recognize a behavior like homosexuality.

There are laws on the books that prohibit discrimination against people for their immutable characteristics, their race and creed and that kind of thing, Johnson said in a 2009 radio interview. Theres a difference  and the law has recognized a difference  between that and homosexual behavior. As something that you do, not an immutable characteristic of what you are.

The New Mexico Supreme Court disagreed and ruled against the company, which ADF represented. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case.

Johnson doesnt understand the problem with a government compelling its citizens to follow not just religion, but a particular religion, said Katherine Lewis Parker, the former legal director for the ACLU of North Carolina, who opposed Johnson in a lawsuit related to prayer at official meetings.

In that 2007 suit, three residents in Forsyth County, North Carolina, argued local officials had an unconstitutional practice of sponsoring sectarian prayer with specific references to Jesus during meetings. Johnson defended the officials and argued that even in Congress, prayers often contain Christian references, which he called a logical function of the nations demographics.

During a deposition, Johnson peppered one of the plaintiffs about what type of prayer would be acceptable in county meetings. So if someone might be offended by virtually any prayer, should we just get rid of prayer entirely? he asked.

An appeals court ruled against Johnsons arguments in 2011, though the Supreme Court later ruled in favor of allowing such prayers in a separate case.

I think he is a true believer and I think he wants to blend religion and government, Parker said of Johnson.

Homosexuality was a frequent topic for Johnson, which he has called inherently unnatural and a dangerous lifestyle. In addition to suggesting he hopes the Supreme Court will reverse its decision allowing same-sex marriage, he also wrote in support of Texas anti-sodomy laws, which said gay men caught having sex could be fined.

It recognized a fundamental right, a constitutional right to, to sodomy, which had never been recognized before, Johnson said at a forum in 2005 on the Supreme Courts ruling in Lawrence v. Texas  which struck down the ban on gay sex in that state.

Johnson supported an Arkansas law against same-sex couples adopting children, citing it as good public policy in 2008. In 2013, he opposed President Barack Obamas appointment of an openly homosexual ambassador, Wally Brewster, to the Dominican Republic, calling it a provocative move against the Catholic country.

Move to government

In 2015, transitioning from his role at ADF to a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives, Johnson sparked national controversy with the Marriage and Conscience Act. The bill aimed to protect individuals objecting to same-sex marriage on religious grounds but faced opposition from Johnsons hometown editorial board, business leaders and even Republicans in the state legislature.

Critics argued it could enable discrimination against LGBTQ individuals by businesses. Following backlash, the bill never reached a vote. In response to the bills failure, then-Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, issued a similar executive order.

Apparently, defending religious liberty makes one anti-gay now, Johnson wrote on Facebook amid debate on the bill.

Just two years later, Johnson moved from the state legislature to Congress where hes maintained a 92% rating from the CPAC Center for Legislative Accountability  11% higher than the average Republican in 2022.

In this 2018 photo, US Rep. Mike Johnson files his paperwork at the secretary of state's office as he qualified for his congressional re-election bid in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. - Melinda Deslatte/AP

In Congress, Johnson signed on to some of the toughest anti-abortion bills, such as a 2021 so-called heartbeat bill, which would essentially outlaw abortion after six weeks. He has repeatedly called states that allow abortion pro-death states.

It is truly an American holocaust, Johnson said in May 2022 on local DC radio. The reality is that Planned Parenthood and all these big abortion (providers), they set up their clinics in inner cities. They regard these people as easy prey. I mean, its true.

Johnson also supported plans to change Medicare and Social Security benefits while increasing the retirement age, emphasizing urgency in addressing escalating entitlement.

He has blamed booming entitlements costs in part on abortion.

And you dont have 40 or 50 million able-bodied workers in the economy, Johnson said on a podcast he co-hosts with his wife. That would be paying taxes into the system to be able to support their elderly, you know, neighbors and friends.

On numerous occasions, Johnson also voiced approval for a Louisiana state trigger law  passed in 2006  which banned abortion without exceptions for rape and incest the day Roe v. Wade was overturned.

Rep. Mike Johnson speaks during a hearing of the House Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill on July 14, 2022 in Washington, DC. The committee heard testimony on threats to individual freedoms after theUS Supreme Court reversed the Roe v. Wade decision on abortions. - Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

Im grateful to be from Louisiana, one of the dozen states or so that has a trigger law that will automatically become an abortion free state, pro-life, Johnson said in 2022.

In 2022, Johnson introduced a bill that some described as a national version of what critics call Floridas Dont Say Gay bill. The bill never made it out of committee.

For Johnson and those who share his worldview, such policies have spiritual implications not only for individuals but the entire nation, said Philip Gorski, a professor and chair of the sociology department at Yale University who has studied Christian nationalism.

There is much more at stake for Johnson and others who crome from that conservative Christian subculture, he said. There is this view the United States is a Christian nation which has entered into a sacred covenant with God that involves upholding certain standards of Christian morality, and when those standards are violated, when those precepts are broken, it threatens the entire country with divine wrath and all kinds of decline.

Efforts to keep Trump in office

In this screenshot taken from a congress.gov webcast, Rep. Mike Johnson speaks during a House debate session to ratify the 2020 presidential election at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 in Washington, DC. - congress.gov via Getty Images

Following Trumps 2020 reelection defeat, Johnson played a pivotal role in efforts to overturn the election  urging his colleagues to sign onto the Texas Attorney Generals longshot lawsuit aiming to throw out the results in key swing states.

It was rejected by a bipartisan majority of the Supreme Court, Eisen told CNN, but Johnson was willing to perpetuate the loser as the winner and to twist the law and the facts to support that.

Johnson also endorsed some fringe conspiracies, including the unsubstantiated belief that voting software machines were manipulated.

On January 6, 2021, Johnson voted to object the election results, later saying he was doing his duty to uphold the Constitution.

For Johnson, the vote to keep Trump in office reflected a striking evolution from his past critique of Trump in 2015, whom, as first reported by the New York Times, he openly labeled as dangerous, lacking character, and devoid of a moral center. It was the apex of the transactional relationship between the religious right and former TV star.

During a church service in 2022, reflecting on the conclusion of Roe v. Wade, Johnson remarked that much of the credit belonged to Trump.

There is a lot of credit to go around, but you have to acknowledge, Donald Trump for all of his, peccadillos, okay? Bless him, Johnson said. He was true to his word.

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A federal judge has ruled that the state of Texas violated a new provision of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act in refusing to recognize an Air Force wife's out-of-state school counselor credentials -- a rejection that prevented her from getting a permanent job in the state.

As the first-ever decision on a law that required states to recognize occupational licenses issued elsewhere, the case has widespread implications for the estimated 255,000 active-duty military spouses who require professional credentials to work in education, medicine, real estate, the beauty industry and more.

Judge Robert Pitman of the U.S. Texas Western District Court ruled Monday that Texas Commissioner of Education Mike Morath, the Texas Education Agency and the State Board for Educator Certification violated the SCRA when they required Hannah Magee Portee to comply with state requirements that she used her counseling licenses continuously in the previous two years to qualify for state certification.

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Portee earned school counseling licenses in Missouri and Ohio and worked as a substitute and elementary school counselor in those states in 2022 before marrying her husband and moving to Laughlin Air Force Base in Texas last January on orders.

The state would not provide her a Texas license based on her other two licenses and asked her to take the Texas certification test or prove that she had worked continuously for the past two years in her profession.

In February, Portee learned of the new SCRA provision and informed the state. But she still was rebuffed, with a state official telling her in a phone call that, despite what the law said, "It would not apply to Texas."

Portee hired an attorney.

The state argued it had a right to decide who is qualified and licensed to teach in Texas, but it also argued that the provision did not apply to it, nor was it obligated to provide Portee with due process because the state had immunity from such lawsuits as hers.

In an interim ruling issued in July, however, Pitman said that the state's defense seemed to undermine the intent of the law by "imposing narrow and seemingly arbitrary restrictions on the ability of service members and their spouses to port their professional licenses."

The state's interpretation, Pitman added, effectively banned newly licensed service members, who also are covered by the law, or spouses from using hard-earned credentials, and it also penalized experienced workers who worked part time elsewhere or didn't work previously for medical or personal reasons -- also not the purpose of the law.

"Given the unpredictable timing and frequency of military-ordered moves, this approach would make license portability impossible for many service members and spouses," Pitman wrote in the July decision.

Pitman's temporary injunction allowed Portee to get a temporary license and work as a substitute counselor, but that position offered less pay and fewer benefits. Now, under the ruling, she can apply for a permanent license.

President Joe Biden signed the Military Spouse Licensing Relief Act, as part of the 2022 Veterans Auto and Education Improvement Act, on Jan. 5. It requires states to provide reciprocity for occupational licenses from other states.

Roughly 36% of active-duty spouses, or more than a quarter-million people, need state-issued licenses for their careers, according to the Defense Department's 2021 Survey of Active-Duty Spouses, released this year.

The Justice Department in July filed a statement with the court in support of Portee, arguing that under its interpretation, the law requires only that a license have been used at some point during the previous two years and it is in the public interest to reduce barriers to spouse employment.

"This federal law is in place to help military spouses maintain their careers and financial security while enduring already stressful life changes," Jaime Esparza, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Texas, said in a statement July 13. "Ultimately, the SCRA strengthens America's military families and our overall national security, and that is not something any agency should interfere with."

The Texas Education Agency did not respond to a request for comment by publication.

-- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Military.com.

Related: Congress Weighs Giving Military Spouses More Options to Work Remotely for Government
Russian forces launched four missiles at a hospital and a mine in Donetsk Oblast late on Nov. 20, killing at least one and injuring six, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko wrote on Nov. 21.

Two missiles struck a hospital in the town of Selydove, damaging two hospital buildings and wounding at least six. Klymenko said that the extent of the damage was still being assessed, and there may be additional casualties under the rubble.

A few minutes later, two missiles hit a mine elsewhere in Donetsk Oblast, killing one employee of the mine and temporarily trapping 39 miners underground, according to Klymenko. They have since been brought to the surface.

Several buildings, vehicles, and energy infrastructure points were reportedly damaged in the attack.

Klymenko did not specify exactly where in the oblast the mine was located. Ihor Moroz, the acting governor of Donetsk Oblast, reported on the same day that Russian attacks on Nov. 20 had killed one person in the village of Mykhailivka.

Ukraine's Air Force said that Russian forces had used four S-300 missiles to attack targets in Donetsk Oblast and fired one Iskander missile from occupied Crimea overnight.

In addition, it said that 10 Shahed-type drones had been launched. Nine of the drones and the Iskander missile were shot down by Ukraine's air defenses, the Air Force said.

The Air Force didn't specify which oblasts had been targeted by the drones and the Iskander missile.

Yurii Pohuliaiko, the Governor of Volyn Oblast, said that an undisclosed number of drones had been shot down over his region. No casualties or damages were reported.

Read also: Ukraine war latest: Austin visits Kyiv, US announces new $100 million military aid package

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Mississippi's Department of Public Safety is investigating an allegation that a state trooper filmed a sexual encounter she had with an intoxicated woman and circulated it throughout the agency without the woman's consent.

WLBT-TV reported that it had obtained a copy of the complaint the woman filed with the Mississippi Attorney General's Office. A spokesperson for the Department of Public Safety, which oversees the Mississippi Highway Patrol, confirmed Friday that the department is conducting an internal investigation.

The station did not name the woman who filed the complaint. The complaint did not name the trooper.

The complaint states that several months ago the two women had dinner and drinks before going to the trooper's home.

The emblem of a Mississippi Highway Patrol badge on a hat worn by uniformed officers.

Much of that night is a blur, the victim said in the complaint. I became unusually and extremely intoxicated. The next morning I woke up in bed without my clothes on. ... I was aware a sexual encounter had taken place but had difficulty remembering any of what happened.

The woman said she remembered a phone being used. She said the trooper assured the woman that her face wasn't visible in the recording, according to the complaint. But the victim said she later discovered that her face was visible and that the video had been circulated in the law enforcement agency.

The Mississippi Department of Public Safety has been made aware of these serious allegations involving a Mississippi Highway Patrol state trooper, DPS spokesperson Bailey Martin told WLBT on Tuesday. A formal complaint has not been filed with the Mississippi Highway Patrol regarding the alleged incident; however, an internal investigation is being conducted.

Martin confirmed the statement in an email to The Associated Press.

Our client has suffered immense harm, both physically and emotionally, and it is our utmost priority to ensure that they receive the justice they deserve," Robert Parrish, an attorney for the woman, said in a statement. "We are fully dedicated to uncovering the truth, holding any responsible parties accountable.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: MS trooper investigated for recording video of sexual encounter
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, right, looks on as Bettersten Wade, mother of Dexter Wade, cries as she leaves a rose on her son's coffin in Jackson, Miss. Monday, Nov. 20, 2023. Wade, a 37-year-old man who died after being hit by a Jackson police SUV driven by an off-duty officer, was initially buried in a paupers cemetery without any notification to his family. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

JACKSON, Miss. (AP)  Dexter Wade received a dignified funeral and burial Monday in Mississippi's capital city, months after he was hit and killed by a police SUV and officials first buried his body in a pauper's grave without notifying his family that he was dead.

Under a gray sky, his mother, Bettersten Wade, tossed a handful of dirt onto the vault that held his shiny red casket after it was slowly lowered into the ground in a south Jackson cemetery where, so far, only a few other bodies are buried.

Surrounded by family and friends, she said to her son: I'll see your face again.

Dexter Wade, a 37-year-old Black man, died March 5 after an off-duty Jackson Police Department officer struck him with a department SUV while Wade was walking across Interstate 55. Police have not released identifying information, including the officers race. The Associated Press called three phone numbers for police department administrators and a public information officer Monday evening; nobody answered the calls, and there was no way to leave a message.

Wades mother said she last saw her son that day, and she filed a missing persons report a few days later. It was late August before she learned he had been killed and buried in a paupers' cemetery near the Hinds County Penal Farm in the Jackson suburb of Raymond.

Wade's body was exhumed Nov. 13, and independent autopsy was conducted. A wallet found in the pocket of the jeans in which Wade originally was buried contained his state identification card with his home address, credit card and a health insurance card, said civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Wade's family.

Wade's new gravesite is about 8.5 miles (13.7 kilometers) from the first one.

Crump said Monday that he has been speaking to Justice Department officials as he urges them to investigate why Jackson police and other local officials failed to notify Wade's family of his death.

Justice and respect go hand-in-hand, Crump said.

Crump said Campaign Zero, a group that works to end police violence, helped Bettersten Wade with Monday's service because she wanted her only son to have a respectable funeral as the first step to get justice.

More than 200 people, including U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, attended the funeral at New Horizon International Church in Jackson. The service took place the day before what would have been Wade's 38th birthday.

Crump and the Rev. Al Sharpton, founder and president of the National Action Network, each placed an arm around Bettersten Wade as she stood before her son's flower-covered casket under a large cross in the sanctuary.

Sharpton, who is based in New York, said he traveled to Jackson to deliver the eulogy because he wanted to give words of comfort to Wade's family and words of discomfort to the state of Mississippi, including to the city of Jackson and its police department.

What happened to Dexter was a disgrace, a national outrage, and should be treated as such, Sharpton said.

Jackson is majority-Black, has a Black mayor and majority-Black city council and has had Black police chiefs for years, including the chief when Wade was killed. In the 1960s, when the city was majority-white and had all-white officials and a white police chief, civil rights leaders pushed for hiring of Black police officers.

Sharpton said Monday that he had been told that the officer who struck and killed Wade was Black.

I don't care if he's Black or white  what he did was wrong, Sharpton said.

An investigator from the Hinds County coroners office responded to the accident scene but did not find any identification while examining Wades body, NBC News reported. The coroner did find a bottle of prescription medication in his pocket with his name on it.

The Hinds County coroners office said it called a number listed for Bettersten Wade but did not hear back. She said she never received the call. The coroners office also told Jackson police multiple times to contact her, Crump said. City officials have said the communication breakdown was an accident.
FILE - Missouri's Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft speaks, Nov. 7, 2017, in Valley Park, Mo. The Missouri Supreme Court on Monday, Nov. 20, 2023 let stand a ruling by lower courts against Republican-written summaries of abortion-rights ballot measures that described several proposed amendments as allowing dangerous and unregulated abortions until live birth. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

The Missouri Supreme Court has turned away an appeal about how to word a ballot question on access to abortion in the state.

Missouri lawmakers have already banned abortion except in cases of medical emergency, but proponents of broader access to the procedure are seeking to put a question about it directly before voters next year. In all seven states where abortion has been on the ballot since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade last year, voters have either supported protecting abortion rights or rejected attempts to erode them.

In Missouri, officials and advocates on both sides are grappling with how to word the question that could go on the ballot. Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft has proposed asking voters whether they are in favor of allowing dangerous and unregulated abortions until live birth.

A state appeals court in October said the wording was politically partisan. Ashcroft appealed the decision, but on Monday the Missouri Supreme Court declined to hear his argument.

Summaries are used on Missouri ballots to help voters understand sometimes lengthy and complex constitutional amendments and other ballot proposals. Ashcroft, who is running for governor in 2024, said his wording fairly and accurately reflects the scope and magnitude" of each of the six proposed abortion rights ballot measures.

My responsibility as secretary of state is to make sure the people of Missouri have ballot language that they can understand and trust," Ashcroft said in a news release. "If these petitions make it to the ballot, the people will decide. I will continue to do everything in my power to make sure Missourians know the truth.

A statement from the ACLU of Missouri said the repeated rejection of the Secretary of States arguments verify that his case has no legal bearing."

Ashcroft is the son of John Ashcroft, a former governor, U.S. senator and U.S. attorney general under President George W. Bush. Jay Ashcroft is among four Republicans who have announced their candidacies for governor next year.

Ashcrofts original description of the proposed abortion amendments, which could go on the ballot in 2024 if supporters gather enough voter signatures, would have asked voters whether they want to allow for dangerous, unregulated, and unrestricted abortions, from conception to live birth, without requiring a medical license or potentially being subject to medical malpractice.

In October, an appeals court panel wrote that allowing unrestricted abortion during all nine months of pregnancy is not a probable effect of initiatives. The panel largely upheld summaries that were written by a lower court judge to be more impartial.

Those summaries would tell voters the amendments would establish a right to make decisions about reproductive health care, including abortion and contraceptives and remove Missouris ban on abortion.

Missouri's current law makes most abortion a felony punishable by five to 15 years in prison for anyone who performs or induces one. Medical professionals who do so also could lose their licenses. The law prohibits women who undergo abortions from being prosecuted.

Earlier this month, Ohio voters approved a constitutional amendment that ensures access to abortion and other forms of reproductive health care.

Measures to protect abortion access will be on 2024 ballots in Maryland and New York. Legislative efforts or petition drives are underway in a variety of other states. There are efforts to protect or expand access in Arizona, Florida, Nevada and South Dakota; and to restrict it in Iowa, Nebraska and Pennsylvania. Drives are on for both kinds of measures in Colorado.
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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks at a press conference at the UN headquarters in New York, on Nov. 6, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday foresees that a strengthened Palestinian Authority would assume responsibilities in Gaza after the current crisis and international players would work toward a two-state solution.



Asked about his vision "for the day after" in Gaza, Guterres said it is important to be able to transform this tragedy into an opportunity for a long-term settlement.

"And for that to be possible, it is essential that after the war we move in a determined and irreversible way to a two-state solution," he said.

"I believe it will be important to have a strengthened Palestinian Authority assuming responsibilities in Gaza. I understand that the Palestinian Authority cannot come with Israeli tanks in Gaza, which means that the international community needs to move into a transition period," he said. "I do not think that a UN protectorate in Gaza is a solution. I think we need a multi-stakeholder approach in which different countries, different entities, will cooperate."

For Israel, the United States is the main guarantor of its security. For Palestinians, the neighboring and Arab countries of the region are essential. So everybody needs to come together to make the conditions for a transition, allowing for a strengthened Palestinian Authority to assume responsibilities in Gaza and then, based on that, to finally move in a determined and irreversible way to a two-state solution based on the principles that have been largely established by the international community, said Guterres.

He emphasized that for the short term, there must be a humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza.

"To have an after, we must have a before. And the before obviously conditions the after. And that is why I have been insisting on the need for a humanitarian cease-fire, on unrestricted access for humanitarian aid, on the liberation of hostages and on the need to end the violations of international humanitarian law and the (need for) protection of civilians," he said.
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An Israeli official said on Monday that progress has been made in the Qatar-mediated talks aimed at freeing some of the 240 hostages held by Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.

According to Israel's state-owned Kan TV news, the proposed deal includes the release of about 50 women and children, who would be released in several stages. In exchange, Palestinian women and minors currently held in Israeli prisons would be released, in addition to a few-day pause in the relentless Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip.

The government official, speaking to Xinhua on condition of anonymity, said that talks resumed on Sunday after a brief hiatus during which Hamas refused to negotiate, citing Israeli raids on Al-Shifa Hospital, Gaza's largest medical center.

"There is progress in the efforts to free the hostages but nothing is final yet," said the official.

Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Herzog said on Sunday that he was "hopeful" that a deal could be signed "in the coming days."

Israel's war cabinet -- composed of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and the newly appointed minister Benny Gantz -- is expected to meet on Monday evening with representatives of the families of the hostages for updates.

About 240 hostages, comprising civilians, soldiers, children, women, and the elderly of various nationalities, were taken to Gaza by Hamas militants during their surprise attacks on southern Israel on Oct. 7. About 1,200 people in Israel were killed in the attacks, mostly civilians. In the massive offensive launched by Israel on the very same day, at least 13,000 Palestinians have been killed, primarily civilians, according to the government media office in the besieged Gaza Strip.
For millions of people, their first exposure to an electric vehicle might be in an Uber.

Thats because Uber is on a mission to become a fully green platform by 2030 in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, and by 2040 around the world.

And as more of its drivers go electric, the company says that almost 40% of riders in an Uber Green or Comfort Electric are experiencing an EV for the first time.

The scale of Uber gives you a huge opportunity to introduce people to this technology, Chris Hook, Ubers global sustainability lead, told Cody Simms on the My Climate Journey podcast. The average EV drivers are taking 150 people a month or something. You do the math, you get to a really big number.

Hook said they even had to run a campaign in the U.S. to show how to open Teslas unique doors. Its illustrative of the fact that this is us trying to push this into the mainstream, he said. I would hope that theres a bunch of people who are like, Oh yeah, these cars are nice, and maybe actually when I switch my car, Ill get one of these. That, I think, is a really positive knock-on effect of the work.

Uber doesnt own its drivers vehicles  but the biggest source of pollution comes from the cars its drivers use. So Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi is determined to make it a no-brainer for drivers to go electric.

By 2030, every single driver on the platform will have an EV because it will be crazy for them not to, he told NBCs Savannah Sellers at the Aspen Ideas Festival. We need to make the decision obvious and easy and crazy.

Theyll do that by addressing some of their drivers biggest concerns about EVs: cost, charging, and return on investment.

Were paying drivers more to drive an electric vehicle, said Khosrowshahi. Drivers get one dollar more per trip that they take in an EV, and that allows them to make more money. Weve got to give them that incentive because right now, EVs cost too much.

Theyre also offering reduced-cost leasing options on EVs to help drivers try before they buy, in partnership with Tesla and Ford. An EV hub helps drivers compare the cost of ownership of an internal combustion engine versus an EV. And an app makes charging easier and more affordable by showing drivers where and when to charge for the lowest rates.

The cherry on top? Khosrowshahi says riders tip more for drivers who are in EVs.

Currently, Uber says they have about 60,000 EVs operating in any given month. In North America, about 5% of, or 1 in 20, miles are driven in an electric car. Zooming in on California, that number goes up to 10%, and in London, its almost 20% of rides, or 1 in 5. Thats three times as big as last year.

The momentum is there for us, Hook said.

For riders, Uber offers an Uber Green or Comfort Electric option when booking a car in many cities  and this option is typically on par or less expensive than the alternatives. Its also become popular with businesses that can track their employees emissions reductions.

If you charge a premium for green, its not going to work, Khosrowshahi said. Even though riders want to do the right thing, if they have to pay more, a much smaller segment of riders start taking green options.

Its all about making it unbelievably easy for the rider to choose to do their little bit to save the environment and for the drivers to go green as well.

Riders will also have access to an emissions hub where they can see how much pollution theyre saving by choosing an electric car and letting them compete with their friends around making green choices.

For the first time, Ubers also adding Uber Eats to its sustainability plan. That means encouraging Uber Eats drivers to go electric and reducing the use of single-use plastic.

To do that, Uber is helping restaurants in its network to source sustainable packaging, testing reusable packaging options, and enabling consumers to select more sustainable options, like skipping plastic cutlery or sauces.

The companys theory? Again, its about incentives. If we give eaters the choice to filter out non-sustainable packaging, small and medium businesses will get more business, said Khosrowshahi, and ultimately, theyll make more money.

Eleven million tons of plastic enters the oceans, and consumer takeout is among the largest share of that waste.

Were giving restaurants an incentive to be green not just because its the right thing to do, but because it can actually help business as well, Khosrowshahi said.

By 2030, Uber wants 100% of Uber Eats restaurant merchants to transition to reusable, recyclable, or compostable packaging options.

We have a big footprint in the climate space, and weve got to own that and think about how to move it forward, said Hook. Theres an exciting opportunity to combine that responsibility with the innovation that I think weve always been famous for and to try and embrace being at the forefront.

Join our free newsletter for cool news and actionable info that makes it easy to help yourself while helping the planet.
There are common subjects therapists say many of their clients bring up as they age.

There are common subjects therapists say many of their clients bring up as they age.

As we age, past concerns may go to the wayside as new problems pop up. Maybe you feel more stable in your relationships, for example, but you also cant drink as much because you feel extra anxious the morning after. In other words, each stage has its own joys and struggles.

While were all unique in some way, youre probably less alone than you may think when it comes to those problems. Additionally, a multitude of coping skills can help you handle them, even as tough and emotional as they often feel.

Below, therapists share some of the topics they hear about the most from older clients, as well as how they help or advise clients to handle that distress.

Grieving All The Transitions

A lot of changes happen as you age, and grieving what had been is normal and understandable.

I hear a lot about how difficult it is to start transitioning to retirement or getting older physically and mentally, said Holly Humphreys, a licensed professional counselor with Thriveworks in Roanoke, Virginia, who works extensively with adults transitioning into retirement and who are 65 and older.

While this goes for losing loved ones, thats not the only type of grief experienced. Older adults can also go through the grieving process when they retire from their careers that they have been in for decades, she continued. They can also go through the grieving process when they start to notice a decline in either their or their significant others mental and physical health.

What to do: Humphreys encourages her clients to feel their feelings, and she supports them along the way.

I also assist with providing coping strategies to help older adults to better manage these feelings of anxiety and depression, she said. Likewise, I help with problem-solving to make sure they have all of the resources that they may need during this time in their life. Lastly, I provide supportive reflection to allow them a safe space to process their life up to this point and what they want out of their remaining time with their loved ones.

While having a therapist who can help with this is a smart move, it may not be as accessible for everyone. If thats the case for you, think of friends and family, and let them know what you need.

Navigating A Relationship With An Adult Child

As you age, your child does, too, which leads to a change in relationship dynamics.

One of the most common topics I encounter in counseling with older adults is their relationship with an adult child, said Alicea Ardito, a therapist with Choosing Therapy who specializes in working with older clients. Patterns are often established in childhood and adolescence, and it can be a difficult adjustment for older adults to learn how to be the parent of an adult.

What to do: It all comes down to communication and working together.

We will often explore ways to improve communication, find connection and establish healthy boundaries in the relationship, Ardito said. This might look like asking open-ended questions or engaging in activities you both enjoy, for starters.

Therapists say physical changes are something clients bring up a lot.

Therapists say physical changes are something clients bring up a lot.

Struggling With Body Image

Kelsey Latimer, a clinical psychologist who has worked with older people, has heard many clients pick themselves apart, especially during times of change, transition and stress.

The change can trigger a deep sense of instability, loss of control and fear of the unknown, she explained. Our mind can disconnect from those underlying things and tend to settle on thinking our bodies are the problem or the wrinkles on our face are why we feel a certain way.

And, of course, societal beliefs dont help. The fact we live in a culture where the aging process is not one seen to be embraced places unrealistic expectations on people and can reinforce these feelings of instability during change, she added.

What to do: If you struggle with this, Latimer encouraged dealing with your emotions directly, ideally with a professional or friends who are going through similar changes.

Try to do the best you can to realize this is not about your body, sagging skin or wrinkles on your face  its a lot deeper than that, she said. Dont suffer in silence  talk it through and find space for those emotions.

Facing Regret

Aging often comes with reflection, as evidenced by psychoanalyst Erik Erikson. According to his work on stages of psychosocial development, older adults often spend time trying to contribute to the world and looking back on their lives. Did they fulfill their purpose and live life the way they wanted?

This is another commonly discussed topic in therapy. Clients may reminisce about fond times and regrets, depending on their mood and thoughts during the present session, said Joel Frank, a licensed psychologist in Los Angeles.

What to do: The three key words here are validation, acceptance and change  usually in that order. For individuals reflecting on their past, especially their regrets, I typically validate their thoughts and emotions on the topic and work with them on moving toward a perspective of acceptance, Frank said. While the past cant be changed, he said, learning from it is crucial.

One aspect you can learn more about is who you are, focusing on your values and desires. It is also the recognition that there is still time to develop new traits and hobbies, should they wish, he said. This might look like being more kind, trying an art class or becoming more involved in your place of worship, though those examples only scratch the surface of all the possibilities.

Facing Lots Of Loss

Similar to grief, the aging process is full of loss, unfortunately. This is a nonfinite loss that does not involve physical death, but there is a sense that the loss is enduring in nature, said Venetia Leonidaki, a clinical psychologist whos worked with clients across the lifespan. For older clients, such a loss could involve having to let go of treasured habits, feeling nostalgic about an important time in life, or coming to terms with a drop in physical or mental strength.

Another type of loss that encompasses many of the others: a sense of losing your identity.

What to do: Let yourself feel those emotions and try to move forward in positive ways, according to Leonidaki. She validated that even if the loss isnt clearly visible, its valid and significant.

After coming to terms with that, what helps? As a part of active coping, Id also get them to focus on the things that they can do instead of those that they cant, she said. Practicing gratitude for the significant things that continue to be present in their lives could also help them counteract feelings of loss.

Related...
Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) is facing growing pressure from New York residents to resign from Congress following a scathing House Ethics report detailing alleged violations of federal crimes.

A new Marist poll of New York voters released Tuesday found three-quarters of New Yorkers believe Santos should resign from Congress, including 83 percent of Long Island residents, whom he represents in the lower chamber.

This sentiment is felt across party lines, with 82 percent of Democrats and 68 percent of Republicans in the Empire State saying they believe the embattled lawmaker should resign.

Best Black Friday Deals

Lee M. Miringoff, director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, said support for Santos has hit rock bottom.

Santos has been embroiled in a string of controversies but has avoided expulsion from Congress twice this year. He currently faces a total of 23 federal charges ahead of his trial slated to begin in September 2024.

He pleaded not guilty last month to a set of 10 criminal charges in a superseding indictment that accuses the lawmaker of inflating campaign finance reports and charging his donors credit cards without authorization.

Santos in May was charged on 13 counts of allegedly misleading donors, fraudulently receiving unemployment benefits and lying on House financial disclosures.

While Santos admitted earlier this year to embellishing parts of his background, he has largely rejected calls to step down from the lower chamber and denied the charges against him.

Santos announced earlier this month he will no longer run for reelection in 2024, an apparent reversal in plans after telling CNN weeks before that he would run for his seat even if he is expelled from the House.

Santoss decision to leave Congress came on the heels of a report from the House Ethics Committee, which detailed substantial evidence that the lawmaker violated federal crimes.

The scathing report, which came after a months-long investigation, said the lawmaker cannot be trusted.

At nearly every opportunity, he placed his desire for private gain above his duty to uphold the Constitution, federal law, and ethical principles, the report stated.

The Marist poll found other New York leaders are also seeing falling support.

Forty-two percent of respondents said they approved of the job New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) is doing  down from 49 percent in 2021. Forty-one percent said they disapproved of her job performance, and 16 percent were undecided.

When it comes to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, more than 72 percent of respondents said they believe his 2021 campaign did something wrong in its dealings with the Turkish government, which are currently under investigation. About 18 percent say Adams has done nothing wrong, and 10 percent were unsure.

Adams has denied responsibility or knowledge of illegal Turkish donations and has not directly been accused of wrongdoing.

Theres no good news for New Yorks major officials, Miringoff said of the polling.

The poll was conducted among 1,780 New York adults from Nov. 13 to 15. The margin of error for the poll is plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Tara Suter contributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A top Pentagon watchdog has raised concerns that the U.S. Navy is pushing ahead too fast in its plans for the MQ-25 Stingray tanker drone , and inviting new risks in doing so, in a new report. Separately, the U.S. military has announced that Boeing is being given an additional $36 million to support the MQ-25's continued development specifically to help "mitigate component obsolescence" in six subsystems as part of a preliminary design review.

The Department of Defense's Office of Inspector General, or DODIG, released a partially redacted audit of the Navy's management of the MQ-25 program yesterday.

A Boeing demonstrator, known as T1, which has been used to support the development of the MQ-25, refuels a Navy F-35C Joint Strike Fighter during a test. USN

"Navy officials, in coordination with the Program Office, plan to make critical production decisions for the MQ25 program before the Program Office conducts tests and evaluations to verify that the program meets operational capability requirements," the review's executive summary says. "Making critical production decisions without performing DT&E [developmental test and evaluation] and IOT&E [initial operational test and evaluation] increases risk that the MQ25 program will not meet operational capability requirements, delay deployment of the MQ25A to the CVNs, and increase program costs."

The Navy selected Boeing's design as the winner of the Carrier-Based Aerial-Refueling System (CBARS) competition in 2018 and the current plan is to acquire 76 MQ-25As. This total consists of seven production-representative examples, 12 low-rate initial production (LRIP) models, and 57 more across a number of full-rate production lots, according to DODIG.

Nimitz and Ford class aircraft carriers are also set to receive a ground control station where human operators will be able to oversee MQ-25 flights as part of the complete program. Additional ground control stations will be installed elsewhere for testing, training , and other purposes.

Elements of the ground control station for the MQ-25. USN via DODIG

"The MQ25 program is an acquisition category 1B Major Defense Acquisition Program with an estimated cost of $16.5 billion, including $3.1 billion for research, development, test, and evaluation, $12.6 billion for procurement, and $747.5 million for military construction," according to DODIG's review. Navy budget documents estimate that the average unit cost for each MQ-25 will be just under $150 million, not counting various ancillary items.

"The Deputy Secretary of Defense designated the MQ25 program as a Key Performance Parameter Reduction Pilot Program, which allows the Navy to focus on fewer primary operational capability requirements than the six that were required at program designation," DODIG's report adds.

The Navy only has two stated operational requirements for the MQ-25, at least up front, one of which is that it be capable of operating from both Nimitz and Ford class aircraft carriers. The second is particularly redacted in DODIG's new report.

A separate Selected Acquisition Report on the MQ-25 program as of the end of the 2022 Fiscal Year, which the Pentagon released earlier this year, includes unredacted details about the second requirement. The Stingray's has to be able to offload at least 14,000 pounds of fuel, and hopefully up to 16,000 pounds, up to 500 nautical miles away from the carrier.

The stated primary purpose of the MQ-25A is to help extend the effective range of the carrier air wing and to eliminate the need for some of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornets in existing carrier air wings to perform tanker duties, according to the Navy. The first element here extends the carrier's reach and helps keep it away from enemy defenses, both of which would be especially critical in a future high-end conflict in the Pacific against China. Relieving the Super Hornets from their tanking duties will separately help reduce the burden on those aircraft, which the service hopes will translate to cost savings and increased readiness across the Super Hornet fleet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqZOaUpORjo\u0026t=18s

The Navy has identified a secondary intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance mission for the MQ-25, as well.

"In addition, as the first CVN-based unmanned air vehicle, the MQ25A is a crucial step in the Navy meeting its goal of having 60 percent of its CVN air wings unmanned by 2040," DODIG's report notes. "Therefore, the Chief of Naval Operations stated that it was critically important to deploy the MQ25A on CVNs as quickly as possible."

CVN is the abbreviation the Navy and many other world navies use to refer to nuclear-powered aircraft carriers like the Nimitz and Ford classes.

https://twitter.com/NAVAIRNews/status/1466497849752010755

Many of the specific schedule dates and timelines that are of concern to DODIG are redacted in its report yesterday. However, it is clear that the Pentagon watchdog is concerned that the schedule the Navy is working with could be dangerously truncated.

"As a result of Navy officials not performing DT&E before the MSC [Milestone C production] decision and IOT&E before the IOC [initial operational capability] decision, there is an increased chance that the MQ25 program will not meet its operational capability requirements," the report says bluntly. "In addition, there is a risk that when DT&E and IOT&E do occur, after production has begun and after the Navy has declared IOC, respectively, the program will identify issues that are costly and delay the deployment of the MQ25A to the CVNs."

Though not explicitly said, this latter point refers to a process typically called "concurrency," which has created serious issues for a number of major U.S. military programs. The Navy's Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program has notably suffered issues related to concurrency and the service should also be well aware of the potential pitfalls from experiences as part of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program.

Concurrency has also been a factor for the supercarrier USS Gerald R. Ford . The ship is set to be distinct in many key respects, including in its radar configuration, from subsequent Ford class carriers now under construction.

The USS Gerald R. Ford. USN

The Navy contends that it has taken a number of steps to mitigate many of these risks, according to DODIG's new review. This includes extensive testing using an actual flying demonstrator, referred to as T1, as well as extensive digital modeling and simulation.

It is worth noting here that digital engineering tools have been held out inside the U.S. military and among private industry as potentially revolutionizing the development process of complex systems, including aircraft in recent years. However, while digital engineering has proven to be very useful, there is now growing skepticism about the true extent of the benefits it offers. The T-7A Red Hawk jet trainer Boeing is developing for the Air Force is often presented as a poster child for digital engineering, but has also now become a key example critics cite of the inability of those tools to live up to the hype .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSGX1NAc6ZE\u0026t=2s

DODIG says the Navy provided it with updated risk and schedule assessments, but that it believes the service needs to further review its plans.

"We request that the Navy confirm that the Program Office will provide updated risk management documentation regarding the MQ25A delays that would include identifying all the risks associated with experiencing further delays in receiving the MQ25As and the risk that the MQ25 program misses the expected deployment dates," the report released yesterday says.

What is certainly not a subject of debate is that the MQ-25 program, for a variety of reasons, including impacts resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, has already been significantly delayed and that costs have grown. When Boeing won the CBARS competition in 2018, the expectation was that the Navy would reach IOC with the MQ-25 in 2024. That schedule slipped first to 2025 and just this year was pushed back again to 2026. DODIG's report indicates that this most recent delay was a by-product of efforts by the Navy to try to resolve its concerns at the beginning of 2023.

"We are encouraged that the Navy has adopted a more traditional acquisition strategy, delayed the MSC decision and the LRIP contract, and is continuously assessing and communicating programmatic risks," DODIG's audit says.

The hope had been in the past that the initial batch of pre-production Stingrays would start being delivered by the end of 2022 . Boeing only announced this September that the first MQ-25A for the Navy had rolled off the production line and moved on to static ground testing.

https://twitter.com/BoeingDefense/status/1702397029849219413

In addition, yesterday, the Pentagon announced that the Navy had awarded Boeing a modification to an existing MQ-25 contract, adding $36 million to the value.

"This modification adds scope to provide non-recurring engineering for the preliminary design review of six sub-systems to mitigate component obsolescence in support of MQ-25 Stingray low-rate initial production for the Navy," the Pentagon's daily contracting notice explained. We don't know what the subsystems in question are and component obsolescence can occur rapidly for various reasons, including the general speed at which new developments occur, particularly when it comes to computers and other electronics . At the same time, the MQ-25 program's delays to date can only have exacerbated the risks of elements of the Stingray's design becoming obsolete before development is even completed.

Altogether, whether or not the Navy will be able to avoid further delays with the MQ-25 program, and how much its total cost may grow, very much remains to be seen. At the same time, the service has made no secret of its desire to field the Stingray, which it expects to offer immediate operational and budget benefits, and be an important stepping stone in its broader uncrewed carrier aviation ambitions as soon as possible.

DODIG's clear concern is that the risks, at least as they are understood now, may outweigh the rewards for the MQ-25.

Contact the author: joe@thedrive.com
MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan fired back at conservative lawyer and activist Mike Davis on Monday after Davis said he'd deport the journalist if Donald Trump wins the 2024 election and he is named attorney general, as has been floated by multiple Trump insiders, according to HuffPost.

On the Sunday edition of his show, Hasan exposed "Davis' threats to send journalists to the D.C. gulag" alongside "his repeated calls on social media for his followers to 'arm up against the violent Black underclass,'" displaying Davis' corresponding X/Twitter posts, during a segment on the right-wing, extremist figures who may comprise Trump's administration in a potential second term.

"What would a 2nd Trump presidency...without any adults in the room, actually look like?"



Tonight, I revealed to @MSNBC viewers the kind of people Trump could end up appointing as VP, AG, National Security Adviser, CIA Director, & Press Secretary.



Watch:pic.twitter.com/yipc2AcmwA  Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) November 20, 2023

Davis responded to the segment on X, extolling the potential cabinet members as "Trump's Dream Team" and claiming to now have added the British-American anchor to his lists of people to indict, detain, denaturalize and deport.

I already have his spot picked out in the DC gulag, Davis added. But Ill put him in the womens cell block, with @Timodc [former Republican National Committee spokesperson Tim Miller]. So these whiny leftists dont get beat up as often.





Trumps Dream Team.@mehdirhasan is now on my Lists 2 (indict), 4 (detain), 6 (denaturalize), and 3 (deport).



I already have his spot picked out in the DC gulag.



But Ill put him in the womens cell block, with @Timodc.



So these whiny leftists dont get beat up as often. https://t.co/Ylhb33KVv2   Mike Davis  (@mrddmia) November 20, 2023

Hasan shot back in a post of his own, writing, "Nothing to see here, just the former Gorsuch law clerk touted as Trumps next attorney-general, threatening to indict, detain, & deport me (for what?) & put Tim Miller, who is gay, in a womens prison.

Nothing at all unconstitutional, fascistic, or bigoted about any of this, he added.

Nothing to see here, just the former Gorsuch law clerk touted as Trumps next attorney-general, threatening to indict, detain, & deport me (for what?) & put Tim Miller, who is gay, in a womens prison.



Nothing at all unconstitutional, fascistic, or bigoted about any of this.  https://t.co/yNuLo2ZMgD  Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) November 20, 2023

Legal experts admonished the conservative lawyer over the online exchange, dubbing Davis a "disgrace."

Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course.

"My God. An absolute disgrace to the profession and the country," tweeted Sherrilyn Iffil, the former president and director-counsel of the NAACP's Legal Defense Fund.

My God. An absolute disgrace to the profession and the country. https://t.co/ee5SJFFjSm  Sherrilyn Ifill (@SIfill_) November 20, 2023

"More than a disgrace," Georgia State law professor Eric Segall added. "He has been threatening folks (like me) that we are on his list for something terrible if Trump wins. Hes a clear and present danger given he clerked for Gorsuch twice! Hes not a rando tweeter."

More than a disgrace. He has been threatening folks (like me) that we are on his list for something terrible if Trump wins. Hes a clear and present danger given he clerked for Gorsuch twice! Hes not a rando tweeter.  Eric Segall (@espinsegall) November 20, 2023
Elon Musk on Monday made good on his promise to sue Media Matters, filing a federal lawsuit that accuses the left-leaning watchdog group and one of its reporters of doctoring images in an article that showed ads for major corporations next to posts depicting hate speech on X, Musks social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

In a complaint filed in a Texas federal court, lawyers for X argued that Media Matters knowingly and maliciously manufactured side-by-side images depicting advertisers posts on X. The lawsuit alleges that the images and the media promotion of that research were done with the intention to drive advertisers from the platform and destroy X, citing a blatant smear campaign against the company over the last year.

Musks lawsuit is the latest of his battles with regulators, advocates and advertisers, which have pointed to a rise in hate speech on the platform since he bought it last October and hollowed out its content moderation staff. The tech billionaire also sued the Center for Countering Digital Hate in August after it reported a rise in hate speech on the platform. Musk also threatened to sue the Anti-Defamation League a month later amid an ad slump for which he placed blamed on the groups pressure on advertisers.

The lawsuit on Monday comes as Musk and X, facing specific allegations that they endorsed and promoted antisemitic content on the platform, try to quell a recent exodus of advertisers.

The complaint contends that an internal investigation found that Media Matters used accounts for its research that bypassed Xs ad filter for new users and followed only accounts known to produce extreme, fringe content and accounts owned by Xs big-name advertisers.

The complaint further alleges that Media Matters resorted to endlessly scrolling and refreshing its unrepresentative, hand-selected feed  until it finally received pages containing the result it wanted: controversial content next to Xs largest advertisers paid posts.

Shortly after Musk filed his lawsuit, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has in the past aligned himself with the tech mogul, announced that his office would open a probe into potential fraudulent activity by Media Matters.

In a statement after the lawsuit, Carusone said that this is a frivolous lawsuit meant to bully Xs critics into silence. Media Matters stands behind its reporting and looks forward to winning in court.

Musk  the richest person in the world and the owner of Tesla and SpaceX  pledged over the weekend to file a thermonuclear lawsuit against Media Matters, a self-described progressive research and information center that says it monitors conservative disinformation, in response to the advertising boycott on X.

Media Matters published a report last week alleging that X had run ads for major companies next to neo-Nazi posts, prompting companies like Apple, IBM and Disney to pull advertising from the site.

That research challenged earlier claims from X CEO Linda Yaccarino, who had said that brands are now protected from the risk of being next to potentially toxic content on the platform.

The battle with Media Matters also comes as Musk  the owner of Tesla and SpaceX, who bought Twitter last year and then rebranded it  has come under fire for what some have characterized as tolerating and, at times, encouraging antisemitism on the social media platform. Musk himself appeared to express his support for an antisemitic tweet as the actual truth of what Jewish people were doing amid Israels war against the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The White House starkly condemned the post, and the tweet has been seen as a precipitating factor in the advertising exodus the company has experienced over the last few days.

Rebecca Kern contributed to this report.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has congratulated Ukrainians on Dignity and Freedom Day and urged them to be united, as only united people are strong and free.

Source: Zelenskyys video address

Quote: "We are strong. We must be strong. After all, people believe only in the strong, and only the strong shape the future. Only the strong can be united. United to become free. Free to be with dignity. For the sake of new times. When the central squares of our cities will receive new and everlasting names. In honour of the heroes. In honour of the liberators. Mariupol, Berdiansk and Melitopol. In honour of the liberation of Donbas and Crimea.

In honour of the Ukrainian reunification within its borders. When years and centuries from now, history books will refer to the period of independence since 1991 as uninterrupted."

Details: The president said Ukraine has been doing its best every year since the Revolution of Dignity to see "the star of Ukraine shine in the star circle on the EU flag".

Zelenskyy added that whenever someone attempts to deprive Ukrainians of something, the resistance becomes greater and stronger: "When the Maidan barricades turn into the trenches of Donbas, and then into resistance along the entire contact line  north, south and east."

The president emphasised that a new chapter in our history is currently unfolding: "It is up to our generation to determine the direction it will take. What history books will write about us. What our descendants will say about us."

At the same time, the president warned of the threat of political opportunists in government.

Quote: "When you fight for offices and not for people, when your ego becomes more important than your own country, when you don't fight until the end, and when the prefix 'in exile' appears next to the status of leader, head, or hetman.

When the foe manages to split the internal unity. When we quarrel and then get tired and despair, and then we survive in new periods of captivity and statelessness.

When the enemy manages to disrupt international support and solidarity. When the civilised world begins to seek compromises with terrorists and make concessions to tyrants, then we all lose. Ukraine. Europe. The world. We lose, naively assuming that there can be a draw with them. A draw is impossible".

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BEIJING (Reuters) - Myanmar authorities have handed over 31,000 telecom fraud suspects to China since law enforcement officers from both countries launched a crackdown on online scams in September, Chinese authorities said on Tuesday.

The suspects included 63 "financiers" and ring-leaders of crime syndicates that have cheated Chinese citizens of large sums of money, the Ministry of Public Security said in a statement.

"The crackdown has achieved significant battle results," the ministry said.

More than 100,000 people engage in telecom fraud each day in at least 1,000 scam centres in Myanmar, which shares a border with southwest China, Chinese state media has reported.

Chinese police started to crack down on the fraud in September and this month, police launched what they said were "swift attacks" on crime gangs in Myanmar.

The Myanmar ringleader of a gang committed suicide last week while on the run from Myanmar authorities, Chinese police said. Three members of his gang were later handed over to Chinese police.

With telecom scams in Myanmar targeting Chinese citizens surging, Assistant Foreign Minister Nong Rong visited Myanmar this month, saying China was ready to work with Myanmar on tackling cross-border crime including online gambling.

Nong also said China supported Myanmar in maintaining stability on their common border as Myanmar's junta battled insurgents in the area.

Myanmar's ruling military is facing attacks on multiple fronts in its borderlands as an alliance of ethnic minority insurgent groups combines with pro-democracy fighters to challenge the junta's rule.

China has called for peace.

"China has been playing a constructive role in its own way to promote peace talks and urge relevant parties to put the interests of the people first, cease fire and end war as soon as possible," a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday.

(Reporting by Albee Zhang and Ryan Woo)
The mysterious respiratory illness that may have sickened scores of dogs across the country could be caused by a new type of bacterial infection that may be very good at evading the canine immune system, researchers say. Some dogs have died from the illness, which starts with causes a cough that can last for weeks, runny eyes and sneezing.

In a development that might help shed light on the illness, which has affected a variety of dog breeds, researchers at the University of New Hampshires Veterinary Diagnosis Laboratory and the Hubbard Center for Genome Studies told NBC News they have identified a pathogen that might be whats making pets sick.

Through a genetic sequencing of samples from an initial group of 30 dogs from New Hampshire who were infected last year and then an additional 40 from Rhode Island and Massachusetts who got sick this year, the researchers say they have discovered a previously unknown germ.

The pathogen is a funky bacterium, said Dr. David Needle, pathology section chief at the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture at the University of New Hampshire. Its smaller than a normal bacterium in its size and in the size of its genome. Long story short, its a weird bacterium that can be tough to find and sequence.

The germ is new as a potential cause of disease, but it is likely to be or to have evolved from  a component of the dog microbiome, he said. Dogs as well as humans have multiple types of harmless bacteria and other microorganisms living both inside and outside the body. In the gut, they are thought to aid in digestion.

The bacterium was discovered after a painstaking search.

After initial sequencing showed there were no known viral, bacterial or fungal pathogens, time consuming and dogged work by graduate student Lawrence Gordon showed that 21 of the initial 30 samples from New Hampshire had some genetic material from one atypical bacterial species, Needle said.

The UNH team is sharing its results prior to publishing a research article, hoping they will give veterinarians some information as they deal with other respiratory syndrome outbreaks, he said.

Scientists arent even sure yet whether the same bug is making dogs sick across the nation. Many researchers have wondered whether it was a bacterial or a viral pathogen. One thing veterinarians do know is that the germ is something they dont recognize.

Mike Stepien, a spokesperson for the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), said in an email Wednesday the agency is working with multiple state animal health officials and diagnostic labs regarding the respiratory illness in dogs that, "in rare cases, has progressed rapidly to death."

"APHIS and partners have not yet definitively identified the cause of illness," Stepien responded in an email. "There are no reports of human illness affiliated with these cases at this time."

New Hampshire is one of a handful of states that have reported cases of the respiratory infection in dogs.

The Oregon Agriculture Department has received more than 200 case reports from veterinarians around the state since the beginning of August, spokesperson Andrea Cantu-Schomus said in an email. A very small percentage of the dogs have died, Cantu-Schomus said.

Other states with possible cases include:

In conversations with veterinarians, Dr. Karl E. Jandrey, a professor of clinical small animal emergency and critical care at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, has heard of potential cases in North Carolina, Rhode Island and Virginia, as well.

Because there is no test yet for the illness and because many of the symptoms are similar to other respiratory infections, such as canine influenza and Bordetella (kennel cough), its unknown exactly how many dogs have been affected. With hundreds of cases identified by symptoms reported only in Oregon, its likely there are thousands.

Normally, to determine what antibiotics might work best against a particular type of bacteria, labs grow the bugs in a petri dish and then try to kill them with various medications. Needle and his colleagues have not been able to grow the new bacteria in the lab. Nevertheless, its structure offers some clues about which medications might be the best choice to fight it, he said. The antibiotic doxycycline may be effective, he suggested.

If it turns out that the New Hampshire researchers have found the right microbe, that may explain why some dogs are getting very sick, said Jandrey.

Smaller pathogens are likely to have an easier time making it past a dogs defenses in the upper respiratory tract and getting down into the lungs, he said. If it goes into the lungs, theres a risk of pneumonia, he added.

What are the dog infection symptoms?

According to Oregons Cantu-Schomus, the dogs illnesses largely develop in three ways:

As an inflammation of the tubes that connect the throat to the lungs that is minimally or not responsive to antibiotics.

As chronic pneumonia that is minimally or not responsive to antibiotics.

As acute pneumonia that rapidly becomes severe and often leads to severe illness or possibly death in as little as 24 to 36 hours.

If a dog has a cough that wont quit and other respiratory symptoms, its recommended that the owner contact a veterinarian right away.

While the respiratory symptoms seem to be like a viral illness, testing has been negative for a virus, Cantu-Schomus said.

Its very unlikely that the cause will turn out to be viral, said Colin Parrish, a professor of virology at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University. With the sequencing methods people use to look for unknown viruses, its signature would have been clear in a few days, he added.

So its possible that the New Hampshire scientists could have hit upon the right pathogen, although their results need to be confirmed by more research, he said.

What owners should do

The American Kennel Clubs chief veterinarian offered advice for both dog owners and their vets.

First, owners should make sure their pets are fully vaccinated and boosted against the known canine diseases, said Dr. Jerry Klein, a practicing vet for 35 years and who was emergency department head emeritus at MedVet Chicago and currently works at the McKillip Animal Hospital in Chicago.

Klein recommends that veterinarians suggest a full respiratory panel when people bring in sick dogs, but acknowledges that may be an expense some owners cant afford.

If a dogs veterinarian doesnt suggest the panel, then owners should request it; that will help determine if the germ is one that vets already know about or is something new.

People can call their local emergency vets to find out if there has been an increase in respiratory infections coming in for treatment, Klein said.

That would be a way to find out whether theres been an uptick in your area, he said. If there is, then they should try to protect against exposure by avoiding grooming establishments and daycare.

Klein also recommends that groomers and daycare facilities not allow dogs to share food and water dishes.

Even though a record number of Americans are expected to travel during the holiday season, experts recommend that dog owners keep their pets out of kennels and other areas, such as dog parks, where infection might be more likely because of crowded conditions and close contact.

When you congregate a bunch of animals together, theres a larger likelihood of getting an infectious disease from other dogs, said Dr. Kurt Williams, director of the Oregon Veterinary Diagnostic Lab at the Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine at Oregon State University.

Still, he said, there are some facilities where you are less likely to have a problem because of how they are designed.

Ive been telling people to work closely with their vet, Williams said. And to make sure their dog has all the vaccines available, in particular those for respiratory diseases we are familiar with.

Another option is for owners to hire a house sitter, Needle said. Or hire a dog walker, he added. It might not be perfect, but its better than nothing. Also, you might want to consider having Thanksgiving at home.

Ultimately, your dog might be happier at home with a house sitter or a dog walker stopping by multiple times during the day than going to a kennel, Jandrey said.

Its best to leave them in their own environment, he added.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
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Chinese Vice President Han Zheng met with Uzbekistan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Bakhtiyor Saidov on Tuesday in Beijing.

Han said China and Uzbekistan are ancient civilizations, and the age-old Silk Road witnessed the friendly exchanges between the two peoples for more than 2,000 years.

Noting that since the establishment of diplomatic ties 31 years ago, the two sides have always treated each other as equals and respected and trusted each other, Han said the development of China-Uzbekistan relations has entered a new era under the strategic guidance and personal promotion of the two heads of state.

China is willing to step up mutual support with Uzbekistan, speed up the synergizing of development strategies, and translate the high-level political relations between the two countries into tangible results to the greater benefits of the two peoples, Han said.

Saidov said the Uzbekistan-China relations are at the best and highest level in history, adding that Uzbekistan regards China as the most important comprehensive strategic partner.

Uzbekistan is willing to strengthen strategic dialogue with China, implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, and continuously deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, Saidov said.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un watches as the rocket carrying the reconnaissance satellite 'Malligyong-1' takes off (STR)

North Korea said Wednesday it had succeeded in putting a military spy satellite into orbit, with state media claiming leader Kim Jong Un was already reviewing images of US military bases in Guam sent by Pyongyang's new eye in the sky.

Washington, Seoul and Tokyo have slammed the sanctions-busting launch, Pyongyang's third attempt this year to put a satellite into orbit, and the first since Kim met President Vladimir Putin at a Russian cosmodrome in September.

After failed attempts in May and August, the official Korean Central News Agency reported that a rocket had blasted off late Tuesday and "accurately put the reconnaissance satellite 'Malligyong-1' on its orbit".

Images in state media showed Kim watching the launch, then smiling and waving, surrounded by white-uniformed scientists and engineers celebrating the satellite's purported success.

The satellite will "formally start its reconnaissance mission from December 1 after finishing 7 to 10 days' fine-tuning process", KCNA said, adding that it was already transmitting images.

Kim "watched the aerospace photos of Anderson Air Force Base, Apra Harbor and other major military bases of the U.S. forces taken in the sky above Guam in the Pacific, which were received at 9:21 a.m. on Nov. 22," according to KCNA.

- Eyes and fist -

Washington said the launch was a "brazen violation" of successive rounds of UN resolutions barring the North from tests of ballistic technology -- used in both missiles and satellite launch rockets.

In response, Seoul on Wednesday partially suspended a 2018 military deal with the North, saying it would resume surveillance operations along their border.

South Korea's military said the purported spy satellite "was assessed to have entered orbit, from comprehensive analysis of flight track information and various circumstances".

But it added that "determining whether the satellite is actually operating will take time".

Speaking at Pyongyang's space launch centre, leader Kim claimed the development meant the North now has "both 'eyes' overlooking a very long distance and a strong 'fist' beating a very long distance", in a possible reference to the country's banned intercontinental ballistic missiles, which it claims could hit the US mainland.

Kim "stressed once again that it is necessary to operate many more reconnaissance satellites" to both increase the country's "military strike means... as well as for self-defence".

China, Pyongyang's longtime treaty ally and main economic benefactor, did not condemn the launch but said the situation was "complex and sensitive", foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a briefing.

"All parties concerned should remain calm and restrained, look squarely at the crux of the problem, adhere to the general direction of a political settlement, and do more to help ease tensions," she added.

- Korean space race? -

Seoul has been saying for weeks that nuclear-armed Pyongyang was in the final stages of preparation for another attempted spy satellite launch.

Seoul's spy agency this month said Pyongyang appeared to have received technical advice from Russia in return for sending at least 10 shipments of weapons for Moscow's war in Ukraine.

The North's May attempt failed due to the "abnormal" startup of its second-stage engine, Pyongyang state media said at the time, while the August misfire was attributed to an error in the "emergency blasting system".

Putin suggested in September after his meeting with Kim that his nation could help Pyongyang build satellites.

Seoul and Washington have both subsequently accused Pyongyang of shipping weapons to Russia, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warning this month that military ties between North Korea and Russia were "growing and dangerous".

The launch also appears to kick off a space race on the peninsula, experts said, with Seoul planning to launch its first spy satellite via a SpaceX rocket later this month.

"Kim Jong Un demonstrated his will to have an upper hand in military superiority by attempting to launch the first military reconnaissance satellite into orbit before South Korea," said Lim Eul-chul, associate professor at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies, Kyungnam University.

"Of course, it appears that there will be differences in the performance of the satellites."

Successfully putting a spy satellite into orbit would improve North Korea's intelligence-gathering capabilities, particularly over South Korea, and provide crucial data in any military conflict, experts say.

kjk-sh/ceb/sco
North Korea claims it has successfully put a military spy satellite into space, after two earlier attempts failed this year.

It comes after a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un in September, where Moscow offered Pyongyang help with its space programme.

South Korea says it has not confirmed yet if the satellite is operational.

But it says it believes the North received help from Russia.

Following the launch, South Korea announced it would resume surveillance along its border with the North, thereby taking steps to suspend parts of a deal agreed by the two countries in 2018 aimed at lowering military tensions.

North Korean state news agency KCNA said the satellite, named Malligyong-1, had "accurately" entered orbit and and leader Kim Jong Un had observed the launch.

The launch has been condemned by the UN, which maintains sanctions on North Korea due its nuclear missiles development, and other countries including the US and Japan.

The UN secretary-general said: "Any launch by [North Korea] using ballistic missile technology is contrary to the relevant Security Council resolutions."

He reiterated a call for the North to return to its path of denuclearisation.

The White House called the move a "brazen violation" of UN resolutions, while Japan's Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, also condemned the launch - which flew over the country's Okinawa prefecture and on towards the Pacific Ocean.

The Japanese government briefly issued an emergency warning, telling residents in Okinawa to take shelter. North Korea had on Monday told Japan it intended to attempt its satellite launch again. It had tried twice this year and failed - in May and August.

Mr Kishida condemned the launch "in the strongest terms" and said a complaint had been lodged with North Korea.

"Even if the purpose is to launch a satellite, using ballistic missile technology is a clear violation of the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions," said Mr Kishida.

"It is also a very serious matter that greatly concerns the safety of our people."

The launch came earlier than anticipated, outside the nine-day window Pyongyang had notified Japan about. This was supposed to start on Wednesday and end at 23:59 local time (14:59 GMT) on 30 November.

KCNA, citing the North's space agency, said the Sohae launch facility in the northwest of the country, close to the border with China, was used for the operation.

North Korea's claim that it has successfully launched the spy satellite has not yet been verified.

If the rocket is confirmed to be a spy satellite, it would be the third attempt by the North to launch one this year.

Earlier, Japan said it would work with South Korea and the US to "strongly urge" the North not to proceed with the launch, which they said would violate UN resolutions.

The Japan Coast Guard said Pyongyang's notification designated three maritime zones believed to be the areas where debris from the rocket carrying the satellite will fall.

Two are to the west of the Korean Peninsula and the other is to the east of the Philippines' island of Luzon.

Kang Ho-pil, chief director of operations at the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, warned that Seoul would take "necessary measures" should the launch proceed.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

A spy satellite is a coveted prize for Kim Jong Un, as it will allow him to monitor incoming attacks and plot his own more accurately.

However the United Nations Security Council has banned Pyongyang from launching satellites because it sees them as a pretext to test the North's missile technology.

South Korea retrieved debris from the North's first launch in May and said the satellite had "no military utility". After a second attempt in August failed, Pyongyang's space agency said it would try again in October but did not do so.

Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested in September after a meeting with Mr Kim that Moscow could help Pyongyang build satellites, but the details of what was actually promised was unclear.

Earlier this month, South Korea announced plans to launch its own spy satellite by the end of November. The satellite is to be carried by a rocket from US company SpaceX.

This is reportedly the first of five spy satellites Seoul plans to launch into space by 2025.
A lawmaker has been caught attempting to bribe a state official with bitcoins, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) reported on Telegram on Nov. 21.

The MP allegedly offered the head of the State Agency for Reconstruction and Infrastructure Development a bribe in bitcoin equivalent to $50,000.

In exchange for the cryptocurrency, the lawmaker wanted help obtaining state funds for repairing infrastructure he controls.

He sent the first tranche of $10,000 to the official, who was working in cooperation with law enforcement to uncover the crime.

The NABU did not name the MP, but said he was a member of the committee on anti-corruption policy.

Ukrainian media outlet Suspilne named the MP as Andriy Odarchenko, a lawmaker from President Volodymyr Zelensky's Servant of the People party, citing sources in law enforcement.

The State Agency for Reconstruction and Infrastructure Development said that there was "zero tolerance for corruption."

"Our cooperation with law enforcement and anti-corruption authorities was and will be systematic," the Agency said.

According to the NABU, this is the first time Ukraine's anti-corruption law enforcers have documented a bribe in cryptocurrency. The investigation is ongoing.

Read also: Ukraine issues arrest warrant for lawmaker alleged of corruption

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
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1769-1821



Latest News: Napoleon Movie in Theaters Now

Legendary French General Napoleon Bonaparte has been the subject of many movies, and the latest is director Ridley Scotts new biopic simply titled Napoleon. The movie, now in theaters, stars Joaquin Phoenix as Napoleon and Vanessa Kirby as his wife Josephine. In addition to depicting the famed military leaders rise to French emperor, the movie focuses heavily on Napoleon and Josephines tumultuous relationship.

Napoleon has received some flack for its historical inaccuracies, such as showing the titular character shooting at pyramids. If you want to really understand Napoleon, then you should probably do your own studying and reading, Phoenix previously told Empire magazine. Because if you see this film, its this experience told through Ridleys eyes... What we were after was something that would capture the feeling of this man.

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Who Was Napoleon Bonaparte?

French General Napoleon Bonaparte was one of the worlds greatest military leaders who became the first emperor of France, from 1804 to 1815. Born on the Mediterranean island of Corsica, he attended military schools in France and eventually embraced his adopted home. Bonaparte steadily rose to power in the tumult of the French Revolution before seizing power in a 1799 coup. He was elected consul for life in 1802, then proclaimed the French emperor two years later. As a political leader, Bonaparte broadly transformed French society, most notably ushering in the Napoleonic Code that still serves as the basis of civil codes around the world today. During the Napoleonic Wars, the famed military tactician expanded Frances footprint before a string of critical losses forced him into exile. Bonaparte spent the final years of his life on the remote island of St. Helena, where he died in 1821 at age 51.

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Napoleon Bonaparte

BORN: August 15, 1769

DIED: May 5, 1821

BIRTHPLACE: Ajaccio, Corsica

SPOUSES: Josephine de Beauharnais (1796-1809) and Archduchess Marie-Louise (1810-1821)

CHILDREN: Charles, Alexandre, and Napoleon II

ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Leo

HEIGHT: 5 ft. 7 in.

Early Life and Military Education

Napoleon Bonaparte was born Napoleone Buonaparte in Ajaccio, on the French island of Corsica, on August 15, 1769. He was the fourth, and second surviving, child of Carlo Buonaparte, a lawyer, and his wife, Letizia Ramolino. Napoleon eventually had seven surviving siblings.

Around the time of Napoleons birth, the Frenchs occupation of Corsica had drawn considerable local resistance. Napoleons father had at first supported the nationalists, siding with their leader, Pasquale Paoli. But after Paoli was forced to flee the island, Carlo switched his allegiance to the French. After doing so, he was appointed assessor of the judicial district of Ajaccio in 1771, a plush job that eventually enabled him to enroll his two sons, Joseph and Napoleon, in Frances College dAutun.

In 1779, young Napoleon began attending the military college of Brienne, where he studied for five years. He excelled as a student yet struggled to fit in with his classmates who were the children of French nobles and bullied Napoleon for being a foreigner.

At age 15, Napoleon moved on to the military academy in Paris. While Napoleon was still there, his father died of stomach cancer in 1785. This propelled Napoleon to take the reins as the head of the family. Graduating early from the military academy, Napoleon, now second lieutenant of artillery, returned to Corsica in 1786.

Back home, Napoleon got behind the Corsican resistance to the French occupation, siding with his fathers former ally, Pasquale Paoli. But the two soon had a falling out, and when a civil war in Corsica began in April 1793, Napoleonnow an enemy of Paoliand his family relocated to France, where they assumed the French version of their name: Bonaparte.

How Tall Was Napoleon?

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Napoleon stood about 5 feet, 7 inches tall, making him slightly taller than the average Frenchman of his time.

Much has been made of Napoleons height, and legends claim that he was unusually short, giving rise to the term Napoleon complex, an inferiority complex sometimes associated with people of short stature. Some historians attribute the myths about Napoleons height to British propaganda.

Napoleons Rise to Power

Napoleons return to France began with a service with the French military, where he rejoined his regiment at Nice in June 1793. The turmoil of the French Revolution, which began four years prior, created opportunities for ambitious military leaders like Napoleon. The young leader quickly showed his support for the Jacobins, a far-left political movement and the most well-known and popular political club from the French Revolution.

A year after France was declared a republic, King Louis XVI was executed in January 1793. Ultimately, these acts led to the rise of Maximilien de Robespierre and what became, essentially, the dictatorship of the Committee of Public Safety. The years of 1793 and 1794 came to be known as the Reign of Terror, in which as many as 40,000 people were killed. Eventually, the Jacobins fell from power, and Robespierre was executed.

Trusted Military Leader

In 1795, the French revolutionary government known as the Directory took control of the country. Napoleon, who had previously fallen out of favor with Robespierre, came into the good graces of the Directory that same year after he saved the government from counter-revolutionary forces. For his efforts, Napoleon was soon named commander of the Army of the Interior. In addition, he was a trusted advisor to the Directory on military matters.

In 1796, Napoleon took the helm of the Army of Italy, a post hed been coveting. The armyjust 30,000 strong, disgruntled, and underfedwas soon turned around by the young military commander. Under his direction, the reinvigorated army won numerous crucial victories against the Austrians, greatly expanded the French empire, and squashed an internal threat by the royalists, who wished to return France to a monarchy. All of these successes helped make Napoleon the militarys brightest star.

Failed Egypt Campaign

On July 1, 1798, Napoleon and his army traveled to the Middle East to undermine Great Britains empire by occupying Egypt and disrupting English trade routes to India. But his military campaign proved disastrous: On August 1, Admiral Horatio Nelsons fleet decimated Napoleons forces in the Battle of the Nile.

Napoleons image and that of France were greatly harmed by the loss, and in a show of newfound confidence against the commander, Britain, Austria, Russia, and Turkey formed a new coalition against France. In the spring of 1799, French armies were defeated in Italy, forcing France to give up much of the peninsula. That October, Napoleon returned to France as his troops continued fighting.



Coup of 18 Brumaire

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Shortly after his return to France, Napoleon participated in an event known as the Coup of 18 Brumaire. The bloodless coup detat, heavily orchestrated by Emmanuel Joseph Sieyes, overthrew the newly Jacobin-controlled Directory on November 9, 1799. Napoleon and Sieyes ushered in a new government called the Consulate to be led by three membersthemselves and Pierre-Roger Ducos. Napoleons brother Lucien Bonaparte also assisted the cause.

When Napoleon was named first consul, he became Frances leading political figure in a position that amounted to nothing less than a dictatorship. Under the new guidelines, the first consul was permitted to appoint ministers, generals, civil servants, magistrates, and even members of the legislative assemblies. Sieyes and Ducos were reduced to figureheads. In February 1800, the new constitution was easily accepted.

At the Battle of Marengo in June 1800, Napoleons forces defeated the Austrians and drove them from the Italian peninsula. This military victory cemented Napoleons authority as first consul.



Napoleon proceeded to transform Frances economy, legal and educational systems, and even the Church, as he reinstated Roman Catholicism as the state religion through the Concordat of 1801. He also negotiated a European peace, partially through the 1802 Treaty of Amiens that struck a (short-lived) truce with the war-weary British.

His reforms proved popular: In 1802, he was elected consul for life, and two years later, he was proclaimed emperor of France on May 18, 1804. He was officially crowned Napoleon I during his coronation at Notre Dame Cathedral on December 2 of that year.

Wives: Empress Josephine and Marie-Louise

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As Napoleon was rising in the ranks, his personal life was also taking shape. He met Josephine de Beauharnais, the widow of General Alexandre de Beauharnais (guillotined during the Reign of Terror) and a mother of two children, at a party in 1795. He was quickly smitten and despite her initial reservationsJosephine described Napoleon as altogether strange in all his personthey married on March 9, 1796, in a civil ceremony.



Their union was tempestuous from the outset, with Napoleons military campaigns forcing him away from home for long periods. Although he often complimented Josephine in letters from the battlefield, both of them engaged in extramarital affairs. Napoleon had at least two children out of wedlockCharles Leon Denuelle in 1806 and Alexandre Walewski in 1810.

Josephine was known for holding lavish parties and spending money on clothing and property, including the Malmaison estate near Paris in 1799. Despite their arguments, the two stayed together as Josephine maintained a positive perception among the public. When Napoleon crowned himself emperor in 1804, he insisted upon placing a crown upon Empress Josephine as well.

Despite his new title, not all was going to plan for Napoleon. He faced mounting pressure from his family to separate from Josephine, who was in her 40s by this point, because she was unable to give him a legitimate son and, thus, an heir. So in December 1809, Napoleon arranged for the annulment of their marriage.

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Following the annulment, Napoleon searched in haste for a new bride. His first choice was Anna Pavlovna, the 15-year-old sister of Russian Tsar Alexander I. But after delays and excuses, he instead selected Archduchess Marie-Louise of Austria, 18, due largely to political motivations. Marie-Louise was the great-niece of Marie Antoinette. She dreaded the idea, writing in her diary that just looking at Napoleon would be the worst form of torture. However, she complied and married Napoleon by proxy in a civil ceremony in March 1810.

Marie-Louise gave Napoleon the heir he desired, as the couple had a sonNapoleon II, King of Romeon March 20, 1811.

Despite his marriage to Marie-Louise, Napoleon continued his correspondence with Josephine and made unannounced personal visits to Malmaison. In 1813, he even brought his young son to meet her, as their struggle to produce an heir had cost her so many tears. This stoked jealousy in Marie-Louise, who remained married to Napoleon until his death.

Napoleonic Code

Continuing the societal reforms he made, Napoleon instituted the Napoleonic Code, otherwise known as the French Civil Code, on March 21, 1804. The sweeping set of laws ended the feudal system and addressed property rights, family law, and individual freedoms. It forbade privileges based on birth, declaring all men to be equal and stating that government jobs must be given to the most qualified. Men were entitled to religious freedom and placed in charge of the women and children in their families. Women were largely left without rights, though they did have limited liberties in divorce proceedings.

The Napoleonic Code applied in France and its growing number of territories. Napoleon correctly predicted that his code, more so than his many military victories, would have a lasting legacy. Parts of it are still in use around the world today. The terms of the code are the main basis for many other countries civil codes throughout Europe and North America.



Napoleonic Wars

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The Napoleonic Wars were a series of European wars lasting from 1803 to Napoleons permanent abdication of power in 1815.

In 1803, in part to raise funds for war, France sold its North American Louisiana Territory to the United States for $15 million, a transaction known as the Louisiana Purchase. Napoleon then returned to war with Britain, Russia, and Austria.

In 1805, the British registered an important naval victory against France at the Battle of Trafalgar, which led Napoleon to scrap his plans to invade England. Instead, he set his sights on Austria and Russia, beating back both militaries in the Battle of Austerlitz.

Other victories soon followed, allowing Napoleon to greatly expand the French empire and paving the way for loyalists to his governmentincluding his brothers and other family membersto be installed in Holland, Italy, Naples, Sweden, Spain, and Westphalia.



Invasion of Russia

In 1812, France was devastated when Napoleons invasion of Russia turned out to be a colossal failureand the beginning of the end for Napoleon. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers in Napoleons Grand Army were killed or badly wounded: Out of an original fighting force of some 600,000 men, just 10,000 soldiers were still fit for battle.

News of the defeat reinvigorated Napoleons enemies, both inside and outside of France. Some attempted a failed coup while Napoleon led his charge against Russia and as the British began to advance through French territories. With international pressure mounting and his government lacking the resources to fight back against his enemies, Napoleon surrendered to allied forces on March 30, 1814.

First Exile

About a week later, on April 6, Napoleon was forced to abdicate power and went into exile on the island of Elba off the Italian coast in the Mediterranean Sea. His exile didnt last long, as he watched France stumbled forward without him.

In March 1815, Napoleon escaped the island and quickly made his way back to Paris. King Louis XVIII fled, and Napoleon triumphantly returned to power. But the enthusiasm that greeted Napoleon when he resumed control of the government soon gave way to old frustrations and fears about his leadership.

Waterloo

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On June 16, 1815, Napoleon led French troops into Belgium and defeated the Prussians; two days later, he was defeated by the British, reinforced by Prussian fighters, at the Battle of Waterloo.

It was a humiliating loss, and on June 22, 1815, Napoleon abdicated his powers for good. In an effort to prolong his dynasty, he pushed to have his young son, Napoleon II, named emperor, but the coalition rejected the offer.

Exile on St. Helena

After Napoleons abdication from power in 1815, fearing a repeat of his earlier return from exile on Elba, the British government sent Napoleon to the remote island of St. Helena in the southern Atlantic Ocean. He lived there for the rest of his life.

For the most part, Napoleon was free to do as he pleased at his new home. He had leisurely mornings, wrote often, and read a lot. But the tedious routine of life soon got to him, and he often shut himself indoors.

According to historian Kate Williams 2014 book Ambition and Desire: The Dangerous Life of Josephine Bonaparte, Napoleon continued to show great affection for his ex-wife, who died of pneumonia at her Malmaison estate in May 1814. He had portraits of Josephine placed throughout his residence and even ate off plates with her likeness on them.

Starting in 1817, Napoleons health began to deteriorate. In early 1821, he was bedridden and growing weaker by the day. That April, he dictated his last will: I wish my ashes to rest on the banks of the Seine, in the midst of that French people which I have loved so much. I die before my time, killed by the English oligarchy and its hired assassins.

Death and Tomb

Napoleon died on May 5, 1821, on the island of St. Helena at age 51. Allegedly, he uttered his ex-wife Josephines name as his final word.

During his final weeks, he experienced symptoms such as vomiting, incessant hiccups, and blood clots. Physicians who conducted his autopsy ruled stomach cancer, exacerbated by bleeding gastric ulcers, as the cause of Napoleons death. According to PBS News Hour, Napoleons cancer was in an advanced state, and his family history of gastric carcinomas supported the autopsy results.

However, researchers have posited alternative theories regarding his demise. In 1961, Swedish dentist Sten Forshufvud and Drs. Hamilton Smith and Anders Wassen analyzed a sample of his hair and published an article suggesting he might have died from arsenic poisoning. Although other experts have rebuffed this theory, it has led to conspiracies surrounding Napoleons death.

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Despite what he requested in his last will, Napoleon was initially buried on St. Helena on May 9, 1821, in the Geranium Valley, now known as the Valley of the Tomb. In 1840, he was exhumed by order of French King Louis-Phillippe, and Bonapartes remains were transferred back to mainland France, arriving on December 15.

Napoleons tomb is located in Paris in the Dome des Invalides. Originally a royal chapel built between 1677 and 1706, the Invalides were turned into a military pantheon under Napoleons reign. In addition to Napoleon Bonaparte, several other French notables are buried there, including: Napoleon II, the King of Rome and Napoleons son; Napoleons brothers Joseph and Jerome Bonaparte; Generals Henri-Gratien Bertrand and Geraud-Christophe-Michel Duroc; and the French Marshals Ferdinand Foch and Hubert Lyautey.

Napoleon Movies

Not surprising given his place in world history, Napoleon has appeared on the big screen many times with depictions ranging from purposefully humorous to based in realism.

Marlon Brando and Dennis Hopper were cast as Bonaparte in the 1950s movies Desiree (1954) and The Story of Mankind (1957), respectively. The general also appears in films such as Waterloo (1970), Time Bandits (1981), and The Count of Monte Cristo (2002).

In terms of more fantastical portrayals, Napoleon is a character in the 1989 cult comedy Bill and Teds Excellent Adventure, in which the title characters played by Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves decide to abduct historical figures for their high school project through the use of time travel. He also appears as an antagonist in the 2009 sequel Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian.

In 2023, director Ridley Scott helmed a new biopic simply titled Napoleon that released in theaters on November 22. The movie stars Joaquin Phoenix as the French emperor and Vanessa Kirby as Josephine and focuses heavily on their tumultuous relationship. Napoleon marked a reunion for Phoenix and Scott, who worked on the 2000 classic Gladiator also starring Russell Crowe.

Quotes

I am never angry when contradicted; I seek to be enlightened.

I wish my ashes to rest on the banks of the Seine, in the midst of that French people which I have loved so much. I die before my time, killed by the English oligarchy and its hired assassins.

A revolution is an idea which has found its bayonets.

A great people may be killed, but they will not be intimidated.

He who fears being conquered is certain of defeat.

Love does more harm than good.

A man is not dependent upon his fellow creature, when he does not fear death.

It is the cause, and not the death that makes the martyr.

Even when I am gone, I shall remain in peoples minds the star of their rights, my name will be the war cry of their efforts, the motto of their hopes.

Men of genius are meteors, intended to burn to light their century.

Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever.

In choosing a wife, a man does not renounce his mother, and still less is he justified with breaking her heart.

Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesnt look right, contact us!

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Among Napoleon's letters on sale is one dated September 18, 1812 -- a dispatch from Moscow at the height of the Russian campaign (Pascal POCHARD-CASABIANCA)

Eleven letters sent by Napoleon Bonaparte, including dispatches from the Kremlin, have gone on sale following the blockbuster auction of the diminutive French emperor's hat for $2.1 million.

Among them is one dated September 18, 1812, in which he arrives in Moscow at the height of his Russian campaign and reports that the city is ablaze amid a scorched-earth policy adopted by the Russian side.

"Today I toured the main quarters. It was a spectacular city; I say 'was' because today more than half has been consumed by fire," the French emperor wrote.

In the missive, on sale for $58,300, he also remarked on the city's inventory of alcohol.

"We have found cellars full of wine and eau de vie (liquor), which will be of great need to us," he wrote.

Napoleon ordered the largest European military force ever assembled up until then into Russia in 1812, when the French ruler was at the height of his prestige.

But around a million soldiers and civilians died in the course of the invasion.

Nathan Raab, president of the Raab Collection, a Philadelphia-based dealer of historical papers handling the sale, said that "the letter from Moscow is so rare, it's just extraordinary".

"Napoleon is an enormous figure with immense admiration from Americans. He is seen as an emperor with a strong leadership.

"But his legacy is not black or white, it's very gray."

Napoleon later went on to destroy several towers and sections of wall at the Kremlin, at the time both an imperial palace and military fortress.

He had vowed to do so in another letter dated October 20, 1812.

That note does not feature in the latest sale, having been sold for 187,500 euros at a French auction in 2012.

In another, now on sale for $79,500, Napoleon itemizes the munitions he needed for a final assault on Toulon in southern France after he had been elevated into a leadership position, setting him on course to eventually become emperor.

- 'Great coincidences'? -

"In what may go down as one of the great coincidences in history, he happened to be in the area as the French gathered for the assault on Toulon and was given the command of artillery," according to the Raab Collection.

"This seemingly insignificant event at the time would make his career, and changed the history of Western Europe."

Interest in Napoleon's life has soared as a biopic of the leader's rise to power directed by Ridley Scott is released in cinemas this week.

Starring Joaquin Phoenix as Napoleon, the film also chronicles his relationship with Empress Josephine played, by Vanessa Kirby.

"He wanted to be heartfelt, but in his letters... he seems like a teenager in love, almost plagiarizing poetry," Phoenix told AFP in Paris recently.

"There's something almost endearing about it -- if he wasn't also responsible for the deaths of millions of people," Phoenix added.

"I imagined that he was cold and calculated as a great military strategist. What I was surprised by was the sense of humor and how child-like he was."

A hat belonging to Napoleon sold for a record of nearly two million euros at a French auction on Sunday.

It broke the previous record for a Napoleonic hat, held by the same auction house, of 1.88 million euros in 2014, shelled out by a South Korean businessman.

gw-nr/nro
Where to Watch: Theaters Directed By:

Ridley Scott

Written By:

David Scarpa

Starring:

Joaquin Phoenix, Vanessa Kirby, Tahar Rahim

Genre:

Action, Adventure, Biography

Rated RAll media courtesy of Apple Studios

Its hard to know the truth about history when its not completely documented. Thats the case with a lot of Napoleon Bonapartes life, who rose to power during the French Revolution.

I first knew him as friend of Bill & Ted while on their excellent adventure screaming down a waterslide and cursing out bowling pins. Later, I learned about the love of his life Josephine, so brilliantly echoed in Tom Hanks and Catherine Zeta-Jones in Steven Spielbergs The Terminal.

EXCLUSIVE: The Holdovers Paul Giamatti knew exactly what teacher he would base his character on

Now, we are given a new iteration of the historic figure played by Joaquin Phoenix, told in a gritty, violent, and at times unbelievable story by Ridley Scott that is both a historical depiction and a completely diversion from what we know the ruler to be.

The good in Napoleon is found mainly in the extensive, brutal, and brilliantly captured battle scenes. The films opening scene depicts the beheading of Marie Antoinette, as she confidently strides to her death, without shame. Napoleon is easily coaxed into taking on more prominent leadership roles in the military, which eventually lead him to seizing power. All of these story points worked for me and I was able to detach from the glaringly obvious problems in casting.

As much as I love Joaquin Phoenix, It is jarring to have almost every french character not have a french accent. Its one thing to speak English as opposed to french, thats a choice thats been made in many successful brilliant films, but Phoenix is doing absolutely nothing with his voice or accent to even allude to him being french. This is the same for all of the characters, a choice that can only be made from Ridley Scott himself, which was incorrect.

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Now for Napoleons relationship with Josephine. The chemistry between Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby is non-existent. The majority of the film is spent seeing them almost hate each other, yes due to the political pressure or just outright loneliness feel they are trapped together. I couldnt see passion I had hoped to see and that was disappointing.

I dont necessarily have an issue with the historical inaccuracy that many have jumped on with this film, in fact the set design, costumes and makeup are all top-notch, Ridley has some of the greatest production crew working with him because of his gravitas and work. But there are too many lazy choices, or lack of effort in trying to transport the audience through the performances that make me feel this is worth recommending. In the end Napoleon is a mess.

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Last year, the Naval Academys football uniforms for its rival game against the United States Military Academy West Point paid homage to astronauts. This year, theyve returned to the sea in a big way via submarine.

Navy Athletics and Under Armour unveiled the 2023 Army-Navy game uniform today that will honor the Silent Service, the U.S. Submarine Force, its families and supporting personnel, according to a Nov. 20 release.

The rich blue fabric used to create the Midshipmen uniform is Under Armours Eclipse Navy  a fitting moniker for the color of sea depths patrolled by the Navys submariners.

A sleeve patch features the anchor locked-up with the Submarine Warfare insignia known as dolphins/fish.

The design encompasses a historically inspired rendering of dolphins flanking a submarine in the middle, the release notes. The Submarine Warfare insignia was created in 1923 by Captain Ernest J. King, who proposed that the Navy create a warfare insignia device for qualified submariners.

Its numbering font is intended to resemble that of the lettering on submarine hulls as well, according to the release. Meanwhile, the dark blue Under Armour cleats feature a pattern of sea swells.

Lastly, the helmets are adorned with Virginia Class submarines on the right side. The left side features a mix of the traditional Navy anchor plus submariner pin  but what makes it particularly special is a color-changing paint that mimicks the radar system aboard submarines when they lock onto a target.

This year, 158 midshipmen earned the service assignment of submarines or nuclear submarines, the release said.

The 2023 Army-Navy game is on Dec. 9, 2023 and will be played at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Editors note: this story has been updated to include comment from Chief of Naval Personnel officials.

The Navy plans to upend its high-year tenure policy, which booted enlisted sailors out of active duty if they didnt advance up the ranks within certain timelines.

In its place, the Navy announced Monday in a naval administrative message that it will make permanent the so-called High-Year Tenure Plus program, which prohibits commands from separating or involuntarily transferring active-duty sailors who fail to advance under the high-year tenure policys parameters.

The new policy provides Sailors the option to remain on active duty beyond (High-Year Tenure) gates, if the Sailor agrees to orders to fill available Navy assignments, a Chief of Naval Personnel spokesman said in an email. Based on experience with HYT Plus as a pilot program over the past year, we expect that anywhere between 1,000-2,000 Sailors might participate per year, many of which would otherwise have left the Navy or retired.

High-Year Tenure Plus began as a pilot program last year and will become permanent on Oct. 1, 2024, when the pilot program timeframe expires. It applies to all active-duty sailors as well some reservists.

The Navy introduced the pilot program last year in an attempt to improve retention, amid an historically dire recruiting environment for all the services.

Navy suspends high-year tenure in attempt to increase retention

This suspension means more of our talented and experienced Sailors can stay in the Navy, Rear Adm. James Waters III, director of the Military Personnel Plans and Policy Division, said in a December news release. By removing this barrier to retaining career-minded Sailors, the Navy is broadening career progression opportunities for Sailors and allowing them the opportunity to advance to the next higher paygrade.

When the Navy unveiled the High-Year Tenure Plus last year, service officials said those who have surpassed their high-year tenure threshold could apply for new jobs in the MyNavy Assignment portal. Additionally, they could extend and complete another full-length tour at their current command, allowing them to remain at sea, return to sea, or fill a shore billet.

The change comes after the Navy announced this summer that junior sailors will automatically advance to the rank of E-4 in 30 months for most career fields.

Navy shifts to time-in-service advancement for E-1 to E-4 sailors

While all services are grappling with recruiting challenges, the Navy says its retention numbers are encouraging.

The Navy surpassed its retention goals for fiscal 2023  keeping more than 110 percent of sailors with up to 14 years of service. Altogether, a total of 35,175 active-duty enlisted sailors decided to stay in uniform, an increase from the Navys projected target of 31,823 personnel.

According to Navy Recruiting Command, the service missed its active-duty enlisted recruiting goals for fiscal year 2023 by more than 7,450 accessions. Military leaders claim more thorough medical screenings, fewer Americans eligible to serve and low civilian unemployment are factors contributing to recruiting difficulties.
The Navy plans to expand the number of submarine crews that women can serve with, after doubling the number of female officers coming into the community in recent years, but not yet increasing the number of boats with gender-integrated crews.

Vice Adm. William Houston, the commander of Naval Submarine Forces, last month signed a major revision to the forces gender integration plan that would allow females to serve in all submarine homeports.

San Diego will host integrated crews by the end of this year, with Guam following suit next year, Houston said Nov. 7 at the Naval Submarine League annual symposium.

That plan will increase the number of subs that female officers can serve on from 30 to 40 boats, he said.

The Navy has 69 boats: 51 attack subs and 18 Ohio-class ballistic missile and guided-missile submarines.

This officer is the first woman to serve as XO of a submarine

On the enlisted side, 14 crews have female sailors today, and that will grow to 20 crews by 2027 under the plan.

Houston noted part of that will involve women serving on eight attack submarines, up from the two boats in that category currently hosting female crewmembers.

That move follows female officers who pushed to serve on the smaller attack subs after initially being assigned to only the larger Ohio-class boats.

Houston noted that, in some ways, all submarines are gender-neutral today, and all boats can accommodate women.

Right now I have crews that are not integrated that have multiple female officers assigned to them and serving on them in a temporary status to get deployment experience, he said. We do that routinely. Direct support elements, shipyard workers, contractors, squadron staff, inspection teams  every submarine can embark women right now.

The issue, he said, is that the force has so far kept women assigned to crews on certain submarines for berthing purposes.

That has led to situations where some submarines actually have more female officers than male. Minnesota, for example, has 10 female officers in a wardroom of 17.

We doubled the number of female officers we were bringing in, but we hadnt changed the number of platforms that they were assigned to, Houston said.

This sailor is the first woman to serve as chief of the boat

He noted that the sub community now has two female executive officers, or XOs, and they are assigned in a gender-neutral manner, with both women serving on non-integrated boats as the only women in the crews.

Houston said female officer retention in many year groups exceeds male retention, as does promotion rates.

On the enlisted side, he said that, as the number of enlisted female accessions in the community continues to grow, so too will the number of boats to which theyre assigned.

The number of women enlisting in non-nuclear submarine rates doubled from 80 in fiscal 2019 to 160 in fiscal 2023, according to Naval Submarine Forces officials.

Houston pointed out that the first female chief of boat recently helped bring the Louisiana out of a major maintenance availability that included refueling the subs nuclear reactor.

Our female officers are crushing it, Adm. Frank Caldwell, who leads Naval Reactors and the naval nuclear community, said at the Submarine League event. They have really done a fantastic job.

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Asked during his remarks when the Navy might see a female commanding officer, Caldwell noted that it might be another four years because the two female sub XOs today would have to do a couple shore tours ahead of entering the pipeline for command

Caldwell and Houston also talked more broadly about submarine recruiting and retention issues during the Sub League event.

Caldwell said the Covid-19 pandemic had created some recruiting gaps they still need to close. The community is meeting its ROTC goals and is nearing its goals at the U.S. Naval Academy.

But its struggling with the Nuclear Power Officer Candidate pipeline, which pays students while they earn an undergraduate or graduate degree in nuclear engineering and brings them in as nuclear naval officers upon graduation.

The sub force is looking at accession bonuses and signing people earlier to address remaining gaps, Caldwell said.

Houston said that, once officers are in the submarine community, hes trying to entice them to stay.

The Navy already implemented a junior officer split tour initiative, where officers serve both on a submarine in the repair yard and a submarine in the fleet during their first tour  meant to avoid assigning them entirely to boats in long-term repair, where the officers may not be able to get all the qualifications and experience theyd need to be successful in later assignments.

Houston said he also put in place a direct to department head option where, if a young officer wanted to, they could serve a junior officer tour, go to department head school, and then do their department head tours all in the same homeport.

Hes looking at whether its feasible to extend this to a direct to command option, where the officer would also do their executive officer tour and commanding officer tour back-to-back in that same homeport.

Houston said he thinks the bulk of officers would choose the traditional career path, but because the service is small enough, it can adapt if needed.

If we want to retain the best people, we have to have the best, most flexible career path, he said. And that is really what our goal was with that.
A large US Navy surveillance aircraft overshot a runway at Marine Corps Base Hawaii and crashed into water off the island of Oahu, military officials say.

None of the nine passengers aboard the Boeing P-8A Poseidon plane were injured in the Monday afternoon incident, authorities told US media.

Pictures showed the twin-engine reconnaissance jet in the shallow waters of Kaneohe Bay.

The incident took place at a time of cloud, rain and poor visibility.

National Weather Service data indicates that at the time of the crash mist limited visibility to about one mile (1.6km) as wind gusts peaked at 21mph (34kmh).

The P-8A Poseidon is an advanced aircraft that can cost as much as $275mil (219mil). Carrying torpedoes and cruise missiles, the plane is often used in intelligence gathering, naval operations and anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare.

The crashed plane in question is typically stationed at Whidbey Island in Washington state but had deployed to Hawaii for "routine training", officials said.

The military, which did not provide an assessment of the possible environmental damage, surrounded the crashed aircraft with absorbent booms in an effort to keep leaking fuel from spreading, local CBS News affiliate Hawaii News Now reported.

Booms, made of spongy polypropylene, are often used to control and clean up oil spills.

Local residents raised fears that the plane had crashed on a reef that supports Hawaiian marine life.

While relieved that no one was injured, local resident Jonee Kaina said she was concerned about the effects the crash could have on the environment.

"I think someone needs to take a look at the impact the plane is doing to our marine life," she told Hawaii News Now. "There is jet fuel, anti-freeze and other toxins."
A Navy plane overshot the runway while landing at a Marine Corps Air Station and landed in the nearby waters of Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

A Navy P-8 Poseidon plane overshot the runway at about 2 p.m. local time, according to a statement from Lt. Mohammad N. Issa, the deputy public affairs officer for the 3rd Fleet. All personnel and crew were safely evacuated from the aircraft and were assigned to the Washington state-based squadron Skinny Dragons.

The statement said the crew was on a detachment in support of maritime homeland defense. First responders and emergency crews conducted an initial assessment and used a temporary floating barrier to protect the environment, the statement noted.

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It also said that an investigation will be launched into the incident.

The Associated Press reported there were nine people aboard the plane who made it to land without injuries, according to a spokesperson from the Honolulu Emergency Medical Services Department. The AP also reported that the Coast Guard responded at the time, but rescue operations were quickly called off when everyone involved was rescued.

Video footage posted by local media shows a plane sitting on top of the water with smaller vessels surrounding it in Kaneohe Bay. The Marine Corps Base in Hawaii is about 10 miles from Honolulu, which is on the island of Oahu.

The Hill has reached out to the Coast Guard and the Honolulu Emergency Services Department for comment.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A Navy Poseidon surveillance plane overshot a runway approaching a Marine Corps base in Hawaii on Monday, ending up in Kaneohe Bay, a base spokesman said.

None of the nine people aboard the Poseidon plane were injured in the incident, which happened just before 2 p.m. Hawaii time (7 p.m. ET), Marine Maj. Jordan Fox said.

All nine passengers aboard the aircraft at the time of the incident are accounted for, and no injuries are reported, Fox said.

crash military plane (Diane Dircks via AP)

The plane was on its approach to Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, which is on Marine Corps Base Hawaii, on Oahu, Fox said.

A photo from the scene broadcast by NBC affiliate KHNL showed the aircraft in the water.

A spokesman for the Navys Third Fleet said those aboard the plane evacuated after it went into the water.

The crew is assigned to the Whidbey Island, Washington-based VP-4 squadron, the Skinny Dragons, and it was on a detachment in support of maritime homeland defense, Navy Lt. Mohammad Issa said.

Booms were placed around the scene to prevent the spread of hazardous materials. Divers have found no evidence of any fuel leaking from the aircraft, which is structurally sound, the Third Fleet said in a statement Tuesday.

"The Navy will convene an investigation to determine the cause and contributing factors of the mishap," the fleet said.

Aboard the P-8A Poseidon were three pilots and six crew members, it added.

The Poseidon is a long-range patrol and reconnaissance aircraft, according to the Navy's website. It has two engines and is a little more than 129 feet long.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) President Joe Biden confirmed Monday that a deal to bring home some of the hostages held by Hamas is getting closer.

Deputy National Security Advisor, Jon Finer, said on NBCs Meet the Press that negotiators are working to secure the release of hostages in exchange for more aid into Gaza.

Some of the outstanding areas of disagreement in a very complicated very sensitive negotiation have been narrowed, Finer said.

Finer says Israel, the U.S. and Qatar have been negotiating a hostage release for weeks.

Hamas is believed to have taken roughly 240 hostages during its deadly October 7th attack in Israel.

Hamas is holding the elderly hostage, IDF Spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said.

Over the weekend, Israeli defense officials released new footage they say proves Hamas was using a hospital in Gaza for military activities, including holding hostages, something Hamas still denies.

The Israel Defense Forces has a moral obligation to bring everyone, every one of our hostages home, Hagari added.

National Security Council Spokesman, John Kirby, says releasing the hostages would require a temporary ceasefire.

You have got to make sure you can get from where they are to safety, and do that as safely as possible, Kirby said.

Kirby wouldnt give details of the ongoing negotiations but says the Presidents priority is ensuring the American hostages return home safely.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
Rishi Sunak is expected to face pressure to crack down on migration after figures are released - Leon Neal/Getty

Net migration is set to hit a record high as non-EU workers and students extend their post-Brexit stay in the UK.

Forecasts suggest net migration for the year ending June 2023, due to be announced on Thursday, could be as low as 480,000 and as high as 700,000 following two previous peaks of 606,000 in the years ending June 2022 and December 2022.

That would give a two-year total of more than one million, the highest figure since records began 43 years ago when net migration was negative, with more leaving the UK than arriving.

It comes amid growing evidence that more workers and students are staying in the UK, partly because they come largely from non-EU countries with lower pay rates rather than the EU and have been able to bring their dependents to set up home in Britain.

The figures are expected to fuel fresh demands for Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, to crack down on net migration on top of his pledge to stop the boats. It blows apart the Governments 2019 manifesto pledge to bring down the overall rate of net migration from its then level of 226,000.

Downing Street said yesterday that Mr Sunak was actively looking at measures to cut net migration. Among the measures are a rise in the salary threshold required for skilled workers to be allowed to come to Britain from its current 26,200 a year to 31,000 in line with inflation increases since it was frozen.

Asylum seekers wait to enter the Comfort Inn hotel in Pimlico - James Manning/PA

Ministers are also looking at curbing the right of overseas care workers to bring family members as they seek to reduce record levels of net immigration, although it is thought unlikely that it will be announced as part of any package on Thursday. One compromise could be to limit care workers to bringing in a single dependent.

It follows the announcement that foreign postgraduate students will be barred from bringing their dependents unless they are on research programmes.

Not what the country voted for

A senior Tory MP said: We said we intended to bring down net migration at the last election. We decided to depart from that and preside over unparalleled net migration which no-one has voted for. It is not what the country voted for. Only a tiny minority of the country would be happy with migration at that level.

GDP per capita, social cohesion and housing all need to be taken into account. Its for the Government to set out what net migration should be.

Home Office figures show the number of visas granted to foreign workers and their families has more than trebled in two years from 170,570 in the year ending June 2021 to 538,887 in the year ending June 2023.

Tory MP says that high net migration will impact housing demand and social cohesion - Gareth Fuller/PA

Student visas have more than doubled in the same period from just over 300,000 to nearly 660,000.

Home Office figures show some one in five students (20 per cent) remained in the UK six years after starting their studies last year, the highest since 2016.

The data indicates a 13 per cent year-on-year increase in long-stay students as some 199,212 students who began studies in 2017 still had valid visas in 2022  including 33,002 with indefinite leave to remain.

The proportion of students converting to work visas has also risen to nearly eight per cent, the highest figure for a decade.

There have also been big increases in visa extensions, for workers, up 75 per cent to 386,602, and students, up 96 per cent to 66,153, in the year ending March 2023.

Experts pointed out these rises would not affect the net migration figures as they had neither entered nor left the country but they said there was evidence of a five per cent rise in the number of foreign visa holders remaining in the UK after a year.

The real test will be what happens at the three to four year mark, which is when in the past many workers and students have gone home, said one migration expert.

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(Bloomberg) -- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Israeli Cabinet that the war to eliminate Hamas wouldnt let up after a cease-fire, even as he signaled that a deal was near to free hostages in Gaza in return for a temporary pause in fighting.

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There is nonsense out there as if after the pause in fighting, we will stop the war, Netanyahu said at the start of a meeting where officials set to vote on a hostage deal, according to his office. We are at war and we will continue it until we achieve all the objectives. We will eliminate Hamas, return all the hostages and guarantee that there will be no element in Gaza that threatens Israel.

The remarks were the clearest signal yet that even as Hamas and Israel appeared to be on the cusp of an agreement to release dozens of hostages, the Israeli government wouldnt accede to growing international pressure for a longer-term cease-fire to the war that began Oct. 7.

Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh earlier indicated the hostage negotiations were moving forward, following similar comments from US President Joe Biden. The movement delivered its response to the brothers in Qatar and the mediators, and we are close to reaching a truce agreement, Haniyeh, whos based in Qatars capital Doha, said in a statement on Telegram.

Biden said Tuesday a deal is very close and the chances of it being completed are very good.

The contours of the deal have emerged in recent days as officials on all sides hinted a major agreement was in the works. An Israeli official told local media that 50 women and children held hostage in Gaza would be released during a four-day pause in the fighting, Maariv reported. All of those released would be Israeli citizens, the news website said.

Israel will be willing to continue the pause in fighting for additional days in exchange for 10 more hostages per day, meaning the total number of released hostages may reach 70 or 80, it said. The releases are expected to begin on Thursday or Friday, Kan, the Israeli public broadcaster, reported. It said Israel will release three female or teenage prisoners for every hostage freed.

When we have more to say, we will, but things are looking good for the moment, Biden told reporters at the White House.

Qatar is helping broker the talks between Israel and Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the US and European Union. Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said the negotiations are at a critical stage.

The sides are the closest they have been to a hostage deal since the war started, a US official said. Talks have fallen through in the past, however, and theres no guarantee of success.

The developments come as international pressure grows on Israel to end its more than six-week retaliatory offensive in Gaza, which authorities in the Hamas-run enclave say has killed more than 14,000 people and triggered a humanitarian crisis. The government media office said 6,800 people are reported missing or trapped under the rubble. Israel has said the Hamas attacks killed more than 1,200 people.

In the meantine, Israeli forces have been engaged in intense fighting with Hamas in the northern Gaza Strip even as the hostage talks have progressed. The main thrust of Israels ground offensive is into Gaza City, which the military describes as Hamass center of gravity.

Troops have taken control of many parts of the citys Al Shifa hospital and over the weekend showed videos they say prove Hamas exploited the facility, building a command center and tunnels underneath.

While Israel has concentrated its air strikes and ground assault on northern Gaza, it is now turning its attention to the south, signaling the possibility of sending troops there. Israel has urged civilians to evacuate to southern Gaza since the beginning of the war.

The United Nations says the humanitarian situation in the densely packed Gaza Strip is dire and that its roughly 2 million inhabitants need much more food and medicine. Fears also remain of the war growing into a wider Middle East conflict as exchanges of fire along Israels northern border with Lebanon continue daily.

Israeli warplanes on Tuesday struck targets inside Lebanese territory after Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters shot mortar shells at a military post, Israels army said. Three civilians including two journalists died in the Israeli bombing, the Lebanese state-run National News Agency reported.

--With assistance from Michael Heath, Gwen Ackerman, Omar Tamo, Jennifer Jacobs and Jordan Fabian.

(Adds Biden comments in fourth paragraph)

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Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is calling extraordinary meetings of the government to occur Tuesday evening local time, signaling a potential breakthrough on the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas for at least 45 days.

Netanyahu is convening first the war cabinet, then the security cabinet and then the government Tuesday evening, the prime ministers office wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

The meetings are related to developments on the issue of the release of our hostages.

President Biden and his officials have expressed cautious optimism in recent days that talks with Hamas to secure the release of dozens of hostages  likely women, children and the elderly  are coming to a conclusion.

The reported U.S.-brokered deal could include a cessation of hostilities for a few days, which would allow for hostages to be transferred out of Gaza along with an increase of humanitarian aid into the strip. It also may include the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

Hamas kidnapped approximately 240 people from Israel on Oct. 7, as part of a large-scale attack where at least 1,200 people were killed.

Among those captured and held include Israelis and people of dozens of other nationalities, including Americans. Hamas kidnapped a months-old baby, toddlers, children and the elderly.

Hamas has since released four people as part of intensive negotiations through Egypt, Qatar and the U.S. and Israel.

One Israeli soldier kidnapped by Hamas was rescued by Israeli armed forces amid their military campaign in the Gaza Strip.

Israels war on Hamas over the past month and a half has killed more than 10,000 Palestinian civilians, largely from Israeli airstrikes, according to Gaza health officials. The Israeli military has also launched a ground offensive into Gaza and is now fighting in Gaza City.

Israels strikes near refugee camps and operations into Gaza hospitals have stoked anger worldwide and fueled pro-Palestinian protests calling for a cease-fire.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that Israel will press forward with its military operation to eliminate Hamas in the Gaza Strip even as it works to negotiate with the group to secure the release of scores of hostages.

Netanyahu delivered the remarks during a Cabinet meeting that was convened for senior members of Israels government to discuss a deal to release dozens of hostages held by Hamas who were kidnapped during the organizations terrorist attack on Oct. 7.

We will continue the war until we achieve all our objectives: Eliminate Hamas, return all our abductees and missing persons and ensure that there will be no element in Gaza that threatens Israel, he said in remarks translated from Hebrew.

The principal actors involved in the negotiations to release hostages, including President Biden, senior Qatari officials, Israel and Hamas have said a deal is imminent to release some hostages in exchange for a pause in fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas in Gaza, as well as the release of some Palestinians in Israeli jails.

Netanyahu said he spoke with Biden over the last few days to improve the plan to include more hostages for release, without increasing the price Israel would have to pay.

It was indeed improved, Netanyahu said.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also issued remarks at the start of the meeting that were released by the Office of the Prime Minister, signaling Israel would continue its military operations in Gaza to keep pressure on Hamas to release all of the hostages, the exact number of which is unknown but believed to be around 240.

Immediately after this phase has been exhausted, the operation of the [Israeli military], the Shin Bet [security services] and all the forces will continue in full force, Gallant said in remarks in Hebrew.

Benny Gantz, chair of the Blue and White Party and part of the wartime coalition, also spoke at the start of the meeting regarding the necessary military operation to be carried out in the south of Gaza.

The U.S. has supported Israels military campaign against Hamas but has increasingly raised concerns over the high death toll on the Palestinian side  between 11,000 and 13,000 people with about half believed to be children.

Senior U.S. officials have also said they have concerns over Israel expanding its military operation from the north of Gaza to its south, where it had earlier instructed Palestinians to evacuate. The U.S. has called for Israel to present a comprehensive plan on how it will protect Palestinian civilians as it advances its war against Hamas.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Benjamin Netanyahus government has approved a deal to secure the release of 50 hostages in exchange for a ceasefire in Gaza.

At a late meeting, the Israeli prime minister vowed to continue the war against Hamas after the pause in hostilities and said the agreement had the full support of security officials.

The hostages return was a sacred and top goal, Mr Netanyahu said in a video message to the cabinet, but we will not stop until we have total victory.

All branches of the Israeli security services supported the deal which was then approved in a meeting of 38 ministers early Wednesday morning, local media reported.

It followed a series of cabinet discussions in which he is believed to have seen off a revolt by hard-Right coalition partners who oppose the release of Palestinian prisoners and the delivery of aid to the embattled enclave.

Addressing ministers before the final vote, Mr Netanyahu said: We will continue the war until we achieve all of our war aims: To eliminate Hamas, return all of our hostages and our missing, and ensure that there is no element in Gaza that threatens Israel.

In war there are stages, and in returning the hostages there are stages, but we will not relent until we achieve the absolute victory and until we bring them all back. This is my sacred duty, of all of us.

He also acknowledged US President Joe Bidens help in improving the deal to include more hostages and at a lower cost.

An Israeli government source earlier told reporters that the agreement was expected to see the release of 50 Israeli citizens, mostly women and children, in groups of 12 or 13 per day.

In exchange, Israel would release Palestinian women and minors from prison and agree to a four-day truce in Gaza, as well as a significant increase in fuel and aid shipments into the Strip.

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, summoned his war cabinet over an expected hostage deal - ABIR SULTAN/REUTERS

Hopes for a breakthrough soared early on Tuesday morning after Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas leader, said the group was close to reaching a deal.

Qatar, which has been a key mediator, said negotiations were at a critical and final stage.

We are at the closest point we have ever been in reaching an agreement, said Majed Al-Ansari, the foreign ministry spokesman.

Mr Netanyahu chaired a meeting of the Israeli war cabinet at 6pm local time, the security cabinet at 7pm and the full cabinet an hour later, having earlier acknowledged that progress had been made.

Release of Palestinian prisoners will bring disaster

However, some of the prime ministers far-Right coalition partners publicly criticised the move towards a deal.

Itamar Ben Gvir, the national security minister, said any agreement to release Palestinian prisoners would bring disaster, citing the more than 1,000 released in 2011 following the abduction of kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, some of whom are thought to have taken part in Hamass Oct 7 massacre.

However, he and like-minded colleagues are not expected to be able to derail the deal.

Even once approved, families of the hostages are expected to have to wait a further 24 hours before it could come into effect.

This would be to allow legal challenges, most likely from the Israeli families of victims of Palestinian prisoners set to be released.

Liz Hirsh Naftali, the great aunt of three-year-old American hostage Abigail Mor Idan, said: I will believe it when I see them walk out.

Palestinians flock around a truck carrying bottles of drinking water sent by Unicef amid water and food shortages due to Israeli attacks in Khan Yunis - Abed Zagout/Anadolu via Getty Images

Despite the notes of caution, the decision by the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross to travel to Qatar was taken as a positive sign, as the organisation is likely to oversee any prisoner exchange.

Purported figures of the number of Palestinians who could be released under the deal range from 100 to 300.

The agreement will be split into two phases, with the second stage leading to the release of dozens more Israeli hostages in exchange for a ceasefire lasting several more days, sources with knowledge of the talks told the Axios news website.

In addition, 300 aid trucks a day would be permitted to enter Gaza from Egypt.

Mr Netanyahu told his cabinet that a deal would include Red Cross access to the hostages not released, including the supply of medicine to them.

The aftermath of an Israeli attack on Gaza's Beit Hanoun on Tuesday - Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu via Getty Images

Although it is likely the deal would include a pause of IDF ground and air attacks in Gaza, Israel has been keen to rule out a longer-term ceasefire.

As well as going some way to appease an Israeli public which is furious about the security lapse of Oct 7, a deal would ease the diplomatic pressure on Mr Netanyahu amid increased international concern at the plight of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

Netanyahu indicates a push south inevitable

Despite the diplomatic groundswell of hope for a deal, Israel and the US appeared to clash on Tuesday on the next stages of the IDFs operation in Gaza.

Mr Netanyahu indicated that, following a potential cessation of fighting, a push south was inevitable, despite most of the Gazan civilian population having fled there.

The Israeli entrance to Khan Yunis [Southern Gaza] is not a question of if, but when, he was reported to have said.

Meanwhile, the Times of Israel reported that the IDF had no plans to allow civilians back into the north of the enclave when it pushed south.

However, John Kirby, the White House National Security Council spokesman, said the US did not support Israeli operations moving to the south without a cohesive plan to protect civilians.

I would just tell you that as they consider moving their operations to the south we have said we dont support those kinds of operations, he said.

Mr Kirby added that Washington wanted to see a cohesive plan to protect the dramatically increased civilian population in southern Gaza.

Gazas Hamas-run health ministry says 13,300 people, including more than 5,500 have now been killed by Israels offensive, figures Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, described as staggering and unacceptable.

On Tuesday it was reported that all hospitals in northern Gaza were out of action and that there had been 250 Israeli strikes in the enclave on Monday night.

It came amid a demand from Saudi Arabia for the start of a peace process to establish a Palestinian state along the borders of 1967.

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China's role as facilitator of peace highlighted in Arab-Islamic FM's visit

Global Times) 08:51, November 21, 2023

A delegation consisting of Arab and Islamic foreign ministers is visiting China from Monday to Tuesday. On Monday, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with the delegation and had in-depth talks on ways to de-escalate the ongoing Palestine-Israel conflict, protect civilians and seek a just settlement of the Palestinian question.

At the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on November 11, leaders from the Arab and Muslim world called for humanitarian aid and an end to the war in the Gaza Strip, which is highly consistent with China's position on resolving the ongoing conflict.

De-escalating the ongoing Palestine-Israel conflict and protecting civilians are clearly the tasks that the Arab and Islamic countries, and many other countries including China hope to accomplish in the near future on the Palestinian question, while seeking a just settlement of the Palestinian question is a long-term pursuit due to its complexity. Liu Zhongmin, a professor at the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times that the China trip of the delegation is expected to correct the long-term marginalization of the Palestinian question and make the international community pay more attention to it.

Beijing is the first stop of the delegation's tour, signifying how much Arab-Islamic countries value China's constructive role in promoting peace in the Middle East. Over the years, China has repeatedly emphasized on various bilateral and multilateral occasions the importance of solving the Palestinian question through the two-state solution, stressing that the question as the core of the Middle East issue and cannot be marginalized.

This has led to a great sense of trust from Arab-Islamic countries in China's role in the Middle East issues.

Experts believe that as the new round of the Palestine-Israel conflict continues, the US, which has, for a long time, resolutely supported Israel against Hamas since the outbreak of the war, is slowly adjusting its attitude. The main dilemma Washington faces now is that it does not want to become too involved in the regional conflict in the Middle East, while also trying to stand with its ally Israel and maintain its dominance over Middle East regional affairs. Therefore, the US will keep changing its policy over the Palestine-Israel conflict based on its needs and circumstances, noted Liu.

Regarding the Palestinian question, China's attitude has always been consistent. In the Middle East, China has always supported peaceful solutions to hotspot issues and disputes through political settlement. In particular, in the event of armed conflict, it has always taken the position of promoting peace by calling for a ceasefire and an end to violence. Such a position, shared by the vast majority of countries in the world, has naturally been widely welcomed by the global community, including the Arab-Islamic countries.

At the same time, China has maintained friendly relations and smooth communication channels with almost all parties in the region. It has adopted a fair and balanced position when handling issues in the Middle East. This is also an important reason why Arab-Islamic countries generally believe that China is a genuine force that pursues peace and justice.

China has been playing the role of a facilitator of security and stability, a partner of development and prosperity, and a promoter of unity in the Middle East, demonstrating the country's role as a responsible great power. One of the most recent notable examples of China's contribution to regional stability is the resumption of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia in March under China's mediation.

"I am quite optimistic that China is willing and will do its best to help bring peace to the Middle East," Gong Xiaosheng, former Chinese special envoy on the Middle East issue, told the Global Times. "I believe that if the Arab countries and Israel have the willingness, we are happy to facilitate peace talks between the two sides in China."

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
Minnesota's top pollution authority is casting doubt on the accuracy of an EPA report that found years of Clean Air Act violations at an iron foundry in South Minneapolis.

Katrina Kessler, commissioner of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, said in an interview Monday that the state has no evidence that Smith Foundry sent elevated levels of lung-damaging fine particulate matter into the neighborhood.

"The data that we have... show that there is not a violation of the permit, there is not an exceedance of the air standards in that neighborhood," Kessler said. "We are certainly working with the EPA to understand the data that they are using to come to that conclusion."

The revelations from the EPA's inspection, which was first reported by the Sahan Journal, sparked a wave of anger in East Phillips, a neighborhood that has a history of pollution and where the foundry has made iron castings on E. 28th Street for a century.

In a surprise visit to Smith in late May, EPA found visible particulates inside, building up on tables and escaping through open doors and windows. Inspectors recorded cracked, broken and rusted ductwork, and a malfunctioning air filter. The agency later determined that Smith had been emitting fine particulates at rates nearly or more than double than was allowed each year since 2018. Particulate matter is a dangerous kind of pollution that can cause heart attacks, asthma and chronic health conditions.

State Rep. Aisha Gomez, DFL-Minneapolis, who represents some neighborhoods near the foundry, said she doesn't understand how the MPCA missed longstanding and seemingly obvious violations in a facility that, by state law, should receive extra scrutiny.

"This is a disappointment and it's an embarrassment and it's an insult," Gomez said. "This is an indication that they're asleep on the job. They owe our communities an explanation about why it is that it took an EPA surprise inspection to come and do the job that we thought they were doing all along."

But MPCA officials insisted they could not reproduce the calculations that EPA used to determine Smith broke emission rate limits and are trying to understand how the EPA reached its conclusions. Frank Kohlasch, MPCA assistant commissioner for air and climate policy, said it's possible the feds are mixing up emissions numbers that represent part of the facility and all of the facility.

In an email, EPA Region 5 spokeswoman Macy Pressley wrote that the agency "has no reason to doubt" the calculations it made. "Nonetheless, EPA will continue to talk with MPCA and Smith Foundry to understand their positions."

Kessler said the agency takes neighborhood concerns seriously, and is committed to holding companies accountable for their emissions.

Under pressure from the state, an asphalt company next to the foundry has agreed to shut down by 2025. MPCA also planned a Nov. 27 neighborhood meeting to discuss the situation at Smith, which will be held at 5:30 p.m. at the Phillips Community Center, at 2323 11th Ave. S.

Worried neighbors

EPA's assertion that Smith polluted was not a surprise to residents who have long complained of acrid, foul air.

"I guess it's some vindication, finally, after all the years of going to the city and going to the state," said Steve Sandberg, a resident and board member of the East Phillips Neighborhood Institute.

Foundry controller Ron Steffens previously told the Star Tribune that the company was making repairs and working with the EPA. In a later statement, the company said it would meet "safe standards for our neighbors and union workers."

The neighborhood is part of a swath of the city designated by lawmakers in 2008 as a polluted zone that requires special attention from regulators. Minnesota Department of Health records show that children who live in the foundry's zip code have long had higher than normal asthma rates, and are hospitalized and taken to emergency rooms for asthma at about twice the rate as the 7-county metro area.

Some who recently complained about industrial air pollution were told there was nothing to worry about.

In October, strong smells wafted across the street to Circulo de Amigos Child Care Center, a daycare and preschool where children stay outside in warmer months. Tania Rivera Perez, the preschool's program manager, said she directed concerned parents to make reports to the city and MPCA.

Allison Lind is one of the parents who said she complained to the MPCA. She got a call back in mid-October, and was told nothing had changed at Smith  that the company was complying with the law.

The news of EPA's visit broke about two weeks later. Lind, a pediatric nurse practitioner who is pursuing a PhD in epidemiology, wondered if she was wrong to send her son to his daycare. Eli, 2, has breathing problems, and uses an inhaler every day.

"I knew [Smith] was there," Lind said. "But I also knew we have things like the Clean Air Act, right, that provide some sort of protection."

As time passed, though, Lind's anger has become focused elsewhere: at MPCA.

A new permit

While there's disagreement between MPCA and EPA on whether the foundry broke emissions limits, one fact is clear  Smith has had the same air pollution permit since 1992.

Karen Clark, a community organizer and former state representative, co-authored the 2008 law that required the state to consider past and current pollution in East Phillips when writing permits, effectively making limits much stricter. A similar concept was expanded to cover many more areas of the state this year.

In all this time, Smith "was never held to account" under the 2008 law, Clark said.

Kohlasch said MPCA decided to update Smith's air permit in 2016, and was working on the required modeling. MPCA took short-term air quality readings as a part of this around Smith in October 2022 and April 2023  data that EPA included in its list of violations at Smith.

Kohlasch said this data was not robust enough for the state to use for enforcement. He also suggested that in one case, a drone with a sensor attached could have stirred up dust on the ground.

Pressley responded in an email that EPA used these particular readings to show that Smith was letting pollution escape when it could be avoided, not that it was breaking specific standards for outdoor air.

Kessler said Smith's old permit never had an expiration date, but its new permit will expire every five years, and require the company to meet with the community annually. She did not know when the new permit would be finished.

Addressing anger

While recent frustration in East Phillips has focused on Smith, many there acknowledge that foul smells could be coming from Bituminous Roadways, a supplier of asphalt to the city of Minneapolis.

EPA also inspected that site this spring, and required Bituminous to run several tests, according to Todd Smedshammer, a production manager at the company. Pressley, the EPA spokeswoman, wrote that the agency is still reviewing information it collected.

Kessler said MPCA has now come to an agreement with Bituminous, which will close its East Phillips location in 2025. Smedshammer confirmed the company would leave in a few years, and said four employees work at the plant.

Still, many in East Phillips want the foundry itself to close. Members of the diverse and working-class neighborhood held a rally outside of Smith recently, showing that their patience had run out after decades of complaints.

"Shut it down," Sandberg said then. "They've had all these years...of someday fixing something."
A downed U.S. Navy aircraft is seen in Kaneohe Bay, Monday, Nov. 20, 2023, in Kaneohe, Hawaii. (Jamm Aquino/Honolulu Star-Advertiser via AP)

HONOLULU (AP)  A large U.S. Navy plane remained in a Hawaii bay Tuesday, the day after it overshot a runway and landed in the water, raising concern about environmental damage and questions over how the military would remove the aircraft.

All nine people aboard the P-8A were uninjured when the plane, flying in rainy weather, overshot the runway Monday at a Marine Corps base in Kaneohe Bay outside Honolulu.

Crews set up a temporary floating barrier to protect the environment, and an investigation is underway, Navy spokesperson Lt. Mohammad N. Issa said in an email Tuesday.

The P-8A is often used to hunt for submarines and for reconnaissance and intelligence gathering. It is manufactured by Boeing and shares many parts with the 737 commercial jet.

Residents near the bay were eager to hear plans for the massive plane's removal and were worried about possible damage to the coral reef in the area, along with harms from fuel and other chemicals.

The plane landed about 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) from an ancient Hawaiian fishpond, said Hiilei Kawelo, executive director of Paepae o Heeia, the organization that cares for the pond.

The plane in the water is concerning, she said. It's directly upwind from our fishpond.

Kawelo said she understands removing the plane is a big undertaking but is hopeful the military will at least defuel it in a timely fashion  like today.

Navy officials didn't immediately answer questions Tuesday about extraction plans, environmental concerns and how the plane ended up in the water.

A news release from the Navy later Tuesday said divers worked overnight to help stabilize the plane.

Preliminary assessment indicates the aircraft is structurally intact, and there was no sign of fuel leaking from the aircraft, the statement said.

The area where the plane landed near the base isn't accessible to the public, but Kawelo said she is familiar with the broader reef that extends in the bay, which is abundant in small fish and octopuses.

Im hoping that it landed on a sandy patch that didnt house any coral," she said. "But our coral reefs are absolutely critical and important for the ecosystem.  They are the foundation for life in the ocean.

The plane is adding to the communitys distrust for the military, said Wayne Tanaka, executive director of Sierra Club of Hawaii, noting a massive fuel storage facility that sickened 6,000 people when it leaked jet fuel into a Pearl Harbor drinking water well in 2021.

Tanaka said he wants the state to hold the Navy accountable for any damage.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources is expected to conduct a damage assessment after the plane is removed, department spokesperson Dan Dennison said.

The state Department of Health, which responds to potential fuel spills, said no fuel has been released so far.

A U.S. Coast Guard pollution response team is assisting the Navy.
A non-profit chain of hospitals in Washington will refund up to $13.4 million to more than 15,000 low-income patients who used their services after a state Attorney Generals Office investigation found those patients should have qualified for financial assistance.

Low-income patients at five PeaceHealth hospitals in Washington including Bellingham, Friday Harbor, Longview, Sedro-Woolley and Vancouver were affected, according to a news release from Attorney General Bob Fergusons office Monday.

PeaceHealth failed to screen patients for financial assistance eligibility prior to attempting to collect payment, failed to meaningfully disclose the availability of financial assistance, and collected payment from patients who it knew were likely eligible for financial assistance without disclosing their eligibility, the news release says.

PeaceHealth uses a tool that uses public data and analytics to predict which patients may be eligible for financial assistance, the AGO said. However, instead of notifying patients who it found were likely eligible, PeaceHealth billed them for their care.

Many of those paid for their care after being billed, unaware that they were entitled to financial assistance. PeaceHealth wrote off bills that were unpaid or partially paid, but still did not inform patients that they were eligible.

Some impacted patients will receive checks sent in the mail after $4.2 million was set aside for direct refunds. That amount includes full restitution, plus interest.

More than 4,500 patients will receive an average payment for over $900. Nearly 50 patients will receive refunds totaling more than $5,000, and eight patients will receive more than $10,000.

A claims process will refund approximately 11,000 patients who were also likely eligible for help on their medical bills, the AGO said. PeaceHealth is required to refund $9.2 million for those claims, including $900,000 in interest. Patients who file claims will receive full restitution plus interest.

The AGO will send letters explaining the resolution and refund process to those who qualify, the news release says.

Patients who have questions should contact PeaceHealth at 877-314-2011.

Those who feel they have not received financial assistance they are entitled to should file a complaint with the AGO, the office said.

As part of the consent decree filed in Whatcom County Monday, PeaceHealth must screen patients for eligibility as well as notify patients of financial assistance. They must also provide patients with a financial assistance application if the patient appears to be eligible after screening, or if the patient requests one, and refrain from billing or attempting to collect payment until the patients financial assistance application is processed.

PeaceHealth will have to pay an additional $2 million to the AGO to reimburse the cost of the investigation that was first opened in 2020.
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN)  For those who need help heating their home this winter, people can sign up for assistance through the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Low Income Energy Assistance Program.

It will begin accepting applications from older adults and people with disabilities on Dec. 1.

The program provides a one-time payment to help people pay their heating bills.

We know the cost of most things are increasing, and keeping homes warm and safe this winter will be a bigger burden for some of our neighbors, said Carla West, Senior Director for Human Services at NCDHHS. LIEAP helps ensure North Carolinas older adults and people with disabilities who may be facing a financial hardship have the funds to help stay warm throughout these colder months.

Payments will be distributed automatically to heating vendors if a member of the household meets the following three requirements:

Is 60 or older or a person with a disability receiving services through the NCDHHS Division of Aging and Adult Services

Currently receives Food and Nutrition Services

Received a LIEAP payment during the 2022-2023 season

Eligible households in need can apply for assistance until March 31, 2024.

Click here for more information on how to apply.

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The newly redrawn district boundaries for the North Carolina state Senate divide predominantly Black counties in a way that dilutes the power of Black residents, according to a lawsuit filed Monday.

The lawsuit  filed against the North Carolina State Board of Elections, the president of the state Senate and Speaker of the state House of Representatives  alleges that the new Senate districts violate the Voting Rights Act.

Despite having ample evidence of racially polarized voting and a history of discrimination in the Black Belt counties of northeastern North Carolina, and an obligation under the Voting Rights Act to analyze that evidence before drawing districts, the North Carolina General Assembly adopted a Senate plan that unlawfully deprives Black voters of the opportunity to elect candidates of their choice, according to the suit.

The lawsuit claims the redistricting plan is just the most recent episode in the states history of racial discrimination and race-based voter suppression.

In the states lower chamber, newly approved redrawn maps could flip multiple seats. The states GOP-led General Assembly approved new maps in mid-October that could give Republicans a big advantage in 2024.

The North Carolina Supreme Court previously struck down the maps, contending they went against the state constitutions ban against extensive partisan gerrymandering. The decision was overruled because the state Supreme Court found that claims of partisan gerrymandering cant be resolved by state courts.

In the state Senate lawsuit, the plaintiffs argue that the redrawn maps restrict Black voters in an already highly polarized region and dilute the power of their votes compared to white voters in the new districts. North Carolinas eight majority Black counties are split between four separate districts under the new Senate redistricting plan.

The General Assembly failed to conduct or failed to consider a Voting Rights Act analysis when planning its 2023 state Senate plan, the plaintiffs argued in their suit.

Instead, the Legislature could have created a majority-minority district that would meet the laws requirements and adhere to the states redistricting criteria in a way that wouldnt hinder the states Black voters, they added.

Black North Carolinians, including in the Black Belt counties, are significantly more likely to be impoverished than white North Carolinians, the plaintiffs in the suit said. They likewise face discrimination in education, housing, employment, and healthcare, and are less able to participate effectively in the political process.

The plaintiffs attorneys filed a motion to expedite proceedings, asking the court to finish arguments and decide on a motion for a preliminary injunction by Dec. 1.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The Chollima-1 rocket carrying the satellite blasted off on Tuesday night - KCNA/Via Reuters

South Korea said on Wednesday that it would partially suspend a military pact with North Korea after Pyongyang announced it had successfully placed its first spy satellite in orbit.

At an emergency cabinet meeting following the launch on Tuesday evening, Seoul vowed to resume surveillance operations along the high-security border between the two countries, which were suspended in 2018 to reduce tensions during a detente that led to since-collapsed nuclear disarmament talks.

The decision was approved by Yoon Suk Yeol, the South Korea president, from London, where he is conducting a state visit.

It was prompted by the Norths decision to defy a United Nations ban on conducting satellite launches and its pledge to continue to build its space-based surveillance system.

Pyongyangs move was immediately condemned by the United States and its allies, amid concerns that such launches provide cover for tests of illegal missile technology.

On Wednesday, Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, viewed photographs of the US military air base in Guam, state media reported.

The Norths claim could not be immediately independently confirmed and observers doubt whether the satellite is advanced enough to perform military reconnaissance.

Announcing Seouls response to suspend part of the 2018 military agreement, Han Duck-soo, the South Korean prime minister, said that the North was clearly demonstrating that it had no will to abide by the pact or build trust.

The suspension will allow Seoul to restore reconnaissance operations in the area around the so-called Military Demarcation Line separating the two countries.

Our militarys ability to identify threatening targets and its response posture will be greatly enhanced, Mr Han said, adding that such a measure is vital for national security.

The Chollima-1 rocket carrying the satellite blasted off on Tuesday night from North Pyongan province, flew along its designated path and accurately put the reconnaissance satellite Malligyong-1 on its orbit, the state-run news agency KCNA reported.

It added that Mr Kim was on hand to witness the launch, and congratulated the scientists and technicians at the National Aerospace Technology Administration who were behind the mission.

Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, watched the launch on Tuesday evening - KCNA/Via Reuters

The launch of [this] reconnaissance satellite is a legitimate right of the DPRK [North Korea] for strengthening its self-defensive capabilities and it will make a significant contribution to definitely ramping up the war preparedness of the armed forces, said the newswire.

The United States quickly condemned the launch as a brazen violation of UN sanctions and said that it could destabilise the region.

South Korean officials said that the latest launch probably incorporated technical assistance from Moscow as part of a growing partnership that has seen North Korea allegedly send millions of artillery shells to Russia.

Russia and North Korea have denied such arms deals but are publicly promising deeper cooperation.

North Koreas previous efforts to put a spy satellite into orbit in May and August both failed.

Seoul, Tokyo and Washington had repeatedly warned Pyongyang not to proceed with another launch, which would violate successive rounds of UN resolutions.

Even if they call it a satellite, the launch of an item that uses ballistic missile technology is clearly a violation of the relevant United Nations resolutions, Fumio Kishida, the Japanese prime minister, said, adding that he condemned the launch in the strongest possible terms.

Mr Kim congratulated scientists and technicians at the National Aerospace Technology Administration who were behind the mission - KCNA/Via Reuters

Ahead of the blast-off, Chinas foreign ministry blamed the frequent appearances of US strategic bombers and aircraft carrier battle groups for stoking tensions in the region.

China urges relevant parties to face up to the crux of the Korean Peninsula issues, stop engaging in confrontation and pressuring, take concrete steps to pursue a political settlement of those issues and maintain peace and stability on the Peninsula, said spokesman Mao Ning.

Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, offered a cautious assessment of the Norths claims.

State-controlled media claims of a successful launch do not mean the satellite will actually perform meaningful reconnaissance functions, he said.

He added that the surveillance drone operations Seoul may soon start along the border zone should produce more useful intelligence than North Koreas rudimentary satellite programme, although Pyongyang will likely use South Korean drone flights as an excuse for further military provocations.

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North Korea attempts military spy satellite launch for third time, South Korea and Japan report

The North Korean military launched a projectile believed to be a spy satellite, according to South Korean military leaders.

The launch took place Tuesday despite North Korea previously claiming to neighboring Japan that the satellite would launch between Wednesday and Dec. 1.

"North Korea has fired what it claims is a military surveillance satellite in a southwards direction," said the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff.

UN COMMITTEE PASSES RESOLUTION CONDEMNING NORTH KOREAN HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES FOR 19TH YEAR IN A ROW

This was echoed by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who wrote on social media platform X, "North Korea has launched a suspected ballistic missile."

The outcome of the operation is currently unknown, but the North Korean government is claiming the launch was a success and that the satellite is now in orbit.

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Japan's Coast Guard reports that the projectile traveled in the direction of the Yellow Sea and East China Sea.

DEFENSE SEC. AUSTIN WARNS RUSSIA, CHINA AIDING NORTH KOREA TO EVADE UN SANCTIONS

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Amur region on Sept. 13, 2023.

This was the third attempt by North Korean leaders to launch a military spy satellite into orbit.

North Korea previously attempted satellite launches in May and August  both ended in failure due to technical issues.

Senior diplomats from the U.S., Japan and South Korea have condemned the North Korean satellite program, warning that such provocations would only result in further defensive cooperation between Washington, Tokyo and Seoul.

South Korean intelligence indicates that Russia has been assisting North Korea in its satellite programs.

The South Korean Unification Ministry addressed the suspected collaboration earlier this month, speculating that North Korea was likely to move forward with the launch in the coming months.

"It is hard to predict when North Korea will make the third attempt for the launch. But there seem to be signs of the North receiving technical assistance from Russia," South Korean Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho said, according to Yonhap News Agency.





Original article source: North Korea attempts military spy satellite launch for third time, South Korea and Japan report
North Korea claims it launched a military spy satellite into orbit on Tuesday, drawing condemnation from the White House.

The launch, which was first reported by South Korea and Japan, could not be independently verified, and it's unclear whether a satellite was on board the rocket. South Korean news agency Yonhap reported North Korea said it plans to launch more in the future.

The White House on Tuesday said the launch used "ballistic missile technology, which is a brazen violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions, raises tensions, and risks destabilizing the security situation in the region and beyond."

President Biden "and his national security team are assessing the situation in close coordination with our allies and partners," the National Security Council said in a statement.

The missile launch on Tuesday evening prompted Japan to issue an emergency warning to its citizens on the island of Okinawa to take cover over a possible threat from North Korea. The alarm has since been lifted.

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands during their meeting at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Amur region on Sept. 13 ahead of planned talks that could lead to a weapons deal with the Russian president. (Vladimir Smirnov/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

North Korea is prohibited from conducting satellite launches, according to resolutions imposed by the United Nations Security Council. Even if the purpose is to launch a satellite, using ballistic missile technology is a violation of a series of U.N. Security Council resolutions, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters on Tuesday. It is also a matter that greatly affects national security.

The launch escalates what appears to be a space race between Seoul and Pyongyang after both nations announced plans to launch spy satellites by the end of November. This is North Koreas third attempt at launching the satellite, which it says will be used to monitor the activities of both the U.S. and South Korean military in the region.

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How has South Korea reacted?

On Tuesday night, a statement from South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said it believed Pyongyang had launched a military reconnaissance satellite that passed through South Korean airspace. Our military has heightened its alert posture and is maintaining full readiness, closely sharing information with the United States and Japan concerning North Korea's claimed 'military reconnaissance satellite, the statement read.

Seoul had previously issued several warnings to Pyongyang to not go ahead with the launch, indicating that it could suspend the Panmunjom Declaration  a peace agreement signed in 2018 to deescalate tensions at the border  which saw a new era of relative stability on the Korean Peninsula.

Hours before Tuesdays satellite launch, the U.K. government announced a defense agreement with South Korea that would enforce sanctions on North Korea. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol traveled to the U.K. on Tuesday for a state visit in which the two nations agreed to foster closer relations. The deal will include holding joint patrols of the South China Sea in a bid to enforce sanctions against North Korea.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un both arrived at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia's Far East, Russian news agencies reported on Sept. 13, ahead of planned talks that could lead to a weapons deal. (Mikhail Metzel/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

When was the last time North Korea tried to launch a satellite?

Pyongyang launched its first satellite in May (the first since 2016) and then again in August, both of which failed. After Mays failed attempt, South Korea retrieved what was left of the satellite from the sea and found the device had no ability for reconnaissance.

Tuesdays launch is the first since North Korean leader Kim Jong Un traveled to Russia to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. During the summit, Putin pledged to help with the building of satellites in a show of a growing partnership.

On Tuesday, North Koreas state-run news agency KCNA stated that the country has a sovereign right to bolster up its defense capabilities to protect its national security.

The U.S. and its followers are further pushing ahead with their scheme to round off a satellite monitoring system on the strategic objects of the DPRK and its neighboring countries, the statement said. South Korea plans to launch its own spy satellite, with the help of SpaceX and the United States, next week.
(Bloomberg) -- North Korea claimed it successfully put a spy satellite into orbit after two attempts earlier this year ended in failure, as leader Kim Jong Un pledged to place more in the sky to keep an eye on US forces in the region.

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Kim presided over the Tuesday launch, the official Korean Central News Agency reported, adding the country wants to fire off several additional spy satellites within a short period of time. There has been no confirmation of a successful deployment from the US, Japan or South Korea, which have all been closely watching the launch and are working with each other to evaluate the event.

Kim congratulated all the cadres, scientists and technicians who helped in the launch that made a great contribution to enhancing the Republics war deterrent, KCNA said, adding the deployment is within the legitimate rights of the country to strengthen its self-defense.

It released images of the launch Wednesday that showed its rocket blasting off under night skies. Kim can be seen watching the launch and then smiling profusely as he stood with technicians from his space agency.

The White House condemned the launch and is working with allies to assess the situation, National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement. This space launch involved technologies that are directly related to the DPRK intercontinental ballistic missile program, Watson said, referring to North Korea by the abbreviation of its formal name.

South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement the rocket was launched Tuesday in a southerly direction. It was fired off at about 10:43 p.m. from North Pyongan province, the JCS said in a message to reporters.

While officials in Seoul believe a North Korean spy satellite would be rudimentary at best, it could help Pyongyang refine its targeting as it rolls out new missiles designed to deliver nuclear strikes in South Korea and Japan, which host the bulk of Americas military personnel in the region.

It will take probably a few hours to a day or so for US Spacecom, as well as other commercial space situational awareness organizations, to detect and track the satellite, if its up there, said Malcolm Davis, senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.

If its in a stable orbit, then North Korea will likely seek to follow through with additional launches  if indeed they have solved the problems they were having with launch technologies.

South Korea responded to the launch by suspending parts of a 2018 deal with North Korea to reduce tensions on their border. The Cabinet approved a plan to restore reconnaissance and surveillance activities from Wednesday that were halted under the agreement.

The satellite is likely quite small, making it difficult to track by radar, given its size, speed and orbital altitudes, said Lance Gatling of the Tokyo-based aerospace consultancy Nexial Research.

Leader Kim has made placing multiple spy satellites in orbit a priority and went to Russia in September to meet President Vladimir Putin, who pledged to assist Pyongyang with its space program ambitions.

Read More: Kims Trip to Russia May Help Him Put Spy Satellites in Orbit

Japan issued a warning to people on its southern island of Okinawa to seek shelter minutes after the launch, which was later lifted after the rocket passed overhead.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he condemned the North Korean launch in the strongest terms, and Japan would work with the US and South Korea to deal with North Korea.

North Koreas first attempt this year to put a spy satellite in orbit took place on May 31 and the rocket failed a few minutes into flight when the second stage engine did not ignite. South Korea salvaged the rocket from international waters in the Yellow Sea, giving it a rare look at the technology North Korea has available for its rocket program.

Pyongyang tried and failed again to put a spy satellite into orbit in late August, saying this time the rocket had trouble at its third stage.

Prior to the latest launch, North Korea had tried seven times over the past 25 years to deploy a satellite. Five of the missions crashed into the sea and two put objects in space, albeit with questionable operating status.

The assistance from Putin could help North Korea turn the corner, offering Kim the chance to tap into a space program thats more than half a century old and has a proven track record. Russian technology could eventually be used to increase the surveillance capabilities of North Koreas satellites and provide more power to the countrys rockets  allowing them to carry larger payloads into space.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a visit to Seoul in November that North Korea is sending munitions to Russia for use in Putins assault on Ukraine. In return, Moscow is providing technology and support for Kims military programs, he said.

The US for months has accused Kim of sending artillery shells and rockets that can work with the Soviet-era weapons that the Kremlin has deployed on the front lines.

North Korea is barred by UN Security Council resolutions from conducting ballistic missile tests. The US and its partners have warned that technology derived from North Koreas space program could be used to advance its ballistic missiles and warned any help Putin offers Kim would violate measures that Russia had voted to approve.

--With assistance from Shinhye Kang, Sangmi Cha, Max Zimmerman, Se Young Lee, Isabel Reynolds, Bruce Einhorn, Seyoon Kim and Philip Glamann.

(Updates with South Korean move on 2018 agreement and comments from experts.)

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SEOUL, South Korea  North Korea claimed Wednesday to have successfully placed a spy satellite into orbit with its third launch attempt this year, demonstrating the nations determination to build a space-based surveillance system during protracted tensions with the United States.

The Norths claim could not immediately be independently confirmed. But the launch was certain to invite strong condemnation from the United States and its partners because the U.N. bans North Korea from conducting satellite launches, calling them covers for tests of missile technology.

The Norths space authorities said in a statement that its space launch vehicle placed the Malligyong-1 satellite into orbit on Tuesday night following liftoff from the countrys main launch center and an intended flight.

The statement said that leader Kim Jong Un observed the launch. It said the fired spy satellite would enhance North Koreas war readiness in response to its rivals hostile military moves and that more would be launched at an early date.

South Korea and Japan said earlier that they detected the North Korean launch. The Japanese government briefly issued a J-Alert missile warning for Okinawa, urging residents to take shelter inside buildings or underground. South Koreas military said it maintains its readiness in close coordination with the U.S. and Japan.

A TV shows a J-Alert, or National Early Warning System, to Japanese residents Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023, in Tokyo. (Eugene Hoshiko/AP)

Even if North Korea calls it a satellite, the firing that uses ballistic missile technology is a clear violation to related United Nations Security Council resolutions, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said. It is also a serious threat that affects the safety of the people.

A spy satellite is among the key military assets coveted by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who wants to modernize his weapons systems to cope with what he calls escalating U.S. threats. North Korea attempted to launch a spy satellite twice earlier this year, but both launches ended in failure due to technical issues.

North Korea had vowed a third launch would take place sometime in October. But it didnt follow through or give a reason for not following that launch plan. South Korean officials have said the delay occurred likely because North Korea was receiving Russian technological assistance for its spy satellite launch program.

North Korea and Russia, both U.S. adversaries that are increasingly isolated globally, have been pushing hard to expand their relationships in recent months. In September, Kim traveled to Russias Far East to meet President Vladimir Putin and visit key military sites, touching off intense speculation of a weapons deal between the two nations.

The alleged deal involves North Korea supplying conventional arms to refill Russias ammunition stock drained in its war with Ukraine. In return, foreign governments and experts say that North Korea seeks Russian help in enhancing its nuclear and other military programs.

During Kims Russia visit, Putin told state media that his country would help North Korea build satellites, saying Kim shows keen interest in rocket technology.

Russia and North Korea dismissed the allegation on their arms transfer deal as groundless. Such a deal would violate U.N. bans on any weapons trading involving North Korea.

The White House said in October that North Korea had delivered more than 1,000 containers of military equipment and munitions to Russia. But South Korean Defense Minister Shin Wonsik said this week that North Korea had sent about 3,000 such containers to Russia.

Kim previously said North Korea needed spy satellites to better monitor South Korean and U.S. activities and enhance the effective use of its nuclear missiles. But South Korea has said a North Korean spy launch program also involves its efforts to manufacture more powerful intercontinental ballistic missiles.

If North Korea succeeds in launching the military reconnaissance satellite, it would signify that North Koreas ICBM capabilities have been taken to a higher level, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said in written responses to questions from The Associated Press last week. Therefore, we will have to come up with reinforced countermeasures.

Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said Tuesdays launch raises more questions than answers, such as whether the North Korean satellite actually performs reconnaissance functions and whether Russia provided technical and even material assistance.

What is already clear is that this is not a one-off event but part of a North Korean strategy of prioritizing military capabilities over economic development, threatening rather than reconciling with South Korea, and further aligning with Russia and China instead of pursuing diplomacy with the United States, Easley said.

Since last year, North Korea conducted about 100 missile tests in a bid to establish a reliable arsenal of nuclear weapons targeting the U.S. and its allies. Many foreign experts say North Korea has some last remaining technologies to master to acquire functioning nuclear missiles.

But they say that possessing a rocket that can place a satellite into orbit would mean North Korea can build a missile capable of carrying a warhead with a similar size of the satellite.

South Koreas military recently suggested it could suspend a 2018 inter-Korean agreement to reduce tensions and resume front-line aerial surveillance and firing exercises, if the North went ahead with its launch.

Japans coast guard said earlier Tuesday that North Korea had told Tokyo that it would launch a satellite sometime between Wednesday and Nov. 30.

The U.S., South Korea and Japan subsequently urged North Korea to cancel the launch. They had earlier condemned North Koreas two previous satellite launches as violations of U.N. Security Council resolutions. But permanent council members Russia and China have stymied any Security Council response.

In June, Kims sister and senior ruling party official, Kim Yo Jong, called the U.N. Security Council a political appendage of the United States. She slammed the U.N. council for allegedly being discriminative and rude, saying it only takes issue with the Norths satellite launches while thousands of satellites launched by other countries are already operating.

In the two previous launches in May and August, North Korea used its new Chollima-1 rocket to carry the Malligyong-1 reconnaissance satellite.

In the first attempt, the North Korean rocket carrying the satellite crashed into the ocean soon after liftoff. North Korean authorities said the rocket lost thrust after the separation of its first and second stages. After the second launch failure, North Korea said there was an error in the emergency blasting system during the third-stage flight.

South Korea retrieved debris from the first launch and called the satellite too crude to perform military reconnaissance.

Some civilian experts said North Koreas Malligyong-1 satellite is likely capable only of detecting big targets like warships or planes. But by operating several such satellites, North Korea could still observe South Korea at all times, they said. In April, Kim Jong Un said North Korea must launch several satellites.

Besides spy satellites, Kim is eager to introduce other sophisticated weapons such as more mobile ICBMs, nuclear-powered submarines and multi-warhead missiles. Observers say Kim would ultimately want to use an enlarged weapons arsenal to wrest greater U.S. concessions like sanctions relief when diplomacy resumes.

In response, the U.S. and South Korea have been expanding their regular military exercises that sometimes included U.S. strategic assets such as long-range bombers, a nuclear-armed submarine and aircraft carriers. On Tuesday, the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier and its battle group arrived at a South Korean port in a fresh demonstration of strength against North Korea.

Yamaguchi reported from Tokyo.
Seoul  North Korea successfully launched a surveillance satellite into orbit late Tuesday night, according to its state media. The claim couldn't immediately be confirmed independently.

It's the third time this year that North Korea has attempted to put a surveillance satellite into orbit. Two previous attempts  in May and August  both failed.

The rocket launch carrying the satellite into space was detected by South Korea's military.

"Our military detected a North Korean military reconnaissance satellite that was launched southward from the Dongchang-ri area in North Pyongan Province at 22:43 local time," the country's Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

The U.S. condemned the launch. National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement it was "a brazen violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions, raises tensions, and risks destabilizing the security situation in the region and beyond."

Very little is known about the satellite itself  and, crucially, whether its camera will be good enough to deliver North Korea high-resolution pictures of U.S. and South Korean military installations and maneuvers.

Earlier in the day, North Korea had warned Japan the launch would take place before the end of the month, but it went ahead only hours later. Parts of the rocket discarded in flight were expected to have splashed into the sea around Japan and the Philippines.

A TV screen displays a warning message after the Japanese government issued an emergency warning for residents of the southern prefecture of Okinawa, saying a missile had been launched from North Korea and that residents should take cover indoors, in Tokyo, Japan, Nov. 21, 2023. / Credit: Reuters/Issei Kato

The South Korean military had warned that it would take the "necessary measures" in the event of a launch, but did not specify what that would be. America and its allies in the region will now be monitoring for any signals the satellite sends from space  assuming it settles into a stable orbit  to determine how sophisticated it is.

Since 1998, North Korea has launched six satellites. Only two of them were placed in orbit and are still circling Earth, but most experts believe they are not transmitting information to ground stations.

South Korea plans to launch its own surveillance satellite for monitoring North Korea on Nov. 30 in California using Elon Musk's SpaceX rocket.

Alex Sundby contributed reporting.

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North Korea has issued formal notice of a satellite launch as early as Wednesday, Japan said, with Pyongyang's third attempt to put a military eye in the sky coming after it likely received technical help from Russia in exchange for arms transfers.

North Korea's previous efforts to put a spy satellite into orbit in May and August both failed, and Seoul, Tokyo and Washington have repeatedly warned Pyongyang not to proceed with another launch, which would violate successive rounds of UN resolutions.

But the North has vowed to go ahead anyway, and Seoul's spy agency this month warned the fresh attempt is likely to be more successful as Pyongyang appears to have received technical advice from Russia, in return for sending at least 10 shipments of weapons for Moscow's war in Ukraine.

Japan's coast guard on Tuesday posted a notification on its website of a launch window between November 22 and December 1, and Seoul's Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries quickly issued a navigation warning for ships.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters he would "demand cancellation of the launch... and to make utmost efforts in preparing for unpredictable situations".

He added that any use of ballistic missile technology by Pyongyang would represent a breach of UN resolutions and that Japan was coordinating its response with South Korea and the United States, its partners in a trilateral defence arrangement.

Seoul has warned for weeks that Pyongyang was in the "final stages" of preparation for another spy satellite launch, with defence minister Shin Won-sik saying Sunday that the lift-off could take place as early as this week.

Kang Ho-pil, chief director of operations at the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said Monday that Seoul's military would take "necessary measures to guarantee the lives and safety of the people" if the launch went ahead.

Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, told AFP that Seoul was likely to take strong "countermeasures".

President Yoon Suk Yeol "is highly likely to suspend the validity of the September 19 military agreement," he said, referring to a key deal aimed at de-escalating tensions on the peninsula.

The South test-firing its own mid- to long-range solid-fuel ballistic missiles in response could also not be ruled out, he added.

- Russian help -

After North Korea's first two attempts to put a spy satellite into orbit both failed, Pyongyang promised to carry out a third in October, which never materialised.

The country is barred by successive rounds of UN resolutions from tests using ballistic technology, and analysts say there is significant technological overlap between space launch capabilities and the development of ballistic missiles.

Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested in September after meeting with Kim Jong Un that his nation could help Pyongyang build satellites.

Seoul and Washington have both subsequently claimed Pyongyang has been shipping weapons to Russia for use in Ukraine, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warning this month that military ties between North Korea and Russia were "growing and dangerous".

Successfully putting a spy satellite into orbit would improve North Korea's intelligence-gathering capabilities, particularly over South Korea, and provide crucial data in any military conflict, experts say.

In a commentary carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency Tuesday, Ri Song Jin, a researcher of the National Aerospace Technology Administration, slammed South Korea's own spy satellite plans, saying they were "extremely dangerous military provocations".

Seoul plans to launch its first spy satellite via a SpaceX rocket later this month, South Korean officials have said.

This shows that the North needs "practical and effective capabilities of space-based reconnaissance and surveillance" as a key way of "exercising the war deterrent more clearly and promoting the strategic security balance in the region," KCNA said.

North Korea has conducted a record number of weapons tests this year.

Seoul, Washington and Tokyo have ramped up their defence cooperation in response, and on Tuesday a US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the USS Carl Vinson, arrived at South Korea's Busan Naval Base.

Seoul's military said the visit was to enhance the allies' "posture in response to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats".

"Through close cooperation between the navies of the two countries, we will be equipped with the ability and posture to win even if we fight right now," Seoul's navy said in a statement.

burs-stu-cdl/ceb/ssy
North Korea told Japan that it will launch a satellite in the coming days, despite warnings from South Koreas military to stop its planned launch.

North Korea is eager to operate spy satellites in an effort to deal with what it says is increased U.S.-led military threats, The Associated Press reported.

The countrys two previous attempts to send a spy satellite into orbit this year have failed due to technical issues. It vowed to conduct a third attempt in October, but South Korean officials said there was a delay.

South Korea suggested it could suspend an agreement to reduce tensions and resume its front-line aerial surveillance if North Korea launches a satellite. A senior South Korean military officer said the country will come up with necessary measures to protect their people.

Japans coast guard said North Korea notified the country of its plan to launch a satellite between Wednesday and Nov. 30, according to the AP.

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The notice identified areas where debris from the rocket carrying the satellite may fall, including the waters between the Korean Peninsula and China and in the Philippine Sea, the Japanese coast guard said.

North Korea gave Japan the flight path information because the countrys coast guard coordinates maritime safety information in East Asia. The notification comes one day after the warning from South Korea.

The U.N. Security Council has banned North Korea from launching satellites because it views them as a disguised test of missile technology.

South Korean officials said the initial delay was likely because North Korea is receiving technology assistance from Russia. In September, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin met to talk about increasing transfers of weapons and technology, as Russia looks for allies in its war on Ukraine.

According to a South Korean official, North Korea launching a satellite would effectively break the 2018 inter-Korean agreement, which created buffer and no-fly zones along the border between North Korea and South Korea.

The Associated Press contributed.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un bids farewell to Russian President Vladimir Putin as he departs from the Vostochny cosmodrome in Russia on September 13. Putin told Russian media that his country would help North Korea build satellites. File Photo by KCNA

SEOUL, Nov. 21 (UPI) -- North Korea said Wednesday it has successfully placed a spy satellite into orbit and will launch several more satellites "in a short span of time" to step up its surveillance capability on South Korea.

The state-run Korean Central News Agency said the North launched a reconnaissance satellite called Malligyong-1 on a Chollima-1 rocket from a launch site in Tongchang-ri on the country's west coast at 10:42 p.m. Tuesday.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Uun observed the launch at the site and congratulated officials, scientists and technicians associated with the launch preparations, according to KCNA.

"The carrier rocket 'Chollima-1' flew normally along the preset flight track and accurately put the reconnaissance satellite 'Malligyong-1' on its orbit at 22:54:13, 705s after the launch," KCNA said in an English-language report.

The United States condemned the launch, calling it a "brazen violation" of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions and it risks destabilizing regional security.

"This space launch involved technologies that are directly related to the DPRK intercontinental ballistic missile program," U.S. National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said in a statement, referring to North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"The president and his national security team are assessing the situation in close coordination with our allies and partners. We urge all countries to condemn this launch and call on the DPRK to come to the table for serious negotiations. The door has not closed on diplomacy, but Pyongyang must immediately cease its provocative actions and instead choose engagement."

North Korea defended the satellite launch as its "legitimate" right to strengthen "self-defensive capabilities" and vowed to launch several additional spy satellites "in a short span of time."

The plan will be presented at the ninth plenary meeting of the 8th Workers' Party of Korea's Central Committee, the report said, which is expected to be held later this year.

Tuesday's launch marks the North's third attempt to place a satellite into orbit following two failed launches in May and August, respectively.

The North blamed the first failed attempt on an abnormal startup of the second-stage engine, while attributing the second failure on an error in the emergency blasting system during the third-stage of flight.

Seoul officials said previously that North Korea could try another launch with technological assistance from Russia following Kim's summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in September at the Vostochny Cosmodrone in Russia's Far East.

During Kim's visit, Putin told Russian media that his country would help North Korea build satellites.

Shortly after the announcement, the United States "strongly" condemned the North's satellite launch as a "brazen" violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions.
North Korea notified Japan of its plans to launch a military satellite as soon as Wednesday, Japan's Coast Guard said Tuesday. The North failed to place its satellite into orbit in May and August. File Photo by Yonhap

SEOUL, Nov. 21 (UPI) -- North Korea notified Tokyo of its plans to launch a satellite as soon as Wednesday, Japan's Coast Guard said Tuesday, marking the third attempt this year by the isolated regime to place a military spy satellite into orbit.

The launch is scheduled for a window from Wednesday to Nov. 30, with the projectile expected to splash down in either the Yellow Sea or the East China Sea, the Coast Guard said.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday that Tokyo was coordinating with the United States and South Korea to "strongly urge North Korea to exercise restraint and refrain from conducting a launch."

The attempt "violates relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, which prohibit any launch by North Korea using ballistic missile technology, even if the purpose is to place a satellite in orbit," his office said in a statement.

North Korea failed in its efforts to launch a reconnaissance satellite in May and August and had previously announced plans for a third try in October.

The North's preparations have drawn increased scrutiny amid its growing military ties with Russia.

Washington and Seoul have said Pyongyang is shipping artillery and equipment to Russia for its war in Ukraine, while the North is believed to be receiving advanced technology for its space and missile programs in return.

The U.S. State Department on Monday reiterated its concerns about the relationship ahead of a potential launch.

"Our position is very clear, which is that Russia should not supply North Korea with technology that would violate United Nations Security Council resolutions," spokesman Matthew Miller said at a press briefing. "North Korea should not supply Russia with arms that it can use to prosecute its war of aggression against Ukraine."

"We will continue to monitor them closely and take whatever actions are appropriate with our allies in the region to monitor and respond to North Korea's destabilizing behavior," he added.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff also spoke out against the launch, with director of operations Kang Ho-pil warning the North to "immediately stop" preparations.

"If North Korea goes ahead with the launch of a military reconnaissance satellite despite our warnings, our military will take necessary measures to ensure the lives and safety of its people," Kang said at a press briefing on Monday.

Earlier this month, South Korea announced plans to launch its own military reconnaissance satellite on Nov. 30. The satellite will be carried by a Falcon 9 rocket operated by Elon Musk's SpaceX, and is the first of five the South plans to place in orbit by 2025.
A search is under way for areas that can be used as warm spaces by the community.

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) has issued an appeal after nearly 100 community groups in the area offered heated rooms and a warm welcome as part of a similar initiative last year.

The scheme was a response to high energy bills and an attempt to combat social isolation.

Most offered refreshments and hot drinks and some laid on activities.

A network of more than 2,300 warm spaces sprang up last year across England as people struggled with increasing energy bills and some resorted to turning their central heating off during the day.

WNC invited voluntary groups to come forward and 96 organisations signed up, including cafes, libraries, village halls and churches.

Some offered activities such as knitting, board games and craft activities.

WNC said almost 53,000 people took advantage of the rooms in the first three months of this year.

The council's ruling Conservative group was criticised by Labour for not offering rooms in the Guildhall and other council offices as warm spaces.

Some charities have also criticised the initiative generally, saying people should be able to heat their own homes rather than going elsewhere.

Others believe warm spaces should offer more specific help, such as community meals.

Matt Golby, WNC's cabinet member for adult social care and public health, encouraged community and voluntary groups to sign up, adding: "We have had a great response so far with 40 organisations registered to date."

The council said some grants were available for warm spaces projects.

Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk
A federal appeals court on Monday appeared poised to uphold but limit a gag order on former President Donald Trump in his D.C. election interference case.

The three-judge D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals panel questioned Trumps lawyers and special counsel Jack Smiths team on the scope of the gag order imposed by Judge Tanya Chutkan, raising concerns about how it restricts the presidential candidate from pushing back on public criticism, according to Politico.

Trump attorney John Sauer argued that the gag order is unconstitutional and set a "terrible precedent" for "restrictions against core political speech."

The judges pressed Sauer on prosecutors argument that Trumps attacks have led to officials being threatened and harassed.

"That's all based on evidence that's three years old, Sauer argued, adding that Trump had commented on the D.C. case incessantly and that there was of anyone involved being threatened.

Why does the district court have to wait and see, and wait for the threats to come, rather than taking a reasonable action in advance? Judge Bradley Garcia, a Biden appointee, asked the lawyer.

Judge Patricia Millet, an Obama appointee, questioned whether the First Amendment would protect Trumps right to call witnesses and tell them to be loyal. Sauer said that could be a violation of his bail restrictions and likely would not violate his constitutional rights.

The judge then asked whether it would be the same if Trump posted the message on social media or at a campaign rally.

If hes communicating with the American electorate? Sauer replied. Id have to know more about the context.

Pressed on whether there was any need for Trump to take concerns over threats into account, Sauer said Trump should be entitled absolute freedom to speak his mind.

Though the judges also pressed the special counsels team on the broad restrictions in the gag order, legal experts panned Trumps attorneys performance.

Trump's lawyer sounded like an anarchist First Amendment freak. Like First Amendment over anything, former acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal told MSNBCs Lawrence ODonnell. "That is not the law. It can't be the law, for the reason that Judge Millett pointed out, which is, 'Look, we need to have fair trials.' You can't just have a criminal defendant going in and threatening witnesses, threatening the prosecution, threatening the judges and say 'free speech, free speech.' That's insane.

Katyal said courts have to balance a defendants free speech rights but its not the only issue.

This case, Lawrence, is about a criminal defendant who has a history of threatening other people, including when in trials, and that's what the judge last week in Colorado found, it's a person who talks and double talks so that it's threats that  if you just read the internal threat, it just doesn't seem like a threat, he said. You have to read it in context. And Trump always has some sort of explanation, the way a mob boss does of how it's not actually a threat.

Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course.

Former federal prosecutor Andrew Weissmann, who served on special counsel Bob Muellers team, said that it makes sense for Trumps lawyer to essentially stonewall if you think you are going to lose.

Look, it's a given that every defendant, when they are released, they are told do not commit a crime. That includes: Do not threaten a witness. That's not a gag order. That's just  you can't commit a criminal act while on bail, he told MSNBC.

Former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele mocked Trumps lawyers argument and expressed disbelief at the way were setting a whole new standard for Trump.

Were contorting ourselves in ways that we ordinarily wouldnt have, he said. I mean, when did we have this conversation? When did we have to do this? Even when others were prosecuting high-profile mobsters, you didnt have to deal with this level of crap. And I hate to put it in that context, but thats how a lot of us Americans are looking at this and saying, What are we doing here? The guy needs to shut his mouth up! He needs to obey what the judge tells them to do and do it!

Put him in jail if he keeps running his mouth. Former RNC Chair Michael Steele is fed-up with Trump and his challenges to the courts gag order. (Video: MSNBC) pic.twitter.com/PXAYbTHNzh  Mike Sington (@MikeSington) November 21, 2023

Former Trump White House lawyer Ty Cobb on Monday reiterated his prediction that Trump would eventually be jailed for violating the gag order.

I dont think his first or second violation of the gag order will find him sent to jail, he told CNN. But I think ultimately, you know, his narcissism will get the best of him, and he will violate it until he finds out what the limits of Judge Chutkans patience are.
The heroic defiance of Russian aggression demonstrated by the Ukrainian people prevents Moscow from attempting to occupy Moldova, Moldovan President Maia Sandu said at a press conference in Kyiv on Nov. 21.

Read also: Ukraine has liberated 40,000 sq. km since Feb. 24, 2022  more land than Moldova

Speaking alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Sandu thanked the Armed Forces of Ukraine for the extraordinary sacrifices they make on the battlefield, defending Ukraine's freedom and independence against the Russian onslaught.

We understand that without this resistance, without this fight, our country would have been next in line as a target for Russian occupation and, I believe, not the last on that list, said Sandu.

By defending Ukraine, you are also protecting Moldova.

She added that Moldova stands with Ukraine and will continue to support the country. She affirmed that "standing with Ukraine means supporting President Zelenskyy's ten-point Peace Formula".

Read also: Prigozhin was planning a coup in Moldova  President Sandu

"Ukrainians will always be welcome in our country for as long as necessary," the Moldovan president concluded.

Read also: Moldova mulls bold move to bar pro-Russian party and criminals from elections

Previously, Sandu had stated that Russia was attempting to establish a pro-Russian "government" in Chisinau to use Moldova against Ukraine in the same way Belarus has been used.

In February, Zelenskyy announced that Moscow was considering orchestrating a coup in Moldova, capturing the airport in Chisinau to transfer their military forces through it. These claims were later confirmed by Moldovan PM Dorin Recean.

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 day before Jacksonville authorities said a 22-year-old man shot and killed two women waiting separately at a San Marco railroad crossing, they had contacted him at his job following a call from his mother to check on his well-being, according to newly released documents in the Aug. 9 case.

Ty Christopher Head had been acting irrationally and struggled with mental health and substance abuse while living in and out of temporary homes and his car, his family said. But on Aug. 8 during his interaction with police at his place of employment, Kraft-Heinz, Head appeared lucid and advised he was not a threat to himself or others, according to the 69-page supplemental report.

One day later, he followed 28-year-old Paige Elizabeth Pringle from her bartending job at Dos Gatos downtown and gunned her down in her vehicle while stopped at Hendricks Avenue and Nira Street, the Sheriffs Office said. Tara Inez Baker, 53, happened to be there on her bicycle and was the first to suffer his wrath.

Another 24 hours later and some 600 miles away in Tennessee, Head took his own life with the same gun, the Sheriffs Office announced on Sept. 13.

Pringle

In the follow-up investigation that included multiple interviews with friends and family of all involved concluded the three did not know one another and werent aware of anyone Pringle may have had any issues with at the time.

The closest clue was a co-worker who said he last spoke with her around 3:30 a.m. the previous morning after they finished closing Dos Gatos. He advised that during their last shift together, victim Pringle had pointed out a patron sitting at the bar that gave her a weird vibe but did not know who that person was, nor knew what the weird vibe was, according to the report.

The motive, which outside speculation ranged from a stalker to road rage to drugs, remains unknown. The case even generated a $13,000 reward for tips leading to an arrest.

What became clear early on through nearby security video and witness accounts was that someone was trailing close behind Pringle in another car about 1:30 a.m. moments before the train crossing arms and lights activated. Investigators were able to identify it as a gray Volkswagen Passat.

What happened leading up to the San Marco attack

Pringles boyfriend of about 18 months, Patrick Coyle, told police he had just gotten out of jail on a DUI charge and he and Pringle had gone out the night before to celebrate but had gotten no sense of any problems, according to the supplemental report.

Casey Shelton, co-owner at Dos Gatos, also advised that Pringle stopped by the bar sometime after midnight to give him and another employee hand-crocheted animals for their newborn children, the report said. He said she left around 1 a.m. and was unaware of any concerns the popular bartender might have had with any customers or anyone else.

Baker and Fisher

Bakers fiance, Maurice H. Fisher, said he was on the other side of the Hendricks tracks waiting for her at a gas station. The supplemental report said he hadnt seen her for several days because she had been on a binge but agreed to meet him that night.

He stated that the last contact he had from her she told him she was waiting for the train in San Marco, and she would be there soon," he told investigators. "He stated that after waiting nearly an hour for her with no response, he got angry and went home.

Once the gunfire erupted, Pringles vehicle eased forward and crashed into the side of the train and the gunman fled. It was unclear if any words were exchanged before the two women were killed, although one witness said he heard arguing, according to the new documents. There also didnt appear to be anything stolen.

Ty Heads suicide and state of mind

Head

On Sept. 6 and 7 investigators tracked a single cellphone activity that matched the path of the suspect vehicle to Vanessa Thomas, whose son was Head and the registered owner of a 2012 Volkswagen Passat, the investigation found. Within hours, that led to the discovery of his obituary from an apparent suicide on Aug. 10 in Wilson County, Tenn.

The Sheriffs Office there was able to confirm it received a call for service about a suspicious vehicle at the Nashville Superspeedway. They located a gray Volkswagen Passat with Florida tags and the ignition still running, with the front doors open.

When they were unable to locate any occupants, they began a search that led them to discover Heads body in the woods. The investigation revealed he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head and a Masterpiece Arms Defender 9mm was still in Heads hand.

A portion of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office 69-page supplemental report details some of the mind frame of suspect Ty Head in the Aug. 9 shooting deaths of Paige Pringle and Tara Baker at a Hendricks Avenue railroad crossing.

On Sept. 8 detectives traveled to Ocala to speak with Heads parents, Vanessa and Jason Thomas. They explained he had been suffering mental illness and substance abuse for some time.

They said he dropped out of college in 2020 due to COVID-19, and at that time they placed him into a sober-living residence in Nashville, where he remained for about a year and a half before being committed to a mental health facility, the documents said.

They then moved him back to a sober-living residence in Jacksonville, where he remained for another two months. But he he told them he was having issues with another resident, and early this year they moved him to a different sober-living facility in Jacksonville Beach. He remained there until the middle of June.

Jacksonville reaches 100 homicides: Here's who is dying and where in 2023

They stated that from January to April of 2023 he seemed really healthy and back to his old self, however around the end of May he came to visit them in Ocala and he was in a bad place, the report said. In mid-June he was kicked out of the sober-living residence for fighting with another resident, at which time he began to live out of his car and hotels for approximately a week. He then began to rent a room through the website PadSplit.

His mother said that around this time he began asking for money, which he had never done before. She stated she provided him approximately $2,600 over the course of a month, but when she confronted him about it, he began to respond irrationally leading up to her call for a welfare check to police on Aug. 8.

Final details in the deaths of Paige Pringle and Tara Baker

The Thomases provided detectives Heads laptop. The analysis did not locate anything tying him to either victim, and nothing of evidentiary value was located, the report said.

On Sept. 11 investigators received the results of an eTrace that showed Head purchased the gun from Coastal Defense LLC on June 24 and had filled out the proper forms. The casings from the suicide matched the Hendricks Avenue murder scene.

Heads toxicology findings in the autopsy also showed he had no illegal substances in his system.

This section of a supplemental report from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office includes the final conclusion and results of the investigation into the shooting deaths of two women stopped at a San Marco railroad crossing on Aug. 9.

During the investigation, it was determined that suspect Ty Head followed victim Pringles vehicle beginning on Bay Street, ultimately stopping behind her at the railroad tracks on Hendricks Avenue. For unknown reasons, suspect Head shot victim Baker once before shooting victim Pringle multiple times. Suspect Head then fled the scene and ultimately ended up committing suicide in Wilson County, Tennessee, less than 24 hours later, the report concluded.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Documents detail Jacksonville rail crossing shooting of Paige Pringle
The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) launched attacks against Sen. Krysten Sinema, I-Ariz., and Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., on Monday in a new ad.

The 30-second ad labeled Gallego as "rotten Ruben Gallego" and said he had "abandoned his wife when she was nearly nine months pregnant, then married a D.C. lobbyist."

Then, it slammed Sinema  a former Democrat now registered as an Independent  claiming she "voted with President Bidens agenda 100% of the time," including the administration's progressive energy initiatives and the COVID-era American Rescue Plan.

"Deadbeat Dad, or liberal Democrat? Arizonans deserve a better choice," the ad, titled, "A Choice," concluded.

GOP, DEMS TEAM UP TO RIP DELUSIONAL SINEMA OVER PLAN TO SWIPE THEIR VOTERS IN INDEPENDENT REELECTION BID

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema speaking at a committee on October 19, 2021, in Washington, D.C.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, NRSC spokesperson Mike Berg said, "Divorcing your wife when she is nearly nine months pregnant is a low-life move that really speaks to Ruben Gallegos character."

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Gallego divorced his wife, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, in 2016. Politico reported a source close to Gallego said he and his ex currently have joint custody of their 6-year-old son.

In a 2016 post, Gallego and his wife both announced the divorce on their Facebook pages.

"It is painful when any marriage ends, and it is not something that I ever wanted or expected," Kate wrote. Gallego shared her post and added "Kate and I hope to keep this a private matter and appreciate your respect for our privacy."

Berg said the committee plans to run more ads "exposing the truth" about Gallego  who could likely become the Democratic nominee in the race  until Election Day.

The ad comes as an internal NRSC polling showed Sinema currently drawing support from more Republican voters than Democrat voters, according to a source familiar with NRSC strategy.

VETERAN AIR FORCE PILOT SEEKING TO OUST VULNERABLE DEM SENATOR SAYS NATION MUST ABANDON WRONG LEADERS

Former Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, pictured here, announces her bid for the seat of U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema at JetSet Magazine on Oct. 10, 2023, in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Sinema has not announced whether she will run for re-election yet, but Republican strategists are on the offense.

"National Democrats are fighting a lose-lose civil war over who they'll make their standard bearer: Rotten Ruben Gallego or liberal rubber stamp Kyrsten Sinema," NRSC spokesman Tate Mitchell said in a statement.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Gallego and Sinema for comment.

In a fundraising email, Gallegos campaign called the ad "baseless" and a "deeply personal attack."

"If attacks like these go unanswered, Kari Lake could get the edge on us," the release said.

RACE TO REPLACE MITT ROMNEY IN UTAH GAINS STEAM AS ANOTHER CANDIDATE JUMPS IN: HE SOLD US OUT

Rep. Ruben Gallego and Sen. Krysten Sinema.

According to reporting by Politico, Gallegos memoir details how PTSD from his service as a U.S. Marine in the Iraq War led to the destruction of his marriage.

The stakes are high as Arizonas Senate seat race could potentially shift the majority leadership in the upper chamber if a Republican is elected.





Original article source: NRSC lobs attacks against Arizona lawmakers Sinema, Gallego: 'We are going to keep exposing the truth'
NEW YORK - New York's highest court on Monday upheld a New York City law that forbids police from using chokeholds or compressing a person's diaphragm during an arrest, rejecting a challenge from police unions to a law passed after the death of George Floyd.

The New York Court of Appeals, in a unanimous decision, ruled that the law is clear in its language and that it does not conflict with an existing state law that bans police from using chokes.

The city's law came as governments across the country prohibited or severely limited the use of chokeholds or similar restraints by police following Floyd's death in 2020, which occurred as a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for several minutes.

The Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York, along with other law enforcement unions, sued the city over its law and have argued that its language is vague as to what officers are allowed to do during an arrest. In a statement, John Nuthall, a spokesman for the Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York, said the ruling will provide clarity to officers.

"While this is not the outcome we had hoped for, the Courts decision is a victory insofar that it will provide our officers with greater certainty when it comes to the statute, because under this Courts decision, it must be proven at a minimum that an officers action in fact impedes the persons ability to breathe, was not accidental, and was not a justifiable use of physical force," Nuthall said.

The New York Police Department has long barred its officers from using chokeholds to subdue people. New York state also has a law banning police chokeholds that was named after Eric Garner, who was killed when a New York Police Department officer placed him in a chokehold in 2014.

The city's law, while banning chokes, also includes a provision that forbids officers from compressing a person's diaphragm. Such a compression, though kneeling, sitting or standing on a person's chest or back, can make it difficult to breathe.
Here is a review of criminal cases heard at the Marion County Judicial Center the week of Nov. 13:

State v. Rudd Ronel Gelin

Charge: Second-degree murder.

Lawyer: James W. Smith.

Judge: Circuit Judge Lisa Herndon.

Hearing: Prosecutors said on Nov. 14 that they have filed murder charge against Gelin. His next court date is scheduled for February.

About the case: The 28-year-old Gainesville man has been charged in connection with the death of Deangelo Laverne Williams, 27.

Police officials said Gelin and Williams were arguing over a woman when Gelin allegedly stabbed Williams once in the chest.

James W. Smith

At the time of the incident, Gelin was a corrections officer at Columbia Correctional Institution. Florida Department of Corrections officials said Gelin was hired on Feb. 5, 2021 and was fired after his October arrest.

State officials said Gelin's personnel file indicates he had instances of tardiness, failure to comply with oral and written instructions, and excessive absenteeism.

State v. Kevin William Ernest

Judge: Circuit Judge Peter Brigham.

Lawyers: Ocala attorney Jack Maro for the defense and Assistant State Attorney Elizabeth White for the prosecution.

About the case: Ernest was arrested in 2019 after sheriff's deputies were told he had molested a girl.

Lawyers Jack Maro and Elizabeth White talk with Circuit Judge Peter Brigham at Kevin William Ernest's trial.

Trial: Ernest's trial began Nov. 15 and ended Nov. 16. Jury selection was on Nov. 13.

Charges: Three counts each of sexual battery upon child younger than 12 and sexual battery.

Jurors: Three women and three men.

In court: At trial, the 41-year-old Silver Springs man and the victim took the witness stand. Jurors also heard other witness testimony and watched videos pertaining to the case.

Kevin William Ernest at trial

White said the victim had a turbulent life, moving from place to place. The prosecutor said the victim was reluctant to report the abuse and had trouble trusting adults because of her trauma.

Her ordeal came to light in an anonymous post that was investigated by sheriff's deputies. Their investigation ended with Ernest's arrest.

Maro said the victim did not cry during her interview and suggest someone was pulling the strings. The lawyer said there's no evidence supporting her allegations and called her a misguided young girl.

Deliberations: The jury deliberated for a little more than two hours and returned with a guilty verdict on all charges. Family and friends on both sides cried when the clerk made the announcement.

The victim told the court she can move on. Ernest declined to make a statement.

Released on bond: Woman accused of insurance fraud, filing false rape claim out of jail as cases proceed

Sentence: The judge sentenced Ernest to life in prison. He has been classified as a sexual predator. Ernest, who cannot have any contact with the victim, plans to appeal and will be represented by the Public Defender's Office.

Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Jury finds Florida man guilty of sexually battering child; life prison term ordered
On a Delta Air Lines flight headed to Minneapolis, an off-duty employee kissed and groped the woman seated next to her, then airline employees attempted to cover up the incident, according to a new federal lawsuit.

A Minnesota resident in her early 40s was flying home from Las Vegas when she met Abigail Louise Trebnick-Emerson, who boarded the plane with a Delta crew bag but wasnt working the November 2022 flight, a complaint says.

The pair were both served drinks, including alcohol, on the flight and engaged in small talk, according to the complaint.

After having a few cans of wine, Trebnick-Emerson, who was in the rows middle seat, is accused of kissing the woman without her permission and leaning her head on the shoulder of a man next to her, the complaint says.

The woman reported Trebnick-Emerson kissing her, as well as her potential level of intoxication, to a flight attendant, whos accused of later serving Trebnick-Emerson a fifth canned wine, according to the complaint.

For the rest of the flight, Trebnick-Emerson went on to kiss the womans cheek, repeatedly, which was unwanted and (the woman) told her so, the complaint says.

After the flight landed, the woman stood up to retrieve her belongings from the overhead cabin, according to the complaint.

Then, Trebnick-Emerson rubbed (the womans) buttocks, the complaint says.

She groped my butt, the woman told KARE 11 in an interview. I turned to her and said, We are not doing that!

Trebnick-Emerson was criminally charged in Hennepin County in connection with the incident but was never convicted of a crime, state court records reviewed by McClatchy News show.

Now the passenger is suing Delta Air Lines, accusing the airline employees of over-serving Trebnick-Emerson alcohol and attempting to cover up the sexual assault, according to the complaint. Trebnick-Emerson is also named as a defendant and accused of assault and battery.

In a statement to McClatchy News on Nov. 21, Delta Air Lines spokesperson Morgan Durrant confirmed Trebnick-Emerson was an employee of a Delta subsidiary but not directly employed by Delta.

While we dont have any specific comment on this pending litigation, Delta does not tolerate inappropriate or unlawful behavior. Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and our people, Delta Air Lines said in a statement provided by Durrant.

The criminal case

In the state case, Trebnick-Emerson was initially charged with criminal sexual conduct and disorderly conduct, according to court records obtained by McClatchy News.

Trebnick-Emerson pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in June and was sentenced to unsupervised monitoring without conviction for 1 year  a sentence to be monitored by Hennepin County District Court.

Peter Wold, who represented her in that case, declined to offer a comment when contacted by McClatchy News on Nov. 21

The passengers attorney Jeffrey S. Storms, of Minneapolis-based law firm Newmark Storms Dworak LLC, told McClatchy News on Nov. 21 that his client wants to make sure this doesnt happen to anyone else.

The attempted cover-up

When the woman left the plane, she reported the sexual assault to gate agents and requested them to alert law enforcement, according to the lawsuit, which says Delta Airport Customer Service was also notified of the incident.

An amended criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County in March details the accusations the woman made against Trebnick-Emerson in her lawsuit.

(The woman) reported that she was offended and felt very uncomfortable with (Trebnick-Emerson) kissing and touching her on Nov. 18, 2022, the amended criminal complaint written by an airport police detective says.

Following the assault, a Delta flight attendant who worked the flight is accused of conspiring with Trebnick-Emerson to lie to all officials in an effort to protect Trebnick-Emerson and discredit (the woman), the complaint says.

The complaint includes screenshots of apparent Facebook Messenger exchanges between the flight attendant and Trebnick-Emerson after the flight.

I dont know what happened. We had a nice conversation on the airplane. Do you know what she said?? Trebnick-Emerson is accused of writing in one message, referring to the woman, the complaint shows.

You kissed her, the flight attendant wrote in response, according to the complaint. I know she came to the back and told (one flight attendant), but she didnt appear to be upset!?

After Trebnick-Emerson asked if that was true, the flight attendant wrote yeah, you were pretty bombed, the complaint says.

This attendant, and others, including the one accused of serving Trebnick-Emerson canned wine, conspired to protect Trebnick-Emerson by providing Delta ACS investigators with false and inaccurate information about the events of the flight that led to and resulted in Trebnick-Emersons assault, according to the complaint.

The complaint accuses Trebnick-Emerson of being so intoxicated while trying to leave the airport after the flight that she fell while going up an escalator, surveillance footage shows.

Not an isolated incident

The lawsuit says this isnt the first time Delta attendants have over-served passengers and its not an isolated incident  leading to sexual assaults aboard planes. The complaint cites a few federal cases involving accusations of intoxicated Delta passengers assaulting people aboard flights.

Storms told McClatchy News that the womans career is in the realm of safety for children. The woman, who is also a mother, works for a charitable foundation focusing on water safety related to childrens safety, the complaint says.

Since similar assaults aboard planes have occurred in the past, shes had a lot of anxiety over how children may not be safe on flights, Storms said.

The lawsuit demands a trial by jury and seeks $375,000 in damages, the complaint shows.

The number of sexual misconduct cases aboard flights in the U.S. more than tripled between 2018 and 2022, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Washington announced in an Aug. 9 news release.

If you have experienced sexual assault and need someone to talk to, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline for support at 1-800-656-4673 or visit the hotline's online chatroom.

Man sexually assaulted women he recruited on Craigslist for fake medical study, cops say

Passenger moves to empty seat and gropes woman next to him on United flight, feds say

Passenger gropes off-duty flight attendant asleep next to him on United flight, feds say
American citizens play a role in the countrys democratic process by serving on a jury  but how often can someone be called to serve?

Heres what the Judicial Council of California told us on what you should know about a jury summons:

Who is qualified to be a juror?

California law states you are qualified to be a juror if you are:

A U.S. citizen

At least 18 years old

Can understand enough English to discuss the case

A resident of the county that sent the summons

Have not served on a jury in the past 12 months

Not already on a grand or trial jury

Not under a conservatorship

Not in jail or prison

Not on parole or probation for a felony

Not registered as a sex offender

Convicted of wrongdoing while in public office and have not had your civil rights restored

How often are you called for jury duty in California?

Blaine Corren, a spokesperson for the Judicial Council of California, said individuals can be summoned for jury duty once a year (every 12 months).

All potential jurors are selected at random from lists, Corren wrote in an email to The Bee.

To compile these lists, Corren said the courts use drivers licenses and identification cards issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles, tax filers through the Franchise Tax Board and local voter registration.

It is possible that some people may be summoned more or less often than others, but that greatly depends on many factors, Corren said.

These factors can include the size of their local court, the size of their courts population area and how many jury trials their court may have scheduled, Corren said.

Once someone has received a jury summons, Corren said they should follow the instructions on the summons.

For questions relating to a summons, Corren said anyone can contact their local court.

Can I be penalized for missing my jury duty summons?

If a person has missed their service, Corren said the local court will typically try to contact them by mail to find out why they did not show and reschedule them for another service date.

You must report for jury duty unless you do not meet qualifications, have been excused or your service was postponed, according to the California Courts website.

When you receive a summons, there will be instructions on the notice you can follow to communicate your eligibility.

Any person who fails to respond may be fined up to $1,500, incarcerated, or both, the website states.

Keyword: may.

Depending on a persons circumstances and legal factors, Corren said fines can be dismissed under California Rule of Court, Rule 2.1010.

While the law does permit courts to impose sanctions and/or issue a finding of contempt, this happens rarely, if ever, because courts want to encourage people to serve and accommodate their schedule, Corren wrote.

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.
A former student of Oak Grove School is suing the Ojai private school and its parent nonprofit for failing to protect her from alleged sexual assault and abuse by a former teacher and covering up evidence that he had sexually abused other students.

Ventura County Sheriff's deputies had arrested the teacher, Paul Herder on July 31, alleging he coerced a juvenile student into numerous sexual acts and sent "harmful matter to the victim" over the course of an unlawful five-year relationship from August 2013 through June 2017.

Herder, 65, was subsequently charged by the District Attorney's Office with 23 felonies, including multiple counts of unlawful intercourse, luring and various sex-related crimes involving a minor. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has denied all special allegations.

Herder remains housed at the county's Todd Road Jail outside Santa Paula and is not eligible for bail, jail records show.

Herder's attorney in the criminal case, David Lehr, said in an email last week there is "very little" he can say about the case before it is resolved.

The separate civil lawsuit was filed Nov. 13, court records show.

A representative for the school said in a statement last week that Oak Grove recently learned of the civil suit. Joel Keeler, director of advancement, wrote that the school had reported the student's allegations to county Child Protective Services and the sheriff's Sexual Crimes Unit "immediately" after the former student told school staff in July.

Keeler wrote that the school continues to cooperate with law enforcement but could not comment on the case further due to the ongoing investigation.

Oak Grove School is operated by the Ojai-based nonprofit Krishnamurti Foundation of America, part of a small global network established to help preserve and share the teachings of philosopher and spiritual teacher Jiddu Krishnamurti.

Krishnamurti spent much of his time in Ojai and died of cancer at his residence there in 1986. He founded the small Oak Grove School in 1975, according to the school's website. Today it combines boarding school and day school programs that serve just under 220 pre-K-12 students.

Lawsuit describes allegations

Attorneys for the former student, now 24 and living in Ojai, initially submitted the 14-page civil filing to Ventura County Superior Court on Nov. 9 under the name Jane Doe.

The suit describes her experience of Herder's alleged abuse and claims the school and foundation "engaged in a concerted effort to hide evidence" of other alleged sexual misconduct by Herder in the years before she was allegedly assaulted.

David Ring, the lead attorney in the civil suit, said the accusations are partially based on information "floating around out there" that Herder "had issues" at a different Krishnamurti school in England before he began teaching at Oak Grove in 2004.

"When there's rumbling like that, it usually turns out to be true," Ring said. The firm plans to seek more information on Herder's history during the course of the case.

As of Monday night, court records show, no attorney of record was listed for any of the three defendants named in the civil case: Herder, Oak Grove and the Krishnamurti Foundation.

The student had enrolled at the K-12 private school as a high school freshman for the 2013-14 year and met Herder on a tour of the campus.

The lawsuit alleges that at the end of the student's first year, Herder kissed her on the cheek during a school assembly. The next year, he began giving her "special attention," including monetary gifts and giving her long hugs, sometimes in the presence of other staff.

During her junior year, the suit claims, Herder escalated the attention, giving the student one of his jackets to wear around campus, touching her on the leg during a school trip and suggesting they go on a date once she turned 18.

Ring said that at one point Herder told the former student that he had been confronted by school staff about his interactions with her, but that the effort had "died on the vine."

"He was so close to this girl and was around her so much and had so many interactions with her," Ring said. "How could they not notice? It's impossible."

In the spring of 2016, the suit alleges, "Herder's grooming and manipulation of (the student) ultimately resulted in him sexually abusing and assaulting her for the first time."

Herder left the school at the end of that year but continued to abuse the student for another year, the suit alleges. By the end of the 2016-17 school year, Herder had sexually abused the student more than 40 times, the document claims.

It wasn't until she was an adult, Ring said, that the student "realized what it was all about" and decided to tell school staff.

"She knew it was wrong and didn't want him to get away with it," Ring said.

Isaiah Murtaugh covers education for the Ventura County Star in partnership with Report for America. Reach him at isaiah.murtaugh@vcstar.com or 805-437-0236 and follow him on Twitter @isaiahmurtaugh and @vcsschools. You can support this work with a tax-deductible donation to Report for America.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Ojai private school sued over alleged teacher sexual abuse
Typical "Police Line Do Not Cross" barricade tape, often seen cordoning off crime scenes.

Oklahoma City police this week arrested a woman accused of giving a firearm to her mother who then shot herself to death.

The investigation began in September when homicide investigators responded to a reported suicide in the 12900 block of Blue Quail Drive.

Detectives reported the womans daughter, Jaye Dee Watts, 44, gave her mother a firearm before her mother killed herself. Police said the case was presented to the Oklahoma County District Attorneys Office and an arrest warrant was issued. Police said Watts was accused of felony murder by caretaker abuse and kidnapping. She is currently free on bond, police said.

The mother was 72 years old. Her death was recorded as homicide No. 68 this year in Oklahoma City.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC woman accused of supplying gun to mother who shot herself
Dino Rojas-Moreno, center, sitting in prisoner's cage, appears for his arraignment at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana on Monday. (Andrew Turner / Times Community News)

An Orange County bartender accused of bludgeoning a woman to death with a fire extinguisher pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him Monday.

Dino Rojas-Moreno, 26, was arrested Wednesday in Laguna Hills and charged with one count of murder with two felony enhancements: that the killing was committed in commission of a kidnapping and that it was carried out with a personal weapon, the fire extinguisher.

Those enhancements would potentially make him subject to the death penalty, according to authorities.

The loss of an innocent life is a travesty for the entire community, Orange County Dist. Atty. Todd Spitzer said in a statement .

Rojas-Moreno's attorney, Christopher Bou Saeed, said his client "unequivocally denies the allegations against him."

"We look forward to fighting these allegations in a court of law  not in the press, not on TV and not online," Saeed said. "We will do so based on facts admissible in a court of law, not press releases, not leaks and not rumor and innuendo."

Read more: Suspect arrested after woman is found dead near Laguna Beach restaurant where she worked

Rojas-Moreno is due back in court for a pretrial hearing on Jan. 30.

Prosecutors allege that Rojas-Moreno, who lives in Laguna Hills, assaulted 27-year-old San Clemente resident Tatum Goodwin around 1 a.m. on Nov. 12 in a parking lot near Carmelitas restaurant in Laguna Beach.

Goodwin had worked at Carmelitas for four years, rising to the position of assistant manager, according to a GoFundMe campaign set up by the restaurant's owner.

Rojas-Moreno, prosecutors allege, dragged Goodwin to the rear of the parking lot and down an alleyway to a secluded area. There, he beat her to death with a fire extinguisher, according to the district attorneys office.

About 8:20 a.m., a construction worker found Goodwins body under a chain-link fence at a nearby work site with a sandbag placed on her head, authorities say.

It is heartbreaking that a young woman with her entire future ahead of her had her life ended in such a brutal way and then discarded like her life never [mattered], Spitzer said.

Read more: Former Costa Mesa nanny sentenced to 700-plus years for molesting boys under his care

It is unknown whether there was a prior relationship between the two. Media reports that Rojas-Moreno had worked as a bartender for Goodwin at Carmelitas were incorrect, according to Kimberly Edds, a spokeswoman for the district attorneys office.

Rojas-Moreno called in sick to work the day Goodwin's body was found, saying he had been assaulted in Santa Ana, according to the district attorneys office.

He is being held without bail.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Orange County educators have decided Floridas new law restricting the use of preferred pronouns in schools still allows public schools to honor parental requests to have transgender students referred to by pronouns that match their gender identity, not their sex at birth.

Their reading of the law (HB 1069), a 2023 expansion of the legislation critics call dont say gay, is that teachers could choose  but not be required  to use students preferred pronouns with written parental permission.

Orange County Public Schools plan to tell teachers to follow that guidance starting Dec. 4 unless the state says that such practice is contrary to law, according to a letter Teresa Jacobs, chair of the Orange County School Board, wrote Education Commissioner Manny Diaz on Friday.

Diazs letter back to Jacobs, written the next day, convinced her the districts reading of the law is accurate, she said Monday. So unless the school districts legal staff disagrees, Jacobs expects that teachers can start using students preferred pronouns next month.

A spokesperson for the district said staff was still reviewing Diazs letter, which was published by the conservative media outlet Floridas Voice before it arrived in district officials inboxes.

Diazs letter defended the law but did not say that OCPS view was wrong.

The law, Diaz wrote, conveys a matter of truth that, until the past few years, was evident to all, namely that a persons sex is an immutable biological trait and that it is false to ascribe to a person a pronoun that does not correspond to such persons sex.'

The law is clear and I think I can easily help clear things up, Diaz wrote.

In sum, the statute prohibits people from being forced to refer to others by false pronouns, and it prohibits school district employees from taking an active role in exposing students to these falsities, he said.

The press office at the Florida Department of Education did not respond to a question asking for clarification of Diazs views.

OCPS has wrestled for months with how to respond to the new law, which Jacobs at a recent meeting called part of an attack on our LGBTQ+ community from our governor and the Legislature.

The law, passed by the Republican-dominated Legislature and signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in May, went into effect in July. It forbids school districts from requiring employees to refer to anyone using titles or pronouns that do not match that persons sex, employees from telling students their preferred titles or pronouns and employees from asking students about their preferred pronouns.

Those sections of the law are undebatable, Orange school district officials agree.

But the boards attorneys viewed the law as unclear on whether it was acceptable for a teacher to choose to use a students preferred pronouns, if parents gave permission. Because violations of the pronoun rule, now a law officially known as section 10007.07 of Floridas statutes, could lead to sanctions, or even the loss of a teaching certificate, OCPS advised educators in August not to use any that did not match sex at birth.

If the students legal name is Robert, but the student identifies as a transgender girl and uses the name Roberta, the parent may authorize a teacher or other personnel to call the student Roberta, read the Aug. 7 memo from John Palmerini, the districts deputy general counsel. But, because of the new law, he wrote, the teacher or other personnel may elect not to utilize the pronoun she/her when referring to Roberta.

School board members did not like that, nor did some parents, teachers and students.

I can tell you that most of the board members up here, nearly all of us, feel very, very strongly that we should be able to call our students and refer to them the way they want to be referred, Jacobs said at the boards Nov. 10 meeting after hearing some public comment about the issue. It is a small thing that can mean a great deal.

Jacobs letter argued that the states Parents Bill of Rights, which gives parents the right to direct the education and care of their children, and the lack of a direct prohibition in the new law meant honoring parental rights to choose their childs pronouns was acceptable.

At that same meeting, board member Melissa Byrd said at least eight other Florida districts already adopted that position.

They have LGBTQ guides out or video guidance out on the law that clearly tells staff that if a parent requests a certain pronoun and a student requests it, that they can use it. As far as I know, those eight school districts are doing just fine, Byrd said. I dont know what were waiting for.

Board member Maria Salamanca agreed. I challenge our legal team to be bolder, she said.

Jacobs sent her letter Nov. 15, arguing that allowing parents to choose pronouns, and teachers to use them, would benefit transgender students who are often victims of bullying and teasing.

Their testimony during our school board meetings clearly demonstrates that the school districts implementation of HB 1069, and more specifically confusion over the intent of 1000.07, has added to their sense of isolation and rejection, she wrote, and it is adversely and unnecessarily affecting the well being of these students.
Editors Note: This is the final report in the KOIN 6 News series, Breaking the Cycle: Oregons attempt at recovery

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Dan Garris shared the trials and tribulations his daughter Alexa faces with state leaders in Salem.

We have a 32-year-old daughter who has suffered for many, many years under the weight of some ups and downs in her mental illness, Garris said. She lives in a world of delusion. A lot of the time she has some form of severe schizophrenia, sometimes psychosis.

During Alexas harrowing battle with addiction and severe mental illness, she has repeatedly cycled through mental health and the criminal justice systems.

Alexa Garris in an undated photo (Garris family)

Dan Garris, an advocate for his adult daughter suffering with mental illness, at a roundtable meeting with leaders in Salem, Sept. 2023 (KOIN)

Garris is a fierce advocate for his adult daughter  and for others like her who need lifelong care.

Its no excuse for letting somebody go back out on the streets when they need the highest level of care, he said. I just wonder why safety and security and dignity for the severely mentally ill has to be so hard to achieve in a civil society.

Oregon lawmakers sympathize with Dan Garris.

State Rep. Kevin Mannix, who serves Keizer and North Salem, sits on the new Addiction and Community Safety Committee. Lawmakers recently set up this bicameral, bipartisan committee, which already met in October and November. Theyre also meeting in December and January  which is not something they usually do.

However, Mannix and his fellow lawmakers are gathering ideas about how to handle these problems and aim to pass new bills in the short legislative session scheduled for February.

Dans story is heart wrenching. Its just a reflection of a systemic failure of our state, Mannix said.

State Rep. Kevin Mannix at a roundtable meeting with lawmakers and other professionals about mental health issues in Salem, Sept. 2023 (KOIN)

Hes already eyeing the Dome Building  which is right across the street from the Oregon State Hospital.

It is a building that has everything you need in terms of heat, lighting, plumbing, Mannix told KOIN 6 News.

The empty, state-owned, 67,000-square foot property could care for 400 mentally ill people, Mannix said.

My message to the governor and to my fellow lawmakers is please convene the emergency board. Please have the emergency board allocate the necessary funds to reopen the Dome Building as a state hospital facility and to bring in emergency staffing, he said. It may not be fully occupied. It could be partially occupied to address the mental health and criminal justice crisis we have confronting us right now.

Mannix claims the state insists theyd need to spend $10 million and many months to make the the Dome Building earthquake-proof first.

Instead of saying were going to vacate it, lets use it now and worry about the earthquake plan for the future, not for right now, because what we have is a community need today.

Regardless, Mannix said the money is there.

There is $471 million in additional revenue in this biennium thats coming in that hasnt been budgeted or spent. Its extra money coming in and it could be dedicated to address these issues, he said.

Other lawmakers, like Rep. Rob Nosse, see a longer road ahead.

Nosse represents inner Southeast and parts of Northeast Portland. Like Mannix, he also sits on the new Addiction and Community Safety Committee, plus he chairs the the Behavioral Health Committee.

State Rep. Rob Nosse at his office in SE Portland, October 2023 (KOIN)

He said prior legislative investments of $1.3 billion will result in 1,000 more beds for the mentally ill and addicted within communities across the state by July 2025. He said he absolutely feels theres a need for long-lasting, long-term care for a small percentage of people who dont have the capability to live independently.

Theres no question, Nosse told KOIN 6 News. And I think that theres a lot of my colleagues that want to support this kind of initiative. Its figuring out what it is that we need to stand up. What does that look like? And then, honestly, how do we pay for it?

He said ensuring adequate staffing for facilities remains a significant challenge. However the importance of high-quality staff cant be overstated. Its crucial to prevent a recurrence of the disturbing conditions seen at insane asylums of the past.

To Nosse a dignified space means that we have a lot more housing thats dedicated to people who are struggling with mental illness or disability thats in the community thats close by, thats staffed by professionals, that pays a wage thats competent for those professionals to be able to do a job and feel good about it and also not be living on the edges of poverty themselves.

And, he added, what I would say to that dad and his daughter is that there are lawmakers that are trying to figure this out.

For instance, Governor Tina Kotek has established the Portland Central City Task Force to develop recommendations for addressing the citys challenges. The recommendations will become fully public on December 11.

Some ideas include recommendations to immediately add roughly 250 more residential treatment facility and psychiatric beds, like discussed in part 3 of this series.

The governor has also been a vocal proponent of creating new laws to criminalize public use of hard drugs as something she wants to address in the upcoming session. She and fellow lawmakers want to make it uncomfortable for people to be selling fentanyl out in the open.

Dads, like Dan Garris, are waiting.

Im reminded of all the other parents of all the broken daughters and all the hurt, injured, mentally injured sons who have grieved and fought, Garris said. Theyve fallen just like we have. Theyve gotten back up and they continue to advocate  and I want to say to all of them, you are not alone.

Garris is waiting for the day Oregon sees what true compassion is, moving beyond bleak institutions or holding tanks for the mentally ill and no longer abandoning them on the streets. Instead, there would be dignified, secure spaces that provide exceptional individuals a chance at a purposeful life.

Ward 81 in 1976

Photographs by Mary Ellen Mark | Text by Karen Folger Jacobs | Published by Steidl

Images within the book Ward 81, capture the inhumane conditions of a secure facility for women at the Oregon State Mental Institution in 1976. It was the sole locked ward for females in the state. The individuals within this ward were deemed a risk to themselves or others by a judge. Over a span of just over a month, Mary Ellen Mark and Karen Jacobs immersed themselves into the institution, living in nearby cells in an empty, adjacent ward.

Courtesy: Ward 81: photographs by Mary Ellen Mark | text by Karen Folger Jacobs with an introduction by Milos Forman | published by Steidl

Courtesy: Ward 81: photographs by Mary Ellen Mark | text by Karen Folger Jacobs with an introduction by Milos Forman | published by Steidl

Courtesy: Ward 81: photographs by Mary Ellen Mark | text by Karen Folger Jacobs with an introduction by Milos Forman | published by Steidl

Courtesy: Ward 81: photographs by Mary Ellen Mark | text by Karen Folger Jacobs with an introduction by Milos Forman | published by Steidl

Courtesy: Ward 81: photographs by Mary Ellen Mark | text by Karen Folger Jacobs with an introduction by Milos Forman | published by Steidl

Courtesy: Ward 81: photographs by Mary Ellen Mark | text by Karen Folger Jacobs with an introduction by Milos Forman | published by Steidl

During their days there, they documented the lives of the patients, establishing personal connections. Through a series of photographs and conversations, they unveil unsettling realities within mental institutions, depicting electroshock therapy sessions and the stark isolation experienced by the residents.

The chronicle details the womens disturbances, difficulties and delusions, giving a glimpse into what their mental illness may be without ever fully revealing diagnoses. But what becomes abundantly clear, is that even in this confused state of mind, the ladies all possessed a strong desire to share love, conversation and connection with others.

During the time of writing this, Jacobs explained that the Carter administration discharged these individuals from hospitals with the intention of implementing community support and mental health services. Unfortunately, due to a lack of funding, the plan never materialized.

Consequently, these individuals were released without proper care and support. Later, she went in search of survivors and found out one young woman who lived in the ward (photographed on the front cover) was homeless and at the time had recently gotten in trouble for panhandling in southern Oregon.

This is what happens to these people  they cant make it, Jacobs said.

View the first five stories in this series below.

Part 1: Relapse vs Recovery: Oregons reality of new street drugs

Part 2: Kidnapping attempt connects 2 dads, exposes untreated mental illness in Oregon

Part 3: WATCH: Oregons groundbreaking study reveals road to addiction recovery

Part 4: Despite controversy, Measure 110 fills a great need for people with addiction

Part 5: Does Measure 110 need a combination of coercion?

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
A man has been arrested for a fatal shooting at a 7-Eleven store, police announced Monday.

Investigators have identified the suspect as 23-year-old James Trevon Felix, who was employed at the store.

According to Felix arrest report, police were called to the business at 3355 Vineland Road just before 2 a.m. Friday morning after several callers reported hearing multiple gunshots and seeing a man lying on the ground.

READ: Mother stabbed to death, infant dies after apartment with children inside set on fire, police say

Officers arrived to find 30-year-old Wolf Lindor suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators say they spoke to one witness who reported hearing five to eight gunshots before they looked and saw who they believed to be the shooter get in a car and leave the area.

Police next spoke to a man who said he had owned the 7-Eleven for approximately a month and identified Felix as one of two employees who were working when the shooting occurred.

The owner said Felix called him at 1:55 a.m. and told him someone had been shot and that he was going home. Police say the owner told them Felix called again later from home via Facetime and asked if he could work at another 7-Eleven location.

READ: Ocala couple sentenced for actions during Jan. 6 Capitol breach

Police reviewed footage from the stores security camera showing Felix working at the store and Lindor arriving approximately 30 minutes before the shooting.

Police say the video shows Felix walking towards Lindor in the parking lot and apparently hitting him in the face. According to investigators, when Lindor punches Felix back, Felix appears to extend his arms as though hes firing a gun.

A person was killed early Friday in a shooting at a 7-Eleven, the Orlando Police Department said.

A person was killed early Friday in a shooting at a 7-Eleven, the Orlando Police Department said.

A person was killed early Friday in a shooting at a 7-Eleven, the Orlando Police Department said.

A person was killed early Friday in a shooting at a 7-Eleven, the Orlando Police Department said.

Police also noted the video shows Felix at that time standing in the same spot where they later recovered several spent shell casings.

After the shooting, police say Lindor can be seen retreating before falling where he was ultimately found by first-responders.

READ: Unclaimed $44 million lotto ticket sold in Central Florida set to expire

Investigators determined Felix was picked up and driven away from the scene by a family member who wasnt aware of the shooting at the time.

Felix was located by the Orlando Police Departments Fugitive Investigative Unit Monday and booked into the Orange County Jail on a charge of second-degree murder with a firearm. He remains there on no bond.

The investigation into the shooting is ongoing.

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NEW ORLEANS (WGNO)  Officials with the Orleans Parish Communications District announced the signing of an agreement for a new fire station alert system on Tuesday, Nov. 21.

OPCD officials said the new system will replace the current technology in the 911 Center and fire department facilities with prompt, efficient, and redundant alerting of emergency personnel.

New Orleans East underground wildfire 90% extinguished, city says

They said the New Orleans Fire Department and OPCD will start implementing a MACH Alert Fire Station Alerting and Automation system that will disperse information to NOFD stations with the intent of improving firefighter response.

OPCD officials said the new system will also use both IP Network connections as well as the state-of-the-art statewide Motorola Project 25 (P25) radio network, Louisiana Wireless Information Network (LWIN) to improve communication and collaboration.

They said the agreement is with MotorolaSolutions.

Stay updated with the latest news, weather, and sports by downloading the WGNO app on the Apple or Google Play store and subscribing to the WGNO newsletter.

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The disgraced Paralympian Oscar Pistorius will get a second shot at parole on Friday after a South African court wrongly ruled earlier this year that he was ineligible for early release, the Associated Press reported. Pistorius has been locked up in his home country since late 2014, when he was convicted of shooting his girlfriend dead the year prior. In a statement, South Africas department of corrections told the AP on Monday that itd review Pistorius case and his time locked up to decide whether the inmate is suitable or not for social integration. Pistorius, a double-amputee sprinter, broke barriers when he competed at the 2012 London Olympics using carbon-fiber running blades. The next year, authorities said he shot his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, dead inside his home. Pistorius, now 37, claimed during his trial that he thought Steenkamp was an intruder, but he was still convicted and sentenced to 13 years behind bars.

Read it at Associated Press

Read more at The Daily Beast.
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has found an explosion that killed one worker at a pharmaceutical chemical plant in Massachusetts could have been prevented and proposed nearly $300,000 in penalties.

The May explosion at the Seqens plant in Newburyport, Massachusetts, killed Jack OKeefe, 62, of Methuen. Video showed most of the roof torn off a building.

Results of the OSHA investigation announced Thursday found Seqens and its subsidiary PolyCarbon Industries Inc. lacked safeguards in the chemical-making process. The investigation found numerous deficiencies in the facilitys safety management program for highly hazardous chemicals. It also found the company did not determine the combustibility hazards of materials used in the production of the chemical Dekon 139 and did not include safe upper and lower temperature limits to prevent the decomposition of Dekon 139.

OKeefe was killed when a pressure vessel exploded.

The conditions found during the investigation led OSHA to cite both companies with 11 violations, including eight serious ones, and propose $298,254 in penalties. Representatives from the companies are expected to meet with the company Tuesday, which has until Nov. 29 to either reach a settlement with OSHA or to contest the citations and penalties.

The requirements of OSHAs Process Safety Management standard are stringent and comprehensive because failure to comply fully can have a severe or catastrophic impact on employees that, in this case, cost a worker their life, said OSHAs Area Director Sarah Carle in Andover, Massachusetts. Employers must rigorously, completely and continuously scrutinize, update and maintain each element of the process properly to identify and minimize hazards and protect workers safety and health.

Newburyport Mayor Sean Reardon said it was very saddening to see that this incident was preventable.

We will continue to collaborate with these partners to determine the best path forward, and to ensure that the neighboring businesses, schools, and residences are kept safe from these dangerous practices that OSHA is penalizing now, he said in a statement.

A spokesman for Seqens did not respond to a request for comment.

The plant, previously known as PCI Synthesis, lies a little more than 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of Boston and has had a string of problems over the years. That prompted U.S. Sens. Edward Markey and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton  in whose district the facility is located  to write to the company in May demanding a full accounting of what happened.

A chemical fire in the building in June 2021 sent smoke pouring out of roof vents and prompted a hazardous materials team to respond, according to a fire department statement at the time.

In 2020, authorities said a chemical reaction caused a series of explosions at the plant. That happened a year after the Occupational Safety and Health Administration found serious violations in how the company managed highly hazardous chemicals, according to online agency records.

The factory has also been cited by OSHA for workplace safety violations and in 2019 it paid a more than $50,000 penalty to settle Environmental Protection Agency charges that it violated hazardous waste laws.

25 Investigates: Before explosion, over $168K in federal fines for Newburyport company

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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The great Colombian debate about Pablo Escobars cocaine hippos has come to an end.

The late drug lord famously owned four hippos that procreated with abandon after he was killed in 1993. For the past 30 years, officials have pondered what to do about the animals  there are now about 170 of them  and their destruction of the local ecosystem. Now, theyve decided on sterilization.

We are in a race against time in terms of permanent environmental and ecosystem impacts, Susana Muhamad, the environmental minister of Colombia, told The New York Times in a statement Saturday.

Officials say the expansive hippo population has roamed the countryside unregulated for years, and their numbers could skyrocket to 1,000 by 2035. While the World Wildlife Fund designates them as vulnerable, the herbivores have no natural predators in the area.

Colombian officials have thus decided on a three-pronged plan to sterilize, euthanize or relocate the hippos. They announced Friday that four have already been sterilized. Officials reportedly now plan to tranquilize and surgically sterilize 40 hippos per year.

Escobar, who founded the Medellin Cartel and dominated the 1980s cocaine trade, is thought to have imported the first four hippos from a breeding center in Dallas. Their descendants became a highlight, alongside other wildlife, of his Hacienda Napoles ranch.

While some researchers believed the hippos could restore the local ecosystem, the animals were eventually deemed an invasive species in the region. One of them was killed after being struck by an SUV on a highway near the ranch earlier this year.

Officials estimate that the population of hippos descended from drug lord Pablo Escobar's original group could grow to 1,000 by 2035.

Officials estimate that the population of hippos descended from drug lord Pablo Escobar's original group could grow to 1,000 by 2035.

The population had grown to about 80 when, in 2021, the Animal Legal Defense Fund successfully fought to save the hippos from being euthanized  and have them recognized as the first nonhuman creatures to be legally considered people.

The governor of Antioquia province, where Escobars ranch is located, announced earlier this year that about 70 of the hippos would be relocated to zoos and sanctuaries around the world.

The whole issue has led to a lot of strong emotions ... on both sides, Jonathan Shurin, an ecologist at the University of California, San Diego, told the Times. I think the plan theyve come out with is very reasonable, and youll be able to see if it works if you dont see baby hippos around.

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SAN DIEGO  The San Diego Padres teamed up with a local business to help families in need ahead of Thanksgiving.

Players and volunteers handed out turkeys and sides to more than 1,000 San Diegans at Petco Park on Monday.

Padres single-game tickets available for limited time during holiday presale

Meals were handed out to families that were picked by the San Diego Food Bank, along with military families from the USO and the Armed Services YMCA.

The Padres teamed up with Northgate Market to make the event possible. Volunteers from the Padres Front Office helped distribute the food, along with Padres pitcher Tom Cosgrove, Padres CEO Erik Greupner and former Padre players Mark Grant, Mark Loretta and Brian Lawrence.

Padres players and volunteers handed out turkeys and sides to more than 1,000 San Diegans at Petco Park on Monday.

The San Diego Food Bank reports one in four San Diegans may not know where their next meal is coming from. The organization feeds 400,000 every month in partnership with more than 500 nonprofit community members that operate feeding programs.

This comes a little over a week after the San Diego Padres joined the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation and the National School District to give 1,000 free turkeys to families with children in the school district.

According to Padres officials, these efforts to give back to the underserved San Diegans are just one part of the teams community efforts during the holidays.

Holiday presale tickets for the San Diego Padres 2024 season become available this week.

Also, the team will be hosting daily tours, letting you experience the ballpark like the Padres players do. Tour guests get 10% off at the New Era Team Store, and during the holidays, tour guests will get 10% off at the Padres Authentics Pop-up shop on Fridays through Sundays from now until December 23.

The Padres New Era Team Store on Black Friday will feature up to 50% off apparel, novelty items and more. Also on Black Friday, if you spend $125 you can receive a Snow Globe Patch; spend $225 to receive a Team Store player bobblehead.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego.
A Panorama City man has been arrested for allegedly possessing hundreds of narcotic pills, including some containing fentanyl.

Albert Eklund, 41, was selling drugs out of his Panorama City apartment, including to Ventura County residents, the Ventura County Sheriffs Office said in a news release.

Authorities raided that apartment in the 14000 block of Lanark Street in the early hours of Nov. 9, where they found a loaded handgun, 82 grams of fentanyl, 137 grams of methamphetamine, 35 grams of cocaine, 5 grams of heroin, 1500 amphetamine pills, 70 counterfeit fentanyl pills, PCP laced cigarettes and several hundred other pharmaceutical pills, officials said.

Eklund faces charges of possession of a controlled substance for sale, possession of a dangerous drug for sale, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.

As of Monday, Eklund had been released from custody on bail, which the VCSO initially said was set at $100,000.

He is due to appear in Ventura County Superior Court on Jan. 12, 2024.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
Parent arrested after bringing weapon to school: CMS

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  A parent has been arrested after an incident at North Mecklenburg High School, a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools spokesperson confirmed.

Officials say the parent brought a weapon to the school, but the motive behind the incident is unknown.

A student resource officer addressed the situation, and the parent was arrested, authorities say.

This is a developing story ; check back for updates.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
Ukraine's parliament passed a draft law in the first reading to increase the staff of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) from 700 to 1,000, lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak said on Nov. 21.

The proposed staffing increase would be introduced in phases over the next three years.

The first reading was approved with 323 votes. No lawmakers voted against it.

The bill will then go on for another two votes in parliament, potentially undergoing some changes, before being signed into law by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

"This is an important draft law," Zhelezniak said, adding that it addresses one of Ukraine's primary reform obligations stipulated by the European Union.

When the European Commission recommended that Ukraine begin accession talks on Nov. 8, it also laid out several areas for improvement- one of them being that the staff size of the NABU be increased.

Read also: Ukraine moves one step closer to joining EU. Whats next?

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Protestors took to the Burnside Bridge and moved into downtown Portland Tuesday morning to support teachers and their ongoing strike.

Hundreds of protestors were seen marching while officials blocked off roads, slowing traffic in the area.

Protestors took to the Burnside Bridge and moved into downtown Portland Tuesday morning to support teachers and their ongoing strike (KOIN)

Protestors took to the Burnside Bridge and moved into downtown Portland Tuesday morning to support teachers and their ongoing strike (KOIN)

Protestors took to the Burnside Bridge and moved into downtown Portland Tuesday morning to support teachers and their ongoing strike (KOIN)

Protestors took to the Burnside Bridge and moved into downtown Portland Tuesday morning to support teachers and their ongoing strike (KOIN)

Protestors took to the Burnside Bridge and moved into downtown Portland Tuesday morning to support teachers and their ongoing strike (KOIN)

Protestors took to the Burnside Bridge and moved into downtown Portland Tuesday morning to support teachers and their ongoing strike (KOIN)

The group moved their way down to the waterfront where they congregated.

Additionally, the homes of some PPS board members were vandalized  the rally on the bridge also included phone numbers of those board members on signs.

The teachers union turned down the latest contract offer from the school district as they continue to negotiate over pay, planning time and now, the biggest sticking point, class sizes.

PPS School Board President Gary Hollands says he was disappointed but not surprised to find the vandalism, which included his car with the word shame sprayed on several sides. Signs were also taped onto the vehicle, saying fund classrooms now, give students the schools they deserve.

At a property owned by board member Julia Brim-Edwards, vandals had sprayed graffiti on the front of the house-now covered over.

Both board members say they have filed police reports.

Meanwhile, at PPS Board Vice Chair Herman Greenes home, protestors were on the sidewalk while Christmas music was blaring back from the home. At one point. a KOIN 6 photographer saw a woman from the home shove a protestor with a chair. The protestors left after that.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
PANAMA CITY BEACH  Local law enforcement officials are investigating the traffic crash last week that killed a 79-year-old Panama City woman.

According to Lt. Jason King, spokesperson for the Florida Highway Patrol, the crash occurred on Nov. 16 near Panama City Beach Parkway (Back Beach Road) and Lyndell Lane.

At that time, a 54-year-old man was driving a truck on PCB Parkway toward the intersection, while the woman was stopped at the stop sign of Lyndell Lane, waiting to turn onto PCB Parkway.

"It appears for some reason  it's under investigation  that he continued eastbound across Lyndell Lane and caused a head-on collision," King said.

The man was seriously injured, and the woman was pronounced dead on scene.

"He's still in the hospital as of right now, but it has not slowed our traffic homicide investigator down," King said on Tuesday. "These cases do take anywhere from six to nine months to complete, so we're still in the very early stages of discovery and gaining evidence and information."

Shocking case: Panama City lawyer charged with trying to set off explosives outside Chinese Embassy in DC

He said FHP has enough preliminary evidence to suspect the driver who caused the crash might have been under the influence of alcohol. More information, however, will be released as it becomes available.

"We definitely want to find a resolution and closure for the family," King said. "That's our ultimate goal. ... We're part of the community too, so that leads (us) to take it a little more personal when we lose lives, especially around the holidays."

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: PCB woman, 79, dies in PCB vehicle crash; FHP investigating
Several families and two advocacy groups are accusing the Pennridge School District of creating a hostile environment rife with race- and sex-based harassment, according to a recently filed federal complaint.

The 77-page complaint from the Education Law Center and the University of Pennsylvania's Advocacy for Racial and Civil Justice Clinic details complaints from three students of color, one queer student, a transgender teacher, the Bucks County NAACP and local advocacy group, the PairUP society.

Like a similar complaint filed against the Central Bucks School District by the ACLU last October, the ELC complaint was filed Nov. 15 with the Office of Civil Rights for the U.S. Department of Education and Department of Justice.

Pennridge School Board policy committee meeting held on Aug. 15, 2022.

The federal government has been clear about severe and pervasive harassment leading to hostile environments, that theres an affirmative duty to intervene once youre on notice, Ashli Giles-Perkins, staff attorney for the Education Law Center, said the day after the filing.

Title VI and Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibit discrimination based on race and gender or sexuality, requiring schools to take action when they are notified of a hostile environment against some groups when it interferes with their public education.

Pennridge counselor in legal trouble: Pennridge middle school counselor accused of inappropriate contact with student

While many of the accusations focus on incidents or policies passed within the past two years, some claims date as far back as the 2018-2019 school year and as recently as two months ago.

The accusations include claims of repeated calls for action from school officials.

Giles-Perkins added that the complaint outlines claims from families across elementary, middle and high schools where harassment and even violence were reported to administrators and then there's no response, there's no action or the student who brings it up is actually punished, or punished more harshly than the student who initiated it.

Pennridge spokesman David Thomas said in a statement Thursday night that the district was in the process of reviewing the complaint.

"The district intends to review the complaint thoroughly and seek meaningful engagement with both the Department of Education and the Department of Justice. As it is a matter of litigation involving students, the district is constrained from providing any additional comment," Thomas said.

Assuming the complaint is investigated, only one of the two departments will take the lead. The education department took lead in the Central Bucks complaint a little over two weeks after it was first filed.

What does the Pennridge complaint say?

The parties in the complaint are split between two categories: the organizational complainants of the NAACP and PairUP; and the individual complainants, the first-hand accusations of bullying and discrimination repeatedly reported with little to no action, according to the complaint.

A Black elementary school student enrolled since the 2018-2019 school year was allegedly targeted by classmates, who called her a slave, likened her to a monkey and compared her skin to dirt, according to the complaint.

The only year that she did not experience racial harassment was the 20202021 school year when she attended school online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the complaint adds.

Curriculum also an issue in complaint: What is the 1776 Hillsdale curriculum adopted by Pennridge?

Two high school students, one Black and one Black and Latinx, also faced repeated racial slurs over multiple school years. The slurs were so common that one of the students said they "adapted to largely ignoring other students who use the slur, reacting only when the slur is specifically directed at them.

About two months ago, the two students got into an argument with a white student who referred to them by a slur online and then in person multiple times that morning.

A fight between the three broke out, resulting in five days suspension, a 45-day ban on extracurricular activities and a criminal assault charge for both.

The white student that the complainants say instigated the fight was given three days suspension, the filing alleges.

One recent graduate, described as queer/pansexual in the filing, recalled constant bullying and verbal and physical abuse that was allegedly shrugged off or ignored by employees.

Those examples vary from dumping trash on gay and transgender students in the bathrooms to students promoting violence against LGBTQ individuals.

The school boards approval last year of a policy prohibiting teachers from displaying LGBTQ+ safe space items and a pronoun policy, requiring parents be notified if a child wanted to use pronouns other than those matching their gender assigned at birth, only exacerbated anxieties in the student and others like her, according to the complaint.

A transgender teacher also cited the advocacy policy and a new bathroom policy among the districts actions that resulted in severe emotional distress and psychological anguish, leading to his resignation.

The complaint says the vague language of both policies left the teacher uncertain as to what could violate the advocacy policy and forced him to choose between outing himself as trans anytime he had to use a bathroom.

School policies lack Trans inclusion: Only a handful of Pa. school districts have policies protecting trans students

The bathroom policy, approved at a May school board meeting, requires students and staff to use facilities aligning with their gender assigned at birth. While the policy does allow anyone to use gender-neutral, single-user bathrooms, the complaint says those rooms are few and far between.

The NAACP has repeatedly condemned several policies and initiatives by the current school board, including an advocacy policy passed last year that banned Pride flags from classrooms and the dissolution of the districts Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee about two years ago.

All students deserve safety and dignity at school, said Bucks County NAACP President Karen Downer in a news release Wednesday. Unfortunately, Pennridge has created an environment that is hostile for some students because of their race, sex, or gender identity.

PairUP is a local diversity advocacy group in Perkasie that includes parents of students who have allegedly reported claims of harassment to the district and made suggestions to improve the district, the complaint says.

Adrienne King, PairUP founder, said the complaint was a last resort for the group.

I think we've tried a lot of things. We've given of our time, we've given of our resources, we've given of our experience and our knowledge to try to help move the district forward  and at every turn the door was closed or it was met with an ear that wasn't willing to fully understand or listen to really make effectual change, King said.

King and Giles-Perkins said the ultimate goal of the complaint is to rescind certain policies and take steps to enact effective diversity education in Pennridge.

With a new school board set to replace the current one in December, King said shes hopeful that those changes wont have to wait until the end of a federal investigation but added that Wednesdays filing isnt just about who is in charge now.

I'm hoping that (the complaint) is a playbook, but it's also a way that we can hold whoever is sitting in those seats accountable for getting this work done and for prioritizing it, King said.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Pennridge 'hostile' policies center of discrimination complaint
(WHTM)  Pie is a common Thanksgiving dessert and a favorite for many Americans around the holidays. But what kind of pie is the most sought after in Pennsylvania?

Google Trends data collected since November 2022 shows that the pies most searched for in the U.S. are pumpkin pie, apple pie, sweet potato pie, pecan pie and cranberry pie.

According to Google search data from October 20 to November 16, pumpkin pie outpaces the rest of these search terms in most states, including Pennsylvania.

Of all Pennsylvania searches for five pies over the past 30 days, 48% were for pumpkin pie, 38% were for apple pie, 8% were for pecan pie, 5% were for sweet potato pie and 1% were for cranberry pie.

What is Pennsylvanias favorite Thanksgiving side dish?

After pumpkin pie, apple pie was the second most popular search in both Pennsylvania and many other parts of the country. Apple pie claimed the top pie search spot in 13 states, during the time frame.

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Recipes for both pumpkin and apple pie are easy to find online. If you dont want to bake one yourself, there are also plenty of spots to buy your holiday pie in the Midstate.

Best places to get pie in Harrisburg area, according to Yelp

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27.
WASHINGTON  The Pentagon will select its first candidates for Replicator, an initiative to field thousands of drones in the next 24 months, within the next several weeks.

Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks, who is leading the initiative alongside the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Tuesday that Replicator will proceed in tranches, with groups of systems bought at different intervals. Speaking with reporters at a breakfast, she said the planned selection in early December will represent the first tranche of systems, which could include all domains and range in unit cost from tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars, depending on payload.

But a selection does not mean a public announcement, said the deputy secretary.

Were being very careful ... about the way in which we talk about Replicator, Hicks said, noting Congress will be kept informed.

Her comment may be an understatement. Since announcing Replicator almost three months ago, Hicks has rarely spoken about it publicly. The limited information has left executives in the defense tech industry optimistic, but only cautiously so.

Executives interviewed by Defense News have said they dont know enough about Replicator yet to increase production lines or raise new money to supply it. Some said a lack of new funding may keep the initiative from reaching its stated goals.

But Hicks said funding is not a concern.

The money is in the programs, she said. There are attritable autonomy programs in the services or the [combatant commands].

Replicator is not considered a new program, Hicks said, but it will accelerate existing ones. For comparison, she pointed to the Competitive Advantage Pathfinders, or CAP, and Rapid Defense Experimentation Reserve, efforts that boost acquisitions through new money and trimmed red tape.

Over the last few months, the Pentagon has scouted programs that would be useful for Indo-Pacific Command and could scale with such an intervention, Hicks said. Those identified will be the focus of Replicator, at least this fiscal year. In fiscal 2025, programs that still need maturing but that could still scale and aid INDOPACOM could also be included in the initiative.

Other programs already moving quickly enough will be left alone, Hicks said.

In all, the Defense Departments focus will remain overwhelmingly committed to legacy platforms. Hicks estimated spending on attritable, autonomous platforms will represent about 0.5% of the Pentagons budget, with Replicator only a subset of that.

The hope, Hicks said, is that less can be more. Attritable drones, some adapted to meet battlefield needs, have shown enormous promise in Ukraine. A small investment in similar asymmetric systems for the Indo-Pacific, she said, could prove valuable.

Our goal here is an operational goal ... and that operational goal is to create dilemmas for China, Hicks said.
WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah (ABC4)  Pets come in all shapes and sizes. From large, conversational huskies that need to make known their opinions to small, attention-seeking cats whose ears are never scratched enough. Each has a family to call their own, and while owning a pet is full of cuddles, kisses, and puddles of slobber; at one point their time comes to an end.

Losing a pet is arguably one of the hardest things someone can go through, deciding on what to do next is even harder.

Talking Turkey: Turkey hunt applications and Utah DWR turkey history

Saying goodbye doesnt have to be a forever thing, in the opinion of one Utah company. Protecting your pets legacy, the grieving process, and helping the environment through the power of water is the mission of Utah Pet Aquamation.

Pet aquamation is alkaline hydrolysis which is essentially cremation by water, said Merritt Rinard, owner and founder of Utah Pet Aquamation.

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A process said to mimic nature by using a combination of heat, water, and alkali; aquamation returns your pet to its natural elements.

Animals are placed in an aqumation machine with an alkali element  Rinard uses salts in the form of potassium hydroxide  then a gentle flow of water is introduced through the machine.

When Rinards beloved dog, Trapper, passed she was unable to find an aquamation facility to help her preserve his memory. This was the inspiration for bringing pet aquamation to Salt Lake City. (Photo courtesy Merritt Rinard.)

Its the rate of a stream or a creek, and that breaks down the organic tissue. And what were left with is the bones, the mineral remains, explains Rinard. Those are dried out over the course of a couple of days. And then theyre processed into ash.

The process, which takes between 20-24 hours, according to Rinard, doesnt emit greenhouse gasses and is low energy, leaving one tenth of the carbon footprint of a standard flame cremation. Using this process also gives pet owners approximately 20% more of their pets remains. A percentage that can make a big difference with smaller pets.

We can do any kind of pet, Rinard said. Some operators have done snakes and goldfish all the way up to people have aquamated tigers.

Utah Pet Aquamation officially opened its doors in July of this year, but the journey to that point started years before.

Almost two and a half years ago, my dog Trapper, who was six years old at the time, was diagnosed with stage four kidney disease, Rinard remembered.

She says the reality of Trappers diagnosis hit her hard and in preparation started looking for a way to preserve his memory

I knew about aquamation from a friend in Austin, and I started looking through the area to find an aquamation facility. And I quickly realized that nobody was offering this in the Salt Lake area.

From there, inspiration struck. She decided if she couldnt do this for Trapper, she would make sure others after him had the chance.

I kind of had some soul searching, honestly, to decide if this was something that I emotionally could handle. And I feel like its a really important option. So, I decided to take this leap of faith and open the facility.

Since starting her journey, Rinard has helped owners find a new way to honor their pets, including one woman who was grieving the loss of her beloved dog, Curry.

When sweet Curry passed his owners chose pet aquamation to help in their healing journey. (Photo courtesy of Natasha Bottari.)

This summer, we were in the process of moving up here to Utah, and just very busy with everything thats ensued with that, and so I probably missed a lot of the signs which would have told me to get him to a vet much quicker, said Natasha Bottari whose German Shepard became ill. I got him into a doctor, and he was in massive kidney failure.

Because of Currys quick passing, Bottari says she hadnt even considered what steps to take next and wasnt sure what to do. Bottaris vet suggested aquamation.

When we put him to sleep, the vet came to our house, and I just was completely undecided on what I wanted to do. I knew I didnt want to do cremation. I just couldnt imagine that, she said. I had never heard of aquamation, knew nothing about it. So I got online and started kind of researching it, Googling, and this was probably the most comforting route to me.

As a pet parent herself, Rinard says she understands the impossible but inevitable battle many are faced with, and while she cant take the pain away, she says shes waiting with arms open to help make the grieving process a little less harsh.

You know, Ive been there personally, and I know what it feels like to lose a pet. So, you know, I want people to feel comfortable coming to me and handing over their pet, Rinard relates. And, you know, Ill treat them like its one of my own.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
By Mikhail Flores and Karen Lema

MANILA (Reuters) -The militaries of the Philippines and the United States launched joint patrols on Tuesday in waters near Taiwan, officials of the Southeast Asian nation said, a move likely to fan further tension with China.

Security engagements between the treaty allies have soared this year, including a decision to almost double the number of Philippine bases the American military can access, some facing Taiwan, and their largest-ever joint military drill in April.

This week's three-day joint air and maritime exercise was a "significant initiative" to boost interoperability between the two, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said.

"I am confident this ... will contribute to a more secure and stable environment for our people," he said on social media platform X.

The drill would start off in Mavulis island, the Philippines' northernmost point, located about 100 km (62 miles) off Taiwan, said Eugene Cabusao, spokesperson for the Northern Luzon command.

It will end in the West Philippine Sea, the name Manila uses for waters in the South China Sea that fall within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The Philippine military said three navy vessels, two FA-50 light combat aircraft and an A-29B Super Tucano light attack plane would participate, while the United States would send a littoral combat ship and a P8-A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft.

The news comes a day after Marcos told a forum in Hawaii the situation in the South China Sea had become more "dire", with the Chinese military inching closer to the Philippine coastline.

The patrols, which are likely to irk China, are a sign the Philippines is stepping up its defence posture amid what it described as China's "aggressive activities" in the highly strategic waters, long seen as a potential flashpoint between the United States and China.

"China believes that defense and security cooperation between countries needs to be conducive to regional peace and stability. They should not escalate tensions or undermine trust between countries, still less target any third party," China's Washington embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu said.

China's embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

China claims most of the South China Sea on the basis of a "nine-dash line" that stretches as far as 1,500 km (900 miles) south of its mainland, cutting into the EEZs of rival claimants Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

Marcos has forged closer ties with Washington since assuming office last year after a testy relationship with former President Rodrigo Duterte, who had pivoted closer to Beijing in exchange for infrastructure projects and investments.

Ties with China have soured under Marcos, with repeated standoffs between Chinese and Filipino vessels in waters claimed by both countries, prompting heated exchanges of rhetoric and concerns of an escalation.

Marcos recently met Chinese President Xi Jinping in a bid to reduce the tension.

The joint patrol with the United States showed that Manila was making a stand over the South China Sea, said Jay Batongbacal, director of the Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea in Manila, the capital.

"It shows that the Philippines is really firming up its posture on West Philippine Sea issues," Batongbacal said.

(Reporting by Mikhail Flores, Karen Lema and Michael Martina; Editing by Martin Pettyd, Clarence Fernandez and Jonathan Oatis)
Theres no presidential candidate quite like Dr. Cornel West. Hes a public philosopher, not a politician; hes more inclined to speak of Americas challenges as moral conundrums than as policy failures. Instead of citing Washington and Jefferson on the stump, he quotes Stevie Wonder and Duke Ellington. And instead of strategically launching the first in-person rally of his campaign in Pennsylvania or Georgia or any other number of 2024 swing states, West touched down in Salt Lake City Monday night, on the eve of the citys mayoral election.

The reason, West told a crowd of of about 200 at the University of Utahs student union, is simple: the city is about to choose its mayor by ranked choice voting for the first time, a victory for democracy, per Wests view. Hed also come to endorse Michael Valentine, a 35-year-old activist facing off against an incumbent, Erin Mendenhall, and one of her predecessors, Rocky Anderson  each vying to become the leader of Utahs most progressive city.

It didnt hurt, either, that Utahs relatively lax rules to get on a presidential ballot  you just need to get the requisite signatures and pay a fee  bode well for West.

As you all know, were focusing on ballot access, West said. Utah is going to be the No. 1 state in my campaign that will put me on the ballot. The crowd cheered.

West already wears many hats: a public intellectual, a pastor, a professor, a jazz musician. His newest one, that of presidential candidate, was an uncomfortable fit at first. He launched his campaign in June on the Peoples Party ticket, but abandoned the group after less than two weeks. He then ran as the Green Party nominee, but by October, he cut ties with that party, too, in order to run as an independent.

Theres such a moment of fluidity right now, West told me. Theres a general disenchantment with the establishments in both parties.

We met a few hours before West took the stage at the University of Utah, sitting between racks of clothing at an Afro Caribbean shop in downtown Salt Lake City. He spoke about his progressive platform in sweeping terms, mentioning his efforts to combat economic disparity, climate change and racism.

Voters on the right largely ignore Wests left-wing message. Years ago, hed likely have been brushed aside by the left, too. But Biden is losing favor with a growing faction of progressive voters who see his support for Israel as disqualifying. Coupled with the relative success of Bernie Sanders socialist message in the 2016 and 2020 elections, West may be a long shot to win the White House, but he has a viable opening to at least make things interesting on the left.

But unlike Sanders, who describes himself as not particularly religious, Wests message is not just one of social revolution, but of a spiritual one. America is dealing with spiritual decay and moral decadence, he told me  a time when just being committed to a quest for truth can make you almost revolutionary. He speaks of issues as decisions between moral right and wrong, and his biggest critique of Biden is not his platform, but his moral cowardliness.

My whole conception of the world is to look at it through the lens of the cross, West said. That cross signifies unarmed truth and unapologetic love for others, no matter who they are.

That lens has caused West to construct some unorthodox bridges. He points to his friendship with Robert P. George, a staunch conservative and one of Americas leading scholars on religious liberty, as a relationship that inspires him to be better.

Since hes the real thing as a conservative, I try to be the real thing as whatever I am, he said. And he cherishes his friendship with the late University of Utah President Chase Peterson, who served as dean of admissions when West was admitted to Harvard. West later wrote the foreword to Petersons book.

People would say, Howd this Mormon brother get this Black brother writing the preface? West recalled. Well, he was my dear brother.

Biden was Wests brother, too, in 2020  in the Trump-Biden general election that year, West encouraged voters to show up for Biden, while insisting the then-Democratic nominee should go further to the left on health care policy and other issues. Three years later, West still considers Trump to be a gangster, but he now thinks Biden is in deep trouble, too.

I think theres a very good chance (Biden) may not even be the candidate, West told me. I think theres a good chance hell run out of gas, and theres a chance Trump might end up in jail.

I asked if that was a reference to Bidens age. The president turned 81 on Monday. West, 70, smiled. All of us are growing old, so I dont worry about the age question, he said. Its just a matter of whether he can be a viable candidate.

Presidential candidate Cornel West talks with a small group of supporters while at Twisted Roots in Salt Lake City on Monday, Nov. 20, 2023. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

Wests crowd at the Utah Student Union was modest  about 200 attendees, mostly college-aged. A handful carried Palestinian flags. One told me she has family in the West Bank, and she was interested in Wests candidacy because of his stance on the war in the Middle East. In a way, his audience was an encapsulation of the voter bloc that recent polls show are Bidens biggest vulnerability: young people, people of color, and those who disagree with Bidens support for Israel.

Wests relationship with the Democratic Party is complicated. He worked as a senior adviser to a long-shot Democrat running in the 2000 presidential primary. He publicly endorsed then-Sen. Barack Obamas presidential candidacy in 2007, but after Obama reached the White House, West became disillusioned with the president, calling him a Rockefeller Republican in blackface. He endorsed Bernie Sanders in 2016 and 2020.

While West makes few waves in national polls  ranging from 1% to 5% in most  his candidacy, especially as of late, could prove a headache for the Biden campaign. In late summer, polls showed a West campaign pulling far more support from potential Biden voters than Trump ones, as expected.

But Bidens support for Israel has made him vulnerable among Democratic voters who sympathize with Palestinians. Many of Bidens big-money Arab American boosters felt betrayed and publicly jumped ship. One State Department official resigned. Bidens approval rating is now at the lowest of his presidency, with the largest erosion coming from Democrats and young voters.

West stands positioned in the crevice, seemingly poised to capture support from disillusioned progressives. I think its going to be one of the major issues of the election, West said. No one would have thought that six months ago, nine months ago.

When Harvard students blamed Israel for the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, West said they shouldve included more nuance, but agreed that Israel and the U.S. were primarily responsible. When Israel retaliated for the attack, he delivered an impassioned speech accusing Israel of genocide. Hes repeatedly called for a cease-fire and criticized Biden for not doing the same.

Then late October, Wests campaign manager called it quits, citing extreme stress and trauma triggered by the war in the Middle East. The loss was significant to the campaign  Peter Daou was an ex-Hillary Clinton adviser and had extensive organizing experience, and it made Wests chief challenge of getting on ballots across the country even more significant.

West responded with an unconventional solution: hiring four campaign managers whod each handle one aspect of the campaign  one on policy, another fundraising, the others advance and organizing. The staffers are in the process of unionizing as a worker cooperative, Anthony Karefa Rogers-Wright, one of the managers, told me. And to prevent burnout, with four people carrying the load, they all get to take one weekend a month off.

The new system is patterned after John Coltranes jazz quartet, West said. As Brother Coltranes offering was the shape of jazz to come, this new cooperative management model is very much the shape of whats to come politically, electorally, and so much more.

None of the organization will mean anything, though, if West cannot get on the ballot. Each state has different requirements for independent candidates, and one of the significant barriers West faces after ditching the Green ticket is losing the partys well-established infrastructure for ballot access.

Its going to be difficult, Rogers-Wright said. But the people who love Brother West the most are organizers.

Not all of those organizers are wholly convinced that a West candidacy is the answer, though. One student who attended the Monday rally said he liked West but didnt want to put Trump in the White House. Another said he thought West would be way better than Biden, but Biden would be way better than Trump. When I asked him if he was implying he feared voting for West would risk a Trump victory, he hesitated, then nodded. Yeah, he said.

West rejects this line of reasoning. Citizens should vote for a candidate, not against one, he said. I come from a tradition of a people whose anthem is Lift Every Voice, not follow the pied piper, he said. I dont own their vote. Nobody owns anybody elses vote.

He leaned back in his chair and began telling a story. He was in Los Angeles recently, he told me, at a barber shop on Skid Row. A man approached him. Brother West, the man said. We sure appreciate you giving us a choice, because with Trump, youve got Civil War II, and with Biden, youve got World War III.

West raised his hands to his chin, contemplatively. Weve reached the point where this is a choice between mendacity and criminality, or mediocrity and criminality, he said.

I asked which of those two options is more dangerous. He thought for a moment. Its a choice you dont want to make, he said. You can never confine yourself to just the framework or the status quo. Youre always looking for an alternative.

Presidential candidate Cornel West, talks about America and his thoughts about what the country needs during an interview at Twisted Roots in Salt Lake City on Monday, Nov. 20, 2023. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
A central Phoenix man is accused of murdering his brother after the two were last seen having a physical altercation by family members.

Michael John Morgan, 44, and his brother, George Thomas Morgan, 45, were physically and verbally fighting Nov. 11 at the home they share with other family members. While some of the family members heard and saw them fight, no one reported having watched the fight outside, where George Morgan was last known to be.

Michael Morgan was known to have left the house and later returned, court records show. But his brother didn't, and he couldn't be reached.

Phoenix police said that the victim's body was yet to be located as of Monday.

Michael Morgan was also charged with abandonment or concealment of a dead body and tampering with physical evidence.

Phoenix police shoot and injure man near hotel at I-17 and Thomas Road.

What happened?

Between 7 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. Nov. 11, the brothers were involved in a physical altercation at their shared home near 19th and West Virginia avenues, south of Thomas Road. Their mother and an older brother also lived there.

The fight started in the dining room of the house and ended on the couch. It was observed by the brothers' mother and heard by George Morgan's daughter, according to court records.

The mother told police that George Morgan controlled the fight and hit Michael Morgan multiple times. Once George Morgan was done hitting Michael Morgan, he went outside. She said Michael Morgan cleaned his wounds and went outside into the backyard.

Five minutes later, the two men's mother told police that she heard a verbal argument outside. Nearly five minutes after that, she said she saw Michael Morgan leave the house in his red Chevrolet Tahoe.

The mother said she did not know where the victim was during that time. George Morgan's family told police that he would not leave his daughter behind. He also left behind his eyeglasses, which his family said he heavily relied on, as well as his false teeth.

Arizona crime: A teen girl's body was found in the desert. She's been identified 30 years later

George Morgan's adult son, who was not present during the physical fight, arrived at the house nearly 15 minutes after Michael Morgan left. He could not find his dad, calling him several times with no answer. The phone seemed to have been turned off or not operational, according to police in court records.

The victim's son searched around the property of the house and found what was apparently blood in the backyard that was attempted to be cleaned with a water hose, according to court records. There were also other items not described in court records that apparently had blood on them. Blood was found on a car in the backyard and the son found his father's ballcap that appeared to have blood on it.

Shortly after midnight Nov. 12, the mother called Phoenix police to complete a missing person's report for the victim. She told police that she had checked the surrounding area and hospitals for George Morgan with no results, court records show. She called police for a second time that day around 9:45 p.m. Court records state that Michael Morgan left the residence after being told the police were called a second time.

That same day, George Morgan's adult son confronted Michael Morgan about the apparent blood found in the backyard, as well as the unidentified items with apparent blood on them, according to court records. Michael Morgan told his nephew that he and George Morgan were in multiple physical fights on Nov. 11 but that he did not know where his brother was. He said he last saw him when he left the house the night of the fights.

Court records state that between the time of the physical fight Nov. 11 and the time police went to the house Nov. 12, Michael Morgan cleaned up the scene with chemicals. He was last seen at the house Nov. 13 at about 9 a.m.

Police tracked the victim's phone and learned that the phone left the house the same time Michael Morgan did on Nov. 11, according to court records. It was eventually turned off the same night.

On Nov. 18, Michael Morgan was found and arrested at a Home Depot north of Power and Germann roads in Queen Creek. Police also found his Tahoe and subsequently investigated it. They determined that evidence of a crime was in the Tahoe, court records show.

Michael Morgan was interviewed by police and denied responsibility for the disappearance or murder of his brother, according to court records.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Man arrested on suspicion of murdering his brother after fight
Pierce County deputies were after a rape and kidnapping suspect on Monday but found someone else.

The chase ended with a crash at 38th and G Street in Tacoma.

According to the Pierce County Sheriffs Department, the chase started when the suspect, who deputies thought was connected to a rape and kidnapping, wouldnt stop driving a stolen car.

Deputies found out it was not the suspect they were looking for but found out the driver had a warrant out for vehicular assault.

The driver now also faces DUI, hit and run, and felony eluding charges.

The driver of the car that was hit in the crash is pregnant and was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

The vehicular assault suspect was also taken to the hospital to be checked out.
Missing teeth and facial fractures. A collapsed lung and ruptured spleen. A broken pelvis and brain trauma.

Larry Burch said his 15-year-old daughter, Tammy Burch, is lucky to be alive after she was struck by a trolley in downtown St. Petersburg Sunday. Shes in critical condition, but Burch said the operations that should save her life have been completed, including one that removed her spleen and a brain surgery.

Its a laundry list  just horrible internal injuries, he said. Itll be days until we know the extent of her brain injury.

For now, Burch said, Tammy is in a medically induced coma at Johns Hopkins All Childrens Hospital in St. Petersburg  just a few blocks from where she was hit while crossing the street.

Around 11:22 a.m. Sunday, Tammy, a Boca Ciega High School ninth-grader and straight-A student, exited a SunRunner bus and was trying to cross First Avenue when she was struck by the eastbound trolley, police say.

The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority trolley was driving behind the SunRunner on First Avenue South, near Seventh Street, officials said Sunday. When the bus stopped to let passengers off, Burch said police told him the trolley went around the stationary SunRunner and into the traffic lane.

And my daughter walked right into the path of the trolley, Burch said. It knocked her about 20 feet.

Two trolley passengers were taken to an area hospital with minor injuries, as well as its driver, 54-year-old Chrishawn Rodgers of Tampa, officials said in a news release Sunday.

Burch said Tammy had told her mother Sunday morning that she was going for a walk around their Gulfport neighborhood. He assumed she ended up in downtown St. Petersburg to meet with a friend. But he said she must not have planned on being out long because she left her backpack at home.

Tammy, she rides the bus fricking everywhere, he said. I mean, she is a pro.

Burch works for the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, and he said many bus drivers know Tammy since they see her on their buses often. One of the perks of his job is that his children  six daughters including Tammy  ride the bus for free, Burch said.

Im a transportation supervisor, Burch said. I respond to accidents, so the shock of my daughter being hit by a PSTA bus (trolley)  I just cant wrap my head around it.

Burch said he and his wife have been taking turns bringing their daughters to the hospital since the incident.

Were just doing the best we can, he said.
Then-US President Donald Trump speaks to supporters from The Ellipse near the White House on January 6, 2021, in Washington (Brendan Smialowski)

A group of voters seeking to block Donald Trump from the Colorado ballot in the 2024 US presidential election announced Tuesday they are challenging a ruling that he can run despite having engaged in insurrection.

The Republican leader has made the deadly January 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol and his false voter fraud claims that led to it the centerpiece of his campaign as he seeks a return to the Oval Office.

Four Republican voters and two independents in Colorado had claimed that Trump is ruled out in 2024 by a constitutional prohibition on federal officials appearing on the ballot after breaking their oath of office by taking part in an insurrection.

A court in Denver ruled Friday that Trump's incitement of the violence at the Capitol did indeed amount to insurrection -- the first ever such finding -- but added that the provision does not apply to the presidency.

"The court concludes that Trump acted with the specific intent to incite political violence and direct it at the Capitol with the purpose of disrupting the electoral certification," Judge Sarah Wallace said.

"Trump cultivated a culture that embraced political violence through his consistent endorsement of the same."

The 14th Amendment bars someone from holding "any office... under the United States" if they engaged in insurrection after taking an oath as "an officer of the United States" to "support" the Constitution.

But the amendment cannot apply to Trump, Wallace said, because it leaves the presidency out of its list of federal elected positions.

Wallace ruled that Trump was not an "officer of the United States" in any case, as the Constitution distinguishes the presidency from federal officers.

The left-leaning Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), which filed the lawsuit on behalf of the voters, said it had asked the Colorado Supreme Court to overturn that part of the decision.

"We are planning to build on the trial judge's incredibly important ruling that Donald Trump engaged in insurrection, and we are ready to take this case as far as necessary to ensure that Donald Trump is removed from the ballot," the group's president Noah Bookbinder said.

Trump's historic indictments for allegedly leading a criminal conspiracy to steal the 2020 election -- one at the federal level and another in Georgia -- have opened a legal debate over his eligibility for future office.

The Colorado action is one of multiple 14th Amendment lawsuits against Trump proceeding across the country. Minnesota's top court threw out a similar move earlier this month.

The Trump campaign hailed the decision to allow Trump to run in Colorado as "another nail in the coffin of the un-American ballot challenges," but has also appealed to have the insurrection finding overturned.

sst-ft/nro
An abandoned plastic tub in New York turned out to have something quite shocking inside, an animal rescue says.

Photos of a family of cats found sealed shut inside a bin in Colonie were shared in a Facebook pet group Nov. 15. There was nothing else in the bin except for a pair of SpongeBob SquarePants pajama pants, the original poster said.

Noahs Kingdom Humane Society, an Albany-based animal rescue, shared the post on Facebook.

The cats  a mother and seven kittens  were taken to receive veterinary care soon after the discovery, the animal rescue said a day later. Then, the rescue said it placed the family in foster care, where they were doing well.

In addition to getting the abandoned cats medical treatment, the incident was reported to police and animal control in the area, the humane society said. Noahs Kingdom Humane Society called the circumstances unthinkable.

Do you have information leading to the person or persons who inhumanely put mother cat and her kittens in a sealed plastic tub and abandoned them in the cold? the animal rescue asked on Facebook.

The rescue of the cats took place despite the nonprofit being at capacity with other animals, it said in a Nov. 20 Facebook post.

A devoted volunteer is looking after the cats, the animal rescue said. Since being put into foster care, the group is thriving due to the volunteers loving and capable care.

We are told they are doing well, playful and absolutely loving, the nonprofit said on Facebook.

Despite several inquiries, the cats are still in the process of being checked out and will be up for adoption later, the rescue said.

Colonie is about 10 miles north of Albany.

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Stressed dog needs home after hes returned to NC shelters twice. Wants to belong
Morgan Trowland and Marcus Decker were jailed for three and two years respectively for causing a public nuisance

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has defended sentences handed to two Just Stop Oil climate campaigners following criticism from the United Nations.

Morgan Trowland, 40, was jailed for three years and Marcus Decker, 34, for two years for causing a public nuisance after scaling the Dartford Crossing Bridge.

The UN had warned the government in a letter that the "severe" sentences could stifle protest.

Mr Sunak said in response in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that those who break the law should feel the full force of it.

"It's entirely right that selfish protestors intent on causing misery to the hard-working majority face tough sentences," he said.

"It's what the public expects and it's what we've delivered."

Those who break the law should feel the full force of it.



It's entirely right that selfish protestors intent on causing misery to the hard-working majority face tough sentences.



It's what the public expects and it's what we've delivered. https://t.co/lHtxkqsgqM  Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) November 21, 2023

At an appeal hearing last month Lady Chief Justice, Lady Carr defended the sentences, saying they met a "legitimate" aim of deterring others from such offending. The activists were refused permission to challenge them in the Supreme Court.

The warning came in a letter shown to BBC News, sent to the government by the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change, Ian Fry, on 15 August this year.

The sentences are "significantly more severe than previous sentences imposed for this type of offending in the past," Mr Fry notes.

He says he is worried about the exercise of their rights to freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly and association.

The letter goes on to say the new Public Order Act which came into force in July "appears to be a direct attack on the right to the freedom of peaceful assembly".

The new legislation includes measures aimed at curbing disruptive protests.

The letter sent in mid-August requested a reply within 60 days but has not received one, which the UN special rapporteur described as "troubling".

"Most countries take these letters seriously and respond," Mr Fry told BBC News. He suggested that the lack of a formal reply reflected "a general disregard for human rights concerns by the current government".

The Home Office said it had "responded" to the special rapporteurs letter.

It said peaceful protest is a vital part of a democratic society and a long-standing tradition in the UK, provided it is done within the law.

The new legislation is designed to "clarify the definition of serious disruption and allow police to clear roads quickly", it told the BBC, and said the new legislation on protests was put in place following proper parliamentary procedure and is compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights.

Just Stop Oil protesters outside the Royal Courts of Justice, where Mr Trowland and Mr Decker appealed their sentences

It is a total political failure," Morgan Trowland said in a statement to the BBC from prison. "It is people vs oil, and our government has signalled that it is on the side of oil."

"By not even responding to the concerns in this letter, the government is showing an extraordinary disregard for our civil liberties," said Jodie Beck, Policy and Campaigns Officer at the human rights charity, Liberty.

"Protest is not a gift from the state, it is a fundamental right," she added. "The government should be ensuring demonstrations are safely facilitated and that protest rights are safeguarded."

During last month's appeal hearing, Lady Carr told the court: "The sentences should not be seen as having a 'chilling effect' on the right to peaceful protest or to assembly more generally - deterrence and 'chilling effect' are not the same."

Lady Carr added that the jail terms reflected "Parliaments will" under new laws carried out under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act.

At a court hearing in July judges had acknowledged the "long and honourable tradition of civil disobedience on conscientious grounds" and that the sentences handed to Trowland and Decker went "well beyond previous sentences imposed for this type of offending".
(This Nov. 21 story has been corrected to make clear that only the advance payment is not conditional on judicial reforms in paragraphs 3 and 4)

WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland is on track to access 5.1 billion euros ($5.56 billion) in advance payments as part of a European Union programme to encourage a shift from Russian fossil fuels, the bloc's executive said on Tuesday.

The funds, under the REPowerEU scheme, would be in addition to money originally requested by Warsaw under the bloc's COVID-19 recovery fund.

In all, Poland would be receiving 59.8 billion euros, but the rest of the money has been frozen until Warsaw rolls back rule of law reforms that critics say undermine the independence of its judiciary system.

The advance payment of REPowerEU funds, however, is not conditional on any legal reforms.

Concerns over the rule of law have also been blocking access to 76.5 billion euros of EU cohesion funds aimed at raising living standards in poorer regions. Access to the cohesion funds can be unblocked at any time as part of the EU's seven-year budget.

The European Council, formed of EU member states has four weeks to endorse the Commission's assessment, allowing Poland to receive the pre-financing.

Poland has been involved in a series of disputes with the European Union over democratic standards since the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party came to power in 2015.

However, an alliance of pro-European Union parties won a majority in an Oct. 15 election and look set to take power. They have promised to mend relations with Brussels and unblock the frozen funds.

($1 = 0.9168 euros)

(Reporting by Alan Charlish; Editing by David Goodman and Barbara Lewis)
PLATTE CITY, Mo.  Platte City police have identified and arrested a suspect in a deadly shooting at a local Wendys parking lot.

The shooting happened just after 6:20 p.m. last Wednesday in the Wendys parking lot off Running Horse Road and Platte Falls Road.

Family shot at during road rage incident on I-35 in Overland Park

When officers arrived on scene, they found two men down in the parking lot. First responders took the two men to the hospital where one died and another remains in critical condition.

Last week, police identified the victim as 18-year-old Kareem Z. Hassan.

Platte City police said over 70 leads and hundreds of hours helped identify a 22-year-old suspect. Terrion M. Gully-Henry is currently in custody and has been charged with attempting to deliver a controlled substance.

Download the FOX4 News app on iPhone and Android

Gully-Henry has not been charged in Hassans death at this time, but Platte City Police Chief Joe Wellington Jr. said his agency will present their case to the prosecutors office for further review.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
Veterinarians say there are certain signs that your dog might be dealing with this respiratory illness.

Veterinarians say there are certain signs that your dog might be dealing with this respiratory illness.

A highly contagious upper respiratory infection is spreading in dogs across the country.

Typically, respiratory infections in dogs cause mild-to-moderate symptoms, including coughing, sneezing, nasal and eye discharge, and lethargy, that last a week or two. With this new illness, however, dogs are developing a cough that persists for six to eight weeks. Some dogs have developed pneumonia that does not respond to antibiotics, and a small percentage have died.

Its currently unknown whats causing the outbreak. It doesnt appear to be the dog flu or kennel cough, the two most common respiratory diseases in dogs. Instead, it appears to be a new infectious agent or a more severe version of an existing pathogen, according to Colorado State University.

More than 200 cases have been reported in Oregon since August. Since then, the illness has been detected in the West, Midwest and Northeast. If youre in a geographic area where cases are increasing, you should be cautious until cases subside, veterinarians recommend. So far cases have been reported in Oregon, Colorado, Massachusetts and Rhode Island but could be much more widespread, according to The New York Times.

If you are able to avoid having your dog go into a high-risk situation, like boarding, day care, kennels, dog parks, this is the time to do it, Dr. Kelly Cairns told HuffPost. Cairns is a small-animal internal medicine veterinarian and vice president of medical excellence and education at Thrive Pet Healthcare.

Its unclear what type of pathogen is making dogs sick.

According to the Oregon Veterinary Medical Association, cases first starting popping up in August. The dogs developed a persistent cough that lasted six to eight weeks and, in some cases, a fast-acting pneumonia that turned deadly in as little as a day.

Although the data on the current outbreak is limited, respiratory infections in general tend to be more serious in puppies, older dogs and dogs with other health conditions, Cairns said.

According to Cairns, there are a ton of pathogens, including bacteria and viruses, that can cause respiratory disease in dogs. Every so often, we go through a cycle when theres a big respiratory outbreak. Sometimes scientists can figure out whats causing the outbreak through testing, but other times, like now, the pathogen cannot be identified with the available tests, Cairns said.

The disease in this outbreak does not appear to be caused by the usual suspects. We do not know what is causing it at this point in time, Cairns said.

The affected dogs are not responding to the antibiotics that are commonly prescribed for respiratory illnesses caused by bacteria. This suggests the infection might be caused by a virus, Cairns noted.

What to do if the illness is spreading in your area.

Dr. Brian Collins, a veterinarian at the Cornell Richard P. Riney Canine Health Center, recommends keeping an eye on cases in your area. You can learn about local transmission by contacting your dogs veterinarian. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is also providing updates on the outbreak.

Respiratory tract infections tend to be very transmissible. They usually spread through direct contact  for example, when a dog licks or plays with other dogs  and by sharing toys or water bowls, Collins explained. Dogs can also spread diseases through respiratory droplets expelled through coughing and breathing, he added.

The more group situations you put your dog in, the higher chance theyre going to be exposed to any sort of infectious agent and they could have a chance of getting sick, Cairns said.

If you have travel plans coming up, she suggests asking your boarding facility about the protocols and precautions they have in place to keep dogs safe. The Oregon Veterinary Medical Association recommends that dogs have a health check before interacting with other dogs in group environments.

In addition, now is the time make sure your dog is up to date on its routine vaccinations, including canine influenza, parainfluenza and Bordatella, to prevent the diseases we have vaccines for, Collins advised.

What to do if your dog develops symptoms.

If your dog develops symptoms of an upper respiratory tract infection  a cough, sneezing, nasal discharge or difficulty breathing  get in touch with your veterinarian immediately. Tests can determine if your dog may have contracted another upper respiratory infection, such as canine influenza, or a secondary bacterial infection that can be treated with antibiotics.

Although antibiotics dont appear to be effective with this illness, there are other measures that can be taken to help your dog recover. According to Cairns, supportive care, like fluids and oxygen therapy, and symptomatic therapy can be given, if needed, to help your dog rest while it heals.

If we suspect there is a problem, the sooner we can intervene with treatment and the better the outcomes will be, Collins said.

Finally, because this infection appears to be super contagious, its crucial to isolate your dog until theyve been symptom-free for a few days. That way, youre not only taking care of your pet, youre also protecting other dogs.

Related...
Its the day before Thanksgiving, and its expected to be the busiest day for air travel, and conditions are improving after a stormy morning along the East.

Whether youre traveling by plane, train or automobile, FOX Weather is still tracking some storms soaking the Eastern Seaboard, with even some snow in the interior areas of New England.

Thankfully, much of the rest of the nation is getting a travel pass this Wednesday, but more ornery weather returns in the latter half of the holiday break for some heading home.

THANKSGIVING TRAVEL WEATHER LIVE TRACKER: CURRENT RADAR, AIRPORT STATUS, FLIGHT DELAYS AND MORE

Millions of Americans in the East were dealt with a nasty combination of rain, wind and even snow Wednesday morning as they raced to their Thanksgiving destinations.

A storm system stretching hundreds of miles across slid along the East Coast, producing gusty winds in the Northeast, which created a few delays and cancelations at some major airport hubs.

On Wednesday, a 63 mph gust was registered in Mashpee, Massachusetts, while a 56 mph gust was clocked in Fairhaven.

Strong onshore winds at Providence, Rhode Island, also generated a 3-foot storm surge, but luckily, it was timed with low tide, so no flooding impacts occurred, according to the National Weather Service.

This storm also produced periods of heavy rain along and east of much of the Interstate 95 corridor during the first half of the day, as a low severe weather risk along the North Carolina coast lingers.

Most of the active weather will slide offshore by Wednesday afternoon, leaving calmer weather for travel by the end of the workday.

With colder air over New England, a white Thanksgiving is in the works for portions of upstate New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

Some places will pick up 5-8 inches of snow by the time the turkey hits the table Thursday.

The good news is most of the country is in the clear for active weather. There will be two areas to watch in the northern Rockies and in Texas and Louisiana.

The next impactful storm will be sliding over the northern Rockies, bringing snow to Montana, Idaho and Wyoming, the FOX Forecast Center said. This could create challenging driving conditions for anyone traveling.

TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION ANTICIPATES RECORD THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY TRAVEL SEASON

The system will then drop more snow on Colorado and the Denver metro area on Black Friday. Farther south along the Gulf Coast, a disturbance will help spark showers and a few thunderstorms over Texas and Louisiana.

This rain would be beneficial for an area dealing with drought conditions.

Shoppers in Colorado and Utah will be dealing with a nasty snowstorm Friday. That storm will slide down the Rockies to end the week, producing widespread snow in several states, the FOX Forecast Center said.

More than a foot of snow is expected to fall in the mountains of Colorado, with several inches coming down on the Denver metro.

That snow is also expected to extend farther east into the plains of Kansas, Nebraska and the panhandles of Texas and Oklahoma.

While not heavy, 1-3 inches of snow in these areas could make roads slick for anyone traveling after the holiday.

Conditions are expected to be mostly tranquil across the country on Saturday and Sunday for your return trip home, as temperatures hover mostly around where they should be for late November.

If there is any wet weather, it is expected to be in the southern Plains, where some communities could even see frozen precipitation.





Original article source: Thanksgiving travel off to a good start despite earlier storms in the East
X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter and owned by tech magnate Elon Musk, sued Washington, D.C. watchdog group Media Matters over a report that alleged the platform published ads alongside posts expressing neo-Nazi sentiment.

The suit filed by X named Media Matters and writer Eric Hananoki, and called the report "intentionally deceptive." Published Thursday, the report contained screenshots of normal advertisements appearing alongside antisemitic content on X, leading several large companies  including Disney, Apple, and IBM  to pause advertising on the platform. X's lawsuit alleges that some of its most prominent advertisers were among the companies that yanked themselves from the site. It also claims contract interference, business disparagement, and interference with prospective economic advantage.

The overall effect on advertisers and users was to create the false, misleading perception that these types of pairings were common, widespread, and alarming, the filing states, adding that X's safety measures "under normal, organic conditions operate seamlessly." The lawsuit also claimed that Media Matters toyed with the algorithm, following a slew of accounts comprised of large companies, and partaking in "excessive" scrolling and refreshing.

X CEO Linda Yaccarino took to the platform to provide a statement on the matter after the Washington Post requested a comment, asserting that "If you know me, you know I'm committed to truth and fairness."

"Here's the truth," Yaccarino wrote. "Not a single authentic user on X saw IBMs, Comcasts, or Oracles ads next to the content in Media Matters article. Only 2 users saw Apples ad next to the content, at least one of which was Media Matters. Data wins over manipulation or allegations. Don't be manipulated. Stand with X."

If you know me, you know I'm committed to truth and fairness. Here's the truth. Not a single authentic user on X saw IBMs, Comcasts, or Oracles ads next to the content in Media Matters article. Only 2 users saw Apples ad next to the content, at least one of which was Media  Linda Yaccarino (@lindayaX) November 20, 2023

Media Matters President Angelo Carusone called the lawsuit "frivolous," adding that it was "meant to bully X's critics into silence."

"Media Matters stands behind its reporting and look forward to winning in court. Onward!" he said.

This is a frivolous lawsuit meant to bully Xs critics into silence. Media Matters stands behind its reporting and look forward to winning in court.



Onward!  Angelo Carusone (@GoAngelo) November 21, 2023

The Washington Post reported that the lawsuit was filed in Texas, where the filing claims that X conducts substantial business; however, it is headquartered in San Francisco and incorporated in Nevada. Following the announcement of the lawsuit, Texas attorney Ken Paxton, R, launched a probe into "potential fraudulent activity" by Media Matters. Paxton's office in a statement said that the AG was "extremely troubled by the allegations that Media Matters, a radical anti-free speech organization, fraudulently manipulated data on X.com (formerly known as Twitter)."

We are examining the issue closely to ensure that the public has not been deceived by the schemes of radical left-wing organizations who would like nothing more than to limit freedom by reducing participation in the public square, Paxton said in the statement.

Legal experts criticized Musk's effort to target the watchdog's reporting.

"X, a Nevada corporation is suing Media Matters, a Maryland corporation, in Texas, a state whose only relation to the parties is that it has vowed to jail anyone who criticizes one of them," tweeted Georgia trial and appellate lawyer Andrew Fleischman.

X, a Nevada corporation is suing Media Matters, a Maryland corporation, in Texas, a state whose only relation to the parties is that it has vowed to jail anyone who criticizes one of them.  Andrew Fleischman (@ASFleischman) November 21, 2023

"Musk admitted in his own tweet that Media Matters had seen the ads next to Nazi content, his only dispute was that they artificially saw more ads than a normal account would," Fleichman added. "Which is like blaming a customer who posts about a cockroach in his salad for ordering too many salads."

Musk admitted in his own tweet that Media Matters had seen the ads next to Nazi content, his only dispute was that they artificially saw more ads than a normal account would.



Which is like blaming a customer who posts about a cockroach in his salad for ordering too many salads. https://t.co/AaRljScIto  Andrew Fleischman (@ASFleischman) November 20, 2023

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"The lawsuit is here. Thermonuclear it is not," quipped attorney Bradley Moss. "Discovery should be fun. Would love to see if X can back up its safety claims in this pleading."

The lawsuit is here.



Thermonuclear it is not.



Discovery should be fun. Would love to see if X can back up its safety claims in this pleading. https://t.co/vIROhwvdNf  Bradley P. Moss (@BradMossEsq) November 21, 2023

Lawyer Renato Mariotti dismissed Musk's complaint as a "PR stunt masquerading as a lawsuit."

Its a PR stunt masquerading as a lawsuit. https://t.co/dHEpATqvIb  Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) November 21, 2023

Musk on Wednesday declared on X that a paid X Premium user's peddling of an antisemitic conspiracy theory targeting Jewish people was the "actual truth," per a separate report from watchdog Media Matters. The user claimed, in part, that "Jewish communities have been pushing the exact kind of dialectical hatred against whites that they claim to want people to stop using against them," to which Musk responded, "You have said the actual truth," screenshots of the exchange show. The antisemitic post that Musk praised was in response to another user who wrote, "To the cowards hiding behind the anonymity of the internet and posting 'Hitler was right': You got something you want to say? Why dont you say it to our faces

Musk was met with swift condemnation for endorsing the conspiracy theory, which is the same one that motivated the 2018 Tree of Life synagogue shooter in Pittsburgh, The Atlantic's Yair Rosenburg emphasized online. "Elon Musk pushing unvarnished anti semitism at a time of rising antisemitism and violence against Jews," CNN anchor Jake Tapper wrote on X.
In honor of the late Rosalynn Carter, former first lady of Georgia and first lady of the United States and wife of former President Jimmy Carter, President Joe Biden has ordered flags across the country to be flown at half-staff.

According to a proclamation by the president, the United States flag will be flown at half-staff at the White House and on all public grounds, buildings, military posts, naval stations, naval vessels and its territories from Nov. 25 until the former first ladys interment.

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Bidens proclamation described Mrs. Carter as an example of hope, warmth, and a steadfast commitment to doing all she could to address many of our societys greatest needs.

He called her a champion of equal rights, mental health and wellness advocacy, as well as the uncompensated caregivers for children, seniors and the disabled.

Mrs. Carter passed away Sunday afternoon after a brief time in hospice care. Six months before, Mrs. Carter was diagnosed with dementia. She was 96.

Bidens proclamation honoring Mrs. Carter was among a multitude of reactions and praise for the former first lady after her death.

RELATED STORIES:

Funeral plans for Mrs. Carter were announced Sunday and will continue through her interment on Nov. 29, according to the Carter Center.

As previously reported, the schedule for the celebration of Mrs. Carters life will be three days of ceremonies.

There was a wreath-laying at Georgia Southwestern State University and repose at Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum on Monday, while a ceremony and tribute were scheduled for Tuesday at the Carter Center in Atlanta.

On Wednesday, there will be a funeral service held in Plains, where she and her family have lived since leaving public service.

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IN OTHER NEWS:
Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, promises to do everything possible so that Ukraine and Moldova receive a decision on the start of negotiations on joining the EU by the end of the year.

Source: Michel told this to journalists after talks with the presidents of Ukraine and Moldova in Kyiv, the correspondent of European Pravda reports.

Details: Michel emphasised that the path of Ukraine and Moldova to join the EU was one of the topics of the negotiations that took place on Tuesday, and at this meeting, he made a promise to his colleagues, which he then undertook to repeat publicly, in the presence of journalists.

"Dear President Zelenskyy, dear President Sandu, dear people of Ukraine and people of Moldova, I assure you, I will spare no effort in supporting your legitimate ambitions and aspirations," he said.

The head of the European Council emphasised that it is not about the accession itself but about the beginning of a long process, which is demanding, "it can be frustrating", and also reiterated that both countries will need to fulfil many tasks, including the issue of the rule of law; however, the first step must be taken right now.

"[I will] do anything to convince my 27 colleagues (leaders of EU member states  UP) that we need a positive decision in December," he said.

Michel also provided three key arguments with which he will convince the participants of the summit.

Firstly, he believes that the start of negotiations on the accession of Ukraine and Moldova to the EU will be a "message to the European citizens that we are taking care of our coming future insecurity and prosperity" because, in his opinion, such enlargement will make Europe safer and richer.

Secondly, it will be a message "to the people of Ukraine and the people of Moldovathat we are reliable, that we are serious, that we are loyal," said Michel, emphasising that this is also a valid argument for the 27 leaders.

And thirdly, the start of negotiations with Ukraine, which was attacked by Russia, "is a message to the Kremlin, and is a message to all those in the world who would like to undermine the rules-based order".

As it is known, the EU summit is to be held in Brussels on 14-15 December, where the issue of enlargement will be one of the key issues. In recent days, there have been signals from the EU that the EU may not support the start of negotiations on Ukraine's accession during the December summit. The possibility of postponing this decision until March is supposedly being considered due to the lack of unity in the European Union. Hungary publicly promises to block a positive decision for Kyiv.

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President Joe Biden issued a disaster declaration Monday ordering federal assistance for communities affected by heavy flooding on Sept. 17 and Sept. 18, according to White House statement.

The announcement comes after Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Gov. J.B. Pritzker made similar disaster proclamations Oct. 4 and Oct. 26, which unlocked state funds to assist residents in their recovery efforts. The communities most affected by the rains were identified as Burnham, Calumet City, Dolton, Harvey and South Holland.

Pritzkers proclamation also included waiving penalties for taxpayers who need more time to file their state taxes.

The Sept. 17 storm saw a heavy rains in a very focused area. Calumet City and Riverdale experienced 7-9 inches of rain and Dolton had 5-6 inches, but Midway Airport only had 2 inches of rain, according to data from the Nation Weather Service.

These heavy rains followed wide spread flooding in Cook County at the end of June and early July which strained sewage and storm water prevention infrastructure already in need of upgrades throughout the area. Biden also issued a disaster declaration for the June and July flooding, bringing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to affected areas for several weeks.

Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster, the White House statement read.

Residents and business owners can apply for assistance at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 800-621-3362 or by using the FEMA App.

A spokesperson for FEMA could not be reached immediately for more comment.

According to Preckwinkles office, Burnham, Calumet City, Dolton, Harvey and South Holland were among the hardest hit municipalities in the county.

A spokesperson with Preckwinkles office said Calumet City residents have expressed the most need for support based on damage from the September flooding, with 1,043 damage reports filed compared to 152 damage reports from Chicago residents and 51 from Dolton residents.

These numbers are not reflective of all the damage incurred  there were anecdotal reports from impacted municipalities where residents indicated they sustained damage but did not fill out a formal initial damage report, said Natalia Derevyanny, the director of communications for the Cook County Bureau of Administration, in an Oct. 30 email.

Derevyanny did not provide report counts in other hard hit areas, but said Riverdale had reports of flooding on 15 separate blocks and Burnham had numerous reports over multiple blocks.

At a City Council meeting Monday night, Calumet City Mayor Thaddeus Jones called Bidens declaration an awesome victory.

Representatives for Burnham and Riverdale did not immediately provide comment.

hsanders@chicagotribune.com
CHICAGO  President Joe Biden issued a disaster declaration Monday ordering federal assistance for communities affected by heavy flooding on Sept. 17 and Sept. 18, according to a White House statement.

The announcement comes after Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Gov. J.B. Pritzker made similar disaster proclamations Oct. 4 and Oct. 26, which unlocked state funds to assist residents in their recovery efforts. The communities most affected by the rains were identified as Burnham, Calumet City, Dolton, Harvey and South Holland.

Pritzkers proclamation also included waiving penalties for taxpayers who need more time to file their state taxes.

The Sept. 17 storm saw heavy rains in a very focused area. Calumet City and Riverdale experienced 7-9 inches of rain and Dolton had 5-6 inches, but Midway Airport only had 2 inches of rain, according to data from the Nation Weather Service.

These heavy rains followed widespread flooding in Cook County at the end of June and early July, which strained sewage and storm water prevention infrastructure already in need of upgrades throughout the area. Biden also issued a disaster declaration for the June and July flooding, bringing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to affected areas for several weeks.

Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster, the White House statement read.

A spokesperson for FEMA could not be reached immediately for more comment.

According to Preckwinkles office, Burnham, Calumet City, Dolton, Harvey and South Holland were among the hardest-hit municipalities in the county.

A spokesperson with Preckwinkles office said Calumet City residents have expressed the most need for support based on damage from the September flooding, with 1,043 damage reports filed compared to 152 damage reports from Chicago residents and 51 from Dolton residents.

These numbers are not reflective of all the damage incurred  there were anecdotal reports from impacted municipalities where residents indicated they sustained damage but did not fill out a formal initial damage report, said Natalia Derevyanny, the director of communications for the Cook County Bureau of Administration, in an Oct. 30 email.

Derevyanny did not provide report counts in other hard-hit areas, but said Riverdale had reports of flooding on 15 separate blocks and Burnham had numerous reports over multiple blocks.

A spokesperson from Calumet City could not be reached. Burnham and Riverdale did not immediately provide a comment.

_____
Khayla Murphy writes on a white board during a class called involving the Savior in your mental and emotional health at the Institute of Religion at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023.

In a worldwide young adult devotional on Sunday, Elder Quentin L. Cook said that while some have speculated that the younger generations are giving up on religion, its just not the case.

The number of missionaries called to serve has significantly increased. The percentage of church participation for the rising generation shows a continuous upward trend. Moreover, the number of young adults attending institute has also been increasing, said Elder Cook, per the Church News.

More than 700,000 students are enrolled in the seminary and institute programs in more than 150 countries around the world, according to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints encouraged all youth and young adults  whether members of the church or not  to attend seminary and institute. He promised blessings for the effort.

The church president described both educational programs as life-changing, and promised that attendees would be blessed with answers to hard questions, a feeling of belonging and a strong foundation on Jesus Christ.

Related

President Nelsons invitation to attend seminary

In a video, President Nelson said that seminary can help youth learn to love the scriptures and how to receive personal revelation to answer questions.

He invited youth to enroll in seminary, attend regularly and study the scriptures daily.

As you do, I promise that you will receive answers to some of your most difficult questions. You will find friends you can trust. You will become a true disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, he said.

All information on available classes is online at mySeminary.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

President Nelsons invitation to attend institute

Young adults ages 18 to 30 were also encouraged via video to attend institute classes.

Attending institute will help you to live the gospel and to feel more joy right now, President Nelson said.

I am grateful that President Nelson extended his invitations to youth and young adults to attend seminary and institute, said Chad Webb, Seminary and Institute of Religion Administrator, in a church news release. Every day, lives are being changed for good as students deepen their faith in Jesus Christ and study his gospel in our classes. Its exciting to see that both seminary and Institute are growing in numbers of participants.

To enroll in institute, visit myInstitute.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

Related
Many residents have been without water since 04:00 GMT

A city and its suburbs have woken up to no water or low water pressure due to a burst mains pipe.

Residents in Preston and the surrounding PR1 and PR4 postcode areas have had water disruption since 04:00 GMT.

Water company United Utilities has apologised and said the cause of the problem had been identified.

Engineers are currently on site working on a burst pipe on Fisher Gate Hill.

The firm said: "Now that we've identified the cause of the problem, our team will assess the issue and start the repair work as soon as possible.

"Thank you for your patience."

Several schools in the affected areas have announced their closure today.

Penwortham Girls' High School said: "The school and the surrounding area has no water due to a water leak."

All Hallows Catholic High School, also in Penwortham, said: "The school is currently without water due to a burst water main. The majority of Penwortham is also without water and therefore we have made the decision to close the school."

Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk
Law enforcement officers have detained a priest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) suspected of pro-Russian activities, who had been hiding from the investigation.

Source: Security Service of Ukraine (SSU); Vinnytsia Oblast Prosecutor's Office; Ukrainska Pravda source in law enforcement agencies

Details: The SSU exposed the criminal actions of the rector of a church in the UOC-MPs Vinnytsia Diocese who had denied Russia's armed aggression and justified the temporary occupation of part of Ukraine.

Ukrainska Pravda has information that the priest in question is Dmytro Tikhov, 53.

According to the SSU, the churchman parroted the Kremlin's narratives about a "civil war" in our state on his Telegram channel and praised Givi and Motorola, former fighters in Alexander Zakharchenkos terrorist organisation in the "Donetsk Peoples Republic".

PHOTO: UKRAINSKA PRAVDA SOURCE

The cleric also distributed personal comments in which he attempted to discredit the Ukrainian military and insulted the religious sensibilities of representatives of different faiths.

He used internet propaganda from the Russian Federation, including the official website of the Russian Orthodox Church, to put together his destructive content.

The archpriest also spread anti-Ukrainian propaganda during his sermons and in conversations with his parishioners.

Mobile phones and computers containing evidence of subversive activities in favour of the Russian Federation were found during searches at the cleric's home.

Expert analysis by the SSU has confirmed that he committed criminal activities against the Ukrainian state.

Based on the evidence collected, SSU investigators have served the cleric with a notice of suspicion under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:

Article 436-2.2 (justification, legitimisation and denial of the Russian Federations armed aggression against Ukraine and glorification of its participants);

Article 109.2 (actions aimed at forcibly changing or overthrowing the constitutional order or seizing state power).

The suspect is reported to have been a fugitive from justice in several oblasts of Ukraine, but the SSU acted quickly to establish his location and detain him.

He has been remanded in custody as a pre-trial restriction. The investigation continues so that all the circumstances of his crimes can be established.

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FILE - Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, conducts an interview during the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix auto race at Circuit of the Americas, on Oct. 22, 2023, in Austin, Texas. Prince Harry is appealing to the British government to turn over evidence that is key to his phone hacking lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mail. An attorney for the Duke of Sussex said Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023, he would ask government ministers to lift restrictions that were imposed by an inquiry more than a decade ago into a widespread scandal involving journalists eavesdropping on voicemails of celebrities, politicians and even murder victims.(AP Photo/Nick Didlick) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

LONDON (AP)  Prince Harrys battles with British tabloids are taking a detour from London courts to the halls of government as he seeks evidence from a decade-old inquiry that is central to his phone hacking lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mail, his lawyer said Tuesday.

The Duke of Sussex and celebrities such as Elton John and actor Elizabeth Hurley who are suing Associated Newspapers Ltd. want to use documents that were disclosed confidentially to a government inquiry into a scandal involving journalists who eavesdropped on voicemails of celebrities, politicians and even murder victims.

An attorney for Harry and the celebrities said he would ask government ministers to revoke or amend a previous order that restricted publication of records of payments to private detectives who allegedly bugged phones and used listening devices to illegally snoop on his clients.

The newspapers deny the claims.

Earlier this month, Justice Matthew Nicklin rejected the Mails attempt to throw out the case without trial, but also ruled the claimants could not use evidence that had been leaked from the inquiry. The judge said payment ledgers had been turned over in confidence to the Leveson inquiry and were therefore inadmissible without a change in the order restricting their release.

The lawsuit is one of several brought by Harry in his personal mission to tame the tabloids. He blames the media for the death of his mother, Princess Diana, who was killed in a car crash in Paris in 1997 while being pursued by paparazzi. He also said the aggressive press led him and his wife, Meghan, to abandon their royal duties and decamp to the U.S.

Its his third lawsuit against newspaper publishers to get the green light to go to trial on similar allegations.

Another judge is currently weighing whether to award Harry damages against the publisher of the Daily Mirror for using skulduggery to dig up dirt on his life. A similar case is to be scheduled for trial next year involving claims he and actor Hugh Grant have brought against The Sun.

Associated Newspapers declined to voluntarily disclose the evidence, so attorney David Sherborne said Harry and other claimants would ask government ministers who ordered the 2011 phone hacking inquiry to amend or revoke the orders.

The hearing Tuesday in the High Court was largely focused on how to award what the judge said could be record-breaking legal fees at this stage in the case for the previous round of arguments in court.

Nicklin said the Duke of Sussex and his fellow claimants were due legal fees because the publisher had been wholly unsuccessful and failed to deliver a knockout blow in its effort to throw out the case.

Claimants spent 1.7 million ($2.1 million) pounds to prevail against the publisher's failed attempt to get the case dismissed, Sherborne said.

The publisher is seeking up to 755,000 pounds ($945,000) in fees used to successfully block the use of the evidence from the Leveson inquiry.

Associated Newspapers attorney Adrian Beltrami said use of the ledgers was a breach of confidentiality obligations and that Harry's lawyers had acted tactically and cynically in seeking to use such illegitimately obtained information to support their speculative claims.

Nicklin said he didn't want to award the fees without further review and ordered another hearing in March.

"Im interested in better justice, not rough and ready justice, Nicklin said.

Other parties to the case are actor Sadie Frost, Elton Johns husband, David Furnish, anti-racism advocate Doreen Lawrence and former politician Simon Hughes.
The latest chapter in Prince Harry's legal battle with the publisher of the Daily Mail starts today. (PA) (Sipa US, Sipa US)

The latest stage of the Duke of Sussexs legal battle with the publisher of the Daily Mail is due to take place at the High Court.

In a ruling on 10 November, a judge concluded that Harry  along with other high-profile individuals including Sir Elton John and Baroness Doreen Lawrence  could continue their claims over alleged unlawful information gathering against Associated Newspapers (ANL).

The trio are among a group of high-profile individuals  including Sir Eltons husband David Furnish, actresses Sadie Frost and Liz Hurley and ex-MP Sir Simon Hughes  accusing the publisher of carrying out or commissioning unlawful activities such as hiring private investigators to place listening devices inside cars, blagging private records and accessing and recording private phone conversations.

ANL, which firmly denies the allegations, had asked a judge at a hearing in March to rule in its favour without a trial, arguing the legal challenges were brought far too late.

But Mr Justice Nicklin ruled ANL had not been able to deliver a knockout blow to the claims earlier this month.

In his 95-page-judgment, the judge said that each of the seven people in the ANL claim have a real prospect of demonstrating that ANL concealed relevant facts that would have allowed them to bring a claim against the publisher earlier.

A hearing is now due to take place on Tuesday to deal with the consequences of the judgment.

The cases remain at an early stage and ANL has yet to file a formal defence in the case which could see a third High Court trial centred on Harrys allegations of unlawful information gathering against major newspaper publishers.

Following the ruling, ANL said in a statement: As we have always made unequivocally clear, the lurid claims made by Prince Harry and others of phone hacking, landline tapping, burglary and sticky-window microphones are simply preposterous and we look forward to establishing this in court in due course.

The hearing in London is due to begin at 10.30am.
The Georgia deputy who fatally shot a man previously released from prison after serving 16 years for a wrongful conviction has a history of violence and use of excessive force, it has been revealed.

Staff Sergeant Buck Aldridge, 41, of Camden County Sheriffs department, had been involved in three separate incidents with another department in the state, after which he was fired.

Last month, Mr Aldridge shot and killed 53-year-old Leonard Cure following a traffic stop that quickly escalated. Following a struggle, Cure was tasered, struck with a baton and then shot dead by Mr Aldridge.

Cure had been released from prison in 2020 after his case was taken up by the Innocence Project of Florida, a nonprofit legal organisation that helps exonerate people who have been wrongfully convicted.

According to Mr Aldridges personnel file, obtained by the Associated Press, the deputy had been involved in four violent incidents prior to the death of Cure, three of which occurred while he was serving at the Kingsland Police Department, also in Georgia.

Last month, Buck Aldridge shot and killed 53-year-old Leonard Cure following a traffic stop that quickly escalated (AP)

The former US Marines file shows he was disciplined for using unnecessary force in February 2014 and May 2017. The second time he was suspended for three days without pay.

The department fired Mr Aldridge for a third infraction just three months later.

According to the AP, police records say he was assisting with a traffic stop when he tried to handcuff a woman  not to arrest her, but to keep her outside her car. One deputy told investigators Mr Aldridge cuffed the woman after picking her up and throwing her on the ground. She was cited for letting an unlicensed person drive her car.

Mr Aldridge was hired by the Camden County sheriffs office in May 2018.

Last year, the deputy dragged a driver from a car that crashed after fleeing from him on Georgias Interstate 95. Body and dash camera video obtained by the Associated Press show the driver on his back as Mr Aldridge punches him.

Records indicate the deputy faced no disciplinary action, the AP reported.

Last month, the Camden County Sheriffs department released bodycam footage which showed the moments leading up to Cures death following the traffic stop.

Camden County Sheriffs department released bodycam footage which showed the moments leading up to Cures death last month (AP)

In the footage, Cure is heard questioning why he was being arrested for allegedly driving at 100mph, telling the officer that he should just be given a speeding ticket.

The situation quickly escalates, with Cure being tasered before approaching Mr Aldridge and the pair tussle. Cure is then struck with a police baton while he grabs at the officers face and pushes his head back, saying yeah b****.

He is then shot from close range and falls to the ground, with Mr Aldridge shouting at him not to get up.

Prior to the public release of the footage, Cures mother and siblings attended the Georgia Bureau of Investigations local office with their attorney, civil rights lawyer Benjamin Crump, to view the video.

Aldridge had been involved in three violent incidents at a different force (AP)

I dont feel, no matter what happened, that he should have been killed, Mary Cure said. Thats the bottom line. His life should not have been taken.

Cure was wrongfully convicted of armed robbery in 2004 and spent 16 years in a Florida prison before he was released three years ago.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is investigating Cures death and will submit its findings to prosecutors. Mr Aldridges attorney said the video shows he fired in self-defence, though critics have questioned whether he should have been employed by the department at all, given his history of aggression.

This guy should have never been on the force, said Timothy Bessent Sr, president of Camden Countys NAACP chapter.

Mr Aldridge has been placed on administrative leave while the GBI investigates Cures death.

Leonard Cure (Innocence Project of Florida)

Buck Aldridge is a fine officer and the video speaks for itself, said Adrienne Browning, Aldridges attorney. Its clear his life was in danger and he defended himself.

Experts told the Associated Press that they believe the shooting of Cure was legal, as Mr Aldridge appeared to be in danger when he fired. But they also criticised how Mr Aldridge had begun the encounter by shouting at Cure and then apparently making no effort to deescalate the situation.

He escalated the situation with Mr Cure, former Memphis police officer Thaddeus Johnson, a criminal justice professor at Georgia State University and a senior fellow for the Council on Criminal Justice told the AP. He has no control over his emotions.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker blasted former President Donald Trump on Sunday over the Republicans decision to describe his perceived enemies as vermin, stressing that such language is the same dehumanizing rhetoric that was used in Nazi Germany.

Earlier this month, Trump held a rally in Claremont, New Hampshire, where he pledged to root out the Communists, Marxists, fascists and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country that lie and steal and cheat on elections. The 2024 GOP front-runner also posted a similar statement to his social media platform, Truth Social.

Pritzker, a Jewish progressive, said on MSNBCs Inside with Jen Psaki that Trumps rhetoric, which gets echoed by his followers and far-right extremists, is the same rhetoric that was used in the 1930s in Germany.

I am very concerned about the direction of the country if we see policies like what Donald Trump is espousing come to light for our country.

Before his tenure as governor, Pritzker helped plan and fund the Illinois Holocaust Museum, aiming to create an institution in the Midwest dedicated to educating the public on the Holocaust and other genocides.

"What I can tell you is the things that he talks about are frightening to those of us who know the history of Europe in the 1930s and 1940s. I am deeply concerned about his predilection for revenge."@GovPritzker on Trump calling his opponents "vermin." Tune in on Sunday at 12 pic.twitter.com/TZbUaGJmsi  Inside with Jen Psaki (@InsideWithPsaki) November 17, 2023

Trump has used similar rhetoric in the past to dehumanize and target marginalized populations for his followers to direct their anger towards. For years, the former president has specifically used dehumanizing language to describe Black and brown migrants in order to stoke fear about the U.S.-Mexico border.

Recently, Trump said that undocumented immigrants were poisoning the blood of our country, and should be detained in camps.

Pritzker said that Trumps use of the term vermin is just one in a long series of words that the former president has used that are unfortunately reminiscent of the past.

I dont know where its going with Donald Trump. What I can tell you is that the things that he talks about are frightening to those of us who know the history of Europe in the 1930s and 40s, Pritzker said.

And Im deeply concerned about his predilection for revenge and what that will mean for, you know, groups of people that didnt support him in the 2024 election, if in fact he gets elected.

Trumps dangerous rhetoric comes at a time that the U.S. is seeing a rise in hate-fueled violence, specifically antisemitic and Islamophobic attacks in the wake of the violence in Gaza. The governor said he is deeply concerned about the rise of hate in the United States, citing the October killing of a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy in Plainfield, Illinois.

Its just something that none of us should even fathom, he said. And yet, it happened, and it happened in the wake of this war thats happening overseas. And this young boy, killed, murdered, because someone had been radicalized by right-wing radio and right-wing television; thats something we all need to pay attention to.

Related...
Several pro-Hamas flyers have reportedly been found in front of a synagogue in Bangor, Maine. Jarod Farn-Guillette told the Bangor Daily News he was picking up his daughter from a Hebrew school when he spotted the posters near Congregation Beth El Bangor. One poster shows a man wielding an AK-47 with paragliders behind him, along with the text, Palestine will win. A picture of an AK-47 does not necessarily say, I want peace, Farn-Guillette was quoted saying. He said he reported the flyers to both the rabbi and local police, who took them and are investigating. Weve been very worried in recent weeks about security at the synagogue, Beth El Rabbi Sam Weiss told the news outlet. It was very concerning. It made us feel unsafe.

Read it at Bangor Daily News

Read more at The Daily Beast.
A Palestinian flag is carried as thousands of demonstrators march last month through downtown Los Angeles to protest the death toll inflicted on Palestinians during the Israel-Hamas war. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

The protesters have stopped traffic, staged die-ins, filled the National Mall. Since the latest Israel-Hamas war began, nearly every state in the U.S. has seen vigils, rallies and marches aiming to sway public support, and policy, for Israelis and Palestinians.

To better understand the nature of the demonstrations, The Times turned to data from the Crowd Counting Consortium, a group run by researchers from Harvard and the University of Connecticut.

The consortium, which has tracked U.S. protests since the 2017 Women's March, uses photographs, videos and news articles as well as social media posts to analyze protests and estimate crowd sizes. The data cover 2,150 demonstrations attended by more than 1 million people since Hamas' surprise attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7 and the Israeli bombardment and besieging of the Gaza Strip.

There have been nearly three times as many pro-Palestinian events as pro-Israeli ones. Demonstrations have decried the cross-border attack and called for release of Hamas-held hostages, a cease-fire and an end to Israeli blockades or occupation of Palestinian territories.

The pattern follows the course of the war so far. The pro-Israel protests were concentrated in the days immediately after the cross-border attack, in which Israel says Hamas killed about 1,200 people, mainly civilians, and took some 240 more hostage. But as Israel has continued its retaliatory bombardment of Gaza  killing more than 12,700 people, according to the Hamas-run health ministry  the majority of protests have been pro-Palestinian.

Pro-Palestinian rallies have been concentrated in areas with large Palestinian American or Arab American populations.

In California, that includes the Bay Area and Southern California. Minneapolis, Chicago and New York are also central to the pro-Palestinian movement. Washington, where 160,000 people attended a march on Nov. 4, has drawn many of the largest crowds.

Pro-Israeli events, meanwhile, have focused on areas with large Jewish populations. That includes California and Florida as well as Chicago, Detroit, New York, Atlanta and Washington.

Demonstrators gather on the National Mall in Washington this month to denounce antisemitism and call for the release of hostages taken from Israel. (Ali Khaligh / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)

Those demonstrations have generally been smaller than pro-Palestinian ones. A notable exception was a Nov. 14 rally on the National Mall that attracted 160,000 people.

The data have important limitations. The researchers included crowd counts  based on the average of the high and low estimates given in news coverage  for only about 60% of pro-Palestinian events and 70% of pro-Israeli ones. They lacked counts for the remainder because some events were advertised but not covered or the coverage did not give attendance estimates.

Still, the researchers said the data they collected, which cover demonstrations through Nov. 17, offer the most comprehensive picture available.

The Crowd Counting Consortium also looked at the language used at pro-Palestinian rallies and noted changes in messaging in the weeks since Oct. 7.

Early on, popular chants and signage referenced "apartheid" and "resistance," but now those are giving way to talk of "genocide" and demands for "cease-fire."

"There has been a shift in the rhetoric," said Jay Ulfelder, a Harvard political scientist who leads the research.

Another phrase that has become less common is, "resistance is justified if Palestine is occupied." That language is incendiary because it suggests that the Hamas attacks on civilians were legitimate acts of war.

Through Oct. 15, the sentence or variations of it were used in at least 88% of pro-Palestinian events. From Nov. 6 to 17, that dropped to under 10% of pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

"That change is possibly because we are moving farther and farther away from the Hamas attack," the main act people have characterized as "resistance," Ulfelder said.

Another controversial chant is "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free." Some Jewish groups describe it as an antisemitic call for the dissolution of Israel, though many protesters view it as a plea for Palestinians to be given equal rights.

The phrase was seen or heard at more than than 40% of pro-Palestinian rallies through mid-October. Between Nov. 6 and 17, it was found in less than 17% of pro-Palestinian protests, Ulfelder said.

He suggested that could be because more Jewish organizations, including the leftist group Jewish Voice for Peace, were leading sit-ins and marches in support of Palestinians.

"There is an increased frequency of events organized primarily around cease-fire and some, not all, are led by Jewish groups," Ulfelder said. "They are less likely to use the 'from the river to the sea' phrase because they understand how some Jewish communities interpret it."

Ulfelder, whose group has tracked events in roughly 400 cities, predicted the social movements for Palestinians and Israelis would continue to grow.

"What we are seeing is that these crowds are not slowing down," Ulfelder said. "More than a month since Oct. 7, people are continuing to come together to express their views."

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
London is killing me.

Ive lived in the city all my 52 years  and its never felt so dangerous.

Crime is on the rise. The crime rate in the capital for 2022-23 was 100.9 crime offences per thousand people  compared with 92.8 in the previous year.

Crime did dip during the Covid lockdowns. But, since they ended, its started climbing. Knife crime has risen for the last two years. Violent crime  260,000 offences from October 2022 to September 2023  has gone up by 1.5pc over the last year.

Ive given up on the Metropolitan Police  you barely see a single officer on the beat in Islington, my patch of north London.

But I have the answer to crime-ridden London  a series of measures that make me near-invisible to the crooks. And theyve worked  while crime has climbed, Ive never been a victim in the 15 years since I introduced an inconspicuous consumption policy into my life.

The policy is simple: dont wear, drive or ride anything crooks find attractive, and theyll never attack you.

Take expensive cars. A recent report showed that Range Rovers are becoming nearly impossible to insure in London as police forces fail to catch car thieves. Drivers cant insure  or have to pay impossibly high premiums for  Range Rovers. One insurance quote in London for a Range Rover Velar R-Dynamic was for 22,515. In Sussex, 20 insurers offered insurance on the same car for 1,978 a year.

After Range Rovers, the second most popular brand for thieves to steal in the UK is another alluring marque, Mercedes-Benz.

The answer? Dont buy flash cars. Or, in my case, dont buy any cars at all. I rent cars in London whenever I need them and only pay the minimum insurance. Ive been doing this for 15 years  and have never had a rental car stolen. That isnt surprising  I always go for the cheapest, most unalluring, most unstealable model.

My transport of choice in London is a bike. Bike theft has been essentially decriminalised in the city, where over 90pc of thefts go unsolved.

I used to have bikes stolen the whole time: six over the course of 10 years. They were cheap  around 250  but they had the pitfall of being new, and therefore attractive.

Thus my finest inconspicuous consumption ploy. Over the last decade, Ive bought much smarter bikes  Boardman models  for around 700. But theyve never been stolen because I have slopped white household paint all over them in an intentionally amateurish way (make sure to do it badly  a friend imitated my trick and her bike was stolen within days; her David Hockney-style paint job made the bike look even cooler).

My Boardmans work just as well as they did before I painted them, but their resale price has collapsed to near-zero. Yes, Im in trouble if I want to sell them on  but I never will. The older they get, the more unlikely they are to be stolen. Oh, and the more white paint I pour on them, the more visible they are in the dark.

You neednt get rid of the nice things in your life altogether  just use them in safe places.

Ive stopped wearing my gold Omega watch, a bequest from my late godfather. But I still enjoy the watch  if anything more than I used to when I wore it all the time and was in a near-constant panic that it might be swiped. Now I leave it at home by my bed, where I gaze on its face lovingly before I go to sleep and when I wake up in the morning. Instead, during the day, I rely on a 27 Casio watch, which, handsome as it is, no self-respecting thief would ever nick.

The other thief magnet in London is the mobile phone. Several friends of mine have had theirs taken right out of their clutches by thieves on mopeds as they stand on the kerb, checking their emails.

My inconspicuous response? I never check my phone on a street unless I can turn away from the street and settle myself into an alcove, phone against the wall, body to the outside world as a barrier. Ive never had a phone stolen to date.

I love Barbours and Belstaff jackets, but, as well as costing a fortune, they also signal to the world youre a potential mugging victim. Instead of the 750 Belstaff, I buy very similar jackets from agricultural clothes shops in Pembrokeshire. Price? 30. They look just as good  often better, because they dont have the brand names on them, which I always think are a bit naff and, well, a little too conspicuous.

Yes, its a depressing commentary on London crime and police shortcomings to have to take these measures. But they dont depress me. I have long since incorporated them into my everyday life and dont even think about them any more.

And they make for a crime-free, worry-free life in the city.

Recommended

Range Rovers virtually impossible to insure in crime-ridden London

Read more

Harry Mount is author of How England Made the English (Penguin)

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Its a September day on Pine Knot Farms in Hurdle Mills, north of Durham. A cool breeze cuts through the lingering late-summer humidity, carrying the twinkling of wind chimes and clucks of chickens across sun-soaked tobacco fields. At the center of the property is a two-story home, its log foundation built by hand. In the front yard, an oak tree reaches into the sky, with roots more than a century old.

One-hundred-eleven years ago, the farms founder Fletcher Hughes walked upon this soil. And three generations of Black farmers later, its the same soil his 75-year-old grandson, Stanley Hughes, tends today. From the raised front porch of that main house, the land as far as you can see belongs to Hughes.

That same land  all 125 acres  is also at risk.

North Carolina could lose more than 1 million acres of farmland to development by 2040, according to the American Farmland Trust. For Pine Knot Farms that threat is compounded, as the number of the states Black-owned farms continues to dwindle. The 2017 Census reported that North Carolinas Black farmers owned a mere 3 percent of farms  just 1,500 farms of the states more than 46,000.

For Hughes, with developers at his doorstep, these numbers represent something more: an ominous threat to livelihood and legacy.

The history of Pine Knot Farms

Hughes doesnt have any memories of his grandfather, Fletcher. But thinking back to the motivation behind the farms founding, he imagines his grandfather growing tired of sharecropping, and yearning for the opportunity to get his own.

The sentiment rang true for Black Americans across the country. In the years after the emancipation of enslaved people, formerly-enslaved Black farmers who wanted their own land were limited by exploitative sharecropping practices.

But they persisted, and acre by acre their farmland was hard-earned, even against the backdrop of the Jim Crow-eras racial violence. By 1910, Black-owned farmland across the country peaked at 16 million acres. Two years later, in 1912, Fletcher founded Pine Knot Farms.

Tobacco was Fletchers first crop. The farm supported three families, including Stanleys mother, Addie, and his father, Bennie Hughes. By the time Bennie and Addie welcomed their 12th and last son  Stanley  in 1948, Bennie had taken over the farms operations.

Stanley, the baby of the family, grew up watching his older brothers work the farm. Even as a child, he was already eager to do a mans job.

When my brother would be plowing, he said, I would run up under him and grab the handles to the plow.

The grown-up work came fast. The farm was a family operation, and all 12 children were expected to play a part. Back then, tobacco paid the bills, while the childrens days were filled with mowing hay, scraping cow manure from the stables, heaving water from the well and splitting logs with a powder wedge, an explosive device that often sent them scattering for safety.

As the Hughes children grew older, one-by-one they left the farm. Finally, Stanley was the only one left. With his parents aging and siblings gone, Pine Knot Farms responsibilities  and legacy  fell to him.

A day on a certified organic farm

Now, Hughes dog, Lola, trots behind him as the pair begin another day on the family land.

The days on Pine Knot start before sunrise. The farm is now certified organic; Hughes still grows tobacco, but now also produces sweet potatoes, kale, broccoli and cabbage and raises chickens and hogs. Gourmet magazine featured his collards as among the best in the country.

Its an endless cycle of harvesting, packaging, irrigating, traveling to farmers markets and cleaning up. Plans can change on the hour, and most days are hectic.

For a time, Hughes balanced farming with a career in manufacturing, rising before the sun to maintain the farm, heading to his second-shift job at 3 p.m. and arriving home near midnight. By the end of the 90s, the manufacturing business closed, and he shifted to farming full-time.

Today, Hughes lives with his wife of 16 years, Linda Leach-Hughes, in one of the propertys original homes, just across the street from the house he was raised in. The pair balances each other  Lindas crystal-clear voice and strong Type A personality against Stanleys humility and soft-spoken nature.

While Stanley spends his days tending to the land, Linda, who spent 30 years in education before retiring, manages the mountain of paperwork that comes with modern farming. Her daily planner is brimming with to-do lists. At any given moment, shes crossing Ts and dotting Is on documentation for inspectors, water and soil tests, or writing invoices. Its labor intensive, she said, but necessary to keep the farm up to the meticulous certified organic standards.

Like Stanleys grandfather and father before him, working his own land has a clear appeal.

When I first started, you could be your own boss and do what you want, he said.

But the industry has changed. Now you got to listen to everybody else, he said. All these inspectors and guidelines. Now you dont get the pleasure out of doing what you want to do.

Black farmers face discrimination

Its more than the demands of organic certification. In 1997, a Black farmer from Cumberland County named Timothy Pigford was joined by two other Black farmers in filing a class action lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The suit, Pigford v. Glickman, claimed that the USDA discriminated against Black farmers, who were denied loans, waited longer for loan approval and faced worse loan terms than white farmers.

Stanley said he experienced this discriminatory treatment firsthand. Years after returning to farming full-time, he planned an expansion for the farm and sought loans for support from the USDAs Farm Service Agency (FSA). At first, Stanley said the agency approved his request. But shortly after, he was suddenly told the loan was no longer available. After that, he said, every loan application he submitted was denied.

Even more, Stanley said his account was supervised, or subjected to added scrutiny by his white loan officer. According to the opinion by Judge Paul Friedman in Pigford v. Glickman, this requirement (was) frequently required of African American farmers but not routinely imposed on white farmers.

Those loans were essential. Without the money that was initially promised, Stanley was forced to shutter his hog operation in 2007. That farmland, about 50 acres inherited from his mother, was foreclosed for good.

The loss was devastating. Yet, it was not an isolated incident for Black farmers, who were losing land at a breakneck speed. By 1997, Black farmers lost more than 90 percent of the 16 million acres they once owned in 1910, in part due to discriminatory loan practices, according to a study by the American Bar Association.

In 1999, the parties in the Pigford case reached the largest civil rights settlement in American history; it was announced that Black farmers demonstrating damages from the USDA could earn up to a $50,000 remedy.

Even so, debt relief was out of reach for most claimants. The language about eligibility, filing dates and two separate payment tracks was complex and confusing, and many Black farmers received nothing. Hoping for a financial remedy, Stanley filed a claim of his own.

We didnt receive a dime, he said. Most others he knew didnt either.

A spirit of heaviness

We do constantly carry a spirit of heaviness, Linda said.

Heaviness from a grueling days work, lost family land and legal woes. And heaviness from the unfair treatment she says she and her husband continue to face.

As the head of one of North Carolinas few Black-owned farms, Stanley has noticed the unbalanced advantages white farmers receive, including better prices on products and exclusive deals on equipment. Linda used to accompany Stanley to the tobacco market. But after observing the ways her husband faced different treatment than his white counterparts, she couldnt continue.

I had to quit going, she said. It bothered me that bad.

Linda sees the effect the emotional labor has on her husband.

He wont say a word, she said. But she urges him to talk through it.

Youre holding your anger in, and your anger will turn to bitterness and bitterness will turn to disease in your body, she said. And hes a walking example of it.

But amid the heaviness, there is some light.

In September 2022, the farm hosted a celebration for its 110th anniversary. Family, friends and supporters came, gathering under the shade of the ancient oak. The grand affair, spanning across generations, represented Pine Knots steadfast network of decades-long support.

Sandi Kronick, CEO and cofounder of the Durham-based organic distribution service Happy Dirt, was there. Linda calls Kronick Pine Knots greatest supporter, and credits the company for helping them survive hard times. Kronick, who works with organic farmers across the state, says the farms story is awe-inspiring.

The few words that (Stanley) has, versus the larger-than-life work ethic that he has is incredibly imbalanced, Kronick said. But he has saved that farm today. And I want to be a part of helping them preserve their legacy forever.

Linda and Stanley also credit Crystal Taylor, the cofounder of Durhams Black Farmers Market, for helping them keep afloat. In years past, Pine Knot Farms was often the only minority-owned vendor at farmers markets, an experience that could be isolating.

It makes us feel like were all in this together, Linda said. And we also feel as though our Blackness is welcome.

Fending off developers

Pine Knot Farms land is precious. And for development companies, acquiring it would be lucrative. Almost weekly, Stanley receives offers for his land in postcards and letters stuffing the mailbox, relentless emails flooding Lindas inbox and calls from unknown numbers pouring in.

The couple finds the requests ludicrous. We are intelligent enough to know that you can make an offer to buy our land, then you turn around and sell it to a corporate farm and youre going to quadruple what you invested, Linda said. (Stanley) and I were both born at night, but it wasnt last night. Were not stupid.

Kronick, whose career has been dedicated to supporting organic local farms, says she is worried for the future of modern farmers. Its extra precious with Pine Knot, because of the reality that Black farmers in America  especially Black vegetable farmers, and especially Black organic farmers  are very sadly, but absolutely an endangered species, she said.

North Carolinas land is changing, and a number of factors threaten farmland. New roads, housing and developments are springing up across the state. If continued, poorly planned development across the country will undermine global food security, local food systems and the quality of the environment.

The same level of work that we do to protect an endangered species, I believe should be done to protect Black farmers, Kronick said.

Some of that work is being done now. In February, U.S. Rep. Alma Adams of North Carolina and Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey introduced the Justice for Black Farmers Act 2023. According to a news release from Adams, the legislation would enact policies to end discrimination within the USDA, protect the 50,000 remaining Black farmers from losing their land, provide land grants to create a new generation of Black farmers, and restore the land base that has been lost.

For now, the future of Pine Knot Farms is unclear. Stanley hopes the farm will be kept in the family, but his two adult daughters have careers of their own far from the farm. Perhaps, he said, he will pass the farm on to a friend  bringing three generations of Hughes family ownership to a close.

As for Stanleys retirement plans: I guess I might have to, he chuckled. You know, you get old and you cant function as well. Probably one day itll come to that.

But for Linda and Stanley, one thing is certain. As long as breath is in our bodies, she said. None of this land will never, ever get sold.

UNC Media Hub is a collection of selected seniors in multiple concentrations the Hussman School of Journalism and Media working to create multimedia packages covering stories across North Carolina.
MERRIMACK  Three people who police described as protesters voicing support for Palestine were arrested Monday after a disturbance at a New Hampshire defense manufacturing company whose parent company is based in Israel.

On Nov. 20, at approximately 7:54 a.m., Merrimack Police Department received calls from employees at Elbit System, located at 220 Daniel Webster Highway, reporting protesters blocking the driveway and multiple people believed to be on the roof. The Merrimack Fire Department was dispatched as well due to a report of smoke coming from the roof.

Upon arrival, officers encountered a number of protesters blocking the driveway voicing support for Palestine. They eventually vacated the roadway and allowed responding officers to access the property.

Three people were arrested and charged with 'riot, sabotage and criminal mischief' Monday at an Israeli-owned Merrimack business.

Upon meeting with security personnel, officers discovered the front of the building had been spray painted with red paint, windows had been smashed, and at least one of the main lobby doors had been locked shut via a bicycle anti-theft device. Officers also confirmed that at least 3 people accessed the roof.

A group of officers assembled and were able to access the roof. Three people were located and arrested without incident. They were identified as Sophie Marika Ross of Housatonic, Mass., Cala Mairead Walsh of Cambridge, Mass., and Bridget Irene Shergalis of Dayville, CT.

Evidence from the scene suggests that the smoke was caused by an incendiary device similar to ones later located on one of the suspects. While clearing the roof, officers noted additional damage which consisted of more spray painting, smashed skylights, and damage to HVAC equipment.

Ross, Walsh and Shergalis were all charged with riot, sabotage, criminal mischief, criminal trespass, and disorderly conduct. They were all held on preventative detention and will be arraigned in the Hillsborough County Superior Court (South) on November 21, 2023 at 1 p.m.

Elbit America, an international defense electronics company whose parent company is located in Haifa, Israel, issued the following statement in response to Monday mornings arrests:

Elbit America employs thousands of Americans who are dedicated to the mission of creating innovative solutions that protect and save lives. We support the rights of protesters to peacefully express their views. However, what we experienced today was violent criminal behavior as evidenced by the arrests made by local law enforcement. We take the safety and well-being of our employees extremely seriously, and we will continue to work closely with local officials to ensure safety for all.

More than 650 employees work at Elbit Americas Merrimack site providing a variety of defense, commercial aviation, sustainment & support, and medical instrumentation solutions in large part to American customers from the U.S. government to local health providers.

Shortly after the arrests, a group called Palestinian Action US via the social media platform X posted the following statement and photo of someone standing on the roof of Elbin U.S. holding what appear to be flares above the companys rooftop logo, which has red paint splattered on it.

As millions in Gaza stand to spend the week under tarps w out food, water, medical care, 3 Actionists are accused of taking practical steps to remediate their suffering. They should not be locked up for this; they should be celebrated. As of now, our 3 comrades have been handed a slew of trumped-up charges, & are being held on preventative detention without bail or a hearing. Even with the phony charges, there is no precedent for this in the Free State of New Hampshire. This is political targeting.

A similar incident was reported on Oct. 31, 2023, when Palestinian Action claimed responsibility for shutting down operations at Elbit Systems Boston headquarters.

As reported by the Independent, some 200 protesters gathered outside the office chanting Elbit Systems has got to go. They also reported that some protesters were overheard telling police officers, Youre defending genocide of children, and calling them f***ing pigs as police shouted to the protesters to get back.

As news circulated around the state, statements were issued denouncing the Merrimack protest.

Gov. Chris Sununu released this statement at about 4 p.m.

The antisemitism, hate, and significant damage protesters brought to Elbit Americas campus this morning has no place in our state and will not be tolerated, said Governor Chris Sununu. I am confident law enforcement will work to bring those responsible for this vile act of hate to swift justice. The people of New Hampshire stand with Israel and with Elbit Systems of America.

Also weighing in was NH Senate President Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfeboro), who released the following statement on behalf of the NH Senate supporting Elbit Systems in Merrimack:

I am appalled that the Elbit Systems Merrimack facility was significantly vandalized today. Elbit Systems is an Israeli-owned company that employs over 600 hundred workers in the Granite State and helps produce equipment for our Aerospace and Defense sectors. New Hampshires location in Merrimack, as well as others across the country, have been hit with protests and vandalism since October 12th.

Free speech does not support threats or vandalism and I hope that the perpetrators are vigorously prosecuted for these crimes. We have seen a steady rise in anti-Semitism, and we continue to condemn this behavior.

The Senate stands with Israel and supports this Israeli business that provides countless economic opportunities for Granite Staters.

Merrimack Police say this incident remains under investigation and that they are being assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and is working toward identifying any and all coconspirators. Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Merrimack Police Department at (603) 424-3774, or to report anonymously, through Merrimack Crimeline at (603) 424-2424.

These articles are being shared by partners in The Granite State News Collaborative. For more information visit collaborativenh.org.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Protesters charged after incident at Israeli-owned NH company
Beijing hosts delegation, urges immediate cease-fire in Gaza

08:54, November 21, 2023 By Chen Qingqing ( Global Times

Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets a delegation of foreign ministers from Arab and Islamic countries in Beijing on November 20, 2023. Photo: Chinese Foreign Ministry

China urged an immediate cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, expressed opposition to any forced displacement and relocation of Palestinian civilians and emphasized that any arrangement concerning the future and destiny of the Palestinian people must have their consent, Chinese top diplomat Wang Yi told visiting Arab and Islamic foreign ministers on Monday.

Apart from talks with Arab and Islamic countries, China is also keeping communication with other permanent members of the UN Security Council on the Palestinian-Israeli issue.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that it is imperative to avoid further deterioration of the Palestinian-Israeli situation, especially the emergence of a more serious humanitarian crisis.

The two heads of state, in a telephone conversation on Monday, agreed that the two-state solution is the fundamental way to solve the cycle of Palestinian-Israeli conflicts.

At the invitation of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, President Xi Jinping will attend the BRICS extraordinary virtual summit on the Palestinian-Israeli issue and deliver important remarks in Beijing on the evening of November 21, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying announced on Monday night.

China will continue to work with Arab and Islamic countries to promote the full implementation of the relevant resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Chinese Vice President Han Zheng said on Monday while meeting the delegation of Arab and Islamic foreign ministers in Beijing.

China highly appreciates the peace efforts and the call for justice at the Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit and supports the joint ministerial follow-up committee to play a greater role, Han said.

A delegation consisting of Arab and Islamic foreign ministers is visiting China from Monday to Tuesday, including Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki and Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Hissein Brahim Taha.

During the visit, China will have in-depth communication and coordination with the delegation on ways to deescalate the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict, protect civilians and seek a just settlement of the Palestinian question, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

The delegation, which is set to meet officials representing each of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, is also piling pressure on the West to reject Israel's justification of its actions against Palestinians as self-defense, and Beijing is the first leg of their tour, Reuters reported on Monday.

The UN Security Council must listen to the voices of Arab and Islamic countries and take responsible actions to cool down the situation, Wang said. As the rotating presidency of the Security Council, China will continue to strengthen coordination with Arab and Islamic countries, build consensus and push the Security Council to take further meaningful actions on the situation in Gaza, Wang said.

Taking China as the first stop of its international mediation efforts shows a high degree of trust in China and reflects the fine tradition of mutual understanding and mutual support between the two sides. China is a good friend and a good brother of Arab and Islamic countries, Wang told Arab and Islamic diplomats.

China has always firmly upheld the legitimate rights and interests of Arab and Islamic countries and firmly supported the just cause of the Palestinian people in restoring their legitimate national rights and interests, the Chinese diplomat said.

In regard to this conflict, China has firmly stood on the side of justice and fairness, has been working hard to de-escalate the conflict, protect civilians, expand humanitarian aid, and prevent humanitarian disasters, and has been calling for a return to the two-state solution and the early settlement of the Palestinian question, Wang said.

The visit also came after the UN Security Council adopted its first resolution on Wednesday since the Israeli-Palestinian conflict broke out under China's active rotating presidency role. The council had failed to adopt four draft resolutions on the situation in a row.

China's position on the Palestinian question aligns with that of the Arab and Islamic world and its proposition on the issue is also in line with the status of the issue itself, helping China gain the trust of the Arab and Islamic countries, some experts said. Under China's mediation, Saudi Arabia and Iran have agreed to restore diplomatic relations in March, highlighting the constructive role that China has been playing in the Middle East.

Major push for peace

In the meeting with Arab and Islamic officials, the Chinese Foreign Minister said the pressing task now is to fully implement relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly and achieve an immediate cease-fire and cessation of hostilities. A cease-fire should not be a diplomatic rhetoric. It is a matter of life and death for the people in Gaza.

A cease-fire should be achieved as a top priority. This is the pressing need of the people in Gaza, the wish of the overwhelming majority of countries, and the unanimous voice of all peace-loving people around the world, Wang said.

"A cease-fire and humanitarian pauses are two different things. While Arab and Islamic countries and China are demanding a cease-fire, the US-led West is asking for humanitarian pauses," Niu Xinchun, a research fellow at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times on Monday. "There's still a huge gap between humanitarian pauses and a ceasefire."

The latest resolution adopted by the UN Security Council called for "urgent and extended humanitarian pauses and corridors throughout the Gaza Strip", with three abstentions - Russia, the US and the UK. Some experts saw the resolution as being a product of compromise.

Countries like Jordan and Egypt play an important role on the Palestinian question. For example, as one of the surrounding countries to the Gaza Strip, Egypt could play a bigger role in terms of humanitarian aid, Liu Zhongmin, a professor at the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times on Monday.

"Also, countries like Saudi Arabia and Egypt could play an important role in the future resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in which the discussion between those countries and China could focus on some practical issues," Liu said.

The fundamental reason for the cycle of conflict between Palestine and Israel is that the Palestinian people's right to statehood and survival and their right of return to their homes have been ignored for a long time, Wang said at the meeting.

The way out is to implement the two-state solution and establish an independent Palestinian state. China calls for an early convening of an international peace conference with greater scale, scope and effectiveness, and a timetable and roadmap for this purpose, Wang said.

Divisions exist

In a recent joint Islamic-Arab summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and other Muslim countries called for an immediate end to military operations in Gaza, rejecting Israel's justification of its actions against Palestinians as "self-defense." The development was seen as a historic moment of the Arab-Islamic world moving toward unity while Israel intensifies its attacks on the Gaza Strip.

However, the absence of Turkey and Iran from the delegation showed that divisions still exist among Arab and Islamic countries, especially when Turkey's stance on the Palestinian question appeared to be much stronger than Saudi Arabia's, experts noted. "They did not come up with a consensus on imposing countermeasures on Israel nor measures against the US, showing that Arab-Islamic unity is still in question," Liu said.

An Israeli official said on Monday that progress has been made in the Qatar-mediated talks aimed at freeing some of the 240 hostages held by Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.

According to Israel's state-owned Kan TV news, the proposed deal includes the release of about 50 women and children, who would be released in several stages. In exchange, Palestinian women and minors currently held in Israeli prisons would be released, in addition to a few-day pause in the relentless Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip.

Six weeks into the war, Israel is facing intense international pressure to justify its operations, according to the media report.

Israel officials have also warned that a "window of legitimacy" for the war to rout Hamas may be closing, media reported.

"It's hard to say if the conflict will become a long-term war, but at least it won't stop for now," Niu said, noting that as Israel's own goals are far from being met.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
A Paradise Township man was charged with arson, ethnic intimidation and criminal mischief after allegedly lighting a flag on fire at Keokee Chapel United Methodist Church.

Pennsylvania State Police arrived at the church around 5:12 p.m. Monday "for reports of a flag on fire attached to the church," according to a news release issued Tuesday. The fire was extinguished by Pocono Mountain Volunteer Fire Company before it could spread to the church.

Witnesses described a man seen near the fire, and police arrested and charged 65-year-old Steven Meyer.

The ethnic intimidation charge was "because of the hatred showed towards the church which represents a religion," emailed Trooper Anthony Petroski, public information officer with Troop N. He also confirmed that the flag was an American flag.

Under Pennsylvania law, ethnic intimidation includes offenses committed "with malicious intention toward the race, color, religion or national origin of another individual or group of individuals."

This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: Police: Paradise Twp. man lit flag on fire at Poconos church
Psychologists tell us what Ukrainian teenagers living in war dream of

Over the past two years, Ukrainian children have had to study amidst alarms, blackouts, and shelling, sometimes spending hours of their days sheltering in basements during Russian air attacks.

The situation is particularly challenging for those studying near the borders with Russia, Belarus, and the occupied territories, where internet connectivity is extremely weak, often hindering online learning.

What fears and pains does the current generation face? How does it affect their emotions, dreams for the future, and their biggest aspirations?

Psychologists from the NGO GoGlobal analyzed the lives of Ukrainian teenagers in regions bordering Russia and Belarus, as well as in occupied territories, revealing their concerns and fears.

Read also: Young people from occupied Donbas face major problems in obtaining Ukrainian citizenship

When we left Kherson, I thought it would only be for a few days. Then I thought it would be a couple of weeks, and then I realized it would be for a long time, says Albina from Kherson.

I gradually managed to build a life from scratch. But I want to return to Kherson 100%. Its my hometown, and I havent been there for two years. I want to go home. And I want to help the civilian population.

The situation for children living near conflict zones is far from simple. Yet, they find the strength and courage to assist their communities and support each other in difficult times.

When our city is not under shelling, I visit the local volunteer center, says Sofia, who resides in Bilopillia in Sumy Oblast.

There, together with my friends and other residents, we weave camouflage nets for the defenders. We also organize events to support the Armed Forces. I love initiatives aimed at helping, and I gladly participate in them.

@GoGlobal

These young people reflect the strength and determination necessary to build a better future, GoGlobal said.

I really want to stay in Ukraine. I want to enroll and graduate from university, I want to grow and contribute to the development of our Ukraine, participate in the reconstruction. I think that after such a long period of suffering, we deserve to be recognized and heard, says Sofia.

Read also: Not in interests of some European states to send Ukrainian children home after war, says lawyer

Experts working with children note a positive trend: despite difficulties and trials, teenagers have not lost interest in learning, and although they have certain fears, they try to plan their future.

As an educational foundation, we understand how to work with these children. We call them the Generation of Victory, with fears, pain, and sometimes despair, says Lyubov Zalyubovska, head of educational programs at the GoGlobal NGO.

But we understand that these adolescents have a demand for self-understanding, understanding their mental state, and interaction in general.

In addition to dreams of the future, faith in victory, and ambitious plans, children also harbor fears.

These include the fear of not entering university, uncertainty in love, and the importance of choosing their life path.

Im afraid of not achieving anything in this life. Im afraid of making a mistake that will cost me something important. I fear not revealing myself as much as the opportunities allow, says Sofia.

I have a certain fear that now, as I determine my profession and start this path, everything will not go as planned. Nobody knows what tomorrow will bring, says Albina.

@GoGlobal

Fears about the future are not exclusive to those living in border areas. Adolescents in remote regions of Ukraine, far from Russia and Belarus, also express that they cannot plan their future in wartime.

I cannot predict my future because of the war, says Vadym, an eleventh-grader from Lviv.

I dont see my future in military affairs; I dont dream of being a soldier. Therefore, my biggest fear is that the war will continue, and Ill have to interrupt my education and abandon my dreams.

Indeed, this is a new context of life circumstances: teachers demand homework completion after night shelling and sleepless nights, friends are scattered worldwide, leading to feelings of loneliness, parents may be strained due to their own unstable emotional states, and children further withdraw. Episodic online learning triggers fears about university admission, career choices, and dream realization.

@GoGlobal

Psychologists strongly recommend that adults pay attention to the psychological well-being of these children.

Read also: Three stories of participants of Revolution of Dignity fighting against Russia today

The first thing I advise, and this is confirmed by experience, is to be there for them, noted Tetiana Zavyalova, a crisis program psychologist at GoGlobal.

In any situation, a child must know that an adult is nearby and will accept any emotional expression.

Accept the child, explain what they need, give them time to express and experience their emotions. We, as adults, must take care of the mental health of our children. And we need to do it now. This way, children will have more chances to feel safe and achieve their goals, said Zavyalova.

She also advised not to pressure children regarding their studies because educational losses can be compensated, but dealing with their emotional and psychological state is much more challenging.

We will have time to teach them the Pythagorean theorem. Today, we must ensure the childs basic needs: sleep, nutrition, routine, love, support, and recognition from loved ones. Yes, we cannot fully plan our future, but we are doing everything possible here and now, added Zavyalova.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Municipalities that once provided records by email are requiring people to collect documents in person during business hours, a requirement that can pose a challenge to people with disabilities, transportation issues, and daytime jobs.

Two years ago, a request for public records revealed an illegal and lucrative land deal in Webster between the town and the town treasurer. The treasurer was charged and cant hold public office in Webster again.

In Nashua, a residents requests for public records won her a tax abatement after the state Board of Tax and Land Appeals found the city had assessed similar properties differently.

Last year, the Concord Monitor submitted records requests to every New Hampshire city and town for its Counting Cops investigation that showed the number of police officers in the state had grown much faster in the past two decades than the population and crime rate. Editor Jonathan Van Fleet believed the information was crucial to local budget and policy decisions.

As budgets and tax pressures grow, there is a conversation to be had about how our resources should be allocated, Van Fleet said.

Access to those kinds of records is getting harder under new local right-to-know policies and guidance the New Hampshire Municipal Association is giving local officials.

Based on the associations advice, municipalities that once provided records by email are requiring people to collect documents in person during business hours, a requirement that can pose a challenge to people with disabilities, transportation issues, and daytime jobs.

The New Hampshire Municipal Association has also told public officials they can reply to requests from New Hampshire residents differently than those from out-of-state, telling Milford officials during an April training that there is some basis to read the right-to-know law as pertaining only to residents.

The associations guidance is raising concerns among lawmakers, lawyers, and government accountability groups. There will be at least two bills next session aimed at strengthening the publics access to records, one in response to the associations new recommendations.

I think that (associations) advice and anyone adopting such changes are completely contrary to the constitution of New Hampshire, to (the law) 91-A, and to Supreme Court law in New Hampshire, said attorney Greg Sullivan, who has represented media outlets and individuals in right-to-know cases. Its plainly wrong. The purpose of the right-to-know law is to make documents accessible to the public to ensure the utmost information is available to the public.

Americans for Prosperity New Hampshire, a conservative advocacy group that objected to legislation last year that would have allowed municipalities to charge up to $25 an hour to search for records in some cases, agreed.

In the end, the (New Hampshire) Municipal Association has to know that tightening access to government records is undoubtedly going to cause a legislative response, said its state director, Greg Moore, in an email. New Hampshire is considered one of the least corrupt states in America precisely because of the level of transparency and accountability that we have here and the Legislature knows that.

The New Hampshire Municipal Association declined to make someone available for an interview, citing the staffs workload preparing for its mid-November annual conference.

In an email, Executive Director Margaret Byrne pointed the Bulletin to sections of the right-to-know law and a 2017 state Supreme Court case involving a school district that make clear municipalities have a right to require someone to retrieve records in person, during business hours.

The justices also said the districts concerns about cybersecurity threats had merit.

There is no agreement, however, on the second issue, denying out-of-state residents the same access to public records as given to residents.

When the New Hampshire Municipal Association advised New Durham town officials to stop emailing records requested under the right-to-know law, Rep. David Bickford filed a bill that would make clear emailing documents is an option.

The law sets no residency requirements. Some municipalities do.

Harrison Thorp, editor and publisher of The Rochester Voice, said he had long received public records via email from Rochester officials when the citys attorney, Terence ORourke, reversed course in April and told him hed have to review records in person, at city hall, during business hours.

The reason? While Thorp writes about a New Hampshire city and his news site is registered in the state, he lives eight miles away, in Maine.

As you know, (the New Hampshire right-to-know law), which pertains to a public bodies (sic) obligation to send records to a requestor, only applies to citizens of New Hampshire, wrote ORourke in an email. Based on research, it is clear that you are not a citizen of New Hampshire and the Rochester Voice is not a citizen of New Hampshire either. Unless you can provide proof of citizenship, I will no longer be providing you with governmental records.

The citys right-to-know policy ties its residency requirement to a 2013 U.S. Supreme Court ruling involving Virginias public records practices. The court identified New Hampshire as a state that restricts its right to public records to residents.

There is nothing, however, in New Hampshires right-to-know law restricting its freedom of information protections to residents. The law references only citizens, not New Hampshire citizens.

Attorney Stephen Buckley, director of the New Hampshire Municipal Associations legal services, acknowledged that in an April training session with Milford officials, saying, The statute does not define citizens.

The Attorney Generals Office is even more clear in its guide to using the right-to-know law. It noted the law does not even require individuals to identify themselves when requesting records. (The law) refers to citizens, but the right-to-know law does not define this term, it wrote. Instead, the statute emphasizes accountability to the people, accessibility to the public, and the goals of a democratic society. An agency should not, therefore, require persons requesting access to public documents to demonstrate that they are citizens of either New Hampshire or the United States.

The states right-to-know ombudsman, Thomas Kehr, came to a similar conclusion in a decision earlier this month.

Thorp filed a complaint against the city with Kehr, asking that he find the city in violation of the right-to-know law. Kehr declined to decide that question because the underlying issue  whether the right-to-know law pertains only to New Hampshire residents  is undecided.

Kehr noted that only the state Supreme Court, as opposed to the U.S. Supreme Court, can interpret legislators intent behind state laws. Kehr encouraged the parties to ask the Legislature or state Supreme Court to resolve the issue.

The matter at hand presents the aspect of RSA 91-A that has been most in need of clarification, Kehr wrote. His decision illustrated the complexity of the question.

The law would allow easier access to New Hampshire residents living abroad who have little concern for civic affairs, he wrote, and less access for immigrants, who are not citizens but have permanent residency, pay local taxes, and actively participate in civic life.

The (right-to-know ombudsman) is skeptical that this result was intended by the (Legislature) when it considered the language of RSA 91-A.

Rochesters current public records policy has been in place since at least 2019; Thorp said hes lived in Maine since he began writing about the city in 2017.

Its unclear why Rochester raised Thorps residency now. ORourke referred questions to the citys public information officer, who was not available for an interview.

Elsewhere, public officials have cited massive records requests from out-of-state advocacy groups and businesses. Several pointed to SmartProcure, which requests months or more of purchase orders, for example, to compare what communities are paying for equipment.

Thorp believes city officials changed how they handle his records request because they dislike his editorials and reporting on two high-profile issues: allegations that a city councilor had sexually assaulted a current councilor and a former councilor, and a nearly $300,000 land purchase.

I was so taken aback, Thorp said. I have been a journalist for 40 freaking years. I have never heard of this before.

Public information belongs to all

The right-to-know law, state constitution, and legal precedent are adamant and unified in forbidding an unreasonable restriction to governmental documents and proceedings. But they give public officials discretion in how they provide those records.

They are not required to email documents but they can, and many do, including state agencies and some municipalities. The town of Hudsons policy, which Buckley from the New Hampshire Municipal Association referred to as a good model at his Milton training, lists four ways to make records available: printed and picked up, emailed, loaded onto a USB drive, or mailed.

In October, the town of New Hampton announced on its website that it would no longer provide electronic copies of records on the advice of the association. Individuals must come to town hall to view the documents. Copies are provided for a fee, it said.

Interim Town Administrator Cecile Chase referred the Bulletin to the association when asked why the town made the change. She indicated the identity of the person requesting the records could be a concern.

We certainly support open government and want to provide people the documents they are requesting, she said. But you want to be able to identify who is requesting that information. I believe what (the association) said is anybody can send an email query. Do you really know who is on the other end of that email?

The state Supreme Court, however, said in a 2018 opinion that a person may have legitimate reason for not disclosing their name when requesting records, and can make a request through someone else, such as an attorney.

The justices cited an opinion handed down in 2008 that said: Information that is subject to disclosure under the right-to-know law belongs to citizens to do with as they choose. As a general rule, if the information is subject to disclosure, it belongs to all.

Van Fleet at the Monitor said its year-long investigation into law enforcement staffing would have been impossible if municipalities had refused to email their records. As it was, nearly half refused to provide documents or didnt respond, leaving staff to track that information down in more cumbersome ways, Van Fleet said.

If they are electronic records, and we live in an electronic age, to ask (public officials) to send electronic records electronically seems to make sense, he said. It doesnt seem to be too much to ask. Its like telling the post office to deliver the mail by horse and buggy.

Katherine Kokko, president of Right to Know NH, which provides training and guidance on using the law, agrees the law allows municipalities to require in-person collection of records.

Our position is that it is absolutely legal but we prefer to see towns using some direction and have some flexibility in how they (deliver documents,) she said. However, if this is being used as a way to make it more difficult to have access to information, it will get pushback from groups like ours.

Gilles Bissonnette, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire, said they are seeing an increase in municipalities requiring people to collect records in person that could be easily emailed.

Using our government transparency law to force people to collect documents in person that could be easily emailed is incompatible with the laws purpose, he said in an email. This practice needlessly places a barrier to access public documents, and we hope it can be addressed at the Legislature.

Rep. David Bickford, a New Durham Republican, does too.

Bickford attended a September training by the New Hampshire Municipal Association and was concerned to hear its lawyer say records should not be emailed. He will introduce a bill in January that would make clear in state law that there is nothing preventing municipalities from emailing records. Though they could still decline to.

I just think the Municipal Association is leading us in the wrong direction, Bickford said. We dont need to have the stumbling block of requiring people to show up in person. If they are asking you for something, just give it to them. It can be done electronically. Weve been doing that for years.

This story was originally published by the New Hampshire Bulletin

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: NH Municipal Assoc. makes it harder for public to get public records
The Justice Department has accused Jamie Buteau of being among those who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. In this screen grab from closed-circuit television, a man identified as Buteau holds a chair while standing in the Capitol Visitor Center. Federal officials said that, moments later, he threw the chair at two U.S. Capitol Police officers, striking one of them. The screen grab is included in a criminal complaint that charges Buteau and his wife, Jennifer.

Two more Marion County residents who have been charged in connection with the Jan. 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol have been sentenced.

Married couple Jamie and Jennifer Buteau were sentenced Monday in federal court in Washington D.C. Jamie Buteau, 50, was sentenced to 22 months in prison. He also must serve 24 months of supervised release and pay $2,000 in restitution, according to a news release from the Justice Department.

Jennifer Buteau, 46, was sentenced to serve a 90-days term behind bars.

According to a federal criminal complaint, the Buteaus entered the U.S. Capitol building at 2:25 p.m. on Jan. 6 through a broken door in the Senate wing. The husband is accused of throwing a chair at two Capitol Police officers, striking one of them. They left at 2:46 p.m.

Jamie Buteau previously had pleaded guilty to the felony offense of assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers. Jennifer Buteau had pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. Sentencing was delayed until Monday.

This photo of Jennifer and Jamie Buteau inside the U.S. Capitol complex on Jan. 6 is included in a criminal complaint that charges them with a host of federal crimes.

Other Marion County cases

+ After being found guilty at trial in November 2022, Kelly Meggs was sentenced in May to a 12-year prison term for seditious conspiracy, conspiracy, obstruction of an official proceeding and aiding and abetting; destruction of government property and aiding and abetting; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; and tampering with documents or proceedings.

+ Connie Meggs was found guilty at trial on March 20. Sentencing is pending. She was charged with conspiracy, obstruction of an official proceeding and aiding and abetting; destruction of government property and aiding and abetting; and entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds.

+ Michael Curzio, of Summerfield, was sentenced to six months in jail and $500 in restitution. As part of a plea bargain, Curzio pleaded guilty to parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.

+ In January 2022, Kenneth Kelly was sentenced to one year of probation including 60 days of house arrest. As part of a plea deal, he pleaded guilty to parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Punishment decided for two Marion residents in Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol attack
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.  To his students at Purdue University, Gebisa Ejeta is seen as one of the top professors in the field of plant breeding & genetics and international agriculture.

To the people of Ethiopia, Ejeta is perhaps seen as one of the countrys greatest scientists.

However, Ejeta would never say that himself; hes a humble man when it comes to his research.

But last month, the world learned of Ejetas research after he was recognized by President Joe Biden when Ejeta was awarded the National Medal of Science  one of the highest honors a scientist can achieve.

Ejeta was recognized for his contributions to the science of plant genetics for developing strains of sorghum that can withstand droughts and parasites, which have played an instrumental role in feeding millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa.

The National Medal of Science is given for outstanding contributions to the knowledge in the sciences, President Biden said in his speech at the White House.

Ambassador Kenneth M. Quinn, president emeritus of the World Food Prize Foundation, and 2009 World Food Prize laureate Gebisa Ejeta are introduced during the World Food Prize ceremony at the Iowa Capitol in Des Moines on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023

"By developing sorghum strains that withstand droughts and parasites, he has improved food security for millions. His advocacy for science, policy, and institutions as key to economic development has lifted the fortunes of farmers and strengthened the souls of nations.

Ejeta's scientific accomplishments have altered the lives of millions of people around the world, as sorghum is the fifth most-produced grain globally and plays an important role in food security in some of the poorest parts of the world.

In 2009, his research earned him the 2009 World Food Prize as well as the recognition of his home country when he was awarded Ethiopias National Hero Award, Ethiopias highest honor.

And as he reflected on all of the achievements hes completed in his life and in this world, Ejeta would tell people that it started by accident.

Ejeta finds his love for science

As a child, Ejeta never had the dream of becoming a world-renowned scientist. Truly his relationship to education started like how many of ours started  he went to school because his mother told him to.

I got into science accidentally. I was just a little kid going to school in a poor village in Ethiopia and initially, my mother put me into school just to learn how to read and write, Ejeta said.

But back then, people were beginning to get a modern education. Back then we didnt have a government school or private school in the village I was living in. My mother looked into and in a small village, we had a school put together by two teachers who wanted to teach the kids their alphabets, mathematics and so on.

I spent three years there. But it was a one-room school, and the groups were divided up into first, second and third grade. So come the fourth grade we were told we had to find a new school but there was nothing in my village.

Once Ejeta completed the third grade he found himself in a situation, where his mother wanted Ejeta to continue his education, but the closest school was about 20 kilometers away from his village.

Gebisa Ejeta.

We made a plan. My mother decided she would put me in school there and found someone I could stay with for the week. I would then walk 20 kilometers on a Sunday afternoon and go there for the week, he said.

And for the next four years, Ejeta would routinely do this trip in order to receive an education. In his eighth-grade year, Ejeta completed the nations assessment test, which would determine if a student qualified for high school.

At the time when I went to school, there were four boarding high schools around the county. One was a technical school, a couple of them were in agriculture and one was a commercial school.

I was advised that the ag schools were well endowed with resources because one of them in particular was an American school.

Ejeta explained that during this time, Oklahoma State University had created a high school for students in Ethiopia as a way to prepare them for college-level education at a university led by Oklahoma State University administrators and professors.

He explained Oklahoma State University noticed that many students in Ethiopia didnt want to attend their college of agriculture, instead opting to focus on universities that excelled at medicine or business, and so to combat this issue, the university created these high schools as a way to incentivize and introduce students to agricultural science.

Ejeta made it his goal to attend this high school, knowing that the resources provided at the American school would be instrumental in his academic endeavors. After months of studying, he scored high enough to be offered enrollment at the high schools.

Over the next four years, Ejeta studied a variety of sciences that were offered at the high schools in hopes of determining what he would want to study in college.

He ultimately decided to enroll as an engineering major at Alemaya College. However, that decision did not last long as he soon questioned if he really wanted to study engineering and whether hed be able to find work in the field.

Ejeta then started to ask his professors about the other majors offered at the university in hopes of finding a new subject he could transfer to.

Thats when he met a fledgling plant science professor, who had just graduated with his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. While talking to this professor, Ejeta remembered how the professor tried to wow him with the idea of other scientists who had won Nobel Prizes and addressed food scarcity issues with their work in plant breeding and genetics.

That resonates with me. So, I switched to plant sciences and thats how I started in plant science and eventually studied plant genetics when came to the United States, he said.

I accidentally backed into it and then loved it and stayed with it.

Journey to America

After Ejeta earned his bachelors degree in plant sciences, professors at his university asked if he had any ambition to continue his education and obtain a masters degree in the subject.

Alemaya College had a partnership program with Oklahoma State University in which they would send students to the United States to earn graduate degrees with the hope that those students would return to Alemaya College and become professors.

Although Oklahoma State University built and led the university, the goal at the end of the day was to cultivate enough academics to the point that Oklahoma State University could hand over the leadership to Ethiopian academics.

When Ejeta learned about this offer, he jumped at the opportunity.

The professor explained the university had received a grant to study certain crops and he wanted Ejeta to be one of the lead researchers on the project. Ejeta would be able to create a team of scientists and then they would fly out to a university in Canada to complete their research and earn their masters degrees.

But at the last minute, after building the team of scientists Ejeta decided not to join the group and stayed in Ethiopia. He wanted to find a different university to obtain his masters degree and continue his research.

I decided not to go. The reason was I had just worked for a year and a half on a crop, and I liked what I was doing. And I wanted to advance my knowledge working on the crop and I soon found out immediately that theres no sorghum growing in Canada. So, I decided to stay behind and look for another opportunity, he said.

But again, by accident, a professor (John Axtell) at Purdue University who led the sorghum research team had just made a major discovery and he was becoming widely known.

He wrote to my supervisor and told my supervisor that he was coming to tour our crops. He told me that he wanted me to accompany them on the trip since I was the only junior staff working at the time.

At the end of the tour, Axtell took an interest in Ejeta and asked Ejetas supervisor what plans the university had for his advanced education.

We had everything lined up for him to send him to Canada, but he refused to go. He wants to go to the United States, Ejeta recalled his supervisor telling Axtell.

In that case, I have a place for him. Ill take him, he recalled the Axtell telling his supervisor.

So again, I stumbled into this opportunity by chance. The chance to come here and I couldnt have chosen a better human being or a better mentor than the person I worked with, he said.

Ejeta recalled how important Axtell was to him as a mentor. Ejeta believed that he would not be the scientist he is today or make the discoveries he did without the leadership of Axtell.

He also recalled his favorite memory that he had of Axtell, and it was from early on in their academic careers.

First year in graduate school, I took his course, advanced genetics and wrote a term paper. When he returned my term paper, which I wrote about the discovery he had made and what opportunities there were that technologies would render and help develop strains that improve nutritional qualities. And he liked that, he said.

He wrote on the back on a note what it said was, Excellent paper. Twenty years from now the best discovery is not highlighting sorghum, which is what I wrote the paper on, but it would be a scientist named Gebisa. A scientist we collected from Ethiopia.' 

Gebisa Ejeta, left, receives the World Food Prize diploma from John Ruan III Friday, Oct. 16, 2009, at the World Food Prize luncheon in Des Moines.

Ejeta wished he still had that note. He had saved it for many years but lost it after years of moving. He searched for it desperately after winning the 2009 World Food Prize Laureate for his work in sorghum.

Axtell passed away in December 2000. During his academic career, Axtell received the Alexander von Humboldt Award in 1975, the Crop Science Research Award from the Crop Science Society of America in 1976 and the International Award for Distinguished Service to Agriculture in 1984.

Ejeta earned his masters and Ph.D. in plant breeding and genetics from Purdue in 1978, where he would later become a faculty member in the College of Agriculture and researcher since 1984.

The Steps Towards Scientific Discovery

Soon after earning his degrees at Purdue University, Ejeta went into the job market hoping to find a research opportunity somewhere in the world.

Although he wanted to return home, he could not return due to a civil that had broken out in Ethiopia.

Ejeta opted to focus on his research and found a job with the International Crop Research Institute for Semi-arid Tropics, where he conducted sorghum research in Sudan for five years.

During those five years, I developed the first commercial sorghum hybrid in Africa. A commercial sorghum hybrid that was drought tolerant in Africa for the first time, he said.

Ejeta was hailed as a hero for his scientific discovery. He witnesses how his discovery had a positive impact on both farmers and the people of Africa. This discovery motivated him to continue his work in the field of sorghum.

I grew up poor. I knew what it means not to have food. And in those days, there were times I didnt have a meal or breakfast to eat. Skipping meals was normal for me, so I was hungry in those years. I know what it means to be hungry, he said.

Everyone around me was in the same boat That was my motivation.

After his discovery, Ejeta returned to Purdue University in 1984 as a professor, where he continued his research on sorghum and in plant breeding & genetics.

Ejeta, the world-renowned scientist

During his time at Purdue University, he continued his research primarily focusing on developing strains of sorghum that would be drought-resistant, parasitic-resistant, and less susceptible to plant diseases, increasing the nutritional value of the crop as well as ensuring that the crop stayed affordable for the people of Africa and developing nations.

Gebisa Ejeta is the distinguished professor of agronomy.

It was through this research that hes completed over the past four decades which has made his name known worldwide in the field of plant breeding & genetics and international agriculture.

Through the work hes completed, he earned the position of Distinguished Professor of plant breeding and genetics and International Agriculture at Purdue University, executive director of the Purdue Center for Global Food Security and Purdue University Presidential Fellow for Food Security and Sustainable Global Development.

Ejeta was also appointed to the Board for International Food and Agricultural Development in 2011 by President Barack Obama. He was also a member of the U.S. Board for International Food and Agricultural Development and the U.N. Secretarys Scientific Advisory Board.

But through all of those accomplishments, Ejeta noted that there were only ever two moments in his life that he would deem overwhelming.

Those being when he found out he had been awarded the World Food Prize, one of the highest honors a food scientist could earn and when he was awarded the National Medal of Science from President Joe Biden.

Its overwhelming. Regardless of how many times people tell you that you deserve it, you always say, why me? Whats so special about me, he said.

It gives you a pause to appreciate what youve done. Its empowering for people to tell you that.

The day Ejeta visited the White House, he remembered sharing the stage with other scientists whom he looked up to and respected due to their research and contributions to science.

To be considered on par with them was overwhelming and humbling, he said.

Ejeta reflected on the day he received the medal from President Biden and expressed how it was a surreal moment for him.

Its hard to describe because you have an image of who gets invited to the white house. Only very few people get to do that.

When the president puts that medal around your neck. Its heavy. Its heavy.

And when youre someone like me. When you realize where you came from thats a long way. A long way for someone who was a scrawny kid in a rural village in Ethiopia to eventually make it to the White House to be recognized among the best scientists in the world. Its just heavy.

After all was said and done. Ejeta reflected on the incredible experiences hes gone through over his lifetime and how grateful he was to America for recognizing him for his contribution to science and to the world.

In my country, war heroes are recognized, athletes are recognized, but not scientists. But I think what a great notion that they have in the developed world, particularly in this country to encourage people to provide recognition to their own and to transplants, he said.

To recognize a foreigner, who got his citizenship here, that the country would treat you like this is special. All that matters is not where you came from but who you are, what your character is, what your work, and being recognized. There are very few countries in the world that do this for immigrants.

This is a great country from that point of view. As President Biden would say, its a country of possibilities. Thats what he told us at the White House and its something that I truly believe in.

Noe Padilla is a reporter for the Journal & Courier. Email him at Npadilla@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter at 1NoePadilla.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Gebisa Ejeta: The man who fed millions, earned the president's respect
Massachusetts law is clear dogs and cats must get a rabies vaccine.

Dr. Meera Gatlin, assistant teaching professor of public health at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, said We have actually done a remarkable job in the 20th century of basically eradicating the dog as host for rabies affecting people.

While 60,000 people a year die from rabies infections worldwide. The number in the United States is currently zero.

A growing number of dog owners, however, are expressing skepticism about inoculating their pets against this fatal disease.

This is referred to as Canine Vaccine Hesitancy.

A poll published in the journal Vaccine found that 53% of dog owners have some concern about the safety, efficacy, or necessity of rabies vaccines.

37% believe the shots can lead to cognitive issues like autism.

We worry that the consequences of non-vaccination could impact both our four-legged friends as well as all of us, said Matt Motta, Ph.D., an assistant professor at the Boston University School of Public Health.

He is one of the lead researchers on the study that commissioned the poll.

Motta says dog owners should be thinking about the increased likelihood of their pets coming in contact with wildlife.

Coyotes, for example, are commonly seen in more populated areas lately.

Last week, one was caught on video roaming the Boston 25 parking lot in Dedham.

In Brighton, two large coyotes were on a womans lawn when she returned home during the day.

Raccoons are another concern.

Thats alarming to us, said Motta. They could potentially get our four-legged friends sick and that of course increases the risk of getting all of us sick if we come in contact with the unvaccinated animals.

Dr. Gatlin added, The major risk is a resurgence of diseases that weve done an effective job controlling . . . rabies is nearly fatal in both animals and in people.

Some degree of vaccine hesitancy has been around for a while, but Gatlin says the backlash against the COVID vaccines brought it to a head in many cases.

She says the best approach is to ask a veterinarian questions if you have any concerns. I really encourage these individuals to speak to people who really know the science behind it . . . I think a lot of misinformation is being spread around.

State law requires every dog to get a license from their city or town.

Proof of a rabies vaccine is a requirement to get that license.

Boston 25 News checked around the area.

Boston and Worcester levy fines of $50 for an unlicensed dog.

Barnstable can go as high as $75.

Reading starts with a $10 fine and increases it by increments of $5.

Dr. Gatlin says there are often free or low-cost rabies clinics held in the spring.

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The family of Rachel Morin is appealing to high schools in Los Angeles for information regarding a suspect connected with her murder.

Morin went missing in August and her body was found by a searcher on Marylands Ma and Pa Trail in Harford County the following day.

Randolph Rice, an attorney for the mother-of-fives family, told The Messenger that investigators believe the killer is between 20 and 30 years of age, meaning he couldve been in high school two years ago.

As a result, the attorney sent personalised letters to principals of Los Angeles high schools, including John C Fremont High School, Dr Maya Angelou Community Senior High, Augustus F Hawkins High School, Mervyn M Dymally High School, and South East High School, WBFF, a Fox News affiliate reported.

The schools are close to where security footage of the man leaving a home invasion was taken in March. Officials say the man also sexually assaulted a juvenile female while at the residence.

The video only shows the mans legs and back. His face is not visible in the footage. He has been described as 59, 160lbs, with a brown complexion.

Officials hope high schools close to where surveillance footage of Rachel Morins alleged killer was taken help provide his identity (Harford County Sheriffs Office, Maryland Police)

We believe he is familiar with this area, and thus, he would have ties to the community, such as a former student in one of the local high schools, the attorney said.

We hope a teacher, staff, or a current student in one of the five high schools around the Los Angeles crime scene will recognise him and provide his name.

The family of the 37-year-old has distributed thousands of flyers across the city, according to The Messenger. There is currently a $30,000 award for information that leads officials to the womans killer.

Morins body was discovered inside a tunnel in Harford County, Maryland on 6 August. DNA evidence found at the crime scene led officials to the male suspect.

Her boyfriend reported her missing after she didnt come home.

The Independent has reached out to the Los Angeles Unified School District for comment.
The Black Death is thought to have killed a third of the population of Europe - Art Directors & TRIP/Alamy

Racism in medieval England may have contributed to black people dying of bubonic plague, academics have suggested.

Researchers employing black feminist archaeology have studied remains in 14th-century plague cemeteries in London.

The study has claimed that black people may have succumbed to the plague in disproportionate numbers compared to whites because of structural racism in medieval England.

It concludes that critical race theory, an academic field devoted to examining how Western institutional power upholds racism, should be used by archaeologists in future.

Research conducted by Dr Rebecca Redfern, of the Museum of London, also suggests that misogynoir, prejudice against black women, created a particular risk of death by plague.

The study suggests that the findings show structural racisms devastating effects at work in 14th-century England, when the plague bacteria yersinia pestis caused mass death.

Dr Redfern studied 145 sets of human remains interred in plague cemeteries when the Black Death swept through London and killed about 35,000 people. Of those buried, 49 succumbed to plague and 96 to other causes.

By measuring skull features, Dr Redfern and her colleagues claimed to have established that there were nine people of black African ancestry among the plague dead, and eight among the others.

Black population suffered disproportionately

Dr Redferns research paper, published in Bioarchaeology International and focusing on anti-black structural racism, claims that the purported black population in London suffered disproportionately more deaths during the plague which struck in 1348.

The paper cites studies that show death by plague was more likely for those with underlying nutritional or health problems, perhaps caused by poverty or other stresses, and concludes that the black population of medieval London may have suffered the health outcomes of structural and anti-black racism.

The paper models the number of females of African descent in the graves, and concludes that they had health outcomes that were worse still, amid a pestilence that killed a third of the population of Europe.

The paper states: Intersectionality  the compounded harm of race and gender and misogynoir  may have impacted mortality during medieval pandemic disease. The recent neologism misogynoir is a portmanteau of misogyny and the French word for black, noir.

The paper makes apologies for the disciplines of its authors and the double whiteness and twinned whiteness of both anthropology and medieval studies, and states that it has set out to prioritise the methodologies of black feminist archaeology.

This theoretical approach to archaeology seeks to focus on race, class, gender, and inequality, including in prehistory.

The paper concludes: We recommend that intersectionality and critical race theories become integrated into archaeological studies, with intersectionality being the crossover of various traits such a race and class which could lead to inequality.

Dr Redfern has based her conclusions on research into the non-white population in medieval London, a population that she claims made up 30 per cent of the sample population in the plague burial sites.

Their ancestry is based on forensic studies of their skull features, and comparisons with modern populations their skulls appear similar to, a method which has proved controversial.

Studies of the skull of the Roman-era remains of Beachy Head Lady in East Sussex suggested she was of sub-Saharan African ancestry, before DNA testing revealed she was in fact from Cyprus.

It is understood the Museum of London will not conduct any DNA testing into the plague burial remains.

The diversity of Britain has become a prominent issue, and a number of claims about the racial makeup of past populations have been disputed.

Every single Briton comes from a migrant

A book titled Brilliant Black British History was criticised for its claim that every single British person comes from a migrant and that black people built Stonehenge.

Genetic studies have shown that the inhabitants of Britain in the period when Stonehenge was completed, around 2,500 BC, were pale-skinned early farmers whose ancestors had spread from Anatolia.

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The family of a grandmother killed by a driver who was driving on a bend at 118mph have said they hope he never gets behind the wheel of a car again.

Trent Simm, 25, crashed head-on into Doris Bridgehouse's car in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, on 13 May 2022.

Her daughter, who was injured along with her son in the crash, said Simm's actions were "unforgiveable".

Simm, of Rochdale, was jailed for seven years and four months after admitting causing death by dangerous driving.

Ms Bridgehouse was driving her daughter, Mandy, and grandson, Max, home after visiting his university showcase when the crash happened.

Greater Manchester Police said Simm, of Edenfield Road, was treating the road as his "private race track" by driving his Audi S3 at nearly four times the 30mph (48kmh) speed limit along Halifax Road.

He lost control as he hit a left-hand bend and veered into the opposite lane, hitting Mrs Bridgehouse's Kia Venga.

The retired nurse died at the scene while Mandy, 56, and Max suffered serious injuries.

"Mum basically had just over a second of thinking time when he came into visibility round a bend on our side of the road," she told BBC North West Tonight.

"My mum didn't stand a chance."

She said: "I do not know what he was thinking driving at that speed in a 30mph zone on the wrong side of the road."

Max, 22, said he had been "haunted" by the "horrific" crash.

He described his nan as "such a funny lady" who was "part of so many communities and a friend to so many people".

"I have to live with images and feelings of things someone my age should never have had to have gone through," he said.

He said losing his nan was "the toughest thing our family's ever been through" because Simm "chose to drive so recklessly".

"It just feels such a waste and so needless. It needn't have happened... he should never drive again.

"It really is devastating the impact that you can have so please just think about that before you decide to do something that you could just regret for the rest of your life," Max said.

Mandy, who described her mother as her "best friend" also pleaded with people to think before they drive.

"Every time you get behind the wheel you are in charge of a lethal weapon," she said.

Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, X and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk
Rock Hill Police on Monday night shot an alleged bank robbery suspect in the hand, and said in a news release the man showed a gun.

No officers were injured, according to a written statement from the Rock Hill Police Department.

The shooting happened in a commercial area close to the intersection of Herlong Avenue and Ebenezer Road, the statement from the Rock Hill Police Department said. The shooting came after an armed robbery around 6 p.m. at PNC Bank located nearby on India Hook Road, the police statement said.

Rock Hill police and the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) identified the suspect Tuesday as David Herbert Massie, 45, of Pennsylvania. Massie faces charges of armed robbery and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, Rock Hill police said.

The alleged suspect later identified by police as Massie used a gun during the bank robbery then fled with money, Rock Hill police said in a statement.

After the bank robbery, responding officers saw a person matching the suspects description on a bicycle south of the bank near the Millwood shopping center on Herlong Avenue, police said in the written statement.

As officers attempted to stop the male, he got off the bicycle presenting a black handgun, the statement said. Officers fired their service weapons, striking the male in the hand. The male dropped the handgun and fell to the ground.

Police recovered a handgun and money from the bank robbery after the suspect was wounded, according to Rock Hill Police Lt. Michael Chavis and the police statement.

Massie was taken to nearby Piedmont Medical Center for treatment then released to police custody, Chavis said.

Investigation into the shooting, robbery

The State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) is investigating because of the officer involved shooting, Rock Hill police said.

In a statement Tuesday afternoon, SLED officials said Rock Hill police requested SLED to investigate.

The officer-involved shooting is the first for the Rock Hill Police Department in 2023, SLED officials said.

The police department professional standards unit is also conducting an internal review.
A Rockford woman has been found guilty on first-degree murder charges.

Dameria Giwa-Finley, 28, was found guilty of the murder of Diandre Grant in September 2020.

Authorities said Grant was stabbed multiple times in his chest and legs. He was taken to the hospital where he died from his injuries.

Giwa-Finley told police at the scene that Grant came inside the apartment and collapsed so she called 911.

Giwa-Finley was identified as a suspect throughout the course of the investigation, according to authorities.

Giwa-Finley is punishable by 20 to 60 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Rockford woman Dameria Giwa-Finley found guilty of 2020 murder
(WHTM)  The legendary Rolling Stones have announced they will be making a stop in Pennsylvania on their 2024 tour.

The show will be performed at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on June 11, 2024.

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The band will be returning to the road following the success of their history-making and chart-topping studio album Hackney Diamonds, which has received a Grammy nomination for its lead single Angry.

Tickets for the show are expected to go on sale on Dec. 1 at 10 a.m.

More information can be found here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27.
Mississippi may need a jumpstart in the romance department as new data shows the state's residents are the least likely to use computer searches for dating-related terms and dating sites.

In an effort to find out which states are most interested in actively dating, sexual wellness website bedbible.com conducted a study on dating-related search terms. Forty-two search terms were analyzed in all 50 states. The study found that, on average, Americans in all the states combined are searching those terms 9,464,952 times per month.

The search terms tested included dating, how to date, online dating, dating apps, bars for date night, first date restaurants and romantic restaurants near me among others. The terms also included names of popular dating sites and apps like Tinder, Hinge and Plenty of Fish.

Mississippi is last in the nation in online searches for dating.

The total number of searches was totaled and compared to each states population.

Mississippi ranked last at 50 in dating-related search terms. Mississippians seem to be the least interested in dating as the data show just 1,713 searches per 100,000 residents per month.

Maine ranked the highest on the list with an average of 4,276 per 100,00 residents per month.

Other Southern states ranked low on the list. Alabama ranked 42, and Arkansas trailed it at 43. Tennessee fell more toward the middle at 32.

While Mississippi did rank last, the state does have its fair share of online dating. According to datingnews.com, Christian Mingle, a dating sight with over 15 million members looking for a partner who shares their Christian faith, is the most popular option in Mississippi.

Still, according to data from Google Trends, there are 24 states that searched for the term "Christian Mingle" in the past 12 months more than Mississippi.

Dating apps have proven to be a popular option for modern romance. A Forbes Health study conducted in August 2023 polled 5,000 U.S. respondents who said they have actively dated in the past year. Of those respondents, three in 10 said they have used a dating app or site, and 40% said it made dating easier.

As easy as it may be, if you are single in Mississippi and looking to increase your chances of getting matches, you might want to increase that distance radius on your profile.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: MS ranks last in dating search term, online dating data
Police in Rome, Georgia arrested a man they say intentionally squeezed his four-month-old son until the babys ribs broke.

Damon Eugene Soles, Jr. was arrested for cruelty to children after police say he maliciously caused his son cruel and excessive physical pain.

Police accuse Soles of squeezing his sons torso with his hands and breaking multiple ribs.

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Police say the baby was hospitalized due to medical complications from having his ribs broken.

Information on this childs current condition has not been made public.

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When former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley pitched a terrible (and likely unconstitutional) idea to force social media companies to verify all users and effectively ban anonymous accounts, she drew a sharp rebuke from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

"Haley's proposal to ban anonymous speech onlinesimilar to what China recently didis dangerous and unconstitutional," DeSantis posted on X (formerly Twitter). He pointed out that some of America's founders, including The Federalist Papers' authors Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison published their essays anonymouslypart of a long tradition of anonymous speech in America.

In the week since those initial remarks, Haley has backpedaled a bit. She now admits that Americans have a First Amendment right to anonymous speech online but continues to support a crackdown on foreigners who "create anonymous accounts to spread chaos and anti-American filth."

DeSantis' campaign has kept the heat turned up. "No matter how she tries to spin it, Haley can't take back her 'Day One' plan to have the government strip Americans of their First Amendment rights," DeSantis campaign spokesman Bryan Griffin said last week.

The stake of this fight, in no small part, is the chance to be perceived as the second-place candidate in the Republican primary field, where former President Donald Trump still holds a wide lead. DeSantis has been slipping in the polls for months, while Haley has steadily climbed after several strong debate performances.

DeSantis is certainly right to take Haley to task over this terrible idea, and he's probably right that doing so will help him regain some lost ground in the GOP primary race.

Still, the whole exchange creates a bit of an awkward situation for DeSantis, who is just a few months removed from making his own attacks on anonymous speech. During a livestreamed event in March, DeSantis criticized the media's use of anonymous sources and suggested that the U.S. Supreme Court might be "receptive" to revisiting its landmark 1964 decision that raised the bar for defamation lawsuits filed by public figures.

Meanwhile, a bill introduced in the Florida Legislature earlier this year and backed by DeSantis aimed to make several changes to how Florida law handles defamation cases filed against news organizations. Among the changes was a provision telling courts to regard as false any content from anonymous sources, unless it could be proven true.

DeSantis even acknowledged that the bill, if passed into law, could have a chilling effect on reporting. "I do think it may cause people to not want to put out things that are false that are smearing somebody's reputation. And you know, I thinkpeople can make a judgment about how they view that," DeSantis said in March, according to Florida Politics.

Seth Stern, director of advocacy for the Freedom of the Press Foundation, called the proposal "a brazen and blatantly unconstitutional attack on speech and press freedoms." The bill died in a state House committee earlier this year, but DeSantis' support for the bill sits uncomfortably beside his more recent criticisms of Haley's attack on anonymous speech (to say nothing of his other attacks on free expression by the likes of drag queens and pro-Gaza protesters).

This shouldn't be hard. Anonymous speech should be (and is) subject to the same constitutional protection as any other speech, whether it is something posted anonymously online or offered to a reporter. It's understandable why public figures in positions of power might not like thatbut the Constitution exists to limit the power of government, not as a balm for the thin skin of certain politicians.

Obviously, this is not in any way a defense of Haley, whose terrible free speech proposal has likely cost her whatever small bits of goodwill she'd engendered from libertarians with some important straight talk about the deficit. She should continue backtracking from her proposal to unmask anonymous accounts onlineand probably ought to refresh herself with the constitution of the government that she's campaigning to lead.

But DeSantis' track record on free speech suggests his objections are more about political opportunism than principled concern for the rights of Americans to communicate freely. The First Amendment applies all the time, not just when you want to use it to bash a rival politician.

The post Ron DeSantis Rediscovers the First Amendment's Protections for Anonymous Speech appeared first on Reason.com.
A meeting among members of Never Back Down, the super PAC backing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis presidential ambitions, descended into chaos last week as leaders fumed over who was to blame for his less than stellar performance, NBC News reported. Jeff Roe and Scott Wagner, two of the super PACs leaders, reportedly nearly came to blows over their disagreements. You have a stick up your ass, Scott, Roe told Wagner. Why dont you come over here and get it? Wagner said in response, having to be restrained by fellow board members as he rose from his chair, NBC reported. The meeting, which included board members and senior staff, had been convened to discuss Nikki Haleys recent rise in popularity.

Read it at NBC News

Read more at The Daily Beast.
[Source]

Malaysian Chinese comedian and actor Ronny Chieng shared a throwback photo with his wife in New York City, reflecting on his journey to headlining a show in the iconic city.

Throwback photo: In the Instagram post uploaded last week, the 38-year-old comedian recalled the first time he visited the Big Apple in 2009 with his girlfriend, who he met while attending law school in Australia. At the time, Chieng says that he was only six months into his career as a comedian.

This was a big trip for us, he writes in the caption. We took this photo in Times Square and got scammed into going to Dangerfields because Charlie Murphy was going to be there. He wasnt. Jokes on the scammers though because I wanted to go to Dangerfields anyway.

Fast forward to 2023: In the next photo, he shares a recent photo with his then-girlfriend and now-wife, standing in front of his own billboard, promoting a sold-out show at Radio City Music Hall in 2023. Chieng, who was dressed in a suit and tie for the updated picture, expressed his gratitude to New York City for becoming their new home.

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In Times Square with my now wife (same woman) in front of my own billboard trying to scam people to come for my sold out show at @radiocitymusichall. Thank you NEW YORK CITY for becoming our home, he says.

Reactions: Many celebrities and his colleagues and Instagram followers expressed admiration for Chieng, noting his inspiring glow-up and saying that he has made it.

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Briefly popped back onto social media, and so worth it, as this was the first post to pop up. YOU MADE IT! film director and screenwriter Alice Wu commented.

About Chieng: Chieng is a senior correspondent on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show," and he created and starred in the ABC sitcom Ronny Chieng: International Student. The actor has also starred in films such as Crazy Rich Asians, Joy Ride, "M3gan" and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and TV series American Born Chinese.

Chieng previously announced his 2024 "The Love to Hate It Tour," which is set to begin on Jan. 12 in Indianapolis. He will be making stops in major cities, such as New York City, San Francisco, Las Vegas and others, before concluding in Portland on June 23.

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For 16 months between 2018 and 2019 Rory Stewart was prisons minister, in what he calls the most shocking, but also the most interesting and fulfilling job that I ever did in government. It was the fourth out of five ministerial posts he held in just three years, amid the chaos of Conservative Party leadership changes, cabinet resignations and reshuffles.

Stewart was ultimately on the losing side of a vicious Tory civil war, and did not return to government after losing the race to replace Theresa May, refusing to serve in Boris Johnsons cabinet and eventually being kicked out of the Conservative Party alongside a group of MPs battling to prevent a no-deal Brexit.

Now, four years after leaving Parliament, Stewarts mind has turned back to Britains prisons. On Wednesday November 22 at Church House in Westminster, he will deliver the annual Longford Lecture on prison reform, laying out the difference, as he sees it, between rhetoric and reality. He believes that prisons are not just vitally important institutions for public safety, but also a clear litmus test of whether or not youve got healthy politics.

By that measure, there is a serious problem. Jails are overcrowded to the extent that the Government has been cramming two inmates in Victorian cells designed for one, putting them in portacabins, releasing some early and even considering renting prison space abroad. The alleged escape of Daniel Khalife, a prisoner accused of terror offences, from HMP Wandsworth in September sparked national alarm, and Stewart says the extraordinary incident was not a one-off.

Recalling his period as prisons minister, he says: We had escapes which were completely ridiculous. A prisoner climbed over a wall in the yard in full view of everybody when, according to one of my staff, it would have been perfectly possible just to grab his ankles and pull him down. This is all part of professionalism and standards.

Stewart also sees those two things lacking from the current Government, where Rishi Sunaks cabinet reshuffle risks a fresh Tory civil war, mere months before a general election the party looks set to lose. As we meet in the Kensington townhouse he shares with his wife and two sons, Ivo, six, and Sasha, nine, Stewart is still finding his feet as an onlooker, rather than participant, in the unfolding political drama.

Exiting Parliament after the 2019 general election was very bewildering and traumatising, he says. I passionately believed that the Conservative Party was going in the wrong direction and I put a lot of energy into trying to stop it, and I failed.

I was very, very, very worried by the kind of government that I saw come in, and the direction I thought Britain was going in. So that was a real humiliation, and it took me months really to come through that.

Stewart remains a political animal, but one who now articulates his vision outside Parliament. He has poured his reflections into his latest book, Politics on the Edge, and a regular podcast, The Rest is Politics, with former Labour Party spin doctor Alastair Campbell, which he believes is much bigger than anything I did as a politician.

Stewart with Alastair Campbell  he believes their podcast is much bigger than anything he did as a politician - Jamie Lucas

For the past year-and-a-half he has been living in Jordan, working on the Turquoise Mountain Foundation, the charity his wife Shoshana, a former physics teacher from upstate New York, runs. The couple met through the charity in 2006, after Stewart was sent to Afghanistan at the personal request of the then Prince Charles to set it up, and Shoshana arrived as a volunteer. They married six years later and continue to work as a close team. Shoshana was absolutely the backbone for everything that I did and in politics, Stewart says. She helped me write my manifesto when I was running to be prime minister, she organised my entire campaign team and I feel really, really lucky to have that partnership.

The couples drawing room is filled with work by the craftspeople the charity supports in the Middle East and Asia, from ornate wooden tables to coasters and mirrors. Other parts of the house are stuffed with family photos and books. A History of Portugal and the Portuguese Empire sits beside the downstairs loo, off a corridor lined with tiny jackets and shoes.

The family moved back to London from Amman a few weeks ago and Stewart is adjusting back to British life, and the weather, wearing a snug zip-up cardigan under his suit jacket. It is the second week of November, but the Christmas tree is already up, with a golden Big Ben decoration dangling alongside snow globes and a shiny classic car. Asked who is responsible for the early festive display, Stewart laughs: I try to blame the boys, but the truth of the matter is its really me.

Stewart says his wife Shoshana was the 'absolutely the backbone for everything that he did - Isabel Infantes/PA

Aside from the festive cheer, Stewart is a very serious person, and quite happy to be. He believes a lack of seriousness in the way that we approach things is causing Britains institutions to crumble. Its very unfashionable to be serious, he says. Everything becomes a game or joke. Were losing a sense of moral values and unwritten rules.

Stewart points to prisons as a victim of the political prevailing wind, saying they have been starved of the tough, long, patient work needed by politicians in favour of tough on crime rhetoric and headline-grabbing reactions to shocking cases. He blames the governments of Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and now Rishi Sunak for worsening the situation by playing to a political base rather than following the evidence.

In one of their last acts at the Ministry of Justice in 2019, he and the former justice secretary David Gauke called for the scrapping of short prison sentences of under six months. The department had conducted research that Stewart says showed that putting people in prison for a short period increases the danger to the public and worsens reoffending. Its long enough to disrupt a persons life  losing their housing, losing their job, if theyve got one  but its not remotely long enough to do any decent work on rehabilitation or education. This is the worst of all worlds. But when he made the call to replace short sentences with enhanced community alternatives, Stewart says fellow Tory MPs branded him a lunatic, and when Johnson became prime minister months later the plans were scrapped.

Stewart describes ministers as 'at best' being 'performing monkeys whove memorised a script' - Andrew Crowley

Last month, there was a sense of deja vu. On October 16, current current Justice Secretary Alex Chalk stood up in the House of Commons and announced the Government would legislate for a presumption that custodial sentences of less than 12 months in prison will be suspended. He told MPs that too often the circumstances that lead to an initial offence are exacerbated by a short stint in prison, and more than half the offenders released after less than a year reoffend. The taxpayer should not be forking out for a system that risks further criminalising offenders and trapping them in a merry-go-round of short sentences, Chalk added.

Stewart says it is very frustrating to see the proposals revived four years after he brought them forward. His legacy as prisons minister has been somewhat overlooked amid the many and varied roles he has taken up through his life. Being born in Hong Kong as the son of an MI6 officer was an exciting head start, with his childhood split between London, Scotland and boarding at Oxfords Dragon School. His path onwards to Eton and Oxford University, where he became a private tutor to Prince William and Harry, may be well-trodden by Tory MPs, but Stewarts adventures afterwards are unique.

In a career so extraordinary that Brad Pitt once bought the film rights to it, he became a soldier and then a diplomat, serving in Indonesia, Montenegro and Iraq, where his service as deputy governor of two volatile provinces saw him made an OBE. Stewarts idea of a break was walking thousands of miles through brutal terrain and treacherous territories. He recounted his 2002 trek through Afghanistan in a bestselling book, The Places In Between, while his exploits in Iraq were documented in The Prince of the Marshes.

Stewart added yet another role to his CV by becoming a Harvard University academic in 2008, before taking his first step into politics by joining the Conservatives the following year. But the 50-year-old is no longer the optimistic new MP returned by Penrith and the Border in 2010. Battered by the political dramas and defeats of the past 13 years, Stewart has concluded that British institutions are collapsing and that Parliament itself is the worst example of all.

His solution is somewhat revolutionary. Stewart would replace the current voting system with a proportional one in order to break the death grip of the Conservative and Labour parties. He would also make ministers undergo formal training for their post, because the completely mad current ministerial system leaves government departments in the charge of rank amateurs who know nothing about what theyre doing, with incredibly harmful consequences. At best, ministers are performing monkeys whove memorised a script, he adds. Politics has become careerist to an extent that you cant imagine.

Stewart is contemptuous of what he calls politics by press release and says there is literally no patience for having long, serious conversations about whether youre doing the right thing. He feels the revelations coming out of the Covid inquiry are lending weight to his own obsessive complaining about the state of British politics: I finally feel that I can point to this and say: Look, this is what Im talking about; look at this. These people should never have been allowed in charge of these things.

Some praise is afforded to the current Prime Minister for sacking Suella Braverman, with Stewart saying it was the right thing to do in light of the former home secretarys inflammatory rhetoric and policy positions. By bringing in David Cameron, [Sunak] has done something politically very smart, Stewart adds. Hes shifted the focus away from Braverman and her martyrdom, but I think the Conservative Party remains a pretty fractured coalition.

Stewart predicts that Right-wing Tories could take an opportunity to move against the Prime Minister, but that nobody will think its sensible to topple him when theres barely a year to an election. Asked whether Sunaks attempt to stamp his authority on the Conservative Party could improve its prospects, Stewart says the chance of defeat has shifted from 95 per cent to 92 per cent. The chances are still very high that the party will go into opposition, swing to the Right, and find itself ever more stuck in a position from which it cant win elections, he adds. The Conservatives will then have to come back to the centre. Its likely to be a decade-long process before they can govern again.

Stewart during his time as prisons minister  hes considering entering another mayoral race - Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire

But Stewart does not rule out rejoining the party, if it becomes careful, thoughtful, moderate, restrained. If I could find a chance to re-engage with a Conservative Party that echoed those values, I would be much more comfortable there than I am with Labour, he says. For the moment, he has no immediate political ambitions, despite looking very seriously at entering another mayoral race after aborting his run as an independent in the last London elections.

I have thought about getting back into politics in different ways but its very difficult in this electoral system, Stewart adds. And politics is pretty horrible  youre under assault all the time, youre paranoid about what the headline is in every newspaper. People are much nicer to me in the streets now than they were when I was a politician. Stewart says he currently gets recognised more frequently than when he was an MP. Now its people stopping me on the Tube and saying, Rory, why dont you get back into politics? or we wish you were prime minister, which of course, is a nicer thing than saying, youre rubbish, he says.

Given that Stewart did attempt to become prime minister in 2019, the point is slightly galling. Its very difficult to equal the sense of purpose that you can find when politics is going well, when you really feel that youre contributing  even in a small way  to making things better in the country, he says. I feel very blessed in the sense that Ive got much more time to read and think, and much more time to see my family. But although my life is now much more comfortable in every way, I miss that sense of daily purpose.

The Longford Lecture is on Wednesday November 22 at Church House, Westminster at 6.30pm. Tickets are sold out, but to watch the livestream go to longfordtrust.org

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.
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  Two of Royal Caribbeans oldest cruise ships will call Tampa home for the 2025-26 winter season.

The cruise line announced last week that Rhapsody of the Seas and Grandeur of the Seas will set sail from the Port of Tampa on six to eight-night vacations through 2026.

During winter, the Rhapsody of the Seas ship will take passengers from Tampa to Belize City, Belize; Costa Maya, Cozumel, George Town, and Roatan.

Water taxi connecting Anna Maria Island and Bradenton starts next month

The Grandeur of the Seas will take vacationers on seven-night getaways to the western Caribbean and the Bahamas during the winter. The ship will visit destinations like Belize City, Costa Maya, Cozumel, Perfect Day at CocoCay and Roatan.

The two Vision Class ships are the cruise lines smallest and oldest fleet. They accommodate roughly 2,000 to 2,400 passengers.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
A runner turned a blind corner on a narrow mountain trail in Southern California and came face to face with a mother bear and her two cubs, tense video shows.

The runner posted on Instagram a series of videos showing the encounter on Mt. Wilson in the San Gabriel Mountains. The trail is about 15 miles northeast of Los Angeles.





While I was trail running alone, I was about 5 inches from hitting momma bear after turning a tight blind corner, the runner, identified on Instagram as Laura Gold, says in the Nov. 8 videos caption. To prevent myself from hitting her, I stopped as fast as I could and almost slid down the mountain doing so. I had already seen the cubs, so I knew I wasnt safe.

The first video shows the bear glancing back at Gold as the runner turns the corner and spots both cubs on the trail. In the next video, the momma bear turns and briefly charges toward Gold as the runner backs up the way they came on the trail.





Gold explains how they used every trick in the book (except bear spray) to try to scare the bears off, but the momma bear kept coming.

Gold even let out a guttural roar at one point before following up with a whistle, several outlets reported.





Eventually, another hiker came up from behind and helped Gold scare the bears off down a different trail, video shows.





Reactions were split in the comments. Some asked why the runner kept approaching the bear family in the video.

I think shes trying to get down the mountain. Not sure if theres another way, someone said, adding they were shocked the bear didnt attack the runner for stalking them.

Others said the runner was wise to keep their calm, especially as the bear bluff charged.

One person said they encounter bears every time they go to Mt. Wilson, and theres so much foot traffic in the area bears arent bothered by peoples presence anymore.

The reason they are walking towards them is because thats how (you) get them to go away, they said.

Still, others questioned what they called a bold and risky strategy that could have endangered the bears had the momma bear attacked after all.

You put these bears in danger, someone said. Stay off the trails if you dont know how to respect wildlife.

What to do if you see a bear

Bear attacks in the U.S. are rare, according to the National Park Service. In most attacks, bears are trying to defend their food, cubs or space.

There are steps people can take to help prevent a bear encounter from becoming a bear attack.

Identify yourself: Talk calmly and slowly wave your arms. This can help the bear realize youre a human and nonthreatening.

Stay calm: Bears usually dont want to attack; they want to be left alone. Talk slowly and with a low voice to the bear.

Dont scream: Screaming could trigger an attack.

Pick up small children: Dont let kids run away from the bear. It could think theyre small prey.

Hike in groups: A group is noisier and smellier, the National Park Service said. Bears like to keep their distance from groups of people.

Make yourself look big: Move to higher ground and stand tall. Dont make any sudden movements.

Dont drop your bag: A bag on your back can keep a bear from accessing food, and it can provide protection.

Walk away slowly: Move sideways so you appear less threatening to the bear. This also lets you keep an eye out.

Again, dont run: Bears will chase you, just like a dog would.

Dont climb trees: Grizzlies and black bears can also climb.

Bear attacks 72-year-old man while protecting cub near trail, Alaska troopers say

Bear activity closes North Carolina campground after photo shows dramatic damage

See intense moment bear and security guard surprise each other inside Colorado resort
LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  A Russellville-based charitable nonprofit has received a $1.25 million grant to expand its outreach.

The grant to ARVAC, the Arkansas River Valley Area Council, is from the Bezos Day 1 Family Fund. In announcing the grant, ARVAC CEO Stephanie Garner said the agency would use the money for its outreach to fight homelessness.

With limited funding available and those resources steadily depleting, we are thrilled to direct the Day 1 Families Funds award towards strengthening our commitment to the current homeless community and broadening our outreach, Garner said.

Hope Village nears completion in Conway, housing homeless in the city

Garner continued that the funds would be used for mental health services and providing shelter and crucial treatment for homeless families.

According to Bezos fund representatives, ARVAC was selected to receive the grant by a group of national advisors who are leading experts and advocates on homelessness.

City of Little Rock officials break ground on site of future Micro Home Village for unsheltered people

This year, the fund issued a total of $117.55 million in grants to 38 organizations including ARVAC.

ARVAC was established 50 years ago as part of President Lyndon Johnsons War on Poverty initiative. Its programs focus on providing resources to the homeless to allow them to move into the middle class.

Jeff Bezoss fund has now given almost $640 million to help homeless families

The Bezos Day 1 Family Fund was established in 2018 by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos with a $2 billion commitment to fight homelessness. Since its founding, the organization has provided $639.1 million to organizations in 48 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK.
The Kremlin banned 11 Moldovan officials from entering Russia in retaliation for Moldova's recent restrictions on pro-Russian media outlets, the Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement Nov. 20.

The ministry summoned Moldovan Ambassador Lilian Darie to inform her of the decision.

According to the ministry's statement, the move represents "a decisive protest in connection with the continuing politically motivated persecution of Russian media in Moldova, including the blocking of access to their Internet sites."

The Moldovan government blocked access to 22 Russian media sites on Oct. 24, saying that the outlets were engaged in an "information war" against the country.

Moldova's President Maia Sandu has accused Russia of planning a coup in Chisinau and of interfering in local elections. According to Moldovan authorities, Russia has waged a multimillion-dollar destabilization campaign in the country, hoping to steer Chisinau away from the West.

The 11 banned officials are all members of Sandu's Action and Solidarity (PAS) party, according to the Moldovan outlet NewsMaker.

Moldovan foreign ministry spokesperson Igor Zaharov responded to Russia's action in a televised statement.

"We are committed to continuing our defense of our information space from any outside interference and uphold our firm position against disinformation, hybrid attacks, and attempts to destabilize the situation in Moldova," Zaharov told the Moldova-1 television channel.

Read also: Historian Serhii Plokhy: The better we prepare for the long war, the sooner it will end

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(Bloomberg) -- Russia cut back its seaborne crude exports to the lowest since August before a meeting of OPEC+ oil minsters this weekend when compliance with production cuts will be in sharp focus. The move came after shipments surged in October.

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About 2.7 million barrels a day of crude was shipped from Russian ports in the week to Nov. 19, tanker-tracking data monitored by Bloomberg show. That was down by 580,000 barrels a day from the revised figure for the period to Nov. 12, the biggest week-on-week drop in more than four months.

Moscow said in early August that it would prolong export restrictions at a reduced rate of 300,000 barrels a day below their May-June average level until the end of the year, a policy confirmed earlier this month. If the burden falls entirely on crude, that would imply seaborne shipments of 3.28 million barrels a day. But Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told Interfax last month that the reduction is spread across both crude and refined products. That complicated assessments of whether Russia was meeting its commitment after the government imposed a temporary fuel export ban in September.

The OPEC+ group of oil producers, jointly led by Russia and Saudi Arabia, will meet in Vienna on Nov. 26 when they will consider how to respond to a weakening oil market outlook, as well as setting output targets for the first half of 2024.

The less volatile four-week average flow fell to 3.23 million barrels a day, down by about 200,000 barrels a day from the revised figure for the period to Nov. 12. That was the lowest in eight weeks, but still about 340,000 barrels a day above shipments in the period to Aug. 20, when Moscows crude export cuts were at their deepest.

Russias oil-processing jumped in the week to Nov. 15 to the highest in almost three months as the nations refiners returned most of their capacity after seasonal maintenance.

Meanwhile, the US sanctioned three shipping companies located in the United Arab Emirates for allegedly violating the $60-per-barrel price cap on Russian oil in its second round of penalties for apparent breaches of the measure. This comes after the US Treasury Department sent notices to ship management companies with regard to more than 100 vessels it suspects may have violated the price cap imposed after the invasion of Ukraine.

The Kremlins weekly revenues from oil export duties fell to the lowest in two months, with the drop in volume partly offset by a higher November duty rate.

From January, Russias oil producers are set to pay a higher output tax to fund increased downstream subsidies, which were reinstated in October after being halved the previous month. Export duty is set to be abolished at the end of this year as part of Russias long-running tax reform plans.

Flows by Destination

Russias seaborne crude flows in the four weeks to Nov. 19 slipped to 3.23 million barrels a day. That was down from a revised 3.43 million barrels a day in the period to Nov. 12. Shipments fell to an eight-week low and were about 360,000 barrels a day below the average seen during the surge in volumes between April and June.

All figures exclude cargoes identified as Kazakhstans KEBCO grade. Those are shipments made by KazTransoil JSC that transit Russia for export through Novorossiysk and the Baltic port of Ust-Luga and are not subject to European Union sanctions or a price cap.

The Kazakh barrels are blended with crude of Russian origin to create a uniform export grade. Since Russias invasion of Ukraine, Kazakhstan has rebranded its cargoes to distinguish them from those shipped by Russian companies.

Observed shipments to Russias Asian customers, including those showing no final destination, fell to 2.73 million barrels a day in the four weeks to Nov. 19, down from a revised 2.93 million barrels a day in the period to Nov. 12. Thats well below a peak of about 3.6 million barrels a day seen in May.

About 1.17 million barrels a day of crude was loaded onto tankers heading to China in the four weeks to Nov. 19. Chinas seaborne imports are supplemented by about 800,000 barrels a day of crude delivered directly from Russia by pipeline, either directly, or via Kazakhstan.

Flows on ships signaling destinations in India averaged about 1 million barrels a day in the four weeks to Nov. 19.

Both the Chinese and Indian figures will rise as the discharge ports become clear for vessels that are not currently showing final destinations.

The equivalent of about 510,000 barrels a day was on vessels signaling Port Said or Suez in Egypt, or are expected to be transferred from one ship to another off the South Korean port of Yeosu. Those voyages typically end at ports in India or China and show up in the chart below as Unknown Asia until a final destination becomes apparent.

The Other Unknown volumes, running at about 50,000 barrels a day in the four weeks to Nov. 19, are those on tankers showing no clear destination. Most of those cargoes originate from Russias western ports and go on to transit the Suez Canal, but some could end up in Turkey. Others could be moved from one vessel to another, with most such transfers now taking place in the Mediterranean, off the coast of Greece.

Russias seaborne crude exports to European countries have collapsed since Moscows troops invaded Ukraine in February 2022. A market that consumed about 1.5 million barrels a day of short-haul seaborne crude, coming from export terminals in the Baltic, Black Sea and Arctic has been lost almost completely, to be replaced by long-haul destinations in Asia that are much more costly and time-consuming to serve.

No Russian crude was shipped to northern European countries, or those in the Mediterranean in the four weeks to Nov. 19.

Flows to Bulgaria, now Russias only European market for crude, were unchanged at about 104,000 barrels a day in the most recent four-week period.

Exports to Turkey were also unchanged at about 390,000 barrels a day in the four weeks to Nov. 19. They remain more than twice as high as they were in July and August.

Vessel-tracking data are cross-checked against port agent reports as well as flows and ship movements reported by other information providers including Kpler and Vortexa Ltd.

Export Revenue

Inflows to the Kremlin's war chest from its crude-export duty fell to $68 million in the seven days to Nov. 19, while four-week average income dropped to $78 million. The weekly income was the lowest in two months, with the drop in volume partly offset by a higher November duty rate.

The duty rate for November has been set at $3.57 a barrel, based on an average Urals price of $83.35 during the calculation period between Sept. 15 and Oct. 14. That was about $7.70 a barrel below Brent over the same period. Novembers duty rate sets another new high for the year.

The rate for December will be $3.37 a barrel, based on an average Urals price of $79.23 during the calculation period between Oct. 15 and Nov. 14. That was about $9.39 a barrel below Brent over the same period.

Origin-to-Location Flows

The following table shows the number of ships leaving each export terminal.

A total of 26 tankers loaded 19.1 million barrels of Russian crude in the week to Nov. 19, vessel-tracking data and port agent reports show. Thats down by about 4 million barrels from the previous week. That was the smallest number of ships in three months.

There was one fewer shipment from Kozmino, Murmansk and Sakhalin Island compared with the previous week, while the number of vessels leaving Novorossiysk with Russian crude fell by three from a revised total for the week to Nov. 12.

Destinations are based on where vessels signal they are heading at the time of writing, and some will almost certainly change as voyages progress. All figures exclude cargoes identified as Kazakhstans KEBCO grade.

In addition, two cargoes of KEBCO were loaded at Novorossiysk during the week.

NOTES

Note: This story forms part of a weekly series tracking shipments of crude from Russian export terminals and the export duty revenues earned from them by the Russian government. Weeks run from Monday to Sunday. The next update will be on Tuesday, Nov. 28.

Note: All figures exclude cargoes owned by Kazakhstans KazTransOil JSC, which transit Russia and are shipped from Novorossiysk and Ust-Luga as KEBCO grade crude.

If you are reading this story on the Bloomberg terminal, click here for a link to a PDF file of four-week average flows from Russia to key destinations.

--With assistance from Sherry Su.

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Russia has likely stockpiled missiles for a repeat of last year's attempt by Moscow to destroy Ukraine's critical infrastructure, reads the latest UK Defense Intelligence report published on Nov. 21.

Between Nov. 18 and 19, 2023, Russia launched about 50 Iranian-designed Shahed attack drones, mainly in the direction of Kyiv. They were launched in waves in two directions  from Kursk to the east and from Krasnodar to the southeast.

The UK Ministry of Defense noted that one of Russia's goals was likely to weaken air defenses to set the stage for a concerted winter campaign of attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

Read also: Ukraines winter energy outlook: Challenges and opportunities  Interview with energy expert

According to intelligence reports, Russia has refrained from launching its best air-launched cruise missiles from its fleet of heavy bombers for almost two months. This has likely allowed it to accumulate a significant stockpile of these weapons.

"Russia is highly likely to use these missiles if it repeats last years effort to destroy Ukraines critical national infrastructure," UK Defense Intelligence said.

On Nov. 20, the government of Ukraine and the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced plans to implement heightened protection of energy infrastructure facilities across three tiers of security.

Earlier, UK intelligence suggested that Russia could use newly manufactured long-range air-launched weapons to attack Ukraine's energy infrastructure during the winter.

Russia has probably amassed 800 precision-guided missiles over the past eight months, Yuriy Ihnat, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force Command, told Radio NV.

Read also: Naftogaz Ukraine CEO outlines how Ukraine has prepared its energy system for Russian attacks

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that Ukraine is preparing for the worst winter in its history, as Russia will test the defense of Ukrainian power plants with its missiles.

Since October 2022, Russia has been actively launching mass missile attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Over several months, Ukraine experienced more than 10 waves of large-scale Russian attacks, when the enemy used dozens of missiles of various types and ranges.

Due to the power shortage in the energy system, the Ministry of Energy had to cut off electricity to consumers, but despite the difficult winter for Ukrainians, Moscow failed to achieve its goal of causing a complete blackout in Ukraine.

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The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believes that Russia is employing hybrid warfare tactics on the Finnish border, repeating the scenario of the "migration crisis" on the Polish border with Belarus and seeking to destabilise NATO.

Source: ISW

Details: The report stated that Russia is likely using well-known hybrid warfare tactics to artificially generate a migration crisis on the Finnish border.

Finnish authorities shut down four border crossing points on Finland's southeastern border with Russia on 18 November after the Finnish Border Guard reported that about 300 asylum seekers, mostly from Iraq, Yemen, Somalia and Syria, had arrived at the Finnish border from Russia since September 2023.

The Finnish newspaper Iltalehti reported on 20 November that the Finnish authorities were considering closing the entire border with Russia on the night of 21-22 November.

"It is unlikely that these migrants would continue to remain at the Finnish border in sub-zero temperatures of their own volition after Finnish border authorities denied their entrance into Finland, suggesting that Russia is likely involved in the situation in some way," the ISW stated.

Analysts note that the Kremlin has rejected Finland's accusations that Russia is involved in creating an artificial migrant influx.

"Russias apparent hybrid warfare tactic on the Russian-Finnish border is similar to Russias and Belarus creation of a migrant crisis on the Polish border in 2021 and is likely similarly aimed at destabilising NATO," the ISW stressed.

The ISW noted that they had previously concluded that the Kremlin had allowed or possibly directly controlled Belarus' artificial creation of a migration crisis on the border with Poland in 2021.

"The Kremlin exploited the manufactured crisis in 2021 to falsely accuse NATO of aggression against Belarus," the military analysts noted.

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Russia is pushing migrants to create a crisis at a NATO neighbor's border, and it's not the first time they've done it

Migrants with bicycles are seen at the international border crossing at Salla, Finnish Lapland on November 21, 2023. JUSSI NUKARI

Russia is sending asylum seekers to Finland, creating a migrant crisis on the border, Finnish authorities say.

Finland has already closed several border checkpoints and is considering shutting down its entire Russian border.

Russia and Belarus previously employed this tactic to another NATO neighbor, Poland, in 2021.

Russia is creating a migrant crisis at Finland's borders, apparently sending hundreds of asylum seekers to the country.

The incident, now several days in, isn't the first time Russia has directed migrants to enter other countries  in fact, it appears to be the latest of a tactic to inspire unrest at its NATO neighbors' borders.

Over the past two weeks, Finland clocked over 500 asylum seekers, mostly from Yemen, Somalia, Syria, and Iraq, a major spike compared to numbers earlier this year. The sudden influx forced Finland to close multiple border checkpoints on its southeastern border with Russia on November 18 and led them to blame against Russia for creating the crisis. Russia has denied accusations, and last week, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov said Finland closing some of its borders with Russia was "a big mistake."

Videos supposedly of migrants traveling to the border have surfaced online. One such video, shared by open-source intelligence accounts on X, formerly known as Twitter, apparently shows dozens of migrants headed to Russia's border with Finland.

Finnish authorities are now considering closing the entire border with Russia, Finnish media outlet Iltalehti reported.

Business Insider was not able to independently verify the video.

Finland has blamed Russia for artificially creating the migrant crisis, with Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo saying last week that Russian border guards were escorting migrants to the border themselves. Finnish authorities have also accused Russian guards of closing their border after transporting migrants to Finland, and have suggested "foreign authorities or other actors" are involved in the crisis. There are also videos and photos of migrants riding bikes supposedly given by Russian authorities.

Finnish border guards escort migrants with bicycles at the international border crossing with Russia at Salla, Finnish Lapland on November 21, 2023. JUSSI NUKARI/Lehtikuva/AFP via Getty Images

While the Kremlin has denied accusations that it's involved in the migrant crisis and condemned its border closures, the incident could fall in line with previous Russian tactics for trying to cause instability at its borders with NATO neighbors.

According to The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a Washington DC-based think tank, "Russia's apparent hybrid warfare tactic on the Russian-Finnish border is similar to Russia's and Belarus' creation of a migrant crisis on the Polish border in 2021 and is likely similarly aimed at destabilizing NATO." At that time, Belarus, possibly enabled by Russia, sent thousands of migrants to its border with Poland, as well as Lithuania and Latvia, in retaliation against the European Union, which Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko threatened to "flood" with "drugs and migrants." Human Rights Watch accused Belarus of manufacturing the crisis and reported on violence and inhumane treatment of migrants by Belarusian authorities, all of which created unrest at Poland's border.

It's possible that what's unfolding at Finland's border is similar, with Russia looking to negatively impact Finland after it joined NATO earlier this year.

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The Russian embassy could be earning hundreds of thousands a month from the rental properties - Alexander Spatari/Moment RF

Russia rented out Prague apartments to tourists using holiday letting websites to help pay for Vladimir Putins war in Ukraine, the Czech Republic has said.

The Czech government has frozen the Russian real estate assets, which were also rented to tenants, who were forced to pay in cash.

Using the roughly 150 apartments, a legacy of when the Czech Republic was behind the Iron Curtain, for commercial purposes, was controversial even before the invasion in 2022.

Russias rental of the properties was first exposed by Czech newspaper Denik N in 2019.

It reported that two apartments were advertised on Booking.com and others on Czech websites but there is no suggestion the letting agencies knew they were Russian-owned.

On Wednesday, Prague, at the suggestion of Jan Lipavsky, the Czech Republics foreign minister, added the Russian government agency Goszagransobstvennost to its national sanctions list.

The agency manages Russian real estate around the world and falls directly under the Russian presidents power.

Vladimir Putin has been accused of controlling the properties - Getty/Contributor

Mr Lipavsky told The Telegraph during a trip to London: Putin is controlling the properties and Putin is the perpetrator of the brutal, imperialistic war against Ukraine.

The purpose of sanctions is to prohibit the use of the money, raised by using the properties, to support the war activity of Russia against Ukraine.

My country was occupied by the Soviets and we have no interest in living in Russias world again, he added, so the fight against Russian imperialism will always remain our eternal fight.

The new measures, which go further than existing EU sanctions, mean that the Kremlin will not be able to sell the properties.

The rent for the properties, including several apartment blocks, will go into a frozen bank account, which Moscow will not have access to. Anyone continuing to try and pay rent in cash would be guilty of a criminal offence, the government said.

The intergovernmental agreements signed before the Velvet Revolution in 1989 said they could only be used by Soviet employees rather than for commercial purposes.

The properties in question must be used in accordance with the applicable intergovernmental agreements. It is not permissible to rent them out to third parties, for example through Booking.com, Michal Buchacek, a ministry spokesman, said after 2019 reports that two apartments on Ovenecka Street were advertised on the site.

Booking.com told The Telegraph it would not be able to comment, without knowing which apartments were concerned or whether they were still listed.

Some of the apartments are dotted around Pragues affluent Bubenc district, which boasts a villa district and is near the city centre. They were not advertised as Russian embassy-run.

900 a month

Tenants said they would pay about 250 a month in cash for their rent. One 54 metre square flat was offered as a short-term rental to tourists for about 900 a month.

Denik N estimated that the Russian embassy could be earning hundreds of thousands of pounds a month.

Mr Lipavsky, who is a strident supporter of Ukraine, refused to give details on how much the properties were worth.

The sanctions against the Goszagransobstvennost agency is the first in the EU and the foreign minister will push for Brussels to impose similar measures against it across the bloc.

The frozen properties do not include the Russian Embassy itself, which is subject to Vienna Convention rules for diplomatic missions.

The Czech Republic has been among the strongest backers of Ukraine since the February 2022 invasion by Russia.

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Russian forces attacked six communities in Ukraine's Sumy Oblast on Nov. 20, causing 88 explosions throughout the day, the Sumy Oblast military administration reported.

Russia's military fired at least 13 times over the past 24 hours, targeting the communities of Bilopillia, Yunakivka, Khotin, Seredyna-Buda, Esman, and Shalyhyne.

No casualties or damage to civilian infrastructure were reported.

The Russian military targeted the communities with an onslaught of shelling, mortar and rocket attacks. The community of Shalyhyne, home to roughly 2,200 residents, suffered from artillery shelling the most with at least 30 explosions recorded. The town of Shalyhyne is located some eight kilometers west of the Russia-Ukraine border.

Shelling is a daily occurrence for the communities near Ukraine's northeastern border with Russia. Residents in the region's vulnerable border settlements experience multiple attacks per day.

Read also: Historian Serhii Plokhy: The better we prepare for the long war, the sooner it will end

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Consequences of the Russian attack on Selydove in Donetsk region, November 15, 2023

Russia launched four missiles at Donetsk Oblast, killing one person and wounding more, Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko reported on Telegram on Nov. 21.

The first two missiles hit the territory of a hospital in Selydove around 11.30 p.m. on Nov. 20, causing damage to two buildings. Six people sustained injuries, and there are concerns that more people may be trapped beneath the rubble of the damaged buildings. Search operations are ongoing.

Read also: Death toll rises to 6 in Selydove after Russian attack, IDP couple pulled out of rubble

Shortly after, Russian forces launched two more strikes, damaging four buildings, 19 vehicles, and an electricity line, as well as killing one person.

A Russian missile struck a mine building of the Kotlyarevska mine, close to the hospital in Selydove.

Read also: Widespread damage from shelling in Donetsk Oblast, missile strike on Avdiivka reported in past 24 hours

Thirty-nine miners were for a time trapped underground, but all have been successfully brought to the surface.

Earlier, on Nov. 15, Russia attacked a residential area of Selydove, destroying an entranceway to an apartment building with a missile.

Six people were killed and three were injured in that attack.

Selydove is about 40 kilometers to the northwest of the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Donetsk.



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Russian tactical aircraft launched missile attacks on the city of Odesa and on the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi district on 21 November.

Source: Defence Forces of Ukraines South

Quote: "Tactical aircraft of the Russians launched missile attacks with X-31P missiles in daytime and in the evening.

The Russians launched anti-radar missiles trying to detect and destroy [our] air defence systems."

Details: The missiles have struck an open surface, an administrative building and port infrastructure in Odesa and the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi district. No injuries have been reported.

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President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia wants to remove him from the post of President of Ukraine by the end of 2023, for which it has come up with a destabilisation plan codenamed Maidan-3.

Source: Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an interview with UK tabloid The Sun

Quote: "The last information is that there is a plan that they want really much, and the name of the operation is Maidan-3. It means to change the president (of Ukraine)  maybe it is not by killing.

They will use any instruments they have. The idea is to launch a new operation that even has a name by the end of this year... You know, we can live with it."

Background: On 16 November, Volodymyr Zelenskyy told a group of journalists that the Kremlin was seeking to split Ukrainian society, wreak havoc inside the country and ultimately overthrow the president. Intelligence reports indicated that Russia refers to this plan as Maidan 3.

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Russian air strikes on Beryslav in Kherson Oblast on Nov. 21 killed a 65-year-old man and injured a 57-year-old man, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported.

The body of the 65-year-old man was discovered in the rubble of his damaged house. The 57-year-old man suffered numerous injuries, including limb fractures, Prokudin said.

Russian forces reportedly dropped 28 aerial bombs on the Beryslav district on Nov. 21, including 12 KAB bombs on the town itself.

The attacks also damaged an enterprise building, a shop, and a driving school building, Prokudin said.

The Ukrainian-controlled part of Kherson Oblast suffers regular attacks by Russian forces on the eastern side of the Dnipro River.

The regional prosecutor's office reported earlier on Nov. 21 that during the day, four other people were injured in the oblast, including one man in Beryslav.

Later the same day, the Kherson Oblast Military Administration reported that a woman in her late 70s was injured in a Russian attack on the village of Tiahynka in the Beryslav district.

Read also: Opinion: On Ukraines medical front, fortune favors the bold

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Russian artillery and air strikes on Kherson Oblast on Nov. 21 injured at least four civilians, the Kherson Oblast Prosecutor's Office reported.

A Russian drone injured a 75-year-old man in his car at around 9:40 a.m. in Beryslav. The civilian suffered shrapnel wounds and was provided with medical care, according to the report.

Russian aerial guided bombs reportedly hit the village of Novoberyslav at around 1 p.m., wounding a 54-year-old man.

Russian forces carried out an artillery attack on the outskirts of Kherson at around 2:20 p.m., injuring a 61-year-old woman and a 62-year-old man, the prosecutors said.

The Ukrainian-controlled part of Kherson Oblast suffers regular attacks by Russian forces in the east of the Dnipro River.

Overnight and on Nov. 20, Russian troops struck Kherson Oblast 44 times, killing two civilians and injuring three, according to Governor Oleksandr Prokudin.

Read also: Zelensky on 10th anniversary of EuroMaidan: It is up to our generation to determine the direction (Ukraines history) will take

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Russian multi-weapons attacks in Kherson and Kharkiv oblasts killed at least three people and injured another four in the past day, regional authorities reported on Nov. 21.

Russian forces hit a residential building in Kherson on the morning of Nov. 21, leaving a 59-year-old man with a leg injury, the Kherson Oblast Military Administration said on Telegram.

In the previous 24 hours, Russian troops struck Kherson Oblast 44 times, killing two civilians and injuring three, according to Governor Oleksandr Prokudin.

Tanks, warplanes, drones, multiple launch rocket systems, mortars, and artillery were reportedly used to strike Kherson Oblast.

In Kharkiv Oblast, Russian attacks in the town of Kozacha Lopan damaged a residential building and started a fire, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

Once the fire was extinguished, the body of a 29-year-old man was found, according to Syniehubov.

Russian troops targeted a total of 16 settlements in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv Oblast over the past day, the governor added.

Read also: Historian Serhii Plokhy: The better we prepare for the long war, the sooner it will end

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A total of 33 combat engagements have taken place across the contact line over the past 24 hours. The Russians have launched 4 missile strikes and 37 airstrikes and carried out 19 attacks, using multiple rocket launchers.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, information as of 18:00 on 21 November

Details: Ukraine's Defence Forces are holding their positions on the Dnipro River's left bank in Kherson Oblast. They persisted in striking the Russians.

On the Kupiansk front, the Russian army conducted assault operations near the village of Synkivka and east of the settlement of Petropavlivka in (Kharkiv Oblast), where the Ukrainian Defence Forces repelled three attacks.

On the Lyman front, the Russians attempted an assault near the settlement of Siversk (Donetsk Oblast) but to no avail.

On the Bakhmut front, Ukrainian defenders repelled 5 Russian attacks near the village of Klishchiivka and east of the settlement of Pivdenne (Donetsk Oblast).

On the Avdiivka front, the Russian occupying forces held unsuccessful assault operations east of Novobakhmutivka, Avdiivka, Sieverne and Pervomaiske (Donetsk Oblast), where the Ukrainian army repelled eight attacks.

On the Marinka front, the Russians led unsuccessful assault operations near the settlements of Marinka and Novomykhailivka (Donetsk Oblast), where Ukrainian forces repelled 15 attacks.

On the Shakhtarsk front, the Russian troops engaged in unsuccessful assault operations to the west of the settlement of Staromaiorsk in Donetsk Oblast.

On the Zaporizhzhia front, the Russian army conducted assault operations near the settlements of Robotyne and Kamianske (Zaporizhzhia Oblast) but to no avail.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Defence Forces persisted in their offensive operation on the Melitopol front and offensive (assault) operations on the Bakhmut front, inflicting losses in military personnel and equipment on the Russian occupying army and exhausting them along the entire contact line.

Quote: "Ukraine's Air Force hit a command post, delivered 6 strikes on the clusters of Russian military personnel, weapons and equipment and 2 strikes on Russian anti-aircraft missile systems.

Ukraine's Rocket [and Artillery] Forces hit 3 clusters of Russian military personnel, weapons and equipment, as well as their ammunition storage point".

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NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The safety and wellbeing of Australian defence personnel is Canberra's "utmost priority" and Australia expects all countries to operate militaries in a safe and professional manner, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Tuesday.

Wong's comments came a week after an incident involving a Chinese warship and an Australian navy vessel in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in which an Australian military diver was injured.

"We have raised our serious concerns with the Chinese authorities following what we regard as unsafe and unprofessional interaction with the PLA Navy destroyer," she said, reiterating Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's comments on Monday.

"These events occurred within Japan's EEZ and international waters and Australia's principled position is that we expect all countries, including ourselves, to operate militaries in a safe and professional manner," Wong said at a joint press conference with her Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in New Delhi.

HMAS Toowoomba - a long-range frigate - was conducting a diving operation on Nov. 14 to clear fishing nets from its propellers when the Chinese warship acted in a dangerous manner, Australia has said.

A People's Liberation Army Navy (PLA) destroyer approached HMAS Toowoomba, despite the Australian vessel notifying the Chinese warship of a diving operation, and operated its hull-mounted sonar in a manner that posed a safety risk, Australia has said.

Beijing has rejected the accusations as reckless and irresponsible and urged Canberra to respect the facts, in an incident which comes amid efforts by the two countries to improve relations.

The Chinese destroyer Ningbo monitored and identified HMAS Toowoomba, all while keeping a safe distance from it and did not carry out any activities that might affect the diving operations of the Australian side, Beijing has said.

Wong and Australia's Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles held talks known as the "2+2 Dialogue" with their Indian counterparts on Monday to discuss their cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region and mutual concerns about China, among others.

India's relations with China have deteriorated since a 2020 border clash between their militaries in which 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese troops were killed.

Wong said Australia and India both have very substantive economic relationship with China, recognise Chinas importance and place in the region, and will continue to engage with it.

Australia, she added, "will cooperate where we can, we will disagree where we must, and we will engage in our national interest".

(Reporting by YP Rajesh and Krishn Kaushik; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
The Salt Lake City School District on Monday night presented its recommendation to the districts board of education to close Riley Elementary, M. Lynn Bennion Elementary, Hawthorne Elementary and Mary W. Jackson Elementary. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

The Salt Lake City School District on Monday night presented its recommendation to the district's board of education to close Riley Elementary, M. Lynn Bennion Elementary, Hawthorne Elementary and Mary W. Jackson Elementary.

The process of looking into the potential closures started in July 2022 with the district launching a population and boundary study in the face of a significantly declining elementary student population.

"In the last decade, we've lost about 30% of our elementary population and this year alone, where we have space to educate 15,000 elementary students, we have just over 9,300 kids in our district," said Yandary Chatwin, communications director for the district. "It's clear that we're operating more schools than we need to adequately serve our students and it's time for looking at some changes in our district."

All 27 elementary schools in the district were included in the population and boundary study, with seven schools  Emerson Elementary, Hawthorne Elementary, M. Lynn Bennion Elementary, Mary W. Jackson Elementary, Newman Elementary, Riley Elementary and Wasatch Elementary  presented to the board for further consideration for closure in July.

Of those seven schools, the district recommended closing Riley Elementary, M. Lynn Bennion Elementary, Hawthorne Elementary and Mary W. Jackson Elementary.

Chatwin said that the district concluded that it couldn't close all seven schools without creating too many logistical challenges, but it had to close schools more than fewer.

District Superintendent Elizabeth Grant said she wanted to recognize the gravity of closing schools and acknowledged that it's a difficult process for everyone.

"We all feel the significance of these choices. I want you to know we have been careful and measured in our decision-making," Grant said. "I am certain that it is in the best interest of our students and this district to consolidate schools and create vibrant learning communities in all of our schools."

Once the initial seven schools were narrowed down, the district studied schools near each other as pairs, recommending one from each pair for closure. Here's a glimpse of what went into the decision of which schools were recommended for closure.

Newman and Mary W. Jackson

Only 246 students live within the boundary of Newman Elementary and that number isn't expected to increase in the coming years. Newman Elementary is also home to a collaborative pre-kindergarten program that serves special education students alongside general education students, which the district says would be difficult to relocate.

Newman Elementary also has an estimated 38 years of building life, compared to only 18 years for Mary W. Jackson Elementary. While Mary W. Jackson has a robust dual-language immersion program (226 of 337 students take part in it), the district said that the program would be easier to relocate.

"Newman has smaller overall enrollment but its neighborhood program serves more students than Mary W. Jackson's neighborhood program and the (dual-language immersion) program can be located at a different school," Grant said. "With these and other factors, the district determined that Mary W. Jackson be recommended for closure."

M. Lynn Bennion and Wasatch

M. Lynn Bennion Elementary is home to only 156 students this year, with 48% of resident students choosing to attend another school. It's also located one block from two major thoroughfares (400 South and 700 East) and only has 26 classrooms  less than the district's target of 28.

Wasatch Elementary, however, has fewer years of useful building life when compared to M. Lynn Bennion (13 to 17) and poses "significant" accessibility concerns for stakeholders with certain disabilities or limitations.

With useful building life not being a factor due to the narrow margin, the district said that Bennion's small number of classrooms, proximity to two major thoroughfares and significant challenges in actual enrollment  in declining residential student population and in high percentage of resident students transferring to other schools  led to the decision to recommend M. Lynn Bennion Elementary for closure.

Emerson and Hawthorne

Had Emerson and Hawthorn Elementary not been located next to each other, the district said both schools had factors warranting their closure.

Emerson Elementary avoided the chopping block due primarily to its status as a district hub school serving students with disabilities and relocating the program would cause significant disruption.

Riley Elementary

Riley Elementary is currently home to 193 students and last year, 41% of residential students chose to attend a different school.

However, the study showed there are two, newer elementary schools within 1.5 miles of Riley Elementary that could welcome the influx of students caused by Riley Elementary's closure. Furthermore, Riley Elementary was the only school on the study list in its part of the city, making the closure recommendation apparent.

Other recommendations, moving forward

Grant also outlined other recommendations for schools in the district, with one being to avoid closing schools that are close together. Grant said closing schools close together would again require boundary changes and could require students to cross major roads to get to school.

Expanding access to "special district programs" was also recommended. These programs include the magnet Extended Learning Programs, dual-language programs and special education hubs. Grant said only one such program should be located at any given elementary school, but the district committed to bus students to their programs if they live more than 1.5 miles from their assigned school.

Additionally, Grant said that if a school closes, all faculty and staff at the closed school will be offered equivalent employment opportunities elsewhere within the district.

"Every employee brings value to the district and I want to acknowledge these contributions," Grant said.

The district has scheduled a public hearing on Dec. 5 at West High School at 6:30 p.m. for community members to provide input regarding the recommended closures. Chatwin said that a final decision on the closures won't be made until the board's Jan. 9 meeting, at the earliest.

An in-depth analysis and rationale of the district's recommendation, including potential boundary adjustments, can be found here.
TAMPA, Fla. - The American Farm Bureau Federation reports the price of a Thanksgiving dinner for 10 people is down 4.5%, compared to 2022. But in the Bay Area, the need for food assistance is higher than ever.

The Salvation Army is hosting its largest turkey giveaway in Clearwater Monday and Tuesday ahead of Thanksgiving. Major Ted Morris said more meal tickets were given away faster than ever before.

"About 30 years ago, a lady drove up to the Salvation Army in her Camaro with about a dozen frozen turkeys, and she said, 'can you use turkeys for Thanksgiving?' We said 'absolutely.'" he said.

READ: 'How many pounds per person?' and other last-minute turkey questions, answered

Since then, the anonymous donor's generosity has grown exponentially. This year, she donated 12,500 turkeys and fix-ins. Meal tickets have already sold out.

"We know the need is there from the community, and if we could provide even for one day to somehow lift that burden. We want to do what we can," Morris said.

Two members from the Dunedin Rotary Club picked up 60 turkeys for its members in need.

"I think everyone has the same story. There are obviously problems with the cost of food and the cost of rent and so forth, so to have a free meal is very important," Member Mel Ora said.

MORE: Thanksgiving travel: Here are the holiday foods you can bring through TSA

That's the case for 86-year-old Shirley Travis, who picked up a turkey to host her daughter, son-in-law, and great-grandson.

"It was very easy. Everybody was so kind," she said, "It's very nice that they have this for the people. Especially at a lot of people can go out and buy for themselves and a lot of people really do need it."

The turkey giveaway continues on Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, click here.
During her visit to Ukraine, Maia Sandu, the President of Moldova, once again has stated that Moldova was saved from occupation only thanks to the actions of the Ukrainian military.

Source: Sandu at a press conference in Kyiv after talks with the President of Ukraine

Details: Sandu emphasised that she conveys gratitude to Ukraine from all citizens of Moldova.

"President Zelenskyy, I thank you on behalf of the people of Moldova for the huge sacrifice that your soldiers make on the battlefield, resisting Russian brutality, as well as for the sacrifice of all Ukrainians that they make so that their country is free and independent," she said to her Ukrainian counterpart.

Maia Sandu expressed confidence that Russia had plans to occupy Moldova.

"Without your resistance, our country would be the next to be occupied by Russia. The next, and probably not the last. By protecting Ukraine, you are also protecting Moldova," she emphasised.

Considering this, the president assured that Moldova will always be on Ukraine's side, including helping to preserve export routes. This statement was made against the background of the fact that in Poland, long-distance truck drivers blocked border checkpoints for Ukrainian freight transport, and on 21 November, the same thing happened in Slovakia.

"Our roads and railways will help Ukrainian goods reach export markets," Sandu stressed.

Maia Sandu is visiting Ukraine on Tuesday to discuss Ukraine's movement to the EU.

At the same time, Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, is also in Kyiv. He publicly explained why the EU summit in December should make a decision regarding Ukraine.

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla.  Floridas only Republican Jewish lawmaker publicly called on the University of Florida to terminate a professor for sharing a social media post comparing Israel to Nazi Germany  but UF President Ben Sasse, in a sharp rebuke, asserted that the instructor hasnt worked at the school for years.

The exchange between state Rep. Randy Fine and the top official at Floridas flagship university is emblematic of the heightened pressure on school leaders to officiate stateside reactions to the Israel-Hamas war on their campuses. Sasse, who had been praised by many Republicans for defending Israel amid outcry of some pro-Palestinian students in the aftermath of Hamas attacks, slammed Fines social media criticism of UF as a thirsty, attention-desperate post.

A tenured UF professor is supposedly forcing despicable antisemitic garbage on UF students in UF classrooms, Sasse, a former GOP senator from Nebraska, wrote in a lengthy memo Monday to UFs cabinet and deans. This seems to have started from a member of the legislature in Tallahassee exaggerating on social media and sharing too-good-to-be-checked clickbait that he knows isnt true.

Fine, an outspoken lawmaker who recently sponsored a resolution condemning Hamas and supporting Israel, posted on social media Friday that a UF professor is teaching that Israel eradicating Hamas is like Germany eradicating Jews. Fines post included a screenshot from a user named Gwendolyn Zoharah Simmons comparing the Auschwitz concentration camp death toll to the Gaza Strip under Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, claiming that Israel is a Nazi state.

In Florida, Fine wrote. Where there is a law that requires her termination. This has to end.

Simmons, who did not respond to a message seeking comment for this story, retired in 2019, according to one post from UF that noted she in the past taught numerous courses such as Key Issues in Black Atlantic Thought, Race and Religion, African American Religion, and Civil Rights and Religion. Simmons spoke at a pro-Palestinian rally earlier this month and was cited by Florida Alligator student newspaper as a former religion professor.

Sasse in his Monday memo blasted the post shared by Simmons and noted the former instructor hasnt been paid here for four years.

The antisemitic drivel was shared on social media, not in any UF classroom, Sasse wrote.

Our professors have the high and special calling of shepherding our students into engagement with hard issues inside the classroom, Sasse added. But thats very different than activists using public dollars to enforce ideology.

The Israel-Hamas war has been a flashpoint issue at U.S. universities, with students and faculty accusing their schools of doing too little to denounce antisemitism, while others want campuses to pay more attention to struggles of Gazans trapped in the middle.

In Florida, state officials led by DeSantis have attempted to break up local Students for Justice in Palestine groups for allegedly supporting Hamas. But the state has been unable to enforce the policy against chapters at UF and the University of South Florida due to possible legal concerns encapsulated by UFs group last week, which sued the state and school in federal court over the move.

Schools in other states, such as Brandeis University, Columbia University and George Washington University have taken action against SJP groups, either banning or suspending them, something Fine points to when leveling criticism against UF.

After Sasse attempted to clarify the social media tumult, Fine doubled down Monday by again targeting the school president. This time, Fine, who recently flipped his support from Ron DeSantis to Donald Trump as Republican presidential nominee over the governors response to the war, said Sasse should do more than composing word salad to protect Jewish students.

It seems like Ben Sasse needs to go to how to be a university president 101, Fine said during an interview.
A priest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate has been detained for allegedly spreading pro-Russian propaganda during sermons, Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) reported on Nov. 21.

The priest also used his own Telegram channel to spread Russian propaganda narratives about the invasion of Ukraine, as well as criticize the Ukrainian army, according to SBU.

SBU also reported that he praised Russian-backed warlords in Donetsk, who were allegedly assassinated before the full-scale invasion, via his Telegram channel.

The priest served the Vinnytsia Diocese but was hiding "in several regions of Ukraine," until he was eventually found and detained.

He is suspected of justifying Russian armed aggression against Ukraine and performing actions aimed at the violent change or overthrow of the constitutional order.

Ukraine has two main Orthodox churches: the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) and the independent Orthodox Church of Ukraine (Kyiv Patriarchate).

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate is subordinate to the Russian Orthodox Church and has been accused of aligning with the Russian government during the war, which the church's leadership has denied.

Read also: Priest of Moscow-linked church sentenced to 15 years for spying for Russia

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Scientists have, for the first time, isolated and decoded RNA molecules from the extinct Tasmanian tiger, a species that was last seen alive 87 years ago, in 1936, CNN has reported.

The genetic material was taken from a 130-year-old Tasmanian tiger specimen that has been housed in the collection of the Swedish Museum of Natural History in Stockholm, Sweden.

Though the last known Tasmanian tiger, named Benjamin, died in captivity in 1936 at the Beaumaris Zoo in Hobart, Tasmania, the species became severely endangered more than 2,000 years ago because of overhunting. The species was about the size of a coyote and was a marsupial predator.

The scientists work was published in the scientific journal Genome Research. Our results represent the first successful attempt to obtain transcriptional profiles from an extinct animal species, providing thought-to-be-lost information on gene expression dynamics, they wrote in the abstract.

While the scientists do not plan to use this genetic material to clone or resurrect the Tasmanian tiger like the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park  the studys lead author, Emilio Marmol Sanchez, a computational biologist at the Centre for Palaeogenetics and SciLifeLab in Sweden, told CNN that research, not resurrection, was the goal of the study  there are people out there who do have that aim.

Andrew Pask, a professor at the University of Melbourne in Australia and head of the Thylacine Integrated Genetic Restoration Research Lab, is leading an effort to use DNA and RNA to bring the Tasmanian tiger back from extinction.

Pask told CNN that the new study will add significant depth to our understanding of the biology of extinct animals and help us to build much better extinct genomes.

Though many species have gone extinct because of human activities, modern science does potentially make it possible for some of them to return in some form  and, of course, some species that were thought to be extinct still exist in small numbers, such as an extremely rare tree that was recently discovered in Brazil.

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It was a tough summer for Roger Petrocelli, an incarcerated man who is currently serving his sentence at Tomoka Correctional Institution in Daytona Beach.

Nights, when temperatures hovered above 90s, were a reprieve. The warmth and humidity pushed the heat index past 100 degrees during the day, he said.

Sweating, being hot and sticky from the heat and humidity inhibits ones ability to exercise and sleep, Petrocelli wrote in a letter shared with the Orlando Sentinel. Having only a few hours of sleep due to heat over an extended period of time definitely has an effect on ones attitude and tolerance level.

Prison officials and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle acknowledge theres a problem with extreme heat conditions inside Florida prisons, but the clearest path to providing Floridas correctional institutions with air conditioning will likely take decades to complete and come at a staggering cost. And thats if the state is willing to make the investment, which is far from certain.

With record-hot temperatures likely to continue, several Democratic state legislators and prison reform advocates are working on more immediate solutions to relieve people inside, including correctional officers who often have to endure grueling conditions while working.

In recent weeks, Sen. Tracie Davis and Rep. Angie Nixon, both representing Jacksonville, filed identical bills that would make it a requirement to provide some cool air inside dorm units by July 1.

Under the measure, each state correctional institution would have to install a portable air conditioner or some sort of air-cooling system in each housing unit. Those would not be as efficient or effective as full central air, but its a start.

We must make it clear that air conditioning is not a luxury, its a basic human right and necessity for human decency, said State Rep. LaVon Bracy Davis, who represents parts of Orange County including most of Ocoee. By providing air conditioning to our prisons we are not only ensuring the physical comfort of those incarcerated but also creating an environment conducive to rehabilitation and growth.

Last week Bracy Davis joined Representatives Nixon, Yvonne Hayes Hinson, who represents parts of Alachua and Marion counties, and State Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, at the Florida Capitol to gather support for the bills.

Florida has one of the largest incarceration rates in the nation. That is a problem, Eskamani said. What makes the situation even worse is the conditions in our prisons. Whether its the quality of food available, the quality of recreational activities or in this case the basic fundamental need for air conditioning.

Over 75% of state-run correctional housing units, or more than 500 dorms, dont have air-conditioning. Those that do are usually reserved for the most vulnerable populations inside prison, including the mentally ill, pregnant and geriatric.

Last year, Connie Beroth Edson, an advocate for air conditioning in prisons, and Rep. Hayes Hinson helped authorize a pilot program that tested large portable evaporative coolers at Lowell Correctional Institution in Marion County, the states largest womens prison.

The Florida Department of Corrections bought five of the coolers, but after several months of testing them officials concluded the devices were faulty, dripping water on bunks, according to Beroth Edson.

Representatives at FDC did not respond to a request for comment.

Beroth Edson said FDC is also in the process of testing a donated mini-split A/C unit, which is a small, ductless cooler that has the power to cool down up to 600 square feet of space.

I know that doesnt solve the problem completely but we cannot wait until something is built, she said. We need a solution now. People are suffering.

Equipping Florida correctional institutions with a proper HVAC system could take up to 20 years to complete and would require the state spend $582 million, according to the auditing firm KPMG. The firm was hired by FDC last year for $2 million to create a modernization plan that looks at ways to address the chronic staffing shortages and high turnover rates at FDC, in addition to meeting maintenance and infrastructure needs to avoid potentially costlier issues in the future.

Their final report is due next month and will likely emerge as hot button topic during next years legislative session.

At a Nov. 15 Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice meeting, consultants said the state would need to invest up to $12 billion to modernize Floridas carceral system, but it can choose to spend less where it deems necessary by choosing to mitigate problems instead of fixing them.

Sen. Jonathan Martin, R-Fort Myers, suggested it would be better to spend half a billion dollars on the salaries of correctional officers instead of investing in HVAC, but KPMG representatives called air conditioning a significant factor when it comes to staff retention.

Especially in states with significantly hot and humid summers its a very important working condition, said William Bill Zizic, a managing director in KPMGs government and infrastructure practice.

Of course, logic would tell us if you give raises its going to have an impact on some, but I would still say there are many who have walked the floor in those facilities on those 100-plus-degree days, that it is very difficult.

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An experiment to test how seabed mining could affect deep sea life has revealed unexpected impacts on common jellyfish.

There is increasing interest in extracting precious minerals from what are called metallic "nodules" that naturally occur on the seabed.

But marine scientists are concerned about the harm that could be caused.

These researchers studied helmet jellyfish, using special tanks on a research vessel to simulate conditions created by mining activity.

They found that the gelatinous animals were "highly sensitive" to plumes of sediment - a condition created to mimic how mining would stir up seabed deposits.

The findings were published in the journal Nature Communications.

Deep-sea mining has been proposed - and opposed - for decades. Mining companies and other supporters say mineral deposits on the seabed can be collected in less environmentally damaging ways than mining on land - and that it could help meet demand for materials for green technologies.

But many marine scientists point out that there will be consequences for marine life that we do not yet understand. Much of the deep ocean is unexplored, so seabed mining opponents also point out that mining activity could cause irreparable damage to ecosystems we do not yet understand.

So far, there has been little research into how it would affect the creatures that live their lives moving and floating through the water column, the vast area between the surface and the seabed. One of the lead researchers on this study, Dr Helena Hauss from the Norwegian research institute Norce told BBC News that this was the impetus behind the new experiment.

"The idea was to get hold of an organism that's globally distributed, and that would be exposed to these conditions in the real world," she explained.

Dark experiments

Because the jellyfish the team studied are so sensitive to light, the scientists worked at night. They captured about 60 animals and put them in temperature-controlled tanks, in a dark lab aboard their research ship.

Marine scientist Vanessa Stenvers, from the Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research in Kiel, Germany, explained that this simulated the debris that would be disturbed and released by underwater vehicles extracting minerals from the sea floor. "These are rotating tanks," she said. "Essentially re-creating a situation where sediment is disturbed and doesn't settle - it's circulating through the water."

The experiment, which was part of the European iAtlantic project, revealed some unusual effects on the jellyfish: When their bodies became coated in sediment, they produced excessive amounts of a protective mucus. Doing that, the scientists explained, is energetically expensive, so the animals used energy they would otherwise be expending on feeding or movement.

Samples taken from the animals also showed signs of what the researchers called "acute stress" including activation of genes that are associated with wound healing.

Fragile creatures

Helmet jellyfish live throughout the world's oceans - down to depths of several thousand metres.

They have fragile, gelatinous bodies. "That's not true just for jellyfish, but for worms and molluscs - lots of animals that live in the water column," explained Dr Stenvers.

"You can afford to be fragile, because you'll be safe in the in the mid water."

These animals also live in a world of relatively transparent water. One of the dominant forms of communication in the deep sea is bioluminescence, which, the scientists point out, only works in clear water.

Deep-sea mining activity, Dr Stenvers explained, is likely to change the conditions that these animals have evolved in.
WELLINGTON, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- A New Zealand researcher will trial a novel brain stimulation technique for treating chronic low back pain, a leading cause of disability worldwide, the Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC) said on Tuesday.

The trial by University of Otago researcher Divya Adhia, based on her team's previous research, shows that abnormal activity between three cardinal networks of the brain is associated with worse pain, poor function, and quality of life and wellbeing in people with chronic low back pain.

Expanding on this, she has developed a technique using transcranial electrical stimulation to normalize the abnormal electrical connectivity between these brain networks.

"Chronic pain goes beyond the structural level. It is an experience influenced by biological, psychological, social and lifestyle factors. It is really complex and largely moderated by the brain," Adhia said, adding her research will test if a brain-based therapy could be a way to enhance pain modulation and produce meaningful clinical benefits.

Current treatments include pharmacological options that have had small effects on chronic pain, and they may come with side-effects in the long run, she said, adding a new, non-invasive, safer therapy is warranted.

While similar brain interventions have been explored, they have focused on stimulating singular brain regions and have been limited by technology.

However, Adhia's research is different, not only because it targets multiple regions of the brain, but utilizes advanced technology and a uniquely designed waveform, said a HRC statement.

Targeting "triple brain network activity" and exploring its effect on pain will create new knowledge and lead to potentially new solutions for people with chronic pain, Adhia said.

The trial will include piloting a home-based treatment option, which could create greater acceptance for the intervention by individuals and their family, as well as reduce healthcare access-related barriers and service-delivery costs, she said.

Adhia received a fellowship of nearly 600,000 NZ dollars (364,065 U.S. dollars) from the HRC, which awarded a total of more than 15 million NZ dollars (9.1 million dollars) to 76 recipients of the HRC's Career Development Awards on Tuesday to help launch research careers. 
BEIJING, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Uruguayan President Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou's visit to China will elevate bilateral practical cooperation to a higher level and bring bilateral relations to new heights, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Monday.

At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Uruguayan President Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou is on a state visit to China from Nov. 20 to 24. It will be President Lacalle's first visit to China.

When asked to introduce President Lacalle's visit and China's expectation for the visit, spokesperson Mao Ning told a daily press briefing that during the visit, President Xi will host a welcome ceremony and a welcome banquet for President Lacalle. The two heads of state will hold talks to jointly blueprint the future growth of bilateral relations and have in-depth exchange of views on issues of mutual interest. They will also jointly attend a signing ceremony of cooperation documents.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, will meet with President Lacalle, Mao said.

"Uruguay is an important country in South America. Our two countries enjoy a profound traditional friendship," Mao said.

This year marks the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Uruguay, she said, noting that over the past 35 years, especially since the establishment of the strategic partnership in 2016, bilateral relations have made good progress and delivered tangible benefits to both peoples.

"We believe this visit will further consolidate our traditional friendship, deepen political mutual trust, elevate practical cooperation to a higher level, and bring our relations to new heights," Mao said. 
HANOI, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam's target of 700 billion U.S. dollars in import-export revenue in 2023 is a tough one amid current difficulties of the global market, Vietnam News Agency cited insiders as saying on Tuesday.

The country's import-export revenue reached 558 billion dollars in the first 10 months of this year, down 9.6 percent year on year, with exports dropping 7.1 percent and imports falling 12.3 percent, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Imports and exports in October achieved positive growth over the same period last year, but the recovery pace remained slow, the ministry said.

The ministry said that these results make it challenging to fulfil the goal for the whole year, as in the last two months of the year, the revenue must reach 71 billion dollars each month.

The target is hard to achieve in the context of fierce strategic competition among world powers, increasing uncertainty and slow global economic recovery, the ministry said.

In 2022, Vietnam's total export and import revenue hit a record high at 732.5 billion dollars, an increase of 9.5 percent compared to 2021, according to the General Statistics Office of Vietnam. 
Telecom fraudsters cast long shadow

09:01, November 21, 2023 By Yang Zekun ( China Daily

More than 1,200 fraud suspects are handed over to Chinese law enforcement officials on Sept 6 in Pu'er, Yunnan province. [Photo/CHINA DAILY]

Criminal gangs lure recruits with promises of high-paid work

A 24-year-old man from Nanchong, Sichuan province, is bitterly regretting his impulsive decision to join a company in northern Myanmar on the advice of a friend he met online.

"I would have been married this year if I hadn't inadvertently taken part in telecom fraud," said the man, who uses the alias Li Ming and was speaking at a detention center in his home city, where a number of criminal cases linked to him are pending.

Attracted by the prospects of earning a high salary, Li joined the company in Myanmar in March 2020 after being told about it by the friend he met in cyberspace.

However, he said the following seven months were the darkest period of his life, as he faced hunger, beatings, threats and a life-or-death escape.

Li was traded among six groups involved in fraudulent activities, before eventually escaping from the clutches of the last group to be smuggled back to China in October 2020.

In June last year, Li was arrested while working in Fujian province. His arrest resulted in his girlfriend ending their relationship. Those accused of fraud with him gave evidence of Li's criminal acts.

The law enforcement department in Nanchong also confirmed that at one of the fraudulent companies Li worked for from Sept 21 to Oct 21, 2020, he cheated victims out of more than 82,000 yuan ($11,200). After his arrest, Li refunded 13,000 yuan.

In October, he was sentenced to 17 months in prison for telecom fraud and for crossing the national border illegally.

"People should not trust high-paid jobs advertised online, but should rely on their own abilities and take life steadily. They should not challenge China's laws," Li said, adding that he was lucky to get home, as others who joined such illegal ventures may have died overseas.

One of dozens of Chinese telecoms fraud suspects is escorted back from the Philippines. [Photo/China Daily]

Lucrative offer

Li dropped out of senior high school after his junior year to start work. After taking a number of jobs, he ended up working as a pharmaceutical sales representative at a company in Chongqing, earning about 9,000 yuan per month.

In February 2020, Li met a friend online while playing games. After chatting from time to time for about a month, the man offered Li a lucrative job in northern Myanmar, promising him that he would make at least 50,000 yuan per month. However, he did not give Li any details about the work.

The man also agreed to cover costs for travel and accommodations, and told Li that he could leave at any time if he was not satisfied with the job.

"Lured by the high salary, I accepted the job without thinking carefully about it. I provided my ID card number, bank account details and phone number to the man, who booked flight tickets and a hotel for me," he said.

Following the man's instructions, Li flew to a city in Yunnan province near the border with Myanmar in March 2020.

He was later taken to a shabby flat in the mountains, where he and several others were driven by tractor along remote roads for several hours to evade checkpoints. After walking on mountain paths for more than 10 hours before boarding a dinghy to cross a river, the group entered northern Myanmar and was taken to a company.

Li's personal items were seized on arrival, and he was told he owed the company money for his travel and smuggling fees. He was also told he could not leave unless he paid the money or met the company's income targets. At this point, Li realized he had been cheated and was trapped.

The manager of the company told Li and the others that in China they could never earn the amount of money they could make in a short time with the company, before providing them with details on how to build relationships with their targets and extract money from them.

Fraud suspects are handed over to Chinese police in Pu'er, Yunnan, on Sept 6. [Photo/China Daily]

Lost investments

Li and the others worked and lived on the company's premises, with only the management personnel allowed to leave.

The work team Li was with comprised about 20 people, all of them Chinese, with each having two smartphones to download apps to find potential victims.

The group was instructed to use "sweet talk" to engage with victims, before getting them to make an investment, in which the victims ended up losing their money.

Li posed online as a successful businessman. The group members targeted divorced or single women, and created posts claiming they were single themselves. By discussing their financial situation, they slowly persuaded their victims to invest in a certain app offered by the fraudulent company, making it difficult for the victims to retrieve their money.

Li was required to interact with dozens of women a day. If a victim asked to meet him in person or via video chat, the company made excuses for Li not being available.

"We were instructed to keep track of the people we talked to each day, otherwise, we would be penalized and not allowed to eat or sleep," Li said.

He once considered calling the police, but everyone at the company and their mobile devices were monitored closely. Li was also intimidated by others at the company, who warned that calling the police would lead to "terrible consequences" and that he would be locked in a water dungeon.

Due to his poor performance, the company demanded 150,000 yuan from Li's family members as a ransom, which they could not afford. As a result, Li was sold to another fraudulent company.

In October 2020, at the last company, Li said he wanted to go out for a meal, as he had not enjoyed good food for a long time. He promised to do his best to make money for the company. While outside with his superiors, his phone was returned to him, and he saw his chance to escape.

Moments after their manager left, Li and two other men took a taxi and traveled for more than three hours. At a restaurant, they obtained the contact details of a human trafficker, before joining about 10 other people to return to China.

Police from Myanmar hand telecoms fraud suspects (front) to a Chinese police working group on Aug 23. [Photo/Xinhua]

Difficult investigation

Police in Nanchong first discovered clues to telecom fraud, including details of Li's case, in February 2021. They arrested a number of suspects and examined the evidence of fund flows and communication records provided by the suspects, along with information about electronic communications, payment settlements, and transportation records.

This work led to the identification of more than 2,000 individuals connected to 21 fraud groups. Police then formed a special task force to work on the case in April 2021.

Nanchong police said that from January last year to March this year, they arrested 842 suspects who returned to China from northern Myanmar, including Li.

Qiao Jun, a police officer in Nanchong involved with handling the cases, said those arrested returned to China on their own volition, before being questioned by police.

The suspects often claimed to have been coerced into taking part in fraud, Qiao said, adding that when fraud groups are located overseas, law enforcement agencies face challenges in obtaining evidence from abroad.

"We used the national anti-fraud platform to search for victims, and at the same time, we carried out tests on the suspects' phones to find key information to make a breakthrough in the case," Qiao said.

Li Jianbing, a prosecutor at Nanchong People's Procuratorate, said many of the suspects confessed to their crimes during interrogation, but later made a U-turn by saying they were victims of fraud themselves. Some even retracted their initial confessions after learning that the police did not have sufficient evidence against them.

"These fraud groups are familiar with China's anti-fraud policies, and they conduct special training for their members to escape investigation," Li Jianbing said. "Their internal hierarchies are well-defined, with a strict division of labor. Members from different groups rarely interact, and they avoid gathering in one place, making it difficult to identify common criminal activity."

Given the difficulties of investigative work, the procuratorate and public security bureau carried out several joint studies. Prosecutors then advised the public security authorities to collect evidence of illegal border crossings  a relatively easy crime to prove  before proceeding to the more complex crime of fraud, Li Jianbing said.

"This approach ensured that the suspects could be arrested promptly, allowing more time to investigate crimes related to fraud," he said.

The authorities also collected other evidence, such as flight or train tickets, bookings for accommodations, border crossing details, and phone call records, Li Jianbing added. Officers conducted additional interrogations of suspects based on the evidence they collected and examined. As a result, the suspects' contradictory statements were exposed.

Furthermore, cross-examination was carried out among the suspects to eliminate any possible doubt. These actions enabled police to form a complete evidence chain for the cases to be transferred for review and successful prosecution, Li Jianbing added.

The Nanchong procuratorate said more than 500 people have been handed over to the authorities. Over 400 of them have been prosecuted, and other cases are still under investigation.

Government efforts

For the past three years, telecom fraud cases have ranked among the top three types of crime in China, and taken place in terms of financial crime. Last year, the amount of money involved in fraud reported in China exceeded 2 trillion yuan, data from the Supreme People's Procuratorate show.

The central government attaches great importance to curbing such crimes with the rule of law, and departments at all levels are working together to combat fraud cases.

In April last year, the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council, China's cabinet, issued a document on fighting telecom fraud, requiring different departments to form a strategy to crack down on such offenses and associated crimes.

The authorities were also asked to improve the investigation and punishment mechanism regarding funds involved in fraud, and maximize the recovery of stolen goods.

In September last year, China's top legislature approved a law against online fraud, which took effect in December. This legislation provides special legal support for combating such crimes.

In July, the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee proposed enhancing law-based governance to combat telecom fraud and cut links in criminal chains from the source. The commission also called for a crackdown on overseas telecom fraud and domestic collaborators.

China has also cooperated with Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand and other countries this year to crack down on overseas telecom fraud groups via a police cooperation mechanism. For example, law enforcement agencies in northern Myanmar have handed over 4,666 fraud suspects to China.

Due to a strict crackdown, since August, the number of telecom fraud cases and the amount of property losses in China have fallen year-on-year by 24 percent and 20.5 percent, respectively, the Ministry of Public Security said.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
JAKARTA, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Cases of monkeypox in Indonesia have spread to five provinces, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday.

"The total has reached 51 confirmed cases, including 30 patients who have recovered," said Siti Nadia Tarmizi, the head of the ministry's communications and public services bureau.

The capital Jakarta considered as a special province has recorded the most cases, at 38, including 23 recoveries. Other cases were detected in West Java (6), Banten (5), Riau (1) and East Java (1).

Some cases were accompanied by other diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and syphilis, added Tarmizi. Meanwhile, the work to prevent new cases is hampered by the minimal number of vaccine doses.

The monkeypox case in Indonesia was first detected this year on Oct. 13, in a resident who had just returned from a trip to various countries.

Epidemiologists estimate the number of cases could multiply to 3,600 cases a year if without any interventions. 
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo.  A St. Louis County man faces criminal charges in a child sex crimes case, citing an act of God amid the alleged misconduct.

Prosecutors have charged Donyae Andrews, 27, with child molestation and sexual misconduct in the investigation.

FOX 2 reporter, photographer victims of pellet gun drive-by

Authorities say Andrews was arrested after a situation on Nov. 18 in Maryland Heights and had been living at the home with the victim and her mother for an undisclosed amount of time.

According to a probable cause statement obtained by FOX 2, the victim went to use the restroom at home when she reportedly caught Andrews in the middle of a lewd act. Andrews allegedly left the bathroom naked and attempted several sex acts. The victim was able to push away and inform her mother, who quickly responded and swung a baton in Andrews direction, per court documents.

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Authorities later arrested Andrews, who asserted there was an act of God during one discussion with an officer, according to the probable cause statement from the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorneys Office.

If convicted, Andrews could face up to four years and six months in prison and $11,000 in fines.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.
Detectives have released photos of a person they want to speak to after a man was stabbed in a car park.

Nottinghamshire Police said the victim was taken to hospital with a wound to his neck/shoulder area following an altercation in Hickings Lane, Stapleford, on 9 November.

Witnesses are being sought to the attack, which happened at about 18:30 GMT.

The force said it hoped the person may be able to help the investigation.

Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD)  Grand Rapids Public Schools is hosting the 31st annual Turkey Trot this Thursday downtown.

The 5K race will officially kick off outside Van Andel Arena at 8:10 a.m. There will also be a mini trot for those under the age of 12.

Travel forecast: Rain Tuesday, dry by Thanksgiving

Earlier this month, it was announced that the race had already received nearly 5,000 sign-ups from runners across the area ready to participate.

Click here to register for the race or to find more information.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.
DHAKA, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Armed Forces Day commemorating the martyrdom of military personnel in Bangladesh's 1971 Liberation War was observed on Tuesday with due pomp and honor.

Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid glowing tributes to the Liberation War martyrs who laid down their lives for the country's independence in 1971.

Shahabuddin paid homage by placing a wreath at the altar of Shikha Anirban (eternal flame) here in the country's capital in the morning and stood in solemn silence for a while to pay respect to the martyrs.

Also, Hasina placed a wreath before the flame to honor the nation's martyrs.

A contingent of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force presented a salute on the occasion.

Shahabuddin and Hasina have issued messages greeting members of the armed forces on the occasion.

Various programs have also been chalked out at different army garrisons, naval ships, installations and bases of the air force across the country. 
MAIMANA, Afghanistan, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Police have discovered a massive weapon cache containing a variety of arms and ammunition in north Afghanistan's Faryab province, a statement of the provincial police office said Tuesday.

During the search operations, police found the weapon cache in the Qaisar district and discovered 28 light and heavy assault rifles including some machine guns, the statement said, adding more than 10,000 bullets, projectiles, and 30 hand grenades were also discovered from the cache.

Similarly, police discovered 15 assault rifles including 13 AKM in the Andarab district of Baghlan and three pieces of assault rifles from Dara-e-Suf Bala district in the northern Baghlan province a couple of days ago.

The Afghan caretaker government has vowed to collect arms and ammunition from anyone living outside security organs as part of efforts to stabilize law and order in the war-ravaged country. 
HANOI, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam's vegetable export revenue is forecast to reach about 1-1.5 billion U.S. dollars by 2030, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported Monday, citing a project recently approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

According to the project, Vietnam's vegetable production is set at 23-24 million tons with about 1-1.3 million tons designated for processing.

Vietnam will develop safe and concentrated vegetable growing areas with clear origins in order to meet domestic and export demand, contributing to national food security, food safety and hygiene, and improving community health, VNA reported.

By 2030, the national vegetable cultivation will cover an area of some 1.2-1.3 million hectares. Around 360,000-400,000 hectares will be dedicated to safe and concentrated vegetable production.

Among this, roughly 50,000-60,000 hectares are projected for processed vegetables, including tomato, cucumber, chilli, potato, and leafy greens.

According to the ministry, Vietnam's fruit and vegetable export revenue hit over 4.9 billion dollars in the first 10 months of this year, while the revenue for the whole year is predicted to surpass 5 billion dollars. 
ISLAMABAD, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- A soldier and three terrorists were killed in two separate operations against the militants and an attack on security forces in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the Pakistani military said on Tuesday.

One of the operations was conducted in Dera Ismail Khan district, where security forces launched an intelligence-based operation, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Arm, said in a statement.

Two terrorists were killed after an intense exchange of firing during the offensive, the statement added.

In a separate operation in South Waziristan district, one more terrorist was killed, the ISPR said.

"Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from all three killed terrorists, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against security forces as well as the innocent civilians," said the statement.

In another incident in North Waziristan district, an improvised explosive device exploded, killing a soldier, the ISPR said. 
TEGUCIGALPA, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Honduran government extended a partial state of emergency imposed to combat crime, prolonging it by 45 days, Honduran media reported Tuesday.

Honduras' Council of Ministers presided over by President Xiomara Castro extended the measure on Monday, meaning it remains in place until 6:00 p.m. local time on Jan. 1, 2024, according to the Government Gazette.

The measure seeks to counter criminal activity by organized crime rings in 158 municipalities across the Central American nation, especially violent extortion.

First launched in December 2022, the state of emergency has allowed the National Police and other state institutions to carry out various operations to combat gangs and drug trafficking.

According to the government, the new extension seeks to maintain active measures to guarantee security and order in crime-ridden municipalities. 
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 21)  Television personality Isabelle Daza donated 1 million to Elvie Vergara, a house maid who was allegedly abused by her former employer which caused her partial blindness.

Daza on Monday shared her meeting with Vergara where she gave her a manager's check out of the online fundraiser she started in September.

"Finally, was able to give the money to Elvie Vergara herself. A total of 1,000,000 in a manager's check," the celebrity mom captioned on her Instagram post. "To those who donated, you have helped change a life and thank you for trusting me that I wouldn't scam you lol."

In the heartwarming clip, an emotional Daza told Vergara that she can use it for her medical needs and for her future.

"Meron po akong maliit na regalo sa iyo. Kasi nalaman ko ang kwento mo nung nanood ako ng news, at sa tulong ng lahat ng mga followers ko po at lahat ng nanonood ng story mo, meron silang na-donate para sa'yo," she said.

[Translation: I have a small gift for you. I learned about your story from the news, and my followers and everyone who heard about you decided to help. So, they have a donation for you.]

Vergara claimed in a Senate hearing last August that she has been abused by her employers since 2020. Among the abuses she allegedly experienced include putting chili and hammering her private parts.

A fellow helper also accused the employers of maltreatment.

The senators detained Vergara's former employers after they were cited in contempt.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 21)  The Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) on Monday announced the auditions for the upcoming musical adaptation of the classic Filipino romantic movie "One More Chance."

PETA said interested actors must submit a video of themselves performing one stanza and one chorus of any Ben&Ben songs, or other OPM songs.

They must also submit a video of them dancing to any contemporary modern music.

According to the casting brief, those who are interested in the role of Popoy must channel a man and an engineer in his 20s. He is described as a go-getter and someone who always needs to be in control.

Meanwhile, the role of Basha, who is an architect and a shirt designer in her 20s, is described as someone who bottles up her emotions to avoid confrontation.

Aside from the lead roles, PETA is also casting for the roles of Popoy and Basha's circle of friends or the Thursday Barkada.

PETA said the deadline for casting submissions will be on Nov. 26 at 11:59 p.m.

The announcement of those who passed the video audition will be on Dec. 1. It will be followed by live auditions on Dec. 4-5.

The callbacks will take place on Dec. 12-13, PETA added.

"One More Chance: The Musical" is based on the 2007 hit movie starring John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo. It was directed by Cathy Garcia-Molina.

The cult-classic is about college sweethearts Popoy and Basha who face challenges as they try to hold on to their relationship while also working on achieving their dreams.

A novel based on the movie's screenplay was also released in 2015.

The musical adaptation will feature music from Ben&Ben and will be staged in April 2024.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 20)  The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is investigating a claim that the owner of voting technology provider Smartmatic and a 2022 national election candidates camp supposedly met during that election period, Sen. Imee Marcos said Monday.

During the Senates deliberations on the proposed 2024 budget of the poll body, Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel bared the allegation that the owner of the mother company of Smartmatic Philippines visited the country and met with a camp of a candidate, an interested party.

Senate President Migz Zubiri tried to elicit information about the identity of the supposed candidate, asking if the person was winning or losing, but Pimentel did not answer the question.

The minority lawmaker also asked if the Comelec has already conducted a motu proprio investigation into the matter.

I believe that the report was also studied by the Comelec and they initiated an investigation. The results of which have not yet been issued, answered Marcos, the Comelecs budget sponsor.

The Comelec is saying that there is a pending disqualification case against Smartmatic from bidding in any other Comelec exercise and they are keen to investigate the allegation during that period, she also said.

In June, former Information and Communications Technology Secretary Eliseo Rio, former Comelec Commissioner Augusto Lagman, Franklin Ysaac, and Leonardo Odono filed a petition calling for a review of the qualifications of Smartmatic.

The group that filed a disqualification petition against Smatmatic cited the reported irregularities between the transmission logs and reception logs from the precinct level to Comelecs transparency server during the 2022 elections.

Despite the pending resolution of the disqualification petition, Smartmatic took part in the pre-bid conference for the new automated election system for the 2025 midterm elections.

It is among the four very serious bidders, according to Comelec.

Kung tayo kasi nakaupo sa Comelec, if our supplier who practically ran the election, in-admit Mr. (Senate) President (Zubiri), halos na-delegate sa Smartmatic ano, and the owner is meeting with interested parties, candidates' camps, medyo bawal dapat yon, Pimentel said.

[Translation: If we are Comelec officials and if our supplier who practically ran the election  as they have admitted that they delegated functions to Smartmatic  and the owner is meeting with interested parties, candidates camps, I think that should be prohibited.]

The chambers minority leader also asked Comelec officials if they knew that Smartmatic owners visited the Philippines in 2022. But Marcos said the poll body has no information about it.

Even the identities of Smartmatic owners apparently were not known by Comelec. When asked about the name of the technology providers owner, Marcos said that Cesar Flores represents Smartmatic in the Philippines, according to the agencys records.

Ang laging pinapangalanan yong [The person repeatedly named is] Cesar Flores but we are not aware of the corporate structure of the sister company and the overall organization, she said.

Marcos said there should be investigation results before the end of December by a 12-person investigative panel constituted by Comelec chairperson George Garcia to look into all these different allegations both in 2022 and in other elections.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 20)  Allegations of excessive travels and corruption rocked the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) as its officials faced the Senate budget deliberations on Monday.

Citing insider information, Sen. Raffy Tulfo said DENR Sec. Maria Antonia "Toni" Yulo-Loyzaga has embarked on 13 to 14 foreign trips this year alone, calling her a "jetsetter."

"For the information of the good sponsor na first time in the history na meron tayong DENR secretary na almost every other month bumibiyahe sa abroad. Iyan po ang reklamo ng ilang mga taga DENR mismo sa iba't ibang region na yung kanilang DENR secretary ay hindi nila nakikita or bihira nila makita in person," Tulfo said.

"Walang ginawa kundi forum lang sa mga hotels at mga video conference," he added.

[Translation: For the information of the good sponsor, it's the first time in history that we have a DENR secretary who travels abroad almost every month. Some DENR personnel from various regions complain they no longer see her in person. All she does is attend forums in hotels and video conferences.]

Sen. Cynthia Villar, who defended the DENRs proposed 2024 budget in plenary, confirmed that the agency has spent 1.1 billion for official trips of the Office of the Secretary and four bureaus this year. These include travels for five engagements with the United Nations.

"Sinasabi po na lahat ng trip na yan ay ministerial level. She has to go and she has the approval of the president kasi may mga conference na dapat ang secretary of DENR should go at meron namang conference na pwedeng mag-send lang siya ng representative," Villar said.

[Translation: All are ministerial level engagements that she has to go to. She has the approval of the president because there are conferences that require the presence of the DENR secretary. There are also conferences where she can send a representative.]

Villar added that the secretary's other travels are personal ones.

Tulfo, however, questioned the secretary's use of a diplomatic passport instead of a personal one, as alleged by his confidential sources.

He also quizzed environment officials about supposed corruption in the conduct of cadastral or land surveys, which determine boundaries of barangays, cities, and municipalities.

Citing contractors complaints, Tulfo said rogue DENR personnel would demand a commission of up to 30% in exchange for approving the surveys.

Nagiging SOP (standard operating procedure) daw ay 25-30% commission bago pirmahan yung cadastral survey na ginawa contractor Kasi kung di magbibigay ng commission hindi mapipirmahan at hindi mababayaran si contractor, Tulfo said.

[Translation: The SOP is a 25-30% commission before the cadastral survey conducted by a contractor is signed. Without this, the survey would not be signed and the contractor would not get paid.]

Villar said complaints should be filed to enable the leadership to prosecute and weed out scalawags from the agency.

Asked for a reaction, DENR said it has no statement as of now.
Egypt receives 28 premature babies from Gaza's largest hospital

Xinhua) 09:01, November 21, 2023

A premature baby from Gaza Strip is seen in an incubator at the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing on Nov. 20, 2023. (Egypt's State Information Center/Handout via Xinhua)

CAIRO, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Egypt received on Monday 28 premature babies from Al-Shifa, Gaza's largest hospital, via Rafah crossing, the only crossing point between the besieged Gaza Strip and Egypt, the Egyptian AlQahera News TV reported.

Sixteen babies were transferred to El Arish General Hospital in North Sinai province, while the rest were en route to hospitals in Cairo, the report added.

TV footages showed ambulances equipped with incubators ready to offer the essential emergency care at the Egyptian side of Rafah.

The newborns' rapidly declining health put them in immediate danger of dying, following the total collapse of medical services at Al-Shifa.

According to Egypt's State Information Center, the country has received 236 wounded Palestinians and 197 of their family members since Nov. 1.

Israel has been carrying out attacks on Gaza over the past weeks to retaliate against the Hamas surprise attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, during which Hamas militants killed about 1,200 people and took more than 200 hostages. Gaza's government media office announced on Sunday that the Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has exceeded 13,000.

Medical workers transfer a premature baby from Gaza Strip at the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing on Nov. 20, 2023. (Egypt's State Information Center/Handout via Xinhua)

Medical workers transfer a premature baby from Gaza Strip at the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing on Nov. 20, 2023. (Egypt's State Information Center/Handout via Xinhua)

Medical workers transfer a premature baby from Gaza Strip at the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing on Nov. 20, 2023. (Egypt's State Information Center/Handout via Xinhua)

A medical worker transfers a premature baby from Gaza Strip at the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing on Nov. 20, 2023. (Egypt's State Information Center/Handout via Xinhua)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 20)  For the current leadership of the Department of National Defense (DND), all members of the military should not be forced to contribute to the pension system, including the new entrants, a lawmaker said Monday.

The stand of DND right now is even more noble because ang stand nila is talagang totally non-contributory, kahit na yung new entrant, Sen. Ronald Bato dela Rosa disclosed during deliberations on the DNDs proposed 233.272 billion budget for next year.

[Translation: The stand of DND right now is even more noble because their stand is totally non-contributory, even for new entrants.]

Dela Rosa said he previously pushed for the mandatory contribution of new entrants, thinking this was the only solution to make the pension system sustainable.

Pero yun pala ngayon nung dumating si Sec. Gibo, nakita niya na meron pang mga options na magiging non-contributory, Dela Rosa said, referring to DND chief Gilbert Gibo Teodoro who was appointed in June.

[Translation: But when Sec. Gibo came, he saw that there are other options that would make it non-contributory.]

Dela Rosa did not elaborate.

Sen. Christopher Bong Go asked if this could be done for other uniformed personnel as well, including police and jail personnel.

Dela Rosa, however, said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) resources could not cover all uniformed personnel.

Yung lupa nga ng [Philippine National Police] ay galing pa rin un sa AFP Hindi talaga kakayanin," Dela Rosa said.

"Maybe, it will take Secretary like Sec. Gibo to look for a solution as far as the other uniformed personnel is concerned, he added.

The pension reform for military and uniformed personnel is a priority measure of the Marcos administration, as economic managers warned of a fiscal collapse should the government continue to fully fund the MUPs pensions and benefits without asking for any contribution.

The House passed its version in September, seeking a mandatory monthly contribution from new MUP entrants amounting to nine percent of their salary.

It is still pending in the Senate with defense committee chairman Jinggoy Estrada eyeing to pass it before yearend.

Former DND officer-in-charge Carlito Galvez Jr. earlier said 70% to 80% of enlisted MUP personnel may opt for early retirement should the reform push through, adding that they had no problem with the new system applying solely to new entrants.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 21)  The Philippine National Police (PNP) said that the gun that killed a couple in a bus in Nueva Ecija is linked to three other shootings.

PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said the cartridge case that was recovered from the bus matches the cartridge case from two other incidents in Nueva Ecija and one in Isabela.

"Possibly po, kung sino 'yung mga suspects dito sa mga nasabing previous incident ay sila rin po ang involved dito sa kaso involving 'yung dalawang biktima sa loob ng Victory Liner," Fajardo told CNN Philippines.

[Translation: It's possible that the suspects in the previous incidents are the same people involved in the case of the couple who died inside Victory Liner.]

The PNP official added that the crimes were likely perpetrated by hired guns.

Authorities earlier said that family dispute could be a possible motive behind the couple's death as the woman previously charged her son with carnapping and robbery cases.

Although the son denied involvement in the case, police earlier said that he is still considered a person of interest.

The PNP also earlier said that it is considering deploying marshals in buses to ensure passengers' safety after the gruesome incident.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 21)  Former senator Leila de Lima asked the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court to summon seven prisoners from the Sablayan penal farm to verify their claims that they were threatened into testifying against her.

In her manifestation with urgent motion filed Tuesday, De Lima also requested the Muntinlupa court to order the immediate transfer of custody of German Agojo, Tomas Donina, Jaime Patcho, Wu Tuan Yuan (aka Peter Co), Engelberto Durano, Jerry Pepino, and Hans Anton Tan for their safety and security.

De Lima further sought the court's confirmation of the contents of a letter she received on Monday, where the inmates expressed that they were coerced to participate as witnesses in the drug cases against the former lawmaker.

"[W]e would like to state that our participation as witnesses in the drug cases against former DOJ Secretary De Lima was vitiated by undue compulsion and influence, and thus, any judicial statement made by us, is void for lack of consent," read the inmates' letter addressed to Muntinlupa Judge Gener Gito.

They said they also faced "unimaginable threats" to their lives and that "the only choice we had then was to testify against the good senator."

The inmates cited a series of attempts on their and their family's lives as they appealed to be transferred out of the Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm in Occidental Mindoro.

"In view, there of, we would like to be given the opportunity to set the record straight and correct our mistakes by stating the unadulterated truth this time," they said.

De Lima further requested the court to confirm with the seven inmates the "authenticity and truthfulness" of their claims.

They were among the 10 New Bilibid detainees who testified against De Lima and were transferred to Sablayan in late July. The Department of Justice assured that there was nothing sinister about the confidential transfer.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 21)  President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the government has started negotiating a separate code of conduct (COC) with other ASEAN members that have maritime claims in the South China Sea as discussions involving China have been "slow."

Marcos bared the move to initiate an agreement with other claimant countries, such as Vietnam, during the Daniel Inouye Speaker Series in Hawaii on Monday (Philippine time).

"Because we are still waiting for the code of conduct between China and ASEAN, and the progress has been rather slow unfortunately and so we've taken the initiative to approach those other countries around ASEAN with whom we have existing territorial conflicts," the chief executive said.

"And to make our own code of conduct and hopefully this will grow further in the extent -- into the other ASEAN countries and at the very least we have that basis between -- not only in the multilateral sphere as in ASEAN or APEC, all of these other organizations but also bilaterally with the different countries around ASEAN whom we have conflicts with, but with whom, I think, we can find a way to maintain the status quo," he added.

This disclosure of Marcos, however, did not sit well with China.

Asked about this development, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning warned that "any departure from the DOC (Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in South China Sea) framework and its spirit will be null and void."

"Formulating a code of conduct in the South China Sea is an important task for China and ASEAN countries to implement the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea," Mao said.

At the forum, the president likewise said China's military bases in the disputed waters have come "closer and closer" to the Philippine coastline.

READ: Marcos: China's military bases in WPS now 'closer' to PH coastline

But Mao maintained that China was only "carrying out construction activities on its own territory"

"[It] is a matter purely within the scope of China's sovereignty and other countries have no right to point fingers at it," Mao said.

Marcos has said the Philippines "will not give up a single square inch of our territory to any foreign power."

He also said his administration will continue to forge stronger ties with more countries, especially the United States, amid tensions in the West Philippine Sea.

READ: Marcos: WPS tensions 'require' US-PH partnership
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 21)  The National Security Council (NSC) on Tuesday thumbed down the proposal to conduct a Christmas convoy and civilian mission to BRP Sierra Madre on Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) due to security reasons.

"While we support, in principle, the intent of the Atin Ito coalition to bring holiday cheer to our WPS frontliners, undertaking such a convoy to Ayungin Shoal at this time of heightened tensions between the Philippines and China is ill-advised," NSC Assistant Director and spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said.

The coalition of non-government organizations and people's organizations last month announced a donation drive for soldiers stationed in BRP Sierra Madre. They plan to conduct the civilian mission on Dec. 5.

The NSC has advised the Atin Ito coalition to conduct Christmas programs in our occupied features in the Kalayaan Island Group where Philippine troops and civilians can be found."

"Other than Ayungin, they can visit the following features: Lawak Island, Kota Island, Likas Island, Pag-asa Island, Parola Island, Panata Island, Patag Island, and Rizal Reef," the NSC added. "There are also frontliners in those features and they also deserve Christmas goodies and donations from the public."

The agency also suggested to the Atin Ito coalition to just turn over the donations to the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Coast Guard. These will be sent to the troops in BRP Sierra Madre in the next RORE mission.

The NSC said the troops aboard BRP Sierra Madre are "well-supplied" through the regular rotation and resupply (RORE) missions of the government.

Despite the successful RORE missions to BRP Sierra Madre, the China Coast Guard (CCG) has attempted to block the mission. The CCGs recent attempt to block the RORE mission has prompted Manila to file another diplomatic protest against Beijing.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 21)  A Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel has died following reports he drowned during training in Cavite, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) confirmed Tuesday.

"The incident involving the death of PCG Personnel Mori B. Caguay is currently being handled by the NBI-Death Investigation Division (DID), and we are yet to receive their initial investigation report," the NBI said in a statement.

The NBI said its Medico-Legal Division is still preparing the official autopsy report on Caguay's body. It added the autopsy was done on Tuesday morning.

Caguay, an apprentice seaman of the PCG, reportedly drowned while undergoing Water Search and Rescue (WASAR) Training in Sangley Point in Cavite on Nov. 16.

His death came after the PCG confirmed on Nov. 17 the death of a 27-year-old apprentice seaman from PCG District Palawan after losing consciousness in a 100-meter swim. The incident happened during training on Nov. 15.

The PCG suspended WASAR Training on Friday "pending the conduct of review of safety procedures by the Coast Guard Special Operations Force and cognizant units."

This story will be updated.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 21)  The Philippines and the United States launched on Tuesday their joint maritime and air patrols in the West Philippine Sea as part of a series of activities to boost defense ties and maintain peace in the disputed area.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the US Indo-Pacific Command will conduct the exercises from Nov. 21 to 23, as agreed by the two nations Mutual Defense Board - Security Engagement Board.

This significant initiative is a testament to our commitment to bolster the interoperability of our military forces in conducting maritime and air patrols, Marcos wrote in a statement.

I am confident that this collaboration will contribute to a more secure and stable environment for our people, he added.

The AFP said the activity will start in the vicinity of Batanes  at the northern tip of the country close to Taiwan  and end in the West Philippine Sea.

China earlier warned Manila against stoking the fire of regional tensions after the latter announced expanded US military access in the Philippines.

Beijing claimed this new deal between Manila and Washington could be used to interfere in the situation in the Taiwan Strait, where tensions have grown as Beijing insists that the self-ruled island nation is part of its territory.

Manila will deploy three navy vessels, two FA-50PH and one A-29B Super Tucano, while Washington will send one littoral combat ship and one P8-A.

Marcos said the two defense allies have launched such efforts to safeguard shared interests, although the government has earlier maintained there is no country being targeted by the joint patrols. Philippine officials have repeatedly said the basic purpose is to enhance the countrys defense capabilities and help ensure stability in the region.

The development came a day after Marcos said during a forum in Hawaii that China's military bases in the disputed waters have come "closer and closer" to the Philippine coastline.

Beijing, meanwhile, maintained it was only carrying out construction activities on its own territory.

RELATED: Marcos: PH has initiated separate talks on SCS code of conduct with other ASEAN members
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 21)  The DNA from the hair strands that were collected from an abandoned red Honda CRV matched the DNA profile of the parents of missing Miss Grand Philippines 2023 candidate Catherine Camilon, the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported on Tuesday.

PNP spokesperson PCol Jean Fajardo said the positive DNA match could prove that Camilon has been inside the vehicle.

Ito ay magko-corroborate na 'yung dalawang witness po natin, du'n sa statement ng witness, na may nakita silang duguan na babae na inililipat, Fajardo said. It gives us more credence na 'yung nakita nilang biktima ay 'yung nawawala nating biktima.

[Translation: This would corroborate the statements of the two witnesses who said they saw a bloodied womans body being transferred to the vehicle. It gives us more credence that the body they saw was the body of the missing victim.]

Two witnesses said they saw three men transferring a bloodied woman's body from a Nissan Juke to a red Honda CRV.

Fajardo said the police has the car possibly linked to the disappearance.

PMaj Allan de Castro, one of the suspects who admitted his illicit relationship with Camilon, remains in police custody.

De Castro and three other suspects are facing kidnapping and serious illegal detention complaints before the Batangas Provincial Prosecutor's Office.

The PNP assured that there will be no cover up in the investigation.

Camilon has been missing since Oct. 12. When she was last contacted that same night by her mother, she reportedly said she was at a gasoline station in Bauan town in Batangas.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 21)  Vice President Sara Duterte said Tuesday she would fully support her father former President Rodrigo Duterte if he decides to run again for public office.

In a chance interview, Sara was asked for her reaction to the former chief executive's statement that he would run for senator or vice president if his daughter were to be impeached.

"Kung ano man yung desisyon ni Pangulong Duterte ay buo ang suporta ng pamilya sa kanya just like kung ano ang desisyon namin na mga anak regarding sa politika buo din ang suporta ng pamilya sa amin," she said.

[Translation: Whatever the decision of President Duterte, we will give our full support just like how our family supports our decisions in politics.]

During a show on SMNI on Monday night, the former president said the only reason behind the alleged plan to unseat Sara was politicking.

"Alam mo, 'pag ginawa niyo iyan, babalik ako sa politika. Mapilitan ako, either I run for senator or I will run for vice president maski matanda na ako," he said.

[Translation: You know what, if you pursue that, I will return to politics. I will be forced to either run for senator or I run for vice president, even though I'm old.]

The news on impeachment surfaced late in August when ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro said she would look into holding Sara accountable over the alleged unauthorized use of confidential funds in 2022. However, the lawmaker clarified a day later that talks on impeachment were "premature."

House Majority Leader Manuel Dalipe also said last Friday that there were no discussions in the lower chamber to impeach the vice president. He added that it was only intended to cause a rift between Sara and House Speaker Martin Romualdez, cousin of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Sara has been on the hot seat over issues on secret funds. For 2024, she decided to withdraw her proposed confidential funds for her office and the Department of Education.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 21)  The Senate has realigned the 300 million in confidential funds initially sought by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Sen. Grace Poe said Monday.

"Wala nang [There are no] confidential funds at all," Poe said during the budget deliberations.

According to Poe  who defended the DICT's 2024 budget  the Senate has found a way to still supply the needs of the DICT to perform its functions without having confidential funds.

She said they were able to convert 280 million from the 300 million confidential funds into line items. The remaining 20 million had been scrapped.

The breakdown is as follows:

Network Detection and Response (72.3 million)

Security of Operation Software (48.2 million)

Extended Detection and Response (79.7 million)

Manpower to monitor the National Security Operations Center (19.8 million)

Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration testing tools (20 million)

Mobile Security Operations Center (40 million)

"When the Commission on Audit does its audit, they will be able to point out what the functions are of the equipment that was purchased," Poe said.

A small committee at the House of Representatives previously decided not to give confidential funds to some civilian agencies, including the DICT, and realign them instead to those focused on national security.

DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy earlier argued that the requested confidential funds were necessary to fight cyber criminals.
The Matts Creek Fire near Big Island has surpassed 10,000 acres just more than a week after it started and is 27% contained, according to an update Monday from the U.S. Forest Service.

The wildfire began Nov. 12 and quickly spread to consume thousands of acres in the James River Face Wilderness and Blue Ridge Parkway, reaching 10,106 acres with 317 fire personnel responding. Heavy smoke was seen in much of Bedford County early Monday and all county schools were closed due to the effects on air quality.

On Sunday, firefighters conducted a strategic firing operation south of Glasgow and east of Greenlee between the James River and Belfast Creek using a helicopter, the U.S. Forest Service update said.

Removing this fuel will provide added protection for surrounding communities, and the forest and will help firefighters prevent spread of the fire, the update post states.

On Monday, firefighters are working within the strategic burn operation to locate and extinguish areas of heat and monitor the fire. Crews also will continue to improve existing fire containment lines, patrol the parkway for burning material rolling into the roadway and continue working to assess structures along Hunt Camp Road and along the western side of the fire to develop a protection plan for the area if needed, according to the update.

Fire activity is expected to pick up Monday afternoon.

The strategic firing operation helped move the main fire front over slopes and into flatter areas, the U.S. Forest Service notice said. This will provide safer access to firefighters and allow a greater chance to successfully stop the fire from spreading to the west.

The Big Island Volunteer Fire Department in a Facebook post Sunday thanked all who brought food, drinks, water, snacks, desserts and money to help the firefighters during the past week.

We were very blessed by the generosity from the community and surrounding areas, the department said in the post.

Petites Gap Road is closed to all public use between the Belfast Trailhead and the Blue Ridge Parkway and may be extended to the intersection of Arnold Valley Road and Black Run Road due to fire activity. The parkway section from milepost 66.3 near U.S. 501 to milepost 85.9 at Virginia 43 remains closed until further notice: park visitors should plan for a detour from the north or south using adjacent routes and Interstate 81.

The James River Face Wilderness and all associated trails, including a section of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, are closed to all public use.

For more information on air quality, visit AirNow.gov. Rainfall is expected Tuesday and may reach one to two inches, according to the update.

Bans on all outdoor burning remain in effect across the Lynchburg region.
The Iran-backed group is supporting Hamas and has said it is prepared to target any vessels associated with Israeli companies. The Galaxy Leader, which was heading to India, is owned by a British firm whose parent company belongs to an Israeli businessman. There are around 25 crew on board, hailing from countries including the Philippines, Ukraine and Mexico.
Bellevue Public Schools has been awarded a five-year, $2 million Department of Defense Education Activity Grant to improve math proficiency and launch a Bellevue Public Schools Aviation Academy, the district recently announced.

Part of the funding will be used to develop K-12 curriculum that aligns with the new Nebraska College and Career Ready Standards for Mathematics, train staff to implement the standards and purchase high-quality K-12 instructional materials, a press release from the school district stated.

The state has released new math standards, so the district has to realign its standards, said Robert Moore, assistant superintendent.

With the new curriculum, along with new materials, the district will seek to help students reach the new, higher bar.

Hopefully, itll give them the math skills they need to move on to the next level, Moore said.

The remaining funds will be used to set up an aviation academy at the Frank Kumor Career Center, the press release stated. The academy will be equipped with 12 flight simulators and 18 drones and will offer two aviation courses that will cover concepts of flight, aircraft systems and performance, the flying environment, flight planning and drones.

It gives the career center a career pathway that we dont currently have in the district, Moore said. This will give our students opportunities to explore aviation in different kinds of ways. We think it will be popular.

The program will help students earn industry certifications on the Private Pilot Knowledge Test and Part 107 Remote Pilot Knowledge Test.

There are expected to be 1.3 million openings in aviation-related jobs during the coming five years, Moore said. Those will include opportunities for pilots, technicians, engineers and employees in various other roles.

The district will partner with the Aviation Owners and Pilots Association Foundation to implement the You Can Fly curriculum. Teachers can observe students using flight simulators and learning about flying, Moore said.

The technical side of that is going to be pretty awesome, he said.

Students will also have an opportunity to fly drones and gain experience as remote pilots.

This will give the district an opportunity to partner with other schools that have aviation programs  such as Burke High School, Iowa Western Community College and University of Nebraska-Omaha  as well as Offutt Air Force Base, Moore said.

UNO has a really strong aviation program, he said.

And, with Offutt so close, it seems like just a natural for Bellevue to have an aviation program, he added.

Aviation workers are in high demand and can earn good wages, Moore said.

Those who earn an Associate of Applied Science degree and become certified aviation maintenance technicians can start at almost $50,000 per year, according to Iowa Westerns website. The average income for a certified aviation maintenance tech is about $62,000.

Students wont see any changes related to the grant until fall 2024.
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Xizang marches toward modernization in new era

09:03, November 21, 2023 By Zhang Yun ( China Daily

SONG CHEN/CHINA DAILY

The peaceful liberation of Xizang in 1951 was a momentous and historic event for China and the democratic reform in the region in 1959 was a milestone in global abolitionist movement. Since that time the Xizang autonomous region has broken free from its backward, autocratic, isolated past to embrace prosperity, democracy and an open future. Thanks to the leadership of the Communist Party of China, millions of serfs and slaves were able to enjoy democratic rights as their own masters and made great achievements with people of all ethnic groups in building a socialist country.

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC in 2012, officials and the people of the various ethnic groups in the autonomous region have worked together to make Xizang enter a stable period of unprecedented development and huge change, bringing more tangible benefits to the people. The social and economic progress of Xizang epitomizes the nation's outstanding achievements in development, created on the roof of the world.

There has been considerable progress in building transport infrastructure and construction of the power grid, providing huge development opportunities for the region. By early 2022, the total road length there exceeded 121,400 kilometers, including 1,105 km of high-grade highway, while the railway network was extended to 1,359 km. The Ya'an-Nyingchi section of the Sichuan-Xizang Railway is under construction, and the Lhasa-Nyingchi section has entered service. The Qinghai-Xizang, Sichuan-Xizang, central Xizang and Ngari electric transmission lines have been built.

The country prioritizes improving education in Xizang. From 2012 to 2022, a total of 251.51 billion yuan ($34.72 billion) had been invested in the education sector in Xizang. At present, the region has 3,409 schools of various types and at various levels, with over 944,000 students enrolled. The optimized educational resources and modern education system not only guarantee the right of people of all ethnic groups to education, but also cultivate a large number of talents for Xizang and the country.

After the country achieved the goal of eradicating absolute poverty and building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, it accelerated rural vitalization. Since 2021, Xizang has built a total of 300 beautiful and livable villages and created and certified 505 demonstration villages. Xizang is promoting common prosperity rapidly. The growth rate of per-capita disposable income of the region's residents as a whole has been the highest in the country for eight consecutive years since 2015.

The country saw achievements during the past decades by upholding CPC leadership, socialism with Chinese characteristics and the system of regional ethnic autonomy. Besides, there are profound changes to the work being carried out in Xizang. The CPC, based on its understanding of the situation, has summarized its successes in leading the people of Xizang to stability and prosperity, and proposed the guidelines for governing Xizang in the new era.

These guidelines, grounded on the practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the actual situation in Xizang, demonstrate a keen understanding of work related to Xizang. They encapsulate the CPC's past successes in stabilizing Xizang and its plans for future development. Embodying Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, these guidelines provide answers to a series of questions on the future direction and strategy in governing Xizang and are to be followed in all undertakings related to the region.

First, the guidelines clarified the focus of the governance of Xizang and proposed the evaluation criteria for the region's development. The original aspiration and the mission of the CPC is to seek happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation. National unification and ethnic unity are the fundamental guarantee for socialist modernization and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

For China, Xizang, with an area of over 1.2 million sq km and located on the roof of the world, serves as an important national security barrier. It also constitutes an important ecological security screen, a major base of strategic resources reserve. It is home for the preservation of a unique culture of the Chinese nation. Xizang is a vital channel for the country's exchanges with South Asia. The region is at the forefront of China's struggle against hostile and separatist forces at home and abroad.

Second, the local government should implement the four main tasks in the guidelines  ensuring stability, facilitating development, protecting the eco-environment and strengthening the frontiers. Currently, Xizang needs to address the risks of the battle against separatists, promote long-term social stability, bolster high-quality economic transformation, strengthen eco-environmental protection and continue to vitalize border areas and enrich residents' lives.

As such, authorities establish long-term mechanism to ensure sustainable, long-term and comprehensive stability. The local government pursues rural vitalization by building on the success in poverty alleviation, promotes green development and develops specialty industries.

Third, efforts should be made to consolidate the sense of community for the Chinese nation to safeguard national unification and ethnic unity and guide people of all ethnic groups to develop an accurate understanding of country.

Xizang as a frontier ethnic area with rich religious culture faces a special contradiction between people of all ethnic groups and the separatist forces represented by the Dalai Lama clique. In order to advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, authorities need to carry out work to facilitate ethnic solidarity and progress, continue the fight against secession, adapt religion to China's realities, adapt Tibetan Buddhism to socialist society and work for unity, common prosperity and development among all ethnic groups.

Efforts should be made to disseminate ethnic exchanges, communication and integration recorded in the history of Xizang, enhance awareness about the motherland, the Chinese nation, Chinese culture, history and religions among people of all ethnic groups as well as their understanding of the CPC and socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The Party is leading people of all ethnic groups in Xizang to realize the second centenary goal of building China into a modern socialist country in all respects, and to advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization.

The author is a researcher at the China Tibetology Research Center.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
(CNN)  Australias prime minister has accused the Chinese navy of dangerous, unsafe and unprofessional conduct after an incident in international waters near Japan, marking a potential friction point with Beijing weeks after he visited the Chinese capital to stabilize relations.

Australian divers aboard the long-range frigate HMAS Toowoomba were trying to clear fishing nets from its propellers on November 14 when a Chinese destroyer approached, Australias Defense Minister Richard Marles said in a statement Saturday.

Despite being warned that a diving operation was underway, the Chinese destroyer operated its sonar in a manner that posed a risk to the safety of the Australian divers who were forced to exit the water, the statement said.

Medical assessments found the divers had sustained minor injuries, the statement added.

In an interview with CNN affiliate Sky News Monday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was very concerned by the incident, adding that one person suffered an injury as a result of the actions of China.

Albanese refused to confirm whether he raised the incident with Chinese leader Xi Jinping when they met at the APEC summit in San Fransisco last Thursday.

I can assure you that we raised these issues in the appropriate way and very clearly, unequivocally. And China, theres no misunderstanding as to Australias view on this, he said.

Chinas Defense Ministry on Monday dismissed Australias accusations as completely inconsistent with the facts.

Wu Qian, a ministry spokesperson, said the Chinese destroyer, Ningbo, had been tracking and monitoring the Australian frigate in accordance with international laws and regulations.

The Chinese ship maintained a safe distance from the Australian ship and didnt engage in any activities that might affect the Australian diving operations, Wu said in a statement.

We urge Australia to respect the facts, stop making reckless and irresponsible accusations against China, and do more things that are conducive to enhancing the accumulation of mutual trust between two sides.

Asked about the incident at a regular news briefing on Monday, Chinas Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said: We hope relevant parties can stop causing troubles at Chinas doorstep and work with China to jointly safeguard the momentum of improving China-Australia relations.

The incident took place a week after Albanese paid a landmark visit to Beijing  the first trip by an Australian leader in seven years  to stabilize rocky bilateral ties after years of economic tension.

In the Sky News interview, Albanese sidestepped a question on whether the incident will make bilateral relations look shaky now.

Well, what I said when I was in China is that we will cooperate where we can but disagree where we must. And this is one of those times where we disagree with the action of China, Albanese said.

Weve made it clear that we disagree with what occurred, that we have the strongest possible objection, and that this sort of event should not occur.

Unsafe and unprofessional interaction

In his statement Saturday, Marles said the Australian government had expressed serious concerns to the Chinese government over what it called an unsafe and unprofessional interaction with a Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLA Navy) destroyer.

Medical assessments found the divers had sustained minor injuries, likely due to being subjected to the sonar pulses from the Chinese destroyer, the statement said.

Military ships use sonar to detect and locate objects in the water. Divers exposed to high levels of underwater sound can suffer from dizziness, hearing damage or other injuries to other sensitive organs, depending on the frequency and intensity of the sound, according to the London-based Diving Medical Advisory Committee.

The HMAS Toowoomba had been in Japans exclusive economic zone conducting operations in support of United Nations sanctions enforcement and was enroute to commence a scheduled port visit to Japan, according to Marles statement.

Australia expects all countries, including China, to operate their militaries in a professional and safe manner, Marles said.

Defense has for decades undertaken maritime surveillance activities in the region and does so in accordance with international law, exercising the right to freedom of navigation and overflight in international waters and airspace.

Chinas navy and air forces have been accused of unsafe practices by US and Canadian militaries in multiple close encounters in the East and South China seas in recent months.

Earlier this month, the Canadian military said a Chinese warplane fired flares in front of its helicopter over international waters of the South China Sea on October 29, an operation it said was reckless and could have resulted in the downing of the aircraft.

In response, China blamed Canada for carrying out malicious and provocative actions in the South China Sea.

Ray Powell, director of SeaLight at the Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation at Stanford University, said it will likely never be known if the order to use the sonar came from commanders in Beijing or at a lower level, maybe the Chinese destroyer captain himself.

Either is disturbing, as the former would indicate mendacity at very senior levels, while the latter would demonstrate a mendacious military culture, said Powell, a former US Air Force officer.

Were the roles reversed, it seems clear to me that an Australian naval commander who did the same thing would be relieved of command, or worse. Yet nobody believes such action is even being considered by Beijing, Powell said.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Australian prime minister accuses Chinese navy of dangerous conduct"
A 41-year-old rural Rolfe man is guilty of felony theft and 50 timber violations for taking dozens of trees from public property, a jury recently decided.

Jason Levant Fergusons criminal tree-theft case went to trial last week in Pocahontas County. He had been accused of taking about 150 trees from a wildlife management area northeast of Rolfe last year, purportedly to build himself a house, according to court records.

Timber thefts are an uncommon but growing crime in Iowa, according to the states Department of Natural Resources. Fergusons thefts stood out for the number of trees taken and for one of the trees he was accused of felling: a bur oak that was about six feet in diameter at its base.

That tree was a sapling when Iowa was made a state, said Craig Cutts, chief of the DNRs Law Enforcement Bureau. Iowa gained statehood nearly 180 years ago.

Fergusons prosecution hit a snag last month when a district court judge decided that search warrants for his rural acreage were improperly approved and the evidence obtained by the subsequent searches couldnt be used to prosecute him.

Those searches allegedly found evidence that someone had been growing marijuana and manufacturing methamphetamine on Fergusons property, and he faced numerous felony drug and weapons charges. Those charges were dismissed, but the tree theft case continued with the evidence DNR officers had obtained before the searches.

That evidence included an admission by Ferguson that he had taken the trees from the Stoddard Wildlife Management Area and photographic evidence of tree trunks on his property, court records show.

The trial last week spanned four days and ended with a 12-person jury finding him guilty of every criminal charge he faced, court records show. The jury deliberated for about two hours, Pocahontas County Attorney Dan Feistner said.

Fergusons sentencing hearing is set for Jan. 26. He faces up to five years in prison for the felony theft charge and one year imprisonment each for the 50 counts of timber buyer violations, which were for cutting down trees he had not purchased and had no legal right to do so, according to court records.

Photos: Missing children in Iowa Jade Colvin Fredrick Workman Benjamin Roseland Erin Pospisil Marc Allen Eugene Martin John Gosch Kimberly Doss Colleen Simpson Daquan Nelson Alivia Beeding
JERUSALEM (AP)  Israel and Hamas agreed at the last minute Thursday to extend their cease-fire in Gaza by another day to allow more hostages and prisoners to be released. But any further renewal of the truce, now in its seventh day, could prove more daunting since Hamas is expected to set a
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Four Chinese gold miners have been kidnapped in Lamy-Pont, a village in Central African Republic (CAR), near the town of Abba, in Nana-Mambere sub prefecture where three Chinese were also abducted in March 2023.

The incident occurred Saturday Novembr 18, during a clash between armed forced and a group of unidentified armed men who attacked the mining site of Zongo, close to Lamy-Pont.

The region is renowned for kidnappings for ransoms due to the presence of mineral resources.

There has been no information on the whereabouts of the four Chinese and the identities of the kidnappers since then, reports say.

In March 2023, three other Chinese were abducted by some unidentified armed men 25 km from Abba. Authorities blamed rebel group Coalition des patriotes pour le changement (CPC) for the incident.

The rebels opposed to the State are very active in the region.

The three Chinese were exploiting a mining field in the west of the country. They were freed in April 2023. However it was unclear if any ransom was paid.

In the same month of March 2023, nine other Chinese gold miners were killed 25km (15 miles) from Bambari, the main town in the Ouaka prefecture.

Authorities blamed the CPC for the attack but the rebels group denied any wrongdoing.
Beijing-based China Harbour Company, a subsidiary of China Communications Construction Company, has been tasked to conduct studies of potential investments in infrastructure projects in Libya, under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Misurata Free Zone (MFZ).

The deal was signed on the sidelines of the North African International Conference and Exhibition for Ports and Free Zones in Misurata that kicked off on Saturday November 18, and closed Monday November 20.

Per the MoU, the Chinese company, one of the leaders in the field of implementing and operating ports and engineering works, will conduct a feasibility study for the development of sites A and B at Misurata Free Zone, as well as evaluate prospects for investment in major infrastructure projects in the region, Libya Observer reports.

The Chinese state-run company will help MFZ become a strategic center to attract investments in Libya and North Africa because of its capabilities, good infrastructure, and the advantages it provides to investors.

Beijing-based China Harbour Company operates in more than 100 countries and regions.
The United States has dealt a hard blow to the Polisario separatist group and the Algerian regime after they tried to exploit the recent visit paid by U.S. ambassador to Algeria Elizabeth Moore Aubin to Tindouf Camps for their proper agenda, making it clear that there was no bilateral engagement with the Polisario during this trip which was a UN donor visit.

During his daily press briefing held Monday in Washington, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller put things into perspective, while responding to a question on Aubins visit to Tindouf camps which prompted some media to insinuate a shift in U.S. policy regarding the Sahara issue.

Mr. Miller explained that U.S. ambassador and a broad range of international donors participated in a UN-organized visit to Tindouf, Algeria, as the United States is the largest contributor worldwide to international humanitarian efforts, including through UN agencies in Tindouf.

We deeply value the critical work that our ambassador and U.S. diplomats in Algeria are doing with the UN and international partners to reinforce the humanitarian response there, affirmed the State Department spokesperson, stressing that there was no bilateral engagement with the Polisario during this UN donor visit.

He also reiterated the U.S. steadfast support for Moroccos autonomy plan offered for the Sahara, describing the plan as a serious, credible, and realistic solution.

The United States fully supports the UN personal envoy of the secretary-general as he intensifies the UN-led political process on Sahara to advance an enduring and dignified solution without further delay, underlined Mr. Miller.

The US has in 2020 recognized Moroccos sovereignty over the Sahara territory and kept describing its autonomy plan as serious and credible.
Leaders from more than a dozen African countries have gathered in Germanys capital city for the G20 Compact with Africa conference, which aims to help bolster private investment in the worlds poorest, but fast-growing, continent.

Underlining renewed interest in Africa, leaders of Italy, France, Germany have all visited Africa this year, viewing it as a future global market owing to its growing population and vast natural resources.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who has visited Africa several times since taking office in late 2021, held bilateral talks with representatives of several African countries on Sunday (20 November). On Monday, Scholz hosted a German-African investment summit in Berlin, pledging to invest 4 billion euros in African green energy projects until 2030. While the Chancellor did not mention any specific projects, he said the continent should benefit more from its wealth of raw materials used in green energy and therefore they should be processed in the African countries they come from. This creates jobs and prosperity in these countries, Scholz said. And the German industry gets reliable suppliers.

Meanwhile, the current chairman of the African Union (AU), Azali Assoumani, has told the delegates that shortcomings in the financial system hinder the mobilization of capital for African economies. Therefore, he asked the AUs G20 partners to support Africas call for reform of the international financial architecture, and for more fair and more inclusive global economic governance. The President of the Comoros Azali Assoumani also called on the Compact with Africa initiative to be extended to all African countries, for a stronger, more inclusive partnership, to the benefit of the entire continent and our continent crossed with Europe and other continents.

The member countries of the G20 Compact are Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Senegal, Guinea, Cote dIvoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia.
Over 100.000 candidates in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have officially launched a month-long campaign for the legislative provincial and municipal elections due to be held on 20 December, which also include 26 candidates running for the highest office, just as conflicts besetting several parts of the country threaten to hamper the political process.

Some 44 million registered voters out of a population of around 100 million will be called upon to elect their president and members of the national parliament and of regional assemblies in DRCs 26 provinces, as well as local councillors. Launched on Sunday (20 November), the campaign is held in a tense political climate and against the backdrop of community conflicts in several provinces. The challenges are enormous  as one of the worlds top producers of cobalt and copper, DCR has vast resources, but is also afflicted by numerous conflicts and endemic corruption.

As the 60-year-old incumbent President Tshisekedi, who seeks re-election, prepares to run against 25 candidates, the opposition is still discussing a joint candidate. During the first pre-election rallies, Tshisekedi praised the achievements of his government, stressing that his free education policy had been a success, and called on supporters to give him a second term to consolidate his achievements. Meanwhile, Martin Fayulu will be one of the main challengers to Tshisekedi, who beat Fayulu in the December 2018 ballot. Fayulu, who came second in the 2018 election, disputed the outcome of the vote at the time, claiming he had been robbed of victory.
Growing up on a farm, I had the opportunity to learn what it was like to be a part of making things grow. Whether it was growing crops or raising hogs and cattle, I always found satisfaction in being a part of the process and experiencing a sense of accomplishment when everything came together.

Although I played a role, I always knew that many other people and external factors played a huge role as well. Some things were obvious  getting timely rains  and other factors were more subtle and maybe included others working with me to get the desired outcome.

This carried over for me when it came to growing a business and helping to grow a community. You play a role, but it takes a team, some risks and some blessings along the way. It is for that reason that I always appreciate those who work behind the scenes to move our communities forward.

This past week, the North Platte area lost one of those leaders in Andy Olson. Andy played a huge role in not only growing a very successful agricultural enterprise but also making a huge impact on the economic development of our region. And he did all of this with very little fanfare.

He and Bob Lundeen were two individuals who quietly worked behind the scenes to make a major influence on our areas economy.

Unfortunately, we lost both of them this year. They will be truly missed.

Fortunately, like most great leaders, they had a strong group of leaders behind them who would not only continue their own endeavors but also continue leading development for the region. Their impacts were felt and appreciated, and my prayers continue to go out to their families and friends.

I was able to spend some time in Lincoln over the past couple of weeks, including meeting with Speaker John Arch to discuss his plans for the coming legislative session.

I have enjoyed watching the speaker operate and have great respect for his management style. He is a very principled individual who has good instincts for what needs to be done and how to make it happen.

I am very confident that we will have a very productive session beginning in January because of the work he is doing now to plan for whats ahead.

Although many state senators have seen each other at various events and legislative hearings, we will have our first official gathering on Dec. 7 and 8 when we meet for the annual Legislative Council.

This is an event where all senators get together for some socializing and early planning for the 2024 session, which begins on the first Wednesday of January.

This will also be a good first look at pending issues we will likely face in the next session and get a good feel for individual senators priorities.

As many of you know, Gov. Jim Pillen appointed Sen. Tom Briese to fill the state treasurer position vacated by John Murante.

As a senator, Briese chaired the Executive Board and served on the Revenue and Education committees. He was not eligible to seek re-election in 2024 due to term limits.

There were many applicants for the position, but in the end, Gov. Pillen appointed Fred Meyer to serve as District 41s new senator.

Julie and I were at the UNL at the same time Fred attended, and we have been members of Ag Builders of Nebraska for several years since then.

Freds business and agricultural background as a farmer and cattleman will be a great addition to the Legislature, and I look forward to working with him.

Please continue to keep me apprised of issues that are important to you. It is a privilege to serve as your State Senator, and I will continue to give my full effort to make a positive difference for the District and the State. You can reach me at mjacobson@leg.ne.gov or by calling my legislative office at 402-471-2729.
Hong Kong (CNN)  The world must must act urgently to stem the conflict in Gaza, Chinas top diplomat said Monday during a meeting with officials from Arab and Muslim majority nations, as Beijing steps up its efforts to play a role in establishing a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi welcomed counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, the Palestinian National Authority, and Indonesia, as well as the head of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation for a two-day visit to the Chinese capital, the start of the delegations expected tour of several world capitals.

The international community must act urgently, taking effective measures to prevent this tragedy from spreading. China firmly stands with justice and fairness in this conflict, Wang told the visiting leaders in opening remarks ahead of talks, where he reiterated Chinas call for an immediate ceasefire.

Visiting ministers voiced their own strong calls for an end to the conflict, with Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud saying: The message is clear: the war must stop immediately, we must move to a ceasefire immediately, and relief materials and aid must enter immediately.

Countries represented in the delegation hoped to cooperate with China and all countries that are responsible and appreciate the seriousness of the situation, he said.

Israel has launched weeks of bombardment and ground operations in the Hamas-ruled enclave of Gaza following a deadly attack on its territory by the group on October 7. More than 200 hostages were taken in that attack, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

The gathering in Beijing comes as sources tell CNN that a possible deal to secure the release of some hostages held by Hamas and a several days pause in fighting may be in sight, following weeks of negotiations between the United States, Israel and the militant group, mediated by Gulf state Qatar.

Beijing has been at odds with Washington  an Israeli ally and long a major power broker in the region  over their approach to the conflict, including when it comes to an immediate ceasefire, which Washington does not support. Beijing has also criticized Israels retaliation and failed to condemn Hamas or name the group in its statements, sparking backlash from Israeli officials.

Israel should stop its collective punishment on the people of Gaza, and open up a humanitarian corridor as soon as possible to prevent a humanitarian crisis of a larger scale from taking place, Wang was cited as telling the delegation during the talks, according to a readout from Chinas Foreign Ministry.

Israel has staunchly defended its actions as rooting out terrorism following a barbaric invasion and has rejected any ceasefire without the return of hostages.

Chinas push for peace

China has been attempting to play an active role in finding a solution to the conflict as it seeks to expand its position as a major global power.

Beijing dispatched a peace envoy for a multi-country tour of the region last month and has acted as a strong voice pushing for an immediate ceasefire at the United Nations, including the Security Council, where China now holds the rotating presidency.

Last week the UN body passed its first resolution on the conflict, which called for the immediate release of all hostages held by Hamas and for extended humanitarian corridors throughout the enclave to protect civilians. The US and the United Kingdom abstained, citing the resolutions failure to condemn Hamas.

For reasons known to all, in particular, the repeated and persistent obstruction of a permanent member of the Council, this resolution at present can only serve as a first step based on minimum consensus, Chinese Ambassador Zhang Jun said following the vote, in an apparent veiled jab at the US.

In his comments Monday in Beijing, Saudi Arabias minister commended the Security Councils decision, under Chinas leadership.

The conflict has also given China an opportunity to bolster its already strengthening ties with a number of countries across the Arab world  a region where observers say it hopes to drive a wedge between the US and the countries with which it has long-standing ties.

We have always firmly defended the legitimate rights and interests of Arab and Muslim countries, and have always firmly supported the Palestinian peoples efforts to restore their legitimate national rights and interests, Wang told the visiting delegation.

Engaging major players?

Immediate ceasefire and longer-term peace were also key topics during a roughly 10-day tour in the Middle East last month from Chinas special envoy for the region, Zhai Jun, who visited Egypt, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, according to Chinas Foreign Ministry.

Last week the envoy visited and met with officials in Turkey and Bahrain, where Zhai also discussed the regional situation with representatives from Singapore, the US and Europe on the sidelines of an international conference.

So far there have been no apparent concrete outcomes from the diplomacy.

Zhais itinerary thus far has also not included stops in Israel, Palestinian-controlled territories, or Iran, per information released by Chinas Foreign Ministry. Wang spoke with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen on the phone last month. Its not clear if China has been in contact with Hamas officials during the latest conflict.

Visiting officials in Beijing this week include Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki of the West Bank-based Palestinian National Authority.

China earlier this month dispatched the head of its Foreign Ministrys West Asian and North African affairs department to Iran, where the conflict was part of discussions, according to a post on the departments WeChat social media account.

Iran is a longtime backer of both Hamas and Lebanon-based Hezbollah.

During hours-long talks between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden in California last week, Biden encouraged Xi to use Chinas leverage with Iran to warn against a wider regional escalation, a senior US official told CNN.

In the talks, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said theyd already held discussions with the Iranians on the topic, the senior official said.

Biden also made clear to Xi that he viewed Hamas as separate from the Palestinians. The US views Hamas as a terrorist organization that has perpetuated the suffering of Palestinian people, and has upheld Israels right to retaliate against the group.

Beijing has not referred to Hamas in its statements, but instead frames the current situation as a Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Speaking to reporters in Washington Monday, US State Department spokesperson Matt Miller said the US would welcome China playing a constructive role in the Middle East.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had made this clear personally in conversations with Chinas Wang, Miller added.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "China calls for urgent action on Gaza as Muslim majority nations arrive in Beijing"
Photo: ABIR SULTAN POOL/Pool via REUTERS

The first month of Israels war against Hamas was marked by the highest-profile support ever from an American president with Joe Biden sweeping into Tel Aviv, where he bigfooted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israelis treated Biden like a savior after their government failed to foresee or prevent Hamas from slaughtering 1,200 people and shirked responsibility for the attack.

Immediately after October 7, Netanyahu went into virtual hiding. He was unpopular with Israelis and with the Biden administration before the war thanks to a proposed judicial reform that would have upended Israels system of government, and possibly saved him from his corruption trial, which is still underway. Seventy-six percent of Israelis believe he should resign as a result of perceived mistakes and misconceptions that allowed Hamas assault to be so lethal.

Now, as the war killing thousands extends deep into a second month, the man known as the Magician for slipping out of political traps is trying to wriggle loose again by directly confronting the United States and, according to one former and one current U.S. official, angering the Biden administration.

For the first three weeks, Netanyahu was asleep, said Gideon Rahat, a professor at Hebrew University who specializes in Israeli politics. He just couldnt function. When Netanyahu woke up, Rahat said, he realized that Biden had replaced him as the leader Israelis turned to in their anguish. He didnt like hearing Biden, Biden, Biden everywhere, and now hes trying to get back into it. He wants to be the focus.

During a press conference on Sunday, Netanyahu touted a diplomatic Iron Dome and said he would not give in to increasingly heavy pressure  used against us in recent weeks to cease fighting, agree to future Palestinian stewardship of the Gaza Strip, or agree to a deal that would see hostages exchanged for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. I reject these pressures and say to the world: We will continue to fight until victory  until we destroy Hamas and bring our hostages back home.

Less than two days later, Netanyahu agreed to Hamass demand for a pause, agreeing to cease attacks for four days so that a number of hostages could be freed. Biden had pressured the prime minister for weeks to strike such a deal, according to the New York Times, which reported Wednesday on the behind-the-scenes diplomacy.

No one thinks that at the end of this Netanyahu will still be around, the U.S. official said, echoing Israeli sentiment. It just doesnt seem possible, whenever this winds up. Hes not taking any responsibility, but hes trying to reposition himself for political survival. Its incredible. (The White House did not respond to a request for comment.)

Over the past week, Netanyahu has openly defied the U.S., by far Israels most important ally, on every war-related issue except the goal of eradicating Hamas. He declared that Israel would retain security control for Gaza indefinitely, leading Biden to say occupying Gaza would be a big mistake. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also underscored that there should be no reoccupation of Gaza after the conflict ends. No attempt to blockade or besiege Gaza. No reduction in the territory of Gaza.

Hours before Netanyahu spoke, Biden wrote in the Washington Post that Gaza and the West Bank should be reunited under a single governance structure, ultimately under a revitalized Palestinian Authority, as we all work toward a two-state solution.

Netanyahus speech on Sunday appeared to be a direct rebuke, according to Chaim Levinson, a political analyst for the left-leaning daily Haaretz and an old Netanyahu hand. He wrote that Netanyahus repositioning was now clear: Mr. Security is dead; Mr International is born  He can no longer run for reelection on a platform promising to deter Hamas and prevent ISIS from reaching Sderot; his ticket is the Palestinian Authority. Netanyahu will eliminate it. He will prevent Biden and Blinken from letting it into Gaza.

Netanyahu has rejected the return of the Palestinian Authority, which was ousted from Gaza by a violent coup in 2007, telling NBC News that a different authority would have to take over after the anticipated defeat of Hamas. His extremist, ultraright finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, commended the prime minister for clearly stating that the Palestinian Authority is a body that supports and encourages terrorism.

Theres no difference between Gaza and Ramallah, Smotrich said in a radio interview on Monday. We should all wake up to this fact. The Palestinian Authority supports terrorism and supports the terrible massacre. This war should end in a situation where there is no threat to the State of Israel. For any reason. That is victory.

Biden also wrote that he has been emphatic with Israels leaders that extremist violence against Palestinians in the West Bank must stop and that those committing the violence must be held accountable. The United States is prepared to take our own steps, including issuing visa bans against extremists attacking civilians in the West Bank.

I told President Biden that the accusations against the settlement movement are baseless, Netanyahu said on November 9, dismissing American pleas that Israel curb a swelling wave of violence in the occupied West Bank, which is governed by the Palestinian Authority and dotted by Israeli settlements. He portrayed the violence is coming from a small extreme minority, not the settlement movement.

His comments about Palestinians particularly riled us up, said a U.S. official familiar with relations with the Israeli government. Netanyahus words, in the officials opinion, were unnecessary given what we are trying to do for him and the support weve given him.

The U.S. effort to consolidate Arab support for a transitional force that could administer Gaza after the war ends depends on Israeli acceptance of the legitimacy of the Palestinian Authority. Such a pivot that would challenge Netanyahus ability to keep his narrow, extremist coalition government intact. Indeed, huge banners have appeared along Israeli highways in recent days, apparently paid for by Netanyahu supporters, showing Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas wrapped in a Hamas bandana, captioned The Palestinian Authority = Hamas.

Yonatan Freeman, a Hebrew University expert on international relations, saw the possibility of a political-diplomatic gambit in Netanyahus vague statements opposing clear U.S. positions. Netanyahus refusal to get down to the nitty-gritty leaves him significant wiggle room. He could later say, Yes, we said no Palestinian Authority will be here, but we forced them to do this; theyve accepted that  Hes got an out. Freeman pointed to Netanyahus declaration two weeks ago that no fuel will enter Gaza, but there was an asterisk. And fuel is entering Gaza. So I wouldnt take this too far. They say Never! and in the end they do it.

Aaron David Miller, a longtime U.S. negotiator between Israeli and Palestinians and a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for Peace, also downplayed the significance of public tensions compared to the American support of Israels war. I see growing frustration in the White House in the past few weeks on any number of issues, but the main frame has remained the same: The United States is prepared to give Israel time and space and the support they need to achieve what it still a common objective, the collapse of Hamas as a military force in Gaza, he said.

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Group earns grant to help abused kids

A nonprofit based in Lee County that supports abused and neglected children was among the 11 Alabama agencies that earned a grant from Gov. Kay Ivey.

Alabama Court Appointed Special Advocates Network Inc. was awarded a $1.5 million grant to provide volunteer advocates for abused and neglected children, the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs announced on Monday. The grant is part of the the $2.5 million total in grant funding that Ivey awarded to 11 central Alabama agencies, as part of an initiative to support and assist child abuse victims.

Child abuse and neglect have a significant negative impact upon the wellbeing of both children and families, Gov. Ivey said. I commend these agencies for providing services that are essential to helping victims and their families recover.

A CASA, or Court Appointed Special Advocate, is a community volunteer that has been appointed by a judge to advocate for abused and neglected children by providing them a voice during court proceedings. According to the Lee County CASA website, the goal of the program is to assist children so they do not get lost in the shuffle of the social service system or in temporary and inappropriate foster and group homes.

According to the Alabama CASA Network website, a CASA is screened and trained regarding child abuse and neglect, child development and juvenile proceedings, meets the requirements of the an affiliate CASA program and is actively supervised by the affiliate CASA. There are 15 local programs serving 23 total counties in the state. There are still 44 counties without CASA programs.

Lee Countys CASA program is part of Twin Cedars Youth and Family Services Inc., which also received grants from the state. Twin Cedars received $135,320 to provide healing and justice to victims in Lee and Macon counties.

The organization also received $69,620 to fund Keeping Family Connections, which is a supervised visitation program for Lee County families. The program is specifically for families in situations where the reunification of the parent and child is possible.

In addition to CASA and Twin Cedars, the following agencies received grants from the state:

Butterfly Bridge Childrens Advocacy Center Inc. has received $232,684 to offer a variety of services to victims in Autauga, Chilton and Elmore counties.

Tri-County Childrens Advocacy Center has received $127,894 to assist victims with a variety of services in Chambers, Clay, Coosa, Randolph and Tallapoosa counties.

Child Protect Inc. will use its $113,042 grant for services in Montgomery County, including assisting the county Department of Human Resources and law enforcement with investigations of child abuse allegations.

Pike Regional Advocacy Center will use its $94,064 grant for services including crisis counseling, forensic medical evaluations, public awareness and education in Barbour, Bullock, Coffee and Pike counties.

Central Alabama Regional Child Advocacy Center Inc. has received $90,763 to provide services including forensic interviews and victim advocacy in Bibb, Dallas, Hale, Perry and Wilcox counties.

Talladega County Child Advocacy Center Inc. has received $61,917 to provide professional assistance to victims in Talladega County.

Russell County Child Advocacy Center has received $56,934 to offer timely, trauma-informed services to victims in Russell County.

Butler County Childrens Advocacy Center has received $18,025 to fund victim services including counseling, assistance with needs, referrals to additional community organizations and education in Butler County.

Child advocacy centers fulfill many needs, including helping victims recover and assisting in the investigation of crimes against children, ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. Gov. Ivey and I are dedicated to supporting these agencies and the important work that they do each and every day.

The grants will be administered by ADECA from funds provided by the U.S. Department of Justice.
AHN Canonsburg Hospital basket raffle underway Tickets are available through Dec. 11 for the Allegheny Health Network Canonsburg Hospital basket raffle in the hospitals main lobby. Tickets are $1 each, or 8 for $5. Winners need not be present. Gift baskets are on display in the hospitals main lobby and hallways. All proceeds will benefit Canonsburg Hospital.

Priest at North Strabane church accused of stealing more than $117K A priest at All Saints Greek Orthodox Church in North Strabane Township faces criminal charges alleging he stole more than $117,000 from the church. North Strabane police charged George Frank Athanasiou, 37, of Cecil Township, Wednesday with more than 220 felonies related to theft and fraud. According to the criminal complaint, the church became aware of discrepancies in the books in September, and learned soon after that multiple checks had been stolen and deposited into an unauthorized bank account. Investigators obtained security footage from an ATM that showed Athanasiou depositing checks into the machine. On Nov. 19, police served a search warrant at Athanasious home at the ...
He's hot.



No, I wouldn't get back with a cheating ex. Onto the next!

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i mean look at him, i'd take him back too

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Put yourself first (in a sexy way).

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Did they ever officially break up?



Also I am tired of dating. Living in a tourist city is not fun.

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Same. Ive stopped completely dating, I have no interest after all the BS. Liking men is a bummer.

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ay no seas bruta.

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I was going to jokingly say, Id do the same, look at that height. But, I googled to see who he even is and hes barely 510. Not even jokingly, sir! 

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which means hes 59 max

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wait so how short is she, 4'11? Not hating, i'm short too, I just wouldn't expect such a big height difference between them if he's 5'10

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yeah she has to be around that height. google says 51 but I met her irl and neither of us were wearing heels and was at least 3 inches shorter than me (I'm 5'2)

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Hes very hot, but hes never going to stop cheating.

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Niurka Marcos saying, "No lo vale nadie una lagrima tuya, y menos un cabron, estas joven, eres independiente, autosuficiente, CHINGONA , PERRA , TALENTOSA!". pic.twitter.com/A6EGllNagI  reaction encyclopedia (@gay_reactions) October 2, 2021 Don't do it. Listen to Niurka.

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Becky no

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If I'm mathing right then they started dating when she was 19? She's gonna have a hard time letting go then. She can do better but she doesn't know that yet. He does though and hoping she doesn't notice I'm sure.



Edited at 2023-11-21 03:31 am (UTC)

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Bathing right. 

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I know autocorrect got me! But I noticed before you commented. haha

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You fixed it 

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This is most likely her first real relationship so yeah Im sure it will be difficult for her to move on.

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lmao the ex-husband of my cousin-in-law got back together with her after she cheated, only for her to cheat again this year (10 years later!) bc she found out he dated someone else while they were still broken up back then. And by broken up I mean they fully got divorced and then got back together.



so no, don't do it!!!!11

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the second time around has to hurt even more, bc not only are you betrayed by them again but also by your own decisions lol

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Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me!

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I know everyone is different but 7 years of dating?! Hell nah give her the ring or be out

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I dated my husband for seven years before we got engaged. Weve now been married for ten years. I think time is fine if you start dating younger, gives you time to work out the kinks before going straight to a divorce 

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Paps aren't just hanging around Porter Ranch. And they just happen to be wearing coordinating outfits.

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lolololol for real



Porter Ranch is.... not a hot spot for celebrities. No shade to Porter Ranch. My grandparents lived there for a number of years and the roads up in the hills are where I learned to drive.



But uh... it is just VERY suburban boring people.

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This was definitely a hard launch lmao. Theyve been talking.

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Ive been thinking about my ex lately because I had to see him on Zoom and had a fleeting moment where I wanted to text him but HELLLLL NO

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something about calling rodrigo for a photo op with someone who cheated on you to let everyone know you're back together is hmmm

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Yall join your local soccer rec league if you think hes hot. Especially if youre a girl. Coed leagues always need girl players . Not every guy is hot but enough are. 

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Yat to this rec soccer league tie-in promo!



Many people playing in your local coed adult league are as hot or even hotter than this guy! You will also be touching grass for all or most of the time! No experience needed!

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I played over the spring and so many hot guys. And they hang around for hours hoping that they can sub.

I do recommend signing up a level below you think you are because shit can be intense. 

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Hollywood Safety Training Program Celebrates Its 20th Anniversary

The Safety Pass program has been integral in on-set safety training.

Since its inception in November 2003, Hollywoods Safety Pass program has provided over 2.1 million hours of training to more than 100,000 industry professionals across the United States. Now the program is celebrating two decades of working on film and television production.

Developed by the Contract Services Administration Trust Fund, the Safety Pass program was created to establish a common safety framework for production workers, ensuring a consistent baseline of safety knowledge and practices across various sets and locations.

The program arose in the 1980s amidst calls for improved safety measures for the industry's freelance workforce. Ultimately, the consensus between employers, unions and guildswhich required safety training in collective bargaining agreementspushed the initiative forward.

Today, the Safety Pass program has more than 35 courses, which align with industry-wide safety standards. Some courses even require hands-on training at the Contract Services campus in Burbank, California. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Contract Services introduced a COVID-19 Prevention course, aiding the industry's safe return to work.

Safety Pass training is now required in more than 20 union contracts, accounting for roughly 60,000 Southern California production workers, and is available elsewhere as well.
NCOSH Announces 2023 Awards Recipients

The advocates and organizations will be honored at the upcoming awards banquet.

The National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (NCOSH) has announced the recipients of its prestigious 2023 awards, recognizing standout health and safety activists and organizations. The awards will be presented at the COSHCON2023 Awards Banquet on December 7, part of the National Conference on Worker Safety and Health.

David Williams of Step Up Louisiana is set to receive the Health and Safety Activist Award for his advocacy on behalf of workers at Dollar General, where OSHA violations for safety hazards have been a recurring issue. Williams has been a vocal figure, drawing attention to the risks Dollar General employees face daily.

The 2023 Health and Safety Trainer/Educator Award will go to Patricia Rizo from UCLA's Labor and Occupational Safety and Health Program. Rizo leverages her experience as a former garment worker and educator to develop Spanish-language training tailored for low-wage, immigrant workers.

SEIU's Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport Organizing Committee will be honored with the Worker Power Team-Building Award. These service workers have rallied against substandard working conditions made worse by Phoenix's extreme heat, spotlighting issues such as inadequate water access and insufficient rest breaks.

Kate Suisman of Safe Jobs Oregon/COSH is the recipient of the Worker Safety Champion Award. An accomplished workers' rights attorney, Suisman has been instrumental in unifying Oregon's health and safety advocates to influence substantial legislative changes, particularly for protections against extreme heat.

Additionally, the Motley Rice law firm will be recognized with the Movement Champion Award. The firm's commitment to representing workers and communities affected by industrial toxins, as well as its support for NCOSH's mission, underscores its dedication to legal advocacy with a social impact.

The three-day COSHCON2023 conference will be the organizations first in-person event after several years. It will feature workshops, panels and keynote speakers aimed at strengthening the movement for workplace safety. More information is available on the NCOSH website.
The Mediterranean has big dreams of becoming Europes clean energy powerhouse, but they have a long way to go before that goal becomes economically and logistically feasible. Between its plentiful sun for solar energy and its considerable existing natural gas infrastructure, which could be repurposed for piping green hydrogen across the region, there is a serious amount of potential. But can they harness it?

The Mediterranean is geographically blessed when it comes to green energy potential. Countries like Spain, Portugal, and Morocco boast huge amounts of sunlight and wind, and far lower population density than most of Europe. This gives them the potential to build out massive solar and wind farms that most countries could only dream of, setting them up to be green energy exporters at a time when Europe is increasingly seeking to secure more clean energy. And North Africa and Spain are already ramping up energy transportation potential via undersea cables.

While this seems like the perfect recipe to build up new trade routes for clean energy, the Mediterranean is taking a big risk by trying to build up the sector too much, too soon. Europe has to jump-start a market for a new source of energy and do so in a deregulated arena with many competing players, the Economist warned earlier this month. Simultaneously ramping up demand and supply is a delicate balancing act.

The case of Spanish hydrogen exemplifies exactly these issues. Spain has been at the forefront of the green hydrogen movement thanks to its abundance of renewable energy potential and a supportive energy environment, but it seems that the country has put the cart in front of the horse. Europe may not be ready to import as much green hydrogen as Spain is planning to export. Experts warn that Spain must be careful not to blow up current energy supply chains in the interest of unpromised export potential. Theres a sequencing in terms of whats logical to do, Martin Lambert, head of hydrogen research at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, told Bloomberg earlier this year. The first step is to do as much as possible to decarbonize the power system locally, then make hydrogen from surplus renewable power to use locally, and then move on to exports.

What is more, the Spanish government has poured money into developing the sector without first working through the logistics of getting the necessary technology up and running. In this sense, too, Spain is getting a bit ahead of itself. At present, Spain is saddled with a cutting-edge green hydrogen electrolyzer that doesnt work, thanks to a design flaw on the part of American maker Cummins. As a result, the network of hydrogen-based buses and fuel cells which were designed to run on the hydrogen produced by the electrolyzer also sit dormant, and now parts of the Spanish electorate, as well as those theyre voting into office, seem to be decreasingly interested in pushing the industry forward.

And Spain isn't alone in its potentially misguided strategy. Portugal, too, has set lofty goals for its own green hydrogen production sector. Earlier this year, the country doubled its own goals for production capacity and now aims for its new electrolyzer capacity to produce green hydrogen to hit 5.5 GW by 2030, and plans to pour tens of millions of Euros into the effort.

And while the Mediterranean has more renewable energy potential than its own population could consume, this doesnt necessarily mean that pumping that excess capacity into green hydrogen production is the best move. Exporting renewable energy without converting it might actually be the most logical  and most climate-friendly  strategy. Green hydrogen is crucial to deep decarbonization in hard-to-electrify and hard-to-abate sectors, but critics have warned that there simply isnt enough existing renewable energy capacity to produce enough green hydrogen to replace natural gas and coal in petrochemicals, steel and agricultural product fabrication. And all that green energy might be far more useful in other applications. A new report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) warns against the indiscriminate use of hydrogen, cautioning that extensive use of hydrogen may not be in line with the requirements of a decarbonised world.

By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com

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(CNN)  The Earths temperature briefly rose above a crucial threshold that scientists have been warning for decades could have catastrophic and irreversible impacts on the planet and its ecosystems, data shared by a prominent climate scientist shows.

For the first time, the global average temperature on Friday last week was more than 2 degrees Celsius hotter than levels before industrialization, according to preliminary data shared on X by Samantha Burgess, deputy director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, based in Europe.

The threshold was crossed just temporarily and does not mean that the world is at a permanent state of warming above 2 degrees, but it is a symptom of a planet getting steadily hotter and hotter, and moving towards a longer-term situation where climate crisis impacts will be difficult  in some cases impossible  to reverse.

Our best estimate is that this was the first day when global temperature was more than 2C above 1850-1900 (or pre-industrial) levels, at 2.06C, she wrote.

Burgess said in her post that global temperatures on Friday averaged 1.17 degrees above 1991-2020 levels, making it the warmest November 17 on record. But compared to pre-industrial times, before humans began burning fossil fuels on a large scale and altering the Earths natural climate, the temperature was 2.06 degrees warmer.

The breach of 2 degrees on Friday came two weeks before the start of the UN COP28 climate conference in Dubai, where countries will take stock of their progress towards the Paris Climate Agreement pledge to limit global warming to 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels, with an ambition of limiting it to 1.5 degrees.

One day above 2 degrees of warming does not mean that the Paris Agreement has been breached, Burgess told CNN, but highlights how we are approaching those internationally agreed limits. We can expect to see increasing frequency of 1.5 degree and 2 degree days over the coming months and years.

Copernicus data is preliminary and will require weeks to be confirmed with real-life observations.

The world already looks on track to breach 1.5 degrees of warming on a longer-term basis in the next few years, a threshold beyond which scientists say humans and ecosystems will struggle to adapt.

A UN report published Monday showed that even if countries carried out their current emissions-reduction pledges, the world would reach between 2.5 and 2.9 degrees of warming sometime this century.

But 1.5 is not a cliff edge for the Earth  every fraction of a degree it warms above that, the worse the impacts will be. Warming to 2 degrees puts far more of the population at risk of deadly extreme weather and increases the likelihood of the planet reaching irreversible tipping points, such as the collapse of the polar ice sheets and the mass death of coral reefs.

Richard Allan, professor of climate science at the University of Reading in the UK, called the breach a canary in the coalmine which underscores the urgency of tackling greenhouse gas emissions.

But he added that it was entirely expected that single days will surpass 2 degrees above pre-industrial well before the actual 2 degrees Celsius target is breached over many years.

The data comes on heels of the hottest 12 months on record, and after a year of extreme weather events, supercharged by the climate crisis, including fires in Hawaii, floods in northern Africa and storms in the Mediterranean, all of which have claimed lives.

Scientists are increasingly expressing alarm that data on temperatures are exceeding their predictions.

A string of reports checking the health of the Earths climate and humans actions to combat it in recent weeks show that the planet is careening toward a dangerous level of warming, and not doing enough to mitigate or adapt to its impacts.

A UN report last week found that according to countries climate plans, planet-heating pollution in 2030 will still be 9% higher than it was in 2010. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the world needs to decrease emissions by 45% by the end of this decade compared to 2010 to have any hope of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. An increase of 9% means that target is way off.

Another UN report also found that the world is planning to blow the fossil fuels production limit that would keep a lid on global heating. By 2030, countries plan to produce more than twice the limit of fossil fuels that would cap warming at 1.5 degrees.
Any major project connected to Iraqs oil and gas sector has an incalculably greater significance than just extracting oil or gas. Situated in the heart of the Middle East, sharing its eastern border with Iran, its northern border with Turkey, its western border with Syria and Jordan, and its southern border with Saudi Arabia, Iraq is perhaps the single most geopolitically important country to Russia, China, and the U.S. in the entire region. In turn, the lawless western desert province of Anbar is perhaps the most geopolitically vital area in all of Iraq. And the most strategically important position in Anbar is the huge Akkas gas field. It is little wonder, then, that Russia and China have been angling for the best position to benefit from Iraqs sixth gas licensing round, centre stage of which will be the bidding for the giant Akkas gas field and its surrounding area.

The field itself has around 5.6 trillion cubic feet of proven reserves, and Iraqs Oil Ministry plans for it to produce around 400 million cubic feet per day of gas. But that is not the point at all  it could have nothing in it, and Russia and China would still do anything to get it. One core reason is that oil and gas companies are legally entitled to secure their oil and/or gas field operations around the world through whatever means they feel necessary. In practical terms, this can include stationing a massive heavily-armed security force around an oil and/or gas field. Such a site can also house anyone else that the company wishes, in whatever job function they care to label them. In Chinas case, this link between the corporate world and the state is explicit. For the many national-level state firms (and virtually all others), board directors and company executives are under the standing instruction to execute the will of the Central Committee of the China Communist Party. A similar directive applies to Russian state companies. In the West, the links between the corporate world and the state are much less direct. In sum, though, the outcome is largely the same: an oil and/or gas field exploration and development site anywhere in the world can effectively be regarded as part of the country of the company that operates it, not as part of the country in which it is geographically situated.

Related: European Natural Gas Prices Seesaw as Cold Snap Arrives

For China, then, a growing presence in Iraq brings several significant advantages to its overarching plan to act as - at least - the global superpower counterpoint to the U.S. One of these, as reiterated recently in the Iraq Cabinet meeting that gave its full support to rolling out all aspects of the Iraq-China Framework Agreement signed in December 2021, is plentiful cheap oil, gas, and petrochemicals. This agreement is very similar in scope and scale to the all-encompassing Iran-China 25-Year Comprehensive Cooperation Agreement, as first revealed anywhere in the world in my 3 September 2019 article on the subject and fully examined in my new book on the new global oil market order. A key part of both deals is that China has first refusal on all oil, gas, and petrochemicals projects that come up in Iraq for the duration of the deal, and that it is given at least a 30 percent discount on all oil, gas, and petrochemicals it buys. Another key part of the Iraq-China Framework Agreement is that Beijing is allowed to build factories across the country, with a corollary build-out of supportive infrastructure. This includes - importantly for its Belt and Road Initiative  railway and other transport and logistical links, all overseen by its own management staff from Chinese companies on the ground in Iraq.

For Russia, the stakes are even higher. Iraq  under the enduring influence of Iran  is a key part of the Shia Crescent countries over which Moscow extends its influence across the Middle East, as also analysed in depth in my new book. This augments the geopolitical power it wields in and around its Former Soviet Union (FSU) satellite states. Already in a controlling position in all key countries in the Shia Crescent of power in the Middle East  Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Yemen (via Iran)  Russia continues to work on those countries on the edges of the Crescent in which it already directly or indirectly had a foothold. These include Azerbaijan (75% Shia and an FSU state) and Turkey (25% Shia and furious at not being accepted fully into the European Union). Others also remain longer-term targets, including Bahrain (75% Shia) and Pakistan (up to 25% Shia and previously a sanctuary to sworn-U.S. enemies Al Qaeda and the Taliban). Iraq is the vital link for Russia, then, between Iran (over which it has significant control, along with China) and Syria - the biggest country on the western side of the Shia Crescent.

The Akkas gas field itself is one of three big gas fields that form a skewed triangle across southern Iraq, stretching from the Mansuriya field near the eastern border with Iran, down to Siba field in the south (extremely close to the key Iraqi Basra export hub), and then all the way west across to Akkas itself (extremely close to the border with Syria). Russia thought it had finally gained control over these three sites when in September 2019 its Stroytransgaz signed a preliminary contract with Iraqs Oil Ministry to develop the hitherto virtually unknown Block 17 in Iraqs lawless wasteland Anbar province, as also analysed in depth in my new book. A place so violent and unpredictable that it was even avoided where possible by Islamic State, the Block 17 site in Anbar province was perfect for Russias purposes, as it was right in the middle of what the U.S. military used to call the spine of Islamic State where the Euphrates flows westwards into Syria and eastwards into the Persian Gulf, extremely close to the border with Iran.

Along the spine running from east to west are the historical ultra-nationalist and ultra-anti-West cities of Falluja, Ramadi, Hit and Haditha, and then Iraq turns into Syria, and it is just a short hop to the key strategic ports of Banias and Tartus, and to Latakia  all three of which are crucial globally strategic sites for Moscow. The Syrian port of Tartus remains a huge naval base for Russia and the only Mediterranean port it has access to. The port is just a short ride from Khmeimim airport, which  under a deal struck in 2015 - became a dual-use civilian-military airport-airbase for use by Russia. And just a short flight away from those two key assets is Russias Latakia intelligence-gathering listening station. Meanwhile, Banias had long been earmarked as the end point for the long-planned Iran-Iraq-Syria pipelines that would move Iranian, and later Iraqi, oil and gas from Iran through Iraq to Syria, and then into the less rigorously policed ports of southern Europe. This route would not only allow for the movement of sanctioned Iranian oil and gas into Europe, but also of anything else that Russia and Iran want to get into the continent without too many checks. This has long been the final part of Russian and Iranian plans to build a land bridge from Tehran to the Mediterranean Sea by which they could exponentially increase the scale and scope of weapons delivery into southern Lebanon and the Golan Heights area of Syria to be used in attacks on Israel, as also analysed in depth in my new book on the new global oil market order. This core aim of this policy was to provoke a broader conflict in the Middle East that would draw in the U.S. and its allies into an unwinnable war of the sort seen recently in Iraq and Afghanistan.

It should come as no surprise, then, that  according to a source who works closely with Iraqs Oil Ministry spoken to exclusively by OilPrice.com last week  Russia has now received assurances from the Iraqi government that it will be awarded an exploratory and production licence for the Akkas gas field. The enormous pressure that Russia brought to bear on Baghdad, both through its activities in the south of the country and through its tight grip over Kurdistans oil and gas sector in the north, was augmented by heavy lobbying of Iraqs Oil Ministry from elements of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, added the source. So the Russian licence will allow its chosen companies to subcontract parts of the contract for periods of 5-10 years during the 20-year licence period, and this will heavily feature Chinese companies, he concluded.

By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com

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Communist Party of China (CCP) General Secretary Xi Jinping is now starkly aware that he is facing the end of his rule, and has turned to US Pres. Joe Biden to save him.

Specific reports are emerging as to the driving forces which made Xi act, in seeming desperation, to kowtow to US Pres. Joe Biden at the summit held on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference (APEC) in San Francisco between November 13 and 17,2023.

Xis Government of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) had, for at least two weeks before the summit, started a charm offensive aimed at the US. Until that time, Beijing had claimed to have been hesitant about whether the summit would take place, but the start of the charm offensive was a significant pointer to the depth of General Secretary Xis desperation and his increasingly mercurial behavior.

Despite the fact that the mainland China economic crisis had become significant and intense from at least 2015, Xi had taken virtually no steps to contain or correct it. Then, almost simultaneously with the charm offensive toward the US, the Xi Administration began some timid steps toward reversing its anti-private sector policies and promised unspecified support for private business in mainland China. This followed a xenophobically maoist policy, over the past decade, of containing private enterprise and attempting to push the economy under the domination of the state-owned enterprises (SOEs). The sudden volte-face by Xi, typical of his behavior since the October 2022 Party Congress at which he disposed of almost all of his visible opponents, highlighted more than ever his instability and, now, his increasing desperation as it has become clear that the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) was patently unready and unprepared to execute Xis proposed military takeover of the Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan. Related: Russia Will Fight to Protect Its Key Weapon in the Global Energy Race

Without being able to deliver on his promise to capture Taiwan, Xi was now left isolated within the Party as to why he had dissipated so much of communist Chinas  and the CCPs  treasure, and left the country on the verge of a new revolution. Unless he could pull a last-minute coup de main from his bag, he was facing imminent removal by the Par ty  anxious to save itself, as well  and the PLA.

That was at the core of his visit to San Francisco to literally plead with US Pres. Biden, and why he greeted with a sardonic smile Bidens second naming of Xi as a dictator, a slip of the tongue of the less-than-disciplined President.

A significant source in the PRC has reported that Xi formally asked the US President to arrange an urgent $900-billion bailout for the communist Chinese economy. This specific detail could not be confirmed, but it fitted with the sudden and urgent campaign to stop Beijings bellicosity toward the US and to insist that the two could be friends and partners.

The leak of this information came from within the CCP, from elements anxious to bring down Xi Jinping, and they confirmed that the effort to remove Xi was now reaching a level of imminent action.

Without that injection of almost a trillion US dollars, the Chinese property market, among other things, will complete its collapse. Indeed, even with such an investment, it is probable that the mainland Chinese property market and overall economy would continue its slide. The scale of private sector bankruptcies and the interruption and closure of so many factories cannot be reversed overnight, and foreign trust in the PRC cannot be rebuilt overnight.

Would such a bailout save Xi? Perhaps not, but it would the perhaps the only opportunity open to him.

He was even forced, in San Francisco, to abandon the pretense that the PLA was ready to conquer Taiwan. These events represent a seismic shift in Xis policies, even though he publicly said that he could not renounce his intention to bring Taiwan into the communist fold.

Nor, indeed, is there any reason to believe that this is anything but a fairly cynical attempt to have the US bail out the political career of the man who, in 2018, said that he had specifically declared war on the United States, a war, he said, which would be the new 30 Year War (mirroring the European war which ended in 1648 with the Peace of Westphalia. And Xi said that his new 30 Year War would result in a new Peace of Westphalia which would bring about a new rules-based world order under the CCP.

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Our PRC source did not indicate whether Xi had received a response from Pres. Biden to the blunt and desperate request. There was no evidence that Mr Biden had received any advance warning of the request, but there were certainly expressions of concern when Beijing had, before the summit, embarked on the charm offensive.

That there is no substance to the charm offensive, however, was demonstrated by the continued antagonism toward the US and its allies in their actual practices on the military lines of confrontation.

By Gregory R. Copley. for Oilprice.com

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Iran's strategy in the Middle East is essentially a take on an old proverb: Give your proxies and partners weapons and you can sustain their battles for a day. Teach them to make weapons and they can fight your enemies for a lifetime.



With Iranian-backed militant groups taking the charge in the Islamic republic's fight against Israel and the United States, Tehran is seeing its effort to help them acquire their own weapons-manufacturing capabilities pay off.



"Iran has established a network of allies and partners throughout the Middle East, from the Huthis in Yemen, to pro-Iranian groups in Iraq, to pro-Iranian groups in Syria, to Hizballah in Lebanon, to Hamas in Gaza," said Samuel Bendett of the Virginia-based Center for Naval Analyses. "And [Tehran] basically feeds some of its technology there directly, or provides kits and parts and other assistance to the local developers from those units, from those groups, and either gives them training in Iran or trains them on their location."



Increasingly, those Tehran-backed militant groups are turning to weapons they have produced themselves, often based on Iranian blueprints or manufactured or assembled with Iran's assistance. "Those groups now have a lot of know-how which was provided to them by Iran," Bendett said. "And they're now using them against the U.S. and its allies in the region."



The Iranian-backed Islamic Resistance Movement -- better known as Hamas and considered a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union -- utilized a vast array of indigenously produced weapons and employed advanced battlefield tactics during its surprise multipronged attack on Israel on October 7 that left around 1,200 people dead.

The Israeli Defense Forces said they recovered Iranian-manufactured mortars and explosives used by the Palestinian extremist group after the assault, and Israeli military officials have reportedly estimated that up to 10 percent of the weapons used in the attack were made in Iran.



But most were produced or refined by Hamas indigenously in the Gaza Strip, including assault rifles, missiles, rockets, mortars, shells, and ammunition, according to Israeli defense officials.



Some of the at least 19 Iranian proxies and partners in the region that help make up Iran's so-called axis of resistance have also used Iranian-derived or indigenously manufactured weapons built with Tehran's help against Israel as well as U.S. troops based in the region since the Hamas assault.



These militant groups boast varying levels of firepower in their respective arsenals made up of Soviet-era, Russian, Iranian, and indigenously manufactured weapons based on Iranian designs. While Iran denies delivering arms to the groups directly, many of the missiles, rockets, and other weapons are similar to those produced by Iran.



Lebanese Hizballah boasts the most formidable arsenal of projectiles among Tehran's proxies -- including its own manufactured or refitted missiles and rockets. Since October 7, Hizballah has launched hundreds of rockets and missiles at Israel.



The Iranian-backed Huthi rebels in Yemen claim to have launched ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones, at Israel. On November 8, the Pentagon announced that a U.S. military surveillance drone was shot down off the coast of Yemen by Huthi forces.



In an apparent response to U.S. support for Israel's retaliatory land invasion and aerial bombardment of the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, Iranian proxies in Iraq and Syria have launched 58 attacks against U.S. forces in the past month, according to the Pentagon.



Tehran has denied involvement in the Hamas attack, and in early November Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reportedly pressed Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh to silence those calling for Iran and Lebanese Hizballah to join the Israel-Hamas war.

According to sources cited by Reuters, Khamenei said during the meeting with Haniyeh in Tehran that Iran would continue to offer political and moral support but would not directly enter the conflict.



But Iran has publicly boasted about the military aid it has provided to Hamas in recent years. And despite international sanctions and a sea and land blockade on the Gaza Strip that was imposed by Israel and Egypt in 2005, experts say it is clear that Tehran has provided assistance to boost Hamas's fighting capabilities.

Middle East political analyst Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib told RFE/RL that Hamas built up its arsenal by looting weapons from former stockpiles of the Palestinian Authority or illegally purchasing them decades ago from Israeli sources through straw-man sales, smuggling arms and materials across the border with Egypt, and domestically producing drones, rockets, and various munitions.

But there is little evidence that any seaborne smuggling of arms has taken place since Hamas took power in the Gaza Strip in 2007, he said. And the smuggling from Egypt that reached its height after the Egyptian revolution in 2011 declined sharply after the Muslim Brotherhood government there was overthrown in 2013 and has since "been reduced to a trickle."



Nevertheless, Alkhatib said, "the weaponry and the arsenal that Hamas has right now has been building up for over a decade" and benefited from thousands of tons of smuggled arms and materials that could be used to manufacture its own weapons.



"Even if the smuggling stopped, those are still significant and vast enough to offer Hamas and other groups the ability to inflict damage as we saw on October 7 and as we're seeing in their defensive battle with advancing Israeli ground troops," said Alkhatib, a U.S. citizen from Gaza.



Whereas Hamas historically focused on building up a stockpile of rifles and machine guns, he says, it turned its attention to developing kinetic capabilities -- including mines, targeted explosive warheads, improvised explosive devices, anti-tank missiles, and rocket propelled grenades.



Hamas has also invested heavily in developing longer-range rockets and guidance and targeting capabilities as well as a range of unmanned aerial vehicles, including fixed-wing and weaponized commercial-grade drones.



Hamas had a falling out with Tehran, including over the extremist group's support of the Syrian uprising in 2011, Alkhatib says. But Yahya Sinwar, Hamas's leader in Gaza, realigned the organization with Tehran "because they have realized that without Iran, their military capability won't stand a chance in continuing to evolve."



The realignment "with Iran, with the Syrian regime, and certainly with [Lebanese] Hizballah," he added, "are directly related to Hamas's needs and reliance on Iran to procure materials and, more importantly in the era of limited to no smuggling, technologies and know-how to domestically produce [weapons] systems."



Aided by Iranian weapons blueprints and the use of modern digital platforms for remote training, Hamas has learned how to upgrade old rockets and missiles to expand their range and lethality, he said.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and Lebanese Hizballah have also been able to remotely teach Hamas fighting tactics and how to develop its massive tunnel network. "And, more importantly, Iran is also teaching Hamas how to use strategic capabilities," Alkhatib said, such as how to integrate drones on the battlefield.



"What was particularly spectacular about the October 7 attack," Alkhatib said, "is that Hamas for the first time demonstrated a combined-arms approach to guerrilla warfare, whereby intelligence was linked with the artillery barrage, was linked with the aerial capabilities of using the paragliders, was linked with the ground troops with the elite forces, with the logistical networks to transport the hostages back to Gaza and to send the attacks in waves with internal operational security.



"This was a qualitative leap forward in Hamas's fighting doctrine. And it could have only been learned and developed through assistance from Iran, broadly, and more specifically, its proxies and its arms in the region such as Hizballah and the IRGC," he added.



Elsewhere in the Middle East, Iran's support for proxies and its involvement in the Syrian civil war now leaves it with a significant number of experienced fighters at the ready for future conflicts.



Alkhatib notes that Iran supported hundreds of thousands of Shi'ite militias and fighters in Iraq and Syria, both to support the government of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria and to combat the Islamic State (IS) extremist group alongside Syrian and Iraqi government forces.



"Now that both have been largely defeated, IS and the Syrian rebels, Iran was left with these powerful, battle-hardened, well-trained, well-organized militias that had nothing to do," Alkhatib said. "And so, they have been recycled and repurposed by the IRGC to further bolster the so-called axis of resistance, and to be used in a potential fight with Israel and the United States."

By RFE/RL

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European natural gas prices were having a nervous trading session early on Tuesday as traders weighed higher heating demand amid colder weather with still nearly full EU inventories.

The front-month Dutch TTF Natural Gas Futures, the benchmark for Europes gas trading, were down by 1.7% to $49.30 (45 euros) per megawatt-hour (MWh) as of 12:54 p.m. in Amsterdam.

Prices had gained nearly 2% on Monday as weather forecasts for Europe pointed to a cold snap this week with temperatures well below the average for this time of year.

Most of Europe faces colder than usual weather from now until the beginning of December, per weather forecaster Maxar Technologies quoted by Bloomberg.

The below-average temperatures will raise demand for heating and natural gas.

But the market isnt as nervous as it was last year, mostly due to the still ample inventories at EU gas storage sites. As of November 19, EU storage was 99% full, according to data from Gas Infrastructure Europe.

Europes gas prices started rising last week as the market began to focus on winter supply risks.

Natural gas traders are already weighing the potential risks to European gas supply this winter, with weather the biggest unknown for traders, suppliers, and governments.

In early November, traders began withdrawing natural gas from Europes record-high inventories as the weather turned colder and heating demand rose.

The LNG market seems calmer than usual for November when heating demand is typically rising in both Europe and Asia. Yet, no one can predict how cold this winter in the northern hemisphere will be. Last winter was mercifully warmer than usual in Europe just as the continent was scrambling to import higher LNG volumes despite spiking prices to replace the lost Russian pipeline gas supply.

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The seizure of a cargo ship in the Red Sea by the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels of Yemen this weekend has also added some bullishness on the energy markets which havent fully discounted yet an escalation of the conflict in the Middle East.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Ford is reneging on its ambitious plans to open a battery plant near Marshall, Michigan, a company spokesman said, scaling back both its investments in the EV battery facility and jobs as EV adoption is slower than expected.

Ford will reduce its commitment to the battery plant by more than $1 billion and 800 jobs, reducing the planned capacity of the plant by 42%. While the plans have been scaled back considerably, Ford still plans to open the new plant by 2026.

Weve been studying this project for the past couple of months. I think were all aware EV adoption is growing, and we expect that to continue, actually. But its not growing at the pace that I think ourselves and the industry had expected, Ford spokesman Mark Truby said on Tuesday.

Truby added that Ford was aiming for discipline in how it allocates capital as it tries to balance future capacity with anticipated demand.

The plant was originally designed to produced 35 GW hours worth of batteries every yearsufficient enough to produce 400,000 vehicles. The plan will now to scaled back to produce just 20 GW hours, or enough for 230,000 vehicle batteries.

Ford did not quantify the capital outlay that will be shaved off the top, but a 42% reduction in investment for the plant equates to a $1.5 billion haircut, bringing the total investment down to $2B.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer highlighted the deal for the new battery plant back in February and signed a $1.3 billion spending package in early March that earmarked $630 million to support site preparation in Marshallhalf of which was to go to land development and half to road improvements. This was on top of a $210 million grant to Ford and a $772 million tax break to the automaker, not to mention a $36 million loan to the Marshall Area Economic Development Alliance.

Todays generational investment by an iconic American company will uplift local families, small businesses, and the entire community and help our state continue leading the future of mobility and electrification. Lets continue bringing the supply chain of electric vehicles, chips, and batteries home while creating thousands of good-paying jobs and revitalizing every region of our state. Since I took office, weve secured over 30,000 auto jobs and landed multiple electric vehicle and chip-making factories. Were on the move, so lets keep our foot on the accelerator, Whitmer said in a February press release.

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Ford, however, is looking to take the foot off the accelerator and allow demand to catch up.

By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com

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The current oil market deficit will turn into a slight surplus next year even if OPEC+ leaders Saudi Arabia and Russia extend their production and export cuts into 2024, Toril Bosoni, the Head of Oil Industry and Markets Division at the International Energy Agency (IEA), told Reuters on Tuesday.

Global oil stocks are currently falling at a fast rate, Bosoni told Reuters on the sidelines of an industry event in Norway.

Just last week, the IEA raised its global oil demand forecasts for 2023 and 2024, as consumption is exceeding expectations. But the agency warned that supply growth was also topping forecasts.

For now, with demand still exceeding available supplies heading into the Northern Hemisphere winter, market balances will remain vulnerable to heightened economic and geopolitical risks  and further volatility ahead, the IEA said.

Speculation is growing that OPECs top producer, Saudi Arabia, will extend its voluntary cut of 1 million barrels per day (bpd) into 2024, considering the latest slide in oil prices to $80 and the typically weak period for oil demand in the first quarter of every year. Market talk is also intensifying that OPEC+ could announce a deeper cut at the groups meeting in the weekend November 25-26.

The recent weakness in oil prices has increased noise over what OPEC+ will decide to do at its meeting on 26 November. We continue to expect that Saudi Arabia and Russia will roll over their additional voluntary cuts into early 2024, ING strategists Warren Patterson and Ewa Manthey wrote on Monday.

However, what is less clear is whether the broader OPEC+ group will make further cuts, they added.

A deeper group cut combined with the Saudis and Russians rolling over their voluntary reduction would wipe out the currently expected market surplus in the first quarter of 2024, the strategists noted.

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By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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Indonesia kicked off a plan to unleash $20 billion in global financing to help decarbonize its power sector, Reuters reported on Tuesday, and to increase the role that renewables plays in its overall energy mix.

The $20 billion in funds from lenders, including the United States and Japan, will be disbursed with immediate effect and will help Indonesia move forward with its plan to cut carbon emissions to 250 million metric tons for its on-grid power sector by the end of this decade. Without the funds, Indonesias carbon emissions would likely exceed 350 million metric tons. Indonesia is one of the worlds most prolific carbon emitters.

Indonesias plan is to increase the role that renewable energy plays in its total power generation mix to 44% by 2030, just 12% last year.

We have to move quickly because 2030 is less than seven years away. The partnership must be enhanced and accelerated to do the priority projects, including to immediately realise the financing commitments, ad-interim chief minister for investment affairs, ErickThohir said on Tuesday.

But it will take more than $20 billion to reach its ambitious green goals. According to the countrys Comprehensive Investment and Policy Plan, or CIPP, nearly $100 billion will be needed to reach its goals, including $67 billion spread across 400 projects that need to start by 2030 if it is to hit its goals.

The $20 billion would serve as a jump start investment designed to kick things off and attract even more investments, Michael Kleine, US charge daffaires in Jakarta said.

Indonesias Pertamina has been expanding its presence in geothermal energy, with PT Pertamina Geothermal Energy TbK (PGE) announcing cooperation with Chevron New Energies International and Mubadala Energy for a JSA to explore geothermal potential in Kotamobagu.

PGE earned an 8.4 by ESG rating agency Sustainalytics for its ESG practicesa score that puts the firm as the third highest-ranked utility company based on ESG factors.

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By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com

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Iran expects its oil production to rise to 3.6 million barrels per day (bpd) by the end of the current Iranian year in March 2024, from around 3.3 million bpd now, Irans Oil Minister Javad Owji has said.

The minister talked about Iranian oil production during a visit by Irans President Ebrahim Raisi to the headquarters of the Ministry of Oil, Iranian media reported.

Iran has recently signed six contracts for the development of oil and gas fields in the past months, including deals to develop joint fields in the west of Karun, such as Azadegan and Yaran. The total value of the contracts is $14.5 billion, according to the minister.

Earlier this month, Owji said that Irans oil production has jumped by 50% percent since the current administration came into office two years ago.

Irans oil production was 2.2 million bpd in August 2021 and has now increased to 3.3 million bpd. Output is further set to rise to 3.6 million bpd by the end of this winter.

This summer, Irans oil production and exports were estimated to have soared to the highest level since the U.S. sanctions were imposed in 2018.

Some analysts have attributed Irans higher oil sales abroad despite the current sanctions to the U.S. not looking to clamp down too much on the exports as it looks to keep oil markets well supplied.

However, Iranian exports could come under pressure as the United States signaled earlier this month that it would tighten the sanctions on Irans oil industry.

The U.S. will tighten sanctions on Irans oil industry amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, aiming to bring exports down by more than 1 million bpd, White House energy security adviser Amos Hochstein told Bloomberg.

We are going to enforce those sanctions, Hochstein said. Those numbers will come down.

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JP Morgan has forecast an average price for Brent crude of $83 per barrel next year amid a stable market.

The forecast is based on the analysts expectations of resilient demand for oil in the United States, strong demand growth in emerging markets, and stability in European markets.

For 2025, JP Morgan analysts said they expected an average Brent crude price of $75 per barrel. As with many others, the forecast is based on expectations of substantial energy efficiency gains and growth in EV sales at the expense of internal combustion engine vehicles, leading to lower demand for fuels.

At the same time, the bank also expects a weakening of jet fuel demand after the recent surge.

In terms of total demand, for this year JP Morgan analysts expect growth of 1.9 million bod, weakening to 1.6 million bpd in 2024.

"Despite sustained economic headwinds, we see demand ... underpinned by robust EM, resilient US and weak but stable Europe," the banks analysts wrote.

"Demand composition will likely flip, with two-thirds of demand gains set to come from the overall economic expansion, while continued normalization of jet fuel would contribute the rest."

On the supply side, JP Morgan expects growth in non-OPEC production, which could undermine the cartels efforts to keep prices above a certain level. If non-OPEC supply growth is strong enough, it could push Brent below $70 per barrel.

In this context, JP Morgans analysts said they expected OPEC+ to keep the lid on production to support prices.

Meanwhile, prices fell earlier today, reversing gains made on Monday after a report saying OPEC+ was considering additional production cuts to push prices higher. Despite these plans, traders appear focused on demand uncertainty once again.

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Goldman Sachs had said on Monday that it was reasonable to expect deeper OPEC+ cuts when the cartel meets next, on November 26.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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ArcelorMittal, the worlds second-largest steelmaker, is looking to sign an agreement with a U.S. LNG exporter as it aims to secure stable supply of natural gas following last years energy crisis in Europe, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday, quoting sources with knowledge of the plans.

Industrial giants in Europe have recently signed LNG supply deals with U.S. companies after the industry was forced to curtail or shut down operations last year as natural gas prices skyrocketed in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Europes heavy industry suffered a lot in 2022 and continues to see much higher energy costs than American industrial firms despite the fact that European energy prices have declined from the record highs of the summer and autumn of 2022.

In September last year, ArcelorMittal shut one of its two blast furnaces at its steelworks site in Bremen, Germany, due to the exorbitant rise in energy prices.

The high energy prices are undermining the competitiveness of steel production and the company is taking this step in Germany because it cannot operate all plants economically, ArcelorMittal said at the time.

Since the peak of the energy crisis, some major European companies have turned to U.S. LNG supply which is more flexible in terms of reselling than supply from Americas competitors.

For example, INEOS signed in December 2022 a 20-year contract with Sempra Infrastructure for the supply of around 1.4 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of LNG from Phase 1 of the Port Arthur LNG facility under development in Texas. First deliveries are expected in 2027.

German giant BASF signed earlier this year a deal with Cheniere Energy to buy up to 0.8 million tonnes per annum of LNG from Cheniere Marketing. Deliveries are expected to begin in mid-2026 and continue through 2043.

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ArcelorMittal, for its part, hasnt made a decision yet on the duration or structure of a potential LNG supply deal as the search is in its early stages, FTs sources said.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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(CNN)  Twenty-eight premature babies arrived in Egypt in a convoy of ambulances from Gaza on Monday, according to an Egyptian government official, after the infants were evacuated from Al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza.

Four mothers and six nurses accompanied the babies, who will be sent to two separate hospitals in Egypt for treatment, the government source said.

On Sunday, 31 babies were transferred from Al-Shifa to Emirati Hospital in the southern city of Rafah, in an operation mashaled by the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PCRS) and several other organizations. A CNN journalist at Rafah crossing reported the babies were greeted by hordes of medical professionals waiting with incubators to take them into care.

Two of the babies stayed at the Emiratis ICU unit  with one infant said to be in good health  and a third baby did not transfer to Egypt as his parents are currently in northern Gaza. The other 28 will be treated at the Al-Arish Hospital in Sinai and the New Capital Hospital in Cairo.

We have been waiting for them during the past few days. We have made all the preparations to receive the newborn babies with all the medical equipment needed for that, a doctor at Al-Arish, named Ahmad, told Egyptian state broadcaster Al Qahera Monday, adding some of the babies are in need of more advanced medical measures.

A mother of one of the premature babies transferred to a hospital in Egypt said it was the best place on earth for her daughter to be. She told Egyptian state run pool that after a difficult birth on September 28, her daughter had been placed in an incubator in Al-Shifa.

On the seventh of October, I was supposed to go and see my daughter. She was reliant on artificial respiration. Then they asked us to leave our house, then they bombed our house. So I went to Al Shifa Hospital. It never occurred to us that the hospital would be targeted and that those children would have to go through what they went through, Lubna El-Seik said Monday.

After Israel announced a precise and targeted operation in Al-Shifa and fighting began in the hospital complex, Al Seik said her daughters condition deteriorated. She relied solely on artificial oxygen, she said.

Citing doctors at the Rafah hospital, the World Health Organization said earlier the babies were fighting serious infections and 11 were in critical condition, due to a lack of medical supplies at Al-Shifa.

UNICEF, which worked with UN agencies and PCRS to carry out the evacuation, warned Sunday that the babies condition was rapidly deteriorating. It said the evacuation took place in extremely dangerous conditions and followed the tragic death of several other babies, and total collapse of all medical services at Al-Shifa.

Al-Shifa, the largest hospital in Gaza, has become a flashpoint in Israels war in the besieged enclave. The Israeli military alleges the facility is being used by Hamas as a shield for its operations and raided the hospital last Wednesday. Hamas and hospital officials have denied Israels claims.

For days, relentless bombardment near the hospital trapped thousands of staff, patients and civilians sheltering inside, prompting public outcry, fueled by the details of the plight of newborn babies fighting for their lives.

The WHO described Al-Shifa as a death zone with corridors filled with medical and solid waste, after a United Nations team visited the hospital for an hour on Saturday to assess the deteriorating humanitarian situation.

Palestinian authorities said several newborns have died due to power outages and a shortage of medical supplies; hospital staff described having to move babies by hand from incubators after running out of fuel and wrapping them in foil to keep them warm.

Under growing pressure to provide evidence for its claim that Hamas is using Al-Shifa for military purposes, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Sunday released CCTV videos and still images it says show Hamas fighters bringing hostages into Al-Shifa on October 7, when Hamas launched its attack on southern Israel, killing more than 1,200 people and taking some 240 people into Gaza as hostages.

IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari presented two short videos, along with several still images, which he said show Hamas fighters moving the hostages  one Nepali, one Thai  through the hospital. CNN cannot independently verify the content of the videos and the stills.

Dr. Ahmed Mokhallalati, the head of the hospitals burns unit, accused Israeli forces of pushing around staff, questioning them about Hamas and restricting staff movements after the raid last week.

The common question (staff keep being asked): Do you know anything about the Hamas groups? Do you know anything about the tunnels within the hospital? the doctor said.

Egyptian health workers were photographed on Monday standing beside ambulances and incubators, waiting for the babies to arrive at the Rafah border, which has been used to bring in limited aid and evacuate foreign nationals.

It was hoped that the parents of the newborns would be able to travel to safety with their children, but the WHO said very few of the infants were accompanied by family members.

Gazan officials had limited information and were not able to find close family members, the WHO said.

One father, Ali Sbeiti, was reunited with his young son Anas, who was born three days before the war began.

Thank God. We now feel that our son is safe after not seeing him for more than two weeks. We didnt know whether he was dead or alive, especially when communications were disconnected with the doctors, Sbeiti told CNN.

The intense fighting between Israel and Hamas, and a communications blackout across the enclave due to a lack of fuel, has complicated aid delivery efforts and made it more difficult for Palestinians to reach relief services.

WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Sunday further missions were being planned to evacuate the remaining patients and staff from Al-Shifa, pending guarantees of safe passage by parties to the conflict.
LINCLN  It started years ago with a few handfuls of acorns.

Bud and Joan Speidell, who owned Nebraska Nurseries and lived in a corner of the land near 138th Street and Pioneers Boulevard, picked up the acorns that dropped from the tree by their home, grew the seedlings in a nursery and, once theyd gotten big enough, planted them.

They kept planting  neat rows of oak trees on nearly 100 acres of land until one day  some 16,000 trees later  it became Matt Kleinschmits vision.

Kleinschmit, who owns Pride Homes, has been a homebuilder for 25 years and has developed some high-end acreages, would sometimes buy a couple of the oaks from the Speidells to replant at homes he was building.

A few years ago, Speidell asked Kleinschmit if hed be interested in buying the land. It wasnt the right time for him, Kleinschmit said. But when Speidell approached him a second time about a year later not long after another land deal had fallen through  he had a different answer.

Initially, Kleinschmit planned to develop the property, but those trees, all the same species, planted in neat rows on all that land: He couldnt get them out of his mind.

These tree rows, he said. They simply, I dont want to say mesmerize, but they captivate my attention.

No matter whats going on in his day, any stress or frustration melts away when he drives out to that property and spends time amid the trees.

Ive found this to be a very healing place, he said.

If those trees, if that land, could do that for him, he thought, what about others?

Kleinschmit, whose life is driven by his faith, believes God was guiding him to care for that land, not develop it. To preserve those trees and share them with others.

So thats what hes doing.

He threw away the development plans and began trimming all 16,000 trees so its easy to walk through the rows. Hes mowed between them and the land around them. Hes begun clearing some of the trees  he donates or sells them so they are replanted somewhere else  to create walking pathways.

His vision keeps growing. Hes got a name: The Oaks. Hes creating a charitable foundation to manage the land. Hes got a plan laid out for all the walkways. He hopes to create architectural structures for people to spend time at and enjoy, a complement to the natural beauty of the trees.

I have a vision of this grand park that people will seek to visit to be alone, to escape what stresses or troubles are in their life, he said. To essentially create a safe haven.

Hes got lots of ideas for the architecture, creating monuments or structures similar to the columns at Pioneers Park, for instance, and because hes built homes for years, he has a talent for such art, as do some of his children, who are architects.

Already, he built a 64-foot-long wooden table amidst those trees and the morning after his daughter got married, the family and wedding party gathered there for breakfast.

Now its there for others to enjoy.

Last week, he appeared before the Lincoln-Lancaster County Planning Commission, which approved a special permit to create the Oaks Community Unit Plan, which essentially shifts the density of the land to roughly 10 acres. That means there can be no development on the remainder of the land  and the trees will remain.

The permit allows Kleinschmit to divide that 10 acres into seven lots for seven homes, but he says he has no plans to do that.

Now, he plans to open the land for people to spend time on, but at some point he could apply for a special permit to make it a recreation area where he also could hold events.

Kleinschmit said Bud Speidell loves the idea  that the little project he and his wife began will be preserved.

He hopes to have the land open to the public sometime next year, but work on it will continue for many years.

He has always wanted to do something to help others, he said, and thought maybe hed build homes in a third-world country one day. God, he thinks, had other plans for him, on 100 acres east of Lincoln.

Though his life is driven by faith, he said, he wants to be clear: This park is not a religious park. Its for everyone, anyone who loves nature, anyone seeking a way to escape the stresses of life.

The land and those trees, he said, is his opportunity to help others.

To experience what Ive experienced.

Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of November 2023
Over the weekend, it occurred to me how lucky I was to live in Omaha at Christmas.

We have a number of traditions that probably arent duplicated in many other cities, both great and small.

Theres the huge live tree at the Durham Museum  and the annual spectacle of moving it from a yard miles away to its final home downtown. Theres an equally large evergreen at Union Station in Kansas City, but its  gasp  fake.

Theres also the yearly performance of Georg Friedrich Handels Messiah at the Holland Center, now in its 54th year. There may be similar concerts in other locales, but how many of them are free? Or so enduring?

And then theres A Christmas Carol, the beloved adaptation of the Charles Dickens story about Ebenezer Scrooge, which has faithfully appeared at the Omaha Community Playhouse for almost 50 holiday seasons. How many community theaters can match that  and boast that it was created in-house?

On Sunday, I took in two of those three traditions, starting with Handels masterpiece. The music was sublime and moving, and I left with a lump in my throat.

I went straight to the Playhouse after that, and now Im officially infused with holiday season joy.

The play also is infused  with fresh talent. Cork Ramer brings a new perspective and energy to the role of Scrooge, the wealthy old English Christmas denier of Bah, humbug fame.

Ramer, who played the role for about 18 years on the traveling Nebraska Theater Caravan, performs dance and physical comedy with an ease that defies his age. He also plays the role with a more bitter edge than his predecessor, and thus, when he becomes a true believer, his reformation is more striking.

When we first meet him, Ramers Scrooge spits out the word humbug like its searing his mouth, and delivers lines like Ill burn you in your own pudding and Ill see you tomorrow (Christmas Day) in hell with an evil glee.

But by the end, hes dancing a high-kicking jig while boyishly shouting the two words we thought hed never say: Merry Christmas!

It all looks like hes having the time of his life.

Other performances are impressive as well, notably Dennis Stessman as Bob Cratchit; Julie Huff as the Ghost of Christmas Past; Don Keelan-White as the ghost of Jacob Marley; Playhouse newcomer Jason Pandelidis as the Ghost of Christmas Present; Tabor Cross as Scrooges nephew Fred and Charlotte Couch as Tiny Tim.

Above all, however, this is an ensemble show, and everyone who is onstage makes a valuable contribution. The Victorian dances are lovely and the English accents are usually spot-on. And it wouldnt be anywhere close what it is without the adorable  and talented  kids.

I never fail to marvel at the rainbow colors and beautiful scenery and props in this production. Its by far the most stunning show visually for the Playhouse, and the beauty seemed even more pronounced this year.

Unless I am remembering wrong (which is entirely possible), several scenes were freshened up, including the first appearance of Christmas Present in Scrooges bedroom. I dont recall it featuring such a real-looking holiday feast or the plethora of shiny packages on Scrooges bed.

The costumes, too, look more luscious than ever, with brightly patterned fabric and lots of fancy furbelows.

Credit Jim Othuse for the sets and lighting and Lindsay Pape for the costumes. Both are Playhouse professionals.

The music, directed by Jim Boggess, is a piano and some wind instruments, perfect for this period piece. I might be remembering wrong again, but it felt like there were way more Christmas carols than in past productions.

A friend and I thought there may be one (or more) too many, in fact, because the show seemed overly long and a couple of the songs were very similar. We thought it dragged a little, though that could have been the opening weekend fatigue of a cast that had already performed once on Sunday and had only a short break.

Opinions vary, however; the third friend in our party said she loved every single song  the music, she said, was her favorite part of the show.

And, regardless of our quibbles, each of us left the theater in a merry glow. It had been a good day.

Now we need to visit the Durham Christmas tree.

Omaha Community Playhouse through the years
With respiratory illnesses increasing in Nebraska, its time for those who havent done so already to check vaccinations off their holiday to-do lists, health officials say.

The good news is that there is still time.

While respiratory syncytial virus or RSV, hit particularly early and hard last year, it and the two other main viruses tracked by health officials  influenza and COVID-19  have been on a somewhat slower trajectory this fall.

And while getting an influenza, COVID-19 or RSV shot this week wont provide much protection in time for Thanksgiving dinner, there are plenty of holiday gatherings ahead.

We definitely encourage people to get all of their assorted respiratory season vaccines, said Lindsay Huse, director of the Douglas County Health Department.

It takes about two weeks from the time a person is vaccinated for her immune system to gear up to provide full protection. Definitely dont wait, because theres not much time between now and Christmas and all those other gatherings, she said. The sooner the better.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported last week that influenza activity continued to increase in most of the nation and was very high in seven southern states, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Nebraska and Iowa both had minimal flu activity, based on the number of people reporting fever plus a cough or sore throat during visits to doctors offices. Positive tests for flu in Nebraska had crept up slightly but were well behind last years sharp, early rise.

The state recorded 204 cases of RSV last week, according to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services respiratory illness dashboard, an increase from about two dozen a week in early October.

Huse said COVID-19 appears to have made disease cycles less predictable. Last years RSV season began in August and spiked in September and October. Health officials still are trying to figure out how disease patterns will play out in the future.

Certainly, things can change kind of quickly, she said. We can see things spike up faster than expected.

While this season isnt producing anything out of the ordinary so far, the fact that three respiratory illness seasons now can coincide is worrisome, Huse said. Last years combination strained childrens hospitals in particular.

While influenza viruses spread year-round, according to CDC, most of the time flu activity peaks between December and February.

We want people to be aware and practice good respiratory etiquette this time of year  and get vaccinated, she said.

When it comes to COVID-19, numbers in Nebraska have ticked up but remain well below past peaks.

Douglas County had tallied 284 cases for the week that ended Thursday, up from 226 the week before. Also creeping up slowly in recent weeks is the seven-day total number of cases per 100,000 residents, which stood at 52.3 on Thursday. Thats the highest it has been since early April.

Nebraska as a whole reported just over 1,000 cases for the week ending Nov. 11, also the highest tally since early April. Because many people are no longer testing or using at-home tests that arent reported to local health departments, however, case counts are believed to fall short of actual cases in communities.

Concentrations of the virus in wastewater in the state overall as of Nov. 8 were higher than they had been since last March, according to preliminary data from the state health department. Counts at the majority of participating wastewater treatment plants were high or very high and increasing. A few were very high and decreasing.

Nationally, hospital admissions for COVID-19 were down slightly from September but were again approaching last Aprils levels. New weekly hospital admissions in Nebraska also were approaching those of April, although at 140 they also were well below the past two winters.

Nationally, according to CDC, about 35% of American adults and 33% of children have been vaccinated for flu, with both down from last year.

Locally, the Visiting Nurse Association announced Monday that it will provide free, in-home flu vaccination for residents of Sarpy and Cass Counties who face substantial financial or physical barriers to getting flu shots through its Protecting Community Health Initiative. The program is supported by a $3,000 grant from the Midlands Community Foundation.

Those who believe they are eligible for in-home flu vaccination can contact VNA for an assessment by contacting immunization coordinator Katie Pile at kpile@vnatoday.org or 402-930-4000.

Flu vaccination rates, however, are higher than for either COVID-19 or RSV. About 14% of adults and 5% of children have received the latest version of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to CDC.

About 13.5% of adults over 60, the group eligible, have gotten one of the RSV shots that became available earlier this year.

A new RSV vaccine also is available for pregnant women. Health officials encourage them to consult with their doctors about getting it because it can protect their infants. A new RSV medication for babies is in short supply nationwide.

This report contains material from the Associated Press.

Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of November 2023
A Council Bluffs teen fatally shot Friday night outside a South Omaha bar was there to pick his mother up from a birthday celebration.

Omaha police were called to the Sippin Sirens bar at 42nd and H Streets around 11:15 p.m. and found Mauricio Chavez, 17, suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. Chavez was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center with lifesaving measures in progress, but he was declared dead at the hospital, a police spokesman said.

The teens mother, Lucinda Chavez of Council Bluffs, said she had gone to the bar to celebrate her sisters birthday. She stepped outside to get in a car driven by her son and saw the shooting.

It happened so fast and there was nothing I could do to help him, she said Monday. I told the police everything I know. Now, I want justice for my son. No mother should ever have to watch her son get gunned down for no reason at all.

Mauricio was a good, quiet and very respectful boy, his mother said. He was a junior at South High after transferring back there from a Council Bluffs high school.

He was my sidekick, Lucinda Chavez said. Our bond was more than mother and son. We were best friends. We probably talked or texted at least 20 times a day.

Mauricio enjoyed going shopping with his mother. He was the youngest of two Lucindas two sons.

He was the youngest of all the (nieces and nephews), she said. He was very outgoing and just loved being a part of everything the family did.

A celebration of life for family and friends will be held at a later time, his mother said. A GoFundMe page was set up to help with expenses.

Chavezs killing marks Omahas 23rd homicide of 2023. He is the fourth person under the age of 18 to be killed in Omaha this year.

The investigation is ongoing, a police spokesman said Monday. Anyone with information is asked to contact the OPD homicide unit at 402-444-5656, or anonymously contact Omaha Crime Stoppers at 402-444-STOP, www.omahacrimestoppers.org or on the P3 Tips mobile app. Anonymous tips leading to the arrest of a homicide suspect are eligible for a $25,000 reward.
A former owner of two northeast Nebraska pharmacies was ordered to pay over $570,000 and sentenced to federal prison for fraudulent billing practices.

Danelle Charf, 49, of Neligh, Nebraska, was sentenced Monday at the U.S. District Court in Omaha for making a false, fictious and fraudulent statement in connection with health care services. Charf was sentenced to two months imprisonment and ordered to pay $573,337.53 in restitution to Medicare and Medicaid, according to Susan Lehr, the acting U.S. Attorney for Nebraska.

Charf previously owned Wanek Pharmacy in Neligh, and Tilden Pharmacy in Tilden, Nebraska. Agents began investigating in the fall of 2020 after receiving a tip. Pharmacists and pharmacy employees told investigators that the pharmacies were billing for name brand while dispensing generic medications.

Employees also reported that Charf submitted claims for prescriptions were not filled.

This case was investigated by the U.S. HHS Office of Inspector General and the office of the Nebraska Attorney General.
LINCOLN  A Lincoln lawmaker vowed Monday that state lawmakers will find a way to keep watch on Nebraskas child welfare, juvenile justice and prison systems, despite an attorney generals opinion that called the current oversight system unconstitutional.

I am confident the Legislature will continue robust oversight, however that might look in 2024 or beyond, because Nebraska taxpayers and vulnerable Nebraska citizens deserve no less, State Sen. Danielle Conrad said.

Conrad, an attorney, was part of a panel discussion at the University of Nebraska College of Law that focused on the Aug. 16 opinion, its effects and the legal arguments surrounding it.

The panel also included Attorney General Mike Hilgers, Inspector General of Nebraska Child Welfare Jennifer Carter and NU law professor Anthony Schutz.

Hilgers opinion concluded that two watchdog positions created to monitor trouble spots in state government were unconstitutional as structured. He said the positions, created within the legislative branch, and the powers given to them violated the Nebraska Constitutions provisions for separation of powers.

Those positions  the inspector general of Nebraska child welfare and inspector general of corrections  were created in 2012 and 2015, respectively, following serious problems within the child welfare and corrections systems.

Hilgers issued the opinion at the request of officials with the Department of Health and Human Services, which handles child welfare, and the Department of Correctional Services, which handles prisons. Those two agencies, along with Nebraska judicial branch officials, had questioned the authority of the inspectors general.

Days after the opinion was released, officials with both agencies cut off access for the inspectors general. They also curtailed access for the State Ombudsmans Office, which houses the inspectors general. The agencies made the changes even though the opinion does not have the force of law.

Schutz, an expert in Nebraska constitutional law, said the attorney generals opinion did not delve deeply enough into differences between the Nebraska Constitution and the U.S. Constitution regarding separation of powers.

The state constitution allows exceptions to the separation of powers, he said, and one such exception is a provision specifically giving the Legislature authority to determine general management, control and government of all state institutions.

Schutz suggested that the Nebraska Constitution could allow the inspectors general to be part of the executive branch while preserving their independence from the governor. Carter said that, in many states, inspectors general are set up as non-code agencies, meaning they are outside of the governors control but part of the executive branch.

Hilgers suggested another avenue could be to give the inspector general responsibilities to the Legislatures Performance Audit Committee. While the committee has authority to oversee executive branch agencies, requirements that members vote on approving the focus of audits and on issuing subpoenas provides accountability and due process.

But Carter said going the Performance Audit Committee route would inject politics into investigations and would not provide the same type of oversight as inspectors general.

So far, the Legislature has not filed any legal action regarding the opinion or the agencies decision to curb access to information. However, the body hired attorney Marnie Jensen, a partner at Husch Blackwell, in September to represent the Legislature in matters related to the Attorney Generals Opinion.

Hilgers said he was glad, as a former Speaker of the Legislature, that lawmakers have kept the matter out of the judicial system. He said the Legislature has not had a good track record in constitutional power clashes that go to court.

But Conrad, who worked on the legislation creating the inspector general of child welfare position, argued that the Nebraska Supreme Court has upheld lawmakers ability to control and manage state institutions in past cases. She suggested lawmakers could make modest adjustments to the inspector general statutes.

Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of November 2023
Estes was awarded a project grant for producing strong language skills. Mohr was awarded a book grant in the category of Celebrating Diverse Foods and Families. Newton was awarded a project grant for Making a Business Out of Plants. Rasch and Ford were awarded a book grant in the Celebrating Diverse Foods and Families category. Stanko was awarded a project grant for Soil Sifting: An In-Depth Look at What Soil is Comprised Of and a corresponding book grant in category of Soil.
How Time Flies is a daily feature looking back at Pantagraph archives to revisit what was happening in our community and region.

100 years ago

Nov. 21, 1923: Word reached Normal that the contract for the new Union depot has been let to the A. Moss Contracting Co. of Chicago. The heating plant contract has been let to the Federal Engineering Co., also of Chicago. The Illinois Central let the contracts, but the Chicago & Alton shares the expenses.

75 years ago

Nov. 21, 1948: The new Twin City Recreation Center, 318 S. Main St., Bloomington, will formally open Nov. 30 with an open house. All members of the Center and those who were instrumental in raising the money and sponsoring remodeling of the former rooming house are expected to attend. More than 150 people contributed money in a quiet campaign carried on in Bloomington-Normal during July to raise money to transform the old Judge N. Scott residence into the community unit.

50 years ago

Nov. 21, 1973: The city's $1.3 million parking garage at Market and Madison will receive its first car Tuesday, Nov. 27. The first car to enter the facility will be a 1931 Model A roadster, according to William Vail, Bloomington's finance director. It will be driven by its owner, Carol Schrieber, 1320 S. Oak.

25 years ago

Nov. 21, 1998: Andrew Jumonville, an artist and part-time instructor at Illinois State University, has designed a sculpture of a woman wearing inline skates walking a greyhound for the Constitution Trail. The Town of Normal had previously budgeted $10,000 for a public sculpture, and fundraising is underway for more money needed for the life-size bronze statue.

Vintage Pantagraph newspaper ads for medicine, 'magic' remedies Clover Blossom Extract - Nov. 15, 1883 St. Jacobs Oil - July 14, 1887 Castoria - July 26, 1892 Rheumatic Ring - May 29, 1894 Beefmalt - May 29, 1894 Wakefield's Cough Syrup - Feb. 13, 1908 S.S.S. - April 23, 1908 Olive Tablets - Nov. 20, 1911 Allcock Plasters - March 2, 1917 Olive Tablets - Feb. 23, 1918 Laxative Bromo Quinine - Oct. 16, 1918 Bayer Tablets of Aspirin - April 24, 1919 Bayer Tablets of Aspirin - April 29, 1919 Snake Oil - Nov. 22, 1919 Beecham's Pills - Nov. 22, 1919 Snake Oil - Nov. 29, 1919 Doan's Kidney Pills - March 8, 1920 Bayer Tablets of Aspirin - Sept. 21, 1920 J.C. Hutzell's Eczema Treatment - Nov. 11, 1922 O-Joy Corn Wafers - March 4, 1930 Dr. Pierce's Favorite Prescription - March 19, 1930 666 Tablets - March 25, 1930 Cuticura - March 25, 1930 Geo-Mineral - Dec. 8, 1948 Anacin - Jan. 16, 1963 Liquiprin - Aug. 27, 1970 Icy Hot - Nov. 20, 1977
When did common sense go down the rabbit hole?

Words take on complete irrelevant meaning such as the three mile improvement of U S. 51 which is the main north/south corridor through city of Bloomington. IDOT and city leaders are partnering to make life miserable for motorists. Their idea is to make Main Street into a one-lane thoroughfare. Their plans removes one traffic lane for cars and creates a bike lane. Also sidewalks would be widened.

What does this improve? It will certainly be better for bikers and pedestrians. Facts are Main street is heavily used. Two lanes are moved simultaneously in successful, safe travel with turn lanes making safe, judicious exit.

Bikers use side streets and pedestrians already have safe sidewalks. Refer to Agenda 21 which President Bush signed in 1992, along with leaders from 177 other countries after a UN Conference in Brazil. The purpose was dealing with sustainability on a crowded planet.

In a nutshell, the plans were to force people to walk, bike or use buses. Herding people into high rises to make people more easily controlled. Thence the agreement that the UN code demanded any new construction on Main street would be at least four stories tall.

The signs that their plans are working is everywhere. Climate change is all part of it. Taking away fossil fuels will cause your gas-powered car to sit in the garage while you ride the bus. The high cost, lack of safety, heavy batteries manufactured with Chinese materials, inconvenience of electric cars will mean we can't afford them so maybe we should get a horse? Imposing such a Main Street plan is disastrous. We should resist it.

B P Cline, Normal
Participants at a three-day regional multi-stakeholder forum on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) organised by Third World Network-Africa (TWN-Africa) for Anglophone West Africa in Accra say the Protocol on Free Movement of persons is still a major headache despite some years into the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement.



According to them, AfCFTA which is a free trade area encompassing most African countries is yet to address the decades-old problem of the free movement of persons within the African continent.



The AfCFTA agreement which was adopted and opened for signature on 21 March 2018 in Kigali, Rwanda and entered into force on 30 May 2019 to establish a unified market of 1.3 billion people and a GDP of around $3.4 trillion, is poised to become the worlds largest free trade area with 55 member states.



Recognising the importance of human resource skills to the continents development, the African Union adopted the Free Movement of Persons protocol in 2018, which has been signed by 47 Member States. However, only four countries namely Rwanda, Niger, Mali and Sao Tome and Principe have ratified the Protocol to date.



So, the state of ratification is slow and disappointing as the protocol is aimed at facilitating regional integration in general, and the implementation of the AfCFTA, in particular, they lamented.



Officials of the AfCFTA Secretariat admitted that it would take a long time for the free movement of persons to be achieved.



The Director of Trade in Goods and Competition at the AfCFTA Secretariat, Mohamed Ali noted that the AfCFTA is one of the innovative ways of transforming Africas economies and creating the biggest single market in the world, however, the delays in the implementation of the free movement of person protocol are affecting the smooth operations of AfCFTA.



In his words: If the problems of free movement of persons are not addressed, they would affect the implementation of the Agreement.



He said trades would not occur if people didnt move and therefore called on African governments to work assiduously to cut down the barriers impeding the movement of persons on the continent.



Update on the AfCFTA



Mr Ali explained to the participants from the ECOWAS sub-region that 46 State Parties had deposited their instruments of ratification of the AfCFTA Agreement with the most recent being Comoros.



42 schedules are by the Agreed Modalities and form part of the Ministerial Directive on the Application of Provisional Schedules on Tariff Concessions trade reciprocally under the AfCFTA preferences.



He was quick to add that the agreed rules of Origin for the AfCFTA stood at 92.3%, whereas some chapters under the textiles and automotive sectors remain outstanding.



Trade in Serves



Touching on the five priority service sectors comprising business, communication, financial; transport, and tourism and travel-related services, he said: 48 Trade in service schedule commitments have been deposited with the Secretariat in Accra.



AfCFTA Protocol Trade in Services



Abdoulie Jammeh of the Gambian Ministry of Trade explained that the AfCFTA Protocol on Trade on Services seeks to create a Single continental Services Market through the progressive liberalisation of services on the continent.



The protocol he noted provides the foundation to negotiate, as part of its annexes  Schedules of Specific Commitments and Regulatory Cooperation framework for services sectors.



Some inform the current negotiations of the provisions in the agreement for complementary measures that State Parties have to put in place for effective implementation of the Agreement.



The protocol has 29 Articles which is a big step towards promoting trade in services in Africa to stimulate economic growth by attracting foreign investment, fostering innovation, and creating job opportunities.



Objectives of the protocol according to him are to progressively liberalise trade in services across the African continent; expand the depth and scope of services trade liberalisation, and increase, improve and develop export services; enhance the competitiveness of services through economies of scale, reduce business costs, and enhanced continental market access; among others.

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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(CNN)  Gazas largest hospital, Al-Shifa, has become a flashpoint in Israels war against Hamas, which began when gunmen from the militant group crossed the border into Israel on October 7, killing around 1,200 people.

Palestinians and humanitarian agencies say the current fighting in and around Al-Shifa is proof of Israels wanton disregard for civilian life in Gaza, while Israel accuses Hamas of using the medical center as a shield for its operations. On top of providing medical care, the Al-Shifa Hospital had recently become a key shelter for thousands of Palestinian civilians fleeing Israeli bombardment.

Since launching its operation at the hospital on November 15, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have shown images of a tunnel shaft and military equipment, but have yet to show conclusive proof of the large-scale command and control center it alleges is there.

Hamas, the Gaza Health Ministry and hospital officials have denied Israels claims, saying that hospitals in the Strip have only been used to treat patients. Doctors in Al-Shifa have also sounded the alarm about deteriorating conditions inside the medical facility, which is struggling to meet patients needs amid supply shortages and the presence of Israeli troops.

The IDF is now under pressure to prove Israels long-standing assertion with its promise of concrete evidence. Its ability to continue its operation in Gaza, and the credibility of Israel, could be at stake as the number killed in Gaza surpasses 12,000, according to authorities in the Hamas-controlled Strip.

Heres what we know so far.

What does Israel say?

For weeks, the IDF said Hamas has been using Gazas largest hospital as cover for what it calls terror infrastructure below ground. IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said Hamas had a command and control center or headquarters underneath the hospital complex grounds, which other senior Israeli officials have also insisted on.

In a presentation to the media last month, Hagari claimed that Hamas was directing rocket attacks and commanding operations from bunkers underneath the hospital building, which he said were linked to a network of tunnels that Hamas had dug underneath Gaza City.

The IDF also published an intelligence-based illustrated video of what it claims the Hamas headquarters under Al-Shifa looks like. The video shows a 3D diagram of the hospital, which moves to show an animated network of purported tunnels and operation rooms.

CNN cannot independently verify Israels claims that Hamas is operating a command and control center from the hospital.

The White House has backed Israels claims, saying that Hamas was storing weapons and operating a command node from Al-Shifa, citing US intelligence. But senior US officials have declined multiple times to expand on how they can corroborate Israels claims, as the US does not have a presence on the ground in Gaza.

What evidence has Israel provided?

Over the weekend, the IDF took CNN and other news organizations to a newly exposed tunnel shaft on the grounds of the Al-Shifa hospital complex that it says was used by Hamas.

The structure appeared to be substantial, with the remains of a ladder hanging over the opening and a pole that looked like a hub for a spiral staircase running through the middle of the shaft.

The IDF also released video  filmed on Friday  from inside the shaft, showing a staircase leading down into a concrete tunnel that the military said was 55 meters long and located 10 meters underground. At the end of the tunnel is a metal door with a small window, according to the video, which the IDF said it had not yet opened to the possibility that Hamas had booby-trapped it.

The video is arguably the most compelling evidence thus far that the IDF has offered that there may be a network of tunnels below the hospital. It does not, however, establish without a doubt that there is a command center under Al-Shifa.

The Israeli military on Sunday also presented several videos that it said illustrated Hamas presence at Al-Shifa hospital, including CCTV footage that appeared to show hostages being brought through the hospital itself and separate footage from inside a tunnel shaft on the medical compounds grounds. CNN cannot independently verify the content of the videos.

The CCTV footage showed Hamas fighters moving a Nepalese hostage and a Thai hostage through the hospital on October 7, IDF spokesperson Hagari said. One appears to be frog-marched through the building, while another appears to be bleeding and is pushed on a gurney.

Hagari did not spell out how the IDF had acquired the videos, though he did say that Israeli intelligence officers were part of the operation inside the hospital to try to locate the hostages.

Hagari also dismissed suggestions that the hostages had been brought to the hospital because they were wounded, claiming that one of the two hostages in the videos was not injured and did not need medical treatment. They had been brought to the hospital first before being moved to hiding spots like nearby apartments, he said.

The shared CCTV footage comes after Israels military said it found the bodies of two Israeli hostages  a 65-year-old woman and an Israeli soldier  in the same neighborhood as Al-Shifa hospital.

The IDF had previously touted other alleged discoveries on the hospital grounds, saying soldiers located a room in Al-Shifa where they found technological assets, along with military and combat equipment used by Hamas for terrorist purposes.

Hamas has rejected those claims as baseless lies.

CNN analysis of separate footage published online by the IDF prior to visits from international media outlets suggests weaponry at Al-Shifa may have been rearranged.

An IDF video on November 15 showed a military spokesperson touring the facility, during which an AK-47 gun is seen behind an MRI machine. Fox News and the BBC were subsequently granted access to the hospital. In their reports filmed after the IDF clip, two AK-47 guns are visible in the same location. It is unclear where the second assault rifle came from.

The IDF told CNN the discrepancy between the militarys own video and the BBC footage was due to the fact that more weaponry and terrorist assets were discovered throughout the day.

Suggestions that the IDF is manipulating the media are incorrect, it said.

The United Nations has called for access to the site for an independent investigation into the competing allegations and warned that hospitals should not be used as battlegrounds for any side.

How has Hamas responded?

Israels allegations have been vehemently denied by Hamas, the Gaza Health Ministry, and hospital officials.

The director general of the Hamas-controlled health ministry, Dr. Medhat Abbas, told CNN that hospitals in the enclave are used to treat patients only and are not being used to hide anyone.

The health ministry responded to the images of hostages inside Al-Shifa released Sunday by the IDF by questioning their authenticity  but went on to say that if true, the pictures showed that hospitals in Gaza provided medical care to anyone who needed it.

In a statement issued Saturday before the release of the CCTV videos, Hamas said it had brought several hostages to hospitals for medical treatment after they were injured in Israeli air strikes.

After Israel launched its operation, Hamas accused the US of giving Israel a green light  to commit more massacres against civilians by amplifying what it called a false narrative that a militant command center lies somewhere inside Al-Shifa.

Why Al-Shifa matters and whats happening to its patients

More than five days since the IDF raided Al-Shifa hospital, Israeli troops are still on hospital grounds, and the facility is still filled with patients and medical staff operating in dire humanitarian circumstances.

Doctors who are still at the hospital cannot treat patients due to heavy shelling in the past week. Fuel shortages and a lack of electricity prevent them running incubators for the babies. ICU patients and several neonatal babies in Al-Shifa have died in recent days.

A doctor inside Al-Shifa hospital told CNN Monday that staff movements around the complex were being restricted, and Israeli forces are questioning staff about Hamas and tunnels.

Dr. Ahmed El Mokhallalati, head of the burns unit, said the hospital is also running out of urgent requirements, including anesthetics, oxygen tanks, medicine and blood banks.

Israels Defense Ministry says it delivered more than 6,000 liters of water and 2,300 kg of food  including fish, canned food, bread, spreads and dates  over the weekend.

El Mokhallalati also told CNN that Israeli forces had removed about 200 bodies from the hospitals mortuary as well as from mass graves recently dug on the site. They brought two trucks and they have taken all the dead bodies out of the hospital, he said.

Several days ago, Israels army spokesman Hagari dodged a question about whether Israel had taken bodies out of the hospital complex as part of its efforts to determine the fate of hostages kidnapped from communities in southern Israel on October 7.

A group of UN humanitarian workers visited Al-Shifa on Saturday, describing the hospital as a death zone where signs of shelling and gunfire were evident.

An Egyptian government official told CNN Monday that 28 of 31 premature babies that were evacuated from Al-Shifa to southern Gaza have arrived in Egypt through the Rafah crossing. The three remaining babies remained in Gaza but are still alive, the official added.

The sprawling medical facility of Al-Shifa, which sits in the western part of Gaza City, was built in 1946 when Gaza was still under British rule.

It has long been seen as the backbone of medical services across the besieged Gaza Strip, and Israels operations there have compounded a grim humanitarian crisis, Palestinian health officials have said.
Prof. Joseph Osafo, the Head of Psychology at the University of Ghana, has lauded government on her plans to waive taxes on locally manufactured products, particularly sanitary pads.



Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta announced the tax waivers during his presentation of 2024 budget statement to Parliament on Wednesday, November 15.



"...our approach to tax policy since 2017 was to give significant relief to the private sector until expenditure pressures from 2020 required a more aggressive approach. It is important to note that in the short-term, fiscal sustainability requires that we improve our tax ratios significantly otherwise, our long-term competitiveness will be eroded", he said, assuring the House that "we believe in lower taxes for industry, and we are working at this aggressively with the GRA and to be cemented with the standing committee of the Mutual Prosperity Dialogue".



The waivers are part of government's efforts to ameliorating the living conditions of Ghanaians.



In respect of this, Prof. Osafo is happy with the government taking steps to address the citizens' concerns.



He is particularly elated with the news to provide tax incentives to producers of sanitary pads so as to lenify the plight of women in the country.



"You should not be punished for being born a girl", he responded on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" programme while commending the government.





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 President Olusegun Obasanjo, on Monday, in Abeokuta, Ogun State, said democracy has not been working as a system of government in Africa because it was forced on the continent.



Obasanjo stated this in his address at a high-level consultation on Rethinking Western Liberal Democracy for Africa.



The former president said the Western style of democracy failed in Africa because it did not take into consideration the views of the majority of the people.



Obasanjo described Western Liberal Democracy as a government of a few people over all the people or population.



These few people are representatives of only some of the people and not full representatives of all the people.



Invariably, the majority of the people were wittingly or unwittingly kept out. This is why we should have Afro Democracy in place of Western Liberal Democracy.



Obasanjo said African countries have no business operating a system of government in which they have no hands in its definition and design.



The weakness and failure of liberal democracy as it is practised stem from its history, content, context and its practice.



Once you move from all the people to representatives of the people, you start to encounter troubles and problems.



For those who define it as the rule of the majority, should the minority be ignored, neglected and excluded?



In short, we have a system of government in which we have no hands to define and design and we continue with it, even when we know that it is not working for us.



Those who brought it to us are now questioning the rightness of their invention, its deliverability and its relevance today without reform, he said.



Obasanjo explained that the essence of any system of government should be the welfare and well-being of the people.



Here, we must interrogate the performance of democracy in the West  where it originated from  and with us the inheritors of what we are left with by our colonial powers.



We are here to stop being foolish and stupid. Can we look inward and outward to see what in our country, culture, tradition, practice and living over the years that we can learn from?



(Something) that we can adopt and adapt with practices everywhere for a changed system of government that will service our purpose better and deliver.



We have to think out of the box and, after, act with our new thinking.



You are invited here to examine clinically the practice of liberal democracy, identify its shortcomings for our society and bring forth ideas and recommendations that can serve our purpose better, he said.



In his remarks, a former governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, noted that liberal democracy in Africa was confronted with many challenges.



Fayemi said the improvement of the welfare of the people remained important, saying that democracy faced challenges of delivery in Africa.

Source: vanguardngr









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 Petroleum Authority (NPA) will from the first quarter of 2024 have the mandate to prosecute industry players who flout the laws and regulations under the National Petroleum Authority Act 2005 (ACT 691).



Offences that would be prosecuted include engaging in activities in the downstream industry without licensces, misapplication of prescribed petroleum pricing formula, false statements and recording of information, obstruction or interference with the work of the officers and employees of the Authority.



Others are violation of petroleum product marketing regulation and Bulk Road vehicle (BRV) tracking and volume monitoring regulations.



Ms. Farida Ali-Musah, Manager, Legal Affairs at NPA disclosed this at a media engagement with some selected media houses in Kumasi last Monday.



She stated that with the passage of the Executive Instrument 378 (LI 378), under the NPA Act 2005, the Authority now has the power to prosecute offenders of its regulations by itself.



According to her, initially they had no powers to prosecute criminals and had to rely on agencies such as the Ghana Police Service and the Attorney General Department to prosecute on their behalf.



She disclosed that, while the sector continued to grow, the regulatory ambit remained static, with overreaching laws inadequate to significantly keep it abreast with the changing nature of the industry, especially the conduct of some industry players who engaged in criminal activities.



Because of the limited times of the police and the Attorney General, there were some cases that were not dealt with and there were some cases that we sent to court but they were thrown out for want of prosecution, and the offenders or suspects went unpunished, and there were others that the court would give them some small punishment, fines which were not enough to serve as deterrent to others, she said.

Source: dailyguidenetwork.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Chief Executive Officer of Engineers & Planners and Dzata Cement, Ibrahim Mahama, has extended financial support towards the full medical treatment of a gentleman by the name Bismark Narh, who was suffering from a tumor in his waist, along with eye problems.



The development comes after a viral video of the young man was shared on social media by YouTuber, ZionFelix, which drew the attention of Ibrahim Mahama.



The philanthropist, who was touched by the video, followed through with his team to provide the needed support for the young man who has been on admission at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.



At the present, Bismark Narh has successfully gone through the first surgery procedure around the waist, with the tumor removed. The second surgery procedure on the eye is expected to be done this week.



The second surgery procedure on the eye will be done this week and we thank the Doctors for working around the clock to ensure Bismark recovers fully, an aide to Ibrahim Mahama, Rafik Mahama said.



Throughout the years, Ibrahim Mahama has been loved for his philanthropic works and the numerous employment opportunities he has created for Ghanaian youth and communities.

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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Nana Yaw Baffuor Gyimah, an indigene of Asante Akyem North and a businessman based in Australia has donated a brand new Toyota Tacoma towards the campaign of Hon Kwadwo Baah Agyemang, an aspiring parliamentary candidate for the Asante Akyem North NPP and CEO of Ghana Digital Centers Limited (GDCL).



At a brief ceremony over the weekend, Mr Gyimah presented the vehicle and documents to the Campaign Team of Hon Agyemang.



Speaking to this reporter, Mr Gyimah said the gesture is to show appreciation to Hon Baah Agyemang for granting him opportunity to do well in life and for supporting less privileged people.



"I am donating this vehicle towards the campaign of Hon Kwadwo Baah Agyemang, a man who has shown so much care to some of us and many others. I, in particular have gotten this chance to do this because he invested in me and gave me the opportunity to travel abroad to work and earn something for myself", Mr Gyimah stated.



Advice:

Mr Gyimah advised the people in Asante Akyem North especially delegates of the New Patriotic Party to vote for someone whose actions make him fit to lead the party.



He also asked that they vote for someone whose preoccupation is to see people do well in life and is ready to support them.



Mr Gyimah encouraged the delegates to look out for the person who can best lobby for projects and other initiatives to Asante Akyem North and vote for such.



"I am sure that the delegates will size- up persons aspiring to lead Asante Akyem North and choose Kwadwo Baah Agyemang because in him is the embodiment of kindness and a commitment to the development of the constituency", Mr Gyimah noted.



Reaction:

Speaking to this reporter, Hon Agyemang said he was happy that Nana Yaw Baffuor Gyimah has remembered the modest support he gave him previously.



He noted that those who show appreciation makes it easy for other people to support those who are in need.



Hon Agyemang said he is committed to using both his resources and influence to support all residents and indigenes of Asante Akyem North so that together they can make the constituency great again.



"I thank Nana Baffuor Gyimah for showing support to my campaign and donating this rugged and important car in appreciation of the modest contribution i made to his previous life", Hon Baah Agyemang said.

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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An Unidentified man believed to be in his 30s narrowly escaped death last Tuesday at the Labour Roundabout in Kumasi for allegedly stealing GH700 from Osei Kwame, a lotto agent.



Some officers of the Motor Transport and Traffic Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service who were monitoring traffic in the area rescued the suspected thief from being lynched.



Eyewitnesses told DAILY GUIDE that the lotto agent had left the money on his counter and was going to cash out an undisclosed amount of money from a nearby mobile money operator to enable him to pay a client who had won a lottery.



Immediately the lotto agent left, the man who was suspected to be monitoring the movement of the agent swiftly moved into his shop to steal the money.



Luck, however, eluded him as a hawker who saw him committing the alleged crime quickly raised an alarm, attracting curious people to the scene.



Sensing danger, the suspect took to his heels but the lotto agent with the help of other men gave him a hot chase, leading to his arrest a few meters away.



Surprisingly, the suspect engaged Osei Kwame in a scuffle, protesting that he had wrongly been accused of theft.



An instant search conducted on him by an officer from the MTTD, revealed that the suspect had concealed the money in his boxer shorts.



Infuriated by this development, some of the eyewitnesses subjected the suspect to severe beatings with stones, sticks and other objects they could lay their hands on, making him to bleed profusely from his nostrils and other parts of his body.



Police officers who were called to the scene managed to rescue the suspect and whisked him in a taxi to the Zongo Police Station.

Source: dailyguidenetwork.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Prof. Joseph Osafo has called on the New Patriotic Party to relax its punitive measures against members said to be in breach of its constitution.



Four prominent members of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) openly soliciting support for independent candidate and former flagbearer aspirant of the party, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, have had their membership revoked.



These persons; Hopeson Adorye, a defeated parliamentary candidate, Nana Ohene Ntow, a former General Secretary, Boniface Abubakar Saddique, a former Zongo Minister and Yaw Buaben Asamoah, former Adentan MP, according to the party, are no longer members for breaching its constitution.



Statement



A statement issued and signed by the General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, read; Despite their flagrant breach of the Partys Constitution particularly Articles 3(5)(A)(4) and 3(9)(1), the afore-named men still hold themselves out as members of the NPP.



For the avoidance of doubt, Article 3(5)(A)(4) of the NPP Constitution enjoins all members of the Party to abide by and publicly uphold the decisions of the Party.



It continued that Article 3(9)(1) of the Constitution enjoins any member who supports an independent candidate to lose his or her membership.



A Member of the Party, who stands as an independent candidate against the officially elected member of the Party, or who joins or declares his or her support for another Political Party, or for an independent candidate, when the Party has sponsored a candidate in a general or by-election, automatically forfeits his or her membership of the Party.



In line with these constitutional provisions, it is the view of the NPP that Hopeson Adorye, Nana Ohene Ntow, Boniface Abubakar Saddique and Yaw Buaben Asamoa have AUTOMATICALLY FORFEITED their membership of the Party. They are, therefore, no longer members of the Party, the party emphasized.



Be Sober



Prof. Joseph Osafo, commenting on the decision during Peace FM's morning show "Kokrokoo", has implored the NPP to be sober in meting out sanctions to their members particularly at this crucial time that they are nearing the 2024 elections.



According to him, the party cannot afford to lose its members nor their influence, asserting the decision to dismiss these four stalwarts may not augur well for the party.



The Senior Psychologist also shared that he prefers dialogue to what he termed a "muscular" approach to addressing issues.



"Two wrongs don't make a right", he stated, cautioning the NPP against the times they are in to risk dismissing their members.



"In these times that the NPP find itself, I think that they should soberly take certain decisions...exercise a little patience", he urged.





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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The serene North Eastern Regional towns of Walewale and Nalerigu in the North East Region were set agog on Monday when Vice President Dr. Mahamudu visited for the first time as flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).



Dr. Bawumia, who was historically elected flagbearer of the NPP earlier this month, is in the North for what can be described as a special homecoming visit to express gratitude to the people including traditional rulers and ask for their support and prayers.



In line with tradition, Dr. Bawumia started his visits by going to his home region, the North Region, where he called on the Nayiri (Overlord of Mamprugu) Naa Abdulai Mahami Sheriga



Before he arrived at the Palace of the Nayiri in Nalerigu where a mammoth crowd welcomed him, the new NPP flagbearer and his entourage drove through Walewale, his hometown, where scores of people started coming out from all corners to catch a glimpse of their son.



Dr. Bawumia, who was seated in a bus alongside a number of MPs and party executives had to leave the bus to be in an open-top vehicle to be able to respond to the cheers from the enthusiastic crowd.

The cheering crowd, made up of the young and old, lined up on the main Walewale-Bolga highway to give the Vice President a befitting reception as he passed through to Nalerigu.



The reception was even more tumultuous when the entourage arrived in Nalerigu.



From Langbinsi through Gambaga to Nalerigu itself, crowds lined up the streets to cheer the Vice President.



In Nalerigu, Dr. Bawumia held discussions with the Nayiri and his elders before addressing the charged crowd waiting for him outside.



Dr. Bawumia said the 2024 election will be about the track record of himself as Vice President and John Mahama as a former President.



While listing a tall list of policies he recommended as Vice President, which he said are having positive impacts on the nation, he challenged the crowd to remind him of any policy former President Mahama introduced under his regime and the silence was deafening.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Immediate past member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Yaw Buaben Asamoa has accepted in good faith his throw out from the ruling party.



He expressed concern about how his dismissal was communicated to him and said, he has not received copy from the party.



Yaw Buaben Asamoa, Hopeson Adorye, Nana Ohene Ntow and Boniface Abubakar Saddique memebership in the NPP is no longer valid  a statement from the NPP said.



According to a statement by the party, dated November 20, 2023, and signed by its General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, it said the above individuals have publicly endorsed the candidature of a person other than the party's duly elected presidential candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.



Responding to the party, Yaw Buaben Asamoa said in a statement Though none of the persons mentioned has received a personal copy, we accept our resignation from the NPP and pledge our commitment to Ghanas success through our support for Alan Kyerematen. We also take this opportunity to respond and set the minds of concerned well-meaning patriots at ease.







Read his full statement below



Re: FORFEITURE OF MEMBERSHIP PURSUANT TO THE PROVISION OF ARTICLE 3(9)(1) OF THE NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY CONSTITUTION



My attention and that of my esteemed and patriotically principled colleagues, Hopeson Adorye, Nana Ohene-Ntow and Saddique Abu-Bakar Boniface, has been drawn by numerous media outlets to a statement purportedly issued and signed by the General Secretary of the NPP, captioned as above.



Though none of the persons mentioned has received a personal copy, we accept our resignation from the NPP and pledge our commitment to Ghanas success through our support for Alan Kyerematen. We also take this opportunity to respond and set the minds of concerned well-meaning patriots at ease.



First, our public conduct in unconditionally and with great conviction supporting the highflying independent candidature of Alan Kyerematen for president, is against the NPP constitution, which provides for automatic forfeiture of membership under article 3(9)(1). That is incontestable and therefore needs no formal written notice.



Unfortunately for the Party Leadership', the wholesale application of the poorly written article 3(9)(1), may not be serving the interests of the general membership of the Party well. By not differentiating between support for presidential and parliamentary candidates, conduct against a presidential candidate, results in forfeiture of the parliamentary vote as well. This is clearly out of step with the fast developing political culture of skirt & blouse, where voters increasingly mix their choice of presidential and parliamentary candidates based on factors other than what the party Leadership says.



H.E. the President benefitted from skirt and blouse when he won ten constituencies in the Central Region where NDC won the parliamentary seats. Are those who accepted the President but voted otherwise at parliamentary level to be sacked?

Hundreds of thousands of NPP members and millions of sympathisers are deeply unhappy at the so called mafia tactics of intimidation and inducement used to skew delegate elections in favour of choices that may not necessarily be popular with the general electorate. Indeed, the mafia approach is against article 55(5) of the 1992 Constitution, which demands democratic principles in internal party processes. Whilst there is value to being part of an organisation like a party, continuing exclusionary practices, quietly erodes loyalty and conviction, over time.



Secondly, the same article 55(2) which gives a right to join political parties also gives a right to support political activity as an independent under 55(10) and (16). Considering that the right of a political party to sponsor candidates, does not exclude the right of independent candidates nor their supporters to participate in general elections, it may not be prudent to continue to reduce ones membership with archaic rules.



Thirdly, in the profound wisdom of the 1992 Constitution, qualification to the presidency of Ghana does not require political party affiliation. Articles 57(1), 58, 62 and 63(1)(2)(3) and 94, dealing with the nature, qualification and powers of the office, have nothing to do with parties. Furthermore, exercising the powers of the presidency do not require party authority. In office, a president appoints and runs a government under articles 70, 76, 77, 78(1)(2) and 79, without a stated party presence. A voter does not have to be a member of a party to benefit from the presidency.



Fourthly, the public is keenly aware that the selection of H.E the Vice President, Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as Presidential Candidate of the NPP, was the confirmation of a process carefully designed to have only one outcome. Because it was choreographed, there is nothing new or surprising to offer the voter public. Arguably, the patient Ghanaian voter, has been short-changed by the presidential candidate selection processes of both the NPP and NDC. The lack of genuine choice of candidates at party level, translates into a loss of trust in duopoly politics and increasing apathy, hence the loud chorus for a credible third force leadership if democratic practice is to be sustained for the benefit of youthful voters.



That is why a bold and viable candidate like Alan Kyerematen, meets the need of the times. I and my friends Hopeson Adorye, Nana Ohene-Ntow and Saddique Abu-Bakar Boniface, in our support for Alan Kyerematen, a man of vision, competence, integrity and action, represent millions of Ghanaians who want to serve the country with a clear conscience. We are upholding the preamble to the Constitution, articles 1, 3(2), 17(1)(2)(3), 21(1)(3), 35(1)(4)(5)(9), 37(2)(a) and above all, article 41.



Finally, the 1992 Constitution recognises coalition governments. A coalition is defined by the oxford dictionary as a temporary alliance for combined action, especially of political parties forming a government. Alan Kyerematen wants to bring Ghanaians together in the next election, in a Government of National Unity, to think Ghana, and redirect Ghana onto a positive trajectory.



Nowhere in our constitution is it specified that Parliament is bi-cameral or that only a majority and minority can operate in Parliament. It is a fiction sold by the Standing Orders. Article 97(2) states unequivocally that a member need not lose their seat under 97(1)(g) and (h), if their party is a member of a coalition government. Article 103(5) admonishes that committees of Parliament ought to reflect the different shades of opinion in Parliament. Article 104 talks about a majority of members present and voting. It does not refer to a majority party.



Ghana is ready for a political third force capable of breaking unproductive duopoly politics. We do not need a change of constitution to effect the change of leadership that the parties are incapable of offering. We have Alan Kyerematen. Together, our support for his independent presidency will unleash the development energy being suppressed by tit for tat duopoly politics.

Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/peacefmonline.com/ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Former Member of Parliament for the Adenta constituency, Yaw Buaben Asamoa has accepted the decision of the NPP to sack him and three others from the party following their continuous support of Alan Kyerematen, an independent presidential candidate.



The quartet: Yaw Buaben Asamoa, Hopeson Adorye, Nana Ohene-Ntow and Saddique Abu-Bakar Boniface, were dismissed from the party for violating Article 3(9)(1) of the NPPs constitution.



In a statement, Buaben Asamoa who seemed to be speaking on behalf of his colleagues said they don't have a problem with the party's decision and that "That is incontestable and therefore needs no formal written notice,"



According to him, "Though none of the persons mentioned has received a personal copy, we accept our resignation from the NPP and pledge our commitment to Ghanas success through our support for Alan Kyerematen. We also take this opportunity to respond and set the minds of concerned well-meaning patriots at ease.



First, our public conduct in unconditionally and with great conviction supporting the highflying independent candidature of Alan Kyerematen for president, is against the NPP constitution, which provides for automatic forfeiture of membership under article 3(9)(1). That is incontestable and therefore needs no formal written notice".



Read his full statement below;



Re: FORFEITURE OF MEMBERSHIP PURSUANT TO THE PROVISION OF ARTICLE 3(9)(1) OF THE NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY CONSTITUTION



My attention and that of my esteemed and patriotically principled colleagues, Hopeson Adorye, Nana Ohene-Ntow and Saddique Abu-Bakar Boniface, has been drawn by numerous media outlets to a statement purportedly issued and signed by the General Secretary of the NPP, captioned as above.



Though none of the persons mentioned has received a personal copy, we accept our resignation from the NPP and pledge our commitment to Ghanas success through our support for Alan Kyerematen. We also take this opportunity to respond and set the minds of concerned well-meaning patriots at ease.



First, our public conduct in unconditionally and with great conviction supporting the highflying independent candidature of Alan Kyerematen for president, is against the NPP constitution, which provides for automatic forfeiture of membership under article 3(9)(1). That is incontestable and therefore needs no formal written notice.



Unfortunately for the Party Leadership', the wholesale application of the poorly written article 3(9)(1), may not be serving the interests of the general membership of the Party well. By not differentiating between support for presidential and parliamentary candidates, conduct against a presidential candidate, results in forfeiture of the parliamentary vote as well. This is clearly out of step with the fast developing political culture of skirt & blouse, where voters increasingly mix their choice of presidential and parliamentary candidates based on factors other than what the party Leadership says.



H.E. the President benefitted from skirt and blouse when he won ten constituencies in the Central Region where NDC won the parliamentary seats. Are those who accepted the President but voted otherwise at parliamentary level to be sacked?



Hundreds of thousands of NPP members and millions of sympathisers are deeply unhappy at the so called mafia tactics of intimidation and inducement used to skew delegate elections in favour of choices that may not necessarily be popular with the general electorate. Indeed, the mafia approach is against article 55(5) of the 1992 Constitution, which demands democratic principles in internal party processes. Whilst there is value to being part of an organisation like a party, continuing exclusionary practices, quietly erodes loyalty and conviction, over time.



Secondly, the same article 55(2) which gives a right to join political parties also gives a right to support political activity as an independent under 55(10) and (16). Considering that the right of a political party to sponsor candidates, does not exclude the right of independent candidates nor their supporters to participate in general elections, it may not be prudent to continue to reduce ones membership with archaic rules.



Thirdly, in the profound wisdom of the 1992 Constitution, qualification to the presidency of Ghana does not require political party affiliation. Articles 57(1), 58, 62 and 63(1)(2)(3) and 94, dealing with the nature, qualification and powers of the office, have nothing to do with parties. Furthermore, exercising the powers of the presidency do not require party authority. In office, a president appoints and runs a government under articles 70, 76, 77, 78(1)(2) and 79, without a stated party presence. A voter does not have to be a member of a party to benefit from the presidency.



Fourthly, the public is keenly aware that the selection of H.E the Vice President, Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as Presidential Candidate of the NPP, was the confirmation of a process carefully designed to have only one outcome. Because it was choreographed, there is nothing new or surprising to offer the voter public. Arguably, the patient Ghanaian voter, has been short-changed by the presidential candidate selection processes of both the NPP and NDC. The lack of genuine choice of candidates at party level, translates into a loss of trust in duopoly politics and increasing apathy, hence the loud chorus for a credible third force leadership if democratic practice is to be sustained for the benefit of youthful voters.



That is why a bold and viable candidate like Alan Kyerematen, meets the need of the times. I and my friends Hopeson Adorye, Nana Ohene-Ntow and Saddique Abu-Bakar Boniface, in our support for Alan Kyerematen, a man of vision, competence, integrity and action, represent millions of Ghanaians who want to serve the country with a clear conscience. We are upholding the preamble to the Constitution, articles 1, 3(2), 17(1)(2)(3), 21(1)(3), 35(1)(4)(5)(9), 37(2)(a) and above all, article 41.



Finally, the 1992 Constitution recognises coalition governments. A coalition is defined by the oxford dictionary as a temporary alliance for combined action, especially of political parties forming a government. Alan Kyerematen wants to bring Ghanaians together in the next election, in a Government of National Unity, to think Ghana, and redirect Ghana onto a positive trajectory.



Nowhere in our constitution is it specified that Parliament is bi-cameral or that only a majority and minority can operate in Parliament. It is a fiction sold by the Standing Orders. Article 97(2) states unequivocally that a member need not lose their seat under 97(1)(g) and (h), if their party is a member of a coalition government. Article 103(5) admonishes that committees of Parliament ought to reflect the different shades of opinion in Parliament. Article 104 talks about a majority of members present and voting. It does not refer to a majority party.



Ghana is ready for a political third force capable of breaking unproductive duopoly politics. We do not need a change of constitution to effect the change of leadership that the parties are incapable of offering. We have Alan Kyerematen. Together, our support for his independent presidency will unleash the development energy being suppressed by tit-for-tat duopoly politics.





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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(CNN)  Twenty-eight premature babies arrived in Egypt from Gaza on Monday and are receiving care in two hospitals, an Egyptian government source said after the infants were evacuated from Al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza.

The government source told CNN on Tuesday nearly all of the babies are suffering from low blood oxygen levels, while one of them is being treated for an eye injury. Several of the babies have been diagnosed with a low birth weight.

Four of the mothers traveled with their children to Egypt, but the status and whereabouts of the other parents are not known, the source said.

The babies are receiving treatment in El-Arish General Hospital in the Sinai Peninsula and in the New Administrative Capital Hospital in Cairo.

On Sunday, 31 babies were transferred from Al-Shifa to Emirati Hospital in the southern city of Rafah, in an operation mashaled by the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PCRS) and several other organizations. A CNN journalist at Rafah crossing reported the babies were greeted by hordes of medical professionals waiting with incubators to take them into care.

Two of the babies stayed at the Emiratis ICU unit  with one infant said to be in good health  and a third baby did not transfer to Egypt as his parents are currently in northern Gaza. The other 28 were transferred to Egypt.

We have been waiting for them during the past few days. We have made all the preparations to receive the newborn babies with all the medical equipment needed for that, a doctor at Al-Arish, named Ahmad, told Egyptian state broadcaster Al Qahera Monday, adding some of the babies are in need of more advanced medical measures.

A mother of one of the premature babies transferred to a hospital in Egypt said it was the best place on earth for her daughter to be. She told Egyptian state run pool that after a difficult birth on September 28, her daughter had been placed in an incubator in Al-Shifa.

On the seventh of October, I was supposed to go and see my daughter. She was reliant on artificial respiration. Then they asked us to leave our house, then they bombed our house. So I went to Al Shifa Hospital. It never occurred to us that the hospital would be targeted and that those children would have to go through what they went through, Lubna El-Seik said Monday.

After Israel announced a precise and targeted operation in Al-Shifa and fighting began in the hospital complex, Al Seik said her daughters condition deteriorated. She relied solely on artificial oxygen, she said.

Citing doctors at the Rafah hospital, the World Health Organization said earlier the babies were fighting serious infections and 11 were in critical condition, due to a lack of medical supplies at Al-Shifa.

UNICEF, which worked with UN agencies and PCRS to carry out the evacuation, warned Sunday that the babies condition was rapidly deteriorating. It said the evacuation took place in extremely dangerous conditions and followed the tragic death of several other babies, and total collapse of all medical services at Al-Shifa.

Al-Shifa, the largest hospital in Gaza, has become a flashpoint in Israels war in the besieged enclave. The Israeli military alleges the facility is being used by Hamas as a shield for its operations and raided the hospital last Wednesday. Hamas and hospital officials have denied Israels claims.

For days, relentless bombardment near the hospital trapped thousands of staff, patients and civilians sheltering inside, prompting public outcry, fueled by the details of the plight of newborn babies fighting for their lives.

The WHO described Al-Shifa as a death zone with corridors filled with medical and solid waste, after a United Nations team visited the hospital for an hour on Saturday to assess the deteriorating humanitarian situation.

Palestinian authorities said several newborns have died due to power outages and a shortage of medical supplies; hospital staff described having to move babies by hand from incubators after running out of fuel and wrapping them in foil to keep them warm.

Under growing pressure to provide evidence for its claim that Hamas is using Al-Shifa for military purposes, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Sunday released CCTV videos and still images it says show Hamas fighters bringing hostages into Al-Shifa on October 7, when Hamas launched its attack on southern Israel, killing more than 1,200 people and taking some 240 people into Gaza as hostages.

IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari presented two short videos, along with several still images, which he said show Hamas fighters moving the hostages  one Nepali, one Thai  through the hospital. CNN cannot independently verify the content of the videos and the stills.

Dr. Ahmed Mokhallalati, the head of the hospitals burns unit, accused Israeli forces of pushing around staff, questioning them about Hamas and restricting staff movements after the raid last week.

The common question (staff keep being asked): Do you know anything about the Hamas groups? Do you know anything about the tunnels within the hospital? the doctor said.

Egyptian health workers were photographed on Monday standing beside ambulances and incubators, waiting for the babies to arrive at the Rafah border, which has been used to bring in limited aid and evacuate foreign nationals.

It was hoped that the parents of the newborns would be able to travel to safety with their children, but the WHO said very few of the infants were accompanied by family members.

Gazan officials had limited information and were not able to find close family members, the WHO said.

One father, Ali Sbeiti, was reunited with his young son Anas, who was born three days before the war began.

Thank God. We now feel that our son is safe after not seeing him for more than two weeks. We didnt know whether he was dead or alive, especially when communications were disconnected with the doctors, Sbeiti told CNN.

The intense fighting between Israel and Hamas, and a communications blackout across the enclave due to a lack of fuel, has complicated aid delivery efforts and made it more difficult for Palestinians to reach relief services.

WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Sunday further missions were being planned to evacuate the remaining patients and staff from Al-Shifa, pending guarantees of safe passage by parties to the conflict.
Vice President and Flagbearer of the NPP, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has taken a jab at former President John Mahama over his series of criticisms at him and the incumbent government.



The Vice President, addressing thousands of people in the North East Regional Capital Nelerigu, on Monday after he called on the Overlord of Mamprugu following his election, said Mr. Mahama has been speaking like he has never been President of Ghana before whereas his administration brought nothing but sorrow to Ghanaians.



"Between the two of us, only one of us has been President before. That is John Mahama. He was President before. I have only been Vice President. I have not been President before but by the grace of God you'll make me President in 2025, in shaa Allah.



"Today, John Mahama is going around the country and he is speaking to people as if he has never been President before. When we were suffering under his Presidency, he told us he was a dead goat. A dead goat who had no feelings. Today he wants to resurrect and become a live goat", Dr. Bawumia said.



Dr. Bawumia added that after Mahama failed to provide solutions to many societal problems while as President, he has resurfaced pretending to have a magic wand.



"Suddenly he has all the solutions to our problems. But when he was President, what solutions did he bring to Ghana? Did he solve the unemployment programme? Did he create jobs? Did he tackle corruption? Did he issue Ghana cards? Did he build astro turfs? Did he abolish the three months pay policy for teachers? Did he establish Free SHS? He had no solutions to our problems."



Dr. Bawumia noted he has proposed and spearheaded programmes which have positively impacted the country stressing "I have not yet become President but I as a Vice President, I have brought solutions to many of our problems".



"We did not have a unique identity so I championed the government's policy for the Ghanacard. Today we have 17 million people issued with tje Ghanacard. Today, because of my proposal, we have no guarantor for student loan if you have a Ghanacard. Today Ghana has a digital property address system because we had a problem of no functional address", he further stated.



He continued; "Before you could not transfer money between one teleco to another. But today, because of mobile money interoperability, you can transfer money Vodafone to mtn, to airtle tigo. Before, you could not transfer money between a bank account and a mobile account. Today you can do that. Today, you can renew the National Health Insurance on your mobile phone."



"Today, you can sit at home and buy electricity credit on your mobile phone. Today we have brought zipline drones and they are delivering medicines to 2700 hospitals and clinics across the country."



"Today, we have one constituency, one ambulance. And another idea I brought is Agenda 111. We are building hospitals in districts without hospitals. Other ideas I brought are Zongo Development Fund and Gold for Oil policy. Today you can aquire drivers license and passport online. Today you can file your taxes online."



Dr. Bawumia challenged Mr. Mahama to compare track records for a determination on who has the best ideas to transform the country.



"What ideas did John Mahama bring? Can you remember one idea John Mahama brought? Just one! Can you remember?", he questioned.



"We have brought ideas to the table. Ideas is what transform a nation and you can see as Vice President, what ideas I have brought to the table", the Veep emphasized.







Source: 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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The former Member of Parliament for the Adentan constituency has described the statement of forfeiture of NPP membership released by the partys General Secretary as unstrategic and needless. The legal practitioner has taken his time to school NPP leadership on political and constitutional matters in respect of elections 2024.



Lawyer Buaben Asamoa speaking for his colleagues reaffirms their conviction that their candidate for the 2024 election, Alan Kyerematen will be a better President than both John Mahama and Dr. Alhaji Bawumia.



Read the full statement released by Hon Yaw Buaben Asamoa on the 20th of November 2023 below.



Re: FORFEITURE OF MEMBERSHIP PURSUANT TO THE PROVISION OF ARTICLE 3(9)(1) OF THE NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY CONSTITUTION



My attention and that of my esteemed and patriotically principled colleagues, Hopeson Adorye, Nana Ohene-Ntow and Saddique Abu-Bakar Boniface, has been drawn by numerous media outlets to a statement purportedly issued and signed by the General Secretary of the NPP, captioned as above.



Though none of the persons mentioned has received a personal copy, we accept our resignation from the NPP and pledge our commitment to Ghanas success through our support for Alan Kyerematen. We also take this opportunity to respond and set the minds of concerned well-meaning patriots at ease.



First, our public conduct in unconditionally and with great conviction supporting the highflying independent candidature of Alan Kyerematen for president, is against the NPP constitution, which provides for automatic forfeiture of membership under article 3(9)(1). That is incontestable and therefore needs no formal written notice.



Unfortunately for the Party Leadership', the wholesale application of the poorly written article 3(9)(1), may not be serving the interests of the general membership of the Party well. By not differentiating between support for presidential and parliamentary candidates, conduct against a presidential candidate, results in forfeiture of the parliamentary vote as well. This is clearly out of step with the fast developing political culture of skirt & blouse, where voters increasingly mix their choice of presidential and parliamentary candidates based on factors other than what the party Leadership says.



H.E. the President benefitted from skirt and blouse when he won ten constituencies in the Central Region where NDC won the parliamentary seats. Are those who accepted the President but voted otherwise at parliamentary level to be sacked?

Hundreds of thousands of NPP members and millions of sympathisers are deeply unhappy at the so called mafia tactics of intimidation and inducement used to skew delegate elections in favour of choices that may not necessarily be popular with the general electorate. Indeed, the mafia approach is against article 55(5) of the 1992 Constitution, which demands democratic principles in internal party processes. Whilst there is value to being part of an organisation like a party, continuing exclusionary practices, quietly erodes loyalty and conviction, over time.



Secondly, the same article 55(2) which gives a right to join political parties also gives a right to support political activity as an independent under 55(10) and (16). Considering that the right of a political party to sponsor candidates, does not exclude the right of independent candidates nor their supporters to participate in general elections, it may not be prudent to continue to reduce ones membership with archaic rules.



Thirdly, in the profound wisdom of the 1992 Constitution, qualification to the presidency of Ghana does not require political party affiliation. Articles 57(1), 58, 62 and 63(1)(2)(3) and 94, dealing with the nature, qualification and powers of the office, have nothing to do with parties. Furthermore, exercising the powers of the presidency do not require party authority. In office, a president appoints and runs a government under articles 70, 76, 77, 78(1)(2) and 79, without a stated party presence. A voter does not have to be a member of a party to benefit from the presidency.



Fourthly, the public is keenly aware that the selection of H.E the Vice President, Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as Presidential Candidate of the NPP, was the confirmation of a process carefully designed to have only one outcome. Because it was choreographed, there is nothing new or surprising to offer the voter public. Arguably, the patient Ghanaian voter, has been short-changed by the presidential candidate selection processes of both the NPP and NDC. The lack of genuine choice of candidates at party level, translates into a loss of trust in duopoly politics and increasing apathy, hence the loud chorus for a credible third force leadership if democratic practice is to be sustained for the benefit of youthful voters.



That is why a bold and viable candidate like Alan Kyerematen, meets the need of the times. I and my friends Hopeson Adorye, Nana Ohene-Ntow and Saddique Abu-Bakar Boniface, in our support for Alan Kyerematen, a man of vision, competence, integrity and action, represent millions of Ghanaians who want to serve the country with a clear conscience. We are upholding the preamble to the Constitution, articles 1, 3(2), 17(1)(2)(3), 21(1)(3), 35(1)(4)(5)(9), 37(2)(a) and above all, article 41.



Finally, the 1992 Constitution recognises coalition governments. A coalition is defined by the oxford dictionary as a temporary alliance for combined action, especially of political parties forming a government. Alan Kyerematen wants to bring Ghanaians together in the next election, in a Government of National Unity, to think Ghana, and redirect Ghana onto a positive trajectory.



Nowhere in our constitution is it specified that Parliament is bi-cameral or that only a majority and minority can operate in Parliament. It is a fiction sold by the Standing Orders. Article 97(2) states unequivocally that a member need not lose their seat under 97(1)(g) and (h), if their party is a member of a coalition government. Article 103(5) admonishes that committees of Parliament ought to reflect the different shades of opinion in Parliament. Article 104 talks about a majority of members present and voting. It does not refer to a majority party.



Ghana is ready for a political third force capable of breaking unproductive duopoly politics. We do not need a change of constitution to effect the change of leadership that the parties are incapable of offering. We have Alan Kyerematen. Together, our support for his independent presidency will unleash the development energy being suppressed by tit for tat duopoly politics.

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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Nana Akomea has justified the dismissal of Hopeson Adorye, a defeated parliamentary candidate, Nana Ohene Ntow, a former General Secretary, Boniface Abubakar Saddique, a former Zongo Minister and Yaw Buaben Asamoah, former Adentan Member of Parliament, by the New Patriotic Party.



The leadership of the party, in a statement, noted that these persons are no longer members because of their support for Alan Kyerematen, an independent candidate and once upon a time presidential aspirant of the New Patriotic Party.



The party emphasized that the four individuals' behavior is a breach of their constitution, therefore, henceforth they forfeit their membership.



A Member of the Party, who stands as an independent candidate against the officially elected member of the Party, or who joins or declares his or her support for another Political Party, or for an independent candidate, when the Party has sponsored a candidate in a general or by-election, automatically forfeits his or her membership of the Party, the statement signed by NPP General Secretary, Justin Frimpong Koduah, established.



It accentuated that in line with these constitutional provisions, it is the view of the NPP that Hopeson Adorye, Nana Ohene Ntow, Boniface Abubakar Saddique and Yaw Buaben Asamoa have AUTOMATICALLY FORFEITED their membership of the Party. They are, therefore, no longer members of the Party.



But the New Patriotic Party has received a backlash from some section of the public who finds the decision hasty and fears it may have a scathing impact on the party's quest to retain power.



Discussing the issue on Peace FM's morning show "Kokrokoo", Nana Akomea defended the party stating the victims chose their own fate.



He argued that they, by their own actions, removed themselves from the New Patriotic Party, therefore what the party has done is seemingly granting their wish.



"Once it's clear that you have declared for another Presidential, even Parliamentary candidate, you have automatically removed yourself from the party", he told Nana Yaw Kesseh, adding that "the party needs more people but not someone whose behavior will destroy the little; one bad nut will spoil the soup".



Nana Akomea however noted should the four persons and any other person who has defected from the NPP have a change of heart, there is always place for them in the party.



"You can come back but will have to reapply. In the reapplication stage, the party will create room for you to explain why you decided to do what you did."





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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Global Media Alliance (GMA), organisers of the annual event dubbed African Legends Night has postponed this years edition of the event slated for December 1 until further notice.



Though the organisers did not state reasons that caused the event to be postponed, they however apologized for the inconvenience caused to patrons and partners, and indicated that refunds have been made to all those who purchased tickets and reserved tables.



The organisers added that a new date for the event will soon be communicated.



Artistes billed for the event include Princess of Africa, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, the hiplife legend, Obrafour, highlife icon, George Jahraa and Kwabena Kwabena.



Powered by Global Media Alliance, the event has over the years celebrated living legends such as Hugh Masekela of South Africa, Femi Kuti of Nigeria and Freddy Meiway.



Ghanaian legends like Amakye Dede, George Darko, Ofie Cudjoe, Gyedu Blay Ambolley, Ben Brako, Kojo Antwi, Samini, Rex Omar, Nat Brew, Akosua Agyapong, Nana Tuffuor, Ofori Amponsah and Daddy Lumba have all performed at the event.

Source: dailyguidenetwork.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Beam-shaping mechanism of the acoustic diffractionresistant adaptive profile technology (ADAPT). (A) Illustration of the propagation-invariant acoustic beam generated using ADAPT. An arbitrary axial acoustic beam profile can be defined and realized via weighted Bessel beam superposition. (B) A schematic of the beam-shaping procedures. An arbitrary axial acoustic profile can be expanded as a superposition of various aligned Bessel beams with corresponding weights. The ADAPT-based beam can be generated by beam multiplexing. (C) The orthoslice of the acoustic field of three generated ADAPT-based beams with different profiles. The ADAPT-based beams can be compressed, stretched, and divided into different shapes. a.u., arbitrary units. Credit: Science Advances, doi; 10.1126/sciadv.adi6129

Acoustic beam shaping with high degrees of freedom is critical for ultrasound imaging, acoustic regulation, and stimulation. The ability to fully regulate the acoustic pressure profile relative to its propagation path remains to be achieved.

In a new report published in Science Advances, Yuyang Gu, and a team of scientists in radiology at the Massachusetts General Hospital, U.S., describe an acoustic diffraction-resistant adaptive profile technology to generate a propagation invariant beam with a desired profile.

To accomplish this, they leveraged the wave number and beam multiplexing to develop a general framework and create a highly flexible beam with a linear array ultrasound transducer. The designed acoustic beam maintained a beam profile in the material by compensating attenuation.

The scientists showed shear wave elasticity imaging as an important modality to benefit from the method to evaluate tissue mechanical properties. Together, the technology overcame existing limits of acoustic beam shaping suited for a variety of applications including medicine, biology, and materials science.

Acoustic beams

The interest in shaping a desired acoustic beam has broad applications across biomedical imaging, sensing, and particle manipulation. Such acoustic beam methods are inspired by the fundamental physics governing wave propagation to benefit multidisciplinary fields including biology, and biomedical engineering.

Researchers have hitherto considered a class of acoustic beams known as propagation-invariant or nondiffracting beams. The classic propagation-invariant beams include the Bessel beam, airy beam, Mathieu, and Weber beam; each with unique features for wide-ranging applications in optical research.

Examples include optical tweezers, ultra-resolution imaging, and nanoscale material processing. The acoustic beam Bessel is suited for telecommunication, and acoustic tweezers, where the acoustic airy beam can efficiently bypass any obstacle in the wave propagation path.

Generating the acoustic diffractionresistant adaptive profile technology (ADAPT)

In this work, Gu and colleagues described a generalized framework to generate propagation-invariant acoustic beams known as acoustic diffraction-resistant adaptive profile technology (ADAPT) to realize arbitrary longitudinal pressure distributions. The scientists first introduced the basic concept with superimposed Bessel beams to realize beam shaping with a linear array transducer.

While the conventional focused beam only provided a limited effective imaging area at the beam focal depth, the method produced a beam with a user-defined region of interest to obtain an extended imaging area with higher accuracy.

Generation of an acoustic diffractionresistant adaptive profile technology (ADAPT)-based beam with a single multielement acoustic transducer via beam multiplexing. (A) A schematic of a linear-array transducer consists of multiple elements with controllable pressure and phase. (B) The superposed pressure/apodization function assigned to the acoustic transducer. (C) The superposed phase and corresponding delay function assigned to the acoustic transducer. (D) The acoustic field of one example ADAPT-based beam with a localized pressure distribution along the axial center line. (E) The simulated acoustic pressure distribution along the horizontal middle line. (F) The simulated acoustic pressure distribution along the axial center line. (G) The ADAPT is able to induce the shear wave in an elastic medium through acoustic radiation force. With various beam lengths of ADAPT-based beams, shear waves with different wave profiles are produced. a.u., arbitrary units. Credit: Science Advances, doi; 10.1126/sciadv.adi6129

Shaping propagation-invariant acoustic beams

There are two well-established methods to shape an acoustic beam. One method aims to classically shape focused beams by combining a predefined single focal position and the information of the acoustic source. The other method aims to directly map the known pressure or phase distribution function including the Bessel function to each pixel in the acoustic source. Both methods are suited to regulate the longitudinal acoustic profile of the beam.

The ADAPT method (acoustic diffraction-resistant adaptive profile technology) introduced in this work combined both methods by separating a predefined acoustic beam into multiple Bessel beams with different wave numbers and coefficients. The schematic of the ADAPT-based beam with an example predefined pressure profile includes a random, three-section high-pressure region defined as an 'isolated' and propagation-invariant pattern.

A set of Bessel beams formed the final beam, therefore the non-diffractive beam markedly decreased pressure outside the desired high-pressure region via wave-interference. By separating the beam into multiple weighted Bessel beams, Gu and team interpolated the amplitude and phase distribution of each pixel or element to coherently sum up the final amplitude and phase applied to the acoustic transducer.

The team showed how the ADAPT-based beam profiles can be stretched flexibly, compressed, or divided, to generate acoustic beams at different axial locations.

Attenuation-compensated acoustic diffractionresistant adaptive profile technology (ADAPT)-based beams. (A) A schematic of an ADAPT-based beam without attenuation. (B) A schematic showing a complex wave number can be assigned during the ADAPT calculation that incorporates the attenuation coefficient to compensate for attenuation. (C) The simulated acoustic pressure in the absence of attenuation and compensation. It indicates the originally designed beam profile at the desired location. (D) The simulated acoustic pressure when attenuation is included without compensation. The beam profile and location are distorted. (E) The simulated acoustic pressure when medium attenuation and compensation are included. The beam distortion from attenuation is minimized. (F to H) Plots of the axial center-line pressure distribution correspond to three scenarios in (C) to (E), respectively. (I) The simulated acoustic intensity of the originally designed ADAPT-based beam. (J) The experimental generated shear wave without compensation. The acoustic transducer is located at z = 0 with the center aligned with the shear wave field center. (K) The experimental generated shear wave when attenuation is compensated. The shear wave profile matches the designed ADAPT-based beam profile. a.u., arbitrary units. Credit: Science Advances, doi; 10.1126/sciadv.adi6129

Beam multiplexing

The team found that simultaneously generating the requisite Bessel beams by using a single multielement acoustic wave was challenging. Unlike propagation-invariant laser beams that are generated by using a combination of multiple lenses and photomasks, the acoustic propagation invariant wave maintained a narrower spatial frequency bandwidth that corresponded to limited spatial modulation capabilities. As a result, Gu and team used a multiplexing method to generate the ADAPT-based beam with the desired features.

In its mechanism-of-action, the scientists aligned the beam with the highest transverse spatial frequency requirement to the array element size by using the total spectral bandwidth of the transducer to simultaneously produce multiple acoustic beams with different wave numbers.

The variables of frequency, pitch and element size affected the transverse and axial wave numbers to influence the spatial bandwidth of the acoustic beam. While higher frequencies yielded narrower beams with increased resolution and limited penetration depth, lower frequencies resulted in wider beams with increased penetration but lower resolution. Gu and colleagues adjusted the pitch and element size to regulate spatial resolution, to enable a wider range of beam generating possibilities.

Adaptive shear wave generation via ADAPT

When an acoustic wave is propagating inside a material, this will generate an acoustic radiation force. Such radiation forces are proportional to the rate of change of momentum of an acoustic wave propagating in a medium.

Gu and team showed how the impulsive excitation of an acoustic beam can induce the transient laterally propagating shear wave with a shape that depends on the geometry of the beam. This shear wave speed is directly proportional to the elastic properties of the medium, allowing the researchers to conduct experiments inside a tissue-mimicking phantom with the Verasonics research scanner. The team regulated the specific input parameters, including beam center location and length to achieve the desired line-shape profile.

Illustration of phase-only acoustic diffractionresistant adaptive profile technology (ADAPT) on a linear-array transducer and application of shear wave elasticity imaging. (A) Schematic of the phase-only ADAPT-based beam-shaping mechanism. Each element with specific pressure and phase is divided into two subelements with uniform pressure and different phases. (B) Schematic of the element dividing for phase-only ADAPT and corresponding acoustic pressure of each part of the aperture. The entire aperture is divided into two parts with interleaved elements. Each portion of the aperture can form part of the ADAPT-based beam, and then the set is superposed to shape the final beam. (C) The simulated acoustic field through phase-only modulation. Inset: The comparison of apodization and delay before and after the phase modulation. The information of apodization is encoded into the delay function with a sawtooth distribution. (D) Schematic of the experimental configuration applying phase-only ADAPT for shear wave elasticity imaging. An inclusion is embedded in the phantom. The distance between the phantom and transducer is varied to show inclusions at different depths. A water dam is used when the distance between the phantom and the transducer is too short. (E) Inclusion delineation performance is compared between the focused beam and the ADAPT-based beam. For each beam, two different beam depths are configured at 15 and 20 mm. Scale bar, 2 mm. (F) The contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and average shear wave speed (SWS) inside the inclusion are calculated and compared between the cases using the focused beam and the ADAPT-based beam. The ADAPT-based beam produces two times better CNR and more accurate shear wave speed estimate than the focused beam. a.u., arbitrary units. Credit: Science Advances, doi; 10.1126/sciadv.adi6129

Outlook

In this way, Yuyang Gu and colleagues describe a method known as acoustic diffractionresistant adaptive profile technology (ADAPT), to generate propagation-invariant acoustic beams. Such beams can be generated with a single, linear-array transducer using Bessel beam multiplexing.

This method offered a high degree of freedom to regulate the longitudinal acoustic energy, and optimize the method across a variety of applications. The non-diffracting nature of the ADAPT-based beams allowed acoustic attenuation and diffraction in the material for the acoustic beam to maintain the desired profile effectively during propagation.

Gu and colleagues suggest the introduction of a variety of add-on features, to increase its applications, including shear wave elasticity suited for medical imaging, sonar, and acoustic tweezers.

More information: Yuyang Gu et al, Acoustic diffractionresistant adaptive profile technology (ADAPT) for elasticity imaging, Science Advances (2023). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi6129 Journal information: Science Advances

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Ancient hnefatafl board game found at the newly identified site of the Monastery of Deer. Credit: Michael Sharpe

A team of archaeologists, co-led by a researcher at the University of Southampton, believe they have located the site of the lost Monastery of Deer in Northeast Scotland.

It is believed that the earliest written Scots Gaelic in the world was produced in the monastery in the late 11th and early 12th century. These texts, Gaelic land grants, were placed in the margins of the Book of Deer, a pocket gospel book originally written between 850AD and 1000AD.

Academics have long speculated that these entries, or 'addenda' were added while the book was in the monastery. Archaeologists believe they have now found the building's remains just 80 meters from the ruins of Deer Abbey (founded in 1219), close to the village of Mintlaw in Aberdeenshire.

Alice Jaspars, Ph.D. researcher from the Archaeology department at the University of Southampton, led the archaeological investigations, working with Site Director Ali Cameron of Cameron Archaeology. They will present their findings in a lecture to the Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland (23 November) and also feature in a new documentary about the project for BBC Alba (20 November, 9 pm).

Alice Jaspars comments, "As home to the earliest surviving Scots Gaelic, the Book of Deer is a vital manuscript in Scottish history. While it is not known where the book itself was written, it is believed that the Gaelic in its margins was added in the formerly lost Monastery of Deer."

"These addenda include reference to the foundation of the monastery, alongside other land grants in the Northeast of Scotland. It is now our belief that in our 2022 excavation, we found the lost monastery where these were written. This would not have been possible without the extensive work of our volunteers and the financial backing of the National Lottery Heritage Fund."

The team carbon-dated material associated with post holes they uncovered during excavations close to the abbey, which match the same time period as the addenda in the book. They also meticulously recovered medieval pottery, fragments of glass, a stylus (pointed writing implement), and hnefatafl boardsa chess-like game that was popular until the Middle Ages. These and other domestic artifacts recovered at the site all point towards a monastery complex.

Investigations, supported by the Book of Deer Project, have been ongoing since 2009, with several significant excavations taking place over the last eight years. The last of these was in 2022, concentrated close to the abbey ruins, which Jaspars and Cameron co-investigated.

The 2022 investigations coincided with the Book of Deer returning to Northeast Scotland for the first time in a thousand years. It was displayed in Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museums while on a three-month loan from Cambridge University Library.

Alice Jaspars says, "The material record of monasteries from this period is so poor that finds such as these can really help to inform our overall academic understanding. This also adds to the ongoing discussion regarding where the Book of Deer is cared for in the future."

The researchers plan to publish their results in an academic journal in the coming months.
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As its name suggests, the new Arctic Weather Satellite mission is expected to improve weather forecasts in the Arctic  a region that currently lacks data for accurate short-term forecasts. The Arctic Weather Satellite is the forerunner of a potential constellation of satellites, called EPS-Sterna, that ESA would build for Eumetsat if the first prototype Arctic Weather Satellite works well. Credit: OHB

Embracing the New Space approach, it has taken just 36 months to develop and build ESA's Arctic Weather Satellite. Now complete, this remarkable microsatellite has been shipped from OHB in Sweden to Germany where it is starting a series of tests to make sure that it will survive liftoff next year and its subsequent life in orbit.

As its name suggests, the new Arctic Weather Satellite mission is expected to improve weather forecasts in the Arctica region that currently lacks data for accurate short-term forecasts.

Today, satellites, both those in geostationary orbit and in polar orbit, provide a wealth of information that meteorologists use routinely to forecast the weather. However, the monitoring of the Arctic remains insufficient, as geostationary satellites have no visibility of this northerly region.

The Arctic Weather Satellite is actually the forerunner of a potential constellation of satellites, called EPS-Sterna, that ESA would build for Eumetsat if the first prototype Arctic Weather Satellite works well.

The EPS-Sterna mission is envisaged as a constellation of six microsatellites in three orbital planes to supply an almost constant stream of temperature and humidity data from every location on Earth.

This would, for the first time, allow for very short-range weather forecasting, or 'nowcasting,' in the Arctic. The set of six microsatellites would be replenished three times.

While the Arctic is the focus, meteorologists will also use the constellation to improve weather forecasts globally.

Before this, however, the Arctic Weather Satellite prototype has to prove that it works.

Hence, embracing the New Space approach by proving new concepts in a cost-effective and timely manner, this new satellite has been developed and built on a very tight schedule.

Embracing the New Space approach, it has taken just 36 months to develop and build ESAs Arctic Weather Satellite. Now complete, this remarkable microsatellite has been shipped from OHB in Sweden to Germany where it is starting a series of tests to make sure that it will survive liftoff next year and its subsequent life in orbit. As its name suggests, the new Arctic Weather Satellite mission is expected to improve weather forecasts in the Arctic  a region that currently lacks data for accurate short-term forecasts. Credit: OHB

It has taken just 36 months between ESA awarding the industrial prime contract to OHB in Sweden and the satellite being completed.

ESA's Arctic Weather Satellite Project Manager, Ville Kangas, said, "We are right on schedule. The instrument, a microwave radiometer, was delivered by Omnisys the prime contractor for the instrument to OHB in October and integrated on the satellite platform.

"And now, thanks to the dedication of the companies involved, we have a complete satellite."

The satellite is now equipped with a 19-channel cross-track scanning microwave radiometer, which benefits from the heritage of the Microwave Sounder developed for the MetOp Second Generation satellites.

The instrument will provide high-resolution humidity and temperature soundings of the atmosphere in all weather conditions.

Ville continued, "Passing another milestone this month, we also tested the links between the satellite and the mission control center in KSAT, Troms in Norway, which all went according to plan.

"With these critical phases done, the satellite has been shipped to IABG in Germany for its environmental test campaign, which will last until February 2024."

These tests will include exposing the satellite to vibrations and noise during liftoff and the temperature differences in vacuum it will have to endure as it orbits Earth.

Once these tests have been completed, the satellite will be shipped back to OHB Sweden some final checks before it is shipped to SpaceX's launch site in Vandenberg, California in April. Liftoff is slated for 1 June 2024 on a Falcon 9 rocket.
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Credit: Science of The Total Environment (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168438

Dolphins in the waters off Melbourne and Gippsland have been found with the highest concentrations of PFAS chemicals in dolphins reported anywhere in the world, according to new research.

The joint study by scientists from the Marine Mammal Foundation, RMIT and Melbourne University found alarming concentrations of the chemicalswidely used in food packaging, firefighting foam and non-stick cookware and notoriously known as "forever chemicals" for not breaking downin Victoria's critically endangered Burrunan dolphins.

Samples were taken from 38 dolphins of various species found stranded along Victoria's coastline, but especially high PFAS liver concentrations were found among the Burrunan dolphin populations of Port Phillip Bay and Gippsland Lakes.

Average concentrations of some chemicals in these populations were more than 10 times higher than what scientists believe causes liver toxicity and a range of health issues.

One juvenile Burrunan dolphin from Port Phillip Bay had a PFAS liver concentration of 19,500 nanograms per gramthe highest level recorded in an individual dolphin globally.

Study lead author Chantel Foord said these results are both highly concerning and globally significant.

Study lead author Chantel Foord. Credit: RMIT University

"Not only did we find the highest levels of these man-made toxicants in a species that's already critically endangeredincluding in newborn and juvenileswe also found one dolphin from Port Phillip Bay with PFAS concentrations almost 30% higher than any other individual dolphin reported globally," said Foord, who is a joint Ph.D. researcher with both RMIT's Ecotoxicology Research Group and the Marine Mammal Foundation.

Foord said these results did not necessarily mean risk to humans in Victorian waters: dolphins ingest whole fish including the liver, which accumulates these pollutants, whereas we only eat fish muscle tissue.

Major sources of PFAS in the aquatic environment have been attributed to manufacturing effluent, wastewater treatment plant discharge, urban and landfill run-off and firefighting foams used on land near waterways.

While there is international regulation for some of these chemicals, Australia has yet to ratify the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants in full, enabling their import for use in a range of products over decades.

The ground-breaking research, published as "Hepatic concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in dolphins from south-east Australia: Highest reported globally" in Science of the Total Environment, highlights the mystery behind this pollution of marine mammals, as no PFAS manufacturing occurs in Australia.

Foord emphasized the need to identify the sources and understand how these chemicals behave in the environment.

"While we would expect higher concentrations in locations where these chemicals are made, that is not what this study found," she said. "So, without manufacturing occurring in Australia, why are we recording these alarming PFAS levels?

"Most importantly, how are they going to impact the viability of these dolphin populations?"

The study also revealed emerging contaminants in the environment, indicating that newer replacement chemicals are already bioaccumulating through the food web to the dolphins.

A critically endangered dolphin

The Burrunan dolphin was first described as a separate species in 2011 by Marine Mammal Foundation Director, Dr. Kate Robb, also a co-author of this study.

Sadly, it's already critically endangered.

Robb said the only two known populationsin Port Phillip Bay and the Gippsland Lakesare both small and already at high risk of localized extinction.

"With only 250 individuals across these populations, increasing our understanding of threatening processes is absolutely crucial for the conservation and protection of the Burrunan dolphin, and in the management and mitigation of those threats," she said.

"Given the current immune compromising risks and health impacts associated with PFAS exposure, it is incredibly concerning that these Burrunan dolphins studied have the highest level of documented PFAS worldwide, especially due to their high vulnerability and risk of extinction."

"This study highlights how crucial it is that we continue our vital research to ensure the future of the species."

More information: Chantel S. Foord et al, Hepatic concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in dolphins from south-east Australia: Highest reported globally, Science of The Total Environment (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168438 Journal information: Science of the Total Environment
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Scientists from the Natural History Museum of Utah have taken a deep dive into the not-so-distant past thanks to a friendly tip from Utah's caving community. In a paper published this week by the Journal of Mammalogy, five scientists from the Natural History Museum of Utah (NHMU) and colleagues from Utah's caving community have published the first research from their collaborative fieldwork effort deep in Utah's caves.

The journal's feature article reveals why caves make such compelling research archives, what was uncovered in Boomerang Cave in northern Utah, why skeletal remains provide new access to hard-to-get data from the recent past, and offers a new zoological baseline for mammalian changes in an alpine community.

"To understand the impacts of climate on alpine ecosystems, we record current mammal speciesmostly through trapping. But that method doesn't tell us anything about the mammalian diversity in the recent past," said Kaedan O'Brien, lead author and anthropology Ph.D. candidate at the University of Utah. "So not a lot of study has been done on past alpine ecosystems because they are harder to get to, and when you do, there is a slim chance of finding older skeletal remains intact."

In NHMU Chief Curator and paleoecologist Dr. Tyler Faith's words, "We want to know what animals were there in the 1800s, but that's nearly impossible in the absence of historical records. How do we document the recent past without a time machine?" An out-of-the-blue email from local caver and study co-author Eric Richards offered an unexpected method of time travel: rappelling hundreds of feet down into Utah's caves to find what may have fallen inand when.

In early 2019, Richards emailed NHMU Curator of Paleontology Dr. Randy Irmis to ask if he or the museum had any interest in the animal bones that he'd been finding on Utah cave adventures, and he sent photographs. Irmis replied right away, including colleagues Dr. Tyler Faith and O'Brien, a Ph.D. student in Faith's lab. The group met, hit it off, and after a couple of trial outings for equipment training, Faith and Irmis were lowering themselves into caves to collect bones of bygone animals.

"To be clear, this project would have never happened without the cavers reaching out to us, and investing time, and training with us. Eric and his wife Fumiko literally 'showed us the ropes," said Faith. "I hope people realize that research isn't just done by scientists who work at the museum; it can be public collaborationin this case, with trained experts (do not try this at home)."

After Faith obtained a research permit from the U.S. Forest Service in September 2019, Richards took the team to Boomerang Cave in the Bear River Range, where they collected specimens for lab analysis at the museum. O'Brien managed the lion's share of that work, upon which the paper is based.

"Identifying skeletal remains is painstaking work because you just go bone by bone, sorting by size and element, and then comparing them with regional museum voucher specimens," said O'Brien. But the result is exciting.

Using radiocarbon dating, fossils found in Boomerang Cave were shown to span the past 3,000 years, with the bulk from the last 1000 years or so. Comparison of these fossils to museum records and present-day mammals collected by co-authors and NHMU zoologists Dr. Eric Rickart and Katrina Derieg showed that the cave provided a faithful reflection of mammal diversity in the area.

Perhaps most exciting is that the fossils also revealed the presence of species unknown to the region, like Merriam's shrew. The full list of fossils is in the current Journal of Mammalogy, along with more on why this research matters.

"Our work highlights the value of collecting skeletal remains from caves as a convenient and accurate method for understanding the mammal communities," said Irmis. "Caves help us create comprehensive and long-term records and better understand how animals have changed in the recent past."

More information: Kaedan O'Brien et al, The utility of alpine cave fossil assemblages for zoological census: an example from northern Utah, United States, Journal of Mammalogy (2023). DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyad093 Journal information: Journal of Mammalogy
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Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Newly published research reexamines the evaluation of scientific findings, proposing a network-based methodology for contextualizing a publication's impact.

This new method, which is laid out in an article co-authored by Alex Gates, an assistant professor with the University of Virginia's School of Data Science, will allow the scientific community to more fairly measure the impact of interdisciplinary scientific discoveries across different fields and time periods.

The findings are published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The impact of a scientific publication has long been quantified by citation count. However, this approach is vulnerable to variations in citation practices, limiting the ability of researchers to accurately appraise the true importance of a scientific achievement.

Recognizing this shortcoming, Gates and his co-authorsQing Ke of the School of Data Science at City University of Hong Kong and Albert-Laszlo Barabasi of Northeastern Universitypropose a network-normalized impact measure. By normalizing citation counts, their approach will help the scientific community avoid biases when assessing a diverse body of scientific findingsboth going forward and retrospectively.

In addition to the published findings, the authors have also implemented the method in an open-source package where anyone who is interested can find instructions on how to try this approach themselves on different examples of scientific research.

Gates joined UVA's School of Data Science in 2022.

More information: Qing Ke et al, A network-based normalized impact measure reveals successful periods of scientific discovery across discipline, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2023). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2309378120 Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
(CNN)  Israel, Hamas and the US are on the cusp of reaching a deal that could be announced as soon as Tuesday for Hamas to release 50 women and children hostages that the militant group took during the October 7 terror attack on Israel, in exchange for a four-to-five day pause in fighting and three Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons for every hostage released, according to sources familiar with the negotiations.

The deal could be announced as soon as Tuesday, two Israeli sources said. US officials close to the negotiations stressed that while the deal is not done, they are increasingly optimistic and believe the many weeks of difficult work is about to pay off with a hostage release.

Its very close, a senior US official told CNN.

Israels war cabinet met Tuesday evening local time, followed by a meeting of the security cabinet. A full cabinet meeting will take place after the security cabinet meeting ends, according to the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

We are making progress. I dont think its worth saying more, even at this moment, but I hope there will be good news soon, Netanyahu said as he met with reservists on Tuesday.

An agreement would prompt the first sustained pause in fighting and major de-escalatory step from Israel since the war began.

The hostages to be released are of various nationalities, according to the person familiar, who said the Americans are hoping one of them will be 3-year-old toddler Abigail Edan  the youngest American hostage  whose parents were killed by Hamas. It was not immediately clear how many more  if any  American citizens would be among the 50 hostages that Hamas would initially release under the deal.

The hostages that Hamas offered for initial release are alive, the group says, according to a source familiar with the talks.

The Israeli government aims for at least 50 hostages to be released as part of the deal being mooted Tuesday  10 per day for five days  an Israeli government source told CNN. The government would be prepared to extend the deal if Hamas is prepared to release more hostages.

Hamas had initially demanded that Israels overhead surveillance be stopped for the duration of the multi-day pause in fighting, sources told CNN. During the course of the negotiations, the parties settled on surveillance drones vacating Gazas airspace for part of each day. That six-hour window is when Hamas would be expected to try to move the hostages out without giving up their locations.

Under the forthcoming agreement, Hamas would also gather up any additional women and children hostages during the period that fighting has paused  something the group has insisted that it cannot do until a sustained ceasefire is in place. The temporary ceasefire would potentially be extended beyond that for more hostages to be released.

Hamas has also demanded hundreds of trucks of aid, much of it fuel, as part of the negotiations. Fuel is key to running its military operations and ventilating the groups network of underground tunnels in Gaza.

A source familiar with the negotiations said there is hope that with a hostage deal significantly more aid will be allowed into Gaza, with stakeholders working toward a goal of 400 trucks a day.

Weeks of negotiations almost over

The deal would come after weeks of painstaking negotiations between Israel, Hamas and the US, with Qatar playing a major mediating role. The implementation of the agreement would not begin immediately and could take at least a day to start, the person familiar said, in part because there are legal procedures that Israel must follow before releasing any Palestinian prisoners. Those prisoners are expected to be women and adolescents.

The release of the prisoners needs to be approved by the Israeli government but isnt expected to be an obstacle, one source said. As cabinet officials met inside the Israeli Defense building to discuss the deal, families of the hostages gathered outside with banners and drums.

But two far-right Israeli parties, which are members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus coalition government, did later suggest that they would not support the hostage deal being considered by the government.

The Religious Zionism party, headed by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, said: The suggested deal is bad and we must not agree to it. Its bad for Israels security, for the hostages and for IDF soldiers, adding, The only way to return all the hostages is to continue applying military pressure on Hamas until its complete surrender. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvirs Jewish Power party also said it would find it very difficult to support the deal.

Both parties statement suggested they had not yet seen the full terms of the deal.

Diplomatic sources and government officials, including US President Joe Biden, over the last few days have struck a more optimistic tone about the progress of talks. But the various parties involved had also stressed that any agreement could be derailed by Hamas and developments on the ground in Gaza.

On Monday night, Hamas leader said in a statement that the sides are close to reaching a truce agreement.

The latest momentum comes just one day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the war cabinet met with hostage families.

Israel has said there are more than 200 hostages believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza. After the women and children are released, further negotiations to secure the release of other categories of hostages are likely to commence.

Senior US officials have been working intensively to secure the release of hostages for several weeks, with the understanding that a handful of American hostages were taken hostage by Hamas. Biden has spoken directly with Netanyahu, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi about the issue.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said Tuesday that Biden has been personally engaged in moving the process forward and has been receiving updates from the US team involved in the negotiations usually multiple times a day and jumping in as he felt appropriate to jump in personally.

Top Biden officials including national security adviser Jake Sullivan, NSC Middle East coordinator Brett McGurk and CIA Director Bill Burns have been engaged almost hourly on the efforts to get the hostages out of Gaza, sources said. McGurk most recently traveled to the Middle East for a multi-country trip aimed in large part at making progress on releasing the hostages.
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Map of tunnels uncovered by Israel Defence Forces after Operation Protective Edge in 2014. Credit: Israeli Defense Forces/Jewish Virtual Library

Following the raid on the al-Shifa hospital in Gaza by units of the Israel Defence Forces on October 15, the IDF claims to have uncovered evidence of tunnels underneath the hospital. A video released on November 19 showed a tunnel running under the al-Shifa medical complex at a depth of ten meters, running 55 meters along to what IDF sources said was a blast-proof door.

The tunnel's entrance was reportedly exposed when a booby-trapped truck in a garage on the hospital's grounds was exploded. The IDF claims this is evidence that there was a command and control center beneath the hospital complex.

The video is yet to be independently verified. Given the crucial importance that such evidence will play in justifying a raid on a premises that is protected under the rules of war, such verification will be critical.

There were also claims published several days before the tunnels were reportedly uncovered, referencing a 2014 article that asserted that the complex had been built in 1983 when Israel was in control of Gaza. Again, this claim has not been investigated. Forensic investigation of the site and all records pertaining to construction work there will be of huge importance.

As forensic investigators, we have extensive experience in below-ground exploration, including locating mass graves in Colombia, wherefor ethical reasonsit's not possible to just go in and start digging. So, it's necessary to use a range of technologies above ground to gather sufficient evidence to excavate in what might be a sensitive area.

Every site is unique, but investigators commonly use a phased approach. This may involve initial analysis of remote sensing satellite and aerial data that includes photographs, near-infrared imaging datasets, historical and modern site maps and other available information. Geological maps and subsurface models may be combined with knowledge of the technology and resources available to those excavating tunnels, shafts, and chambers.

The terrain under the Gaza Strip comprises rocks and sediments that become thicker from the east of the Red Sea to the Mediterranean. This makes the area suitable for tunnel construction, although there are still hazards in the form of faults that displace layers of rock and allow water to get into underground spaces (especially close to the sea).

Hi-tech tunnel hunters

This pattern of surface and deep geology would then identify areas for near-surface geophysics site surveys that may use active technology to pulse signals and measure the responses before mechanical drilling or excavation to identify areas or objects of interest. Even relatively deep targets such as mineshafts and sinkholes have been located using this approach.

Specialized seismic and ground penetrating radar (GPR) geophysical surveys have been used to detect tunnels in Gaza. But this gets progressively more difficult the deeper they aresome in the Gaza Strip are reportedly as deep as 70m.

To detect tunnels and bunkers below human-made structures, remote sensing methods commonly use instruments on satellites, unmanned aerial vehicles, and aircraft to provide datasets to analyze. Once interpreted, these can pick up disturbed versus undisturbed soil and pinpoint areas of high gases such as methane or heat emitters. But these would have to be very sensitive, and interpretation is typically very difficult for deeply buried targets. Entrances would be key to locate herethat is apparently the case in the al-Shifa hospital.

Micro-gravity methods that could detect a missing mass, such as tunnels and bunkers, have been used within buildings. They have been used, for example, to detect burial sites below church floors and Egyptian pyramid tombs as this technique is not depth limited. Airborne gravity gradient surveys that use what is called microgravitmetry to detect targets, show potential, but may not have the required resolution to detect bunkers at such depths in this case.

Both the microgravity surveys, data processing, and numerical modeling are used to calibrate results to estimate what is causing the data signal. It's then important to accurately digitally remove the effect of the above-ground extra mass of buildings to then look at what's underneath. The cost of this can be significant in terms of time and resources.

In the past, high-resolution GPR surveys have detected unmarked cellars beneath commercial shop floors and hidden pipebombs and detonators behind shower tiles in Northern Ireland. But GPR is depth-limited to a few meters in most cases, with metal reinforcements causing problems in the data.

Listen up

An alternative approach is possibly the oldest: listening for sounds from underground. From listening to tunnels being dug (as they did on the western front during the First World War), or detecting vibrational energy from sound sources, most especially sound produced from tunnels being dug or by people themselves, walking, talking and making noise.

This, too, has severe constraints. You are effectively "listening" to what is going on under sometimes meters of groundthe vibrationsand it's often difficult to tell the difference between the sound of low-energy seismic movements and human-made sources. It also takes time to process and potentially model the data.

There are a range of intrusive investigation techniques. These include sinking slim borehole systems and inspection cameras on cables. But they are slower digging methodsparticularly when they involve drilling through bedrock and reinforced concrete.

The final stage is visual inspection. Verifying the function of the tunnel, shaft or chamber requires examination of the equipment contained there. Judgments have also got to be made about whether the structure was physically able to be used for a military purposewhether that's the storage of weapons, as a bunker for troops to hide or for a full-blown command and control center with all the equipment, power sources and connectivity that would require.

The only true way to be definitive about the presence of subsurface structures in Gaza is by physical investigation, which will take significant time and effort, especially with the reported depths below ground level involved.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Large ozone hole recorded on 3 October, 2022 Antarctic ozone hole by NASA Ozone Watch. Credit: NASA Ozone Watch

Despite public perception, the Antarctic ozone hole has been remarkably massive and long-lived over the past four years, University of Otago researchers believe chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) aren't the only things to blame.

In a study, published in Nature Communications, the group analyzed the monthly and daily ozone changes, at different altitudes and latitudes within the Antarctic ozone hole, from 2004 to 2022.

Lead author Hannah Kessenich, Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Physics, says they found there is much less ozone in the center of the ozone hole compared to 19 years ago.

"This means that the hole is not only larger in area, but also deeper throughout most of spring.

"We made connections between this drop in ozone and changes in the air that is arriving into the polar vortex above Antarctica. This reveals the recent, large ozone holes may not be caused just by CFCs," she says.

While the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, which has been in place since 1987, regulates the production and consumption of man-made chemicals known to deplete the ozone, the researchers believe other complex factors are also contributing to the ozone hole.

"Most major communications about the ozone layer over the last few years have given the public the impression that the 'ozone issue' has been solved.

"While the Montreal Protocol has vastly improved our situation with CFCs destroying ozone, the hole has been among the largest on record over the past three years, and in two of the five years prior to that.

"Our analysis ended with data from 2022, but as of today the 2023 ozone hole has already surpassed the size of the three years priorlate last month it was over 26 million km2, nearly twice the area of Antarctica."

Kessenich believes understanding ozone variability is important because of the major role it plays in the Southern Hemisphere's climate.

"We all know about the recent wildfires and cyclones in Australia and New Zealand and the Antarctic ozone hole is part of this picture.

"While separate from the impact of greenhouse gases on climate, the ozone hole interacts with the delicate balance in the atmosphere. Because ozone usually absorbs UV light, a hole in the ozone layer can not only cause extreme UV levels on the surface of Antarctica, but it can also drastically impact where heat is stored in the atmosphere.

"Downstream effects include changes to the Southern Hemisphere's wind patterns and surface climate, which can impact us locally."

She is quick to allay fears about extreme UV rays, though. "New Zealanders need not worry about applying extra sunscreen this year as the Antarctic ozone hole is generally not open above New Zealandit is mostly located directly over Antarctica and the South Pole."

More information: Annika Seppala et al, Potential drivers of the recent large Antarctic ozone holes, Nature Communications (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42637-0. www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-42637-0 Journal information: Nature Communications
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Credit: Oxford University Press

The culture and tactics of U.S. and U.K. policing are often referred to as militarized, but how such excessive use of force developed isn't fully understood. But research from sociology Prof. Julian Go offers a global, historical viewpoint of policing to explore the racialized, aggressive approach. His new book, "Policing Empires: Militarization, Race, and the Imperial Boomerang in Britain and the U.S.," posits that imperialism abroad and policing at home are fundamentally connected.

"We have a tendency to think about policing as an immediate problem that may have developed only in the past few decades," he says. "But to really fundamentally understand the complexity of policing and problems associated with it, we need to have a deeper understanding that can be obtained by thinking both historically and globally."

Go says his exploration of the topic was prompted in part by high-profile cases of excessive force by officers in recent years. But he'd also long researched U.S. empires and interventions in places like the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and elsewherewhich led him to make connections between the militarization of U.S. and British police forces and colonization.

What he found puzzling was that the U.S. and U.K. police are armed, equipped, and trained as an army, meaning they're essentially preparing to do battle against citizens and treat them like enemy combatants. Plus, the citizens themselves are paying for the police to be armed like a military.

"I wanted to understand how we got here: How did we get to the point where the police are so heavily militarized and are equipped and trained to treat citizens like enemies of war?" Go says.

In his study of the history of policing, he found that the original intention was quite the opposite. The American tradition of policing is modeled on the British tradition, which began in the 19th century with the London Metropolitan Police. Established by Sir Robert Peel, it was expressly created as a non-militarized force to be an alternative to using the military. But even from the start, that idea quickly changed to the militarization seen today.

Imperial boomerang

Part of understanding this shift is understanding the adoption of military tactics, tools and cultures. What the press and academics call militarization, Go says, is what he refers to as imperial boomerang

"In other words, when you look historically at the moments when the police militarized, what they're really doing is appropriating the tools and tactics of colonial policing overseas and of military interventions overseas that are tied to imperial expansion," he says.

Go's research also pointed to key moments when the police have turned to imperial or colonial tools and tactics. When the police turn to such resources to improve their policing, Go says, what they're really doing is responding to perceived racialized threats, fear of revolution, or rebellion in the streets.

"It's racialized in the sense that they're always imagining these outbreaks of disorder or threats to order primarily led by nonwhite, often immigrants or African American populations in the U.S., and Britain," Go says. The populations who have triggered this racialized threat have varied over time, once including groups like the Irish, for example.

What Go says he came to realize is that a militarized reaction by police is predicated on the construction of citizens as colonial subjects, of deeming people as worthy of violence. Historically, he says, the people that the U.S. and U.K. have considered worthy of coercive control have been people abroad who are considered uncivilized, inherently violent, and unworthy of full rightswhich is the justification for colonialism. "If I had to bring it down to a formula of what this history amounts to, it's essentially that police militarize when they perceive a racialized threat to order," Go says.

Thinking in global frame

While he hopes to reach scholars and historians with "Policing Empires," he also hopes the book will reach a broader audience to offer a sense of how imperialism abroad and policing at home are fundamentally entangled. The hope is to expand the public's imagination and understanding of how the problems experienced at home with aggressive policing should be thought of in a more global frame.

If policing tactics are to change, Go says, citizens need to consider how to ally with people in other states, in other contexts, and even internationally. The way the police act at home is connected to the way the U.S. and U.K. treat people abroad.

"I began to see how much the rhetoric and the popular perception of criminality and disorder is racialized, and how much of it is colonialist without us really realizing it," Go says. "The assumption is that there are certain people who are fundamentally savage and inferior and worthy of violence. And this, I think, is something deep in popular consciousness. When it comes to changing policing, we have to reckon with that deep unconscious assumption that criminals are inherently violent, savage people, when in fact they are human beings and our fellow citizens."
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Eden Fallswaterfall hike to the end of the Lost Valley Trail on the Buffalo National River in the Fall. Credit: Josh Clemence/Unsplash

As the world grapples with adapting to a warming planet, Indigenous Peoples are experiencing unique climate-related challenges exacerbated by centuries of having their land overtaken by settlers and governments.

In the U.S., most Native tribes relocated to the country's least desirable lands, which have limited resources and infrastructure to buffer the impacts of climate change. In the Southwest, for instance, the Navajo Nation faces a severe water shortage as prolonged drought intensified by climate change further limits access to clean water. In Oklahoma, Cherokee's heirloom crops are becoming harder to grow, threatening their food security and cultural heritage.

"As the climate changes, we find ourselves in a situation where we have limited adaptation tools and resources given the small, patchy lands we have," said Clint Carroll, an associate professor in the Department of Ethnic Studies and a citizen of the Cherokee Nation.

With the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP 28, approaching Nov. 30, CU Boulder Today spoke with Carroll about why it's critical for Indigenous Peoples to have a voice in climate action planningand how Indigenous knowledge can provide solutions.

How has land loss exacerbated climate risks faced by Indigenous Peoples?

Over the past centuries, European settlers and later the U.S. government forcibly removed Native Americans from their homelands and pushed them onto smaller, segregated lands. Because of that, Native Peoples now find themselves having to adapt to their environments and a changing climate with very limited resources and constricted mobility.

The Cherokee Nation, for example, lost access to about one-third of plants that we use for medicine when the tribe was forcibly relocated from the southeastern U.S. to today's Oklahoma in the 1800s. The land we have now is much smaller and more fragmented. The tribal lands today are not bounded by ecological boundaries like mountains or rivers but by socially constructed political boundaries and human activities such as the clear-cutting of forests and imposition of private property.

As the climate starts to shift, the plants that we now rely on may shift habitats or even die, while the property boundaries remain the same. With the territory we have, our ability to adapt is constrained.

What are Indigenous communities doing to adapt?

Sometimes the only story that people hear about Native people is a litany of tragedies. But Native people don't just sit around and do nothing in the face of challenges. As a nation, we are working hard to conserve the territories that we have to preserve our culture and traditional knowledge. Both are deeply connected to the land and nature.

In addition, we are navigating the political system in a bid to open up access to other places that could help our communities adapt to the effects of climate change. A project I've been working on is to initiate and maintain collaborative agreements with entities like the National Park Service, which will allow Cherokee people to gather plants within the Buffalo National River region in Arkansas.

Can Indigenous knowledge be applied globally to mitigate climate change?

Yes and no. Indigenous knowledge is often tied to a specific place that has a specific set of ecological conditions and specific animals and plants. So this knowledge may not be widely adoptable.

But I think many ethical principles Indigenous Peoples take when thinking about our relationship to the non-human world are very valuable. It's hard to summarize Indigenous ethics, but many communities share this overarching understanding that Earth is alive and that it has rights.

A somewhat common principle among Indigenous tribes is "don't take more than you need." It sounds simple, like something we tell children, but it still needs to be said when it comes to extractive activities that are happening across the world.

I think a good place for people who aren't Indigenous to start is to try to understand what it means to be in a good relationship with the land and that we have an obligation to it.

What does it mean?

Many people view our connection with the land in a romanticized way, picturing a stereotypical image of Pocahontas talking to birds and raccoons, which is not accurate. We need to look at the relationship through the lens of Indigenous law.

Indigenous communities relate to the land in a way that their legal framework defines obligations and responsibilities to animals and plants that share the land, and to the land itself. An example of that would be the Cherokee Clan system, which said animals have something to teach the Cherokee people. Through that, people of those respective clans had obligations to uphold those beings.

The ethical principles of those forms of governance can offer something that's better for the planet than dominant forms of political organization, some of which aren't focused on the importance of relationships between human beings and where they live, and the other animals that reside there.

How do we ensure our climate action is inclusive?

One of the most important things would be actively listening to Indigenous Peoples and understanding what Indigenous Peoples are saying. Time and again, we see conferences like COP happening, but it's important to acknowledge that there are a lot of people who aren't getting in the door of COP, and their voices aren't heard.

Native peoples have something to teach the world. So, listening and understanding in a way that centers Indigenous voices is absolutely important.
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Researchers have created a new molecule to fight drug-resistant bacteria. Credit: Ella Maru Studios

Researchers at Maynooth University, working as part of an international team, have created a new molecule that could help in the fight against drug-resistant bacteria.

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines, making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease, severe illness, and death. The development of new ways to kill bacteria is an urgent scientific need, as most conventional antibiotics will no longer be effective in 2050 due to the rising levels of AMR.

The research harnessed the principles of supramolecular chemistry, a niche scientific area that explores interactions between molecules, to achieve the breakthrough. Most importantly, the study uncovered molecules that are efficient at killing bacteria but whose toxicity to healthy human cells is very low.

The new research is described in Chem, to coincide with World AMR Awareness Week which runs from 1824 November. This global campaign, run by the World Health Organization, aims to raise awareness and understanding of AMR in the hope of reducing the emergence and spread of drug-resistant infections.

More than 1.2 million people, and potentially millions more, died in 2019 as a direct result of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections, according to the most comprehensive estimate to date of the global impact of AMR. This research may pave the way for new approaches to tackle this problem that kills more people annually than HIV/AIDS or malaria.

Lead researcher Luke Brennan of Maynooth University's Department of Chemistry said, "We are discovering new molecules and looking at how they bind to anions, which are negatively charged chemicals that are extremely important in the context of the biochemistry of life. We are laying the fundamental foundations that could prove useful in combating various diseases from cancer to cystic fibrosis."

The work is based on the use of synthetic ion transporters and is the first time that researchers have demonstrated that an influx of salt (sodium and chloride ions) into the bacteria can cause a series of biochemical events that lead to bacterial cell deatheven in strains that are resistant to currently available antibiotics such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Study co-author Dr. Robert Elmes of Maynooth University's Kathleen Lonsdale Institute for Human Health Research says, "This work shows how using our approach, a sort of 'trojan horse' that causes an influx of salt into cells, we can effectively kill resistant bacteria in a way that counteracts known methods of bacterial resistance."

Bacteria work hard to maintain a stable concentration of ions inside their cell membranes, and when this delicate balance is disrupted, it wreaks havoc on normal cell function, and the cells cannot survive.

Elmes says, "These synthetic molecules bind to chloride ions and wrap it up in a 'fatty blanket' that allows it to easily dissolve in the bacteria's membranes, bringing the ions along for the ride and disrupting the normal ionic balance. The work is a great example of foundation knowledge in chemistry fundamentals impacting on unmet needs in human health research."

Prof Kevin Kavanagh, a microbiologist in Maynooth University's Department of Biology, says, "The rising incidence of infections by drug-resistant bacteria is a major concern. This work is an example of chemists and biologists working together to pioneer the development of new antimicrobial agents with significant future potential."

Such results pave the way for the potential development of anion transporters as a viable alternative to currently available antibiotics, something urgently required as the problem of AMR continues to rise.

More information: Luke E. Brennan et al, Potent antimicrobial effect induced by disruption of chloride homeostasis, Chem (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.chempr.2023.07.014 Journal information: Chem
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Technicians monitor movement as a crane hoists NASAs Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) observatory spacecraft after being uncrated on Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023, at the Astrotech Space Operations Facility near the agencys Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

NASA's PACE spacecraft completed its journey Tuesday, Nov. 14, from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, to the Astrotech Spacecraft Operations facility near the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Engineers and technicians arrived ahead of the spacecraft to prepare ground equipment for offloading and processing before fueling and final encapsulation.

PACE, which stands for Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, and ocean Ecosystem, is targeted to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in early 2024, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The mission will help clarify how the ocean and atmosphere exchange carbon dioxide, improve upon NASA's 20-plus years of global satellite observations of ocean biology and atmospheric aerosols, and continue key measurements related to air quality and climate.

The PACE project is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. The agency's Launch Services Program, based at Kennedy Space Center, is responsible for managing launch service for the PACE mission.

Provided by NASA
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Have you ever felt nostalgic when thinking about the past? Then you are not alone. According to survey research, around two-thirds of the European public feel nostalgic.

Nostalgia is defined as a predominantly positive emotion associated with recalling memories of important events, usually experienced with people who are close to us. And these feelings may not be limited to personal experiences: in politics, nostalgia may refer to a longing for a more prosperous past or lost cultural traditions.

Take the Italian far-right party, Fratelli d'Italia (Brothers of Italy), which currently leads the country's coalition government. The party's 2022 manifesto contained numerous nostalgic references.

One standout claim was that the "natural resources and artistic heritage of the nation are an inheritance to be guarded and enhanced." Another was that "the elderly represent our history: a heritage of experiences, skills, talents that have helped to the birth and growth of our nation."

Such statements draw upon a shared pride in the nation's past to knit together a compelling narrative.

Increasingly, there is evidence that nostalgic feelings can affect our political views. Recent studies on the Netherlands and Turkey support these findings.

Nostalgic citizens are less satisfied with the government and more likely to vote for radical right parties. In a new publication, we examined the extent to which political parties capitalize on nostalgic rhetoric in their campaigns by analyzing 1,650 election manifestos published by parties across 24 European democracies between 1946 and 2018.

Election manifestos, by definition, mostly contain promises for the future. They are a list of pledges a party promises to implement should it be part of a future government. But we also discovered that on average, about 10% of a party manifesto is dedicated to discussing the past.

Central and Eastern Europe: Nostalgia reigns

We found that parties in central and eastern Europe and southern Europe are more nostalgic than those in northern and western Europe. The average manifesto in central and eastern Europe included 44 nostalgic sentences per 1,000 sentences, while in western and northern Europe, the average manifesto contains fewer than half that.

It's also notable that many of the most nostalgic parties across the continent are classified as nationalist by researchers at the Manifesto Project. Examples of highly nostalgic nationalist parties include All for Latvia, the Estonian People's Union, Golden Dawn in Greece, Sweden Democrats and the French National Rally (formerly the National Front).

That said, although nationalists are most prone to nostalgia, nostalgic rhetoric is evident across the political spectrum and was found in eight out of ten manifestos in some form or another.

It also appears to be cultural conservatism rather than economic conservatism that makes a party more likely to use nostalgia. Nostalgic rhetoric addresses cultural issues much more frequently than economic topics.

This is revealing about nostalgia as a device. Parties seem to strategically employ nostalgic references and choose to focus on either the past, present or future when talking about a given topic depending on the wider political context.

Other research shows that parties tend to frame education, economic and environmental policy with a future-related focus, while security, immigration and defense policy are more often referred to with an emphasis on the past.

Why it matters

There is nothing inherently wrong with nostalgia, but the use of nostalgia in political campaigning is, by definition, strategic. And its prevalence in the documents we examined suggests parties clearly see it as a useful tool.

But a focus on the past should not replace a critical evaluation of a party's plans for the future. A nostalgic sentiment, such as "our historic market towns, cathedral cities, and unspoiled countryside are the envy of the world," is not an electoral pledge.

Its use could therefore be seen as a device to obfuscate when a party lacks concrete solutions or proposals for the future of the nation they seek to govern. Given our propensity towards nostalgia, it could also be used as a narrative device that might provide cover for parties seeking to introduce potentially controversial policies.

Research on policies such as gun control, immigration and social justice show voters can be swayed in directions they might not normally take if they are presented with nostalgic messaging at the same time.

If socially conservative parties have identified it as a powerful rhetorical device, perhaps socially progressive parties could find a way to use it for more positive reasons as well. Since a significant portion of society has nostalgic feelings, such messages are unlikely to disappear from political discourse anytime soon.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Climate change is melting glaciers around the world. Vanishing ice means less water for the millions of people relying on it and threatens the habitats of speciesfrom bacteria to plants and fishthat live in glacier-fed ecosystems.

Prior to the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai Nov. 30Dec. 12, CU Boulder Today spoke with Twila Moon, deputy lead scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center, part of the CU Boulder's Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), about the importance of glaciers and opportunities for people to take action.

What's happening with glaciers around the world?

Unfortunately, the current state of glaciers is not looking good. Ice on Earth is really sensitive to small temperature changes. As humans warm the climate, we're losing glacial ice in areas all around the globe. That includes Antarctica, which has an ice sheet that covers the continent, the Greenland ice sheet that covers the world's largest island, and all of the smaller mountain glaciers.

What factors contribute to the melting of glaciers?

We sustain Earth's land iceglaciers and ice sheetsby snowfall and cold temperatures. As we're raising Earth's temperature, glacier ice melts. In addition, more of our snow is falling as rain, and that is not good for keeping our glaciers and ice sheets around. Glacier ice is formed out of snowfall. Rain, because it's a bit warmer than snow, can actively create further melt on the surface of a glacier.

What are the implications of glacier loss?

Losses of glacier ice around the world have many implications from the local to the global scale.

The most common concern we hear about is rising sea levels. In addition, many local and regional communities depend on glaciers for drinking water, water for agriculture and hydropower.

Cold waters fed by glaciers are also important for keeping our rivers cold and our ecosystems friendly to the plants and animals that live there.

Why should people in regions with no glaciers be concerned about ice loss?

Many of us feel that we live very far from glaciers or ice sheets. But we live in a connected Earth system. That means changes that are happening far away can still influence our local weather, economy and communities.

In Colorado, there are small, glaciated areas in the Rocky Mountains that primarily contribute valuable summer melt to local ecosystems.

We also need to think about how we, as a nation and a part of the international community, are going to respond when people need to relocate from where they live and do business because of glacier loss or associated sea level rise.

A recent study projected that the melting and collapsing of the West Antarctica ice shelf is unavoidable. How concerned should we be?

There are changes happening in Antarctica that we expect to continue and are irreversible. But the pace of those changes still depends in part on human action. Right now, we know that sea levels are going to rise continuously in the future, but the speed at which they rise and how much in total they rise depend on our climate action.

Sometimes people might get the impression that we're already past certain tipping points, for example, thinking there's nothing left to do. This is incorrect. There is much that we can do to influence the future of our planet, ensuring it's livable for us, our children, grandchildren, and the plants and animals we depend on.

What are some of the ways that we as individuals can contribute to protecting glaciers?

The good news is that we know the loss of glacier ice is deeply connected to human-caused warming. We understand the sources of that warming very well, which include burning fossil fuels, changes in land use, methane emissions and food waste. All of us participate in some aspects of these factors, and we can have very direct influence.

I would say one of the most important things is simply talking about this. It can be very difficult to undertake climate action by yourself, which is not going to have the kind of influence that's needed right now. Finding community and talking with others about concerns and shared solutions are really important ways to move forward as we continue with the climate crisis.

The future is not yet written in stone. Each of us has a role to play in taking action, even if you don't have a glacier in your backyard.
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Massive clouds form at the ridge of the Sierras de Cordoba range in Argentina, which could cause extreme precipitation. Credit: Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Office of Science user facility

Daily predictions of rainstorms are useful for helping us decide whether we should bring an umbrella or not when we run errands. But scientists, urban planners, and many others need to know about precipitation extremes on much larger time scales.

Knowing about extremes in precipitation over the course of years is important for planning for future water storage and agriculture as well as planning for destructive storms. But climate models don't always simulate these extremes as accurately as they should. For these models to be useful to city planners and others, their predictions need to match real-world observations more closely.

Scientists at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) examined different ways to describe the processes inside of clouds and how they affected the accuracy of climate models.

The climate is massively complex. There is no way that scientists can fit every detail into simulations of the climate. The simulations would simply be too big to run, even on the most powerful supercomputers.

To deal with that complexity, scientists make certain simplifications. Climate models split the globe into columns on a grid. This allows the models to simulate individual parts and their interactions. In one form called superparameterization, each grid column has its own high-resolution model inside of it. The models inside of the columns are so high-resolution that they can simulate individual clouds! Previous studies found that these superparameterized models can simulate clouds more accurately than other types.

But it's not enough to understand entire clouds. Scientists need climate models to take into account the processes inside of clouds, called microphysics. These processes include how cloud droplets and ice crystals form and break up.

Unfortunately, climate models can't simulate these processes directlythey are simply too small. Instead, scientists choose certain ways to represent these processes.

Climate scientists at Berkeley Lab examined how the way they represented these processes affected how accurately superparameterized models simulated extreme precipitation. The scientist used the models to simulate climate of years in the past and then compared these simulations to real-world observations. These comparisons allow them to see how accurate the models are.

The researchers ran two different types of representations of the processes. One provided more detail, while the other provided less. They ran the models on computers at the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center DOE Office of Science user facility.

Both sets of parameters affected how the model simulated extreme precipitation on both long time scales (up to a year) and short time scales (about five days). The short time scales were specifically affected in the tropics.

The different representations also produced a wide range of extreme precipitation events. The scientists found that the more detailed parameters produced clouds in the simulation with more vertical motion. These motions resulted in more extremes.

Despite the differences, the results from both representations fit within the range of real-world observations. Using microphysics processes in climate models has a lot of potential for making simulations more accurate.

Extreme precipitation events are no walk in the park. But with the help of some extreme computers and climate models, scientists can help us better predict and plan for them.
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Credit: Copernicus, Climate Change Service

In September, the world passed 1.5C of warming. Two months later, we hit 2C of warming. It's fair to wonder what is going on.

What we're seeing is not runaway climate change. These are daily spikes, not the long-term pattern we would need to say the world is now 2 degrees hotter than it was in the pre-industrial period.

These first breaches of temperature limits are the loudest alarms yet. They come as the United Nations Environment Program warns the world is still on a path to a "hellish" 3C of warming by the end of the century.

But they do not signal our failure. The sudden spike in warming in 2023 comes from a combination of factorsclimate change, a strong El Nino, sea ice failing to reform after winter, reduced aerosol pollution, and increased solar activity. There are also minor factors, such as the aftermath of the volcanic eruption near Tonga.

How significant are these factors?

1. Climate change

This is by far the biggest factor. What many of us don't recognize is how recent our intense period of emissions is. If you were born in 1983, fully 50% of all of humanity's emissions have gone into the atmosphere since your birth. Human emissions and other activities have so far contributed about 1.2C of warming.

Greenhouse gases trap heat, which is why the Earth is not a snowball. But the 2 trillion tons of fossil carbon we've taken from underground and put back in the atmosphere are trapping more heat. And more heat. And will continue to do so until we stop burning fossil fuels for heat or power.

2. El Nino

The El Nino-Southern Oscillation climate cycle in the Pacific has the biggest natural influence on climate. That's because the Pacific is huge, accounting for 30% of Earth's surface. When in the El Nino phase, the seas off South America heat up. This, in turn, usually makes average global temperatures hotter.

Right now, there's a dangerous heat wave in Brazil, where heat and humidity combined makes it feel like 60C. The intense heat contributed to the death of a fan at Taylor Swift's Rio concert last week.

El Nino will likely peak in the next two months. But its effects may well persist throughout 2024, driving global average temperatures higher by perhaps 0.15C.

3. Antarctic sea ice isn't bouncing back

The declines in Arctic sea ice are well known. But now Antarctic sea ice, too, is failing to recover. Normally, the ring of frozen seawater around the ice continent reaches its maximum extent in September. But this year's maximum is well below any previous year.

As we enter summer, that means more dark water will be exposed. And since dark surfaces absorb more heat while white ones reflect it, it means still more heat will go into the oceans rather than back out to space.

Credit: Copernicus, Climate Change Service

4. Increased solar activity

Our sun runs on a roughly 11-year cycle, going between lower and higher output. The solar maximum was forecast for 2025, and a clear increase is occurring this year. This brings spectacular auroraseven in the Southern Hemisphere, where residents have seen auroras as far inland as Ballarat, in Victoria.

Solar maximums add extra heat. But not muchthe effect is only around 0.05C, about a third of an El Nino.

5. The volcanic hangover

Normally, volcanic eruptions cool the planet, as their vast plumes of aerosols block sunlight. But the largest volcanic eruption this century near Tonga in January 2022 did the opposite.

That's because the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano was under the sea. Its explosive force evaporated vast volumes of seawaterand water vapor is a greenhouse gas. While some skeptics like to point to this eruption as the root cause of our recent spike in warming, the Tonga eruption is a blipit will add an estimated 0.035C for about five years.

6. Cutting aerosol pollution

In 2020, new international shipping rules came into force, mandating low-sulfur fuels. This cut sulfur dioxide emissions by about 10%. That's good for health. But aerosols in the atmosphere can actually block heat. Cutting pollution may have added to warming. But again, the effect seems small, adding an estimated 0.05C of warming by 2050.

What should we take from this?

The climate is enormously complex. We should see the first day 2C warmer than the same day in the pre-industrial period as a stark warningbut not as a sign to give up.

In short, this isn't a step change. It's a combination of factors that has driven this surge. Some of those, like El Nino, are cyclical and will switch back.

But as negotiators prepare for next week's COP28 climate talks, it's yet another sign that we cannot relent.

We areat lastseeing signs of real progress in the clean energy and clean transport rollout. This year, we may even see emissions from power generation finally peak and then begin to fall.

Sowe haven't failed yet. But we are on a rapidly warming planetand we can now clearly see the effect, even in these new daily temperature records.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
(CNN)  Palestinian poet and writer Mosab Abu Toha, who had been contributing to The New Yorker and other publications with reflections on his life inside Gaza during the war, has been released from detention after questioning, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

In a statement Tuesday, the IDF said that Abu Toha was among a group of civilians who was taken into questioning during operations, when there was intelligence indicating of a number of interactions between several civilians and terror organizations inside the Gaza Strip.

The poets brother, Hamza Abu Toha, recounted the story of his detention in a Facebook post Monday.

Abu Toha was taken into custody by the IDF when he reached the checkpoint while leaving from the north to the south of Gaza, reads the post.

His wife and children entered the south, and the army arrested my brother Mosab, continues the post. We have no information about him. It is worth mentioning that the American embassy sent him and his family to travel through the Rafah crossing.

The circumstances of Abu Tohas arrest are unclear. CNN has reached out to the IDF for comment. A US State Department spokesman earlier said he didnt have information to share on the situation.

An American Book Award winner and finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for his debut poetry book, Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear, Mosab Abu Toha, 30, had written searingly about the Israeli airstrikes that have decimated Gaza since war broke out last month between Israel and Hamas.

In a New Yorker essay published on October 20, he described returning to his home in Beit Lahia, in northern Gaza, days after evacuating to Jabalia refugee camp, where he had stayed with relatives.

On the main street leading to my house, I find the first of many shocking scenes. A shop where I used to take my children, to buy juice and biscuits, is in shambles. The freezer, which used to hold ice cream, is now filled with rubble. I smell explosives, and maybe flesh, he wrote.

In a Facebook post five days ago  his most recent post on the website  Abu Toha wrote that he was alive and begged for an end to the bloodshed.

Thanks for your prayers. We dont have any access to food or clean water. Winter is coming and we dont have enough clothes. Kids are suffering. We are suffering, he wrote, adding, the army is now at Al-Shifa Hospital. More death, more destruction. Who can stop this? Please stop it now.

PEN International, the global association of writers, said Monday that it is deeply concerned about Abu Toha.

We join calls demanding to know his whereabouts and the reasons for his detention, PEN said in a statement posted to X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter.

The New York Review of Books also posted about his reported detention on X, noting that in May we published his poem What a Gazan Should Do During an Israeli Air Strike.
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(a) Atomic hydrogen-deposited H x WO 3 effectively eliminates four representative RONS (OH, H 2 O 2 , O 2 - and ONOO-). (b) Mechanism of atomic hydrogen in accelerating diabetic wound healing, including RONS elimination, anti-inflammation, angiogenesis and collagen deposition. Credit: Science China Press

The overexpression of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) is closely associated with the onset and progression of diverse chronic diseases, such as cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and chronic diabetic ulcers. Hydrogen therapy, as an emerging and promising general-purpose therapeutic approach, normally utilizes molecular H 2 to selectively eliminate RONS and maintain intracellular redox homeostasis, thereby treating related chronic diseases.

The more bioreducible atomic hydrogen is expected to provide a broad-spectrum RONS scavenging capability superior to that of conventional H 2 . However, the development of an advanced hydrogen therapeutic platform combining sufficient atomic hydrogen loading, controllable release, and biodegradability remains a giant technological challenge.

To address this issue, a team led by Prof. Jun Jiang and Prof. Yucai Wang from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) has recently successfully introduced highly reducible atomic hydrogen into the WO 3 lattice using an electron-proton co-doping strategy, demonstrating for the first time that atomic hydrogen eliminates a broad spectrum of RONS that conventional H 2 cannot.

Furthermore, the tungsten bronze phase H 0.53 WO 3 (HWO) was found to be a highly desirable carrier for atomic hydrogen, with remarkable features including high-capacity hydrogen storage, controllable hydrogen release, and pH-responsive biodegradability. In a diabetic wound model, the atomic hydrogen remodeled the diabetic wound microenvironment and alleviated inflammation, which in turn promoted collagen deposition and angiogenesis, effectively accelerating chronic wound healing.

"From the perspective of thermodynamics and chemical kinetics, atomic hydrogen is far more reactive than molecular H 2 , whereas its storage and utilization are extremely tricky. Thanks to the electron-proton co-doping strategy, we have realized the deposition of atomic hydrogen in metal oxides under mild conditions," Prof. Jun Jiang said.

"In a wider sense, the basic category of hydrogen therapeutic materials is no longer limited to the commonly active metals/non-metals or their hydrides. Hydrogen species in more physical forms are available as efficient RONS scavengers to play a positive role in hydrogen-centered therapeutic strategies."

The study is published in the journal National Science Review.

More information: Man Luo et al, Solid-state atomic hydrogen as a broad-spectrum RONS scavenger for accelerated diabetic wound healing, National Science Review (2023). DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwad269
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Artist's impression composed of a star with a disc around it (a Be "vampire" star; foreground) and its companion star that has been stripped of its outer parts (background). Credit: Pic credit: ESO/L. Calcada

A ground-breaking new discovery by University of Leeds scientists could transform the way astronomers understand some of the biggest and most common stars in the universe. The paper, "Gaia uncovers difference in B and Be star binarity at small scales: evidence for mass transfer causing the Be phenomenon," is published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Research by Ph.D. student Jonathan Dodd and Professor Rene Oudmaijer, from the University's School of Physics and Astronomy, points to intriguing new evidence that massive Be starsuntil now mainly thought to exist in double starscould in fact be "triples."

The remarkable discovery could revolutionize our understanding of the objectsa subset of B starswhich are considered an important "test bed" for developing theories on how stars evolve more generally.

These Be stars are surrounded by a characteristic disk made of gassimilar to the rings of Saturn in our own solar system. And although Be stars have been known for about 150 yearshaving first been identified by renowned Italian astronomer Angelo Secchi in 1866until now, no one has known how they were formed.

Consensus among astronomers so far has said the disks are formed by the rapid rotation of the Be stars, and that itself can be caused by the stars interacting with another star in a binary system.

Triple systems

Mr. Dodd, corresponding author of the research, said, "The best point of reference for that is if you've watched Star Wars, there are planets where they have two suns." New research using data from ESO's Very Large Telescope and Very Large Telescope Interferometer has revealed that HR 6819, previously believed to be a triple system with a black hole, is in fact a system of two stars with no black hole. The scientists, a KU Leuven-ESO team, believe they have observed this binary system in a brief moment after one of the stars sucked the atmosphere off its companion, a phenomenon often referred to as "stellar vampirism". This artist's animation shows what the system might look like; it's composed of an oblate star with a disc around it (a Be "vampire" star; foreground) and B-type star that has been stripped of its atmosphere (background). Credit: ESO/L. Calcada.

But now, by analyzing data from the European Space Agency's Gaia satellite, the scientists say they have found evidence these stars actually exist in triple systemswith three bodies interacting instead of just two.

Mr. Dodd added, "We observed the way the stars move across the night sky, over longer periods like 10 years, and shorter periods of around six months. If a star moves in a straight line, we know there's just one star, but if there is more than one, we will see a slight wobble or, in the best case, a spiral.

"We applied this across the two groups of stars that we are looking atthe B stars and the Be starsand what we found, confusingly, is that at first it looks like the Be stars have a lower rate of companions than the B stars. This is interesting because we'd expect them to have a higher rate."

However, Principal Investigator Prof Oudmaijer said, "The fact that we do not see them might be because they are now too faint to be detected."

Mass transfer

The researchers then looked at a different set of data, looking for companion stars that are further away, and found that at these larger separations, the rate of companion stars is very similar between the B and Be stars.

From this, they were able to infer that in many cases a third star is coming into play, forcing the companion closer to the Be starclose enough that mass can be transferred from one to the other and form the characteristic Be star disk. This could also explain why we do not see these companions anymore; they have become too small and faint to be detected after the "vampire" Be star has sucked in so much of their mass.

Artist's impression of a vampire star (left) stealing material from its victim: New research using data from ESO's Very Large Telescope has revealed that the hottest and brightest stars, which are known as O stars, are often found in close pairs. Many of such binaries will at some point transfer mass from one star to another, a kind of stellar vampirism depicted in this artist's impression. Credit: Pic credit: ESO/M. Kornmesser/S.E. de Mink

The discovery could have huge impacts on other areas of astronomyincluding our understanding of black holes, neutron stars and gravitational wave sources.

Prof Oudmaijer said, "There's a revolution going on in physics at the moment around gravitational waves. We have only been observing these gravitational waves for a few years now, and these have been found to be due to merging black holes.

"We know that these enigmatic objectsblack holes and neutron starsexist, but we don't know much about the stars that would become them. Our findings provide a clue to understanding these gravitational wave sources."

He added, "Over the last decade or so, astronomers have found that binarity is an incredibly important element in stellar evolution. We are now moving more towards the idea it is even more complex than that and that triple stars need to be considered."

"Indeed," Oudmaijer said, "triples have become the new binaries."
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

A new study highlights the vital contribution of 'virtual schools' for children in care and recommends ten ways to improve their educational outcomes.

The research, by the University of Exeter and the National Association of Virtual School Heads (NAVSH), shows strong disparities in progress and attainment for children in care depending on where they live. They found these differences are not driven by neighborhood deprivation but by patchy distribution of school places, confused funding policies and variable regulation.

As a result, some virtual schools have difficulty in ensuring stable attendance at school, with some local schools actively resisting the admission of children in care or being unwilling to accommodate their needs.

The virtual school is the team within each local authority tasked with supporting learning for children in care. Virtual schools have existed across England since 2014 and play a key role in advocating for young people, liaising with schools and delivering learning opportunities. They are usually led by a former school headteacher, with a role to monitor and improve educational outcomes, advocate for young people and provide additional learning opportunities.

All local authorities are required to have a virtual school, but there is no detail within the statutory guidance on how they should operate. This means differences around the country in resourcing, their position with organizations, professional networks and leadership. The effectiveness of virtual schools was also impacted by differences in the stability of funding and the virtual school head's relationships with key decision-makers.

The report was authored by Dr. Neil Harrison (University of Exeter), Professor Judy Sebba (University of Oxford), Dr. Marc Wigley (University of Oxford), Rachael Pryor (NAVSH) and Fay Blyth (NAVSH). The team interviewed key stakeholders, held focus groups with virtual school heads and analyzed government data about local authorities and their virtual schools.

Dr. Harrison said, "We knew that children in care in some areas attain twice as highly as those in others at Key Stage 4, but we didn't really know why. Through this study, we found that the proportion of children in care regularly missing school varied from 7 percent to 21 percent between different local authorities. This obviously has a huge impact on their scope to progress and gain qualifications.

"When we dug deeper, this was often down to difficulties with finding and securing school places. While this was an issue everywhere, it was much more marked in areas where schools were actively resistant to accepting children in care or where there was a shortage of specialist places for young people with profound needs around trauma or mental health."

Matthew Cooke, Chair of NAVSH, said, "Children in care are meant to be the highest priority for school admissions. While there are many cases of partnerships working effectively, it can sometimes be a real strugglesome schools are extremely reluctant as they believe a young person will be challenging. The result can be lengthy bureaucratic wrangles, and all the while the young person is missing out on their learning. Some schools are also too quick to seek exclusion, despite alternative options being available, which starts the cycle over again."

The report reinforces recent recommendations from the Children's Commissioner who asked for schools and school governors be given extended corporate parenting responsibilities and local authorities to be given powers to streamline and enforce admissions for children in care.

The report also found that contradictory regulations around special educational needs funding leave many children in care without the learning support they need, sometimes for several months while disputes between local authorities are resolved. This issue has been heightened lately by the shortage of care placements for young people, which leads to more being housed further afield.

The report makes ten key recommendations to the Department for Education and other organizations for effective virtual schools around: stable planning horizons, parity of status and pay, timely school admissions, coherent SEND support, informed practitioners, engagement with Ofsted inspections, developing Personal Education Plan practice, adequate care placements, high-quality special and alternative provision, and stronger trauma-informed and attachment-aware practices.

Mr. Cooke said, "The study also reveals the inconsistent involvement of Ofsted in regulating the education of children in care. In some areas, they are proactive and well-informed, but in other areas their involvement with key professionals is marginal. We think that Ofsted should be meeting regularly with virtual school heads and increasing the focus on children in care within school inspections."

Dr. Harrison said, "We need a system where children in care are supported to flourish in school, to give them a strong springboard for their adult life. Our research shows this is not happening reliably enough. Virtual schools play a vital role in advocating for young people, but their hands are tied by insufficient school places, inconsistent regulation and resistant admissions policies."

Judith McNeill, CEO of the KPMG Foundation, said, "The KPMG Foundation is proud to have supported this research and believes that the findings will be immensely valuable to policymakers, practitioners and regulators. Most of all we hope that it will make a meaningful difference for children, so that their experiences and outcomes in education are the best they can be."
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Credit: Ivan Samkov from Pexels

A new report from Trinity College evaluating a child-centered and trauma informed project to support children in refuge from domestic violence at Meath Women's Refuge and Support Services (MWRSS) was launched today to coincide with World Children's Day.

The research examines children's experiences of domestic violence (DV) and transition to refuge and highlights, among other findings, the importance of play as therapy and empowering children to use their own voice. The report specifically emphasizes the role of the Children's Support Worker in creating a safe space for children and women in refuge and supports them to make the transition into their new environment.

The "Where I'm At" project is an innovative initiative that seeks to create a nurturing and secure environment for children entering the refuge. It is rooted in the principles of providing holistic support to children and is committed to offering an avenue for personal growth and development, allowing them to transition into their new surroundings with resilience and creativity.

The experiences of children exposed to domestic violence are multifaceted and can have profound implications for their emotional well-being, behavior, and overall development. Interventions aimed at mitigating the long-term impacts associated with experiencing DV play a crucial role in a child's journey to recovery. Children require tailored support that acknowledges their unique experiences and empowers them to heal and thrive.

in 2022 alone, the "Where I'm At" project engaged with 80 children.

Research findings

The combination of skilled staff and the "Where I'm At" project offerings collectively eased the transition into refuge for many of the women and children interviewed.

The significance of the role of the Children's Support Worker (CSW) was emphasized by the findings from this evaluation and the participating children unanimously expressed that they would like more time with the Children's Support Worker as they enjoyed and valued their sessions greatly.

The CSW plays a vital role in the transition of the child into refuge and adaptation to their new environment. The CSW role allows MWRSS to:

offer a superior service to women and children in their transition into the refuge

afford children the much needed one-to-one time to engage in play and creative activities which will help children to make the transition to their new environment

afford women some private time to be able to engage with their own key worker about their safety plan and family requirements

give support to the women and children staying at the refuge individually and together as a family

Recommendations

The "Where I'm At' project and the Children's Program are key elements in the creation of a welcoming and safe space for children when they come into refuge. Researchers recommend that funding for the project should be mainstreamed so that the program activities provided by the "Where I'm At" project can be resourced adequately. The children, women and staff who took part in this evaluation collectively emphasized the positive impact of the role of the Children's Support Worker to women and children in refuge. Researchers recommend that this role continues to be available to children in refuge. They also recommend that this role be made available to children in all refuges in Ireland and the significance of the role reflected in relevant government policy. The "Where I'm At" project and the Children's Program are child centered and trauma informed. Researchers recommend that MWRSS continue to maximize the range of play that is offered to children who use the service and include play suitable for children with disabilities or neurodivergence. Researchers recommend that staff at MWRSS continue to listen to women and children in refuge and specifically continue to give voice to children to children in refuge in relation to the services and the amenities available at the refuge.

Proposal of best practice model of work with children, in refuge in Ireland

Following on from the evaluation researchers have proposed a best practice model of work with children, in refuge in Ireland. The focus of the model centers around three key stages:



Welcome and assessment Development of a program of support Supporting the transition out of refuge

Each stage has specific aims to support the child in their journey of recovery following their experiences of domestic abuse. Effective implementation of the model requires the presence of a Children's Support Worker who can work with Refuge Keyworkers to support the child and woman when they enter the refuge and through their journey in the service.

Niall Muldoon, ombudsman for children, said, "As ombudsman for children I am delighted to launch this research because it is the first time that we have heard directly from the children who are living through the horror and trauma of domestic abuse.

"This research clearly highlights that children are also victims of that abuse and need to be considered in the design and resourcing of domestic refuges. It also spotlights the important role that a Children Support Worker has in helping children to cope with trauma of having to flee their home and seek refuge within the care of others.

"I believe this research marries well with the commitments made by the state to recognize and support children as victims, in their own right, within the 3rd Domestic, Sexual, and Gender Based Violence Strategy. I commend the Meath Women's Refuge & Support Services and the researchers from Trinity College for this excellent piece of work and I hope it will lead to better services all around the country where children are a core part of the refuges and their support is fully resourced."

Dr. Eleanor Hollywood, associate professor in children's nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Trinity College, said, "The 'Where I'm At' project is an initiative that seeks to create a nurturing and secure environment for children when they enter refuge. An evaluation of the initiative has found that the project is significantly valuable to children and women who are in refuge as a result of domestic abuse.

"The evaluation has also highlighted the importance of the role of the Children's Support Worker in supporting children individually and within their family. Our study recommends that a Children's Support Worker should be available to children in all refuges in Ireland."

Sinead Smith, CEO, Meath Women's Refuge & Support Services, said, "The third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence published last year recognizes for the first time in Ireland that children are victims of domestic violence in their own right. On World Children's Day, we are asking that their right to safety, well-being and to be heard by decision makers under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child are recognized and fully resourced.

Generous support from the RTE Toy Show Appeal at Community Foundation Ireland has facilitated us to fund a full time Children's Support Worker role for three years and this evaluation with Trinity College Dublin. The findings clearly show the huge impact of professional support for children who have experienced domestic violence and that these roles should be continued as a key component of refuge services going forward.

"We ask Tusla and the new Domestic, Gender and Sexual Violence unit at the Department of Justice to give serious consideration to mainstreaming these roles into local domestic violence services across the country."

Katie Carry, children's team leader, Meath Women's Refuge & Support Services, said, "When there is violence and abuse at home, children experience deep trauma which can last a life-time. Through one-to-one support, a focus on safety, creativity and play, children can be supported in their recovery and well-being.

"As enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Ireland is a signatory, all children have a right to express their views, feelings and wishes on matters affecting them, and to have their views considered and taken seriously.

"We strive to embed this ethos in our service and are focused today on sharing the words and feedback of children we work with the Ombudsman for Children and relevant government officials."

More information: Eleanor Hollywood et al, An Evaluation of the 'Where I'm At' Project at Meath Women's Refuge and Support Services (MWRSS), Trinity College Dublin (2023). DOI: 10.25546/104111
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A tiny drop of blood during the millisecond it impacts a solid surface and develops the shape the stain. Of particular interest is the protrusion that develops on the right side and deviates from the otherwise elliptical stain boundary. Credit: James C. Bird

Forensic science has captured the public imagination by storm, as the profusion of "true crime" media in the last decade or so suggests. By now, most of us know that evidence left at a crime scene, such as blood, can often reveal information that is key to investigating and understanding the circumstances around a crimeand that scientific methods can help interpret that information.

In the journal Physics of Fluids, a group of scientists from Boston University and the University of Utah demonstrated how bloodstains can yield even more valuable details than what is typically gathered by detectives, forensic scientists, and crime scene investigators. By examining the protrusions that deviate from the boundaries of otherwise elliptical bloodstains, the researchers studied how these "tails" are formed. The article is titled "Bloodstain tails: Asymmetry aids reconstruction of oblique impact,"

"These protrusions are typically only used to get a sense of the direction that the drop traveled, but are otherwise neglected," said author James Bird.

In fact, previous studies have primarily focused on larger blood drops falling vertically on flat surfaces or on inclined surfaces where gravity can reshape and obscure the tails. By contrast, the new study involved a series of high-speed experiments with human blood droplets with diameters of less than a millimeter impacting horizontal surfaces at various angles.

"We show that the precise flow that determines the tail length differs from the flow responsible for the size and shape of the elliptical portion of the stain," said Bird. "In other words, the tail lengths encompass additional independent information that can help analysts reconstruct where the blood drop actually came from."

Indeed, the tail length can reflect information about the size, impact speed, and impact angle of the blood drop that formed the stain. When measured for several blood stains in a stain pattern, the trajectories of the drops can be backtracked to their presumed origin.

While their analysis employed only horizontal surfaces to examine impact velocity dynamics, Bird and his colleagues hope it triggers more studies that focus on the length of the tail in bloodstain patterns. They believe that incorporating tail length into standard bloodstain analyses will produce more robust evidentiary information.

"Knowing the origin of the blood stains at a crime scene can help detectives determine whether a victim was standing or sitting, or help corroborate or question a witness's testimony," said Bird.

More information: Garam Lee et al, Bloodstain tails: Asymmetry aids reconstruction of oblique impact, Physics of Fluids (2023). DOI: 10.1063/5.0170124 Journal information: Physics of Fluids
By Sorie Ibrahim Fofanah

The Financial Secretary, Mathew Dingie, says monies collected from tax on imported rice will be used for an agricultural development fund that is to be established by Government.

He made the statement at the Government Weekly Press Conference held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 14th November, 2023.

Dingie said the Ministry of Finance will put systems and structures in place that would be transparent in ensuring that taxes collected on rice are used to aid agricultural activities in Sierra Leone.

We will work with the Commissioner of National Revenue Authority (NRA) to make sure rice vessels that dock at the water quay pay the actual tax (5%) for their amount of tons of rice imported, he added.

He went on to say the public will be informed on a monthly basis on the amount of money collected from rice taxation, that will go to supporting home based agricultural activities.

Speaking about the Finance Act, the FS said its something that is essential for the livelihood and sustainability of the nation, saying if they do not enact it now they would never solve the problem of government losing revenue on rice. He said even though government removed taxation on rice it has not stopped its price from increasing. We were losing eighteen million dollars every year all these while that we have not been collecting tax on rice, he maintained. Dingie noted that there are other good things in the Finance Act.

Dingie said tax on rice is not a new phenomenon, saying it has been there, and that what they are now doing is what he called restoration. He recalled that government last removed tax on rice in 2009 by10%.

Dingie said the removal of tax on rice over the last fifteen years has not yielded dividend, but benefitted the rice producers and importers at the expense of the citizens of this nation.

As a way to address the dependence of importation of rice, the Financial Secretary said we have to grow our food, stating that the private sector will be producing rice in Sierra Leone for a low cost

Government needs to have sources of revenue to run its affairs, the FS said So, what government is doing is to ensure that it has sources through taxes collected from sectors to provide services that they citizens need, Dingie said.

On the 10th November, 2023, the 2024 Financial Act was tabled in the well of Parliament by the Finance Minister, Mohamed Fantamadi Bangura. Members of Parliament will be having a five-day debate on the said Act.

Copyright  2023 Politico (17/11/23)
Last year, a nurse in North Carolina was accused of killing two patients and nearly killing a third with overdoses of insulin. The accusations and his arrest caught the attention of the Winston-Salem community, where he lived and worked for decades.

Johnathan Howard Hayes, 48, was arrested on Oct. 25, 2022, and charged with two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. Hayes, a nurse at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, is charged in the deaths of Gwen Zelda Crawford, 60, who died on Jan. 8, 2022, and Vickie Lynne Lingerfelt, 61, who died on Jan. 28, 2022, both of whom died of extreme overdoses of insulin, according to their death certificates. He is also charged with attempted murder of Pamela Jean Little, who was 63 at the time.

An investigation by Lee Enterprises Public Service Journalism Team dug into the case, and reveals details about Hayes, the investigation and the regulations of insulin.

Here are five key takeaways from the investigation:

1. Hayes was family man and long-time nurse

Records show Hayes appeared to be a family man and caring nurse. Hayes had been a nurse in North Carolina for over 20 years and lived on a quiet street with a manicured yard on the corner of the block with his wife and her two daughters.

In 2021, Hayes was nominated by his wife, Misty Hayes, to be a Winston-Salem Journal Nurse of Distinction. At the time, Misty Hayes said Hayes always went the extra mile to ensure his patients would be taken care of.

Court records show Hayes filed to adopt his wifes children from a previous marriage in late 2021. The adoptions were finalized on Jan. 26, 2022, four days after Hayes was accused of allegedly administering a third lethal dose of insulin to a patient at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist.

2. Investigation found links between Hayes and insulin overdoses

Information from Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptists risk management investigation and investigative efforts led Winston-Salem police to find links between Hayes and three insulin overdoses.

On Dec. 1, while under the care of Hayes, Pamela Little suffered from a hypoglycemic episode, which is caused by too much insulin. She recovered. Little recalled being scared of a male nurse who matched Hayes description, according to a search warrant application by Winston-Salem police. Little described Hayes as sneaky.

Gwen Crawford was also under Hayes care on Jan. 5, when she also suffered a hypoglycemic episode and died three days later. Hayes was seen on camera leaving the secure medication dispensing room with an entire vial of insulin  about 300 units, nearly 25 times the maximum dosage given to patients by nurses, according to the warrant.

Vicky Lingerfelt was a patient when she died on Jan. 28, 2022, due to hypoglycemia. Hayes was not her primary nurse, but did help her while Lingerfelts primary nurse was away for lunch, a police warrant said.

Records showed that during that time, Hayes accessed Lingerfelts medical records, despite having no need or right to do so, according to police. Within hours, Lingerfelt had a hypoglycemic episode and had to be taken to the ICU. Hayes was seen again on video during that time removing another full vial of insulin from the medication room.

3. Hayes had a history of medicine mismanagement, police say

Hospital records showed Hayes administered seven times more insulin than the hospital average, according to police. He was the highest user of insulin in all regards for the entire facility over a three-month period, the hospital found.

Hayes also often incorrectly recorded medication administration. For insulin, nurses and other hospital staff are supposed to have a second health care worker verify the amount of medication being given  a dual verification process. There is an option in the hospital system to say the medication was given by other, in rare instances when medication is given during an emergency or by someone not in the same hospital area where a patient is located.

The given by other label was used only 130 times in the over 33,000 times medicine was administered from Jan. 1, 2022, to the time of the meeting with police in March. Of the 130 instances when the given by other label was used for medication administration records, 88 were recorded by Hayes, the warrant said.

4. Deaths fit a pattern of hospital murders

Lee Enterprises reporting found that insulin is often the culprit in hospital murders.

In several states and in Canada, Germany and England, police have accused nurses and nursing assistants of killing patients with excessive doses of insulin.

Reta Mays, a former nursing assistant, is serving life in prison for killing seven elderly veterans in West Virginia using insulin. Pennsylvania nurse Heather Pressdee is accused of administering excessive amounts of insulin to patients in her care, resulting in at least 17 deaths, the Pennsylvania attorney general said.

Hayes case also shows other similarities with other nurses accused of killing patients, according to David Wilson, a Scottish criminologist who specialized in serial killers and has done research on nurses who are serial killers in hospitals.

Hayes has not been convicted, but a link between nurse serial killers Wilson studied was a high turnover in jobs, which Hayes resume reflects, according to police.

Wilson also said women over the age of 60, which includes Little, Crawford and Lingerfelt, are one of the five groups most often targeted by serial killers.

5. Insulin not well regulated

Lee Enterprises investigation found that despite the link between insulin and several cases of hospital murders, the drug is not always effectively regulated.

The federal government and many states have regulations on how medication should be handled in hospitals and nursing homes, but often stop short of dictating that the facilities track the top administrators of drugs, which may have raised a red flag in the Hayes case. There are also no federal laws or regulations that require hospitals to use bar codes, an automated medication dispensing system or other technology for insulin.

The Institute for Safe Medication Practices guidelines for insulin use say that hospitals have overlooked and inadequately addressed the risks of insulin.
Just six months ago, economic development officials were gushing about plans by Plug Power to expand the green hydrogen facility it is building in Genesee County, calling it one of the biggest investments ever in the region.

Now, questions surround the future of the project  and the company.

Plug Power, the Albany-based company behind the $678 million project, issued a dire warning to investors earlier this month, saying that it was running dangerously short on funds, raising concerns that it would be able to stay in business.

Plug Powers already-battered share price fell 40% on Nov. 10 after the company released disappointing quarterly results containing the warning.

In light of our projected capital expenditure and operating requirements under our current business plan, we have determined that there is a substantial doubt that we will have sufficient capital to fund our operations through the next 12 months, the company said in the filing. These conditions and events raise substantial doubt about the companys ability to continue as a going concern.

Plug Powers warning triggered negative headlines for the company in the financial media. But in an interview, CEO Andy Marsh disputed the notion that the company is facing long-term financial trouble.

Its really more a technicality than anything else, Marsh said of the going concern warning. It hasnt changed any of our outlooks for how were going to be running our business the next year or so.

And Genesee County economic development officials say they remain confident about the companys Town of Alabama project, which is an anchor of the Science, Technology and Advanced Manufacturing Park, or STAMP.

But the going concern warning that Plug Power issued is viewed as an alarming warning sign by investors.

A going concern notice shows up in financial reports when firms have some uncertainty whether theyre going to be able to sustain operations, if they have enough cash to keep going over the next 12 months, said Michael Dambra, associate professor of accounting law at the University at Buffalos School of Management.

When a firm discloses that, its more likely than not that something has to change fundamentally for the firm to sustain operations, Dambra said.

In a conference call with analysts last week, Plug Powers CFO, Paul Middleton, sought to tamp down the significance of the going concern warning. The language that weve included is oftentimes driven by accounting standards and how you have to evaluate it and manage it, he said. And its a lot more conservative, obviously, than what we feel like.

But the concerns about Plug Power involve more than just the warning issued by the company.

Plug Power reported a $284 million loss during the third quarter, far steeper than analysts who track the company were expecting. The loss was bigger than Plug Powers $199 million in sales during the quarter. The company blamed the loss on unprecedented supply challenges that constrained volume and delayed deployments.

Plug Powers stock price was clobbered the day after the company released its third quarter earnings after the end of trading day on Nov. 9. Its shares fell to as low as $3.22 per share; on Friday, they were trading for about $4, down about 75% over the past year as investors have soured on green energy stocks.

Marsh this week expressed confidence about Plug Powers outlook and insisted the company was well-positioned to obtain more capital. He noted that the company has no debt.

Weve been really clear that we were going to raise between $500 (million) and $750 million for months now, he said. We do have a clear path how we can bring more capital into the company, a lot it right off our $5 billion unleveraged balance sheet.

Plug Powers future is especially important in Genesee County, where the company first announced plans in February 2021 to build a green hydrogen plant now under construction at STAMP.

From STAMPs perspective, we see construction work continuing at the site and there is no indication that this work is being impacted, said Jim Krencik, a spokesman for the GCEDC. So from that standpoint, we remain very confident in Plug Power and its commitment at STAMP.

Marsh said the project remains on track and the cost will likely exceed $678 million, due to higher construction expenses. Plans call for the local operation to have 78 employees. The company will produce liquid hydrogen for freight transportation and materials handling equipment.

Plug Powers project ignited development of a site that was designed to attract large-scale employers but for years had struggled to secure a tenant. Edwards Vacuum, which supports the semiconductor industry, has also committed to the STAMP site, with plans for a $319 million plant. STAMP is roughly halfway between the Buffalo and Rochester regions, north of the Thruways Pembroke exit.

In Plug Powers latest quarterly shareholder letter, the company said it plans to commission the STAMP plant next year and targets reaching full production in 2025. The company said it continues to work with National Grid and the New York Power Authority to complete and energize a new substation at the site. Construction of the substation continues, the GCEDC said.

Marsh said a key factor is a $1.5 billion loan from the U.S. Department of Energy. Plug Power expects the agency will approve the loan in the second or third quarter of 2024.

I think thats where all the big work really starts happening, to get that plant online, he said.

Plug Power in its quarterly report said it faced obstacles from a hydrogen shortage in North America, but Marsh said that picture has since improved. He said Plug Power has a solid customer base that includes Amazon, Walmart and Home Depot, and the company expects to generate more revenue this [current] quarter than weve ever generated in any quarter.

Analysts had mixed reactions to Plug Powers earnings report and the going concern warning. Some of them downgraded the stock and lowered their price targets.

Management expressed confidence in executing a liquidity transaction near-term and continues to see a path for margin improvement through next year, said RBC Capital analyst Chris Dendrinos, in a note to clients. However, at this time we think it prudent to move to the sidelines and await execution of these events and until we see more material progress on initiatives to reduce the cash burn and improve margins.

Citigroup analyst Vikram Bagri downgraded Plug Powers stock in a report Wednesday. Although there is a narrow way out of the near-term issues, margin of error is small, he wrote in the report.

Marsh, however, had a more upbeat view.

If you read all the analysts reports, theyre actually all pretty bullish when you get into the details, Marsh said. Most of them, its not, The worlds collapsing. 
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ATLANTIC CITY  A year into a lawsuit by tenants alleging unsafe and unhealthy conditions at Stanley Holmes Village, the Atlantic City Housing Authority has requested more time from a judge to investigate the conditions of specific apartments to determine individual rent abatements.

In a hearing Oct. 27, Superior Court Judge John C. Porto told the litigants he would order a rent abatement for the tenants suing over conditions there, and asked both sides to put in writing what amount they thought would be fair.

Olga Pomar of South Jersey Legal Services, who represents about 100 tenants suing over lack of heat and hot water and gas leaks at the 420-unit public housing complex, requested 100% rent abatements for October to April for the past three years and going forward, and 60% abatements for May through September, in a Nov. 10 filing.

But in their filing Nov. 17, the authority did not recommend any percentage amounts.

The utility service interruptions have differed, both as to the buildings and units affected, and in the duration of the interruption, wrote authority attorney Richard DeLucry in the filing Friday. The ACHA does not dispute that there have been utility interruptions, and that those interruptions have impacted various tenants at various times, and that rent abatements are in order for those impacted.

That said, the inquiry is fact-and-tenant specific and the record at present does not contain evidence sufficient to evaluate whether and how much of an abatement is warranted in each case, according to DeLucry.

Pomar filed papers Monday in response to the authoritys request for more time, saying rent abatements at this point  which represent interim rather than final relief  should not be determined by how long any particular unit was without heat or hot water.

Stanley Holmes tenants' lawyer asks for 3 years of rent abatements of 60% to 100% The attorney representing about 100 Stanley Holmes Village tenants in a lawsuit against the Atlantic City Housing Authority over conditions there asked a judge Friday for a 100% rent abatement for her clients for heating months over three years.

The very fact that residents must live with the constant threat of being without heat, hot water, being unable to use their cooking appliances, plus knowing that they are always at risk of hazardous gas leaks, causes them great stress and anxiety, makes it impossible to plan and prepare for daily activities, disrupts their lives, and greatly interferes with their use and enjoyment of the premises, Pomar wrote.

In addition, much of the information regarding individual unit conditions  tenant complaints, results of unit inspections, records related to repairs of the heating and gas systems  are in the possession and control of the Housing Authority, and hardly requires discovery from residents in order to make an initial assessment of the habitability claims.

The judge has said he will make a decision after considering each sides recommendations.

The authoritys failure to remedy conditions at Stanley Holmes, including a decision not to replace the heating system in time for this winter, shows that further delays in granting abatements are not warranted, Pomar said in the latest filing.

Last week U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-2nd, sent a letter to the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development requesting HUD take over the authority.

Because of the total lack of leadership by the Atlantic City Housing Authority and its complete inability to do its job, families in the authoritys communities have been left with no heat and no hot water as we approach the height of winter, which will have significant impacts on the health of its residents, Van Drew said in a statement. This is unacceptable and deeply disturbing that Atlantic City bureaucrats have faced no accountability and no consequences for the terrible conditions residents are faced with.
World Kindness Day presentation: On World Kindness Day, Nov. 13, Middle Township Elementary #2 fifth graders received a visit and reading from Lauren Keating-Wear, whose son Kanen, a former township student, died after a battle with Ewings sarcoma just after his 12th birthday.

When Kanen was 11, he illustrated and published a book, HurriKanen Fights Back, as a reminder to all those battling cancer that you can stand up to a formidable enemy but also continue to spread unconditional love.

Keating-Wear talked to students about Kanens journey with cancer and how he continued to bring happiness into the lives of others and project his hope and joy even during his battle with the disease. While in treatment, Kanen and his mother started a foundation, HurriKanens Kids. Through Kanen and Keating-Wears efforts, children in pediatric cancer wards had presents on every holiday; Easter baskets, Halloween candy, and something to do on the 4th of July when kids were stuck in the hospital, just like he once was.

I remember the day Kanens mom registered him at Elementary #1, said Elementary #2 Principal Nancy Loteck. Kanen was such a special child, and having his book to remind us of his story is a wonderful way for all of us at #2 who worked with him to keep him in our hearts and help spread his message.

To learn more about HurriKanens Kids, visit hurrikanenskids.com.

Shore Guardian Angel: Emergency room nurse Merrick Adams, of Cape May Court House, has been named Shore Medical Centers November Guardian Angel of the Month. Shore established the Guardian Angel program to enable community members to say thank you to a special caregiver through a donation to the medical center in their honor.

Adams started her career at Shore in 2021 as a nursing assistant, and in August 2022, she became an RN in the Emergency Department. Her manager, Sherri Richmond, director of emergency services, said Adams is reliable and competent and always willing to help her patients and colleagues.

Merrick is able to think and act fast. She is composed in stressful situations and possesses excellent time management skills. Shes also compassionate and well-respected by her colleagues, Richmond said.

The daughter of a Shore patient recently made a Guardian Angel donation to the medical center in Adams honor and had this to say about her:

I was amazed at the kindness, expertise and grace that Merrick exhibited while caring for my dad. Merrick also took the time to keep both my father and me informed throughout his emergency room stay. She also made a very scary situation for my dad a walk in the park.

To honor a Shore Guardian Angel, call 609-653-3800 or visit givetoshore.org.

Yacht club womens auxiliary raises $23,000: The Womens Auxiliary of the Avalon Yacht Club raised a total of $23,000 for local charities and nonprofits in Cape May County via its annual fashion show. This years featured designer was Lilly Pulitzer.

Local nonprofits selected as 2023 beneficiaries were the Helen L. Diller Vacation Home for Blind Children, Wetlands Institute, The Branches Outreach, Friend in Need, Coalition Against Rape and Abuse of Cape May County, Challenged Athletes Foundation, Holy Redeemer Healthy Families of Cape May County, Avalon Police Department and Avalon Fire Department.

For more than 81 years, the AYC Womens Auxiliary has supported numerous Seven Mile Island-based charities and organizations through its fundraising efforts, said Elizabeth Eshelman, Womens Auxiliary president for 2022-23. I am so proud to share that this years fundraising efforts far exceeded our expectations  and we couldnt have done it without the generosity of all the big-hearted local businesses on the island who so generously donated in support of our efforts.

Local businesses in Avalon, Stone Harbor and surrounding shore towns donated merchandise and gift cards, gift baskets, items for door prizes and other favors. A special feature of the evening was a live auction of a one-of-a-kind art piece created on site by a Lilly Pulitzer 20-year veteran print artist. The painting sold for $2700, the proceeds of which were directed to the Helen L. Diller Vacation Home for Blind Children in Avalon.

Hero of the Year: Sherilyn Haddock, a Community Support Services case manager with Jewish Family Service of Atlantic & Cape May Counties, recently received the Hero of the Year Award from the Supportive Housing Association of New Jersey.

Haddock works one on one with adults who have severe and persistent mental illness, making sure they receive appropriate treatment and helping them live independently.

Earlier this year, Haddock developed a Cooking with Questions class, which helps clients in the Community Support Services program learn safe and easy tips to enhance their cooking skills. Haddock also serves as a member of the agencys Trauma-Informed Committee, co-leads a staff peer support group and works as a Community Support Services program trainer.

The Hero of the Year award is presented to professionals who maintain a commitment to transform the lives of those with special needs and exhibit the importance of supportive housing. In addition to this honor, earlier this year, Haddock was selected to receive JFS Outstanding Service Award.

Sherilyn consistently goes above and beyond in her JFS work with some of Atlantic Countys most vulnerable residents. She proactively identifies potential barriers to client success before they arise and quickly develops an effective plan to address. Her dedication to client advocacy is unsurpassed and clearly has a positive impact on them, said Andrea Steinberg, JFS CEO.
TRENTON  New Jersey will prohibit the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035 as part of an effort to improve air quality and reduce planet-warming pollutants, officials announced Tuesday.

A rule that will take effect Jan. 1 commits the state to an eventual move toward zero-emission vehicles, the state Department of Environmental Protection said in a news release.

It is one of a growing number of states to do so, including California, Vermont, New York, Washington, Oregon, Massachusetts, Virginia, Rhode Island, Maryland and Connecticut, according to Coltura, a Seattle-based nonprofit advocating for an end to gasoline vehicle use.

New Jersey will start limiting the amount of new gasoline-powered cars that can be sold in the state starting in 2027, eventually reaching zero in 2035.

The move does not prohibit ownership or use of gasoline-powered cars, not does it force consumers to buy electric vehicles, the DEP said. It will not prohibit the sale of used cars powered by gasoline, and consumers would still be free to purchase gas-fueled cars elsewhere and bring them into New Jersey, as long as they met certain emissions standards.

The steps we take today to lower emissions will improve air quality and mitigate climate impacts for generations to come, all while increasing access to cleaner car choices, Gov. Phil Murphy said.

"Cleaner cars and trucks mean cleaner air for our children and families, because the tailpipes of our own vehicles are a leading cause of poor local air quality, said Shawn LaTourette, the state's environmental protection commissioner. As New Jersey transitions to a zero-emission vehicle future, we will improve our quality of life and public health. At the same time, we will reduce climate pollutants from the transportation sector, the greatest source of planet-warming pollution in New Jersey and the nation.

For many South Jersey veterans, solutions to their physical and mental health needs exist outside the VA Boot camp, deployment, assignments and basic life on a military base are all about being there for other people, whether it's members of their unit or those needing help. There are things unit members learn about one another, and stories they may not have expected to share, Shay said. But when they leave the military and go home, the resources veterans had on the base just aren't there. Some must deal with sadness, isolation, a lost sense of purpose.

The rule has been hotly opposed by business groups since word that the state was moving to implement it started circulating earlier this year.

Ray Cantor, an official with the New Jersey Business and Industry Association, said over 100 business, labor and other groups have sent nearly 10,000 letters to state legislators asking them to step in to stop a proposed DEP rule that will ultimately mandate what type of car residents can drive, and in some cases, if they can afford to drive.

This ban of the sale of new gas-powered cars in such an expedited time does not take costs or feasibility into account," he said. It does not take the lack of local and highway infrastructure into account. It does not take grid capacity into account. It ignores consumer choice. It doesnt take New Jersey residents into account, especially low- and moderate-income families.

State Sen. Michael Testa, R-Cape May, Cumberland, Atlantic, agreed.

Forcing this foolish transition to all-electric vehicles could not only lead to job losses and economic instability, but it also jeopardizes the job security of mechanics and auto shops, local gas stations and the used car market, Testa said in a statement. "Not to mention the older residents and businesses that live and operate in my district that may have difficulty trying to adapt to the new regulations if certain shops or gas stations go out of business.

Environmental groups hailed the decision.

"This is a huge win not only for the environment, but for public health and the communities who suffer every day from the pollution from congested roadways, said Anjuli Ramos-Busot, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.

The electric vehicle revolution is upon us, and the benefits are far-reaching  even for those who never plan to get behind the wheel of an EV," added Kathy Harris, an official with the Natural Resources Defense Council.
In a bid to enhance electrical safety across urban and rural areas of Western Maharashtra, the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) has launched a dedicated WhatsApp service, encouraging citizens to report potential threats to power systems. The initiative urges individuals to share information on hazards such as broken or dangling wires, damaged fuse boxes, and exposed underground cables through WhatsApp.

For Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad cities, along with Haveli talukas and Mulshi, Velhe, Maval, Khed, Junnar, and Ambegaon talukas, citizens can use the WhatsApp number 78757 67123. Similarly, 78757 68074 is designated for Baramati, Indapur, Daund, Shirur, Bhor, and Purandar talukas. Additional WhatsApp numbers have been allocated for various districts, including 78754 40455 for Solapur, 78757 69103 for Kolhapur, 78757 69449 for Sangli, and 78757 68554 for Satara.

Complaints submitted through WhatsApp should include a photo and full address or location of the identified threat. The service aims to streamline the reporting process, and citizens are encouraged to utilise WhatsApp instead of making phone calls. Additionally, individuals without WhatsApp can submit information via SMS.

Upon receiving a complaint with accompanying photos, MSEDCL promptly forwards the details to the relevant divisional and sub-divisional offices. Subsequently, after the electrical system undergoes necessary repairs, complainants are informed with post-repair photographs through WhatsApp.

MSEDCL emphasises the importance of citizen cooperation and discourages the placement of posters, leaflets, or any materials on transformers, feeder pillars, and electricity poles for safety reasons.

Ankush Nale, Pune Regional Director, appeals to the public to actively participate in this initiative, highlighting the collaborative effort required to enhance electrical safety in the region. The MSEDCL reassures citizens that complaints necessitating approvals, funding, or senior office interventions will be promptly addressed, and concerned individuals will be informed about the resolution process. For additional inquiries, citizens can contact MSEDCL's toll-free numbers: 1800-212-3435, 1800-233-3435, or 1912, which operate 24/7.
DES MOINES  Ron DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy on Friday both shared personal family stories  for the first time, they said  of their wives miscarriages. And Nikki Haley explained her wish to expand Republicans support for conservative abortion policy.

Abortion policy was a major topic of discussion Friday when the three Republican presidential hopefuls attended an event hosted by The Family Leader, an Iowa-based Christian conservative organization.

Abortion policy also was the main point among Democrats who were talking about the event.

At The Family Leaders Presidential Thanksgiving Family Forum, DeSantis, Haley and Ramaswamy spoke in front of roughly 800 people in a downtown Des Moines hotel conference room.

Former President Donald Trump declined an invitation to the event. Family Leader president and CEO Bob Vander Plaats has criticized Trump at times during the campaign.

South Carolina U.S. Sen. Tim Scott had accepted an invitation to the event, but suspended his campaign last weekend.

Vander Plaats moderated the roughly 90-minute forum with the three candidates. Vander Plaats did not, as he suggested before the event that he might, endorse one of the candidates for president.

Candidates share personal stories, talk abortion policy

DeSantis, the governor of Florida, shared the story of his wife having a miscarriage while they were trying to get pregnant for the first time after having difficulty conceiving.

Unfortunately, we lost that first baby. And it was a tough thing because this is something that we had so much hope for, DeSantis said. But we just kept the faith. We just kept praying. We knew that there would be a path that God would lead us on. And, lo and behold, a short time after, we did it: We had our first baby girl. 

I think it showed me, one, life has a long and winding road. Keep the faith, DeSantis said. But it also told me, you know what, this is special. Ive got to fight for these kids, and Ive got to fight for all these kids.

Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur from Ohio, said he became opposed to abortion through logic by believing that life begins when brain waves begin. He also shared that his wife, Apoorva, had a miscarriage when they were first trying to get pregnant.

Ramaswamy said the next time his wife became pregnant, they were told she was having another miscarriage, but at an appointment the next day, doctors detected a heartbeat. Soon after, their oldest son Karthik was born.

That was a life. Thats this guy here, Ramaswamy said as Karthik came to the stage, where he sat in Ramaswamys lap for the remainder of the forum. I think that thats what gives us our commitment. Yes, theres a logic of it. But when you bring life into this world, youll protect all life, born and unborn.

Haley, the former South Carolina governor and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, also described having difficulty getting pregnant.

When she was asked about her answer to a question about abortion policy during a recent nationally televised debate, Haley explained her goal of rallying more support to conservatives cause.

If were going to have this conversation about the federal (anti-abortion) law, we do need to tell people the truth because it is causing division and demonizing in an issue that is incredibly personal to every woman and every man, Haley said, noting as she has in the past that any federal legislation would require 60 senators in support, and that Republicans have not had 60 senators in more than a century.

So we cant ban abortions on the Republican side any more than the Democrats can ban these state laws, Haley said. So if were focused on how do we save as many babies as possible, then lets come together and say, What can we do? 

Haley suggested common ground on the issue should include banning late-term abortions, encouraging adoption, prohibiting the requirement of doctors who oppose abortions to perform them, and not charging women who have an abortion with a crime.

Asked later if she would sign, as governor, a ban on abortions once a fetus heartbeat can be detected, Haley said, Yes. Whatever the people decide.  I think its right to be in the hands of the people.

Democrats decry GOP on abortion

The Democratic National Committee launched a new billboard campaign in Des Moines ahead of The Family Leader event and a Trump campaign rally Saturday in Fort Dodge.

The billboards call out Trump and other candidates running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination over their support for what the DNC said are extreme abortion bans.

Iowa Democratic Party chairwoman Rita Hart and Minnesota Democratic U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, speaking to reporters ahead of the event, highlighted how Trump paved the way for states like Iowa and others to further restrict abortion access with this appointment of conservative justices to the U.S. Supreme Court who overturned federal abortion protections.

The pair also criticized Republican candidates, including DeSantis, who support a federal ban on abortion at 15 weeks of pregnancy. Iowa Democrats often point to a Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll from March that found 61% of Iowans think abortion should be legal in all or most cases.

Not one of these candidates is in sync with Iowans, Hart said of the Republican presidential hopefuls. Iowans value their freedoms, and they know that neither Donald Trump nor (Gov.) Kim Reynolds belong in the exam rooms with Iowas women.

Hart also said The Family Leader has done everything in their power to strip away reproductive rights for women and said DeSantis, Haley and Ramaswamy are tripping over each other in hopes they will be extreme enough to earn Vander Plaats endorsement.

Candidates jockeying, trailing Trump

Trump has held a consistent and commanding lead over the remainder of the primary field in polling, both in Iowa and nationally, throughout this year.

His support in rolling polling averages in Iowa is 47% at Real Clear Politics and 44.9% at fivethirtyeight, while second-place DeSantis is at 17.3% and 18%, respectively.

The race for second place in Iowa played out off the Family Leader stage Friday as well.

Just as the event was getting started, the DeSantis campaign announced a website dedicated to criticizing Haley. The site, the DeSantis campaign says, will highlight positions that the DeSantis campaign claims show that Haley is not the conservative she pretends to be.

DeSantis recently was endorsed by Republican Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, who is very popular among Iowa Republicans. Reynolds broke with tradition in becoming the first sitting Iowa governor since 1995 to endorse a presidential candidate before Iowas first-in-the-nation caucuses.

Reynolds has already appeared on the campaign trail with DeSantis, and was scheduled to join him at a campaign office opening event Saturday morning in a Des Moines suburb.

Also on Friday, just before The Family Leader event began, the DeSantis campaign announced a new round of endorsements from 52 Iowa faith leaders. DeSantis now has more than 100 such endorsements, his campaign said.

One of the new endorsements came from Pastor Darran Whiting of Liberty Baptist Church in Cedar Rapids.

(DeSantis) is an ally to the faith community here in Iowa, will stand firm for the truth, and I know that, as president, his faith will continue to be his anchor, Whiting said in a news release from the DeSantis campaign. I am proud to join his Faith and Family Coalition and look forward to caucusing for him in January.

Haleys campaign, also just before Fridays event, announced the endorsement of Marlys Popma, a well-known figure in Iowa Republican politics. Popma has worked on multiple campaigns, led the state Republican Party and been a leader in Iowa anti-abortion organizations.

Popma said she went into an event with Haley earlier Friday undecided, but, after hearing Haley, decided to support her in the caucuses.

I walked into an event undecided but came out with unconditional support for her candidacy, Popma said in a news release from the Haley campaign. Haley has been a governor and knows how to balance budgets and trim government waste. As former ambassador to the United Nations, she brings a unique foreign affairs perspective paralleled by no other candidate.
LOS ANGELES (AP)  A Los Angeles judge found Monday that there is enough evidence for A$AP Rocky to stand trial on charges that he fired a gun at a former friend and collaborator outside a Hollywood hotel in 2021.

Superior Court Judge M.L. Villar made the ruling at at a preliminary hearing, after hearing roughly a day and a half of testimony. Rocky has pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. His attorney attempted to cast doubt on the case while questioning a police detective.

The 35-year-old hip-hop star, fashion mogul and two-time Grammy nominee is in a relationship with Rihanna, with whom he has two young sons.

Villar said the totality of the video and testimony shows there is sufficient evidence for the defendant to go to trial. She emphasized that preliminary hearings have a much lower evidence standard than a trial, and she was only finding probable cause.

Rocky, sitting in the courtroom, showed no visible reaction.

At the first day of the hearing, which resumed Monday after a long delay, Terell Ephron testified that he and Rocky, a friend since childhood, had belonged to the same collective of musicians and artists at their New York high school.

He said their relationship had started to go sour and resulted in the standoff in Hollywood on Nov. 6, 2021, when he said Rocky first pulled a gun on him, and in a later confrontation fired shots that grazed Ephrons knuckles.

Rocky's attorney Joe Tacopina established while questioning a police detective that seven officers who searched a sidewalk and street about 20 minutes after the shots were allegedly fired found no evidence of the shooting, and that a pair of 9 mm shell casings in police possession were recovered by Ephron, who returned to the scene about an hour after the standoff.

Tacopina played body camera video of the officers, who searched the ground for about 10 minutes. Ephron, who first went to police to report the incident two days later, turned over the shell casings, which the detective said had no recoverable fingerprints on them.

Prosecutors showed a separate video from near the scene where no people are initially visible, but what sounds like two gunshots can be heard. Then a man comes running around a corner, then slows to a walk. The mans identity is not clear in the video, but Flores testified they have established it is Rocky.

LAPD Detective Frank Flores testified under Tacopinas questioning that no 9 mm pistol was recovered when a search warrant was served on Rocky.

Prosecutors showed a still from surveillance video showing a man in a hooded sweatshirt whose face is not visible holding what appears to be a gun, along with another image from the same video showing the face of the man in the sweatshirt, with no gun visible. Flores testified that the combined images led them to establish it was Rocky.

Tacopina, who is also representing Donald Trump in his New York criminal case and others, pressed the detective on the weapon, suggesting police had no way of knowing whether it was a loaded or even real gun.

That gun or whatever it was was not tested, right? Tacopina asked. No, it was never recovered, Flores said.

Tacopina asked, Youre not sure if its an operable gun or a non-operable gun or whatever?

Without having it, I cant tell you whether its operable, the detective replied.

Tacopina tried to cast doubt on the minor injury to Ephrons hand, questioning why he waited until he returned to New York to seek medical treatment.

He showed the detective a photo of the scraped fingers and said, sarcastically, Its a miracle he survived that shooting.

The judge admonished him, one of several times she told Tacopina to change his tone.

Rocky was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport in the case in April, and charged in August. He arrived in the courtroom Monday morning wearing a dark suit, sunglasses and a face mask, after spending the weekend at the Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix auto race, where he had a prominent role as Pumas creative director in the clothing brands partnership with F1.

He has released little music in recent years, and has become better known as the romantic partner, fellow fashion influencer and co-parent of Rihanna, with whom he had a second son in May. His first two studio albums in 2013 and 2015 both went to No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Rocky also became an unlikely cause for then-President Donald Trump, who said he was trying to get the rapper freed and returned to the U.S. when he was jailed after a brawl in Sweden in 2019. He was found guilty of assault at trial but was given a conditional sentence that meant no additional jail time.

In California courts, preliminary hearings like these are a sort of miniature version of a trial, with only a judge deciding whether sufficient evidence exists to move forward. The standard of proof for doing so is far lower than whats required for criminal guilt.
Longtime Davenport City Attorney Tom Warner will retire at the end of the year, the city announced Monday.

His retirement would mark the third city leader to depart City Hall by the start of the year. City Administrator Corri Spiegel announced her departure in a joint statement with the city, and on Friday the mayor named an interim city administrator to take the helm at City Hall. Also, Chief Strategy Officer Sarah Ott took a job with the Davenport Community School District to begin at the start of the year.

Warner's retirement is effective Jan. 2, 2024.

Warner wrote in an email he would "still be doing some city attorney work until January 2, 2024, although we will be in the process of transitioning my workload, projects and responsibilities to other attorneys over time."

Warner began working for the City of Davenport in January 1995 as a part-time attorney, according to a city news release. He'd previously worked as a general business and tax lawyer in the private sector. In April, 2007, Warner took on the job leading the city's legal department and providing legal advice to the City Council, a role called corporation counsel, on an interim basis. The following year, he was appointed permanently to the position, according to a news release.

In 2002, he worked with the Iowa Attorney Generals Office to develop real estate contract sales disclosures, the release said. In 2004, Warner drafted state code provisions that allowed cities to obtain ownership of abandoned and nuisance properties through court action and other avenues.

Between 2015 and 2022, Warner also drafted pieces of legislation regarding cities' immunity related to recreational activities and allowing cities to deal with alcohol establishments that have become public safety nuisances through the courts. He was also involved in drafting legislation requiring individuals being held for certain crimes involving a gun to be seen by a magistrate or judge before being released or having a bond amount set.

Warner has argued cases for the city in front of the Iowa Court of Appeals, Iowa Supreme Court and U.S. Court of Appeals.

"I am very grateful for the opportunity that the City of Davenport gave me to try and make a difference, and I am equally grateful for the outstanding coworkers, team members, involved citizens, external partners, and elected officials I have worked with over the years as well as the support from my family and friends," Warner said in the news release.

Warner declined further comment.

During a council meeting in August, Alderman Judith Lee, 8th Ward, asked for details on finding a replacement corporation counsel following Warner's retirement at the end of the year. Mayor Mike Matson at the time said he'd asked for a national search to be conducted for Warner's replacement. City staff at the meeting cautioned the council members not to discuss personnel matters on the dais.

Photos: Davenport City Council Meeting, June 7, 2023
The last time Maryann Schepers of Muscatine saw her friend Rosalynn Carter was 1979, when Carter rode the Delta Queen down the Mississippi River with her husband, Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States.

By that time, Aug. 21, 1979, Schepers had been a fan, and friend, of the Carters since she campaigned for them ahead of the 1976 caucuses. During their time in Iowa, the Carters adopted a strategy of getting to an area before the other candidates and getting to know the people.

Schepers remembers the Carters visited the area several times and, during that time, became friends with many people in the area. She remembers helping Rosalynn Carter set up for a campaign event in Davenport.

She was very charming. They all had that Southern charm, Schepers said. She was smart  she knew what was going on. I think she took a big part in helping him.

The huge crowd prohibited Schepers from going to see the Carters in 1979. She waved at the couple but is sure, because of the number of people, they didnt even know she was there.

During the campaign, Rosalynn Carter was elected director of the National Association for Mental Health and was given an award of merit by the National Organization for Women, for her support of the Equal Rights Amendment.

Schepers described the Carters as honest people. Not like the Washington, D.C. politicians. They came from a different environment.

Schepers and friend, the late Betty McMahon, were part of a contingent of 35 people the Carters invited to Washington, D.C., to hear President Carters first State of the Union Address on Jan. 19, 1978.

It made you feel like all the hours and hard work and telephone calls and miles you put on your car finally was worth it, Schepers said. Finally you had someone who was in there and appreciated it.

She remembers the Carters as being gracious people who treated others well. She said even if the Carters hadnt liked someone, they still treated them with respect.

On Sunday, it was announced former first lady Rosalynn Carter, 96, had died in her home in Plains, Georgia. She and former President Carter had been married for more than 77 years. It has been remarked that, of the two, Rosalynn was the more political.

We lost a great lady, Schepers said. Jimmy Carter lost more than anybody because she was kind of his rock.

Rosalynn Carter was known for sitting in on all the Cabinet meetings and for taking stances on controversial issues such as mental health. Together, Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter co-founded The Carter Center to continue their work after his presidency.

Schepers recalled when she and Rosalynn Carter got to talking, the discussion would always turn to their children. She said Amy Carter had been learning to play violin, as her children were, using the Suzuki Method.

One time when she took her son Erich to a caucus event, Schepers remembered, he sat at the back of the room at a desk eating candy corn and coloring. Arriving early, Jimmy Carter saw the boy, walked over and asked for piece of candy. Erich refused. Later, before Carter left, he told Erich I like a man who makes up his mind and sticks to it.
Moline Police Sgt. Sharmaine Harris-Howell and Det. Cesar Lopez have spent four years on the department's Crisis Intervention team working to connect unhoused people with social services available throughout Rock Island County.

They, and every other law enforcement officer in Rock Island County, will have two new tools to help homeless people find needed resources: a guidebook issued by the state and a phone app developed by Project NOW.

Project NOW Executive Director Dwight Ford announced Monday the release of the first Illinois Law Enforcement Response to Homelessness Guidebook, a resource designed to help law enforcement officers all over the state connect unhoused people with social services agencies and resources to help them.

The guidebook, developed by the Illinois State Police in conjunction with Project NOW Community Service Director Ron Lund, also offers law enforcement agencies examples of practical community resources, planning tools, training resources and policy examples to tailor local officers' responses in specific communities.

Flanked by Moline Police Chief Darren Gault, Rock Island Police Chief Richard Landi and Rock Island County Sheriff Darren Hart, Ford and Lund then unveiled a resource specific to the law enforcement agencies throughout Rock Island County: a digital resource guide in the form of an app that provides officers and deputies with updated online information about resources and agencies available to help the homeless.

"Right now, I work third-shift patrol," Harris-Howell said. "And right now, when we check the parks and other places, we always see people living out there. This app will really help offer resources to people.

"It's going to help. This is a tool we have never had before."

Lopez and Harris-Howell have traditionally visited offices directly to update the services offered to the homeless by an array of local agencies. Now, Lund said, the agencies can update the app on a timely basis.

According to Lopez, that will save officers time and effort.

"To have reliable, up-to-date information will allow us to spend less time searching and more time helping people," he said. "It's going to be very beneficial."

Lund and Ford said the app would be available to anyone who could scan the QR code, wich will be made available to the public.

"People won't necessarily have to call the police for help with some of the issues," Ford said. "They will have the ability to find them on their own."

Lund said a count last week showed there were 342 homeless individuals in Rock Island County. And Gault pointed out that so far this year there have been over 300 calls to police concerning unhoused individuals in Moline, East Moline and Silvis.

"Law enforcement officers respond to all types of emergencies and social-service-related calls among all populations, including people experiencing homelessness," Gault said. "There are times when officers do not know what to do or who to call for a referral. This guidebook  as well as the newly created digital resource guide  will provide navigation through the darkness."

What every state received to support education for youth experiencing homelessness What every state received to support education for youth experiencing homelessness Where the funds go
Wolf Carbon Solutions has asked Illinois regulators to withdraw and resubmit its application for a CO2 pipeline in the state.

Wolf proposes building a roughly 300-mile underground pipeline that would transport liquid carbon dioxide, a by-product of ethanol production, from plants in Cedar Rapids and Clinton, Iowa, to a sequestration site near Decatur.

In the Quad-Cities area, the pipeline would go through Scott and Clinton counties in Iowa and Rock Island and Henry counties in Illinois.

Wolf, in a news release, said it intends to update and refile an application with the Illinois Commerce Commission in early 2024 to build the pipeline.

Wolf understands and respects the stringent regulatory review process for this project, and we appreciate the diligence of the ICC and its staff, said Dean Ferguson, president of Wolf Carbon Solutions U.S., in a prepared statement. We have made the decision to withdraw our current application, with the intent to refile in early 2024, to address the questions and concerns raised by ICC staff in their recommendation.

The pipeline is still moving through the regulatory process with the Iowa Utilities Board in the Hawkeye State.

This voluntary action does not impact our commitment to the project and its stakeholders, or the ongoing regulatory processes, including with the Iowa Utilities Board and Army Corps of Engineers.

The request for withdrawal comes after an ICC staff member, Brett Seagle, in October recommended denial of Wolfs carbon pipeline application over several concerns, including that:

Not all landowners in the pipelines path received a notification of public informational meetings.

Its current construction guidelines dont adequately address public safety.

The company hasnt reached final agreements with CO2-producing companies, such as the proposed main customer, Archer Daniel Midland, nor reached final agreements for a final sequestration site.

The company hasnt submitted all applications for permits with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

And the staff member asked the commission to consider overwhelmingly negative public opinion filed.

Citizens Against Predatory Pipelines, in a news release sent by the Sierra Club, called the move the latest setback for CCS (carbon capture and storage) Projects in Illinois.

It pointed to another pipeline company, Navigator CO2 Ventures, which withdrew its application in Illinois twice before pulling the plug on the project.

The withdrawal marks the second time a CO2 pipeline company has wasted citizen and ICC resources by submitting a deficient application, the CAPP news release said.

In Henry County, Illinois, supervisors adopted a two-year moratorium on carbon pipelines. The Scott County Supervisors in Iowa initially considered a mandatory minimum setback for pipelines, but shelved the proposed rule change to see how litigation in other counties would play out.

Public meeting about Wolf Carbon Solutions pipeline
DES MOINES  In the brisk November air, Freedom and Flourish strutted, carefree, across the lawn of the Iowa Governors Mansion on Monday at Terrace Hill as the two turkeys were spared from this years Thanksgiving festivities.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds carried out the annual tradition of pardoning a pair of turkeys, declaring them free to roam and praising Iowas turkey industry and its role in the Thanksgiving holiday.

The turkeys, from the Moline Farm in Manson, were named after Iowa's new slogan "Freedom to Flourish." They will be sent to a non-commercial farm in southeast Iowa, the governor's office said.

The birds were raised by 15-year-old Ava Moline, the daughter of Iowa Turkey Federation President Brad Moline. Ava and her brothers, Coy and Logan, co-own Golden Prairie Turkeys in Manson. The siblings are fifth-generation turkey farmers.

What I truly love about Ava and her brothers story is its such a great example of the Iowa farming tradition, Reynolds said. The Molines are fifth-generation turkey farmers, and their family legacy is something we all respect.

Brad Moline thanked Reynolds for her support of the turkey industry at the ceremony.

We've had some challenging years over the years, and this past one's been another one, but with their support and guidance, the turkey industry is alive and well and strong in the state of Iowa, Moline said.

Iowa farmers raise about 12 million turkeys a year, according to the Iowa Turkey Federation. The industry has a $10.64 billion economic impact.

The event was held virtually last year because of the prevalence of avian influenza, or bird flu, in commercial flocks in Iowa.

The virus has cropped up again in counties around Iowa and other states this fall. According to the Iowa Department of Agriculture, there have been 14 cases of bird flu in Iowa flocks since Oct. 20, with three detections in commercial turkey flocks.

The disease has spread this fall from wild birds migrating south for the winter, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said. The spread is on par with last year, but Naig said officials decided the ceremony could be carried out safely.

This is an important moment for the turkey industry, he said. Its something thats got tradition and history to it. It can be safely done from a biosecurity standpoint.

Despite the bird flu cases seen this fall, Naig said there will not be a major impact on turkey prices for Thanksgiving dinner. Prices are expected to be lower this year than last because the virus is not as widespread, and turkeys produced for Thanksgiving were processed before the uptick in cases.

Those birds have been harvested and processed and in the supply chain for quite some time now, he said. So there really is no immediate impact on Thanksgiving.
Xi says China ready to send signal of jointly addressing climate change with France

Xinhua) 09:26, November 21, 2023

BEIJING, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- China stands ready to work with France in sending a strong signal of jointly addressing the issue of climate change, and in promoting the success of the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Dubai, said Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday.

He made the remarks during phone talks with French President Emmanuel Macron.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Nine days after a majority of Davenport voters chose to stick with incumbent Mayor Mike Matson, the city announced City Administrator Corri Spiegel will be transitioning out of her position. The two sides have apparently come to a separation agreement, which should be available to the public, but its not.

Her departure was announced Thursday, and despite multiple requests by the Quad-City Times over several days, we still dont know whats going on at City Hall. City Attorney Tom Warner told us Tuesday the city is aiming for a Wednesday morning media release, the day before Thanksgiving.

Residents of Davenport dont know why Spiegel is leaving her job that paid $338,445 annually. The public doesnt know what shes being paid as part of her separation agreement or any other conditions of the agreement. Why is the city paying Spiegel to leave? The announcement by the city Thursday was long on Spiegels accomplishments, but offered no explanation for her departure.

We believe the document is a public record based on this passage under section 22.13 of the Iowa Code: When a government body reaches a final, binding, written settlement agreement that resolves a legal dispute claiming monetary damages, equitable relief, or violation of a rule or statute  the settlement agreement and any required summary shall be a public record.

Seems pretty straightforward. Iowa Freedom of Information Councils Executive Director Randy Evans agrees. He also requested the document, telling the city it has a legal obligation to supply this without delay.

Mayor Matson told the Quad-City Times a financial agreement was worked out between Spiegel and the legal department with council consent, so it sounds like a binding agreement. The councils consent of that agreement should come in open session in front of the public. Matson says it wont.

The vagueness of the wording transitioning out, the speed at which Spiegel was no longer in charge  one day before an interim took over  and the lack of transparency set off warning signs. Something has happened here and those who will pay for the separation agreement are left wondering what.

Spiegel could be part of a larger exodus. Sarah Ott, chief strategy officer, is leaving the city administration to take a job in the Davenport school district. And on Monday Warner announced he would retire from the city on Jan. 2, 2024. Its not clear to what extent he helped negotiate Spiegels separation agreement. With Warner leaving, thats three key people from the administration leaving by 2024. We dont know if theyre connected, but it doesnt feel coincidental.

These departures from the city administration are especially interesting given mayoral challenger Ken Crokens campaign pledge to call for the city administrators resignation, in light of the collapse of 324 Main St. May 28 that killed three people.

During the mayoral campaign and with our editorial board Matson defended Spiegel and complimented her on the handling of a variety of city issues. While people dont elect a city administrator, they elect a mayor who appoints one, with council approval. The issues that led to the exodus of Spiegel surely existed before people cast their ballots. Why didnt we know?

Croken criticized the city for not being transparent with its operations. The events of the past week build on that narrative.

We urge the city to release the separation agreement immediately and explain to the electorate what happened at City Hall.
As the teacher shortage continues to be an issue city-wide, state-wide and nationally, school districts have to come up with creative solutions to get more teachers into classrooms.

One of those unique strategies are grow-your-own programs like the Sioux Falls School Districts teacher pathway program, which allows students to take teaching courses for dual credit while in high school.

Those dual credits are granted through the University of South Dakota, which reports 575 students have participated in teacher pathways so far, with enrollment increasing from the time it began with a cohort of 108 in 2018. As part of the two teacher pathways classes in high school, students get to visit schools across the district and gain a bit of student-teaching experience without the official title, then continue their teaching education in college after high school.

South Dakota as a whole has seen an increase of 200 teacher job postings over the last five years, something experts say is driven by pay, politics and the pandemic.

There isnt reliable national data for tracking teacher vacancies, according to USA Today, but there is evidence of a teacher shortage.

Amy Schweinle, dean of the School of Education at USD, said teacher pathways students classroom experiences through the program show them they can teach by sitting with K-12 students, helping them read and assisting with whatever is needed.

Schweinle said USD is in discussions to expand the teacher pathway to program to districts other than Sioux Falls.

"When they get into their field experience and they go to these elementary schools and start working directly with elementary kids... they realize, 'I can do this. I have a future. There's something I'm really good at, and it might be teaching,'" Schweinle said of teacher pathways students realizing their potential and the impact of the program. "I think that makes for an amazing teacher, to have that past, to have that story."

Last year, the Sioux Falls School District made its first teacher pathway hire: Alisa Larsen, a teacher at Discovery Elementary School. She went through the program when it started in the 2018-2019 school year and finished her teaching degree early thanks to the program, AP courses and dual credit.

"I joined (the) teacher pathway because I wanted to be sure I was making the right choice to study education in college," Larsen said at the time. "That's exactly what this program solidified."

Another of the first teacher pathway hires is Jeryn Mediger, who attended John Harris Elementary School, Memorial Middle School, Roosevelt High School and USD, and now works as a kindergarten teacher at John F. Kennedy Elementary School.

Teaching runs in Medigers family. Her mom and sister both teach at John Harris Elementary School, and other distant family members teach, work as education assistants, secretaries or administrators in local schools.

Mediger remembers learning about classroom management, art and music integration, the history of education and more in her teacher pathways classes at RHS and getting some of her first classroom experiences in the course as the class would get to visit Oscar Howe Elementary School once a week and work with elementary students on their projects.

As part of her teaching residency through USD, Mediger student-taught at Cleveland Elementary School in Sioux Falls. Her student-teaching experience in an elementary classroom showed her the real-life applications of all the teaching skills she learned in a college classroom, she explained.

Now in her first year as a teacher, Mediger said teaching is exactly like she thought it would be, but its also a little different than expected because she and her students build a community together in her classroom.

Ive been in the classroom so much with my mom being a teacher that I knew what I was walking into, she said. Ive never seen kids get so excited to come in here every day, or have parents email me, (My child) had a great day today. Shes so excited to come back to school tomorrow.

Alison Terhorst is one of four teachers in the district teaching the teacher pathways course in addition to her regular psychology classes. In her teacher pathways class at Washington High School, on the very first day, she asks her students about their why, or why they wanted to become a teacher.

Usually, (a teacher) made a huge impact on their lives, and it makes them want to become a teacher, she said.

For Larsen, it was her own teacher pathway teacher Gina Benz at Roosevelt High School, who she said showed her how rewarding teaching can be. For Mediger, it was all the teachers in her family she grew up admiring.

In the rest of the teacher pathway classes, Terhorst covers topics like the history of American education, classroom management, and lesson planning and implementation.

Students have to plan and teach a lesson to students at an elementary school each year as part of the course. Their lesson is observed by Terhorst, WHS principal Kari Papke, a teacher and principal at the elementary, and assistant superintendent Jamie Nold, Terhorst said, who each give feedback to the students on their lesson that focuses on their strengths.

Terhorst said she initially wanted to be a school counselor but was encouraged to teach later on in her career. Now in her 18th year at WHS, she said she can sing the praises of teaching any day of the week.

When I got in here, I was like, This is amazing. I just loved the relationships and the impact. It was very fulfilling and rewarding, to tell you the truth, Terhorst said. There are different currencies in life. I think we focus too much on the pay of a job, like what its going to give you, but thats only one of many currencies you can get in a job. Is it fulfilling? Are you doing something that youre passionate about?

I feel like Im a world-changer, Terhorst added.

This story originally appeared in the Sioux Falls Argus Leader.
About 10 minutes before 9 a.m. Tuesday, a group of around a dozen people walked into the Pennington County Administration Building on Kansas City Street and demanded the resignation of Pennington County State's Attorney Lara Roetzel for what they characterized as a lack of justice for Native Americans.

The group  which later grew to over 30  made their way to the fourth floor where the Pennington County State's Attorney's Office is located and waited in the lobby with signs, including a large print-out of a petition calling for her resignation.

Roetzel arrived in the lobby about 15 minutes later and nodded as Taylor Gun Hammer, an organizer at the local Native American nonprofit and activist group NDN Collective, asked for her immediate resignation as a matter of safety for our community.

Roetzel was sworn into her position in April after the Pennington County Board of Commissioners unanimously appointed her to replace Mark Vargo, who resigned to work overseas.

"It's been a long time coming, our people deserve to be treated equally as human beings," said Hermus Bettelyoun, an action organizer at NDN Collective and the uncle of 14-year-old Nevaeh Brave Heart.

Brave Heart was killed after she was struck by a vehicle in a hit and run on Oct. 12, 2022. Brave Hearts situation and the case of Aiko White Eagle, who died when she was two months old, took center stage in the demonstrations. Both families signed the petition, which opened with:

"We write to you today from a place of disappointment, anger, and sorrow stemming from consistent and egregious failure to uphold justice in multiple cases within the jurisdiction of the Pennington County State's Attorney's Office. We, the undersigned families of Native victims, demand your immediate resignation due to your blatant neglect of your responsibility to uphold ethics and principles in the pursuit of justice."

Roetzel released a written statement to the Journal early in the afternoon responding to the demand she resign.

"For nearly three decades, I have worked alongside my colleagues to support ALL victims  regardless of race or other factors. I will continue to fight on behalf of victims, and I, along with the rest of the prosecutors in my office, will continue to do the right thing  even when it is not popular," she said.

Brave Hearts family has expressed anger and frustration with the impending resolution of the court case surrounding her death.

Jordan Hare, 28, of Rapid City, was arrested four days after Brave Heart's death and charged with felony hit and run with injury or death. The charge carries a maximum of two years in prison and a $4,000 fine.

On Nov. 13, the state's attorney's office announced it reached a plea deal with Hare in light of new evidence. He agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanor obstruction and the state agreed to drop the felony charge and a misdemeanor failure to yield to a pedestrian charge. His plea hearing and sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 18.

Roetzel explained that the evidence did not support the hit and run charge, and she would explain more at Hare's upcoming hearing.

"A prosecutor would lose their bar license if they brought a case to court that didn't have a factual basis in the law. That would be unethical. I can't just bring charges against someone because I feel like I want to," Roetzel said to the group.

In her written statement, she added, "We prosecute cases based on the evidence  nothing more  nothing less. To assert that we do anything differently is unequivocally false. While our duty as prosecutors is to pursue justice, it is equally imperative to uphold the ethical principles that guide out legal system. Charging a case without sufficient evidence not only jeopardizes the integrity of the legal process but undermines the very foundation of fairness and due process."

White Eagle died at two months old on Nov. 19, 2022. According to her grandfather, Chris White Eagle, she died of blunt force trauma. Chris White Eagle expressed frustration that the case has not moved along.

"We sit here today wanting justice. It's been over a year," he told Roetzel.

Roetzel said as soon as the case is turned over to the State's Attorney's Office, she will take responsibility for it. Pennington County Sheriff Brian Mueller told the Journal the investigation is ongoing.

Other situations the group cited included Kyle Whiting, Kasey Arehart and Abbey Steele.

"This is not just one case or two cases. This is a whole systemic problem," said NDN Collective Action Organizer Sunny Red Bear.

The 25-year-old Whiting was shot and killed by a Rapid City Police Department officer on May 30 on East Signal Drive in Rapid City. According to the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation's summary report of the incident, Whiting had a lighter that looked like a pistol when he was shot.

Police had responded to the neighborhood after a report of Whiting being at a residence the court had ordered him to stay away from. The officer was cleared of any wrongdoing.

A Pennington County jury found Kasey Arehart guilty of three counts of aggravated assault and one count of discharge of a firearm at a vehicle after he fired into a vehicle of teenagers near the Central States Fairgrounds in August 2022. Each crime carries a statutory maximum of 15 years in the state penitentiary and up to a $30,000 fine. Arehart was sentenced to 30 years in prison with 15 suspended.

"There's a young man that you sent away for 30 years. Explain that. A young Native man you sent away for 30 years. He did not take a life. This white man took the life of my niece," Bettelyoun said.

Arehart, whose family was unable to attend the sit-in, issued a statement through his mother and said, "if anyone deserves justice, it would be Nevaeh."

At 11 a.m., Caylee Martinez, Aiko White Eagle's aunt, read the petition aloud after the group sang a prayer song. After the reading and another song, the group remained in the lobby of the State's Attorney's Office with pillows, water and snacks.

Around 11:45 a.m., two sheriff's deputies were guarding the door of the administration building only allowing people in with "legal business." It is unclear when they arrived, but at about noon, they locked the building and barred anyone from entering.

On the inside, NDN Collective CEO Nick Tilsen discussed with the group who among them was willing to be arrested. Tilsen then left the building.

Shortly after that conversation, Pennington County Sheriff's Office Captain Taylor Sperle warned the group to no longer use the drum. He said the group could stay, but if they're disruptive, they'll be arrested.

At 1:15 p.m., there were about 13 people left in the lobby of the State's Attorney's Office. One sheriff's deputy stood in the hallway about 20 feet away.

The remaining members of the group determined they had met their goal of bringing awareness to their demands and left the building just before 1:30 p.m.

No one was arrested. It is unclear when the County Administration Building will reopen to the public.
The South Dakota Industry Board is issuing a recall of buffalo products that may have been produced without the benefit of inspection.

Buffalo products with Steinke Ranch labels may have been offered for sale at multiple locations in 2023. These products do not bear lot codes, best by, or packed on dates.

The South Dakota meat inspection program has determined some Steinke Ranch products labeled with South Dakota establishment numbers 177 and/or 182 were not produced at these establishments. Instead, the meat products were produced without the benefit of inspection and mislabeled.

There have been no confirmed reports of illness or adverse reactions due to consumption of these products.

Anyone concerned about an illness or reaction should contact a healthcare provider. South Dakota Meat Inspection program is concerned that some products may be in consumers refrigerators or freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

For more information on selling meat in South Dakota, contact the SD Meat Inspection Program at the South Dakota Animal Industry Board at 605-773-3321 or aib.sd.gov.
The Jerry AllCar App has some sobering news for South Dakota drivers this Thanksgiving. The state ranks No. 1 for the percentage of fatal car accidents involving drunken drivers during the holiday.

Over recent Thanksgiving weekends, which begin 6 p.m. Wednesday and last until 6 a.m. Monday, the state saw an average of 0.79 drunken driving fatalities per 100,000 people.

That means 57% of the total fatal crashes involved drunken drivers.

The vehicle fatality report shows South Dakota far ahead of runners-up North Dakota and South Carolina at 0.55 and 10th-place Nebraska at 0.35 per 100,000 people between 2012 and 2021.

The report is a blow to Chris Olson, an associate professor of computer science at Dakota State University in Madison. He's been warning people about the consequences of drunken driving since Good Friday 2001 when he found himself paralyzed on the side of a road near Madison after he and his fiancee got into a vehicle with an impaired driver.

"We were smart enough to know all of us shouldn't drive vehicles, so we all got into one vehicle," Olson recounted about the night. "It's a 13-and-a-half mile drive, we made it 12-and-a-half before entering the ditch and we hit an approach."

Olson, who was 23, wasn't wearing a seat belt. He was thrown from the backseat of the vehicle and broke his neck. His fiancee, 21-year-old Tana Thompson, was ejected from the passenger seat and killed.

"She was a DSU student going to school for teaching, and she loved kids and loved teaching," Olson said. "We had hoped to spend our lives together, have a family, help on the farm and have the American dream."

Though his crash was Easter weekend, the premise is the same, Olson said. People, especially young people, are coming home to hang out during the holiday weekend. And nobody thinks they will be the ones to get into an accident.

In fact, the average drunken driver will have driven impaired about 80 times before his or her first arrest, said Rachel Martens, manager of victim services for the South Dakota chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

"The choice of an individual to take an impairing substance and then drive has long-lasting effects on every sphere of their life," she said. "Drunk and drugged driving is not an accident. It is a choice that can lead to a car crash, and that choice changes individuals' and families' lives forever."

A 2022 Forbes survey found 52% of South Dakota drivers have seen someone they know drive drunk after a holiday party, which is the highest in the country.

Olson went on to graduate from DSU with bachelor's and master's degrees in information systems, earned his doctorate from Northcentral University and got married in 2016.

But the impact from choices made that night remains.

He's paralyzed from the shoulders down. He has some movement in his arms but none in his hands, so he types with plastic sticks or uses voice recognition software. He faces increasing health challenges related to the accident and can't walk, get out of bed on his own, feed himself, dress himself or do many of things he could before that night.

Despite the troubling Thanksgiving statistics, South Dakota is making headway, said South Dakota Highway Patrol Capt. Robert Whisler.

"Our percentage of alcohol-related fatalities is at a five-year low," he said. "To this day, it's a 35% decrease from last year at this time."

Whisler said Highway Patrol and other law enforcement personnel will be out running sobriety checkpoints, which he hopes will be a deterrence for anyone considering taking the risk.

"South Dakota motorists are aware that we conduct sobriety checkpoints," he said. "And with that information, we hope the public makes a better decision before they decide to get behind the wheel."

South Dakota defines drunken driving as anyone operating a vehicle with a blood alcohol content greater than 0.08%, or while under the influence of alcohol, drugs or prescribed medication that renders them incapable of safely operating a vehicle.

Drivers operating commercial vehicles are held to stricter 0.04% limit, and anyone under 21 years old is held to a 0.02% limit.

According to Responsibility.org, South Dakota reported 5,522 drunken driving arrests in 2019, with 60 of those arrested being minors.

A first-time conviction for driving under the influence in South Dakota carries a maximum penalty of up to a year in jail, a $2,000 fine and a license suspension of at least 30 days.

Despite the overall improvements, Olson said it's disheartening to learn that even after 20 years of trying to educate those around him, drunken driving is still so prevalent in South Dakota.

This article was produced by South Dakota News Watch, a non-profit journalism organization located online at sdnewswatch.org.
The Bitterroot Public Library recently held an official ribbon cutting and grand re-opening to celebrate the completion of the front door construction repair, after patrons had to use the side entrance for almost a year.

Just before Christmas last year, a vehicle struck the west base of the front steps, knocking the west pillar and the bricks loose of the portico and blocking the main entrance. The library was built in 1916 as one of the 17 Carnegie libraries built in Montana, and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The front portico was added later around 1955.

According the library staff, the repairs took 11 months, mostly due to the assessment process. Hamilton city officials hired engineers and architects, determined the scope of the work and began the bidding process. Once a contractor was selected, repair work progressed quickly.

The front entrance just needs a coat of paint and it looks the same as it did before the Dec. 23 accident.

BPL Director Mark Wetheringon said the community support has been great.

We really appreciate everyones patience, he said. It is great to have the south entrance open. The city owns the building and so the Hamilton mayor will cut the ribbon. We thank him for arranging everything on the citys end.

Hamilton Mayor Dominic Farrenkopf thanked Turner Remodeling, Donny Ramer, Rose Allan, the City of Hamilton, the Bitterroot Public Library, and all the patrons of the Bitterroot Public Library for being so patient.

We thank them for going around, and around, and around to the side entrance and up the ramp, he said. To me it is a great honor to be here today. I was dressed as Santa Claus last year when the fire call went out about the library. I just rushed over in my costume.

On Wednesday, he cut the ribbon and yelled, Who is ready to go into the library?

Wetheringon was first, followed by the community members who were thrilled with the easy access.

The mayors poem of the day was called Blossoming.

Its really for Arbor Day, but it is about books, he said. As spring comes sweeping in opportunity does await, for those who blend books and trees as a way to celebrate. The process is pretty easy, you go at your own pace. First, you select your book then find the perfect reading place.

The Friends of the Bitterroot Public Library handed out cocoa, cider and cookies.

The library is once again accepting donations on Wednesdays and Fridays in the blue bin in the alley. For more information, visit Bitterrootpubliclibrary.org, call the library at 406-363-1670, or use the librarys newly repaired south entrance at 306 State Street in Hamilton.
News

Broadcom Acquisition of VMware to Close Wednesday

The $69 Billion sale of Vmware to Broadcom is finally set to close on Wednesday, Nov. 22.

"There is no legal impediment to closing under U.S. merger regulations," according to a joint press release.

The deal has also undergone -- and withstood -- regulatory scrutiny from the United Kingdom, the European Union, Canada, Israel, Japan, Australia, Brazil, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan and, most recently, China.

The fate of the acquisition, first announced in mid-2022, became uncertain last month after the Biden administration imposed a series of measures to prevent Chinese military intelligence from getting access to advanced chips, including those primed for artificial intelligence.

Initially expected to close at the end of October, the deal is now being finalized only days after the San Francisco meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Biden.

Broadcom and VMware now "have received all required regulatory approvals," the companies said Tuesday.

As part the deal's terms, Broadcom's software arm will become part of the VMware brand. The Broadcom Software Group encompasses business-critical software solutions for infrastructure and security.

Among the deal's other terms, announced last year:

Broadcom will assume $8 billion of VMware net debt.

VMware shareholders will elect to receive either $142.50 in cash or 0.2520 shares of Broadcom common stock for each VMware share.

Current Broadcom shareholders will own approximately 88% and current VMware shareholders will own approximately 12% of the combined company on a fully diluted basis.
An Bui stood on the roof of The Answer Brewpub, surveying his domain, a cigar hanging from the corner of his mouth. Next door was Mekong, the famous Vietnamese strip-mall restaurant on Broad Street that has been in the Bui family for nearly three decades. And off in the distance, the house he grew up in as a fresh-faced refugee kid.

The 49-year-old is, by all accounts, an American success story. Hes a James Beard nominee and a celebrity in Richmonds craft beer scene. Yet the memory of coming here from Vietnam still haunts him.

To this day, I dont know how we made it, Bui said. Sometimes I sleep, and I have nightmares, you know?

At the age of 11, he and his older brothers were the first to leave home. Their father, a former army intelligence officer, was sent to a labor camp when the Vietnam War ended, his life spared only because the family was able to bribe North Vietnamese officials. As with other young men in South Vietnam, they were in danger of being detained.

The siblings and 60 others packed into a tiny fishing vessel. They survived a week at sea, without gas, robbed at gunpoint by Thai pirates. And they spent more than another year at refugee camps in Malaysia and the Philippines, before the Catholic Diocese of Richmond and families from St. Bridgets Church finally sponsored them.

Buis journey brought him to western Henrico County in 1986, to a place he knew nothing about  a small yet vibrant corner of Richmond where, in years to come, countless Asian refugees would carve out a new life for themselves and their families.

Early hard years in Henrico

Millions of people from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, including those of Chinese ancestry, poured into the U.S. after Saigon fell in April 1975. They, too, risked their lives fleeing by boat to neighboring camps, where they waited to be sponsored as refugees.

Its a very hard story, said Hoa Tran, who came over in 1983. In Trans case, while escaping Vietnam, his boat almost sank, killing six people on board. A red helicopter, thankfully, spotted the wreckage.

The Asian population in this country more than doubled during the 1980s. Most of the refugees in the Richmond area were sponsored by such organizations as the Catholic Diocese, the Virginia Council of Churches and World Relief Refugee Services, in concert with local church groups. Established in May 1975, the Catholic Dioceses Office of Refugee Resettlement alone participated in the resettlement of more than 5,000 individuals in its first decade.

Many of those refugees ended up in the same Henrico enclave, all within a one-mile radius of where Horsepen Road meets Broad Street. The new arrivals, like Bui and Tran, opened an unprecedented number of Asian businesses there, not only changing the landscape but adding to the multiculturalism of the city.

Tran, whose business ventures in the area have included three restaurants, two stores and one bakery, said the Asian footprint was small even when he got there in 1983. Rigsby Road, a stretch of houses behind Horsepen that turned into refugee-owned mom-and-pops, was eerily quiet early on, he recalled.

But the area steadily attracted a mix of ethnic Vietnamese, Chinese, Cambodians and Laotians. And in later years, non-Asian immigrants, including a new wave of Latinos, settled here as well.

By the early 1990s, the Horsepen Road area, which had taken on a wholly different personality than the rest of Henrico, was dubbed a magnet for many Asian refugees by the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

The initial arrival of this community faced some resistance. Employees at a local Chinese restaurant, in 1982, filed a lawsuit claiming that the Gumenicks, a family of real estate developers that owned a nearby apartment complex in a neighborhood known as Crestview, had refused to lease to Asian tenants.

Eventually, though, much of Crestview was occupied by refugees. The Catholic Dioceses refugee office itself placed hundreds of families there.

Another popular neighborhood was what is now Libbie Mill-Midtown, a quadrant of land west of Staples Mill Road and north of Broad. Many  like Buis classmate Quan Tiet Schneider, a Chinese Vietnamese refugee whose family arrived in 1979  resided in one of 600 units at the Gumenick-owned Yorkshire and Suburban apartments, which rented for as little as $250 a month.

For Asian refugee families, this pocket of Henrico was a sort of haven, where they and others like them could collectively live, work and thrive. Rents were lower. Hotels and other businesses on Broad were willing to hire them. And schools were accessible and catered to their community.

Crestview Elementary School, which Bui attended, offered comprehensive ESL instruction for students and immersion programs for their parents, including evening language, GED and citizenship classes. And while Asians made up only 2% to 3% of the countys population in the late 1980s, they comprised more than 20% of Crestviews student body.

Most Asian refugee kids also attended the same area high schools, such as J.R. Tucker and Douglas S. Freeman, which brought incredible diversity to them as well, said Schneider, who went to Tucker with Bui.

Richmonds Chinatown or Little Saigon

Refugees, pining for a taste of home, increasingly flocked to the Horsepen Road area because of its proximity to Asian grocery stores and restaurants. The area was becoming the closest thing to a Chinatown or Little Saigon in greater Richmond. And since many did not own cars, the convenience of getting here, on foot or by hitching a ride from a friend, was a selling point.

Thats why we have the immigrants coming here, said Dave Duong, a refugee in the 1980s who lived in a house on Miami Avenue in Crestview, just two doors down from Bui and his brothers. While working for the Catholic Dioceses refugee office, he would steer folks to this part of town. Its the only Asian place over here.

Richmonds first Asian market was the Oriental Food Center (later renamed, the Asian-Oriental Food Store), a bodega-like spot off Rigsby Road. Kil Chang Im, a South Korean immigrant, who lived in back with his wife, set up shop in 1973. He subsequently sold it to his employee, a Vietnamese refugee named Tu Thi Giang, who Bui and neighborhood children affectionately called Ba Tu.

Shelves crammed with items Im would procure by driving his pickup truck to New York and Washington, D.C., the store carried everything from fresh bean curd and dried mushrooms to Chinese sausage and rice cookers to medicinal herbs and fiery kimchi made by Ims mom.

In addition to local families that consistently shopped there, Asian people hailing from distant cities and other states came as well. That was the only place, said Bui, who recalled trudging over in the dead of winter, snow up to his knees, for fish sauce and other provisions.

Thats why there were so many of us in this area until later on, Schneider added.

Also right down the block was Que Huong, one of the first Vietnamese restaurants. Its original owner, Tu Thi Wassa, who landed in Richmond two days before Saigon fell, bought the cottage with her husband, Chuck, in 1984 and turned it into a 49-seat restaurant, furnished with plastic tablecloths and rickety chairs. From its galley-sized kitchen, she churned out $3-$5 noodle dishes and 75-cent spring rolls.

Tran, who, two years later, acquired the business and whose family took turns running it, said 80% of their weekend crowd were refugees. Trans now-wife, a Chinese Cambodian refugee, was a customer, as was Bui, who, as a young boy, would stop by with his brothers. Buis sister-in-law used to work there, too.

A market for the community

As more refugees moved into the neighborhood, the number of Asian businesses  markets, restaurants, nail salons, jewelry stores, travel agencies  also grew.

Most opened in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Tran said. The sizable customer base that developed by then was, in fact, why he opened so many places there. In 1991, The Times-Dispatch noted the abundance of Asian grocery stores in the area  four, at the time  as further evidence of the Oriental enclave.

Tran and his family started Tan A Supermarket in 1990. What is now the biggest of the bunch, with a shopping plaza named after it, the grocery was originally run out of two small houses along Horsepen  one of which is now a beauty shop and the other, a taqueria.

Twelve years later, Tan A moved into its current location: an old Rite Aid. The sprawling space, overseen by Trans sister Helen, her husband, Michael, and their three kids, is a megamart for Asian home cooks. Theres a produce section stocked with bags of Thai basil and such rare delicacies as durian; freezers full of egg noodles, dried shrimp and other staples; aisles upon aisles of imported foodstuffs and kitchenware, from woks to steamer baskets; and even a dedicated fishmonger and butcher, where one can procure fresh whole flounder.

How Full Kee started

Full Kee, a Richmond dining landmark, has occupied the same storefront on Horsepen Road since it opened. Known for its lobster tanks and siu mei-style rotisserie ducks that hang in a glass display case, as well as for having the only dim-sum cart service in town, the Cantonese restaurant turns 30 next year.

Yet the storied location has an even longer history than that. Before owner Helen Tan and her late husband, Paul, inherited it, five other Chinese eateries were housed there in the 1980s. Prior to this, it was home to a Carolina-style barbecue joint. And in the 1960s, it was an actual home where a man allegedly killed his own wife.

Tan, whose family is from Teochew, China, grew up in Saigon and arrived, in 1982, as a 20-something refugee to Northern Virginia. She and Paul opened their first Full Kees in D.C. and Maryland less than a decade later. Neither had been to Richmond before, but they found an ad for the Horsepen spot which, back then, was a place called Mr. Chans owned by Hoa Trans family.

So I came and opened a restaurant serving traditional Cantonese food, the kind that catered to folks from Hong Kong and Guangdong, Tan said in Cantonese. The couple rented a nearby apartment, a couple of miles north of Crestview Elementary.

Other restaurants at the time were mostly serving Americanized Chinese food, she said. But they insisted on doing things the old-school way, just as the Cantonese grandmas and Hong Kong banquet chefs did, like making stocks with a pungent base of salt-cured fish that many Western diners had never tasted before. To drum up business after year one, they even hired a couple of specialty dim-sum and siu-mei chefs from New York City.

The restaurant has since gained a diverse and loyal following. Folks from all over Richmond regularly line up for weekend dim sum, a full-contact sport for some that involves rushing the trolley carts and claiming as many steamer baskets as they can.

Having sold off the other Full Kee branches before her husband died, the Richmond location, which Tran runs with daughter Fiona and younger brother Frank, is the only one still in the family.

Mekong almost folded

Mekong came onto the scene just one year after Full Kee, a mile away on Broad. Buis family purchased the space for $70,000 with pooled savings and a loan from a Vietnamese church. Everyone pitched in there while juggling day jobs. Bui, then, was a student at Reynolds Community College.

The first few years at Mekong, when it was strictly a Vietnamese restaurant, were a struggle. The family even considered closing on several occasions.

As a Hail Mary, Bui threw out the idea of putting Belgian beer on the menu in 1998. It was a bold move. The brewery scene in Richmond, with the exception of Manchesters Legend Brewing, was nonexistent back then.

The gamble paid off. By the early aughts, it became the place for craft beer  the Asian Cheers, as Hardywoods Patrick Murtaugh told Vice in a 2017 profile on Mekong. The profile even credited the restaurant with revitalizing the city.

Beer nerds congregated at Mekong, including members of the home brewers club who continue to meet there on the second Wednesday of each month. And like Murtaugh, a lot of the owners of Richmond breweries  including Hardywood, Triple Crossing, Ardent, Strangeways, Steam Bell and Lickinghole Creek  hatched their own business plans there.

Draft beers, another of Buis brilliant ideas, were added to the lineup as a low-cost, high-margin revenue source during the 2008 recession. A single, secondhand kegerator, outfitted with three taps, quickly morphed into two six-taps.

Currently, the restaurant has more than 60 beers on tap, plus hundreds of bottles.

Buis beer program won Mekong the title of Craftbeer.coms best beer bar in the country three years in a row. And in 2018, Bui made headlines when he was named a James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Professional.

A changing neighborhood

But the Horsepen Road area, like the rest of Richmond, is changing. Its Asian demographic has been slowly waning. By 2000, there were half as many Asians living in Crestview as there were 10 years prior.

As early refugee families saved up enough to buy their own homes, more of them dispersed farther into the suburbs, Bui said, whose family found places in Glen Allen after a decade of renting in Crestview.

The majority of his relatives eventually moved to Sandusky, Ohio, where they started a second Mekong, leaving Bui to tend to things here with his remaining siblings while also running The Answer Brewpub, which he opened alone in 2014.

Other households were forced out of the area as a result of Gumenick-led redevelopment projects between the mid-1990s and the early 2000s.

The Crestview Apartments were redone in 1996, and rents doubled. Roughly 250 more rentals in Crestview were demolished in 1999 to build new homes. And in 2001, the Yorkshire and Suburban apartments were torn down to make way for the development of Libbie Mill-Midtown.

All of this, concerned residents and housing advocates argued, decreased the supply of rental housing and made it less affordable to live there. Critics viewed it as the death knell for the international community, according to The Times-Dispatch.

Bui, who often drives through his old stomping grounds, said its barely recognizable anymore. His childhood home in Crestview is the only one left standing there. The site of the Yorkshire Apartments is now a shiny, modern library. And the Suburban Apartments have since been replaced by luxury condos and retail shops.

The future of Horsepen

Only time will tell whether the areas strong Asian influence will also fade. Some refugee-owned businesses have closed over the years. But a good number remain.

Full Kees Tan, for one, is not quite sure how much longer she will be able to keep things going. Cantonese-trained chefs are harder to come by. And the younger generation isnt particularly interested in learning the craft.

Ill stay in business as long as I can, reflected the veteran owner, who can still be found folding wontons by hand. Once I cant, Ill stop.

Meanwhile, Tran, who, just this year, opened 88 Street Food off Broad with his nephew, has no intention of ever giving up. Having survived being a poor refugee and two cancer diagnoses, the 62-year-old entrepreneur remains determined to take advantage of all of the opportunities that the American dream has to offer.

If you know where you come from, you will appreciate what you have, said Tran, who keeps the original shirt he wore out of Vietnam as a reminder to himself.

As for Bui, theres a sense of indebtedness to the community that fuels him as well.

(Our sponsors) never met us. They opened their arms, welcomed us in, he said. And because of their generosity, I happened to find my love and passion here.

One thing feels certain. Buis legacy  the mark he has made on Richmonds craft beer scene, which is now as much a part of its history as anything else  will never be erased.

Bui admitted that his kids are often confused to find their own dad featured for his contributions on the walls of such institutions as the Virginia Museum of History & Culture and the Smithsonians National Museum of American History.

They said, Daddy, it doesnt make sense. Youre still alive. How are you in the museum of history?

PHOTOS: The history of Horsepen
The administration of Hanover County Public Schools has ordered the removal of 75 book titles from school libraries, including such classics as The Handmaids Tale and Slaughterhouse Five, asserting they are sexually explicit.

The administration directed principals on Friday to begin removing the books. The division anticipates the removal of the books from school libraries will be completed by Dec. 22, before winter break.

Hanover, Spotsylvania and Madison counties have been hotspots for controversial book removals in Virginia schools.

The Hanover School Board voted in June to rewrite its policy concerning which books are allowed in school libraries and then immediately moved to remove copies of 19 books. The policy gives the School Board sole discretion and authority to remove any books from school libraries with a majority vote.

In August, the board directed librarians to start reviewing a list of more than 100 school books for removal using a website-based tool affiliated with a parents rights advocacy group  but it is a guide that experts claim is not a professionally recognized resource for librarians.

The 75 additional titles set for removal are the result of this review, which was performed by a group made up of teachers, principals and librarians from across the school division. They found that 75 of the list of more than 100 books meet the School Boards criteria for being sexually explicit, which is outlined in policy and in state law.

The chairman of the School Board, Bob May, declined to comment Monday on the book removal instruction but said the action was led by the school division administration in accordance with the School Boards June directive.

The spokesman for the school division, Chris Whitley, said  policy is set by the School Board. School division administration is tasked with implementing those policies.

One of the titles set for removal is The Art of Racing in the Rain, a 2008 novel by Garth Stein that is narrated by a dog named Enzo. It was banned in a Dallas-area school district due to a scene in which an underage girl falsely accuses the main human character of molestation.

The list also includes the young adult nonfiction offering This Book is Gay, Juno Dawsons controversial book about sexuality and gender. The book largely reads as an instruction manual for sex acts, accompanied by graphic drawings.

Other notable titles include The Perks of Being a Wallflower, a popular young adult novel by Casey McQuiston, and Rupi Kaurs Milk and Honey, a minimalist 2014 poetry book that was popularized on Instagram among adolescents and young adults that explores themes of trauma, love and survival.

The list also includes Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire.

Democrats condemn removals

A host of Democrats took to social media to condemn the action by Hanover Public Schools.

Ive spent the day trying to process this and I just cant, Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville, posted Sunday on X, formerly Twitter. Slaughterhouse 5 was the beginning of my education. Puritans who want to keep people from reading it are just stupid.

Kurt Vonneguts 1969 sci-fi, anti-war novel has been targeted by removal efforts around the country since the early 1970s.

Truly authoritarian, devastating action from the Hanover County School Board, posted Rachel Levy, a Democrat and teacher, speaking more broadly of the book removals. Levy lost a House of Delegates contest on Nov. 7 to Del. Buddy Fowler, R-Hanover.

The official Twitter account of the Henrico County Democratic Committee posted on X: Appalling stuff happening out in Hanover.

The Republican Party of Virginia backed the Hanover action, posting Monday: While most of us were enjoying our weekends, Virginia Democrats were having an unhinged meltdown because a district removed age-inappropriate materials from school libraries.

It followed up later Monday with another response to Levy: Keep stumping for keeping porn in schools, Rachel. Were sure that will win over voters 

Republicans assert that such an action is not a ban because students can still purchase and read such works outside a school setting.

An issue in book removals appears to be how school systems are applying a law sponsored by Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant, R-Henrico, who lost a bid for a third term Nov. 7 to Del. Schuyler VanValkenburg, D-Henrico. The 2022 measure Dunnavant sponsored requires parental notification for curriculum materials with sexually explicit content. The measure gives parents the option to opt their children out of that particular reading.

During an October news conference, Dunnavant pointed to an enactment clause that states her bill is not to be used for censorship or banning of books. It states that the provision of this act shall not be construed as requiring or providing for the censoring of books in public elementary and secondary schools.

Hanovers policy allows for a teacher or librarian along with the schools principal to submit a request for a waiver to the School Boards library materials committee if they wish to keep the books in furtherance of specific pedagogical goals, believing those materials to be educationally suitable and age appropriate for the intended audience. But school personnel can request a waiver only if the books are being used for classroom instruction.

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The Richmond School Board on Monday night rejected a proposal to release an external investigation into the June 6 shooting death of an 18-year-old graduating student and his father outside of the Altria Theater after Huguenot High Schools graduation ceremony.

Board members who rejected the proposal cited concerns over legal ramifications and attorney-client privilege.

The Richmond Public Schools division conducted its own investigation, which it released to board members but not to the public due to student privacy laws. Several board members found the internal report to be inadequate, and in August voted to authorize a third-party investigation of the circumstances leading up to the fatal shooting.

The school division commissioned a report from the Sands Anderson law firm. School Board members reviewed the report at their last meeting two weeks ago during closed session, but were not allowed to take the report away with them.

The motion to release the third party investigation failed Monday night on a 6-2 vote. Jonathan Young, who represents the Fourth District, introduced the proposal, and it was supported by board member Kenya Gibson, who represents the Third District. Sixth District representative Shonda Harris-Muhammed abstained from voting after expressing conflicting feelings about the proposal.

A School Board attorney advised board members Monday night to table the vote until after they received information during a closed session meeting about legal ramifications and insurance-related issues that could arise from the release of the report. Board members did not vote after the closed session meeting that ended after midnight.

Im not going to be manipulated to vote on something that were clearly being recommended to deal with in closed session, Ninth District representative Nicole Jones said.

Others agreed, while Gibson said releasing the full report would provide some of the accountability that is desperately needed.

I cannot in good conscience keep something private to protect folks in City Hall when so much is at stake, Gibson said. Ultimately, the public will see this and we can either wait or we can let it happen now.

Young said he expects the courts to veto his colleagues decision, comparing it to the controversy in Loudoun County in which the school divisions handling of a sexual assault in one school led to another sexual assault by the same student in another school after the assailant was transferred.

In September, a judge ruled that the report commissioned by the school district was to be made public, after school district leaders had argued it was covered under attorney-client privilege and should not be released.

Its awfully important in any circumstance, but particularly when youre talking about safety, and particularly when youre talking about a loss of life at a school-related event, that we are prepared to answer the hard questions, Young said in an interview.

The public is at a disadvantage if they are unable to see the very audit, the very investigative report that we commissioned for the purpose of holding us accountable. Its just very counterintuitive.

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For most locations within driving distance of Richmond, the Thanksgiving weekend weather will be dry and chilly. But depending on what day you travel, you may run into some delays before you get where you want to be.

Tuesday

A large storm system brings soaking rain to all of Virginia, but it also brings rain for most of the day from North Carolina to Upstate New York and westward into West Virginia, so be prepared for several hours of rain even if traveling out of Virginia on Tuesday. The rain will be occasionally heavy in all of those locations before moving offshore Wednesday morning, so be on the lookout for ponding of water on roads and remember the risk from hydroplaning.

While not especially windy, there will be some occasionally gusty winds in some of the heavier bands of rain. Those winds will be strongest along the peak of the Appalachians and on their windward side. Some gusts stronger than 30 mph are expected along the heavily traveled Pennsylvania Turnpike between Breezewood and Pittsburgh.

Temperatures on Tuesday will vary widely in the rain, from the 40s in Pennsylvania, 50s in Virginia, to 60s in North Carolina  although the mountains of both Virginia and North Carolina may get stuck in the 40s for most of the day.

Rain will be slower arriving in the Northeast Corridor, settling in from Philadelphia to Boston around dusk on Tuesday evening.

Wednesday

Dry weather returns north and west from Richmond on Wednesday, so if your travel starts early Wednesday morning in those directions, rain will not be a problem. The exception will be in West Virginia, where clouds will hold for another day with some nuisance small showers, keeping afternoon temperatures in the 40s. But from Richmond to Philadelphia, the afternoon will reach the 50s.

A smaller system advances across the Southeast on Wednesday, so another wave of rain lasts for a few hours on Wednesday afternoon and evening from the Eastern Shore across the eastern Carolinas. Some occasional smaller showers are likely to return to Richmond on Wednesday, but they will not approach the consistency or duration of the rain on Tuesday.

That southern system will bring several periods of rain from Hampton Roads, across the Outer Banks, southward to Myrtle Beach and Charleston. Wednesday will also be unusually humid south of Richmond, leading to scattered thunderstorms mixing within that broader area of rain.

Additionally, those storms bring a small but significant possibility of some wind damage. Be especially mindful of that risk if traveling south out of Richmond on Wednesday.

Thursday through Sunday

Thanksgiving Day will be dry from the Carolinas to New England and westward to the Ohio River Valley. Temperatures will be a few degrees below normal, but there will not be any dramatic levels of cold.

No large storm system will be within a few hundred miles of Richmond on Sunday, so traveling by car on Sunday looks relatively uneventful. The chill will remain in the air all weekend, with afternoon temperatures Sunday in the 40s in the Northeast and 50s from Richmond into the Carolinas.

The only issue will be a weak storm taking shape near the Outer Banks on Sunday, leading to some lighter showers within a few dozen miles of the coastline.

Safe travels and Happy Thanksgiving!

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General Assembly Democrats have filed the first bills of the 2024 session, including proposals to ban assault weapons and to speed up a boost in the minimum wage.

They also seek to launch the multiyear process of amending the state constitution to ensure access to abortion and to automatically restore rights once individuals have completed their sentences for felonies.

Traditionally, bills No. 1 and 2 and the first joint resolutions  such as the proposed constitutional amendments  signal the priorities of a new sessions majority.

The amendments and bills on gun violence and minimum wage signal a session that will move Virginia forward, said Speaker of the House designee Don Scott Jr., D-Portsmouth.

Scott said he is especially glad to see the measure seeking automatic restoration of rights.

With this, we are sending a message that there is no room for the spirit of Jim Crow that has plagued our commonwealth for far too long, he said.

The resolutions for rights restoration and access to abortion  if they pass the legislature  would mark the first steps toward amending the constitution. In order to be added to the state constitution, a proposed amendment must pass the legislature in two different years with a vote for the House of Delegates in between, then go to voters for approval in a state referendum. The next election for the House is in 2025, which means a state referendum on a proposed amendment could not occur until 2026.

A governor cannot veto a proposed constitutional amendment.

Throughout the campaign cycle, we told Virginians that a Democratic majority meant that abortion access would be protected, said Del. Charniele Herring, D-Alexandria, who will be House majority leader and is sponsoring the House resolution for the abortion access amendment.

It has become all too clear that without constitutional protection, access to reproductive health care is at risk, she said.

Under House Bill 1 and Senate Bill 1, the $15-an-hour minimum wage that was the eventual goal of a phased-in process passed in 2020, when Democrats had majorities in the House and Senate, would take effect in 2026. The minimum wage would rise from $12 an hour now to $13.50 in 2025.

General Assembly Democrats agreed on the slower phase-in in 2020 to address concerns by pro-business senators who are not returning to the legislature, including then-Majority Leader Dick Saslaw, D-Fairfax.

House Bill 2 and Senate Bill 2 would make buying, selling or transferring an assault firearm a Class 1 misdemeanor, subject to up to 12 months in jail.

It would also prohibit a person who has been convicted of such a violation from possessing or purchasing a firearm for three years after that conviction.

It would also bar the sale of a large-capacity ammunition feeding device.

The Democratic majority in the Senate passed a similar bill in 2023, but it died in what was then a Republican-led House.

The voters spoke loud and clear about what they didnt want to see regarding legislation from their elected officials in November, said state Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, who is sponsoring the rights restoration measure, an issue that she has pushed for several years.

Virginias constitution now says only the governor can restore voting and other rights after a person has been convicted of a felony. While Virginia Govs. Bob McDonnell, a Republican, and Democrats Terry McAuliffe and Ralph Northam moved to make rights restoration a more automatic process, Gov. Glenn Youngkin has returned to case-by-case determinations, which means far fewer are having their rights restored.

Youngkin and GOP legislative candidates have said they wanted to bar most abortions after 15 weeks, with exceptions for rape, incest and the life of a mother, instead of Virginias current law that allows abortions through 26 weeks and afterward only if three physicians attest that carrying a fetus to term will put the mothers life or mental health at serious risk.

With bills No. 3 in the House and Senate, Republicans set their first marker.

House Bill 3 and Senate Bill 3 would repeal a requirement that the State Air Pollution Control Board implement a low-emissions and zero-emissions vehicle program for motor vehicles with a model year of 2025 and later. It would also bar the state from requiring any new motor vehicle or new motor vehicle engine to be certified as compliant with Californias model year standards.

Youngkin and other Republicans had complained during the past two sessions that by adopting California standards, Democrats has surrendered Virginia sovereignty. Republicans also asserted that the electric vehicles the law promoted would be difficult to keep charged in rural Virginia, where the number of charging stations is limited.
Jeff E. Schapiro Politics Columnist Follow Jeff E. Schapiro 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

Editor's note: This column has been corrected to note that Larry Sabato, the political analyst at the University of Virginia, was a student at Saint Pius X Catholic School on the day of President John F. Kennedy's assassination in 1963.

--------------

On Nov. 4, 1960  four days before the presidential election  John F. Kennedy gambled that a last-minute swing through Virginia would tip the state his way. Campaign polling suggested a win was doable.

So off Kennedy flew to Norfolk aboard his campaign plane named for his daughter, Caroline. In Norfolk, then Virginias largest and most heavily Democratic city, the Massachusetts senator would travel by motorcade to a rally at Granby High School.

Among the thousands who would greet Kennedy were two boys  one was Black, John Charles Thomas, who was 10 years old; the other was white, Larry Sabato, who was 8.

Both would make their mark years later in policy and politics, their names and images appearing in print, on the air and online.

Listening to their recollections of that memorable Friday in their home town, it is clear that theirs was a course shaped by the Kennedy visit  and confirmed by his assassination in Dallas three years later.

To appreciate the impact that Kennedys tragic end 60 years ago had on Virginia  a state he would not carry against Richard Nixon and which would back a Democrat only twice for the presidency between 1964 and 2008  one must consider the optimistic beginning that Kennedys campaign and administration were for those two youngsters, both of whom are now in their 70s.

Thomas, who in 1982 would become the first Black justice of the Virginia Supreme Court, accompanied his mother, a nurse and Democratic activist, to the Kennedy rally in then-segregated Norfolk.

Sabato, the future politics analyst at the University of Virginia, attended the rally with his father, a civilian employee of the Navy, which to this day has sprawling presence in the port city.

For the Thomas and Sabato families, Kennedy represented hope.

For the Thomases, that America could begin mending the bitter racial divide that had worsened across the South after World War II. For the Sabatos, that the nation would reject the suspicions of a heavily Protestant electorate that Kennedys Catholicism meant he had greater loyalty to the Pope in Rome than to the people of the United States.

That segregation still gripped Norfolk meant that Thomas, to see Kennedy, would have to do so from a distance.

Little did Thomas know that in waiting for a glimpse of the Kennedy motorcade as it slowly navigated a narrow lane leading to the field behind Granby High, where the rally would be held, he would be perfectly positioned not only to see the candidate but to speak with him and to shake his hand.

Kennedy was in a black, open-top Lincoln Continental sedan similar to the one in which he was shot on Nov. 22, 1963. The car crept down the road, along which had gathered hundreds of people, many of them Black.

As Kennedy rolled by, Thomas recalled, I stuck out my hand. He stuck his out and we shook hands. And I said, Mr. Kennedy, I hope you become president of the United States. And he replied in that New England accent of his, Young man, I hope so, too.

Kennedys slender national victory the following Tuesday  he would lose Virginia to Nixon, 404,521, or 52.4%, to 362,327, or 47%  meant that, as president, he lacked sufficient political capital to make the full-on push for civil rights that Black Americans had expected.

However, in February 1963  in an address to Congress nine months before his death  Kennedy spoke of the urgency of reopening public schools in Prince Edward County shuttered since 1959 in defiance of court-ordered desegregation.

It was a first step, albeit a small one, toward the resumption of classes in the rural Virginia county, but it would be the year following the assassination before the schools fully reopened.

The day Kennedy was shot, Thomas  having just picked up new spectacles donated by a fraternal group through a program to assist the poor  had stopped in a Be-Lo supermarket with his mother, when some guy came running in with a little transistor radio, shouting, The presidents been shot! The presidents been shot!

We all gathered around that little radio and listened It was like a death in the family.

Sabato, then a student at Saint Pius X Catholic School, remembers the Kennedy visit as an exercise in identity: The Catholic thing was so important It was a merger of the Catholic faith and the Democratic faith.

Kennedy, who would be the first Catholic president, had confronted, head on, concerns about his faith in a September 1960 speech in Texas before the Greater Houston Ministerial Association, vowing tolerance and a commitment to religious freedom and the separation of church and state.

And his overwhelming primary victory in lopsidedly Protestant West Virginia in April signaled that religious bigotry might be less of threat to Kennedys candidacy than his campaign feared.

Having become nationally prominent in his field and written more than 20 books, including one about Kennedy, Sabato considers attending the Kennedy rally a seminal event.

It instilled in him a passion for politics  briefly as an adviser to Democratic firebrand Henry Howell, a three-time candidate for governor, but for most of his career as an independent analyst and researcher.

Not many 7- or 8-year-old would watch the national conventions on TV, gavel to gavel, Sabato said. But I did.

Sabato was attending Saint Pius X in the fall of 1963 and was a student in Sister Robert Miriams class when, Someone came to the door and told Sister Robert  her jaw just went slack  Our president has been shot. We all pulled out our rosary and Sister started crying. Then, one of the priests said over the loud speaker that the president had died.

Sabato returned home  it was just ahead of Thanksgiving, a holiday that would be overshadowed by the horror in Texas  and, as millions of other Americans did, spent the next four days glued to a television set.

Our world was tumbling, Sabato said.

Sixty years on, in many ways, it still is.
City Council to challenge Semarnat sand project approval for central PDC hotel

Playa del Carmen, Q.R.  Playa del Carmen authorities are considering a legal challenge after a central hotel was given sand removal permission. The permission to remove sand from a central beach to fill their own due to erosion was recently granted by the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat).

Lourdes Varguez Ocampo, the Secretary of the Environment and Climate Change of Solidaridad says the Hotel Altra sand project will be challenged by City Council.

She said the project, which was shut down by the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) a year ago and then denied an overturn by a Cancun judge, has since been granted permission by the Secretaria de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (Semarnat).

The project was shut down by Profepa in November of 2022.

Ocampo calls it a mistake to have authorized the project since, she says, it was have its effects.

It is a serious mistake to have given authorization of that nature because in general terms, what we see is that they were authorized to remove sand from one side to transfer it to another which is not appropriate in any situation.

It is a pending issue that we have to analyze with the Mayors legal counsel and challenge it because we cannot allow those types of administrative acts in which they cause more harm than good, she said.

Ocampo says they do not know when the hotel will start the sand removal project, however, City Council will do a prompt follow-up on the authorization.

We are going to challenge it. We are not going to let it prosper, she said.

The hotel has now been given permission to extract sand from Mamitas 3 to fill their beach area at Playa Recodo in central Playa del Carmen.

The hotel has been given the green light to extract 14,870 cubic meters of sand from the Mamitas 3 sand banks to be placed at their location at Playa Recodo, a project Ocampos says will have no benefit.

She said the person who authorized the project did so because they do not know the coast of Playa del Carmen.

Ocampo said that they are analyzing arguments, both environmental and legal, that will be taken to the Caribbean Regional Chamber of the Superior Court of Administrative Justice in Cancun.

The Playa Gran commercial company first requested a permit in October 2021 for the project Beach Recovery and Stabilization in the Panama Jack Development. The hotel has since changed names.

The now-authorized project includes the extraction of approximately 14,870.77 cubic meters of sand from the Mamitas 3 marine bank which is located approximately 1.6 kilometers northwest of the beach fill site.

According to documents, its surface has been estimated at 45,839.16 square meters with an approximate sand volume of 58,600 cubic meters.

In September of this year, Solidaridad City Council announced a central breakwater project that would include an artificial offshore structure built near Playa El Recodo. The artificial breakwater project is being considered due to area beach erosion.
Are you casting about for some holiday gifts rich in history? If so, you might be interested in any of the three nonfiction volumes below. Two involve Western Virginia and all three involve politics, but in different ways and eras.

Well approach them in reverse chronological order, according to the history they divulge.

The Breach, 2022

Billed as the untold story of the investigation into January 6, this semi-autobiography was written by former congressman Denver Riggleman, the Republican who represented Virginias 5th Congressional District in 2019-2020. Assisting him was journalist Hunter Walker.

It contains a bunch of surprises. One is Riggleman, once a member of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, no longer considers himself a Republican at all. Another: The Afton distillery owner was raised a Mormon.

During his single term in Congress, Riggleman violated Republican orthodoxy when he happily officiated at a same-sex wedding of two staffers. As a result, the current officeholder, Rep. Bob Good, R-Campbell, successfully challenged Riggleman in a GOP battle for the 2020 nomination.

Subsequently, Riggleman joined the staff of the House Select Committee Investigating the January 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol.

His background  more than 20 years as an Air Force intelligence officer and as a National Security Agency contractor  played a key role in the committees findings that former President Donald Trump, and others, attempted to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

Rigglemans intelligence specialty is communications analysis  and the committees investigators gathered millions of phone call records and other data that allowed them to see who was talking to whom on Jan. 6 and in the days that led up to it.

This book makes a simple case, Riggleman writes in a preceding authors note. There is a growing militant, far-right, Christian nationalist movement that is fueled by online disinformation.

That movement now constitutes an extremist wing of the Republican Party  the party that I once belonged to  and it poses a serious danger to our democracy.  My story lays out the concrete proof and data showing the scope of this threat and what I hope is a blue-print for how we can confront it.

Today Riggleman preaches about that threat on his podcast, The Mighty Peculiar Show. (You can find episodes on YouTube.)

Among his revelations are phone calls between the West Wing of the White House and Trump associate Roger Stone, and right-wing broadcaster Alex Jones, on Jan. 6 or in the days leading up to it.

The insurrection failed but the nation is still dealing with the criminality underlying it. Trump is facing four criminal trials that havent yet begun.

He left office 14 days after the failed insurrection, but not before he pardoned Stone, (who was convicted of lying to Congress). And after President Joe Bidens inauguration, a jury in Connecticut ordered Alex Jones to pay more than $1 billion to the families of children slain in a school massacre that Jones repeatedly claimed was a government hoax, and that the dead children were crisis actors.

Flowers for Dana, 2023

Author Denise Tanakas a California paralegal who moonlights writing fiction and non-fiction. Researcher Laurie Platts a Roanoke-raised true-crime fanatic. They met, online, when Tanaka wrote an earlier book, about a distant relative murdered here in Roanoke in the late 1800s.

At Platts suggestion, they combined efforts for an account of another Roanoke murder, the 1949 sensational strangulation-killing of Dana Marie Weaver. At the time, Weaver was a 16-year-old at Jefferson High School.

On May 8 that year  Mothers Day  a male classmate beat and killed Weaver in the kitchen at Christ Episcopal Church on Franklin Road. Though quickly solved, the later murder trial became sensational front-page news across America.

One reviewer on Amazon.com characterizes the book thusly: Brief Moment of Rage Leads to Tragedy for Two Families and Upends a Small Town.

The killer, Lee Goode Scott, was the son of a local insurance broker. He was sentenced to 99 years, but served 17. After a long-running pressure campaign involving at least three Virginia governors, Scott won a pardon in 1966.

Tanaka and Platt dive really deep in Flowers For Dana. Among its fascinating revelations are letters from Roanokers, penned more than half a century ago, both supporting and protesting Goodes eventual conditional pardon.

Two earlier governors had rejected clemency for Goode, but the third request proved to be the charm.

It was granted by Gov. Albertis S. Harrison Jr., after Goodes supporters won the backing of U.S. Sen. Harry Byrd, a conservative Democrat who controlled Virginia politics through the Byrd Organization.

After his release, Goode moved to Indiana, married, raised a family and lived a quiet life. He gladly carried to his grave all the secrets of his shameful deed, Tanaka writes.

A Fever in the Heartland, 2023

The full title of this engrossing volume by historian and National Book Award winner Timothy Egan does it better justice. A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klans Plot to Take Over America and the Woman Who Stopped Them.

As you probably know, the Ku Klux Klan formed in the South shortly after the Civil War, during Reconstruction. Federal authorities suppressed the KKK in the 1870s.

But the racist and bigoted organization had a second act, before and during the 1920s, when it expanded north of the Mason-Dixon Line, mostly in the upper Midwest.

That was due largely to the efforts of D.C. Stephenson, an uneducated grifter from Oklahoma. He recruited hundreds of thousands of northerners to the KKK, mostly by bribing white Protestant clergymen to endorse the Klan from their pulpits.

Stephenson, whose deal with the KKK allowed him to keep a portion of Klan dues, grew fantastically wealthy from the endeavor. He set up his headquarters in Indianapolis, the capital of Indiana.

And though he portrayed himself in public as a pillar of moral virtue, behind the scenes Stephenson was a drunkard and a violent womanizer who amassed great political power. Scores of politicians wound up in his debt.

Ultimately, he met his match in Madge Oberholtzer, a young woman who worked in Indianas public education department.

She sought Stephensons political support for an education initiative. But instead of helping her, Stephenson and some associates kidnapped her via train to Chicago, where Stephenson savagely raped and beat her.

Oberholtzer finally escaped by drinking poison, and she later died in a hospital. But before she passed, she described the entire ordeal in excruciating detail. Her beyond-the-grave testimony ended up as riveting trial testimony. It convicted Stephenson of her murder  he spent most of the rest of his life in prison.

This book is chock full of engrossing details. Perhaps the best recounts how the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame University got that nickname. That occurred because of a 1920s potato riot in South Bend  in which Notre Dame underclassmen were the chuckers and the Catholic-hating Klansmen were the targets.

That anecdote all by itself is worth the price of the book!
A service-disabled veteran-owned business that makes fabric shelters has opened in Rockbridge County.

XFS Global LLC said it bought the assets of Creative Tent International and moved its manufacturing infrastructure from Las Vegas to Natural Bridge Station. XFS has leased 34,000 square feet in an industrial building on Douglas Way, Cushman & Wakefield/Thalhimer said.

Jacob Furbee, president and CEO, said he is hiring five people, three in production and two in administration, on top of about 40 people who work at XFS, with more job openings to come.

Were bringing jobs to the community, he said.

The business produces tents  semi-permanent, preengineered fabric shelter systems  for military and commercial applications. It sells versions large enough to hold a plane or small enough to house a command post. The buildings come with HVAC equipment, insulation, floors and lights and installation if the purchaser wants.

XFS is providing a Texas customer a large white-and-gray shelter for a church. A defense subcontractor will get three tan shelters heading to an unknown destination, Furbee said.

Furbee served eight years in the Marine Corps and was deployed to Iraq twice, he said. He is joined by his vice president, Paul Wilcox, also a veteran of the Marines and who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. By way of business background, Furbee said he worked for a fabric shelter enterprise that once operated in the area but no longer does, and is getting back into the shelter industry with help from a private equity firm that assisted with the formation of XFS in September and the purchase of assets in October. A ribbon-cutting is planned Dec. 6.
The man charged with killing 28-year-old Milton Roman when a prosecutor said a drug deal went wrong in February 2019 was granted bond in Roanoke Circuit Court Monday.

Akoye D. Johnson, 32, was indicted and arrested on three felony charges in October, more than four and half years since Romans death. Chief Assistant Commonwealths Attorney John McNeil said the COVID-19 pandemic, a witnesss relocation and a lead investigators departure from the Roanoke Police Department contributed to the long timeline.

Judge Christopher Clemens said that because Johnson, a Roanoke native and 2009 Patrick Henry High School graduate, had been out of jail for so long before his arrest, he couldnt find Monday that he was a danger to the community.

The judge granted Johnson a $50,000 bond with surety and told the defendant he is not permitted to leave his residence on Hanover Avenue Northwest unless accompanied by his mother.

McNeil had asked that Johnson be held without bond, given three failure to appear convictions on Johnsons criminal record and the brutal nature of Romans death. The prosecutor said an autopsy found Roman had sustained four gunshot wounds, blunt force trauma to his head and defensive-type cut wounds to his hands.

McNeil said during Mondays hearing that in the months leading up to Romans death, a man named Jonathan Billings had been purchasing cocaine from Johnson. Billings lived at a residence in the 1300 block of Maple Avenue Southwest. In February 2019, Roman was staying with Billings at that address while in town from Brooklyn, New York.

Billings and Roman set up a deal with Johnson, McNeil continued, in which they planned to sell Johnson marijuana and cocaine. At about 11:15 p.m. on Feb. 2, Billings door was forced open.

Three people entered the residence, including Johnson, the prosecutor said. Someone pulled out a handgun and pistol-whipped Billings, who fell and was held to the ground.

Meanwhile, McNeil said, Johnson went to the kitchen looking for Roman. Billings told police later that he heard gunshots. Roman fell on top of him as he ran for the door.

When Billings came to, the drugs were gone, McNeil said. Police found Roman at about 11:30 p.m. walking down a nearby alley. He died later at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital.

McNeil said that police found blood throughout Billings residence, including on a window through which Roman appeared to have tried to flee. On a knife on a bed, police found Romans DNA, and on a TV that had been knocked to the floor, they found Johnsons fingerprints, McNeil said.

In 2019, Billings cooperated with and provided a statement to Roanoke police, McNeil said. When a new lead detective took over the case, he found Billings in North Carolina. The man made a second statement that matched his first.

Johnsons jury trial is scheduled to begin April 29, according to Virginias online court case information system.
The chairwoman of the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors is suing three members of the school board, claiming they pushed to have her fired from a part-time job with the school system.

Martha Hooker filed a wrongful termination lawsuit Friday against school board members Cheryl Facciani, Tim Greenway and Brent Hudson.

Facciani, Greenway and Hudson were angry about a decision made by the supervisors on funding for a new career and technical education center, the lawsuit alleges, and directed school Superintendent Ken Nicely to terminate Hooker in an act of politically minded retaliation.

Nicely admitted that Hooker, a retired teacher for Roanoke County, was doing a good job in her new role as a work-based learning coordinator, according to the lawsuit, which also names the superintendent as a defendant.

Personnel decisions are not normally made by the school board. But Nicely told Hooker: Sometimes the School Board gets out of their lane, the lawsuit claims.

Hooker was fired in May, at a time of public tension between the supervisors and school board over how to fund the replacement of the Burton Center for Arts and Technology and the renovations of two elementary schools.

The supervisors voted in fall 2022 to award funds for the schools by category and classification of expenses, rather than making a lump sum payment that would have given the school board more flexibility.

The idea behind the supervisors unanimous vote was to increase transparency and accountability.

In multiple telephone calls, Hudson told Hooker that the allocated funding was unacceptable and will be an ongoing roadblock in our relationship, the lawsuit alleges.

Mr. Hudson spoke to Ms. Hooker in a derogatory tone and adopted a hostile demeanor during their conversations, according to the 13-page document filed in U.S. District Court in Roanoke.

Hudson, chairman of the school board, was then joined by Facciani and Greenway in pressuring the superintendent to fire Hooker. The stated reason was that she had a conflict of interest in working for the districts career and technical education department while also serving on the board of supervisors, the lawsuit claims.

The filing states that Hooker sought an opinion from the county attorney, who told her that she did not have a conflict of interest. Hooker says she always mentioned her part-time employment before voting on school issues.

There was no official vote by the school board on Hookers employment, and the other two members of the board had no knowledge of the matter until learning from Hooker that she had been let go.

David Linden and Mike Wray, who are supporters of Hooker, were intentionally left in the dark regarding the retaliatory scheme hatched by the defendants, the lawsuit states.

County schools spokesman Chuck Lionberger declined to comment Monday on behalf of Nicely and the three school board members, citing a general policy of not talking about pending litigation.

The lawsuit, filed by Roanoke County employment lawyer Tommy Strelka, claims that Hooker was retaliated against for exercising her First Amendment right of political speech by voting as a member of the board of supervisors and by making comments about a matter of public interest.

Although no specific amount is listed in the lawsuit, Hooker is seeking compensatory damages for back pay, other equitable relief, and punitive damages.

After a 19-year career as a teacher for Roanoke County, Hooker retired in May 2021. Soon afterward, she was approached by the school systems director of career and technical education about a job as a work-based learning coordinator.

The duties of the part-time position include coordinating with teachers and administrators to develop more work-based opportunities such as internships, externships, job shadowing and other activities.

Hooker was praised for the work she did, the lawsuit says, and was not aware of any complaints about her serving on the board of supervisors until May 30, when she requested a meeting with Nicely about her job status.

While acknowledging that Hooker had done good work, Nicely allegedly told her that a majority of the school board  not himself  believed that she had a conflict of interest by serving as a supervisor.

I was not willing to die on that hill, the lawsuit quotes him as saying was the reason he did not contest the boards wishes.

Although Hooker and the three school board members she is suing are all Republicans, dissention and disagreement were intense among the two boards within the Republican party, according to the lawsuit.

Facciani, Greenway and Hudson all supported Hookers opponent for the Republican nomination when she sought reelection earlier this year. Tom McCracken dropped out of the race at the last minute.

Rather than attend the joint signing of a memorandum of understanding for a $130 million funding package for a new career and technical education center, the three school board members reportedly chose to participate in a McCracken campaign photo opportunity.

This was not coincidental, the lawsuit asserts  and could have been a violation of a Freedom of Information Act requirement that there be a public notice of a meeting of three or more public officials.

Reached by text Monday, Strelka said that Hookers husband was his eighth-grade civics teacher.

Its lovely to come full circle on the fundamental issues of constitutional freedom with the Hookers, he wrote.
A member of a Mountain Valley Pipeline construction crew was injured Saturday afternoon in a workplace accident on the pipelines route through Roanoke County.

The employee of contractor Precision Pipeline was apparently struck by a large rock that had become dislodged from a steep slope on Poor Mountain, according to county spokeswoman Amy Whittaker.

Fire and rescue workers, along with technical personnel, extricated the worker from the remote area, which contains some of the steepest terrain along Mountain Valleys 303-mile path through West Virginia and Southwest Virginia.

The worker was then flown by helicopter to a hospital with internal injuries.

There was no information Monday on his condition, Whittaker said.

Mountain Valley spokeswoman Natalie Cox confirmed the accident but declined to comment on details.

An investigation into the circumstances leading to the incident is ongoing, and the safety of crew members and the public remains our top priority, Cox wrote in an email Monday.

The accident happened not far from where a pipeline protester chained herself to a buried metal box in an effort to slow construction earlier this year. The terrain was so steep that emergency workers had to rappel down to remove the protester, according to evidence later presented in Roanoke County General District Court.
The administration of Hanover County Public Schools has ordered the removal of 75 book titles from school libraries, including such classics as The Handmaids Tale and Slaughterhouse Five, asserting they are sexually explicit.

The administration directed principals on Friday to begin removing the books. The division anticipates the removal of the books from school libraries will be completed by Dec. 22, before winter break.

Hanover, Spotsylvania and Madison counties have been hotspots for controversial book removals in Virginia schools.

Here are the 75 books removed by Hanover schools The list includes "Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut, "Forever by Judy Blume and Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire.

The Hanover School Board voted in June to rewrite its policy concerning which books are allowed in school libraries and then immediately moved to remove copies of 19 books. The policy gives the School Board sole discretion and authority to remove any books from school libraries with a majority vote.

In August, the board directed librarians to start reviewing a list of more than 100 school books for removal using a website-based tool affiliated with a parents rights advocacy group  but it is a guide that experts claim is not a professionally recognized resource for librarians.

The 75 additional titles set for removal are the result of this review, which was performed by a group made up of teachers, principals and librarians from across the school division. They found that 75 of the list of more than 100 books meet the School Boards criteria for being sexually explicit, which is outlined in policy and in state law.

The chairman of the School Board, Bob May, declined to comment Monday on the book removal instruction but said the action was led by the school division administration in accordance with the School Boards June directive.

The spokesman for the school division, Chris Whitley, said  policy is set by the School Board. School division administration is tasked with implementing those policies.

One of the titles set for removal is The Art of Racing in the Rain, a 2008 novel by Garth Stein that is narrated by a dog named Enzo. It was banned in a Dallas-area school district due to a scene in which an underage girl falsely accuses the main human character of molestation.

The list also includes the young adult nonfiction offering This Book is Gay, Juno Dawsons controversial book about sexuality and gender. The book largely reads as an instruction manual for sex acts, accompanied by graphic drawings.

Other notable titles include The Perks of Being a Wallflower, a popular young adult novel by Casey McQuiston, and Rupi Kaurs Milk and Honey, a minimalist 2014 poetry book that was popularized on Instagram among adolescents and young adults that explores themes of trauma, love and survival.

The list also includes Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire.

Democrats condemn removals

A host of Democrats took to social media to condemn the action by Hanover Public Schools.

Ive spent the day trying to process this and I just cant, Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville, posted Sunday on X, formerly Twitter. Slaughterhouse 5 was the beginning of my education. Puritans who want to keep people from reading it are just stupid.

Kurt Vonneguts 1969 sci-fi, anti-war novel has been targeted by removal efforts around the country since the early 1970s.

Truly authoritarian, devastating action from the Hanover County School Board, posted Rachel Levy, a Democrat and teacher, speaking more broadly of the book removals. Levy lost a House of Delegates contest on Nov. 7 to Del. Buddy Fowler, R-Hanover.

The official Twitter account of the Henrico County Democratic Committee posted on X: Appalling stuff happening out in Hanover.

The Republican Party of Virginia backed the Hanover action, posting Monday: While most of us were enjoying our weekends, Virginia Democrats were having an unhinged meltdown because a district removed age-inappropriate materials from school libraries.

It followed up later Monday with another response to Levy: Keep stumping for keeping porn in schools, Rachel. Were sure that will win over voters 

Republicans assert that such an action is not a ban because students can still purchase and read such works outside a school setting.

An issue in book removals appears to be how school systems are applying a law sponsored by Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant, R-Henrico, who lost a bid for a third term Nov. 7 to Del. Schuyler VanValkenburg, D-Henrico. The 2022 measure Dunnavant sponsored requires parental notification for curriculum materials with sexually explicit content. The measure gives parents the option to opt their children out of that particular reading.

During an October news conference, Dunnavant pointed to an enactment clause that states her bill is not to be used for censorship or banning of books. It states that the provision of this act shall not be construed as requiring or providing for the censoring of books in public elementary and secondary schools.

Hanovers policy allows for a teacher or librarian along with the schools principal to submit a request for a waiver to the School Boards library materials committee if they wish to keep the books in furtherance of specific pedagogical goals, believing those materials to be educationally suitable and age appropriate for the intended audience. But school personnel can request a waiver only if the books are being used for classroom instruction.
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) is currently hosting a groundbreaking exhibition that sheds light on the early pilgrimage of one of the most influential American artists of the 20th century, Cy Twombly. Born in Lexington, Virginia, Twomblys work has left an indelible mark on the art world, and this exhibition, titled Cy Twombly, Morocco, 1952/1953, is a homecoming of sorts, celebrating his roots in Virginia.

The Artist: Cy Twombly

Cy Twombly, also known as Edwin Parker Twombly Jr., is widely hailed in Virginia as the preeminent artist to emerge from the state. His profound artistic legacy lies in his unique ability to bridge the realms of ancient art and literature with the artistic practices of the late twentieth century. Twombly skillfully translated historically distant references into a refreshingly contemporary artistic language.

At the core of Twomblys artistic expression is his abstract expressionist style, characterized by grand-scale canvases adorned with uninhibited, calligraphic, and graffiti-like markings. This distinctive approach has left an indelible mark on the art world, serving as a wellspring of inspiration for a generation of emerging artists. Notable figures such as Anselm Kiefer, Francesco Clemente, Julian Schnabel, and Jean-Michel Basquiat have all drawn influence from Twomblys groundbreaking work.

Twomblys artistic inspiration often stemmed from the rich tapestry of poetry, classical myths, and allegorical tales. He wove these literary references into his art, paying homage to poets like Stephane Mallarme, Rainer Maria Rilke, and John Keats through his captivating creations.

The impact of Twomblys art extends far beyond Virginias borders, as his works have found permanent homes in prestigious collections around the globe. Notable institutions like the Menil Collection in Houston, the Tate Modern in London, New Yorks Museum of Modern Art, and Munichs Museum Brandhorst proudly display his masterpieces, ensuring that his artistic legacy endures for generations to come.

Untitled (Cy, North Africa), Robert Rauschenberg (American, 19252008), 1952, gelatin silver print,  Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, New York

The Exhibition: Cy Twombly, Morocco, 1952/1953

Presented exclusively in the United States at VMFA, this pioneering exhibition originated at the Musee Yves Saint Laurent in Marrakech and offers a unique glimpse into Twomblys early creative journey. It showcases the artists fascination with archaeology and the historic landscapes of Morocco through his sketchbooks, photographs, and two paintings. VMFAs Margaret R. and Robert M. Freeman Library adds depth to the exhibition by providing archival materials that contextualize Twomblys travels and interest in North Africa and the broader Mediterranean region. Additionally, a rarely exhibited painting from the artists son, brought from Italy, enriches the Richmond incarnation of the exhibition.

A VMFA Connection: Cy Twomblys Fellowship

The exhibitions ties to VMFA run deep, dating back to the Visual Arts Fellowship Programs establishment in 1940. Cy Twombly, a native of Lexington, Virginia, received funding from a VMFA Fellowship in the fall of 1952, which supported his transformative travels. These journeys greatly influenced Twomblys work and set the stage for his artistic legacy.

Cy Dear Documentary

Earlier in October the documentary Cy Dear, directed by Andrea Bettinetti was shown. The film takes viewers on a journey from Twomblys birthplace in Lexington, Virginia, to his second home in Gaeta, Italy, and through cities like Paris, Munich, New York, and Houston. It provides a comprehensive look at Twomblys life and work, offering insights into the spiritual and energetic aspects of his art.

Jeffery Allison, VMFAs director of statewide programs and exhibitions, emphasized the significance of Twomblys connection to VMFA, highlighting the artists two fellowships from the museum and their impact on his work. The documentary and exhibition provide visitors with a deeper understanding of Twomblys importance in the art world and VMFAs role in his artistic development.

Barbara Rothermel, a retired director of the Daura Museum of Art at the University of Lynchburg, shared her perspective on the film. She noted that even for those familiar with Twomblys work, the documentary offers a broader context and insight into the artists life and legacy. It becomes a valuable resource that brings Twomblys work to life.

Dont Miss Cy Twombly, Morocco, 1952/1953

The exhibition is a rare opportunity to explore the early works and influences of Cy Twombly. It will be on display at VMFA until January 7, 2023, and admission is free to the public.

More information can be found HERE
The school's 6-foot fuzzy mascot that meanders down campus halls has since stepped up his frequency of classroom visits from once a week last year to now daily.
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Investigators found fire and safety hazards on land under I-10 in Los Angeles before arson fire

State investigators repeatedly identified fire and safety hazards at a leased storage space under an elevated Los Angeles freeway before it burned in an arson fire last weekend
Email Thomas Elias at tdelias@aol.com. His book, "The Burzynski Breakthrough, The Most Promising Cancer Treatment and the Governments Campaign to Squelch It" is now available in a soft cover fourth edition. For more Elias columns, visit www.californiafocus.net
Dozens of Orangeburg area residents gathered at the main library on Tuesday, Nov. 14, to view and then offer their reactions to a film about Jaime Harrisons campaign for a seat in the U.S. Senate.

In The Bubble Christale Spain, left, chair of the South Carolina Democratic Party, and Barbara Johnson Williams, president of the Orangeburg branch of the N

Harrison was born in Orangeburg. His mother was 16 and single, and the family struggled financially during his childhood.

In 1988, when he was 12, he watched the Democratic National Convention on television. It was a revelation to see that a fellow native of South Carolina, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, was seeking the partys nomination for president.

Fast-forward to 2020, and Harrison won the partys nomination to run for the Senate seat held by Republican Lindsey Graham.

Running as the candidate representing the New South, Harrison held the usual in-person events until the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the nation.

Pivoting his strategy, he raised $130 million  a record for a Senate campaign  and bought television ads, rented billboards, and held online rallies.

He appeared on Oprah Winfreys television show and numerous national news programs and at one point was tied with Graham in the polls.

But in a red state with Donald Trump ascendant, Harrison slowly lost momentum and ultimately lost the election by about 10 percentage points.

Watching it all was Emily Harrold, another Orangeburg native and the daughter of one of Harrisons school teachers, Judy Harrold.

She decided to produce and direct a documentary on Harrisons candidacy and was accorded access to many of the campaigns most emotionally intense moments.

The result is a professionally produced film that gives a candid, intense, close-up look at Harrison as an individual as well as a candidate.

In the Bubble with Jaime premiered at the 2022 Montclair Film Festival and has been screened at festivals across the United States.

The screening in Orangeburg was prefaced by two videos. In one, Harrison sent his regrets that he could not attend in person.

The other video featured radio and television personality Lenard McKelvey  better known as Charlamagne tha God  who is listed as an executive producer of the film. The talk that happens after you watch is very important, he said.

The post-film discussion lasted nearly 40 minutes.

Connie Johnson said she might have been in the same class as Harrison in middle school.

My response to this film is ... having a sense of pride of knowing that not only does he have the audacity to believe that he is capable of running for such an office, to have the spotlight on him, the national spotlight, says that something happened in Orangeburg when he was a child to believe it was possible for him to be in that space, Johnson said.

How do we engage the community so we can rally around some child who is sitting in a sixth-grade classroom right now who doesnt have (fancy clothes or an abundance of food) ... but has enough audacity to believe that something else is possible?

Theres a bigger picture and its not partisan and its bigger than black and white, bigger than poor and rich. Its about whats possible when we have the audacity to believe in something bigger than ourselves and we start moving to serve one another to make it happen, Johnson concluded.

John R. Rickenbacker noted that although Harrison did not win the Senate seat, he did become the chair of the Democratic National Committee, and the party went on to exceed the expectations of many in the midterm elections.

He expressed concern about low voter turnout, especially among minorities. Voting makes a big difference. We have to go out and explain to people how it has an impact on them.

Christale Spain, the chair of the South Carolina Democratic Party, agreed. We have to meet them where they are, she said.

Thats why she wanted to recruit door-knockers to visit voters homes and make personal pitches during Harrisons campaign. But Harrison vetoed the strategy.

Then Spain got COVID and had to go to the hospital on her birthday. She concluded that one-on-one campaigning wasnt worth (risking) peoples lives even if it cost them the election.

And it might have. It was a lack of voter participation that resulted in Harrisons loss at the polls, said Barbara Johnson Williams, president of the Orangeburg Branch of the NAACP.

Too, Williams said voters need to realize that all of the elections are important, not just the big presidential elections.

Much discussion ensued about how to engage more people  especially young adults  in the political process. Voter registration information was available in the room where the event was held.

Future screenings of In The Bubble With Jaime are planned in Bamberg, Florence, and Laurens, and the documentary will air on PBS sometime in 2024.

Visit www.jaimeharrisondocumentary.com or www.facebook.com/thejaimedoc for more information.
5m-long fibre glass sampan that the two Indonesian men were travelling in seized by the police (Photo: Singapore Police Force) (Louis Hw NGU (SPF))

SINGAPORE  Two Indonesian men, aged 36 and 33, were arrested on Monday (20 November) for unlawful entry into Singapore by sea.

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) said in a news release that an unknown fast-moving craft was detected by the Police Coast Guards (PCG) surveillance system at 11.58pm on Sunday. It was heading towards the Tanah Merah Coast Road shoreline, and veered away from floating sea barriers deployed at the entrance of Tanah Merah Canal, before landing at the nearby coastline.

The two men were arrested by officers from PCG, Bedok Police Division, the Gurkha Contingent and the Special Operations Command, after they disembarked from the craft within seven hours from the time of detection. They were allegedly found without any valid travel documents.

A five-metre-long fibreglass sampan, fitted with one outboard motor, was also seized.

The two men will be charged in court on Tuesday for the offence of unlawful entry into Singapore. They could face a maximum jail term of six months and at least three strokes of the cane.

The police said it will continue to take firm action against such offenders to "safeguard our waters and sea borders against crime and security threats, which includes unauthorised entry into and departure from Singapore."

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.
Shop Microsoft products with Yahoo during Black Friday

When it comes to trusted software and peripherals, we always turn to Microsoft  after all, the Yahoo Shopping team even awarded the brand in the recent Yahoo Choice Awards. For their academic journey, students turn to the many reliable tablets range and for business tasks, the white-collar working class can be seen pounding on the robust laptops.

No matter what industry you're in, or if you're in the market looking for a laptop for your parents to connect with loved ones, you'll want a device that is powerful, reliable and can manage all your multitasking tasks in one go. From free shipping and returns to expert support and online workshops, Microsoft is here to help you do more with best-in-class devices, software, games, and resources.

Now you can take advantage of the biggest savings Microsoft is giving you  this Black Friday sale, save up to S$930 on the Surface Laptop Studio (this is a record deal!) and S$544.20 on the top-of-the-line model Laptop 5. As this is a limited-time offer, hurry up and cart now.

See some of the best unbeatable offers Microsoft is having now and save hundreds of dollars. Plus, you'll get many more benefits that come with your Surface products, with shipping to Singapore:

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Surface Laptop Studio. (PHOTO: Microsoft)

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Surface Pro 9. (PHOTO: Microsoft)

The Surface Pro 9 is well-regarded because of some plus points including the faster and better-performing Intel chips. The 12th Gen Intel Core i5 or i7 processor will give you up to 15 hours of battery life, allowing you to take it on the go when you're out for business meetings or calls. Included in this bundle is a free Surface Pro Signature Keyboard, 20 per cent off Microsoft Complete Protection Plan and 20 per cent off Surface accessories.

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Surface Laptop 5. (PHOTO: Microsoft)

The Surface Laptop 5 hits an all-time best price for this device that's great for school or general admin work. The elegant design is a win for most users who've bought this device and for connectivity functions, it has all the ports you need: USB 3.1 Type-A port, USB-C port with USB4 and Thunderbolt 4 support and Surface Connect port.

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Surface Pro Signature Keyboard with Slim Pen 2 for Business. (PHOTO: Microsoft)

The Surface Pro Signature Keyboard with Slim Pen 2 for Business is compatible with Surface Pro 9 for Business, Surface Pro 8 for Business and Surface Pro X for Business. The pen is designed to provide a natural on-screen writing for notes-taking or writing your essays. Create powerful presentations or reports with ease with Microsoft's best inking experience yet!

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SIOUX CITY -- The City of Sioux City honored the 246 volunteers who serve on 21 boards and commissions on Nov. 9 at the Orpheum Theatre.

For the first time ever, a Volunteer of the Year was named. The City Council chose Cindy Brewer as the inaugural award recipient from a list of nominees submitted by city staff. The other nominees were Angela Drent, of the Active Transportation Advisory Committee; Cyndi Hanson, of the Civil Service Commission; Grace Perrin, of the Environment Advisory Board; Jane Vereen, of the Library Board of Trustees; Larry Obermeyer, of the Historic Preservation Commission; LaShawna Moyle, of the Inclusive Sioux City Advisory Committee; and Nan Wilson, of the Art Center Board of Trustees.

The Sioux City Parks and Recreation Department nominated Brewer, a member of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, for the honor. Brewer served as committee chair of the information booths for the 50th RAGBRAI. The Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa kicked off in Sioux City on July 22. Brewer spent time gathering information for other committees, developed literature for distribution and identified which information roughly 50,000 riders would need while in Sioux City.

"Cindy spent well over 100 volunteer hours toward making the event a success. Her involvement truly highlighted her commitment to her community and her passion for presenting Sioux City in a good light. Additionally, Cindy is a true ambassador for the Parks and Recreation Department," Brewer's nomination read.

Brewer chatted with the Journal for our latest installment of "Five Questions." Comments have been edited for length and clarity.

What does it mean to you to have been named the city's volunteer of the year?

"Honestly, it was really an honor and a priveldge to receive the honor. I was very surprised. The people who were nominated were all awesome, really. I'm just grateful."

When and why did you start volunteering with Parks and Rec?

"I believe it was 2008. I was involved in Junior League and we did park projects. Terry Hoffman (then parks and rec manager) asked me if I would be interested in applying (for the parks and rec advisory board) and I did. I did that for four years and, then, went off the board. When (Parks and Rec Director) Matt Salvatore came to Sioux City, I reapplied. I've done it for six years."

How did you become RAGBRAI Committee chair of the information booths?

"I have done RAGBRAI previously. The year before, I went. When it was the 50th, I knew it was going to be a big thing for Sioux City. I really didn't know how I was going to be involved. And, then, Matt Salvatore called me and asked me to be the information chair. I decided to do that. I also enlisted a co-chair with me, because it was a huge undertaking."

What did you do as RAGBRAI Committee chair of the information booths?

"We had three different information centers the day of RAGBRAI and, then, also we had 100 volunteers that we needed to recruit. I got information out to hotels, to different areas -- the airport, so that if our guests to the city had any questions, they could be answered there or at our information centers. Friday was setup day and we spent a lot of time getting ready. It's a lot of information. Then, I also went over to Storm Lake to get their information, so our bike riders and their guests could get to Storm Lake with information."

What was challenging and rewarding about being volunteer chair?

"The challenging park was the Google Docs," Brewer said chuckling. "I just don't get on a computer much, so that was probably the most challenging thing. And, then, the day was a big day, because we were right down at the Tyson Events Center. We talked to and saw a lot of people. It was pretty amazing. Each one had real easy questions, or we needed to help them figure out where they were going to camp at, or restaurants, how to get back to here or there, how to get on a bus, just some of the cool things we have in Sioux City so they could take advantage of that."

This was a big thing for Sioux City. Just being a part of it. Just helping a biker. My committee people were outstanding. I couldn't ask for anybody better. It was just rewarding. The next day, on Sunday, I was tired, but my husband and I rode 28 miles through Sioux City, after the mass of humanity had left. It was just like, oh my gosh, what a great undertaking we did. We were successful and people left happy."
AKRON, Iowa -- With treats, crafts and, of course, Santa Claus, the Hometown Christmas, in Akron, Iowa, has become a popular tradition in the Plymouth County town.

Santa's arrival. a bell choir, the Festival of Trees, Christmas crafts, retail open houses and much more is planned from 5 to 8 p.m. on Nov. 29.

Hosted by the Akron Area Chamber of Commerce, Akron's Hometown Christmas is made possible with the support and participation of many local businesses and organizations.

"From Santa's special arrival on a fire truck to family-friendly activities at stores and restaurants across town, Akron's Hometown Christmas has grown into a special tradition that everyone can enjoy," Akron Chamber of Commerce Lori Rabey said.
ORANGE CITY, Iowa  A Le Mars, Iowa, man has been placed on probation for having sexual contact with a 13-year-old girl.

Skyler Meyers, 19, pleaded guilty Monday in Sioux County District Court to one count of lascivious acts with a child, soliciting a child for a sex act.

In accordance with a plea agreement, District Judge James Daane suspended a five-year prison sentence, placed Meyers on probation for two years and fined him $1,025.

Daane also ordered him to register with the Iowa Sex Offender Registry for 10 years and ordered him to serve a 10-year special sex offender sentence after he completes his prison sentence. If he were to violate terms of the special sentence, Meyers could be sent to prison.

Meyers had sexual contact with the girl, who by law was unable to consent, in December at a Rock Valley, Iowa, home.
SIOUX CITY  With verdicts for 52 charges marked in a thick packet before him, Chief U.S. District Judge Leonard Strand could have announced the verdict for each charge one by one.

Instead, he shortened the suspense, telling those gathered in the courtroom to hear the verdict in Kim Taylor's voter fraud trial that he'd summarize the jury's decision.

It didn't take long.

After roughly six hours of deliberations, the jury on Tuesday found Taylor, the wife of Republican Woodbury County Supervisor Jeremy Taylor, guilty on all 52 charges: 26 counts of providing false information in registering and voting, three counts of fraudulent registration and 23 counts of fraudulent voting.

During the 2020 primary and general elections, Taylor, a Vietnam native, approached numerous Vietnamese voters with limited English comprehension and filled out and signed election forms and ballots on behalf of them and their English-speaking children.

It was all part of a scheme, government prosecutors said throughout the six-day trial, to stuff the ballot box for her husband, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for a U.S. House seat in the 2020 primary before winning election to the Woodbury County Board of Supervisors that fall.

No one testified to seeing Kim Taylor personally sign any of the documents, but her presence in each voter's home when the forms were filled out was the common thread through the case.

"We were definitely confident in the evidence we put forward. We are delighted to say the least," Assistant U.S. Attorney Ron Timmons, one of three prosecutors who presented the federal government's case, said of the verdict.

Jeremy Taylor, who met his wife while teaching in Vietnam, has not been charged, but has been named as an unindicted co-conspirator.

The case remains under investigation, and Timmons said he couldn't comment on any potential future indictments.

Kim and Jeremy Taylor, neither of whom showed a visible reaction upon hearing the verdict, quickly left the courthouse afterward.

"Now is a time for empathy for a family that is suffering," Kim Taylor's attorney, F. Montgomery Brown, said. "This is how we solve controversies in America: with a jury, not with violence. We respect the jury's verdict and appreciate the jury's service. We'll move on to sentencing and try to get the best outcome at sentencing and assess any appellate decisions after sentencing."

Taylor faces up to five years in prison on each charge. Prosecutors did not request she be detained, so Strand ordered she will remain free on release until sentencing, which will be scheduled after the U.S. Probation Office completes a presentence investigation. She was ordered to surrender her passport at the time of her arrest and prohibited from applying for a new one.

She has 14 days to file a request for a new trial. Brown likely will renew his motion for a judgment of acquittal, and Strand, who previously reserved ruling on it, asked Brown and the prosecution to file written briefs on the matter.

Taylor committed fraud on a scale rarely seen, prosecutors said. Most voter fraud cases involve one voter casting a single ballot in another person's name, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Evans, who helped prosecute Taylor's case.

"Despite what's in the media, voter fraud is extremely rare," Evans said. "To have someone vote dozens of times for several people, that is rare."

Woodbury County election officials became aware of possible voter fraud in September 2020, when two Iowa State University students from Sioux City requested absentee ballots, only to learn ballots had already been cast in their name. They were allowed to withdraw those ballots and cast their own, but Woodbury County Auditor Pat Gill, who also is election commissioner, kept the fraudulent ballots. When processing absentee ballots on election night, election workers notified Gill the handwriting on a number of them appeared to be similar. After the election, Gill notified the FBI, which launched an investigation. Taylor was indicted and arrested in January.

At trial, five voters who had immigrated from Vietnam and speak very little English testified through a translator that Taylor had frequently visited their homes to help them fill out voter registration forms, absentee request forms and absentee ballots for them and told them they could complete and sign forms for their children without their consent. One man said he'd hand over all the blank forms to Taylor, who would leave with them.

Eight young adults -- the sons and daughters and a granddaughter of those five witnesses -- who all were born in Sioux City and speak English, each testified they had never given consent for their parents fill out election forms for them, and all were unaware they had done so. Many of them said they had never voted. In one case, two of the men hadn't lived in Sioux City for several years, yet voter registration forms, absentee requests and ballots bearing their mother's Sioux City address were filed in their names.

None of the witnesses, however, ever saw Taylor, who did not testify at trial, sign any of the documents, they said when Brown cross examined them for the defense. In his closing argument to the jury, Brown said the government had presented no evidence of Taylor's guilt and the FBI hadn't bothered to have handwriting experts examine the documents to determine if Taylor had indeed signed them.

The government countered that Taylor had met with all of the families who testified, had helped them fill out papers, collected them and dropped them off at the courthouse to be processed.

"The evidence pointed in the direction of Kim Taylor," Timmons said.
SIOUX CITY  The Sioux City Council, by approving its consent agenda Monday, once again moved forward the Headington Park splash pad project.

The council voted to adopt plans, specifications, form of contract and estimated cost for the proposed construction of a splash pad at the park, 2951 Isabella St.

In August, the council rejected the lone bid for the project from a Pender, Nebraska, construction company because it was substantially higher than the city engineers estimate.

Before the vote, Sioux City Mayor Bob Scott asked Parks and Recreation Manager Angel Wallace if the city has ever applied for an Iowa Economic Development Authority grant for a splash pad. Wallace responded that her department has not.

"You might want to do that going forward, just to see," Scott said.

When the project was originally bid on April 18, no bids were received. City staff worked with JEO Consulting Group, Inc. to modify the scope of the project to extend the completion date and remove the splash pad features to be bid separately.

Headington Park (copy) (copy) Headington Park is shown in Sioux City in August. The City Council, by voting in favor of its consent agenda Monday, adopted plans, specificat

The project was rebid on Aug. 8. Christiansen Construction Company, of Pender, submitted the sole bid of $755,000. Since the bid was well above the city engineers estimate of $400,000, the council voted to reject it.

The project, which is expected to be fully completed by Oct. 15, 2024, includes new construction of a splash pad and general site work, earthwork, seeding, sidewalk construction and concrete slabs. The splash pad features will be provided by the city. Bid alternate 1 is for exterior benches around the splash pad and bid alternate 2 is for installation of umbrella structures around the exterior of the splash pad.

City staff will go out for bid on the project on Nov. 22. A public hearing will be held on Dec. 4 and bids will be received on Dec. 19.

The project will be funded with general obligation bonds and covered under the Capital Improvement Programs aquatic comprehensive plant, which has a total budget of $559,968.38.
SIOUX CITY -- Sioux City Mayor Bob Scott recognized the 21st Annual Memorial March to Honor Lost Children by reading a special proclamation during Monday's City Council meeting.

"We support the commitment of the Native community in their continued efforts to focus on building bridges and fostering understanding," Scott read from the proclamation.

Each year, in the days before Thanksgiving, hundreds gather in downtown Sioux City for the march, which remembers Native American children who have been taken from their families and communities to be placed in the country's non-Native child welfare system. This year's march begins at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday at War Eagle Monument.

Manape LaMere, a member of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska and Native American activist, thanked Scott for continuing to remember Native children who have died or become lost in the system. Since the death of his father, Native American activist Frank LaMere, in 2019, LaMere has helped encourage the Native community to better organize.

"Bit by bit, we are making progress on the Indigenous end of helping provide solutions," he said. "We do the best we can. But, I think, like my dad would always say, once you create something, then the real work begins."

LaMere told the council that the work goes beyond providing services to the Native community. He said they are trying to be "more proactive."

"Maybe Sioux City could be a hub for the rest of the state of Iowa -- all of the foster parents and all of the Indian foster parents and, then, all the Indians, too," he said. "We've got a lot of bases to cover and, bit by bit, we're feeling more confident in that."

LaMere said the march will begin with a prayer at War Eagle Monument. Marchers will proceed to the Urban Native Center, where another prayer will be offered, and the Woodbury County Courthouse.

"We'll have somebody pray over there. Over the years, we used to go into that lobby area and maybe a couple people might go up and maybe smudge off the courthouse. We'll just say an invocation, because a lot of big, heavy situations happen, unfold in the those courtrooms. My dad always felt it was very important to extend a blessing to those rooms and to the judges and anybody involved," he said.

Then, the marchers will proceed to the Sioux City Convention Center to partake in a traditional meal.

"It started off as a protest, but we are shifting to memorializing and remembering children that are lost to that and taking that responsibility. Can we do better? Can we make things better for these youth and these families?" LaMere said.
Anthony Verzani won the second prize of $10,000 in the Iowa Lotterys Starry Night scratch game, according to a press release from the Iowa Lottery. He purchased his winning ticket at Murphy USA, 3115 Floyd Blvd. in Sioux City, and claimed his prize Friday at the lotterys Storm Lake regional office.
WASHINGTON  A federal appeals court appeared inclined Monday to reimpose at least some restrictions on Donald Trump's speech in his landmark election subversion case. But the judges wrestled with how to craft a gag order that doesn't infringe on the former president's free speech rights or prevent him from defending himself on the campaign trail.

The three judges on the panel asked skeptical and at times aggressive questions of attorneys on both sides while weighing whether to reinstate an order from a trial judge that barred Trump from inflammatory comments against prosecutors, potential witnesses and court staff.

The judges raised a litany of hypothetical scenarios that could arise in the months ahead as they considered how to fashion a balance between an order that protects Trump's First Amendment rights and the need to protect "the criminal trial process and its integrity and its truth finding function."

"There's a balance that has to be undertaken here, and it's a very difficult balance in this context," Judge Patricia Millett told Cecil VanDevender, a lawyer with special counsel Jack Smith's office. "But we have to use a careful scalpel here and not step into really sort of skewing the political arena, don't we?"

VanDevender said he agreed but believed that the gag order imposed last month does strike the appropriate balance.

The court did not immediately rule but its questions left open the possibility that it might narrow the gag order, setting parameters on what Trump, as both a criminal defendant and the leading candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, can and cannot say as the trial date nears.

Trump's team has signaled that it will fight any restrictions to the Supreme Court.

No matter the outcome, the stakes are high given the volume and intensity of Trump's public comments about the case, the massive public platform he holds on social media and the campaign trail, and the limited legal precedent for restricting speech of political candidates  let alone for the White House  who are criminal defendants.

In a sign of the argument's import, special counsel Smith himself attended, sitting in the front row of the courtroom in a building just blocks from the U.S. Capitol stormed on Jan. 6, 2021, by rioters motivated by Trump's false claims about the election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.

Monday's arguments spanned nearly 2 hours, with Trump lawyer D. John Sauer fielding the majority of questions as he pressed his case that the gag order was overly vague and an unconstitutional muzzling.

"The order is unprecedented, and it sets a terrible precedent for future restrictions on core political speech," Sauer said. He described it as a "heckler's veto," unfairly relying on the theory that Trump's speech might someday inspire other people to harass or intimidate his targets.

"They can't draw a causal line from any social media post to threat or harassment when we have wall to wall media coverage of this case," Sauer told the court.

The court greeted those points coolly.

Judge Brad Garcia pressed Sauer to explain why the court shouldn't take preventive steps before violence materializes against potential witnesses or others. Another judge noted that a Texas woman who has since been arrested was accused of making a death threat against the judge in the Trump case, Tanya Chutkan, just one day after Trump posted on social: "If you go after me, I'm coming after you!"

"This is predictably going to intensify as well as the threats, so why isn't the district court justified in taking a more proactive measure and not waiting for more and more threats to occur and stepping in to protect the integrity of the trial?" Garcia said.

Another judge in the case, Cornelia Pillard, sharply questioned Sauer over whether he believed any restrictions on Trump's speech were allowed, telling him: "I don't hear you giving any weight at all to the interest in a fair trial."

Judge Millett recoiled at Sauer's argument that Trump was merely engaged in core political speech.

"Labeling it core political speech begs the question if it's political speech or speech aimed at derailing the criminal process," she said.

But the judges also repeatedly wondered where to strike a balance, raising the prospect that the order could be narrow. Millett at one point expressed incredulity at the idea that Trump would not be able to respond to criticism by rival candidates in a debate.

"He has to speak Miss Manners while everyone else is throwing targets at him?"

The order has had a whirlwind trajectory through the courts since Chutkan imposed it in response to a request from prosecutors, who cited among other comments Trump's repeated disparagement of Smith as "deranged."

The judge lifted it days after entering it, giving Trump's lawyers time to prove why his words should not be restricted. After Trump took advantage of that pause with comments that prosecutors said were meant to sway his former chief of staff against giving unfavorable testimony, Chutkan put it back in place.

The appeals court later lifted it as it considered Trump's appeal.

Pillard and Millett are appointees of former President Barack Obama. Garcia joined the bench earlier this year after being nominated by President Joe Biden. Obama and Biden are Democrats.
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip  Israeli forces pressed their offensive against Hamas in northern Gaza on Monday, battling militants around a hospital where thousands of patients and displaced people have been sheltering for weeks, and where health officials called for the evacuation of the wounded.

A medical worker inside the facility and the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said a shell struck the second floor of the Indonesian Hospital, killing 12 people. Both blamed Israel, which denied shelling the hospital, saying its troops returned fire on militants who targeted them from inside the 3.5-acre compound.

The offensive came as 28 premature babies evacuated from Gaza City's Shifa Hospital by the World Health Organization were transported to Egypt on Monday. Three others were transferred to an Emirati-run hospital in Rafah in southern Gaza, the Red Crescent said. More than 250 critically ill or wounded patients remain stranded at the compound that Israeli forces stormed days ago.

Gaza's hospitals play a prominent role in the battle of narratives over the war's brutal toll on Palestinian civilians, thousands of whom have been killed or buried in rubble since the conflict was sparked by Hamas' Oct. 7 rampage into southern Israel. In the wake of the assault, Israeli leaders vowed to eradicate Hamas, destroy its ability to rule Gaza and uproot its militant infrastructure.

Israel claims Hamas uses civilians as human shields and that it operated a major command hub inside and beneath Shifa  which hospital officials and Hamas deny. Critics say Israel's siege and relentless bombardment amount to collective punishment of the territory's 2.3 million Palestinians.

Israeli troops battled Hamas fighters in the Jabaliya refugee camp, a densely built up district on Gaza City's northeastern side that has been heavily hit by bombardment for weeks.

Dozens of dead and wounded in airstrikes and shelling overnight flowed into the Indonesian Hospital, near Jabaliya, said Marwan Abdallah, the medical worker there. He said Israeli tanks were operating less than 200 yards away and Israeli snipers could be seen on the roofs of nearby buildings. As he spoke on the phone, the sound of gunfire could be heard in the background.

Hamas' Health Ministry spokesperson, Ashraf al-Qidra, said hundreds of patients, 200 healthcare workers and 2,000 displaced Palestinians sheltered at Indonesia Hospital.

About 200 wounded patients and their companions were evacuated from the hospital to southern Gaza in a rescue effort coordinated by the U.N. and the International Committee for the Red Cross, Al-Qidra said late Monday. Between 400 and 500 other wounded people remain, Ashraf said in an interview with Al-Jazeera. Many of the injured evacuees are being treated at al-Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, he said.

In a separate development that could relieve some of the pressure on Gaza's collapsing health system, dozens of trucks entered from Egypt on Monday with equipment from Jordan to set up a field hospital. Jordan's state-run media said the hospital in the southern town of Khan Younis would be up and running within 48 hours.

Claims about Shifa

After the evacuation of the premature babies and other wounded from Shifa, more than 250 patients with severely infected wounds and other urgent conditions remained in the hospital complex, which can no longer provide most treatment after it ran out of water, medical supplies and fuel for emergency generators.

Israeli forces battled Palestinian militants outside its gates for days before entering the facility on Wednesday. Four babies died in the two days before the evacuation, said Mohamed Zaqout, the director of Gaza hospitals.

Israel's army claimed it has evidence that Hamas maintained a sprawling command post inside and under the hospital's 20-acre complex, which includes several buildings.

On Sunday, the military released a video showing what it said was a tunnel discovered at the hospital, 60 yards long and about 30 feet below ground. It said the tunnel ended at a blast-proof door with a hole in it for gunmen to fire out of. Troops have not opened the door yet, it said.

Israeli forces also released security camera video showing what they said were two foreign hostages, one Thai and one Nepalese, who were captured by Hamas in the Oct. 7 attack and taken to the hospital. Hamas said its fighters brought them in for medical care.

The army also claimed an investigation determined that Israeli army Cpl. Noa Marciano, another captive whose body was recovered in Gaza, was wounded in an Israeli strike on Nov. 9 that killed her captor, but was then killed by a Hamas militant in Shifa.

The Associated Press was not able to independently confirm the military's findings.

Hamas and hospital staff deny the allegations of a command post under Shifa. Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan dismissed the latest announcement, saying "the Israelis said there was a command and control center, which means that the matter is greater than just a tunnel."

Three in four people displaced

Israel has repeatedly ordered Palestinians to leave northern Gaza and seek refuge in the south, which has also been under aerial bombardment since the start of the war. Some 1.7 million people, nearly three quarters of Gaza's population, are displaced, with 900,000 packing into crowded U.N.-run shelters, according to the U.N.

Strikes in the Nuseirat and Bureij refugee camps Monday killed at least 40 people, according to hospital officials, and residents said dozens more were buried in the rubble.

More than 12,700 Palestinians, including more than 5,000 minors and 3,250 women, have been killed in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in the West Bank said Monday, which coordinates with officials in the Health Ministry of Hamas-run Gaza.

Officials there say another 4,000 are missing and believed buried in rubble. Their counts do not differentiate between civilians and combatants.

Violence also surged in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where attacks by Jewish settlers are on the rise and where more than 200 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war, mostly in gunbattles triggered by Israeli military raids.
JERUSALEM (AP)  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel will continue its war against Hamas, even if a temporary cease-fire is reached with the Islamic militant group to release hostages.

In comments Tuesday ahead of an expected Cabinet vote on a cease-fire proposal, Netanyahu vowed to press ahead.

We are at war, and we will continue the war, he said. We will continue until we achieve all our goals.

The Cabinet was expected to vote on a plan that would halt Israels offensive in Gaza for several days in exchange for the release of about 50 of the 240 hostages held by Hamas.

Israel has vowed to continue the war until it destroys Hamas military capabilities and returns all hostages.

This is an update. AP's earlier story follows below.

Photos: Scenes from the Israel-Hamas war
PORTLAND, Maine  Some states are steadily chipping away at longstanding bans on Sunday hunting, and there's a push to overturn the laws in Maine and Massachusetts, the final two states with full bans.

Maine's highest court is considering a lawsuit asking whether the state's 19th century law, which prevents hunting big game animals such as deer, moose and turkeys on Sundays, is still necessary. In Massachusetts, where hunters are also lobbying for Sunday hunting rights, there is a renewed effort to change state laws forbidding the practice.

Forty states have no prohibitions on hunting on Sundays.

The bans stem from so-called "blue laws" that also regulate which businesses can remain open and where alcohol can be sold on Sundays.

Animal welfare groups, conservation organizations and others are rallying to defend the prohibitions, but the end of the laws might be in sight. Other states such as Virginia and South Carolina have in recent years rolled back what remains of their own limitations on the Sunday hunt.

Residents of states where hunting is part of the culture are divided on the subject. Some hunters argue the laws protect private landowner rights, while others say the rules take away hunting opportunities  or are just plain silly.

Sportsmen who oppose the laws see them as a vestige of the blue laws dating to the 17th century and limiting what activities citizens can engage in on a day governments once dedicated to prayer.

Jared Bornstein, executive director of Maine Hunters United for Sunday Hunting, said allowing seven-day-a-week hunting would allow people the opportunity to harvest their own food in a state with many poor, rural communities that cannot afford soaring grocery costs.

"I'm not saying that Sunday hunting is going to save the world economically, but I'm saying for a group of people, there's more of an objective benefit to it," Bornstein said. "It's a generation's last vestigial attempt to control the working class."

The states that still have full or partial bans on Sunday hunting are all on the East Coast, where every fall sportsmen pursue wild turkeys and white-tailed deer with firearms and archery.

Last year, South Carolina opened limited hunting on public lands on Sundays, and the year before that Virginia made a similar move.

A few years prior North Carolina began to allow Sunday hunting on some 75% of its public hunting land, according to the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation. Laws were also loosened in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Delaware in the past five years.

Maine's ongoing court case, which could legalize Sunday hunting, concerns a couple who filed a lawsuit stating the "right to food" amendment in the state's Constitution, the first of its kind in the U.S., should allow them to hunt on any day of the week. The Maine Supreme Judicial Court has heard arguments in the case, but it's unclear when it will rule, said Andy Schmidt, an attorney for the couple. The state first banned Sunday hunting in 1883.

In Massachusetts, where some sources date the ban all the way back to the Puritan era, a campaign to repeal it made progress before stalling in the state Legislature in 2014. Some are continuing to try to strike the law, which is "discriminating against hunters," said John Kellstrand, president of the Mass Sportsmen's Council. A new proposal to authorize Sunday hunting via bow and arrows was introduced earlier this year.

The efforts to roll back Sunday hunting up and down the East Coast face opposition from a broad range of interest groups, including animal protection advocates, state wildlife management authorities and private landowners.

Maine Woodland Owners, a group representing rural landowners in the most forested state in the country, sees the Sunday hunting ban as critical to keeping private lands open for hunting access on the other days of the week, Executive Director Tom Doak said.

"We're not asking for money. We're not saying pay us. We're not asking for anything but to be left alone one day a week," Doak said. "They will close their lands. They absolutely will do that."

Sportsmen's groups, including the National Rifle Association and Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation, have long lobbied to overturn Sunday hunting restrictions, and have had much success over the past 30 years. In that time, states including New York, Ohio and Connecticut have loosened Sunday hunting laws.

Lifting bans has created hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars in economic activity, said Fred Bird, assistant manager for the northeastern states for the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation. Getting rid of what's left of these laws would remove "a regulation that has no basis in wildlife management," Bird said.

"Simply put, if hunters do not have available days to go afield, they must decide whether their time, energy, and financial resources should continue to be allocated to a pursuit they are unable to fully participate in," he said.

Wildlife managers in states with Sunday hunting have sometimes pushed back at efforts to overturn the bans. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife testified against a proposal earlier this year that would have allowed Sunday hunting with a bow and arrow or a crossbow.

Agricultural, land owner and conservation groups also came out against the proposal, which had support from the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation and some hunters in the state. The Maine Farm Bureau Association testified it's important for land owners to have "one day of rest without disruption."

The proposal was ultimately voted down in committee. However, the odds of a similar proposal coming before the Maine Legislature again seem high, testified Judy Camuso, commissioner of the wildlife department.

"The topic of Sunday hunting has been a heated social debate for years," she said.
STOCKHOLM  Many cities around the world see clean and efficient public transport as a crucial way to lower their carbon emissions. For cities with waterways, a high-tech ferry in Sweden could soon set a new standard.

Speeding through Stockholms archipelago, electric boat maker Candelas new P-12 vessel barely makes a sound as it glides over 3 feet above the water. Its developers hope the ferry, which was unveiled last week, will yield a new era of waterborne public transport.

This is a real leap forward, said Erik Eklund, who is in charge of the commercial vessel division at Candela. The energy savings we get by going airborne on the foils give us the speed and range we need to make this work on batteries.

The vessel is designed to carry 30 passengers at a maximum speed of 335 mph  considerably faster than other electric passenger ferries. It achieves this with carbon fiber hydrofoil wings that lift the boat out of the water, reducing drag.

Candela says its technology reduces the energy per passenger-kilometer by 95% compared with the diesel ships that are currently transporting passengers across the picturesque Stockholm archipelago, which is made up of tens of thousands of islands and skerries stretching out into the Baltic Sea.

An added benefit is that the vessel is exempt from the 12-knot speed limit in Stockholm because it leaves no wake  waves made by a boats displacement through water that increase with speed and could swamp other vessels or erode the shoreline.

The P-12 is still in testing but is set to enter service in July between the Stockholm suburb of Ekero and the city center as part of a nine-month pilot project. The ferry will cut the travel time from Ekero by conventional public transport from 55 minutes to 25 minutes.

The company wants to build on lessons learned from the launch of its smaller electric hydrofoil leisure boat. Onboard, engineers are fine-tuning the hydrofoils, which are regulated by a computer 100 times per second to compensate for the sea state and negate the effects of any waves. The vessel can operate in waves of up to 6.5 feet.

Candela hopes that as well as Stockholm, cities like San Francisco, New York and Venice will lead the electrification of waterborne public transport.

Gustav Hemming, Vice President of the Regional Executive Board in Stockholm, said the Swedish capital is on board.

The ambition is, for the Stockholm region, to expand public transport on water, because we think that is one of the keys to make public transport more attractive, he said.

There were around 6.2 million public transport boat journeys in the Stockholm region in 2022, and while boat traffic remains a small part of the entire public transit system, it is the fastest-growing mode of public transport after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our roads are congested and building new ones is very expensive and not very environmentally friendly, Hemming said, looking out onto the open waters of Stockholm on a cold autumnal day. But here we have our traditional infrastructure. There is no congestion on the water."

The use of hydrofoils to raise a vessel out of the water to reduce drag is not new. Ship designers have experimented with the technology for more than a century, but costs and maintenance issues had prevented its widespread adoption. However, new lightweight carbon fiber material saw the technology make a comeback in elite sailing, and with efficient electric motors and high costs for traditional fuels its getting a second birth in the public transport sector, too.

We know that marine vessels are often energy-hungry, and the limited energy density of todays batteries will be a barrier for electrification of a marine fleet, said Arash Eslamdoost, associate professor of applied hydrodynamics at the Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg. Here is where foiling steps in as a radical solution for taking the most out of the limited onboard electric power.

Globally, several hydrofoil electric passenger ferries are under design or actively being developed. In the U.K., Artemis Technologies has announced plans for a fully electric hydrofoil ferry to operate in Northern Ireland between Belfast and nearby Bangor, possibly as early as next year.

Robin Cook from the Swedish Transport Agency says the maritime industry is ripe for change, especially for short-distance connections. But he stressed that public infrastructure must keep up with the latest developments and even encourage this through incentives.

One important part of the electrification is when the ships connect to the ports through the onshore power supply," he said. "And here the harbors play a very important role to make sure that the infrastructure is in place for these connections.
QUSRA, West Bank  When Israeli warplanes swooped over the Gaza Strip following Hamas militants' deadly attack on southern Israel, Palestinians say a different kind of war took hold in the occupied West Bank.

Overnight, the territory was closed off. Towns were raided, curfews imposed, teenagers arrested, detainees beaten, and villages stormed by Jewish vigilantes.

With the world's attention on Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there, the violence of war has also erupted in the West Bank. Israeli settler attacks have surged at an unprecedented rate, according to the United Nations. The escalation has spread fear, deepened despair, and robbed Palestinians of their livelihoods, their homes and, in some cases, their lives.

"Our lives are hell," said Sabri Boum, a 52-year-old farmer who fortified his windows with metal grills last week to protect his children from settlers he said threw stun grenades in Qaryout, a northern village. "It's like I'm in a prison."

In six weeks, settlers have killed nine Palestinians, said Palestinian health authorities. They've destroyed 3,000-plus olive trees during the crucial harvest season, said Palestinian Authority official Ghassan Daghlas, wiping out what for some were inheritances passed through generations. And they've harassed herding communities, forcing over 900 people to abandon 15 hamlets they long called home, the U.N. said.

When asked about settler attacks, the Israeli army said only that it aims to defuse conflict and troops "are required to act" if Israel citizens violate the law. The army didn't respond to requests for comment on specific incidents.

U.S. President Biden and other administration officials have repeatedly condemned settler violence, even as they defended the Israeli campaign in Gaza.

"It has to stop," Biden said last month. "They have to be held accountable."

That hasn't happened, according to Israeli rights group Yesh Din. Since Oct. 7, one settler has been arrested  over an olive farmer's death  and was released five days later, the group said. Two other settlers were placed in preventive detention without charge, it said.

Naomi Kahn, of advocacy group Regavim, which lobbies for settler interests, argued that settler attacks weren't nearly as widespread as rights groups report because it's a broad category including self-defense, anti-Palestinian graffiti and other nonviolent provocations.

"The entire Israeli system works not only to stamp out this violence but to prevent it," she said.

Before the Hamas assault, 2023 already was the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank in over two decades, with 250 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire, most during military operations.

Over these six weeks of war, Israeli security forces have killed another 206 Palestinians, the Palestinian Health Ministry said, the result of a rise in army raids backed by airstrikes and Palestinian militant attacks. In the deadliest West Bank raid since the second Palestinian intifada, or uprising, of the 2000s, Israeli forces killed 14 Palestinians in the Jenin refugee camp Nov. 9, most of them militants.

While for years settlers enjoyed the support of the Israeli government, they now have vocal proponents at the highest levels of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition. This month, Netanyahu appointed Zvi Sukkot, a settler temporarily banned from the West Bank in 2012 over alleged assaults targeting Palestinians and Israeli forces, to lead the subcommittee on West Bank issues in parliament.

Palestinians who've endured hardships of Israeli military rule, in its 57th year, say this war has left them more vulnerable than ever.

"We've become scared of tomorrow," said Abdelazim Wadi, 50, whose brother and nephew were fatally shot by settlers, according to health authorities.

Conflict has long been part of daily life here, but Palestinians say the war has unleashed a new wave of provocations, disrupting even their grim routine.

Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza in the 1967 Mideast war. Settlers claim the West Bank as their biblical birthright. Most of the international community considers the settlements, home to 700,000 Israelis, illegal. Israel considers the West Bank disputed land, and says the settlements' fate should be decided in negotiations. International law says the military, as the occupying power, must protect Palestinian civilians.

Palestinians say that in nearly six decades of occupation, Israeli soldiers often failed to protect them from settler attacks or even joined in.

Since the war's start, the line between settlers and soldiers has blurred further.

Israel's wartime mobilization of 300,000-plus reservists included the call-up of settlers for duty and put many in charge of policing their own communities. The military said in some cases, reservists who live in settlements replaced regular West Bank battalions deployed in the war.

Tom Kleiner, a reservist guarding Beit El, a religious settlement near the Palestinian city of Ramallah, said the Oct. 7 Hamas attack's brutality cemented his conviction that Palestinians are determined to "murder us."

"We don't kill Arabs without any reason," he said. "We kill them because they're trying to kill us."

Rights groups say uniforms and assault rifles have inflated settlers' sense of impunity.

"Imagine that the military supposed to protect you is now made of settlers committing violence against you," said Ori Givati, of Breaking the Silence, a whistleblower group of former Israeli soldiers.

Bashar al-Qaryoute, a medic from the Palestinian village of Qaryout, said residents from the nearby settlement Shilo, now wearing fatigues, have blocked all but one road out. He said they smashed Qaryout's water pipeline, forcing residents to truck in water at triple the price.

"They were the ones always burning olive trees and creating problems," al-Qaryoute said. "Now they're in charge."

Photos: Scenes from the Israel-Hamas war
After seven prior sanctions for ethics violations, a Des Moines immigration lawyer is facing the possible suspension of his law license.

The Grievance Commission of the Iowa Supreme Court is recommending that the court suspend the license of Ta-Yu Yang of Des Moines for 60 days, citing his numerous past disciplinary actions.

According to the Grievance Commission, the states Client Security Commission received a notice from Yangs bank account in 2021, indicating he had overdrawn his client trust account. Such accounts are designed to hold money paid by clients for services that an attorney has yet to provide and has yet to bill. The overdraft triggered an audit of the account by the CSC.

It was then proven that certain certified statements made by Yang regarding the account were false and that Yang violated several rules pertaining to client trust accounts, the Grievance Commission alleges.

In determining what sanctions to impose, the commission said mitigating factors included Yangs immigration practice, which caters to an underserved community, and his provision of pro bono work at no cost to clients.

Yang cited his impending retirement as a mitigating factor, but the commission rejected that given his plans to continue performing legal work in his retirement.

The board cited several aggravating factors, noting that he had been admonished previously for similar conduct involving trust account violations, misrepresentations to the CSC, and a lack of diligence.

The commission also noted that Yang made false statements to the CSC, and stated that Yang has no current plan on how to rectify these recordkeeping concerns moving forward, and does not plan to hire a bookkeeper, thereby suggesting a lack of understanding of the wrongness of his actions.  In sum, Yangs response to the audit and the complaint reflects a disregard for the fundamental safekeeping duties that all Iowa attorneys owe to their clients.

In recommending a 60-day suspension of Yangs law license, the commission also recommended that the court impose other sanctions if Yang chooses to practice again after his suspension is lifted. The sanctions would include that he only be permitted to practice after showing proof of attendance at an educational course on the topic of trust accounting, and that he be required to keep on staff a bookkeeper or accountant to manage his trust account.

The court has yet to act on the recommendation.

In the past, Yang has been privately admonished on at least five occasions and publicly reprimanded twice, according to the commission.

The sanctions were imposed for neglecting client matters; knowingly making a misrepresentation on an appeal in an immigration case; failing to represent a client diligently; failing to file an appeal brief; failing to appear on behalf of a client; failing to maintain client ledger sheets from 2005 to 2018; failing to complete monthly triple-reconciliations of client trust accounts; submitting false certifications on CSC questionnaires; and failing to provide information as requested in an Attorney Disciplinary Board investigation.

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What is Napoleon most famous for? There are, obviously, the conquests of Egypt, Portugal, and Russia, where the general-cum-emperor leveraged his remarkable military acumen and unrelenting political ambition to redraw the borders of Europe. You may also be familiar with his systematic social reforms (including the creation of a centralized bank and a more formalized higher-education apparatus), his penchant for unbelievable malice on the battlefield, or even his stoic aphorisms about leadership that are repeated by unimaginative CEO types to this day.

All of those are important cornerstones of the Napoleonic legacy, but if youve spent some time on the internet, you might also know him for a different reason: his alleged fetish for fetid, days-old body odor.

I speak, of course, of a letter that Napoleon supposedly sent his beloved Josephine de Beauharnais in 1800, while he was knee-deep in the valorous Italian campaign. It reads, purportedly, Home in three days, dont wash.

The implication here is obvious: Napoleon is eager to return to Paris so he may have sex with his wife, and hed prefer to do so while Josephine is luxuriating in mildewy stank. Given the legend of Napoleons oddball character, it was never that hard to believe that the emperor had a kink for the sour tang of rotten sweat.

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The story of Napoleons alleged letter has been passed on by a variety of legacy institutions. Its also been codified into a meme among history nerdsjust look at all these TikToks celebrating le petit caporals rancid horndoggedness. And personally, Im holding out hope that Ridley Scott makes, at the very least, a coded reference to the foul odors of Josephine somewhere in the 158 minutes of his upcoming epic, Napoleon.

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Theres just one problem. That letter is total bunk. According to interviews with three experts, Napoleon never asked Josephine to stop washing in order to enhance their chemistry in the bedroom. The whole thing is totally made up. Im sorry, guys. Or maybe youre welcome?

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Having read all of Napoleons letters to Josephine, Ive never come across it, Philip Dwyer, a professor at the University of Newcastle who has authored multiple biographies of Napoleon, told me. His letters were intimate, and they did contain sexual allusions, but nothing as graphic.

Its totally false, added Peter Hicks, a historian at the Napoleonic research fund Fondation Napoleon. It was probably invented by someone who was ferociously anti-Napoleon. Such people do exist.

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I certainly would love to see the original letter or at least a reputable source citing the original, said Alexander Mikaberidze, author of The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History. The story seems to be a latter-day invention, which keeps being repeated from source to source without anyone bothering to check the original.

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Indeed, the specific origins of the legend are murky at best. A little-known French book, titled Napoleon: Lettres damour a Josephine, appears to contain the first known reference to the alleged letter, but that book was published in 1981. (Given that many of Napoleons letters to Josephine have been in the public record since the 19th century, it seems awfully hard to believe that such a salacious detail wouldve stayed buried until Reagan was in office.) And Andrew Roberts, perhaps the most well-known Napoleon biographer on the planet, parroted the story of Napoleons affection for filthy, filthy lovemaking in a 2015 interview with the Standard. (Napoleon was obsessed by cunnilingus. Talked about it constantly. Hed say to [Josephine], dont wash for three days because hed enjoy going down on her when she was unwashed, said Roberts. It was really basic.)

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Related From Slate Napoleon Is a Spectacular Mess Read More

However, when I reached out to Roberts and inquired about the veracity of the letterand the emperors lust for rankness in generalhe replied, plain and simply, Im afraid I just dont know! (Roberts also mentioned that he steered clear of the topic in his 976-page tome Napoleon: A Life.)

Perhaps youre still clinging onto the hope that while Napoleon never officially stated that he enjoyed a round of stanky lovemaking, he still held on to the fetish in the inner sanctums of his mind. Mikaberidze poured water on that theory too. Apparently, the emperor had a uniquely keen sense of smell. He detested unpleasant odors of all kinds, he said. He took regular baths. Mikaberidze cited Napoleons personal secretary Claude Francois Meneval, who once wrote that Napoleons nose was so good he could detect the vicinity of a subterranean passage, a cellar, or a sewer a long way off.

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For Napoleon, this olfactory superiority seemed to be more of a curse than a blessing. Mikaberidze quoted another one of Napoleons secretaries, Baron Fain, who remembered that Napoleon would move away from more than one servant who was far from suspecting the secret aversion his smell had inspired. That must be the most polite way anyone has described BO.

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Of course, one might argue that Napoleon had peculiar sexual preferences and that he could have been predisposed to certain smells inside the boudoir, finished Mikaberidze. But we do know that in Spain, Egypt, and elsewhere, he actually turned women away because he could not stand their body smell.

Why do I feel disappointed by this? For whatever reason, I want to live in a world where Napoleon had a weird, messy kink, if only because it better frames his enduring image in popular societysimultaneously a genius tactician and a weird little gremlin. (This is why Scott cast Joaquin Phoenix in the titular role, for he is Hollywoods foremost supremely talented weird little gremlin.) Scott has evinced disdain for those who would ding his movie on grounds of historical accuracy, and given that, I hope hes willing to keep this particular fantasy alive in the movie theaters. Leave truth, accuracy, and primary sources to the scholars; give us the reeking, pestilential Josephine sex scene we deserve. Make Napoleon Freaky Again!
A few weeks after #MeToo exploded on the internet, an old friend and I did what so many women did during that time: We got on the phone and finally began to acknowledge what had happened to us. My friend shared a story of hers from college. Back then, wed all just considered it a bad date, but she now recognized it as sexual assault. She also shared that at nearly every single job shes had since college, a boss or co-worker has sexually harassed her.

The month before our conversation, I had published an essay sharing my own experience of sexual assault while traveling abroad. Like my friend, it was not my only experienceit was one of many. But Id only included the one, because in the early stages of #MeToo, the idea of sharing one assault story still felt risky. The idea of sharing more than one felt culturally impossible. My friend agreed.

As a woman, youre only allowed one #MeToo moment, she told me. After that, people begin assuming the problem must be you.

Out of the many celebrity #MeToo stories told in the past five years, only a handful have acknowledged the experience of multiple assaults. In an HBO documentary, Alanis Morisette spoke about repeated incidents of statuatory rape that happened when she first entered the music industry, all of which fell on deaf ears when she tried seeking accountability. In her memoir, Selma Blair wrote about a teacher who sexually assaulted her, as well as the many men who raped her in her 20s. In an interview with Dazed, Amber Rose said, I cannot even count how many times a famous guy touched me inappropriately. On a social media post during the Kavanaugh hearings, Tatum ONeal wrote about her multiple assaults: It was not my fault when I was 5, 6, 12, 13, 15.

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Stories that emphasize the ubiquitous nature of assault are vital in a world that so often focuses on one dramatic episode, with visceral details of the violation and an easily identifiable villain. This amplifies the false idea that assault is just a singular, horrifying incidentwhen in reality, many of us experience it as part of a larger, more insidious culture.

Once a person is assaulted, research shows theyre more likely to be assaulted again, a phenomenon called revictimization. Around 50 percent of children who survive sexual assault reexperience it later in life, and even a single incident of sexual assault in adulthood can increase the risk for it to happen again. As psychologist A.E. Jaffe and her colleagues wrote in a 2019 paper on revictimization: Perhaps the most consistent predictor of future trauma exposure is a history of prior trauma exposure.

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Why would this be? In lieu of a good answer for it (more on that in a moment), we often blame victims themselves. We easily justify these statistics by suggesting that anyone who has survived multiple incidents of violence must be asking for iteither by acting promiscuously, hanging around too many shady men, or getting themselves into precarious situations. One survivor I interviewed told me that though she received some form of victim-blaming in response to all three sexual assaults she experienced, she noticed a stark decrease in support each time it happened again.

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After the second and third, some people began saying, Whats happening in your life to attract that? or Do you have enough awareness to know when men want to harm you?  she told me. One person even asked why I was trusting men so much.  Another friend who experienced multiple assaults went through a similar line of questioning, only with herself. After so many times, I began asking myself, What is it about me that brings on these experiences?  she said. I told her I ask myself that question all the time.

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In his essay Spectator for Roxane Gays anthology on sexual assault stories, Not That Bad, Brandon Taylor wrote about his best friend telling him she was beginning to think she was just the kind of person this stuff happens to. For a long time, thats what I believed, too. As a travel writer and a single bisexual woman, I figured that at some point, Id pay the price. Eventually, Id have to face some element of physical harmwasnt that the obvious trade-off for attempting a liberated life? To me, survivorshipmore than resilience, bravery, or strengthoften felt like resignation.

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But in some cases, its exactly that resignation that influences repeat assaults. While theres no conclusive evidence as to why revictimization happens, we do know that normalizing assault can contribute to future harm. If a survivor has not internalized their experience as exceptionally traumatic, they are less likely to advocate for themselves, or demand accountability if it happens again. If they, like me, accept violence as an obvious fact of their lives, then when it repeats, they dont seek the support they need to process and heal from each experience.

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In an article for Psychology Today, psychotherapist and clinical social worker Keith Fadelici called this a cognitive accommodation to ongoing violence. The trauma continuously gets downplayed as victims attempt to normalize their assaults, which helps them feel more in control. This dissociative process is a common symptom of PTSD, Fadelici told me. And can also later make survivors less capable of detecting risk by numbing the fear that is supposed to trigger alertness to danger.

Oppression also plays a significant role. Those with marginalized identities are more at risk for experiencing assault in general, and thus more likely to experience it again. LGBTQ+ people are four times more likely to be assaulted than the general population (bisexual women and trangender people also are far more likely to experience assault than gay men and lesbian women). Rates of sexual assault for Indigenous women are three times higher than non-Indigenous women, and Black women are much more likely to experience assault than white women. Folks with autism have been found to be more likely to experience sexual assault than others.

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If this is coming up repeatedly with one individual, it might be because that person is within systems and structures that facilitate assault more often, said Jaffe. For those of us living with any of these identities, we normalize violence because living under oppression is consistently violent. In order to survive, a cognitive accommodation to ongoing violence is necessary. We train ourselves to get used to it, and move on.

After #MeToo, I began reading and rereading the legal definitions for rape and sexual assault to make sense of what had happened to me. Any sexual contact that occurred without consent constitutes assault? Any sexual contact that included penetration without the other persons consent constitutes rape? The criteria felt almost too easy. Under these standards, I had been raped twice, and assaulted several other timesall stories I had not yet fully internalized, and was not yet ready to tell. Dozens of legal crimes had been committed against my body, but that idea felt so unfathomable I hardly knew what to do next.

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In the three years after publishing that first story, I experienced more incidents, and I still dont know what to call them. I dont feel comfortable firmly declaring them as assault. I dont like how it connects so deeply with an oppressive legal system, and how it automatically connotes some excessive form of violence. Even today, it seems too strong and rough a word for how these episodes played out: often with little physicality, with only brief conflict and polite turns toward quick forgiveness, until weeks later when Id unpack the severity of what had happened. As I began sharing more of these stories with close friends, I would catch myself saying technically before saying I was assaulted, acknowledging the semantic disconnect I still felt. This hesitation is common among many survivors: As one 2019 meta-analysis showed, rates of victimization increase when participants are asked behaviorally descriptive questions about what happened to them, rather than questions that use terms like rape and assault.

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Sometimes, people ask How many times all together? I say six-ish, a number that captures the amount of experiences that have dramatically changed the way I relate to my bodyhow it experiences intimacy, how it engages with the world: The one that happened at work, just weeks into my first job out of college. The one at a festival in India. The one while getting a deep-tissue massage. The one at a New York play party. The one so common I learned it has its own name (stealthing). The one with a lover I had loved and trusted deeply. The one with another lover, a violation that was not sexual but physical and thus, as yet another nonconsensual act done against my body, still felt so connected to all the rest.

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And this still does not take into account every time I was nonconsensually touched in publicthe men who pulled and grabbed my arms, my back, my butt, my shoulders to try to get my attention on the streetnor the times Ive been followed, harassed, physically threatened by strangers on the street.

The accumulation of more and more of these events creates a compounding impact, one where each additional incident begins to amplify the ones before. For me and most survivors I spoke to, we are not healing from traumawe are learning how to exist in a world where trauma continues to accumulate.

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Every survivor I interviewed for this piece told me they fully accept the potential that theyll experience assault in the future. Still, most of them admitted to me that its still easier to only share just one story with the worldnever the full range of what has happened to them. When you only have one story, the enemy is the rapist, one survivor told me. But when you have several people with a lifetime of these experiences, the enemy is all of us.

This is what we mean when we talk about rape culture. The first thing we can do to start to dismantle it is to recognize what were up against.
Theres been lots of drama over at OpenAI as of late. First, CEO Sam Altman was fired! Then he was  maybe going to be unfired? Then he was hired by Microsoft! What?

To be clear, Nitish Pahwa writes, this saga, with all its twists and turns, was a little stupidbut not as stupid as it looks. He breaks down exactly whats happened and explains why its best to consider it the first skirmish in a war over A.I.

Plus: Heather Tal Murphy homes in on the unexpected winner of the OpenAI meltdown.

Crackdowns on Palestinian protest 

Did you know that more than 30 states in the U.S. have laws that penalize individuals or businesses that boycott Israel over the treatment of Palestinians? Shilpa Jindia takes a look at the U.S. crackdown on protest in support of Palestinians, and finds it started long before Hamas Oct. 7 massacre.

Jezebel, revisited 

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Jezebel, the iconic feminist website, shut down earlier this month. Moe Tkacik, a founding editor of the site, looks back on how bizarre it was to work there in the beginningand how its legacy is a bit more mixed than most have been willing to admit.

Another sad reality of #MeToo 

A disturbing reality has been lurking behind #MeToo stories. Most people assume sexual assault is a single, traumatic incidentanything more, and they think the problem must be you. Amanda Machado takes apart this falsehood.

Never thaw your Butterball 

The worst part of cooking your Thanksgiving turkey is waiting for it to defrost. But James Beard Awardwinning cookbook author Faith Durand is here with a piece of advice that will relieve a source of great mental stress this holiday season.

Plus: Ben Mathis-Lilley has some THOUGHTS on instant mashed potatoes and the only surefire way to make yours taste better.

Today, Slate   RELIABLY ELICITS SOME CONFUSED BUT AMUSED LOOKS

 much like this playlist of bardcore music.

Thanks so much for reading! Well see you back here tomorrow.
Bagels have a long history in the United States. Theyve been around since the late 19th century when Eastern European immigrants arrived in New York City. Today, its a multibillion-dollar industry.

New York City remains the bagel capital of the country. The majority of franchise opportunities started in New York before spreading to other states. The food franchises are well known by both locals and visitors.

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As an industry category, bagel franchises are often lumped in with donut franchises but for purposes of the list below, we separated them.

Selecting the Perfect Bagel Franchise: Our Methodology

When it comes to breakfast or a quick, delicious snack, bagels have become a beloved staple for many. If youre considering the entrepreneurial path of owning a bagel franchise, youre in for a treat. Bagel franchises offer the opportunity to deliver mouthwatering delights to your community while running a thriving business. But how do you pick the best one from the sea of options available? Weve ranked these criteria on a scale of importance, using a 1-10 rating scale, with 10 being the highest importance and 1 being the lowest:

Taste and Quality of Bagels (Rating: 10/10): The taste and quality of the bagels should be exceptional, as its the core product and a key factor in attracting and retaining customers.

Brand Reputation and Recognition (Rating: 9/10): A well-established and recognized brand is crucial for drawing customers. Brand reputation often aligns with product quality.

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Location and Foot Traffic (Rating: 9/10): Selecting the right location with high foot traffic is vital for success. Its equally crucial as brand reputation because it directly impacts visibility and sales.

Menu Variety and Customization (Rating: 8/10): Offering a diverse menu with customization options can enhance the customer experience and cater to various preferences.

Franchise Fees and Costs (Rating: 7/10): The financial aspect is important, but its not as vital as taste, location, and brand. Consider initial franchise fees, ongoing royalties, and startup costs.

Marketing and Advertising Support (Rating: 7/10): Effective marketing support from the franchisor can significantly boost brand visibility and customer acquisition.

Supplier Relationships (Rating: 6/10): Maintaining reliable and cost-effective supplier relationships is significant but slightly less crucial than core factors.

Training and Support (Rating: 6/10): Comprehensive training and ongoing support from the franchisor are essential but not as high-priority as core elements.

Equipment and Technology (Rating: 5/10): Proper equipment and technology matter for efficient operations but rank lower in importance compared to others.

Community Involvement (Rating: 4/10): Engaging with the local community can be beneficial, but its not as critical as the core factors.

Bagel Franchise Opportunities

Here are the best bagel franchise businesses for aspiring entrepreneurs to consider:

1. Einstein Bros. Bagels

The Einstein Bros. Bagels franchise may be the largest, with more than 300 franchises in 27 states. The Einstein Bagel franchise also includes made-to-order sandwiches and extravagant desserts.

As with others in the bagel business. specialty coffee is a mainstay of the menu. Einsteins is called Darn Good Coffee (because it is). Einstein also offers catering.

This food franchise is looking to expand. The franchise fee is $35,000.

2. Manhattan Bagel

This bagel business is also owned by the Einstein Bros. Bagels parent company. The franchise opportunity includes locations in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware.

Manhattan Bagel specializes in the traditional NYC bagel, with boil and bake style preparation. The business also offers specialty sandwiches.

Manhattan has been offering franchise opportunities since 1987. The franchise fee is $25,000.

3. Big Apple Bagels

No mention of Big Apple Bagels is complete with the inclusion of My Favorite Muffin, which is part of the menu offerings. Big Apple keeps the food franchise offerings varied with specialty sandwiches and salads.

Compliment any menu choice with the Big Apple signature Brewsters brand coffee. The franchise fee is $25,000.

4. NYC Bagel and Sandwich Shop

Since 1995, the NYC Bagel and Sandwich Shop has been offering franchise opportunities in the New York and New Jersey areas.

The signature touch of the NYC Bagel and Sandwich Shop business is in the preparation. The bagels are made, then left to ferment for 12 hours. After the 12 hours have passed, the bagel is boiled.

A NYC Bagel and Sandwich Shop franchise opportunity is available in those base states, and the business is likely to expand. As many of the franchises do  and its obvious in the name  the fare includes a sandwich shop.

The NYC Bagel and Sandwich Shop franchise fee is $29,500.

Related: Sandwich Franchises

5. Brooklyn Water Bagel

You may wonder  why is Water in the name of this business? Thats because the ingredients include special, proprietary water. Brooklyn Water Bagel uses an old-world recipe.

The business has been franchising since 2011, with a franchise fee of $35,000.

6. Shmagels

Shmagels is hugely popular with residents and visitors to Ocean City, Maryland. There are two Shmagels in Ocean City, and the company is seeking to expand.

Shmagels is advertising that the company is actively seeking to expand.

7. Between Rounds

Between Rounds is a bakery cafe and bagel shop. The company launched in Connecticut in 1992.

Between Rounds is known for the modern, comfortable interior of its shops, and also for offering drive-thru services. Like Shmagels, Between Rounds is seeking to expand.

The franchise fee ranges from $22,500 to $25,000.

The Rise of Specialty Bagels: A Trend to Embrace

In recent years, the bagel industry has witnessed a surge in specialty and artisanal bagels. These unique creations go beyond the traditional plain or everything bagel, offering customers an array of flavors and textures. As an aspiring bagel franchise owner, embracing this trend can set your business apart and attract a broader customer base.

Heres why specialty bagels are a trend worth considering:

Diverse Menu Appeal: Specialty bagels allow you to cater to a more diverse customer base with varying tastes. Whether its a blueberry bagel for a touch of sweetness or a jalapeno cheddar bagel for a spicy kick, these options expand your menus appeal. Creativity and Innovation: The possibilities with specialty bagels are endless. You can experiment with unique ingredients and toppings, creating signature bagels that become customer favorites. Think outside the box and collaborate with your franchisor to develop exclusive recipes. Upselling Opportunities: Specialty bagels often command higher prices, providing an opportunity to increase your average transaction value. Customers are willing to pay more for a gourmet or artisanal experience, boosting your revenue. Customer Engagement: Introducing limited-time or seasonal specialty bagels can generate excitement and anticipation among your customer base. It encourages repeat visits and engagement on social media platforms as customers share their discoveries. Competitive Edge: Embracing the specialty bagel trend can give you a competitive edge in your market. While traditional bagels are beloved, offering something unique can help you stand out and draw customers away from competitors.

Criteria Description Taste and Quality of Bagels Exceptional taste and quality are paramount for customer satisfaction. Brand Reputation and Recognition A well-established brand often aligns with product quality and attracts customers. Location and Foot Traffic Selecting the right location with high foot traffic is vital for visibility and sales. Menu Variety and Customization Offering diverse menu options with customization enhances the customer experience. Franchise Fees and Costs Consider initial franchise fees, ongoing royalties, and startup costs. Marketing and Advertising Support Effective marketing support can boost brand visibility and customer acquisition. Supplier Relationships Maintaining reliable and cost-effective supplier relationships is significant for consistent operations. Training and Support Comprehensive training and ongoing support from the franchisor ensure smooth operations. Equipment and Technology Proper equipment and technology matter for efficient operations but rank lower in importance. Community Involvement Engaging with the local community can be beneficial but is not as critical as core factors.

How Much Does a Bagel Franchise Cost?

The franchise fee is typically from $25,000 to $35,000. Although that is affordable, the cost of the initial investment can range from $200,000 to $800,000. The investment includes brick and mortar, purchase of real estate and equipment, purchase of inventory and more.

The NYC Bagel and Sandwich Shop has one of the lowest startup costs at $120,000. But this is a base cost in the industry, with many other factors at play.

Are bagel shops for sale? Yes. There are business opportunities to purchase already-established franchises. For an additional investment, the franchisee may purchase a multi-unit business.

Are bagel shops profitable?

Franchisors require that an applicant have a significant net worth, typically from $500,000 to $800,000. Bagel franchises are plums in the franchise world, and franchisors want to make sure they are connecting with the best owners.

The best owners are the ones who already have proven their ability to make money. That is proven by their net worth. Although the start-up costs are high, the return on investment for that type of franchise is also high.

How much does a bagel shop make a year?

Lets say you put up $300,000 in total cost including the franchise fee, to open the business. You should be able to make that back in two years.

BUT, its all about location. How can you make money selling a $2 product? That depends on the number of customers you sell it to, in a day, week, month and year. If you dont open in a good location, simply put, youre not going to make money.

From 2002 to 2016, revenues for coffee and snack shops doubled. Things were booming. The businesses that adapted to a changing market remained profitable. Those businesses offered Vegan, nut-free and gluten-free choices.

Why choose a bagel franchise?

Theres a whole lot to love about a bagel franchise.

For someone interested in buying a franchise in the restaurant industry, the bagel franchise offers a great place to start. Here are some reasons why:

The menu is simpler, in comparison to a typical restaurant. Most businesses in the bagel franchise industry also include a sandwich shop with a varied menu.

The store hours are better. Most franchises close by 3 p.m. daily. Thats because they typically offer breakfast and lunch only, with lunch being offerings from a typical sandwich shop. Some advertise the additional offerings in the business name, such as the NYC Bagel and Sandwich Shop.

You wont need as many employees, most often from 7 to 12. The dining atmosphere is casual and friendly.

Inventive creativity is possible, not just the common NYC bagel. Why, what about the Chorizo Sunrise? Thats Chorizo sausage, avocado, pepper jack cheese with a jalapeno salsa smear, on a green chili gourmet bagel. (You can get that at Einstein Brothers Bagels.) Bagel choices have come a long way since the standard NYC bagel.

The varieties are endless. Also endless are the opportunities for creative twists on the historic NYC bagel. The tasty doughy circle was everybodys favorite quick, light meal. It wasnt long before franchises like the NYC Bagel and Sandwich Shop took things to the next level. To the original tasty treat, they added sandwiches, specialty coffee, gourmet coffees, and more.
Choosing the right font is more important than ever, especially for small businesses with an online presence. A recent study by DigitalSilk.com has shed light on the most used free fonts on the internet, with Bebas Neue topping the list, a valuable insight for small business owners and designers.

Key Findings

1. Bebas Neue: The Champion of Free Fonts Bebas Neue emerged as the most popular free font with over 23 million downloads. This fonts widespread use on more than 210,000 websites is a testament to its versatility and appeal. For small businesses looking for a robust and appealing font without the cost, Bebas Neue is an excellent choice.

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2. Lemon Milk and Waltograph: Strong Contenders Lemon Milk, with over 20 million downloads, and Waltograph, with over 12 million, are the second and third most downloaded fonts, respectively. Lemon Milks modern geometric appeal and Waltographs Disney-inspired design offer unique branding opportunities for businesses.

3. Diverse Styles in the Top Five: Chopin Script and Coolvetica round out the top five, each with close to 12 million downloads. Chopin Scripts elegant design and Coolveticas 1970s logo inspiration cater to a range of design aesthetics, offering flexibility for businesses in different industries.

4. Variety in the Top Ten: The list also includes Shorelines Script, Birds of Paradise, Caviar Dreams, Bebas, and Cheri. These fonts offer a range of styles, from the casual elegance of Shorelines Script to the playful charm of Cheri, providing ample options for small businesses to find their unique voice.

5. The Cost-Saving and Branding Benefits of Free Fonts: Gabriel Shaoolian, CEO and founder of DigitalSilk.com, highlights the advantages of using free fonts. They are not only cost-effective but also play a significant role in online branding and print advertising. The right font can enhance a websites design and help a business stand out.

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For small businesses, the importance of a well-chosen font cannot be overstated. This study by DigitalSilk.com offers valuable insights into popular free fonts like Bebas Neue, which can help businesses make informed decisions about their digital and print branding strategies. In an era where visual appeal is paramount, selecting the right font is a crucial step in crafting a unique and memorable brand identity.
The hotel franchise industry has grown significantly in the last decade. In 2010, about 70% of branded hotels were franchise operations, but by 2019 that figure had jumped to about 80%, according to research by JLL.1

Most brands are recognizable names. Travelodge, Motel 6, Super 8 and Red Roof Inn may come to mind. But did you know that hotel franchises also include premier names like Marriott, Hilton and Wyndham? Just imagine your future. As a franchisee, you could become the owner of a hotel with a sign emblazoned with the logo of one of the biggest hotel brands in the industry.

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In this article, we cover the best hotel franchise choices for individuals thinking about buying a franchise. At the end, we also include helpful pointers for how to choose a hotel franchise in light of current trends.

Criteria for Choosing the Best Hotel Franchise for Small Business Owners: Our Methodology

Selecting the right hotel franchise can be a game-changer for your venture. Here are the key criteria to consider, along with their importance on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the most important:

Brand Reputation (5/5): The reputation of the hotel brand is crucial. A well-known and respected brand can attract more guests and boost your business.

Location (5/5): The location of your hotel can significantly impact its success. Consider factors like proximity to tourist attractions, business districts, and accessibility.

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Franchise Support (4/5): Evaluate the level of support the franchise provides, including training, marketing assistance, and ongoing guidance.

Costs and Fees (4/5): Analyze the initial investment, franchise fees, and ongoing royalty costs. Ensure they align with your budget and revenue expectations.

Quality and Standards (5/5): Maintaining consistent quality is essential in the hotel industry. Ensure the franchise has strict quality standards and regular inspections.

Market Research (3/5): Conduct thorough market research to understand the demand for your chosen franchise in the area. Market saturation can affect your success.

Flexibility (3/5): Assess the level of flexibility the franchise offers in terms of room customization, pricing, and management style.

Brand Loyalty (4/5): Investigate customer loyalty to the brand. A strong loyal customer base can lead to repeat business and positive reviews.

Local Competition (4/5): Analyze the competition in the local market. A franchise with less local competition may have a better chance of thriving.

Ownership Terms (3/5): Review the franchise agreement carefully, especially regarding the length of the contract and exit options.

Technology Integration (3/5): In todays digital age, a franchise that offers modern technology solutions for booking and guest services can be a significant advantage.

Customer Reviews (4/5): Read customer reviews of existing franchises under the same brand to gauge customer satisfaction and identify potential issues.

Best Full Service Hotel Franchises

A full-service hotel is one which provides a variety of guest services and amenities, either included in the price or carrying an additional price tag per service. Services mean things like restaurants, room service, a daily newspaper, conference rooms, turn-down service and more. Other terms for these properties can include upscale, midscale, and luxury or premier brands. Boutique hotels may fit in this definition. Here are the top full-service hotel franchises:

1. Hilton

Hilton is a very recognizable brand name in the hotel industry and a leader in the hotel franchise industry. They have offices, hotels, and resorts in the North America, South America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific. This hospitality company has been franchising since 1965. Franchisees offer assistance with design and construction, management, and sales. The brand also has an extensive rewards program to bring in repeat customers.

The franchise fee for this hotel franchise is $75,000. And the total upfront investment ranges from $29,162,700 to $111,963,150.

2. Wyndham

Wyndham is a hotel brand with more than 9,000 hotels across more than 80 countries. The company offers an innovative tech platform to help franchisees and teams manage operations easily. They also offer marketing assistance, personalized support, and multiple hotel franchise models to choose from. The Wyndham Hotel Group also offers more than 20 hotel brands for those interested.

The fee for Wyndham brand franchises is $150,500. And the initial investment ranges from $42,112,580 to $69,188,897.

3. Marriott

Marriott International Inc. is a worldwide franchisor of hotels and lodging. It is also a premier name in the hotel business. There are more than 7,400 properties throughout 135 countries. And the loyalty program has more than 140 million members. The company takes an owner-centric approach to its franchise program. So they customize opportunities to each franchise. And its not just the Marriott brand. The Marriott Group offers more than 30 hotel franchise models, from the Ritz-Carlton to Courtyard.

The franchise fee for Marriott resorts is $120,000. And the startup investment for new resorts range from $74,129,490 to $117,209,490.

4. Hyatt

Hyatt specializes in fully personalized and collaborative relationships with franchisees. The company has been operating since 1957 and has about 700 hotel franchise locations across 56 countries. In addition to the Hyatt brand, the company operates a variety of specialized properties, including Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Place, and Miraval. The brand has a team of development experts to work closely with each new franchise operator as they get new hotel locations up and running.

The franchise fee for new hotels ranges from $60,000 to $100,000. And the initial investment ranges from $13,645,000 to $153,723,000.

5. Sheraton

Sheraton is a hotel franchise that is actually under the Marriott Group as of 2016. But its a recognizable brand that even has its own offshoots like Four Points by Sheraton. The franchisor has actually been around since 1937. So it has built plenty of brand recognition through the years. There are nearly 450 properties in 74 countries around the world. And the brand is part of the luxury tier of resorts, especially popular with international travelers.

The fee for new franchises ranges from $85,000 to $150,000. And startup investment ranges from $53,521,090 to $82,627,590.

Best Economy Hotel Franchise Choices

Economy hotels bring you basic accommodations at budget room rates. You get no-frills rooms and suites to accommodate families. Expect hotel rooms to be clean and comfortable but not luxurious. Also known as limited-service hotels or budget motels, they keep costs low by cutting back on services and keeping the properties smaller. For example, there may be no restaurant, or just a coffee shop or continental breakfast in the morning. Here are the best economy hotel franchises and motel franchises:

6. Hampton by Hilton

Hampton by Hilton operates both Hampton Inn and Hampton Inn and Suites. The latter is a slightly more upscale option. But both are generally great for budget conscious travelers. Part of the Hilton Hotels family, the hotel franchise focuses on basic amenities like cleanliness and free wifi. Its also popular with practical minded travelers. The hotel chain has been around since 1983 and has more than 2,000 locations around the world.

The fee for new Hampton by Hilton franchises is $75,000. And upfront costs range from $7,662,800 to $14,821,500.

7. Holiday Inn

Holiday Inn is part of the Intercontinental Hotels Group. Holiday Inn has more than 740 open locations in the Americas. There are also Holiday Inn Express, Club Vacations, and Resorts that offer slightly different experiences. The locations are built to be efficient and comfortable. But many also offer extras like restaurants. And since the Intercontinental Hotels Group is one of the largest hotel groups around the world, franchisees also get access to plenty of resources like a popular loyalty program and robust tech platform.

The franchise fee is $50,000. And the total initial investment ranges from $7,544,298 to $24,836,120.

Note: The Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) is also the parent of several other hotel brands that may be worth checking out for franchises. Those include: Crowne Plaza, Staybridge Suites, and a boutique hotel called Hotel Indigo.

8. Motel 6

Motel 6 has some of the highest brand recognition in the budget lodging sector. The franchise business has been in operation for more than 55 years and has one of the most active nationwide ad campaigns. Motel 6 currently has target markets available for development across the United States, along with select hotel franchises around the rest of the world.

The fee for new Motel 6 franchises is $35,000. And the initial investment ranges from $2,617,700 to $3,868,600.

9. Super 8

Super 8 is a budget lodging brand owned by the Wyndham Hotels Group. Known for being authentic and dependable, Super 8 operates more than 2,900 hotel franchise locations across four continents. This makes it one of the largest hotel chains in the economy sector. In addition to rooms and suites, many of these locations also offer meeting rooms and breakfast options.
United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain speaks to a reporter from The Associated Press during an interview at the union's headquarters on Monday in Detroit. Mike Householder/AP United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain speaks to a reporter from The Associated Press during an interview at the union's headquarters on Monday in Detroit. Mike Householder/AP United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain speaks to a reporter from The Associated Press during an interview at the union's headquarters on Monday in Detroit. Mike Householder/AP United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain speaks to a reporter from The Associated Press during an interview at the union's headquarters on Monday in Detroit. Mike Householder/AP

DETROIT  Entering contract talks with Detroits three automakers, Shawn Fain set lofty expectations for what he could gain for his union members  and delivered on many of them. He secured significant pay raises, improved benefits, the right to strike over plant closures and a raft of other concessions.

But to the United Auto Workers president, the agreements that emerged from talks that were marked by six weeks of strikes were merely the start of a victory streak and a renaissance for the 88-year-old union. Now, Fain has set his latest ambitious goal: To gain UAW membership in nonunion companies across the industry  from foreign automakers with U.S. operations like Toyota to electric vehicle makers like Tesla to EV battery plants that will likely represent a sizable share of auto jobs in the decades ahead.

Already, Fain asserted in an interview with The Associated Press, the contracts have benefited workers in nonunion auto companies: Soon after the UAW won major pay raises for its workers, Toyota, Honda, Hyundai and Nissan  all nonunion operations  raised their own workers pay in what Fain characterized as an obvious bid to stop the UAW from unionizing those workforces.

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Toyota said that plant workers in San Antonio  where it produces Tundra pickups and Sequoia SUVs  and across the U.S. are getting pay raises. The Japanese automaker said that its hourly manufacturing workers at top pay will receive a wage hike of about 9% effective Jan. 1. Also, the company will decrease the timeline for workers to reach top-tier pay from eight years to four. A company document breaking down the wage increases that circulated on social media shows top-wage production workers will see a new rate of $34.80 per hour while skilled trade employees will max out at $43.30 per hour.

Toyota has about 3,800 employees in San Antonio.

Last week, workers at General Motors, Ford and Stellantis collectively voted 64% to ratify the new settlement deals, which are among the richest contracts in the UAW 88-year history. The agreements ended many wage tiers, gave temporary hires better pay and a path to full-time work and boosted from around 6% to 10% the annual 401(k) contributions for those without pension plans.

According to Fain, workers at some nonunion plants  including the electric vehicle sales leader, Tesla, which employs 20,000 workers at its Gigafactory Texas near Austin  have contacted the UAW about joining the union, which hasnt even begun its organizing efforts. Fain noted that the nonunion companies didnt raise pay for their workers until after the UAW won general and cost-of-living raises, which should reach 33% by the time the contacts expire in 2028.

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Companies play their workers as fools sometimes, he said in the interview. They care about keeping more for themselves and leaving the employees to fend for themselves.

Fain, who took office just eight months ago in the first direct election of UAW leaders in its history, said the time is right for labor unions to grow as they did in the 1930s and 1940s, before they began a steady decline beginning in the 1950s. American workers, he said, are fed up with stagnant wages while corporate executives earn ever-growing multiples of median worker pay.

Companies, Fain said, will spend limitless amounts to try to stop the UAW, but the union can point to its Detroit contracts to show workers they will have a voice. In that way, he said, the union is a great equalizer.

Fain declined to say which nonunion companies the UAW would target first. But high on the list is Tesla, whose biggest shareholder is CEO Elon Musk, the worlds wealthiest man and an outspoken opponent of the union.

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The worlds richest man is the richest man for a reason, Fain said. They get this kind of wealth by exploiting other people.

Musk, who also runs the rocket company SpaceX, is talking about shipping Tesla production to Mexico and other low-cost countries.

A message was left seeking comment from Tesla.

The union leader said he expects Toyota, Honda and others to fight the UAWs organizing effort by threatening to close factories or eliminate benefits. Musk has threatened to end stock awards that go to production workers if they vote to join the union. Fain said the UAW, if given the opportunity, would negotiate to retain and increase those stock awards.

The union, Fain said, also will have to organize Detroit automakers EV battery plants, which are joint ventures with South Korean companies. GM and Stellantis, the maker of Jeep and Ram vehicles, have agreed to bring their joint venture plants under the unions national contract, making it easier for the UAW to sign them up. Ford has not.

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That, he said, could become a problem if Ford fights the UAWs efforts to organize at the plants in Kentucky and Tennessee.

Unless they change their tune, its going to be an all-out war, Fain said.

Ford did agree to put a wholly owned battery plant being planned for Michigan and a planned electric pickup plant in Tennessee into the UAW contract. But in the interview, Fain accused CEO Jim Farley of agreeing to work with the union on the joint-venture plants  only to renege later.

At that point, things didnt go well, Fain said. We had to make progress where we could, and we did.

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In response, Ford said in a statement that it negotiated in good faith with the UAW and agreed to work with it on a fair deal to address the issue of union representation of the battery plants.

These are multibillion-dollar investments, and the future of our industry is in the balance, so any deal must make sustainable business sense, the company said.

Fain declined to say what his fight would look like or if it could mean a strike against Ford in 2025, when the joint-venture plants are set to open.

It just means were going to do what we have to do to get it, he said. Those workers deserve their fair share of economic and social justice.

Ford has said it couldnt pledge to unionize the battery plants because its joint venture partner would have to agree and the plants arent exclusively under its control. In addition, Ford has said, the plants havent been built, and it cant agree to the unionization of workers who havent been hired yet.

In the contract talks, Fain said, he would have liked to gain stronger pension increases for longtime workers with defined benefit plans. Hed also like steady pension checks for newer hires rather than 401(k) plans. The union plans to seek law changes requiring retirement security for all workers, and it will push for the benefits in 2028 contract talks.

In the interview, Fain said he doesnt expect the higher costs that the automakers will absorb from the new contracts to lead them to build new factories in Mexico or Canada. The union, he said, can strike if a U.S. plant is closed and could take action if companies build new factories elsewhere.

The UAW, he said, will try to work with the companies. But he noted that partnering with the automakers in the past to address costs has typically benefited them to the exclusion of workers. He noted the concessions the UAW agreed to in 2008 to help the automakers survive dire financial problems.

This time, he said, union members negotiated for themselves but also won raises for nonunion workers in the South who would have received nothing without the UAW.
The market for painting businesses in the U.S is worth $37 billion! There are plenty of opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs to build solid businesses offering interior and/or exterior painting services. This service is always in demand for homeowners and businesses around the country. So it can provide a steady source of income and the opportunity to be your own boss.

For those new entrepreneurs who dont want to start from scratch, purchasing a painting franchise may be the way to go. Even if you are an entrepreneur with a lot of experience, franchises are a great investment. This allows you to start off with an established brand and get support from a business that knows the industry. There are plenty of painting franchises that offer various services and benefits. So finding the right opportunity for you requires learning about all of the available options.

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Choosing the Best Painting Franchises: Our Methodology

When considering a painting franchise for your entrepreneurial venture, its crucial to assess various factors to ensure you make the right choice. Weve established a set of criteria to guide you in evaluating and selecting the best painting franchise opportunity. Each criterion is rated on a scale of importance from 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest priority:

Experience and Reputation (Rating: 10/10): A franchise with a proven track record and a strong reputation in the painting industry is paramount. Experience and positive reviews are key indicators of a franchises credibility. Training and Support (Rating: 9/10): Comprehensive training programs and ongoing support from the franchisor are essential for your success, especially if you lack prior experience in painting. Licensing and Certification (Rating: 8/10): Ensure the franchise complies with all licensing and certification requirements in your area. Proper credentials demonstrate professionalism and legality. Market Demand (Rating: 9/10): Assess the demand for painting services in your target market. High demand can lead to more business opportunities. Exclusive Territories (Rating: 7/10): Some franchises offer exclusive territories, preventing oversaturation of competitors in your area. This can be valuable for business growth. Franchise Fees and Costs (Rating: 7/10): Consider the initial franchise fee, ongoing royalties, and startup costs. While important, costs shouldnt overshadow the quality of the franchise. Marketing and Advertising Support (Rating: 8/10): Effective marketing support provided by the franchisor can boost your brand visibility and customer acquisition efforts. Supplier Relationships (Rating: 6/10): Reliable and cost-effective supplier relationships can impact your bottom line, although theyre not as critical as other factors. Technology and Tools (Rating: 6/10): Modern tools and technology can enhance the efficiency of your painting services but may be less critical than core criteria. Community Involvement (Rating: 5/10): Engaging with the local community can be beneficial for your franchise, but its not as vital as other considerations.

Best Painting Franchise Opportunities

Here are 12 painting franchise opportunities to consider:

1. CertaPro Painters

CertaPro Painters offers a large, growing paint franchise. The yellow vans and uniforms bring in recognizable branding elements. And the company offers a proven path to success through established systems. The fee for the franchises is $57,500. And the total upfront costs range from $133,250 to $169,500.

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2. Five Star Painting

Five Star Painting is part of the thriving home services industry. The company promotes a values-based approach and offers individualized support to its franchises. Its part of the Neighborly family of brands, which provides plenty of cross-promotional opportunities for franchises. The initial fee for the franchises is $45,000. And startup costs range from $74,700 to $184,250.

3. 360 Painting

360 Painting offers flexible business opportunities for franchises. You receive support throughout every step of your business ownership journey. But you can also personalize the experience to your needs and the needs of your community. Its also part of Premium Service Brands, a network of home services franchises. So you can benefit from the presence of partner businesses in your community. Youll pay a $60,000 franchise fee to get started. And initial costs range from $76,655 to $123,700.

4. Fresh Coat

Fresh Coat offers low cost, home-based franchises for those who want to break into the growing home services business. The company brings a proven marketing system and offers a few different revenue streams for franchises. They offer both interior and exterior painting for homes and businesses, along with staining, power washing, and prep work. The fee for the franchises is $44,900. And initial costs range from $53,945 to $76,845.

5. Color World Housepainting

Color World Housepainting has been in the painting industry since 1997. The company offers multiple home services to help franchises increase profitability. These include power washing, gutter installation, drywall repair, carpentry work, and even holiday light services. This can help franchisees continue earning income throughout every season. This also provides flexibility for those who love trying new things. And some franchises even recoup their low initial investment after just a year. The fee for the franchises is $49,500. And the initial investment ranges from $83,910 to $166,850.

6. Wow Day 1 Painting

Wow Day 1 Painting is brought to you by the same team that launched 1-800-GOT-JUNK franchises. So theyve brought their proven systems to the painting industry. This includes back end systems, tried and true marketing, and a community of successful founders. The companys differentiating factor is the ability to complete painting jobs in just a day. This can appeal to busy and practical-minded homeowners who want to avoid the headaches of lengthy home improvement projects. The franchise fee ranges from $32,000 to $56,000. And startup costs begin at $67,000 and go up to $129,500.

7. Americas Color Consultants

Americas Color Consultants isnt a traditional painting franchise. Instead, its a paint consulting business that helps both homeowners and businesses find the best colors for their spaces. As such, its ideal for those who want to minimize the time commitment of owning a business or enjoy flexible scheduling. As a home-based business, startup costs are low. The fee for the franchises is $10,000. And the total initial costs range from $13,135 to $43,100.

8. Klappenberger & Son

Klappenberger & Son started as a family-owned painting and home improvement business. They also provide handyman services like electrical work, remodeling, and bathroom fixture installation. So this opportunity is best for those who enjoy working on different projects. The company provides six weeks of training along with bookkeeping, call center, and CRM support. They also lower royalty fees the longer their franchises stick around. The initial fee is $47,000 or $40,000 for veterans. And the startup investment ranges from $77,725 to $119,455.

9. Lime Painting

Lime Painting provides painting, coatings, and surface restorations for custom properties. As such, its customers are generally in the luxury market, which leaves lots of room for profits. They work with both homes and businesses. So the target market can lead to lots of opportunities for franchisees. However, franchises also need to be equipped to offer multiple services to customers. They even have access to tools like virtual reality consultations to better serve property owners. The company looks for community-driven, values-based franchises to partner with. Theres a $50,000 fee. And initial costs range from $90,000 to $129,700.

10. Painter1

Painter1 is truly invested in the success of its painting franchises. Each franchisee actually owns a portion of the company. And they offer royalty rates that decline through the years to reward those who stick with the brand. The company specializes in luxury residential painting services at budget prices. They also offer powerful software and CRM systems to help with the operational side of things. The fee for the franchises is $49,500. And initial costs for new franchises range from $58,910 to $121,520.

11. Protect Painters

ProTect Painters is one of the biggest residential painting franchises in the U.S. Its part of the Neighborly network of brands. So new painting franchises get access to tons of expertise and partnerships with other home services brands. The company offers both interior and exterior services for residential customers. But they also provide prep work like drywall prep to help with the whole project. The fee for new painting franchises is $39,900. And startup costs range from $99,000 to $136,150.

Standing Out in the Painted Crowd: Innovations in the Painting Franchise Industry

In the competitive world of painting franchises, its crucial to find ways to stand out and innovate. Here are some strategies and innovations that can set your painting franchise apart:

Eco-Friendly Paint Options : Offering environmentally friendly paint options can attract eco-conscious customers. Highlight low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) paints that are safe for health and the environment.

: Offering environmentally friendly paint options can attract eco-conscious customers. Highlight low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) paints that are safe for health and the environment. Digital Estimation Tools : Implement digital tools that allow customers to get quick and accurate estimates online. This streamlines the quoting process and provides convenience.

: Implement digital tools that allow customers to get quick and accurate estimates online. This streamlines the quoting process and provides convenience. Virtual Consultations : In the age of technology, consider offering virtual consultations where customers can discuss their painting projects and preferences via video calls.

: In the age of technology, consider offering virtual consultations where customers can discuss their painting projects and preferences via video calls. Augmented Reality (AR) Visualization : AR apps can allow customers to visualize how different paint colors would look in their spaces before making a decision.

: AR apps can allow customers to visualize how different paint colors would look in their spaces before making a decision. Elevated Customer Service : Exceptional customer service can make a significant difference. Train your staff to provide a personalized and memorable experience for every client.

: Exceptional customer service can make a significant difference. Train your staff to provide a personalized and memorable experience for every client. Warranty and Guarantees : Offer solid warranties and guarantees on your painting services. This gives customers peace of mind and builds trust.

: Offer solid warranties and guarantees on your painting services. This gives customers peace of mind and builds trust. Community Engagement : Get involved in your local community by sponsoring events or partnering with nonprofits. This not only supports your community but also enhances your brand image.

: Get involved in your local community by sponsoring events or partnering with nonprofits. This not only supports your community but also enhances your brand image. Smart Marketing : Utilize digital marketing strategies, such as social media advertising and search engine optimization, to reach a broader audience and generate leads.

: Utilize digital marketing strategies, such as social media advertising and search engine optimization, to reach a broader audience and generate leads. Diverse Service Offerings : Consider expanding your services beyond painting. Offering complementary services like power washing, carpentry, or drywall repair can create additional revenue streams.

: Consider expanding your services beyond painting. Offering complementary services like power washing, carpentry, or drywall repair can create additional revenue streams. Employee Training and Certification: Invest in training and certifications for your painters to ensure they have the latest skills and knowledge, boosting the quality of your services.

Strategy/Innovation Description Eco-Friendly Paint Options Offer low VOC paint options that are environmentally friendly and safe for health and the environment. Digital Estimation Tools Implement digital tools for quick and accurate online estimates, improving the quoting process's efficiency. Virtual Consultations Provide virtual consultation options for customers to discuss their painting projects via video calls. Augmented Reality (AR) Visualization Use AR apps to help customers visualize paint colors in their spaces before making decisions. Elevated Customer Service Train staff to deliver exceptional, personalized customer service for a memorable client experience. Warranty and Guarantees Offer solid warranties and guarantees on painting services to build trust and provide peace of mind to customers. Community Engagement Get involved in the local community through sponsorships and partnerships with nonprofits to enhance your brand. Smart Marketing Utilize digital marketing strategies like social media ads and SEO to reach a broader audience and generate leads. Diverse Service Offerings Expand services to include power washing, carpentry, or drywall repair to create additional revenue streams. Employee Training and Certification Invest in training and certifications for painters to improve the quality of services.

How Much is a Painting Franchise?

A painting franchise costs between $13,000 and $185,000. Most fall somewhere between $50,000 and $125,000. The exact costs depend on your location, the type of franchise you want to start, and the equipment you need. For example, a franchise where you simply consult with local homeowners on color choices is likely to cost the least. However, companies that offer painting and surface restoration can be a bit more since extra equipment is needed.

How Profitable is a Painting Franchise?

Paint franchises can be very profitable for those who offer the right services in the right market. For example, a painting company that offers services for custom homes is only going to be profitable in an area with lots of high-end properties. But a company that offers budget services can be profitable in other areas, provided they can keep costs low. Many painting franchises are home-based, which keeps expenses manageable. Overall, painting franchises can expect to start earning about 40% in gross profits once those initial expenses are covered. But exact numbers vary greatly.

How do You Start a Painting Business?

Starting a new painting franchise can be complex. You need to invest heavily in market research, technology, and equipment. Thats why many aspiring owners turn to franchises. A franchisor handles things like back end processes, marketing, and branding. Then you can attach yourself to an established brand and get your operations off the ground faster.
Tea is one of the most popular beverages around the world. As a result, starting a business that offers this healthy and delicious drink can be a rewarding and profitable experience.

If youre interested in starting a tea business, a franchise can help you get up and running quickly. These opportunities give you access to proven menus and systems. And you can attach yourself to a recognizable name right away.

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There are tons of tea franchises available, all with different niches and specialties. Understanding the options can help you make the best decision for your new business venture.

Selecting the Perfect Tea Franchise: Our Methodology

When it comes to owning a tea franchise, youre entering the world of soothing brews and delightful flavors. But how do you pick the best one from the options available? Weve ranked these criteria on a scale of importance, using a 1-10 rating scale, with 10 being the highest importance and 1 being the lowest:

Quality of Tea Offerings (Rating: 10/10): The quality and variety of tea options should be exceptional, as its the core product and the primary reason customers visit a tea franchise.

Brand Reputation and Recognition (Rating: 9/10): A well-established and recognized brand is crucial. It often reflects the quality of the tea and can help attract loyal customers.

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Location and Foot Traffic (Rating: 9/10): Choosing the right location with high foot traffic is vital for success. Its equally crucial as brand reputation because it directly impacts visibility and sales.

Menu Variety and Customization (Rating: 8/10): Offering a diverse menu with customization options can enhance the customer experience and cater to various tastes and preferences.

Franchise Fees and Costs (Rating: 7/10): The financial aspect is important, but its not as vital as the quality of tea and location. Consider initial franchise fees, ongoing royalties, and startup costs.

Marketing and Advertising Support (Rating: 7/10): Effective marketing support from the franchisor can significantly boost brand visibility and customer acquisition.

Supplier Relationships (Rating: 6/10): Maintaining reliable and cost-effective supplier relationships is significant but slightly less crucial than core factors.

Training and Support (Rating: 6/10): Comprehensive training and ongoing support from the franchisor are essential but not as high-priority as core elements.

Equipment and Technology (Rating: 5/10): Proper equipment and technology matter for efficient operations but rank lower in importance compared to others.

Community Involvement (Rating: 4/10): Engaging with the local community can be beneficial, but its not as critical as the core factors.

Unique Tea Franchises

Here are 18 tea franchise concepts to consider for aspiring entrepreneurs.

1. Fava Tea

Fava Tea is a retail tea business that currently has multiple locations in Wisconsin, with potential expansion opportunities throughout the U.S. The company sells a variety of specialty teas along with related products and gifts. The company also aims to provide a memorable experience for visitors. Franchisees pay an initial fee of up to $30,000. Startup costs range from $126,825 to $349,150.

2. TeaGschwendner

TeaGschwendner first opened in Germany in the late 1970s. Since then, the company has opened up more than 130 retail locations in seven countries. Their U.S. operations are headquartered in Chicago. New franchisees and managers can receive training there before getting started. The franchise fee ranges from $15,000 to $25,000.

3. The Teahouse

This Texas-based chain specializes in tea and other healthy beverages in a quick service environment. The Teahouse is a family friendly company thats been around since 2000. They use carefully chosen ingredients in their teas. And they also aim to provide quality service and open communication to franchisees. The franchise fee is $25,000. Upfront costs range from $165,000 to $300,000, depending on what type of location you want to open.

4. The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf

Though not exclusively a tea franchise, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf offers a variety of both coffee and tea beverages. Founded in Southern California in 1963, tea and coffee franchising company has since grown to include more than 1,200 locations around the world. The company is looking to expand through multi-unit franchise development. The business also offers a variety of nontraditional models and location options, including those at airports, colleges, hotels, and grocery stores. It provides training, development, design, operations, marketing and logistical support. Franchising fees range from $15,000 to $25,000. The initial investment ranges from $183,250 to $615,500.

5. Teapioca Lounge

Originally founded in 2010, Teapioca Lounge offers traditional and specialty teas along with other beverage options. The brand aims to mix both east and west tea traditions in quick service environments. The company is known for product quality, innovative drinks, and trendy settings. The franchise provides training and grand opening assistance for franchisees. Theres a $25,000 franchise fee. Initial investment ranges from $205,500 to $351,100.

6. Dobra Tea

Founded in 1992 in Prague, Czech Republic, Dobra Tea aims to spread authentic tea culture from around the world. The company already has several locations throughout the U.S., and more in other parts of the world. Dobras team helps franchisees with training, publicity and more. They specifically look for franchisees that love tea and tea culture. The company doesnt list any franchise fees publicly. However, youll pay between $50,000 and $100,000 to get a new store set up.

7. TSUJIRI

TSUJIRI is a global tea brand that specializes in Japanese tea culture. The company even offers specialty products like matcha. TSUJIRI doesnt currently have any locations in the U.S. However, there are a few in Canada. The company is open to expansion in new markets. Inquire about specific costs if youre interested in bringing this franchise to a new customer base.

8. Sweetwaters

Sweetwaters is a franchise coffee and tea house. If youre a tea lover, youll probably appreciate the variety of classic and premium teas, along with the tea boxes that are available for sale. Franchisees can enjoy a comprehensive training program along with marketing and operations support. A franchise fee of $49,000 is required. Initial investment ranges from $260,076 to $393,174.

9. Spice Merchants

With stores in several states throughout the U.S., Spice Merchants is a retail business that offers spices, teas and other specialty food items. The company offers help with training, inventory and store setup. You dont need a culinary or tea background to get started. However, you should expect to spend between $60,000 to $127,000 in total startup costs, including a franchise fee of $25,000.

10. Presotea

Presotea specializes in espresso style tea. The company has more than 370 locations in countries around the world. While the brand isnt especially active in the United States, it is looking for new expansion opportunities. Presotea offers training and consultation along with management counseling and other services for franchisees. The opportunity comes with a $14,000 franchise fee, plus $20,000 for the required training program. Initial startup costs range from $235,000 to $365,000.

11. The Spice & Tea Exchange

The Spice & Tea Exchange is a retail business with franchise opportunities available. There are already franchise locations set up throughout the United States. As a result, youll be able to enjoy some brand recognition depending on the market you choose. The company encourages new franchisees to learn from current business owners. It also offers a training program called Spice UniversiTEA. The initial franchise fee is $37,750. New franchisees can expect to pay between $183,650 and $384,250 to get started.

12. Jamba Juice
Eva Lilly about how humanity would approach a potential Earth-asteroid collision.

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"In the 50 years of the university's history, I was the first pregnant postdoctoral fellow. They did not even know what benefits they could offer me. HR told me that if I was infected with plague, like one of my colleagues had been, they would know what to do. But they were at a loss during pregnancy and motherhood," says Eva Lilly from an elite group of scientists tasked with planetary defence.

In an interview, she talks about the risks of Earth being hit by an asteroid, including what we could do to prevent it from happening. She also talks openly about the feelings of inferiority female scientists often suffer and the struggles they face if they want to devote themselves to science and family.

You belong to a very small group of people that survey asteroids and evaluate the potential risk of their collision with Earth. How many people are there?

The community is really very small, maybe around 50 worldwide. We have a network of telescopes in various places on the planet and one in space, allowing us to watch the sky day and night and record moving objects. We are particularly interested in asteroids, small space rocks between a few metres up to a few kilometres, with trajectories that could theoretically bring them closer to Earth and threaten us.

Out of those 50 people, is there someone always on the lookout, watching everything that happens in the sky?

Not quite. There are people who really sit behind telescopes and watch the sky. However, today's telescopes are usually automatic and trained staff captures the images, which are sent to us every morning along with other data. We then analyse and evaluate them. In many cases, they do not capture a real object, but an artefact or an error that has occurred when the image was taken. However, when it comes to real objects, we calculate their trajectories and send everything to the Minor Planet Center at Harvard & the Smithsonian. It is there that calculations regarding risks are taking place and whether these objects can collide with Earth in the next 100 years.

Do you encounter immediate threats or only those that may threaten the planet in a few decades?

The chance of spotting an imminent threat is actually quite high. There are billions of small asteroids roughly 20 or 30 metres in size. Such an asteroid has the potential to wipe out a city such as Bratislava. About once a month we get a warning that a body 1-metre in diametre is approaching Earth. In the last 10 years I remember about seven times when this actually happened. However, our planet is large and most of the surface is covered by oceans, so most people see a bright flash at most. However, there are parts of the sky that we cannot see, for example in the direction from the Sun. Ten years ago, an asteroid came from this direction, burned up in the atmosphere and injured about 1,500 people in the vicinity of the Russian city of Chelyabinsk.

Have you ever been really worried about the fate of the planet?
Katarina Zivanovic manages a cultural centre in Nitra.

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After decades in her native Serbia, Katarina Zivanovic decided to start again in a country she knew nothing about - Slovakia. Once there, she discovered not only a new culture, language and customs, but also a different version of herself.

Serbias complex history as part of what was once Yugoslavia and the subsequent break-up of that state into many different countries, played a key part in shaping Zivanovics life as she grew up in Loznica, a town near the Bosnian-Serbian border, and moved to Belgrade later on.

When I was young, I could not fully understand the historical and ideological context [of Serbia and the break-up of Yugoslavia], she said in a recent interview with Fjuzn magazine.

At the age of 46 she decided to open a new chapter in her life, moving to Slovakia and managing a cultural centre. Even though she continues to be aware of the importance of her home country in her life, she appears to be fine with living abroad.

I think I was born in Serbia by accident, she said.

Some aspects of Zivanovic s lifestyle were in stark contrast to traditional Serbian ways of life. A vegetarian for over 30 years, in a land that adored meat and white bread, she also strayed away from the status quo when it came to religion and her attitudes to traditional Serbian culture. A career-driven individual, she was eager to complete goals, while many of her Serbian colleagues preferred a more relaxed approach to work.

Serbians would often make fun of each other, saying that they could never be paid as little as they work, she said.

Growing up she was immersed in what she describes as an artistic world in Serbia that fostered globally recognised talents, including performance artist Marina Abramovic, as well as a vibrant jazz, film, and theatre scene.

You looked around and you saw world-famous artists, she recalled.

Serbian folklore and traditional culture never really drew her in the same way.

This love and experience of art led her to a career in culture, filling prominent posts, such as Director of the Cultural Centre REX in Belgrade, Director of the Museum of Yugoslavian History, and the head of the Department of Culture in Belgrade.

Katarina Zivanovic. (Source: Kvet Nguyen)

A vegetarian who loves tea houses

With over two decades of experience in management, she came to Slovakia to take up the position of general manager of the cultural centre in Kosice, Tabacka Kulturfabrik. In a completely new environment and facing a language barrier, Zivanovic recalled that she had to adjust and start from scratch.

Having briefly moved to Prague she then took on managing the establishment of a cultural centre in Nitra.

She said her initial transition to Slovakia was mostly positive. Zivanovic also praised the cultural scenes in both Slovak cities she has lived in.

Nitra captivated me with its endearing festivals, while in Kosice it was the contemporary art events, she said.

Nitras proximity to Vienna, offering her easy access to cultural experiences outside of Slovakia, is another positive to her life in the west Slovak city, along with the tea houses and cafes she likes to spend time in, or rather at their tables outside.

I also need a diverse offer of vegetarian products in stores, Zivanovic added.

However, not all aspects of her life in Nitra are perfect, she confided.

Group exercising makes me happy. I havent yet found a good group in Nitra - I cant seem to sync my schedule with friends, she explained, adding though that I had a perfect trainer in Kosice. We used to exercise together with a few people from Tabacka.

Looking back at her time in Kosice, Zivanovic said language posed a particular challenge at first. With English communication dominant in her workplace, she struggled at first to learn Slovak. This changed when she moved to Nitra though.

I was much more open, my Slovak language skills improved.

Having already gone from Serbia to Kosice and then Kosice to Prague  albeit only briefly  by the time she got to moving to Nitra, the transition to a new city was easier.

I assimilated the quickest [there], I already knew the process quite well, she commented.

Katarina Zivanovic. (Source: Kvet Nguyen)

Foreigners Police through a foreigners eyes

Zivanovic describes her experience of Slovakia as enriching.

I respect local traditions and communities, I try to get to know them. Its something new that alters my perception of life, she pointed out.

Indeed, she says her move to Slovakia marked a profound shift in her life, changing her dramatically.

If it werent for my life in Slovakia, I wouldnt be who I am, she said. I was getting to know myself again. I had the chance to react differently to situations I had experienced before.

However, life as a foreigner in Slovakia still poses challenges. Zivanovic highlighted her regular visits to the Foreigners Police.

In Kosice, I used to visit the Foreigners Police once a year, she said. Armed with her newly acquired command of Slovak she differed from the other foreigners there who usually brought translators with them. I wasnt the kind of foreigner they usually encountered. Thats probably why they treated me well.

But her experiences with the Foreigners Police in Nitra have been characterised by anxiety, inefficiency, and a lack of empathy on the part of the police.

The way the office functions makes it impossible for the workers to understand the person on the other side of the counter.

The Covid-19 pandemic, along with the war in Ukraine, made the system even more complicated, said Zivanovic, describing the lack of even basic facilities at the institution.

Toilet paper in the toilets would be good, she said.

The uncertainty of not knowing whether what she needs will get done when she goes there makes her visits even more stressful.

Its as if I did something wrong and was called to the principal in kindergarten to receive my punishment, she said of her trips there.

Katarina Zivanovic. (Source: Kvet Nguyen)

Invisible women in Slovak culture

In the world of culture and art, which dominate Zivanovic s life, she sees a notable gender imbalance in Slovakia, with culture centred around men.

Im not familiar with Slovak mainstream opera or theatre, so Im not sure how it works there, but in my field of work, I feel the invisibility of women. Its as if they werent even there, despite the fact that culture would not exist without them, she said.

Zivanovic said men are in the spotlight, dominating the field, while women tirelessly work, often for 12 or even 15 hours, with little to no recognition. This permeates even into discussion events where you have four guests and not even one of them is a woman.

According to Zivanovic, there needs to be greater gender balance. Of course, it shouldnt be forced. Women working in culture are incredibly capable, but too much of the space is left to men, she claimed.

Despite some of the challenges she continues to encounter in Slovakia, Zivanovic is in no doubt that her move to Slovakia was a good choice.

I have met people here that accepted me. I feel that I am part of the community, she said.
Initially, the prime minister wanted to ban them from entering the Government Office.

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Prime Minister Robert Fico, leader of the strongest ruling party Smer, announced on Monday that he would suspend communication with four media outlets.

In a press release, he named the private television channel Markiza, which he publicly defended against the semi-authoritarian prime minister Vladimir Meciar in 1998, the news website Aktuality, and two major Slovak dailies, Sme and Dennik N. The prime minister further explained that these media outlets, in his opinion, do not inform the public about the activities of the government and the prime minister truthfully, comprehensively and on time.

Some media outlets get angry that I dont talk to them. When they stop lying, I will, said Fico.

Leading members of the Smer party supported Fico on November 21 and decided to not communicate with the same media, the party announced on Facebook.

For many years, Fico and his Smer party have refused to answer the media's critical questions and attacked them. For example, he called them dirty anti-Slovak prostitutes in 2016.

Shortly before this years September parliamentary election, Fico also ignored a pre-election debate broadcast by Markiza.
PM Fico at war with some media, government programme approved, HIV testing, and Queens of the Stone Age will play Pohoda.

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Good evening. Here is the Tuesday, November 21 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.

A foreigner found dead in Kosice

The police are investigating the death of a foreigner in Kosice. (Source: TASR)

The Kosice police are investigating the death of a foreigner, the news website Korzar wrote on Tuesday.

According to the website, the 58-year-old foreigners name is Jose Eligio S. T.. He is alleged to have been an asylum seeker from Cuba. It is not clear how he died. The doctor summoned to the scene did not rule out that someone else might have killed the man, said the police.

His body was found last Friday in the Kosice-Sever borough. The man, however, lived in the Darbovskych Hrdinov borough.

More stories from The Slovak Spectator website

Politics: PM Robert Fico (Smer) decided to not communicate with some media outlets because he believes they lie about his government.

PM Robert Fico (Smer) decided to not communicate with some media outlets because he believes they lie about his government. Opinion: Beata Balogova, editor-in-chief of the Sme daily, responds to Ficos latest decision in her opinion piece.

Beata Balogova, editor-in-chief of the Sme daily, responds to Ficos latest decision in her opinion piece. Science: Women in science are not expected to have children. I insisted that it was my basic human right and earned the benefit, says Slovak scientist Eva Lilly in an interview.

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 TUESDAY

A Serbian who runs Nitras cultural centre

Katarina Zivanovic. (Source: Kvet Nguyen)

At 46, Katarina Zivanovic decided to leave Serbia and relocate to Slovakia where she has managed two cultural centres, in Kosice and in Nitra.

If it werent for my life in Slovakia, I wouldnt be who I am, she says in an interview.

EVENT

Get tested for HIV

The world commemorates World AIDS Day on December 1. (Source: Facebook/HIV / AIDS Slovensko)

Grab the opportunity to test for HIV during the currently ongoing European Testing Week. As every year, it takes place a week before World AIDS Day, which falls on December 1. Testing is offered by 11 selected regional public health offices, the National Centre for HIV/AIDS Prevention, HIV Check Point Bratislava and some clinical microbiology laboratories. It is also possible to request a blood sample for testing from your general practitioner.

In Bratislava, the first HIV community centre opened in early November. It can be found on Prazska 11.

In other news

Parliament has approved the government programme after a week-long discussion in the debating chamber. Seventy-eight MPs voted for it although the ruling coalition has 79 MPs in the house. PM Robert Fico (Smer) explained that one of the coalition MPs is in hospital. The opposition describes the programme as too general and unambitious. The coalition called its programme Living better, calmer and safer.

The government programme gets approved in parliament on November 21, 2023. (Source: TASR)

The condition of a 22-year-old student who was stabbed five times on a train on November 1 has worsened , the Sme daily writes. A 29-year-old attacker, who is confirmed to have mental problems and refuses treatment, is in custody. When asked by the police if he wanted to rape the student, he said, smiling: Let me be. I want to go to heaven.

, the Sme daily writes. A 29-year-old attacker, who is confirmed to have mental problems and refuses treatment, is in custody. When asked by the police if he wanted to rape the student, he said, smiling: Let me be. I want to go to heaven. Jesus Christ will not become the king of Slovakia , ultraconservative Culture Minister Martina Simkovicova (SNS nom.) said on Tuesday. Her ultraconservative deputy minister, Stefan Kuffa (Zivot), talked about crowning Jesus the king in Slovakia during a mass in Trnava last week. Kuffas brother Marian, who is a Catholic priest, defended his brother in his latest sermon, repeating that anyone who spreads gender ideology, commits genocide of our [Slovak] nation. Treason.

Queens of the Stone Age, a US rock band, will perform at the 2024 Pohoda festival in Trencin. Morcheeba, Black Pumas and James Blake have also been announced as live acts that will perform at the event.

University Hospital Bratislava has put its no-visitor policy to use due to the worsening epidemic situation in the Bratislava Region.

Slovakia is prepared to extend the ban on the import of agricultural commodities from Ukraine if the European Commission does not find an acceptable way to deal with the surplus of Ukrainian grain in Europe , said Agriculture Minister Richard Takac (Smer) after a meeting with EU agriculture ministers in Brussels.

The government has extended border checks with Hungary until December 23. The measure will cost more than 3 million. Temporary border checks have been in place since October 5.

Slovensko (OLaNO) leader and ex-PM Igor Matovic during a press conference in parliament after the government programme is approved on November 21, 2023. Matovic explains how his party has reportedly made the Hlas party, one of the ruling parties, to keep its promise and give all pensioners 640. Matovic refers to a donkey from Shrek and to a gold-producing donkey from a story by the Brothers Grimm to illustrate efforts of his party. (Source: TASR)

Conservative MPs Anna Zaborska and Richard Vasecka wants to ban Sunday sales from January 2025. Four Sundays would be exempted from the ban: the Sunday before the start of the school year and the three Sundays before Christmas. MPs should deal with the proposal next month.

Four Sundays would be exempted from the ban: the Sunday before the start of the school year and the three Sundays before Christmas. MPs should deal with the proposal next month. The traffic situation near the Vysne Nemecke-Uzhhorod border crossing appears unpredictable due to a protest by Slovak hauliers and a big number of Ukrainian lorries using the border crossing after Poland closed some of its border crossings for lorries from Ukraine. (Korzar)

WEATHER FOR WEDNESDAY: You can expect patchy clouds and cooler temperatures. The daytime temperature will range from 3C to 9C, much lower in the Spis region in eastern Slovakia.

The yellow fog warning is currently in place in the Banska Bystrica Region. The yellow wind warning will be in place in the southern part of eastern Slovakia, including Kosice, tomorrow. (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).
Buying coffee at a specialty coffee shop can be overwhelming. Between blends and a global array of single-origin offerings, sometimes it feels like fewer choices would actually make the process more fun. While this large array of choices that rotate throughout the year is common, there have always been outliers that focus on a smaller, more focused selection of coffees.

A growing number of cities are home to what you might call single origin cafes. In some cases this looks like a company serving coffee from their familys farm, as is the case with Anticonquista Cafe in Chicago and Cafe Gonzalez in New York City. In others this refers to sourcing coffee from just one country or geographical region, as is the case at Cafe Ca Phe in Kansas City, or Portland Ca Phe and Esperanza Trading Co. which are both in Portland. In these cases, the owners of these businesses choose to highlight the coffee of a specific farm or region, often bringing coffee culture and preparation techniques with them to share with new audiences.

Identity and Opportunity

The idea of highlighting a specific origin appeals to different people for different reasons. For Nataly Gonzalez of Cafe Gonzalez, opening a cafe was a way to proudly showcase the coffee grown on her familys farm in Guatemala.

I wanted people to try the unique flavor of one single estate coffee, explains Gonzalez. Our coffee farm is located at an altitude of 1,500 meters above sea level in a subtropical region, giving results to a high quality bean. I wanted New Yorkers to have a taste of Guatemala, and most importantly a farm-to-cup coffee experience.

This farm-to-cup experience can help cafe owners create compelling narratives around their business. For Elmer Fajardo and Lauren Reese of Anticonquista Cafe, a roastery in Chicago that imports coffee directly from their family farm in Nuevo Oriente, Guatemala, sharing the story of their coffee helps create meaningful conversations with their customers.

When I meet new customers I explain my story, where Im from, and the region that our coffee is from, says Fajardo. Customers will leave with a bag of coffee even more excited to try it than when they stopped by our market booth.

Sourcing coffee from family farms is an intimate endeavor and creates a powerful story. Both Anticonquista and Cafe Gonzalez draw on this in their marketing, highlighting the family farm on each bag of coffee and sharing photos and news about the years harvest.

While this strong sense of identity has the commercial benefit of deepening their customers investment in the companys mission, Fajardo mentions that it can also help create personal connections. Almost weekly we have someone stop by one of our booths at the farmers market to say, Soy de Zacapa, or, Mis padres son de Retalhuleu, Fajardo tells me. This turns into a conversation about my homeland, where I grew up, our family, foods, and culture. Weve met many customers whove turned into friends.

For both Gonzalez and Fajardo there is a personally fulfilling element to sharing their familys coffee. This seems to be a throughline thats present in many cafes that serve coffee from a single origin. Sometimes this personal interest might look like pride in a family farm, other times it looks like wanting to highlight several producers from a region, traditional practices of preparing coffee, or even a certain variety or species of coffee.

Reforma Roasters, a Portland-based roaster that supplies coffee to local cafes including Esperanza Trading Co., La Perlita, and Electrica, has a history of sourcing coffees from all across Mexico. Reforma roasts multiple single origin and blends, showing the quality and variety of Mexican coffee that they believe is finally breaking out of the long stigma of what many (mostly white) so-called specialty coffee drinkers believed Mexican coffee was: a chocolatey-nutty bland coffee used for more developed roasts.

In addition to their desire to show the diversity of Mexican coffees, Reforma also is invested in widening the breadth of flavor notes used to describe their beans. Alongside the anglophone descriptors commonly found in specialty coffee, they also draw on the flavors of where their coffee is sourced with notes like flan, piloncillo (raw cane sugar), or mazapan (a Mexican peanut candy.)

For Kim Dam, founder of Portland Ca Phe, serving only Vietnamese coffee created opportunities both to attract customers interested in robusta coffee, and to create lasting relationships with producers.

Being able to focus on one region I have been able to put 100% into my relationships with my coffee partners and this has made it a lot more personable, explains Dam. I also serve robusta beans, which hadnt been seen within the Portland specialty coffee world, so people were really interested in that.

Creating compelling narratives around coffee is an important aspect of marketing, especially when it comes to companies like Cafe Gonzales, Anticonquista, or Reforma, whose identities are tightly connected to what they serve. However, the success of these businesses is due to more than just their character and unique offerings. In both the fields of roasting and brewing, companies focused on coffee from a single origin have unique advantages.

Only carrying coffee from one origin allows us to create a business identity and brand rooted within that, but also hone in on making a product with great quality, Reese notes. We know exactly how our coffee is going to act when roasting and brewing. We can quickly notice differences from season to season within our harvests, and since we grow it we generally can anticipate those differences.

Making a Menu

At first it might seem difficult to keep up with demands for variety when brewing coffee from just one region or farm, but aside from the small proportion of coffee drinkers who are constantly in search of new varieties or innovative processing methods, many people who drink coffee are more interested in just a consistently good cup day after day.

I believe there is a niche for every business, there are people that prefer flavored coffees, dark roast, and there are the ones that enjoy specialty coffee like a Grand Cru wine, muses Gonzalez. Meanwhile at Anticonquista, Fajardo and Reese are equally confident that finding a niche and connecting with customers is more important than offering a dizzying array of coffee.

After meeting with customers and sharing our business model and my story, many do return knowing that what we roast is limited to what we grow, says Fajardo. The customers who are really interested in coffee will ask about the different varieties grown on our farm, and express interest in wanting to taste different varieties, but we dont really get asked if we offer beans from different origins.

Of course, theres also more to making an exciting menu than just the coffee. Anticonquista offers cold brew mixed with horchata or spiced with cardamom also grown on the family farm. Esperanza Trading Co. ties in traditional Mexican flavors to their drinks, like iced coffee with hibiscus, piloncillo, and lime, paired with takes on traditional pastries like conchas or empanadas. At Vietnamese cafes like Portland Ca Phe or Cafe Ca Phe, sesame, ube, and other Southeast Asian ingredients abound, alongside drinks like Ca Phe Sua a (Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk) made using the traditional Phin coffee brewer.

I added a lot of flavors that I grew up enjoying onto my menu, so you can find a lot of fun flavors in our seasonal drinks or specialty drinks, including ube, pandan, and black sesame, says Dam. We also currently have a banana matcha that reminds me of banh da lon, a pandan mung bean pastry.

Does Limited Supply Mean Higher Risk?

In coffee consuming countries like the United States, businesses can be slightly more insulated from the fluctuating coffee market and environmental challenges. Once connected more closely and directly to a single farm or coffee producing region, however, these risks begin to grow. Factors such as one-off natural disasters, disease, or even the gradual effects of climate change can jeopardize the crops of entire regions. Theres also economic and political risks, such as changing shipping regulations or events like the dissolution of The Mexican Coffee Institute and the International Coffee Agreement which both occurred in 1989 and deeply impacted small scale coffee producers in Mexico.

Extreme weather, excessive rains, not enough rain, and fungus like La Roya (Coffee Leaf Rust) can cause loss of harvests, which means for us less beans to roast, or no beans to roast in the event of a total catastrophic loss, explains Reese.

This risk means its important to constantly be thinking of the future. For a business like Reforma Roasters or Portland Ca Phe that might mean talking to coffee farmers and understanding how they plan to endure possible setbacks before signing forward contracts.

At one point when I first opened in 2021, I almost ran out of beans because there wasnt much to offer in the states and COVID had shipping containers backlogged, Dam writes.  I simply dont have the option to pivot to another region, so I really hone in on my relationships with my current coffee partners to ensure I can contract enough coffee to last me throughout the year.

For Anticonquista or Cafe Gonzalez, who produce their own coffee, managing risk means understanding how to consistently produce a harvest year after year. After all, they dont just buy spot green coffee if theres a problem with production.

We strive for good quality tasting coffee, but given the conditions that face us and our farms, its always sustainability first, Reese states.

Its unlikely that every coffee shop in your town will eventually choose to become a single origin cafe; its a model with distinct challenges that doesnt appeal to everyone. However, there is a history of cafes with coffee from a single farm or coffee producing region, and the successes of these companies shows theres room for more newcomers to make their mark.

Of course there are advantages and unique possibilities that come along with serving coffee from just one country, region, or farm, but after even one conversation with the people who own these businesses its clear that their motivations are deeper than achieving commercial success. The work they do comes from their love of coffee, pride in their identity, or desire to share their coffee and culture with others who otherwise might never experience it.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20231120/philippine-president-seeks-diplomacy-with-china-in-resolving-maritime-borders-1115078336.html

Philippine President Seeks Diplomacy With China in Resolving Maritime Borders

Philippine President Seeks Diplomacy With China in Resolving Maritime Borders

The complex geopolitical scenario in the South China Sea, marked by maritime disputes, is further complicated by the increasing involvement of the US military in the Asia-Pacific, exacerbating the region's already delicate geopolitical dynamics.

2023-11-20T07:03+0000

2023-11-20T07:03+0000

2023-11-21T07:04+0000

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Last Friday (November 17th, 2023), Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Chinese President Xi Jinping engaged in a significant diplomatic exchange, focusing on de-escalating the South China Sea disputes and restoring fishing privileges for Filipino fishermen in their habitual areas.On the sidelines of the APEC Summit in San Francisco, a crucial meeting was organized, known for being a significant step taken by President Marcos to maintain regional stability and ensure the accessibility of sea lanes and airways between the Philippines and China.President Marcos explained, "We tried to come up with mechanisms to lower the tensions in the South China Sea." The Philippine president raised issues regarding recent events, such as the clash between Chinese and Philippine ships, highlighting the challenges encountered by Filipino fishers. Marcos Jr. called for restoring the earlier peaceful coexistence of Chinese and Filipino fishermen in shared waters. He disclosed to news outlets that he and Xi agreed that geopolitical concerns should not overshadow their nations' relationship.The South China Sea has long been a hotspot for territorial disputes over several islands, notably the Paracel Islands, the Spratly Islands, Thitu Island, and Scarborough Shoal. These disputes involve China, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, and the Philippines, and they are attributed mainly to the region's significant oil and gas reserves.Since starting his term in 2022, President Marcos has focused on enhancing the Philippines' relationship with the United States, which marks a departure from the approach taken by his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte. Unlike Duterte, who frequently aimed for peaceful resolutions with Beijing, President Marcos Jr. has witnessed an escalation in the longstanding confrontation between China and the Philippines over the South China Sea. It is worth noting that the current Philippine president's pro-Western stance can be attributed to America's aid in facilitating his father's escape to Hawaii during the popular uprising of 1986.Marcos Jr. has expanded the US militarys presence in the Philippines. This includes granting access to four additional Philippine military bases, which is in addition to the five that already exist.Media reports say talks between the Pentagon and Manila are ongoing regarding developing a port in the Batanes islands, strategically located in the northwest and less than 200 km (125 miles) from Taiwan. International observers have noted that a US military base in the Batanes could enable Washington to exert control over the Bashi Channel, a critical passageway for the Chinese navy linking the Western Pacific to the South China Sea.The most extensive Balikatan exercise occurred from April 11 to 28, featuring over 17,600 personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the US military. This 38th annual bilateral drill represented a substantial growth from the 9,000 participants in 2022, indicating an expansion in the scale of these military partnerships.The 2023 PH-US Exercise SAMA SAMA, overseen by the Philippine Navy from October 2 to 13 at the Naval Forces Southern Luzon (NFSL) operations area, marks a significant collaboration between the United States Navy (USN) and the Philippine Navy (PN). This exercise exemplifies the intensifying military alliance between the two countries.The role of the United States in the Asia-Pacific, especially regarding the South China Sea, is contentious. America's military presence and backing of allies in territorial disputes with Beijing have exacerbated regional tensions. This is evident in the South China Sea, where American freedom of navigation operations (FONOPs) challenge Beijings maritime claims under the guise of upholding international law, which China often sees as aggressive. The US pivot to Asia, aimed at counterbalancing China's influence, adds to the complexity. The United States runs the risk of escalating confrontations in an already delicate region by aligning with parties involved in complex territorial conflicts and increasing its military activities. This is particularly concerning considering the historical and geopolitical factors at play.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231023/china-files-complaint-with-philippines-over-south-china-sea-collision---reports-1114426101.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231120/report-biden-donors-advisers-struggling-over-how-to-address-presidents-age-1115084075.html

Report: Biden Donors, Advisers Struggling Over How to Address Presidents Age

Report: Biden Donors, Advisers Struggling Over How to Address Presidents Age

Advisers to Joe Biden are reportedly considering a number of strategies to address concerns about the American presidents advanced age.

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2023-11-20T21:55+0000

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us

joe biden

age

us president

biden administration

white house

advisers

us politics

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Advisers to Joe Biden are reportedly considering a number of strategies to address concerns about the American presidents advanced age.The one number in the polling that was concerning had to do with age, and that is one thing you cant reverse no matter how effective Joe Biden is behind the scenes, said Democratic adviser David Axelrod, referring to polling showing the majority of Americans believe Biden is too old to serve another term as president.Bidens advisers have reportedly acknowledged the president sometimes appears frail in public appearances. Theyve responded to the issue by considering minimizing the distances the president walks on camera and having him wear more comfortable shoes.Advisers are also attempting to prevent the president from climbing stairs when possible. Biden generated attention early in his term when he was filmed stumbling while ascending the stairs to Air Force One; the octogenarian president has slipped while walking up the steps to the presidential plane as recently as September.Biden also attracted attention last year when he fell from his bicycle while exercising in his home state of Delaware, turning an attempt to demonstrate the presidents physical fitness into another gaffe.While Biden allies admit he occasionally appears physically weak, they insist hes still mentally capable of fulfilling responsibilities. But the president has been widely known for being gaffe-prone throughout his career. Some worry his propensity towards verbal flubs is only exacerbating worries over this age.Donors are advising Bidens team to lean in on the issue, portraying the presidents age as a source of wisdom and encouraging them to portray him as an affable Grandpa Joe in contrast to his likely rival, former US President Donald Trump.I think the strategy is not to even address it, to consider questions like that stupid or silly, said one anonymous donor who took issue with the campaigns strategy thus far. Literally everyone is talking about it, even amongst donors. But the response is always: What are you going to do?One political operative worried the campaign has become defensive over the issue, claiming, They bristle in ways that arent helpful.Some analysts have noted Trumps age as well  the billionaire former president is just four years younger than Biden. Political scientist Kyle Kondik says Trump is judged less harshly than Biden because Trump is known for speaking in a more informal, off-the-cuff manner.Biden was known for his testy relationship with younger voters during his presidential campaign; he once claimed to have no empathy for the challenges of Millennials and Generation Z. Hes tried to cultivate a better relationship with the age group during his time as president, proposing a student loan forgiveness plan that was largely rolled back by the US Supreme Court.The age of a number of the United States most prominent politicians has provoked concerns in some quarters that the country has become a gerontocracy, or a political system dominated by the elderly.Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) only recently stood down from her position as leader of the Democratic Party in the countrys lower legislative chamber at the age of 82. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), age 81, has recently suffered two widely commented upon health incidents in public.Former Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), who had become the oldest-sitting member in US Congress, died in office earlier this year at the age of 90. Her mental decline had been noted for some time, with even members of her party saying she had become unfit to serve. Observers speculated Feinstein suffered from dementia as she appeared confused and disoriented while fulfilling her duties in the Senate.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230513/house-gop-demand-gaffe-prone-biden-renounce-2024-bid-or-submit-to-cognitive-test-1110311153.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230828/biden-too-old-to-serve-second-term--poll-1112941500.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231120/us-democratic-senators-urge-biden-to-press-israel-on-need-for-aid-to-gaza---letter-1115084933.html

US Democratic Senators Urge Biden to Press Israel on Need for Gaza Aid - Letter

US Democratic Senators Urge Biden to Press Israel on Need for Gaza Aid - Letter

A group of Democratic senators urged President Joe Biden to press Israel on the need to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza and to protect the civilian population, according to the text of a letter published by lawmakers

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2023-11-20T23:42+0000

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us

joe biden

gaza strip

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hamas

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gaza

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"As you and your administration work with Israel and international partners to secure the release of hostages and respond to the terror attack on Israel, we join you in your urgent call for humanitarian assistance for Palestinian civilians in Gaza," said the letter, published on Monday."We encourage you to work with international partners to achieve expeditious implementation of a plan for sustained humanitarian aid in Gaza." The letter was signed by 13 Senate Democrats: Sens. Ed Markey (D-MA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Peter Welch (D-VT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH). The lawmakers said in the letter that a heightened and prolonged suffering in Gaza is not only intolerable for the Palestinian civilians but is also expected to negatively impact the security of Israeli civilians.The suffering in Gaza has the potential to exacerbate existing tensions and erode regional alliances, the letter said.The lawmakers emphasize the significant humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with 1.6 million Palestinians internally displaced - half in makeshift UN shelters - and urged the Biden administration to prompt Israel to collaborate with international relief agencies regarding non-combatants in Gaza."This humanitarian crisis will precipitate a significant and preventable loss of human life if not addressed immediately. More than half of Gazas hospitals have shut down, desalination plants are struggling to remain operational and the last operative flour mill has been shut down due to a lack of fuel," the letter said.On October 7, Palestinian group Hamas launched a surprise large-scale rocket attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip and breached the border, killing and abducting people in neighboring Israeli communities. Israel launched retaliatory strikes and ordered a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip, cutting off supplies of water, food, and fuel. On October 27, Israel launched a large-scale ground incursion inside the Gaza Strip with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. The conflict has resulted in the deaths of around 1,400 people in Israel and over 11,000 in the Gaza Strip.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231115/us-senate-blocks-motion-to-consider-house-passed-bill-to-provide-israel-143bln-in-aid-1114964473.html

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Anne Overby is the first woman in history to serve on the Kerr County Commissioners Court. Overby said she plans to seek reelection to the seat in the upcoming March election. Leah Thomason

For the first time in Kerr Countys 167-year history, there is a woman serving on Commissioners Court.

County Judge Rob Kelly last month appointed Anne Overby to fill the vacated Precinct 1 seat on the court. Overby is the first woman to serve as a commissioner since the countys founding in 1856, according to county officials.

Overby, 58, was appointed to fill the seat previously held by Harley Belew, who was removed from the court on Oct. 13 for failing to disclose a 1973 felony conviction.

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Kelly was tasked with appointing someone to fill Belews seat. He said he realized the courts all-male makeup wasnt reflective of the countys population.

This court needs diversity, Kelly said. If you look up here, theres only four of us left. Were all a bunch of white guys. Were all on Medicare. This is not the face of Kerr County.

About 52% of Kerr Countys residents are woman and about 29% are Hispanic or Latino, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The countys population is about 54,000, according to the Census Bureau.

Precinct 4 Commissioner Don Harris said Overbys credentials were outstanding no matter her gender, and Kelly called Overbys appointment historical.

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Kelly said he was ashamed he didnt appoint a woman to the court on previous occasions when there was a vacancy. Two other women ran for seats on the Commissioners Court before Overbys appointment, but neither of them won.

Im equalizing on the basis of gender, Kelly said. Its not anywhere close to equal. One seat on this court is 20%.

Overby isnt the only female government official in Kerr County, as Kerrville voters previously elected Mayor Judy Eychner and City Council Member Brenda Hughes.

Overby and her husband, Kerwin, have lived in Kerr County for 32 years, having moved there from San Antonio in 1991 to raise their two now-adult children. Kerwin Overby runs an accounting firm in Kerrville.

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Anne Overby was born and raised in Killeen and has a bachelors degree in business administration from the University of Texas at Austin. She worked in San Antonio for John H. Harland Co., a check-printing company, for 15 years.

Overby has worked for the federal government for more than 20 years and currently serves on the staff of Republican U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, whose congressional district includes Kerr County and much of the Hill Country.

Despite her political experience, Overby said she is learning on the job as a county commissioner.

I dont know anything about the county government, she said. Im walking into that learning it from the ground up  Its definitely sink or swim. Youre just kind of walking in  there is no (user manual) or onboarding process.

Overby said her priorities are bringing more affordable housing to Kerr County, protecting water resources and encouraging job creation.

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Overby said she will run to retain her seat in the March general election. One of her opponents will be Tammy Prout, publisher of the local Hill Country Community Journal newspaper.

Overby said she hopes she can inspire more women to seek elected office in Kerry County.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20231121/afghan-police-detain-individual-attempting-to-smuggle-187-pounds-of-uranium-to-pakistan-1115097923.html

Afghan Police Detain Individual Attempting to Smuggle 18.7 Pounds of Uranium to Pakistan

Afghan Police Detain Individual Attempting to Smuggle 18.7 Pounds of Uranium to Pakistan

The Afghan security forces have detained an individual who attempted to illegally transfer 8.5 kilograms (18.7 pounds) of uranium from the southeastern Ghazni Province to Pakistan, the province's police said on Tuesday.

2023-11-21T10:46+0000

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"The Ghazni security forces have detained a man who wanted to smuggle 8.5 kilograms of uranium to Pakistan," the police said. The suspect, Nick Mohammad, lived in a village in Ghazni Province and was handed over to the Afghan Internal Ministry's staff for further investigation.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20221218/police-death-toll-from-fuel-truck-fire-in-afghanistan-rises-to-19-1105568486.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231121/all-in-for-trump-house-speaker-johnson-pays-visit-to-mar-a-lago-1115108658.html

All In for Trump House Speaker Johnson Pays Visit to Mar-a-Lago

All In for Trump House Speaker Johnson Pays Visit to Mar-a-Lago

On Monday, US House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) made the pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago, the estate of former US President Donald Trump, who is leading the polls among Republicans in the 2024 race for the presidency.

2023-11-21T18:13+0000

2023-11-21T18:13+0000

2023-11-21T18:13+0000

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donald trump

us

gop

mike johnson

mar-a-lago

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According to US media reports, Johnson attended a fundraiser hosted by Trump for US Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) who, like Johnson, is a close supporter of Trump. It was reportedly the first time Johnson and Trump have spoken since the Louisiana lawmaker became House Speaker a month ago.The previous Speaker, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), had a troubled relationship with the former president, and it was ultimately a strongly pro-Trump faction of the House GOP Caucus that caused McCarthys eviction from the Speakers seat in early October. In the fracas of selecting a new Speaker, Trump endorsed Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) instead of Johnson and even floated the idea of him becoming Speaker himself for a time, since the Constitution doesnt require that the Speaker be a sitting member of Congress.However, Trump did eventually urge Republican lawmakers to rally behind Johnson because he was the leading candidate and the lower Congressional chamber had been without leadership for three weeks. After Johnson was elected Speaker, Trump praised him for being an underdog.Johnson has remained loyal to Trump, too. Johnson and Bilirakis were both signatories of an amicus brief to the US Supreme Court in late 2020 that supported Trumps claim that the November 2020 election had been marred by fraud, invalidating his loss to Joe Biden. While those claims have been widely discredited in the years since, including by many who were part of Trumps cabinet at the time, Johnson is one figure who has maintained that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump.Last week, Johnson told reporters he was all in on Trumps 2024 election bid.Trump has not yet won the Republican National Committees endorsement as their presidential candidate, but has led the pack of candidates since announcing his intention to run. The latest poll by Morning Consult found two-thirds of GOP voters ready to pull the lever for Trump in November 2024; however another poll by Harvard CAPS-Harris found that 60% of likely Trump voters said there is at least some chance they would support a different candidate. Behind Trump, the Morning Consult poll found just 13% of GOP voters support Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and 9% support former UN ambassador Nikki Haley.However, Trump is also facing down several criminal cases that have levied a wide array of federal offense accusations at him, including related to the January 6, 2021, insurrection by his supporters at the US Capitol and the classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago during an FBI raid in August 2022. Some of the charges could bar him from running for public office if he is found guilty.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231112/trump-continues-leading-in-polls-as-third-parties-add-interest-to-the-race-1114893777.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231101/us-house-speaker-johnson-eyes-former-trump-aide-to-lead-communications---report-1114631004.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231121/biden-op-ed-likening-russia-to-hamas-is-result-of-his-dementia--scott-ritter-1115098537.html

Biden Op-ed Likening Russia to Hamas is Result of His Dementia  Scott Ritter

Biden Op-ed Likening Russia to Hamas is Result of His Dementia  Scott Ritter

US politicians have been quick to make glib comparisons between Russia's de-Nazification operation in Ukraine and Hitler's wars or terrorist outrages. Scott Ritter said Joe Biden couldn't even string such an argument together.

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2023-11-21T17:20+0000

2023-11-21T17:20+0000

analysis

joe biden

russia

hamas

palestine

the united nations (un)

palestine

israel

us

ukraine

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US President Joe Biden lacks the mental ability to draw parallels between Russia and Hamas, says a former US Marine. The Washington Post ran an op-ed under Biden's byline at the weekend, likening the Palestinian Islamic resistance movement Hamas' breakout from the besieged Gaza Strip on October 7 to Russia's military operation in Ukraine in defence of the Russian-speaking Donbass region  following eight years of Ukrainian shelling of civilians.Biden "didn't write this" as he "doesn't have the mental capacity," Ritter told Sputnik. "I'm not picking on him, I'm just being honest," he said. "This was written by his national security staff. It was edited by Jake Sullivan. I believe [US Secretary of State] Tony Blinken came in with a lot of stuff that this was a collaborative effort by the people who are managing Joe Biden."But he said the words attributed to Biden no longer carry the same weight as comments by previous presidents, thanks to the proliferation of alternatives to the mainstream media."So when Joe Biden or his managers publish an op-ed of this nature, it no longer has the same cachet, the same impact that it would have ten years ago," Ritter argued. "Today, it's immediately cancelled out as ridiculous as absurd."Ritter wrote for Consortium News last week that Biden and Blinken were being disingenuous in their call for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, given that no Israeli leader in decades has been serious about implementing it."Even if such a governing coalition could be crafted together to politically sustain the idea of a two-state solution that fails to resonate with Israelis and Palestinians alike, there remains the ultimate hurdle that needs to be cleared before any notion of a lasting peace between Israeli and Palestinian states premised on the notion of equality  Israels nuclear weapons program," Ritter wrote.The former weapons inspector said Israel's nuclear program had been "shrouded in ambiguity from the moment it was born, back in the 1960s when they actually produced a weapon."He underscored the aggressive nature of Israel's military doctrine known as the "Samson option" after the biblical hero who collapsed the temple of the Philistines, killing them and himself. That doctrine mandates first use of nuclear weapons against neighboring Middle Eastern states if Israel faces military defeat and a return to Palestinian majority rule.But Biden's ostensible resurrection of the two-state solution calls that doctrine into question, he said."A Palestinian state implies that Israel has normalized relations with their Palestinian neighbors and by extension, their regional neighbors.Therefore, there could be no justification for the continuation of this policy," Ritter said. "Moreover, Palestine could never be considered free and independent so long as it was living next door to a nuclear power, an undeclared nuclear power."He argued that Israel would have to follow the example of its former ally, apartheid South Africa, which also had a secret nuclear weapons programme. "South Africa built six nuclear weapons in the 1970s as a deterrent against black nationalist movements that were working with the Soviet Union. They built these as a deterrent, the white apartheid state's weapon of last resort," Ritter noted. "But when the de Klerk became president, he recognized the writing on the wall. Mandela was going to be released and the white apartheid state was going the way of the dinosaur. And these nuclear weapons could not, in his belief, fall in the hands of black nationalists."

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231121/expert-slams-bidens-hypocrisy-on-gaza--ukraine--1115088598.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231121/economic-implications-of-the-houthi-seizure-of-the-galaxy-leader-1115096767.html

Economic Implications of the Houthi Seizure of the Galaxy Leader

Economic Implications of the Houthi Seizure of the Galaxy Leader

As confirmed by multiple media sources, the ship seized by the Houthis in the Red Sea is the Bahamian flagged Galaxy Leader. According to marinetaffic.com, this ship is designed to carry vehicles, and has a capacity of 1500 passenger cars.

2023-11-21T10:45+0000

2023-11-21T10:45+0000

2023-11-21T11:41+0000

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middle east

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yossi cohen

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red sea

yemen

houthis

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The ship was en route from the Turkish port of Korfez to the Indian port of Pipavav with 25 crew members, including Bulgarians, Filipinos, Mexicans and Ukrainians, but no Israelis on board.According to Reuters, Netanyahu's office described the ship as " British-owned and Japanese-operated", adding that, "There were no Israelis on the ship," and "Israel was not involved in its ownership or operation." However, Yemen's official news agency, SABA, states that multiple Israeli news media have reported that "The ship controlled by the "Houthis" belongs to the Israeli billionaire Rami Unger, who is close to the Mossad." Unger is, indeed, a veteran of the Intelligence Corp of the IDF, and has had a decades long close personal and business relationship with Yossi Cohen, the former Director of Mossad, and National Security Advisor to Netanyahu.In 2019, the personal net worth of Rami Unger and his wife was estimated at $2.1 billion. In 2004, it was reported that Unger owned between 12 and 14 vehicle transport ships, worth about $50 million each, a reasonable estimate of the value of the Galaxy Leader, which was built in 2002. The political and economic impact of this operation goes far beyond the mere value of the ship.In spite of the estimated $50 million cost/value of the ship, from an economic point of view, it is actually of little worth to the Houthis. They can't sell it, they can't use it, Unger and his insurance companies probably won't ransom it. The ship was sailing without cargo, which if it had been, would have been approximately 1,500 new cars, worth between $20 and $30 million in total. So, clearly, there was no economic benefit from the seizure of the vessel for the Houthis, but the full political and economic ramifications remain to be seen.It should be understood that the Houthis have not just seized the Galaxy Leader, they have put all Israeli shipping in the Red Sea under threat. The value of that shipping can be roughly estimated by the fact that out of Israel's $165 billion in total exports in 2022, 24% went to Asian markets. The shortest shipping route from the Mediterranean to Asia is the Suez Canal. Everything that goes through the Suez Canal goes through the Red Sea, and 12% of all global trade passes through the Suez Canal. With these calculations, the economic impact on the Israeli economy by the seizure of this single ship can be estimated in the billions of dollars. The Houthi area of military operations in the southern Red Sea is more than 1,000 miles from Israel, and beyond the reach of timely Israeli military response.Economic warfare and military warfare are two sides of the same coin. The Houthis, with one helicopter and less than a dozen commandos, have hit the Israeli economy as hard as the entire Israeli military is hitting the people of Gaza. All in all, it must be admitted, it was a successful gambit. Especially considering that it was a bloodless operation in which, unlike the Israeli operation in Gaza, no one was harmed.Of course, like the October 7th Hamas attack, Netanyahu could very well try to exploit this incident to justify another Israeli attack, this time on Iran. War is by nature, always full of dangers and deception. However, the Houthis are likely to find broad and real support for their raid across the Arab and Muslim world.In an announcement by Yemeni Armed Forces, " the Armed Forces renewed their warning to all ships belonging to the Israeli enemy or dealing with it that they will become a legitimate target. It called on all countries whose nationals work in the Red Sea to refrain from any work or activity with Israeli ships or ships owned by Israelis." The statement pointed out that the operations of the armed forces only threaten the ships of Israel and those owned by Israelis, as was previously indicated.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231119/yemens-houthis-seize-israeli-rented-cargo-vessel-galaxy-leader-in-red-sea---source-1115061754.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231120/israeli-or-not-what-we-know-about-car-carrier-hijacked-by-houthis-in-red-sea-1115076890.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231121/eu-erotomaniac-dwellers-and-their-ukrainian-fetish-1115099950.html

EU Erotomaniac Dwellers and Their Ukrainian Fetish

EU Erotomaniac Dwellers and Their Ukrainian Fetish

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has lambasted Josep Borrell's recent article over the EU's morbid attraction to Ukraine that only shows their utter ignorance and dwelling in erotic illusions about present-day realities.

2023-11-21T13:42+0000

2023-11-21T13:42+0000

2023-11-21T13:43+0000

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maria zakharova

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russian foreign ministry

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High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, or those who write under his name, last week published a lengthy and forlorn article full of theses about the EU's responsibilities and, as strange as it sounds, fears.All these op-eds by Borrells and Bidens, they are not even trying to edit them. But they better should."Right after an article attributed to the American president, just stumbled upon an interesting tidbit about Josep Borrell's latest article, "In the Eye of the Hurricane." Did you know that the title is also the name of a 70s erotic film, 'El ojo del huracan,' shot in Borrell's homeland, Spain?""Back when the film was released, Borrell was 24, and it seems he watched it. The plot involves a wealthy woman, Ruth, opting for a divorce to pursue an erotomaniac named Paul. After that, Ruth is targeted for murder and is periodically raped."Last week, EU Foreign Affairs Council gathered for its monthly meeting to discuss the EU's response to Ukrainian and Palestine-Israel crises. For Ukraine, Josep Borrell emphasized ongoing support and proposed EU membership as a security guarantee for the Kiev regime. Regarding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, he condemned the recent Hamas attack on Israel, calling for an end to double standards, and stressed the need for immediate de-escalation and humanitarian aid in Gaza. Criticizing the international community's failure in advancing the two-state solution, the high EU diplomat "outlined principles" for the conflict. He concluded that it is EU's responsibility to act strategically and principled in the face of regional conflicts.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231111/eu-foreign-policy-chief-says-russias-defeat-in-ukraine-conflict-not-expected-in-near-future-1114890356.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231114/eu-cant-keep-promise-of-one-million-shells-for-ukraine---german-defense-minister-1114945249.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231121/expert-slams-bidens-hypocrisy-on-gaza--ukraine--1115088598.html

Expert Slams Biden's Hypocrisy on Gaza & Ukraine

Expert Slams Biden's Hypocrisy on Gaza & Ukraine

Catastrophes both in Ukraine and Palestine are the result of actions of warmongering neoconservatives that have taken over the current US administration, Paolo Raffone, director of the CIPI Foundation in Brussels, told Sputnik.

2023-11-21T06:49+0000

2023-11-21T06:49+0000

2023-11-21T06:49+0000

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Catastrophes both in Ukraine and Palestine are the result of actions of warmongering neoconservatives that have taken over the current US administration, Paolo Raffone, director of the CIPI Foundation in Brussels, told Sputnik.When President Joe Biden claimed in his op-ed for The Washington Post that the United States will continue backing both Ukraine and Israel  and funneling military assistance to both - for the sake of "peace" and "democracy," this reflects the extent to which this delusional lost hegemonic power has lost all capacity to address events fittingly, the strategic analyst and underscored.The US President had leaned heavily into sententious rhetoric, referring to the US as an essential nation, as he vowed in the afore-mentioned opinion piece that Washingtons actions regarding both, the Ukraine crisis and the latest violent spiral of the Palestine-Israel conflict were driven by concern for our own national security interests - and for the good of the entire world. In his article Biden also claimed that he was heartbroken by events in Ukraine and Gaza.As for claiming that he is heartbroken, so he should be, clarified the pundit, pointing out that Bidens current presidency and his past roles in the US administration have achieved nothing but these unnecessary catastrophes affecting masses of innocent people caught in the trail of a lost hegemonic power incapable to handle the events properly.But this deplorable outcome is hardly a surprise, added the strategic analyst, as warmongering neoconservatives have taken over the US administration and apparatus implementing the horrific strategic plans for American hegemony written in 1997 by Zbigniew Brzezinski in his The Grand Chessboard.This can be seen in Ukraine, where the US and NATO have funneled billions-worth of weapons into the proxy war against Russia. By propping up the Kiev regime, they have emboldened President Volodymyr Zelensky to continuously consign Ukrainian troops to the meat grinder of a botched counteroffensive.This destructive scenario is also reflected in the tragic death toll and the extensive damage that Gaza is suffering from. Both Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's refusal to implement a ceasefire amidst Israel's conflict with Hamas is far from contributing to the cause of peace. At least 13,000 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip to date, with over 5,500 of them children.Weighing in on developments in Gaza, where Israel is conducting an operation to wipe out Hamas in the wake of their October 7 raid, Biden condemned the militant groups harsh methods of using civilians as 'human shields' by hiding beneath hospitals, mosques and residential areas.However, pointing to the tumultuous history of the Palestinians quest for statehood, Paolo Raffone said the Hamas attack on Israel that provoked a harsh retaliation from Tel Aviv was an example of a "last resort for fighting against an overwhelming and lasting oppression.Furthermore, according to the pundit, the issue of human shields is a disturbing moralistic reading of events.As for the two-state solution that Biden claimed was the only way to resolve the 75-year perpetual conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians, Raffone described this as a convenient screen that hides the political decision to dispose of an entire people, the Palestinians. The expert continued:Expanding further upon the unwavering support that the US has shown Israel, and the attitude towards the Palestinians as undeclared victims that, I quote, should be treated as a financial liability, Paolo Raffone concluded:

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231120/political-scientist-bidens-op-ed-on-peace-solution-for-gaza-and-ukraine-is-recipe-for-disaster-1115079255.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231119/progressive-dems-call-to-condition-israel-aid-on-scaling-down-gaza-war-1115060037.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231012/two-state-solution-or-one-state-agreement-what-are-the-options-in-palestines-path-to-statehood-1114148856.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231121/german-defense-minister-arrives-in-kiev-on-unannounced-visit---reports-1115089729.html

German Defense Minister Arrives in Kiev on Unannounced Visit - Reports

German Defense Minister Arrives in Kiev on Unannounced Visit - Reports

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius arrived in Kiev on Tuesday morning for an unannounced visit, media reported.

2023-11-21T06:40+0000

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During the visit, Pistorius will hold negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymy Zelensky and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, with the agenda focusing on the training of Ukrainian soldiers and military assistance to Kiev, media reported. The minister is also expected to lay wreaths on the Maidan square and visit a training base of Ukrainian soldiers. On Monday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin paid a surprise visit to Kiev to reaffirm Washington's commitment to continue to support Ukraine. Austin met with the Ukrainian leadership to discuss such topics as supporting Ukraine's military in the wake of the coming winter and strengthening cooperation. In addition, Japanese State Minister for Foreign Affairs Kiyoto Tsuji and State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Kazuchika Iwata, together with representatives of Japanese business, traveled to Ukraine on Monday to exchange views with the Ukrainian side on the reconstruction of the country.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231120/pentagon-head-arrives-in-kiev-says-united-states-will-continue-to-support-ukraine-1115065799.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231121/israels-objective-in-gaza-war-kill-the-buildings-1115085538.html

Israel's Objective in Gaza War: Kill the Buildings

Israel's Objective in Gaza War: Kill the Buildings

Israel isnt trying to kill people. Its trying to kill buildings. People die when buildings get bombed, but killing people is not the Israelis goal - theyre out to flatten Gaza.

2023-11-21T02:14+0000

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According to this narrative, Palestinian civilian deaths are unavoidable collateral damage in a densely-populated urban environment.Those who are not siloed into Team Politics on the conflict, like human rights groups, are convinced the bombing is indiscriminatethat Israel is bombing willy-nilly because theyre reacting with blind rage to Hamas October 7th attack.Supporters of Palestine, mostly on the Left, think Israel is actively targeting civilians in a gleeful bloodthirsty campaign of genocide, trying to massacre as many innocents as possible.They are all wrong. Israel isnt trying to kill people. Its trying to kill buildings. People die when buildings get bombed, but killing people is not the Israelis goal - theyre out to flatten Gaza.Most species dont go extinct after being hunted to death. Their habitat is destroyed.Israels war aim in Gaza, I believe, is to destroy so many apartment buildings and shops and schools and hospitals and other infrastructure that the territory becomes uninhabitable, which the IDF may already have accomplished.According to the UN, 45% of the housing stock in the Gaza Strip has been destroyed. Some 1.5 million out of a total population of 2.3 million are internally displaced, i.e. homeless and living on the streets. Only one out of the 18 hospitals in northern Gaza, until six weeks ago the Strips most populous area, is still functioning. Four weeks into the war, 61% of all employment in Gaza was gone - this in a previously impoverished place with sky-high unemployment.Imagine if the protesters calling for a ceasefire got their way. That a permanent ceasefire took effect tomorrow. Imagine that the war came to an end, that Israel told the residents of Gaza that they could safely return home.Return to what?Half the population has no home to return to. (That number increases with each Israeli bomb.) Upon returning to their homes, many of them damaged, the other half would have no water or electricity or fuel or telephone or internet service, no shops or stores to buy food or clothing or anything else, no income and therefore no money to buy it with, no school to send their kids to, no hospital to treat them when they fell sick or were injured.One reporter, who described himself as stunned and who had lived in Gaza before the latest war described the scene as a landscape so disfigured by 42 days of airstrikes and nearly three weeks of ground warfare that it was hard at times to understand where we were.Another journalist reported that northern Gaza has been reduced to a skeleton. Standing on Salah al-Din Street in Gaza City a week ago, I saw shattered buildings in every direction. It will be impossible for anyone to live in such a disaster zone. Its not like Israel or the Saudis or anyone else will rush in to clean up the mess.Anti-Zionist leftists believe Israel is planning Nakba 2.0, a forced removal of the Palestinian population from Gaza in which the IDF would truck or march them out at gunpoint. Hot-headed Israeli politicians have fed that theory. So has a leaked internal Israeli government memorandum that touts a unique and rare opportunity to evacuate the whole Gaza Strip in co-ordination with the Egyptian government. In a replay of 1948, the Israeli government refuses to guarantee a right to return home after the conclusion of military operations.All this adds up to an inescapable conclusion: after the Gaza Strip has been ethnically cleansed of its Palestinian population, Israel will annex it.While annexation is certainly the objective, I dont believe the Israelis intend to murder all the Palestinians or expel them into the desert by force. Israel is already facing severe international opprobrium; such a radical move would turn it into a pariah state. Even the US would sever ties.Israel has something else in mind: Palestinians will leave Gaza of their own accord. The Gaza Strip is now an unlivable hellscape filled with piles of rubble covering thousands of dead bodies. Rotting bodies hasten the transmission of nasty diseases, like tuberculosis and cholera. According to Euro-Med Monitor, contact with dead bodies leaking feces, soiled clothing, and contaminated tools or vehicles can spread hepatitis, tuberculosis, and HIV, and ruin ground water supplies. Birds, rodents and insects eat bodies and spread other diseases, including malaria.War keeps killing people years after peace returns. Rubble is dangerous. Bombs and unexploded ordnance must be professionally cleared away, a process that takes years, even decades.Shortly after October 7th, the IDF dropped flyers over northern Gaza ordering the population to evacuate south, into a safe zone. Most people complied. The IDF now controls the north.Now, a second round of leaflets is falling on eastern Khan Younis, the biggest city in southern Gaza, ordering people to flee from the southeast to the southwest in preparation for IDF carpet-bombing there as well.A glance at a map reveals what the Israelis are up to: they are herding the Palestinians southwest. Whats southwest? The Rafah border crossing into Egypt.Once the Gazan refugees are massed against the gates of Rafah, Israel will open the border. Palestinians will stream into and across the Sinai Peninsula in search of villages, towns and cities where they might have some sort of future.Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi sees the near future. What is happening now in Gaza is an attempt to force civilian residents to take refuge and migrate to Egypt, which should not be accepted, Sisi said. But he cant do anything to prevent it.Such an eventuality would mean that we move the idea of resistance, of combat, from the Gaza Strip to Sinai, and so Sinai would become the base for launching operations against Israel, Sisi warned in a message that implies he sees the Palestinianization of the Sinai as inevitable.If Sisis prediction comes true, it will be a huge win for Israel. Most importantly, Israel would annex Gaza. Theyd clean up the debris, cart away the rubble, and transform Gaza into luxurious seaside resorts and vacation homes. If and when the re-displaced Gazans eventually manage to reconstitute themselves enough to once again launch airstrikes into Israel, rockets from Hamas (or whatever new organization will replace it) would be farther away from major Israeli population centers.Forcing the population of Gaza to flee by destroying the territorys infrastructure is the war crime of ethnic cleansing, defined in a UN report on the collapse of Yugoslavia as rendering an area ethnically homogeneous by using force or intimidation to remove persons of given groups from the area.An indigenous resistance organization embedded into a civilian population like Hamas cannot be bombed into oblivion; the US experience against the Taliban demonstrates that indiscriminate military action only increases support for your enemy. The IDF is aware of this; their US allies keep reminding them of Americas failed counterterrorism operations after 9/11. Israel is far too aware of its dependence on US political and financial support to think about killing all 2.3 million Gazan Palestinians - which, besides, would also disgust and alienate most Israeli citizens, no matter how enraged they are at Hamas.Ethnic cleansing with the goal of annexing Gaza is the only plausible explanation for Israels behavior since October 7th. Israel is willing to kill the people. But theyre really out to kill the buildings.(Ted Rall (Twitter: @tedrall), the political cartoonist, columnist and graphic novelist, co-hosts the left-vs-right DMZ America podcast with fellow cartoonist Scott Stantis. You can support Teds hard-hitting political cartoons and columns and see his work first by sponsoring his work on Patreon.)

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231114/is-israel-using-white-phosphorus-amid-gaza-crisis-syria-calls-for-opcw-probe-1114953557.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231121/us-may-want-wider-war-in-middle-east-to-take-out-iran-1115085990.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231117/gaza-marine-is-israel-palestine-conflict-caused-by-offshore-gas-interests-1115031157.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231121/lavrov-addresses-arab-league-oic-states-focusing-on-gaza-crisis-1115089300.html

Lavrov Addresses Arab League, OIC States, Focusing on Gaza Crisis

Lavrov Addresses Arab League, OIC States, Focusing on Gaza Crisis

Sputnik is live as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov holds talks with foreign ministers from the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Moscow.

2023-11-21T11:22+0000

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Sputnik is bringing you a live broadcast of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's talks with top diplomats from the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Moscow. The discussions will focus on the situation in the Gaza Strip.On November 19, Lavrov also had a telephone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Abdollahian to address the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.Moscow has previously expressed its willingness to assist in mediating a peaceful resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli crisis. Russia's top diplomat said that he hoped that once the conflict ended, all parties would prioritize the implementation of the UN Security Council's decisions on establishing a Palestinian state.Follow Sputnik's live feed to find out more!

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231121/pepe-escobar-will-russia-china-strategic-patience-extinguish-the-fire-in-west-asia-1115110062.html

Pepe Escobar: Will Russia-China Strategic Patience Extinguish the Fire in West Asia?

Pepe Escobar: Will Russia-China Strategic Patience Extinguish the Fire in West Asia?

The Russia-China strategic partnerships approach to West Asia set on fire by the usual suspects is all about strategic timing and patience  which the Kremlin and the Zhongnanhai exhibit in droves.

2023-11-21T17:56+0000

2023-11-21T17:56+0000

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A Scythian envoy arrived at the Persian camp carrying a bird; a mouse; a frog; and five arrows.And then he left, in a rush.Wily Darius interpreted the message as the Scythians ready to submit to the Persians.Not so fast. It was up to Dariuss senior foreign policy advisor, Gobryas, who also happened to be his brother-in-law, to break the code:Unless you Persians turn into birds and fly up in the air or into mice and burrow in the ground or into frogs and leap into lakes, you will never get home again but stay here in this country, only to be shot by Scythian arrows.Well, apparently this tale from the depths of the pre-Silk Roads proves the strategic nightmare of waging war against elusive nomadic horse archers on the Eurasian steppes.But that could also be a tale about waging war against invisible urban guerrillas in sandals and RPGs hidden in the rubble in Gaza; flash mini-squads emerging from tunnels to hit and burn Merkava tanks before disappearing underground.History also tells us that Darius failed to bring the Scythian nomads to a head-to-head battle. So, in the autumn of 512 B.C., he pulled a pre-American gambit in Afghanistan 2,500 years before the fact: he declared victory and left.That Landed Aircraft CarrierEveryone familiar with West Asia  from US generals to grocers in the Arab Street - knows that Israel is a landed aircraft carrier whose mission is to keep West Asia in check on behalf of the Hegemon.Of course in a dog eats dog geopolitical environment its easy to misunderstand all wag the dog shenanigans. Whats certain is that for hegemonic circles of the US Deep State, and certainly for the White House and the Pentagon, what matters in the current incandescent juncture is the uber-extreme/genocidal Likud-led Netanyahu government in Israel, not Israel per se.That projects Netanyahu as the exact mirror image of the beleaguered sweaty sweatshirt actor in Kiev. Quite the geopolitical gift  in terms of deflecting blame away from the Hegemon for a genocide deployed live on every smartphone on the planet.And all that conducted under a veneer of legality  as in the White House and the State Department advising Tel Aviv to act with moderation; yes, you can bomb hospitals, schools, medical workers, journalists, thousands of women, thousands of children, but please be gentle.Meanwhile, the Hegemon has deployed an Armada to the Eastern Mediterranean, complete with two very expensive iron bathtubs, sorry aircraft carrier groups plus a nuclear submarine close to the Persian Gulf. Thats not exactly to survey guerrillas in underground tunnels and to protect Israel.The ultimate  neocon and Zio-con - targets are of course Hezbollah, Syria, Hashd al-Shaabi in Iraq and Iran: the whole Axis of Resistance.Iran-Russia-China, the new neocon-defined axis of evil, which happen to be the Top Three Actors of Eurasia integration, for all practical purposes have interpreted the genocide in Gaza as an Israeli-American operation. And they have clearly identified the key vector: energy.The inestimable Michael Hudson has noted how were really seeing something very much like the Crusades here. Its a real fight for who is going to control energy, because, again, the key, if you can control the worlds flow of energy, you can do to the whole world what the United States did to Germany last year by blowing up the Nord Stream pipelines.BRICS 10 on the MoveAnd that brings us to the fascinating case of the OIC/Arab World delegation of Foreign Ministers now on tour of selected capitals promoting their plan for a complete ceasefire in Gaza plus negotiations for an independent Palestinian state. The delegation, called the Gaza Contact Group, includes Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Indonesia, Nigeria and Palestine.Their first stop was Beijing, meeting Wang Yi, and the second stop Moscow, meeting Sergei Lavrov. That tells us all we need to know about BRICS 11 in action  even before the fact.Well, thats actually BRICS 10, because after the election of pro-Hegemon Zionist Javier Chainsaw Massacre Milei for President, Argentina is now out of the picture, and possibly discarded by January 1st, 2024, when BRICS previously 11 starts under the Russian presidency.The OIC/Arab League special conference on Palestine in Saudi Arabia had yielded a meek final declaration that disappointed virtually the whole Global South/Global Majority. But then something started to move.Foreign Ministers started to coordinate closely. At first Egypt with China, after previous coordination with Iran and Turkey. That may sound counter-intuitive  but its all due to the gravity of the situation. That explains why the Iranian Foreign Minister is not part of the current traveling delegation  which is led, in practice, by Saudi Arabia and Egypt.The meeting with Lavrov coincided with an extraordinary online BRICS meeting on Palestine, called by the current South African presidency. Crucial point: the flags of new members Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia could be identified behind the speakers.Irans President Raisi went no holds barred, calling for BRICS member states to use every political and economic tool available to pressure Israel. Xi Jinping called once again for a two-state solution and positioned China as the mediator of choice.For the first time Xi in his own words laid it all out: There can be no security in the Middle East without a just solution to the question of Palestine. I have emphasized on many occasions that the only viable way to break the cycle of Palestinian-Israeli conflict lies in a two-state solution, in the restoration of the legitimate national rights of Palestine, and in the establishment of an independent state of Palestine."And it should all start via an international conference.All of the above implies a concerted BRICS 10 unified position, in the next few days, applying maximum pressure on Tel Aviv/Washington for a ceasefire, fully supported by virtually the whole Global Majority. Of course there are no guarantees the Hegemon will allow it to succeed.Secret negotiations involving Turkey, for instance, have floundered. The idea was to have Ankara cutting off the supply of oil to Israel coming from the BTC pipeline from Baku to Ceyhan: the oil is then loaded on tankers to Ashkelon in Israel. Thats at least 40% of the oil fueling Israels military machine.Ankara, still a NATO member, balked  spooked by the inevitably hardcore American response.Riyadh, in the long run, could be even more daring: no more oil exports until theres a definitive solution to Palestine according to the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative. Yet MbS wont do it  because Saudi wealth is all invested in New York and London. Its still a long, winding, bumpy road to the petroyuan.Meanwhile, realpolitik practitioners such as John Mearsheimer correctly point out that a negotiated solution for Israel-Palestine is impossible. A quick glance at the current map shows how the two-state solution  advocated by everyone from China and Russia to the Arab world  is dead; a Palestinian state, as Mearsheimer noted, is going to be like an Indian reservation in the US, cut apart and isolated, not really a state.No Hedging When it Comes to GenocideSo what is Russia to do? Here is a very good informed hint.Putin in the Labyrinth means Moscow actively involved, in a BRICS 10 manner, to bring about a peaceful West Asia while maintaining internal stability in Russia under the ever-evolving Hegemon Hybrid War: its all interconnected.The Russia-China strategic partnerships approach to West Asia set on fire by the usual suspects is all about strategic timing and patience  which the Kremlin and the Zhongnanhai exhibit in droves.No one really knows what goes on in the background  the deep shadow play behind the fog of intertwined wars. Especially when it comes to West Asia, always enveloped in serial mirages arising from the desert sands.At least we may try to discern mirages around the Persian Gulf monarchies, the GCC  and especially what MbS and his mentor MbZ are really playing at. This is the absolutely crucial fact: both the Arab League and the OIC are controlled by the GCC.And yet, as both Riyadh and Abu Dhabi become members of BRICS 10, they certainly see that the Hegemons new gambit is to set back the advances of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in West Asia by setting the region on fire.Yes, this is the War against China morphing from Hybrid to Hot, side by side with the Final Solution for the Palestinian problem.And as a bonus, from the Hegemons perspective, that should bring this bunch of desert bedouins firmly on board the new D.O.A. gambit, the IMEC (India-Middle East Corridor), which is in fact the Europe-Israel-Emirates-Saudi Arabia-India trade corridor, in theory a competitor to BRI.A major running theme across all nooks and crannies of the Arab street is how killing off the Palestinian resistance is an even more passionate issue for the sold out GCC elites than confronting Zionism.That explains, at least in part, the non-reaction reaction of the GCC to the ongoing genocide (they are now trying to make amends). And that is parallel to their non-reaction reaction to the Hegemons methodical, slow motion genocide, rape and pillaging over time of Iraqis, Syrians, Afghans, Libyans, Yemenis, Sudanese and Somalis.It's absolutely impossible  and inhuman  to hedge when it comes to genocide. The verdict is still pending on whether the GCC has chosen a side, thus turning completely apart, spiritually and geopolitically, from the wider Arab street.This genocide may be the defining moment of the young 21st century - realigning the entire Global South/Global Majority and clarifying whos on the right side of History. Whatever it does next, the Hegemon seems destined to totally lose the entire West Asia, the Heartland, wider Eurasia and the Global South/Global Majority.Blowback works in mysterious ways: as the aircraft carrier in West Asia went utterly insane, it only turbo-charged the Russia-China strategic partnership to mold History further on down the road to the Eurasia Century.The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Sputnik.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231121/putins-address-at-brics-summit-on-gaza-aligned-with-arab-muslim-vision--mideast-experts-1115108406.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231018/putin-chinas-belt-and-road-initiative-in-sync-with-russias-ideas-on-large-eurasian-space-1114276570.html

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New Braunfels will add firefighters at three of its busiest stations, thanks to a recent grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Liz Teitz

New Braunfels will hire 19 more firefighters over the next three years, thanks to a $3.4 million federal grant.

The money will help the fire department meet safety standards, Chief Ruy Lozano told the New Braunfels City Council during its Monday night meeting. The funding is from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, through its Staffing For Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program.

The New Braunfels Fire Department currently staffs its trucks with three firefighters each. But under standards from the National Fire Protection Association, trucks should be staffed with a minimum of four firefighters, Lozano said. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration also has a two-in, two-out rule for interior structure fires  meaning that for two firefighters to enter a structure, two more need to be outside as a rapid intervention team.

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With only three people on each truck, firefighters have to wait for a second engine to arrive or use Emergency Medical Services staff to meet that minimum, Lozano said.

READ MORE: New Braunfels looks to cut down on 911 calls with new health care program

New Braunfels Fire Department will use the grant money to add a fourth firefighter on trucks at Station 1 in downtown New Braunfels, at Station 3, near Loop 337 and the Gruene Historic District, and at Station 7, which is under construction on FM Road 306, near Interstate 35. Those roles will be staffed on all shifts.

The federal funding will support 12 firefighters, Lozano told the San Antonio Express-News, while another seven will be covered through savings on overtime pay. The grant will provide just over $1 million per year from 2024 through 2026.

The city currently has 135 firefighters, including fire captains and fire engineers.

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Additional staffing also will help the department better respond to lower-priority calls and ensure resources are available for major incidents, Lozano said.

When a less acute call comes in, such as a trash bin fire or brush fire, two firefighters will be able to respond in one of the departments multipurpose squad units, such as its brush truck or high-water vehicle. Those have the same amount of water capacity, but are smaller than the traditional heavy trucks, Lozano said. They also have a lower per-mile cost  about 80 cents, instead of $3 to $4  making them more efficient for smaller incidents.

The other two firefighters on that crew can remain at the station in case a major incident arises, Lozano said. Thats not currently an option with three-person crews, but staffing up to four-person crews will make it possible, he said.

By 2027, after the grant funding runs out, the citys growth in tax revenue is projected to cover the cost of the additional firefighters, Lozano said, so the grant will provide a pathway to that point.

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New Braunfels has seen its population grow rapidly in recent years, jumping from about 57,000 in 2010 to about 105,000 today, according to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20231121/prof-zelensky-is-doomed-western-leaders-came-to-ukraine-to-test-kiev-regime-viability-1115103463.html

Prof: Zelensky is Doomed, Western Leaders Came to Ukraine to Test Kiev Regime Viability

Prof: Zelensky is Doomed, Western Leaders Came to Ukraine to Test Kiev Regime Viability

Foreign leaders have flocked to Kiev, starting with Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin and ending with European Council President Charles Michel. What's behind the development?

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joe biden

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europe

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European Council President Charles Michel arrived in the Ukrainian capital on Tuesday as well as Maia Sandu, president of Moldova. Separately, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius took the train to Kiev to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on an unannounced visit. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin landed in Ukraine on Monday to unveil a new US military aid package worth $100 million for the Ukrainian military. Prior to that, new Foreign Secretary David Cameron made his first trip to the Eastern European country last week."Firstly, we must not forget that today all 'progressive' humanity is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Maidan," Dmitry Evstafiev, political scientist and HSE University professor, told Sputnik with a touch of irony referring to the 2014 February coup in Kiev.Secondly, it has become obvious that the Zelensky regime is becoming "catastrophically toxic" not only for the United States, but also for Europe, Evstafiev continued.Per Evstafiev, Washington is no longer concealing the fact that it wants to turn a Ukraine conflict into a big European war using the desire of the Zelensky regime to somehow survive amid the deteriorating military situation and dwindling US support.Against this backdrop, European leaders are apparently trying to find out to what extent the Kiev regime is viable and whether it is worth continuing to support Volodymyr Zelensky, the expert said."And here there is a second layer to this issue: European leaders want to understand whether they will have their say in the process of replacing Zelensky, or whether this political transformation in Kiev will be carried out, as usual, by two powers  London and Washington. In this sense, of course, the outright incapacity of the German government and the virtual absence of political leadership in Germany becomes a huge problem for Europeans. Nevertheless, Europeans may try to seize on some opportunities in Kiev and try to defend their positions and their interests in the process of changing power in Kiev."What Does the UK Want?According to Evstafiev, the UK does not seek to preserve Ukraine, hence its recommendation to mobilize every male from 17 to 70 years old. London also does not seek to preserve Zelensky's presidency, even though it has much greater influence on Zelensky than influence on General Valery Zaluzhny, the Ukrainian top commander, the professor pointed out. Zaluzhny's recent interview with the Economist, an influential British publication, was seen by some Sputniks interlocutors as a harbinger of forthcoming regime change in Ukraine. Evstafiev underscored that London's goal is simple: it wants to maintain its influence on Kiev whatever it takes. So, if Zelensky becomes toxic he could be replaced by a more popular figure in their view.What is the US Goal?"The task for the United States is much more difficult," the expert assumed. "On the one hand, it is absolutely critical for the United States and, most importantly, for the Biden administration, to enter the election campaign, the primaries, the first Democratic Party caucuses, the first real Democratic Party debate without President Zelensky. This is absolutely important for them."The professor explained that if Zelensky retains his position by that time, an apparent connection between him and the Biden family will be discussed and used by the Republicans in the struggle for the Oval Office. The corruption story involving the Bidens and Ukraine would be damning for the Democratic Party even if it replaces Biden with another candidate, according to the academic.On the other hand, Washington needs an anti-Russian regime in Kiev to remain in power in Ukraine up until the November vote in the US, he noted.Western Politicians Trying to Calm ElectorateIn addition, the unfolding "pilgrimage" to Kiev by Western heavyweights is an attempt to convince the public that their Ukraine adventure wasn't a mistake, per the professor.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231120/pentagon-chief-announces-100mln-ukraine-aid-package-including-air-defense-munitions-1115081611.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231120/last-ditch-effort-to-revive-ukraine-story-why-murdoch-rushed-to-meet-zelensky-in-kiev-1115076201.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231120/political-scientist-bidens-op-ed-on-peace-solution-for-gaza-and-ukraine-is-recipe-for-disaster-1115079255.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231121/eu-erotomaniac-dwellers-and-their-ukrainian-fetish-1115099950.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231121/kiev-loses-over-13700-soldiers-about-1800-weapons-equipment-units-in-november---shoigu-1115098053.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231121/putins-address-at-brics-summit-on-gaza-aligned-with-arab-muslim-vision--mideast-experts-1115108406.html

Putin's Address at BRICS Summit on Gaza Aligned With Arab-Muslim Vision  Mideast Experts

Putin's Address at BRICS Summit on Gaza Aligned With Arab-Muslim Vision  Mideast Experts

An extraordinary online BRICS summit on the escalation of the situation in the Middle East took place on Tuesday, with Russian President Vladimir Putin criticizing the US for monopolizing mediation efforts.

2023-11-21T16:49+0000

2023-11-21T16:49+0000

2023-11-21T16:49+0000

middle east

us

palestinians

vladimir putin

gaza

israel

russia

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Leaders of BRICS countries including new applicants convened an emergency virtual meeting on November 21, as the US and Israel continue to oppose a ceasefire in Gaza amid skyrocketing civilian casualties and an unfolding humanitarian catastrophe.The non-stop violence is the result of Washington's "monopolizing" the negotiation process and blocking the Middle East Quartet of international mediators  which, apart from the US includes Russia, the UN and the EU  from stepping in and proposing peace solutions, as Vladimir Putin outlined during the online gathering.Meanwhile, it is hardly coincidental that BRICS became a platform for the Mideast crisis summit, according to Dr. Hesham Alghannam, Saudi political scientist and Director General of the Strategic Studies and National Security Programs at Naif Arab University for Security Sciences."An important implication of this meeting also shows that BRICS, which was established as a kind of an alternative economic structure almost a decade ago, now is trying to engage with not only economic problems, but also political issues. So in this regard, this is a peculiar development that BRICS countries are trying to find a solution or gear messages to the international crisis," added Ozertem.Nations Seeking Ways to Implement Ceasefire in GazaLast month, Saudi Arabia and other Arab states, in collaboration with Russia and China, endeavored to advocate for a ceasefire in Gaza, the expert went on saying, adding that "regrettably, their proposal faced a veto from the United States."Another attempt to draw the world's attention to the Palestine issue and the necessity of an urgent ceasefire in Gaza was made by Arab nations during the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) joint summit in Riyadh earlier this month. Nonetheless, Israel has resisted the complete cessation of hostilities in the strip agreeing only to short daily humanitarian pauses with full backing of the Biden administration.Arab-Muslim World Praise Putin's ApproachThe Sputnik interlocutors noted that Vladimir Putin's Mideast approach articulated during the online meeting would be positively met by the Arab and Muslim world."President Putins comments align with the positions of the Arabs and the Palestinians: he addressed the necessity of a humanitarian and enduring ceasefire, emphasized the importance of preventing the deportation of Palestinians, averting a spillage of the conflict into other states, and underscored the significance of resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. This aligns with the Arab objectives, and they are actively seeking to persuade the rest of the world to follow suit," highlighted Alghannam.Likewise, the Saudi political scientist agrees with Putin's thesis that Washington has monopolized peace efforts in the region:How Does the Gaza Crisis Affect the US Image?Per Ozertem, Washington is "definitely negatively affected by the developments in the region." Moreover, divisions are growing within the US over the recent Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Turkish expert pointed out.Ozertem has also drawn attention to Secretary of State Antony Blinken's failure to convey Washington's message to Middle Eastern players during his trip to the region, given that the US and Muslim-Arab visions of the crisis differ."So in that regard, what we see is that the image of the United States is being tarnished as the situation in the Gaza Strip worsens," the Turkish scholar stressed.Meanwhile, a Gaza ceasefire remains the major bone of contention. While the Muslim-Arab world is actively advocating for a ceasefire, the US does not want it, echoed Alghannam.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231118/is-middle-east-on-edge-of-regional-war-amid-gaza-crisis-and-escalating-israeli-lebanese-conflict-1115047164.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231120/political-scientist-bidens-op-ed-on-peace-solution-for-gaza-and-ukraine-is-recipe-for-disaster-1115079255.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231121/lavrov-addresses-arab-league-oic-states-focusing-on-gaza-crisis-1115089300.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231121/raisi-calls-on-brics-leaders-to-use-economic-political-opportunities-to-pressure-israel-1115106201.html

Raisi Calls on BRICS Leaders to Use Economic, Political Opportunities to Pressure Israel

Raisi Calls on BRICS Leaders to Use Economic, Political Opportunities to Pressure Israel

TEHRAN (Sputnik) - Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Tuesday called on BRICS leaders to use all economic and political opportunities to put pressure on Israel.

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Amid escalating horrors in the Gaza Strip during the "second phase" of Israel's conflict with Hamas, the former has intensified its actions, resulting in a rise in civilian casualties. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, in response, has called on BRICS leaders to leverage economic and political avenues to exert pressure on the Israeli government.Raisi urged the BRICS countries to recognize the Israeli government as a "terrorist regime." BRICS countries must adopt a resolution at the UN to stop Israel's crimes in the Gaza Strip, Raisi said.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231113/gaza-war-mideast-players-gained-more-strategic-autonomy-less-respect-for-us-1114923656.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231121/russian-documentary-triumphs-at-us-film-festival-1115113618.html

Russian Documentary Triumphs at US Film Festival

Russian Documentary Triumphs at US Film Festival

Russian documentary The Holy Archipelago won the main award at the film festival in the United States because it was of superior quality and offered a different view of Russia, Executive Director of the Great Lakes Christian Film Festival in Buffalo, Shawn Patrick Greene, told Sputnik.

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"The film itself was just superior, and all of its production value, presentation, and subject matter are well put together," Greene said. The festival was held on November 4-5 and featured about 200 documentaries from more than 20 countries. The Holy Archipelago, a film about Russia's famous Solovetsky Monastery directed by Sergey Debizhev, won several nominations, including Best Documentary Feature, Best Cinematography, and Best Music. The executive director stressed that the documentary "surpassed all expectations in just about every category." When asked what the American audience could learn about Russia from the film, Greene expressed confidence that people familiar with Orthodox Christianity already would have an understanding of certain things, but others would be exposed to a perspective not covered by the American mainstream media. The Holy Archipelago film crew was not able to attend the festival. Greene did not rule out inviting other Russian documentaries to take part in the festival. Many films from Russia have participated in the festival in its nine-year history, he added.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231121/uk-pledges-to-contribute-new-satellite-to-climate-monitoring-network-1115099013.html

UK Pledges to Contribute New Satellite to Climate Monitoring Network

UK Pledges to Contribute New Satellite to Climate Monitoring Network

The United Kingdom will contribute a new home-built satellite to the European network for observing climate change and measuring risks of natural disasters, the UK government announced on Tuesday.

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"The UK is aiming to join Portugal and Spain as a member of the Atlantic Constellation and is contributing a new pathfinder satellite designed and built by a UK-based company adding to the innovative Earth and coastal monitoring and data sharing network," a statement published on the official governmental website said. The UK Space Agency will contribute 3 million pounds ($3.7 million) to support the building of the pathfinder satellite which will be one of the first in the Atlantic Constellation. He added that, via new projects in space, the UK will contribute to growing its economy as it will create new skills, opportunities, and jobs for the future. The UK authorities announced their new commitment at the opening of the UK Space Conference in Belfast on Tuesday.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231121/carbon-emissions-from-worlds-richest-1-will-kill-13-million-people-by-2030---report-1115087470.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231121/us-may-want-wider-war-in-middle-east-to-take-out-iran-1115085990.html

US May Want Wider War in Middle East to Take Out Iran

US May Want Wider War in Middle East to Take Out Iran

An analyst has said Israel is becoming bogged down indefinitely in Gaza and claimed US military involvement would be much costlier than predicted.

2023-11-21T01:43+0000

2023-11-21T01:43+0000

2023-11-21T01:42+0000

analysis

jeremy kuzmarov

palestine-israel conflict

john kiriakou

israel

gaza

hamas

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The United States may be hoping for a broader conflict to break out amidst Israels military campaign in Gaza in order to damage Iran and other foes, according to author Jeremy Kuzmarov.The claim was made on Sputniks Political Misfits on Monday as Kuzmarov discussed the geopolitical situation in the Middle East with hosts John Kiriakou and Michelle Witte.The leadership in the United States and Israel are hardline neoconservatives, said Kuzmarov, who also serves as the managing editor of CovertAction Magazine.While Kuzmarov suggested US President Joe Biden may be slightly less hawkish than politicians such as former US Vice President Dick Cheney, he insisted the US commander-in-chief should still be considered a neoconservative, a political movement traditionally associated with an interventionist foreign policy.Kuzmarov said the Israeli government also favors an aggressive military stance in the region. Israel wants to control southern Lebanon, he said.I think they have plans for greater Israel, the military analyst added, referring to the belief by some in the country that Israeli land should extend into Gaza and the West Bank. Some Israelis use the term to advocate for control of the full extent of territory ruled by the Biblical Israelites, which would include portions of modern-day Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia.Israel currently occupies a portion of Western Syria known as the Golan Heights and frequently engages in bombing campaigns in the country. The Middle Eastern nation has been involved in periodic wars with its neighbors since its founding in 1948.They have plans for how they can transform the whole area economically, Kuzmarov added. And I think theyre pursuing those goals.Biden also spoke of a better future for the Middle East during his recent Oval Office address, referring to a US-led plan to build a rail corridor through the region.Some analysts have suggested Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would like to formally annex Gaza in order to ensure control over natural gas discovered off the coast of the disputed territory, which would be transported via a new pipeline. Access to the deposits would increase exports to the United States and other allies, where energy costs have soared due to sanctions on Russia and Venezuela.The Iranians in my view have played this whole thing over the last six weeks perfectly, said Kiriakou, noting the countrys restraint after the Israeli prime minister called for an attack on their historic foe in the hours after Hamas October 7 operation. Kiriakou also praised Chinas attempts to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, claiming the Asian superpower is serious about being the peacemakers in the Middle East.The likes of Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan appreciate that, with the US not seen as an honest broker in the region, he added.Kuzmarov agreed that China is starting to build its stature in the world arena by attempting to navigate tensions between world powers, such as when they negotiated an historic agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia earlier this year.Kuzmarov speculated Israels military action in the besieged Gaza Strip could end poorly for the US ally, despite the advantage of American largesse.The whole population [in Gaza] has been geared toward opposing Israel. They hate Israel and theyll fight for their lives to the death. If Israels bogged down in a long Gaza campaign, they cant fight on so many fronts at once, just like any other army. They have to be realistic.Kuzmarov also noted Hamas expertise in sabotage and tunnel warfare. They [Israel] are not going to succeed in the way they envision, he concluded.Kuzmarov and Kiriakou agreed the United States has only offered perfunctory criticism of their Israeli ally. Kiriakou claimed the US is joined at the hip with Israel and called Israels attacks against Gazas Al-Shifa Hospital a crime against humanity.Theyve been talking about these tunnels for years, said Kiriakou, expressing skepticism over Israeli claims the hospital served as a covert command and control center for Hamas. There are no independent observers who have seen these things, at least not for any length of time.Ive struggled with this news over the weekend because when I was at the CIA we would routinely falsify evidence against our enemies and release that false information to the public through the media, said Kiriakou, a former officer at the US Central Intelligence Agency.Kiriakou served as an analyst at the CIA for 14 years, joining the agency after being recruited by a graduate school professor at George Washington University. The whistleblower is known for publicly revealing the CIAs secret torture program in December 2007. The agency retaliated by seeking his indictment and incarceration, and he was sentenced to 30 months in US federal prison.Even the BBCwas contradicting that, said Kuzmarov of Israeli assertions of a vast tunnel system beneath Al-Shifa Hospital. Various other prominent news outlets have also expressed skepticism towards Israeli claims in recent days.Theyve been caught in a lie  a big lie  with serious implications.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231121/us-navy-p-8a-poseidon-aircraft-overshoots-runway-ends-up-in-hawaiian-waters---reports-1115107177.html

US Navy P-8A Poseidon Aircraft Overshoots Runway, Ends Up in Hawaiian Waters - Reports

US Navy P-8A Poseidon Aircraft Overshoots Runway, Ends Up in Hawaiian Waters - Reports

A US Navy P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft overshot a runway and ended up in shallow water just off Hawaii's coast, the United States Third Fleet officials said.

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In adverse weather conditions, a Navy surveillance aircraft experienced an overshoot of the runway and ultimately ended up submerged in Kaneohe Bay. All nine personnel on board evacuated the plane safely with no immediate injuries, the report said, citing Marine Corps Base Hawaii spokesperson.The crew members are still being medically assessed. An investigation will be launched in connection with the incident, and it is unclear what the next step will be to recover the aircraft, the official said.The P-8A Poseidon stands as a linchpin in the operational prowess of the United States Navy.Equipped to transport an arsenal of torpedoes and cruise missiles, this aircraft executes missions ranging from antisubmarine and antisurface warfare to intelligence gathering.According to an official communication from the Third Fleet of the US Navy, the P-8A Poseidon, stationed at Whidbey Island, Washington, was deployed in a detachment capacity, actively contributing to maritime homeland defense efforts.Earlier this year, a P-8A, patrolling the skies over the South China Sea encountered a close interception by a Chinese fighter jet. The encounter witnessed the Chinese aircraft closing in to a distance of merely just over 150 meters.The P-8 aircraft is not exclusive to the US Navy, with other military forces such as Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Norway, and India also incorporating this platform into their aviation fleets, as indicated by Boeing sources.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231121/us-to-press-israel-on-holding-settlers-accountable-for-violent-acts-1115115332.html

US to Press Israel on Holding Settlers Accountable for Violent Acts

US to Press Israel on Holding Settlers Accountable for Violent Acts

The Biden administration will continue to speak to Israel about holding extremist settlers accountable for violence against Palestinians, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on Tuesday.

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"The President [Joe Biden] still believes that lasting peace is possible through a two state solution, but this does not help in that regard. So we're going to continue to speak with our Israeli counterparts about the need to increase stability there and to hold extremist settlers accountable for violent acts," Kirby stated during a press briefing. Furthermore, Kirby said that he wouldn't speculate about what accountability would look like for any potential American passport holders in the extremist ranks. On October 7, Palestinian group Hamas launched a surprise large-scale rocket attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip and breached the border, killing and abducting people in neighboring Israeli communities. Israel launched retaliatory strikes and ordered a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip, cutting off supplies of water, food, and fuel. On October 27, Israel launched a ground incursion inside the Gaza Strip with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231121/us-trying-to-monopolize-mediation-efforts-in-palestinian-israeli-settlement---putin-1115102453.html

US Trying to Monopolize Mediation Efforts in Palestinian-Israeli Settlement - Putin

US Trying to Monopolize Mediation Efforts in Palestinian-Israeli Settlement - Putin

The situation in the Gaza Strip shows that the United States is trying to monopolize the mediation functions in the Palestinian-Israeli settlement, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during an extraordinary BRICS summit on the conflict.

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The situation in the Gaza Strip shows that the United States is trying to monopolize the mediation functions in the Palestinian-Israeli settlement, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during an extraordinary BRICS summit on the conflict. Vladimir Putin commented on mass displacement of the local population and the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip."The death of thousands of people [in the Gaza Strip], mass displacements of civilian population and the humanitarian catastrophe that has broken out cause great concern," Putin told the BRICS extraordinary summit on the situation in the Middle East."Participation of colleagues from the Middle East in today's meeting, who have received the invitation to be full members of BRICS this year, is especially important. I want to use the moment to note their efforts on the normalization of the situation, and in particular I mean the "peace summit" in Egypt and the extraordinary Islamic summit in Saudi Arabia," Putin also said.It is important to prevent the geography of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict from expanding and to preserve the fragile interfaith peace in the region, Vladimir Putin said.Proper humanitarian pauses are required to ensure the safe release of hostages from the Gaza Strip, Putin said.Due to the sabotage of UN decisions, more than one generation of Palestinians has been brought up with a sense of injustice, Putin added."Because of the sabotage of the UN decisions, which clearly provide for the creation and peaceful coexistence of two independent and sovereign states, Israel and Palestine, more than one generation of Palestinians has been brought up in an atmosphere of injustice shown to their people. And the Israelis cannot fully guarantee the security of their state," Putin said.Vladimir Putin commended the urgent convening of the BRICS summit on important international issues, a practice that was introduced by South Africa.It is important to prevent the Israel-Palestine conflict from becoming a regional one, Putin said.Russia will initiate contacts on the Palestine-Israel settlement during its upcoming chairmanship in BRICS, Putin said."We consider it extremely useful to continue the discussion within the framework of BRICS on the further development of the Palestinian-Israeli confrontation. If there are no objections, dear colleagues, then during the upcoming Russian presidency in the association next year, we will initiate possible contacts, including via video link, on this issue," Putin said.BRICS Joint Communique on Gaza StripThe BRICS countries called for humanitarian truce between Israel and the Gaza Strip leading to a cessation of hostilities during an extraordinary summit on Tuesday.We called for an immediate, durable, and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities, BRICS said in a joint communique.The BRICS leaders also reiterated commitment to the peaceful resolution of all disputes and differences and declared their support to the peaceful settlement of crises.The BRICS leaders also voiced concern over escalation of violence and deterioration of situation in the Middle East.We condemned any kind of individual or mass forcible transfer and deportation of Palestinians from their own land. Many Leaders reiterated that the forced transfer and deportation of Palestinians, whether inside Gaza or to neighbouring countries, constitute grave breaches of the Geneva conventions and war crimes and violations under International Humanitarian Law, the communique said.The BRICS leaders also said that it is important to prevent the spillover of the crisis in the region, and called on countries that have influence on the parties of the conflict to use it to work towards this objective.On October 7, Hamas launched a surprise large-scale rocket attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip and breached the border, killing more than 1,200 people and abducting over 200 others in neighboring Israeli communities. Israel launched retaliatory strikes and ordered a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip, cutting off supplies of water, food, and fuel. On October 27, Israel launched a large-scale ground incursion inside the Gaza Strip with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. The conflict has resulted in the deaths of over 13,000 people in the Gaza Strip.

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Watch Russian Artillerymen Eliminate Ukrainian Troops in Special Operation Zone

Watch Russian Artillerymen Eliminate Ukrainian Troops in Special Operation Zone

The Russian Defense Ministry has released footage of Russian artillerymen from the Zapad battlegroup crushing Ukrainian troops in Kupyansk direction.

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The Russian Defense Ministry has released footage of Russian artillerymen from the Zapad battlegroup crushing Ukrainian troops in Kupyansk direction. A reconnaissance group moved to the contact line to adjust artillery fire. A UAV tracked the temporary deployment of Ukrainian units. The coordinates were then immediately relayed to the artillery group and the D-20 crew launched a strike on the target with further corrections.The D-20 is a towed howitzer that fires a variety of ammunition, including high-explosive, smoke and illumination rounds. The D-20 features a 152mm caliber barrel that provides exceptional firepower and accuracy.

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Russian artillerymen from Battlegroup Zapad quash Ukrainian troops in Kupyansk direction Russian artillerymen from Battlegroup Zapad quash Ukrainian troops in Kupyansk direction 2023-11-21T07:59+0000 true PT1M43S

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U.S. Congressman Henry B. Gonzalez, four of his children and wife Bertha (walking up behind them) were on hand when the Kennedys arrived at San Antonio International Airport. Cecil Stoughton/White House Photographs. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museu

President John F. Kennedys visit to San Antonio to dedicate the School of Aerospace Medicine at Brooks AFB was a quick one, lasting only about two hours. But it was the first time a sitting president had visited the city since Harry Truman came to town in 1948. So it was a big deal.

It was, tragically, also the last full day of the young presidents life. The next day, Nov. 22, 1963, he'd be felled by an assassins bullet while riding through the streets of Dallas in a Lincoln Continental convertible.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of Kennedys murder, and so we decided to look back on that event  from the day before his arrival in San Antonio on Nov. 20 through his funeral on Nov. 26  by delving into the pages of the three newspapers published here at the time, the San Antonio Express, the Evening News and The Light.

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Here's how they covered one of the most chaotic, memorable and consequential week's in our nation's history:

The presidential motorcade makes its way down Broadway on Nov. 21, 1963, the day before JFK was assassinated in Dallas. EN FILE PHOTO President John F. Kennedy and first lady Jacqueline Kennedy arrive in San Antonio on Nov. 21, 1963. Billy Calzada/Courtesy Julia Duchow President John F. Kennedy looked over the Texas Military Institute cadets during a November 1963 visit to San Antonio with Gov. John Connally and first lady Jacqueline Kennedy. The president's car stopped so Kennedy could shake hands with cadet Hugh Scott, acting battalion commander. Courtesy photo / Texas Military A group protests segregation in San Antonio during the arrival of John F. Kennedy on Nov. 21, 1963. UTSA Special Collections President John F. Kennedy makes his last speech in front of Building 150 on Brooks Air Force Base on Nov. 21, 1963. UTSA Special Collections Lee Harvey Oswald, assassin of President John F. Kennedy, grimaces as he is shot by Dallas night club owner Jack Ruby in a corridor of Dallas police headquarters on Nov. 24, 1963. BOB JACKSON/AP President John F. Kennedy and first lady Jacqueline Kennedy pass cheering kids from Cambridge Elementary School as they make their way to Brooks Air Force Base on Nov. 21, 1963. MatsonCreative.com;Jim Berg President John F. Kennedy looks into a window at Brooks Air Force Base's hyperbaric chamber on Nov. 21, 1963. He is talking with NASA astronauts who are training in the chamber. Witte Museum Collection President John F. Kennedy and Texas Gov. John Connolly arrive at Brooks Air Force Base on Nov. 21, 1963. Witte Museum Collection The Kennedy motorcades drives through the city on its way to Brooks Air Force Base. Courtesy photo JFK assassination front page coverage is shown for the San Antonio Express. Express-News JFK assassination front page coverage is shown. Express-News

Nov. 20, 1963

Was our excitement obvious? All three daily papers carried complete coverage of the presidents planned visit, with the Evening News printing his schedule and Express running a handy map of the 25-minute ride from the airport to Brooks AFB, now Brooks City Base, for those hoping to catch a glimpse of the president and his glamorous first lady.

Since this was before construction of U.S. 281, the motorcade traveled mostly on surface roads, so thousands, including plenty of schoolchildren, watched from sidewalks and front lawns as the presidential limousine and support vehicles sped by.

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For those who wanted to see the president in person, the papers also included information about parking at Brooks and the pre-Park and Ride bus service to the event. Buses, the paper said, would run for as long as needed.

Despite the enthusiasm, Kennedy's trip to Texas was not without controversy, according to a front page story by James McCrory of the Evening News.

Organizers insisted the visit was nonpolitical and that its only purpose was to promote the U.S. space program. Others pointed out that first lady Jacqueline Kennedy, Vice President Lyndon Johnson and his wife, Lady Bird Johnson, were all coming, too  an indication, they said, of Texas importance in the early run-up to the 1964 presidential election.

And although both the county's Democratic chairman, John Daniels, and Republican County Chairman Frates Seeligson issued statements welcoming the president, Seeligsons, the story noted, carried a barb.

After wishing the president and first lady a most pleasant visit to Texas and San Antonio, Seeligson added, Politicswise, I hope it is most disappointing and unproductive.

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More on JFK in SA: Locals recall visit from the Kennedys

Reporter Kemper Diehl reported on The Light's front page that Congressman Henry B. Gonzalez was quite annoyed the president would be in San Antonio only two hours.

I resent the fact that San Antonio is being given equal time with Dallas and Fort Worth, cities which have long been highly unfriendly to the Democratic party and to the President, said Gonzalez, according to Diehl.

In retrospect, it also can be difficult to read reports about security precautions taken by local officials without a sense of foreboding.

Security measures were at a peak, the Evening News story read. The local Secret Service was bolstered by out-of-town Secret Service men, and local police and sheriffs staffers have mapped out plans to handle the crowd.

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President John F. Kennedy and first lady Jacqueline Kennedy arrive in San Antonio on Nov. 21, 1963. Photo courtesy of Julia Duchow

Nov. 21, 1963

Kennedy Praised S.A.s Space Role trumpeted the front page headline of the Evening News above a story about the presidents speech at Brooks AFB and a flattering photo of the first couple.

According to the article, Kennedy challenged the country not to shy away from space exploration, recounting a story told by Irish writer Frank OConnor about how, when he and his hiking companions would come upon a tall wall, theyd toss their hats over it, forcing them to climb over it to retrieve their hats.

My friends, this nation has tossed its cap over the wall of space, said Kennedy. And we have no choice but to follow it.

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He predicted the newly dedicated Aerospace Medical Center at Brooks would prove vital help in this endeavor.

Despite the glow from Kennedys quick trip here, he left some bruised feelings, according to several newspaper articles. Edgewood school district officials, for example, postponed the dedication of the new John F. Kennedy High School, where they hoped he'd appear in person. Board President Eddie Montez said the White House never responded to an invitation signed by most of Edgewoods 18,000 students.

Also, the local chapter of the NAACP noted bitterly that no Negroes (the term used at the time) were included among the presidents official welcoming party.

President John F. Kennedy greets well-wishers at Kelly Air Force Base before his departure from San Antonio on Nov. 21, 1963. File photo

Nov. 22, 1963

The morning papers lavished praise on Kennedys speech the previous day, and after the assassination at 12:30 p.m., the papers had plenty of time to put out special editions.

Thousands Give JFK Rousing SA Welcome read the front page of the morning Express.

The story hit the high points of Kennedys speech before an estimated crowd of 10,000, including his press to explore space and the potential benefits of the centers aerospace research.

There had been reports that Mrs. Kennedy might make a speech in Spanish, so the paper sent bilingual reporter M. Ruiz Ibanez, to test her fluency.

After he greeted her in Spanish, she read his press badge and replied, also in Spanish, Mr. M. Ruiz Ibanez.  You are Mexican!

We have many good friends in Mexico, she continued, again in Spanish, before her husband whisked her away to a waiting car  but not too quickly for Ibanez to note that when she spoke Spanish, her tone of voice lost the harshness that it has sometimes in English.

Such relative trivialities were quickly forgotten after Dealey Plaza.

The Evening News published several EXTRA editions throughout the afternoon, with such all-caps headlines as PRES. KENNEDY SLAIN, SNIPER HITS GOVERNOR and LYNDON B. JOHNSON TAKES OATH AS PRESIDENT OF U.S.

Most of the initial reports were from the wires, but there were local stories, too. News Stuns S.A. read one headline and, from the papers Austin bureau, Take Care of Nellie, Says Connally After Being Shot, referring to the governors wife.

Nov. 23, 1963

The next days papers, like those around the country, were all about the assassination, with Saturdays Express and News headlined Texan Charged as Assassin referring to Lee Harvey Oswald.

The paper also printed the first of what would be many iconic images to come out of the assassination: Lyndon Johnson taking the oath of office aboard Air Force One, Lady Bird at one shoulder, Jackie Kennedy at the other.

Elsewhere, a long piece by reporter Sam Kindrick painted scenarios of the local responses: people fleeing to churches for comfort; public wailing and sobbing; raw anger.

A Negro woman, when told the president had died, buried her face in a reporters coat, Kindrick wrote. Ive lost the best friend I ever had. And so have you, she cried. Oh Lord, I cant stand. I just cant stand.

Not everyone was as anguished, however. An unidentified caller to the newsroom told reporter John Bennett: Im glad. Im just sorry the sniper didnt get that SOB Lyndon Johnson, too.

Over at The Light, the assassination was being portrayed as perhaps part of a larger conspiracy, its front page headline identifying Oswald as a Pro-Castroite. A nearby editorial described him as a Communist fanatic unaware of the depth of evil to which such dogma could lead him.

On Page 3 of that days paper, reporter Ben Siegal interviewed the last person to speak to President Kennedy in San Antonio, a motorcycle cop named C.A. "Pete" Snyder who stood at the end of the honor line Kennedy passed before stepping aboard Air Force One.

Well done, the president said to Snyder as he shook his hand.

More now-familiar photos  of the Texas School Book Depository, of spectators sent scrambling to the ground by gunshots, of the Kennedys and the Connallys smiling in the Lincoln convertible  ran on the papers inside pages.

Nov. 24, 1963

San Antonios three newspapers continued to find local angles to the story. The Sunday Express and News, for example, spotlighted a ceremony at Fort Sam Houston attended by an estimated 7,000 people, with cannons fired every half-hour in remembrance. Similar ceremonies were held at other area military installations.

By now, everybody had a "Where were you?" story about the assassination, even William Randolph Hearst Jr., editor-in-chief of the Heart Newspapers chain that owned The Light. In a front-page commentary, he wrote of being at a meeting at the Americana Hotel in Miami Beach when word of the assassination arrived.

One moment there was indolent conversation and laughter. The next there was stunned silence. It was a nightmare in the bright Florida sunlight.

JFK assassination front page coverage is shown for The Light. Express-News

Nov. 25, 1963

Another iconic photo led the front page of both the Evening News and The Light: Lee Harvey Oswald, shot and killed by Jack Ruby while being transferred to a maximum security cell in the Dallas Country jail.

By now, the madness of the previous days was reaching a crescendo, a feeling the Evening News Paul Thompson encapsulated in his Page 1 Top of the News column, To complete the dreadful farce, Oswalds murderer, 52-year-old Jack Rubenstein, turned out to be the owner of a strip tease joint.

As Kennedys funeral was underway in Washington, San Antonio paused to remember the slain president. Federal, county and city offices were closed, according to newspaper reports, as were banks and many school and businesses.

An untold JFK story: Guarding the iconic Lincoln Kennedy rode in

At San Fernando Cathedral, the Evening News noted, Monsignor John Manning, vice chancellor of the San Antonio archdiocese, set the theme for the service with the liturgical words, Requiseat in pace! Rest in peace and 'Dominus vobiscum, Et cum spirtu tuo! The Lord be with you, and with thy spirit.

The Evening News also looked back on several seemingly minor occurrences during Kennedys San Antonio visit that, days later, were taking on added significance.

After the presidents crowded schedule kept him from attending the dedication of Edgewoods JFK High School, for example, he promised to return at some future date. A promise, the story stated portentously, the president wont be able to keep.

Three-year-old John F. Kennedy Jr. salutes his father's casket in Washington in this Nov. 25, 1963 file photo, three days after the president was assassinated in Dallas. Widow Jacqueline Kennedy, center, and daughter Caroline Kennedy are accompanied by the late president's brothers Sen. Edward Kennedy, left, and Attorney General Robert Kennedy. AP/File/AP

Nov. 26, 1963

The Evening News front page carried a curious story about a San Antonio woman, a Russian emigre named Maria Pults who offered her home to Oswalds wife, Marina Nicholaevna Oswald, and her two young children.

I want her to live with us, she said with a broken accent, according to the story. I feel sorry for her, living in America and not speaking the language. She needs someone who understands.

Oswald apparently never took the woman up on her offer.

Another day, another iconic photo. This one, in the Express, was the heart-rending image of 3-year-old John Kennedy Jr., saluting his fathers casket as it is carried from St. Matthews Cathedral in Washington, D.C.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20231121/will-lebanon-get-embroiled-in-hostilities-with-israel-1115075807.html

Will Lebanon Get Embroiled in Hostilities With Israel?

Will Lebanon Get Embroiled in Hostilities With Israel?

Israel and Hezbollah have been actively fighting on the Lebanese-Israeli border for several weeks now. There are casualties even among Lebanese civilians. 21.11.2023, Sputnik International

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However, Lebanese politicians and experts believe that Lebanon is not ready to carry on prolonged hostilities with Israel.'Beirut Isn't Ready at All to Handle Such a Development'Despite regular shelling by the Israeli army of populated areas in southern Lebanon, near the border with Israel, Lebanon is not ready to be drawn into a full-scale war with its neighbor, Dr. Ohannes Geukjian, Associate Professor of Political Studies & Conflict Resolution at the American University of Beirut, told Sputnik.Nevertheless, the Lebanese people "will be all together in one hand against any aggression or any hostilities from the Israeli side", but definitely would not start the war, even due to "living under hard social and financial circumstances", highlighted Amal Abou Zeid, former Member of the Lebanese Parliament and ex-advisor to Lebanese President Gen. Michel Aoun for Lebanese-Russian Affairs. Can Lebanese Politicians Stop the Escalation?Given the recent events, several Lebanese parties penned a petition last month opposing Lebanon potentially getting entangled in a regional conflict. Still, there have already been casualties from Israeli shelling on Lebanon's southern border. Subsequently, the Lebanese public created an online petition calling on their government not to get dragged into the war, which has already garnered 9,333 signatures. Nevertheless, Israeli shelling on Lebanon's southern border has been racking up casualties. The ongoing political and economic crisis in Lebanon raises the question of whether Lebanese politicians have the ability to prevent the war from further escalating.According to Ohannes Geukijan, the Lebanese parties "and a big number of politicians cannot stop escalation, in case it happens" due to government instability and weak political influence.The Lebanese Want Peace Lebanon's social and political landscape is intricately shaped by a complex ethno-confessional system. This means that various religious groups in the country not only maintain distinct beliefs but also differ in their political preferences. Consequently, this poses additional challenges for Lebanese society. However, ex-Lebanese lawmaker, Amal Abou Zeid, stresses that regardless of religious or political affiliations, Lebanon's entire citizenry is unified in their support for the Palestinian people and their aspirations for an independent Palestinian State.

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Running Aces Casino, Hotel & Racetrack has announced its race dates for the 2024 meet, the 17th in track history, which have been approved by the Minnesota Racing Commission.

The excitement of live racing will get underway on Sunday, May 19 and conclude on Saturday, Sept. 21, with a total of 55 nights of racing.

The racing schedule will be similar to the last couple of seasons, featuring live action three nights per week on a Tuesday-Thursday-Sunday basis, with a few exceptions. There will be a special Wednesday night card scheduled for July 3 while the track will be dark the following evening on Independence Day (July 4) and there will be special Friday and Saturday, Sept. 20 and 21 cards to conclude the meet with Minnesota Night of Champions festivities.

In a change from recent years, post times for the race cards on Sunday and Thursday (and special race cards on July 3, Sept. 20 and 21) will be at 6 p.m. (CDT) while on Tuesday evenings post time will remain at 7 p.m. (CDT).

The 2023 meet featured the first sub-1:50 miles ever contested at Running Aces. A new all-aged pacing track record was established by American Dreamer with his 1:49.2 mile on July 16. It was later equalled by stablemate Crooked Smile on Aug. 1.

Total purses for the 2024 meet once again are projected to surpass $6 million, as they have during the previous two seasons.

Highlighting the action over the Minnesota five-eighths-mile oval will again be the $50,000 Dan Patch (Free-For-All pacers), $35,000 Ron Banks Memorial (Free-For-All filly and mare pacers) and $35,000 Steve Wiseman Memorial (Free-For-All trotters). Of course, as always, all eyes are pointed to the final night of the meet on Saturday, Sept. 21 for the Minnesota Night of Champions. In 2023, a record single-card total of $780,000 was distributed on closing night to the best and brightest in the Minnesota-sired program.

Running Aces plans to begin accepting stalls applications in mid-January of the New Year for the 2024 racing season. The stable area is scheduled to open on Sunday, May 5 with the first pre-season qualifying session scheduled for Thursday, May 9 over the Minnesota five-eighths mile oval.

Questions regarding stall applications, race conditions or any other racing related inquiries should be directed to Racing Director Steve Carpenito at 651-925-4532 or by email at [email protected].

(Running Aces)
The Nebraska Court of Appeals has denied a second bid by a Scottsbluff man to have his burglary conviction overturned.

A Scotts Bluff County District Court jury convicted Anthony De Los Santos in January 2017 in a Dec. 24, 2015, burglary at the Burger King in Scottsbluff where his sister worked. More than $6,000 was stolen from a safe during the burglary.

De Los Santos sister, Amelia Redbear, had been an assistant manager at the restaurant and eventually told investigators that the suspect seen in surveillance video was her brother. She also testified at trial that the suspect looked like her brother. According to testimony at trial, employees of the restaurant knew that the alarm system at the business was not working at the time of the burglary. Prior to trial, De Los Santos had written to his sister, urging her to claim she had been mistaken about her identification. That letter was entered into evidence at trial.

On March 19, 2019, De Los Santos filed a motion seeking postconviction relief in Scotts Bluff County District Court, which was denied.

In his postconviction relief claims, De Los Santos alleged that his attorney, Bernard Straetker, provided ineffective counsel by failing to challenge the states filing of a habitual criminal charge and failing to call his wife as an alibi witness. De Los Santos claimed that the state had breached an agreement to remove the habitual criminal allegation if he waived a preliminary hearing in county court. However, according to testimony from the prosecutor and De Los Santos attorney entered during an Aug. 23, 2023, hearing, the agreement had been that the habitual criminal charge would be dismissed if De Los Santos agreed to plead guilty to the burglary charge and not take the case to trial. De Los Santos attorney advised his client, reiterating the offer, and his client refused to plead to any charge.

Regarding claims involving a failure to call his wife, according to testimony introduced to the Nebraska Court of Appeals, De Los Santos wife had claimed in a pretrial deposition that she and her husband at been staying at a Colorado motor inn in December 2015. However, as prosecutors had her claims investigated, it was determined that neither had stayed at the motor inn. The prosecution had also obtained supporting records from the motel owner, who could not confirm that De Los Santos and his wife were there. The prosecutor advised that he had told the defense attorney that if the woman testified at trial, he would file perjury charges.

De Los Santos attorney also knew about calls between De Los Santos and his wife which involved De Los Santos cousin making false statements that he had picked up the man in Colorado. Due to the contradictory information and the risk of perjury charges, the defense attorney decided it would be best if the woman did not testify. The woman did attend trial, he said, and if De Los Santos would have demanded she testify, he would have called her as a witness. However, he said, De Los Santos never indicated to him he had changed his mind and wanted his wife to testify.

A Scotts Bluff County Court District Court judge denied De Los Santos postconviction relief claims, finding that he never accepted a plea agreement so there was not one to be breached. Also, the court determined that De Los Santos had not shown that his trial counsel performed deficiently by failing to call his wife at trial, or that having her testify would have resulted in a different finding by the jury. In its ruling, the court concluded that given the conflicting evidence and the potential for perjury charges, the decision not to call her as a witness was a reasonable trial strategy. The Nebraska Court of Appeals affirmed the district courts ruling and said it found no errors by the court in denying De Los Santos motion for postconviction relief.

De Los Santos was sentenced in February 2017 to a prison term of 12 to 20 years on the burglary charge. Due to the habitual criminal charge, he has to serve a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, meaning he will not be eligible for release until 2027.

De Los Santos had previously appealed his case, arguing there was not enough evidence to sustain a conviction and ineffective counsel. The court upheld his conviction in a June 2018 ruling.
According to information released by Scottsbluff Police, Fredrick Evans, 55, of Scottsbluff, died in in the crash that occurred in the 1300 block of 14th Avenue. Police are investigating health conditions and alcohol use as protentional contributing factors.

Police responded to the crash at about 10:06 p.m. An investigation determined that Evans had been southbound in a 2009 GMC pickup on 14th Avenue from East 15th Street when he crossed over to the left side of the road and struck a red 2012 GMC pickup. The collision caused his vehicle to roll over onto its right side.
Scottsbluff Police arrested a 19-year-old Terrytown man in the shooting death of another man late Saturday night.

According to information released by the Scottsbluff Police Department, officers arrested Anibal Domingo Jr. on suspicion of second-degree murder, a Class IB felony, and use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony, a Class IC felony. Domingo is accused in the shooting death of 22-year-old Wilson George Coleman III.

At about 11 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 18, officers who were already present at Regional West Medical Center were alerted by medical staff to a gunshot victim, identified as Coleman, being treated at the hospital. The man had been shot in the chest and later died.

Authorities arrested Domingo on Sunday in connection with the shooting, which police released occurred in the 1000 block of 15th Avenue in Scottsbluff.

According to an arrest affidavit, Coleman had been taken to the emergency room by three people and he died of his injuries on Sunday.

Police interviewed Jerome Red Bear and William Bill Richards, two of the men who took Coleman to the hospital, on Sunday, Nov. 19, according to the police affidavit.

Red Bear told police that he and another man, Arion Ybarra, were involved in a confrontation with Domingo at the Cigarette Chain in Scottsbluff on the evening of Nov. 18. Red Bear and Ybarra left the store and went to a home on Terry Boulevard, where they told Coleman that Domingo had been causing problems with them.

Coleman and Richards left with them. Coleman allegedly retrieved a 9mm handgun from another home and the men drove around until they found the pickup that Domingo had been in earlier in the parking lot of a Scottsbluff apartment building, according to the affidavit.

Witnesses, including Richards, told police that Coleman confronted Domingo, pointing a handgun at him and then shooting the gun in the air. Domingo allegedly made a statement that he had a gun and reached down to the floorboard.

Coleman and the men ran back to their vehicle, where Coleman told his friends that he had been hit and they observed a wound to his chest, according to an interview with Richards, police say in the affidavit.

Afterward, police were told in their interviews, Ybarra allegedly threw the gun out the window in the vicinity of the zoo. The affidavit doesnt disclose if police recovered Colemans weapon.

As part of their investigation, police spoke to residents of the apartment complex, who did confirm that they had heard two shots fired. No one had called in reports of gunshots on Saturday night, according to the affidavit.

Domingo was arraigned on charges in Scotts Bluff County Court Monday. Domingo is next scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on Dec. 1. Bond has been set at $2.5 million.

As of publication, no one else has been charged in connection with the shooting.

A Scottsbluff Police Department press release said the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Scottsbluff Police Department, 308-630-6261, or the Scotts Bluff County Communication Center, 308-632-7176.
While we may be past the spooky season and into the holiday season, people are still getting the chills.

That includes Texans, as there is plenty of history  and ghosts  in the Lone Star State.

On Saturday, a Texas Reddit user, "Bellecontre," asked fellow Texans to say what is the creepiest town here that they've visited. The post garnered almost 700 upvotes  akin to likes  and more than 1,300 comments.

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A common theme in those comments was summed up by one user: "Vidor is creepy."

Sitting along Interstate 10 near Beaumont, Vidor once served as a stronghold for the Ku Klux Klan and is a former "sundown town," meaning it did not allow Black people within city limits after dark.

"I'll pass on Vidor, I don't wanna get caught outside after dark," another user commented.

"Dated a guy from Vidor years ago," replied another user. "10/10 wouldn't recommend."

On Saturday, a Texas Reddit user, "Bellecontre," asked fellow Texans to say what is the creepiest town here that they've visited. Milamai/Getty Images

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Some users made a distinction between types of creepiness.

"Fun creepy: Jefferson," one user wrote. "Scary creepy: Vidor."
Al-Souria Net outlined the gradual decline of Syria's wheat production and the shrinking of its cultivation areas.

In this article, we do not claim to unveil the enigmatic mysteries surrounding the wheat trade in regions under Syrian regime control. Instead, our objective is to shed light on these mysteries, which stem from a combination of governmental chaos, lack of strategic planning, absence of a clear vision for the future, and most notably, the prioritization of the interests of a select few over those of the majority.

The First Secret: The Price of Russian Wheat

Approximately ten days ago, the Syrian Minister of Agriculture, through Russias Novosti agency, announced the import of 1.4 million tons of Russian wheat for the Syrian Grain Corporation. Notably, the contracts value remained undisclosed, a common practice by the regime. This opacity fuels debates on the fairness of the locally set wheat purchase price, an annual announcement by the government.

Just as in the previous two seasons, criticism erupted following this seasons announcement of a benchmark price of 4,200 Syrian pounds per kilogram of wheat. Farmer union representatives once again contended that this pricing failed to cover their costs. Local experts have repeatedly warned that such government-set prices compel farmers to abandon wheat cultivation in favor of more economically viable crops. This represents a significant strategic loss for the Syrian economy, leaving political decisions vulnerable to the exporting country, which in this case, is Russia.

This brings us to the second secret: Why does the regime consistently impose unsatisfactory prices for locally-produced wheat, despite reassurances from the Minister of Agriculture that the current seasons price is under review? Past experiences lead us to doubt that the expected price increase will meet the farmers expectations. Last season, despite raising the purchase price from 2,300 to 2,800 Syrian pounds per kilogram under criticism, farmers still claimed costs exceeding 2,860 Syrian pounds per kilogram. Predictions from experts in loyalist media outlets came true as the majority of local wheat eluded the Syrian Grain Corporations control due to unfair pricing.

The regime fell short of its goal of procuring one million tons of wheat from the local market, securing only 725 thousand tons, despite a nationwide production of approximately one and a half million tons. Meanwhile, the annual demand for regime-controlled areas stands at 2.4 million tons, leading to hefty imports from Russia, straining the state treasury and draining precious foreign exchange reserves. This leaves us with the same baffling question: Why does the regime consistently set prices for local wheat that leave Syrian farmers dissatisfied?

The typical response from regime officials is that pricing is based on a careful analysis of production costs. However, the Farmers Union, as well as local experts in regime-controlled areas, argue that the official price falls far short of the global market price. Yet, upon closer examination, we find that these experts rely on futures contract prices (for delivery at the end of March), whereas the recent prices of Russian wheat during the past week hovered around $250 per ton (inclusive of shipping fees averaging $15 per ton). This equates to 3,500 Syrian pounds per kilogram of wheat, making the official pricing appear equitable in comparison to international rates. Farmer representatives dispute this, citing higher local production costs exacerbated by the governments reduced support for the agricultural sector. Farmers are compelled to purchase fuel, pesticides, and fertilizers at nearly double the global market rates from the Syrian black market.

This brings us to the third secret, concerning those who benefit from this situation. The fortunate minority of merchants holding contracts for importing Russian wheat, along with fuel, pesticides, and fertilizers, are believed to have affiliations with influential figures within the regime. For instance, if we consider the import of 1.4 million tons of Russian wheat at an estimated average price of $250 per ton, the contracts total value stands at a staggering $350 million USD. This is a substantial figure when compared to Syrias initial budget for 2024, which amounts to approximately $2.5 billion (according to black market exchange rates). This reinforces the notion that key decision-makers within the regime prioritize the interests of this privileged merchant minority over local wheat cultivation. Furthermore, Russia, as an ally of the regime, stands to gain from this situation, strengthening the bond between the two.

Now, we delve into the fourth secret: Who ultimately decides the fate of wheat in Syria? The same Minister of Agriculture who announced the import of 1.4 million tons of Russian wheat ten days ago had previously declared, in June, that Syria would import only half the quantity of wheat compared to the previous year, due to expectations of a robust local harvest. However, the outcome saw Syria importing approximately the same amount as before, indicating that the Minister of Agriculture may lack precise data regarding wheat production, imports, and consumption. Alternatively, the decision-making power concerning the wheat situation may not reside within his jurisdiction.

The result of this ongoing mystery is the gradual decline of Syrias wheat production and the shrinking of its cultivation areas, year after year.

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.
Authorities had previously declared their readiness for the upcoming winter season, according to Athr Press.

Numerous areas in Damascus and its outskirts experienced heavy rainfall on Sunday, leading to torrential downpours that forced the diversion or closure of roads for both pedestrians and vehicles.

Authorities have declared their readiness for the upcoming winter season, striving diligently to prevent floods and mitigate the potential damage caused by heavy rains. The Damascus Governorate assured the public that it has taken measures such as isolating and installing large rain traps, and implementing new drainage systems while replacing outdated sewage networks.

Despite these efforts, the first rainfall on Sunday prompted concerns among the capitals residents. In discussions with Athr Press, they questioned the effectiveness of the authorities weekly follow-ups, expressing worry about the potential consequences if such diligent monitoring were lacking.

Notably, the institution apparently overlooked its responsibilities in the Baramkeh area. Consequently, roads were inundated with rainwater, especially on the route from SANA to the Umayyad complex, and issues persisted on the Rabwa road due to rainfall.

Recently, Damascus Governor Muhammad Tarek Kreishati conducted an inspection to assess the preparedness of rain drains in the citys streets and tunnels. He closely monitored the activities carried out by the directorates of maintenance and hygiene, as well as the General Company for Sanitation. These efforts included maintenance, cleaning, and isolation of emollients and rain traps, along with ensuring the functionality of pumps for tunnels and cleaning containers in anticipation of winter. The governor emphasized the need for proactive measures, calling for the continuous isolation and cleaning of emollients and traps throughout the city and its neighbourhoods to prevent the accumulation of water pools.

Despite these directives, a scheduled meeting with all relevant directorates, attended by the governor, aimed to address outstanding issues and focus on cleaning emollients and grills proved ineffective.

In light of these challenges, the public remains concerned about the citys preparedness for the winter season and its ability to manage potential flooding and water accumulation effectively.

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.

A report by the SNHR has underlined the difficulties faced by Syrian children all around the country. The report reveals that an alarming 30,127 children have lost their lives in Syria since the onset of the conflict. Shockingly, 198 children died as a result of torture. These deaths are a heartbreaking reflection of the brutality endured by Syrian children.

MOH, WHO Recommend Enhancements for the Effective EWARS Disease Surveillance System

WHO and the Syrian Ministry of Health recently completed a joint evaluation of the countrys main disease surveillance system, the Early Warning, Alert and Response System (EWARS). Throughout the crisis in Syria, EWARS has been instrumental in detecting outbreaks of measles, cholera and other diseases and preventing their further spread. Health facilities across Syria submit weekly surveillance data to the Ministry of Health in Damascus for consolidation, analysis and response.

The EWARS mission team meets with local health officials in rural Damascus.

The evaluation team, comprising experts from the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, WHO Country Office in Syria and national counterparts, assessed 46 health facilities and laboratories in 13 Syrian governorates. The teams preliminary findings indicate that EWARS is working effectively, with high levels of timeliness, completeness and acceptability  particularly at field level.

The team recommended that the list of diseases under surveillance be revised to include case definitions and that disease thresholds be reviewed. It also recommended efforts to strengthen staff capacity, data quality and feedback loops.

Dr Iman Shankiti, Acting WHO Representative in Syria, said that the evaluation was timely: The last evaluation of EWARS dates to 2017. This recent assessment is critical to help us ensure that EWARS remains agile and fit for purpose. We are committed to work with the Ministry of Health to strengthen EWARS and make it even more effective.

On World Childrens Day: SNHRs 12th Annual Report on Violations Against Children in Syria

The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) has released its 12th annual report on violations against children in Syria, coinciding with World Childrens Day. The report paints a harrowing picture of the dire situation faced by children in Syria since March 2011, with a focus on the period up to November 20, 2023.

Key Findings:

Child Deaths: The report reveals that an alarming 30,127 children have lost their lives in Syria since the onset of the conflict. Shockingly, 198 children died as a result of torture. These deaths are a heartbreaking reflection of the brutality endured by Syrian children. Detentions and Forced Disappearances: Tragically, 5,229 children are still detained and/or forcibly disappeared in Syria. This statistic highlights the ongoing danger and insecurity faced by Syrian children. Responsibility: While acknowledging that all parties to the conflict have violated childrens rights to varying degrees, the report underscores the Syrian regimes overwhelming responsibility for the majority of these violations. It identifies a clear pattern of deliberate and systematic violations of childrens rights by the regime. International Obligations: Syria ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in 1993, along with its two optional protocols. Despite these international commitments, children in Syria continue to suffer gravely.

Specific Violations:

The report categorizes violations against children into seven primary areas:

Extrajudicial Killings: Children have been targeted and killed without due process, with Syrian regime forces responsible for 77% of these deaths. Unlawful Detention and Forced Disappearance: Over 5,000 children are still detained and/or forcibly disappeared, primarily by Syrian regime forces. Torture: Children face torture from the moment of their arrests, with 198 children documented to have died due to torture. Sexual Violence: Incidents of sexual violence against children are prevalent and have severe physical and psychological consequences. Child Recruitment: Multiple parties to the conflict have recruited children, with Syrian regime forces and affiliated militias responsible for approximately 65% of such cases. Attacks on Vital Facilities: Schools and medical facilities have been repeatedly attacked, jeopardizing childrens access to education and healthcare. Blockage of Humanitarian Assistance: Humanitarian aid to children in need is often obstructed, exacerbating their suffering.

Further Details:

 The report provides detailed statistics on child deaths attributed to various parties to the conflict, with Syrian regime forces accounting for the highest number of casualties.

 It highlights the widespread use of cluster munitions and anti-personnel landmines, which have claimed the lives of many children.

 The report details the experiences of children subjected to harsh judicial proceedings, including lengthy sentences and even death penalties.

 It discusses the impact of child recruitment on the conflict, as well as the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war.

 The report underscores the need for international intervention to protect displaced children, improve their living conditions, and ensure their rights are upheld.

Recommendations:

The report calls for urgent action to protect and support forcibly displaced children, especially girls, and to fulfill their basic needs, particularly in terms of protection, education, and healthcare. It emphasizes the importance of holding the Syrian regime and its allies accountable for their violations, as well as other perpetrators in the conflict. Additionally, it urges states to fulfill their financial commitments to assist neighbouring countries hosting child refugees. The report advocates for mechanisms to safeguard schools and kindergartens and create a safe educational environment for children in conflict zones.

In summary, the report underscores the urgent need to address the grave violations against children in Syria and calls on the international community to take comprehensive measures to protect and support the most vulnerable victims of the ongoing conflict.

U.S. Enters Dangerous New Phase in Shadow War With Iran

The Daily Beast reports that the United States has been hitting back at Iran-linked militants after a barrage of attacks on American targets in the Middle East in recent weeks, with U.S. forces conducting several retaliatory strikes that run the risk of kicking off a wider war.

Although the U.S. says the operations are aimed at deterring further attacks against its forces in the region, the retaliatory strikes havent been entirely successful. Just on Friday, U.S. military bases bore the brunt of three attacks in both Iraq and Syria, according to a report from the AP.

The ongoing clashes have raised concerns that the U.S. may inadvertently set off a wider escalation, as opposed to the intended goal of deterring attacks on American forces in the region. While the U.S. has been able to counterattack without a massive escalatory response from Iran so far, the back-and-forthand ongoing attacks against U.S. forces in the regionpaves the way for possible accidents and misinterpretation.

Thats according to Brian Finucane, who previously worked in the Office of the Legal Adviser at the State Department, where he advised on the legal and policy issues relating to counterterrorism and the use of military force.

Theres plenty of room for miscalculation or mishap on both sides, Finucane, now a Senior Adviser for the U.S. Program of the International Crisis Group, told The Daily Beast. If U.S. service members were God forbid killed in an attack, the U.S. may feel it has to ratchet up its response further, potentially to include directly targeting IRGC personnel, which the administration has not done thus far.

WE MUST RESPOND

Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei attends a meeting with a group of Iranian elites in Tehran, Iran October 17, 2023.

One of the stated goals of the Biden administrations attacks on Iran-linked targets is to prevent the spillover of Israels war against Hamas in Gaza. The president has no higher priority than the safety of U.S. personnel, and he directed todays action to make clear that the United States will defend itself, its personnel, and its interests, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement on Sunday.

U.S. officials have been warning Iran and its proxies for weeks to stay out of Israels war against Hamas in Gaza. Nevertheless, Iranian-linked forces have launched a slew of attacks against U.S. forces in Syria and Iraq almost daily since mid-October.

A U.S. warship had to take out several missiles and drones that Iran-backed Houthis launched from Yemen last month. On Tuesday, Iran-backed Houthis said it had fired ballistic missiles on Israeli targets.

My soul and beating heart: Orphaned Syrian children find new family

Nearly a year ago, Nader Mohammed Al-Bakri, 43, and his wife, displaced people from the southern Idlib countryside, met their little girl Jouri, according to an Al-Jazeera report.

Nader and his wife of 22 years, who have lived in the town of Sarmada since 2013, underwent several surgeries and lengthy treatments to conceive, all without success. They were desperate to have a child.

There is no Islamic adoption in the Western sense of the word in Syria, however, fostering a child is possible and is usually a lifetime arrangement.

Nader heard about Child Houses, a temporary care home for children ranging from newborn to 18 years old in northwestern Syria. Established in 2019, it takes care of minors who have been abandoned or are unaccompanied or separated from their families.

Nader and his wife applied to be considered as foster parents to one of the children at Child Houses, and a few weeks later, they heard the wonderful news: they could foster a two-month-old baby girl.

Right away, we decided to name her Jouri because the name symbolizes the Damask rose and she will be the flower that adorns our lives forever, Nader added.

Jouri is now a year and a half old and has started taking her first steps and calling for her mother and father.

The greatest moment in my life was when Jouri said Baba. I felt like I owned all the treasures of the world and forgot all my worries, he said.

Life before Jouri was hell and life after Jouri is paradise, said Al-Bakri.

The joy that finally having a foster child is obvious on the face of another couple, along with a few tears. Abdul Khaliq Msalahlou and his wife Khawla Ghazi sit in a family room in Child Houses and look lovingly at the baby boy they will be sponsoring.
Authorities in Oregon apprehended Monday an armed robbery suspect accused of stealing a vehicle, firing a gun, and engaging in a police pursuit through multiple counties.

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The 28-year-old Portland resident Buomkuoth Chuol allegedly stole a car by force. The Columbia County Sheriffs Office reports the owner was able to track the car using his laptop left inside the vehicle.

At about 11:14 a.m., someone from Pro Automotive & Diesel in Scappoose called 911 to say a man had attempted to steal a car off the property before firing a gun at the employees, the sheriffs office reports in a press release. He then fled toward Portland in a black Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Authorities used a spike strip to stop the suspects vehicle, ending the chase. Chuol was eventually taken into custody in the Portland neighborhood of Linnton.

Columbia County Sheriff Brian Pixley said no one was injured from the shooting or in the ensuing chase.

Due to the incident, one lane of U.S. Highway 30 was shut down for hours.

The Columbia County Sheriffs Office, Oregon State Police, Scappoose Police and St. Helens Police participated in the search for the suspect.
RAINIER  Rainier has joined a growing list of municipalities against Oregons drug decriminalization act passed by voters in 2020.

City Council unanimously voted to pass a resolution earlier this month calling for state lawmakers to repeal Measure 110, the act that reduced most possession of controlled substances like fentanyl and meth from felonies or misdemeanors to being punishable by a fine.

Rainiers resolution states Measure 110 aimed to reduce crime and save lives by addressing addiction as a health problem, not criminal, but the measure has had the opposite effect by eliminating deterrents to do drugs and adding to overdose deaths and crime.

Rainier City Administrator Scott Jorgensen said the resolution was inspired by an Oct. 10 dinner in Rainier featuring city and Columbia County leaders from municipalities including St. Helens, Scappoose and Clatskanie who discussed the negative effects of the state measure, such as seeing people publicly using drugs. Oregon state Sen. Suzanne Weber, R-Tillamook, and Senate Minority Leader Tim Knopp, R-Bend, were also present.

Everyones trying to get the Legislatures attention, Jorgensen said.

Columbia County drug overdose deaths Deaths are totaled at the end of the 12-month period prior to the listed date. February 2021: 10 March 2021: 12 April 2021: 11 May 2021: 10 June 2021: 12 July 2021: 12 August 2021: 14 September 2021: 17 October 2021: 21 November 2021: 22 December 2021: 22 January 2022: 21 February 2022: 21 March 2022: 21 April 2022: 21 May 2022: 24 June 2022: 22 July 2022: 20 August 2022: 19 September 2022: 16 October 2022: 12 November 2022: 12 December 2022: 13 January 2023: 14 February 2023: 15 March 2023: 14 Source: CDC

Rainier and the state lack enough treatment facilities to help drug possession suspects, he added, despite the measures aim to direct more funding toward recovery.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports deaths from drug overdoses in Columbia County over a 12-month period have increased since Measure 110 went into effect in February 2021. Peak deaths for the 12-month periods through February 2023 occurred at the end of May 2022 with 24 deaths, compared to 10 at the end of February 2021. The latest numbers show 14 people died from drug overdoses as of the end of March.

Oregon Courts reports Columbia County has seen 17 cases filed from February 2021 to the end of October in which suspects were found with possession of hard drugs but were cited and fined as opposed to being charged.

Other municipalities, such as Clackamas County, have also passed a symbolic resolution against Measure 110. In the spring, the Clackamas County Commissioners voted to ask voters on upcoming ballots whether the countys state legislators and governor should fix or repeal the measure.

Oregon state lawmakers are set to reconvene in February.
Despite a typical three-hour drive, University of Washington School of Dentistry students are eager to help at Longviews Community Health Partners dental clinic, serving patients who dont have insurance or are unable to afford copays.

Students regularly travel from Seattle, through four counties, to reach Cowlitz County, where U.S. Census data shows roughly 13% of the population lives in poverty.

They do not receive school credit or extra points for attending, but that doesnt make the volunteer opportunity any less popular. The waitlist usually hits 100 students within about 10 minutes of the sign-up email being sent out, student volunteer lead Frankie Scholz said, and students are often eager to volunteer repeatedly. Scholz, a fourth year dental student, has been volunteering with the clinic since her second year.

It really reinforces why Im going through dental school and reminds me Im getting an education for the community, said Scholz, who plans to go into public health after graduating. Going back to school, I feel more excited to put my nose back in a book and keep studying.

After a quarter of a century, the student-run clinic is the primary dental care provider for many local low-income residents, Community Health Partners board member Wayne VanHamme said.

Upcoming dental clinics The next dental clinics will be held Feb. 4 and May 4. To make an appointment, contact Susan Wendel at 360-442-4165.

Saturdays clinic marked the programs 25th anniversary, and School of Dentistry Dean Andre Ritter celebrated with his first visit to the clinic since his appointment in September 2022.

Its exciting and encouraging to see the enthusiasm of our students, waking up at 5 oclock in the morning to drive all the way down here, Ritter said. Theyre doing this so they can get more experience in dentistry, but I think a bigger part of it is giving back to the community.

The free clinic is hosted four times a year and offers 90-minute appointments for services such as extractions, cavity fillings and denture fittings. University of Washington students carry out the procedures, supervised by local dentists.

Its fun to see the energy of the dental students and help them grow their dental education, said David Meyers, an attending dentist from the Cowlitz Family Health Center.

The clinic provides a chance for students to help the community while gaining experience with treating conditions they may not have dealt with before, as many of the patients they see do not have regular access to dental care, said School of Dentistry emeritus professor Peter Milgrom.

Lack of dental care can cause a number of issues outside of the mouth including heart and lung problems and increased risk of pneumonia, Milgrom said. Having missing or poorly cared-for teeth also makes it more difficult to get hired, he added, which further impacts peoples ability to afford care.

The clinic began with a partnership between Kaiser, St. John Medical Center and the Cowlitz County Health Department that looked to address the lack of dentists in Cowlitz and Wahkiakum counties in the 1980s who would treat low-income children, Community Health Partners board member Lesley Bombardier said. Originally, the clinic only served children, but it now accepts patients of any age after a Medicaid expansion to include children made it easier for them to access free or low-cost dental care from other providers.

Treatment at the clinic is entirely free and funded by grants and donations, Community Health Partners Executive Director Ken Dale said. Kaiser Permanente donates space and equipment to the clinic, which is held out of the Longview-Kelso Dental Office at 1230 Seventh Ave., Longview.

Its so gratifying to see Kaiser stepping in and supporting this kind of effort, Ritter said. We would not have the resources in the dental school to do this by ourselves.

Dental clinic patients may be referred to the Community Health Partners hygiene clinic, which is held twice a year in partnership with the Clark College School of Hygiene, Dale said.

Along with its dental programs, Community Health Partners offers free urgent care, twice-yearly vision clinics and chronic care by appointment. The urgent care is open Tuesday mornings, Wednesday evenings and Thursday afternoons and accepts walk-ins. Flu shots for adults without insurance are available on Wednesdays.

Community Health Partners also operates a street medicine outreach program for the homeless community in Longview and Kelso, Dale said. Volunteers visit encampments and HOPE Village once a week to treat wounds, provide antibiotics and refer people to other Community Health Partners clinics if necessary.
DARWIN, Australia  Riding horses in front of hundreds of cheering people in the United States as part of the prestigious Mounted Color Guard with the United States Marine Corps was a regular routine for her. She never would have guessed that her first time holding the U.S. flag would be thousands of miles away from home.

U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lt. Bryanna M. Kessler, a lifelong horse enthusiast and Kelso High School graduate, represented Marine Rotational ForceDarwin 23 in an Australian rodeo in April. MRF-D 23 is focused on increasing interoperability with allies and partners in the region to promote a safe and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

Hailing from a family of cowgirls and cowboys in Kelso, Kesslers introduction to horseback riding was through her uncle at the age of 2. This early experience on a horse ignited a lifelong passion within her. Eventually, she began taking riding lessons with her grandmother and later ventured into the competitive arena once she was old enough.

Growing up, a lot of my family members had horses and competed in various disciplines, said Kessler. I traveled with my aunt and uncle on the Pinto horse circuit. My grandmother was a three-day eventer who was selected to the U.S. team for the Pan-American games. I competed in middle school and part of high school after my parents surprised me with my own horse for my 13th birthday.

In addition to her love of horses, Kessler also felt a calling to serve in the military. She was undecided on the branch she wanted to join until she set her sights on the Marine Corps and enlisted on Nov. 16, 2009.

My grandfather was in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War and my stepdad was in the U.S. Army in Vietnam, said Kessler. Growing up, those were the two men I looked up to the most. I always knew I wanted to be in the military but I did not know it was the Marine Corps I was looking for.

During her initial assignment at Camp Pendleton, California, Kessler remained connected to her passion for horses by volunteering at Stepp Stables during her off-hours. It was there that she became acquainted with a couple who allowed her to ride their horse in exchange for caring for it, ultimately bringing her two passions together.

When my sergeant asked me where I disappeared to every weekend, Kessler recalled, I explained that I was taking care of a horse. He then asked if I had ever heard of the Mounted Color Guard. For two years, I tried to join the team. Finally, I got an interview and received orders to ride horses for the Marine Corps.

As an official member of the Mounted Color Guard, Kessler was able to combine her two greatest passions: horses and military service. As part of a four-horseman team, the Guard who practiced in Barstow, California attended events across the country, presenting the flag to large crowds. Kessler relished the opportunity to travel and participate in these high-profile events.

During my time on the team, we traveled across the U.S. and presented the American and Marine Corps flags at some of the largest events in the country, Kessler recalled. Although I never carried a flag myself because I was always the most junior member. I found the experience of presenting the flags during the National Anthem played incredibly powerful. Its one of those moments that makes you truly proud to be an American.

Kessler decided to change career paths and become an officer through the Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program, MECEP. Upon commissioning, she was stationed with Headquarters Battalion, 1st Marine Division, and later transferred to 1st Marine Regiment. In February 2023, Kessler deployed with MRF-D 23.

MRF-D is not your typical deployment, said Kessler. Growing up watching the rodeo it was always cool to see the riders who came over from other countries and competed. We have Australians riding on our pro rodeo circuit. I saw the opportunity to ride with the Australian equestrians and learn how they do things. To me, I was excited about the opportunity to be immersed in Australian culture and see how they do things there.

Kessler got in contact with Annabelle Kieth who let Kessler ride on her property to practice for the rodeo. Russell Simpson who put the rodeo together also provided Kessler to practice on his land.

The people here have been so welcoming and hospitable, said Kessler. Once I got in contact with the woman who became my first friend here she introduced me to her friends and they have not been able to get rid of me.

Kesslers close bonds with her Australian friends symbolize the long-standing friendship between the military forces of the United States and Australia. For more than a century, the two nations have shared this bond. Kesslers skill and talent were evident as she placed first in the open barrel race hosted by the Australasian Team Roping Association on April 28, one day before the rodeo.

The next day, Kessler had the opportunity to carry the United States flag in front of a crowd in Australia. Accompanying her was the Australian flag, symbolizing the close relationship between the two nations. This was a first for Kessler, and she was honored to represent her country on this special occasion.

It is really hard to explain how it feels to carry the (United States) flag into an Australian arena, said Kessler. It is really cool that our friends and partners are giving me the opportunity to carry our flag next to their flag in a sport that means so much to Australians and Americans.
SEATTLE  Have we checked the spare parachute packing card slot? What about the rip cords? Wait, the parachute, was it a 24-foot canopy or a 26-foot canopy? Is there DNA on the tie clip? And, my goodness, how did the money end up at Tena Bar?

The questions linger, they spiral, becoming ever more arcane.

If youre not versed, if you dont know about the copycats and the diatoms and the titanium particles, it all sounds like Greek.

But for those whove been hooked, captivated, enthralled, the legend of D.B. Cooper does not fade. It is a subculture  like Swifties, 12s, the BeyHive  focused around a larger ideal, where people find community.

We know the middle  we dont know the beginning or the end of the story, said Chris Grandlienard, a county planner from Florida, who flew across the country for CooperCon, a three-day annual event held this year at The Museum of Flight dedicated to solving, or at least propagating, a half-century-old mystery. Its not like this is Bigfoot. This is an actual person who existed. Who was he? He was so nondescript, he just blended in.

On Nov. 24, 1971, a man giving his name as Dan Cooper walked into Portland International Airport and paid $20 for a ticket on Northwest Orient Flight 305 to Seattle. He ordered a bourbon and soda, smoked cigarettes and handed the flight attendant a note, saying he had a bomb. He asked for $200,000 and four parachutes.

The plane landed in Seattle, and he traded the passengers for the money and the chutes. Then he instructed the pilots to fly south. Somewhere over southern Washington, he opened the rear door of the Boeing 727, and jumped.

Hes never been found. It is the only unsolved skyjacking in American history. An early news story misreported his name as D.B. Cooper and it stuck. Frankly, it sounds a lot cooler than Dan. Nearly a decade later, an 8-year-old boy, digging in the sand on Tena Bar, a Columbia River beach, found $6,000 of Coopers money.

The name, the ubiquitous police sketch  close-cropped hair, black suit, black tie, black sunglasses  have become legend.

It is among the great mysteries wafting through the American consciousness, not quite on the level of Was there a second shooter? but in the echelon right below.

For the 100 or so people at CooperCon on Friday, who flew from Florida, Texas, Ireland (and paid $149 for a three-day pass), the motivations vary. Everyone mentions the mystery. Most have a theory of the case. Many want to solve it. Some prefer the unknown.

They came in sloganed T-shirts  DB Lives, I am the Man who Found D.B. Cooper, Northwest Legend.

Few people who ever lived have been more impacted by D.B. Cooper than Martin McNally. McNally was 28 when he lost his job in 1972, a couple months after the Cooper hijacking.

D.B. Cooper did his in November, OK? Thanksgiving, McNally said Friday. I said, Hey, that sounds like an easy score: Get an extortion note, couple of weapons, disguise, wigs and so forth. And board the plane and demand what you want, money, half a million dollars, parachutes and bail out. What could be easier?

Hey, McNally said, pausing for emphasis, was I wrong.

In June 1972, carrying a submachine gun, McNally hijacked a flight from St. Louis to Tulsa. He asked for $500,000, but lost it when he jumped over Indiana. He was caught a few days later with $13 in his pocket and eventually sentenced to two life sentences. He was released in 2010 after serving 38 years in prison.

McNally, 80, flew to Seattle for CooperCon from his home in Michigan, where he lives with his sister. He was set to be a featured speaker on Sunday.

Its a big mystery and a lot of people want to know, McNally said of the continued Cooper fascination. Its the evidence that doesnt even show up. Theres no evidence to say that he survived or he perished  nothing.

Grudges are few in the CooperCon world. Maybe itd be different if someone was hurt or killed, but its been 50 years, and a defunct airline lost $200,000. Wheres the victim?

A couple years ago, McNally called his sister and told her to come home. He had a visitor.

He said, I havent seen this lady since 1972,  McNallys sister, Clare McNally-Bailey, recalled. I walked in and said, Who are you? She said, Im the stewardess he hijacked.

CooperCon is the type of event where Larry Carr, a retired FBI agent who led the investigation for years, addressed McNally, a convicted felon, as Mr. McNally and asked permission to ask him a question.

(Carr thinks Cooper died jumping from the plane, but I hope Im wrong.)

Eric Ulis, the organizer of CooperCon, attributes the interest to a few things. One, it indisputably happened. This is not a search for the Loch Ness monster. Two, there is a romance to it, to walking into the airport in a black business suit, with cash, drinking a bourbon, smoking a cigarette and jumping out of a plane never to be seen again. It seems like, and is, something from a bygone era. The passengers werent even aware it was a hijacking until they got off the plane. Plus, new technology, in DNA, in electron microscopes, in fabric analysis, ensures theres always one more nugget of evidence on the horizon.

Its a lot of things that just sort of come together and just make it a fascinating case, Ulis says.

Hes spent a decade and a half, at least, consumed by it, leading expeditions near Tena Bar, petitioning the FBI, looking for more clues.

He has his own suspect, a Pittsburgh-area man who died in 2002 and had worked in titanium research, matching the titanium particles on the clip-on tie Cooper left on the plane.

Almost everyone has a theory. They come in waves; a new one rolls in and an old one drifts away. They compete for oxygen. They metastasize.

Was he a Boeing employee? Or, no, a Boeing contractor? A guy who also got away with killing his stepfather? The college professor with parachute training? Or was it a woman, disguised as a man, angry that the Federal Aviation Administration wouldnt let her be a pilot?

As law enforcement waded through the endless tips, the dead ends, the conflicting evidence, every new theory of the case was trumpeted as a breakthrough.

The FBI closed the case in 2016.

Eric Knackmuhs has a favorite. He likes Richard McCoy, who got caught hijacking a plane a few months after Cooper, then escaped from prison and was killed when the FBI caught up to him. But he doesnt really think McCoy is Cooper. He just gravitates to the story.

Anyway, Knackmuhs isnt at CooperCon to research the mystery. Hes there to research the researchers.

A professor of recreation and nonprofit administration at Western Kentucky University, Knackmuhs and two students flew into CooperCon because hes interested in why people are so interested in Cooper. Theyre surveying attendees and hoping for follow-up interviews.

He has a few hypotheses. The idea of being a citizen sleuth is attractive. He thinks its possible the crowd, largely male, sees a bit of themselves in Cooper.

And theres this concept of serious leisure, doing a hobby to the point that its an amateur career, he said. Its created a community.
If youre looking for a good time to get outside this month, you might the day after Thanksgiving, when parking will be free at all state parks in both Oregon and Washington.

The annual tradition, celebrated this year on Nov. 24, is called Green Friday by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department and Autumn Day by Washington State Parks.

People visiting Oregon and Washington state parks Friday will not need to pay for day-use parking, which normally costs $5 in Oregon and $11.50 in Washington.

Parking will also be free at all parks run by Metro, found around the Portland metropolitan area. Fishing, clamming and crabbing will also be free in Oregon this weekend, as no tags or licenses will be required Nov. 24 or 25.

In Oregon, the fee-free holiday applies to the 25 state parks that usually charge a parking fee. That includes popular spots like Smith Rock, Silver Falls and Fort Stevens state parks. Parking is free year-round at most state park sites.

Washington State Parks normally charges parking fees at all its park sites, but also offers a number of fee-free days throughout the year. Autumn Day is the last of 12 such days offered in 2023.

Both state park departments offer annual passes that give steep discounts to repeat visitors. An annual pass costs $30 in Oregon and $35 in Washington.

The Thanksgiving trend started back in 2015 in the Pacific Northwest, when outdoor retailer REI decided to close its stores for Black Friday, encouraging people to enjoy the outdoors instead of shopping. That announcement inspired the Oregon parks department to follow suit and waive all parking fees for the day, with Washington parks joining in 2017.
Nigerian entrepreneur living her dream in Hainan

Xinhua) 09:36, November 21, 2023

HAIKOU, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- What can one achieve in eight years? Joy Nkiru Ikpeoha from Nigeria obtained both bachelor's and master's degrees and set up a company during this time.

Ikpeoha, born in 1992, first came to the island province of Hainan in south China in 2015 to study Chinese language at Hainan University. Four years later, she extended her academic pursuit, eventually gaining a master's degree in enterprise management in 2022.

Her entrepreneurial journey began this year when she established a company in the provincial capital of Haikou, aiming to provide a quick and effective service platform for foreign talents of all types.

"My company is about helping foreign talents in Haikou or Hainan to set up their own businesses, and kind of feel at home here in Hainan," Ikpeoha explained. The company also provides other services to foreign expatriates, including translation and assistance in finding rental housing.

Ikpeoha's entrepreneurial acumen has its roots in her internship experience at an international talent center in Haikou during her master's program.

At the center, she was in charge of helping foreigners attend events like entrepreneurial forums, communication and cooperation salons and project introduction salons.

"I feel like that's what I am good at. So I thought I should have my own company to fully capitalize on helping foreigners and offering services," she said.

Ikpeoha felt lucky that she could start her own business from scratch, thanks to Hainan Free Trade Port policies. "This environment is very suitable for young entrepreneurs, especially for foreigners who don't have that much money to start their own companies."

Having dreamt of having her own company since she majored in enterprise management, she is now so happy that "the dream has come true."

Although still in the early stages of her business journey, Ikpeoha is optimistic about the future. She views the opportunities presented by the Hainan Free Trade Port construction as significant, predicting a positive impact on both her business and the broader foreign community in Hainan.

"I believe that Hainan, in the future, will do better, because more and more foreigners are beginning to come here," she stated, adding that they're also bringing more investors from all over the world, even from Africa, and capitalizing on agriculture, tourism and a lot of other opportunities.

Ikpeoha's entrepreneurial journey has also brought her personal growth. "Ever since I opened up this company, I realized that I have more to learn, either practical or theoretical," she said. "I have a long way to go, and I need to keep learning. There're a lot of opportunities out there."

Reflecting on all her years of living in Hainan, Ikpeoha felt Hainan has been a second home which is calm and welcoming. In addition to her business pursuits, Ikpeoha is a vlogger, sharing glimpses of her life in Hainan, diverse cuisines, and cultural experiences that bring her joy.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Nicki Minaj announced destinations for a 2024 world tour, and once again San Antonio has been snubbed in favor of other Texas cities.

Presale ticket registration for the Pink Friday 2 Tour became available Friday for Houston, Dallas and Austin, although dates and venue locations have not been revealed.

The Pink Friday 2 Tour will follow the Dec. 8 release of Minaj's album by the same name, 13 years after the drop of "Pink Friday," which helped catapult the Trinidadian-born rapper to fame.

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The presale page for the tour has a registration option for fans who don't see their city listed, which is giving San Antonio fans, or "Barbz," hope that she will make a stop in the Alamo City.

"Nic going to Houston Dallas & Austin. You might as well add San Antonio sis," one Twitter user wrote, tagging the artist.
Vancouver-based health care and hospital services provider PeaceHealth announced Monday it has reached an agreement with the state attorney generals office regarding the Charity Care Law.

PeaceHealth said that since 2018, it has provided $258 million in charity care to 66,338 patients. Under the recent settlement agreement, PeaceHealth will pay around $4 million to reimburse an additional 4,000 patients who did not apply for assistance or respond to outreach.

Washingtons Charity Care Law ensures that residents whose incomes fall within 300 percent of the federal poverty level are eligible for financial assistance on hospital bills. These protections apply to all out-of-pocket hospital costs, including co-pays and deductibles, regardless of insurance status.

PeaceHealth is committed to identifying every single person who can benefit from charity care, according to a statement from PeaceHealths general counsel, Tom Karnes. We welcome this opportunity to continue to lead the way in charity care, providing physical and financial healing to the most vulnerable in our communities.

In addition to the $4 million in additional patient reimbursements, PeaceHealth will now screen patients for financial assistance for hospital-based services by inquiring upon registration about the patients household income and size. It will also notify eligible patients to seek similar reimbursement for past payments, and pay $2 million in costs and attorney fees.

Karnes added, Rather than expending time and resources on litigation, we entered into an agreement so that we can continue with our healing mission and commitment to health justice.

PeaceHealths local hospitals are PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver and PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center in Longview.
While the gender pay gap remains a global concern, India is making notable strides in addressing this issue, according to the ADP Research Institutes People at Work 2023: A Global Workforce View report. The report, based on a survey of over 32,000 workers in 17 countries, reveals that pay rises in 2022 averaged 6.7% for men compared to 6% for women worldwide. However, India has shown progress on this front, with the gender pay gap being lower than the global average.

Indian men reported an average pay increase of 7.2%, while women saw their pay rise by 7%. Looking ahead to the next 12 months, Indian men and women expect their pay to increase by the same rate at 8% indicating that gender pay parity is becoming a reality in the Indian workforce.

A notable majority of survey participants (63%) expressed confidence in their companys advancement toward achieving gender pay equality over the last three years. This surpasses countries in the broader Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, with Australia at 34%, China at 51%, and Singapore at 31%.

While men received slightly higher pay raises last year, they are yet more inclined than women to express dissatisfaction with their compensation. Only 25% of men believe they are fairly compensated for their contributions, whereas a notably higher 31% of women express contentment with their current pay. Moreover, 49% of all workers continue to feel they are underpaid, while only 17% feel they are overpaid.

Older workforce rewarded

Senior employees experienced significantly higher pay increases last year, with those aged 55 and above leading the pack, receiving an impressive average pay rise of 10%. In contrast, individuals starting out in their careers (in the 18-24 age group) received a notably lower average pay hike of 6%. Those in the 25-30 age bracket saw an increase of 7%, and the 35-44 age group and 45-54 age group received 8%. The pattern underscores India Inc.s practice of rewarding senior talent for their experience and valuable skills.

This trend also carries over to expectations for upcoming pay rises, with employees aged 55 and above anticipating the highest average pay hike at 11%. In comparison, those aged 35-44 years and 45-54 years are expecting 9%, while those in the 25-34 age bracket projected 8%, and the youngest workers in the 18-24 age group anticipate the lowest at 7%.

Rahul Goyal, Managing Director, ADP India & Southeast Asia, said, While rewarding experienced talent is essential, its equally vital to meet the expectations of the youngest generation entering the job market. Ignoring the compensation needs of Gen Z could prove short-sighted, leading to low morale among younger employees and failing to engage with the next generation. Embracing and meeting their expectations at the workplace is not just an immediate concern but a strategy for long-term success.

Leading the way on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives

What sets India apart is its significant improvement in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives over the past three years, leading the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. 59% of respondents in India acknowledged enhancements in DEI initiatives over the last three years, again, surpassing APAC averages, with Australia at 42%, China at 57%, and Singapore at 35%.

While 24% of Australians and 21% of Singaporeans say their employer doesnt participate in DEI initiatives, this falls to just 11% in China and 6% in India, a sharp contrast to 30% in Europe. This highlights Indias commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace.

The most popular DEI initiatives among India Inc. employees are staff training at 54%, followed by awareness events at 45%. Additionally, 37% of employees favour initiatives that involve reviewing company demographics to identify areas for improvement and mentoring programs.

Rahul further added, Indias remarkable progress in narrowing the gender pay gap and advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives demonstrates our commitment to creating a more equitable and inclusive work environment. Despite the global challenges, India is taking significant steps towards fostering a dynamic and inclusive workforce. The trends weve observed in pay equity, DEI, and the rewarding of experienced talent demonstrate Indias leadership in these crucial aspects of the workplace.

The positive outlook isnt limited to pay rises. Indian workers are increasingly optimistic about skills development opportunities, further emphasizing the commitment to providing equal growth opportunities to all employees. This journey of progress showcases Indias improvement in addressing gender pay parity and the crucial role that DEI initiatives play in fostering a dynamic and inclusive workforce.
Microsoft announced Aparna Guptas appointment as the Global Delivery Center (GDC) leader, which is a part of the Industry Solutions Delivery and the broader Microsoft Customer and Partner Solutions (MCAPS) organization. In her new role as GDC leader, Aparna will spearhead customer innovation and delivery excellence, cloud growth acceleration with top tier talent, industry depth and partner ecosystem.

Established in Hyderabad in 2005, Global Delivery Center (GDC), is the delivery arm of Industry Solutions Delivery and has since scaled to two more locations- Bangalore and Noida, along with a worldwide presence. It brings together architects, consultants and project managers to deliver best-in-class delivery solutions to customers worldwide. Aparna will work closely with the team to continue supporting customers in their digital transformational journey. We are delighted to announce Aparnas elevation as the lead of GDC, said Puneet Chandok, President, Microsoft India and South Asia. Her extensive experience and deep knowledge of Microsoft technologies will help customers plan and deploy future-ready solutions, especially in the age of AI, and maximize the value of their investment in Microsoft. Her leadership will play a vital role in our continued success in the region and globally.

With more than 25 years of industry expertise and extensive Microsoft experience, coupled with her ambition and unwavering leadership, I have no doubt that Aparna will lead our GDC team to continued success, said Maureen Costello, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Industry Solutions Delivery.

Commenting on her appointment, Aparna Gupta said, I am looking forward to working with the teams at GDC to deepen technical expertise across solution areas and build a strong team culture with an aim to deliver excellence to our customers. There is a strong foundation within the team, and I hope to build further on it to take it to the next level.

GDC includes four Centers of Excellence (CoE) in Apps Innovation, Data & AI, Infra & Security, and Business Applications, along with functions like Partner & Delivery Management and Adoption Management. Together, they embody a strong foundation of undisputed technical proficiency and efficient delivery management, with the shared objective of providing transformational solutions to customers worldwide.

Six years ago, Aparna joined Microsoft as the India lead for Commercial Software Engineering (CSE), now ISE. Over the years, she has made a positive impact on the business, such as establishing the Customer Success Unit (CSU) as a new segment in MCAPS India.

Aparna has driven a strong consumption culture for her teams and business outcomes across the Microsoft Cloud. She has also been a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion, serving as the Executive Sponsor for the Womens ERG Charter and building a diverse team. Most recently, she served as the Customer Success Leader in the India and South Asia Area.
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

Credit: CC0 Public Domain

The emergence of artificial intelligence has caused differing reactions from tech leaders, politicians and the public. While some excitedly tout AI technology such as ChatGPT as an advantageous tool with the potential to transform society, others are alarmed that any tool with the word "intelligent" in its name also has the potential to overtake humankind.

The University of Cincinnati's Anthony Chemero, a professor of philosophy and psychology in the UC College of Arts and Sciences, contends that the understanding of AI is muddled by linguistics: That while indeed intelligent, AI cannot be intelligent in the way that humans are, even though "it can lie and BS like its maker."

According to our everyday use of the word, AI is definitely intelligent, but there are intelligent computers and have been for years, Chemero explains in a paper he co-authored in the journal Nature Human Behaviour. To begin, the paper states that ChatGPT and other AI systems are large language models (LLM), trained on massive amounts of data mined from the internet, much of which shares the biases of the people who post the data.

"LLMs generate impressive text, but often make things up whole cloth," he states. "They learn to produce grammatical sentences, but require much, much more training than humans get. They don't actually know what the things they say mean," he says. "LLMs differ from human cognition because they are not embodied."

The people who made LLMs call it "hallucinating" when they make things up; although Chemero says, "it would be better to call it 'bullshitting,'" because LLMs just make sentences by repeatedly adding the most statistically likely next wordand they don't know or care whether what they say is true.

And with a little prodding, he says, one can get an AI tool to say "nasty things that are racist, sexist and otherwise biased."

The intent of Chemero's paper is to stress that the LLMs are not intelligent in the way humans are intelligent because humans are embodied: Living beings who are always surrounded by other humans and material and cultural environments.

"This makes us care about our own survival and the world we live in," he says, noting that LLMs aren't really in the world and don't care about anything.

The main takeaway is that LLMs are not intelligent in the way that humans are because they "don't give a damn," Chemero says, adding "Things matter to us. We are committed to our survival. We care about the world we live in."

More information: Anthony Chemero, LLMs differ from human cognition because they are not embodied, Nature Human Behaviour (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41562-023-01723-5 Journal information: Nature Human Behaviour
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Then-Twitch CEO Emmett Shear speaks during the keynote address during Twitchcon at Moscone West in San Francisco on September 25, 2015. OpenAI is bringing in the former head of Twitch as interim CEO just days after the company pushed out its well-known leader Sam Altman, sparking upheaval in the AI world. Emmett Shear announced his new role Monday, Nov. 20, 2023, in a post on X. Credit: Lea Suzuki/San Francisco Chronicle via AP

OpenAI is bringing in the former head of Twitch as interim CEO just days after the company pushed out its well-known leader Sam Altman, sparking upheaval in the world of artificial intelligence.

Emmett Shear announced his new role Monday morning in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, while also acknowledging "the process and communications" around Altman's firing Friday were "handled very badly" and damaged trust in the company.

When it abruptly fired Altman, OpenAI said an internal review found the 38-year-old was "not consistently candid in his communications" with the company's board of directors. OpenAI did not provide more details, leaving industry analysts and tech watchers reading tea leaves in an effort to figure out what happened.

Meanwhile, Microsoft, which has invested billions in the AI company, said Monday it's bringing in Altman and former OpenAI President Greg Brockmanwho quit in protest following Altman's ousterto lead the tech giant's new advanced AI research team.

At OpenAI, Shear has promised to shed some light into Altman's departure. In his X post, he pledged to hire an independent investigator to look into what led up to Altman's ouster and write a report within 30 days.

WHAT IS SHEAR'S BACKGROUND?

Shear, 40, is the co-founder of the Amazon-owned streaming platform Twitch, a social media site that's mostly known for gaming.

Twitch was originally part of the streaming video site Justin.tv, which was founded by Shear and three other tech entrepreneurs in 2006. The focus shifted toward gaming in 2011, a move that turned the platform into a growing phenomenon and birthed a plethora of well-known streamers. Three years later, Amazon purchased the company for about $970 million in cash.

Twitch doesn't garner as much media attention as other social media companies, but it's been the subject of scrutiny during two instances in the past few years when mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Germany were livestreamed on its platform.

Shear left the company in March. He said that was due to the birth of his now 9-month-old son.

After leaving Twitch, Shear became a visiting partner at Y Combinator, a startup incubator that launched Airbnb, DoorDash and Dropbox. Both Altman and Shear know each other as alumni from the first class of startup founders at Y Combinator. Altman later served as Y Combinator's president.

In his LinkedIn profile, Shear says he's been "starting, growing, and running companies since college" and doesn't "plan to turn back any time soon." He graduated from Yale University in 2005 with a bachelor's degree in computer science.

HOW DID HE END UP AT OPENAI?

OpenAI had initially named its chief technology officer, Mira Murati, as interim CEO on Friday. But she appeared to be one of the signatories on a letter that began circulating early Mondayand signed by hundreds of other OpenAI employeescalling for the board's resignation and Altman's return.

The Associated Press was not able to independently confirm that all of the signatures were from OpenAI employees. A spokesperson at OpenAI confirmed that the board has received the letter, which also said the board had replaced Murati, against the best interest of the company.

In his post on X, Shear wrote he received a call offering him a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" to become interim CEO at San Francisco-based OpenAI. He said the company's board "shared the situation" with him and asked him to the role. He quickly agreed.

"I took this job because I believe that OpenAI is one of the most important companies currently in existence," he wrote.

Then-Twitch CEO Emmett Shear is seen in a conference room dedicated to the Mario Brothers video game series at the company's headquarters in San Francisco on Dec. 6, 2013. OpenAI is bringing in the former head of Twitch as interim CEO just days after the company pushed out its well-known leader Sam Altman, sparking upheaval in the AI world. Emmett Shear announced his new role Monday, Nov. 20, 2023, in a post on X. Credit: Paul Chinn/San Franicsco Chronicle via AP

Shear said he spent most of Sunday "drinking from the firehose as much as possible," speaking to the board, employees and a small number of OpenAI's partners.

Investors, for their part, are trying to stabilize the situation. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella weighed in a post on X early Monday morning, saying he was "extremely excited" to bring on Altman and Brockman and looking "forward to getting to know" the new management team at OpenAI.

Shear was an intern at Microsoft at some point, though from a post he made on X back in July, it doesn't seem like he enjoyed his time at the company. In response to an X users' post that said "the worst kind of demon would be one that pays you just a tiny bit each time you destroy a little bit of yourself", Shear replied: "When I was interning for Microsoft every paycheck felt like I was getting the payment for a little chunk of my soul in the mail."

WHAT IS SHEAR SAYING ABOUT THE ALTMAN'S DEPARTURE?

In his post on X, Shear said he checked the reasoning behind the changes at OpenAI before he took the job.

"The board did (asterisk)not(asterisk) remove Sam over any specific disagreement on safety, their reasoning was completely different from that," he wrote.

"I'm not crazy enough to take this job without board support for commercializing our awesome models," he said, referring to the company's popular AI tools like ChatGPT and the image generator DALL-E.

"I have nothing but respect for what Sam and the entire OpenAI team have built," he said. "It's not just an incredible research project and software product, but an incredible company. I'm here because I know that, and I want to do everything in my power to protect it and grow it further."

WHAT IS SHEAR TRYING TO DO?

Shear said he wants to accomplish three things within the next 30 days.

In addition to hiring an independent investigator who will "generate a full report" about what happened, Shear said he wants to continue talking to stakeholders and reform the company's management and leadership teams in light of recent departures.

After that, he said he "will drive changes in the organizationup to and including pushing strongly for significant governance changes if necessary."

OpenAI's stability and success are too important to allow turmoil to disrupt them like this," he said.

WHAT IS SHEAR'S APPROACH TO AI?

On a podcast in June, Shear said he's generally optimistic about technology but has serious concerns about the path of artificial intelligence toward building something "a lot smarter than us" that sets itself on a goal that endangers humans. As an engineer, he said his approach would be to build AI systems at a small and gradual scale.

"If there is a world where we survive ... where we build an AI that's smarter than humans and survive it, it's going to be because we built smaller AIs than that, and we actually had as many smart people as we can working on that, and taking the problem seriously," Shear said in June.

Asked by an X user on Monday what his stance was on AI safety, Shear replied: "It's important."

 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

Sam Altman participates in a discussion during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit, Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023, in San Francisco. Microsoft has announced that it's hired Sam Altman and another architect of ChatGPT maker OpenAI after they unexpectedly departed the company days earlier in a corporate shakeup that shocked the artificial intelligence world. Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella also tweeted Monday, Nov. 20, 2023 that the major investor in the chatbot that kicked off the generative AI craze is committed to its partnership with OpenAI. Credit: AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File

Microsoft on Monday hired two leading executives from the company that created ChatGPT after one of them was abruptly fired by OpenAI, the startup whose chatbot kicked off the era of generative artificial intelligence.

The developments followed a weekend of drama that shocked the AI field and fueled speculation about the future of OpenAI, which named a new chief executive on Friday and then replaced her on Sunday. The newest CEO vowed to investigate the firing of co-founder and CEO Sam Altman, one of the world's most sought-after experts on AI.

Microsoft, which has been a close partner of the company and invested billions of dollars in it, announced that Altman and OpenAI's former president, Greg Brockman, would lead its new advanced AI research team. Brockman, also an OpenAI co-founder, quit in protest after Altman was fired.

Many more OpenAI employees threatened to join them at Microsoft in an open letter addressed to OpenAI's board that called for its resignation and Altman's return.

"If the architects and vision and brains behind these products have now left, the company will be a shell of what it once was," said Sarah Kreps, director of Cornell University's Tech Policy Institute. "All of that brain trust going to Microsoft will then mean that these impressive tools will be coming out of Microsoft. It will be hard to see OpenAI continue to thrive as a company."

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he was "extremely excited" to bring on the pair and looked "forward to getting to know" the new management team at OpenAI.

In a reply on X, Altman said "the mission continues." Brockman posted: "We are going to build something new & it will be incredible."

OpenAI said Friday that Altman was pushed out after a review found he was "not consistently candid in his communications" with the board of directors, which had lost confidence in his ability to lead the company.

In an X post Monday, OpenAI's new interim chief executive, Emmett Shear, said he would hire an independent investigator to look into Altman's ouster and write a report within 30 days.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella speaks on Nov. 15, 2023, in San Francisco. Despite a rift between the key players behind ChatGPT and the company they helped build, both former Twitch leader Emmet Shear and Nadella said they are committed to a partnership. Microsoft snapped up Sam Altman and another architect of ChatGPT maker OpenAI for a new venture after their sudden departures shocked the artificial intelligence world. It's also left OpenAI's new CEO to paper over tensions by vowing to investigate Altmans firing. The developments come Monday, Nov. 20, 2023 after a weekend of drama and speculation about how the power dynamics would shake out at OpenAI. Credit: AP Photo/Eric Risberg, file

"It's clear that the process and communications around Sam's removal" were handled "very badly," wrote Shear, who co-founded Twitch, an Amazon-owned livestreaming service popular with video gamers.

He said he also plans in the next month to "reform the management and leadership team in light of recent departures into an effective force" and speak with employees, investors and customers.

After that, Shear said he would "drive changes in the organization," including "significant governance changes if necessary."

He noted that the reason behind the board removing Altman was not a "specific disagreement on safety." Originally started as a nonprofit, and still governed as one, OpenAI's stated mission is to safely build AI that is "generally smarter than humans." Debates have swirled around that goal and whether it conflicts with the company's increasing commercial success.

OpenAI last week declined to answer questions about Altman's alleged lack of candor. Its statement said his behavior was hindering the board's ability to exercise its responsibilities.

A key driver of the shakeup, OpenAI's co-founder, chief scientist and board member Ilya Sutskever, expressed regrets for his participation in the ouster.

"I never intended to harm OpenAI. I love everything we've built together and I will do everything I can to reunite the company," he said Monday on X.

Hundreds of OpenAI employees signed a letter that began circulating early Monday calling for the board's resignation and Altman's return and threatening to follow Altman and Brockman to Microsoft, according to a copy of the letter obtained by The Associated Press.

The copy showed that the number of signatures amounted to a majority of the company's 770 employees. The AP was not able to independently confirm that all of the signatures were from OpenAI employees.

Sam Altman, right, then CEO of ChatGPT maker OpenAI, and Mira Murati, chief technology officer, appear at OpenAI DevDay, OpenAI's first developer conference, on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023 in San Francisco. The board of Open AI says it has pushed out Altman and appointed Murati as interim CEO role effective immediately. Credit: AP Photo/Barbara Ortutay

"Everyone at @OpenAI is united," one of the signatories, research scientist Noah Brown, said on X. "This is not a civil war. Unless Sam and Greg are brought back, there will be no OpenAI left to govern."

A company spokesperson confirmed that the board received the letter.

Microsoft declined to comment on the letter.

After Altman was pushed out, he stirred speculation about coming back into the fold in a series of tweets. He posted a selfie with an OpenAI guest pass Sunday, saying this is "first and last time i ever wear one of these."

Hours earlier, he tweeted, "i love the openai team so much," which drew heart replies from Brockman and Mira Murati, OpenAI's chief technology officer who was initially named as interim CEO.

It's not clear what transpired between the announcement of Murati's interim role Friday and Shear's hiring, though she was among several employees Monday who tweeted, "OpenAI is nothing without its people." Altman replied to many with heart emojis.

The board consists of Sutskever, Quora CEO Adam D'Angelo, tech entrepreneur Tasha McCauley and Helen Toner of the Georgetown Center for Security and Emerging Technology. None were able to be reached for comment.

Shear said he took the new job because he believes "that OpenAI is one of the most important companies currently in existence."

On a podcast in June, Shear said he's generally optimistic about AI but has serious concerns about building something "a lot smarter than us" and whether doing so could endanger humans.

Sam Altman, left, appears onstage with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella at OpenAI's first developer conference, on Nov. 6, 2023, in San Francisco. Microsoft snapped up Altman for a new venture after his sudden departure from OpenAI shocked the artificial intelligence world. Credit: AP Photo/Barbara Ortutay, File

That's an issue that Altman consistently faced after helping catapult ChatGPT to global fame based on its ability to respond to questions and produce human-like passages of text in a seemingly natural way.

In the past year, he has become Silicon Valley's most in-demand voice on the promise and potential dangers of artificial intelligence.

Earlier this year, he went on a world tour to meet with government officials, drawing big crowds at public events as he discussed the risks of AI and attempts to regulate the emerging technology.

But as money poured into OpenAI this year, helping to advance its development of more capable AI, it also brought more conflict around whether that fast pace of commercialization fit with the startup's founding vision, said Kreps, the Cornell University professor. But rather than slow that pace, Altman's ouster may simply shift it out of OpenAI.

Altman "really has a walk-on-water aura, and I think a lot of it is well deserved," Kreps said. "He's the one who has attracted the investment, and he'll do that wherever it is."

Microsoft's shares rose nearly 2% before the opening bell and were nearing an all-time high Monday.

The Associated Press and OpenAI have a licensing and technology agreement allowing OpenAI access to part of the AP's text archives.

 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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US President Joe Biden has joined Threads, a social media network from Meta launched in July that rivals X, formerly Twitter -- though with fewer users.

US President Joe Biden on Monday joined Threads, Meta's social media rival to Elon Musk's X, just days after the White House blasted the tech baron for pushing anti-Semitism.

"Folks, it's President Biden," said his first post, which he made on his 81st birthday. "You're hearing from me today from a new platform but my message to you hasn't changed."

"I don't see a dark, dismal, divided future for America," Biden added. "I see an America about to take off."

Mark Zuckerberg's Meta, the home of Facebook and Instagram, launched Threads in July in a bid to depose Musk's X, then known as Twitter, as the go-to platform for celebrities, companies and governments to make public statements.

The White House confirmed it had launched Threads accounts for the president, First Lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, her husband Douglas Emhoff and the White House itself in English and Spanish.

"Threads is an additional way we can communicate with the American people about this administration's historic actions to create 14 million jobs, lower prescription drug costs, and protect freedoms and more," a White House official said.

The official added that the launch had been in the works for several weeks.

But Biden's debut on the platform comes only three days after a White House spokesman condemned Musk, the world's richest person, for the "abhorrent promotion" of an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory.

Advertisers have also deserted X after the controversial Tesla and SpaceX tycoon last week replied to an anti-Semitic post on the platform with the words: "You have said the actual truth."

The White House repeated its condemnation of Musk on Monday, but said there were no plans as yet to change US proposals to use a version of his Starship rocket for future Moon landings.

"That doesn't mean that we accept or agree with or condone, in any way, that anti-Semitic rhetoric that he pushed," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told a briefing.

Meanwhile White House communications director Ben LaBolt promoted the president's first Threads poston X.

 2023 AFP
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

The U.S. government has reached a settlement with the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange worth more than $4 billion, a person familiar with the agreement told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The settlement with Binance was confirmed on the condition of anonymity ahead of an expected announcement. The value of the settlement was first reported by Bloomberg.

It comes months after the company was accused of operating as an unregistered securities exchange and violating a slew of U.S. securities laws in a lawsuit from regulators.

Binance is a Cayman Islands limited liability company founded by CEO Changpeng Zhao. The charges were similar to practices uncovered after the collapse of the second largest cryptocurrency exchange, FTX, last year.

Zhao has also faced allegations of diverting customer funds, concealing the fact that the company was commingling billions of dollars in investor assets and sending them to a third party that Zhao also owned.

At the time the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed suit against the company, Binance said that it had been cooperating with the investigation but said that the agency "chose to act unilaterally and litigate."

The cryptocurrency industry has been marred by scandals and market meltdowns. Sam Bankman-Fried, the 31-year-old founder of the failed cryptocurrency brokerage, was convicted earlier this month of fraud for stealing at least $10 billion from customers and investors.

 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

A novel technology to manage demands on mobile networks from multiple users using Terahertz frequencies has been developed by University of Leicester computer scientists.

As we see an explosion of devices joining the "internet of things," this solution could not only improve speed and power consumption for users of mobile devices but could also help reap the benefits from the next generation of mobile technologies, 6G.

They have detailed the technology in a new study in IEEE Transactions on Communications.

Demands on the UK's mobile telecommunications network are growing, with Mobile UK estimating that twenty-five million devices are connected to mobile networks, a number expected to rise to thirty billion by 2030. As the 'internet of things' grows, more and more technology will be competing for access to those networks.

State-of-the-art telecommunication technologies have been established for current applications in 5G, but with increasing demands of more users and devices, these systems demonstrate slower connections and costly energy consumption.

These systems suffer from the self-interference problem that severely affects communication quality and efficiency. To deal with these challenges, a technique known as multicarrier-division duplex (MDD) has been recently proposed and studied, which allows a receiver in the network to be nearly free of self-interference in the digital domain by relying only on the fast Fourier transform (FFT) processing.

This project proposed a novel technology to optimize the assignment of subcarrier sets and the number of access point clusters and improve communication quality in different networks. The team tested their technology in a simulation based on a real-world industrial setting, finding that it outperformed existing technologies. A 10% power consumption reduction can be achieved compared to other state-of-the-art technologies.

Lead Principal Investigator Professor Huiyu Zhou from the University of Leicester School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences said, "With our proposed technology, 5G/6G systems require less energy consumption, have faster device selection, and less resource allocation. Users may feel their mobile communication is quicker, wider, and with reduced power demands."

"The University of Leicester is leading the development of AI solutions for device selection and access point clustering. AI technologies, reinforcement learning in particular, help us to search for the best parameters used in the proposed wireless communication systems quickly and effectively. This helps to save power, resources, and human labor. Without using AI technologies, we will spend much more time on rendering the best parameters for system set-up and device selection in the network."

The team is now continuing to work on optimizing the proposed technologies and reducing the computational complexity of the technique. The source code of the proposed method has been published and shared with the entire world to promote the research.

The study forms part of the 6G BRAINS project, which will develop an AI-driven self-learning platform to intelligently and dynamically allocate resources, enhancing capacity and reliability, and improving positioning accuracy while decreasing latency of response for future industrial applications of massive scale and varying demands.

More information: Bohan Li et al, MDD-Enabled Two-Tier Terahertz Fronthaul in Indoor Industrial Cell-Free Massive MIMO, IEEE Transactions on Communications (2023). DOI: 10.1109/TCOMM.2023.3330893
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UAW President Shawn Fain greeted members attending a rally in support of the labor union strike last month in Chicago.

Workers from Ford, General Motors and Stellantis ratified new contracts with hefty wage hikes, their union announced Monday, closing the books on an historic autoworkers strike at the three Detroit giants.

Members of the United Auto Workers voted 64 percent across the three companies in support of the contracts, said a UAW press release marking the official conclusion of the first-ever simultaneous stoppage at the three companies.

"The members have spoken. After years of cutbacks, months of our Stand Up campaign, and weeks on the picket line, we have turned the tide for the American autoworker," said UAW President Shawn Fain.

"The Stand Up Strike was just the beginning," Fain added. "Now, we take our strike muscle and our fighting spirit to the rest of the industries we represent, and to millions of non-union workers ready to Stand Up and fight for a better way of life."

The dealthe most generous increases for auto workers in decadesincludes a 25 percent wage increase for hourly employees, which the UAW said would result in a pay boost of at least 33 percent following cost-of-living and other adjustments.

Other key provisions include an acceleration of pay progression levels for junior employees; the reopening of a key Stellantis assembly plant in Illinois; boosts in retiree benefits; and commitments from automakers for a "just" transition to electric vehicles.

The roughly six-week stoppage drew the attention of Joe Biden, who made history as the first US president to stand on a picket line and who cheered ratification on Monday.

"These contracts show that when unions do well, it lifts all workers," said Biden whose statement that noted that the pay increases at the Big Three were followed by wage hikes at US factories of Toyota, Honda, Hyundai and Suburu, which are non-union.

UAW negotiators reached tentative agreements in late October with Ford, Stellantis and GM, setting the stage for worker votes on the pacts. Employees went back on the job after the tentative agreements were announced.

The strike began with three factories employing nearly 13,000 people in mid-September, before the walkouts spread to more sites and eventually saw 45,000 of the UAW's 146,000 "Big Three" members downing tools.

Michelle Kaminski, a professor at Michigan State University who specializes in labor relations, described the mood in Michigan as "relieved" after the voting among rank-and-file workers was closer than observers expected.

Ford Chief Executive Jim Farley said the company will need to identify new efficiencies to offset the added costs from the new labor contract that ended a costly strike.

"It seems like the union really got a lot," Kaminski said, noting that the most junior employees won some of the biggest gains because they had been compensated the least.

But that meant some employees hired in the years after post-2008 contract concessions "wanted more," she said.

The union hopes the success of the contract will revive organizing efforts at foreign automakers where the UAW has struggled to make inroads. Tesla is another often-mentioned organizing target.

Higher costs

Meanwhile, the Detroit companies are ramping back output.

As automakers raised their offers, executives expressed increasing concern that the wage hikes could derail the industry's costly build-out of new EV infrastructure.

Ford hailed the agreement Monday but also reiterated that it will need to identify new cost cuts to offset the increased expense of the labor contracts.

"We are pleased the agreement has been ratified and we are very happy for our more than 57,000 UAW-represented employees and their families," said Ford Chief Executive Jim Farley.

Farley said the company is on track to reach full production schedules at strike-hit plants in the coming days.

"It's also imperative that we continue to attack cost and waste throughout our operations," Farley said. "The reality is that this labor agreement added significant cost, and we are going to have to work very hard on productivity and efficiency to become more competitive."

General Motors also applauded the ratification. "We can now move forward as one team doing what we do bestdelivering great products for our customers and winning together," said CEO Mary Barra.

 2023 AFP
Amanda Montoya waits for her sentencing to begin after being convicted of aggravated assault in the death of her boyfriend Cesar Gallegos, 47, in May of 2016. Jessica Phelps Amanda Montoya is escorted into the courtroom for her sentencing hearing Monday after being convicted of aggravated assault Friday in the death of her boyfriend Cesar Gallegos, 47, in 2016. Jessica Phelps Reina Baptista testifies in defense of her friens, Amanda Montonya at her sentencing hearing. Montoya was convicted of aggravated assault in the death of her boyfriend Cesar Gallegos, 47, in May of 2016. Jessica Phelps Amanda Montoya reacts after hearing her friend, Reina Baptista, testify in her defense Monday at her sentencing hearing. Montoya was convicted of aggravated assault Friday in the death of her boyfriend Cesar Gallegos, 47, in 2016. Jessica Phelps Marissa Vela, the sister of Cesar Gallegos testifies in the sentencing hearing of of Amanda Montoya. Montoya was convicted of aggravated assault in the death of her boyfriend Cesar Gallegos, 47, in May of 2016. Jessica Phelps Amanda Montoya, 50, reacts as her daughter takes the stand to testify in her defense at her sentencing hearing Monday. Montoya was convicted of aggravated assault in the death of her boyfriend Cesar Gallegos, 47, in 2016. Jessica Phelps Gerardo Gallegos, the brother of Cesar Gallegos testifies in the sentencing hearing of of Amanda Montoya. Montoya was convicted of aggravated assault in the death of her boyfriend Cesar Gallegos, 47, in May of 2016. Jessica Phelps

Jurors were hopelessly deadlocked and could not decide a prison term for a San Antonio woman charged with murder but convicted Friday of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in the 2016 death of her boyfriend.

Five hours of deliberation on the sentence ended in a mistrial late Monday.

Amanda Marie Montoya, 50, was tried in 2020 but that also ended with a jury deadlocked, over guilt or innocence. This time, the guilty verdict stands and she will remain in the Bexar County Adult Detention Center pending a rehearing for her punishment.

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Montoya faces five to 99 years or life in prison because the aggravated assault was classified as family violence, bumping it to a first-degree felony.

Montoya was 42 when she fatally shot Cesar Gallegos, 47, early on March 24, 2016, at a home in the 100 block of West Ansley Boulevard. She has maintained that she and Gallegos were happy and loved each other, and the shooting was an accident.

Testimony in last weeks trial established that Montoya and Gallegos had been drinking and dancing to Tejano music on a patio in the backyard and were back inside planning an Easter celebration for their families when a neighbor alerted Gallegos to a noise outside. He grabbed his gun and went to take a look.

When he returned, Montoya asked Gallegos to put the weapon away; and when he passed it to her, Gallegos grabbed her arm and the gun went off, according to testimony. He died at the scene.

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According to police reports, Montoya was still holding the gun when officers arrived and told them she accidentally shot her boyfriend.

Toxicology reports showed Gallegos had about twice the legal limit of alcohol in his system that night.

Montoya originally was tried in February 2020, but those proceedings ended without a verdict. The following month, the COVID-19 pandemic halted in-person court proceedings for 13 months.

After 11 hours of deliberation Friday, the jury found Montoya not guilty of murder but convicted her of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon causing serious bodily injury.

In the trials punishment phase Monday, defense attorneys Arlene Gay and Karen Corby argued that Montoya loved Gallegos and never meant to hurt the man that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

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They acknowledged her past troubles with alcohol, but said she has paid for her crimes each time. They asked the jury to assess the minimum sentence of five years in prison.

Cesar lost his life. Does she need to lose hers? Corby asked the jury. It was reckless and shouldnt have happened.

Prosecutors Oscar Pena and Kathryn Pollard argued that Montoya, with a history of three DWI convictions, is a danger to the community.

Consider everything, Pena told the jury in his closing argument. Your verdict will not only send a message to her but to the community. Today you get to decide what that means to you.

He did not ask for a specific prison term but for jurors to assess what they thought was fair and just.

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Bea Saba has traveled from Ghana to New York to Pennsylvania and more to make her way to the Brazos Valley and spread her passion for literacy and stories to the community.

An experienced veteran of over 25 years in library sciences, Saba has been the library director of Bryan and College Station for more than three years. The Bryan and College library system includes the Carnegie History Center and the Clara B. Mounce and Larry J. Ringer public libraries. Saba continues to use her love for libraries and service to be a role model for others within the Brazos Valley.

Across the public library system, Saba said there are plenty of resources and programs available for any visitor, no matter their age.

We love kids, and early literacy is the key to lifelong success, she said. We have tons of programs for kids, for teens and for adults.  We also have partners in the community to come into the library and engage and teach some of the resources they provide.

Born in Ghana, Saba said she grew up in New York City where libraries played a large role in her life.

[Libraries] are a safe haven where you can go to after school, pick up a book, browse around, pick up a magazine and attend a program, she said. Im here now also providing services to the community and that was my lifelong dream.

While growing up, Saba said her grandmother was a huge influence in her life, helping her become the woman she is now.

She was an entrepreneur, she said. Her motivation was her family and to make sure shes putting food on the table. Whatever that motivation is for you, you need to take that and run with it.

Saba later moved to Pennsylvania in order to attend Duquesne University where she often worked long nights in order to afford her education.

I had three jobs; I was always working, she said. I didnt have enough money for financial aid so I had to work to pay for my college tuition.

Saba received a bachelors degree in Arts and International Business but found her calling as a librarian through working as an associate coordinator at a nonprofit in Pittsburgh.

Before I even knew I wanted to be a librarian, there were two women who really motivated me, she said. Those two ladies started an organization called Beginning With Books and thats where I was introduced to public libraries.

Beginning With Books mission is to encourage children to develop a love for reading, a sentiment that resonated with Saba who loved stories.

Through different programming and services, we worked with the public library, she said. We were educating family, parents, caregivers and volunteers to provide literacy and to engage kids to get them interested at a young age.

The Beginning With Books nonprofit inspired Saba to obtain her masters in library sciences at the University of Pittsburgh School of Computing and Information, she said.

They gave me the different tools and resources I needed to move forward with it so Im truly grateful to them for doing that, she said.

If given the chance to tell her younger self one thing, Saba said she say to be true to herself and follow her passions.

We never know where were going to end up in our careers, she said. Librarianship wasnt even on my radar when I was in college. Be true to yourself, follow your heart, and know what you like and dont like. Live a wholesome life, love, and be a good human.

Everyone is a leader in their own way, Saba said, because each person has the possibility to be a role model for someone else.

As a mom, Im a nurturer, and thats what leadership is to me, she said. You may think youre not in a leadership position, but you truly are, because someone is looking up to you and thinking theyre going to be just like you when they grow up.
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Rodney Smith, administrator of SIH Herrin Hospital, has added some new, yet old, job duties to his plate. Smith is now the administrator of both SIH Harrisburg Medical Center and SIH Herrin Hospital. His new title is vice president and administrator for east hospitals.

When I walked in (to Harrisburg Medical Center), it was very familiar, like going to the home I grew up in, Smith said. Its where I started my health care career.

Smith was chief executive officer of Harrisburg Medical Center before moving to SIH and becoming the administrator in Herrin.

Harrisburg Medical Center and SIH signed an agreement saying they intended to combine the organizations in late 2020. Harrisburg Medical Center board approved the agreement the next year.

The Harrisburg hospital needed an administrator and Smith was a good fit. He said the hospital has the same needs as the other hospitals in the SIH system. They work hard to care for people.

EPIC installment was a huge project weve been working on for 18 months, Smith said.

EPIC is an electronic health care record system and is used at other SIH hospitals. Smith said it will make the goal of patient care so much better. If a patient is in an accident and cannot speak, for example, the medical record can be accessed by a physician. One part of that is MyChart, which allows patients access to their medical records and test results electronically. They can also communicate with doctors, refill prescriptions and make or cancel appointments electronically.

The hospital is undergoing a major expansion to the Mulberry Center. The Mulberry Center is an inpatient acute mental health unit for individuals experiencing episodes of psychiatric illnesses. The expansion will increase the number of med-psych beds available in Southern Illinois.

Everybody has someone or knows someone who needs behavioral health services, Smith said.

The expansion also will include renovating 15 medical-surgical patient rooms. The hospital will close off and remodel half of the rooms at a time. They will also upgrade the nurses station.

Harrisburg Medical Center has 79 beds. Of those, 30 are behavioral health beds.

Smith said the hospital has made it through several catastrophic events. It was damaged in the "Leap Day Tornado" in 2012, in addition to a huge ice storm and a pandemic.

They (hospital employees) kept coming to work and taking care of people, Smith said. Thats how I ended up CEO  I took ownership of changes during the pandemic.

Smith added that putting the hospital together after the tornado and becoming CEO are the hardest parts of his career.

Smith started the combined position in the summer. He said it has taken several months to get in the groove, that is to know what needs to be done in each hospital and how to get it done on time.

I like challenges. Im definitely not bored, Smith said.
Calhoun County will use a combination of state and local funding to build a new emergency operations center in St. Matthews.

The center will replace the current office operating out of a back room of the county Emergency Medical; Services office.

County officials say the new facility will be larger and better suited to hosting local, state and federal agencies responding to emergencies in the county. It will also provide space for training exercises for county employees.

Im very excited about it. Its something weve been working on for a couple years, Emergency Management Agency Director David Chojnacki said.

The new center will include:

 A 12-person conference room

 Training space

 Media center for press briefings

 Kitchen and eating area

 Two rooms with a sleeping capacity of four each in folding bunks, for officials working long hours during a crisis

 Office space

 Radio room

The training space will have tables and chairs with charging stations, phone lines, monitors and broadcasting capabilities, he said.

The center will be used as a meeting space for agencies planning for and responding to disasters in the county, as well as training exercises for the Emergency Management Agency and local fire and EMS services, he said.

It's actually going to be a real training room eventually for anybody in the county government that might need to use a large space, Chojnacki said.

The new building will be located behind the Calhoun County EMS office at 201 Mill Street in St. Matthews, where the EOC currently operates out of a back room containing Chojnackis office and radio equipment, he said.

Chojnacki said he met with County Administrator John McLauchlin in 2020 and they agreed there is a need for a new center, primarily to host officials helping with response and relief efforts following an emergency.

Currently, we don't have a permanent location to have these outside agencies and also inside agencies meet together to respond, Chojnacki said.

The center will also be a base for those involved in recovery efforts.

The recovery portion of any disaster is the longest part of that particular disaster. That could take months and even years, he said. Well, we don't have a place that we can set up people to come in and actually work on the recovery.

Calhoun County is one of the few counties in the state without a dedicated, newly built emergency operations center, McLauchlin said.

We've still got the original EOC  and its troublesome, he said at Calhoun County Councils Sept. 25 meeting. When we have issues and we need to get the agencies around the table in one location, there's just no room.

The new center will be paid for with a $1.7 million grant from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, along with a county match of $556,000, McLauchlin said.

The SLED grant was given to the county last year. He said it was the only county to receive it.

The local funding will come from COVID-19 infrastructure funds and upcoming county budgets, McLauchlin said.

County Council approved the funds for the new facility in a unanimous vote at its Sept. 25 meeting.

The final design of the building is currently being finalized, Chojnacki said.

Two storage sheds behind the EMS office will need to be torn down for the project.

It is currently estimated construction will start in mid-2024, with occupancy by mid-2025, he said.

The facility will be designed with future expansion of staff and facilities in mind, he said.

We're building this for the next 30 to 50 years, so that the county will be able to have a place that they'll be able to utilize and also expand if they need to, he said.

Chojnacki thanked local and state leaders for supporting the project and helping secure funding, including Congressman James Clyburn; U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham; state Rep. Russell Ott, D-St. Matthews; state Sen. Nikki Setzler, D-Lexington; Cameron Mayor David Summers, Jr.; St. Matthews Mayor Helen Carson and Calhoun County Council.

Personally, I appreciate all the support that our local and state leaders have given us, he said.
Luis Lopez and Melissa, 3, point to the tree during last years H-E-B Tree Lighting Celebration at Travis Park. Centro San Antonio and Visit San Antonio are adding to downtown's holiday festivities by launching San Antonio Holidays on Houston Street. Charlie Blalock/ Contributor

In an effort to draw more residents downtown, the city, Centro San Antonio and Visit San Antonio are launching what they hope will become an iconic holiday tradition.

San Antonio Holidays on Houston Street kicks off Friday with the Ford Holiday River Parade and runs through Tuesday, Jan. 2, with a series of events planned over those five weeks.

Houston Street is undergoing a festive transformation, with string lights, ornaments and wreaths to be hung on lamp posts and intersections along the five blocks from Legacy Park to the Alamo.

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Centro San Antonio CEO Trish DeBerry said the new holiday event series will have a vibe.

Downtown San Antonio is going to be lit during the holidays, she said at Tuesdays unveiling. Not just from a lighting standpoint but from a vibe, an energy, and  no pun intended  from a very cool factor associated with it.

Centro, a nonprofit, has a multimillion-dollar contract with the city to manage the downtown public improvement district, or PID, which collects property taxes to provide services such as street sweeping and graffiti removal.

DeBerry, a former public relations executive, took the reins at Centro in July and faces the tall task of changing how San Antonians view downtown.

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DeBerry dreamed up the Holidays on Houston Street concept with city officials just days into the job, and sees it as one way to change peoples perceptions of the urban core, particularly young families and young professionals.

If they come and experience Christmas and have a very magical few days in downtown San Antonio, the thought might occur to them, Hey, maybe we need to move into downtown San Antonio, she told the Express-News. We have to create memorable experiences for people that clicks something in their head that says, I want to be a part of that energy, and I want to be a part of downtown, not just during the holidays, but every single day throughout the year.

DeBerry is already eyeing how to amp up Fourth of July celebrations downtown.

Heres some of the Holidays on Houston Street events:

Friday, Dec. 1: Die Hard free outdoor movie showing at Legacy Park. Holiday movies will be screened at the park every Friday in December starting at 7 p.m.

Die Hard free outdoor movie showing at Legacy Park. Holiday movies will be screened at the park every Friday in December starting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 12: Taste of Holidays on Houston Street, an outdoor, communal dinner featuring food from Range, Sojourn, Poblanos, Double Standard and the Palm. Reservations can be made at powerofpreservation.org/holiday-community-dinner. Tickets for two cost $150.

Taste of Holidays on Houston Street, an outdoor, communal dinner featuring food from Range, Sojourn, Poblanos, Double Standard and the Palm. Reservations can be made at powerofpreservation.org/holiday-community-dinner. Tickets for two cost $150. Friday, Dec. 15-Sunday, Dec. 17: Holidays on Houston Street Market from 5-9 p.m., featuring artisans and food vendors, a light show and carolers.

Holidays on Houston Street Market from 5-9 p.m., featuring artisans and food vendors, a light show and carolers. Tuesday, Dec. 19: Holidays on Houston Fun Run featuring 5K and 1-mile races at 6:30 p.m. Participants must register in advance. The early registration fee is $25.

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The Wyoming Supreme Court ruled in August that settlement agreements involving government entities are subject to the transparency requirements of the Wyoming Public Records Act, even when those settlements include confidentiality provisions.

At a glance, the courts decision seemed a clear and sweeping victory for public access to public information. My read on the ... case is that governmental entities can no longer hide behind the facade of these so-called confidentiality agreements in their settlement documents, one of the attorneys involved said of the ruling.

Yet, when multiple reporters, and at least one lawmaker, cited the courts opinion in renewed attempts to obtain previously withheld settlement agreements involving police killings, they were again denied access by government entities, raising the specter of yet another long and costly court fight.

The Gates v. Memorial Hospital ruling stemmed from a malpractice suit in Gillette, in which Jessica Gates asked Memorial Hospital of Converse County to provide copies of settlement agreements that disclosed payouts to patients.

The hospital, in this case a government entity, declined to produce the contracts, so Gates called on Converse County District Court to compel disclosure, the ruling states. The district court ultimately required Memorial Hospital of Converse County to produce the records, but also imposed a protective order on them.

Gates appealed this decision to the Wyoming Supreme Court, which ruled that records involving public agencies dealings with public funds are public records. They involve money, which in part, was collected through peoples taxes, the court noted, all of which subject those records to the Wyoming Public Records Act, the law governing the release of state and local documents.

A district court lacks inherent power, equitable or otherwise, to issue a protective order to close public records the WPRA itself does not exempt, the court wrote in its conclusion.

What appear to be the first attempts at applying the high courts directive to similar records held elsewhere, however, have met stiff resistance from other local government entities.

Asked to provide the Casper Star-Tribune and WyoFile with settlement records regarding the police shootings of Douglas Oneyear and Robbie Ramirez, the city of Casper and Albany County have each, instead, moved to fight disclosure in the courts.

Members of the public, in the meantime, remain in the dark about how much of their money was spent making these wrongful death lawsuits go away, and whether any policies were changed as a result of these agreements.

What happened at the Casper Star-Tribune

Douglas Oneyear was killed by two Casper police officers on Feb. 25, 2018. On the first anniversary of Oneyears death, his mother Linda Lennen filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the officers and the city. (Prosecutors had by then separately cleared the officers of any criminal wrongdoing in the shooting.)

A years-long legal battle ensued. The parties agreed to settle on July 10 of this year, less than two weeks before a jury trial was set to begin.

Lennen and her attorney Todd Hambrick are unable to comment on any details of that agreement because it contained a confidentiality clause, Hambrick told the Star-Tribune.

I will say, however, that the City, litigating this matter for over five years only to settle the case weeks before trial, when they could have settled it five years ago avoiding all of that expense, is quite frankly, inexcusable, Hambrick wrote in an email.

The Star-Tribune immediately filed a records request for the settlement but it was denied on July 18 because these records are not in the possession of the City of Casper, City Attorney Eric Nelson said. The Wyoming Association of Risk Management, our self-insurance liability pool, is the custodian of those records.

That same day, Joe Constantino, executive director of WARM, also denied providing the documents due to the terms of the settlement agreement.

On Aug. 8, as the requesting reporter considered her next steps, the Wyoming Supreme Court issued its Gates ruling, clarifying that settlement agreements fall under the states public records law and confidentiality clauses cannot be used to shield them across the board.

The Star-Tribune filed an appeal with Wyomings public records ombudsman Charlotte Martinez three days later. The ombudsman post is designed to resolve public record disputes without a costly, time-consuming court battle.

After almost two months of back-and-forth, WARM determined that it needs to obtain guidance on this complicated issue from the district court, Constantino said in an email, which was shared by Martinez.

Martinez chose not to rule either way, preferring to let the courts decide instead.

She noted the Wyoming Public Records Act specifically notes filing with the district court for several reasons, none of which seem particularly applicable in this case, Martinez wrote. I will be interested to see this filing as well.

WARM and the city of Casper filed a motion on Oct. 2 to restrict disclosure to the Star-Tribune.

What happened at WyoFile

On Nov. 4, 2018, then-Albany County Sheriffs Deputy Derek Colling pulled Robbie Ramirez over for a minor traffic violation. Within minutes, Colling shot Ramirez twice in the back. Ramirez, a 39-year-old Laramie resident, was unarmed and living with mental illness. He died at the scene, feet from his own front door.

After an investigation into Collings use of lethal force  his third in uniform  Albany County Prosecuting Attorney Peggy Trent declined to bring charges against the deputy for Ramirezs death.

Then in September 2020, Ramirezs mother Debra Hinkel filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit. Court proceedings lasted close to two years before the parties reached a settlement in May 2022.

Albany County denied WyoFiles initial Aug. 22, 2022 public records request for the settlement agreements because the documents were privileged or confidential by law, then-County Clerk Jackie Gonzales wrote in an email on Oct. 2, 2022.

Ten months later, following the Gates v. Memorial Hospital decision, WyoFile resubmitted its request to Albany County on Aug. 22 of this year, this time citing the fresh precedent.

Albany County responded on Sept. 15, filing in the 2nd District Court in Laramie to block WyoFiles access to the requested settlement agreements.

In a motion, John Bowers, an Afton-based attorney hired to represent the county, argued that releasing the settlement documents in full would affect the future government operations of a Wyoming Governmental entity and cause substantial injury to the public.

Judge Misha Westby has yet to rule on Albany Countys filing.

Bigger than money

In both Albany County and Casper, the lawsuits could only reach so deep into public coffers because legal costs and settlement fees are covered by insurance: WARM in Casper and the Local Government Liability Pool in Albany County.

The county paid $62,771.00 for a policy in 2021-2022 and $65,413.00 for 2022-23 coverage, records requested by WyoFile show.

Much like a co-pay for a visit to the doctors office, Albany County also paid a $5,000 deductible for the settlement regarding Hinkel v. Albany County in August 2022, county records also show.

The exact settlement amount Hinkel received is unclear but the Local Government Liability Pool limits coverage per federal lawsuit to $1.5 million, the insurers executive director Torey Racines said. In the three years hes been director, the organization has not been involved with a lawsuit that settled beyond the limit, Racines said. His predecessor, Mike Todd said during his time as director, we have never received a judgment or settled up to these limits.

Colling and OMalley were covered separately by the state-funded Self-Insurance Program, which is statutorily obligated to defend peace officers acting within the scope of their duties. Erin Edwards, who oversees the Self-Insurance Program, would not disclose whether state funds contributed to the Hinkel settlement, citing state statute that says, claim files maintained by the risk manager shall be considered privileged and confidential.

However, what the state spends on the settlement of peace officer claims is publicly available in an annual report the Self-Insurance Program presents to the Legislature. In 2022, the state paid $1,322,108 on 19 settlements involving peace officers. Thats $523,760 more than the state has spent since 2018. Whether any of those public funds went to Hinkel remains shielded from the states taxpayers.

Its not just the money that matters, First Amendment attorney Bruce Moats said. Sometimes in a settlement agreement, therell be  things other than money where the government agrees to do certain things, Moats said. Those actions might include policy changes like requiring more training, which is important for the public to know when evaluating government performance.

Regardless of whether an insurance company or a government entity pays the settlement, it is still an agreement entered into by a government entity, and therefore a public record, said John Cotton, the attorney who successfully argued for transparency in the Gates v. Memorial Hospital case before the Wyoming Supreme Court.

Moats agreed. I dont care if its insurance, he said. Its all public funds thats paid on our behalf.

The Local Government Liability Pool is paying for Bowers to represent Albany Countys efforts to block WyoFiles access to the Hinkel settlement, Racines said. When asked if the organization had a direct interest in fighting the release of the settlement agreement, Racines said no.

We have a unique circumstance here where the understanding of the law changed, he said, and so thats why LGLP is paying for the clarification of what [Albany Countys] obligations are.

The insurers continued involvement in resolving whether the Hinkel v. Albany County settlement should be publicly available is to complete the circle, and what the court says, is what the court says, Racines said.

Hinkel, through her attorneys, communicated to the county and WyoFile that she would like the settlement documents made public.

Also party to the settlement agreement is Dave OMalley, who served as Albany County sheriff at the time of Ramirezs death, and Deputy Colling, who is no longer with the department. Whether OMalley would consent to the release of the settlement documents is unknown. His attorney has yet to respond to WyoFile.

Collings attorney, Stephenson Emery, said in an email to a colleague, which he also sent to WyoFile, that he is working to prevent the disclosure of the Release, or at least to redact the language about the motion for default judgment.

The motion for default judgment  filed by Hinkels attorneys in March 2022  alleged the sheriffs office altered videos of Colling killing Ramirez by deleting damning scenes and therefore asked the judge to rule the shooting of her son was unreasonable as a matter of law.

Why a reference to the motion for default judgment  which U.S. District Court Judge Nancy Freudenthal dismissed after the settlement was reached  was included in the agreement is unclear, but it raises questions about whether the requested documents might contain information about the body- and dash-cam footage.

In its continued effort to obtain the Hinkel v. Albany County settlement agreement, WyoFile filed a Nov. 6 motion to intervene in Albany Countys lawsuit to block public access to those records. If granted intervenor status, WyoFile would be able to make its case in court as to why the settlement agreement should be available to the public.

Why it matters

The publics trust in law enforcement is upheld by accountability and transparency, lawmakers and researchers say. When civilians are kept in the dark, it is harder for them to believe in the workings of police and government.

Its not positive for community relations when they cant get answers, when they feel theres secrecy, when they feel like law enforcement doesnt answer to them, despite getting their paycheck from the public, Rep. Karlee Provenza, D-Laramie, said.

In fact, Provenza also filed a records request with the Local Government Liability Pool for the settlement agreements in Ramirezs case after spotting the Wyoming Supreme Court opinion, the lawmaker said. She has not been provided with the records either.

The argument that releasing the settlement agreement could harm public interest by opening up Albany County to additional lawsuits is a strategy to dodge accountability, Provenza said.

[A]ctually, if you just dealt with your mess, and didnt harbor people that were going to cause more litigation  thats what would save taxpayers money  if the government did their job, not if we conceal the government failing to do their job, Provenza said.

Provenza pointed to Ramirezs case. She believes withholding the settlement is an attempt to avoid litigation with Colling instead of avoiding litigation with people who want public access to records.

Motions filed by Bowers note Albany Countys concern that release of the settlement agreement would be viewed as a breach of the confidentiality agreement by the parties that would put the county at risk by incurring additional litigation.

Hinkel supports the release of documents, leaving Colling and OMalley as the remaining parties who might sue. Pete Gosar, chairman of the Albany County Board of Commissioners, did not respond by press time about whether Colling or OMalley posed a threat of litigation.

Sen. Cale Case, R-Lander, understands there may be some arguments for individual privacy concerns within settlement agreements, but there may also be admissions of wrongdoing and commitment for better policy in the future, he said. As long as public entities, public employees and public funds are affected, the public has a right to know.

I cant even imagine a good argument [for withholding], Case said. Its totally contrary to the public interest. It is very unnerving.

Despite lawmakers revising the public records act and creating an ombudsman, who is supposed to act as a neutral third party in disputes, we still have frustrating difficulty getting information, Case said.

Both Case and Provenza would be interested in drafting legislation that would clarify settlement agreements under the public records act and expand law enforcement transparency. But actually passing bills into law is another story, Case said.

Most members of the Legislatures Joint Judiciary Committee are pretty conservative and so protective of law enforcement that they are not supportive of public information, Case said.

Im protective of law enforcement, and I think public information goes hand in hand with that. We protect our society and democracy with public information, Case said. ...Its like openness is going backwards, and maybe some of that is a sign of the times.

Scott Wolfe is a professor of criminal justice at Michigan State University, who researches policing. He says law enforcement agencies garner public trust when officers practice procedural justice during encounters, ensure transparency and perform duties within the law, research shows.

Some agencies may have state laws or policy provisions that prohibit them from releasing certain information, but if agencies arent explaining that, thats kind of a problem they need to address, Wolfe said.

He advises law enforcement leaders to educate your journalists, educate the public, Wolfe said. What are the constraints youre facing? I want to be more transparent, but heres why I cant.

If there arent legal limitations, a deeper conversation needs to be had about why information is being withheld, he said. Those are very different conclusions.

It just makes it worse if you dont because then it makes it look like youre trying to hide something, Wolfe said.

Clarification: This story was updated to reflect that Rep. Provenza made her request to the Local Government Liability Pool.

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 nursing manager waiting for two years to get an echocardiogram (ECG) appointment for an urgent heart condition is the reality and experience of patients in the public healthcare system.

Members of the public ventilated several negative experiences they have had at health centres and hospitals to a Joint Select Committee (JSC) town hall meeting on Social Services and Public Administration on Wednesday at the Parliament Complex, Cabildo Building, St Vincent Street, Port of Spain.
Maricela V. Frausto, 44, has been charged with capital murder in connection with the 2004 death of "Baby Hope Medina," who was found along a road in Hondo. Medina County Sheriff's Office

Authorities have made an arrest in connection with a 19-year-old cold case involving the death of an infant found along a road in Hondo.

Maricela V. Frausto, 44, was charged with capital murder in the death of Baby Hope Medina, Medina County Sheriff Randy Brown said.

Frausto is being held at Medina County Jail, and her bail is set at $1 million with an added condition of GPS monitoring.

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She is the biological mother of the baby found dead by a rancher in the brush off County Road 448 and U.S. 90 on Sept. 20, 2004.

According to The Doe Network, there were no signs of trauma to the child, but it was never determined if she was alive when left along the road. It was later discovered that she had been abandoned within six hours of being found by the rancher.

When the infant was found, there were 4 inches of an umbilical cord still attached.

Brown said many hands have touched this case to find out the reason behind her death.

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Ultimately, the fate of the Report of the Commission of Enquiry (CoE) into the Paria Diving Tragedy is as important as the report itself.

From all indications, the Commissions report contains a cauldron of hard truths. We can easily extrapolate from comments by CoE chairman Jerome Lynch, KC, that those truths will rock many a boat. But we too agree that the public interest demands immediate public view of its contents.
Facing a near-certain lawsuit by the attorney general and many unanswered questions, Mohave County supervisors rejected a bid to tally future elections with a hand count.

The 3-2 vote Monday against the motion to proceed came despite exhortations by state Senate Majority Leader Sonny Borrelli, who insisted the maneuver would be legal. He told the supervisors if they were not sure, they could conduct what effectively would be a legal experiment: Do a hand count of the March presidential preference primary.

That got the support of Supervisor Hildy Angius.

Whats the harm of doing the presidential preference election which is one race? she asked. And, if its a matter of law, lets fight it out in court.

Angius said she has heard multiple legal opinions on whether the procedure would be legal.

And just because it comes from the attorney general, it doesnt mean thats the end-all, she said. Theres a higher court than that, Angius said, noting the case would end up being litigated.

Willing to risk jail

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, in a Sunday letter to board members, made it clear that would be the case, saying if they proceeded her office will pursue to the fullest extent of the law all possible remedies to ensure the sanctity of Arizona elections.

That would include possible criminal violations, along with personal liability for board members who agree to use public funds for this illegal purpose, Mayes wrote.

Supervisor Ron Gould, the other vote to go ahead, was unmoved.

My biggest concern here today is folks are losing faith in our elections, he said. They dont think that their vote counts.

Thats why Im willing to risk getting thrown in jail, Gould said.

Use the machines

It wasnt just Mayes telling the supervisors the plan was illegal.

Deputy Mohave County Attorney Ryan Esplin said state law requires the paper ballots used in Arizona to be counted by tabulators that have been tested. The only authorization he could find for a hand count was one section that says its permitted if it is impractical to use the tabulators, he said.

That led board Chairman Travis Lingenfelter to question what qualifies. Esplin said it has to be something more than a preference, perhaps a wind storm that knocked out power to run the tabulators.

Our advice to you is to take the safe route and use the machines, he said.

Esplin also urged supervisors to ignore a resolution that Borrelli pushed through the Republican-controlled Legislature earlier this year that said counties cannot use electronic equipment to cast, record and tabulate ballots unless it is manufactured and assembled in the United States. He said it has no force of law.

Boards personal liability

This was the second time the board has rejected a hand count.

The first plan was rejected in August by the same 3-2 margin amid various concerns, including an estimate by Allen Tempert, the county elections director, pegging the cost at $1.1 million. That drew some attention given estimates the county is facing an $18 million deficit.

Then there was the question of who would pay to defend the board for the inevitable lawsuit given that Esplin said his office would not do it.

What happened in the interim was that Borrelli arranged to have attorney Bryan Blehm send a letter to the board last week promising to represent the county at no cost if they go ahead.

This includes any and all appeals of any actions brought by any party, Blehm wrote. Any litigation will be 100% private pay.

That, however, did not comfort Supervisor Jean Bishop.

She pointed out this is the same lawyer who, along with his co-counsel working for Republican Kari Lake to overturn the 2022 gubernatorial election she lost, was slapped with a $2,000 fine by the Arizona Supreme Court after telling the justices the record indisputably reflects that there were at least 35,563 early ballots illegally injected into the system. Chief Justice Robert Brutinel said that was a lie.

Bishop also said Blehm, a divorce attorney from Scottsdale, is being investigated by the State Bar of Arizona over his conduct in handling election cases.

Then there was the question of exactly who would be financing Blehms legal efforts.

Private individuals, Borrelli responded.

Bishop wanted to know if the money had been set aside and was in an escrow account or something similar. I cant disclose that, Borrelli said. Its between the attorney and the donors. I actually dont know the names.

Esplin pointed out to board members that even if their legal fees are covered by outsiders, that still doesnt address who would pick up the tab if they are found personally liable.

Supervisor Buster Johnson questioned the whole premise a hand count is needed to ensure accuracy.

I dont know what we plan on proving by checking on an election that we all agreed with had no problems at all, he said.

When we have a county attorney whos elected, we have an elections director who we hired, and were not taking their advice and saying, Well, well ignore their advice and go out to some attorney Ive never heard of ... and a promise of money coming somewhere later, I think were risking all the taxpayers of Mohave County, Johnson said. I dont think its a good move on our part.

Youll be sued

Mohave County has not been alone in toying with the idea of hand counts, mostly at the behest of Donald Trump supporters who continue to argue the 2020 presidential election was rigged.

Cochise County supervisors had ordered a hand count of all early ballots in the 2022 election only to have that decision voided by Pima County Superior Court Judge Casey McGinley. He said the board had no such legal authority, a decision upheld by the state Court of Appeals.

Pinal County has rejected doing a hand count for the 2024 election. But board members continue to flirt with the concept despite the advice of County Attorney Ken Volkmer.
The carnival barker

Some would call it a farce if it werent so serious. The Trump Show, with antics and bluster as the main attraction, has confounded and made our somber legal system seem inept.

Watching him work is like being at a carnival, but the barker is the show, and he has his audience in awe of just what can be accomplished by a crabby, ill-tempered old coot who is perfecting dirty tricks to slip out of a Gordian knot of problems. Internet thugs have emerged, like the Brown Shirts of old, adding terror to those who would oppose him.

Call Donald Trump a magician of the dark arts, an autocrat in the wings, or a monster of mayhem to be, but he is a threat not seen before. He offers hope to the masses, but Americas only real hope is that the Trump Show fizzles and the big bag of wind blows itself out.

Ron Lancaster

North side

Dont fret over Biden

Fretting Democrats play right into the hands of the opposition. What a counter-productive strategy! Look, Biden is old  81  but in good physical shape. Im 84, still working, running, biking and entertaining grandkids. 80s are the new 60s. Trump is 77. Just three years younger. Look at him. Does he look fit? Who do you think would win a running race between the two? Democrats stop denigrating your President and candidate. He is fit and capable, much more so than any potential candidate from the other side.

Dennis Winsten

Northeast side

Alternative to banning AR-15s

Rather than attempting to ban assault rifles such as the AR-15, would not expensive licensing be likely to meet less resistance and bypass any future constitutional question?

Assault rifles have been banned in the past, but with a conservative Supreme Court, the future is unknown. The government clearly has the right to license and tax. A very serious license or tax would go a long way to limit the casual acquisition of these and similar weapons. As to constitutionality, I leave that to the courts. However, I will note for the originalists, the framers of the Constitution could not possibly have conceived of a weapon with the capabilities of todays semi-automatic rifles. As much as I once enjoyed rapid firing a semi-automatic, .22 caliber rifle that I still own, I had little need of that capacity for serious target shooting and hunting.

Lee Payne

Foothills

Rural access to opioid treatments

Re Methadone Take-Home Flexibilities Extension Guidance (SAMHSA, Sept. 25):

In 2020, SAMHSA lifted restrictions in the Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD), allowing patients to take home up to a 28-day supply of methadone, a commonly used treatment (SAMHSA 2023). Patients no longer needed to travel to their doctors office daily to receive the drug. Three years later, reports show increased treatment engagement  with relatively few incidents of misuse or medication diversion (SAMHSA, 2023).

Rural communities benefited as they face healthcare access challenges, including long travel times to appointments (UofA, 2021). They still face lower rates of MAT and show a surge in opioid abuse/overdoses (DHHS, 2022). But why? Provider stigma.

Healthcare providers need to stay current with scientific discoveries. Methadone, an opioid, has been consistently shown to be safe for treating OUD and effective in preventing relapse (JHBCPH, 2023). Patients are not exchanging addictions. Educate both sides  patients and providers  to decrease stigma and use available treatments.

Sherri Chapman

North side

Grocery store traffic jams

I know the holidays are coming and we all have to shop for food, etc. My pet peeve at any store is, why do they have to make grocery carts longer and wider? Of course, that makes for more money for the grocer! Then the brains at the store decide to put products in the aisles, on mini-pallets, further impeding movement. And the final straw is when an employee is stocking or stacking in an aisle, standing on a contraption (rolling ladder?) doing something that should be done DURING the midnight shift.

No, I dont want to order groceries online and let a stranger pick out food choices. So what are my choices? Dont have many. I guess do shopping very early or late in the day?

Am not going to mention my most or least favorite stores. You have yours.

Happy shopping!

Kenneth Unwin

Southeast side

Buffalo fish

I realize that some might think this letter worthless with the world situation.

While reading the paper about the centenarian fish and all about what wonderful creatures they are. Why in the world would you, in the same article, say how incredible these creatures are and then tell everyone the variety of ways they are so easy to take??

Sharon Pairman

East side

Why isnt Iran held accountable?

I honor our passion for justice and compassion on behalf of all humanity.

The current Hamas-Israeli war is a no-win tragedy. Both sides feel right, morally righteous, and justified in their actions.

From a distance, we can distinguish manipulations cleverly perpetrated by Iran, which sends missiles and money while Gazans, Lebanese, Houthis, Syrians, and Israelis do all the dying, all alongside suppressed Iranian women.

I am left wondering and somewhat skeptical of the motivations of many of us who find it safer to focus and channel righteous indignation on those parts of the world where they have absolutely no reach, no influence, political or otherwise, while women are daily dying in OUR country where I would assert we have real potential and possibility of effective social transformation.

Why is it that one part of our world is receiving so much attention?

I invite us to take a deep dive into our choices and motivations, to see what there is to see.

It might not be pretty.

Paul Zohav

Eastside

Ill eat my eggs elsewhere

Lawsuits are easy to file. All a plaintiff has to do is pay a few bucks to the court clerk. But a local restaurateurs lawsuit to invalidate a state regulation that gives laying hens a few extra inches of cage space demonstrates that even if a lawsuit has just enough merit to survive early dismissal (this one may not), it shouldnt necessarily be filed.

The Stars article set forth two grounds for the lawsuit: 1) only the Legislature, not the Arizona Department of Agricultures experts, can impose rules to lessen animal discomfort, and 2) the regulation reduces the bottom line of the restaurateurs three upper-end outlets by $50,000 to $100,000 per year.

As to these rationales, the lawsuit and its related publicity may cause a few laissez-faire omelet lovers to move their breakfast eating over to the filers restaurants. But this will occur only at the expense of losing many others who dont mind paying a little more elsewhere to do the right thing.

Bruce Skolnik

Northeast side

Science of reading

With publishing various news articles and Op-eds questioning the new Science of Reading requirements in Arizona, the Daily Star appears to be abandoning their journalistic integrity.

The Science of Reading is an evidence-based approach towards reading and written literacy which has been shown to reverse the long decline in reading and comprehension skills that were brought on by Balanced Literacy in this country. In 10 years after the adoption of Science of Reading, the State of Mississippi has risen from 49th in the country to 23rd in the NAEP reading tests.

Arizona districts that have adopted Science of Reading curriculum (i.e., Mesa Public Schools) are already seeing significant improvements. Moreover, The Teachers College of Columbia University, which originated the theory of Balanced Literacy, is currently shutting down that program (the Reading and Writing Project) because of its failures.

Shame on the Star for choosing ignorance and politics rather than doing journalism.

Michael Milczarek
Jimmie Tramel Tulsa World Scene Writer Follow Jimmie Tramel Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Some things are just meant to be?

Benjamin Victor, the artist selected to create a bronze statue of Merle Haggard in Muskogee, was raised in the same town  Bakersfield, California  as the legendary music figure.

Victor wasnt chosen because of his former ZIP code. He got the job because hes aces. Hes the only living artist with three works in the National Statuary Hall, a chamber in the U.S. Capitol devoted to sculptures of prominent Americans. But the Bakersfield connection is a nice card to have up his sleeve.

Haggard, a country music legend who died in 2016, is synonymous with Okie From Muskogee, a 1969 song that lifted the Oklahoma town to international prominence. Haggard wasnt born and raised in Oklahoma. He was born in the Bakersfield area after his parents packed up and left Oklahoma.

Along with Buck Owens, Haggard popularized the Bakersfield Sound, a strain of country music that was different from what was coming out of Nashville during the same time period.

I think a lot of that Bakersfield Sound is influenced by Oklahoma roots, Victor said while visiting Muskogee last week.

When you think about that with Merle, its never more true with his parents being from here and everything. A lot of times its that way where, with migrations of groups of people, it doesnt necessarily remove the culture.

Continuing, Victor said Bakersfield is not your typical place in California. He attended college in South Dakota, and some people there had a preconceived notion of what a Californian should be.

Theyd say, Oh, youre from California and they have this image of California, like a surfer and youre on the beach or whatever, Victor said. And Bakersfield is really a more blue collar town. It was built on farming and oil, and a lot of the migrants that populated Bakersfield around the turn of the century came directly from Oklahoma. So theres quite a connection there, and, like I said, Merles kind of the ultimate emblem of that.

Among the millions of people impacted by the Bakersfield Sound: Victors brothers and sisters. Victor came from a family of eight children. Five siblings are musicians, including one who doubles as a union electrician and helped build Owens Crystal Palace in Bakersfield.

Victor laughed when it was suggested to him that pursuing an interest other than music made him the rebel of the family. Hes not a rebel or a black sheep in the traditional sense. His grandmother was an art professor who instilled a love for the visual arts in him (and his siblings) when he was young.

But we had very nurturing parents, too, he said. They were both teachers, so they were real supportive of anything you wanted to do creatively. And so, a lot of my siblings went into music and theater, and I didnt. Im really not the performer type. Visual art was more my thing.

Victor said he is always in awe of people who can get up on a stage and perform. Of course he has personal appreciation for Haggard.

Not everybody has that gift to write and sing and perform too, but he did, Victor said.

You can tell when somebody has sort of lived the lyrics that they sing, and I think that comes through in his music. And in Okie from Muskogee  when he says that, its kind of funny because he was born in Bakersfield and he is from there  but I think the genuineness of the song came through in that (Oklahoma) is where he felt that he was from, this is where his heart was and this where his parents were from. This is his family heritage. And I think each of his songs has that bit of like a genuine touch where he sang about things he really did care about and he really did believe in and the song came through as genuine because of that. And thats why it resonates with the public.

Victor said he loves something acclaimed producer Rick Rubin said about making music and art. Essentially, you have to make art that youre happy with, and thats what makes it valid.

He was making that point probably in more eloquent terms than I can, Victor said. And it really hit me. I thought a lot about Merle Haggard and why that era was great and why his music was great. And its because when he was writing it, it was music he liked. That was who he was. So thats whats really cool about this. For me, its not a stretch at all to get to do something like this and say I really do care about it and my hearts in it when I was born in the same hospital he was born in and grew up near where he grew up and I know the area. And then to come back here where he is really from and get to do this, its just so special.

Haggards Okie From Muskogee album was recorded live at the Muskogee Civic Center. The Haggard statue will find a home outside the venue maybe as early as next October. While in Muskogee, Victor met people connected with the statue project, and he toured the property where the statue will be located.

One of the most important things with sculpture and artwork is how it relates to the environment around it, he said.

Most of the work on the statue will be done at Victors studio in Boise, Idaho. He may do a short residency in Muskogee so the community can see the work in progress.

Victor, asked for the correct word to describe how he feels about being selected to create the statue, said, Honored. Probably honored and humbled, because Merles a big star. I mean, hes a big star worldwide. I heard some stories last night at dinner and they were talking about how people from all over the world have come here just to take their picture because of that song. ... And so thats something that Im a little bit humbled by and, like I said, Im not as much the showman of the family, so for me its kind of like, whoa! You know, maybe heres another word that could describe it: Starstruck, a little bit.

Victor said he will work from photos in capturing Haggards likeness. He said he will use any methods he can to help the statue be authentic and realistic. This isnt a statue of someone from centuries ago and therefore you have some wiggle room in re-creating that person. Its Haggard. People know what he looks like.

So it has got to be technically accurate, Victor said. That sets the bar pretty high. And then on top of that, I really try to capture that spirit and essence.

When fans from all over the world stand next to the statue, Victor hopes they feel like they are standing next to Haggard: I mean, thatd just be a great feeling as an artist.

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State investigators are looking into a fatal shooting outside the Osage Casino & Hotel in Bartlesville early Tuesday, according to tribal police.

The Osage Nation Police Department said in a news release that no officers were involved in the shooting.

Since neither the victim nor the suspect is a tribal member, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation, the release states. Tribal police and security staff are assisting the OSBI.

A statement from the Osage Casino & Hotel indicates that none of its employees were involved.

The safety of casino guests is of the highest importance. The casino hotel remains open as the investigation continues, the statement reads.
Nephtali De Leon served as the citys sixth poet laureate for only four months of a three-year term. The city is now accepting applications for a new poet laureate. Kin Man Hui/Staff photographer

San Antonio is searching for a new poet laureate after firing the last one over his use of a racial slur in a poem posted on Facebook.

The word is a Chicano slang term for black people that is often regarded as derogatory.

Chicano writer Nephtali De Leon was let go in mid-August, two weeks after posting the poem in memory of an author who died in July. His firing came only four months into what was supposed to be a three-year term in the citys honorary position.

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The Department of Arts & Culture made the call after De Leons poem sparked frustration in the arts community and after De Leon turned down a chance to resign. The city at the time received two letters, one from past San Antonio poets laureate calling for strong action to be taken, and another from educators and poets, though a couple of people whose names were on the letter later said they had not agreed to be included.

Texas Poet Laureate irene lara silva signed onto the letter that urged the city to take action and was supportive of the citys controversial decision to fire De Leon.

But the swift decision this summer has left the city without a poet laureate for months and now officials are back at square one.

Nominations for the position are open through Jan. 31. A committee of poets will review nominations in February. The new poet laureate will be notified in March and officially appointed in April, which is National Poetry Month.

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The Poet Laureate Program exists to cultivate greater appreciation and understanding of poetry and enhance local literacy initiatives, Department of Arts & Culture Director Krystal Jones said in a news release. This position collaborates closely with our team to inspire and educate our community through the promotion of literary arts.

There has been a U.S. poet laureate since 1937 and a Texas poet laureate since 1932.

San Antonio has appointed one since 2012. The upcoming appointee will be the seventh person to hold the local title.

Nominees must have been a resident of San Antonio for the past three years, must have a compelling portfolio of published work and have a history of activity in the local literary community.

The son of migrant workers, De Leon has lived in San Antonio for more than three decades. He published his first book, Chicanos: Our Background and Our Pride, when he was a high school senior. Over the years, he has published poetry, essays and childrens stories. Hes also a painter and sculptor.

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Before being fired, De Leon did apologize on Facebook for offending anyone with his poem, but also defended his use of the word.

The person who is selected to be the next poet laureate will receive $3,500 per year they serve.

De Leon already had received his payment for his first year in the position, and though he did not complete more than a few months, he was not asked to return the funds.
Randy Krehbiel Tulsa World Staff Writer Follow Randy Krehbiel 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 Attorney General Gentner Drummond filed suit against the Biden administration on Monday in an effort to recover state control of $4.5 million in federal family planning grants.

The Department of Health and Human Services withdrew the funds earlier this year and instead gave them to third-party providers in Oklahoma because state law prohibits state-sponsored counseling from including abortion information.

That federal move provoked outrage from Oklahomas Republican leadership, many of whom are committed to the states near-total ban on abortion and wanted to funnel the grants to providers more in line with their way of thinking.

Title X in no way requires abortion referrals for a States continued participation, a filing by Drummonds office in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma argues. Rather, sans authority, HHS seeks to punish Oklahoma for the policies adopted by Oklahomas elected representatives to protect unborn life. HHS is interfering with rights reserved to the people and their elected representatives despite a clear federal mandate that Title X funds should not be used in programs where abortion is offered as a method of family planning.

Since its original passage in 1970, Title X has generally prohibited the use of grants to pay for abortions but has allowed and even required that information about abortion be provided.

The standoff is the result of the Biden administrations 2021 decision to essentially reinstate a policy long in place until reversed by the Trump administration, the U.S. Supreme Courts reversal of a federal right to abortion, and action by the Oklahoma Legislature and Gov. Kevin Stitt.

Oklahoma stands up for life, Stitt said in a press release issued by Drummonds office. The Biden administrations actions to terminate our healthcare funding due to our pro-life laws is simply an abuse of power. These funds are essential to provide necessary services for Oklahomans across the state. I am glad that Attorney General Drummond has chosen to pursue legal action and I will support this effort in any way necessary.

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Randy Krehbiel Tulsa World Staff Writer Follow Randy Krehbiel 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 retired state employee from Tulsa is challenging Oklahomas blacklisting of financial institutions deemed insufficiently supportive of oil and gas, the Oklahoma Public Employees Association said Monday.

The Oklahoma Public Employees Association, which backs the lawsuit, says the 2022 Energy Discrimination Act could cost state pension plans millions of dollars in fees and lost assets.

The OPEA said Dr. Donald Keenans motion for a temporary restraining order was filed Monday in Oklahoma County District Court, but it had not been posted to the judicial systems statewide network by late afternoon. The petition claims that the Energy Discrimination Act violates the state and federal constitutions.

The filing is the latest event in a rapidly escalating feud between the OPEA and others associated with state pension systems and state Treasurer Todd Russ, who is responsible for enforcing the act.

The measure forbids state government from doing businesses with financial institutions found by Russ to have so-called Environmental, Social and Governance rules that discourage investment in fossil fuels. Among those blacklisted by Russ are BlackRock, the worlds largest wealth management firm, and several of the nations largest banks.

BlackRock and another blacklisted firm, State Street, hold nearly two-thirds of the assets of the states two largest pension funds, the Oklahoma Teachers Retirement System and the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System.

A group representing retired educators, along with the OPEA and the Keep Oklahomas Promises Coalition, are listed as backers of Keenans lawsuit.

The law allows for exceptions if disinvestment from the listed firms would not be to the states financial advantage, but OPEA Executive Director Tony DeSha said Russ tried to pressure pension fund boards that invoked the escape clause. On Oct. 27, the OPEA put out a press release slamming the treasurer and depicting him in an illustration as a masked robber sneaking up on a little old lady holding a purse labeled OPERS.

On Monday, in announcing Kennans lawsuit, DeSha said, We will not allow Todd Russ to play politics with state employees and retirees money. The pension system is not taxpayer money; it is compensation earned by active employees who currently pay into the system and the pensioners who contributed to the same system for decades.

The decision to pursue legal action against Todd Russ was not taken lightly, but we feel it is necessary to strengthen the fiduciary responsibility of our pension systems.

In the Oct. 27 press release, the OPEA accused Russ of implementing the law unevenly and blacklisting some companies that have proved more friendly to fossil fuels than others not included.

The lawsuit chiefly argues against the law itself. It claims that the act violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution for a litany of reasons and sections of the Oklahoma Constitution prohibiting special laws and which require that the states seven pension systems be managed for the exclusive benefit of the beneficiaries.

In August, when OPERS trustees voted 9-1 over Russ objection to invoke the fiduciary exemption, the treasurer predicted legal action to force divesture.

Supporters say laws such as Oklahomas are meant to protect industries that are vital to states economic interests.

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Tim Stanley Tulsa World Staff Writer Follow Tim Stanley 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

Carlton Pearson, a high-profile Tulsa megachurch pastor whose later rejection of the doctrine of hell made him an outcast among evangelicals but brought him a wider audience and inspired a feature film, died Sunday of complications from cancer.

He was 70.

Services are pending with Keith D. Biglow Funeral Home.

A onetime Pentecostal preacher and protege of the legendary Oral Roberts, Pearson founded Higher Dimensions Family Church and helped build it into one of Tulsas largest congregations, with around 6,000 members at its peak in the 1990s.

But a dramatic shift in his beliefs and teachings in the early 2000s led to its decline and eventual closing.

Pearsons embrace of universalism  which rejects the idea of hell or eternal punishment  also led to his professional downfall, at least in the evangelical world where hed enjoyed celebrity status.

Pearson, a former gospel recording artist, as well, related the story of this painful journey in books and on national radio and television. It was also the basis for the 2018 movie Come Sunday.

Pearson later moved to Chicago but returned to Tulsa in 2015, where he continued his close relationship with All Souls Unitarian Church, serving on its ministerial staff.

The Rev. Marlin Lavanhar, senior minister at All Souls, said: In an era of division, Bishop Pearson stood out as a voice of unity and reason, and his brave journey toward a theology of universal love and acceptance resonated deeply with All Souls values and tradition of inclusivity and compassion.

He broke barriers by embracing a message of unconditional love that has been a beacon of hope and inspiration for many within our congregation and throughout the world. He helped people of all cultures and faiths know that God loves us all beyond belief.

A native of San Diego who came to Tulsa to attend Oral Roberts University, Pearson found himself at the zenith of his evangelical career in 2000.

His Higher Dimensions congregation, one of the citys best known charismatic churches, boasted thousands of members and $60,000 a week in contributions.

His Azusa Street conference drew 50,000 people annually to ORU, where he was a member of the Board of Trustees.

He had a national audience as a guest host on the Trinity Broadcasting Network. He was even one of a handful of national Black religious leaders advising President-elect George W. Bush.

But as Pearson would later describe it, it was then that he had an epiphany.

Promoting what he called the gospel of inclusion, Pearson began to preach that Christs death and resurrection had purchased salvation for all people and that because of that everyone would go to heaven.

A form of universalism, his new theology contrasted sharply with traditional Christian beliefs.

The blowback was swift. Causing a stir in evangelical circles nationally, Pearsons departure from orthodoxy cost him church members and his relationship with his alma mater, ORU, which severed ties and barred him from campus.

Within a few years, the congregation had dwindled to a few hundred, and he lost the church building in foreclosure.

In 2006, Pearson was accepted as a minister in the United Church of Christ, one of the nations most liberal denominations, and he and his congregation began holding services in the Trinity Episcopal Church building downtown. They later began holding services at All Souls before finally, in 2008, he shut down his church, folding it into All Souls.

It officially ended his 27 years as a senior pastor in Tulsa. The downfall that had begun just eight years earlier was now complete.

I thought, what did I just do? What just happened? Thats not my property any more; thats not my ministry, he recalled in a later interview.

It all happened so fast. I was just dizzy. The room began to spin.

At the same time, Pearson was finding new allies and, with them, new opportunities and encouragement.

His popularity growing among progressive Christians and non-Christian faiths, he appeared on several national news programs and spoke at a variety of progressive and interfaith organizations. Book and movie offers came in.

Pearson later moved to Chicago, where he was a minister at Christ Universal Temple, before eventually returning to Tulsa.

In 2016, he became the first Pentecostal preacher to have his personal archives accepted into the Andover-Harvard Theological Library at Harvard University.

The 2018 film Come Sunday, which chronicled Pearsons fall, starred Martin Sheen as Oral Roberts and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Pearson. Pearson consulted on the film.

Pearson was raised and ordained in the Church of God in Christ, a historically Black Pentecostal denomination.

He arrived at ORU in 1971 and developed a close bond with Roberts, whom he came to think of as a second father.

While ultimately sacrificing his career and everything he built, Pearson maintained that he had no regrets over his choices.

Even with the new direction religiously, Pearson was a difficult man to box in.

He jettisoned some of the most basic beliefs that define Pentecostals and other evangelicals. But as a preacher with a Pentecostal background, he still laid hands on the sick, spoke in tongues and talked about the anointing of God changing lives.

According to his family, Pearson was successfully treated for prostate cancer in 2001. He learned of a recurrence of the cancer only a few months ago.

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Amid the ongoing global economic uncertainties, Vietnam has attracted new foreign direct investment in excess of US$20 billion as of September 2023, up 7.7 percent year on year, which indicates that the country's appeal to international investors has not diminished.

Market experts are increasingly optimistic about industrial real estate as the recovery of manufacturing activities is expected to fuel demand for facility rental in industrial zones.

Successfully capturing the opportunities arising from the production shift wave as well as the e-commerce market boom, BW Industrial Development JSC (BW) has achieved tremendous growth in the recent five years to emerge as the countrys leading industrial real estate platform.

BW was founded in 2018 as a joint venture of Becamex IDC Corp, Vietnams industrial real estate developer, and Warburg Pincus, a leading global private equity firm which has recently celebrated its 10th anniversary of investing in Vietnam.

In an aim to further accelerate growth and consolidate its leading position in the market, in Q1 this year, BW brought in Hong Kong-listed real estate giant ESR Group as its lead strategic investor, as part of the primary fundraising round of up to approximately $450 million that also included other leading investors in Asia.

Leveraging the strengths of the three blue-chip investors, BW is well-positioned to capture the tremendous growth in Vietnams logistics and industrial real estate sector, which offers significant opportunities driven by the favorable macro tailwinds and the underserved market.

According to experts, the country continues to be one of the top economies in Southeast Asia, with its robust macroeconomic fundamentals and strategic policies. Furthermore, Vietnam's fast-growing economy is underpinned by a thriving digital economy, a burgeoning middle class, and a young and dynamic workforce.

With the e-commerce market, the engine of Vietnams digital economy, expected to grow at a more-than-20-percent compound annual growth rate until 2025, as per the e-Conomy SEA 2023 report, e-commerce-dedicated logistics space in Vietnam clearly has the potential to grow more than two million square meters in the near- to mid-term to meet the rising demand, BW observes.

Enquiries have increased more than 70 percent since the beginning of this year, according to BW.

While inquiries from global manufacturers and e-commerce players have been growing rapidly with an increase of 75 percent since the beginning of this year, Vietnam is currently faced with limited supply to accommodate the anticipated surge in operational demand and new trends in the field of warehousing logistics.

Vietnam is significantly underserved in terms of its modern warehouse supply, especially institutional-grade warehouses, Lance Li, CEO of BW, remarked.

At its current stage, the per capita modern warehouse stock in Vietnam is a mere fraction of that of countries like China and South Korea.

The modern warehouse industry, therefore, enjoys favorable tailwinds, driven by outsized opportunities in manufacturing, increasing domestic consumption, the rapid growth of e-commerce, and trade activities that are outpacing regional peers.

Vietnam is significantly underserved in terms of its modern warehouse supply, according to BW CEO Lance Li.

Making significant strides

BW has delivered strong results over the last five years owing to the favorable factors that have opened up ample room and numerous possibilities, cementing its position as Vietnam's top industrial logistics real estate platform.

The company owns a remarkable portfolio which comprises over 8.5 million square meters of industrial land in prime locations under control across 40 projects in 11 key provinces in Vietnam, with over three million square meters of gross floor area of completed or under-construction properties.

As a developer, BW has demonstrated incredible speed in executing its projects.

As of November 2023, the company has successfully completed nine of the ten projects that are slated to be launched by December 2023.

Its properties are leased to both local and global tenants through its vastly experienced and multilingual sales force, with successful pre-leasing and high occupancy.

Of particular note are the projects in the northern region, which have recorded almost full occupancy rates.

Since its inception, BW has developed entrenched relationships with close to 250 high-quality tenants from over 20 countries, the majority of which are e-commerce, last-mile delivery, and resilient high-tech manufacturing players such as Shopee, BEST Inc., 7-Eleven, HKC, Chervon, and RPAC.

Among the product types offered by BW, ready-built factories are occupied vastly by electronics manufacturers, which indicates that Vietnams manufacturing industry is moving up the value chain.

While ready-built factories accounted for a bigger share among the products, ready-built warehouses have recorded a faster annual growth rate in the past three years.

As of Q1 2023, BW has secured equity commitments of more than $1 billion from its investors and partners and has formed strategic partnerships with leading global manufacturers, e-commerce, and logistics players to serve one of the fastest-growing markets in Asia.
SHIZUOKA CITY, Japan -- In a still fuelled by cedar from nearby forests, Shizuoka Distillery, a leader in Japan's new wave of independent whisky makers, crafts its spirits to tap into surging global demand.

This year marks the 100 year anniversary of whisky making in Japan since the founding of market leader Suntory's first distillery in Yamazaki in 1923.

And at the century mark, there are now more than 100 licensed distilleries in the country - twice as much as 10 years ago - with each one vying to make its mark in a rapidly expanding market.

The cedar fire - which Shizuoka claims is the world's only wood fuelled blaze beneath a whisky still - is one of several novelties these distilleries are using to set themselves apart.

The distillation room at Suntory's Yamazaki Distillery is pictured in Yamazaki, Osaka Prefecture, Japan October 10, 2023. Photo: Reuters

And even though their businesses are small compared to drinks giants like Suntory, their ambitions are world-class.

Taiko Nakamura, 54, was inspired to set up Shizuoka Distillery in 2016 by a trip to Scotland.

"I saw this distillery, and I was amazed that this tiny place in the mountainous countryside was selling whisky across the globe," he said. "So I thought it would be fun to make my own whisky and then have people from all over the world enjoy it."

The explosion of craft whisky in Japan follows a boom and bust in the industry.

Taiko Nakamura pours a dram of whisky in the tasting room of the distillery he founded in Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan October 25, 2023. Photo: Reuters

Quality over quantity

Long viewed as an inferior copycat of Scotch, Japanese single malts and blended whiskies started racking up international awards around 2008, sparking intense global demand that effectively drank the supply dry by around 2015.

The shortage sent prices into the stratosphere. A set of 54 bottles from Ichiro's Malt, a trailblazer in Japanese craft whisky, sold for $1.5 million in 2020 at a Hong Kong auction. Last week, Sotheby's offered what it claimed was the most valuable collection of Japanese whisky at auction, headlined by a 52-year old bottle that sold for 300,000 pounds ($373,830).

Major makers Suntory and Nikka, a unit of beer maker Asahi Group, have spent the past decade ramping up capacity and stock of the spirit, which must age for at least three years to qualify as "Japanese whisky," under 2021 standards.

A container for the malted barley used to make whisky is pictured at a distillery in Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan October 25, 2023. Photo: Reuters

Suntory, Japan's biggest and best-known whisky maker, recently invested 10 billion yen ($67 million) to upgrade its distilleries, including its Yamazaki site.

Chief blender Shinji Fukuyo said he welcomes the new breed of Japanese distillers, and Suntory is willing to give advice to the startups "as long as it contributes to maintaining and improving the quality of Japanese whisky as a whole".

Foreign money is flowing into the market too. In 2021, global drinks giant Diageo bought an undisclosed stake in Komasa Kanosuke Distillery, established in 2017 by a maker of traditional shochu liquor.

IJW Whiskey Company, a Kentucky-based company, set up a Japanese subsidiary known as Cedarfield that is building a distillery on the northern island of Hokkaido that would be Japan's biggest, the Nikkei newspaper reported in March.

Whisky barrels holding Yamazaki whisky are pictured at Suntory's Yamazaki Distillery in Yamazaki, Osaka Prefecture, Japan October 10, 2023. Photo: Reuters

A Cedarfield representative declined to comment on the company's plans.

But with new supply hitting the market and from so many new players, some in the industry have voiced concerns that poor quality product could spoil Japan's reputation.

"That's a real fear in the industry," said Casey Wahl, an American expatriate who founded Kamui Whisky on the remote island of Rishiri in Japan's extreme northern boundary.

Shizuoka's Nakamura says makers like him can only respect the process and wait for the results.

"I believe we need to put all our effort into making Japanese whisky that lives up to the quality of the Japanese whiskies made by our predecessors," he said.

($1=150 yen)($1=0.80 pounds)
The People's Procuracy of Ba Ria City under Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province in southern Vietnam on Tuesday confirmed that the agency had passed an urgent arrest warrant for a woman and a man who deliberately slammed their cars into each other.

These drivers were identified as Nguyen Dinh Ky, a 41-year-old from Thanh Hoa Province, located in north-central Vietnam, and Phan Hoang Bich Tien, 31, who resides in Dong Nai Province, a neighbor of Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

Police in Ba Ria City summoned the two drivers to a police station on the same day, and then conducted an urgent arrest on them.

A video shows an intentional collision between two cars in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, southern Vietnam.

The two were apprehended for allegedly destroying assets and causing public disorder.

The intentional crash happened at Nguyen Huu Tho - Nguyen Van Linh Intersection in Ba Ria City on Monday night.

A VinFast auto hit the rear of a Lexus car at the intersection at 7:00 pm on the same day. After that, the driver of the Lexus car turned the vehicle around and banged into the front of the other twice.

The crashing damaged the two vehicles. The drivers quickly left the scene.

After verifying a video captured by a bystander showing the collision, police in the city identified the drivers and arrested them.

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A sanitation worker at Can Tho International Airport in the namesake city, located in Vietnam's Mekong Delta region, gave a diamond worth VND550 million (US$22,650) back to its owner, an airport representative said on Tuesday.

The airport management board held a ceremony to return the precious stone to a female passenger who was on board flight VN1207 departing from Hanoi for the Mekong Delta city on Friday last week, according to the representative.

While working at the airport, Vo Thi Thuy Dung, a sanitation employee, collected a diamond that she found on a jetway on Saturday last week.

She quickly handed over the diamond to workers at the airports lost and found desk.

After checking and reviewing information about passengers, employees at the desk identified the rightful owner.

The female passenger previously reported her loss to the lost and found desk.

She said that she had dropped an 8.85-millimeter diamond in the airport, asking for help to find it.

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UK-Irish period thriller The Doll Factory will screen on SBS in early December.

The six-part series is adapted from the bestselling novel of the same name by Elizabeth Macneal.

Esme Creed-Miles (Hanna) stars as Iris, a frustrated artist, who spends her days creating mourning dolls alongside her twin sister Rose, played by Mirren Mack (The Witcher: Blood Origin, The Nest).

The series also stars Sharlene Whyte (Stephen), newcomer Reece Kenwyne-Mpudzi, Freddy Carter (Shadow and Bone), Saoirse-Monica Jackson (Derry Girls), Laurie Kynaston (The Sandman), Jim Caesar (The Witcher), Akshay Khanna (Chloe), Aysha Kala (The Undeclared War) and Nell Hudson (Outlander).

Author, Elizabeth Macneal said: It might sound like a cliche, but to have my novel turned into a TV series is a dream come true. It has been an extraordinary process to see ideas that once existed only in my head, coming to life on set and now on screen. Each scene has been perfectly rendered  from the artist Louis Frosts lavish painting studio, to the doll shop where twins Iris and Rose paint the faces of china dolls. Buccaneer has been a joy to work with, and Charley Miless script excited me from the very first page. I cant wait to share this story with viewers!

SBS Channel Manager, Natalie Edgar and SBS On Demand Channel Manager, Haidee Ireland said: Were thrilled to add the highly anticipated limited series The Doll Factory to our extensive collection of local and international premium content. At SBS, were proud to champion a variety of stories from around the globe and deliver an immersive selection of titles. The Doll Factory sits perfectly alongside a host of acclaimed thrillers, noir, and period cinema available for free to Australian audiences. We cant wait to travel back in time to Elizabeth Macneals 1850s London to follow this enthralling tale!

Buccaneer Executive Producer Anna Burns said: We are so excited for viewers to enter the world of The Doll Factory. We couldnt be more proud of what our incredible creative team  led by Charley Miles, Sacha Polak & Cathy Brady  have created, and of our phenomenally talented cast. Thank you, once more, to Elizabeth Macneal for giving us the gift of her debut novel, to Paramount+ for being such supportive collaborators throughout, and finally to our partners at Cineflix, SBS and TVNZ for recognising the potential of the show so early on.

By night, Iris secretly paints herself naked in the cellar, displaying a fantastical creativity that she is forced to subdue during the day whilst living under the watchful eyes of Mrs. Salter, played by Pippa Haywood (Magpie Murders). Eanna Hardwicke (The Sixth Commandment) is Silas, a taxidermist who hopes to one day find an item so unique he will be catapulted to fame. George Webster (Wedding Season, Masters of the Air) is Louis, a painter and member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, searching for his next muse.

In a city humming with anticipation for the Great Exhibition, their three worlds collide, and Iris is offered an opportunity to escape and start a new life. To do so, she must abandon her sister and sacrifice her reputation. As Iris world expands, she finds herself challenging patriarchal beliefs, exploring her sexuality, and starting to experience the things she has always dreamed of. But alongside her newfound independence, a story of dark obsession begins to unfold.

Tony Wood, Anna Burns and Richard Tulk-Hart are Executive Producers for Buccaneer. Charley Miles is the series screenwriter and is also Executive Producer. Sacha Polak (Hanna, Dirty God) is Director, Cathy Brady (Wildfire, Cant Cope, Wont Cope) is the second Director, whilst Suzanne McAuley (Magpie Murders, Maigret) is Series Producer and Julie Harkin (I May Destroy You, Becoming Elizabeth) is Casting Director.

Cineflix Rights will be distributing the series internationally and New Zealands TVNZ have also boarded the historic thriller.

Double episodes weekly from 9:30pm Thursday 7 December on SBS / All episodes SBS on Demand.
Esteemed Australian screenwriter Alison Nisselle, whose credits include Janus, Phoenix, The Sullivans, Prisoner, and Curtin has died.

She died last week, aged 80.

Her body of work is outstanding, writing or story editing 280 hours of television including The Box, Carsons Law, Prisoner, The Sullivans, Sons & Daughters, GP, Ocean Girl, Ship to Shore, Thunderstone, Bed of Roses, Blue Heelers, Headland, Home & Away, and Bloom.

She was creator or co-creator of Zoo Family, Phoenix, Janus, and Marshall Law.

She wrote telemovies Curtin, Parers War, The Feds, Street Angels, co-wrote the film Healing and script edited Mystery of a Hansom Cab and Hawke plus feature films The Interview and The Truth About Jack.

Once describing herself as an old chick, done everything, she also wrote documentaries.

The Australian Writers Guild described her as a towering figure among the generation of writers without whom todays film and television industry would not exist. She will be remembered not only for her vast and varied body of work, and her numerous accolades and awards, but also for her warmth and wit. She was a brilliant writer, editor, creator, producer and, to many of us, a wise and generous mentor.

Amongst her many awards were a Medal in the Order of Australia in 2018, Screen Leader Award Film Victoria 2016, Queensland Literary Award 2013 and an Australian Human Rights award in 1995.

A live stream of the funeral service on Thursday is available here.
Edgewood ISD police officer Juan Macias was charged with assault in connection with a domestic dispute. Bexar County Sheriff's Office

An Edgewood Independent School District Police Department officer was arrested this month, accused of assaulting his wife during a domestic dispute.

Juan Christopher Macias was arrested at his Northwest Side residence Nov. 8 and charged with assault in connection with an incident that occurred a day earlier. He was released on a $2,500 bond, court records show.

His wife told deputies that he attempted to antagonize her and pulled her hand forcefully, causing her to launch off the sofa and land on a table, according to a Bexar County Sheriffs Office report.

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According to her account, she was lying on the couch and talking to a friend on the phone when Macias came home from a night out with friends, stood over her and began screaming obscenities and derogatory remarks, then grabbed her hand holding the phone and squeezed it hard before pulling her off the couch, the report states.

She filed the complaint the next day. Medical personnel evaluated injuries to her hand, wrist and knee, but she refused medical treatment, the report states.

Macias has been placed on administrative duties, Edgewood ISD said in a prepared statement.

In response to events involving Officer Macias, he is going through a challenging situation involving a personal matter, the statement said. According to his attorney, Officer Macias has provided additional context, contradicting the allegations.

His attorney, Andrew Del Cueto, declined comment. An arraignment has been scheduled for Dec. 11. Court records show Macias is prohibited from possessing firearms.
I thought you didnt care?

I dont. Dont tell anybody, okay?

My history with The Fugitive is probably similar to those who grew up in the early-to-mid aughts like I did. It played on TNT so many times that it was hard to imagine any other film playing more on the channel. But every single time I tuned in, I was always drawn to Harrison Fords grounded, earthy performance in a movie thats about as silly as a trashy paperback you buy at the airport. As with many of the films that Ford is in, he tends to lend much more gravitas than the scripts can support. Having him in your movie is like having a secret weapon in the form of one of the biggest Hollywood stars to ever live.

Chicago vascular surgeon Dr. Richard Kimble (Ford) has the ideal life. In addition to a beautiful wife named Helen (Sela Ward), hes a well-respected individual making a huge impact on peoples lives daily. Tragedy strikes, though, when a one-armed assailant sneaks into Dr. Kimbles home, murders his wife, and frames the good doctor for her murder. Kimble is soon convicted and sentenced to death, but on the way to death row, a group of inmates revolt against the guards. This sends their bus careening into a ravine, landing right on top of train tracks. Kimble escapes before an oncoming train hits the bus and derails, resulting in a huge explosion. Now, Deputy US Marshal Sam Gerard (Jones) is on the case and will track down Kimble if its the last thing he does.

Once again, I was pretty taken on this umpteenth rewatch with just how silly the entire film is. I know its based upon a TV series that was also very pulpy and fun, but I kept forgetting just how much the film threatens to derail itself because of all the incredible incidents within. Thats why Harrison Ford is the anchor to this whole thing. With Tommy Lee Jones and his dry, ornery line delivery chewing through everything, Im comfortable with stating that without Ford there isnt a moral center or reason to get invested emotionally.

Andrew Davis direction proves to be a good fit for the material, with that opening sequence of flashbacks and flash-forwards dropping the audience right into the action without much warning. The film enters violently and exits peacefully, playing in contrast to many thrillers of the same era. And all those practical stunts? My lord, that train sequence is really a marvel, especially since you can only imagine it being recreated today totally with digital effects. Coupled with David Twohys excessively pulpy script, the domino effect caused by such a brash, explosive incident only makes your heart beat faster.

This is taut, efficient filmmaking of the highest order. Funded by Hollywood and sporting a clear-eyed thirst for thrills, The Fugitive will never escape the hearts and minds of American audiences. And hell, its not out of the ordinary to think of a pharmaceutical company as being run by sociopathic capitalists.

Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

The Fugitive cant escape your homes 4K Blu-ray player, as it arrives here with a one-disc (BD-100) release from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. The disc is housed in a standard black amaray case, and a slipcover with the same art as the sleeve is included as well. The disc boots up to a standard menu screen with options to play the film, select audio options, turn on subtitles, choose chapters and explore special features.
Former President Donald Trump has been vocal about his admiration of Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and other brutal leaders. Pablo Martinez Monsivais/Associated Press

In many ways, former President Donald Trump is an honest politician. This is a strange way to describe a man who made, according to the Washington Post, more than 30,000 false or misleading claims during his presidency.

But in numerous speeches and interviews, Trump has been honest about his grievances, insecurities, fears, fantasies, ambitions and desire to use the full force of the federal government for retribution should he return to the presidency.

Trump has also made no secret of his admiration for brutal authoritarians such as Russias Vladimir Putin, Chinas Xi Jinping and the Philippines' Rodrigo Duterte. He is, by far, the favorite to be the Republican nominee for president in 2024. In language that is becoming increasingly venomous and striking in its authoritarian imagery, Trump has signaled a fascist state should he return to the White House.

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We dont use this word lightly. Fascism is defined by Merriam-Webster as a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression and opposition.

Some readers may recoil at the use of the word fascist, but what would be a better word to describe the plans he has discussed and the language he has used?

Trump has spoken frequently about retribution against his political enemies. Should Trump again win the presidency, allies, under Project 2025, have already begun plans to consolidate power by purging government positions of non-supporters and replacing them with Trump loyalists.

Trump would weaponize the Justice Department for political purposes. In an interview with Univision, Trump said, If I happen to be president, and I see somebody whos doing well and beating me very badly, I say, Go down and indict them. Theyd be out of business. Theyd be out of the election.

He plans on rounding up millions of undocumented people and interning them in camps across the country until they can be deported. His immigration plans include canceling U.S. visas for legal green card and student visa holders who are anti-American, and travel bans against majority Muslim countries.

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Trump would pardon Jan. 6 insurrectionists while invoking the Insurrection Act to put down demonstrations he opposes.

Trump lost the 2020 presidential election to Joe Biden. But in a Veterans Day Speech in New Hampshire, Trump called himself a proud election denier and said, We pledge to you that we will root out the communists, Marxists, fascists, and radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country, lie, steal and cheat on elections, and will do anything possible, whether legally or illegally, to destroy America, and the American dream.

In calling his perceived political opponents vermin, Trump is regurgitating the venom spat out by Hitler and Mussolini, who compared their opponents and those they hated to rodents. Trump has echoed such language before in claiming that undocumented immigrants are poisoning the blood of our country.

Trump is espousing racism and proposing fascism. He is being honest with American voters about how he would use the presidency. His words encourage division, bigotry and violence. They stir anger.

Trump stares at an audience of supporters and sees his reflection. Those supporters should look back and ask themselves whether they truly see their reflection in this man.

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We do not believe they will, if they look closely. America as a nation may be a work in progress, with many historical failings and many contemporary challenges, but it is also a nation built on progress. It is a nation whose greatest political leaders have inspired hope and unity, not fear and division.
A strong legacy of over 30 years

Keppel is a pioneer foreign investor in Vietnam's real estate market. Over three decades, Keppels projects have significantly contributed to the transformed urban landscape of Ho Chi Minh City. Its high quality portfolio includes premium residential projects such as Villa Riviera, Riviera Cove, The Estella, Estella Heights, Empire City, Riviera Point, CELESTA City, as well as investment-grade commercial properties such as Saigon Centre and Estella Place in Ho Chi Minh City.

Keppel's Empire City and Riviera Point projects have an impressive absorption rate of over 99%, while commercial developments like Saigon Centre and Estella Place have maintained a 100% annual occupancy rate. Our malls are also the prime choice for high-end brands such as Chanel, Hublot and Tag Heuer. Our Grade A office buildings Saigon Centre Tower 1 and 2 serve as headquarters for multinational companies like AIA, DBS, Mitsubishi, ANZ, Garena, Lazada, and the Singapore Consulate-General in Ho Chi Minh City. Additionally, Saigon Centre Tower 2 features Sedona Suites, Keppels premium serviced apartments, catering to top-tier professionals from international organisations in Vietnam.

Collaborating closely with esteemed partners like Khang Dien, Phu Long, Tien Phuoc, Tran Thai, and Gaw Capital has played an instrumental role in shaping Keppel's achievements. These partnerships have not only strengthened Keppel's presence but have also fostered a thriving environment for strategic growth and investment opportunities.

As at December 31, 2022, Keppels Real Estate Division had USD1.1 billion worth of assets in Vietnam, which made up over 12% of the Divisions total assets. The total floor area of commercial that Keppel has developed in Vietnam exceeds 400,000 m2, accounting for 24% of the Group's floor area in countries where it has a presence. This is a reflection of Keppel's pioneering spirit in the provision of solutions for urban spaces.

Keppel's commitment to excellent quality and design has been recognised by a series of prestigious domestic and international awards. In 2022, Keppel won 12 awards at the PropertyGuru Vietnam Property Awards, including Best Sustainable Real Estate Developer and Best Mixed-use Developer.

Contributing to Vietnams sustainable growth

Keppel's expanding investment portfolio not only demonstrates its robust financial capacity but also reflects its dedication to Vietnam's sustainable development and its long-term commitment to the Vietnamese market.

At the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow (COP26), Vietnams Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh made a commitment to bring net emissions to zero by 2050. As a leading player in the real estate sector, Keppel is fully aligned with the Vietnamese Governments goal as it aims to contribute to a greener environment by providing sustainability-related solutions to help its customers and communities reduce their carbon footprint.

Keppels Real Estate Division has committed to reduce its Scope 1 and 2 absolute greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 100% from 2020s level by 2030, as well as committed to reduce its Scope 3 GHG emissions from purchased goods and services by 20% per square metre by 2030 from the 2020 base year.

To cater to the evolving needs of its customers and the community, as well as to support climate action, Keppel is also developing new business engines with sustainability in mind. The company has identified Sustainable Urban Renewal (SUR) as one of the key market segments where it is well placed to make a difference.

The SUR model, based on retrofitting and revitalising existing buildings, provides a greener, less costly, and faster alternative to new construction, and can contribute to the circular economy. By incorporating smart and sustainable features into retrofitted buildings, Keppel will enhance the assets performance and value.

Through the SUR initiative, Keppel will actively contribute to Vietnam's efforts to achieve net zero by retrofitting older buildings and making them more energy-efficient.

As part of its sustainability strategy, Keppel has also increased its use of renewable energy. For example, the photovoltaic panels installed on Keppels residential and commercial developments in Vietnam have generated an energy yield of nearly 150,000 kWh over the past three years, which is equivalent to around USD21,150 (~ VND524 million) in cost savings.

Keppels deep operating capabilities extend beyond real estate and include infrastructure solutions as well. Earlier in 2023, Keppels Infrastructure Division introduced the first-of-its-kind Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS) solution to Vietnam with the securing of contracts worth over USD70 million (approximately VND1,708 billion). Keppels subscription-based EaaS solution, which includes energy supply, cooling, decarbonisation and smart energy management, enables businesses and building owners to enjoy significant energy savings without having to make heavy upfront investments.

Keppel also seeks to uplift communities, wherever it operates. In Vietnam, Keppels corporate social responsibility initiatives focus on protecting the environment, supporting education and caring for the underprivileged. In the past three years, Keppel contributed nearly VND14 billion to Vietnams community through impactful initiatives across areas such as providing access to clean water and tree planting.

In March and August 2023, Keppel brought the Living Well water filtration systems to Tien Giang and Ca Mau provinces, where over 30,000 people are affected by drought and saltwater intrusion. This was an extension to the Living Well initiative launched in 2022.

Furthermore, Keppel offers solutions to mitigate the impact of climate change. In the past three years, Keppel has avoided 39,000 tonnes in carbon emissions from its Building and Construction Authority (BCA) Green Mark-awarded projects in Vietnam, such as Estella Heights and Palm Heights. The total energy savings from all of these projects from 2020 to 2022 was over 60 million kWh, which is equivalent to USD10.9 million (~ VND266 billion).

Keppel regards safety to be of paramount importance. Since 2011, the company has trained a total of over 41,000 workers with 257,000 training hours at its Safety Awareness Centre in Vietnam.

Additionally, Keppel in Vietnam has been recognised as one of Asia's Best Workplaces by Great Place to Work, a global authority on workplace culture.

"We are excited by themany growth opportunities in Vietnam for sustainability solutions. As a global asset manager and operator with deep capabilities in infrastructure, real estate and connectivity, Keppel is well placed to continue contributing towards Vietnams sustainable development and to help attract more capital from global investors through our quality investment platforms and asset portfolios", Mr Joseph Low, President (Vietnam), Real Estate, Keppel Corporation shared.
HA NOI Enterprises in the shipping industry reported disappointing third-quarter business results with several companies facing losses.

The lacklustre corporate profits can be attributed, in part, to the recovery of exports and imports in the third quarter of this year, which although improved, still declined in comparison to the same period last year.

Viet Nam Sea Shipping Joint Stock Company (VOS) recently disclosed its business results with a substantial loss, reflecting the challenging conditions prevailing in the shipping market.

In the third quarter, VOS's net revenue experienced a slight increase of nearly VN8 billion (nearly $322,000) compared to the same period last year, reaching VN710 billion ($29.4 million). However, despite the revenue growth, the surge in the cost of goods, which rose by nearly 160 per cent to VN715 billion, resulted in VOS incurring a loss of nearly VN25 billion. This is in stark contrast to the profit of nearly VN152 billion recorded during the same period last year. Consequently, this marks the first quarter where the company reported a loss since the second quarter of 2021.

In the first nine months of 2023, VOS's accumulated profit stood at approximately VN48 billion, a significant decline of nearly 10 times compared to the same period last year.

Cai Lan Port Investment Joint Stock Company (CPI) faced a decline in net revenue, reaching only VN8 billion, down by 46 per cent compared to the same period last year. The company's gross profit plummeted by 91 per cent during this period, amounting to slightly over VN250 million. Additionally, financial revenue experienced a sharp decrease of 92 per cent to VN3 billion, while business management costs rose by over VN1.2 billion. Consequently, Cai Lan Port reported an after-tax loss of VN770 million in the third quarter of 2023, compared to a profit of nearly VN3 billion in the same period last year.

In the first nine months, Cai Lan Port's revenue amounted to VN23 billion, down by 49 per cent compared to the same period last year. The company incurred an after-tax loss of nearly VN1.7 billion during this period, while it had a profit of VN5.5 billion in the corresponding period last year. As of the end of the third quarter, Cai Lan Port's accumulated loss exceeded VN404 billion.

Similarly, Phuoc An Port Investment and Exploitation Petroleum Joint Stock Company (PAP) also reported a loss in the third quarter. With no recorded revenue during this period, the company solely incurred business management costs, resulting in an after-tax loss of nearly VN1.7 billion. In comparison, it incurred a loss of VN4.6 billion during the same period last year.

In the first nine months of 2023, Phuoc An Port recorded a loss of nearly VN5 billion, whereas it reported a loss of VN6 billion in the corresponding period last year.

Despite a decrease in net revenue, certain businesses have managed to achieve profit growth by capitalising on revenue from other sources.

Can Tho Port Joint Stock Company (CCT) experienced a net revenue decline of over 4 per cent in the same period, amounting to VN34 billion. Simultaneously, the cost price rose by nearly 9 per cent to over VN28 billion, resulting in a 31 per cent decrease in gross profit to VN6 billion. Net profit from business activities also declined by more than half in the same period, reaching VN675 million.

However, with the inclusion of income from the liquidation of fixed assets and after deducting expenses, the company reported a profit after tax of VN3.3 billion, nearly 2.5 times higher than the same period last year.

In the accumulated nine months, Can Tho Port's revenue reached VN108 billion, reflecting a 14 per cent increase compared to the same period last year, and the profit after tax surged by 20 times to VN4.5 billion.

Among the various reasons hindering positive profits in the shipping industry, a significant factor is the decline in import and export activities compared to the same period last year, despite a recovery taking place.

According to the General Department of Customs, export turnover in the third quarter of 2023 is estimated to reach US$94.6 billion, displaying a 10.3 per cent increase compared to the second quarter of 2023. However, it still represents a 1.2 per cent decline compared to the same period last year. Import turnover is estimated at $86 billion, which is a 4.5 per cent decrease compared to the same period last year but an 11 per cent increase compared to the second quarter of 2023.

Significantly, after four consecutive months of growth, exports exhibited signs of decline in September, dropping by 4.1 per cent compared to August.

Freight prices are currently rebounding, according to Yuanta Vietnam Securities Limited Company (YSVN).

Analysts also assert that the shipping, seaports and logistics sectors are poised to benefit from the recently upgraded comprehensive strategic partnership between Viet Nam and the US.

The US remains Viet Nams largest export market, with turnover to the US increasing by 13.6 per cent in 2022. In the first nine months of 2023, Viet Nam recorded a trade surplus of $60.7 billion with the US.

Mirae Asset Securities Joint Stock Company (Viet Nam) predicts that Viet Nams seaport and logistics industry will be among the sectors that benefit the most from the improved Viet Nam - US relations, considering the US as the largest consumer of Vietnamese goods. VNS
HA NOI  Vietnamese firms should foster their imports of raw materials from the United Kingdom (UK) to enjoy preferential tariffs brought by the UK-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA), trade experts have suggested.

According to experts, the UK can be a source of quality raw materials for Viet Nam especially because raw materials that Viet Nam needs to import for export production or domestic consumption are items that Viet Nam offers preferential tariffs to the UK.

Under the trade deal, Viet Nam commits to eliminate 48.5 per cent of tariff lines from January 1, 2021; 91.8 per cent of tariff lines from January 1, 2027 and 98.3 per cent of tariff lines from January 1, 2029.

The remaining 1.7 per cent of tariff lines are partially liberalised through tariff rate quotas (the quota volumes are consistent with Viet Nams WTO commitments and duties within quotas will be removed by 2031) or not entitled to preferential treatment.

Typically, 61 per cent of tariff lines for machinery and appliances imported from the UK have been removed since January 1, 2021, while import tariffs for all other products will be eliminated after nine years.

For pharmaceutical products, Viet Nam has eliminated 71 per cent of tariff lines from January 1, 2021. All other products will have import taxes eliminated after four to six years.

Meanwhile, the Southeast Asian nation has lifted 80 per cent of tariff lines imposed on raw materials for textiles, garments and footwear from January 1, 2021, while that of all other products will be eliminated after four to six years.

Statistics from the General Department of Customs revealed that Viet Nam imported nearly US$373 million worth of goods from the UK, equivalent to the same period in 2022.

Among staples recording high growth rate included seafood raw materials (233 per cent); iron and steel products (95 per cent); fabrics (72 per cent); plastic products (15 per cent) and machinery, equipment, tools and spare parts (6.4 per cent).

According to the department, items that accounted for a large proportion of Viet Nam's import turnover from the UK in H1 included machinery, equipment, tools, and spare parts (24 per cent); pharmaceuticals (11.8 per cent); chemicals (6.4 per cent); textile, garment, leather, and shoe raw materials (5.2 per cent); seafood and seafood materials 4.6 per cent.

These above-mentioned goods are what Viet Nam needs to import for export production and domestic consumption.

A recent survey by Vietnam Report, a market research company in Viet Nam, showed that a top priority among Vietnamese businesses is to diversify their supply sources, especially for imported raw materials.

According to the report, 72.7 per cent of all participants said they want to seek out new suppliers at lower prices and they want to do so in the near future.  VNS
HA NOI  Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung has sent an Official Dispatch to relevant ministries and agencies asking for hastened efforts to speed up the disbursement of public investment in the remaining months of this year amid disappointing results in January  October.

Updated statistics showed that more than VN401.8 trillion (nearly US$17 billion) worth of public investment was disbursed as of October 21, or 56.75 per cent of the Governments plan.

Forty-one ministries and central level agencies together with 24 localities had disbursement rates below the countrys average.

There are only two months left until the end of this year while the public investment sum to be disbursed amounts around VN300 trillion.

The workload is heavy in the last two months this year to fulfil the target of public investment, Deputy Director of the Investment Department Le Tuan Anh under the Ministry of Finance said.

The Governments goal of disbursing at least 95 per cent of allocated public investment this year seems to be beyond reach, he said.

To speed up the public disbursement, the finance ministry said that drastic measures must be raised to remove bottlenecks in the implementation of public-invested projects, especially in site clearance, investment procedures and shortage of building materials for several products in the Cuu Long (Mekong) River Delta.

Especially, the lack of accountability is one of the major causes for the stagnation in the implementation of public-invested projects, he said.

He said that the transfer of capital from projects with slow disbursement to projects with good disbursement rates must be completed quickly.

The reasons and responsibilities in projects proposed to extend implementation and disbursement into the following year must be clarified in order to increase the efficiency of state budget capital use, he said.

Hastened efforts

Localities are accelerating public investment disbursement, but the target of 95 per cent disbursement rate is challenging to many.

The finance ministrys statistics showed that 15 ministries and central level agencies report disbursement rates below 10 per cent, and 4 localities below 30 per cent.

HCM City, for example, reported a disbursement rate of 35 per cent in the first 10 months of this year.

Still, the southern city is determined to meet the target of 95 per cent disbursement rate this year.

Le Thi Huynh Mai, Director of HCM City Department of Planning and Investment, said that the city must disburse nearly VN44 trillion by the end of December, a huge pressure in the last two months of this year.

Earlier this month, the municipal Peoples Committee launched a 60-day emulation to push the effort to fulfil the public investment disbursement goal.

The municipal authorities will drastically implement solutions in the remaining months of 2023 to achieve the disbursement target, Phan Van Mai, Chairman of HCM City Peoples Committee, said. If the disbursement rate of 95 per cent cannot be achieved, it cannot be lower than 80 per cent, he said.

The citys statistics showed that 79 projects are in stagnation due to problems in site clearance, which blocked the disbursement around VN10.8 trillion. To date, only VN2 trillion has been disbursed and another VN3 trillion is expected to be disbursed by the year end, leaving around VN5.6 trillion unspent.

Another 28 projects are under slow implementation with the fault in investors, expecting a disbursed sum of VN1.6 trillion by the year end, while the allocated sum was more than VN2.4 trillion.

Sixteen projects faced problems in coordination among relevant departments and agencies, expecting a disbursed sum of VN358 billion till the year end, while the plan was VN666 billion.

inh Trong Thinh from the Academy of Finance said that accelerating the disbursement of public investment requires drastic effort and coordination of the Government, ministries and localities, together with determination for synchronous and comprehensive measures.  VNS
HCM CITY  Petfair Vietnam 2024, Viet Nams leading international trade fair for the pet industry, will be held for the first time at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre in HCM City from March 27 to 29, 2024.

Co-organised by Minh Vi Exhibition and Advertising Services Co Ltd (VEAS) and Chinas Beijing Beyond Technology Co Ltd, the fair is expected to attract more than 200 exhibitors from 12 countries and territories, including South Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, China, Germany, and the US, and receive over 6,000 trade visitors.

Leading businesses in the pet industry such as Jworld, China Ji Chong, La Organic, Ecoby Inc, Pacific Harvest, Fair Export, Fivevet, JSC, Darin, and Dexin will join in the fair, according to the organisers.

Exhibitors will showcase thousands of pet products and services, including pet food, toys, fashion, pet care services, vaccines, veterinary medicines, biological products, medical machinery, equipment and supplies, and furniture and equipment for pet hospitals, spas, and veterinary clinics.

Furthermore, participants will also have the opportunity to meet leading OEM/ODM suppliers to develop unique products in accordance to their demands and explore cooperation opportunities with foreign firms, it said.

Specialised seminars, training courses, pet shows, Pet Top Model, pet care skill competition and a VIP buyer programme will be held within the framework of the fair.

Firms can also seek to expand their dealer channels, promote their images, and position their brands through the fair's social media channels.

Speaking at the press conference in HCM City last week to introduce the fair, Nguyen Ba Vinh, VEASs general director, said the fair has attracted great interest from businesses involved in the industry.

The exhibition is expected to become a trade bridge to connect domestic and international businesses in the field of pet products, technology and services and foster long-term cooperation among them, thereby promoting the development of the pet industry in Viet Nam, he said.

Yang Cheng, president of the China Pet Industry Association (CPIA), said the global pet market has never declined, even in economic crisis.

With owners striving to bring the best to their pets, demand for pet medical services, training programmes, bathing and grooming services as well as pet hotels (when owners travel) will continue to surge sharply, she said.

Associate Professor, Dr. Le Quang Thong at Nong Lam University, and president of the Viet Nam Small Animal Veterinary Association, said with improved incomes and quality of life, the pet-raising community in Viet Nam has increased swiftly in recent years and will continue rising in the coming years, opening up a lot of opportunities for pet products and services to develop.

At the press conference, VEAS and the China Pet Industry Association signed a co-operation agreement that targets to bring many business opportunities to Vietnamese and foreign firms at the fair.  VNS
HA NOI  The second International Food & Drink, Hotel, Restaurant, Bakery & Foodservice Equipment, Supplies and Services Exhibition (Food & Hotel Hanoi 2023) has officially taken place at Hanoi International Exhibition Center in the capital city of Ha Noi.

The three-day Food & Hotel Hanoi 2023 is a remarkable event in the Northern market, which is hosting 113 exhibitors from 19 countries and regions, including the presence of 12 international groups. With an expansive exhibition area of 6,000+ sq.m, this event is anticipated to attract more than 6,500 trade visitors.

The event aims to be a platform for fostering new business collaborations. It serves as a trade bridge between international producers as well as exporters and local importers, distributors, and retailers in the food, hospitality, and accommodation sectors in Viet Nam. Beyond being a hub for updating the F&B accommodation businesses on the latest innovations and trends, this exhibition is also a space to celebrate and nurture young talents in the culinary and beverage industry.

Speaking at the event, BT Tee, general manager at Informa Markets said the influence of international food and ingredients in Vietnamese cuisine was quite important. The Michelin star was awarded to many restaurants in Ha Noi, marking a successful combination of food cultures, adding that the event acted as an unmissable occasion, bringing together numerous international and domestic brands in one place, at one time. The event created a space for people to connect, engage in conversations, and actively discuss the F&B and hotel sector. This was how they created new things for the industry.

Food & Hotel Hanoi 2023 is part of the Food & Hotel exhibition series, a well-established and highly reputable international trade show in the F&B and accommodation industry in Asia, hosted by Informa Markets.  VNS
HCM CITY  According to the financial report for Q3/2023, 70 per cent of WinCommerce's minimart group had an after-tax profit margin of 2.2 per cent in what was their second consecutive quarter of profitability.

This significant milestone instils confidence in the leadership regarding the path to achieving breakeven for the entire network by 2024, thanks to growth-oriented strategies.

Despite the slow recovery in consumer sentiment and slower new store openings, WinCommerce (WCM) achieved healthy EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) growth in Q3, reaching an EBITDA margin of 2.9 per cent, up from 2.2 per cent in Q2 and 1 per cent in Q1.

As a result, the EBIT margin was flat in Q3 and on path to turning positive for the first time since COVID-19.

Catering to a variety of customer requirements

In 2023 consumer spending is forecast to become more cautious. However, most customers residing and working in upscale urban areas will not hesitate to spend, but will be more discerning in brand selection and prioritise the shopping experience.

After over nine years of active operation in the retail industry with two models, supermarket and convenience store, the WinCommerce retail chain has come up with a premium supermarket model in prime locations in major urban hubs such as Ha Noi and HCM City.

The model targets customers with high income and social status, busy lifestyle and multiple needs in a one-stop shopping destination.

Alongside this, aiming to serve a diverse customer base, the company has introduced the Winmart+ Rural model, a key component in its strategy to conquer the rural market with a portfolio of competitively priced domestic products and mid-range imported fruits and a strong focus on promotions.

As a result, the performance of WCM's store models is clearly reflected in the financial report for Q3/2023 from Masan Group.

Its net revenues increased by 2.1 per cent in the first nine months of 2023 and by 3.3 per cent in Q3, both year-on-year, thanks to the opening of new stores.

As of September 2023 WCM had 3,586 stores around the country, including mini supermarkets and supermarkets.

According to reports, like-for-like (LFL) revenue growth for WinMart+ improved to -5.9 per cent in Q3/2023 from -9.6 per cent in the first half of 2023. It also improved for WinMart to -3.8 per cent from -7.7 per cent.

Socialisation of safe vegetables with WinEco

In the modern retail segment, WinCommerce is the largest player in Viet Nam with more than 3,600 supermarkets and WinMart/WinMart+ stores in 62 provinces and cities out of 63.

Maintaining a supply chain with over 90 per cent Vietnamese products, it plays a crucial role as a bridge, assisting local businesses and manufacturers in delivering high-quality products to more than 32 million customers every month.

In pursuit of its mission of "socialisation of safe vegetables", WCM has introduced WinEco safe vegetable products at reasonable prices across its entire system.

WinEco's fruits and vegetables are grown using advanced technologies from partners such as Netafim (Israel), Kubota (Japan) and Teshuva Agricultural Projects - TAP (Israel), which meet VietGAP, GlobalGAP, and Organic standards and automated production lines.

Quality is ensured under the guidance of experienced agricultural experts and engineers.

The safe vegetable products, from farm to table, grown using advanced technology by WinEco, are a strategic move by WCM to win consumers trust.

Competitive pricing strategy to benefit consumers, local businesses

Amidst economic challenges that have impacted consumers incomes, WinCommerce has unveiled a number of strategies aimed at keeping prices stable, stimulating demand and alleviating the burden of high prices for customers.

Through programmes and forums linked to the consumption of regional agricultural products, WinCommerce has proactively engaged with suppliers.

It has been collaborating with over 200 agricultural product suppliers, and has long-term buying contracts with suppliers, co-operatives and individual farmers to ensure supply. This initiative not only helps WCM secure cost-effective supply for the market but also helps provide local businesses with reliable outlets.

To reduce costs and offer competitive prices to consumers, WinCommerce established an in-house logistics chain named Supra in 2022 with 10 cold and dry warehouses across all three regions.

In its first year of operation, Supra helped achieve a 13 per cent reduction in logistics costs for goods delivered through the company's warehouse system.

Moreover, in the effort to create values for consumers, the company has also implemented the WIN Membership programme, enabling customers to buy products at more discounted prices.

In the 10 months since the programme began, membership has reached 7.2 million. To enhance the benefits of the programme, the company plans to collaborate with Phuc Long and Lazada, integrating their products and services into the platform.

With customer-centric growth strategies, WinCommerce has positioned the role in a golden era for the Vietnamese consumer market, contributing to achieving the economic growth goals set by the Government in 2023 and the future.
HA NOI  The 17th session of the Viet Nam-Romania Joint Committee on Economic Cooperation took place in Ha Noi on Tuesday under the co-chairmanship of Viet Nam's Minister of Industry and Trade, Nguyen Hong Dien, and Romanian Minister of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Tourism, Stefan-Radu Oprea.

During the session, reviewing the results achieved in economic and trade cooperation, the two ministers expressed satisfaction with the positive developments in the Viet Nam-Romania bilateral relationship across various aspects, including politics, diplomacy, economics, labour, education, and culture.

Among these, economic and trade ties are crucial and serve as a driving force for the collaborative relationship between the two nations.

In the period from 2019 to 2022, bilateral trade between the two countries increased by over 1.6 times from US$261 million in 2019 to $425 million in 2022, with Viet Nam's exports to Romania rising 1.6 times from nearly $194 million in 2019 to $322 million in 2022, and imports from Romania to Viet Nam increasing 1.5 times from $68 million to $103 million.

However, during the meeting, the two ministers expressed that economic and trade cooperation between the two countries had not met expectations.

Viet Nam's exports to Romania in 2022 constituted only 0.24 per cent of Romania's imports, while Romania's exports to Viet Nam represented just 0.03 per cent of Viet Nam's imports.

At the meeting, both sides spent considerable time exchanging views and identifying priority areas for cooperation to promote in the coming time, focusing on maximising the benefits from major cooperation frameworks, such as the Viet Nam-EU Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), the Free Trade Agreement between Viet Nam and the European Union (EVFTA).

They also emphasised the need to accelerate the implementation of commitments within the framework of the Economic Cooperation Committee between the two countries to bring about positive outcomes for both sides in the upcoming period.

Minister Nguyen Hong Dien sincerely thanked Minister Oprea for his attention and support in promoting the negotiation and signing of the EVFTA and EVIPA, adding that, the EVFTA became effective on August 1, 2020, opening up significant opportunities for trade between Viet Nam and EU countries in general and Romania in particular.

At the meeting, the two ministers also agreed to make effective use of the EVFTA to open up each other's markets. They emphasised the need to enhance the exchange of business delegations and attract investments in sectors where Viet Nam has demand and Romania has strengths, such as machinery, specialised equipment, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, automobile manufacturing, clean energy, mining, oil refining, etc.

Dien proposed that Romania open its market to Vietnamese goods, especially products related to textiles, footwear, agriculture, aquaculture, coffee, and various fruits.

Viet Nam would also be willing to act as a bridge to promote economic and trade relations between Romania and ASEAN as well as other economies that Viet Nam has signed free trade agreements with.

Meanwhile, Oprea expressed appreciation for the longstanding and traditional relations between the two countries. Romania was keen on further facilitating the export and import of agricultural products, pharmaceuticals, and promoting collaboration in the fields of science and technology, especially in artificial intelligence and digital transformation. Romania would actively consider Viet Nam's proposal to establish a Working Group on Labour within the framework of the Joint Commission between the two countries.

During his working visit to Viet Nam, Minister Oprea noted the participation of Romanian sectors and businesses, expressing the desire to seek cooperation with Viet Nam in areas such as oil and gas, power transmission, agriculture, information technology, pharmaceuticals, and tourism. This is aimed at realising agreements and commitments between Viet Nam and the EU, as well as with Romania. He also mentioned that Romania would be ready to be a gateway for Vietnamese goods to enter Europe.

The 17th session of the Viet Nam-Romania Joint Committee on Economic Cooperation, accompanied by the Vietnam-Romania Business Forum on the sidelines, is expected to address difficulties and provide specific solutions to enhance cooperation in various areas. The focus will be on economic, trade, and investment cooperation, industry, energy, science and technology, environmental protection, climate change mitigation, labour, and tourism.

Both sides also agreed to promote mutual investment, especially in collaborative projects, to achieve commitments to sustainable development, green growth, and environmental protection.  VNS
HCM CITY Paysage Dans Loubli (Landscape of Oblivion), a French opera written by playwright Olivier Dhenin Huu, will premiere at the HCM City Opera House on November 26.

The opera is produced by the Rochefort-based Winterreise Theatre Company and its partners -- the French Embassy in Viet Nam, the French Institute in Viet Nam, and the Centre for Arts and Culture Studies and Application -- to mark the 50th anniversary of Viet Nam-France diplomatic relations.

The production evokes a thousand years of history of Viet Nam and its link with France, both countries from which the playwright Huu originates.

The five-act work revolves around Antonin, a grandson of Rosaline, a Vietnamese woman who left Sai Gon in 1958 with her children to join her husband in France.

Rosalines daughter, Louise, has little memory of her childhood in Sai Gon [no HCM City] since she grew up in a new country and forgot her native country.

Louises son, Antonin, tries to rediscover the family memory through his grandmother's stories, old photographs and books.

The opera will feature baritone Guy Elliott as Antonin, soprano Anne-Marine Suire as Rosaline, mezzo-soprano Lea Bao Ngoc Badillo as Louise, and other French and Vietnamese artists.

The work will also have the participation of Vietnamese cai luong (reformed opera) artists Nguyen Thi Tu Quyen and Ly Trung Tin.

The operas music is composed by Benjamin Attahir, focusing on Vietnamese traditional music performed by musicians such as Tran Trong Tri with an bau (monochord), Mai Thanh Son with an nguyet (moon-shaped two-chord guitar), and Nguyen Thi Hai Phuong with an tranh (16-chord zither).

Attahir began learning the violin at a very early age and then became passionate about composition.

His works are played by various ensembles and orchestras such as the Orchestre National de France, the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Tokyo Sinfonietta.

He is frequently invited to festivals such as the Gaudeamus Festival in the Netherlands, the Lucerne Festival in Switzerland, and the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence.

Playwright Huu is also a poet and director. Alongside studying literature at the University of Paris, he pursued musical training at the Amiens National Regional Conservatory, which led him to serve as artistic coordinator of the Theatre du Chatelet from 2006 to 2008.

He then created his own theatre company Winterreise, where he directed plays such as Three Dramas for Marionettes by Maeterlinck, and L'Enfant et les Sortileges (The Child and the Magic Spell) by Maurice Ravel.

In 2021, Huu was a laureate of Villa Saigon, an artistic residency programme initiated by the French Institute.

The performance of the opera Paysage Dans Loubli, which is available with Vietnamese and French subtitles, will begin at 4pm at 7 Lam Son Square in District 1.

The opera will be later staged at 7pm at the Ho Guom Theatre in Ha Noi on November 28.

Tickets for the show are available at ticketbox.vn. VNS
Hoang Lan

Hanoians have made their home famous worldwide for hundreds of delicacies including tasty dishes made of snails such as cha oc (snail nuggets).

There are many ways to prepare cha oc, like steamed with lemongrass, wrapped in betel leaves, deep-fried, or steamed in bamboo tubes.

Overseas Vietnamese ao Thu Nga from the UK, who recently returned to her home city of Ha Noi, said the capitals snail delicacies have won over diners including gourmets with their tasty and unique savour.

Nga recalled that in the past when she was a young girl, she and her friends were interested in their favourite oc luoc (boiled snails) with a dipping sauce of mixed fish sauce, garlic, sugar, lemongrass and fresh chilli; as well as bun oc (snails with fresh vermicelli soup).

It is most enjoyable with a bowl of hot vermicelli or hotpot on a winter day, Nga said.

Later when grown up, Nga said her favourite snail dishes also included snail nuggets.

I like cha oc so much for its perfect combination between minced snail, pork paste, and natural spices such as hot chilli, hot pepper, artisan fish sauce and others.

I enjoy each bite of cha oc for its crisp snail, tender but firm and fragrant pork paste mixed with these spices, Nga told Viet Nam News, adding that the dish, although simple and common, still offered diners an unforgettable experience.

Nga said apart from being a delicacy for a party food tray, hotpot, or eaten with rice, cha oc has become a dear and valuable gift which carries the traditional culture of Vietnamese when presented to friends and relatives.

In addition, Nga also enjoyed snail and pork paste steamed in bamboo tubes (locally known as oc hap ong nua), a new trend. The dish attracts not only youngsters but also adults.

A snail seller in Ha Nois Ho Tay (West Lake) area, Nguyen Thi Hanh, said she learned to make the dish from her friend in the northwestern province of Son La where ethnic groups such as HMong and Thai made the dish since long ago. It has become a favourite dish of many visitors and travellers to the province.

"Snail and pork paste steamed in a bamboo tube better retains its flavour that please foodies," Hanh said, noting that compared with other snail dishes, this delicacy is more impressive for its authenticity: the fresh bamboo tube has its own natural fragrance which mixes with the savour of minced snail and port paste to make the dish tastier.

"Cha oc is a nutritious dish suitable for everyone," Hanh said, adding that apart from being steamed, snail and pork mixture can be cooked in a hotpot, or roasted over charcoal. You can preserve it in a refrigerator for later use."

While snail dishes are available on many Ha Noi streets, the most tasty ones are around West Lake, a birthplace of the delicacy, she said.

For Nga herself, snail dishes help pull her back to her peaceful childhood, reviving memories of her homeland and traditional tasty dishes. VNS
State Rep. Andrew Murr makes a closing statement for the prosecution on the ninth day of suspended Texas Attorney General Ken Paxtons impeachment trial in the Senate Chamber at the Texas Capitol on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, in Austin, Texas. Sam Owens/Sam Owens/Pool via San Antonio E

State Rep. Andrew Murr, the Junction Republican who led the Houses effort this year to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton, will not seek reelection, he announced Monday.

Murr, an attorney and cattle rancher, has served in the Legislature for nearly a decade. He heads the House General Investigating Committee, a typically sleepy assignment that this year oversaw two high-profile inquiries into alleged misconduct by state officials, including Paxton.

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After the attorney general was acquitted by the Senate in September, Paxton promised political retribution against anyone who worked to remove him from office.

Murr, who presented opening and closing arguments for the House impeachment managers during the trial, was top of the list. Paxton has already endorsed a GOP primary challenger, Wes Virdell, the Texas state director for the Gun Owners of America.

Murr said the external pressure had no bearing on his decision to retire, and he is instead motivated to spend more time with his family.

I have every confidence that I could continue to represent our district with the same level of integrity and accomplishment you deserve and have come to expect, he said in a letter posted to Facebook. I take my oath of office seriously, as any public servant should, and I am not willing to compromise my moral and ethical responsibilities for political ease.

Murr did not respond to requests for comment late Monday. His district includes Hondo, Medina and Kerrville and stretches into West Texas.

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Murrs leadership on the investigating committee also prompted the first expulsion of a House member in nearly a century. He launched an inquiry this spring into former Rep. Bryan Slaton, R-Royse City, who was accused of having an inappropriate sexual relationship with a 19-year-old aide after giving her alcohol.

In his retirement letter, Murr doubled down on the impeachment effort and said he believed legislators need to hold our elected leaders to a higher standard of conduct no matter the political consequences. He also highlighted the GOPs legislative accomplishments during his time in office, including new resources for border security, an abortion ban and election reforms.

Though he enjoys his work at the Capitol, Murr said public service requires sacrifices that too often affect those you love most. He said he missed time with his wife and four children, and he has not been able to dedicate as much time to his law practice. He also put his ranch work on hold, he said, and now  quite literally  cows are calling me home.

The saddle is ready for the next person to ride point for us in Austin, he said. I still have many opportunities ahead and I intend to remain active in the plans God has for me in the future. Right now, that future includes a wife and kids who need to see more of their husband and dad around the house, at the ballgame, and on the ranch.
HA NOI  The domestic health sector is advised to enhance the capability of managerial officers in bidding processes at medical facilities.

There was a need to focus on training medical facilities managerial staff in bidding, bidding management, and project management, as in the past, the Ministry of Health implemented centralised bidding.

Now, in addition to centralised bidding, medical facilities have been tasked with being proactive in bidding for drugs.

However, when these facilities were assigned the responsibility of bidding for drugs, they lacked competent human resources, stated National Assembly (NA) deputy Nguyen Cong Hoang of Thai Nguyen Province, during the NAs sixth plenary session. This session discussed the outcomes of monitoring the resolution of voters' petitions sent to the 15th NA's fifth session, on Monday morning in Ha Noi.

He also mentioned that the health sector needed to publicise the list of medical techniques that district-level medical facilities are capable of performing. This would enable patients, who are covered by health insurance, to remain at the district-level medical facilities for treatment of common diseases.

For the medical techniques that the district-level medical facilities could not perform, the patients would be allowed to go to higher level medical facilities for treatment, he said.

It aimed to reduce problems for patients who participated in health insurance, when they wanted to move to higher-level medical facilities for treatment, he said.

He asked the NA and the Government to pay more attention to the current insurance premium levels to ensure the appropriateness and balance of the insurance fund.

Also at the session, NA deputy Nguyen Anh Tri of Ha Noi said the health ministry had already responded to recommendations from local voters on a number of issues, such as adding drugs to the list covered by the health insurance fund, overcoming the shortage of drugs, medical equipment and supplies in hospitals, improving salaries and allowances for medical staff.

He highly appreciated the efforts of the health ministry and the Minister of Health in solving difficult issues.

In an attempt to solve the local shortages of drugs and medical supplies at medical facilities in some provinces and cities, the health ministry issued legal documents to promote the procurement of medical equipment to serve medical examination and treatment.

Therefore, he requested provinces and localities to inspect and organise the procurement of adequate equipment to ensure good conditions for examination and treatment.

He said some voters complained that health insurance participants had to ask for a hospital transfer certificate when they wanted to move to another medical facility. The voters said it was very troublesome and very time-consuming.

As per regulations, the health insurance participants have to be examined and treated at the medical facility that they registered at on the health insurance card first. During the treatment at the registered medical facility, if they want to move to another facility, they have to ask for a hospital transfer certificate.

He said information technology had now advanced and the connection of medical test results among medical facilities was quite smooth.

"Currently, more than 93 per cent of the Vietnamese population has health insurance cards, so the requirement of a hospital transfer certificate should be abolished," he said.

He also suggested further promoting the connection among medical facilities at all levels.

The next amendment of the Law on Health Insurance should be changed so that health insurance participants can receive examination and treatment wherever they want in accordance with the law and their condition.

This must be considered the most important amendment, he said.

Speaking at the session, Minister of Health ao Hong Lan thanked NA deputies for their opinions as well as the recommendations of voters nationwide.

She said resolving voters' opinions and recommendations was one of the key works considered and implemented by the ministry.

Lan said that ensuring drugs and medical supplies after the COVID-19 pandemic showed limitations due to both internal and external causes.

Currently, the problems in supply and policy mechanisms have been resolved thanks to the support of the NA and Government. However, the capability of managerial officers in bidding work was still inadequate, she said.

She requested the People's Committees of the provinces to review and fix the situation.

Extra classes should be allowed

NA deputy Nguyen Van Huy of Thai Binh Province said looking at the lives of the majority of teachers today, tutoring was a solution to improve their income.

If doctors can open private clinics after working hours and many people in other professions can work after working hours to increase their income, tutoring is a legitimate right for teachers, he said.

He said that the balance of supply and demand in education was an opportunity for teachers to earn extra income.

Private tutoring, if it stems from the legitimate wishes of the learners, was not worthy of condemnation, he said.

The issue that voters and the people were concerned about was how to regulate and organise the implementation of private tutoring in a healthy and correct way so that teachers could have the opportunity to improve their income and students could access prestigious quality education, he said.

He proposed the Ministry of Education and Training quickly amend relevant regulations to ensure the interests of students, parents and teachers. The ministry should submit to the competent authority to decide on adding extra teaching and learning to the list of conditional business occupations.

Responding to Huys comments, Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son said that extra learning was a real need of learners, and the need was very diverse.

The ministry had issued many regulations on extra teaching and learning in the school environment, especially Circular 17 on controlling extra teaching and learning.

However, he also admitted that it lacked a legal basis to manage, monitor, and handle extra teaching and learning outside of school.

He agreed with Huy that it needed to include tutoring and extra learning in conditional business occupations to have a legal basis for handling related issues outside of school.

He said in the process of amending the Law on Investment in 2020, the education ministry had sent document No 1534 to the National Assembly's Economic Committee and the Ministry of Planning and Investment, and sent document No 2026 to the Prime Minister, requesting to supplement extra teaching and learning to the list of conditional business occupations.

However, the submission had not been approved, he said.

He said the country now had about 53,000 schools. Thus, he asked localities to coordinate to manage the extra learning and teaching out of school. VNS
UNITED NATIONS  Peace was the prerequisite for development, Ambassador ang Hoang Giang, Viet Nams Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), has affirmed.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) held an open discussion session on promoting sustainable peace through common development on Monday in New York (local time) under the chairmanship of China, President of the UNSC this month.

The session had the participation of more than 80 UN member countries.

Speaking at the session, Giang said that the relationship between peace and development became even more important as war and conflict still existed in many places in the world, while the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development implementation was progressing slowly.

He said the UNSC needed to work more effectively in preventing conflicts, arms races and resolving conflicts by peaceful solutions.

The UNSC also needed to pay attention and prioritise addressing the root causes of development-related conflicts in both conflict prevention and post-conflict reconstruction.

Giang believed that the UN, including the UNSC, needed a comprehensive approach to promote peace and sustainable development, breaking the vicious cycle of conflict and poverty.

Activities of the UNSC, peacekeeping missions and special political missions needed to be placed in the overall context of the Sustainable Development Goals and related international initiatives.

He also emphasised that the UNSC should be involved in handling emerging and non-traditional challenges to common development and security, including climate change and rising sea levels.

The council should solve security risks from these issues, contributing more effectively to common efforts to prevent negative impacts on development.

From a war-torn country, Viet Nam had made many outstanding development achievements in the past 50 years, with a vision of becoming a high-income country by 2045 and achieving the target of net zero emissions by 2050.

More than anyone else, Viet Nam understood the importance of promoting socio-economic development and ensuring the welfare of the people in maintaining peace and stability, said Giang.

He affirmed that Viet Nam was always ready to share experiences and good practices with the international community on the issue.

In the opening speech, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasised the connection between peace and development as the basis for the UNs foundation, the Vietnam News Agency correspondent in the US reported.

Peace building was a tool to ensure food security, access to education, health care and social services for all people, he said.

Rapporteurs and representatives of participating countries agreed on the importance of ensuring security along with development, resolving the root causes of conflicts and accelerating the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The UNSC plays an important role in ensuring international peace and security to create conditions for development.  VNS
HA NOI  A book by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on the building and development of Viet Nam's diplomacy deeply imbued with the characteristics of Vietnamese bamboo made debut at a ceremony held in Ha Noi on Tuesday.

The book is divided into three parts, with the first focusing on the important role of and major contributions by diplomacy to national construction and defence. It consists of an overview article and seven speeches the Party leader delivered at meetings of the Party Central Committee and national diplomatic and foreign affairs conferences.

The second part  Viet Nam's foreign affairs for independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation, and development  gathers 78 speeches, writings, interviews, letters, and messages of the General Secretary at bilateral and multilateral diplomatic activities and forums, showing the close and harmonious coordination among the diplomatic pillars of Party-to-Party, State-to-State, and people-to-people diplomacy.

The third part is about the hallmarks of the countrys foreign affairs and diplomacy. It features 52 opinions of international experts, politicians, diplomats, researchers, and friends about General Secretary Trong's role and contributions to the formation and development of Viet nam's comprehensive and modern foreign policy. It also includes the memories, impressions, and stories shared by Vietnamese diplomats, journalists, and expatriates who used to accompany or meet the leader during his visits and working trips in the country and abroad, reflecting their sentiment towards, respect for, and trust in the Party and the General Secretarys leadership.

Addressing the launch, Truong Thi Mai, Politburo member, Permanent member of the Party Central Committee Secretariat and Chairwoman of the Party Central Committees Organisation Commission, said the publication of the book demonstrates that the Party always views foreign affairs as an essential, constant, and important task of the entire political system and a major contributor to the national construction and defence.

She noted the book is the biggest and most meticulous and vivid demonstration of that unique and consistent characteristic of Viet Nam's diplomacy, she continued.

Mai held that it is a valuable reference book for those wishing to learn about the countrys foreign policy and also a clear illustration of the Party and States consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation, development, diversification, and multilateralisation. It also reflects international experts, politicians, diplomats, and friends support for the Party leaders role and contributions to foreign affairs over the past years.

Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son said the book shows the General Secretarys strategic vision, wisdom, and clear-sighted leadership and directions over foreign affairs and diplomacy.

Holding theoretical and practical values, it is a precious handbook on diplomacy for those working on foreign affairs of sectors, all-level authorities, and the entire political system, he added.  VNS
HA NOI  Minister of National Defence Gen. Phan Van Giang received Ambassador Julien Guerrier, Head of the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Viet Nam, in Ha Noi on Tuesday.

The minister said Viet Nam-EU relations have been growing well in the recent past with both sides leaders paying attention to promoting the bilateral strategic partnership, including defence cooperation.

He spoke highly of the recent defence cooperation results, which match the EU-Viet Nam Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) and the two sides Framework Participation Agreement (FPA). These agreements have enabled Viet Nam to take part in crisis management activities of the EU. Positive results have been recorded in multiple areas such as security dialogue, training, UN peacekeeping operations, and war aftermath settlement.

Giang proposed both sides keep enhancing fruitful cooperation with a focus on holding all-level mutual visits, maintaining the effectiveness of the annual security dialogue, and addressing war consequences.

With regard to UN peacekeeping operations, the minister suggested the EU continue sending experts to Viet Nam to share experience and train the personnel about to assume duties, especially at the missions of the EU.

He expressed his hope that the ambassador will make active contributions to promoting the Viet Nam-EU relations, including defence ties, for the sake of peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the regions and the world.

For his part, Guerrier said he treasured the bilateral relations, and highly valued Viet Nam's efforts in defence cooperation activities with the EU, particularly in UN peacekeeping operations.

Calling for Viet Nam's long-term collaboration in this field, the diplomat suggested the two sides further boost defence cooperation through delegation exchanges, training, and sharing of cybersecurity and peacekeeping experience.  VNS
HA NOI  Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong hosted a reception on Tuesday for leaders of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent movement who are in Ha Noi to attend the IFRCs 11th Asia-Pacific Regional Conference.

The President thanked the IFRC, the International Committee of the Red Cross, Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies of countries and international organisations for their cooperation and effective support for Vietnam over the past years, especially in times of natural disasters and diseases.

He said upholding the fine compassionate tradition of the nation, the Party and State of Viet Nam pay great attention to humanitarian activities in the country and in the world. Vietnam considers humanitarian work a regular task of the entire political system, the State leader said.

He pointed out that as climate change has brought about increasing extreme weather phenomena all over the world, the Asia-Pacific region is facing great challenges as one of the regions most vulnerable to climate change. Climate change-related threats to humans survival are forecast to have serious impacts on efforts to improve the life of people in the region.

President Thuong strongly believed that international cooperation and solidarity have decisive significance to enhancing the capacity of conducting humanitarian activities and responding to disasters.

With the theme "Asia-Pacific: Preparedness for Disasters", the IFRCs 11th Asia-Pacific Regional Conference provides a good opportunity for the region to share experience and enhance capacity to build a humanitarian network for the region and the world, he said.

The IFRC delegates remarked that the Red Cross Society of Viet Nam has operated dynamically and strongly, contributing greatly to the international Red Cross movement.

Many delegates expressed the hope to continue coordinating with the Viet Nam Red Cross Society to further expand international humanitarian activities.  VNS
THAI NGUYEN The Ba Van Horse Breeding Farm, now the Mountain Livestock Research and Development Centre in Binh Son commune, Song Cong City, Thai Nguyen Province was established in April 1960 to research and transfer horse breeding techniques to serve the lives and production of ethnic communities in the northern mountainous region.

Since its establishment, the centre has faced numerous challenges and hardships, mirroring the difficulties of the nation. Researching unique livestock for the mountainous region and being located in areas with challenging economic, social and transportation conditions, the centre has significantly contributed to the development of agriculture and rural areas in general, particularly in horse and buffalo breeding in the mountainous regions.

Today the Mountain Livestock Research and Development Centre is known as the institution that researches and preserves the largest gene pool of horses and buffalo in the country. With its predecessor being the Ba Van Horse Breeding Farm, the centre has accumulated many years of experience in researching and developing horse breeds in Viet Nam.

In the past, horses were closely linked with the daily lives of people in the northern mountainous ethnic communities. Horses served as transportation, cargo carriers, and draught animals for ploughing fields and pulling carts. There was a significant demand for various horse breeds to meet the needs of people's livelihoods.

Notably, the border guard forces in provinces like ien Bien, Ha Giang and Cao Bang still ride horses when patrolling and guarding along the border. And although transportation has become more convenient and modern, especially in border areas with challenging terrain, horses remain valuable assets for the people in mountainous regions.

The enthusiastic engineer

From the beginning, the work of the Mountain Livestock Research and Development Centre on the process of raising and caring for horses for the people was quite challenging.

Most households breeding horses lived in remote areas with difficult transportation, lacking electricity and basic facilities. In some areas, the only way to reach them was by walking. During those times, every business trip by the centre's staff was calculated in weeks, sometimes even months.

Recalling those challenging days, Ta Van Can, Deputy Director of the Mountain Livestock Research and Development Centre, at that time a young engineer fresh out of university, embarked on these journeys with determination.

Starting his work at the centre in 1998, the young engineer carried the flame of enthusiasm and the vigour of youth, setting out on monthly business trips to share techniques and experiences in caring for livestock with people in remote highland areas.

Can shared with the Vietnam Agriculture newspaper about a memorable business trip to Trung Khanh District, Cao Bang Province, in 2000. He was sent by the centre to assist in caring for sick horses.

Ironically, when he was studying livestock veterinary medicine at the University of Agriculture III (now Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry), the young engineer had not received any training on horses. For the young officer, all the experience and knowledge he had were from books, while for the local people, horses were valuable and extremely precious assets.

The young engineer couldn't escape anxiety, so before setting out he had to read extensively to understand more about horses and to be able to convey that knowledge and experience to the people, especially the folk experiences and small tips for treating horses.

"At that time, I encountered a case of a sick horse with abdominal pain. It was the first time I had come into contact with and had to control a grown horse. I was nervous and worried because a grown horse is very strong, and if I didn't know how to control it, I wouldn't be able to hold it," Can recalled.

Applying the knowledge he had gained, the young engineer managed to control the horse more easily for care. At the same time, he shared those experiences with the local people. First, to control a horse, you have to lift one of its legs. The horse will lose balance and stand still. Second, you have to tighten the lips of the horse to control it because that is the area with many nerve endings. With these two steps, the horse will stand still, allowing the owner to take care of its health.

In this way, the young Can practised and instructed the local people. Although the work proceeded quite smoothly, he could only breathe a sigh of relief two days later. At that time, the host was very happy and excited because if they didn't know how, controlling a horse would become very difficult, even requiring tying the horse up, which is not a simple task.

"At that time, if the people were happy, I was ten times happier because I felt that the knowledge I had learned could be applied in practice. My work could help the people. Moreover, in the role of a representative of the centre seen as the cradle of the Ba Van horse farm, I felt proud not only for myself but also for the unit because the stature of the Ba Van horse farm in the eyes of the people had been raised. Although the work was tough, I was rewarded with the sincere, affectionate trust of the people," Can said emotionally.

More than 20 years have passed since that memorable business trip, but in the eyes of the leader of the Mountain Livestock Research and Development Centre, the memory remains vivid and emotionally charged. It seems that the flame of passion and love for the profession of the young engineer from the past is still burning fiercely in his heart. VNS
HA NOI Viet Nam is one of the first six countries in Asia-Pacific to have developed and implemented a national action plan on antimicrobial resistance prevention and control, deputy health minister Tran Van Thuan said during an event in Ha Noi on Monday.

Speaking at the conference disseminating the national strategy on antimicrobial resistance and responding to the World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, he said Viet Nam has been highly appreciated by the international community for its efforts in drug resistance prevention and control.

The World Antimicrobial Awareness Week this year lasted from November 18 to 24, with a focus on the theme of "Preventing antimicrobial resistance together".

Thuan said despite scientific advances made over the past ten years, antimicrobial resistance is still a concern in Viet Nam.

The national action plan on antimicrobial resistance prevention and control for the 2013-20 period with the participation of the ministries of Health, Agriculture and Rural Development, Industry and Trade, and Natural Resources and Environment and other development stakeholders around the world have partly promoted the efforts, he said.

However, there remain many challenges in Viet Nam, including the limited capacity of laboratories to conduct monitoring and data analysis, inappropriate antibiotic prescription; lack of enforcement of regulations on antibiotic sales, the deputy minister said.

He said the Prime Minister recently issued the National Strategy on Antimicrobial Resistance Prevention and Control for the 2023-30 period, with a vision towards 2045. The strategy has set the general goal of slowing the progression of drug resistance while preventing and controlling the spread of drug-resistant microorganisms and infectious diseases.

At the same time, it ensures continuous availability of antimicrobials and appropriate use of antimicrobials to effectively treat infectious diseases in humans and animals, helping protect, care for and improve human and animal health while protecting the environment and developing the national economy and society, he said.

"Achieving the stated goal requires the efforts and commitment of all ministries and sectors from central to local levels, he told the conference.

Associate Professor Luong Ngoc Khue, general director of the Administration of Medical Service under the Ministry of Health, said the strategy will provide solutions to strengthen supervision and promote responsible use of antibiotics with four specific goals.

First of all, raising awareness of local authorities at all levels and understanding of medical staff, veterinarians and people about drug resistance prevention and control.

Secondly, strengthening the drug resistance monitoring system to promptly warn about the emergence, spread, level and trend of drug resistance of microorganisms.

The other two goals are to reduce the spread of microorganisms and infectious diseases and to use antimicrobial drugs in humans and animals appropriately, safely and responsibly, he said.

Dr Angela Pratt, representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Viet Nam, highly appreciated the Vietnamese Government's approach and response to World Antimicrobial Awareness Week.

She said Viet Nams strategy is an important step towards slowing the progression of drug resistance, which WHO has declared one of the top 10 public health threats facing humanity.

WHO and other partners are ready to support the Government and people of Viet Nam in the fight against antimicrobial resistance, she said. VNS
HA NOI  Many children, adolescents and young people struggle with mental health challenges while lacking the essential coping skills, support or services critical to their overall well-being, according to the latest result of the National Adolescent Mental Health survey.

The survey showed that one in five adolescents face a mental health issue, with only 8.4 per cent able to access necessary support services or counselling for emotional and behavioural challenges.

Only 5.1 per cent of parents recognised that their adolescent child needed help for emotional and behavioural problems.

In Viet Nam, the rate of 10 common mental disorders is 14.9 per cent of the population, but anyone can suffer from mental disorders, at least at some point, according to doctor Tran Van Thuan.

UNICEF is calling for enhanced mental health strategies to support the young generation in Viet Nam as part of World Childrens Day 2023.

Mental health has been identified as a matter of concern by young people themselves. Earlier this year, UNICEF Viet Nam consulted its network of young people (U-report) on the issue of greatest concern to the population UNICEF serves: children, adolescents and young people.

The majority of participants selected mental health, appealing for stronger attention and support, asking UNICEF to dedicate World Childrens Day 2023 to championing their mental well-being.

UNICEF Representative in Viet Nam, Rana Flowers congratulated the Vietnamese Government on its current efforts to develop a comprehensive mental health strategy.

UNICEF encourages a specific focus on early intervention, introducing relevant strategies and interventions specifically designed for children and adolescents, that build skills and resilience and promote mental wellbeing, said Flowers.

Children and adolescents, parents and teachers need to be equipped with skills, knowledge and resources to enjoy and promote mental well-being, she said.

It is essential that all of us  parents, teachers, social workers, health workers, government and private sector  work to de-stigmatise mental health, understand how the experience and response for girls and boys may differ, and actively and persistently promote mental well-being approaches and strategies to strengthen the prevention of serious risks in this area, she added.

Starting from Monday (November 20), which marks the anniversary of the coming into force of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), a communication campaign was launched to deliver mental health-related information and positive approaches.

Named Open Up & Connect, this campaign will run until December 11  UNICEFs 77th anniversary  providing tips, resources and creative ideas, as well as information on learning how to better identify when a friend, daughter, son, student or oneself are struggling.

Quick tips and activities will provide coping strategies as well as encourage all to open up and connect with others  a friend, parent, teacher  who can provide support.

Mental health is just as normal and important as our physical health. It is critical that this is addressed at all levels - at home, at school, in communities and by government - to ensure that the National Mental Health Strategy that the Government of Viet Nam is working on has a specific focus on children and adolescents, she said.

To promote mental well-being, UNICEF Viet Nam Nam will organise an event on November 28 in Ha Noi where experts from several ministries and academia will analyse the national mental health situation of children and adolescents, and share ideas and lessons learnt in support of a dynamic and child/adolescent sensitive national strategy.

Importantly, the participants will learn about concerns and ideas to promote mental well-being directly from young people, as well as from outcomes of the Hackathon Competition 2023 taking place in a Nang City until November 26.

Children and youth participation is a core principle of the CRC and UNICEF says it is committed to engaging the population that it serves in activities and discussions on areas that matter to them and will impact their lives. VNS
HA NOI  The 11th Asia Pacific Regional Conference of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (AP-11), hosted by the Vietnam Red Cross Society, opened in Ha Noi on Tuesday.

Themed Asia-Pacific: Prepared for disaster, the AP-11 was attended by 450 participants, including 100 domestic members and 350 international guests from all national Red Cross and Red Crescent associations in the Asia-Pacific region and the Middle East - North Africa region.

Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang emphasised that humanity and "mutual affection" are the nature and good traditions of the Vietnamese people.

Viet Nam always wants to contribute in the most positive and effective way to the international Red Cross and Red Crescent movement, said Quang.

The Deputy PM also suggested that Governments, international and regional organisations and relevant parties should give higher priority and more resources to humanitarian activities.

It is necessary to consider humanitarian work a common task of the entire society, and continue to promote cooperation at the national, bilateral, regional and global levels, especially in strategic and policy planning, mobilisation and management of resources.

In addition to common efforts to prevent and resolve the consequences of traditional wars and conflicts, international humanitarian activities should focus more on preventing and effectively responding to non-traditional security challenges such as disasters, natural disasters and epidemics. These are issues that can arise at any time, are not separated by geographical space and can have a severe impact on all countries, regardless of level of development," stressed Quang.

At the same time, Quang added, the international community should continue making its best efforts to prevent conflicts and wars, eliminate hunger and reduce poverty, and promote equitable, sustainable and inclusive development; to ensure that no nation or community is left behind.

In the opening remarks, the President of the Viet Nam Red Cross Society Bui Thi Hoa said the Asia-Pacific is a region that suffers many risks and damages from climate change, especially natural disasters. In particular, Viet Nam is at the centre of an area that often faces natural disasters and is on the list of 10 countries with the most serious damage.

This conference marks an important milestone in the efforts of national societies to address the humanitarian challenges facing our region. Given the growing complexity of crises caused by natural disasters, epidemics and conflicts, the need to cooperate and coordinate actions to create a unified global movement is becoming more important than ever," stressed Hoa.

IFRC Vice President Maha Barjas Al-Barjas remarked that this conference was an opportunity to draw inspiration and learn from one another at a time when the world was facing increasing adversity and calamity.

Our task as humanitarians is to see beyond the numbers and focus on the individuals and communities that make up this dynamic and colourful part of the world. Regardless of their background, gender, age, ethnicity or sexual orientation, people and communities have their own unique humanitarian needs and we must strive to address them in all their complexity, said Al-Barjas.

At the event, participants review the results of humanitarian activities from the AP-10 conference in 2018 until now, and discuss orientation plans for the entire Asia-Pacific region for the period 2023-26.

They also discuss promoting cooperation, coordination mechanisms and exchange of experiences among national associations in the Asia-Pacific region.

This is the second time the Vietnam Red Cross Society has hosted the Asia Pacific Regional Conference of the IFRC.  VNS
It is clear that rarely have we seen a world with so many challenges at one time, and in so many places. Yet, for all their particulars and complexities, I believe they all have exclusion at their root. There are four types of exclusion that we can and must cure.

First, we must cure the epidemic of economic exclusion. Wherever women, minority groups, the disabled, the poor, and the vulnerable do not have equal access to work, pay, and justice, economies and our society suffer.

To name just one example, according to a report from earlier this year, narrowing the pay gap could increase global economic activity by a breathtaking $7 trillion. That is higher than the GDP of all but the two richest countries on Earth. All it would take is for us as a global community to fully include women in our workplaces and our economies.

This is not just an economic crisis. This is a human tragedy. Think how many ideas and opportunities are left unrealised, and how many people are denied the chance to reach their full potential by this lack of inclusion.

Secondly, we must cure the epidemic of social exclusion. The poison of prejudice leaves all of us vulnerable.

For instance, since the onset of the pandemic, there has been an explosion of violence against Asians globally, in places as widespread as the United States, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand. It is infuriating and sad to have a virus politicised and a community scapegoated.

In my companys home city of New York, there were 131 hate crimes targeting Asians in 2022 compared to 28 in 2020 and just one in 2019, according to police statistics. The increase has continued so far this year.

We are all diminished when Asian communities are scapegoated and attacked by the hateful ignorance that has festered under the pandemic. And this is just one example. The unacceptable degradation faced by Asian communities in the United States is felt by many other communities here and around the world.

Next, we must cure the epidemic of political exclusion. We all see the tragedy of oppression, dislocation, and xenophobia that has driven jaw-dropping numbers of refugees around the world from their homes and into the uncertain welcome of places with anti-immigrant anger.

We do not have to search hard to find examples where those attitudes have descended into unthinkable suffering.

Terrorism, persecution, religious conflict, and ethnic violence  our headlines are full of bloodshed from all over the world, and it can seem as though peace is falling further and further out of reach.

Finally, we must cure the epidemic of personal exclusion. This is perhaps the hardest to see, yet it may have the farthest-reaching consequences of all.

The US surgeon general Vivek Murthy recently issued a report titled Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation. Its results were sobering. It revealed that young people aged 15-24 had 70 per cent less social interaction with their friends than two decades ago.

It warned that the physical consequences of poor connection can be devastating, including a 29 per cent increased risk of heart disease, a 32 per cent increased risk of strokes, and a 50 per cent increased risk of developing dementia for older adults.

The want of inclusion does not just harm our economies and our societies, we can see its effects in the human body itself.

Exclusion is the common denominator of all four of these epidemics, and inclusion is the cure we must reach for together. To be sure, these are daunting challenges. But as a deeply optimistic person, I want to make clear that we can do this. And by doing it, we wont just solve problems, we will bring new benefits to the world.

Leaders of the business community all have a role and a responsibility to build more inclusive cultures within their companies, and more importantly still, to build a more inclusive society in the places we live and work.

A part of that is simply showing up. Showing that we are on our own learning journeys, just like everyone  and by joining forums like these. Inviting experts into our offices. Attending convenings of civil society. Listening to our own teams. Challenging them to think differently about inclusion and how it must shape our businesses.

Appearing in the right place can be so easy, yet so powerful.

We must also strive for a broader impact. We can do that in our corporate practices, by providing a level playing field where equity reigns, and where every single person is seen, heard, and cared for.

This begins in our workplaces themselves, which are the modern-day town commons, where people who otherwise might not meet can come together. To achieve the maximum impact, we must return to the office and see each other face-to-face. Teleconferencing is simply no substitute for the personal interaction that makes it possible to share ideas, build connections, or even agree to disagree. Business is uniquely positioned to provide space for these once-treasured principles, and we must act on that opportunity.

We can widen the aperture of inclusion by understanding that, yes, inclusion is about race, gender, and religion, but it is also about so much more. It means including different perspectives, methods, and ideas from different geographies, industries, and even class structures. For those of us in healthcare, it particularly means understanding and responding to our patients.

For companies on the cutting edge of technology, it means listening to the fears and concerns associated with the advancements we strive for. Rather than dismissing those who criticise us or worry about unintended consequences, we should strive to listen, understand, address, and hopefully resolve their concerns, seeking not to leave them behind but to bring them along with us. For all those of us who embrace and find joy in science and technology, there are equally many who feel excluded. It is our job to include them, not just in our words but in our research, our discoveries, and our strategic plans.

We must also build more inclusive ecosystems. When Pfizer thinks about partnerships, we look for organisations that can help us make the next life-saving drug or vaccine, but we also look to partner with organisations that will create the next underlying technology, the next curriculum, the next scientific breakthrough. This is why we have developed the Pfizer School of Science  to ensure we are fighting the typical exclusion of underserved communities from science-based careers.

We must be active corporate citizens beyond the four walls of our company headquarters, combating the underlying sources of division that may originate beyond the workplace, but that certainly impact our operations.

Pfizer seeks to boost presence in Vietnam A business mission led by Anil Argilla, president of Emerging Markets Asia at Pfizer, worked with Deputy Minister of Health Do Xuan Tuyen and the heads of other departments on May 25 to discuss business opportunities in Vietnam.

Pfizer takes big steps with new vaccines Biopharmaceutical company Pfizer has announced that its two-in-one flu and COVID-19 jab will be moving into a final-stage trial in the coming months, along with the finalisation of the phase-three trials for its mRNA vaccine against influenza for adults.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks during a Collin County GOP Election Night Watch Party on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022, at Haggard Party Barn in Plano, Texas. Juan Figueroa/TNS Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton looks up at the gallery during the first day of his impeachment trial in the Texas Senate chambers at the Texas State Capitol in Austin on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023. The Texas House, including a majority of its GOP members, voted to impeach Paxton for alleged corruption in May. (Juan Figueroa/Pool via The Dallas Morning News) Juan Figueroa/Staff Photographer

The Texas Attorney Generals Office is investigating a left-leaning website that Elon Musk accused of defaming his social media company after the site published an article showing advertisers content alongside neo-Nazi and white nationalist posts on the platform.

Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the investigation Monday just hours after Musks company, X, filed a lawsuit against Media Matters, saying the nonprofit hadnt properly explained the reporting process by which the article was written and that it was designed to drive away major advertisers. Musk is represented in the lawsuit by two lawyers who recently worked at the attorney generals office and who defended Paxton in his historic impeachment trial.

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Paxton said he was investigating the nonprofit for potential fraudulent activity. The investigation centers around an article the site published that shared screenshots of avowed Nazis on X, formerly known as Twitter, next to promoted posts from large corporate advertisers like Apple, XFinity, Oracle and IBM.

We are examining the issue closely to ensure that the public has not been deceived by the schemes of radical left-wing organizations who would like nothing more than to limit freedom by reducing participation in the public square, Paxton said in a statement.

Paxton cited a Texas law giving him the power to investigate nonprofits that commit fraudulent acts in or affecting the state of Texas.

Media Matters, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, called the lawsuit frivolous and said its meant to bully Xs critics into silence. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Paxtons investigation.

X is headquartered in San Francisco, though the lawsuit was filed in Texas. The company is represented in the case by Judd Stone, the former solicitor general of Texas, and Christopher Hilton, a former assistant attorney general who recently left the state to form a private firm.

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After the story was posted Thursday, several large companies stopped advertising on the website. Advertisers also have been complaining in recent days about Musks own content on the platform, including his endorsement last week of an antisemitic post.

Advertising in general has declined on X since Musk purchased it last year. As of December 2022, advertising revenue was down 78% from the previous year, Reuters reported.

Stone was appointed by Paxton to serve as the states solicitor general in 2021. Hilton was the head of general litigation at the Office of the Attorney General. They each left their jobs last month to return to private practice.

Musk has faced accusations of tolerating antisemitic messages on the platform since purchasing it last year, and the content on X has gained increased scrutiny since the war between Israel and Hamas began.

Last Wednesday, a user posted on the platform that Jewish people were pushing dialectical hatred against whites and supporting hordes of minorities  flooding their country.

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You have said the actual truth, responded Musk, who has 163.8 million followers.

The White House called Musks comment unacceptable.

We condemn this abhorrent promotion of antisemitic and racist hate in the strongest terms, which runs against our core values as Americans, a White House spokesman said Friday.

X CEO Linda Yaccarino said the companys point of view has always been very clear that discrimination by everyone should STOP across the board.

I think thats something we can and should all agree on, she wrote on the platform last week.

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35th anniversary of Australia-Vietnam business partnership to transform Vietnams telecommunications connectivity

On November 20, Australias Ambassador to Vietnam, Andrew Goledzinowski and Vietnam's Ambassador to Australia Nguyen Tat Thanh recreated the inaugural telephone call from Vietnam to Australia on the occasion of the 35th Anniversary of Australia-Vietnam business partnership to transform Vietnams telecommunications connectivity.

Vietnams telecommunications links to the world started with cooperation between Australias Overseas Telecommunication Commission (OTC) and Vietnams General Department of Posts and Telecommunications (later VNPT).

Recreating the inaugural telephone call from Vietnam to Australia, Australias Ambassador to Vietnam, Andrew Goledzinowski, welcomed the cooperation.

This partnership was truly transformational in connecting Vietnam internationally and contributed to todays strong bilateral relations. This partnership greatly supported Vietnam to realise the benefits of its doi moi reforms and helped create an enabling environment for business and investment in Vietnam, Ambassador Goledzinowski said. As we celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations between Australia and Vietnam this year, we are focusing on the next stage of cooperation to realise the opportunities of the digital revolution. I congratulate all those who contributed to laying such a good foundation for this cooperation and thank you for your contribution to the friendship between our countries.

35th anniversary of Australia-Vietnam business partnership to transform Vietnams telecommunications connectivity

OTC installed Vietnams first Vista satellite earth station in Ho Chi Minh City in 1987, which was routed to Australia. This provided for up to five international calls to be made simultaneously, an improvement in quality and capacity compared with existing radio links.

Additional and larger satellite earth stations were built first in Hanoi and then across the country.

In early 1989, visiting Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Gareth Evans made the first call over a new satellite link from Hanoi to his colleague Acting Minister for Telecommunications, Bob Brown, in Australia. This was followed by the installation by OTC of new larger satellite receiving stations in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, which greatly increased capacity and service offerings on the INTELSAT network.

Throughout the 1990s, as technology changed other important milestones were reached. The first internet modem was brought to Vietnam by Australian National University Professor Rob Hurle in 1991.

Australia was involved with Vietnams first submarine cable, which landed in Vung Tau in 1999. The cable allowed for 15,000 international calls to be made simultaneously, as well as international high-speed data and video services. A second submarine cable followed in 2000, landing in Danang, and remains operational today.

Beyond infrastructure, the partnership included a focus on human capacity development. OTC/Telstra supported training for over 3,000 technicians, engineers, finance, and marketing telecommunications executives in Vietnam.

Australia helps Vietnam upskill logistics workforce 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).

Australian specialty coffee chain Ten Thousand debuts in Vietnam Ten Thousand, an Australian specialty coffee chain, announced its first Southeast Asian venture in late September with the opening of a store in Vietnam.

Australia supports Vietnam in developing its potential The logistics industry will receive an extra push in Vietnam thanks to a fruitful cooperative relationship with Australia.
China ranks first in the newly registered manufacturing FDI by nationality in the first nine months of 2023

Over the last five years, China has been one of the top five investors in Vietnam. In the first nine months of 2023, it had the second-highest investment in the country at $2.92 billion, following Singapore with an investment of $3.98 billion.

According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, in the first nine months of 2023, 102 countries and territories invested in Vietnam. China is the second-largest source, with a 14.5 per cent share, increasing by 94.9 per cent on-year. In terms of newly registered manufacturing FDI, in the first nine months of 2023, China was the leading country with a 22 per cent share. Singapore followed with a 21 per cent.

China remains Vietnams largest trading partner, with a 24.6 per cent share of the countrys total trade turnover by the end of September 2023. In 2022, the import and export value between China and Vietnam was $175.6 billion. This year it reached $138.9 billion so far.

Vietnam has been fighting its way up the value chain for years. Events like the US-China trade war in 2018 and the pandemic in 2020 and 2021 have sped up the diversification and relocation of multinational electronic manufacturers outside of China to Southeast Asia.

Some of the largest China manufacturing projects to invest in Vietnam in 2023 are $500-million from Shandong HaoHua Tyre in Binh Phuoc province; $140-million from Hainan Longi Green Energy in Bac Giang province; $55-million from Xiamen Sunrise Group in Quang Ninh province; $42-million from Nice Elite International in Thanh Hoa province and $40-million from Taizhou Huali New Materials in Thai Nguyen province.

Increasing demand from solar manufacturers

Solar product manufacturing is on the rise in Vietnam, particularly in northern provinces. Recently, Trina Solar, one of the largest solar panel producers by sales globally, invested in its third factory in Vietnam in Thai Nguyen. The planned new factory is expected to see an investment of $420 million. Top Chinese solar companies have been expanding production in Vietnam in recent years, not only to tap into the Southeast Asian market but to use it as a springboard to enter European and the US markets with greater ease.

Firstly, Vietnam shares a border with China, facilitating convenient transportation of goods, raw materials, and production lines. Moreover, the northern region of Vietnam offers geographic proximity to China and competitive industrial land prices compared to the southern region. Vietnam's high level of economic integration is noteworthy," John Campbell, associate director, head of Industrial Services at Savills Vietnam said at the event Vietnams Industrial Transformation in the post-pandemic era hosted in Shanghai and Shenzhen by Savills Vietnam and CNCTech on November 10.

"To date, Vietnam has established economic and trade relations with around 224 partners from various countries and regions worldwide. This creates favourable opportunities for Chinese businesses in Vietnam to expand their market presence. Also, the country boasts an ample workforce, including a skilled labour force, and offers highly competitive labour costs. The government has introduced tax incentives and a clean energy strategy to draw in foreign investors," he said.

John Campbell, associate director, head of Industrial Services, Savills Vietnam

Campbell said that industrial parks nationwide had a high occupancy of over 80 per cent, with occupancy in key northern provinces reaching 83 per cent and 91 per cent in key southern provinces. Ready-built factories and warehouses also recorded high occupancy of 83 per cent across the country. Limited vacancies could challenge tenants if they do not have the right entry approach or the support of a qualified advisor.

He recommended that to engage the best companies, industrial property and ready-built developers should focus on value-added services and incentives beyond price and rents such as market entry services, human resources and legal support, management services, sustainable initiatives and working with professional industrial real estate agencies.

The government should continue its investment in infrastructure and upskilling Vietnams labour force to improve productivity and efficiency. Fostering supporting industries, strengthening supply chains, simplifying investment and land use procedures, and embracing digitalisation are all key areas for Vietnams industrial sector, Campbell added.

Minister welcomes Chinese firms plan to expand operations in Vietnam Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung has welcomed China Communications Construction Co. Ltd (CCCC)s plan to expand investment and business activities in Vietnam while meeting a representative of the firm in Beijing on October 19.

Vietnam attends 2023 China International Import Expo A Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha is attending the 6th China International Import Expo (CIIE) that kicked off Shanghai, China on November 5.
The Administrative Management Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) recently signed a cooperation agreement with Vietnam Post Corporation to implement the proposal.

Accordingly, the system will be set up based on the postal system, which already possesses information about house numbers. Local law enforcement has data on household registration, and the MPS has data on the population and property documents.

The country wants to tighten real estate regulations after some years of unpredictability, photo Le Toan

The department said that it is in the process of coordinating with the post office as well as the ministry to craft solutions on the house number determination plan.

The identification of homes owned by individuals aims to implement the prime ministers direction on restoring order and overcoming inadequacies with investment consulting, and construction and transportation projects.

Lieutenant colonel Nguyen Thanh Vinh, director of the National Population Data Centre under the MPS, said that identifying house numbers will bring many benefits to people as well as local management agencies.

The first goal is to create a real estate identification network associated with each citizen, making it convenient to find homes by address and delivery, ensuring the quality of urban development. The next very basic goal is to make real estate assets transparent and develop the real estate market healthily. The number of buildings that a person owns will be collected in complete data that will be easy to trace and manage, Vinh said.

In terms of benefits, identifying house numbers will help management authorities control certain data regarding those properties. This will contribute to preventing speculation, tax evasion, and money laundering via the real estate market, he added.

In addition, the plan could help people carry out real estate transactions more conveniently, avoiding address confusion. In addition, identifying house numbers will help state management agencies perform management tasks more effectively, such as collecting taxes, issuing construction permits, and checking fire safety.

Le Minh Duc, founder of Remaps, an online platform providing real estate purchasing services and looking up real estate project maps, said that the policy will have a positive impact, reducing speculation and hoarding as well as helping low-income people attain more opportunities to access housing.

Strictly managing real estate is a trend in many countries, especially when applying IT to management. This policy will also help to set up regulations on taxes imposed on people who have many real estate assets that should have been reserved for lower-income earners, Duc said.

Currently, the Ministry of Construction and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment are responsible for building data on the number of homes. The goal is to specifically number each house, apartment, and plot of land under unified rules. From that, the MPS will collect a database of house numbers, plus information collected from Peoples Committees at all levels, on the principle of standardising data.

The Ministry of Finance is also researching and building a real estate tax law, including research on taxes on second homes, vacant houses, and land. It is expected to be added to the 2024 Law and Ordinance Development programme and discussed in 2025.

Another push for real estate bounce Vietnams government aims to boost its real estate sector by easing bank credit and tackling legal, land, and administrative hurdles to foster market growth.

Expansion potential despite downturn in real estate M&As Pressured by the global downturn, in the domestic market, there were fewer merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions in Vietnams real estate in 2023, with a lower total value than in 2022.

Offloading assets a last resort for groups Burdened by large debts and complex capital mobilisation channels, many domestic real estate businesses are looking to sell off their assets as a last resort.
With the approval of the Ministry of Health (MoH), the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, and the Standing Committee of the Vietnam Youth Union, the Health Innovation Network has been jointly developed by the VYPA and AstraZeneca Vietnam.

At the launch on November 19

The Health Innovation Network is a collective effort between individuals and healthcare organisations, contributing intellectual resources and expertise to effectively harness the advancements of Industry 4.0 in the area of healthcare. The initiative is coordinated with the Ho Chi Minh City Society of Asthma, Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

The network aims to strengthen the digital health capabilities of over 3,000 physicians by introducing applications, AI-powered diagnostic tools, and telemedicine platforms.

It also targets the application of digital technologies to provide free screenings for lung diseases and lung cancer, aiming to identify underlying disease risks for 50,000 people in Ho Chi Minh City. This includes support for respiratory function measurements for Asthma and COPD diagnoses and low-dose computed tomography for lung cancer diagnoses.

At the launch ceremony, Dr. Ha Anh Duc, chairman of VYPA stated, "Lung cancer and other lung diseases have emerged as prominent global causes of mortality. Nevertheless, when identified in their early stages, the prospects for effective treatment are significantly improved. Consequently, this screening programme assumes paramount importance."

Nitin Kapoor, chairman and general director of AstraZeneca said, "As a global biopharmaceutical company, we strive to ensure that every individual has equitable and affordable access to the life-changing healthcare solutions they need, regardless of where they live. Today, witnessing the successful launch of the Health Innovation Network, I believe we are progressing in the right direction towards the realisation of a sustainable, innovative, and highly efficient healthcare system that will bring significant benefits to the people."

According to the MoH, Vietnam is one of the many countries that is experiencing rapid population ageing worldwide. The population aged 60 and above accounted for 11.9 per cent of the total in 2019, yet by 2050, this figure is projected to exceed 25 per cent. Concurrently, the country is also facing an increase in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and chronic respiratory illnesses, which are major burdens in terms of morbidity and mortality.

Therefore, alongside disease control, the prevention and control of NCDs is prioritised in Vietnam's healthcare policies, in which scientific research plays a crucial role in providing information and evidence for policy development and the discovery of the most effective interventions.

People joining a complimentary medical screening and health consultation programme at the launch

On the same day, a significant number of individuals from various age groups residing in different districts gathered at Nguyen Hue pedestrian street in Ho Chi Minh City for a complimentary medical screening and health consultation. The event also provided advice on utilising telehealth applications. Over 150 doctors from reputable hospitals were present to offer their expertise and guidance to the attendants.

From December, the offering will be expanded nationwide, targeting five major cities, namely Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Danang, Can Tho, and Thua Thien Hue. Over 60 hospitals are expected to participate with a primary focus on screening for respiratory diseases, including lung cancer, for over 100,000 people.

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialisation of prescription medicines in oncology, rare diseases, and biopharmaceuticals. Based in Cambridge, UK, it operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide.

As a foreign-invested enterprise with over 600 employees, AstraZeneca Vietnam is investing $360 million into the country from 2020 to 2030, with a focus on reducing the burden of disease, uplifting the domestic biopharmaceutical research, development, and manufacturing capabilities, and developing local talent.

Over the last three decades in Vietnam, AstraZeneca has run several impactful programmes in collaboration with the MoH and other healthcare partners to promote disease awareness, prevention, and early detection.

Among them are the Healthy Lung Programme to improve the quality of outpatient management of asthma, COPD, and lung cancer, the Young Health initiative to prevent and reduce NCD risk behaviours among young people, the CaReMe drive to transform the cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic care ecosystem, the Love your Lungs campaign to raise awareness about screening for the early detection of lung cancer, and the Health System Sustainability and Resilience offering to holistically reinforce the Vietnamese health system so that it can guard against future risks.

AstraZeneca Vietnam and HSAACI enter cooperation agreement AstraZeneca Vietnam and the Society of Asthma, Allergy and Clinical Immunology of Ho Chi Minh City (HSAACI) unveiled a comprehensive strategic cooperation memorandum on October 2 that aims to help medical and community healthcare workers to manage and treat respiratory diseases.

Healthy Lung Programme marks milestones A conference on healthy lung was held on November 3 to mark the sustainable collaboration between Vietnams Ministry of Health and AstraZeneca in enhancing the management quality for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Since entering Vietnam more than three decades ago, Keppel has grown with Vietnam and is, today, one of the largest foreign real estate investors in the country.

As a global asset manager and operator with deep capabilities in infrastructure, real estate, and connectivity, Keppel can bring in global financial investors, who will contribute capital to fund the development of more solutions and assets that are also smarter and greener, said Foo.

We will leverage our strong track record in the development and operation of such assets to provide critical infrastructure and services for renewables, clean energy, decarbonisation, sustainable urban renewal and digital connectivity to Vietnam.

A good example is the Keppel Vietnam Fund. This private fund is combining capital from Keppel and global institutional investors to co-invest in residential developments, commercial properties as well as mixed-use projects and townships, especially ones that are smart and sustainable, in Vietnam. To date, the Keppel Vietnam Fund has invested alongside Keppel in five high-quality residential projects in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

The company is collaborating with Khang Dien to develop two smart and sustainable residential projects in Thu Duc city, Ho Chi Minh City. When completed, the development will set the benchmark of the residential projects landscape as well as contribute to the sustainable urban space in Thu Duc.

In addition, it is also looking to implement sustainable urban renewal technologies at its projects and will work with best-in-class local and international partners to incorporate innovative urban solutions such as smart security, smart mobility and environmental infrastructure solutions into projects to make them more energy-saving.

We believe that sustainable urban renewal is a compelling solution for Vietnam as the country advances on its journey to net zero, Foo added.

Apart from real estate, Keppel sees promising opportunities in the energy and data centre sectors, given the growing emphasis on green and circular economy in Vietnam.

It is making significant progress in these sectors, notably, with the launch of the Operations Nerve Centre to offer long-term 'Energy-as-a-Service' solutions to many domestic customers.

This initiative not only delivers exceptional economic value to our customers but also contributes to enhancing community wellbeing and advancing Vietnams sustainable development, Foo added.

The Vietnamese government has set ambitious goals and sustainability standards for the construction and real estate industry, including reducing carbon emissions.

At Keppel, its real estate division is undertaking various measures such as phasing out the use of non-essential diesel equipment, achieving high green building standards for all new commercial developments, improving the energy efficiency of existing buildings through energy optimisation and digitalisation strategies, maximising on-site renewable energy, and purchasing renewable energy certificates. In addition to those, it is also looking at increasing the use of green-labelled and low-emission materials and products.

One notable project that exemplifies its commitment to green construction is The Estella, a residential development. It was the first project in Vietnam to receive BCA's Green Mark Gold Award in 2012.

Some of the green initiatives at The Estella include solar roof panels, use of low Volatile Organic Compound paint and low emission formaldehyde composite wood. The development also features thoughtfully designed elements such as natural ventilation-enabled interiors.

As part of Keppels sustainability strategy, Keppel increased its use of renewable energy. The photovoltaic panels installed on Keppels residential and commercial developments in Vietnam have generated an energy yield of nearly 150,000 kWh over the past three years. Celesta Avenue, the newest addition to CELESTA City, will be developed with water-efficient drip irrigation controlled by rain sensors and solar lighting for the streets.

With many countries and companies making net-zero pledges, including Vietnam, we see immense opportunities where Keppel can harness our strong capabilities and experience to help other companies along their decarbonisation journey. Through our sustainable urban renewal initiative, we look forward to actively contributing to Vietnam's efforts to achieve net-zero by retrofitting older buildings and turning them into energy-efficient ones. Through these efforts, we contribute to combatting climate change and in building a more sustainable future for the country, Foo added.

Keppel Land invests $138 million in two residential projects with Khang Dien Keppel Corporation Ltd. (Keppel) and Keppel Vietnam Fund (KVF), jointly known as the Keppel Consortium, have entered into binding agreements to acquire a 49 per cent interest in two adjacent residential projects in Thu Duc City from the Khang Dien Group for an aggregate consideration of approximately $138 million.

Keppel Corporation acquires stake in a retail property in Hanoi Singaporean Keppel Corporation on July 6 announced that Keppel Land Ltd., through its wholly-owned subsidiary, VN Prime Vietnam Co., Ltd., is acquiring a 65 per cent stake in a company ProjectCo, which will hold a retail property in Hanoi.

Keppel expands its energy-as-a-service footprint in Asia Keppel Corporation, through its Infrastructure Division, has secured contracts worth over $70 million to provide long-term energy-as-a-service (EaaS) to Republic Holiday Inn, Republic Suite Plaza, and Estella Place in Ho Chi Minh City, as well as Grand Mercure Quang Binh.
The Made in Vietnam Energy Forum took place on November 21. The year marks the midpoint of the five-year term, with the energy and power sector taking centre stage in the public eye, solidifying Vietnam's position as a regional and global frontrunner in clean energy commitments.

Vietnam's proactive stance towards sustainable energy is evident through its implementation of various energy transition policies. These policies prioritise renewable energy sources in power generation and promote research into cutting-edge technologies within the power and energy sector.

The nation's clear vision recognises the imperative need for a transition to clean energy sources for sustainable development. In this context and in anticipation of COP28 in Dubai, the Made in Vietnam Energy Forum serves as a platform for dialogue between domestic and international private sector stakeholders and the public sector on crucial energy sector issues

The discussions held during this event offered valuable insights to support the government in achieving the net-zero commitments.

In addition, the forum also marked the launch of the Made in Vietnam Energy Plan 3.0 (MVEP 3.0). This report presents recommendations from the private sector to the government on how to encourage private sector involvement in energy development, in alignment with the spirit of Resolution 55 of the Politburo.

The event saw presentations from the relevant departments on Vietnam's strategies and policies on energy transition, its international commitments, namely Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) and other initiatives, and how these commitments shape Vietnam's policy landscape.

Industry experts, both financiers, donors, and power companies, also discussed how public and private sectors could work together to promote the development of renewable energy and leverage Vietnam's decarbonisation efforts to advance its development goals, thereby fostering net-zero emissions and amplifying GDP growth.

The MVEP 3.0 is a publication by the Power and Energy Working Group under the Vietnam Business Forum. The MVEP report was first published in 2016 (first edition), encouraging the usage of more renewable energy efficiency in response to Vietnam's altered Power Development Plan 7.

In 2019, the report was updated (second edition) to present a business case for the primary use of Vietnam's domestic resources to stimulate investment in clean, secure, and affordable energy generation.

This year, in its third edition, the MVEP had a closer look at Vietnam's power and energy sector within the context of the global energy transition process. With a particular emphasis on the private sector's perspective, the report explores strategies to draw in the necessary financing to support Vietnam's ongoing energy transition.

The MVEP 3.0 is structured into four parts. Part 1 offers an overview of Vietnam's power sector, covering consumption, generation, transmission, and distribution, and explains the concept of 'energy transition' in Vietnam, exploring the country's strategies and policies driving this transition.

Part 2 delves into an analysis of Vietnam's successful initiatives in kick-starting its renewable energy development and discusses the existing challenges that Vietnam encounters and will face in the future in achieving its transition objectives.

Part 3 accumulates global experiences from economies across the region and worldwide to address pivotal questions that Vietnam is looking to address around creating a robust legal framework to drive the desired energy transition in Vietnam, the bankability of power purchase agreements for renewable energy projects, defining a pathway for electricity prices, and ensure the nation's energy security.

The final part of the report draws implications from earlier discussions, presenting considerations for the short, medium, and long-term prospects. To fully unlock the country's potential, it is imperative to bolster the role of the private sector in the energy landscape and to embrace that process now.

This can be accomplished through facilitating the active participation of the private sector in the revision of the electricity law, the development of a robust regulatory framework for renewable energy, and further engagements in the Working Groups of the Just Energy Transition Partnership and other official direct assistance and bilateral projects.

Plan to implement JETP Declaration approved Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha has signed a decision approving a plan for the implementation of the Political Declaration on establishing the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP Declaration).

Vietnam continues completing JETP resource mobilization plan To implement the Political Declaration on establishing the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), Vietnam is drafting a JETP Resource Mobilization Plan (RMP).
VBEx is a bottom-up regional event platform that aims to contribute to the innovation and business creation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through a series of thematic events, including the VBEx Conference and VBEx Roundtable, and a unique business matching tool called VBEx Connect.

The inaugural edition of the VBEx Conference will take place from November 30 to December 1 at the Vietcombank Saigon South Branch in District 7 in Ho Chi Minh City.

The VBEx Conference is partnered with the 15th M&A Forum organised by Vietnam Investment Review under the Ministry of Planning and Investment of Vietnam.

The conference is expected to attract 150 C-suite executives from Singapore, Shenzhen, Hanoi, and Ho Chi Minh City. The thematic industry focus is on three broad sectors: technology, environmental, social, and governance (ESG), and fintech.

The Vietnam co-organisers of the event are the Research Innovation Consulting Hub under the Ho Chi Minh City Union of Science and Technology Associations and the Vietnam Digital Communications Association. The event has also received industry endorsements from the Saigon Construction and Building Materials Association, and the Vietnam Smart City Consortium.

Founding sponsors of the event include Vietcombank, LYS Energy, EY Consulting, Protus 1 Group, and Secoin Group, who plan to announce various milestone initiatives on the sidelines of VBEx 2023 in Ho Chi Minh City.

The organisers of VBEx plan to anchor this flagship event in Ho Chi Minh City for 2024, which is designed to draw in the Singapore and ASEAN business community to support the development of Ho Chi Minh City as a regional business and financial hub.

VBEx Asia was founded by Singaporean industry veterans George Choo and Shanmuga Retnam, who have secured strong industry support to deliver the inaugural VBEx Conference in 2023 to mark the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations between Singapore and Vietnam.

Vietnam is a young and dynamic country with a rapidly growing economy, and Singapore is well-positioned to be a key partner in Vietnam's journey to becoming a leading digital economy, said George Choo, president of the Association of Telecommunication Technologies Industries of Singapore. VBEx aims to play a bridging role between the business communities of Vietnam and Singapore and to foster collaboration and innovation in key sectors such as technology, ESG, and fintech.
In the first eight months of 2023, Vietnam attracted over $18.15 billion in foreign investment, marking an 8 per cent on-year increase. Of this amount, Singaporean investment was at the forefront, accounting for $3.83 billion.

This underscores the strong confidence that investors from Singapore have in Vietnam's macroeconomic management and its fair and transparent investment environment.

Recently, Singapore has risen to become the leading foreign investor in the ASEAN region. Additionally, it ranks as the second-largest investor among 143 countries and territories investing in Vietnam, boasting a total of $70.8 billion in over 3,000 projects.

As per the latest figures from the Foreign Investment Agency, the real estate sector has particularly captured the interest of Singaporean investors, with a total registered capital of over $18 billion in more than 180 projects.

Singaporean investment capital in Vietnam since 2019

A report from the Singapore Business Federation in 2022 revealed that, out of 690 surveyed Singaporean businesses, 28 per cent singled out Vietnam as their most promising investment destination. This figure significantly exceeded countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand, and even China, India, the United Kingdom, and Germany.

Experts predict that Vietnam will continue to attract the attention of Singaporean investors. Earlier this year, during an official visit to Singapore to commemorate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations and 10 years of strategic partnership between the countries, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh commented on the deepened mutual understanding, experience, confidence, and trust between the two nations thanks to their long-term business collaboration.

Similarly, during a recent visit to Vietnam, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong highlighted, Our bilateral relationship is rapidly developing. It has never been as strong and comprehensive as it is today.

Vietnam and Singapore have mutually agreed to explore the possibility of elevating bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in the near future. Industry experts view this as a foundation to bolster economic ties between the investors of both countries, consolidating Vietnam's prominent position in the region and paving the way for new projects in sectors such as manufacturing, real estate, and renewable energy.

Over three decades of operating in Vietnam, Keppel, a global asset manager and operator headquartered in Singapore, has grown to become one of the nation's largest foreign real estate investors, with over 20 licensed projects and a total registered investment capital of about $3.5 billion.

Vietnam is one of Keppels key markets. As of December 31, 2022, its real estate division had $1.1 billion worth of assets in Vietnam, which made up over 12 per cent of the divisions total. It also recently invested $130.9 million to acquire stakes in two residential projects in Thu Duc city and made a $50.6 million investment in a retail property in Hanoi.

At the signing of an MoU between Keppel and Khang Dien Group

As a global asset manager and operator with strong expertise in sustainability-related solutions covering infrastructure, real estate, and connectivity, Keppel is well-poised to continue contributing to Vietnam's sustainable development. Specifically, the company can create value for investors and stakeholders through its quality investment platforms and diverse asset portfolios, including private funds, listed real estate, and business trusts.

A good example is the Keppel Vietnam Fund, a private fund that combines capital from Keppel and global institutional investors to co-invest in residential developments, commercial properties, and mixed-use projects and townships in Vietnam.

To date, the fund has invested alongside Keppel in five high-quality residential projects in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. When fully leveraged and invested, the fund will potentially have assets under management of approximately $1 billion.

With a long-term commitment to Vietnam, the Singaporean investor plans to develop Real Estate-as-a-Service and leverage advanced technology with a customer-centric approach. At the same time, it aims to develop new growth areas, such as sustainable urban renewal, to boost its recurring income.

Keppels Operations Nerve Centre in Thu Duc city

Joseph Low, president of Real Estate at Keppel Corporation (Vietnam) said, "Along with real estate, Keppel sees promising opportunities in the energy and data centre sectors, given the growing emphasis on the green and circular economies in Vietnam."

"We are making significant progress in these sectors, notably, with the launch of our Operations Nerve Centre to offer long-term Energy-as-a-Service solutions to many domestic customers. This initiative not only delivers exceptional economic value to our customers but also contributes to enhancing community wellbeing and advancing Vietnams sustainable development," Low continued.

Keppel Land invests $138 million in two residential projects with Khang Dien Keppel Corporation Ltd. (Keppel) and Keppel Vietnam Fund (KVF), jointly known as the Keppel Consortium, have entered into binding agreements to acquire a 49 per cent interest in two adjacent residential projects in Thu Duc City from the Khang Dien Group for an aggregate consideration of approximately $138 million.

Keppel Corporation acquires stake in a retail property in Hanoi Singaporean Keppel Corporation on July 6 announced that Keppel Land Ltd., through its wholly-owned subsidiary, VN Prime Vietnam Co., Ltd., is acquiring a 65 per cent stake in a company ProjectCo, which will hold a retail property in Hanoi.
Visa and Visa Foundation made these announcements as part of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum Economic Leaders and CEO Summit hosted in San Francisco on November 16-17.

Small businesses are the heartbeat of the global economy and of their local communities, representing about 90 per cent of businesses and more than half of employment worldwide. To accelerate access for underserved and women-led small and micro-sized businesses (SMBs) in APEC economies, the Visa Foundation has pledged $100 million over five years to advance digital financial inclusion, stimulate job creation, and increase access to capital to drive economic mobility.

Through this pledge, the Foundation will collaborate with and complement the work of local partners to drive access for underserved communities.

In parallel, Visas multi-year goal helped SMBs meet their evolving payment needs in an increasingly dynamic commerce ecosystem, focusing on digitising more ways to be paid by customers, ways to pay for supplies, goods and services, and providing access to financial skills through training and education. Visa has exceeded its three-year goal of digitally enabling 50 million SMBs globally by June 2023 and has now helped nearly 67 million SMBs.

Of the nearly 67 million SMBs reached by Visa, an estimated 29.6 million are from economies in the APEC region, including 10.9 million women-led SMBs.

Recognising the critical needs of SMBs, Visa announced new SMB accelerator initiatives in the United States and more than 15 developing economies.

Visa is prioritising economies that have clear digital development needs including APEC economies in Indonesia, Mexico, Peru, Philippines and Vietnam. In the economies where Visa will focus, cash still accounts for the majority of the ways businesses and individuals buy and sell and much of the population does not have access to digital payments.

Small businesses are anything but small to Visa. Over the past three years, weve seen them shift from leveraging digital payments to survive, to now harnessing the power of digital to improve efficiency and reach new customers, said Alfred F. Kelly, Jr., executive chairman at Visa and co-chair of the APEC CEO Summit 2023.

Visa is committed to continue expanding equitable access and extending digitalisation for underserved and women-led SMBs globally, so that payments can truly be a catalyst for growth.

SMBs form the core of Vietnams burgeoning economy, and Visa has been a proud supporter of facilitating their growth with secure and convenient digital payment solutions, said Dung Dang, Visa's country manager for Vietnam and Laos.

As part of our commitment, Visa will continue implementing innovative financial and payment solutions in supporting SMBs in Vietnam to help their businesses thrive.

Visa has spearheaded an array of programmes to support SMBs in Vietnam. In 2023, Visa launched its SMB Accelerator Program which has helped 20,000 SMBs and partners. The expanded SMB Accelerator initiatives will also focus on a wider set of partnerships with ecosystem participants for smaller sellers and fast-track solutions deployment for SMBs.

Recently, Visa has been a strategic partner and sponsor of Base.vn Baas Day  one of Vietnams largest technology and business events  and share data-driven SMB insights with attendees. Meanwhile, Visas Financial Literacy Programme has run for the last ten years, and will continue strengthening the financial management skills of SMBs and ethnic minority groups in Vietnam.

Visas partnerships with various e-wallets in Vietnam has also benefited SMBs by providing more modes of payment that are beneficial to both businesses and consumers. Wallets serve as a crucial conduit for greater financial inclusion to reach populations that may not have access to traditional banking services.

Visas 50 million SMBs digital enablement milestone is just one piece of its and Visa Foundations ongoing commitment to help small and micro businesses thrive. Since April 2020, Visa Foundation has supported localised programmes and solutions to enable small business owners to meet the fast-changing needs of commerce, trade and consumers in different parts of the world.

Visa offers numerous payment services designed to help SMBs pay and get paid, and includes Visa Business credit and debit cards, rewards programmes, business and payment management tools, fraud and security services, among many other solutions. Visa also provides financial education and business skills training, including Practical Business Skills globally and Enko in Latin America.

Visa study shed lights on Vietnam travel trends The Visa Global Travel Intentions Study (GTI) 2023 offers invaluable insights into the evolving travel habits of tourists in Vietnam, presenting a roadmap for businesses to cater to their needs while showcasing the country's unique charms.

Visa launches account updater to streamline payment experiences Visa has announced the expansion of Real Time Visa Account Updater (VAU) to selected markets in Asia Pacific, streamlining the payment experience for merchants and customers by providing cardholders with a single credential for life.
The Tan Tan Nhat-Dak Glei wind power project in Dak Glei and Ngoc Hoi districts. Image source: Vietnamnet

On November 17, Kon Tum People's Committee announced the decision to sanction administrative violations for the forest land encroachment of Tan Tan Nhat JSC while this company was implementing a wind power project.

Specifically, Tan Tan Nhat has trespassed on to 155,700 square kilometres of production forest land and more than 89,000 sq.m of agricultural land during the construction of the Tan Tan Nhat-Dak Glei wind power project.

Tan Tan Nhat was fined VND380 million ($16,000) for the violation and had to pay more than VND422 million ($17,800) in illegal costs.

Previously, on October 11, an interdisciplinary delegation from Kon Tum province inspected the site and made the discovery.

Kon Tum Department of Construction also decided to impose an administrative fine of more than VND170 million ($7,200) on Tan Tan Nhat JSC due to violations that included not sending reports to the competent agencies and providing incomplete project information and progress.

The project began without the approved construction drawings, and some of the selected organisations and individuals did not hold the qualifications to participate in the construction.

The Tan Tan Nhat-Dak Glei wind power plant project was approved by Kon Tum People's Committee in Decision No.866/QD-UBND dated September 2020. It is valued at is nearly VND1.9 trillion ($80 million), and the operational period runs for 50 years from the date of approval.

The plant has a capacity of 50MW, derived from 18 wind turbines supplied by Windey Energy Technology Group from China that has just been claimed for involving an accident of wind farm plant in China with one death.

The usable land area in Kon Tum province spans 24.55 hectares, of which the land use area with a limited term covers 14.55ha.

Tan Tan Nhat JSC  based in Dak Glei district  is a venture between Oasis No.1 Power Energy Development JSC and Dien Xanh Gia Lai Investment Energy JSC.
The United States announced a new $100 million military aid for Ukraine as Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin visited the war-torn country on Monday.

It was a surprise trip that was made in an effort to re-emphasize Washington's support for Kyiv amid other pressing international issues. Austin, speaking to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said that the message he was bringing with him was that the U.S. is with him.

Military Aid for Ukraine

Austin added that the U.S. would remain in support of Ukraine for the long haul, adding that what happened in the European nation not only matters to itself but also to the rest of the world. In a news release by the Defense Department, the secretary of defense traveled to Kyiv to "reinforce the staunch support of the United States for Ukraine's fight for freedom."

During the visit, the American official unveiled the new military aid package for Ukraine which is considered to be one of the smallest packages yet. This is primarily because available funding for U.S. assistance is starting to run low, as per CNN.

The latest package is the 51st that has been provided to Kyiv from DOD inventories and includes one High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and additional ammunition, 155mm artillery rounds, stinger anti-aircraft missiles, and Tube-launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles.

Additionally, the package provides Kyiv with cold-weather gear, demolition munitions, and more than three million rounds of small arms ammunition. As Austin announced the new military aid package, he said that he sees "bipartisan support in both chambers of Congress" for assistance to Ukraine.

The official added that there are still things they need to continue to work through to get the supplemental request approved. He noted that they would work with Congress to do just that. In a briefing with traveling press, senior defense officials emphasized the critical nature of Austin's visit and the message that it brings for Ukraine.

Austin said that there was no "silver bullet" in a conflict such as the war between Russia and Ukraine. He noted that it depends on providing the right capabilities while also integrating those capabilities in meaningful ways, according to The Hill.

Read Also: Romania Opens F-16 Training Center To Service Ukrainian Pilots, NATO Allies

Supporting Kyiv Against Russia

The situation comes as Ukrainian forces have been in what seems to be a stalemate with Russian forces for the majority of the year. The former is seen to have only made marginal successes since launching a major counteroffensive in June.

Kyiv said that it would most likely need a steady supply of support from Western supporters to stay in the fight against Moscow. The U.S. has pledged to continue supporting the European nation as long as it is needed despite funding running out as winter approaches.

The latest package for Ukraine utilizes assistance that was previously authorized for the nation under the Presidential Drawdown Authority. The Defense Department said that it was left over from prior fiscal years.

Drawdowns typically entail the delivery of military equipment that was previously authorized and requires presidential authorization only and not any specific funding bill from Congress, said Yahoo News.

Related Article: David Cameron Visits Ukraine, Promises Additional Military Support for War-Torn Nation

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Texas author Elizabeth Crook plans on stepping on the prize she recently received as winner of the Texas Writer Award at this summers Texas Book Festival, but not out of anger.

Her prize: a pair of custom-made cowboy boots from El Paso bootmaker Rocketbuster. Its very cool, she said in a brief phone interview last week before boarding a plane to Miami for the Miami Book Fair. She confessed, however, she is afraid of exposing the boots to any wear and tear. The firms eye-popping, hand-tooled boots generally cost thousands of dollars.

Crook, 64, will come to Waco and Fabled Bookshop & Cafe, 215 S. Fourth St., on Nov. 28 to talk about her sixth and latest novel, The Madstone, released earlier this month.

It is set in 1868 Texas, a period just after that of her last novel, The Which Way Tree, and carries over one of that novels characters and narrator, Benjamin Shreve, who Crook she so charmed her she felt compelled to see what happened next in his life.

In The Which Way Tree, Shreve was involved in a 12-year-old girls obsessive quest to kill the panther who had killed her mother six years earlier. The Madstone finds an older Shreve in another epic journey across Texas, this one as guide and escort to a pregnant woman and her child as they flee pursuing outlaws. As one might expect from any trek across post-Civil War Texas, the journey features encounters with extreme weather, untamed nature and humans ranging from colorful eccentrics to deadly killers.

Born in Houston, Crook has lived in Texas most of her life, raised in San Marcos with the exception of the year her father served as ambassador to Australia and visiting grandparents in Corpus Christi, with side trips to Padre Island.

Crook attended Baylor University for two years  I had some wonderful professors, she recalled, naming Elizabeth Vardaman and the late Ann Miller among others  before moving to Houston for a boyfriend and transferring to Rice University.

After Houston, she moved to New Braunfels, then Austin, which has been home to her and her family for the last 34 years. It is her lived-in familiarity with the Lone Star State that breathes in many of her books.

In addition to her novels, Crook has written for Texas Monthly and the Southwestern Historical Quarterly. Her books have won awards from Western Writers of America, Texas Institute of Letters and Women Writing the West.

The Texas Writer Award puts her in the impressive company of previous winners such as Sarah Bird, Stephen Harrigan, Sandra Cisneros, Tim OBrien, Lawrence Wright, Greg Curtis and H.W. Brands, most of whom she knows as peers, friends and mentors.

The Madstone, titled for an animal hairball or gallstone used in folk medicine to draw poison out of an animal bite, was published Nov. 7, and the weeks ahead will find Crook busy with book signings and author appearances.

And after that, she has a blank book ready to start her research and plans to read a lot of history, where she often encounters moments or stories that spark her creativity. Once that happens, the author knows she will be tied up for several years.

It takes me a long time to write, Crook said. Im not that efficient.
A Republican-controlled Texas State Board of Education on Friday rejected seven of 12 proposed science textbooks for eighth graders that for the first time will require them to include information on climate change.

The 15-member board largely rejected the books either because they included policy solutions for climate change or because they were produced by a company that has an Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) policy. Some textbooks were also rejected because SBOE reviewers gave the books lower scores on how well they adhered to the states curriculum standards.

The board voted Friday to allow five textbooks for eighth grade science to be included on the list, published by Savvas Learning Company, McGraw-Hill School Division, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Depository, Accelerate Learning and Summit K-12.

San Antonio Democratic board member Marisa Perez-Diaz said she was disappointed by Fridays decision to reject so many textbooks, some that included Spanish texts.

My fear is that we will render ourselves irrelevant moving forward when it comes to what publishers want to work with us and will help us get proper materials in front of our young people, and for me that's heartbreaking, Perez-Diaz said during Fridays meeting. I'm very disappointed that so many things were voted down based on assertions or thoughts about how things are written or thematics.

In an almost weeklong meeting that began on Tuesday, the members discussed dozens of textbooks that will be placed on a list of approved materials for districts to select from next fall.

While school districts are not required to choose only from the SBOE-curated list, many school districts choose to do so because those textbooks are guaranteed to be in compliance with the states curriculum standards.

A science curriculum overhaul approved two years ago threw eighth grade science textbooks, in particular, into the political fray. The new standards will require, for the first time next year, that Texas eighth graders learn about climate change  meaning that textbook manufacturers had to update their teaching materials.

Texas is one of only six states that does not use the Next Generation Science Standards to guide its K-12 science curriculum. The standards  developed by states and a committee convened by the National Research Council in 2013  emphasize that climate change is real, severe, caused by humans and can be mitigated with actions that reduce greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere.

The updated Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, or TEKS, require eighth graders to learn about climate change and describe how human activities can influence the climate. Critics have said that the standards dont go far enough, arguing that the requirements dont ensure students will learn how reducing greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels could mitigate climate change.

But overall, most of the proposed eighth grade science textbooks did a good job meeting the states new requirements for including information about climate change, according to an analysis by educators who were asked to review the books for Texas Freedom Network, a progressive think tank focused on education.

The curriculum change was approved before many of the current board members were elected. Its a body thats taken a rightward turn in recent years after Republicans nationally began taking aim at how schools were teaching history, race and gender.

Republicans have also in recent years sought to punish companies that adopt ESG policies, which typically attempt to align companies with international climate goals, set internal emissions reductions targets, or employ investment strategies that emphasize renewable energy over fossil fuels. In 2021, Texas lawmakers prohibited state funds, such as the Teacher Retirement System of Texas, from contracting with or investing in companies that divest from oil, natural gas and coal companies.

The SBOEs discussions this week have reflected those trends, with board members voting against books that they said were written by companies with environmentally-friendly corporate policies or that went too far in teaching students how to advocate for climate solutions. Others wanted more emphasis on religion, or argued that scientific theories should not be taught as fact.

Evelyn Brooks, a Republican board member from Frisco who represents District 14, for example, on Tuesday questioned the scientific consensus on climate change and suggested that creation  a religious concept  should be taught alongside scientific theories of the origins of the universe. Brooks was first elected to the board in 2022 and said that she wanted to see more perspectives of people of faith included in the books.

The origins of the universe is my issue  big bang, climate change  again, what evidence is being used to support the theories, and if this is a theory that is going to be taught as a fact, thats my issue, Brooks said while discussing one of the textbooks. What about creation?

Board Chair Keven Ellis, a Lufkin Republican with six years on the board, responded that he believed the board had previously pushed the textbook standards as far as we can go on that without the books being determined unconstitutional.

In another Tuesday discussion, board member Julie Pickren, a Pearland Republican who has represented District 7 since January, complained that some of the textbooks presented a theme that humans are causing climate change.

Human activity has likely caused around 100% of climate change since 1951, according to the Fourth National Climate Assessment, and the Global Change Research Programs most recent report, published earlier this week, reiterated that finding.

Human activities  primarily emissions of greenhouse gasses from fossil fuel use  have unequivocally caused the global warming observed over the industrial era, the Fifth National Climate Assessment said.

Throughout the Tuesday meeting, Pickren motioned to remove several textbooks from the SBOEs list.

She successfully motioned to remove the textbooks created by Discovery Education on Tuesday, arguing that the company has an initiative thats aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and that the initiative was a theme replicated throughout the curriculum. Pickren was concerned that the book might violate anti-ESG state laws.

The board also chose to remove a textbook created by publisher Green Ninja after Republican board member and secretary Patricia Hardy argued on Tuesday that it too explicitly took a position that students should warn their friends and family about extreme weather made worse by climate change.

Its taking a position that all of that is settled science, and that our extreme weather is caused by climate change, said Hardy, a Fort Worth Republican who has served on the board since 2003.

Several types of extreme weather in Texas  including more intense heat, droughts and hurricanes  have been found by scientists, including the state climatologist, to be made worse by climate change.

A handful of Texans spoke to the board in favor of adopting the textbooks during the meeting this week, including one scientist.

Its high time that climate change was presented in a straightforward way in Texas science textbooks, beginning in the eighth grade, Robert Baumgardner, a retired geologist who worked for the Bureau of Economic Geology at the University of Texas, told the board on Tuesday.

Others expressed dismay that elected officials were stuck in a conversation about whether climate change is caused by humans rather than preparing students to lead the energy transition.

I cant believe were having this discussion, that we need to keep climate change in the books, and keep the religious stuff out of the books, said Ethan Michelle Ganz, a community organizer and pipefitter from Houston. Climate change is happening right now. Its not a future thing.  We need to be competitive in the world market.

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2023/11/17/texas-climate-textbooks-education-SBOE/.

The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org.
PRESS RELEASE

The American Airpower Museum is proud to host an Honor Flight Long Island Reunion on December 2nd, reuniting 45 Veterans who took a free Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. on September 29, 2023. These Long Island heroes visited their military memorials, commiserated with fellow Veterans and exchanged stories. Honor Flights mission is to honor fellow Long Islanders who served in the Armed Forces of the United States, by providing all-expense paid one-day trips to D.C. for the Veterans.

Thanks to HFLI, these 45 Veterans took a free, early-morning Southwest flight from MacArthur Airport to Washington, D.C. Veterans, their Guardians and Honor Flight officials visited World War II, Korean War and Vietnam Memorials, Arlington National Cemetery for a Changing of the Guard, the Air Force Memorial and Iwo Jima Memorial. They returned to MacArthur later that evening for a rousing welcome home by the Saffron United Pipe Band, plus thunderous applause from hundreds of family, friends and supporters!

According to Bill Jones, HFLI President, West Point 1972 Graduate and U.S. Army Veteran, This special flight included 42 Vietnam War Veterans who received long overdue recognition and thanks for their service, Jones said. They were accompanied by 3 elder comrades, 1 World War II Veteran and 2 Korean War Veterans. What this flight really represented was a Big Hug to all our Veterans from Honor Flight, their families and supporters, who make such flights possible, Jones added.

On December 2nd the Museum doors open at 10:30 a.m. and the reunion runs from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at AAMs Hangar 3, 1230 New Highway, Farmingdale, NY. Admission for the Veterans, their Guardians and families, is free. The public is also invited to attend FREE OF CHARGE if they arrive between 10:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m . After 11:00 a.m., regular Museum admission is $15 for Adults, $12 for Seniors and Veterans, $10 for kids 5 to 12.

Come and cheer these Veterans during our Ceremony of Honors, as they receive personalized Tribute Journals full of photos taken during their D.C. trip. This great patriotic event includes speeches by HFLI President Bill Jones and AAM President and Founder Jeff Clyman. The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla Band will play a popular patriotic medley known as the Armed Forces Salute, featuring the five official musical themes of the U.S. Armed Forces: Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard. Free refreshments for all provided by HFLI.

HFLI is accepting applications from Veterans of WWII, Korea and Vietnam. Long Island Veterans are encouraged to sign up by going to the HFLI website, www.honorflightlongisland.org. Its important to submit an application, as that will guarantee placement on the list. Veterans fly for free, thanks to donations from across Long Island. They are accompanied by Guardians, able-bodied volunteers who donate $400 (tax deductible) to offset their travel costs. If there is no family member to act as a Guardian, HFLI has volunteers ready to step up for the privilege of escorting our heroes to their memorials. Questions? Call Jamie Bowden at (631) 702-2423 or email JBowden@southamptontownny.gov.

About Honor Flight Network

The Honor Flight Network was formed in 2005 with a mission of honoring our nations World War II Veterans by flying them to visit the Washington, D.C. WWII Memorial dedicated in 2004. The Honor Flight Network is currently comprised of over 130 hubs throughout the country dedicated to carrying out the Honor Flight mission. In addition to WWII Veterans, the organization now transports those who served in the Korean War, Vietnam War, later conflicts and in special cases of terminal illness or injury, Veterans from more recent service eras. Since 2005, the Honor Flight Network has taken more than 250,000 Veterans to Washington, D.C. Since 2007, Honor Flight Long Island has flown over 1,900 Veterans to Washington, D.C. to visit their military memorials. For more information, visit honorflight.org.
WATERLOO  Authorities are seeking the publics help in locating a Waterloo man who allegedly fled from a halfway house where he was serving time for a robbery in Oelwein.

Tyrin James Jones, 24, failed to report back to the Waterloo Residential Correctional Facility on Nov. 17, according to officials with the Iowa Department of Corrections.

He had been sentenced to up to 10 years in prison in a January 2017 incident where he beat a man with a pistol and stole marijuana, according to court records. Jones was placed on work release on Oct. 12, 2023.

He is described as a 24-year-old black male, 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighing 198 pounds. Anyone with information on Joness whereabouts should contact local police.

Photos: Guns in Northeast Iowa crime cases
WEST UNION  Authorities seized 22 guns as well as a pound of marijuana, meth and THC products when they executed search warrants at five Fayette County addresses on Friday.

Officers arrested nine people, including two teens, on drug and related charges.

Agencies involved in the operation include the Fayette County Sheriffs Office along with West Union Police Department, Iowa State Patrol, Northeast Iowa Task Force, Chickasaw County Sheriffs Office, Winneshiek County Sheriffs Office, Decorah Police Department and Postville Police Department.

The addresses searched were 202 S Walnut St., West Union; 317 E. Plum St., West Union; 5261 Great River Road., Clermont; 118 First Avenue N.E., Waucoma; and 103 Third St. N.E., Waucoma, according to the Fayette County Sheriffs Office.

Several arrests came from the search of the rural farm property on Great River Road where officers found people using firearms as well as drugs, according to court records.

When authorities searched the Plum Street address, they found two puppies kept in a small crate without access to food and water. They were malnourished and covered in feces and urine, court records state.

Those arrested include:

Bryan Lee Rear, 41, of West Union, charged with possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession with intent to deliver marijuana, and operating a gathering where controlled substances are used.

Joseph Timothy John Wellman, 43, of Fayette, charged with possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine, two counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession with intent to deliver marijuana, and gathering where controlled substances are used.

Judith Ann Green, 52, of Postville, charged with possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession with intent to deliver marijuana, and operating a gathering where controlled substances are used.

Tina Marie Schuler, 45, of West Union, charged with possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine, and two counts of child endangerment.

Tina Opitz, 47, of West Union, charged with two counts of animal neglect and misdemeanor drug offenses.

Nicole Alissa Kleppe, 42, of Waucoma, charged with distribution of illegal substances to a person under 18, two counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession with intent to deliver marijuana, possession with intent to deliver a canibidoil, operating a gathering where controlled substances are used, two counts of Drug Tax Stamp violation, delivery of marijuana, and two counts of child endangerment.

A 17 year old from Waucoma, charged and transported to Juvenile Detention for distribution to a person under 18, two counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession with intent to deliver marijuana, possession with intent to deliver a canibidiol, gathering where controlled substances are being used, two counts of Drug Tax Stamp violation, and delivery of marijuana

More charges are pending. The Fayette County Sheriffs Office was additionally assisted by Gunderson Ambulance Service, a West Union K-9 Officer, and the Chickasaw County Sheriffs Office K-9 Deputy.
WATERLOO  A Waterloo teen has been arrested after police found him carrying a stolen gun Monday night.

Officers arrested Jaquailyn Tyshon Thomas, 18, of 842 Kern St., for carrying weapons, interference while armed and fifth-degree theft. Bond was set at $10,000.

Police were called to 316 E. Mullan Ave. for a disturbance around 10 p.m. Monday. When authorities pulled up, Thomas allegedly began running from officers.

Officers tackled Thomas and found a loaded 9 mm Glock handgun with an extended magazine in his waistband, according to court records.

Authorities traced the pistol and determined it was stolen, court records state.

Thomas is awaiting trial for an October 2022 incident where he allegedly broke a girls jaw, court records state.

In June 2023, a Chrysler 200 he was driving was damaged by gunfire. Officers found several bullet holes in vehicle, and inside they found 31 spent shell casings, records state.
Killer police

On page A2 of the Oct. 31 Courier, an article about an officer-involved shooting tells of a new murderous police action, of running over citizens with their squad car. Another thing sneaked in unannounced: Did the citizens approve of this overkill action? Do the police in communist North Korea or Russia do this? They get a paid vacation for killing non-attacking citizens in the U.S., but if a citizen accelerates a vehicle at a police officer, hes charged with attempted murder of a police officer. Were real dupes to believe we have equal justice for all in our perverted justice system. Iowa lawmakers keep giving police more favored status until theyre like gods, and citizens are like trash by comparison.

U.S. House speaker and Republicans want to stop military aid to Ukraine. Trump still has his influence on them. Remember how palsy he was and is with Putin? When T.V. news showed Putins army first invasion into Ukraine with mass murder and destruction, Trumps voice was in it, saying Putin sure is a smart man.

Herman Lenz, Sumner

Foreign carbon emissions

Many ways of combating climate change have been proposed. One seemingly commonsense method is to put a fee on the carbon dioxide emitted by industry and give this money to each American by a cashback payment that would offset any increased costs of these products. Since all payments would be the same, people that used the smallest amount of products from carbon-polluting industries would see the greatest benefit.

Especially troublesome is the carbon emitted by foreign industries that export manufactured products to the U.S. To remedy this, two recently introduced bipartisan bills, the Providing Reliable, Objective, Verifiable Emissions Intensity and Transparency (PROVE IT) Act and the Foreign Pollution Fee Act would use somewhat different methods to require foreign industries to report the amount of carbon emitted in the manufacturing of products exported to the United States

It is predicted that manufacturing in the U.S. will be found to be cleaner than the manufacture of many imported products, especially those from China. Tariffs on dirty producers then would be imposed and a cashback payment given to Americans. This also would help level the manufacturing playing field. Other countries, including the European Union, have begun this process. Lets join them.

David Voigts, Jesup

Bad fit for CF School Board

Why? As a supporter of public education I ask why some voters in the Cedar Falls District voted for an individual who has removed her children from the Cedar Falls schools and enrolled them in a Waterloo private school?

Megan Witts slogan is Invested in the community, yet her children do not attend school in our community. Did she apply and receive a state voucher to help pay for her childrens tuition at a private school? If so, the state tax dollars provided for that voucher reduce the amount of public money that could be spent educating students in the Cedar Falls school system.

If she wants to serve on a board that makes decisions regarding students, educators and administrators in the Cedar Falls schools, why arent her own children enrolled here? Why not serve on the board of the school her children attend?

Why did Witt fail to attend the school board candidate forum? Was she reluctant to answer the questions posed by citizens and moderators? Those questions were answered by all of the other candidates, including Jenny Leeper, who was running unopposed.

Next election ask each candidate why they are running and what their agenda is.

David Westley, Cedar Falls

National Hospice month

Its common for people to resist talking about mortality, but having a conversation about end of life can have a profound impact.

November marks National Hospice & Palliative Care month, and Cedar Valley Hospice is joining organizations across the nation to educate our community and encourage them to start having courageous conversations.

What are your wishes for the end of your life? Do your loved ones know those wishes?

Its difficult to think about these questions, but talking with your family can make all the difference.

In 2022, my father, Mike Petersen, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. His doctor was very resistant to hospice care, but I knew Cedar Valley Hospice was the right partner to walk alongside our family through Dads cancer journey. I admit, it was uncomfortable to approach the subject with Mom and Dad, but my fears melted away once the conversation started.

I learned that preparation plus education equals a better quality of life. Cedar Valley Hospice can help facilitate these conversations and prepare an advance directive, so that when the time comes, you can focus on Making Each Moment Matter with those you love. Our family couldnt have done it without their wonderful staff!

Chris Schildroth, Reinbeck
WATERLOO  A commission that studied gun violence over the past 18 months is recommending a series of steps to reduce the problem across the city.

Eight short- and long-term recommendations such as improving street lighting, expanding a neighborhood officer patrol program, establishing a violence intervention program and prioritizing funding for initiatives were presented to the City Council on Monday.

In June 2022, the council approved the Waterloo Safe Neighborhoods Commission, which Councilmember Jonathan Grieder helped to form.

It came after four fatal shootings in the first half of the year, two of them in May. That year, seven people were killed by gunfire. Numerous other non-fatal shootings and shots fired incidents also occurred in 2022.

In 2021, there were four homicides by firearm. In 2020, a total of seven shootings resulted in nine deaths in Waterloo.

The council received the recommendations and placed them on file as part of the consent agenda. There was no discussion.

In an earlier interview, Grieder, who currently represents Ward 2, said he started talking with Waterloo residents about gun violence at the beginning of 2022 because people seemed very hungry to have the conversation.

He and other commission members  including individuals from the Waterloo Police Department, Black Hawk County Public Health, nonprofits and faith leaders, among others  held eight town hall meetings, distributed surveys and worked with the Public Science Collaborative at Iowa State University to come up with strategies and recommendations. The ISU study was done without any cost to the city.

While similar work has been done in the city before, Grieder believes how the council uses the findings this time will be different.

This is not a blue ribbon commission so we could all pat ourselves on the back and then forget about it, he said. This is something that I will fundamentally want to change how we look at the issues.  This is not a one-and-done.

There are three short-term recommendations, with a timeline of 12 to 16 months.

The first is for the planning and zoning department to develop a public notification program for alcohol licenses sought in areas that have multiple places that sell alcohol. The city already monitors alcohol outlet density.

The commission also recommended expanding the Neighborhood Patrol Officer Program. The program, put in place by former Chief Joel Fitzgerald, designates certain officers to particular areas of the city in hopes of building trust in the community.

The other short-term recommendation is to establish and implement a minimum lighting safety threshold in neighborhoods to increase street lighting. The recommendation states that the city should work with neighborhood associations and residents to identify areas that need more light as well as with MidAmerican and grant programs for funding.

There are also five long-term recommendations, which could take more than 16 months to put in place.

Among them, the city is being asked to prepare a request for proposals to create an Office of Community Connections.

We have really good nonprofits, we have a lot of folks who are doing really fantastic stuff, Grieder said. But, unfortunately, its become siloed. If folks dont know about it, its hard to break in.

Grieder hopes this would be a go-to place to build connections and also provide resources to those in the community.

Another recommendation is to establish a Community Violence Intervention Program. This would involve hiring people who know the community and have the necessary skills to work in the role of interventionists.

The commission also recommended establishing the Common Cause Waterloo Coalition. This would include a wide range of local officials and residents working to develop evidence-based plans to help the city stay focused on issues of violence.

Among the participants would be city, Black Hawk County, police department, Metropolitan Transit Authority and Waterloo Community Schools officials. Leaders from the faith, business, and nonprofit communities would be drawn in, as well, along with those who were formerly incarcerated and other residents of the city.

Other long-term goals relate to financing initiatives. One recommendation is to establish a relationship with the Patricia A. Tomson Center for Violence Prevention at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls to help with grants and financial sustainability. Another recommendation is for the council to prioritize and approve funding to help with gun violence prevention initiatives as well as to help raise awareness.

Grieder said he realizes people think gun violence issues cant be solved.

These recommendations are doable things (that) require effort and they require money but they are doable things that have been shown in other communities to reduce gun violence, he said. We are not asking for a pie-in-the-sky solution. These recommendations are real, on the ground, scientifically based things that will make Waterloo safer.

Grieder said he is also aware that many residents are skeptical of the commission, especially the cost of implementing recommendations. But he noted that gun violence already costs the city money. Its thousands of dollars for police, fire rescue and emergency medical services to respond to the scene of these crimes and there are millions of dollars in lost economic opportunity because of Waterloos reputation regarding violent crime.

Grieder faces Steve Simon in a runoff election for an at-large council seat on Dec. 5 but said if he loses he hopes the commission will remain.

If I am not reelected, I will very much try to convey to my colleagues and my replacement that these things need to, and should continue in whatever capacity, after December 5, Grieder said. I will continue to advocate for these recommendations, whether it is as a public official or private citizen.

In other business, the city council approved:

An ordinance to rezone about 2.93 acres at 438 W. Airline Highway for Schotts Trucking, LLC, which is expanding beyond its previous zoning allowances.

A three-year software contract with Polco for $40,000 for the purpose of community engagement for budget simulation, capital improvement project prioritization and taxpayer receipts.

A development and minimum assessment agreement with Martin Flats, LLC for the rehabilitation of 319 E. Fourth St. into commercial and residential space, including a grant of $199,000, plus rebates for 15 years at 70%, with a minimum assessed value of $993,060.

The US surpasses 160 mass shootings in 2023. Here's every event mapped The US surpasses 100 mass shootings in 2023here's every event mapped Mass shootings have happened in gun-friendly statesand some stricter ones Mass shootings take place in nearly every type of public and private space Mass shootings have happened in gun-friendly statesand some stricter ones Mass shootings take place in nearly every type of public and private space Mass shootings have happened in gun-friendly statesand some stricter ones Mass shootings take place in nearly every type of public and private space Mass shootings have happened in gun-friendly statesand some stricter ones Mass shootings take place in nearly every type of public and private space
Lab of information technology, AI in Tibetan language to enter operation

Xinhua) 09:39, November 21, 2023

LHASA, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The key laboratory of information technology and artificial intelligence (AI) in the Tibetan language has passed its acceptance test in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region.

The project team has built a 1,500-hour Tibetan voice corpus, and developed an intelligent Tibetan voice auxiliary prompt system for public service organizations, as well as an intelligent Tibetan news broadcast system for mobile phones.

Team leader Nyima Tashi, from Tibet University, said the team has focused on Tibetan natural language processing and AI, the digitization of Tibetan cultural resources, and plateau big data analysis and application. It has studied Mandarin-Tibetan two-way machine translation, multilingual search engines, digitization of Tibetan ancient books, multi-scene and multi-style Tibetan font recognition and other technologies, and has built a number of Tibetan data resource libraries, said Nyima Tashi.

Integrating the above research results, the team initially developed the Tibetan language automatic recognition hardware and software system, and the intelligent all-in-one prototype machine. It has now begun to plan and gradually promote the application to typical scenarios such as education and training, media intelligent processing, government affairs informatization and medical informatization, both in Xizang and other regions.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
One way to locate unaccounted for sources of income is to look at the most recent Federal income tax returns. You can see the sources of income and maybe find an asset you have overlooked. krisanapong detraphiphat/Getty Images

Q: My wifes father died last year in Florida. He did not keep good records. As the personal representative of his estate, my wife tracked down most of his accounts, but she recently received dividend checks for other stocks he owned. This led to the discovery of 23 stocks worth more than $300,000. We dont know if there might be significant other assets that we still dont know about. Is there a way to search and find assets that he might have owned?

A: One way is to look at your father-in-laws most recent federal income tax returns. You can see the sources of his income and maybe find an asset you have overlooked.

You can also search state and federal databases for other unclaimed money. The Florida website is www.fltreasurehunt.gov, and the Texas website is www.claimittexas.gov. Also go to www.usa.gov/unclaimed-money for links to other websites where you can do some searches.

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There are companies that will search for a decedents assets, and you can find them on the web. But be careful. Its unclear though if they are legitimate.

Q: My wife will inherit her fathers home when he passes. She is the sole beneficiary under his will, and he also has a transfer on death deed with her as the beneficiary. There are no other assets which would require probate. Other than avoiding costs of probating the will, are there other implications of inheriting the house via the transfer on death deed versus the will, such as tax considerations, when she sells the house?

A: The tax considerations are the same with a will or a Transfer on Death Deed. In general, the home will get a step up in cost basis to fair market value when her father dies, meaning she should owe no capital gains taxes if she sells it shortly following his death.

With a will, she would need to hire a lawyer and probate the will, but selling the house would be straightforward. Title companies are very familiar with the sale of homes as part of a probate.

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But with the Transfer on Death Deed, title companies sometimes require the beneficiary to prove there are no outstanding debts of the estate, or they might require the filing of Affidavits of Heirship, and in rare circumstances, they might require a two-year wait as the Texas statute provides.

Despite the potential issues with Transfer on Death Deeds, they are still very useful documents.

For an update on the new Texas forms, I have been working with a group of other volunteer attorneys to prepare the new forms, and we have finished our work. The forms now await Texas Supreme Court approval, and once that happens the new forms will be made available to the public to use.

I am hopeful that attorneys, title companies and the general public will all start using the forms more once the Texas Supreme Court puts its stamp of approval on them. Over time, the forms will hopefully become an accepted and efficient way to transfer real estate in Texas.
David Young, PA

Hundreds of thousands of people will receive payments this week under the first tranche of cost-of-living support payments agreed as part of Budget 2024.

Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys has outlined the details of the three payments totalling 230 million due to be paid out.

A 300 fuel allowance lump sum payment will be paid to 409,000 households throughout the week.

From Wednesday to Friday, a 400 disability support grant will be paid to 214,000 people with disabilities who receive disability allowance, invalidity pension or the blind pension.

On Thursday, a 400 lump sum working family payment will be paid to 45,000 families, with 97,000 children.

All lump sum supports are automatically paid to eligible recipients, with no application required.

The three payments are the first of a total of nine lump sums that will be paid between November and January.

Ms Humphreys said the social protection package in Budget 2024 was the largest in the history of the State.

She provided details of the payments at Shed Fest in Virginia, Co Cavan  the first ever national conference held by the Irish Mens Sheds Association.

The Minister said: The Government is conscious that the cost-of-living crisis continues to impact families the length and breadth of the country.

This week, we are rolling out the first three of the lump sum payments that I secured as part of Budget 2024.

This will see some 409,000 households in receipt of the fuel allowance receive a 300 lump sum.

In addition, some 45,000 families that receive the working family payment will get a lump sum of 400, and 214,000 people with disabilities will also receive a 400 lump sum payment.

The payments being paid this week will be followed by six further lump sum payments over the coming weeks, including a 400 carers support grant, a double child benefit payment, and Christmas and January double payments.

This suite of lump sum payments means that people will have extra money in their pockets, which will ease the pressure and stress that many households are facing.

The budget also included an across-the-board increase in welfare payments of 12 per week from January 2024.
Deputy Michael Ring has raised in the Dail the urgent need for substantial funding to be approved for a new headquarters for Castlebar Order of Malta.

Deputy Ring has also contacted Minister Heather Humphreys on this matter.

Deputy Ring stated: Castlebar Order of Malta carry out tremendous work. They provide a marvellous service to the locality. They are an invaluable asset to the county town. They are hardworking volunteers who strive at all times to serve their area.

Castlebar Order of Malta carry out a lot of patient transfers to hospitals. They provide a wonderful and reassuring service to people at a very difficult time."

Deputy Ring said the Order of Malta in Castlebar had been seeking funding for a new headquarters for the past number of years.

"They urgently require a new base. It is imperative that they are supported in their endeavours as they provide a tremendous service and it is important that the organisation is supported.

I am lobbying the Minister very hard to try and secure funding for a new headquarters for Castlebar Order of Malta and I will continue to do so concluded Deputy Ring.
Sean McCarthaigh

The rate of increase of Ukrainians arriving in Ireland over the past 12 months was 10 times higher than the average increase in numbers fleeing to the EU from Ukraine over the same period.

Official statistics published by the European Commission show that there has been a 72.1 per cent increase in the number of Ukrainians seeking international protection in the Republic in the 12 months to the end of September 2023 as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Over the same time, the number of Ukrainian citizens seeking refuge across the EU rose by just 7.2 per cent.

The figures were published shortly after Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, said the Government had to take action to slow down the number of Ukrainians coming to Ireland.

It is the second-highest rate of increase among the 27 EU member states over the past year after Romania, where the number of refugees from Ukraine have effectively doubled to around 140,000.

Over the same period, the number of Ukrainian refugees has dropped in six countries including Poland where they have fallen back by over 30 per cent with over 400,000 availing of temporary protection.

The other EU member states were the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, France, Sweden and Austria.

However, numbers fleeing the war in Ukraine are up 20 per cent or more in all other EU member states apart from Estonia.

Figures show the number of Ukrainians who have been granted temporary protection in Ireland stood at 53,830 in September 2022.

However, the figure increased by almost 40,000 in the space of 12 months to 93,050.

When citizens of other non-EU countries who fled the Russian invasion of Ukraine are included, the figure rises to 94,085.

According to the latest monthly figures, Ireland has the third highest net increase in new arrivals of people seeking international protection from the war in Ukraine in absolute terms within the EU in September.

Official statistics show that there was a net increase of 2,875 in individuals from Ukraine granted temporary protection status in the Republic in September

It represented a 3.2 per cent increase on the previous month.

It was also the largest monthly percentage increase recorded in any EU member state where overall numbers rose by 0.8 per cent on average.

Only Germany and the Netherlands had larger net increases in new temporary asylum seekers from Ukraine in net absolute terms with 19,205 and 3,685 respectively in September.

In the same month, five EU member states  the Czech Republic, France, Poland, Slovenia and Luxembourg, recorded a decrease in the overall number of people from Ukraine under temporary protection.

The latest figures show almost 4.2 million individuals fleeing Ukraine have temporary protection status in one of the EUs 27 member states with Germany accounting for over 28 per cent of the total with almost 1.2 million, followed by Poland with almost 959,000 and the Czech Republic with around 358,000.

The strong increase in the numbers seeking temporary protection in Ireland is believed to be one of the reasons the Government is considering lowering the level of accommodation and welfare supports to refugees from Ukraine.

A row broke out among ministers at a Cabinet meeting in recent weeks over the current level of supports.

Among the proposed changes being promoted by the Minister for Integration, Roderic OGorman, is a 90-day limit on accommodation provided by the State due to the pressure being experienced in finding housing for all new arrivals from Ukraine.

However, the Tanaiste Micheal Martin has opposed the measure claiming it would simply create problems for the Minister for Housing, Darragh OBrien.

Several Government ministers including the Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys, have acknowledged that any change to supports is a complex issue.

A decision on possible changes to supports is not now expected before next month at the earliest.

A spokesperson for the Department of Justice said an EU directive placed specific obligations on Ireland and all member states to provide supports and benefits that beneficiaries should be entitled to.

The spokesperson said Ireland had taken a higher number of beneficiaries from Ukraine than the EU average to date.

Ireland has the 9th highest rate of refugees fleeing the Russian invasion on a per capita basis.

The ratio of people from Ukraine granted temporary protection across the EU is 9.3 per 1,000 population with the Czech Republic having the highest at 33.1 per 1,000 population.

Several other countries have ratios in excess of 25 per 1,000 population including Estonia, Poland, Bulgaria and Lithuania.

Ireland currently has 18.1 refugees from Ukraine per 1,000 population.

Ukrainian citizens account for 98 per cent of beneficiaries of temporary protection across the EU.

Adult women make up 46.5 per cent of those granted temporary protection with children accounting for 33.7 per cent of the total and adult men comprising just under 20 per cent.

In September, the European Council agreed to extend the temporary protection for people fleeing from Russias war of aggression against Ukraine a further 12 months to March 4th, 2025.
For some, holidays can be a time for celebrating with family, friends and loved ones, for others, they can represent a time for service and a chance to strengthen communities.

We are just trying to give back and show people that the community can still support each other, said Katelyn Spink, co-owner of 608 Nutrition, one of several places in Portage and Baraboo offering a free Thanksgiving meal.

A lot of people also think the free meal is for people who cant provide a dinner for themselves, said Spink. But some people just cant travel, or maybe dont even have family left. Whatever the reason is, we want to provide a space and a meal for them.

For its second year in-a-row, 608 Nutrition, 2800 New Pinery Road, will offer a free meal from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., including turkey, cranberries, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole, carrots, corn casserole and pie.

The store offers the option to call ahead or walk in to place orders. A few tables will be set-up in the back of the store where people are welcome to dine in, but are encouraged to carry out, Spink said.

Highway 60-78 in Sauk Prairie set for construction work later this decade The stretch of Highway 60-78 in Prairie du Sac and Sauk City is slated for construction in roughly four years.

Donations for the meal came from various sources, including community members and local businesses, said Spink.

Spink said about 70 meals were given away last year, and this year at least as many people have put in orders ahead of time.

She said the store has invited those who may not have the chance to be with family for Thanksgiving, such as area first responders, hospital staff and local organizations, such as homeless shelters.

608 Nutrition is a health-conscious cafe and juice bar that has been operating in Portage two years and specializes in smoothies, energy teas, protein coffee and more.

Also offering a free turkey dinner with all the fixings from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday is St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, 309 W. Cook St.

People who reserve a meal with the church through Wednesday have the option of dining in at the St. Marys school gymnasium or having their meals delivered.

If you are looking to burn some calories ahead of a day full of eating, the Portage High School cross-country teams are hosting a Turkey Trot 5k run/walk from 8 to 10 a.m. Thursday.

The race is for all ages and starts and ends at Portage High School, 301 E. Collins St.

There is no fee for participation, but people are encouraged to bring a nonperishable food item for donation to the food pantry.

Wisconsin Dells ax-throwing tavern starting couples league Asgard Axe and Tap is currently offering local discounts to residents within a 30-mile radius and is beginning a couples axe throwing league at the end of November.

Baraboo Thanksgiving meals

In Baraboo, St. Vincent de Paul is continuing its free Thanksgiving meal tradition at St. Joseph Catholic Parish. The meal is open to anyone, regardless of location or income.

The thrift store, which also holds the citys food pantry, will serve its complimentary meal from noon to 12:30 p.m. Thursday in the cafeteria at St. Joseph, 300 2nd St.

St. Vincent de Paul Society in Baraboo has provided a Thanksgiving meal since 1990.

It was a community (event) spearheaded by George Graham, said Kory Cummings, a member of the Thanksgiving Day committee of the St. Vincent de Paul Society in Baraboo. It was for community involvement with the society.

Graham chaired the Thanksgiving committee that Cummings now serves on when the St. Vincent de Paul Society first served the complimentary dinner.

Meal recipients can either eat in the St. Joseph cafeteria or carry out. Meals also will be delivered to those in Baraboo and nearby communities who placed orders through Tuesday.

As always, the meal is a traditional Thanksgiving serving with turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, grilled vegetables and pumpkin pie. In 2021, St. Vincent de Paul had a record 235 people receive complimentary meals. Cummings estimates that roughly 140 to 160 people come for the holiday each year.

Also in Baraboo, Tumbled Rock Brewery, S5718 State Road 136, is offering its fourth annual free Thanksgiving Community Dinner from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday.

Along with the traditional Thanksgiving foods, Tumbled Rock has a relish tray, ham, green bean casserole and cranberry fluff salad. The restaurant also has apple and pumpkin pie and includes a complimentary non-alcoholic beverage with the meals.

Signup for the Thanksgiving Community Dinner closes on Wednesday. Restaurant general manager Lance Tonkinson said roughly 140 people had reserved tables as of Monday. In 2022, 125 people participated.

The restaurant provides the meal with hopes that attendees will make donations to its partner organization each year. This is the first year Tumbled Rock has partnered with two institutions for Thanksgiving fundraising, Beyond Blessed Food Pantry and Boys and Girls Club of West Central Wisconsin. Tumbled Rock matches all funds donated during the dinner.

Between now and New Years Eve, the restaurant is holding the Dine and Donate program, in which clients can add a charitable donation to their bill any time they eat and drink at Tumbled Rock.

The Thanksgiving dinner will continue after this year, Tonkinson said.
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers on Monday joined the leaders of the Lac du Flambeau and Bad River Bands of Lake Superior Chippewa in calling on the Republican-controlled state budget committee to release $2 million in grant funding set aside for the two Wisconsin tribes.

The states 2023-25 biennial budget sets aside $11 million in tribal gaming revenue as supplemental funds to be awarded to the states 11 tribes. In September, the state Department of Administration requested those funds be transferred to the tribes through a Tribal Assistance Grants program.

The GOP-led Joint Committee on Finance in October voted 8-4, along party lines, to award $1 million each to nine of the states 11 tribes  excluding the Bad River and Lac du Flambeau tribes.

Democratic members of the committee sought to release funds to all 11 tribes, but the motion was rejected by Republicans, who did not provide a reason in the Oct. 31 meeting as to why funding was not included for the two tribes.

Evers said in a statement Monday the decision by Legislative Republicans flies in the face of our work to build strong, meaningful government-to-government partnerships with the Native Nations.

This is just yet another in a long list of examples of Republicans ongoing efforts to obstruct basic functions of government, Evers continued.

Budget committee co-chairs Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, and Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam, said in a joint statement the committee did not release the funds because the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa have taken adverse actions against their fellow Wisconsinites.

While the lawmakers did not provide specifics, Lac du Flambeau has been engaged in an ongoing roads dispute between landowners and the town of Lac du Flambeau related to right-of-way easements.

While we respect their autonomy as a tribe, we must also respect the taxpayers who are suffering as a result of the tribes decisions, Marklein said.

Marklein also noted that Evers signed off on the committees minutes on Nov. 10, three days before tribal leaders sent the governor a letter urging him to consider litigation to fix this injustice.

We dont understand why (Evers) has suddenly changed course, Marklein added.

In a Nov. 13 letter to the co-chairs, Lac du Flambeau Tribal President John Johnson Sr. and Bad River Tribal Chairman Robert Blanchard wrote to object to the recent discriminatory act perpetrated against us by the State of Wisconsin.

The tribal leaders asked the co-chairs to hold a separate meeting to approve the grant funding.

Our Tribal Members, who are also residents of Wisconsin, deserve an explanation as to why they are being singled out for such discriminatory treatment, the leaders continue.

The leaders also write in the letter that litigation will be explored if the state does not rectify the matter.

My request to Republicans is simple: stop playing politics with the Native Nations in this state and release these funds that are essential for Tribes to provide governmental services to their citizens and communities, Evers wrote.
FILE - Gila River Indian Community Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis speaks at the Capitol, April 6, 2023, in Phoenix. In a move that may soon be replicated elsewhere, the Gila River Indian Community recently signed an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to put solar panels over a stretch of irrigation canal on their land south of Phoenix. This was a historic moment here for the community but also for the region and across Indian Country, Lewis said. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)
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Black smoke rises from an Israeli airstrike on the outskirts of Aita al-Shaab, a Lebanese border village with Israel, as it is seen from Rmeish village in south Lebanon, Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023. Tension has been rising along the Lebanon-Israel border since the Oct. 7 attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on southern Israel. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Beef rib panang curry from Khoi Barbecue J.C. Reid / Contributor Brisket and sausage from Khoi Barbecue J.C. Reid / Contributor Beef rib curry from Khoi Barbecue J.C. Reid/Contributor Brisket pho from Khoi Barbecue J.C. Reid / Contributor Don Nguyen, left, and Theo Nguyen of Khoi Barbecue J.C. Reid/Contributor Khoi Barbecue pitmaster Don Nguyen J.C. Reid / Contributor

Houstons popular Khoi Barbecue and its focus on Vietnamese-inspired recipes  including dishes like tamarind-spiced ribs to steaming bowls of pho topped with tender brisket  are fueling national attention on how Texas-style barbecue is evolving with a range of global flavors.

Khoi, a pop-up started by brothers Don and Theo Nguyen, is part of an emerging trend in less traditional styles of barbecue in the state.

Earlier this year, the New York Times put five Houston spots on its list of the 20 best barbecue joints in Texas, acknowledging how chefs are incorporating flavors and ingredients from other cultures. This month alone, Khoi was highlighted in the glossy pages of Conde Nast Traveler magazines December issue and on "CBS News Sunday Morning."

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Texas Monthlys barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn is interviewed in the CBS segment, which followed Khoi during the magazines recent barbecue festival in Lockhart.

To be able to represent Vietnamese culture at Texas barbecues most important event, honor whole hog cooking & Vietnamese flavors, have moms fish sauce be celebrated, and have it all showcased on the national stage is absolutely unreal, Khoi Barbecue posted on its Instagram account.

HOUSTON EATS: The Chronicles top 100 restaurants

In the clip, Vaughn taps a whole hog splayed over Khois grill to show how crispy it is and tastes the Nguyens brothers dishes, including shredded pork shoulder served over a bed of cold rice vermicelli noodles doused with fish sauce.

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CBS also interviewed two chefs behind Austin businesses KG BBQ and Kemuri Tatsu-Ya, which serve Eygptian- and Japanese-influenced barbecue, respectively.

I see people who sort of rail against the idea of all these changes in Texas barbecue, said Vaughn in the CBS story. But when you sit them down with that plate in front of them, theyre rarely arguing about whether its good.

MORE FROM BAO ONG: MasterChef winner Christine Ha to part ways with her hit modern Vietnamese restaurant Xin Chao

The global influences popping up in Texas barbecue scene is not new in Houston.

Khoi Barbecue started in 2017 as the Nguyen brothers began documenting their family recipes, including many of the dishes they ate growing up in Houston.

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Blood Bros. BBQ in Bellaire, which was also included in the national magazine article alongside Khoi, has been a barbecue destination with its bevy of national accolades and press.

Khoi is looking to open a permanent brick-and-mortar space, according to the Conde Nast Traveler article written by Dan Q. Dao, who grew up in the Houston area.

Its so indicative of Houston, so indicative of Texas, Don Nguyen told Dao. Theres dudes with cowboy hats, but theres also metalheads. Theres African Americans, Latinos, Asians and the LGBTQIA+ community. Its a really cool environment where everybody can come and feel safe. America is so polarized, but at least we can find some common ground.
It has been 60 years since Nov. 22, 1963, when President John F. Kennedy was killed by Lee Harvey Oswald as he was riding in an open-topped car with the first lady at his side in Dallas.

Here are 60 facts you may not have known about that day, what preceded it and what came after.

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1. On Nov. 11, 1963, President Kennedy laid a Veterans Day wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery.

2. He would be buried at the cemetery exactly two weeks later.

3. Jacqueline Kennedy rarely traveled with her husband on political trips but decided to fly with him to Texas on Nov. 21.

4. On Nov. 22, the couple attended a breakfast in Fort Worth.

5. The presidential open-top limousine had been flown in from D.C.

6. The morning of the assassination, the presidents mother, Rose Kennedy, played golf in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, alongside her neighbor, baseball player Jimmy Piersall.

7. The last time JFK saw his father was in October in Hyannis Port. After saying goodbye, JFK said to his friend Dave Powers about his dad, who was wheelchair-bound after a stroke, Hes the one who made all this possible, and look at him now.

8. A 14-year-old boy in Dallas reported watching JFKs face go blank around 12:30 p.m. on Nov. 22.

9. The boy also said he heard Jacqueline Kennedy shout, God, oh God, no.

10. Texas Governor John Connally Jr. received multiple gunshot wounds.

11. In 2023, Secret Service agent Paul Landis said in a memoir that he found a bullet in the limousine, lodged in the back of the seat where JFK sat. He said he then put the bullet on the stretcher.

12. JFKs brother Bobby Kennedy called the family to tell them what happened to JFK. He told his mother, Rose, that JFKs condition was serious and that he wasnt expected to live.

13. Rose Kennedy wrote, I had a mixture of reactions. Worry about Jack, of course, instinctively. But then a rejection of the idea that it could be something terribly serious because, after all, he had been through so much.

Rose Kennedy sits with her son, John F. Kennedy, on the day he officially accepted the Democratic presidential nomination. Bettmann/Getty Images

14. Ted Kennedy was presiding over the Senate when JFK was shot. The senator tried to call his family after hearing the news but phone lines were jammed. He finally went to the White House to get a secure line.

15. A priest administered last rites to the first Roman Catholic U.S. president.

16. Ted and his sister Eunice Kennedy Shriver flew to Hyannis Port after the shooting to tell their father JFK was dead.

17. Hyannis Port mourned JFK by flying flags at half-mast, hanging black crepe around the Barnstable Town Office Building and hanging portraits of JFK in windows on Main Street.

18. This was the fourth presidential assassination in a nation that was less than 200 years old.

19. It was the first since the Secret Service began protecting presidents.
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The Houston rapper, whose real name is Stayve Jerome Thomas, previously accused Cassie of cash grab by launching legal action against the Bad Boy Records founder.

Nov 21, 2023

AceShowbiz - Slim Thug came under fire for suggesting Bill Cosby is innocent when weighing in on Cassie and Sean P. Diddy Combs' short-lived legal war. Having faced backlash over his comments, the "Still Tippin" rapper took to social media to issue a public apology.

"That was my personal opinion. I'm sorry we don't agree on everything, I can still take you to Starbucks and buy you a drink, we can chop it up, I don't hate nobody, I don't even hate Cassie," the 43-year-old said during an Instagram Live. "I didn't want this to go worldwide I didn't even know Cassie was Black I just give y'all opinion, end of the day if I say something wrong correct me, tell me, I ain't that small-minded."

Prior to expressing his remorse, Thug argued, "I don't agree with coming back and getting Bill Cosby. Coming back and getting Puff. I don't believe in that, man. When s**t go down, speak on that s**t right then. Or else it's out of there." He added, "It should be null and void. You shouldn't even have no type of nothing. You shouldn't be able to do s**t, unless you motherf**king let the people know what happened immediately. It should be a time limit on this s**t."

The Houston native also accused Cassie of cash grab by launching legal action against Puff. "What happened was you get around them motherf**kers stand up on love s**t. That's what happened. Let me tell you what always happens. You was f**king with a billionaire with all this bread all this time, and then you went and followed your heart to f**k with a trainer," he said, referring to Cassie's husband Alex Fine. "That motherf**king apartment got smaller than a b***h. That lifestyle fell off, now it's struggle time. The love wearing out, and now you're trying to come up with ways to figure out how to get paid."

Thug went on to attack women who wait years to drop a tell-all memoir. " 'Now, I'm healed and I can talk about. I want to expose n***as in my book.' You did that. You participated. You ain't say rape or nothing. You did that, so stand on that, man. Quit trying to expose people for money. What the f**k, nah?" he asserted. "That apartment got small [with] you and that dude you left for love. You let your homegirls hype you up when you was f**king with him, and let them hype you up to tell you, 'Girl, he treating you bad. He cheating on you. He messing with them girls. Don't let him embarrass you like that.' "

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The 51-year-old TV host and comedian, who came out as pansexual in August, was driving down Pacific Coast Highway on Sunday night, November 19 when another car reportedly struck him.

Nov 21, 2023

AceShowbiz - Wayne Brady's weekend didn't end up well. According to a new report, the comedian had a physical altercation with another driver after following a car accident in Malibu.

Law enforcement told TMZ that the 51-year-old TV host was driving down Pacific Coast Highway on Sunday night, November 19 when another car struck him. The two then pulled over, only to fight with each other while having an intense argument.

Wayne reportedly called 911 after the brawl, but the other driver fled. Luckily, officers managed to locate the guy and they later arrested him for battery, driving under the influence and hit-and-run.

The incident came after Wayne ]came out as pansexual back in August. "In doing my research, both with myself and just with the world, I couldn't say if I was bisexual, because I had to really see what that was, especially because I really have not gotten a chance to act on anything. So, I came to pansexual because - and I know that I'm completely messing up the dictionary meaning - but to me, pan means being able to be attracted to anyone who identifies as gay, straight, bi, transsexual or non-binary," he told PEOPLE at the time.

"Being able to be attracted across the board. And, I think, at least for me for right now, that is the proper place," the comic further explained. "I took pan to mean that not only can I be attracted to any of these people or types physically, but I could be attracted to the person that is there."

Wayne, who has been married two times, has been attracted to men at various points in his life - but he's never actually dated a man. The actor also conceded that he's lived "in the shadows" at times.

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According to a new report, the Yeezy architectural designer's family hopes she would dump the Chicago rapper for good as they're not happy with what he has done to her.

Nov 21, 2023

AceShowbiz - Kanye West doesn't seem to make a good impression on his wife Bianca Censori's family. According to a new report, the architect's family hopes she would dump the rapper for good as they're not happy with what he has done to Bianca.

A source told The U.S. Sun that her family was uncomfortable to see Bianca's racy outfits that Ye made her wear following their marriage in December 2022. "There was a point some months ago when Ye and Bianca were supposed to meet up with her family, but they were not happy with his antics at all," the insider revealed.

"The meetup never happened and I heard it was because they were embarrassed by her extreme naked fashion and the drama surrounding her trip to Italy," the source added. "Ever since then they've made no secret that they think she can do better, and don't like seeing her in these crazy outfits on the internet, it makes them uncomfortable."

Prior to this, it was reported that the former husband of Kim Kardashian "has a set of rules for Bianca, which includes never speak and wear what he wants her to wear." A source claimed at the time that Bianca "is also required to eat certain food items and to work out even though Kanye doesn't work out," adding that she had "no mind of her own anymore."

With Bianca's family and friends going against Ye and his alleged infidelity, it seems like the couple's marriage is in huge trouble. Recently, Ye fueled rumors that they had trouble in paradise by ditching his wedding ring.

In an Instagram picture, the Yeezy designer could be seen enjoying his breakfast during his stay in Saudi Arabia. Fans quickly noticed that the hip-hop star, who traded his signature all-black outfit for an all-white get-up for the occasion, didn't have his ring on that finger.

The snap came amid speculations that Ye was cheating on Bianca, who recently took a solo trip to her native country Australia. Fans were convinced that the "Gold Digger" spitter hinted at his own infidelity on his new single "Vulture", on which he brags, "I don't know who I f**ked last night, I got Alzheimer's." He also raps, "Got pregnant in the threesome, so whose baby is it? Whose baby is it?"

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Serenity Hubert Vega moved around constantly with her biological mother starting at age 9. They lived in shelters or with people Vega didn't know. Then she entered foster care in October 2012, when she was 14 years old.

Finding her forever family gave her new hope and newfound freedom, she said while recounting her story Nov. 17 at the Lone Star Convention and Expo Center in Conroe, where 15 families waited to welcome newly adopted children into their homes.

"They taught me what it was like to be a part of a family and how the support of a family makes the biggest difference in life," Vega told the crowd. "Because of their love, I was free to be a child."

Flowers and gifts are prepared for the adoption ceremony officiated by Montgomery County Judge Amy Tucker on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023 at The Lone Star Convention & Expo Center in Conroe. Fifteen children were adopted today. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer

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Since 2004, Montgomery County officials have celebrated National Adoption Day the Friday before Thanksgiving, said Leshia Fisher, regional director for Child Protective Services' Region 6, which covers 12 counties, including Harris, Montgomery and Fort Bend.

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Families packed the convention center, taking pictures to commemorate the moment and trying to maintain composure as Judge Amy Tucker finalized the adoptions.

Otto Gutierrez, 5, center, reacts when Montgomery County Judge Amy Tucker approves his adoption by Desmon and Jessica Gutierrez on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023 at The Lone Star Convention & Expo Center in Conroe. Otto now has two brothers Theo Gutierrez, 4, left, and Desmon Gutierrez Jr., 13. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer

Conroe resident Desmon Gutierrez fought back tears as the room cheered for him and his wife, Jessica, who now call 5-year-old Otto Gutierrez their son.

Otto was fostered by the Gutierrez family for nearly three years, Gutierrez said. When it became apparent that no one else could take him in, it was no issue for Gutierrez to accept him as his own son, he said.

"We're finally ready to just be a family," said Gutierrez, who also has a 13-year-old and 4-year-old. Otto "doesn't have to decide, 'is it uncle, is it dad?' But it's mom and dad now. And that's it."

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Gutierrez said his family had a lot of support from local organizations as well as family members who also have fostered and adopted.

Otto Gutierrez, 5, waves at Montgomery County Judge Amy Turner during his adoption ceremony on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023 at The Lone Star Convention & Expo Center in Conroe. Fifteen children were adopted today. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Sisters Bekah Fowler, 17, right, and Rachel Gautro, 13, get ready for the 360 camera to celebrate being adopted by Cynthia Seale, not in picture, on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023 at The Lone Star Convention & Expo Center in Conroe. The adoption was approved by Montgomery County Judge Amy Tucker. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Montgomery County Judge Amy Tucker delivers a speech before the adoption ceremony on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023 at The Lone Star Convention & Expo Center in Conroe. Fifteen children were adopted today. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Cousins takes a photograph to celebrate Otto Gutierrezs, second from left, adoption on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023 at The Lone Star Convention & Expo Center in Conroe. From left: cousin Alice Russell, Otto Gutierrez, 5, brother Desmon Gutierrez Jr., 13, brother Theo Gutierrez, 4, and cousins Gwen Gutierrez and Alex Gutierrez. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Sheila Johnson rests by herself after participating an adoption ceremony where her granddaughter Cynthia Seale adopted her great granddaughters Bekah Fowler, 17, and Rachel Gautro, 14, on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023 at The Lone Star Convention & Expo Center in Conroe. The adoption was approved by Montgomery County Judge Amy Tucker. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Melissa Herron, from left, comforts the emotional Tanja Fowler as Montgomery County Judge Amy Tucker approves biological sisters Bekah Fowler, 17, from right, and Rachel Gautro, 14, are adopted by Cynthia Seale on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023 at The Lone Star Convention & Expo Center in Conroe. Herron is the sister of the teens and Fowler is the grandmother. Sheila Johnson, center in green, is the great grandmother of the teens. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Montgomery County Judge Amy Tucker officiates the adoption ceremony of Olivia VanHouten on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023 at The Lone Star Convention & Expo Center in Conroe. Olivia VanHouten was adopted by Kris and Jessica VanHouten. The couple had prior adopted Olivias biological siblings EJ VanHouten and May VanHouten. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Desmon Gutierrez Sr. gets emotional after Montgomery County Judge Amy Tucker approved he and wife, Jessica Gutierrez, adopting Otto Gutierrez, 5, front row center, on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023 at The Lone Star Convention & Expo Center in Conroe. From left: Desmon Gutierrez Jr., 13, Jessica Gutierrez, Otto Gutierrez, Theo Gutierrez, 4. Fifteen children were adopted today. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Cynthia Seale, right, holding hands with Bekah Fowler, 17, during the adoption ceremony officiated by Montgomery County Judge Amy Tucker on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023 at The Lone Star Convention & Expo Center in Conroe. Fifteen children were adopted today. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Montgomery County Judge Amy Tucker delivers a speech before the adoption ceremony on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023 at The Lone Star Convention & Expo Center in Conroe. Fifteen children were adopted today. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Sisters Bekah Fowler, 17, from left, and Rachel Gautro, 13, and Cynthia Seale doing a 360 camera to celebrate officially becoming a family on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023 at The Lone Star Convention & Expo Center in Conroe. The sisters adoption was approved by Montgomery County Judge Amy Tucker. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Jocelyn Briggs, 14, second from right, says she would like to be adopted by Jennifer and Brandon Briggs in front of Montgomery County Judge Amy Tucker on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023 at The Lone Star Convention & Expo Center in Conroe. Jennifer Briggs and Jocelyn Briggs wore matching dress and boots to celebrate the day. Fifteen children were adopted today. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer

Conroe residents Kris and Jessica VanHouten have been foster parents to seven children for nearly six years, Kris VanHouten said. The VanHoutens were there to adopt 1-year-old Olivia, whose 4-year-old brother and 3-year-old sister were already adopted by the family.

"They all know that they're adopted," Kris VanHouten said, noting the children's excitement.

"I'm just overwhelmed with gratitude that we've had the opportunity to foster and love so many kids, and then to come to this place of finally adopting," said Jessica VanHouten, who was also adopted as a child. "Obviously, adopting is super close to my heart, because that was my story. ... To be able to do that for other children, that are now our children, has been more than I could ever thought, dreamed and prayed for."

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'We're always in need of foster families'

Cynthia Seale, from right, hugs sisters Bekah Fowler, 17, and Rachel Gautro, 14, after Montgomery County Judge Amy Tucker approved her adopting the teens on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023 at The Lone Star Convention & Expo Center in Conroe. Fifteen children were adopted today. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer

As of Nov. 17, there were about 400 children from Montgomery County in CPS care, Fisher said, and the number is closer to 600 when counting children from other areas being fostered in the county.

On YourCourierNews.com: Conroe bakery inside a furniture store is a hidden gem serving homemade pastries

The need for foster care is greater than the need for congregate care, Fisher said, noting that county officials are always in need of more foster and adoptive families. That's because the goal is to place children in the county where they were removed from their families, rather than Houston, Dallas or other places farther away.

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Montgomery County Judge Amy Tucker tells sisters Rachel Gautro, 14, second row from right, and Bekah Fowler, 16, that she was happy for them to be adopted by Cynthia Seale during the adoption ceremony on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023 at The Lone Star Convention & Expo Center in Conroe. Tucker said she remembers when she first met the sisters and they were not in the best condition back then. Therefore, she was exceptionally happy to see them finding a good home with Seale. Fifteen children were adopted today. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer

"We want them here. Why? Because, we know if they stay connected to their friends, they stay connected to their families, they stay connected to their educational connections, that children have better outcomes," Fisher said.

Several organizations such as Love Fosters Hope, Love Heals Youth, CASA Child Advocates of Montgomery County, The Champion Project and Angel Reach work together to support foster and kinship families, she said.

First year at the convention and expo center

The National Adoption Day event was consolidated into one courtroom when Tucker took the bench in 2021. She said there was standing room only in her courtroom last year, when 16 children were joined by their new family members to celebrate. There is a lot more room to host everyone at the convention center.

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"Sometimes (parents) bring 20 family members," Tucker said.

Sisters Bekah Fowler, 17, left, and Rachel Gautro, 13, put on tiaras and get ready for the 360 camera to celebrate being adopted by Cynthia Seale, not in picture, on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023 at The Lone Star Convention & Expo Center in Conroe. The adoption was approved by Montgomery County Judge Amy Tucker. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer

Bekah Fowler, 17, and Rachel Gautro, 14, were joined by several family members during the Nov. 17 event after being separated from them for some time, said Paolina Fasula, advocate for CASA Child Advocates of Montgomery County.

"For them to be back with this incredibly loving family is really heartwarming," Fasula said.

Magnolia resident Tanja Fowler, who wore a shirt that read "Local Hope Dealer," said she was thankful to have both sisters back in the family ahead of Thanksgiving. Because the sisters are Fowler's cousins, now sisters, she and other family members have invented a new term for them  "scousins."

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The family laughed as they prepared to start a new chapter in their lives.
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While some of Hailey's famous friends, including Kendall Jenner and Lori Harvey, are invited to the fun-filled getaway, fans notice that the Khy founder is nowhere to be seen.

Nov 21, 2023

AceShowbiz - Hailey Bieber (Hailey Baldwin) took her friends to Napa Valley, California to celebrate her 27th birthday in Wine Country over the weekend. While some of her famous friends were invited to the fun-filled getaway, fans noticed that Kylie Jenner was nowhere to be seen.

In a picture shared by Hailey's bestie Stassie Karanikolaou, the birthday girl could be seen posing alongside her loved ones, who included husband Justin Bieber as well as best pals Kendall Jenner and Lori Harvey. The group was all smiles as they took a happy picture with beautiful scenery in the background.

For the outing, Hailey stayed warm in a fluffy knitwear in beige that she paired with multicolored boots. Her musician husband, who donned a black jacket with a white tee underneath as well as matching pants, had his arm around the model.

Kendall, meanwhile, looked casual and chic in a black crop top, black outer and a pair of flare pants in matching color. She added color in her look with a patterned hair scarf. As for Lori, she showcased her fashion in a sheer dress underneath a long black coat. She completed her look with stylish shades.

Upon catching wind of the snaps, fans started questioning Kylie's absence at the bash, which Hailey dubbed "the best 48 hours." A Reddit user asked, "Why did kylie not celebrate hailey's birthday? they were in napa valley and kylie was home in LA so im confused why she wasn't there??"

Someone opined, "I doubt Kylie meshes well or can even handle herself in such a large group of someone else's friends. She's used to being seen and adored in photos, and probably self aware that she doesn't live up to the hype."

Another user chimed in, "i was also wondering this hailey was at kylie's khy launch recently and that seemed like a super small dinner so i assume they are good friends? i wonder why kylie wasnt there." A fourth, meanwhile, suggested, "She's probably healing from more work being done."

One other accused the Kylie Cosmetics founder of forgetting her friends after getting herself a new boyfriend, Timothee Chalamet. Another thought Kylie chose to sit the party out because she didn't want to stay away from her kids, saying, "She does have children and just spent a long weekend with Chalomet in NYC, so I would suspect she didn't want to leave then again for another 48 hour trip."

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A judge determines there is sufficient evidence to proceed with trial where the 'L$D' rapper will face two counts of first-degree assault with a firearm for allegedly shooting his former friend A$AP Relli.

Nov 21, 2023

AceShowbiz - A$AP Rocky will stand trial for the shooting case involving former fellow A$AP Mob member A$AP Relli. A judge ruled on Monday, November 20 that the rapper will face trial in January for allegedly firing a semi-automatic handgun at his former friend after a heated discussion in a November 6, 2021 incident in Hollywood.

During a preliminary hearing in Los Angeles on Monday, Judge M.L. Villar determined that there was sufficient evidence to proceed with the trial, where the New York native, whose real name is Rakim Athelaston Mayers, will answer to two counts of first-degree assault with a firearm. An arraignment is set on January 8, 2024.

Earlier during the hearing, Detective Frank Flores took the stand and new surveillance video was unveiled. In the new footage, prosecutors claimed they saw Rocky holding a gun during a physical altercation with Relli before two loud pops, which they believe the sound of Rocky shooting, were heard but not seen. The LAPD detective confirmed cops obtained the video during the course of their investigation.

Police body cam video was also shown in court and it shows at least 7 officers arriving at the scene of the alleged shooting and canvassing for evidence, but they never find the weapon. Meanwhile, the two shell casings Relli collected from the scene and turned into police two days later had no fingerprints.

During a previous hearing Relli claimed that Rocky put a gun to his stomach and threatened to kill him before pulling the trigger. Relli said Rocky shot his hand. He also said that he came back to the scene later that night and recovered the 9mm shells. Rocky's lawyers questioned him how he could easily find the casings when the cops could not.

Rocky has pleaded not guilty to both charges. Following the judge's decision on Monday, his lawyer Joe Tacopina remains optimistic as he said outside the courthouse, "I am certain Rocky will be vindicated of all of this."

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Universal Pictures is reportedly looking to get back in business with Jason Bourne with 'All Quiet on the Western Front' helmer Edward Berger in talks to direct.

Nov 21, 2023

AceShowbiz - Jason Bourne is called for duty again. Years after Matt Damon last portrayed the former CIA assassin, a new "Bourne" movie is in the works at Universal Pictures with the 53-year-old actor being expected to reprise his role.

According to Deadline, the upcoming sixth installment of the action-thriller film series is currently still in "early" stage of development. The studio is reportedly in negotiations with "All Quiet on the Western Front" helmer Edward Berger to oversee development and direct the pic.

As the project is still in early development, there is no script at this stage, said insiders close to the project. No other talent is on board just yet, but Damon would be approached first to return in the iconic role once a script is finished.

Berger is known for his 2022 film adaptation of the 1929 novel by Erich Maria Remarque, "All Quiet on the Western Front". The movie earned nine nominations at the 95th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and won four for Best International Feature, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score and Best Production Design.

Most recently, the German-Austrian filmmaker directed "Conclave", written by Peter Straughan from the bestselling book by Robert Harris. The British thriller stars Ralph Fiennes, John Lithgow, Stanley Tucci and Isabella Rossellini and has been acquired by Focus Features for distribution, but no release date is set just yet.

Damon last portrayed Jason Bourne in the fifth film, "Jason Bourne", which was released in 2016. Paul Greengrass, who directed the second and third installment of the film series, returned at the helm with the script written by Greengrass and Christopher Rouse.

Doug Liman directed the first pic, "The Bourne Identity", and Tony Gilroy served behind the lens for the fourth film, "The Bourne Legacy". Gilroy also wrote or co-wrote each film except for "Jason Bourne".

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Around nine months after her father's FTD diagnosis was announced, the 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' actress shares a throwback photo of her and the 'Die Hard' actor.

Nov 21, 2023

AceShowbiz - Rumer Willis has received support from social media users amid Bruce Willis' health problem. The actress of "The House Bunny" admitted that she misses her father as the actor of "The Assassin" is struggling with frontotemporal dementia or FTD.

On Monday, November 20, the 35-year-old star was met with supportive messages after getting candid with her feelings about her 68-year-old father on her Instagram page. In the comments section of her post, one in particular penned, "Hugs. It's an odd kind of hard to miss someone who is still here. Dementia is a cruel beast," adding a red heart emoji.

Another chimed in, "I understand what you mean. I have a case of dementia in the family, and unfortunately, it's already quite advanced. It's tough, especially since it involves your dad. He was my hero in my childhood. Still is." Meanwhile, a third reminded the actress, "He is still there, play music talk to him hold his hand.. he isn't gone. He can hear you."

In the meantime, a fourth shared, "My sweet Dad had ALS and lost the ability to speak early on. I missed him for a long time before he actually passed, and it was agonizing to watch him struggle. I'll never regret a second I was by his side, and I know he felt my love even if he couldn't say so. Sending you love and light."

Earlier that day, Rumer uploaded a throwback photo of her and Bruce when she was still a baby. In the snap, Bruce and Demi Moore's daughter, who looked cute in a white dress and matching bandana, was held by him in one of his arms as he adorably smiled. Along with the snap, she expressed in the caption of the post, "Really missing my papa today."

The new post came around nine months after Bruce's family announced that he was diagnosed with dementia. Since then, his loved ones have been open about his condition with the public. On the reason why, Rumer's sister Tallulah Willis explained in a recent interview with talk show host Drew Barrymore.

When making an appearance in the November 8 episode of "The Drew Barrymore Show", Tallulah shared, "Well, I think it's twofold. On one hand it's who we are as a family, but also, it's really important for us to spread awareness about FTD. If we can take something that we're struggling with as a family to help other people, to turn it around to make something beautiful about it, that's really special for us."

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At the event in Japan, the 27-year-old actor gives an appropriate nod to the Road Dahl novel's iconic character, which he portrays in the new movie, through his fashion choice.

Nov 21, 2023

AceShowbiz - Timothee Chalamet dressed accordingly for "Wonka" premiere event in Tokyo on Monday, November 20. At the event, the 27-year-old actor gave an appropriate nod to his character Willy Wonka through his fashion choice.

While attending the event, Timothee opted to copy the famous purple coat of the Road Dahl novel's iconic character. He graced the red carpets in a lavender leather Prada shirt that he paired with matching trousers and chunky white Chelsea boots.

The "Dune: Part Two" star left his shirt unbuttoned, while his collar popped up in an Elvis Presley-like style. Completing his look, Timothee donned a chunky diamond chain as well as three gleaming diamond rings.

In one picture that circulated online, Timothee could be seen posing on the red carpet alongside his co-stars, including Hugh Grant. Timothee also made use of his Instagram account to share a better look at his look for the night. "WONKA TOKYO," so the "Little Women (2019)" star wrote in the caption.

Fans had mixed responses to Timothee's shiny style. "U invented the color lilac babe," one fan gushed over him in a comment. "Purple slay," another raved. An official account of Instagram also left a comment underneath the post, saying, "You invented purple."

Someone else poked fun at Timothee's look, writing, "oh lilac-rubber-elvis-wonka." One other said, "Literally looking like oompah loompa," while another fan commented, "looking good in that purple overall. he looks like a budget Loki."

In "Wonka", Timothee portrays a young Willy Wonka. The movie explores how the character meets the Oompa Loompas and creates his chocolate empire ahead of the events in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory". The movie also stars Olivia Colman and Rowan Atkinson.

Prior to the premiere event, Timothee made headlines for channeling looks from his girlfriend Kylie Jenner's new clothing line Khy. The actor slipped into a long black latex trench coat by Avelanno when he arrived in Japan on Saturday, November 18.

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The 'American Horror Story: Delicate' actress is reportedly expected to star in and produce the movie, which has a script written by Paula Pell and Janine Brito.

Nov 21, 2023

AceShowbiz - Kim Kardashian is being eyed to star in and produce the comedy film "The 5th Wheel". Five studios are said to be battling it to land the movie, with a script by Paula Pell and Janine Brito.

The SKIMS founder will produce alongside Pell and has attended every pitch for the movie, according to Deadline. Kim, 43, recently appeared in season 12 of "American Horror Story", portraying PR Siobhan Walsh, alongside Emma Roberts, Matt Czuchry and Cara Delevingne. She's also voiced the poodle Delores in a pair of "Paw Patrol" films.

The news about a potential move into live-action movies comes after her mom Kris Jenner raised concerns about her daughter having too much on her plate in the latest season of "The Kardashians". The businesswoman completely forgot a whole part of her day where she met fans and told them all about her brand SKIMS' secret plans because she was suffering from the signs of burnout.

In last week's episode of "The Kardashians", she had rehearsals for her role on "American Horror Story", a Time magazine cover shoot, a Met Gala dress fitting, a SKIMS business meeting, a fashion gala, an appearance on the "Today" show and watched her brother-in-law Travis Barker's Blink-182 show. However, there is one part of her day she completely forgot, greeting fans at the Tiffany's store and sharing where she was on social media.

She said whilst showing the footage, "I had no idea that I stopped at the Tiffany's store and was posting all about it. Did I really go? It felt like a dream. This whole morning has been a complete, foggy dream."

Momager Kris, 68, was concerned about her daughter burning out and quizzed her over her schedule. Kim admitted doing "American Horror Story" "put me over the edge." The mother-of-four, who has North, 10, Chicago, five, Saint, seven, and four-year-old Psalm with ex-husband Kanye West, 46, went on to explain that she finds it hard to say "no" to business offers because the one time she did turn something down the person never spoke to her again. Kris then shared her concerns that her daughter would "burn out" if she carried on like this.

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The 28-year-old comedian receives backlash online after opening his first special domestic violence joke in his Netflix special titled 'Natural Selection'.

Nov 21, 2023

AceShowbiz - Comedian Matt Rife came under fire after making controversial jokes during his Netflix special, "Natural Selection". The 28-year-old comedian received backlash after opening his first special domestic violence joke.

In his opening set, which was set in a Baltimore restaurant, Matt talked about a hostess that had a black eye. His friend then wondered aloud why she was not moved to the kitchen away from customers. Matt told his friend, "Yeah, but I feel like if she could cook, she wouldn't have that black eye." The joke earned laughter from the crowd at Washington, D.C.'s Constitution Hall, which has a capacity of 3,000 people.

Matt also suggested that his other jokes would be much worse. He told the crowd that he was "just testing the waters, seeing if y'all are gonna be fun or not I figure if we start the show with domestic violence, the rest of the show should be smooth sailing."

Internet users quickly took to social media to put Matt on blast. " 'to see if you are fun or not' if I need to put up with jokes about being punched in the face for not being a good enough servant, then I'm completely unbothered if you don't find me 'fun,' " one wrote on X. "A man peacocking for other men??? Shocking!" someone else said.

"He's told some pretty seedy 'jokes' on TikTok but I feel like one of the things you never play around with is Domestic violence or R*pe jokes there are 10,000 ways to be funny and those are not one of them," another said.

Speaking to Variety, Matt recently said that his fanbase is now a "50/50" split even though it was initially dominated by women due to his TikTok virality. He said that's evidenced at his shows, which are replete with couples and groups of men.

"And that's one thing that I wanted to tackle in this special was showing people that despite what you think about me online, I don't pander my career to women. I would argue this special is way more for guys," he said.

He continued, "I wanted to make this special for everybody. I pride myself on making my comedy for everybody. It's not for a specific demographic. I think if people would just give it the chance without going into it and being like, 'Oh, only girls like him,' or 'People only like his face.' If you give it an opportunity, I think you'd like it."

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Pax isn't the only one of his siblings who apparently despise the 'Bullet Train' actor as his sister Zahara recently dropped her father's last name at Spelman College Sorority Ceremony.

Nov 22, 2023

AceShowbiz - Angelina Jolie's son Pax Jolie-Pitt once blasted his dad Brad Pitt in a scathing Father's Day post. Not mincing his words, the second eldest son of the former Hollywood power couple called the actor "a**hole" and "despicable" among other things in the expletive-laden rant.

According to Daily Mail, the then-16-year-old teen made use of his private account on Instagram to slam the "World War Z" actor in 2020. In a screengrab obtained by the site, he began his message by writing, "Happy Father's Day to this world class a**hole!!"

"You time and time and again prove yourself to be a terrible and despicable person," Pax penned over a picture of Brad winning an Oscar award for best supporting actor for "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" four months earlier. "You have no consideration or empathy toward your 4 youngest children who tremble in fear in your presence. You will never understand the damage you have done to my family because you are incapable of doing so."

The 19-year-old went on alleging his dad, "You have made the lives of those closest to me a constant hell. You may tell yourself and the world whatever you want, but the truth will come to light someday. So, Happy Father's Day, you f**king awful human being!!!"

Pax Jolie-Pitt blasted her dad Brad Pitt in a Father's Day rant back in 2020.

Angelina and Brad split in 2016 after only two years of marriage following an alleged argument on a plane in 2016. The actor was accused of physically and verbally abusing the Oscar-winning actress and their children in the incident.

Since then, the former spouses have been embroiled in a lengthy and nasty legal battle over the custody of their minor children. They are also suing each other over the sale of Angelina's share of a winery they owned in France.

Pax, however, isn't the only one of his siblings who apparently despise their father. His sister Zahara recently ditched her father's last name when introducing herself at a sorority ceremony at Spelman College.

"My name is Zahara Marley Jolie," the 18-year-old said in front of her peers as she joined the Alpha Kappa Alpha organization. She continued, "Coming all the way from the Golden State in the city that is full of angels, Los Angeles, California ... I am this line's number seven."

It was later revealed that Angelina as well as her sons Maddox and Pax attended the ceremony, which took place earlier this month.

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The 'Rocky Horror Picture Show' actress receives backlash after saying at a recent pro-Palestine rally that frightened Jewish people are 'getting a taste what it feels like to be Muslim.'

Nov 22, 2023

AceShowbiz - Susan Sarandon is being blasted for claiming Jewish people are "getting a taste of what it feels like to be Muslim." The Oscar-winning "Dead Man Walking" actress, 77, offered controversial remarks amid the war with Hamas, and has attended a string of rallies in New York tackling the conflict - where she joined in the chant "From the river to the sea."

It is a war cry used by pro-Palestinian activists and Hamas that many have blasted as an anti-Semitic demand for the destruction of Israel. "There are a lot of people afraid of being Jewish at this time, and are getting a taste of what it feels like to be a Muslim in this country," Susan said at a recent demonstration.

She has also come under fire online for retweeting posts on X celebrating Pink Floyd's outspoken frontman Roger Waters, 80, who has spent years being accused of anti-Semitism.

Susan took to X to highlight an appearance by Roger at an event in Uruguay, and resent one post that said, "Despite attempts by the Israeli lobby to cancel the event, Roger Waters of Pink Floyd took the stage in Uruguay, donning a Kufiyyah and advocating for an end to the Israeli genocide in Gaza."

Muslim-American journalist Asra Nomani is among those slamming Susan for her remarks and stance on the war. She listed the privileges enjoyed by her family in the US after she said on X, "Hi there @SusanSarandon. Let me tell you what it means to be Muslim in America."

The reporter added, "Please don't minimise the experience of Jewish Americans by sanitising the hell that it is for Muslims living in Muslim countries and vilifying America for the life - and freedoms - she offers Muslims like my family. Go, live like a Muslim woman in a Muslim country. You will come back to America and kiss the land beneath your feet."

Hi there @SusanSarandon, this is my mom, my dad and me on the rail trail in Morgantown, West by God Virginia. Let me tell you what it means to be Muslim in America.



First, your backstory: At an anti-Israel protest in NYC, you just said, "There are a lot of people that are pic.twitter.com/zAyUjpTxkY  Asra Nomani (@AsraNomani) November 20, 2023

Susan is known as a left-wing campaigner known for her protests with Jane Fonda, 85, against the Iraq war, as well as her support for former US presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders and her climate change stand.

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Global favorite Charlotte Tilbury is thrilled to announce the launch of three breathtaking bridal looks in collaboration with Nykaa for the Indian market. These iconic bridal looks are set to redefine wedding beauty with a touch of magic. Banita Sandhu, the captivating British-Indian actress, serves as the face for this campaign, while celebrated bridal makeup artist Tanvi Chemburkar has brought these looks to life.

Renowned for its ability to create bridal magic, Charlotte Tilbury boasts an illustrious history of beautifying international celebrity brides, including Britney Spears, Amal Clooney, and Kate Moss. The choice of Banita Sandhu as the face for Charlotte Tilbury's bridal campaign is a testament to her status as the new 'IT GIRL' in India, seamlessly blending international charm with a stellar career trajectory. Each of the three looks is synonymous with the brands legacy; The Dreamy Pillow Talk Wedding Look: A bridal rendition of Charlotte Tilbury's iconic Pillow Talk look, The Enchanting Wedding Look: An ode to India, Charlotte Tilbury's Enchanting Wedding Look encapsulates the brand's commitment to timeless elegance and beauty traditions, The Golden Goddess Wedding Look: Translating Charlotte Tilbury's trademark GLOW into a wedding look!

Talking about being the face of the campaign, Banita Sandhu said, I'm absolutely thrilled to be the face of Charlotte Tilbury's new bridal campaign in India. Its so exciting to be a part of something that can make brides across India feel even more beautiful and confident on their special day. I had so much fun playing dress-up during the campaign! We had the opportunity to create some amazing looks, and I felt like a real-life princess. It was a dream come true, and I can't wait to share it with all of you."

Having been a longtime Charlotte Tilbury loyalist, it was an honor to translate my passion for minimalist beauty into three distinct wedding looks, said Tanvi Chemburkar, the makeup artist behind the campaign. Each look from the campaign was crafted with distinct features. 'Dreamy Pillow Talk Wedding Look' focused on radiant skin and a monochromatic palette. 'Enchanting Wedding Look' embodied the classic Indian bride with kohl-rimmed eyes and a reddish tint. In the 'Golden Goddess Wedding Look', the emphasis was on luminous skin, sparkling eyes, and a nude lipa celebration of timeless radiance.

How to get the looks?

The Dreamy Pillow Talk Wedding Look:

Banita Sandhu's "Dreamy Pillow Talk Wedding Look" epitomizes natural beauty amplified. This look features Charlotte's Magic Cream and Airbrush Flawless Foundation, providing an airbrushed, flawless complexion. The soft, dreamy eye look is achieved with the Luxury Palette in Pillow Talk, Eyes To Mesmerize in Pillow Talk, Pillow Talk Eyeliner, and Pillow Talk Push Up Lashes Mascara. The finishing touch is the iconic Matte Revolution Lipstick in Pillow Talk Medium, complemented by Pillow Talk Lip & Cheek Glow for love-blushed cheeks.

The Enchanting Wedding Look:

Banita's "Enchanting Wedding Look" is a traditional bridal beauty dream come true. Airbrush Flawless Foundation and Airbrush Flawless Finish create a fresh complexion, while the Matte Beauty Blush Wand in Dream Pop adds the perfect pop of color to the cheeks. The sultry smokey eyes are achieved with the Luxury Palette in Bella Sofia and Rock 'N Kohl in Bedroom Black. The look is elegantly completed with a berry red lip using Lip Cheat in Walk of No Shame and the newly launched Airbrush Flawless Lip Blur in Walk of No Shame.

The Golden Goddess Wedding Look:

Banita stuns in the "Golden Goddess Wedding Look," featuring Charlotte's beauty secrets. This radiant look is crafted with Charlotte's iconic Hollywood Flawless Filter, Airbrush Flawless Foundation, and Airbrush Flawless Finish. Banita's cheekbones are gently contoured with the Hollywood Contour Wand, while her eyes mesmerize with the Luxury Palette in Golden Goddess and the Beauty Light Wand in Spotlight. The final touch is a gorgeous nude-pink pout with Matte Revolution in Wedding Belles.

These three iconic bridal looks, inspired by the magic of Charlotte Tilbury and brought to life by Banita Sandhu and Tanvi Chemburkar, are set to transform Indian weddings and redefine bridal beauty. Discover the dreamy, enchanting, and golden goddess looks exclusively on Nykaa and embark on your journey to the most beautiful version of yourself on your special day. Shop products from the look here!
Holly Marie Millers head spun when the two law-enforcement investigators tracked her down in June 2022 at her restaurant job in Cushing, Okla. Shed always known shed been adopted; it was a story her dad often told  three women in white robes arriving at his church and leaving her there with him. Shed always wondered about her parents, and, based on what little shed pieced together, imagined theyd died in the Waco siege of 1993.

Now, the two investigators were telling her that her birth parents bodies had been found just weeks after the mysterious women in white abandoned her. Her parents had been dumped in the woods east of Houston, but their remains hadnt been identified for decades. So she had a whole family in Florida, the investigators told her, as they showed her a photo of her parents snuggled on a couch with her just months before their deaths.

The tears came, unbidden, as emotions flooded her: shock, grief, confusion and some measure of joy. Shed found her parents, only to lose them again, just as quickly.

How could I not know I was missing? the mother of five known as Baby Holly wondered. How did I miss every mention of me on television and social media?

Tina Gail Linn, Holly Marie Clouse and Harold Dean Clouse in a family photo from 1980. Harold, known as Dean, and Tina were murdered that year; their bodies were discovered in early 1981. Hollys body was never found, leading to a lengthy search that ended in June 2022 when she was found  alive and well  in Oklahoma. Courtesy

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In early 2022, the Houston Chronicle first reported that investigators had identified Baby Hollys parents more than 40 years after they were murdered.



Harold Dean Clouse, 21, and his wife, Tina Gail Linn, 17, had moved to Texas in 1980, and soon after, stopped communicating with their relatives back in Florida.

The discovery only led to more questions  how did they die, and what had become of their young daughter?

Those questions prompted the Texas Attorney Generals Office to get involved and ultimately led investigators to California, Arizona and Oklahoma. On June 8, 2022, officials in Austin abruptly announced that theyd found Holly, alive and well.

Holly Miller plays with her daughter Serenity Miller at Memorial Park in Cushing, Oklahoma on Thursday, November 16, 2023. Nick Oxford/Contributor

A life filled with questions

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When the three women showed up at the door of Philip McGoldricks church in Yuma, Ariz., the afternoon of Nov. 8, 1980, it seemed like an answer to a prayer. He and his ex-wife had wanted another daughter  and now a young woman was saying a little girl needed a home. When I talk to non-Christians, they say youre making this stuff up, he told the Chronicle.

McGoldrick and his then-wife placed ads in local newspapers informing the Yuma community of Hollys abandonment and, six months later, formally adopted her.

Holly learned to live with the mystery of not knowing anything about her parents. She grew up watching her adoptive parents marriage fracture, followed by her fathers subsequent remarriage  a union that also didnt last. She watched as her half sister and stepbrothers faded into adult lives distant from hers. Each loss left a family gap in my heart, she recalled.

She loved her father, but felt an ache, an emptiness.

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I just had a desire for more family. You know, its just me and my dad  and I wanted a mom. I wanted a grandma, I wanted that, she told the Chronicle in her first extended interview with any newspaper.

She convinced herself, after the fatal Branch Davidian siege in 1993 in Waco, that her parents had died there. She based that conclusion on her belief that the women in white were in a cult, and she now admits that her reasoning didnt make much sense. But it was easier to imagine theyd died than hoping for a reunion that would never come.

Id decided to just believe that, like so many cult members, they were dead, she writes in a forthcoming book. So I mourned them  and then forgot them.

Tina Gail Linn and Harold Dean Clouse. The young couple were murdered in Harris County in late 1980. Their bodies were finally identified, a break in a 40year-old cold case.

When Holly was 16, the emptiness took its toll.

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Her father had remarried and moved to Tulsa with his new family. Holly hadnt wanted to leave Mannford, where she was going to high school, so she made a deal with her dad. He agreed to let her live with her boyfriends family  so long as she kept her grades up.

One day, she found her boyfriend shooting meth into his arm. She faced a choice, she remembers. She could walk out and go to school  or follow him to hell.

In her mind, she couldnt bear to lose anyone else. She asked the boyfriend for the next shot  and woke up three days later.

The boyfriend soon left, but the drug habit remained. Her grades  once stellar  plummeted. Then she dropped out. She stole from her dad. She ended up in jail, arrested as a runaway, and for theft and shoplifting. She quit the church shed been attending, furious with God.

The day after she turned 18, she left, and moved to California, with her new boyfriend, Troy.

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Eventually, her drug use became so severe that after one shot, her vein collapsed. Troy begged to take her to the hospital, but she resisted. She spent three days in agonizing pain, praying for it to pass.

When the pain passed, she knew she had to make a change.

We got on a bus and got out and gone, she said. They moved to Arkansas, where she and Troy married in 1998. Months later, Holly gave birth to her first child, Joshua.

In the tumult, she found her way back to her faith, and credits that with helping her overcome her addiction. She and Troy set about building their new lives  and their family.

Her parents might have abandoned her, her adoptive fathers marriages might have failed  but she would have a family. And a big one.

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In 2007, she and Troy returned to Oklahoma. They settled in Cushing, outside of Tulsa.

Her family grew, and grew. She worked as a server at Naifehs Deli and Grill while juggling school drop-offs for her five kids

Then, in June 2022, the two investigators from Texas showed up at the deli. That same day, they introduced her to her relatives in Florida  the family she hadnt realized had been searching for her for 40 years.

Holly Marie holds a picture of herself as a baby with her late parents, Harold Dean Clouse and Tina Gail Linn. Texas AG Cold Case Unit photo via FHDForensics / Texas AG Cold Case Unit photo via FHDForensics Childhood photo of Harold Dean Clouse. Clouse and his wife were murdered in 1980. They had moved to Texas from Florida months before. Holly Miller poses for a portrait at Memorial Park in Cushing, Oklahoma, on Thursday, November 16, 2023. Nick Oxford/Contributor Holly Miller swings with her daughter Serenity Miller at Memorial Park in Cushing, Oklahoma on Thursday, November 16, 2023. Nick Oxford/Contributor

I couldnt believe that so many family members had been waiting to meet me, she said. But there was sadness, too, wondering what life might have been like if they all hadnt been separated for that time. I couldnt imagine the pain of their 40 years of suffering, not knowing what had happened to the three of us.

Two days later, authorities announced they found her, upending her ordinary life. That day was very overwhelming for me, she said.

Suddenly, network news shows were calling. TV reporters camped outside of the deli. Her story spread across the globe  her fathers relatives in Europe all texted, saying theyd read about her in their local papers.

Hollys story, on her terms

More than a year later, Holly Marie Miller has finally started telling the story to the world. Besides her aforementioned book, titled Finding Baby Holly, she sat down with the ABC News program 20/20, and appeared on The View and Good Morning America.

She feels grateful the three women left her with McGoldrick. Who knows what else might have happened to her if theyd left her somewhere else?

In November 2022, she finally got to meet her relatives from Florida in person, to hug her grandmother, Donna Casasanta, and a legion of aunts and uncles and cousins. She recognized her children in them, and looked for other similarities.

Donna Casasanta shows a childhood photo of her late son, Harold Dean Clouse, at Casasantas Edgewater, Fla., home on Friday, Jan. 14, 2022. Clouse and his wife, Tina Gail Linn, were murdered 40 years ago and recently identified using genealogical evidence, though the family hopes their daughter, Hollie Marie Clouse, shown in the painting to the right, is still alive. Patrick Connolly, Houston Chronicle / Contributor

God has begun the work of mending the brokenness caused by a murderer and a misguided cult, she wrote in her forthcoming book. She still has a lot of questions  especially about how she ended up in Yuma.

Her father believes one of the women who left her with him was Tina Linn, her birth mother. Its hard for Holly to make sense of that, however. If it was her mother, Holly imagines that she wouldve made the decision to protect her, unless shed been brainwashed.

Investigators believe another of the women was a mother of three named Rosemary Garcia. Garcia has long since died. Theyve been trying to find her daughters, but so far havent had any luck, Holly said. Shes hoping they might surface and provide further clues about her parents deaths, which remain unsolved  and is asking anyone with information to contact authorities.

In April, Holly finally visited Houston and traveled to Harris Countys pauper cemetery to visit her parents graves. She was 43  more than twice as old as her parents when they were murdered.

Donna Casasanta, left, and her daughter Cheryl Clouse pause to pray, Tuesday, March 1, 2022, in Houston, near the site where the bodies of her Casasantas son, Harold Dean Clouse and his wife, Tina Gail Linn, were discovered back in 1981. Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

The remains of more than 300 unidentified corpses lie in the countys cemetery, along with others whose bodies were never claimed. Across Texas, that number is more than 1,800.

It broke my heart to think about all those other families out there, she said.

A mockingbird trilled in the distance.

She looked out at the rows of markers, and thought what it must have been like for the families of those whod gone missing, whod suffered like her grandmother, her aunts and uncles and cousins.

And then she found them: the two small stone markers, a pair of white flags fluttering over them.

The moment left a deep mark, and now, she and her relatives are raising money and working with one of the investigators who identified her parents to try to identify the remains of other nameless dead.

Shes also been urging those who might have relatives who have gone missing to donate DNA samples to GEDmatch, a website that allows users to compare DNA relationships and that law enforcement investigators have used to identify numerous remains of nameless dead.

On Mothers Day, Holly and her family announced theyd identified one such case  a woman named Virginia Clyde Higgins Ray, whod died in a South Carolina hospital in 1982.

Weve got one more miracle, other than our miracle, Holly said.

She hopes its one of many more to come.
In todays dynamic gaming landscape, with over 500 million amateur gamers, including 30 million passionate college students, it is pivotal to provide high-performance machines. Interestingly, a staggering 90% of gaming enthusiasts expressed the desire to experience gaming on a laptop or desktop before making a purchase decision.

To bridge this gap and revolutionize the gaming experience for amateur gamers, Dentsu Gaming- the gaming practice from dentsu India, in association with Intel, collaborated with Digit- one of the most trusted and popular technology media portals in India, to execute a campaign harnessing the potential of SKOAR! College Gaming Club (SCGC) - India's innovative amateur college gaming program.

The campaign commenced with SCGC appointing campus ambassadors across 35 colleges in India. Leveraging platforms like Discord and WhatsApp, the ambassadors interacted with gamers, organizing online playoffs and setting the stage for the subsequent phases of the campaign.

Furthermore, SCGC hosted a day-long Intel-powered offline esports event within five selected campuses. Showcasing the prowess of Intel-powered computers, the events featured experiential zones, workshops, and activities, culminating in an esports tournament. During the casual gaming sessions, it also had machines put through their paces which led to them emerging as the driving force behind the triumph of top college esports teams.

A key milestone was that the Intel-powered online tournament, 'Campus Clash, witnessed the participation of teams from 35 colleges, further amplifying the campaign's reach. A robust social media strategy was effectively executed with over 150 content pieces disseminated on Instagram and YouTube through the offline and online phases of the campaign.

Over 10,000+ amateur gamers from 50+ colleges were exposed to the innovative campaign. Gamers also got their hands on PCs with powerful Intel ARC GPUs, giving them a taste of Intel's latest dedicated GPU line-up that packs some serious firepower with built-in machine learning, graphics acceleration, and hardware-based ray tracing.

Apurva Jani, Marketing Director, Sales, Marketing & Communications Group, Intel India said, Denstu has been an integral part of all our gaming activations for Intel, they help us identify the right media-led activations which drive reach and efficiency for Intel. SKOAR! College Gaming Club (SCGC) is a unique initiative from Digit that is on a mission to build college-level gaming communities at the grassroots level across the country. The objective for this association was to enhance Intel's brand resonance among college amateur gamers by facilitating hands-on trials of its personal computers across various colleges over 3 months.

Anita Kotwani, CEO, Media South Asia, dentsu added, The strategy adopted by dentsu gaming through this partnership was built on engagement, education, experience, and empowerment. The collaboration has undeniably heralded a game-changing victory in the gaming arena, setting new benchmarks within the gaming community.

Arun Yadav, Head, SCGC commented, At SKOAR! College Gaming, we are relentlessly pushing the boundaries of what's possible in the world of grassroots gaming and esports. Our unwavering commitment is to provide students with the support and tools they need to level up their gaming. Collaborating with industry leaders like Dentsu Gaming and Intel, we are poised to shape the future of esports and ignite a transformative era for the next generation of gamers.
Beardo, a leading male grooming and lifestyle brand from the house of Marico Limited, one of Indias top FMCG companies, has unveiled the newest BEARDO on the block in its latest campaign. It is none other than Aditya Roy Kapur, the charismatic Bollywood heartthrob. Unofficially the countrys national crush, now dons a completely new persona and is ready to take the next leap by officially being a Beardo!

Beardo orchestrated a distinctive pre-launch marketing campaign featuring Aditya Roy Kapur on an unbranded out-of-home (OOH) display at Juhu Beach. The display presented two contrasting images of Aditya: one clean-shaven and the other with a beard. This billboard encouraged people to vote for their preferred look using a QR code that redirected them to a polling website. With no context provided, the website playfully hinted at a bet, leaving viewers curious about the origin and purpose of this intriguing challenge.

Beardo seeded information about the campaign through meme pages, fan pages, influencers, and various digital platforms. The campaign generated significant interest and organic curiosity, contributing to its raving success. A few days into the activation, amidst the growing anticipation, Aditya finally unveiled the poll results on his social media story - showcasing his fans preferring his bearded look as the clear winner, with the caption, "@beardo.official, you win! Let's chat." A day later, Aditya and Beardo jointly released a captivating launch video on Instagram, marking the end of this innovative marketing initiative.

This campaign effectively harnessed curiosity, social media engagement, and influencer marketing to achieve its objective of reinforcing the bearded look of Aditya Roy Kapur as the consumer preferred persona and Beardos reason for signing him on as an ambassador.

Ever since its inception, Beardo prides itself on being a brand that partners men of a certain persona  bold, passionate achievers, those not afraid of going the extra mile to get what they desire. The recent persona that Aditya has been donning, especially in series like The Night Manager are in a good sync with the personality the brand resonates with, making him a great choice for the brand.

The new Beardo campaign underscores Aditya Roy Kapurs uber masculine fragrance charm with the ultimate sophistication of their award-winning fragrances. The brand promises an entirely new gangsta personality of Aditya Roy Kapur.

Talking about the collaboration, Aditya Roy Kapur said, I'm thrilled to be associated with BEARDO - this brand is something I relate to, on a personal level. My beard, my style and the attitude I have today, are what makes me, me. Especially their line of tasteful fragrances, that perfectly capture the importance of individuality and style. I can't wait for you guys to see what weve created together. This avatar is definitely me as my most BEARDO self, the perfect expression of who I am today. Thats why this collaboration is so special- it feels very authentic to me.

Sujot Malhotra, CEO of Beardo, describes the new campaign, Beardo is a personality driven brand that is aspirational and classy. We are thrilled to have Aditya Roy Kapur as a face of our brand & believe this is a win-win partnership with Beardo and Aditya both complementing each other. We really like the new rugged, raw & real persona that Aditya has been embodying lately & we believe he is a great ambassador to millions of men out there on the journey of finding the OG Beardo within.

Additional Links

The film is live on Beardos Instagram

Link of the polling website - https://dt7vezt041k.typeform.com/itsforabet
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on Monday indicated his openness to Sam Altman rejoining OpenAI, despite an earlier announcement that Altman would join Microsoft's artificial intelligence innovation division.

Nadella is fine with either option, for, he thinks that the decision ultimately rests with the OpenAI board, management, and employees. The recent upheaval at OpenAI saw Altman's abrupt firing, leading to protests from employees and the resignation of OpenAI's president, Greg Brockman. Microsoft, a significant investor in OpenAI with a $13 billion stake, announced Altman's hiring, contributing to a surge in Microsoft's stock.

However, reports surfaced suggesting Altman was contemplating a return to OpenAI. Nadella underscored Microsoft's commitment to both OpenAI and Altman, irrespective of the specific configuration. He expressed the desire for Altman and Brockman to find a suitable professional home. Nadella acknowledged the need for changes in governance at OpenAI, reflecting on the fluid leadership situation. While affirming Microsoft's commitment, he hinted at the necessity for adjustments in the organization's structure.

In a separate interview on Kara Swisher's "On" podcast, Nadella was non-committal about Altman potentially becoming the CEO of Microsoft in the future. He emphasized the wealth of capable individuals who could assume the CEO role at Microsoft, maintaining a cautious stance on the matter. The unfolding events underscore the intricate dynamics between OpenAI, Microsoft, and the key figures involved, hinting at potential shifts in the landscape of AI and innovation.
ZEE5, Indias largest home-grown video streaming platform and a multilingual storyteller, unveiled the much-awaited trailer of Pankaj Tripathi starrer Kadak Singh at the opening ceremony of the prestigious 54th International Film Festival of India [IFFI], Goa. Attended by government officials, dignitaries, top stars from across India and movie fanatics from across the world, the trailer received a roaring response at one of the most esteemed and prestigious film festivals of Asia further bolstering the films credibility. Whats more is that Kadak Singh is set to mark its World Premiere at IFFI, Goa under Gala Premieres category and the high-profile event will be attended by the entire cast and crew amidst much excitement and anticipation. The movie is set to premiere on ZEE5 on 8th December 2023.

Directed by national award-winning director, Aniruddha Roy Chowdhary, Kadak Singh stars a host of national award-winning actors like Pankaj Tripathi, Parvathy Thiruvothu and Bangladeshi actor, Jaya Ahsan along with Sanjana Sanghi in the lead role and Dilip Shankar, Paresh Pahuja and Varun Buddhadev in prominent supporting roles. A Wiz Films and KVN Production in association with Opus Communications, Kadak Singh is produced by Wiz Films (Andre Timmins, Viraf Sarkari & Sabbas Joseph), HT Content Studio (Mahesh Ramanathan) and KVN and co-produced by Shyam Sunder and Indrani Mukherjee.

The film follows the life of AK Shrivastav aka Kadak Singh, a Joint Director at the Department of Financial Crimes who is currently battling retrograde amnesia. The film unfolds as AK is admitted in the hospital and is presented with conflicting narratives about his past, compelling him to discern fact from fiction. Amidst the maze of half-baked memories, he is determined to uncover the truth behind him mysteriously landing up in a hospital and behind a significant financial crime, all of this while saving his family from falling apart. It is also the story of a dysfunctional family and how they come closer due to a series of unforeseen events leading to a rollercoaster of emotions. The film highlights relationships in different forms and how these relationships provide different perspectives, helping the story move forward.

Actor Pankaj Tripathi said, "Kadak Singh is unlike anything I have played before. He is an unusual character, and it was such joy portraying such a layered personality. Additionally, I got to work with some incredible talent including Tony Da, Parvathy, Jaya and the young and enthusiastic ones like Sanjana. Everyones combined energy and passion really transformed the film from the pages to the screen. Also, it was exciting to launch the trailer at IFFI last night and see audiences reaction to the trailer for the first time ever. We are also screening the film here at IFFI so we are excited for that too.

Actor Parvathy said, Its not often that every aspect of a movie making experience hits a 10/10 mark. Kadak Singh has been that rare phenomenon for me. From getting to create a character guided by Tony da and sharing screen space with none other than Pankaj ji, to witnessing brilliance in Sanjana Sanghi, Paresh Pahuja and Jaya Ahsan and being so perfectly supported by each departmental crew on set and a nurturing production team led by Viraf Sarkari that cheered us on non-stop, it was magical to say the least. I feel in the times we are living in, we are in dire need of master storytellers guiding us to stay in touch with our humanity. Tony da and team created that experience for us in Kadak Singh.

Actor Sanjana Sanghi said, From the very first narration by Ritesh Shah of Kadak Singh, I had the most sure feeling in my stomach that we are onto something special. Its brilliant writing has been brought to life beautifully by Tony Da (Anirudh Roy Chowdhary) and the team at Wiz Films. To be entrusted with bringing the layered and complex character of Sakshi to life opposite my inspiration Pankaj Tripathi, playing my father, has been a masters and PHD in acting. I could imagine no better way of bringing our film to the audiences than launching our trailer at IFFI Goa and follow that up with a World Premiere.

Actor Jaya said, This film and the character I played as an actress was very new, fresh and indeed an enriching experience for me. The whole team and the ensemble I got to work with specially Pankaj ji was incredible. As a director, Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury was always one on my bucket list, to get to collaborate with him and attempt to make a step in a new industry, a different language was very exciting and also very challenging for me. The script was very engaging, engrossing, and something I haven't come across before, out of all my work this one will always hold a special place I believe. The music by Shantanu Moitra is very soulful, how he always composes and scores the films! it elevates the moments as well as performances and Avik Mukhopadhyays lighting on set can make things look incredibly beautiful as well as real. I loved working with this team of people and I can't wait for the film to come out.
General Secretariat FDHA

Bern, 21.11.2023 - On Tuesday 21 November, federal councillors Alain Berset, president of the Swiss Confederation and Ignazio Cassis, head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), received a courtesy visit from a delegation from Hungary headed by the countrys prime minister, Viktor Orban. The exchange centred on bilateral relations, Switzerland's European policy objectives, Hungary's presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2024 and current international issues.

Both parties acknowledged the historically strong bilateral relations between Switzerland and Hungary, which are due in part to Switzerland's acceptance of 12,000 Hungarian refugees following the 1956 uprising. Trade relations were also mentioned; around 900 Swiss companies operate in Hungary, generating 29,000 jobs there. The Swiss delegation emphasised the importance of reliable and predictable conditions to encourage investment in the country.

A further topic was cooperation with Hungary, which is one of the recipients of the second Swiss contribution to selected EU countries. Vocational education and training, research and innovation are key aspects of this cooperation. Mr Berset explained that Switzerland attaches great importance to involving a range of stakeholders, in particular civil society, in the implementation of programmes and projects. With regard to European policy, the Swiss side reaffirmed its goal of stabilising and further developing the bilateral approach with the EU. The Hungarian presidency of the EU Council in the second half of 2024 was also discussed.

In discussions on current international issues, the topics included the situation in the Middle East and the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, with the Swiss delegation emphasising the importance of international humanitarian law and the role of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). In Switzerland's view, this is an important platform for maintaining dialogue with countries that do not share the same values with regard to the security architecture in Europe.

Address for enquiries

GS-FDHA Communication, Tel. +41 58 462 85 79, media@gs-edi.admin.ch

Publisher

General Secretariat FDHA

http://www.edi.admin.ch



Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html




A Mississippi man stabbed his brother in the head with a fork during an argument, then engaged in a standoff with police, according to Jackson, Miss., area media reports.

Rankin County (Miss.) deputies were dispatched to a residence about 10:47 a.m. Sunday. Arriving at the scene, they learned two brothers had argued, with one brother stabbing the other in the head with a fork, according to WLBT in Jackson. The injured brother was taken to a local hospital, where he was treated and later released.

The fork-wielding brother, meanwhile, barricaded himself in a trailer next door, according to WAPT, initiating a standoff between himself and law enforcement, including a Rankin County SWAT team.

A robot was deployed to enter the trailer and allow communications between law enforcement negotiators and the suspect.

After more than two hours of negotiations, the suspect -- identified as 37-year-old James Mathew Jones -- surrendered himself. Jones is charged with aggravated assault for the fork attack, as well as disorderly conduct. Other charges are possible.
Houston Chronicle journalist St. John Barned-Smith broke the news last year of the identification of the remains of Harold Dean Clouse, 21, and his wife, Tina Gail Linn, 17, east of Houston. He also was first to report when investigators had located their long-missing daughter, then known only as Baby Holly, in Oklahoma.

Holly Marie Miller is now a mother of five in her early 40s. She and her adoptive father spoke with Barned-Smith  who now works for the Chronicles sibling paper, the San Francisco Chronicle  shortly after all three appeared on an ABC News 20/20 special about the case.

Here are four takeaways from that interview:

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The women in white

Holly came to be adopted by Philip McGoldrick and his then-wife after three women in white robes showed up at the door of his church in Yuma, Arizona, on Nov. 8, 1980. It seemed like the answer to a prayer: He and his ex-wife had wanted another daughter  and now a young woman was saying a little girl needed a home. When I talk to non-Christians, they say youre making this stuff up, he said.

McGoldrick and his then-wife placed ads in local newspapers informing the Yuma community of Hollys abandonment and, six months later, formally adopted her.

Miller struggled with not knowing her birth parents, leading to a rough patch

When she was 16, Miller, then living in Oklahoma, found her boyfriend shooting meth. She faced a choice, she remembers. She could walk out, and go to school  or follow him to hell. In her mind, she couldnt bear to lose anyone else. She asked the boyfriend for the next shot  and woke up three days later.

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The boyfriend soon left, but the drug habit remained. The day after she turned 18, she left, and moved to California with her new boyfriend, Troy, who tried to set her on course. Eventually, her drug use became so severe that after one meth shot, her vein collapsed. When the pain passed, she vowed to change.

We got on a bus and got out and gone, she said. They moved to Arkansas, where she and Troy married in 1998. Months later, Holly gave birth to her first child, Joshua.

Miller had no idea she has a big family in Florida

Miller only learned of her birth relatives after investigators told her about them in June 2022. That November, she finally got to meet her extended Florida family in person, hugging her grandmother, Donna Casasanta, and a legion of aunts, uncles and cousins. She recognized her children in them, and looked for other similarities.

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Donna Casasanta stands in front of a painting showing her late son, Harold Dean Clouse, with Clouses wife, Tina Gail Linn, and their daughter, Holly Marie, at Casasantas Edgewater, Fla., home on Friday, Jan. 14, 2022. Patrick Connolly, Houston Chronicle / Contributor Tina Gail Linn, baby Holly Marie and Harold Dean Clouse in a family photo from 1980. Harold, known as Dean, and Tina were murdered that year; their bodies were discovered in early 1981. Hollys body was never found, leading to a lengthy search that ended in June 2022 when she was found  alive and well  in Oklahoma. Courtesy

Miller hopes the public can help solve her parents murders

McGoldrick believes one of the three women who abandoned Holly was Tina Linn, her birth mother. Its hard for Miller to make sense of that, however. If it was Linn, Holly imagines that Linn wouldve made the decision to protect her, unless shed been brainwashed by a cult.

Texas Attorney General investigators believe one of the women was Rosemary Garcia, who has long since died but has three daughters. Theyve been trying to find her daughters, but so far havent had any luck, Miller said. Shes hoping they might surface and provide further clues about her parents deaths, which remain unsolved, and is asking anyone with information to contact authorities.

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A 76-year-old Prichard woman charged with the murder of her 38-year-old grandson last week confessed to the killing, according to documents filed in Mobile County District Court.

Mary Alice Jordan was taken into custody at her home on Circle Drive last Wednesday afternoon. The victim was identified as her grandson, Dana DeAnthony Jordan.

Court records indicate Mary Jordan was upset with him from (the) previous night, in reference to her grandson, and that she confessed to shooting him. The court notes also suggest Mary Jordan may be suffering from dementia.

This screen shot shows a portion of a court document in which handwritten notes indicate Mary Alice Jordan confessed to the murder of her grandson.(Mobile County District Court)

In 2003, Dana DeAnthony Jordan was sentenced to 20 years (17 suspended) for the attempted murder of Prichard police officer Rodney Wilson. He served additional time for the 2004 assault of a Mobile County corrections officer. He had a lengthy record of other arrests, including domestic violence charges, drug charges, multiple counts of being a felon in possession of a weapon and receiving stolen property, among others.

Mary Alice Jordan remained in Mobile Metro Jail as of Tuesday afternoon, held under $100,000 bond. She is due back in court Wednesday morning.

A call to Prichard police seeking additional information went unanswered Tuesday afternoon.
Whats the difference between reparations and reconciliation? Between accountability and blame? Between intention and meaningful action? Questions about how to turn a hard past into a promising future for Africatown might not have been answered in a new 60 Minutes segment, but it showed that a historic discussion has begun.

On Sunday, the CBS news show aired an extended segment in which representatives of the Clotilda Descendants Association sat down with descendants of Timothy Meaher. It was Meaher who set in motion the notorious final voyage of the Clotilda, bringing the last known group of Africans into slavery in the United States, long after such slaving voyages were outlawed.

60 Minutes correspondent Anderson Cooper, whos reported on Africatown before, led the extended segment, which aired Sunday night. It can be seen in full at www.cbsnews.com.

Some key points of the program:

The episode features a compact retelling of the Clotilda/Africatown story. While most of the information is familiar, marine archaeologist James Delgado describes the hold of the Clotilda as smaller than expected, a space where people basically were stacked on shelves for weeks. There was about a foot and a half of vertical space between shelves, he said. The British had developed a rule on how to do this, says Delgado. So it was a foot and a half [side to side] by five feet [in length] for a man foot and four inches for a woman and a foot for a child.  When you use that very bureaucratic, cruel, evil math, you could cram the 110 people in there in horrific conditions.

The second half of the segment features a meeting between sisters Meg and Helen Meaher, great-granddaughters of Timothy Meaher, and three representatives of the Clotilda Descendants Association: Joycelyn Davis, Pat Frazier and CDA President Jeremy Ellis. Meg Meaher is described as an accountant who now oversees the familys business holdings and property along with her sister Helen Meaher, an attorney. My hope is that this can be an example of what reconciliation looks like for the nation as well as start the healing process for a number of descendants, says Ellis. You know, we can offer this generations heartfelt apology, but its easy to say things, says Helen Meaher. Were going to start doing things.

Why was this meeting so long in coming? We were silent for far too long and we were distant for far too long and were very happy to be able to finally break the silence and to narrow the distance, says Meg Meaher. So our family is all, its like some other families, we have lots of layers and complexities and some dysfunctions and we have been in a lawsuit among family members and that finally resolved just a year ago. So now its really, its our generation thats been able to step up.

The segment touches on Meaher ownership of land in and around the Africatown community. Though no plan of action is resolved, Ellis and Davis speak about hopes the land can be used to benefit the community, possibly through transfer to a land trust. We believe that within that historic district of Africatown, there are parcels of land that we should have ownership there, says Ellis. Cooper mentions the sale of one parcel to the city of Mobile, and the donation of additional land around it.

Meg Meaher says that thus far, she and her sister have found no artifacts that might have belonged to Clotilda survivors or be associated with the ships voyage.

Both sides are aware of the complexities of the situation. Meg Meaher says the family doesnt want to act in a way that generates conflict among Africatowns supporters. Ellis says he has to be mindful that, for all the focus on Africatown, many descendants of Clotilda survivors dont live there. I totally understand theyve come to the table trying to do the right thing and they want to be intentional with the decisions that are made, says Ellis. I totally understand that perspective.  I agree that its not easy work. Even the ask is, isnt easy, right?

The segment illustrates a small step forward: Descendants say its an issue that property markers in Africatown still bear the name of Meaher, a man who enslaved the ancestors of some of the people still living there. The Meahers agree the markers can go, and the program shows one being pulled up. We can work to remove those monuments, says Meg Meaher. I know thats a small step but that its not something you have to see every day. And so thats the first step that we can take.

The full report can be seen at www.cbsnews.com.
As the year draws to a close, Southern Living is celebrating trailblazers who are preserving history and building communities across the region. The publication has released its 2023 Southerners of the Year list, honoring people and organizations from Alabama, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

One of this years honorees is Loretta Pettway Bennett, a member of the Freedom Quilting Bee Legacy. The original Freedom Quilting Bee was formed in 1966 at the Antioch Baptist Church in Camden, the seat of Wilcox County. A community of women in the county was known for stitching vibrant quilts from swatches of fabric.

Black people in the county were being fired for registering to vote. The year after the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery march, an Episcopal priest and civil rights activist named Francis X. Walter, drove to Wilcox County and saw the quilts dangling from clotheslines. Walter and fellow activists helped the women place some of the quilts up for auction as a way to make revenue. The organizers later helped the women form a cooperative to continue bringing the quilts to national attention. The quilters attracted the attention of national retailers, including Sears.

The organization officially closed in 2011. In 2021, the Freedom Quilting Bee Legacy was established, the organization hosts sewing classes and events with the mission of preserving the history of quilting in the county and the state.

Bennett still sews every day, and her quilts have been displayed in more than a dozen museums and galleries around the world, Southern Living writes of Bennett. But what shes proudest of is her work with FQB Legacy, a nonprofit thats dedicated to bringing attention to the original members and artistsinnovative and resilient women like her mom, grandmothers, aunts, and neighbors.

We need to continue the tradition of sewing and making things with our hands, Bennett told Southern Living. Most people dont have wealth or jewelry to pass on, but at least we have a craft.

Read the full Southern Living list.
A little-known abandoned park in eastern Birmingham will be the future home of disability-friendly trails for wheelchairs, according to a plan approved by the Birmingham City Council on Tuesday.

The city has allocated $1 million, including $750,000 from American Rescue Plant Act funds, to fund the park, which should be complete by 2026 at the latest, Council member Hunter Williams said. The other $250,000 in funding allocated Tuesday comes from the citys general fund, he said.

This isnt going to be right away, said Carlee Sanford, executive director of the Ruffner Mountain Nature Coalition.

The 6.5-acre park at the end of Dogwood Drive was known as South Roebuck Park or East Side Park and included a 100-foot-long, 4.5-foot-deep swimming pool thats still visible, though it no longer holds water, since part of the wall is missing. The park opened in the 1950s and the swimming pool was built in 1963 as the Eastside Swim Club. It has been abandoned since 1995 and the property is now owned by Ruffner Mountain Nature Coalition.

Its an ideal location for a park, Sanford said.

I want it to go from something that is currently blighted and not used, to something that can be an asset for the neighborhood, Williams said.

The redeveloped park will contain 10,000 feet of wheelchair accessible trails that would conform to requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The coalition has an overall fundraising goal of $1.5 million to build the park and private fundraising is underway, Sanford said.

The park backs up to a roadbed formerly used by the Birmingham Mineral Railroad. Its not contiguous with Ruffner Mountain Park, which is separated by about 500 acres owned by Warrior Met Coal, Sanford said.

Ruffner Mountain Nature Center often gets inquiries about disability-friendly trails, but Ruffner Mountain doesnt currently have such trails, Sanford said. The Ruffner Mountain trails feature steep terrain and a quarry that are not wheelchair-friendly.

Ruffner Mountain brings in visitors from all over central Alabama, Williams said. Obviously with climbing up the side of a mountain, or climbing down the side of a mountain, its not ADA-accessible. This will give families that have an ADA need a place where they can go and enjoy Ruffner as well. It rounds out Ruffner and what theyre able to provide to the whole state of Alabama.
Guy Fieri missed out on some good food Friday night, as friends, family and patrons of the crew at Roosters gathered to watch a new episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives featuring the Dauphin Street taco restaurant.

The build-your-own nacho and sandwich bar, featuring among other things some insanely good brisket, might have been a given. But the savory boudin king cake illustrated that owner Frankie Little was operating on a different level  which in turn helps explain how Roosters became one of six Mobile-area restaurants being featured on DDD this season.

The full-house crowd in Roosters clapped and cheered repeatedly as they saw Little, other restaurant staff, and in some cases themselves on the big screen with Fieri. Meanwhile, the food itself was the main attraction for Fieri and guest Fred LeBlanc, lead drummer for New Orleans band Cowboy Mouth, as they sampled the surf-and-turf burrito and the Torta De Carnitas sandwich.

The latter seemed to be a particular hit. Can I live here? asked LeBlanc. Youre doing all the right things, said Fieri, praising the dish for its depth of flavor and presentation.

The Torta De Carnitas sandwich caught the eye of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" host Guy Fieri when he visited Roosters in Mobile.Courtesy of Food Network

(Hes right, if you were wondering. Much of the menu at Roosters is in more familiar formats: tacos, burritos, nachos. The Torta De Carnitas is a version of the Torta Ahogada, or drowned sandwich. It augments braised, flattop-seared pork with picked red onion, black bean puree, cilantro and queso franco and is served with the halves standing in a bowl of red ranchero sauce. Its like a hearty Latin American cousin to the French dip. Pro tip: the big flavor of the sandwich makes even Zapps chips seem like a very pale and generic side, so go with the jalapeno slaw.)

Speaking prior to the viewing party, Little recently took time to describe how the episode came to be.

He opened Roosters almost seven years ago, after working for years in a variety of restaurant settings. There was never any doubt in his mind that the focus would be on Latin American flavors. He attributes his lifelong love of the cuisine in large part to some early influences. He grew up on a farm in Foley next to his grandmother, whod grown up partly in Central America as the daughter of an American businessman who spend much of his life there. And so, growing up with her on the farm, she cooked plantains, things like that, that there were probably werent too many farm boys in Alabama in the 80s eating plantains and things like that, he said.

His family also had a close relationship with a Mexican family down the street, with the two groups exchanging various goods and services. Thanks to those ties, fresh tamales were a part of the family tradition.

So I was very interested in Spanish culture from a young age because of that, because between my grandmother and the family down the street, he said. I was interested in the food and the culture. In a vagabond phase of life after high school he lived in Texas and California and traveled into Mexico. It all taught him that Latin American cuisine was far richer than the stereotype.

I just realized that like Mexican food is not what I thought it was, he said. What I thought it was from around here is more like Tex Mex or standard kind of basic Mexican where everythings covered in cheese. When I first went to Mexico, I realized that is completely wrong. It is almost the opposite of that. Fresh. Everything is very vibrant and fresh and not just a plate of melted cheese and beans, you know.

He and his wife, Faye Mahan, also spent significant time in Costa Rica, he said. So, all in all, there was never a question about what kind of restaurant he would open, when the time came to launch his own venture.

Patrons watch and cheer during a viewing party for an episode of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" featuring Mobile restaurant Roosters.Courtesy of Food Network

Looking back, he laughs about the steep learning curve involved in starting a business rather than working for one. There were some teething problems, he said. For example, he launched with counter service, then very rapidly realized hed have to offer table service. On a more subtle level, his Torta Ahogada initially was a slow seller. Eventually he realized thats because nobody knew how to pronounce it or what it meant. Once he changed the name, he said, it became much more popular.

Opened, quickly realized I was in way over my head, said Little. I remember the week after we opened, I saw Chris from Noble South on the sidewalk. [Thats Chris Rainosek, whose venue also recently was showcased by Fieri.] I went up to him and I was like, Why didnt you tell me how hard this was gonna be? Why? He was laughing, like Man youve gotta learn on your own.  But we got through, we made it through. This January will be our seven-year anniversary.

Little said that based on his conversation with a producer, he thinks Food Network may have approached as many as 70 area restaurants as they began planning their visit to Lower Alabama. Maybe half responded. Little said that as hes developed a new job as a financial planner, hes been able to delegate most of the day-to-day restaurant operations, and he figures that might have made it easier for him to spot the potential of a vague, seemingly random email.

It didnt say anything about Triple-D or about Guy or anything like that, said Little. It was very generic. But he thought it might be DDD, so he responded.

Those who did respond were evaluated on some strict criteria, he said. You kind of have to check all the boxes, he said. A featured venue can have two locations, but the show doesnt do chains, he said. Most of the menu has to be made from scratch. The venue has to be more than a year old, and there has to be a good story. And so, we checked all those boxes, he said.

The next phase was a phone interview that was scheduled for two hours and ended up being three hours, Little said, and it went in a deep dive into the menu. Item by item, he went over the steps for making everything. That discussion narrowed it down to six recipes that would be included in a proposal submitted to Fieri. For each of the six, Little had to go into exhaustive detail.

I had to show them the recipe for all six dishes, said Little. Not only the recipes but the process how its done, how its cooked, what temperature, for how long, what equipment we use. We had to take pictures of all the equipment, take pictures of me and any staff that was going to be involved. Pictures of the restaurant, the kitchen, they want to know how its laid out.  Hours and hours and hours of work on this.

And then I should mention in this equation is Panini Pete, said Little. Because theyre buddies, he definitely put a good word in for the places, the people he likes. (Mobile-area restaurateur Pete Blohme has worked with Fieri on a variety of projects.)

Another angle: Fieri has done a lot to support veterans causes. Little thinks it might have caught his eye that Roosters honors, Littles brother, the late Lt. Col. Mark Stratton, who died in Afghanistan in 2009. In fact, he said, Fieri recently matched a donation that Roosters made to a veteran-specific cause.

Little believes that twelve venues were finalists, with Fieri making the final decision on the six chosen. He was on pins and needles for a couple of weeks before learning Roosters was among them. But from there, things moved quickly: Filming started just a couple of weeks after that, leaving not a lot of time to spruce the place up.

We bought new equipment, we did deep cleaning, said Little. We painted some walls, we got some new decorations.

Like other local restaurateurs whove been featured on the show, Little said DDD is a well-oiled machine. Theres one day of filming without Fieri, where producers get footage of all the steps in the process of making a dish. That was a long day and it was very tedious, he said.

They do that so that when [Fieri] shows up it can be loose because they want him to be unpredictable, said Little. The conversations you see in the finished production arent rehearsed.

They had it dialed and they did not play, he said. Theyve been doing it for 15 years.  Theyre super dialed-in and they have seen it all.

A signed Guy Fieri poster hangs in Roosters in downtown Mobile.Courtesy of Food Network

Working with Fieri watching was kind of a blur, Little said. But the payoff came when Fieri and LeBlanc tasted the sandwich, he said. Theyd enjoyed the surf-and-turf burrito, Little said, but the Torta seemed to stop them in their tracks.

He took a bite and then kept eating and it was like, it was like awkwardly quiet, said Little. It was just him and Fred eating the sandwich with me standing there staring at him and there was, you know, the crew was there and then my staff, you know, you got 20 people in the room watching, 15-20 people, and it was just this awkward silence and I was like, well, I guess this is a good thing, hes eating it. He doesnt say anything. He just keeps eating.

And then he went out and, Im not sure who he was getting this for, but he came back and hes like, let me get one of those sandwiches to go. And were like, Yes, sir. So we boxed one up, handed it to him, he took it outside and I dont know who he gave it to. Then Stretch Rumaner, a pal of Fieri came in. He was like, Dude, Guy says I need to try this sandwich. So obviously he went out and like told him about it. So we made him one, he sat at the table over there and just devoured it. And so I was like, you know, thats a pretty good sign.

The show leaves little doubt about Fieris takeaways. This dunked sandwich into the hot tomato sauce is the bomb, right? he asks a patron. And to Little, he says: I love the attitude, your authenticity, you are who you are.

Whatever lift in business the show might provide, Roosters is ready for. But Little isnt standing still. One thing hes excited about, he said, is that hes arranged for his tortilla supplier  Tortilleria E&H in Daphne  to start using heirloom cornmeal from Bayou Cora Farms in Baldwin County. Thats the same cornmeal Rainosek used in the Noble South cornbread spotlighted by DDD, and Little said it will bring a whole new dimension to the Roosters menu.

A sample of the mouth-watering daily specials offered at Roosters.Courtesy of Food Network

Hes also developing plans to franchise Roosters. Hes hoping to have a franchise package ready early in 2024. Its something that had already been in the works, but the exposure that comes with a DDD showcase makes this seem like the opportune moment.

If were gonna do it, now its the time, he said. You know, strike while the irons hot.

Roosters is the fourth area restaurant featured in this season of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, after The Noble South, Southwood Kitchen and The Hummingbird Way. Another will be featured in the episode Flavor Explosion, premiering Dec. 8; its a rockin food truck [that] is dishing up next-level tacos. An episode after that will feature a family-run barbecue joint [that] is putting out a bomb Boss Burger with a side of rib candy and a stellar smoked brisket sandwich.

Though Food Network has not officially revealed the identities of those two spots, the former is Front Yard Tacos, which recently went public with the news. And the references to a Boss Burger and rib candy indicate that the latter is Meat Boss.
The last swells of Scorpio Season roll in the sweet sea of the Pisces moon. Intuitive powers surge one last time before the fire sign energy rules. What secrets do you want to know? What is the inside information you believe would give you an advantage or free you? If youre ready and willing to learn it, all you have to do is ask.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Of all the things in life to be wasted, time is the most precious. Youll spend yours especially well and enjoy the lovely mood that comes with knowing you are making the most of every delicious moment.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). There are hard-to influence people standing between you and what you want, but your charms are like a super-power. Go in with a strategy, but be ready to change your plan and rely on your instinct.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). How well do your short-term aims align with the big picture? If they are off by a lot, motivation and morale will suffer. If they are off by a little, it will feel like theres friction holding you back. Take the time for a reset, and tinker until you get the plan right.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). When your work requires you to exercise your strengths and use your talents, it will not be drudgery. You will find joy in the task, and so will those around you because your energy is contagious.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). In attempting to make things feel right, youll make them look right, too. So while you werent going for magazine lovely, that will be the result of your efforts to harmonize emotional and aesthetic elements of your environment.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Youll assert a quiet, persistent and ego-less influence. Its more important to you to see a project move forward or help a person in their development than it is to get your way or forward your name.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). When others do not yet recognize the specialness of your contributions, youll consider yourself lucky. This freedom to experiment as you wish without worrying about meeting anyones expectation is a gift!

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Ambition is a demanding boss. Balance your drive with self-care, including such things as rest, silliness and time with friends, doing nothing in particular. This is the sustainable approach that will prevent burnout.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Dont worry about starting things off on the right foot. Just lean forward and use whichever foot naturally juts out to keep you from falling. All progress will be like walking -- tilt, catch yourself, repeat.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). While you do have innate talent for reading people, no one is perpetually or universally adept at human interaction. Its called social skill because it can be learned. Smoothness takes time and practice.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Youll receive undivided attention with a focus on the things you most want to be seen and most crave acknowledgement for. Youll love connection with someone who cares about the same things as you.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). A wish went unmet and now you dont want it nearly as much. Chasing led you to the place you are now, and all the appeal of this thing belongs in the past. Youre headed toward a future with much more to offer you.

TODAYS BIRTHDAY (Nov. 21). Your creativity knows no bounds this year and a never-ending well of innovation is available for tapping. And since your heart is full of compassion, youll often apply your talent solving the troubles of those around you. More highlights: a lucrative sale, the loyalty and poetry of an avid admirer, and numbers such as grades and scores to celebrate. Gemini and Cancer adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 2, 24, 19, 40 and 6.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Last year Bjork released her 10th studio album, Fossora and launched the podcast, Bjork: Sonic Symbolism, which features deep discussions about music and art. The avant-garde artistic trailblazer is Scorpio born when the moon and visionary Neptune were also in the sign of transformation. Her natal Mercury in Sagittarius, the sign of other worlds, is notable as shes released music in various languages, including Icelandic, English and even her invented language, Gibberish.

Holiday Mathis debut novel, How To Fail Epically in Hollywood, is out now! This fast-paced romp about achieving Hollywood stardom is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit http://www.creatorspublishing.com for more information. Write Holiday Mathis at HolidayMathis.com. COPYRIGHT 2023 CREATORS.COM
Wayne Brady was involved in a physical altercation with another driver following a car accident in California on Sunday night, according to a report.

The Lets Make a Deal host, 51, was driving on the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu when another car struck his vehicle, law enforcement officials told TMZ.

Both drivers pulled over and started arguing before escalating into a physical altercation, the gossip site said.

Brady reportedly called 911 while the other driver, also 51, fled the scene. Sheriffs deputies located the man who was arrested for battery, DUI and hit-and-run.

The Emmy-winning television personality was assessed at the scene and did not require hospitalization or medical attention, though he is now banged up and sore.

No other details were released and Brady has not commented on the incident publicly.

Brady is set to appear as the title character in a Broadway revival of The Wiz in January 2024.

Earlier this year, the Whose Line Is It Anyway mainstay came out as pansexual.

I advocate mental health for all and a part of that is self-transparency. In doing my work, Ive come to see a few truths, one of them being that I want to be free to love whomever I want. This truth makes me Pan and part of the lgbtq+ family, he captioned a video on Instagram.

2023 New York Daily News. Visit nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Authorities have released the name of a man killed in gunfire that also injured an Oneonta police officer.

Alabama State Troopers on Tuesday identified the slain man as John Joseph Hampton. He was 32 and lived in the Jefferson County area.

Oneonta police were dispatched about 11 a.m. Monday to Sand Valley Road on a report of a suspicious person.

Authorities said a man  now identified as Hampton  was beating on the doors of homes in the neighborhood. One woman let the man use his phone.

Blount County Sheriff Mark Moon said no one in the neighborhood knew Hampton and authorities dont know why he was there. The sheriff said he appeared to be possibly homeless or at least temporarily displaced.

One of the residents called the Oneonta police chief on his cell phone, and he dispatched officers to the scene.

When police arrived, said Senior Alabama State Trooper Brandon Bailey, Hampton fled on foot before being tased and starting a fight with officers.

Hampton ran off into the woods where a brief standoff ensued. He then brandished a gun and shots were fired.

Hampton was pronounced dead on the scene.

An Oneonta police officer was struck in the upper leg and taken to UAB Hospital. He is expected to survive.

Oneonta Police Chief Charles Clifton released this statement on Facebook:

I want to thank the Oneonta community for all of your phone calls regarding our officer who suffered a gunshot wound earlier today. Currently, I am with this officer at UAB hospital where he has just been admitted to a room in ICU after a very long (first) surgery. More surgery will be needed on his road to recovery. He is in a lot of pain and discomfort, but his condition is critical but very stable. He will survive the incident and for that we thank God. "

Please continue to keep this officer in your prayers along with all the other persons/officers involved in this incident, the chief wrote. Out of respect for the officer and his family we are withholding the officers name at this time.

Bailey said the investigation is ongoing by the State Bureau of Investigation. Once the probe is complete, the findings will be turned over to the Blount County District Attorneys Office.
Authorities have released the name of a man found slain inside a burning home in west Birmingham.

The Jefferson County Coroners Office identified the victim as Deshawn Kahill Murphy. He was 45.

Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service and Birmingham police responded about 12:15 p.m. Monday to a blaze at 4328 Willard Avenue S.W.

As firefighters entered the house, they found Murphy and a dog unresponsive just inside the front door. Both had been shot and were pronounced dead on the scene at 1:23 p.m.

Police Sgt. LaQuitta Wade said a friend of the victim was sitting outside the house in a vehicle. An unknown man fired shots at the friend and the friend then fled the location on foot.

The friend sustained a gunshot wound to side and was taken to the hospital.

Shortly after the shooting, the fire was reported.

Wade said it wasnt immediately clear if Murphy was fatally shot before or after the friend was shot.

No arrests have been announced.

Murphy is Birminghams 122nd homicide this year. Of those, one was an officer-involved shooting by an outside law enforcement agency, and eight others have been ruled justifiable.

In all of Jefferson County there have been 168 homicides, including the 122 in Birmingham.

Anyone with information is asked to call homicide detective s at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777
A new capital grant program for Alabama K-12 schools has awarded $179 million to 327 schools, but its unclear why certain schools and districts were selected.

Unlike most individual school funding decisions, this one was controlled by local lawmakers and Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworths office. Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, said local lawmakers had a say in which projects were funded.

Every House member, every senator had to approve every grant request, he said.

Orr sponsored the bill, passed in 2023, to address the capital needs of K-12 schools, knowing state tax collections had been higher than expected. School districts could apply for one-time funding for construction, debt service, deferred maintenance, school security and technology needs.

According to a release from Ainsworths office, grants were provided to 327 schools in 137 school districts. AL.com was unable to confirm the number of school districts, as the list provided with the news release did not provide in which district the school was located.

We reviewed each application with strict adherence to the law, prioritized the schools and systems where funding would make the biggest impact, Ainsworth said in his release, and worked hard to make sure each geographic region and area of the state received a fair allocation.

Ainsworths staff evaluated the grant applications and decided on final awards, as required by the new law, according to Deputy Chief of Staff Catherine Fuller. Before awarding grants, legislators were asked for insight about specific needs and priorities within their districts.

Ainsworths office did not respond when asked how many applications were received. School officials have until Nov. 30 to accept the award.

The average grant amount was $546,000, but amounts awarded to individual schools for each project ranged from $2,430 to $5 million.

The program required school officials to match some funding on a sliding scale, depending on local tax revenue. Orr said he didnt want it to be formula-driven or enrollment-driven, which often penalizes smaller districts.

School officials submitted an application for each project at each school, resulting in multiple applications from each school district. Some schools received more than one grant award.

School Superintendent Director Ryan Hollingsworth said he had not seen the list of awards when AL.com spoke with him, but he had heard from some superintendents who received partial awards.

If a project request, an application was sent in for, lets say, a million dollars, and it is partially funded, Hollingsworth said. Im not sure what the district will do if theyre unable to complete the project. If the process allows or the Lieutenant Governors office will allow, Im sure the district will pursue other funding sources down the road.

We would hate to see a district have to not receive those funds because they cant come up with a match or come up with the rest of the funding after the partial award was sent out.

Sen. Chris Elliott, R-Fairhope, said one of the schools that received funding in his district had a shovel-ready project ready to go.

Elliott said Ainsworth had visited schools in his Senate district, which includes Baldwin County, Gulf Shores City and Orange Beach City schools. Each received funding for one school project:

Baldwin Countys Robertsdale High School - $1.75 million

Gulf Shores High School - $2.5 million

Orange Beach Middle/High School - $2.5 million

Orr said the total amount of available funding was small in comparison to the proceeds of a $1.5 billion bond issue in 2020. Schools divided proceeds from the bonds based on their enrollment. However, he said, construction costs have grown rapidly over the last few years.

What people originally thought they could afford back in 2020 when the bill passed wasnt so affordable two years afterward, Orr said.

Which schools received awards?

AL.com matched 319 schools with a district. Eight schools could not be matched because there is more than one school with that name. For example, four grants were given to Central High School and there are five schools named Central High School statewide.

Breaking the schools that won awards into categories by grade level or function, it looks like this:

High schools - $74.9 million,

Elementary schools - $45.9 million,

Middle schools - $20 million,

Career technical education centers - $18.6 million,

Charter schools - $10.2 million,

Statewide specialty schools - $4.8 million,

Other facilities - $3.5 million, and

Pre-K school - $750,000

Of the districts identified, AL.com found that schools receiving awards were located in 126 of the states traditional school districts. Awards were given to 18 freestanding career technical centers, 10 charter schools and three statewide specialty schools. Unlike traditional school districts, charter schools and statewide specialty schools do not receive any local tax money.

Officials had to indicate how much of the projects funding they could match with local tax proceeds, not to exceed more than 35% of the total cost.

School officials could apply for up to $5 million in grant funding for each project. Only one school received $5 million. Ten schools were awarded $2.5 million or more:

Allen Thornton Career Technical Center - Lauderdale County - $5 million

Bibb County Career Academy - $4 million

Cordova Elementary School - Walker County - $4 million

Hewitt-Trussville High School - Trussville City - $4 million

Plainview School - DeKalb County - $4 million

Gulf Shores Elementary School - Gulf Shores City - $2.5 million

Orchard Elementary School - Mobile County - $2.5 million

Orange Beach Middle/High School - Orange Beach City - $2.5 million

Autauga County - $2.5 million, and

Alabama School of Fine Arts - $2.5 million

According to the news release, 80% of grants were awarded to schools where more than half of the students are considered at-risk, but there is no stated definition of at-risk.

After discussions with [state department of education] the grant application asked each applicant to report the percentage of at-risk students attending the school, Fuller said.

The online application process opened Sept. 7 and closed Oct. 20.

The table below shows the schools and a district where one could be matched along with the amounts. Click here if you are unable to see the table.
Smoke rises from petrochemical facilities after a tornado tore through areas east of Houston on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer Debris and fallen power lines cover a local business in southeast Houston after storm came through on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023 at Second Chance Saloon. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer People cross under downed power lines where a tornado was reported to pass along Mickey Gilley Boulevard near Fairmont Parkway, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, in Pasadena. Mark Mulligan/Staff photographer Debbie Allen walks through her office at La Marquise, after a tornado hit the area on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023 in Deer Park. Allen hid under her desk after the window blew in, cutting her leg. Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer A mangled car sits in the grass many yards from the parking lot that it was parked in near Deer Park High School, after a tornado picked it and several other vehicles up on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023 in Deer Park. Karen Warren/Staff photographer A man walks through a parking lot containing multiple overturned vehicles, including a trailer that was in a parking lot across the street, according to people at the scene, where a tornado was reported to pass along Mickey Gilley Boulevard near Fairmont Parkway, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, in Pasadena. Mark Mulligan/Staff photographer Kristin Maresh holds her daughter, Vivian, 2, after a tornado passed by the home on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023 in Deer Park. The family stayed in a closet in the house as the storm blew over. Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer Damage is visible to the Pasadena Animal Shelter on Burke Road in Pasadena after numerous reported tornado touchdowns in Pasadena Tuesday, Jan. 24. 2023. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Mr. Electric employees HActor VAzquAz, left, and Lucas Perry pass off a phone outside their office building where they were working when the storm hit on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023 in Deer Park. Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer Insulation sticks to the wall in an office in La Marquise on Center Street where a tornado was believed to touch down on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023 in Deer Park. Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer The exposed roof of a childrenas room in an apartment following a storm on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023 in Deer Park. Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer Jorge Amezquita cleans out his apartment that was affected by a tornado Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, at Beamer Place Apartments in Houston. Amezquita and girlfriend, Cassandra Duarte, not in picture, have been living in the unit for two years and both were were not home when it happened. The couple were not sure where they will be staying for the night as of 7 p.m. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer A Houston Fire Department firefighter checks on Jorge Amezquitaas one-bedroom apartment and tells him to leave as soon as possible after a tornado ripped the roof Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, at Beamer Place Apartments in Houston. The couple has been living in the unit for two years and both were were not home when it happened. Their two dogs were staying in their kennels so they were no hurt from the collapse of the roof. The couple were not sure where they will be staying for the night as of 7 p.m. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Jorge Amezquita saves clothes from the one-bedroom apartment he shares with girlfrriend, Cassandra Duarte, that was affected by a tornado to salvage things Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, at Beamer Place Apartments in Houston. The couple has been living in the unit for two years and both were were not home when it happened. Their two dogs were staying in their kennels so they were no hurt from the collapse of the roof. The couple were not sure where they will be staying for the night as of 7 p.m. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Cassandra Duarte takes a moment to look at the apartment unit that she and boyfriend, Jorge Amezquita, have to evacuate after a tornado ripped the roof Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, at Beamer Place Apartments in Houston. The couple has been living in the unit for two years and both were were not home when it happened. Their two dogs were staying in their kennels so they were no hurt from the collapse of the roof. The couple were not sure where they will be staying for the night as of 7 p.m. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer An airplane flies through Jorge Amezquitaas roofless aprtment Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, at Beamer Place Apartments in Houston. A tornado ripped the roof from the apartment. Amezquita and girlfriend, Cassandra Duarte, have been living in the unit for two years and both were were not home when it happened. The couple were not sure where they will be staying for the night as of 7 p.m. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Debris, including roof-top air conditioning units, litter Center Street following a storm on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023 in Deer Park. Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer An overturned trash dumpster on Dixie Drive where a tornado was believed to touch down on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023 in Deer Park. Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer A UPS truck is overturned where a tornado was reported to pass along Fairmont Parkway, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, in Pasadena, Texas. (Mark Mulligan/Houston Chronicle via AP) Mark Mulligan/Associated Press A camping trailer sits in a retention pond where a tornado was reported to pass along Mickey Gilley Blvd., near Fairmont Parkway, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, in Pasadena, Texas. (Mark Mulligan/Houston Chronicle via AP) Mark Mulligan/Associated Press Deer Park city employees shovel debris off of Center Street after a powerful storm system came through the area, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, in Deer Park, Texas, near Houston. (Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via AP) Elizabeth Conley/Associated Press The Exxon Mobil Baytown Olefins Plant is see after high winds and rains ripped through the region, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, in Baytown. ( Jason Fochtman / Houston Chronicle ) Jason Fochtman/Staff Photographer Debbie Allen walks past damaged cars outside her office at La Marquise, after a tornado hit the area on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023 in Deer Park. Allen hid under her desk after the window blew in, cutting her leg. Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer A Little Caesars Pizza on Center Street in Deer Park, Texas, where a tornado was believed to touch down, is seen severely damaged on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023. (Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via AP) Elizabeth Conley/Associated Press An overturned RV smashes against another RV in a parking lot by a Moose Lodge where a tornado was reported to pass along Mickey Gilley Boulevard near Fairmont Parkway, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, in Pasadena, Texas. (Mark Mulligan/Houston Chronicle via AP) Mark Mulligan/Associated Press A wrecker service pulls limbs from near a mangled car where it came to rest in the grass many yards from the parking lot near Deer Park High School, after a tornado picked it and several other vehicles up on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023 in Deer Park. Karen Warren/Staff photographer A man walks through a parking lot containing multiple overturned vehicles, including a trailer that was in a parking lot across the street, according to people at the scene, following a severe storm, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, in Pasadena, Texas. (Mark Mulligan/Houston Chronicle via AP) Mark Mulligan/Associated Press A man walks by a former CrossFit gym that collapsed where a tornado was reported to pass along Mickey Gilley Boulevard near Fairmont Parkway, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, in Pasadena, Texas. (Mark Mulligan/Houston Chronicle via AP) Mark Mulligan/Associated Press Residents walks past their damaged apartment complex on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023 in Deer Park. Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer Damage is visible to the Pasadena Animal Shelter on Burke Road in Pasadena after numerous reported tornado touchdowns in Pasadena Tuesday, Jan. 24. 2023. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Aluminum debris swings for power lines above Center Street where a tornado was believed to touch down on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023 in Deer Park. Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer Vehicles pass through a flooded section of Sawdust Road during heavy rain, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, in Spring. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Black smoke rises as plants flare after a possible tornado on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023 in Deer Park. Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer A piece of a building is wrapped around a tree where a tornado was reported to pass along Mickey Gilley Boulevard near Fairmont Parkway, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, in Pasadena, Texas. (Mark Mulligan/Houston Chronicle via AP) Mark Mulligan/Associated Press Jorge Amezquita, from right, cousin, Adalene Castillo, and girlfriend, Cassandra Duarte, looking for a TV remote under the bebris after a tornado ripped the roof of the apartment Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, at Beamer Place Apartments in Houston. The couple has been living in the unit for two years and both were were not home when it happened. Their two dogs were staying in their kennels so they were no hurt from the collapse of the roof. The couple were not sure where they will be staying for the night as of 7 p.m. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Vehicles pass through a flooded section of Woodlands Parkway during heavy rain, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, in The Woodlands. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer A ladder suspended by utility wires, hangs outside a business on Center Street where a tornado was believed to touch down on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023 in Deer Park. Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer A banner sticks on a tree branch in Deer Park Apartments following a potential tornado on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023 in Deer Park. Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer Exterior of the San Jacinto Manor Nursing Home after a tornado took the roof off of the structure, no injuries were reported other than a couple of minor scrapes on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023 in Deer Park. Karen Warren/Staff photographer A mangled car sits in the grass many yards from the parking lot that it was parked in near Deer Park High School, after a tornado picked it and several other vehicles up on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023 in Deer Park. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Apartment units that were affected by a tornado are photographed Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, at Beamer Place Apartments in Houston. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Alvaro, center, and Angelica Chaves, right, talk with relatives outside their damaged home in Strawberry Glen off Strawberry Road near Fairmont in Pasadena after numerous reported tornado touchdowns in Pasadena Tuesday, Jan. 24. 2023. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Downed limbs, uprooted trees and homes with roof damage are visible in Strawberry Glen off Strawberry Road near Fairmont in Pasadena after numerous reported tornado touchdowns in Pasadena Tuesday, Jan. 24. 2023. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Flares burn at refineries east of the Sam Houston Parkway where a tornado was reported to pass along Mickey Gilley Boulevard near Fairmont Parkway, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, in Pasadena. Mark Mulligan/Staff photographer

It didnt matter that the wind had ripped out the fence at his Deer Park house. It didnt matter that he had to run nearly a mile from his home, past downed power lines and ravaged office buildings and chunks of concrete that had landed barely 50 feet from the parking lot of the Cream of the Crop Learning Center. It didnt matter what the rest of the world looked like. All that mattered to Joseph Sion was that his two children were safe.

When he arrived at the daycare, Sion clutched his 1-year-old son to his chest. He felt like he could barely breathe.

His 6-year-old daughter wasn't there. He started to cry.

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Severe, record-breaking weather roared through the Houston area Tuesday afternoon, ripping down buildings, upending vehicles, trapping drivers in flooded streets and tearing the siding from homes and businesses after a tornado touched down southeast of the city. It was unclear exactly how many injuries the tornado and storms caused.

A resident walks past an apartment unit where the bricks fell off at Deer Park Apartments after a powerful storm system came through the area, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, in Deer Park, Texas, near Houston. (Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via AP) Elizabeth Conley/Associated Press

Deer Park Mayor Jerry Mouton said that up to 30 homes sustained major damage from the tornado, but that there had been no reports of fatalities from the storm.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner tweeted Tuesday afternoon that three people were transported to hospitals with non-life threatening conditions. The rare tornado damaged a Pasadena animal shelter (injuring two dogs and one person) and a Deer Park nursing home (63 residents were rescued, and one was injured), and caused operational issues at chemical facilities in the southeastern refining corridor.

THE DAY THE TORNADO STRUCK: Photos show path of destruction across eastern Harris County

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While the storms hit hardest in Deer Park and Pasadena, they caused significant damage in some parts of Houston. A wastewater facility on Kingspoint Road was banged up but was still functioning. The roof of an apartment complex in the 11100 block of Beamer was blown off by the strong winds. Just before 5 p.m., the city had received 22 calls about debris and another 23 calls about flooded roads.

"I've worked here for 25 years, and this is probably the worst damage that I've seen," said Pasadena Police Chief Jeff Bruegger. "It's just catastrophic."

Sion, 29, in nearby Deer Park, was one of several panicked parents who had sprinted to Cream of the Crop Learning Center in the hours after the tornado. He only exhaled when he learned his older child was safely en route to the location on a bus.

I couldnt breathe the whole time, he said. I just wanted them to be OK.

Debbie Allen takes a call in her office at La Marquise after a tornado hit the area on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, in Deer Park, Texas. Allen hid under her desk after the window blew in, cutting her leg. ( Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via AP) Elizabeth Conley/Associated Press

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A 'tornado emergency'

Forecasters knew the tornadoes were possible several days in advance. Tim Cady, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in League City, said the tornadoes all formed from a single inline of storms that forecasters had their eye on hours before the cyclone formed.

Tuesday marked the first time a tornado emergency had ever been declared in southeast Texas. A tornado emergency, a term coined in 2016, is a rare pronouncement by the weather service that there is a severe threat to human life or imminent catastrophic damage.

One local expert noted the difference it made for the region to have that designation and to use it.

I think overall the warnings from the Weather Service were fantastic, said Matt Lanza, managing editor of Space City Weather. Im sure they helped get people to safety."

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A tornado watch was first issued at 10:50 a.m., when parameters were conducive for tornadoes south of I-10 and close to the coast. The line of storms that eventually caused the tornadoes formed southwest of the 610 Loop.

A tornado warning was issued at 2:10 p.m., based on a report of a tornado near Pearland. The first report of a large tornado near the Beltway was called in at 2:29 p.m.

One of the telltale signs that a tornado had formed were that images of debris balls showed up on radar. Debris balls are created when radar detect things like branches, housing material or vehicles in the air.

When you get that on the radar, its usually a very clear indication that theres a tornado on the ground, said Cady. Its something that definitely makes you very concerned.

The weather service will send experts out into the field on Wednesday to assess damage and estimate how strong the storm was. Cady said the weather service would also investigate reports of other tornadoes near Brazos Bend State Park and in Chambers County.

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The Exxon Mobil Baytown Olefins Plant is see after high winds and rains ripped through the region, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, in Baytown. ( Jason Fochtman / Houston Chronicle ) Jason Fochtman/Staff Photographer

Refinery upsets

Major refineries and chemical facilities outside Houston reported operational upsets after a tornado was reported in the area Tuesday afternoon.

The severe string of storms knocked out power to parts of the refining corridor southeast of the city and forced at least one chemical facility, Braskems complex in La Porte, to do a controlled shut-down, the company told the community in an online message board.

The extent of the damage was still coming to light after 4 p.m. Tuesday as energy companies began surveying the damage.

Shell Chemicals in Deer Park said in a statement that the storm knocked out its onsite steam capabilities, resulting in flaring.

There is no threat to the community, nor are there any indications a nearby tornado touched down within the Chemicals facility, the company said on Twitter.

Exxon Mobil said it was beginning to inspect its Baytown facilities for potential damage, but that its operations were stable.

At this time we have no reports of any injuries to Exxon Mobil employees or contractors, the company said. We are conducting a preliminary assessment to determine if there is impact to our facilities.

The Deer Park refinery owned by Pemex said it was experiencing operational upsets Tuesday that resulted in flaring. LyondellBasells facility in La Porte and Dow Chemicals facility in Deer Park were also reporting incidents.

INEOS BMC said it was sheltering in place shortly before 3 p.m. after the tornado warning was issued.

Debnil Chowdhury, S&P Global Commodity Insights head of fuel and refining in the Americas, said he and his colleagues were monitoring the situation for potential impacts to refineries and the larger fuel markets, but that power outages in the area may be an early sign of operational interruptions on the horizon for refineries in Deer Park and Baytown.

We do not have any information on if the refineries were hit by the tornado at this time, Chowdhury said in a statement. CenterPoint Energy is indicating that there are power outages in the vicinity of both refineries. Historically, refineries faced with power grid reliability issues may shut down temporarily as a precautionary safety measure.

If refineries sustained damage and stay offline, he said, the outages could push up fuel prices.

Jorge Amezquita gets the ceiling off his dogas kennel to evacuate after a tornado ripped the roof of the apartment Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, at Beamer Place Apartments in Houston. The couple has been living in the unit for two years and both were were not home when it happened. Their two dogs were staying in their kennels so they were no hurt from the collapse of the roof. The couple were not sure where they will be staying for the night as of 7 p.m. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer

The grace of God

As the skies cleared, residents peered out from their homes, ducking under sagging power lines to survey the damage. An 18-wheeler with a green cab sprawled across the highway, flipped upside down. Speed limit signs and telephone poles listed into the streets. Pink insulation peeked through the ripped-out side of a red-brick house in Pasadena. Cars were crushed against trees. Billboards rested 50 feet below where theyd been hung. A UPS truck lay on its side near a Home Depot.

Dana White, 56, has gotten used to hurricanes in the lifetime he'd spent in Deer Park, but nothing could have prepared him for the carnage that he saw as he walked down his street surveying the damage to his neighbors' houses. White was in his garage working on his car when he got the first alert to his phone. He initially brushed it aside, but when a second alert came through minutes later, he rushed indoors. Within 30 seconds, the storm had descended upon him.

One apartment on Dixie Drive had a wall completely torn away, laying bare the life of a 72-year-old woman living in one of the upstairs units: upholstered lounge chairs, blankets and towels piled several feet high. Neighbors shuffled up and down the stairs, helping carry out her medications and family photos.

A woman and her husband narrowly avoided disaster as a reported tornado swept through the area where their RV was parked in Pasadena on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023. Mark Mulligan, Staff photographer

Billie Liparito and her husband had been inside their RV parked near the Moose Lodge when the rains and winds began to bear down. Their trailer rocked back and forth. The windows started to buckle and crack. They crawled to the bedroom. There was only one window in the bedroom. They figured it would be the safest place.

The entire thing was over in what was probably five minutes. It felt like forever.

When they opened the door, they saw the damage. The winds had cut a swath of destruction all around their spot just inside the Beltway. It had hit a construction site with a cluster of buildings, collapsing the steel walls of a CrossFit gym. Other RVs by theirs, that had been parked near the Moose Lodge lay on their sides. One had flipped into a detention pond behind the parking lot and lay poking out of the water.
A Madison County couple pleaded guilty today in federal court to defrauding the Paycheck Protection Program of COVID-19 relief funds of nearly $1.2 million.

U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples announced the plea by John D. Scoggins, 43, and Jennifer C. Scoggins, 37, both of Huntsville.

The husband and wife pleaded guilty before United States District Court Judge Madeline H. Haikala to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

According to the plea agreement, between February and June 2021, the Scogginses defrauded the Small Business Administration by receiving fraudulent PPP loans on behalf of four purportedly operational businesses.

The Scogginses submitted loan applications with falsified and fraudulent documents.

According to prosecutors, they used the loan money for unauthorized purposes, including purchasing a home and taking a family vacation.

They could receive up to 20 years in prison.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Jack Harrington is prosecuting the case.
A convicted felon has been sentenced to federal prison in the 2022 kidnapping of a woman in Cullman County.

U.S. District Court Judge Madeline H. Haikala sentenced 52-year-old Jeffery Barton, of Guin, to more than 19 years in prison. The announcement was made Tuesday by Northern District of Alabama U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona and ATF Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson.

Barton earlier this year pleaded guilty to kidnapping and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The Cullman County Sheriffs Office in June 2022 received a call from a man saying that another man  later identified as Barton  had come into the couples home and held him and his wife at gunpoint.

Barton then forced the woman into a vehicle, also at gunpoint.

A sheriffs deputy saw the vehicle leaving the driveway of the victims home. When the victim saw the deputys patrol car, she jumped out of the drivers side door and ran to the deputy.

Barton got out of the back seat with his hands above his head and was taken into custody.

A search of the vehicle turned up a Smith & Wesson 9 mm. He admitted to kidnapping the woman.

Barton had previously been convicted of 13 felony offenses, including rape, theft, and receiving stolen property.

The case was investigated by ATF and the Cullman County Sheriffs Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristy Peoples prosecuted.
An elderly Northport man charged with fatally shooting his ailing wife may have felt overwhelmed by being her caregiver, family told investigations.

Gerald Adams, 80, is charged in the slaying of 79-year-old Donna Adams, who was found dead at the couples home midday Sunday.

Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit Capt. Jack Kennedy said the husband contacted family and a friend and told them what hed done. They then called 911.

Officers arrived at the home in the 3200 block of 28th Street in Northport Sunday at about 12 p.m.

Once on the scene, they found Donna Adams dead from a gunshot wound. Gerald Adams was still at the home and taken into custody.

There was no evidence of an argument prior to the shooting.

It was found that the victim had been suffering from numerous medical issues for an extended period of time, Kennedy said. Family reported that the suspect may have felt overwhelmed by being the victims caregiver.

Authorities said Gerald Adams declined to give a statement to police. He was booked into the Tuscaloosa County Jail on no bond under Aniahs Law.

A hearing was held Monday, and Gerald Adams was granted a $75,000 bond. He has now been released from jail.

The next court date has not yet been set.
Daniel Boman, a Republican candidate for Congress in Alabamas 5th District, was suspended from practicing law because of racist and misogynistic language he used during a phone call threatening a lawsuit against an appliance company in 2017.

A report from the Alabama State Bar describes the findings against Boman that led to a two-year suspension from practicing law in 2019. The penalty is part of a longer disbarment period that is also related to an alleged theft from an estate. Boman has pleaded not guilty to first-degree theft in a criminal case. He said he will be eligible to reapply for his law license in January 2025.

Boman, 49, qualified with the Alabama Republican party to challenge U.S. Rep. Dale Strong, R-Huntsville, in the March 5 primary. They are the only two candidates who qualified.

Bomans abusive language was captured in a phone call recorded by Samsung during a dispute over a repair visit to Bomans home in December 2017. On the call, Boman identified himself as an attorney and said he intended to sue Samsung for the work time he said he lost while waiting on a tech to repair his washing machine after a product recall.

Boman first spoke with an African American, then was transferred to a female customer service representative.

Boman called the woman a f b.. and said she was about as much help as that f n.. that I spoke with.

I will shoot you in the f head, Boman told the female customer service rep.

The recorded phone call came to light after Boman sued Samsung in small claims court in Marion County in 2018.

After a hearing, the Disciplinary Board of the Alabama State Bar found in October 2019 that Boman violated Alabama Rules of Professional Conduct.

The board determined that Bomans use of racist, misogynistic, and threatening language toward the Samsung customer service representation was prejudicial to the administration of justice and adversely reflected on Bomans fitness to practice law, the order says. Boman clearly engaged in the misconduct while holding himself out as a lawyer licensed to practice law in the state of Alabama. Moreover, during the hearing, Boman admitted that he intended to offend the customer service representative with his language and threats.

Boman, asked about the incident on Monday, said he lost his temper and deeply regrets the language he used.

I think theres times when we get so mad, so angry, we dont actually realize the impact of what were saying, Boman said. It just makes us feel better. Or at least we think its going to make us feel better to get that anger out.

Boman said the incident and the consequences caused him to think hard about himself and become a more emotionally stable person.

I had to realize that I wasnt who I thought I was. Boman said. I had to realize I wasnt as big or as important as I thought I was. I had to realize that I didnt matter like I thought I did.

So, I was humbled. Of all the things I have done in political or legal world, or just my personal life, that would be a top five thing that I wish I could undo. But unfortunately in life, there are no mulligans.

Boman said he accepts the blame for what happened but said the words he used do not reflect his attitudes toward Black people or women.

There is no way anybody that knows me could ever draw a conclusion that Im racist, sexist, or misogynist, Boman said. Its just not possible. But for that one moment in time, those were the words that I chose to use. And I can give you every excuse in the world. But that is just what it would be. It would be an excuse.

There is no excuse for that. Very embarrassing low moment of my life. And I would say that realistically, probably about beginning in 2018, when I started doing the internal evaluation of who I was, what my foundation was, what my character was, those are things that I dont mind telling you I went and talked to people about. I wanted to get those emotions out of me. I didnt ever want to have a thing like that happen again.

For a grown man, I finally have learned to stay cool, stay calm. Even when somebody provokes me, or things dont go as expected. Or maybe they lie, or whatever it is. It is simply out of my control other than how I react to it. And its taken a long time to get here. But Im here.

Boman said he will be eligible to reapply for his law license in January 2025.

Boman was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives in 2010 as a Republican. He switched parties in 2011 and lost his reelection bid after his district was redrawn. In 2012, Boman was the Democratic nominee for Congress in the 4th District and lost to the incumbent, U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Haleyville.

Boman caused controversy during that 2012 campaign when he implied Aderholt was gay by posting a hypothetical question on Facebook, although he did not use Aderholts name. Boman said on Friday that was a mistake and that he later apologized to Adherholts staff.

Boman said he understands that as a political candidate, he has to answer questions about poor decisions, including things he said years ago.

Words have consequences, Boman said. Big-time consequences. And Im living proof of that. And all you can do is just know that everybody deserves respect. Everybody has dignity. And whether you agree with who they are or their point of view of their opinion, you still need to respect that. It doesnt mean you have to accept it. It doesnt mean you have to change your mind or your opinion. But everybody living and walking, breathing, past or present, they deserve to be respected. And they deserve to be talked to with some sort of dignity. And it took me years to learn that. But I learned it.
A divided federal appeals court ruled Monday that advocacy groups cant file lawsuits under a section of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that they have long used to combat discrimination in election laws and legislative maps.

In a 2-1 ruling, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit upheld a district court opinion that threw out a legal challenge to a redistricting map for Arkansas state house. The Arkansas State Conference NAACP and Arkansas Public Policy Panel filed the lawsuit that argued the lines diluted Black voting strength.

Did Congress give private plaintiffs the ability to sue under  2 of the Voting Rights Act? Text and structure reveal that the answer is no, so we affirm the district courts decision to dismiss, Judge David Stras wrote for the majority.

The appellate court looked at the statute and upheld a district court ruling that found Congress only gave the U.S. attorney general the ability to bring such a case.

The Supreme Court likely will be asked to overturn the decision because it would dramatically alter the way Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act has been enforced, election law experts said.

Its hard to overstate how important and detrimental this decision would be if allowed to stand: the vast majority of claims to enforce section 2 of the Voting Rights Act are brought by private plaintiffs, not the Department of Justice with limited resources, Rick Hasen, a law and political science professor at UCLA, wrote on his blog.

Sophia Lin Lakin, director of the ACLUs Voting Rights Project, described the ruling in a statement as a a travesty for democracy and said private individuals have brought cases under Section 2 for generations.

By failing to reverse the district courts radical decision, the Eighth Circuit has put the Voting Rights Act in jeopardy, tossing aside critical protections that voters fought and died for, Lakin said.

The decision affects the states covered by the 8th Circuit, which is Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.

The 8th Circuits opinion said a deeper look reveals that an assumption that private groups can file these lawsuits rests on flimsy footing.

If the 1965 Congress clearly intended to create a private right of action, then why not say so in the statute? If not then, why not later, when Congress amended  2? Stras wrote.

Advocacy groups pointed out that courts have been hearing Section 2 claims for years that were brought by private plaintiffs, Stras wrote.

But assuming their existence, and even discussing them, is different from actually deciding that a private right of action exists, Stras wrote.

Chief Judge Lavenski Smith of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit issued a dissent in the case, saying he would follow existing precedent until the Supreme Court rules or Congress changes the statute.

Rights so foundational to self-government and citizenship should not depend solely on the discretion or availability of the governments agents for protection, Smith wrote. Resolution of whether  2 affords private plaintiffs the ability to challenge state action is best left to the Supreme Court in the first instance.

The ruling stems from a case out of Arkansas in which the Arkansas State Conference NAACP and the Arkansas Public Policy Panel brought a lawsuit against state officials over a redistricting map for the state House of Representatives. The plaintiffs had asked the federal court to declare the plan to be in violation of Section 2.

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, during an Appropriations subcommittee hearing in 2022, weighed in on the private right of action issue under questioning from Sen. Joe Manchin III, D-W.Va.

We believe there is a private right of action to enforce the Voting Rights Act, Garland said. It has always been assumed that that was the case since the act was passed in the mid-60s and no one has ever questioned it I think until this year.

As to the fallout of the Justice Department being the only entity allowed to bring voting rights cases, Garland told lawmakers: Im going to be blunt, youre going to have to give us a lot more money.

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For 4-1/2 months, the family of Jawan Jay Dallas have repeatedly asked to view the police-worn body camera footage of his deadly July 2 encounter with Mobile police officers.

The family has been denied every time they asked. But that all changes at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, when family members and their attorneys will meet in downtown Mobile with city officials to review the footage.

Civil rights attorney Harry Daniels and Mobile NAACP President Robert Clopton are to participate in a press conference afterwards. The family is represented by Daniels and civil rights attorneys John Burris, Ben Crump and Lee Merritt.

The review of the video comes eight days after Mobile County District Attorney Keith Blackwood announced that a grand jury probe into Dallass death had been completed, and that no charges would be filed against the officers involved.

Weve been down here asking for justice for Jay Dallas, and asking for transparency, said the Rev. Tonny Algood, pastor of the United Methodist Inner City Mission, during Tuesdays Mobile City Council meeting. Now were told the mother and father will have access to the body cams. Folks, this is too little too late.

Fallout

The viewing also comes during a tense time in Mobile, following deadly encounter between police and a 16-year-old teenage boy on Nov. 13, following a police raid in which the teenager was not the intended target. The killing prompted Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson to immediately order most pre-dawn raids be suspended.

It was the fourth deadly encounter involving Mobile police in 2023.

The fallout continued on Tuesday, as authorities confirmed they had reached out to former U.S. Attorney Kenyen Brown to review the policies and procedures of the Mobile Police Department related to officers use of force.

Rob Lasky (City of Mobile)

Rob Lasky, newly-appointed executive director of public safety, said a contract with Brown, who is a partner at a D.C. law firm, is in the process of being finalized.

Were being proactive, said Lasky, a former Special Agent in Charge of the Mobile Division of the FBI. Were talking to Kenyen. Ive known him since 2019. We want to get the review done as quick as possible.

Lasky also announced that a committee is in the process of forming, and that it will consist of concerned citizens and community activists who will provide feedback on police policies and procedures.

He said that five people had been identified for a committee that he envisions consisting of at least a dozen members, and as many as 15.

The committee will not be like an advisory committee, which once existed in Mobile.

We wanted to increase the communication with the community in general, and the transparency, said Lasky. We want to put together a group of 15 individuals and have regular meetings whether its once or twice a month  so we can open communication lines and so each side can understand where the other is coming from so we can be a more unified public safety group.

Rev. Marvin Charles Lue Jr., senior pastor at Stewart Memorial CME Church, speaks during the Faith in Action Alabama Mobile Hub gathering on Monday, April 17, 2023, at Mt Zion Primitive Baptist Church in Mobile, Ala. The meeting was held to discuss strategies toward action in ending gun violence in Mobile, and to seek action in attaining justice following the policing shooting death of 25-year-old Kordell Jones on March 7, 2023. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com).

The Rev. Marvin Lue, senior pastor at Stewart Memorial CME Church and who is expected to join the group, said there needs to be a change of policies, procedures and possibly a change in police personnel within the police department.

He also said that the group should be formed as quickly as possible, and before next months holidays are underway.

The change needs to happen immediately, said Lue, who has led community efforts to combat gun violence and who has called for more police transparency since the March 7 shooting death of 25-year-old Kordell Jones during a police raid at a house in which authorities were searching for his brother.

There is something embedded in some of those who are called to protect and serve that is leading them in tactics that are being detrimental instead of being beneficial, especially to communities of color, Lue said.

Body cam ordinance

Mobile City Council President C.J. Small oversees the council's meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023, at Government Plaza in downtown Mobile, Ala.John Sharp/jsharp@al.com

The public talks over policing will continue into next week, when the councils public safety committee meets at 1 p.m. to talk about a proposed ordinance requiring police to provide a reason for denying the release of body cam footage.

What Id like to see is for citizens to know that were being as transparent as much as we can, said Council President C.J. Small. The citizens are asking about the footage of the body cameras. We are doing as much as we can to address their concerns.

There isnt much the city can do, especially in a state that does not grant home rule authority to local governments.

The ordinance follows a new Alabama state law, which went into effect on Sept. 1, that allows people whose image or voice are the subject of body cam or dash camera recordings to file a written request to view them. The new law also applies to immediate family members.

But the law continues to allow law enforcement the ability to deny the footages release.

The public release of body cam footage has been shot down before by the state Supreme Court. With an 8-1 ruling in 2021, the Alabama Supreme Court determined that police bodycam and dashcam videos were deemed investigative materials and were exempt from disclosure requirements of the state public records law.

Under the citys proposed ordinance, police will be required to provide a written statement identifying the legal reason for not disclosing a law enforcement recording. The reasons have to include the states grand jury secrecy act, the presence of an active criminal investigation that involves the recordings, or any other proper legal basis under state and federal law.

Small said the point of the ordinance is to change the protocols in the Police Department.

Some changes have occurred as the police shootings raised public awareness over the handling of body cam footage.

Following the Nov. 13 shooting, the family of the 16-year-old teenager were allowed to immediately view the body cam footage. The boys mother then told local media outlets that her son was murdered by police.

The Dallas family was not allowed to view the footage because it was forwarded to the District Attorneys Office for a grand jury review before the family had a chance to review it.

Questions have surfaced in recent months over the handling of the footage, zeroing in on why certain matters were allowed before the Dallas family was allowed to view the footage.

Mobile Police Chief Paul Prine, in October, said the officers involved in the encounter with Dallas were not a threat to the community and announced they had been allowed to return to their patrols. The officers names have never been released.

Dallas family supporters have since accused the officers of murdering the 36-year-old man.

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).

Blackwood, during a news conference last week, said Dallas died from an underlying medical condition and not from being tased by police. Blackwood also claimed that Dallas initiated the struggle with police, which exacerbated the medical condition.

Mr. Dallas suffered from some serious underlying medical issues. Those issues were exacerbated by drug use, Blackwood said during a news conference. When Mr. Dallas initiated the struggle with police, that situation also exacerbated the underlying medical conditions.

He said that toxicology testing detected two different drugs in Dallas system.

One was mojo, which is a synthetic cannabinoid, and the other, I believe, was an amphetamine of some kind, Blackwood said.

Dallas family supporters, some who were at Tuesdays council meeting, remain unconvinced that police had nothing to do with his death.

(The officers) approached him, said James Jackson Jr. of Mobile. The police chief and DA are saying that policemen had nothing to do with it. They had a lot to do with it. He wasnt supposed to be approached in the first place. Its a concern that these police officers are on the street and Jawan will not be at the dinner table with his mother.

He added, I bet, 100-to-1, he would still be alive if not confronted by those police officers.
On Monday, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin dedicated six new Habitat for Humanity homes in east Birmingham, and he took the opportunity to praise former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, a longtime Habitat activist and volunteer.

I think its fitting that on the day after First Lady Carter passed away, we acknowledge her during a ribbon-cutting of Habitat homes, Woodfin said.

Mrs. Carter, the wife of former President Jimmy Carter, died on Sunday, Nov. 19. She was 96.

After Carters presidency, the couple famously hammered away as volunteers for Habitat for Humanity, including in Alabama, working on homes in Fairfield and Wylam. They were slinging hammers, up into their 90s, said Drew Bonner, vice president of operations for the Greater Birmingham Habitat for Humanity chapter.

They have just been integral to the success and the growth and the ability to serve more families, Bonner said. They understand the value of a safe, affordable place to live. Thats what its all about for us.

In 2010, former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, teamed up to put new doorknobs throughout a new Habitat for Humanity home in Fairfield.

Later that day, the Carters took part in a blessing ceremony and ribbon-cutting to mark the completion of the Wylam Oaks subdivision in Birmingham, also built by Habitat for Humanity.

They were both stalwarts, Woodfin said. They spent a lot of their time going around not just America but the world building Habitat homes.

The work the Carters did in the Birmingham area in 2010 was part of the 27th annual Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project, which included the construction of homes across the country.

Many of the homeowners cry when they receive the keys to their new homes, the former president said while he was in Fairfield. Jimmy and Rosalynn always shared the emotion. We cry with them, he said.
A Tarrant woman has been charged in connection with the death of her toddler this past summer.

Tarrant police on Tuesday announced formal charges against 23-year-old Farrah Blair Bates in the July 18 drug overdose death of 2-year-old Ariyah Crawford.

The death investigation, and the lack of charges until this week, has been a point of contention between Mayor Wayman Newton and Police Chief Wendell Major in their ongoing feud. The mayor believed charges should have been brought in Ariyahs death, and Major had said the investigation was ongoing awaiting toxicology reports.

About 4 p.m. on July 18, Tarrant police were dispatched to the 2200 block of Old Pinson Highway in Tarrant regarding an unresponsive 2-year-old girl.

When they arrived, police said, Ariyah did not have a pulse.

According to the parents, including Farrah Bates, the juvenile was sleeping along with her (mother) in bed, a Tarrant press release stated.

Newton previously said the toddler was home with her mother while the father was at work. When the father returned home at 3:30 p.m., he found Ariyah Crawford lifeless, lips were blue while the mother was asleep.

Ariyah was taken to Childrens of Alabama where she was pronounced.

An autopsy showed Ariyah had fentanyl in her system at the time of her death.

Newton suspended Major and filed a lawsuit against him last week. The Tarrant City Council on Monday reinstated the chief, and Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Patrick Ballard today dismissed Newtons lawsuit .

While Major was on suspension, the interim police chief ordered the investigation to resume.

Bates is charged with reckless manslaughter, a Class B felony, and chemical endangerment of exposing a child to controlled substances, a Class A felony.

Bates surrendered at the Jefferson County Jail at 4:57 p.m. Tuesday. She is being held on $60,000 bond.

Anyone with additional information on the case is asked to call Cpl. Williamson at 205-948-3218 or Detective Crosby at 205-849-2811.
Dameion Pickett, co-captain of a passenger riverboat who was beaten on the dock in Montgomery in August, pleaded not guilty Tuesday morning to a misdemeanor charge of third-degree assault in the incident.

Pickett appeared in court for the arraignment. He did not speak to reporters when he left the municipal court building.

Municipal Judge Angela Starr scheduled Picketts trial for Jan. 30.

That will be after the trials of two men who are charged with assaulting Pickett in the Aug. 5 riverfront brawl.

Zachery Shipman and Allen Todd are scheduled for trial Dec. 8 in Montgomery Municipal Court. Both are also charged with third-degree assault, a misdemeanor.

In October, Richard Roberts of Dallas County pleaded guilty to third-degree assault and was given a four-month suspended sentence, with 32 days to serve in jail on weekends, 100 hours of community service, and court costs. Roberts apologized to Pickett in court and to a 16-year-old boy who was a riverboat crew member who Roberts struck when the boy tried to help Pickett.

Mary Todd pleaded guilty to harassment, received a 15-day suspended sentence and was ordered to complete an anger management course.

Reggie Ray, seen in a video striking a man with a folding chair, was charged with disorderly conduct and is scheduled for trial on Dec. 11.

Pickett and Ray are Black. The other men charged in the incident and Mary Todd are white. The 16-year-old-boy Roberts struck is white.

The charge against Pickett is the result of a complaint signed by Shipman on Oct. 26.

In a deposition, Shipman said that he did not want to fight but that Pickett struck him in the face, causing a bruise on his right cheek bone.

The fighting, recorded in multiple cellphone videos, broke out after the Harriott II riverboat, loaded with passengers, approached Montgomerys riverfront park and encountered a pontoon boat parked where the riverboat docks. The fighting ensued after Pickett and a co-worker moved the pontoon boat after the boats operators refused to move it.

Read more: Montgomery riverfront brawl started with a crime fueled by hate, mayor says

Montgomery riverfront brawl driven by violent white mob, lawyer tells Good Morning America

Man seen trying to stop Montgomery riverfront brawl: I dont really think this was a racism thing
Americans will celebrate Thanksgiving  a time of gratefulness and remembrance  on Thursday (Nov. 23).

Harvest festivals existed in the Americas among Native tribes as well as in Europe but tradition points to Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621 as the first Thanksgiving celebration. A year earlier, a group of Puritans (later known as Pilgrims) had traveled to the Americas on the Mayflower, landing in Plymouth.

The first winter there was difficult and many died until they were aided by a Native American man named Squanto who helped them plant corn, identify plants and learn to fish.

1621 was a good harvest and historians said sometime between September and November, Plymouth colonists and members of the neighboring Wampanoag tribe celebrated with a three-day feast. The first Thanksgiving meal reflected the bounty from the surrounding lands  deer, corn, shellfish and roasted meat, such as duck, geese and chicken. Likely on the table were vegetables such as onions, beans, lettuce, spinach, cabbage, carrots and peas.

There is no record that the first Thanksgiving included turkey, a staple of the modern celebration.

The second Thanksgiving celebration was held by colonists in 1623 to mark the end of a long drought. Scattered Thanksgiving feast continued in the coming years until President George Washington proclaimed the first nationwide Thanksgiving celebration in America on Nov. 26, 1789. Then, on Oct. 3 1863 and, prompted by public efforts and a Union victory at Gettysburg, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Nov. 26 would be a national Thanksgiving Day to be observed each year on the fourth Thursday in November.

From Lincolns proclamation

I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving... And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him , they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union.
Southern California Retriever Club Incorporated, September 1951. University of Southern Californi/Corbis via Getty Images

This column was originally published in the Houston Post on Nov. 21, 1975.

***

A bunch of short-shorts, left over from answering the mail that accumulated while I was on vacation:

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That tale of Arp Harper's about his wonderful dog, the one that pointed flounder underwater the way a bird dog points birds on land, brought in several more dog yarns.

Maybe not the best of them, but at least the shortest, is about the duck hunter who was very particular about retrievers. He gave a tryout to a dog a fellow wanted to sell him. Hunter took dog out on a very cold morning, shot a duck. Dog went tippy-toeing across surface of water, got the dead duck, tippy-toed back. Every duck, same thing. Dog never did get wet. Just kept tippy-toeing on the water that way.

"Well," said the dog's owner, when hunter brought him home, "what did you think of him?"

"No good," hunter said. "I wouldn't even give you a dime for a duck retriever that can't even swim."

I saved one letter from a customer who used the old phrase "sell newspapers." You've heard it, I know. People will say that The Post, or any other journal, will use a certain type of story because it sells newspapers. Or won't use a certain type of story because it doesn't sell newspapers.

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That phrase interests me because I have never heard a newspaperman use it. Long ago in journalism school I heard professors use it. So I imagined that in the working press world I would hear editors sitting in meetings, deciding what to print and saying things like, "This will sell newspapers, and this won't." But I never did hear it.

Had a good bit of mole mail lately. I guess I will go to my final resting place in a state of astonishment, over what interests the public and what doesn't. Of all the stuff I have put in the paper in the last year, I get the most reaction out of a story about going to a clinic and paying $41.50 to get a little bitty mole removed.

I have to say that the mole letters ran about five to one against me. The heavy majority of customers who wrote felt I shouldn't complain about that price because the doctor might have saved my life.

Several customers wrote me awful stories about moles that turned into melanomas. Also I got some happy stories about melanomas detected early because a doctor ordered a tissue test as a matter of routine, as the doctor did on my mole at a cost of $16.50.

Others indicated I would change my tune if I ever had the experience with moles that they have had. Maybe I would, too, but right now I feel this way: That there are ten thousand risks facing you in this world, and you must decide which of them you want to take, and which you don't. For those you don't want to take, you buy insurance.

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It is ridiculous to try to buy protection from all harm. Many of us seem bent on trying it, though, and that's why the insurance companies are so wealthy.

I was willing to take the risk that my little old mole was OK, and it was. The main thing I resent is that somebody decided, without consulting me, to spend $16.50 of my money to eliminate a risk I'd already decided to accept.

Somewhere along the road you have got to say, all right, here's the point where I stop paying for insurance and start assuming risks, because otherwise I'm gonna go busted paying premiums.

But I'm not mad at anybody any longer, about the mole. I got an easy day's work out of it, at least.

Then here's a letter from a customer who thinks it's peculiar that anybody who does what I do would get a vacation. And he asks if The Post really pays me to go around the country just visiting with people. I do get paid, but not enough that it hurts my conscience to take it.
The keys to the Tarrant police headquarters are firmly in the hands of Chief Wendell Major after a Jefferson County judge today tossed out the final legal challenge to his service.

Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Patrick Ballard dismissed a lawsuit from Mayor Wayman Newton. The mayor of Tarrant, just north of Birmingham, sought to stop the city council from reinstating the police chief that he suspended last week.

The ruling is the second major win for the embattled police chief in less than 24 hours. The council during a heated meeting Monday unanimously voted to reinstate Major, ending his administrative leave. Mondays meeting was raucous at times, filled with jeers, yelling and finger pointing as residents and council members castigated Newton for removing Major.

Attorney Wayne Morse, who represents the city council, said city leaders hope todays action will usher in a new and more amicable era. The council hopes that the mayor will communicate and not litigate, Morse said.

The mayor however, is not done with his fight. Newton told AL.com this afternoon that he will file an amended complaint in addition to seeking a restraining order to block Majors return to office.

Newton accused the chief of poor performance, including underreporting crime, and even blamed him for contributing to confusion surrounding a shooting last week off Interstate 59 in west Birmingham.

Major and city council members called Newtons litigation unnecessary and part of an ongoing grudge against the chief.

I stand firm in my commitment to the safety of our community and the professionalism of the Tarrant Police Department. It is disheartening that misinformation is being spread to divert attention from the real issue  a lack of prudent planning and decision-making by Mayor Waymon Newton, Major said in a statement today. Moving forward, I call for transparency and accountability. We must focus on collaborative efforts to ensure the effective operation of our law enforcement services and the well-being of our citizens.

Newton said he is acting no differently than he would in any other personnel matter.

This is the standard procedure for any type of police misconduct, you go on admin leave while everything is being investigated, Newton said.

Noting Newtons series of lawsuits, Mayor Pro-Tem Tracie Threadford on Monday night said the council would take its own action to recoup expenses for what she called frivolous litigation.
Embattled police chief Wendell Major is back on duty after the Tarrant city council unanimously overruled his suspension by the mayor.

The vote Monday night was the climax to a long and loud meeting in the small city just north of Birmingham, as council members and citizens roasted Mayor Wayman Newton, accusing him of creating a conspiracy to get rid of the police chief over a grudge.

Newton took nearly 20 minutes before the vote to explain why he put Major on administrative leave. Council members made no eye contact with Newton and at times shook their heads as some residents audibly disputed his points.

None of this means anything to me, replied council member and Mayor Pro-Tem Tracie Threadford.

From the audience, Tarrant resident Novillee Williams jumped from her seat to directly address city leaders.

Mayor, I ask God to have mercy on your soul, said Williams, her finger wagging at Newton. Im sick and tired of people asking Whats wrong with your mayor? Its embarrassing. Gods going to punish you.

Council members were united as they reversed the move by Newton to place Major on administrative leave a week ago.

Mayor Newtons allegations are nothing more than products of his imagination, and I want to ensure that the city council understands the reality of my job performance, Major told the council. With your support, I am confident that we can move forward and continue serving the community with the integrity and commitment it deserves.

The vote was the latest in a series of legal and political volleys between the mayor and council that includes lawsuits, directives, and frequent public insults in a city of about 6,000 residents. The back and forth remains active, including a pending lawsuit from the mayor asking a Jefferson County judge to prevent the council from reinstating the chief.

Newtons request for an emergency to block the vote was denied Monday by Judge Patrick Ballard. Still, an earlier lawsuit that challenges the councils authority to intervene in police personnel matters remains pending.

On the other side both Major and lawyers for the city council call Newtons litigation frivolous.

Newton accused the chief of poor performance, including blaming him for contributing to confusion surrounding a shooting last week off Interstate 59 in west Birmingham.

Multiple people were shot on Interstate 59 southbound in west Birmingham on Nov. 10. Earlier that day, officers responded to a call of a stolen vehicle in Tarrant. That stolen vehicle was later found in Birmingham where four people were shot, including two who were critically injured.

The National Crime Information Center database allows law enforcement agencies to enter and search for information including stolen property and missing or wanted persons. Newton alleges that law enforcement, before the incident, escalated the situation into a mass shooting because they could not confirm the vehicle was stolen since it was not in the NCIC database.

Newton said Tarrant dispatchers were unable to enter information into the NCIC database because Major had suspended their authority. Major disputed the claim, saying the dispatchers no longer had authority because the mayor removed them from under his supervision.

Regardless of what you hear from council members, when he took the dispatchers off NCIC, he put this city in jeopardy, Newton said.

Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Patrick Ballard last week ended the NCIC dispute and put the dispatchers under the police departments direction, reinstating their authority to access the NCIC. Lawyers for the city council have asked Ballard to dismiss the court case.

Ever since the chief did not lie for you at Tommys trial you have been after him, said council member Deborah Matthews, referring to legal action between Mayor Newton and council member Tommy Bryant that resulted in separate arrests and acquittals of both men in two incidents.

Tarrant Councilwoman Deborah Matthews accused Mayor Wayman Newton of suspending police chief Wendell Major due to an ongoing grudge. Matthews never made eye contact with Newton during the exchange before voting to reinstate Major.joseph D. Bryant (screenshot)

A Jefferson County District Judge in May ruled that the mayor used fighting words when he made sexually insulting remarks about Bryants wife in the parking lot of Tarrant City Hall after a council meeting last year which resulted in Bryants reacting with a punch.

I dont want to talk to you, Matthews said last night, placing her hands up in Newtons direction, not turning to face him.

Newton remained mostly silent during the exchanges,

This is a setup and its coming from the mayors office, Williams said, standing back up from her seat in the audience to address Newton. You think youre a bag of chips without the dip. You look bad, not him. People are tired of looking at you.

Newton has asked the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency to investigate his claims against Major. That invitation for state officials to come into the city was the one item that both the mayor and council agreed should occur. Threadford said she will not believe any findings by Newton.

Nothing is going to come out of this without an ALEA investigation. she said.

Newton told AL.com that he has requested the investigation and is awaiting an official response.
In Alabamas fastest-growing county, household income has increased dramatically over the last decade, driven by an increase in well-paying jobs and demographic changes. The shift is part of Baldwin Countys transformation from a largely rural area to a suburban one.

From 2010 to 2021, median household income in Baldwin County increased from $47,618 to $65,658, according to U.S Census Bureau data analyzed by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Thats a 37.9% increase over the decade, compared with an 18.7% growth spurt over the same time period nationally. During that same period, the population of Baldwin County has grown from 183,121 in 2010 to 239,294 in 2021, a 30.7% increase.

In Mobile County, median income has increased, though not quite so dramatically. In 2010, median household income was $39,753, and in 2021 the median income was $49,848, a 25.4% increase.

Reid Cummings, a professor of economics at the University of South Alabama, argues that the increase in high-paying manufacturing jobs in Mobile and Baldwin counties has driven up the median income in the region. The jobs at places like Austal and Airbus are well-paid, giving workers more options.

In addition, Cummings also said that the influx of out-of-state families to Baldwin County, particularly following the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, increases the median income in the county too. These new families are often working remotely, earning salaries that are higher than the average Alabama salary.
People who live in McIntosh, a small town about 40 miles north of Mobile, have raised concerns about the health effects of living in close proximity to several chemical plants, including two that have been designated as superfund sites by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The problem is, besides anecdotes of the residents, theres not a lot of scientific data available to understand the problem, according to a researcher who has been investigating those issues.

Why is no one concerned about people living on two superfund sites? said Sharlene Newman, a professor at the University of Alabama and executive director of the Alabama Life Research Institute.

Newman first began visiting McIntosh over a year ago, when she traveled there with some of the universitys water researchers. Hearing the stories of town residents, she found that they had high rates of cancer and respiratory issues. She also heard a few stories of infants having health problems as a result of mercury exposure in utero.

To Newman, the concerns sounded worth looking into. The U.S. Environmental Protection agency has reported finding mercury in the water basin adjacent to the Olin Corporation plant. The Alabama Department of Public Health has advised people to limit consumption of certain fish out of the Tombigbee River because of the mercury concentrations.
In the early 2000s, entertainers Penn and Teller had a show called Bullsh*t! that aired on Showtime, in which the iconic duo apply their sense of humor and libertarian sensibilities to butcher lots of sacred cows.

In recently revisiting some episodes of the show that I enjoyed back then, one moment, in particular, contained a brief bit of what can only be described as the purest prophecy.

This particular episode from 2003 covered the manufactured health panic over secondhand smoke, and the crusaders who used false science to ban smoking in restaurants and bars in New York City, which, as we now know, was the launchpad for similar smoking bans that swept the nation.

The fact that cigarette smoke is unpleasant to many people was not a reasonable argument for the government to impose smoking bans in establishments owned and visited by free citizens. Any bar or restaurant, at that time, could choose to allow or prohibit smoking in its establishment. The strength of the argument in favor of smoking bans was not rooted in logic, profitability, or liberty, but solely predicated on the idea that secondhand smoke was harmful to the passive customers and employees.

Anyone visiting or working in such an establishment would have chosen to be there, of course. But that didnt matter. It was the governments job to protect those workers and customers from themselves and one another, they argued, from the consensus understanding of the dangers of secondhand smoke.

One crusader for the cause said that nearly everyone agreed that secondhand smoke causes cancer, including the American Lung Association, the American Heart Association, and the American Cancer Society. The problem, as the show points out, is that they were all basing that conclusion upon the same flawed 1993 Environmental Protection Agency study that suggested that up to 3,000 people per year die from secondhand smoke. In 1998, a court rebuked that study, saying that it cherry-picked its data and deviated from acceptable scientific procedure to ensure a pre-ordained outcome.

Also in 1998, a study by the World Health Organization reached the unequivocal conclusion that its results indicated no association between childhood exposure to ETS (environmental tobacco smoke) and lung cancer risk and that the risk of cancer from secondhand smoke among adults was not statistically significant. The problem was that those conclusions were buried in the reports findings. Most people didnt read beyond the press release headline, which made a claim that is directly refuted by the findings of the study it was directing the public toward: PASSIVE SMOKING DOES CAUSE LUNG CANCER, DO NOT LET THEM FOOL YOU.

In short, as thentalk show host Larry Elder says on the show:

They lied. They lied to us. They overestimated, ignored their own findings, ignored their own standards of significant risk in order to reach a politically arrived at conclusion. They lied.

There were, for most people living and voting at that time, unforeseen consequences to allowing legislators to outlaw things that some people dont like, based upon the scientific reasoning of shadowy and dishonest public health organizations. But there were some prescient souls who saw the danger in allowing the government this kind of power, and a couple of them happened to be interviewed in a New York City bar for this episode.

As one cigar-smoking gentleman tells the camera crew, Should they stop us from eating cake because America is an obese society?

At that time, that was an absurd thought. But just inside a decade from that episodes airing, Mayor Nanny Bloomberg was hard at work outlawing sugary drinks sold in anything larger than a 16-ounce container on the grounds that six of ten New Yorkers were obese, with the media cheering on the effort. Thankfully, his efforts were struck down by a Manhattan judge, but as Rick Berman of the Center for Consumer Freedom warned of threats like Nanny Bloombergs ban, [i]f you can dictate the size of drinks ... you can dictate the size of a slice of pie ... the list is only restricted by your imagination.

New Yorkers would later discover that government tyrants have big imaginations when it comes to edicts around public health. They would come to find out that not only did the government believe that it has the authority to tell you how wide your slice of pie in a restaurant can be, but it has the authority to demand that you cant have any pie in a restaurant at all. No pie for you! said New Yorks pie Nazi, Mayor Andrew Cuomo, in 2020. No bagels or burgers or pizza, either, for that matter. You just couldnt go to a restaurant at all, for your own good.

This brings me back to a random old man being interviewed on that Penn and Teller show at that New York bar, nearly 20 years before, who profoundly prophesied the soul-strangling and liberty-crushing madness that Americans endured in 2020. When fascism comes to America, he said, it will arrive with a white coat and a stethoscope.

The point is, the COVID tyranny did not happen in a vacuum, and the government didnt learn that it had such power overnight. As this man knew, and we should recognize now, losing something as seemingly trivial for most people as the right to smoke in a bar was a monumental loss for individual liberty that would directly lead to the kind of tyranny that we later experienced.

We didnt push back against the governments fabrication of data to construct a narrative presenting secondhand smoke as a substantial cancer risk, because most people didnt smoke, and they would prefer not to endure smoke in bars to fighting for their fellow citizens right to liberty. But in doing so, we accepted that it was appropriate for the government to limit individual liberty on the basis of its health prescriptions, and whats more, the tyrants learned that they could invent the reasons for doing it by hiding behind studies that their agencies created and marketed, and that the hoi polloi supposedly wouldnt understand.

Just like with secondhand smoke, myriad government agencies acted as one organ in 2020 to distribute the message that school lockdowns, economic shutdowns, silly cloth masks, and mandates to inject a hastily concocted drug were the only ways we could stay safe from COVID-19. You had to be saved from yourselves and your fellow citizens who did not choose to follow the state-approved guidance.

We now know that precisely none of that was ever true. And not only did we all get COVID anyway, but we suffered incomprehensible collateral damage to our economy, our children, and our national psyche. And what Larry Elder said of the government push to exaggerate the risk of secondhand smoke twenty years ago equally applies to the governments push to exaggerate the risk of COVID to the vast, vast majority of Americans: they lied to reach a politically arrived at conclusion. It was never anything nobler than that.

Not only have the government agencies and myriad tyrants who are responsible for all of this never apologized, but they insist that they were acting justifiably and in their correct capacity as mandated. And why would they not? Weve never meaningfully resisted in the past decades as theyve incrementally eroded our liberties.

Make no mistake: theyre doing the same thing right now, in states like California, where you soon wont be able to buy a gas lawnmower or a non-electric car, to big federal initiatives, as the White House is, right now, exercising its emergency powers to ban gas appliances, all based upon climate change studies produced by various government agencies all acting in unison in order to reach these politically-driven desired outcomes.

Theres absolutely no reason for them to doubt that this will not work. After all, we can make do without gas mowers and stoves, just as weve been able to make do without smoking in bars.

Those are just trivial things. Right?

Image via Pexels.
Even though Bin Laden/Zawahiri of Al Qaeda and Abu Bakr al Baghdadi of ISIS are dead, on anniversaries of 9/11 -- and now Hamass October 7th event -- a haunting and important question lurks. Why do many young Arabs, Muslims, and even Americans continue to become entranced with Osama bin Laden's Pied Piper music of radical fascist fundamentalist Muslim Jihad? Via TikTok, thousands of American youths recently embraced Osama bin Laden's twisted "Message to the World" over social media.

It is also important to try to understand the uniquely chilling social-psychological fit between the religiously saturated but distorted charismatic leadership of a man like Osama bin Laden/Al Qaeda/ISIS, and the group psychology of communities where he and his colleagues and mentors recruit devoted terrorists. Afghanistan is once again becoming an Al Qaeda and ISIS haven as is Yemen, where Bin Ladens father was born.

It is a serious mistake to glibly label and dismiss deceased men like Osama bin Laden, Ayman Al Zawahiri, or Abu Bakr al Baghdadi as simply dead mass murderers, psychotics, thugs, psychopaths, or criminals. In painful truth, they are often perceived as Robin Hood-like figures and spiritual Pied Piper spiritual heroes for many people in the unreformed fundamentalist Muslim world. Even American homegrown terrorists who want to attack America and the West often express profound admiration for the martyred Osama bin Laden. For American leaders to imply that Al Qaeda, Hamas, or ISIS are defeated because their leaders are killed is like saying Christianity died when Jesus Christ was crucified.

We can see in Osama bin Laden`s life trajectory evidence of what has been called Dark Epiphanies in destructive cult leaders. (Olsson, 2017, Malignant Pied Pipers of Our Time p. 11-12). These later life experiences reify and magnify their earlier molding experiences of disappointment, neglect, shame, and humiliation influenced by parents and other childhood defective role models. In adolescent or young adult life phases, antiheroes are often chosen to rebel against and counteract disappointment or humiliation/shame experiences with parental figures and home communities.

Hamas, ISIS, and Al Qaedas appeal has a potential unique fit for normal adolescent rebelliousness. Anna Freud said of adolescents, On the one hand, they throw themselves enthusiastically into the life of the community, and on the other, they have an overpowering longing for solitude. They oscillate between blind submission to some self-chosen leader and defiant rebellion against any and every authority. They are selfish and materially minded and at the same time full of lofty idealism. [Freud, A. Pp 137-138.) What would be normal adolescent rebellion and protest for some young people, becomes terrorist actions under Hamas, ISIS, and Al Qaedas tutelage. The Arab worlds turmoil creates many young adults who are in the phase of what psychoanalysts call prolonged adolescence.

In addition to enlisting well-educated youth as future leaders, radical Islamists like Osama also recruit poor and less-educated Muslim foot soldiers through religious Madrassah schools and some young-adult mosque programs and activities. Osamas personal suffering, use of his and his fathers wealth to help fellow Muslims, his supposed bravery and heroism in ousting the Soviets from Afghanistan, made his rebellious jihad appealing to disaffected Arab and Muslim youth. The Madrassah-type schools in Pakistan for example, offer economic advantages and spiritual inspiration to families and Muslim communities that have few alternatives. Even via TikTok, many thousands of American youths recently found Osama bin Ladens treacherous and destructive Letter to the World bizarrely inspiring.

Osama bin Ladens role as a terrorist leader allowed him to act out his unconscious inner narcissistic rage at his father, mother, siblings, rejecting homeland and Saudi Arabias oil customer/ally/friend America. In this sense, he became like most destructive cult leaders. Their deepest motives have to do with power, control, revenge, and overcoming a desperate fear of aloneness and meaninglessness. They gain a sense of power and mastery over their own childhood psychological deformities and feelings of insignificance by becoming overwhelmingly significant and powerful in the lives and destinies of their followers.

Apocalyptic Scenarios: Group-Self Death and Rebellious Martyrdom in Terror Cults

Rebellious charisma in a terror leader meshes with the followers masochism and narcissistic passive-receptiveness to his charismatic influence. The leader-follower patterns in terror cults like Hamas, Al Qaeda and ISIS are remarkably similar to what is seen in apocalyptic cults like those of Jim Jones and David Koresh.

The group death or martyr scenario gives the terror-cult group a special, exciting, and dramatically triumphant defining martyr myth. It becomes a source of underdog heroism, and paradoxical group cohesion and identity. For bin Laden, the motivating apocalyptic scenario was his assertion that all Muslims in the world are being threatened by the West, particularly by Americans and Jews. In a book bin Laden wrote in 1998, he called the faithful to a global jihad, a new vision that demands the deaths of all Americans and Jews, including children. To attain this cynical and religion-perverting vision, any violence is justified, from terrorist bombings to suicide missions.

Evil is defined initially by the leader bin Laden via fatwa, but gradually becomes co-authored within the group-self as their own group salvation death myth. The codependent leader holds the martyr death myth out to the followers as magical reward. The terror cult leader also holds the death myth over the heads of the followers to magnify the special domain of his mana power and self-importance. The leader is needed for the dramatic destructive action that is being planned, for which no one individual takes personal responsibility. The leader experiences the ultimate celebrity and fantasized triumph over his lifelong insecurity, hurts, and fear of aloneness.

The future generations of Hamas, Al Qaeda, ISIS, Hezballahs terror cult franchises will not be eliminated by bullets, missiles, or smart bombs. The future foreign policies of America need to be informed about the social-self psychology of the terrorist group and its leaders spiritual-political power messages. Devastated communities, families, and wounded group-selves in war-torn nations continents away are ignored at our peril. Billions of military aid dollars given to Middle East friends may not be worth the enemy-accumulating consequences. Nation-building may be impossible, but we cannot just walk away from financially and spiritually devastated societies. Genuine foreign aid helps wounded world communities find ways to rebuild their own dignity and group self-confidence. Hopefully without the help and inspiration of malignant Pied Pipers like Osama bin Laden and their heirs. Our own American youth require the charisma and spiritual leadership and inspiration of our diverse founding father heroes who need to be read and studied and not torn down by spiritually empty professors.

Image: TherealMrGreer
What is this thing called Terror? What is the point of a group like Hamas that lives for shooting rockets at Israeli civilians and raping and killing Israeli women?

Closer to home, what was Menachem Begin doing with Irgun in the last days of the British mandate in Palestine and the 1948 war that created the state of Israel? After the Israelis won the war, the Irgun got folded into the Israeli army.

It's pretty obvious. A terror organization is a paramilitary political force that is not a state with the requisite bureaucracy, army, and police, and it is usually at war with a state. But it cannot actually go to war; it doesn't have the power and the wealth. Therefore, it is reduced to war as performance, selling the world on the idea that it is the wave of the future and the government it terrorizes a cruel killer of innocents. The eternal question for a terror leader is: what sort of violence can it get away with without triggering an overwhelming counterattack from the state in which it resides?

Generally, the state will respond only modestly to the provocation by the terrorist group, because the act of cracking down suggests a violation of legitimacy. But sometimes the terrorist group crosses a line, as Hamas did on 10/7 and the state responds with overwhelming force. Similarly, the J6 protesters crossed a line and the U.S. government responded with overwhelming pre-trial detention. What was the line that was crossed? Experts agree that more research is needed.

However, back in 2020 the BLM and Antifa protesters did not cross a line -- some people say that the line was mysteriously erased -- and so the U.S. was entertained with a summer of mostly peaceful protests, a few deaths, a bunch of police injuries and billions of dollars of damage: nothing to see here. Clearly, BLM and Antifa are not terrorist groups, because they are regime-adjacent: tolerated by the U.S. government and financed by the ruling class. All the experts agree about that.

Hamas and J6 are non-state actors using terror against a state, although the terror staged by J6 merely involved face paint and exotic costumes. But what about the opposite, when a state wages a Reign of Terror against its own people? What is going on there?

In the case of the French Revolution's Reign of Terror, Stalin's Great Purge, and the Maoist Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, the state had decided that the people weren't doing their duty and so had to be taught a terrible lesson.

Oh wait, it was because the revolution had utterly failed to transform the world and instead had created economic ruin. So the only thing to do was to clear out any rivals for power in the middle ranks of the revolutionary state -- and wipe out a few million ordinary citizens -- in case anyone got the idea that the revolution needed to be replaced.

It seems to me that non-state terror exists on an arc between the secret paramilitary terror group, among which we may include the not-so-secret U.S. Sixties radicals of the Weather Underground and its goal "to create a revolutionary party to overthrow the United States government," to the average protest group that indulges in "mostly peaceful protest" with a little violence to give their male members the experience of a frisson of danger, to the ordinary campus activist that seems, nowadays, to be an earnest young college girl that has learned her lessons well in the school of intersectionality and just loves to prepare a protest sign before breakfast. Of course, to the experts at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, bless their hearts, "the most significant threat likely comes from white supremacists, though anarchists and religious extremists inspired by the Islamic State and al-Qaeda could present a potential threat as well." Oh yeah, white supremacists: that was in 2020.

State-sponsored terror also exists on an arc, from execution squads and death camps to merely entangling its opposition in the Law. State terror always seems to involve a government that sits uneasily on the seat of power. It is practiced most crudely by revolutionary regimes for whom violence was their road to power, and involves most commonly the assassination of rivals for the top job. But every regime is tempted to inconvenience its loyal opposition, particularly a regime such as ours that cannot believe -- cannot believe -- that the voters might prefer a government more friendly to the ordinary middle class than the current regime of, by, and for the educated class.

And when a regime sits uneasily upon the seat of power and is reduced to using its police forces to suppress the opposition, then the opposition is often reduced to acts of terror in order to broadcast to the world that the regime is unjust.

Christopher Chantrill @chrischantrill runs the go-to site on US government finances, usgovernmentspending.com. Also get his American Manifesto and his Road to the Middle Class.

Image: Library of Congress
Americans are told that Hamas is very different from the ordinary citizens living in Gaza and the West Bank. Only the former are terrorists, while the latter are innocent, just as you and I are. However, Americans should look to what these ordinary citizens had to say when surveyed to get a better feel for who they really are.

Bizreil University, located in the West Bank, conducted a survey in Gaza and the West Bank. It found that the local Arabs overwhelmingly supported the October 7 massacre. In most of the world, millions have been horrified at the October 7 beheading and burning of babies in front of their parents, the rape of grandmothers, and dead people missing limbs or with disfigured faces. For Gazans and West Bankians, though, the survey found that, after the October 7 massacre in Israel, 98% now feel even prouder than before to be Palestinians.

Zero percent of the surveyed had a positive view of the United States. The country that is most admired is Russia. The United States, on average, gives people in the West Bank and Gaza $600 million in aid a year. Recently, another $100 million has been sent to Gaza for humanitarian aid.

Image: A pro-Hamas rally in the West Bank in 2022 (cropped). YouTube screen grab.

Recently, the United States renewed aid to a UN organization that supports Arabs in the West Bank and Gaza. The Trump administration had stopped that aid because some was being used to teach anti-Semitism and to support terrorists. The renewed aid has conditions that forbid this, which seems reasonable. Why should American taxpayers be paying to stoke racism that can lead to terrorizing our Israeli ally? Americans cant be complicit in Hamas intended genocide.

Meanwhile, Russia sends these same people about $10 million in aid annually. Russia, though, is rumored to be helping Hamas. Russias relationship with Hamas, a relationship that has been getting stronger, gives Hamas legitimacy with a global power.

Nor will you hear the local Arabs complaining about Russia funding Hamas because these locals, like Russia, strongly support Hamas. Thus, the survey found that West Bank and Gaza residents overwhelmingly support local terror organizations, with 76% saying they support Hamas, 84% supporting the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, 80% supporting the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, and 89% supporting the al-Qassam Brigades.

And for those who say the questions were just asked of the wrong peopleof the fanaticsthats not what Bizreil University said. Instead, according to the University, the poll was conducted to reduce biased opinions. The polls sample includes all socioeconomic groups, ensuring equal representation of adult men and women, and is proportionately distributed across the West Bank and Gaza.

The fact that your patriotism soars after your nation inflicts unspeakable tragedies on Israeli babies does not speak well for anyone claiming that residents of the West Bank and Gaza are people like you and me. Those who support militantsparticularly Hamasdo not point to blameless people. Instead of listening to American politicians extolling the victimization of innocent civilians in Gaza, Americans might want to get their data from the horses mouth.

(Note: the residents of these areas identify as Palestinians, which is a misnomer, which is why this essay doesnt use it. Up until 1967, Palestinians referred to the Jewish residents of the region, acknowledging that they had been there since the Roman conquest and renaming. In the almost two millennia before that, theyd been Israelites or Judeans. The Arab residents, for the most part, date back no earlier than 1830, and identified with their tribe or region of origin. The change was a political response to the stunning Arab loss in the 1967 War. As Walid Shoebat said, On June 4, 1967, I was a Jordanian, and overnight I became a Palestinian.)
The Harris County Sheriff's Office was investigating a fatal crash at the North Loop and Hardy Street on Monday, Nov. 20, 2023. Courtesy/OnScene.tv

A man being pursued by Harris County sheriff's deputies died late Monday after the pickup truck he was driving crashed into a concrete column at the North Loop, officials said

The crash happened around 8:30 p.m. at the North Loop service road and Hardy, within Houston city limits, officials said.

A deputy began chasing a Chevy Silverado after he saw it commit a traffic violation, said sheriff's office Lt. Simon Cheng.

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The chase started as a low-speed pursuit on Airline, soon reaching speeds of 80 mph, Cheng said.

The pickup driver died in the crash, Cheng said. No one else was injured, he said. The driver wasn't immediately identified.

Two deputies were involved in chase.

It's unclear why the driver ran from deputies, Cheng said. The pickup wasn't reported as stolen.

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The sheriff's office inspector general will investigate the crash to review if proper policies were followed, but Cheng said initial indications were that deputies followed sheriff's office protocols.

"It appears that policies were followed," he said. "Unfortunately, the driver decided to continue to evade and left his fate up to his own hands."
Everyone decent despises Media Matters, the far-left nuisance outfit that serves as a 'go, fetch' operation for its billionaire sponsors, falsely "correcting" news outlets as purported fact-checkers and neutral arbiters of truth. In reality, they are censors who have terrified mainstream media reporters into toeing their phony "narrative" version of the "truth" in order to not get named and shamed as "rightwing media."

Everything they do is partisan, not objective, they gladly set up a big booth at the Democrat National Convention in Denver in 2008 to show everyone where they stood. They are the brainchild of David Brock, who only recently left the outfit he founded.

Far from being just an ordinary partisan "fact-checking" outfit, they seem to have been caught dishonestly manipulating social media traffic results through fake accounts, according to a tweet by Jack Posobiec:

BREAKING: Media Matters created accounts and gamed the X server to create false impressions for their article



This isnt journalism, this is a hoax pic.twitter.com/vO1HVDBuEo  Jack Poso  (@JackPosobiec) November 19, 2023

If that is true, then it would look at though some kind of fraud has been happening, given that advertisers set rates based on what they think are accurate traffic numbers.

Word got around and then some heavy hitters of 'X' stepped up.

I think sometimes people forget that Media Matters was created, shaped and governed for a long time by David Brock, arguably the single most craven, deceitful and amoral scumbag DC politics has ever seen.



There was no way for anything decent to be spawned from that rotted root: https://t.co/v9XNkj4d6G  Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) November 20, 2023

Media Matters also was and is one of the single biggest drivers of Trump-Russia nonsense, a story which stank of Brock from the beginning https://t.co/3kUqeriB8y https://t.co/XY0vcBX8nH  Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) November 20, 2023

After that, Bigfoot Himself, who was lied about as an anti-Semite a few days ago by Media Matters, weighed in:

Media Matters is pure evil https://t.co/gIV1rHO9d7  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 20, 2023

Look at the tone of those tweets.

Seems Media Matters is pumping itself up falsely and there are problems with what passes for its code of "ethics." They are now being accused of rigging traffic results.

If true, it would not be surprising. These creeps serve as the attack dog (or something that begins with a 'b') of the Democrat party which has no problem rigging anything -- elections, social media, or the occupant in the White House.

Under Joe Biden there's little hope that any of this might be investigated for fraud for now, but that doesn't mean they won't be hearing from their sponsors. Let's just say they have gotten themselves noticed and not in a good way.

Image: Twitter screen shot
Media Matters has long been known as a Democrat party attack dog playing "fact checker" to keep the press in line.

They are so unethical and unscrupulous in their tactics the Texas attorney general is investigating them for fraud:

Fraud has both civil & criminal penalties pic.twitter.com/BdC5Zfr1XM  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 21, 2023

But what is their game in their smears against Elon Musk, who owns 'X' or Twitter? We know the left doesn't like him, but something's going on in their bizarre propaganda-smear campaign against Musk, painting him as an anti-Semite.

My old colleagues at Issues & Insights have put their finger on it, explaining what these attacks on Musk from Media Matters are all about, showing all the evidence that Musk is being attacked by Democrats as an anti-Semite to deflect attention from all the rampant anti-Semitism within the Democrat party, writing one of those editorials that an editorial writer such as myself can only say after reading: 'I wish I had done that.'

According to Issues & Insights:

Just as Democrats were trying to downplay the rampant antisemitism in their ranks, what happens? Elon Musk, who has lately become something of a darling on the right, suddenly becomes the poster boy for antisemitism. This is how the left works. This latest twist started when Media Matters  the George Soros-backed media watchdog  released a report claiming that ads for major corporations were appearing next to antisemitic and white supremacist content. This is a two-fer for the left. It both attacks Musk  whom the left now hates because he stopped Twitters side hustle as the federal government censor  and it takes the spotlight off the lefts virulent antisemitism on display after the Hamas attacks.

The writer (John Merline? Terry Jones? ) cites various whopper-hypocrisies from the left in the run-up to this staged attack, and points to all the evidence that this was a political operation.

After reading that, Media Matters comes out looking even sleazier than it is already known to be.

It's a must-read for a Tuesday morning. Read the whole thing here.

Image: JD Lasica, via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 2.0
Columbia University Apartheid Divest has issued a statement that reads:

"Columbia University Apartheid Divest is a coalition of student organizations that see Palestine as the vanguard for our collective liberation." Good, please have your female and LGBT members go over to Gaza and see just how "liberated" they are in that environment.

"Israel is bombing hospitals, schools, and homes while cutting off food, water, medicine, and electricity to the more than two million Palestinians in Gaza, half of whom are children." Hospitals, schools, and homes lose their protected status under the Geneva and Hague Conventions when used for military purposes. This means that Apartheid Divest is intentionally trying to obfuscate Hamas' war crimes.

"We have previously refused to focus on concerns pertaining to free speech, academic freedom, and student safety on campus, as they distract from Israels actively committing genocide and ethnic cleansing." This is an application of Joseph Goebbels' advice to accuse the other side of that which your own side is guilty, as the only genocide was the one attempted by Hamas on October 7.

Here is the list of student organizations that signed this material. Although the names of the student officers are not available, those of the faculty advisors are. If those advisors are not comfortable with the content of this letter, they are free to distance themselves from the organizations in question.

Students for Justice in Palestine

Jewish Voice for Peace

Black Students Organization:

Student Workers of Columbia

DAR: Palestine Students Union

Barnard Columbia Abolition Collective

Young Democratic Socialists of America

Sunrise Columbia

Student Worker Solidarity

Somali Student Association

Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race Student Advisory Board

Columbia Queer and Asian

Asian American Alliance

Columbia Queer Alliance

African Students Association

Housing Equity Project

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Interboard

VP&S Muslim Students Association

White Coats 4 Black Lives

Global Learning Exchange

CU Afghan Student Alliance

Graduate Muslim Student Association

Columbia Social Workers for Palestine

Poetry Slam

Proud Colors

Law School Coalition for a Free Palestine

Black Student Organization

SIPA Palestine Working Group

Columbia Vietnamese Students Association

Columbia Law Students for Palestine

Columbia National Lawyers Guild

Muslim Students Association

African Studies Working Group

Caribbean Students Association

Barnard Organization of Soul and Solidarity

AZINE

CU Turath

Columbia Humanitarian Organization for Migration and Emergencies

Reproductive Justice Collective

Columbia University Black Pre-Professional Society

Pakistani Students Association

Barnard Columbia Urban Review

Sabor

Masaha

Club Bangla

Mixed Heritage Society

Columbia Chicanx Caucus

VP&S Black and Latinx Student Organization

Columbia Middle Eastern Law Association

RightsViews (Human Rights Graduate Journal)

School of Social Work Abolition Caucus

Hifi Snock Uptown

Take Back The Night

Native American Council

VP&S Global Health Organization

VP&S Equity and Justice Fellowship

Columbia Law Restorative Justice Collective

Mujeres

The Columbia Review

Student Organization of Latines

Alianza

GSAS Queer Graduate Collective

CU Amnesty International

Columbia South Asian Feminisms Alliance

Union Theological Seminary Students for a Free Palestine

Muslim Law Students Association

Columbia Law Parole Advocacy Project

Mariachi Leones de Columbia

Columbia Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association

Columbia Law and Political Economy

Columbia Care Access Project

Columbia University Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

I do not see this as reflecting well on Columbia University, because good citizenship and informed voting rely on accurate knowledge of world events, and the fact that so many student organizations signed the indicated statement tells me this is not happening at this university.

Civis Americanus is the pen name of a contributor who remembers the lessons of history, and wants to ensure that our country never needs to learn those lessons again the hard way. He or she is remaining anonymous due to the likely prospect of being subjected to "cancel culture" for exposing the Big Lie behind Black Lives Matter.

Image: Normsupon
In the Vatican, Pope Francis declared Sunday the "World Day of the Poor," exhorting for the care for the poor and the needy.

It was a fine Catholic message, rooted in traditional Gospel teachings. His motive is to help the poor be less poor.

The pope even called poverty a "scandal" in a tweet, warning those who didn't help the poor that there would be hell to pay.

Poverty is a scandal. When the Lord returns, he will settle accounts with us. Let us #PrayTogether that each of us, according to the gift we received and the mission entrusted to us, may strive to make charity bear fruit and draw near to some poor person.  Pope Francis (@Pontifex) November 19, 2023

He then laid out a banquet for the poor.

It was all well and good, and undoubtedly done with the best of intentions.

Pope Francis joins 1,200 guests in the Paul VI Hall to share Sunday lunch with them on the occasion of World Day of the Poor.https://t.co/A00A6UxBMg pic.twitter.com/hZgaE8oz75  Vatican News (@VaticanNews) November 19, 2023

But over in his homeland of Argentina, something else was happening and yes, it was about the poor. Some 40% of the population there has now fallen into poverty.

Instead of voting for the socialist candidate the pope clearly favored when he warned about "populists" and "outsiders" in previous weeks, these very poor people decisively voted to help themselves be less poor, by electing Javier Milei.

It was ironic because Milei is a critic of the pope, whom he considers a socialist, and ran for election on a vow -- and a powerful program -- to kill off poverty.

What a message to the pope on that day, the day he declared the "World Day of the Poor." The poor just told the pope what actually helped.

The poor of the pope's concern opted not for more handouts, but voted not be poor anymore.

This isn't some mythical delusion of theirs.

Milei ran on an open and transparent plan to dollarize his country and get rid of the lousy, trashy, always mismanaged peso, which socialist governments have printed up with alacrity to fund their big government spending sprees.

For decades, socialist governments have claimed they spent what they spent was all to help "the poor." But the poor weren't fooled this time. Socialists never help the poor. They only help themselves -- by creating more poor people.

The poor, voted 'no' to socialism and 'yes' to Milei -- and they were his strongest supporters.

Obviously, they wanted something more than a handout.

They voted against their impoverishers, the ruling socialists, the creators of hunger and want, and presumably the ones the pope said would have hell to pay at the final judgment, though I am not sure he realized it.

What a thing to be a fly on the wall in the Vatican as some flunky told the pope the news that Milei was elected. The pope is not an idiot, and would know very well who in his country voted for Milei and why.

Right now there's an intellectual battlefield going on in the world of economics, where swamp and establishment types claim that Milei's plan for dollarization in Argentina won't work. They sign long letters and imagine that their herd thinking "proves" them right.

But they are not right. Economist Steve Hanke has carefully studied the multiple success stories in Latin America of nations that lifted themselves out of poverty based on dollarization -- Panama, El Salvador, Ecuador, et al.

"Down with Objections to Dollarization." Working paper by @steve_hanke https://t.co/ixUkgBMAWd  Ian Vasquez (@VasquezIan) November 17, 2023

In every instance, dollarization cleans up the poverty left by socialists and gives ordinary people a fighting chance of saving money and building wealth and turning it into capital for investments, which is where prosperity actually comes from.

The message sent by the poor of Argentina is that socialism creates poverty.

For them to send a surprise message to the pope on his own 'world day of the poor' is a powerful message indeed about the value of capitalism in killing off poverty and helping the poor.

The next president of Argentina hates socialism.



Javier Milei: "Socialism is always and everywhere a violent, murderous, impoverishing phenomenon." pic.twitter.com/U055prd6OT  Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) November 19, 2023

Pope John Paul II understood this very well.

The current pope still has a learning curve -- which he can beat if he will listen to his own impoverished countrymen, who have a very good idea about how to help the poor.

This isn't to say that Catholics and other Christians shouldn't help the poor on an individual level.

But it does say that on a systemic level, poverty can be created by the state when socialism is involved, and poverty can be eliminated by the state when capitalism is employed.

More prosperity means more money around to help the truly needy. Anything else is Venezuela, where everyone (other than the ruling party elite) is impoverished and nobody can help anyone else even if they want to. The only thing people can do is flee.

That's not the story in Argentina right now. Argentinians voted to help the poor by electing Milei. And as the pope has said, it will be bad stuff at the pearly gates for those who don't help the poor. Socialists can look in the mirror.

Image: Twitter screen shot
I just received an email from a one-time acquaintance, a hardcore non-Jewish leftist married to an equally hardcore Jewish leftist. She assured me that Israel is engaged in an ongoing genocide against Palestinians and faked a massacre to gain sympathy for the latest iteration of this genocidal plan. This person is not a crazy person on a street corner. She is a biologist with a joband millions across America share this persons beliefs. How in the world did this happen? Gary Wexler writes that it was part of a deliberate plan sparked by money flowing from the promised peace of the Oslo Accords.

Before I get into Wexlers essay, let me just say that its a very peculiar genocide (a) that sees the population of Arabs in Gaza and the West Bank increase from 1.1 million in 1967 to 14 million in 2023 and (b) leaves slightly more than seven million Jews surrounded by approximately 250 million Muslims and/or Arabs. Having said that, how in the world did we get to the point at which seemingly rational people claim that there was no attack against Israel and, instead, that what weve heard about October 7 is all part of a nefarious scheme to kill all the Muslims in the West Bank and Gaza.

The alleged goal is to colonize land to which Israel has no entitlement whatsoever (never mind the Jews 4,000 years of continuous residency versus the fewer than 200 years the Arabs have been there). Even to state the proposition is to reveal its insanity. And yet

According to Wexler, once the Oslo Accords came into being, big money flowed into the region. He was one of the people the Ford Foundation hired to start handing out money to help build a vibrant liberal civil society.

Image: Pro-Hamas at Harvard. YouTube screen grab.

Wexler describes how the Israelis had wonderful visions of peace and cooperation. Not so the Arabs to whom he spoke. They didnt mention the word peace, denied co-existence, and spoke in coded terms of a continued occupation. In other words, they saw the Oslo Accords as a pause, not an end, to their continued war against Israel.

Wexler tried to explain to Israelis that the Arabs didnt share their goals, and he asked the Arab organizations with which he spoke questions about terrorism, cooperation and even budget. When he brought up those issues, the interviewee would slam on the brakes. And every time, Wexler would be told the same thing:

When you are in Haifa meeting with Itijaa, you can ask that question to Ameer Makhoul. Itijaa was an Arab civil rights organization. Ameer Makhoul was its executive director. It became clear to me that Ameer Makhoul had some type of control over all the Arab NGOs I was speaking to.

When Wexler and his Israeli colleague, Debra London, finally did meet with Makhoul, they discovered that he had detailed information about every meeting Wexler had previously had with the Arab organizations. Additionally, Makhoul had an equally detailed dossier about all facets of Wexlers life, a clear intimidation tactic. Then, having put Wexler in his place, Makhoul explained the plan the Palestinians would put into effect under cover of the Oslo Accords and with the money soon to be flowing in:

And now, Gary Wexler, he sat down, let me give you more direct answers. He looked me straight in the eye. Just like you were a Zionist campus activist, we will create, over the next years, Palestinian campus activists in America and all over the world. Bigger and better than any Zionist activists. Just like you spent your summers on the kibbutz, we will bring college students to spend their summers in refugee camps and work with our people. Just like you have been part of creating global pro-Israel organizations, we will create global pro-Palestinian organizations. Just like you today help create PR campaigns and events for Israel, so will we, but we will get more coverage than you ever have. He stood again this time, right over me. You wonder how we will make this happen, how we will pay for this? Not with the money from your liberal Jewish organizations who are now funding us. But from the European Union, Arab and Moslem governments, wealthy Arab people and their organizations. Eventually, we will not take another dollar from the Jews.

The meeting ended, Makhoul called the Ford Foundation to accuse Wexler of threatening him, and Makhoul was eventually arrested as a Syrian spy. But none of thats important.

Whats important is that Makhoul and those allied with him did exactly as promised: They flooded the worldthe media and academiawith anti-Israel propaganda, starting with the Muhammed al-Dura hoax. Writes Wexler:

As the years went on, I began to see what Ameer Makhoul had laid out to me taking shape. The PR coverage was first: The Muhammad al-Durrah incident in Gaza, when a 12-year-old boy was shot to death on the second day of the Second Intifada, capturing global headlines. The Mavi Marmara, the Turkish Flotilla to Gaza that the Israelis stormed, killing several Palestinian activists, grabbing global headlines. I knew the Mavi Marmara was manufactured for the exposure it would gain. Then the campuses: The creation of Apartheid Week worldwide. The growth of BDS. The student volunteers who began by the thousands to work in the Palestinian territories and its refugee camps. The shocking creation of anti-Zionist Jewish student groups.

What were seeing today is not an accident. Its part of a deliberate, well-funded plan to say that terrorists who bake babies ovens, rape women to death, and torture young children before murdering them have the moral high ground when held up against a liberal democracy that, when fighting a hot war, tries to evacuate the enemys civilians. And the plan is succeeding, probably far beyond Makhouls wildest dreams.
Yesterday, we wrote about the Marxist American millionaires who are residents of China and donated over $20 million to an organization thats mobilized many of the biggest pro-Hamas marches across America. Today, well take that report a bit further to discuss the Hamas-aligned non-profit organizations that have received hundreds of millions of dollars from corporate foundations, employee giving, and even taxpayers themselves.

Preliminarily, lets review 501(c) organizations. As taxpayers, we all know that we get write-offs if we donate to a 501(c)(3) organization. However, there are actually 29 types of 501(c) non-profit organizations. All of them are, in varying ways, exempt from paying some federal and state taxes. This means that they get a lot of bang for the donated buck.

I know that accountants are ripping their hair out over my generalized and probably inaccurate description of whats going on here, but I just want you, the reader, to get the gist: Organizations under the 501(c) umbrella have tax benefits. This means that 501(c) organizations pay less to the government than they would if they were not 501(c) organizations.

To the extent our federal and state governments spend lots of money, these 501(c) organizations contribute less to these expenditures than non-501(c) regular organizations do. We, the taxpayers, take up the slack, and were okay with it for widows and orphans charitiesbut what if the entity is channeling money into terrorism? What then?

Image by Andrea Widburg using a photo from Freepik.

This is a legitimate question because Sam Westrop, writing at Focus on Western Islamism, describes how FWI has tracked over $260 million that has been poured into ostensible 501(c) charities that exist to support Hamasand thats not even counting money sent to those organizations directly from taxpayers:

An FWI investigation has uncovered over 260 million dollars sent through the 501(c) system to Hamas-aligned charities in the United States, provided by corporate foundations, employee-giving schemes, partisan community groups and a powerful array of Islamist grant-making foundations that make use of a largely-unregulated nonprofit sector. FWIs in-depth investigation has also uncovered new instances of charities seemingly belonging to Hamass infrastructure in North America, evidence of terrorism links, and instances of horrendously violently anti-Semitic rhetoric among the officials of leading 501(c) charities across America. Some of these charities and their activities are even funded through the taxpayer, with over $100 million of grants to these charities authorized by the federal government over the past decade.

The U.S. government recognizes Hamas as a terrorist organization, making it a criminal act to send funds directly to it. It has also long designated certain Hamas-affiliated people and entities as terrorist organizations themselves. However, theres always the problem of apparent charities that donate to other charities that donate to Hamas or affiliated organizations. Writes Westrop,

Indeed, radical movements have long used charitable programs and promises of social welfare to build a base of support and help with recruitment. Crucially, as the U.S. government realizes, charities do not have to fund Hamass terrorist operations directly to benefit the terrorist organization financially or ideologically.

At a certain point, the chain is so attenuated that its not immediately apparent that monies donated in America are directly funding terrorismalthough Im willing to bet that most of the donors to the charities identified in the article are comfortable with indirectly funding Hamas-based terrorism.

The real problem is that the U.S. government has been incredibly lax when it comes to investigating ostensible charities that intertwine charity and terrorism:

Much of the charitable work is indeed real, but it still serves to benefit terror. In Gaza, for instance, decades ago, Hamas came to the fore by distinguishing itself, through its charitable work, from the incompetence and corruption of the PLO. While Palestinian nationalists embezzled millions, their Islamist rivals set up medical clinics, orphanages and summer camps for Palestinian youth, winning grassroots support. Decades earlier, the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt pioneered a similar approach.

In the early 2000s, writes Westrop, the U.S. was aggressive about policing organizations that were effectively terrorists handing out largesse. Now, though, the government isnt doing squat:

Today, however, the law is still simply not being enforced. The activities of terror-aligned charities are largely ignored by law enforcement and policy-makers. Sometimes, the taxpayer even funds these radical charities through a wide array of obscene government grant programs.

Moreover, the problem is probably worse than FWI has exposed to date. The Schedule F forms that are supposed to disclose 501(c)s foreign spending have improperly missing information that makes it impossible to figure out how much money really goes to these faux charities. Still, what information is available reveals staggering sums of money flowing to Hamas-aligned charities, which means flowing to Hamas itself.

If you go to the linked article, you can see the nature of these top charities benefitting from these funds. It makes for illuminating reading.
In The gunfire in Gaza might abate. Alas, not so the horror of global hatred (11/10/23), Washington Post editorial writer Colbert King writes of his visits to the sites of the worst atrocities befalling the Jewish people in the last century, starting with his trip to the Dachau concentration camp where horrors beyond imagination were perpetrated by the Nazis. He additionally toured other cities in Europe learning about the discrimination against Jews and how they were herded into small areas of the cities called ghettos like the Warsaw Ghetto. And there were other atrocities against the Jews of Europe that Mr. King discussed. Kudos to King for reminding the world what anti-Semitism looks like.

That said, it appears to be happening again as over 1200 Israelis, along with many Americans, were brutally massacred in indescribable ways on October 7 in addition to 240 kidnapped, also including Americans, held hostage in Gaza.

In this discussion, it is important to mention the plight of the Palestinians as King did. His answer is that the Palestinians must have a homeland. I am assuming he means a two-state solution with a Palestinian state adjacent to an Israeli state.

The main problem with this idea is that even with the whole world in agreement with the need for a two-state solution as well, who will convince the Palestinians? At each and every rally in America, the Palestinian protestors are shouting from the river to the sea. That of course means a Palestinian country devoid of Israel extending from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. And according to the Hamas charter, a world devoid of Jews. The Palestinians have been offered a state numerous times and have walked away each time. The reason being that if they accept the two-state solution, that would mean they would be giving up their ambition to having it all. All insignia from the many Palestinian groups show the entire state of Israel as their country. They have indoctrinated their civilians and children that every inch is meant to be theirs.

In summary, lets stop projecting our interests and actually listen to the Palestinians, their supporters, and their leadership as regards their true intentions. They dont want a two-state solution, only one for themselves encompassing all of the land. Of course, they cant have that, so working for two states is a fools errand.

Image: Washington Post
Animals products > plant products and chemicals

Who agrees?  pic.twitter.com/heahy9jXnr  Olivia Murray (@americaliv1) November 20, 2023

After what the global political class just did to us, it should come as no surprise that we dont trust anything they have to say about health and safety, and theres a silver lining to the systemic corruption that exploded into visibility once COVID hit the scenes; from a Telegraph article published Saturday:

Beef burgers are back on the menu as demand for vegan food plunges Veganism is being edged out and meat is back on the menu with the latest craze among foodies being smashed burgers, new data suggests. Plant-based brand Beyond Meat last week revealed its revenue had dropped by 9 per cent as demand for its animal alternatives stalled.  Overall industry sales of meat alternatives are down 13.6 per cent over the last year, with an expert analyst Carol RatCliffe saying: After many years of strong growth, meat alternatives have fallen into decline. It comes after Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys and Morrisons slashed their vegan ranges by 10 per cent, according to the Grocer, and Pret A Manger axed 75 per cent of its vegetarian-only stores in December. There were also notably fewer patrons at the UKs biggest indoor vegan event, Vegan Fest, last year, the BBC reported.

(And, in response to the drop in revenue, the article also noted that Beyond Meat announced a 20% cut to the companys workforce.)

Oh, so more people would rather just eat real meat than lab-made synthetic horrors? How weird! This fake meat is sold as the socially-conscious and humane optionbut, if you dont know about the process, let me just tell you, its anything but socially-conscious or humane. It still requires cows, meaning the same facilities decried as environmentally-harmful, and it still requires slaughter of both a pregnant cow and her calf in-utero. Talk about gross! After the fake meat industry has had many years of strong growth suddenly people are bucking the trend? Why is that?

The outlet tries to paint the transition as a cult following for yummy burgers, but I dont buy itlike I said at the outset, this is a rejection of Klaus Schwabs Great Reset, and the prospect of an enslaved bug-eating world appears to be rapidly diminishing, because the people are waking up. If you remember, two months ago I penned a blog on the United Nations progress meeting in New York; Secretary-General Antonio Guterres voiced the reality that Agenda 2030, and the Sustainable Development Goals of the globalists, were in trouble.

Id say so, and I couldnt be happier.

Image generated by AI.
The Play Store is the most trusted venue for Android users to get their apps and games. While Google has added a taste of AI to almost every service and app it has, the Play Store is at the back of a long queue to get more AI-driven features. At the previous Google I/O event, the tech firm announced some generative AI tools that help developers craft new Play Store listings through Googles PaLM 2 model.

The feature helps developers write more compelling descriptions for their apps to entice more users to download them. But Googles upcoming AI additions to the Play Store will be focused on frequently asked questions, according to AndroidPolice (via SpAndroid).

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AI-generated FAQs will soon come to the Google Play Store

The teardown of Google Play Store v38.4.12 reveals that Google is working on a new feature that brings AI-generated FAQs to its app store, letting developers craft the frequently asked questions in the listings by generative AI. Yet, theres no screenshot of how the feature works, but the strings on the Play Store code confirm its in the works.

The AI-generated FAQs will supposedly appear below each app and game listing. As the name implies, they answer users most important questions about an app or game. We might hear more about the feature in the Play Stores upcoming updates.

The app researcher who found the feature claims AI-generated FAQs will eventually make its way to the Play Store, and its not an experimental feature. The Play Store Download Buddy underwent the same procedure, and after a year of testing, it made its first debut in September. In case you didnt know, Download Buddy displays an app installation progress on the screen through a movable floating arrow.

Given that AI is expanding its role in Google apps and services, the Play Store could get more AI-driven features in future updates. As the platform evolves, Google also wants to ensure more quality apps are available to users. The firm has recently obligated app developers to test their apps with a group of at least 20 people for a minimum of two weeks before releasing them to the Play Store.
Interbrand has published its annual report on the Best Global Brands for 2023, ranking top global companies according to their brand value. The latest chart has an unchanged top five with Apple leading the pack. Microsoft Amazon, Google, and Samsung follow in that order. Samsung broke into the top five in 2020 and has held onto its position for the fourth year in a row.

Samsung has the fifth highest brand value among top global companies

Interbrand has been releasing an annual chart of the best global brands based on the brand value for the past several years. According to its latest report, Apples brand value increased by 4% in 2023, crossing $500 billion for the first time. Microsoft follows it distantly with a brand value of $316 billion. The Windows makers value increased a whopping 14% over the past year.

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Amazon and Google in the third and fourth spots arent separated by a huge margin, with their values coming in at $276 billion and $260 billion, respectively. The latter registered a 3% growth in 2023 as opposed to the e-commerce giants 1% value increase. If the internet giant maintains this growth rate, it may soon overtake Amazon into the third spot.

Samsung, which has steadily climbed the ladder over the past decade has a long way to go before it can challenge Google or Amazon, though. The Korean behemoth was in the ninth spot in 2012 but made its way up to fifth in 2020. However, its rivals are so far ahead that it may have to settle there for years to come. Samsungs brand value grew 4% in 2023 to reach $91 billion.

The next five biggest global brands (according to Interbrand) are Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, Coca-Cola, Nike, and BMW in that order. While Toyota was sixth last year too, most of the companies below it have swapped places. Most notably, BMW jumped three places to break into the top ten. The German automakers brand value increased by ten% this past year, reaching $51 billion.

Facebook, Disney, and Intel suffered value declines

The top 12 brands in this chart (McDonalds and Tesla in 11th and 12th, respectively) all registered a value growth in 2023. Disney at the 13th spot, meanwhile, dropped four places from ninth last year after a 4% value decrease this year. Facebook (-8%), Intel (-14%), UPS (-4%), GUCCI (-2%), and Nescafe (-2%) are other companies that have suffered a value decline in 2023.

Overall, the total value of the top 100 best global brands increased by 5.7% this year. It is a much slower growth compared to last year when Interbrand reported a 16% surge. This reflects the recent economic downturns affecting most global industries. You can find the full chart for 2023 here.
Orleans Seafood Kitchen in Katy is offering a full Thanksgiving to-go menu including Cajun fried turkey and traditional side dishes and desserts. Becca Wright

Cook the turkey, not your home  thats the advice from the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. According to the National Fire Protection Association, Thanksgiving Day sees the most home fires caused by cooking equipment.

While many choose the traditional route of oven-roasting a turkey, theres some who prefer to deep-fry it instead. Although, its not known who made deep-frying the staple food a trend at the dinner table some attribute Louisiana for making it famous. A state known for deep-frying food like fish, chicken, shrimp, crawfish and crab--- adding turkey to the list would only be a matter of time.

Choosing to a deep-fry a turkey requires both patience and equipment. In order to fry a turkey, one will need a 40- or 60-quart pot with a basket or turkey frying hardware, a propane gas tank and burner and a candy/deep fry thermometer. For first timers, theres turkey frying kits that include all of the essential items with the exception of the turkey and oil--- of course. Experts insists smaller turkeys in the range of 15 pounds work better for frying. Corn, peanut and canola oil provide the best results for frying turkeys since they have a high smoke point.

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When it comes to preparing this years Thanksgiving meal, the Houston Fire Department offers these tips to protect not only ones home but also the meal:

Turkey Fryer Safety Tips:

 Be sure to completely thaw the turkey before putting it in the fryer

 Measure the oil to avoid overfilling the fryer

 Use fryers outdoors away from anything that can burn

 Keep fryers away from wooden decks or garages

 Do not leave the fryer unattended nor let children or pets near it

 The oil will remain dangerously hot hours after use

 Keep an all-purpose fire extinguisher nearby

 Never use water to extinguish the fire

When discarding the oil, officials recommend not pouring it down the sink since it can cause a sewer to overflow. Houston Public Works responds to twice as many sewer overflows as a result of grease clogs during the holiday season. Visit this site for information on where to safely dispose of oil for free.

As far as the rest of the meal, police urge everyone using a stove or oven to be mindful of these suggestions:

 Always have a working smoke detector

 Never leave cooking food unattended

 Turn pot handles away from the front of the stove and never position them over another burner

 Make sure potholders are not too close to the stove

 Wear short sleeves or tight-fitting long sleeves

 Shield yourself from scalding steam when lifting lids from hot pots

 Keep broilers, ovens, stove tops and exhaust ducts free from grease

 If there is a fire in the oven-Turn off the oven and keep the oven door closed

 Use an ABC fire extinguisher, baking soda or a tight-fitting pot lid, never flour or water, to extinguish a kitchen fire
Samsung is rolling out a new update to the Galaxy Watch 6 series. It brings the November security patch and a few other changes. The company doesnt seem to be pushing any notable new features to the new smartwatches.

Galaxy Watch 6 series gets the November security update

Samsung released the Galaxy Watch 6 in August this year. The new smartwatches, which include a base model and a Classic model, arrived running One UI 5 Watch based on Wear OS 4. Over the past few months, the Korean firm has improved the functionality of the devices with support for new apps and enhancements to Samsung Health.

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However, the wearables havent received any major updates yet. They debuted with the June 2023 security patch and are still running it. Samsung did push a small update in September to fix the silly spelling error in one of the built-in watch faces (APRIL was spelled as ARRIL), but a newer security patch wasnt part of it.

The latest release finally changes that. It bumps the Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 6 Classic to the November 2023 security patch, the latest available today. The update is rolling out with the firmware build number AWK4 (the last four characters) and is available widely in Europe and the US for Bluetooth and LTE models. A global rollout should follow soon.

Samsungs official changelog doesnt disclose much, only stating that the update brings stability and reliability improvements to the watches. However, there appears to be a lot more to the story. Verizons update tracker for the Galaxy Watch 6 reveals the latest release removes the Samsung prefix from app names for some first-party apps.

For example, Samsung Wallet is simply called Wallet following the latest update. Likewise, Samsung Pay is Pay, Samsung Health is Health, and Samsung Global Goals is Global Goals. The company is doing this for simplification. Since watches have smaller screens, shorter app names fit better. Samsung may push this change to more Galaxy Watch models in the coming weeks.

There may not be any major new features

The latest update for the Galaxy Watch 6 series doesnt seem to bring any new features. If you are using the new Samsung smartwatch, you can check for updates through the Galaxy Wearable app on your connected smartphone. Open Watch settings, go to Watch software update, and tap on Download and install. You can also check for updates directly through the Settings app on the watch.
The Huawei P70 series is expected to arrive next year, and huge growth is expected for the devices. According to a well-known analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, who is mainly known for Apple predictions, Huawei will see a 100% shipment growth for the Huawei P70 series.

Huge growth in shipments is expected for the Huawei P70 series

Just to be clear, were talking about growth compared to the Huawei P60 series, of course. Why is this happening? Well, the answer is actually quite simple, the main reason is Huaweis new Kirin SoC.

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Huawei announced the Kirin 9000s not long ago. That chip fuels the Huawei Mate 60 flagship series, and also the companys Mate X5 foldable flagship. That same chip will make its way to the Huawei P70 series it seems.

Huawei is having a hard time keeping up with the demand for the Huawei Mate 60 series as we speak. Consumers in China are very interested in those devices. For the first time in a long time Huawei phones support 5G connectivity.

The company was prevented from including 5G connectivity due to the US sanctions, but thats no longer the case, thanks to this new chip. This is a 7nm processor, which is hardly the most modern chip, but it seems to be working great for Huawei. It was manufactured by SMIC, by the way.

Largan will greatly benefit from the Huawei P70 series launch

Ming-Chi Kuo also mentioned another company that will benefit from the Huawei P70 series launch Largan. Largan will be the main supplier of the periscope lens for the Huawei P70 series. It will also be the sole supplier of a Tetraprism lens for the upcoming iPhone 16 Pro series of devices.

That being said, the Huawei P60 series launched back in March this year. Were expecting to see the Huawei P70 series towards the end of Q1 2024. The Huawei Mate 60 series launched not long ago, so Huawei is not expected to deliver the Huawei P70 series early or anything of the sort.
OpenAI, one of the worlds leading AI companies, is going through a massive shake-up after a very dramatic weekend that just happened. If you want to know more about whats going on at the company, be sure to read our timeline of the whole OpenAI situation. Theres a lot going on at OpenAI that threatened to put it in the ground, and one thing is a potential mass exodus from its employees.

The drama began when the companys CEO, Sam Altman, was suddenly fired from his position. This led many workers loyal to Altman to contemplate leaving the company. And, by many, we mean the mass majority of the employee base. According to reports, there are about 700 employees currently working at OpenAI. At the time of writing this, more than 500 have agreed to leave the company if the non-profit board does not resign.

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There could be a mass exodus happening at OpenAI

So, the situation going on an OpenAI is rather complicated and steadily developing. What we can say for sure is that the folks at OpenAI are in a bit of a pickle. At this point, we dont know exactly why the board fired Altman in the first place. Regardless of the reason, the mass majority of the workforce is heavily upset with the decision.

Just hours after Altman was fired, several of the companys AI scientists resigned. After that, more people expressed their anger at the situation. In fact, there was an open letter floating around the office requesting that the board members who fired Altman resign. This came before Sam Altman himself requested that the board resign. If the board refuses to step down, then OpenAI can say goodbye to nearly three-thirds of its employees at the very least.

Where will they go? Well, thats another reason why the situation is complicated. Microsoft stated that it will open its doors to all 700 employees who jump ship from OpenAI. The company has already moved to hire Sam Altman and Greg Brockman. Whats another 700?

It seems ironic that Microsoft would hire Altman while the company that its heavily invested in seems to be a sinking ship. Sam Altmans employment with Microsoft might not be officially finalized. He and Brockman are planning on returning to open AI if the remaining three board members were to retire. That deal is still going on. If they return to the company, then the many employees planning on leaving might stay where they are. Only time will tell at this point.

Again, this is an ongoing and developing story, so you have to stay tuned for more developments that come.
The US lawmakers are more concerned about childrens safety than ever. They first introduced the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) in May 2023 as a guide to protect children on social platforms. Now, the US Senate wants to hold a hearing over online child sexual exploitation by subpoenaing tech CEOs.

CEOs of X (formerly Twitter), Discord, and Snap are subpoenaed to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on December 6. Lawmakers also expect Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg TikToks Shou Zi Chew to participate in the hearing voluntarily.

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According to committee chair Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and ranking member Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), the Big Techs failure to protect children can not go unanswered. Im hauling in Big Tech CEOs before the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify on their failure to protect kids online, Durbin added.

X, Snap, and Discord CEOs will appear before the Senate

The committee further noted that X and Discord refused to accept subpoenas on behalf of their CEOs. So, the committee has to use the US Marshals Service. In response, Wifredo Fernandez, head of US and Canada government affairs at X, said theyre working in good faith to participate in the Senate hearing. Fernandez also said theyll community their availability today.

A Discord spokesperson told Engadget that protecting users, especially minors, is central to everything at the company. We have been actively engaging with the Committee on how we can best contribute to this important industry discussion, the spokesperson added. Discord also announced its availability to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

It remains to be seen if Meta and TikTok CEO will appear before the Senate. Both platforms have already come under fire over childrens safety. Arturo Bejar, a former director of engineering for Protect and Care at Facebook, has recently testified before Congress about the companys practices to protect minors. He blasts the tech firm over its policies toward children, saying Meta cant be trusted with our children. Meta policies have always been controversial. The firm has just said that app stores should be responsible for age verification.
Yesterday, Samsung released the Android 14 update for the Galaxy S22 series in Europe. The company wasted no time in pushing the big update to the US versions of its 2022 flagships. The Galaxy S23 lineup is also widely getting the new Android version along with One UI 6.0.

The Galaxy S22 series gets the Android 14 update in the US

As of this writing, the Android 14-based One UI 6.0 update appears to be limited to carrier-locked variants of the Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22+, and Galaxy S22 Ultra in the US. According to SammyFans, which first reported this rollout, the new firmware build number for the phones is S90*USQU3DWK5. Factory-unlocked units should pick up the update in the coming days. A global release shouldnt be too far off either.

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If youre using any of the three 2022 Samsung flagships in the US or anywhere else, watch out for a notification prompting you to download the update over the air (OTA). Alternatively, you can navigate to Settings > Software Update > Download and install to check for updates manually. Since its a major Android OS release, the OTA package is massive weighing around 3GB.

A massive update means tons of new features and improvements too. Samsungs One UI 6.0 brings a refreshed UI with tweaks across the system. You will notice changes to the notification panel, Quick Settings panel, Settings app, and more UI elements. The Korean behemoth has also improved system animations for a smoother transition between two screens or menus.

Additionally, One UI 6.0 introduces new camera features and editing tools. Samsung has added a custom homescreen widget for the camera app. It lets you quickly launch the app in fixed shooting mode. Auto FPS can now be applied to 30fps videos only or both 30fps and 60fps. The shutter speed controls are now baked into the stock camera app, while document scanning is a dedicated camera mode. QR code scanning has been improved too.

This update is also available for the Galaxy S23 on AT&T and Verizon

Samsungs Android 14 update is now available for carrier-locked Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, and Galaxy S23 Ultra on AT&T and Verizon networks in the US. Their unlocked counterparts should join the party soon. The firmware build number is the same as the T-Mobile units (S91xUSQU1BWK4), which received the update a few days back. The OTA package weighs almost 3.3GB. If you havent received it yet, your wait should be over within the next few days.
X, formerly Twitter, has sued non-profit media watchdog group Media Matters for America after a report from the organization led to a brand exodus. Several companies have pulled ads from the social media platform after Media Matters reported last week that the firm has been placing ads for major brandsnext to content that touts Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party. X CEO Linda Yaccarino called the report misleading and manipulated.

X takes Media Matters to court over a misleading report

In its report, Media Matters provided several examples of ads from companies like Apple, Oracle, Xfinity, and IBM appearing on pro-Hitler, Holocaust denial, white nationalist, pro-violence, and neo-Nazi accounts or pro-Hitler posts. This is despite Yaccarinos assurance that brands are protected from the risk of being next to toxic posts on the platform and that the firm is committed to combating antisemitism.

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Media Matters also targeted X owner Elon Musk who recently endorsed an antisemitic conspiracy theory. He called a post attacking Jewish people the actual truth. Following these events, many companies have stopped advertising on X, including Apple, its biggest advertiser. Disney, IBM, Lionsgate, Paramount Global, NBCUniversal, and Warner Bros. Discovery are a few other big names that have pulled ads from the platform.

Following this brand exodus, Musk threatened to sue Media Matters. X has now followed up with a formal lawsuit against the non-profit. In its complaint, the firm said this is a blatant smear campaign from Media Matters to drive advertisers from X. The organization has falsely portrayed X as an unsafe platform for advertisers for the past several years, it alleged.

Media Matters has manipulated the algorithms governing the user experience on X to bypass safeguards and create images of Xs largest advertisers paid posts adjacent to racist, incendiary content, leaving the false impression that these pairings are anything but what they actually are: manufactured, inorganic, and extraordinarily rare, part of the complaint reads (via The Verge).

Yaccarino says this is a temporary pause from advertisers

According to X, Media Matters manufactured ads next to pro-Hitler posts using some clever tactics. It created an account that exclusively followed major brands and extremist content. Then, the organization started endlessly scrolling and refreshing its unrepresentative, hand-selected feed until it saw the desired result. Media Matters chose to maliciously misrepresent the X experience with the intention of harming X and its business, the firm said.

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Yaccarino provided further proof that Media Matters manipulated X algorithms. According to the X CEO, not a single authentic user on X saw IBMs, Comcasts, or Oracles ads next to the content in Media Matters article. Only two users saw Apples ad next to the content, at least one of which was Media Matters. Data wins over manipulation or allegations.

In a note to employees, Yaccarino said that advertisers have temporarily paused investments because of the misleading and manipulated article. I had several really good conversations today, she told employees at a separate all-hands after the lawsuit, Fortune reports. X appears confident that it has a strong case against Media Matters and that advertisers will be back soon.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has also opened an investigation into Media Matters for potential fraudulent activity after X complained that the non-profit manipulated data to harm its business. We are examining the issue closely to ensure that the public has not been deceived by the schemes of radical left-wing organizations Paxton said in a press release.
OpenAI, one of the biggest companies on the AI scene, is going through a turbulent storm of drama, firings, hirings, a possible employee exodus, and a management shake-up. This whole situation is changing by the hour, it seems, and it can be hard to keep up with whats going on. So, lets start from the beginning; heres a timeline of the whole OpenAI situation.

A timeline of the OpenAI situation

Well go through everything thats happening with the company from the start of the drama. Also, this article will be updated with new information as more developments arise. So, be sure to check back for new updates.

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Friday, Nov. 17th: Sam Altman gets fired

This whole situation kicked off (publically, at least) when OpenAI fired the CEO Sam Altman. Hes not only been the leader of the company but he has also been the face of it. We werent given a clear reason as to why the company fired him. A statement from the resulting blog post on OpenAI.com read that Sam Altman was not consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities.

The board the quote refers to is the non-profit board that oversees the company. On the board, we have OpenAI Chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, Quora CEO Adam DAngelo, director of strategy at Georgetowns Center for Security and Emerging Technology Helen Toner, and Former GeoSim System CEO Tasha McMauley.

We dont know what he was being candid about; however, it was severe enough to kick Altman out of the company.

Hours after Altman was fired, the president and co-founder of the company, Greg Brockman, resigned from his position. Soon after this happened, he and Sam, reportedly, were in the process of contacting investors and friends to start a new company.

The exodus begins

Shortly after Altmans firing, several senior researchers left their posts as well. Along with them, several other employees threatened to leave the company if Altman was not rehired. The number grew to more than 650 out of the companys 770-strong workforce over the next couple of days. These numbers are thanks to Lillian Weng via an X Post.

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Mira Murati gets a promotion

Without a CEO, there was a large vacuum to fill, so the company got to work hunting down a new CEO. In the meantime, while the company was looking for a suitable permanent CEO, it appointed its chief technology officer, Mira Murati, as the interim CEO. This will be short-lived, as the drama was only beginning at this point.

Saturday, Nov 18th: Negotiations and new positions

Soon after Sam Altman was fired (literally one day), the board tapped him to return to the company. However, Altman had demands. He wanted governance changes upon his return, and that meant scrubbing the board from existence. Its you or me, he basically said, as he set a 5PM EST deadline for all four members of the board to retire. If they leave the company, he and Brockman would return.

However, while Altman said that the board agreed in principle to resign, they didnt. There was a subsequent deadline for the board to resign, and it missed that one too. Because of this, no agreement was met, and both Altman and OpenAI went their separate ways,

New boss

Before Mari Murata could settle into her new role, the company tapped someone else to take on the role of CEO. It contacted the co-founder and ex-CEO of Twitch Emmit Shear. He made a lengthy post on X (formerly Twitter) that explained a few things. Firstly, it revealed that he took the position just a few hours after getting the job offer. Secondly, it listed a few things that he planned on doing over the next 30 days.

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The first thing he wants to do is hire an independent investigator to dig into the companys affairs and create a full report. thats pretty vague, but it seems that the investigator is the mechanic, and OpenAI is the car leaking fluid. He wants to find out whats causing the company to struggle and fix it.

Secondly, he wants to talk to as many of the remaining employees, partners, investors, and customers. Hell take good notes and share the key takeaways.

Lastly, hes going to reform the management and leadership structure of the company. OpenAI has not been doing great lately with the threat of bankruptcy looming overhead, so this could be a way to help turn its fortunes around. We dont yet have any more details of his plans, as things are still developing with this situation.

Monday, November 20th: Microsoft steps in as OpenAI employees step out

The winds of drama were still blowing, even at the dawn of a new work week. The situation at OpenAI took a turn, as we got the news that Microsoft, OpenAIs biggest investor, had hired Sam Altman, Greg Brockman, and several colleagues of the two. They were to develop a new advanced AI team over at Microsoft. Thats an ironic twist right out of a work of literature.

Microsofts CEO, Satya Nadella, posted to X stating that Microsoft remain[s] committed to [its] partnership with OpenAI and have confidence in [their] product roadmap. The post also mentioned that the company is excited to see what Emmet Shear has in store for the company.

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As if hiring OpenAIs ex-CEO didnt stir the pot enough, reports claim that Microsoft said that any employees who OpenAI will have a home at Microsoft. So, the company isnt shy about hiring people who ditch OpenAI. Were not sure how many people have migrated from OpenAI to Microsoft.

Bear in mind that Microsoft is OpenAIs biggest benefactor; its invested about $13 billion into the company already. Microsofts AI tools (well, about 80% of the AI tools on the market, lets be realistic) are powered by OpenAIs LLMs. If that ship sinks, were not sure what the company is going to do. However, we cant expect Microsoft to keep investing billions of dollars into OpenAI if its going through such a rough patch.

Emmet Shear is to OpenAI as Linda Yacarrino is to X, it seems. He was brought on, not to lead the company, but to steer it away from oblivion.

Microsoft is still remaining neutral in the matter

So, Microsoft hired Altman, but it doesnt seem like the company is looking to choose sides. Its still heavily invested in OpenAI, both financially and emotionally, and its not planning on watching it give up the ghost.

Satya Nadella spoke to CNBC and Bloomberg TV on Monday. When asked by CNBC, How clear is it to you whether Sam is going back to OpenAI and whether the 700 employees there, who seem to be loyal to him, are staying at OpenAI or coming to Microsoft?, he responded that is for OpenAI, [the] board and management and the employees to choose I care about just making sure that we can innovate.

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"I'm committed to OpenAI and Sam" Microsoft CEO @SatyaNadella talks everything AI with @JonFortt: pic.twitter.com/a7M3yAs96x  CNBC's Fast Money (@CNBCFastMoney) November 20, 2023

It seems that Microsoft is mostly focusing on pushing AI innovation forward regardless of which company is doing so. During his interview with CNBC, Nadella did say something that doesnt quite bode well for OpenAI. He basically said that whether the people pushing AI forward for the company choose to stay at Open AI or migrate to Microsoft, hes open to both options.

This means that Microsoft is very much taking a hands-off approach to the matter.

Ilya Sutskever shows remorse

Chief scientist at OpenAI and the main board member who led to Altmans firing posted on X about his feelings over the whole situation. I deeply regret my participation in the boards actions. I never intended to harm OpenAI. I love everything weve built together and I will do everything I can to reunite the company.

Sutskever not only lamented online about his role in the OpenAI situation, but he also resigned from his post on the board. Later, his name was on a letter directed at the rest of the board members calling for them to resign.

Sam Altman shows signs of wanting to return to OpenAI

After refusing to return to the company over the weekend and cozying up with a new position at Microsoft, youd think that Sam Altman would have washed his hands of the company. However, it seems that hes not willing to leave. Reports state that both Altman and Greg Brockman are willing to return to OpenAI. However, the conditions are still set in stone; the board members must go.

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With Ilya Sutskever gone, there are only three board members in their seats. They can either resign and let the two back or take their chances with a new CEO.

Thursday, November 23rd: A dangerous project?

Thanks to a report from Reuters, we got word that the company could have been working on a project that could potentially be dangerous to humanity in the future. The project is alleged to be called Q*.

At this point, we dont know anything about the project. What we do know is that it was a breakthrough in AI technology and that AI researchers warned the board about it before Altmans ousting. Well need to wait for more information about this project.

Thursday, November 30th: Microsoft gets on-board

As per reports, Microsoft is now on the OpenAI non-profit board. It will have a non-voting seat on the board, however. This means that it wont be able to weigh in on major decisions regarding the company. One person will represent Microsoft on the board, but we dont know who that person will be.

Why is the company doing this? Well, its mostly doing this to have insight into OpenAIs workings. So, Microsoft will have a better idea of whats going on in the company.
(ANSA) - ROME, NOV 21 - Italy's schools held a minute's silence on Tuesday as a mark of respect for Giulia Cecchettin, a 22-year-old woman murdered this month, allegedly by her ex-boyfriend, and all women who are victims of abuse and violence.

Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara invited schools to hold the minute's silence at 11:00 in a circular letter.

Cecchettin's ex-boyfriend and biomedical engineering course mate, Filippo Turetta, was arrested in Germany at the weekend.

He is set to be extradited to Italy.

Turetta is currently being probed for voluntary homicide but this may change to premeditated murder on the basis of tests and his testimony, Venice's Chief Prosecutor Bruno Cherchi said Monday.

The case has shocked the nation, in part because of the age of the victim and the alleged killer.

On Wednesday the government is set to present a plan to give young people relationship education in schools as part of efforts to prevent gender-based violence and stop an alarming spate of femicides. (ANSA).


The Heritage Society along with the Houston chapter of LULAC highlight the 60th anniversary of The Kennedys' visit to Houston with an exhibition on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, in Houston. This exhibit highlights the importance of Kennedys recognition for Latinos during the Civil Rights Movement of 1954  1968. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer

Visitors to the Heritage Societys exhibit marking the 60th anniversary of John F. Kennedys historic 1963 speech to the League of United Latin American Citizens in Houston are greeted by a banner hanging on the side of the gallerys doors.

The banner features a quote by Paul Zermeno as part of an oral history project that signals the importance of the visit for the Latino community in Houston.

It was the greatest day of the Hispanic community, and it represented hope, Zermeno said. "We were struggling,"

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PHOTO FILED: JOHN F. KENNEDY-HOUSTON VISIT-1963. Mariachi band serenades First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, President John F. Kennedy, Lady Bird and VP Lyndon Johnson during an unexpected stop at a LULAC dinner at the Rice Hotel, November 21, 1963. HOUCHRON CAPTION (12/05/2001): Lady Bird Johnson spent some of the country's most turbulent years as first lady. When President Kennedy, second from left, attending a 1963 dinner with first lady Jacqueline Kennedy, left, Lady Bird Johnson and Vice President Lyndon Johnson, was assassinated, she took on a role she never expected to have. HOUCHRON CAPTION (11/22/2003): LULAC's meeting with President Kennedy at the Rice Hotel on Nov. 21, 1963. Houston Chronicle

On Nov. 21, 1963, Kennedy, first lady Jackie Kennedy, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson and Lady Bird Johnson attended a LULAC meeting at the Rice Hotel, a visit largely overshadowed by his assassination in Dallas less than 24 hours later.

LULAC had been told that Kennedy's visit would be brief. The 35th president would just wave from the elevator and be on his way. But when the doors opened, Kennedy and his group stepped out into the ballroom and joined the festivities.

They stayed for about 17 minutes. JFK and Jackie both gave speeches with the first lady delivering hers in Spanish.

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The Heritage Society along with the Houston chapter of LULAC highlight the 60th anniversary of The Kennedys' visit to Houston with an exhibition on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, in Houston. This exhibit highlights the importance of Kennedys recognition for Latinos during the Civil Rights Movement of 1954  1968. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer

The Heritage Societys exhibit, titled A Civil Rights Milestone: President JFKs Visit with LULAC in Houston, dives deep into the moment and its massive impact.

This still is such a watershed moment for everybody, The Heritage Society board president Minnette Boesel said. It was a civil rights milestone: the first time a sitting president had addressed a Hispanic American organization.

The Latino vote had played a substantial role in Kennedy winning the 1960 presidential election, LULAC national historian David Contreras said, and LULAC was a major part of that voting bloc. The organization, which is the largest and oldest Hispanic organization in the United States, started in Corpus Christi in 1929.

LULAC National Historian David Contreras, 72, stands in front of a mural outside of an exhibit by The Heritage Society along with the Houston chapter of LULAC highlighting the 60th anniversary of The Kennedys' visit to Houston on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, in Houston. This exhibit highlights the importance of Kennedys recognition for Latinos during the Civil Rights Movement of 1954  1968. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer

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With another election coming up in 1964, LULAC's John J. Herrera invited Kennedy to come to the event during his trip to Texas, hammering home the political impact it would have on the Latino vote in his pitch. He also strategically booked the event at the Rice Hotel, where he correctly assumed Kennedy would be staying while in Houston.

Its considered to be one of our most significant milestones. We have about 40 milestones over the last 94 years, Contreras said. I consider this probably to be No. 1.

The Heritage Society along with the Houston chapter of LULAC highlight the 60th anniversary of The Kennedys' visit to Houston with an exhibition on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, in Houston. This exhibit highlights the importance of Kennedys recognition for Latinos during the Civil Rights Movement of 1954  1968. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer

The exhibit is actually the second time archivist and historian Mikaela Selley curated a project on the event. She led the curation of a 50th anniversary exhibit 10 years ago, which is when Contreras got his start as an archivist.

With The Heritage Society providing a larger space than what she had in 2013, Selley focused on adding additional threads that she wasnt able to explore as deeply the first time. Those ideas include LULAC activism, Jackie Kennedys speech in Spanish and her role in the LULAC visit.

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It meant a lot because it showed that she took time to prepare a speech  and it was a prepared speech  to show that she respected our heritage and our language, Contreras said of Kennedy's speech.

The Heritage Society along with the Houston chapter of LULAC highlight the 60th anniversary of The Kennedys' visit to Houston with an exhibition on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, in Houston. This exhibit highlights the importance of Kennedys recognition for Latinos during the Civil Rights Movement of 1954  1968. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer

The museum has a mix of different artifacts to help tell the story of the night. There are photos and photocopied letters and notes. There are oral history quotes, including Zermeno's, and an interactive timeline of LULAC history. There is even a vintage television playing the speeches from the night in an area meant to evoke a Mexican American living room of the time. Boesel said that part of the exhibit makes you feel like you're there.

One item that stands out to Selley is a hand-made skirt worn by a young girl during the Kennedys visit. It was created by the girl's mother specifically for the event.

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"It represents the excitement that night," Selley said. "You don't hand make a little skirt for your kids just for any reason. It's just a special feature in the exhibit."

Archivist and curator Mikaela Selley, 36, sits outside of the entrance to the exhibit put on by The Heritage Society along with the Houston chapter of LULAC highlighting the 60th anniversary of The Kennedys' visit to Houston on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, in Houston. This exhibit highlights the importance of Kennedys recognition for Latinos during the Civil Rights Movement of 1954  1968. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer

The cloud hanging over the day is what happened less than 24 hours after Kennedy left the ballroom: his assassination in Dallas. Selley said there was a lot of discussion about how best to approach his death to make sure it didn't overwhelm the other threads in the exhibit.

The result is an exhibit is purposely designed by Selley to have people physically work their way up to the assassination, allowing visitors to understand the history and importance of the LULAC visit before reaching that point.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: America has never recovered from JFK's death (Opinion)

The Heritage Society along with the Houston chapter of LULAC highlight the 60th anniversary of The Kennedys' visit to Houston with an exhibition on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, in Houston. This exhibit highlights the importance of Kennedys recognition for Latinos during the Civil Rights Movement of 1954  1968. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer

She hopes people come away with a greater understanding of the Latino civil rights movement, and where this event fits in historically.

We have tragedies; we have struggles; we still have struggles, Selley said. Were still making progress on the things that our community has been struggling with forever. I hope that this expands peoples understanding of the Latino experience.

The exhibit has been on display since Sept. 15 and will run until Jan. 15, 2024.

The museum will be free Tuesday in honor of the 60th anniversary of Kennedy's visit.
(ANSA) - ROME, NOV 21 - A German prosecutor said Tuesday that Filippo Turetta, the 22-year-old Padua university biomedical engineering student suspected of murdering his 22-year-old ex girlfriend and course mate Giulia Cecchettin last week, and arrested near Leipzig Sunday, would be handed over to Italy in a few days' time.

Although the Italian request for Turetta's handing over has not yet arrived in Germany, the competent public prosecutor's office, in Naumburg near Halle, expects that he will be handed over to Italy "in a few days". (ANSA).


An operation has begun in Co Antrim to fell several trees made famous by the Game Of Thrones series.

The work will see six of the trees at the Dark Hedges removed and remedial work carried out on several others.

The tunnel of trees became famous when it was featured in the HBO fantasy series and now attracts significant numbers of tourists from around the world.

However, concerns have been raised about the state of several of the beech trees and a number have blown down during storms in recent years.

People walking along the Dark Hedges as workmen prepare to remove a number of trees amid concerns they could pose a risk to the public (Liam McBurney/PA)

As work began at the site on Monday morning, there were several international tourists visiting the trees.

Mervyn Storey, chairman of the Dark Hedges Preservation Trust, said the work followed two reports which concluded some trees would have to be removed for safety reasons.

The former DUP MLA said: While we would want that these trees would last forever, the reality is if they are 300 years of age that is not going to be the case and this work has to be carried out.

I think it is also another marker in the long journey that we are on in terms of putting in place a management structure to manage this area.

A Malaysian tourist takes a photo of the Dark Hedges as the operation to remove a number of trees at the Dark Hedges begins (Liam McBurney/PA)

Eight seconds in Game Of Thrones changed the Bregagh Road and the Dark Hedges forever and we have even today, even though there is a closure in the road, we have people from California.

This has been a tourist attraction for the last number of years.

Yes, there is work needs to be done, but there has to be a long-term plan and that is going to take money and where is that coming from?

Mr Storey added: We dont want to inhibit people, but we also want to ensure when people come here they are safe.

There has to be aggressive replanting, there had been a replanting late 2014, but because of lack of resource to maintain that planting it hasnt taken.

The trees on the Bregagh Road, near Stranocum, are on privately owned land.

The Department for Infrastructure said an independent specialist survey found that 11 trees, out of a total of 86, were in a poor condition and could pose a potential risk to the public.

Following discussions with relevant landowners and other stakeholders, arrangements were made to remove six of the trees, retaining the stumps, and for remedial work to be carried out on four trees, to reduce the risk to the public.

The condition of one further tree will be assessed on site.

The Dark Hedges featured in Game Of Thrones and attract scores of tourists (Niall Carson/PA)

A department statement said: This decision has not been made lightly and, while the amenity value afforded by the corridor of trees is acknowledged, the safety of road users is paramount.

The department will continue to engage with landowners and other stakeholders regarding their implementation of a suitable management strategy to protect the future of the other 75 trees.

The trees were planted to line the Bregagh Road to Gracehill House, which was built around 1775.

Originally, there were about 150 trees.

In the coming months responsibility for preserving the trees will pass from the Dark Hedges Preservation Trust to the Causeway Coast and Glens Heritage Trust (CCGHT).

Chief executive Graham Thompson said: CCGHT plans to establish a new Dark Hedges Management Forum which is expected to consist of relevant statutory organisations, landowners and other interested parties.

It is envisaged that in future the issues at the site will be managed in a co-ordinated strategic manner.

This includes a management plan ensuring the longevity of the trees, while giving full consideration to health and safety issues; visitor management at the site including dealing with parking and traffic issues; educating and informing visitors to the site across a range of media; and importantly identifying funding sources for future site management.
Tom Baker has spoken about why he avoids other actors who have appeared as the Time Lord in Doctor Who.

The 89-year-old portrayed the fourth incarnation of the character for seven consecutive seasons between 1974 and 1981, the longest any actor has played the role in the BBC show.

Baker ruled out appearing with the other actors as the 60th anniversary of the long-running science fiction series is celebrated.

He told Radio Times magazine: I avoid them, you know. Not with any malice. A degree of contempt, perhaps but mildly, mildly contemptuous.

He was also asked if he would have lunch with his other Doctor Who stars, similar to others who have played the same character.

Baker said: Unthinkable! Fancy being round a table with old Doctor Whos.

Though Id quite like to walk into a restaurant and find 12 of them around the table  Id enjoy doing that double take, as I desperately tried to remember who they were.

I could keep that going for hours. Oh, I can feel the malice rising.

He appeared during the 50th anniversary special called The Day Of The Doctor in 2013 which also saw David Tennant make a comeback in the role during Matt Smiths tenure.

William Hartnell, Jon Pertwee, Patrick Troughton, Peter Davison, Sylvester McCoy, Colin Baker, Paul McGann, Christopher Eccleston and Peter Capaldi are also among the actors to have played the mysterious time traveller.

1 week to go  #DoctorWho returns 25th November with THE STAR BEAST, coming to @BBCOne and @BBCiPlayer in the UK and @DisneyPlus in the rest of the world. pic.twitter.com/qOzSXNahYJ  Doctor Who (@bbcdoctorwho) November 18, 2023

Scottish actor Tennant, 52, played the 10th Time Lord between 2005 and 2010.

He regenerated as the 14th Doctor following last years exit of Jodie Whittaker.

Tennant will be in three special episodes for the 60th anniversary that will run each Saturday from November 25 alongside comedian and actress Catherine Tate, who played his companion Donna Noble.

Sex Education and Barbie star Ncuti Gatwa will then take over in the role of the Doctor over the festive period as he becomes the 15th incarnation.

The full interview with Tom Baker is available in the latest edition of Radio Times.
Shoplifters will face the full force of the law if they attack retail staff during the Christmas period, the Justice Secretary has said.

Alex Chalk offered assurances to MPs that anyone who assaults a shop worker in such a cowardly way should expect to be pursued for their actions, as he heard that in Co-op stores alone, more than 300,000 incidents of shoplifting, violence and other abuse had been recorded over the last year.

Labour MP Chris Elmore (Ogmore) told justice questions in the Commons: I echo the concerns of the Usdaw trade union and the British Independent Retail Association who fear that scrapping short sentences will only embolden retail criminals.

Earlier this year, the Justice Secretary outlined plans to send fewer low-level offenders to prison, instead putting them to work in community service programmes.

Mr Elmore continued: The Secretary of State will know that theres far too many shop workers, particularly as we go to the festive period, who will face being attacked in shops across the UK.

Theres been a 24% increase, according to the police, in shoplifting in the last year, so can the Secretary of State assure the House the probation service can cope with the expected surge in retail crime, and ensure those who work in shops will be protected and anyone who attacks them will face the full force of the law?

Mr Chalk replied: He is absolutely right. Those who behave in such an appalling way should expect to feel exactly that  the full force of the law.

And let me be crystal clear  those who pose a particular threat to individuals can expect the clang of the prison gate. Those who commit offences whilst they are on an order  be it a community order, be it a stalking prevention order, a domestic abuse protection order  can also expect to be out with the presumption.

What we also want to be clear is, through the use of tags, if people do not abide by stringent requirements  which could include, by the way, not to go to a particular shopping precinct, and they breach that  they can expect one outcome and one outcome only: prison.

Labour MP Jim McMahon (Oldham West and Royton) meanwhile cited figures from the Co-operative Group of a staggering 300,000 incidents of shoplifting, abuse, violence, anti-social behaviour reported in Co-op stores in just this year alone.

He called for the Government to bring in a standalone offence of violence against shop workers.

Matt Vickers, the Conservative MP for Stockton South, also called for more to be done to prevent shop workers from facing physical threats, after having visited a supermarket in his constituency.

Mr Vickers said: There are around 867 assaults on shop workers not each month, not each week, but every single day.

We cant go on like this. Will he look again at what we can do to tackle this and deliver justice for shop workers?

Mr Chalk said: Those people who are on the frontline of society, they are acting effectively in public to do an incredibly important public service.

We have already moved to ensure that the courts can treat that as an aggravating factor when it comes to sentencing.

To be clear what that means, that means that in appropriate cases, the fact that they have assaulted a retail worker can mean the difference between a non-custodial and a custodial penalty.

That is absolutely right. Those who behave in such a cowardly way should expect all consequences.
Sir James Dyson has told the High Court an article that a vicious article in the Daily Mirror was a highly distressing and hurtful personal attack.

Sir James, 76, entered the witness box at the Royal Courts of Justice on Tuesday to give evidence in the trial of his libel claim against the newspapers publisher Mirror Group Newspapers Limited (MGN) over an article published in January 2022.

In his witness statement, the inventor and billionaire entrepreneur who is one of the leading lights in British technology and industry, said he felt the article was a personal attack on all that I have done and achieved in my lifetime and is highly distressing and hurtful.

In the Daily Mirror article, journalist Brian Reade referred to Sir James as the vacuum cleaner tycoon who championed Vote Leave due to the economic opportunities it would bring to British industry before moving his global head office to Singapore.

He continued: Kids, talk the talk but then screw your country and if anyone complains, tell them to suck it up.

MGN is defending the libel claim, including on the basis of honest opinion.

In a witness statement, Sir James said the article, and an online version, were vicious and vitriolic.

The inventor added that it was incredibly harmful to my reputation and was published to at least many hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people.

He wrote: They attacked my personal character and morals in the very worst way, accusing me not just of being a hypocrite, but of screwing the country and setting a poor moral example to young people.

A court artist sketch of Sir James Dyson appearing at the Royal Courts Of Justice (Elizabeth Cook/PA)

He continued: The context in which they did so was an article with a headline referring to cheats prospering, and which included a rogues gallery of notorious persons who have acted, or are alleged to have acted, illegally or dishonestly.

As someone who has invested so heavily in the UK and its young people, I found these attacks particularly damaging and distressing.

He wrote: I have taken serious personal financial risks, made huge investments in this country and have worked incredibly hard to benefit my country.

Through my actions, I have prioritised setting a good moral example to young people.

He continued: So to be accused by the defendant in the articles of being a hypocrite who had screwed the country and who set a poor moral example to young people is not only wrong but incredibly harmful to my reputation.

These allegations represent a personal attack on all that I have done and achieved in my lifetime and are highly distressing and hurtful.

Most importantly, they undermine all the work I have done trying to help young people with an interest in engineering to gain the necessary training as well as practical experience and employment opportunities in this field.

Sir James Dyson, who backed the UK leaving the European Union, also said that a decision to establish a Dyson global headquarters in Singapore had nothing to do with Brexit at all.

He said the move relating to the group of companies he founded had no material impact upon Dysons UK operations or its commitment to the UK, or to the amount of corporation tax paid in the UK.

The inventor continued: It simply reflected the long-term commercial reality of Dysons global business operations that had existed for many years previously, the same one faced by countless other UK companies which have made similar decisions to expand internationally and manufacture in south-east Asia.

Adrienne Page KC, for MGN, told the court the words in the article are substantially correct and that Sir James could not dictate how the commentator poses them.

She added that it is pitched to a lay audience, against a notorious background to 2019 and he is doing it pithily.

On how the reference to having screwed the country could be viewed, the court heard that this may not necessarily be limited to the potential impact on the Dyson corporation.

Ms Page said it could be a symbolic betrayal, ditching Britain, of two-fingers to Britain.

In written submissions, she added that Sir James approach to the legal claim has been markedly unreasonable, wholly disproportionate and abusive.

She stated: It might strike the court as surprising that a person who enjoys a level of success and influence as this claimant would choose to spend somewhere in the region of 1 million litigating to trial the question of whether these short passages represent an opinion an honest person could have held.

The barrister said that an honest person could, self-evidently, have held the opinion.

Ms Page continued: Opinions do not need to be justifiable as the claimant puts it, they need to be capable of being held by a person who is honest.

It was a genuinely and indeed widely held view that the decisions relied on represented a betrayal of this country made particularly acute by the claimants prior and influential support for a political position which, in the eyes of many, has caused this country severe economic harm.

The trial before Mr Justice Jay is set to conclude on Friday with a decision expected at a later date.
Former Tory MP David Mackintosh has been found not guilty of withholding information about the source of 39,000 donated to his election campaign fund.

Jurors at Warwick Crown Court also acquitted businessman Howard Grossman, who had been accused of using third parties to conceal the source of nine separate donations to the Northampton South Conservative Association during 2014.

Jurors deliberated for almost 18 hours over five days before clearing both men of two charges of withholding information from the treasurer of a registered party between April and May 2014 and June and September 2014.

David Mackintosh arriving at a previous hearing (Jacob King/PA)

Mackintosh, the MP for Northampton South between 2015 and 2017, told the trial he did not know any of the third parties donations had been provided by Grossman.

The 44-year-old, also a former leader of Northampton Borough Council and a European Parliament whips office worker, told the court he had a working knowledge of compliance for donations but was by no means an expert.

Grossman, 61, from Bushey in Hertfordshire, opted not to give evidence in his defence.

The proceedings against Mackintosh and Grossman were the first-ever Crown Court trial related to an alleged offence under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000.

In a statement issued after Mackintosh and Grossman were acquitted, Northamptonshire Police said: This was an important test case as it was the first time these offences have been prosecuted and we respect the jurys decision after five days of deliberation.

While David Mackintosh and Howard Grossman were acquitted, it should be remembered that five individuals have pleaded guilty to facilitating the disguised payments with two awaiting sentence.

The other three defendants received sentences ranging from a 6,000 fine to suspended prison sentences.
Scotlands First Minister has called on the Prime Minister to recognise the state of Palestine.

In a letter to Rishi Sunak on Tuesday ahead of a debate on a ceasefire in the region in Holyrood, Humza Yousaf has pushed for the UK Government to recognise Palestine within the borders set out in 1967, claiming it would help to end the political impasse that has condemned Israelis and the Palestinians to successive cycles of violence.

A similar letter was also sent to Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, urging him to back the calls.

It is essential and urgent that the UK makes clear to the Israeli government, and to the world, that in line with support for a two-state solution, only Palestinians can have authority in Gaza, he wrote to the Prime Minister.

First Minister @HumzaYousaf has written to the Prime Minister and UK Leader of the Opposition calling for: An immediate ceasefire in Gaza@IntlCrimCourt to investigate whether war crimes are being committedRecognition of a Palestinian state https://t.co/NhXKjNBU6W pic.twitter.com/SNEqemkTrd  First Minister (@ScotGovFM) November 21, 2023

Of course, that authority must be exercised in a way that ensures the people of Israel, as well as Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, are able to live in peace and security.

The UK needs to work with the international community to break, once and for all, the political impasse that has condemned Israelis and the Palestinians to successive cycles of violence.

This would be assisted were the UK to recognise the State of Palestine within the 1967 borders, as over 130 members of the United Nations, including nine members of the European Union, have done and as the new Spanish government has pledged.

Recognition would offer hope to Palestinians that a just and durable political solution is possible.

It would make it plain to the Israeli government that a military solution is illusory and the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza is unacceptable.

I urge you to show the international leadership you claim for the UK by calling for an immediate ceasefire by all sides, and by announcing the UK Governments recognition of the state of Palestine.

The First Minister also condemned what he described as the gradual, but deliberate, expulsion of Palestinians from the entire territory following a warning by the Israeli government for Palestinians to vacate the city of Khan Yunis, in the south of the Gaza Strip.

The humanitarian consequences of this are hard to overstate, he said.

Following the forced evacuation of the population from the north of Gaza, it reinforces the impression that what we are witnessing is the gradual, but deliberate, expulsion of Palestinians from the entire territory.

This, of course, would likely be a breach of international law.

The international community cannot allow this to happen.

The UK Government, he added, should also consider referring both Hamas and Israel to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for investigation of any potential war crimes.

The letters come just hours before a debate in the Scottish Parliament on the situation in Gaza.

The Scottish Government has tabled a motion calling for an immediate ceasefire, which is expected to garner cross-party support.

Scottish Labour  who have said they will support the Government in the vote on Tuesday evening  also tabled an amendment that will call for a referral to the ICC, which is expected to gain enough support to pass.
Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf will lead a debate on a ceasefire in Gaza on Tuesday.

Mr Yousaf tabled a motion on Monday which will be debated in Holyrood, calling for an immediate ceasefire in the conflict, as well as condemning the barbaric and unjustifiable Hamas attacks of October 7 and demanding the release of all hostages taken.

On Monday, the First Minister said: This week, the Scottish Parliament has an opportunity to unite to send a message of peace to world leaders and to those enduring untold suffering in the Middle East.

The motion that will be debated, tabled today, condemns the barbaric and unjustifiable actions of Hamas, and echoes the calls of the UN Secretary-General for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.

He added: An immediate ceasefire is the only way to end the tragic deaths of civilians.

This week, I urge MSPs of all parties to come together and say enough is enough  the time for a ceasefire is now.

It is understood that the First Minister will steer clear of overt partisanship during his speech, instead drawing on his personal family experience of the conflict.

Mr Yousafs in-laws, Elizabeth and Maged El-Nakla, visited family ahead of the October 7 attack, becoming trapped in Gaza when the Israeli retaliation started.

Both were eventually able to flee through the Rafah border crossing in the south of the Gaza Strip.

The pair, however, were forced to leave family in the region, including their son, who works as a doctor and who Mr Yousaf said on Sunday was in a terrible way.

Anas Sarwar said he supported a ceasefire (Jane Barlow/PA)

Scottish Labour confirmed on Monday the party would back the calls for a ceasefire, while a report in The Scotsman newspaper claimed the Scottish Lib Dems would also vote in favour.

The motion comes less than a week after a major rebellion among Labour MPs at Westminster on the same issue.

Sir Keir Starmer lost eight frontbenchers as a result of the vote, in which he had whipped MPs not to back a ceasefire.

An amendment to the Scottish Government motion, tabled by Labour, will include calls for the International Criminal Court to investigate all parties in the conflict.

The party has also hit out at the conduct of the SNP, accusing them of playing petty politics by attacking Labour, with First Minister Humza Yousaf calling on leader Anas Sarwar to stand firm and back a ceasefire, despite statements of support for the move in recent weeks.

A Labour spokesperson said: This is a profoundly disappointing approach from the SNP publicly.

Since last Thursday, the SNP and Scottish Labour have been working on both a motion and amendment which represented the broad consensus across the Parliament.

Before this statement, business managers from both parties had agreed to support both the SNPs motion and Labours amendment.

The spokesperson added: Despite agreement between Labour and the SNP on both the motion calling for an immediate ceasefire, and the Labour amendment which goes further, the SNP have now indicated they want to play petty politics with this issue instead.

The SNP press office should retract this shameful attack which tarnishes the work both parties have done behind the scenes on this important issue.

Ross Greer, the Scottish Greens external affairs spokesman, said every one of the partys MSPs will vote for the motion.

Enough is enough. Israels relentless bombing campaign has already killed 15,000 people, including at least 5,000 children, he said.

If the international community and governments like Scotlands use our voice to call for peace, it can make a difference.

Todays vote is an opportunity for MSPs from all parties to come together and send a clear message of solidarity to the people of Gaza.
China's top procuratorate supervises probe into deadly coal mine fire

Xinhua) 09:45, November 21, 2023

BEIJING, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- China's Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) will supervise the investigation into a fire at a coal mine office building in north China's Shanxi Province, according to an official statement released Monday.

The fire, which took place on Nov. 16 in the city of Lyuliang, left 26 dead and 38 injured. The city's police department has already launched an investigation into the accident.

The SPP has urged the procuratorial organ in Shanxi to fully execute its duties and work with public security organs and other government departments to ascertain the liabilities of all involved parties, ensure solid evidence is gathered, penalize any related criminal activities in accordance with the law, and protect the legitimate rights and interests of the victims.

Meanwhile, the top procuratorate will oversee efforts to identify the source of similar risks and prevent production safety risks.

Procuratorial organs will require relevant departments to enhance their efforts in workplace safety management, eliminating safety risks before accidents occur.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
One of the nations largest feeding and turkey distributions hosted by City Wide Club on Thanksgiving at the George R. Brown Convention Center on Thursday November 24, 2022. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff Photographer

The Thanksgiving feast is an American tradition families look forward to every year. But how much of the food on the dining room table Thursday will be safe for the furry members of your family?

TrustedHousesitters, a company that connects pet sitters with pet owners, recently released some tips for ways to help pet owners keep their animals safe by knowing which foods their pets can eat and digest this November.

Turkey, for example, can be eaten by cats and dogs  if it is cooked without spices and fats. In fact, turkey is found in certain types of dog food.

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The turkey carcass should not be given to pets, however. The bones of the animal can cause all different types of headaches for pets, and owners, from cracked teeth to digestion problems.

Set the Alarm: Here's how long to thaw a frozen turkey for Thanksgiving

Another food that is safe for pets to eat is an apple. But just because they can eat apples in small doses doesn't mean they should eat apple pie. That is off-limits, along with apple seeds.

Not all seeds are off-limits for cats. They do eat pumpkin seeds, although it is best for them to eat the seeds after they've been ground up. Pumpkin in general is a mixed bag for cats and dogs. Raw pumpkin can be difficult to digest and canned pumpkins might have additives that aren't good for a pet.

Naturally rich in vitamins, minerals, and soluble fiber, pumpkin can help ease digestion, veterinary surgeon Dr. Lily Richards told TrustedHousesitters. Fresh pumpkin, including the seeds, can be a tasty treat in moderation, but watch out for canned products that may contain xylitol, a sweetener additive that is harmful to dogs."

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Potatoes are also dependent on how they've been prepared. Raw potatoes are a no-go for pets but cooked sweet potatoes can work. They must be cooked without fats, salts, spices and sweeteners and only a small amount can be consumed at once.
Delegates linked to the worlds biggest fossil fuel companies and trade groups have attended UN-led climate talks at least 7,200 times over the last 20 years, according to analysis.

The Kick Big Polluters Out coalition looked into the number of times delegates from the worlds top-producing oil and gas firms, and trade bodies, showed up at climate talks since Cop9 in 2003.

The analysis found that representatives from trade associations representing the worlds largest polluting companies have attended Cops at least 6,581 times.

The campaigners claimed that delegates do not always declare their affiliation to the organisation they work for, so the figures are likely higher.

One trade organisation, the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA), whose members include fossil fuel giants such as BP, has been given at least 2,769 passes to attend the climate talks over the years, the research found.

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) has also been one of the most represented groups at the summit, and has had at least 979 passes, followed by the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE), which has had at least 558 passes.

Of the top 20 trade groups identified in the study, all are headquartered in the Global North, according to the analysis.

The campaigners said this underscores how organisations from countries who are most responsible for global emissions are dominating the climate talks, attempting to influence progress on climate action that most directly impacts Global South communities who have done the least to cause the climate crisis.

The research also found that disclosed employees of Big Oil firms attended the conferences a minimum of 945 times with staff from the worlds five biggest oil giants, including Shell and BP, receiving at least 267 passes.

Among the oil and gas employees the campaigners were able to identify, Shell was found to have sent the most staff to talks over the years, with at least 115 passes, followed by BP with 56.

The Kick Big Polluters Out coalition said the varying formats of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Changes (UNFCCC) attendance lists from year to year and the failure to require participants to disclose their affiliations until recently made processing names difficult.

It said the findings could, therefore, be the tip of the iceberg of fossil fuel influence, as many will not have been detected as part of this investigation.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak addresses delegates during the Cop27 summit at Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, last year (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

The campaign also noted that those with fossil fuel interests have also attended Cops in delegations that do not reflect their affiliation, citing BPs former chief executive Bernard Looney attending Cop27 as part of Mauritanias delegation.

Brenna TwoBears, Keep It In The Ground lead co-ordinator at the Indigenous Environmental Network, said: Why did fossil fuel lobbyists outnumber indigenous peoples by 200% at Cop26?

These greedy corporations cannot be allowed into the UNFCCC because fossil fuels tip the world closer and closer to extinction every day.

George Carew-Jones, from Youngo youth constituency of the UNFCCC, said: The UN has no conflict of interest rules for Cops.

This unbelievable fact has allowed fossil fuel lobbyists to undermine talks for years, weakening the process that we are all relying on to secure our futures.

A spokesperson for UN Climate Change said it is supporting the intergovernmental negotiating process on climate change with participants nominated by parties, observers and media organisations.

In order to increase the transparency of the UNFCCC process, for the upcoming UN Climate Change conference Cop28 taking place in Dubai (UAE) changes to the registration procedure have been introduced, they said.

These changes include the conferences List of Participants making public all badges types  not just those relating to contained delegations and observer organisations.

They will incorporate information provided during registration, including new requirements such as relationship and affiliation to nominating entities.

IETA said its diverse membership joins together in support of a clear mission favouring business engagement in climate action consistent with the UNFCCCs objectives through effective market-based trading systems that are fair, open, efficient, accountable and consistent across national boundaries.

We encourage our members to make public their emissions and plans for addressing climate change.

We are committed to serve as constructive observers of UN negotiations, honouring its guidelines for observers.

The BCSE said they believe the coalitions data mischaracterises the organisations mission and record of engagement with the UNFCCC, adding that it is a clean energy and energy efficiency trade association with a sector focus on the energy efficiency, natural gas and renewable energy industries.

Lizzie Stricklin, communications manager at Business Council for Sustainable Energy, said: The Business Council for Sustainable Energy has been providing constructive business engagement as an observer to the UNFCCC since the treaty was adopted and has a clear record of supporting policies to reduce emissions and increase resilience.

A spokesperson for Shell said: Each year, a small number of Shell staff attend Cop to gather insights and latest policy developments, engage with stakeholders and strengthen collaborations. Shell staff attend as observers.

We work to do business in a clear, open way and promote transparency throughout our industry. This includes at Cop, where the list of our attendees is publicly available.

We also publish a number of transparency reports detailing our policy positions and advocacy efforts on our website.

A spokesman for BP said: For the world to meet the Paris goals, it will take action from governments, companies and societies around the world. It will also take collaboration, and all voices being heard.

We welcome the Cop28 presidencys call for a truly inclusive Cop  bringing together everyone in support of actions that can deliver a comprehensive transformation.

PA has contacted WBCSD for comment.
Irelands deputy premier Micheal Martin said humanitarian workers have not been able to provide governments with the proof of life of any hostages believed to be held by Hamas, including nine-year-old Irish-Israeli Emily Hand.

Mr Martin said the Irish government continues to work with Israeli and Egyptian authorities to get the remaining Irish citizens and their dependents out of Gaza.

Earlier, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told the Dail that the Government was doing everything it could to secure Emilys release.

Speaking to reporters in Dublin, Mr Martin said: The International Committee of the Red Cross and Red Crescent have not had access to the hostages, I understand, in terms of verification and proof of life of any hostage  and that obviously remains a matter of deep anxiety for the families of all involved.

He added: Ordinarily, in theatres of conflict or wars they would get access to prisoners of war camps, for example.

Mr Martin said there has been no further information with respect to any individual hostage, adding: Not least Emily Hand.

Asked about the release of bodies, he said there has been no indication of that yet.

But he said the bones of an agreement on the release of hostages by Hamas exists.

We want all hostages released. We have raised the case of Emily Hand with all of the key governments and agencies which may have influence and channels with people who could affect the release of hostages and particularly Emily Hand, Mr Martin said.

We have prioritised the release of children and older people and that is our focus. I hope and I pray that Emily Hand will be freed along with other hostages.

He added: We know that the bones of an agreement is there. I think what were all waiting for now is the realisation of it and the release of hostages.

Mr Varadkar spoke on the issue during Leaders Questions in the Dail.

We understand that there are some discussions and talks under way between intermediaries involving the release of hostages, he said.

I had a chance to speak with the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar only yesterday. Ill meet today (Tuesday) with the ambassadors of some Arab countries and some Muslim countries and, as you know, the Tanaiste has been very involved in contacts as well.

And we are particularly pursuing the case of Emily Hand, a young Irish-Israeli girl who we believe is being held hostage in Gaza by Hamas, and were doing everything we can to make sure that if there is the release of some hostages by Hamas in the coming days, that children are first among those to be released.

Were very strongly of the view that hostages should never be taken by anyone in any conflict anywhere, ever. But, particularly the taking of children as hostages is particularly wrong. Were pushing and using all our contacts and all our abilities to ensure that if there is a hostage release in the coming days, that Emily Hand is among one of those to be released. Thats a major priority for us now, as a government.

We should not forget, only one Irish citizen has been killed so far in this conflict, Kim Damti, who was killed by Hamas in Israel, attending a music festival, and there is an Irish citizen being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza, and were doing everything we can to facilitate her release.

Also on Tuesday, Mr Martin described the recent vandalism of his Department of Foreign Affairs building as a criminal act.

He said diplomats had done extraordinary work to get 51 Irish citizens and their dependents so far out of Gaza through the Rafah crossing.

Why you would attack the Department of Foreign Affairs is simply beyond me, he said.

Mr Martin said the majority of Irish citizens have left Gaza but some are not in a position to leave due to personal circumstances.
Irish aid groups have said only a trickle of humanitarian aid is getting into the Gaza Strip and it is meeting a fraction of that needed by its population.

The Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip has led to an unprecedented humanitarian crisis in the region, with food, water, fuel and medicines extremely limited.

The military operation was launched in response to an attack by Hamas militants who killed 1,200 Israeli citizens and are thought to have kidnapped around 200 others, including Irish-Israeli citizen Emily Hand.

Representatives of Dochas, Trocaire and Concern addressed Irish parliamentarians and senators on Tuesday during a meeting of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee.

As well as highlighting the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza, they also raised concerns about other conflicts in the world and the need to help nations respond to conditions created by climate change.

Finola Finnan, deputy chief executive of Trocaire, said there was only a trickle of aid going into Gaza as only the Rafah crossing at the Egyptian border was partially open, while the two Israeli crossings remained closed.

Speaking about the 10 million euro donated to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestinian refugees, and 3 million euro to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), she added there was no suggestion that that funding is doing anything other than for the purpose for which it is intended, and there is good due diligence to ensure that.

Ms Finnan described the conditions as catastrophic and a living hell.

She told the committee: The trickle of humanitarian assistance entering from Egypt meets only a fraction of peoples needs. The closure of the strip amounts to collective punishment on an unprecedented scale on an already vulnerable and impoverished civilian population.

Finola Finnan (Oireachtas/PA)

Since October, weve had about 1,320 trucks have gone in, only 4% of the daily average volume prior to the current hostility, so theres very little aid going in.

At the moment, were waiting to scale up and we absolutely need a cessation of the bombardment on the population to be able to scale up to anything like we need.

She said her organisation was deeply concerned by the escalation of violence and displacement in the West Bank, and there was very little aid going to the north of the region.

Ms Finnan paid tribute to Viola, a worker with Caritas Jerusalem, described as a vibrant young Palestinian lab technician, who died with her husband and baby daughter in an Israeli bombardment while sheltering in a church in Gaza.

She also mentioned Vivian Silver  a former board member of Trocaires Israeli partner BTselem and a co founder of Women Waging Peace  who was killed in the October 7 attack by Hamas.

Rosamond Bennett, chief executive of Christian Aid and chairwoman of Dochas, told TDs and senators that the first thing they do each day is check if their staff are still alive.

She said that 160 children are being killed every day, and that more children had been killed since October 7 than in all wars around the world since 2012.

She added that she remembers being shocked at the amount of rubble in the Gaza Strip when she visited the enclave in 2013 and cannot imagine how it is now, or how it could be rebuilt.

I was in Gaza in May, and the need is huge there. Even before this, about 80% of the population rely on humanitarian aid. And as Finola said, there are very few trucks going in compared to what there was previously, she said.

Ms Bennett said it is very difficult to get public funding for humanitarian crises in Yemen, Syria and Sudan as those conflicts are not raised as often in the media, meaning that government funding is crucial in these cases.

Dominic MacSorley, humanitarian ambassador at Concern Worldwide, speaking by videolink from the Chad border with Sudan, said there was a need to move on from Ireland focusing on one international crisis at a time.
The King and Queen will officially welcome the president of South Korea to the UK on Tuesday and stage a glittering state banquet in his honour at Buckingham Palace.

Charles and Camilla are hosting Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee for the first incoming state visit since the Kings coronation and the second of his reign.

The Prince and Princess of Wales will play a key role by greeting the President and the First Lady at their hotel on Tuesday morning.

William and Kate will greet President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee ahead of the ceremonial welcome (PA)

William and Kate will travel with Mr Yoon and Mrs Kim to the ceremonial welcome on Horse Guards Parade in central London, where the King and Queen will be waiting.

A guard of honour, formed by F Company Scots Guards, will give a royal salute amid traditional pomp and pageantry and the King and Mr Yoon will inspect the troops on the parade ground.

Charles, Camilla, William and Kate and their guests will then travel in a carriage procession down The Mall to the Palace, before a private lunch and a visit to see Royal Collection exhibits in the Picture Gallery.

Later, Mr Yoon will lay a wreath at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey and deliver an address in the Royal Gallery at the Palace of Westminster to members of both Houses of Parliament.

Mr Yoon and Mrs Kim arriving at Stansted Airport on Monday (PA)

In the evening, 170 guests will gather for the banquet, customarily a white tie and tiara affair, in the opulent Palace ballroom.

The King and Queen are expected to be joined by William, Kate and other members of the royal family, while Charles and Mr Yoon will make speeches.

Foreign secretaries are also usually invited, meaning the newly appointed Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton is likely to make a return to dining at the royal residence, harking back to the days when he was prime minister.

Mr Yoon, 62, is a known fan of karaoke and in April belted out a verse of one of his favourite songs, American Pie, at a White House dinner at the request of President Joe Biden during a state visit to the US.

The then-prime minister David Cameron at the state banquet for the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah of Kuwait in Windsor Castle in 2012 (PA)

He got a standing ovation.

Critics of Mr Yoon, a former prosecutor general, have accused him of suppressing freedom of speech during his 18-month presidency and cracking down on fault-finding news reports about him in the name of fighting fake news.

Mrs Kim, a 51-year-old former head of an art event-planning company, has also attracted controversy.

She made a televised public apology in 2021 after admitting exaggerating her professional credentials when applying for jobs at universities over a decade ago.

Mr Yoon and Mrs Kim at Stansted Airport (PA)

Mr Yoon and Mrs Kim made a low-key arrival at Stansted Airport on Monday.

Before his trip, Mr Yoon said the world is facing a polycrisis of multiple conflicts and threats to humanity.

He told The Daily Telegraph that the wars in Ukraine and Israel, and rising tension with Russia, North Korea and in the South China Sea, have compelled him to seek very close security co-operation with the West.

He secured a landmark deal with the US earlier this year to counter the North Korean nuclear threat.

Mr Yoon previously warned fellow world leaders about possible co-operation between North Korea and Russia after North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The ballroom set for then-US president Donald Trumps state banquet in 2019 (PA)

The King and the South Korean President met last year at the reception for heads of state and official overseas guests at the Palace on the eve of the late Queens funeral.

Mr Yoons opponents accused him of being disrespectful during his trip to London after he missed the chance to view the late Queens coffin lying in state  which he blamed on heavy traffic.

He was also caught on microphone swearing after a chat with Mr Biden at the UN general assembly the following week, with the footage going viral in his home country.

The King visited South Korea in November 1992.

The Prince and Princess of Wales at a memorial outside Seoul, South Korea, in 1992 (PA)

As the Prince of Wales, he carried out the tour with his then-wife, Diana, Princess of Wales, but the pair were branded The Glums for looking ill at ease together and a month later it was announced Charles and Diana were separating.

On Wednesday, Mr Yoon will hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at Downing Street and also meet Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.

The state visit follows the first incoming one of the Kings reign by South Africas President Cyril Ramaphosa last autumn.
Lawyers representing former Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams have asked a High Court judge in England to throw out damages claims brought against the Provisional IRA by victims of bombings in London and Manchester.

John Clark, a victim of the March 1973 Old Bailey bombing in London, Jonathan Ganesh, a victim of the February 1996 London Docklands bombing, and Barry Laycock, a victim of the June 1996 Arndale shopping centre bombing in Manchester, have sued Mr Adams and the Provisional IRA and want nominal  1  damages.

Mr Adams says claims against the Provisional IRA should be struck out  the three claimants disagree.

Lawyers representing Mr Adams and the three claimants are outlining legal arguments at a High Court hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice complex in London.

Wrecked cars and debris at the scene after the Old Bailey bomb explosion in London (PA)

The hearing is due to end on Wednesday.

Barrister Richard Hermer KC, who is leading Mr Adamss legal team, described the case as unusual.

He said the Provisional IRA was an unincorporated association which was incapable in law of being sued.

Mr Hermer said the conduct of the claim had been characterised by a significant number of procedural breaches and irregularities.

Barrister Anne Studd KC, who is leading the claimants legal team, said each man alleged that Mr Adams was liable to them both as an individual given the part he played in the preparation and planning of the attacks and as a representative of the Provisional IRA.

It is anticipated that (Mr Adams) will deny that he was ever a member of the (Provisional IRA), although currently the court should note that it has no evidence upon which to base that conclusion there being no defence entered and no statement from (Mr Adams) setting out his account, she told the judge in a written case outline.

Bomb damage to the Arndale centre in Manchester city centre (PA)

This case raises important issues on access to justice in cases where a group of claimants alleged the most heinous wrongdoing by an individual who they allege was a member of an organisation responsible for significant injury through terrorist means.

If (Mr Adamss) application succeeds, then its effect would be to give a claimant no cause of action against an individual as a representative of an unincorporated association where the defendant seeks to deny such an association without submitting any evidence as is the case here.

She said a fundamental issue at a trial would relate to whether the claimants established that Mr Adams was a Commanding Officer of the Belfast Brigade of the IRA.

Mr Hermer told the judge that nothing he said on behalf of Mr Adams was intended to deny or minimise the claimants experiences or suffering.

He told the judge in a written case outline: (Mr Adams) is conscious that the claimants have suffered significantly as a result of bombings in 1973 and 1996 in which they were innocent victims.

Mr Hermer did not argue that entire claims made against Mr Adams should be struck out  only representative aspects of claims.

Neither Mr Adams, nor any of the three claimants, were at the hearing on Tuesday.

But supporters of the three claimants were in court.

They included 1982 Hyde Park bomb victim Simon Utley, 59; Mark Tipper, 63, whose brother Simon Tipper died in the Hyde Park attack; and Paul Young, 72, a spokesman for the Northern Ireland Veterans Movement.
Dire Straits star Mark Knopfler will auction more than 120 of his guitars and amps, saying it is time for his old friends to have new adventures with new owners.

The frontman of the British rock band will auction instruments that span his 50-year career, with 25% of the proceeds going to charity.

The collection, to be sold at auction house Christies, includes guitars he used to write, record and perform his compositions for Dire Straits, which include the hits Brothers In Arms, Romeo And Juliet and Money For Nothing, as well as numerous solo albums and soundtracks for films such as Local Hero.

#MarkKnopfler is parting with more than 120 guitars from his collection, including the Les Paul on which he recorded and played 'Money For Nothing' with #DireStraits at Live Aid: https://t.co/51P0Bo1q0L @MarkKnopfler @direstraitshq pic.twitter.com/bakZaqk138  Christie's (@ChristiesInc) November 21, 2023

Also included in the collection are guitars made by Gibson, Fender and Martin alongside custom-built models by Rudy Pensa and John Suhr, and bespoke examples crafted by luthiers from across the globe.

Some 25% of the total hammer price will be divided equally and donated to The British Red Cross, Tusk and Brave Hearts of the North East.

Knopfler, who was born in Glasgow but grew up in Blyth, in Northumberland, said: Wherever I go Im still crossing streets to look at guitars in the windows of music shops. Ive done that since I was a little kid.

The Mark Knopfler Guitar Collection | Christie's Live Auction, London | 31st January 2024@ChristiesInc is delighted to announce the auction of guitars from the personal collection of Mark Knopfler, the celebrated frontman of the iconic British rock band, @direstraitshq. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/McUzD1vnKi  Mark Knopfler (@MarkKnopfler) November 21, 2023

Ive lived with this love affair for over 60 years. That has meant a passion for all kinds of guitars: the impossible dreams and plenty of the less expensive ones, too. As a career in music made it possible for me to realise some of those dreams, guitars of all shapes and sizes began to appear.

Its time to take some of these treasured six-string companions out of their cases and leave them in the care of Christies to allow them to have new adventures with new owners.

You can be sure Ill be sad to see them go but weve had wonderful times together and I cant play them all. To you fellow players, enthusiasts and collectors, I wish you many good times with these old friends of mine.

Among the collection is a 1959 Gibson Les Paul guitar which is estimated to fetch between 300,000 and 500,000.

The auction will take place at Christies in London on January 31 2024.
Calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza have been backed by MSPs as Scotlands First Minister described the cruelty facing patients in the regions hospitals.

Humza Yousaf led a debate on Tuesday where he condemned the abhorrent terrorist attacks by Hamas while urging the Scottish Parliament to take a stand against collective punishment on Palestinians.

Mr Yousaf opened the debate by remembering the fear experienced by his mother-in-law Elizabeth El-Nakla after the conflict erupted following the October 7 attacks on Israel.

While Mrs El-Nakla and her husband Maged, the parents of Mr Yousafs wife Nadia, escaped the conflict and returned to Dundee, their family remains in Gaza, their son Mohammed, a doctor, and his poorly grandmother, 92.

Today, I hope the Scottish Parliament unites & backs our calls for a ceasefire in Gaza. I've written to the PM & Keir Starmer to support: An immediate ceasefire in GazaRecognition of a Palestinian state@IntlCrimCourt to investigate whether war crimes are being committed https://t.co/stkVgLzAh5  Humza Yousaf (@HumzaYousaf) November 21, 2023

Mr Yousaf told MSPs doctors in Gaza were having to take dangerous risks to treat their patients as vital supplies ran out.

He said: This Government is unequivocal in its condemnation of the Israeli government cutting off water, food, fuel and supplies to the entire population of Gaza. Collective punishment can never be justified.

Doctors, like my own brother-in-law Mohammed, are forced to practice medieval medicine, reportedly amputating limbs, stitching up serious wounds, even performing caesarean sections, without sufficient anaesthetic. This is a cruelty that cannot be allowed to continue.

This Parliament and the international community must unite in calling for an immediate ceasefire.

The motion, amended by a Scottish Labour amendment which called for the International Criminal Court to investigate the conflicts conduct, passed by 90 votes to 28.

However, a Scottish Tory amendment, instead backing an humanitarian pause, fell by 89 votes to 28.

Scottish Tory external affairs spokesman Donald Cameron said: Israel has the right to defend itself against terrorists, but every precaution must be taken by the Israeli government to protect innocent civilians from harm.

He said the Scottish Tories abhor the loss of innocent lives but added that there was no hope a ceasefire would work.

Humza Yousaf shared a family photo on social media which included his wife Nadia, and her parents, Elizabeth and Maged El-Nakla (X/@HumzaYousaf/PA)

He said: A ceasefire requires both of the two opposing sides to support it and, regrettably, it has been clear for some time now that Hamas will not respect a ceasefire.

When that is the approach and leadership of Hamas, there is no hope that a full and meaningful ceasefire would work at this stage.

Scottish Labour, however, backed the Scottish Government motion after UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer whipped MPs to reject ceasefire amendments in Westminster.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said the full force of international diplomacy must be used to create the conditions to make an immediate ceasefire a reality.

Prior to the debate, Mr Yousaf wrote to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, urging him to recognise Palestine within the borders set out in 1967.

He also sent a similar letter to Sir Keir, arguing the move would help to end the political impasse between Israel and Palestine.

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said: As the Prime Minister has said, we continue to support a just solution to the conflict for both sides and remain committed to a two-state solution that protects the peace and security of both Israelis and Palestinians, with the West Bank and Gaza part of a viable and sovereign Palestinian state.
A senior UK minister has said it is undeniable that the Falkland Islands are British after Argentinas newly-elected president suggested efforts should be made to get them back.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps tweeted: The Falkland Islands are British. That is non-negotiable and undeniable.

99.8% of islanders voted to remain British and we will always defend their right to self-determination and the UKs sovereignty.

Mr Shapps appeared to be responding to comments made by Javier Milei, who won a resounding victory in Argentinas presidential election on Sunday.

The Falkland Islands are British. That is non-negotiable and undeniable  99.8% of islanders voted to remain British and we will always defend their right to self-determination and the UKs sovereignty with @HMS_Forth now back to protect the islands.https://t.co/9Hlj2FegpF  Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) November 21, 2023

During his presidential campaign, Mr Milei reportedly said Buenos Aires had non-negotiable sovereignty over the Falklands, the archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean which is known as the Malvinas by Argentines.

The islands were the subject of a bloody conflict in 1982 after Argentine forces invaded and briefly occupied the territory.

The war claimed the lives of 255 British servicemen, three islanders and 649 Argentine personnel.

British ministers regularly cite the results of a 2013 referendum that saw close to 100% of voters on the islands, which has a population of about 3,500 people, opt to remain a UK Overseas Territory.

Mr Milei reportedly said during a TV election debate: What do I propose? Argentinas sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands is non-negotiable. The Malvinas are Argentine.

Now we have to see how we are going to get them back. It is clear that the war option is not a solution.

We had a war  that we lost  and now we have to make every effort to recover the islands through diplomatic channels.

In a newspaper interview with La Nacion, a daily newspaper in Argentina, he proposed that the UK hand over the Falklands to his South American country in a similar way to how Hong Kong was given back over to Chinese rule in 1997.

The populist politician, who has described himself as an anarcho-capitalist and is said to have lauded Margaret Thatcher  the British prime minister during the Falklands conflict  said the views of those living on the islands cannot be ignored.

Argentinian president-elect Javier Milei has called for Falklands handover talks (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

Mr Shapps, in his tweets rejecting any negotiation on the future of the Falklands, highlighted how Royal Navy ship HMS Forth had been sent back to protect the islands in the southern hemisphere.

It follows a nine-month stint by HMS Medway to patrol the remote location.

Since the 1980s conflict, UK ministers have been keen to shoot down any talk of Argentina having any claim to the islands.

In July, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hit out at the European Unions regrettable choice of words after it appeared to have endorsed the name Argentina prefers.

A diplomatic row erupted after Brussels referred to the islands as Islas Malvinas in a declaration jointly signed with Argentina and other Latin American countries.

The Falklands are about 8,000 miles from the UK and about 300 miles from mainland Argentina.
The UK and South Korea are to launch talks on a new trade deal and sign a diplomatic accord as part of Korean President Yoon Suk Yeols state visit.

Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch will begin negotiations with her Korean counterpart Bang Moon Kyu at the UK-Korea Business Forum at Mansion House on Wednesday.

They will also announce 21 billion of investments committed by Korean businesses in green energy and infrastructure projects across the UK.

    The PM joined Their Majesties The King and Queen in welcoming the President of the Republic of Korea and the First Lady to the UK earlier today. As we mark 140 years of diplomatic relations, the ties that bind the  and  have never been closer. pic.twitter.com/rnVmyN6tg8  UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) November 21, 2023

The UK secured a free trade deal with South Korea in 2019, with the agreement largely aimed at keeping trade flowing post-Brexit and removing uncertainty.

The UK hopes to secure modern digital provisions in a new deal because most of its services exports to Korea are delivered digitally.

Ms Badenoch said: The Government is upgrading our trade deal with South Korea to ensure that our trading relationship plays to the UKs strengths as an advanced, high-tech economy.

This refreshed, modernised deal will boost our world-leading services sector while also creating new opportunities for UK exports such as in our world-leading food and luxury goods sectors.

Mr Yoon began his state visit on Tuesday with a welcome from the King and Queen.

He will hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and sign the new long-term agreement covering defence and technology co-operation in Downing Street on Wednesday.

The Downing Street Accord follows similar agreements with Singapore and Japan, coming as the UK seeks to consolidate influence in the Indo-Pacific.

It will include a defence agreement that will boost the British and Korean militaries co-operation on countering smuggling in the East China Sea which North Korea relies on to evade sanctions.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol lands in the UK for his state visit (Joe Giddens/PA)

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said: The UK is leading the way in supporting our Korean friends in countering North Koreas aggressive posturing and ensuring the safety and security of the Indo-Pacific.

Deepening the ties between the Royal Navy and Republic of Korea Navy, our bilateral defence relationship has never been stronger.

Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron said: This agreement  signed 70 years after the Korean War Armistice  is a truly unique step in the strengthening of our work to secure the security of the Korean Peninsula and the region. We are proud, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, to be at the forefront of international sanctions enforcement activity.

This incudes upholding international commitments to curtail North Koreas illegal weapons programmes.

A new clean energy partnership will also be signed, bolstering collaboration on low-carbon technologies, civil nuclear, and policies to tackle climate change.

Downing Street said the accord will also see the countries work closer together on technology such as artificial intelligence, semi-conductors and quantum.

Science ministers will also sign a memorandum of understanding to boost space co-operation.

South Korea will host next years AI summit after the first UK-backed gathering in Bletchley Park earlier this month.

The UK visit coincides with the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the UK and Korea, as well as the 70th anniversary of the armistice of the Korean war.
The CEO of Binance, the worlds largest cryptocurrency exchange, will step down after the company pleaded guilty Tuesday to violations of the Bank Secrecy Act, an anti-money laundering law, among other charges.

The company will pay more than $4.3 billion to settle the charges, the largest penalty in the history of the Treasury Department.

In prepared remarks, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Binance was guilty of consistent and egregious violations of U.S. anti-money laundering and sanctions laws.

The Justice Department said in a news release that Changpeng Zhao also pleaded guilty to failing to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program and would step down as chief executive.

Zhao also agreed to a $50 million fine as part of the settlement.

Binance became the worlds largest cryptocurrency exchange in part because of the crimes it committed  now it is paying one of the largest corporate penalties in U.S. history, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in the news release.

Zhao confirmed his departure from the chief executive role in a post on X, in which he acknowledged that he made mistakes. He also said Richard Teng, Binance's head of regional markets, would take over as CEO.

Zhao said he would remain a shareholder of the company and be able to consult with its leadership. He also stressed that there were no allegations related to the misuse of customer funds or market manipulation.

As part of the terms of the settlement, Binance has agreed to a third-party monitor, overseen by Treasurys Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, to ensure the company is compliant with federal regulations. The monitor will have access to Binances systems, transactions and accounts, the Treasury release said.

Binance said in a blog post that it takes responsibility for its mistakes and is optimistic about its future.

"These resolutions acknowledge our companys responsibility for historical, criminal compliance violations, and allow our company to turn the page on a challenging yet transformative chapter of learning and growth," it posted. "With the compliance and governance enhancements enshrined in our commitments, we can begin to share our vision for Binances exciting future and the future of the crypto industry. We are confident that Binance will emerge as a stronger company as we lay the foundation for the next 50 years."

Financial exchanges in the U.S., including those that specialize in cryptocurrency, are required to follow strict know your customer laws to identify their users. In a statement Tuesday, the Treasury Department said that Binance willfully failed to report more than 100,000 suspicious transactions from a host of sanctioned groups, including Hamas military arm, Qassam Brigades, Al Qaeda, the Islamic State terrorist group, a litany of criminal ransomware hackers and users in countries facing U.S. sanctions, including North Korea and Iran.

According to the Justice Department's release, Binances compliance employees internally noted that the company didnt even have protocols to flag transactions that were money laundering risks.

we need a banner is washing drug money too hard these days  come to binance we got cake for you, an employee wrote.

Binance also never reported transactions with websites devoted to selling materials relating to the sexual abuse of children, Treasury said.

In 2019, in response to U.S. regulations, Binance created an offshoot company to serve American customers, Binance.us, while keeping its original platform for the rest of the world. But according to the Justice Department, the company still allowed a substantial number of US customers who were allowed to keep using the less regulated company.

The settlement adds to what has been a lengthy and brutal stretch for the crypto world that has seen the collapse of many major exchanges. Still, the price of Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency, has risen in the past year. It traded Tuesday at around $37,000.

The guilty pleas come less than a month after Zhao's biggest crypto rival, Sam Bankman-Fried, was found guilty of fraud. The two had at one time arguably been the faces of crypto and almost merged operations late last year when Bankman-Frieds FTX was on the verge of collapse.

Bankman-Fried later blamed Zhao for what he claimed was a targeted attack that led to FTXs downfall.

The announcement also comes on the heels of another major federal enforcement action against a cryptocurrency exchange. On Monday, the Securities and Exchange Commission charged U.S.-based Kraken with illegally failing to register its services with the agency, as required by securities law.

In an emailed statement to NBC News, a Kraken spokesperson said, We disagree with the SECs complaint against Kraken, stand firm in our view that we do not list securities and plan to vigorously defend our position.

Garland said the charges against Binance and FTX highlight how the government is cracking down on white collar cryptocurrency crime.

In just the past month, the Justice Department has successfully prosecuted the CEOs of two of the worlds largest cryptocurrency exchanges in two separate criminal cases," he said in the news release. "The message here should be clear: using new technology to break the law does not make you a disruptor, it makes you a criminal.
The road leading into downtown Mentone. ERIC DEXHEIMER / HOUSTON CHRONICLE Oil-industry equipment and flares are common sights in the landscape around Mentone, the sparsely populated town in Loving County in West Texas that is experiencing an oil boom. Billy Calzada, Staff / Staff Photographer

As if our state didn't already have enough disasters  floods, fires, tornadoes, explosions  we've added a new kind to the list. At around 4:30 a.m. on Nov. 8, Texas recorded the fourth-largest earthquake in the state's history, a 5.3 magnitude event. Thankfully it was miles south of Mentone, a West Texas town with a total census count of 10 souls. The tremors, however, rippled all the way to central New Mexico.

The relevance of this particular earthquake wasn't its relatively high magnitude or the minimal damage it caused. It's that it happened smack in the middle of the Permian Basin, the nation's largest oil field.

That's no coincidence. Temblors in Texas have risen sharply over the past decade, and research has linked the increased seismic activity to fracking. After oil and gas are pumped from production wells, they're separated from the groundwater that comes up with them. That water is toxic, and often radioactive, so it's typically injected back into the porous rock formations. That creates fluid pressure on ancient fault lines. Eventually that pressure builds to the point that the fault lines slip, causing earthquakes.

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Oil and gas producers have made a devil's bargain with Texas' geography. They print money by extracting oil and gas from this desolate and yet bountiful region  the Permian generated roughly $182 billion in gross domestic product this year alone. In turn, they drastically alter our underground geology, leading to earthquakes, sinkholes and even permanent saltwater lakes created from briny, contaminated water.

Meanwhile, the Texas Railroad Commission, the state agency tasked with oversight of the oil and gas industry, mostly neglects its responsibilities. Will they step up this time?

The earthquake site overlaps Culberson County and Reeves County, a particularly oil-rich section of the Permian hit by quakes a year ago. After those, the railroad commission and county officials established a plan: After a quake of 4.5 or higher, the commission would prohibit operators from injecting wastewater underground for up to two years. The Chronicle's Amanda Drane reported that up to 600,000 barrels a day of injection capacity could be lost if the commission imposes this rule, which of course would impact the bottom lines of many oil and gas operators, as well as the economic wellbeing of many West Texas boomtowns. Consider that the housekeepers at two "man camps" for oil field workers north of Mentone get paid $45,000, along with free room and board and a full benefits package.

The railroad commission told the editorial board in a statement that it was working with operators to limit injection wells in the area where the earthquake happened, though the agency did not specifically say whether it would enforce its own rule.

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Following through should be the minimum. Temporarily shutting down injection wells while hoping that others don't trip up fault lines is a shortsighted, whack-a-mole strategy. What the commission needs is a regulatory system that accounts for Texas' geographic limitations.

We're not holding our breath. The railroad commissioners are so chummy with the industry that they rake in campaign donations from oil and gas companies, while also trading oil and gas stocks and owning mineral interests.

Ideally, to decide where operators are allowed to drill, the commission would use the plethora of data that show which parts of the Permian Basin have problematic seismic activity. It would enforce responsible water management and spur investment in facilities and pipelines that recycle the produced water used for drilling. It would limit operators from blasting produced water back underground or discharging it in our rivers, creeks and streams.

That level of planning would be good for business, giving operators the ability to invest and drill accordingly. It would also protect Texas' natural environment and mitigate the risk to property and people. It's the sort of commonsense policy that we wish we could expect of that commission all the time.
GOP presidential candidate Chris Christie took a jab at lawmakers in Congress on Monday for thinking they deserve a round of applause for not shutting down the government.

You look at Washington, these jokers take a victory lap for not closing the government and think like they deserve a big round of applause for that. Congratulations  you didnt close the government youre supposed to be down there running, Christie said at a town hall in New Hampshire.

But I dont think that deserves any great round of applause, he continued. But they do, because they havent had a president who has worked with them and made them understand that our job is to work for you. Not the other way around. Our job is to make the tough decisions.

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President Biden signed a stopgap bill passed by Congress last week that prevented a government shutdown ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. The bill will extend funding at current levels for some agencies and programs until Jan. 19, and all others through Feb. 2.

Christie has been critical of House GOP members since kickstarting his campaign for the White House. After the House voted to boot former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) from the top spot in early October, Christie repeatedly took aim at the House GOP and called the ensuing Speakership chaos an embarrassment.

Christie has focused on pooling his resources and time in the state of New Hampshire ahead of its primary election Jan. 23. He has held numerous town hall events in the state similar to the one held Monday, in which he talks to voters and answers their questions on his polices and the state of the race.

While former President Trump remains the front-runner for the GOP nomination on a national scale and in New Hampshire, a recent poll by The Washington Post and Monmouth University found Christie in third place in the state; 46 percent of registered Republican voters or undeclared voters said they would vote for Trump, 18 percent said they would vote for former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, and 11 percent said they would vote for Christie.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
By Giulia Paravicini and Dawit Endeshaw

NAIROBI/ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) -A fresh eruption of fighting in northern Ethiopia has raised concerns among residents about the safety of rock-hewn churches in the town of Lalibela dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries.

Fano militiamen fighting the Ethiopian army in the Amhara region over-ran Lalibela and Gondar for several days in August marking Ethiopia's most serious security crisis since a two-year civil war in the neighbouring region of Tigray ended a year ago.

In a separate incident highlighting instability in the region, at least 30 people were killed in fighting between members of Ethiopia's two largest ethnic groups, the Oromo and Amhara, in a town in the region's Oromiya Special Zone, two residents said.

Fano fighters battled alongside the army during the war in Tigray, but relations between the two have soured, particularly after the federal government in April moved to integrate security forces operated by each region into the police and army.

On Sunday, Ethiopian soldiers fired heavy weapons 11 times from locations near the churches in Lalibela, a deacon said, sending damaging shockwaves through one of the subterranean places of worship.

"The vibrations are affecting the churches," the deacon said, requesting anonymity for fears of reprisals.

Two residents confirmed the fresh wave of fighting. One said the army was stationed outside Lalibela and by the airport and started fighting on Saturday, firing heavy weapons towards a mountain overlooking the town.

The Ethiopian government, federal army and Amhara's regional administration did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment.

Lidetu Ayalew, an Amhara politician based in the United States who grew up near Lalibela, said he feared the churches could be harmed.

"The churches risk being struck and destroyed due to careless firing of heavy weapons," he said in a statement on Monday.

Designated a world heritage site by the United Nations in 1978, Lalibela's 11 medieval cave churches were carved out of monolithic blocks to form a "New Jerusalem", after Muslim conquests halted Christian pilgrimages to the Holy Land.

The UN in August said in the latest round of fighting in Amhara at least 183 people had been killed in the first month. With internet connections down across the region, Reuters has been unable to obtain a clear picture of the latest situation.

The latest Oromo and Amhara clashes between Friday and Sunday were over farmland in Mesno town in the Oromiya Special Zone, which has a majority Oromo population, two residents said.

"At least 30 people died during the clash while trying to defend their areas and their farmland," said a priest in the town who did not wish to be identified, adding he had witnessed 12 of the dead being buried.

Ethiopia's federal government and Amhara region's government had no immediate comment to Reuters' requests for comment.

(Reporting by Giulia Paravicini and Dawit Endeshaw; writing by Giulia Paravicini and George Obulutsa; editing by Alex Richardson and Jason Neely)
NEWTON, Iowa  Carol Camp wanted to hear what Nikki Haley had to say "without anybody else's filters on."

The 58-year-old political independent and educator at Iowa State University Extension saw Haley speak for the first time Friday at a town hall in Newton. She came away agreeing with some parts of what Haley said and disagreeing with others.

"She pointed out mistakes both sides are making," Camp said. "That, to me, at least I know shes not going to cover for her party if theyre doing something that maybe isnt on the up and up."

Camp supported President Joe Biden in the 2020 election but said "I feel his time to serve America has passed."

"Of what I see in the candidates in the Republican Party right now that are running, I would lean towards caucusing for her," she said of Haley.

The former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador is seeing growing interest from political independents like Camp as she seeks to challenge her former boss, Donald Trump.

More: Nikki Haley unveils dozens of Iowa endorsers after another post-presidential debate boost

Sixteen percent of Iowa Republican caucusgoers named Haley as their first choice for president in an October Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa Poll  tying with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Trump led with 43%.

Haley performs better with independents than she does with likely GOP caucusgoers overall. The October Iowa Poll showed 22% of independents name Haley as their first choice for president  up from 10% in August.

Her campaign is acknowledging that momentum  and seeking to build on it.

"This is a growing effort," David Oman, one of Haley's recent endorsers, told a crowd of more than 200 at a Friday morning event in Ankeny. "I think in a campaign its fun to be a part of a team thats growing."

Nikki Haley pitches electability, strategy for going head to head with Trump

At her events, Haley has honed a message aimed at undecided voters: She's the candidate who can win.

She cites national polls that show her beating President Joe Biden in battleground states by larger margins than Trump or DeSantis.

"This isnt just about the presidency," she said. "This is about us winning governorships all up and down the ballot, Senate races all up and down the ballot and House races up and down the ballot. We want to get all of that so we can start getting our country back on track."

Asked in Ankeny about her ability to prevail over Trump, Haley walked the audience through her early state strategy, noting that the field of candidates has winnowed as the debate rules have tightened.

More: Nikki Haley says 'I don't agree' with Donald Trump describing opponents as 'vermin'

"Going into Iowa were going to see three to four people fight for Iowa," she said. "A couple people are going to drop, then were going to go into New Hampshire and then were going to fight for Granite Staters. Then more people are going to drop, and then I go head to head with Trump in my home state of South Carolina. And we take it."

But, Haley said, for that plan to work she needs to do well in Iowa.

"Dont complain about what happens in a general election if you dont play in this caucus," she said. "It matters."

Haley ends her stump speech by encouraging the crowd to convert their friends and neighbors into supporters.

"If you like what I had to say today, go tell 10 people," she said in Ankeny. "Fill out this card and caucus for us. Go tell them to volunteer, to invest, to caucus, whatever it is. Tell your family and friends. Everybody knows they trust their family and friends on what theyre going to do."

And she closes with a joke.

"If you dont like what I had to say today, shh," she whispered. "Just dont say anything and dont tell anyone you were here."

Some independents drawn to Nikki Haley by debate stage performance, 'common sense'

On Thursday afternoon, Jim Hansen was among the independent voters who attended a packed town hall event at Emmaus Bible College in Dubuque. The event marked Haley's first stop on a two-day campaign swing in Iowa.

At Emmaus, in the college's basement coffee shop, 86-year-old Hansen was among those able to grab a seat at the standing-room-only event, waiting for Haley to speak.

Hansen, who previously voted for Trump, said he wants Haley in the White House.

"I like her real well," Hansen, of Dubuque, said, his voice striving to climb over the noise from the more than 200-plus crowd crammed in a tight space.

More: DeSantis, Haley, Ramaswamy get personal in appeals to evangelicals at Family Leader event

He told the Des Moines Register he likes how she approaches people and her experience in foreign policy.

"She makes a lot of common sense," he added. "She speaks to the average voter."

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley greets a crowd of more than 200 at a town hall event Nov. 16 at Emmaus Bible College in Dubuque.

Jerry Fennell, 72, of Dubuque, was another independent voter at the event who echoed several of Hansen's sentiments.

Undecided between Haley and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Fennell said he is so far impressed by Haley's debate stage performances and likes "the way she carries herself."

On Thursday, at another event in Waverly, 73-year-old Margaret Dean said she has her eye on Haley now.

Dean, of Evansdale, said she voted Democrat for years but recently became an independent and is exploring Republican candidates like Haley and her rival DeSantis.

But after hearing Haley at the Waverly Area Veterans Post, she said she is now "iffy" about DeSantis. She said she also thinks Trump is "too sarcastic for me, and I don't like how he treats people."

Dean said she feels Haley has "the right ideas" and is willing to do the work. She liked Haley's stances on national security and abortion.

Haley has said on the campaign trail and the debate stage that she is "unapologetically pro-life" but has called to stop "demonizing" the issue that is personal for many women and men.

Dean told the Register her own beliefs on abortion are similar to Haley's.

"I'm not against anybody that does (get) an abortion for certain reasons," she said while leaving the event Thursday night. "It shouldn't be the government telling. That's how I feel about it. She's kind of that way. She respects anybody's rights."

Some caucusgoers leave Nikki Haley events committed, while others are still browsing

Seeing Haley speak is enough to lock in some supporters.

At Haley's Newton event, former Republican Party of Iowa executive director Marlys Popma stood up and gave an impromptu speech endorsing Haley.

"I was an undecided voter when I walked in here today, and I am no longer an undecided voter," she told the crowd.

More: Nikki Haley gets impromptu endorsement from former Iowa Republican Party head Marlys Popma

Barbara Arthur was at the same event. The 73-year-old from Oakland Acres is a Republican who said before the event that she was undecided and was considering Trump, DeSantis and Haley.

Afterward, Arthur made a confession.

"I never told you this when you were first talking to me," she said. "But I was leaning toward Trump, and shes kind of flipped me. Shes a very good leader."

Others, like former Democratic state lawmaker Wes Breckenridge, now a political independent, showed up to hear Haley speak but aren't ready to make a decision.

"I think for the Republican side I see her as somebody that could bring a step back toward civility within the Republican Party," Breckenridge said after hearing Haley speak in Newton.

Breckenridge said "it's too early to tell" if he would caucus for Haley. He said he's a "strong proponent" of Biden who's just listening to the Republican candidates right now, not making plans to caucus for them.

"I think one of the things I look at is if you dont get out and listen to all the candidates youre not making an informed decision," he said. "So thats what I choose to do."

Republican presidential candidate former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley speaks during the Family Leader's Thanksgiving Family Forum, Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Camp, the Newton independent who voted for Biden in 2020, hasn't made her decision either. Although she said she would lean towards caucusing for Haley, Camp wasn't ready to commit as she walked out of the building.

"Todays the first day Ive actually got to hear her," she said. "So I have some research to do."

Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@registermedia.com or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on Twitter at @sgrubermiller.

F. Amanda Tugade covers social justice issues for the Des Moines Register. Email her at ftugade@dmreg.com or follow her on Twitter @writefelissa.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Nikki Haley is courting independent voters to try to catch Trump
When tragedy strikes a school, like when a student or teacher dies, educators face a daunting challenge: helping students and staff deal with the shock and get the support they need.

But no school is equipped with enough counselors and mental health professionals to support every student and staff member at once.

Enter the regional crisis response team.

The Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES Regional Crisis Team was formed just after the Columbine High School massacre to provide support to schools in the immediate aftermath of a crisis. And it has helped other BOCES throughout the state and a program in Connecticut start similar teams.

Brian Ladewig, assistant superintendent, and Amabell Abbott, school psychologist, in Abbott's office at Harrison High School Nov. 20, 2023. They both serve on the SW BOCES crisis team, which responds to other districts in the same BOCES when a crisis occurs.

Brandon Cruz, supervisor of school safety for Southern Westchester BOCES, learned from Putnam/Northern Westchester's team for two years before helping launch Southern Westchester BOCES' own crisis team this fall.

"It's also nice to know that we have a community of people now, and a network of people now, in this team of districts that we can reach out to," Cruz said.

Southern Westchester BOCES has always responded to districts after a crisis with its own staff. But officials felt a need to have a network of specialists from the region's school districts who would "serve on this team to support a neighboring district if there's a crisis," said Jim Gratto, assistant superintendent for educational services.

Each team currently has about 40 professionals who are ready to respond to crises. Five to 10 members typically respond to a single crisis, depending on the size of the school needing help, said Lynn Allen, Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES' deputy superintendent.

Both Westchester crisis teams rely on a network of social workers, school psychologists, counselors and other professionals who already work for school districts served by the two BOCES. The teams also include members from other partner organizations, and Putnam/Northern Westchester's team even has professionals who stayed on after retiring.

When a crisis happens  usually the death of a student or staff member  team members go to the district within their BOCES jurisdiction that needs extra support.

Though not structured like the Westchester teams, Rockland BOCES also provides support to its districts under similar circumstances when districts request it. And like the Westchester teams, Rockland BOCES is also able to provide specialized support depending on the nuances of the crisis.

"We can immediately dispatch clinicians and shift resources to make sure students in our districts have the support they need," Scott Salotto, director of communications and governmental relations said in an email.

What a response looks like

The Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES Regional Crisis Team has been activated to respond to crises at schools 108 days since 2007, when it started tracking its responses. It was on standby another 98 days in case districts needed extra help.

So far, Southern Westchester BOCES' new team has responded twice. And there were another two instances where it provided support without sending members to the school  the teams can advise schools on how to handle a specific crisis or communicate with the school community.

One of Southern Westchester's responses was at Greenvale Elementary School in Elmsford. Principal Joanna Napolitano said the team helped provide support for a week after a crisis, addressing the psychological and emotional needs of students and staff.

"They really embedded themselves in our community," Napolitano said. "I can't say enough about what an incredible group of people they were."

Administrators can also play an important role on the crisis teams by helping with logistical challenges like communication and staffing, said Brian Ladewig, an assistant superintendent in Harrison and a member of Southern Westchester's team.

"I think the most important thing to realize is sometimes the staff itself and the administration of that building is also affected," said Ellen Slater, an Ossining High School social worker on the Putnam/Northern Westchester team. She said administrators welcome the extra help to make sure they're communicating with families and not forgetting anything.

Often administrators don't want to share how affected they are to be strong for their school, said Karin Brenner, a retired Carmel High School social worker.

School psychologist Eric Rosen chats with juniors at Croton Harmon High School Nov. 17, 2023 in Croton-on-Hudson.

"Everything happens pretty quickly," said Croton-Harmon school psychologist Eric Rosen. "You get a phone call maybe the night before, and you don't really have all the information, I guess, until you arrive on site."

Then, he said, their training kicks in.

Following the school's lead

A crisis team could set up in the cafeteria and be there for students who need to talk, or meet with staff in the library after school to talk about navigating bereavement, Cruz said. The team doesn't want to take over, but helps wherever they're needed, he said.

That help can look different depending on the age of the students, said Grace Carnevali, a retired North Salem school counselor. In an elementary school, team members make sure kids have an activity, such as drawing or writing something about the person who died on a big sheet of paper.

Sometimes students want to talk about the person who died. Other times, it's quiet, Carnevali said.

Brandon Cruz, supervisor of school safety for Southern Westchester BOCES, learned from Putnam/Northern Westchester's Regional Crisis Team before helping set up Southern Westchester BOCES' team.

School staff that call on the team for help often let the responding team members know of specific students they are most concerned about.

That was the case in one instance when Jeanne McCabe, a retired PNW BOCES social worker, responded to a school and sat with a student who staff members were concerned about. She ultimately let them know the student was at risk of suicide.

Both teams typically respond for just one or two days in the immediate aftermath of a tragedy. Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES has even responded on weekends and during the summer.

The job isn't getting easier

Team members are trained on how to respond to crises where people experience grief, loss and trauma. Dealing with such circumstances has only gotten more difficult amid a mental health crisis and as school has moved into the technological age.

There has always been mental illness, "but I think it's playing out in a different way now," said Patricia Bragdon, a social worker at John Jay High School in the Katonah-Lewisboro district. Kids are exposed to more violence at a vulnerable age compared to when Putnam/Northern Westchester's team was formed, thanks to the rise of the internet and social media, Bragdon said.

The Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES Regional Crisis Team responds to its districts to provide extra support after a crisis, typically the death of a student or staff member.

Bragdon described a recent deployment in which she responded to a student death  "the kids got all this information online that they were spreading around school. This was almost before anybody knew anything."

The information was incorrect, Bragdon said.

"It just complicates, even for the school, trying to work through what happened and what's going on with the kids," she said.

Still, team members embrace the challenge and will drop everything to help a school district in need, said Allen at Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES. She described this kind of work as "a calling" for team members.

"There is something about this that is so very special," she said.

Contact Diana Dombrowski at ddombrowski@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @domdomdiana.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Westchester BOCES crisis response teams help schools after deaths
Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, based on the final novel in Hilary Mantels trilogy, will begin filming in the United Kingdom soon, according to Masterpiece, PBS and the BBC. Oscar winner Mark Rylance is back as Thomas Cromwell, joined by Emmy winner Damian Lewis returning as King Henry VII and Oscar nominee Jonathan Pryce as Cardinal Wolsey.

Kate Phillips will also reprise her role as Henry VIIIs third wife, Jane Seymour, and Lilit Lesser is Princess Mary, the daughter of Henry and his first wife Catherine of Aragon.

More from Variety

Per the release, Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light will follow the final four years of Cromwells life, completing his journey from self-made man to the most feared, influential figure of his time.

Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light is directed by Peter Kominsky, adapted by Peter Straughan and produced by Lisa Osborne. The series is executive produced by Colin Callender and Noelette Buckley for Playground, Kosminsky, Lucy Richer for the BBC and Susanne Simpson for Masterpiece.

Masterpiece is presented on PBS by GBH Boston. Banijay Rights will distribute the series internationally.

In other TV roundup news:

FIRST LOOKS

HBO documentary series Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage, & Reckoning has released a trailer.

Produced in association with The Boston Globe, the three-part documentary centers on the aftermath of the 1989 Boston case in which Charles Chuck Stuart called the police, falsely alleging that his pregnant wife, Carol Stuart, was murdered by a Black man. The incident made headlines, contributing to increased racial hatred of the Black community and aggressive police tactics within Bostons Mission Hill neighborhood.

Thoughtfully braiding extensive archive coverage of the incident, the years leading up to it, and its aftermath, with more than a dozen present-day interviews of people affected at the time including residents, community members, journalists who covered the case, Bennett family members, city officials and a retired Boston police officer, Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage, & Reckoning chronicles the complex history of race-based hostilities in the city, which exploded with the desegregation of schools and the Garrity busing ruling of 1974, reads the series description.

Jason Hehir serves as director and producer. Jake Rogal, Nicholas Eisenberg, Jillian Moossmann serve as producers, along with executive producer Joie Jacoby. Executive producers for The Boston Globe are Linda Pizzuti Henry and Dan Krockmalnic. Executive producers for HBO are Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller and Sara Rodriguez.

The first episode of Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage & Reckoning premieres Dec. 4 on HBO, streaming on Max. New episodes drop weekly on Mondays.

Watch the trailer below.

PROGRAMMING

Canela Media has launched an after show for its reality series Secretos De Villanas. Secretos El Aftershow premieres Nov. 23 on Fridays following Secretos de Villanas through Dec. 29.

Each after show episode will feature an interview with one of the actresses and executive producer and host Enrique Sapene. The conversations will delve into topics beyond what is featured in the show. Verizon will have category exclusive presence for Secretos El Aftershow and is the exclusive presenting sponsor. In addition to Sapene highlighting Verizons myPlan on the show, the integration will also include feature deals for those watching.

Secretos de Villanas brings telenovela villains together  Laura Zapata, Cynthia Klitbo, Aylin Mujica, Sabine Moussier, Geraldine Bazan and Sarah Mintz  on a luxurious vacation to a villa in British Columbia. The latest season premiered on Oct. 26. Sapene and Ruben Consuegra, who serves as showrunner at River Waves Production, executive produce Secretos de Villanas.

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The Hallmark Channels primetime family drama series The Way Home has announced that its second season will premiere Jan. 21.

The series follows three generations of women in the Landry family, Kat Landry (Chyler Leigh), Kats mother, Del (Andie MacDowell) and Kats 15-year-old daughter, Alice (Sadie Laflamme-Snow). Season one saw Kat and Alice returning to Kats hometown after tragedy strikes. Upon moving back, Alice discovers she can travel between the past and the present, spurring mother and daughter to try and change the past.

Neshama Entertainment and MarVista Entertainment produce. Heather Conkie, Alexandra Clarke, Fernando Szew, Hannah Pillemer, Larry Grimaldi, Ani Kevork, Arnie Zipursky, Marly Reed, Suzanne Berger, MacDowell and Leigh serve as executive producers, with John Calvert as producer and Mitch Geddes as executive in charge of production.

We all fell in love with the Landry women and their complex, emotional story and are thrilled that it resonated so strongly with viewers, said Laurie Ferneau, senior vice president of development at Hallmark Media. We cant wait for fans to continue this journey, which is filled with more heartfelt drama, emotion and mystery  season two does not disappoint.

SPECIALS

CBS has revealed that country musician Mickey Guyton will host the holiday special National Christmas Tree Lighting, which broadcasts on Friday, Dec. 15 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Viewers can find it airing on CBS or stream it on Paramount+.

Presented by the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation, the event will include performances from a wide range of artists including Darren Criss, Samara Joy, Ledisi, Renee Rapp, St. Vincent, Joe Walsh and Dionne Warwick, as they present their renditions of classic holiday songs. Guyton will perform as well.

The special includes the lighting of the National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse at The White House and Presidents Park in Washington, D.C. The United States Coast Guards Guardians Big Band will also perform. The ceremony takes place ahead of the broadcast on Nov. 30.

The event is produced by White Rose Way Entertainment. It is executive produced by Kristi Foley and Leon Knoles, and produced by Renato Basile. Knoles also serves as director.

DATES

Ricky Gervais: Armageddon will be available to stream on Netflix on Christmas day.

For the next 2000 years people will remember the 25th December as the day Armageddon was released on Netflix, Gervais stated.

His new stand-up special tackles the end of humanity, political correctness, family weddings, funerals and Artificial Intelligence, per the release. Armageddon marks Gervais third Netflix stand-up special, following 2018s Humanity and 2022s SuperNature, which reached the Netflix Top 10 in 13 countries. His series Afterlife is also available exclusively on the streamer.

Gervais Armageddon world tour broke several world records, with his biggest ever stand-up show at Los Angeles Hollywood Bowl entering the Guinness World Records. He played 85 sold-out arena dates across the globe.

Ricky Gervais: Armageddon is directed by John L. Spencer and produced by Derek Productions. It was recorded at the London Palladium earlier this year.

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Showtime has announced that the upcoming six-episode drama series The Woman in the Wall is slated to premiere on Jan. 19 on Paramount+ with the streamers Showtime plan, before debuting on air on Jan. 21 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

The series stars Ruth Wilson, who also executive produces, and Daryl McCormack. Per the shows description, The Woman in the Wall centers on Lorna Brady (Wilson), a woman from the small, fictional Irish town of Kilkinure, who wakes one morning to find a corpse in her house. Chillingly, Lorna has no idea who the dead woman is or if she, herself, might be responsible for the apparent murder.

The description continues, Thats because Lorna has long suffered from extreme bouts of sleepwalking ever since she was ripped from her life at the age of 15 and incarcerated in The Kilkinure Convent, a (fictional) home to one of Irelands infamous Magdalene Laundries for women. There, Lorna gave birth to her daughter Agnes, who cruelly was taken from her and whose fate Lorna never has known.

McCormack stars as Detective Colman, who is tracking Lorna for a crime that doesnt seem to be connected to the corpse. The rest of the cast includes Simon Delaney, Philippa Dunne, Mark Huberman, Hilda Fay, Frances Tomelty and Dermot Crowley.

The Woman in the Wall is produced by Motive Pictures for Showtime and the BBC. The series is created and written by Joe Murtagh. Executive producers include Simon Maxwell, Sam Lavender, Murtagh, Wilson and Harry Wootliff.

DEVELOPMENT

CreativeChaos has acquired the rights to Klementyna Suchanows nonfiction Polish bestseller This Is War: Women, Fundamentalists and the New Middle Ages.

Tom Donahue and Ilan Arboleda will adapt Suchanows book into a four-part docuseries that follows Suchanows transformation from author to activist in a trial for actions against the Polish government. With the help of an international network of journalists and activists, Suchanow will expose a fundamentalist global effort to destroy human rights and turn the worlds democracies into authoritarian regimes.

Suchanow cofounded the Polish Womens Strike and embarked on an eight years long mission as she scrutinized a network of traditionalist-conservative organizations throughout Europe, Latin America, Africa and the United States. The series will explore how those groups are infiltrated by Kremlin agents and the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies  which were both weapons of interference in the 2016 U.S. elections.

The unnamed project will be executive produced by Donahue, Arboleda, co creator Jan Swietlik and Suchanow, who will also pen the series.

EXECUTIVE NEWS

Universal Studio Group has announced that Marianne Goode has been appointed senior vice president, music creative services. Goode will report to Mark Binke, executive vice president of product operations for UCP, as well as Jerry DiCanio, production operations for Universal Television.

Goode will helm the entirety of the companys music creative services, which includes licensing for Universal Television, UCP, Universal Television Alternative Studio and Universal International Studios. Her position also entails overseeing promotional music services for NBCUniversals networks, including NBC, USA, SyFy, Bravo, E!, Universal Kids, CNBC, MSNBC and Oxygen.

Im thrilled to join USG and for the opportunity to lead the exceptionally talented Creative Music Services team, said Goode. Throughout my career, Ive been fortunate to work across a broad spectrum of the music industry. Its been an exciting and rewarding journey that has led me here. Im excited to work with USGs incredible roster, NBCUs stellar networks and the production teams overseen by Mark and Jerry.

RATINGS

NCIS: Sydney, the first international expansion of the NCIS franchise, has become Australias most-watched local series since the Paramount+ launch in Australia.

The series was originally developed for Network 10 and Paramount+ in Australia. It debuted on Paramount+ Australia on Nov. 10 and then on the CBS Television Network on Nov. 14, with the series premiere reaching viewership highs on both linear and streaming.

The premiere episode is approaching 10 million viewers on CBS and Paramount+ in the U.S., setting milestones as the top new show of the TV season and the most-streamed CBS Network series premiere ever on Paramount+. Airing on Global, NCIS: Sydney is the top scripted series in Canada this season and third series overall.

New episodes drop weekly on Fridays on Paramount+ Australia. They air Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT on the CBS Television Network, also streaming live and on demand on Paramount+ in the U.S. and on Global and StackTV in Canada.

NCIS: Sydney is produced by Endemol Shine Australia for CBS Studios and Paramount Australia. Paramount Global Content Distribution distributes the series outside Australia. Morgan ONeill created the series, which he executive produces with Endemol Shine Australias Sara Richardson and Sue Seeary.

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It has been many weeks since there was a significant outbreak of severe weather in the United States. Following several tornado reports and close to two dozen incidents of severe weather over the lower Mississippi Valley into Monday night, AccuWeather meteorologists expect severe weather to continue Tuesday in the Southeastern states. Some of the powerful storms will linger well after dark, which will add to the danger.

The last significant severe weather outbreak in the U.S. was centered on the Great Plains on Oct. 3-4, when at least 175 storm reports were filed, including eight tornadoes. Prior to Monday, severe thunderstorms had not occurred since Sept. 26 in Louisiana and way back on Sept. 7 in Mississippi.

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A strengthening storm will tap Gulf of Mexico moisture and jet stream energy as it travels northeastward over the eastern U.S. through Tuesday.

Thunderstorms began to erupt during the midday hours Monday and a number turned severe in the afternoon, spawning strong winds, hail and torrential downpours in central Louisiana.

By the evening hours, some of these thunderstorms began to develop characteristics capable of producing tornadoes. Through Tuesday morning, there have been at least five preliminary reports of tornadoes across central portions of Louisiana and Mississippi, according to the Storm Prediction Center.

As the storm system responsible for Monday's severe weather lifts farther to the north Tuesday, conditions in the atmosphere will shift away from rotating thunderstorms and a high risk of tornadoes to more of a strong wind gust and torrential downpour event Tuesday. Those hazards will unfold farther to the east in the Southern states.

The storms on Tuesday will occur along and ahead of an advancing cold front and will likely occur from the Florida Panhandle northeastward to central and eastern North Carolina.

The risk area includes much of the southeastern half of Alabama and most of Georgia, including the Atlanta area. The highest risk for storms with disruptive downpours, dangerous lightning strikes and potentially damaging wind gusts around the Atlanta metro area will be during the morning through the early afternoon hours. As with the case of any severe thunderstorm, there is the potential of a brief tornado.

By Tuesday night, the widespread risk of severe weather will ease, but some of the thunderstorms that extend from northeastern Florida and coastal areas from southeastern Georgia and the Carolinas to southern Virginia may still be severe at the local level.

People traveling along the Interstate 95 corridor and in cities such as Charleston, South Carolina; Wilmington, North Carolina; and Norfolk, Virginia, may deal with localized flash flooding and strong wind gusts during the evening. Winds can knock over trees and trigger sporadic power outages for a time in that zone. An isolated tornadoes is not out of the question as well.

Much of the South Central and Southeastern states have been in major drought or building drought conditions in recent months. The same pattern that has been acting as a deterrent against drenching rainfall has also been keeping a lid on thunderstorm activity.

In the autumn, there is often an uptick in severe weather following a downturn during the late summer. Instead of strengthening storm systems this autumn, which are the primary cause of severe weather this time of the year, storms have been weak, moisture-starved or avoided the region.

Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
A group of Democratic senators urged President Biden on Monday to work with Israel in an effort to convince the country to open its border for humanitarian aid to cross into the Hamas-governed Gaza Strip.

In a letter sent to Biden, the lawmakers asked the administration to work with Israel and its allied partners to implement a plan that will protect civilian life and deliver much-needed humanitarian aid to the war-torn Gaza.

The senators also asked for the Kerem Shalom border, a border crossing between Israel and Gaza, to be reopened in order to facilitate the proper inspection and delivery of larger quantities of aid and the reopening of this crossing must become part of the humanitarian support plan.

The letter also asks for access to prompt medical attention for sick and wounded civilians, both within Gaza as well as the option to evacuate to a neighboring country.

The letter was co-led by Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.).

The letter was signed by ten other senators, including Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)

Lastly, there must be hope for the future. We worry the current trajectory of the conflict moves us further away from our shared goals of ending Hamass threat and removing them from power in Gaza, bringing hostages home, and achieving a sustainable peace in the region through a two state solution, the senators wrote in their letter.

This conflict will not be solved by force alone. Preservation of and respect for innocent life is both morally right and the best hope for a long-term strategy to accomplish security, stability, and peace in the region, the letter concludes.

The letter comes as lawmakers in the recent weeks have called for a cease-fire solution in the Hamas-Israel war, but with some stipulating that a cease-fire should happen if the militant group Hamas releases all hostages currently detained.

Its been a month since Hamass surprise attack against Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and the taking of around 240 hostages.

In response, Israel has launched a series of airstrikes and a ground invasion in Gaza, resulting in the death of at least 13,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Photograph: Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters

Bernie Sanders called on Congress to require Israel to change its policies as a condition to receiving US military aid  a statement that was met with fierce opposition by vocal Democratic supporters of the Jewish state, underscoring a deepening rift on the left over the Biden administrations response to the war.

In a statement on Saturday, Sanders, a leading progressive voice, proposed leveraging US security assistance as a way of forcing Israel to reconsider its military strategy amid its bombardment and blockade of Gaza that has led to spiraling death, dislocation and destruction across the territory.

Related: Leftist Democrats invoke human rights law in scrutiny of Israel military aid

While Israel has the right to go after Hamas, [Israeli prime minister Benjamin] Netanyahus rightwing extremist government does not have the right to wage almost total warfare against the Palestinian people, Sanders said in the statement. That is morally unacceptable and in violation of international law.

Israels response to the murderous 7 October attack by Hamas  which left 1,200 people dead and roughly 240 taken hostage, the vast majority of whom were civilians, according to Israeli officials  has caused a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. More than 13,000 Palestinians  most of them women and children  have been killed, according to Palestinian health authorities.

Sanders issued his call as Democrats faced mounting pressure from the partys voters to support a ceasefire in the weeks-long war. Sanders himself has faced criticism from his progressive supporters over his reluctance to endorse their push for a ceasefire.

Joe Biden, who has emphatically backed Israel, has seen his support among Democrats drop dramatically, as majorities of Americans disapprove of his handling of the Israel-Hamas war and foreign policy more broadly.

An NBC News poll released over the weekend found that a majority of Democrats  51%  believe Israels military response in Gaza has gone too far, versus 27% who say its actions are justified. The discontent was especially pronounced among younger voters: nearly seven in 10 voters between the ages of 18 and 34 disapproved of the US presidents handling of the war.

It comes amid reports that a number of House and Senate Democrats have engaged in discussions about how to impose conditions on future military aid. Politico reported that the conversations among progressives were preliminary but that the White House was aware that administration allies could openly push for conditions in the near future.

Sanders demands include a postwar commitment by Israel to pursue broad peace talks for a two-state solution as well as to ensure displaced Gazans are able to return to their homes and that Israel will not reoccupy or continue its blockade of the enclave.

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat of New York, called Sanders proposal a responsible course of action.

The United States has a legal and moral responsibility to ensure that public resources do not facilitate gross violations of human rights and international law, she wrote on Twitter/X.

Ocasio-Cortez is part of a growing number of House Democrats who have publicly called on Biden to support a ceasefire. What began as a call by 12 progressive House Democrats has now expanded to include more than three dozen members, including several Jewish Democrats.

The idea of conditioning aid was also raised in a New York Times op-ed by Josh Paul, who recently resigned from his position as the former director in the state departments political-military affairs bureau to protest against the US decision to continue sending weapons into the conflict in Gaza.

If the United States is to continue to employ military and security assistance as a tool of its engagement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (and there are good arguments why it should not), it must change its approach significantly, he wrote on Friday. One way to do this would be simply by applying the laws and policies that it applies to every other country in the world: There is no point in having leverage that could pressure Israel to cease actions that undermine peace if we refuse to even consider using it.

But any effort from Democrats to put restrictions on Israel has been met by furious backlash.

Conditioning aid to Israel will only have one outcome: it would help Hamas in their goal of completely annihilating Israel and the Jewish people, said congressman Josh Gottheimer, a New Jersey Democrat. It would weaken Americas national security and our fight against terror.

Congressman Jared Moskowitz, a Florida Democrat, warned that if Sanders attached political requirements to aid for Israel, he would work to remove those conditions or condition [a]id to Gaza that requires the removal of Hamas.

Lets not play this game, Moskowitz wrote on X. Send the aid to both.

Meanwhile, several Democrats compared Sanders proposal to a decision by the House speaker, Mike Johnson, to tie the $14.3bn aid package to Israel to $14.3bn in spending cuts to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

I didnt agree with conditioning aid to Israel when Republicans did it and I dont agree if Democrats are trying to do it, Congressman Jake Auchincloss, a Massachusetts Democrat, wrote.

Asked about the growing calls among progressives, Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, said he would oppose applying such criteria on assistance to one of the USs closest allies.

I dont know how the United States Congress, which has yet to pass a budget, can impose conditions for combat on an ally that is trying to defend itself as it has a right and responsibility to do under some of the most difficult conditions of warfare in recent history, he said in a Sunday appearance on NBCs Meet the Press. I would be very loth to impose conditions that would, in effect, straitjacket or handcuff the IDF in this very, very excruciatingly difficult challenge.

Amid international outcry over the Gazan civilian death toll under Israels bombardment and ground invasion, the Biden administration is increasingly raising concerns about the scale of the violence caused by Israels military campaign in Gaza, as well as its postwar plans for the territory. It is also frustrated by the Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank, which has escalated since the 7 October attack.

In a Washington Post op-ed, Biden wrote on Saturday that the US was prepared to impose sanctions, including visa bans, against Israeli settlers who attack Palestinian civilians in the West Bank.

I have been emphatic with Israels leaders that extremist violence against Palestinians in the West Bank must stop and that those committing the violence must be held accountable, he wrote.

Asked about the growing push to condition aid during an interview on Meet the Press, Jon Finer, the deputy national security adviser, said: No assistance that the United States provides to any country is unconditional.

He repeated that the US was committed to supporting Israel as it defends itself in response to the attacks of 7 October, but that Israel had an obligation to conduct this conflict in a way that distinguishes civilians from noncombatants in a way that is proportional.

Finer declined to say whether the White House was confident that Israel was following international law after Israeli forces raided Gazas largest hospital last week.


STAUNTON  The Virginia State Bar has taken action against a Staunton attorney by revoking his license to practice law after he charged clients exorbitant fees for filing motions based on legal arguments that had already been rejected by numerous courts, according to filings in Staunton Circuit Court.

The ruling was handed down Oct. 26 against attorney Dale Jensen, 65, following four days of hearings.

Court documents said Jensen and his staff advised incarcerated clients and their families that the court filings  motions to vacate their previous convictions  were likely to succeed, convincing them to dole out "thousands upon thousands of dollars" to argue their indictments were defective.

Some of the clients liquidated their entire savings while others used high-interest bearing credit cards to pay Jensen.

The Staunton attorney said he is preparing to appeal the ruling. "I certainly dispute the allegations that were made," Jensen said.

The work delivered by Jensen for the high fees often consisted of nothing more than arguments that were copied and pasted from previous motions from the cases of other clients, and he sometimes reused arguments that didn't apply to a current client's case, court documents said. Identical typos appear to show Jensen didn't proofread the copies.

"There are multiple instances where identical typographical errors carried forward from motion to motion, never being spotted, or corrected over the course of several years, strongly suggesting that (Jensen) did not even spend enough time on these motions to proofread the copied text, much less perform novel billable work," court records show.

Ads in Prison Legal Times led to tens of thousands of dollars in fees from clients

Jensen would advertise his services in the Prison Legal Times. Once he landed a prison client, he'd advise the inmate to challenge their conviction usually by arguing their 5th Amendment rights had been violated based on "defects and errors" in their original indictments, a theory Jensen unsuccessfully used in the case of Phillip Ostrander several years ago.

He would use the unsuccessful arguments over and over again to collect fees from the inmates and their relatives, according to court records, and did not advise them of a Virginia Supreme Court decision in an unrelated case, Epps v. Commonwealth, that would have significantly undercut his defective argument, the Virginia State Bar said.

His argument in the Ostrander case was rejected by the Chesapeake Circuit Court. The Virginia Supreme Court, along with the United States Supreme Court, refused to hear appeals in the case. But Jensen never told any of the inmates that his legal argument had been rejected by the courts. He also mishandled his fees after being paid, court documents said, commingling funds by putting cash in the wrong accounts and withdrawing money before he was eligible to do so in almost every case.

The allegations against Jenson show that once he got a client's interest in seeking post-conviction relief, he would charge a flat fee, usually $3,000, to review the case. After taking the case, Jensen would then ask for about $25,000 to $45,000 to file a motion to vacate, court records show.

Ostrander, sentenced in 2006 to 30 years in prison on charges that included solicitation for murder and attempted murder, saw an advertisement in 2015 by Jensen for post-conviction relief. With the help of family members, Ostrander came up with $15,000 to retain Jensen, who did not deposit the money into a trust account as required. He also failed to keep proper records of the manner in which Ostrander's advance fee was earned, court records said.

Ostrander was told that his case would test Jensen's initial theory.

In 2016, a judge rejected the theory and denied Jensen's motion to vacate in the Ostrander case. In June of that same year, Jensen filed a motion to reconsider "in which he advanced his theory that the Indictment Clause of the Fifth Amendment applies to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment," court documents state.

Jensen also filed a motion to recuse after he claimed the judge penned a dismissal that parroted "the erroneous response of the Commonwealth without giving (Jensen) sufficient time to reply." In a second opinion letter, the judge denied the motion to recuse, describing Jensen's language as "borderline contemptuous." The judge also cited the published opinion in the Epps case.

As the case dragged on, Jensen stopped communicating with Ostrander, court records state.

Despite his unsuccessful legal theory in the Ostrander case, Jensen persisted with his arguments.

Reached by phone last week, Jensen contends that defendants accused of felonies are entitled to a proper grand jury indictment, and said the Virginia Courts failed by violating the constitutional rights of his clients. "The United States Constitution is supposed to be the supreme law of the land," he said.

Jensen also rejected the implication he did little work by simply copying and pasting documents. "There was a lot of work, a lot of thought that went into them," he said. Jensen said most attorneys copy and past previous arguments. "I can tell you, though, on these cases I spent thousands of hours developing the arguments" and doing basic legal research, he said.

In its complaint, the Virginia State Bar highlighted several inmates who forked over tens of thousands of dollars for Jensen's services.

Michael Robinson, convicted in Richmond of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison in 2013, contacted Jensen's office in 2019 and was quoted a flat fee of $3,000 to review his case. In 2020, Robinson was told that for $25,000, Jensen would file a motion to vacate because his due process rights and Eighth Amendment rights were violated.

Robinson emailed a staffer at Jensen's office asking if he had a chance to win the motion. "Because for my family $25k is a substantial amount," he wrote.

The staffer replied, "We would not suggest filing a motion that did not have a chance of going somewhere, and we do not want people to waste their money." Neither Jensen nor anyone on his staff told Robinson or his family about the previous rejections by the courts.

After collecting money from family and friends for the fee, another $16,000 of the payment to Jensen was made with a credit card. Jensen again used failed arguments from the Ostrander case "copied for the most part verbatim," court documents said. In its opposition, the commonwealth cited the Virginia Supreme Court's decision in the Epps case.

Robinson and his family also lost contact with Jensen, according to court records, and filed a bar complaint. It's not clear how much Jensen was paid, but court filings state the family is owed more than $6,000.

False promises, blocked number, 'post-conviction remedies' that cured nothing

In 2020, Christopher Albert, who is pulling a life sentence for first-degree murder and robbery following convictions in Charles City County, reached out to Jensen with the help of his fiance. Charged $3,500 to review the case, "(Jensen) and his staff assured them that a motion to vacate was the best chance of success in Mr. Albert's case," court documents state.

Jenson informed Albert that once the case got to the Virginia Supreme Court, he would be released, according to court records. A staffer told Albert he would be home in 48 to 72 hours. Albert and his fiance gave Jensen more than $21,000.

Once Jensen filed the motion to vacate, communications all but ceased, court files said. Albert's fiance made numerous calls to Jensen's office, but her phone number was eventually blocked. She too filed a complaint with the bar.

Sentenced to life in 1999 for murder, Antonio Townsend, along with his fiance and a relative, contacted Jensen's office in 2020, paying $3,000 for a review of his case and another $25,000 for a possible post-conviction remedy. They were told they were getting a $20,000 discount based on the firm's regular fee, court records indicate.

After Townsend's sister reached out for an update on the case, a Jensen employee who was previously imprisoned on molestation and child porn convictions two years earlier responded via email and represented himself as Jensen's chief law clerk, court records show. It's not clear if the former employee was in prison at the time, but court records show Jensen's office continued to use the imprisoned man's email. He also called the office over 1,500 times during a seven-month period between 2021 and 2022.

Jensen said the former employee had an email that was used by others in the office, and said the former staff member had no access to the email while behind bars. Jensen said the employee, whom he referred to as a friend, did make a number of calls to his office while imprisoned but said not all of them were answered.

A motion to vacate that was eventually filed on Townsend's behalf  when compared to legal arguments in the Robinson case  show the documents were directly copied from an earlier memorandum and contained identical typographical errors, according to court records. The motion to vacate falsely argued that Townsend's indictments were further defective because a multi-jurisdictional grand jury's proceedings were never transcribed, in violation of a Virginia Statute. However, Townsend was never indicted by a multi-jurisdictional grand jury, but Robinson was.

Townsend and his family paid Jensen $28,000. His work on the case would have generated fees of less than $17,000 "at best," court documents said. "At no time during the representation did (Jensen) or anyone at his firm advise Mr. Townsend or his family that the case law was not in Mr. Townsend's favor," the court filing said. The motion is still pending.

'He was preying on us': phantom witnesses, unfiled pardon applications

In 2012, Eugene Fredo was sentenced to 26 years on sexual assault charges and is slated for release in 2034, according to the Virginia Department of Corrections. The 72-year-old Chesapeake man contacted Jensen's office in 2019, and his family paid $38,000 for his services, according to court records. Part of the payment included an additional $5,000 for an expert witness, but a Virginia State Bar investigator was unable to find any documentation pertaining to such a witness. Jensen again argued in a motion to vacate that a multi-jurisdictional grand jury erred but, just like Townsend's case, Fredo's case was never presented to such a jury.

"I did all the homework on my case," Fredo said in a phone call from Saint Brides Correctional Center in Chesapeake. "He was preying on us."

Yet another inmate, Thomas Purcell, convicted out of Prince William County Circuit Court, paid Jensen more than $45,000 to file a motion to vacate, along with a pardon application. Court records show the motion to vacate was "identical in nearly every respect" to motions filed for Jensen's other clients. Purcell has sued him for $47,500.

Convicted of murder in Newport News, Nahfis Nichols, whose release date is in December 2071, contacted Jensen in 2017. His mother paid $6,999 for work on a pardon application and a writ of innocence, court files show. Jensen failed to deposit the money into a trust account as required, and did not keep proper records on how some of his advance fees were earned.

Eventually, the inmate's mother asked for a refund after the process stalled. Court records show she was told by a Jensen employee in an affidavit, after she filed a bar complaint, that it had been confirmed with the Secretary of the Commonwealth that her son's pardon was still under review in 2021, and was also told by another employee that a pardon application was filed with the governor's office.

But court files show a pardon application was never filed with the governor's office. The writ of actual innocence was never filed as well.

Jensen, who had offices in Charlottesville, Nelson County and Staunton, said the anger stemming from the inmates and their families is missing the mark. "Quite frankly, I think their anger should have been directed at the Virginia courts rather than me," he said.

When asked if he'd be willing to consider refunds, he paused for a moment before saying he would have to do an examination on a case-by-case basis.

"I guess we're just at a different place in terms of the amount that I'm willing to refund versus the amount that they're willing to accept as a refund," he said.

Brad Zinn is the cops, courts and breaking news reporter at The News Leader. Have a news tip? Or something that needs investigating? You can email reporter Brad Zinn (he/him) at bzinn@newsleader.com. You can also follow him on X (formerly Twitter).

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Staunton lawyer disbarred, says he will appeal
Houston Chronicle photographer Jim Doersam snapped this picture at the instant that children in a 5th grade class at Montrose Elementary School in Houston learned of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. It was reprinted in newspapers around the world. The photo reflected the shock and disbelief that many grownups also felt. Jim Doersam/Houston Chronicle

Remembering JFK

Regarding "What connects Lincoln to JFK's assassination? Texas. (Opinion)," (Nov. 20): I am one of many who will never forget the horrific day we lost John F. Kennedy. His presidency, which a lot of us older folks remember as "Camelot," had given a lot of Americans a sense of hope that this country was in for some of the greatest civil rights achievements. We felt a general sense of eagerness for the things he would accomplish.

When I heard of his murder, I felt a cloud of hopelessness that would not go away. I did not live in Texas at the time, but I remember in-laws who were Texans and how gleeful they were that he was gone.

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Well, I personally feel this country has never recovered from his death. We've been on a downward slide ever since. I felt it was wonderful to have a young and brilliant president. Currently, we are bogged down with over-the-hill politicians who are only in it for themselves, too preoccupied with their infighting to accomplish anything other than inspiring hate and violence.

Pat Reagin, Montgomery

Learning from history

Regarding "What history and the classics have to say about Gaza (Opinion)," (Nov. 19): Sundays two op-eds, What history and the classics have to say about Gaza and Texas connects Lincoln, JFK assassinations, arent just journalism. Theyre history and literature. Thank you, Emran El-Badawi, Robert Zaretsky and Jamie Stiehm for revealing the connections between ancient history and contemporary events. Were reminded of the constant burden of being human, and the never-ending task of facing past mistakes, learning from them, and trying to do better.

Nancy Perich Daly, Houston

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Great article. I would list this as required reading. To the line, "But we do need the humanities, more than ever, to instruct us about our strengths and weaknesses, and inspire us to do what we can..." I would include the following: We also need the philosophers to inspire us in our search for the truth and in our search for justice.

Norman Bunch, Houston

Online changes

Last week, without advance warning or discussion, the comment section offered on Chronicle articles online seems to have been ended. I not only enjoyed reading the opinions of others, I sometimes got additional information from comments and, more than once, discovered I had misread a part of the article. This action by the Chronicle seems to be a step back in what modern online journalism should be  another one of many I have seen in the past 10 years. I believe it will cost the Chronicle subscribers, and I will probably be one of them.

J. David LaRue, Conroe

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What happened to the comment section on the articles I read? It looks like the Chronicle revamped the look of its web pages, but there is no section to comment on the articles.

Bill Hardway, Houston

Please advise why the option of comments was removed from the online edition. Please let me know if this is permanent.
A woman who previously accused Bill Cosby of sexual assault has filed a lawsuit against him under a New York law thats set to expire this week.

In 2014, journalist and publicist Joan Tarshis told CNN the actor had sexually assaulted her decades prior, when she was a teenager. Those alleged incidents are repeated in the lawsuit filed Friday in New York County Supreme Court.

The lawsuit accuses Cosby of battery, assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and false imprisonment. Tarshis is seeking unspecified damages.

The lawsuit was brought under New Yorks Adult Survivors Act, which was signed into law in May 2022. Six months after signing, the law opened a one-year lookback window for adult survivors of sexual offenses to sue their alleged abusers, even if the statute of limitations on their claims had expired. Because many victims of sexual abuse can take years to publicly speak about their traumas, the lookback window is intended to give them an opportunity to have their day in court.

The laws one-year lookback window is set to end this week.

Cosby spokesperson Andrew Wyatt said he had no comment on Tarshis allegations.

(T)hese Look Back Windows are like a pandemic to successful, wealthy men in America, Wyatt said in a statement to CNN. When will our lawmakers stop fueling this assault for likes and clicks?

In 2014, when Tarshis joined a group of other women accusing Cosby of sexual assault, a lawyer for Cosby at the time addressed discredited allegations against Mr. Cosby that had resurfaced.

The fact that they are being repeated does not make them true, attorney John P. Schmitt said in the 2014 statement. Mr. Cosby does not intend to dignify these allegations with any comment.

Tarshis claims Cosby sexually assaulted and raped her over 50 years ago

Tarshis met Cosby around 1969, when she was a young comedy writer and he was starring in The Bill Cosby Show, according to the lawsuit.

Tarshis says she visited the studio where the sitcom was filmed after Cosby offered to work with her on a skit. When the two were alone in his bungalow, she drank a beverage Cosby gave her and then lost consciousness, the lawsuit says.

Tarshis woke up to Cosby undressing her, the lawsuit alleges. She fought him and pleaded for him to stop, but the lawsuit claims Cosby made her perform oral sex on him.

At the time, Tarshis did not tell anyone about the assault due to safety concerns and her feelings of shame, embarrassment, and humiliation, the lawsuit says.

Actor and comedian Bill Cosby arrives at the Montgomery County Courthouse for sentencing in his sexual assault trial in Norristown, Pennsylvania, on September 24, 2018. - Brendan McDermid/Reuters/FILE

Around 1971, Cosby called Tarshis home to invite her to one of his shows and spoke with her mother, who didnt know about the prior incident, according to the court documents.

Although she was scared to see Cosby again, Tarshis reluctantly accepted his invitation at the insistence of her mother, the lawsuit says.

Tarshis had two drinks with Cosby before the show and then started to feel weak as the show began, the lawsuit claims. Aided by Cosbys driver, she went back to Cosbys limousine and lost consciousness, the lawsuit alleges.

When Ms. Tarshis awoke, it was the next morning, she was in Manhattan, and she was naked in a bed next to Cosby, who was also undressed, the lawsuit says, claiming Cosby raped her while she was unconscious.

Tarshis alleges Cosbys predatory, abusive, manipulative, and unlawful acts have caused physical and severe psychological injuries, economic losses, and other negative impacts, according to the court documents.

In 2018, Cosby was convicted in Pennsylvania of sexual assault in another case and sentenced to 3 to 10 years in a state prison. He was released from prison in 2021 after Pennsylvanias highest court overturned that conviction, saying Cosbys due process rights were violated.

Other women have also come forward with sexual assault allegations under New Yorks adult survivors law. Last December, five women  including two former actresses on The Cosby Show  filed a lawsuit in New York state court accusing Cosby of sexual assault and abuse dating back decades. A spokesperson for Cosby has denied the allegations.

CNNs Steve Forrest contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Federal authorities are investigating a leak from an underwater oil pipeline off the coast of Louisiana that may have released up to 1.1 million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. Coast Guard said Monday.

An oil sheen was seen on water around 9 a.m. Thursday and the Third Coast Midstream Pipeline company reported a pipeline leak 10 minutes later, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). An overflight at 2 p.m. that day reported a slick that was 3 to 4 miles wide with dark oil scattered throughout, the agency said on its website.

The National Transportation Safety Board said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that it sent a four-person team to do a safety investigation and determine the cause of the leak about 19 miles offshore near Plaquemines Parish, southeast of New Orleans.

The 67-mile long pipeline was closed Thursday morning by the Main Pass Oil Gathering company. Several federal, state and local agencies are investigating the source of the leak, with the Coast Guard leading clean-up operations.

"The volume of discharged oil is currently unknown," the Coast Guard said in a news release Monday. "Initial engineering calculations indicate potential volume of crude oil that could have been released from the affected pipeline is 1.1 million gallons."

The Coast Guard added that there have been no reports of injuries or shoreline impacts as of Monday.

'It's a toxic dump': Michigan has become dumping ground for US's most dangerous chemicals

Multiple overflights observed oil sheens

The Coast Guard has activated the National Response Team, which includes 15 federal departments and agencies responsible for coordinating the response to response to oil and hazardous substance pollution incidents, Reuters reported.

Multiple overflights to assess the incident were conducted on over the weekend, according to the Coast Guard.

Overflight teams observed oil sheens on the surface of the water, the Coast Guard said. And remotely operated vehicles were deployed Friday to search for the source of the leak along the pipeline.

Three skimming vessels were also deployed to recover oil on the surface, the Coast Guard added.

"Additional surface observations are ongoing with two Coast Guard cutters on scene and additional overflights," the Coast Guard said.

Third Coast Infrastructure LLC, which owns Main Pass Oil Gathering, declined USA TODAY's request for comment on Monday.

Oil pipeline battle: As battles over oil pipeline grind on, tribes fear Great Lakes, treaty rights at risk

Latest oil spill affecting U.S. waters

Thousands of oil spills occur in U.S. waters each year but "most are small in size, spilling less than one barrel of oil," according to the NOAA. But since the 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara, California, the NOAA said there have been at least 44 oil spills  spilling over 420,000 gallons  in U.S. waters.

The area of the Gulf of Mexico has faced several oil spills including the largest and worst oil spill in U.S history  the 2010 Deepwater Horizon well blowout.

On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded, killing 11 people and releasing 210 million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico for a total of 87 days. Oil slicks from the blowout covered an area estimated at 57,000 square miles.

The Coast Guard also reported last year that since April 2019, one million gallons of oil have been collected in the Gulf of Mexico off Louisiana as a result of the 2004 Taylor Energy oil spill.

The spill is considered to be the nation's longest oil spill, leaking for the past 19 years. It began when Hurricane Ivan caused an underwater mudslide in September 2004 and destroyed an oil production platform about 11 miles from the Louisiana shore.

Contributing: Doyle Rice, USA TODAY;The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coast Guard says over 1M gallons of oil may have spilled near Louisiana
At a hastily-assembled all-hands meeting on Monday, X Corp CEO Linda Yaccarino urged staff to find new sources of revenue as advertisers paused business with X following a Media Matters report on antisemitic content on the platform formerly known as Twitter. Yaccarino spoke shortly after X sued the media watchdog group on Monday in a defamation lawsuit that claims the report relied on manufactured content and was designed to ruin X. Elon Musk, owner of X , did not attend the meeting.

"Some customers have still paused their investments because of some misleading or manipulated information in an article," Yaccarino said, referring to the Media Matter report. "But the data tells the real story and I want to be extremely clear about our efforts, and talk about the most important thing that we've been doingand that's the most important thingabout fighting anti semitism and discrimination. There's no place for it anywhere on this platform, anywhere in the world, and we're doing our best to keep fighting it at X."

Media Matters published a report Thursday that said advertisements for brands including Apple, Oracle, and Xfinity had appeared next to content on X that was pro-Nazi and/or pro-Adolf Hitler. The report followed X owner Elon Musk agreeing with a post that accused Jews of hating white people. Afterwards, many major brands paused advertising, including Yaccarino's former employer, NBCUniversal.

Musk, who bought the platform for $44 billion last year and has seen its value plummet to $19 billion, posted on Saturday that "X Corp will be filing a thermonuclear lawsuit against Media Matters and ALL those who colluded in this fraudulent attack on our company." Musk also defended his own rhetoric, calling claims that he's anti-semitic "bogus." X did not respond to Fortune's request for comment.

X made good on Musk's threat on Monday, suing Media Matters in federal court in Texas. X claims Media Matters "knowingly and maliciously manufactured side-by-side images depicting advertisers posts on X Corp.s social media platform beside Neo-Nazi and white-nationalist fringe content and then portrayed these manufactured images as if they were what typical X users experience on the platform." X claims the watchdog group "designed both these images and its resulting media strategy to drive advertisers from the platform and destroy X Corp." X is seeking unspecified monetary damages and demands that Media Matters take down the report.

In a statement, Media Matters said, This is a frivolous lawsuit meant to bully Xs critics into silence. Media Matters stands behind its reporting and looks forward to winning in court.

At the staff meeting Monday, one anonymous employee asked Yaccarino what she would consider the best outcome of the lawsuit. Yaccarino responded that it "would be the validation that Media Matters, unfortunately manipulates, in this case, not just advertisers but people in general."

"Sunlight is the best disinfectant. Hopefully this is a disinfectant that surfaces all the great work that all of us are doing at X," she said.

Both Musk and Yaccarino have defended X on the social media platform in the wake of the report. Musk claimed on Saturday that the watchdog group "created an alternate account and curated the posts and advertising appearing on the account's timeline to misinform advertisers about the placement of their posts."

Yaccarino reiterated many of the details in Musk's post on Monday, telling staff that "this was a contrived experience that could be curatedor this situation could be committedon any platform today."

"No platform is gonna get it right," Yaccarino said. "So they basically gamed the system."

The X chief executive also sought to calm worries about the advertiser exodus, claiming some brands still doing business with X have told her that they believe that X "is vital for the global community" but want Yaccarino to share more data so they can explain their positions to employees and key stakeholders.

"They know that I work hard on their behalf and that I am a truth teller, and I want them to hear it from meeverything that is going on at the company," Yaccarino, who has been in the advertising business for several decades, told staff. "And I tell a lot of people this: I didn't come to the company because I needed the company. I came to the company because I wanted to help lead X and be successful in what we're trying to achieve here."

As big brands have paused ads on X, numerous right-wing media companies and influencers have pledged to advertise on X in order to make up for lost revenue. One anonymous staffer asked what should "we do as employees to be more responsible ... just to help offset anything that we might be seeing from a loss from advertisers?"

Yaccarino responded that staff should "be as fiscally responsible as possible," including only expensing "critical and necessary travel." A source familiar with the matter told Fortune the company had just updated its travel policy to reflect this statement and that some travel might have to be approved by Yaccarino or Musk.

"If you deal with contracts, if you're negotiating with anyone, just know that the pauses cause a more specific discipline and diligence as it relates to any type of spending at the company," Yaccarino said. "And by all means, put your heads together to bring new revenue into the company."

Do you have insight to share? Got a tip? Contact Kylie Robison at kylie.robison@fortune.com, through secure messaging app Signal at 415-735-6829, or via Twitter DM.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
A judge was hearing arguments Tuesday on the Fulton County district attorney's request to revoke the bond of Harrison Floyd, one of former President Donald Trumps 18 co-defendants in the Georgia election interference case, over social media posts that prosecutors said are intentional and flagrant violations of his bond conditions.

In a motion last week to revoke Floyds bond, District Attorney Fani Willis' office cited Floyds posts on X, formerly known as Twitter, targeting Georgia elections officials such as Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and one of his top officials, Gabriel Sterling, and former election worker Ruby Freeman. Sterling was seen in the courthouse ahead of the hearing with an attorney for Raffensperger's office.

Floyd, who was wearing a bright green blazer, appeared relaxed as he waited for the hearing to start, drinking a NOS energy drink and reading a book called, How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius. Willis was in the courtroom as well and handled the arguments for her office.

"We're asking that his bond be revoked and he be remanded," Willis told Judge Scott McAfee at the start of the hearing. They called three witnesses, including Sterling.

The first witness to be called was Michael Hill, an assistant chief in Willis' office, who testified about the authenticity and content of Floyd's posts on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Hill read a series of Floyds posts aloud. He said he heard from the attorney of Jenna Ellis  who was originally one of the 19 defendants in the case but became a witness after having pleaded guilty last month  that Ellis believed the posts about her were meant to intimidate her.

So in the message, Ms. Jenna Ellis states: 'I saw it a couple of days after it was posted. Yes, I believe it was meant to both intimidate and harass me and also encourage others to harass me, which others have done in the comments, and separate posts,' Hill said in reading a text he received Tuesday morning.

Harrison Floyd. (Fulton County Sheriff's Office)

During a cross-examination of Hill, Floyd's attorney John Morrison asked if Floyd sent any witness a direct message on X. Hill said he couldnt say that he did.

Morrison said that tagging someone in a tweet is how you reference them, not necessarily how you contact them directly. Hill said in this instance, Floyd used the tagging function to reference and to communicate with witnesses.

Willis noted that Floyd was barred from communicating directly or indirectly with witnesses. After Willis directed Hill to read a condition of Floyds bond aloud, Hill testified that Ellis, Sterling and Freeman are witnesses.

Willis asked Hill: Is it the culture of social media when one posts, other people respond? He replied: "That's correct."

Sterling, a top elections official in Georgia, was called as the second witness. Willis asked Sterling if he sees it when someone tags him in a post on X, and he said yes.

Morrison then asked Sterling if hes not a fan of Trump, Willis objected.

These posts arent threatening to you. they may not be nice, but theyre not threatening and intimidating to you, are they? Morrison asked Sterling.

Sterling replied: Its par for the course when youre a public figure.

Sterling said he generally looks at who tags him in tweets. Morrison asked if hed contact law enforcement if he felt threatened, Sterling said yes, but that he did not in this case.

Von DuBose, an attorney for Ruby Freeman, was called as the third witness.

DuBose said he has a third-party service that monitors threat levels against Freeman and her mother Shaye Moss to look for spikes, adding that its a service that the FBI recommended.

DuBose testified there was a threat level spike tied to Floyds posts. So that got our attention, we were very concerned about that, and we wanted to make sure we address it appropriately, DuBose said, adding that there were some security measures taken at that time.

Morrison asked DuBose if Freeman called the police about the threat level spike. DuBose said no.

In court papers, Willis contended, Since November 1, 2023, the Defendant has publicly tweeted multiple times from the Twitter account @hw_floyd in an effort to intimidate codefendants and witnesses, to communicate directly and indirectly with codefendants and witnesses, and to otherwise obstruct the administration of justice.

As set forth above, since his release from custody, the Defendant has engaged in a pattern of intimidation toward known codefendants and witnesses, direct and indirect communication about the facts of this case to known codefendants and witnesses, and obstruction of the administration of justice in direct violation of this Courts order, she continued.

In her filing, Willis cited more than 15 comments by Floyd in a series of posts to X as well as an appearance on a podcast. One of Floyds posts that Willis alleged constituted an act to intimidate known witnesses and direct communication with known witnesses about the facts of the case read: Passing this along to @GaSecofState and @GabrielSterling. Should they be more concerned about interfering in elections, perjury before Congress, lying to DA Fani Willis, or all the above?

Floyd posted the comment earlier this month in response to a user who suggested he get some decent legal advice before you wind up spending 20 years in prison for someone who could care less about your sorry a**.

Floyds attorneys denied in a filing Monday that his social media posts violated his bond order and said the motion is a retaliatory measure against him.

In exercising his First Amendment rights, Mr. Floyd neither threatened or intimidated anyone and he certainly did not communicate with a witness or co-defendant directly or indirectly. He has no idea who the States witnesses even are at this point, they wrote in the filing. If this truly were an issue, the State had every opportunity to notify Mr. Floyd or his counsel that his posts on social media were a problem.

Floyds attorneys said he was in plea negotiations just weeks ago and that Willis office did not mention the social media posts referenced in the motion to revoke his bond.

All of Mr. Floyds posts constitute political speech, the touchstone of First Amendment guarantees," they wrote. "None of them contain any threat to use force that would make a reasonable person believe the posts were somehow intimidating or unlawful."

In response to allegations that his tweets about Freeman were an effort to intimidate her, Floyds attorneys also argued that Freemans testimony is actually helpful for his case.

It is Mr. Floyds position that Ms. Freeman is a valuable defense witness  not a witness favorable to the prosecution. There is not a chance Mr. Floyd would want to intimidate Ms. Freeman, they wrote.

Floyds attorneys also demanded prosecutors show evidence that Freeman has suffered harm as a result of their client's posts and asked Judge Scott McAfee to reject the motion or include language that would mirror former President Donald Trumps bond order.

Prosecutors in the Georgia election interference case have accused Floyd of involvement in a scheme to pressure Freeman to make false statements. Trump and his allies had falsely accused Freeman of fraud in the 2020 election.

Floyd, the former leader of Black Voices for Trump, was the only defendant in the case who was held in jail after surrendering in August. All of the other defendants, including Trump, were released on bond after they were booked. Floyd was informed during his initial court appearance that hed remain at the Fulton County Jail because he was considered a potential flight risk.

Floyd negotiated a bond days later. McAfee set Floyds bond at $100,000  with $40,000 on racketeering charges and $30,000 each on a charge of influencing witnesses and a charge of conspiring to commit solicitation of false statements and writings.
Ozarks Technical Community College English as a Second Language (ESL) students Hanna Vlasin of Ukraine (front), Shan He of China (center right), Luis Hernandez of Venezuela, and Mya Khin of Myanmar (back left) talk about their excitement for having a traditional Thanksgiving meal in their Graff Hall classroom with their instructor Fran Giglio.

Turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cornbread and pumpkin pie are all on the menu for Fran Giglio and her 22 students at Ozarks Technical Community College this week.

On Tuesday, Giglio and the students enrolled in her advanced English as a Second Language (ESL) course will enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal in their Graff Hall classroom. Giglio has been cooking up this meal for her international students for about 20 of the 30 years she's been teaching ESL at the college.

For many of Giglio's students, like Shan He of China and Luis Hernandez of Venezuela, this will be their first time eating Thanksgiving turkey. In contrast, a few students, like Mya Khin of Myanmar, who has been enrolled in Giglio's course since 2017, will be contributing their own dishes.

A part of the Adult Education & Literacy program, OTC offers ESL courses in Springfield, Nixa and Hollister for free to non-English speakers who are at least 18 years old and no longer enrolled in school. In addition to Giglio's advanced course, the college offers three other ESL courses. Giglio and her students meet Monday through Thursday for three hours each day.

Moving to the United States to be closer to his family, Hernandez has lived in Springfield for about two years. He enrolled in Giglio's ESL course about six months ago.

"After one year here (Springfield) I feel like I have to learn it (English) if I want to be ... successful, to be a part of the country," Hernandez said about joining the class. "When I came here, I didn't talk nothing. I cannot even say, 'Hello,' and now I can speak (well)."

Ozarks Technical Community College English as a Second Language (ESL) student Luis Hernandez of Venezuela talks about having a traditional Thanksgiving meal in Graff Hall with instructor Fran Giglio and other students.

"Now he won't shut up," Giglio said, jokingly, with a laugh.

"So much of English is confidence, just having the confidence to use your voice and feel a part of what's going on," Giglio added. "That's what we try to do in the classroom, is say what you want to say and if people laugh, they're laughing with you. Don't be embarrassed because you don't know everything perfectly. This room is a safe space."

Although Thanksgiving is right around the corner, Giglio's class intertwines food and learning regularly. Giglio said the class has a party once a month to celebrate birthdays and try different American cuisine.

"Feed the brain and feed the stomach," Giglio said.

Ozarks Technical Community College English as a Second Language (ESL) instructor Fran Giglio talks about why she's hosted a traditional Thanksgiving meal for her international students over the last 20 years.

As an ESL instructor, Giglio's main task is to help her students feel more comfortable speaking English, but her students say she does much more.

"You're not only an English teacher, you're history, geography, sometimes mathematics," Shan He said to Giglio. Shan He has lived in the United States for about four years and Missouri for the past year. She moved to the states to be with her husband. Today, the couple lives in Galena, so Shan He drives about 45 minutes each morning to campus for class.

Giglio said she tries to work cultural lessons into class each day to help her students better understand the country they are living in, whether this be learning the former presidents on American currency or the major highways throughout the state of Missouri.

Ozarks Technical Community College English as a Second Language (ESL) student Shan He of China (center) talks about having a traditional Thanksgiving meal in Graff Hall with instructor Fran Giglio and other students.

"I love this class because Teacher has told us about American culture and history and how to live like a normal American," Shan He said, adding that she is often teaching her husband new things from class, despite his upbringing in the area.

More: After recently closing at least 4 stores, Brown Derby shuttering National Avenue location

Giglio also helps her students outside of the classroom. After Khin achieved citizenship, Giglio took her to vote for the first time.

"I've voted six times now," Khin said with excitement, a beaming smile on her face.

Ozarks Technical Community College English as a Second Language (ESL) student Mya Khin of Myanmar talks about having a traditional Thanksgiving meal in Graff Hall with instructor Fran Giglio and other students.

Sitting in her classroom after class last week, Giglio said she has too much fun teaching the class to leave, even though she could.

"I'm old and I could be retired, but I love it," she said. "Who wouldn't want to be with these wonderful people?"

Greta Cross is the trending topics reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretacrossphoto. Story idea? Email her at gcross@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: OTC instructor celebrates Thanksgiving with international students
Twelve Democratic members of Congress are pressing the IRS to provide updates about its investigation into about 100 high-income individuals who attempted to avoid U.S. taxation by benefiting from a controversial tax break in Puerto Rico without meeting the appropriate requirements.

Since announcing its investigation in July, the "IRS has not released any information to the public regarding its auditing efforts" to identify and address a lack of compliance with provisions of the Puerto Rico tax incentives law (Act 60) aimed at foreign and mainland investors, traders and other kinds of wealthy people, the lawmakers said in a letter sent to IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel on Friday.

Under provisions known to residents on the island as Act 22, the law's original name, individual investors who haven't previously lived in Puerto Rico between 2006 and 2012 can get a 0% tax rate on capital gains in exchange for buying a residency on the island, living there at least half of the year and donating $10,000 to a nonprofit approved by the Puerto Rican government.

As residents of Puerto Rico, Act 22 beneficiaries also save money by not paying federal income taxes, since Puerto Ricans dont have voting representation in Congress, because the island is a U.S. territory. Puerto Rico residents pay local income, payroll, property, municipal and sales taxes.

The Act 22 tax breaks have become a source of controversy on the island since their implementation in 2012 as Puerto Ricans living in mountainous or beach areas have reported being priced out of their neighborhoods after wealthy beneficiaries bought up nearby residential properties.

The Puerto Rico Center for Investigative Journalism found that incoming capital from these investors compounded with a rise in short-term rentals and lack of affordable housing have contributed to a rise in the average price of properties for sale in Puerto Rico between 2012 and 2021, making it more difficult for working-class residents to find homes.

Act 22 has only deepened marginalization, displacement and socioeconomic inequality and has helped turn the island into a tax haven for the rich," Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., who led her 11 colleagues in sending a letter to the IRS, said in a statement Monday. "The IRS and the Treasury Department should make enforcement of Act 22 a priority and shed light on their oversight of Americans who illegally claim benefits under this law."

The IRS did not comment on the contents of the letter or provide NBC News with updates about its probe.

The letter from lawmakers also states that Act 22 "lacks adequate oversight mechanisms, making it even more crucial that the IRS ensures adequate oversight at the federal level," since the Puerto Rico Department of Economic Development in charge of overseeing such tax decrees admitted not having enough resources to enforce compliance.

Carlos Fontan, director of the incentives office at the Puerto Rico Department of Economic Development, which oversees the tax decrees, told NBC News on Tuesday that "no public official is ever satisfied with the resources it has."

But he said that hasn't stopped his agency from enforcing compliance. He said his office has revoked more than 300 Act 22 decrees over the past year and a half because they didn't comply with the laws, with a few of them being revoked as recently as this past week.

In their letter, lawmakers pointed out that the Puerto Rico Department of Economic Development has not published the results of an Act 22 general compliance audit it started in 2021, as well as annual reports of Act 22 beneficiaries.

Fontan said "the audits exist and are ongoing, they have not been completed," adding that it is a time-consuming process that requires requesting people's information and engaging in a "back and forth" with them. "When the audits are completed, we will publish the results."

Puerto Ricos Department of Economic Development has been collaborating with the IRS in its investigation into about 100 cases involving possible Act 22 fraud. Fontan said this collaboration has helped his office identify some of the cases that ended up getting their tax decrees revoked.

The IRS has said it expects some of these cases to be the subject of criminal investigations.

An estimated 6,000 tax exemption decrees have been approved under Act 22 since it was enacted, according to Fontan. In 2020, the most recent data available, these beneficiaries paid a total of $160 million in local income taxes and $10 million in municipal taxes. Proponents of the law have said this has brought new tax revenue to the island.

Critics of the tax exemptions say this doesn't compare to estimated tax revenue losses. According to the latest Puerto Rico tax expenditure report, the island has lost an estimated $2.2 billion in tax revenues related to Act 22 since 2017.

"Puerto Rico continues to lose billions of dollars in potential income as Puerto Ricans suffer from rising costs of living and unsustainable housing costs that continue to displace residents," Marlyn Goyco-Garcia, a national organizing manager with the advocacy group Center for Popular Democracy leading the the #NotYourTaxHaven organizing campaign, said in a statement Monday.

"We hope that the IRS will prioritize this issue," Goyco-Garcia added.
Thousands of people have died and thousands more have been injured since the militant group Hamas launched an unprecedented surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7 and Israel retaliated with a bombing campaign and total siege of the neighboring Gaza Strip, leaving the region on the verge of all-out war.

Click here for updates from previous days.





Latest Developments





Nov 22, 11:00 AM

Norwegian Refugee Council: 4-day pause not enough

Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, said in a statement that the planned four-day pause in hostilities "is not enough time to address the immense needs after six weeks of fighting, bloodshed, and destruction."

PHOTO: A Palestinian girl cries following an Israeli strike on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, Nov. 20, 2023. (Mahmud Hams/AFP via Getty Images)

Egeland said the pause "must pave the way for a lasting cease-fire."

"Small shelters have housed scores of people, with little food and water and mounting health hazards. Children are traumatized, and many face a future without their parents and siblings," Egeland said. "They need urgent, long-term help. This can only happen through a sustained cease-fire."





Nov 22, 10:39 AM

Israeli Hostage Center: 'No victory until every last hostage returns home'

In the wake of the approved hostage deal, in which Hamas would release 50 of the approximately 236 people taken hostage from Israel, the Israeli Hostage Center said in a statement, "There is no victory until every last hostage returns home."

PHOTO: Families and friends of about 240 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza call for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to bring them home during a demonstration in Tel Aviv, Israel, Nov. 21, 2023. (Ariel Schalit/AP)

The release of the at least 50 hostages would come over the course of a four-day pause in hostilities, Israel's prime minister said, and as a part of this deal, 150 Palestinian prisoners will also be released by Israel.



The hostage center said it demands "the current cease-fire terms ensure both security and welfare for remaining hostages held by Hamas, including the promised Red Cross visits."





Nov 22, 10:33 AM

IDF continues to bombard Gaza despite reaching deal on truce, hostages

Despite reaching an agreement with Hamas on a temporary cease-fire in exchange for the release of dozens of hostages, the Israeli military continued to bombard the Gaza Strip on Wednesday morning.



The Israel Defense Forces confirmed in a statement that it "is continuing to operate in the Gaza Strip, including striking terrorist infrastructure, killing terrorists, and locating weapons."



"This morning, IDF troops neutralized a terror tunnel shaft from which a Hamas terrorist exited and fired at the soldiers," the IDF said. "Moreover, IDF troops identified terrorists and located weapons in a structure used by the Hamas terrorist organization. The troops killed the terrorists and destroyed the structure."



Meanwhile, rockets launched by militants continued to be fired toward Israel on Wednesday.



The Israeli government voted early Wednesday to approve the proposed deal with Hamas, which was mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the United States. Israeli law requires a 24-hour waiting period after the vote before the agreement can be put into action, during which time the Supreme Court of Israel may need to get involved in the event of any legal challenges. However, it is expected that the cease-fire and the prisoner swap will begin Thursday morning.



-ABC News' Joe Simonetti and Morgan Winsor





Nov 22, 7:46 AM

White House official talks 'key' moment that led to 'breakthrough' in hostage deal

The "key" to securing the hostage deal between Israel and Hamas "was bearing down on both sides" to "get specific" on the details, according to U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.



The agreement that was reached on Wednesday was mediated by the United States, Qatar and Egypt.



"The big move happened late last week when [U.S.] President [Joe] Biden spoke first with [Israeli] Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu and then with the emir of Qatar to say, how many hostages, for how any days in return for how many Palestinian prisoners," Sullivan told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos in an interview Wednesday on "Good Morning America."



"And it was really the work to refine those details that finally produced the breakthrough that we now see resulting in the announcement of a pause of hostilities and the first return of prisoners, of hostages," he added.



-ABC News' Morgan Winsor





Nov 22, 7:47 AM

US 'very hopeful' but 'cannot be fully confident' in hostage deal, official says

The United States is "very hopeful" in the hostage deal between Israel and Hamas but "cannot be fully confident" until the abductees return home safely, according to White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.



"You can never have full confidence until you actually see hostages back in the arms of their families," Sullivan told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos in an interview Wednesday on "Good Morning America."



"But I am very hopeful that there will be a pause, these hostages will begin to be released," he continued, "and then I am hopeful that we can build on the release of this initial 50 to get more hostages home so that every last person currently being held by the terrorist group Hamas gets home safely to their family."

The whereabouts of nine U.S. citizens and one U.S. permanent resident, or green card-holder, remains unknown in the wake of Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel, according to Sullivan, who said it's unclear whether they were among the hundreds of people who were taken hostage and brought back to the neighboring Gaza Strip.



"We don't know for certain that all 10 are still alive and weve been honest about that -- what we know and what we don't know, he added. "We know that among those 10, three are women and children -- two women one child. And we believe that those three will be among the 50 who are released."



But Sullivan cautioned: "Until we actually see them come out, be in the arms of their loved ones, get home safely, we cannot be fully confident. So we are going to wait as the families are waiting with bated breath until they come but and then until every last American comes out."



-ABC News' Morgan Winsor





Nov 21, 11:42 PM

Biden confirms four-day pause 'should bring home additional American hostages'

President Joe Biden released a statement Tuesday night thanking Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani of Qatar and President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi of Egypt for their "critical leadership and partnership" in helping to broker a deal between Hamas and Israel over the release of hostages.



Biden also thanked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his commitment to the temporary pause ensuring the deal can be carried out and "bring home additional American hostages." Biden said he "will not stop until they are all released."



Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he was "pleased and relieved" over being "close" to seeing the release of the first 50 out of 240 hostages.



Schumer said he will continue working for the release of the remaining hostages, and called it a "positive development" that the pause in fighting will allow aid to flow to Palestinians in Gaza.



Biden said as president he has "no higher priority than ensuring the safety of Americans held hostage around the world."





Nov 21, 9:50 PM

3 Americans expected to be part of initial group of released hostages: US official

Three Americans are expected to be part of the initial group of hostages that will be released as part of a deal negotiated between Hamas, Israel, Qatar and the United States, according to a senior administration official.



They include 3-year-old Abigail Mor Idan, who was orphaned by the Oct. 7 attack and whose birthday is on Friday, the official said.



The deal will see the release of 50 hostages -- women and children -- over the course of several days.



Officials would not get into specifics about the number of additional Americans believed to be held hostage -- only reiterating that there are 10 unaccounted-for Americans.



-ABC News' Molly Nagle and Justin Gomez





Nov 21, 9:55 PM

Israel's Cabinet votes to approve deal for hostage release



Israel's Cabinet has approved a deal that would allow for the release of at least 50 hostages over the course of a four-day pause in hostilities, Israel's Prime Minister said early Wednesday morning. As a part of this deal, 150 Palestinian prisoners will also be released by Israel.



Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a release the Israeli government has approved the outline to the first phase of bringing hostages home, with at least 50 being released over the course of the four-day pause in fighting.

The Government of Israel, the IDF and the Israeli security forces will continue to fight the war for the return of all hostages, the elimination of Hamas and to ensure that Gaza will not pose a threat to Israel, according to Netanyahu.

Earlier, sources told ABC News 42 hostages would be released.

A short while later, Hamas released its own statement early Wednesday morning local time, which had some of the same terms announced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Hamas confirmed via Telegram a temporary cease-fire of four days, with the release of 50 women and children whove been held hostage.

In exchange, Hamas said Israel agreed to release 150 Palestinian women and children. Hamas said the juveniles released would be under 19 years old.





Nov 21, 4:04 PM

3-year-old Israeli-American may be among hostages freed: US official

The U.S. expects that Abigail Edan, an orphaned 3-year-old Israeli-American who was kidnapped by Hamas militants on Oct. 7, would be among the hostages released as part of any initial deal between Israel and Hamas, according to a U.S. official familiar with negotiations. However, the Biden administration hasnt received any reliable guarantee that she or any of the missing Americans will be freed in the arrangement, the official said.

PHOTO: A man and a child walk past portraits of Israeli hostages held in Gaza since the October 7 attack by Hamas militants, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Nov. 21, 2023. (Ahmad Gharabli/AFP via Getty Images)

The official said there are many significant concerns surrounding the hostages' passage out of Gaza, and that moving the hostages out of the enclave as quickly as possible would be necessary for their protection and to facilitate ongoing talks.

While American negotiators are currently zeroed-in on securing an initial deal -- rather than focusing on subsequent swaps that might happen in exchange for a longer pause -- Hamas is expected to provide information about the conditions of hostages that will remain in custody, which could be critical in shaping the strategy going forward, the official said.

-ABC News' Shannon Crawford





Nov 21, 3:51 PM

Netanyahu: War against Hamas will not stop after cease-fire

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking ahead of Tuesday's cabinet meeting and vote on a potential hostage deal, said Israel's war against Hamas will not stop after a cease-fire.



Netanyahu said the war will continue until Hamas is destroyed, all hostages are brought home and Israel has ensured "that there will be no element in Gaza that threatens Israel."

PHOTO: Palestinians walk at the site of Israeli strikes on houses, in Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip Nov, 21, 2023. (Abed Sabah/Reuters)

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant added that without the continuation of Israel's operations in Gaza, there'd be no chance of bringing home more hostages.



-ABC News' Will Gretsky

Click here to read the rest of the blog.
A video posted online purportedly showed Israeli tanks about 240m north-east of the Indonesian Hospital

Israeli tanks have reportedly encircled Gaza's Indonesian Hospital, where the Hamas-run health ministry said 12 people were killed on Sunday night.

The hospital's director, Dr Marwan Al-Sultan, told the BBC that the post-operative care department was hit and troops were only about 20m (66ft) away.

On Monday evening, he said intermittent shooting could still be heard on site.

The Israeli military said its forces targeted "terrorists" who had opened fire at them from within the hospital.

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said he was "appalled".

"Health workers and civilians should never have to be exposed to such horror, and especially while inside a hospital," Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra accused Israel of "tightening its noose" around the hospital in the north of the enclave, and later told AFP news agency 200 patients had been evacuated by bus to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.

He said the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was helping to coordinate the evacuation of the remaining 400 patients.

Meanwhile, 28 premature Palestinian babies evacuated on Sunday from Gaza City's besieged Al-Shifa Hospital, which Israeli forces raided last week, have been transported to Egypt for treatment.

Israel launched a major military campaign in Gaza in response to a cross-border attack by hundreds of Hamas gunmen on 7 October, in which at least 1,200 people were killed and about 240 others taken hostage.

Gaza's health ministry says at least 13,000 people have been killed in the territory since Israel launched its retaliatory campaign against Hamas.

The UN Security Council has called for "urgent and extended humanitarian pauses" for "a sufficient number of days" to allow UN agencies to safely enter the sealed-off territory.

But five days on, the International Rescue Committee says the killing and suffering of Palestinians has increased, and has urged the Security Council and others to bring about a ceasefire "without limits on its duration, to protect lives and allow aid to flow".

Map showing location of hospitals in northern Gaza and locations of Israeli ground operations (19 November 2023)

On Monday morning, video footage verified by the BBC showed several tanks stationed on a road about 240m (800ft) north-east of the Indonesian Hospital, which is funded by Indonesia.

The official Palestinian news agency, Wafa, cited medical sources as saying that dozens of Israeli armoured vehicles were in the surrounding area and that snipers were on rooftops, preventing ambulances from reaching the hospital.

The health ministry said 12 wounded patients and people with them were killed and dozens more were wounded when an Israeli shell reportedly hit the second floor of the facility.

Dr Al-Sultan told the BBC that he heard gunfire all around the building overnight and that at least 10 people were killed.

Al Jazeera posted a video that the Qatar-based network said showed journalist Anas al-Sharif walking through the hospital following the incident. The body of at least one person could be seen, as well as damage to ceilings and equipment in several rooms and corridors.

Sharif reported that "victims are piling up on the floor" and that there was "an overwhelming state of panic among patients".

Hospitals are specifically protected under international humanitarian law. Any military operation around hospitals must take steps to spare patients, medical staff and other civilians inside them.

This photo from last Thursday showed wounded Palestinians being treated on the floor of the Indonesian Hospital

A spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said: "Overnight, terrorists opened fire from within the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza toward IDF troops operating outside the hospital. In response, IDF troops directly targeted the specific source of enemy fire. No shells were fired toward the hospital."

"Despite the challenges the IDF faces in a war against a terrorist organisation which operates out of hospitals, the IDF is committed to international law and takes numerous measures to minimize harm to non-combatants."

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden said he believed a deal to free hostages in Gaza was close, as the ICRC said its president had travelled to Qatar to meet with Hamas and Qatari government representatives.

US national security spokesman John Kirby said he believed "we're closer than we've ever been, so we're hopeful".

The ICRC does not take part in negotiations leading to hostage releases but is there to facilitate any deal that is agreed.

That has been the process with the four hostages freed so far - Qatari negotiations with Hamas followed by the ICRC retrieving the hostages from agreed locations and bringing them back to Israel.

Qatar's prime minister has said a deal to free some of the hostages now hinges on "minor" practical issues.

On Sunday night, the IDF released new videos from Al-Shifa Hospital, where it has claimed there was a vast underground Hamas command centre.

It said one showed a tunnel leading to a blast-proof door and that two others taken from CCTV cameras showed two hostages - one of them wounded - being taken to the hospital on 7 October.

The IDF also said a pathologist's report and its intelligence had shown a female Israeli soldier whose body was recovered from a building near Al-Shifa last week had been injured in an Israeli air strike and then killed by a member of Hamas inside the hospital.

Hamas has denied using Al-Shifa and other hospitals as shields for its fighters.

At the same time, the WHO has said it was finalising its plans to complete the evacuation of between 250 to 260 seriously wounded or ill patients trapped at Al-Shifa.

"These include around 29 patients with spinal injuries, 22 patients with kidney failure requiring kidney dialysis," the WHO's Regional Emergency Director, Dr Richard Brennan, told the BBC.

"The vast majority of the remaining patients have complicated war injuries - terrible fractures and amputations, bad burns, head, abdominal, chest injuries, and many of which are complicated by severe wound infection."

Thirty-one premature babies were evacuated from Al-Shifa to the Emirates Hospital in southern Gaza on Sunday by the Palestinian Red Crescent and UN, with the assistance of the IDF. At least five other babies had previously died after being removed from their incubators due to a lack of power after the hospital ran out of fuel.

On Monday, 28 of the evacuated babies were taken to Egypt via the Rafah border crossing for treatment. Some are being admitted to the hospital in El-Arish while others in more serious conditions are being flown to Cairo.

A senior WHO official said the babies evacuated from Al-Shifa had "a long road ahead of them" to recover

Dr Mohamed Salama, head of the neo-natal unit at al-Ahli Emirates hospital, told the BBC that the parents of two babies had refused to send them to Egypt "due to personal circumstances". A third baby was being kept in Gaza because his condition was stable and his parents were unknown, he said.

Dr Brennan described the evacuation as "one of the few bits of good news we've had during this conflict", but noted that the babies had "a long road ahead of them" to recover.

In a separate development, medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said its clinic in Gaza City came under fire on Monday morning.

"Our colleagues saw that a wall was torn down and part of the building was engulfed by fire as heavy fighting took place all around it. An Israeli tank was seen in the street," a statement said.

An MSF member of staff and 20 family members were in the clinic and in extreme danger, while 50 other people were in nearby buildings, it added.

There was no immediate comment from the IDF.
A legal challenge to the Governments new laws to deal with the legacy of the Northern Ireland Troubles is due to begin on Tuesday.

High Court judge Mr Justice Colton will hear the case at the Royal Courts of Justice in Belfast.

The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act received royal assent in September despite widespread opposition from political parties, victims organisations in Northern Ireland and the Irish government.

Aspects of the laws include a limited form of immunity from prosecution for Troubles-related offences for those who co-operate with the new Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR).

The new Act will also halt future civil cases and legacy inquests.

Multiple Troubles victims and family members launched judicial reviews to challenge aspects of the Act.

Martina Dillon, wife of murdered hotel doorman Seamus Dillon (Paul Faith/PA)

Mr Justice Colton has directed that the lead case will be a joint submission brought by Martina Dillon, John McEvoy and Linda McManus.

Ms Dillons husband Seamus was shot dead outside the Glengannon Hotel in Dungannon on December 27 1997. An inquest into his death has opened.

Mr McEvoy narrowly escaped being killed in the loyalist gun attack on the Thierafurth Inn in Kilcoo, Co Down, in 1992. The High Court has previously ruled there has not been in effective investigation into the attack in which another man, Peter McCormack, was killed.

Ms McManus is the daughter of James McManus, who was injured in a gun attack on the Sean Graham Bookmakers on the Ormeau Road, Belfast, in 1992. She has issued a civil claim seeking damages.

Ms Dillon said: Truth and justice are not too much to ask, we shouldnt have to fight for decades to get it.

Victims have been shamefully ignored; we did not want this law.

We want answers about what happened to our loved ones, and we want accountability.

I fight this oppressive legislation in my husbands memory and in solidarity with other victims having their rights denied.

Grainne Teggart from Amnesty International UK (Liam McBurney/PA)

Grainne Teggart, Amnesty International UKs Northern Ireland deputy director, said: This case has significant implications, not just in the UK but internationally.

We have repeatedly warned about the concerning precedent which could be set by this legislation which provides a blueprint for letting state forces and armed groups off with murder and other serious crimes.

The hearing will take place at the Royal Courts of Justice in Belfast (Liam McBurney/PA)

Mr Justice Colton has previously said challenges to the Act will focus on a number of areas, including the establishment of the ICRIR, the cessation of police investigations, the cessation of inquests and civil proceedings and the potential immunity from prosecution.

However, he said the courts primary focus would be the argument that sections of the Act are incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights.

The hearing is expected to last at least five days.
Matt Rinaldi, chairman of the Republican Party of Texas, during the third and final day of this years Republican Party of Texas Convention Saturday, June 18, 2022, held at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, TX. Michael Wyke/Contributor

Texas GOP Chairman Matt Rinaldi was in and out of the building in 45 minutes.

Rinaldi has said he didnt know his close friend and colleague, Jonathan Stickland, was meeting in the same office complex on Oct. 6 with Nick Fuentes, a white supremacist who has praised Adolf Hitler. He has denounced Fuentes in no uncertain terms.

But in the month since, Rinaldi has not addressed his relationship with Stickland, then the president of the deep-pocketed Defend Texas Liberty PAC that is among the state partys top donors. Nor has he responded to nearly half of the partys 64-person executive board who have signed a letter calling on the party to cut ties with Stickland and the PAC.

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READ MORE: Texas GOP fractures as some criticize leaders for slow response to denounce antisemitism

The fallout from the meeting has worsened tensions both within the Texas GOP and between Rinaldi and other prominent Texas Republicans. For many, it has underscored an ongoing shift in the state party, which was once primarily focused on fundraising and helping support local Republican clubs and candidates.

Over the past three years, and especially since Rinaldi took over in 2021, the organization has tried instead to assert itself as a driving force behind right-wing policy positions, eager to challenge elected Republicans who they believe are not conservative enough. Rinaldi has been particularly vocal after the Texas House overwhelmingly voted in May to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton on corruption charges, setting off months of infighting.

We are no longer a political institution, said Morgan Graham, a member of the state partys executive committee who represents the Rio Grande Valley. We are, if anything, something that has been subjected to a hostile takeover and weaponized.

Some hard-right Republicans argue that Rinaldi, who previously served in the Texas House, is only better aligning the party with the grassroots and advocating for conservative policy. Others  led by House Speaker Dade Phelan  say Rinaldi is neglecting the partys responsibilities and turning Republicans against each other, especially ahead of a contentious primary season that will pit Rinaldis favored right-wing candidates against incumbent House Republicans.

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Rinaldi, who declined to be interviewed for this story, has accused Phelan of aligning with Democrats by continuing a long-standing tradition of appointing some of them to lead committees and failing to pass a school voucher plan that would allocate state money to send children to private schools. That proposal, a priority for Gov. Greg Abbott that is still under consideration in the lower chamber, has bipartisan opposition, and some of the biggest adversaries are rural Republicans.

Speaker Dade Phelan ignited a civil war in the Republican Party when he appointed Democrats to top House leadership positions and then joined with them to stage a sham impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton, Rinaldi said. The Republican Party has, as it should, taken the side of the Republicans in this dispute by defending its statewide officeholders against political persecution by Democrats.

Rinaldi did not respond to the accusations that he has neglected the partys core functions of fundraising and supporting Republican candidates. But Rinaldi has said online that the party spent millions to elect Republicans in 2022, though much of that money came from national GOP organizations.

Phelan and his allies have shot back at Rinaldi in recent weeks. In an interview, Phelan said he has only spoken to Rinaldi once since he was elected  when they ran into each other at an event.

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Thats a problem, and thats not on me, Phelan said in an interview. Thats on the (party). They don't have any money. When they need money, they go to a couple benefactors to keep the lights on over there. But as far as voter registration and reaching out to new voters as they move to Texas, because weve grown so fast  as far as grassroots efforts, they do nothing.

'Never a serious legislator'

Phelan and Rinaldi were elected to the Texas House in the same year  but where Phelan established himself as an ally of House leadership, eventually teeing up his run for speaker, Rinaldi joined the hardline Texas Freedom Caucus. Rinaldis most famous, or infamous, moment on the House floor was when he nearly got into a physical fight with then-state Rep. Poncho Nevarez after calling federal immigration officials on protestors during a heated debate over a controversial immigration bill.

Rinaldi, an attorney by trade, lost his seat during a Democratic wave in 2018. Originally hailing from Connecticut, the chairman came to the Dallas area in 2001 after earning his law degree from Boston University.

Phelan, who has been especially critical of Rinaldi and the party after the Fuentes meeting, said the chairman was never a serious legislator, and over the past three years, the Texas GOP has gone completely off the cliff.

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You tell me who your friends are, and I'll tell you who you are, the Beaumont Republican said of Rinaldis relationship with Stickland and the PAC. Meeting with Nazi sympathizers and Holocaust deniers  if you're meeting with these individuals and strategizing with them, then you are them.

He said the party is at an inflection point.

When journalists reached out to executive committee members after the Fuentes meeting, which was first reported by the Texas Tribune on Oct. 8, Rinaldis administration removed their contact information from the party website.

There's no transparency anymore, said Jan Duncan, a member of the executive committee who represents the Austin area. Originally, what the SREC is supposed to do  our job is supposed to be to represent our constituents and to get Republicans elected. And it has now become very much like a little mini legislature, which is not good and not appropriate.

At least three executive committee members say Rinaldi has also been more combative than past chairs and has threatened them with challengers if they do not vote in line with his priorities during quarterly meetings. Rinaldi did not address these allegations in his statement.

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The party has also increasingly embraced censures, which under a 2020 rule change now allow the state GOP to spend money against censured candidates in primaries.

The executive committee, which includes Rinaldi, censured U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales in March for his bipartisan votes on guns and same-sex marriage, and the party is poised to censure a top House Republican who led the impeachment effort. If school vouchers dont pass, Phelan is likely next.

Its our way or the highway mentality, which will be very destructive to the Republican Party in the years to come, said Chad Wilbanks, who served as executive director of the party from 2003 to 2004 and ran an unsuccessful bid against Rinaldi for chairman in 2021.

Phelan said Rinaldi and a handful of his allies want to sow chaos in the Texas Legislature similar to the way a few Republicans in D.C. upended the U.S. House last month by ousting Kevin McCarthy from the speakership, leaving the chamber without a leader for three weeks.

They want to empower a small group of people to have that same type of influence in Austin, Phelan said.

Dozens of Republican House members have sided with the speaker, and some of the chambers most conservative members also voted for or led the effort to remove Paxton from office.

But Rinaldi said the fact that a few Republicans like Dade Phelan have joined the Democrat team does not change the partys position or render us neutral  and there are many Republicans who agree with him, too.

The role of our party is to be a tool for the grassroots  average Texas families to organize, identify protections and liberties they see as worthy of being enshrined in Texas policies, then provide this in writing (the platform) as a helpful brightline to those who step forward to SERVE our great Republic, Rachel Horton, a member of the executive committee who represents parts of North Texas, posted on social media.

Shifting priorities

John Beckmeyer, who served as executive director of the party under Rinaldi from July 2021 to August of this year, said the party has been central to passing conservative priorities, including a sweeping elections bill two years ago.

I absolutely believe that the party has a larger role than to just get Republicans elected, he said.

The party approved a 40-page platform at last years convention that includes bread-and-butter GOP issues, like cutting government spending, reducing business regulations and eliminating unfunded mandates. It also declares homosexuality as an abnormal lifestyle choice, opposes all efforts to validate transgender identity, supports the placement of the Ten Commandments in public schools and calls for the elimination of hate crime laws.

More than a dozen Republicans interviewed for this story described different points at which they believe the party started to turn more into an advocacy group. For some, it was the censure of former Texas House Speaker Joe Straus in 2018. For others, it was former Chairman Allen Wests decision to protest in front of the governors mansion in 2020.

West, who did not respond to a request for comment, left the chairmanship in 2021 to launch an unsuccessful primary challenge against Abbott. The partys executive committee then elected Rinaldi, who promised to work with, and not for elected Republicans. He was re-elected to a full term last year at the state partys convention, where U.S. Sen. John Cornyn was booed on stage for his work on bipartisan gun reforms after a shooting at a Uvalde elementary school.

That convention  where U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw was also aggressively confronted by a far-right YouTube personality  was another turning point for some party observers. No matter when it started, though, they agree that Rinaldi has embraced a more hostile leadership style that has pitted the state party against many of its elected representatives, especially this year.

I kind of miss the days when party chairs werent always causing drama, Rolando Garcia, another member of the partys executive committee who represents the Houston area, said after a recent social media battle between Rinaldi and members of Phelans leadership team.

Brendan Steinhauser, an Austin-based GOP consultant, said Rinaldi has taken the party to the next level, which is using the party apparatus to push for an agenda and to call out Republicans by name.

Because the 2021 redistricting cycle eliminated most competitive races across Texas, theres more room for the party to get involved in primaries and policy debates, Steinhauser said.
Some legal experts are panning Elon Musks lawsuit targeting the watchdog group Media Matters, saying the complaint filed Monday by X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, runs contrary to the First Amendment and could backfire wildly  if it progresses at all.

The lawsuit filed Monday accuses Media Matters of publishing a report that distorted the likelihood of ads appearing beside extremist content on X, a move the social media company says led major and influential advertisers to suspend their campaigns en masse. The company alleges that the groups testing methodology was not representative of how real users experience the site and calls for a judge to force Media Matters to take down the analysis.

The case appears to be a bogus attempt to chill criticism in a way that flatly contradicts basic First Amendment principles, Ted Boutrous, a First Amendment attorney with years of experience dealing with the tech industry, told CNN. Boutrous added that the case could backfire for X in the discovery phase, as Media Matters could demand internal information that, if presented at trial, could prove embarrassing or highly damaging to the social media company.

The lawsuit also contains fatal flaws by conceding that ads did, in fact, appear beside extremist content, regardless of how Media Matters achieved that result, according to Steve Vladeck, a law professor at the University of Texas and a CNN contributor.

The complaint admits that the thing Media Matters was making a big deal about actually happened, Vladeck said. Most companies wouldnt want their ads running next to neo-Nazi content even once, and wouldnt care about the exact percentage of users who were encountering such side-by-side placement.

Contrary to the complaint, Media Matters never claimed that what it found was typical of other users experience, Vladeck added.

But even as some analysts mock the lawsuit as weak on the merits, they arent ruling out that it could move forward, thanks to Xs apparently deliberate decision to file in a Texas court seen as generally favorable to his cause.

A Texas forum

On Monday, Xs case was assigned to District Judge Mark Pittman, a Donald Trump appointee who was previously at the center of some of the nations biggest legal battles, including over gun rights and President Joe Bidens blocked student loan forgiveness plan.

The big question, legal experts say, is whether Musks choice of venue  the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas  can help him overcome some of the lawsuits substantive shortcomings.

In accusing Media Matters of distorting the truth, X has alleged that the group misrepresented how likely it is for advertisers ads to show up against pro-Nazi or White supremacist content. According to Musk, Media Matters established a test account following extremist material and then refreshed the feed until Xs ad system displayed an ad for major brands.

X does not appear to dispute the fact that X has monetized extremist content or that the brands ads ran beside it.

X does admit the ads were shown next to hateful content, but argues it was rare, said Joan Donovan, a professor of journalism and emerging media studies at Boston University. This is the same strategy employed by advertisers that got YouTube to demonetize political content in 2017.

Akiva Cohen, a litigation attorney at Kamerman, Uncyk, Soniker & Klein in New York, pointed out that while Musk has historically relied on massive, white-shoe law firms in his other cases  such as his lawsuit with Twitter over the original acquisition and against former Twitter employees  in this situation, he is relying on a much smaller firm.

All those big firms Elon usually uses? They probably went f***, no, are you out of your mind? This is a baaaaad idea, Cohen said in a post on the X alternative BlueSky.

He went with politically connected Texas lawyers, reflecting the extent to which people think that Texas courts are political actors, not legal actors, Cohen added. All three of the lawyers in that signature block have backgrounds with the Texas AGs office or Solicitor Generals office.

As it happens, immediately following Musks lawsuit on Monday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced a fraud investigation into Media Matters. And Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey posted on X that his office was doing the same, news to which Musk responded: Great!

Musks court pick reveals an attempt to shore up a weak claim on the merits with a bench more likely to be sympathetic even to weak claims, said Vladeck. Its one of those lawsuits thats filed more for symbolism than for substance.

Media Matters response

In a statement Monday evening, Media Matters President Angelo Carusone vowed to defend the group against the suit.

This is a frivolous lawsuit meant to bully Xs critics into silence, Carusone said. Media Matters stands behind its reporting and looks forward to winning in court.

Some legal experts suggested that Media Matters first course of action may be to try to move the case out of the Texas federal court. X is headquartered in California, while Media Matters is based in Washington, D.C. The Texas court reflects an absence of any logical connection to the dispute, Vladeck said.

If the case isnt transferred out of Texas, the apparent deliberate choice of court could work in Xs favor by preventing Media Matters from leveraging state laws in California and the District of Columbia that are designed to limit litigation intended to suppress criticism. These so-called anti-SLAPP laws do not apply in the federal appeals court that oversees Texas, said Ken White, a First Amendment lawyer based in Los Angeles.

X filed this in federal court in Texas to avoid application of an anti-SLAPP statute, White said on BlueSky, adding: Xs purpose is to harass and abuse and maximize the cost of litigation, and anti-SLAPP statutes interfere with that aim.

Even if Musk can somehow convince a court to look skeptically at Media Matters methodology, it does not prove that Media Matters report was directly responsible for the advertiser revolt, said Nora Benavidez, senior counsel at the civil rights group Free Press. So far, none of the brands that have suspended advertising on X have directly cited the Media Matters analysis as the reason for their decision.

Musk and his lawyers seek to isolate Media Matters investigation as the sole reason major advertisers have joined the exodus from X. But these major brands are not naive, Benavidez told CNN. They have not only seen their ads placed next to repulsive content, but also witnessed Musks own abhorrent online behavior, including amplifying antisemitic posts by other bigots and bullies on the platform.

Brands have every right to exercise their own free speech rights when deciding how to spend their ad dollars, she added.

 CNNs Oliver Darcy and Jon Passantino contributed to this report

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Angelina Jolie and Pax Jolie-Pitt

A resurfaced rant about Brad Pitt by his son, Pax Jolie-Pitt, is making its roundsand in the Instagram screenshot, Pax reportedly slammed his dad as an "awful human being."

Pax, 19, who was adopted at age 3 from Vietnam by Angelina Jolie in 2007 (and later by Pitt in 2008), reportedly posted a scathing message about Pitt on Father's Day 2020.

"Happy Father's Day to this world class a--hole!!" the message read, overlain a photo of Pitt accepting an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. "You time and time and again prove yourself to be a terrible and despicable person."

Pax, who was 16 when he reportedly posted the Instagram Story, continued: "You have no consideration or empathy toward your 4 youngest children who tremble in fear when in your presence. You will never understand the damage you have done to my family because you're incapable of doing so."

In his post, Pax claimed Pitt "made the lives of those closest to me a constant hell."

He added: "You may tell yourself and the world whatever you want but the truth will come to light someday. So Happy Father's Day, you f--king awful human being."

Parade reached out to Pitt's representative but did not immediately hear back.

A source confirmed to the Daily Mail that the private account in the screen shot belongs to Pax.

"It's the account he uses for friendsfriends from school mostly," the source reportedly told the publication. "He never says much about his parents, keeps himself to himself, so that was unusual."

It's unclear why the message is now circulating. However, it does come almost two months after Jolie addressed her family's "healing" journey in Vogue.

"We had a lot of healing to do," she said in September, without sharing specifics. "We're still finding our footing."

She further shared in the publication, "I was 26 when I became a mother. My entire life changed. Having children saved meand taught me to be in this world differently."

Jolie filed for divorce from Pitt in August 2016 following an alleged altercation on a private jet; they were finally declared legally single in April 2019.

In October 2022, Pitt's attorney, Anne Kiley, said to E! News in defense of her client's character, "Brad has owned everything he's responsible for from day oneunlike the other sidebut he's not going to own anything he didn't do. He has been on the receiving end of every type of personal attack and misrepresentation."

Next: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's Daughter Zahara Showered With Support Amid Significant College Decision
Thanksgiving meal on a table

While many Americans will sit down and enjoy a traditional turkey dinner on Thanksgiving, some will opt to skip the tradition.

Although many, if not most, major chain restaurants will be closed on Thanksgiving, there will be plenty of options for those opting to skip a meal at home. While some restaurants will be offering their standard menu, others will provide a special Thanksgiving Day menu for those who just do not want to cook.

Note that some national chains that are not listed  especially fast food restaurants  are franchised, in which case the decision to open is often left to local ownership.

Here is a list of major chain restaurants opting to open for Thanksgiving (hours and participation vary):

Bar Louie: The gastropub has 67 locations nationwide and some will be open Thanksgiving evening if you need some relief from your relatives.

Bob Evans: This restaurant chain is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner on Thanksgiving. Check out their holiday menu here.

Boston Market: Boston Market might not have its Thanksgiving Day buffet anymore, but it does offer holiday catering so you dont have to cook a single thing.

Buca di Beppo: Buca di Beppo offers diners the option of enjoying a traditional Thanksgiving meal in the restaurant or by catering. Click here to read more.

Cracker Barrel: Cracker Barrel calls Thanksgiving its "busiest day of the year as it is open for its normal hours and menu. For those looking for catering, Cracker Barrel is offering a full Thanksgiving meal for 10, including turkey, dressing, gravy, cranberry relish, choice of two sides, rolls and two pies. The price varies by location.

Denny's: You can always count on Denny's to be open all day, every day of the year, including Thanksgiving.

Dunkin': Many locations will be open during Thanksgiving. Check the location nearest you for operating hours.

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse: Starting at $56 per person, guests can enjoy a three-course turkey dinner that includes all the traditional fixings. If you prefer steak, customers can order a filet mignon for an extra charge. To RSVP, click here.

Golden Corral: Golden Corral will be open with a special Thanksgiving buffet, among other entrees. Prices vary by location. Click here to see the buffet menu.

IHOP: The house of pancakes will be serving up unique turkey dishes for the holiday, including a homestyle turkey and stuffing melt. It does not appear they will be offering turkey and stuffing pancakes with cranberry sauce. Maybe next year?

Metro Diner: You can order a feast to-go from Metro Diner, or dine-in and try their turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy on a stuffing waffle. Yes, a waffle made from stuffing.

Popeye's: Hours at this fast food joint's locations may vary for the holiday, but you can order an entire cajun turkey ahead of time from your nearest location to heat up for your Thanksgiving feast.

Red Lobster: All locations will be open Thanksgiving Day. The holiday meal will include a side of stuffing made from their famous Cheddar Bay biscuits.

Ruth's Chris Steak House: The steakhouse will have a special three-course dinner with all your holiday favorites including oven-roasted turkey breast, sausage and herb stuffing, homemade turkey gravy, and pumpkin cheesecake. Reservations are available by clicking here.

Sheetz: If you're just looking for a good ol' hamburger or slice of pizza, this will be a safe bet. All of the gas station's restaurants are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Starbucks: Many Starbucks locations will be open on the holiday for those who need a caffeine pick-me-up. Check your individual location for hours.

TGI Fridays: The chain said it will be open for "pregamers, friend seekers and family escapers" on Thanksgiving. Hours will vary by location.

Waffle House: Almost every Waffle House location offers hash browns and other classic items 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, including Thanksgiving.

Wawa: The "hot turkey gobbler" at this gas station restaurant is a classic alternative to a big Thanksgiving meal.

SEE MORE: About half of Americans plan to eat restaurant food on Thanksgiving
Mars Williams, a saxophone player known for his work as a member of the Waitresses and later the Psychedelic Furs, died Monday at age 68.

His hometown newspaper the Chicago Tribune first confirmed Williams passing and reported that the cause of death was ampullary cancer. Williams was diagnosed with the rare cancer a year ago.

Williams sax was a key element of the Waitresses during the groups short but impactful two-album tenure in 1980-83, heard on the signature songs Christmas Wrapping, Square Pegs and I Know What Boys Like as well as saxophone-heavy deep cuts like the title track of their Bruiseology LP.

The Waitresses split roughly coincided with Williams being asked by the Psychedelic Furs asking him to sit in for their absent resident sax man on an overseas tour in 1983, which turned into a tenure that extended through 1989. He then resumed his work with the Furs from 2005 through his final tour dates with the band, which wrapped up just last month in October.

Most of Williams work fell on the jazz side, however, particularly with ensembles with an experimental bent.

Horn player Mars Williams and singer Richard Butler of The Psychedelic Furs perform on the Santa Monica Pier in 2016.

Among the dozens of groups he played with, Williams was for 25 years a member of the Chicago group Liquid Soul, which picked up a Grammy nomination for best contemporary jazz record in 2001. Poised to rattle your headspace, Chicagos premier funk-jazz ensemble Liquid Soul have been combining bebop with hip-hop since 1994 with muscular horns, tongue-cutting rappers, and turntable-infested rhythms, wrote the Village Voice.

Downtown jazz legend John Zorn wrote liner notes for an album Williams did with Hal Russell in 1984 and called him one of the true saxophone players  someone who takes pleasure in the sheer act of blowing the horn. This tremendous enthusiasm is an essential part of his sound, and it comes through each note every time he plays. Whatever the situation, Mars plays exciting music. In many ways he has succeeded in redefining what versatility means to the modern saxophone player.

Among the rock and jazz musicians Williams played with live or on record, as listed on his website, were Billy Idol (on the Rebel Yell tour), the Killers, Power Station, Wayne Kramer, Ministry, Bill Laswell, Charlie Hunter, Dirty Projectors, Billy Squier, DJ Logic, John Scoffield, Kurt Elling, Jerry Garcia and the Untouchables.

Williams unique sensibility could be found in how every year, up through 2022, he led what was billed as an Ayler Xmas Tour, combining the music of free-jazz great Albert Ayler with Christmas carols.

Williams led or participated in many other ensembles as well, including the NRG Ensemble, Trio No Mas, the Chicago Reed Quartet, the Mars Williams Music Book Orchestra and Boneshaker. Among his better-heard recent recordings was a sax solo on Keshas cover of Children of the Revolution on a T. Rex tribute album produced by the late Hal Willner.

The musician was born in Elmhurst, Illinois in 1955 and came up playing classical clarinet for 10 years, under the influence of his trumpet-playing father, before switching to saxophone. He cited Eric Dolphy, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker as his first major influences, falling under the sway of Ornette Coleman later on.

Williams had been sober for 20 years and was active with helping struggling fellow musicians through the MusiCares program.

A show this coming Saturday night at Chicagos Metro had been designed as a benefit for his medical care, but will now serve as a celebration-of-life event. Richard Butler, Zachary Alford and Rich Good of Psychedelic Furs, Ike Reilly and Jeff Coffin of the Dave Matthews Band are expected to sit in on a concert led by Williams longtime bandmates in Liquid Soul.

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A dog that was found emaciated next to the body of her owner who died from hypothermia has regained her weight and has even began hiking again.

Searchers found the body of Rich Moore, 71, on Oct. 30, more than two months after he was reported missing Aug. 19 while hiking in southwest Colorado.

He and his 3-year-old Jack Russell terrier, Finney, disappeared after venturing into the Blackhead Peak area. A hunter found Moore's body in the Lower Blanco drainage basin and, next to him, a protective Finney.

"I know that she was with Rich to the very end, and somehow that should be a comfort. I don't know how she did it, but she was there when he needed her," Moore's wife, Dana Holby, told The Associated Press.

Finney has since regained weight since this image was taken by Dana Holby on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023, in Pagosa Springs, Colo., shortly after returning from the mountains.

When she was found, she was so emaciated that her ribs were showing. She had lost half her body weight.

Finney: Dog of missing Colorado hiker found dead lost half her body weight when standing by his side

Finney regaining weight

"Finney is doing well," Holby told the AP. "She has gained almost all of her weight back, and her strength is almost where it was. She is the miracle dog."

Holby said Finney does have an injury to her snout that could scar, but the pup is on her way back to normal.

"She is now 3, very clingy and will not let me out of her sight," Holby said. "Her ravenous appetite has calmed down, but at first she could not get enough to eat and wanted food at all times of the day and night."

Despite the ordeal, Finney is still going on hikes  as much as 5 miles a day.

"She is such a comfort to me and a great companion," Holby said.

Contributing: Amaris Encinas and Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY; The Associated Press

This image provided by Dana Holby shows her Jack Russell terrier Finney on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023, in Pagosa Springs, Colo. The faithful dog survived after spending more than 10 weeks by the side of her owner, Rich Moore, who died of hypothermia while hiking in the Colorado mountains. Finney has regained most of the weight she lost during her ordeal and is back on the hiking trails. (Dana Holby via AP)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dog that spent 2 months near dead owner's side is regaining weight
American voters across party lines support more funding to bolster security at the southern border, while support for foreign countries embroiled in conflicts exposes stark partisan divides, according to the latest NBC News national poll.

The survey finds roughly 3 in 4 registered voters  74%  support more funding for security along the U.S. border with Mexico, including 93% of Republicans, 74% of independents and 58% of Democrats.

The new survey comes as lawmakers are weighing an aid package to support Ukraine and Israel amid their ongoing wars that would also include immigration measures, with congressional leaders pushing to pass the package by the end of the year.

Broadly, Americans are on the side of Israel, but there are huge divisions by generation here, including on providing more funding for humanitarian aid to Gaza, and more funding and military aid to Israel respectively, said Democratic pollster Jeff Horwitt of Hart Research Associates, who conducted the survey with GOP pollster Bill McInturff of Public Opinion Strategies.

And other funding related issues  majorities support funding for border security aid, for Ukraine and Taiwan, Horwitt added. But beyond Taiwan, there are partisan gaps on those items, which suggests a challenging road ahead.

The poll finds that Democrats are more likely to support humanitarian aid to Gaza, with 80% of them voicing support for that funding, compared to 58% of independents and just 38% of Republicans.

Majorities across age groups support aid to Gaza, with a higher share of younger voters backing aid. But the generational gap is even wider when it comes to funding and military aid to Israel amid its war with Hamas.

Just one-third of voters ages 18-34 back more funding and military aid, while sizable majorities of older voters back support for Israel, including 75% of voters ages 65 and older.

Support for Israel funding also breaks along party lines, with two-thirds of GOP voters backing more funding and aid compared to 45% of Democrats. That support is even lower among more progressive Democrats who say they voted for Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., or Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., in the 2020 primary  just 28% support more aid for Israel.

Democrats are far more likely to support aid to Ukraine amid its war with Russia, with 77% supporting more funding and military aid to the country, compared to just 35% of Republicans.

That Republican opposition is highest among GOP voters who align themselves with former President Donald Trump and his Make America Great Again movement  76% of self-described MAGA Republicans oppose more aid to Ukraine, while non-MAGA Republicans are more evenly divided over Ukraine aid.

The survey does find bipartisan support for more funding and military aid to Taiwan as it faces the potential threat of a Chinese invasion, with slim majorities of Republicans, Democrats and independents backing more aid.

That lesser known issue right now is really holding its own compared to the front and center hot spots like Ukraine and Israel, Micah Roberts of Public Opinion Strategies said on the topic of funding and military aid to Taiwan.

The NBC News poll was conducted Nov. 10-14 and surveyed 1,000 registered voters  833 by cellphone  and it has an overall margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
19-year-old Sachin Hawkins was allegedly stabbed to death by his roommate in Hull, England last week. (Family Courtesy/Humberside Police)

An American student studying in the United Kingdom is dead after his roommate allegedly stabbed him last week in the city of Hull.

Sachin Hawkins, 19, was studying to be a special education teacher at the University of Hull, his mother told Humberside Police.

He loved his family and friends, they meant the world to him, his mother, who police did not identify, said. We wanted to make everyone proud and he was a role model for the younger generation. Sachin was loved by everyone.

Officials charged 24-year-old Syed Hussain-Kazi with murder in connection with the students death. His next court date is set for 20 November at Hull Crown Court. Hell remain in custody until his trial begins.

Authorities said they were called to a residence on Hardy Street in Hull at 10.15pm on 15 November after receiving reports that a person had been stabbed. Emergency responders transported Mr Hawkins to the hospital for medical treatment, but he died shortly after arriving.

Mr Hussain-Kazi fled the property after the attack, police said. Officers conducted an extensive search before locating the suspect.

I understand that this incident will undoubtedly cause concern among the local community, Detective Chief Inspector Jayne Goodens said in a news release.

I want to offer some reassurance that this is thought to be an isolated incident between two people, believed to be known to each other, that took place inside a property.

We do not believe there to be any wider risk to the public.

NBC News reported that the student was from New York and had attended Freeport High School in Long Island. He moved to the UK in 2022.

The mans mother told the outlet that her son and Mr Hussain-Kazi were friends, adding that she spoke to the defendant on the phone days before he allegedly stabbed her son.

What triggered it? Thats the question were all asking. Why Sachin? she told NBC News. None of his friends, his other friends, who were there, no one knows.

A GoFundMe page launched to repatriate the students body back to the US has exceeded its $20,000 goal by raising more than $22,000.
The Arc at the Green School in Bali was finished in 2021

Made from a series of bamboo arches spanning 19 metres, the Arc at the Green School in Bali is heralded as one of the most significant structures ever made from bamboo.

Designed by architecture studio Ibuku and using approximately 12.4 tonnes of Dendrocalamus Asper, also known as Rough Bamboo or Giant Bamboo, the lightweight structure was finished in April 2021.

Such an eye-catching building shows the strength and versatility of bamboo. Add to that bamboo's green credentials and it would seem like an excellent material to help the construction industry cut its carbon footprint.

Like trees, bamboo plants sequester carbon as they grow and can act as carbon sinks, storing more carbon than many tree species.

A plantation of bamboo can store 401 tonnes of carbon per hectare (per 2.5 acres). By contrast, a plantation of Chinese fir trees can store 237 tonnes of carbon per hectare, according to a report by the International Bamboo and Rattan Organisation (INBAR) and Delft University of Technology, in the Netherlands.

It is one of the fastest growing plants on the planet - some varieties grow as quickly as one metre per day.

Plus, bamboo is a grass, so when the stem is harvested it grows back, unlike most trees.

It has a long history of use in construction in Asia, but in Europe and the US it remains a niche building material.

In those markets, bamboo treated with heat and chemicals is becoming more common for flooring, kitchen tops and chopping boards, but is rarely used as a structural material.

Around 12 tonnes of bamboo went into making The Arc

According to Christopher Matthews, from London-based structural engineers Atelier One, part of the problem is a lack of familiarity.

"One of the biggest challenges was nobody really knows how to engineer in bamboo," says Mr Matthews, who worked on the Bali School project.

"So we had to test it. We were there, loading it up with sandbags to actually prove how strong it was."

Mr Matthews says demand for bamboo is increasing, with 30% of his company's clients now using the material. "We've started developing more and more bamboo structures."

He points to an entire school campus in New Mexico, and structures such as a yoga studio in Costa Rica, and a bridge and pavilion in the Philippines.

"In the countries that are using it, it's extremely cheap and extremely abundant, and the workforce is skilled in using it. If we started using it in Europe, initially it'd be more expensive. But as it becomes more and more used, then there's no reason why the cost can't come down."

He says the company is in early stage conversations to help build with bamboo in the UK soon.

BambooLogic has plantations in Portugal

It would help if bamboo was grown in Europe, but the larger species don't grow well in chilly northern climates.

BambooLogic is hoping to change that - it is the first large-scale bamboo grower in Europe.

"For sure, it needs a lot of sun, some water as well," says Jan Detavernier, a consultant at BambooLogic, which has bamboo plantations in Portugal.

"In the south, we have a lot of sun." He says it has the potential to restore degraded soil. "Where we grow in the south of Portugal, the soil is very poor. Since the bamboo captures CO2 and puts it in the ground, it makes the earth much better."

Mr Detavernier says his firm is working with partners that are developing new products for the European market.

The challenge, he says, is a lack of standardisation. "In Europe we are not used to working with bamboo as a material. There's a lot of data in Asia, but there's little data in Europe to work with."

Dr Bhavna Sharma, assistant professor of architecture at the University of Southern California's School of Architecture, and also a member of the taskforce developing international standards for bamboo construction materials, echoes this.

"It's a challenge still to use bamboo in construction because it is still a non-conventional material," she says.

"It's just [about] increasing our body of knowledge, understanding how the material would perform in different service environments, which means if I'm building in Amsterdam, how will the building perform in that type of weather and climate versus if I'm building in Indonesia? That way we can move even further in terms of the types of buildings that we're able to construct."

Dr Sharma says that the first engineered bamboo testing standards from International Standards Organisation were published last summer. "That will support practitioners, designers and engineers in adopting the material into projects."

Here Bamcore panels are being used to build a residential building

In California, sustainable building materials company BamCore, established in 2019, offers a panelised framing system made up of either engineered bamboo and wood, or eucalyptus and wood. The panels are used to build buildings up to five storeys high for both commercial and residential buildings.

"Our customers originally started as single home buyers or architects that were looking to be more sustainable," says Kate Chilton, chief sustainability officer at BamCore.

"But as we've started to grow, we have begun to bring on developers as customers." She points to D.R. Horton, the largest homebuilder in the US, which she says, is in the process of piloting its bamboo product across several developments in the US.

There are more than 1,600 species of bamboo, and BamCore's preferred is Dendrocalamus asper, more commonly known as Giant Clumping bamboo, which they import from South America and Asia. However, Ms Chilton says they are in talks with a bamboo plantation owner in Florida who has a Dendrocalamus asper trial ongoing.

More technology of business

Some are embracing the creative potential of bamboo. Event marketing agency, Natchlab, is creating a 650-sq m temple from recycled bamboo for the arts and music Boom Festival in Portugal next year.

"Open plan, well-ventilated, high structures are exactly what you need at a festival," Mr Sibthorpe, Nachtlab's creative director, said at the Green conference - part of the Amsterdam Dance Event.

"Bamboo can bend and mould a little bit. It's a very malleable material."
The murder trial of Bryan Kohberger, the former Ph.D. criminology student suspected of killing four University of Idaho students in a brutal attack a year ago, will be livestreamed, a judge has ruled.

Idaho District Judge John Judge granted Mr Kohbergers request to remove media cameras from the courtroom  but ruled that any future public proceedings will still be livestreamed on the courts YouTube channel using its own equipment.

The decision comes just a week after the one-year anniversary of the tragic murders and after months of anticipation in the highly publicised case.

Mr Kohberger, who turns 29 this week, is accused in the 13 November 2022 fatal stabbings of Kaylee Goncalves, 21, and Madison Mogen, 21, Ethan Chapin, 20, Xana Kernodle, 20, at an off-campus house in Moscow, Idaho. Investigators say DNA evidence on a military knife sheath found near Mogens body at the house tied Kohberger to the scene.

It is the intense focus on Kohberger and his every move, along with adverse headlines and news articles, that leads the Court to conclude that continued photograph and video coverage inside the courtroom by the media should no longer be permitted, the judge wrote in the ruling.

Bryan Kohberger in court in September (AP)

Back in September, Mr Kohbergers attorneys asked for cameras to be banned from the Latah County courtroom. The judge said he was concerned not by the act of recording itself, but how the footage might be treated by news outlets and social media. Commentators talk about it, he said at the time, and a lot of times it is not very accurate.

The new order means members of the media and public will not be allowed to record their own video, audio or take photographs of future hearings.

But a livestream of the proceedings will be available through the judges YouTube channel.

"This will help to alleviate the concerns raised by both the defense and the State, but at the same time will ensure the public still has access to see the proceedings for themselves if they cannot attend hearings in-person," the order states.

The judge also denied a media coalitions motion to intervene in the case. He accused the media of violating his requests not to exclusively zoom in on Mr Kohbergers face and not to record before or after court is in session.

Additionally, defense counsel has raised continued concerns with video footage and photographs capturing private documents on counsel tables. This is again in violation of the Courts directives, the order continues.

The State has also raised issues of vulnerable victims and witnesses being filmed during testimony. At this juncture, the Court has no confidence that directives to stop photographing or videoing during such testimony would be adhered to.

In the ruling, the judge cited the high-profile case of Doomsday cult mom Lori Vallow to support his decision.

As was noted by District Judge Steven W. Boyce in his Memorandum Decision and Order Prohibiting Video and Photographic Coverage in the case of State of Idaho v. Lori Norene Vallow aka Lori Norene Vallow Daybell [a]greement between the State and Defense on any issue in a capital case is rare, further confirming to the Court the legitimacy and level of concern counsel have raised. The same is true in this case.

Ethan Chapin, 20, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, were killed on 13 November (Instagram)

In May, Kohberger declined to enter a plea at his arraignment, forcing the judge to enter not guilty pleas on his behalf for four charges of first-degree murder and another of felony burglary. He could face death by firing squad if convicted.

In August, Mr Kohberger waived his right to a speedy trial, postponing the proceedings indefinitely.

On 27 October, Mr Kohberger appeared in court for a hearing on a motion to dismiss the indictment against him.

The defence argued that the grand jury which brought the indictment had been improperly handed.

The judge disagreed, ruling that the indictment will stand.
Chef-partner Kiyong "Ki" Kim plans to close Kinn on Nov. 25. He cites deteriorating mental health and inconsistent business as factors in his decision to close his tasting-menu restaurant. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

After two years, Michelin Guide recognition and a glowing review from the Los Angeles Times, modern Korean restaurant Kinn is set to close this week, with its chef-owner underscoring the importance of mental health within the restaurant industry.

I think our products are oftentimes undervalued, we have to make compromises, said Kiyong Ki Kim, who announced Kinns closure last Friday. Whether it's quality of life, financials, sleep hours, we have to please our guests and please our customers rather than making sure we're staying healthy. It adds up.

The Koreatown restaurants closure is slated for Saturday. Kim said he lost roughly 20 pounds in the last few weeks due to stress and anxiety. As a chef he characterizes critical praise and seeing customers satisfied as addicting, leading to a workforce of chefs who rarely prioritize themselves.

Before opening Kinn, Kim co-founded Korean pop-up Naemo in Los Angeles and worked at San Franciscos Benu and New York Citys Jungsik and Atomix. The 20-seat Kinn, his first restaurant, is a collaboration with In Hospitality Group  which also operates Koreatown fried chicken shop Chimmelier  and opened in November 2021 with a la carte offerings but quickly reformatted to a tasting-menu setup.

Its five courses expanded to seven and included dishes such as the signature slow-braised crispy octopus, kimchi-stuffed charred Little Gems, peach-glazed bulgogi and tomato-and-perilla burrata salad, evolving each season.

Kinn was heralded for its seasonal tasting menu featuring dishes such as a summertime bibimbap with seaweed rice. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

Earlier this year, global dining compendium Michelin Guide added Kinn to its California listings as a new and notable restaurant pick. Whether preparing dishes or presenting them, the chef and his team deliver an exclusive experience, the guide said.

Michelin also included Kinn in its guide to the best Korean restaurants in Los Angeles.

In May, L.A. Times Food critic Bill Addison called Kinn one of the freshest culinary voices in Los Angeles, described Kim as masterful and pondered whether the restaurant could be the future of fine dining in the city.

Though the restaurant is closing, Kinn will still appear at this years L.A. Times 101 List event on Dec. 5 . The restaurant was initially going to appear on the list, which will be revealed that evening, but Times restaurant critic Bill Addison swapped Kinn for another entry upon hearing the news. "In an effort to make the list as current and helpful for readers as possible, it will not be on the list," Addison said. "We're delighted to still welcome him, and honor the great work the Food section said he did."

Thats going to be our finale, Kim said.

Financial and spatial constraints

The premise of offering an ambitious, seven-course tasting menu at an affordable price  $95 per person  also proved difficult for the team, which did not always cross the threshold of necessary sales on a given night. Kim noted that his concerns for the restaurants future began in April, due to inconsistent guest seatings and compromises the chef said he had to make given the restaurants financial and spatial constraints.

As the months wore on, Kim said his mental health deteriorated, especially after alerting staff last month to the impending end.

Read more:Is this Koreatown upstart the future of fine dining in L.A.?

Professional chef regularly appears on lists of the most stressful jobs, including earning the No. 1 spot from recruitment company Zippia earlier this year due to long hours, low job security and personnel management in addition to cooking. According to a recent survey by cooking experiences website Cozymeal, 70% of the surveys participating chefs had experienced anxiety from working in a restaurant, while many also suffered from sleeping disorders, depression and substance abuse.

Multiple nonprofits and other aid organizations exist to help members of the service industry battle depression and addiction, such as Restaurant After Hours, Focus on Health, A Balanced Glass and Healthy Hospo.

Unfortunately we had to close Kinn due to his [Kims] health issue, In Hospitality Group partner Dustin Dong Hyuk Lee told The Times in an email. It is very sad, but I'm sure he will come back stronger than ever!

The outpouring of support has been a shock to the team since the announcement last Friday, with reservations now fully booked for the week, the chef said.

We're very, very grateful, Kim said. We've already seen a lot of familiar faces after we announced, and everyone is reaching out. I didn't know there were like this many people that cared about us. Its been very emotional.

Charcoal-grilled Mackerel with sauteed kimichi from Kinn. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

Closing the restaurant has helped Kim find new camaraderie in other chefs whove reached out to convey empathy, having closed restaurants themselves, and said the experience has helped him learn to be more empathetic in turn.

I'm very hopeful now and I'm trying to be as strong as I can be, mentally, he said.

Kim hopes to remain in L.A. after Kinns closure, ideally cooking elsewhere before opening his own restaurant again someday.

What I really want to do is focus on the present moment, but I'm very excited for the future. I feel like what the future holds is very bright  and it's even brighter than the prime of Kinn.

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.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo speaks at a press conference on Monday, Nov. 13, 2023 at the Eldorado Ballroom in Houston. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, along with two other Texas county judges, sent a letter to President Joe Biden on Monday calling for the White House to take action after the Texas Legislature passed a controversial border bill that the county judges said is in "direct violation of the federal governments jurisdiction over immigration law." They argued Senate Bill 4  which allows the state to deport people who are suspected of crossing the border illegally  is "as unprecedented as Texas trying to declare its own wars."

Republican state lawmakers passed the measure last week in an 83-61 party-line vote. Next, the bill heads to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk for final approval.

BORDER BILL: Texas Legislature passes border bill that would empower state to begin deportations

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In their letter, Hidalgo, Travis County Judge Andy Brown and El Paso County Judge Ricardo A. Samaniego said the bill violates the U.S. Constitution and urged the Biden administration to intervene to prevent the legislation from going into effect.

Under the new law, police would be empowered to arrest people they suspect of unlawfully entering Texas from Mexico and judges would decide whether to issue an order to return to Mexico.

"In practice, SB 4 will allow  and sometimes require  judges across the entire state of Texas to deport people, even if they are in the process of seeking asylum," the three county leaders wrote. "Police officers, whose effectiveness depends on close ties with their local communities, will now be in charge of detaining immigrants for deportation."

CONTROVERSIAL IMMIGRATION PLAN: Houston City Council candidate Roy Morales wants return to ICE program

The Mexican government released an unsigned statement last week by its foreign affairs ministry saying it "rejects" the measure and opposes "any measure that allows state... authorities to detain and return nationals or foreigners to Mexican territory."

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The new law could be impossible to enforce without the cooperation of Mexican officials, immigration attorneys have warned.

Commissioners react to county judge letter

While most of Hidalgo's colleagues on Harris County Commissioners Court agreed with her position, Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey, the lone Republican, criticized Hidalgo and said the new legislation will give law enforcement more authority to secure the border.

"Who is Lina Hidalgo for? The citizens of Harris County who are already carrying a significant tax burden, or the people entering illegally who will push our already strained system even further?" Ramsey said in a statement Tuesday. "The Biden Administration has created this crisis, and left Texas no choice but to address these border issues to keep our state safe."

Democrats on the court aligned with Hidalgo, including Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones, who said she was "deeply troubled" by state lawmakers "upending" federal immigration policy.

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"As a lawyer and former judge, I share concerns that this law ignores our Constitution and the rulings of our Supreme Court. I look forward to the courts striking down this law, and I join with leaders across the nation in urging Congress to finally reform our broken immigration system," Briones said in a statement.

Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis called the legislation a "cruel political stunt" that "doesn't make us any safer," adding that "people of color are already disproportionately targeted by law enforcement, and this legislation will only exacerbate these systemic issues."

Ultimately, the Texas GOP's effort to "throw a bone to their base" will result in "people wrongfully detained," Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia said in a statement.
One week after Donna Adelson was arrested as she attempted to board a flight to Vietnam with a one-way ticket, the wealthy Florida family matriarch appeared in court where she was indicted in the 2014 murder of her former son-in-law, Dan Markel.

The Miami Beach grandmother, 73, was handcuffed and wore a red jail jumpsuit when she appeared on a video Zoom link on Tuesday morning.

Circuit Judge Jason Jones ordered Ms Adelson to be held without bond on the murder charge and said she was not to have any contact with Dan Markels family, co-defendants, or witnesses.

When asked if she understood, Ms Adelson responded yes, your honor.

She was booked on charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and solicitation to commit first-degree murder, according to Leon County Sheriffs Office jail records. A new mugshot was also released.

Tuesdays appearance was her first before the Leon County judge. She had previously appeared in bond court and waived extradition following her arrest at Miami International airport on 13 November as she attempted to board a flight to Vietnam with a layover in Dubai.

Donna Adelson (Leon County Jail)

Leading up to the arrest, recorded jail phone calls with her recently convicted son Charlie Adelson revealed she was getting things in order and that she was making sure her grandchildren would be taken care of.

She talked about suicide on the call, according to an arrest affidavit, but then admitted her plans to flee to a non-extradition country. That country was Vietnam with a stop in Dubai. The two countries do not have an extradition treaty with the United States.

With a one-way ticket to Vietnam in hand, Donna and her husband Harvey Adelson arrived at the Miami International Airport  but were stopped by the authorities before they could leave.

Donna was taken into custody and now faces murder, conspiracy, and solicitation charges in the murder of her son-in-law Dan Markel, a 41-year-old Florida State University law professor who was shot and killed outside his Tallahassee home in 2014.

Prosecutors argue that the Adelsons conspired to get rid of Markel after a bitter custody dispute between Markel and his ex-wife, Wendi Adelson, Donnas daughter.

Wendi, who has denied involvement with the murder and testified under immunity at several trials, has not been charged. Neither has her father, Harvey Adelson.

State Attorney Jack Campbell told the Tallahassee Democrat that the state did not have the evidence to arrest Harvey, but had enough to arrest Donna.

Her attempted flight overseas sped things up and pushed law enforcement to make a decision quickly, Mr Campbell said.

Thats what forced our hand, Mr Campbell said. We started talking to some of our law enforcement partners about the complexities of trying to bring someone back from either Dubai or Vietnam. And that might be a very complicated and lengthy process. So thats why we had to make a decision quickly.

The charges are the same that her son Charlie Adelson, 47, was convicted of just last week. He faces a mandatory life term when sentenced next month.

Charlie Adelson is cross examined by Assistant State Attorney Georgia Cappleman during his trial for the murder of Dan Markel

The family matriarch had been on prosecutors radar for some time, according to Leon County State Attorney Jack Campbell, who told The Associated Press that while he believes his prosecutors already had enough evidence to convict Donna before Monday, her arrest had to be accelerated when investigators learned of her plans to leave the country.

Donna was the fourth person to be arrested  an update that marks the latest twist in the 2014 killing that was arranged by Charlie Adelsons former girlfriend, Katie Magbanua, who hired her ex-husband Sigfredo Tuto Garcia and his friend Latin Kings leader Luis Rivera to carry out the murder.

Magbanua and Garcia are serving life sentences and Rivera is serving a 19-year sentence after pleading guilty to second-degree murder and testifying against the others.
Yemens Houthi rebels have released dramatic footage of a hijack involving armed men dropping down from a helicopter onto the deck of an Israeli-linked cargo ship in the southern Red Sea.

The Iran-backed rebel group said it would continue to target ships connected to Israel, adding that they are treating the ships crew in accordance with Islamic principles and values.

No Israelis were aboard the Bahamas-flagged Galaxy Leader which is operated by a Japanese company with crew members from the Philippines, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine and Mexico, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahus office earlier said.

The hijack has raised fears that regional tensions heightened by Israels war on Hamas are spilling into the seas.

The footage, released by TV channel Al Masirah a day after the ship was hijacked, showed several armed men in black camouflage jumping from the helicopter onto the ships deck, before heading towards the helm and taking its 25 crew members hostage.

The Houthi group was quoted by Al-Jazeera as saying that it captured the vessel in response to heinous acts against our Palestinian brothers in Gaza and the West Bank.

Israel, however, says the seized ship was British owned and Japanese operated. Japans government also confirmed the ship was leased and operated by the Japanese company Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line) and was transporting cars. We strongly condemn such activity, said the countrys chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno.

The ship is registered in the name of a British company and part-owned by an Israeli businessman, according to reports. Ownership details in public shipping databases associated the ships owners with Ray Car Carriers, founded by Abraham Rami Ungar, one of Israel richest business tycoons, reported the Associated Press.

Houthi fighters seize cargo ship in the Red Sea off Yemen coasts (EPA)

Mr Ungar told the agency he was aware of the incident but could not comment as he awaited further details.

Meanwhile, Tehran issued a statement denying involvement in the ships seizure, a day after Israel accused Iran of backing the confiscation.

A Houthi fighter holds up a pistol in the cargo area of the Galaxy Leader cargo ship in the Red Sea in this photo released November 20, 2023 (Reuters)

"We have said multiple times that resistance groups in the region act independently and spontaneously based on their interests and that of their people," Irans foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said on Monday. Israeli claims were aimed at diverting attention away from Israels "irreparable defeat" in its battle against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, he added.

Earlier on Sunday, Prime Minister Netanyahus office issued a statement referring to the incident as an Iranian act of terrorism with consequences for international maritime security.

Houthi fighters seize cargo ship in the Red Sea off Yemen coasts (EPA)

"This is another Iranian act of terrorism that represents an escalation in Irans belligerence against the citizens of the free world, with concomitant international ramifications vis-a-vis the security of global shipping routes," his office said.

The US denounced the move by the Houthi group as a violation of international law and demanded the immediate release of the vessel and its crew.

"The Houthi seizure of the motor vessel Galaxy Leader in the Red Sea is a flagrant violation of international law," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told a briefing. "We demand the immediate release of the ship and its crew and we will consult with our allies and UN partners as to appropriate next steps."

Additional reporting from the agencies
From New Hampshire to Oregon, researchers are trying to figure out whats causing an infectious respiratory disease among dogs that has turned deadly in rare cases.

The mysterious illness is described as an atypical canine infectious respiratory disease, the Oregon Department of Agriculture said in a November 9 news release. Symptoms include coughing, sneezing, eye or nose discharge and lethargy.

Veterinarians in Oregon have reported more than 200 cases of the disease since mid-August. Other cases have been reported in Colorado, Illinois and New Hampshire.

Based on the epidemiology of the cases reported at this point, the cases appear to share a viral etiology, but common respiratory diagnostic testing has been largely negative, Oregon State Veterinarian Dr. Ryan Scholz told the American Veterinary Medical Association.

In other words, dogs with the unidentified illness show similar signs of an upper respiratory disease but generally dont test positive for common respiratory diseases. And the disease is generally resistant to standard treatments, said Dr. David B. Needle, a pathologist at the New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and clinical associate professor at the University of New Hampshire.

Fatalities do not seem to be a large part of the syndrome we are investigating, with rare animals developing an acute and sometimes fatal pneumonia after the longer chronic disease, Needle said. We think these may represent secondary infections.

Where did the disease come from?

Needle said hes part of a team trying to identify the disease and find common DNA segments by collecting samples from local veterinary clinics and comparing the results.

If what we have identified is a pathogen, it is likely that the bacteria is host-adapted bacteria with long histories of colonizing dogs, Needle said. An evolutionary event like spontaneous mutation or getting a gene from a different source could then have led the bacteria to become virulent, he said.

He said researchers have received samples from Oregon and expect to receive samples from Colorado, Illinois and other states for testing.

The Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory has also reported cases of a mysterious canine disease, the labs director told CNN in an email.

There has been an uptick in the numbers of dogs with respiratory disease, (coughing, lethargy, fever) and the signs have been persisting longer than a few days, said Kevin Snekvik, the laboratorys executive director and a professor at the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Snekvik said his Washington lab has not reported any canine deaths from the mystifying disease, but said labs in other states have reported a few deaths.

What can dog owners do?

While the news may be concerning, We suggest caution rather than worry, the Oregon Veterinary Medical Associations website says.

While this particular disease is unusual, Periodic outbreaks of Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex (CIRDC) can occur in a dog population. At least nine different bacteria and viruses have been linked as causes of CIRDC, which is transmitted by respiratory droplets, the association said.

Infection with more than one bacterial or viral agent is common. Symptoms include coughing, sneezing, nasal and/or eye discharge, and lethargy. If your dog shows these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

Dog owners should help keep their pets healthy by making sure theyre up-to-date on all vaccines, such as those for canine influenza, Bordetella and parainfluenza, the association said. Other tips include:

 Reducing contact with large numbers of unknown dogs. Just like with other respiratory pathogens, the more contacts your dog has, the greater the risk of encountering a dog thats infectious.

 Reducing contact with sick dogs. This can be harder to determine but if a dog looks sick (coughing, runny nose, runny eyes), keep your dog away from it.

 Keep sick dogs at home and seek veterinary care.

 Avoid communal water bowls shared by multiple dogs.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
By James Pearson

LONDON (Reuters) -Using fake names, sham LinkedIn profiles, counterfeit work papers and mock interview scripts, North Korean IT workers seeking employment in Western tech companies are deploying sophisticated subterfuge to get hired.

Landing a job outside North Korea to secretly earn hard currency for the isolated country demands highly-developed strategies to convince Western hiring managers, according to documents reviewed by Reuters, an interview with a former North Korean IT worker and cybersecurity researchers.

North Korea has dispatched thousands of IT workers overseas, an effort that has accelerated in the last four years, to bring in millions to finance Pyongyang's nuclear missile programme, according to the United States, South Korea, and the United Nations.

"People are free to express ideas and opinions," reads one interview script used by North Korean software developers that offers suggestions for how to describe a "good corporate culture" when asked. Expressing one's thoughts freely could be met with imprisonment in North Korea.

The scripts totalling 30 pages, were unearthed by researchers at Palo Alto Networks, a U.S. cybersecurity firm which discovered a cache of internal documents online that detail the workings of North Korea's remote IT workforce.

The documents contain dozens of fraudulent resumes, online profiles, interview notes, and forged identities that North Korean workers used to apply for jobs in software development.

Reuters found further evidence in leaked darkweb data that revealed some of the tools and techniques used by North Korean workers to convince firms to employ them in jobs as far afield as Chile, New Zealand, the United States, Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates.

The documents and data reveal the intense effort and subterfuge undertaken by North Korean authorities to ensure the success of a scheme that has become a vital lifeline of foreign currency for the cash-strapped regime.

North Korea's U.N. mission did not respond to a request for comment.

Remote IT workers can earn more than ten times what a conventional North Korean labourer working overseas in construction or other manual jobs earns, the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) said in 2022, and teams of them can collectively earn more than $3 million a year.

Reuters was not able to determine how much the scheme has generated over the years.

Some of the scripts, designed to prepare the workers for interview questions, contain excuses for the need to work remotely.

"Richard", a senior embedded software developer, said "I (flew) to Singapore several weeks ago. My parents got Covid and I (decided) to be with family members for a while. Now, I am planning to go back to Los Angeles in three months. I am thinking that I could start work remotely right now, then I will be on board when I go back to LA."

A North Korean IT worker who recently defected also examined the documents and confirmed their authenticity to Reuters: "We would create 20 to 50 fake profiles a year until we were hired," he said.

He viewed the scripts, data and documents and said it was exactly the same thing he had been doing because he recognised the tactics and techniques used.

"Once I was hired, I would create another fake profile to get a second job," said the worker, who spoke on condition of anonymity, citing security concerns.

In October, the DOJ and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) seized 17 website domains it said were used by North Korean IT workers to defraud businesses and $1.5 million in funds.

North Korean developers working at U.S. companies had hidden behind pseudonymous email and social media accounts and generated millions of dollars a year on behalf of sanctioned North Korean entities through the scheme, the DOJ said.

"There is a risk to the North Korea government, as these privileged workers are exposed to dangerous realities about the world and their country's enforced backwardness," said Sokeel Park of Liberty in North Korea (LINK), an organisation that works with defectors.

HARD CASH

Last year, the U.S. government said North Korean IT workers were mainly located in China and Russia, with some in Africa and Southeast Asia, and can each earn up to $300,000 annually.

According to his experience, the former IT worker said all are expected to earn at least $100,000, of which 30-40% is repatriated to Pyongyang, 30-60% spent on overhead expenses, and 10-30% pocketed by workers.

He estimated there were around 3,000 others like him overseas, and another 1,000 based within North Korea.

"I worked to earn foreign currency," he told Reuters. "It differs between people but, basically, once you get a remote job you can work for as little as six months, or as long as three to four years."

"When you can't find a job, you freelance."

The researchers, part of Palo Alto's Unit 42 cyber research division, made the discovery when examining a campaign by North Korean hackers that targeted software developers.

One of the hackers left the documents exposed on a server, Unit 42 said, indicating there are links between North Korea's hackers and its IT workers, although the defector said espionage campaigns were for a select few: "Hackers are trained separately. Those missions are not given to people like us," he said.

Still, there is crossover. The DOJ and FBI have warned that North Korean IT workers may use access to hack their employers, and some of the leaked resumes indicated experience at cryptocurrency firms, an industry that has been long-targeted by North Korean hackers.

FAKE IDENTITIES

Data from Constella Intelligence, an identity investigation firm, showed that one of the workers had accounts at over 20 freelancing websites in the United States, Britain, Japan, Uzbekistan, Spain, Australia and New Zealand.

The worker did not respond to an emailed request for comment.

The data, collated from leaks on the darkweb, also revealed an account on a website selling digital templates to create realistic-looking fake identification documents, including U.S. driving licences, visas and passports, Reuters found.

The documents unearthed by Unit 42 included resumes for 14 identities, a forged U.S. green card, interview scripts, and evidence that some workers had bought access to legitimate online profiles in order to appear more genuine.

The "Richard" in Singapore who was seeking remote IT work appeared to refer to a forged profile by the name of "Richard Lee"  the same name on the green card. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment.

Reuters found a LinkedIn account for a Richard Lee with the same profile photo who listed experience at Jumio, a digital identity verification company.

"We do not have any records of Richard Lee having been a current or former employee of Jumio," a Jumio spokesperson said. Jumio does not have any evidence to suggest the company has ever had a North Korean employee within its workforce.

Reuters messaged the LinkedIn account seeking comment, but received no response. LinkedIn removed the account after receiving requests from Reuters for comment.

"Our team uses information from a variety of sources to detect and remove fake accounts, as we did in this case," a spokesperson said.

(Reporting by James PearsonAdditional reporting by Ted Hesson and Daphne Psaledakis in WashingtonEditing by Chris Sanders and Anna Driver)
With the Israel-Hamas war causing tension on college campuses across the United States, two open letters have circulated at Penn State that emphasize supporting Palestinian people is not inherently antisemitic or anti-Jewish  though one letter argued some speech has already crossed that line.

At its heart, both letters written by Penn State faculty members shared the same sentiment: Criticizing Israel, or supporting the human rights of Palestinians, is just as acceptable as supporting Israel and its people. But the second letter took exception with several examples included in the first, intimating that some behavior has crossed the line into supporting antisemitism or even supporting Hamas, a militant organization that the U.S. and other Western countries designate as a terrorist group.

Alex Lubin, a Penn State professor of African American Studies, helped organize and write the first open letter, which has 224 signatures and counting. He didnt want to serve as a referee for every questionable exchange  Smart people can disagree about these things, he said  especially when there seemed to be little disagreement about the main point of his letter.

Its a letter calling on our community to fulfill the promise of a university as a place where we can have difficult conversations without personal reprisals, dehumanization or censorship, Lubin told the CDT. And its also a place where we can hold two things at once  that is vulnerability and mourning comes with many people in our community, and siding with one side doesnt mean we should dehumanize or ignore the other.

A group holding an Israeli flag sits across the street from the gathering of support for Palestine at the Allen Street gates on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023.

National incidents impacting locals

Nationally, both Jews and Muslims have been impacted by significantly increased hate.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations said, in the 29-day window after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, it received 1,283 requests for help  a 216% increase compared to the average 29-day period last year. The Anti-Defamation League, an international Jewish organization, said it recorded 312 antisemitic incidents in the U.S. within two weeks of the attack  a 388% increase over the same period in 2022.

There are plenty of examples to pull from. A 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy was killed near Chicago last month after a landlord stabbed him 26 times, reportedly over anger for what was going on in the Middle East. In California earlier this month, a 69-year-old Jewish man died following a physical altercation with protesters supporting Palestinians.

Nothing resembling the severity of those incidents has occurred in Centre County, although some recent acts  such as antisemitic messages in plastic bags being delivered to State College homes  show this community is not immune to hate. Still, Lubin said students confided in him that they were worried  and their concerns sparked his desire to create this letter with four other colleagues.

We, the undersigned Penn State faculty and community members, affirm the right of members of our community to support Palestinian human rights, to articulate their desires for a free Palestine, and to express criticism of Israeli state violence and occupation, the letter began. We also affirm the right of members of our community to criticize Zionism without being accused of antisemitism. We condemn antisemitism in all forms.

Paul Medvedev, a professor of computer science and engineering, and biochemistry and molecular biology, helped organize the second letter that boasts 139 signatures. It started, We want to affirm our support for the right of members of our community to support Palestinian human rights as well as their right to express criticism of Israel. Unlike the first letter, however, it drew key distinctions between supporting Palestinian human rights and supporting terrorism.

A Penn State student holds a Palestine flag as a group gathers in support at the Allen Street gates on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023.

Wheres the line with antisemitism, Islamaphobia?

Medvedevs letter pointed to two specific examples in the first, when it came to crossing the line from supporting Palestinians to supporting antisemitism.

Lubins letter railed against how some university students and professors across the country have been doxed, fired and otherwise harassed and victimized, with three examples linked within the text. One redirected to a New York Times story about an NYU law student whose job offer was pulled after criticizing Israel.

Medvedevs letter pointed out the student publicly blamed Israel for the attack on itself  and Medvedev believed that crossed the line. Israel bears full responsibility for this tremendous loss of life, the student wrote.

Lubin responded: First of all, I dont agree with that (NYU students) statement because I think theres more context needed. Secondly, I think that there are many examples from which we could have chosen, some of which may have been better to link, of people who have had jobs taken away more because of their political statements.

Medvedev also cited a Day of Resistance protest at the Allen Street Gates, organized by Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and other community groups, that his letter-signers believed veered over into antisemitism. The letter specifically referred to militant images.

SJPs national organization has been accused of supporting Hamas and had distributed two protest fliers, one of which included a graphic of a paraglider, one way in which Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7. The CDT did not spot any local usage of that specific flier, and local organizers appeared to try distancing themselves from the controversy by declining to discuss SJP or Hamas.

Still, there is gray area between what crosses the proverbial line. At protests, including those in State College, supporters of Palestine have shouted, From the river to the sea/Palestine will be free. Many Palestinian activists say its a call for equality and peace, while others believe the mantra is calling for the elimination of Israel, since its also located between the Jordan River and Mediterranean Sea. Hamas also claimed the slogan in 2012.

Speaking for himself and not other letter-signers, Lubin acknowledged the phrase doesnt seem particularly strategic for anyone to use. When either side talks about eliminating the other side, thats wrong, added Lubin, who is Jewish and taught in Beirut, Lebanon, for three years.

Finding common ground

Some 117 faculty members and 107 others signed Lubins letter, compared to 48 faculty members and 91 others with Medvedevs letter. Lubins was titled, Open Letter to the Penn State Community Regarding Palestine Solidarity, while Medvedevs was, Open Letter to the Penn State Community Regarding Speech on Campus.

Both intimated that supporting Palestinians was different from supporting Hamas, and no one should feel uncomfortable for supporting Palestine or Israel. (However, Medvedevs letter did believe blame was disproportionately placed on Israel.) If a protest does lean in to antisemitism or Islamaphobia, Lubin told the CDT it should be the role of a university to educate the community when that happens.

Both letters cited the words of Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi, who released two open letters three days apart last month. Although the two faculty members quoted different parts of Bendapudis letters, the university president was consistent in her message.

As an educated community that works to create not only an inclusive society, but also a greater understanding of our complex world, she wrote, we urge Penn Staters from all backgrounds to come together to discuss our shared humanity, to comfort those in need and to most importantly, hope for peace.
A Ukrainian sniper claims to have broken the world record by killing a Russian soldier almost 2.5 miles away, with a custom rifle called Lord of the Horizon.

The previous record was held by a Canadian special operations sniper at a distance of 2.2 miles in Iraq in 2017.

In a press statement, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said: The SBU sniper set a world record for a successful shot.

He hit a Russian soldier from an incredible distance.

SBU snipers are changing the rules of world sniping, demonstrating the ability to work effectively at fantastic distances.

Well, since it's already in Telegram channels, we'll say it too. A new world record: the SSU sniper destroyed an or< from a distance of 3.8 km 

Significantly, this shot was fired by a special forces officer with the Ukrainian "Lord of the Horizon" rifle. The previous world pic.twitter.com/BJZ3HXr8pu  Yuri Chornomorets (@Y_Chornomorets) November 18, 2023

Video footage apparently capturing the shot was shared on various Ukrainian media outlets, which appears to show the target falling several seconds after the sniper fires his weapon.

The weapon used was developed and made by MAYAK and is said to fire bullets that travel faster than the speed of sound for nearly 10,000ft if used with the correct ammunition.

The world record was once held by British sniper Craig Harrison, after he killed Taliban fighter in Afghanistan in 2009 from a distance of 1.54 miles.

A separate record is held by another British sniper who killed six Taliban fighters with one shot after it triggered the suicide vest one of them was wearing.

The world-record comes just a year after Ukraine almost broke the record when one of its snipers shot a Russian soldier from 1.7miles away, thought the be the worlds second-longest combat kill.

Over the weekend, Ukrainian soldiers have been using high-speed jet skis to conduct attacks, with the country saying they will continue to use them as weapons to combat Putins troops in occupied Crimea.
There is no shortage of opportunities to scrutinise Health Secretary Michael Matheson at Holyrood, the SNPs deputy leader has said.

Keith Brown defended the Health Secretary and said those who wish to know more about the circumstances of the 11,000 data roaming bill on his iPad should await a parliamentary investigation.

At the weekend, the Conservatives accused Mr Matheson of hiding away after the Health Secretary made an emotional statement to MSPs in which he revealed his teenage sons had racked up the costs by using the device to watch football while on a family holiday in Morocco.

Speaking to the BBCs Good Morning Scotland programme, Mr Brown said his SNP colleague is someone of integrity and honesty  something Humza Yousaf has also said.

Keith Brown has defended the Health Secretary as a man of integrity (Andrew Milligan/PA)

He said: Theres absolutely no shortage of opportunities for not just the Tories, any party, any individual MSP, to make inquiries of this through the proper channels in the Parliament.

I think the wise thing to do is to wait until the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body has a look at this, and comes back to this with all the information that people may want.

Mr Brown said he has full confidence in the Health Secretary, adding: Ive known Michael for a very long time, before he entered Parliament when he worked in the social work.

Its my view, and Ive seen nothing to change this view, is that Michael is somebody of integrity and honesty.

The Conservatives have threatened to bring forward a motion of no confidence in Mr Matheson, saying there are still unanswered questions around Mr Mathesons actions.

The Health Secretary spoke to journalists on Monday, saying his earlier statement to Parliament had gone into great detail.

Asked directly if he had lied to the press, Mr Matheson stated: I set out all the circumstances and explained the way in which Id handled it in the course of my personal statement last week.

However, he said he was now focused on making sure I do my job as Health Secretary in supporting the health and social care system in Scotland over the winter period.
Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and the HHS Department are being sued by Oklahoma Attorney Gentner Drummond over its suspension of a family planning grant to the state.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond has sued the federal Department of Health and Human Services after the agency suspended a Title X family planning grant the Oklahoma State Department of Health had received for more than 40 years.

Drummond filed the lawsuit on Friday in U.S. District Court. It names HHS, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, HHS Deputy Assistant Secretary for Population Affairs Jessica Marcella and the HHS Office of Population Affairs as defendants. The suit alleges HHS took millions in Title X money from Oklahoma and Tennessee and instead awarded it to groups that support abortion services.

The federal agency suspended the $4.5 million grant in May after a dispute concerning federal rules for Title X, and the state Health Department appealed the grants suspension

However, last month, The Frontier reported that the nonprofit Missouri Family Health Council had received almost $3.3 million in new federal funding earmarked for services in Oklahoma. According to the suit, another Missouri agency, Community Health Connection Inc., received $216,000 in similar federal funds.

More: Attorney general's office 'exploring options' after Oklahoma loses Title X funding

The state Health Department appealed the HHS decision to suspend the grant, and the appeal is being heard by an appeals committee. The decision from the HHS appeals committee is still pending.

The suit seeks reinstatement of Oklahomas Title X family planning grant.

"The federal governments sole justification for disrupting decades of health services and determining that an out-of-state entity in Missouri was in the best position to provide necessary health services to citizens in the State of Oklahoma is that the Health Department refuses to approve of referrals for abortions, according to the suit.

A spokesperson for HHS said the agency does not comment on pending litigation. Emily Wales, the president and chief executive officer of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, said the lawsuit "highlights how the state is trying to pick and choose from the grants requirements it would follow, and that's not how federal law works." She said Title X "is a critical part of the family planning safety net across the state, particularly for low-resource Oklahomans. We are deeply concerned about the state's non-compliance with the program, because Title X patients deserve the same essential information no matter where they live."

What is Title X used for, and why did the Department of Health and Human Services end it in Oklahoma?

States use Title X grants to offer a range of services. Federal law regarding Title X grants says they cant be used to provide abortion as a method of family planning, but that clients must be provided information about pregnancy termination, along with prenatal care and delivery, infant care, foster care and adoption.

In May, a spokesperson for Oklahoma's Health Department said the federal agency has interpreted their rules in such a way as to require OSDH to execute the grant via a policy that is contrary to state law. Since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down its federal abortion rights precedents in 2022, Oklahoma state law has banned most abortions.

Title X in no way requires abortion referrals for a States continued participation, the suit said. Rather, sans authority, HHS seeks to punish Oklahoma for the policies adopted by Oklahomas elected representatives to protect unborn life. HHS is interfering with rights reserved to the people and their elected representatives despite a clear federal mandate that Title X funds should not be used in programs where abortion is offered as a method of family planning.

More: Oklahoma Supreme Court halts anti-abortion laws challenged by women's rights groups

In a statement, Gov. Kevin Stitt  who has been at odds with Drummond on other legal issues  said he supported the attorney generals lawsuit and that he will support this effort in any way necessary.

The Biden administrations actions to terminate our healthcare funding due to our pro-life laws is simply an abuse of power, Stitt said. These funds are essential to provide necessary services for Oklahomans across the state.

The state Health Department has used Title X funds for services such as cancer screening, breast exams, depression screening and pregnancy prevention. Since HHS suspended the grant, the state Health Department has been using $4.5 million appropriated by the state Legislature to continue operating family planning services in Oklahoma.

In many instances, particularly in rural Oklahoma communities, the Health Department and county health departments may be one of the only access points for critical preventative services for tens or even hundreds of miles, the suit said. Some of these same rural communities may not have a grocery store, let alone the presence of a full-time health provider or womens health provider. Thus, many of the patients the Health Department sees already have difficulty accessing the health care they need because of location, work schedules, and/or transportation issues. These communities are disproportionality impacted by lack of easy access to crucial health services, and that impact will grow as a result of HHSs arbitrary and punitive action.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma attorney general sues over suspended family planning grant
Wayne Crane walks back into his home as water continues to spill out of a water line that broke along the Nicholson hike and bike trail near 10th Street around 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023, in Houston. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer City of Houston Public Works employees work to repair a broken water line at the corner of Leeland Street and La Branch Street Thursday, Nov. 19, 2015, in Houston. Jon Shapley/Houston Chronicle Customers at Laredo Taqueria try to keep dry as they step over an ever-growing puddle from water flowing out of the ground on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022 in Houston. Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer

Houston Public Works said Tuesday that an employee is accused of "intentionally" hiding a relationship with a family member while directing emergency contracts to fix water main leaks to them.

The employee has been suspended while the city's Office of Inspector General investigates the allegations, some of which have been substantiated, public works said in a statement Friday. Public works did not release the employee's name.

The city has also begun the process to terminate the emergency contracts at the heart of the investigation, public works stated.

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The accusations against the suspended public works employee were first reported by KPRC.

Houston Public Works has policies in place that require employees to disclose conflicts of interest, spokeswoman Erin Jones said in a statement Tuesday.

"During the emergency contracting process, the family relationship was intentionally hidden and not disclosed," Jones said in the statement. "However, this remains an ongoing OIG investigation. In addition to relieving the employee of duty, there will be an independent review of the emergency contracting process to mitigate the risk of this happening again.

Mayor Sylvester Turner's office directed questions to HPW.

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Houston City Council last month approved nearly $48 million in contracts to 11 contractors to fix water main leaks, with each receiving between $3 million and $12 million.

Drought, extreme heat and aging infrastructure have contributed to a problem that caused the city of Houston to lose 30 billion gallons of fresh water last year and another 9 billion gallons from January to April 2023. A Houston Chronicle review found the city lost more than 20% of its total water supply in some months.

The city experienced an uptick in leaks this summer. Officials said 311 received nearly 20,000 calls about water main leaks since July, though many of those calls were about the same leak. Some 4,300 leaks had been approved by the time City Council approved the emergency contracts.

The city spent about $36 million in emergency funds to address the issue before approving the emergency contracts. There were about 500 water mains actively leaking when the contracts were approved, up from about 100 before June 1, officials said at the time.

Staff writer Abby Church contributed to this report.
Grovetown resident Barbara Dubois sits with Katira (left) and Cocoa, two of her four Peruvian Inca Orchid dogs. Fewer than 800 of the breed are registered by the American Kennel Club, putting Orchids among the world's rarest dogs.

Barbara Dubois holiday plans are going to the dogs, and she couldn't be happier.

The Grovetown resident, who co-owns one of the worlds rarest dogs, recently traveled to Philadelphia to see the canine compete in the National Dog Show.

A two-hour taped TV broadcast of the show will appear on NBC on Thanksgiving Day immediately after the annual Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The dog is a Peruvian Inca Orchid, known outside America as a Peruvian hairless because of its characteristic lack of fur. The earliest historical references to this ancient breed have been seen in decorated pottery samples dating to the Inca Empire.

Professional dog handler Bekka Pina poses Grovetown dog Calypso's Castaway, CM2, DCAT  Kitts for short  on the winner's platform at the Kentuckiana Cluster Dog Show in April 2023. Kitts is a Peruvian Inca Orchid, one of the rarest dog breeds in the world.

The competing dogs official pedigree name is Calypso Castaway, CM2 DCAT. The acronyms indicate that shes earned two American Kennel Club certificates of merit and at least 500 points in AKC speed trials.

Around the house, everyone just calls her Kitts.

We just have a good time going out showing them, she said. Show judges "look to make sure the dog moves well. Does it have the right structure? Can they do what theyre bred to do? So its a lot more than just going around the ring and looking pretty. Its not a beauty pageant.

How rare is this dog? Rarer than yours. Only 768 are officially recorded by the AKC, and even that number might be inflated because theres no simple way of knowing which of those registered purebreds have died.

Dubois became immediately intrigued by the breed several years ago during a church mission trip to Perus coffee region, where she saw a few of the unusual-looking animals roaming the streets. One of the indigenous names for the breed translates literally as naked dog.

Top dog: Local breeders cheer French bulldogs, America's new No. 1 canine

On a similar trip two years later, visits to Incan cultural sites got her completely hooked on Peruvian Orchids. Perus government passed a law requiring select national heritage sites to keep at least one pair of the dogs onsite. That decision often is credited with helping pull the breed from the brink of extinction.

We were in Cuzco and they were everywhere. They just roam the streets there, but theyre peoples dogs. They had little sweaters on, Dubois said. I said, Thats it.

Dubois imported her first Orchid, a 5-month-old female, in 2014. Orchids can be wary of strangers, but in a family setting, once the dogs bond with the humans in their new homes, They are yours  and you are theirs, she said.

I just wanted a pet, a family dog. Then as I got more involved. I talked to the breeder and she said, 'You know, you could show her, Dubois said.

Dog shows in other cities and states soon became family outings. Even her children would participate in junior categories showing the small Orchid variety that can be half the size of a large Orchid, which typically measures 20-26 inches high from the ground to the highest point of the dogs shoulder blade.

Dubois got the smaller male to give her children a dog of a more manageable size. Orchids possess a regal but taciturn bearing that makes them naturals for dog shows. However, you have to know what youre doing  Orchids also are intelligent and protective.

One of Barbara Dubois' daughters cuddles with Cocoa, one of the family's four Peruvian Inca Orchid dogs. A tattoo of Cocoa appears on the girl's right arm. The breed bonds strongly with members of their home family.

Theyre just a fun breed but theyre challenging, she said. You really have to have dog experience because theyre stubborn and theyre sensitive at the same time. Theyre amazing family dogs but we dont recommend them to everybody.

A breeds rarity often comes at a steep price for families in the market for a dog. Dubois puppies can cost between $1,000 and $3,000, but she said its less about profit and primarily about helping properly preserve an unusual breeds genetic integrity.

For the price a customer pays, youre getting parents that are health-tested for genetics, hips, elbows, that kind of stuff, and you know theyre coming from champion bloodlines, Dubois said.

Dubois schedule hardly slows down after the National Dog Show. She only owns females, and one of them is expecting a litter of pups on Dec. 16.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Rare-breed Grovetown show dog to compete on TV in National Dog Show
Palestinian poet and writer Mosab Abu Toha, who had been contributing to The New Yorker and other publications with reflections on his life inside Gaza during the war, has been released from detention after questioning, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

In a statement Tuesday, the IDF said that Abu Toha was among a group of civilians who was taken into questioning during operations, when there was intelligence indicating of a number of interactions between several civilians and terror organizations inside the Gaza Strip.

The poets brother, Hamza Abu Toha, recounted the story of his detention in a Facebook post Monday.

Abu Toha was taken into custody by the IDF when he reached the checkpoint while leaving from the north to the south of Gaza, reads the post.

His wife and children entered the south, and the army arrested my brother Mosab, continues the post. We have no information about him. It is worth mentioning that the American embassy sent him and his family to travel through the Rafah crossing.

The circumstances of Abu Tohas arrest are unclear. CNN has reached out to the IDF for comment. A US State Department spokesman earlier said he didnt have information to share on the situation.

An American Book Award winner and finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for his debut poetry book, Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear, Mosab Abu Toha, 30, had written searingly about the Israeli airstrikes that have decimated Gaza since war broke out last month between Israel and Hamas.

In a New Yorker essay published on October 20, he described returning to his home in Beit Lahia, in northern Gaza, days after evacuating to Jabalia refugee camp, where he had stayed with relatives.

On the main street leading to my house, I find the first of many shocking scenes. A shop where I used to take my children, to buy juice and biscuits, is in shambles. The freezer, which used to hold ice cream, is now filled with rubble. I smell explosives, and maybe flesh, he wrote.

In a Facebook post five days ago  his most recent post on the website  Abu Toha wrote that he was alive and begged for an end to the bloodshed.

Thanks for your prayers. We dont have any access to food or clean water. Winter is coming and we dont have enough clothes. Kids are suffering. We are suffering, he wrote, adding, the army is now at Al-Shifa Hospital. More death, more destruction. Who can stop this? Please stop it now.

PEN International, the global association of writers, said Monday that it is deeply concerned about Abu Toha.

We join calls demanding to know his whereabouts and the reasons for his detention, PEN said in a statement posted to X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter.

The New York Review of Books also posted about his reported detention on X, noting that in May we published his poem What a Gazan Should Do During an Israeli Air Strike.

This is a developing news story and will be updated.

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By Mikhail Flores and Karen Lema

MANILA (Reuters) -The militaries of the Philippines and the United States launched joint patrols on Tuesday in waters near Taiwan, officials of the Southeast Asian nation said, a move likely to fan further tension with China.

Security engagements between the treaty allies have soared this year, including a decision to almost double the number of Philippine bases the American military can access, some facing Taiwan, and their largest-ever joint military drill in April.

This week's three-day joint air and maritime exercise was a "significant initiative" to boost interoperability between the two, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said.

"I am confident this ... will contribute to a more secure and stable environment for our people," he said on social media platform X.

The drill would start off in Mavulis island, the Philippines' northernmost point, located about 100 km (62 miles) off Taiwan, said Eugene Cabusao, spokesperson for the Northern Luzon command.

It will end in the West Philippine Sea, the name Manila uses for waters in the South China Sea that fall within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The Philippine military said three navy vessels, two FA-50 light combat aircraft and a A-29B Super Tucano light attack plane would participate, while the United States would send a littoral combat ship and a P8-A maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft.

The news comes a day after Marcos told a forum in Hawaii the situation in the South China Sea had become more "dire", with the Chinese military inching closer to the Philippine coastline.

The patrols, which are likely to irk China, are a sign the Philippines is stepping up its defence posture amid what it described as China's "aggressive activities" in the highly strategic waters, long seen as a potential flashpoint between the United States and China.

China's embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the exercise.

China claims most of the South China Sea on the basis of a "nine-dash line" that stretches as far as 1,500 km (900 miles) south of its mainland, cutting into the EEZs of rival claimants Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

Marcos has forged closer ties with Washington since assuming office last year after a testy relationship with former President Rodrigo Duterte, who had pivoted closer to Beijing in exchange for infrastructure projects and investments.

Ties with China have soured under Marcos, with repeated standoffs between Chinese and Filipino vessels in waters claimed by both countries, prompting heated exchanges of rhetoric and concerns of an escalation.

Marcos recently met Chinese President Xi Jinping in a bid to reduce the tension.

The joint patrol with the United States showed the Manila was making a stand over the South China Sea, said Jay Batongbacal, director of the Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea in Manila, the capital.

"It shows that the Philippines is really firming up its posture on West Philippine Sea issues," Batongbacal said.

(Reporting by Mikhail Flores and Karen Lema; Editing by Martin Petty and Clarence Fernandez)
Editors Note: This feature is part of CNN Styles series Hyphenated, which explores the complex issue of identity among minorities in the United States.

The people of Pembroke, North Carolina, dont shy away from their Native identity.

In fact, some of them wear it on their sleeves  be it a feather-patterned blanket draped around the shoulders or a baseball cap emblazoned with the words Native Pride.

These kinds of markers are everywhere in Pembroke, the tribal seat of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, and surrounding Robeson County, photographer Maria Sturm said. But when members of this 55,000-strong tribe venture outside their tight-knit community, theyre often told they dont look Native.

Lynn Jacobs wears a "Native Pride" hat. - Maria Sturm

That tension is at the heart of Sturms latest photography book You Dont Look Native To Me, recently published by VOID.

Through tender portraits of young Lumbee people, combined with snippets of interview transcripts and historical text, Sturm explores what makes someone Native American. Is it race, tribal citizenship or a community youre a part of? Who gets to decide? And what do you do when outsiders  the US government and even other tribes  dont see you the way you see yourselves?

It is more the way you carry yourself, and it doesnt really matter the shade that you have, Sturm said in a Zoom interview. The shade that you have matters in an outside world more than it mattered in that microcosm of Robeson County.

Manny and his partner Courtney share a quiet moment together inside his car. - Maria Sturm

Questions of identity and belonging loom large for the Lumbee, the most populous tribe east of the Mississippi River.

Though the state of North Carolina recognized the tribe in 1885 and Congress in 1956 acknowledged the Lumbee as American Indians, the federal government also denied them the rights and funding afforded to other federally recognized tribes. To this day, the Lumbee tribe continues to fight for full federal recognition.

The tribes in-between status is a product of its history. The Lumbee have roots in various Sioux, Algonquin and Iroquois-speaking nations who migrated to modern-day Robeson County after fleeing disease, the slave trade and warfare brought on by European colonization, as historian Malinda Maynor Lowery documents in The Lumbee Indians: An American Struggle. Some of the Natives eventually intermarried with English-speaking settlers, as well as enslaved and free African Americans, resulting in a mixed population with a wide array of physical features.

Descendants of these groups make up the community now known as the Lumbee. Even as their culture and traditions evolved over time, and as others question their status as American Indians, the Lumbee maintained an identity as Native people.

And as Sturm captures in her photos, many young Lumbee are figuring out for themselves what that identity and culture looks like.

The project led Sturm to question her own assumptions

Sturm, who is Romanian and grew up in Germany, started photographing the Lumbee in 2011.

The project was born out of a conversation with her stepfather, who told her about his friend Jay Hansford C. Vest  a member of the Monacan Indian Nation, which at the time was unrecognized by the federal government.

Sturm kept stumbling over the word unrecognized. She couldnt wrap her head around the concept: How could a non-Native entity determine whether a tribe was Native American or not? What did that even mean?

Jasmine is one of several young Lumbee that Sturm photographed for her book "You Don't Look Native To Me." - Maria Sturm

Sturm said her stepfather also mentioned that Vest had blue eyes and blond hair  a detail that prompted her to confront her own internalized notions and stereotypes about Native Americans.

In that moment, I thought, Wait a minute. I have never met a Native American person in my life. Why can he not be blond and have blue eyes? she said.

Sturm visited Vest at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, where he was teaching at the time, and sat in on his classes. Thinking she would explore the issue of unrecognized tribes, she asked Vests students if anyone might be able to take her around their community.

Thats when she encountered Jonathan Jacobs, a Lumbee man whose musings about Lumbee culture and identity are featured prominently through the book. Through Jacobs, Sturm said she was introduced to other Lumbee and the project grew from there.

A framed photo of a Native American leader is on display at a Pembroke, North Carolina, gym. - Maria Sturm

Over the course of several visits between 2011 and 2017, Sturm documented the lives of the Lumbee, gravitating toward how young people understood their identity and how they chose to telegraph that to the world.

With the rise of social media, there was a new way of being proud of identifying yourself as Native American whereas before it wasnt always possible, Sturm said.

As Sturm observed, that identity is signaled, in part, through the heavily present Native symbolism. Pembroke screams of Native American things, she added. Its in the roads named Lumbee Street and Dreamcatcher Drive, in the dreamcatchers hanging on the walls of homes, on cars and in tattoos. In these symbols, Sturm picked up on an implicit message.

For me, its a little bit like, Dont ask me. Maybe I dont look that way, but its clear. We dont have to have this discussion, Sturm said.

Some might even perceive it as stereotypical  in one photo, a Lumbee man named Scottie wears a Washington Redskins jacket containing a logo that is now widely considered offensive. When Sturm asked him about it, she said he told her this is who I am.

It shows that you know you are something. And because everything is stripped away  you have just these little bits and pieces that you can hold onto, Sturm said. I thought its pretty impressive that the symbols that a person like Scottie holds onto are not even original, but in a way they give him so much pride and confidence.

Scottie wears a Washington Redskins jacket. Though many Native people would consider the imagery offensive, Sturm said he saw the jacket as a reflection of his identity. - Maria Sturm

The photos show how the Lumbee are redefining and asserting themselves

Throughout the book, Sturms subjects reflect on their personal struggles around their identity.

Kayla tells Strum about how her grandmother raised her as Lumbee, but at the same time didnt take her to powwows and discouraged her from speaking the Lumbee dialect. As a result, she was picked on for talking like a White girl at home, yet is considered a country bumpkin when she goes elsewhere.

Light reflects through the door of a home in Pembroke, a small town that is the cultural, economic and political center of the Lumbee tribe. - Maria Sturm

Jacobs, meanwhile, pushes back on the idea that the Lumbee even need federal recognition. Even though certain aspects of their culture have been lost or changed over time, he knows he is Lumbee, as do others in the community. For him, its all that matters.

Im like a billion percent sure we will never know what Lumbee language was. Im a billion percent sure we will never know really where we came from. But that does not mean we are not Indian, Jacobs says in the book.

Its this sense of self-determination that has stuck with Sturm. She hopes the project will resonate with anyone who has ever had their identity questioned.

I hope at least that many people can relate to this feeling of wanting or belonging to something, but other people are not able to see that about you, Sturm said.

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Get ready to wax on, wax off, yet again.

Perennial favorite film franchise The Karate Kid will return next year with a new movie scheduled to go into production soon, Sony Pictures announced on Tuesday.

The film will feature Ralph Macchio  who was the titular Kid in the first three movies in the franchise  and Jackie Chan, who took over from Oscar nominee Pat Morita in role of the older martial arts master who acts as mentor in the 2010 reboot.

Macchio and Chan appeared in a YouTube video on Tuesday morning in support of the new film being announced and to launch a casting search for the next young star of the franchise.

Next June will mark the 40th anniversary of the first Karate Kid, which starred Macchio as a California high school student who learns how to fight  as well as act with honor and restraint  from his neighbor after a group of bullies target him.

Pat Morita and Ralph Macchio in a scene from the film 'The Karate Kid', 1984. - Columbia Pictures/Moviepix/Getty Images

Macchio went on to appear in Karate Kid Part II in 1986 and Karate Kid Part III in 1989. A fourth installment, The Next Karate Kid, came five years later and featured Hilary Swank.

In 2010, Chan starred in The Karate Kid reboot opposite Jaden Smith, but the franchise truly gained fresh traction a number of years later, when Cobra Kai premiered in 2018.

That Emmy-nominated series, soon airing its final season, catches up with Macchios Danny and the character of Johnny  the bully played by William Zabka in the first two movies  all grown up. Cobra Kai has gone on to become wildly popular on Netflix, with a fifth season wrapping up last year.

A representative for Zabka did not immediately return a request for comment on whether he will be featured in the new feature film alongside Macchio.

The new Karate Kid installment is set to premiere in theaters on December 13, 2024.

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Death in the wild is often brutal and violent. But for one small, birdlike dinosaur in the late Cretaceous Period, the end of its life was relatively peaceful  it curled up to take a nap and never woke up.

Thats what scientists have interpreted from the pose of the dinosaurs fossil skeleton. With the creatures head tucked over its limbs and tail snugly wrapped around its body, its cozy posture resembled those of modern birds at rest, hinting that these dinosaurs didnt just look like birds  they may have behaved like them, too.

Paleontologists excavated the dinosaurs skull and nearly complete skeleton in the Gobi Desert at the Barun Goyot Formation in Mongolia, and most of the bones were still arranged in the animals original death pose, researchers reported Wednesday in the journal PLOS One.

The animals long neck wrapped around the right side of its trunk, and its head was tucked close to its side, resting atop the right knee. The hind limbs were folded underneath it, and most of the tail curved around the bodys left side.

The study authors identified it as an alvarezsaurid, a type of small theropod (bipedal meat-eating dinosaur) with a long tail and legs and short front limbs. Alvarezsaurids are part of a larger dinosaur group called maniraptorans, which includes birds and birdlike dinosaurs that were their closest relatives.

The small alvarezsaurs posture emulated that of two other dinosaur fossils found in Mongolia that were also curled up in birdlike sleeping poses: Sinornithoides youngi and Mei long. Those two are troodontids, another type of dinosaur in the maniraptoran group, and one thats more closely related to birds than alvarezsaurs were.

Jaculinykus yaruui lived around 70 million years ago. (A) A photo of the fossil skeleton found in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. (B) An explanatory drawing shows skeletal elements, including the skull in green and pectoral girdle and forelimbs in red. (C) A reconstruction of the dinosaur, with gray areas indicating missing parts. - Kohta Kubo

The new fossil suggests that this sleeping behavior may have been more common than expected among the non-avian relatives of the earliest birds, the researchers reported.

Weve all seen ducks sleeping with their heads tucked under their wings. And then you see this little dinosaur with the exact same sleeping posture, said paleontologist Dr. Jingmai OConnor, associate curator of fossil reptiles at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.

This is tangible evidence of behaviors that are today unique among birds. Now, we can actually say this is not a uniquely avian feature, OConnor, who was not involved in the study, told CNN.

Nearly intact fossil specimen

The scientists who examined the fossil determined it was a species new to science and gave it a fierce name: Jaculinykus yaruui. The genus name comes from Jaculus, a mythical dragon, and onykus, which means claw in ancient Greek, while its species name originates from yaruu, the Mongolian word for hasty or speedy.

Jaculinykus yaruui lived around 70 million years ago toward the end of the Cretaceous Period (about 145 million to 66 million years ago) and would have measured just over 3 feet (1 meter) long from nose to tail tip, said lead study author and paleontologist Kohta Kubo, a doctoral candidate in the Paleobiology Research Group at Hokkaido University in Japan.

This specimen was considered a partial skeleton when it was discovered, but after its preparation, it represents a nearly complete and articulated skeleton preserving its life posture, Kubo told CNN in an email. It is the first definitive record of this posture in alvarezsaurs as well as early branching maniraptoran dinosaurs.

Jaculinykus yaruuis closest relative is a tiny alvarezsaurid named Shuvuuia deserti, Kubo said. Among the features that set it apart are the shape of its nostrils, the attachment of jaw muscles in the skull, and the shapes of its limb bones.

Its a nice specimen, and its always exciting to have new dinosaur diversity, especially in the alvarezsaurids, OConnor said.

Birdlike behaviors in dinosaurs

Alvarezsaurids arent the best-known dinosaur group, but they have long fascinated scientists with their drastically shortened forearms and hands, which in some species terminate in a single massive finger sprouting a claw like a spike.

These types of fossils that are so well-preserved that they record behaviors are incredibly rare, OConnor said. Its great to have some additional evidence that definitely shows that this sleeping posture was more widespread.

In modern birds, such behavior helps them to conserve body heat; it likely served a similar purpose for maniraptoran dinosaurs that also curled up at bedtime, according to the study. Over the course of their evolution, alvarezsaurs shrank in size. This drastic miniaturization may have led the non-avian dinosaurs to adopt the same thermoregulatory strategy used by their avian cousins, Kobu said.

Whats more, sleepy little Jaculinykus yaruui highlights that this avian-like thermoregulatory behavior evolved prior to the origin of powered flight, he added. Jaculinykus is an important example that alvarezsaurids possess more similarities with living birds  not only in osteological features but also behavioral traits.

Mindy Weisberger is a science writer and media producer whose work has appeared in Live Science, Scientific American and How It Works magazine.

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Salem Center Mall was closed after an assault occurred at the mall on May 12.

This story was updated at 7:55 p.m. Monday

A recently released report on gun violence in Salem paints a grim trend for crime in the capital city, including a 100% increase in shootings over five years, a homicide rate hovering above the statewide average and a three-fold increase in juvenile crime.

"Salem's rise in shootings and the longer-term upward trend of violent crime are issues that affect us all," Salem Police Chief Trevor Womack said in a statement. "For some, the impact is permanent and profound."

Womack said one of the first steps to combatting the increase in violence is to understand the problem  who are the suspects, who are the victims and where crimes are happening most.

The Salem Police Department commissioned the Gun Violence Problem Analysis to conduct a detailed review of local gun violence.

For the analysis, the department sought out Dr. Lisa Barao, a noted researcher with a Ph.D. in criminology and justice policy, and Chris Mastroianni, a law enforcement professional with experience leading violence reduction strategies.

Police officials, law enforcement partners and the Salem City Council meet Monday evening for a work session to review the findings.

Among the findings are a 10-year homicide rate in Salem higher than the statewide average and that of similarly sized cities such as Eugene and Gresham.

Other key takeaways include:

100% increase in shootings in Salem since 2018

From 2018 to 2022, the number of shootings in the city doubled.

Salem had two fatal shootings and eight nonfatal incidents in 2018. In 2022, 16 nonfatal and four fatal shootings were reported.

The increase has been attributed to everything from the COVID-19 pandemic to social unrest. Law enforcement highlighted several possible contributing factors but was quick to point out that the true cause and impact could not be singled out.

Data shows homicides in Salem.

In 2019, the Salem Police Department disbanded its Gang Enforcement Team.

"Several City and County personnel noted that this had impacted the ability of criminal justice partners to develop and share quality gang intelligence," the report said, adding the contemporary gang environment of social media and online disputes made it difficult to set up intervention programs.

Partners also pointed to Senate Bill 1008 going into effect in 2020. The bill eliminated mandatory waivers to adult court for Measure 11 crimes and implemented practices to reduce sentence length for offenders under 18.

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted a variety of criminal justice system programs, supervision and services for high-risk youth at schools. All of these factors occurred around the same time of civil unrest and a "crisis of legitimacy" of police following the murder of George Floyd, according to criminal justice researchers.

Other data collected by Salem Police could indicate that the uptick in violent crime might be slowing down. The first six months of 2023 showed fewer violent crimes than the first six months of the previous year  400 in 2023 versus 273 in 2022.

How does Salem's violent crime rate compare with other Oregon cities?

A 2023 analysis of Salem and several other Oregon cities showed Salem had a much higher violent crime rate than Eugene, Gresham, Bend, Hillsboro and Beaverton.

The analysis released this month underscored this. The city's homicide rate in 2019 was more than double Eugene's and Medford's rate. Even Gresham, which borders Portland, had a 2.7 per 100,000 homicide rate compared to Salem's four per 100,000 rate.

Data shows homicides in Salem.

Despite consistently being higher than the state average, the homicide rate in Salem is still below the national average and well below the rates in "peer cities" such as Wichita, Kansas; Fort Wayne, Indiana; and Albuquerque, New Mexico; highlighted in the report.

Salem is not the only city that has seen an uptick in violent crime in recent years. Nationwide, cities reported an average 30% increase in homicides in 2020 compared to 2019. The increase has not been as drastic in recent years but continued to grow in many cities.

Who are the victims and suspects of violent crime in Salem?

The analysis commissioned by the city reviewed 86 incidents from Jan. 1, 2018, to June 30, 2023, including 18 gun homicides and 68 nonfatal shootings.

A survey of the demographics found that men, as well as Black and Hispanic residents, were overrepresented among both suspects and victims. Men made up 92.9% of suspects and 84% of victims.

Despite comprising 22.4% of the total city population, Hispanic people accounted for 45.7% of victims and 58.9% of suspects. About 1% of the city's population is Black, but 12.7% of victims and 5.4% of suspects were Black.

A plurality of the suspects were between the ages of 18 to 24. About 71% of suspects had previous involvement with the criminal justice system, including felony convictions, active probation and prior incarceration.

Gangs also played a prominent role in the shootings. About 17% of gun violence incidents had a group/gang-related motive. And nearly half of the victims and/or suspects were involved in gangs, regardless of the incident motive.

"In Salem, most gun violence is tightly concentrated among a small number of very high-risk individuals who share a common set of risk factors like group/gang involvement and significant criminal justice history including prior felony arrests and prior/active supervision," researchers said in the report.

Though some may attribute the rise in crime to the prevalence of homelessness in the region, data shows that a big increase in homeless residents mostly led to an increase in the number of victims, not suspects, who were unsheltered.

Point-in-time data showed an 189% increase in the total homeless population from 2020 to 2022. Despite the increase, the percentage of suspects who were homeless increased only incrementally, from 19.1% to 20%. But the percentage of homeless victims increased from 2.6% to 19.6%.

A rise in youth violence in Salem

Researchers noted that although most of the suspects involved in violent crimes were adults ages 18 to 34, juveniles comprised a notable portion  18%  of suspects in gun violence incidents.

Salem police arrest data shows that compared to 2018-2022, 2021-2023 had a 320% increase in the proportion of juveniles arrested for aggravated assaults and an 88% increase in juveniles arrested for weapons violations.

Earlier this year, the city saw a string of high-profile incidents involving teens, including a fatal stabbing at Salem Center mall and the beating death of a homeless man. At the time, police said they believed they were seeing an increase in youth violence but were working on a data analysis to better understand the problem.

The data in the report appeared to back up these suspicions.

"In line with perceptions of local partners, this data does indicate an increase in the involvement of juveniles in serious violence," researchers said, adding in Monday's meeting that the juvenile violent crime rate in Salem was higher than in other cities studied.

Where Salem gets hit hardest by violent crime?

A map of homicides and shootings in the city between 2018 and 2023 shows a clustering of three hot spots in northeast Salem.

These areas cover about 5 square miles, or about 11% of Salem's land area.

A heat map of homicides and shootings from 2018 to 2023 shows a concentration of incidents in northeast Salem. A city-commission report on gun violence shows these hot spots cover just over 5 square miles  about 11% of Salem's land area.

About 65% of homicides and shootings from the past six years occurred within these identified hot spots.

During the meeting, Womack said the statistics speak to the disparity in the community.

"There are neighborhoods and residents that are affected way differently than other neighborhoods and residents," he said. "It's an equity issue."

Womack said that sometimes people most affected by community violence are people who trust police the least.

"There are trust issues," he said. "We want to step into this in the right way. That's where we're at this community conversation."

One of the solutions proposed to combat the increase in violence was to focus on high-risk places like these hot spots. This could include focused patrols, targeted enforcement, intelligence gathering, outreach and prevention projects to prioritize neighborhoods.

Salem City Councilor Jose Gonzalez said people in these neighborhoods often see a lack of investment in their communities  no sidewalks on their walks to school, encampments along paths and fewer parks.

He said when looking at spending infrastructure money in the city, the council looks at U.S. Census tract data to bring an equity lens and prioritize the areas that need investment the most. Targeting violent crime could take the same approach, Gonzalez added.

Solutions proposed

Other recommendations included addressing "very high-risk" adults and youth with a history of gang involvement and involvement in the criminal justice system. This could entail intensive case management, more communication with criminal justice partners and services to prevent recidivism.

Youth outreach could include more formal partnerships to help with gang-related intelligence and creating relationships with teens at the highest risk of gun violence.

Marion County Sheriff Nick Hunter said his agency needs people in the community to help bridge the gap and increase trust in law enforcement.

"(It) would bring law enforcement into these communities where we could make a difference and we aren't the ones that a simply arresting," he said. "That's not what we want to be. We want to be the ones involved in change, but we need the community's help."

At the end of the meeting, one councilor asked, "What's next?"

Mayor Chris Hoy said the meeting was one of the first steps of the process and he would like to see community leaders meet to discuss actionable steps.

For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodworth@statesmanjournal.com call 503-910-6616 or follow on Twitter at @wmwoodworth.

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Salem gun violence report paints grim crime trend: Takeaways
Casey Bradley, new Sheboygan city administrator, talks about his goals coming into the position.

SHEBOYGAN  On Oct. 23, Casey Bradley become the new Sheboygan city administrator.

An internal investigation into actions by the former administrator, Todd Wolf, resulted in the position being empty since Jan. 9.

Bradley said he is excited to be in the role and didnt know what to expect coming in since the position was vacant for so long. However, everyone has been supportive, he said, and the transition has been tremendous.

The support has probably been the biggest thing I didn't expect, he said. I think folks are just happy to have the position filled and kind of having that team approach really has resonated well with everyone.

Before his official start date, Bradley worked with Mayor Ryan Sorenson and Finance Director Kaitlyn Krueger to get up to speed on the 2024 budget. The budget hearing was his first day.

Bradley described himself as curious, laid back and open-minded. He said he likes learning and trying new things and isnt afraid of change.

Find out more about the new city administrator below.

What experience does Bradley have?

Born in Baraboo, Bradley grew up in New Lisbon. After high school, he attended Winona State University for a year before joining the military.

He spent six years in the Air Force in Great Falls, Montana. While on active duty, he earned two bachelors degrees in finance and human resources from Park University.

He also graduated from Keller Graduate School in Chicago in 2013 with a double masters degree in accounting and financial management. He then returned for a third masters degree in public administration from Penn State.

He also attended Harvard Kennedy Schools senior executives and state and local government program in 2013.

Upon his return to Wisconsin, he worked as the accounting manager for the City of Monroe.

He has also worked as the finance director in Houston County, Minnesota; held administrative roles in North Dakota for six years; was the Adams County administrator; and worked as Baraboos city administrator for three years.

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Why did he choose Sheboygan?

The front of Sheboygan City Hall, Monday, January 9, 2022, in Sheboygan, Wis.

Bradley said he and his fiance vacation in the area and enjoy being in Sheboygan. He also has a cousin who works in government in Manitowoc.

Additionally, Bradley said he has attended conferences in Sheboygan.

We're pretty familiar with the area, very intrigued by it, and think it's a great place to live, he said. (There are) great opportunities here.

One thing thats jumped out at him is the community, he said. Everyone has been friendly and there are opportunities available economically, personally and professionally.

It's a community that we can really see ourselves in long term, he said.

Bradleys approach to being city administrator

Casey Bradley, new Sheboygan city administrator, talks about his goals coming into the position.

Bradley describes the city administrator role as a job with a lot of variety.

Probably the easiest way to describe it to somebody that doesn't really understand city government: My job is to coordinate all the department heads together to work with them as a resource, he said. My job is to implement the policies that council sets. So, my job is to get council the information they need to make decisions, and set policy, and then ultimately implement that.

He said he gets to have a direct impact on the future of the community by doing things like bringing in new jobs and working with housing developers.

You're working through a number of different issues to help solve issues that help people every day, he said. So I really enjoy that.

FILE - A file photo of Sheboygan's new welcome sign on Kohler Memorial Drive on the city's west side.

Bradley has a democratic leadership style that focuses on teamwork and teambuilding. He said his approach is to talk in groups with the focus on communicating everyones plans, saying the department heads were hired for their expertise.

I really believe it's not my role to micromanage or be super involved in their departments other than the high-level planning if they need assistance, he said. My main role is to provide assistance and be a support system for our departments and our elected officials.

He said being in the military has absolutely affected his abilities in the job. He said where he worked, team dynamics were important and he worked with multiple agencies.

It shapes how you approach issues, and it ultimately, I think, really impacts how we think, he said. Our strategic thinking is different  or at least mine is  as a result of what I did. So, yes, I think that does have a good impact.

Approaching the transition after the jobs vacancy

Bradley said right now, he is focused on understanding what the department heads need from him and expect from his position.

He plans on meeting with council members over the next couple weeks to see what they need from him as well.

He said his job is to better support them, so while he has a job description, he wants to know what they personally need so he can help.

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Goals for the position

One of Bradleys top priorities in his role  beyond making a work plan as part of his transition  is to look at housing. He said multiple businesses have communicated a need for more housing for their staff and he is looking at ways to address that issue.

He is also looking at redevelopment in the city and adding more density to downtown.

He said he has met with almost every department head and talked with them to try to get more of that team feeling back.

I think we have some great department heads, but with the position being vacant for the last year or so I think we need to kind of refocus on that, he said. It's been off to a great start.

He also has a goal of building his relationship with the community and getting involved in groups to be more visible.

More long-term goals will be formed through strategic planning and budgeting, he said.

Some pretty exciting commercial projects are coming that will be great for the city and region, he said, adding there are some great housing developers hoping to build for all price ranges.

Have a story tip or public interest concern? Contact Sam Bailey at sgbailey@gannett.com or 573-256-9937. To stay up to date on her stories and other news, follow her on X (Twitter) @SamarahBailey.

This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: Sheboygan city administrator Casey Bradley on priorities, team feeling
Turkey, Texas is pictured on Thursday.

TURKEY  Turkey, Texas is a small town. It's located on the edge of the Caprock in southwestern Hall County, about 100 miles northeast of Lubbock and southeast of Amarillo, and boasts just more than 300 residents.

Known for being the hometown of musician Bob Wills and a birthplace of western swing, the unique community is festooned with imagery of turkeys and fiddles. As you drive into town from the west along State Highway 86, you can look to the left to see a humble turkey statue in front of the volunteer fire department. A glance to the right reveals a silver fiddle jetting into the sky, serving as a monument to the King of Western Swing that called the town home.

Drive a bit further on 86, and you pass a boutique, a coffee shop and a couple of restaurants. A block or so north on one of the town's dirt streets takes you to the popular Hotel Turkey, known for its live music offerings, while a diversion to the south takes you to the Bob Wills Museum and the old high school that plays host to his annual namesake festival.

What you won't see as you drive through Turkey is a grocery store. Residents don't plan on picking up their town's namesake bird locally ahead of Thanksgiving.

A closed grocery store is pictured with a for sale sign in the front window on Thursday in Turkey.

Residents in Turkey, like those in the rest of Hall County and neighboring Briscoe County, live in the middle of a "food desert"  a low-income census tract with low access to food, as defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In rural areas, this means residents generally live more than 10 miles from a supermarket.

Turkey's general store closed in 2009, leaving Turkey folks with no place to buy fresh food.

"All we have here in Turkey is Allsup's," Mayor Christy Yates said.

The Allsup's convenience store sits in the middle of town, where State Highway 86 intersects with State Highway 70. Inside Allsup's, like in many convenience stores, shoppers can find a small selection of dry goods and a few vegetables at premium prices.

Inside the store, a 30-ounce jar of Kraft mayonnaise costs $7.49. A small, mostly-empty produce case contains a few bell peppers packaged for $5.

Archives: Grocery store closings leave rural residents with even fewer options

The Allsup's convenience store offers a selection of dry goods, as pictured Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023.

Quitaque, just over the Briscoe County line to the west, has a small grocery store with a few more fresh items including meat, but Yates said selection is limited and prices are higher. The lack of options makes it tough for folks in both counties to get groceries, especially those with limited resources or mobility. That makes preparing for holidays like Thanksgiving  and feeding one's family the rest of the year  a challenge.

"Some people go to Quitaque; a lot of people go to Childress or Plainview, and some people make the trip to Lubbock or Amarillo," Yates said. "We do have some people that are homebound and they rely on their neighbors to go pick stuff up for them."

A round trip to any of the latter four towns takes two to three hours at least, making grocery shopping an all-day affair for those with the means to travel, Yates said. And for those without the means to travel far, getting certain fresh foods might not even be possible.

A welcome sign promotes Turkey, Texas as the hometown of Bob Wills, as seen Thursday.

"I think as a society in general, we are so, I hate to say, spoiled," said Whitney Walker, agency relations coordinator at High Plains Food Bank. "Our access to groceries has just become even more convenient lately when you live in a more metropolitan area.

"I think we forget that in these small towns where it's just your local grocery store, if they can't get tomatoes that month, then they're just not going to have tomatoes," she added. "And then with that, to make a profit back, they have to put things on their shelf at a higher dollar value that most people probably couldn't afford."

Walker suggested the issue could lie in economies of scale. Grocers serve fewer customers in small, rural towns, meaning profit margins are thinner than they would be in a larger city. Rural grocery stores often operate on razor-thin margins, sometimes even at a loss, leading to higher prices and, too often, eventual closure. That's what happened to Turkey's grocery store in 2009.

But while a grocery store is not something you might see in a town like Turkey, the High Plains Food Bank and other agencies like Tri-County Meals in Quitaque are working to make sure food-insecure people in Hall and Briscoe counties are fed.

"We do have a food pantry in Quitaque, and we also get donations from the food bank. They come once a month," Yates said. "Our Tri-County Meals helps a lot also. They deliver meals on wheels three times a week, so our homebound people are able to get a good meal three days a week, at least."

Walker said the food pantry in Briscoe County is less than a year old and the first there in the history of the food bank, making progress in the battle against food insecurity amid rural food deserts.

"Everyone in Briscoe County now has access  to be able to go to this pantry and, at least once a month, they get fresh vegetables and any kind of perishable foods," Walker said. "And of course, that is all free of cost."

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Thanksgiving in Turkey: Holidays  and every day  can be tough for some in rural 'food deserts'
The suspect in the Custer County, Colorado triple homicide has been arrested by New Mexico State Police after a 25-hour manhunt, officials said Tuesday afternoon.

Three people are dead and another has been critically injured after a shooting Monday afternoon near the town of Westcliffe over a property dispute.

In a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Custer County Sheriff Rich Smith said Clark was captured just after 2:45 p.m. He was taken into custody without incident and no one was injured during the course of the arrest, Smith said.

Clark's girlfriend was in Clark's truck with him earlier in the day Tuesday. They were stopped in New Mexico by a task force of state and federal law enforcement officers.

Hanme Clark is seen in custody on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023. / Credit: Custer County Sheriff's Office

Around 2:30 p.m. Monday afternoon, Custer County law enforcement issued a shelter-in-place order for the Rocky Ridge Road area in the northern part of Custer County, northeast of Westcliffe. It has since been lifted.

"This is a quiet, peaceful town, nothing like this has ever happened," said Rich Smith, Custer County Sheriff.

The suspect was identified by law enforcement as 45-year-old Hanme Clark. He was believed to be driving a white Dodge truck, license plate BHLK27. The suspect and at least one of the victims were known to be in previous civil disputes over property lines and easements.

Law enforcement officials identified the victims as Rob Geers, 63, Beth Wade, 73, and James Daulton. Patty Daulton was injured in the shooting and is recovering, Smith said.

Three people are dead and another has been critically injured after a shooting Monday afternoon near the town of Westcliffe over a property dispute. Law enforcement officials identified the victims as Rob Geers, 63, Beth Wade, 73, and James Daulton. Patty Daulton was injured in the shooting and is recovering. / Credit: Custer County Sheriff's Office

The Geers were Clark's neighbors, Smith said. Other details of the property dispute law enforcement officials alluded to were not immediately available.

"We have received calls form the suspect complaining about the neighbors and from the neighbors complaining bout the suspect but never imagined it would have ended in a place like this," Smith said.

Custer County is about 150 miles south of Denver.

Officers say they discovered that Clark's truck had entered the parking lot of the Walmart in Salida and an occupant of the truck went inside and purchased several items. They then left the store and the truck went toward the Methodist Mountain residential area.

"The people living at the left side would not allow people to go down that road," said Harley Gordon, a neighbor.

Clark also appears to be an accomplished mixed martial arts fighter in Colorado. A post from Pancrase MMA in Denver lists one of their fighters as Hanme Clark who uses the nickname "The Ruiner." They list him as being 6'3" and 185 pounds with a purple belt ll in Pancrase Mixed Martial Arts, black belt lll in Taekwondo and experience fighting in Kendo, a Japanese sword-fighting style. He also has several titles through Pancrase.

The organization also lists a news item on its website that reads, "Former Pancrase Student and Colorado MMA Fighter Wanted for Shooting 4," which links to a Daily Mail story about Clark being sought by police.

Court records show a man with the same name as Clark is a plaintiff in a property dispute in Custer County civil court. That case dates back to 2020 and is still open.

None of the victims in Monday's shooting were named in that lawsuit and it wasn't immediately clear if or how they were connected.

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Water gushes after a water line broke around 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023, along the Nicholson Hike and Bike trail near 10th Street in Houston. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Wayne Crane walks back into his home as water continues to spill out of a water line that broke around 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023, along the Nicholson hike and bike trail near 10th Street in Houston. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer A woman watches as water continues to flow out of a water line and into her property Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023, along the Nicholson hike and bike trail near 10th Street, in Houston. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer

An uptick in water leaks caused by drought, extreme heat and aging infrastructure has sparked Houston city leaders to approve plans to hire 11 different contractors to tackle the problem at a cost of nearly $48 million.

Since June, there have been almost 20,000 calls to 311 about water leaks, oftentimes with multiple people dialing in about the same leak, city officials said during and after Wednesdays City Council meeting. Some 4,300 leaks have been fixed in that time, according to Houston Public Works records.

The number of city water system pipes actively leaking stood at around 100 before June 1  but now stands at around 500.

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The water loss associated with the leaky pipes has been staggering: The city leaked 30 billion gallons of water in 2022, and another 9 billion gallons from January to April 2023, the Houston Chronicle previously reported, citing city data. Some months, Houston lost over 20 percent of its total water supply. Combined, that loss represented roughly $150 million in potential annual revenue.

Council members approved emergency spending of almost $48 million to continue addressing the problem. Since drought conditions began in Houston in June 2022, the city has spent around $36 million in emergency funds to address the issue. If Houston Public Works spends the additional, full $48 million, the city will have spent roughly $84 million during the last two fiscal years on water leak maintenance.

The funding is to be split among 11 outside contractors, with each slated to get between $3 million and $12 million worth of work.

Public works employees have been fixing the bulk of the leaks this summer. Since June, theyve repaired 2,600 water leaks, while outside contractors fixed 1,700.

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The city has spent $1.1 million in overtime pay for public works employees since June, District C Councilmember Abbie Kamin said.

Recently, a leak in the Heights erupted into a geyser after it went unfixed for weeks, Kamin noted. Public works employees fixed the leak almost immediately, but water had already flooded the street.

Were losing millions of gallons. Residents dont want to see us losing water, said Kamin, whose district includes the Heights. I certainly dont want to see more damage done at this point.

Water leaks occur when ground gets dry and expands, putting immense pressure on water mains and pipes that can break them, especially if they are older.

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While there has been an increase in rainfall this week, the citys Stage 2 drought contingency plan is still in place.

As long as Houston is still in extreme drought, those restrictions wont be lifted, said Houston Public Works spokesperson Erin Jones. And it would take a lot more rainfall over the next few weeks for drought conditions to end, she said.

Water demand increases during a drought, which also plays a role in the leaks, Jones said. The mandatory restrictions are trying to decrease water usage across the city by 10%.

We need rain, and we need people to reduce the demand theyre putting on the system, Jones said. The rain helps, but theres a lot of collaboration to be done.
The Colorado Supreme Court has agreed to hear appeals in a 14th Amendment challenge to former President Donald Trumps candidacy and scheduled oral arguments for December 6.

Trumps team and the group trying to remove him from the Colorado ballot based on the 14th Amendments insurrectionist ban appealed different parts of last weeks lower-court ruling, which found that Trump engaged in an insurrection on January 6, 2021, but that the ban doesnt apply to the presidency.

Many experts believe the case, which was brought by Republican and independent voters in coordination with a liberal-leaning watchdog group called Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, will eventually reach the US Supreme Court in some fashion.

Colorado District Court Judge Sarah Wallace issued a stunning 102-page decision Friday, that found Trump engaged in an insurrection on January 6, 2021, but concluded that the 14th Amendments insurrectionist ban doesnt apply to presidents, based on the text of the amendment, which was ratified in 1868 in the wake of the Civil War.

It says American officials who take an oath to support the Constitution are banned from future office if they engaged in insurrection. The provision explicitly bans insurrectionists from serving as US senators, representatives and even presidential electors  but it does not say anything about the presidency. It says it covers any office, civil or military, under the United States, and Wallace ruled that this does not include the office of the presidency.

That key finding is what the anti-Trump challengers hope the Colorado Supreme Court will overturn.

No court should adopt an interpretation of the Constitution that has such absurd results, the challengers wrote in their appeal filing. Fortunately, in this case, the text and history all comport with the common-sense outcome. Section 3 does not disqualify oath-breaking insurrectionists from nearly all public offices except the highest one, nor does it give a unique free pass to insurrectionist Presidents.

All seven justices on the Colorado Supreme Court were appointed by Democratic governors. Six of the seven subsequently won statewide retention elections to stay on the bench. The seventh was only appointed in 2021 and hasnt faced voters yet.

Sean Grimsley, an attorney for the anti-Trump challengers, told CNNs Erin Burnett on Monday that he was hopeful his appeal will prevail in overturning the one issue that the judge got wrong about who the ban does  and doesnt  apply to.

Were going to pursue our claims in court. I think we put on a very good case, the judge issued a very detailed and thorough opinion  it took until page 95 of a 102-page opinion for her to rule against us on anything, so were just going to continue forward. Were going to go to the Colorado Supreme Court and see what happens there.

In other portions of Wallaces ruling, she offered a searing condemnation of Trumps attempts to overturn the 2020 election. She concluded that the former president actively primed the anger of his extremist supporters and acted with the specific intent to incite political violence and direct it at the Capitol.

Trump has prevailed in similar constitutional challenges in several states, including Michigan and Minnesota, though other appeals are underway.

It was an outrageous attempt at disenfranchising millions and millions of voters by getting us thrown off the ballot, Trump said Saturday at a campaign rally in Iowa. Weve now beat the radical Democrats election-rigging ballot qualification scam in Colorado and Michigan and Minnesota and New Hampshire and other states.

Trump appeals as well

Trump also has appealed the decision, taking issue with several of the judges findings, including that he engaged in the January 6 insurrection.

Trumps lawyers say Wallace reached the correct conclusion that the insurrectionist ban doesnt apply to presidents.

However, they asked the Colorado Supreme Court to overturn her other decisions, arguing she committed multiple grave jurisdictional and legal errors  creating new, unprecedented, and unsupported legal standards in applying the constitutional disqualification clause.

The lawyers said in a court filing that they want these matters corrected now because of the possibility of further review in the case, referring to the widely expected eventual appeals to the Supreme Court.

This headline and story have been been updated with additional developments.

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EDINBURG, Texas (AP)  Donald Trump picked up the Texas governors endorsement Sunday during a visit to a U.S.-Mexico border town and promised that his hard-line immigration policies in a second presidential term would make Greg Abbotts job much easier.

Youll be able to focus on other things in Texas, Trump told Abbott as they each appeared before a crowd of about 150 at an airport hangar in Edinburg.

Abbott, a longtime ally and fellow border hawk, said he was proud to endorse the former president, who is the Republican Partys front-runner for the 2024 nomination.

We need a president whos going to secure the border, Abbott said, speaking in a town that is about 30 miles from the Hidalgo Port of Entry crossing with Mexico. We need Donald J. Trump back as our president of the United States of America."

Earlier, Trump served meals to Texas National Guard soldiers, troopers and others who will be stationed at the border over Thanksgiving. Trump and Abbott handed out tacos, and the former president shook hands and posed for pictures.

What you do is incredible, and you want it to be done right," Trump told them.

Abbott said about the Guard members and Texas troopers who are stationed at the border: They should not be here at this time. They should be at home. He said that the only reason why they are here is because we have a president of the United States of America who is not securing our border.

Trump has been laying out immigration proposals that would mark a dramatic escalation of the approach he used in office and that drew alarms from civil rights activists and numerous court challenges. Though Trump has peppered campaign speeches with his immigration plans, he only made brief remarks in border country on Sunday. He spoke for only about 10 minutes against a backdrop of state police choppers, a plane and an armed patrol boat  all used by Texas at the border.

Trump did not get into the policies he would pursue if elected. He did complain about inflation, the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 and news media coverage. He said most technology outside of wheels and walls eventually becomes obsolete.

Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump, right, is introduced by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott at the South Texas International Airport Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023, in Edinburg, Texas. Abbott and Trump help serve a Thanksgiving meal to Texas state troopers and guardsmen. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

We just need the walls. And it worked," Trump said.

His plan calls for building more of the wall along the border.

He also wants to:

 revive and expand his controversial travel ban, which initially targeted seven Muslim-majority countries. Trump's initial executive order was fought all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which upheld what Trump complained was a watered down version that included travelers from North Korea and some Venezuelan officials.

 begin new "ideological screening for all immigrants, aiming to bar Christian-hating communists and Marxists" and dangerous lunatics, haters, bigots and maniacs" from entering the United States. Those who come to and join our country must love our country," he has said.

 bar those who support Hamas. If you empathize with radical Islamic terrorists and extremists, youre disqualified," Trump says. "If you want to abolish the state of Israel, youre disqualified. If you support Hamas or any ideology thats having to do with that or any of the other really sick thoughts that go through peoples minds  very dangerous thoughts  youre disqualified.

 deport immigrants living in the country who harbor jihadist sympathies and send immigration agents to pro-jihadist demonstrations to identify violators. He would target foreign nationals on college campuses and revoke the student visas of those who express anti-American or antisemitic views.

 invoke the Alien Enemies Act to to remove from the United States all known or suspected gang members and drug dealers. That law was used to justify internment camps in World War II. It allows the president to unilaterally detain and deport people who are not U.S. citizens.

 end the constitutional right to birthright citizenship by signing an executive order his first day in office that would codify a legally untested reinterpretation of the 14th Amendment. Under his order, only children with at least one U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident parent would be eligible for a passport, Social Security number and other benefits.

 terminate all work permits and cut off funding for shelter and transportation for people who are in the country illegally.

 crack down on legal asylum-seekers and reimplement measures such as Title 42, which allowed Trump to turn away immigrants at the U.S.-Mexico border on the grounds of preventing the spread of COVID-19.

 press Congress to pass a law so anyone caught trafficking women or children would receive the death penalty.

 shift federal law enforcement agents, including FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration personnel, to immigration enforcement, and reposition at the southern border thousands of troops currently stationed overseas. Before we defend the borders of foreign countries we must secure the border of our country," he said said.

Trump has made frequent trips to the border as a candidate and president. During his 2016 campaign, he traveled to Laredo, Texas in July 2015 for a visit that highlighted how his views on immigration helped him win media attention and support from the GOP base.

The border has also become a centerpiece of Abbott's agenda and the subject of an escalating fight with the Biden administration over immigration. The three-term governor has approved billions of dollars in new border wall construction, authorized razor wire on the banks of the Rio Grande and bused thousands of migrants to Democrat-led cities across the United States.

Abbott is expected to soon sign what would be one of Texas most aggressive measures to date: a law that allows police officers to arrest migrants suspected of entering the country illegally and empowers judges to effectively deport them. The measure is a dramatic challenge to the U.S. governments authority over immigration. It already has already drawn rebuke from Mexico.

Still, the Texas GOPs hard right has not always embraced Abbott. Trump posted on his social media platform earlier this year that the governor was MISSING IN ACTION! after Republicans voted to impeach Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Trump ally. Abbott was also booed at a 2022 Trump rally.

But Abbott's navigation within the GOP has built him broad support in Texas, where he has outperformed more strident Republicans down-ballot and helped the GOP make crucial inroads with Hispanic voters.

Democrats tried to use the trip to portray Trump's plans as extreme.

Donald Trump is going after immigrants, our rights our safety and our democracy. And that is what really is on the ballot last year, Biden reelection campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said on a conference call with reporters.

Pollings show many voters arent satisfied with the Biden administrations handling of the border.

A Marquette Law School poll of registered voters conducted in late September gave Trump a 24-point advantage over Biden on handling immigration and border security issues  52% to 28%.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Donald Trump picks up endorsement of Gov. Greg Abbott
The UK and South Korea are set to sign a new long-term agreement covering defence and technology co-operation as President Yoon Suk Yeol arrives for a three-day state visit.

The Downing Street Accord follows similar agreements with Singapore and Japan, coming as the UK seeks to consolidate influence in the Indo-Pacific.

Mr Yoon begins his state visit on Tuesday, which will include a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the formal signing of the agreement in Downing Street on Wednesday.

Ahead of the visit, Mr Sunak pointed to the 21 billion which South Korean businesses commit in investment to the UK.

Trade and investment are expected to be the focus of the trip, with Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch set to launch new negotiations on an upgraded free trade agreement.

The UK secured a free trade deal with South Korea in 2019, with the agreement largely aimed at keeping trade flowing post-Brexit and removing uncertainty.

Mr Sunak said: Long term, global partnerships are vital to our prosperity and security, both today and in the future. As two nations focused on innovation, harnessing new technologies and defending the international rules-based order, the UK and Republic of Korea are natural partners.

Through our new Downing Street Accord, we will drive investment, boost trade and build a friendship that not only supports global stability, but protects our interests and lasts the test of time.

These close ties have already propelled 21 billion of investment between our countries.

I know a free trade agreement fit for the future will only drive further investment, delivering on my promise to grow the economy and support highly-skilled jobs.

The Downing Street Accord will see British and Korean militaries agree to step up joint training and operations, with the Asian state expected to agree to join with British ships on sanctions patrols.

It will, Downing Street said, also see the two countries work closer together on technology such as artificial intelligence, semi-conductors and quantum.

Science ministers will also sign a memorandum of understanding to boost space co-operation.

South Korea will host next years AI summit after the first UK-backed gathering in Bletchley Park earlier this month.

The trip to the UK coincides with the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the UK and Korea, as well as the 70th anniversary of the armistice of the Korean war.
The Biden administration Monday issued sanctions against two officers in the Russian military for involvement in gross violations of human rights, including the alleged extrajudicial killing of unarmed Ukrainian civilians.

The sanctions target Azatbek Omurbekov, a colonel in Russias armed forces who the State Department said carried the dark moniker of The Butcher of Bucha, a reference to the Kyiv suburb that was the site of mass atrocities carried out in the first few weeks of Russias invasion of Ukraine in Feb. 2022.

Daniil Frolkin, a guard corporal in the Russian military, was also sanctioned by the State Department for his involvement in a gross violation of human rights, namely the extrajudicial killing of unarmed Ukrainian civilians in Andriivka.

The reports that Omurbekov and Frolkin were involved in gross violations of human rights, as documented by [nongovernmental organizations] and independent investigations, are serious and credible, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

By publicly designating Omurbekov and Frolkin, the United States reaffirms its commitment to upholding human rights, acknowledging the injustice experienced by victims and survivors, and promoting accountability for those responsible for human rights violations.

The State Department issued visa bans against Omurbekov and Frolkin, preventing them and their immediate families from ever entering the U.S. The measure is viewed as a tactic of naming and shaming violators of human rights amid efforts to secure further justice for alleged crimes.

The State Department said Omurbekov was the commanding officer of Russias 64th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade, and that in Bucha he killed, beat, dismembered, burned, and conducted mock executions of civilians.

Omurbekov also commanded the brigade during its occupation of the Ukrainian town of Andriivka and carried out the extrajudicial killings of unarmed Ukrainian civilians.

After accounts of the brigades brutality emerged, the Kremlin responded by issuing a statement indicating that Russian Federation [President Vladimir Putin] had conferred honors upon the 64th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade, and Russias Ministry of Defense promoted Omurbekov and praised his leadership, Blinken said in his statement.

The United States stands committed to promoting accountability for Russias abuses and atrocities against the people of Ukraine, Blinken continued. We will continue to use all appropriate avenues to pursue justice for Ukraine.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
AUSTIN  The three-paragraph news release that publicly launched Operation Lone Star presented the initiative as one that would do little more than "integrate" the assets of the Texas Department of Public Safety and the state's National Guard to battle the illicit smuggling of drugs and migrants across the Rio Grande.

It was early March 2021, barely six weeks after Democrat Joe Biden ousted Donald Trump from the White House and one year before Gov. Greg Abbott would face Texas Republican voters as he sought a third term on in office.

And now, two years, eight months later and a convincing reelection later, Operation Lone Star has mushroomed into an $11 billion enterprise that has deployed as many as 10,000 Texas National Guard soldiers and 1,500 DPS troopers to the state's southern border, plus an additional 1,700 Guard soldiers and troopers from 13 other states.

And just this month, Texas lawmakers sent Abbott sweeping legislation to empower local and state police agencies to, in effect, act as federal immigration agents with the authority to arrest and initiate deportation the process of people suspected of having crossed into Texas illegally.

Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at a news conference as Texas Army National Guard troops deploy from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on Monday May 8, 2023, to secure the Texas-Mexico border in anticipation of the end of Title 42 later this week. Listening are, left to right, Maj. Gen. Thomas Suelzer, Border Czar Mike Banks and DPS Director Steve McCraw.

From a political standpoint, Operation Lone Star has vaulted Abbott into the national spotlight, some experts say it has allowed the Texas governor to consolidate his power on the home front and to rewrite the rulebook for the relationship between the states and the federal government.

"Abbott is the most visible and influential Republican governor in the country," said Mark Jones, a political science professor at Rice University's James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy in Houston.

That heightened visibility began its ascent in April 2022 when Abbott began offering migrants who had been granted at least temporary permission to remain in the United State bus trips to cities ruled by Democratic mayors.

The program was immediately derided by the governor's critics as a political stunt sure to backfire. But it was almost immediately embraced by conservative news outlets and soon had those mayors warning that their local social service networks were at risk of unraveling, and some joining the Texas governor's relentless criticism of Biden's policies to curb unlawful immigration.

As of last month, more than 50,000 migrants have been bused from Texas to cities around the nation.

Putting Democrats on defense

In September, New York City Mayor Eric Adams implored Biden to declare a state of emergency at the southern border and said the influx of bused-in migrants will have lasting consequences. This issue will destroy New York City," Adams said at the time.

More: 'I dont see an ending to this' NYC Mayor Eric Adams calls influx of migrants a national crisis

Texas Democrats, meanwhile, have sought to portray Abbott and his border initiative as an unconstitutional usurpation of federal immigration authority that is opportunistic at best and cruelly inhumane at worst.

Operation Lone Star is trampling on the rights of border communities, endangering our economic relationship with Mexico, and violating the basic human rights of asylum-seekers," Congressman Joaquin Castro of San Antonio said in a recent news release.

Congressman Greg Casar of Austin took it a step further, saying "Greg Abbotts abusive, wasteful, and inhumane Operation Lone Star is a disgrace to our state."

Texas Department of Public Safety officers observe migrants from behind concertina after a group of migrants crossed 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. (Via OlyDrop)

Stepping 'over a line'

Much the harshest criticism of Operation Lone Star is reserved for the policy of lining long stretches of the Texas-side banks of the Rio Grande with prison-manufactured razor wire.

In July, USA TODAY reported that the hospital in the border city of Eagle Pass had treated an inordinate number of migrants, including young children, for lacerations after being ensnared in the coils.

That same month, emails surfaced from DPS medic Nicholas Wingate to a supervisor that Operation Lone Star had "stepped over a line into the inhumane" amid reports that troopers had been ordered to push migrants who had reached the Texas shore back into the river.

More: Texas Democrats in Congress: Biden must assert authority to check Abbott on immigration

"We need to operate it correctly in the eyes of God," Wingate wrote of Operation Lone Star. "We need to recognize that these are people who are made in the image of God and need to be treated as such."

The reports prompted Abbott to push back.

"No orders or directions have been given under Operation Lone Star that would compromise the lives of those attempting to cross the border illegally," Abbott said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Abbott has openly defied the Biden administration by placing a string of buoys in the international river separating the United States and Mexico as a further deterrent to unlawful crossings. The U.S. Justice Department has filed a lawsuit seeking to have the floating barriers removed and named the governor as a defendant.

Abbott has said he's prepared to take the matter to the U.S. Supreme Court, if necessary, in the effort to show he has the authority to take what emergency actions he deems necessary to secure Texas' border with Mexico.

The cost keeps going up

In the early stages of Operation Lone Star, some of the costs were covered by shifting state money from other agencies. Then the Legislature appropriated about $4.5 billion to keep the initiative funded for the two-year budget cycle that ended Aug. 31, 2023.

During this year's regular legislative session, $5 billion was allocated for the present two-year cycle. By this month, the price tag soon expanded by $1.54 billion, much of it earmarked for a Trump-like border wall on private land where property owners agree to the project.

To date, the state has constructed about 11 miles of the wall. The cost to build more could be as high as $20 million per mile.

Other governors 'modeling' Abbott

Joshua Trevino, chief of intelligence and research for the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation, rejected criticism that with his aggressive and expensive border policies Abbott has veered out if his lane and into territory belonging solely to the federal government. As recently as the early 20th century, he said, it was widely accepted that border state governors could expel immigrants who had no legal standing to enter their states.

"I don't think that Texas or the governor have done anything extra constitutional," Trevino said. "I think they have had to reach back in time a bit to a different era -- not constitutionally different, but just historically different -- to revive and reactivate a lot of the powers that once upon a time everybody understood states generally have."

He also said many Republican governors across the nation, at least in some form, are following Abbott's lead. Governors from as far away as North Dakota, Florida and West Virginia  along the closer-by states of Oklahoma and Arkansas  have dispatched National Guard soldiers to Texas to join Operation Lone Star.

"Without mind-reading too much, (other states) are taking inspiration, if not direct modeling, from what Texas has done with the Texas Military Department forces," Trevino said.

Deployments are sometimes deadly

During a 13-month period ended in October 2022, 10 National guard soldiers died during their Operation Lone Star deployments, and at least four of the death were determined to be suicides. The Texas Military Department now includes a page on its website related to suicide prevention.

Texas National Guard Sgt. Bishop Evans

One of the soldiers who died was Sgt. Bishop Evans, who in April 2022 jumped in the swift currents of the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass to save struggling migrants who were attempting to cross from the Mexican side. The 22-year old, who was promoted to his rank posthumously, drowned in the river. He had not been issued a floatation device.

Evans was awarded Lone Star Medal of Valor at his funeral, but his family did not qualify for a military death benefit. Lawmakers this year passed legislation to provide a $500,000 benefit to Operation Lone Star soldiers who die in the line of duty. Abbott signed it into law.

Operation Lone Star 'a mixed bag'

Abbott has insisted the numbers show Operation Lone Star has been effective: More than 473,900 apprehensions at or near the border; 34,800 arrests on state criminal charges; 431 million lethal doses of fentanyl seized.

But an examination by the Wall Street Journal in July under the headline, "Texas Spent Billions on Border Security. It's Not Working", casts doubt on the governor's boasts.

The report noted that the state operation accounted for just a fraction of migrant encounters, compared with the Border Patrols 850,000 encounters.

The area of the border most heavily targeted by Operation Lone Star has seen the most rapid increases in illegal border crossings in the state since the operation began, the newspaper reported. Thousands of arrests by state troopers under the program have been unrelated to border security, and instead netted U.S. citizens hundreds of miles from the border.

Alvaro Corral, a political science professor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, said it's difficult to read how people in heavily Hispanic South Texas view Operation Lone Star. Most understand the need for secure borders, but many are troubled by reports of injured migrants and question whether the results are worth the investment, he said.

"I would say it's a mixed bag," Corral said. "I think people acknowledge that something needs to be done about folks that are here undocumented. In terms of Operation Lone Star, I think there's also a recognition that some of these efforts are not the best in terms of deterrence. And that sort of rubs people the wrong way."

Jones, the Rice University professor, said regardless of the cost or what the numbers might show, Operation Lone Star has proven itself an questioned political winner for Abbott. It has allowed the governor to set the narrative of the national debate over immigration while the White House has struggled to articulate its own strategy for controlling the border, he said.

"Abbott is challenging the Biden administration with a position that has overwhelming majority support in the Republican Party, but also majority support nationally," Jones said. "It's a winning issue in Texas, but also in Michigan, and Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

"I think the Biden administration is passive because it's a no-win issue for them," he added. "Whatever the Biden administration does, it angers someone in the Democratic coalition."

John C. Moritz covers Texas government and politics for the USA Today Network in Austin. Contact him at jmoritz@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly called Twitter, @JohnnieMo.

This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Operation Lone Star is expensive and politically popular for Abbott
Korean War Army veteran Malkon Shemeligian, 90, of Worcester, leaves Veterans Inc. with UMass Medical School volunteer Tina Peladeau, of Douglas, pushing his cart of free Thanksgiving meal fixings during Veterans Inc.'s annual Holiday Harvest Tuesday.

WORCESTER  From under the visor of a U.S. Navy cap, Dan Donovans eyes wandered about the main hall of Veterans Inc. as smiling military veterans stood up one by one to be assigned a shopping cart and to start their collection of a turkey, fixings and vegetables.

Donovan, 54, was one of the 500 veterans and their families who stopped at 69 Grove St. Tuesday morning to pick up his share of Thanksgiving classics at an annual donation effort which Veterans Inc. coins as Holiday Harvest.

Throughout the morning, Donovans gaze sometimes dropped for a quick look at his right hand, where a piece of paper with his queue number was nested between his thumb and palm as he stood at the edges of the waiting area in the center of the hall.

Deployed to the Persian Gulf in the early 1990s, Donovan said that he recognized some of the other servicemen, whom he greeted with a handshake and a few words.

U.S. Navy veteran Lidia Cleary, 43, of Ayer gets a pumpkin while in line during Veterans Inc.'s annual Holiday Harvest Tuesday.

But even if he didnt recognize them, even if they were of a different branch of the military, Donovan said there was always something in common to talk about.

I feel that when I came here, I was more open to talking to people, said Donovan, of Clinton. It felt like getting back in high school again.

Circumventing the edges of the square waiting area, a chain of shopping carts moved slowly along stands starting at 10 a.m. as veterans walked behind a mound of freshly bagged vegetables, canned foods or even the taut bundle of a hefty turkey.

Two bakery stands, three fixings stands, three vegetable stands and finally a few with turkeys, were among the choices for the veterans, who were often accompanied by one of the 110 volunteers at the drive Tuesday.

Veterans Inc. hosts its annual Holiday Harvest. which provides Thanksgiving meal supplies to over 650 Veteran families including turkeys, trimmings, stuffing and fresh produce. The event was open to all current and former Armed Service Members or their surviving spouses who need food for their household.

A representative for Veterans Inc. said the drive served about 8,000 pounds of produce and about 700 turkeys, all through donations provided by businesses such as TJX Companies, Walmart, Chase Bank and others.

Lisa McBrine, of Milford, New Hampshire, helped a U.S. Army veteran, Jim Ferland, who served in the 1970s, sometimes bagging some produce, other times helping carry the bags.

The daughter of a Vietnam War veteran, McBrine hugged Ferland at the end of the line before he left with the cart towards his car.

They gave everything for us and I want to do everything I can to give back, said McBrine. I connected with him while we were walking. Hugging him felt just right and I wanted to wish him a happy Thanksgiving.

John Bootsie Boudreau, a 70-year-old U.S. Army veteran of 26 years, who described his deployment to Vietnam as fixing helicopters, spoke frankly about the efforts of the donation drive and the reality of the lives of veterans.

Sandra Briggs of Millbury and her partner Vietnam War U.S. Army veteran and Purple Heart recipient John Grady, 79, are offered a hand out to their car by Avient Corp. volunteer Sumendra Shrestha during Veterans Inc. annual Holiday Harvest Tuesday.

He attends the Holiday Harvest at Veterans Inc. every year.

This year he got a turkey, some bread, some celery and some sweets.

Without this, half of the veterans would starve, said Boudreau. Theyre doing a very good thing here.

Vietnam veterans are the ones losing the most and they're just trying to get ahead. Theyre trying to get help.

Attending the event were also Worcester County Sheriff Lew Evangelidis and state Sen. Robyn K. Kennedy, who helped fill the veterans carts.

State Sen. Robyn Kennedy was one of several legislators handing out fixings during Veterans Inc.'s annual Holiday Harvest Tuesday.

Denis Leary, the executive director of Veterans Inc., said the drive, which has been held for 28 years, is a thank you to veterans and their families.

The important thing to not lose sight of is that for every veteran thats deployed, a family in many ways, is deployed, said Leary, who has been at his position for 24 years. The family that the veteran leaves the entire time during the deployment are on pins and needles, worried about their loved ones.

We should be thanking them really because all they've actually sacrificed a lot as well.

Vietnam War veteran John Sulham, 76, of Millbury, makes his way down the line with Fallon Healthcare volunteer Sharon Nolli, of Shrewsbury, during Veterans Inc.'s annual Holiday Harvest Tuesday.

Leary also stressed the importance of focusing on helping veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder, a problem that he still sees rampant in the community.

We're going to expand to keep pace with the needs for the veterans community, said Leary. We want to be on the vanguard of delivery services that match the current needs.

Whether homeless, at risk of homeless, homelessness or really looking for employment and training, better housing.

Veterans Inc. was established in 1990 by a group of Vietnam War veterans.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Veterans Inc.'s Holiday Harvest feeds veterans' bellies, hearts
Midterms are over and finals are just ahead in a semester that included a big new experiment for Wayne State sophomore Maya Siegmann: I joined the breakdancing club.

Im learning a new skill, Siegmann said with a smile. That kind of shocks people a little bit. Unexpected. But its really fun.

It is not, though, the biggest change for Siegmann this fall. She is active in the Jewish campus organization Hillel and her frequent visits to its lounge and library now include greeting the police officer standing watch outside. It is part of the new normal here since the October 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel.

That we need to have a police officer outside the office, it is upsetting, said the soft-spoken Siegmann, whos studying to be a social worker.

There is definitely a divide between the pro-Palestine students and the pro-Israel students, said Siegmann. The division is very clear. The tension on campus is very high.

Wayne State is a sprawling 200-acre campus in downtown Detroit, a place that takes pride in being part of a great American citys resurgence. The 24,000 students are a diverse melting pot and the urban location means campus politics tilt decidedly blue.

It is a community where support for abortion rights runs high. And LGBTQ rights. College costs come up a lot in conversations. The climate crisis, too. It is an issue mix that favors Democrats, and Wayne State is among campuses critical to President Joe Bidens Michigan win in 2020 and big gains by Democrats here in 2022.

At the moment, though, theres a Democratic divide over the Israel-Hamas conflict and Bidens handing of the crisis. CNN recently visited Michigan as part of a new project designed to track the 2024 campaign through the eyes and experiences of voters in key areas  in this case, young voters.

John King speaks with Wayne State University student Maya Siegmann, in Detroit. - CNN

I am an Israeli Jewish Israeli American, is how Siegmann describes herself. She took a break from campus to join last weeks march in support of Israel in Washington, DC  part of a very sudden shift to political activism.

Politics is not something that really interests me, she said. But I am advocating for the Jewish population because I want to make other students feel more safe and more comfortable. Because thats just, thats not where we are right now.

Siegmann hears the condemnation of Israel from friends and classmates, along with the calls for Biden to demand a ceasefire in Gaza because of the mounting toll on Palestinian civilians.

A ceasefire is a way for Hamas to re-up their supplies, she said. A ceasefire will just allow them to resupply and attack at a later time.

A lot of the conversations on campus  and on students social media  are black and white. Often lost in the anger and emotion is important nuance.

Siegmann, for example, said: I stand with Israel.  Right now, the most important thing is defending their right to exist.

But Siegmann takes issue with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on several issues, including corruption concerns and his handling of the Palestinians.

I would just like to live in peace with our neighbors, she said. There are a lot of problems within Israel, but for now she added, Thats kind of on a side burner.

Siegmann is happy with Bidens handling of the crisis, but he isnt guaranteed her vote next November, even though he won it in 2020.

I think that there should be an age cap on people in office, she said of the president, who turned 81 on Monday. He is very supportive of Israel, which Im very grateful for, but I would like someone whos younger in office.

Palestinian American who backed Biden in 2020 wont do it again

First-year Wayne State law student Ibrahim Ghazal is another Biden 2020 voter whose support in 2024 is at risk, to say the least.

Not in a million years would I like to vote for (Donald) Trump, Ghazal said in an interview. I dont know if I am voting at all. But I definitely will not be voting for Biden.

We asked Ghazal if he agreed with an image on the front page of an Arab American newspaper: activists holding Abandon Biden placards to illustrate a story harshly critical of the presidents handling of the crisis.

To an extent, yes, Ghazal said. I feel as though President Biden does not value my life as a Muslim American as much as he values other lives. The White House earlier this month announced the development of a national strategy to combat Islamophobia. And the president has urged Israel to exercise restraint in its response to minimize civilian deaths and ease humanitarian suffering. But Biden has rejected calls for a ceasefire, instead stressing his commitment to a two-state solution in a Washington Post op-ed over the weekend.

Ghazal lives in Detroit. But our conversation was in neighboring Dearborn, at a Yemeni coffee house where he often meets friends. Community is a passion of Ghazals, who founded the Detroit Muslim Running Club to build a healthier community in Michigan.

John King talks to Wayne State University Law School student Ibrahim Ghazal in Dearborn, Michigan. - CNN

More than half of Dearborns residents are of Arab ancestry and Biden won 74% of the citys vote in 2020.

Whats going to make him hear us is our vote, Ghazal said. Thats going to make a difference for him in a swing state.

Ghazals views of Netanyahu are scathing, and he sees Biden as greenlighting an Israeli military campaign Ghazal calls disproportionate and indiscriminate.

Im Muslim. Im American. Im Palestinian, is how Ghazal describes himself. I care because I am an American and I dont think our country should fund that type of a reaction.

Ghazal is blunt.

Im speaking about an occupation  a brutal occupation that we fund, he said.

Most of the international community, including the United States, considers Gaza, the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights to be occupied territories.

Ghazal called antisemitism horrible and disgusting.

But he also sees Islamophobia and ignorance at play in the criticism of Palestinians who condemn the Israeli military response.

Its disgusting that standing up for children dying and women dying and civilian infrastructure being destroyed is being compared to supporting Hamas, Ghazal said. Holding up a Palestinian flag does not support Hamas. Hamas has their own flag. Nobodys carrying their flag.

His long-term hopes align with those of Siegmann  though, like her, Ghazal sees only tense times ahead.

All I want is a pathway to peace, Ghazal said. For Palestinians to reach a peaceful solution where Jews, Muslims and Christians and any person can live peacefully together.

An 18-year-old looking for the next generation of leaders

Our visit to Michigan, and college campuses in Detroit and Ann Arbor, was part of our reporting projects effort to check in with young voters, who were a vital piece of the Biden coalition in 2020 and were also part of a strong 2022 midterm year for Democrats in Michigan.

Summer Matkin could only watch then, but the 18-year-old is looking forward to casting her first votes in the 2024 cycle.

Im finally here and Im able to vote, said Matkin, a theater major in her first semester at Wayne State. I registered over the summer.

Matkin is an esports enthusiast and has used her film and social media skills to help raise money to fight hunger and for the Trevor Project, which provides support services to LGTBQ young people. She says she has not had time this first semester to join any of the campus protests, but Free Palestine is something I would 100% believe in.

John King talks to Wayne State University student Summer Matkin in Detroit. - CNN

Matkin did not register with a political party but said, My ideals lean more Democratic or liberal side.

If there is a Trump-Biden rematch, Id go Biden, Matkin said. But she would prefer younger candidates, and listed New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as someone shed like to see lead the party in the future.

I feel like theres a detachment for young people with an older president, she said.

I think there is a very weird separation or maybe generational gap, so, when theres certain things we want to be heard as young people.  Not only the conflict out there with Israeli and Palestinian people but we also have student loan forgiveness and all of these different financial problems.

Some students look toward third-party option

The University of Michigans main campus in Ann Arbor, with twice as many students as Wayne State, is also rife with tension.

About 40 students were arrested Friday night, according to the university.

The protest was organized by Students Allied for Freedom and Equality, a local chapter of the national group Students for Justice in Palestine.

The Friday protest at a school administration building was one of a series of demonstrations the group has organized. Another asked students to write the names of Palestinians killed in Gaza on a giant poster.

We are in the middle of our fight for escalation with the administration, said Joseph Fisher, a history major and a leader of the group. One of our demands that were pressuring for right now is complete divestment from the state of Israel and weapons manufacturers that are complicit in the genocide thats happening in Gaza.

John King speaks with University of Michigan student Joseph Fisher in Ann Arbor, Michigan. - CNN

Fisher emphatically rejects the idea that Israel has a right to use military force to respond to a terrorist attack. It is absolutely essential that we call it for what it is  a genocide  and also say that it didnt start on October 7, Fisher said. It started in 1948 with the creation of the settler colonial state of Israel.  I think we as students in the United States, people from across the world and Palestinian freedom fighters are fighting for the liberation of their homeland. I think we need to say how it is.

Tensions between Israelis and the Palestinians have existed since before Israels founding in 1948.

United Nations experts warned this weekend that grave violations against Palestinians in Gaza point to genocide in the making. But Israel rejects allegations of genocide and maintained that it has a right to defend itself, which Biden has supported. The White House has also pushed back on protesters who are accusing Israel of committing genocide, with National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby on Monday saying, What Hamas wants, make no mistake about it, is genocide.

Some Jewish students say language like Fishers  and beliefs like that  contribute to the spike in antisemitism.

Fisher was not in Michigan in 2020, when overwhelming support among college students helped Biden flip the state from red in 2016 back to blue. He was just 17 then, back in his native Georgia, where, out of fear of Trump, he volunteered to help the American Civil Liberties Union register voters.

Georgia was another flip and a pivotal win for Biden.

But Fisher, who is Black, will not be helping the president this time. Nor, at least as of today, will Biden get his first vote for president. Instead, Fisher said he is currently leaning toward supporting the Party for Socialism and Liberation.

I havent seen any change in my life and the lives of other people marginalized in this country in the last four years, he said. I will not vote for Joe Biden at this time.

The College Democrats at Ann Arbor try to meet weekly, and this past weeks focus was on political communication skills.

Seniors Anushka Jalisatgi and Jade Gray were part of the Democrats success on campus in 2020 and 2022, and they said interest in the organization is up, in part because of anger at the Supreme Court decision tossing out the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion rights ruling.

Until recently, their biggest challenge preparing for 2024 was questions about Bidens age.

Absolutely it comes out, Gray said. Its a real point to make. Its a real conversation to be had.

Her strategy? Expand the focus.

Youre not just voting for Biden, Gray said. You are voting for his entire administration.  You are voting for who he will appoint to the Supreme Court.

Jalisatgi brings in the second prong.

Whats more important is, when we look at, when we turn on the TV and we look at the Republican primary debate or we look at Donald Trumps speeches and we see what our alternative is, Jalisatgi said. It really emphasizes to us that, you know, youre not just voting for the top of the ticket. You are voting for so much more.

John King speaks with University of Michigan students Anushka Jalisatgi and Jade Gray in Ann Arbor, Michigan. - CNN

A Tufts University study after the 2022 midterms credited Michigan as the state with the highest turnout of voters ages 18-29.

Jalisatgi said her ambitious goal is to beat that turnout in 2024.

But both she and Gray acknowledged the Israel-Hamas crisis  and Bidens response  were the source of considerable tension, and even talk of sitting out or looking for a third-party option next year.

Some of them, yes, have shared with us that maybe this is making me reconsider, Jalisatgi said.

Gray made clear her personal view. You know, Mr. President, Ive seen you take key humanitarian steps, but I think the next step is a ceasefire. And I think that would go a long way with voters.

Their hope is that the national conversation is back to more favorable ground for Biden by next fall, and that those mad at the president now are more willing to look at the bigger picture then.

But things are raw at the moment.

Jalisatgi laughed and said yes when asked if she is glad the election is not tomorrow.

Were glad the election is not tomorrow because of how emotionally charged and deeply personal this is, Gray added. Its hard right now.

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Tesla's shareholders are calling for the suspension of the company's CEO Elon Musk for endorsing anti-Semitic posts on social media.

Several investors are publicly condemning Musk for promoting a post on X (formerly Twitter) that claims Jewish communities push "hatred against whites."

Jerry Braakman, CIO at First American Trust and owner of 16,000 Tesla shares as of Sep. 30, urged fellow investors to suspend Musk for 30 to 60 days.

Braakman believes that there is "no excuse" for Musk, the CEO of a public company, to promote hate speech.

Other investors urge Tesla's board to hire a firm to evaluate Musk's "terrible behavior" toward the company.

Musk earlier called the post the "actual truth" and lashed out at the Anti-Defamation League, a civil rights group against anti-Semitism.

Despite the backlash, Tesla recorded a 10% increase in its shares after a fall on Thursday.

Also Read: Big Advertisers are Pausing Ads on Twitter, Elon Musk Responds with Threat

Who are Tesla's Investors and Board of Directors?

As CEO of the company, Musk holds the largest share of the EV automaker. By the end of March, Musk holds a 13% stake in the company or approximately $96 billion.

That is equivalent to 411 million shares in Tesla.

Tesla's board is led by Musk, his younger brother Kimbal, the Denholm Group, Robyn Denholm, James Murdoch, and venture capitalist Ira Ehrenpreis. All are close associates of Musk.

Nell Minow, ValueEdge Advisors vice chair and Tesla shareholder said she has "no confidence whatsoever" that Tesla's board is willing to hold Musk accountable.

In the past days, Denholm, Tesla's chair, has not responded to their CEO's actions.

Elon Musk and Anti-Semitic Content

Musk's other companies have felt the brunt of the billionaire's posts in the last few days.

Several companies, including Disney, NBC Universal, Paramount, and IBM, have suspended advertisements on X after their promoted content appeared near pro-Nazi and anti-Semitic posts.

The US government also criticized Musk, describing his actions as an "abhorrent promotion of antisemitic and racist hate."

Musk has since threatened to file a "thermonuclear lawsuit" against brands exiting the platform.

Related Article: Elon Musk Will File 'Thermonuclear Lawsuit' Over Advertisers Loss on X
According to media reports, Putin is expected to represent Russia at the meeting, while Premier Li Qiang will represent China

New Delhi: There will be "excellent attendance" at the G-20 summit in virtual mode to be hosted on Wednesday evening by India and chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the G-20 sherpa Amitabh Kant said at a media briefing on Tuesday evening. He, however, did not list the names of the leaders attending.

According to media reports, President Vladimir Putin is expected to represent Russia at the meeting, while Premier Li Qiang will represent China.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Mr Putin had not attended the on-site G-20 summit in New Delhi on September 9 and 10.

There is no official confirmation on whether Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will participate in the virtual summit, which is being held amid sharply deteriorating bilateral ties.

Mr Kant told the media that "leaders from almost all G-20 countries" will participate in the virtual summit and that New Delhi "looks forward to the detailed deliberations".

The G-20 sherpa said the virtual summit will give "impetus to implementing the September summit outcomes (Delhi Declaration) and share views on critical challenges", adding that it was "rare" that any nation had hosted a summit both in physical and in virtual mode during its G-20 presidency.

Mentioning that about 150 leaders of nations had participated in the two summits -- the Voice of Global South and the G-20 -- so far, Mr Kant said it "demonstrated the power of India" and the leadership of Mr Modi.

In a recent statement, New Delhi had said, "During the closing session of the New Delhi G-20 summit on September 10, the Prime Minister had announced that India will be hosting a virtual G-20 leaders summit prior to the conclusion of Indias G-20 presidency... Leaders of all G-20 members, including the Chair of the African Union, as well as nine guest countries and heads of 11 international organisations, have been invited."

The statement said: "It may be recalled that the New Delhi G-20 summit witnessed the unanimous adoption of the G-20 New Delhi leaders declaration. The Virtual Summit will take forward key outcomes and action points from the New Delhi summit as well as review developments since then. The deliberations of the second Voice of Global South Summit, held on November 17, will also feed into the discussions."

India's year-long presidency of the G-20 grouping ends on November 30.
The manifesto lists the Seven Guarantees that had been announced by Gehlot

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge with Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and State Congress President Govind Singh Dotasara releases the party's manifesto for the State Assembly elections, in Jaipur (PTI Photo)

New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday announced "Seven Guarantees" in Rajasthan if the party gets re-elected in the November 25 state polls. Among a slew of schemes, the Congress promised recruitment at the panchayat level, 4 lakh government jobs and a caste census.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot were present to release "Jan Ghoshna Patra" at the state party office in Jaipur.

The manifesto lists the Seven Guarantees that had been announced by Gehlot  annual honorarium of Rs 10,000 to women heads of families, LPG cylinders at Rs 500 to 1.05 crore families, purchase of dung from cattle rearers at Rs 2 per kg, old pension scheme for government, laptops or tablets for students taking admission in government colleges, Rs 15 lakh insurance cover per family to compensate losses due to natural calamities and school education in English.

Manifesto committee chief C.P. Joshi said the Congress wanted to create a cadre of panchayat raj like state and Central services and a new policy would be introduced. He said 10 lakh jobs will be created and 4 lakh of them will be in the government sector.

For farmers, interest-free loans up to Rs 2 lakh will be given from cooperative banks and MSP will be given as per the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations.

The party promised 150 days of employment under MGNREGA in place of the present 125 days annually, the inclusion of taxi drivers in the Gig Workers Act, the Accountability and Auto Service Delivery Act for accountable and good governance, the formation of an inclusive policy think tank and a monthly honorarium for panchayati raj public representatives.

Doubling the amount for beneficiaries under the Chiranjeevi health insurance scheme from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 50 lakh annually and interest-free loans up to Rs 5 lakh to small traders are among the other announcements made in the Congress manifesto for the Rajasthan elections.

The Congress also promised reservations to minorities on the basis of their population after the caste census.
Fifteen years after the Mumbai attacks, while war rages in Gaza, Israel formally bans the Pakistan-based Islamist group responsible for the 2008 attacks that left 166 people dead, including some Jews. This move reflects increasingly close political relations with Modi's India. In June, China blocked a similar resolution at the UN.

New Delhi (AsiaNews)  Fifteen years after the tragic attacks in Mumbai, while war against Hamas in Gaza rages, Israel has officially designated Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) as a terrorist organisation.

Active in Kashmir, the Pakistan-based Islamist group was behind the attacks of 26 November 2008 that targeted 12 different locations in the heart of the Indian metropolis, including a Jewish centre, the local Chabad House. About 166 people died in the attacks, including two Israelis and four other Jews.

In a statement, the Israeli embassy said that every legal step was taken to declare Lashkar-e-Taiba a terrorist organisation, adding that the decision was made without any formal request from the Indian government.

While Israel only lists terror organizations who are actively operating against it from within or around its borders, or in a similar manner to India  those globally recognized by UNSC or the US state department, the Israeli ministries of Defense and Foreign affairs have jointly worked in the last few months towards an expedited and extraordinary listing of the Lashkar-e-Taiba organization on this date, to highlight the importance of a Unified Global Front in combating terrorism, the statement reads.

The decision is clearly political. In recent years, a rapprochement has taken place between Israel and India under Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sealed by important economic and military cooperation agreements.

In recent weeks, India has taken a very cautious attitude towards the ongoing conflict in Gaza despite its historical closeness to the Palestinian cause.

But tensions are growing with the countrys Muslim community who are calling on the Indian government to take a stronger stance against Israels military operations in Gaza.

The Israeli decision comes after China vetoed a UN Security Council resolution last June to add a Lashkar-e-Taiba leader, Sajid Mir, to the global terror list. He is deemed to be the mastermind of the Mumbai massacres.

The proposal was submitted by India and the United States to the UN Security Council's al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee.

Had Mir been designated as a global terrorist, he would have been subject to an asset freeze, a travel ban, and an arms embargo.
Senators Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. announced that they issued subpoenas to the executives of X, Snap, and Discord, calling them to testify at a hearing about online child sexual exploitation.

Read Also: Discord Remains a Target for Conducting Malicious Activities

Tech Executives Refuse Hearing Appearance

According to the report, the executives have been invited before but have been repeatedly refusing to appear after several weeks of negotiations. Both the Congress and the Committee have been rallying on big tech' responsibility to protect children from the dangers of the online world.

"It's at the top of every parent's mind, and Big Tech's failure to police itself at the expense of our kids cannot go unanswered," the senators wrote in a joint statement.

Earlier this year, the senators promised that big tech companies will have an opportunity to explain their "failures to protect kids." According to the senators, this will be their chance to address and inform the government of the companies' efforts to mitigate online chile sexual exploitation on their platforms.

Tech Executives Issue Updates on Participation

Following the call-out, X's head of US and Canada government affairs, Wifredo Fernandez assured that the company is already communicating with their schedule to participate in the hearing. Meanwhile, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel confirmed his appearance to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

A Discord spokesperson is also actively engaging with the Committee on how they can contribute to the discussion and has cleared that they are welcoming the opportunity to help.

On the other hand, the senators are also communicating with Meta and TikTok, with the CEOs expected to testify voluntarily sometime in the New Year, according to a spokesperson. The hearing on child safety will be on December 6.

Related Article: LGBTQ+ Youth Organization Trevor Project Quits X Due to Safety Concerns
Police agencies in the two countries have been working together against telecom scams since September. Some 63 alleged "financiers" and ringleaders top the list of people wanted in connection with Chinese nationals cheated out of lots of money. Fighting between Myanmars ruling junta and rebel forces is fuelling the problem.

Yangon (AsiaNews)  Myanmar has handed over to China 31,000 telecom fraud suspects since law enforcement agencies in both countries began cracking down on online scams in September.

The people caught up in the investigation include 63 alleged "financiers" and ringleaders of crime syndicates who allegedly cheated Chinese out of large amounts of money, Myanmars Ministry of Public Security said in a statement today. The crackdown has achieved significant battle results, he added.

According to Chinese state media, every day more than 100,000 people are involved in telecom fraud in at least a thousand scam centres in Myanmar along the border with southwest China, which has led to "web slaves".

This kind of illegal activity has been criticised on several occasions in the past, and is now impacted by the tense situation in the border area between the two countries, due to the ongoing conflict between rebel groups and the junta that took power in a coup.

Chinese police began cracking down on fraud in September, launching what they called "swift attacks" on criminal gangs in Myanmar.

Last week, the leader of a criminal gang in Myanmar committed suicide while on the run, and three members of his gang were later handed over to Chinese police.

As telecom scams in Myanmar targeting Chinese citizens surges, Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Nong Rong visited Myanmar this month, highlighting Sino-Myanmar cooperation tackling cross-border crime, including online gambling.

The senior Chinese official reiterated his governments support for Myanmars efforts at keeping stable borders amid its escalating internal strife, a source of concern among several nations in the region.

In fact, Myanmar's ruling military is facing attacks on many fronts in the countrys borderlands, as an alliance of ethnic minority insurgent groups teamed up with pro-democracy groups challenging the military government.

In this regard, the Chinese Foreign Ministry stressed Beijing's "constructive" role in favour of peace talks, urging the relevant parties to put the interests of the people first, cease fire and end war as soon as possible.
by Vladimir Rozanskij

After the sanctions, the Russian oligarchs flocking to Limassol had to look for other havens for their money. And many found them just around the corner, beyond the security zone, in the Turkish part of the island. With the town of Iskele as a new crossroads.

Cyprus (AsiaNews) - The island of Cyprus has long been one of the favorite tourist destinations for Russians, and also constituted a convenient tax haven until the current era of wars and sanctions, when even Nicosia, representing a member state of The European Union had to block the way to Russian finances, especially the main sanctioned oligarchs.

What was called the "Moscow of the Mediterranean" was precisely the southern Greek part, while the northern territory, occupied by Turkey in 1974, was considered an area of little attraction and usefulness: poorer, without the most fashionable recreational services, and also quite insecure.

Now, however, the town of Iskele in the part of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is called the "new Limassol" by Russians, by analogy with the city in the Greek part most traditionally frequented by Russians.

On the streets of Iskele there is a succession of signs and notices in Russian for "renting luxury" (Mercedes cars) and real estate proposals for first-class apartments and villas near the beach of Iskele Long Beach, presented by the new real estate company Dreamlife.

Even a casino has opened in Turkish Nicosia. In short, Russia recognizes in Cyprus one of the incarnations of the ideal of Eurasia, being in its own small way a bi-continental country, which allows it to turn towards the East and the West depending on the needs and priorities of the moment.

One of the US and UK sanctions, seven months ago, directly affected financial firms and sector operators in Cyprus, who helped cover up the affairs of Russian oligarchs, such as those of Roman Abramovic, recently discovered due to leaks of classified documents in its operations linked to President Vladimir Putin's "secret wallets".

The Russians had to look for other refuges for their money, and many found them just around the corner, beyond the security zone protected by the UN peacekeepers, in the Turkish part not recognized by anyone as an independent state.

An investigation that lasted almost a year and published by The Guardian, entitled "Secret Cyprus", combed through millions of documents and found at least 25 cases of Russian magnates active in the pseudo-republic of Turkey, all on the list of Western sanctions since the annexation of Crimea in 2014, and another 71 in the most recent one, after the invasion of Ukraine.

The Turkish Cypriot companies not only put themselves at their service, but actively contributed to hiding the assets blocked by the authorities of many Western countries, with the assistance of lawyers and international finance experts from the southern part of the island.

Cypriot economist Martkan Khamit confirms that "anonymous trusts spring up like mushrooms, without anyone raising questions... the obvious aim is not to settle in Cyprus, but to clear the money for use in London, Dubai or Manhattan".

The Russians arrive with suitcases full of money, and send their children to study in local schools, often attending language courses for adults too, because "the linguistic problem in the Turkish area is much more acute", as explained by Shener Eldjil, president of Iskele Turkish Cypriot Teachers' Union.

The only country that recognizes the northern republic is Turkey, which in this phase of conflict is on good terms with Russia, keeping mediation paths open and letting business flow, also protecting its Cypriot brothers and the 22 open banks in the area.

According to official data, almost 40 thousand Russians have moved to northern Cyprus, 10% of the entire resident population, and 58,778 have arrived from the southern part, according to the tourism ministry of northern Nicosia.

The international conventions so despised by the Russians do not apply here, and the political institutions themselves are little more than puppets controlled by the Ankara puppeteer. Local laws prohibit foreigners from owning more than three properties on the territory of the republic, but the "grey zone" of Russian business allows them to accumulate buildings of all kinds, "they buy villas by the dozen at a time", explains Khamit, using the classic tool of substantial bribes. British diplomat Irfan Siddiq calls Northern Cyprus a black hole, the favorite lair of today's Russians.
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Hundreds of OpenAI staff are threatening to walk away from the company following the board's rejection of ousted CEO Sam Altman to return to his position.

In a letter to the company, 95% of the employees demand the resignation of the remaining board members or they join Altman's new AI venture in Microsoft.

Among those who signed the petition were OpenAI co-founder and board member Ilya Sutskever, former interim CEO Mia Murati, and COO Brad Lightcap.

Microsoft, on its part, "assured" the resigning employees to have a position at the new subsidiary should they "choose to join."

The letter details that the rebuke is "consistent with the mission" of OpenAI to "ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity."

Live streaming platform Twitch co-founder and former CEO Emmett Shear currently holds the position of CEO, replacing Murati who had the role for just three days.

Also Related: Sam Altman Will Not Return as OpenAI CEO, Twitch Co-founder Becomes Successor

Sam Altman in Microsoft

Following the events of last week that shook the digital industry, Microsoft welcomed Sam Altman and co-founder Greg Brockman to lead its newest AI venture.

Other former OpenAI talents who resigned earlier are reported to join the new research team.

Among those are research director Jakub Pachocki, research scientist Szymon Sidor, and head of preparedness Aleksander Madry.

Altman's AI research team comes after Microsoft announced its in-house AI chip to rival Nvidia's AI tensor processing unit.

The former OpenAI CEO was also reported to be fundraising billions on a new advanced AI cheap before leaving the company.

Despite the change in leadership, Microsoft said it will continue its investments in OpenAI.

Related Article: Sam Altman Fundraised Billions for New AI Chip Venture Before Leaving OpenAI

Why was Sam Altman Fired from OpenAI

OpenAI's board of directors removed Altman as CEO last Friday for the reason that the former chief executive had not been candid with the board, citing a "breakdown in communications."

Sutskever, one of the board members responsible for Altman's removal, apologized on X (formerly Twitter) for his previous decisions.

I deeply regret my participation in the board's actions. I never intended to harm OpenAI. I love everything we've built together and I will do everything I can to reunite the company.  Ilya Sutskever (@ilyasut) November 20, 2023

Brockman, who was demoted, followed Altman soon after as a sign of solidarity.

Despite the events of the past week, Altman said he is still open to returning as the CEO of the company.
Toyota entered into the crossover B-segment in 2020 with the Yaris Cross and didnt wait too long until it refreshed it in 2023 for the 2024 model year, slightly improving the vehicle in several areas.

Even if it came late to the B-Segment crossover party, Toyota quickly recovered lost ground in this segment with the Yaris Cross. While most automakers offered front-wheel-drive vehicles fitted with internal combustion engines, the Japanese brand brought hybrid drivetrains to maximize fuel efficiency. All it had to do was match the GA-B platform used for the Yaris with an all-wheel drive system and a gas-electric powertrain. While its easier said than done, its also what the automaker did, and then it added a crossover-looking bodywork that sported the Yaris Cross badge.

While most of the Yaris Cross range kept the same exterior design as the original model, the automaker also added a new halo model named Premiere Edition. It sported a version-only Urban Khaki (army green) paint, but customers could also get it in white or silver metallic, with two-tone options. The GR version sported a distinct grille design with a hexagonal pattern and was adorned by the specific GR badge. From its profile, this version boasted a new set of 18 light alloy wheels. The cars black trims around the wheel arches were complemented by matching-colored side sills and lower body decorations under both bumpers.

Toyota was often criticized for its infotainment systems, which were difficult to use and somehow not as friendly as other brands. The automaker tried to fix that and improved the 2024 Yaris Cross with the introduction of new systems. Customers could get the car with either a nine-inch or a 10.5 touchscreen for the multimedia system. However, the most significant improvement was for the instrument cluster that fronted the driver. The entry-level, Mid, and Mid+ received a standard seven-inch display, while the upper grades, such as the GR Sport and the Premiere Edition, boasted a 12.3 screen.

Along with the new infotainment unit, Toyota installed Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, which customers requested for years. Furthermore, thanks to the new system, the Yaris Cross can be accessed via the MyT designated app for both operating systems that transformed users phones into digital keys. That was a significant improvement for the Yaris Crossfurthermore, the cloud-based navigation system allowed for up-to-the-moment information for the selected route.

The 2024 Yaris Cross came with an improved 1.5-liter full hybrid system that provided more power and higher torque at lower rotations per minute. The new system was equipped with a transaxle system that sent power in all corners via an eCVT and provided better acceleration than its predecessor by half a second in the 0-62 MPH (0-100 kph) sprint. That was possible thanks to the 14% increase in the systems total output and 30% higher torque.
Unfortunately, several management mistakes and the rise of the Big Three forced the company to merge with Studebaker, another independent automaker facing financial issues. The alliance proved unsuccessful, and Packard closed its plant in 1956. After two more years of offering rebadged Studebaker vehicles, the Packard marque was retired in 1959, and the name dropped entirely in 1962.The company left a few iconic models behind, including the Eight, the Twelve , and the Caribbean. The latter is perhaps the most sought-after Packard built after WW2, unlike the Cavalier, Clipper, and Patrician, which don't get much love. But these nameplates still offered the comfort and reliability that made Packard famous.The Patrician also stands out as the last of the "senior Packards." Launched in 1951, it remained in production through 1956. A four-door sedan rolled off the Conner Avenue assembly line in June 1956 as the last Packard-designed car. The final-generation Patrician, produced in 1955 and 1956, is also a rare classic.Of the 84,082 vehicles Packard sold during those model years, only 12,902 were four-door Patricians. That's only 15% of the total production. The final-year 1956 version is the rarest at just 3,775 examples made. And the sedan you see here might just be the lowest-mileage all-original Patrician known to exist.While many mid-1950s Packards were abandoned in junkyards and barns over the years, this Patrician somehow managed to soldier on for more than 60 years in remarkable condition. And with only 4,850 miles (7,805 km) on the odometer. Nope, that is not a typo. This beautiful sedan rolled on public roads for fewer than 5,000 miles in 67 years (as of 2023). That's only 70 miles (113 km) per year!That's mainly because the vehicle was parked for about 45 years. But it wasn't locked up in a barn or forgotten in a shabby garage. This Packard was pampered its entire life . And that's precisely why it looks spotless even though there's no restoration to talk about. Additionally, every single thing works as it should on this rig.A two-owner California car, this Patrician hides a 374-cubic-inch (6.1-liter) V8 engine under the hood. Packard's only overhead-valve V8, the 290-horsepower lump mates to a Twin-Ultramatic transmission with the one-year push-button gear selector attached to the steering wheel.In addition to being an incredible survivor that looks like it just left the assembly line, the sedan also comes with a ton of documentation. It's exactly what you want from a car in this condition, and it turns it into a proper museum piece. The kind that could win awards at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance I know it sounds too good to be true, but you can see for yourselves in the video below.
It came along without sounding the trumpets of high-end craftsmanship or luxurious treats; it rolled up its sleeves, clenched its bulging-knuckle blue-collared fists, and threw the gauntlet right in the middle of the high table where blue-blooded muscle car sat. It had so few options that they could have been written on a stamp. But it epitomized American no-frills, all-thrills motoring: the Plymouth Road Runner.

The idea wasnt new  big, powerful engine in a small body, and thats a wrap; take it out on the straight-line bout, boys. General Motors aimed for the moon with the Pontiac Grand Tempest Option, a.k.a. the GTO, thats not a Ferrari homage but a downright whiplash on the Prancing Horses rump.Naturally, Detroit followed suit, and the muscle car horsepower wars were declared from all sides. Mother Mopar had the HEMI ace up its sleeve, and it played it perfectly. First, by releasing the A990 factory racers of 1965, the Dodge Coronet and its sibling, the Plymouth Belvedere, with the 426-cube (7.0-liter) Race HEMI in limited numbers. The following year was one of the most important in the history of American carmaking: the Street HEMI came round, firing 425-hp and 490 lb-ft (431 PS, 664 Nm) broadsides from the Dodge Charger battleship.However, one small detail didnt go very well with Plymouths image: the performance price wasnt exactly affordable for the hard-working, steel-driving average Joe. And the Chrysler division had a budget-friendly reputation to defend. Enter the Road Runner of 1968. Four wheels, a duo of big-block V8s, a bullet-proof transmission, and a low-price tag. Full stop.It worked  how could it not? The engines had already proven themselves  the 383-CID Road-Runner-only didnt mess around at 335 hp (340 PS), and the 425-horse HEMI was its alternative. Take that, Detroit. Sadly, a hidden enemy was lurking in the shadows of the following decade  and it didnt carry a fearsome eight-cylinder nuclear missile, nor did it blast quarter-miles like a piston-yielding Moby Dick. It came straight from Capitol Hill in the form of the Clean Air Act of December 31, 1970  and it brought along some friends from the insurance companies.The pen-savvy duo brought the muscle car to its knees and delivered the final blow. The bullfight was over, and horsepower was slowly fading away into memory. The Road Runner, together with pretty much every single muscle nameplate, dwindled into nothingness. The tell-tale signs were there: the first strike was called in 1972 when the HEMI didnt rise anymore.Slowly and quietly, the V8s bowed their big-bore guns into unconditional surrender, although mutinies sparkled hither and thither. By 1973, it was pretty much game over, and in 1974, the surrender was closed. The GTO itself retreated to being an option on a Pontiac Ventura. At the same time, the Road Runner sang its swan song in a sad chorus of Barracudas, Challengers, Chevelles, Torinos, and many others.'Americas first low-priced Supercar'  as it had been advertised in 1971 when the second generation debuted  wasnt rising to its Super part of the nameplate by 1973. In 1971, a major restyling put the Road Runner on the same fashion-icon page as the much slenderer and more stylish Challenger, Barracuda, and Charger . It only lasted for two years: in 73, the RR adopted some of the Duster lines.Sales had been on a downward spiral since 1969  the models all-time best sales year  and the second generation (which debuted in 71) fell flat on its face. Between 1971 and 1974, the nameplate garnered a little over 49,000 units in total. Compare this to the 43,000 of its inaugural year or the similarly-performant 1970 model year (44,000)  to say nothing of the 84,000 units sold in its heyday of 69  and we see why Plymouth was in shock: the coyote had finally caught the bird, and it was plucking it with vengeful anger.The second generation offered more engine options than the first  four, unlike the three choices for the 1968-1970 model years. First, the 383 gave way to the 400-cube V8 (Plymouths bigger big-block) in 72, and the Road Runner used the four-barrel version as standard. The 340-4 V8 (5.6-liter) was added to the same year's line-up as the 4-BBL 440 (7.2 liter). The 440-6 remained, but nothing could hide the ugly truth: the HEMI was no more  and sales fully echoed this end of an era: only 6,861 Road Runners were assembled for the model year.1973 brought about other chronic epidemics for the powertrains: the standard engine was now the 318 two-barrel, and the 440-6 wasnt available anymore. However, 1973 was the best year of the second generation, with 19,000 cars sold. So its pretty natural to come across one with its original parts, although it doesnt look too good.One axle in the grave and the other on an oil stain is the best description for this example auctioned on eBay. The car is a good candidate for a project , with its original engine (the 340 V8) and a Torqueflite automatic transmission. The seller advises that the Jasper tag on the tranny could indicate a rebuild or a replacement under previous ownership, and the 8  rear axle ratio is also unknown.The good news is that the motor is not seized and does bar over, but rust has eaten away some of this Road Runner  particularly the roof and front floor panels. We dont know if the engine runs  the current owner never started it because the 340 lacked the air cleaner housing, and the man didnt wasnt to clog the engine with debris.The price is set at $3,500 , with a Buy It Now option, with five more days to go  and the seller confidently encourages prospects by claiming the drivetrain alone is worth more than the three-and-a-half grand asking price.
Photo: ARMA

Photo: ARMA

A spectacular build, a controversial owner, and an auction that may have already happened

Photo: ARMA

Royal Romance will change that.The superyacht, delivered new to Viktor Medvedchuk, a billionaire Ukrainian lawyer and known Putin associate living in exile in Russia, was seized in Croatia at the beginning of that year. It had recently arrived in the country to undergo repairs and was seized on behalf of the Ukrainian government, though U.S. agents took part in its capture. Medvedchuk has been on sanctions lists in the U.S. since 2014 for fraud.In December 2022, Ukraine's Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA) announced that Royal Romance would be sold at auction and that the money raised would become aid towards Ukraine. The value of the superyacht was estimated at around 200 million, which is approximately $220 million at the current exchange rate.In mid-November 2023, after months of navigating the complex and murky legal waters of international seizures , ARMA announced that Royal Romance marks "the first time in Ukraine's history that the government has regulated the sale of confiscated property abroad." In layman's terms, the state is selling it off.Three international auction houses have already shown interest in the vessel, which is expected to fetch at least $200 million when the hammer drops.Feadship delivered Royal Romance in 2015, with exterior design and naval architecture by Feadship and interior design by Seymour Diamond and the original owner, the "dark prince of Ukrainian politics," Medvedchuk himself.With 92.5 meters (303.5 feet) in total length, Royal Romance skirts the megayacht category, but it definitely has the amenities and luxury features that grant it access inside with the "big boys."It has four decks but six levels and offers accommodation for 14 guests across seven cabins and a crew of 22. It was a custom build for the owner and was never offered up for charter, which also makes it one of the most mysterious presences on this segment of the market  not at all a small thing, given its size. Amenities include a gigantic pool with a waterfall feature, a cinema, bars and lounges, a gym and wellness area, a spa and a beauty salon, and "about 50 multi-purpose rooms" in total. Royal Romance has packed garages for family-oriented cruises, lavish finishes for fancier soirees, and is perfectly capable of maxing out at 16 knots (18.4 mph/29.6 kph) thanks to twin MTU engines.Medvedchuk, the original and sole owner, is now in exile in Russia since late 2022, when he was included in a prisoner swap. Prior to that, he'd been charged with treason in his home country and put on house arrest before he escaped and was captured again. Putin is the godfather of his daughter, and that alone should speak volumes about the kind of relationship they have without getting into too many details.But here's the strange bit about the news of the sale of Royal Romance: rumor has it that it happened as early as August 2023, and, believe it or not, the new owner is a Russian gentleman. Superyacht vlogger eSysman claims to have it on good  but unverifiable  authority that the sale went through last summer, which, if true, makes ARMA's announcement very strange.ARMA says that the details of the auction will be announced soon, which means it's only a question of time before this superyacht-shaped enigma unravels.
Covered by American motoring publications and even Jay Leno back in 2019, the heavily modified 1991 Honda Civic Wagon featured in the video below is one seriously badass machine. Masterminded by the one and only Bisi Ezerioha of Bisimoto Engineering, this build has to prove itself in the quarter mile against a stock Audi RS 5 Coupe.

KW

Photo: carwow on YouTube

ABS

First and foremost, we're dealing with all-wheel drive from a 2004 model year Honda CR-V, a K24 swap, and a 72-millimeter turbo. Further modified with performance-oriented brakes, a beefy roll cage, rear trailing arms from a 1999 Honda CR-V, and a Quaife sequential transmission, said wagon is rocking V3 coilovers fromand Glasurit Marina Blue paint.Although it's capable of 1,000 horsepower, the Civic reportedly belts out 834 horsepower. Metric or mechanical, the folks at carwow haven't bothered to mention what kind of horsepower we're dealing it. The RS 5 is listed with 450 ponies to its name, which is the metric estimate for Europe rather than the 444 mechanical horsepower advertised in the US of A.834 ps is 823 hp, making the 1991 model year Civic Wagon a bit of a hooligan. Regarding peak torque, carwow says 817 Nm and 600 Nm, respectively. That means 603 lb-ft and 443 lb-ft in old money. Curb weight also favors the Civic due to an estimated 1,100 kilograms (2,425 pounds) compared to 1,707 kilograms (3,763 pounds) for the V6-engined RS 5 Equipped with a torque-converter automatic transmission and quattro all-wheel drive (with a Torsen self-locking center differential), the Audi lives in the shadow of the BMW M4 Competition xDrive. Looking at the glass half full, it's a quick car in the quarter mile, posting a best of 11.8 seconds.How did the Bisimoto -built Civic Wagon do? 12.6 seconds, which shouldn't come as a surprise. On the upside, starting from a roll helps the little hatchback a lot. Be it a 30-mph roll or a 50-mph roll, the Civic made easy work of the RS 5 Coupe in the half mile.Mat Watson and Sam Maher-Loughnan further duked it out from 100 miles per hour (approximately 160 kilometers per hour) to a standstill, and  not surprising at all  the Audi brakes harder than the Honda. Then again, the Civic Wagon doesn't feature(or any other software-controlled safety nannies).Only available in five-door hatchback flavor, the highest-performing Civic in production today is the 315-horsepower Type R . Internally referred to as FL5, the manual-exclusive hot hatchback carries a base price beginning with a four (make that $44,795).The RS 5 Coupe is pricier still, with Audi charging $78,600 for the most basic of specifications. By comparison, the rear-wheel-drive M4 is $78,100 from the outset. The M4 Competition xDrive, which is more powerful and torquier than the Audi RS 5 Coupe, starts at $86,300 at the moment of writing.
The Cord 810 of 1935 is credited as the pioneer of hidden headlamps. Alfa Romeo followed suit in 1936 with a custom example of the inline-eight 8C, and who could forget the Buick Y-Job from 1938?

Photo: glen.cordle on Instagram

Better known as pop-up headlamps due to the most popular concealing mechanism in the history of hidden headlamps, this form of automotive lighting became extinct in 2004 over safety concerns. The final series-production cars to feature pop-up lights are the Lotus Esprit V8 and fifth-gen Corvette.When it comes to German automobiles, the 930-series 911 Slantnose comes to mind. Known as Flachbau in Germany, the Slantnose is best described as 930 with 935-inspired looks for the front end. Initially available via the Special Order Program, then directly from the factory beginning in 1987, the Flachbau styling package went official in 1981.948 examples of the breed were finished in total, with 160 of them ending up in the United States market. Hugely collectible in this day and age, the 930-series Flachbau inspired the renderings attached in the photo gallery. Coming courtesy of pixel artist Glen Cordle, the red 992-series Turbo S with pop-up headlamps definitely ticks all the right boxes.The louvers on the top of the front fenders only add to the visual drama, together with the retro wing out back and retro side air intakes. The wheels, meanwhile, are Exclusive Manufaktur 20s and 21s that retail at $2,490 at the moment of writing.Unfortunately for pop-up headlamp enthusiasts, these headlamps were outlawed more than two decades ago. Safety regulations are one thing, but you also have to take into account that the pop-up mechanism adds complexity to already complex vehicles. Worse still, if the mechanism fails at night, you'd likely wish your car came with conventional headlamps.Regarding the 992 Neunelfer in Turbo S attire versus the 930 series, they couldn't be more different under the skin. From the much punchier flat-six engine to the fancy all-wheel-drive system and the dual-clutch transmission (to the detriment of the original's manual), the 992 is on a different level from its ancestor.Special editions such as the 911 S/T and 911 GT3 RS may be pricier, but the 911 Turbo S is the quickest road-going Neunelfer that money can buy. Retailing at $230,400 in the US of A, the Turbo S requires 2.6 seconds to reach 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour), onto a top speed of 205 mph (330 kph).It's going to get even quicker, though, because the mid-cycle refresh of the 992 will bring forth some hybrid assistance. The 992.2 Turbo S is expected to belt out between 700 and 800 metric ponies, which is McLaren Artura and Ferrari 296 territory.
It was only in late October that we learned of helicopter maker Bell getting its hands on a brand engine called T901. Intended for use in the 360 Invictus attack helicopter, the engine has already been installed on the aircraft, we learned this week, putting the entire project one step closer to the first test flight.

The Invictus is one of the two helicopter projects chosen by the U.S. Army to compete in the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program, an effort meant to bring to the world a replacement for the Bell OH-58 Kiowa attack reconnaissance helicopter that was retired about a decade ago.The other one, the Sikorsky Raider, will be using the exact same powerplant when it too goes for the military contract later next year.The turboshaft engine is made by General Electric, and it is expected to deliver 50 percent more power than the T700 variant deployed at the moment in Black Hawk and Apache helicopters.Given how the powerplant is still in development (the Army is expected to clear the engine for duty in 2024) we're not told exactly how much power it can offer. For reference, though, we'll remind you the T700 can crank out at most 1,915 shaft horsepower.So, expecting a power output of around 3,000 shaft horsepower in the FARA helicopters is not far-fetched. Despite the increased power levels, though, fuel consumption for the new unit is expected to drop by as much as 25 percent compared to the T700.When announcing it had installed the engine of the Invictus, Bell also said its competitive prototype reached a 96 percent readiness level, just three years after the build of the helicopter began.Before taking to the sky, though, several more steps need to be taken. First, a functionality testing of the Invictus must be completed, then something the company called "restrained ground runs," and finally a test readiness review. Bell does not say how long that will take, so it's impossible to put an exact date on the test flight.As for what the competition plans, the Sikorsky Raider is in the process of being fitted with the T901 engine as well. The last update we got from the company spoke of the powerplant having been delivered for installation.Aside from these two new helicopters, the new General Electric powerplant will also be deployed on the UH-60 Black Hawk and AH-64 Apache, replacing the existing power units.As for the FARA program, it was initiated in 2018, and it seems it is now in its closing stages. The Army is expected to award the contract for the helicopter sometime in 2028, but at the rate things are moving that could come a tad sooner.
EV

Indeed, Stellantis has ordained that Dodge will abandon the Hemi V8 ways of yesteryear if it wants to keep the Charger nameplate alive. No one knows what will happen with the Challenger past the 2023 model year and after the seven 'Last Call' editions are all sold out. Only the Charger will surely get a new lease ofand maybe some Hurricane life  albeit in two- instead of four-door form.The Chevrolet Camaro is also biting the dust after 2024MY production ends, and no successor is in sight  even though General Motors promises this is not the end of the road for the iconic nameplate. Alone, the Ford Mustang will soldier on as a gas-powered pony and muscle car, now in its S650 iteration, the seventh by its name.Luckily, Chevy still has an ace up its sleeve  the mid-engine C8 Corvette Stingray, Z06, and E-Ray. The scarcity of the latter two is glaringly obvious, so the Stingray bears the brunt of wrestling with its most familiar foes. One of them is, of course, the eternal Ford Mustang GT, and their preferred battlefield is the local quarter-mile dragstrip.The bigger, the better is usually a logical assumption  and it doesn't get any more significant than the four-lane venues of American drag racing. For example, the videographer behind the Wheels channel on YouTube is a big fan of Mission Racing Park in Canada and Bandimere Speedway in Colorado, but the allure of The Strip sometimes gets the better of him.It's not the one filled with neon lights  instead, we are talking about The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway , where all the C8 versus Mustang GT action occurs. First things first, an inconspicuous, all-black (save the red strip on the tires and the crimson brake calipers) C8 was paid a visit by an all-orange (save for the black rims and roof) S550 Ford Mustang GT that looked all quarter-mile business with its meaty drag radials front and rear.However, it all turned out a dud  either the driver didn't know what he was doing after he first took the lead thanks to a marvelous reaction time, or he was into some serious transmission problems. Either way, that racer was indeed having a terrible track day  car issues and a race lost to the C8 Stingray nemesis all at once!Next up, a white-and-black Mustang GT tried to defend Ford's honor against a crimson C8 with black or silver wheels. It was to no avail, though  as the Chevy driver took command of the race early on and never relinquished the lead (11.77s versus 12.88s). Last but not least, maybe the awkward Saleen Fox Body Mustang GT could do something about this winning streak. Nope, not at all
On November 28, 2023, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner operated by Virgin Atlantic will depart London Heathrow heading for New York JFK. It's not the kind of trip we haven't seen before, but it will be the first time in the history of mankind when a passenger airplane of this size will fly the transatlantic route running fully on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).

Before that happens, though, a smaller airplane beat the Dreamliner to the punch by covering the distance between Savannah, Georgia, and the Farnborough Airport in England. It's a Gulfstream G600 I'm talking about, which made the trip in six hours and 56 minutes while burning exclusively 100 percent SAF.The substance is generally a biofuel derived from plants or waste and it's seen as one of the main ways the aviation industry can cut back on both consumption and emissions. Overall, using SAF across the board is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by as much as 80 percent over an engine's lifecycle compared to conventional fuel.The Gulfstream flew the historic "world's first trans-Atlantic flight" on November 19 while carrying in its tanks 100 percent hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) made by World Energy. By comparison, the Dreamliner that'll fly at the end of the month will use 88 percent HEFA and 12 percent aromatic kerosene.The fuel that went into the G600's Pratt & Whitney engines is said to have 70 percent lower lifecycle CO2 emissions than fossil-based jet fuel, and proved to cause no problems to the way the aircraft operated.Gulfstream did not release any numbers to highlight the benefits of using SAF during this particular flight, but it did say the "data collected from this endurance flight will help Gulfstream and its key suppliers gauge aircraft compatibility with future low-aromatic renewable fuels, particularly under cold temperatures for extended flight durations."The Gulfstream G600 is a twin-engine business jet that made its debut back in 2016. It is part of the family that also comprises the G400 and G500, being the longest of the bunch. It can carry as many as 19 passengers, while being able to sleep ten of them at the same time.The plane can fly at near supersonic speeds for distances that can be as large as 7,600 miles (12,200 km), enough to cover in a single run the distances that separate, for instance, New York from Dubai or London from Beijing.Since its introduction, the G600 has managed to break over 35 speed records, most of them of the international city-pair ones (meaning the route between two airports). In December 2021, for instance, the plane covered 4,873 miles (7,843 km) in 8 hours and 39 minutes, moving from London and Seattle.
At first glance it may not seem so, but the European continent is a hotbed for custom motorcycle garages and their insane builds. For decades already crews there have been flooding this world with unique interpretations of production bikes, more often than not individually, trying to make it into this competitive world without actual backing from the motorcycle companies they try to promote.

Occasionally, both Harley-Davidson and Indian, the nameplates that most often form the focus of custom builds, do try to reach out by setting up dedicated build-off competitions. That's exactly what Indian will try next year, with the third edition of the Budweis Custom Indian Motorcycle Show (BCS).The event is part of the Indian Riders Fest taking place in Ceske Budejovice (Budweis), the Czech Republic, a gathering considered to be the world's largest of its kind: in 2022, for instance, no less than 2,500 Indian bikes flocked together in one place to be admired.The 2024 edition of the event will take place on the weekend of June 13, and just like this year it will bet heavily on the custom bikes shown as part of the "only custom show 100% dedicated to Indian Motorcycles."Next year Indian will award the best builds in no less than seven categories, with a Best in Show award meant to top them all off. Five of these categories (Indian Scout, Indian Chief / Non-Fairing, Indian Motorcycle Bagger, Indian Motorcycle Vintage, and Indian FTR / Sportbike) have been around before, but the other two are new.The Indian Motorcycle ClubStyle / Performance Bagger class was introduced as a means to celebrate an ever more popular segment of custom builds. The new Indian Motorcycle Freestyle class tries to give a chance to projects that are not exactly street-legal but still deserve a closer look. Indian has opened the registration books for those interested in taking part, and it will keep them so until May 31, 2024. Ride-in entries will be accepted until June 15. The only condition those planning to take part must meet is that their builds be able to start and ride.The jury for the competition will be headed next year by 2012 Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame inductee Brian Klock.As a reminder of what happened this year during the competition, the Best in Show ride was declared a ride made by Germany's Bike Farm Melle. The Scout category was won by German Thomas Grewe, while the Chief award went to French Motomax Indian Metz.France also came on top in the Bagger class with Diregus Ludovic, while Germany snatched, through Sebastian Neumann, the Vintage class. Finally, the same Sebastian Neumann was declared winner in the FTR / Sportsbike category.
Iranian president calls for coordinated pressure to stop Israeli "crimes" in Gaza

Xinhua) 09:58, November 21, 2023

TEHRAN, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has called for greater coordination among "independent and free" states to put pressure on Israel to end its "crimes" against Gaza.

In a letter sent to the leaders of 50 countries, including those from China, Russia, Turkiye, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Kenya and Jordan, Raisi called on them to put Israel under "coordinated political and economic pressures" to that end, according to a statement published on the website of his office on Monday.

The Iranian president condemned what he called the "brutal measures" taken by Israel against Gaza that had resulted in thousands of deaths and the destruction of the coastal enclave's infrastructure during the past weeks. He also denounced the deliberate double-standard approach by some Western governments to ignore the ethical, human and legal principles of the current situation in Gaza.

Raisi stressed that the "independent and freedom-seeking" states, particularly the Muslim countries, were expected to take a consistent and united stance in the diplomatic and economic areas in order to put pressure on Israel to stop killing civilians and to lift the siege of Gaza.

Additionally, he urged these countries to sever their political, commercial, and cooperative ties with Israel.

Israel has been striking Gaza over the past weeks to retaliate against the Hamas attacks on southern Israel on Oct. 7. The conflict has so far led to the deaths of over 13,000 Palestinians in Gaza, while on the Israeli side, about 1,200 people have lost their lives, the majority of whom were killed in the Hamas attacks.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
It's safe to say that no one envies the position that X CEO Linda Yaccarino is in right now. The executive's job seems to be putting out fires that Elon Musk started, and the X owner hasn't learned his lesson with yet another controversial post.

Yaccarino Calls the Exodus Temporary

Unwavering hope for the company must be part of the job description as Yaccarino continues to be optimistic about X's future. In a memo, she tries to lift the spirits of her team by saying that there is no platform that's working hard to protect free speech like X.

Furthermore, the executive referred to the advertisers exodus as "temporarily paused investments." She claimed that these were prompted by a misleading and manipulated article and that "the data will tell the real story."

The "data" could be Elon Musk's posted screenshot which shows the company's intentions of suing Media Matters, to which the latter responded saying that Musk has spent the last few days making meritless legal threats.

In addition to that, Media Matters pointed out that the X owner is "elevating bizarre conspiracy theories, and lobbing vicious personal attacks against his 'enemies' online," which is why brands are reluctant to partner with X even if he does not go through with the lawsuit, as per The Verge.

With several reports stating that Musk's posts are antisemitic, Yaccarino continues to defend the company saying that they have been extremely clear about their efforts to combat antisemitism and discrimination.

Musk, just yesterday, claimed that there have been hundreds of bogus media stories claiming that he was antisemitic, and that "nothing could be further from the truth." Unfortunately for both Yaccarnio and Musk, the damage has already been done.

With the current state of the social media platform, the company CEO has tasked her son, Matt Madrazo to make amends within X's political advertising business. As this continues, X's value might drop even further by the end of the year.

Read Also: Disney's X Accounts Have Been Inactive After Advertising Exit

Musk's History of Scaring Advertisers Away

Linda Yaccarino is just doing her job by keeping the company afloat despite Musk continuously poking holes at its hull. However, it has been proving to be more difficult especially since the owner has had a bad track record when it comes to posting on X.

Specifically, a controversial post costing the company its advertisers has already happened before. Just a year prior in November 2022, big companies like General Motors and Pfizer also cut ties with X, concerned about the growing number of hate speech and misinformation on the site.

With his recent criticized post, more giants like Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, IBM, and Apple have decided to conclude their business with X. Musk even used the same threat, but instead of a "thermonuclear name & shame," it's now a "thermonuclear lawsuit," as per Independent.

Elon Musk even said that many of the largest advertisers are the greatest oppressors of people's right to free speech. What's confounding is that the tech billionaire's strategy of encouraging business partners to come back is by threatening them.

Related: US Government Will Still Work with Elon Musk Despite Criticism of Antisemitic Views
SUV

HVAC

Hyundai introduced the popular Tucson compact crossover SUV after carefully observing the rapidly rising level of popularity of the slightly larger Santa Fe. The latter was a significant threshold for the company's reshaping image as it faired extremely well among American customers. Naturally, they probably thought the name had something to do with it  Santa Fe was named after the city in New Mexico.As such, it is no wonder their next CUV  launched in 2004 after Santa Fe was introduced in 2000  was labeled after the city of Tucson, Arizona. Again, they struck gold and limited costs because the model was developed alongside the Kia Sportage, sharing both the architecture and powertrains. In time, it has become Hyundai's top-delivered, and a big chunk of the sales come from places like Europe, America, or Australia.Well, we don't know yet about the North American version. Still, the Old Continent and the Land Down Under are getting a refreshed Tucson starting early next year  and Hyundai is officially showcasing it with the first pictures and details. It arrives packing "a more dynamic appearance that embodies the company's progressive vision for future mobility." Full details are currently unavailable  European and Australian specifications are coming "in the near future."However, we already know the Tucson facelift will arrive on the Old Continent first, followed by the Australian version in mid-2024, along with a new Hybrid powertrain variant for Australia. Let us be honest from the start  unless you glimpse the cockpit, it will be hard to make out the facelift from the current Tucson. So, the 'Parametric Dynamics' styling remains intact, with a slightly redesigned front fascia, fresh alloy wheel designs, and a rear skid plate integrated into the bumper and styled wider.Inside, Hyundai is more than a little poetic about the new cockpit: "The interior of the new Tucson prioritizes spaciousness and practicality, achieved through a horizontal design that creates a sense of openness. The seamless integration of advanced technology elements ensures a harmonious blend of functionality and aesthetics." Now, let us translate that for you. First and foremost, the four-arm steering wheel is replaced with a sportier design  and the steering column also hosts the transmission switcher for the automatic gearbox.The second major change is the integration of the digital instrument cluster and infotainment system's touchscreen display into a singular slab of glass towering above the dashboard. Meanwhile, the controls for the climate system remain placed in their usual position, now separated from the system interface by thevents. Overall, this design is very much like the norm for 2023 and beyond  clearly a step forward in the right direction.
kW

The great V10-powered supercar was launched in 2014 as the successor to the Gallardo, and over the last decade, the Italian exotic auto marque introduced several special editions based on the same underpinnings.All of them featured the same naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V10 mounted in the middle, which is offered in different outputs depending on the specification. One of the most exciting versions of the Huracan is the Performante, which came out in 2017 as a Coupe and in 2018 as a Spyder (convertible).An even more driver-focused variant of the series, the Lamborghini Huracan Performante packs 631 hp (640 ps/471) at 8,000 rpm and 443 pound-feet (600 Nm) of torque at 6,500 rpm, or 30 hp (30 ps/22 kW) and 30 lb-ft (40 Nm) more than the LP 610-4. It can hit sixty-two miles per hour (100 kph) in 2.9 seconds, with the open-top model being two-tenths slower, and both max out at 201 mph (325 kph).Is there anything that hasn't been said about the Lamborghini Huracan Performante , regardless of the body style? That would be a no, as it has been put through its paces in countless tests over the years. However, it's not all about the performance, as this is one sexy machine. Some might say that it looks best with a lively finish, as it is, after all, a supercar, whereas others believe it would be just as sexy in a darker suit.We're all about flashy looks when it comes to the exotic establishment. However, at the same time, we cannot help but praise those stealthy copies that we get to see occasionally. Speaking of the latter, it was AL13 Wheels that made this one famous on its social media. The supercar in question features a satin black look with no shiny accents at all. It rides on the companys R100 wheels in glossy black, which are available in diameters ranging from 18 to 24 inches.By the looks of it, this Lamborghini Huracan Performante Spyder hasn't suffered any other modifications bar the new wheels, and we think it looks just perfect. The supercar is probably not for sale, or AL13 Wheels would have said so in the caption accompanying the pics shared on Instagram a few days ago, and it is only used as a marketing tool to promote the aforementioned alloys that look good on it, especially since they also feature a Y-spoke design.If you had a Huracan, would you go for the stealthy or the flashy look? It'd be the former for me, but I promise I won't judge you regardless of your selection, so long as you stay away from Mansory's aftermarket bits for it.
We've tested quite a few powerful e-bikes lately. Ones that can accelerate quickly enough to keep up with in-town automotive traffic without a hint of fuss or difficulty. But it's one thing for a modern electric bicycle with more torque than some economy cars to be sprightly and fun to ride. But for a 76-year-old bicycle with a little-remembered single-cylinder gas motor to get that fast? Now, that's something that sounds scary. Such is the story of this 1947 Monark bike chassis fitted with a lauded Whizzer engine.

Of course, the Whizzer name has long since been lost to history for all but the most battle-hardened bicycle enthusiasts. But rest assured, back in the day, these bikes were some of the nicest you could ride without having a license. First manufactured in 1939 by an LA-based aircraft part manufacturer, Breene-Taylor Engineering, Whizzer engines were built to be easily adaptable to a wide range of American bicycles. These Whizzer motor kits effectively gave the user all the utility of a full-fledged motorcycle but without the need for registration or insurance.During World War II, Whizzer had to lobby the U.S. Government to keep it in operation, sighting how their bike engines could be the perfect tool to transport G.I.s around military bases in Western Europe, North Africa, and the Pacific, and weapons manufacturing operations here in the States. At a time when even General Motors and Ford couldn't crank out a passenger car without the weight of the U.S. Department of War breathing down their necks, Whizzer practically stood alone in building consumer motor vehicle engines during the war.It was two years after the war in 1947 that this particular Whizzer/Monark engine and bike combination came into being. Thanks to a new bike chain, drive belts, a rebuilt carburetor, and two brand new whitewall tires, all this bike needs to be back in ship shape is to get the simple little engine running and apply a fresh coat of paint. The owner out of Paso Robles near Bakersfield, California, also states that the fuel tank is rust-free and ready to accept the cheapest 87 octane the State of California has to offer right now. Based on the prices lately, you might be better off riding a Whizzer to work than an automobile, or even a full-blown motorcycle, for that matter.For the kind of person too nervous or light in the wallet to fully restore an old Harley, Curtiss, or Indian bike , throwing down $2,200 for a crack at learning the basics with something less labor-intensive can only be positive growth for whoever winds up buying this bike. It could even be a great museum piece if so inclined. But it's pretty clear we all want to see this thing run again.
SUV

The latest introductions from the carmakers are not exactly shining brightly. For example, some believe the XV80 ninth-generation 2025 Toyota Camry is nothing but a thinly disguised facelift of the current XV70 as it uses the same TNGA-K architecture and simply dropped the gasoline-only powertrains in favor of a hybrid-exclusive existence.However, the company is probably trying to unify the crown jewels as the all-new first-ever Crown Signia crossoverwill move to replace the popular Venza at a much higher starting price point. That's not going to bode well for some fans  especially since Toyotas are not precisely known as the most affordable cars, SUVs, and trucks out there.On the other hand, Honda doesn't have many novelties this fall  it just updated the Ridgeline with increased off-road performance and upgraded technology. It also made a surprise appearance with the reborn Prelude concept for its North American debut. They also launched the new Honda Sensing 360+ omnidirectional safety and driver-assistive system, "which removes blind spots around the vehicle and contributes to collision avoidance and the reduction of driver burden while driving."Well, the imaginative realm of digital car content creators doesn't want to have any of that bland stuff. Instead, the parallel universes of vehicular CGI would rather see the two Japanese behemoths battle each other's hearts out on the compact/mid-size off-road SUV battlefield. Or at least, that's what we think based on these recent unofficial projects.Dimas Ramadhan, the virtual automotive artist behind the Digimods DESIGN channel on YouTube, has taken up the task of revealing two reborn SUVs  the rumored Toyota Land Cruiser FJ and the reinvented Honda Element. Interestingly, the pixel master wasn't shy of ripping off other famous designs  the 2024 Land Cruiser for the Toyota design and the old FJ Cruiser for the Honda project.However, that made them 'perfect' for each other  the two automakers would duke it out across the North American market if they ever created these designs. Of course, do take all this with a pinch of salt, as nothing is official yet from either carmaker. Besides, if any of these revivals would happen, the one most likely is the Toyota Land Cruiser FJ  as the rumor mill unearthed a recent trademark filling.So, which is your favorite, and which one would you like to see duking it out with other members of the off-road SUV community, like the Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler series? Suppose our two cents are allowed on the matter. In that case, neither is feasible in their current mid-size format  the Land Cruiser FJ and an eventual Element revival would need to be cool and compact, not necessarily rugged and mid-size, to succeed.
Offensive capabilities are crucial to winning any war, and in our day and age that means relying heavily on air power, no matter the form it takes: crewed or uncrewed aircraft, missiles, including hypersonic ones, and even drones. Yet for every such advanced offensive capabilities, chances are the opposing side will develop means to counter them.

For the U.S. Army the most impressive anti-aircraft and anti-missile tool of recent years is called Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor, or LTAMDS. It's a system being developed by defense contractor Raytheon under a contract awarded back in 2019, and it just passed a crucial live fire test.LTAMDS is described by its maker as the "world's most advanced and highly capable air and missile defense radar." Bold words, but the things we know about it make it clear they are not empty words.The tech has been developed to counter all sorts of aerial threats, but primarily those that fly faster than a mile a second. It consists of three antenna arrays (the primary at the front of the radar and two additional ones at the back), giving the system a 360-degree coverage and the ability to detect and engage multiple threats at the same time, no matter where they are coming from.When deployed, the thing is about the same size as the Patriot Air and Missile Defense System, but packs twice the firepower. It has been designed to work both with the Patriot and with the Integrated Air and Missile Defense system.The LTAMDS came up on our radar because Raytheon just announced the completion of a live-fire engagement test against an actual target. We're not told where and when it happened, but we do know part of what transpired.An unspecified cruise missile surrogate was fired on what the U.S. Army calls a threat trajectory, and was picked up by the LTAMDS. Once acquired, data about its location and movement was sent to the Integrated Battle Command System, where the decision to launch a PAC-3 missile for interception purposes was taken. LTAMDS then guided the missile all the way to its target.Raytheon doesn't say what happened next, but given how it calls the test a success, it's easy to assume the target was destroyed.Further tests will continue until the end of the year, and then further into 2024. Raytheon and the U.S. Army plan to have the LTAMDS fully operational by the end of next year.At the time of writing there are six such radars ready to be deployed by the American military, as they are all still undergoing "simultaneous testing at various government and Raytheon test sites." They are all the first examples in a new family of such tech called GhostEye.
21 November 2023 16:30 (UTC+04:00)

Abbas Ganbay Read more

The United States of America continues to interfere in the internal affairs of countries, leaving a huge mark on the history of the world and its reshaping. With its vast experience in waging wars, having earned the title of "War Machine", the states have taken control of countries and organizations while operating from the shadows. Its Global System in the form of a web, connects it by threads with other adherents of the New World Order based on chaos.

Taking on Ukraine as "Big Brother", America has failed in its promises to solve the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Many billions of dollars allocated from the country's budget, commensurate with the GDP of several countries, went to the corrupt capital of the Ukrainian authorities and its neighbors in the case. Those who managed to push one nationality into war want to cover all points of contact of conflict zones and regions.

The West's plans for the Caucasus have shifted towards the southern part, where Azerbaijan, having prevented the West's insidious plan, has liberated its lands from the terrorist formations and its clans occupying its territory. Huge stockpiles of arms and ammunition of the separatist clan, found by the Azerbaijani army in the territory of Garabagh after a successful anti-terrorist operation, hint at thorough preparations for military intervention in the territory of Azerbaijan by the separatist regime.

Waves of aggressive and unfriendly policy are coming towards Azerbaijan from Western European countries. Having no time to stabilize their plan, the Western structures immediately started to support and defend their own created vassals in Armenia. Thus, they started the stage of conducting a false propaganda campaign and condemning Azerbaijan, undermining the implementation of the signing of the peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The voices of a million Azerbaijani IDPs were not heard after the first Garabagh War and the problems of Azerbaijan remained unresolved. The barbaric attacks of Armenian clans on the territory of Azerbaijan were not stopped by the organizations that were awarded such rights; no one undertook to condemn them. On the contrary, the destabilization of the situation in the South Caucasus played into the hands of many, and today many countries within the Western European alliance and organizations wish that situation to recur.

In Yerevan, the news that the U.S. Senate passed the "Protect Armenia Act of 2023" this week, which prevents the U.S. "president" from circumventing the 907th Amendment to the Freedom Support Act, which prohibits military aid to Azerbaijan, was greeted loudly. The Section 907th Amendment to the adopted "Freedom Support Act" appeared under pressure from the Armenian lobby in 1992 and is still being shamelessly preserved.

Azerbaijan patiently followed the diplomatic agenda of settling the " Garabagh problem" for almost 30 years and used military force only when it became clear that the problem could not be solved peacefully. Azerbaijan has fully restored its territorial integrity without any assistance from the UN or the US. Accordingly, Baku has no obligations to Washington. Azerbaijan is a self-sufficient state and, unlike Armenia, does not need handouts. Azerbaijan follows and welcomes the peace agenda, and by suspending "military aid" the United States of America does not narrow opportunities for Azerbaijan in the need to strengthen its military.

Azerbaijan's policy towards Armenia is to create a new regional security architecture based on the principles of justice in the region, recognizing each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty, and putting an end to all territorial claims against each other.

As presidential aide, Hikmet Hajiyev said, "First of all, peace and regional security are not in Brussels, Paris, Washington, Moscow, or anywhere else. Peace is in the region itself."

Despite the 5th document of the peace treaty proposed by Azerbaijan, Yerevan remains hesitant due to the "threat" imposed from outside, as if Azerbaijan is preparing new ground for an 'attack on Armenian territory'.

Separatism has a global form, and the USA's needy Ukraine is not standing aside. In Mikhail Podolyak's opinion, the most important thing for Armenia is that it conducts an intensive dialogue with NATO countries - Great Britain, the United States, and France, with whom, as he says, "the dialogue has always been historically good".

Yerevan could be pushed to sign a peace treaty with Azerbaijan and end 200 years of conflict, but often the rhetoric is in the opposite direction.

America's connection to Ukraine is directly related to the case of the American President's son, Hunter Biden, who had close ties to Ukrainian officials in money laundering. The high-profile cases that were once open for discussion, against the President and his son, are now being hushed up and brushed aside in every possible way. There are devils in a quiet pool.

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz said on Fox News that "Biden should be impeached and removed from office, he should be prosecuted, he should go to prison, and he should be in the same cell with his son Hunter for bribing the United States government."

The chief accountant of Ukraine's Burisma Energy, who offered to provide US authorities with incriminating evidence of financial crimes involving Joe and Hunter Biden, was found dead before she could testify, and the special prosecutor in charge of investigating Biden's illegal seizure and retention of classified documents has mysteriously gone missing.

America contradicts Iran in the South Caucasus region as Azerbaijan continues to build a new bridge and transit route connecting Iran to Azerbaijan via Astara, which will be commissioned within 1 month. On the other hand, Armenia misses its chance to build the Zangazur corridor through its territory, thus Azerbaijan decides to use alternative routes through Iran.

However, it is extremely important for America to maintain a good relationship with Azerbaijan in the South Caucasus region to gain full access to the Eurasian world and rather push Armenia towards peace talks.

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Abbas Ganbay is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @Noend33

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21 November 2023 08:30 (UTC+04:00)

By Sara Ganjiyeva

Azerbaijan has achieved unprecedented development in the last 30 years. Azerbaijan's GDP increased 175 times, and GDP per capita increased 130 times. However, this development was achieved mainly due to the income from oil contracts.

Despite all these developments, Azerbaijan previously suffered from the Dutch Disease, like many oil-producing countries in the world. The countries suffering from Dutch Disease can be vulnerable to many international threats. The COVID-19 pandemic has proven this once again. Therefore, the state of Azerbaijan has taken a number of measures to diversify the economy. As a result of these measures, the share of oil in Azerbaijan's exports fell to 50 percent in 2022.

Speaking to Azernews Economist Parviz Heydarov noted that after gaining independence, Azerbaijan took the oil factor as the main measure in order to restore the country's economy, to ensure the arrival of foreign currency to the country. The signing of the Contract of Century by the National Leader Heydar Aliyev played a great role in the development of the country.

Whatever achievements Azerbaijan has had in the development of the country's economy in the past, it was due to the revenues obtained from that agreement. The oil field is a field that has a boom period, a peak period, and a downturn period. We experienced a period of growth after 2010. After that was considered the peak point. For more than 10 years, we have been experiencing a period of declining production in the oil field, but today, if we look at the size of the Azerbaijani budget and compare the population with the 1990s, we have to compensate for the decreasing income. In order to maintain the sustainability of economic development, we need to achieve the development of the oil sector. It is true that the projects related to the gas field in recent years, the start of gas export of Azerbaijan to Europe promise new currency flows, but the price of gas is lower than oil, so it would be absurd if we rely on gas. In 2015, the sharp drop in the price of oil in the world markets led to the 2-fold devolution of the manat. After that, it was proven how important the development of the non-oil and gas sector is. Starting from 2016, new steps were taken in the oil and gas field. At present, our potential in the oil and gas field has expanded. "Azerbaijan has started exporting non-oil and gas products, the economist said.

Parviz Heydarov pointed out that for the first time in 2022-2023, oil made up 50 percent of the total exports of the country and gas comprised 40 percent. He stressed that the diversification of Azerbaijan's oil and gas exports and planning of energy exports in new sectors is a positive indicator of the development of the country's economy.

Besides, one of the notable aspects of this diversification is Azerbaijan's ambition to export its electricity to Europe. By venturing into renewable and alternative energy sources, the country aims to establish itself as a major player in the global energy market. This forward-thinking approach not only promotes environmental sustainability but also positions Azerbaijan as a dynamic contributor to the evolving landscape of international trade and energy cooperation.

The focus on the Green energy field is related to the depletion of energy resources. Investing in green energy is only appropriate if the natural resources are available in the event of oil and gas depletion. The agrarian field, agriculture, agricultural products processing industry, and tourism are good development areas for the future. We have enough agricultural processing plants in districts of Azerbaijan. Our liberated territories are also an additional contribution and potential to tourism. If this area is given attention, it can become a good development sector for the future, the economist added.

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21 November 2023 20:00 (UTC+04:00)

Qabil Ashirov Read more

The official visit of Iraqi President Abdullatif Jamal Rashid to Azerbaijan foreshadows soaring economic cooperation between the two countries in the near future. The two countries have great potential to cooperate, but due to the invasion and instability following the invasion in Iraq, this potential has not been able to turn into reality.

When Azerbaijani gas projects were launched, the media outlets spoke about the possibility of Iraq joining the project to export its natural gas to Europe. Besides, Iraq could be an alternative for Azerbaijan to access the Persian Gulf as well. Prior to COVID-19, Baku was a desirable destination for Iraqi tourists. Even some companies from both countries tried to conduct trade before the emergence of ISIS.

Despite all attempts, these two fraternal countries have not been able to form desirable economic relations due to regional conflicts in the Middle East, where Iraq is located, or global instability such as COVID-19. Last year, the trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $29m which is too little in comparison with the potential of both countries. Azerbaijan exported products worth $28m and imported products from Iraq worth $0.5m. So, it is hoped that this official visit will mark a new page in the relationship between the two fraternal countries. For the further strengthening of bilateral relations, both countries signed MOUs and agreements in different fields to boost political, economic, trade, and tourism cooperation.

The Azerbaijani Minister of Labour and Social Protection of Population, Sahil Babayev, and the Iraqi Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Ahmed Al-Asadi, signed a MOU on cooperation between the two ministries.

The Chairman of the State Tourism Agency of Azerbaijan, Fuad Naghiyev, and the Chairman of the Tourism Authority of Iraq, Zafer Mahdi, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of tourism between the two countries.

The Azerbaijan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jeyhun Bayramov, and the Iraqi Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohammed Bahr Al-Uloom, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on political consultations between the two sides.

The Azerbaijan Minister of Digital Development and Transport, Rashad Nabiyev, and the President of the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA), Imad Al-Asadi, signed an air services agreement between the two governments. So the signing of these meaningful MOUs would be the first step towards greater socio-economic cooperation and trans-regional connectivity, creating beneficial dividends for both countries.

In a comment to Azernews on the issue, Dr. Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan noted that it seems that due to rapidly changing socio-economic partnerships, conflicting geopolitical realities, and contradictory geostrategic preferences, Azerbaijan, under the leadership of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, has initiated regional and trans-regional grand economic diplomacy to further diversify the potential of the macro-economy, energy and food security, and volumes of bilateral exports with Iraq, which has now become an ideal hub of trans-regional connectivity.

In this connection, Iraqs trans-regional development project and Iran-Iraq railway connectivity would be mutually beneficial, even for Azerbaijan, which has the status of a Middle Corridor. The bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Iraq are gaining momentum, which vividly reflects befitting propositions for both countries."

Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan reminded that in the near past, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev and his Iraqi counterpart Abdullatif Jamal Rashid met and discussed relations between the two countries and ways to develop them in all fields. He added that during the meeting, President Ilham Aliyev termed Rashid's visit an opportunity to discuss strengthening bilateral relations and an affirmation of the two countries' desire to advance their political and economic relations to new levels.

The Iraqi President, who desired to expand the prospects of cooperation in the economic, investment, tourism, and energy fields, rightly emphasised the need to encourage businessmen to make investments. Thus, tourism, economics, culture, education, real estate, energy, food, and people-to-people contact would be mutually beneficial for both countries. To attract more and more FDIs, Iraqs government is ready to protect and provide security and stability, the provision of services to the people, the protection of infrastructure, and raise the economic and investment levels to improve the living standards of citizens, he said.

Dr. Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan added that the meeting of the Joint Commission on trade-economic, scientific-technical, and cultural cooperation between Azerbaijan and Iraq has now further strengthened bilateral relations in diverse sectors of the economy, investment, infrastructure, energy and food, science and technology, and smart living. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said that a meeting of the Joint Commission on trade-economic, scientific-technical, and cultural cooperation will be held in Iraq in the near future, which will play an important role in the further expansion of trade-economic ties.

On the other hand, the Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fuad Hussein, met with the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, on the sidelines of his participation in the ministerial meetings of the Non-Aligned Movement held in Baku from July 56, 2023. Both sides stressed the importance of enhancing trade exchange and cooperation in various fields, including the railway, aviation, and tourism. President Aliyev instructed the Ministry of Transport to resume operating air flights between Iraq and Azerbaijan for tourist purposes, stressing the desire of the Azerbaijani government to strengthen relations between the two countries.

Hopefully, increasing bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Iraq would be a balancing act to promote peace, prosperity, stability, and economic sustainability in the region. It would also further strengthen the alternative route strategy of Azerbaijan to connect with greater Gulf and Middle East countries in the days to come, Dr. Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan concluded.

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21 November 2023 10:59 (UTC+04:00)

Qabil Ashirov Read more

To hold discussions within the framework of Article IV Consultations between the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the government of Azerbaijan, the mission of the Fund headed by Anna Bordovisited Azerbaijan, Azernews reports.

Azerbaijani Finance Ministry said that during the visit, the IMF mission held meetings in the Ministries of Finance, Economy and other institutions included in the government's economic bloc, the Central Bank of Azerbaijan, as well as in the private sector, and discussed the current state and development dynamics of Azerbaijan's economy, as well as climate change issues.

Economic growth and macroeconomic situation, financial banking, budget issues, implemented reforms, and economic expectations for the end of the year, the next year, and the next mid-term period were discussed in the meetings.

Zane Zidan, deputy director of the Strategy Department of the Fund, and Marcel Peter, the executive director representing Switzerland on the Voting Group, including Azerbaijan, participated in the last round of discussions within the framework of Article IV Consultations.

As part of the visit, on November 17, executive director M. Peter visited the cities of Shusha and Aghdam, which were completely destroyed during the invasion, and at the same time got acquainted with the reconstruction works and projects implemented under the Great Return program after the liberation from the occupation.

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21 November 2023 18:00 (UTC+04:00)

Laman Ismayilova Read more

The 9th St. Petersburg International Cultural Forum has come to an end.

The forum served as an excellent platform for promoting cultural dialogue and strengthening cultural ties between the countries, Azernews reports.

Delegations from 73 countries, as well as culture ministers from 30 countries, participated in the forum to exchange ideas on important topics.

At the forum, the Azerbaijani delegation showcased the country's vibrant culture and boosted international partnership in the cultural field.

Within the forum, Azerbaijan Culture Minister Adil Karimli met with his Russian counterpart Olga Lyubimova.

The culture ministers discussed the current state and prospects for the development of cultural ties between the two countries.

The Russian minister proposed to prepare a plan for joint cultural events for 2024 and, next year, sign a program of events for 2024-2026.

The Azerbaijani minister invited his Russian counterpart to the Creative Industry Forum as well as to the 6th World Forum of Intercultural Dialogue to be held in Baku.

Adil Karimov also addressed the plenary session themed "Cultural sovereignty as the basis of state identity" as part of the forum.

The minister drew attention to the history of Azerbaijani culture and noted that representatives of various peoples and cultures have lived in the country for centuries in conditions of peace and tolerance.

He underlined that, based on the traditions of state building of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev, a conceptual foundation of modern cultural policy has been created in Azerbaijan under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev. State programs, investment projects, and support measures in the field of cultural heritage preservation are currently implemented in the country.

In his speech, Adil Karimov emphasised that, headed by the First Vice President of Azerbaijan, Mehriban Aliyeva, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation plays an exceptional role in the implementation of national and international projects to preserve and promote Azerbaijani cultural wealth.

Meanwhile, the acting director of the Azerbaijan State Academic National Drama Theatre, Honoured Cultural Worker Ilham Asgarov, took part in the panel discussion on theatrical art.

Heads of Russian, Belarusian, and Serbian theatres took part in the panel session. Furthermore, Ilham Asgarov met with the directors of the Alexandrinsky Theatre and the Belarusian Academic National Theatre to discuss prospects for cooperation.

The forum in St. Petersburg provided a great opportunity for countries to demonstrate their unique artistic expressions, fostering a deep understanding and appreciation of their cultures at the international level.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @lmntypewriterrr

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Since Elon Musk acquired Twitter, which has been rebranded as X, the tech billionaire has made some questionable decisions and actions. The company's valuation has only gone down since, and analysts believe that with the recent controversy, everything will just go further downhill.

X Was Already in a Bad Position

Even before the advertisers' exodus, X struggled to keep the company profitable. Advertisers have already exited before and some of the remaining ones have followed suit after Musk agreed to an antisemitic conspiracy theory.

To put things into perspective about just how important ad sales are, the social media company gets about 90% of its overall revenue from advertisers. That means that the more businesses exit, the more the company will suffer huge financial losses.

Back in October, which was before Musk's post wreaked havoc on his own company, X's ad business was already expected to see a 54.4% year-over-year decline in global ad spending, as per Tech Crunch. With the recent exodus, the numbers will likely get worse.

X owner Elon Musk himself admitted that in September, the US ad revenue decreased by 60%. Insider Intelligence Jasmine Enberg says that major brands exiting X's advertising might encourage others to do the same.

Enberg expressed that while advertisers are used to the risks of running ads with user-published content, the situation is different as it's the owner himself who has been "amplifying misinformation and hate speech, and emboldening conspiracy theorists."

Despite advertisers leaving the platform, X continues to be at the forefront of news among all social media sites, which has been proven by the recent mess in OpenAI as its own CEO was fired. However, that does not guarantee the company's survival in all this.

After all is said and done, advertisers are still the main source of revenue for the company, even after all of Musk's efforts to squeeze money out of its users with the verification system based on subscriptions, and the new API pricing.

X's user base numbers are not looking too good either. Analysts believe that the platform's monthly active users will drop by 4.1% by the end of 2024, with US users seeing an 8.1% decline as well by the end of next year.

Read Also: US Government Will Still Work with Elon Musk Despite Criticism of Antisemitic Views

Company Giants That Have Left X

As if last year's advertiser exits weren't bad enough, this year has also seen several company giants bid adieu to what once was Twitter. Apple, Disney, IBM, and Warner Bros. Discovery were among those who left and criticized Musk's agreement with the antisemitic conspiracy theory.

While most have stayed silent on the matter, IBM expressed its disappointment as some of its ads appeared near pro-Nazi content. The company stated that it has "zero tolerance for hate speech and discrimination," as reported by CNN.

As a result, the company has immediately suspended all advertising on X as they investigate the "entirely unacceptable situation." If the situation escalates, the company could lose more advertisers. By the end of it all, X's current valuation of $19 billion might drop even further.

Related: X CEO Linda Yaccarino Believes Advertisers Exodus is Only Temporary
21 November 2023 17:14 (UTC+04:00)

Abbas Ganbay Read more

Following Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's statement on November 18 on strengthening diplomatic efforts towards signing a peace agreement with Azerbaijan, the Armenian side presented the sixth package of proposals on the peaceful settlement of the peace agreement with Azerbaijan and was committed to finalising and signing a document on the normalisation of relations based on the previously stated principles, Azernews reports.

It should be noted that on November 18, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the opening ceremony of the autumn session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Yerevan that Azerbaijan and Armenia had reached an agreement on the basic principles of the peace agreement.

"This happened as a result of my meetings with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Brussels, mediated by the head of the Council of Europe, Charles Michel," Pashinyan added.

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21 November 2023 10:41 (UTC+04:00)

Abbas Ganbay Read more

Open discussions on the theme Promoting the Defense of Peace Through Common Development were held within the framework of the agenda Protection of International Peace and Security under the presidency of China in the UN Security Council, Azernews reports.

This is stated in the publication of the Permanent Mission of Azerbaijan to the UN in social network X.

Speaking at the event, Azerbaijan's Permanent Representative to the UN Yashar Aliyev said that as a result of the local anti-terror measures carried out in September Azerbaijan managed to ensure peace in Garabagh.

It should be noted that to ensure the implementation of provisions of the Trilateral Statement, suppression of large-scale provocations in the Garabagh economic region, disarmament and withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from the territories of Azerbaijan, neutralization of their military infrastructure, ensuring the safety of civilians returning to the territories liberated from occupation, civil servants involved in construction, restoration and reconstruction works and Azerbaijani military personnel, as well as restoration of the constitutional order of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijani authorities have taken measures to ensure peace in Garabagh.

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Statement by Ambassador Y. Aliyev at the Security Council #UNSC open debate under Presidency of China on the theme Promote sustaining peace through common development under the agenda item Maintenance of international peace and security pic.twitter.com/dPeLblY9MY  Azerbaijan UN  (@AzmissionUN) November 20, 2023

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21 November 2023 09:38 (UTC+04:00)

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has addressed the participants of the Decolonization: Women Empowerment and Development event, organized by the Baku Initiative Group, Azernews reports.

Dear conference participants,

Dear ladies and gentlemen,

I extend my greetings on the occasion of the opening of the international conference on Decolonization: Women's Empowerment and Development. It is gratifying that more than 40 representatives from 18 countries representing different continents are gathered in Baku again to condemn the policy of colonialism, which unfortunately continues in the 21st century, and convey facts about the situation of women in the territories under colonial rule to the international community, and carry out systematic and consistent work towards the elimination of colonialism.

Historically, the respect for women in Azerbaijan and the holding of women in high esteem have been one of the highest moral qualities of the Azerbaijani people. Azerbaijani women have contributed to resolving fateful issues in all periods of our history, to the freedom struggle of our people, and to the liberation of our lands from occupation by the Republic of Armenia.

As chair of the Non-Aligned Movement, the Republic of Azerbaijan has always attached great importance to issues relevant to humanity and carried out effective work towards eliminating the injustices faced by peoples worldwide. In this regard, our time demands to bring the issues of women and colonialism together and amplify the role of women in the decolonization process. Regrettably, in the 21st century, women are still being subjected to slavery and exploitation in colonies, meaning that they are deprived of fundamental human rights.

Azerbaijan is very concerned about the continuation of colonialism, especially the flagrant violation of the rights of women and children in colonies. France, which currently controls 13 overseas territories as its colonies and interferes in the internal affairs of its former colonies located on different continents worldwide, continues its neocolonialism policy despite the many years of demands from international organizations and peoples fighting for independence.

Most of the bloody crimes in the colonial history of humanity have been committed by France. France, which occupied dozens of countries in Africa, South-East Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean, and Latin America, plundered their wealth and enslaved their people for many years, committing numerous war crimes and crimes against humanity. The French armed forces discriminated against their ethnic and religious affiliation and subjected hundreds of thousands of civilians to genocide. The slave trade, which France was actively engaged in, is one of the most shameful pages of humanity. Millions of Africans fell victim to the French slavery policy.

As chair of the Non-Aligned Movement, I have repeatedly provided listed facts of numerous crimes against humanity and atrocities committed by France in the occupied countries. Millions of innocent people in Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Mali, Djibouti, Nigeria, Chad, Senegal, Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, Central African Republic, Gabon, Togo, Cameroon, Vietnam, the Union of the Comoros, Haiti, and other countries, including women and children, were killed by France. France is also responsible for the massacre of more than 800,000 members of the Tutsi tribe in Rwanda in 1994.

Despite the declaration of independence of the archipelago, including Mayotte, in 1975 by the Union of the Comoros Islands and the UN General Assembly (GA) confirming the sovereignty of the Comoros state over the island of Mayotte, France continues to administer the island of Mayotte as its Department.

The UN General Assembly has adopted more than 20 resolutions and confirmed the sovereignty of Comoros over Mayotte island. The UN also condemned and considered invalid the referendums organized by the French government on the island of Mayotte in the Comoros archipelago. At the same time, it has rejected the organization of any other form of referendum or consultation by France on the Mayotte island of the Comoros archipelago and any foreign law legalizing the French colonization of the said island. In that resolution, the UN assessed the occupation of Mayotte island by France as a gross insult to the National Union of Comoros, which is a member of the UN. Despite numerous UN resolutions, France has continued to hold referendums on the island of Mayotte in flagrant violation of international law. Therefore, the results of the referendums are illegal.

In addition to the UN, the Executive Council of the African Union and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation have also adopted decisions regarding the Mayotte island belonging to the Comoros. Ignoring the calls of international organizations and the international community, France included Mayotte in its constitution in 2003. In 2011, Mayotte became the 101st department of France and, in 2014, the ultra-peripheral region of the European Union. The fact that Mayotte was given the name of the EU's outermost region is a recognition of Mayotte as a part of France.

Apparently, France, abusing its status as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and continuing to blatantly violate the norms and principles of international law, forcibly annexed the territory of another country to its territory. This is explicit occupation and annexation.

Centuries have passed, but the new shameful methods of French colonialism continue to this day because policies and mindsets have not changed. The peoples of the overseas territories gathered at this conference have been fighting for independence for many years. Unable to abandon the history of colonialism, France does not respect the freedom, aspirations, and rights of the peoples living in overseas communities and territories outside of Europe, in the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic oceans, and works hard to undermine the realization of those aspirations. Also, it continues to make gross interventions in the internal affairs of its former colonies on the African continent, which is an obstacle to achieving stability. The views expressed by politicians from overseas regions about French colonialism are truly terrifying.

France destabilizes not only its past and present colonies but also our region, the South Caucasus, by supporting separatist tendencies and separatists. By arming Armenia, it implements a militaristic policy, encourages revanchist forces in Armenia, and prepares the ground for the start of new wars in our region. At the same time, France abuses its status as a permanent member of the UN Security Council to carry out its biased and prejudiced policy, engages in geopolitical intrigues in various regions, and tries to use Western organizations as a means of pressure on other states.

France must implement the decisions of the International Court of Justice regarding the nuclear tests conducted in the Pacific Ocean and stop the practice of lecturing other countries.

We observe that racism and Islamophobia are growing in parallel with the tendencies of neocolonialism in France. Having to deal with such disturbing and dangerous trends at home, French authorities are trying to lecture other countries. The recent expulsion of French troops from Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso showed yet again that its ruthless neo-colonialist policies in Africa are doomed to failure. France, which should be ashamed of its history of colonialism rich in bloody crimes, instead of apologizing for the atrocities it has committed, talks about fictitious ethnic cleansing in other countries.

As chair of the Non-Aligned Movement, Azerbaijan supports the peoples fighting against colonialism and aiming to be free. Your participation at the Ministerial Meeting held in Baku as part of Azerbaijan's chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement on July 6 and October 20, 2023, at the headquarters of the UN Security Council in New York on September 22, and at this event in Baku dedicated to colonialism, its consequences and neocolonialism, which are of particular relevance to humanity, are evidence of Azerbaijan's support for this issue as chair of the Non-Aligned Movement.

Bringing the issue of fighting neocolonialism to the international communitys attention through all possible platforms is crucial. In this regard, the activities of the 4th Committee of the UN General Assembly and the fight within international organizations should be stepped up. The role of women should be further enhanced, and their struggle on the path of decolonization should be strongly supported.

Today's conference is a favorable opportunity for discussing the challenges and opportunities on the global agenda in relation to colonialism, its ramifications, and the fight against neocolonialism. I believe that the discussions that will be held within the framework of the conference will contribute to the mobilization of joint efforts in the struggle against colonialism, to the promotion of new ideas and initiatives for the well-being of mankind, and to leaving a world free from colonialism for future generations.

I extend my best wishes to you and wish the conference success.

Ilham Aliyev

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Baku, 20 November 2023

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21 November 2023 10:29 (UTC+04:00)

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Baku is hosting the second day of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) conference on "Advancing Women's Rights and Empowerment" under the joint organisation of the Republic of Azerbaijan (current NAM chair), Uganda, and Uzbekistan (future NAM chairs), Azernews reports.

The conference will exchange views on topics such as the advancement of women's rights and women's empowerment within the NAM, as well as the importance of women's role in sustainable development, economic growth, peace, security, and other areas.

A total of about 60 delegations are taking part in the event, including representatives of NAM member states as well as states with observer status at the NAM, international organisations, and high-ranking officials invited as special guests.

It should be noted that Azerbaijan has been leading the Non-Aligned Movement, the largest international organisation after the UN General Assembly, since 2019. By a unanimous decision of the NAM member states, which highly appreciated Azerbaijan's work during its chairmanship in the organisation, it was extended for another year.

President Ilham Aliyev's holding of a special session of the UN General Assembly dedicated to fighting the pandemic, combating graft nationalism, and adopting resolutions in this direction is an indicator of Azerbaijan's successful chairmanship of NAM.

As a result of Azerbaijan's successful chairmanship, today the Non-Aligned Movement is considered in the world as an example of multilateralism.

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21 November 2023 11:17 (UTC+04:00)

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Baku hosts an event on "Decolonisation: Empowerment and Women's Development". The event is organized by the Baku Initiative Group of the Non-Aligned Movement, Azernews reports.

Claudette Duhamel, representative of the Movement of Ecologists and Democrats for an Independent Martinique, while speaking at an event on "Decolonisation: Empowerment and Development of Women" in Baku, said that Martinique is trying to prevent discrimination.

She noted that women were discriminated against.

"Women have suffered the most from colonialism and slavery. The colonizers created a situation where African-American women were considered the lowest caste. Women were treated like a thing. African-Americans were not given the opportunity to live freely," Duhamel added.

Marcellin Nadeau, member of the French National Assembly from Martinique Marcellin Nadeau, said during his speech at the international conference on "Decolonisation: Empowerment of Women and Development" held in Baku that France has poisoned the people of Martinique - Marcellin Nadeau with the substance chlordecone.

"We don't know the consequences for our women and children. What interest do our countries have in France if they neglect our problems?

The French constitution does not recognize us as a people, and I, as a deputy, proposed to amend the basic law. France should change its attitude towards us," the MP added.

It should be noted that Baku is hosting an international conference on "Decolonisation: Strengthening Women and Development". The event is organized by the Baku Initiative Group of the Non-Aligned Movement.

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21 November 2023 14:41 (UTC+04:00)

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"France has committed bloody crimes in countries it once colonized," Jean-Michel Brun, founder, and editor-in-chief of the French news portal Muslims in France, said this at the international conference "Decolonisation: Empowering Women" organized by the Baku Initiative Group in Baku, Azernews reports.

"For example, in 1958 in Algeria, women were forced to remove their headscarves. Allegedly removing the veil is a symbol of freedom. But real freedom is that women can choose how to dress," he emphasized.

According to him, Azerbaijan is an exemplary country in gender equality: "In Azerbaijan, women work equally with men. This is one of the examples confirming gender equality in Azerbaijani society.

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21 November 2023 14:15 (UTC+04:00)

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"Armenia's concept of a new crossroads is utopian," Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration, said at the international conference "Decolonisation: Women's Empowerment and Development" held in Baku.

According to the official, Armenia has put forward the concept of a new crossroads.

"This is its own decision, but it is utopian in nature. We have been discussing this for the last three years, but there has been no result. So Armenia should discuss and think about how effective it is. Azerbaijan also had a B plan.

This plan is to establish transport communication through the territory of Iran. Intergovernmental documents have already been signed between Iran and Azerbaijan. On the other hand, our relations with our brother Turkiye and the construction of the Kars-Igdir railway are going on. At the same time, a ring railway line has been created around our region. However, Armenia has not taken any steps for the construction of this line during the last three years. We cannot wait for the end. The Middle Corridor opens new realities".

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21 November 2023 15:18 (UTC+04:00)

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On November 20, the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted a draft resolution on celebrating the 25th anniversary of the UN Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA), proposed by Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan (MFA), Azernews reports.

It was noted that the resolution entitled "Transforming our world: a sustainable development agenda for the period until 2030" underlined the important role of the Special Programme as a regional programme promoting mutual understanding, economic cooperation, and regional development of member states.

The goals and objectives of the Tashkent Declaration of March 26, 1998, which established the Special Programme, were recalled, and the progress made in the countries of Central Asia, their integration with the European and Asian economies, and their contribution to global economic growth were welcomed.

The resolution noted the importance of exploring the possibilities of establishing a UN multilateral trust fund for the effective and timely mobilisation of financial resources for the implementation of projects under the Special Programme and UN Special Programme States.

The resolution also stressed the importance of further development of regional cooperation among Central Asian countries in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and develop friendly good-neighbourly relations.

It should be noted that the Republic of Azerbaijan will chair SPECA in 2023.

The resolution is available at this Internet link.

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21 November 2023 13:50 (UTC+04:00)

President Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree approving the "Agreement between the Government of Azerbaijan and the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic on investment in the construction of a five-star hotel on the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul".

According to the decree, "Agreement between the Government of Azerbaijan and the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic on investment in the construction of a five-star hotel on the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul" was approved, signed on October 12, 2023 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

After the agreement specified in this decree enters into force, the Department of Affairs of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan should ensure the implementation of its provisions.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan should send a notification to the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic on the fulfillment of domestic procedures necessary for the agreement to enter into force.

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21 November 2023 14:22 (UTC+04:00)

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed an order on conscription of citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan for fixed-term active military service and dismissal of servicemen of fixed-term active military service from January 1 through January 30, 2024.

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The White House launched a new Threads account for US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in time for the president's birthday.

Biden's first post is reminiscent of his 2020 victory speech about the country's division and current "infliction point." The president immediately gained 2 million followers after posting.

The White House also debuted its own Threads account, reposting Biden with the caption "The wait is Joe-ver."

Other notable members of the executive branch also joined Meta's social media, including first lady Jill Biden and second gentleman Douglas Emhoff.

The White House's debut on Threads coincides with controversies on Elon Musk's X (formerly Twitter), although the White House said the accounts had been planned weeks ahead.

White House Spokesperson Robyn Patterson said the move is part of the government's commitment to "meeting people where they are."

The White House previously condemned Musk's endorsement of a "hideous" anti-Semitic conspiracy on X that "runs against our core values as Americans."

Also Read: US Government Will Still Work with Elon Musk Despite Criticism of Antisemitic Views

Pro-Nazi and Anti-Semitic Content on X

Musk and his platform have been under fire over the past few days for the rampant spread of Nazism and anti-Semitism on the site.

Several major brands have already paused their ad campaigns on X after their ads appeared next to pro-Nazi posts.

Other accounts, like Disney, have frozen their accounts on the platform following the controversy.

Several other notable figures have also announced their departure from X, stating plans to move to its rival social network, Threads.

Musk has since filed a lawsuit against Media Matters, the group that first published the report, for a "potential fraudulent activity."

Related Article: Disney's X Accounts Have Been Inactive After Advertising Exit

Influx in Threads Active Users

On the other end of the stick, Meta's Threads has been experiencing an increase in the number of users over the past few days.

The transition of respected and notable figures on the platform is seen as additional proof of credibility for Mark Zuckerberg's later social network project.

Recent data shows Threads have over 136 million users on social media.

The social media platform has since introduced new updates to Threads to appeal to a larger audience.
21 November 2023 16:47 (UTC+04:00)

Representatives of the Defence Institution Building School of the Republic of Georgia and the participants of the Defence and Security Strategic Program attended the Military Administration Institute of the National Defence University, Azernews reports.

The guests were presented with a briefing on the history of the National Defence University, its educational system and teaching process, as well as scientific contributions.

The meeting with military education experts from Azerbaijan and Georgia discussed the current situation and development prospects of cooperation in the field of military education between the two countries, as well as a number of issues of mutual interest.

In the end, the sides exchanged presents, and a photo was taken.

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21 November 2023 17:41 (UTC+04:00)

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a letter of condolences to the family and close relatives of the former governor of Russia's Kemerovo region Aman Tuleyev.

It is with deep grief that I have received the news of the death of Aman Gumirovich Tuleyev, prominent statesman and politician of Russia.

Aman Tuleyev was a good friend of Azerbaijan. He made a valuable contribution to expansion of traditionally friendly ties between Azerbaijan and Russia, enhancement of the atmosphere of mutual understanding and trust between our peoples. He was awarded with Dostlug state order of the Republic of Azerbaijan for his special services to the development of the Azerbaijan-Russia friendly ties.

Aman Tuleyevs attitude to cherished memory of our National Leader Heydar Aliyev has always been highly appreciated in Azerbaijan.

Good memory of Aman Gumirovich Tuleyev will remain in our hearts forever.

I share your pain over this grievous loss and express my sincere condolences.

Ilham Aliyev

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Baku, 21 November 2023

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21 November 2023 17:57 (UTC+04:00)

The V Conference of Ministers of Labor of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member Countries has started its work in the Baku Congress Center. A preparatory meeting for the ministerial session of the conference is being held, citing to Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population , Azernews reports.

It is reported that the meeting began with the reading of verses from the Holy Quran.

The Chairman of the IV Conference of Ministers of Labor of the OIC member countries, a representative of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, opening the meeting with an opening speech, noted the importance of the conference from the point of view of developing relations between the member countries.

Then, based on the voting results, the chairmanship at the V Conference of the Ministers of Labor of the OIC member countries was transferred to the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Anar Karimov, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of Azerbaijan, chairman of the conference, thanked the participants for their trust and wished the conference work.

He emphasized the special importance of conferences of labor ministers of OIC member countries in expanding ties between Islamic countries in the fields of labor, employment and social protection, and also noted that the current conference is aimed at further progress in this direction. The Deputy Minister informed participants that the OIC member countries are among the leading countries in the world in terms of the number of youth and ensuring youth employment in these countries is one of the main directions of the policies they implement.

A. Karimov noted the special importance of human capital development, capacity-building, digital development, and the widespread use of high technologies in eliminating unemployment, and said that these topics may be relevant for the current conference.

Ahmed Sengendo, Deputy Secretary General of the OIC for Economic Affairs, had a speech at the meeting. Then, during the first working session, the agenda and program of the meeting were adopted. Presentations and discussions were held regarding the conference resolutions and the implementation of the OIC strategy in the labor market.

Within the framework of the meeting, a preparatory meeting for the opening of the session of the General Assembly of the OIC Labor Center will also be held on Tuesday;

The Chairman and Vice-Chairmen of the General Assembly, the Chairman and Vice-Chairmen of the Labor Center Management Council, members of the Council, and the General Director of the OIC Labor Center will be elected.

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21 November 2023 20:21 (UTC+04:00)

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It is unreasonable and unfair to call the migration of Armenian residents of Azerbaijan's Garabagh to Armenia a forced migration.

Azernews informs that Aykhan Hajizadeh, head of the press service department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said this in response to USAID Director Samantha Power's post on the "X" platform.

Yet another demonstration of double standards, selective approach & unfair treatment against #Azerbaijan: 



1 An attempt to present the migration of Armenian residents from Garabagh region of #Azerbaijan to #Armenia as a forced movement is baseless and unjust.



 https://t.co/aEXskhA7fV  Aykhan Hajizada (@Aykhanh) November 21, 2023

He noted that during the nearly 30 years that the Armenian armed forces occupied the territories of Azerbaijan, Power did not voice any opinion against Armenia, on the contrary, even in the post-conflict stage, it made statements contrary to international law and Armenia's obligations.

Aykhan Hajizade reminded that during Samantha Power's visit to the region, she met with Armenians who had migrated to Armenia, but the next day she refused to meet with Azerbaijani refugees and IDPs who were deprived of their fundamental rights as a result of Armenia's aggression.

He emphasized that during the nearly 30-year occupation, there was not a single visit at the level of the USAID leadership to learn about the difficult situation faced by Azerbaijani refugees and internally displaced persons, whose number is 10 times greater.

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21 November 2023 08:00 (UTC+04:00)

The Global Food Security Summit kicked off in the British capital on Tuesday with the attendance of representatives from more than 20 countries, Azernews reports, citing Anadolu Agency.

Focusing on international attention on the deepening global food security crisis, the event, co-hosted by the UK, the UAE, and Somalia, also discusses ways to boost efforts to achieve zero hunger and end malnutrition.

Launching the summit, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak highlighted the importance of using all the expertise and tools to help people "now and for the long term."

"With your help, we can get the Sustainable Development Goals back on track, deliver a world of Zero Hunger and transform millions of lives for years to come," he noted.

He said taking action is necessary to address the underlying and often unseen causes of global food insecurity.

Earlier, International Development Minister Andrew Mitchell stated that cutting-edge science and innovative partnerships will help to create a healthier, more secure, and prosperous world for all.

"Today we will launch the UK International Development White Paper, setting out our long-term vision for addressing critical global challenges, including preventing and treating child wasting, through new partnerships and sources of finance," he noted.

In a statement on the summit, the UK Foreign Office said Monday that up to 100 million (nearly $125 million) humanitarian funding is being released to countries worst hit by food insecurity, including Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan and Afghanistan, and to countries reeling from climate-related cyclones and droughts, like Malawi.

"The UK is also helping to avert future food and nutrition crises in Somalia by building resilience to climate shocks and strengthening health services," it added.

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21 November 2023 09:00 (UTC+04:00)

Trade turnover between Russia and China will amount to more than $200 billion by the end of 2023, and by 2030 this figure could reach $300 billion, Russias First Deputy Prime Minister Andrey Belousov said on Monday, Azernews reports, citing TASS.

"According to our estimates, by the end of the year we will overcome the level of $200 billion, which we planned to reach only in 2024. By 2030, this figure will certainly reach the $300 billion mark," he said at a meeting of the intergovernmental Russian-Chinese commission on investment cooperation, which is underway in Beijing.

The First Deputy Prime Minister pointed to noticeable progress in trade in metallurgy, chemicals, food, equipment and vehicles between the two countries.

"The framework of investment cooperation between Russia and China is expanding. New joint investment projects are being launched in priority sectors. In the automotive industry, mining and gas chemical industries, agriculture, logistics, IT sector and others," he said.
21 November 2023 18:17 (UTC+04:00)

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The Indian Air Force has put two military fighter jets in the air to search for a UFO sighted near the Imphal airport, Azernews reports.

The UFO sighting caused disruptions to commercial flights. The aircraft made a low-level flight over the suspected area but did not detect anything. Agencies are ascertaining details based on video footage taken at the scene. An air defence mechanism has been activated.

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21 November 2023 21:40 (UTC+04:00)

The cost of supplies of Turkmen natural gas to China for ten months of the year amounted to $8.07 billion. Among the states exporting pipeline gas to China, Turkmenistan still ranks first, Azernews reports, citing Central Asia Light.

In second place is Russia, which increased its year-on-year shipments by 73%, reaching a value of $5.36 billion, followed by Myanmar ($1.23 billion), Kazakhstan ($1.08 billion) and Uzbekistan ($454.44 million). This data is provided by the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China.

The physical volume of imports of the specified energy carrier is not given in the departments online system.

According to the State Statistics Administration of the People's Republic of China, China imported 96.51 million tons of natural gas in January-October 2023 - 8.8% more than in the same period in 2022.

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Artist embarks on world tour in Asia, Europe

By Pyo Kyung-min

Korean composer-pianist Yiruma is gearing up for his 2024 Yiruma World Tour, set to commence next month with the first performances taking place in Australia.

On Monday's press conference held to share Yiruma's sentiments about the upcoming tour, he surprised the audience with a piano rendition of his latest composition, "La Bianca Primavera." "It's a song inspired by winter scenes, capturing the anticipation of spring days that we all look forward to," he said.

Feeling a sense of "burden, excitement and expectation," the 45-year-old artist opened up about his nervousness, a sentiment rooted in his early days as a performer.

"I've always experienced nervousness before performances. When I was young, stage fright would sometimes lead me to blank out during concerts," he said. "I've never seen myself as a performer ... I just thought I was the one who could express my songs better than other pianists, and that has brought me here. I hope to showcase something to people as a composer."

Embarking from the Sydney Opera House performance on Dec. 3, the tour is set to span Asia, with stops in Korea, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan. The tour will also include New Zealand, France, the U.K. and Germany.

In just three weeks since ticket reservations started, the performances at Australia's Sydney Opera House and Brisbane, as well as in Hong Kong and Taipei, were completely sold out.

The composer's global appeal, with more than 80 percent of audiences at overseas performances being local, is attributed to the accessibility of his music. His repertoire resonates with diverse audiences with popular yet not overly complex compositions like his signature piece, "River Flows in You."

"Now, with the evolution of the internet, foreigners frequently listen to and cover my songs. I believe my representative songs are approachable, and the curiosity about how the composer of these songs performs live has grown as many amateurs have played and gained popularity," he explained.

Throughout the tour, Yiruma is set to showcase songs from his new album "Non e la fine" with additional cello. Widely-loved hits like "Kiss the Rain" will also be presented in new orchestral arrangements.

Describing his performance as a memory trip, Yiruma hopes the audience will revisit memories connected to his music during upcoming shows.

"I always express that, during my performances, the fulfillment of my music occurs by merging with the audience's memories. I hope my music serves as a soundtrack to people's lives, evoking moments and feelings whenever they encounter it elsewhere," he said.

"I aspire for my music to be omnipresent, just like the air we breathe. The idea of my music becoming the background track to someone else's life brings me sheer joy," he added.
This post appears here courtesy of the Carolina Journal . The author of this post is Grant Lefelar In the Pines, a John Locke Foundation-produced short film based on the 1898 insurrection that toppled Wilmington's elected local government, recently won Best Film and two other awards at the Golden Hour Film Festival in Morganton.In addition to Best Film, Pandora Broadwater won Best Actress for her role as an older version of protagonist Scarlett Manning and John Potvin won Best Actor for his portrayal of Sam Murray. All three awards are from thecategory, the festival's highest level of competition.In the Pines' producer and co-writer Greg de Deugd, who is also Locke's Creative Director, accepted the honor for Best Film, telling Carolina Journal,Raleigh-based actress Pandora Broadwater told Carolina Journal she wasof winning Best Actress.said Broadwater.Best Actor winner John Potvin also told Carolina Journal,The film received runner-up positions in two other categories: Best Editing for Dugan Bridges and Samantha Torres, and Best Cinematography for Bryan Redding.Hosted by Western Piedmont Community College, the 2023 edition of the Golden Hour Film Festival marks the festival's third year of operation. For this year's festival, filmmakers from across the country entered 20 films for screening. All films entered must be 25 minutes or less in length.said Julie Whitis Church, the festival's founder and organizer.In the Pines has previously entered a dozen domestic and international film festivals, winning awards and gaining nominations in seven of them.In the Pines focuses on Scarlett Manning, portrayed as her older self by Pandora Broadwater and younger by Amara Ayler. In the film, Manning, the daughter of a black newspaper owner in Wilmington, recounts the events of the 1898 Wilmington coup to a documentary crew in the 1960s.According to the North Carolina History Project, white supremacists within the state's Democratic Party planned the coup as a reaction to the electoral success of the Republican and Populist parties. From 1894 to 1900, both parties ran on joint tickets against the Democrats, becoming known asFusionists won the state's governor's office in 1896, with Daniel Lindsay Russell becoming N.C.'s first elected GOP governor since 1872.Fusionists gathered significant support from Wilmington's prominent black population, who accounted for most of the population and economic activity in what was then-N.C.'s largest city. By 1898, Wilmington Fusionists consisted of black and white leaders and held positions of power, including the city's mayorship.In response to African-Americans gaining political influence, N.C. Democrats, led primarily by then-future Governor Charles Aycock, organized aaimed at suppressing the Fusionist political base while galvanizing white voters. The campaign culminated in a violent assault on Wilmington's black population around the time of the city's 1898 local election.Racist paramilitary groups, such as the Red Shirts and the Wilmington Light Infantry, attacked black residents and businesses, including the city's black-owned newspaper, on November 10, 1898. Some estimates report that over 300 died in the violence that transpired.Following the massacre, Democratic politicians took over Wilmington as thousands of the city's black population and Fusionist leaders fled.In the direct aftermath, Raleigh's News and Observer newspaper and Democratic leaders characterized the events as aplacing blame squarely on African-Americans. Only by the early 1990s did the violence's true character begin to be widely accepted and adopted as part of N.C.'s de facto historical record.According to de Deugd, In the Pines examines the historical telling of the Wilmington coup.said de Deugd.In the Pines is set to screen at 10 other film festivals throughout the rest of 2023. The film will next compete virtually at both the Pupila Film Festival in Olinda, Brazil, and the Southern Shorts Awards in Roswell, Georgia at the end of August. The next screening in North Carolina is September 2 at the Foothills Film Festival in Shelby.
Lib Campbell: Above

New House Speaker Mike Johnson, speaking to the press after the horrific shooting in Lewiston, Maine said,Then he walked away from the reporters, leaving much unanswered. Like questions of what in the world are you going to do to stop gun violence in America? Do you have any ideas for addressing this problem?Robert R. Card, age 40, walked into the bowling alley carrying a loaded assault weapon. He walked as if he were on the streets of Fallujah. He knew what he was doing; he knew how to use the weapon. He trained others on the use of assault weapons. With what we are learning about the killer, it seems there were red flags and indicators that should have alerted police to bringing Mr. Card in at least for questioning.Congress Republicans go to mental health issues as the cause of mass killings. The Lewiston killer was known to have mental health issues. It was known that he had issued a threat to commit mass murder. There was at least one person who denied him a silencer because of the mental health issue. But others who knew did not stop him.I remember in the Sandy Hook shooting, the young killer there was known to be suffering mental health problems. Nobody stopped him either.There are several problems I see in what is happening now. There are people who see the mental pressures, hear the threats, know about gun and ammo purchases, yet find timidity in calling it out, stepping out to stop the killing. Are we afraid of being tattletales, or brought in as witnesses, finding life upended for speaking truth? Isn't a little blip in our own lives worth the 18 lives lost in Lewiston? We can tick through the death numbers at Sandy Hook, Pulse, Uvalde, Marjory Stone Douglas, Columbine, and all the others. Soon we might not be able to count them all. It's shocking that every day in America 24 people are killed with guns.A lot of the deaths are children. Over 1400 children have died because of gun violence so far this year. Gun violence is the number one killer of children in the US. We say we love children, but our inaction in controlling the number of high-powered weapons on the streets of America belies that claim.It's time, Mike, not to walk away from the problem. Many of you may be beholding to the NRA and other gun-toting PACs, but you cannot hide from the fact that there are too many guns circulating in our country. Yes, there are mental health problems to address. Yes, there are lapses in communication and judgment in warning authorities of a suspected killer. But the number of guns across America is exponentially higher than any other country on the planet.Before you begin to type your accusation of my being against the Second Amendment, think about how the hyper-extended authority of that amendment is wreaking havoc, bringing cruel death to so many. I can't believe our founders could have envisioned how we would have so distorted the idea of a militia to protect us, to becoming a country extremely lax in gun control. The innocents are being mown down like grass. You can't drop the mic on that one, Mike.The Federal Assault Weapons Ban, signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1994, expired in 2004. It is estimated that deaths by assault weapons dropped by 20 percent during those years. Our Congress has not been able to pass an Assault Weapons ban since then.But a ban is not the only thing that works. Already there are laws for background checks and red flag laws. These laws are unevenly practiced among different gun sellers and states. Information sharing seems to be a roadblock.Gun violence is a problem we cannot walk away from. We lose part of our future in every death. It is folly to think guns are ever a solution to gun violence.
A case from the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals issued Monday (11-20-23) could have a terrific impact on American politics. The case is so important it is likely the U. S. Supreme Court will hear an appeal. While the 8th Circuit ruling does not directly affect North Carolina, it could portend a change in the Sue Till Blue tactics used on our state in redistricting cases in recent years. That remains to be seen but the case is instructive.

Zach Montellaro, writing at Politico.com breaks it down for us:

A federal appeals court issued a ruling Monday that could gut the Voting Rights Act, saying only the federal government  not private citizens or civil rights groups  is allowed to sue under a key section of the landmark civil rights law.

The decision out of the 8th Circuit will almost certainly be appealed and is likely headed to the Supreme Court. Should it stand, it would mark a dramatic rollback of the enforcement of the law that led to increased minority power and representation in American politics.

The appellate court ruled that there is no private right of action for Section 2 of the law  which prohibits voting practices that discriminate on the basis of race.

That, in practice, would severely limit the scope of the protections of Section 2. On paper, those protections are themselves unchanged by the ruling. But for decades, private parties  including civil rights groups, individual voters and political parties  have brought Section 2 challenges on everything from redistricting to voter ID requirements.

After reviewing the text, history, and structure of the Voting Rights Act, the district court concluded that private parties cannot enforce Section 2, the judges wrote. The enforcement power belonged solely to the Attorney General of the United States.

The majority opinion from the three-judge panel of the St. Louis-based 8th Circuit was authored by Judge David Stras  an appointee of Donald Trump  and joined by Judge Raymond Gruender, a George W. Bush appointee. Chief Judge Lavenski Smith, another Bush appointee, dissented.

The ruling has put the Voting Rights Act in jeopardy, and is very cavalierly tossing aside critical protections that voters have very much fought and died for, said Sophia Lin Lakin, the director of the ACLUs Voting Rights Project, who argued the case in front of the appellate court.

The decision originates in a racial gerrymandering case out of Arkansas, where the state chapter of the NAACP and others alleged that the states legislative districts violated the Voting Rights Act by diluting the voting power of Black voters. A lower-court judge, also a Trump appointee, ruled in early 2022 that he couldnt decide the case on its merits because he found there was no private right of action  that, effectively, they had no right to bring the lawsuit. On Monday, the circuit court affirmed that finding.

The 8th Circuit covers Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Missouri, and Arkansas. Appeals courts covering other states have proactively found a private right of action, with the circuit split making it very likely the Supreme Court will weigh in.

At least two Supreme Court justices have signaled an openness to the argument that non-governmental groups have no role in demanding enforcement of the Voting Rights Act.

In a 2021 ruling that made it harder to win on Section 2 claims, Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in a concurring opinion that the court was explicitly not ruling on whether a private right exists.

Our cases have assumed  without deciding  that the Voting Rights Act of 1965 furnishes that right, he wrote. Lower courts have treated this as an open question. Justice Clarence Thomas concurred with Gorsuchs opinion at the time.

A decision to bar private challenges under the Voting Rights Act would reverse decades of legal practice. Outside groups have repeatedly brought successful Section 2 challenges, and litigate alleged violations of the law far more frequently than the federal government does.

Were talking orders of magnitude of a difference in terms of enforcement of these rights, Lakin said.

In a statement, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin, a Republican, celebrated the ruling.

For far too long, courts across the country have allowed political activists to file meritless lawsuits seeking to seize control of how states conduct elections and redistricting, he said. This decision confirms that enforcement of the Voting Rights Act should be handled by politically accountable officials and not by outside special interest groups.

While the Department of Justice can  and under President Joe Biden, increasingly has  brought Section 2 challenges, private groups have been the main drivers of these lawsuits.

Its hard to overstate how important and detrimental this decision would be if allowed to stand, Rick Hasen, a prominent election law expert at UCLA Law School, wrote on Monday. If minority voters are going to continue to elect representatives of their choice, they are going to need private attorneys to bring those suits.

Most recently, the Supreme Court sided this summer with a group of civil rights groups and individual voters who argued that Alabamas congressional maps likely violated the Voting Rights Act  which led to the court-ordered creation of an additional majority-Black district next year. Thomas pointedly noted in his dissent in that case that the court had not addressed the private right of action question.

Other federal courts have also recently considered  and rejected  the argument that Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act does not have a private right of action. A ruling out of the 5th Circuit this month in a fight over Louisianas congressional lines noted that there has not been frequent need in the circuit courts to analyze the issue of a private right of action.

The court there wrote that the Supreme Court has at times expressly noted the ability of private parties to bring lawsuits, and other circuits have found that that right exists explicitly. The 5th Circuit judges ultimately held that a private right exists.

The immediate next step following Mondays ruling was not immediately clear. Legal experts expect the case to end up in front of the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court could choose to hear an appeal directly, or the entirety of the 8th Circuit could weigh in on the case first. Lakin, the ACLU attorney, said early Monday afternoon that the challengers had not yet decided our next step of actions. But, she noted, the recent circuit split makes her believe the Supreme Court will be interested in taking up the case.
By Yoon Ja-young

Mirae Asset Global Investments, which has grown into the 9th biggest asset manager in India, is expected to continue its remarkable growth this year.

After establishing a corporation in Mumbai in 2006, Mirae Asset started business in India in 2008 by launching its first fund there.

Despite being an attractive emerging market comparable to China, foreign companies have found India tricky due to its complex tax system and regulations.

While most foreign asset managers withdrew from India after the global financial crisis, Mirae Asset, which is currently India's only independent foreign asset manager, focused on localization and making proactive investments.

Marking its 15th anniversary in India this year, Mirae Asset is now the 9th largest asset manager in the country, managing around 24 trillion won ($18.5 billion).

Led by Mirae Asset Financial Group Chairman Park Hyun-Joo, who is also the Global Strategy Officer, Mirae Asset actively competes across diverse markets overseas through a global network, rather than confining itself to the domestic market.

Among them, India stands as one of the countries that Mirae Asset is especially focused on. Recently, the group promoted Swarup Mohanty, who leads Mirae Asset Investment Managers in India, to vice chairman. He is the first foreign national to be a vice chairman in the history of Mirae Asset.

Mirae Asset is focused on India for its growth potential. Citing the significant share of young people among its 1.4 billion population and its status as an IT powerhouse, economists expect the country to make a quantum leap.

At the 15th anniversary celebration for its Indian business early this year, Mirae Asset Financial Group Chairman Park Hyun-joo said Indians fervor for education and high self-esteem as well as its world-class universities and prevalence of English make it a country with infinite growth potential, and vowed that the asset manager will grow together with India.

The asset managers Indian corporation recorded a cumulative net profit of 35 billion won in the third quarter of this year, close to the total of the previous year's record of 37.1 billion won.

In contrast to most other players facing stagnation in global markets, Mirae Asset has shown rapid growth in India, with its net profit surging from a mere 14.1 billion won in 2019 to 15.5 billion won in 2020, 24 billion won in 2021 and 37.1 billion won in 2022.

Mirae Asset is expanding its areas of business in India, to encompass not only fund management and advisory services but also nonbanking financial companies lending to real estate and corporate entities, venture capital investing in Indian startups and asset management services for the affluent. Recently, it also established Mirae Asset Global Indices as an in-house index company in India.

In line with the rapid growth of the wealth management market in India, Mirae Asset established a branch in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, becoming the first Korean asset manager to enter the Middle East. With Indians accounting for around 35 percent of its population, Dubai has a substantial demand for investments in Indian local funds.

The asset manager in India has 24 trillion won custody assets and 5.5 million accounts as of the end of September, which shows the rapid growth of the wealth management business there.

After entering the Indian market with a capital of 50 billion won, we stood by India despite financial crisis that led all overseas asset managers to withdraw and grew into a comprehensive financial company, a Mirae Asset spokesperson said.

Since India's growth story is still ongoing, we will focus on creating and developing new business areas, he added.
Here are seven updates on Walmart's healthcare division reported by Becker's since Oct. 3:

1. Walmart's CEO, Douglas McMillon, was ranked 19th on As You Sow's 10th report on "overpaid" CEOs among the S&P 500. He earns $25.31 million each year, with a CEO-to-worker pay ratio of 933-to-1.

2. A consumer sued Global Pharma Healthcare, claiming that its recalled product, EzriCare Artificial Tears, caused an infection in her eye that led to countless medical appointments, multiple surgeries and an eight-day hospital stay. The eyedrops were recalled earlier this year following reports of a rare strain of bacteria that can cause infection, eye loss and even patient death. The drops have since been linked to four patient deaths, four patient eyeball removals, and 14 patients who have suffered permanent vision loss. The lawsuit also names Walmart, Amazon, EzriCare and Aru Pharma as defendants.

3. Orlando (Fla.) Health became Walmart's first health system partner to provide patients with care not offered at the retailer's clinics. Orlando Health and Walmart Health will work together to coordinate care for the retail giant's patients who are admitted to the health system's hospitals or need specialty care.

4. Walmart plans to extend its healthcare coverage across the nation by offering employees the option to access the support of a doula. The program aims to combat healthcare disparities based on race and enhance the well-being of its employees and their infants during pregnancy and childbirth, particularly in regions where healthcare access may be constrained.

5. The company expanded its virtual primary care options for its employees nationwide through a partnership with Included Health.

6. Walmart said it is experiencing less food demand from individuals taking GLP-1s such as Ozempic or Wegovy.

7. The company revised requirements for many jobs, including some at the corporate level, eliminating the need for a college degree. It said it considers college degrees unnecessary for the positions.
Here are three healthcare stories from the last week that ASC leaders should know:

Tenet sells 3 hospitals for $2.4 billion

Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare, parent company of the country's largest ASC chain, United Surgical Partners International, inked a deal to sell three hospitals in South Carolina to Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Novant Health for $2.4 billion. The acquisition includes Coastal Carolina Hospital in Hardeeville, Hilton Head Hospital in Hilton Head Island and East Cooper Medical Center in Mount Pleasant.

Tenet's ASCs in the market will remain operated by USPI. Under the agreement, Novant and USPI will also enhance their ASC partnership to increase access to care. The transaction is expected to be complete in the first quarter of 2024, subject to regulatory approvals.

USPI is a major focus for Dallas-based Tenet's growth. The company said at the beginning of the year it would invest approximately $250 million annually into its ASC business.

FTC sues to block Tenet's hospital sale

Tenet also made headlines after the Federal Trade Commission sued to block its $142.5 million sale of San Ramon (Calif.) Regional Medical Center to John Muir Health.

The FTC alleges the deal would drive up healthcare costs and would eliminate competition between John Muir and San Ramon Regional.

John Muir Health, which has held a 49 percent stake in the hospital since 2013, would acquire the remaining 51 percent interest from Tenet under the proposed deal.

California hospital closes maternity ward

ASCs have been eyeing the growing list of hospitals closing or cutting service lines as it could be an opportunity for growth. Most recently, Southwest Healthcare's Palmdale (Calif.) Regional Medical Center suspended maternity services and laid off 87 employees.

The 184-bed hospital cited lower-than-expected patient volumes, which resulted in the Oct. 30 closure, and plans to convert it into a medical-surgical unit.
Last week, Salem (Mass.) Hospital issued a warning letter to 450 endoscopy patients notifying them of a potential exposure to HIV and hepatitis due to incorrectly administered IVs. Now, a class-action lawsuit has been filed against the hospital, Somerville, Mass.-based Mass General Brigham and 10 hospital employees, according to a Nov. 20 report from USA Today.

The eight-page complaint was filed on Nov. 17 on behalf of patient Melinda Cashman, who the suit claims was exposed to infection. Ms. Cashman is one of hundreds of patients potentially exposed between June 2021 and April 2023.

The suit cites negligence by the hospital and its employees and says Ms. Cashman suffered permanent injuries, anxiety, emotional distress and decreased quality of life due to the reported exposure.

Salem Hospital said in a statement that the infection risk is "extremely small" and so far, no infections have been reported.

All patients who were exposed have been notified and the hospital has set up a hotline for patient questions and concerns.

The infected patients "had to face the possibility of a life-changing condition because of the hospital's carelessness," Jonathan Sweet, Ms. Cashman's attorney, said in a statement. "Our client deserves to have someone take responsibility for years of negligence."

The lawsuit is seeking a jury trial.
A West Virginia hospital is rebutting social media claims that employees walked out en masse, WTOV reported Nov. 20.

Wheeling, W.Va.-based Orchard Park Hospital, a 30-bed psychiatric hospital, said in a statement to the news outlet that "information referring to a small number of employees leaving the facility has given an inaccurate impression." Three nurses resigned, but 10 staffers remain, the Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register reported Nov. 18.

The hospital said, however, that it will not take on new patient referrals until after the holiday season to "ensure that current staff are able to take their planned vacations at this time," according to WTOV. Orchard Park opened in September.
PeaceHealth will pay up to $13.4 million to more than 15,000 low-income patients of its five Western Washington hospitals as part of an agreement with the state attorney general regarding charity care.

Attorney General Bob Ferguson and the Vancouver, Wash.-based health system announced the settlement Nov. 20 after Mr. Ferguson's office investigated PeaceHealth's financial assistance and collection practices. A news release from Mr. Ferguson's office said the investigation, which launched in 2020, found that the health system billed thousands of low-income patients who likely were eligible for financial assistance without informing them that they qualified.

PeaceHealth, in a separate news release shared with Becker's, said it cooperated with the probe by providing tens of thousands of documents and supplying evidence that it did everything required by law  and more  to inform its patients about the availability of financial assistance.

"PeaceHealth is committed to identifying every single person who can benefit from charity care," PeaceHealth general counsel Tom Karnes said in the release. "We welcome this opportunity to continue to lead the way in charity care, providing physical and financial healing to the most vulnerable in our communities."

Mr. Ferguson said: "I appreciate PeaceHealth's cooperation in reaching this resolution that fully refunds Washingtonians for millions of dollars in medical payments, plus interest, without the need for litigation. Washington's hospital financial assistance law helps working families avoid crushing medical debt by making help available to those who qualify."

PeaceHealth said it has awarded $258 million in charity care to 66,338 patients since 2018  including $83 million to 25,000 patients without income verification. According to a consent decree, filed Nov. 20 in Whatcom County Superior Court, PeaceHealth will pay approximately $4.2 million in direct refunds  including more than $400,000 in interest  to reimburse approximately 4,000 patients who the health system said did not apply for assistance or respond to outreach.

Mr. Ferguson's office said this represents full restitution, plus interest, for affected patients at PeaceHealth hospitals in Bellingham, Friday Harbor, Longview, Sedro-Woolley and Vancouver. The average payment to these individuals will be more than $900. Eight people will receive more than $10,000. Nearly 50 will see refunds of more than $5,000.

Mr. Ferguson's office said PeaceHealth is also required to refund up to an additional $9.2 million  including more than $900,000 interest  through a claims process to approximately 11,000 patients "who were also likely eligible for help on their medical bills. If they file claims, these 11,000 patients will receive full restitution plus interest. Qualifying patients will receive a letter from the attorney general's office informing them of the resolution and refund process."

PeaceHealth said patients are eligible for receiving free or discounted care if they earn 400% of the federal poverty level and that it supported a 2020 change to state law making more patients eligible for assistance.

"PeaceHealth's mission is healing, not profit. Our programs have a demonstrated record of providing industry-leading free or discounted care to those in need  not maximizing collections," Chief Financial and Growth Officer Darrin Montalvo said in the health system's release. "Regardless of their financial circumstances, each patient who comes to us seeking care is experiencing a vulnerable moment in their life and needs healing. We hold each healing opportunity as sacred, so our commitment to financial healing closely aligns with our mission."

PeaceHealth said it will build on its previous charity care efforts by enhancing how it screens patients for financial assistance for hospital-based services. It also said that, in addition to the patient refunds, it will pay $2 million to Mr. Ferguson's office in costs and attorney fees.



Mr. Karnes added, "Rather than expending time and resources on litigation, we entered into an agreement so that we can continue with our healing mission and commitment to health justice."
Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist said several leadership transitions are in the works at some of its community hospitals as it is developing a new, streamlined leadership model across the facilities.

As part of the restructuring, Chad Brown, president of Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Davie Medical Center in Bermuda Run, N.C., and Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Wilkes Medical Center in North Wilkesboro, N.C., will serve as president of Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist's South and West areas, according to a Nov. 17 news release. Mr. Brown will have executive oversight of Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Lexington (N.C.) Medical Center and Wilkes Medical Center. He became president of Davie Medical Center in 2014. In 2019, his role expanded when he also became president of Wilkes Medical Center.

Cathleen Wheatley, president of Winston-Salem-based Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, will have executive oversight over Davie Medical Center as part of its transition to become a campus of North Carolina Baptist Hospital, now known as Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, according to the release.

Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist also announced that Bill James, who became president of Lexington Medical Center in 2014, will step down from the position as part of the restructuring.

"This new leadership structure will help refine our operating model by streamlining executive roles and allow us to better align our service lines in strategy, growth, quality, safety and experience," said David Zaas, MD, president of Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, said in the release.

Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist is part of Advocate Health, the nation's third-largest nonprofit health system, which was created through the combination of Atrium Health and Advocate Aurora Health.
Roper St. Francis Healthcare in Charleston, S.C., has named Megan Baker, MD, as its interim CEO weeks after its current CEO decided not to renew his contract.

Roper St. Francis President and CEO Jeffrey DiLisi, MD, opted against contract renewal for 2024, the health system's board told employees and physicians Oct. 11. Dr. DiLisi, an internist and the first physician to lead the four-hospital system, joined Roper St. Francis as CEO in 2020.

Dr. Baker, a breast cancer surgeon, will assume the interim president and CEO role Dec. 3 as the system continues a national search for its next full-time president and CEO. Dr. Baker joined Roper St. Francis Healthcare in 2015 after 10 years as medical director of comprehensive breast care at the Medical University of South Carolina's Hollings Cancer Center.
West Orange, N.J.-based RWJBarnabas Health has tapped Kathleen Jacobs as chief investment officer, effective Jan. 9.

Most recently, Ms. Jacobs held the same title at New York University in New York City, according to a Nov. 20 news release from the health system. She has a background in healthcare, serving as a managing director of the office of investments at New York City-based NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital prior to her time at NYU.

In her new position, Ms. Jacobs will oversee investment strategy for RWJBarnabas Health by formulating a strategic vision for its portfolios. The system's long term investment portfolio, short term capital reserve portfolio, foundation portfolio and endowments, and ERISA Plan assets are all within her scope.
On Nov. 15, As You Sow issued its 10th report on "overpaid" CEOs among the S&P 500.

The nonprofit shareholder advocacy group analyzes CEO pay compared to total shareholder return to calculate excess pay; ranks the percentage of shares that voted against the CEO pay package; and identifies the ratio of CEO pay to that of the median employee. The latest report from As You Sow built on a report the nonprofit released in February with new compensation data. It includes grant date pay, which values stock granted to a CEO as part of pay at its market price at the time the grant is awarded or announced.

The latest report from As You Sow included 15 "overpaid" CEOs leading large companies that intersect with healthcare.

Becker's has charted their careers from the early days at college to the high-paying helms of companies.

Safra Catz (Oracle)

Pay: $138.19 million

Ms. Catz has served as CEO of Oracle since 2014 and been a member of the company's board of directors for more than two decades.

She previously served as president of Oracle and has also served as CFO of the company.

She has served on The Walt Disney Co. board of directors since 2018.

Ms. Catz received a bachelor's degree from the Philadelphia-based Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and obtained her law degree at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.





Doug McMillon (Walmart)

Pay: $25.31 million

Mr. McMillon was named president and CEO of Walmart in 2014.

Before his current role, he was president and CEO of Walmart International, and he served as president and CEO of Sam's Club from 2005 to 2009.

Mr. McMillon serves on the boards of directors of Business Roundtable, the Consumer Goods Forum and the U.S.-China Business Council. He also is on the advisory board of the Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management in Beijing.

He earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville and a master's degree in business administration from the University of Tulsa (Okla.)

Ari Bousbib (IQVia Holdings)

Pay: $30.14 million

Mr. Bousbib has held his current role since October 2016 following the merger of Quintiles and IMS Health. Before the merger, he helmed IMS Health.

He previously held leadership jobs at United Technologies Corp., the parent company of Otis Elevator Co., Carrier Corp., UTC Power, UTC Fire & Security, Pratt & Whitney, Sikorsky Aircraft and Hamilton Sundstrand.

Mr. Bousbib previously served as partner at Booz Allen Hamilton, a global management and technology consulting firm.

He received an MBA from New York City-based Columbia University and a Master of Science degree in mathematics and mechanical engineering from Ecole Superieure des Travaux Publics in Paris.

Marc Casper (Thermo Fisher Scientific)

Pay: $28.21 million

Mr. Casper has served as president and CEO of Thermo Fisher Scientific since October 2009 and was elected chair of the company's board in 2020.

Following the merger creating Thermo Fisher Scientific in 2006, he held various roles at the company including executive vice president and president of its analytical technologies businesses. He became COO of Thermo Fisher Scientific in 2008.

Previously, Mr. Casper was president, CEO and a director of Kendro Laboratory Products. He also previously worked for clinical diagnostics provider Dade Behring.

Mr. Casper received an MBA with high distinction from Boston-based Harvard Business School and a bachelor's degree in economics from Middletown, Conn.-based Wesleyan University.

Joseph Hogan (Align Technology)

Pay: $18.68 million

Mr. Hogan has served as president, CEO, and a director of Align Technology since 2015.

Previously, he served as CEO of ABB, a Switzerland-based global power and automation technologies company.

He spent 25 years at General Electric in executive and management roles, including eight years as CEO of GE Healthcare.

Mr. Hogan earned an MBA from Moon Township, Pa.-based Robert Morris University and a bachelor's degree in business and economics from Beaver Falls, Pa.-based Geneva College.

Christopher Viehbacher (Biogen)

Pay: $30.49 million

Mr. Viehbacher has served as president and CEO of Biogen and a member of the company's board of directors since November 2022.

For six years, he served as global CEO of Sanofi, a global healthcare and pharmaceutical company.

Mr. Viehbacher and Ernesto Bertarelli co-founded Gurnet Point Capital, a Cambridge, Mass.-based healthcare investment fund.

Mr. Viehbacher graduated from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, and speaks three languages.

Karen Lynch (CVS Health)

Pay: $21.32 million

Ms. Lynch became president and CEO of CVS Health in 2021 after serving as its executive vice president and president of Aetna.

Before joining CVS Health, she held executive roles at Cigna and Magellan Health.

She began her career as a public accountant for Ernst & Young.

Ms. Lynch has a bachelor's in accounting from Boston College and an MBA from Boston University Questrom School of Business.

Rosalind Brewer (Walgreens Boots Alliance)

Pay: $17.29 million

Ms. Brewer served as CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance from March 2021 through September 2023, when she stepped down from the role citing a mutual decision with the retail chain's board.

Prior to her time at Walgreens, Ms. Brewer served in a number of high-profile roles, including COO and group president of Starbucks; president and CEO of Sam's Club; and president of Walmart's East division.

For 22 years, she worked at the manufacturing company Kimberly-Clark, which is responsible for brands such as Huggies and Kleenex. Eventually, she became president of the company's global nonwovens division.

Ms. Brewer has a bachelor's in chemistry from Atlanta-based Spelman College. She also attended the Director's College at Stanford (Calif.) University and Advanced Management Program at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

Charles Robbins (Cisco Systems)

Pay: $29.28 million

Mr. Robbins became CEO of Cisco in July 2015 and was elected chair of the board of directors in December 2017.

He has served the company for more than 20 years and held a number of leadership roles across the enterprise, including senior vice president of worldwide field operations; senior vice president of the Americas; and senior vice president of U.S. commercial sales.

Prior to joining Cisco, Mr. Robbins held positions at Bay Networks, a network hardware vendor that was acquired by Northern Telecom in 1998, and Ascend Communications, a communications equipment manufacturer that was purchased by Lucent Technologies in 1999.

He holds a bachelor's in mathematics with a computer science concentration from Chapel Hill-based University of North Carolina.

Ajei Gopal (Ansys)

Pay: $21.87 million

Mr. Gopal has led Ansys as president and CEO since 2017.

He was appointed to the company's board as an independent director in 2011 and was employed as president and COO in 2016.

Prior to joining Ansys, Mr. Gopal was an operating partner at the private equity technology investor Silver Lake. He previously held senior leadership roles at a number of software and technology companies, including Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Symantec and CA Technologies.

In 2000, Mr. Gopal co-founded the telecommunications company ReefEdge Networks, where he served as CEO and a member of the board of directors.

He began his career at IBM, working in the research and software groups between 1991 and 2000.

Mr. Gopal holds a bachelor's in mechanical engineering from the Mumbai, India-based Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, and a PhD in computer science from Ithaca, N.Y.-based Cornell University.

Joseph Zubretsky (Molina Healthcare)

Pay: $22.13 million

Mr. Zubretsky had more than 35 years of experience when he took the helm at Molina Healthcare. He previously served as president and CEO of the Hanover Insurance Group.

Earlier in his career, he joined Aetna as chief financial officer and held the role for six years. He was promoted to other positions within the enterprise, including CEO of its Healthagen Holdings subsidiary and senior executive vice president of its largest flagship business unit.

Mr. Zubretsky began his career at Coopers & Lybrand, eventually becoming a partner of its national insurance practice. He moved on to hold two executive vice presidencies with separate insurance companies and become a partner of a global private equity firm.

He earned his bachelor's in business administration from the University of Hartford (Conn.).

David Cordani (Cigna)

Pay: $20.97 million

Mr. Cordani became chair and CEO of Cigna in 2009.

He had served the Cigna Group since 1991, holding various regional leadership positions including president of Cigna Healthcare and controller for the Cigna Group. In 2008, he was promoted to the Cigna Group's president and chief operating officer.

Before joining Cigna, Mr. Cordani was a senior auditor for Coopers & Lybrand.

He received a bachelor's degree in business administration from College Station-based Texas A&M University and an MBA from the University of Hartford.

Robert Ford (Abbott Laboratories)

Pay: $21.72 million

Mr. Ford was named CEO of Abbott Laboratories in 2020 after serving as president and chief operating officer since 2018. In December 2021, he was named chair of the board in addition to the CEO title.

He began his career with Abbott in the diabetes care business, eventually becoming executive vice president of medical devices and leading the company's diabetes care, cardiovascular and neuromodulation businesses. In 2017, Mr. Ford led Abbott's integration of St. Jude Medical  its largest acquisition at the time.

He holds a bachelor's degree from Boston College and an MBA from UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business.

Richard Gonzalez (AbbVie)

Pay: $26.29 million

Mr. Gonzalez assumed the top role at AbbVie in 2013.

He served Abbott Laboratories for 30 years holding multiple top leadership roles in its medical products businesses  before the company separated from Abbvie in January 2013.

Between 2002 and 2007, his credentials were misstated on Abbott Laboratories regulatory filings; he is not known to hold a university degree. In 2007, he briefly retired from his role as chief operating officer of Abbott Laboratories.

Mr. Gonzalez attended the University of Houston from 1972 to 1973, but was not granted a degree for his program in biochemistry. He was also a research biochemist at the University of Miami School of Medicine.

Michael Goettler (Viatris)

Pay: $14.67 million
Experts are warning clinicians and hospitals in the U.S. to prepare to see increased cases of dengue  a tropical, mosquito-borne disease. In the last month alone, two rare, locally-acquired cases popped up in California.

The illness is carried by the Aedes aegypti species, which traditionally has lived in tropical climates like Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Pacific Islands, Caribbean, Puerto Rico, Central and South America and Southeast Asia.

Only a quarter of cases are symptomatic, according to the CDC, but 5% turn into severe dengue, which is life-threatening. The disease is sometimes called "break-bone fever" due to the excruciating pain it can cause.

Right now, across the globe, Bangladesh is seeing the worst dengue outbreak in its history, according to CNN. As of Nov. 20 there were 301,255 confirmed cases with 1,549 deaths caused by dengue this year, NDTV World reported.

For cases in the U.S., travel-acquired dengue infections are much more common than locally acquired cases. But environmental factors continue to warm temperatures in the U.S. making habitats more friendly to the mosquitos.

According to the CDC, to date, most outbreaks in the nation have been small-scale. In addition to the two cases in California, other states that have experienced local spread of the infection in recent years include Texas, Florida, Hawaii and Arizona.

But are U.S. hospitals prepared for a Bangladesh-sized tropical disease outbreak? Could something of that magnitude even occur in the U.S.?

Duane Gubler, ScD, emeritus professor and founding director of the Signature Research Program in Emerging Infectious Diseases at the Duke-NUS Medical School, told Becker's as long as we continue to live with proper infrastructure like insulated houses, windows with screens and air conditioning that it's not likely to become as much of an issue in the U.S. as it could in less well-resourced countries.

It is also not the first time the U.S. has seen cases of dengue, and he said there isn't reason to panic, emphasizing that "the mosquitoes have always been there, and what has happened in recent years is environmental changes that have allowed for the mosquito to expand its distribution."

Hospitals 'will be caught off guard' and children most at risk

Even so, instances of the virus are likely to increase nationwide throughout the next decade and when they do, David Vu, MD, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist at Stanford told Becker's, hospitals might not see it coming.

"To be honest, I think that we will be caught off guard. I think that most of the healthcare systems in the U.S. are trying to prepare for the next pandemic and trying to learn from the most recent one," Dr. Vu said. "We are not well-prepared for tropical diseases. It's not something that is forefront in our minds. So I think that we will be caught off guard and  depending on the type of infection that we're talking about  we will be caught off guard in different ways."

Dengue, he said, is different from some other tropical viruses. It is primarily asymptomatic in most infected individuals, so cases could linger in a community longer without patients seeking treatment. Then, those who do experience severe dengue could eventually strain ICUs because the disease can essentially cause capillary leak syndrome, which requires intense monitoring and intervention to manage, Dr. Vu explained.

But overall, "the overwhelming burden of dengue [infection] is in children. They tend to be the most severely affected or have the most severe infections," Dr. Vu said. "So, I think that it's quite possible for the children's hospitals to bear a disproportionate burden of dealing with severe dengue disease."

Dr. Gubler noted that while cases may begin to increase in time, he doesn't foresee any large-scale issue hitting hospitals soon.

"I don't think we're going to have major epidemics of diseases like dengue and malaria," he said. "We will have cases, but the hospitals shouldn't be inundated or overcrowded with cases. But that being the case, they should still be prepared to diagnose and manage diseases like dengue."

How can hospitals prepare?

Preparing for something before it happens can be difficult, as was the case with COVID-19. However, Dr. Vu is more optimistic about how the U.S. will fare facing dengue and tropical diseases compared to how it fared during the 2020 pandemic.

"One advantage that we have with tropical diseases that we didn't have with COVID, for example, is that these infections are not new. They already exist in other parts of the world," he said. "It just means that we have to learn from areas of the world who have already dealt with such endemic or epidemic diseases. And with that we need to basically recognize that with climate change, diseases that were once infectious threats to certain parts of the world can now affect more of the world."

As such, supporting continuing education and immersive research is one way hospitals can prepare their clinicians, Dr. Vu noted, adding that more emphasis on tropical diseases in medical programs will also become increasingly beneficial.

Dr. Gubler noted that hospitals cannot adequately prepare to tackle outbreaks without a solid foundation of disease surveillance and supporting data  so preparing hospitals will also require preparing public health systems to monitor and report that information.

"It has to be a partnership between the hospitals, the state, local health departments and the state public health laboratory to monitor these diseases," Dr. Gubler said. "They should develop better local surveillance for any number of infectious diseases."

The best way to go about doing this, he said, is for the health departments to work in tandem with the hospitals and clinics in the local area to ensure every party is collecting and/or receiving the information necessary to manage increasing and emerging diseases.
By Yi Whan-woo

Half of the shares of firms that are newly listed on the stock market are traded lower than their initial public offering (IPO) prices, data showed, Tuesday.

The finding, according to industry sources, adds to concerns over the IPO market that was rattled by the suspected fraudulent IPO of Fadu, a fabless semiconductor startup, in August.

According to financial data provider FnGuide, 31 of the 61 stocks that made IPO debuts this year were valued lower than their IPO prices as of Nov. 15.

Of the 31, two were from the benchmark KOSPI and the remaining 29 were from the Kosdaq secondary bourse.

S. Biomedics, a cell therapy products developer, struggled with the steepest price fall.

While its post-IPO market capitalization was forecast to reach as high as 198 billion won ($152 million), it dropped 59.17 percent compared to May 4 when it made its Kosdaq debut.

Two other companies also saw their stock values decline by more than half their original value since their IPOs. They were Sigetronics, a semiconductor materials manufacturer that retreated 51.04 percent, and CUBOX, an artificial intelligence (AI)-based face recognition tech startup that slid by 50 percent.

Virnect, an extended reality (XR) software developer, went down 48.81 percent.

The disappointing performances of the newly listed firms cast doubts over the IPO market following the suspicious activities around Fadu.

The company faces claims that it exaggerated its 2023 performance outlook, and thus inflicted losses on its investors after it was listed on the Kosdaq in August.

It estimated its annual sales at more than double last year's to reach 120.2 billion won this year.

Instead, sales in the first three quarters combined dropped 44.6 percent year-on-year to 18.04 billion won, meaning it has only a slim chance to reach its forecast.

Under the circumstances, financial regulators are anticipated to raise barriers for companies interested in going public so as to protect investors, the sources said. Accordingly, relevant firms are likely to delay their IPOs to ensure they meet the qualifications.
Fairview Health Services does not want to extend its affiliation as it stands with the University of Minnesota past 2026, the Star Tribune reported Nov. 20.

Minneapolis-based Fairview Health Services and University of Minnesota and its affiliated physicians have partnered since 2018 for M Health Fairview. The affiliation was set to automatically renew for another decade  starting in 2027  unless either party objected to the renewal by Dec. 31.

"We will continue to operate jointly as M Health Fairview through at least December 31, 2026, while we work to forge a new partnership with the University of Minnesota," Fairview Health President and CEO James Hereford said in an email to employees obtained by the Star Tribune.

"This step is not a statement about the future of a partnership with the University, rather that this current agreement cannot be what carries us into the future," Mr. Hereford said. "To be clear: I see tremendous value for our patients and our community in a continued partnership with the University."

The University of Minnesota said its leaders have previously signaled their belief that the affiliation, as it stands, needs to change. "Fairview's announcement today simply reaffirms those statements," the university said in a statement to the local news outlet. "Today's news does not affect the clinical partnership we have with Fairview today."

Fairview has 11 hospitals and approximately 31,000 employees. University of Minnesota's medical school trains about 70% of the state's physician workforce, and its physician group counts toward the 3,300 providers that make up M Health Fairview.

"A partnership between University of Minnesota, University of Minnesota Physicians and Fairview Health Services combines the University's deep history of clinical innovation and training with Fairview's extensive roots in community medicine," the systems have described the affiliated group.

This summer, Fairview hit the brakes on its proposed merger with Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Sanford Health after multiple delays. The deal would have created a 50-hospital health system with around 78,000 employees. The University of Minnesota opposed the merger due to the change in control it would bring to the state's public teaching hospital.
Omaha-based University of Nebraska Medical Center signed a master affiliation agreement with Columbus (Neb.) Community Hospital.

The partnership will focus on boosting the healthcare workforce in the region by providing more training and education opportunities to UNMC students. Through the agreement, students in allied health medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and public health will have the opportunity to train at Columbus Community Hospital, according to a Nov. 20 UNMC news release.

"We continue to see severe health care workforce shortages across many disciplines  from physicians and nurses to medical lab technicians, pharmacists and many others." Jeffrey Gold, MD, chancellor of UNMC, said in the news release. "Strong educational experiences in our communities, such as the ones provided at Columbus Community Hospital, are integral in growing the state's rural health workforce. We are excited at the possibilities this new agreement opens up."
A U.S. district judge has rejected West Orange, N.J.-based RWJBarnabas Health's motion to dismiss an antitrust case filed last year by CarePoint Health, which operates three safety-net hospitals that recently transitioned to nonprofit status.

In the Nov. 17 ruling, U.S. District Judge Evelyn Padin said the "complaint contains allegations supporting an inference of antitrust injury" and that CarePoint has "plausibly alleged a conspiracy spanning from RWJ's entry into the relevant market and continuing through more recent conduct and ongoing harm."

CarePoint accuses RWJBarnabas of "numerous" and "deliberate" instances of anticompetitive conduct to take over the market, including entering the Hudson County acute care market by opening a freestanding emergency department with the aid of enhanced reimbursement from Horizon, steering patients and physicians away from CarePoint, and interfering with CarePoint's attempted sale and employees.

The complaint alleges RWJBarnabas conspired with real estate players and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield  New Jersey's largest health insurer  to drive traffic to its competing emergency rooms without required health department approval. It also accuses RWJBarnabas of exerting "undue influence" on the state's health department and governor to prohibit CarePoint from growing community programs, receiving government relief funds and maintaining a stable financial base.

"This ruling validates CarePoint's argument and strengthens its resolve to ensure fair competition and accessible healthcare services for the communities it serves," Shannon Brennan, a spokesperson for the system, said. "CarePoint remains dedicated to upholding the highest standards of patient care and advocating for a healthcare landscape that fosters equity and integrity."

Despite the court ruling, RWJBarnabas still believes that CarePoint's allegations are "entirely without merit and intends to defend this case vigorously," a spokesperson for the system told Becker's. "Additionally, RWJBarnabas Health will continue to advance its noble mission to serve the residents of Hudson County and is proud of the significant investments made to expand facilities and clinical programs throughout the region."
Seven senators are questioning why Sanofi and AstraZeneca underestimated the demand for Beyfortus, the first pediatric drug approved for respiratory syncytial virus.

The monoclonal antibody, Beyfortus (nirsevimab-alip), has been in shortage for months, and the CDC released 77,000 doses in mid-November a few weeks after the agency recommended clinicians prioritize 100 milligram doses for patients at the highest risk or RSV.

In a Nov. 17 letter sent to the two pharmaceutical companies, Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and five other senators asked if Sanofi and AstraZeneca can scale up production.

"Given that we know last RSV season was so severe, we were surprised to hear about the disparity between the estimated and actual demand for nirsevimab this year," the letter says. "What factors led to the significant underestimation of demand for the product and what actions will you take to adjust these estimates going forward?"

The drugmakers were also asked when they became aware of the supply issue and when they notified the FDA.
Hospital and public health officials are urging people to take precautions and be mindful of where they seek care to limit capacity strain on emergency departments as respiratory virus activity heats up heading into the holiday season.

Since early September, COVID-19 metrics had mostly been trending downward or remained flat. Now they are on the rise again, though they remain far below levels seen in previous surges. There were 16,239 new admissions for the week ending Nov. 11, up 8.6% from the previous week.

Meanwhile, most of the country is seeing an uptick of flu and respiratory syncytial virus cases. Hospitalizations associated with the two infections are also ticking up, particularly among children and older adults.

"The more concerning thing is the severity of some of the illness," Hany Atallah, MD, chief medical officer Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, told ABC affiliate WPLG. "And we are also seeing some patients come in with more than one viral infection, so they may have RSV and flu, for example. We're constantly trying to follow the science and encourage people to get vaccines."

Three more updates:

Curbing capacity strain: To prevent resource and capacity strain on hospital emergency departments, officials are urging patients to consult their primary care providers or an urgent care clinic for nonemergency situations.

"We ask that people save those nonemergent visits that historically have gone to our emergency room for either urgent care clinics in the area or wait until they can see their primary care provider early next week," Tanny Davenport, MD, chief medical officer at MultiCare Yakima Memorial Hospital in Washington, told the Yakima Herald-Republic in a Nov. 20 report. "All those things together I think could really help contain and limit the disease burden in the community."

Calls for masks, precautions reemerge: Calls for universal masking in healthcare settings and other precautionary measures are reemerging as virus season kicks off. In a Nov. 20 virtual conference, the Massachusetts Coalition for Health Equity, urged the state to require universal masking ahead of an anticipated winter respiratory virus surge. The group also pushed for the return of free COVID-19 tests, more education around the virus and for access to high-quality masks such as N95s for better protection, The Boston Globe reported.

Overall, health experts are recommending a back-to-basics approach to curb the spread of respiratory illnesses this winter.

"We really go back to the basics, so the basics are good cough hygiene, sneeze hygiene  sneezing into the crook of your arm  handwashing before and after meals or any kind of social contact or social interactions will go a long way to prevent a lot of transmission of respiratory viruses and bacteria, particularly those that are spread by droplets," Bill Messer, MD, PhD, an associate professor of molecular biology and immunology at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, told CBS affiliate KOIN, who also recommended masking in crowded indoor environments, such as airports and public transportation.

"It's kind of a triple threat. None has declared itself as being the overriding triple threat, but we know from very recent experience that this holiday season is going to bring one or more of these to the surface for sure, and doing everything we can to kind of limit that impact on ourselves and our family members and friends who mostly we're seeing now over the holidays, we should be attentive to that," Dr. Messer said.

Vaccine coverage: About 35 million people, or nearly 14% of the nation's adult population, have received the new COVID shot, according to the latest CDC estimates. About 35% of adults had received a flu shot as of Nov. 4, as well as 33% of children. Only 14% of adults 60 and older have received the new RSV vaccine.
Medical device company Alafair Biosciences has surpassed 12,000 implantations of its flagship product VersaWrap, the only class II medical device intended for use on tendon, ligament, skeletal muscle and peripheral nerve, including on nerve root in spine procedures.

VersaWrap is primarily applied by plastic, orthopedic, hand, foot and ankle, and spine surgeons, according to a Nov. 21 press release.

The product is an ultrathin, sutureless, bioresorbable hydrogel implant that forms a gelatinous layer around target tissues. It facilitates gliding during healing, reducing postoperative tethering.

"In patients where I've applied VersaWrap, they report less pain, greater mobility, and a quicker return to normal routines," Anthony Echo, MD, plastic surgeon at Houston (Texas) Methodist, said in the release.
Warsaw, Ind.-based nonprofit OrthoWorx has teamed up with the Warsaw public school district to prepare high schoolers for careers in the orthopedic manufacturing industry, according to a Nov. 21 report from Inside Indiana Business.

Four local manufacturers  Zimmer Biomet, Instrumental Machine & Development, Medartis, and PreMedTec  will offer high schoolers who participate in the district's manufacturing pathway program internship opportunities during their senior year.

"The idea here is that once they finish this program and finish high school, they can then be ready to work at one of these partners right away," Erin Serafino, talent director at OrthoWorx, told Indiana Business.

Warsaw is colloquially known as the "orthopedic capital of the world," due to its high concentration of orthopedic design and manufacturing facilities.

The program will select its first group of students during the 2024-2025 academic year. The first cohort is expected to contain about 20 students, with plans to expand the program moving forward.

Industry partners will also work with Warsaw teachers to create "meaningful and impactful" orthopedic manufacturing lessons.

Earlier this year, OrthoWorx received $30 million in funding from the Indiana state government to support orthopedic workforce development and retention.
It's easier for surgeons experienced with minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusions to incorporate robotic technology into their practice than it is for early career attendings, according to a study published in the journal Spine.

The study authors examined the learning curve for robotic technology focused on minimally invasive TLIFs. One surgeon had four years in practice, another had three years and the third had 16 years in practice. The three surgeons used a floor-mounted robot and measured operative and fluoroscopy time, complications, screw revision and patient-reported outcome measures.

The surgeon with 16 years of experience operated on 122 patients; the surgeon with four years of experience operated on 45 patients and the surgeon with two years of experience operated on 20 patients with the robot.

The most experienced surgeon didn't show a discernible learning curve or difference in operative or fluoroscopy time between any of the patients. The least experienced surgeon reported cases 11 to 20 were around 26 minutes longer for average operative time, which study authors said suggested "an ongoing learning curve."

The surgeon with four years of experience had a learning curve of 21 cases and achieved "mastery" at 31 cases. The study authors concluded the learning curve didn't impact clinical outcomes.
Physicians across all specialties have had their eyes on noncompete clauses as state and federal policies change.

Noncompetes have been a point of contention for some orthopedic surgeons this year. In September, four orthopedic surgeons settled a lawsuit against Grand Rapids-based Orthopaedic Associates of Michigan over a noncompete clause. The surgeons alleged OAM's clause forced them to leave Kent County when they wanted to move to work with a Trinity Health affiliate as employed physicians. However the practice allegedly insisted on enforcing its noncompete.

Noncompetes can put independent practices into a tough spot if surgeons don't examine contracts thoroughly, Bruce Prager, MD, of Orthopedic Center of Arlington (Texas).

"If the hospital becomes the owner of the practice it can be in several different forms: own the entire practice 100 percent or own some portion of the practice  the non-physician employees, the lease and the EMR," he told Becker's. "Either way the physician loses control and needs to have some safeguard in effect. This could be some contract that covers a certain number of years. The physician needs to make sure there is no noncompete clause. If not then the hospital can unilaterally force the doctors to move at the end of the contract leaving them with nothing but their names."

The majority of physicians  87% polled by Doximity  support the Federal Trade Commission's proposed rule that would ban employers from imposing noncompetes.

Seven states are targeting noncompetes  California, Connecticut, Indiana, Maryland New Jersey, New York and Wisconsin. Some states enacted laws prohibiting them, while others introduced legislation aimed at them.

L. Dade Lunsford, MD, a neurosurgeon at the University of Pittsburgh, told Becker's that noncompete laws can negatively affect patients just as much as physicians.

"It is certainly widespread among regional competing medical centers and is a known component of current contracts," Dr. Lunsford said. "Many have specific geographical restrictions so that a violation would be employment by a competitor within a certain mileage of any hospital or healthcare facility of the currently employed physician. This requires some physicians to move outside of a wide region in hospital systems that have multiple healthcare entities scattered over a wide geographic region. Thus, when a physician resigns, the noncompete enforcement can be very disruptive not only to providing healthcare for that doctor's patients but disruptive to his family as they will need to move. Hospitals believe that the patients cared for by their doctors belong to the hospital, not the doctor providing care. In fact, most patients still select their healthcare providers based on the doctor, not the doctor's employer."
In November 2023, Biopax will introduce a cutting-edge rotary flexographic paper wraps printing and packing machine at its facility

Sustainable packaging and labelling business, Biopax, is set to receive a further multi-million investment as owner Dr Terry Cross aims to ramp up production at the west Belfast factory.

Dr Cross is the founder of Delta Print and Packaging, which was sold to Finnish giant Huhtamaki, and the owner of Hinch Distillery in Co Down.

Biopax, his latest venture  based in a 70,000 sq ft factory at Springvale Business Park - produces sustainable packaging and labels for the food service, retail, distribution and beverage sectors.

Read more Former UTV headquarters at Havelock House to be converted to social housing

This latest investment follows on from Biopaxs newly-formed relationship with the worlds largest maker of printing equipment, Heidelberg, worth 20m.

With the latest investment, Biopax is set to introduce a cutting-edge rotary flexographic paper wraps printing and packing machine at the West Belfast facility.

Biopax said the addition will make a substantial difference in Biopax's on-the-go deli and quick-serve restaurant packaging for the UK and Ireland markets.

In November 2023, Biopax will introduce a cutting-edge rotary flexographic paper wraps printing and packing machine at its facility

According to Biopax, the investment will boost the domestic paper wraps supply by over 500 million units per year, reducing the need for imported products.

The new production line will be equipped with advanced auto-camera colour management and registration detection systems for enhanced quality control.

Biopax is also stepping up its efforts to meet the growing demand for tamper-evident paper bags  packaging solutions that provide visible evidence of tampering or unauthorised access.

The rise in on-the-go and home delivery for freshly cooked food products, as well as the need for tamper-evident packaging in the pharmaceutical and medical supplies sector, are driving the company's commitment to expanding the product range.

The packaging development team at Biopax is also exploring a PE-free solution - containing no oil or plant based plastics - for the paper cup industry to help improve circularity in the fast-growing category.

Dr Cross, chairman of Biopax, said: "Biopax promises to deliver a long-term solution to the plastic problem in the packaging sector and by continually reinvesting in the best equipment we will be able to increase our capabilities and fast track the delivery of green packaging and allow the markets that we serve a more domestic product.

In addition to this commitment, we are poised to embark on a significant expansion of our Springvale Business Park site in west Belfast next year, doubling its size to further support the changing needs of our customers. We will continue to invest whatever it takes to support the evolving needs of both existing and future customers.

The new 47m packaging and labelling factory in west Belfast opened earlier this year.

It is expected that Biopax will create 169 jobs over the next four years with further investment planned in a second phase.
Kim Jong-un's son faces succession hurdles as he lacks resemblance to founder: experts

By Kang Hyun-kyung

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is known to have a son with his wife, Ri Sol-ju.

According to the National Intelligence Service (NIS), the couple has three children. Their daughter, widely known to the media as Ju-ae, is the second child. The eldest is a son. The gender of their third child is unknown.

Citing sources in North Korea, Choe Su-yong, a retired NIS official, provides a different account of the North Korean leaders children.

He claimed that Kim has two children with Ri; the eldest is a son and the girl, known as Ju-ae, is the younger. He said Kim has two other children born out of wedlock.

Their accounts, albeit slightly different, have one thing in common: Kim has a son with Ri who is older than their daughter. Since her first public appearance at the launch site of the Hwasong- 17 intercontinental ballistic missile in November last year, Kims daughter has drawn media frenzy.

Unlike Kims globally known daughter, his son is veiled in mystery. He has never been spotted in public.

Little information is available about his son, triggering speculation about the North Korean leaders motives behind his decision to appear in public only with his daughter.

Some experts speculate that Kims daughter is an heir apparent and the father is helping his daughter hone her leadership skills. But others disagree and say it is too early to predict a successor.

Choe claims Kims son doesnt look good from North Koreans standpoint, and his unappealing physical appearance seems to have discouraged Kim from disclosing his son in public.

Unlike his father or his sister who is plump and well-fed, Kims son is said to be pale and thin, he told The Korea Times, quoting sources in the North. I heard that his son doesnt look like his great-grandfather Kim Il-sung at all.

For the royal family members in North Korea, a physical appearance that resembles Kim Il-sung (1912-1994), the founder of North Korea, is considered an asset in the rise to power.

Kim Jong-un was chosen as a successor to his father, Kim Jong-il, because the younger Kim was aggressive and more like his grandfather than his elder brother Jong-chul, according to Kenji Fujimoto who served as chef for the Kim family for 13 years before he escaped the North in 2001.

In his memoir published in 2003, Fujimoto recounted Kim Jong-chul as being quiet and shy. Several times his father mentioned the older sons leadership succession, saying he was like a girl and could not make it.

Grandson emulating grandfather

Since coming to power in 2011 following the death of his father, Kim Jong-un has been emulating his grandfather.

He speaks like his grandfather and walks like him too. The younger Kim changed his hairstyle, brandishing a short cut, a look that echoes the late Kim Il-sung.

In a media interview, Hong Soon-kyung, a former North Korean diplomat who defected to the South in 2000, said that the two Kims are very similar.

The more I see the younger Kim (on TV), the more I feel that hes just like his grandfather, he said. The way he wears clothes, the way he walks, everything about him makes me feel that way. I feel that a young Kim Il-sung is there as I saw the late Kim when I was in North Korea.

The younger Kims endeavor to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather has continued since his rise to power. During a military parade held in June this year, Kim was spotted with a bowler hat and black coat, clothing items his grandfather used to wear when he was young. The grandson was also seen in public several times with a wide-brimmed straw hat when he inspected several different sites, including railway and military facilities. His grandfather frequently wore straw hats.

Kim Seong-min, president of Free North Korea Radio (FNKR), said Kim Jong-un seems to be trying to capitalize on the legacy and positive associations that North Koreans have with his grandfather.

Kim Il-sung used to gain a lot of support from the public when he was alive and he is still respected by North Koreans. But his son was not popular. The older Kims enduring popularity probably explains why he (Kim Jong-un) tries to make himself look like his grandfather, he said.

The food situation in North Korea was relatively stable during the Kim Il-sung period. It was after his sudden death in 1994 that the North Korean economy underwent extreme hardships. Hit by the floods that devastated the nation in the mid-1990s, the North was plagued by starvation and malnutrition. The great famine took the lives of hundreds of thousands of North Koreans. It was during the Kim Jong-il period when North Koreans, driven by starvation, began to risk their lives to cross the border with China for food and better lives. In the early 2000s, over 1000 North Korean escapees annually arrived in the South.

The relatively stable economic situation during the Kim Il-sung era seemed to help his positive image among the people.

His grandson and aides are taking advantage of public sentiment toward the founder of North Korea.

Kim Jong-uns endeavor to emulate his grandfather seems to be related to the cult of personality campaign aimed at drawing the support of North Koreans.

Like Kim Jong-un, his grandfather was obese with a fatty belly.

In North Korea, FNKR leader Kim said, people with fat bellies are more likely to give a good first impression than skinny people are.

Most North Koreans are malnourished and skinny because they dont eat well, and obese people are very rare, he said. So, when they see fatty people, they say they look like high-ranking officials of the Workers Party because unlike malnourished ordinary North Koreans, people from the upper class are well fed.

Therefore, from the average North Koreans standpoint, he said people who are thin and pale are hardly likely to give a good impression to the public, especially if they are politicians.
Pre-application notice submitted as Banbridge developer outlines plans to build 100 homes

Campaigners who opposed earlier redevelopment proposals for UTVs old home at Havelock House have welcomed a new social housing project for the site.

Havelock House, on Belfasts lower Ormeau Road, was the home of UTV from 1959 until the broadcaster relocated to its new premises in City Quays five years ago.

The building has been acquired by Co Down developer Lotus Property.

The Banbridge company, which also owns shopping centres The Outlet and The Junction, has outlined its intention to create 100 high quality social homes at the site, in partnership with Clanmil Housing Association.



A pre-application notice has been submitted outlining the plans, meaning they will be subject to a 12-week community consultation period.

The building had been put on the market for 3.5m in 2018 when it was acquired by London developer Olympian Homes.

The following year it submitted a planning application through its subsidiary company, Locka Ltd, to knock down the building and replace it with a 271-unit build-to-rent apartment scheme.

However, in 2020, plans were rejected by Belfast City Council after it attracted dozens of objections, many due to the cultural and historical importance of the site and the size of the proposed eight-storey building.

Olympian Homes appealed the decision, but the next year planners rejected the appeal saying that the proposed development failed to respect the surrounding context, which conflicted with the councils planning policy.

A spokesperson for the Donegall Pass Community Forum, which campaigned against the residential proposals, said: We have been campaigning against the development of the site for student accommodation, which was successful.

We are also campaigning for the preservation of the Havelock House studios.

We do, however, welcome social housing on the site and are looking forward to participating in the community consultation.

The group had welcomed the decision by planners to dismiss the appeal in 2021.

The property, which sits on a 1.78-acre site and comes with almost 60,000sq ft of office and production space, has an illustrious history steeped in Belfasts heritage.

Before it was converted into a television studio, it was the site of a hemstitching warehouse.

During the Second World War, the building provided a billet for troops who were tasked with providing protection for the citys numerous bridges.

Jan Sloan, executive director of development and new business at Clanmil Housing, said: We are currently facing a housing crisis in Northern Ireland, with social housing waiting lists at c45,000  the highest they have been in 10 years.

And at Clanmil, we are committed to playing our part in addressing this need.

Social housing also has an important role to play in the regeneration of Belfast and in contributing to the councils ambition to grow the city by 66,000 residents by 2035.

This is another landmark project for Belfast city centre and the types of homes to be provided has been carefully considered and responds directly to the housing need for Belfast now and in the future.

We look forward to hearing the views of all those with an interest in good homes over the coming months.

It is expected that planning for the project will be submitted next year after the consultation period has concluded.

Lotus Property currently has 450 units across purpose-built student accommodation, apart-hotel and city centre apartments at various stages of planning and development.

Clanmil Housing is one of Northern Irelands leading housing associations.

It currently owns and manages over 5,800 homes throughout the province.
From left to right, Roland Kerr and Ashley Dickson from Kerr Group Insurance with fellow directors Gavin Mitchell and Ruth Dickson from Dickson & Co Insurance Group

The deal increases Dickson & Cos workforce by 50% while creating one of the biggest independent insurance policy providers in the UK and Ireland.

Dickson & Co said the deal was its fourth acquisition in the last two years and part of an ambitious 7m investment by the Dickson family. The company said it had made 13 acquisitions in total.

Combined, the brokers will employ more than 150 staff in total, across 17 trading sites in Northern Ireland. There are also two branches in the Republic under the Dickson & Wilson insurance brand.

The expanded group is now forecast to manage more than 50,000 insurance policies across 170 insurance companies with an annual premium value of more than 45m.

Ashley Dickson, managing director at Dickson & Co, said: "We are excited to welcome Kerr Group Insurance and its dedicated team to the Dickson & Co family.

"The reputation of the Kerr Group, a company with nearly a hundred-year history of serving communities in Northern Ireland, precedes itself.

"While both Dickson & Co and Kerr Group will retain their independence, preserving their distinct brand identities, we look forward to expanding our shared product portfolio across the group in order to offer our customers even more choice at the most competitive rates.

He said the group has more expansion plans for next year, including opening a new client suite and centre in Belfast city centre.

Mr Dickson added: Across the board we are seeking new talent to support these exciting plans, in particular high-performing commercial insurance professionals.

"We offer significant employee benefits to all our staff and believe our business offers something very different to the typical national broker environment.

Roland Kerr, managing director of Kerr Group Insurance, said: "We are thrilled to join forces with Dickson & Co and become a part of this prestigious group

"We offer a combined 125 years of experience in the insurance industry, and I cant wait to see what we can achieve together.
The closures, which will happen next year, will leave the bank with 25 branches

Ulster Bank is to shut 10 branches across Northern Ireland with the loss of 21 jobs, it said today.

Branches are being shuttered in Ballynahinch, Crumlin, Downpatrick, Glengormley, Kings Road, Ormeau Road and University Road in Belfast, Lisnaskea, Lurgan and Waterside.

The closures, which will happen next year, will leave the bank with 25 branches. The lender said there would be no further closures until at least 2026.

An Ulster Bank spokesperson said: As with many industries, most of our customers are shifting to mobile and online banking, because its faster and easier for people to manage their financial lives.

We understand and recognise that digital solutions arent right for everyone or every situation, and that when we close branches we have to make sure that no one is left behind.

We take our responsibility seriously to support the people who face challenges in moving online, so we are investing to provide them with support and alternatives that work for them.

It said it would be investing over 3m in its remaining branches over the next two years, following 3.25m of investment this year.

"We will be making no further changes to our branch network until at least 2026, the spokesperson added.

Alliance Party MLA Peter McReynolds said he was disappointed that the branch at Kings Road in his east Belfast constituency would be shutting.

This bank is located in a busy residential area, behind the thriving Kings Square which is full of busy local businesses  not to mention the impact this will have on affected staff.

DUP Newry and Armagh MLA Carla Lockhart said the closure of the Lurgan branch leaves another gap in banking in the town.

I have been liaising with them and unfortunately this decision is based on the decline of walk in customers and a change in how people choose to bank.

They will be communicating this with their customers over the next number of weeks and months and are promoting the use of the local Post Offices for all banking needs.

If you have any concerns or queries please get in touch and I will raise them directly with management.
A group led by a US tech giant has been handed a 330 million contract to provide a new data platform for the NHS, it has been confirmed.

The companies, led by Palantir Technologies UK, will provide a new shared software system known as the NHS Federated Data Platform (FDP), which will aim to make it easier for health and care organisations to work together and provide better services to patients.

Palantir will be supported by Accenture, PwC, NECS and Carnall Farrar, NHS England said.

It added that no company involved in the Federated Data Platform can access health and care data without the explicit permission of the NHS.

The move comes after concerns were raised about Palantirs involvement in the deal earlier this summer, when the company was handed a 25 million contract without competition to put in place transition arrangements.

It sparked renewed criticism over the decision to exclude the NHS from new procurement reforms, aimed at ensuring transparency in the awarding of contracts.

The 330 million investment in the FDP will be made over the course of seven years, with investment in the first 12 months expected to be at least 25.6 million.

Palantir was co-founded by billionaire tech entrepreneur Peter Thiel, who was an early backer of former US president Donald Trump, and has worked with the US government.

Its chief executive Alex Karp said: This award is the culmination of 20 years of developing software that enables complex, sensitive data to be integrated in a way that protects security, respects privacy and puts the customer in full control.

There is no more important institution in the UK than the NHS and we are humbled to have now been chosen to provide that software across England to help bring down waiting lists, improve patient care and reduce health inequalities.

Last month, Mr Karp said NHS patients data will be safe in his companys hands and that NHS problems  including record high waiting lists of 7.77 million  are not solvable without technology.

Appearing on the BBCs Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme on October 29, he told Victoria Derbyshire: Were the only company of our size and scale that doesnt buy your data, doesnt sell your data, doesnt transfer it to any other company.

That data belongs to the Government of the United Kingdom.

He added that Palantir wouldnt even be able to use the data for its own purposes, saying: The way our product is set up, I dont have access to your data.

Dr Vin Diwakar, NHS national director for transformation, said better use of data is essential for the NHS to tackle waiting times, join up patient care and make the health service sustainable for the future.

He added: Patients come to the NHS at some of the most vulnerable points in their lives, and they want to know that our healthcare teams have access to the best possible information when it comes to their treatment and care.

This new tool provides a safe and secure environment to bring together data, which enables us to develop and deliver more responsive services for patients and will help the health service drive the recovery in elective care.

However, earlier this week, the British Medical Association (BMA) urged the Government and NHS England to think again.

Dr Latifa Patel, representative body chair at the union, said: We have has raised significant and sustained concerns about how patient data is shared across the NHS, and we are again highlighting our deep concerns about the impending decision to award an external company the rights to the FDP because of our fears about how patient information is handled.

The BMA wrote to the Department of Health and Social Care this month to highlight concerns, it said.

We ask that the new Secretary of State takes the time to properly consider all aspects of this decision and we encourage Victoria Atkins MP to meet with us to discuss the threats in the contract and the platform, Dr Patel added.

The wheels to the decision may have been in motion before she arrived in post, but she cannot distance herself from this.

In June, Palantir announced plans to make the UK its new European HQ for AI development, with the Government saying that showed the strength of the UKs expertise.

Professor Andrew Morris, director of Health Data UK (HDR UK) at the National Institute for Health Data Science, said: The highest performing health systems internationally have whole system intelligence  the ability to follow journeys of care of patients to ensure care is person-centred, safe, effective, efficient, equitable and timely. This is underpinned by data.

It is vital that data is used well in the NHS as it supports the best treatment and care by ensuring complete, secure and up-to-date information is available to healthcare professionals at the right time. Its what we expect as patients.

He added that the NHS intends to use the FDP to enable better use of our medical data in the care we receive, but said there is a risk.

We are worried that concerns about the platform may lead people to use opt-outs that will have no impact on the Federated Data Platform but will harm important medical research, Prof Morris added.

Public confidence and demonstrating trustworthiness is crucial.
Mediahuis team at Irish Podcast Awards where they won five prizes including best daily for the Indo Daily at The Irish Podcast Awards. Pic:Mark Condren

Belfast Telegraph's Graham Davison and Ciaran Dunbar at The Irish Podcast Awards where the 'Bel Tel' won Best News and Current Affairs podcast. (Pic: Mark Condren)

The Belfast Telegraphs podcast The BelTel has won Best News and Current Affairs Podcast at the prestigious 2023 Irish Podcast Awards in Dublin.

The BelTel, which is presented by Ciaran Dunbar, has been produced since May 2022. It specialises in crime and politics, with an aim to present the best of Belfast Telegraph and Sunday Life journalism and journalists to new audiences.

It regularly features the Belfast Telegraph's own journalists as guests to discuss their reporting with political editor Suzanne Breen, crime correspondent Allison Morris and Northern Ireland editor Sam McBride regular contributors.

The winning podcasts focused on history, current affairs and crime.

Presenter Ciaran Dunbar said: We are delighted with the award but its a team effort. The journalists are the real stars and its a win for the whole newsroom.

"We hope podcasting will continue to grow. Its a very natural medium. At the end of the day we are telling stories and giving people the platform to tell their stories.

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The BelTel took home the prize during the ceremony in the The Morrison in Dublin on Tuesday evening, beating out podcasts from the likes of The Irish Times, and The Journal to be named best for news and current affairs.

Joining The BelTel in picking up a prize were other Mediahuis title, including The Irish Independent's The Big Tech Show with Adrian Weckler which won Best Business podcast.

Mediahuis team at Irish Podcast Awards where they won five prizes including best daily for the Indo Daily at The Irish Podcast Awards. Pic:Mark Condren

The Irish Independent also celebrated Best Wellbeing Podcast with a win for Real Health with Karl Henry as well as the coveted Best Daily Podcast for The Indo Daily.

The Sunday Worlds podcast Crime World also picked up Best Commercial Strategy at the awards.

Other winners also included BBC Northern Ireland for Best Factual Podcast for Alright, Pet? and The 2 Johnnies who won Best Comedy Podcast.

The BelTel was also shortlisted for in the Best Crime and Best History Podcast categories.
Work begins on the making of the set for How To Train your Dragon at Titanic Film Studios

Production of the live action remake of animated franchise How to Train Your Dragon is back on track in Belfast after the Hollywood actors strike was ended earlier this month, Belfast Telegraph can reveal.

There have been reports of more activity, lights and people walking around the outdoor set at Titanic Studios in Belfast, the primary location for filming in Northern Ireland.

Its been announced that the premiere of the live-action film has been moved from March to June 13, 2025, following the recent strikes.

Production of the adaption of the animated franchise  one of the most successful of all time  was halted earlier this year as a result of the Hollywood writers and actors strikes.

Filming in Belfast was set to start in the summer with set production already under way in the spring.

News that filming is due to be resumed will be welcome news for the local sector which was hit by the Hollywood strikes and other setbacks.

Blade Runner 2099 series  which was due to start filming in Belfast earlier this year  was also halted as a result of the strikes.

NI Screen confirmed last month that the filming would not be taking place here, even with the end of the strikes.

It declined to comment on the resumption of filming of How To Train Your Dragon. Universal Studios, which is behind the production, did not respond to requests for comment.

Work begins on the making of the set for How To Train your Dragon at Titanic Film Studios

The film, which if successful will likely spawn a franchise and is set to star Nico Parker and Mason Thames, was a win for NI Screen after it lost 1m in funding due to budget cuts.

In September, it welcomed the prospect of a resolution to the strikes.

The writers and actors strikes have been halting production all over the world for some time now, NI Screen said.

We welcome the news that progress has been made with the WGA and we also hope for a swift and equitable resolution to the SAG-AFTRA strike, allowing USA-originated projects to get back into production.

The live-action adaptation of How To Train Your Dragon will follow a trilogy of animated films released over 2010 to 2019, generating more than $1.6bn (1.3bn) worldwide to become the 13th highest-grossing animated franchise.

Five short films, a TV series, video games, comic books, graphic novels, theme park rides and live shows have also been released under the franchise, which is based on a series of childrens books by British author Cressida Cowell.

Backed by Universal and DreamWorks the animated franchises writer and director Dean DeBlois will be returning in his role for the live action remake. He has also worked on Lilo & Stitch and Mulan.

It will be Mr DeBlois first project as director of a live action movie and is understood to be the first time an animation director will replicate his role for a live production.

The strike is estimated to have cost the US economy 5.5bn.

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike lasted for a record 148 days, while the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists lasted 118 days.

The industrial action was due to an ongoing labour dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers over concerns around salaries and residuals due to streaming.

There has also been concerns related to the use of artificial intelligence in film production, with some actors concerned their likeness could be used in future projects without compensation.
IT Woman Of The Year: Dr Alex Cowan, Liopa

The IT Woman of the Year Award was sponsored by Ulster University

Dr Alex Cowan of Liopa collects the IT Woman of the Year award presented by Professor Jonathan Wallace of Ulster University

Dr Alex Cowan, senior machine learning scientist at Liopa, was named IT Woman of the Year.

One of companys first employees, Dr Cowans contribution to the company has been wide-reaching.

Liopa said that Dr Cowan was instrumental in the formation of the company in 2015 adding that her hands-on role in developing AI-based applications has touched every one of Liopa's solutions and offerings.

The Belfast-based software business developed the speech recognition application for the voice impaired (SRAVI). Dr Cowans work building the businesss first AI-based visual speech platform was instrumental to the development of SRAVI.

Her work has been praised for pushing boundaries and being at the forefront of technological innovation in the fields of AI and computer vision.

The IT Woman of the Year Award was sponsored by Ulster University

The judging panel said: Alex is clearly setting a very high bar, a technical visionary, a motivational leader, and an inspiration to future women coming into this industry.

"The sector is exciting, and the benefits of this technology could be amazing long term, and if Alex continues to drive this forward at the pace we saw demonstrated in the submission, we have no doubt it will be enormously successful.

Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, Fabian Campbell-West, co-founder and CTO of Liopa, said: We are extremely proud of Alex for winning the IT Woman of the Year Award. It was a great evening celebrating Northern Irelands strong technical capability in a global market.

"Alex is a role model to anyone in the field of AI, and this award was richly-deserved. Shes a key member of our team, and were excited about whats next!

Dr Cowan joined Liopa after working with the company through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with Queen's University Belfast.
He shares his top tips on the following health areas of focus for men, and for others helping their male partners, fathers, brothers and friends stay healthy this winter. There is never a bad time to get a health check-up.

In my experience, women are more likely to share concerns with friends, family or their doctor, but I have seen a change in men in the past 30 years and I am glad to see more coming for advice at an earlier stage for both simple and more serious medical problems, says Dr Brown.

But they are still not good at checking up on themselves with self-examination or coming for occasional medical checks  and this is an area where we can improve things. It is important to have an awareness of the investment required in our health. As I always say, if you invest in the health bank the rewards are significant and lasting.

Dr Roger Brown

Read more Ballycastle womans journey from nursing to business after branching into microsuction

 Mental health

Please dont put off asking for help if you are suffering with your mental health. There are many self-help and clinically directed routes to recovery. You just need to ask. Men are not good about seeking help. It is often seen as weakness to admit to having a mental illness, but I would argue that it takes great, and often more, courage to ask for help than to soldier on while struggling.

Heart health

A high level of heart disease from high cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, obesity, and poor exercise is correctable. However, if you dont have your blood pressure or your cholesterol checked, you wont know if you are at risk. Northern Ireland has a bad history in this regard, and we would love our men not to become another bad statistic. Men (and women, of course) should consider getting a check-up, especially if they are over 50.

Weight reduction (if you are overweight), healthy food and regular exercise are the foundation stones for good heart health  but if you are a smoker, stopping smoking trumps them all.

 Bladder/prostate health

Any change in your bladder function needs to be investigated. For example, increased frequency of toilet visits, getting up through the night to urinate, burning discomfort when passing urine or passing any blood, difficulty in initiating or completing the urine flow or a very poor force of the urine stream. All are very important and could be a sign of something that needs treatment or further investigation.

Read more Celebrity gardeners spinal injury refuge at Belfast hospital looking blooming fantastic

 Testicular health

Having spoken to many men about checking their testicles, many come up with the following response: I dont know what Im looking for, Doctor. And my response is always that if you are checking your testicles, you will know what is normal for you, and if you find that something has changed, particularly a painless swelling of one testicle compared to the other, this is something that you should take a doctors advice about. It may be nothing serious, but it could be an early sign of testicular cancer.

Read more Fitness coach Sean Casey living the dream at 23 after taking the internet by storm

 Physical health

If something changes significantly without you changing anything in your life or routine, this is something that should be checked. For example, if you have noticed that your energy or weight have reduced for no reason, you have developed a persisting pain for no obvious reason, or you have noticed something different about you, like a new skin lesion, a change in the colour of your skin, or change in your bowel function, please ask for advice.

Unfortunately, in our post-pandemic world, many people are struggling to get access to their GPs in NHS surgeries. Your GP has traditionally been the first port of call when seeking a health check-up. It appears that many patients have trouble even getting a telephone call with their GP, due to the busyness being experienced by GP surgeries. Many GP receptionists have been asked to only book emergency appointments, due to there being a lack thereof, and are therefore instructing patients to call back another day if it is not an emergency.

It is difficult to see how things might change in future. But there are some things that we can do for ourselves without even going to the GP. You do not need a GP to tell you to stop smoking if you are a smoker, or to reduce your drinking if you know that you take too much alcohol in a week. And you dont need a GP to tell you to lose weight if it is clear that you need to. You can exercise more if you know that you sit around too much and do not get enough exercise. You can get a blood pressure check done at many pharmacies.

So all that a GP or practice nurse can do for you that is not easily and usually freely accessible is a cholesterol level from a blood test, an examination of the prostate if you are symptomatic and anything else that you have found to be a new abnormality, like an enlarged testicle or a suspicious skin lesion. Our health is our responsibility and not that of our GP.

If you would like a full male/female health check, this can be booked at Kingsbridge hospitals and clinics through the province or even in Sligo. This involves an extensive health screen including history, taking in detail, a physical examination, urine, blood and faeces tests and an ECG, all for less than you might think. If something turns up during this screening Kingsbridge GPs can then proactively refer you for the appropriate follow-up tests and referrals if required.

Dr Roger Brown features on the Kingsbridge Private Hospital Group Podcast, talking all things primary care, mens health and when to seek a specialist, which is available on YouTube, Spotify and Apple. Simply search HealthStyle.

To book an appointment with Dr Roger Brown, call Kingsbridge North West on 028 7776 3090 or email

infonw@kingsbridgehealthcaregroup.com. Visit kingsbridgeprivatehospital.com/north-west for further information
An alleged New IRA terror chief who has spent more than three years in custody has lost a High Court battle to be released on bail.

A judge ruled today that David Jordan (52) must remain behind bars on charges of directing the dissident republican organisation.

Mr Justice Fowler held: Given his alleged role as an organiser and leader it is much more difficult to construct conditions that would give the required protection to the public.

Jordan, of Cappagh Road in Dungannon, Co Tyrone, is accused of rising through the ranks to become chair of the New IRAs Army Council.

Prosecutors also claimed he travelled to Beirut in his role as the head of the paramilitary organisation in a bid to forge links with other international groupings.

Jordan was among 10 people arrested and charged following a major surveillance investigation mounted by police and MI5.

Read more NHS executive spared jail over young dads road death as court hears widow prays for her

Codenamed Operation Arbacia, detectives secretly bugged gatherings at properties near Sixmilecross and Omagh, Co Tyrone in February and July 2020.

Just over 16 hours of combined audio and video recordings has been obtained.

Those in attendance were said to have discussed targets, weaponry, finances and recruitment, as well as the possibility of launching a hard economic bombing campaign and cyber-attacks within the UK.

David Jordan with partner Sharon Jordan

They also explored the possibility of developing a relationship with a foreign regime hostile to the United Kingdom.

Jordan allegedly addressed the meetings as chair of the dissident grouping.

It was claimed that he attended another meeting in Edinburgh with Palestinian doctor Issam Bassalat, who is accused of preparatory acts of terrorism in connection with the same investigation.

Based on recordings and travel documents, the prosecution contended that Jordan's leadership role also involved travelling to the Middle East in 2019.

A Crown lawyer argued that the trip to Beirut was undertaken to forge links with international groups.

Jordan faces charges of directing terrorism, belonging to a proscribed organisation, and preparation of terrorist acts,

An alleged 30-year involvement in dissident republican activity has left him with a mindset impervious to change, prosecution counsel claimed.

Jordans lawyers stressed that he does not accept attending any of the meetings.

The court was told no specific wrongdoing had been outlined in connection with his trip to Beirut.

Highlighting the period of three years and three months spent on remand in custody, defence lawyers predicted that he is unlikely to go on trial before 2025.

A 15,000 cash surety was also offered by Jordans elderly parents as part of attempts to secure his release.

However, Mr Justice Fowler refused bail due to concerns about any potential further serious offending.

He ruled: The risks posed are relevant, sufficient to outweigh his rights and justify his continued remand in custody.
A former MLA who was caught speeding near his Co Londonderry home last year has been given an absolute discharge but had three points endorsed on his driving licence.

Boyd Douglas (73) from Drumrane Road in Dungiven admitted driving his car at 61mph inside an 40mph zone on the Glenshane Road on November 25 last year.

The defendant, who produced a bank statement in court which he said proved hed already paid the 80 fine, told District Judge John Connolly: Im just a dairy farmer waiting to milk the cows your honour.

The District Judge at the Bishop Street Magistrates Court then asked the defendant to hand his licence into the court to check to see if it had already been endorsed.

When the check showed that the defendants licence had not been endorsed, Mr Connolly imposed three penalty points.

He told the defendant: Your licence expired last July. I would advise you to renew it as soon as possible.

Mr Douglas was elected as an Ulster Unionist to Limavady Borough Council in 1997, but resigned in protest against the Good Friday Agreement. He was elected to the council again in 2001 and 2005.

He was an MLA for East Londonderry from June 1998 until November 2003.

He was elected as an independent unionist, and later joined with others to form the short-lived United Unionist Coalition.

He later joined the TUV.
Meetings were held across North Korea for voters to meet candidates running in the upcoming local elections, Pyongyang's state media said Tuesday, as the reclusive regime prepares for its first election featuring more than one candidate.

On Sunday, North Korea is set to hold local elections to pick new deputies for local assemblies of provinces, cities and counties across the nation. In what appeared to be an intention to introduce competition in the election system, some constituencies had fielded two candidates for the upcoming vote.

Under the recently revised election law, the North will hold a preliminary election to decide on a final candidate for new deputies of local assemblies, after reviewing the qualifications of two candidates. The final candidate will be allowed to meet with voters during their election campaigns.

The North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said registered candidates and voters held gatherings to discuss issues regarding their respective constituencies in a "candid" manner, enabling candidates to "look back on their work" under their "impartial evaluation."

The KCNA also reported that Choe Ryong-hae, chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly, inspected ongoing preparations for the local elections.

"He called for making sure that the people fully express their will in the upcoming vote by well equipping the polling booths and conducting various forms of election campaigns," it said.

The recent revision in the election law appears to be intended to introduce competition to the election system, albeit on a rudimentary level, as the ruling Workers' Party has so far hand-picked one candidate per electoral district.

The local elections are held every four years, and the number of seats is determined by the population of each area. But the elections are widely viewed as a formality, as the candidates are selected by the North's ruling party and rubber-stamped into office.

South Korea's unification ministry has said the change in the North's election system does not indicate the introduction of free elections in the reclusive regime and is rather seen as an attempt to manage public opinion amid prolonged economic difficulties. (Yonhap)
A third man appeared in court on Tuesday accused of involvement in the brutal execution of Liam Christie.

Henry Charles Hayles remained sitting in the public gallery of Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena.

The charges were not put to the 58-year-old, of Kansas Avenue in north Belfast, accusing him of Mr Christies murder and possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life between October 19 and 21 last year.

The case against Hayles and two other men, 45-year-old Jonathan Patterson and Paul Armstrong (44), had been due to be returned to the Crown Court for trial today, but that aspect of the case was adjourned to December 19.

Defence counsel Aaron Thompson told the court he needed time to fully review the papers before a preliminary enquiry could go ahead.

Antrim men Patterson, from Whinburn Close, and Armstrong, from Hawkswood Terrace, are charged with the murder of Mr Christie and with possessing firearms, namely two 9mm handguns, with intent to endanger life on October 20 last year.

Father-of-three Mr Christie (43), also from Antrim, was shot up to eight times at close range as he lay asleep in bed in his home in the Craighill area of the town.

The court has previously heard that Mr Christie was shot with two different guns, twice to the head, twice in the chest, once in the face and one under his jaw at close range where the firearm had been pushed against his jaw.

Examinations at the Whinburn Close home of Patterson have allegedly uncovered forensic evidence and particles on the sofa, the utility room, towels and fleece throws which suggested, according to a PSNI detective sergeant, the property was used before, during and after the clean-up after the murder of Mr Christie.

According to the police case, Patterson and Armstrong were captured on CCTV walking from Pattersons home, heading towards the victims house at around 2.30am when a local resident heard loud bangs, like fireworks.

The ambulance service had contacted police around 9am after Mr Christie was found lying in a pool of his own blood. When police arrived, they noted a number of shell casings on the floor.

An officer said that, according to local residents, the front door of the property was routinely left unlocked and police noted there was no sign of forced entry.

The officer added that enquiries had uncovered CCTV of the area which police believe show the two alleged killers on their way to Mr Christies home with Patterson carrying a glistening, cylindrical item that cops say is a gun, but which the defence contend is a bottle of gin.

In court today, District Judge Nigel Broderick granted continuing bail to all three accused and adjourned the case to December 19.
Mourners at the funeral of Co Down teenager Cathal McCrory heard he was a wee lad with a big heart, as the community rallied together following his death in a crash at the weekend.

Significant numbers attended the service at St Colmans Church, Dromore on Tuesday following Mr McCrorys death in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The 18-year-old was a passenger in a car involved in a single-vehicle accident in Katesbridge. Two other people were taken to hospital and have since been discharged.

At the start of the service members of the family and friends of Mr McCrory brought up important mementos summing up his life, including family photos, a hurley stick signifying his love of GAA and even a can of Red Bull.

Speaking at the mass Fr Feidhlimidh Magennis said: We express our support for you Peter and Pauline and members of your family in this very dark hour. Visiting the McCrory family home on Saturday morning, I was struck by the numbers there ahead of me offering support in practical ways to your family.

"Our community rallied to help.

Cathal went to St Patricks College in Banbridge where he was a popular student, if not necessarily the best academically.

"He had begun work as a mechanic in Mulgrew here in the town. In many ways he was finding his love in life.

"He was a wee lad with a big heart and that is the recurring description in so many of the memories and remarks about Cathal.

"I think it is a good summing up of his many interests and his loves.

"From an early age he was fond of animals as the various mementos that have been brought here today show. Fond of the calves and the dogs.

We think of his friends at school, in the GAA clubs in Dromara, where they witnessed and saw Cathals enthusiasm for life.

"His was a passion for things living and things mechanical, particularly if they had wheels on them.

Mr McCrorys death is the latest in a series of tragedies on Northern Irelands roads.

Also on Saturday, the funeral took place of a 16-year-old who passed away on Tuesday from injuries sustained in a crash last month.

Dylan Vallely was one of three teenage boys injured following collision in Camlough on October 28. The 16-year-old, from Newtownhamilton, had been in a critical condition in hospital following the crash.

Husband and wife Patrick and Ciera Grimley, as well as Ciara McElvanna, also died in a crash near Markethill earlier this month.

The priest urged those gathered today to use Mr McCrorys death as motivation to make roads across Northern Ireland safer.

"As we gather here today and listen to the Lords word to us, what does this moment teach us who mourn the loss of Cathal?

"I return to this Sunday being the remembrance day of those who have died in road accidents. This week is road safety week and in honour of Cathal and all he means to us, can we each commit ourselves to make our roads safer?

"More can be done by our political leaders and public bodies to improve the safety of our roads. All of us can slow down, take more precautions and drive safety.

"We can all play our part in promoting and practicing road safety. While Cathals presence among us is cut short, we hold firm to those assurances of faith.

Mr McCrory is survived by parents Peter and Pauline and siblings Declan, Niamh and Ronan.
The Instagram post has now been edited after other users pointed out the gaffe

The post was edited after users noticed the flag emoji

A post on the official Downing Street Instagram which included an Irish tricolour flag emoji in the caption about a Northern Ireland business reception was quickly edited after being published.

The post on the 10downingstreet account had included the emoji at the end of the caption in the original version published on Tuesday morning which said: Yesterday we celebrated the culture of Northern Ireland with a reception in Downing Street.

Businesses from across Northern Ireland arrived to showcase some of the best produce the country has to offer.

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However, some users on the platform noticed the flag, with dozens of replies pointing out the error.

The post was then edited by the Downing Street account to remove the emoji of the Republic of Ireland flag.

Ulster Unionist Party leader Doug Beattie told the BBCs Nolan Show: "We are better served with devolved government.

"There are people out there who want to hand all the devolved power we have back to Westminster and here is what Westminster is doing, he added.

"They don't understand Northern Ireland.

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Poking fun at the apparent mistake, one user wrote: Literally the government of the country, not knowing the flag of the country.

Another wrote: Wrong flag. How embarrassing.

Someone else replied: Did they just use the Republic of Ireland flag?

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The Cabinet Office has been contacted for a response.
Police have said they are treating an alleged incident where a Translink bus driver apparently shouted bomb Palestinians at a rally gathered at Belfast City Hall as a hate crime.

Documentary-maker Sean Murray took to social media to allege that at 1.53pm on Sunday, a driver shouted out of the bus to bomb Palestinians as he drove past Belfast City Hall while driving with one hand and brandishing an Israeli badge.

This afternoon the PSNI said they had received a report and that a man had been spoken to regarding the matter.

A police spokesperson said: "Police received a report that a male in a vehicle had shouted a number of comments at people gathered in the Donegall Square North area of Belfast, on Saturday 18th November. A man has been spoken to by police and enquiries into the incident are ongoing.

"The matter is being treated as a hate crime."

Translink said on Sunday that it was aware of the allegations and had launched an investigation.

We are taking these allegations seriously and we have launched an investigation, a spokesperson for the transport company said.

The safety of our customers, staff and the wider public is our top priority at all times and we expect all our staff to deal with the public, passengers and colleagues in a friendly, helpful and professional manner at all times.

Our investigation will include a review of CCTV footage.

Several rallies have taken place in support of Israelis and Palestinians in Gaza since conflict broke out in the region last month.

During a rally in support of Palestinians last Saturday, thousands of people gathered at Writers Square in Belfast before marching to the headquarters of the Northern Ireland Office.

Leaflets were also handed out encouraging those in support of the Palestinians to boycott companies with apparent links to Israel, including sportswear brand Puma and fast food chains McDonalds and Dominos.


Thomas Hand, the father of Emily Hand, and Orit Meir, the mother of Almog Meir, become emotional during a press conference at the Embassy of Israel

The father of a nine-year-old Irish-Israeli girl who was kidnapped during Hamas attack last month has told of his scepticism over a deal to release hostages.

Thomas Hand initially thought his daughter Emily, who had been attending a sleepover at a friends house, had been killed in the militants October 7 massacre, but was later told she had been kidnapped from Kibbutz Beeri and taken to Gaza.

He celebrated Emilys ninth birthday without her last Friday, dashing hopes that the bubbly little innocent child whose passion is music would have been safely returned to her family by then.

Asked at a press conference at the Israeli embassy in London yesterday about reports that officials suggest a deal to release hostages is edging closer, Mr Hand replied: Ill believe it when I see it.

Read more Fighting hits another Gaza hospital after babies evacuated from Shifa

Israels ambassador to the US has told ABCs This Week of his hope that a significant number of captives could be freed in the coming days.

White House deputy national security adviser Jon Finer echoed these positive sentiments when speaking to NBCs Meet the Press programme on Sunday.

The Israeli embassy said it believed 240 hostages are being held in Gaza, including at least 30 children, among whom is young Emily.

Mr Hand, originally from Dun Laoghaire in Dublin, told reporters of his horror at the thought of the sheer terror and panic of a nine-year-old girl down in those dark tunnels never seeing the light of day, referring to the extensive underground network that Hamas has built under Gaza to use for its operations. He imagined her daily desperate pleas of Wheres my daddy, why didnt he come to save me?

He even said his belief that Emily was dead was more bearable in that it allowed him to begin grieving, and that when he found out she was being held hostage, he was thrown back into a nightmare.

Thomas Hand, the father of Emily Hand, addresses journalists

Speaking through tears, Mr Hand, who was wearing a T-shirt with a Bring them home now message on it, said that getting his missing daughter back was his reason for living and getting up in the morning every day.

He said: I pray I get Emily back. I dont know what condition shes going to be in, but shes going to be very broken mentally and physically and well have to fix that. Its going to take a long time to fix that. Thats what weve got to do and we will do it no matter how long it takes.

Mr Hand, who was trapped in a safe room in the kibbutz for almost 20 hours on the day of Hamas attack, described the taking of hostages as pure terrorism, pure evil and called Hamas bloody monsters.

He said: Help us to get her back. Bring them back home. Its all we want. Forget all the politics  this is totally a humanitarian issue. Theyre children.

Orit Meir, another speaker at the press conference, broke down in tears as she told of her sons last words to her before he was kidnapped by Hamas at the Nova music festival on October 7.

Almog Meir Jan (21) phoned his mother and told her, Mum, I love you.

Since then, Ms Meir said her life has been a nightmare. She is unable to even sleep or eat, with all her energy channelled into working to bring my boy back home.

She pleaded through tears: Help us to bring them back home now. I want my son with me now.

Iris Haim told reporters her son, Yotam, had been kidnapped from Kfar Aza on October 7 as he prepared to play at a festival in Tel Aviv.

Ms Haim, originally from Haifa, said her 28-year-old son found himself in a hell of guns, shooting and firing during the attack.

She added that she was really worried about Yotam, a drummer for heavy metal band Persephore, as he has a condition that requires monthly medication.

We are really worried and as a mother I cannot explain what I feel. My son is not with me.

Ms Haim said she thought hostages would be freed by steps and understood her son was unlikely to be one of the first to be released, but added: I have a strong belief that he will come back anyway.

 The Independent
A number of Troubles victims and families are expected to gather at the High Court later on Tuesday for a legal challenge to the Governments new legacy laws (Liam McBurney/PA)

A legal challenge to the Governments new laws to deal with the legacy of the Northern Ireland Troubles is due to begin on Tuesday.

High Court judge Mr Justice Colton will hear the case at the Royal Courts of Justice in Belfast.

The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act received royal assent in September despite widespread opposition from political parties, victims organisations in Northern Ireland and the Irish government.

Aspects of the laws include a limited form of immunity from prosecution for Troubles-related offences for those who co-operate with the new Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR).

The new Act will also halt future civil cases and legacy inquests.

Multiple Troubles victims and family members launched judicial reviews to challenge aspects of the Act.

Martina Dillon, wife of murdered hotel doorman Seamus Dillon (Paul Faith/PA)

Mr Justice Colton has directed that the lead case will be a joint submission brought by Martina Dillon, John McEvoy and Linda McManus.

Ms Dillons husband Seamus was shot dead outside the Glengannon Hotel in Dungannon on December 27 1997. An inquest into his death has opened.

Mr McEvoy narrowly escaped being killed in the loyalist gun attack on the Thierafurth Inn in Kilcoo, Co Down, in 1992. The High Court has previously ruled there has not been in effective investigation into the attack in which another man, Peter McCormack, was killed.

Ms McManus is the daughter of James McManus, who was injured in a gun attack on the Sean Graham Bookmakers on the Ormeau Road, Belfast, in 1992. She has issued a civil claim seeking damages.

Ms Dillon said: Truth and justice are not too much to ask, we shouldnt have to fight for decades to get it.

Victims have been shamefully ignored; we did not want this law.

We want answers about what happened to our loved ones, and we want accountability.

I fight this oppressive legislation in my husbands memory and in solidarity with other victims having their rights denied.

Grainne Teggart from Amnesty International UK (Liam McBurney/PA)

Grainne Teggart, Amnesty International UKs Northern Ireland deputy director, said: This case has significant implications, not just in the UK but internationally.

We have repeatedly warned about the concerning precedent which could be set by this legislation which provides a blueprint for letting state forces and armed groups off with murder and other serious crimes.

The hearing will take place at the Royal Courts of Justice in Belfast (Liam McBurney/PA)

Mr Justice Colton has previously said challenges to the Act will focus on a number of areas, including the establishment of the ICRIR, the cessation of police investigations, the cessation of inquests and civil proceedings and the potential immunity from prosecution.

However, he said the courts primary focus would be the argument that sections of the Act are incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights.

The hearing is expected to last at least five days.
Actor Stephen Rea has urged the Irish public to get serious about climate change after he witnessed the devastating effects of severe flooding in Somalia.

The Belfast-born Crying Game star (77), who is a Unicef Ireland goodwill ambassador, travelled to the country in the Horn of Africa on a mission with the charity last week.

He visited aid camps, where tens of thousands of people are living after being displaced from their homes due to conflict, drought and now flooding.

Some of the camps have also been flooded, causing people to flee for a second time.

Stephen Rea in Somalia. Photo: Johnny Brew

The Dublin-based actor met children suffering from malnourishment and spoke to mothers who have lost sons and daughters to disease and starvation.

A lot of the mothers are just children themselves and its a huge responsibility to grow up trying to deal with malnutrition, he said.

People I spoke to here were saying they would prefer the drought to the flooding, as at least there is some element of control. The flooding just swept everything away.

Those kinds of extremes are a part of the climate change situation. Its not possible for one human or a few humans to fix that  everyone has to make an effort. Were so blase about climate change at home, even though the signs are becoming obvious in Ireland.

This world is in trouble. Its our responsibility to help save these people and these beautiful children.

Dozens of people have been killed and half a million have been displaced in Somalia since the start of October.

Intense rainfall has been exacerbated by the El Nino weather phenomenon, which is linked to rising sea surface temperatures. Aid workers and medical professionals in the region now fear that flooding will lead to a spike in disease outbreaks.

Hiray Adan (20) and her 10-month-old child Sumaya Saiid among people at an outpatient nutrition facility in Dullow, Somalia. Photo: Johnny Brew

Rea visited Banadir Hospital in the capital, Mogadishu, while on the field trip. It has the only cholera treatment centre in the region and cares for children who are experiencing severe malnutrition and other medical complications.

He also witnessed first-hand the work being done at Unicef-supported stabilisation centres to save lives.

These places are utterly essential and the officials here are completely wonderful people, devoted to what they do. I dont know how people here could live without help. The Irish people at home are so manifestly generous with their donations, Rea said.

We have to keep that going because this world is threatened by climate change. We live in one world. We are all in the same world. These are our children and we have to save them.

The Belfast-born actor said his charity work was probably the most important role I have ever played in my life, adding: Its been a really moving experience. You cant watch whats happening here on the television and feel the same way. You only understand when you visit a place like this. We need to help them.

Five failed rainy seasons in a row severely hampered agricultural production in Somalia. Now, once-in-a-century floods could affect up to 1.6 million people, according to the United Nations.

The Somali government has declared a state of emergency.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla are hosting an incoming state visit by the president of South Korea (Andrew Matthews/PA)

The King and Queen will officially welcome the president of South Korea to the UK on Tuesday and stage a glittering state banquet in his honour at Buckingham Palace.

Charles and Camilla are hosting Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee for the first incoming state visit since the Kings coronation and the second of his reign.

The Prince and Princess of Wales will play a key role by greeting the President and the First Lady at their hotel on Tuesday morning.

William and Kate will greet President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee ahead of the ceremonial welcome (PA)

William and Kate will travel with Mr Yoon and Mrs Kim to the ceremonial welcome on Horse Guards Parade in central London, where the King and Queen will be waiting.

A guard of honour, formed by F Company Scots Guards, will give a royal salute amid traditional pomp and pageantry and the King and Mr Yoon will inspect the troops on the parade ground.

Charles, Camilla, William and Kate and their guests will then travel in a carriage procession down The Mall to the Palace, before a private lunch and a visit to see Royal Collection exhibits in the Picture Gallery.

Later, Mr Yoon will lay a wreath at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey and deliver an address in the Royal Gallery at the Palace of Westminster to members of both Houses of Parliament.

Mr Yoon and Mrs Kim arriving at Stansted Airport on Monday (PA)

In the evening, 170 guests will gather for the banquet, customarily a white tie and tiara affair, in the opulent Palace ballroom.

The King and Queen are expected to be joined by William, Kate and other members of the royal family, while Charles and Mr Yoon will make speeches.

Foreign secretaries are also usually invited, meaning the newly appointed Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton is likely to make a return to dining at the royal residence, harking back to the days when he was prime minister.

Mr Yoon, 62, is a known fan of karaoke and in April belted out a verse of one of his favourite songs, American Pie, at a White House dinner at the request of President Joe Biden during a state visit to the US.

The then-prime minister David Cameron at the state banquet for the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah of Kuwait in Windsor Castle in 2012 (PA)

He got a standing ovation.

Critics of Mr Yoon, a former prosecutor general, have accused him of suppressing freedom of speech during his 18-month presidency and cracking down on fault-finding news reports about him in the name of fighting fake news.

Mrs Kim, a 51-year-old former head of an art event-planning company, has also attracted controversy.

She made a televised public apology in 2021 after admitting exaggerating her professional credentials when applying for jobs at universities over a decade ago.

Mr Yoon and Mrs Kim at Stansted Airport (PA)

Mr Yoon and Mrs Kim made a low-key arrival at Stansted Airport on Monday.

Before his trip, Mr Yoon said the world is facing a polycrisis of multiple conflicts and threats to humanity.

He told The Daily Telegraph that the wars in Ukraine and Israel, and rising tension with Russia, North Korea and in the South China Sea, have compelled him to seek very close security co-operation with the West.

He secured a landmark deal with the US earlier this year to counter the North Korean nuclear threat.

Mr Yoon previously warned fellow world leaders about possible co-operation between North Korea and Russia after North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The ballroom set for then-US president Donald Trumps state banquet in 2019 (PA)

The King and the South Korean President met last year at the reception for heads of state and official overseas guests at the Palace on the eve of the late Queens funeral.

Mr Yoons opponents accused him of being disrespectful during his trip to London after he missed the chance to view the late Queens coffin lying in state  which he blamed on heavy traffic.

He was also caught on microphone swearing after a chat with Mr Biden at the UN general assembly the following week, with the footage going viral in his home country.

The King visited South Korea in November 1992.

The Prince and Princess of Wales at a memorial outside Seoul, South Korea, in 1992 (PA)

As the Prince of Wales, he carried out the tour with his then-wife, Diana, Princess of Wales, but the pair were branded The Glums for looking ill at ease together and a month later it was announced Charles and Diana were separating.

On Wednesday, Mr Yoon will hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at Downing Street and also meet Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.

The state visit follows the first incoming one of the Kings reign by South Africas President Cyril Ramaphosa last autumn.
A senior UK minister has said it is undeniable that the Falkland Islands are British after Argentinas newly-elected president suggested efforts should be made to get them back.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps tweeted: The Falkland Islands are British. That is non-negotiable and undeniable.

99.8% of islanders voted to remain British and we will always defend their right to self-determination and the UKs sovereignty.

Mr Shapps appeared to be responding to comments made by Javier Milei, who won a resounding victory in Argentinas presidential election on Sunday.

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During his presidential campaign, Mr Milei reportedly said Buenos Aires had non-negotiable sovereignty over the Falklands, the archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean which is known as the Malvinas by Argentines.

The islands were the subject of a bloody conflict in 1982 after Argentine forces invaded and briefly occupied the territory.

The war claimed the lives of 255 British servicemen, three islanders and 649 Argentine personnel.

British ministers regularly cite the results of a 2013 referendum that saw close to 100% of voters on the islands, which has a population of about 3,500 people, opt to remain a UK Overseas Territory.

Mr Milei reportedly said during a TV election debate: What do I propose? Argentinas sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands is non-negotiable. The Malvinas are Argentine.

Now we have to see how we are going to get them back. It is clear that the war option is not a solution.

Argentinian president-elect Javier Milei has called for Falklands handover talks (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

We had a war  that we lost  and now we have to make every effort to recover the islands through diplomatic channels.

In a newspaper interview with La Nacion, a daily newspaper in Argentina, he proposed that the UK hand over the Falklands to his South American country in a similar way to how Hong Kong was given back over to Chinese rule in 1997.

The populist politician, who has described himself as an anarcho-capitalist and is said to have lauded Margaret Thatcher  the British prime minister during the Falklands conflict  said the views of those living on the islands cannot be ignored.

Mr Shapps, in his tweets rejecting any negotiation on the future of the Falklands, highlighted how Royal Navy ship HMS Forth had been sent back to protect the islands in the southern hemisphere.

It follows a nine-month stint by HMS Medway to patrol the remote location.

The Prime Ministers official spokesman said on Tuesday: The UK has no doubt about the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands, and indeed South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.

The UK Government will continue to proactively defend the Falkland islanders right to self determination.

The No 10 official said Falklands rule was an issue that was settled decisively some time ago.

Since the 1980s conflict, UK ministers have been keen to shoot down any talk of Argentina having any claim to the islands.

In July, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hit out at the European Unions regrettable choice of words after it appeared to have endorsed the name Argentina prefers.

A diplomatic row erupted after Brussels referred to the islands as Islas Malvinas in a declaration jointly signed with Argentina and other Latin American countries.

The Falklands are about 8,000 miles from the UK and about 300 miles from mainland Argentina.
A North Korean hacking group has stolen the email accounts of nearly 1,500 South Korean people, including dozens of government officials, this year after taking control of about 500 transit servers at home and abroad, the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) said Tuesday.

The North's hacking organization, identified as "Kimsuky," was also found to have attempted to steal the victims' virtual assets, as well as their personal information, IDs and passwords, the KNPA said, though the virtual asset theft attempts failed due to strict security procedures.

A total of 1,468 South Koreans, including 57 former and current government officials, had their email accounts stolen by Kimsuky in 2023, marking a nearly 30-fold increase from only 49 victims reported to the authorities last year.

Last year's victims were mostly diplomacy and security experts but Kimsuky has indiscriminately expanded the target of its hacking attacks to the general public, the agency said, adding 1,411 ordinary citizens, including company employees and self-employed people, suffered damage this year.

Kimsuky sent malicious emails to the victims under the feigned names of government organizations, reporters and research institutes after changing its IP address via 576 servers at home and abroad, the KNPA said. The hacking group then gained access to the victims' attached documents, address directories and other data, though there were no confidential materials among the stolen information.

Notably, Kimsuky's hacking method has become far more sophisticated, as some of the victims were induced by attached URLs to access fake websites imitating trustworthy organizations or portals, the agency noted.

The North's hackers attempted to steal virtual assets from 19 of the victims by fraudulently accessing their virtual asset exchange accounts but those attempts were not successful due to strict security procedures, the KNPA said.

The agency has also confirmed that Kimsuky has earned less than 1 million won ($775) by secretly running a virtual asset mining program on 147 transit servers taken over through hacking. (Yonhap)
(Left to right) Ashley Dales sister (who has requested not to be named), mother Julie Dale and stepfather Rob Jones arriving at Liverpool Crown Court (Peter Byrne/PA)

The family of a woman who was shot at her own home have said she fell in love with the wrong boy as they expressed their anger towards the despicable boyfriend her murderers were targeting.

Four men  Niall Barry, 26, Sean Zeisz, 28, James Witham, 41, and Joseph Peers, 29  were convicted of the murder of Ashley Dale, 28, who was killed following a feud involving her partner Lee Harrison, 26, a man the trial heard was associated with the Hillside organised crime group in Huyton, Liverpool.

Ms Dales mother Julie Dale, 46, said she was very, very angry towards Mr Harrison, who had been in a relationship with her daughter for about five years before her death.

She said: Some days I feel like Im more angry towards him than I am to the person whos actually killed Ashley because without Lee Harrison this wouldnt have happened.

She added: The way hes acted since this has happened has been absolutely despicable.

Weve had no remorse from him. Weve had no support from him. We have no admittance that its anything to do with him.

Hes given us any number of reasons of what hes heard its to do with and none of them include him.

He still carries on going about his life, leaving the country, going on holidays, lording it up, shall we say, like nothings happened and nothings changed for him and its absolutely disgusting, it really is.

During the trial, the court heard since his girlfriends death Mr Harrison had been totally unco-operative with police, and had been to Dubai on several occasions.

Miss Dales stepfather Rob Jones said: The problem we keep coming back to is Ashley fell in love with the wrong boy.

Im not saying for one minute Ashley did not love him, Im saying he doesnt love her, clearly, by actions.

Julie Dale said her daughter was career driven and excited about starting a promotion as an environmental health officer at Knowsley Council.

She said sitting through the trial, which lasted more than six weeks, had been harder than she expected.

I thought, in the early days, with some of the things that we had to do  planning a funeral and some really horrific things that we had to do in the beginning, I thought nothing can top them, nothing can get any worse, she said.

But, sitting in court having the defendants there and seeing them and then listening and seeing the horrific details of what happened to her and how she was just basically just left on her own to die. Its horrendous.

Ashley Dale was described as career driven (Merseyside Police/PA)

During the trial the court was shown photos of Miss Dale and Mr Harrison with some of the defendants.

Witham, who admitted firing the shot which killed Ms Dale, was seen in one undated picture making a peace sign as he posed with Miss Dale and Mr Harrison.

Julie Dale said: The difficult thing is, most of the defendants, pretty much all of them, knew Ashley and have known her on a friendly basis.

Never mind to do what they did, but then to get up and lie about it and talk about her. Hearing them mention her name just makes me so angry.

Speaking to anyone involved in gun crime, she added: Just think about how it affects so many people.

Were broken, our life is never, ever going to be the same ever again.
Alejo Vidal-Quadras remains in hospital after being shot in the face earlier this month (AP Photo/Thierry Charlier, File)

A British woman and two Spanish men have been arrested in connection with the shooting of a right-wing politician in Madrid earlier this month.

Alejandro Vidal-Quadras, 78, was shot in the face in broad daylight on November 9 and remains in hospital.

The National Police forces press department said two suspects were detained in the city of Lanjaron in southern Spain and the third in the city of Fuengirola.

Spanish state news agency EFE and other media outlets said none of the three was suspected of having fired the shot that hit Mr Vidal-Quadras, who helped found Spains far-right Vox party.

Three people have been arrested in connection with the shooting if the right-wing politician (AP Photo/Thierry Charlier, File)

EFE said the two people arrested in Lanjaron were a Spanish man and his partner, a British woman. A man detained in Fuengirola, also a Spaniard, was arrested in connection with a motorbike used in the shooting, the news agency reported.

The National Court is investigating the shooting as a possible terrorist attack.

Police told The Associated Press earlier this month that Mr Vidal-Quadras had raised the possibility he was targeted because of his ties with Irans political opposition. Investigators were exploring a potential Iranian link but so far have no found evidence of one, police told the AP.

Mr Vidal-Quadras has been aligned for decades with the Iranian opposition in exile. In January, Irans Foreign Ministry imposed sanctions on him and others with ties to the exiled opposition group known as the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, accusing them of supporting terrorism and terrorist groups.

Mr Vidal-Quadras was an important member of Spains conservative Popular Party and also a European Parliament member before he helped found Vox. He has not been active in politics for several years but maintained a public role as a media commentator and columnist.
Demonstrations have been held at the entrance to the Israeli embassy in Pretoria (Denis Farrell/AP)

Israel has recalled its ambassador to South Africa, Eliav Belotserkovsky, to Jerusalem for consultations ahead of a parliamentary vote in the African nation on the fate of the Israeli embassy in Pretoria.

The two countries diplomatic relations have witnessed a rise in tensions over the Israeli war with Hamas in Gaza.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa previously said his country believes Israel is committing war crimes and genocide in Gaza, where thousands of Palestinians have been killed.

Following the latest South African statements, the Ambassador of Israel to Pretoria has been recalled to Jerusalem for consultations, Israels ministry of foreign affairs posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Pro-Palestinian supporters demonstrate at the entrance to the Israeli embassy in Pretoria (Denis Farrell/AP)

This came ahead of a vote in South Africas parliament on a motion to shut down the Israeli embassy and cut all ties with Israel until a ceasefire is implemented in Gaza.

The motion tabled by the leftist opposition party Economic Freedom Fighters has the backing of the ruling African National Congress and other smaller parties.

South Africa announced last week that it had referred what it called Israels genocide in Gaza to the International Criminal Court for an investigation, with its cabinet calling on the ICC on Monday to issue an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Given that much of the global community is witnessing the commission of these crimes in real time, including statements of genocidal intent by many Israeli leaders, we expect that warrants of arrest for these leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, should be issued shortly, South African minister in the presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, told reporters on Monday.

Earlier this month, South Africa recalled its ambassador to Israel and withdrew all its diplomatic staff from the country.

The conflict will also be the subject of a virtual meeting of so-called Brics countries on Tuesday, which will be attended by leaders of the bloc, including Mr Ramaphosa, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The economic bloc was formed by Brazil, Russia, India and China in 2009 and added South Africa in 2010. Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Egypt and Ethiopia are also set to enter Brics.

The Israel-Hamas war erupted after the Palestinian militant groups surprise attacks on Israel on October 7 killed about 1,200 people. Israels retaliatory strikes on Gaza have killed more than 12,700 people, according to Palestinian health authorities.
Israels war cabinet is to meet to consider a possible deal on the release of hostages held by Hamas (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Israel and the Hamas militant group appeared close to a temporary ceasefire deal that could bring the first pause in fighting in a devastating six-week war and result in the release of dozens of hostages held captive in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas predicted a Qatari-mediated deal could be reached in the coming hours, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was set to convene top decision-makers to discuss the matter.

We are advancing, Mr Netanyahu told troops during a visit to a training base. I hope there will be good news soon.

The announcement came as Israeli troops battled Palestinian militants in an urban refugee camp in northern Gaza and around hospitals overcrowded with patients and sheltering families.

A woman plasters photos of Israelis missing and held captive in Gaza as officials are said to be considering a deal to secure the release of some hostages (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Mr Netanyahus office said the special three-member war cabinet met on Tuesday and would be followed by meetings of his Security Cabinet, a forum of senior security officials, and the full Cabinet.

There was no word on whether a vote would take place, and details of a deal were not released.

Israeli media reports said an agreement would include a five-day halt in Israels offensive in Gaza and the release of 50 hostages held by Hamas in exchange for some 150 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

Israels Channel 12 TV said the first releases would be expected to take place on Thursday or Friday.

Talks have repeatedly stalled. But even if a deal is reached, it would not mean an end to the war, which erupted on October 7 after Hamas militants stormed across the border into southern Israel and killed at least 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and kidnapped some 240 others.

An Israeli offensive, including weeks of airstrikes and a ground invasion, has left more than 12,000 people dead, caused widespread destruction and displaced more than 1.7 million people, according to Palestinian health authorities.

Fighting in the Gaza Strip, now in its seventh week, has shifted to the Jabaliya refugee camp (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Israel, the United States and Qatar, which mediates with Hamas, have negotiated for weeks over a hostage release that would be paired with a temporary cease-fire and the entry of more aid.

In Washington, President Joe Biden said that a deal on releasing some hostages was very close.

We could bring some of these hostages home very soon, he said at the White House.

Qatars Foreign Ministry spokesman, Majed al-Ansari expressed optimism, telling reporters that we are at the closest point we ever had been in reaching an agreement.

He added that negotiations were at a critical and final stage.

Izzat Rishq, a senior Hamas official, said Tuesday that an agreement could be reached in the coming hours, in which Hamas would release captives and Israel would release Palestinian prisoners.

Hamas leader-in-exile, Ismail Haniyeh, also said they were close to a deal.

Israels Channel 12 TV, citing anonymous Israeli officials, said a truce could be extended and additional Palestinian prisoners released if there were additional hostages freed.

Journalists and family members gather next to Lebanese Red Cross ambulances carrying the bodies of the two slain journalists of pan-Arab TV network Al-Mayadeenm, who were killed by an Israeli strike (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Inside Gaza, the front line of the war has shifted to the Jabaliya refugee camp, a dense warren of concrete buildings near Gaza City that houses families displaced in the 1948 war surrounding Israels creation.

Israel has bombarded the area for weeks, and the military said Hamas fighters have regrouped there and in other eastern districts after being pushed out of much of Gaza City.

The fighting in Jabaliya raged around two nearby hospitals, trapping hundreds of patients and displaced people sheltering inside.

A strike on Tuesday hit inside one of the facilities, al-Awda, killing four people, including three doctors, the hospital director told Al-Jazeera TV.

Residents of Jabaliya said there was heavy fighting as Israeli forces tried to advance under the cover of airstrikes.

Hamza Abu Mansour, a university student said: They are facing stiff resistance.

The Israeli military said strikes hit three tunnel shafts where fighters were hiding and destroyed rocket launchers. Footage released by the military showed Israeli soldiers patrolling on foot as gunfire echoed around them.

In southern Lebanon, an Israeli strike killed two journalists with Al-Mayadeen TV, according to the Hezbollah-allied Pan-Arab network and Lebanese officials. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

A separate Israeli drone strike in Lebanon killed four Hamas members, a Palestinian official and a Lebanon security official said.

The Israeli military has been trading fire almost daily across the border with Lebanons Hezbollah group and Palestinian militants since the outbreak of the war.
Black smoke rises from an Israeli air strike on the outskirts of Aita al-Shaab, a Lebanese border village (Hussein Malla/AP)

An Israeli strike on southern Lebanon has killed two journalists reporting for the Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen TV on the violence along the border with Israel, according to the broadcaster.

The strike also killed a Lebanese civilian.

The Pan-Arab Al-Mayadeen TV  politically allied with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah  identified the journalists as correspondent Farah Omar and cameraman Rabih Maamari, saying they were martyred by treacherous Israeli targeting in an air strike.

Smoke rises from an Israeli army position which was hit by Hezbollah shells (Hussein Malla/AP)

It was direct targeting. It was not a coincidence, said Ghassan bin Jiddo, director of the TV channel, holding back his tears in a live broadcast. They join the martyrs of Gaza, he said

Mr Bin Jiddo said a man from the village, whom he identified as Hussein Akil, was also killed.

Last week, the Israeli government blocked Al-Mayadeen TV news channel from broadcasting in Israel.

Lebanese information minister Ziad Makary called the strike on the journalists outrageous.

The Israeli military said its soldiers took action against an alleged threat posed by a weapons launching area in southern Lebanon. It said the attack was under review.

We are aware of a claim regarding journalists in the area who were killed as a result, the military said. This is an area with active hostilities, where exchanges of fire occur. Presence in the area is dangerous.

In a statement earlier on Tuesday, it said its aircraft struck three armed terrorist cells in the area of the border with Lebanon in addition to Hezbollah infrastructure.

Also in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, an Israeli drone strike in the village of Chaatiyeh near the Mediterranean coast killed four members of Hamas, a Palestinian official and a Lebanese security official said.

Journalists and family members gather next to Lebanese Red Cross ambulances carrying the bodies of the two slain journalists of pan-Arab TV network Al-Mayadeenm, who were killed by an Israeli strike outside the stations headquarters (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

The Palestinian official said they were members of the Qassam Brigades, Hamass military wing. The Lebanese security official also confirmed that the four killed were members of Hamas without saying if they were from the military wing. A Hamas official in Lebanon said there were a number of martyrs from the Palestinian resistance without confirming the number or identities.

Lebanese state-run National News Agency said Israels military struck the outskirts of the villages of Teir Harfa and Majdal Zoun.

It also reported that another strike on a home in the border village of Kfar Kila killed a woman, Laiqa Serhan, 80, and wounded her granddaughter who was taken to hospital for treatment.

Israeli shelling on southern Lebanon on October 14, killed Reuters video-journalist Issam Abduallah and wounded other journalists from Frances international news agency, Agence France-Presse, and Qatars Al-Jazeera TV.

Colleagues of the two slain journalists of pan-Arab TV network Al-Mayadeen, who were killed by an Israeli strike, mourn outside the stations headquarters (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

The Lebanon-Israel border has been witnessing daily exchange of fire between members of the militant Hezbollah group and Israeli troops.

The clashes began a day after the Palestinian militant Hamas group carried out a deadly attack on southern Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking more than 240 hostages.

Israel has since carried out a wide-scale military campaign in the Gaza Strip killing more than 12,700 people.
This photo provided by witness Diane Dircks shows a US Navy plane that overshot a Marine base on Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii (Diane Dircks/AP)

A US Navy plane flying in wet weather overshot a runway at a military base in Hawaii and splashed into Kaneohe Bay but all nine aboard were uninjured, authorities said.

The Coast Guard responded but rescue operations were quickly called off, said Petty Officer Ryan Fisher, a Coast Guard spokesperson. It sounds like all parties involved were rescued, he said.

Marine Corps spokesperson Orlando Perez had no information about what caused the P-8A aircraft to go off the runway at Marine Corps Base Hawaii.

A photo taken by witness Diane Dircks showed the plane in water just offshore, a sight reminiscent of the 2009 Miracle On The Hudson, when a passenger jet piloted by Chesley Sully Sullenberger made an emergency landing on the New York river. All 155 people aboard survived.

A downed US Navy aircraft in Kaneohe Bay (Jamm Aquino/Honolulu Star-Advertiser/AP)The P-8A and the Airbus A320 that Mr Sullenberger piloted are roughly the same size.

Ms Dircks and her family had just returned to the dock after rainy weather cut their pontoon boat trip short when her daughter noticed the plane in the water.

We went running over to the end of the dock, and I took some pictures, she said.

Ms Dircks, who is visiting from Illinois, said her daughter keeps a pair of binoculars on her for birdwatching, so she was able to see the plane and the rescue boats arriving.

It was unbelievable, she said.

The Honolulu Fire Department received a 911 call for a downed aircraft shortly after 2pm, spokesperson Malcolm K Medrano said in an email.

It was cloudy and rainy at the time. Visibility was about one mile, said Thomas Vaughan, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Honolulu.

The P-8A is often used to hunt for submarines and for reconnaissance and intelligence gathering. It is manufactured by Boeing and shares many parts with the 737 commercial jet.

The plane belongs to the Skinny Dragons of Patrol Squadron 4 stationed at Whidbey Island in Washington state. Patrol squadrons were once based at Kaneohe Bay but now deploy to Hawaii on a rotational basis.

Marine Corps Base Hawaii is about 10 miles from Honolulu on Oahu. The base houses about 9,300 military personnel and 5,100 family members.

The base sits on Kaneohe Bay, which is home to coral reefs, a breeding ground for hammerhead sharks and a University of Hawaii marine biology research institute.
North Korea claimed Wednesday to have successfully placed a spy satellite into orbit with its third launch attempt this year, demonstrating the nations determination to build a space-based surveillance system during protracted tensions with the United States.

The Norths claim could not immediately independently be confirmed and observers doubt whether the satellite is advanced enough to perform military reconnaissance.

Nevertheless, the launch still invited strong condemnation from the United States and its partners because the UN bans North Korea from conducting satellite launches, calling them covers for tests of missile technology.

A Japanese TV programme shows a J-Alert warning (Eugene Hoshiko/AP)

The Norths space agency said that its new Chollima-1 carrier rocket accurately placed the Malligyong-1 satellite into orbit on Tuesday night, about 12 minutes after lift-off from the countrys main launch centre.

The National Aerospace Technology Administration called the launch a legitimate right of North Korea to bolster its self-defence capabilities. It said the spy satellite would help improve the Norths war preparedness in the face of the enemies dangerous military moves.

The agency said leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch at the scene and congratulated scientists and others involved.

It said North Korea will launch several more spy satellites to better monitor South Korea and other areas.

US National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said Washington strongly condemned North Korea for the launch, saying it raises tensions and risks destabilising the security situation in the region and beyond.

She said the launch involved technologies that are directly related to North Koreas intercontinental ballistic missile program.

North Korea has launched a rocket in what may be its third attempt to put a spy satellite into orbit, according to South Koreas military (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

South Koreas military said it will maintain readiness to repel any provocations by North Korea based on an alliance with the United States.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called the launch a serious threat that affects the safety of the people and said Japan lodged a protest with North Korea condemning the launch in strongest terms.

A spy satellite is among the key military assets coveted by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who wants to modernise his weapons systems to cope with what he calls escalating US threats.

North Korea attempted to launch a spy satellite twice earlier this year but both launches ended in failure due to technical issues.

The country had vowed a third launch would take place some time in October but did not follow through with that plan.

South Korean officials have said the delay occurred likely because North Korea was receiving Russian technological assistance.

North Korea and Russia, both US adversaries that are increasingly isolated globally, have been pushing hard to expand their relationships in recent months.

In September, Mr Kim travelled to Russias Far East to meet President Vladimir Putin and visit key military sites, touching off intense speculation of a weapons deal between the two nations.

The North Korean military also launched a rocket in May (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

The alleged deal involves North Korea supplying conventional arms to refill Russias ammunition stock drained in its war with Ukraine.

In return, foreign governments and experts say that North Korea seeks Russian help in enhancing its nuclear and other military programmes. During Mr Kims Russia visit, Mr Putin told state media that his country would help North Korea build satellites, saying Mr Kim shows keen interest in rocket technology.

Both Russia and North Korea dismissed outside accusations of their alleged arms transfer deal as groundless. Such a deal would violate UN Security Council resolutions that prohibit any weapons trading involving North Korea.

The White House said in October that North Korea had delivered more than 1,000 containers of military equipment and munitions to Russia. But South Korean defence minister Shin Wonsik said in a media interview this week that North Korea had sent about 3,000 containers to Russia.

Mr Kim previously said North Korea needed spy satellites to better monitor South Korean and US activities and enhance the effective use of its nuclear missiles. But South Korea has said a North Korean spy launch programme also involves efforts to manufacture more powerful intercontinental ballistic missiles.

If North Korea succeeds in launching the military reconnaissance satellite, it would signify that North Koreas ICBM capabilities have been taken to a higher level, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said in responses to questions from The Associated Press earlier in November. Therefore, we will have to come up with reinforced countermeasures.
Government announces results of survey despite doctors' opposition

By Jun Ji-hye

Forty medical schools in Korea want the annual medical school enrollment quota to increase by nearly 3,000 in 2025 from the current 3,058 and by nearly 4,000 by 2030, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced Tuesday, suggesting a justification for its move to raise the quota despite opposition from doctors.

The findings were announced after the health ministry, together with the Ministry of Education, surveyed the 40 medical schools across the country from Oct. 27 to Nov. 9. This came as a follow-up to the governments Oct. 19 announcement of its plan to reform the countrys health care system to tackle physician shortages and deepening regional disparities in quality and availability of medical services.

The total admission quota of the 40 medical schools in Korea has remained unchanged at 3,058 since 2006.

The government considered increasing the annual medical school quota by about 1,000. As the results of its latest survey showed higher-than-expected demand from the schools, the reform push is expected to speed up.

This is expected to lead the Korea Medical Association (KMA) representing doctors, to strengthen its protests against the government. It has publicly opposed any intake hike and urged the government to address more urgent issues first, such as improving working conditions for physicians.

According to the health ministry, the 40 medical schools want to increase the annual quota by a minimum of 2,151 and a maximum of 2,847 in 2025. The schools also requested a consistent year-on-year hike so that the quota can increase by a minimum of 2,738 and a maximum of 3,953 by 2030.

The ministry said the minimum demand refers to possible increases immediately given the current staffing, facilities and capabilities possessed by each medical school. The maximum demand means refers to potential increases if additional conditions are met.

The results of the survey showed the wishes of the medical schools, the ministry said, noting that how much the quota will actually increase will be decided after its on-site inspections of each medical school and consultation with relevant experts.

The latest survey was meaningful in that the government took its first step to address the health care system crisis that has been grown over a long time, said Jeon Byung-wang, who is in charge of health care policy at the ministry.

The survey also showed the possibility that the medical schools could accept more than twice as many students. The government will thoroughly review the results of the survey before finalizing the quota for 2025.

Jeon added that the government will also work to draw up policies to improve working conditions for doctors in regional areas and in difficult fields.

The government has been seeking an increase to the medical school quota, as the country has faced serious shortages of surgeons, obstetricians, pediatricians and other physicians needed to provide essential medical services. The problem appears to be more serious in regional areas.

According to the health ministry, the number of doctors per 1,000 people in the country stood at 2.5, below the OECD average of 3.7.

Doctors, however, raised concerns that expanding the number of placements for medical schools could adversely affect the quality of education and training.
Indonesias Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi (center front) arrives with foreign ministers from Arab and Muslim-majority nations for a meeting with Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi (not pictured) at the Diaoyutai State Guest House in Beijing, Nov. 20, 2023. [

Top diplomats of Arab and majority-Muslim countries met with their Chinese counterpart in Beijing on Monday to gather support in calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, where more than 13,000 Palestinians have been killed, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said.

Retno also condemned what she said was an Israeli attack on an Indonesian-run hospital in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian enclave that, according to reports, killed at least 12 civilians, after which hospital personnel lost contact with three Indonesian volunteers.

The meeting in Beijing with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, requested by Arab and Muslim-majority nations, was to ensure a ceasefire can be called immediately and humanitarian assistance can also be dispatched without obstacle, Retno said in a statement after all the top diplomats met.

The delegates from the Muslim and Arab world were in Chinas capital on their first stop in a globe-trotting itinerary during which the ministers planned to visit with officials of all five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. The United States, Russia, France and Britain are the remaining four nations, which the ministers are looking to persuade to, in turn, coax Israel into ending hostilities in Gaza, the Saudi Arabian foreign ministry said Monday.

The U.S., Israels closest ally, has led a bloc of Western countries in resisting international and U.N. calls for a ceasefire, with Washingtons envoy to the world body vetoing or voting against official resolutions on this question.

Israels air and ground strikes on densely populated Gaza began in the wake of attacks by Hamas militants in early October that killed about 1,200 people.

Since then, Israel has been bombarding Gaza almost non-stop  Monday was the 45th day  and launched a ground strike into the territory. The Israeli operations have crippled hospitals and destroyed civil infrastructure, leaving Gaza in the midst of a dire humanitarian crisis, U.N. officials have warned.

In addition to Retno, the visiting delegation included the foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia, and the secretary general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Retno noted that the Peoples Republic of China this month holds the rotating presidency of the U.N. Security Council.

After some more time in Beijing on Tuesday, the foreign ministers delegation will visit Moscow to raise Russias support for a ceasefire in Gaza, Retno said.

Palestinians wounded in Israeli strikes lie on the floor as they are assisted at the Indonesian hospital in the northern Gaza Strip, Nov. 16, 2023. [Anas Al-Shareef/Reuters]

The delegation told Chinas Wang that it hoped the international community would address all the ongoing violations by the Israeli occupation forces and their repeated violations of international law and international humanitarian law, said a statement published by the Saudi Press Agency.

The ministers said it was important, especially for the Security Councils permanent members to stop these violations.

For his part, Wang said that Beijing had always supported the Palestinian cause.

China [h]as been working hard to de-escalate the conflict, protect civilians, expand humanitarian aid, and prevent humanitarian disasters, and has been calling for a return to the two-state solution and the early settlement of the Palestinian question, Wang said, according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement.

China appreciates Arab and Islamic countries for their active mediation efforts for peace, and stands ready to work with them to make unremitting efforts for an early ceasefire in Gaza, the easing of the humanitarian crisis, the release of the detainees and an early, comprehensive, just and enduring settlement of the Palestinian question.

All countries should pressure Israel

Meanwhile, Jakarta received news Monday of a deadly strike on a hospital run by an Indonesian charity in the north of the Gaza Strip, even as it was preparing a second batch of humanitarian aid to ship to the war-torn enclave.

Indonesia condemns in the strongest terms the Israeli attack on the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza which killed a number of civilians, Retno said in the same statement in which she spoke about the Beijing meeting.

The attack was a clear violation of international humanitarian law. All countries, especially those with close ties to Israel should be using all their influence and abilities to pressure Israel to stop its cruelty.

The health ministry in Gaza said Israel was responsible for the attack on the Indonesian Hospital that killed at least a dozen people, including wounded patients and family members with them, the Agence France-Presse news agency reported, adding that dozens were also wounded.

A medical worker at the hospital told the Associated Press agency that the killings occurred when an Israeli artillery shell struck the second floor of the facilitys building. A Gaza health ministry spokesperson said around 600 patients, 200 health care workers and 2,000 displaced people had been sheltering there.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the World Health Organization, condemned the attack.

WHO is appalled by an attack on the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza, reportedly resulting in 12 deaths, including patients, and tens of injuries, including critical and life-threatening ones, he wrote on social media site X.

Health workers and civilians should never have to be exposed to such horror, and especially while inside a hospital.

Israel says that Hamas maintains a network of tunnels and command centers in Gaza, including under hospitals, a claim Hamas has denied.

Last week, Israeli forces raided al-Shifa hospital, saying it was conducting an operation against Hamas in a specified area there. But its military has yet to show any evidence in public to support its claims.

U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Indonesian President Joko Jokowi Widodo for talks in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, Nov. 13, 2023. [Leah Millis/Reuters]

Also on Monday. Indonesian President Joko Jokowi Widodo reiterated Jakartas staunch support for the Palestinian people. Indonesia, the worlds largest Muslim-majority nation, doesnt recognize Israel and has condemned its strikes on Gaza and the heavy human toll they are taking.

I would like to once again affirm that Indonesia will always stand by the side of the nation of Palestine in its struggle, Jokowi said after sending the humanitarian aid for Palestinians from the Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base in Jakarta, state news agency Antara reported.

Jokowi also said that his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, did not specifically respond to Indonesias call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, when the two met at the White House in Washington last week.

Still, Jokowi said he was optimistic that the U.S. would take the recommendations into account.

I believe they will note what we have conveyed, he said, according to Antara.

Arie Firdaus in Jakarta contributed to this report.
Philippine Coast Guard sailors watch as a China Coast Guard vessel shadows their ship near Second Thomas (Ayungin) Shoal in disputed waters of the South China Sea, Nov. 11, 2023.

The Philippines and United States began long-anticipated joint sea and air patrols off the Southeast Asian archipelago on Tuesday, in a show of bilateral muscle-flexing in the face of perceived Chinese aggression in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait.

The three-day patrol started off the Philippines northernmost islands near Taiwan and were to move toward South China Sea (West Philippine Sea) waters within Manilas exclusive economic zone, officials said.

Filipino forces have engaged in some tense confrontations at sea lately with the China Coast Guard and Chinese maritime militia ships in disputed waters around Second Thomas (Ayungin) Shoal, where the Philippines keeps a ship grounded as a military outpost.

Today marks the beginning of joint maritime and air patrols  a collaborative effort between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the United States Indo-Pacific Command in the West Philippine Sea, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said in a statement Tuesday.

He announced the launch of the patrols after returning to Manila on Monday from a U.S. tour where he attended the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco and met on Friday with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. He also visited the headquarters of the U.S. militarys Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii.

This significant initiative is a testament to our commitment to bolster the interoperability of our military forces in conducting maritime and air patrols, Marcos said, adding he expected the joint patrols to enhance regional security and foster a seamless partnership with the United States in safeguarding our shared interests.

The joint patrols are part of a series of events agreed to by the governments of both nations that have been allies since they signed their Mutual Defense Treaty in 1951.

The activity will commence in the vicinity of Batanes and will end in the West Philippine Sea, said Col. Xerxes Trinidad, spokesman for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), referring to the countrys northernmost island province, which is a few hundred kilometers from Taiwan.

The patrols involve three navy ships and three fighter-jets from the Philippine military, which were to be joined by one littoral combat ship and one aircraft from the American side. No other details were released.

An F/A-18E Super Hornet launches from the flight deck of the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson in the Philippine Sea the during Annual Exercise (ANNUALEX) 2023, a multilateral exercise with the Australian and Canadian navies and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, Nov. 18, 2023. [Larissa T. Dougherty/U.S. Navy]

Marcos, who won the presidency last year, has sought to reverse the foreign policies of his predecessor, ex-President Rodrigo Duterte. Marcos is the son of the late Philippine dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos, who was a staunch ally of the U.S. at the height of the Cold War.

While in office (2016-22), the staunchly anti-American Duterte distanced Manila in its policy toward Washington and sought closer ties with Beijing and Moscow. He ignored a 2016 international arbitration ruling that invalidated Chinas sweeping claims to the South China Sea, in exchange for Chinese investment pledges. Duterte subsequently adopted a more nationalistic tone before leaving office last year, but analysts have said that it was a case of too little too late.

Earlier this year, the Marcos administration angered China by agreeing to grant U.S. military forces access to more bases in the Philippines. Beijing responded at the time by accusing the U.S. of provoking China by encircling it with military bases. China views Taiwan as a renegade province.

Stop in Honolulu

Over the weekend in Hawaii, Marcos and Philippine military chief Gen. Romeo Brawner met with Adm. John Aquilino, the top American commander for the Indo-Pacific region. Marcos also mingled with the large Filipino expat community.

On Sunday (local time), the president gave a speech in Honolulu during which he announced that the Philippines would now seek bilateral agreements with two other Southeast Asian claimants to the sea region  Vietnam and Malaysia  because, he said, negotiations between the ASEAN bloc and China for a code of conduct in the South China Sea were moving too slow.

The situation in the South China Sea has become more dire with Chinas increasing encroachment on the Philippines maritime boundaries, forcing his government to seek new partnerships with allies so peace can hold, Marcos said.

China claims nearly the entire South China Sea, including waters within the exclusive economic zone of Association of Southeast Asian Nations member-states Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

Adm. John C. Aquilino (right), commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, gives Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. a tour of the USS Arizona Memorial, at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Nov. 19, 2023. [Shannon Smith/U.S. Navy]

On Friday in San Francisco, Marcos met with Chinese President Xi in a bid to ease bilateral tensions after a series of standoffs in the strategic waterway during which Chinese coast guard and militia ships have stepped up efforts to block Philippine vessels from delivering supplies to Manilas military in Second Thomas Shoal.

Marcos said he requested the meeting to voice to the Chinese leader his concern on some of the incidents that were happening between Chinese and Philippine vessels, culminating in an actual collision, the Philippine Presidential Communications Office said in a statement Saturday.

In his speech from Honolulu, Marcos noted that Philippine resupply missions to its outpost in the contested reef had been subjected to coercive tactics and dangerous maneuvers by the Chinese coast guard backed by its maritime militia.

So, I have said it before and I will say it again, the Philippines will not give a single square inch of our territory to any foreign power, he said, while emphasizing that the arbitration award in 2016 supported the Philippine position and rejected Chinese claims to nearly the whole of the sea region.

We will insist on the preservation of the sovereignty and integrity of the country, while working closely with international partners in the bilateral, regional, and multilateral settings in developing rules and processes to address these challenges, Marcos said.

Ron Lopez in Manila contributed to this report.
Bennington, VT (05201)

Today

Partly cloudy early then becoming cloudy with periods of rain this afternoon. High near 50F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Showers early, then cloudy overnight. Low 37F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.
More young people transitioning into B&B hotel industry

People's Daily Online) 10:08, November 21, 2023

Liu Xin, a B&B hotel manager, feeds a goat with a guest's daughter in a farm near the B&B hotel he works for. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

In recent years, there has been a growing trend among young travelers to opt for B&B hotels as their accommodation of choice, as well as an increased demand for employment opportunities in the B&B hotel industry. In June 2022, China's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MHRSS) announced 18 new occupations, including B&B hotel managers.

After graduating from university in 2022, Gu Liping from east China's Jiangxi Province moved to Pingtan county in southeast China's Fujian Province and took on the role of a B&B hotel manager.

Gu has taken on additional responsibilities such as contract signing, insurance negotiations, procurement management, and navigating administrative approval processes.

Gu said that this experience has provided her with a deep understanding of the operational aspects of B&B hotels. She emphasized her desire to learn as much as possible while she is young, recognizing the invaluable nature of such knowledge that cannot be acquired through time or money.

Gu is also thinking about her own value within the industry.

She proactively educates herself on OTA (online travel agency) operations, establishes connections with various platform channels, and manages online stores, consciously selecting tasks that are considered "challenging and requiring advanced skills" as she believes that this is the path to utilizing her education and skills effectively, as well as enhancing her value and indispensability.

Chen Wenyan, a 34-year-old tourist, views B&B hotels as a personal retreat. She appreciates the one-on-one reception service offered by B&B hotel managers, as it allows her to enjoy maximum privacy during her stay.

During her trip to Yunnan Province in southwest China, Chen opted to stay at a local B&B hotel, which provided complimentary airport transportation services. Additionally, the hotel manager confirmed Chen's personalized dining preferences in advance and organized activities for her based on the local conditions.

Chen mentioned that any requirements regarding clothing, food, accommodation, and transportation can be easily communicated with the hotel managers at any time, and says the B&B hotel managers are highly flexible.

Liu Xin, a 24-year-old graduate from Guangxi Minzu Normal University with a major in tourism management, decided to make a career change after gaining experience in scenic spot copywriting and planning. In February 2022, Liu arrived in the Moganshan scenic area in east China's Zhejiang Province to take on the role of a B&B hotel manager.

The MHRSS has officially defined the role of a B&B hotel manager as someone who provides customized services including accommodation, dining, and immersive experiences of the local natural environment, culture, and lifestyle.

The key characteristic that sets B&B hotels apart from traditional hotels is their focus on personalized customization. Once a guest makes a reservation, the B&B hotel manager begins offering round-the-clock one-on-one online assistance, in contrast to hotel front desks.

Liu believes that the attentive, proactive, and sincere services provided by B&B hotel managers are one of the main reasons why guests choose B&B hotels over traditional hotels. Through nearly two years of work experience, Liu has come to realize that an experienced B&B hotel manager must possess not only enthusiasm but also adaptability.

According to Gu, the monthly income of a B&B hotel manager in Pingtan county ranges from 4,000 to 5,500 yuan (about $755.96). They sign labor contracts and the B&B hotels provide five types of insurance, along with meals and accommodation in most cases.

Gu believes that the profession has low requirements for education and experience, which can help alleviate employment pressure for some young job seekers. She also noted that not everyone is suited for this role.

Many young people who choose to become B&B hotel managers are looking to gain experience in the industry and expand their career prospects. Gu mentioned that a few of her colleagues decided to leave the B&B hotel to pursue their own projects. Some chose to return to their hometowns and open their own hotels, while others decided to operate simplified urban B&B lodgings.

These people approach their career transition with a strong sense of purpose and a desire to learn from their experience, ultimately gaining valuable insights along the way.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Two countries elevate relations to global strategic partnership

By Nam Hyun-woo

LONDON  President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will adopt the "Downing Street Accord" and elevate bilateral relations to a "global strategic partnership," Seoul's presidential office said, Monday (local time).

Yoon arrived in London on Monday afternoon for a state visit to the U.K., and will hold a summit with Sunak on Wednesday to explore ways to expand the two countries' partnership. The visit coincides with the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between South Korea and the U.K., as well as the 70th anniversary of the Korean Armistice Agreement that halted fighting in the 1950-53 Korean War.

The accord, which will be unveiled after the summit between Yoon and Sunak, will stress the two countries' common stance on North Korea's nuclear threats and other issues on the Korean Peninsula. It will also show their commitment to joint responses to global conflicts, including the war in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war.

Upon adopting the accord, the two leaders will elevate their bilateral partnership to a global strategic partnership from the current broad and creative partnership to deepen cooperation in almost all fields.

The two countries will form new defense and cybersecurity partnerships, which will strengthen defense industry and intelligence agency ties. The cybersecurity partnership will bolster the two countries ability to detect, disrupt and deter malicious actors, while the defense partnership will improve industrial collaboration and supply chain integration, allowing greater defense capability development.

In doing so, the two countries will expand combined military drills and carry out joint sanctions patrols, authorized by the United Nations Security Council targeting North Korea. It will be the first bilateral sanctions action the two nations have conducted together against the North.

To strengthen their supply chain, the two countries will sign a memorandum of understanding on semiconductors, and the leaders will discuss economic partnerships in artificial intelligence, digital technology, nuclear power, space, biotechnology, quantum technologies and clean energies.

"The Downing Street Accord, which upgraded bilateral ties to a global strategic partnership, is the highest possible cooperative document that the two countries can sign," said Kim Eun-hye, Seoul's senior presidential secretary for public relations.

"It is also a measure to comprehensively expand the bilateral partnership to cover not only national security and defense, but also science technologies, supply chains and other fields."

Upgrading free trade pact

Along with the accord, the two countries will launch negotiations for an upgraded free trade agreement (FTA) between the two countries.

According to the U.K. government, it will be "a future-proofed FTA, fit for the technology-driven landscape of the coming decades," and will pave the way for new chapters in digital trade and rules of origin.

"The current relations between South Korea and the U.K. are lagging behind their embedded potential," Kim said. "The negotiation for the upgraded FTA will create a free environment for trade and investment for companies in both countries and will serve as an opportunity to create new wealth."

South Koreas Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Bang Moon-kyu and the U.K.s Secretary of State for Business and Trade Kemi Badenoch will sign an agreement on Wednesday to launch the negotiations.

Signed in 2019, the existing trade pact is the U.K.s first FTA with an Asian country after its exit from the European Union.

However, there have been calls for the pact, which mainly focuses on opening the commodity and service markets, to reflect up-to-date trade norms and recent developments in the global trade environment.

According to Seouls industry ministry, the negotiations will focus on improving the resilience of bilateral trade to deal with emerging economic security issues and supply chain disruptions.

As a result, the negotiations will involve streamlining complex trade arrangements for key components and accelerating new investments in the energy, digital and bio industries to make trade relations become more future-oriented and comprehensive.

Preparations for the negotiations will continue until the end of this year and Seoul will host the first round of talks in January.
Bennington, VT (05201)

Today

Partly cloudy early then becoming cloudy with periods of rain this afternoon. High around 50F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Rain showers this evening with overcast skies overnight. Low 37F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.
MONTPELIER  Noting that the Thanksgiving holiday is almost here, with most Vermonters preparing to celebrate time together, Gov. Phil Scott on Monday urged neighbors to look out for one another  and kicked off a six-week campaign to raise funds for Vermonters still recovering from the July floods.

Many families are going into the holiday season still trying to make repairs to their damaged homes," he said at a news conference. And some will be living with family and friends, while others are still trying to figure out what their future will look like.

He also said many businesses are still struggling to their doors open prior to the Christmas holiday.

Scott thanked those who have stepped up since the historic floods that devastated much of the state to offer their time or donate funds to help those hit by flood damage.

For those who can, I need you to dig a little bit deeper because we still have more work to do, he said.

The goal is to raise $1 million  on top of the $1 million already raised  through sales of Vermont Strong license plates. The license plates were created to raise funds following Tropical Storm Irene in 1991. The Scott administration reintroduced the plates in August, and has raised $715,000 for individuals and businesses impacted by the disaster.

Individual assistance has been channeled through the Vermont Community Foundation; business assistance through the States Business Emergency Gap Assistance Program (BEGAP).

Theres a ton more work to do, said Dan Smith, president of the Vermont Community Foundation, particularly with the weather getting colder and people living in more challenging environments.

Smith said the Vermont Strong plates also serve an important role in buoying the spirts of those impacted by the storm who might be asking themselves, Whos got my back.

We have each others back, and thats one of the most inspiring things about Vermont and Vermont communities, he said.

The holiday campaign announced by Scott will raise funds to help with housing needs, like home repairs and heat; food security; individual and family assistance for critical needs, like filling a gas tank, replacing clothing and bedding that was destroyed, medications and more; and mental health services and support.

The other half of the funds will continue to help businesses through BEGAP, which is designed to fill the funding gaps not met by existing programs. supporting needs that will exceed existing program funds.

BEGAP was launched with $20 million in state funds and has assisted about 500 businesses, said Lindsay Kurrle, secretary of the Agency of Commerce and Community Development.

We have heard from so many businesses about the real impact the BEGAP funds had  in getting their doors open, their inventory replenished, and their employees back to work. These funds also support landlords working to get needed housing units back online, she added. While the initial funds have been distributed, there is still a substantial amount of unmet need from businesses who have yet to receive a payment  and we know every penny can help them get to that next stage of reopening.

Scott said he has witnessed so many acts of kindness since the July floods  someone buying a neighbor a meal, or cutting an elderly persons grass, for example. He urged Vermonters to continue those acts.

He said to those who dont live in areas impacted by the storm and might be unaware of the extent of the damage, I would encourage people to get out, take a drive. You dont have to drive very far to find it.

... Theres more work to do, and more money to raise to help. Because the fact is, the destruction from the flood will take a long time to clean up, and has a lasting effect for those who lost so much, the governor said. Vermonters need ongoing help, and this fundraising effort will help.

The license plates cost $35 each and can be ordered online at dmv.vermont.gov/vermontstrong23
BENNINGTON  The 56-year-old Killington man was arraigned Monday on charges that he stole funds from a deposited Social Security check that he was holding for a disabled man for safekeeping.

George M. Guile was charged with two crimes  financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult and false pretenses for taking the money destined for the victim man. Guile faces a combined 11 years behind bars if found guilty of both counts.

According to a police affidavit, the victim came to the Bennington States Attorneys Office on Sept. 19 to speak with a Sheriffs Department deputy after discovering that Guile had taken the funds deposited on a Direct Express card that Guile was caretaking for the victim. The victim is allocated $966.04 a month from the Social Security Administration, which automatically transfers to the bank card each month. According to the victim, Guile acknowledged the receipt of the funds but refused to give the victim the money after saying he would.

That same day, law enforcement submitted an application for a subpoena with the Vermont Superior Court for bank records of any transactions on the card issued to the victim. On Oct. 17, police received bank records detailing transactions on the card, including the direct deposit on the first of the month, followed by several ATM withdrawals and purchases in various amounts between Sept. 7 and 14. The records revealed purchases in Florida and Canada.

Of the $966.04 allocated to the victim, Guile returned $200 to the victim. He is charged with taking the additional $766.04.

Guile has a criminal history in Vermont. He was convicted in 2020 of felony manslaughter and felony possession of heroin. In 2016, Guile was charged with grand larceny, later amended to petit larceny. He was also convicted of felony eluding law enforcement. In 2006, Guile was convicted of cruelty to a child under 10.

Guile was released on his own recognizance, with conditions of no contact with the victim. He is also barred from being the payee for anyone else.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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LENOX  The Horse with No Name appears to have arrived at new pastures.

But the whereabouts of the white wooden horse stage prop from Tanglewood, and the identity of its rescuer, remain unknown.

The horse, used in a 2008 BSO production of the Berlioz opera Les Troyens (The Trojans), was removed Saturday afternoon from its 15-year home on the former Flynn family homestead off Pittsfield Road (Route 7/20).

J.R. Flynn, whose tree service was working on the Tanglewood grounds that summer, saw the horse was bound for the dust bin, so he rescued it and conveyed it to his home, where it stood for 15 years.

Except for the ever-present local grapevine rife with unverifiable speculation, the mystery remained unresolved as of Monday afternoon.

The new owner of the site, which also included the former Different Drummers Kitchen shop, had encouraged anyone who wanted the relic to remove it before demolition begins for McGee Automotive Familys Berkshire Audi-BMW-VW dealership, to be relocated from Merrill Road in Pittsfield.

Farshad Pourmousa, vice-president of operations of the company based in Hanover, told The Eagle it was available for free since McGee Automotive had no use for it.

Saturdays Eagle article reporting on the potential demise of the stranded, abandoned prop triggered a flurry of interest:

 A Lenox Memorial Middle and High School Latin teacher thought it would be a perfect prop for his Advanced Placement course about to begin a unit in which the Trojan Horse plays an important role.

 Home-improvement contractor Jason Smegal wanted it to front his nearby business parcel at Brushwood Farm. He pointed out that his carpenters could work on restoring it.

 HomeFarm at Undermountain in Lenox was keen on rescuing it, said Executive Director Lori Pestana.

 Lisa Saunier, former Tanglewood Festival Chorus member who joined the group in 1970, proposed keeping the horse in the family by giving it a new home at her Sherwood Greens stable in Becket.

 Jim Shulman, Eagle hometown Pittsfield memoirist and founder of the Berkshire Carousel project, suggested that numerous people recommended it be moved to the closed carousel site at 50 Center St. If a local group is willing to move it now and can save it, there may be carousel or other volunteers willing to do restoration, then it would be welcome at the Berkshire Carousel," he stated.

Several other individuals also expressed interest.

If the mystery is solved, all options are open except for a bidding war. However, if the well-intentioned rescuer of the stage prop that has seen better days wishes to remain anonymous rather than stepping forward, thats his or her choice.
PITTSFIELD  Ana Dermody goes to school every day and feels like shes giving back.

While the third-semester nursing student at Berkshire Community College is still one semester away from completing the nursing associate program, shes already putting to practice what shes learned in the classroom.

During her time in the program, Dermody shadowed a nurse in the emergency room, scrubbed in for a surgery, worked as an IV therapist and spent a day working in the progressive care unit. By the time she sits for her board certification in May, she and her classmates will already know what it feels like to be a nurse.

The experience is made even more personal by the fact that while learning were providing care to individuals within our own community, Dermody said. There really isnt a week that goes by where I dont feel like Ive been able to contribute positively to my community through this program.

A new scholarship program from the state now gives back to students like Dermody who plan to make a career caring for people in their communities.

With the passage of the fiscal 2024 budget, Gov. Maura Healey and state legislators set aside $18 million to cover the costs nursing students at community colleges would normally take on in tuition fees, books and supply costs.

The funds are available to any student without a prior degree or student loans in default who is living in Massachusetts and attending a full-time or part-time nursing program at one of the states community colleges.

If the students meet the academic standards of the program and fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form every year, then any education costs not already covered by scholarships or grants will be taken on by the state.

Last month, Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler announced that the funds covered 100 percent of the financial need of the states 3,000 nursing and pre-nursing students in Massachusetts community colleges. That number includes the 150 nursing and 270 pre-nursing students at BCC.

Were so thrilled to have the support from the state to be able to support our students to take away one little bit of anxiety  financial-wise  because theres lots of anxiety in nursing programs, said Lori Moon, dean of nursing at BCC, during an event Monday at the college.

We all know its not easy  nor should it be easy  to get through a nursing program, she added. This is just one less stressor that we can help students with and support them and were really excited.

This program addresses the calculus potential students are already tasked with when charting their future, said Tom Atimbo, a third-year associate degree nursing student.

Before I applied here, I applied to a four-year college, he aid. I compared the cost and there was no way I could withstand not coming here  the cost was just like day and night.

Atimbo said the state scholarship makes even more accessible a program that has already proven its worth in his life. He said the BCC program has given him the opportunity to work in small classes with direct access to professors and nurtured the kind of team relationships that are vital to a well-functioning health care system.

That combination of opportunity, real-life clinical experience and individualized instruction is what Ethan Trautman, an alumnus of the program and former BCC valedictorian, said makes the course magical. Now a nurse in Alaska, Trautman said hes happy to see the state funding a scholarship that will open the door to greater access to the nursing program.

I feel like with this program, any financial aid you can provide these nursing students really gives them a backbone to get into this profession and to complete their degree, he said.

Berkshire legislators said they were happy to sign on to funding for the financial package, which they believe will be a game changer for what is a growth industry in the county.

State Sen. Paul Mark, D-Becket, and Reps. John Barrett III, D-North Adams, and Tricia Farley-Bouvier. D-Pittsfield, said they know that the current and future nursing students at BCC will illustrate the importance of this funding.

We expect you to learn and grow and succeed and climb that career ladder to the point where youre back here teaching the next generation of students, Farley-Bouvier told students. Because as you climb that ladder, you have a job to do, to turn around, reach your hand down and help that next person up that ladder. Thats what a commonwealth is.
For the first time in more than two years, tables at the First Congregational Church on Monday were filled with people eating a Berkshire Food
The nuclear envoys of South Korea, the United States and Japan on Tuesday discussed over the phone North Korea's imminent space rocket launch, Seoul's foreign ministry said, hours after Pyongyang notified Tokyo of its plan to carry out the test launch soon.

Kim Gunn, South Korea's special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, spoke by phone with Jung Pak, the U.S. deputy special representative for North Korea, and Hiroyuki Namazu, director general for Asian and Oceanian affairs at Japan's foreign ministry.

They discussed ways to coordinate on the joint response as the North notified Japan of its plan to launch a space rocket between Wednesday and Dec. 1, the ministry said.

Japanese media reported that the three envoys "strongly urged North Korea to call off the plan to launch a space rocket using ballistic missile technology," and agreed to work closely for a united response and to strengthen regional deterrence.

South Korea's foreign ministry echoed the position.

"We find it very regrettable that North Korea announced the launch plan despite repeated warnings from the international community," ministry spokesperson Lim Soo-suk said in a press briefing.

Launching the "so-called military spy satellite" using ballistic missile technology is a clear violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions, and North Korea "cannot justify it under any pretext," Lim added.

The launch, if carried out, would be its third attempt to put a military spy satellite into orbit, after two botched attempts in May and August, respectively. (Yonhap)
Gov. Maura Healey said a newly created state police unit represents a new strategy for state officials to crack down on rising hate crimes.
To serve researchers, students and collaborators in fields such as cell biology, biophysics, soft matter, and structural biology

Ashoka University has entered into a partnership with Carl Zeiss India (ZEISS Group) to establish a state-of-the-art Core Imaging Facility. Under this partnership, the company will provide the university with latest cutting-edge microscopy technology, including High Resolution, Super Resolution, High Content microscopes.

The facility will serve researchers, students and collaborators in fields such as cell biology, biophysics, soft matter, and structural biology. Anyone can avail the facility for research, which will be housed at the universitys campus in Sonepat.



The MoU was signed between the university and Research Microscopy Solutions (RMS) division of Carl Zeiss India. The company is a part of Carl Zeiss AG, a German manufacturer founded in 1846.

Under the agreement, ZEISS will station Expert System Operators at the facility to assist researchers in adequately utilising the equipment during their scientific explorations. Furthermore, the two partners will work together to create awareness and provide opportunities to the Indian research community through the facility. This includes periodic microscopy courses, conferences, and workshops for STEM students.
Fostering a shared commitment to excellence in medical education

Cloudnine, Indias premium birthing centre for maternal and childcare, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), with the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO) Training Academy, UK making it as the first hospital in India to initiate a global training programme for doctors.

As a part of the MoU, Cloudnine Hospital and BAPIO Training Academy will work together to strengthen training programmes especially in the fields of Obstetrics, Pediatrics, IVF and Fetal Medicine.

Cloudnine Hospitals will engage and invest in training of its doctors specialising in maternity, fertility, and pediatrics through these programmes.

This programme is being offered for the first time in India for Membership of the Royal College of Obstetrics & Gynaecology (MRCOG) and Member of Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (MRCPCH) exams. This MoU will also enable doctors to take Royal College exams in Pediatrics and Obstetrics and Gynecology (OBG). It further opens an opportunity to all the MBBS doctors across the country who have been unable to join postgraduate (PG) courses in India to become members of the Royal Colleges of UK.

Key highlights of the MoU include specialised training programmes; structure module teaching; and organise hands-on workshops and skill enhancement sessions.
First strategic collaborations with globally-leading CROs Parexel and Fortrea enable Evinovas digital health solutions to be offered to their wide customer base

British pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca has launched Evinova, set to be a leading provider of digital health solutions to better meet the needs of healthcare professionals, regulators and patients. With long-term backing from AstraZeneca and strategic collaborations with Parexel and Fortrea, Evinova offers globally-scaled digital products and services to the life sciences and healthcare sector.

Evinova will prioritise bringing to market established and scaled digital technology solutions already being used globally by AstraZeneca to optimise clinical trial design and delivery.

This will reduce the time and cost of developing new medicines, bring care closer to home for patients and reduce the burden on health systems. Evinova will also pursue opportunities in digital remote patient monitoring and digital therapeutics with a pipeline of digital innovations in these areas.

Drawing on AstraZenecas deep experience of developing novel therapeutics and with insights from thousands of patients and clinical researchers, Evinova will provide established technology solutions to pharma, biotech and contract research organisations (CROs) to support clinical research globally. The technologies have already been used in the successful delivery of multiple AstraZeneca-sponsored clinical trials in over 40 countries.
During his address at the 55th AFRAA Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Entebbe, Uganda, Kamil Alawadhi, regional vice-president for Africa and the Middle East at the International Air Transport Association (Iata), expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration between Iata and AFRAA spanning 55 years. He highlighted their joint efforts in supporting the development of air connectivity in Africa through both prosperous and challenging times.

Alawadhi began by acknowledging the enduring partnership, stating: "For 55 years, Iata and AFRAA have been partners in supporting the development of air connectivity in Africa. We have found great strength in partnership through far too many crises."

Promoting regional connectivity and addressing blocked funds

Alawadhi outlined the association's commitment to promoting regional air connectivity, emphasising collaboration with governments to implement the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM). He noted: "We are working to see the 23 countries committed to SAATM ratify the accord and encourage more countries to join."

Addressing the issue of blocked funds, Alawadhi highlighted efforts since 2018 to advise governments on best practices, resulting in the repatriation of funds from several African countries. He stressed: "Currently, $1.68bn in airline funds remain blocked across the continent."

Focusing on operational safety and taxation challenges

Alawadhi then shifted focus to operational safety, introducing the Collaborative Aviation Safety Improvement Programme (CASIP). He emphasised the significance of data-driven safety initiatives and urged airlines to contribute to the Global Aviation Data Management (GADM) programme for a comprehensive safety database.

On the topic of taxes and charges, Alawadhi advocated for reasonable levels by highlighting the high infrastructure charges in Africa. He stated: "User charges across the continent are 8% higher than the industry average," and credited the pan-Africa fuel campaign for successful reductions in charges in certain countries over the past five years.

Supporting net zero emissions and sustainable practices

Alawadhi delved into the industry's commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. He called for collective action with governments to expand the supply of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) and create policies supporting cleaner energies. Alawadhi also stressed the importance of supporting airlines with the necessary skillset and knowledge on SAF.

Reflecting on AFRAA's recent inclusion in Iatas Focus Africa initiative, Alawadhi expressed: "AFRAA is absolutely instrumental and strengthens the Focus Africa coalition." He outlined the common vision of developing a safe, secure, and sustainable aviation industry in Africa.

Safety, flight operations, and the call for participation

Alawadhi discussed safety and flight operations, highlighting the importance of CASIP and the GADM programme He passionately called for increased participation by African carriers in Iata's safety and flight operations regional groups, stating, "We need more carriers from the African continent to play a stronger role in driving an agenda that suits you."

Blocked funds, high costs, and sustainability challenges

Addressing the issue of blocked funds, Alawadhi emphasised the severe impact on connectivity and economies, urging governments to prioritise aviation and find sustainable solutions.

He also cautioned against imposing higher fees, levies, or taxes on air transport, trade, or tourism, citing potential negative impacts on demand and economic development.

Sustainability and net zero emissions

Alawadhi highlighted the importance of aligning outcomes with industry positions at ICAOs Third Conference on Aviation Alternative Fuels (CAAF3). He emphasised the role of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) in reducing emissions and called for a global framework to avoid market distortion.

He also expressed pride in the longstanding collaboration with AFRAA and voiced confidence that their joint efforts through Focus Africa would lead to a safer, more efficient, secure, and better-connected continent. He concluded by urging proactive collaboration to elevate Africas aviation industry to new heights.

In his closing remarks, Alawadhi said: "I am proud of the longstanding relationship and collaboration with AFRAA, and I am certain our work together through Focus Africa will lead to a safer, more efficient, secure, and better-connected continent. Lets proactively work together and take Africas aviation industry to the next level, to reflect the potential of the African market."
Over the last five decades, Makro has evolved from a big box store to one of South Africa's largest retailers, offering consumers a wide range of products under one roof. The retailer has seen recessions, national celebrations, and ever-evolving consumer trends. This year, Makro takes the next step in its brand evolution as it partners with Accenture Song to launch a new brand campaign.

Katherine Madley, Massmarts vice president of marketing

Katherine Madley, Massmarts vice president of marketing, explains that rather than changing Makros format, this new brand repositioning is focused on the customer experience and known truths that have existed in the brand for many decades.

Can you describe the current positioning of the brand in the market?

Makro has cemented itself as a dominant brand amongst its competitors and has evolved over the past 52 years; we are well known as a destination for bulk buying and wholesale offerings. We also have a huge stokvel community that purchase from us.

Our liquor offering is also popular amongst South African shoppers, as they know our range is diverse. Many of our customers are small business owners with tuckshops, spaza shops and taverns, for example.

There is a certain kind of shopping itch only Makro can scratch; its a mood and one we are all familiar with when it comes to the brand. We have a wide range and proven value when it comes to our merchandise. We have a wide selection of food, with an average of an 8% price gap and finally we have the finest collection of liquor at the best prices.

For the day-to-day consumer, Makro has become well-known as a destination for large appliances and electronics.

Can you tell us why a need for a brand repositioning?

Our business model has evolved dramatically in the last few years, as we have met the demand for an omnichannel offering, a convenient customer experience, and on-demand shopping. While this has been successful for us, we felt the brand needed a new positioning to match our growth and resonate with our customers better.

We want to move into a space where everyone knows there is an abundance waiting for them at any of our stores nationwide; that there is an abundance of product assortment, an abundance of value, and an abundance of customer service. The consumer landscape is shifting and we are seeing many people walking through Makros doors for the first time.

As the consumer becomes increasingly budget conscious, we want them to know they can make their money go further while still being in the mood to improve their home, life, or selves.

Can you elaborate more on the new brand direction? What do you hope to achieve?

Again, we want Makro to feel like a place where everyone can shop, no matter what theyre looking for. Being in a Makro Mood is something that can easily be translated across advertising and communication mediums, applies to many situations and feels easy to understand.

A Makro Mood is a feeling that comes over our shoppers and team members. It is a feeling of abundance and finding deals and products you wouldnt at any other retailer in South Africa. We want to connect old and new customers more emotively to the brand.

We have a wide audience that comprises commercial, wholesale customers and general consumers. The campaign is targeted at both old and new Makro customers.

Can you outline the key messages or values that the repositioned brand should convey to consumers?

We want to land #MakroMood in the market, and this simply starts when each customer walks in and experiences the abundance that is Makro.

Makro offers competitive pricing on a huge range of categories, including appliances, electronics, fresh and pantry groceries, liquor, toys, and outdoor and household goods. We want the consumer to understand they can find an abundance of goods while making their money go further with us.

We want to latch onto known truths that have solidified Makro as a bold and dominant brand amongst its competitors.

Image supplied

What challenges or obstacles do you foresee in the repositioning process, and how do you plan to address them?

Since we are not changing the layout or operating model of our stores, we expect to keep challenges at a minimum. The customer will still recognise the layout and experience of shopping at Makro. The repositioning is aimed, rather, at ensuring they feel excited about this. However, expect to see a lot of new and exciting products in every single one of our categories.

Are there any specific design or visual elements that you envision changing as part of the repositioning?

You will find that this repositioning statement just brings what our customers love about Makro back to the forefront of everything we do. And it attracts young customers to the brand, the effect is already palpable.
President Yoon Suk Yeol's reference to the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea in a recent media interview was meant to highlight the importance of the rules-based international order vital to global peace and prosperity, a foreign ministry official said Tuesday.

Yoon said in an interview with the British daily Telegraph, published Monday ahead of his state visit to London, that the tensions in the South China Sea, the war in Ukraine, Israel-Hamas conflict and North Korean threats are what led him to seek close security cooperation with the West.

Yoon pointed out the importance of "peace and stability" in the Taiwan Strait and a "rules-based maritime order" in the South China Sea.

His remarks irked China, with the foreign ministry in Beijing responding that South Korea had no need to "join the fray" and that China does not "need anyone to dictate what we do or don't do," according to Reuters.

A foreign ministry official in Seoul said Yoon's remarks were intended to highlight the rules-based order amid the global polycrisis.

"It's only natural that we express our interest in the issues, as maintaining the rules-based maritime order based on the international law in the South China Sea, and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is a matter that has a significant impact on the peace and prosperity in the region and across the globe," the official said.

"As we have said many times, the government hopes to work together with China to not only develop bilateral relations but also for freedom, peace and prosperity in East Asia and the international community, based on mutual respect, reciprocity, and mutual benefits," the official added. (Yonhap)
Cabinet has welcomed the results of Statistics South Africas (Stats SA) Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the third quarter which indicates that South Africas employment levels have returned to and surpassed pre-Covid-19 pandemic levels.

This is according to Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni during a post-Cabinet media briefing on Monday.

The results indicate a marginal decrease in unemployment of some 0.7 of a percentage point to reach 31.9% and an increase in the number of employed people in the country.

Cabinet is pleased that all provinces but one have contributed to the 399,000 increase to the number of employed people to a total of 16.7 million people in employment in the third quarter, compared to 16.3 million in the second quarter of 2023.

The strong contributions to additional jobs of KwaZulu-Natal (up by 152,000), Limpopo (up by 70,000), North West (up by 61,000) and Mpumalanga, indicate the gradual but steady realisation of the goal of the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Programme (ERRP) of rebuilding better, stronger and inclusively, she said.

Ntshavheni said Cabinet acknowledged some of the challenges that are impacting certain sectors.

Cabinet also noted the negative impact the electricity and logistics constraints continued to have on the manufacturing, mining, transport and utilities sectors. Cabinet is confident that noticeable progress will soon be visible in eradicating both load shedding and constraints within the freight and logistics industry.

Cabinet is also pleased that despite remaining challenges, youth unemployment is gradually declining (a decrease of 1.9% from the previous quarter), and a 237,000 increase in the number of employed youth, rising to a total of six million youth in employment, she said.

In the same breath, the Minister said Cabinet welcomed investments into the country by motoring company Ford and Procter & Gamble.

Cabinet welcomed the additional R5bn investment by the Ford Motor Company for its new plug-in hybrid electric Ford Ranger that is earmarked for export to Europe, New Zealand and Australia. The company currently employs 5,200 people in South Africa.

Cabinet further welcomed the investment by Procter & Gamble in its new state-of-the-art production line of the Pampers Premium Care in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng. The P&G cumulative investment totals approximately R900 million since 2018 and currently employed over 4,000 direct and indirect jobs throughout its value chain.

Both The Ford Motor Company and P&G project launches are testament of the valuable contribution of President Ramaphosas investment drive through the South Africa Investment Conference, and a re-affirmation of South Africa as an investment destination of choice, Ntshavheni said.
Local and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, asset sales and share transfers trigger employment law consequences that could range from fairly straightforward to complex, requiring a well devised strategy.

Tracy van der Colff, head of Employment, OWP Partners

It is important to understand the underlying nature of the transaction, as each deal type will have a different consequence for a companys South African workforce.

Share sales

There are no statutory employment law implications that flow from direct and indirect share sales in a company. As there is no change in the employing entity, the employment relationship remains intact and governed by the same terms and conditions.

However, sometimes a share transfer will result in the target company entering or exiting a group company structure and the employing entity may want to harmonise employee benefits to avoid a proliferation of different terms and conditions within a workforce. The source of the benefit (contractual or policy) will determine how the employer should go about implementing any changes.

Changes to terms and conditions of employment will require employee consent, whilst changes to a workplace policy typically require prior employee consultation. Failure to follow the correct process when implementing changes will likely create an employee relations nightmare, not to mention the risk of employees instituting claims against the company (eg. for breach of contract or unfair labour practices).

Employees who no longer form part of the group of companies will generally not be permitted to participate in group plans (such as pension, provident and medical aid schemes) and employers will need to timeously consider contingency plans to ensure continuity, replacement, or changes to these benefits.

Business transfers and asset sales

South Africas TUPE equivalent automatic employee transfer legislation, section 197 of the Labour Relations Act, provides that where the whole or part of a business transfers as a going concern, employees who are sufficiently connected to the transferring business will transfer automatically from the old to the new employer. Prior consultation with employees is not required and employees cannot object to the transfer.

When determining whether a business transfers as a going concern, a court will essentially consider whether the business remains the same but in different hands.

The Labour Appeal Court has succinctly summarised the meaning of going concern and held that it is a matter for objective determination after examining relevant factors including the impact on the goodwill of the business, the stock-in-trade, the premises of the business, contracts with clients or customers, the workforce, the assets of the business, the debts of the business, whether there has been interruption of the operation of the business and, if so, the duration thereof, whether the same or similar activities are continued after the transfer or not, etc.

Our courts have stressed on many occasions that the list of factors to determine whether a business transfers as a going concern is not exhaustive and no single factor is individually decisive. All the facts must be considered holistically in the overall assessment.

When a business transfers as a going concern, there are certain automatic employee consequences that flow from the transaction:

the new employer is automatically substituted in the place of the old employer in respect of all contracts of employment in existence immediately before the date of transfer;



all the rights and obligations between the old employer and an employee at the time of the transfer continue in force as if they had been rights and obligations between the new employer and the employee;



anything done before the transfer by or in relation to the old employer, including the dismissal of an employee or the commission of an unfair labour practice or act of unfair discrimination, is considered to have been done by or in relation to the new employer; and



the transfer does not interrupt an employees continuity of employment, and an employees contract of employment continues with the new employer as if with the old employer.

The new employer is obliged to employ the transferred employees on terms and conditions that are, on the whole, not less favourable. Our law does not require a line-by-line replication of benefits upon transfer. A 197 transfer, therefore, presents new employers with a unique opportunity to harmonise the benefits of the transferring employees with their existing workforce without needing to consult or obtain employee consent (provided employees are no worse off after the transfer).

Parties can vary the automatic consequences of section 197. This will require a written agreement between the employee, on the one hand, and the old or new employer on the other hand. The parties can agree that the employees will transfer on less favourable terms, employees who are in-scope to transfer will remain behind with the old employer or employees who would otherwise not be in-scope to transfer will move across to the new employer.

Despite the automatic nature of many of the employment consequences flowing from a business transfer, there are a few formalities that the old and new employer must attend to.

The old employer must:

agree with the new employer to a valuation as at the transfer date of the notional leave pay and severance pay;



conclude a written agreement that specifies, inter alia, which employer is liable for paying the above amounts, should they fall due.

The old employer is obliged to disclose the terms of this agreement to each transferring employee.

As a matter of best practice, the old and new employers should notify the employees about a pending automatic transfer. They can do so separately or jointly by issuing a 197 transfer or welcome letter to the transferring employees, including details about the transfer date, work location and employment terms and conditions.

Multi-jurisdictional considerations

The above article sets out some employment law considerations from a South African perspective. Whilst some of the underlying principles may be the same, each jurisdiction will have its own unique set of laws and regulations governing the employment law aspects of corporate transactions, ranging from highly regulated to not regulated at all. Often, prior information and consultation with employees or works council are required, failure of which can result in a delayed or stymied deal. Other times, there is no employment law framework, and the parties are required to negotiate and agree on the employment impact.

Crucial to managing the employment aspects of a multi-jurisdictional corporate deal will be a project team that deeply understands the deal structure in each jurisdiction and who can pressure test local counsels advice against the backdrop of a solid understanding of the deal structure, the companys operations, vision and risk appetite.
South Africa is witnessing a shift in its minerals and economic landscape. Gold production has dwindled over the years, with the precious metal now accounting for a mere 23% of sales in 2022. However, the nations abundant mineral wealth presents new opportunities for economic growth, with manganese emerging as a key player.

Miner holds a manganese ore sample in South Africa.

Manganese, a versatile mineral with wide-ranging applications, has seen a surge in local production and sales over the past decade. It is now spearheading South Africas mineral renaissance. As the worlds largest producer of manganese ore, South Africa contributes approximately 36% to the global production.

Most the countrys manganese deposits can be found in the Northern Cape, where the mining industry serves as a significant economic pillar. In 2022, the manganese mining sector employed over 14,500 South Africans and generated more than R7bn in tax revenue. Furthermore, the industry contributed over R47bn to the countrys foreign exchange reserves through export earnings in the last 12 months. This shift signifies South Africas awakening to the economic potential of its diverse mineral wealth.

The Northern Cape is well-positioned to capitalise on the growing international demand for manganese, as the province has abundant manganese resources in addition to a skilled workforce which has a long history of mining manganese. This region falls within the Kalahari basin which, at one time was home to 75% of the world's identified manganese deposits.

Its also noteworthy that the rise in demand for manganese is also sure to boost South Africas copper industry, as manganese and copper are complementary minerals that are frequently used together.

Critical mineral for batteries

Manganese is a crucial element in manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries, such as those used in electrical backup systems and electric vehicles. Recent years have seen a dramatic rise in demand for electric vehicles all over the world, and South Africa is in the perfect position to respond to that need.

Analysts estimate that the demand for manganese in lithium-ion batteries will increase by an average of 10% per year over the next decade, and South Africas manganese ore production is expected to concomitantly reach about 50% of the worlds additional manganese ore output over this period.

Manganese-rich cathode materials are also being developed to boost the efficiency of electric vehicles. This, in turn, will increase the demand for the metal. In addition to its use in batteries, manganese is essential to producing several other green power technologies.

However, the versatility of this metal extends even beyond the power industry. As an alloying element, it is essential in several types of steel production (often together with copper) and services the food processing, agricultural, chemical, construction, medical and aircraft industries. Further enhancing its reputation as a green-friendly mineral is that it can also treat wastewater and extract pollutants from soil and air.

The local manganese industry is keenly aware, however, that these exciting opportunities come with their attendant responsibilities. Primarily, there is the need to support local communities by providing jobs and training opportunities. Our people are our strength, and we, therefore, invest heavily in social development programs, such as education and healthcare, within our local communities.

Operate in an environmentally responsible manner

To be globally competitive, the manganese mining industry must enjoy the reputation of operating in an environmentally responsible manner. This includes taking stringent measures to reduce water and air pollution and to manage waste products responsibly. Both the government and the mining industry are investing in new technologies to support the growth of the manganese industry.

This will not only improve South Africas operational efficiency and competitiveness in this field but will also enhance our environmental sustainability. Industry leaders firmly believe that SA is already world leaders in that respect.

Given the sudden acceleration of green power strategies in the developed west, the manganese industry is set to provide increasing opportunities for employment and economic growth in the Northern Cape, thus playing the role that gold had done in Johannesburgs formative years.

This will benefit not solely the manganese mining industry but the province, thus boosting the countrys overall economic prospects. South Africa is indeed fortunate to be in the position in which we have both the material and operational capacity to rise to the demands of a rapidly changing world.
The South African Petroleum Industry Association (Sapia) has confirmed that the ongoing load shedding crisis has had a significant impact on its members, affecting various sectors of their business operations. Widespread power outages have had substantial implications, with the purchase and operation of generators at operating facilities such as depots and service stations being among the most affected areas.

Avhapfani Tshifularo, executive director of Sapia

These standby generators have become essential for safety reasons at depots and for uninterrupted customer service at service stations. However, the installation and maintenance of these generators have led to additional costs for SAPIA members.

The energy crisis has long-term economic effects on these businesses. Increased fuel and maintenance expenses decrease disposable income, indirectly impacting the nation's economy, says Avhapfani Tshifularo, executive director of Sapia.

In response to the crisis, Sapia members have taken physical measures to mitigate the impact of load shedding. Apart from installing generators, many service station sites have or are in the process of installing solar panels to reduce reliance on electricity supply from Eskom or the municipalities. But this transition towards self-generation of electricity comes with significant capital costs.

LPG plan

The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy has also identified the use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) to offset peak electricity demand that occurs in the morning and evening.

The roll-out of the doubling demand strategy for LPG is supported by Sapia as it not only relieves grid pressures during these times, but it also contributes to diversifying the energy mix and cleaner air through the replacement of coal and biomass burning for heating and cooking. Replacement of these dirty fuels with a cleaner burning alternative also contributes to the fight against climate change.

Regarding the fight against climate change, it must be recognised that the transport sector's transition pace is likely to be slow in the absence of incentives. Consequently, hybrid and full internal combustion engines are expected to remain a significant part of the nation's car fleet for an extended period.

Despite this, promoting renewable transport fuels such as bioethanol and biodiesel must be considered to make the energy mix more sustainable and promote development and employment in impoverished areas. However, government support and incentives are vital to promote these alternative fuel sources.

Engaging with government for bioethanol

Sapia is actively engaging with the government, particularly the National Treasury, by proposing measures to facilitate the introduction of bioethanol into the petrol pool, says Tshifularo.

It is important to establish government policies, adequate financing, and collaboration among all stakeholders to achieve a long-term renewable energy solution. Sapia calls for a directed research approach that is well suited to the South African environment and not something that has been imported from elsewhere.

One year since the implementation of the Energy Action Plan in August 2022, Sapia emphasises that significant transformation in the energy sector is yet to be realised. Urgent action is required, necessitating substantial capital investment.

As a sizeable portion of South Africa's electricity generation fleet is set to retire by 2030, a clear pipeline for its replacement is crucial for planning and progress.

In the short term, the energy crisis remains a substantial contributor to the pressure faced by members, fuel retailers and, consequently, the consumer. In the longer run, if this electricity cliff of 2030 is not adequately addressed, then significant economic damage will continue.
George, the second largest and fastest growing city in the Western Cape is about to shine as the new development hot spot, thanks to Airport Business Park, a groundbreaking project.

Source: Supplied.

Set to become the hub of economic activity in the area, the 19,5ha development will offer a full spectrum of industrial- and commercial warehousing solutions geared towards agri-logistics, call centres, cold storage, oil and gas and other ancillary, light industrial enterprises along with a filling station and associated retail.

Adjacent to George airport, situated mid-way between the Eastern and Western Cape, on the corner of the R102 and R404, Airport Business Park enjoys prime accessibility.

Future upgrades to roads, enhanced services and improved infrastructure is poised to propel the park into a bustling economic centre, promoting local growth and development while positioning George as a central driving force in regional expansion.

MMC for finance and strategic services, economic development and tourism, Dirk Wessels notes, "This development holds tremendous promise for our region. The prime location and improved infrastructure is a marker of the progress we are making, and further positions the Airport Business Park as a hub for local economic vibrancy.

"This development is a true testament to our commitment to fostering growth and prosperity, and catapulting George to the forefront of local economic development in our region and province.

The first of the three developers unlocking the Airport Business Park precinct is Spear Reit, having just broken ground with bulk infrastructure, Spear Reit, an industry leader in real-estate investment in the Western Cape, is investing R400m over a five-year period towards GTX Park that will be situated within the Airport Business Park precinct.

Upon completion, GTX Park will encompass a total of 30,000m of cutting-edge, light industrial units spread across nine sites.

The park will also feature PV solar infrastructure and innovative water augmentation solutions, with the aim of becoming an entirely self-sufficient, eco-friendly development, says Sam Buys, development manager at Spear.

Job creation and local supplier support

In addition to its regional impact, Airport Business Park, and more immediately GTX Park will be a major job creator. The project is expected to generate a significant number of employment opportunities, benefiting the local community and contributing to George's economic growth.

Quintin Rossi, chief executive officer of Spear says, "We are committed to using local suppliers and service providers, fostering partnerships that will drive growth and sustainability. By supporting local businesses, we're ensuring that the prosperity generated by GTX Park stays within the George district."

Local government and municipal backing

George benefits from a well-managed, municipal environment and along with the support of local government has fostered real investment into regional expansion, infrastructure and development projects.

George executive mayor Leon van Wyk expressed his enthusiasm for the project, stating, "Airport Business Park is a testament to the strength of our community and its potential for growth.

"We're very pleased to be collaborating with Spear Reit, Twin City and Hark Properties and see this project as a cornerstone of George's bright future feeding into and supporting our primary-growth sectors in agriculture, tourism, industry, Business Process Outsourcing companies (BPOs), education and the prospects for oil and gas.

Airport Business Park is not just about buildings; it's about shaping the future of George and its surroundings. As construction begins, this dynamic development with an estimated total investment of R1.2bn will drive economic expansion, trade and tourism, create jobs and strengthen the town's self-sufficiency. George is on the rise and GTX Park is at the forefront of this exciting journey.
Global small business platform Xero has announced the 28 small businesses and non-profits that have won a share of the R8m global prize pool as part of the inaugural Xero Beautiful Business Fund.

Constantia Food Club | image supplied

There are 28 winners overall, including four South African winners who were recognised for best demonstrating, in a 90-second video, how they would use the funding to support their future business goals in one of four categories - Innovating for sustainability, Strengthening community connection, Trailblazing with technology and Upskilling for the future.

Colin Timmis, Country Manager Xero South Africa said: The winners have shown an incredible passion and tenacity thats behind so many small businesses in South Africa. Were honoured to be able to help these small businesses unlock the next stage of growth. As we acknowledge Global Entrepreneurship Week, this is what its all about  working together to help entrepreneurs explore their potential, contribute more to their communities, and help drive the economy forward.

Launched earlier this year, the Xero Beautiful Business Fund seeks to help Xero's small business customers boost their growth plans and drive future success. More than 5,500 applications were received from Xero customers across South Africa, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

The four South African winners will each receive R250,000 in funding. One of the South African winners, Constantia Food Club  winner of the Innovating for sustainability category  also won a global prize of an additional R545,000, for a total of R795,000. The South Africa winners are:

Innovating for sustainability

Constantia Food Club is a food-buying club that connects small local growers and producers directly with customers in Cape Town. Constantia Food Club aims to support local regenerative farmers to help reduce biodiversity loss, promote sustainable food production and create a decentralised food system. They plan to use the fund to help build a new clubhouse, where they can serve more customers and provide additional support to growers and their local environment.

Courtney Atkinson, co-founder of Constantia Food Club said: "It's been inspiring to see how our work is connecting more families with small food producers and farmers, and creating a healthier, more sustainable food system. This funding from Xero will help us grow not only our own operations but also those of the Food Club network  unlocking exponential change. Were so excited to pursue this next stage in our business.

Strengthening community connection

The Oranjezicht City Farm Market in Cape Town connects small-scale organic farmers and food producers to thousands of customers. The Xero funding will enable the development of a how-to guide to starting a farmers market as an online tool for supporting the emergence of farmers markets in communities across South Africa.

Trailblazing with technology

Mygrow provides a software solution based on neuroscience that builds emotional intelligence in employees, psychologically reconfiguring teams for optimal performance. Theyll use the Xero funding to speed up the evolution of their AI functionalities to assist in developing, measuring, and tracking emotion-based soft skills. This will help them more effectively deliver on their vision of building an emotionally intelligent world.

Upskilling for the future

Curate is reshaping the landscape of photography and videography content creation using a technology-enabled platform that connects content creators and clients. The Xero funding will help them provide equipment, training workshops, and educational material through a more automated technology platform, providing creatives with resources to upskill and better execute projects.
Be-cause Integrated Communications has expanded with a new London office, aiming to extend innovative communication solutions to UK-based clients in healthcare, education, sustainability, and tech. Led by Emma Proctor, the office plans to leverage expertise in digital marketing and brand development. Founder Beverley Houston aims to enhance offerings with a unique editorial perspective. With international clients like Womens World Banking and The TEFL Academy, Be-cause looks to fortify its global communication solutions.
A Friendship to Turn Our Challenges to Pure Opportunity

My Lord Speaker,

Mr. Speaker,

My lords,

Members of the House of Commons,

Ladies and gentleman,

It is my great honor to stand before the British Parliament  the Mother of all Parliaments.

The United Kingdom has been the pioneer of modern history.

It laid the foundation of liberal democracy.

It opened the era of global market economy.

The British peoples strong belief in freedom sparked the Glorious Revolution. It was the birth of modern parliamentary democracy.

The British parliamentary democracy inspired political revolutions in America, France and in other parts of the world.

Democracy has taken root in nations.

Freedom and human rights became the property of every individual.

In the late 18th century, the Kingdom of Great Britain led the Industrial Revolution.

It innovated the way we produced goods.

It changed the economic paradigm.

It achieved an incredible, rapid economic growth which the world had never seen before.

It is no wonder why London became the worlds financial center since the early 19th century.

Liberal democracy and market capitalism were all born right here in the United Kingdom.

These British ideas changed every aspect of our lives.

They have promoted freedom, human rights and economic prosperity in the world.

And I know very well that Parliament has always been the heart of this great nation.

My lords and members of the House of Commons,

The United Kingdom was the first European nation to sign the Treaty of Friendship and Commerce with Korea in 1883.

John Ross was a missionary from Scotland.

He translated the New Testament into Korean for the first time in 1887.

Earnest Bethell was a journalist from Bristol.

He founded The Korea Daily News in 1904.

He also fought for Koreas independence until he passed away at the age of 36.

Frank Schofield was a missionary and veterinarian from Warwickshire.

He took part in Koreas independence movement and established a scholarship fund for Korean students in need.

In 1950, the United Kingdom did not hesitate to defend Koreas freedom.

When the communist invasion put the fate of Korea on the brink, the United Kingdom sent 80,000 troops to Korea.

It was the second-largest sending state.

More than 1,000 British men and women sacrificed their lives to defend the freedom of a faraway country they never knew.

Lieutenant Colonel James Carne and his battalion, the first Glosters, showed great courage at the Battle of Imjin River.

Like the units motto By our deeds we are known, the noble sacrifice of the British Army will forever remain in the memory of the Korean people.

Today we are honored to have Mr. Colin Thackery with us. Mr. Thackery, of course, is the winner of Britains Got Talent 2019. But he is also a proud Korean War veteran and Koreas honorary Veterans Minister.

On behalf of the Korean people and the government, I thank you with deep gratitude and respect.

This past July was the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice agreement.

Mr. Thackery visited Busan again, the city where he first landed during the Korean War.

There, he sang for the fallen heroes lying in rest at the U.N. memorial cemetery.

It was a Korean folk song called Arirang, a song of remembrance for beloved ones.

His song touched everyones heart.

The war reduced Korea to ashes.

When it desperately needed foreign assistance, again the United Kingdom did not look the other way.

The United Kingdom contributed more than $26 million to the U.N. Korean Reconstruction Agency.

The United Kingdom supported the establishment of Ulsan shipyard, Gori nuclear power plant, and Ulsan Institute of Technology.

As the second-largest contributor, it helped Korea lay the foundation as an emerging industrial country.

Thanks to the support from the nations of the free world like the United Kingdom, Korea has since written a story of miraculous success.

Korea was one of the least developed countries.

Now it is an economic powerhouse leading the semiconductor industry and digital technology sector.

Korean culture is winning the hearts of global citizens.

Once a recipient of aid, Korea is the only nation in modern history to become a donor.

My lords and members of the House of Commons,

This year we celebrate the 140th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties.

It will be an important and meaningful year for our partnership.

Last spring, the United Kingdom forces participated in the Korea-United States combined exercise for the first time.

We are building new mechanisms for intelligence sharing and cybersecurity cooperation.

Together, we will tackle North Koreas WMD threats.

We will work more closely together to combat international cybercrimes including cryptocurrency theft and technology hacking.

Our bilateral trade and investment have thrived in many areas like finance, logistics, service and bioscience.

The FTA between Korea and the United Kingdom that took effect in 2021 has added further momentum.

We will begin negotiations to modernize the FTA to strengthen cooperation on supply chains and digital trade.

Tomorrow, Prime Minister Sunak and I will sign the Downing Street Accord.

Our bilateral relations will be reborn as true Global Strategic Partners.

Together, we will build a free and open international order.

Together, we will cultivate sustainable growth and prosperity for all of humanity.

We will broaden our cooperation to digital, AI, cybersecurity, nuclear energy and defense industry. It will also include bio, outer space, semiconductors, offshore wind, green energy and the maritime sector.

I kindly ask for your interest in and support for this partnership.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We are now faced with a new set of challenges.

There are geopolitical risks like the war in Ukraine, the Israel and Hamas conflict and the North Korean nuclear threats. They make unity of the international community harder to sustain.

There are supply chain disruptions, climate change and digital divide. They are widening economic inequalities among nations.

Arnold Toynbee said, Civilizations come to birth and proceed to grow by successfully responding to successive challenges.

The Republic of Korea and the United Kingdom are authors of dynamic and creative histories.

We must stand in solidarity and respond to many of the worlds challenges.

One country alone cannot defend peace.

Korea stands united with the United Kingdom and the international community to fight against illegal aggression and provocations.

We will uphold established norms and international order.

Korea will work with the United Kingdom to bolster the political and economic security in the Indo-Pacific region.

Korea and the United Kingdom will seek ways to utilize nuclear power and other clean energy sources.

At the same time, we will assist countries most affected by climate change in their efforts for green transition.

The new digital age presents us with new challenges to our freedom and democracy.

AI and digital technology must serve to enhance freedom and well-being.

We also need to prevent potential harm that may arise due to their connectivity and speed.

Thus, we need to establish a universal norm that will be accepted by the international community.

Prime Minister Sunak has shown strong leadership in shaping a new order for the digital age.

He convened the first ever AI Summit at Bletchley Park earlier this month.

I was there online to take part.

Last September, the Korean government announced the Digital Bill of Rights.

It sets forth five guiding principles of freedom, fairness, safety, innovation and solidarity.

The Korean government is committed to leading international dialogue and cooperation on shaping new digital AI norms.

It will work with the United Kingdoms AI Safety Network and the United Nations High-level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence.

In addition, we will put more efforts to bridge the digital divide and to drive digital innovation.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Korea and the United Kingdom share histories of glorious challenge and response.

But we also share our charm in culture and arts.

The United Kingdom is the country of the Beatles, Queen, Harry Potter and David Beckhams right foot.

Korea is the country of the BTS, Black Pink, Squid Game and Son Heung-mins right foot.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Winston Churchill once said, The price of greatness is responsibility.

It is time for us, as innovative partners, to contribute to a better future for humanity.

The Republic of Korea, in partnership with the United Kingdom, will join hands to promote freedom, peace and prosperity for the international community.

It was a great honor for me to share with you at Westminster the future that Korea and the United Kingdom will shape together.

My Lords and Members of the House of Commons,

Let me end by paraphrasing a line from Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet:

For this friendship may so happy prove, to turn our challenges to pure opportunity.

God bless the great nation of the United Kingdom and its people.

Thank you very much.
The US Army is desperate to find cannon fodder for Israel's wars.



They recently started sending letters out to soldiers they banished from the armed forces for refusing to take the covid vaccine begging them to return.





A letter is going out to soldiers which says, former Soldiers who were involuntarily separated for refusal to receive the COVID-19 vaccination may request a correction of their military records.



It also says Individuals who desire to apply to return to service should contact pic.twitter.com/e32h97tYoI  Shoe (@samosaur) November 16, 2023

Many have seen this letter. I just got mine. When I resigned from the Army, it was clear DoD was breaking the law (and senior leaders were likely engaged in treason).



Why doesn't the Army ask me if I want my resignation converted into a retirement dated with the release date pic.twitter.com/BMscmhoVkB  Brad Miller (@BradMiller1010) November 17, 2023



From Infowars, "U.S. Army Now Begging Unvaccinated Soldiers To Return After Kicking Them Out For Refusing COVID Vaccine Mandate":

The U.S. Army is now resorting to begging for unvaccinated soldiers it unceremoniously dismissed during the COVID plandemic to return to their posts amid a widespread enlistment shortage.



Several former soldiers posted a letter from the Army online showing the military branch would reinstate soldiers it previously removed for refusing the COVID jab.



As a result of the rescission of all current COVID-19 vaccine requirements, former Soldiers who were involuntarily separated for refusal to receive the COVID-19 vaccination may request a correction of their military records, the letter states.



The Biden regime imposed a vaccine mandate on the military in August 2021, with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin declaring that any service member who refused the vaccine would be kicked out.



Over 8,000 troops were since removed.

"Only 43 of the more than 8,000 US service members who were discharged from the military for refusing to be vaccinated against Covid-19 have sought to rejoin eight months after the vaccine mandate was officially repealed, according to data provided by the military branches," CNN reported on Oct 2.



An army recruitment pamphlet stating in bold letters, "Covid Vaccine NOT REQUIRED," has also gone viral on social media.







I very much doubt these letters will convince anyone to rejoin. Firing those soldiers was a truly despicable act. The same cast of criminals now want to send our troops to die on behalf of a foreign power in a war the majority of Americans oppose.





 "We're Not Dying For Israel": Americans Reject New Army Ad Targeting White Men For Recruitment https://t.co/nratXICj3u  Chris Menahan  (@infolibnews) November 7, 2023



You've made your bed, now lie in it.



Follow InformationLiberation on Twitter, Facebook, Gab, Minds and Telegram.
A little-known surveillance program tracks more than a trillion domestic phone records within the United States each year, according to a letter WIRED obtained that was sent by US senator Ron Wyden to the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Sunday, challenging the programs legality.

According to the letter, a surveillance program now known as Data Analytical Services (DAS) has for more than a decade allowed federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to mine the details of Americans calls, analyzing the phone records of countless people who are not suspected of any crime, including victims. Using a technique known as chain analysis, the program targets not only those in direct phone contact with a criminal suspect but anyone with whom those individuals have been in contact as well.

The DAS program, formerly known as Hemisphere, is run in coordination with the telecom giant AT&T, which captures and conducts analysis of US call records for law enforcement agencies, from local police and sheriffs departments to US customs offices and postal inspectors across the country, according to a White House memo reviewed by WIRED. Records show that the White House has, for the past decade, provided more than $6 million to the program, which allows the targeting of the records of any calls that use AT&Ts infrastructurea maze of routers and switches that crisscross the United States.

In a letter to US attorney general Merrick Garland on Sunday, Wyden wrote that he had serious concerns about the legality of the DAS program, adding that troubling information hed received would justifiably outrage many Americans and other members of Congress. That information, which Wyden says the DOJ confidentially provided to him, is considered sensitive but unclassified by the US government, meaning that while it poses no risk to national security, federal officials, like Wyden, are forbidden from disclosing it to the public, according to the senators letter.

AT&T spokesperson Kim Hart Jonson declined WIREDs request to comment on the DAS program, saying only that the company is required by law to comply with a lawful subpoena.

There is no law requiring AT&T to store decades worth of Americans call records for law enforcement purposes. Documents reviewed by WIRED show that AT&T officials have attended law enforcement conferences in Texas as recently as 2018 to train police officials on how best to utilize AT&Ts voluntary, albeit revenue-generating, assistance.


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By Kim Hyun-bin

The remains of a Korean War veteran who left behind his wife and two sons to join the fight have been returned to his family after an agonizing 73-year wait. The Ministry of National Defense's excavation team confirmed the identity of the fallen soldier to be Sgt. Kang Yoon-sik of the Republic of Korea Army's 5th Infantry Division.

Kang, born on Jeju Island in September 1922, enlisted voluntarily at the Jeju 5th Training Center in September 1950 in the wake of the Korean War. Married in 1942, he had two sons before dedicating himself to the military cause. He participated in key battles.

Tragically, Kang was killed in action in Inje, Gangwon Province during a battle against the North Korean Army's 6th and 12th Divisions on April 27, 1951. His remains, recovered in 2012, have now been identified through meticulous genetic analysis.

The breakthrough in confirming the veteran's identity came after the deceased's great-grandson, who joined the military in 2021, actively encouraged his family to provide genetic samples.

A solemn ceremony was held at the family's home in Gyeonggi Province, where the Ministry of National Defense delivered a notification of identity confirmation and returned a medal and personal belongings to the family.

Kang Cheol-jin, expressed his astonishment, stating, "I never dreamed that a genetic match would confirm my grandfather's identity like this."

Kim Young-ja, Kang's daughter-in-law, shared her heartfelt sentiments, saying, "Although my mother-in-law couldn't share her life with her husband for a long time, I hope that they can finally rest together in Jeju, fulfilling the dream they had."
NEW DELHI (PTI): Indian Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande on Sunday embarked on an official visit to the Republic of Korea with an aim to further reinforce the "robust defence ties" between the two nations, officials said.



During his visit, he will hold a bilateral meeting with his South Korean counterpart, and pay homage to fallen heroes at a War Memorial, they said.



"Gen Pande proceeded on an official visit to the Republic of Korea today. The aim of the visit is to further reinforce the robust defence ties between the two nations," a senior official said.



The visit commences on November 20, a momentous day in the history of India-South Korea relations, the officials said.



On November 20, 1950, the 60 Para Field Ambulance of the Indian Army had landed in Busan in South Korea to provide much-needed medical support during the Korean War.



The itinerary of the Indian Army chief includes interactions with the senior military leadership of the Republic of Korea and visits to defence formations and establishments.



The key highlights of the tour include a bilateral meeting with Gen Park An-su, Chief of Staff of the Republic of Korea's Army, besides a dialogue with Gen Kim Seung-kyum, Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff of Armed Forces, the official said.



"The interactions will be aimed to foster mutual understanding, exchanging views on regional security situation and contribute to strengthening bilateral defence cooperation," he said.



Gen Pande will also visit the National Cemetery and War Memorial and lay wreath in remembrance of the fallen heroes.



He will pay a special visit to the Indian section of the War Memorial in honour of the Indian soldiers who played a significant role in the Korean War, the officials said.



Gen Pande is scheduled to visit establishments such as Defence Acquisition Programme Administration (DAPA), Korean Army Centre for Future and Innovation (KARCFI) and Agency for Defence Development at Daejeon.



He will receive briefings on issues of mutual interest and also visit a drone combat unit. In addition, a tour of the Border Management and Surveillance Facility is also planned, officials said.



India and the Republic of Korea celebrate 50 years of their diplomatic ties in 2023.



"This visit underscores the commitment of both nations to strengthen the special strategic partnership. Demonstrating the enduring camaraderie that has flourished between India and the RoK over the years, the visit will further boost bilateral cooperation on a host of strategic issues particularly in defence collaboration," the senior official said.




President Droupadi Murmu during the international conference cum exhibition on 'Aerospace & Aviation in 2047', organised by the Aeronautical Society of India to commemorate its 75th Anniversary, in New Delhi, on Nov. 18, 2023. Photo: PTI.

NEW DELHI (PTI): The development of sustainable jet fuels is a much-needed step to decarbonise the economy and there is also the need to rapidly adopt new propulsion technologies such as electric, hydrogen and hybrid at a large scale, President Droupadi Murmu said on Saturday.



Speaking at a conference in the national capital, she also emphasised that the decarbonisation of aero-propulsion is an onerous task "we will have to undertake because climate change and global warming are threatening the very existence of humans".



According to her, the development of sustainable jet fuels is one of the much-needed steps to decarbonise the economy but it is hardest to achieve because traditional fuels are of very high density.



"Finding non-fossil sustainable resources which could replace these traditional fuels should be the priority objective because we are approaching a climate tipping point. To reduce our carbon footprint, we need to rapidly adopt new propulsion technologies at a large scale, such as electric, hydrogen, and hybrid," Murmu said.



She was addressing the international conference-cum-exhibition on 'Aerospace and Aviation in 2047' organised by the Aeronautical Society of India to commemorate its 75th anniversary.



The aerospace sector has been undergoing a transformative phase by bracing up for speed and runway-independent technologies for defence purposes, air mobility and transportation, she said and added that there is also the demanding task of cultivating human resources well versed and ready to tackle these issues in right earnest.



"At the same time, there is also a need for upskilling and reskilling of the current workforce," she added.



Mentioning about the successful completion of the Mars mission and the safe landing and roving near the Moon's South Pole, Murmu said India has proved that it has the willpower, potential, and capacity to accomplish what it sets out to achieve.



"The highest standards of quality, cost-effectiveness and punctuality have been the hallmarks of all of our projects. Future Aditya L1 and Gaganyaan missions will not only boost India's standing and embolden research but will also help humanity as a whole," she said.


NEW DELHI (PTI): The Indian Navy has been keeping a close watch on the movement of a Chinese submarine and warships that are participating in a naval exercise with Pakistan, government sources said on Wednesday.



The Navy is monitoring the Chinese platforms from the moment they entered the Indian Ocean region through the Malacca strait, they added.



China's PLA Navy has deployed a number of platforms, including frontline warships and a submarine, for the Sea Guardian exercise with Pakistan.



As part of India's comprehensive maritime domain awareness, the Navy maintains a close watch on all the movements in the Indian Ocean region, in line with national security interests, the sources said.


The USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier arrived at a naval base in the southeastern city of Busan on Tuesday, South Korea's Navy said, hours after North Korea notified Japan of a plan to launch a space rocket in the coming days.

The nuclear-powered vessel of Carrier Strike Group 1 entered the naval base in Busan, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, in a show of U.S. military might amid heightened tensions over North Korea's plan to launch the rocket between Wednesday and Dec. 1.

It would mark Pyongyang's third such attempt this year after two botched attempts to put a military spy satellite into orbit in May and August, respectively, and would come despite South Korea's warning Monday to stop preparations for the launch.

"The U.S. Carrier Strike Group 1's visit demonstrates the South Korea-U.S. alliance's solid combined defense posture and firm resolve to respond to advancing North Korean nuclear and missile threats," Rear Adm. Kim Ji-hoon, director of the maritime operations center at the ROK Fleet, was quoted as saying.

ROK stands for the Republic of Korea, the official name for South Korea.

The USS Carl Vinson, which last visited South Korea in 2017, is the third U.S. aircraft carrier to visit the country this year, following the USS Nimitz's arrival in March and the USS Ronald Reagan in October.

The visits came as Washington seeks to bolster its defense commitment to South Korea against evolving nuclear and missile threats from North Korea.

In April, the United States pledged to further enhance the "regular visibility" of its strategic assets to South Korea in the Washington Declaration issued by President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden.

Meanwhile, Seoul's defense ministry said it is monitoring the possibility of North Korea carrying out the rocket launch on the first day of its planned launch window, citing the timing of the previous launches this year.

"On the first and second attempts, the launches took place on the first day (of the launch window), specifically in the early morning," Jeon Ha-kyou, the defense ministry's spokesperson, said in a regular briefing.

"We are looking into that possibility (for the upcoming launch), while we will also need to look at the weather situation."

North Korea notified relevant countries and the International Maritime Organization of planned launches on six occasions between 2009 and this year. North Korea conducted a launch on the first day in three cases, followed by two cases on the second day and a single case on the third day. (Yonhap)
A serial burglar with more than 180 criminal convictions who stole five laptop computers, a cheque book and a mobile phone during break-ins at a school and a business in Dublin has been jailed for six months.

Zachary Purcell (34), of no fixed abode, admitted the offences when he appeared before Judge Bryan Smyth at Dublin District Court.

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During the two incidents last year, the court heard that he broke into Gaelscoil Colaiste Mhuire, an Irish-medium primary school in Dublin city centre, by forcing entry through the front door.

On the same date, he broke into a business premises at Gardiner Place and stole five laptops and a phone worth 3,500, which were never recovered.

He was charged after gardai carried out technical examinations of the crime scenes.

Judge Smyth heard Purcell had 183 offences on his record.

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He was jailed for 16 months in January for burglary and criminal damage.

Pleading for leniency, defence solicitor John Quinn asked the judge to note that Purcell had a severe drug addiction but made huge progress in custody.

Judge Smyth heard Purcell was off drugs, and certificates he obtained were handed into court.

Sentencing Purcell, Judge Smyth noted his prior burglary convictions and that the stolen property was not located.

He took into account his progress in custody, adding: I feel a custodial sentence is warranted, and ordered it to run consecutively to the 16-month sentence imposed in January.
Downing Street has been accused of failing to understand Northern Ireland after mistakenly adding an Irish flag to a social media post celebrating the North.

The post on Instagram shows photographs of a showcase of the North's culture during an event at 10 Downing Street attended by UK prime minister Rishi Sunak.

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The initial post included an Irish tricolour flag emoticon.

a hasty edit pic.twitter.com/QMLSf4mmbn  Adam Payne (@adampayne26) November 21, 2023 Advertisement

It is understood the flag was included in error and was quickly deleted.

Ulster Unionist Party leader Doug Beattie said the incident is the latest which shows that Westminster doesnt understand Northern Ireland.

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Im not one of these people who get all wound up about flags or whether someone has put something on by mistake, he told the BBC.

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It doesnt make sense that they would do that  if they felt the need to put a flag up, it should have been the union flag.

The mistake came after Northern Ireland was left out of the latest round of Levelling Up funding.

Mr Beattie said: There are people out there who want to hand all of the devolved power we have back to Westminster, and here is what Westminster is doing  they got rid of our Levelling Up funding, they brought us the Northern Ireland Protocol, they brought us the Windsor Framework, and now theyre firing out things on Instagram where they are using the wrong flag.

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These people dont understand us, they dont know us. We are better served with devolved government.
A former bank worker has told the multi-million euro theft trial of former solicitor Michael Lynn that his job would have been on the line if he had sanctioned a loan for a purpose other than that set out in the agreement.

Mr Lynn (55), of Millbrook Court, Redcross, Co Wicklow, is on trial accused of the theft of around 27 million from seven financial institutions. He has pleaded not guilty to 21 counts of theft in Dublin between October 23rd, 2006, and April 20th, 2007.

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It is the prosecutions case that Mr Lynn obtained multiple mortgages on the same properties, in a situation where banks were unaware that other institutions were also providing finance.

The financial institutions involved are Bank of Ireland, National Irish Bank (later known as Danske Bank), Irish Life and Permanent, Ulster Bank, ACC Bank, Bank of Scotland Ireland and Irish Nationwide Building Society (INBS).

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On Tuesday, former Bank of Ireland worker Sean Dooley told Karl Finnegan SC, prosecuting, that he worked in the bank until September 2005.

He agreed that he sanctioned certain loans for Mr Lynn, including an apartment development at Carrick-on-Shannon in around 2003.

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He said Mr Lynn had a wide investment portfolio and the Carrick-on-Shannon development required a sizeable loan of about 1.5 million.

He said at no time was he involved in arranging loans for Mr Lynn that were to be used for any purpose other than that set out in the agreement, such as property investments abroad.

My job would be on the line if I sanctioned a loan for one purpose and allowed it to be used for something else.

There's absolutely no way, he told the court. My job would be on the line if I sanctioned a loan for one purpose and allowed it to be used for something else.

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He agreed with prosecution counsel that he left the bank in 2005, before the Bank of Ireland loan which the jury has to consider was taken out.

Under cross-examination from Paul Comiskey O'Keeffe BL, defending, Mr Dooley said he last met Mr Lynn in late 2004 or early 2005.

Asked if it was normal for a Dublin-based banker to arrange a loan in Leitrim, Mr Dooley said it was not unusual. He said if he had handed the loan over to the Leitrim branch, then he would have got the credits on his target.

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Everybody in the bank was target driven, he said. I had lending targets.

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He agreed that he attended a rugby match  maybe more than one  including attending the hospitality suite and said he could not remember if there were other tickets given to him by Mr Lynn. That was kind of standard at the time, corporate entertaining, he added.

Credit Committee

Gerry O'Gorman of Bank of Ireland also gave evidence on Tuesday.

John Berry BL, prosecuting, told the court that Mr O'Gorman was named by Mr Lynn in the last trial as someone who agreed with Mr Lynn he could do whatever he wanted with the money given to him.

Mr O'Gorman denied this was ever the case.

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Mr O'Gorman was also named by Mr Lynn as being on Bank of Ireland's credit committee, the court heard.

Mr O'Gorman told the court he was working as an assistant to senior business manager Jim Madden in 2006 and 2007. He said he had no recollection of meeting Mr Lynn.

There's a suggestion you were on the credit committee and you met with Mr Lynn in that capacity? Mr Berry asked. No, the witness replied. He said he was definitely not on the credit committee.

Under questioning from Paul Comiskey O'Keeffe BL, defending, Mr O'Gorman said the credit committee was made up of really senior bank officials.

He agreed that the entity in Bank of Ireland that was involved in approving loans was called group credit and that he went on to work for group credit in 2008.

Mr Comiskey O'Keeffe put it to Mr O'Gorman that in the last trial he stated that he might have met Mr Lynn if he came into the branch and he didn't remember.

I have no recollection of meeting Mr Lynn, the witness replied. In the circumstances set out in the statement sent to me, I never met him.

The trial continues before Judge Martin Nolan and the jury.
Green Party MEP Ciaran Cuffe is reasonably confident that legislation will pass in the European Parliament on Tuesday that will oblige manufacturers to repair goods.

Speaking on RTE radios Morning Ireland Mr Cuffe said there was support across the board in the Parliament for the legislation which would boost the repair sector and was a real step forward on the circular economy.

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Under the legislation, manufacturers would have to provide spare parts for a longer period. We've all had the experience of a dishwasher where a pipe is broken and the repair technician says, look, you'd be better off getting a new one. And I think it's important not just to have the spare parts, but to have them at a reasonable price.

It (the legislation) will cover white goods like washing machines and dishwashers, but also mobile phones and even bicycles. I think it's a real step forward. And on the circular economy, I think it will ensure that spare parts are available at a decent price and it will ensure that somebody who sells you a product will have an obligation to it to ensure it can be repaired for a much longer period of time.

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Mr Cuffe added that he anticipated a boost in the short term for products that will last longer and in the repair sector. But really, it is a move away from planned obsolescence.

"It's a move away from getting a new phone every three years. It's a move away from having white goods that you'll pay 500 for and when something goes wrong, you need to get a new one.

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"So on the one hand, it's a real boost for the consumer. But certainly manufacturers have lobbied hard against some of the provisions in this proposal.

If the legislation is approved today in Strasbourg it will then move forward for more negotiations with the European Commission and the European Council, he said. So I think the first provisions will come into effect later next year. So I think it will have an impact fairly soon on manufacturers.

I think what we're seeing is a real push from consumers that is succeeding at a European Union level. I think it will mean less waste, less products being dumped soon after theyre bought. And I think it'll be an improvement for the environment, which can only be a win and it'll mean less electronic waste being sent to the Far East to be melted down for re-use.

We'll see new jobs being created in Europe in the repair sector. And actually, I think there's an opportunity for Ireland to move more into the repair sector and create jobs there. So I think it's both a win for consumers, but also potentially a real win for creating jobs in what I like to call the green economy.
A jury will begin their deliberations in the trial of a man who stabbed his housemate to death.

Although the prosecution argues he should be found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity, the defence "is in the usual position" of arguing he has "some criminal responsibility" and should be found guilty of manslaughter.

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"You would expect it to be reversed; for the defence to be saying there is no liability and the prosecution saying there is," counsel for the defendant told the jury on Tuesday.

Tony McGillicuddy SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, told the jury of six men and six women that two eminent consultant psychiatrists had told them that Sean Murphy was suffering from a severe mental disorder when he stabbed Michael Olohan to death.

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He said the doctors had differed only on how severely the mental disorder was damaging or impacting Mr Murphy's mental health.

One, counsel said, had stated that the accused was psychotic and unable to resist killing Mr Olohan, while the other said Mr Murphy could have resisted, although his capacity was substantially diminished.

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If the jury accepts, on the balance of probabilities, that Mr Murphy was psychotic and unable to resist, the correct verdict is not guilty by reason of insanity, Mr McGillicuddy said.

If they find it is more likely that Mr Murphy could have resisted, but his responsibility was substantially diminished by his mental illness, the correct verdict is manslaughter due to diminished responsibility.

Counsel said it is a difficult and sad case, but he urged the jury to "approach it in a sober and clinical manner" and, having reviewed the evidence, to come to the appropriate conclusions.

Psychiatric evidence

Defence counsel Michael O'Higgins SC said that a finding of guilty of murder would be "perverse" given the psychiatric evidence.

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He said the defence is in the "unusual" position in that it is saying Mr Murphy has "some criminal responsibility" and should be found guilty of manslaughter, while the prosecution is arguing for a not guilty by reason of insanity verdict.

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He suggested that the jury should favour the manslaughter verdict and asked the members to give their deliberations "the very clear attention you have already given from the moment you sat down".

Mr Murphy (29), with an address at Bradog Court, St Lawrence Road, Clontarf, Dublin 3, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Michael Olohan (35) at the apartment they shared on St Lawrence Road on August 13th, 2020.

Mr Olohan is originally from Poppintree in Ballymun, north Dublin.

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The jury has been told that at the time of the stabbing, the accused and deceased lived together at Bradog Court in a "step-down independent living facility" run by St Vincent's Hospital Psychiatric Services.

Ronan Kennedy SC, for the prosecution, told the jury in his opening speech that Mr Olohan had lived there for some years, while Mr Murphy moved in four months previously, having been discharged from the psychiatric ward of St Vincent's Hospital.

On Tuesday, Mr McGillicuddy reminded the jury of the evidence of State Pathologist Dr Heidi Okkers, who identified three stab wounds to Mr Olohan's chest, one of which penetrated the right lung, causing severe bleeding and a loss of blood pressure that caused his death.

Within minutes of the stabbing, Mr Murphy arrived at Clontarf Garda station in a blood-stained t-shirt and wearing no shoes.

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He told gardai he had stabbed someone, saying: "I just got these sick thoughts, I used a knife, I'm really sick."

He explained that he gets ideas where he believes he has to do certain things or "bad things will happen". He later said: "I got a bad thought, I had to attack Michael with the knife even though I didn't want to."

Mental disorder

Mr McGillicuddy told the jury that two psychiatrists who gave evidence in the trial agreed that Mr Murphy was diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) as a teenager.

They agreed that OCD is a mental disorder and at the time of the stabbing it was "affecting his mental reasoning, thinking and mental health in a very substantial and severe way".

Both described the symptoms of OCD by explaining that sufferers develop obsessions which cause them to feel compelled to act in particular ways. In Mr Murphy's case, the accused believed that he had to kill someone to prevent himself from going to hell for eternity.

Counsel said that Dr Ronan Mullaney, who was called by the prosecution, said Mr Murphy's OCD was accompanied by psychotic symptoms which caused him to be unable to resist killing Mr Olohan.

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Dr Mullaney's evidence was that Mr Murphy should be found not guilty by reason of insanity.

Professor Keith Rix disagreed with Dr Mullaney on how severely the mental disorder was damaging or impacting Mr Murphy's mental health at the time, Mr McGillicuddy said.

The professor did not believe Mr Murphy was psychotic and said that he was able to resist the killing. However, Professor Rix found that Mr Murphy's responsibility was substantially diminished by OCD, and he should therefore be found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter.

Mr McGillicuddy suggested that the jury should "prefer the evidence of Dr Mullaney". He said Dr Mullaney had carried out "a more complete evaluation of the circumstances.

"He had all the relevant paperwork, he reviewed those things and set out his opinion to you and properly supported it at each limb along the way," counsel added.

The conclusions of Professor Rix, Mr McGillicuddy said, "are not as sturdy or to be accepted over those of Dr Mullaney, because he didn't have sight of all the materials and accepted that would weaken the strength of his opinion".

Mr McGillicuddy said the professor had acknowledged that having seen Dr Mullaney's report, "his opinion that he had expressed initially was weakened".

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Mr McGillicuddy suggested that the proper verdict is one of not guilty by reason of insanity.

Criminal responsibility

Michael O'Higgins SC, for Mr Murphy, told the jury that this case is "unusual" in that the prosecution is arguing for a not guilty by reason of insanity verdict while "the defence is saying there is some criminal responsibility attaching to his actions".

"You would expect it to be reversed, for the defence to be saying there is no liability and the prosecution saying there is," counsel added.

He said that there is "not much between the two doctors" and both the prosecution and defence agree that Mr Murphy was suffering from a severe mental illness. The "fine distinction" relates to whether there is no responsibility, as Dr Mullaney said, or "marginal responsibility" as Professor Rix suggested.

Counsel suggested that Professor Rix is more likely to be correct.

He said Mr Olohan's death was "horrible" and he bears no responsibility for what happened to him. But for the actions of Mr Murphy, he would have got up that morning and had an "otherwise unremarkable day".

The evidence in the trial was focussed on the accused and not the deceased, which counsel said may seem strange but "it is the accused who is on trial, not the victim, so the spotlight is on him".

He said there are "theoretically" four verdicts available but that an outright finding of not guilty or of guilty of murder would be "perverse".

The choice, he said, is in the "middle ground" between not guilty by reason of insanity or not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter due to diminished responsibility.

He said: "What it comes down to is this, in electing as to which course you go, you look at Professor Rix, who says he was in a very bad way, very ill, but still had some responsibility for what he did because he could have resisted but didn't.

"Dr Mullaney says no, that ship has sailed, the level of illness mixed in with psychosis meant the choice was gone and he acted on an impulse that for him was irresistible. That seems to be the kernel of the case."

A jury would need "a very, very good reason" to disregard the expert evidence, Mr O'Higgins said, adding that there is "no good reason to discount" that Mr Murphy has a long history of mental illness requiring numerous hospital admissions going back many years.

At the time of the stabbing, Mr Murphy was suffering "an extreme episode of mental illness" and evidence in that regard was given by Dr Mullaney and Professor Rix and was supported by a third consultant psychiatrist who diagnosed Mr Murphy with OCD at Clontarf Garda Station on the day of the stabbing.

There was further evidence in the trial of a similar diagnosis being reached by psychiatrists throughout Mr Murphy's life and during his time in custody and in the Central Mental Hospital.

Both doctors are "exceptionally well qualified and experienced in their field," Mr O'Higgins said, and were able to make "sensible and compelling observations arising from the diagnosis".

He said there is one difference between them, and suggested that Professor Rix's version is "more likely" to be correct.

Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring told the jury that their verdict must be unanimous and should be reached in accordance with the oath or affirmation taken at the start of the trial.

She told them to discuss the case, argue and persuade if they have a particular point of view.

"That is what juries do," she said. "But what you should never do is pressurise someone. It is important that you not be pressurised into reaching a verdict with which you do not agree."

The jury will return on Wednesday to begin their deliberations.
A legal challenge to the British governments new laws to deal with the legacy of the Northern Ireland Troubles is due to begin on Tuesday.

High Court judge Mr Justice Colton will hear the case at the Royal Courts of Justice in Belfast.

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The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act received royal assent in September despite widespread opposition from political parties, victims organisations in Northern Ireland and the Irish Government.

Aspects of the laws include a limited form of immunity from prosecution for Troubles-related offences for those who co-operate with the new Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR).

The new Act will also halt future civil cases and legacy inquests.

Multiple Troubles victims and family members launched judicial reviews to challenge aspects of the Act.

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Martina Dillon, wife of murdered hotel doorman Seamus Dillon. Photo: Paul Faith/PA.

Mr Justice Colton has directed that the lead case will be a joint submission brought by Martina Dillon, John McEvoy and Linda McManus.

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Ms Dillons husband Seamus was shot dead outside the Glengannon Hotel in Dungannon on December 27th 1997. An inquest into his death has opened.

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Mr McEvoy narrowly escaped being killed in the loyalist gun attack on the Thierafurth Inn in Kilcoo, Co Down, in 1992. The High Court has previously ruled there has not been in effective investigation into the attack in which another man, Peter McCormack, was killed.

Ms McManus is the daughter of James McManus, who was injured in a gun attack on the Sean Graham Bookmakers on the Ormeau Road, Belfast, in 1992. She has issued a civil claim seeking damages.

Ms Dillon said: Truth and justice are not too much to ask, we shouldnt have to fight for decades to get it.

Victims have been shamefully ignored; we did not want this law.

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We want answers about what happened to our loved ones, and we want accountability.

I fight this oppressive legislation in my husbands memory and in solidarity with other victims having their rights denied.

Grainne Teggart from Amnesty International UK. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA.

Grainne Teggart, Amnesty International UKs Northern Ireland deputy director, said: This case has significant implications, not just in the UK but internationally.

We have repeatedly warned about the concerning precedent which could be set by this legislation which provides a blueprint for letting state forces and armed groups off with murder and other serious crimes.

The hearing will take place at the Royal Courts of Justice in Belfast. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA.

Mr Justice Colton has previously said challenges to the Act will focus on a number of areas, including the establishment of the ICRIR, the cessation of police investigations, the cessation of inquests and civil proceedings and the potential immunity from prosecution.

However, he said the courts primary focus would be the argument that sections of the Act are incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights.

The hearing is expected to last at least five days.
Updated: 6pm

All-Ireland winning Limerick hurler Kyle Hayes, "kicked and punched" a man who was lying defenceless on a street, after becoming "upset" that the man had spoken to two females in a nightclub in which he was socialising, a court has heard.

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Mr Hayes "fled" from the scene of the alleged "attack", outside ICON nightclub on Upper Denmark Street in Limerick City, but was arrested by gardai a short time later, Limerick Circuit Criminal Court heard on Tuesday.

Two gardai allegedly witnessed Mr Hayes and others attacking the alleged victim outside the nightclub on October 28th, 2019.

Mr Hayes (25), of Ballyashea, Kildimo, Co Limerick, is charged with one count of assault causing harm to Cillian McCarthy (24), of Toureen, Ballysimon, Co Limerick, outside ICON nightclub in the early hours of October 28th, 2019, and two counts of violent disorder.

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Mr Hayes' co-accused, Craig Cosgrave (24), of Caherally, Grange, Co Limerick, is charged with one count of violent disorder.

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A third accused, Jai Chaudri (22), of Carheeny, Kildimo, Co Limerick, is also charged with assault causing harm to Mr McCarthy and one count of violent disorder outside ICON on the same date.

All three have pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

'It didn't sit well with him'

Prosecution Counsel, John OSullivan BL, told the jury they will hear evidence that Mr McCarthy, whom he described as a "hard working, honest and truthful" qualified carpenter, had been socialising in ICON in the company of Craig Cosgrave, "who at the time, was a friend of his".

"Cillian McCarthy got talking to two girls, and it appears that Kyle Hayes was upset about this; it didnt sit well with him (Kyle Hayes)," Mr OSullivan said.

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"Putting it in plain terms, Cillian McCarthy was set upon by Kyle Hayes and others, and numerous punches were thrown," counsel added.

Mr OSullivan told the jury they will see CCTV footage harvested by gardai from the nightclub and other local bars and clubs, "which will tell you what happened".

"It is the prosecutions case that Kyle Hayes and others pursued Cillian McCarthy outside the nightclub, and that Kyle Hayes attacked Cillian McCarthy on the public street."

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Mr OSullivan said Mr Chaudri joined Mr Hayes in assaulting Mr McCarthy while he lay on the ground.

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Mr OSullivan said there was no CCTV footage of the alleged attack on the street, but two gardai, who he described as "very important witnesses" who were on the scene at the time, "will give evidence that they saw Kyle Hayes and others punch and kick Cillian McCarthy while he was down on the ground".

"You will hear evidence that Kyle Hayes fled the scene and he was captured (by gardai) a short time later," counsel added.

Mr McCarthy suffered a number of facial injuries in the incident, including a fracture to his right eye socket.

"None of these accused men had been under any threat whatsoever...and the violence inflicted on Cillian McCarthy was totally unjustified," Mr O'Sullivan said.

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Summing up his introduction, he added: "Cillian McCarthy offended Kyle Hayes by simply engaging in conversation with two girls - thats it, thats what started it all off.

"Yes, you might say this was trivial, but sadly the actions of Kyle Hayes and others were not trivial...there wasn't the slightest justification or the violence inflicted on Cillian McCarthy."

CCTV

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Detective Garda Barry Moylan, of Henry Street Garda Station, played CCTV footage taken from inside ICON nightclub from the night of the incident, showing a fight breaking out on the dance floor.

Under cross-examination by Craig Cosgraves barrister, Seamus Roche SC, Det Gda Moylan said from watching the CCTV footage it appeared that Mr Hayes and another unidentified male had "instigated" the fight on the dance floor.

Det Gda Moylan added that he accepted Mr Cosgrave was "not the instigator" of this incident, but said he had thrown a punch during the fight which connected with a female bouncer.

The Garda added that he accepted Mr Cosgrave got involved in the brawl as he was "concerned" for Mr McCarthys welfare.

Det Gda Moylan also agreed with Mr Roche that it was alleged Mr Hayes had approached Mr McCarthy and Mr Cosgrave earlier on the night, in Smyths Bar, which is located on the ground floor of the nightclub, and that words were exchanged between the group.

The CCTV footage from the dance floor later on in the night appeared to show Mr Hayes again approaching Mr McCarthy moments before punches were thrown at Mr McCarthy.

Det Gda Moylan agreed the footage appeared to show a top worn by Mr McCarthys being pulled before a number of punches are rained down on him by a number of individuals.

Theres a number of strikes from numerous individuals, including Kyle Hayes, which is discernible from the CCTV footage, the Garda said.

More footage shown to the court showed Mr McCarthy being followed out of the venue by Mr Hayes.

Footage also showed Mr Hayes, another man, and Mr McCarthy involved in what appeared to be more exchange of words, and Mr Mr McCarthy walking away from a group which included Mr Hayes and Mr Chaudri.

It is alleged that gardai later saw Mr Hayes and Mr Chaudri kicking and punching Mr McCarthy while he wass lying on the street near the nightclub.

Det Gda Moylan told the court that CCTV footage from the area showed Mr Hayes receiving a grey hoody from another male, which he put on before the pair ran away from the vicinity of the nightclub.

Under further cross examination, Det Gda Moylan agreed with Mr Hayes' barrister that his client left the nightclub "under his own steam", while Mr McCarthy had been "ejected" from the club by security staff.

The trial continues on Wednesday.
The trial of a man accused of causing a fatal road traffic collision on a Dublin motorway four years ago has reached its closing stages.

Gerry Daly (57), of Derby Lodge, Brownstown, The Curragh, Kildare, has pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to dangerous driving causing the death of Jacqueline Griffin (39) at junction five of the M50 on January 24th, 2019.

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Roderick O'Hanlon SC, defending, said in his closing speech on Tuesday that Mr Daly was not in a position to control the decision to drive at the time of the appalling and tragic accident.

The court has heard that Ms Griffin died of catastrophic head injuries after her car was forced into crash barriers. She was killed instantly.

Mr O'Hanlon said that due to Mr Daly's diabetes and extremely low blood sugar levels at the time of the collision, his brain function and ability to process what was happening in front of him had diminished.

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He said Mr Daly was driving in an autonomous condition, and that he was unaware where he was or exactly what had happened. He told the jury Mr Daly's blood glucose levels were low, which impacted the ability of a person's brain to function.

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Garnet Orange SC, prosecuting, said the defence of automatism would not be suitable given the circumstances of this case.

He explained that the defence requires a complete loss of control and said that you cannot avoid criminal responsibility when you have failed to do something that may have avoided the danger to somebody else.

Mr Orange said Mr Daly had suffered from diabetes most of his adult life and that he knew how to deal with it, he knew how to monitor it.

He said Mr Daly failed to take simple precautions that he knew about to avoid the risk.

He urged the jury to be objective and impartial when deliberating and said the decision they would make while deliberating is one of the most important decisions you're going to have to make in your life.

The trial continues before Judge Elma Sheahan and a jury.
Two women who filmed the assault and subsequent death of an Irish teenager who fell from an apartment balcony during an armed robbery in Australia have been given a two-year probation order, with no recorded conviction.

Cian English (19), originally from Co Carlow but who was living in Hawthorne, Brisbane, was fatally injured after falling from a fourth-floor balcony at the View Pacific resort in Surfers Paradise on May 23rd, 2020.

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The incident occurred during a trip to the Gold Coast with a friend.

Jason Ryan Knowles (25), Hayden Paul Kratzmann (23), and Lachlan Paul Soper-Lagas (21) had been charged with murder, but agreed to a plea deal of manslaughter.

Kratazmann and Knowles were jailed for nine-and-a-half years, while Soper-Lagas was sentenced to eight years in prison.

The Supreme Court in Brisbane heard on Tuesday that two women, who were 16 at the time, filmed the attack as Mr English and his friend were threatened with a knife, forced to undress, assaulted, robbed, degraded and tortured.

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According to reports from Austrian media outlets, the women, are now 19 and 20-years-old, filmed up to 27-minutes of the torture.

Brisbane Supreme Court heard one of the women filmed herself forcing Mr English to clean his blood from the floor.

The other woman also filmed the scene from the balcony after Mr English fell to his death.

The women each pleaded guilty to one count of torture and two counts of armed robbery.

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'Demeaning conduct'

Crown prosecutor Caroline Marco said both women knew Mr English was critically injured on the ground after he fell from the balcony, but instead of calling police they packed their belongings and fled the scene.

Ms Marco said the women later uploaded their videos to social media.

After these events, you weren't shocked to your senses. You posted videos to your social media accounts, Justice Peter Applegarth said, delivering their sentences.

As terrible as (Mr Englishs death) is, its the demeaning conduct and the complete disregard of the dignity of two human beings, Justice Applegarth added.

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As horrible as your behaviour was, and how despicable you acted after the events...I am conscious of your remorse.

The judge said the womens decision to upload the videos to social media instead of calling emergency services was completely reprehensible.

Mr Englishs mother Siobhan told the court on Tuesday that she continues to deal with the painful loss of her forever hero.

The harrowing pain and haunting nightmares of seeing my beautiful boy broken and covered in bandages is an image that will never leave my mind, she said.

Cians life was taken away without any care or compassion.

I still cant bear to think about how he died. It destroys me a little bit every time. He was only 19 years young and he was taken away in the most horrific circumstance.

He wasnt ill, it wasnt an accident. Cian didnt want to die, he had his whole life ahead of him. An entire generation has been altered forever.

Judge Applegarth handed down a two-year probation order for each of the women, and a conviction was not recorded.
The Marine Corps said Tuesday it has staged major amphibious assault drills, mobilizing thousands of troops, landing ships and helicopters, amid efforts to hone readiness against North Korean military threats.

Some 3,400 Marines and over 30 amphibious assault vehicles are taking part in the six-day drills that began Friday in Pohang, 262 kilometers southeast of Seoul, according to the Marine Corps.

On Tuesday, the troops held the "decisive action" phase of the exercise, which proceeded with amphibious assault drills in a coastal area with landing ships, transport aircraft and helicopters as naval warships and attack helicopters provided cover.

The Marine Corps said more than 10 naval ships took part in the exercise, including the ROKS Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin destroyer, to enhance joint operational capabilities.

The drills took place in connection with the South Korean military's annual Hoguk defense drills, which kicked off on Oct. 16 and is set to end Wednesday. (Yonhap)
An early morning Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Lisbon was forced to return to the airport after the crew reported a technical issue after departure.

Aer Lingus flight EI-482 took off from Dublin at 7.39am bound for the Portuguese capital. However, soon after departure, the crew of the Airbus A320 jet advised controllers of an issue on board.

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The crew reported they had a small technical issue on take-off and that they had been advised to return to Dublin as further maintenance action might be required.

The pilot then asked controllers if they could level off so they could prepare for the return to Dublin. The crew stopped climbing at 23,000 feet and continued south before turning around over county Waterford.

When asked by controllers in Dublin whether they would be making a normal landing the crew confirmed they would. No emergency was declared by the crew and emergency services were not required to turn out for the jets arrival.

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The flight landed safely at Dublin about 40 minutes after originally departing and was grounded while engineers investigated the issue.

The passengers were later deplaned, and a replacement aircraft was sourced to continue the journey to Lisbon. That flight departed at 10.10am.
A survey has shown one in six drivers are very concerned about safety on Irish roads.

A survey carried out by Easytrip, which included over 4,700 people, highlighted that 93 per cent of Irish motorists are concerned with road safety in Ireland.

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Among the top five contributing factors to the increase of deaths on Irish roads were driver distractions, such as the use of a mobile phone, speeding, driver inexperience, poor road conditions and driving under the influence.

57 per cent of people in the survey agreed and welcomed the recommended reduction of speed from 80km/h to 60km/h on rural roads, while 43 per cent disagreed with it.

48 per cent of drivers believed the penalty points system is be ineffective, with 28 per cent believing it is effective while 23 per cent were unsure.

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46 per cent of drivers claimed the standard of driving in Ireland was average, with 20 per cent of drivers believing it is somewhat good, and six per cent claiming it is terrible.

CEO of Easytrip Ireland, Colin Delaney said: Its clear to see from our research that motorists are concerned with road safety standards and driving behaviours on our roads.

"The rules of the road, the systems and the laws that are in place are there to protect all road users. Any driving journey whether a short trip to the shop or a longer journey to visit family should be safe."
Israels cabinet was to convene Tuesday to consider a possible deal for the release of some of the hostages held by Hamas, as troops battled Palestinian militants in an urban refugee camp in northern Gaza and around hospitals overcrowded with patients and sheltering families.

Details of any deal, worked out through international mediators, were not immediately known.

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Talks over the past weeks have cantered on a swap of some of the estimated 240 people taken hostage by militants in their October 7th attack into Israel for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, accompanied by a temporary cease-fire in Gaza.

A woman plasters photos of Israelis missing and held captive in Gaza as officials are said to be considering a deal to secure the release of some hostages (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Senior Hamas officials said an agreement was near but talks have repeatedly stalled and past predictions of a breakthrough proved premature.

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Israel announced that its War Cabinet, and then the full Cabinet  whose approval is needed on any deal  would convene on Tuesday evening to discuss the issue of the release of hostages.

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Commenting on the return of hostages, Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu said: We are currently advancing. I do not think that it is necessary to belabour the point, not even now, but I hope there will be good news soon.

Israels war cabinet met with representatives of the hostages families on Monday evening.

Mr Netanyahu told families that the government considers the release of hostages and the defeat of Hamas to be equally important, according to a relative who attended.

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Udi Goren, whose cousin Tal Chaimi is in captivity in Gaza, said that was incredibly disappointing, as Israel has said it could take months to dismantle the militant group.

Fighting in Gaza, now in its seventh week, has shifted to the Jabaliya refugee camp (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Meanwhile, inside Gaza, the front line of the war, now in its seventh week, shifted to the Jabaliya refugee camp, a dense warren of concrete buildings near Gaza City that houses families displaced in the 1948 war surrounding Israels creation.

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Israel has bombarded the area for weeks, and the military said Hamas fighters have regrouped there and in other eastern districts after being pushed out of much of Gaza City.

The fighting in Jabaliya raged around two nearby hospitals, trapping hundreds of patients and displaced people sheltering inside with dwindling supplies.

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A strike on Tuesday hit inside one of the facilities, al-Awda, killing four people, including three doctors, the hospital director told Al-Jazeera TV.

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Journalists and family members gather next to Lebanese Red Cross ambulances carrying the bodies of the two slain journalists of pan-Arab TV network Al-Mayadeenm, who were killed by an Israeli strike (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

The director, Ahmed Mahna, blamed the strike on Israel, but this claim could not be independently confirmed by AP.

In southern Lebanon, an Israeli strike killed two journalists with Al-Mayadeen TV, according to the Pan-Arab network and Lebanese officials.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. A separate Israeli drone strike in Lebanon killed four Hamas members, a Palestinian official and a Lebanon security official said.

The Israeli military has been trading fire almost daily across the border with Lebanons Hezbollah group and Palestinian militants since the outbreak of the war.
Israel and Hamas appeared close to a temporary ceasefire deal that could bring the first pause in fighting in a devastating six-week war and result in the release of dozens of hostages held captive in Gaza.

Hamas predicted a Qatari-mediated deal could be reached in the coming hours, while Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu was set to convene top decision-makers to discuss the matter.

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We are advancing, Mr Netanyahu told troops during a visit to a training base. I hope there will be good news soon.

The announcement came as Israeli troops battled Palestinian militants in an urban refugee camp in northern Gaza and around hospitals overcrowded with patients and sheltering families.

A woman plasters photos of Israelis missing and held captive in Gaza as officials are said to be considering a deal to secure the release of some hostages (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

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Mr Netanyahus office said the special three-member war cabinet met on Tuesday and would be followed by meetings of his Security Cabinet, a forum of senior security officials, and the full Cabinet.

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There was no word on whether a vote would take place, and details of a deal were not released.

Israeli media reports said an agreement would include a five-day halt in Israels offensive in Gaza and the release of 50 hostages held by Hamas in exchange for some 150 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

Israels Channel 12 TV said the first releases would be expected to take place on Thursday or Friday.

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Talks have repeatedly stalled. But even if a deal is reached, it would not mean an end to the war, which erupted on October 7th after Hamas militants stormed across the border into southern Israel and killed at least 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and kidnapped some 240 others.

An Israeli offensive, including weeks of airstrikes and a ground invasion, has left more than 12,000 people dead, caused widespread destruction and displaced more than 1.7 million people, according to Palestinian health authorities.

Fighting in the Gaza Strip, now in its seventh week, has shifted to the Jabaliya refugee camp (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

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Israel, the United States and Qatar, which mediates with Hamas, have negotiated for weeks over a hostage release that would be paired with a temporary cease-fire and the entry of more aid.

In Washington, US president Joe Biden said that a deal on releasing some hostages was very close.

We could bring some of these hostages home very soon, he said at the White House.

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Qatars Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Majed al-Ansari expressed optimism, telling reporters that we are at the closest point we ever had been in reaching an agreement.

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He added that negotiations were at a critical and final stage.

Izzat Rishq, a senior Hamas official, said Tuesday that an agreement could be reached in the coming hours, in which Hamas would release captives and Israel would release Palestinian prisoners.

Hamas leader-in-exile, Ismail Haniyeh, also said they were close to a deal.

Israels Channel 12 TV, citing anonymous Israeli officials, said a truce could be extended and additional Palestinian prisoners released if there were additional hostages freed.

Journalists and family members gather next to Lebanese Red Cross ambulances carrying the bodies of the two slain journalists of pan-Arab TV network Al-Mayadeenm, who were killed by an Israeli strike (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Inside Gaza, the front line of the war has shifted to the Jabaliya refugee camp, a dense warren of concrete buildings near Gaza City that houses families displaced in the 1948 war surrounding Israels creation.

Israel has bombarded the area for weeks, and the military said Hamas fighters have regrouped there and in other eastern districts after being pushed out of much of Gaza City.

The fighting in Jabaliya raged around two nearby hospitals, trapping hundreds of patients and displaced people sheltering inside.

A strike on Tuesday hit inside one of the facilities, al-Awda, killing four people, including three doctors, the hospital director told Al-Jazeera TV.

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Residents of Jabaliya said there was heavy fighting as Israeli forces tried to advance under the cover of airstrikes.

Hamza Abu Mansour, a university student, said: They are facing stiff resistance.

The Israeli military said strikes hit three tunnel shafts where fighters were hiding and destroyed rocket launchers. Footage released by the military showed Israeli soldiers patrolling on foot as gunfire echoed around them.

In southern Lebanon, an Israeli strike killed two journalists with Al-Mayadeen TV, according to the Hezbollah-allied Pan-Arab network and Lebanese officials. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

A separate Israeli drone strike in Lebanon killed four Hamas members, a Palestinian official and a Lebanon security official said.

The Israeli military has been trading fire almost daily across the border with Lebanons Hezbollah group and Palestinian militants since the outbreak of the war.
An Israeli strike on southern Lebanon has killed two journalists reporting for the Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen TV on the violence along the border with Israel, according to the broadcaster.

The strike also killed a Lebanese civilian.

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The Pan-Arab Al-Mayadeen TV  politically allied with the Lebanese militant group Hizbullah  identified the journalists as correspondent Farah Omar and cameraman Rabih Maamari, saying they were martyred by treacherous Israeli targeting in an air strike.

Smoke rises from an Israeli army position which was hit by Hizbullah shells (Hussein Malla/AP)

It was direct targeting. It was not a coincidence, said Ghassan bin Jiddo, director of the TV channel, holding back his tears in a live broadcast. They join the martyrs of Gaza, he said

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Mr Bin Jiddo said a man from the village, whom he identified as Hussein Akil, was also killed.

Last week, the Israeli government blocked Al-Mayadeen TV news channel from broadcasting in Israel.

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Lebanese information minister Ziad Makary called the strike on the journalists outrageous.

The Israeli military said its soldiers took action against an alleged threat posed by a weapons launching area in southern Lebanon. It said the attack was under review.

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We are aware of a claim regarding journalists in the area who were killed as a result, the military said. This is an area with active hostilities, where exchanges of fire occur. Presence in the area is dangerous.

In a statement earlier on Tuesday, it said its aircraft struck three armed terrorist cells in the area of the border with Lebanon in addition to Hizbullah infrastructure.

Also in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, an Israeli drone strike in the village of Chaatiyeh near the Mediterranean coast killed four members of Hamas, a Palestinian official and a Lebanese security official said.

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Journalists and family members gather next to Lebanese Red Cross ambulances carrying the bodies of the two slain journalists of pan-Arab TV network Al-Mayadeenm, who were killed by an Israeli strike outside the stations headquarters (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

The Palestinian official said they were members of the Qassam Brigades, Hamass military wing. The Lebanese security official also confirmed that the four killed were members of Hamas without saying if they were from the military wing. A Hamas official in Lebanon said there were a number of martyrs from the Palestinian resistance without confirming the number or identities.

Lebanese state-run National News Agency said Israels military struck the outskirts of the villages of Teir Harfa and Majdal Zoun.

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It also reported that another strike on a home in the border village of Kfar Kila killed a woman, Laiqa Serhan, 80, and wounded her granddaughter who was taken to hospital for treatment.

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Israeli shelling on southern Lebanon on October 14th, killed Reuters video-journalist Issam Abduallah and wounded other journalists from Frances international news agency, Agence France-Presse, and Qatars Al-Jazeera TV.

Colleagues of the two slain journalists of pan-Arab TV network Al-Mayadeen, who were killed by an Israeli strike, mourn outside the stations headquarters (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

The Lebanon-Israel border has been witnessing daily exchange of fire between members of the militant Hizbullah group and Israeli troops.

The clashes began a day after the Palestinian militant Hamas group carried out a deadly attack on southern Israel on October 7th, killing about 1,200 people and taking more than 240 hostages.

Israel has since carried out a wide-scale military campaign in Gaza killing more than 12,700 people.
South African president Cyril Ramaphosa accused Israel of war crimes and acts tantamount to genocide in Gaza during a virtual meeting of leaders of developing countries including Russias Vladimir Putin and Chinas Xi Jinping on Tuesday.

Mr Ramaphosa also condemned Hamas for its attack on Israeli civilians that sparked the conflict and said both sides were guilty of violating international law.

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At the beginning of the meeting of officials from BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), Mr Ramphosa said: The collective punishment of Palestinian civilians through the unlawful use of force by Israel is a war crime. The deliberate denial of medicine, fuel, food and water to the residents of Gaza is tantamount to genocide.

In its attacks on civilians and by taking hostages, Hamas has also violated international law and must be held accountable for these actions, Mr Ramaphosa said.

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Russian president Vladimir Putin said there was a humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza (Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

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Also joining the meeting were officials from BRICS members Brazil and India, as well as officials from Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates, which are set to join the bloc in January.

Mr Ramaphosa chaired the extraordinary meeting and made the opening remarks because South Africa is the current chair of BRICS.

Mr Putin said in his address that there was a humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza, but blamed the crisis on what he called failed diplomacy by the United States.

He said: All these events, in fact, are a direct consequence of the US desire to monopolise mediation functions in the Palestinian-Israeli settlement.

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He called for a ceasefire, the freeing of hostages and the evacuation of civilians from Gaza.

Mr Putins comments were in line with Russias cautious approach to the Israel-Hamas war. He proposed last month that Moscow could mediate in the conflict due to its relationships with both Israel and the Palestinians, and has previously blamed the war on failed US efforts.

Mr Putin has also condemned the October 7th attack by Hamas militants on towns in southern Israel that sparked Israels offensive in Gaza, now in its seventh week, while warning Israel over its response and against blockading Gaza.

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Chinas Xi Jinping joins other BRICS leaders for the virtual meeting (AP Photo)

More than 12,700 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in the West Bank. Officials there say another 4,000 are missing.

Around 1,200 people have been killed on the Israeli side, mainly civilians during the Hamas attack.

Russia and China are leading voices in BRICS, which has largely cast itself in recent years as standing against the perceived dominance of the West in global affairs.

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However, it has struggled to adopt united policies or positions on many issues because of the differing priorities of the five current members.

The meeting came a day after Chinas top diplomat hosted the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and Indonesia in Beijing, their first stop on a tour of UN Security Council permanent members.

The meeting underlined Chinas longstanding support for the Palestinians and its growing geopolitical influence.

India, which also wants to be seen as a leader of the developing world, has long walked a tightrope between Israel and Palestine and historically has close ties to both.

South African president Cyril Ramaphosa accused Israel of war crimes (South Africa Presidency via AP Photo)

South Africa has been fiercely critical of Israel over the war in Gaza and has already filed a request with the International Criminal Court to investigate it over alleged war crimes.

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South Africa has for years compared Israels policies in Gaza and the West Bank with the apartheid regime of racial segregation.

South Africas parliament is to vote on a motion on Tuesday to shut down the Israeli Embassy and sever diplomatic ties with the country over the war.

Israel recalled its ambassador to South Africa for discussions on Monday.

At Tuesdays meeting, Mr Ramaphosa called for the International Criminal Court to urgently initiate prosecutions against those responsible for what he termed war crimes on both sides.

He said South Africa also wants to see an immediate cease-fire in Gaza, the opening of humanitarian corridors, the release of civilian hostages, dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians and the deployment of a UN force to monitor a ceasefire.
The leader of Hamas said on Tuesday that a truce agreement with Israel was close, and Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu said he hoped for good news soon about hostages, the most optimistic signals so far of a deal to pause fighting and free captives.

Hamas officials were "close to reaching a truce agreement" with Israel and the group has delivered its response to Qatari mediators, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said in a statement sent to Reuters by his aide.

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Mr Netanyahu said: "We are making progress. I don't think it's worth saying too much, not at even this moment, but I hope there will be good news soon", according to remarks released by the Israeli prime minister's office.

Mr Netanyahu would convene his war cabinet from 4pm Irish time "in light of developments in the matter of the release of our hostages", his office said, followed by meetings of his wider security cabinet and the full cabinet.

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A source briefed on the negotiations told Reuters the long-awaited agreement, which would see the first truce of the war and the first mass release of those held by both sides, was in its "final stages" and "closer than it has ever been".

'Closest we've been'

That was echoed by a US official who said it was the "closest we've been" to a hostage deal.

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The deal, as described by the first source, envisages the release of around 50 civilian hostages by Hamas and of female and minor-aged Palestinian detainees from Israeli custody, as well as a multi-day pause in fighting.

A Hamas official told Al Jazeera TV that negotiations were centred on how long the truce would last, arrangements for delivery of aid into Gaza and details of the exchange of captives. Both sides would free women and children, and details would be announced by Qatar, which is mediating in the negotiations, said the official, Issat el Reshiq. Israel's Channel 12 and Channel 13 TV stations both quoted unidentified officials as saying terms of a deal could be reached "within hours".

Hamas took about 240 hostages during its October 7th rampage into Israel that killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies.

Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), met Haniyeh in Qatar on Monday to "advance humanitarian issues" related to the conflict, the Geneva-based ICRC said in a statement. She also separately met Qatari authorities.

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The ICRC said it was not part of negotiations aimed at releasing the hostages, but as a neutral intermediary it was ready "to facilitate any future release that the parties agree to".

Rain and cold worsen conditions

Talk of an imminent hostage deal has swirled for days.

Israeli ambassador to the United States Michael Herzog said on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday that he hoped for an agreement "in the coming days", while Qatar's prime minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said that the remaining sticking points were "very minor". US president Joe Biden and other US officials said on Monday a deal was near.

The Hamas raid on October 7th, the deadliest day in Israel's 75-year-old history, prompted Israel to invade Gaza to annihilate the militant group that has ruled there since 2007.

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Since then, Gaza's Hamas-run government says at least 13,300 Palestinians have been confirmed killed, including at least 5,600 children, by Israeli bombardment that has turned much of Gaza, especially its northern half, into wasteland.

Around two-thirds of Gaza's 2.3 million people have been made homeless, with thousands a day still trekking south on foot with belongings and children in their arms. The central and southern parts of the enclave, where Israel has told them to go, have also regularly come under attack.

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A day and a night of rain and cold winter weather worsened the dire conditions in Gaza for the displaced, many thousands of whom are sleeping rough or in makeshift tents.

20 reported dead in Nuseirat strike

Gaza health authorities said on Tuesday at least 20 Palestinians were killed in Israeli bombing of the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza at midnight. There was no immediate comment from Israel.

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The already crowded Nuseirat district, which grew out of a camp for Palestinian refugees from the 1948 Israeli-Arab war, is just south of the wetlands that bisect the strip and has been the arrival point for huge numbers escaping the fighting further north.

Bombing in southern areas leaves Gazans fearing they have no place safe to go. Neighbouring Egypt has allowed the evacuation of some wounded and foreign passport holders, but says it will not accept a mass exodus.

"Continued bombing targeting displaced people in the South has a clear objective, and that is to force Gaza's residents to leave the Strip," Egypt's foreign ministry spokesman said on X. "Egypt has clearly declared its utter rejection of any enforced displacement attempt of Palestinians."

Tens of thousands of civilians are believed to remain in the north despite an Israeli order to flee. All hospitals there have ceased functioning normally, many still housing patients and displaced Gazans. Israel says Hamas uses hospitals as shields for its fighters, which Hamas and the hospitals deny.

The World Health Organisation said it was working on plans to evacuate three Northern Gaza hospitals: Al Shifa, Al Ahli and the Indonesian Hospital, lamenting this as a last resort.

"It's robbing the entire population of the north of the means to seek health (care)," WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier told a Geneva press briefing.

Issam Nabhan, head of the nursing department of the Indonesian Hospital, where the WHO and Gaza authorities say 12 people were killed on Monday by Israeli fire, told Al-Jazeera on Tuesday there were 60 dead bodies on the grounds.

"There is no oxygen to supply the patients. All those on artificial respiration have died. We speak out to the free world. The Indonesian hospital has become a cemetery, not a hospital."
The caretaker of a mobile home park in a small New Hampshire town has shocked residents after leaving $3.8 million to the community in his will.

Residents of Hinsdale would see Geoffrey Holt around town in threadbare clothes  riding his lawn mower, heading to the convenience store, or parked along the main road reading a newspaper.

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Despite having taught learner drivers in the past, Holt had given up driving a car, opting for a bicycle instead and finally the ride-on mower.

His mobile home in the park was mostly empty of furniture, with no TV and no computer.

Geoffrey Holt died aged 82. Photo: Ed Smith via AP.

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He seemed to have what he wanted, but he didnt want much, said Edwin Smokey Smith, Mr Holts best friend and former employer.

But Mr Holt died earlier this year with a secret. He was a multimillionaire and he gave it all away to this community of 4,200 people.

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His will had brief instructions  $3.8 million to the town of Hinsdale to benefit the community in the areas of education, health, recreation and culture.

I dont think anyone had any idea that he was that successful, said Steve Diorio, chairperson of the town select board. I know he didnt have a whole lot of family, but nonetheless, to leave it to the town where he lived in Its a tremendous gift.

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The money could go far in this Connecticut River town sandwiched between Vermont and Massachusetts with abundant hiking and fishing opportunities and small businesses.

There has been no formal gathering to discuss ideas for the money since local officials were notified in September. Some residents have proposed upgrading the town hall clock, restoring buildings, maybe buying a new ballot counting machine in honour of Holt, who always made sure he voted. Another possibility is setting up an online drivers education course.

Geoffrey Holt lived in a basic mobile home. Photo: Robert F. Bukaty/AP.

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Organisations would be able to apply for grants via a trust through the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, drawing from the interest, roughly $150,000 annually.

Hinsdale will utilise the money left very frugally as Mr Holt did, said Kathryn Lynch, town administrator.

Mr Smith, a former state legislator who became the executor of Mr Holts estate, had learned about his fortune in recent years.

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He knew Holt, who died in June aged 82, had varied interests, like collecting hundreds of model cars and train sets that filled his rooms, covered the couch and extended into a shed.

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He also collected books about history, with Henry Ford and the Second World War among his favourite topics. Holt had an extensive record collection too, including Handel and Mozart.

Residents of Hinsdale were shocked by the legacy (Robert F. Bukaty/AP)

Mr Smith also knew that Holt, who earlier in life had worked as a production manager at a grain mill that closed in nearby Brattleboro, Vermont, invested his money. He would find a quiet place to sit near a brook and study financial publications.

Mr Holt confided to Mr Smith that his investments were doing better than he had ever expected and was not sure what to to do with the money. Mr Smith suggested that he remember the town.

I was sort of dumbfounded when I found out that all of it went to the town, he said.

Mr Holts sister, 81-year-old Alison Holt of Laguna Woods, California, said she knew her brother invested and remembered that not wasting money and investing were important to their father.

Geoffrey had a learning disability. He had dyslexia, she said. He was very smart in certain ways. When it came to writing or spelling, he was a lost cause. And my father was a professor. So, I think that Geoff felt like he was disappointing my dad. But maybe socking away all that money was a way to compete.
A senior UK minister has said it is undeniable that the Falkland Islands are British after Argentinas newly-elected president suggested efforts should be made to get them back.

UK defence secretary Grant Shapps tweeted: The Falkland Islands are British. That is non-negotiable and undeniable.

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99.8% of islanders voted to remain British and we will always defend their right to self-determination and the UKs sovereignty.

Mr Shapps appeared to be responding to comments made by Javier Milei, who won a resounding victory in Argentinas presidential election on Sunday.

The Falkland Islands are British. That is non-negotiable and undeniable 



99.8% of islanders voted to remain British and we will always defend their right to self-determination and the UKs sovereignty with @HMS_Forth now back to protect the islands.https://t.co/9Hlj2FegpF Advertisement Advertisement  Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) November 21, 2023

During his presidential campaign, Mr Milei reportedly said Buenos Aires had non-negotiable sovereignty over the Falklands, the archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean which is known as the Malvinas by Argentines.

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The islands were the subject of a bloody conflict in 1982 after Argentine forces invaded and briefly occupied the territory.

The war claimed the lives of 255 British servicemen, three islanders and 649 Argentine personnel.

British ministers regularly cite the results of a 2013 referendum that saw close to 100 per cent of voters on the islands, which has a population of about 3,500 people, opt to remain a UK Overseas Territory.

Mr Milei reportedly said during a TV election debate: What do I propose? Argentinas sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands is non-negotiable. The Malvinas are Argentine.

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Now we have to see how we are going to get them back. It is clear that the war option is not a solution.

Argentinian president-elect Javier Milei has called for Falklands handover talks (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

We had a war  that we lost  and now we have to make every effort to recover the islands through diplomatic channels.

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In a newspaper interview with La Nacion, a daily newspaper in Argentina, he proposed that the UK hand over the Falklands to his South American country in a similar way to how Hong Kong was given back over to Chinese rule in 1997.

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The populist politician, who has described himself as an anarcho-capitalist and is said to have lauded Margaret Thatcher  the British prime minister during the Falklands conflict  said the views of those living on the islands cannot be ignored.

Mr Shapps, in his tweets rejecting any negotiation on the future of the Falklands, highlighted how Royal Navy ship HMS Forth had been sent back to protect the islands in the southern hemisphere.

It follows a nine-month stint by HMS Medway to patrol the remote location.

The UK prime ministers official spokesman said on Tuesday: The UK has no doubt about the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands, and indeed South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.

The UK government will continue to proactively defend the Falkland islanders right to self determination.

The No 10 official said Falklands rule was an issue that was settled decisively some time ago.

Since the 1980s conflict, UK ministers have been keen to shoot down any talk of Argentina having any claim to the islands.

In July, UK prime minister Rishi Sunak hit out at the European Unions regrettable choice of words after it appeared to have endorsed the name Argentina prefers.

A diplomatic row erupted after Brussels referred to the islands as Islas Malvinas in a declaration jointly signed with Argentina and other Latin American countries.

The Falklands are about 8,000 miles from the UK and about 300 miles from mainland Argentina.
Defense Minister Shin Won-sik on Tuesday visited a key unit tasked with overseeing the Air Force's operations to inspect its readiness against North Korean threats, his office said.

Shin made the visit to Air Force Operations Command at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, 60 kilometers south of Seoul, amid heightened tensions over Pyongyang's plan to launch a space rocket in the coming days.

During the visit, Shin called for a readiness posture to immediately strike the enemy in case of a provocation, describing the command as the "linchpin" for the defense of the country's airspace.

He also renewed his pledge to push for the suspension of the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement  designed to prevent military clashes in border areas  citing its restrictions on the South's aerial surveillance capabilities.

Shin met with U.S. 7th Air Force troops stationed at the airbase, stressing the need for joint efforts to strengthen the allies' detection and response capabilities against North Korean missiles.

He also called for expanding trilateral aerial drills between South Korea, the United States and Japan to sharpen deterrence efforts against North Korea.

The three countries staged their first-ever joint air exercise last month over waters south of the Korean Peninsula in a sign of deepening security cooperation.

Shin's inspection came after North Korea informed Japan earlier in the day of its plan to launch the rocket between Wednesday and Dec. 1, despite the South Korean military's warning Monday to stop preparations for the launch. (Yonhap)
Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu has asked his government to accept a deal for Palestinian Hamas militants to free some hostages in Gaza in exchange for a multi-day truce.

Officials from Qatar, which has been mediating negotiations, as well as the US, Israel and Hamas have for days been saying a deal was imminent.

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Before gathering with his full government, Mr Netanyahu with his war cabinet and wider national security cabinet over the deal on Tuesday.

Hamas is believed to be holding more than 200 hostages, taken when its fighters surged into Israel on October 7th, killing 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies.

The Israeli prime minister said the intervention of US president Joe Biden had helped to improve the deal so that it included more hostages for fewer concessions.

But Mr Netanyahu said Israel's broader mission had not changed.

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"We are at war and we will continue the war until we achieve all our goals. To destroy Hamas, return all our hostages and ensure that nobody in Gaza can threaten Israel," he said in a recorded message at the start of the latest government meeting.

If agreed, the accord would see the first truce of a war in which Israeli bombardments have flattened swathes of Hamas-ruled Gaza, killed 13,300 civilians in the tiny densely populated enclave and left about two-thirds of its 2.3 million people homeless, according to authorities in Gaza.

A US official briefed on the discussions said the deal would include 50 hostages taken from Israel, mostly women and children, in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners and a pause in the fighting of four or five days.

The pause would facilitate delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

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Israeli soldiers transfer detained Palestinians out of Gaza on November 21st. Photo: Getty Images

Qatar Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said the proposal on a hostage release deal was delivered to Israel in the early hours of Tuesday.

"The State of Qatar is awaiting the result of the Israeli government's vote on the proposal," he said.

Hamas has to date released only four captives: US citizens Judith Raanan (59) and her daughter, Natalie Raanan (17) on October 20th, citing "humanitarian reasons," and Israeli women Nurit Cooper (79) and Yocheved Lifshitz (85) on October 23rd.

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The armed wing of the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad, which participated in the October 7th raid with Hamas, announced late on Tuesday the death of one of the Israeli hostages it has held since the October 7th attacks on Israel.

"We previously expressed our willingness to release her for humanitarian reasons, but the enemy was stalling and this led to her death," Al Quds Brigades said on its Telegram channel.

As attention focused on the hostage release deal, fighting on the ground raged on with Israel saying its forces had encircled the Jabalia refugee camp, a major urban flashpoint and Hamas militant stronghold.

The Palestinian news agency WAFA said 33 people were killed and dozens wounded in an Israeli air strike on part of Jabalia, a congested urban extension of Gaza City where Hamas has been battling advancing Israeli armoured forces.

In southern Gaza, Hamas-affiliated media said 10 people were killed and 22 injured by an Israeli air strike on an apartment in the city of Khan Younis.

Reuters could not immediately verify the accounts of fighting on either side. -Reuters
LeFevre Quartet - "Nobody But Jesus" | Daywind Music Group

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE (November 17, 2023) - Award-winning group and fan favorite LeFevre Quartet releases their brand new album Nobody But Jesus today. Their latest effort features group stalwarts Mike LeFevre and Jordan LeFevre and welcomes Jonathan Price (tenor), Christian Davis (bass), and Channing Eleton (pianist) to the group.



First single, title track, and album opener, Nobody Like Jesus, written by John Honaker and Jonathan Smith, has been the #1 song on the Power 50 Gospel radio chart for the past several weeks, reflecting its dominance on the Southern Gospel airwaves across the country. The chorus beautifully states the theme of the project:

Nobody Like Jesus

Nobody like Him

Carries our burdens

Covers our sins

Oh, what a Savior

Oh, what a Friend.

Nobody like Jesus

Nobody like Him



Other album highlights include Never Walk Alone (written by Jess Cates, Hope Darst, Tommy Iceland, Lizzie Morgan, and Jonathan Smith) which features Mike LeFevre (Gold City, Brian Free and Assurance) on lead vocals and reminds us through every storm God is faithful and right beside us. Album closer, There Is A Name, written by Brian Taylor, features Jordan LeFevre on lead and is a perfect way to tie up the message on this project celebrating and praising the name of Jesus.



Were excited about the release of this new collection of songs, states group founder, Mike LeFevre. No matter where youre at or what youre seeking, there is nobody like Jesus. We pray this album is a blessing to many.



LeFevre Quartet has set a standard of excellence at Southern Gospel radio having notched six #1 songs on the Singing News national radio chart, including My Jesus, Between the Prayer and the Answer, and All the Praise. Nobody Like Jesus is sitting at #3 on that chart and moving up fast.



We are so excited about the much-anticipated new recording, Nobody Like Jesus, from The Lefevre Quartet, commented New Day Records A&R Director, Dusty Wells. The guys in the group, along with producer extraordinaire Wayne Haun, have created an incredible project full of songs that will minister and touch lives with the hope and message of Jesus. The project's first single, Nobody Like Jesus, has already been a hit at radio and is fast climbing the charts. We love working alongside Mike, Jordan, Jonathan, Christian, and Channing. LeFevre Quartet is a great group that we believe in, and we are standing alongside of. This project will be a favorite for so many.



Nobody Like Jesus, is currently available at all digital service providers.



Click here to listen now.



ABOUT LEFEVRE QUARTET

Since 1921, the LeFevre name has always been a leader in Gospel Music. Today, the name is stronger than ever. The LeFevre Quartet formed in 2005 and within only a year, Gospel Music fans voted The LeFevre Quartet 2006's Singing News Fan Awards Horizon Group of The Year. In 2009, their song, Big Mighty God was nominated for a Dove Award. In 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, The LeFevre Quartet was nominated as a Top 10 Traditional Quartet in the Singing News Magazines Fan Awards.

Their recent albums from New Day Records/Daywind have produced multiple number one hit songs. Prayerfully, the message in each song will change hearts.

It takes more than just a legendary name to gain the recognition this group has attracted, but with stellar vocals, high energy performances, and a heart for ministry, this combination of talent is one you won't soon forget. The LeFevre Quartet strives to reach the masses with a message of hope, grace, and salvation through Jesus Christ!

ABOUT NEW DAY RECORDS

New Day Records is a boutique music label and home to award winning artists including High Road, LeFevre Quartet, The Sound, and TrueSong. Founded in 2019 by Dottie Leonard-Miller and Ed Leonard, New Day Records is distributed by New Day Christian.
Binance and its chief executive officer Changpeng Zhao pleaded guilty to criminal charges for anti-money laundering and US sanctions violations, including allowing transactions with Hamas and other terrorist groups, under a sweeping deal with the Justice department designed to keep the company operating.

Binance agreed to plead guilty to criminal charges and pay over $US4.3 billion ($6.6 billion) in penalties. Zhao, who agreed to step down and pay a $US50 million fine as part of the settlement, appeared in court in Seattle to plead guilty. The deal, which includes the Treasury Department and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, ends a years-long investigation into the cryptocurrency exchange.

Binance founder Changpeng Zhao was handed a $US50 million fine as part of the settlement. Credit: Bloomberg

In a document unsealed on Tuesday in the US, Binance was charged with three counts, including money laundering violations, conspiracy to conduct an unlicensed money transmitting business, and US sanctions violations. Binance is paying a criminal fine of $US1.8 billion and forfeiting $US2.5 billion, according to court filings.

Binances violations included failure to prevent and report suspicious transactions with terrorists, including Hamas Al-Qassam Brigades, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Al Qaeda, and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, according to the Treasury department. The announcement comes as Israel and Hamas have been embroiled in a war that broke out more than six weeks ago.
Billionaire philanthropist Judith Neilsons bid to save journalism is ready to be revived after a year of turmoil which cast doubt over the future of her $100 million pledge to fund new media projects.

Board members of the Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas (JNI) will meet next week to approve a strategy proposal and paper outlining the organisations revival. If approved, the institute will return early next year, with Neilson still committed to spending the remaining $70 million of her original promise to give journalism a shot in the arm, according to the chief executive of her foundation.

After a lengthy review, billionaire philanthropist Judith Neilsons journalism institute is set to return with a new direction in 2024. Credit: James Brickwood

Simon Freeman, chief executive the Judith Neilson Foundation and Family Office, said the not-for-profit organisation will do things differently this time around. Neilson and the new board will take a more practical and hands-on approach to how her money is spent after its structure, led by former Paul Keating advisor Mark Ryan, was ripped up after just four years.

In terms of allocating funding to organisations, I think its more about JNI being more hands on in its approach rather than necessarily the sort of granting type strategy that was there before, Freeman said.
Its been a while since domestic violence prevention charity White Ribbon was known for anything other than public relations disasters. Four years ago White Ribbon was on the brink of financial collapse and tainted by a string of controversies  accepting money from Sydney pokies venue the Fairfield Hotel, before being forced to decline it; briefly claiming it was agnostic on abortion access; and the whole business with a few of its ambassadors getting in trouble for violent offences.

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But a 2019 rebirth, thanks to the backing of WA charity Communicare, hasnt stopped the missteps. Last year a campaign seeking $49 donations to help men understand violence prevention was taken down after critics dubbed it sponsor an abuser. Somebody also thought a flotilla of jet skis revving their engines in Sydney Harbour might be a good strategy to raise awareness about violence against women.

No wonder, then, that faced with another public relations issue, White Ribbon has gone silent. Were talking about the abrupt departure of national director Allan Ball, who quit in late October after three years in the job.

No reasons were given and no statement has been put up by White Ribbon. Ball declined to discuss it when contacted by CBD, directing us to Communicares chief executive Melissa Perry. She didnt answer her phone and hasnt replied to several earlier emails from this masthead. Communicares comms people didnt respond by deadline, either.
Granny, no stranger to humility, is happy to concede the findings of the surfing/equestrian equation (C8) in favour of George Zivkovic of Northmead. Melbourne to Stockholm  15,589 km. Paris to Teahupoo  15,716 km.

According to the internet (so it must be true), for every Christmas decoration that gets put up before December, an elf kills a reindeer, reports Jacqueline Merz of Bonnells Bay. Therefore my neighbour must have been responsible for the demise of Santas whole team last Friday night. Perhaps if people knew, they would more timely with their decorating.

While Penny Ransby Smith (C8) had a hard time with army-surplus powdered egg, Judith Allison of Bexley can appreciate the utilitarian value: It was generally accepted in the 1960s that if you were in a public hospital and were served yellow stuff with a tiny sprig of parsley on top, it was scrambled egg. Exactly the same thing in a dessert bowl, with tinned peaches or apricots underneath it, was then called custard.

I fully understand the problems Yvonne Kuvener (C8) has with Siri. My request to my Google Assistant to play some music often elicits the reply SURE. A chill goes down my spine that takes me back to my grim boarding school, where everyone was addressed by ones surname, recounts Tony Shaw of Mudgee.

From beyond the grassy knoll, Richard Keyes of Enfield writes: Everyone remembers where they were and what they were doing at the time of major events like 9/11 or the moon landing. I will always remember November 22, 1963, as the day I was at an audition in New York City and was the person who informed movie star Mitzi Gaynor that Kennedy had been shot.
Some students will be allowed to keep mobile phones in their pockets, and smartwatches can stay on wrists, under the Queensland governments school phone ban.

From Term 1 next year, all Queensland state school students must have their phone switched off and away for the day during school hours and while attending activities such as sport, excursions and camps.

The guidelines for the mobile phone ban at Queensland state schools next year have been revealed. Credit: Istock

But new guidelines reveal each school will make decisions about how and where students phones will be stored.

This could include a students pocket, pencil case, school bag or locker, in a lockable pouch, or in a locked cupboard in the school office.
Melbourne Water is investigating one of its top managers in charge of construction contracts after millions of dollars in work for the water authority was contracted to a company where his wife was chief operating officer.

Niru Gosavi left Melbourne Water this month after eight years as general manager of major capital delivery.

Former Melbourne Water contracts boss Niru Gosavi in a video produced by the authority. Credit: Melbourne Water

His wife, Avanti Gosavi, was for more than four years responsible for letting contracts at Aqua Metro, which lists $33 million worth of projects for Melbourne Water on its website.

The Melbourne Water investigation centres on whether Niru Gosavi properly declared a serious conflict of interest.
Authorities sweating on what will happen if Perths combined heatwave and storms result in catastrophic fires this week have called in reinforcements earlier than planned.

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services has secured a large air tanker from NSWs Rural Fire Service to bolster the firefighting fleet ahead of the contract start date of December 1.

The 42-tonne AVRO RJ85 LAT touched down in Busselton on Tuesday afternoon to be on standby for the impending fire threat.

It has a loaded cruising speed of almost 700km/h and can carry 11,350 litres of retardant or more than 12,000 litres of water.
South Korea suspended part of a 2018 inter-Korean military tension reduction agreement Wednesday in response to North Korea's latest launch of a military spy satellite.

Under the proposal approved in an extraordinary Cabinet meeting presided over by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Seoul will restore reconnaissance and surveillance activities around the inter-Korean border. President Yoon Suk Yeol, who is on a state visit to Britain, electronically approved the motion later in the day.

The move came after North Korea claimed success in its third attempt to place a spy satellite into orbit. The launch took place late Tuesday from a launch site in Tongchang-ri on North Korea's northwest coast.

"North Korea is clearly demonstrating that it has no will to abide by the Sept. 19 Military Agreement designed to reduce military tension on the Korean Peninsula and to build trust," Han said during the meeting.

The effectiveness of Article 1, Clause 3 of the agreement will be suspended, allowing Seoul to immediately restore reconnaissance and surveillance operations against North Korea in the area around the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) separating the two Koreas, also known as the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

The section outlines no-fly zones that were established around the MDL in November 2018.

"Our military's ability to identify threatening targets and its response posture will be greatly enhanced," Han said, adding that such a measure is vital for national security.

The defense ministry said the partial suspension will take effect at 3 p.m.

"Our military will resume aerial surveillance and reconnaissance operations to detect signs of North Korea's provocations near the MDL," Deputy Minister for National Defense Policy Heo Tae-keun said during a press briefing.

The Comprehensive Military Agreement, signed on Sept. 19, 2018, under the previous liberal administration of President Moon Jae-in, calls for halting all hostile military activity between the Koreas, setting up maritime buffer zones and turning the DMZ into a peace zone, among other things.

Yoon led the presidential National Security Council meeting from London, where he is currently on a four-day state visit, and was briefed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff on the details of the launch, according to his office. (Yonhap)
WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch says he is powerless to electronically tag four child sex offenders who have been released into the community, but vowed to monitor them at the highest level.

Speaking to Gary Adshead on Radio 6PR on Tuesday, Blanch said eight convicted child sex offenders were released from Yongah Hill Immigration Detention Centre following a major High Court ruling last week, but while four had now left the state, four had remained and were living within the community.

WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch. Credit: Nine News Perth

There are four reportable offenders that we are responsible for, to monitor, under very stringent conditions, he said.

If they breach their reporting obligations then we can charge them with an offence and hopefully get them locked back up. Thats our plan for those.
I drive out of Cairns and the road winds upwards into hills dappled with patches of forest and opening to farmland where contemplative cows stand knee-deep in grass. The temperature drops, and humidity dwindles. Then I shoot out into glorious rolling countryside under cloud-clotted skies.

Between the hills, Im looking for rainforest. Only small pockets remain, but these concentrate wildlife, making the Atherton Tablelands a top nature destination.

The Atherton Tablelands is a top nature destination. Credit: TEQ

But never mind the marsupials, endemic birds and plopping platypus. Im after dragons that have been lurking here for maybe 20 million years, and cant be found anywhere else but in the rainforests of Tropical North Queensland.

The casual visitor mightnt find them at all. Boyds forest dragon, a type of tree-dwelling lizard, is camouflaged brown and grey. Its only dash of brighter colour comes from pink cheeks and a yellow dewlap. The biggest males are 15 centimetres long. You have to have sharp eyes  or a helpful guide  to see one.
Silkyara: The first images have emerged of 41 men trapped for more than a week in a highway tunnel in the Indian Himalayas, showing them standing in the confined space and communicating with rescue workers as drilling resumed to pull them to safety.

The men have been stuck in the 4.5 kilometre tunnel in Uttarakhand state since it caved in early on November 12 and are safe, authorities said, with access to light, oxygen, food, water and medicines.

A still from endoscopic camera footage showing two of the trapped men. Credit: @pushkardhami

They have not said what caused the tunnel to collapse, but the region is prone to landslides, earthquakes and floods. Efforts to bring out the 41 men have been slowed by snags in drilling through the debris in the mountainous terrain.

We might be able to get a breakthrough in the next 30-40 hours, Mahmood Ahmed, managing director of the state-run National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation , which is building the tunnel, told reporters.
Satellite signals have long been known to be susceptible to jamming and spoofing. They transmit from orbit, more than 19,000 kilometres above Earth, and are so weak that their power compares to that of a lightbulb. Loading But many experts had dismissed spoofing attacks as too complicated and expensive for all but highly trained experts, according to Todd Humphreys, a professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. Prices have fallen quickly. Today, an enthusiastic amateur with a few hundred dollars and instructions from the internet can spoof satellite signals. Governments, too, have been more willing to overtly interfere with signals as part of their electronic warfare. Whats changed over the last couple of years is that spoofing has moved from theory in research articles and in laboratories to actual events in the wild, Humphreys said.

It is not always possible to distinguish jamming from spoofing, or to determine who is behind the interference. Israel said in mid-October that it had restricted GPS in the region and had warned pilots not to rely on satellite navigation systems for landing. Israels military did not respond to questions. Russian interference is well-documented. A 2019 report by the Washington-based analytical nonprofit group C4ADS showed extensive spoofing from a Russian-controlled air base in Syria. The report also indicated that, when Russian President Vladimir Putin travelled to remote locations or Russian-occupied Crimea, he was flanked by mobile GPS-spoofing technology. Russia has disrupted GPS signals to misdirect Ukrainian drones and throw precision-guided shells off their targets. Ukraine also jams Russian receivers but lacks the same level of sophistication. Jamming is common in conflict zones. Spoofing, until recently, was rare.

Loading I have never seen this level of spoofing, said Martin Drake, a technical expert for the British Airline Pilots Association who recently retired after 42 years as a pilot. The interference has been felt up to 300 km away from battlefields and appears to go well beyond simple military mission effectiveness, according to Eurocontrol, Europes primary air-traffic-control manager. The worst-affected regions include the skies above the Black Sea area from Turkey to Azerbaijan; the Mediterranean Sea extending from Cyprus to Libya; the Baltic Sea near Poland and Latvia; and the Arctic near Finland and Norway. The increase in intensity and sophistication of such radio interference has been remarkable. Airbus said it recorded nearly 50,000 interference events on its aircraft last year, more than four times as many as the year before. This came on top of an over twentyfold jump in radio-interference events from 2017 to 2018, as recorded by a voluntary incident reporting system run by Eurocontrol. Eurocontrol said the increased jamming since 2018 was most likely meant to interfere with battlefield drones. In the Middle East, Humphreys research team found widespread spoofing with false signals telling pilots that their aircraft were directly above the airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, when they were far away. Opsgroup said that it had received about 50 similar reports. In some cases, onboard equipment showed that planes were approaching airports in Baghdad, Cairo or Beirut when they were not.

The effects of this false signal are for the first time being seen in the last two months, Mark Zee, the founder of Opsgroup, said from New Zealand. The spoofing attacks, he said, have exposed a fundamental flaw in aviation electronic design, which is based on the idea that GPS signals can be trusted, and need not be verified. A Dassault Falcon 8X: Such smaller jets are often more vulnerable to the signal jamming. Credit: Getty Images That faith dates back decades. After a Korean Air Lines plane inadvertently strayed into Soviet airspace in 1983 and was shot down, the United States authorised GPS for civilian use. In 2001, the government made those signals more precise. The world quickly became addicted to them.

The US government calls them an invisible utility. Smartphones, cars, stock exchanges, data centres and countless industries rely on them for time, navigation or both. Similar systems exist around the world, such as Galileo in Europe, Glonass in Russia and Beidou in China. Experts noticed the risk of jamming in 2012, when a ground-based signal booster failed at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. The source of the problem, it turned out, was a driver who had parked his company-issued Ford truck close to the airport and used a GPS jammer to hide his whereabouts from his employer. Since then, truck drivers who want to work longer hours, Pokemon Go players who want to cheat and even car thieves who want to disable a cars navigation system have used small, inexpensive jammers that have created unintended disruptions. Some signal receivers now come equipped with technology to counteract jammers. Spoofing is harder to handle because the signal appears legitimate. Only the European navigation satellite system, Galileo, incorporates an authentication system that can provide confidence that a signal is from its satellites. Galileo, which currently is the most accurate and precise navigation satellite system, plans to introduce an even stronger level of authentication, according to a spokesperson for the European Commission. But even Galileos authentication cannot protect against one of the most dreaded types of spoofing, known as meaconing. In a meaconing attack, a spoofer would record satellite signals, and then rebroadcast them with an amplification or a delay. Experts have not publicly confirmed any meaconing attacks in the Middle East.
Israels government and Hamas have agreed to a four-day pause in fighting to allow the release of 50 hostages held in Gaza in exchange for 150 Palestinians imprisoned in Israel, and the entry of humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave.

Officials from Qatar, which has been mediating secret negotiations, as well as the US, Israel and Hamas have for days been saying a deal was imminent.

Hamas is believed to be holding more than 200 hostages, taken when its fighters surged into Israel on October 7, killing 1200 people, according to Israeli tallies.

A statement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office said 50 women and children will be released over four days, during which there will be a pause in fighting.

For every additional 10 hostages released, the pause would be extended by another day, it said, without mentioning the release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange.

Hamas said the 50 hostages would be released in exchange for 150 Palestinian women and children who are held in Israeli jails. The truce deal will also allow hundreds of trucks of humanitarian, medical and fuel aid to enter Gaza, the Palestinian group said in a statement.

Israel had committed not to attack or arrest anyone in all parts of Gaza during the truce period, it added.

Reuters
Wellington: A man shot by police on New Zealands South Island last week is believed to have been deported from Australia in 2012 due to a history of violent offending, Stuff understands.

According to police, Tane Wipa was shot once after threatening his partner with a weapon. Stuff understands he was holding a screwdriver to her neck.

Police blocked off Coast Rd, Wainuiomata, South Island during the several hours-long stand-off. Credit: The Post/Stuff

He died at the scene despite police providing medical assistance. The woman involved was not injured.

Wipa was deported back to NZ under the Australian Migration Act, after years of offending. He first appeared in the criminal courts at the age of 14, according to his Immigration and Citizenship hearing in Australia, which described the most concerning aspect of his case to be the continued offending and the violence involved in his crimes.
The federal government has declared how many homes each state and territory must deliver as part of its $2 billion Social Housing Accelerator program.

The funding, which is set to deliver 4,000 social homes across Australia, came after the Labor government negotiated with the Greens to get the $10 billion Housing Affordability Future Fund (HAFF) across the line in June.

Australians in every part of the country deserve the security of a roof over their head, said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (pictured above). Working with every state and territory government, our $2 billion Social Housing Accelerator will make a huge difference for thousands of Australian families.

The Social Housing Accelerator payment is a one-off payment to the states and territories to permanently increase the social housing stock across Australia.

The federal government expects the funding to be paid back in full by June 30, 2025.

Social Housing Accelerator by state and territory

New South Wales

The Social Housing Accelerator will build around 1,500 homes for New South Wales (NSW) residents who need them.

The NSW government has received $610 million from the Commonwealth to deliver these additional homes.

NSW Housing Minister Rose Jackson said the funding would expedite the delivery of homes in areas where people wanted to live and work.

Housing affordability and availability is the biggest single pressure facing the people of our state, Jackson said. With more than 55,000 people on the social housing waitlist we need to do everything we can to get them off the waitlist and into homes sooner.

Part of this funding has already been put towards a $6.2 million redevelopment of residential dwellings in Riverwood, which was announced in October.

Victoria

The Social Housing Accelerator will build up to 769 homes for Victorians.

Victoria has received almost $500 million from the Commonwealth to deliver these additional homes.

Victoria Housing Minister Harriet Shing said the states record funding had already delivered thousands of new homes, but there is more work to do.

This included the redevelopment announced in September of the old Carlton red brick public housing towers  the first in the nation to use the funding.

This builds on Victorias state housing plan, Big Housing Build, which has completed or commenced more than 7,600 homes since November 2020.

This Commonwealth support will help our work to go even further.

Queensland

The Social Housing Accelerator will build 600 homes for Queenslanders, with the state government receiving $398 million from the Commonwealth to deliver these additional homes.

Queensland Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon said the states Big Social Housing Build just got bigger.

From Cape York to the Gold Coast and everywhere in between, weve made sure these additional homes are going where theyre needed most alongside the thousands of homes weve already got in the pipeline, said Scanlon.

Scanlon said shovels were in the ground right now on sites across Queensland to build more public homes, and well be looking at a mix of methods to get these new homes up as well.

These homes will be rolled out through traditional means, pre-fabricated factories, house and land packages, in partnership with community housing providers and First Nations councils, and the redevelopment of accommodation like hotels and motels into housing.

Western Australia

The Social Housing Accelerator will build almost 600 homes for Western Australians, costing the state government $209 million.

This is on top of the $511 million funding boost announced for social housing and homelessness in the state budget.

Western Australia Housing Minister John Carey welcomed the funding, which will help boost housing supply in WA.

This will further support the more than 1,650 social homes across the State that weve added, with a further 1,000 under contract or construction said Carey.

Northern Territory

The Social Housing Accelerator will build up to 100 homes for Territorians who need them.

As part of the $2 billion Social Housing Accelerator, the Northern Territory government has received $50 million from the Commonwealth to deliver these additional homes in partnership with the Community Housing sector.

This is on top of a minimum the 1,200 homes the Northern Territory will deliver through Housing Australia and in partnership with the Community Housing sector.

Northern Territory Urban Housing Minister Ngaree Ah Kit said the move will result in more Territorians having access to affordable homes.

Safe, secure and affordable housing for all Territorians is one of our Governments highest priorities, Ah Kit said. The accelerated funding will also create a boost to the Northern Territory economy and deliver job opportunities for Territorians in Darwin, Alice Springs, Katherine and Tennant Creek.

South Australia

The Social Housing Accelerator will build at least 230 homes for South Australians with the state government receiving $135 million in federal funding to deliver these homes.

South Australian Human Services Minister Nat Cook said the state government was pulling every lever it can to ease the housing crisis with initiatives such as cutting taxes for first home buyers, increasing the public housing supply, and announcing the single largest land release in the states history.

South Australia has already committed more than $230 million for new and upgraded public housing, said Cook. This new federal investment means more help for people when they need it most.

Tasmania

The Social Housing Accelerator will build more than 110 homes for Tasmanians with the Tasmanian government receiving $50 million from the Commonwealth.

Tasmanian Housing Minister Nic Street said the state had not been immune to the housing pressures that were being felt across the country  and any action to help alleviate the strain being felt by everyday Tasmanians is commendable.

I look forward to further engaging with the federal government to ensure that this funding is spent where and how it is needed to put roofs over the heads of Tasmanians, Street said.

I welcome the minimum 1,200 homes allocated for Tasmania through Housing Australia and thank the federal government on their efforts to work constructively with the Rockliff Liberal government as we work to provide quality housing for all Tasmanians.

Australian Capital Territory (ACT)

The Social Housing Accelerator will build 65 homes for Canberrans, with the territory government receiving $50 million.

ACT Housing Minister Yvette Berry said the move was a fantastic opportunity to increase the supply of housing in the ACT.

The Social Housing Accelerator will make a real difference to those experiencing effects of the housing crisis, particularly those on lower incomes, Berry said. Thats why the ACT Government has allocated the entire share of Accelerator funds to building and buying more public housing.

Berry said the ACT government had a two-part plan to do this in a way that complemented its existing range of housing initiatives.

Firstly, the ACT government is going to purchase around 25 newly-built or off-the-plan properties, Berry said. Secondly, the government is going to construct about 35 new homes.

This plan will give at least 60 more families experiencing vulnerability or disadvantage a place to call home in Canberra.

Building off the HAFF plan

The announcement builds on HAFF and the agreement by national cabinet to deliver significant housing reforms.

This agreement includes a new national target to build 1.2 million new welllocated homes, the National Planning Reform Blueprint, and A Better Deal for Renters.

The federal government has also committed a further $3 billion to the New Homes Bonus to incentivise states and territories to undertake the reforms necessary to reach the 1.2 million welllocated homes target.

A new Housing Support Program will also provide another $500 million to help local and state and territory governments deliver new housing supply in welllocated areas.

What do you think of your states level of funding? Comment below.
Corporate regulator ASIC has announced that Louise Angela Medley from Bondi Beach, NSW, has been found guilty and convicted on two counts of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception.

Following Medleys earlier plea of guilt, she was sentenced to an 18-month community corrections order on Nov. 13.

According to an ASIC investigation, Medley, the director and sole shareholder of Black Collections, engaged in deceptive practices between Dec. 16, 2016, and March 13, 2018, when she received $28,016.81 in dishonest remuneration for collecting on consumer credit debts despite knowing that Black Collections was operating fraudulently as a debt collector in Double Bay, NSW.

In a related case on June 17, 2021, Black Collections was convicted and fined $8,800 for unlicensed credit activity and $4,400 for falsely claiming to hold a license authorising the collection of consumer debts. At that time, Black Collections did not qualify for an exemption from the obligation to hold an Australian Credit Licence (ACL).

ASIC also found that Medley, on behalf of Black Collections, falsely asserted on Dec. 16, 2016, that the company held a Master CAPI license allowing it to collect on consumer credit, which was not the case.

The matters were prosecuted by the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions.

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TSMC provided more information about its 2-nanometer chip technology, which it claims is on track for volume production in 2025. (Photo: Ann Wang/Reuters)

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), renowned for producing high-end chipsets like Apple's A17 Pro and M3, is reportedly planning a significant expansion in Japan with a third factory. This new facility, according to sources familiar with the matter, is intended to produce cutting-edge 3-nanometer (3nm) chips, positioning Japan as a pivotal global hub for semiconductor manufacturing.

TSMC's Expansion Blueprint

Citing Bloomberg, TSMC's proposal for a third plant, codenamed "TSMC Fab-23 Phase 3," in Kumamoto Prefecture, aims to cater to the growing global demand for advanced, efficient chip technology. This facility will complement TSMC's ongoing efforts in Japan, where it is currently constructing another unit for less sophisticated 12nm chips and a second factory planned for 5nm chips, potentially operational as early as 2025.

The proposed 3nm plant represents a significant leap forward in chip fabrication, a technology that is at the forefront of technological advancements such as cloud computing, AI, and autonomous driving. The move signifies TSMC's strategic expansion outside Taiwan, with investments already pledged for two plants in the U.S. and one in Germany, amidst rising geopolitical tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

Economic Implications for Japan

The new facility is poised to be a boon for Japan's economy, particularly as tech giants like Nvidia and Apple increasingly rely on TSMC for state-of-the-art chips. The Japanese government, under Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, has been aggressively courting investments from semiconductor companies, offering substantial subsidies to foster a robust domestic semiconductor ecosystem.

The planned 3nm facility in Japan, which could cost around $20 billion, is likely to see significant financial support from the Japanese government, traditionally covering about half the costs of such ventures. This investment underscores Japan's commitment to reducing reliance on foreign imports for critical technological components.

TSMC's Strategic Expansion

TSMC's expansion into Japan is part of a broader strategy to diversify its manufacturing footprint and assure its global clientele of a stable supply chain. The company's presence in Japan, a country renowned for its expertise in chip materials and machinery, is seen as mutually beneficial. Analyst Joanne Chiao from TrendForce noted that collaboration with Sony and access to Japan's advanced materials and sensor technologies offer compelling advantages for TSMC.

The economic impact of TSMC's expansion in Japan is substantial. Analysts predict that the gross domestic product of the Kyushu region, which includes Kumamoto, could grow to 75 trillion ($496 billion) by 2035, up from the current 50 trillion. This growth will be driven by the semiconductor industry's expansion and the associated technological advancements it will bring.

As TSMC forges ahead with its ambitious global expansion plans, the semiconductor landscape is set to witness a significant shift, with Japan emerging as a critical player in the global chipmaking arena. This development marks a pivotal moment in the technology sector, with far-reaching implications for the global supply chain and the competitive dynamics of the semiconductor industry.
Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for the attack on Abu Dhabi. (Photo: Khaled Abdullah/Reuters)

The ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict has spilled over into the Red Sea, with Yemen's Houthi rebels targeting ships linked to Israel. This new maritime front has raised concerns about the safety of key shipping lanes in the region.

The Houthi rebels, who have been launching missiles and drones at Israel, recently hijacked a car transport ship in the Red Sea. The ship, named "Galaxy Leader," is operated by a Japanese company and owned by a business associated with an Israeli billionaire. The vessel, flying the Bahamian flag, was en route from Turkey to India and was not carrying any cargo at the time of the hijacking.

The crew of the "Galaxy Leader," comprising 25 members from the Philippines, Romania, Ukraine, Bulgaria, and Mexico, were taken hostage. The Japanese shipping company, Nippon Yusen, confirmed the absence of Japanese crew members on board.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno stated that the Japanese government is negotiating with the Houthi rebels to ensure the safety of the crew. Japan is also in talks with Israel and has called on Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Iran to urge the Houthis to release the crew.

The Houthi rebels claim the hijacking was a response to the ship's links to Israel. Mohammed Abdul-Salam, a spokesperson for the Houthis, stated that the action was intended to demonstrate their capability to wage a "sea war" against Israel, emphasizing that this is just the beginning.

Israel has condemned the Houthi's actions as "terrorist acts," denying any connection to the hijacked ship. However, registration data reveals that the "Galaxy Leader" is owned by Ray Car Carriers, a company with ties to Israeli billionaire Abraham "Rami" Ungar.

Ray Car Carriers has previously been targeted, with Israel accusing Iran of orchestrating those attacks. Similarly, Israel has blamed Iran for the recent hijacking, a claim Iran has vehemently denied.

In the Yemeni civil war, a Saudi-led coalition supports the Yemeni government, while Iran backs the Houthi rebels. As relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia improve, direct negotiations between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis continue, focusing on ceasefire discussions.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh stated that Middle Eastern resistance groups act independently based on their interests. He condemned Israel's accusations as an attempt to divert attention from the Gaza conflict.

Despite Yemen being 1600 kilometers away from Israel, the Houthi rebels have been launching drones and missiles at Israel since the Gaza conflict escalated last month. Most of these have been intercepted by Israeli forces, with the U.S. military also downing several drones.

Military analysts believe that for the Houthis to breach Israel's defenses, they would need to launch a large number of missiles to overwhelm the Israeli air defense system, a challenging feat from 1600 kilometers away.

Considering the difficulty of striking Israel directly, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the leader of the Houthi rebels, announced earlier this month that Israeli ships in the Red Sea region would be their new target.

The Strait of Mandeb, a crucial passage in the southern Red Sea, is now at heightened risk. This narrow strait, only 20 kilometers wide at its narrowest point, lies between Yemen and the East African country of Djibouti. It is a vital maritime route connecting the Red Sea to the Arabian Sea.

Over 17,000 ships pass through the Strait of Mandeb daily, including oil tankers. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, an average of 6.2 million barrels of crude oil and petroleum products are transported through the strait each day.

Before Egypt increased its natural gas production, the Strait of Mandeb was also a key route for liquefied natural gas imports for several Middle Eastern countries, with Egypt and Jordan importing up to 80% of their LNG through the strait.

Torbjorn Soltvedt, a chief analyst for the Middle East and North Africa at Verisk Maplecroft, added that in addition to oil, over 50 million tons of agricultural products are transported through the strait annually. He warned that the Houthi rebels are fully capable of targeting ships in the Strait of Mandeb.

Soltvedt believes that the risk of disruption to international shipping in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Strait of Mandeb is increasing. With no viable alternative routes, shipping companies may face significantly higher costs if they choose to avoid the strait for safety reasons. Since the escalation of the Israel-Palestine conflict, war insurance rates for sea routes entering and leaving Israel have risen tenfold.

Amidst the ongoing conflict, the United States, a key ally of Israel, has become increasingly involved in the region. Currently, two U.S. carrier strike groups are deployed in the Middle East. The USS Gerald R. Ford is stationed in the eastern Mediterranean, while the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower is in the Gulf of Oman, serving as a deterrent to Iran and Hezbollah.

In addition to the carrier strike groups, the U.S. has several ships monitoring Houthi missile launches. It remains unclear whether these ships will be used for escort duties in the Red Sea.

The International Maritime Security Construct has issued a warning to ships in the Red Sea, designating the Strait of Mandeb as an "area of concern." The organization advises ships to travel at night to reduce the likelihood of detection by hostile forces.
By Kim Se-jeong

Controversy has reignited over the laws governing juvenile offenses following a recent incident where a stone thrown by an elementary school student killed an elderly man and the child did not receive any punishment because of his age.

According to Nowon Police Station in Seoul, a man in his 70s died after being struck by a stone dropped by an eight-year-old from an apartment complex in Wolgye-dong around 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 17. The victim was walking up some stairs at the front of the building's entrance with his wife when the incident happened.

As the police continue to investigate, the victim's family has expressed shock and frustration.

"He didn't have any underlying disease. It was shocking to learn that he was killed by a falling stone," a family member of the victim was quoted as saying. "I don't know whom to blame. The boy? The parents?"

The family member lamented that the boy's family had not approached them to apologize.

According to the Juvenile Act, offenders aged from 10 to 14 years of age are not subject to criminal punishment. Instead, they are put on probation and enrolled in educational programs or sent to juvenile detention centers. But those younger than 10 are not subject to any such programs, although their parents may face civil suits for compensation.

The recent incident isn't the only case prompting discussion about whether the current laws are adequate.

In 2015, a nine-year-old boy dropped a 1.83 kilogram cement brick from the top of an 18-storey apartment building in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, killing a woman in her 50s and injuring another woman who were building a makeshift shelter for stray cats at the ground level. The boy went unpunished.

Some experts argue it is time to revise the law.

"The current juvenile law stipulates a mandatory provision that 'punishment cannot be done' based on age. It is important to introduce a plan that would allow punishment regardless of age for serious crimes, such as murder," Lee Yun-ho, a professor of police administration at Dongguk University, told a local newspaper.

Lee Woong-hyuk, a professor of police science at Konkuk University, said, It has been 70 years since the Juvenile Act was enacted, but the children of the past and the children of today are different ... There is a need to lower the age limit to reflect changes in the times.

Opponents, however, contend that lowering the age would not be a solution. Won Hye-wook, a professor at Inha University Law School, said, If we focus only on punishing offenders, it will divert attention from the social environment that may have caused the crimes. We must first assess shortcomings in social and environmental aspects.
Strides Pharma on Tuesday announced that its wholly-owned Singapore-based subsidiary, Strides Pharma Global Pte, has received approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) for Levetiracetam Oral Solution USP, 100 mg/mL. This generic drug is taken after the partial onset of seizures. The product is deemed bioequivalent and therapeutically equivalent to the Reference Listed Drug (RLD), Keppra Oral Solution, 100 mg/mL, of UCB, Inc.

The product will be manufactured at the companys facility in Bengaluru. According to the US National Institute of Health, Levetiracetam is a prescription-based drug, taken orally, that is used to treat partial onset seizures in people aged 4 years and older with epilepsy. It is also used for myoclonic (brief and acyclic) seizures in people aged 12 years and older with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy. Click here to follow our WhatsApp channel

The Levetiracetam Oral Solution has a market size of around $55 million, according to data reported by IQVIA.

Strides Pharma already has 260 cumulative Abbreviated New Drug Applications (ANDAs) filed with the USFDA, of which 230 have been approved.

Strides has also set a target to launch 60 new products over three years in the US, according to the company's statement.

On Tuesday, shares of Strides Pharma were up by 0.85 per cent, ending the day's trade at Rs 494.50 apiece on the BSE.
After Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Rajasthan government of "insulting women" of the state, Congress leader Gourav Vallabh took a swipe at the PM, asking about the actions taken against BJP leader Brij Bhushan Saran Singh, who is accused of sexual assault.

Speaking to ANI, Gourav Vallabh said that the number of crimes that the PM mentioned in his public rally in Rajasthan's Pali on Monday was because the state police are directed to register each case, unlike in the other states.

"In Rajasthan, CM has directed police officers to register an FIR if somebody comes to register a complaint and that's why we have these numbers but in other states, even in case of big crimes there are hardly any FIRs registered. We never support rapists but the BJP has always stood with rapists, not with women and daughters. Can we forget Brij Bhushan Singh?" the Congress leader said on Monday.

He further alleged that PM Modi did not support the wrestlers who had accused Brij Bhushan Singh of sexual assault and staged a protest against him.

"Medal-winning daughters said the BJP MP Brij Bhushan Singh had sexually harassed them but PM Modi did not stand with those daughters, his concern was on saving Brij Bhushan Singh. PM Modi, why did you not stand with those medal-winning daughters?" Gourav Vallabh said.

Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing a public rally in Pali of poll-bound Rajasthan slammed at Congress government in the state and said that Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot insulted the women with his statement that complaints filed by the women are fake.

"Congress has made Rajasthan number one in crimes against women. The CM says that the complaints filed by the women are fake. Can it ever happen that a woman in our country files a fake case? The CM should say that a probe is underway, and not that the cases filed are fake. Isn't this an insult to women?" the PM said.

Rajasthan will go to the polls on November 25, and the counting of votes will be held on December 3 along with the other four states - Mizoram, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh.

The Congress has fielded Gourav Vallabh, the national spokesperson of the party from the Udaipur assembly constituency.

In the 2018 assembly elections, the Congress won 99 seats, while the BJP finished at 73 seats in the 200-member House. Gehlot took the oath as CM with the support of BSP MLAs and independent legislators.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday morning visited parts of Mumbai to review steps taken to control dust and air pollution and said the city civic body has been directed to do cloud seeding if required.

The civic body has already approached a Dubai-based company, which has 100 per cent accuracy in cloud seeding and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed with it, Shinde said.

"The government and the civic corporation will do whatever they can to reduce Mumbai's pollution. The civic body has been directed to do cloud seeding if required," he said.

The CM was replying to queries by mediapersons at the Jogger's Park in suburban Bandra during his early morning inspection of various works undertaken in the city as a part of the dust and air pollution control measures.

Cloud seeding is an artificial technique aimed at enhancing the probability of rains.

Shinde reviewed various road and footpath cleaning and washing works undertaken as a part of dust control measures in some areas at Pedder Road, Bandra, Kalanagar, Milan Subway, Juhu and Santacruz.

The chief minister said he has directed the municipal commissioner to hire 1,000 tankers on rent and wash the city roads on alternate days.

"If all the roads in Mumbai are washed on alternate days, dust will be greatly reduced and air pollution will also go down," he said.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday said 584 km of roads in 24 civic wards of the metropolis are being regularly washed and cleaned using 121 tankers and other machines to control dust as part of efforts to curb air pollution.

A release from the Chief Minister's Office said he also inspected advanced machines used for the removal of dust on roadsides as well as fogger machines, and also gave necessary instructions to the civic personnel.

BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal and Additional Municipal Commissioner Dr Sudhakar Shinde along with other senior civic officials accompanied the CM during this review visit in the morning.
Pharmaceutical firm Strides Pharma Science on Tuesday said that its stepdown wholly owned subsidiary, Strides Pharma Global Private Limited, Singapore, has received approval from the United States Food & Drug Administration (USFDA) for Levetiracetam Oral Solution USP, 100 mg/mL. The product is used for treating seizures.



The company said in a media release that the product is bioequivalent and therapeutically equivalent to the Reference Listed Drug (RLD), Keppra Oral Solution, 100 mg/mL of UCB, Inc. According to market research firm IQVIA, the Levetiracetam oral solution has a market size of $55 million. It will be produced at the company's facility in Bengaluru.



Strides said that the firm has set a target to launch 60 new products over three years in the US. It has 260 cumulative abbreviated new drug application (ANDA )filings with the FDA, of which 230+ ANDAs have been approved.



In September, Strides said that it is spinning off its contract development and manufacturing (CDMO) business along with the soft-gelatin unit into an entity called 'OneSource' (currently Stelis Biopharma). It is set to be listed in the next 12-15 months to have better synergies and unlock value.



Strides is a global pharmaceutical company with its headquarters in Bengaluru, India. The company's global manufacturing sites are located in India, Singapore, Italy, Kenya, and the United States of America.
The leaders of Britain and South Korea will seek to strengthen trade and defense ties between their countries during a state visit to the UK by President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Yoon landed at Stansted Airport near London on Monday. Britain hopes his formal three-day visit will help cement an "Indo-Pacific tilt" in its foreign and trade policy.

During that time, the president will be treated to both royal and diplomatic pomp, including a ceremonial welcome with military honour guards, an opportunity to address Parliament and a state banquet hosted by King Charles III at Buckingham Palace.

He's also scheduled to hold talks with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak focused on trade, technology and defense. The two countries will officially launch talks on an "upgraded" free trade agreement to replace their current deal, which largely replicates the arrangements the UK had before it left the European Union.

Britain has launched trade talks with several countries since leaving the EU in 2020, though it has finalized deals only with Australia and New Zealand. The UK also has joined the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership, or CPTPP, an Asia-Pacific trade bloc that includes Japan and 10 other nations.

Sunak and Yoon are expected to sign an agreement covering cooperation in defense and technology, including artificial intelligence. Britain hosted the first international AI Safety Summit this month, and South Korea intends to hold a follow-up event next year.

Britain also plans to invest in South Korean semiconductor manufacturing as part of international efforts to diversify the supply of the key computer components. Many of the advanced chips are produced in Taiwan, and the coronavirus pandemic and an increasingly assertive China have heightened concerns about future supply.

The two leaders are also set to boost defense cooperation, including joint naval patrols to enforce UN sanctions on North Korea.

Sunak said agreements made during Yoon's visit would "drive investment, boost trade and build a friendship that not only supports global stability, but protects our interests and lasts the test of time.
ZEISS

News Summary

Ashoka University has entered into a partnership with Carl Zeiss India (Bangalore) Pvt. Ltd. (ZEISS Group) to establish a state-of-art Core Imaging Facility. Under this partnership, the company will provide the university with latest cutting-edge microscopy technology, including High Resolution, Super Resolution, High Content microscopes.
Global IT services provider FPT today announced that it has joined the SAP Regional Strategic Services Partner (RSSP) initiative, established by SAP Asia Pacific Japan (APJ) to expand the capabilities and reach of established partners in the APJ region that are on a rapid growth trajectory. Through the RSSP initiative, SAP will provide eligible partners with strategic support, which may include coordinated industry-aligned solutions, a joint go-to-market strategy, and access to SAP regional and market unit industry expertise.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231120150426/en/

FPT and SAP's strategic partnership signing ceremony was attended by FPT Chairman Truong Gia Binh, SAP Asia Pacific and Japan President Paul Marriott, RWE AG CIO Edgar Aschenbrenner, and other senior executives. (Photo: Business Wire)

The RSSP initiative will enable FPT to scale its SAP practice more rapidly across the APJ region and work more closely with SAP to drive joint customer success. Unlike SAP's existing Global Strategic Services Partner (GSSP) programme, which includes a select group of the company's most strategic global consulting, infrastructure, and technology partners, the RSSP initiative is designed to facilitate collaboration within partner organisations based in the region that demonstrate capabilities and capacity requirements specific to the needs of APJ customers.

FPT's SAP implementation and maintenance services are built on a strong foundation of a vast pool of certified and experienced SAP resources and well-established project management frameworks, with over 900 certifications and a dedicated team of SAP consultants.

"At FPT, we are passionate about building a happier future for individuals, fostering success for organizations, and prosperity for nations. The 20 years of partnership between SAP and FPT has been a journey of happiness, because we shared a purpose  the purpose to enable enterprises in Vietnam and worldwide to manage their resources with efficiency, with transformation and with growth and expansion," said Dr. Truong Gia Binh, FPT Chairman.

"We have fostered collaborations with many world-class leaders to enable successful digital transformation for our customers. This collaboration with SAP allows us to leverage their industry expertise and resources to offer enhanced SAP S/4HANA Cloud migration service and managed service to meet the growing needs of our customers in the Asia Pacific Japan region," said Pham Minh Tuan, Chief Executive Officer, FPT Software.

"SAP has a vibrant and fast-growing partner ecosystem in the region. Many of our APJ-based partners have thousands of SAP-certified consultants worldwide and deliver hundreds of SAP-related projects every year. We have a unique opportunity to do more with our regional partners and drive more innovation and value for our customers," said Utkarsh Maheshwari, Chief Partner Officer, SAP Asia Pacific Japan.

"We welcome and congratulate FPT Corporation on joining the SAP Regional Strategic Services Partner initiative, he added.

To qualify for the SAP RSSP initiative, candidate partners must meet or exceed a defined set of SAP criteria, including geographic presence, vertical industry competencies, and alignment on a common sustainability strategy.

FPT's collaboration with SAP dates to 2003, with many successful joint digital transformation projects across various sectors, including Manufacturing, BFSI and Energy. Prior to joining the RSSP initiative, FPT received multiple awards from SAP over the years, including SAP Partner of the Year for Vietnam, Outstanding Performance in Midmarket Partner of the Year, and Best RISE Partner of the Year, which was recently announced at SAP Partner Success Summit in April 2023.

SAP and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP SE in Germany and other countries. Please see https://www.sap.com/copyright for additional trademark information and notices. All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies.

About FPT

FPT Corporation (FPT) is a globally leading technology and IT services provider headquartered in Vietnam. FPT operates in three core sectors: Technology, Telecommunications, and Education. During over three decades of development, FPT has constantly provided practical and effective products to millions of people and tens of thousands of business and non-business organizations worldwide, establishing Vietnams position on the global tech map. Keeping up with the latest market trends and emerging technologies, FPT has developed the Made-by-FPT ecosystem of services, products, solutions and platforms, which enables sustainable growth for organizations and businesses and offers distinctive experiences to customers. In 2022, FPT recorded total revenue of US$1.87 billion and 60,000+ employees. For more information, please visit https://fpt.com.vn/en.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231120150426/en/
12 Palestinians killed in Israeli attack on UN school in Gaza

Xinhua) 10:08, November 21, 2023

GAZA, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- At least 12 Palestinians were killed and dozens injured in an Israeli attack on a school belonging to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in the Al-Bureij camp in central Gaza, the Hamas-run health ministry said Monday.

"The Israeli artillery attacked the school which houses thousands of displaced people and killed about 12 Palestinians, including women and children," the ministry said in a press statement.

Even though all UNRWA's facilities raise the flags of the UN, which keeps the coordination and communication with Israel, the Israeli army continues its attacks against the UNRWA's schools in various places in Gaza, according to Adnan Abu Hasna, UNRWA's media adviser.

"Since the beginning of the current Hamas-Israel conflict, more than 70 UNRWA-affiliated institutions and schools have been targeted in Israeli attacks. At the same time, 104 of the agency's staff members have been killed, marking the highest toll in its history," Abu Hasna told Xinhua.

He added that the number of displaced people in UNRWA shelters reached 900,000 out of a total of 1.7 million displaced people in Gaza, with hundreds of thousands left without shelter on the streets.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Prosecutors on Tuesday demanded a 30-year prison term for the leader of a controversial religious group charged with sexual assault.

Jeong Myeong-seok, who leads the Jesus Morning Star (JMS) group, is accused of raping and sexually assaulting two female followers of foreign nationality on multiple occasions from February 2018 to September 2021, as well as sexually molesting a South Korean female follower.

In the final hearing at the Daejeon District Court, prosecutors also demanded he be ordered to undergo 500 hours of a sexual therapy program and wear ankle monitors for 20 years.

Jeong, who refers to himself as the Messiah or the second coming of Jesus, was released in 2018 after serving 10 years in prison for raping a number of female followers and embezzling funds from JMS.

Multiple sexual abuse allegations were raised against Jeong after his release, including those depicted in a recent Netflix documentary series that portrayed crimes committed by four religious figures, including Jeong. (Yonhap)
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Monday, November 20, 2023 at 11:00PM

Photo: Sam Altman / X

Sam Altmans move to Microsoft after being fired from OpenAI is not final yet. He and co-founder Greg Brockman want to return to OpenAI if the board members who ousted him resign, sources tell The Verge. The board is under pressure from the threat of losing almost every OpenAI employee, who supports Altman and Brockman. Altman posted on X that the battle continues. He and the companys investors are still trying to find a graceful exit for the board, sources say.

Meanwhile, the board announced that Emmett Shear, the co-founder of Twitch, would be CEO, but Altman and Brockman are still negotiating with the board to potentially come back.

After a weekend of negotiations of potentially bringing Altman back to OpenAI, that's when Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced that Altman and Brockman were to lead its new advanced AI research team, with Altman as the group's CEO.

The story is still developing at this time. Microsoft still has a "multibillion dollar investment" in OpenAI, rumoured to be worth US$10 billion. It remains the exclusive cloud partner for OpenAI, with its cloud services powering all OpenAI workloads across products, research, and API services.

Nadella appeared on CNBC and Bloomberg TV, where he was asked if Altman and 700 OpenAI staffers would join his company. Nadella said only that is for the OpenAI board and management and employees to choose. He followed by saying Microsoft chose to explicitly partner with OpenAI [and] obviously that depends on the people at OpenAI staying there or coming to Microsoft, so Im open to both options.

He also talked about how there needs to be governance changes in the company. He said on CNBC that its clear something has to change around the governance  we will have a good dialogue with their board on that, and walk through that as that evolves. And he reiterated that on Bloomberg saying, Microsoft will definitely want some governance changes. This idea that changes happen without being in the loop is not good.

Source
A tour program to the truce village of Panmunjom on the inter-Korean border will partially resume this week, the unification ministry said Tuesday.

The move came a day after Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho met with Gen. Paul LaCamera, chief of the United Nations Command (UNC), to discuss how to boost cooperation with the command, an enforcer of the Armistice Agreement that halted the 1950-53 Korean War.

The tour program for civilian visitors had been suspended since mid-July, after U.S. Army private Travis King crossed the border into the North during a tour to the Joint Security Area in the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas.

The ministry, which runs the tour for South Korean nationals, said a group of 20 visitors  including policy advisers and defectors from North Korea  will join a special tour of the truce village organized by the National Institute for Unification Education on Wednesday.

Special tours are typically organized by the government and differ from the general tours that ordinary visitors can sign up for online.

A ministry official said further discussions are needed for the resumption of the general tours for South Korean nationals.

Before the suspension, the tour ran six times a day  every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday  with the government and the UNC each organizing three sessions daily.

"Until general tours resume, the government will run all three sessions as special tours for the time being," a ministry official told reporters on condition of anonymity. (Yonhap)
The State Merit Scholarship Kerala (SMS) is a program that offers financial support to deserving students in Kerala who are pursuing their undergraduate and postgraduate studies. It is administered by the Department of Collegiate Education, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Government of Kerala. The scholarship scheme has a total of 450 slots, with 300 available for undergraduate students and 150 for postgraduate students. Its primary goal is to enhance employability and decrease unemployment rates by addressing the issue of poverty and financial difficulties faced by students.

Eligibility Criteria

The State Merit Scholarship in Kerala is open to undergraduate and postgraduate students who are residents of Kerala. In addition to this, the students should have secured a minimum of 60% in their Plus Two/Graduation. Students from families with a yearly income of less than 1 Lakh are eligible to apply for the Scholarship.

Registration Process

The application process for the State Merit Scholarship is online. It involves filling the application form, uploading the required documents, and submitting it before the deadline. The list of required documents includes a recent passport size photograph, a scanned copy of the applicant's mark sheets, income certificate, and a scanned copy of the applicant's bank account details.

Interested candidates should go to the official website of the Department of Collegiate Education at http://dcescholarship.kerala.gov.in/dce/he_ma/hec_cadpge.php?st=4

Fill the necessary information.

A registration ID will be assigned.

After cross-checking the details, complete the process and submit it.

Make a note of the Registration ID and password for future use.

Then, on the left navigation panel, click on Candidate login to finish the application process.

Scholarship Amount

300 graduate students will receive INR 1,250 per annum.

150 postgraduate students will receive INR 1,500 per annum.

Selection Process

The selection for the State Merit Scholarship is based on the marks obtained by the students in their Plus Two/Graduation. A merit list is prepared, and scholarships are awarded based on the ranking in the merit list. The scholarship is renewed every year based on the student's academic performance during the previous year.
The following details are intended to assist media in planning coverage of these events; updates and changes are possible. Only pool media will be allowed inside ceremonies, but there are courtesy positions outside of the various sites that will be open to media who register in advance, space permitting. Links to register for these outdoor courtesy positions are below. Please direct questions to: media@cartercenter.org .

Atlanta

The first official ceremonies in Atlanta happen on Monday, Nov. 27. There will be a courtesy broadcast location at The Carter Center now through Wednesday, Nov. 29, and a courtesy broadcast location on the lawn of Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church at Emory University on Tuesday, Nov. 28.

The Carter Center, Nov. 20 - Nov. 25



Media may park small vehicles only (no large satellite trucks) in the lower parking lot where the Farmers Market is held. Reporting can be done at the Circle of Flags or in the grassy area (the Triangle) across from the Carter Presidential Center sign. Requests for interviews about Mrs. Carters legacy should be submitted to media@cartercenter.org.

No building access is allowed. Please bring a press ID and check in with Carter Center Communications staff. No advance registration required.

The Carter Center, Nov. 26



Media can report from the Triangle using backpacks and sticks beginning early in the morning  no vehicle parking will be allowed. Media who wish to park a satellite truck in the Triangle on Sunday will need to first register by 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 24, at this link: JCLAM registration form . Further instructions will be provided once the request is approved, but we expect marshaling to take place at Yaarab Shrine at 11 a.m. on Nov. 26. Media should expect to keep their trucks in place until midday on Tuesday.

No generators allowed. No Wi-Fi provided. A fuel truck will come in once a day, and media will need to pay for the fuel.

The Carter Center, Nov. 27

Morning: Roads surrounding The Carter Center are expected to be closed. Media can report from the Triangle. (If you do not have a truck in place, plan to hike in with backpacks and sticks.)

~ 2 p.m.: Media who have signed up for a courtesy location in the outdoor press pen will move into place to report on the arrival ceremony. (Sign-up here: JCLAM registration form; backpacks and sticks only; media move back to Triangle once arrival ceremony ends.)

3:15 p.m.: Arrival ceremony at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum.

3:30 p.m.: Repose service in lobby of the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum. Note: Video pool coverage provided by WAGA-TV; still pool coverage provided by AP.

6-10 p.m.: Members of the public pay their respects as Mrs. Carter lies in repose at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum. Parking and a shuttle will be available at St. Lukes Episcopal Church, 435 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta. Note: Media can report from the Triangle; WAGA-TV will provide pool coverage.

The Carter Center, Nov. 28

Morning: Roads surrounding The Carter Center are expected to be closed. Media can report from the Triangle (if you do not have a truck in place, expect to hike in with backpacks and sticks).

~ 9:30 a.m.: Media who have signed up for a courtesy location in the press pen will move into place to report on the departure ceremony. (Sign-up here: JCLAM registration form; backpacks and sticks only.)

11:30 a.m.: Departure ceremony

~ 3:15 p.m.: Roads reopen. Trucks allowed to leave the Triangle. Reporting can continue throughout the evening from the Triangle.

Glenn Memorial Church, Nov. 28

Media who wish to report from a position on the Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church lawn will need to register by 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 24, at this link: Glenn Registration Form. Media parking will be across the street. Reporters can use backpacks and sticks only. Note: This is for an outdoor position only; WSB-TV will provide pool video coverage from inside the service, and AP will provide pool still photos.

~ 4 a.m.: Media check-in for Glenn Memorial lawn. Prepare for Secret Service sweep ~ 6 a.m. Specific times to come. After the sweep, media must remain in place until after the service.

1 p.m.-2:30 p.m.: Tribute service

2:30-10 p.m.: Media may continue reporting from the Glenn Memorial lawn.

PLAINS

Plains has no public ceremonies until Monday, Nov. 27. From today through Nov. 27, a courtesy broadcast location will be established in downtown Plains at 104 E. Church St., Hwy 280, near the Billy Carter Gas Station Museum. This location provides a backdrop of storefronts in rural downtown Plains. There is no dedicated media parking, but please be respectful of local businesses and private properties in the vicinity.

Phoebe Sumter Medical Center & Georgia Southwestern, Nov. 27

5 a.m. Courtesy broadcast locations open at Phoebe Sumter Medical Center and Georgia Southwestern State University 6:45 a.m. Media documenting the movement at Phoebe Sumter Medical Center must be in place. NOTE: Use of pool coverage by WANF-TV is encouraged, as there are movements at multiple locations to document this day in Sumter County and Atlanta. There will be an outdoor courtesy broadcast location for media. Media must pre-register at this link: PSMC registration form. Space is limited. 8 a.m. Media documenting the motorcade pause at Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW) later this morning must be in place at the GSW courtesy broadcast location. NOTE: Use of pool coverage by WANF-TV is encouraged. 10:25-10:40 a.m. Family motorcade at Phoebe Sumter Medical Center. Honorary pallbearers here are past members of Mrs. Carters Secret Service detail. 11-11:20 a.m. Motorcade at the Rosalynn Carter Health and Human Sciences Building 1 at GSW. Representatives of the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers and Georgia Southwestern State University will place wreaths at a statue of Rosalynn Carter. There will be an outdoor courtesy broadcast location. Media must pre-register at this link: GSW registration form. Space is limited, and the use of WANF-TV pool coverage is encouraged.

Note: There is no pool coverage of any motorcade movements.

Note: The Downtown Plains courtesy location remains available on Nov. 27 as it has on the previous days.

Downtown Plains, Nov. 28

5 a.m. Unilateral courtesy broadcast location opens. Noon Unilateral courtesy broadcast location closes.

Downtown Plains, Nov. 29

Media wishing to access this area on Nov. 29 should RSVP by 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 24, at this link: Plains registration form. After your space is confirmed, credentials will be issued upon arrival at the site. A current media photo ID is required.

6 a.m. All media must be in place at the courtesy standup location at 104 E. Church St. (Hwy 280) in downtown Plains. This position provides a view of the motorcade as it travels from the church to interment. Be prepared for a cable run of 1,000-1,500 feet. 12:30 p.m. Motorcade departs the church and passes the media standup location in downtown Plains (Intersection of Hwy 280 and Bond Street) en route to the interment site for a private burial service. 10 p.m. Downtown Plains courtesy media location closes.

Maranatha Baptist Church, Nov. 29

5 a.m. All media must be in place at the courtesy broadcast location outside Maranatha Baptist Church. This position provides a view of the motorcade arrival and departure from the church. See location and registration details below. 10:50 a.m. Funeral procession arrives at Maranatha Baptist Church. Note: Pool coverage provided by WXIA-TV. Outside the church, there will be a courtesy broadcast area for media who have pre-registered at this link: Maranatha registration form. The motorcade arrival and departure at the church will be viewable from this location. Only pool will be inside the church. Spaces are limited. 11 a.m. Private service at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains. Note: Pool coverage inside the church provided by WXIA-TV. 12:30 p.m. Motorcade departs the church and passes the media standup location in downtown Plains (Intersection of Hwy 280 and Bond Street) en route to the interment site for a private burial service. 12:45

Private interment at residence in Plains. No media coverage allowed.

NOTES

Updates and schedules will be posted to the Carter familys official tribute site at www.RosalynnCarterTribute.org .

All media inquiries should be submitted to: media@cartercenter.org.

Questions about how to access pool feeds should be sent to: Ricci Garni, rgarni@11alive.com.

There are several opportunities for the public to view the funeral motorcade to and from services in Americus and Plains, and to pay their respects at the repose at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum. We hope you will help us disseminate this information. Routes will be released the day prior to each movement.

The familys official online condolence book, public visitation guide, biographical information, and images can be found at www.RosalynnCarterTribute.org. Please feel free to share this site with the public. Video and photos for download by media are at: www.RosalynnCarterTribute.org/downloads.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested gifts be made to the Carter Center Mental Health Program and the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers at GSW. Gifts can be made online at www.RosalynnCarterTribute.org. Flower drops:

Atlanta : The Carter Center (granite entrance sign), 453 John Lewis Freedom Parkway, on the northeast corner of the property near the intersection of North Highland Avenue and John Lewis Freedom Parkway.

: The Carter Center (granite entrance sign), 453 John Lewis Freedom Parkway, on the northeast corner of the property near the intersection of North Highland Avenue and John Lewis Freedom Parkway. Plains : In the center of the downtown square on U.S. Hwy 280.

Road closures and other transportation details surrounding ceremonies in Georgia will be announced by local and state authorities.

###
Photo: The Canadian Press Police in Mission, B.C., say they are seeking the owner of half a kilogram of cocaine that was hidden in a public restroom's ceiling and anyone who wants to claim the drugs should bring "proof of purchase." THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-RCMP, *MANDATORY CREDIT*

Police in Mission, B.C., say they are seeking the owner of half a kilogram of cocaine that was hidden in a public restroom's ceiling and anyone who wants to claim the drugs should bring "proof of purchase."

RCMP Cpl. Harrison Mohr says officers will be happy to set up an interview at the owner's convenience.

Mohr says in a news release that a maintenance worker found the drugs when they opened up a ceiling panel on Thursday morning.

He says the drugs were divided into multiple packages, and it's believed they were hidden for a drug dealer to pick up.

Mohr says whoever hid the drugs hasn't been identified, but "jail cell number three" is waiting for anyone who wants to claim them.

The release warns about the danger of leaving drugs where a member of the public could be unknowingly exposed to them.

"If the drugs are yours and you want to report them lost or stolen, please call Mission RCMP," police say in a posting on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Photo: The Canadian Press A giant art sculpture shows a tap outpouring plastic bottles, each of which was picked up in the neighbourhood of Kibera, during the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) held at the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, March 2, 2022.

As the latest talks on a global plastics treaty ended in accusations of deadlocked negotiations, eyes are now turning to Canada, which will play host to the next round of negotiations at a time when some warn the treaty's future hangs in the balance.

Nations wrapped up on Sunday a third round of talks in Kenya as part of a five-meeting schedule to hammer out a draft of a treaty to end global plastic pollution.

Consensus has so far been elusive at the negotiations, with Ottawa set to host the next round in April. Environmental groups have accused some oil-producing countries and industry groups of stall tactics in an effort to water down the treaty before negotiations wrap up at the end of next year.

"If they don't find a way through these delay and divert tactics, Ottawa could become known as the place where the treaty failed," said Karen Wirsig, Environmental Defence's senior program manager for plastics, who attended last week's talks.

"So, yes, things are more complicated for the host country."

Delegates said the draft treaty text became longer and more difficult to advance at the week-long talks in Kenya. States also failed to reach a consensus on the work to be done on the draft before the next round in Ottawa.

"Canada and other high-ambition countries will need to up their game as we head to Ottawa in April in order move toward an effective and workable treaty," said Wirsig.

Canada is part of a "high ambition" coalition of countries, led by Rwanda and Norway, that has called for measures to reduce production to "sustainable levels" and for legally binding global rules to end all plastic pollution by 2040.

Meanwhile, some oil-producing countries have advocated for shifting previously agreed mandates of the treaty, such as by focusing on waste management rather than interventions across the full plastic life cycle. There has also been a push for the treaty to focus on voluntary measures at national levels to fight pollution, instead of global rules.

The head of Greenpeace's delegation said the negotiations are "charging towards catastrophe."

"When the negotiations resume in Canada in April 2024, our leaders must be ready to show a level of courage and leadership we have yet to see," said Graham Forbes.

Global plastic waste is set to nearly triple by 2060 without action, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. Made from oil and other fossil fuels, plastics also account for an estimated 3.4 per cent of global greenhouse-gas emissions.

Less than one-tenth of plastic is recycled, including in Canada, and scientists believe about nine million tonnes ends up in the ocean every year. Canadians produce about 2.9 million tonnes of plastic waste each year that isn't recycled or incinerated.

Canada's Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault, speaking to reporters Monday, said no one was expecting fast-tracked negotiations on a global treaty to be easy.

"It's going to be tough negotiations," he said.

"We're in a better position to help the international community find those pathways toward success."

More than 1,900 participants from 161 countries took part in the latest talks. Industry has also kept a standing at the negotiations, with 143 chemical and fossil fuel lobbyists registered to attend, a 36-per-cent increase over the cohort at the previous round in Paris, according to an analysis by the Center for International Environmental Law.

Isabelle Des Chenes, executive vice-president of the industry group Chemistry Industry Association of Canada, said "all eyes will be on Canada" come the next round of talks.

"We feel that the agreement should really focus on ending plastic pollution and not plastic production. Implementing production caps can really restrict the availability of plastics for other applications," said Des Chenes, speaking from Kenya last week.

"So really important to ensure that we're focused on creating capacity and ability to manage the end of life of plastics."

Miriam Diamond, professor of Earth science at the University of Toronto, says overproduction leading to mismanagement is the major driver of plastic pollution.

"We know from practice that adding money, sinking money into waste management, while production continues to increase won't solve the problem," she said.

Diamond co-authored a paper published this month that warned industry conflicts of interest could hamper treaty talks and called for safeguards to prevent improper influence over a UN science-policy panel on chemical, waste and pollution prevention, which she is involved in developing.

Guilbeault, the federal environment minister, has previously indicated he is not opposed to production limits, but said eliminating pollution means using plastic more carefully, not eliminating its use altogether.

Environmental groups have pushed Guilbeault to offer clear support for a treaty with production scale-down targets. Greenpeace has argued for a treaty that would aim to reduce production by 75 per cent by 2040.

"They're sort of holding out in terms of where they're going to be on some of the key control measures around reducing plastic production," said Forbes, the Greenpeace delegation head.

"But I would say overall, Canada is playing a fairly constructive role and we're going to be looking to them to sort of grow in their leadership."

Canada has set a domestic goal to wipe out plastic waste by 2030.

But last week, the government's ban on some single-use plastics like straws and grocery bags was put into question when the Federal Court ruled Ottawa had overstepped by designating all "plastic manufactured items" as toxic. Guilbeault said Monday the government would appeal the decision, which struck down the cabinet order underlying the ban.

A strong treaty could help give not only Canada, but other countries still mulling plastics regulations, more legitimacy to take aggressive action, said Wirsig, of Environmental Defence.

"Where Canada may have been leading or on the leading edge with being so far out front of the treaty, now the treaty might help Canada finish the job," she said.
Photo: The Canadian Press NDP Transport Critic Taylor Bachrach.

A parliamentary committee is launching an investigation into accessibility at Canadian airlines, with a focus on the country's two largest carriers.

Following a motion put forward on Monday by NDP lawmaker Taylor Bachrach, the federal transport committee voted to undertake a study on the state of accessible transportation for Canadians living with disabilities as well as the regulatory regime surrounding it.

The committee cited recent news reports of air travellers "facing discrimination and unacceptable treatment" on board, and invited the CEOs of Air Canada and WestJet to testify along with Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez, Auditor General Karen Hogan and other experts and industry players.

The motion further calls on the government to table a response to a committee report slated to be presented to the House of Commons.

Earlier this month, Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau apologized for the airline's accessibility shortfalls and announced new measures to improve the travel experience for hundreds of thousands of passengers living with a disability.

The move followed a number of reports of passenger mistreatment, including an incident in August where a man with spastic cerebral palsy was forced to drag himself off of an Air Canada plane in Las Vegas due to a lack of assistance.
PPC reports 21% advance in revenue in 1HFY24

21 November 2023

PPC has posted revenue of ZAR6172m (US$335.2m) in the 1HFY24 (ended 30 September 2023), up 20.9 per cent YoY. EBITDA advanced from ZAR728m in the 1HFY23 to ZAR1069m in the same period a year later, while the EBITDA margin advanced three percentage points to 17.3 per cent. Capex over the six-month period came in at ZAR220m. Operating profit improved from ZAR273m to ZAR675m.

In the 1HFY24, the South Africa and Botswana business contributed 57 per cent of group revenue (1HFY23: 68 per cent), the Zimbabwe business accounted for 28 per cent (1HFY23: 17 per cent) and Rwanda (Cimerwa) was responsible for 14 per cent (1HFY23: 15 per cent).

PPCs South Africa and Botswana cement business reported revenue of ZAR2972m in the 1HFY24, marking a YoY increase of 3.7 per cent. The market remains challenging with volumes down 4.7 per cent YoY. Average selling prices, meanwhile, improved 8.8 per cent, with enhanced operational performance and cost control seen over the six-month period. The company noted an improved inland performance due to price increases and better cost management, while the weak economic environment combined with excessive rain negatively impacted the coastal performance. Botswana was negatively impacted by imports from Namibia.

In US dollars, the Zimbabwe business saw its revenue advance by 68.6 per cent from US$55.3m in the 1HFY23 to US$93.3m in the same period a year later. EBITDA expanded 117.4 per cent over the same period, while the EBITDA margin improved 5.5 percentage points to 24.6 per cent. Volumes over the six-month period were up 44 per cent YoY as market share recovered. According to PPC, there was continued stable and high cement demand for residential construction and government-funded infrastructure projects, while clinker demand exceeded production capacity. Power supplies also improved significantly.

Rwanda-based Cimerwa reported revenue of ZAR883m in the 1HFY24, up 14.5 per cent on the same period a year earlier. The company has just agreed to dispose of its Rwanda business for US$42.5m, enabling PPC to focus on its core Southern African markets. The purchaser is a privately-owned company that is part of the Devki Group, one of the largest manufacturers of clinker and cement in East Africa with operations in Kenya and Uganda. The Rwanda business saw a 4.4 per cent expansion in EBITDA YoY, reaching ZAR260m in the 1HFY24. However, increased competition put pressure on margins over the period. Power supply in the country has improved significantly. The country remains deficient in clinker but again, supply improved.

Published under
Maple Leaf Cement to move into hospital sector

21 November 2023

Pakistans Maple Leaf Cement (MLCF) is investing PKR800-900m (US$2.77-3.12m) in a new solar power plant. The plant is expected to have a production capacity of 7.5MW. The company has also announced plans to diversify into the health business with the construction of a hospital. According to the company, the margins would be better than those seen in the cement business. The hospital project is expected to take three years to complete and represents an investment of PKR30bn.

Although local cement demand in Pakistan is forecast to increase by 3-5 per cent in FY24, according to Topline Securities, cement production capacity in the country is predicted to expand by 3Mta with the arrival of projects by Fauji Cement and Attock Cement, putting utilisation rates around the 57 per cent mark in FY24.

Published under
One out of every six Korean married women has suffered a career break due mainly to pregnancy and child-rearing, data showed Tuesday.

The number of married women aged 15-54 who stopped working came to 1.35 million as of April, accounting for around 17 percent of the total of 7.94 million married women in the age group, according to the data from Statistics Korea.

This year's figure of women experiencing a career break fell 3.45 percent on-year, or 48,000, as the total female population of the age group has fallen by 159,000, the agency said.

Among the married women who quit their jobs, the largest proportion of 42 percent cited child-rearing as the primary reason for their decision.

Some 26 percent said they stopped working due to getting married, followed by 23 percent for pregnancy and childbirths, and 4 percent for child education.

By age, those in their 40s took up the largest share of the married women quitting their jobs with 43.8 percent, followed by the women aged 30-39 with 40.33 percent.

The number of working mothers with children aged under 18 came to 2.61 million in April, and their employment rate came to 60 percent.

The employment rate for all of the country's married women aged 15-54 reached 64.3 percent as of April, up from 62.6 percent the previous year, the data showed.

Korea has been struggling with a chronic decline in childbirths as a growing number of young people have opted to distance themselves from marriage and having children.

The country's total fertility rate  the average number of children a woman bears in her lifetime  came to a record low of around 0.7 this year.

Of the total female population aged 15-54, the married women accounted for 58.4 percent as of April, the agency said. (Yonhap)
The floor leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) warned Tuesday that officials of the state broadcasting watchdog will be held accountable if they cooperate for an education foundation's bid to take control of Yonhap News TV.

Rep. Hong Ihk-pyo issued the warning as the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) was set to deliberate on Eulji Education Foundation's request for approval to become the largest shareholder in the 24-hour news cable channel affiliated with Yonhap News Agency.

The DPK has denounced Eulji's bid, raising suspicions that the move could be part of the Yoon Suk Yeol government's attempt to increase influence over broadcasting stations ahead of April's parliamentary elections.

The party has also said the foundation is not qualified at all to become the broadcaster's largest shareholder, citing a series of alleged irregularities and ethical lapses, including the foundation chairman's history of illegal drug use.

"We will make sure to hold KCC officials accountable legally and politically if they cooperate with KCC Chairman Lee Dong-kwan in the course of privatization of broadcasters," Hong said during a party meeting. "We warn once again not to take part in Chairman Lee's illegal acts."

Yonhap New Agency, Korea's key news wire agency, is currently the No. 1 shareholder of Yonhap News TV with a 29.89 percent share, slightly below the 30 percent cap stipulated by the Broadcasting Act.

Exploiting the loophole, Eulji has increased its share to 30.08 percent and is awaiting the KCC's approval. (Yonhap)
The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) issued a warning against one of its members Tuesday for using a word deemed insulting to women.

Choe Kang-wook, a former lawmaker of the DPK, came under fire after using the Korean word, "amkeot," which is used to refer to female animals, as he compared the government of President Yoon Suk Yeol to the animal farm in George Orwell's beast fable of the same name, during a book publishing event held Sunday.

Choe said he had no intention to talk down women.

But amid heavy criticism, the DPK's secretary general, Rep. Cho Jeong-sik, issued a warning against Choe saying his remark was "hurtful" and "very wrong," according to the party.

Women lawmakers of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) said the warning was merely a slap on the wrist.

"The former lawmaker poured out unspeakable nonsense that belittled women ... Someone like Choe, who brings the standards of Korean politics down to the bottom, should permanently be expelled from political circles," said Rep. Kim Young-sun, in a press conference, on behalf of women lawmakers of the PPP.

She also demanded the expulsion of other DPK lawmakers that invited Choe to the event, including Reps. Min Hyung-bae and Kim Yong-min.

Choe was ousted from parliament in September after he was handed a suspended prison term for issuing a false intern certificate for the son of former Justice Minister Cho Kuk. He lost his seat in parliament, but has kept his party membership. (Yonhap)
Officers were advised to be on the lookout for an intoxicated driver near the Hills Parc apartment complex off of Little Debbie Parkway. The sheriffs office located and pursued the vehicle but the driver successfully eluded the deputies. Collegedale officers were able to locate and detain the individual for the pursuing deputies after the individual had taken a Uber back to their residence at Hills Parc.

A Collegedale fugitive turned themself in to Collegedale police to be booked on a failure to appear warrant. They were released on bond.

Officers responded to a verbal disorder in the Grindstone Estates neighborhood. No crimes were committed.

A resident in the 4300 block of Katie Kim Lane reported that a stove had been stolen from their front porch earlier in the month.

A concerned citizen reported that a suspicious vehicle had been sitting at the entrance of an RV storage lot, in the 9100 block of Jac Cate Road, for an extended period of time. The occupants were found to be waiting for the owner of an RV to arrive so they could leave for a family trip.

A vehicle was illegally parked in the 9600 block of Bill Reed Road. The owner was located and the vehicle was moved.

A traffic stop in the 10700 block of Lee Highway resulted in a passengers arrest for criminal impersonation, felony possession of narcotics and drug paraphernalia, as well as for an auto theft related warrant out of Madison County, Va.

A resident from The Village at Apison Pike apartment complex reported that their estranged spouse had sent someone to their workplace to harass them.

A Collegedale fugitive was booked on a petition to revoke bond warrant from a previous narcotics arrest.

Officers assisted the fire department with a lift assist of an elderly resident who had fallen in the Grindstone Estates neighborhood.

A traffic stop in the 5200 block of Little Debbie Parkway led to the occupant being charged with the unlawful possession of marijuana.

Police responded to the Hawthorne at the Summit apartment complex after receiving reports that a vehicle had struck the communitys front gate. The vehicle was located but the driver was not.

A fire alarm was activated at the Hamilton County EMS Medic 5 station in the 10900 block of Apison Pike. The alarm was found to be malfunctioning.

Police were dispatched to the 5200 block of Tallant Road for a dead deer blocking a travel lane. The deer was removed from the roadway and Public Works was notified to collect the animal.

Officers responded to the Spring Green apartments after receiving reports that a resident was smoking marijuana in their home. No contact was made with the resident.

A Collegedale fugitive at the Hamilton County Jail was booked on a bond revocation warrant from a previous charge of driving while their license was suspended.

Police were dispatched to a home in the 4400 block of Suhrie Road for a residential fire. The issue was found to have been an electrical issue involving a heater in the attic. There was no smoke or fire. The fire department checked the scene.

County deputies doing a well-being check in the 4200 block of Woodland Drive identified a Collegedale fugitive wanted for theft. Collegedale officers responded and took custody of the fugitive, who was booked and released on bond.

A Collegedale fugitive turned themselves in to be booked on a theft warrant. They were released on bond.

An officer took a crash report in the 9000 block of Jac Cate Road after a vehicle pulled out of the car wash in front of another oncoming vehicle.

Officers checked the well-being of an individual in the 9800 block of Moore Road. Everything checked out okay.

A single car crash was reported in the 5800 block of Main Street after the vehicle was driven into the ditch.

A traffic stop in the 9400 block of Lee Highway resulted in the driver being charged with driving on a suspended license and a passenger charged with unlawful possession of marijuana.

A hit and run crash was reported at the intersection of Main and Ocoee Streets.

An individual came to city hall to file a harassment report against their estranged spouse.

Chattanooga police made contact with a Collegedale fugitive who had a bond revocation warrant from a previous driving on a suspended license charge. The fugitive was transported to the jail.

A motorist reported that they had left their wallet on top of their car while at the Walmart and that it had fallen off somewhere between the store and their residence on High Street in Ooltewah.

A traffic stop in the 4600 block of Ooltewah Ringgold Road resulted in the driver being charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

A traffic stop in the 5900 block of Elementary Way resulted in a drivers license seizure.

K9 Maxim assisted Chattanooga police officers with a drug sniff during a traffic stop in the 5900 block of Lee Highway. Maxim alerted officers to the presence of drugs in the vehicle and as a result used drug paraphernalia was found and seized.

Spanish speaking Collegedale officers assisted a sheriffs deputy during a DUI traffic stop and arrest of a non-English speaking driver in the 1100 block of I-75.

An officer responded to a minor crash in the Burger King parking lot. No damage was observed and neither driver wanted to make a report.

A Collegedale fugitive at the county jail was booked on bond revocation warrants for theft and conspiracy.

A Tractor Supply employee made a complaint that a garbage truck nearly struck their vehicle in the store lot.

Officers responded to a domestic assault in progress in the 10400 block of Lee Highway after receiving reports that an elderly person was hitting their spouse and a sibling. It was decided that no criminal enforcement action would be taken and outside help would be sought by the family for their particular situation.

A driver left the interstate after seeing smoke coming from under their vehicles hood and drove to the Arbys parking lot shortly before the vehicle became fully engulfed in flames. The fire department responded and knocked down the fire. No injuries were reported and the vehicle was towed from the scene.

A traffic stop in the 5500 block of Little Debbie Parkway resulted in the driver being charged with driving with a suspended license.

An individual was charged with shoplifting at the Walmart.

An officer assisted a motorist with a dead battery in the Walmart parking lot by providing a boost.

A traffic stop in the 10400 block of Lee Highway resulted in the drivers arrest for driving on a license revoked for DUI.

An individual came to city hall reporting that their phone was advising them of an unknown air tag in their vehicle. Their vehicle was checked but no air tag was found.

A traffic stop in the 7900 block of Apison Pike resulted in the driver being charged with driving on a suspended license and being in unlawful possession of marijuana.




The 24th Annual Grateful Gobbler Walk will be held on Thursday from 6:30-9 a.m. at Coolidge Park.Every dollar raised goes to benefit the work done by the Maclellan Shelter for Homeless Families.Packet pick up will occur on Wednesday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Coolidge Park, with servings of hot chocolate provided by Ben & Jerrys (while supplies last).On Thursday morning, Co-Chairs Jay and Cynthia Dale, along with Crown Automotive Group, will welcome walkers to the Gobbler. Join Looie the Lookout in picking the best costume with coveted golden turkey awards being given for the largest groups registered for the walk.As the walk begins at 8 a.m.(sharp!), walkers will be greeted by the Not-So-World-Famous Kazoo Band, Mr. & Mrs. Claus, a bead toss and buskers along the way.
The Chattanooga Metropolitain Airport Authority Board of Commissioners celebrated the addition of nonstop air service to Las Vegas at its monthly board meeting Monday. Twice-weekly service via Allegiant Airlines will begin in May 2024.

We are absolutely thrilled to expand our partnership to this destination, said airport President and CEO April Cameron. This is just the beginning.

We have a lot to be thankful for, she said.

Ms. Cameron said she wants the news, announced earlier this month, to encourage Chattanoogas three other carriers to expand, too.

Allegiants Airbus A320 single-aisle aircraft chosen for the trip will seat 180 people.

Ms. Cameron reported that Chattanoogas October enplanements are up by 21 percent compared with the same month in 2022, at 45,996. The expected enplanements for the year are 475,000, approaching the 554,000 of pre-pandemic 2019.

In the coming weeks a firm will present a leakage data report, detailing by ZIP code where the airports passengers really come from, and where theyre really going. This new data will be invaluable for the airports future plans. Chattanoogas most recent leakage data was reported in 2019.

Our new team is coming in with an enthusiasm that I think is exciting, said board Chairman Jim Hall.

LEISURE TRAVEL AND ATTRACTING BIGGER PLANES

Kristen Behm, vice president of CHA public relations and air service development, attended a round table at the Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Ky., which focused on restoration of routes, service, pilots and planes from the airlines point of view. The fix will stretch into 2025, she said. The Federal Aviation Administration predicts a disruptive shortage of air traffic controllers in the New York City area  about half of positions are filled -- will recover around October 2024, she said.

Leisure travel is the next opportunity, she said, with airports vying for direct service to Florida, the Caribbean and Mexico. To make these routes more profitable, airlines are offering first class and business class seats on all flights, and theyre selling out.

The more they add, the more they sell, Ms. Behm said.

Chattanooga has planned to attract midsize planes as busy hubs buy bigger models, but supply chain issues mean delivery delays, so Chattanooga will have to wait for its bigger planes, she said.

Chattanooga will be the beneficiary of upgaging, she said.

The airports load factor hovers at 89 percent.

We are continuing to fill the seats that we have, Ms. Cameron said.

Airport officials also have visited McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville to study airport police.

2 NEW HANGARS AT WEST STAR

The board approved $524,721 for a design by Allen & Hoshall for two, 20,000-square-foot hangars at West Star Aviation. The hangars are part of the 2019 airport master plan and will sit on the last piece of undeveloped property. The design also includes 4,000 square feet of office and shop space.

Ninety-five percent of the cost is covered by state funds and 5 percent by Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport funds. Each hangar will hold five to eight planes. The project was begun in September and should be complete by the spring.

TERMINAL EXPANSION NEARING COMPLETION

The terminal expansion is set to open in the first quarter of 2024. Ms. Cameron said that Delta Air Lines will probably occupy the new gates. New screens in the terminal will be dedicated to a live feed of a Tennessee Aquarium tank.

You can watch the fish while youre waiting in our two-minute TSA line, Ms. Cameron said.

AUDIT REPORT

A representative from Elliott Davis accounting firm reported that the airport has had a solid financial year. Its net assets increased from $170 million last year to $192 million this year, due to capital grants for construction of the new terminal.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has received a positive Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) test result in a hunter harvested deer in Lewis County. This is the first positive CWD case for Lewis County and will result in changes to feeding and carcass transportation regulations. Current hunting season dates, units, and bag limits are not affected.

Effective immediately, Lewis County is subject to the following wildlife feeding and carcass transportation restrictions:

Deer carcasses can move within and between counties in the CWD Management Zone.

Hunters may not move whole or field-dressed deer carcasses or unapproved parts outside of CWD affected counties.

Once a carcass is brought into the CWD Management Zone, it cannot be moved out of the zone.

Approved parts are free to be transported anywhere statewide. Approved parts are listed below.

Deboned meat



Antlers, antlers attached to cleaned skull plates, cleaned skulls (where no meat or tissues are attached to the skull)



Cleaned teeth



Finished taxidermy and antler products



Hides and tanned products

Within the CWD Management Zone the placement of grain, salt products, minerals, and other consumable natural and manufactured products is prohibited.

Feeding restrictions do not apply if the feed or minerals are: placed within one hundred (100) feet of any residence or occupied building; or placed in such a manner to reasonably exclude access by deer; or placed as part of a wild hog management effort authorized by the agency; or present from normal agricultural practices, normal forest management practices, or crop and wildlife food production practices.



Feeding and carcass transportation restrictions are an important tool to prevent CWD from spreading. The agency will increase testing and surveillance efforts in Lewis County to monitor the disease.

Hunter participation in CWD testing is critical for the continued surveillance and monitoring of CWD throughout the state. Hunters can access CWD testing through participating taxidermists and meat processors, or by using drop-off freezers.

Lewis County drop-off freezers are available at:



Meriwether Market, 2768 Summertown Hwy., Hohenwald, Tn.

Lewis County Farmers Co-op, 324 Summertown Hwy., Hohenwald, Tn.

Thousand Trails Natchez Trace, 1361 Napier Road, Hohenwald, Tn.

CWD is a progressive, fatal disease of the nervous system of cervids including white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, and moose. Last year, the agency partnered with certified laboratories to test 20,762 samples, which identified 813 positive animals statewide. For more information on CWD including additional freezer locations and current regulations visit CWDinTN.org.


A Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC) student has received a scholarship from the Georgia Nurses Foundation.

The Georgia Nurses Foundation (GNF) has awarded the Amerigroup Rural Georgia Nursing Scholarship for $2,700 to Kymberly Davis-Grahn, who is expected to earn her associate degree in Nursing in December 2023. She attends classes at GNTCs Walker County Campus in Rock Spring.

The entire faculty is proud of Kymberly and honored that GNTC was chosen to receive this scholarship, said Michelle Spears-Sevy, Registered Nursing program administrator and instructor at GNTC. We hope that there will be opportunities in the future to see even more of our students recognized.

Kymberly has been an exemplary student throughout her tenure in the ASN program, Ms. Spears-Sevy said. She has served as a leader among her peers in both formal and informal capacities. Kym was elected class representative during her first year in the program and has faithfully advocated for herself and her classmates in a thoughtful and professional manner through attendance at monthly faculty meetings.

Ms. Davis-Grahn and her classmates wrote a survival guide for this years incoming freshmen. She has gone out of her way to mentor first year students and has encouraged her classmates to do the same.

Kymberly has done all of this while maintaining her own grades, continuing to work, raising a family and projecting a consistently positive and hopeful attitude, Ms. Spears-Sevy said.

Health insurance provider Amerigroup awarded $35,000 to the Georgia Nurses Foundation (GNF) in 2022 to support development of the nursing workforce in rural and underserved areas of Georgia.

GNTC is one of 10 institutions in the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) system to receive this scholarship, Ms. Spears-Sevy said. We consider this to be recognition of the contribution that our nursing graduates make to their local communities.

As a condition of the scholarship, Ms. Davis-Grahn must graduate from the ASN program with cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher. Following graduation, she must obtain state licensure within five months of graduation and work as full-time (minimum of 30 hours per week) as a Registered Nurse (RN) in a critical access hospital, rural health clinic, federally qualified health center, public health department, school-based clinic, community service board, providers office or other employer of RNs based in a rural county for two years after licensure.

Ms. Davis-Grahn also received a GNTC Foundation Scholarship for the summer 2021 semester; the GNTC Foundation Scholarship is for outstanding students with financial need who are enrolled in any program of study leading to a degree, diploma or certificate.

Georgia Northwestern Technical College provides quality workforce education to the citizens of northwest Georgia. Students have the opportunity to earn an associate degree, diploma or a certificate in aviation, business, health, industrial or public service career paths. This past year, 11,601 people benefited from GNTCs credit and noncredit programs. GNTC has an annual credit enrollment of 8,071 students and an additional enrollment of 3,530 people through adult education, continuing education, business and industry training and Georgia Quick Start. For more information about GNTC, visit us at www.GNTC.edu. GNTC is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia and an Equal Opportunity Institution.
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum is a recipient of a $92,500 grant for Capital Maintenance and Improvement from the State of Tennessee as administered through the Tennessee State Museum.The grant award will be used for access improvements to classroom space in Exhibit Building.The Tennessee General Assembly made available $5 million in funding from the 2023-2024 Appropriations Act, for the sole purpose of providing grants to museums with a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization or affiliated with a governmental entity for capital maintenance and improvements.It was a highly competitive process.In total, the Tennessee State Museum received 170 applications, totaling $12.5M in funding requests for the $5M appropriation. The Museum made full or partial awards to 108 museums across the state, representing 58 counties.The Tennessee State Museum serves the State of Tennessee through history, art and culture, said Ashley Howell, Tennessee State Museum executive director. There is incredible work being done throughout the state by our strong network of Tennessee museums and historic homes. This grant is an extension of how we can further support their efforts and the preservation of local and state history. We thank the Tennessee General Assembly for their support for Tennessee Museums.We are thrilled to be awarded this grant and excited about making better classroom space as we expand our educational programs, said Charles Googe, education coordinator.The Capital Improvement and Maintenance grant had a minimum request amount of $5,000 and a maximum request amount of $100,000. All projects must be completed by June 30, 2024.
The Tennessee Charter School Center (TCSC) acknowledged its outstanding Charter School Champions during a Gala Celebration at its Annual Conference at the Westin Memphis Beale Street.

Each year, the TCSC identifies and honors individuals who have displayed exceptional commitment, dedication, and innovation in shaping the future of charter schools in Tennessee.

The 2023 Champion Award Winners are:

Teacher of the Year:

Jarmeisha Gladney

Soulsville Charter School

Memphis, TN





Administrator of the Year:

LaKendra Butler

STRIVE Collegiate Academy

Nashville, TN





Advocate of the Year:

Dr.

Public Education Foundation

Chattanooga, TN





Public Education Foundation Chattanooga, TN School of the Year:

Intrepid College Preparatory Charter School

Nashville, TN



Community Impact Project of the Year:

Memphis School of Excellence

Verizon Innovative Learning Schools

Memphis, TN





Policy Champion of the Year:

Senator Bo Watson (Hixson/Hamilton County, TN)

Expressing gratitude for the Administrator of the Year award, LaKendra Butler of STRIVE Collegiate Academy remarked, I am always honored when others see and recognize my hard work. Thank you to every leader who has poured into me, every adult who has allowed me to learn alongside them/lead them, and every family who has given me the opportunity to serve your child. I am truly grateful!

Founding charter organizations were also recognized as Champions, for their pivotal role in establishing the Tennessee Charter School Movement within their communities and significantly contributing to the success and growth of 44,000+ charter students across the state.

These outstanding individuals and schools have demonstrated unparalleled commitment and excellence in shaping the landscape of charter schools in Tennessee, said Dr. Maya Bugg, CEO of the Tennessee Charter School Center. The awards ceremony is our opportunity to celebrate, but also underscore our champions significant contributions and investments among the charter school community.

This summer, the latest study from the National Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) at Stanford University found that Tennessee public charter schools are succeeding in raising expectations and closing achievement gaps.

Tennessee is one of the top states in the nation for charter school reading and math gains. Public charter school students are demonstrating greater academic growth in math and English language arts than their counterparts in non-charter schools on average. This academic growth equals an additional month and a half of learning each year for Tennessees public charter school students as compared to their traditional school peers.

In 2023, public charter schools earned top TVAAS scores at significantly higher rates than other types of public schools statewide. Specifically, 63% of charter schools earned a 4 or a 5 growth score compared to 38% of traditional public schools.

Tennessee Charter Schools are some of the fastest-improving in the nation  making historic gains in the national rankings and in the opportunities we are creating for students. Charters disproportionately serve more students of color and economically disadvantaged students. Expanding charter options in Tennessee ensures that more students, particularly those from underserved communities, have access to an excellent education. said Dr. Bugg, CEO of the Tennessee Charter School Center.

Held to a higher standard of accountability than traditional public schools, but with the benefit of added autonomy that puts local school leaders and teachers in charge, Tennessees public charter schools are empowered to create a challenging and focused learning environment for students, while giving parents even more direct and meaningful opportunities to participate in their childrens education.

The Tennessee Charter School Center (TCSC) is a statewide charter school support organization. TCSC is committed to advancing the educational outcomes for all students via access to high-quality, public school options. Our mission is to support quality and cultivate innovation in public education while serving as an advocate on behalf of public charter schools.
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By Arthur I. Cyr

The recent summit between Presidents Joe Biden of the United States and Xi Jinping of China was useful, especially for U.S. business executives present, but it also highlighted the serious economic problems of Xis dictatorship. These include a collapsing real estate market and increasingly worrisome local government debt.

The meeting in September between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was essentially a non-event. Both nations struggle with severe economic problems, and the former with the draining Ukraine war.

By contrast, the lengthy visit last April of President Yoon Suk-yeol of South Korea to Washington D.C.  during which he famously sang the opening from Don McLeans 1971 song American Pie at a state dinner  underscores both the growing influence of that strong nation and the high priority of the alliance with the United States.

South Koreas transformation has been truly stunning and continues. As recently as the early 1960s, the nation was one of the poorest economies in the world. Still a peasant society, the entire Korean Peninsula was devastated by the Korean War (1950-53). Yet today, the Republic of Korea ranks among the top twenty economies in the world, holding leadership roles in the automobile, advanced electronics, shipbuilding and other industries.

Rapid industrialization and economic modernization are complemented by a striking transition from dictatorship to democracy. President and General Park Chung-hee stifled incipient democracy and imposed extremely harsh military authoritarianism for nearly two decades.

He was assassinated in 1979 by the head of the KCIA, the national intelligence agency. In Korean memory, he remains a respected symbol of strength and effectiveness for many, though with progress and the passage of time that fades.

General Park was succeeded as chief executive by two more generals, Chun Doo Hwan and Roe Tae Woo, but growing pressure for true democratic representation proved insurmountable.

The capstone of the transition to democracy was the election of Kim Dae-jung as president in 1998. He completed his five-year term without interruption, and in 2000 received the Nobel Peace Prize.

As a public symbol of opposition to Park's dictatorship, he was imprisoned for several years. On another occasion, KCIA agents kidnapped him and planned to kill him. Only the intervention of senior U.S. CIA official Don Gregg saved his life.

South Koreas remarkable domestic accomplishments have unfolded while the country has become increasingly influential in global arenas. In 2012, the Obama administration shrewdly nominated President Jim Yong Kim of Dartmouth College, who was born in Seoul Korea, as President of the World Bank.

The original vision of the United Nations combined competing goals of favoring the most powerful nations and inclusive global representation. Kim and former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon personify South Koreas significant expanding role as a bridge between developed and developing nations.

Market economies and reasonably representative governments now characterize a steadily increasing share of the worlds developing nations. In short, South Korea is positioned to lead developing nations toward prosperity.

The United Nations today is strong. U.N. and U.S. decisions in 1950 to defend South Korea were vital to this success. During the long Vietnam War, South Korea maintained approximately fifty thousand troops in South Vietnam. They were overwhelmingly combat forces. The principal incentive was loyalty to the United States forged during the Korean War.

In the present environment, Yoon has the opportunity to develop a starring global leadership role, with noisy North Korea shunted off to stage left.

Arthur I. Cyr (acyr@carthage.edu) is the author of After the Cold War  American Foreign Policy, Europe and Asia (NYU Press and Palgrave/Macmillan; Korean language edition by Oruem Publishing).
Bella and Gigi Hadid, Kendall Jenner, and Kaia Gerber are some of the most talked about models in the fashion world today. But do you know who the woman considered Americas first supermodel was?

It was Audrey Munson, whose fascinating life story combines success, fame, and tragedy.

Audrey was born in Rochester, New York, in 1891. Audreys parents split when she was eight, and Audrey moved with her mother Kittie to Providence, Rhode Island.

As Audrey grew older, her mother recognized her beautiful looks and moved them to New York City to push her towards performing and live theater. In 1908, when she was 17, Audrey began performing on Broadway as a chorus girl.

While walking around the streets of Manhattan, Audrey encountered photographer Felix Benedict Herzog, who convinced her to pose for him at his studio and eventually introduced her to his friends in the art world.

By the 1910s, Audrey gained a reputation as a beautiful model and began accepting modeling jobs all over the city, posing for photographs and sculptures. Some of the countrys biggest artists began commissioning Audrey to pose for sculptures, and today, there are sculptures inspired by her all over New York City.

For instance, if youve ever entered Central Park from Columbus Circle in Midtown Manhattan, you may have seen the massive USS Maine National Monument, with a bronze statue of a woman representing Columbia Triumphant sitting atop it. Audrey posed for that sculpture, which now sits forever at the entrance of one of Americas most famous public parks.

By 1915, she was one of the most recognized models in the art world, especially after she modeled for a series of pieces featured at the Worlds Fair in San Francisco.

Around this time, Audrey began appearing in silent films, famous for her courageously revealing scenes. She also had a voice as a writer and wrote a series of articles in the 1920s about her life and her opposition to wage gaps between male and female models and actresses.

Unfortunately, the early 1920s was when Audreys life became riddled with drama, causing a decline in her fame and mental health. She was involved in two scandals, one of them being an incident where her landlord murdered his wife, and the authorities believed it was because he wanted to be with Audrey instead.

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Wikimedia Commons/Joe Mabel

The United Methodist Church (UMC) faces a significant schism as over 7,000 congregations have parted ways since 2019, marking a pivotal moment in the ongoing debate over the denomination's stance on LGBTQ+ issues. Recent data compiled by UM News revealed a staggering count of 7,286 churches that have disaffiliated, with more than 5,200 departing so far in 2023.

The departure involves 366 churches from the Kentucky Conference, 349 from North Alabama, 334 from North Georgia, 326 from North Carolina, and 317 from the Indiana Annual Conference. Notably, during a special session called by the North Georgia Conference, 261 out of the 334 churches seeking disaffiliation were granted approval to depart.

Despite these exits, the North Georgia Conference maintains approximately 440 affiliated congregations, with four churches - The Fountain United Methodist Church at Sugarloaf, McEachern Memorial United Methodist Church, Trinity United Methodist Church of Rome, and Griffin First United Methodist Church - not gaining approval for disaffiliation.

The core contention revolves around UMC's doctrinal position, particularly regarding same-sex unions and the ordination of clergy in same-sex relationships. Although attempts to amend the Book of Discipline have failed, leading to friction between liberal and conservative factions, the denomination provided an avenue for churches to disaffiliate through paragraph 2553, set to expire by year-end.

Legal battles have ensued, with congregations contesting rejected disaffiliation votes or perceived procedural unfairness. Recently, a Montgomery County Circuit Court ruled against 42 churches in Alabama, stating that secular courts lacked jurisdiction in ecclesiastical matters.

Amidst this division, thousands of departing congregations have found refuge in the Global Methodist Church, a theologically conservative alternative founded last year.

Meanwhile, the North Georgia Annual Conference ratified the departure of 261 churches in a solemn session. Rev. Carolyn Stephens presented the motion, acknowledging the departure while underscoring the remaining churches' commitment to the UMC's mission.

The disaffiliated churches have until November 30, 2023, to fulfill the terms of the agreement, which includes financial obligations. Post-separation, the North Georgia Conference anticipates the birth of new United Methodist faith communities and welcomes members of departing churches to affiliate with other United Methodist congregations or district rolls.

Additionally, UM News' count of disaffiliations, although comprehensive, lags behind the official tally collected by the General Council on Finance and Administration, awaiting reports from annual conferences.

In an evolving landscape, conferences like South Carolina and West Virginia have opted for different approaches, using church closure processes outlined in the Book of Discipline.
Franklin Graham meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. | Samaritans purse

Franklin Graham, prominent in American Evangelical circles and leading the international humanitarian organization Samaritan's Purse and Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, visited kibbutzim including three villages that were severely affected by a recent Hamas attack before having a meeting with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

During this visit, Graham pledged the donation of 21 ambulances for Israel. Samaritan's Purse previously committed to providing 14 ambulances to Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel's national medical emergency, disaster, ambulance and blood service. These vehicles are intended to replace those destroyed during the October terrorist attacks, according to a press release issued by Samaritan's Purse.

Additionally, Samaritans Purse has supplied equipped medical personnel with specialized trauma kits, especially in areas vulnerable to potential rocket attacks.

He emphasized the critical situation faced by Israel due to the attack, expressing concern for the hostages taken and the casualties incurred. Graham called for prayers for the affected individuals, including the hostages, their families and Prime Minister Netanyahu.

While visiting the abandoned city of Beeri, a kibbutz, on his way to the Gaza border, Graham was deeply struck by the haunting echoes of a tragic past. It is the location where 130 residents were killed and 26 taken hostage in the October 7 Hamas invasion. He remarked, I havent seen such brutality since Pol Pot and the killing fields in Cambodia. Its evil. Its demonic what took place here.

There, where now occupied solely by IDF soldiers, he encountered a young woman returning for the first time since an attack. She, with her two children, had sought refuge within their home and survived. Her husband, Daniel, a devoted doctor, rushed to aid the injured at a nearby clinic during the crisis. Tragically, terrorists breached the clinic, claiming his life and that of almost everyone inside.

Graham expressed in a press release, The conflict in Israel and Gaza is causing immense suffering for innocent families. Lives have been lost due to delays in accessing urgent medical assistance, particularly after terrorists incapacitated MDA ambulances in the area and attacked other arriving emergency vehicles."

There are countless untold stories of grief, heartbreak, horror, and traumaand there is great need. SamaritansPurse is working to help and I will be sharing more. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, Graham stated in an X post.

Samaritan's Purse, since its establishment in 1970, has been dedicated to assisting those affected by war, poverty, natural disasters, disease and famine. Their mission revolves around extending aid while aiming to spread God's love through Jesus Christ.
Joel Rosenberg | Joel Rosenberg on TBN Youtube screen shot

In an open letter to Israeli leaders, Joel Rosenberg, an American-Israeli evangelical Christian leader and a bestselling author, has made an urgent plea to evacuate Palestinian Christians from northern Gaza, where they face imminent danger from Hamas and other terrorist groups.

In his letter, Rosenberg urged Israeli leaders to relocate Palestinian Christians to the West Bank rather than directing them southward, emphasizing that Palestinian Christians, unlike their Muslim counterparts, are not affiliated with Hamas or its radical ideology. They are peaceful and law-abiding citizens, yet they find themselves trapped in a perilous situation amidst the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

They are not supporters of radical Islamist terrorism. They do not support the terror attacks on Israel. They just want to live in peace and be free to follow the Bible and love their neighbors. But right now they are in an impossible situation, he said.

The IDF's policy of urging Palestinians to move to sanctuary areas in southern Gaza has understandably raised concerns among Palestinian Christians. They harbor deep fears of being subjected to the same atrocities that ISIS inflicted upon Christians in Iraq and Syria.

Rosenberg underscored the precarious situation facing Palestinian Christians in southern Gaza, where they are viewed as pagans and infidels by Hamas and other extremist groups. He warned of the potential for a massacre should they be forced to relocate to this region.

In light of these grave concerns, Rosenberg implored the Israeli government to immediately evacuate all Palestinian Christians from Gaza, estimated to be around 1,000 individuals. He proposed relocating them to the West Bank, where they would be welcomed and supported by their fellow Christians.

Rosenberg acknowledged the desire of many Palestinian Christians to emigrate to countries like the United States, Canada, or Europe. However, he emphasized the urgency of their immediate evacuation from Gaza to ensure their safety, vividly describing the dire conditions faced by the Christians sheltering in churches in Gaza City, Deir El Balah and other locations. They are struggling to survive, lacking food, medicine, and water, while facing constant threats from the ongoing shelling.

He relayed a message from his friend in Israel, Already over 20 of them have been killed, and they are very close to our hearts. A couple of days ago, four more were injured due to the shelling. We have been in constant contact with them. They are desperate to leave  but not to the south where it is not safe.

Dearest Joel, we are asking you, in the name of Jesus, to help them and find a way to help them while they are in the churches or find another way to get them to a safe place, he added.
Its 5 a.m. and my house is quiet, but the world is loud. Here in the US, were preparing for Thanksgiving, and against the glistening backdrop of what we think the holiday ought to behappy families gathered around abundant tablesis the sometime shabbiness of our ordinary lives: burned gravy, bickering siblings, and empty chairs. Fox News or MSNBC drones on and on in the background at grandmas house, and anxiety simmers on the back burner of the stove.

We prepare our tables and imagine where everyone will sit. Can Uncle Bill, who loves to talk about Trump 2024, sit beside Sara from Seattle? Can they make it till the pumpkin pie? We check to see how much last-minute tickets to Honolulu cost and pause to ponder bears, mildly jealous of how hibernation helps them survive long, hard winters.

We want to gather, to welcome, to blessbut we are afraid. Often, we Christians have no idea how to open our hearts and our homes to include people who need to be there, Rosaria Butterfield says in her book The Gospel Comes with a House Key. We love the miraculous stories of Jesus, his feeding of the five thousand, his divine healing, his contagious grace. And we miss the most obvious things about these stories: that we are meant to replicate them in ordinary, non-miraculous ways.

Ten years ago, an Egyptian Muslim woman named Heba helped me (a white American Christian) rediscover how to practice the spiritual discipline of hospitality, especially when our differences make it difficult.

I met Heba at a park. She was with her two daughters, and she was looking for a friend. I was there with my two girls as well, but I was merely looking to pass the hours between naptime and bedtime with as little disturbance as possible.

She thought I looked kind, a perception that strikes me as the first miracle of our friendship, given the beleaguered state of my heart and mind in that season of my life. It took her three attempts at striking up a conversation before I finally reciprocated, and within a few minutes, shed invited me to her home for tea. That I said yes to a strangers invitation is the second miracle of our friendship.

Heba and I live in Midland, Texas, in the heart of Americas oil and gas industry, which brings a lot of multinational companies to a relatively isolated region of our country. These companies move global employees in and out of our community. Five hours from cities like Dallas or San Antonio or Austin, the Permian Basin can be a hard and lonely assignment for expatriates, the foreign nationals temporarily working outside of their home countries.

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Its especially hard on the spousesusually womenwho often are stuck in a small apartment in a strange city with little to do and no friends. For example, when Heba and I met, she had to drive at least five hours to get to a good Arab grocery store with halal meat, and the local international food scene was dominated by taco trucks and Chinese takeout.

Like Heba, Id moved to Midland from overseasfrom Beijing, China, where my husband and I had lived for nearly four years. I remembered from my time abroad how lonely it could be to wake up on December 25 in a country where Christmas was just another day, and I knew the trailing spouses in Midland were more isolated than Id ever been. So Heba and I started hosting dinners in our homes, inviting native-born American women interested in making friends from other places and expat women whom Heba had gathered into her fold.

Our dinners quickly expanded from two people to three to ten, and when we outgrew our homes, we formed an international womens group called Basin Bridges and started meeting in a church fellowship hall. Open to all, our group has grown over the years to include over 500 women representing at least five different faith traditions, close to 20 countries, and even more languages.

Our monthly gatherings have always centered around a shared table and conversation. Most months, its simply coffee and grocery store snacks, but once a year, we host a global potluck Friendsgiving, where we each bring our families and a traditional food from our home culture to share, pulling up as many chairs to the table as necessary. Last year, our group was nearly 70.

Ask anyone who comes regularly to our gatherings, and shell tell you that being a part of a group with the sole purpose of fostering friendship between people of different cultural and religious backgrounds has profoundly shifted the lens through which she views the world. There are no faceless conflicts now. This group has scrambled my natural proclivityegged on by so many headlines and punditsto sort everyone and everything into tidy categories of us and them. Everything is simultaneously more complicated and much simpler.

When Hamas terrorists attacked Israeli civilians last month, our group discussed what we each knew of the regional history. We learned from one another how incomplete our perspectives were, shaped by childhood history classes in Cairo and Carrollton. Together, we grieved the violence inflicted on ordinary Israeli families by Hamas, and when the war in Gaza began, I held my breath alongside Heba as she waited more than three weeks for word from some of her friends trapped in the region.

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When Russia bombed a Ukrainian nuclear power plant last year, our group listened to a Ukrainian woman, homesick for a place she could never again revisit. She told us what Zaporizhzhia had been like before the war, about the summertime walks along leafy tree-lined streets to cafes tucked into old European buildings.

Friends from Myanmar share news from aunts and uncles whove fled to the jungle to escape government-led bombings. Friends from Venezuela tell us how their families back home manage to stretch a salary to cover food for a month. Last month, an Iranian Christian told our group about her escape from Iran because of religious persecution, and a hijab-wearing Malaysian Muslim woman was among the first to express her furious grief over those who use religionin this case, her own religionto coerce and control and consolidate power.

These conversations arent always easy, but after sharing many tables together, our talks are rooted in curiosity rather than contempt. Each time we gather, we come away remembering afresh that what we have in common is so much greater than that which separates us. After all, you cant see someone as entirely other when theyre teaching you to make their grandmas dumplings.

And in a global context of algorithms and click bait and outrage porn that pushes each of us further into our respective echo chambers, relationships that cross cultural and religious lines provide a helpful path back to temperance. My friendship with Heba and Basin Bridges more broadly have become an organic deradicalization program, a life jacket in turbulent seas.

Gather, break, bless, go out: This is the sacramental life. As Christians, it is what we do when we take Communion. We gather together; we break bread, remembering Christs sacrifice; we take it, receiving the blessing of his promise to be our ever-present help in times of trouble; and we go out to love and serve the world.

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It is the same pattern echoed in Jesus miracle of feeding the five thousand (Matt. 14:1321). He gathered what the people had to offer, broke the bread, blessed the meal of five loaves and two fishes so that it was abundantly more than any could ask or imagine (Eph. 3:20), then sent out the people with lives transformed.

Though our international womens group meetings are not centered around a shared faith tradition, they still follow this same sacramental pattern. We gather, break bread, ask questions and listen to each other (which is, of course, a way to bless one another), then go out into our ordinary, non-miraculous lives better equipped to live as ordinary, non-miraculous peacemakers.

The truth is, sometimes its easier to love a culturally distant stranger than it is to love those weve been around our whole lives. Occasionally, our families include dangerous people for whom the rules of engagement must necessarily differ. But most people are merely difficult, and our very familiarity, as the saying goes, makes it all the more tempting to slide into contempt.

This week as we gather at our Thanksgiving tables, may we accept the holy invitation to practice a more determined hospitality. May we ask questions rather than make assumptions and seek to listen more than we seek to be heard. May we see each person around our table as a holy image-bearer who longs, to borrow writer David Brookss words, to have another person look into their faces with love and acceptance. May we recall, as Butterfield says, that we belong to each other, and even though we may have just realized it, we always have.

Even when its hard to gather and break bread together, practicing hospitality is a habit the Bible elevates as a spiritual discipline (Romans 12:13). It is a two-way transformation, rewiring the hearts and minds of both giver and receiver. It is the makings of an ordinary miracle.

Carrie McKean is a West Texasbased writer whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, and Texas Monthly Magazine.
Spiritual Enemies to be Encountered, one of the lesser-known texts written by Charles Wesley, urges the believer to persevere in the battle against legions of dire malicious fiends and secret, sworn, eternal foes.

Theres talk of spiritual enemies coupled with militarism that places Christ as captain and angels as the infantry in a cosmic war against all hells host. The figure of Christ is center, as conqueror and commander, but also as lamb and lion:

Jesus tremendous name, puts all our foes to flight:

Jesus, the meek, the angry Lamb, a Lion is in fight.

By all hells host withstood, we all hells host oerthrow;

And conquering them, through Jesus blood, we still to conquer go.

There is a long history of militarism in Christian sacred song. From Martin Luthers A Mighty Fortress to Elevations recent hit, Praise, its easy to find examples of lyricists using violent language and imagery to convey the weight of Christs victory over sin and death.

But when it comes to songs that describe death and destruction, what framework should worshipers and worship leaders use to determine the difference between rejoicing in Jesus triumph and careless triumphalism?

Elevations Praise is an energetic anthem with an infectious chorus hook that has made it popular as a congregational song and as a sound clip on apps like TikTok and Instagram.

The song begins with the well-known line from Psalm 150, Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. The songs first verse confidently expresses a commitment to praise God in all things, in all circumstances:

Ill praise in the valley

Praise on the mountain

Ill praise when Im sure

Praise when Im doubting

The second verse is similarly focused on the individual, but places the worshiper in the middle of a battle:

Ill praise when outnumbered

Praise when surrounded

Cause praise is the waters

My enemies drown in

The line praise is the waters / My enemies drown in describes a scene of mass death. It most likely refers to the collapse of the Red Sea on the Egyptian army in Exodus 14, metaphorically placing the worshiper in the position of the Israelites on the other side, watching as God allows the waters to consume their enemies.

Mike OBrien, a worship leadership consultant and trainer in the Atlanta area, sees a danger, particularly for American Christians, in foregrounding depictions of violence and death without careful consideration of tone and context.

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A lot of the time, the battle language is just triumphalism run amok, OBrien said. It feels like celebrating our own personal narratives, or the power of us.

In recent songs like Praise or Phil Wickhams Battle Belongs, language of warfare seems to apply to personal battles and inner struggles rather than external enemies.

Its not always quite clear who we are thinking of as enemy, said Jeremy Perigo, professor of theology and worship at Dordt University. That makes a song weaker, theologically. Who are we fighting against? Who is drowning?

Elevations line praise is the waters / My enemies drown in could land differently if it were praise is the waters / Your enemies drown in.

The church shouldnt shy away from talk of enemies, argues Andrew Wilson: The Scriptures talk about enemies with robust clarity and remarkable frequency, including in ways we are explicitly urged to imitate.

Confusion about who exactly Gods enemies are, and how the church should respond to them, makes Christians more likely to attack one another, not less.

Perigo suggests that more precise language to define enemies and a clearer focus on the power of God will help guard against triumphalism. Otherwise, said Perigo, my praise is whats going to bring the breakthrough, which ignores Christs victory.

A hymn like A Mighty Fortress foregrounds the strength and omnipotence of God against the prince of darkness grim, our ancient foe. It also points to human weakness and dependence on God, the protector:

Did we in our own strength confide,

our striving would be losing,

were not the right Man on our side,

the Man of Gods own choosing.

You ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is he;

Lord Sabaoth his name,

from age to age the same;

and he must win the battle.

The text places no weapon in the hands of the worshiper but in the person of Christ. The believer is still in a battle, but Christ will win it.

Framing praise as a weapon against ones enemies can encourage worshipers to focus on the power of their own words and voices. It can also allow individuals to craft their own inner vision of a battle against whoever or whatever they perceive as an adversary. Are we talking about our own efforts to bring down our personal enemies? Perigo wondered. Thats one question I would ask when using one of these songs.

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However, said Perigo, it would be counterproductive to avoid all language of battle and struggle in our congregational worship. In the face of gross injustice, singing about the fight against oppression and evil is a valuable practice.

For the American church, how do songs like Praise and Battle Belongs fit into a model of congregational worship that sings about victory and warfare in solidarity with the oppressed?

OBrien encourages pastors and worship leaders to think about how each songs use of militant language forms the congregations understanding of God and his work in the world.

Ask some questions, said OBrien. Who are we singing to? In what way is the lyric forming your congregation and their beliefs and actions? Could we leave out a verse? Would it be best to just pick a different song?

This is where pastoral discernment needs to come in, said Perigo. Praying and singing imprecatory songs can put authentic words to a practice of nonviolence.

However, Perigo cautions, those words need to be framed thoughtfully. Songs that celebrate acts of violence and destruction seem to fly in the face of Jesus admonition to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. How does praying for or singing about the death of an enemy align with those words?

Tone can help order our emotions, said Perigo, suggesting that the overall effect of a song should be considered when implementing a song or prayer that uses imprecatory language. Is this really about triumph and excitement? Or is this a righteous response to injustice?

We dont want to silence the grieving and their calls for justice, said Perigo. But we also dont want the language of struggle to be weaponized.

Singing congregational songs that reflect and affirm the pain of the oppressed and abused is a necessary practice for a church that seeks to be a refuge and sanctuary for the broken. Singing songs that acknowledge injustice and violence is also a way to stand in solidarity with the suffering.

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Singing in solidarity with those who suffer is one way to keep the needs of the world before us so that our prayers reach beyond those who are near and dear and extend to all of humanity, wrote C. Michael Hawn in his essay, The Truth Shall Set You Free.

Hawns essay describes the spread of freedom songs throughout the global church during the struggle against apartheid in South Africa in the late 20th century. The dynamic between local and global challenges the norm of worship as a place where individual comfort is the first and foremost criterion, wrote Hawn.

There is individual comfort found in singing songs about a God who fights our battles. There is also comfort in believing that praise is a powerful weapon against ones enemies.

Some might find it encouraging to sing about drowning foes in a time of geopolitical strifePraise peaked in popularity on the church music resource sites Christian Copyright Licensing International (CCLI) and PraiseCharts two weeks ago, as the world witnessed horrifying violence in Israel and Palestine (it is still the most popular multitrack purchase on CCLIs platform).

A vision of the global church and a cosmic battle against evil can lend a perspective that helps resist the celebration of death and lifts up the oppressed and suffering.

Hawn suggests, Rather than being paralyzed by silence in the face of injustice, let us sing in solidarity with those whose burdens are heavy and, in doing so, discover that our own worship finds a more authentic voice to praise the Creator of all song.
Was Koreas reputation as IT powerhouse castle in air?

The government's central computer system was up and running again on Monday following a debilitating three-day outage.

Last Friday, the Korean public was unable to obtain official documents or conduct other duties requiring certification as the system outage crippled the governments civil service capabilities. People could not make real estate deals or receive bank loans, as they could not get resident registration papers or obtain self-verification.

Things could have been far worse if it had happened midweek.

It took the government 56 hours to restore the system. And officials still need to learn exactly what went wrong. They attributed the outage to a networking device related to self-certification, but admitted they did not know exactly which part of it went down and how. Restoration of service was an urgent matter, and an investigation is underway, a senior official said.

The three-day outage tainted Koreas reputation as an IT powerhouse. Ironically, the incident occurred while a top official responsible for the system was abroad to promote the nations excellent e-government system.

Its been restored for now, but the public still has many questions that need to be answered.

First, they cannot understand why it took so long to replace a broken device. Experts suspect there might be more reasons government officials do not know about or are reluctant to share with the public. Second, they see no reason why the government updated the hardware on a weekday instead of a weekend. Third, why was there no backup system?

What annoyed the public even more was the foot-dragging by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. The computer system went down even before government employees began work on Friday. However, it was close to the end of the workday when the ministry admitted the problem and notified the public by text message. Had private companies caused a similar incident, regulators would have rebuked and punished them. Officials said they only send messages during disasters. But the government's computer system outage constitutes a disaster in this tightly-wired era.

President Yoon Suk Yeol has vowed to make the best digital platform government in the world. It will issue all civil documents online and gather public data from local governments on the national platform. That might befit a country that placed third in the U.N.s e-government ranking last year. It also explains why the administration increased the related outlay to 792 billion won ($616 million) next year despite a tight budget.

However, the latest mishap shows they focused more on beefing up the organization and on window dressing than on ensuring system stability.

There were early signs that appearance overshadowed substance in Koreas digital infrastructure.

In 2020, a networking failure stopped online classes for elementary school students. For similar reasons, turmoil gripped the COVID-19 vaccine reservation system the following year. This year, the judicial computer network went out of service, and the National Education Information System (NEIS) angered users due to connection errors.

Experts attribute these problems to software rather than hardware  especially humanware. They point to a lack of awareness of the importance of a national network by the government and its employees.

In August, the National Information Resources Service made a manual at the behest of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. The manual details service standards, operation method design, notes on service improvement, monitoring and overload response. However, during the latest incident, the government updated the software on a weekday, triggering an unprecedented situation.

Experts also point out that the inability to find the cause of the accident is due to poor monitoring in the first place. It was also a major disruption caused by the negligence of government employees. Similar outages will occur if the government makes light of the national network. Human error, not technical glitches, are at the root of disasters.

As always, the government will find the cause, hold officials responsible, and vow to prevent a recurrence. However, Yoon will retain Minister of Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, disciplining a few working-level officials judging by precedents. Lee failed in his two primary duties  safety and administration  as seen in the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush and the latest network breakdown.

When Kakao caused a similar problem, Yoon harshly criticized the internet company. The companys CEO stepped down after paying 500 billion won in compensation. People will be watching to see if the president applies dual standards to the public and private sectors.
Veteran Iowa GOP activist Marlys Popma has gotten a call from Nikki Haleys presidential campaign every other week for months.

Popmas is one of those coveted endorsements among the states conservative evangelicals. The 67-year-old served twice as the executive director of the Republican Party of Iowa and twice as president of Iowa Right to Life, and worked for the presidential campaigns of John McCain in 2008 and Ted Cruz in 2016.

But until a few days ago, she wasnt ready to back a candidate. Then, at a town hall on Friday in Newton, Iowa, Popma stood up and made a surprise endorsement. I was an undecided voter when I walked in here, she told the room full of Iowans, who had just heard Haleys stump speech. I no longer am an undecided voter.

Later, she told Christianity Today that as a Christian, I just really felt the Spirit saying, This is what you need to do, where you need to go. So I stood up and said, Youve got my endorsement.

The welcome endorsement came as Haley, the former South Carolina governor and Trump-era US ambassador to the United Nations, is having a moment in the polls and following up strong debate performances with more detail on her pro-life stances.

During the fall, shes risen nearly ten points in Iowabringing her to trail Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. In New Hampshire, shes risen 15 points in the polling, from 4 percent in August to 18 percent in November. Shes maintaining second place in her native state of South Carolina. Donors have started to flock to her campaign. Surveys show voters prefer her in a matchup with President Joe Biden.

The momentum comes with a big asterisk. Ive got one more fella Ive gotta catch up to, Haley told voters at an event in South Carolina earlier this month. I am determined to do it.

Former president Donald Trump is still the far and away frontrunner among evangelicals and Republicans. Hes consistently led in the polls, and most signs have pointed to a rematch between Trump and President Joe Biden. His commanding lead has made the rest of the race look like a scramble for second place.

But as the crowded primary field has started to winnowformer vice president Mike Pence and Sen. Tim Scott dropped out over the last monthHaley has hung on, and her campaign is hoping to shake things up, with a list of 70-plus endorsements from Iowa leaders and $10 million worth of advertising in Iowa and New Hampshire over the next few weeks.

I think there is great potential for movement in Iowa, Popma said. And I probably know the caucuses as well as just about anyone in the state  and I think as more people see her and hear her, the better shes gonna do.

Shes drawing the attention of voters beyond the early primary states.

Shes just really good in the debates, said Dan Darling, director of the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminarys Land Center for Cultural Engagement. She was a good, good governor.

Another advantage Haley has, Darling said, is projecting a sense of being the adult in the room during a time with troubling events on the world stage, particularly since war broke out between Israel and Hamas.

Haley has had to do some convincing around the issues many evangelicals view as paramount. In a one-on-one with the candidate prior to the town hall, Popma voiced concerns about Haleys position on abortion.

Haley put those concerns to rest. What I got from her is that if Congress gets her a bill that protects unborn babies at 15 weeks, at 6 weeks, wherever, shes going to sign, Popma said.

At that point, it was a more stalwartly conservative stance than Haley had made publicly, but she went on to reiterate it a few hours later at the Family Leaders Thanksgiving Forum, hosted by the influential Iowa-based Christian group.

When asked about whether she would sign a federal bill banning abortion after six weeks gestation, Haley said she would. Yes, whatever the people decide, she added, a nod to her previous answers suggesting she believes movement on abortion is likely to happen at the state level.

In South Carolina, Haley signed a 2016 law banning most abortions past 20 weeks gestation, the most conservative bill state lawmakers could pass at the time. Since then, the state has gone further by outlawing most abortions past six weeks.

In her campaign, she has consistently described herself as pro-life but has come across as more moderate on the issue than some of her rivals.

In the wake of last years Supreme Court decision striking down Roe v. Wade, Haley has said Republicans needed to focus on finding consensus on the issue. At the third debate, she said she would sign anything lawmakers could get across the finish line but noted the chances of Republicans getting through a federal ban were unlikely while they only have slim control of one chamber of Congress.

Its unclear whether Haleys rhetorical shift to the right on abortion, or her push to become more visible in Iowa and other early voting states, will move the needle when it comes to white evangelical voters, most of whom still favor the former president.

The evangelicals that are backing Trump arent going to be swayed by a particular story or set of convictions from someone like Nikki Haley, Daniel Bennett, a political science professor at John Brown University, told Christianity Today. Theyre going to be behind Trump.

Bennett added that Haleys story of converting as an adult may be compelling for a lot of Christians in this country who came to Christ later in life.  But at the same time, I think there are those who are going to be more skeptical of her because of her non-traditional background.

Haley is Indian American and was raised Sikh by her parents. As an adult, she converted to Christianity and now attends a well-known Methodist church in South Carolina, Mt. Horeb. The church recently left the United Methodist Church to align with the newly formed Global Methodist Church.

Tim Lubinus, executive director of the Baptist Convention of Iowa, who attended the Family Leader event Friday, said he believed most evangelical voters would prefer someone else over Trump and that Haley has a lot of traction here in Iowa.

Lubinus said a number of conversations with pastors gave him the impression that many are interested in her and her campaign and thought she had a good performance at the candidate forum over the weekend.

He added that others agreed that her rhetoric on abortion could have been stronger: We should have a position thats clear and strong, and she was maybe a half step back from that.

For the first six months after launching her campaign, while her polling remained unimpressively low, there was doubt her moment would come. Political commentators wrote off her campaign. Her rivals questioned her constituency. If a substantial shift is going to happen, now would be the timethe first test for GOP primary candidates is less than two months away, on January 15 at the Iowa caucuses.

I havent heard of like a huge movement toward her among evangelicals, but Im increasingly hearing a lot of them say, You know, she could win, I think we could easily vote for her, Darling said.

Popma thinks Haley can surprise people.

I would not have done what I did If I didnt think that she had the ability to shoot up in the polls, she said. It was what she said, it was the people around me all saying they were undecided, it gave me this vibe like, this whole room could go Haley. And if she could duplicate that city by city as she stomps through here the next month and a half, who knows what could happen?
Donate now to Food For The Poors match campaign and support their holistic, transformational approach to poverty reduction.

Is it enough to provide for someone physically if their emotional and spiritual needs remain unmet?

This is a question that drives the work of Food For The Poor (FFTP), a Christian nonprofit operating in Latin America and the Caribbean that offers a holistic approach to poverty alleviation. As they believe every person is worth caring for and every soul is worth saving, FFTP seeks to nourish hope, dignity, and faith in the lives of the less fortunate.

"If all we're doing is feeding people and not telling them about Jesus, then what are we doing?" FFTP founder Ferdinand Mahfood asked. These words are still a guiding light for the organization. Beyond feeding the hungry and sheltering the homeless, FFTP's mission extends to sharing the message of salvation and fostering profound transformation.

What Transformation Truly Looks Like

In every area of their work, FFTP seeks to address the multidimensional facets of poverty. Poverty is not solely a lack of material resources; it encompasses vulnerability, powerlessness, isolation, physical suffering, and distorted worldviews. FFTP acknowledges this complexity by empowering the poor with tools, resources, and knowledge. These integrative approaches ultimately lead to sustainable development. In their fight against malnutrition, for example, they combine short-term food aid with nutrition education, agricultural inputs, training, and access to water, ensuring that food security extends from the present to the future.

FFTP doesn't stop at addressing material needs. They also delve into the intangible aspects of poverty, such as self-worth, dignity, identity, and self-reliance. True development, as they see it, encompasses spiritual, social, and psychological considerations. And above all else, spiritual transformation is the cornerstone, leading to broader personal, economic, and social change.

In a paradigm shift for poverty work, FFTP has intentionally moved from merely building things to building lives. They understand that distorted worldviews can be more crippling than material limitations, and they know that to truly flourish, individuals must break free from the psychological shackles of poverty. In this way, FFTP adopts a participatory approach, working alongside the poor to shift toward more holistic, relationship-based models that prioritize mindset change and overall well-being.

A Transformation Case Study

Drawing inspiration from biblical principles of empowerment and self-sufficiency (2 Thess. 3:1012), FFTP aims to enhance the capacity of those they help, teaching them to make choices and take control of their lives.

FFTP's economic empowerment projects are shining examples of this approach. They engage in initiatives like coffee farming, beekeeping, and bean cultivation. And the impact is profound, as participants transition from surviving to thriving. In Marcala, Honduras, coffee production increased by over 70 percent thanks to FFTP's support. The cooperative also registered trademarks for their products, resulting in increased revenue from coffee and honey sales.

These projects not only boost production and income but also lead to higher savings, improved living conditions, and a heightened sense of self-reliance among the beneficiaries. More than providing resources, these programs help individuals and communities shape their futures.

Facilitating access to proper inputs, providing technical and business training, and promoting community empowerment are all part of the equation. In some projects, reforestation initiatives ensure environmental sustainability. Working with cooperatives not only helps farmers access better markets but also provides networking opportunities and support for marketing and commercialization.

FFTPs evaluation results speak to the efficacy of their initiatives. Bean production and the coffee and honey projects saw a significant increase in production yields and income. Households are reporting greater stability and optimism, and thats because it's not just about economic progressit's about holistic well-being.

Be the Transformation

This holistic approach embodies a commitment to transforming lives, recognizing that poverty is a complex web of challenges that demands multifaceted solutions. Through their integrated efforts, FFTP is alleviating poverty and restoring faith in the hearts of those they serve.

Colossians 1:1520 reminds us how in Christ, all things hold together. In the same way, FFTPs holistic approach fosters peace, hope, and transformation in communities, strengthening the fabric of lives affected by poverty.

November 28 is Giving Tuesday, a global movement where we each have the opportunity to transform our communitiesand our worldthrough the power of generosity. If youre interested in supporting the work of Food For The Poor, helping transform and empower those living in poverty, donate today.

Together, we can make a difference and be the agents of change that this world so desperately needs.
Home World Elder confesses to setting Pakistani church fire after initially blaming extremists

LAHORE, Pakistan  Christians in Lahore, Pakistan, were shocked to learn on Saturday that a church elder confessed to setting fire to their worship structure after initially blaming it on a Muslim extremist group, sources said.

Police arrested church elder and treasurer Zubair Akhtar Khokhar after confronting him with video evidence from CCTV cameras of the fire set on Thursday, said the Rev. Samuel Massey, pastor of Gulberg Presbyterian Church in Lahore.

Zubair was taken into custody after footage retrieved from the churchs security cameras showed him entering and exiting the building at the time of the incident. No other person was seen entering the building after Zubair, Pastor Massey told Morning Star News, saying the church leader sought to take his place as senior pastor.

Zubair also admitted that he had faked the threat letter from an Islamist group to scare me into quitting my position. When he failed to see the desired result, he decided to burn the church and pin the blame on the alleged Islamist outfit to show that the threat to my life was real.

The fake letter, dated Oct. 16, 2023, warned the congregation against worshipping too loudly.

Naseerabad police registered a case against Zubair under Sections 295 and 436 of the Pakistan Penal Code, according to First Information Report (FIR) No. 3140/23. Section 295 relates to deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs and is punishable by three years imprisonment or fine, or both.

Section 436 states that whoever commits mischief by fire or any explosive substance, intending to cause, or knowing it to be likely that he with thereby cause, the destruction of any building which is ordinarily used as a place of worship or as a human dwelling or as a place for the custody of property shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less than three years nor more than 10 years, and shall also be liable to fine.

Pastor Massey said that he and other church elders were shocked when police summoned them on Saturday and shared their findings.

Zubair was questioned by the police on Friday night because he was the only person, who by his own admission, had unlocked the gate and after some time reported the fire incident to me on the phone, Massey said.

The church pastor said that the church leaders were already wary of Zubairs attitude and had limited his role in administrative matters. Pastor Massey declined to elaborate, saying it was not right to speak publicly against a church member.

We are all deeply pained by this act, but as Christians, we will continue to pray for Gods mercy for Zubair, he told Morning Star News. He says hes remorseful for what he has done, but for now, the law will have to take its course.

The blaze destroyed the church altar, a cupboard containing Bibles and other Christian books, two air conditioning units, and furniture, among other items, the pastor told Morning Star News previously.

Two years ago, a Muslim family had filed a police complaint against the church to stop using the sound system during worship, but Pastor Massey said that the administration had addressed the concern.

Zubair was part of the session team that handled the issue at that time, he said. He connected the recent events with that incident to give it a religious cover, which would have posed a serious threat to interfaith relations in the area.

Shameful

Church and community leaders said the involvement of a congregation member in the arson had put Pakistani Christians in an embarrassing situation.

Its shameful, to say the least, said Bishop Azad Marshall, president of the Church of Pakistan.

The senior Anglican church leader told Morning Star News that, like other community members, he too was saddened to learn about the case.

Photos and videos of the charred Presbyterian church refreshed the memory of the burning churches and homes of Christians in Jaranwala that happened just three months ago, Marshall told Morning Star News. Its a pity that some Christians are now faking persecution to achieve their personal objectives. They dont realize that their actions are detrimental to the communitys security and undermine true persecution.

According to Pak Mission Society Chief Officer Adeel Rehmat, the arson further compromised the quest for justice by persecuted Christians in Pakistan.

Theres no denying that gross religious persecution happens in Pakistan, but recent incidents are projecting the entire community in an entirely different light, Rehmat told Morning Star News. The Jaranwala attacks took place when a Christian man desecrated the Koran to implicate two Christian brothers in a false blasphemy case. Thereafter, a Presbyterian pastor in the same area faked an assassination attempt by Islamist extremists for ulterior motives, and now this Christian man has burned his own church and tried to give it religious color. We must condemn and discourage such lies and deceit, otherwise the entire community will suffer its consequences.

The Pak Mission Society is a leading faith-based humanitarian organization that works for community development and strengthening of the church in Pakistan.

On Sept. 29, police in Faisalabad charged the Rev. Eleazar Sidhu with making false allegations after he admitted that a gunshot wound he had blamed on Islamic extremists was self-inflicted.

Sidhu, pastor of the Presbyterian Myong-Sang Nasreth Church in Kukranwala village of Jaranwala had filed a case with police alleging that Muslim extremists on Sept. 3 ordered him to recite the Islamic creed and shot him when he refused.

Christian leaders said the pastors false allegation, followed by unwarranted activism by a handful of Christian rights advocates on social media, diverted attention from persecution in the Jaranwala riots and endorsed the claims of Islamist hardline groups that Christians were exploiting blasphemy cases to find asylum in Western countries citing threats, persecution and lack of security in Pakistan.

Pakistan ranked seventh on Open Doors 2023 World Watch List of the most difficult places to be a Christian, up from eighth the previous year.
Home World Nigerian court acquits evangelist charged with kidnapping after helping convert to safety

A court in northeast Nigeria has acquitted a Nigerian Christian evangelist of kidnapping charges related to facilitating safe passage and accommodation for a 17-year-old Christian convert facing death threats.

The court's decision was delivered earlier this month, according to the human rights group ADF International, which supported the defense of an evangelist known by the pseudonym Daniel Kefee through its allied attorneys in Nigeria.

In 2018, Hafsatu converted to Christianity after an encounter with Kefee. Her family threatened to kill her due to her new faith, and Kefee helped arrange for her to stay at a Christian school residence for her safety, ADF International said Monday in a statement.

The attorneys argued that providing life-saving assistance cannot be considered a crime. The court, siding with this perspective, questioned the government prosecutors, highlighting the potential risks had Kefee not acted to protect Hafsatu.

ADF International legal counsel Sean Nelson called the ruling "an incredible victory for religious freedom in Nigeria."

Nelson highlighted challenges faced by Christian converts from Islam in Nigeria, who often cannot practice their faith due to threats and attacks. Nelson expressed hope that Kefee's acquittal would aid others in similar situations.

Hamman Ezekiel Pwana, Kefee's lawyer in Nigeria, is grateful the court acknowledged that Christian converts should not face threats and that assisting them is not criminal.

Christians, along with other religious minorities, face severe persecution in Nigeria.

Last year, over 5,600 Christians worldwide were killed for their faith, with 90% of these deaths occurring in Nigeria, the global Christian persecution watchdog organization Open Doors reports.

ADF International is also involved in the legal defense of Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, a Sufi Muslim musician in Nigeria who has been imprisoned for 3.5 years. Sharif-Aminu was sentenced to death by hanging for sharing song lyrics considered blasphemous on WhatsApp.

With a population of over 200 million, almost evenly split between Christians and Muslims, blasphemy laws exacerbate societal tensions, ADF International contends, noting that they not only punish individuals for expressing their beliefs but also silence people from sharing their faith and fuel societal violence.

Instances of mob violence triggered by blasphemy accusations are not uncommon.

Last May, Deborah Emmanuel Yakubu, a Christian student, was killed by her Muslim classmates in Sokoto State following blasphemy accusations. Another Christian woman, Rhoda Jatau, faced similar threats and violence and is currently imprisoned, awaiting trial for blasphemy. ADF International is also supporting Jatau.

Religious freedom advocacy organizations appealed to the United Nations on behalf of Yakubu and Jatau. UN experts responded with a joint allegation letter to the Nigerian government in August, highlighting the danger of blasphemy laws as a violation of international human rights.

"Both cases appear to be related to the legitimate exercise of the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion and of freedom of opinion and expression. Both are members of a religious minority," the letter reads.

"While we do not wish to prejudge the accuracy of these allegations, we wish to express our utter concern at the lynching and burning alive of Ms. Emmanuel; the apparent negligence of the police prosecution and the lack of accountability for the perpetrators of her murder; we are also concerned at the arrest and detention of Ms. Jatau, accused of 'blasphemy,' who has been imprisoned for over a year for what appears to be her mere peaceful exercise of her right to freedom of expression and freedom of religion or belief."
Home Opinion The hijacking of Christ is King

What did Candace Owens mean when she posted that Christ is King in the midst of a very public dispute with her Daily Wire employer Ben Shapiro? Im not going to enter into the details of that dispute other than to say I agree with Shapiros concerns.

Here, I want to focus on Owens posting the words Christ is King on X (formerly Twitter).

In a previous post, she quoted the words of Jesus that you cannot serve both God and money, causing many to wonder if this was a dig on Jewish people, who are allegedly money hungry.

But why, specifically, did she add, Christ is King? Others are wondering as well.

As reported in the Jerusalem Post, The posts on the social media platform X appeared to some as an antisemitic dog-whistle, alluding to Shapiro's comments and invoking ancient anti-Jewish tropes through its use of biblical language and its appeal to the Christian faith. Yashar Ali, the prominent journalist with more than 700,000 followers on the site, shared a screenshot and said, I know what Candace's tweets mean.

Perhaps Candace Owens can clarify the issues herself?

For those wondering what could be wrong with proclaiming Christ is King, the unfortunate reality is that this beautiful, biblically based truth has been hijacked by elements of the extreme religious right, often with anti-Semitic implications.

I pointed this out in my August 8 article denouncing an anti-Semitic rant by Nick Fuentes, where he said (to rousing applause and shouts of affirmation), Word is getting out that we got to rid of Jewish power in America, and despite them doing everything in their power to stop it  censoring and canceling and killing  we are here to say that America is not a Jewish nation. America is a Christian nation.

I noted that, Youve got to see the video for yourself, but, to paint the picture here in words, at this point in the speech, on the screen behind him, giant angel wings flap on his right and left, as if he was some kind of angelic messenger. It really does seem like a sick attempt at satire. But I repeat, it is not.

In fact, in response to his proclamation that America is a Christian nation not a Jewish nation, the crowd begins to chant, Christ is King! Christ is King!

In his view (and the view of his followers) Christ is King over the world and therefore King over America, not just in a spiritual sense but in the sense of lets take this country back from the Jews. The chant was hardly biblical at all.

A December 1, 2022 article on the Religion News site stated that, During a livestream in June, Fuentes advocated for Catholic Taliban rule in America, explaining that such a regime would ban same-sex marriage and contraception. His followers, known as Groypers, were a consistent presence at anti-vaccine and anti-abortion rallies in 2021, often holding aloft crucifixes and chanting Christ is king!

More than 10 months earlier, on January 26, 2022, an article posted on the Pulitzer Center website noted that, When supporters of former President Donald Trump rallied near the White House on Jan. 6 of last year, a boisterous pocket of young men waving America First flags broke into a chant: Christ is King! It was one of the first indications that Christian nationalism would be a theme of the Capitol attack later that day, where insurrectionists prayed and waved banners that read Proud American Christian.

Writing on February 6, 2022, Greg Williams explained that,

The crowd chanted Christ is King! at the March for Life in Washington, DC this January. They chanted it last January too, when an insurrection broke into the US Capitol and attempted to overthrow the government. That chant is now a calling card of Nick Fuentes and America First  a podcast, conference and community within the broader white Christian nationalist movement. It also happens to be a core proclamation of Christians through the centuries. When I say Christ is King, I mean something very different from what Fuentes means. While there is a long history of Christian support for violent racism  even using that very same language  a proper theological understanding of Christ is King ought to compel us to live at peace with our neighbors.

To be sure, the vast majority of Christians who participated in the March for Life would absolutely and unequivocally denounce the idea of a Catholic (or, Christian) Taliban. It is likely the same can be said of the great majority of Christians who gathered in DC on that fateful January 6, 2021.

But without a doubt, there is a growing minority that connects America first with the proclamation of Christ is King in a way that perverts the very meaning of those Jesus-exalting words.

Yes, Jesus is King and will always be King. He was born a King, died a King, reigns in Heaven as King, and will return as King  in fact, as King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16). For myself, as Jewish follower of Jesus, I unashamedly proclaim Him as the Messianic King and the Savior and Lord of all. And yes, in His name and authority we are called to go and make disciples of the nations (Matthew 28:18-20)

But to use Christ is King as a political slogan, especially one with racist and anti-Semitic overtones, is to bring disgrace on that holy and beautiful name.

I certainly hope this is not what Candace Owens meant. A clarification is certainly called for.

We dare not mess with such sacred words.
Home Church & Ministries Christian evangelist shot in head while promoting church service on Arizona street: police

Local police are searching for answers after a Christian evangelist was shot in the head while preaching on an Arizona street last week and is now hospitalized in critical condition.

Hans Schmidt, the 26-year-old outreach director at Victory Chapel First Phoenix Church, was shot while street preaching on Wednesday night before service, according to a statement on the church's website.

Gina Winn, the public information officer for the Glendale Police Department, said during a press conference that officers responded to a call for service about a male who arrived at a local hospital with a severe head injury.

"Initially, it was believed this was due to an assault, but it was later determined the subject had sustained a gunshot wound," Winn said. Schmidt was standing on the corner of 51st Avenue and Peoria, where he was "preaching about a church service at a local church," she added. It is unknown at this time how Schmidt was shot.

"We are seeking the public's assistance in obtaining any information regarding what could have happened," she said, noting that the intersection in question is typically busy and it is likely there were people in the area when the incident occurred.

"We believe there is somebody within the valley that does know something about what happened."

"This is a horrible, horrible offense," Winn continued. "We have a 26-year-old who was a military medic. He is recently married. He has two small children, and he is currently in a critical state. It is imperative that the public reach out if you do have information so that we can bring justice to Hans and his family."

Due to the large number of businesses within the area, Winn said detectives are reviewing surveillance footage as part of an ongoing investigation.

"Our detectives are going to follow up on every lead, and based on the information they obtain regarding the investigation, they will charge appropriate charges whether that's a hate crime or not," Winn said.

"It is too early to determine whether or not this was committed by somebody who was driving by or on foot or if it's related to Shannon's Law where somebody shoots a firearm round up into the air and then it comes back down," she added.

The Glendale Police Department requests that anyone who knows any information regarding the incident call its non-emergency number at 623-930-3000.

"One of the things that the Glendale Police Department really preaches to the public is 'if you see something, say something.' And in this instance, that's exactly what it is," Winn said,

3TV/CBS 5 reported one witness who works nearby, Paul Sanchez, reportedly saw a vehicle drive by Schmidt with people inside who screamed and cursed at him.

"There was a lot of everything, really, hateful comments, people yelling at him, 'get off the street,' all sorts of mean things," Sanchez was quoted as telling the outlet.

Victory Chapel posted a statement following the tragedy asking for prayers for the preacher.

"He is in critical condition and in desperate need of a miracle," the statement reads. "The family remains encouraged by what they are seeing and are rejoicing."

An earlier statement from the church stated that it was discovered Schmidt had been shot after a CT scan.

"He began seizing and was intubated," the church stated. "There has been some movement; however, physicians are uncertain how much is voluntary and began draining fluid from his brain. He remains in critical condition, please continue praying."

Schmidt's wife, Zulya Schmidt, took to social media to express her sentiments regarding her husband's critical condition.

"My husband was shot in the head yesterday while street preaching on the corner of 51st Ave and Peoria If anyone has any info, please contact 911," she wrote in a Facebook post.

"Thank you for your prayers. Believing God has the final say. I love you so much babe."

Larry Dettman, a church member, told 3TV/CBS 5 that church services at Victory Chapel on the night of the incident were stopped by news of the incident.

"Out of nowhere, how does this happen? There's some real evil in this world, bunch of human junk in their life and they take it out on somebody else," Dettman said.
Home Church & Ministries Over 7,000 churches have left the UMC amid homosexuality schism More than 5,000 churches have disaffiliated in 2023

The number of congregations that have left the United Methodist Church amid the schism over the denomination's stance on homosexuality has passed the 7,000 mark.

Over the weekend, the number of churches that have disaffiliated from the UMC since 2019 reached 7,286, according to UM News, with over 5,200 leaving this year alone.

This total includes 366 churches leaving the Kentucky Conference, 349 churches leaving the North Alabama Conference, 334 churches leaving the North Georgia Conference, 326 churches leaving the North Carolina Conference and 317 churches leaving the Indiana Annual Conference.

Of the 334 congregations that have disaffiliated from the North Georgia Conference since 2019, 261 were given approval to disaffiliate over the weekend at a special session held by the regional body.

According to a statement from the conference, there are still about 440 congregations affiliated with the regional body. These include four congregations whose disaffiliation votes were not approved: The Fountain United Methodist Church at Sugarloaf in Duluth, McEachern Memorial United Methodist Church in Powder Springs, Trinity United Methodist Church of Rome and Griffin First United Methodist Church.

Over the past few decades, the UMC has been embroiled in a divisive debate over whether the country's second-largest Protestant denomination should amend language from its Book of Discipline that prohibits the blessing of same-sex unions and the ordination of clergy in same-sex romantic relationships.

Although efforts to change the Book of Discipline have failed, liberal leaders within the denomination have often refused to follow or enforce the rules, drawing the ire of many theological conservatives.

At a special session of the General Conference held in 2019, delegates voted to add paragraph 2553 to the UMC Book of Discipline, a measure to allow churches to disaffiliate from the denomination. The measure is set to expire at the end of the year.

While thousands of congregations across the United States have disaffiliated from the UMC under the parameters of paragraph 2553, some congregations have either had their disaffiliation votes rejected by their regional conferences or have faced other obstacles in their bid to leave.

Some of those churches have filed legal action against their respective conferences, accusing them of either not properly following the disaffiliation process or arguing that the process is unfair.

Earlier this month, a court in Montgomery, Alabama, ruled against 42 congregations trying to leave the Alabama-West Florida Conference, concluding that, as a secular court, it did not have the authority to intervene in the churches' complaint.

"The Court is without jurisdiction to rule on such issues because the relief sought by Plaintiffs would require the Court to interpret a provision of the Book of Discipline intertwined with church doctrine," ruled the Montgomery County Circuit Court.

Thousands of congregations that have disaffiliated from the UMC have joined the Global Methodist Church, a theologically conservative denomination launched as an alternative to UMC last year.
Home Opinion Target pushes ahead with woke holiday merch despite financial losses

Targets second-quarter earnings report proved the company still hasnt rebounded from its Pride fallout this summer, showing a 5.4% decrease in sales  the first drop in roughly six years.

The companys third-quarter report was no better, revealing an additional 4.9% drop. Thanks to Targets partnership with a satanist designer and its highly controversial Pride line  which pushed transgender extremism on an audience largely of children  the backlash continues to hurt the stores bottom line.

Brian Cornell, Targets CEO, reflected on the reports and admitted sales have clearly been tougher than we expected this year, and we are firmly focused on getting back to growth. While Cornell confessed the company has struggled, one would expect the mega-retailer to learn from its mistakes, readjust to what their clientele wants, and get back to selling products, not politics.

Well, Target clearly hasnt learned its lesson. Rather than pivoting after the backlash, the boycotts, and plummeting sales, it has decided to continue swimming upstream. To most peoples surprise, Target has leaned into the very agenda that caused its demise, hiring a Senior LGBTQIA+ Segmentation Strategist and Pride Lead, whose very job is to woke-ify the aisles. With summer behind us, tucking swimsuits are clearly out of season. So, naturally, with Christmas around the corner, Pride ornaments are next on the agenda! Never mind the fact that this strategy completely failed in June. So much for Cornell saying he is firmly focused on getting back to growth.

Part of Targets LGBT Christmas line includes things like a nutcracker holding a Progress Pride Flag and wearing a Pride hat. Its advertised with the slogan, Show your love and support for the LGBTQIA+ community. Like a blast from the past, these items were met with immediate mockery. Wow. Just wow, Brian Frye posted on X. You would think they would have learned from the last time. When will companies finally start to realize it? Go woke  go broke!

But before Target gets all the heat, its only fair to highlight the other companies whove tried the same extremism and failed. Ever since Bud Light partnered with transgender-identifying Dylan Mulvaney, Anheuser-Buschs revenue is down 13.5% according to a report from earlier this month. According to The Post Millennial, Bud Light lost some $390 million in the marketing disaster, and $6 billion in lost value. And recent reports revealed the beer company, after saying otherwise, did, in fact, pay Mulvaney $185,000 for the campaign  only for it to destroy their brand and drive consumers away.

However, where Target and Bud Light differ is that Benoit Garbe, the U.S. chief marketing officer for Anheuser-Busch, has decided to step down at the end of the year. Unlike Targets high-ranking officials, Garbe seemed to know when to quit. But with new leadership in place, the question remains: did they learn from the past? I suppose only time will tell.

In the meantime, there are alternative stores to shop from for everything from ornaments to beer, many of which have conservative and/or Christian values.

Meg Kilgannon, senior fellow for Education Studies at the Family Research Council, said its especially important we avoid shopping at places like Target during Christmas. She commented to The Washington Stand, Target selling sexually themed Christmas ornaments is more evidence that we live in a post-Christian society. The virgin birth of the Savior of the world in a stable in Bethlehem is what we celebrate. The goodness, truth, and beauty of that reality are not improved or enhanced by woke merchandising campaigns.

If Americans (and especially people of faith) have some money left to spend at Christmas this year, Kilgannon urged, I hope they dont spend it at Target.

Originally published at The Washington Stand.
Home Opinion Why sex and science never satisfy the soul

Multitudes of Americans today find themselves captivated by sexual fantasies, while others are especially passionate about particular scientific pursuits. Neither sexual sin nor scientific achievements, however, are capable of satisfying the deepest needs of mans soul.

For example, consider the temptation to commit adultery. The online dating service Ashley Madison caters to married people and uses the slogan, Life is short. Have an affair. The company has revealed the cities that have the most accounts, with Miami grabbing the top spot, followed by Orlando, Atlanta, and Las Vegas.

Pastor Garrett Kell writes, You will never regret resisting sin. You will always regret giving in. Kell added, Pornography is satanic discipleship. It trains us to see people and situations in perverted ways and become calloused to the way it grieves God.

Scripture states: All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body (1 Corinthians 6:18). And this is why it is impossible for sexual immorality to ever satisfy the soul.

Pastor John MacArthur writes, The first characteristic of sexual sin is deceit. It never delivers what it promises. It offers great satisfaction but gives great disappointment. It claims to be real living but is really the way to death.

King David discovered the devastating consequences of sexual seduction. After committing adultery with Bathsheba, he wrote: When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer (Psalm 32:3-4).

Pastor Craig Owens writes, Biblically speaking, sexual immorality (Greek porneia) is any sexual activity that takes place outside of marriage. This includes adultery, premarital sex, and extramarital sex.

Have you been seeking satisfaction by engaging in sexual sin? If so, you have experienced firsthand how such licentious behavior leaves you feeling empty and pulls you further and further away from your Creator.

After all, Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned?  so is he who sleeps with another mans wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished ... Whoever commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys his own soul (Proverbs 6:27,29,32).

When men and women utilize the Ashley Madison website, they are not asking themselves: How can I destroy my soul? Instead, they are simply being enticed by the allure and excitement of an illicit affair. Temptation draws you in and convinces you to live for the moment without any concern for the consequences. Sexual lust becomes overpowering the moment you give into it, which makes it similar in that sense to drugs, alcohol, gambling or any other vice.

While some people give themselves over to sexual lust, others seek ultimate satisfaction through their scientific research. Sex feeds the flesh, whereas science feeds the mind. Intellectual obsessions are comparable to sexual obsessions in the way they consume a person who is longing for ultimate fulfillment. There is something empowering about sexual conquests and scientific achievements. But neither of them provides peace with God or a spiritual calmness in the soul.

Millions of Americans have made either sex or science the king of their heart, yet only the King of Kings can satisfy the deepest needs of our souls.

The 17th-century mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal famously said, There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of each man, which cannot be satisfied by any created thing but only by God the Creator, made known through Jesus Christ.

In my CP op-ed, When Inventors, Scientists and Surgeons Trust God, I wrote: George Washington Carver (1864-1943) was a pioneer of agricultural chemistry. Carver said, 'Without my Savior I am nothing. The Lord has guided me. He has shown me the way, just as He will show everyone who turns to Him.

And in my CP op-ed, Christianity is Not Rocket Science, I wrote: Alexander Fleming was the Nobel Prize-winning British bacteriologist who discovered the life-saving antibiotic penicillin. Fleming was a devout Christian who said, 'My greatest discovery was that I needed God, and that I was nothing without Him and that He loved me and showed His love by sending Jesus to save me.

The spiritual realm extends beyond the natural realm, as I explained in my CP op-ed, Scientism Stems from a One-Dimensional Worldview. When man places all his eggs in the basket of science, he remains oblivious to the immortality of his soul. And once you exit this world, there are no do-overs.

Man is appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment (Hebrews 9:27). For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:10).

Have you been using your body to please the Lord, or instead, simply to feed your sexual lust? Are you hoping science can meet your deepest needs, or are you relying upon Christ to forgive your sins and satisfy your soul?

In the words of the prophet Isaiah: Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and He will have mercy on Him, and to our God, for He will freely pardon (Isaiah 55:6-7).

(As you continue to ponder Scripture and the Savior, I invite you to check out my CP op-ed, How to Know Christianity is True.)
Franklin Graham tours devastation in Israel, commits to helping rebuild

Franklin Graham, who leads the Christian humanitarian relief organization Samaritan's Purse, has seen war zones from Iraq to Ukraine. On his way to Israel last week to assess the damage from the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack, he was prepared to offer the country 14 ambulances to replace ambulances compromised or destroyed in the fighting.

But as he surveyed the destruction during his four days in Israel he decided that Magen David Adom, Israel's equivalent to the Red Cross' first responders, also needed a small fleet of armored ambulances. "They've got to have something that's better protected," Graham said in an interview on his return on Friday.

Israel has been the beneficiary of millions of dollars from Christian charities and a flood of volunteers who are helping thousands of Israelis who have been evacuated from their homes, both near the Gaza border and at its northern border, where Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group backed by Iran, has fired rockets. Many of the approximately 250,000 Israelis displaced by the attack are living in hotels.

Other Christian humanitarian groups such as the Southern Baptist Convention's Send Relief are providing temporary housing, bomb shelters, medical supplies, food and trauma counseling to more than 20,400 of the most vulnerable survivors, said Scott Knuteson, a spokesperson for Send Relief.

Like Samaritan's Purse, these humanitarian organizations that work in multiple countries around the globe, are now joining a crowded field that includes many evangelical groups focused only on aid to Israel.

They include Christians United for Israel, which calls itself the largest pro-Israel organization in the U.S. It has raised nearly $3 million to fund first responders and other Israeli charities since Oct. 7. CUFI was founded by San Antonio megachurch pastor John Hagee, a prominent Christian Zionist who spoke at the recent March for Israel on the National Mall.

The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, which provides a host of social services to residents of Israel on an annual basis, has also ramped up its relief response, as have the Isaiah Project, the Joshua Fund and the Philos Project, all of which operate mostly to benefit Israel.

One of Israel's biggest philanthropies, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, founded by the late Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, an American Israeli, has been cultivating relationships with evangelicals for years.

Israeli governments have supported such ties and pursued connections with Christian philanthropies. As evidence, Graham secured a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv last week.

Graham said Netanyahu looked tired. "I told him, Mr. Prime Minister, I've come to pray for you," Graham said. "We talked for maybe 30 minutes and I prayed for him that God would strengthen him, give him wisdom, give him a clear mind and give him victory over his enemies."

Aid from Christian humanitarian groups has also flowed into Gaza. Catholic Relief Services, for one, has provided cash assistance to more than 16,000 families, or about 100,000 individuals, in Gaza, a spokesperson said. Since Israel has restricted humanitarian relief as it lays siege to the strip, most of the aid comes in the form of cash.

Graham said Samaritan's Purse is working with two churches in Gaza, a region that is overwhelmingly Muslim. "The fighting is raging around them, and we have asked the Israelis to please let them help them to evacuate to the south because these Christians are being terrorized by Hamas," he said. "They have no place to run, no place to go."

Graham said Samaritan's Purse would also begin sending some medical supplies to Gaza through the Red Crescent in Egypt.

While in Israel, Graham got a tour of Kibbutz Be'eri, one of several farming communities that sustained massive damage on Oct. 7. Hamas militants killed more than 100 residents and abducted dozens of others to Gaza. Homes were set on fire and their occupants burned alive.

Graham described videos collected by the Israeli Army of the rampage, which he called "sickening."

"It's demonic, it's just evil," he said.

Samaritan's Purse will be focusing its efforts in Israel on the city of Sderot, about a mile from the Gaza border, which is still subject to rocket barrages from Gaza.

Graham met there with local officials who said they were interested in helping children with post traumatic stress disorder. They asked Graham if he would support the purchase of horses for an equine therapy programme they want to offer children.

"They said they thought this would be good therapy for them, and I said I agree," said Graham. "So we're gonna set that programme up for these kids."

 Religion News Service
By Mitch Shin

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit held in San Francisco ended with the confirmation that leaders will pursue the summits theme: Creating a Resilient and Sustainable Future for All.

As economic and environmental challenges such as AI and WTO reform were the main agendas discussed during the APEC summit, there was not enough room for the leaders to discuss security challenges during the summit. Despite growing threats from North Korea, the summit only briefly touched on it and instead focused more on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas war  two key U.S. priorities at this moment in time.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol held a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Nov. 16 on the sidelines of the APEC summit. The meeting came two months after the two leaders met during the G20 summit in New Delhi, India.

Delivering the welcome remarks for the seventh summit meeting with Kishida this year, Yoon touted his governments efforts to restore the consultative groups between the two countries that boosted bilateral cooperation. Kishida emphasized his hope to continue cooperation in various sectors involving politics, security, the economy and culture.

According to the press release from the South Korean presidential office, the two leaders agreed to cooperate on North Korea, Ukraine and other key security issues based on the Camp David spirit as South Korea and Japan will join the U.N. Security Council as non-permanent members starting next year. The Camp David spirit is the term generated after the trilateral South Korea-U.S.-Japan summit held at Camp David, the U.S. presidential retreat, in August.

With the Yoon governments dedication to renewing ties with Japan by announcing its own plan to compensate wartime forced laborers and delivering its support on Tokyos plan to discharge contaminated water from Fukushima, the South Korea-U.S.-Japan coalition seems to be working.

However, Tokyos response to Seouls one-sided courtship has not been enough, considering its repeated sovereignty claims concerning the Dokdo islets and its continued fabrication of historical disputes with South Korea.

Despite Tokyos insufficient efforts to build a future-oriented relationship with South Korea, Yoon will continue to show his unconditional support as it was anticipated that Yoon, since he ran for the presidential election, would take concrete steps to improve ties with Japan under any scenario. In light of his low approval ratings, however, it is uncertain if his powerful drive to mend ties with Japan will sway South Korean minds to support his approach to Japan.

The trilateral South Korea-U.S.-Japan meeting was also held before the wrap-up of the APEC summit. However, no new updates were announced on how they will cope with the Norths cooperation with Russia and its ceaseless ballistic missile development program. According to media reports, the meeting was aimed at sharing updates on what they agreed upon at the Camp David summit.

In this context, there will be no significant impact on the security environment of the Korean Peninsula in the wake of multilateral diplomacy performed at APEC. The series of summits including the bilateral summit between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping demonstrated that a clear confrontation between the U.S. and its allies and China will continue.

According to the readout of the White House, Biden and Xi agreed to resume high-level military-to-military communication so as to prevent conflicts and crises from occurring due to miscalculations. It is good news that the two most powerful men in the world agreed to cooperate to prevent chaos and conflicts from happening.

However, the two leaders again verified that they are on different tracks.

Planet Earth is big enough for the two countries to succeed, and one countrys success is an opportunity for the other, Xi said before the bilateral meeting with Biden in Woodside, California.

It has been Beijings firm stance that it wants to construct a new order in the U.S.-led international system. Despite Xis messages that China and the U.S. can coexist in peace and pursue win-win cooperation, the rivalry between China and the U.S. is continuously going to be intensified as Biden called Xi a dictator during the press conference held after the U.S.-China summit. Considering Chinas rapid economic growth over the decades and its potential to become a G1 country, Beijing will stick with its strategy to build a new rules-based order that is in line with its national interests.

Biden also admitted that Xi has a different view than he has on a lot of things although he respected Xis consistent stance on issues. He also said that he and Xi can come together and find mutual interests but that it should be in the interests of the American people.

The United States will continue to compete vigorously with the PRC, Biden said. PRC is an acronym for the People's Republic of China, the county's official name.

In the absence of diplomacy and inter-Korean dialogue, Seoul needs to draw attention and support from Beijing over its policy toward North Korea. In this context, it was important for Yoon to have a meeting with Xi to reiterate his broad outlook on North Korea and the way to cooperate for the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula with Xi during the APEC summit. However, the bilateral meeting between the leaders of South Korea and China was not arranged even though Xi met Kishida and Biden. South Korean and Chinese foreign ministers will hold a meeting this month but this skipped summit between Yoon and Xi implies that Seoul and Beijing are not on good terms.

According to North Korean state-controlled media reports, officials of Pyongyang and Moscow signed a protocol on Nov. 15 vowing the expansion of their bilateral cooperation.

The Protocol of the 10th Meeting of the Trade, Economic and Scientific Cooperation Commission between the Government of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea and the Government of the Russian Federation was signed, the KCNA said on Nov. 16. Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea is the official name of North Korea.

If North Korea successfully launches its military reconnaissance satellite by the end of the month as South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik speculates, it would be a clear demonstration that Russia is backing up North Korea and the Norths missile programs will advance further going forward.





Mitch Shin is a young fellow at The Institute for Peace & Diplomacy. Shin was an assistant editor and chief Koreas correspondent for The Diplomat, and a non-resident research fellow at The Institute for Security & Development Policy, Stockholm Korea Center.
Max Lucado on returning to the true meaning of Christmas

(CP) As the world grapples with unprecedented challenges, pastor and bestselling author Max Lucado is calling for a return to the foundational truths of the Christmas season, urging believers and the broader community to rediscover the peace and resilience found in the story of Jesus Christ's birth.

"This year has been tough," Lucado, leader of Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas, told The Christian Post.

"We've got the war in Ukraine, and now we've got Israel and Gaza, which has just turned into such a complicated and horrible bloodbath. And then coming out of COVID and now heading into an election year, we need a good Christmas. We need to refocus on Christ, on what He did, and realize that He was born in the midst of chaos, so He can come through the chaos of our world and be born anew."

The pastor emphasized that the circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ mirror many of the hardships people face today, from displacement to financial struggles.

He drew comparisons between the inconveniences faced by Joseph and Mary on their journey to Bethlehem and those encountered by individuals today, underscoring the difficulties of traveling and the burden of taxation that the couple bore.

"Every element of the first Christmas can be found in this Christmas," he said. "Joseph and Mary were terribly inconvenienced. The whole reason they were in Bethlehem was to pay a tax. Who wants to travel, and then who wants to pay a tax, nine months pregnant when you're heavy with child?"

Highlighting the atrocities committed by King Herod upon hearing of the birth of Jesus, Lucado noted the similarity to current news dominated by the actions of oligarchs and terrorists. The initial Christmas, he pointed out, was marked by bloodshed and turmoil, contrasting sharply with the often idyllic depictions of the holiday.

"We're living in a day of oligarchs and terrorists. They're on the news every day. Well, Herod was all of that. He heard about the baby Jesus, the King being born, and he set out to kill him. The result was a bloodbath," he said.

"It's wonderful to think about Christmas as presents under the tree or Hallmark movie channel, but the truth is, Christmas, for many people, is just the opposite of that. And that's why we need to retell the real story of Christmas. It was, Jesus was born in a time of global upheaval and personal challenge. And for people who find themselves facing the same, they'll find a friend in the story of Jesus."

Just ahead of Christmas, Fathom Events and K-LOVE On Demand is bringing a Christmas concert event, "Max Lucado's Because of Bethlehem," to theaters nationwide. The event, which Lucado described as a Christmas Eve concert with a twist, features a star-studded lineup with artists like Matt Maher, CeCe Winans, Matthew West and Evan Craft, set to perform in a grand Nashville theater.

This limited three-night theatrical event scheduled for Dec. 5, 6 and 7, is based on Lucado's bestselling book, Because of Bethlehem: Love is Born, Hope is Here. The event will include teachings from the Bible, music, and interactive elements with a live audience.

"I hope people will take advantage of this as an opportunity to either kickstart or amplify their Christmas experience because we all need a lot of Christmas this Christmas. It has not been an easy year. And I'm hoping that this theater event will encourage people," Lucado said. "It's a wonderful family event. I think it'll serve an important purpose in helping us."

Read the full interview at The Christian Post
By Baek Byung-yeul

The River, a cultural complex where visitors can enjoy French dining, a wine bar, a live music bar and a cafe along the shore of the Han River, has been emerging as a popular place for those seeking special experiences along Seoul's main waterway, especially in a more intimate setting, according to the complexs operator HLB, Tuesday.

HLBs food and beverage unit HLB F&B recently renovated and reopened the multiplex. The new private cultural space nestled right on the riverside features four restaurants  Le Da, a French fine-dining restaurant inspired by the flowing waves of the Han River; NOCT, a wine bar that recreates the stars that beautifully adorn the night sky; NOCT M, where visitors can enjoy cocktails with live music; and Hey!, a cafe where visitors can enjoy delicious, freshly baked pastries with a cup of coffee.

The River has been emerging as one of the best places to enjoy delicious food with the beautiful Han River view in a private atmosphere, a spokesperson of the company said.

Le Da, located on the top floor, features a white interior to create a bright and luxurious atmosphere while also allowing visitors to feel the presence of the gently flowing Han River. Customers can select from various seasonal menu items. The signature dish for the fall season is pate en croute, a dish made by stuffing Iberian pork collar, duck breast and foie gras into a pie crust.

Visitors will be impressed with the striking interior inspired by the starry night sky at NOCT, a wine bar on the second floor. The internal illumination is very low, making it a good place to enjoy night views of the Han River. The signature dish of NOCT is scallion pesto pasta.

Visitors can also enjoy live music, especially jazz, at NOCT M, located right next to NOCT. They can sit at an outdoor terrace while drinking cocktails and listening to the music. Hey! is a popular cafe among young customers who take selfies with the Han River in the background. At this place, visitors can enjoy both pastries and desserts.

The River is also becoming a popular place for overseas tourists. "The number of overseas visitors is increasing recently as about one in 10 customers come from overseas. Their nationalities are also diverse, from English-speaking countries to Arab and Asian countries, the official said.
By Lee Min-hyung

A controversial pro-labor bill is feared to possibly expedite the outflow of foreign capital as foreign firms here face a heightened risk of strikes and other possible legal issues caused by unionized workers, according to industry officials, Tuesday.

The revision to the Labor Union Act is centered on protecting the rights of labor unions by restricting companies from lodging compensation claims, even if the unions engage in illegal strikes.

Businesses are urging President Yoon Suk Yeol to veto the revision, as the act would weaken local and foreign investor sentiment, they said.

Labor experts argued that foreign companies operating businesses here will fall prey to the revised act if it comes into effect.

Most overseas firms here take the issue very seriously, as they will face more lawsuits not just from their unionized workers, but from subcontractors, Hwang Yong-yeon, head of the labor policy division at the Korea Enterprises Federation, said. This is because the act enables workers from a wider range of subcontractors to demand wage negotiations and go on more frequent strikes.

Manufacturing sectors particularly in automobiles, steel and shipbuilding, will be hit hardest, as they have more complex subcontracting systems than other industrial players, according to him.

For instance, automakers are involved in complex partnerships directly and indirectly with thousands of subcontractors. The revised act would allow subcontractors to directly demand wage talks with an automaker. If the carmaker refuses the demand, it may be subject to criminal liability.

Earlier this month, the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea-dominated National Assembly passed the revision bill, and it was transferred to the government on Nov. 17. Yoon should decide whether to exercise his veto or promulgate the bill 15 days after the day that it was officially handed to the government. He is widely expected to use the presidential veto amid the fierce political contest between the ruling party and the opposition.

Other labor specialists also took issue with the ambiguity of the act, arguing that companies will end up mired in more lawsuits.

Under the worst-case scenario, the act may spark an exodus of foreign companies, and other overseas firms will retract their earlier investment plans in Korea, Yoo Il-ho, head of the employment and labor policy team at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said.

The range of a certain firms subcontractors is still unclear, and the act does not specify such details, he said. A court will interpret such legal grey areas, but it takes an enormous amount of time of around four to five years until the nations judicial authority issues a final ruling on crucial labor agendas. This is a waste of social costs, and does no good in enhancing the overall morale of the business town here."
Russia delivers another 27 tons of humanitarian aid to Gaza

Xinhua) 10:17, November 21, 2023

MOSCOW, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Russia has delivered another 27 tons of humanitarian aid to civilians in the Gaza Strip, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations said in a statement Monday.

It said that an Il-76 plane carrying the aid had already arrived at the airport in El-Arish, which is the nearest Egyptian airport to the Gaza Strip.

The humanitarian aid, including generators, clothes, bandage materials, and food, will further be handed over to representatives from the Egyptian Red Crescent Society, who will deliver it to the Gaza Strip.

The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations said Saturday that it had delivered a total of 190 tons of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
The brand value of Samsung Electronics was ranked fifth worldwide in 2023, according to a report released by global brand consultancy Interbrand on Tuesday.

According to Interbrand's list of the Best Global Brands for 2023, Samsung's brand value was estimated at $91.4 billion, growing 4 percent from last year, making the company the fifth-biggest global brand after Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and Google.

Interbrand's Best Global Brands are listed according to the evaluation of each brand's value, which is a result of a comprehensive analysis of the financial performance of the company, the influence of the brand on customer purchases and brand competitiveness.

Samsung was the sole Korean firm listed among the top 20 brands. It marked the fourth consecutive year for the company to make it to the top five of the Interbrand list.

According to Interbrand, Samsung Electronics' evaluation was positively influenced by the consistent companywide improvement of the customer experience, increased level of connectivity through its wide-ranging product portfolio and its SmartThings platform, and its role as a leader in future innovative technologies, among others.

Partnerships were also a major factor that drove Samsung's brand value over the past year. Samsung said it is further strengthening its open partnerships to connect not only its own products but also various third-party devices through the SmartThings platform. (Yonhap)
Background

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP: we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a leave no one behind approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Under the direct supervision of the DRR, the Development Results and Partnerships Specialist will be responsible for the corporate planning and results reporting, implementation of UNDP monitoring and result-based management policies and strategies, management of corporate monitoring and evaluation policies, development and implementation of the CO partnership strategy, management and the CO compliance with corporate partnership procedures, and capacity development for results-based management and partnership building. The specific tasks include establishing and maintaining an integrated programme planning and monitoring system, ensuring results-based management of the country programme with a view to effectively support strategic partnerships and implementation of the CO partnership and resource mobilization strategy. Furthermore, the incumbent will carry out management of the country programme evaluations and follow up, provision of management support services to the CO senior management and programme units, and capacity development of CO and implementing partners on quality assurance and M&E mechanisms, when applicable. The Development Results and Partnerships Specialist will lead quality assurance of the partnerships and Results Based Management (RBM) components of the CO programme and projects. S/he will also work with the UNDP programme teams and staff in other UN agencies, UNDP HQ staff and Government officials, technical advisers and experts, multi-lateral and bi-lateral donors. S/he is entrusted with ensuring the quality of donor reporting and contributes to the identification of evidence based good practices and business emerging opportunities in the CO. The Development Results and Partnerships Specialist will also be responsible for design and implementation of the CO partnership and resources mobilization strategies to achieve programme outcomes.

Position Purpose The Development Results and Partnerships Specialist directly underpins CO high performance extending the reach and rigor of quality, ethical and client facing management practices to programme support activities, including continuous learning, and models an approach to support services characterized by technical excellence, pride in accountability and high regard by users and clients. Summary of key functions: 1. Ensure programme strategic planning, monitoring and reporting, and management and follow up on the country programme reviews and evaluations. 2. Ensure results-based management of the CO programmes and projects, in accordance with UNDP Programme and Operations Policies and Procedures. 3. Advise on strategic partnership development and resource mobilization through the management of evidence- based systems and result reporting.

Duties and Responsibilities

Ensures programme strategic planning, monitoring and result reporting, and management and follow up on the country programme reviews and evaluations, focusing on the achievement of the following results: Analysis of the political, social and economic situation in the country and collaborative preparation/revision of strategic programmatic documents, Strategy Note, and other documents. Operationalization of Country Program Document in collaboration with the main partners and other UN Agencies, and identification of possibilities for joint programming. Contribution to the design and formulation of CO programme. Develop monitoring policy, protocols and tools for the country programme and projects, and establish a system to ensure regular project monitoring, spot checks and follow up on the implementation of recommendations by the programme and project teams. Manage the implementation of the country office monitoring system through training and back up support to programme and project teams. Prepare CO Result Oriented Annual Reports (ROAR) and other periodic reports for the government and stakeholders. Develop and support the implementation of the CO Evaluation Plan. Provide advisory services to programme and project staff on project evaluations, including through review of related terms of reference, evaluation methodology and draft reports. Design and advice on managing CO programme/outcome evaluations, in line with UNDP policies and procedures, and contribute to UN joint reviews and evaluations. Establish a system to follow up on the implementation of evaluation findings and recommendations with programme and project managers. Ensures results-based management of Country Office programmes and projects in accordance with UNDP Programme and Operations Policies and Procedures focusing on quality control of the full cycle of programming from formulation to implementation, achieving the following results: Effective application of RBM tools and monitoring achievement of results. Contribution to strategic oversight of planning, implementing and monitoring of the programme, in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations. Effective monitoring, measuring the impact of the CO programme and evaluation. Constant monitoring and analysis of the programme environment, timely readjustment of Annual Work Plans. Support the implementation of follow up on audit recommendations related to Programme. Aggregate reports are regularly prepared on activities, outputs and outcomes. Oversight of the preparation of donor reports. Advises CO management decision making and compliance with corporate programming and reporting requirements as per quality dashboards. Advise on project Annual Work Plans and Progress Reports and ensure consistency with country programme and UNDP Programme and Operations Policies and Procedures Support planning, implementing and monitoring of projects, in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations. Maximize the use of RBM tools and M&E systems through training sessions and need-based guidance and support to the programme and project teams. Advises on strategic partnerships and implementation of the resource mobilization strategy through evidence-based systems and reporting in collaboration with the programme team, focusing on the achievement of the following results: Development and implementation of the CO partnerships and resources mobilization strategy to achieve programme outcomes. Creation and coordination of partnerships with the UN Agencies, IFIs, government institutions, bi-lateral and multi-lateral donors, private sector, civil society etc. Oversight and contribution to UNDP reporting on UNDP led Results Groups. Determination of programmatic areas of cooperation, based on strategic goals of UNDP, country needs and partners priorities and modus operandi for interaction with partners. Analysis and research of information on donors, preparation of substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation, identification of opportunities for co-financing and other funding modalities, identification of opportunities for initiation of new projects, active contribution to the overall office effort in resource mobilization. Provide guidance on use of programmatic instruments for cooperation with NGOs, CSOs, public institutions, etc. for project implementation. The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization

Competencies

Core : Full list of UNDP Core Competencies can be found here Achieve Results LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact Think Innovatively LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems Learn Continuously LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences. Adapt with Agility LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands Act with Determination LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results Engage and Partner LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration Enable Diversity and Inclusion LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

People Management (Insert below standard sentence if the position has direct reports.)

UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site.

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies Thematic Area Name Definition Business Direction & Strategy System Thinking Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system Partnership Management Strategic Engagement Ability to capture and sustain attention, interest and agreement of high-level, influential policy and decision makers and secure their buy-in of high-level vision and objectives. Business Development Knowledge Facilitation Ability to animate individuals and communities of contributors to participate and share, particularly externally Business Management Client Satisfaction/Management Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers' needs. Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy. Look for ways to add value beyond clients' immediate requests. Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns. Business Management Results-Based Management Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results Business Management Project Management Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals Business Management Risk Management Ability to identify and organize action around mitigating and proactively managing risks.

Required Skills and Experience

Education Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in economics, business management, social policy, public policy, politics, development studies or a related area. Or

A first-level university degree (bachelors degree) in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree. Experience, Knowledge, and Skills Minimum 5 years (with masters degree) or 7 years (with bachelors degree) of relevant experience in working with quality assurance instruments and results-based management models required.

Experience in programme management and developing and/or implementing the RBM systems at the program or project level.

Experience in developing, facilitating and maintaining collaborative partnerships with a broad range of partners and multilateral development stakeholders.

Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc), database packages, and web-based management systems such as ERP, preferably PeopleSoft is an asset. Language requirements Fluency in English and Romanian.

Disclaimer

Important information for US Permanent Residents ('Green Card' holders)

Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment.

UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.



Applicant information about UNDP rosters

Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Non-discrimination

UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

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To apply please follow the link/Pentru a aplica, va rugam sa adresati link-ul: Apply

Advertisement end date/Data de incheiere a postului vacant: 05 December 2023
The national volunteering event the Big Help Out is set to return next year and spans three days instead of one, from 7 to 9 June 2024.

This coincides with the end of Volunteers Week and the Big Lunch, which take place on the first week and weekend of June each year, respectively.

Organisers estimate that 7.2 million people took part in the inaugural Big Help Out this year, which was in conjunction with King Charless coronation bank holiday.

Participation numbers were based on polling by Walnut Unlimited on the weekend of the Big Help Out 2023 and has subsequently been verified through re-polling in forthcoming research.

Co-founder Catherine Johnstone said extending the event over three days in 2024 would increase accessibility and allow more people to get involved.

Having the event on a bank holiday this year meant it excluded schools and businesses, Johnstone told Civil Society.

The Royal Voluntary Service chief executive added that the event would not be linked to a royal event this year, which she said had been an amazing opportunity in 2023 but was a turn off for some people.

We need to stand on our own two feet this year, she said.

Encouraging active citizenship

Johnstone said that the UK had focused on early retirement and later life volunteering and needs to promote active citizenship across all age groups, which she believes the Big Help Out encourages.

We hadnt, as many other countries have done, thought about or implemented lifelong active citizenship programmes, right from primary school all the way through.

And when that happens, you get a permanent pipeline of people who are active in their communities and active citizenship is the third critical ingredient to economic prosperity.

If you don't have active communities, then you get things like loneliness agendas, isolation, exclusion and more civil unrest. So actually, active citizenship is not just a nice to have it's an essential part of civic society.

Plan to target communities who were less likely to take part

Matt Hyde, Scouts chief executive and co-founder of the Big Help Out, said: We were bowled over by how many people took part in the Big Help Out in 2023 and told us they were inspired to volunteer in the future.

In 2024 we will extend to three days to make it easier for schools and businesses to get involved.

We also plan to target communities who were less likely to take part in traditional volunteering. This is a hugely exciting opportunity to turn the dial on volunteering.

How can charities get involved?

Some 35,000 voluntary organisations and 2,000 businesses signed up to the Big Help Out this year.

Organisers will be contacting those that were involved last time with communications and media packs with the opportunity to participate again.

Charities will be able to list volunteering opportunities on the Big Help Out website from late January onwards.

The RSPCA was involved with the event this year and saw over 850 people signed up to become wildlife friends, where they helped by litter picking, building hedgehog homes and creating wildlife-friendly habitats.

A further 1,250 volunteers have joined the RSPCA initiative since the Big Help Out, the charity has reported.

NCVO: If you want to recruit more volunteers, then please get involved

Sarah Vibert, CEO of the NCVO, said: Our latest research shows that for many charities, recruiting more people to volunteer is their top priority.

Without volunteers, some charities wouldnt be able to make the huge differences to peoples lives that they do.

If youre an organisation that wants to recruit more volunteers, then please get involved  its a great way to promote your amazing work and the positive impact volunteering makes to local communities.

The event is backed by 30 volunteering charities that include RVS, Scouts and NCVO.

It is being funded by a significant investment from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and led by the company Together.

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,
Automotive workers support charity Ben has announced plans to transfer its care services to new operators following a strategic review process.

According to its accounts ending March 2022, the charity operates three care homes, two sheltered housing sites, a day centre, and a retirement village community. It has 188 beds in its care homes overall and said that employees and residents have been informed of the plans.

Ben has 220 employees working in the care of residents and 38 working in its retirement village. A spokesperson from the charity told Civil Society that it hopes all staff will transfer with the services.

Its financial accounts ending March 2022 saw a total income of 16.5m against expenditure of 17.6m.

The cost of providing care in its care homes amounted to 11.1m, 65% of its expenditure for the financial year.

In a statement, the charity said it would be working to increase its health and wellbeing services instead as demand for them increases.

Ben said it had experienced an increase in service demand since 2018, managing 300% more inquiries through its confidential helpline and 200% more individuals through its support and specialist services.

Currently, its care services remain unchanged. Transferring the services will be the charitys priority over the next five to 10 years, the charity said.

CEO: Committed to achieving a seamless transfer

Zara Ross, Bens chief executive, said: After very careful consideration, the board, supported by Bens executive team, has unanimously concluded that now is the right time to recommend the transfer of these services to the stewardship of new operators.

We believe this will ensure that these services and our employees working in them have the very best opportunity to continue to flourish, develop and thrive going forward.

We recognise this strategic decision will represent a considerable change for our current operations.

Our primary consideration over the forthcoming period is therefore to ensure the continuity and quality of all of our services for everyone affected, especially all our service users and their family members, as well as Ben employees.

We are committed to achieving a seamless transfer of our services at the appropriate time, but currently, our services remain unchanged.

Ben will now commence the process of finding new operators for each of our care and village services.

We have met with our service users and employees on all sites, to ensure that the interests of every individual affected are understood in our decision-making.

Over the forthcoming period we will continue to provide updates as we take these changes forward.

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,
WaterAid

WaterAid dismissed two employees last year after safeguarding investigations but was encouraged by an increase in concerns raised, according to newly published documents.

The international development charitys annual report and accounts for 202223 suggest there continued to be some underreporting of safeguarding incidents.

Its global safeguarding team received reports of 28 safeguarding concerns from across its federation,up from 27 the year before, 20 of which related to WaterAid UK directly.

The charity resolved seven cases following an initial safeguarding review and 21 cases led to a safeguarding investigation.

One case related to organisational misconduct by a staff member and two incidents of physical abuse against WaterAid volunteers, were reported to the Charity Commission, who were satisfied with our investigations and recommendations.

The report shows 12 cases were found to be unsubstantiated or unfounded due to insufficient evidence and no reports were found to be malicious.

Two staff members were dismissed and one member of the charitys contractor staff received a written warning.

The number of cases reported this year is higher than the previous year and we believe this is a positive reflection of increased confidence to report, its accounts read.

However, given the scale of our operations and partnerships, and the challenging contexts in which we work, we recognise there is likely to be a degree of underreporting.

Staff costs

During the year, there was an increase in staff costs of 8.2% per full time equivalent employee.

The average monthly headcount was 906 staff (2022: 897) while the total number of WaterAid employees at 31 March 2023 was 909 (2022: 912).

WaterAid paid termination payments totalling 206,000, the majority relating to the closure of programmes in the Kingdom of Eswatini, Myanmar and Sierra Leone.

It paid its chief executive Tim Wainwright total employee benefits of 134,067 (2022: 128,048) and pension contributions of 14,035 (2022: 13,526).

In last years global employee engagement survey, of 1,178 staff responders, 91% would recommend WaterAid as a good place to work and 95% felt proud to work there, the report states.

Income and expenditure

Total income at WaterAid in the year to March 2023 increased by 3% to 94.5m, driven by increased income from legacy gifts, fundraising events and grant funding for specific activities.

The accounts state this offset the drop in donations from individual givers, major donors and trusts that were all negatively affected by uncertainty in the economic environment.

Unrestricted grant income from other members also fell due to changes in government and their approach to international aid, the accounts add.

It received 3m through the Peoples Postcode Lottery.

WaterAids total expenditure increased by 14% to 96.4m on the previous year, leading to a slight decline in its operational reserves.

Fundraising complaints

During 202223, the charity made 4,734,961 contacts using email, mail, telephone and SMS.

It received 146 complaints about its fundraising, which were 78% of all complaints received.

The key causes were direct mail (58%), television advertising (14%) and online activity (14%).

WaterAids report says that influencing change on a larger scale is an increasingly important aspect of its approach.

We work at the local, national and international levels, empowering communities and civil society organisations to call on decision-makers to prioritise investments in clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene.

By maintaining strong relationships with governments and other key sector actors, we can use our learning and evidence to influence policies, practices and resource allocation.

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,
Were all having these conversations and were putting in so much work. But at the end of the day, what are we dishing out?

Philadelphia Inquirer staffer on the Inquirer for All process

I really want to believe this is forever, and that this is not trendy, but I havent really been given a reason to think that its not trendy.

WHYY staffer on WHYYs DEI and community engagement efforts

Its been over three years since news organizations around the U.S. pledged to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within their newsrooms, and six years since I began talking with representatives of Philadelphia area newsrooms hoping to push their organizations towards greater equity and community engagement. The conversations I had along the way were frequently tinged with cynicismwould these initiatives make meaningful progress or merely be performative? And would they be sustained?

Scanning the U.S. journalism field today, it would seem skepticism was warranted. While news organizations have undertaken DEI efforts, researchers have found journalists of color were more likely to feel pessimistic about meaningful progress, and DEI workers were often grappling with complicated responsibilities without clearly defined expectations. Many of the media companies that announced DEI goals still hired mostly white people, particularly at the management level, and BIPOC and DEI staff have at times faced the brunt of layoffs. As one DEI worker told me, there is a sense that companies are attempting to get back to normal, without acknowledging that normal never served BIPOC journalists or communities well. Perhaps unsurprisingly then, a Pew study of Black Americans perceptions of news coverage found a majority still feel representations of Black people are disproportionately negative and missing important information.

The challenges and precarity of this moment underlines the need to grapple with some of the key questions I explore in my new book, Antiracist Journalism: The Challenges of Building Equitable Local News. The book follows case studies of DEI and community engagement efforts at four Philadelphia area journalism organizationstwo established majority white metro newsrooms, and two majority BIPOC startup nonprofits. First, I follow efforts at the public media station WHYY to track the diversity of their sources and institute a cultural competency and community engagement program. Their work began in 2017 but has faced ups and downs with staff turnover and resource constraints. I also follow The Philadelphia Inquirer from my time co-leading a diversity and inclusion audit following their publication of a racist headline in 2020. I explore their establishment of a large DEI initiative, Inquirer for All, which involved some 80 staffers on multiple committees, as well as critiques they have faced from external accountability groups such as the Philly Journalism Accountability Watchdog Network (JAWN). I then shift from the repair work of majority white organizations to the innovative work of two nonprofits, Resolve Philly and the hyperlocal news outlet Kensington Voice. I also looked at the role of foundations and DEI training and journalism support organizations involved in interventions attempting to make local news and information built environments more equitable.

Philadelphia is a city with a long history of collaboration and innovation in local journalism. It is also a city with one of the highest levels of philanthropic spending on journalism, at more than $50 per capita. This is particularly salient as the new Press Forward initiative has announced plans to invest $500 million into local journalismnoting that Philadelphia will be one of their local chapters. While some have high hopes that philanthropic investment will bolster local journalism, others have called on funders to center equity, and noted a track record among foundations of supporting intermediaries rather than directing operational dollars to BIPOC-led and owned organizations.

Press Forward has characterized Philadelphia as a place where visionary funder collaboratives have created flourishing news ecosystems that provide a roadmap for others to follow. While I would agree that Philadelphia is home to important innovations in the local journalism space, the way funding circulates in the system can be a double-edged sword, creating opportunities for experimentation and laying foundations for collaborative initiatives but also digging grooves that may be difficult to redirect or bubbles that artificially insulate problematic organizational behaviors. This combination complicates the idea of Philadelphia as a sort of test kitchen for local journalism innovation. In some ways it does function as an ideal site for reimagining local journalism practices, but the attention and resources it gets means things that work in Philadelphia may prove challenging elsewhere. At the same time, resources could protect some Philly news organizations in a way that shields them from needing to make transformative change.

The sections that follow, adapted from the conclusion to my book, focus on journalistic practices and power dynamics that could apply to a variety of local journalism organizations and systems. I offer some recommendations for journalists, newsroom management, journalism support organizations, funders, and journalism educators invested in making local journalism more equitable and antiracist.

Standardize Community-Centered Journalism Processes

Many of the struggles Philadelphia newsrooms like the Inquirer and WHYY had over the course of my observation stemmed from a lack of infrastructure to integrate an antiracist and community-centered orientation throughout the cycle of reporting, editing, and circulating coverage. Community-centered journalism practices that prioritize an ethic of care are critical to building trust and sharing narratives with and for BIPOC and marginalized communities in particular. But while relational community engagement has been a prerequisite for equitable journalism, engaged journalism practices at these organizations were often siloed off as something special teams did, rather than integrated as a core reporting competency. If news organizations want to commit to equitable journalism, all reporters and editors will need to integrate skills such as community organizing and outreach into their reporting practices. This will require revised production timeframes to allow reporters to build relationships when they are not on deadline seeking to extract a quote.

These organizations were doing some special projects that could be adopted at broader scale. For example, if reporters for the Inquirers communities and engagement desk are genuinely being allotted time to hold community office hours and/or attend community meetings (not for a story), this may be a practice all reporters could benefit from. Going further, the experiences of hyperlocal projects that involve community members throughout the journalism process, like Kensington Voice or Resolve Phillys Germantown Info Hub, offer insights into the relationship building required to do nonextractive community-centered work over time.

Reallocating time resources will require tradeoffs about what is and is not covered. But editors have always made such choiceswith many historically prioritizing, even if unintentionally, the information needs and interests of whiter, wealthier constituencies. If organizations are genuine about moving toward more equitable journalism, building deeper relationships with BIPOC and other marginalized communities offers an opportunity to recalibrate coverage priorities.

Internal Accountability Infrastructure for Equitable Journalism

The newsroom cases Ive followed show that equitable and antiracist journalism cannot hinge on good intentions. Accountability infrastructure is critical to encouraging reflexivity among management and staff about the choices they make in the journalistic process, particularly in majority-white news organizations. I define accountability infrastructure as systems, structures, or programs that facilitate a process of holding stakeholders with more power (e.g. news organizations, editors, CEOs) responsible for listening to and addressing the needs and concerns of those with less (e.g. BIPOC journalists and community members). This infrastructure will ideally take a wholistic approach, as quick fixes are unlikely to be meaningful.

Tools for tracking source demographics, for example, show the complications that arise from trying to quantify how white supremacy and anti-Black racism are ingrained in newsroom culture and practice. Yes, there was value in attempting to track who was and was not represented in coverage. But value mostly came from actively engaging reporters and editors in the process (as WHYY did) because this encouraged them to be mindful of whose voices they were showcasing (for this reason, I am less interested in automated source tracking systems that dont directly involve the reporters/editors). The data produced by this exercise were interesting but incomplete. For example, raw data might suggest that a Black woman was represented by a Black reporterbut it will not reveal a racist framing used to construct a narrative as part of crime coverage. That said, quantification still offers value as a way to measure recognizable performance metrics against DEI goals.

Other DEI infrastructure showed promise for assessing more nuanced issues, such as how whiteness influenced the framing and style of stories, but they came with additional limitations. The Inquirers content consult Slack channel offered a space to explore and learn as reporters and editors discussed potentially sensitive stories ahead of publication. But the channel hinged on who opted in, and many noted concerns that it felt like a fraught or harmful space and was seen as a cover-your-ass operation. The Inquirers proposed post-publication retrospective process, where staff would discuss stories that have already run, was billed as a space to discuss successes and areas for improvement, though the extent to which it would meaningfully tackle issues around whiteness and antiracism was not clear. Finally, the Inquirers antiracist reporting guide offered a more holistic intervention by offering questions to be asked of staffers in various roles at various points in the production cyclefor example, Who am I centering in this story? or Do I need to ask my manager for more time so I am culturally competent enough to tell this story? However, many expressed dismay that the guides implementation was not incentivized. These examples suggest there may be value in creating dedicated performance metrics relating to participation in equitable journalism systems and processes. This of course is not so simple. For example, the Inquirer did try to note participation in Inquirer for All committees in performance reviews. But that committee work was optional. In addition, requiring a Black reporter to take part in a (potentially retraumatizing) antiracism intervention, is not the same as requiring participation from a white reporter, for whom it could present a valuable opportunity for growth. Future performance metrics could be developed in a way that is not race blind but instead adapts to a staffers intersectional positionality. For example, just as staffers may create personal development plans for craft or leadership skills in a performance review process, so too could they create a development plan to work on cultural fluency with marginalized communities with which they do not identify (which may include identity categories such as a gender, disability, class, etc. in addition to race/ethnicity).

DEI workers cannot offer a one-size-fits-all framework to implement internal accountability infrastructure. However, as the American Press Institutes Letrell Crittenden has recommended, while it may not be possible to address every component in an institution at once, doing an initial assessment of needs and assets may aid a news organization in prioritizing infrastructure needs. When organizations accept that this work needs to be part of core operations and not a special project, they can begin to create supports for more equitably assessing information needs, developing sources, editing stories, and engaging communities in the content that is produced.

Internal Accountability Infrastructure for Equitable Workplace Cultures

There is overlap between the infrastructure needed to push journalism processes toward antiracism and that needed to create more equitable workplace cultures. It is unlikely that the former can be sustained without the latter. It is therefore critical that news organizations have investment not only within newsrooms but also across organizations. The shape and form this takes will likely depend on an institutions needs. For established institutions, the need for repair of historical harms complicates the work of building trust within workplaces. This may necessitate ongoing infrastructures akin to Inquirer for All committees, taking care to ensure that participation does not fall disproportionately on BIPOC staff while holding white staffers accountable to BIPOC staffers as they set priorities and move toward goals. But as the Inquirers experience suggests, voluntary structures alone may not be enough to repair toxic cultures or create spaces that encourage retention if they are not paired with meaningful adjustments to who holds power and how people are compensated. While it may be challenging to fully adopt in a large, unionized organization, some of the approaches of smaller start-ups like Kensington Voice offer compelling alternative practices, such as budget and pay transparency and participatory budgeting.

In addition to addressing issues like pay equity, HR systems need to be synced across organizations to ensure more equitable recruitment. This will mean rethinking hiring practices and channels, and questioning common criteria that may favor white and wealthier applicants. This may also mean standardizing requirements for cultural competency so all applicants enter the workplace with an understanding of DEI issues and antiracism goals. Even when an organization is performing well (e.g. when under the leadership of a BIPOC manager attuned to issues of equity), it is critical to put infrastructure in place so progress can be sustained and institutionalized.

Organizational Governance and Transitional Leadership

As these Philadelphia cases illustrate, an organizations leadership and accountability to organizational governance structures can have a major influence on its capacity for progress. For both WHYY and the Inquirer, as with many mainstream media organizations, top leaders reported to governing boards with no accountability to the public or to staff. In the case of WHYY, the boards relationship with the CEO stretched back over twenty-five years. The Inquirers CEO was relatively new, but her response to external critics like Philly JAWN (who called for greater transparency on DEI goals) suggests she may not be open to dialogue with independent accountability groups. Given the structures in which these executives operated, it would not be surprising if such leaders prioritize news outlets bottom lines rather than goals around equity or community engagement.

The approaches of these leaders (who both identified as white) of established majority white news organizations stand in contrast with those of the smaller start-ups profiled that were comparatively less white. Resolve Phillys founding coexecutive directors, one who identified as Black and one who identified as white, followed a co-leadership model and worked to cultivate a work culture with a relatively flat hierarchy where staff with a diverse range of intersectional identities and lived experiences could directly engage them in accountability conversations. Kensington Voice had been led by a founder who identified as white, but she transitioned to a support role, hired and promoted editors who identified as Latinx/e to leadership roles, and created a board consisting entirely of Black and Latinx/e community members. This community-led board was not an advisory board, but rather the governing board with the power to approve budgets and provide oversight to management.

I recognize that the organizational complexity of large established news organizations means what works for Kensington Voice may not work for the Inquirer. At the same time, leaders of larger organizations may adapt transferable elements from these start-upssuch as the idea that being a good leader may not hinge on the duration of leadership but on the transformative change that can be made while under ones care. This idea of transitional leadership to transform organizations and systems is something that could be adopted at larger organizations, though doing so is unlikely without normalizing and incentivizing conversations about it. This points to a potential opportunity for metaorganizations (including funders) and external accountability bodies to encourage more expansive visioning that reframes sharing or relinquishing power as a positive accomplishment of transformation. Such conversations could similarly encourage discussion around related infrastructure to support transformation, such as term limits for executives, and community-led boards where non-management staff and members of the public could nominate and vote on boardsto offer oversight for leadership.

External Accountability Infrastructures

The journalism organizations observed in this book interfaced with a number of bodies that offered critical external accountability. These included the long-established infrastructure of trade unionswhich were key to highlighting issues around pay equity at both WHYY and the Inquirer. BIPOC journalist affinity groups including the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists and the Philadelphia chapters of the Asian American Journalists Association and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists played a critical role, both in directly organizing and publicly calling out news organizations through social media and other forums, and by collaborating on the Philly JAWN initiative. Additionally, the national metaorganization Free Press supported both Philly JAWN and additional accountability work in concert with the Shift the Narrative Coalition, which focused on narratives around violence and policing.

While the relationships between these external bodies and established news organizations were tense at times, news organizations can approach external actors with a spirit of shared goals. These actors may essentially be acting as loyal opposition, prioritizing different interests and seeking change, but doing so with a shared sense of care for the news organizations and their missions. At a time when many communities were not engaged with these news organizations due to a lack of trust or interest, caring enough to express concern should not be taken lightly. Newsrooms and external accountability bodies potentially have a shared investment in sustaining news organizations that serve local communities. If these parties can establish a constructive working dialogue, there may be a valuable opportunity for learning and development, whereas an antagonistic relationship played out on social media is likely to further erode trust in the news organization.

Newsrooms can also take more agency in supporting and collaborating with external accountability groups. While not every news organization will be willing to create a community-led governing board, there are numerous models for advisory bodies. What is crucial is for such infrastructure to incorporate a way for the news organization to share power with the external community group instead of being performative or extractive by listening without sharing any power. This is an area that would benefit from incentives from funders and other metaorganizationsbe it by funding BIPOC journalists affinity groups, initiatives like Shift the Narrative or other yet-to-be-conceived efforts, and supporting news organizations like Kensington Voice, who are taking steps to meaningfully share power with community-led boards.

Collaborative Partnerships

While collaborative journalism has a history in Philadelphia, the cases I explored in my book suggest that collaborations are not inherently equitable and can bring unintended consequences. Much depends on the orientation news organizations and their staff bring to collaborations. Newsrooms I followed (and individual managers and staffers within them) varied greatly in terms of their openness to collaboration, their reflexivity about the power dynamics involved, and their commitment to equitable and nonextractive collaboration.

Many of the cases highlight positive examples of what is possible in a system where collaborative groundwork is in place, but these cases also point to the complexity involved. Organizations like Resolve Philly have done considerable work building infrastructure for equitable collaboration through their Philadelphia Journalism Collaborative (previously known as Broke in Philly) and other projects that often prioritize the needs of smaller partner organizations. At the same time, there were times when elements of their work that involved giving microgrants to other newsrooms (including, for example, Kensington Voice) may have yielded less funding for those newsrooms than if a funder directly made individual grants to the partners (of course, it is an open question whether small partners would have ever gained the attention of many funders without Resolve). WHYYs project the News and Information Community Exchange, or NICE, is another example of an organization pursuing its goals for community engagement while supporting other local storytelling actors in the system. WHYY gave NICE partners  a mix of podcasters, bloggers, influencers, and ethnic media producers  a stipend to participate in weekly meetings, share resources, and discuss possible collaborations. Some were featured in WHYY programming, though collaboration with their newsroom was limited. Its initial efforts highlight the importance of moving at the speed of trust with partners and the value of establishing clear shared expectations. The example of the NICE project also underlines the need for news organizations to secure investment from across their institutions and find ways to integrate community engagement initiatives with general newsroom operations.

Cases I followed also underscored the need to handle collaborations with care and showed what can happen when they are not. Among other instances, I heard from smaller outlets like Kensington Voice about challenges they faced when they attempted to collaborate with bigger outlets like the Inquirer. They noted how they sometimes struggled to protect the trust they had built between their organization and community members when a larger organization sought to engage with community members as sources or when the larger outlets investment in a project was not sustained. Their experience illustrated the challenges of any one outlet building relationships of trust when community members could develop a generalized sense of distrust of news mediaunderlining why collaborations grounded in equity were critical.

Funding for Transformation

Local journalism is of course largely operating without a viable market-based business model for financial sustainability. While innovative revenue efforts are underway, including by many of the journalism organizations discussed in these chapters, larger structural reforms and policy interventions are needed that are beyond the purview of this article or book. In the meantime, media organizations would do well to look critically at how their aspirations for equitable and antiracist journalism square with their existing business models, which are often enmeshed in highly inequitable racial capitalism and tend to prioritize imagined white consumers. In the current moment, particularly given Press Forward, philanthropic support from foundations may play an increasingly critical role for many news organizations. Journalism funders may consider lessons in the preceding sections related to building both internal and external infrastructure for accountability and to incentivizing equitable collaboration and difficult conversations around organizational governance and opportunities for transitional leadership. Funders seeking to prioritize a more antiracist and equitable system may also do well to recalibrate their budgets so that the bulk of funds go to BIPOC-centered and -led organizations, with some reserved for strategic interventions to support transformational BIPOC leadership within established organizations at key moments.

Journalism Education

Journalism education in the United States faces both challenges and opportunities, many that parallel the challenges within the industry. Many J-schools face shrinking enrollments, while some elite universities have launched niche masters programs at eye-wateringly high tuition rates. At the other end of the spectrum, concerns over a lack of diversity within the journalism industry have led some to pursue more accessible and inclusive approaches to journalism education. This includes collaborations with community colleges, pay-what-you-wish courses for journalists of color, and initiatives, such as City Bureaus Documenters, that challenge the need for journalism school and professionalization more broadly, by training community members directly to commit acts of journalism.

Of course, many who, like me, are already within the university-based system of journalism education are also invested in reimagining the status quoand doing repair work within our own institutions. We grapple with many of the same issues as legacy news outlets. We are often disproportionately white faculty, including a sizable number of colleagues who are themselves alumni of harmful legacy outlets. Some left these outlets out of frustration and a desire to repair, but others maintained an allegiance to their former employers traditions and practices. I have spoken with faculty around the United States who have shared concerns that while they have attempted to teach more equitable iterations of journalism, they have also encountered students who had already learned problematic frameworks from other instructors, such as uncritical interpretations of objectivity norms (some of us gathered to discuss our efforts at a recent Engaged Journalism Exchange preconference on reimagining journalism education).

This moment of flux in the industry and the academy offers an opportunity to revise and reimagine the canon of journalism education and to create new opportunities for more accessible and inclusive training. When reworking what we explore in classrooms, we can redefine standards of good journalism as inherently community-centered, antiracist, and equitable. We can teach competencies like nonextractive community organizing practices as part of the work of reporting. We can teach strategies for journalists to self-monitor the diversity of their sources, integrate equitable workflows into their reporting and editing, and monitor their work for harmful frames. We can train students to be practitioners of what Sue Robinson calls identity-aware care. We can also teach the development of accountability infrastructure as core practices of newsroom management, and we can explore case studies of newsrooms that have pursued greater equity and learn from their success and shortcomings. We can also welcome community members into our classrooms, as Ive been doing this fall in collaboration with a paid community fellowship program to allow students to collaborate with residents of North Philadelphia on solutions journalism reporting. The more we can normalize equitable journalism as standard journalism practice, the better equipped our graduates will be to contribute to the reimagining and repair necessary for the industry to retain relevance.

Progress or Performance?

Reflecting on my five years observing Philadelphia media, I am conscious that I am offering a partial snapshot of a moment of flux. But from this slice of observations there are insights to consider. Cumulatively, these cases trace how interventions attempting equitable and collaborative journalism at multiple levels can affect ties within what communication infrastructure theory calls local storytelling networksin particular, relationships between local media and community stakeholders. They also show how colorblind ideology, whiteness, and anti-Black racism can be infused into newsroom practices and norms irrespective of the intentions of managers or staffweakening network ties in turn. But the interventions undertaken by both established and start-up journalism organizations also demonstrated a range of takeaways for newsrooms committed to equitable journalism to consider either adapting or avoiding. Of course, this snapshot is not a comprehensive panoramafor example, none of the interventions involved local broadcast television stations, who are often implicated in circulating problematic narratives.

Accounting for both the insights and limitations of my observations, what does this snapshot of activity add up to? What does all the buzz around local journalism in Philly amount to? Is it real or just performative? The voices introduced in my book show a range of possible answers. Listening to Ernest Owens, president of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, the conclusion would be pessimistic: It seems to me that a lot of these groups have gotten better with including more people, but I dont think theyve gotten better at advancing more people. . . . Visually the aesthetic is changing, but when were looking at power, thats not changing. . . . The people who are calling the shots and the serious decision makers still remain largely white. Independence Public Media Foundations Molly de Aguiar similarly outlined why she was not optimistic about shifting power:

Theres little perceived incentive for those in power to do the very real, hard work of reimagining the system and sharing or ceding their power in the reimagined system. I say perceived incentive because there are real and powerful incentiveslike clarity about and liberation from the systems of oppression that trap usbut undertaking this journey requires deep commitment to oftentimes painful self-examination, learning, change, perseverance, and also a vision for what is possible. For most people with power and privilege, its simply much easier and more comfortable to do nothing, or to do just enough to make them look or feel like theyre doing something.

At the same time, none of these people were abandoning efforts to advocate for real shifts of power. Rather, theylike many others doing this workwere being more strategic in how and where they invested time and resources. For some this meant investing in change when openings arose and trying to lay foundations for infrastructure that, while unsexy, had potential to be more than performative. Yes, there were elements of performance in how powers within Philadelphia institutions heralded individual DEI and community engagement initiatives. Critically recognizing this should not undermine the value of these initiatives  it should highlight the need for more advocacy for transformative change that cuts across institutions.

As one DEI worker noted about the work of becoming an antiracist institution: That is a commitment to a lifestyle, that is a commitment to a culture, that is a commitment to a way of activism that really lasts a lifetime, not just for a quarter. The work of equitable journalism will never be a finished project. For media organizations, the goal should not be a destination to be reached but rather processes to be integrated into institutional frameworks and the day-to-day practice of journalism. There really is not an acceptable alternative to proceeding forward in this work irrespective of the multifaceted challenges facing journalism, as Sachi Kobayashi of Public Media for All noted: People are like, Oh, its a new pot I have to mind. And Im like, No, no, no, no. This pot was always here. Youve just been ignoring it for multiple decades. You dont get to treat it like a new one and be like, Oh, so novel. I dont know how to juggle this many pots. You left it on the back burner for decades. Maybe its time to leave something else on the back burner now, if you really cant handle two things on the burner at once.

It is true that the cooks in Phillys test kitchen of local journalism still have occasional kitchen fires as they tend to pots and develop recipes for a more equitable news and information system. But I do think there are chefs to watch here. Some may be more presentation than flavor. But there are also thoughtful kitchen staffers creating infrastructure to slowly simmer multiple pots. There are things happening here in Philly. Many merit critical skepticism. Others are incomplete, untidy, and uncomfortable. Looking at how existing interventions play out within the system cumulatively, often complicated by complex ties of collaboration and competition, highlights that while there is dysfunction, there is also dynamic movement here. The test kitchen may need a gut rehab, but Philly shows us we can keep stirring pots while the construction work is underway.

Adapted from Antiracist Journalism: The Challenge of Creating Equitable Local News by Andrea Wenzel. Copyright (c) 2023 Columbia University Press. Used by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

Andrea Wenzel is an associate professor at Temple University and a former Tow Center fellow. She is the author of Antiracist Journalism: The Challenge of Creating Equitable Local News (Columbia University Press, 2023) and Community-Centered Journalism: Engaging People, Exploring Solutions, and Building Trust (University of Illinois Press, 2020).
WASHINGTON (AP)  Some K-12 public schools are racing to improve protection against the threat of online attacks, but lax cybersecurity means thousands of others are vulnerable to ransomware gangs that can steal confidential data and disrupt operations.

Since a White House conference in August on ransomware threats, dozens of school districts have signed up for free cybersecurity services, and federal officials have hosted exercises with schools to help them learn how to better secure their networks, said Anne Neuberger, the Biden`s administration`s deputy national security advisor for cyber and emerging technology.

Neuberger said more districts need to take advantage of programs available that would better guard against online attackers who are increasingly targeting schools. Their aim is to lock up computer systems, and in some cases, steal and publish sensitive personal information if a ransom is not paid.

Compromises happens again and again, often in the same way, and there are defenses to protect against it. And here the government has really brought companies together, brought agencies together to deploy some of those, Neuberger said in an interview. Dont give up. Reach out and sign up. And your kids will be a lot safer online.

The administration announced steps over the summer to help cash-strapped schools, which have been slow to build up cybersecurity defenses. Ransomware attackers, many of whom are based in Russia, have not only forced schools to temporarily close but have exposed a wealth of students` private information.

Last month, parents sued the Clark County School District in Nevada, alleging a ransomware attack led to the release of highly sensitive information about teachers, students and their families in the country`s fifth largest school district. In another high-profile case this year, hackers broke into the Minneapolis Public Schools system and dumped sexual assault case records and other sensitive files online after the district refused to pay a $1 million ransom.

More than 9,000 small public school districts across the United States with up to 2,500 students __ that`s roughly 70 percent of public districts in the country  are now eligible for free cybersecurity services from web security company Cloudflare through a new program called Project Cybersafe Schools, Neuberger said. Since August, roughly 140 districts in 32 states have signed up for the program, which provides free email security and other online threat protection, she said.

James Hatz, technology coordinator for Rush City Public Schools in Minnesota, said the program arrived just in time for their district, quickly stopping 100 suspicious emails from getting to staff. Hatz said cybercriminals often try to get teachers to click on malicious links by pretending to be an administrator sharing documents about things such as pay raises.

We are not going to be bulletproof, but the more we can do to make it harder, the better between user training, this program and everything else, Hatz said.

Neuberger also said a $20 million grant program from Amazon Web Services that is designed to help schools improve their cybersecurity has received about 130 applications.

The Federal Communications Commission has also proposed a pilot program that would make up to $200 million available over three years to strengthen cyber defense in schools and libraries. Neuberger said the hope is that money will be available to schools in the near future.

But Doug Levin, director of the K12 Security Information eXchange, a Virginia- based nonprofit that helps schools defend against cybersecurity risk, said he fears attacks against schools are going to continue to grow both in frequency and severity without more federal support and requirements that schools have baseline cybersecurity controls.

Most have underfunded their IT functions. They do not have cybersecurity experts on staff. And theyre increasingly being viewed as as a soft target by cyber criminals, Levin said. So, ultimately I think the federal government is going to need to do more.

Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The Texas Supreme Court on Friday reversed a Dallas County judges decision to sanction an insurer for making an overbroad discovery demand, finding that the carrier had a valid interest in the medical records of a claimant who had been involved in five other automobile accidents.

The high court granted a writ of mandamus requested by Liberty County Mutual Insurance Co. and vacated the trial courts orders to quash the carriers deposition notices and levy $2,000 in sanctions.

Liberty had asked claimant Thalia Harris physician for medical records spanning from five years before to five years after the April 2017 car crash that she claimed had injured her. Dallas County Judge Juan Renteria and a panel with the 5th District Appellate Court found the insurers subpoenas too broad, but the Supreme Court said it was an abuse of discretion not to approve the discovery demand.

The trial courts order prevents Liberty from obtaining records from Harris primary doctor regarding her pre-accident condition and whether she complained of similar injuries from her multiple other car accidents, the decision says.

Harris sought underinsured motorist benefits from Liberty after an April 2017 car crash. She received $100,000 from a policy-limits settlement with the insurer for the driver of the other car, but she claimed she would need an additional $265,000 in medical treatment and filed an underinsured motorist claim with Liberty, her own insurer.

After Liberty denied the claim, Harris filed a lawsuit against the carrier and its claims adjuster. The insurer learned that Harris had also been involved in an auto crash in March 2015 and was involved in additional crashes in June 2017, April 2018, June 2019 and January 2020.

Liberty demanded from Harris physician, Dr. F.J. Simmons, all documents regarding her treatment starting in April 2007 up the date of the subpoena, which was filed approximately five years after the claimed injuries. After Harris filed a motion to quash the subpoena, Liberty agreed to narrow its request to a ten-year time span  from five years before the accident to five years after.

Harris attorney said during a court hearing that two other trial courts had quashed similar discovery requests and imposed sanctions for the same thing Liberty had done.

Judge Resteria granted Harris motion to quash and ordered defense counsel to pay a $2,000 sanctions. Liberty filed a petition for a writ of mandamus to overturn that order. The carrier appealed to the Supreme Court after the 5th Appellate District denied the petition.

The Supreme Court said it grants mandamus relief only if the requesting party can show there was an abuse of discretion and that it lacks an adequate remedy on appeal. Liberty argued that the order to refuse its discovery request was an abuse of discretion because Harris was seeking damages for back and neck injuries similar to injuries she said she had suffered in at least some of the other car crashes.

The high court said in any discovery demand, a trial courts must consider whether the partys need for information is proportionate to the needs of the case. In personal injury cases, evidence about a partys condition before an accident and progress afterward is relevant, the opinion says. Dr. Simmons is likely the only person who can provide information about Harris condition before the accident, the court said.

Libertys discovery requests sought relevant information and were not so broad or disproportionate as to justify an order precluding all discovery from Dr. Simmons, the opinion says.
A federal judge has sentenced Ramon Paz of Lakeland, Florida to 33 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud to avoid paying for workers compensation insurance.

According to the U.S. Attorneys Office, Middle District of Florida, Paz owned and managed a company that supplied construction services and labor for construction contractors and subcontractors. Under Florida law, Pazs company was required to have adequate workers compensation insurance coverage. Pazs company had agreements with contractors and subcontractors to use workers purported to be Pazs employees at construction sites, and these workers were often undocumented aliens who were actually working for and under the daily supervision and direction of the contractors. Paz or others would then regularly receive payroll checks from contractors that were cashed at various financial institutions to pay Pazs purported employees and other related expenses.

During the time period charged, Paz falsely and fraudulently represented in insurance applications that his company had a very limited payroll and a very limited number of employees who worked on construction jobsites. Paz also falsely and fraudulently sent wire communications to numerous contractors representing that his companys employees had full workers compensation coverage.

In reality, Pazs company received and cashed more than $21 million in checks from various construction contractors for these purported employees. These payroll figures far exceeded the very limited payroll figures that Paz had reported to his workers compensation insurance company. As a result, these employees, in reality the employees of other entities, performed work on jobsites without adequate insurance coverage. In addition, the insurers lost premiums they would have charged had they been aware of the true number of workers their policies were thus being manipulated to cover.

As a result of these misrepresentations, prosecutors said Pazs company also disclaimed responsibility for ensuring that jobsite workers were legally authorized to work in the country and that required state and federal payroll taxes were being paid for these workers. The contractors who actually paid these workers wages and used their services were thus also able to avoid responsibility for those duties as well.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Florida Department of Financial Services. It is part of a lengthy investigation by those agencies into the use of shell companies and ghost employees in the construction industry.

The court also entered an order of forfeiture against Paz in the amount of $500,731, the proceeds of the wire-fraud conspiracy. Paz had pleaded guilty on February 8, 2023.
SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio - On Thursday, November 23, also known as Thanksgiving, more than 400 band directors from around the country will be featured in the legendary Macys Thanksgiving parade in Manhattan. The big band of band directors is part of the Saluting Americas Band Directors project (SABD), which made its first appearance at the legendary 2021 Rose Parade under their theme, Band directors: We teach music. We teach life. The bands debut earned them the parades Showmanship award.

The 97th Annual Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade begins at 8:30 a.m. and will be hosted by Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker of the Today show and will air on NBC and be livestreamed on Peacock.

Among those 400 will be William Tennant, a 20-year veteran band director who is the instrumental music director at St. Dominic School in Shaker Heights. Tennant, a clarinetist and proud Eagle Scout who was also part of the Rose Parade band, is more than ready for what will be the biggest gig of his career and is as excited as one of his students getting 10,000 likes on one of their TikTok videos.

Usually, its us band directors that are taking kids and marching in these types of parades, so its going to be pretty exciting us, Tennant said during a break between classes.

The Rose Bowl that was foundational for me, obviously, he says. Ive definitely played in some pretty big venues, opened (for the Cleveland Orchestra) at Severance Hall with my woodwind quintet and things like that locally here. But on a stage where youre on television with 50 million people or whatever, watching the viewership of the Macys Thanksgiving parade. So Id have to say that this would be the biggest gig Ive ever done.

The Saluting Americas Band Directors band will play a rotational set of tunes that include an arrangement of 76 Trombones from Broadways The Music Man, a Big Apple medley and a piece from American composer Aaron Copeland. The band also has the honor of walking behind the new Beagle Scout Snoopy float. The beloved beagle is the longest-running character balloon in the parade that includes more than 30 floats, 25 balloons and 16 balloonicles (vehicle-powered balloons). The SABDs cherry spot means they will spend 2.5 miles looking up at a giant inflatable dogs hindquarters, and Tennant couldnt be happier about it.

Oh, right after (Snoopy), Im just like, wait, what?! Oh gosh, its going to be crazy, he said excitedly.

The Rose Parade was the Saluting Americas Band Directors first ever gig, featuring a band about half the size of the 408 that will trail Snoopy all day. However, it was the Rose Parade gig that so impressed the director of the Thanksgiving Day Parade that he requested the band two years in advance.

Tennant is one of two area band directors performing; Michael Leone of University School is also part of the project.

The SABD will be joined in the parade with other high school and college bands from around the country as well as music and stage stars, including 90s artists Bell Biv Devoe, Brandy, Envogue, Cher and Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Chicago.

The band, all of whom paid for the opportunity to represent their band-directing colleagues in the parade, have quite a packed schedule for the four days theyll be in the Big Apple. Band members arrived in the city this past weekend and filled eight buses. They had their first group rehearsal shortly after dawn on Monday and came back every morning this week at an old armory in New Jersey, followed by a few side gigs around the city featuring various smaller-sized bands which may include a few live stand-ups with local news teams.

But besides the parade itself, the most important performance was Monday near the September 11 Memorial at Ground Zero. The performance was part of the projects service through music program, part of the Michael D. Sewell Memorial Foundation. Sewell was a longtime educator who spearheaded school and community music programs in the Pickerington school system.

Its going to be unprecedented, Tennant said in an interview before leaving for New York. Just to get a band this size to be able to get access to Ground Zero for a special wreath-laying performance. Its going to be a tear-jerker.

The band will have a 1:30 a.m. wake-up call on Thanksgiving day; the group will gather on Herald Square with the television crews for a warm-up and dress rehearsal around 2:30 a.m.

So were lined up in block after block after block after block, and everything is shut down in downtown New York, obviously. And so the news crews are out there, and youre in the middle of the dark with all these TV cameras and lights on you, right? Tennant said.

And then they double-check and triple-check, making sure that your band is centered and that they can get the right audio mix and levels for your band so that everything is leveled properly like a soundtrack, right? And with every band, its different, he said.

Tennant said his students are nearly as excited for him as he is about the gig.

In my concert band program, weve got about 41 kids and in my beginning band program, Ive got about 25 to 30, and our concert band kids, my beginners, were just told about it last week, and theyve been writing cards and whatnot, which is nice, he said noting that staff members also produced a short behind-the-scenes tribute video montage that will be part of a larger presentation shown to all the directors at a big banquet. Oh my gosh, its amazing, he said of the tribute.

Besides being proud of their teacher, Tennant hopes his kids take something else from his televised experience.

This is what music can sound like. Not that marching bands at the high school or college level are not good, Im not saying that theyre great, and we work our butts off for great programs. But I guess its the lead-by-example type of thing, so when you have the opportunity to have directors performing all together like this, it is unbelievably special, Tennant said.

Its more than I can really put into five or six words of what its really like. Its more than exhilarating.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  Cleveland Hopkins was among the worst airports for holiday travel last year, with more than a third of all flights delayed or canceled during the busy travel days in November and December.

Chicago Midway International Airport had the most holiday-season delays and cancellations in 2022, according to the analysis, followed by airports in Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Houston and Dallas.

Cleveland ranked No. 23 on the list of 25 worst airports for holiday travel, better than Denver (No. 18) and Seattle (No. 20), but worse than Indianapolis (No. 24) and Newark, New Jersey (No. 25).

The website AGamble.com compiled the list, analyzing data from the U.S. Department of Transportations Bureau of Transportation Statistics. According to the site, 33.7% of departures from Cleveland Hopkins were delayed or canceled during the period Nov. 18 through Jan. 4.

Chicago Midway, meanwhile, saw 42.9% of departures delayed or canceled.

The analysis looked at the 50 largest airports in the U.S., based on passenger volume.

For perspective, the airport with the lowest percentage of delays and cancellations was Charlotte Douglas International Airport, where 22.5% of holiday flights were delayed or canceled.

Holiday travelers last year probably havent forgotten the trauma caused by a large storm that hit much of the United States in the days before Christmas, affecting flights throughout the holiday period, in Cleveland and across the country.

Southwest Airlines, which also had technology problems, alone canceled more than 14,000 flights during the last week of December, which is likely why Chicago Midway, a Southwest hub, tops AGambles list of worst airports for the year.

But what about this year? Can you predict which airports and airlines will be most impacted by holiday delays and cancellations?

Want to bet? BetUS.com, an online sportsbook, will take your wager.

For the second year, BetUS has released betting odds for Thanksgiving Week flight cancellations and delays, allowing customers to bet on the nations holiday travel woes.

Gamblers can wager on which airlines will have the most delays and cancellations, as well as which airports will have the highest percentage of delays.

As of Monday afternoon, according to the website, Alaska Airlines was the favorite to cancel the most flights, while JetBlue was the favorite to have the most delays.

And the favorite airports for holiday delays? Cleveland Hopkins, thankfully, didnt make the list. Los Angeles International Airport topped the ranking, followed by San Francisco and Chicago OHare.

The initial odds were set based on an analysis of airline and airport performances for Thanksgiving week, going back to 2015, according to BetUS.

Read more: Flying or driving this Thanksgiving? Prepare for crowds, have a backup plan
New research hub to propel carmaker's manufacturing innovation

By Lee Min-hyung

Hyundai Motor Group has completed its new innovation center in Singapore, a cutting-edge research and manufacturing facility dedicated to demonstrating human-centric future mobility, the carmaker said Tuesday.

Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore (HMGICS) will serve as a test bed for the groups smart mobility solutions. It is equipped with state-of-the-art technologies in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, so the carmaker can conduct research to optimize its manufacturing processes, according to Hyundai.

The HMGICS commenced operations early this year and can manufacture more than 30,000 electric vehicles (EVs) each year. For now, it manufactures Hyundai Motors flagship IONIQ 5 EV and autonomous robotaxis.

Singapore and Hyundai Motor Group share innovative DNA in common in that both pursue challenges for a better future, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun said in a celebratory speech. Coupled with that spirit, Hyundai aims to achieve innovation with human-centric new technologies. I am sure HMGICS can create innovative mobility solutions that will bring positive changes to human beings.

The company equipped the facility with fifth-generation (5G) network systems for rapid data transmission and analysis. It also set up what it called a mega-factory used to simulate and control manufacturing processes in a 3D virtual space.

The group broke ground on the facility in May 2020 in Jurong Innovation District, a smart manufacturing hub in the city-state that is transforming into a high-tech industrial complex for driving digital transformation in manufacturing sectors. Hyundai Motor Group also identified it as the best place to drive its group-wide vision for smart urban mobility.

Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and a group of executives from Hyundai Motor and the Korean government celebrated the opening of HMGICS.

HMGICS is located in an urban area, so it can respond swiftly to the rapidly changing needs of its customers, according to the carmaker. One key feature is that the facility is capable of dealing flexibly with any changes due to market demands, as it boasts a human-centric manufacturing system powered by the aforementioned advanced technologies.

Hyundai Motor Group plans to develop its smart manufacturing platform there, and then apply it to the groups key manufacturing facilities in Korea and the United States, with a view to maximizing its manufacturing efficiency.

HMGICS will become a smart urban mobility hub that connects city infrastructure, mobility and even human beings, said Jung Hong-bum, head of HMGICS. The facility will also present a new standard for the next manufacturing system that converges not just information and communication technology and AI but even robotics.

HMGICS and Hyundais new EV factory in Ulsan, which will start operation in 2026, will be positioned as the two mainstream innovation facilities for the carmaker to lead the electrified mobility era for the next five decades, the company said.
The chief of an independent corporate compliance oversight committee of Samsung Group said Tuesday he expects the court to look into Samsung's efforts to strengthen ethics management in connection with an ongoing trial on allegations against the group's chief over the controversial 2015 merger of two Samsung affiliates.

On Friday, prosecutors demanded a five-year prison sentence for Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong on charges of stock price rigging and accounting fraud in the controversial merger of two Samsung affiliates  Cheil Industries and Samsung C&T  in 2015.

The merger, where three Samsung C&T shares were offered for one Cheil share, helped Lee tighten his control of Samsung C&T, the de facto holding company for Samsung Group, through his 23.2 percent stake in Cheil.

The merger was seen as crucial to Lee's succession as the heir of the family-controlled group, as his father Lee Kun-hee had suffered a heart attack the previous year.

"I don't think it is appropriate for a compliance committee head to give an opinion ahead of a court decision ... but I think the judicial branch will come to an excellent decision as it is the last bastion of keeping our society in place," Lee Chan-hee, the compliance committee chief, said, referring to the case involving the Samsung Group chief.

During the Friday hearing, Lee said the merger was part of Samsung's broader plan to boost the competitiveness of the affiliates, refuting the prosecutors' allegation that he intended to cause damage to other shareholders in order to increase his own shares.

"I have never prioritized my personal interests in the process of merging Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries. I and the other defendants believed that the merger would be advantageous for both companies," Lee said in his testimony.

"As an entrepreneur, I have a responsibility to continue to create profits and jobs. I ask for an opportunity to focus all of my capabilities solely on moving forward," he added.

The sentence request came more than three years after Lee was indicted in September 2020 in the case. The court will hand down a ruling on Jan. 26.

Samsung launched the committee in 2020 to monitor corporate compliance with laws and ethics in light of public criticism over Samsung's connection to a high-profile corruption case that led to the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye.

Samsung leader Lee was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison in January 2021 after being convicted of bribery in connection with the scandal. He was released on parole seven months later and reinstated after receiving a presidential pardon last year. (Yonhap)
After months on the market, crypto news site CoinDesk has finally been acquired by a business that's run by the former president of the New York Stock Exchange.

Bullish, a digital asset exchange led by ex-NYSE chief Tom Farley, has purchased CoinDesk from Barry Silbert's Digital Currency Group. It's the latest sign that Silbert's crypto empire, which had vaulted its founder into the billionaire ranks, continues to fall apart.

CoinDesk will operate as an independent subsidiary of Bullish. Terms of the purchase haven't been disclosed, but the Wall Street Journal reported that it's an all-cash deal.

DCG, which first acquired CoinDesk for $500,000 in 2016, reportedly received several unsolicited offers for more than $200 million for the news site earlier this year. CoinDesk first began looking into a possible sale in January, enlisting the help of advisors at Lazard. In July, however, a $125 million purchase agreement from a consortium of investors fell through.

In August, CoinDesk reportedly laid off around 16% of its staff. Farley said Bullish "will immediately inject capital" into the media company to help scale the operation.

Silbert called CoinDesk one of DCG's "best investments of all time," in a post on X, formerly Twitter, Monday morning.

Michael Casey, Coindesk's chief content officer, told CNBC that the Bullish deal came together "very quickly," and that his side of the newsroom is excited for the new strategic alliance.
Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon SL Green Realty's year-to-date stock performance.

SL Green Realty : "If you're going to be in that group, you got to be in BXP. That's the safest one...I don't like how that one has too much exposure to the, you know, this office commercial properties that I've been so worried about."

Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Lucid's year-to-date stock performance.

Lucid : "No, no. We like Rivian."

Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Schlumberger's year-to-date stock performance.

Schlumberger: "I like SLB very much."

Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Toyota's year-to-date stock performance.

Toyota : "I've been looking at Toyota and thinking, 'why don't I recommend that stock'? It just goes up and up...I think it's a really good call. Buy Toyota."

Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Conagra's year-to-date stock performance.

Conagra : "Conagra is being hurt by this GLP thing, but it's got a 5% yield. I'm confident they're going to have a decent quarter."

Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Cboe's year-to-date stock performance.

Cboe : "Cboe is fantastic. I mean, these companies coin money, and they're very well-run, and that is a buy, even up here."

Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Twist Bioscience's year-to-date stock performance.

Twist Bioscience : "This is a very, very speculative genomics play. I have not made a lot of money in my career betting on genomics."

Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Boise Cascade's year-to-date stock performance.

Boise Cascade : "Boise Cascade is a great company, and I think that you have correctly understood how well it's done...This Boise Cascade is a fantastic play on housing, on building."

Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Xcel Energy's year-to-date stock performance.

Xcel Energy : "...Excel Energy seems like a pretty good stock."

Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Sirius XM's year-to-date stock performance.

Sirius XM : "I am very concerned that this is no longer the stock that we knew it as. It's become a play on used cars, if anything, and I can't go there. That's not enough to hang my hat on."

Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Nice's year-to-date stock performance.

Nice : "...Nice has always been a good franchise."

Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Gaming and Leisure Properties' year-to-date stock performance.

Gaming and Leisure Properties : "No. The only casino company I like right now is Wynn."

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Kip Turner, 68, has spent his entire 50-year career with AT&T working as an engineer. And despite his long tenure, he tells CNBC Make It he has often been one of the youngest people on his team.

Turner first joined the company as a station installer in 1973 when he was 18 years old. He took on about eight different roles over the next five decades, and "until probably the last 20 years, I've been the kid on just about every crew," says Turner, who now works as a lead product development engineer near Faulkner County, Arkansas.

Being on the younger side, and the flexibility that comes with being early in your career, has its advantages. Turner recalls making his first internal move when he was 20 years old and applied to become a toll technician simply because "nobody else knew about it, and nobody else really wanted to go to this particular little town in Central Arkansas."

Read more: 68-year-old has spent 50 years at the same company as an engineer, even without a college degreethis is his one regret

But, it can be a challenge to manage up to senior leaders on a team when you have the least amount of experience.

"I was working around a lot of older assertive men, and I'm not a very big guy, so I never wanted confrontation," Turner says.

Still, Turner says he was able to make meaningful contributions even as a more junior member of his department.

His secret? "Learn your job well," he says. "Be very confident when you challenge somebody, especially somebody that's 20 to 30 years older than you that's been doing the job for so long. [Don't] be arrogant about it, but be confident in your knowledge."

It's crucial to be respectful, too.

"Give somebody an example instead of trying to embarrass them," he says. "I made the mistake of embarrassing people in the past and it never, ever works out well."
Electric vehicle shares have done well this year, and analysts are still broadly optimistic on the sector. The Global X Autonomous and Electric Vehicles exchange-traded fund, which includes companies across multiple parts of the EV supply chain, is up around 16% in the year to date. They include companies involved in developing autonomous vehicle software and hardware; EV manufacturers; and those that make EV components such as lithium batteries and critical EV materials such as lithium and cobalt. Analysts have recently been bullish on various corners of the EV industry , believing in the long-term future of the sector. The Global X Autonomous and Electric Vehicles ETF is one of a number of ETFs that offer a way to invest in a basket of stocks across the supply chain. About a third of the 76 holdings are tech and communications stocks, with industrials, materials, auto stocks and others making up the rest. For investors who want to buy EV-related stocks, CNBC Pro screened the Global X Autonomous and Electric Vehicles ETF for stocks with more than 30% upside over the next 12 months. They also have buy ratings of at least 50%, and have more than seven analysts covering them. The following stocks showed up. A good mix of automakers, semiconductor firms, lithium producers made the screen. Both traditional automakers with EV businesses as well as EV makers showed up, such as Chinese brand Geely , U.S. automaker General Motors , and French company Renault . Analysts gave General Motors the highest potential upside at 58%. Geely had the highest buy rating at 72.7%. Lithium producers include Livent and Piedmont Lithium  the latter attracted the only 100% buy rating from analysts and a whopping potential upside of 165.1%. Lithium is a critical component in electric vehicle batteries. Luminar Technologies , which develops safety technologies for self-driving cars and whose customers include EV companies, got the highest potential upside in the list (208%) but a buy rating on the lower side (50%). Semiconductor firms Nvidia and Infineon also turned up in the screen.
Two nations sign Clean Energy Partnership

By Baek Byung-yeul

Korea and the U.K. are expanding cooperation in the energy sector on the occasion of President Yoon Suk Yeols state visit, as the two nations agreed on pursuing discussions regarding Seouls participation in Londons plans to construct a new nuclear power plant, as well as expanding collaboration in the carbon-free energy sector, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Tuesday.

The president is on a four-day state visit to the U.K. at the invitation of King Charles III. Taking this invitation as an opportunity, the ministry said it will establish a Clean Energy Partnership with its counterpart the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

Through this partnership, both countries aim to enhance cooperation in the expansion of clean energy, including nuclear power, offshore wind power and hydrogen, as part of their efforts towards carbon neutrality.

Under the Clean Energy Partnership, the two countries will confirm their shared commitment to the carbon-free energy (CFE) initiative and expand cooperation in clean energy technologies. They will also establish an annual high-level dialogue channel to discuss these issues.

Additionally, the two governments, along with private-sector entities, are set to sign a total of nine memorandums of understanding (MOUs) in London, Wednesday. These MOUs include discussions on Korea's participation in the construction of new nuclear power plants planned by the U.K., as well as the establishment of a comprehensive cooperative relationship in various fields related to nuclear energy projects.

The U.K. aims to increase the proportion of nuclear power in its total electricity generation from 15 percent in 2020 to 25 percent by 2050. In line with this plan, it established Great British Nuclear, a publicly owned company, in July.

The U.K. is a leading country in the nuclear power sector, as it constructed the worlds first commercial nuclear power plant in 1956. The two countries will be able to create mutually beneficial collaborations as Korea has strengths in nuclear power plant construction and equipment manufacturing, while the U.K. has competitiveness in decommissioning nuclear facilities and nuclear fuel-related fields, the energy ministry said.

The signing ceremony will be attended by Energy Minister Bang Moon-kyu and Claire Coutinho MP, the secretary of state for energy security and net zero, the energy ministry added.

Through the MOUs, both countries designated the construction of new nuclear power plants as a key area of cooperation. They will support enhanced mutual cooperation between Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) and UK Atomic Energy Authority, and pursue detailed consultations on new nuclear power plant construction through dialogue, the ministry said.

This agreement lays the foundations for resuming discussions on new nuclear power plants, which have been on hold for over four years since a failed bid on the Moorside nuclear power plant project in 2019.

Regarding carbon-free energy, both countries have also agreed to cooperate in the offshore wind power sector, in addition to establishing a cooperative relationship related to the entire lifecycle of nuclear power projects.

"The two countries will sign an MOU on offshore wind power cooperation, which includes expanding policy and expert exchanges. Through offshore wind power policy dialogue, they will explore and pursue areas of cooperation," the energy ministry said.

Accelerating AI, chip, space cooperation

In addition to energy collaboration, the two nations will host the Korea-UK Business Forum on Wednesday, co-hosted by the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) and the UK's Department for Business and Trade. About 200 business leaders from both countries will attend and sign 31 MOUs in areas such as AI, advanced industries, construction and defense.

Korean companies, including Navien, Hyosung Heavy Industries and Hanwha Aerospace, are expected to sign contracts worth 270 billion won ($209 million) with British businesses during the forum.

From Korea, the forum will be attended by Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin, Hanwha Group Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan and FKI Chairman Ryu Jin.

From the U.K., the forum will be attended by the lord mayor of London, secretary of state for Business and Trade, as well as the CEOs of companies such as Arm, Rolls-Royce, Standard Chartered, Ocado and Rio Tinto, the energy ministry said.

The Korean energy minister will also sign an MOU with Michelle Donelan, U.K. secretary of state for science, innovation and technology, in the field of semiconductors, expanding human resource development, R&D and supply chain cooperation.

The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to sign an MOU with the U.K. Department for Science, Innovation and Technology over space and digital cooperation on Wednesday.

Through this MOU, the two countries will accelerate cooperation in space exploration, space industry, space infrastructure, satellites, space policy, navigation and vision, networks, Earth observation, sustainability in the field of space and cooperation in bilateral and multilateral consultations.

Korea launched its first satellite, KITSAT-1, in 1992, jointly developed by researchers from here and the U.K.s University of Surrey. Based on this history, the two countries expect that the signing of the MOU will lead to a strategic partnership.
Jeff Bezos is expected to be "aggressive" in selling more shares of Amazon on Tuesday, sources told CNBC's David Faber.

Bezos may sell as many as 8 million to 10 million shares, which would amount to more than $1 billion worth of stock, the sources told Faber.

Shares of Amazon closed down about 1.5%.

It comes after Bezos last week unloaded about $240 million worth of Amazon shares, according to financial filings. The transactions were marked as contributions to nonprofit organizations, the filing states.

It's unclear who Bezos donated the shares to. A representative for Bezos didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Bezos  who is the third-richest person in the world, with a net worth of around $170 billion, according to Bloomberg  still owns about 988 million Amazon shares, which amounts to a nearly 10% stake in the company.

Since stepping down as CEO of Amazon in 2021, Bezos has accelerated his charitable giving, and has said he plans to give away much of his fortune in his lifetime. Bezos and his fiancee Lauren Sanchez in August pledged $100 million to recovery efforts in Maui after deadly wildfires ravaged the Hawaiian island. Bezos has said he sells at least $1 billion of Amazon stock a year to fund his rocket startup, Blue Origin, and in 2020 he launched the $10 billion Earth Fund to combat the effects of climate change.

Earlier this month, the Amazon founder and executive chairman announced that he plans to leave Seattle and move to Miami, allowing him to be closer to his parents, Sanchez and Blue Origin's operations.

WATCH: Here's why Jeff Bezos is leaving Seattle for Miami
Binance chief Changpeng Zhao pleaded guilty Tuesday to criminal charges and stepped down as the company's CEO as part of a $4.3 billion settlement with the Department of Justice, according to court documents. The plea arrangement with the government resolves a multiyear investigation into the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange.

Zhao appeared before Judge Brian Tsuchida in a Seattle courtroom to enter his plea. Zhao and others were charged with violating the Bank Secrecy Act by failing to implement an effective anti-money-laundering program and for willfully violating U.S. economic sanctions "in a deliberate and calculated effort to profit from the U.S. market without implementing controls required by U.S. law," according to the Justice Department.

Zhao said Tuesday in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that he had "made mistakes" and "must take responsibility." He said Richard Teng, the company's former global head of regional markets, has been named the new CEO of Binance.

The action against Binance and its founder was a joint effort by the Department of Justice, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Treasury Department. The Securities and Exchange Commission was notably absent.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a release Tuesday that the exchange allowed illicit actors to make more than 100,000 transactions that supported activities such as terrorism and illegal narcotics and that it allowed more than 1.5 million virtual currency trades that violated U.S. sanctions.

It also allowed transactions associated with terrorist groups such as Hamas' Al-Qassam Brigades, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, al-Qaida and ISIS, Yellen said in the release, noting Binance "never filed a single suspicious activity report."

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a press conference Tuesday that the fine is "one of the largest penalties we have ever obtained."

"Using new technology to break the law does not make you a disruptor. It makes you a criminal," Garland said.

"Binance prioritized its profits over the safety of the American people," he said.

According to a 92-page consent order between Binance and Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCen, the crypto exchange "even developed a process to notify VIP users if they became the subject of a law enforcement inquiry."
Deep brain stimulation therapies have been around for decades, but a wave of at-home wearable devices has emerged, forging a pathway toward a new era of electrical brain stimulation that could enhance consumers' everyday lives  not just treat severe disorders. "Until now, the use of brain stimulation techniques has been relatively restricted to treat severe movement and mental disorders. But moving forward, there is growing recognition and excitement that these techniques can be used to enhance broader cognitive function," Bernstein analyst Lee Hambright wrote in a note earlier this year. "The next frontier of innovation could be using brain stimulation techniques to change brainwave activity to stimulate growth and potentially improve the brain's neural networking," Hambright wrote. The market for deep brain stimulation devices was an estimated $1.2 billion in 2022 and is set to reach about $3.2 billion by 2032, according to a report from research and consulting firm Precedence Research. Several Food and Drug Administration-approved deep brain stimulation therapies exist for severe movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, and dystonia, as well as mental disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and treatment-resistant depression. These forms of deep brain stimulation require a surgical procedure during which electrodes  which generate electrical impulses to control any abnormal brain activity  are implanted into certain areas of the brain. The stimulation is then controlled by a neurostimulator implanted under the patient's skin in the chest area. With enough advancement in the field, doctors expect brain stimulation techniques for both severe disorders and health-and-wellness purposes will ultimately become noninvasive. Analysts also share a burgeoning excitement that cognitive function can be enhanced. Several smaller, private companies are developing technologies that can treat individuals through brain-computer interface, or BCI, systems and other minimally or noninvasive methods. "The potential use cases for brain hacking devices are extensive, and a lot of companies are in the race to serve this 'consumer' market related to improved daily brain health," Hambright said. "However, a lot of questions remain unanswered with respect to safety and effectiveness." Three major players There are only three companies with FDA-approved deep brain stimulation, or DBS, treatments: Medtronic , Abbott Laboratories and Boston Scientific . "These three are the major players in the world of deep brain stimulation," said Dr. Ali Rezai, executive director of the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute at West Virginia University and former president of the North American Neuromodulation Society. "Medtronic and Boston Scientific and Abbott, in my opinion, they're improving on their technology. They're improving their hardware ... they're improving the battery technology, they're improving the stimulation paradigms using AI to optimize benefits versus side effects." Medtronic, which reported fiscal second-quarter results Tuesday, has five DBS neurostimulators that treat conditions such as epilepsy, Parkinson's disease and obsessive-compulsive disorder. In August, the company received approval for its Inceptiv closed-loop rechargeable spinal cord stimulator , which sends mild electrical impulses to the spinal cord to disrupt an individual's pain signals before they reach the brain. Closed-loop neurostimulation is an "important area for future advancement in the world of DBS," Rezai said, as he called out Medtronic's leadership. Shares of Medtronic have shed 3.2% this year, but were up more than 6% so far this month. Analysts, on average, rate the company an overweight with an $89.83 price target, implying nearly 20.2% upside from Friday's close, according to FactSet. "If an investor is at all interested in medical devices, this is a company that I wouldn't necessarily bet against," said Morningstar senior health care equity analyst Debbie Wang. "If we hone in on neuromodulation in particular, our thesis has been Medtronic has the most attractive, expansive portfolio out there. The spinal cord stimulation, or SCS, business is a hotbed of innovation right now, deep brain stimulation also is a key area." Wang pointed to Medtronic's recently launched differential target multiplexed SCS technology to treat patients with chronic, intractable back and leg pain. Medtronic on Nov. 10 announced successful results from its 12-month study on the therapy. Shares of Boston Scientific and Abbott, meanwhile, are up 8.6% and 2.9% over the past month, respectively. Boston Scientific has gained more than 17% this year, while Abbott has lost 9.3%. Boston Scientific offers DBS systems to treat Parkinson's and dystonia, among other conditions that can be customized to a patient's needs. Abbott also develops DBS therapies to aid with Parkinson's and essential tremor, as well as other neuromodulation technologies, such as spinal cord stimulation. Depression, according to Rezai, will likely be one of the next major DBS applications. Abbott has fast-tracked the development of its DBS system for treatment-resistant depression through a "breakthrough device designation" from the FDA. The major depressive disorder affects an estimated 2.8 million of the total 16.1 million U.S. adults living with depression. The illness costs the U.S. about $44 billion a year for health care as well as unemployment and lost productivity, according to Abbott. About 71% of analysts hold an overweight rating on Abbott, according to FactSet, with an average price target of $115.36, or about 16% upside from Friday's close. The company, which derives the majority of its revenue from medical devices and diagnostic tools, is expanding into a new market of consumer wearables as it sees its Covid test sales decline. Boston Scientific is also rated overweight by the vast majority of analysts polled by FactSet. Shares could jump about 11% over the next 12 months based on its $60.33 average price target. The new coffee? Bernstein's Hambright sees a future where brain stimulation could become as mainstream as consuming caffeine to become more alert. There is still plenty of doubt, however, about the efficacy of at-home brain stimulation devices, which offer a less direct approach to brain stimulation and don't always require FDA oversight. Scientists are already worried that these technologies seem to be growing at a faster rate than their ability to determine how well they work, Hambright noted. Some neurosurgeons worry the devices overpromise and underdeliver. A number of private companies are racing to develop ways to improve attention, memory, language and visuospatial skills, among other brain functions. Among them are Elon Musk 's Neuralink and Precision Neuroscience , which are making implantable brain-computer interfaces, and Wave Neuroscience , which uses digital brain imaging and neuromodulation (electrical impulses sent to the brain) to improve overall function. They hope to improve patient outcomes by using techniques like transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), ultrasound and magnetic energy to avoid surgery. "It's a whole slew of companies out there that are doing the noninvasive approach towards what we call broadly the field of neuromodulation," said Rezai, who holds 60 U.S. patents related to medical devices and neuromodulation technologies. "These companies  whether it's Elon Musk's Neuralink, Precision Neuroscience or others that are doing good work recording the brain and mapping out the neural activities in the brain with respect to a function  have not closed the gap, which is now [to develop] therapeutics." Still, Rezai noted that the rate of FDA-approved brain stimulation therapies have slowed down in recent years, making the growing field of these largely noninvasive BCI developers an exciting innovation once their potential is realized. Clinical trials are a necessary step to demonstrate the efficacy of their approaches  and ultimately develop actionable outcomes for patients  he said, particularly as these noninvasive, mostly use-at-home approaches are less precise than brain surgery. Dr. Casey Halpern, the chief of stereotactic and functional neurosurgery at the University of Pennsylvania, is similarly enthused by the prospect of at-home brain stimulation therapies. Many are "door openers" for less invasive therapies for diseases such as Parkinson's if they're proven to work, he said. "The vision of brain stimulation is not that it's invasive. To me, it's getting noninvasive. As a field, we really need to embrace this technology because it actually will get us out of the brain," Halpern said, adding that he expects these devices to become more mainstream. "There's a lot to go in terms of trying to make that consistent intervention and one [device] that people are willing to embrace as a therapy versus an enhancer." The 'dream case' Although brain stimulation therapies are typically used in medical settings, like hospitals, Hambright said that at-home brain stimulation devices are growing more popular among individuals who say these machines enhance their mental state or clarity. These devices are available online and can cost as little as $40 to around $500, he said. Rezai cited several electrical brain stimulation companies, including Insightec , which provides minimally invasive focused ultrasound treatment, as well as medical device maker Cordance and Taiwan's NaviFUS , which is making ultrasound brain systems. Cordance is an example of what excites neurosurgeons about the field: the possibility that one day deep brain stimulation could be noninvasive and effective at a large scale. The company's device looks to track brain diseases by reversibly opening the blood-brain barrier using noninvasive, low-frequency focused ultrasound. With this technology, Cordance plans to develop applications for patients with brain cancers and movement disorders such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and epilepsy. Several at-home devices use noninvasive electrical brain stimulation such as TMS or transcranial direct current (tDCS) to improve cognitive function, relieve brain fog, and decrease cravings among people with drug addiction and more. TMS can even be used as a potential weight loss treatment as it improves self-control and can result in healthier eating habits. Flow Neuroscience makes a brain-stimulating headset for depressive symptoms that is being reviewed for FDA approval after receiving breakthrough designation in 2022, Hambright said. Another example is BrainsWay, which uses FDA-cleared deep TMS technology to treat depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and smoking addiction. Vielight Neuro's technology stimulates the brain to improve cognitive processing, strength and reaction time, which makes it particularly applicable for high-performance athletes. Hambright pointed to Wave Neuroscience as a leader in the developing field of TMS. The company has two neuromodulation devices, one of which is approved by the FDA and used only in clinical settings. The other is an in-home portable headset called Sonal that is designed to improve symptoms of traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder by aiding sleep, focus, mood, cognition and self-control via neuromodulation. "Essentially, Sonal is a shot on goal at the 'dream case' of brain stimulation  a device which augments a variety of cognitive functions for healthy consumers," Hambright said. "Wave intends to go public once it receives FDA approval for its EEG-guided TMS therapy, which management expects to occur in 2024."
For the first time, CNBC Pro Talks headed to a business school. CNBC's Tanvir Gill on Nov. 22 talked to three experts at INSEAD, one of the world's leading graduate business schools, at its Asia Campus in Singapore. Brian Arcese, portfolio manager at Foord Asset Management, James Sullivan, MD and head of Asia Pacific equity research at JPMorgan, and Jenny Zeng, CIO of APAC fixed income at Allianz Global Investors discussed their market outlooks and investment strategies for 2024. Arcese is a portfolio manager on the Foord Global Equity fund and Foord SICAV - Foord International Fund, and has 20 years of experience in both developed and emerging markets, as well as long-only and long/short products. Sullivan joined JPMorgan in 2010 and has held hedge fund management and research roles in Asia since 1998. Zeng joined Allianz Global Investors in January this year and is responsible for AllianzGI's fixed Income investments in the region. Join the event online on Wednesday, Nov. 22 at 2 p.m. SGT / 6:00 a.m. GMT / 1 a.m. ET . Submit your questions here. Learn more from our previous Pro Talks: Looking to invest long-term in Nvidia? Here's how to play the stock according to one growth investor Forget India: One portfolio manager bucks the trend, says another market offers 'great value' This chip stock has a '50% margin' which rivals could struggle to catch up with, portfolio manager says Related coverage from Pro: Will the S & P 500 rally by year end? Morgan Stanley's Slimmon explains, names one Big Tech stock to buy Rising yields and war: Here's how to trade the volatility, according to fund managers Saving for your child's college education with a 10-year plan? Here's how to invest, say the pros

For the first time, CNBC Pro Talks headed to a business school. CNBC's Tanvir Gill on Nov. 22 talked to three experts at INSEAD, one of the world's leading graduate business schools, at its Asia Campus in Singapore. Brian Arcese, portfolio manager at Foord Asset Management, James Sullivan, MD and head of Asia Pacific equity research at JPMorgan, and Jenny Zeng, CIO of APAC fixed income at Allianz Global Investors discussed their market outlooks and investment strategies for 2024. Arcese is a portfolio manager on the Foord Global Equity fund and Foord SICAV - Foord International Fund, and has 20 years of experience in both developed and emerging markets, as well as long-only and long/short products. Sullivan joined JPMorgan in 2010 and has held hedge fund management and research roles in Asia since 1998. Zeng joined Allianz Global Investors in January this year and is responsible for AllianzGI's fixed Income investments in the region. Join the event online on Wednesday, Nov. 22 at 2 p.m. SGT / 6:00 a.m. GMT / 1 a.m. ET. Submit your questions here.
Founder and CEO of Binance Changpeng Zhao, commonly known as "CZ", attends the "CZ meets Italy" at Palazzo Brancaccio on May 10, 2022 in Rome, Italy.

The move weighed on the rest of the crypto market. Ripple's XRP fell 3.2%, Solana was down by more than 4%. Polygon and Uniswap lost 7.8% and 3.8%, respectively. Meanwhile, bitcoin was down by 1.53%, hovering just below $37,000. Ether was last lower by about 2.1% at $1,992.43.

Binance Coin slid 5.9%, after rising as much as 5% earlier in the day with hopeful investors eager to see the multiyear investigation into the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world resolved.

Cryptocurrencies fell Tuesday after Binance founder and CEO Changpeng Zhao, also known as "CZ," pleaded guilty to criminal charges brought by the U.S. Department of Justice.

"Markets are whipsawing with each new piece of information, but will start to settle as we head into the U.S. holiday," said Michael Safai, cofounder and partner at Dexterity Capital. "Remember, most traders haven't operated in a market where there is no CZ. Any upside from the settlement may be met with some temporary selling pressure as the market considers how Binance moves forward. But crypto veterans have seen this play out before."

"It's hard to see Binance losing its dominance, but this will certainly create room for newer players to fill any void," he added.

Under the agreement, Zhao will pay a $50 million fine and step down as chief executive.

In a separate action, Binance agreed to plead guilty to violations of the Bank Secrecy Act, knowingly failing to register as a money transmitting business and violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The company is required by the DOJ to pay $4.3 billion in penalties and forfeitures.

The actions against Binance and its founder were a joint effort by the DOJ, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Treasury Department. The Securities and Exchange Commission was noticeably absent.

Elsewhere, investors were also weighing news from another major crypto exchange: Kraken. On Monday evening, the SEC alleged that the company has been operating as an unregistered broker, clearing agency and dealer and that it commingled customers' crypto assets with its own.

This is the second time this year that the SEC has sued Kraken. In February, the agency said Kraken failed to register the offer and sale of its crypto asset staking-as-a-service program.

Meanwhile, the DOJ on Tuesday commended Tether, the controversial operator of the biggest stablecoin in the crypto ecosystem, for its efforts in freezing $225 million of assets linked to a human trafficking syndicate in Southeast Asia.

CNBC's Mackenzie Sigalos and Ryan Browne contributed reporting.
In addition to the records, the House Democrats asked Yaccarino and Musk to detail how X plans to address Hamas-related content currently on the platform. They also want to know what changes the company "plans to implement to ensure that the harmful spread of terrorist propaganda does not happen again."

They gave Musk and Yaccarino until Dec. 1 to provide "all forms of written communications" related to content moderation for any posts or accounts connected to Hamas.

"Given the many flagrant examples of X profiting off this content, we need detailed answers from X in considering potential legislation that would prevent such activity in the future," wrote the lawmakers.

The already "inexcusable" presence of antisemitic content on X, they wrote, had become "outright indefensible" since the deadly Oct. 7 terror attack in Israel by Hamas militants. The U.S. has labeled Hamas a terror group since 1997.

"The platform has become a hotbed of misinformation and terrorist propaganda," wrote the group of 27 Democrats, led by Reps. Dan Goldman of New York and Jamie Raskin of Maryland, in a letter obtained by CNBC .

More than two dozen House Democrats on Tuesday accused Elon Musk 's X of "profiting off violent content by a terrorist organization" and demanded that Musk and CEO Linda Yaccarino address Hamas -related content on the social media platform .

X did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.

The letter comes as Musk, the world's richest man, and X, the platform he bought for $44 billion last year, fend off new accusations of antisemitism that are threatening to cut deeply into the company's ad-based revenue model.

Apple , Disney , and Comcast, the parent company of CNBC, are some of the major brands that paused their online advertising on X last week, after Musk publicly agreed with an antisemitic conspiracy theory that "Jewish communities" were pushing "dialectical hatred against whites."

"You have said the actual truth," Musk wrote Wednesday in response to that post.

The exchange drew fierce condemnation from X users, Wall Street investors and Washington politicos. The White House accused Musk of promoting "antisemitic and racist hate."

The fallout coincided with a new report from the progressive nonprofit watchdog group Media Matters for America, which accused X of placing ads from major brands next to posts that promoted Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich.

Musk has vehemently denied allegations that he is bigoted, writing in a post on Sunday that media reports labeling him antisemitic over his rhetoric are "bogus," and "nothing could be further from the truth."

"I wish only the best for humanity and a prosperous and exciting future for all," he wrote.

He has also repeatedly slammed Media Matters as "pure evil" and vowed to file a "thermonuclear lawsuit" on Monday against the outlet "and ALL those who colluded in this fraudulent attack on our company."

Yaccarino, a former NBCUniversal advertising chief whom Musk tapped in May as his CEO, said Thursday that X has "been extremely clear about our efforts to combat antisemitism and discrimination."

Media Matters President Angelo Carusone in a statement Saturday slammed Musk's legal threat as a "meritless" effort to "silence reporting that he even confirmed is accurate."

The letter from Goldman and Raskin on Tuesday largely avoided personally singling out Musk over his controversial posts.

Instead, the Democrats highlighted numerous X accounts that have reportedly been "spreading Hamas terrorist propaganda videos glorifying barbaric acts of violence against Israelis."

They cited reports last month from the Tech Transparency Project, or TTP, the research arm of the nonprofit watchdog Campaign for Accountability, and the nonprofit think tank Institute for Strategic Dialogue, or ISD.

The TTP investigation found accounts that paid for X's Premium service sharing graphic, uncensored videos including "bloodied bodies on the ground, and rocket and drone attacks on Israeli tanks and vehicles."

Those videos had also been featured on the website of Hamas' military wing and were posted on X in apparent violation of the company's content policies, according to TTP.
Ford CEO Jim Farley announces at a press conference that Ford Motor Company will be partnering with the worlds largest battery company, a China-based company called Contemporary Amperex Technology, to create an electric-vehicle battery plant in Marshall, Michigan, on February 13, 2023 in Romulus, Michigan. Bill Pugliano | Getty Images News | Getty Images

DETROIT  Ford Motor is scaling back plans for a $3.5 billion battery plant in Michigan as consumers shift to electric vehicles more slowly than expected, labor costs rise and the company moves to cut costs. Ford executives including CEO Jim Farley and Chair Bill Ford initially announced the facility in February. It quickly became a political target due to its connection to Chinese battery manufacturer Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., or CATL. The plant is a wholly owned Ford subsidiary, but the U.S. automaker is licensing technology from CATL to produce new lithium iron phosphate, or LFP, batteries for EVs. Ford said Tuesday it is cutting production capacity by roughly 43% to 20 gigawatt hours per year and reducing expected employment from 2,500 jobs to 1,700 jobs. The company declined to disclose how much less it would invest in the plant. Based on the reduced capacity, it would still be about a $2 billion investment. The decision adds to a recent retreat from EVs by automakers globally. Demand for the vehicles is lower than expected due to higher costs and challenges with supply chains and battery technologies, among other issues. Reductions at the Marshall, Michigan, plant are part of Ford's plans announced last month to cut or delay about $12 billion in previously announced EV investments. The company will also postpone construction of another electric vehicle battery plant in Kentucky.

Ford Motor Co., Chief Executive Bill Ford announces Ford Motor will partner with Chinese-based, Amperex Technology, to build an all-electric vehicle battery plant in Marshall, Michigan, during a press conference in Romulus, Michigan, February 13, 2023. Rebecca Cook | Reuters
Israel and Hamas have agreed to a humanitarian pause in Gaza that will last for at least four days, according to the Qatari government. The start of the temporary cease-fire will be announced within 24 hours, it said.

The agreement includes the release of 50 civilian women and children hostages who are currently held in the Palestinian enclave, in exchange for the release of a number of Palestinian women and children detained in Israeli prisons, the announcement said.

Earlier, the Israeli government voted to accept a deal that would release some hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his war cabinet for the vote on Tuesday.

The U.S. State Department had reiterated later in the day that "we're close to a deal," but cautioned that Israeli cabinet members were in the process of discussing the matter.

Earlier, Netanyahu said negotiations on the release of hostages taken by Hamas were making progress. "I don't think it's worth saying too much, not even at this moment, but I hope there will be good news soon," Benjamin Netanyahu said, according to a Google-translated statement from his office.

It comes after Hamas political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, said that the Palestinian militant group and Israel were "close to reaching a truce agreement."

Another Hamas official, Izzat al-Rishq, said ongoing talks focused on an exchange of women and children held by both Israel and the Palestinian militant group.
Candles lit in a Star of David shape surround a slogan during a gathering in Tel Aviv on November 21, 2023, calling for the release of Israelis held hostage in the Gaza Strip since the October 7 attack by Hamas militants, amid ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian armed group.

A senior Israeli official on Tuesday outlined further details of a tentative hostage deal with Hamas, which Israeli cabinet members are reportedly voting on late Tuesday, according to NBC.

The source told NBC that the prospective agreement would release around 50 women and children hostages over the course of four days, during which time Israel would temporarily pause attacks to ensure the safe passage of the hostages. Israel would also agree to halt drone flights for a certain amount of time each day, though the source said Israel believes it can maintain oversight of Gaza without them.

Under the current work-in-progress deal, the official confirmed that Israel would also release 150 Palestinian women and child prisoners who assisted in terror attacks but did not directly kill Israelis themselves. Families of the victims of the convicted prisoners would have a 24-hour opportunity to appeal their release to the Israeli Supreme Court.

The 24-hour timeframe to appeal means that any deal that Israeli cabinet members might sign on Tuesday cannot take effect until Wednesday at the earliest.

In addition, the official said Israel might agree to prolong the temporary cease-fire to five days instead of four if Hamas releases 10 more hostages. Extending the cease-fire in exchange for more hostage releases could be an ongoing negotiation tactic to set all of the hostages free, but the official said that the parties would treat the release of the first 50 hostages as a trial run and assess from there.

At this stage, Israel is only negotiating for Israeli hostages, according to the source. Other countries will have to conduct their own talks with Hamas to release their respective hostages. The official noted that many of the American hostages have dual-citizenship and therefore qualify as Israeli hostages.

Officials from Israel and the U.S., which has been involved in the talks, have reiterated that any potential deal could fall apart at a moment's notice due to the especially sensitive and malleable nature of the terms.

"As you have heard us say a number of times over the course of the past few weeks, nothing is final until everything is final. And at this point everything is not yet final," U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said at a Tuesday press conference.

The tentative agreement, if finalized Tuesday, would come more than six weeks after Hamas' Oct. 7 terror attack, when the group took roughly 240 hostages from Israel. Approximately 1,200 people were killed in the rampage, which led Israel to invade the Gaza Strip and pledge to destroy the Palestinian militant group.

Only a very small number of hostages have been released or rescued since, despite much talk of a possible release deal. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said that Israel will not stop its ruthless military campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip until the hostages are released.

 CNBC's Katrina Bishop contributed to this report.
Every weekday the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer releases the Homestretch audio feature in time for the last hour of trading on Wall Street. Here's today's edition. The major U.S. stock benchmarks are down Tuesday afternoon, but traded off their lows of the morning as the market remains in overbought conditions. The S & P 500 is on pace to close lower and snap a five-session winning streak. After Monday's rally, the S & P had traded at its highest levels since August. Meanwhile, Club holding Nvidia (NVDA) is set to release highly anticipated quarterly results after the close Tuesday, along with forward guidance for the three months ending in January. Despite his long-term faith in the company being intact, Jim lamented how Nvidia is capturing the majority of Wall Street's attention Tuesday. "There are 499 other stocks that matter," Jim said, alluding to the other constituents in the S & P 500 index. Still, Ford Motor 's (F) decision to scale back its investments on an electric-vehicle battery plant in its home state of Michigan has broken through some of the Nvidia anticipation Tuesday. Jim said even though Ford is dealing with the ramifications of a new contract based on a deal with the United Auto Workers union, along with softer demand for EVs, he believes the automaker is on solid footing with CEO Jim Farley at the helm. "If the economy is coming out of a [Federal Reserve] tightening period ... I know you're supposed to buy the autos," Jim said. (See here for a full list of the stocks in Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.
The U.S. Department of State reiterated its concerns Monday over military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, as Pyongyang is gearing up for a space rocket launch to put a military spy satellite into orbit.

Pyongyang has notified Japan's Coast Guard of a plan to conduct the launch between Nov. 22 and Dec. 1, Japanese media reported, despite Seoul's warning against what would be its third such launch attempt this year.

"I will say that our concerns about North Korea's ballistic missile program and other military programs are well known, our concerns about the transfer of technology between Russia and North Korea  whether it's Russia providing North Korea with technology or whether it's North Korea providing arms to Russia  are also well known," Matthew Miller, the department's spokesperson, told a press briefing.

"Those transfers in some cases violate multiple U.N. Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, including resolutions that Russia itself voted for, and we will continue to monitor them closely and take whatever actions are appropriate with our allies in the region to monitor and respond to North Korea's destabilizing behavior," he added.

Miller reiterated the position when asked to comment on South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's remarks in an interview with The Telegraph, a British daily, that China is likely to consider that pursuing cooperation with North Korea and Russia, which have violated UNSC resolutions and other international norms, will not be helpful for its reputation.

"I will just say that our position is very clear, which is that Russia should not supply North Korea with technology that would violate UNSC resolutions, (and) North Korea should not supply Russia with arms that it can use to prosecute its war of aggression against Ukraine," he said.

"That is our position with respect to any country in the world," he added.

Pyongyang's launch plan comes amid speculation that Russia might have provided military technology and support to the North in return for the North's supply of military equipment and munitions for use in the war in Ukraine.

The North initially planed to make a third launch attempt in October following two botched launches -- in August and May. But it did not press ahead with the plan last month, raising speculation that it might need more preparation time. (Yonhap)
My top 10 things to watch Tuesday, Nov. 21 Nvidia (NVDA) earnings after the closing bell. Will it say the need China for the out-years? Will it talk about new products and talk about the current shortage? Or it be show and tell for lower-end chips? After an up-and-down couple of months, shares of the Club name closed Monday at a record high. Forward guidance and commentary beyond the print will be key . Lowe's (LOW) reports a decline in DIY sales , missing on third-quarter same-store sales and revenue. Decline is in bigger ticker appliances. The home improvement chain also cut its full-year earnings-per-share (EPS) and revenue outlook. The stock was dropping nearly 4% premarket. Shares of Best Buy (BBY) were falling more than 5% after the electronics retailer cut its full-year sales forecast as holiday bargain shoppers hunt for deals. Third-quarter EPS beat. Revenue missed. Kohl's (KSS) beat on third-quarter EPS but missed on revenue and same-store sales. The retailer boosted the low-end of full-year earnings guidance and tightened the range on its expected year-over-year revenue decline. The stock dropped more than 5%. Different story at Dick's Sporting Goods (DKS), which raised its full-year outlook after cutting last quarter over theft concerns. Dick's says it's excited for the holiday season after a strong back-to-school. Third quarter EPS and revenue beat. The stock was soaring more than 7%. Wall Street was lower early Tuesday, a day after the S & P 500 extended its recent winning streak to five sessions. The index is just over 5.5% off its record high in January 2022 before the bottom dropped out that year. The recovery in 2023 has been remarkable. But just a handful of stocks have been leading the market higher. Here's why we still own 35 in our Club portfolio. The swift action of Club name Microsoft (MSFT) concerning the mess at OpenAI. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella tells CNBC he remains committed to both the startup behind ChatGPT and its former CEO Sam Altman. Nadella says Microsoft respects OpenAI's nonprofit roots and concern for safe AI. Club name Broadcom (AVGO) gets conditional approval for its proposed VMWare (VMW) acquisition, even from China, and expects to close the $61 billion deal Wednesday. Both stocks down? Wells Fargo cuts Salesforce (CRM) price target to $265 per share from $275. The analysts see some channel check softness. Keeps overweight (buy) rating. Citi boosts Dell (DELL) price target to $84 per share from $80. Keeps buy rating. Dell set to report earnings Nov. 30. HP releases its quarter after the closing bell Tuesday. I have CEO Enrique Lores on Mad Money in the evening. We'll see how if personal computers continue to show signs of life. Sign up for my Top 10 Morning Thoughts on the Market email newsletter for free (See here for a full list of the stocks at Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.

My top 10 things to watch Tuesday, Nov. 21
Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott on Tuesday offered to match compensation for the hundreds of employees at OpenAI who are threatening to resign following Sam Altman's sudden ouster as CEO.

"To my partners at OpenAI: We have seen your petition and appreciate your desire potentially to join Sam Altman at Microsoft's new AI Research Lab," Scott said Tuesday in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. "Know that if needed, you have a role at Microsoft that matches your compensation and advances our collective mission."

It is not immediately known if the offer is contingent on Altman's employment at Microsoft. Scott did not respond to CNBC's request for comment on X. But, the comment gives some clarity to what Microsoft is willing to pay employees and how many it would hire.

The future of OpenAI is still uncertain and it remains unclear where Altman will work.

Early Monday morning, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said that Altman, Greg Brockman, who resigned as OpenAI's president, and their colleagues would join Microsoft as part of a new AI research group. More than 600 OpenAI employees then signed a letter to the company's board and threatened to join their former boss at Microsoft unless the members resigned.

In his first press interview since Altman's ouster, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella told CNBC on Monday, "At this point, I think it's very clear that something has to change around the governance" at OpenAI. Nadella did not say for certain during the interview that Altman and Brockman were joining Microsoft, showing the situation had changed from statements made earlier in the day.

"We chose to explicitly partner with OpenAI, and we want to continue to do so," Nadella told CNBC. "Obviously that depends on the people of OpenAI staying there or coming to Microsoft. So I'm open to both options, but one thing I will not do is stop innovating."

OpenAI's board fired Altman Friday after determining he was "not consistently candid in his communications" with them, according to a statement. After a long weekend of negotiations that looked to possibly reinstate Altman at the company, ex-Twitch CEO Emmett Shear announced he had been appointed interim head.

OpenAI's board is now made up of just four people: OpenAI's chief scientist Ilya Sutskever  who signed the letter threatening to leave  Adam D'Angelo, Tasha McCauley and Helen Toner. They have not elaborated on the reasoning behind Altman's ouster. Sutskever expressed deep "regret" for his participation in the board's decision in a post on X Monday.

--CNBC's Jordan Novet contributed to this report.
A pedestrian walks by a sign at a LinkedIn office on July 26, 2023 in San Francisco, California.

The status of OpenAI is uncertain at the moment. But Microsoft wants the startup's employees to know they still have a home.

The company has begun making preparations for hundreds of OpenAI employees at its LinkedIn offices in downtown San Francisco, about two miles from OpenAI's headquarters.

Microsoft, which previously invested billions in OpenAI, also has human resources and legal staff on standby to handle hiring and onboarding, a source familiar confirmed to CNBC. The company is also preparing work spaces and Apple MacBook laptops. Axios first reported Microsoft's space planning efforts.

This week, more than 90% of OpenAI employees signed a letter demanding that the OpenAI board resign or watch staffers leave and join their former boss, Sam Altman, at Microsoft. Early Monday morning, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said that Altman, Greg Brockman and their colleagues would join Microsoft as part of a new artificial intelligence research group.

However, by Monday evening, it became less evident that Altman and Brockman would actually be joining Microsoft.
Argentine presidential candidate for the La Libertad Avanza alliance Javier Milei speaks to supporters after winning the presidential election runoff at his party headquarters in Buenos Aires on November 19, 2023.

China on Tuesday said it stands ready to work with Argentina, shortly after right-wing libertarian Javier Milei  who has been critical of Beijing  secured victory in the South American nation's presidential runoff.

Milei, who on Sunday comfortably beat Peronist Economy Minister Sergio Massa, had been vocal on China on the campaign trail and pledged to freeze relations with one of Argentina's most important trading partners.

The president-elect said Argentina would no longer work with "communist" regimes, reportedly likened Beijing's government to an "assassin" and said the people of China were "not free." Milei's four-year term will begin from Dec. 10.

More recently, Diana Mondino, an economist tipped to become foreign minister in Milei's administration, was quoted as saying Argentina would stop interacting with the governments of Brazil and China, according to Russia's state-run RIA Novosti news agency.

Mondino had been asked whether Argentina would continue to encourage imports and exports with its main trading partners. Mondino was not immediately available to comment when contacted by CNBC.
U.S. financial technology firm Plaid has hired former Adyen executive Brian Dammeir as its new head of Europe, the company told CNBC exclusively.

Dammeir was previously Adyen's global head of unified commerce, a role he led out of the Dutch payment company's San Francisco office. Dammeir oversaw a key part of Adyen's business  joining up different payment experiences including online, in-store, and app-based, in one single platform.

Dammeir will take over the reins from Ripsy Bandourian, who previously oversaw the company's expansion across Europe, at a pivotal time for the company as it branches out into other areas of finance including payments and lending.

Plaid, which was last valued by investors at $13.4 billion in a funding round, offers technology that enables financial technology apps to retrieve data from people's bank accounts and initiate payments on their behalf.

It is part of a movement in finance and technology known as "open banking," which encourages the opening up of financial data to non-bank financial institutions to encourage competition in the sector.

Dammeir told CNBC in an exclusive interview Monday that the thing he was most excited by in joining the company was "the opportunity around open finance," an evolution on open banking that looks to innovate in all areas of finance, including lending.

"When we think about Europe, it's about how can we be more relevant globally  how can we find more and more use cases outside of our starting point in fintech." Dammeir told CNBC.

"Right now, that's really about expanding into account-to-account payments as well as into lending and traditional banking," he added.

Bandourian, a former Booking.com executive, was appointed the company's first head of Europe last year. She worked with Keith Grose, formerly Plaid's head of international, who has since left the business to join business-to-business billing platform Sequence.

"Ripsy left Plaid after leading the business through a pivotal time and building continued momentum in the region," a Plaid spokesperson told CNBC. Plaid declined to comment on the rationale behind Bandourian's exit from the firm.

Dammeir didn't take his decision to quit Adyen lightly. The longtime fintech executive held positions at Adyen in its North American and European offices for more than eight years, starting in product, before graduating onto general management and strategy across North America and Europe.

Dammeir said that Plaid wanted to encourage a broader movement toward so-called "open finance," which would enable the creation of innovative new products in lending, insurance, and other parts of the finance ecosystem.

Payments has been a big focus for Plaid beyond financial data, with payment volumes on the platform having climbed more than 90% in the U.K. in 2023.

Now, Plaid is looking to work with partners beyond just fintechs, Dammeir indicated, without sharing names of any of its potential future partners. The company already works with the likes of Monzo, Checkout.com, Public, and Moneybox.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen outlines the improvements the IRS will deliver to taxpayers in 2024, during remarks at IRS Headquarters in Washington, U.S., November 7, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told CNBC on Monday that passing legislation to provide further military aid to Ukraine is a "critical priority" for U.S. President Joe Biden and for national security.

The Biden administration is seeking Congressional approval for a $105 billion security aid package, but faces opposition from some Republican lawmakers. The bill remains in limbo while Congress is in recess over the next two weeks.

"We can't allow Ukraine to lose a battle on the home front because it lacks enough money to keep schoolteachers in the classroom and first responders on the job, when it's fighting valiantly on the battlefield, so Ukraine is utterly dependent on this aid," Yellen told CNBC's "Squawk Box."

She added that the U.S. needs to do its part alongside the European Parliament's 50 billion euro aid package approved to Ukraine over the next four years and the $15.6 billion funding facility supplied by the IMF.

"This aid is critical to the national security of America. If Putin were to win this brutal war in Ukraine, next we might see an attack in a NATO ally of ours. We need to stop this," Yellen said.

- Elliot Smith
Shares of Broadcom (AVGO) came under pressure Tuesday, as investors likely cashed in after the stock surged to an all-time high. But with the Club holding set to significantly bolster its cloud software capabilities through a long-awaited acquisition, investors not yet in the stock should see the decline as a buying opportunity. Broadcom's $61 billion stock-and-cash deal to purchase cloud software vendor VMWare (VMW) is set to close Wednesday, after Chinese regulators on Tuesday granted approval with a few strings attached. Those conditions include limitations on Broadcom's ability to bundle its hardware and VMWare's software in the Chinese market. Shares of Broadcom fell more than 1% Tuesday, to around $983.70 apiece. AVGO YTD mountain Broadcom (AVGO) year-to-date performance. "The people who are selling [Broadcom], what they are doing is they're just saying, 'This stock just went up 100 points in advance of this, so let's lock in a profit,'" Jim Cramer said Tuesday. "I don't think there's anything wrong with Broadcom at all." He added: "Let's say you didn't belong to the Club, and you were trying to figure out what name to work on, I would suggest you take a look at Broadcom." Broadcom stock  which closed at an all time-time high of $995.71 each on Monday before pulling back Tuesday  has soared more than 80% since the semiconductor firm first announced the agreement to acquire VMWare in May 2022 . VMW YTD mountain Broadcom's year-to-date stock performance. VMWare shares fell around 4.5% Tuesday, to $143.20 each, bringing the company's stock closer to the cash-consideration level spelled out in the merger agreement . Broadly speaking, the deal entitles VMWare shareholders to receive $142.50 per share in cash, or have the opportunity to swap their stock for shares in Broadcom on a pro-rated basis. The Broadcom-VMWare deal had previously been scheduled to close Oct. 30, but was delayed while the companies awaited clearance from China's competition authority. The company on Tuesday said it had now received all necessary regulatory approvals to seal the deal. Broadcom management had been adamant Beijing would eventually approve the transaction, despite investor concerns that rising U.S.-China tensions on technology policy could throw a wrench in those plans. Jim has long argued Broadcom was in a win-win situation with VMWare  either it would be able to buy the company and boost its software revenue stream, or take the money that had been earmarked for the acquisition and redeploy it to buy back stock. Now, with VMWare soon under its roof, Broadcom's sales will be split roughly 50-50 between its conventional semiconductor business  which is seeing a lift due to artificial-intelligence adoption  and software, which tends to garner higher-margin revenues. As a result of the transaction, Jim argued investors may eventually assign a higher earnings multiple to Broadcom stock, which could help boost its price over time. Broadcom also has been known to increase the profitability of companies it acquires, including CA Technologies . "I think [Broadcom CEO] Hock Tan is going to lay out a vision that will be fantastic," Jim said Tuesday. VMWare, known for its virtualization software used in the cloud-computing industry, is expected to bring in total annual sales of $13.9 billion for its fiscal year ending in January, according to analyst estimates compiled by FactSet. For its part, Broadcom has a diversified hardware business that includes networking chips used inside cloud data centers. In its fiscal year ended in October, analysts expect the company to deliver revenue of $35.8 billion when it reports on Dec. 7, according to FactSet. Our investment in Broadcom  we initially took a stake in August and added to it four times since, most recently in early October  is rooted in large part on its opportunity to benefit from the wave of investment in AI infrastructure, which should be further bolstered by the VMWare acquisition. (Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust is long AVGO. See here for a full list of the stocks.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.

A sign is posted in front of a Broadcom office in San Jose, California, June 3, 2021. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images
Case 1: Promise made by travel agent binding on the airline

In a recent matter  Rajasthan Art Emporium vs Kuwait Airways & ANR  the Apex Court reiterated the salutary principle of law that a travel agents commitment or promise is binding on the principal.

The National Consumer Redressal Forum had ordered payment of  20 lakh as compensation for the huge delay in delivering the goods when the importer had knowingly and willingly paid ten times the sea freight in order to ensure timely arrival.

In this case, the agent had promised delivery within a week whereas by sea it would have taken 25 to 30 days. But the goods were delivered by the airlines after 45 days. The Supreme Court found nothing wrong with the consumer court order as agent has the inherent power to promise on behalf of the principal.

The Court, however didnt find merit in the importers afterthought to press for actual damages which were more than  20 lakh the amount he had prayed for. Both the NCRF and the Apex Court found no merit in claim for higher compensation than what was prayed for.

Legal digest: exempt byproducts also eligible for input credit under GST

The Supreme Court, in Modi Naturals Ltd vs The Commissioner of Commercial Tax UP case, allowed full input credit despite the fact that only 14% of the inputs resulted in goods taxable under the UP GST Act for rice bran oil and 86% resulted in by product namely de-oiled rice bran.

While this was only a reiteration of what the UP GST Act itself provides for, this would have been presumably the position in equity and fairness. It is also the cornerstones of any law. If in the course of manufacture some wastes or byproducts emerge, it would be unfair to deny input credit to the extent of waste or byproduct as they are integral and unavoidable in the course of manufacture of the taxable product.

Case 3: Mere acceptance of guilt by driver doesnt bound the transporter

In a recent insurance claim related case between one Ganesh Achar and United India Insurance Co Ltd, the Karnataka High Court absolved the insurer of compensation liability under section 166 of the Motor Vehicles Act for two reasons.

First, the motor cycle rider had filed complaint after 30 days of the alleged rash driving by the truck driver. Second, he was merely relying on the mea culpa made by the truck driver instead of adducing other solid proofs.

These two factors gave rise to the suspicion that the motor cycle driver was trying to squeeze compensation from the truck owner as afterthought when he himself was responsible for the fall and injury and hospitalisation due to his own reckless driving. Implicit in the judgement is a bigger vehicle cannot be made the fall guy.

Case 4: Test of deceptive similarity of trademarks boils down to class of consumers

In Pernod Ricard India Private Limited & Anr vs Karanveer Singh Chhabra Trading As J.K. Enterprises, the MP High Court refused to believe that London Pride premium whisky interferes with the trademark of Blenders pride premium whisky so as to warrant an order of halting the alleged impostor in his tracks.

The High Court held that premium whisky imbibers were elitist and more educated and were therefore more discerning. They are not likely to be swayed by the mere commonness of the word pride in both the brands as the overall name was not deceptively similar to the name of the petitioner.

As an aside it may be pointed out that the Court has been alive to the fact that fastidious and refined drinkers choose their drink carefully before they get inebriated!

Case 5: Color of wrapper is material in judging deceptive similarity of trademarks

In a recent trademark case involving ITC Ltd and Britannia Industries Ltd, the Madras High Court was seized of the issue of color of wrappers of biscuits being similar.

The Court refused to interfere with an order of a single judge injuncting ITC Limited from selling their Sunfeast Moms Magic Butter Cookies in a blue wrapper similar to that of Britannia Good day biscuits.

The Court while agreeing that there was no trademark right that could be claimed on any color, found that ITC was hitherto using red color wrapper and changed to blue in South India only to outdo Britannia in a highly competitive market where the consumers are bound to be swept off their feet and mistake both the brands as the same. It was not amused by the argument put forth by ITC that it was common for dairy and milk products to be wrapped in blue.

This column, Legal Digest, interprets various case verdicts or procedures and their implications in the current social and business scenario. The author, S Murlidharan, is a CA by qualification and writes on economic issues, fiscal and commercial laws. The views expressed are personal.

Read previous Legal Digest columns here
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 21)  The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has recorded a huge drop in the number of violators of the exclusive EDSA bus lane after stiffer penalties were imposed.

Speaking to CNN Philippines' The Source on Tuesday, MMDA chairman Don Artes said 62 motorists were apprehended on Monday  a far cry from the more than 500 logged a week ago.

Most of the violators were motorcycle and private vehicles, Artes added.

The MMDA raised the 1,000 penalty for the illegal use of the busway to 5,000 for the first offense, and up to 30,000 with revocation of driver's license for the fourth offense.

Authorities have also issued an order reiterating the rules on the use of the EDSA bus lane.

On-duty ambulances, fire trucks, police vehicles, and government vehicles "performing duties and responsibilities within the busway" can also pass through.

The country's top five officials  the president, vice president, Senate president, House speaker, and Chief Justice  are also allowed to use the busway.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 21)  Senators expressed dismay over Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) chief Cynthia Lagdameo Carrion for her "incessant texts" asking them to prioritize deliberations on the proposed budget of the Department of Tourism (DOT), where the PRA is an attached agency.

"No one has the right to tell us to stop talking here," Sen. Jinggoy Estrada said Monday. "It is our duty and our job to perform our work here in the Senate. You do not have the right to tell us what to do here."

Estrada revealed that Carrion repeatedly texted him and other senators, including Senate President Migz Zubiri, Sen. Risa Hontiveros, and Sen. Cynthia Villar, telling them to stop interpellating and hasten the deliberations on the budget of other departments so that the DOT can have its turn.

Estrada threatened to defer deliberations and even slash the department's budget due to Carrion's inappropriate actions.

Senate President Miguel Zubiri echoed the same concern. He argued that they are just performing their constitutional mandate to discuss the budgets of all government agencies.

"We have no right to stop any member of the Senate to ask questions, oppose amendments, and as a Senate President I will not do that," Zubiri said.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros stressed that there should be no sense of entitlement when it comes to the budgets of agencies.

I heard the apology but I think moving forward, words must be followed by action, she said. Pagwasto ng ginawa niya hindi lang sa indibidwal pero sa buong institusyon [To correct not only the individual but the entire institution].

The Senate asked for an explanation from the DOT.

Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco apologized on behalf of the agency. She said Carrion had also approached her, asking why the DOT budget wasn't being prioritized during Monday's budget deliberations.

"I share in your shock and dismay at the highly inappropriate, unacceptable, and out-of-line actions of the head of the Philippine Retirement Authority, the recently appointed General Manager Cynthia Carrion," she said.

Frasco said Carrion personally apologized to lawmakers for the inappropriate text messages.

She added that a probe into Carrion's actions is underway.
Twenty-eight premature babies were evacuated from war-devastated Gaza to Egypt on Monday as the Hamas-run health ministry accused Israel of a deadly strike on the territory's Indonesian Hospital.

While fighting raged, negotiators worked to seal a deal for the release of some of the roughly 240 hostages the Islamist militants took during their unprecedented Oct. 7 attacks on Israel.

The Gaza health ministry charged that Israel's army killed at least 12 people in the strike on the Indonesian Hospital in the Palestinian territory's north, where entire city blocks have been reduced to rubble.

Those killed included patients, said Ashraf al-Qudra, a spokesman for the ministry.

Hamas authorities have reported a total death toll of more than 13,300, mostly civilians, from the Israel-Hamas war now in its seventh week.

Late Monday, Qudra said about 100 patients had so far been evacuated from the Indonesian Hospital, in coordination with the Red Cross.

Hundreds remained inside but efforts continued to move them to hospitals in southern Gaza, Qudra added.

Israel did not immediately comment.

The military pushed on with its withering air and ground campaign aimed at destroying Hamas in response to the Oct. 7 attacks that officials said killed around 1,200 people, when the militants broke through Gaza's militarised border.

"We are witnessing a killing of civilians that is unparallelled and unprecedented in any conflict since I am Secretary-General," said United Nations chief Antonio Guterres.

More than 2.4 million Palestinians are trapped in Gaza and only several hundred war-wounded, foreign nationals and dual passport holders have been allowed out.

On Monday the U.N. World Health Organization said 28 premature babies evacuated from Gaza's biggest hospital, Al-Shifa, had been taken to safety in Egypt through the Rafah crossing, revising down by one a number given by Egyptian media.

"All babies are fighting serious infections and continue needing health care," the WHO said, while the Israeli army said it had "helped facilitate" the transfer.

In Israel's commercial centre, Tel Aviv, the families of Israeli children held hostage by Hamas were among hundreds of people who demonstrated outside the UN children's fund, which they urged to speak out for their release.

Yoni Asher, whose daughters, four-year-old Raz and Aviv, 2, are among the captives, called on UNICEF to make a public stand about Israeli children "like you refer specifically to babies on the other side."

Air raid sirens warning of incoming Hamas rockets suddenly interrupted the demonstration, sending some people running for shelter as others flung themselves onto the ground.

U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday said he believes a deal to free hostages in Gaza is close. "I believe so," he said during a White House ceremony.

The Red Cross said its president had travelled to Qatar to meet with Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, and separately with officials in the emirate which has helped broker talks on the hostages.

The bloodiest-ever Gaza war has seen Israeli troops raid, occupy and evacuate Al-Shifa hospital.

Israel, backed by the United States, argues that Hamas has used vast tunnel networks below Al-Shifa for military purposes. It has shown recovered weapons, and on Sunday said it had uncovered a 55-metre tunnel.

It also released CCTV footage it said showed two male hostages being brought into the facility.

The militants and medical staff have denied that a command centre is under the hospital, and Israel has yet to reveal evidence of a major military headquarters below ground.

The Doctors Without Borders (MSF) charity on Monday said on X, formerly Twitter, that its Gaza City clinic had come under fire "as heavy fighting took place all around it. An Israeli tank was seen in the street."

Twenty-one people inside are "in extreme danger", MSF said.

Alarm has surged over the dire humanitarian situation across Gaza where cold autumn rain has deepened the misery by soaking families living in tents and turning dust to mud.

The WHO warned of spreading sickness with 44,000 cases of diarrhoea and 70,000 acute respiratory infections registered in shelters.

With a majority of Gaza's hospitals no longer functioning, the territory on Monday received from Jordan what Palestinian officials said is the first field hospital since the war began.

It has a 41-bed capacity, the Jordanian royal palace said.

Israel has told Palestinians to move from north Gaza for their safety, but deadly air strikes have continued to hit central and southern areas.

Families walked along cracked roads as gunshots and explosions rang out in the distance.

"It's like the apocalypse," said one tearful woman, Renad al-Helou.

"We are tired. There's no water, no food... There's nothing left in Gaza.

There's only destruction, suffering and torture."

On Monday a senior Israeli military official told reporters that if the army wants to take out Hamas's firepower, "we have to go to the south. We cannot do it without" going there.

The Gaza war has sparked fears of a wider conflagration in the Middle East where Israel has long faced arch-enemy Iran and its allies.

Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah movement, allied with Hamas, said it targeted troops in northern Israel with drones, artillery and missiles on Monday, claiming a string of new attacks.

In response to missile launches from "a terrorist cell", Israel's military said tanks, a fighter jet and a helicopter struck Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.

Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels on Sunday said they had seized in the Red Sea a cargo ship with links to an Israeli businessman.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the vessel "was hijacked with Iran guidance by the Yemenite Huthi militia", an allegation Iran rejected.

During a meeting with European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Monday, Jordan's King Abdullah II called for a ceasefire in Gaza and an "end to the siege".

He warned of the "catastrophic effects of the ongoing heinous war, which is killing innocent, defenceless civilians", as well as rising settler violence in the occupied West Bank.

Israel has refused to heed calls for a ceasefire before Hamas releases all the hostages.

South Africa, long a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause, will on Tuesday host a virtual summit of the BRICS group of nations to discuss the Israel-Hamas war.

On the eve of the event Israel's foreign ministry said it had recalled for consultations its ambassador to Pretoria. (AFP)
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 21)  The local government of Northern Samar placed the province under a state of calamity on Tuesday following incessant rains that resulted in flooding and damage to agriculture and infrastructure.

Governor Edwin Ongchuan made the announcement upon the recommendation of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

[W]ith the authority granted by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, I hereby declare the entire Province of Northern Samar to be in a State of Calamity. This declaration is in response to the severe impact of heavy rainfall, resulting floods, and extensive damage to infrastructure and crops, Ongchuan said in a statement.

Eleven of the 24 towns in Northern Samar have been affected by the massive flooding that has affected the province due to heavy downpour since last week, according to a report from the Police Regional Office (PRO) 8. These were Mondragon, Lapinig, San Roque, Bobon, Catubig, Laoang, Las Navas, Catarman, Lope de Vega, Pambujan, and Palapag.

Rescue operations to residents trapped in flood waters were still being conducted by the authorities.

In Catarman town, police who were conducting rescue operations had to brave the strong current of floodwater to help residents who were asking for assistance to be evacuated.

As of Tuesday, the PRO8 recorded at least 91 villages affected by the floods from 10 towns. Flooded affected villages in Palapag are yet to be determined.

Data showed the flooding has affected a total of 5,617 families or 27,498 individuals who were seeking temporary shelters in evacuation centers. This number is expected to increase as rescue operations continue in several areas like Catarman, Palapag, and Lope de Vega.

Meanwhile, several parts of the national road in the province were not passable as of Tuesday due to flooding. These included the portion of Catarman-Laoang road in the municipality of San Roque, and portion of the Pangpang-Palapag-Mapanas-Gamay-Lapinig road in the town of Palapag.

Floodwaters continue to affect the town proper of Jipapad in Eastern Samar province. All 13 villages of the municipality are submerged in floodwater since Monday morning, Nov 20, affecting a total of 2,715 families or 9,913 individuals

Floodwaters continue to affect the town proper of Jipapad in Eastern Samar province. All 13 villages of the municipality are submerged in floodwater since Monday morning, Nov 20, affecting a total of 2,715 families or 9,913 individuals

READ: Floods continue to affect Eastern Visayas areas; LGUs suspend classes, work

The Jipapad LGU has already declared a state of calamity.

Monday was the fourth time the municipality experienced flooding this year.

Electricity was still down in the municipality until Tuesday and the main road in Brgy Bigo, Arteche, Eastern Samar leading to the town was still impassable. The town can be reached by using the Arteche-Jipapad-Lapinig road in Brgy Imelda, Lapinig, Northern Samar.

READ: Eastern Samar town maxes out disaster management fund

Aside from Jipapad, other towns in Eastern Samar province like Can-avid, Maslog, Oras, and Arteche were also affected by flooding.

Tacloban-based journalist Wil Mark Amazona contributed to this story.
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Gary Conley, Gary and Linda B, and David Liberty all recognized the last weeks History Mystery photos as a view of the new Interstate bridge over the John Day River, taken during construction of the John Day Dam in the 1960s; and of the uncompleted John Day Dam, looking west. The water had not been raised yet, and the bridge appears to be under construction.
Microsoft snapped up Sam Altman and another architect of OpenAI for a new venture after their sudden departures shocked the artificial intelligence world, leaving the newly installed CEO of the ChatGPT maker to paper over tensions by vowing to investigate Altmans firing.

The developments Monday come after a weekend of drama and speculation about how the power dynamics would shake out at OpenAI, whose chatbot kicked off the generative AI era by producing human-like text, images, video and music.

It ended with former Twitch leader Emmett Shear taking over as OpenAIs interim chief executive and Microsoft announcing it was hiring Altman and OpenAI co-founder and former President Greg Brockman to lead Microsoft's new advanced AI research team.

Despite the rift between the key players behind ChatGPT and the company they helped build, both Shear and Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella said they are committed to their partnership.

Microsoft invested billions of dollars in the startup and helped provide the computing power to run its AI systems. Nadella wrote on X , formerly known as Twitter, that he was extremely excited to bring on the former executives of OpenAI and looked forward to getting to know Shear and the rest of the management team.

In a reply on X, Altman said the mission continues, while Brockman posted, We are going to build something new & it will be incredible.

OpenAI said Friday that Altman was pushed out after a review found he was not consistently candid in his communications with the board of directors, which had lost confidence in his ability to lead the company.

In an X post Monday , Shear said he would hire an independent investigator to look into what led up to Altman's ouster and write a report within 30 days.

Its clear that the process and communications around Sams removal has been handled very badly, which has seriously damaged our trust, wrote Shear, who co-founded Twitch, an Amazon-owned livestreaming service popular with video gamers.

He said he also plans in the next month to reform the management and leadership team in light of recent departures into an effective force and speak with employees, investors and customers.

After that, Shear said he would drive changes in the organization, including significant governance changes if necessary. He noted that the reason behind the board removing Altman was not a specific disagreement on safety, a likely reference to the debates that have swirled around OpenAI's mission to safely build AI that is "generally smarter than humans."

OpenAI last week declined to answer questions on what Altmans alleged lack of candor was about. Its statement said his behavior was hindering the boards ability to exercise its responsibilities. But a key driver of Fridays shakeup, OpenAIs co-founder, chief scientist and board member Ilya Sutskever, posted regrets on the situation to X on Monday: I deeply regret my participation in the boards actions. I never intended to harm OpenAI. I love everything weve built together and I will do everything I can to reunite the company.

OpenAI didnt reply to emails Monday seeking comment. A Microsoft representative said the company would not be commenting beyond its CEO's statement.

After Altman was pushed out Friday, he stirred speculation that he might be coming back into the fold in a series of tweets. He posted a photo of himself with an OpenAI guest pass on Sunday, saying this is first and last time i ever wear one of these.

Hours earlier, he tweeted, i love the openai team so much, which drew heart replies from Brockman, who quit after Altman was fired, and Mira Murati, OpenAIs chief technology officer who was initially named as interim CEO.

It's not clear what transpired between the announcement of Murati's interim role Friday and Shear's hiring, though she was among several employees on Monday who tweeted, OpenAI is nothing without its people. Altman replied to many with heart emojis.

One of OpenAIs safety-focused researchers, Jan Leike, called on the OpenAI board to resign Monday, saying he had been working all weekend with the companys leadership team to help with this crisis. The board consists of Sutskever, Quora CEO Adam D'Angelo, tech entrepreneur Tasha McCauley and Helen Toner of the Georgetown Center for Security and Emerging Technology.

Shear said he stepped down as Twitch CEO because of the birth of his now-9-month-old son but took this job because I believe that OpenAI is one of the most important companies currently in existence.

His beliefs on the future of AI came up on a podcast in June. Shear said he's generally an optimist about technology but has serious concerns about the path of artificial intelligence toward building something a lot smarter than us that sets itself on a goal that endangers humans.

If there is a world where we survive ... where we build an AI thats smarter than humans and survive it, its going to be because we built smaller AIs than that, and we actually had as many smart people as we can working on that, and taking the problem seriously, Shear said in June.

It's an issue that Altman consistently faced since he helped catapult ChatGPT to global fame. In the past year, he has become Silicon Valleys most sought-after voice on the promise and potential dangers of artificial intelligence .

He went on a world tour to meet with government officials earlier this year, drawing big crowds at public events as he discussed both the risks of AI and attempts to regulate the emerging technology .

Altman posted Friday on X that "i loved my time at openai" and later called his ouster a weird experience.

If Microsoft lost Altman he could have gone to Amazon, Google, Apple, or a host of other tech companies craving to get the face of AI globally in their doors, Daniel Ives, an analyst with Wedbush Securities, said in a research note.

Microsoft is now in an even stronger position on AI, Ives said. Its shares rose nearly 2% before the opening bell and were nearing an all-time high Monday. (AP)
Confluent, the data streaming pioneer, has announced Data Streaming for AI, an initiative to accelerate organisations development of real-time AI applications.

Achieving real-time AI demands more than fast algorithms; it requires trustworthy,

relevant data served in the moment for smarter, faster insights.

To help companies unlock the full potential of AI with the freshest contextual data from across their business, Confluent is expanding partnerships with leading companies in the AI and vector database space, including MongoDB, Pinecone, Rockset, Weaviate, and Zilliz.

It is also demonstrating product innovations that incorporate the latest advances in AI into its platform, with capabilities like a generative AI-powered assistant that helps generate code and answer questions about the data streaming environment.

Data streaming is foundational technology for the future of AI, said Jay Kreps, CEO and Cofounder, Confluent. Continuously enriched, trustworthy data streams are key to building next-gen AI applications that are accurate and have the rich, real-time context modern use cases demand. We want to make it easier for every company to build powerful AI applications and are leveraging our expansive ecosystem of partners and data streaming expertise to help achieve that.

While the promise of AI has been around for years, theres been a resurgence thanks to breakthroughs across reusable large language models (LLM), more accessible machine learning models, and more powerful GPU capabilities. This has sparked organisations to accelerate their AI investments. However, a fundamental challenge in modern AI is a lack of access to the relevant, real-time data that AI applications need in a timely, secure, and scalable way.

For the past decade, AI heavily relied on historical data, integrated with slow, batch-based point-to-point pipelines that rendered data stale and inconsistent by the time it arrived. That's no longer adequate for the real-time AI use cases today's businesses are trying to launch, like predictive fraud detection, generative AI travel assistants, or personalised recommendations.

Compounding the problem are issues with poor data governance and scalability. As a result, the pace of AI advancements is stifled as developers are constantly tackling issues with out-of-date results and untrustworthy AI hallucinations. This isnt just a technical hurdle; its a roadblock to AI innovation.

"Although theres significant growth in the number of companies experimenting with generative AI, many face roadblocks from a fractured data infrastructure that lacks real-time data availability and trust, said Stewart Bond, Vice President, Data Intelligence and Integration Software, IDC. Data management is the most important area of investment as organisations build an intelligence architecture that delivers insights at scale, supports collective learning, and fosters a data culture. Those that get it right have seen a 4x improvement in business outcomes by removing real-time data availability and trust roadblocks through data streaming, governance, security, and integrationso its worth the journey.

Build a real-time data foundation for modern AI with Confluent

Modern AI applications require multiple technologies and data from numerous domains to seamlessly come together. The Confluent Data Streaming for AI initiative aims to help organisations quickly build and scale next-generation AI applications with a shared source of real-time truth for all operational and analytical data, no matter where it lives.

"We built an AI platform designed for mission-critical use cases  in industries where businesses simply cant afford to be wrong, said David Ferrucci, Founder and CEO, Elemental Cognition. Our interactive reasoning engine leverages a continuous supply of data thats reliable, trustworthy and current. Confluents data streaming platform makes that possible and enables us to mix and match data from different systems and optimise it for contextually rich insights and answers in real time.

As part of this launch, Confluent has extended partnerships in the AI space and also committed to delivering more AI capabilities within its own platform to further ease the development of real-time applications.

Expanded partnerships

Connect with Confluent Technology Partners : Confluent is partnering with MongoDB, Pinecone, Rockset, Weaviate, and Zilliz to provide real-time contextual data from anywhere for their vector databases. Vector databases are especially important as they can store, index, and augment large data sets in formats that AI technologies like LLMs require. Through these integrations, Confluent Clouds fully managed data streams can now be accessed directly within these partners platforms, making it even easier to use real-time data for AI-powered applications. This is just the start as Confluent looks to extend its partnerships in the AI space with the Connect with Confluent program.

: Confluent is partnering with MongoDB, Pinecone, Rockset, Weaviate, and Zilliz to provide real-time contextual data from anywhere for their vector databases. Vector databases are especially important as they can store, index, and augment large data sets in formats that AI technologies like LLMs require. Through these integrations, Confluent Clouds fully managed data streams can now be accessed directly within these partners platforms, making it even easier to use real-time data for AI-powered applications. This is just the start as Confluent looks to extend its partnerships in the AI space with the Connect with Confluent program. Public Cloud Partners: Confluent is building on its strategic partnership agreements with Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure to develop integrations, proof of concepts (POCs), and go-to-market efforts specifically around AI. For example, Confluent plans to leverage Google Clouds generative AI capabilities to improve business insights and operational efficiencies for retail and financial services customers. And, with Azure Open AI and Azure Data Platform, Confluent is planning to create a Copilot Solution Template that enables AI assistants to perform business transactions and provide real-time updates, benefiting industries such as airlines and transportation.

Confluent is building on its strategic partnership agreements with Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure to develop integrations, proof of concepts (POCs), and go-to-market efforts specifically around AI. For example, Confluent plans to leverage Google Clouds generative AI capabilities to improve business insights and operational efficiencies for retail and financial services customers. And, with Azure Open AI and Azure Data Platform, Confluent is planning to create a Copilot Solution Template that enables AI assistants to perform business transactions and provide real-time updates, benefiting industries such as airlines and transportation. Services Partners: Confluent is launching POC-ready architectures with Allata and iLink that span Confluents technology and cloud partners to offer tailored solutions for vertical use cases. Developing, testing, deploying, and tuning these AI applications requires a specific skill set. These partners deliver that to alleviate the guesswork around building real-time AI applications, drastically speeding up time to value.

Product innovations

Confluent AI Assistant: To help teams get contextual answers they need to speed up engineering innovations on Confluent, the Confluent AI Assistant turns natural language inputslike What was my most expensive environment last month? or Give me an API request to produce messages to my orders topicinto helpful suggestions and accurate code thats specific to their deployment. This is made possible by combining publicly available information, such as Confluent documentation, with contextual customer information to provide specific, timely responses. It will be available to Confluent Cloud customers in 2024.

To help teams get contextual answers they need to speed up engineering innovations on Confluent, the Confluent AI Assistant turns natural language inputslike What was my most expensive environment last month? or Give me an API request to produce messages to my orders topicinto helpful suggestions and accurate code thats specific to their deployment. This is made possible by combining publicly available information, such as Confluent documentation, with contextual customer information to provide specific, timely responses. It will be available to Confluent Cloud customers in 2024. AI for Apache Flink SQL: Over the next several months, Confluent will announce a series of updates to its newly announced Flink service for Confluent Cloud that bring AI capabilities into Flink SQL. On the main stage of Current, the data streaming industry event, Confluent will demo how Flink can make OpenAI API calls directly within Flink SQL. This unlocks endless use cases, such as rating the sentiment of product reviews or summarising vendors item descriptions. It will help alleviate the complexities of stream processing, accelerating time to insight.

Dive into Confluent AI use cases at Current 2023 The Current 2023 keynote will showcase real-world Confluent AI use cases and demos of the AI innovations that are part of this launch.

Additional Resources

About Confluent

Confluent is the data streaming platform that is pioneering a fundamentally new category of data infrastructure that sets data in motion. Confluents cloud-native offering is the foundational platform for data in motiondesigned to be the intelligent connective tissue enabling real-time data, from multiple sources, to constantly stream across the organisation. With Confluent, organisations can meet the new business imperative of delivering rich, digital front-end customer experiences and transitioning to sophisticated, real-time, software-driven backend operations. To learn more, please visit www.confluent.io.

The preceding outlines our general product direction and is not a commitment to deliver any material, code, or functionality. The development, release, timing, and pricing of any features or functionality described may change. Customers should make their purchase decisions based upon services, features, and functions that are currently available.

Confluent and associated marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Confluent, Inc.

Apache and Apache Kafka are either registered trademarks or trademarks of the Apache Software Foundation in the United States and/or other countries. No endorsement by the Apache Software Foundation is implied by the use of these marks. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Israeli forces pressed their offensive against Hamas in northern Gaza on Monday, battling militants around a hospital where thousands of patients and displaced people have been sheltering for weeks, and where despite the fighting health officials managed to evacuate some of the wounded.

A medical worker inside the facility and the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said a shell struck the second floor of the Indonesian Hospital, killing 12 people. Both blamed Israel, which denied shelling the hospital, saying its troops returned fire on militants who targeted them from inside the 3.5-acre (1.4 hectare) compound.

The Israeli offensive came as 28 premature babies evacuated from Gaza City's Shifa Hospital by the World Health Organization were transported to Egypt on Monday. Three others were transferred to an Emirati-run hospital in Rafah in southern Gaza, the Red Crescent said. More than 250 critically ill or wounded patients remain stranded at the Shifa compound, which Israeli forces stormed days ago.

Gaza's hospitals play a prominent role in the battle of narratives over the war's brutal toll on Palestinian civilians, thousands of whom have been killed or buried in rubble since the conflict was sparked by Hamas' Oct. 7 rampage into southern Israel. In the wake of the assault, Israeli leaders vowed to eradicate Hamas, destroy its ability to rule Gaza and uproot its militant infrastructure.

Israel says Hamas uses civilians as human shields and that the militants operated a major command hub inside and under Shifa, a claim hospital officials and Hamas deny. Critics say Israel's siege and relentless bombardment amount to collective punishment of the territory's 2.3 million Palestinians.

Israeli troops were battling Hamas fighters in the Jabaliya refugee camp, a densely built-up district on Gaza City's northeastern side that has been heavily hit by bombardment for weeks. The military said that after moving through the center of the city to Shifa, its forces were now working to uproot Hamas fighters from eastern areas.

Dozens of dead and wounded in airstrikes and shelling overnight flowed into Indonesian Hospital, near Jabaliya, said Marwan Abdallah, the medical worker there. He said Israeli tanks were operating less than 200 meters (yards) away and Israeli snipers could be seen on the roofs of nearby buildings. As he spoke on the phone, the sound of gunfire could be heard in the background.

Hamas' Health Ministry spokesperson, Ashraf al-Qidra, said roughly 200 wounded patients and their companions were evacuated from the hospital to southern Gaza in a rescue effort coordinated by the U.N. and the International Committee for the Red Cross. Many of the evacuees were being treated at al-Nasser hospital in the southern town of Khan Younis, he said.

Between 400 and 500 wounded remain at Indonesia Hospital, Ashraf told Al-Jazeera. Some 2,000 displaced Palestinians also are sheltering there.

In a separate development that could relieve some of the pressure on Gaza's collapsing health system, dozens of trucks entered from Egypt on Monday with equipment from Jordan to set up a field hospital. Jordans state-run media said the hospital in Khan Younis would be up and running within 48 hours.

More than 250 patients with severely infected wounds and other urgent conditions remain in Shifa. The complex can no longer provide most of the wounded there treatment after it ran out of water, medical supplies and fuel for emergency generators.

Israeli forces battled Palestinian militants outside its gates for days before entering the facility on Wednesday.

Israels army said it has evidence that Hamas maintained a sprawling command post inside and under the hospitals 20-acre (8-hectare) complex, which includes several buildings.

On Sunday, the military released a video showing what it said was a tunnel discovered at the hospital, 55 meters (60 yards) long and about 10 meters (33 feet) below ground. It said the tunnel ended at a blast-proof door with a hole in it for gunmen to fire out of. Troops have not opened the door yet, it said.

Israeli forces also released security camera video showing what they said were two foreign hostages, one Thai and one Nepalese, who were captured by Hamas in the Oct. 7 attack and taken to the hospital. Hamas said its fighters brought them in for medical care.

The army also said an investigation had determined that Israeli army Cpl. Noa Marciano, another captive whose body was recovered in Gaza, had been wounded in an Israeli strike on Nov. 9 that killed her captor, but was then killed by a Hamas militant in Shifa.

The military has previously released images of several guns it said were found inside an MRI lab and said that the bodies of two hostages were found near the complex.

The Associated Press was not able to independently confirm the military's findings.

Israel has repeatedly ordered Palestinians to leave northern Gaza and seek refuge in the south, which has also been under aerial bombardment. Some 1.7 million people, nearly three quarters of Gazas population, have been displaced, with 900,000 packing into crowded U.N.-run shelters, according to the U.N.

Strikes in the Nuseirat and Bureij refugee camps Monday killed at least 40 people, according to hospital officials, and residents said dozens more were buried in the rubble. Bundled against a chilly wind from Gaza's approaching winter, a line of men prayed over more than a dozen bodies on the grounds of the nearby morgue in Deir al-Balah before loading them onto a truck.

More than 12,700 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in the West Bank, which coordinates with officials in the Health Ministry of Hamas-run Gaza. Officials there say another 4,000 are missing. Their counts do not differentiate between civilians and combatants. Israel says it has killed thousands of militants.

Violence also has surged in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where attacks by Jewish settlers are on the rise and where more than 200 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war, mostly in gunbattles triggered by Israeli military raids.

About 1,200 people have been killed on the Israeli side, mainly civilians during the Oct. 7 attack, in which Hamas dragged some 240 captives back into Gaza. The military says 66 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza ground operations.

Hamas has released four hostages, Israel has rescued one, and the bodies of two were found near Shifa.

Israel, the United States and Qatar, which mediates with Hamas, have been negotiating a hostage release for weeks. Israel's three-member war Cabinet met with representatives of the hostages families Monday evening, and a relative of a hostage said the officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told families the government will not prioritize the hostages' release to defeating Hamas.

What weve heard is that taking down Hamas and bringing the hostages are ... equally important, said Udi Goren, whose cousin Tal Chaimi is in captivity in Gaza. This is incredibly disappointing because ... we know that taking down Hamas, we keep hearing from them (it) is going to take months or years and its going to take a long time.

Goren said the war cabinet did not share details about any possible deal to release the hostages. (AP)
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said Tuesday a truce agreement with Israel was in sight, raising hopes that dozens of people taken hostage in the Oct. 7 attacks could be released.

There was no immediate response from Israel on the status of negotiation efforts to secure the release of the estimated 240 hostages seized during Hamas's horrific assault.

The majority of the hostages are Israeli civilians, some of them young children and elderly people.

Only a handful have been released, freed by Israeli troops or their bodies recovered.

"We are close to reaching a deal on a truce," Haniyeh said, according to a statement sent by his office to AFP.

Hamas gunmen killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, during cross-border raids on Oct. 7  the deadliest attack in Israel's history.

In retaliation, Israel launched a relentless bombing campaign and ground offensive in Gaza, which is ruled by Hamas.

According to the Hamas government, the war has killed more than 13,300 people, thousands of them children.

Speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, sources from Hamas and Islamic Jihad  which also participated in the attacks  confirmed that their groups had agreed to the terms of a truce deal.

The tentative deal includes a five-day truce, comprised of a ceasefire on the ground and limits to Israeli air operations over southern Gaza.

Under the agreement, between 50 and 100 Israeli civilian and foreign hostages would be released, but no military personnel.

In exchange, some 300 Palestinians would be released from Israeli jails, among them women and children.

On Monday, U.S. President Joe Biden had said he believed a deal was close, as hopes grew for talks brokered by Qatar, where Hamas has a political office and which has behind-the-scenes diplomatic links with Israel.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said Monday that its president had travelled to Qatar to meet Hamas's Haniyeh.

'We will not stop fighting'

An agreement could bring some respite for Gazans who have lived for more than six weeks under Israel bombardment and an expanding ground offensive.

Large parts of Gaza have been destroyed by air strikes that have numbered in the thousands, and the territory is under siege, with minimal food, water and fuel allowed to enter.

According to the Hamas and Islamic Jihad sources, the deal would also allow for up to 300 trucks of food and medical aid to enter Gaza.

Israel has been wary of allowing fuel into the strip for fear it could be used by Hamas in rockets or for other paramilitary means.

Israel has vowed to press ahead with its offensive, pledging to crush Hamas and ensure the hostages are released.

"We will not stop fighting until we bring our hostages home," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared after meeting relatives of those abducted.

Premature babies

In Gaza, medics and patients were again caught on the front line on Tuesday, as Israel expanded its operation across the north of the territory.

Officials in the Hamas-run health ministry said Israel struck the Indonesian Hospital on Monday, killing 12 people, before moving in ground forces.

"The Israeli army is laying siege to the Indonesian Hospital," ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra told AFP.

The Hamas government said dozens of tanks and armored vehicles were deployed around the outskirts of the hospital and were firing towards the facility.

"We fear the same thing will happen there as it did in Al-Shifa," Qudra added, referring to Gaza's largest hospital which has been besieged and scoured by Israeli troops.

Twenty-eight premature babies were evacuated from Al-Shifa to Egypt on Monday.

The Indonesian Hospital sits on the fringe of Gaza's largest refugee camp Jabalia, which has become a new focus for the war and has been the scene of intense Israeli bombing in recent days.

The health ministry official said there still were about 400 patients inside the hospital, as well as 2,000 people seeking shelter.

Around 200 people were evacuated from the hospital on Monday and bussed to the relative safety of a hospital in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza.

At the Al-Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, an AFP reporter witnessed bloodied children being carried into the facility and lying dazed on gurneys as chaos swirled around them.

"We miraculously got out," said one man who said he escaped the Indonesian Hospital. "We still have brothers there. I just can't..." he said, his voice trailing off.

'Scenes of death'

Israel says Hamas uses medical facilities to hide fighters and as the base for operations, making them legitimate military objectives  while insisting it does everything possible to limit harm to civilians.

But international criticism of Israel's conduct of the war has grown in recent weeks, with protests erupting across the world, international agencies laying allegations of war crimes, and some governments breaking diplomatic ties.

The World Health Organization said it was "appalled" by Monday's strike on the Indonesian Hospital and reported it was just one of 164 documented attacks on health facilities and workers since the war began.

"The world cannot stand silent while these hospitals, which should be safe havens, are transformed into scenes of death, devastation, and despair," the organization said in a statement.

The Indonesian Hospital was opened almost a decade ago, and was funded by donations from Indonesia  the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation.

Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi on Monday "strongly condemned the Israeli attack" on the hospital, adding that the ministry had not been able to contact three Indonesian volunteers believed to have been working at the facility. (AFP)
Alcohol laws are weird. Just look at the U.S. Constitution. Youve got 10 amendments about limiting the government, the next few amendments are about other rights and how the government functions and then suddenly, we inked in an amendment saying, No one is allowed to make alcohol. A little later, we wrote another amendment, saying, That previous amendment banning alcohol was stupid. We dont know what we were thinking at the time. Probably, we were all high.

Those arent the only weird swings of the pendulum across the history of booze. Consider, for example, how...

5 In New York, Bartenders Are Forbidden from Not Giving Alcohol to Pregnant Customers Quick repeat of the above title for those who read too quickly: We didnt say bartenders are forbidden from giving alcohol to pregnant women. Bartenders are forbidden from not giving alcohol to pregnant women. In general, bartenders are allowed to refuse service to customers. In the case of an intoxicated customer, theyre legally bound to refuse service. But they are legally banned from refusing service to a customer because they're pregnant, as this may be pretext for discrimination or as a way to reinforce traditional gender norms or stereotypes. As for what happens when an intoxicated pregnant woman asks to be served, bartenders just have to say no to obey one law and hope they wont be cited for breaking the other. Volodymyr Hryshchenko/Unsplash If I say yes, do they also cite me for serving the underage? Bartenders arent huge fans of this mandate. On one hand, selling drinks makes them money, so this is better for them than the other extreme (a law banning them from serving pregnant women). On the other, theyd rather just be allowed to use their discretion to do their jobs. Also, a separate law mandates that they hang signs saying drinking while pregnant causes birth defects. When it comes to warnings, the government really does go for the other extreme. The CDC claims that if youre sexually active and not on birth control, you shouldnt drink at all, even if youre not pregnant  because maybe you really are pregnant and just dont know it. Advertisement

4 The Very First Campaign Finance Law Was About Banning Alcohol Sales Several places around the world have laws that shut down liquor stores and bars on Election Day. Such laws are common in South America and also in Thailand and Mexico. The logic here is simple: By depriving people of alcohol, this law aims to make their lives so empty that they have nothing to do other than vote. Also, these laws aim to marginally reduce the chance that people will riot. Such laws served a different role in the past, however. In 1811, Maryland banned liquor sales on Election Day, but the goal wasnt just keeping the electorate sober in general. The goal was to keep politicians from buying voters alcohol  as bribes. As a result, this is remembered as the first campaign finance law. Before then, trading votes for drinks had been a proud American tradition. George Washington never would have made it in politics had he not followed up one early loss by buying Virginia voters enough brandy that they favored him over his opponent. Gilbert Stuart It was the one thing politicians ever did for voters. Advertisement Dry election laws remained on the books in several states until relatively recently, but by a decade ago, nearly all of them had been repealed. South Carolina was one of the last holdouts. In 2014, they killed the 135-year-old law. Election Day is about sorrow or joy, said the representative who sponsored the bill. You should be able to buy a drink.

3 Happy Hour Bars That Legally Must Give Discounts on Soda During happy hour, bars slash prices on drinks, maybe selling you two for the price of one. This drives up business during times that are otherwise dead, and if theyre able to make a profit after halving their prices, that lets you know just how high the markup is on drinks the rest of the time. Advertisement Advertisement Some places arent cool with cheap liquor, though. Happy hour is illegal in Massachusetts. They were the first state to ban happy hour, a bunch of other states followed, then those states repealed the bans, leaving Massachusetts as the only one. Ireland has also had a ban on happy hour for the past two decades. Yes, its the places you associate most with drinking that might have the strongest laws. YesMore Content/Unsplash To drink cheap, drink at home, alone and sad. France has its own anti-happiness law. They do have happy hour there (in France, they call it apero hour), but since 2019, if a bar offers discounts on alcoholic drinks, they also have to offer discounts on soft drinks. This means you can walk into a French bar during happy hour and now get the price of a glass of Pepsi discounted from basically nothing to also basically nothing. Clearly, this law shows a total understanding of the drinkers mind and will prevent France from becoming some drunken dystopia like Andorra. Advertisement

2 A Special Car for Drunk Drivers Also in France, if you get caught driving under the influence, they might suspend your license, leaving you unable to operate your car. Crazy, right? Wait, no, thats not crazy. A lot of places do that, and most people think thats a fine idea. Whats funny in France is that, having lost your license, you can continue to drive a car, so long as you go and buy the right one. In other parts of Europe these special cars are known as quadricycle, which makes them sound like two bicycles lashed together. Some look like this: Vauxford/Wiki Commons Ugly, but it is a car. Advertisement If a vehicle moves at a top speed of 28 miles per hour or less, and has an engine with an output of no more than 5.4 horsepower, its a quadricycle, and in France, its known as a voiture sans permis, a VSP. That means you can drive it even if you have no valid license, so long as youre 14 or older and have a few hours of recorded driving experience. You do need to insure the vehicle, and if you have a criminal drinking record, this insurance costs a lot, but your drinking record cant keep you from owning the VSP and driving it on public roads. Advertisement So, if youre in France and you see a comically small car, dont laugh and conclude its that size because thats all the French are capable of building. Maybe its that size because a drunk sits behind the wheel.
When Yoda just kind of died in The Empire Strikes Back, could it be because he looked into the future and saw cringe?

Ever since Star Wars premiered in 1977, politicians have been quick to assign themselves the roles of the rebel alliance while describing leaders of the opposite party as if they were walking Death Stars whose exhaust ports are canvassing and campaign donations. Even George Lucas has taken part in the lazy practice of pretending that his morally simplistic film series could be used as an analogy for American politics, as he once described George W. Bush and Dick Cheney as Darth Vader and The Emperor respectively. However, as cliche as a Star Wars comparison in a political discussion may be, its still not quite as embarrassing as a bad Yoda impression.

Last week, Iowa state representative Mike Sexton, a man who was presumably chosen for his position of power by grown adults, made the astoundingly poor decision to call on Iowan voters to support embattled former president Donald Trump by delivering a 30-second speech in-character as a certain wizened Jedi Master. The call-to-action quickly drew ridicule from across the online galaxy  even Luke himself had to turn off his targeting computer and drop a bomb on the embarrassment.

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Much like when he trashed the Death Star, Hamill had plenty of help in burying Sextons horribly ill-conceived co-opt of Hamills most iconic work. He sounds more Bobcat Goldthwait than Yoda though, one commenter added, with another chiming in, Kermit ate Yoda then had a minor stroke on stage.

To me, the funniest part of the video is how Sexton starts with full commitment to the original character, but you can clearly hear how he loses faith in his vision halfway through only to overcompensate in an uninspiring conclusion. Its basically the Disney trilogy of dogshit Yoda impressions.
The bigger they are, the harder they fall is a saying with serious staying power. Thats because its got everything going for it that you could possibly desire. First off, and possibly most importantly, its fun to say. Its short and poppy, and saying it gives you the little dancing-tongued feeling all the best sayings do. Second, it taps into the evergreen human love for an underdog. Watching the successful succeed is just too expected to really tug at the soul. Finally, and maybe least important when it comes to etymological staying power, its reliably true.

Its enjoyable enough metaphorically, but maybe even more so when its describing a literal big fella getting upended. Theres not an action movie out there that doesnt understand that at some point, you need a big bruiser of a man to walk out after enough standard-fare goons get put in a Batman blender. The most satisfying of all is when, despite their prodigious size and spookiness, theyre taken down with a single, unlikely strike. This isnt exclusive to fiction, either. Occasionally, some of the worlds biggest and baddest have been killed by one tough break, too.

Here are five badasses taken down by a single tiny oopsie-daisy

5 Attila the Huns Deadly Nosebleed Public Domain One Kleenex and a warlord  s still alive. The dudes name is practically a go-to reference for anyone big and violent. You dont get a nickname like Scourge of God by building orphanages. He was known for being a fearsome leader and warrior, at the head of the mighty Huns. He fought a lot, and lost very little. These werent cupcake countries he was taking on, either. You dont start shit with the Romans unless youre pretty confident you can back it up. When your day-to-day involves that much mano-a-mano combat, you expect to leave this earth in the midst of a bloody battle. There was plenty of blood involved in his death, but strangely, no battle. He wasnt beheaded, bisected, bashed senseless, any of the gruesome fates you might imagine. What undid Attila the Hun was one very unfortunate nosebleed, after excessive feasting, and therefore drinking, on (one of) his wedding nights. While passed out after celebrating his latest nuptials, Attila basically drowned in his own nosebleed. Im still trying to figure out if thats badass or not. Advertisement

4 Sigurd the Mighty, Killed By A Tooth Pixabay Another successful conquest! Now to drink and ignore the very angry toothmark on my leg! Sigurd Eysteinsson, known more dramatically and conveniently as Sigurd the Mighty, was a famous Viking warlord. Being a Viking at all pretty much makes you a badass, full stop. If youre able to climb the ranks of some of historys greatest warriors and become their head honcho, buddy, youre pretty low on everybodys dark-alley-encounter list. When your ticket to heaven is dying in the heat of battle, not a lot of your warriors are eager to cry uncle. To die off the battlefield was cowardly, and got you a one-way ticket to Helheim, instead of glorious Valhalla. One has to hope they were able to make an exception for Sigurd, given the extremely unlucky circumstances of his death. After defeating Mael Brigte the Bucktoothed, who probably would have much preferred Mael Brigte the Mighty, he hung his decapitated head from his horses saddle. Unfortunately, his corpse had clearly not gotten the memo that the battle was over, and those eponymous buck teeth cut into Sigurds leg, creating an infected wound that would later kill him. Advertisement Advertisement

3 Allan Pinkertons Self-Inflicted Tongue Bite Public Domain One of the few men to ever truly pull off a bowler hat. Infection is no joke. Even the smallest wound can knock off pretty much anybody through the power of untreated sepsis. Its like the Michaels Secret Stuff of minor injuries. Another formidable victim claimed by infection was the founder of the Pinkerton Agency, Allan Pinkerton. The Pinkertons are a group mostly looked on now with derision thanks to their (well-earned) historical reputation as violent union-busters. Outside of the less-than-laudable work of beating morale into tired workers heads, though, their founder Allan Pinkerton was a pretty impressive guy. Advertisement He chased Wild West outlaws across the country, and was an abolitionist who assisted the Underground Railroad. Getting both criminals and the government pissed off at you at the same time is a bold choice, and maybe one that would have led to his death. Well never know, because someone beat his enemies to the punch: Pinkerton himself. Despite a life filled with physical confrontation, the first private eye died from tripping on the sidewalk and biting his tongue, which became gangrenous. At least it was long before social media, so he could at least die without ALLAN PINKERTON CRAZY FACEPLANT videos being part of his legacy.

2 Bobby Leach Slips Up Big-Time Public Domain Copeyright, huh? Photo Specialty Co. is going to get ripped apart in the comments! Advertisement Advertisement Nobody gets shorter shrift than the worlds daredevils and stuntmen. They throw themselves purposely into danger on an inadvisably frequent basis, and dont receive much more for it than a bunch of people going, That was nuts, dude! So when Bobby Leach went over Niagara Falls in a barrel of his own design, he didnt get much out of it except a bunch of broken ribs, the honor of first man (and second person) to survive that, and unquestionable balls of steel. The problem, of course, with surviving something you really, absolutely shouldnt have, is that youre now a lightning rod for irony. Youre a walking target for poetic justice, a man inviting the universe to balance itself through your ceased existence. Youve spit in the face of fate, and fate, in Bobbys case, retaliated with a precisely placed orange peel  on which Leach slipped, breaking his leg, and things only went downhill from there. It led to an infection, which led to an amputation, which led to the untimely death of one Bobby Leach. The guy challenged death, won, and then got killed by a bit of trash youd find in a poorly managed Jamba Juice. Advertisement
Harvey Weinstein is, famously, a huge piece of shit. Few people had the courage or the leverage to stand up to him during his decades-long reign of terror, but Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki did what many others wish they could have: made an overt threat to Weinstein with a huge-ass sword.

Watch our latest episode of Staff Picks  the series where we curate movies to create the best video rental store of all time  to hear the crew debate which Miyazaki film is his greatest (also, which of his characters has Tony Soprano rizz). And read below to learn more about how Miyazaki sent Weinstein into an impotent rage through the postal system.

Miyazaki and Weinstein occupy vastly different quadrants of the filmmaking world. Miyazaki is wildly popular and influential  and he hates it. Weinstein was wildly powerful and couldnt get enough of it  and now hes rotting in jail. It almost feels like they were destined for an epic clash.

Weinstein felt compelled to get his grubby little paws all over the films he produced, much to the chagrin of those films directors. He clashed with Quentin Tarantino over Reservoir Dogs, and Bong Joon-ho had to pull off some emotional gymnastics to maintain his vision of Snowpiercer. And when he made outrageous demands for Miyazakis Princess Mononoke, it was a classic immovable object/unstoppable force scenario.

Specifically, Weinstein demanded that Miyazaki cut his film from 135 minutes to 90 minutes. Miyazaki had already expressed that cutting down his film was a nonstarter, and Weinstein had reportedly agreed to keep his notes minimal. Still, to drive the point home, Miyazaki mailed him a very clever, very poignant gift: a samurai sword with the note, No cuts.

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Predictably, this sword succeeded in skewering Weinsteins ego. He, in turn, metaphorically impaled the messenger, giving promotional manager Steve Alpert the ol youll never work in this town again! Like, almost word for word. Weinstein told Alpert: If you dont get (Miyazaki) to cut the fucking film, you will never work in this fucking industry again! Do you fucking understand me? Never!

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But Miyazaki had the contractual high ground. He owned the rights to the film, so he had final say on any changes. Despite a barrage of threats and insults directed at Miyazaki himself, and other targets at Studio Ghibli, he held his ground. They reached a compromise that clearly shows who won that battle  the final run time is 134 minutes.

Asked about the epic clash over a decade later, Miyazakis answer seemed calculated to further enrage the disgraced producer: I defeated him.

Watch the Miyazaki showdown episode of Staff Picks to see if Princess Mononoke made the cut.
Although travel flows into China for the third quarter were just 45 percent of the same period in pre-pandemic 2019, retailers should see more tourism revenue by next year as flights increase, Beijing-based investment bank China International Capital Corporation (CICC) said on Monday.

"The number of inbound tourists and consumption has gradually recovered in 2023," the partially state-owned firm said via WeChat.

CICC forecasts an "improvement of economic activities" and a "resumption of international flights" next year, leading to a possible 2024 domestic retail sales growth of 0.2 percentage points and one to two percentage points more in exports.

International tourism revenue for the July-September quarter in 2023 had regained about 59 percent of revenue for the same period in 2019, the firm said.

"The slow recovery of inbound tourists and consumption is partly related to the slow recovery of the economy, and may also be related to the number of international flights," the bank said.

Visa obstacles and  for some businesspeople  fears of legal issues in China have held travel in check this year despite the reopening of borders in January after three years of strict anti-pandemic controls.

An absence of international visitors has slowed the recovery of the multi-trillion yuan service industry linked to domestic travel.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden agreed last week to increase direct flights between their two countries. The commitment came as the two presidents met on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders' summit, which took place in San Francisco.

China-U.S. flights have been on a gradual upswing, with about 70 flights per week now compared to more than 300 in 2019, CICC estimated. The U.S. allowed the number of weekly flights by Chinese airlines to reach 24 last month, up from the previous 18.

A return of direct flights should bring airfares down and lure more travellers from the U.S. to China, said Steven Zhao, CEO of the Guilin-based online travel agency China Highlights.

Local retailers that should benefit include hotels, the food-and-beverage sector and common stores on tourist routes, he said. "The potential for a comeback is quite large," Zhao said.

CICC said of the 2019 arrivals, 40 percent were sightseers or making family visits, and growth in the remainder was related to economic activities.

Inbound tourists will generate 380 billion yuan next year, spelling 1.6 percentage points of economic growth, per CICC. International tourism revenue had reached 895.3 billion yuan ($125.5 billion) in 2019.

Before the epidemic, inbound tourism represented more than 5 percent of Chinese exports and about half a percent of overall retail sales, CICC said. Tourism may be linked to exports, as it brings foreign exchange and occurs in the international marketplace.

Analysts have cautioned, however, against hopes for a quick recovery of flights from the United States. They cite uneasy China-U.S. relations and uncertainty about long-term passenger demand.

U.S.-based United Airlines will operate 42 flights per week by February, said John Grant, a senior analyst with the British aviation intelligence firm OAG. Chinese carriers are adding flights, too, he said, but United's competitors are "being much more cautious."

United Airlines did not reply to a request for comment.

"[The Xi-Biden commitment] is a grand gesture that offers more to the Chinese carriers than the U.S. airlines who haven't shown an urgent need to return to the China market," Grant said.

Read the full story at SCMP
About 2,620 organizations and 77.2 million people have been impacted by the hacking of file transfer service MOVEit since May earlier this year, according to New Zealand-based cybersecurity firm Emsisoft. Russian-linked ransomware group Clop had claimed responsibility for the attack on June 6.

US-based organizations are the worst impacted, with 78.1% of the affected organizations from the country. It was followed by Canada with 14%, Germany with 1.4%, and the UK with 0.8% of the affected organizations, according to Emsisoft.

Most of the impacted organizations are from the education sector, with 40.6% coming from this segment, followed by health (19.2%) and finance and professional services (12.1%). The findings by Emsisoft are based on data from public disclosures, SEC filings, state breach notifications, and Clop's website.

The severity of the cyberattack can be gauged by the fact that it impacted the customer records of antivirus major Gen Digital, the parent company of Norton and Avast.

Avast revealed that some of its customers' "low-risk customer personal information" was compromised. As per the Emsisoft report, the MOVEit incident affected the data of three million of Avast's individual customers.

MOVEit impacted several prominent businesses as well as government organizations. Maximus, Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles, Alogent, Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, Welltok, US Department of Energy, Shell Oil, British Airways, State of Maine, Genworth, and Oregon Department of Transportation are some of the other organizations impacted by the MOVEit incident.
Great Rooms A visual diary by Design Editor Wendy Goodman. The Living Room: The fireplace is structurally the main anchor for everything built around it, Glenn Mariconda says. The slate-and-concrete ledge acts as a seat as well. The demountable chair and coffee table are 1940s Jean Prouve. The triangular stools are 1970s Pierre Chapo. The wood sculpture on the right is by an unknown artist. Photo: Gross & Daley

In 2020, Glenn Mariconda and Asaka Midorikawa had lived in Brooklyn for almost 20 years. After their son, Jonah, was born, they were looking for a mid-century house outside the city, one that hadnt been messed up in renovation, and they were having a hard time finding anything they liked. Until they drove by this one in a Nutley, New Jersey, neighborhood of mostly starter Colonials.

They came back the next day to tour the property. Its listing mentioned the architect of the house, Edward T. Bowser Jr. I had never heard of him, says Mariconda, a fashion executive. And it said that he had worked for Le Corbusier. It was in pristine condition, its heritage intact, and they bought it. When the house was first built, there was nothing there, Mariconda adds, and all you could probably see was the Manhattan skyline.

The architect Bowser in Le Corbusiers Paris office in 1949. Photo: The Bowser Family

Edward T. Bowser Jr. was born in 1924 and grew up in New Jersey in a civic-minded family (Bowser Sr. served on the East Orange city council, among other public-service roles). In 1948, after Bowser graduated from the School of Architecture at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, he wrote a letter to Le Corbusier in Paris, asking if I might have the privilege of working in your office. Corbu said yes. (The exchange is now in the Fondation Le Corbusiers archive.)

The young architect worked in Le Corbusiers office in 194950 and was part of the team behind the LUnite dHabitation de Marseille. After his stint with Corbu, Bowser remained in Paris until 1952, when he returned to New Jersey with his wife, Carmen, and daughter Kathryn to start his own practice.

Our house was built in 1953, and we think its the first house he designed when he came back from France, Mariconda says. The kitchen, bedrooms, and living areas are all on the second level, much like early Le Corbusier villas.

The House: An early-50s photograph of Maricondas house (left) and a second Bowser-designed house. Photo: Courtesy of Fred and Colleen Kingston

Bowser went on to design at least a dozen houses and buildings in New Jersey, including the Ronson Corporation HQ, the Medical Arts Building in East Orange, and a supermarket. After the 1967 riots in Newark, he designed Kuzuri Kylll (Swahili for a beautiful village), a low-and-middle-income complex in East Orange. Jet magazine wrote in 1973, the year it opened, that it was the largest housing development in the United States developed by Blacks.

Kathryn Bowser, a graphic designer in Manhattan, told me that in the late 70s, her parents became involved with the Pan African Skills Project. It led them to move to Ghana, where they helped develop the Akuapem Polytechnic Institute.

My father set up a school that taught construction trades and design, she says. Her mother, a dressmaker, developed a sewing cooperative there. My father became an honorary chief where they lived in Mampong-Akuapem. He died in 1995 and is buried in Ghana.

The Study: Mounted on the wall is a 1950s coat rack by Le Corbusier. Both the red chair and the desk are vintage Jean Prouve. Photo: Gross & Daley

The Dining Area: The table and chairs are 70s Pierre Chapo, the Japanese pottery is Bizenware, and the light fixture is Isamu Noguchis Akari lamp. Photo: Gross & Daley

The Kitchen: The wall-mounted shelf is a Charlotte Perriand Nuage shelf. The chairs in the foreground are 1950s Charlotte Perriand Meribel chairs. The kitchen cabinetry is original to the house. Photo: Gross & Daley

The Primary Bedroom: There is a 1930s chalkboard hanging over the bed. The bench is a 60s modernist piece by an unknown maker. The wall lamps are O.C. White circa 1930s. Photo: Gross & Daley

The Stairs: The entrance to the house is between the upper and lower level. The stairs that go down are to the basement, Mariconda says. The stairs going up are to the elevated main floor. Photo: Gross & Daley
Chinese medical aid to Africa benefits local people

10:18, November 21, 2023 By Yang Yanfan ( People's Daily

This year marks the 60th anniversary of China sending the first international medical aid team.

Over the years, members of China's medical aid teams, though facing various difficulties and hardships, have safeguarded the health of local people with compassion and excellent skills, and helped advance local medical conditions. Their dedication and service have earned them widespread praise and admiration.

An ophthalmologist from the 32nd medical team from China's Jiangsu province to aid Zanzibar, Tanzania carries out examination for a local patient. (People's Daily/Hou Lulu)

Wang Zhenchang, vice-president of Beijing Friendship Hospital, was head of the 24th batch of Chinese medical team sent to Guinea from 2014 to 2016 when the country was hit by an Ebola outbreak.

"I was both scared and worried, but it also brought a sense of honor and accomplishment," said Wang.

Faced with the Ebola epidemic, not a single member of the medical team backed down. Upon arrival, they conducted research, analysis, and provided specific assistance in Ebola prevention and control. The Guinean government highly praised the entire medical team and the Chinese Ebola prevention and control group. The Chinese medical team was awarded a Guinean national medal.

Liu Chun, chief physician at the Affiliated Hospital of Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, noted that Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a distinctive feature of the Chinese medical team in Kuwait. Between 1999 and 2010, she was sent to Kuwait three times for medical aid, during which she treated over 6,000 patients.

"When I first arrived in Kuwait, the locals had little knowledge of acupuncture, and they were skeptical that such small silver needles could treat diseases," said Liu.

Later, the medical team promoted TCM treatment methods such as acupuncture, cupping, and acupoint application, which have traditional Chinese characteristics. Through word of mouth from patients who became friends of Chinese doctors and TCM enthusiasts after their treatment, more and more people started coming to the TCM clinic for medical consultations.

Doctors of the 18th batch of the Chinese medical team to Chad perform health check-ups for local children. (Photo/Wang Lini)

Zhu Huifang, the head of the nursing department at Huzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Zhejiang province, joined in two medical missions abroad. She has worked for a total of three and a half years at the China-aided Friendship Hospital in Central African Republic and a hospital in Mali. She was affectionately called "Chinese Mom" by African children.

Once, a 16-year-old Malian boy had a car accident on his way to school, resulting in a cervical spine injury with spinal cord damage. The boy loves Chinese martial arts and sports, but he could only lie in bed because of the accident.

Zhu, along with Malian nurses, cleaned the boy's wounds and changed his dressings. Every day, she would spend some extra time by his bedside, encouraging him to regain confidence in recovery. After two and a half months, his condition improved and his mood also got better.

"When the boy came back to the hospital for a follow-up visit once, he happened to be interviewed by a media outlet. He looked straight into the camera and said, 'This is my Chinese mom.' We are still in touch today, and he has now become a university student in Mali," Zhu told People's Daily.

"When shy African children went from being strangers who were afraid to talk to me to becoming familiar and even snuggling in my arms calling mama, I feel both relieved and a strong sense of responsibility," Zhu said.

Mei Xueqian, deputy chief physician of the cardiothoracic surgery department at the People's Hospital of Anyang City in central China's Henan province, is the son of Mei Gengnian, the head of the first Chinese medical team sent to assist Ethiopia, who sacrificed his life on Aug. 11, 1975 during his mission in the African country and buried there.

A Chinese doctor trains Rwandan obstetricians and gynecologists. (Photo provided by the 23rd batch of the Chinese medical team to Rwanda)

"In Africa, my father treated many African patients with his expertise and received praise and recognition from the local government," Mei Xueqian said. This inspired Mei Xueqian himself to become a member of the 10th Chinese medical team to Ethiopia.

"For me, I have the desire to fulfill my father's unfinished mission. As a doctor, I also want to serve the local people in Ethiopia," he remarked.

"To truly improve the local medical level, it is not only about 'providing fish' but also 'teaching people how to fish,'" said Wu Dexi, deputy chief physician of the cardiology department at the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University and a member of the second, third, and fourth Chinese medical teams sent to the Commonwealth of Dominica.

At the Dominica-China Friendship Hospital, Wu has conducted multiple cardiovascular-related lectures, clinical teaching rounds, and multidisciplinary case discussions. He demonstrated and taught new techniques, enabling local doctors to master new technologies, knowledge, and concepts.

Additionally, he has actively promoted the local development of medical disciplines according to the local context, resulting in the establishment of the first cardiovascular department in the country. His efforts have also facilitated the implementation of multiple cooperation projects between China and the Commonwealth of Dominica.

"Many patients and their families have become good friends of mine. 'Though countries have borders, doctors should know no boundaries.' This precious and unforgettable experience has given me a deeper understanding of the responsibilities and mission of being a doctor. I will continue to uphold my original intention and safeguard the health of the people, so as to make new contributions in promoting cooperation and exchange in the healthcare field between China and the Commonwealth of Dominica," said Wu.

(Web editor: Chang Sha, Liang Jun)
First it was known for the Black Friday stock market crash  then for being the biggest shopping day of the year. The meaning may have evolved, but today, Black Friday is still a subject for stock market scrutiny. Which retailers look set to benefit? What can we learn from the price action of past years? And what factors help you trade the period? Well find out. But first, a history lesson.

Recommended by Ben Lobel Traits of Successful Traders Get My Guide

What is Black Friday?

Black Friday was originally the term used to describe the stock market collapse of 1869, when American investors Jay Gould and James Fisk caused a financial meltdown after a failed attempt to corner the gold market.

The modern concept of Black Friday, however, came about in the 1940s to entice people to the stores the day after Thanksgiving. Named for its tendency to contribute to traffic accidents, Black Friday later took on a new meaning as companies expected to make enough sales to put them in the black, or profitable, for the year.

It was not until the 1980s, however, that retailers began to slowly use the day as a marketing tool, culminating in its widely-held status as the most popular shopping day of the year in the 2000s. Today, Black Friday is more than just a US-based tradition; it has spread to some 20 other countries, including Mexico, Russia and Pakistan.

In conjunction with Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving that pushes online sales, the shopping period is seen by some analysts and market commentators as providing a measure of economic prosperity. That measure can then be used to predict the performance of other assets such as stocks.

The influence of Black Friday

Marketing gimmick or useful indicator; whats the overall influence of Black Friday? To answer, its worth examining its effect on retail spending and consumers, the economy, and the resulting effect (if any) on traders and stocks.

1) Retail spending and consumers

There is no doubt that Black Friday influences consumers to spend. Across a range of countries, the event is promoted as a rare chance to save money across a gamut of products, from laptops to lawnmowers, and historical media coverage of the event has featured stampedes in retail outlets as bargain-hungry punters battle for deals. In 2018, Adobe Analytics data shows $6.22 bn was spent online in the US, representing a 23.6% increase on the previous year. Furthermore, every Black Friday bar one has seen higher retail sales volume than any other date.

2) Economy

Black Fridays influence on the economy is more debatable. Some argue in favor of the Keynesian effect of spending driving economic activity, which puts more money into circulation and potentially buoys the economy. At a time when the US economy has shown signs of recession, consumer spending might be welcomed. But others say that the influence of the event is negligible, with only short-term effects observed. This is due in part to lessons from previous years, when many retailers have seen poor sales figures once the discounting has ended.

However, if stores decide to go another route and prolong discounts, profit margins can be eroded, potentially meaning staff cuts and increased unemployment. Knock-on economic effects of this could include decreased income tax receipts and a raised welfare burden, factors which raise an argument for Black Friday having a net negative economic effect.

3) Stocks/stock markets

The influence of Black Friday on stock markets and individual stocks is also less than straightforward. Perhaps predictably, a range of retail stocks can be expected to rise if sales expectations are met. Conversely, unexpectedly weak sales can suggest poor consumer confidence and a fragile underlying economy, giving traders reason to go short. But even if a given company has enjoyed strong sales, this performance has no bearing on its profitability or overall financial health, which are factors traders should consider when picking one stock over another.

Examining the impact of previous Black Fridays on financial markets gives an insight into the trends traders might expect to see following this key date in the future.

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Black Friday and Stock Market History

While Black Friday history begins with the catastrophic 1869 stock market crash, the modern iteration of Black Friday has seen retail stocks making strong returns around the Black Friday period. This can be observed in the S&P 500 where, in a ten-year timeframe, Bloomberg data shows a 5% return for retail stocks compared to an average 3% over a period of one week before Black Friday to one week after.

The Black Friday periods 2014-2018 are circled on the S&P 500 chart below. However, while such data suggests that retail stocks perform well over this period, stock pickers should be aware of the nuances between retail sub-sectors as well as the likelihood of online sales taking business from more brick-and-mortar reliant stocks, as well as additional fundamental factors that can move the market.

Black Friday retail stock performance: A snapshot

When measuring Black Friday retail stock performance, heres an insight into how 15 major global retail stocks did in 2018 over the period one week before to one week after Black Friday:

Closing stock price: Nov 16 2018 ($) Closing stock price: Nov 30 2018 ($) Percentage increase/decrease Amazon 1,502.06 1,690.17 +11 Apple 193.53 178.58 -8 Best Buy 66.43 64.59 -3 Burlington Stores 161.75 165.76 +2 Costco 231.02 231.28 +0 CVS 79.33 80.20 +0 H&M 3.49 3.63 +4 Home Depot 177.02 180.32 +2 Lowes 93.25 94.37 +1 Sainsburys 15.90 15.60 -2 Target 79.68 70.96 -12 Tesco 7.82 7.51 -4 TJX 51.49 48.85 -5 Walgreens 82.52 84.67 +3 Walmart 97.69 97.65 -0

Amazon reaped the rewards in 2018, enjoying its biggest shopping day in history on Cyber Monday. Customers ordered more than 18 million toys and 13 million fashion items on Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined, according to Bloomberg data, and saw its share price rise to the tune of 11% over the two-week period from November 16 to November 30, as the table shows.

On the short side, while Target shares saw a dip of 12% over the same period, the fall can probably be attributed more to a wider fall in the stock market caused by trade wars and concerns about global growth than any other factors. This underlines the importance of traders considering a range of fundamental reasons that can contribute to moves during the holiday season.

Key considerations when trading stocks on Black Friday

Once traders have assessed the market and gained a feel for the retailers taking a lead in Black Friday sales, there are a variety of other considerations to make when trading stocks around this period.

Stock market liquidity : Trading around the holidays can seriously distort liquidity and Black Friday is no exception. With fewer traders on the desk, liquidity dries up and the potential for larger swings can increase  especially as stop losses are triggered automatically and positions are ditched. Fundamental factors : These may give clues as to how consumer spending may go, allowing traders to consider certain retail stocks. For example, lower gasoline prices and strong employment figures could signal more spending power and company sales expectations being met. However, as mentioned above, its important to be aware of a whole range of other factors that can impact the market and overshadow any moves caused by consumer sentiment. Online vs brick and mortar sales: Brick and mortar retailers have lost ground to their online competitors in recent years and Cyber Monday threatens to take the crown in terms of total sales. To capitalize on this, it may be worth keeping an eye on stocks like Amazon and Best Buy which offer attractive online shopping deals around the holidays. Earnings usually arent released until January: Traders should also be mindful that company performance may not be entirely clear until earnings, which for many companies will be released in January.

What time does the stock market close on black Friday?

The stock market open on Black Friday is 9:30 ET as normal, but the market closes at 1pm. The market is closed for the whole of Thanksgiving.

Further reading on stocks and trading major indices

If youre interested in learning more about stocks, boost your equities knowledge with our helpful articles.
The case against Michael Darling, the Gloversville man accused of killing his estranged wife, is not expected to proceed until next year following an abrupt adjournment at a scheduled sentencing last month.

Attorney Joseph Giannetti, representing Darling in Montgomery County Court on Tuesday, requested time to review the voluminous discovery filed in connection with the indictment against his new client and to file any motions as needed before the matter moves forward.

Not saying that there will be motions, but just allowing us the opportunity to make them if we deem it appropriate, Giannetti said.

Montgomery County District Attorney Lorraine Diamond reaffirmed her previous request for an Outley hearing to consider allegations Darling was not truthful during a pre-sentence investigation conducted by the probation department after he accepted a plea offer this summer.

In the 1993 New York state case People v. Outley, the appellate court addressed whether a court could impose a sentence higher than that promised at the time of a guilty plea, if the defendant violated a post plea, presentence, condition.

That remains our request, Diamond said.

In August, Darling, 44, pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter, admitting to causing the death of his estranged wife, Kristine Howland Darling, by gunshot wound at her home in Fort Johnson on Feb. 7, 2019.

The plea bargain carried a recommended sentence of 17 years in state prison followed by five years of post-release supervision. Due to the allegations connected to the pre-sentencing report, Diamond now plans to seek an enhanced sentence of 25 years in prison, which is the maximum for the manslaughter charge.

Judge Chad Brown set a schedule to accommodate each of the requests while giving the defense attorney and his client an opportunity to review and discuss the criminal case.

You have an attorney, I would encourage you to talk to attorney Giannetti, Brown said to Darling. If you have questions, discuss them with him.

Darling spoke only to answer questions from the judge before he was led out of the courtroom to return to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility, where he has been held since May.

Any motions by the defense will be due by Dec. 22 and any response will be due by Jan. 5. The next appearance in the matter, which could include an Outley hearing, is set for 9:30 a.m. on Jan. 23. A new sentencing date has not been set.

Darling was expected to have already faced sentencing on Oct. 20. The case was abruptly adjourned in court that day by Brown due to several legal filings from Darling seeking to dismiss his attorney and obtain new counsel. The judge relieved the defendants previous attorney from the case and provided time for him to secure a new lawyer.

Over a dozen of the victims family and friends were present in the courtroom for the scheduled sentencing. They acknowledged their disappointment over the development, but said they were willing to wait to see justice served as part of a properly completed case.

Darling was indicted earlier this year on charges of second-degree murder, third-degree criminal possession of a weapon and two counts of tampering with evidence.

It is alleged that Darling killed his estranged wife and then prepared false physical evidence by staging the crime scene to appear as a suicide attempt. He is also accused of concealing a cell phone, believing it would be sought by officials as potential evidence.

Darling originally reported the death as a suicide. Family and friends had suspicions about her death since it occurred, which they shared with law enforcement.

Those suspicions were publicly surfaced by Megan Rizzo, a lifelong friend of the victim, on Facebook at Seeking Justice for Kristine Howland in January 2021.

The investigation culminated in a grand jury indictment on May 26. Darling was allegedly tipped off to the proceedings and went into hiding before he could be taken into custody. Tips from the public led to his apprehension in a wooded area off Riceville Road in Mayfield on May 27.

Darling had been in federal custody shortly before the grand jury was convened and local officials had intended to complete the proceedings to take him into custody prior to his release. Authorities were not given advance notice of his early release on May 8.

A welfare check at Darlings home in Gloversville led to federal charges after pipe bombs were discovered there on Feb. 12, 2021. He pleaded guilty to illegally possessing firearms and unlawful possession of six pipe bombs in federal court in October 2021.

In March 2022, Darling was sentenced to what was supposed to be a three-year term in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

Kristine Howland Darling grew up in Gloversville and graduated from Gloversville High School, her obituary read. She was an employee at the Wilkinson Residential Health Care Facility in Amsterdam. She left behind a daughter.
SARATOGA SPRINGS  A second Utica man charged with misdemeanor assault for his involvement in the Nov. 20, 2022 gunfight in downtown Saratoga Springs pleaded guilty Tuesday.

Christopher Castillo, 28, pleaded guilty to attempted third-degree assault for his role in the melee in the heart of Saratogas bar district. Authorities said Castillo punched another individual before the altercation devolved into a shocking gunfight caught on nearby surveillance cameras.

Presiding Judge Jeffrey D. Wait asked Castillo if he understood that pleading guilty would wave his right to a trial, and asked Castillo if he had repeatedly punched an individual on the night of Nov. 20 with intent to cause serious physical harm to them.

In an effort to save my friend, yes, Castillo said.

Castillo will have to pay $250 in fines and court surcharges by Jan. 5. His attorney, Taalib Horton, declined to comment on this case.

The case is being prosecuted by a special prosecutor, Warren County Assistant District Attorney Robert McCarty.

Darius Wright, one of the other Utica men, pleaded guilty earlier this month to the same charges. The third man, Alexander Colon, was scheduled to appear in court Tuesday, but Wait said his case was adjourned Monday and his appearance will be set for a later date. According to the court clerks office, as of Tuesday a new date has not been set yet.

The three central New York men had been accused of getting into a physical fight with off-duty Vermont sheriffs deputy Vito Caselnova. According to court documents, a group including Castillo, Wright and Colon, and Caselnova and his girlfriend Cali Brown all appeared to be heading home for the night just before 3 a.m. when Colon and Wright eventually passed Caselnova and words were exchanged.

According to court documents, Brown hit Colon on the head with her hand and Caselnova stepped between the two. After that, a fight broke out as Caselnova drew his weapon followed by Colon doing the same.

The people assert Colon and Caselnova fired simultaneously, court documents state. Defendant alleges Colon fired first.

Police heard the shots and upon arriving at the scene yelled for Caselnova to drop his weapon. Caselnova ended up with 10 gunshot wounds. Colon had seven gunshot wounds and Brown was also injured.

Caselnova was initially charged with a 9-count indictment, which included a charge of second-degree attempted murder, for his alleged role in the shooting. His case was dismissed Sept. 20 by Saratoga County Court Judge James A. Murphy III because of issues with how the case was handled. The District Attorneys office filed an appeal on Oct. 18.
To the ermine borne, Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton shimmered into the House of Lords to make his maiden speech. Beaming pleasure greeted him on all sides.

After the terrors of recent years, when democracy's dank tide lapped at their lordships' tootsies, here was a reasssuringly silken figure, the voice smoky, the suit worthy of Savile Row.

His manner? Creamy as the lemon syllabub at Boodle's.

'Make it all right, nursey, make that nasty populism go away,' quavered peers during the Brexit and Johnson years.

Now their little unelected heads are poking back out of the Anderson shelter. It may be safe, once more, to be openly contemptuous of public opinion.

Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton speaking in the House of Lords

He took is seat in the upper chamber a week after his shock return to government

Lord Cameron returned to government earlier this month, seven years after he quit as prime minister

They think a Starmer government a dead cert and Lord Cameron will see them safely home until then and make sure nothing radical is done. Won't he?

Dave, who started the day with hands in pocket while his bags were portered by some female underling, stroked the upper house like a fiddle. He opened by saying 'truly it was an honour' to become a member.

An honour to sit among the careerists and the crocked and yesterday's pooh-bahs? He had 'always respected their patience and diligence'.

Having been in the Commons for 15 years, he hoped he would be allowed 'many more years in this place'. Lord Cameron is 57.

He recalled being in the gallery as a teenager when 'Lord Macmillan' (he meant the Earl of Stockton) made his maiden speech in 1984.

That speech 'eviscerated' Margaret Thatcher's government but Lord Cameron intended no such disrespect to the current PM, saying what a 'strong and capable' chap Rishi Sunak was.

This was followed by an Etonian-classicist dig at Boris for seeing 'illusions'. They liked that. He worked in a droll allusion to Brexit by saying he had not spent his absence from politics dreaming of 'taking back control'.

By now there were purrs of approval, for that and for a mention of his ministerial sidekick Andrew Mitchell, who is as damp as a spaniel's snout, and therefore much adored by the Blob.

The old despatch-box stance, familiar from his Commons years, had reasserted itself: right foot forward, the neck pulled back while springy fingers casually turned the sheets of his neatly typed speech.

Spectacles rested unworn to one side. His hair, which he had given a lot of patting before being called to speak, was flawless.

Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs Lord David Cameron and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak

The legislation under discussion, since you ask, was the second reading of a largely technical bill to enable us to join the Pacific trade pact known as the CPTPP  a great breakthrough made possible only by Brexit.

Not that the dreaded B word, which remains capable of giving Viscount Hailsham seizures, was mentioned. Not once.

Lord Cameron picked his way round those CPTPP initials with care. Others were less successful in this regard. Lord Lamont (Con) upended his Scrabble hand a couple of times.

Lamont was once Dave's boss and recalled some crisis when the young adviser gave him an enormous, torpedo-length Cuban cigar with the note 'by the time you have smoked this, all your troubles will be over'. Politics has always and will always be neuralgic. That is what attracts the main players to it.

They like to be jangled and vexed, considering it a test of their professionalism. The stress drug.

More minor figures may just be drawn to the Lords by the daily allowance, the title, and a chance of stopping the Conservatives getting any Rwanda flights off the ground.

On the Crossbenches sat various inertia merchants from the mandarinate and nut-brown know-alls from the upper clerestories of HM diplomatic service.

On the opposition side perched ancients of the New Labour years, including that man Goldsmith whose legal advice was so useful to Tony Blair.

Among the Lib Dems: two vaunting revolutionaries without ties. One of them only made it to the Lords because party managers wanted to give his safe Commons seat to Nick Clegg. How lucky we are.
Generation Z has become known for its complex skincare routines, with the market obsessed with skincare elixirs, such as hyaluronic acid and vitamin C, booming in recent years.

But it seems that even pre-teens are getting into skincare sooner than ever and the beauty industry is recognising Generation Alpha as an increasingly important customer base.

The age group, encompassing those born between 2010 to 2024, is renowned for its strong connection to digital media and technology, having never known a world without iPhones, WiFi and social media.

Children as young as seven are now becoming influencers and sharing their beauty routines, with experts saying skincare is not a luxury but a 'part of daily life'.

Perhaps the most famous Gen Alpha influencers are North West, 10, and Penelope Disick, 11, who regularly share their skincare routines with their millions of followers.

Kim Kardashian's daughter, North West, 10, has gained recognition for her impressive make-up skills

Kourtney Kardashian's daughter, Penelope Disick, 11, is a dedicated skincare enthusiast

The cousins, who are the daughters of Kim and Kourtney Kardashian respectively, have gained recognition for their impressive make-up skills.

Of course, they often promote their family's brands, including Kim's SKKN and aunt Kylie Jenner's Kylie Skin.

But it's not only the children of A-listers making an impact.

Twins Haven and Koti, 7, from Oklahoma have also gained traction on TikTok, under the handle @GarzaCrew.

They share a variety of content, including Sephora hauls and 'get ready with us' videos. Their account has garnered over 4.5 million followers.

Despite only being seven-years-old, the twin girls often incorporate serums, seemingly containing retinol, into their beauty regimes - suggesting skincare is evolving.

Speaking to FEMAIL, Reena Hammer, CEO and co-founder of indu, an industry-first beauty brand created for and driven by teenagers, said: 'We are already seeing a huge impact - beauty and make-up content is hugely viewed and searched for, making the use of cosmetics not just a luxury but part of daily self-care and self-expression.'

While skincare is important at all ages, children have distinctly different skin to teenagers and adults and therefore need different products.

7-year-old twins Haven and Koti, from Oklahoma, have also gained traction on TikTok

The beauty brand offers teens a safe space to learn and care for their skin as well as experiment with make-up in a fun and healthy way

The NHS recommends swashing with products for young, sensitive skin and using a moisturiser or sun cream if skin becomes dry.

Despite this, there's been a surge in Generation Alpha sharing skincare tips online.

The hashtag #GenerationAlpha has accumulated more than 29 million views on TikTok and continues to grow.

Having grown up with technology readily available, Generation Alpha has been immersed in social media from an early age - and they're renowned for embracing trends set by their favourite influencers, with more than half expressing a desire to purchase products endorsed by online content creators or influencers, according to the US Census Bureau.

However, this urge can often result in children adopting intricate skincare routines, using make-up to appear older and dressing in styles that mirror Generation Z and millennial influencers.

Additionally, an early exposure to social media means that Gen Alpha tends to be more image-conscious than older generations.

A recent YouGov poll showed that 46 per cent of six to 11-year-olds have an active social media account, despite the age restriction, solidifying their online presence.

Sharon Hilditch MBE, skincare expert, celebrity facialist and founder of crystal clear, said: 'With the rise of platforms like TikTok, conventional beauty practices are constantly being challenged.

Glossier is already leveraging micro-influencers and aligning with values that Gen Alpha prioritises - for example, content creators with diverse backgrounds and body types

Estee Lauder's recent collection for Gen Z and Gen Alpha, dubbed Nutritious, featured only three products and was launched on TikTok

'Young people are pioneering new ways of approaching make-up and skincare, and are finding their passion for expressing themselves through how they look.

'With a generation of people now more invested in the way they look than those that went before them, these trends are bleeding into the mass market and creating demand from brands to offer products and treatments that meet them.'

She continued: 'Thankfully, in general, young people are so much more aware now of the right ingredients and treatments needed for their skin than we were when we were that age, and are using these platforms to educate themselves.

'I think in years to come we will see these people transforming the beauty industry, and I believe due to their inclusive approach to beauty, it will be for the better.'

A notable 68 per cent of the combined Generation Z and Alpha demographic follows a skincare routine - and an even higher percentage is already using colour cosmetics.

indu is an industry-first beauty brand created for and driven by teenagers. This innovative company comprises skincare and make-up, and offers a new-to-market category called Colourless.

Colourless features products containing skincare ingredients designed to address specific concerns, such as dryness.

It serves as the ideal introduction to make-up for teens of various ages and skin tones, with the entire range being clear, colourless and suitable for a school environment.

With research showing that 73 per cent of teens want a product made especially for them, indu has been crafted with teens at the heart of the brand.

Formulated for teenage skin, it focuses on exploring individuality, self-expression and building confidence, with teen voices and insight positioned at the forefront of every brand decision.

Reena Hammer, indu CEO and co-founder, told FEMAIL: 'We are already seeing a huge impact - beauty and make-up content is hugely viewed and searched for, making the use of cosmetics not just a luxury but part of daily self-care and self-expression.'

Penelope regularly posts beauty and skincare tutorials on TikTok

She continued: 'Users are getting younger and younger and wanting and using products earlier than ever before. They don't want to be left behind but also admit not everything they watch and read might be suitable for them  hence wanting specific products.

'Micro influencers who get their audience often work better than big generic ones. The way brands present themselves must have authenticity and lean into this generation wanting to be heard, acknowledged and catered for.

'Teens are vocal about what's important to them whether it's sustainability or ingredients or packaging. If brands ignore or don't listen, they will end up as dinosaurs!'

Meanwhile, Glossier is already leveraging micro-influencers and aligning with values that Gen Alpha prioritises - for example, content creators with diverse backgrounds and body types.

A YouGov poll showed 25 per cent of children spoke to Amazon's Alexa more frequently than their grandparents. Meanwhile, 46 per cent of six to 11-year-olds have an active social media account, despite the age restriction - solidifying their online presence.

And when it comes to beauty, these youngsters are showing interest in celebrity-endorsed brands, including Glossier, Florence by Mills and Rhode Beauty.

By targeting this demographic early on, brands have a chance to establish long-term customers with significant spending power.

Elsewhere, Estee Lauder's marketing campaigns offer a notable contrast between Gen Alpha and previous generations.

In 2016, the brand introduced a line-up specifically targeting millennials with over 80 products. However, a recent collection for Gen Z and Gen Alpha, dubbed Nutritious, featured only three products and was launched on TikTok.

This shift underscores a trend toward smaller selections being promoted on social media - perhaps reflecting the short attention span of children and its impact on their choices.

The 7-year-old incorporates various creams and serums into her beauty regime

Dr Dev Patel, founder of CellDerma skincare, said: 'This beauty culture differs from how previous generations learned about beauty from their mothers. Instead, Generation Alpha is often teaching their parents about the latest beauty trends online.

'The concern for Generation Alpha is that they might not be checking the ingredients in their skincare or know how to layer these products correctly.

'The skin needs a tightly balanced environment to stay calm and healthy, but many products contain harsh inactive ingredients, like fragrance, despite having effective active components.

'For instance, Generation Alpha might be attracted to scented skincare due to its colourful packaging and "clear skin claims", but fragrance can cause harm to the skin including irritation, redness and heightened sensitivity.'

Meanwhile, Sarah Amelia Fogg, celebrity brow expert, permanent make-up artist and founder of Brows by Sarah, expressed concerns about trends that Generation Alpha is following.

'While I'm in agreement with the expressive individuality from Generation Alpha, this demographic can sometimes promote and bring back trends that aren't entirely safe or beneficial,' she explained.

'One of the most dangerous TikTok trends is bleached brows, the process that's loved by Generation Alpha, which involves bleaching brow hairs to make them almost invisible.

'It's no surprise that it has become one of the most popular brow movements with celebrities such as Kylie and Kendall Jenner sporting the trend.

'While I of course always encourage individuality and personality within your make-up, this can massively affect your brow health and be detrimental to future growth if not done correctly.'
Few things are more British than a royal in a Burberry coat, as Kate demonstrated a few weeks ago when she stepped out in a quilted jacket printed in its distinctive tartan.

The British fashion house was first awarded the prestigious honour of a Royal Warrant by the Queen in 1955, with the brand credited as her Weatherproofer of choice.

She was often spotted in their iconic neutral trench.

The original trench coat was designed in 1912 by Thomas Burberry during the onset of the First World War.

The name itself derives from the trenches and Burberry was the official outfitter for the British military providing functional apparel for soldiers during warfare.

Since then, many iterations of this power-coat have been created, whether cropped, printed or in luxe fabrics, with the royal family bringing the fashion forward pieces of outerwear to the forefront of their working wardrobes.

Princess of Wales

Kate Middleton arrived in Scotland earlier this month in a Burberry jacket detailed with a contrasting corduroy collar and nipped-in waist

Kate's jacket featured the brands iconic tartan but in military green.

Kate, 41, is just as capable of pulling off a laid-back outfit as she is of debuting a luxe ensemble.

And when making a casual appearance in Scotland this month, she embraced one of this seasons biggest outerwear trends with a quilted jacket in military-green.

Her jacket hails from Burberry and features the brands distinctive tartan more normally seen in black and tan.

Princess Beatrice

Princess Beatrice, 35, looked chic in a waist-cinching cashmere Burberry coat when stepping out in New York earlier in this month

Princess Beatrice, 35, stepped out in New York this month keeping a slice of home with her as she wore a Burberry coat aptly named The Kensington.

The royal wore the waist-cinching cashmere was worn above a navy Zimmermann silk dress. Towering heels from Jimmy Choo completed the outfit.

Queen Elizabeth

Over the course of her record-breaking reign, Queen Elizabeth mastered the art of uniform dressing with her trusty Burberry coat

Arriving in Norfolk for Christmas in 2018, she championed the best of British fashion in a single-breasted coat and Burberry scarf

Over the course of her record-breaking reign, Queen Elizabeth mastered the art of uniform dressing.

Arriving in Norfolk for Christmas in 2018, she championed the best of British fashion with of a chic camel single-breasted coat and a wide-check scarf by Burberry.

The ensemble was accessorised with a Launer bag and Gucci horse bit loafers.

Queen Camilla

Queen Camilla, 76, steps out in the South of France wearing a classic Burberry trench coat

She draped the coat over a turquoise dress by Anna Valentine

Stepping out in the South of France this September, Queen Camilla, 76, looked stylish as she toured a Navy flight deck wearing a classic Burberry trench.

She draped the coat over a turquoise dress by Anna Valentine and carried a Charlotte Elizabeth bag.

Duchess of Sussex

Meghan Marle, 42, wore a double-breasted tartan coat when making her first royal appearance in Scotland in 2018

When making her first royal appearance in Scotland in 2018, Meghan Marle, 42, donned a double-breasted tartan coat for the occasion.

The Burberry plaid was fitting choice for Scotland, and she completed the outfit with Veronica Beard trousers, a black turtleneck by Wolford and a bag by Strathberry.

Princess Eugenie

Princess Eugenie 33, opted for a spring-hued ensemble for an Easter Sunday church service at Windsor in 2017

Eugenie wears a boat neck number for the service at St George's Chapel

Princess Eugenie 33, opted for a spring-hued ensemble for an Easter Sunday church service at Windsor in 2017.

For the occasion she turned to Burberry for a modern take on their iconic trench coat, wearing the boat neck number with a cocktail hat by Goldust Millinery.

Duchess of Edinburgh

Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, 58, was elegant in a Burberry navy wool jacket and a striped Gabriela Hearst midi dress when visiting Newsham House in Liverpool in 2022

Regal in shades of royal blue, in March 2022 Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, visited Newsham House in Liverpool.

Elegantly dressed in a Burberry navy wool jacket and a striped Gabriela Hearst midi dress, the cropped jacket neatly flared over the 58-year-old's pleated skirt adding structure to the luxe look.

Queen Letizia of Spain

Queen Letizia of Spain, 51, wore a a bright red coat dress designed by British heritage brand Burberry when visiting Buckingham Palace in 2017

Queen Letizia, 51, visited Buckingham Palace in 2017, making a splash in bright red, Spains national colour. Making a passing sartorial nod to the UK, she chose a coat dress designed by British heritage brand Burberry.

The waist-cinching version of the famous trench was paired with Prada pumps and a coordinating clutch by Spanish leather goods brand Menbur.

Princess Diana

It was an iconic his and hers moment for King Charles, 75, and the late Princess Diana while on holiday in Nova Scotia in 1983

The royal couple both wrapped up in Burberry trench coats, showing the versatility of the wardrobe staple

It was his and hers for Charles, 75, and Diana while on holiday in Nova Scotia in 1983.

The matching duo both wrapped up in Burberry trench coats, showing the versatility of this cult wardrobe staple. Diana was a big fan of the trench coat, often wearing them off-duty with jeans and a white shirt.
A furious debate about fashion has called into question whether 30-somethings are being cut out of trends - after a viral tweet highlighted the difficulties of finding any 'fun and interesting' clothing once you pass your 20s.

US-based account Cartoons Hate Her tweeted: 'I generally like being 34, but what bugs me is that fun/interesting fashion seems exclusively targeted to women in their 20s, who mostly can't even afford it.'

'Like in a best case scenario you get five years to buy the most fun clothes and then you're sent to the Ann Taylor ranch?' the X account continued.

The tweet led to plenty of women in their 30s and over bemoaning the lack of choices as well as suggesting chic, accessible options.

Addison Rae (left) and Alix Earle (right) are both known for being Gen Z fashion icons, often wearing crop tops and mini dresses

Thirty-somethings flocked to social media to complain that brands seem to be catering to those in their 20s, but still have extremely high price points. Pictured left is Gen Z stars Charli D'amelio (left) and Danielle Carolan (right)

This viral tweet sparked a major conversation about the seemingly limited options women in their 30s have when it comes to buying trendy outfits that are still age appropriate

'Ann Taylor, Chico's, and The Limited are where women's dreams of vibrant yet age-appropriate fashions go to die' was one popular joke in response to the tweet.

Escaping the ranch! Here's where to shop for trends instead Abercrombie & Fitch

Anthropologie

Farm Rio

Sezane

Lisa Says Gah!

Baum und Pferdgarten Advertisement

One follower shared a story about venturing to Target and buying a Wild Fable crop top, from the junior's line at the big box store. 'I asked a Target employee why it had a security sensor and she said "well, that brand generally attracts a...younger crowd."'

'I'm 55 and just bought a Wild Fable mesh overlay dress. Go us!' a fellow commenter celebrated as another questioned: 'Did you just fall over dead right there in the aisle, because I would have.'

Other people agreed that it was difficult shopping for clothes that weren't super youthful but still have some pizazz. 'My wife has a similar complaint. She finds there's a big gap between the midriff baring clothes targeted at 22-year-olds and the "mature" stores that seem to target women in their 60s,' another tweet read.

The original content creator added, 'Technically there are some stores that I think are 30s coded but to me they seem super boring and only good for basic stuff,' naming Everland and Aritzia for basics.

Others said you can still dress exactly how you want, with one encouraging, 'You don't have to go to the ranch!'

They continued, 'I'm thirty three and have a sense of style that's interesting and cool and also not trapped in the trend cycle that people associate with 20-year-olds. The best dressed women I know are late thirties or older!'

'I keep reminding myself Fran Drescher was in her late 30s during her fashion era!' another person wrote, referencing the Nanny star, who has been going viral on TikTok lately for her bold, inventive outfits on the '90s sitcom.

Fans on Twitter referenced Fran Drescher's style on The Nanny, as she wore plenty of trends in her 30s on the '90s show

Fans complained that the current fashion includes trends from Y2K, like low-rise jeans and cargo pants

'In the words of the magnificent Gilda Radner, I base most of my fashion sense on what doesn't itch,' another X user commented, with others weighing in that they're struggling to find clothes while looking for longer hems and shirts that cover their belly button.

Some people were simply confused by the current style, with one musing, 'I feel very perplexed by the short hemlines on $400 cocktail dresses for this reason,' and one social media user called out Australian brand Zimmerman for having $700 dresses with 'all these cutouts,' tweeting: 'I don't know where the youth money is coming from.'

An X user wondered: 'How big is this market? Like outside of a couple major cities, are there 34-year-old women that would be interested and not peer pressured to dress differently?'

They said they were 'genuinely curious,' and that living in a major city '34-year-old women are still 26 if they have the face and lean body for it.'

'Like in a best case scenario you get five years to buy the most fun clothes and then you're sent to the Ann Taylor ranch?' the X account asked. Pictured are designs from the brand

It's especially confusing for elder millennials as styles from their childhood are on the rise, with Gen Z fashionistas wearing low-rise jeans, bucket hats, and cargo pants again. Some of the confusion is due to the pandemic skip, as millennials emerged from Covid lockdown to find they were no longer setting the trends, and instead their skinny jeans and booties were considered completely uncool.

One person described the 'current 20 something fashion' as 'rehashing the worst of the 80s and '90s,' calling it 'such a disservice to young ladies.'

They wrote, 'I inwardly cringe every time I see it,' as another quipped, 'Everyone looks like they're wearing my thrift store donations from around 2006.'

Followers came to the defense of the recently reignited early aughts brand Abercrombie & Fitch which they said 'basically reinvented itself for this niche,' as well as recommending Anthropologie, Farm Rio, Sezane, Lisa Says Gah! and Baum und Pferdgarten.
Shoppers are going wild over an 'amazing' new Christmas dessert made with one of the UK's favourite chocolate bars.

Earlier this month, the Facebook page NewFoodUK - where shoppers post about new products hitting supermarket shelves - shared an image of Iceland's new Galaxy Yule Log.

The savvy shopper, from the UK, posted a picture of them holding the sweet treat and wrote: 'Galaxy Yule Log spotted at Iceland Foods.'

The post was quick to rack up over 2,500 'likes' and hundreds of comments from excited foodies.

One person said: 'Might have to get one of these, I love Galaxy chocolate.'

Iceland's new Galaxy chocolate-flavoured yule log has proven so popular that it's currently out of stock, but shoppers hope to see it listed back on the site soon

Another user, who was previously ruled out the festive treat for the year, appeared to have a change of heart: 'I know we weren't going to get one but we need this!'

More were super keen on Galaxy's latest festive dessert, with one saying: 'Love Galaxy chocolate'.

Another user said that the yule log 'looks amazing', while a different account described the cake as 'delicious', before enquiring about its price.

A self-proclaimed yule lover was also eager to taste the rich treat: 'Love yule cant wait to try some'.

However, one user felt it was too chocolately for them and said: 'Could be a bit sickly!'

Iceland's new Galaxy chocolate-flavoured yule log has proven so popular that it's currently out of stock, but shoppers hope to see it listed back on the site soon.

But not everyone was so convinced - with some suggesting the 10 price tag was too high for the festive season.

One user thought 10 was a little too steep - they joked: 'Could be yours only for two mortgages and three horses!'

Foodie fans: users were keen to try the extra chocolately treat

Users in the comments went wild, with many instructing their friends and family to get the item, exclusively available from Iceland, this Christmas

This comes shortly after Christmas shoppers were left furious after the money they had saved on their Iceland bonus cards disappeared from their accounts.

Customers were delighted when they first found out about the superstore's Christmas offer - where they could get a free 20 bonus if they saved 100 by November 6.

But this soon turned to horror as they watched their hard-earned cash disappear - with some claiming it had been spent hundreds of miles across the country.

Mother-of-four Kerry Dove, 46, said that she was looking forward to spending the extra money on Christmas treats for her children.

The Sheffield Hallam student told MailOnline: 'I put the money on and thought nothing of it because I was saving for Christmas. And then I was just about to put some more on when it showed up as zero.'
Black Friday this week is tipped to be the busiest on record as millions of shoppers look to grab online bargains.

As many as three in five people will be shopping for deals in the Black Friday sales.

But beware  today the boss of Barclays bank warns that an unprecedented rush of scammers will try to prey on those looking for a bargain this year, particularly online.

Risk analysts at data firm LexisNexis Risk Solutions say customers should prepare for an onslaught of fraudulent attacks as the Black Friday bonanza gets under way.

Here we reveal the top five Black Friday scams you need to watch out for  and how you can protect yourself

Scam threat: Shoppers have been told to prepare for an 'onslaught of fraudulent attacks' as the Black Friday bonanza gets under way

1. Incorrect bank details swindle

This growing scam involves fraudsters emailing shoppers to say that there has been a problem with their transaction that needs correcting immediately.

The email will purport to be from a retailer that you may have recently bought from, telling you that some of the billing information you provided is incorrect.

The scammer hopes that you will click on a link in the email to enter your bank details and other personal information. Once they have this, they may use it to carry out fraudulent transactions in your name.

Or they may contact you later claiming to be from the police, your bank or another trusted authority and use the information that you have handed over to convince you that they are genuine.

This type of scam will be particularly successful during Black Friday due to the sheer quantity of shoppers making purchases.

That is because scammers tend to send the same bogus email to tens of thousands of potential victims claiming to be from a large retailer.

If you have not bought from that retailer recently, there is a good chance you will ignore the email.

But if you have, it could strike a chord and youre more likely to fall prey.

If a retailer asks you to change your bank details with urgency and claims there is a risk of losing out on an order you have made, then you should be suspicious.

2. Fake goods and purchase con

A purchase scam is where you make a payment for goods or services that are fake or never turn up.

Shoppers are particularly at risk of falling victim to purchase scams during Black Friday as they are in the mindset of hunting down bargains and getting good deals on Christmas presents for loved ones.

More than one in four parents have been tricked by purchase scams in the past according to trade body UK Finance.

They are particularly likely to be susceptible, as fraudsters often take advantage of the fact that lots of parents will be trying to track down a popular present for their children.

Fake goods are most commonly advertised on Instagram or Facebook Marketplace. This is Money and Money Mail are campaigning for social media companies to better protect users, and has revealed just how easy it is for scammers to target victims on their platforms.

According to Lloyds Bank, the most common items listed in fake ads or posts for Black Friday include Apple iPhones, Nintendo Switches, Nike trainers, PlayStations, Lego sets and drones.

Be wary of offers that seem too good to be true.

Check customer reviews of the seller to make sure they have a good track record.

3. Tracking number trick

In this type of scam, a fraudster will send fake text messages or emails containing links, pretending to be from a retailer or courier with fake parcel tracking information.

Scammers take advantage of the fact that shoppers are likely to have lots of parcels arriving at this time of year.

If you click the link or open the attachment, crooks can then infect your device with malware or direct you to fake websites where they will trick you into handing over your personal details.

Jodie Wilkinson, from card payment firm TakePayments, says: An influx of Black Friday online orders can cause delays with delivery.

Scammers may take advantage of this by sending out delivery update emails with messaging like Theres a problem with your delivery, or Click here for a delivery update, with a link in a fraudulent email.

Stop and think before you click on any links contained in an email.

4. Brute force computer attacks

Retailers will see surges in brute force attacks this year, according to LexisNexis Risk Solutions.

This is where fraudsters attempt to break into customer accounts by using technology that can attempt to guess their password and log in details millions of times a second.

If a company with which you have an account contacts you to say your password has been changed, tell the firm immediately if it wasnt you.

If you have a debit or credit card linked to that account, you may want to ask your bank to put a temporary freeze on it to prevent any unauthorised payments.

5. Bogus discount codes and offers

During Black Friday, consumers are bombarded with messages from retailers promising deals.

Scammers often replicate these messages from big-brand names. They send emails or text messages including fake discount codes or links to counterfeit websites.

If you want to take advantage of a Black Friday deal and are not sure if an offer you have seen is genuine, go directly to the retailers website.

We're braced for gangs of crooks targeting shoppers

By MATT HAMMERSTEIN CEO of Barclays UK

Vigilant: Barclays UK boss Matt Hammerstein

Finding that Black Friday deal online will be this weeks highlight for thousands of Barclays customers.

Unfortunately, the sheer volume of shoppers looking for a bargain will attract an unprecedented number of criminals ready to scam them. We at Barclays, like other UK banks, are braced.

We warn customers to be vigilant, but our data shows that money lost to purchase scams surged by 22 per cent during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend last year. Victims were robbed of 970 on average.

And it doesnt stop there. Hundreds of millions of pounds are lost to scams every year because of the co-ordinated attacks of organised crime gangs.

But efforts to prevent this crime lack the same co-ordination, with the Government, regulators, the banks and tech firms working in siloes.

This fragmented fight against scams allows criminals to slip through the cracks and take advantage of the lack of data sharing between these different groups.

We wholly support the Daily Mails Stop the Social Media Scammers campaign and urge the Prime Minister to bring together a united, cross-Government group empowered by our new Home Secretary and the Chancellor, and rally regulators, policymakers, industry groups, and companies across different sectors to effectively fight scams.

Banks cannot win this fight alone. We need the Government to look at how and where scams occur.

Barclays data shows that nine in ten scams happen on tech platforms. Yet it is only banks that publicly publish data relating to scams.

We must work together to stamp out this criminal activity, which is hurting countless individuals and jeopardising our economy and its future growth.

Organised criminal scam gangs might be strong but, by working together, with the Government leading the charge, we can be even stronger.
My plumber keeps not turning up to fix my bathroom. So far, hes made excuses  but I want him to do the job. Can I demand money off the bill?

T. M., London.

Excuses: A reader is struggling to get a plumber to turn up and fix her bathroom as arranged

Dean Dunham replies: This is a common complaint when it comes to the likes of builders, electricians and plumbers.

If you had a firm date agreed for the start and completion of the job, there would technically now be a breach of contract as the agreed date would have formed a term of the contract.

However, traders usually steer clear of agreeing dates and in these circumstances you have to turn to the law and the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

Section 52 of the Act says where no date is agreed for the performance of a service, the default position is that the work must be carried out within a reasonable time.

What amounts to reasonable depends on the circumstances, but where the trader has consistently failed to show up, as here, it probably moves into the boundaries outside of reasonable.

So with the law on your side, you next need to consider what remedy you are entitled to for the breach.

Youll find Section 54 of the Consumer Rights Act provides the answer. It gives the consumer the potential right to a price reduction to reflect the breach, to ask the trader to start the job (known in law as specific performance) or to end the contract and claim back any money already paid.

The first two remedies can be difficult to enforce in circumstances where you want the trader to carry on with the job, as they will often reject such a claim and these are not matters you would want to take to court.

If, however, you decide to end the contract, you would be on solid ground to do so and claim any deposit or advance payments back.

Rental regulations

I want to rent out a bedroom in our house. What is the law on charging rent?

A. S., Harrogate.

Dean Dunham replies: You will be taxed on the profit you make from the letting over and above your personal tax allowances. This is calculated by setting against the rent the expenses of letting.

This includes things such as replacing fixtures or furniture, or a wear and tear allowance.

Alternatively, a resident landlord can take advantage of the Rent A Room allowance; but only if the let is of furnished rooms rather than for example, a whole converted flat which is part of the house.

Under this allowance, the gross income received (up to 7,500) from letting is tax-free. If you receive the single-person discount on your council tax, this will cease, causing your bill to increase.

You should also consider if you are legally entitled to rent out a room, or if you need permission from a third party.

If youre a tenant, there may be a prohibition from sub-letting in your tenancy agreement or it may say you need your landlords consent.

Similarly, if you are in a shared ownership, your agreement may prohibit sub-letting or require you to obtain consent.

The position is usually clearer if you own your home, but you may still need to obtain consent from your mortgage provider, if applicable.

Finally, if you do rent a room out, make sure you enter into a tenancy agreement with the lodger. Failure to do so could make it difficult to evict them if it doesnt work out, although the law does treat resident landlords with some leniency.

As such, the law provides greater freedom to end an arrangement because it is acknowledged that, should the relationship break down between the landlord and the person he or she lets to, the landlord is more vulnerable in his or her own home.

You also need to consider the effect of a lodger on your home insurance as this is material information that you should really disclose to the provider, following which it is likely you will receive an increase to your premium.

Failure to disclose could cause your provider to reject a future claim.
My dear wife passed away in December last year. Like me, she only had her state pension to live on. She had a loan with lender Creation Finance that she had taken out more than two years earlier.

I contacted its call centre and spoke to a very uncaring, unsympathetic person who told me I would have to take over my late wifes debt or I would end up in court.

I started paying off the loan but the repayments meant I was really struggling to make ends meet.

I contacted the Citizens Advice Bureau which told me to stop paying it and to ask Creation for a refund of the 561 I have paid towards the loan, unnecessarily.

I contacted Creation but ten months on I am still waiting for my money. Can you help?

M. S., Kent.

Grieving: A reader is still waiting for a refund from loan company Creation after he was mistakenly told he was legally required to pay off his late wife's debt

Sally Hamilton replies: I was horrified to read of your dealings with Creation and I find it extraordinary that you were given such shamelessly wrong information.

You would only have had to make payments if the debt was taken out jointly or you acted as a guarantor  neither of which was the case here.

This incorrect advice meant you were put under huge financial strain at what was already an extremely difficult time.

I made contact with Creation and asked for it to put right these wrongs as a matter of urgency.

After my involvement, the firm helped you to provide the information it needed to verify the refund, although you told me that youd already sent a copy of your wifes death certificate to Creation three times as part of this process.

The refund has now been made and although Creation maintains it cannot find recordings of the calls you made at the outset, it has made a payment of 150 as an apology for your experience.

You were very relieved to have your money back after such a long wait and glad you can finally put the matter behind you.

Dealing with finances after the death of a loved one is stressful, says Lorraine Charlton, debt expert at Citizens Advice, who adds: Youre not usually liable for the debts of someone who has died, unless the debt was taken out jointly with you or you acted as a guarantor.

The exceptions to this are council tax and water charges, which you may be liable for if you were the partner of the deceased or shared accommodation with them.

In all other cases, debt reduces the estate of the person who has died.

If there is not enough money in the estate to pay the debt, the creditors cannot recover the debt from anyone else.

Straight to the point In December 2021, I bought a water fountain for 178 from Outdoor Living UK. It briefly worked, then stopped. I told Outdoor Living but they didnt respond within 30 days so the return window had closed. Now a crack has appeared in the faulty fountain. L.T., via email. Outdoor Living UK says you are outside of the time frame for a refund and over the one-year warranty on the product. It says the photos you sent in December 2021 show no crack in the feature, but a photo sent in June 2023 shows a crack in line with frost damage. *** I booked a family holiday to Florida with British Airways. When we got to the airport to fly home, we were denied boarding as the airline had sent a much smaller plane. This was very stressful for our family of eight. British Airways flew us home two days later. We made a claim in September but cant get through to anyone. W. S., via email. British Airways has now contacted you to offer 10,109 in denied boarding compensation and another 705 for the costs you incurred. These funds should be with you within 14 working days. *** I bought my cousin a 140 Airbnb voucher but when he tried to redeem it, it said it had already been used. I found out the voucher is sitting in an account in my name, which I didnt know I had, but Airbnb cannot give me the details to verify the account as it said this would breach its policy. H. C., via email. Airbnb says you paid via your Apple Pay email address and it understands you havent been able to sign into that account. You have been issued a new voucher as a goodwill gesture.

O2's no help after identity theft

I am battling an ongoing case of identity fraud. A couple of years ago I upgraded my sons phone at our local O2 store.

The assistant asked if she could have the old phone for reconditioning and we handed it over after she assured us all data would be wiped.

A few months later I received a SIM card in the post, addressed to a name vaguely similar to my sons. I rang O2 and was told to destroy it.

Then, in May this year, my son accessed an old bank account and found four phone contracts had been taken out in his name and had debited around 500 over a series of months. His bank refunded the money and cancelled the direct debits.

I rang O2 who said the case would be referred to the fraud team and was given an Action Fraud number and reference for the call.

I continued to receive default notices for the fraudulent contracts, debt recovery letters addressed to the fraudster at my address, new SIM cards and more new direct debit notifications in the name of the thief.

I contacted O2 on each occasion and was told someone would be in touch. So far, silence.

This has caused us much anxiety and stress. Please help.

C. T., Yorkshire.

Sally Hamilton replies: Knowing a fraudster is in possession of your personal details or those of a loved one is not a nice feeling, to say the least.

Identity theft is stressful  and without the assistance of O2 you and your son have been stuck in limbo. In the meantime, post for criminals and from debt agencies has been pouring through your letterbox.

I contacted O2 which swiftly looked into your case and conceded that it appeared that your son has been the victim of identity fraud.

Scam Watch Shoppers must be on guard when buying sought-after goods from social media websites like Instagram and Facebook Marketplace this Black Friday, Lloyds Bank warns. Tricksters will advertise fake deals for goods from big brands such as Apple, Nike and Lego at slashed prices. Apple iPhones, Dyson Airwraps, Nike trainers, Ugg boots, PlayStations and Lego sets are among the most common fake items listed. Victims are asked to send money direct from their account to another via bank transfer, which provides little consumer protection. Stay safe and buy from a trusted retailer, and pay by card for protection, says Lloyds head of fraud prevention, Liz Ziegler.

The firm was careful to add, however, that there was absolutely nothing to suggest this was caused by you using the O2 Recycle scheme with the old device.

The scammer had somehow been able to gather enough personal information about your son (name, address, date of birth and bank details) to successfully pass credit checks in order to take out phone contracts.

Its not possible to know how they got their hands on those details. But the good news is that O2 has finally closed the account, recalled the debt from the debt agency and made the request for the credit file to be updated.

An O2 spokesman said: We always aim to take swift action whenever fraud is reported to us and we apologise that in this case it took longer than it should have to close down the account.

Identity theft can be very hard to prevent. Fraudsters have many ways of obtaining enough personal information about a person to be able to start applying for financial agreements in their name.

They often buy personal or business information that has been stolen in an online data breach, or glean it in other ways, such as through social media or phishing.

This is where crooks send out dodgy emails or text messages that trick recipients into giving away personal information or bank details. Do not click on suspicious messages and change your passwords regularly.

Sally Hamilton is away. Edited by Holly Thomas.
In recent weeks, hundreds of thousands of workers and youth across the US have joined the Palestine solidarity movement. We have attended protests and demonstrations in every major city, opposing Israels war of ethnic cleansing against the people of Gaza. We have marched, shouted ourselves hoarse, and demanded an end to the one-sided slaughter. In this context the demand for a ceasefire has gained a wider echo as the movement asks itself: how can we stop the killing? How can we escalate our actions and actually end the catastrophe in Gaza?

[Originally published at socialistrevolution.org]

The majority of Americans want a ceasefire

The past few weeks have been a transformative period in the US and around the world. Millions of Americans have turned in disgust against Bidens policy of support for Israelif they were not opposed from the outset. Across the country, people have watched their phones and TV screens in endless horror at Israels daily attacks against residential buildings, hospitals, and schools. Notably, the ruling class is clearly failing to generate blind enthusiasm for yet another US-funded foreign adventure. In the context of the crisis of US capitalism, and after the bloody and costly experience of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, this should come as no surprise.

A November 15 poll found that 68% think that Israel should call for a ceasefire, while only 32% of Americans agree that the US should support Israeldown from 41% in mid-October. Another poll found a substantial decline in sympathy for Israel, alongside a considerable growth in sympathies for the Palestinians, especially among the youth. 52% of 18-34 year olds sympathize more with the Palestinians, up from 26% last month.

In other words, an overwhelming majority of Americans want the massacre to end. And yet, when asked directly about the chances of a Gaza ceasefire, Genocide Joe fired back with a simple: None. No possibility. This alone speaks volumes about the sham democracy that exists under capitalism.

Does the demand for a ceasefire offer a way forward?

The movement is asking itself: How can we escalate our actions and actually end the catastrophe in Gaza? / Image: Socialist Revolution

The demand for a ceasefire has also mobilized hundreds of thousands of protesters who want to see an end to the bloodshed. Weve all heard the demand for a ceasefire chanted at rallies. Groups like Jewish Voices for Peace, American Muslims for Palestine, and others have called on the movement to pressure our politicians to advocate a ceasefire.

Communists are clearly opposed to the continuation of Israels horrific bombardment. We are naturally in favor of ending the wholesale slaughter of innocent Palestinian men, women and children as soon as possible, and would not oppose a ceasefire were one agreedeven if temporarily. But we are obliged to state the truth: that the pacifist demand for a ceasefire in isolation does not offer a way forward for the Palestinians or the solidarity movement.

For one thing, who is this slogan appealing to? Biden? Netanyahu? Both of these reactionaries have expressed their total opposition to a ceasefire, despite the mounting public pressure. The reason goes beyond their individual attributes. The bourgeoisie does not take war lightly. War is a continuation of politics by other means, which means that there are fundamental class interests at stake here for the US-Israeli imperialists. We should remember that there were mass movements calling for an end to the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Vietnam, and yet these dragged on for years.

This is because the capitalists do not wage war for abstract moral reasons, but to extend their profits, influence, and power. For US imperialism, Israel is roughly the equivalent of a giant aircraft carrier in the Middle East. The Zionist presidential candidate RFK, Jr. actually said this at a recent conference. The US needs an outpost in the region, to secure the assets of US multinational corporations, especially big oil. Additionally, nearly every politician is directly or indirectly connected to war-profiteering companies, through lobbying, campaign financing, the revolving door of business and government, and more.

So appealing to those with a fundamental class interest in supporting Israels oppression of the Palestinians is like asking a lion to eat rhubarb. The slogan of a ceasefire raises the illusion that peace can be achieved by appealing to politicians good will or challenging their moral compass. But class interests will always trump any other considerations.

Secondly, we must remember that all previous attempts at negotiating a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians have utterly failed. It is precisely the failure of the Oslo peace process that has produced this current situation. A ceasefire is by definition a temporary solution. Given the predatory interests of the Zionist ruling class of Israel, we can be confident that any peace would be short-lived. They would only concede to it as a tactical maneuver, in order to regroup, and carry out their same plans in a different manner.

A ceasefire would, at best, rewind things to the situation before October 7. Needless to say, this is utopian in the extreme. Not only that, but do we want to return to a status quo where Palestinians are brutalized every day, where thousands are imprisoned by the Zionist regime, and where settlers are allowed to knock down homes in the West Bank without even a slap on the wrist? This is no solution at all. And even if peace were possible in the short-term, on an imperialist basis it would inevitably pave the way for another war.

Democrats continue their unwavering support for Israels criminal acts

Despite the serious limitations of this demand, the vast majority of US lawmakers do not call for a ceasefire. While 80% of Democratic voters support a ceasefire, the overwhelming majority of Democratic lawmakers and officials remain solidly in support of Israels unhinged crimes against Palestinian civilians. This is no surprise, since the bourgeois Democratic Party has always supported the Zionist regime in Israel.

For US imperialism, Israel is roughly the equivalent of a giant aircraft carrier in the Middle East / Image: US Embassy Jerusalem, Flickr

A small number of Congresspeople on the fringes of the party have voiced disagreement with Bidens policy, led by the liberal-socialist Squad. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and a handful of other Democrats, have signed onto a resolution calling on Biden to call for a ceasefire.

But we must remember the initial response of most of these individuals, which amounted, at best, to a liberal both sides are at fault position which equates the violence of the oppressed with the violence of their oppressors. Scandalously, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez even voiced support for more funding for Israels Iron Dome missile system. In other words, she supports both a ceasefire and sending the very weapons with which Israel is massacring defenseless civilians. The hypocrisy is nauseating.

To her credit, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib from Michigan, a Palestinian-American and member of the Squad, has put forth a more respectable position throughout this affair. She has been censured by the House of Representatives for allegedly promoting false narratives regarding the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and for calling for the destruction of the state of Israel. Of course, this is completely false, and we oppose the chorus of hypocrites attacking Tlaib. But we must be clear that the pro-Israel Democratic Party offers absolutely no way out of this disaster.

For his part, Bernie Sanders has finally completed his decades-long journey away from socialism and has been fully integrated into the Democratic establishment he used to rail against. In a CNN interview, he not only reiterated that Israel has a right to defend itself, but that it should go after Hamas, for which he received the warm approval of the Zionists.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), as well as an Israel government spokesperson, Eylon Levy, even retweeted a clip from the interview with Bernie, in which the senator said Well, I dont know how you can have a ceasefire with an organization like Hamas, which is dedicated to turmoil and chaos and destroying the State of Israel.

His position is essentially identical to Bidens: lukewarm appeals for Israel to carry out a humanitarian pause in the bombing. They desire nothing more nor less than an imaginary clean war in which the public image of US imperialism will not suffer unduly.

When Bernie speaks of Israels right to defend itself, one is reminded of Lenins comments on social-chauvinists who supported imperialist war: for actually, they are championing not defense of the fatherland in the sense of fighting foreign oppression, but the right of one or other of the great powers to plunder colonies and to oppress other nations. Indeed, Israel is plundering and bombing its de facto colony at this very moment.

This is the inevitable consequence of his years of political collaboration with the Democratic Party. Let this disgusting spectacle be the final nail in the coffin of any political illusions anyone may have in Bernie Sanders!

For Intifada, from the US to Gaza!

For our part, we fight not for a return to the status quo, but for an end to imperialism and war altogether. Lenin aptly explained the communist approach to pacifism within the antiwar movement:

The sentiments of the masses in favor of peace often express incipient protest, anger and consciousness of the reactionary character of the war. It is the duty of all Social-Democrats to utilize these sentiments. They will take a most ardent part in every movement and in every demonstration on this ground; but they will not deceive the people by conceding the idea that peace without annexations, without the oppression of nations, without plunder, without the germs of new wars among the present governments and ruling classes is possible in the absence of a revolutionary movement.

Marxists are not pacifists. We understand that capitalism means war, and that ending capitalism will require a class war. / Image: Socialist Revolution / Image: Socialist Revolution

This is why we must explain that the present crisis in Gaza is the consequence of capitalism and imperialism, which must be overthrown entirely in order to free the Palestinians. The capitalist system is the root cause of war. The drive to conquer markets, resources, and pools of labor inevitably results in military conflict. Pro-Palestinian workers and youth in the US must act on the principle that the main enemy is at home, and fight to overthrow US capitalism and imperialism, without which Israel imperialisms crimes would be impossible.

Marxists are not pacifists. We understand that capitalism means war, and that ending capitalism will require a class war. The ruling class has never gone down without a fight. To quote Lenin again: A serious struggle against the war, a struggle to abolish war and establish lasting peace, is out of the question unless there is a mass revolutionary struggle led by the proletariat against the government in every country, unless bourgeois rule is overthrown, unless a socialist revolution is brought about. Peace can only come about as a result of the socialist revolution.

This is why communists raise the slogan of Intifada until victory! The masses in Palestine and the Middle East have a revolutionary history, which can and must be revived. The First Intifada mobilized tens of thousands in struggle, from general strikes to tax boycotts to organized self-defense committees. This is the kind mass struggle that is needed, from the Middle East to North America, in order to bring down Zionism and imperialism. Think about what it would look like for a new Intifada to break out, not only in Palestine, but in Egypt, Lebanon, and Syria. Threatened with the loss of all their power and ill-gotten gains, the ruling class would be running for the hills, and we can be sure that the bombing would stop.

As for the US imperialists, the primary backers of Israel, the American working class has the potential to totally disarm our own ruling class, and to abolish the very system which drives war in the first place. A glimmer of this potential was shown recently when Detroit charter bus drivers enacted a sick-out to prevent pro-Israel protesters from attending the Washington, DC March for Israel.

If workers in the United States took strike action to shut down the war machine, hindering the flow of weapons to Israel, the Zionist war effort would come crumbling down. Workers in arms manufacturing, transportation workers, and dock workers especially can make this happen. Not a single bullet and not a single gun should be sent to Israel! Combined with a mass working-class uprising against imperialism in the Middle East, the workers of the world can act collectively to put an end to the war.

But to harness this vast potential power, we need to build a mass communist party. If you understand the need to end capitalism and imperialism outright, then take the next step and join the communists. March with us, and boldly fight for worldwide Intifada. A communist movement is being born. Help us ratchet up the struggle for the emancipation of the working class and all oppressed people. We will not stop until the worldwide Intifada achieves victory.

From the United States to Gaza, globalize the Intifada!

Down with US imperialism! Fight for a workers government!

For a Socialist Federation of the Middle East as part of a World Socialist Federation!
A Brazilian migrant who raped a five-year-old in his home country has been found on Martha's Vineyard - weeks after another Brazilian wanted for double murder was arrested on the island.

The Massachusetts enclave is home to the likes of the Obamas, Larry David and Michael J. Fox and was a destination for migrants sent by Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in a bid to highlight Democrats' disastrous border policy.

Saulo Cardoso Ferreira, 37, was convicted of raping a five-year-old child in 2019 but escaped, having failed to appear in May of that year serve out his 14-year sentence.

Boston's Enforcement and Removal Operations said in a statement Ferreira 'unlawfully entered the US on an unknown date, at an unknown location.'

They add the convicted rapist was never 'inspected or admitted by an immigration official.'

Saulo Cardoso Ferreira, 37, was convicted of raping a 5-year-old child in 2019 and escaped, having failed to appear in May of that year serve out his 14-year sentence

Authorities were tipped off to Ferreira being on Martha's Vineyard on September 28, though it took nearly six weeks to apprehend him, finally getting him on a vehicle stop in West Tisbury on November 14.

'This undocumented Brazilian national represented a significant threat to the inhabitants of Martha's Vineyard,' said immigration field office director Todd Lyons.

'He sexually assaulted a 5-year-old child in his homeland, and then ran from authorities when held accountable for his actions.'

'ERO Boston will not allow such predators to threaten our residents. We will continue to apprehend and remove anyone who attempts to use our New England community as a refuge from justice.'

In fiscal year 2022, ERO arrested 46,396 noncitizens with criminal histories.

This group had 198,498 associated charges and convictions, including 21,531 assault offenses, 8,164 sex and sexual assault offenses, 5,554 weapons offenses, 1,501 homicide-related offenses and 1,114 kidnapping offenses.

Ferreira is the second Brazilian criminal taken into custody on the island in the past six weeks.

Weeks earlier, another Brazilian fugitive wanted for murder has been arrested nearly 7,000 miles away on Martha's Vineyard, living among America's rich and famous.

Hiago Ornela-Da Silva was captured by agents in Edgartown, Massachusetts on September 28, the same day authorities were tipped off about Ferreira.

Ornela-Da Silva went on the run in February last year after being named as a murder suspect in Barra de Sao Francisco in the Brazilian state of Espirito Santo.

It is not clear how the illegal immigrant made his way to Martha's Vineyard, but US Immigration and Customs Enforcement said he had entered the country illegally on multiple occasions dating back to 2007.

Ferreira is the second Brazilian criminal taken into custody on the island in the past six weeks

Hiago Ornela-Da Silva, 31, was arrested in Martha's Vineyard Thursday

Authorities say he as illegally entered the country several times since 2007 and they do not know when he last entered the US and how long he has been living on the island

Ornela-Da Silva has been wanted in Brazil for homicide charges since February 2022

'The arrest of this Brazilian noncitizen demonstrates our commitment to prioritizing enforcement and removal efforts against unlawfully present noncitizens who are wanted for crimes in their home countries,' said Lyons.

The agency said the fugitive first illegally entered the US as a minor in December 2007 and was removed by a judge in June 2008.

He filed to rescind that removal in July 2008, which was granted in August 2008. But was again ordered to leave the country in January 2009.

In August 2009 he left the US through the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.

Officials said he then unlawfully reentered the country at an unknown date and location without being inspected. He will remain in custody pending his extradition.

In September 2022, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis flew 50 migrants to Martha's Vineyard in what some called a political stunt

In September 2022, DeSantis flew two planes of 50 migrants to the liberal town on the island..

The move sparked outcry from the liberal leaders of the small island in Massachusetts who branded it 'inhumane.'

The median house in Martha's Vineyard is worth over $800,000, according to the census, and the median household income is $77,392.

The exclusive enclave is where Barack and Michelle Obama bought their $12 million vacation home in 2019, and where he celebrated his 60th birthday last year.

In 2017, John Kerry bought a historic waterfront property in Chilmark for $11.75 million.

Former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama have a place on the ritzy enclave

President Bill Clinton, center, sings with musician Carly Simon, left, as they join the band Entrain for a performance during a party on Martha's Vineyard in 1994

Larry David is one of several famous TV stars living on Martha's Vineyard

Celebrity visitors include Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Bill and Hillary Clinton, and members of the Kennedy family.

The median house in Martha's Vineyard is worth almost $800,000, according to the census, and the median household is $77,370 - well above the national average of $67,521.

The island home of the elites is usually not a haven for crime. A 2019 report by local officials saw arrests anywhere from he teens to under 300 annually.

There is no known connection between the migrants sent to the area by GOP governors and these two suspects arrested within weeks of one another.
Actress Susan Sarandon has been slammed for claiming Jewish people 'are getting a taste of what it feels like to be Muslim' amid the war with Hamas.

The Oscar winner, 77, has attended several rallies in New York where she joined in the chant 'from the river to the sea,' a battle cry used by pro-Palestinian activists and Hamas alike that many view as an anti-Semitic call for the destruction of Israel.

The chant has been given a new lease of life in the aftermath of Hamas deadly rampage across southern Israel Oct. 7 and Israels bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

In further shocking new remarks, Sarandon said at a recent rally: 'There are a lot of people afraid of being Jewish at this time, and are getting a taste of what it feels like to be a Muslim in this country.'

The Rocky Horror Picture Show star has also retweeted posts on X celebrating Pink Floyd's Roger Waters, who has been dogged for years with allegations of anti-Semitism.

Meanwhile, Muslim-American journalist Asra Nomani slammed Sarandon for her remarks, highlighting how good life is for her and her migrant parents in the United States.

Susan Sarandon is seen at a pro-Palestine rally in New York City last month. She attended another over the weekend, where she was seen chanting 'from the river to the sea,' which has been branded an anti-Semitic phrase that calls for the destruction of Israel

Nomani, a former Wall Street Journal journalist, wrote: 'Hi there @SusanSarandon,' she tweeted. 'Let me tell you what it means to be Muslim in America.'

Nomani then listed the freedoms she and her parents - who emigrated from India - enjoy in their adopted home.

She spoke of how her professor father was able to obtain tenure, while her mom enjoyed going without a headscarf and opening a business in Morgantown, West Virginia, where they settled.

'Please don't minimize the experience of Jewish Americans by sanitizing the hell that it is for Muslims living in Muslim countries and vilifying America for the life  and freedoms  she offers Muslims like my family,' concluded Nomani.

'Go, live like a Muslim woman in a Muslim country.

'You will come back to America and kiss the land beneath your feet.'

Nomani spoke as Sarandon, who won a best actress Oscar in 1995 for Dead Man Walking, took to X to hail an appearance by Pink Floyd singer Roger Waters at an event in Uruguay.

'Despite attempts by the Israeli lobby to cancel the event, Roger Waters of Pink Floyd took the stage in Uruguay, donning a Kufiyyah and advocating for an end to the Israeli genocide in Gaza,' the post read. Sarandon retweeted it to her 850,000 followers.

Waters, who has repeatedly been accused of anti-Semitism, told journalist Glenn Greenwald he thought the Hamas terror attacks were blown out of proportion by Israelis 'inventing stories about beheading babies.'

Sarandon raised eyebrows on Friday, when she attended a protest outside Penn Station in New York City.

The actress, a left-wing campaigner known for her protests with Jane Fonda against the Iraq war, her embrace of environmentalism and her support for Bernie Sanders, led provocative chants.

She joined in with 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free' - a call many see as demanding the destruction of Israel, the New York Post reported.

She told the crowd: 'There are a lot of people that are afraid, that are afraid of being Jewish at this time, and are getting a taste of what it feels like to be a Muslim in this country.

Asra Nomani, an India-born Muslim American, took issue with Sarandon's claim about being a Muslim in the United States

Nomani is pictured with her parents. She told Sarandon she was thankful for the life America had given them all

'It's important to listen, it's important to have facts. You don't have to go through the entire history of that region, you just have to show the babies that are dying in incubators.

'Those images are enough to show you that something is drastically wrong. We need a ceasefire now.'

Her comments about being 'Muslim in America' particularly infuriated Nomani. She was born in India to Sunni Muslim parents and lived and worked in Pakistan.

One of her Wall Street Journal colleagues, Daniel Pearl, was murdered by Islamists.

Nomani has become a passionate defender of Muslim women's rights.

And Nomani took issue with Sarandon criticizing the United States' treatment of Muslim women.
North Korea's space agency says the country has launched a rocket carrying a military reconnaissance satellite and put it successfully into orbit.

The National Aerospace Technology Administration made the announcement on Wednesday through the state-run Korean Central News Agency.

It disclosed that a new-type carrier rocket "Chollima-1" loaded with the satellite "Malligyong-1" blasted off from the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground in the country's northwest at 10:42 p.m. on Tuesday.

The report said the country's leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch on the spot.

Japan's top government spokesperson has issued a statement strongly condemning North Korea's latest launch.

In the statement, Matsuno Hirokazu said Pyongyang has repeated its launches in defiance of repeated calls from the international community to abandon its nuclear and missile development programs. He points out that the North carried out the latest launch outside the announced time frame.

Matsuno said that the series of provocations poses a serious and imminent threat to Japan's security, and that is extremely regrettable and absolutely unacceptable.

He said the launch violates United Nations Security Council resolutions and poses a serious challenge to the entire international society. He added that Japan had lodged a stern protest with North Korea, condemned the country in the strongest terms, and conveyed the anger of Japanese people.

Matsuno demanded again that the North follow the UN resolutions immediately and completely. He urged Pyongyang to take concrete measures toward the comprehensive solution to concerns pending issues, including abduction, nuclear and missiles.

Matsuno also said that Japan will boost its efforts to gather and analyze information about North Korea's up-to-date moves, including its military cooperation with Russia.

He added that Japan will continue its measures against North Korea, including sanctions, and step up cooperation and collaboration with the United States, South Korea and other parties in the international community. He said Japan is mulling a quick and decisive response, including further discussions at the UN Security Council.

He said Japan, on the axis of its alliance with the US, will further promote the triparty cooperation with South Korea based on the agreement at the trilateral summit in August.

Matsuno said Japan will enhance its deterrence and response capabilities through fundamental improvement of its defense, including counterstrike capabilities based on its national security strategy.
Four teenagers who are missing in North Wales are 'are not experienced campers' and only had basic equipment with them, the mother of one of the boy's girlfriends has revealed.

Sixth form students Jevon Hirst, Harvey Owen, Wilf Henderson and Hugo Morris were last seen travelling in a silver Ford Fiesta in the Harlech and Porthmadog areas of Gwynedd on Sunday morning.

The young men, from the Shrewsbury area, were due home on Monday morning but none of them have made contact with friends and family or been active on WhatsApp.

Police have launched an urgent hunt for the missing youngsters, with their worried parents driving to the area to help with the search after being left 'frantic with worry'.

Helicopters were seen circling the Tremadog area, near Cnicht mountain in Snowdonia, on Tuesday morning in the hunt for the missing boys. A coastguard helicopter from Caernarfon searched the area around the Glaslyn Nature Reserve at 4.30am, but returned to base with 'nothing found'.

Yesterday, mountain rescue teams searched car parks in the area but were unable to locate the missing vehicle, whose registration is HY14 GVO.

Jevon Hirst, Harvey Owen, Wilf Henderson and Hugo Morris, who were said to be in their late teens, were last seen getting into a silver Ford Fiesta car on Sunday morning and haven't been seen since

Locals reported that a helicopter had been searching the Penrhyndeudraeth area before heading toward Nantmor and Beddgelert

The young men, believed to be from the Shrewsbury area, were due home from their trip on Monday morning but none of them have made contact with friends and family. Pictured: Wilf Henderson

It has emerged that the four were not experienced campers and only had a tent and sleeping bags with them.

Lisa Corfield, whose daughter Maddi is 17-year-old Wilf's girlfriend, told MailOnline: 'They are not experienced campers. They have never been there before. [They] were just going for the night so have a tent and sleeping bags but only the basics.'

She added the families still had 'no word as [of] yet' to their whereabouts.

Crystal Owen, the mother of Harvey, a 17-year-old student at Shrewsbury College doing A-levels, told the BBC that she was headed to North Wales in order to be closer to the search operation.

Ms Owen said she did not know that her son was going on a camping trip and thought he was staying at a friend's grandfather's house for the night.

She said: 'If I'd have known [where he was going] I wouldn't have let him due to the winter weather conditions.

'They are all sensitive, intelligent lads and we are just hoping they parked up, got lost and are OK.'

North Wales Police have launched an urgent hunt for the missing youngsters, with their worried parents driving to the area to help with the search after being left 'frantic with worry'. Pictured: Jevon Hirst

The missing group are believed to have been planning to travel through Snowdonia, heading east from the Welsh coastal areas of Porthmadog and Harlech towards Shrewsbury, Shrops

Chris Lloyd, chairman of the Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Team said they were called out by North Wales Police yesterday afternoon.

Mr Lloyd said: 'Our first job was to look for any indication they were on the mountain. We deployed two or three teams to drive around all the carparks. We cannot find the car.

'We are still actively looking for it and are continuing to search. We don't have specific area where to search.'

Harvey's mother reposted the appeal post shared by North Wales Police on Facebook and wrote: 'I am frantic with worry, one of these boys is my son Harvey, please please please share and tag anyone in Wales or get in touch with any information you may have.'

Another family member, Mel Hirst, said they were 'desperate for any news' and pleaded users to keep sharing the post.

Ms Corfield said the boys have not been seen or heard from and she begged people to share the post with as many people as possible so that they could 'try and get them home safely'.

She told the Shropshire Star that the group set out to go camping on Saturday and were expected back on Sunday morning, but they 'never returned'.

Ms Corfield said: 'Everybody is sick with worry and have not heard anything from them, which is very unusual for them. They have been trying their phones which must be either off or with no battery.'

The lack of contact was said to be out of character and friends said their families are 'worried sick'. Pictured: Family members post on Facebook

Locals reported that a helicopter had been searching the Penrhyndeudraeth area before heading toward Nantmor and Beddgelert.

The area where the boys are missing is remote and mountainous, with narrow, winding single-lane roads into Snowdonia National Park.

Police and mountain rescue teams are searching the area for the group and have urged anyone who may have seen them to contact them immediately.

North Wales Police said in a statement: 'Police have concerns for four young males missing from the Harlech/Porthmadog area since the morning of the 19/11/23.

'The four males' names are Jevon Hirst, Harvey Owen, Wilf Henderson and Hugo Morris.

'They were travelling in a Silver Ford Fiesta registration HY14 GVO.

'Any sightings please contact North Wales Police and quote ref num A184194.'
Banksy's voice has been heard for the first time in 20 years after a rare audio clip was unearthed of him giving an interview refusing to apologise for his graffiti.

The audio has given the street artist's fans a tantalising new clue regarding his real identity, which is believed to be Robin Gunningham but has never been confirmed.

The recording dates back to 2003 when ex-BBC arts correspondent Nigel Wrench interviewed Banksy to mark the opening of his Turf War exhibition in East London.

Only some of the material was broadcast that July on the Radio 4's PM programme, but Mr Wrench was recently listening to The Banksy Story podcast which came out in July this year - leading him to find the full interview on a minidisc at his home.

The BBC has now released a bonus podcast episode featuring the discussion. In the interview Banksy defends how he does his work undercover at speed, saying: 'I'm not here to apologise for it. It's a quicker way of making your point, right?

In 2008 the Mail On Sunday published this photograph taken in Jamaica which is said to show Banksy, who was identified as former public schoolboy Robin Gunningham from Bristol

The interview appears in 'The Banksy Story - Bonus Episode: The Lost Banksy Interview'

'In the same way my mother used to cook Sunday roast every Sunday and says every Sunday, "it takes hours to make it, minutes to eat".'

'And these days she eats microwave meals for one and seems a lot happier. I'm kind of taking that approach to art really. I want to get it done and dusted.'

When questioned over graffiti being vandalism and illegal, Banksy said: 'Go out. Trash things. Have fun. Other people, they can change it. They can get rid of it.'

The interview also gives a clue towards Banksy's first name. When the interviewer asks him whether it was 'Robert Banks', the artist replies: 'It's Robbie.'

The name Robin Gunningham was first revealed by a Mail On Sunday investigation in 2008 which reported that he is a former public schoolboy from Bristol.

An artist believed to be Banksy putting up his latest creation at the Tate Britain in 2003

Banksy's work ' Love Is In The Bin' self-destructed in Sotheby's, London, in 2018

The newspaper published a photograph taken in Jamaica in 2004 showing a man with a bag of spray cans by his feet - which was identified as Mr Gunningham.

Banksy is also believed to have gone by the name Robin Banks, and in 2017 the DJ Goldie referred to him in an interview on the Distraction Pieces podcast as 'Rob'.

The artist has become world famous for using stencils to spray illegal images on public walls, with his secretive identity part of his appeal.

One of his most notable moments was in 2003 when he disguised himself as a pensioner and installed a piece in a vacant spot in the Tate Britain in London.

His artwork Girl With Balloon famously self-destructed in a Sotheby's London saleroom when it descended into a shredder in 2018. That piece was then renamed Love Is In The Bin, which in 2021 sold for 18.6 million, a record for Banksy's work.

Banksy's piece Valentine's Day Mascara appeared on a house in Margate, Kent, in February

Banksy's Sweep It Under the Carpet mural, which appeared in 2006 in Chalk Farm, London

Last month the Daily Mail reported that Banksy had been named as the first defendant in a High Court legal action accusing him of defamation.

His co-defendant is the company Banksy established named Pest Control Ltd, which sells his art, but details of the case are currently confidential.

Also last month, MailOnline reported how a former Labour Parliamentary lobbyist Joy Millward, originally from the West Midlands, is said to be married to Banksy.

She worked as a researcher for Labour MP Austin Mitchell, who died in 2021, and later set up Principle Affairs, a lobby group for charities. Ms Millward is thought to have met Mr Gunningham in 2003 before they married in Las Vegas in 2006.

The Banksy Story - Bonus Episode: The Lost Banksy Interview is available here
Parents in Wales have voted to shorten summer holidays by a week - with pupils in England now worried about if their own breaks will be cut.

Welsh ministers are proposing to change the school calendar so that the holidays are spread out more equally across the year.

The Labour-led administration has launched a consultation on the proposed changes, which could see the summer break cut to as little as four weeks.

A poll by charity Parentkind revealed that the majority of parents in the country support a move to spread the holidays more evenly throughout the year, with 56 per cent in favour.

Although these reforms are currently only being discussed for Wales, a consultation in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, found 73 per cent of parents who took part in a public consultation also want to see the summer break shortened as it's 'too long'.

A small number of individual academy schools in England, as well as some local councils in England, have already opted for shorter summer holidays and longer half terms.

But this proposal is being resisted by some teachers, with the union NASUWT saying there is 'no sustainable educational argument' for the change.

Commenting online, one parent wrote: 'I look forward to the summer holidays, I love having my children home. Let the children keep their holidays.'

Another said: 'Good idea. Six weeks is too long - an extra week in October half-term is a great idea.'

But not all were in favour, with another parents adding: 'It's not a case of people not wanting to spend time with their kids, some people work full time and can't have the six weeks off with their children.

'I'm one of those families where me and my husband aren't teachers, so regardless of how many holidays we save, we can't spend the entire six weeks with our children.'

Jeremy Miles, Minister for Education and Welsh Language, said that the Welsh Government would press ahead with a consultation

A survey by Parentkind found that 59 per cent of those living on a lower income support it

Parents and teachers took to social media to voice their opinions on the proposals

The controversial plans to change the school year is one of the Welsh Government's commitments in its education manifesto.

One of the proposals suggests a week could be taken from the summer holidays and added to the one-week break in October.

In a survey published last year, the government put forward three possible options for changing the dates of the holidays.

These included:

Shortening the autumn break and giving pupils a five week summer holiday

Having five school terms of seven or eight weeks, with a four week summer holiday (and longer Christmas breaks to compensate)

Six school terms of six or seven weeks, with each school holiday lasting two weeks, and a three week summer break

The potential reforms are being discussed because parents are struggling to find childcare in the break and children with additional learning needs find it difficult to return after a long break, the government said.

It argues that the current calendar of three school terms was designed 150 years ago in a different era when children were needed to help with agricultural work in the summer.

READ MORE - School tells parents it will NOT be providing litter trays for pupils who identify as cats and warns 'this kind of behaviour is not acceptable' Advertisement

A survey by Parentkind found that 59 per cent of those living on a lower income support the move in Wales, and these results were echoed in a Scottish consultation of 9,000 parents.

Families that reported struggling with costs and childcare over the summer holidays were much more likely (72 per cent) to be in favour of a more even school year including a shorter summer holiday.

According to a report by the Child Action Poverty Group, this compared to just 29 per cent of families being in favour if they did not face these challenges.

The report also found more affluent families who said they easily met summer holiday costs and didn't need childcare were which more likely to oppose the idea.

One parent said in the report: '[I have a] child with severe autism in special school.

'Consider shortening summer break now that respite provision is so scare. Summer causes tremendous problems for children who rely on the routine and support of schools.'

In total, 39 per cent want to see extended holidays at Christmas and in February instead, with 36 per cent calling for a longer October half-term.

Jeremy Miles, Minister for Education and Welsh Language, said the traditional six-week summer holiday will continue until at least 2024.

Mr Miles said the six-week summer break 'can be a real strain' on parents.

He said: 'Families struggle to find childcare over the six weeks, and others struggle with the additional costs long summers bring.

Jeremy Miles said the traditional six-week summer holiday will continue until at least 2024

Pictured: The exterior of the Senedd in Cardiff, Wales

Commenting online, one parent wrote: 'I look forward to the summer holidays, I love having my children home. Let the children keep their holidays'

'We also know our most disadvantaged learners suffer the most 'learning loss' from a long summer.

'We want to make sure education works best for pupils, teachers, and families.'

Jason Elsom, chief executive of parenting charity Parentkind, said he was pleased to see the consultation by the Welsh Government.

'Our recent poll of 6,800 parents in Wales revealed that the majority of parents support a move to spread school holidays more evenly across the year, with 72 per cent of lower-income families in favour.

'It is fair to say that the current concentration of school holidays in the summer months results in inflated childcare and family holiday costs, compounding the challenges faced during the cost-of-living crisis.'

Speaking to the BBC, Faisal Abbasi, whose child attends school in Cardiff, said: 'I think they should leave it the same, because everybody's used to the schedules.

'People are working, they've got holidays pre-booked and things like that.'

Posting on X, one person wrote: I get the possible benefits for pupils and teachers.

READ MORE - Now logos on school uniforms in Wales could be SCRAPPED to make them more affordable Advertisement

'However, those six weeks are a time for site staff to deep clean, decorate, repair, get in bulk deliveries and all the other maintenance stuff that can't happen while school is working.'

Laura Doel from the National Association of Headteachers Cymru told MailOnline: 'We are bewildered as to why this consultation is taking place.

'No evidence has yet been presented that changing the school year would have any educational benefit for learners. And the previous consultation on this subject showed there was no real appetite for change, from parents, educators, businesses or the general public.

'So why is this continuing to be pushed as a priority right now?

'NAHT Cymru firmly believes that the basis of any reform should ensure the best provision and outcomes for learners.

'In fact, the little evidence available on school holidays shows that countries with much longer summer breaks than Wales have higher levels of attainment and suffer no significant loss of learning.

'With so much going on in schools right now, with a new curriculum, ALN reform, and severe recruitment and retention and funding crises, this just isn't a priority for schools.

'Welsh Government would be better served in focusing on providing support to teachers and learners, and helping schools deliver current reforms, before embarking on any further changes to education.

'When school staff are being made redundant to balance the books, when schools should be prioritising delivering quality education to learners, and when we are deeply concerned about the recruitment and retention crisis, this should not be a priority for government.

'Additionally, we are concerned to see the inclusion of an implementation date in this consultation  it seems to beg the question whether this is a true consultation, or has the government made up its mind already?'

A decision will be made in spring and the proposed changes would take effect in the 2025-26 school year.

Overall the number of school holidays across the year will not change.

Consultation on school year dates in Wales begins on Tuesday November 21 and ends in February 2024.
District in China's Shandong thrives in winter jujube industry

People's Daily Online) 10:24, November 21, 2023

Not long ago, 20,000 kilograms of winter jujubes departed from a company in Dagao township, Zhanhua district, Binzhou city, east China's Shandong Province for the Netherlands.

This marked the first time that Zhanhua winter jujubes were sold to Europe. Zhanhua winter jujubes have reached markets in the United States, Canada, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, etc.

"Our company has received overseas orders for 2,000 tonnes of winter jujubes so far this year," said Mou Xin'an, general manager of the company, adding that many clients have recently placed additional orders.

Photo shows a new variety of winter jujube cultivated by Ji Xiumei, a winter jujube grower in Daxin village, Huangsheng township, Zhanhua district, Binzhou city, east China's Shandong Province. (People's Daily Overseas Edition/Kang Pu)

Zhanhua is one of China's main winter jujube-producing areas. Located in the lower reaches of the Yellow River, it boasts of saline-alkali land suitable for growing winter jujube trees.

The district has developed the winter jujube industry to benefit local people. Zhanhua winter jujube is recognized as a geographical indication product in China.

The planting area of winter jujube trees in Zhanhua reaches 300,000 mu (20,000 hectares). This year, the output of winter jujubes in the district reached 285 million kilograms, generating an output value of more than 5 billion yuan ($695 million).

Xiawa township is the place of origin and a main producing area of Zhanhua winter jujube, said Wei Shuzhu, Party chief of the township.

The township has planted winter jujube trees on 98,000 mu of land, accounting for nearly one-third of the total planting area of winter jujube trees in Zhanhua.

Workers sort winter jujubes at a company workshop in Zhanhua district, Binzhou city, east China's Shandong Province. (Photo courtesy of the publicity department of the Communist Party of China Zhanhua district committee)

In 1984, technicians found 56 high-quality jujube trees in Zhanhua, including more than 20 in Xiawa township. "One jujube tree in the township was more than 600 years old," said 70-year-old Yu Hongchang, director of the winter jujube research institute in Zhanhua.

It was not easy to turn jujube trees into a prosperous industry. The local government then organized scientific research resources for the breeding of winter jujube trees. It took nine years for the local government to realize the large-scale planting of winter jujube trees after the discovery of those high-quality jujube trees.

"Zhanhua winter jujube has become a national geographical indication product and a calling card of Zhanhua," said Yuan Zhiyong, the Party chief of Zhanhua district.

This year marked the 16th Zhanhua winter jujube competition, during which the shape, color, taste, hardness and sweetness of winter jujubes were appraised by experts.

Jiang Zhuting, 68, is a renowned winter jujube grower in Huangsheng township of Zhanhua district. His winter jujubes won a silver award at the 2019 Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition.

Jiang planted a new variety of winter jujube. "My winter jujubes are sold at 100 yuan per kilogram. And those packed in non-woven bags are sold at 200 yuan per kilogram. I don't need to worry about the sales of my winter jujubes," Jiang said.

Jiang attributed his success to the efforts of the county government and township government that invited professionals to guide jujube growers, provided new varieties, and offered subsidies to build jujube greenhouses.

"Now I can earn 400,000 yuan to 500,000 yuan from my jujube orchard covering 6 mu of land," Jiang said, recalling that he only earned 10 yuan in the first year when he began to plant winter jujube trees more than 10 years ago.

Judges score contestants' winter jujubes during the 16th Zhanhua winter jujube competition. (Photo courtesy of the publicity department of the Communist Party of China Zhanhua district committee)

Jiang has become a senior agronomist, who has cultivated several "experts of winter jujube planting." Experts like Jiang emerge as a vital force in the development of the winter jujube industry.

Ji Xiumei, a villager in Daxin village of Huangsheng township, won the 16th Zhanhua winter jujube competition. Ji cultivated a new variety of winter jujubes. "I have planted over 200 winter jujube trees of this variety, which achieve stable yields. I plan to share the variety with more jujube growers," Ji said.

At a smart greenhouse of the winter jujube research institute in Zhanhua, a large screen displays real-time data such as air temperature, humidity, soil temperature, soil moisture, carbon dioxide levels, and illumination intensity.

"We've adopted fully automated smart devices and applied technologies like the Internet of Things, big data, and marginal calculation to create an intelligent winter jujube management platform that ensures efficient cultivation of the fruit," Yu said.

A farmer smiles as she holds winter jujubes. (Photo courtesy of the publicity department of the Communist Party of China Zhanhua district committee)

Thanks to the smart platform, conditions and the environment can be managed via real-time monitoring. This means that orchardists can adjust the humidity, temperature, and illumination in the greenhouse to promote the growth of winter jujubes.

Today, winter jujubes in Zhanhua can be harvested from mid-July to mid-November. "With three more months of cooling storage, winter jujubes are suitable to be sold for eight months," said Yu.

Noting that technological development and brand building are key to the high-quality development of the winter jujube industry, Yuan called for efforts to continue to cultivate leading enterprises, extend the industrial chain, and build a complete industrial ecology to further promote the development of the sector.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
From manga artists to independent taxi drivers, Japanese freelancers and small businesses frustrated with the potential loss of a tax break are among the growing numbers pushing down Prime Minister Fumio Kishidas approval rating to record lows.

About 4.6 million businesses that were previously exempt from paying sales tax have been impacted by a new invoice system that came into operation last month, according to the Cabinet Secretariat.

Exempt businesses that pocketed the sales tax they charged clients will now have to hand that extra income over to the government if they adopt the system. Those that dont switch to the new procedure may lose customers or face demands to lower their prices. All those embracing the new invoices will have a lengthier billing process to follow. ...continue reading
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Social media users are slamming her for the posts and questioning her credibility

In some posts she called the babies murdered in Israel 'fake' and compared Israel to Nazi Germany

A member of a Maryland hate crimes task force shared social media posts claiming the babies murdered in the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel were 'fake' and compared Israel to Nazi Germany.

Zainab Chaudry, Maryland Director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, made several Facebook posts following the Hamas attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and seized about 240 hostages in the worst attack in the country's history.

On October 26 she said, 'I will never be able to understand how the world summoned up rage for 40 fake Israeli babies while completely turning a blind eye to 3,000 real Palestinian babies.'

Israel has released images of tiny babies who were murdered and burned by Hamas terrorists during the attack.

One appalling image shows the small body of a baby lying on a bloodied white body bag that is too large for it. Other photographs show the blackened and charred bodies of two babies which are so disfigured it's impossible to make out where their arms and legs would have been.

Zainab Chaudry, Maryland Director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, made several Facebook posts following the Hamas attack

'If your heart is moved for the loss of Israeli babies but no Palestinian babies, it's because you've been conditioned to dehumanize Palestinian lives,' Chaudry said on October 11.

On Monday, dozens of premature babies from the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza were evacuated to Egypt after Israel helped the infants to cross the border at Rafa.

Authorities in Gaza have raised their death toll to 12,300, including 5,000 children, this weekend following further Israeli attacks.

On November 11 she said, 'At this point, only fools and genocide apologist actually believe what the colonizers are claiming.'

In an October 17 post she compared Israel to Nazi Germany and shared photos of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin lit up with the Israeli flag after the Hamas attack and a photo from 1936 when it was decorated with the Nazi flag.

'That moment when you become what you hated most,' she said.

In a post from November 6 she shared an image that claimed the cause of the war goes back to the founding of Israel in 1948.

'Inconvenient facts,' she said with an image stating 'it all started in 1948.'

Chaudry told Fox News Digital that the 'Nazi post' was originally shared by a Jewish friend.

'I strongly and unapologetically condemn Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right, racist government for repeatedly making such genocidal threats towards the Palestinian people and killing over 13,000 Palestinians in Gaza, most of them women and children murdered in their homes,' she said.

'Unlike many of the Israeli government's most extreme supporters, I recognize that killing any civilians is wrong, which is why my office has repeatedly condemned the killing of both Israeli and Palestinian civilians.'

Now social media users are slamming Chaudry for her comments and questioning her credibility.

'Zainab Chaudry, is an anti-Israel activist. Of course she would say it's fake,' said Twitter user Leo.

User Vic Rioli said, 'Sorry, Zainab there were far too many witnesses, videos, & pictures. Your credibility is in the toilet.'

Another user tweeted about her posts to Maryland Governor Wes Moore and said 'this is an embarrassment to Maryland!'

In August, Chaudry was appointed by Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown to serve on the Maryland Commission on Hate Crime Response and Prevention.

A spokesperson for Brown told Fox News Digital that 'the views and opinions of any individual Commission member do not reflect those of either the or the Attorney General'.

'We understand that there are many viewpoints regarding current events in the Middle East.

'The Commission will do its best to explore the impact of those events on our community, and to determine how best to address escalations in hate and bias incidents across the state.'
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has opened an investigation into progressive non-profit media watchdog Media Matters for America relating to a potentially fraudulent report the company published about X and its advertising practices.

On Monday, the social media service acquired by Elon Musk last year filed suit against Media Matters in federal court after the advocacy group published a report showing research that ads on X showed up next to antisemitic content.

Just hours after the suit was filed, Paxton's office announced its investigation into the organization's 'potential fraudulent activity.'

A statement from his office announcing the investigation read: 'Attorney General Paxton was extremely troubled by the allegations that Media Matters, a radical anti-free speech organization, fraudulently manipulated data on X.com.'

Paxton said: 'We are examining the issue closely to ensure that the public has not been deceived by the schemes of radical left-wing organizations who would like nothing more than to limit freedom by reducing participation in the public square.'

The watchdog report, in conjunction with a post last week written by Musk appearing to endorse a post that claimed Jews have pushed cultural hatred against whites, caused a fresh wave of advertisers to pause their spending on the platform.

X has dropped a 'thermonuclear' lawsuit on Media Matters for America after the progressive organization published research asserting that the company places ads next to antisemitic content

Fraud has both civil & criminal penalties pic.twitter.com/BdC5Zfr1XM  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 21, 2023

Brands such as Apple, IBM, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Sony have all suspended their ad spending on the platform.

X has rejected Media Matters' claims, arguing they do not represent the average user experience. And on Friday, Musk assured those watching that a 'thermonuclear lawsuit' against the advocacy group and its backers was soon to come.

Musk's suit was filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas and claims that the progressive organization knowingly attempted to damage the company's relationship with advertisers.

'Media Matters has manipulated the algorithms governing the user experience on X to bypass safeguards and create images of Xs largest advertisers' paid posts adjacent to racist, incendiary content, leaving the false impression that these pairings are anything but what they actually are: manufactured, inorganic and extraordinarily rare,' X's attorneys wrote.

In a statement responding to the suit, Media Matters president Angelo Carusone dismissed Musk's claims.

'This is a frivolous lawsuit meant to bully X's critics into silence,' Carusone said.

He added that the organization 'stands behinds its reporting and looks forward to winning in court.'

Since Musk's dramatic takeover of the company formerly known as Twitter, brands have become hesitant to advertise on X because Musk made it clear he would relax its content-moderation practices.

Following the controversial X post last week, in which Musk agreed with an account that claimed Jewish communities push 'hatred against whites that they claim to want people to stop using against them,' Jewish groups were quick to condemn the SpaceX founder.

On Sunday, Musk wrote that the claims he is an antisemite could not be 'further from the truth.'

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Monday that he had launched an investigation into Media Matters for the potentially fraudulent report

X CEO Linda Yaccarino - a well-connected ad executive - said during a staff meeting that she had discussed the current issue with X's advertisers and was working to smooth things out

The lawsuit filed against Media Matters asks the organization to take down its published research, and is also seeking unspecified monetary damages and attorneys' fees.

Linda Yaccarino, who was brought aboard X as CEO in June and is a longtime, well-connected advertising executive, said that the information posted by Media Matters was reflective of the experience of just one account.

'If you know me, you know I'm committed to truth and fairness,' she said in a statement. 'Data wins over manipulation or allegations. Don't be manipulated. Stand with X.'

On Monday, Yaccarino told X's employees that she had been in conversation with advertisers about the issue and remains committed to defending the company.

The New York Times reported that she said X wants to 'work with all of our partners who stand with us and believe in the power and the necessity of free speech.'

'Sometimes in life and in business, standing for your values is the truly defining thing that makes leaders, and were going to hold on to that and keep pushing forward. No critic is ever going to deter us from our mission to keep fighting and protecting free speech,' she continued.

She focused the blame surrounding X's current major issue on Media Matters and did not address Musk's post. She also encouraged employees to limit their business spending to absolute necessities only.
The birthday blues continued for President Joe Biden on Tuesday as new polling data showed him losing to Donald Trump by seven points and to a generic Republican candidate by a whopping 11 points.

A NBC News poll shows American voters would rather have any other Republican than Biden in the Oval Office with the president losing by double digits to a no-name contender 48% to 37%.

Meanwhile, a Messenger/Harris poll shows Trump, who leads for the GOP presidential nomination, easily defeating Biden: 47% to 40%.

Biden, who turned 81 on Monday, continues to face questions about his age - he's the oldest American president in history - and his ability to keep up with the rigors of the presidency.

Some Democrats are now defending him, however, saying it's time for the party to stop wringing its hands and support the president.

President Joe Biden loses to a generic Republican candidate by 11 points in an NBC News poll

But polling data continues to show voters are worried about their choices in next year's election with many telling pollsters they'd like another option besides Biden or Trump.

In the Messenger poll, a majority of voters think Biden - 67% - and Trump - 55% - should not run for a second term.

However, only 25% of Republicans said that of Trump while 40% of Democrats said that of Biden.

Additionally, the NBC News poll showed Trump losing to a generic Democratic candidate by 6 points - 46% to 40% - albeit a smaller margin than Biden's.

And, in the NBC News poll, Trump only beats Biden by 2 points in a head to head matchup: 46% to 44%.

But even as some prominent Democrats - like former Obama strategist David Axelrod - voice their concerns about Biden, others are defending the president.

'I see no prospect of an alternative right now. I think Joe Biden is in really good shape, mentally. I was with him two hours on Wednesday night. He is sharp, informed and extraordinarily discreet and insightful in comments on very sensitive policy areas like Israel and domestic challenges,' Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut told The Hill newspaper.

'He will beat Donald Trump if Democrats rally behind him and discard the handwringing and the eyeball rolling,' he said.

And Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan told Democrats to stop 'hand-wringing' and support the president.

'To all my fellow Democrats - STOP!! We need to stop wringing our hands over the pundits and the polls! Tuesday proved it! That was the poll that counts and voters decisively voted for Democrats and our values,' she wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Many Democrats, including Biden himself, pointed to election results earlier this month - winning the abortion fight in Ohio, Gov. Beshear's victory in Kentucky, and Democrats' legislative wins in Virginia - as a good sign for their party.

'Since I came off the sidelines to go toe to toe with Donald Trump, we haven't stopped winning and he hasn't stopped losing,' Biden told donors at a fundraiser in San Francisco last week.

'You remember Trump told us he was going to win so much we'd get tired of winning,' he said, adding: 'Oh man, I shouldn't get started.'

'Let me tell you one thing that's true. We got tired of Trump. The truth is the guy can't get tired of losing,' Biden said as the crowd roared in applause.

But others keep flagging their concerns.

Former Obama adviser David Axelrod warned over the weekend that Biden only has a 50-50 chance of winning re-election and he shouldn't count on Donald Trump helping him win.

Axelrod, who has been critical of Biden's age and decision to seek a second term, told New York Times' Maureen Dowd that Hillary Clinton mistakenly thought Trump being the Republican nominee would hand her the election and that Biden should not make the same mistake.

'I think he has a 50-50 shot here, but no better than that, maybe a little worse,' Axelrod said. 'He thinks he can cheat nature here and it's really risky. They've got a real problem if they're counting on Trump to win it for them. I remember Hillary doing that, too.'

Recent polling from The New York Times and Siena College that showed Joe Biden trailing behind Donald Trump (above) in Arizona , Georgia , Michigan , Nevada and Pennsylvania

Recent polling from The New York Times and Siena College that showed Biden trailing behind Trump in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada and Pennsylvania. Biden is ahead only in Wisconsin, by 2 percentage points. Biden won all six states in the 2020 election.

Axelrod and other Democrats - in the aftermath of the polling numbers - issued warnings about Biden's re-election chances.

But White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Monday said it was Biden's experience - over 50 years in the government - that counts.

'There's no alarm happening behind the scenes and I'm certainly not going to comment on everybody who has something to say,' she said at her daily press briefing.

'What I can speak to is how we see this, what our perspective. Our perspective is that it's not about age, it's about the president's experience.'
A father was left astonished after his daughter's school exam certificates turned up in the post 14 years late - and he was asked to pay a 2.50 fee.

Stamp dealer Martin Wybrow thought it was 'weird' when a 'battered and crumpled' envelope addressed to now grown up Rosie arrived in his letterbox.

The 70 year old's daughter had moved out ten years ago and the father of three was confused to see it was from her old college and that it contained her GCSE and A Level certificates.

After an investigation Mr Wybrow, from Basingstoke, Hants, discovered they had been sent 14 years ago but had only just arrived due to a 'mix up'.

He was then stunned at having to pay the Royal Mail 2.50 for a letter that was over a decade late - because the school hadn't paid enough postage.

Martin Wybrow was left astonished after his daughter's school exam certificates turned up in the post 14 years late - and he was asked to pay a 2.50 fee

Martin's daughter's GCSE exam certificates took a long time getting to him

'It all started when I saw a note through the letter box saying I owed the Royal Mail 2.50 for a letter addressed to my daughter,' he said.

'I thought this was weird because my daughter hadn't lived here for the last ten years.'

He said the first thing he noticed was that the letter came from his daughter's college - Queen Mary's College in Basingstoke.

Mr Wybrow added: 'I thought how strange it was.

'I opened it and found it was full of her exam results certificates.

'She told me when I contacted her that she had given those to the college in support of her university applications and this was the college sending them back to her.'

This prompted the father to 'start an investigation' to find out when the letter had been sent.

He said he 'didn't have much to go on' but noticed the name of the headteacher on the college's logo.

Mr Wybrow phoned the college and found out this particular teacher had left 'before 2013'.

He continued: 'I'm quite used to Great British stamps and a little investigation led me to the year 2009.

'That coincidentally was when my daughter's A-Level results were dated.'

Mr Wybrow is a semi-retired stamp dealer so used his expertise to find out where the stamp came from.

He said: 'I have been working as a stamp dealer for about 15 years, so I got my catalogue of British stamps out, I looked through, and went back to 2009.

'The stamp from 2009 in the book perfectly matched the stamp on the envelope.'

Mr Wybrow found the situation funny but criticised the Royal Mail for being 'dismissive' when he asked for a response.

He added: 'It got me wondering why I was paying 2.50 to have this letter 14 years too late.

'I wasn't particularly cross. The only thing that peeved me was that Royal Mail made me pay.'

Pictured: Rosie and Martin Wybrow say they were amused by the length of time the delivery took

His daughter Rosie, 32, attended Edge Hill University in Lancashire and now works as a secondary school English teacher in Torquay, Devon.

A spokesman for the Royal Mail said: 'According to our data we received the letter on the 14th October 2023, so quite recently.

'As it needed to be surcharged the re-delivery request didnt come through until the 24th.

'Where it was before it arrived at our delivery office we cant speculate.'
Vice President of Global Affairs Anna Makanju told staff in an internal memo that management has 'a plan'

ChatGPT maker OpenAI has descended into chaos as majority of staff threaten to quit following the dramatic firing of CEO Sam Altman

OpenAI has descended into chaos following the dramatic ousting of its CEO Sam Altman on Friday after a disagreement with the company's board.

The Artificial Intelligence company, maker of ChatGPT, has revealed that 'intense discussions' to stave off a staff mutiny are now underway, Bloomberg reports.

By Monday evening 747 out of 770 of the company's employees had threatened to quit and join Microsoft if Altman, 38, was not reinstated.

In an internal memo written by Vice President of Global Affairs Anna Makanju and seen by Bloomberg employees were told on Monday that management was in touch with Altman, the new CEP Emmett Shear and the board 'but they are not prepared to give us a final response this evening'.

'We are continuing to go over mutually acceptable options and are scheduled to speak again tomorrow morning when everyone's had a little more sleep,' Makanju wrote.

Sam Altman was dramatically ousted from OpenAI on Friday after a disagreement with the company's board

By Monday evening 747 out of 770 of the company's employees had threatened to quit and join Microsoft if Altman was not reinstated

'These intense discussions can drag out, and I know it can feel impossible to be patient.'

She added: 'Know that we have a plan that we are working towards.'

Altman has now been recruited by Microsoft who also committed to hiring any other OpenAI staff who chose to join them at its new AI research subsidiary.

OpenAI's board are also facing potentially imminent legal action from venture capitalists backing the start up in order to force them to reinstate Altman.

An individual at a venture fund with a stake in OpenAI told the Financial Times that 'legal action could come as soon as tomorrow.'

OpenAI's other investors, led by Thrive Capital, are also actively seeking Altman's return, people with knowledge of the effort told Bloomberg News on Monday.

Vice President of Global Affairs Anna Makanju sought to reassure staff in an internal memo as the startup descends into chaos

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, receives the Professor Hawking Fellowship on behalf of OpenAI on November 1, in Cambridge, England

Emmet Shear, is now the new CEO of OpenAI after his predecessor Sam Altman was fired

Until Friday's dramatic ousting the board consisted of Altman, President Greg Brockman, Chief Scientist Ilya Sutskever, Adam D'Angelo , tech entrepreneur Tasha McCauley and Helen Toner.

Sutskever later said he 'deeply regretted' his participation in pushing out Altman and added his name to the letter from employees threatening to quit.

In their letter, staff said the directors had 'undermined our mission and company' in by firing Altman and stripping his co-founder Greg Brockman, who later quit, of his position on the board.

Founded by Altman and ten others in 2015, OpenAI rolled out ChatGPT a year ago - and its ability to mimic human writing has proved polarizing ever since.

Aside from sparking worry amongst the public, this uncertainty was apparently also felt within OpenAI's six-person board, according to The New York Times report - particularly, by one of Altman's cofounders, Ilya Sutskever.

In a series of interviews, people familiar with the matter described how the AI researcher had become worried about OpenAIs budding technology prior to the firing, and shared a belief his boss was not paying enough attention to the risks.

Those concerns came as many warned AI could one day result in a dystopian, machine-run landscape, as it did in James Cameron's famed Terminator series.
An Israeli-linked cargo ship hijacked by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels has been spotted off the coast of Yemen in satellite images.

The Galaxy Leader commercial ship was 'illegally boarded by military personnel via a helicopter' on November 19, the vessel's owner said on Monday, and is now in the Hodeidah port area in Yemen, the images show.

The Houthis released dramatic footage on Monday showing heavily armed men dropping from a helicopter and seizing the cargo ship in the southern Red Sea.

In the clip, Gunmen approached the bridge with their weapons drawn as crew members held up their hands in surrender. One of the fighters was filmed walking through the ship while shouting 'Allahu Akbar'.

The cargo ship was intercepted as it travelled past the Arabian peninsula en-route to India after leaving Turkey. It now appears to have come to a stop off the coast of Yemen, which is around 1,000 miles south of Israel.

An Israeli-linked cargo ship hijacked by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels has been spotted off the coast of Yemen in satellite images (pictured)

The Galaxy Leader commercial ship was 'illegally boarded by military personnel via a helicopter' on November 19 and is now in the Hodeidah port area in Yemen, the images show, confirming what the vessel's owner said on Monday

It is registered under a British company which is partially owned by Israeli tycoon Abraham Ungar and is currently leased out to a Japanese company.

There is concern for the Bahamas-flagged Galaxy Leader's crew, which Galaxy Maritime said is made up of nationals from Bulgaria, Ukraine, the Philippines, Mexico and Romania. The vessel is chartered by Japan's Nippon Yusen.

Galaxy Maritime said: 'Owners and managers believe the seizure of this vessel represents a gross violation of freedom of passage for the world fleet and a serious threat to international trade.

It added that the 'key concern at this time is the safety and security of the 25 crew members currently being held by the perpetrators of this criminal act'.

Japan said yesterday it had directly approached the Houthis over the ship.

Analysts have said the incident highlights the danger now lurking in one of the world's key shipping routes as the Israel-Hamas war rages, as well as the rebels' tactics mirroring those of its chief sponsor, Iran.

It also comes amid concerns that the Israel-Hamas war could spark a wider conflict in the region, involving more countries and militarised groups.

The Houthis have also fired rockets towards Israel since the conflict broke out last month, which Israel said at the time it had intercepted.

While Tehran has denied aiding the Yemen rebel group in launching their attack on Sunday, the ship - before the assault - passed by an American-sanctioned Iranian cargo vessel suspected as serving as a forward spying base in the Red Sea.

The rebels, dressed commando-style in bulletproof vests carrying assault rifles, covered each other and moved in military formation before quickly seizing control of the bridge of the Galaxy Leader.

While their body-camera footage serves as a propaganda coup to bolster their own position in Yemen amid some protests against their rule, it also signals a new maritime front has opened in a region long focused on the Persian Gulf and its narrow mouth at the Strait of Hormuz.

It also puts new pressure on commercial shippers travelling through those waters, threatens to increase insurance costs that will get passed onto consumers and likely further stretches the US Navy as it tries to serve as the region's security guarantor.

'This has all the signs these people were trained by a professional military, which could clearly be Iran,' an American defence official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters.

'This looks like something we haven't seen before.'

The Houthis released dramatic footage on Monday (pictured) showing heavily armed men dropping from a helicopter and seizing the cargo ship in the southern Red Sea

Footage filmed by the rebels shows them approaching the Bahaman-flagged 'Galaxy Leader' ship in the southern Red Sea via helicopter yesterday, with several heavily-armed fighters being dropped off on deck (pictured above)

Several heavily armed rebels crossed the ship and approached the bridge with weapons drawn

The Bahamas-flagged Galaxy Leader's crew is made up of nationals from Bulgaria, Ukraine, the Philippines, Mexico and Romania, Galaxy Maritime said. The vessel is chartered by Japan's Nippon Yusen. Concerns remain for the safety of the crew

The Houthi rebels approached the bridge with their guns drawn as crew members on the bridge can be seen holding up their hands in surrender

One of the fighters was filmed walking through the ship shouting 'Allahu Akbar' (pictured)

The United States also denounced the ship's seizure as a breach of international law and demanded the immediate release of the vessels and its crew.

'The Houthi seizure of the motor vessel Galaxy Leader in the Red Sea is a flagrant violation of international law,' US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told a briefing. 'We demand the immediate release of the ship and its crew and we will consult with our allies and UN partners as to appropriate next steps.'

It's not just the US and Israel suspecting Iranian involvement, however.

The risk intelligence firm RANE referred to the tactics employed by the Houthis as reminiscent of those used by Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard when seizing vessels in the past over years of tensions regarding Tehran's collapsed nuclear deal with world powers.

Ambrey, a private intelligence firm, similarly referred to the operation as an 'Iranian-style vessel seizure' that 'provides the Houthis with a negotiation lever' in much the same way Hamas' taking of some 240 hostages in their Oct. 7 attack on Israel did.

'The incident displayed a significant increase in the Houthis' capability to disrupt merchant shipping,' Ambrey said. 'In the past, the Houthis had only used sea mines, missiles and remote-controlled improvised explosive devices in the Red Sea.'

It added: 'The sophistication of the operation suggests that Iranian involvement is highly likely.'

The Galaxy Leader, linked to Israeli billionaire Abraham 'Rami' Ungar, also passed by the Iranian cargo vessel Behshad before the attack Sunday, according to satellite imagery first reported by the firm Tanker Trackers.

The cargo ship (pictured) travelled south past the Arabian peninsula on its way to India, but was intercepted by the gunmen. It is registered under a British company which is partially owned by Israeli tycoon Abraham Ungar

The Behshad has been in the Red Sea since 2021 off Eritrea's Dahlak archipelago.

It arrived there after Iran removed the Saviz, another suspected spy base in the Red Sea that had suffered damage in an attack that analysts attributed to Israel amid a wider shadow war of ship attacks in the region.

Iran, for its part, denied Monday having anything to do with the attacks.

'Those accusations are void, and a result of the complicated situation the Zionist regime is struggling with,' Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said.

'We have said many times that resistance groups in the region represent their own countries and people, and they make decisions based on the interests of their own countries and nations.'

However, Hamas has Iran as one of its main sponsors.

The Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah, another Iranian-backed group, has engaged in cross-border fire for weeks with Israel.

Iraqi militias have claimed drone attacks on US bases there. Syria, another Iranian beneficiary, has launched sporadic attacks too.

It remains unclear just how much control the Iranians exert over the Houthis.

However, the rebel group has seen its ballistic missile and drone program rapidly advance despite being targeted by a yearslong United Nations arms embargo.

Analysts attribute that to Iranian weapons shipments, of which some have been previously seized by the US and allied navies.

Houthi weapon sophistication has grown in other ways as well.

The Houthis have been able to fly this year a Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jet over the capital, Sanaa, during a military parade, along with a Northrop F-5 Tiger combat aircraft at another.

A Houthi parade also saw Soviet-era Mil Mi-17 helicopters flying through the sky - the same helicopter used in Sunday's attack.

A Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis had targeted Yemen's air force with airstrikes at the start of the war and the Houthis have yet to explain how they got these aircraft flying again.

The Houthis also have shot down an American MQ-9 Reaper drone during the Israel-Hamas war with a surface-to-air missile, as well as have fired drones and missiles toward Israel.

All of this makes the Red Sea, which stretches from Egypt's Suez Canal down to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait separating East Africa from the Arabian Peninsula, increasingly dangerous for shipping. That narrow strait, some 18 miles across at its tightest point, is crucial for cargo and energy shipments.

According to the most recent publicly-available tracking data, the ship was last seen to the east of Port Sudan on Saturday

The US has sent more vessels into and through the Red Sea, including the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier and its strike group.

The Eisenhower is now in the Gulf of Oman, according to satellite images, meaning there are fewer US Navy assets in the Red Sea to deter any possible new attacks.

And if the next attack sees fatalities - particularly of US or Israeli nationals - that raises the risk of a wider war breaking out on the seas.

'Significant Houthi interference with commercial shipping through the Strait is almost certain to trigger US intervention due to the political and potentially economic implications,' the New York-based Soufan Center warned.
A son who was banned from contacting his vulnerable mother after physically attacking her for many years beat her to death in her flat after gaining entry - breaking her ribs 41 times and leaving her to die on her bed.

Depraved Lewis Bush, 26, killed his mother Kelly Pitt, 44, at her house in Newport in May this year after breaking the terms of his bail conditions for assaulting her in February which prohibited him from contacting her.

Ms Pitt was found on a blood-soaked bed, covered in a duvet, and was declared dead at the scene with a post-mortem examination finding she had 'severe blunt-force trauma to the head, neck and trunk'.

She was described as a 'lovely person inside and out' had suffered internal bleeding and rib fractures. Mirror glass and clumps of hair were found around her body.

Police bodycam footage captured the chilling moment Bush was filmed laughing after being told his mother was murdered - and faked shock, saying: 'You're joking?'

This is the chilling moment a killer son was filmed laughing at being told his mother was murdered - and faked shock, saying: 'You're joking?'

Devoted Kelly Pitt, 44, was viciously attacked by her son who broke her ribs 41 times at home

Lewis Bush was jailed for life with a minimum of 16 years at Newport Crown Court

Bush was captured on camera while he was arrested before feigning shock when he was told she died and asking for his spot cream.

The police footage showed the killer laughing after being handcuffed saying incredulously: 'Murder? Are you joking me?

'What? My mum is dead? Serious? You are joking me? My mum's gone?'

Bush can also be heard on camera telling police he is worried they are going to assault him while showing no emotion about his mother's death.

He said: 'You won't harm me or nothing will you? It seems like you're all going to fill me in.'

Newport Crown Court previously heard Bush carried out a 'ferocious and sustained assault' but escaped before his mother was found by a neighbour.

Prosecutor Chris Rees KC said the flat door was open in her home in Newport, Gwent and 'it looked as if Kelly Pitt had been battered'.

Mr Rees described her as a 'vulnerable woman with alcohol issues' who was 5ft 5in and 'in no position to fight off the attack'.

Blood on the pyjama trousers worn by Ms Pitt matched that of Bush and Mr Rees said the victim 'would have suffered considerable physical pain before her death'.

The mother-of-three - whose daughter Lauren had previously died - made a call to her daughter Jordan two days earlier where Bush could be heard verbally assaulting her.

Her last words to her daughter were a plea that she call the police - but she never made that call.

She messaged for two days asking if her mother was OK. But then she rang and her brother answered to say said their mother was unwell in bed and was 'in no fit state' to see her.

Mr Rees said Bush 'left her there for dead' and CCTV footage showed him at a nearby cash point and buying a bottle of lager on May 12.

Bush was heard on camera telling police he is worried they are going to beat him up while showing no emotion about his mother's death

Ms Pitt was found on a blood-soaked bed, covered in a duvet, and was declared dead at the scene

At the time of the murder, Bush was subject to bail conditions for assaulting his mother in February and was banned from contacting her.

He also had multiple previous convictions, including for battery against his mother and sister.

Mr Rees said Ms Pitt was 'subjected to domestic violence for many years' by Bush.

Reading a victim impact statement, Jordan Bush said her mother was 'caring, loving, funny and bubbly' and described her as a 'warm welcoming lady who made sure everyone was well looked after'.

She said she did not call the police when asked because she thought things would be sorted by the next day, as they had been previously.

'I have to live with that guilt every day,' she said.

Addressing her brother in the dock, she added: 'Our mother will never get to see her granddaughter grow up because of what you did.

'I am now alone without a mum, sister or brother because you are no brother of mine.'

Bush, of Newport, was jailed for life with a minimum of 16 years at Newport Crown Court. He changed his plea to guilty just weeks before the trial was due to start.

Judge Daniel Williams said: 'Over the years, the court has heard, you subjected your poor mother to a great deal of violence.

'You bullied her and others in your family. You were on bail for having assaulted your mother when you murdered her.

'That Kelly's life should end as it did is a wrong that no sentence will right.'

After the case, Detective Chief Inspector Virginia Davies, the senior investigation officer in the case, said: 'The family of Kelly Pitt are left devastated by the loss of their beloved mother, grandmother and sister at the hands of her son.

'I want to reassure anyone coming forward to report domestic abuse or violence against women and girls that there is a wide range of support services available, and we urge you to come forward.'
North Korea claimed it has successfully sent a spy satellite into orbit after a rocket launch overseen by Kim Jong-Un triggered a shelter alert in Japan.

The North Korean leader oversaw the launch on Tuesday night, KCNA news agency said, adding the country will launch additional satellites in the near future.

Japan urged citizens to shelter from what it said was a North Korean missile launch today, issuing an emergency warning for residents in the south of the country.

The alert covering the Okinawa prefecture has since been lifted as the Japanese government claimed the missile appeared to have flown towards the Pacific Ocean.

'Missile passed. Missile passed. The missile is believed to have passed into the Pacific Ocean around 22:55 (1355 GMT). The call for evacuation is being cancelled,' the office of prime minister Fumio Kishida said via X, formerly Twitter.

'We have already made a strong protest against North Korea, and we have condemned it in the strongest possible terms,' Kishida told reporters at his office today.

Illustrative image shows what North Korea has claimed is an intercontinental ballistic missile in a launching drill at the Sunan international airport in Pyongyang on March 16, 2023

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un oversaw the launch on Tuesday night, KCNA news agency said

Seoul's military said the rocket was believed to be carrying a spy satellite and was launched toward the south, just hours after Japan said it had been notified by North Korea of plans to launch a satellite between Wednesday and December 1.

It would be North Korea's third such launch in recent months, following two failed attempts earlier this year. It comes in defiance of UN resolutions banning North Korea from conducting such launches, judging them covers for missile technology.

Japan's Coast Guard said today that North Korea had been given notice of the launch in the direction of the Yellow Sea and East China Sea.

Japan said North Korea had warned of an impending test to come between November 21 and December 1.

And Seoul had warned for weeks that Pyongyang was in the 'final stages' of preparation for another spy satellite launch.

A TV shows a J-Alert or National Early Warning System to Japanese residents, Tuesday, November 21, 2023, in Tokyo. The Japanese government says North Korea has fired a missile

But residents cowered for cover amid a warning of a shock possible launch today.

Japan urged locals to stay away from any suspicious objects and to report anything to police or fire departments.

The attempted launch marks the latest demonstration of North Korea's determination to build a space-based surveillance system during protracted tensions with the United States.

It wasn't immediately known whether the launch was successful.

North Korea's previous efforts to put a spy satellite into orbit in May and August both failed, and Seoul, Tokyo and Washington have repeatedly warned Pyongyang not to proceed with another launch, which would violate successive rounds of UN resolutions.
AI software from Autodesk and others promises to design affordable housing and other buildings better and faster. But it cant get around bottlenecks like permitting and financing. Provided by Autodesk Located at the former home of Phoenix Iron Works along Interstate 880 southeast of Jack London Square in Oakland, a development that will include housing and office space was designed using artificial intelligence software from Autodesk. A construction crew works on compacting soil at the site on Thursday. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle AI software is being used to plan all phases of construction to streamline scheduling and optimize use of materials and labor. Provided by Autodesk

Can artificial intelligence design a viable building? And, if so, how much could it speed construction of Bay Area homes?

In a housing-starved market like the Bay Area, some property developers are turning to the promise of AI, hoping to cut down on design and building time and save money in the process. But in an area known for its permitting nightmares  especially in San Francisco, where putting up housing takes nearly a year longer than anywhere else in the state  all that computer brain power could find itself wrapped up in red tape.

A bevy of cutting-edge products promise to use sophisticated generative AI  think ChatGPT, but in 3D  to automatically run code-compliant wiring through digital buildings, imagine fantastical structures from a sketch, and schedule contractors down to the minute.

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One new AI tool from San Francisco software giant Autodesk can spit out thousands of building designs in hours instead of days or weeks, taking into account 10 criteria ranging from cost to carbon footprint to ease of living.

The former home of Phoenix Iron Works, along Interstate 880 southeast of Jack London Square, is being developed for residential units as well as office and light industrial space after it was designed using artificial intelligence software from Autodesk. A construction crew works on compacting soil at the site on Thursday. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle

A lot backing up to Interstate 880 southeast of Jack London Square is among the first test cases for this technology jumping from the computer screen to the real world.

Formerly home to the Phoenix Iron Works, the site could eventually host 316 residential units, around a third of them either low-income or supportive housing, as well as thousands of square feet of office and light industrial space.

Working with studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units made by Factory_OS, a Vallejo manufacturer of modular housing, designers used the AI software from Autodesk, whose computer-aided design programs are already the industry standard, to rapidly model thousands of configurations of how the buildings might fit onto the lot, and how much carbon would be emitted to get them there.

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Architecture and buildings is about 40% of the global carbon problem, said David Benjamin, director of architecture, engineering, and design research at Autodesk, whose team applied the software to the project.

The impossible problem that maybe AI can help with is how are we going to drastically increase the total amount of floor area while were drastically decreasing the total carbon emissions from all buildings? Benjamin said.

Using the parameters of the former Phoenix site and the fixed dimensions of the Factory_OS units, Benjamins team modeled how seven smaller structures and one large bar-shaped building could be moved around to optimize for green space, walkability to BART, sunlight, noise reduction and other criteria.

An AI tool from Autodesk can spit out thousands of building designs in hours instead of days or weeks, taking into account 10 criteria ranging from cost to carbon footprint to ease of living. Provided by Autodesk

Ultimately, two designs  one with a large central green area and the other a more distributed landscape with the smaller buildings sprinkled in a checkerboard arrangement  went before the Oakland Planning Commission. The first, so-called Central Park scheme was ultimately chosen, Benjamin said.

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Using the software meant we know exactly what were building early on, said Jamie Hiteshew, director of development at Holliday Development, Factory_OS property development arm and the project lead for the Phoenix site. That way, were not churning through a lot of iterations of site plans, and going back and forth between stakeholders, he said.

The first phase of the project, which has been permitted and broken ground, includes around 100 units, 51 of which will go to formerly homeless people. Hiteshew estimated that Autodesks software cut about six months from the design process.

Still, property development experts cautioned that AI would solve only part of their problems. Planning and design typically account for just about 5% of total project costs for Bay Area developments, said Carolyn Bookhart, director of real estate development at the nonprofit Resources for Community Development, in an email. Other estimates range as high as 10%.

Bookhart, speaking generally and not specifically about the Phoenix project, said 60% to 70% of project costs typically come from the actual construction.

Designing the new development with the Autodesk software meant the process was faster than having to repeatedly redraw the designs to focus on a particular factor, such as carbon emissions or cost, said Ryan McNulty, a principal architect at MBH Architects, which also worked on the project.

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A human architect could optimize for specific attributes, such as heating or privacy, Benjamin said, while the system can explore hundreds of options really quickly.

McNulty said the tool shaved off hours in design time that would otherwise have to be done by hand, adding, for us its a tool to understand what were trying to do and make decisions faster and more effectively. But, he cautioned, its not a silver bullet that allows us to press a button and build a building.

The design team for a development on the former home of Phoenix Iron Works in Oakland modeled how seven smaller structures and one large bar-shaped building could be moved around to optimize for green space, walkability to BART, sunlight, noise reduction and other criteria. Provided by Autodesk

Autodesk isnt the only software maker or researcher applying AI to design and construction. Companies including Riveia, HD Lab, and TestFit are also testing various forms of so-called generative design that let creators imagine buildings inside and out.

A project at nonprofit tech research institute SRI International devised a generative AI program to turn sketches into potential architectural designs and more efficiently map textures onto existing buildings, in partnership with Japanese construction giant Obayashi Corp.

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SRI Senior Computer Scientist Eric Yeh said his team is working on ways to alter aspects of an AI-generated building design using text prompts. He hopes to come up with tools that can map out an initial building design, including its cost and other attributes, in the near future.

Another company called Augmenta, which was founded by Autodesk alum Francesco Iorio, aims to take 3D models of buildings and use AI to automatically determine the best placement for internal systems such as electrical wiring, factoring in cost, electrical codes, and the availability of parts.

Iorio, who worked on Autodesks AI technology originally intended for designing aircraft components  the predecessor to the AI building design software  said automating parts of the construction design stage could also represent huge savings on large, non-residential projects such as hospitals or offices.

Software company Slate in Pleasanton gives construction managers a single database that gathers all the deadlines and moving parts of a project, from subcontractors to open requests for information. It even accounts for weather conditions. CEO Trevor Schick said he hopes to build a software tool by the end of this year that can generate designs based on a set of parameters, along with a detailed project and construction schedule.

From that perspective AI software is seemingly transformative. Yet for housing developers facing slow-moving financing and permitting processes, it may represent only an incremental improvement.

Case in point: The final development permit to begin building on the Phoenix site was approved by Oaklands planning commission nearly five years ago, according to an email from Jean Walsh, Oaklands public information officer. The planning approvals were extended twice to give the developers more time, she said.

Operator Brandon DeBose levels clean dirt on the former home of Phoenix Iron Works in Oakland on Thursday. The site calls for the construction of a 316-unit project, which will use modular housing components manufactured by Factory_OS in Vallejo and assembled into virtual designs using AI software from Autodesk. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle

One longtime nonprofit housing expert was skeptical about how much impact AI could have on affordable housing development.

The nonprofit housing industry is already unequivocally the most skilled manager of building development, said Sam Moss, executive director of San Franciscos Mission Housing Development Corporation, speaking in general and not about the Phoenix project.

Moss conceded that there are opportunities to make the process more efficient. But in terms of making a giant impact where were going to deliver all these magical units a year earlier, its way more important to focus on drastically increasing our funding and pass pro-housing legislation, statewide he said.

At the Phoenix project, construction is moving along. But the project has yet to receive a final development permit for the remainder of its more than 200 market-rate units, according to Walsh, Oaklands public information officer.
A Florida driver has miraculously survived a horror crash after an alleged high-speed drag race went wrong.

The 38-year-old driver was thrown out of his white Chevrolet Corvette after he smashed into a utility pole and a tree at 8am on Saturday in Marion County, leaving just the car's two seats intact from the wreckage.

He was taken to hospital where he is in serious condition. Florida Highway Patrol officers claim he was racing with another man, driving a Ford Mustang, near State Road 200 and South West 80th Street in Ocala.

One of the vehicles cut the other off and a third car, with two elderly people in it, struck the Corvette which sent it spiralling off the road. There were no other injuries in the crash.

Authorities are searching for the driver of the Mustang who is accused of being part of the race.

A man in Marion County has miraculously survived a horror crash after an alleged high-speed drag race went wrong

The 38-year-old driver was thrown out of his white Chevrolet Corvette after he smashed it into a utility pole and a tree at 8am on Saturday with just the two seats left intact

He allegedly parked his car and checked on the driver who was hurt before leaving the scene.

The driver of the Corvette, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was thrown out of the car following the high-speed impact with the utility pole and tree.

Pictures released by the Marion County Fire Rescue show different parts of the vehicle, including the wheels, engine and roof widely scattered across the grass.

The only thing left intact was the car's two red leather seats and the highway was temporarily closed due to the downed pole.

'A third car came into play when one of the vehicles, the Mustang or the Corvette, cut the other one off,' a Florida Highway Patrol spokesman said.

'The driver of that vehicle, of the Corvette, was not wearing a seatbelt, and by the grace of God, survived the crash.'

The man driving the Mustang allegedly parked his car at a nearby business and got out to check on the driver who was injured.

He is accused of leaving the scene and police have shared pictures of him wearing a pink shirt and gray shorts.

'He has definitely pushed his troubles a lot further along than what they would have been,' a Florida Highway Patrol spokesman.

'[We] definitely got some good photos of his arm with some significant tattoos on him," Riordan said. "We believe that the public probably knows who this guy is.'

The Mustang he was driving is said to be a new model from 2020 to 2023 and silver with tinted windows.

Photographs released by the Marion County Fire Rescue show different parts of the vehicle, including the wheels, engine and roof widely scattered across the grass

The only thing left intact was the car's two red leather seats and the highway was temporarily closed due to the downed pole

Authorities are searching for the driver of the Mustang who is accused of being part of the race

He has been described as a 'heavy-set white male with arm tattoos' who appeared to be bald underneath his cap.

Charges are pending for the injured driver of the Corvette.

Drag racing has become an issue in the area according to authorities who said 'these types of incidents have increased over the last five or six years'.

The Florida Highway Patrol has issued 1,834 citations for street racing or stunt driving so far this year. This has more than doubled since 2018.

Those caught taking part could be charged with first-degree misdemeanors.

DailyMail.com has contacted the Florida Highway Patrol for comment.
The protesters who shouted 'Tory scum' at Sir Iain Duncan Smith will not face a retrial after the pair were acquitted of harassing the former Conservative party leader.

Radical Haslam, from Salford, and Ruth Wood, from Cambridge, were previously acquitted of allegations of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause harassment, alarm or distress against the MP for Chingford and Woodford Green.

At a trial last year, Sir Iain said he was subjected to a 'cacophony of sound', a banging drum, abuse and insults, as he walked from the Midland Hotel to the Mercure Hotel, in Manchester city centre, on October 4 2021, during the Conservative Party conference.

Sir Iain also told Manchester Magistrates' Court he felt the term 'Tory scum' was an 'appallingly abusive piece of language'.

But the High Court has today rejected the attempt to overturn the duo's acquittal, ruling that Haslam and Wood were 'reasonable' and within their freedom of expression rights when they made the remark.

A third suspect - former Greenpeace activist Elliot Bovill, 32 - accused of hitting Sir Iain with a traffic cone was also acquitted last year due to a lack of evidence.

Acquitted: Radical Haslam (left), 29, of Salford, Ruth Wood (centre), 51, of Cambridge and ex-Greenpeace activist Elliot Bovill (right), 32, leaving Manchester Magistrates' Court in November 2022

Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith (pictured) was 'astonished' after protesters who harangued him and his wife as 'Tory scum' walked free from court

Acquitting Haslam and Wood, chief magistrate Judge Paul Goldspring said using that phrase in the context of them targeting Sir Iain as they followed him was 'both insulting and pejorative, and I don't accept that that wasn't their intention'.

But he accepted that this behaviour was 'reasonable' in the context of Articles 10 and 11 of the Human Rights Act - the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly and association.

The judge said: 'The courts do not criminalise free speech. The Crown has not shown me it is proportionate to criminalise those words.'

But he stressed that his decision that the use of the words 'Tory scum' was not criminal was only relevant to 'this court, in this case, on this evidence' and 'could not be applied to other contexts.'

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) brought a legal challenge against the decision at the High Court, arguing at a hearing in October that Judge Goldspring's decision was 'unreasonable' and the protesters should face a retrial.

But in a ruling today, Lord Justice Popplewell and Mr Justice Fordham dismissed the CPS's bid.

Giving the decision, Mr Justice Fordham said there was 'no misdirection in law'.

He added: 'The judge's approach, reasoning and conclusion on the proportionality question involved no error.

'The judge had very well in mind the context and circumstances.'

Mr Justice Fordham continued: 'Importantly, there was no finding of using 'threatening words' or of 'threatening behaviour', nor indeed of using abusive words or of abusive behaviour, nor of using insulting behaviour.'

Sir Iain Duncan Smith (centre) leaving Manchester Magistrates Court with his wife Betsy (right) and Primrose Yorke (left) after giving evidence in the trial of Elliot Bovill on November 14, 2022

Wood, who manages a project for a homelessness charity, previously told the Manchester Magistrates' Court that 'there was nothing particularly threatening about what we were doing.'

Haslam, who said he was a general artist and student, added he saw it as an 'opportunity to have my voice heard'.

Sir Iain, following the acquittal last year, highlighted how the incident took place just 11 days before fellow Tory MP Sir David Amess was murdered by an Islamist terrorist, which prompted calls for politicians' security to be stepped up.

He said that in stark contrast, the acquittals meant 'every MP and public servant is now fair game'.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was pushed out on Nov. 17, setting off a cascade of events. The companys leadership crisis doesnt spell the end of the AI industry in San Francisco, but it underscores the precariousness of looking to startups for a reversal of fortune. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle

On Thursday, San Francisco Mayor London Breed stood onstage at the APEC CEO summit and introduced then-OpenAI CEO Sam Altman along with a panel of artificial intelligence luminaries from Google and Meta.

We are in the spring of yet another innovative boom in San Francisco, Breed said of the AI industry, before turning over the podium.

Read more: How mass resignation of OpenAI workers could impact S.F.s real estate market

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The very next day, Altman would be pushed out as CEO by the companys board, setting off a scramble over the weekend to line up an interim chief and a threatened mutiny by most of the companys employees demanding Altmans return. By Monday, a new CEO had been appointed and Altman had been hired by Microsoft  OpenAIs biggest investor  after weekend negotiations to bring him back to OpenAI failed.

However the saga unfolds, the sudden ouster of the most famous AI technologist in the world at a seemingly invincible multibillion-dollar startup does not spell the end of the AI boom in San Francisco. But it does point to the precariousness of banking on startups like OpenAI, however well capitalized and connected, to anchor a hoped-for recovery for the citys downtown and economic fortunes.

Breeds appearance at APEC was characteristic of her approach to AI in San Francisco thus far. She has been quick to meet with different companies in the industry, including OpenAI, and to cheer them on. OpenAI and another player backed by Google and Amazon, Anthropic, have signed large office leases in the city, and Breed has been quick to ballyhoo them online.

But unlike previous administrations, namely that of her predecessor, the late Mayor Ed Lee, Breeds administration has been wary of offering tax breaks or other benefits to lure tech companies. Instead, her team has focused on what it says are more broadly business-friendly initiatives, like inducements for new companies setting up shop in empty office spaces.

We are monitoring this situation very closely as it continues to evolve, Breeds communications chief Jeff Cretan said Monday in a text message about the situation at OpenAI.

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This does not change the fact that San Francisco is still the place to be for AI. We are confident that however this situation ends up, this city is still positioned to be the center of this groundbreaking industry.

AI entrepreneur Angela Hoover, whose company recently moved to San Francisco and began leasing office space, had a similarly positive outlook.

Regardless of the outcome, more competition means more innovation and faster progress, which will benefit the industry as (a) whole, Hoover, the CEO and co-founder of AI search engine Andi, wrote in an email. From our experience, (Microsoft) is great at working with startups and developers.

If any proof was needed that the local market was still hot for AI researchers  like the hundreds seemingly poised to follow Altman out the door  Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff made it clear they could have their pick of jobs.

Salesforce will match any OpenAI researcher who has tendered their resignation full cash & OTE (on-target earnings) to immediately join our Salesforce Einstein Trusted AI research team under Silvio Savarese Benioff said on X, formerly Twitter.

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One OpenAI staffer called it a super generous offer on X but said he and others were with Altman and others for the long haul.

Investment analysts also pointed to the likelihood that OpenAI researchers could leave the company for other AI shops, including Google.

Altman and (co-founder Greg) Brockman have joined Microsoft and a large percentage of talent at OpenAI will likely follow the co-founders, wrote Ali Mogharabi, a senior equity analyst at investment research firm Morningstar, in a note to clients. We still think that Google and other firms will also have an opportunity to attract a few OpenAI employees to their teams, including Google DeepMind.

Rowan Curran, a senior analyst at Forrester Research, wrote that as of Monday morning, The changes to OpenAIs leadership and potential changes to their organizational structure and talent pool could have significant long-term effects on the company. But, he added, the situation is currently too dynamic to say what those effects will be or what the broader consequences for the market are.

Perhaps the main way downtown boosters have hoped the AI industry could help San Francisco is by snapping up commercial real estate left empty by the pandemic, which has, in turn, created a host of other problems for the city. Breed had been quick to tout OpenAIs lease of two buildings at Ubers Mission Bay headquarters, amounting to nearly 500,000 square feet of space.

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There was no indication Monday that the company would make any changes to that lease, although more than 90% of the companys employees had reportedly signed a pledge Monday saying they could follow Altman to Microsoft if the board did not resign, potentially putting the future of the company in jeopardy.

Real estate experts on Monday were reluctant to comment on OpenAIs troubles  many said they were unsure of the impact of Altmans ouster on the companys real estate plans. But should hundreds of employees follow him to Microsoft or go elsewhere, many questioned whether the company would need all of the four offices that it now leases in the city.

Terminating OpenAIs huge sublease in Mission Bay would likely come with significant penalty charges. It would also add a large block of space back onto San Franciscos commercial real estate market, which is already struggling with historically high vacancy rates.

Laura Waxmann contributed to this report.
A crashed Navy aircraft could be sitting in a picturesque Hawaiian bay for weeks as fears grow over its impact on the islands' delicate ecosystem.

The $150 million P-8 Poseidon spy plane overshot the runway during a training exercise at Marine Corps Base Hawaii on Monday afternoon and came to rest around 50 feet offshore in the waters of Kaneohe Bay.

All nine people on board managed to swim back to shore but the 130-foot aircraft suffered a deep gash to its fuselage as it scraped over the coral lined bay that is home to endangered hammerhead sharks.

'I'm so glad that everyone was rescued and survived the crash,' said Jonee Kaina of the Conservation Council of Hawaii.

'But I think someone needs to take a look at the impact the plane is doing to our marine life.

'There is jet fuel, anti-freeze and other toxins.'

The $150 million P-8 Poseidon spy plane overshot the runway during a training exercise at Marine Corps Base Hawaii on Monday afternoon and came to rest around 50 feet offshore in the waters of Kaneohe Bay

The bay is a breeding ground for hammerhead sharks and a feeding ground for whale sharks, booth of them among the world's most endangered species

Jonee Kaina of the Conservation Council of Hawaii has urged Navy authorities to speed its removal as concerns grow about about spillages from pollutants on board

The aircraft manufactured by Boeing and based on the similar sized 737 but is used for hunting enemy submarines, reconnaissance and intelligence gathering.

The splashdown has drawn comparisons with 2009's 'Miracle on the Hudson' when US Airways pilot Chelsey 'Sully' Sullenberger managed to successfully ditch an Airbus A320 with 155 people aboard on the New York river after a bird strike cut power to all engines.

It took authorities two days to retrieve the aircraft which was towed around four miles to a pier near the World Financial Center before being taken by barge to New Jersey.

But Gunnery Sergeant Orlando Perez admitted the downed Poseidon could take weeks to recover.

'The priority is to get it assessed and removed as soon as possible,' the ops chief told Dailymail.com.

'It shouldn't be weeks but I can't speculate on that now.

'We don't want it to linger in the bay any longer than it has to, but I don't have an exact date.'

He said the plane had been secured to the seabed and investigators were looking to gather evidence about the cause of the crash before they attempt to remove it.

The bay is also home to one of Hawaii's two barrier reefs and an extensive development of shoaling coral reefs

The Marine Corps base houses around 9,300 military personnel and 5,100 family members

A deep gash is visible in the spy plane's fuselage after its forced landing on the coral

The splashdown has drawn comparisons with 2009's 'Miracle on the Hudson' when a US Airbus A320 ditched in New York, but that plane took just two days to retrieve

All 155 people aboard made it to safety when US Airways pilot Chelsey 'Sully' Sullenberger ditched in the river after a bird strike cut power to all engines

Plastic booms have been floated around the crash site in a bid to contain any fuel spills but he said he was facing pressure from environmentalists on the island.

'Hawaii as a whole is very environmentally conscious so we've had some concerns but we have a team on site and they don't see any issues.'

The bay on Oahu island is less than 10 miles from Honolulu and home to a Marine Corps base housing around 9,300 military personnel and 5,100 family members.

It is also home to extensive shoaling coral reefs, a breeding ground for endangered hammerhead sharks, and the University of Hawaii's Institute of Marine Biology.

Earlier this month researchers from the Institute found a 30-foot whale shark  the world's largest fish  feeding in the shallow waters giving them a chance to study the endangered species.

The crew was conducting 'routine training' at the time of the crash, military officials said.

'I was in the house at 2.30pm and heard a bunch of sirens so I went outside and I looked and there were four fire trucks and an ambulance passing the house,' local resident Tucker Hills told hawaiinewsnow.com.

It was cloudy and rainy at the time with visibility reduced to about one mile, according to Thomas Vaughan, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Honolulu.

Hawaiian aircraft expert Peter Forman said that Kaneohe has a shorter runway than most military bases and that bad weather and high winds may also have played a part in the crash.

'If the runway is wet and slippery and you're touching down either too fast or too long, at some point you're really just fighting physics,' he explained.

'And really going around and trying again is the only way to make it work because then it just gets too dicey.

'The pilot probably didn't put the plane down exactly where he wanted to on the runway, he added.

'It's probably a combination of all those factors put together.'

Others were less charitable.

'I was stationed and a flyer there for 5.5 years,' wrote one on Reddit.

'The runway is short but I've seen every type of aircraft you can think of land there, many that are much bigger and faster than the P-8.

'P8s have been out of Kbay for a long time, this is pilot error or aircraft malfunction on landing. Nothing more or less.'
This is the bizarre moment a naked woman who was allegedly on psychedelic drugs and drunk attacked passengers and police officers, who arrested her at an airport in Chile.

The woman, who is in her 20s, attended a party in Santiago last Thursday and took magic mushrooms and consumed liquor, Chilean news outlet ADN reported.

At one point during the evening she made her way to Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport, where she flew into a rampage.

Dramatic footage showed the woman chatting with a male passenger who was pushing his luggage on a cart.

A woman, who was under the alleged influence of magic mushrooms and drunk, climbed on top of a male passenger who had just arrived at the airport last Thursday. The woman, who is in her 20s, assaulted a woman and two police officers before she was arrested

A police officer is assaulted by the woman after he and his partner attempted to escort her

She appeared to be pleading with him and hugging him. She then knelt and got back on her feet before she wrapped her legs around him and tried to kiss him.

The man then shoved her and she responded by grabbing a bottle from the cart and throwing it to the ground. The passenger eventually walked away.

Additional recording showed the woman running towards passengers in another area of the terminal. She could be heard shouting, I hate you, and trying to hit a couple, who narrowly avoided her.

She then paced around and began to shout and then walked inside a parking lot, where she grabbed a woman by the hair and slammed her to the ground.

The woman was going on a wild rampage, shouting at passengers inside a terminal at Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport in Santiago, Chile, and trying to assault several of them, including a man (pictured)

After berating passengers at Chile's Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport, the naked woman walked over to the parking lot, where she grabbed a woman (pictured) by the hair and slammed her to the ground

A Chilean woman had attended a party, where she reportedly took magic mushrooms and drank liquor, and then headed over to Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport, where she appeared naked prior to assaulting the police officers after they tried to reason with her and remove her from the premises

The assault victim was helped off the ground and escorted while the naked woman remained lying on the ground.

In a third video, two cops attempted to lead her away, but she prevented them from doing so by slapping one of the officers in the face.

She then lunged at a second cop before the agent she had assaulted stepped in and helped his partner subdue her.

The chaotic incident comes on the heels of an Alaska Airlines pilot who was on magic mushrooms when he allegedly tried to shut down the aircraft's engine mid-flight.

Joseph Emerson, 44, was off-duty and sitting in the jump seat in the cockpit of a flight operated by Horizon Air from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco on October 23 when he attempted to cut off the engines' fuel supply.

The Alaska Airlines 2059 crew was able to secure "the aircraft without incident," Alaska Airlines said.

In late September, a naked British woman approached two police officers at MalagaCosta del Sol Airport in late September. She spoke with the agents briefly and took off running.

The cops were able to track down the woman in the terminal and was treated on the scene by paramedics and admitted to a local medical facility, where she underwent a psychiatric evaluation.
The U.S. Army is catching heat for attempting to win back favor with soldiers fired for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine as the military struggles with severe recruitment challenges.

Last week, the Army sent out a mass letter to soldiers who were fired after declining the COVID-19 vaccine for religious or medical reasons, offering a 'correction of military records.'

'As a result of the rescission of all current COVID-19 vaccination requirements, former Soldiers who were involuntarily separated for refusal to receive the COVID-19 vaccination may request a correction of their military records from either or both the Army Discharge Review Board (ADRB) or the Army Board for Correction of Military Records (ABCMR),' the letter reviewed by DailyMail.com states.

The letter sparked an outcry of fury at the Defense Department by lawmakers and current and former service members.

John Frankman, a former U.S. Army Captain who voluntarily left the Army on July 1 due to negative career repercussions for refusing the vaccine, told DailyMail.com that the letter will 'not have any effect on bringing service members back' because it doesn't offer a policy change.

'There has always existed the ability to apply to upgrade ones discharge status and apply to return to the military,' he explained.

Frankman added that until there is accountability for the 'failed' vaccine policy and for other disasters such as the botched Afghanistan withdrawal, 'no one will trust the current leaders at the top.'

The letter sparked an outcry of fury at the Defense Department by lawmakers and former service members

Retired Air Force veteran Patrick Fox said the Army has entered 'panic mode' by sending the letter

'[Secretary of Defense] Lloyd Austin needs to be fired, and service members need to automatically have their discharges upgraded, receive back pay, be given the ability to return if they choose, and there needs to be a very serious and thorough introspection on how such terrible policy decisions were ever able to occur,' he told DailyMail.com.

Frankman also said the 'crazy recruiting crisis' is crushing military readiness.

The Army faced a huge shortage of recruits in fiscal year 2022 at 55,000 - which was 10,000 short of its target for the year.

Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth downplayed the shortage, saying the aim for 65,000 new recruits was a 'stretch goal.'

'The recruiting enterprise in the Army very much understands how important that role is  they don't need us to signal to them to put the pedal to the metal,' she said at the Pentagon in October.

'We've got a lot of work to do to implement all of these changes, so I would imagine we'll settle on something lower than 65,000 for 2024.'

'Our dedicated troops should never have been discharged for putting their personal health and safety ahead of an experimental COVID shot,' Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., wrote on X in reaction.

'They should be unconditionally reinstated and restored with full pay and benefits,' he continued.

Former Army officer Brad Miller said the letter does not go far enough to remedy the harm he experienced.

'Why doesn't the Army ask me if I want my resignation converted into a retirement dated with the release date of this new policy, and along with it offer compensation for the command I was wrongly relieved of, compensation for the remainder of whatever my career might have been, and then offer me my adjusted pension from this month forward? Then offer the same to all others similarly wronged,' he stated.

He went on to say the Pentagon can't 'fix itself' and claimed Biden administration officials' loyalty is 'assuredly un-American.'

Retired Air Force veteran Patrick Fox said the Army has entered 'panic mode' by sending the letter.

'Given how politically radioactive this decision by the DoD was, how much resentment it generated internally, and how much bad press it generated when it as made - mollifying policy like this indicates Army leadership are feeling the pressure on recruitment numbers,' he wrote on X.

'To a degree they're willing to eat a little crow on this to alleviate it. If it gets bad enough, and senior leadership are backed into a corner, promises to restore rank & pay are not unthinkable in the future.'

A current Army officer told DailyMail.com that the Army has 'continued to miss the mark on taking care of its service members and veterans.'

'For the veterans separated due to the mandate, it seems unnecessary that they should need to submit for a Discharge Characterization Upgrade after being unlawfully discharged,' he continued.

'I believe the Army needs to make amends with the American People and take the first step in making things right for these former service members: the branch should automatically upgrade the discharge characterizations to Honorable as that was the true reflection of these individuals service to the Nation. This would also allow for veterans to make forward progression in the new chapter of their lives by being able to utilize their earned GI Bill,' the officer explained.

DailyMail.com reached out to the Army for a response.

Over 8,000 service members - many who sought religious exemptions - were fired for refusing to comply with the Pentagon's COVID-19 vaccine mandate enacted in August 2021.

Following outrage over the mandate, the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed in December 2022 terminated the mandate, but it did not reinstate service members who were fired for not receiving the shot nor provide any other compensation.

Amendments by Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., that passed out of the House Armed Services Committee over the summer were included to 'offer redress' to service members who were 'unjustly discharged' by requiring the Pentagon to set up a reinstatement process and ensuring no negative retaliation.

But some current and former troops are saying that the amendments that would go into the FY 2024 NDAA are not strong enough to undo the 'serious harassment' they endured over the last two years.

Frankman, who was in the Special Forces as part of the Green Berets, said that the 'missed career opportunities' he endured over the last two years could never be undone by any action of Congress.

My response to the Armys recent letter trying to bring back the unvaxxed soldiers it forced out and mistreated.



Follow the tagged accounts to support DoD accountability. pic.twitter.com/LgYbWTNI8R  John Frankman (@johny_franks) November 20, 2023

Following outrage, the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed in December 2022 terminated the mandate

An active-duty Army officer told DailyMail.com that the fired troops have had 'their lives turned upside down and were betrayed by those charged with protecting them.'

And a formal apology from their service branches would be key to be able to have trust restored, he added.
Annie is a reporter for The San Francisco Chronicle. She previously was a digital producer for The Chronicles Datebook section. She graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in 2017 with a degree in journalism. During her time there, she spearheaded a culture column, produced radio pieces for NPR-affiliate station KCBX, and was a DJ and writer for KCPR, the campus radio station. Before joining the Chronicle, she was an associate producer at SFGATE and interned at VICE and Flood Magazine. Shes particularly interested in communities and scenes that are often misunderstood.

She can be reached at avainshtein@sfchronicle.com.
An East Bay woman, along with a Washington state man she was in a relationship with, was arrested on suspicion of killing her husband of 12 years, Hayward police said Tuesday. Mark Winema/Getty Images

An East Bay woman, along with a Washington state man she was in a relationship with, was arrested on suspicion of killing her husband of 12 years, Hayward police said Tuesday.

Hayward resident Razma Mohammad-Ibrahim, 35, and Samim Azizi, 21, from Washington state, were arrested on suspicion of stabbing 51-year-old Parwiz Assar to death last month.

On Oct. 8, Hayward police were called to Lance Way and Tucker Street following a report of an assault with a deadly weapon. When they arrived, they found Assar unresponsive and suffering from stab wounds. Medical personnel pronounced Assar dead at the scene, police said.

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After an extensive investigation, Hayward police said in a statement that detectives determined Mohammad-Ibrahim and Azizi had been involved in an intimate relationship since December 2022.

It is believed the two planned to kill Assar so Mohammad-Ibrahim could end her marriage to be with Azizi, have full custody of her children, and have all the family assets, police said.

Assar and Mohammad-Ibrahims children were placed in the custody of family members, police said.

Mohammad-Ibrahim was arrested on Nov. 15 and was being held without bail. Azizi was arrested in Seattle on Oct. 31 and was being held in custody ahead of an expected extradition to California.
A massive manhunt has been launched for the driver of a missing Mitsubishi ute after police found a woman's body at a home in Adelaide on Tuesday night.

Detectives launched a murder investigation after officers were called to an address on Kelly Street in Modbury North and made the grim discovery.

A suspect wanted in connection with the death is believed to have fled the scene in the white P-plated 2008 Mitsubishi Triton, registration of XTN167.

'Anyone who sees the vehicle is urged not to approach the ute but call the Police Assistance Line immediately on 131444,' warned a South Australia Police spokesman.

A massive manhunt has been launched for the driver of a missing Mitsubishi ute after police found a woman's body at a home in Adelaide on Tuesday night

A suspect wanted in connection with the death is believed to have fled the scene in the white P-plated 2008 Mitsubishi Triton, registration of XTN167

They added: 'About 7pm, police were called to a house in Kelly Road to check on the welfare of a woman living at the premises.

'Police searched the property and located the womans body inside the house.

'Detectives from the Northern District CIB along with major crime detectives are at the scene.'

More to come
A deal to free dozens of hostages held by Hamas inside Gaza is now 'very close,' President Joe Biden said Tuesday.

Biden gave an update on the progress of talks from the White House, as Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu prepared to meet with his war cabinet on the emerging deal.

'We're now very close,' Biden said from the Roosevelt Room in the White House at an event on efforts to crack down on fentanyl. He said the emerging deal 'could bring some of these hostages home very soon.'

Officials have been negotiating the contours of the deal for weeks even as the Israel Defense Forces have been pounding targets inside Gaza.

'I don't want to get into the details of things because nothing is done until it's done,' Biden said, using shorthand for an old Washington expression about completing negotiations.

'We're now very close,' President Joe Biden said, as officials worked to finalize a deal to secure the release of hostages Hamas is holding inside Gaza

'When we have more to say, we will, but things are looking good,' Biden said, in just his latest optimistic remarks on the hostage situation. The White House says a small number of Americans have been held in Gaza since the bloody Hamas raid into Israeli territory on Oct. 7.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby indicated to reporters that even if a deal comes to fruition, it will be a difficult undertaking to secure the release of hostages.

'Depending on if we get a deal, depending on how many hostages are arranged for, depending on where they are, depending on their physical condition and their mobility, I think we all need to be humble in terms of the appropriate amount of time it could take to physically move them to safety,' he said.

'Some of these people could be in pretty rough shape. I think we all need to be prepared for the fact that it could take hours, if not days, to complete their release,' he added.

Officials have been thrashing out a settlement in Qatar for several weeks now, and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu addressed his cabinet tonight to discuss a temporary ceasefire to allow an exchange.

However, there was a possible fly in the ointment as Israel's far-right Otzma Yehudit party said it would oppose any release and instead urged the Israel Defense Forces to continue its military pursuit of Hamas.

Officials from the CIA and Israeli intelligence service Mossad were said to have been involved in the talks in Qatar, and ahead of the cabinet meeting Mr Netanyahu had said: 'I hope there will be good news soon.'

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said: 'We are close to reaching a deal on a truce.' Similarly US President Joe Biden commented that he believed a deal was 'now very close'.

Officials have been thrashing out a settlement in Qatar for several weeks now, and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu (pictured) addressed his cabinet tonight to discuss a temporary ceasefire to allow an exchange

This comes as families of hostages and their supporters demanded that Netanyahu secures the release of Israeli hostages (pictured: protesters in Tel Aviv)

Netanyahu addressed his cabinet to discuss a temporary ceasefire to allow an exchange, as currently the Gaza Strip is under Israeli bombardment (pictured above in northern Gaza today)

In his address to the cabinet, Netanyahu said that accepting a deal for the release of hostages was 'a difficult decision but it's a right decision'.

President Biden had helped 'improve the framework being laid out before you... to include more hostages at a lower price', he told his cabinet as it met to vote on the deal. 'The entire security establishment fully supports it.'

The hostages' families have demanded that Israel should insist on the return of all those being held, and the Religious Zionist party, which is part of Netanyahu's coalition government, has voiced opposition to the deal, denouncing it as 'bad' for Israel's security, for the hostages and soldiers.

Sources from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which also participated in the attacks, said on condition of anonymity that the tentative agreement would include a five-day truce, comprised of a complete ceasefire on the ground and an end to Israeli air operations over Gaza, except in the north, where they would only halt for six hours daily.

Under the deal, which the sources said could yet change, between 50 and 100 Israeli and dual-national civilians of the estimated 239 hostages would be released in exchange for some 300 Palestinian women and children currently held in Israeli jails.

'It will allow the IDF to prepare for a continuation of the fight - the war is ongoing, and it will continue until we achieve all of our objectives: destroying Hamas and bringing back all the hostages,' Netanyahu said.

Initially the plan would be for women and children to go free first and in exchange, Palestinian prisoners held in Israel would go the other way.

However an Israeli government official said that any prisoner put forward for release could have the decision overturned if families of victims of their crimes opposed it.

The spokesman said: 'If any of the these prisoners have blood on their hands, then the families of their victims have 24 hours to oppose their release by applying to the Supreme Court.'

It is hoped that hostages will be released from Thursday and Friday and that part of the deal would include a six hour drone blackout by the IDF.

Hamas sources said that they had lost touch with 'some groups holding hostages' and they wanted the no fly clause so they could carry out searches without being spied on from the skies.

In return for releasing hostages, Hamas are said to want the return of around 300 Palestinians but opposition parties in Israel fear that giving too much will see the terrorists gain the upper hand.

Gil Dickmann (left) watches as Hen Avigdori (centre) speaks against the proposed legislation. This comes as hostages' families clashed with Israeli politicians over talk of death penalty

An Israeli tank on its way to Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, today

Similarly US President Joe Biden (pictured) commented that he believed a deal was 'now very close'

The far right fear that soldiers, who are not included in any deal, will be kept on for months or possibly years as was Gilad Shalit, held for five years before being released in 2011 in a prisoner swap.

The announcements tonight are the most optimistic yet of a potential breakthrough in the conflict, which has raged for more than six weeks and left thousands dead on both sides.

In Qatar, foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari said 'we're very optimistic, very hopeful' and told reporters: 'We are at the closest point we ever had been in reaching an agreement.'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has vowed to destroy Hamas, was more circumspect, telling soldiers at a base only that 'we are making progress' on the return of hostages.

President Biden, who does not support a full ceasefire, said a temporary truce was 'now very close', adding: 'We could bring some of these hostages home very soon. But I don't want to get into the details of things because nothing is done until it's done.'

The parents and relatives of children kidnapped on October 7th take part in a demonstration outside the UNICEF headquarters in Tel Aviv to protest their silence to 40 children held hostage in Gaza

Mail Online reporter Nick Pisa pictured in the Netiv Haasara kibbutz, the closest Israeli settlement to the Gaza Strip, which was attacked on October the 7th. He is standing next to the border wall that separates the kibbutz from the Gaza Strip

This is the wall that separates the Netiv Haasara kibbutz, the closest Israeli settlement, from the Gaza Strip

A picture taken from a position near Sderot along the Israeli border with the Gaza Strip shows smoke billowing during an Israeli bombardment on Gaza

British-Israeli Sharone Lifschitz, whose mother Yocheved, 85, was released by Hamas late last month but whose father is still being held was 'hopeful' of a deal.

She said: 'We haven't been informed of anything and we only learn of things from the media.

'There seems to be a deal and the government will go for it and a small number will be released every day but we don't know who, we assume children and mothers and then it will continue.

'Everyone is incredibly anxious at the moment, but I think it must be the children who go first and they shouldn't be separated from their mothers.

'But this is all part of Hamas plan to put us through an impossible situation, its a form of psychological torture.'

Mrs Lifschitz added any exchange would be through the Rafah crossing in the south and she said: 'It usually starts with a small handful to see how things go from that, but the children should come first.'

But Ayelet Svatitzky, whose British brother Nadav Popplewell, 51, was among the hostages, was not as hopeful she said: 'We have been here so many times before but I am not going to get my hopes up.

'I am shutting myself out of this until we get some news, we have been talking about this for days and I know it's more advanced but until I get specific news I am not going to say anything because otherwise I will crash and burn.'

Although a temporary halt may come as a welcome relief it is unlikely that it will mark an end to the conflict which has seen more than 14,000 Palestinians killed and 68 Israeli soldiers lost.

Israeli media reported tonight that among those killed in Gaza was Jamal Muhammad Haniyeh grandson of Hamas leader in exile in Qatar Ismail Haniyeh.

Hopes of a release deal have been mounting since Qatar on Sunday said only 'minor' practical issues remained.

Speculation grew further when the International Committee of the Red Cross, which is often involved in prisoner exchanges and hostage releases, said Monday its president had met Haniyeh in Qatar.

Smoke and flame rise in Gaza seen from Sderot, Israel, as Israeli attacks continue on the 46th day of the war

Portraits of Israeli hostages held in Gaza since the October 7 attack by Hamas militants in Tel Aviv

The release of hostages seized by Hamas could be approved by the Israeli government within 'hours' of a hostage deal being agreed, a senior adviser to Benjamin Netanyahu has said. Pictured: Israel soldiers transfer detained Palestinians out of the Gaza Strip on November 21

Israeli soldiers operate in a location given as Gaza, amid the ongoing ground operation of the Israeli army against Hamas, in this image released on November 21

Smoke, rising over the destroyed buildings following the Israeli attacks on Gaza, is seen from the southern city of Sderot in Israel on November 21

Portraits of Israeli children hostages are displayed during a rally outside the Unicef offices in Tel Aviv on November 20, 2023 to demand the release of Israelis held hostage in Gaza

Despite talk of a temporary truce, fighting raged on in Gaza's bloodiest ever war, sparked by the October 7 attack in which Israel says Hamas gunmen killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians.

In retaliation, Israel launched a relentless bombing campaign and ground offensive in Gaza. According to the Hamas government, the war has killed more than 14,100 people, including nearly 6,000 children and close to 4,000 women.

Sources from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which also participated in the attacks, said on condition of anonymity that their groups had agreed to the terms of a truce deal.

The tentative agreement would include a five-day truce, comprised of a complete ceasefire on the ground and an end to Israeli air operations over Gaza, except in the north, where they would only halt for six hours daily.

Under the deal, which the sources said could yet change, between 50 and 100 Israeli civilian and foreign hostages would be released, but no military personnel.

In exchange, some 300 Palestinians would be freed from Israeli jails, among them women and minors.

But the Religious Zionist party, part of Netanyahu's coalition government, voiced opposition to the deal, saying 'it is bad' for Israel's security, for the hostages and soldiers.

The BRICS group of nations including Russia, India and China called for an 'immediate, durable, and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities' in Gaza aimed at drawing up a common response to the conflict.

Rafah resident Hamza Abdel Razeq said a ceasefire would bring some respite for Gazans who have endured Israel's bombing and expanding ground offensive.

'The people are really suffering,' he said. 'If they reach a five-day truce deal now, I believe it will pave the way for longer truces or even a total ceasefire.'

Another resident, Mahmud Abu Najm, added: 'We... pray to God for its success because the people are enduring an unbearable situation.'

Large parts of Gaza have been flattened by thousands of air strikes, and the territory is under siege, with minimal food, water and fuel allowed to enter.

Israel's Prime Minister has said the country is 'making progress' in the deal that is reportedly being mediated through Qatari officials. Israeli soldiers are seen taking detained Palestinians out of the Gaza Strip, November 21

Smoke rises after Israeli air strikes in Gaza, as seen from southern Israel, amid the ongoing conflict

Hamas officials are 'close to reaching a truce agreement' with Israel and the group has delivered its response to Qatari mediators, Ismail Haniyeh (right) said in a statement. Pictured with Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on 31 October

Parents and relatives of those kidnapped on October 7 protested in Tel Aviv yesterday

A child injured in the attacks is brought to Nasser Hospital for treatment in Khan Yunis, Gaza, yesterday

A Palestinian woman is pictured in front of the damage following Israeli strikes on Rafah, on the southern Gaza Strip, on November 20

According to the Hamas and Islamic Jihad sources, the proposed deal would also allow for up to 300 trucks of food and medical aid to enter Gaza.

Israel has vowed to press on with its offensive, pledging to crush Hamas and ensure the hostages are released.

The Israeli military, meanwhile, said air strikes had hit 'around 250' Hamas targets in the past day, destroying three underground shafts in the Jabalia area, which it said it had fully surrounded.

Two soldiers were killed in northern Gaza, it added.

In Lebanon, official media said two journalists from Al-Mayadeen television and two other civilians were killed in cross-border shelling in the south. Israel said it was 'looking into the details' of the incident.

The Committee to Protect Journalists said 53 journalists and media workers have been killed in the war.

Meanwhile, the health ministry in the occupied West Bank said the Israeli army killed one Palestinian in Nablus.

Medics and patients have been increasingly caught up in the fighting, as Israel expanded its operation across northern Gaza.

The Hamas-run health ministry said Israel had laid siege to and hit the Indonesian Hospital in Jabalia on Monday, killing dozens, but there was no independent confirmation of the toll.

The Israeli army said later its troops had 'directly targeted' the source of fire from within the Indonesian Hospital.

Twenty-eight premature babies from Gaza's largest hospital, Al-Shifa, were taken to Egypt for treatment on Monday. Three others remained in southern Gaza, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday. Two babies died before the evacuation, it said.

The Indonesian Hospital lies near Gaza's largest refugee camp Jabalia, which has been the scene of intense Israeli bombing.

The health ministry official said there were still about 400 patients inside the hospital, as well as 2,000 people seeking shelter.

Twenty-eight premature babies from Gaza's largest hospital, Al-Shifa, were taken to Egypt for treatment on Monday

Portraits of Israeli hostages posted on a wall in Tel Aviv today as hostages' families the government brings their loved ones home

Three others remained in southern Gaza, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday. Two babies died before the evacuation, it said. (pictured: Health care officials receive 28 of the 31 babies in Egypt)

Prior to the meeting, a spokesperson for the families said: 'It's been six weeks and two days that our beloved ones are in Gaza. We don't know how they feel, if they are healthy, if they are alive we have no information, zero information'

People light candles at a memorial for Hamas hostages in Tel Aviv today

Israeli soldiers inspect houses destroyed by Hamas fighters in the Kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel

Civil defence teams and residents make search and rescue efforts following an Israeli attack in Deir al-Balah, Gaza

People are looking for survivors following an air strike today in Deir al-Balah, Gaza

A Palestinian woman hangs clothes amid debris in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip today

Around 200 people were evacuated from the hospital on Monday and bussed to the relative safety of a hospital in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said three doctors, including two it employed, were killed in an Israeli strike on the Al-Awda hospital in Jabalia refugee camp.

Israel says Hamas uses medical facilities to hide fighters and as bases for operations, making them legitimate military objectives, while insisting it does everything possible to limit harm to civilians.

But criticism of Israel's conduct of the war has grown, from international agencies and some governments, with protests held worldwide.

The WHO said it was 'appalled' by the strike on the Indonesian Hospital, calling it just one of 164 documented attacks on health facilities and workers since the war began.

The UN children's agency, meanwhile, warned that fuel shortages and worsening sanitation in Gaza were shaping up to be 'a perfect storm for tragedy' through the spread of disease.
Kemi Badenoch will today launch talks to widen the free trade deal with South Korea to support British jobs.

As the two countries upgrade the existing agreement to include digital trade, the Business and Trade Secretary will meet her Korean counterpart Bang Moon Kyu at the UK-Korea Business Forum at Mansion House in the City of London.

They will announce 21billion of investment committed by Korean businesses in green energy and infrastructure projects across the UK.

The funding will create more than 1,500 skilled jobs and drive innovation, the Government said.

The UK secured a free trade deal with South Korea in 2019, with the agreement largely aimed at keeping trade flowing post-Brexit and removing uncertainty. But British ministers want to secure modern, digital provisions in a new deal because most of its service exports to Korea are delivered digitally.

Kemi Badenoch (pictured on October 17) will today launch talks to widen the free trade deal with South Korea to support British jobs

As the two countries upgrade the existing agreement to include digital trade, the Business and Trade Secretary will meet her Korean counterpart Bang Moon Kyu (pictured in July) at the UK-Korea Business Forum at Mansion House in the City of London

The Government said 7,000 businesses exporting goods to South Korea will benefit, as the new agreement is set to include support for smaller businesses by digitalising and simplifying customs procedures. Luxury car manufacturer Bentley and drinks giant Diageo are expected to announce more than 200million worth of contracts in the country this year.

And the UK will work to secure simple rules of origin to help businesses benefit from reduced or zero tariffs when exporting to the Asian giant. South Korea is the 13th largest economy in the world, and its import market is set to grow 45 per cent by 2035.

Mrs Badenoch said last night: 'The Government is upgrading our trade deal with South Korea to ensure that our trading relationship plays to the UK's strengths as an advanced, high-tech economy.

'This refreshed, modernised deal will boost our world-leading services sector while also creating opportunities for UK exports such as in our world-leading food and luxury goods sectors.'

Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol began his state visit yesterday with a welcome from the King and Queen.

He will hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and sign a new long-term agreement covering defence and technology co-operation in Downing Street today.

Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol began his state visit yesterday with a welcome from the King and Queen. Pictured: South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol and Britain's King Charles III arrive in the ceremonial State Carriage at Buckingham Palace in London on Tuesday afternoon

Pictured: President of South Korea Yoon Suk Yeol listens as King Charles speaks at the state banquet at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday

Pictured: Queen Camilla, King Charles III, President of South Korea Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee ahead of the event at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday

Pictured: Yoon Suk Yeol and King Charles during a toast at the event in London on Tuesday

The Downing Street Accord follows similar agreements with Singapore and Japan, and comes as the UK seeks to consolidate influence in the Indo-Pacific.

It will include a defence agreement that will boost the British and Korean militaries' co-operation on countering smuggling in the East China Sea, which North Korea relies on to evade sanctions.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said: 'The UK is leading the way in supporting our Korean friends in countering North Korea's aggressive posturing and ensuring the safety and security of the Indo-Pacific.

'Deepening the ties between the Royal Navy and Republic of Korea Navy, our bilateral defence relationship has never been stronger.'

Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron added: 'This agreement  signed 70 years after the Korean War Armistice  is a truly unique step in the strengthening of our work to secure the security of the Korean Peninsula and the region.

'We are proud, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, to be at the forefront of international sanctions enforcement activity. This includes upholding international commitments to curtail North Korea's illegal weapons programmes.'

Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol will hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and sign a new long-term agreement covering defence and technology co-operation in Downing Street today. Pictured: PM Sunak with his wife Akshata Murty ahead of the State Banquet on Tuesday for the state visit to the UK by President of South Korea Yoon Suk Yeol

Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron is pictured arriving for the State Banquet at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday

A clean energy partnership will also be signed, bolstering collaboration on low-carbon technologies, civil nuclear, and policies to tackle climate change.

Downing Street said the accord will also see the countries work closer together on technology such as AI, semiconductors and quantum.

Science ministers will sign a memorandum of understanding to boost space cooperation.

South Korea will host next year's AI summit after the first UK-backed gathering in Bletchley Park earlier this month.

The visit coincides with the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the UK and Korea.
Soldiers are being offered a bonus of a third of their salaries to transfer to the Parachute Regiment amid a manpower crisis.

In a rare move, regiment commanders have offered 7,500 to tempt Army privates from other infantry units.

They receive a basic salary of 23,496  with the size of the bonus indicating the severity of the problem.

The seemingly unprecedented offer was included in an internal document seen by the Mail.

The memo states the scheme 'has been put in place to redress the Para workforce deficit' with a 'one-off incentive'.

Soldiers are being offered a bonus of a third of their salaries to transfer to the Parachute Regiment amid a manpower crisis. Pictured: Soldiers of the Parachute Regiment

In a rare move, regiment commanders have offered 7,500 to tempt Army privates from other infantry units. Pictured: A British Paratrooper jumps out of a Ch-47 Chinook Helicopter

The Ministry of Defence declined to say how many troops the Parachute Regiment needs to accept the offer or when it was last required to resort to such means.

Members of the elite unit are held on 'very high readiness' to respond to crises involving endangered Britons anywhere in the world.

A lack of parachute-trained soldiers could compromise the UK's ability to protect its citizens overseas.

The Parachute Regiment consists of three full-time battalions and a fourth reservist battalion.

These units specialise in rapid-reaction operations as part of 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team.

A shortage of paratroopers would be felt in the Special Forces units as they provide the biggest cohort of soldiers to the Special Air Service and the Special Forces Support Group.

A possible challenge to the UK's capability to respond to crises overseas comes as Britons are thought to be among those held by Hamas in Gaza.

Paras took a leading role in the airlift of Britons, Afghans and international citizens from Kabul when the Taliban returned to rule in Afghanistan in 2021.

They receive a basic salary of 23,496  with the size of the bonus indicating the severity of the problem. Pictured: 2nd Battalion Parachute Regiment parachute from an aeroplane

Former defence minister Mark Francois (pictured) blamed the private contractor Capita for the Paras' staffing crisis

The British Army is struggling to fill 10,000 vacancies in the UK across 200 roles.

Former defence minister Mark Francois blamed the private contractor Capita for the Paras' staffing crisis.

He said: 'This is another example of their total screw-up of the Army's recruitment process.'

An Army spokesman said: 'To take advantage of surplus numbers in other areas of the infantry, a financial offer is being introduced to incentivise private soldiers to transfer.'
Oscar Pistorius' chances of winning freedom on Friday were boosted tonight after it was revealed that the mother of the model he shot dead in cold blood will not oppose his parole.

British-born June Steenkamp, despite declaring that she hated Pistorius, has decided not to ask the court in Pretoria to keep the Paralympian in jail if they decide he is fit for release.

Both Mrs Steenkamp and her late husband had been adamant that Pistorius should remain behind bars, until he told him the truth about how he deliberately killed their daughter.

No reason was given for the about-turn, but it is believed that the passing of her husband Barry in September and the terrible trauma she has suffered since Valentine's Day 2013 - when he gunned down Reeva in his flat - have played a huge part.

June Steenkamp (pictured with her husband Barry, who died in September) will not oppose Oscar Pistorious' bid for parole

Oscar Pistorius - pictured at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games - will face a parole hearing on Friday

Pistorius killed Reeva Steenkamp, a model, in the early hours of Valentine's Day 2013, firing four times through the bathroom door of his ultra-secure Pretoria house

He did not meet their pleas and continued to suggest he thought he was shooting an intruder.

But sources said she was still expected to deliver a powerful impact statement on Friday before the authorities make a final decision.

She will not attend the hearing in Pretoria and her message to Pistorius and the parole hearing will be read by a lawyer on her behalf.

Lawyers acting for the Steenkamps say it is unlikely that Pistorius will be released immediately if he is granted parole following Friday's hearing.

The country's parole board on Monday said it would be 'considering the profile of Oscar Pistorius on Friday, 24 November 2023'.

But even if Pistorius's application were to be successful the ex-athlete might have to wait for weeks before being let out of prison pending an 'internal process' by the Department of Correctional Services (DCS), according to the Steenkamp family lawyer, Tania Koen.

If 'parole is granted, DCS follows an internal process, which is usually within a month', Koen told AFP. Pistorius has been in prison since late 2014.

The country's parole board on Monday said it would be 'considering the profile of Oscar Pistorius on Friday, 24 November 2023' (Pistorius pictured in 2014)

Pistorius pictured in 2016 leaving a pre-sentencing hearing after his culpable homicide conviction was upgraded to murder

He was initially convicted of culpable homicide, an offence comparable to manslaughter, for shooting Steenkamp multiple times through a closed toilet cubicle door in his home in the South African capital, Pretoria, in the predawn hours of Valentine's Day 2013.

His conviction was upgraded to murder and he was ultimately sentenced to 13 years and five months in prison after a series of appeals by prosecutors.

Several legal experts questioned by AFP said the time between a decision to grant parole is taken and a prisoner is released varies from case to case - with some hinting that the wait could depend on 'political expediency'.

The double amputee, who started serving his sentence in 2014, lost his first bid for parole in March.

DCS said he had not completed the minimum detention period required to be let out.

Prisoners in South Africa are automatically eligible for parole consideration after serving half of their sentence.

Pistorius, who turns 37 on Wednesday, had been thought to have served more than half, having started his term in 2014.

But after having pursued several appeals of his initial conviction, authorities determined their count from his last conviction, which fell short of half.

The Constitutional Court contradicted this process last month ruling that the count must start from the date of the first instance an inmate was put behind bars.

Arrested in the early hours back in February 2013, Pistorius had pleaded not guilty and denied killing Steenkamp in a rage, saying he mistook her for a burglar.
Zelensky meets with U.S. defense secretary on military aid for Ukraine

Xinhua) 10:34, November 21, 2023

KIEV, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with visiting U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in Kiev on Monday on military aid for Ukraine, the presidential press service reported.

At the talks, Zelensky briefed Austin about the current situation at the frontline of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and informed him of Ukraine's strategic goals and priority needs.

Noting the importance of Austin's visit to Kiev ahead of the 17th Ramstein meeting, Zelensky urged the United States and other partners to continue uninterrupted supplies of weapons and ammunition to Ukraine.

Zelensky and Austin also discussed the security in the Black Sea and the functioning of the alternative Black Sea export corridor.

After the talks, Austin wrote on social media platform X that the United States and its allies will continue to support Ukraine's urgent battlefield needs and long-term defense requirements.

Later this week, Austin will host the 17th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in the Ramstein format virtually from the Pentagon.

The United States has provided 44.2 billion U.S. dollars in military assistance to Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022, according to figures released by the U.S. Department of State.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
The Berkeley City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to allow taller buildings in a neighborhood near the UC campus that includes the controversial Peoples Park to help ease a chronic shortage of student housing. Noah Berger/Special to the Chronicle

The city of Berkeley will now allow taller buildings in a densely populated neighborhood adjoining the UC Berkeley campus  a major win to address the universitys student housing crunch.

The Berkeley City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to change its zoning laws to permit buildings as high as 12 stories in the Southside area below the campus. The proposed modifications  which also relax some open space requirements  will allow for an additional 2,652 residential units in neighborhoods bounded by Bancroft Way, Prospect Street, Dwight Way and Fulton Street.

I could not be more relieved and excited that the city has finally taken this overdue and urgent step, said Council Member Rigel Robinson, who represents the Southside neighborhood. The student housing crisis has become the defining characteristic of the student experience at UC Berkeley.  And the student housing crisis has ripple effects on our citywide housing crisis.

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UC Berkeley provides housing for only 23% of its students, the lowest rate of any UC campus in the state. Last year, a judge forced the university to withhold acceptances for thousands of students due to the lack of housing until the state Legislature intervened and allowed the students to come.

The changes are a significant win for university students  some of whom called into the meeting Tuesday to describe their challenges in finding affordable housing near campus.

We need more student housing and we need it now, one third-year undergraduate student said.

The new zoning will allow building heights to rise by 85 feet on certain streets, including parts of Telegraph Avenue, Bancroft Way, Durant Avenue and others. Developers can now go up to 12 stories under state density bonus rules if they include affordable housing in the project.

If developers include both affordable housing and middle-income housing, they would be eligible under AB1287, a new state density law recently signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. In those cases, Robinson said, some housing projects could rise as high as 16 stories. AB1287 goes into effect next year.

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Some Berkeley residents have expressed concerns that the changes would permit too much density without greenery. The councils vote directed the city manager to look into incentives or requirements for new housing projects citywide that would allow for widened sidewalks, activated pedestrian spaces and green roofs.
Artful fabrics are seen for sale at Britex Fabrics on Nov. 14. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle Demetre Savala, left, of Palm Desert feels the selections of cashmere as Gary Angel, right, husband of owner Sharman Spector, looks for additional bolts of cashmere for Savala to consider at Britex Fabrics in San Francisco. Savala is a longtime Britex Fabrics customer and although he moved from the area several years ago, he says he still buys his fabric only from Britex Fabrics. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle

Sharman Spector unrolls bolts of floral silk, dramatic purple-trimmed tweed and rainbow-woven Belgian fabrics like a magician revealing a trick. Silk-chiffon in bold green and gold flash: She pulls sequined and beaded cloth off racks and holds them up to the light to show how they glimmer when in motion. The first floor of Britex Fabrics, the legacy retailer in Union Square founded in 1952 by Spectors late parents, Lucy and Martin Spector, is a fantasyland of pattern and texture.

We have such an abundance of color, fabrics that move different ways and every print from geometric to abstract, Spector said. Its the opposite of fast fashion.

After 71 years, Britex Fabrics (pronounced with a long i) continues to be a bastion of creativity for fashion professionals, design students, costumers and home sewers alike. Over the decades, the store known for its elaborate window displays has become a staple of Union Square. Before the pandemic, Britex also hosted fashion shows featuring work by local designers like Project Runway contestant Emily Payne and mask and accessories designer Lance Victor Moore, both of whom worked at the store. For some, its the West Coast equivalent of New Yorks Mood Fabrics.

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The exterior of Britex Fabrics in San Francisco. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle

For longtime Bay Area residents, the name can conjure associations with 1950s Union Square retailers like the White House, Ransohoffs, Joseph Magnin and I. Magnin department stores. But unlike those stores, Britex remains in business.

Just walking in the door was pure inspiration, said Fayette Hauser, a fashion designer and member of the legendary 1970s San Francisco drag troupe the Cockettes. If I was a bit blue or bored, I would trip off to Britex and buy a bag or two of their random end-of-the-bolt pieces.

Interior designer Lisa Bottom has been a client since moving to San Francisco in 1979. Over the years, shes made 10 wedding dresses with fabric from Britex.

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No other store ever had the quality of materials and notions that Britex does, Bottom said. Her last major wedding dress project was for her own marriage to Rick Harrell in 2015, creating an overskirt out of gold and fuchsia duchess satin silk.

Originally at 178 Geary St., the stores longest-term home was a narrow, four-story building at 146 Geary St. for 65 years. The building, owned by Acadia Realty Trust and City Center Realty Partners, was converted to office space and remains empty, the well-known red neon sign still on the side of the building (Spector had a new version created for the current space).

LEFT: A large selection of ribbon and trim is seen displayed for sale at Britex Fabrics on Nov. 14. RIGHT: A portrait of Lucy Spector, co-founder of Britex Fabrics and mother of current owner Sharman Spector, is displayed at Britex Fabrics next to a vase of flowers. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle TOP: A large selection of ribbon and trim is seen displayed for sale at Britex Fabrics on Nov. 14. ABOVE: A portrait of Lucy Spector, co-founder of Britex Fabrics and mother of current owner Sharman Spector, is displayed at Britex Fabrics next to a vase of flowers. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle

Now at 117 Post St., Britex Fabrics encompasses 8,000 square feet over two floors and employs a staff of 15, and it remains a destination for hard-to-find materials and sewing tools. Like Alma Spreckels atop the Dewey Monument, it is for many a landmark of Union Square.

Although Spector said that the past few years have been hard for Union Square businesses  citing reasons ranging from a lack of parking and foot traffic to the citys recent doom loop publicity  she said that Britex is financially stable and plans to remain at its location.

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I can say clearly that were staying, were not in jeopardy, said Spector, her pug, Kirby, at her feet behind the counter. I think a lot of these chain stores that have just picked up and left, its because they really dont have any investment in the city. Britex does.

But thats not to say that Spector isnt adapting the business to changing circumstances. For most of 2020, the business operated without customers being able to come inside because of the pandemic, and employees would bring merchandise to the door. During that time, Spector said, the upholstery side of the business became more robust.

The store is now putting new emphasis on its online business and rolling out an updated website on Dec. 4 with tools like a fabric glossary and personal swatch gallery. Among the features Spector is most excited about is its online project manager. Lizzie Locker, soon to be store manager, explained that the feature has been built using the kinds of questions employees would ask customers in person.

It starts very simple: What are you making? Is it a blouse, dress, pants, home decor?   Locker explained. From there, itll offer you a selection of fabrics that would match. It really does help those who are new to sewing.

Still, Spector believes the best shopping experience will always be in the store. It isnt just the tactile nature of fabrics, its the value of the time with staff in person.

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Sharman Spector, owner of Britex Fabrics, holds lace fabric displayed at the store on Nov. 14. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle

Even though were smaller than we were before the pandemic, the people who are here are doing something they love, Spector said.

Douglas Davis has worked at Britex for 32 years and said his job has included everything from sales and client consulting to educating and providing psychotherapy when people are shopping.

While not as many people are home sewers as in the past, Davis said, business around costume seasons like Halloween and the Bay to Breakers race is usually dependable, as are theatrical productions. He also still has a handful of decades-long clients.

One woman is 76 and has been coming in here since she was 5 years old with her mother, Davis said. But a lot of people move out of the city, and not everyone wants to come downtown.

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Still, the store has its diehards. Dianne Boate is a prolific home sewer who has been shopping at Britex since moving to San Francisco in 1974. She compares the experience to the fabric hall at the famed Harrods department store in London.

Its a dream factory, a treasure house, Boate said. The sales staff there always has an attitude of wanting to help, even if you arent a big client.

Over the years, Boate has made clothes, hats and projects like pillows for formerly unhoused people from fabric at the store. Her son Teds panel on the AIDS Memorial Quilt is also made from Britex fabric.

David Reposar has worked in Union Square since the early 1990s as a hairstylist and is also the owner of the new art gallery Venus & Victory on Hyde Street above Union Square. Britex has been indispensable to him, whether he requires netting or jewels for a hairdo, trim for a fashion project or fabric for his work with home design clients. In 2014, he collaborated with Nancy Boy Soap and Britex on a fabric and fashion line.

There have been times Ive chosen the wrong fabric for a project or Ive had an idea that isnt correct for something, and they will gently steer me on the right path, Reposar said. Theres a weight and a pressure to uphold a legacy like Britexs, and a huge part of how they do that is with customer service.

The Britex Fabrics store is seen on Nov. 14 in San Francisco. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle

While Spector said that Union Square could benefit from things as basic as more garbage cans and as big picture as filling more of its vacant retail properties, she thinks the area will come back. She also believes that especially for a business like fabric, there is a value in brick-and-mortar shopping.

What we offer here in retail is dealing with each other as human beings, Spector said. We need to preserve that. Even though theres a great pleasure in being able to offer and buy something on a website, theres no substitute for coming in and having people who understand the business help you.

For Reposar, its essential that the city do what it can to support Britex as part of the larger downtown recovery.
Soto Padang with a slice of smoked beef brisket at Fikscue in Alameda. Mario Cortez / The Chronicle Crispy fried tofu batagor at Fikscue in Alameda. Mario Cortez / The Chronicle Texas barbecue meets Indonesian cuisine at Alameda's new restaurant Fikscue. Mario Cortez / The Chronicle

If you could never secure an order from top Bay Area barbecue pop-up Fikscue, whose sought-after dishes fuse central Texas barbecue with Indonesian flavors, theres now hope at its newly opened brick-and-mortar location. Still, getting a taste remains a challenge, with weekend lines that form an hour before opening.

At 1708 Park St. in Alameda, owners Fik and Reka Saleh offer brisket and ribs smoked with almond wood alongside Indonesian staples like noodle soups and Sumatran Balado chile paste. Indonesian cuisine is underrepresented, so we want to showcase it, Reka Saleh, who also runs an Indonesian-centered food pop-up called Gurih Table, previously told the San Francisco Chronicle. Fikscue was born when the couple combined her Indonesian food with leftover bits of her husbands barbecue.

This is an opportunity to intertwine both cuisines, she said. Who doesnt love barbecue?

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Outside Fikscue's new brick-and-mortar in Alameda, which has drawn long lines in its first weeks of business. The new restaurant brings together Texas smoked barbecue with Indonesian flavors. Mario Cortez/The Chronicle

Fikscue took over the space that housed the wildly popular Mama Judys Singapore Hawker, which closed as it struggled to keep up with overwhelming demand. The space is tucked inside a courtyard with patio seating next to Alameda Island Brewings taproom (which also allows Fikscue patrons to sit inside).

With no preorders, getting in line is the only way to secure the Indonesian-Texan goods. On weekends  the only days the business is currently open  the single-file queue begins to form around 11 a.m. outside the patio gate an hour before opening, and can be 50-people long by the time the doors open. In its first weeks of service, the restaurant has been selling out between 2:30 and 3 p.m. The Salehs plan to expand hours as they ease into their new space.

You can check Fikscues Instagram for current offerings, but here is a sample of what to expect when you get to the counter, where you can order both Indonesian plates and barbecue by the pound:

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Beef brisket rendang plate, with several side dishes at Fikscue in Alameda. Mario Cortez / The Chronicle

Rendang plate ($22): Fik Salehs brisket is perfectly delectable on its own, but the rendang plate takes bits of the soft, gelatinous smoked meat and tosses them in Indonesias traditional spiced coconut milk sauce. The mix shows off some of the meats smokiness, with the creamy texture accentuating the briskets fatty bits. The plate is very generous, with sides of kale cooked in a coconut curry and white rice. The hard-boiled egg, coated in a spicy chile paste, is a sleeper hit: It really comes together when you mix the yolk with the paste.

Soto Padang ($18, with slice of brisket $22): Crispy bits of brisket share a soup bowl with vermicelli noodles and diced tomato. Theyre in a light broth, with a homey onion flavor, and fresh chopped green onion adds freshness. The deluxe adds a slice of brisket, which infuses more smoke and fattiness into the broth.

Batagor ($12, eight pieces): Whether you opted for the Indonesian plates or the hefty smoked ribs, this wonton-shaped fried tofu snack is a great side dish or appetizer. Each bite comes topped with peanut sauce and a bit of hot sauce. The crispy corners capture plenty of those sauces, while the core is soft and warm.

Fikscue. 1708 Park St., Alameda. Noon-5 p.m. (or until they sell out) Saturday-Sunday. fikscue.com
This photo provided by Diane Dircks shows a U.S. Navy plane that overshot a Marine base on Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, Monday, Nov. 20, 2023. An official says all nine people aboard the plane have escaped injury. (Diane Dircks via AP) Diane Dircks/AP A downed U.S. Navy aircraft is seen in Kaneohe Bay, Monday, Nov. 20, 2023, in Kaneohe, Hawaii. (Jamm Aquino/Honolulu Star-Advertiser via AP) Jamm Aquino/AP Residents look at a downed U.S. Navy aircraft in Kaneohe Bay, Monday, Nov. 20, 2023, in Kaneohe, Hawaii. (Jamm Aquino/Honolulu Star-Advertiser via AP) Jamm Aquino/AP A downed U.S. Navy aircraft is seen in Kaneohe Bay, Monday, Nov. 20, 2023, in Kaneohe, Hawaii. (Jamm Aquino/Honolulu Star-Advertiser via AP) Jamm Aquino/AP This photo provided by Diane Dircks shows a U.S. Navy plane that overshot a Marine base on Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, Monday, Nov. 20, 2023. An official says all nine people aboard the plane have escaped injury. (Diane Dircks via AP) Diane Dircks/AP A downed U.S. Navy aircraft is seen in Kaneohe Bay, Monday, Nov. 20, 2023, in Kaneohe, Hawaii. (Jamm Aquino/Honolulu Star-Advertiser via AP) Jamm Aquino/AP Kaneohe Bay is seen with low visibility after a U.S. Navy aircraft went down in Kaneohe Bay, Monday, Nov. 20, 2023, in Kaneohe, Hawaii. (Jamm Aquino/Honolulu Star-Advertiser via AP) Jamm Aquino/AP Rescue personnel are seen at the end of the runway at MCAS Kaneohe Bay after a downed U.S. Navy aircraft crashed in Kaneohe Bay, Monday, Nov. 20, 2023, in Kaneohe, Hawaii. (Jamm Aquino/Honolulu Star-Advertiser via AP) Jamm Aquino/AP Residents look at a downed U.S. Navy aircraft in Kaneohe Bay, Monday, Nov. 20, 2023, in Kaneohe, Hawaii. (Jamm Aquino/Honolulu Star-Advertiser via AP) Jamm Aquino/AP

HONOLULU (AP)  A Navy plane flying in rainy weather overshot a runway Monday at a military base in Hawaii and splashed into Kaneohe Bay, but all nine aboard were uninjured, authorities said.

The Coast Guard responded, but rescue operations were quickly called off, said Petty Officer Ryan Fisher, a Coast Guard spokesperson. It sounds like all parties involved were rescued, he said.

Marine Corps spokesperson Gunnery Sgt. Orlando Perez had no information about what caused the P-8A aircraft to go off the runway at Marine Corps Base Hawaii.

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A photo taken by witness Diane Dircks showed the plane in water just offshore, a sight reminiscent of the 2009  Miracle on the Hudson  when a passenger jet piloted by Chesley Sully Sullenberger made an emergency landing on the New York river. All 155 people aboard survived.

The P-8A and the Airbus A320 that Sullenberger piloted are roughly the same size.

Dircks and her family had just returned to the dock after rainy weather cut their pontoon boat trip short when her daughter noticed the plane in the water.

We went running over to the end of the dock, and I took some pictures, she said.

Dircks, who is visiting from Illinois, said her daughter keeps a pair of binoculars on her for birdwatching, so she was able to see the plane and the rescue boats arriving.

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It was unbelievable, she said.

The Honolulu Fire Department received a 911 call for a downed aircraft shortly after 2 p.m., spokesperson Malcolm K. Medrano said in an email. It was cloudy and rainy at the time. Visibility was about 1 mile (1.6 kilometers), said Thomas Vaughan, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Honolulu.

The P-8A is often used to hunt for submarines and for reconnaissance and intelligence gathering. It is manufactured by Boeing and shares many parts with the 737 commercial jet.

The plane belongs to the Skinny Dragons of Patrol Squadron 4 stationed at Whidbey Island in Washington state. Patrol squadrons were once based at Kaneohe Bay, but now deploy to Hawaii on a rotational basis.

Marine Corps Base Hawaii is about 10 miles (16 kilometers) from Honolulu on Oahu. The base houses about 9,300 military personnel and 5,100 family members. It's one of several key military installations on Oahu.

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The base sits on Kaneohe Bay, which is home to coral reefs, a breeding ground for hammerhead sharks and a University of Hawaii marine biology research institute.

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Frank Ferrer has filed for divorce from his wife of 16 months, Magdalena Malicka.

According to People, the 57-year-old drummer, who currently performs with Guns N' Roses, cited irreconcilable differences as the reasoning behind the split from his spouse.

The performer and the photographer tied the knot in May of last year, and they listed a date of separation of September 30.

Neither Ferrer nor Malicka have publicly spoken about the end of their marriage as of yet.

The musician and the social media figure do not share any children, and it is currently unclear as to when they began their relationship.

Split up: Frank Ferrer has filed for divorce from his wife of 16 months, Magdalena Malicka

The performer has shared numerous photos featuring his estranged wife on his Instagram account over the past year.

Malicka was most recently featured in a set of snaps that had been taken during a trip to Rome, and he included a shot that showed her preparing to kiss him on the cheek.

The musician also shared several photos that had been taken during a trip to Madrid the previous month.

However, no snaps including the drummer remain on the social media personality's account.

Ferrer initially joined Guns N' Roses in 2006 after Bryan Mantia left the legendary rock group after he welcomed a child.

Although the performer was initially expected to play with the band as a touring member, he eventually was invited to stay with the group.

The drummer, who has also performed with acts including The Psychedelic Furs and and Tool, remained with the band during the Not in This Lifetime... Tour, which saw its original guitarist and bassist, Slash and Duff McKagan, rejoining the group.

The musician recently completed the Guns N' Roses 2023 Tour, which concluded with a performance at the Foro Pegaso in Toluca, Mexico.

Over and done with: According to People , the 57-year-old drummer, who currently performs with Guns N' Roses, cited irreconcilable differences as the reasoning behind the split from his spouse.

Making it clear: The performer and the photographer tied the knot in May of last year, and they listed a date of separation of September 30

Staying quiet: Neither Ferrer nor Malicka have publicly spoken about the end of their marriage as of yet

Ferrer spoke about working with the band during an interview with KKDM, during which he expressed that he wanted to be able to replicate the sounds of the group's former drummers.

'I really had to work hard to make sure I was able to represent [Steven] Adler's feel, Matt Sorum's feel and and [Bryan Mantia's] feel of the Chinese Democracy [era],' he stated.

The musician then remarked that, although the task was daunting, he was happy to have been able to join the band.

'That was the toughest challenge  finding all three eras of Guns N' Roses and bringing them together to one cohesive way of playing their material,' he said.
Jennifer Lawrence, Alexandra Daddario and Rachel Zegler led the glam parade at Saks Fifth Avenue's annual holiday window unveiling and light show in New York.

The actress, 33, looked elegant in a Dior outfit, wearing a sophisticated black coat over a white button-up shirt for the ceremony, which took place on Monday.

She later suffered a small wardrobe malfunction while giving a speech at the event as her belt fell off, but playfully laughed it off.

Meanwhile Daddario, 37, stunned in a racy netted dress that showed off her black lingerie underneath. The White Lotus star paired her ensemble with a black leather jacket, a Dior saddle bag, and black heels.

Zegler, 22, also opted for a sheer look, wowing in a transparent black tulle dress that highlighted her trim midriff.

This year the iconic retailer paired with French fashion house Dior, to create the 'Carousel of Dreams' display, with the light extravaganza spanning across the 10-story building and featuring 300,000 LED lights.

Holiday glam: Jennifer Lawrence and Alexandra Daddario led the glam parade at Saks Fifth Avenue's annual holiday window unveiling in New York on Monday

Sheer beauty: Rachel Zegler, 22, also opted for a sheer look, wowing in a sheer black tulle dress that highlighted her trim midriff

Elegant: The Hunger Games star, 33, looked elegant in a Dior outfit, wearing a sophisticated black coat over a white button-up shirt, with a black belt wrapped around her waist

Merry: The Dior store twinkled with numerous warm yellow lights

Liberty: The Statue of Liberty was featured in one of the windows, which will stay up through January 5th

Impressed: The incredible display drew crowds who appeared mesmerized as they stopped to take photos

Beautiful: Onlookers appeared to be moved by the captivating storefront

Lawrence teamed her outfit with a classy black headband that held her blonde tresses back.

The star posed in front of the display with the CEO of Saks Fifth Avenue Marc Metrick and the CEO of Christian Dior Delphine Arnault.

During the ceremony she had a hilarious reaction as she suffered a wardrobe malfunction.

She was giving a speech alongside Marc and Delphine before unveiling the holiday window displays, when suddenly her belt popped off and fell to the ground.

The Academy Award-winning actress raised her hands to her face in shock while exclaiming 'I'm so sorry, that was so loud, my belt popped off!' in a clip shared by Women's Wear Daily.

However, like a true pro, the beauty quickly collected herself and continued on with her speech, before unveiling the windows.

Lawrence has been a Dior ambassador since 2012.

Zegler was joined by boyfriend Josh Rivera, 28, who sported a burgundy button-up underneath a black blazer and pants.

Stunner: The blonde bombshell showed off her chic look before suffering an onstage wardrobe mishap

Dynamic trio: Lawrence posed in front of the display with the CEO of Saks Fifth Avenue Marc Metrick, and the CEO of Christian Dior Delphine Arnault

All black: Nina Dobrev, 34, looked glamorous a dramatic black patterned gown and matching black jacket

Tres chic: Nina later removed her jacket to show off her full ensemble

Wild vision: Maya Hawke, 25, showed off her wild side in a cheetah-print dress with a black belt cinching her waist

Racy: Lola Tung, 21, was a sheer beauty in a black lace maxi dress, while Jeanne Grey rocked black feather trim pants with a black blazer

Stylish: Tracee Ellis Ross, 51, looked sophisticated in a black button-up tucked into a flowing long black skirt

On theme: She kept on theme, and like many of the other stars accessorized with a black handbag

Fashionistas: Anna Sitar wore a vintage-reminiscent pleated grey dress stylish black heels and a red Dior bag. Charlotte Groeneveld showed off her cool style in a plaid grey suit with a tie

Feminine: Lily Chee opted for a very feminine pale pink mini dress and cream bag

Graceful: Ashley Park, 32, charmed in a sleeveless black coat dress, while Elizabeth Kurpis looked incredible in a black mini dress, tights, and heels with a crystal buckle

Floral: Hannah Bronfman, 36, slipped into a more unique look, wearing a floral print top and flowing pants

Mingling: Mickalene Thomas, and Maria Grazia Chiuri, mingled with Tracee at the event

Maya Hawke, 25, was also in attendance, and showed off her wild side in a cheetah-print dress with a black belt cinching her waist. She paired the outfit with black heels and a black pure.

Nina Dobrev, 34, looked glamorous a dramatic black patterned gown and matching black jacket.

Tracee Ellis Ross, 51, looked sophisticated in a black button-up tucked into a flowing long black skirt.

She kept on theme, and like many of the other stars accessorized with a black handbag.

The star mingled with Mickalene Thomas and Maria Grazia Chiuri on the red carpet.

Lola Tung, 21, was a sheer beauty in a black lace maxi dress, which she paired with a Dior purse.

Jeanne Grey rocked black feather trim pants with a black blazer.

Anna Sitar wore a vintage-reminiscent pleated grey dress stylish black heels and a red Dior bag.

Charlotte Groeneveld showed off her cool style in a plaid grey suit with a tie. She teamed the outfit with black boots and a cream Dior bag.

Oops! Lawrence had a hilarious reaction as she suffered a wardrobe malfunction during the ceremony

Yikes: She was giving a speech before unveiling the 2023 holiday windows when her belt popped off

Funny: The actress raised her hands to her face in shock while exclaiming 'I'm so sorry, that was so loud, my belt popped off!'

Like a pro: However, like a true pro, she quickly collected herself and continued on with her speech, before unveiling the windows

The power trio: She spoke alongside Marc and Delphine

Stylish: She teamed the outfit with a classy black headband that held her blonde tresses back

Holidays: Afterwards she posed in front of the festive window display

Beautiful: The light extravaganza spanned across the 10-story building, and featured installations in-store and 300,000 LED lights

Staying warm: The star kept warm underneath a blanket

Picture perfect: She wore delicate bronze glam for the occasion

The beauty enjoyed the spectacular light show

Fabulous: It was the first time the retailer exclusively collaborated with a fashion brand for its annual holiday window display

Fans: A crowd gathered to witness the unfolding of the lavish new display

Ambassador: Lawrence has been a Dior ambassador since 2012

Celebration: Bystanders stopped to pose for pictures outside the marvelous display

Lily Chee opted for a very feminine pale pink mini dress and cream bag.

Continuing with the parade of glamour was Elizabeth Kurpis, who looked incredible in a black mini dress, tights, and heels with a crystal buckle.

Hannah Bronfman, 36, slipped into a more unique look, wearing a floral print top and flowing pants.

Ashley Park, 32, charmed in a sleeveless black coat dress, which she teamed with a floral print bag and rhinestone embellished black heels.

Eli Brown and Caleb McLaughlin both wore grey coats for the occasion.

Inside the event guests braved the cold New York temperatures with cozy navy blankets.

Jennifer, Rachel, Maya and Nina were pictured in front row seats as they watched the spectacular light show.

It was the first time Saks exclusively collaborated with a fashion brand for its annual holiday window display.

Staying warm: Rachel, Maya and Nina also kept warm with navy blankets as they braved the New York temperatures

Men's style: Eli Brown and Caleb McLaughlin both wore grey coats for the occasion

Front row: The ladies had a front row seat for the festivities

On arrival: The beauty was pictured arriving to the event

Winter wear: She teamed her outfit with black high-heel boots

Happy to be here: She flashed a bright smile for the cameras

Simply lovely: Daddario and Park pictured arriving

Loved up: Zegler was joined by boyfriend Josh Rivera, 28, who sported a burgundy button-up underneath a black blazer and pants

The feat took a '100 artisans, 10 months in planning and involved designing and manufacturing objects in Italy' and 'flying them to New York to install' as per Women's Wear Daily.

The window displays featured signature Dior motifs, including the star, the clover and the signs of the zodiac, drawing inspiration from the Dior cruise 2024 collection.

The windows will stay up through January 5th.

The partnership between Saks and Dior also includes a digital pop-up, which is the first time that all categories of Dior merchandise are available online anywhere other than on the Dior website.

'This celebration is around Christmas, the unveiling of the Christmas windows around Rockefeller Center, making a big gift to the city, and to the New York citizens. It's for Saks, it's for New York and it's for the U.S. We hope it will have a reach that is beyond the city and have some recognition for all of our clients across the U.S.,' said Charles Delapalme, managing director of Christian Dior Couture.
She recently spent time in Fiji as the social media ambassador for Love Island Games.

Yet Maura Higgins was off in search of more winter sun as she revealed she was living it up in the Maldives.

The reality star, 32, documented her travels with a slew of Instagram snaps on Monday and she sent fans wild as she posed in skimpy bikinis.

Maura put her toned figure on display in a red bandeau bikini that showed off her incredible abs.

She flashed underboob in the tiny two-piece and quipped in the caption: 'I like my bikinis how I like my wine..Red'

Fun in the sun: Maura Higgins flaunted her incredible figure in skimpy bikinis as she shared sizzling snaps from her Maldives getaway on Instagram on Monday

Wow: The Love Island star then switched into a colourful crochet bikini and white mini skirt as she snapped a selfie inside her waterfront villa

On the move: She posed on a bicycle as she took snaps while touring the island

The Love Island star then switched into a colourful crochet bikini and white mini skirt as she snapped a selfie inside her waterfront villa.

While she may have been living it up in the Maldives, she still had her work on Love Island Games in Fiji on her mind as she shared behind the scenes snaps from her final day of filming.

While she may work hard to maintain her incredible figure, she revealed she still allows herself to indulge, sharing snaps enjoying pizza on set.

Maura recently discussed the exciting experience of guest hosting the new Love Island Games and revealed she wasn't 'too polite' to ex Curtis Pritchard.

She chatted with ex Islander Kem Cetinay on Capital Late Show as she discussed joining the 'epic' new show.

'Love Island Games is very different to your average Love Island. I mean, people really wanted to win they were taking this very serious like, you know very strategic and I was quite shocked because people were taking it that serious that it's all they're cared about,' said Maura.

'There was still some love interest but not as much. What a show though. I was lucky enough I got to watch it. Like because obviously I was interviewing all the exited Islanders. And honestly, it is epic.'

Kem, 27, who also guest hosted an episode on Love Island Games told Maura: 'So you was obviously the social host, Maya Jama was the was the host, and Iain Stirling on the voiceovers very similar to the UK one, but a difference was is there was a lot of different nationalities so it was UK, USA, Australia, France, Sweden and Germany.

'So Islanders from all these different countries. Was it not weird? Like, was there not like a bit of a culture barrier in terms of them talking and humour maybe flirting?'

Hotly-anticipated: Maura recently spent time in Fiji as the social media ambassador for Love Island Games, which was hosted by Maya Jama

Yum: Maura shared behind the scenes snaps from her final day of filming and revealed she allows herself to indulge, sharing snaps enjoying pizza on set

Maura revealed: 'Yeah, there was a few moments where people couldn't understand one another. But I think it was more like, you know, all the UK contestants were sticking with each other.

'And then all the Americans were sticking with each other. It was kind of going like that. But it is it's very interesting. Very, very interesting.

'It was so strange going in this time like I was doing the slow-mo walk with you and everything. It was a bit weird because you was doing the whole sexy Maura walking and I was walking next to you and thinking, 'what do I do now in this slow-mo walk? Do I just smile? Do I try and act sexy? I don't even know if I can act sexy.

The Irish stunner also discussed seeing 'too familiar' faces on the new show, including her 'ex' Curtis.

As Kem cheekily asked Maura if he should actually call Curtis her 'ex', he added: 'Well, we have to say ex really nowadays. By your reaction, it was a bit of a weird one, wasn't it?'

'Do you know what, like, everyone's very excited about this because obviously they know that I would have had to interview him like, if he gets dumped from the show or if he makes the final,' she detailed.

'So yeah, we could have a run in there. So yeah, I mean, I don't know how much I can say but ....it was interesting.'

'I'm sure there will be an interview at one point,' asked Kem.

And Maura spilled the beans as she revealed: 'Yeah, there is an interview. Like, I don't really know if I can say that or not. But I mean, there is an interview and I'm trying to think back like how it went like I think it was okay, I think I was nice. I think.

'I think there might have been moments where I wasn't too... polite, but I think I made it more of a joke.'

Former flame: Maura recently discussed the exciting experience of guest hosting Love Island Games and revealed she wasn't 'too polite' to ex Curtis Pritchard (pictured on Love Island UK)
LadBaby has revealed they aren't doing a festive single for 2023, after five consecutive years getting the Christmas number one.

Last year, husband and wife duo Roxanne, 39, and Mark Hoyle, 36, surpassed a record set by The Beatles in the 1960s when they topped the charts with their single Food Aid, a rework of the Band Aid song Do They Know It's Christmas?

But now the couple have revealed they have decided 'to pass the baton on'.

Mark told the Metro: 'We never expected it to be five, Ill be totally honest. Its one of those things that just happened over the years and we thought it was amazing that the public got behind us in the way that they did.

'Five years ago when we started this, we knew the importance of food banks in this country and we wanted to raise funds and awareness for that so we did that one [song], that was lovely.'

Handing over the baton: LadBaby has revealed they aren't doing a festive single for 2023, after five consecutive years of getting the Christmas number one

The legacy for us is we want charity songs to dominate every Christmas, we want all the top 20 to be charity songs for good causes, having fun, because thats what Christmas is, its time for family and time for giving.'

Roxanne said their original plan was to do only one single but due to their success, went on to do four more.

According to Aceodds.com, The Pogues are favourites to achieve Christmas number one this year, with a 44% chance.

In joint second place are Ed Sheeran and The Beatles, with an 11.1% chance.

The Beatles recently released their final single Now and Then gives them a chance of the first Christmas number 1 since 1967.

LadBaby equalled the Beatles' total of four Christmas number ones, earned by The Beatles non-consecutively in 1963, 1964, 1965 and 1967.

Profits from their single last year was split between food bank charity the Trussell Trust and the Band Aid Trust.

In total, the band have accumulated more than 1,305,000 for charity.

Number one: Last year, husband and wife duo Roxanne and Mark Hoyle surpassed a record set by The Beatles in the 1960s when they topped the charts with their single Food Aid

Music icons: LadBaby reached the top of the festive chart with food-inspired tracks with Ed Sheeran and Sir Elton John-featuring in Sausage Rolls For Everyone 2021

LadBaby reached the top of the festive chart with food-inspired tracks We Built This City (2018), I Love Sausage Rolls (2019), Don't Stop Me Eatin' (2020) and the Ed Sheeran and Sir Elton John-featuring Sausage Rolls For Everyone (2021).

Mark is a graphic designer and blogger from Nottingham, and together with his wife Roxanne rose to fame with their YouTube videos.

The clips posted under the name of LadBaby, followed his life as he prepared to welcome his first child with Roxanne, who is known as LadBabyMum.

The couple married in Las Vegas in 2015 and went on to welcome their first son Phoenix, seven, and Kobe, five.
Angela Rippon feels like she has won the Glitterball trophy despite being the latest star to be voted off Strictly Come Dancing.

The legendary broadcaster, 79, became the eighth star to leave the BBC dancing show on Sunday.

She told how she has been stopped everywhere by members of the public saying she has given them a new lease of life and had been 'flying the flag for older women.'

Angela, who had been partnered with professional dancer Kai Widdrington, aged 28 and 51 years her junior, said that whilst she was still 'fit and flexible' she knew she would never win the series.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour on Monday, she said: 'I did say right at the very beginning I did know I was never going to win the competition, my goodness there are some stunning dancers this year and getting closer and closer to that Glitterball.

Time up: Angela Rippon feels like she has won the Glitterball trophy despite being the latest star to be voted off Strictly Come Dancing

Incredible: The 79-year-old wowed the judges and spectators with her flexible dance moves and high 'split' kicks

'I was never going to be one of them, I knew that, but if I could get that message across that dancing is not just a joyous thing to do but one of ways that as you get older, when you get into your sixties, seventies, eighties and your nineties, it will help you in your mind and your body, to stay stronger, stay fitter and more flexible.'

And she she echoed the much loved late host Bruce Forsyth's catchphrase, saying: 'As Brucie used to say Keep Dancing!'

She had performed an American smooth to Tea For Two by Ella Fitzgerald but landed in Sunday night's dreaded dance off against EastEnders star Bobby Brazier and his partner Dianne Buswell.

She added: 'I know there will be people who perhaps have medical conditions which will make that impossible but movement is still important so they can live a full life.

'If I can get that message across, just by having done what I have done, that will be my Glitterball. I will see that as an achievement.'

'The number of people who have written or said to me in person that I have been an inspiration to them and I have been flying the flag for older women, that I have persuaded people to be fitter, to do something physical for themselves has been overwhelming.'

Angela wowed the judges and spectators with her flexible dance moves and high 'split' kicks, and had her last dance with partner Kai on Sunday at Blackpool Tower ballroom where she had previously presented Come Dancing 40 years before.

The celebrity said she decided to do the iconic show because 'I am fit and still very flexible so I thought 'Why not, give it a go?'

Brutal: Angela faced Bobby Brazier in the tense dance off as both stars tried to impress the judges one final time

She said she had been regularly dancing throughout her sixties and seventies as a way of keeping fit.

She admitted she would have loved to have gone 'a bit further' in the competition for Kai, but said that they would remain firm friends now that her time on the show has come to an end.

When asked by Tess about her time on the show, Angela said on Sunday: 'I have to tell you that the last nine weeks have probably been the most terrifying, the most fantastic, the most glorious, the most joyful that I have spent for a very long time in my profession.

'I have had the time of my life, people keep making reference to the fact that I presented Come Dancing, but that was forty years ago, that was a different time! He [Kai] wasn't even born then!

'But actually being this side of the competition, this side of the programme has been really an eye opener for me in so many different ways.

'Everybody talks about the team and all the pros - everyone who has danced  there is a real team spirit in this programme unlike anything I've come across anywhere else in any of the many programmes I've done.

Yay! Strictly Come Dancing returned to Blackpools famous Tower Ballroom on Saturday night, with Angela experiencing a full circle moment

Wow: The presenter returned to the seaside resort after hosting the original version of the show, Come Dancing, in the Eighties and Nineties (pictured in 1988)

'It's absolutely fabulous. They support us, they encourage us all the time  it's absolutely wonderful. But the person who really has to get the most credit is this gentleman here [to Kai].'

The first Come Dancing programme was aired in 1950 and presented by Peter Dimmock, with Leslie Mitchell as the master of ceremonies.

Angela joined as a presenter a few years later alongside the likes of Terry Wogan, Judith Chalmers, David Jacobs, and Rosemarie Ford.

Come Dancing ended in 1998. However the success of the film Strictly Ballroom rekindled interest in dance and so, in 2004, Strictly Come Dancing aired on BBC.

The remaining six couples will take to the dancefloor next when Strictly Come Dancing returns on Saturday 25th November at 19:30, with the results show on Sunday 26th November at 19:20 on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, speaks during a Bay Area Airports Infrastructure event at SFO on Jan. 28, 2022. The longtime representative for key swaths of Silicon Valley does not plan to seek reelection in 2024. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle Rep. Anna Eshoo, the longtime representative for key swaths of Silicon Valley, does not plan to seek reelection in 2024. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle

Rep. Anna Eshoo, the longtime representative for key swaths of Silicon Valley, will not seek reelection in 2024, she announced Tuesday.

I will not seek reelection, and I do so with a heart filled with unending gratitude to you, my magnificent constituents, she said in a video message. For three decades, youve given me your trust, and Ive given every fiber of my being to live up to the sacred trust in every way possible.

Rep. Kevin Mullin of San Mateo, whose district borders Eshoos, called her a living legend for the Peninsula and Silicon Valley. He lauded Eshoo for setting the standard for constituent service and delivering for her district. She is universally respected and revered, and her district and the Congress has benefited greatly from her steady and moral leadership during some (of) the most challenging times our country has faced, he told the Chronicle.

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Eshoo will be 82 when she retires and will leave open a critical role on one of the most powerful House committees, Energy and Commerce. That committee has extensive jurisdiction over telecommunications, technology, food and drug safety, public health, energy and interstate commerce. Eshoo lost a bid to lead the full committee in 2014 (having received Pelosis backing), but has been a key part of major health legislation in her role as the top Democrat on the health subcommittee.

I think its time. That was the determination I made, and it wasnt an easy decision, Eshoo told the Chronicle Tuesday. I was all prepared to run for reelection, but I had a little voice inside of me, and so I had to pay attention to that.

Eshoo said that the decades of cross-country travel the job entails takes a toll.

These jobs are 24/7. I have commuted across the country, for 31 years, every single week that the House is in session, Eshoo said. To do my legislative work at the Capitol, but to come home, to be in my district, that means working weekends to be with my constituents. Ive never resented the responsibilities, but as a member of Congress, my life is filled to the brim with have-tos. Thats what comes first.

She began her elected career in politics as a member of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors in 1982. She was elected to the House in 1992 when then-Rep. Tom Campbell gave up his seat to run for the Senate.

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Eshoo will serve out the remainder of her term, which ends in December 2024.

I want you to know youve made me a better person. You have deepened my love of democracy. You have demonstrated the goodness and the decency of the American people over and over again, Eshoo said in the video. So on this Thanksgiving, I will bow my head and say thank you for choosing me for the high privilege of representing you.

Eshoo said her decision wasnt due to the current state of Congress, as other members have said. If anyone says, There isnt any bipartisanship, you cant get anything done, my record speaks to a whole different approach, she said.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., praised Eshoo as a prolific legislator, innovator and barrier breaker Tuesday. For more than three decades, Rep. Anna Eshoo has ably represented her constituents in the Bay Area during an era of tremendous growth and change, he said in a statement. As a member of Congress, Anna has exemplified Silicon Valleys hallmark innovation and brilliance at every step of her public service journey.

Eshoos retirement is part of a substantial turnover in Bay Area women politicians over the last year. Former Rep. Jackie Speier of San Mateo retired, the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein  who wasnt planning to seek reelection  died in September, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi stepped down from her leadership position last November, and Rep. Barbara Lee of Oakland is running for the open Senate seat.

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Annas retirement from the Congress next year, combined with Jackie Speiers prior departure from Congress to return home to San Mateo County, signals a remarkable transition for Peninsula politics, Mullin, who was elected to replace Speier, told the Chronicle.

Her announcement will set off a scramble among politicians who have not had a shot at an open Palo Alto House seat in three decades.

One person likely to run is Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian. He does have $681,003 cash on hand in his House fundraising account  more than Eshoo does ($599,672), according to campaign filings. But Simitian, 70, told the Chronicle earlier this year that he wouldnt run as long as Eshoo remained in office. Not only are they friends and allies, Simitian said, but she introduced me to my wife.

My plans for the future have been shared previously, Simitian said Tuesday. But right now, I think the focus should be on taking a moment to say thanks to Anna for a really remarkable career of public service.

Another likely candidate will be Assembly Member Evan Low, D-Sunnyvale, who has served nearly a decade in the Legislature after representing the city of Campbell on its City Council for eight years. He would not be permitted to run for reelection to the Assembly if he runs for Congress. He owns a home in Campbell, which is in the district, and could move back there.

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Both Simitian and Low are expected to make announcements next week.

Look for supporters of Low, 40, to make age a factor in the battle against Simitian, 70, in a year when the issue will be front and center in the likely presidential election matchup between President Joe Biden, 81, and Republican Donald Trump, 77.

And look for backers of Simitian to point out that Simitian has represented 85% of the congressional district over the more than two decades that he served in the Assembly, state Senate and on the Board of Supervisors. Low doesnt live in the district, but that is not a requirement for House races.

Eshoos retirement came as a surprise to some observers. She hasnt stopped fundraising, having raised $519,714 in the first nine months of the year, according to Federal Election Commission filings.

Unlike several of her Bay Area colleagues, Eshoo wasnt certain that she would run for reelection when asked in July. She told the Chronicle she was inclined to, but that she would likely be influenced by whether Pelosi decided to run again (Pelosi announced in September that she would). The two have been close friends since the mid-1970s, long before they served in the House together.

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Bob Egelko has been a reporter since June 1970. He spent 30 years with the Associated Press, covering news, politics and occasionally sports in Los Angeles, San Diego and Sacramento, and legal affairs in San Francisco from 1984 onward. He worked for the San Francisco Examiner for five months in 2000, then joined The Chronicle in November 2000.

His beat includes state and federal courts in California, the Supreme Court and the State Bar. He has a law degree from McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento and is a member of the bar. Coverage has included the passage of Proposition 13 in 1978, the appointment of Rose Bird to the state Supreme Court and her removal by the voters, the death penalty in California and the battles over gay rights and same-sex marriage.

He can be reached at begelko@sfchronicle.com.
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Amanda Holden joined Ashley Roberts and Myleene Klass as they led the scantily-clad arrivals at Global Radio's star-studded Make Some Noise charity gala at The Londoner Hotel in Leicester Square on Tuesday evening.

The BGT judge, 54, who also co-hosted the event, sent temperatures soaring in a semi-sheer black De Fichier gown which boasted racy cut outs and a plunging neckline to reveal her skimpy lingerie beneath.

Amanda's frock also featured a dramatic train and thigh-high split which perfectly showcased her long toned legs as she strutted her stuff on the red carpet.

Meanwhile Ashley, 42, left very little to the imagination in her own saucy ensemble as she slipped into a lace dress with an asymmetrical neckline revealing one bare breast.

The eye-popping grown had a high neckline and puff sleeves and the Pussycat Doll retained her modesty with a sequinned flower embellishment placed over her bosom.

Glamour: (L-R)Amanda Holden, 54, joined Ashley Roberts, 42, and Myleene Klass, 45, as they led thescantily-cladg arrivals at Global's star-studded Make Some Noise charity gala at The Londoner Hotel in Leicester Square on Tuesday evening

Hot stuff: The BGT judge sent temperatures soaring as she slipped into a semi-sheer black bodysuit which boasted with racy cut outs and a plunging neckline to reveal her lingerie beneath

Also dressed to impress was Myleene, 45, who showcased her curves in a blue sequinned gown with thigh-high split which sparkled under the lights.

The Radio DJ accessorised with statement earrings and oozed confidence despite risking a wardrobe malfunction as she went braless beneath the cut-out dress.

The Gala event raises money for Global's Make Some Noise charity to help disadvantaged children, young people and their families across the UK.

Earlier this month Amanda undertook many gruelling challenges in a bid to raise money for the charity.

The presenter truly proved herself for the cause as she also jumped 13,000ft out of a plane, and climbed Blackpool Tower while presenting her breakfast show.

For five days in a row, Amanda and her co-host Ashley faced five challenges for the Heart's charity - dubbed Race Against Time.

As if it couldn't get more gruelling, the duo only had one hour to complete each challenge, which also saw her navigate the Thames River in a yellow kayak.

As well as joining The Wings Parachute Display Team for the tandem jump, who specialise in epic aerial displays - and Amanda's was just as mesmerising.

Sexy: Amanda's frock also featured a dramatic train and thigh-high split which perfectly showcased her long toned legs as she strutted her stuff on the red carpet

Strut: The beauty added extra height to her frame with a pair of towering black platforms

Pleased as punch: Amanda couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she headed into the event

Hello: The stunner ensured all eyes were on here as she made her glamorous arrival

Stunning: The outfit showed off her very toned figure and rock hard abs

Incredible: Amanda took to social media to show off her outfit in more detail

Goddess: She teamed her frock with a matching manicure

Model credentials: She posed from every angle showing off her curves

Busty: Wow: Meanwhile Ashley left very little to the imagination in her own saucy enemble as she slipped into a lace dress with an asymmetrical neckline revealing one bare breast

Goddess: The eye-popping grown had a high neckline and puff sleeves and the Pussycat Doll retained her modesty with a sequinned flower embellishment placed over her bosom

Pose: She oozed confidence as she took to the red carpet

The first challenge saw Amanda scale the top of the tower and claim the title as the first person to have ever done so.

Despite walking up the tourist attraction, Amanda seemed to be in great spirits as she posed with both arms in the air for a photo.

The daredevil managed to reach all the way to the top and touch the flagpole in an impressive 57 minutes and 59 seconds.

After completing the heart-racing challenge, the TV personality said on the radio: 'Jamie, I think I should tell you now, they dared me, they said 'If you go up one more iron sort of curly bit more, we will have gone higher than anyone basically'.

'Wing commander Adam Collins from the Red Arrows is the only person to have got as far as me, and now I've gone higher than him. So I've officially gone higher than anyone's ever been!

'It honestly, I was absolutely terrified, my knees and legs went to jelly. You sort of learn to trust the equipment.

'I've never fainted in my life and when I got to the top, I suddenly thought 'I'm going to here!'

'Just donations, that's all we need, this is for Global's Make Some Noise, it's honestly the most terrifying thing I've ever done in my life, and I've done it for all those small charities.

'If you can afford it this morning, please give what you can.'

Perfection: Also dressed to impress was Myleene who showcased her curves in a blue sequinned gown with thigh-high split which sparkled under the lights

Careful: The Radio DJ beamed despite risking a wardrobe malfunction as she went braless beneath the cut-out dress

Silver: She accessorised with a pair of statement earrings which framed her face

Cheeky: The frock teased a glimpse of her lingerie beneath

Brunette beauty: Myleene wore her brunette tresses poker straight for the glam event

Fashion: Rita Ora looked sensational in a tiny fluffy mini skirt and figure-hugging sweater

Legs 11: She completed the look with a pair of thigh-high PVC boots

Talent: She later took to the stage to entertain the star-studded audience

A little help: Rita was joined on stage by some scantily-clad dancers

Impressive: The hitmaker belted out a selection of her most famous songs

On Stage: (L-R) Jamie Theakston, Rita Ora and Amanda Holden all helped entertain the audience

Fitted like a glove: Kirsty Gallacher was a vision in a gorgeous red gown which hugged her curves perfectly

Style: The fashion forward dress also featured a chic cropped cape

Lady in red: Kirsty added a little extra glamour to proceedings

Old pals: Kirsty (R) caught up with pal Ashley Roberts (R) and the ladies shared a giggle

Chic: Emily Maitlis put on a dazzling display in a sequinned silver gown with clear perspex heels

007? Jamie Theakston oozed sophistication in a black tuxedo worthy of James Bond himself

LOL: Rita kept Jamie in giggles on stage

Presenter: Also on hosting duties was Roman Kemp who looked smart in a black suit

Team work: Roman pictured with Sian Welby

Funnyman: Johnny Vaughan put on a very animated display

Couple: John Terry and wife Toni were dressed to the nines

Dapper: While the former footballer donned a velvet tuxedo jacket Toni showcased her figure in a Grecian inspired gown

Here come the girls: (L-R) Sian Welby, Aimee Vivian and Pandora Christie

Amanda, Ashley and Jamie Theakston are celebrating ten years of changing lives by supporting small projects across the UK, including in mental health, food poverty, domestic abuse, homelessness, and loneliness.

To support Amanda and Ashley on their challenge and donate to Global's Make Some Noise go to https://win.heart.co.uk/race-against-time/.

To donate 10, 20, 30 or 40 text HEART10, HEART20, HEART30 and HEART40 to 70766. 100% of your donation will go to Global's Make Some Noise.
Eddie Murphy is back as one of his most beloved movie characters of all time: Axel Foley.

Netflix unveiled a sneak peek image of Murphy's long-awaited return to the Beverly Hills Cop franchise for the fourth installment titled Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley on Tuesday.

In the photo, Axel Foley, portrayed by Murphy, is depicted wearing a Detroit Lions jacket with his hands raised while confronted by two police officers as a crowd of onlookers capture the incident on their phones.

The steaming giant captioned the incredible image, 'He's back. Axel Foley returns in 2024!'

Murphy's homecoming to his iconic wise-cracking cop role is nearly three decades after the release of Beverly Hills Cop III, and almost four decades after the original blockbuster hit, which debuted in 1984.

He's back! Netflix unveiled a sneak peek image of Eddie Murphy's long-awaited return to the Beverly Hills Cop franchise for the fourth installment titled Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley on Tuesday

Long-awaited: Murphy's homecoming to his iconic wise-cracking cop role is nearly three decades after the release of Beverly Hills Cop 3, and almost four decades after the original blockbuster hit, which debuted in 1984; seen here in Beverly Hills Cop II

'Anytime he walks on set, you never know what youre going to get. And its always pretty brilliant,' producer Jerry Bruckheimer said of Murphy to Empire.

'Every day hes there throws you back to the 80s.'

The sequel features a cast that includes Kevin Bacon, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Taylour Paige, and brings back familiar faces like Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Paul Reiser, and Bronson Pinchot.

Directed by Mark Molloy, the film picks up with Foley and 'his criminal defense attorney daughter (Paige), who pulls her dad into a California-based case where he'll cause issues for Kevin Bacon's LAPD special-unit officer, and team up with a new partner, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt,' per Empire.

'He gets stuck with Axel and they are hysterical together,' Bruckheimer said. 'Joseph is such a great straight man for Eddie.'

'It's about the emotion,' he added. 'No matter how funny it is, how much great action it has, it's all about the heartstrings'.

Will Beall wrote the script with Murphy producing, along with Bruckheimer and Chad Oman of Jerry Bruckheimer Films.

The first film, Beverly Hills Cop, told the story of Detroit cop Foley heading to the Los Angeles town to solve the murder of a friend.

Back in action: Murphy is seen on set of Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley in 2022

Still go it! Murphy and Judge Reinhold in Beverly Hills Cop III

The first sequel: Muprhy seen in 1987's Beverly Hills Cop II

Blockbuster: The first film, Beverly Hills Cop, told the story of Detroit cop Foley heading to the Los Angeles town to solve the murder of a friend

It raked in $234 million, securing its position as the top-grossing domestic release of 1984.

Additionally, it earned an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay in 1985.

It was followed by two sequels, in 1987 and 1994.

He was seen shooting the movie of October last year in Los Angeles.
Many residents at the 35-story tower 33 Tehama have been displaced from their homes for over a year, due to flooding damages. John King/The Chronicle 2022

A San Francisco developer who has been working for 17 months to repair the damage caused by 20,000 gallons of water that tore through 33 Tehama last summer has informed residents displaced from the luxury high-rise that plans for reoccupation have been delayed once more.

More than 400 people who lived inside of the 35-story SoMa tower have been out of their homes since last June, when a flood caused by a water main failure first displaced them. They were initially told that they would be allowed to reoccupy the building last fall, but that timeline was ultimately pushed back to the second half of this year.

On Tuesday, the residents received a fresh update from building owner Hines: They will not be returning to the building this year after all.

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In an email to the now fractured 33 Tehama community, Hines said that a final inspection of the building by the city related to restoration in areas impacted by last years flooding is slated to take place in December. Once the results of that inspection are in, Hines said that it will have more clarity about the return process, which is now expected to begin in the new year.

We appreciate your ongoing patience. Please know that we are making every effort to provide as much certainty as possible around schedules and return timing, Hines said in the email. We are focused on preparing for your return and we look forward to welcoming you home.

The developer  which built San Franciscos tallest building, the Salesforce Tower at 415 Mission St., and is behind other significant projects such as the ongoing redevelopment of the former Pacific Gas and Electric Co. headquarters block  did not respond to a message seeking additional comment on Tuesday.

A flood in June 2022 at 33 Tehama, a luxury 35-story apartment building in SoMa, has displaced more than 400 people. A second flood in August prolonged the building owners timeline of when residents could move back in. John King/The Chronicle

Hines has not publicly disclosed the value of the damage caused by what ultimately were two flooding incidents inside of the residential building last year, though permits issued by the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection last year indicate that the cost of repairs exceed $7 million.

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The equivalent of a swimming pool flooded the 403-unit tower on June 3, 2022, triggering a massive evacuation. Residents were initially told that they would be able to return to their homes in phases starting that October, but those plans were derailed by a second flood at the building in August.

It is also unclear how many of the buildings residents plan to return. Hines has faced heavy criticism for its communication during the crisis, and groups of residents filed two separate, ongoing lawsuits last year alleging that the companys actions before and after the initial floods amounted to negligence.

Shortly after 33 Tehama flooded for the second time, allegations of theft inside of residents homes circulated on social media, including video footage of what appeared to be a contractor pocketing items from a unit that was undergoing repairs. Hines acknowledged the contractor theft last year, and responded by terminating the employee and ramping up security surveillance in the building.

A building inspectors report filed last June stated that 93 of the total units sustained water damage, along with amenity areas. This summer, the developer launched another construction project alongside the renovation work, explaining that a review of the buildings infrastructure revealed that domestic piping in each of the units needed to be replaced in order to minimize future disruption to residents.

Hines has promised that residents will have 45 days to complete their move-ins once their units become available for occupancy. In the coming weeks, work will continue on needed upgrades and necessary repairs to the entrance, lobby area, amenity floors, and other restoration tasks, the developer said.

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Carol Vorderman looked sensational as she arrived at the ITV Palooza at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London on Tuesday.

The broadcaster, 62, wore a red leather dress which perfectly accentuated her hourglass figure.

She wore a white semi-sheer lightweight coat over the top which was covered with silver sequins.

The star opted for a pair open-toed heels to add a few inches to her stature and confidently posed with her hand on her hip on the blue carpet.

Carol looked in good spirits as she stepped out after she was axed by BBC Radio Wales for breaching the broadcaster's new social media guidelines.

Looking good: Carol Vorderman looked sensational in a red leather dress as she arrived at the ITV Palooza at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London on Tuesday

In style: The broadcaster, 62, wore a red leather dress which perfectly accentuated her hourglass figure

The star, who had been at the station for five years, said she was 'not prepared to stop' venting her 'strong beliefs' on Twitter and Instagram.

Carol shared a statement earlier this month confirming she had left the station, saying she was not willing to give up voicing her opinions on the UK government online.

In her statement, Carol said: 'The BBC recently introduced new social media guidelines, which I respect.

'Since those non-negotiable changes to my radio contract were made, I've ultimately found that I'm not prepared to lose my voice on social media, change who I am, or lose the ability to express the strong beliefs I hold about the political turmoil this country finds itself in.

'My decision has been to continue to criticise the current UK Government for what it has done to the country which I love  and I'm not prepared to stop.

'I was brought up to fight for what I believe in, and I will carry on.

'Consequently I have now breached the new guidelines and BBC Wales management have decided I must leave. We each must make our decisions.

'I'm sad to have to leave the wonderful friends I've made at Radio Wales.

Glitterati: She wore a white semi-sheer lightweight coat over the top which was covered with silver sequins

All smiles: Carol looked in good spirits as she stepped out after she was axed by BBC Radio Wales for breaching the broadcaster's new social media guidelines

'I wish them, and all of our listeners, all the love in the world. We laughed a lot, and we will miss each other dearly.

'But, for now, another interesting chapter begins.'

The BBC said: 'Carol has been a presenter on BBC Radio Wales since 2018. We'd like to thank her for her work and contribution to the station over the past five years.'

In addition to her weekly show on BBC Radio Wales, Carol also hosted topical news quiz show Have I Got News For You on BBC1 in May this year.

Carol had been accused of 'flagrantly breaching' the BBC's impartiality rules with her anti-Tory outbursts, which have included calling ministers 'a lying bunch of greedy, corrupt, destructive, hateful, divisive, gaslighting crooks'.

Particularly notable has been her long running feud with veterans minister Johnny Mercer and his wife Felicity, who celebrated today by tweeting: 'Binned by the BBC'.

The BBC brought in new social media rules for its presenters following outrage earlier this year over Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker's tweet which comparing the Government's Rwanda policy to Nazi Germany.

These prevent high-profile stars from attacking political parties and individual politicians as well as weighing into controversial issues before elections or referendums. The rules apply when their show is on air and in a two-week window before and after.

Standing tall: The star opted for a pair open-toed heels to add a few inches to her stature and confidently posed with her hand on her hip on the blue carpet

The ITV Palooza sees the best and brightest stars from the network come together to unveil its upcoming slate of shows for advertisers.

This year the event has been relocated to the iconic Theatre Royal Drury Lane, with ITV favourites including Alison Hammond, Rochelle Humes and AJ Odudu in attendance.

Just days after the Big Brother final, AJ will take to the stage alongside Tom Allen as co-hosts of the event.

Last year's showcase saw big names including Ekin-Su Culculoglu , Frankie Bridge and Laura Whitmore in attendance.

The event also saw the unveiling of the ITVX streaming service, packed with thousands of hours of exclusive content, films and live streams.

Moving on: Carol shared a statement earlier this month confirming she had left the station, saying she was not willing to give up voicing her opinions on the UK government online.

The night also saw programmes unveiled including Gordon Ramsay's Next Level Chef, I'm A Celebrity South Africa and Stephen Fry's A Year On Planet Earth.

Kelly Williams and Simon Daglish shared a raft of exciting announcements with advertisers to help them capitalise on increased investment in content.

The star-studded event comes after another stellar year for ITV, with two series of Love Island, the return of Big Brother and Britain's Got Talent hitting screens.

With the arrival of ITVX the channel has also vastly expanded its collection of true crime documentaries, with a slew of programmes released exclusively on the platform before hitting screens later in the year.
The Karate Kid stars Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan have announced a new film in the iconic franchise - with the actors launching a global search for the movie's teenage protegee.

Macchio, 62, who played original Karate Kid Daniel LaRusso in the famed 1984 film and its two sequels, and Chan, 69, who starred as kung fu master Mr Han in the 2010 remake, teamed up for a fun video on Tuesday to make the announcement.

Chan said: 'Hi everyone! We've got big news' before Macchio added: 'We're starring in a new Karate Kid movie together.'

Chan responded: 'That's big news, but we even have bigger news. We're looking for the next Karate Kid.

Quoting Mr Miyagi's iconic line in closing, Macchio said: 'That's right  the global search for the star of our new film starts right now. So let's wax on, wax off, everybody.'

Waxing on! The Karate Kid stars Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan have announced a new film in the iconic franchise - with the actors launching a global search for the movie's teenage protegee

Iconic: Macchio, 62, played original Karate Kid Daniel LaRusso in the famed 1984 film and its two sequels alongside Pat Morita as the wise Mr Miyagi

The video then directed aspiring auditionees to KarateKidCasting.com for more information on how to apply for the role.

The next Karate Kid will be named Li Fong and is described

Fong is described as a teenager between 15-17 years old who is Chinese or mixed-race Chinese.

The announcement reads: 'He's smart, scrappy and a skilled martial artist. Any sort of martial arts, movement, gymnastics, and/or dance experience is a strong plus.'

The film is set for release on December 13 2024 and will be directed by Jonathan Entwistle with a screen play by Rob Lieber.

Ralph played Daniel for three instalments - The Karate Kid (1984), The Karate Kid Part II (1986) and The Karate Kid Part III (1989), but did not reprise the role in The Next Karate Kid (1994).

The story of The Karate Kid follows Daniel as he is taught the martial art by the wise Mr Miyagi (played by the late Pat Morita) to help defend himself and compete in a tournament against his bullies.

The film also stars Elisabeth Shue as Daniel's love interest Ali Mills and William Zabka as her ex-boyfriend - and one of Daniel's bullies - Johnny Lawrence.

It was directed by the late John G. Avildsen - the Academy-Award winning director of Rocky.

A remake set in China and focusing on kung-fu was released in 2010 starring Chan and Jaden Smith, adopting a similar storyline but different characters.

Cobra Kai is a follow-up series which started in 2018 and is set three decades after the original films. It features some of the original cast-members, including Ralph and William.

Last year, the 2022 Chinese remake of the 2010 Karate Kid film was announced.

Announcement: Chan said: 'Hi everyone! We've got big news' before Macchio added: 'We're starring in a new Karate Kid movie together'

Chan responded: 'That's big news, but we even have bigger news. We're looking for the next Karate Kid'

Wow: Quoting Mr Miyagi's iconic line in closing, Macchio said: 'That's right  the global search for the star of our new film starts right now. So let's wax on, wax off, everybody'

Legendary: The story of The Karate Kid follows Daniel as he is taught the martial art by the wise Mr Miyagi (played by the late Pat Morita) to help defend himself and compete in a tournament against his bullies
David Tennant has discussed his 'joyous' return as the Doctor for the show's 60th Anniversary.

During an interview with Radio Times, the actor, 52, also revealed how the BBC show led to his marriage with Georgia Moffett.

Georgia was a guest actress, who appeared in a 2008 episode with him, which means his father-in-law is former fifth Doctor Peter Davison.

Speaking about returning to the show alongside Catherine Tate and ruining his legacy after quitting the show in 2010, he said: 'I hadn't thought about it like that.

'Thank God I made it to this point! It never really occurred to me to worry about that. Perhaps it should have done but with Catherine [Tate] being part of it, and with Russell [T Davies] writing the scripts, I never actually worried about anything other than my own ability to run as fast as I used to.'

Exciting: David Tennant has discussed his 'joyous' return as the Doctor for the show's 60th Anniversary (Pictured with Catherine Tate)

Iconic duo: The duo are set to reprise their roles as the titular Time Lord and his companion Donna Noble for a trio of specials later this month, 15 years after their last stint

He continued: 'The first conversation we had about it was very casual.

'Russell and Catherine were talking about the notion of: "What if we got the band back together for one last special? But David would never do it." And I said, "What do you mean I'd never do it? I'd do it in a shot." And then suddenly, we were back for three in a row.

'I mean, why not? It was such a joyous time, and these are people I love as humans, and certainly love as people to work with. And Doctor Who is something that will always be hugely important to me.'

The duo are set to reprise their roles as the titular Time Lord and his companion Donna Noble for a trio of specials later this month, 15 years after they last travelled in the TARDIS together.

David and Catherine will front the trio of specials before Ncuti Gatwa takes over the role of The Doctor on Christmas Day, in an episode titled The Church On Ruby Road

Russell also confirmed that Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan has joind the cast for a festive special next year, and is currently filming her scenes.

He said: 'Nicola Coughlan [is joining]at Christmas, next year. We are shooting Christmas 2024 now.'

Opening up: During an interview with Radio Times, the actor, 52, also revealed how the BBC show led to his marriage with Georgia Moffett

Another big name joining the cast is Neil Patrick Harris and Russell admitted the actor had no idea what he was signing up for as he had never watched the show, and only worked with him on his Channel 4 series It's A Sin.

He added: 'Neil had never heard of it. In fact, he read the script and he phoned me up and said, ''So, the doctor is an alien?'' He really was from scratch.

'I was lucky enough to know him because I'd already worked with him on 'It's A Sin', he was in the first episode and so glorious in that, and so we knew him.

'He was perfect for this because Neil loves magic and magic tricks, and the Toymaker does play with cards and he does magic tricks and sleight of hands and all of that, and Neil already does that.'

Russell added: 'He is phenomenal. That is a great villain who will scare you, he's got so much range and had so much fun with it.'

It comes after Ncuti has said a Doctor Who legend will be brought back from the dead as he revealed some series 14 secrets this week.

Speaking about returning to the show alongside Catherine Tate and ruining his legacy after quitting the show in 2010, he said: 'I hadn't thought about it like that'

The actor, 31, who is set to make history as the first black male Time Lord, made the admission while attending GQ magazine's Men of the Year Awards on Wednesday.

Speaking to The Mirror on the red carpet, he explained: 'I shouldnt say this but I shot a scene, somehow, with the first-ever Doctor, William Hartnell. We end up in the same scene together at some point.'

The late William Hartnell was the first Doctor and played the role from 1963 to 1966, starring in 137 episodes. He passed away in December 1975, aged 67, after suffering a series of strokes.

The actor last reprised his role as The Doctor in The Three Doctors over Christmas / New Year of 1972. This was his final on screen appearance due to his declining health.

Ncuti added: 'To see that history  now a Black man as the Doctor! It was just very wild.'

Doctor Who has been produced by the BBC since 1963 and when it was first released, was intended to be a regular weekly programme aired on Saturday evenings.

It originally ran for 26 seasons from November 23, 1963 to December 6, 1989, it was intended to be an educational show for family viewing to teach its younger audience about history as the Doctor travelled through time with its companions, a history and science teacher.

On screen: The actor is set to make history as the first black male Time Lord next year

Ncuti became a household name when he starred as gay teenager Eric Effiong in the Netflix comedy-drama series Sex Education.

The Rwandan-Scottish star has yet to make his debut as a Dalek-battling Time Lord he has already raked in almost 1million from his acting career .

The actor was announced as the next Doctor by the show's screenwriter Russell T Davies last year and has been busy filming for the 2024 series.

He will be the 15th actor to take on the full-time role of the Time Lord in the BBC series when he makes his debut later this year.

The first Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Special - The Star Beast - will air on Saturday November 25th on BBC One and iPlayer in the UK, and Disney+ internationally.
The Adam Grant building, center, at 114 Sansome St. is the latest building to have its office space leased by an AI company. But the recent drama around OpenAI could affect this booming office space sector. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle

Late last week, New York-based Attentive doubled the size of its San Francisco office with a lease renewal at a 14-story building near Union Square, marking the latest deal in a string of new leases signed by artificial intelligence companies in the city this year.

The text message marketing platform did not respond to inquiries seeking comment, but sources say that the company  which is valued at $7 billion and this year introduced a new in-house generative AI tool allowing brands to customize their messages  upgraded from subleasing to taking direct space at 114 Sansome St., while also growing its footprint in the building to 23,000 square feet. Alex Phillips and Samantha Latimer of real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield handled the transaction.

S.F. Bay Area property map: Here's who owns every building in region

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The deal is emblematic of a recent trend of AI startups showing interest in San Franciscos deserted offices when many other companies are not. But Fridays bombshell news about the ousting of the CEO of one of the citys most prominent AI companies, OpenAI, highlights the fragility of the burgeoning AI sector and has left many real estate insiders wondering what the turmoil could mean for San Franciscos beleaguered market.

No one has a clue, said a source who is actively working with AI companies searching for space in San Francisco and therefore requested anonymity. If 500 people leave OpenAI today, the big question for me is, What happens with the lease they just signed in Mission Bay?  

Pedestrians are silhouetted against a commercial space at the Adam Grant building at 114 Sansome St. in San Francisco. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle

Late last month, OpenAI signed the biggest lease in San Francisco in years, agreeing to take on a 486,600-square-foot sublease at Ubers headquarters campus in Mission Bay. The space is said to have the capacity to house up to 2,000 OpenAI employees.

But OpenAIs co-founder and chief executive, Sam Altman, was fired Friday by the companys board of directors, which gave as its reason a review that concluded that Altman was not consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities.

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The removed CEO and the board governing the nonprofit startup tangoed over the weekend: Altman was reported to have been involved in talks to get his old job back while also planning to start his own AI venture. Then, early Monday, Satya Nadella  the CEO and chairman of Microsoft, which helped spur OpenAIs rapid growth with a $10 billion investment  said the software giant would hire Altman to head an AI research team hours after OpenAI rejected his return.

Meanwhile, more than 700 OpenAI workers and executives, out of a reported 770 employees, have signed an open letter to the companys board of directors threatening to leave the startup and join Altman at Microsoft if the entire board does not step down.

The letter, which was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, could have critical implications for OpenAIs San Francisco footprint. Should the company lose hundreds of employees and no longer need its new Mission Bay office, a source said that it would likely be considering a lease termination down the road, which usually involves significant penalty charges, or attempt to sublease some of its spaces, depending on how its contracts are structured.

Either way, it could put large amounts of empty space back on the market, which is already burdened by a historically high overall vacancy rate of more than 30%. OpenAI also currently has three other locations in the Mission District area: It leases about 40,000 square feet at 3180 18th St. and more than 100,000 square feet at 575 Florida St., and in recent months it took on another, roughly 40,000 square feet of sublease space at the Lion Building at 2525 16th St.

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Sources say that other companies have inquired about taking over spaces leased by OpenAI in light of the companys announced move to Mission Bay, but that OpenAI has not indicated whether it plans to give any of them up soon. The company did not respond Monday to an inquiry about its real estate plans moving forward  prior to Altmans departure, OpenAI confirmed to the Chronicle that it planned to maintain a presence in the Mission District.

The Adam Grant building at 114 Sansome St in San Francisco is the site of a new office lease from an AI company. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle

A few weeks ago there was a lot of positivity  we were raising glasses, because its not every day that someone signs a 486,000-square-foot lease, said a San Francisco broker who also works with AI companies and requested anonymity.

The broker does not believe that the current issues at OpenAI will cool the recent momentum seen in the market in terms of demand and leasing from AI companies. Along with OpenAI and Attentive, other AI startups like Anthropic and Hive have recently committed to space in the city.

I think its going to be very hard to put the genie back in the bottle. Its where the world is  the worlds embracing AI in its own way and I just dont see it going back, the broker said. I think that there are ebbs and flows with every technology business, as weve seen many times in San Francisco, but I think that AI is here to stay.

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Real estate services firm JLL estimates that current demand from AI firms is at about 500,000 square feet.

While that is a drop in the bucket compared with the millions of square feet that sit vacant, the true potential of AI firms positively impacting the real estate market lies in their future growth, which in many cases has been rapid and requires these firms to expand their premises over the course of a lease term, according to Nathaniel Touboul, a real estate partner at law firm Allen Matkins.

With landlords desperate to fill spaces, the current conditions provide a window of opportunity that early-stage companies may not have had during the height of the market in the years leading up to the pandemic. Most have little or no credit, which is something institutional owners and lenders traditionally have a hard time getting comfortable with, said Touboul.

Part of Uber headquarters, at 1455 Third St., and 1515 Third St. in San Francisco, has been leased by OpenAI. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

While most experts interviewed for this article characterized OpenAIs current situation as an anomaly" in part due to its formation as a nonprofit in 2016  Touboul said the companys troubles could result in additional scrutiny from landlords and their lenders.

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AI technology is changing so rapidly that a company that is at the forefront of the field today could become obsolete in a matter of months, thereby adding an additional layer of complexity to the underwriting process, he said.I think its going to add jitters and uncertainty to the underwriting process for landlords and lenders when they are analyzing these deals.

On Saturday, the Information reported that a planned sale of OpenAI employee shares that was expected to close next month and would value the company at $86 billion is in jeopardy.

The counter argument is that for smaller companies whose executives aren't well known to outsiders, or aren't intrinsically tied to the brand of the company, internal shakeups such as a CEO removal wouldn't have as much of an impact, said Touboul. But as a landlord, to see a company that appears to have the latest and greatest technology that everyone is using have its value become so fragile just based on the firing of its CEO, you have to take that into consideration when youre underwriting smaller early-stage companies.

And yet, Touboul doesn't expect the recent developments to stop AI's growth in San Francisco.

"Before the life sciences sector got red hot and people were trying to convert offices for life sciences users, it was not that big of a segment in the market and just the question of the credit of those tenants was was a big one," he said. "But, that didn't prevent that sector from becoming red hot."

There are sudden jitters and uncertainty around AI company office leases in San Francisco because of news regarding last weeks ouster of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle

Another real estate source who spoke on the condition of anonymity said that it is possible that new AI startups  and therefore, more demand for smaller spaces in San Francisco  could form if hundreds of OpenAI employees indeed part with the company.

From my perspective, of the AI leasing that has happened so far, the vast majority of the leaders of these companies previously worked at OpenAI. If you look at Anthropic, the leadership there, a lot of them are ex-OpenAI employees. If you look at the leadership of AdeptAI, a lot of them are ex-OpenAI people, the source said. What you could see happening is a splintering, resulting in additional 10,000- to 15,000-square-foot users. But its really hard to say.

Will Altmans company be within Microsoft? Will it be true to a LinkedIn or a Twitch, where LinkedIn is separate from Microsoft and acts differently and Twitch is separate from Amazon and has totally different rules  they do their own thing? the source asked. No one has a clue what the structure will be, so its really hard to say what the downstream effects on the real estate will be.

But another source said that Altman joining Microsoft is likely a net negative for San Franciscos real estate market, as the software giant already has the infrastructure to support him.
Actor-comic Vir Das has become the first Indian to win the International Emmy Award for his Netflix stand-up special "Vir Das: Landing" in the best comedy category and has dedicated the honour to his home country, India.

The 51st International Emmy Awards Gala was held at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York City on late Monday night.

This was the second nomination and maiden win in the segment for Das, who shared the trophy with popular British teen sitcom "Derry Girls" season three.
In an effort to further strengthen the bilateral ties between the two countries, India and Australia on Tuesday vowed here to deepen their economic and security partnership and stressed their shared commitment to a free, open, inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific region. China is flexing its muscles there leading to tension.

For both Australia and India, China is the biggest trading partner, and China is also the biggest security concern. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said this is a partnership which is consequential for us, but it is crucial for our region.

China is doing what all great powers do, using its state power to advance its interests. It uses economic leverage over other countries in the Indo Pacific region to its advantage, Wong said

The Indo-Pacific region requires partnerships to ensure a free and open order and to ensure that it is not dominated by any power. That is the vision of a region that is grounded in sovereignty, she said.

Addressing a press conference after participating in the India-Australia Foreign Ministers Framework Dialogue with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India is preparing for a meeting of Quad sometime next year.

The External Affairs Minister said the two leaders also discussed the situation in West Asia in detail. Asked about the Israel-Hamas conflict, Jaishankar talked about Indias position and said there are different aspects of the very complex and challenging situation.
In a gesture of solidarity with India in its fight against terrorism, Israel on Tuesday listed Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) as a terror organisation ahead of the 15th year anniversary of the 26/11 terror attack on Mumbai that killed over 160 people, including a number of Israeli nationals.

Despite not being requested by the Government of India to do so, the state of Israel has formally completed all necessary procedures and has satisfied all required checks and regulations to the result of introducing Lashkar-e-Taiba into the Israeli list of illegal terror organisations, the Israel Embassy said in a statement in New Delhi.

Ten Pakistani terrorists entered south Mumbai areas through sea route, attacked a number of places, including Chabad House, a Jewish centre, and indiscriminately killed 166 people, including 18 security personnel, and a number of Israelis on November 26, 2008.

Lashkar-e-Taiba is a deadly and reprehensible terror organisation, responsible for the murder of hundreds of Indian civilians as well as others.

Its heinous actions on November 26, 2008 still reverberate in force, through all peace seeking nations and societies, the statement added.

Yes, I can confirm it. Its not a new thing and it is actually from 2013.

It was recently re-published because of a bureaucratic error but it is not a new thing, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Lior Haiat, told PTI.

Incidentally, the re-affirmation comes weeks after Israel said the time had come for India to declare Hamas a terror organisation.

Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip since 2007, used land, sea and air routes to launch an attack on Israel territories that killed more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians on October 7.

It prompted Jerusalem to declare war on the Islamic outfit, killing more than 11,000 people.

In almost a similar manner, on November 26, 2008, ten Pakistani terrorists entered the south Mumbai areas through a sea route and attacked a number of places, including Chabad House, a Jewish centre. The indiscriminate attack killed 166 people, including six Jews and 18 security personnel.

Six Jews were killed at Nariman House, more popularly known as the Chabad House, considered by many Israelis as a shared pain.

While Israel only lists terror organisations who are actively operating against it from within or around its borders, or in a similar manner to India - those globally recognised by UNSC or the US State Department; the Israeli Ministries of Defence and Foreign affairs, have jointly worked in the last few months

towards an expedited and extraordinary listing of the Lashkar-e-Taiba organisation on this date, to highlight the importance of a Unified Global

Front in combating terrorism, the release stressed.
After the record-breaking sales during the Diwali festive season, which concluded with Chhath Puja, the upcoming wedding season from Dev Uthan Ekadashi on November 23 to December 15 is expected to generate business worth Rs 4.74 lakh crore, with around 38 lakh weddings likely to be solemnised during this period.

Delhi region alone may host 3.5 lakh weddings, generating Rs 1 lakh crore in the region. According to the survey by the Research & Trade Development Society of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), popular wedding destinations in India encompass sought-after locations such as Goa, Jaipur, Kerala, and Shimla.

The prevailing wedding trends in India encompass destination weddings, themed weddings, and an increasing emphasis on eco-friendly celebrations. Last year, about 35 lakh weddings took place during the same period, generating business worth Rs 3.75 lakh crore.

According to the CAIT national president BC Bhartia and secretary general Praveen Khandelwal, about seven lakh weddings will be performed with an expense of Rs 3 lakh, 8 lakh weddings with Rs 6 lakh, 10 lakh weddings having an expense of Rs 10 lakh, 7 lakh weddings with Rs 15 lakh, 5 lakh weddings with Rs 25 lakh, 50,000 weddings with Rs 50 lakh, and next 50,000 weddings with an expense of Rs 1 crore and above.

According to the calculation of stars, wedding dates in November are 23, 24, 27, 28, and 29, whereas in December, the auspicious wedding dates are 3, 4, 7, 8, 9 and 15.

These dates are considered favourable for holding marriages. Afterward, there will be a one-month period when the stars are less auspicious, lasting until mid-January.

Then, auspicious wedding days will resume from mid-January, marking the beginning of another phase of the wedding season continuing until July 2023.

In the realm of goods, the estimated trade distribution includes 10 per cent in textiles, sarees, lehnga, and garments, 15 per cent in jewellery articles, 5 per cent in electronics, electricals, and consumer durables, 5 per cent in dry fruits, fruits, sweets, and nankeen, 5 per cent in food grain, grocery, and vegetables, 4 per cent in gift items, and the remaining 6 per cent in miscellaneous items.

The services sector is also expected to flourish, with allocations of 5 per cent for banquet halls, hotels, and other marriage venues, 5 per cent for event management, 12 per cent for tent decoration, 10 per cent for catering services, 4 per cent for flower decoration, 3 per cent for travel and cab services, 2 per cent for photo and video shoots, 3 per cent for orchestra and band services, 3 per cent for lights and sound, and the remaining 3 per cent for miscellaneous services.

Khandelwal said the retail markets have witnessed a record trade of over Rs 8,000 crore during the fourday Chhath puja across the country.

From Navratri to Diwali, there was a business of Rs 3.75 lakh crore in the mainline retail trade of the country. At the same time, during Durga Puja and other festivals around the country, business worth about Rs 50,000 crore was done. During the ten-day celebrations of Ganesh Chaturthi, business worth Rs 20-25,000 crore was executed.

These figures are for only three festivals. Similarly, if the purchases made in the markets on many other festivals like Holi, Janmashtami, Mahashivratri, Rakhi are also included, then several hundred lakh crore rupees will be added to the economy of Bharat, Khandelwal added.
As the first visuals of the 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel emerged ON Tuesday, officials said the focus of the multiple-agency rescue mission remains on digging horizontally through the debris of the collapsed stretch.

However, rescue workers continued to prepare for other options, including drilling from above the tunnel, to reach the workers trapped inside for nine days.

Horizontal drilling through the debris was put on hold last Friday afternoon after the heavy duty auger machine encountered a hard boulder, making rescue agency consider other approaches as well.

But on Tuesday, remarks by National Disaster Management Authority member Lt General (retd) Syed Ata Hasnain, Road Transport and Highways secretary Anurag Jain and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami made it clear that resuming the operation was the main priority.

At the disaster site in Uttarakhands Uttarkashi district, a video clip captured by an endoscopic camera sent in through a new six-inch wide pipeline brought hope to relatives who are camping there for days. The pipeline was pushed late Monday through 53 metres of debris, the collapsed stretch of the under-construction tunnel on the Char Dham route.

In the video released by the rescue agencies, the workers wearing yellow and white helmets are seen receiving food items sent to them through the pipeline and talking to each other.

Officials watching them on a screen are heard giving instructions, asking them to clean the lens. The workers are told to come near the camera and use walkie-talkies, apparently sent down earlier.

The camera is then pulled back up so that water can be released under pressure to clean the pipeline.

Relatives have talked earlier to the trapped workers through the four-inch compressor tube that already existed. Food items like dry fruit were also being sent through that thinner pipe.

But the new lifeline has come as a morale booster. Communication is much better and larger quantities of food can now be sent in.

I talked to him this morning, Sunita Hembrum, whose brother-in-law Pradeep Kisku is among the trapped labourers, told PTI. She has come to Silkyara from Banka in Bihar.

Oranges have been supplied to them through the new food pipe. Efforts are also underway to send khichdi to them. He was fine, she said.
A Cruise taxi drives past Cruise SF headquarters in San Francisco in July. The companys CEO recently resigned. Amaya Edwards/The Chronicle

The resignation of Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt and another co-founder of the autonomous vehicle company in recent days is yet another fallen domino stemming from the Oct. 2 crash that led to Cruises California suspension.

But Vogts departure from the company he started in his San Francisco garage only adds more uncertainty over when, exactly, San Francisco residents might again see the white-and-red robotaxis on local streets.

Driverless cars: Map shows every crash in San Francisco

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Vogts resignation follows the companys voluntary nationwide suspension of driverless operations while it updates faulty software that led a Cruise robotaxi to drag a San Francisco pedestrian it struck as she was pinned underneath its chassis.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles indefinitely suspended the permits Cruise needs to carry passengers on driverless rides weeks after the severe crash, which was caused by a human driver in another car. The department raised concerns about whether Cruises self-driving cars can safely interact with pedestrians, and alleged that the company failed to initially disclose that its robotaxi attempted to pull over after hitting the pedestrian.

The San Francisco-based company, a subsidiary of General Motors, has said its focused on gaining public trust in its driverless cars  a technology that some city residents were already skeptical about prior to the early October crash.

Kyle Vogt, showing off the new Cruise Origin in 2020, resigned as CEO of Cruise this past weekend. Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle

Bryant Walker Smith, a University of South Carolina law professor and expert on autonomous vehicles, said Vogts departure doesnt answer key questions at the heart of state and federal regulators investigations into Cruise. This, he said, includes determining who inside the company gave the directive to disclose only a portion of the Oct. 2 crash to journalists covering the incident the night it happened.

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The departure of a CEO doesnt tell us that, Smith said. It doesnt tell us if there are fundamental problems or not. It doesnt tell us if those problems are being addressed in a serious, substantial way or not.

The DMV says Cruise must prove that it corrected the deficiencies that caused the suspension to get its permits reinstated, though has not publicly specified what that entails.

But a reinstatement from the DMV, alone, doesnt guarantee that Cruise taxis will once again be available for driverless ride-hailing in San Francisco.

Another state regulator, the Public Utilities Commission, is still weighing whether to allow San Francisco officials to relitigate an Aug. 10 decision that allowed Cruise and its rival, Waymo, to commercially expand without restrictions. If the PUC were to grant the city a rehearing, it could open the door to restrictions on how and when Cruise can offer driverless paid rides in San Francisco. The commission rejected a similar rehearing request for Waymo.

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Cruises crisis is not the first time the emerging AV technology faced turmoil that risked industry-wide setbacks.

In 2018, Uber drew intense public scrutiny after one of its self-driving cars with a distracted human backup driver behind the wheel struck and killed a woman in Tempe, Ariz. Uber abandoned efforts to develop autonomous vehicles after the incident, and several other AV companies either folded or consolidated afterward. Still, the industry survived the incident and robotaxis, largely Waymos, appear to operate in metro Phoenix mostly without incident or animosity from locals.

Cruises incident, five years later, happened at a critical moment for driverless vehicles just as the company and Waymo were starting to scale up their driverless passenger service in the city and trying to earn public acceptance.

While there are fewer autonomous vehicles roaming San Francisco streets than there were in August, the technology is still expected to proliferate  with the city as its launching pad.

The fierce debate over how to regulate driverless vehicles is not going away, either. The San Francisco incident could prompt state lawmakers to try to change how the technology is regulated in California.

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City officials, meanwhile, have not softened their stance. They want to condition robotaxis expansion in the city on passing certain safety metrics and disclosing data on crashes and driverless activity, some of which the companies are currently not required to share publicly.

Those are some concessions that Aaron Peskin, president of the Board of Supervisors, said city officials are trying to get from Waymo as it seeks to eventually expand service to San Francisco International Airport, which the city oversees.

How Cruise responds to the Oct. 2 crash is important because it could influence how and whether the public accepts a technology its supporters ardently believe is safer than human driving.

Vogt alluded to that potential when he announced his resignation.

Remember why this work matters, Vogt said, addressing former Cruise colleagues. The status quo on our roads sucks, but together weve proven there is something far better around the corner.
A head-on collision between two private buses on Satpuli- Chaubattakhal road in Pauri district injured 22 people on Monday. The officials said that the police received information about the accident in the Satpuli police station at 9:15 AM. The Satpuli police station in-charge Deepak Tiwari reached with the police team and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) rescue team to rescue the injured. The officials said that a bus UK 15 PA 0241 carrying 32 passengers was travelling from Kotdwar to Chaubattakhal and the other bus UK 15 PA 0825 carrying 14 passengers was going from Chaubattakhal to Kotdwar. At a turn, both the buses collided head-on, injuring 22 people but no loss of life was reported. The officials said that SDRF also used a machine to open the bus doors to rescue the injured people from the bus. They said that some injured were given first aid at the accident site while others were sent to a nearby hospital by ambulance. The police later restored traffic which had stopped on the main road for a while due to the accident. The officials said that most of the passengers belong to the nearby areas. The health of those taken to the hospital was stable and most of them were sent home by the evening, as per the officials. They said that the police will also interrogate drivers Sangram Singh (44) and Harish (41) regarding the accident to confirm the cause of the accident.
Even as Muslim clerics are divided over the ban imposed on the sale of halal-certified products by the Uttar Pradesh government, All India Muslim Personal Law Board and Samajwadi Party have opposed the ban.

The SP termed the ban as a move to polarise voters ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The AIMPLB said that there was nothing illegal in halal certificates. Its spokesperson Qasim Rasool Iliyas said that in Islam there were restrictions on certain things which could not be eaten. He said halal certificates made it easy for the Muslim community to buy Sharia compliant food products that were permitted in the religion. He said that agencies issuing halal certificates were duly recognised.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind has issued a statement after the ban imposed on halal certified products by the UP government. Jamiat has been giving halal certification and an FIR was lodged against it in Lucknow on Saturday. The organisation said that it had a valid certificate regarding halal and authorisation from the commerce ministry. It said that halal certificates were being issued with transparency and honesty.

However, prominent Muslim cleric of Barelvi sect, Maulana Shahbuddin said that halal tag could be given to meat products only and not to everything. He said that in the Shariat the world halal was being used only for the meat of animals hence its use for any other item was not proper. He said that consumption of other things could be legal or illegal but the halal tag could not be used for it.

Maulana Sufiyan Nizami of Darul Uloom Firangi Mahal, Lucknow said that Muslim must have the liberty on what to eat or consume as per their religious belief and there should be no restriction on halal certified products. He said that the ban on halal certified products would hamper exports and would adversely impact the economy.

All India Shia Chand Committee chairman Maulana Saif Abbas said that putting halal tags was meant to target a particular community. Throughout my life I have never heard of the word halal or jhatka; except for meat. Neither there is any mention of halal in Shariat other than for meat, Maulana Saif said.

He said that there were certain agencies which had been issuing halal tags for even clothes which should be prohibited. Maulana Saif demanded stern action against agencies issuing such certificates.

The opposition parties, including Congress and Samajwadi Party, have termed the ban as a move to polarise voters before the Lok Sabha polls. UP Congress Minority department chairman Shahnawaz Alam said that sensing defeat, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party was adopting the tricks for polarisation of voters.

SP spokesperson IP Singh said that such bans would not help in easing the real problem of the people and the BJP was not going to gain anything from it.
In an attempt to break the ice between the Education department and the Rajkeeya Shikshak Sangh (RSS), the powerful association of government school lecturers, the director general of school education, Banshidhar Tiwari and senior officers of the department held discussions with the office bearers of the association on Monday. The association is on a path of confrontation with the department on its various demands from the last many days.

The meeting was held in a congenial atmosphere and agreement on key demands of the association is said to have reached. The RSS however has said that any decision on the future of the agitation will be taken on release of any written order. In one step towards solving one of the key demands of the association, the promotion of the posts of Lecturers from LT, the state administration has entrusted the director of secondary education to file an application in the Civil Services Tribunal (CAT), Nainital on promotions. In CAT the issue of the promotion on the posts of 2,250 LTs to lecturer grade is pending. This measure is likely to pave the way for promotion in the department. The RSS functionaries claimed that in the meeting the senior officers of the department promised to take up the demands of inter divisional transfer of teachers and according to the status of gazetted officers to the employees having grade pay of Rs 5,400.

It is pertinent to mention here that on the directive of the association more than 800 officiating principals have recently relinquished their posts. The association wants the department to promote the lecturers on the posts of principals instead of ad-hoc measures such as officiating principals. The department retaliated by holding salaries of those who relinquished the charge of principal.
Efforts are underway on war footing to rescue the 41 workers trapped in the partially caved-in Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi district since November 12. On Monday, efforts were underway to drill through the debris to set a six-inch diameter and 53-metre long pipeline as a secondary lifeline to enable supply of proper meals and mobile phones among other items to the stranded workers. National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) director Anshu Manish Khalko informed that the installation of the secondary lifeline could be considered the first success in the nine days of the rescue operation so far. Efforts to rescue the workers will be stepped up further now, he said. The installation of the secondary lifeline has further increased the chances of the rescue operation being successful.

Meanwhile, International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association head Arnold Dix also reached Silkyara where he inspected the tunnel and the rescue operation underway. He said that experts aware of the Himalayan geology were working on site and that the team involved in the rescue operation is doing good work. Officials informed that horizontal boring by NHIDCL from Silkyara end for rescue of workers through Auger boring machine was scheduled to recommence on Monday evening. The first machine of SJVNL for the construction of the vertical rescue tunnel has already reached the tunnel site and operations are being commenced post completion of the access road by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). Movement of two other machines for the vertical tunnel construction started from Gujarat and Odisha by road. In addition to this, work on construction of a rescue tunnel of 480 metres from the Badkot end of the tunnel by THDCIL has also commenced. The officials further informed that the machinery for micro-tunneling by RVNL through horizontal drilling for rescue of labourers is being transported from Nashik and Delhi. The machinery for vertical boring is being mobilised by ONGC from USA, Mumbai and Ghaziabad.
In a sharp criticism of the Congress, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath emphasised that while the Rajasthan government enforces curfew on Ram Navami, in Uttar Pradesh, peaceful kanwar yatra involving four crore people proceeds without any disruption.

In the electoral battleground of Rajasthan, Yogi Adityanath is making waves with his extensive rallies. On Monday, he actively connected with voters in Rajasthan, rallying support for the Bharatiya Janata Party.

UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath sought votes in support of Amer MLA, former BJP state president and party candidate Satish Punia. He emphasised the historical significance of Rajasthan, a land that has bestowed the world with illustrious figures like Prithviraj Chauhan, Maharana Pratap, and Surajmal. Highlighting the legacy of former Vice President and Chief Minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, who transformed Rajasthan into a prominent tourism hub, Yogi dityanath lamented the decline in development, tourism and the well-being of farmers over the past five years. He pointed out the prevalence of issues such as crime, hooliganism, cow smuggling, cybercrime and corruption in the state, highlighting Rajasthans unfortunate distinction as the leader in paper leaks.

Drawing a contrast between Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, he pointed out the Congress governments imposition of curfew during Ram Navami in Rajasthan, contrasting it with the smooth conduct of kanwar yatras in UP, where four crore people participate without any disruptions. He emphasised the grandeur with which every event, including festivals like the Festival of Lights, is celebrated in Uttar Pradesh.

Chief Minister Yogi, who spoke out in support of Ram Bilas Meena in Lalsot, said that Rajasthan suffered much loss over the past five years. He described the current state of Rajasthan as one of distress, citing incidents like the murder of Kanhaiya Lal and threats to the safety of sisters and daughters. According to him, development has stagnated, unemployment among the youth has risen, and there is a standstill in progress.

He said there had been incidents of infiltration during the Congress rule, but the terrorist leaders now knew that any such activity in India would result in a strong response from the Indian soldiers, who would then enter their hideouts to neutralise the threat.

Chief Minister Yogi emphasised the transformation of India under Prime Minister Narendra Modis leadership, stating that in New India, no one faces harassment and wrongdoers are held accountable. He highlighted the substantial progress in infrastructure, citing the construction of 38 kilometres of highways every day across the country.

Addressing the global COVID-19 situation, Chief Minister Yogi noted the increasing cases in many countries, including America and China. However, he reassured the public by pointing out that India has successfully developed a vaccine that provides protection to 142 crore people.

In Ramgarh assembly constituency, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath called for the victory of candidates Jai Ahuja, Rajgarh candidate Bannaram Meena, Ramesh Khinchi from Kathumar and Jairam Jatav from Alwar Rural assembly constituencies.

He criticised the current government, stating that it has capitulated to the influence of the mafia. He charged that the Congress party supports such criminal elements. Drawing a parallel with Uttar Pradesh, he highlighted the decisive action taken against the mafia through the use of bulldozers. Chief Minister Yogi urged the voters to bring in the double-engine government, emphasising that a similar crackdown on the mafia could be expected in this region as well.

He credited Prime Minister Modi for accomplishing tasks that the Congress could not achieve in 55-60 years within a span of nine and a half years.

Yogi also drew attention to the contrasting actions of Congress leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic, claiming that while some were abroad, BJP leaders were actively involved with the people.

In the city assembly constituency of Bharatpur district, Chief Minister Yogi sought votes for BJP candidate Jawahar Singh Bedam. Now is the moment to use democracy to take revenge for the suffering endured over the past five years. Incidents used to occur on a daily basis during the Congress period. Congress got innocent Sikhs killed in 1984. They abuse our Giriraj Maharaj and insult Braj Bhoomi and Kanha. Had there been a BJP MLA here, beef would not have been found in the car, he said.
Delhi Water Minister Atishi on Tuesday said there could be a severe water crisis in the national capital since funds have not been released to the DJB.

She requested LG V K Saxena to intervene in the matter.

The minister alleged that despite written directions from her, who also holds the finance portfolio, funds were not released to the Delhi Jal Board (DJB).

"There could be a severe water crisis in the national capital. There are no funds to carry out routine work and paying salaries. The contractors have refused to carry out work. This could lead to a severe water crisis in Delhi, overflowing sewers and dirty water," she said.

She also claimed that funds were not released by the Finance Department on the directions of Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar.

There was no immediate reaction from the chief secretary's office or the Finance Department.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday accused the Congress party and the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan of being "anti-backward class".

Addressing a public meeting in poll-bound Rajasthan's Khairthal in Alwar district, the senior BJP leader said the Congress in Rajasthan has worked to appease its vote bank.

"Congress party and Gehlot government are anti-backward class. For many years, the Congress party opposed the report of the Mandal Commission and the Congress party did not give constitutional recognition to the Backward Classes Commission," Shah said.

He said it was the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre that gave constitutional recognition to the Backward Classes Commission.

Shah said the Modi government has given 27 per cent reservation to the backward classes in all education systems of the Centre.

Today, 27 per cent of the ministers in the Narendra Modi government are from backward classes and the Centre has worked to advance the backward classes

Voting for the Assembly elections in the state will be held on November 25 while the counting of votes will take place on December 3.
Ten minutes before Vivek Ramaswamy was to take the stage in a dated casino hotel in western Iowa, no one was in the conference room except for two staffers from the Iowa GOP, which organised the event, and a group of journalists.

Guests started trickling in at the time the event was scheduled. By the time Ramaswamy began his remarks an hour later, there were about 60 people.

While Ramaswamy is packing his schedule with stops across Iowa, he has failed to move up in the 2024 Republican primary race and is increasingly at risk of becoming an afterthought.

He is polling in the mid to high single digits and has left critics asking what his endgame is or if he is staying in the race only to boost former President Donald Trump.

Ramaswamy is falling behind just as the GOP campaign enters the critical final weeks before the Iowa caucuses on January 15.

After an earlier flurry of attention, the 38-year-old biotech entrepreneur and first-time political candidate is gaining more notice for his provocations in debates than for signs that his campaign is resonating with voters.

If viability were the reason to stay in a race, he's long since left that behind, said David Kochel, a Republican strategist who advised Jeb Bush in his 2016 presidential bid. If you like Vivek Ramaswamy and what he is saying in this campaign, you already have a candidate, and his name is Donald Trump.

Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are increasingly going after each other as they vie for a distant second place, competing for donors and voters open to a Trump alternative. Former Vice President Mike Pence and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott dropped out after running Iowa-focused campaigns that didn't gain traction.

Ramaswamy's campaign said in early November that it would spend up to USD 8 million in advertising through the Iowa caucuses on January 15. So far, the campaign has booked just USD 162,000 in broadcast and digital ads for the rest of the Iowa campaign, according to data from the media tracking firm AdImpact.

Haley and her allied super PAC have reserved nearly USD 3.5 million over that same period, while DeSantis and his allied super PAC have booked more than USD 3.3 million.

Tricia McLaughlin, Ramaswamy's campaign spokeswoman, said that events hosted by the campaign are drawing more people lately, noting that a sizable number of eventgoers are not registered as Republicans.

We are reaching young people, she said. These people are taking the time and effort to come out. These people are not even being polled because they are not your typical caucusgoer.

Ramaswamy has suggested policy ideas that he says carry on Trump's America First legacy without the former president's baggage.

At a Florida GOP event earlier this month, Ramaswamy arguably drew the most cheers when his pitch was that he was the Republican candidate who had been most supportive of Trump.

I have respected Donald Trump more than anybody else in this race because he was the best president of the 21st century, Ramaswamy said. I said that before, and I will say it again because it's the right thing to do. We will honour that legacy.

Trump remains dominant, even as he faces four criminal indictments and questions about whether he can beat President Joe Biden after losing to him in 2020.

After the October 7 surprise attack on Israel, Ramaswamy has fielded criticism for not being as staunchly pro-Israel as the other GOP candidates. Two days after Hamas' attack, he suggested the US withhold aid to Israel until its government detailed plans for Gaza. Republican voters align heavily with Israel.

Voters and strategists critical of Ramaswamy bring up his position on Israel, but also his age and faith.

Ramaswamy is Hindu and would be the first non-Christian elected president. Iowa's Republican voters are mostly white and Christian, with evangelicals carrying huge influence in the caucuses.

The gathering in the Council Bluffs hotel kicked off with an opening prayer that ended with in the name of our saviour Jesus Christ. The crowd responded with a collective amen.

While he was cheered and applauded for some of his remarks, when he opened up about his religion, he was met with silence.

I'd be the first Hindu president that we had in the United States, he said. I'll tell you about my faith. I believe in one true God. I believe that God put each of us here for a purpose, that we have a moral duty to live out that purpose.

Ramaswamy did not take questions from either the audience or reporters. Many people in the audience declined to speak to an Associated Press reporter afterward.

Rebecca Wilkerson, a 52-year-old voter from Mondamin, Iowa, said most of her friends and family are still supporting Trump like she did over the past seven years, but she is now looking for a change, saying Trump is too old for the White House at 77. She became a Ramaswamy supporter despite those around her feeling apprehensive about his religion.

They can't get past the fact that he's Hindu, Wilkerson said. But I'm not voting based on that. I like his policies, and that's what I care about in a president.

The next day, Ramaswamy attended a roundtable with Haley and DeSantis hosted by Bob Vander Plaats, an influential Iowa Christian activist. In what was billed as a family discussion, the three candidates addressed each other by first name and avoided going after each other. Vander Plaats asked each of them faith-related questions.

I think it's only fair to address what I believe is your highest hurdle from what I'm hearing, Vander Plaats told Ramaswamy. We don't share the same faith. I'm a Christian. You're a Hindu, and you centred your campaign on truth. So a question a lot of the caucusgoers have is, what truth?

Ramaswamy said he was grateful for the question. Holding in his lap his 3-year-old son, Karthik, Ramaswamy repeated what he told the room in Council Bluffs, that he believed in one true God and that God put each of us here for a purpose.

My faith teaches me that we have a duty, a moral duty, to realise that purpose, that we're God's instruments, he said. He works through us in different ways, but we are still equal because God resides in each of us.

Ron Bonjean, a GOP strategist and former top congressional aide, noted Ramaswamy has been trying to build off the momentum built in the first debate, when he grabbed the spotlight introducing himself as a skinny guy with a hard-to-pronounce name. He then declared he was the only person on the stage who wasn't bought and paid for.

He's being aggressive. He's trying to do all the right things to get noticed, to showcase to voters that he's a Trump alternative, Bonjean said, adding his effort is to be seen as a Trump mini-me.

He is excellent at debating other candidates on stage, but he can't back it up with real-world leadership and government experience, he added.

Lisa Unnerstall, 63, a Republican voter from Fort Myers, Florida, said she likes Ramaswamy and would like to see him serve in Trump's Cabinet because of his forward thinking. But she said her first and second choices are Trump and DeSantis.

I'm concerned with his age, Unnerstall said of Ramaswamy. I don't think that a person necessarily has to be a long-time politician in order to become president. Obviously, I voted for Trump. He was not a politician.
San Francisco could lose control of housing plans if the city doesnt meet a deadline imposed by the state. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle

San Francisco is poised to miss the first deadline state housing officials have set for reforming how it approves residential development, a blown due date that could cost the city local control over how projects are entitled and permitted.

Under a set of state mandates laid out in an Oct. 25 San Francisco Housing Policy and Practice Review, the California Department of Housing and Community Development, or HCD, gave the city 30 days to pass Mayor London Breeds constraints reduction ordinance, which would slash red tape and allow many projects to go forward without a hearing at the Planning Commission.

While that deadline is Nov. 27, the ordinance still has not had a vote at the committee level or before the full Board of Supervisors. Supervisor Myrna Melgar, who heads the committee, said she is working with the mayors office, HCD and the city attorneys office to ensure that there is a vote at committee on the day of the deadline, and a vote at the full board the next day.

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San Francisco Planning Director Rich Hillis said he anticipates that next week HCD will send a letter warning that the city is out of compliance with state housing element laws, under which San Francisco is obligated to plan to accommodate 82,000 units before the end of 2031.

After the warning, the city would then have 30 days to come into compliance or risk decertification of the housing element, which could allow property owners to apply for builders remedy projects, allowing them to bypass all local planning review. The city could also lose out on money for affordable housing and transportation as long as its housing element is not certified.

Melgar said she expects that the legislation will pass well within the time frame necessary to avoid the builders remedy. Our city attorney has worked to speedily produce a thoughtful piece of legislation, she said. Im proud of our collective effort.

Hillis also said he is hopeful the Board of Supervisors will pass the constraints legislation in time to avoid decertification. Its a tight window, but I think we can get there, given the schedule, he said.

The deadline comes a month after HCD released its first-ever review of city housing practices, which included 18 actions the state said San Francisco must take in order to remain in compliance with housing laws. At the time of the review, HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez said San Franciscos byzantine planning process has created an entrenched system that is so hard to navigate that many developers have given up on building in the city. The result is a housing market that only wealthy households can crack, unless people are lucky enough to win the lottery for a subsidized affordable unit.

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People who were born and raised in San Francisco cannot afford to stay and raise their own families there, Velasquez said. It is egregious and must be addressed.

Last week, Mayor Breed sent a letter laying out everything the city has done to accelerate housing production.

I will do everything in my power and ability to advance the Housing Element goals, and meet the objectives of the Policy and Practice Review, she said.

Jeff Cretan, a spokesperson for Breed, said that San Francisco was one of the first cities in the Bay Area to have its housing element certified and that now failing to follow up on promises would blow it all up.

We cannot go down the path of housing element decertification, Cretan said. That is deeply concerning. Not only would it put at risk affordable housing and transit funding but it would set us backwards in a significant way.

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HCD spokesperson Pablo Espinoza confirmed that the agency will send a corrective action letter next week as well as offer technical assistance to help the city get back on track.

If the city misses a deadline for a required action, it will start the process to revoke housing element compliance, he said.

He said the state housing element law spells out that various consequences may apply if a city does not have a housing element in compliance with Housing Element law, including ineligibility or delay in receiving certain state funds and the application of the builders remedy, among others.

During the last few years, HCD has funded nearly $600 million in affordable housing in San Francisco, including $230 million for Project Homekey, which funds housing for homeless people, and $350 million in accelerator funding, which has allowed eight stalled low-income projects to move forward.

While the penalties for not following the state mandate are severe, some members of the Board of Supervisors are pushing back. On Nov. 7, Supervisor Aaron Peskin introduced a resolution urging City Attorney David Chiu and the city lobbyist to work with state officials to extend the deadlines.

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The resolution, co-sponsored by Supervisor Connie Chan, also takes issue with what it calls HCDs singular focus on private development policies and practices, and without sufficient measures to address racial equity, fair housing practices, affordability and displacement.

It points out that the city exceeded its goal for market-rate housing during the last eight years, but fell short of its affordable-housing goals. It said that the state deadlines require adoption and action within time periods that may conflict with or are contrary to San Franciscos Charter and other law.

Rushing to decertify the citys housing element would completely deregulate development of market rate housing and put the approximately 65% of San Franciscos population that are renters, as well as San Franciscos historically marginalized low-income communities and communities of color at heightened risk of displacement, the resolution reads.

Espinoza said HCD does not plan on revising the timelines or content of the review, which he said was informed by extensive community outreach that included city staff, appointed and elected officials, community-based organizations, housing advocates, affordable developers, market-rate developers, attorneys and others.

He said all 11 members of the Board of Supervisors were invited to participate in the review, but only five did so.
Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. lowered its position in shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK  Free Report) by 0.2% in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 290,918 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 727 shares during the period. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd.s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $26,100,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Avidian Wealth Solutions LLC lifted its holdings in Duke Energy by 21.2% in the first quarter. Avidian Wealth Solutions LLC now owns 4,565 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $440,000 after buying an additional 798 shares during the period. Fiduciary Alliance LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Duke Energy in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $118,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in Duke Energy by 2.6% during the second quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 8,760 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $783,000 after purchasing an additional 224 shares during the period. Coastline Trust Co increased its stake in Duke Energy by 2.5% in the first quarter. Coastline Trust Co now owns 4,925 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $475,000 after purchasing an additional 120 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Clarus Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Duke Energy in the second quarter worth $351,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 63.68% of the companys stock.

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Duke Energy Stock Down 0.8 %

DUK opened at $89.30 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 0.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.43. Duke Energy Co. has a 1-year low of $83.06 and a 1-year high of $106.43. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $89.56 and its 200 day simple moving average is $90.88. The stock has a market cap of $68.82 billion, a PE ratio of 56.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 0.45.

Duke Energy Announces Dividend

Duke Energy ( NYSE:DUK Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 2nd. The utilities provider reported $1.94 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.92 by $0.02. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 8.24% and a net margin of 4.47%. The firm had revenue of $7.99 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $8.13 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.78 EPS. The companys quarterly revenue was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts expect that Duke Energy Co. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 18th. Investors of record on Friday, November 17th will be issued a dividend of $1.025 per share. This represents a $4.10 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.59%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 16th. Duke Energys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 261.15%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently commented on the company. StockNews.com raised Duke Energy from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, November 3rd. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $96.00 to $97.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, September 14th. BMO Capital Markets cut their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $105.00 to $98.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, August 9th. KeyCorp dropped their price target on Duke Energy from $109.00 to $96.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 5th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price objective on Duke Energy from $104.00 to $101.00 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, September 6th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, Duke Energy currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $98.36.

View Our Latest Analysis on Duke Energy

About Duke Energy

(Free Report)

Duke Energy Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy company in the United States. It operates through two segments, Electric Utilities and Infrastructure (EU&I) and Gas Utilities and Infrastructure (GU&I). The EU&I segment generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electricity in the Carolinas, Florida, and the Midwest; and uses coal, hydroelectric, natural gas, oil, solar and wind sources, renewables, and nuclear fuel to generate electricity.

Further Reading

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DUK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK  Free Report).

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Stock analysts at Macquarie assumed coverage on shares of Newmont (NYSE:NEM  Get Free Report) in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, Briefing.com reports. The brokerage set an outperform rating and a $45.00 price target on the basic materials companys stock. Macquaries price objective points to a potential upside of 23.09% from the stocks previous close.

Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Raymond James lowered their target price on Newmont from $59.00 to $57.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 27th. Argus lowered their price objective on shares of Newmont from $55.00 to $50.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 25th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a sector perform rating and set a $52.00 price objective on shares of Newmont in a research note on Wednesday, September 6th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Newmont in a research note on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Finally, UBS Group dropped their price target on shares of Newmont from $53.00 to $42.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, August 29th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $55.44.

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Read Our Latest Research Report on Newmont

Newmont Trading Up 0.6 %

NYSE NEM opened at $36.56 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 1.72 and a current ratio of 2.12. Newmont has a one year low of $33.58 and a one year high of $60.08. The companys 50 day moving average price is $37.97 and its 200 day moving average price is $40.57. The firm has a market capitalization of $29.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -35.50, a PEG ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.41.

Newmont (NYSE:NEM  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 26th. The basic materials company reported $0.36 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.42 by ($0.06). Newmont had a negative net margin of 7.35% and a positive return on equity of 6.28%. The business had revenue of $2.49 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.20 billion. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Newmont will post 1.71 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other Newmont news, COO Robert D. Atkinson sold 5,500 shares of Newmont stock in a transaction on Friday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $39.91, for a total value of $219,505.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 76,251 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,043,177.41. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, CEO Thomas Ronald Palmer sold 11,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.47, for a total transaction of $401,170.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 245,039 shares of the companys stock, valued at $8,936,572.33. The transaction 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 the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $39.91, for a total value of $219,505.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 76,251 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,043,177.41. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 50,049 shares of company stock worth $1,901,528. 0.07% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NEM. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich increased its holdings in shares of Newmont by 101,647.2% in the 2nd quarter. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich now owns 547,513,832 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $23,356,940,000 after acquiring an additional 546,975,720 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. increased its stake in shares of Newmont by 4.6% in the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 99,433,731 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $4,241,843,000 after purchasing an additional 4,409,771 shares during the period. State Street Corp increased its stake in shares of Newmont by 0.3% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 40,353,343 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $1,721,474,000 after purchasing an additional 121,393 shares during the period. Deutsche Bank AG raised its holdings in shares of Newmont by 12.8% during the first quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 17,968,912 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $880,836,000 after buying an additional 2,042,778 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Newmont by 2.9% during the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 17,003,452 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $628,278,000 after buying an additional 483,377 shares during the period. 79.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Newmont

(Get 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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China, Russia to enhance investment cooperation

Xinhua) 10:42, November 21, 2023

Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, co-chairs the 10th meeting of the China-Russia Investment Cooperation Committee with Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 20, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

BEIJING, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang co-chaired the 10th meeting of the China-Russia Investment Cooperation Committee on Monday with Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov, pledging to promote investment cooperation for new achievements.

Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that China stands ready to work with Russia to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state and give full play to the coordinating role of the committee.

Ding said China is ready to work with Russia to continue to tap the potential of investment cooperation of the two sides, promote practical cooperation for more achievements and enrich the connotation of bilateral relations to better benefit the two peoples.

Ding put forward a four-point proposal on deepening China-Russia investment cooperation.

The first is that China and Russia should work together for a new future of investment cooperation. Ding called on the two sides to enhance the planning and guidance for bilateral investment cooperation.

The second is to jointly push for new progress in cooperation in key areas, strengthen support and guidance for enterprises of the two countries, and encourage willing, qualified and competent enterprises to strengthen cooperation.

The third is to jointly open up new prospects for sub-national cooperation, promote regional complementarity, better coordinate trade, investment, channels and construction of platforms, and deepen practical cooperation on agricultural cooperation demonstration zones and transport infrastructure.

The fourth is to jointly open up a new vision for long-term cooperation, continue to strengthen synergy and coordination, create a sound environment and promote bilateral investment cooperation.

Belousov said the Russian side is willing to work with China to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, enhance strategical synergy, give full play to the role of the committee and promote further achievements in bilateral practical cooperation.

Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, co-chairs the 10th meeting of the China-Russia Investment Cooperation Committee with Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 20, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
AFT Pharmaceuticals (ASX: AFP, NZX: AFT ) today announces its first aid antiseptic cream Crystaderm has been approved for sale in China, the worlds second largest healthcare market.

The registration by Chinas relevant government agency will allow the medicine to be sold in China. Currently AFT sells the medicine into China via its Cross Border E-Commerce (CBEC) site on Tmall China.

AFT Managing Director Dr Hartley Atkinson says: We are delighted with the approval of this medicine and excited about the growth opportunities it opens for the company. This is consistent with our International expansion plans.

Crystaderm is one of our most popular products in New Zealand and is a key focus on our Tmall site. We believe it has the potential for success in Chinese E-commerce sites and over the counter medicine outlets. We are still firming up plans for the distribution of this medicine in China, but we expect it to be launched in the market in the 2024 calendar year.

Crystaderm is a preservative-free first aid cream used for the treatment and prevention of minor skin infections such as acne, cuts, scrapes, grazes, burns and school sores (impetigo). Unlike topical antibiotics it carries no known risk of bacterial resistance and consequently in New Zealand has been widely prescribed by doctors. Hydrogen peroxide, its active ingredient, is a potent agent against many types of bacteria. The medicine is designed to melt at skin temperature and to release the active ingredient to both moist and dry areas, and doesnt stain skin, hands, or fabric.

Released for and on behalf of AFT Pharmaceuticals limited by Malcolm Tubby, Chief Financial Officer.

For more information:

Investors Media

Dr Hartley Atkinson Richard Inder

Managing Director The Project

AFT Pharmaceuticals Tel: +64 21 645 643

Tel: +64 9488 0232

About AFT Pharmaceuticals www.aftpharm.com

AFT Pharmaceuticals are a growing multinational pharmaceutical company that develops, markets, and distributes a broad portfolio of pharmaceutical products across a wide range of therapeutic categories which are distributed across all major pharmaceutical distribution channels: over the counter, prescription, and hospital. AFT Pharmaceutical's product portfolio comprises both proprietary and in-licensed products, and includes patented, branded, and generic drugs.

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In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and its many film adaptations, the golden ticket Charlie discovers inside a Wonka bar isnt just about getting a day trip to a rather chaotic confectionery. For him, its a path out of his lower-class life, the opportunity to be part of something grander and more spectacular than he could ever have imagined.

Real life doesnt really work that way. But Diana Adamo has always considered her education to be the closest shed ever get to a golden ticket. It was a chance to overcome the challenges of her childhood  growing up in poverty, witnessing domestic abuse  and not only break out of that cycle but find a way to help stop it for others.

Feeling that pain and that hurt for me and my siblings and my mother who all had to endure that hardship its my past that propels me, she says. If I can prevent others from facing the same difficulties that we did, then it all be worthwhile.

Through hard work and perseverance, Diana has succeeded in carving a different path forward for herself, one that took her from her home in the greater Toronto area to Canadas East Coast and to earning an exceptional academic record at Dalhousie.

Along the way, shes been lucky enough to experience a couple of those golden ticket moments. One was when she was offered a Chancellors Entrance Scholarship to Dalhousie  without which she probably would never have been able to study at Dal in the first place.

The second was this past Saturday night, when she got the phone call telling her shes going to become a Rhodes Scholar.

I had always imagined this happening to fictional characters, says Diana. I had to take a moment and just contemplate it all, realizing how much my life was going to change in the next two years, and how excited I was for that.

An incredible honour for outstanding achievement



A Rhodes Scholarship is one of the most prestigious academic awards in the world. Eleven recipients are chosen from across Canada each year, joining a global contingent of more than 100 scholars annually who receive full funding to cover travel, study, and expenses for postgraduate studies at Oxford University in the United Kingdom. Recipients are chosen based on academic achievement, moral character, leadership, and extracurricular activities.

With her scholarship, Diana becomes the 94th Rhodes Scholar to be selected from Dalhousie University since the awards were first created in 1902  a number that exceeds all but a handful of other major North American universities and places Dal in the ranks of schools like Stanford, Princeton, McGill and the University of Toronto.

Read more: Get to know past Rhodes Scholars like Ashley Jackson, Sierra Sparks and Nayani Jensen

We are extremely lucky at Dalhousie to get to celebrate so many kinds of achievement from across our university community, says President Kim Brooks. Dianas path is emblematic of the spirit of service, good character and leadership that defines our student community. We are enormously proud of all she has accomplished.

Diana is an incredibly deserving Rhodes Scholar, says Chuck Macdonald, dean of the Faculty of Science. She has demonstrated academic excellence, a commitment to leadership in the community, and an ability to overcome adversity. We are very proud of her achievements during her time at Dal.

A research-focused educational experience



It was Dalhousies particular approach to science education that attracted Diana to the university in the first place.

I wanted to get a taste of the research experience early on in my academic career, she says. I realized the Dalhousie Integrated Science Program was one of the few programs that offered first-year students the opportunity to engage in research to see if it was for them. I knew from the get-go that sounded amazing to me.

The multidisciplinary nature of the Medical Sciences major was also a draw. Its approach was a good fit given the topics she was interested in  such the kinds of neurodevelopmental disorders that had been part of her family life  are best understood through a mix of approaches and disciplines. Still, if it wasnt for that Chancellors Scholarship, none of it would have been possible.

I am certain that had I not received that award, I wouldnt be here today and I certainly wouldnt have a Rhodes Scholarship. I wouldnt have been able to excel in academics the same way. It just further cements my understanding of how important education is, in that my education not only gave me opportunities for growth and my career, but it opened my mind to what the world has to offer: different perspectives, different people. And that is becoming ever-so-crucial in our world.

Shelley Adamo (no relation) is a faculty member in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience who has gotten to work with Diana in her invertebrate behavioural physiology lab, first as volunteer and then a research assistant.

In the lab Diana has proven to be an exceptional young scientist, says Dr. Adamo. Not only did she learn material quickly, but she was able to generate novel ideas that could be rigorously tested.

She has both a creative intellect and a rigorous mind. The two together are a powerful combination; I predict she will have an impact on our world.

The experiences Diana has had in the Adamo lab  studying tick behaviour and neuroinflammation in a particularly unique caterpillar species  have made her even more confident that academic research is going to be part of her future.

Ive realized that change, in anything, requires a solid knowledge base. You need all the information present to make the best choices, and if were going to find new programs, new therapies, new approaches  research is essential to that.

Closing the gap, making the difference



Outside of the classroom, Dianas interests have tended to focus on areas where community action can help close community gaps. In high school, she established a financial literacy club to help her and her peers learn about finance and budgeting in ways that were relevant to teenagers. At Dalhousie, she gravitated towards Dals Medical Campus Response Team, a student-run volunteer organization which aims to increase access to first-aid support within the university community. She served as its vice-president of human resources and served as a medical responder at campus events.

Shes also volunteered at the IWKs Autism Research Centre  work that hits close to home given her familys experiences and struggles with neurodevelopmental disorders. Its the intersection between those disorders and the socioeconomic determinants of health that she hopes to study further in a masters program at Oxford. From there, she sees herself continuing her studies into either a MD or perhaps a PhD.

It's all about finding the best way to make a difference  the same drive that has pushed her to excel at Dalhousie, to achieve all that she has in her studies, and to cash her ticket to Oxford.

I know that I want to make such an impact on the world. I want to be able to help create systemic changes that are bigger than me, that can affect others in my community. And in order to do that, I need to learn, and my degrees are part of helping open doors to being able to have the power and influence to making those changes.

I knew I had to work hard if I wanted to reach this life goal of mine, and it was going to take me putting in everything I had. It was that goal that propelled me during those late nights when I mightve just wanted to go to bed, or just turn on some Netflix and skip studying. But Im doing this for a reason and thats whats kept me going.
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Chatham Rock Phosphate Limited (TSXV: NZP and NZX: CRP or the Company) advises that Korella Fertilizers is the trading name for Avenir Makatea Pty Ltd, the wholly owned Australian subsidiary of Chatham Rock Phosphate Limited.

With CRPs extensive knowledge and network of contacts in the phosphate and fertilizer industry developed over the last 15 years there has always been an interest to trade in low cadmium rock phosphate and other fertilizer minerals, either our own supply or from other sources.

Over the last 6 months Korella Fertilizers has investigated the potential of trading in third party Australian produced low cadmium rock phosphate and imported low sodium sulphate of potassium (SOP). Low sodium SOP is appreciated in the horticultural industry and Korella Fertilizers will focus on this segment of the market.

Rock phosphate can be used as direct application, in manufacture of high analysis fertilizers and used in blends with other nutrients.

The domestic market for fertilizer minerals, particularly rock phosphate and SOP, is also very much driven by logistics.

The Korella Fertilizers distribution centre is in Cloncurry, NW Queensland, the logistics hub for the whole of Northern Australia. Korella Fertilizers also has a clear understanding of the logistics and the capability required to service the vast Australian agricultural sector, not just in the North.

We will update shareholders and stakeholders once sales for both low cadmium rock phosphate and low sodium SOP have been contracted by Korella Fertilizers.

Private Placement

Eligible shareholders and prospective investors who wish to participate in this placement which is proposed to close on December 21, 2023, should contact Chris Castle to obtain the subscription agreement.

For further information please contact:

Chris Castle

President and Chief Executive Officer

Chatham Rock Phosphate Limited

64 21 55 81 85 or chris@crpl.co.nz

Statements about the Companys future expectations and all other statements in this press release other than historical facts are forward looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including risks inherent in mineral exploration and development, which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any projected future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

Neither the Exchange, its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined under the policies of the Exchange), or New Zealand Exchange Limited has in any way passed upon the merits of the Transaction and associated transactions, and has neither approved nor disapproved of the contents of this press release.

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External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar (Image: PTI)

New Delhi: Strongly articulating Indias views and speaking for Prime Minister Narendra Modi who could not attend the "extraordinary joint meeting" of the Brics grouping convened by the groupings Chair South Africa in virtual mode on Tuesday evening, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar (EAM) reminded the Brics leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, that the "immediate (West Asia) crisis was triggered by the terrorist attack (on Israel) of October 7" (carried out by Palestinian militant group Hamas).

He added that "where terrorism itself is concerned, none of us should or can compromise with it". In a strong criticism of the actions of Hamas without naming it, the EAM further pointed out that "hostage-taking is equally unacceptable and cannot be condoned", a reference to the Hamas taking Israeli hostages into Gaza after the raid on October 7.

However, in a veiled message to Israel, the EAM also strongly condemned civilian casualties in the (Israel-Hamas) conflict. He pointed out that the "universal obligation to observe international humanitarian law" cannot be circumvented.

He expressed grief over the "immense human suffering" in the Gaza Strip, advocated restraint and de-escalation, and referred to the current humanitarian assistance and ongoing development assistance for long by India to the Palestinian people and batted for a two-state solution to the Palestinian issue.

Apart from the EAM and President Xi, the meeting was also attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, (the host) South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and Iranian President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi apart from some other leaders.

In August this year, the five-nation Brics (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) had agreed by consensus to expand the grouping with effect from January 1, 2024, to include six new member-nations - Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

According to reports, Putin said a meeting with the BRICS grouping can help reach a political settlement in the Gaza conflict.

The EAM began his remarks by saying, "Let me begin by thanking President Ramaphosa for convening this extraordinary meeting. I speak for Prime Minister Narendra Modi who could not join us today. We are gathered to discuss the deeply concerning situation in the Middle East, with a particular focus on Gaza. South Africa has rightly taken the initiative to convene the Brics, and also to include those who would be part of the group in due course. I convey Prime Minister Modi's greetings to all the leaders, virtually present."

The EAM then said, "The ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza is causing immense human suffering, including to civilians, elderly, women and children. We welcome all efforts of the international community towards de-escalation. Right now, there is an urgent need to ensure that humanitarian aid and relief effectively and safely reach the population of Gaza. It is also imperative that all hostages are released. We believe that there is a universal obligation to observe international humanitarian law."

Jaishankar pointed out, "We are all aware that the immediate crisis was triggered by the terrorist attack of 7th October. Where terrorism itself is concerned, none of us should or can compromise with it. Hostage-taking is equally unacceptable and cannot be condoned. Subsequent developments have deepened our concern even more as we witness large-scale civilian casualties and a humanitarian crisis. We strongly condemn any death of civilians."

On the course ahead, the EAM said, "Along with the need for restraint and immediate humanitarian support, India also emphasises peaceful resolution of conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy. Prime Minister Modi has spoken to several leaders in the region and across the world in this context. He has highlighted the need to create conditions for peace and restart direct and meaningful peace negotiations. We believe that the concerns of the Palestinian people must be addressed in a serious and sustainable manner. This can only happen with a two-state solution that is based on peaceful co-existence. We have been consistently supportive of international efforts towards this end."

Further reminding the grouping about India's development assistance and thanking Egypt for facilitating India's current humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people in Gaza through the Rafah border crossing, the EAM said, "Over the years, India has supported the socio-economic welfare of the Palestinian people and strengthening of their national institutions. Our development partnership is geared towards these objectives. We continue to provide assistance both bilaterally and through the UN."

"Our economic assistance to Palestine, developmental projects there and financial support to Palestinian Authority reflect our position. India remains supportive of the UN Relief and Welfare Agency's (UNRWA) role and have been contributing $5 million annually. In response to the crisis in Gaza, India has also sent 70 tonnes of humanitarian assistance including 16.5 tonnes of medicines and medical supplies. We thank Egypt for facilitating this delivery. Our relief assistance will continue."

The EAM concluded his remarks saying, "The international community is today facing a very complex situation that has many dimensions. We have to address them all; and yet, have to prioritise. Our endeavour should be to both make a difference on the ground immediately while also creating conditions for lasting solutions. This exchange of views can be helpful in that regard and I thank South Africa once again for gathering us all at this difficult time."
BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao on Monday, in an attempt to assuage disgruntled unemployed youth, assured to stand by them and take proactive measures to reform the TSPSC. (Twitter)

Hyderabad: A day after IT minister K.T. Rama Rao engaged with job aspirants in a bid to assuage their concerns and win over the vote bank, which accounts for 30 per cent of the total electorate, the Congress and the BJP have also stepped up their outreach by highlighting promises made for them.

There are 3.14 crore voters in Telangana, of whom the number of voters in the 18-19-year age group is 7 lakh and in the 19-35 age group is 75 lakh.

The Congress came up with a Youth Declaration to attract students, youths and unemployed, by promising to fill 2 lakh government posts within a year of coming to power. It promised a transparent recruitment process, reconstitution of TSPSC with eminent people to check irregularities in recruitments and exams, annual job calendar and monthly unemployment allowance of Rs 4,000.

The Congress also promised to transform Telangana into a zero unemployment state through a centralised online registration portal, creating employment exchanges in seven-plus zones and establishing skill development centres in each district.

It promised 75 per cent reservations to Telangana youths in private companies established with the help of government incentives, and the constitution of a youth commission to provide interest-free loans of up to Rs 10 lakh to facilitate education and livelihood opportunities.

The declaration also promised fee reimbursement for students from SCs, STs, BCs, minorities and EWS categories, along with clearance of dues. Four new IIITs, on the lines of RGUKT's IIIT-Basar, were also promised.

In its Six Guarantees, the Congress promised Yuva Vikasam through a `5-lakh Vidya Bharosa Card that students could use to make fee payments and foot other related expenses.

The BJP, in its manifesto, went with the catchphrases Yuva Shakti and Vidya Shri to woo younger voters, by promising to complete TSPSC recruitments on the lines of the UPSC, filling government jobs, including EWS quota, within six months, setting up nodal schools in every mandal, improving facilities in social welfare residential schools and monitoring fee structure in private schools.

The BRS, which did not mention the youth in its manifesto, is trying to address this deficiency by directly reaching out to students, youths and the unemployed.

BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao on Tuesday held a meeting in the city with a few government job aspirants based in Ashoknagar. Rama Rao promised to announce an annual job calendar and speed up all the pending recruitment exams. He also promised reforms in TSPSC, as demanded by them.
91 year old Annapurna Chunduri first senior citizen to cast vote from Khairatabad Constituency

Hyderabad: In a historic move, the Election Commission of India has introduced a home voting facility in Telangana for senior citizens and persons with disabilities ahead of the upcoming elections on November 30.

Today, 91-year-old Annapurna Chunduri became the first to utilize this service in the Khairatabad constituency. Election officers and police collected her postal ballot at her residence.

This initiative allows eligible voters to cast their ballots from home, ensuring accessibility for those facing challenges reaching polling stations. Home voting will continue from November 21 to at least November 27 in all 119 assembly constituencies, marking the first time such a service is offered in Telangana.

When the Election Commission of India issued the notification for Assembly polls in four Indian statesTelangana, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajashtan, it also stated that postal ballot facility will be available for senior citizens (above 80 years) and PWD electors.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) provides a facility to senior citizens, aged 80 and above, and those with 40 percent disabilities to cast their vote from home using the home voting facility or the postal ballot facility
The Congress, taking a strong objection to the BRS for allegedly issuing newspaper advertisements dubbing the national party Scamgress', lodged a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday. (PTI File Image)

Hyderabad: The Congress, taking a strong objection to the BRS for allegedly issuing newspaper advertisements dubbing the national party Scamgress, lodged a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday.

It also complained against BRS working president and IT minister K.T. Rama Rao for holding a meeting with government job aspirants on the premises of T-Works in Raidurg, as it belongs to the state government and thereby, flouted the model code of conduct (MCC) stipulated by the ECI.

Detailing the BRS advertisement in a complaint to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, the Congress alleged that the BRS gave full-page first-page advertisements in all newspapers alleging that the Congress had indulged in scams to the tune of Rs 48,20,69,00,00,000.

"Is the above advertisement certified by the MSME or not? How has the MSME committee approved this content, which is against the model code of conduct? If this is not approved by the MSME committee, please take criminal action against K. Chandrashekar Rao and K.T. Rama Rao, the president and working president of BRS, respectively," the Congress said in its complaint.

The Congress urged the ECI to direct the BRS to carry similar full-page first-page advertisements in newspapers expressing its regret over the claims against Congress. Further, it sought a ban on all forms of advertising by the BRS for the elections.
A file photo of TD chief N.Chandrababu Naidu (Image: A.Manikanta Kumar)

Vijayawada: Telugu Desam president Nara Chandrababu Naidu is likely to resume his political activity from November 29 as the AP High Court has permitted him to address public rallies and meetings.

The HC gave relief to Naidu while granting him regular bail in the skill development scam case this week. However, several hurdles in his way remain.

The TD leadership is eager to resume political activity in an aggressive manner as they have lost nearly two-and-half-months subsequent to the arrest of Naidu on September 9, followed by his judicial remand and jailing.

As Naidu is regaining his health via medical treatment in the AIG hospital and underwent cataract surgery at the LV Prasad Eye Institute recently, the party leadership is chalking out a strategy to hit the road and to reach out to the people.

Based on tentative plans, Naidu and TD general-secretary Nara Lokesh will resume the Bhavishyathuku Guarantee and Yuva Galam programmes respectively. These had been stopped abruptly following the arrest of Naidu. Lokesh was preoccupied with the work to arrange legal support for his father.

The TD ally, Jana Sena, will also continue its Varahi Vijaya Yatra through the remaining districts on its own.

TD sources say that with both TD and JS readying to take on the YSRC jointly, they would allow TD leaders and cadres at Assembly segment level to take part in local programmes along with JS. However, as the election date nears, the top leaders from both the TD and JS will run the poll campaign jointly, explaining about their joint manifesto to the people and targeting the ruling YSRC by exposing its failures.

Leaders and cadres from both the TD and JS faced initial hiccups at recent Assembly segment level meetings vis-a-vis joint action. However, the top leaders are counselling them not to give ammunition to the YSRC to spread word that there was disunity in the TD-JS alliance.

Moreover, as the AP government challenged the High Court order granting regular bail to Naidu in the skill development scam case and the Supreme Court would pronounce its verdict on Naidus plea for quashing of FIR in this case, fact is also that Naidu faces several other cases in the courts.

It has to be seen how Naidu can overcome all legal hurdles successfully to be out on bail to continue his poll campaign.

Telugu Desam national spokesperson Pattabhi Ram said, "With just a few months left for the polls, our party leadership will resume the poll campaign on November 29 and reach out to the people. We are optimistic that our party chief will overcome the legal tangles soon."
EQS-Ad-hoc: RAG-Stiftung / Key word(s): Issue of Debt

RAG-Stiftung: Offering of new bonds exchangeable into shares of Evonik Industries AG and offers to sell exchangeable bonds in circulation



21-Nov-2023 / 07:43 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.





NOT FOR PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION OR RELEASE IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN OR SOUTH AFRICA, OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH OFFERS OR SALES OF THE SECURITIES WOULD BE PROHIBITED BY APPLICABLE LAW.

This announcement is not a prospectus and not an offer of securities for sale in any jurisdiction, including in or into the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan or South Africa or any jurisdiction in which offers or sales of the securities would be prohibited by applicable law. Neither this announcement nor anything contained herein shall form the basis of, or be relied upon in connection with, any offer or commitment whatsoever in any jurisdiction.

RAG-Stiftung launches an offering of new bonds exchangeable into shares of Evonik Industries AG and invites bondholders to submit offers to sell any and all of the exchangeable bonds due 2024 (ISIN DE000A2LQRA1) in circulation and up to EUR 50 million of the outstanding exchangeable bonds due 2026 (ISIN: DE000A3E44N7)

Essen, 21 November 2023. RAG-Stiftung (the "Issuer") holds approximately 53.0 % of in total 466,000,000 no-par value registered shares (ISIN: DE000EVNK013) of Evonik Industries AG (the "Shares"). RAG-Stiftung currently has three outstanding bonds exchangeable into existing ordinary registered shares of Evonik Industries AG (ISIN: DE000A2LQRA1, DE000A3E44N7 and DE000A30VPN9).

Today, the management board of the Issuer decided on the concurrent launch of the following transactions:

New exchangeable bonds

The offering of new senior and unsecured bonds exchangeable into existing ordinary registered shares of Evonik Industries AG in an aggregate principal amount of EUR 500 million, maturing in 2030 (the "New Bonds"):

The New Bonds will be offered by way of an accelerated bookbuilding to institutional investors outside the United States of America (the "United States") in reliance on Regulation S (Category 1) under the United States Securities Act of 1933 as amended, as well as outside of Australia, Canada, Japan, South Africa and any other jurisdiction in which offers or sales of the New Bonds would be prohibited by applicable law.

Outstanding exchangeable bonds

The invitation to holders of the outstanding non-interest bearing senior, unsecured exchangeable bonds due 2024 (ISIN: DE000A2LQRA1) in an aggregate principal amount in circulation of EUR 450 million (the "Outstanding 2024 Bonds") to offer the Outstanding 2024 Bonds for purchase to the Issuer for cash.

Concurrently with the New Bonds offering, the Issuer announces an invitation to holders of the Outstanding 2024 Bonds, that are outside the United States and to whom the invitation to sell may otherwise be lawfully made to sell up to any and all of their Outstanding 2024 Bonds for purchase to the Issuer for cash (so-called invitatio ad offerendum), whereas the decision to accept the sale offers is at the Issuer's sole and absolute discretion.

As at 17:30 hours CET on 20 November 2023, EUR 450 million of the initially issued EUR 500 million in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding 2024 Bonds remained in circulation.

The fixed purchase price per EUR 100,000 principal amount of the Outstanding 2024 Bonds will be EUR 97,000.

The invitation to holders of the outstanding non-interest bearing senior, unsecured exchangeable bonds due 2026 (ISIN: DE000A3E44N7) in an aggregate principal amount in circulation of EUR 450 million (the "Outstanding 2026 Bonds") to offer the Outstanding 2026 Bonds for purchase to the Issuer for cash.

Concurrently with the New Bonds offering, the Issuer announces an invitation to holders of the Outstanding 2026 Bonds, that are outside the United States and to whom the invitation to sell may otherwise be lawfully made to sell up to any and all of their Outstanding 2026 Bonds for purchase to the Issuer for cash (so-called invitatio ad offerendum), whereas the decision to accept the sale offers is at the Issuers sole and absolute discretion.

The Issuer intends to buy back a maximum of EUR 50 million nominal.

As at 17:30 hours CET on 20 November 2023, EUR 450 million of the initially issued EUR 500 million in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding 2026 Bonds remained in circulation.

The fixed purchase price per EUR 100,000 principal amount of the Outstanding 2026 Bonds will be EUR 94,000.

The invitations to sell are not being made directly or indirectly, in or into the United States by use of the mails or by any means or instrumentality (including, without limitation, e-mail, facsimile transmission, telephone and the internet) of interstate or foreign commerce, or of any facility of a national securities exchange of the United States and the invitations to sell cannot be accepted by any such use, means, instrumentality or facility or from within the United States. The invitations to sell are not open to any persons located or resident in the United States, or persons acting for the account or benefit of any such persons, or in any other jurisdiction where the invitations to sell or any participation therein would be unlawful.

The Issuer plans to use the net proceeds of the offering of the New Bonds to finance the potential repurchase of the Outstanding 2024 Bonds and the Outstanding 2026 Bonds and to increase its existing financial assets.

Contact/notifying person:

Dr Hans-Georg Heesen

Legal Adviser

RAG-Stiftung

Im Welterbe 10

45141 Essen

Fon +49 (0) 201 378 3350

Fax +49 (0) 201 378 3400

Email Hans-Georg.Heesen@rag-stiftung.de

Disclaimer:

The information contained in this announcement is for background purposes only and does not purport to be full or complete. No reliance may be placed for any purpose on the information contained in this announcement or its accuracy or completeness. No prospectus will be prepared in connection with the offering of the securities referred to herein. The securities referred to herein may not be offered to the public in any jurisdiction in circumstances which would require the preparation or registration of any prospectus or offering document relating to the securities referred to herein in such jurisdiction.

This announcement is not for publication or distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States (including its territories and possessions), Australia, Canada, Japan or South Africa or any other jurisdiction where such announcement could be unlawful. The distribution of this announcement and the offer and sale of the securities referred to herein may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions and persons into whose possession any document or other information referred to herein comes should inform themselves about and observe any such restriction. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

This announcement does not constitute an invitation to participate in the invitations in any jurisdiction in which, or to or from any person to or from whom, it is unlawful to make such invitations under applicable securities laws. The invitations are not being made and will not be made directly or indirectly in or into, or by use of the mails of, or by any means or instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce of, or any facilities of a national securities exchange of, the United States. This includes, but is not limited to, facsimile transmission, electronic mail, telex, telephone and the internet. Accordingly, copies of this announcement and any other documents or materials relating to the invitations are not being, and must not be, directly or indirectly mailed or otherwise transmitted, distributed or forwarded in or into the United States and outstanding bonds cannot be offered for sale in the invitations by any such use, means, instruments or facilities from or within the United States or by persons located or resident in the United States. Failure to comply with these restrictions may result in a violation of applicable laws and any purported offer of outstanding bonds for sale resulting directly or indirectly from a violation of these restrictions will be invalid and offers of outstanding bonds for sale made by a person located in the United States or any agent, fiduciary or other intermediary acting on a non-discretionary basis for a principal giving instructions from within the United States will not be accepted.

This announcement does not contain or constitute or form part of, and should not be construed as, an offer or invitation to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy or subscribe for, any securities to any person in the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan or South Africa or in any jurisdiction to whom or in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful.

The securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") or the laws of any state within the United States or under the applicable securities laws of Australia, Canada, Japan or South Africa, and may not be offered or sold in the United States, unless registered under the Securities Act or offered and sold in a transaction exempt from, or not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act. Subject to certain exceptions, the securities referred to herein may not be offered or sold in Australia, Canada, Japan or South Africa or to, or for the account or benefit of, any national, resident or citizen of Australia, Canada, Japan or South Africa. There will be no public offer of the securities referred to herein in the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan or South Africa.

This announcement and the offer, when made, in member states of the European Economic Area ("EEA" and each member state, a "relevant member state"), are only addressed to and directed at persons who are "qualified investors" as defined in the Prospectus Regulation ("Qualified Investors"). For these purposes, the expression "Prospectus Regulation" means regulation (EU) 2017/1129 and Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of United Kingdom domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 the "EUWA"), in each case as amended.

If located in a relevant member state, each person who initially acquires any securities, and to the extent applicable any funds on behalf of which such person acquires such securities that are located in a relevant member state, or to whom any offer of securities may be made will be deemed to have represented, acknowledged and agreed that it is a Qualified Investor as defined above.

The New Bonds are not intended to be offered, sold or otherwise made available to and should not be offered, sold or otherwise made available to any retail investor in the EEA or the United Kingdom (the "UK"). For these purposes, a "retail investor" means (a) in the EEA, a person who is one (or more) of: (i) a retail client as defined in point (11) of Article 4(1) of Directive 2014/65/EU ("MIFID II"); (ii) a customer within the meaning of Directive (EU) 2016/97 (as amended, the "Insurance Distribution Directive"), where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (10) of article 4(1) of MIFID II or (iii) not a Qualified Investor as defined in the Prospectus Regulation and (b) in the UK, a person who is one (or more) of: (i) a retail client within the meaning of Regulation (EU) No. 2017/565 as it forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the EUWA or (ii) a customer within the meaning of the provisions of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 of the UK (the "FSMA") and any rules or regulations made under the FSMA to implement Directive (EU) 2016/97, where that customer would not qualify as a professional client, as defined in point (8) of Article 2(1) of regulation (EU) No. 600/2014 as it forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the EUWA. Consequently, no key information document required by Regulation (EU) No 1286/2014 (the "EU PRIIPs Regulation") or the EU PRIIPs Regulation as it forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the EUWA (the "UK PRIIPs Regulation") for offering or selling the New Bonds or otherwise making them available to retail investors in the EEA or the UK has been prepared and therefore offering or selling the New Bonds or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the EEA or the UK may be unlawful under the EU PRIIPs Regulation and/ or the UK PRIIPs Regulation.

In the United Kingdom, this announcement is directed only at, Qualified Investors within the meaning of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of United Kingdom domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (the "EUWA") (i) who have professional experience in matters relating to investments falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the "Order"), (ii) who fall within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order, or (iii) to whom it may otherwise lawfully be communicated (all such persons together being referred to as "relevant persons"). This announcement must not be acted on or relied on (i) in the United Kingdom, by persons who are not relevant persons, and (ii) in any member state of the EEA, by persons who are not Qualified Investors.

This announcement may include statements that are, or may be deemed to be, "forwardlooking statements". These forwardlooking statements may be identified by the use of forwardlooking terminology, including the terms "believes", "estimates", "plans", "projects", "anticipates", "expects", "intends", "may", "will" or "should" or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy, plans, objectives, goals, future events or intentions. Forwardlooking statements may and often do differ materially from actual results. Any forwardlooking statements reflect RAGStiftung's current view with respect to future events and are subject to risks relating to future events and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to its business, results of operations, financial position, liquidity, prospects, growth or strategies. Forwardlooking statements speak only as of the date they are made.

RAGStiftung and its affiliates expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to update, review or revise any forward-looking statement contained in this announcement whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

No reliance may or should be placed by any person for any purposes whatsoever on the information contained in this announcement or on its completeness, accuracy or fairness. The information in this announcement is subject to change.

The date of admission of the New Bonds to trading may be influenced by things such as market conditions. There is no guarantee that admission will occur, and you should not base your financial decisions on RAGStiftung's intentions in relation to admission at this stage. Acquiring investments to which this announcement relates may expose an investor to a significant risk of losing all of the amount invested. Persons considering making such investments should consult an authorised person specialising in advising on such investments. This announcement does not constitute a recommendation concerning the New Bonds offering. The value of shares can decrease as well as increase. Potential investors should consult a professional advisor as to the suitability of the New Bonds offering for the person concerned.
Premium Brands Holdings Co. (TSE:PBH  Free Report)  Equities researchers at Cormark cut their FY2023 earnings estimates for shares of Premium Brands in a research report issued on Wednesday, November 15th. Cormark analyst K. Mcphee now expects that the company will earn $4.35 per share for the year, down from their prior estimate of $4.78. The consensus estimate for Premium Brands current full-year earnings is $5.72 per share. Cormark also issued estimates for Premium Brands FY2024 earnings at $5.86 EPS and FY2025 earnings at $7.94 EPS.

Get Premium Brands alerts:

A number of other equities analysts have also commented on PBH. TD Securities boosted their price objective on shares of Premium Brands from C$125.00 to C$135.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, August 15th. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price objective on shares of Premium Brands from C$110.00 to C$103.00 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 15th. National Bank Financial lowered shares of Premium Brands from an outperform overweight rating to a sector perform overweight rating in a report on Monday, August 14th. Desjardins cut their target price on shares of Premium Brands from C$124.00 to C$110.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 15th. Finally, National Bankshares cut their target price on shares of Premium Brands from C$117.00 to C$109.00 in a research note on Wednesday, November 15th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of C$116.33.

Premium Brands Stock Performance

Shares of PBH stock opened at C$90.95 on Monday. Premium Brands has a 12 month low of C$79.00 and a 12 month high of C$113.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 152.95, a current ratio of 2.44 and a quick ratio of 1.16. The firm has a market capitalization of C$4.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.67, a P/E/G ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 1.00. The companys fifty day moving average price is C$94.42 and its two-hundred day moving average price is C$100.51.

Premium Brands Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 15th. Investors of record on Friday, December 29th will be paid a dividend of $0.77 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 28th. This represents a $3.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.39%. Premium Brandss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 120.78%.

About Premium Brands

(Get Free Report)

Premium Brands Holdings Corporation, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and distributes food products primarily in Canada and the United States. It operates in two segments, Specialty Foods and Premium Food Distribution. The company provides processed meat, deli products, meat snacks, beef jerky and halal, sandwiches, pastries, specialty and gourmet products, entrees, panini, wraps, subs, hamburgers, burgers, salads and kettle products, muffins, breads, pastas, and baking and sushi products.

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iShares Core Canadian Short Term Bond Index ETF (TSE:XSB  Get Free Report)s share price were up 0.1% during trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as C$25.77 and last traded at C$25.77. Approximately 57,021 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 16% from the average daily volume of 67,964 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$25.74.

iShares Core Canadian Short Term Bond Index ETF Stock Up 0.1 %

The firm has a 50 day moving average of C$25.47 and a 200 day moving average of C$25.54.

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Foyle MLA Sinead McLaughlin has expressed concern at the closure of the Ulster Bank branch in the Waterside, following the news that the branch will close on 27th February 2024.

Ms McLaughlin said there are still many people who prefer in-person banking.

The news of this closure will come as a real blow to the local community here in the Waterside. While I understand that more and more customers are making the transition to online banking, it is still the case that many people in our community want to use face-to-face banking services," the SDLP MLA said.

This is especially the case when it comes to more elderly and vulnerable people in our city and district, who rely on the support that staff can provide in-branch. People with inadequate broadband connections also require access to in-person banking and it is important that this support is maintained.

I understand that Customer Support Specialists are contacting customers who use the branch. However, I would call on Ulster Bank to reconsider this decision so that everyone in our community can access banking in the way that best suits their needs.

Derry Councillor Sean Mooney also raised concerns about the closure.

"Disappointing to hear that the Ulster bank branch on Clooney Terrace will close on the 27 February 2024. This is sad news for the staff and for the local community," the SDLP councillor said.

"If you have any queries regarding the closure of the branch, please get in touch and I will try and assist with obtaining answers."
Councillor Shaun Harkin has announced his intention to submit a motion to the November full Council meeting to the address what he calls the 'crippling poverty' faced by people in this Council district.

People Before Profit Cllr Shaun Harkin said many people in Derry and Strabane find themselves fighting for basic necessities.

"Thousands of people are struggling to feed themselves and their families, relying on food banks and charity to survive," the People Before Profit councillor said.

"The winter weather will make life even harder for those who cannot afford to heat their homes or buy warm clothes.

"The UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Olivier De Schutter, has warned that the British government is in violation of international law for its policies that have inflicted misery and hardship on millions of people.

"The Tories are to blame for this situation, as they have imposed cruel austerity measures, cut public services, and slashed welfare benefits.

"Stormont, when it was actually functioning, compounded poverty here by greenlighting Tory policies instead of being a bulwark against them.

"The Secretary of State, Chris Heaton-Harris, has shown complete disregard and contempt for people here.

"Instead of using direct pressure on the DUP, he has used poverty as a weapon of collective punishment to try and force a return of the Stormont Executive.

"His strategy has been a disaster for people in all our communities, for workers in need of a pay rise and for public services in desperate need of funding.

"My motion will demand that Derry and Strabane Council hold Heaton Harris to account.

"We call on Council to work with all relevant bodies to alleviate the suffering caused by these Tory policies."
An inspirational young girl from County Derry has spoken of her excitement after landing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to star in RTE's The Late Late Toy Show.

Tessa Evans, from Maghera, will appear on the popular show, hosted for the first time by presenter Patrick Kielty, this Friday night.

The 10 year-old, who attends St Brigid's Primary School, Tirkane/ Bunscoil Naomh Brid, was encouraged to audition for the show by her teacher.

Tessa had to send a small video for the first step of the application process before being invited along for an audition.

When Tessa's mum Grainne brought her to the audition in Dublin, she had to stay out of the room.

I got really emotional because Tessa had to go into a room all on her own, said Grainne.

She just stood up with all her things and just walked in as if it was nothing, as if she had been doing it forever.

And then we could hear laughing coming from behind the wall.

Two weeks later, Tessa's family received a phone call announcing the good news that she had been chosen to appear on the show.

We had absolutely no idea, we did not expect to get that phone call to say that she'd had got a part in the show, said Grainne.

I just find it so strange. You just grew up watching it, it's like every child's dream and I think we're more excited than even Tessa, although she's over the moon.

Tessa, who was born without a nose due to a rare condition called Bosma Arhinia Microphthalmia (BAM) syndrome, said she was 'really, really, really, really excited' and shocked to be part of the most-watched show in Ireland.

Tessa said during her audition she made 'funny jokes' to make the panel laugh.

 I had to play with toys, just my doll and some other toys I brought, said Tessa.

My teacher keeps saying she can't believe I'm going to be on it.

It's so huge, I'd never think I'd be on it.

The theme for Friday night's show is strictly confidential and neither Grainne or Tessa can speak about it.

So it's all very, very top secret, said Grainne.

Tessa's not doing a toy review or anything but she's part of the show, part of a performance. The rest is highly

classified.

Tessa had an official rehearsal on Sunday and will travel to Dublin this Friday for a full dress rehearsal right before

the Toy Show is aired on RTE at 9.35pm.
One of the most recognisable faces on BBC Northern Ireland is set to start training the next generation of journalists.

Mark Carruthers, who hosts political programmes including The View, Sunday Politics and the Red Lines podcast, has been appointed as a visiting professor of media at Ulster University.

He is set to share his industry knowledge and experience with Ulster Universitys undergraduate and postgraduate students in the School of Communication and Media.

Mr Carruthers said he considers the role to be a great honour.

What Im really looking forward to is supporting the next generation of Northern Irish journalistic and media talent in a very practical way, he said.

Im hoping to offer them hands-on experience of front-line reporting. The TV studio on the Coleraine campus is the perfect environment to help them hone their craft, whether thats in front of or behind the cameras or podcast mics.

Im pretty sure that Im going to learn from the students just as much as I can share with them and Im really looking forward to getting started.

Mr Carruthers, who was born in Derry city, spent much of his early life in Limavady and attended school in Coleraine. He will follow in the footsteps of two of his uncles who worked on the Coleraine campus, and also traces a history in the Riverside Theatre on campus where he once acted alongside James Nesbitt in a production of Oliver.

UU provost professor Cathy Gormley-Heenan said she believes Mr Carruthers will inspire students.

Were very excited that Mark is joining the Ulster University community in a more formal capacity, having worked with us to host major events such as our tourism summit and recent US trade delegation visit this year, she said.

Our students will no doubt be inspired by Mark as he generously shares his perspectives, industry insights and knowledge from an incredible 35-year career spanning the Troubles, the Belfast Good Friday Agreement and all major political milestones in between and in the years since.

Mr Carruthers begins his three-year tenure as visiting professor of media this month.
A former soldier told the inquest into the deaths of two Derry men that he heard 'a flurry of shots' and then heard the words 'contact, contact' over his radio.

The former soldier identified as Soldier G was giving evidence to the inquest into the deaths of William Fleming (19) from the Waterside and Daniel Doherty (23) from Creggan who were shot dead by the SAS in the grounds of Gransha Hospital on December 6 1984.

He told the hearing that he had joined the British Army in 1966 and in 1974 or 1975 had joined the Special Military Unit and served five tours of duty in the North.

On December 6 1984 he recalled a briefing and, said there was a RUC Special Branch officer present.

Soldier G said he had no role in the planning of the actual operation but recalled he was parked near the entrance to Gransha Hospital.

The former soldier said he was looking out for a motorbike but couldn't recall if he saw one.

He then said he heard the shots and 'radio chatter' and took it there had been contact between his unit and gunmen.

The witness said he was not asked to speak to the RUC following the incident.

It was put to the witness the statements of Soldier H the officer in command of the SMU who outlined three options in this operation to prevent the shooting of an off duty member of the security forces.

These were, swamp the area which would deter the shooting but it was felt the gunmen could return another day.

Secondly, try and drive the gunmen into a RUC checkpoint but it was felt there could be a scout car.

Finally, the option was to carry out 'a hard arrest'.

The witness said he had no knowledge of those plans.

It was suggested to Soldier G that he was the author of a manuscript that had been given to the Coroner referring to various incidents involving the SMU including other killings.

When he was asked directly if he was the author he declined to answer on the grounds he could incriminate himself.

A legal argument then ensued about the question of privilege and what the witness could or could not answer.

The former soldier then faced some questions based on this manuscript.

He was asked about a portion of the manuscript where it referred to the SMU getting 'a respectable score in relation to dead terrorists'.

He said he could not recall that.

He was also asked about another portion of the manuscript that referred to the SMU getting the opportunity 'to even the score' with an operation in Derry after the unit had lost some men.

When asked about that idea he said 'never'.

He was also asked about various portions of the document that referred to the operation at Gransha Hospital and answered he could not recall these details.

The hearing continues.
Downing Street has been accused of failing to understand Northern Ireland after mistakenly adding an Irish flag to a social media post celebrating the region.

The post on Instagram shows photographs of a showcase of the regions culture during an event at 10 Downing Street attended by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

The initial post included an Irish flag emoticon.

a hasty edit pic.twitter.com/QMLSf4mmbn  Adam Payne (@adampayne26) November 21, 2023

It is understood that the flag was included in error and was quickly deleted.

Ulster Unionist Party leader Doug Beattie said the incident is the latest which shows that Westminster doesnt understand Northern Ireland.

Im not one of these people who get all wound up about flags or whether someone has put something on by mistake, he told the BBC.

It doesnt make sense that they would do that  if they felt the need to put a flag up, it should have been the union flag.

The mistake came after Northern Ireland was left out of the latest round of Levelling Up funding.

Mr Beattie said: There are people out there who want to hand all of the devolved power we have back to Westminster, and here is what Westminster is doing  they got rid of our Levelling Up funding, they brought us the Northern Ireland Protocol, they brought us the Windsor Framework, and now theyre firing out things on Instagram where they are using the wrong flag.

These people dont understand us, they dont know us. We are better served with devolved government.
Evolva Holding SA / Key word(s): Disposal

Evolva enters into an agreement to sell its operations to Lallemand, securing the best possible outcome for the company and its stakeholders



21-Nov-2023 / 07:00 CET/CEST

Release of an ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



PRESS RELEASE | AD HOC ANNOUNCEMENT PURSUANT TO ART. 53 LR

Evolva enters into an agreement to sell its operations to Lallemand, securing the best possible outcome for the company and its stakeholders Evolva and Danstar Ferment AG, a Swiss affiliate of Lallemand Inc., have signed a share purchase agreement regarding the sale and purchase, respectively, of 100% of the shares in Evolva AG, the fully owned operating subsidiary of Evolva Holding SA containing all of Evolva's business operations.

The purchase price is set at CHF 20 million, subject to customary post-signing/completion adjustments.

Closing of the transaction is subject to customary conditions including, inter alia, shareholder consent.

In addition, Evolva Holding SA and Danstar Ferment AG have entered into an earn-out agreement providing for additional future contingent purchase price payments of up to CHF 10 million, depending on the achievement of certain product-based sales targets over the next 18 months.

The net proceeds from the transaction will be distributed to the shareholders of Evolva Holding SA after the satisfaction of all creditor claims and the warranty periods of the SPA have lapsed. The liquidation of the company is currently expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2026.

Based on the information available today, the liability profile of the company and estimated future costs and expenses during the liquidation, assuming an orderly liquidation process (and excluding unforeseen events), the Board of Directors and Management currently estimate the potential liquidation dividend (per share) to range between CHF 0.70 (assuming some downward purchase price adjustment and no earn-out target having been met) and CHF 2.40 (assuming some upward purchase price adjustment and full earn-out potential achieved).

Evolva will invite shareholders to an extraordinary shareholders meeting (EGM) in the coming days. The EGM is expected to be held still this year to ask shareholders to approve the transaction and Evolvas liquidation and to resolve on the delisting of Evolva from SIX Swiss Exchange.

If approved by shareholders, the delisting of Evolva Holding SAs shares is expected to take place after a customary period of between 6-12 months following the EGM.

Evolva's Board of Directors unanimously supports the transaction and recommends approval of the transaction to its shareholders; the largest shareholder of Evolva Holding SA, Nice & Green SA, holding approx. 25% of Evolvas share capital, has confirmed its support for the transaction. Reinach, Switzerland, 21 November 2023  Evolva Holding SA (SIX: EVE), a pioneer in the field of natural molecules and industrial biotech, announced that it signed a share purchase agreement (SPA) with Danstar Ferment AG, a Swiss affiliate of Lallemand Inc., a global leader in the development, production, and marketing of yeast, bacteria and specialty ingredients. Subject to the fulfillment of certain customary conditions in the SPA, Danstar Ferment AG will acquire 100% of the shares in Evolva AG (including its subsidiaries) from Evolva Holding SA. The purchase price is set at CHF 20 million, subject to customary upward or downward adjustment depending on certain post-completion adjustments and an earn-out of up to CHF 10 million based on the achievement of certain product-based sales targets. On 14 June 2023, the Board of Directors of Evolva initiated a comprehensive review of strategic alternatives due to uncertainties regarding its financing. The company was subsequently able to secure financing until the end of 2023. Without successful completion of this strategic review, Evolva would have had to stop its operations in Q1 2024. Evolvas Board of Directors acknowledges the significant positive developments under the new leadership team led by Christian Wichert. Since he became CEO in early February 2022, the company achieved notable milestones and successes along the entire value chain. The sales pipeline showed substantial progress and the gross contribution margin improved significantly. However, the current financing challenges make it unfortunately impossible for Evolva to continue to develop these value potentials as an independent stock-listed company. The Board of Directors took a broad approach over the last 5 months to engage with potential partners in the strategic review. The limited financial flexibility (with financing only secured until the end of the year) and the currently negative market sentiment for early-stage industrial biotech companies proved to be significant challenges. Taking all of this into account, the Board of Directors is convinced that the agreement with Lallemand is in the best interest of the company and all its stakeholders. In particular, it secures the future of the operating business for all employees, customers, and partners, prevents a default of the company, and maximizes the financial benefits for creditors and shareholders under the current circumstances. The Board of Directors therefore unanimously recommends that shareholders accept the sale of the shares in Evolva AG to Danstar Ferment AG. Key elements of the transaction contemplated in the SPA are: The purchase price is set at CHF 20 million, subject to upwards or downwards adjustment depending on certain post-signing / completion adjustments;

In addition, Evolva Holding SA and Danstar Ferment AG have entered into an earn-out agreement providing for an additional future contingent purchase price payments of up to CHF 10 million, depending on the achievement of certain product-based sales targets;

Closing of the transaction is subject to customary conditions, including shareholder approval and receipt of a tax ruling;

The net proceeds from the transaction will be distributed to the shareholders of Evolva Holding SA after satisfaction of all creditor claims and the warranty periods of the SPA have lapsed; the liquidation of the company is then expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2026;

Based on the information available today, the liability profile of the company and estimated future costs and expenses during the liquidation, assuming an orderly liquidation process (and excluding unforeseen events), the Board of Directors and Management currently estimate the potential liquidation dividend to range between CHF 0.70 (assuming some downward purchase price adjustment and no earn-out target having been met) and CHF 2.40 (assuming some upward purchase price adjustment and full earn-out potential achieved);

Evolva will invite shareholders to an extraordinary shareholders meeting (EGM) in the coming days. The EGM is expected to be held still this year to ask shareholders to approve the transaction and Evolvas liquidation and to resolve on the delisting of Evolva from SIX Swiss Exchange;

If approved by shareholders, the delisting of Evolva Holding SAs shares is expected to take place after a customary period of between 6-12 months post the EGM. Nice & Green, the largest creditor and shareholder of Evolva with approx. 25% of Evolvas shares has confirmed its support of the transaction and that it intends to vote in favor of the boards proposals at the EGM. Stephan Schindler, Chairman of the Evolva Board of Directors, says: As promised in connection with the strategic review initiated earlier this year, we have done our utmost to find the best possible outcome for the company, our employees, shareholders, creditors, customers, and suppliers. With Lallemand we believe to have found a good new owner for the business with the necessary financing and strategic and operational capability to develop the potential of Evolva to the next level. Christian Wichert, CEO of Evolva, states: I believe that with Lallemand we have found a safe harbor for our employees and for the vision of Evolva to continue. Lallemand being a family-owned strongly financed global company, offers growth ambitions along our strategy, products, and capabilities. From all options, Lallemand offers the best fit, also culturally, that can result in opportunities for our people, customers, and suppliers going forward. I would like to use this opportunity to thank all our employees for their great contributions and efforts during the past months, and the confidence and trust in us to find the best possible solution for the future of Evolva. Antoine Chagnon, CEO of Lallemand Inc.: Lallemand is heavily engaged in making biotechnology one of the answers to the challenges the World faces with respect to climate, nutrition and health. The capabilities of the Evolva team and technologies are largely complementary with those of Lallemand and by combining resources we will be even better poised for success. The extensive production experience of Lallemand and our global sales and marketing network should support the commercialization of the products already developed by Evolva as well as for the development and commercialization of Evolvas innovation pipeline. Furthermore, the acquisition of Evolva AG will further strengthen Lallemands R&D capabilities and presence in Switzerland. We look forward to welcoming the Evolva employees into our Lallemand family and continuing to work with suppliers, existing and new customers in brining sustainable ingredients based on nature to markets globally.

Contact Lallemand Inc.

Lars Asferg

President Lallemand Bio-Ingredients

+41 79 566 6059

lasferg@lallemand.com



Contact Evolva

Doris Rudischhauser

Head of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications

+41 79 410 81 88

dorisr@evolva.com

About Lallemand Inc.

Lallemand Inc. is a family-owned business headquartered in Canada whose focus is on the development, production, and marketing of yeasts, bacteria, fungi and enzyme solutions across the baking, food ingredients, human and animal nutrition and health, crop protection/nutrition, oenology, brewing, alcohol and biofuel sectors. Lallemand is present in more than 50 countries, operates more than 45 production plants and has circa 5,000 employees. About Evolva

Evolva is a Swiss biotech company focused on the research, development and commercialization of ingredients based on nature. We have leading businesses in Flavors and Fragrances, Health Ingredients and Health Protection. Evolvas employees are dedicated to make the best products that can contribute to health, wellness and sustainability. Find out more at evolva.com and connect with us on LinkedIn.



Disclaimer

This announcement is not an offer of securities into the United States. The securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), and may not be offered, pledged, sold, delivered or otherwise transferred, directly or indirectly, in the United States, except pursuant to an exemption from, or transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act. No public offering of securities is being made in the United States. Further, the securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the applicable securities laws of Canada, Australia or Japan or under the applicable securities laws of any other jurisdiction where to do so might constitute a violation of such laws.

This press release contains specific forward-looking statements, e.g. statements including terms like believe, assume, expect or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may result in a substantial divergence between the actual results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and those explicitly or implicitly presumed in these statements. Against the background of these uncertainties readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The company assumes no responsibility to update forward-looking statements or to adapt them to future events or developments.

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File: Evolva enters into an agreement to sell its operations to Lallemand, securing the best possible outcome for the company and its stakeholders

End of Inside Information
An often forgotten corner of Belfast city centre is due to be transformed with the opening of the new Grand Central Station.

The 200 million transport hub, set to be the largest on the island of Ireland and one of the biggest in the UK, is to open at the end of 2024.

The bulk of the site at Weavers Cross, in the area behind the Europa Hotel, was previously dominated by warehouses for freight.

The transformation is now well under way, with the main building, train platforms and bus stands constructed and the first sections of track laid.

Grand Central Station in Belfast will be the biggest transport hub on the island of Ireland, and is one of the biggest infrastructure projects in NI since the West Link. The Dublin train will move from Lanyon to the new station when it opens in late 2024 pic.twitter.com/UYwNmsWpWK  Rebecca Black (@RBlackPA) November 21, 2023

The full site will include 1.3 million square feet of office, residential, student housing, retail and leisure space, as well as Saltwater Square, a new public realm space for outdoor performances and community events.

The project started in 2020, with construction due to be completed by the final quarter of 2024, and the full project completed by 2025.

It will replace the current bus and rail facilities at nearby Europa Bus Centre and Great Victoria Street train station, and will also become the new home for the cross-border Enterprise train service.

With eight railway platforms and 26 bus stands, as well as facilities for bicycles and taxis, it is expected to cater for around 20 million passenger journeys a year.

Public transport operator Translinks chief executive Chris Conway said the new station will be around 10 times the size of the current Europa Bus Centre and Great Victoria Street train station.

It will be a major transformation for public transport, allowing 20 million passenger journeys a year to come through this station, he said.

That will allow a major investment in public transport right across Northern Ireland, and allow us to achieve a greater mode shift from the private car to public transport, address climate change, address air quality and get more people using public transport in a modern way in a modern city.

In terms of the Belfast to Dublin Enterprise railway service, Mr Conway said they are working with Irish Rail with a view to introducing an hourly service in the future.

He said they have put a bid in for a new rail fleet for the cross-border service, aimed to come on stream for 2028.

That will be a forerunner for work that will come behind that on the All-Island Strategic Rail Review. Whenever the Northern Ireland executive gets up and running, we hope that will become policy and we can start planning some of those projects, he said.

Mr Conway said the station is a major opportunity to regenerate this area of Belfast.

All of the entrances to the station, coming up Glengall Street, the Grosvenor Road, Hope Street, will all get public realm works so people coming to the station and visitors will see a nice entrance to the station, he said.

As well as that, we will open up development sites. We have 1.3 million square feet of mixed-use development space, and that will be for residential, office space and science park-type work.

This will be a major opportunity to regenerate this part of Belfast.

This location sits between two quite deprived areas on either side, the Lower Falls and Sandy Row, and this will really help to regenerate those areas as well.
HIGHLIGHTS It was speculated that OnePlus was working on a speaker.

The OnePlus AI Music Studio will allow users to create music videos with the help of AI.

Currently, you can choose between rap and electronic dance music (EDM).

Creating content using generative AI is becoming quite popular day by day. You simply have to give a prompt and AI will edit your pictures, make reels for you, and whatnot. Chinese tech brand OnePlus has now launched its OnePlus AI Music Studio, keeping just this in mind. Read along to learn more about what this AI music studio can do.

Earlier when rumours about the studio were circulating, it was speculated that OnePlus was working on a speaker, but that didnt turn out to be true. As the name suggests, the OnePlus AI Music Studio will allow users to create music videos with the help of AI. OnePlus launched the AI Music Studio both in the Indian as well as global markets the cherry on top is that you dont have to be a OnePlus user specifically to use this feature.

Also read: OnePlus Buds Pro 2 launched with Dynaudio tuning, ANC, and about 36 hours of battery life

How does OnePlus AI Music Studio work?

Okay so lets see how this works. To create your music video, you will obviously have to select a genre first. Currently, you can choose between rap and electronic dance music (EDM) along with moods like happy, energetic, romantic, and sad. Pop is coming soon on the platform as well. Once thats done, select a theme from your music video.

You can choose from options such as cyberpunk, nature, study and work, and travel. You will even find a random option, along with an AI Music Video option. Now, you simply have to type in a prompt to describe your video and the AI music studio will generate both the audio track and the video for you.

Also read: 3 OnePlus Monitor E 24 features to keep in mind as it goes on sale today

Gadgets 360 even revealed that the AI music studio generates a new response every time, even when you use the same prompts. Once your video is generated, either you can download it or you could share it on OnePlus homepage. In order to advertise the launch even more, OnePlus has announced a competition for users in India, North America, and Europe. To participate, participants will have to drop in their entries by December 17, by 5 PM. OnePlus will then select 100 entries from each region. Winners will get OnePlus coupons that will be redeemable on the official website.
HIGHLIGHTS The Redmi Note 13 Pro smartphone model has been spotted on Thailands NBTC certification website.

This means that the device could soon launch globally.

The Note 13 Pro smartphone features a 6.67-inch 1.5K FHD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate.

The Redmi Note 13 Pro made its debut in China this September, alongside the Redmi Note 13 and Redmi Note 13 Pro+. Since then, its been popping up on certification websites, suggesting a potential global release. Now, the Note 13 Pro smartphone model has made its appearance on Thailands NBTC certification website.

91mobiles has spotted the Redmi Note 13 Pro smartphone model on Thailands NBTC website with the model number 23117RA68G, suggesting that the device could launch globally soon.

Also read: Redmi Note 13 Pro+ is going global soon, reveals FCC: Here are the specs

91mobiles

The listing specifically identifies the device as the Redmi Note 13 Pro, likely indicating the 4G variant based on the smartphones FCC certification that was spotted recently.

Also read: Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 details revealed: Processor, camera specs, and more | Digit

Apart from confirming the devices existence, no further details or specifications have been disclosed about the Redmi Note 13 Pro smartphone model.

Given that the Redmi Note 13 Pro smartphone has already been launched, its highly anticipated that the global version will likely come with the same set of specifications. Lets take a look at the Redmi Note 13 Pro smartphones specs.

The Redmi Note 13 Pro smartphone model comes with a 6.67-inch 1.5K FHD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. This device is powered by the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 SoC. For photography, the Note 13 Pro houses a 200MP Samsung ISOCELL HP3 primary sensor with OIS, an 8MP ultra-wide angle lens, and a 2MP macro sensor. Moreover, this handset features a 16MP front camera.

The Redmi Note 13 Pro model comes packed with a 5,100mAh battery with 67W fast charging. Also, this device operates on Android 13-based MIUI 14 out-of-the-box. This smartphone model comes in four colour options: Black, Blue, White and Silver.
HIGHLIGHTS The Samsung Galaxy A55 smartphone has been spotted on China's 3C certification.

It is expected to come with 25W fast charging support.

The box package of the upcoming smartphone might not include a charging adapter.

Samsung appears to launch the Galaxy A55 smartphone very soon. This smartphone will arrive as a successor to the Galaxy A54. The Samsung Galaxy A55 has made its appearance on Chinas 3C certification.

91mobiles has spotted the listing of the Samsung Galaxy A55 smartphone on the 3C certification platform.

Also read: Samsung Galaxy A25 5G India launch seems imminent as its support page goes live: Check expected specs

Credit: 91mobiles

The listing revealed that the Galaxy A55 smartphone model is expected to come with 25W fast charging support.

Also read: Samsung Galaxy A54 5G teased with a new colour option: It looks nice

The box package of the upcoming smartphone might not include a charging adapter, requiring customers to buy it separately. Apart from the fast charging information, the China 3C certification doesnt disclose any other specifications.

Rumours suggest that the Samsung Galaxy A55 will likely mark the debut of the Exynos 1480 SoC within the A-series lineup with 4 performance cores clocked at 2.75GHz and 4 efficiency cores clocked at 2.05GHz.

Additionally, there are rumours about the camera setup of the Samsung Galaxy A55 5G smartphone model. The upcoming device is expected to house a 50MP primary rear camera, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and a 32MP front-facing camera, resembling the camera specifications found in the Galaxy A54.

While other specifications of the Galaxy A55 are still unknown, lets take a look at the Samsung Galaxy A54 specifications. The Galaxy A54 smartphone features a 6.4-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It comes packed with a 5,000mAh battery with 25W fast charging support. This device is powered by the in-house Exynos 1380 SoC. Also, the Galaxy A54 smartphone features an in-display fingerprint sensor for security, Dolby Atmos, an IP67 rating for water and dust resistance, stereo speakers, and Type-C audio.
HIGHLIGHTS A Xiaomi official has hinted that one of the smartphones in the Redmi K70 series could be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC.

The official described the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor as the flagship darling of 2023.

The Redmi K70 is expected to debut in India as the Poco F6.

The launch date for the Redmi K70 series has not yet been disclosed, but in the meantime, plenty of leaks and rumours regarding the new phone are making the rounds online. This series is expected to include three models: the Redmi K70, Redmi K70 Pro, and Redmi K70e. Now, a Xiaomi official has hinted at the chipset details of the upcoming Redmi K70 lineup.

President of Xiaomi China and the General Manager of Redmi, Lu Weibing, has shared a post on the Chinese micro-blogging platform Weibo which hints that one of the smartphones in the upcoming Redmi K70 series could be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, reports 91mobiles.

Also read: Redmi K70 appears on Geekbench with MediaTek Dimensity 8300: Heres what to expect

Credit: 91mobiles

Weibing described the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor as the flagship darling of 2023.

Also read: Redmi K70 design revealed via leaked render: Check out

The official didnt directly talk about the Redmi K70 series, but the timing of the post suggests that the smartphone might use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC.

Weibing also wondered whether the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 could be as successful as the Snapdragon 870.

So far, rumours suggest that the Redmi K70 is expected to feature an FHD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and HDR10+. The K70 smartphone model could offer up to 16GB RAM and 512GB storage. Also, this device will likely run on Android 14 with MIUI 14 out of the box. It could support 90W fast charging.

The Redmi K70 is expected to debut in India as the Poco F6.

Recently, a leaked render of the Redmi K70 smartphone model revealed the design of the upcoming device. According to the leaked render, the K70 is expected to feature a flat screen with a punch-hole at the centre surrounded by slim bezels on all sides. On the back, there could be a rectangular island that houses three cameras and a flash. The buttons for adjusting the volume and turning it on/off could be on the right side of the phone.
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Major satellite players visit Taiwan, focusing on collaboration with the government

Major global low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite operators are making visits to Taiwan, actively engaging with relevant businesses in the supply chain. While numerous Taiwanese subcontractors possess the relevant capabilities, especially those who have successfully entered the LEO satellite supply chain for ground equipment, industry insiders highlight that the primary objective of the recent visits by multiple satellite operators is likely to explore collaborations with the Taiwanese government.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has underscored the vulnerability of ground network infrastructure. The destruction of Ukrainian ground network facilities by Russia led to communication disruptions. However, Ukraine mitigated this by utilizing SpaceX's Starlink service for non-ground network (NTN) communication, bringing significant attention to Starlink services and the LEO satellite industry. Given Taiwan's geopolitical location in a tense region, the need to enhance digital resilience has become increasingly evident.

To address this, the Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA) has launched the "Enhancing Digital Resilience Verification Project for Communication Networks in Emergency or Wartime Application of Emerging Technologies." The project aims to ensure communication capabilities through non-synchronous orbit satellites in emergency situations in Taiwan. The ultimate goal is to establish 700 non-synchronous orbit satellite terminal equipment hotspots, 70 satellite backhaul sites, and 3 international non-synchronous orbit satellite terminal equipment hotspots by the end of 2024, totaling 773 locations.

Current participants in the digital resilience project include Luxembourg's veteran LEO satellite operator SES and Eutelsat OneWeb. The latter, besides participating in the Proof of Concept (PoC) project, has confirmed collaboration with Chunghwa Telecom to provide LEO satellite services in Taiwan. It will be the first LEO satellite constellation operator to offer services in Taiwan, initially focusing on commercial use for enterprises.

However, MODA officials recently revealed that, in addition to SES and Eutelsat OneWeb, another low Earth orbit satellite operator is in talks to participate in the digital resilience verification project, though the specific operator was not disclosed.

Considering the satellite launch progress, it is highly likely that Amazon's satellite service, Project Kuiper, is rapidly advancing. However, in terms of a collaborative project solely for testing networks, the possibility of involvement by Canadian satellite operator Telesat may not be lower than Amazon.

In response, MODA officials emphasize a preference for diverse choices. If collaborations are established with various operators, there is no concern that a problem with one operator during an emergency would compromise communication, as alternative sources would be available. This aligns with the primary objective of the policy, which is to ensure robust communication in critical situations.

The active engagement and visits by operators are primarily motivated by subsidies, according to MODA officials. For satellite operators, this represents additional revenue. Furthermore, the emphasis of Taiwan's digital resilience verification project on integrating LEO satellites allows operators to validate their abilities to collaborate with other satellite systems, demonstrating cross-system integration capabilities.

Participating in verification projects also offers the opportunity to expand business territories. For example, while participating in the project, OneWeb collaborates with Taiwanese telecos, entering the Taiwanese market. This serves as a significant incentive for low Earth orbit satellite operators coming to Taiwan to participate in verification projects.

For those aiming to enter the low Earth orbit satellite supply chain or already functioning as satellite suppliers, the visit of satellite operators to Taiwan, whether facilitated by the government or initiated by the operators, presents a valuable opportunity to strengthen collaboration. Particularly in the current climate where satellite operators are actively launching satellites and expanding their business, there is a higher likelihood of securing additional orders.
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SEATTLE  At its meeting on Oct. 18, the Landmarks Preservation Board voted to nominate the Bloch House at 1439 E. Prospect St. for landmarking.

The Tudor revival-style mansion was built in 1908 for enterprising German immigrants William and Minna Bloch who arrived in Seattle at the turn of the 20th century and would go on to establish a successful cafe and flourishing real estate business, before falling on hard times amid rising anti-German sentiment during World War I.





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U-Blox AG / Key word(s): Strategic Company Decision

u-blox unveils its Focus  Innovate  Execute strategy at its 2023 Capital Markets Day



21-Nov-2023 / 07:00 CET/CEST

Release of an ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



Focus  Innovate  Execute strategy, designed to drive long-term profitable growth and sustainable value creation

Increase focus on highly differentiated Positioning business by substantially shifting R&D teams to Positioning innovations

Stop future cellular chipset development leading to a non-cash impairment of

CHF 65 to 70 million

Turn-around the Connectivity business by gaining scale, leveraging our trustworthiness as Swiss supplier in a multi-polar world

Improve execution performance, by agile development and increased bottom-line focus

New financial model (over the cycle) includes revenue CAGR of >10%,

adj. EBIT margin ~14% and Free Cash Flow margin ~8%

After outperforming the semiconductor market in 2023, partly due to customers overstocking, 2024 will be a transition year. Double-digit million cost savings already initiated to protect the bottom-line in 2024 Thalwil, Switzerland  21 November 2023  u-blox (SIX: UBXN), a global leader in Positioning and Connectivity technologies, holds today its 2023 Capital Markets Day. Chairman Andre Muller and CEO Stephan Zizala, together with members of the Executive Committee, will discuss the companys new Focus  Innovate  Execute strategy, designed to drive long-term profitable growth and sustainable value creation. Strategy: Focus  Innovate  Execute

Focus on Positioning; stop cellular chipset development

u-blox will further strengthen its market leading Positioning business by allocating more resources and focusing on its highest-value business segment. By continuing development in fast growing segments and expanding into new applications, u-blox will secure continued profitable growth. u-blox has decided to discontinue future cellular chipset development, leading to an expected non-cash impairment of CHF 65-70 million in December 2023. Renewed focus on our cellular module business aims to gain market share via leveraging our sales and distribution channels and leveraging our trustworthiness as Swiss supplier in a multi-polar world. Innovate

u-blox has a full pipeline of innovations to address secular growth drivers such as autonomous driving, remote healthcare, asset tracking and industrial digitalization. We will intensify the implementation of an agile R&D approach, bringing those innovations to the market faster. The more iterative development process will deliver functional products after each iteration, enabling early customer feedback, therefore enhancing development potential and optimizing resource-allocation. Execute

u-blox is targeting the improvement of its procurement activities (CHF >300 million sourcing volume in 2022) through process-reorganization. We expect this initiative to generate an improvement in efficiency and product costs, especially within cellular, by establishing a design-to-cost toolset. These changes, in addition to maximizing our global site footprint, are also intended to improve working capital management and optimize costs. New mid/long-term financial model

u-blox announces its new over-the-cycle Target Financial Model[1]. Revenue is expected to grow by a CAGR of over 10%, ahead of the 7% CAGR expected for the semiconductor industry. Adj. EBIT margin is expected to be at around 14% and Free Cash Flow margin around 8%. New reporting structure enhances transparency

Going forward, u-blox will provide a trading update with revenue and adj. EBIT in the first and third quarter, in addition to the established full- and half-year results publications. Additionally and in line with common market practice in the semiconductor industry, u-blox will replace its annual guidance with a quarterly guidance. 2024 to be a transition year before growth resumes

The existing revenue guidance for FY 2023 of CHF 585-625 million, implies a strong sequential growth in Q4 versus Q3. While not providing a guidance for FY 2024 in-line with our new reporting framework, the likely development of revenues in 2024 needs to be seen in light of significant overstocking by our customers which benefitted our 2023 revenues resulting in superior performance vis-a-vis the overall semiconductor markets. In order to mitigate the effects on profitability from a lower revenue, u-blox initiated measures targeting double digit million cost savings to be effective in 2024. u-bloxs Chairman Andre Muller commented: I am very pleased to announce of our focused strategy today, aiming to capitalize on the strength of our business model and better align it with end-markets demand. The strategy, focused on long-term sustainable growth, is designed to drive u-bloxs value for years to come and deliver strong returns to our shareholders. u-bloxs CEO Stephan Zizala added: Our refined strategy Focus - Innovate - Execute is designed to unleash the full potential of the incredible u-blox team. After almost one year as CEO, Im convinced more than ever that we are well positioned to significantly contribute and benefit from secular growth drivers such as autonomous driving, remote healthcare, asset tracking and industrial digitalization. Conference call and webcast details For participating in todays event, please click here. [1] 2023 as base of new cycle. For EBIT / FCF margin, targets as average over the cycle For further information, please contact: Rafael Duarte Head of Investor Relations Phone: +41 79 966 89 12 rafael.duarte@u-blox.com Lena Cati The Equity Group Inc. Phone: +41 79 966 89 12 lcati@equityny.com About u-blox u-blox (SIX: UBXN) is a global technology leader in positioning and wireless communication in automotive, industrial and consumer markets. Its smart and reliable solutions, services and products let people, vehicles and machines determine their precise position and communicate wirelessly over cellular and short-range networks. With a broad portfolio of chips, modules and secure data services and connectivity, u-blox is uniquely positioned to empower its customers to develop innovative and reliable solutions for the Internet of Things, quickly and cost-effectively. With headquarters in Thalwil, Switzerland, the company is globally present with offices in Europe, Asia and the USA. (www.ublox.com) Find us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter @ublox and YouTube Disclaimer

This release contains certain forwardlooking statements. Such forwardlooking statements reflect the current views of management and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements of the ublox Group to differ materially from those expressed or implied. These include risks related to the success of and demand for the Groups products, the potential for the Groups products to become obsolete, the Groups ability to defend its intellectual property, the Groups ability to develop and commercialize new products in a timely manner, the dynamic and competitive environment in which the Group operates, the regulatory environment, changes in currency exchange rates, the Groups ability to generate revenues and profitability, and the Groups ability to realize its expansion projects in a timely manner. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in this report. ublox is providing the information in this release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forwardlooking statements contained in it as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

End of Inside Information
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DETROIT, Mich. (AP)  Kyle Vogt has resigned as CEO of Cruise, General Motors' autonomous vehicle unit.

His decision to step down, announced late Sunday, follows a recall of all 950 Cruise vehicles to update software after one dragged a pedestrian to the side of a San Francisco street in early October.





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November 21, 2023: A Russian shipyard in Crimea was attacked by Ukrainian missiles, which heavily damaged the nearly completed Karakurt-Class Corvette Askold. It appears that Askold was so heavily damaged that it will never enter service unless it goes back to a shipyard for extensive repairs.

The Russian Navy was planning on putting 16 Karakurts into service for use in the Black Sea and the Baltic as well as the landlocked Caspian Sea. The Caspian is accessible for small ships via canals. Several Russian shipyards are built along these inland waterways that have access to the ocean without being on or near the coast. This provides these facilities with protection from attack by ocean-based warships. With one Karakurt heavily damaged in a Crimea shipyard thats one less able to enter service in 2024. So far only four Karakurts are in service with another eight in various states of readiness to enter service in 2024. All 16 Karakurts could be in service by 2026. The first one entered service in 2018 but various shortages and losses because of the war in Ukraine slowed the introduction of the Karakurts, especially in the Black Sea, which is an active war zone.

Karakurts are 860-ton corvettes that are 67 meters (220 feet) long and armed with eight VLS cells for cruise or anti-ship missiles. There is a 76.2mm gun and an air defense system armed with anti-aircraft missiles with a range of 20 kilometers. There is a CIWS (Close-In Weapons System) for protection from cruise missiles. There are no torpedoes and no anti-submarine capability. The Karakurts can attack land targets or ships at sea. Karakurts have a crew of 60 and a top speed of 55 kilometers an hour. An Orlan UAV is carried for surveillance and reconnaissance. Endurance is 15 days at sea before needing resupply of fuel and other necessities.
Due to unprecedented demand from her fans across the UK and Europe, music icon P!NK is set to make a rapturous return in 2024, announcing brand new dates on her spectacular Summer Carnival World Tour, which saw her play at sold-out shows across the summer, delighting over 1 million of her fans along the way.

Kicking off at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on the June 11, 2024, she will then play a string of stadium shows in London, Dublin, Liverpool, Glasgow, Bern, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Brussels, Leipzig, Stuttgart, and Monchengladbach, before bringing the jaw-dropping tour to a close in Stockholm on July 25, 2024.

Fans will undoubtedly rejoice as the megastar will return to seven cities she visited in 2019 (Cardiff, Dublin, Liverpool, Glasgow, Amsterdam, Stuttgart, Stockholm) and will also play her first ever show in Monchengladbach, Germany and her first show in Leipzig in over 10 years. Shell also be returning to Copenhagen and Bern for the first time since 2010.

P!NK has announced an Irish show for Aviva Stadium, Dublin on 20 June 2024. Tickets from 89.50 including booking fee go on sale on Thursday 30 November at 9AM. Subject to licence.
Last Thursday Clogherhead RNLI volunteers came to the aid of two drifting vessels in Carlingford Lough.

Following a request by the Irish Coast Guard at 1.48 p.m. to go to the scene the Clogherhead volunteer lifeboat crew launched their all-weather Shannon class lifeboat under Coxswain Sean Flanagan with five crew members onboard.

When the Clogherhead lifeboat reached the scene of the two drifting vessels at approximately 2.30 p.m. Kilkeel RNLI were already on standby at the scene.

Sea conditions were calm at the time with good visibility and a southerly wind blowing. It was found that one vessel was towing another and the leader vessel had broken down.

Both vessels with crew on board were drifting towards the shore. A local trawler had towed both vessels away from the shore to sea safety.

A decision was made for Clogherhead RNLI volunteers to establish a towline to the leader vessel which was done successfully. Both vessels were then towed back to the nearest safe port at Port Oriel, Clogherhead.

The lifeboat arrived in Port Oriel at 5.30 p.m. where Clogherhead Coast Guard provided assistance with locating a berth for both vessels. The crew on the vessels were seen safely ashore.

Speaking following the call out, Clogherhead RNLI Coxswain Sean Flanagan said:

It was very important that the crew of the drifting vessels contacted the Coast Guard for assistance. Most importantly they were wearing life jackets. With the help of Kilkeel RNLI volunteers we were able to assess the situation in a short space of time and thankfully, on this occasion, there was no risk to human life.

We also appreciated the help of our colleagues in Clogherhead Coast Guard. Should you get into difficulty at sea always call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard.
Last Friday, Anne McMahon from Ardee was awarded Healthcare Worker of the Year at the Bluebird Care annual awards ceremony held at the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin.

Healthcare Workers, Care Coordinators, Team Members and Managers from across the country gathered to celebrate and acknowledge the compassionate individuals who work in the homecare sector.

A total of 32 finalists who were selected from a multitude of nominations were recognised on the day for the incredible work they do, supporting and looking after the most vulnerable people in their communities.

Prior to joining Bluebird Care over three years ago, Anne worked as a transportation assistant on a bus that catered for people with varying disabilities.

Her passion and calling for homecare came about when her own mother required support for her daily care needs years before she passed away.

I knew what a help it was to my own mam, being there to help her and this is what got me interested in pursuing a career where I could help others as I did my mam.

I love to hear my clients laughing and just having a banter with them. I listen to their stories from years ago as they reminisce and treat them all as if they were a part of my own family.

I love making a difference in the lives of people and what I do every day helps them to stay living independently in their own homes for longer.

A lady I looked after recently lost her husband and I know talking helped her while she went through the grieving process, I would listen to all the fond memories she had of him, we laughed and cried together, she calls me her angel, said Anne.

Commenting on the celebratory occasion Kieran Hallinan Director at Bluebird Care North East said:

I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to our winner Anne McMahon, who deserves every ounce of acknowledgment and recognition for the care she provides her customers.

Anne always has a smile on her face and a calmness that is infectious, she is a great mentor to other carers and we always receive such high praise from our customers who absolutely adore Anne, she truly goes above and beyond.

The Bluebird Care team and finalists enjoyed Afternoon Tea before meeting with the panel of judges on the day; Broadcaster, Author, Activist, and Bluebird Care Brand Ambassador Emer ONeill, Educational Consultant & Author of Thanks for the Memories Susan McGovern and Deputy Showbiz Editor at The Irish Sun, Aine Conaty.
Public Health HSE Dublin and North East, is urging every eligible person to get vaccinated against flu and COVID-19 urgently amid concern over an expected imminent rise in winter viruses. This is particularly important for people with long term health conditions and healthcare workers (HCWs).

Dr Eamonn OMoore, Director of National Health Protection, HSE said: We are concerned that the uptake of the vaccines so far remains low, and that this may have a serious impact on public health in the coming weeks and months. There is no room for complacency at this point.

Our hospitals are already feeling pressure from a significant level of RSV, particularly our paediatric services. The winter in the southern hemisphere saw very high levels of flu, and this adds to the concern about our own winter.

"We are already seeing early signs that flu levels are rising and we expect it to be reaching its peak from mid-December and into January. COVID-19 levels are currently stable but we are seeing people seriously ill with COVID-19, including in our ICUs now, and around half of those have not received boosters in the last six months.

There is still time for people to get their vaccines, it takes around two weeks for the vaccines to take effect so now is the time to act.

"We know the lower the vaccination uptake, the more people we will see in our hospitals, people who could otherwise be at home. We will see busier hospitals and increased pressure on services and staff.

"I am urging everyone eligible, including healthcare workers, to avail of the winter vaccines. We have reached a point where uptake needs to increase urgently to protect yourselves, and in doing so, your loved ones and our health service.

Dr Lucy Jessop, HSE National Immunisation Lead, Consultant in Public Health Medicine, added We are moving into the start of the rise of flu and COVID season, with all our projections pointing towards a multipathogenic winter. A significant rise in respiratory illnesses over the coming weeks is expected.

We are growing increasingly concerned by the disappointingly low vaccine uptake figures. Only 1 in 10 people who are immunocompromised have had their vaccine. Without it, they are much more vulnerable to serious illness from flu and COVID-19.

"Uptake among heath and care workers is also lower than expected, which is alarming as they will be caring for patients, many of whom will have these viruses and we want to make sure they are protected.

With this in mind we are urging everyone who is eligible, including older people, carers and vulnerable groups, to book their appointments for both the flu and COVID vaccines.

"They are available free of charge from participating GPs and Pharmacies; and HCWs can also get their vaccines at workplace clinics. The vaccines offer the best protection against these viruses this winter.

As of 1st November only 11.5% of HSE employed HCWs have availed of the COVID-19 autumn booster vaccine and 24.3% have had the flu vaccine.

49% of people aged 70 and 18% of those aged 50-69 have had a COVID-19 autumn booster vaccine up to 12th November.

Only 10% of people who are immunocompromised have had their COVID-19 vaccine this winter.

59% of people aged 65 and older, 9.5% of eligible children aged 2-12 years and18% of those aged 50-64 years who are eligible have had their annual flu vaccine.

Thee HSE is urging everyone eligible to get their vaccine.

A COVID-19 vaccine is now recommended for everyone aged 50 and over, everyone over 5 living with a long term health condition, those who are immunocompromised and all healthcare workers. For eligible people an interval of at least 3 months since COVID-19 infection or your last COVID-19 vaccine is recommended before people receive their autumn/winter COVID-19 vaccine.

The flu vaccine is available free of charge to everyone aged 65 and older as well as all living with long term health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, respiratory illnesses and who may be immunocompromised, along with health and care workers. Both vaccines can be given at the same time.

Likewise the childrens flu vaccine is available free of charge to all children aged 2-12.

People aged 65 and over and people aged 2 to 64 years in an at-risk group should also check with their GP if they should receive a pneumococcal vaccine this winter. It can be given at the same time as the flu or COVID-19 vaccine.

If anyone needs to check when they had their last vaccine or needs assistance in booking a vaccination appointments they are advised to please call HSELive on 1800 700 700.
To mark College Awareness Week, National Learning Network (NLN), the education and training division of the Rehab Group, is hosting a National Open Day across many of its centres, including in Dundalk, from 11am this Thursday 23 November.

This eagerly anticipated event will unfold across many NLN centres nationwide, serving as a cornerstone celebration for National College Awareness Week. In Dundalk, the NLN Open Day will be held at NLN, The Ramparts, Dundalk.

College Awareness Week aims to promote the benefits of a post-secondary education plan for everyone. It is supported by the National Association of Principals, Deputy Principals, and other organisations such as the Union of Students in Ireland and the Irish Union of Second-Level Students.

NLN, with a presence in over 50 locations across Ireland, is a progressive leader in delivering personalised education, training, and development opportunities throughout Irish communities for people with disabilities or people requiring additional support.

NLNs certified training courses have significantly impacted the progression of people with disabilities and health conditions into further education and employment.

More than 1,653 NLN students have gone on to further education since 2020, and an additional 950 have been supported to find jobs. Some participants, who were previously locked out of the jobs market, have landed jobs in a range of companies such as Meta, Cook Medical, and Mr. Price and across the hospitality and tourism industry.

People attending National Learning Network include those claiming any form of disability benefit, autistic people, those recovering from an accident or injury, or those living with mental health challenges, or learning disabilities.

NLN each year also supports hundreds of people with complex and enduring mental health issues through a programme called Individual Placement and Support (IPS).

IPS helps people who would have otherwise met with barriers to the employment market to find work in mainstream competitive jobs. The service is currently supporting 329 participants, 89 of whom are working and being supported to maintain their jobs.

NLN is particularly attuned to the needs of those who find traditional post-school study routes challenging, including individuals with autism or those who may struggle in larger class settings.

The NLN Open Day will welcome individuals who may benefit from a supported training course, from school-leavers aged 16 up to adults of all ages. Our dedicated staff collaborates with employers to match students with the right roles, fostering a supportive personal and professional growth environment.

Director of Learning at National Learning Network, Lucianne Bird, said: "We are delighted to be part of a nationwide campaign to promote the importance of post-secondary education, particularly for people with disabilities or those who need a little support to achieve their goals.

"People with disabilities experience multiple barriers to accessing and sustaining employment, including access and infrastructural barriers, poverty traps, negative stereotypical perceptions, and limited progressive education opportunities. NLN advocates for students to have the choice to pursue the course best suited to their interests, abilities, and dreams.

"We feel passionately about how NLN works for people for whom traditional post school routes simply do not work. We are a pathway for people to access further and third level education, apprenticeships, and employment. At NLN, we believe no one should be left behind, and this is what our inclusive, equitable education and training model is all about."

"We work with people of all ages, from early school leavers to adults of all ages. Our staff are skilled in working with employers to help match students with the right employer and the right role.

"We would advise anyone who needs extra support to get into employment or further education to drop into a participating centre during our National Open Day event on November 23rd," she said.

Members of the public interested in attending an NLN Open Day can log onto www.nln.ie to find the location of their nearest participating centre. Please email dundalk@nln.ie for more information on the Dundalk NLN centre and its Open Day.
Dundalk Stadium is proud to announce its 20th anniversary since opening its doors on the 29th of November 2003, opened by the then minister for sport John O'Donoghue, Dundalk Stadium was born.

Since 2003, Dundalk Stadium has become the only all-weather racecourse in Ireland, and one of the only dual-purpose racecourses in Europe.

Racing both horses and greyhounds, even on the same night. The Co. Louth venue has been dedicated to offering customers the most unique and exhilarating experience, and are delighted to be one of the main tourists attractions in the North East.

The management and staff are excited to celebrate this outstanding milestone.

Over the past two decades, the racecourse has grown and now boasts over 40 horse fixtures a year and two greyhound fixtures weekly.

Jim Martin CEO of Dundalk Stadium said: "We are thrilled to have reached this exciting milestone.

"Our success is a testament to the hard work and dedication of all the employees that have worked at the racecourse over the past twenty years, as well as all the horse and greyhound trainers, owners, jockeys, customers, sponsors and the public who has attended our racecourse during that time."

To commemorate this special occasion, on the 29th of November 2023, Dundalk Stadium will be hosting their 20th anniversary birthday party at the racecourse.

Complimentary tickets are available online www.dundalkstadium.com/booktickets using code "20years" - for your FREE ADMISSION TICKET or code "10off" - for 10 OFF The View Restaurant dining package.

Horse racing will commence from approx. 3.20pm with a commemorative greyhound race card following from approx. 7.30pm.

"To thank our loyal customers, we are delighted to be hosting this celebration event! 20 years in business is an amazing achievement and we cannot wait to celebrate with all our loyal customers.

"Spot prizes & giveaways will also take place that evening as we celebrate so we hope to see everyone there!" said Lisa O'Connor, Sales & Marketing Manager Dundalk Stadium.

For more information about Dundalk Stadium and their 20th anniversary celebration, please visit their website www.dundalkstadium.com, or their social media pages on Facebook, Instagram or X or contact them at 0429334438.
Ireland must inspect US planes landing at Shannon Airport to verify they are not carrying arms bound for Israel, the Dail has been told.

People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy told Taoiseach Leo Varadkar that the US was aiding and abetting a genocide in the Gaza Strip and Ireland was complicit by allowing the US military to use Shannon.

Mr Varadkar insisted Shannon was not being used by US aircraft travelling to Israel.

Mr Murphy said: Israel is carrying out a genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza. Its number one supporter and military backer is the US.

As a party to the Genocide Convention, with the duty to prevent the crime of genocide, the US should be imposing an arms embargo on Israel. Instead, it has aided and abetted genocide by increasing military assistance to Israel by 14.5 billion dollars (13.2 billion euro) since the genocide began.

By allowing Shannon Airport to be used by the US military, while it is aiding and abetting genocide, Ireland is complicit.

More than 50,000 US troops have passed through Shannon this year alone. You cannot, Taoiseach, continue to take the word of the US that no weapons or troops bound for the Middle East are passing through Shannon, especially when the number of munitions exemptions granted by the Department of Transport went up 42% last month.

Will you commit to close Shannon or at least to begin inspections?

Mr Varadkar said there were very strict rules around the US militarys use of the airport.

There arent flights going from the US through Shannon to Israel, he said.

There are troops being carried to US bases and anybody carrying munitions needs permission and a licence.

Under the terms of the Air Navigation Foreign Military Aircraft Order 1952, all foreign military aircraft wishing to overfly and land in the state require diplomatic clearance from the minister of foreign affairs. This is subjected to strict conditions with full respect to Irelands policy of military neutrality, including that the aircraft is unarmed, that it carries no arms, ammunition or explosives, that it does not engage in intelligence gathering, and that the flight in question does not form part of a military exercise or operation.

The policy is well known and fully understood by the United States and other international partners, and its done in compliance with Irelands traditional policy of military neutrality.

The Taoiseach told the Dail that the Government would not be supporting a PBP motion in the Dail this week calling for sanctions against Israel.

The Government is to propose a counter motion to People Before Profits, which will note there are no planes with weapons en route to Israel stopping at any Irish airport.

Mr Varadkar called the motion unbalanced, noting that it made no mention of the Hamas attacks on October 7.

Mr Varadkar said he did not think it was helpful to have a debate on whether what is happening in Gaza constitutes a genocide.

He was responding to Mr Murphys party colleague Richard Boyd Barrett, who insisted Ireland has a duty to act under the Genocide Convention to do all it can to stop the killing in the Middle East.

Mr Varadkar said he would not dispute peoples use of the terms genocide or apartheid, but the main focus should be on trying to secure a ceasefire.

I dont think its helpful to get into a debate about what constitutes genocide and what doesnt, he said.

I dont think it does help. You mentioned the Holocaust or Shoah being a genocide  six million people were killed by the Nazis, they would have killed another six million if they could.

I know there are active debates around the famine, around the treatment of indigenous populations in America, in Australia, but I dont think what this should be about is  and if people want to use words like genocide and apartheid, Im not going dispute that  but I dont think that brings us anywhere or achieves anything.

What this is about is making sure that we have a ceasefire, that the killing stops, that the hostages can be released so that we can get aid into Gaza. And those are the things that are most important, in my view.
25               CAPITAL LINK
Italy contributes 500,000 to support MSMEs and start-ups in Moldova

Initiative to support businesses sustainable digital transition

EBRDs Star Venture programme to support high-potential start-ups

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Italy are bolstering their support for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Moldova.

The Bank will deploy Italys contribution of 500,000 through the Central European Initiative (CEI) to help MSMEs and start-ups boost their digitalisation, unlock financing opportunities and enhance their competitiveness.

Small businesses, including youth-led enterprises and innovative start-ups, will benefit from targeted advisory support, expertise, training and access to finance aimed at helping them address challenges, and strengthening their economic resilience. Italys contribution will also enable the rollout of the EBRDs Star Venture programme, a flagship initiative that helps innovative and high-tech start-ups scale their business with dedicated mentoring, consulting and access to financing.

MSMEs make up the majority of Moldovas private sector, but they have faced a number of challenges since the start of the war on Ukraine, including transportation, logistics and supply chain disruptions, already exacerbated by Covid-19. Cybersecurity attacks also tend to disproportionately affect small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that lack the resources and know-how to establish effective safeguards. Support will be offered to Moldovan businesses through the EBRDs Advice for Small Businesses programme to help them boost their digitalisation efforts and equip them with tools to mitigate potential cyber threats.

The new initiative is aligned with the Banks new Country Strategy for Moldova 2023-28, which commits to helping Moldova build a competitive, inclusive and well governed private sector that empowers innovation and entrepreneurship.

Catarina Bjorlin Hansen, EBRD Head of Moldova, said: Our partnership with Italy, through the CEI, recognises the key role MSMEs and the start-up sector play in driving sustainable economic growth and development. We are pleased to launch this joint initiative, which will enable high-potential and ambitious businesses and early-stage ventures to access critical know-how to advance their innovations and build sustainable and thriving businesses.

Lorenzo Tomassoni, Ambassador of Italy to Moldova, said: The CEI Fund at the EBRD is financed by Italys Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. Its an important asset in the strategic partnership between Rome and Chisinau. The Fund targets Moldovan SMEs and start-ups, with the aim of supporting entrepreneurial development, also in the light of Moldovas EU accession progress.

The EBRD is the leading institutional investor in Moldova. Since the start of its operations in the country, the Bank has invested more than 2 billion in 170 projects in Moldovas financial, agribusiness, energy, infrastructure and manufacturing sectors.
ITS a grey and damp November evening, but the atmosphere is warm and convivial as we huddle around the table to share food, conversation, stories and a couple of Birra Morettis.

The Virgin Media production crew have arrived at The Anglers Restaurant in Carrigrohane, filming for their new series, Sharing The Table, where celebrities and guests sit shoulder to shoulder over a long table dinner while sharing good food, good beer and great company.

The series is hosted by Eoghan Doherty, and todays celebrities include TV chef Matt Tebutt, a well-known face from his shows Saturday Kitchen (BBC) and Food Unwrapped (Channel 4). Its a unique spin on the chat show format but is so much more than just that. Its about illustrating how some of lifes best and simplest pleasures happen around the table.

Theres a distinct Italian theme to the evening, and arguably, if anyone can best demonstrate how to live life well around the dinner table, Italy is where we can take notes by the plateful!

Matt is no stranger to Cork, having visited several times over the years. He counts the Allens of Ballymaloe as among his circle of friends and will be returning to Ballymaloe next year for a special cookery demonstration.

It seems fitting to ask him what is his earliest memory of sharing food around the table?

Ah, thats easy, Matt says. Its the memory I always go back to, and is the one that ignited my love of dimly lit bistros!

When I was a kid, we used to go on caravanning holidays in France with my family; four of us and the dog in a tiny caravan. Wed go to these little French bistros in Normandy and eat food you just didnt get in 1980s Britain - proper garlic bread, snails and fish soup.

I was about five years old, and I remember sitting around this table and being enthralled by the low lights, the smells, the food. That homely vibe you get from these bistros.

Once upon a time, we all met around the table at least once a day. But Matt says, with todays busy schedules, its not happening enough.

Everyone has busy lives, but its about priorities, I suppose. We do need to make time for it, because thats where things get talked about. Its where problems get solved, its where issues come up as well, but its just having time to reflect on whats going on in everyones lives, and you cant run away from it very easily!

The Shared Table is an entertaining way to show how coming together around the table, rather than being a chore, can be something to look forward to; a necessary pause in the day where we can consciously reconnect with other people.

Its what we should be doing more of, getting around the table, enjoying great food, people are relaxed because theyve had a drink.

"I see it even on my Saturday Kitchen show, after people are relaxed and theyve had some good food, the chat is fun, relaxed and people talk more, things come up in conversation  its a catalyst for good living.

One of Matts favourite places to holiday is the southern Italian region of Puglia. Its a region famed for its food, but not in a glitzy way; simple food rules here and is reliant on having the very best of ingredients presented without any fanfare, but loaded with flavour.

Its like its own country. Its right down in the south of Italy, its quite North African in some ways in that they have these masserias (fortified farmhouses on an estate), and the food is delicious, Matt says.

Like so much good food, its borne out of necessity and often poverty, and their food is incredible. Its largely vegetable led and fish takes quite a big part of the stage. I love the coastline and relaxed vibes; I just think its wonderful.

Matt says the secret to Puglian food is the simplicity, and it made me think how in Ireland we are quick to dismiss some of our oldest and most traditional dishes often because they are seen as too simple or unsophisticated.

I ask Matt what he thinks we can learn from the Puglians about their food culture that we can bring back to our own tables?

We like to stay in these masserias where they grow their own food and make something delicious out of the simplest things, like orecchiette pasta with broccoli, chilli and garlic.

Its the confidence of putting simple things on the table without being tricksy.

People think good food is like Masterchef and it really isnt. Good food is whats handed down through generations and often through necessity, so a simple stuffed aubergine can be the most beautiful thing as it would a plate of pasta, butter and truffle. Its simplicity and confidence.

I cant help but think what if we thought about simple, farmhouse Irish food and dishes with the same confidence and pride as the puglians. There is beauty in a beautiful piece of boiled ham with buttery mash and simple steamed vegetables in their prime.

So, what are Matts four most important elements to enjoying a meal shared around the table?

Great food, good company, great drinks and music. Simple.

The Shared Table airs on Virgin Media Two on Mondays, November 27 and December 4 at 10pm, and is repeated on Virgin Media One on Thursdays at 11pm.
A 76-year-old man growing and smoking cannabis all his life had a two-year sentence suspended on multiple counts of cultivating the illegal drug at his home in West Cork  but he plans to grow it again.

A condition of the suspension of the sentence is that David Walton of Kilnaspogh, Skibbereen, Co Cork, keeps the peace for 12 months and does not grow cannabis during that period.

As he left the dock at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, he said to Judge Helen Boyle: Simply speaking, I will grow cannabis next year.

Judge Boyle explained the condition of the suspension of the two-year sentence to the 76-year-old, who has a long beard, long white hair, and wore a colourful woven poncho.

Judge Boyle said: You have to not grow cannabis for 12 months. Mr Walton replied: There is no chance, Maam.

Before the suspended sentence was imposed, Mr Walton had predicted that he would get a prison sentence and was pleading with the judge not to jail him.

Im a softie, please just leave me alone, he said.

I havent hurt anyone. We are so peaceful. I have respect for the court .... I am a passionate man.

Representing himself in court, he said he joined the Merchant Navy as a younger man and that everyone in that line smoked cannabis at the time.

I am guilty, but I dont take this seriously. Im just a simple guy, he said. Sixty years ago I was first convicted of cultivation.

Detective Garda Shannon Ryan said there were five raids on the home of the accused in 2020 and 2021 and, on each visit, cannabis plants were being cultivated.

The official valuation of cannabis under cultivation is based on a plant reaching full maturity and having a potential street value of 800. On that basis, the plants seized at his home could have had a potential value of 100,000.

However, the plants were very small and if harvested in the condition in which they were found, they would have had a total value, across the five seizures, of no more than 4,000.

Judge Boyle said in her judgement: Mr Walton is a man who lives off the grid. He does not take benefits from the State. He does not believe cannabis should be illegal. He has done some good works, working with American Indians. He started life in the Merchant Navy when he said they all smoked cannabis. He has lost two brothers. I am sorry.

He smokes cannabis to get relief from gout. He is a pacifist. His father was a conscientious objector, and he was treated poorly.

I accepted he does not come to any attention except because of his belief that he should be allowed to cultivate cannabis without intervention. There is a duty on citizens to respect the law.

The judge concluded by finding that it was at the lower end of the scale for such cases, and that on the basis of his health and advanced years, she would impose a suspended sentence.
TRIBUTES have been paid to former employee of The Echo Vincent Allen, who has been remembered as a great character who will be sadly missed.

Mr Allen, of Blarney St, in Cork City, passed away in the presence of his loving family and in the care of the staff at the Mercy University Hospital (MUH).

A patron of Pitch & Putt Ireland and founder member of St Annes Pitch & Putt, he was also pitch-and-putt correspondent at The Echo. For over 50 years, his weekly column was essential reading for the pitch-and-putt community.

Vice-chair of St Annes Pitch and Putt Club, Mr Allen was elected press officer in 1969 and took over the established pitch-and-putt column in The Echo.

He received the Pitch and Putt Union of Ireland Hall of Fame award at the 1990 national convention at the Hotel Blarney and having resigned from Cork County Board in the mid-1970s, he took on a publicity role with Munster Council in the 1980s and also served as a Central Council delegate.

'A true gentleman'

Condolences poured in online, with people from all walks of his life paying tribute to a true gentleman.

Former colleagues remembered many the laugh had in the office, while friends and neighbours remembered him as a legend in pitch and putt and a great character.

Paying tribute to Mr Allen, president of Douglas Pitch & Putt Club, Finbarr ODonnell, offered his deepest condolences to his wife, Phil, and the Allen family.

Mr Allen is missed by Phil, son Ken, grandchildren Emily and Mollie, great-granddaughter Alayah, daughter-in-law Regina, nephews, nieces, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, relatives, wonderful neighbours and a large circle of friends.

Requiem mass will take place today at 2pm in the Church of the Most Precious Blood in Clogheen, followed by private cremation.
THE future of a number of Cork nursing homes has been secured following the sale of the operating group.

Aperee Living, which operates nursing homes in Belgooly, Mallow and Bantry, as well as across Ireland, has been sold to a group of Irish investors with a track record in managing and operating nursing homes.

The sale also includes the partially completed site in Glanmire and the Rochestown site, which has full planning for a 100-bed nursing home and 47 independent living units.

Concerns were raised earlier this year, as Aperee Living made the shock announcement that it was to cease operations at the 68-bed facility in Belgooly, leading to fears for the future of its 49 residents and 41 employees.

The portfolio has been bought by a consortium led by Paul Kingston, who has 25 years experience in the nursing home sector.

It is expected the sale will serve to enhance the care of residents, while continuously driving new standards and improved facilities.

We are fully committed to providing the highest standards of care to all residents at the nursing homes we have acquired, prioritising excellent clinical support, dedicated personal care, companionship, daily activities and community events, Mr Kingston said.

We are very much looking forward to engaging with all our directors of nursing and clinical teams, as well as meeting residents and their families.

Outgoing director and shareholder of Aperee Living David OShea said: I am delighted to see the finalisation of this acquisition, which I believe will bring stability and growth to Aperee Living. I wish Paul and the consortium all the best.
Santa Claus is coming to town this weekend at the Marina Market.

Saint Nick is set to arrive in style in a vintage style Fire Brigade truck to see who is naughty or nice.

A source close to Mr Claus has said: Santa has received clearance to land his sleigh in Cork from air traffic control and once he sets down, he will be transported in jolly style along Corks quayside to the Marina Market where he is taking up temporary residence at Santas Magical Market.

Santa will be greeting all boys, girls and grownups from 1pm this coming Saturday, November 25, until December 23, and the brand-new experience includes interactive areas full of Christmas magic.

Families can wander through snow kissed woods, step on the amazing Polar Express train before heading to the magical Christmas village, to help elves make toys at the Elf Toy Workshop, make treats at Mrs Clauss bakery, and visit the South Pole Post Office.

Visitors will get a chance to meet Santa himself in his snow-covered grotto, including your furry family members, who can even be booked in for their own special visit with Santa Paws.

Marketing Manager at Cork-based TS Events, David O Driscoll, said: We are really proud to have been picked by Santa to help all the boys and girls have a Magical Market visit.

We have worked side by side with all the elves to make this a unique and memorable experience for all. Its a much bigger and better experience this year and we look forward to sharing the joy of Christmas with all our visitors.

Adding to the magic of this extra special Santa Experience is that Enable Ireland are the charity partners.

During the festive period, visitors can tap to donate 2 to the charity and place a ribbon on a tree within the market.

These donations will support Enable Irelands childrens centre in Cork, which is sure to put everyone who supports this great cause on the nice list.
A man who crashed a car on a drunken drive from Ballyhea to Clonakilty decided to use a hatchet to break into a house at Charleville to steal the keys of another car.

The crime committed by James Williamson of Moses Road, Clonakilty, County Cork, was described by his barrister Donal OSullivan as an extremely stupid offence.

Mr OSullivan added, He was essentially trying to get a car to drive to Clonakilty. He was trying to drive home, quite drunk.

Garda Christopher Gleeson said the burglary was committed on November 3 2022 at a house in Charleville, County Cork.

The man and woman who owned that house woke at 6 a.m. to the sound of a loud bang from their kitchen.

The man went downstairs to see the kitchen window smashed and he saw a man approaching the drivers door of his car. The householder ran after the man who fled the scene.

The man swung a hatchet at him. He defended himself with a small childs bat that he had taken with him from the house. Mr Williamson fell and the householder apprehended him and disarmed him of the hatchet. The accused discarded the keys which were retrieved by the owner."

James Williamson had been visiting Ballyhea, County Cork, earlier where he took a car to drive home. But he was drunk and crashed a short while into the journey.

He went to the house at Charleville to carry out the break-in to get the keys of the car with a view to continuing his drunken drive to Clonakilty.

Barrister Donal OSullivan said: He was essentially trying to get a car to drive to Clonakilty.

Outside the Charleville house he saw a hatchet left with some chopping wood beside the house. He wrapped the head of the hatchet in a jumper and proceeded to smash the kitchen window. But thereafter he was chased, caught and held until the gardai arrived.

Judge James McCourt sentenced him for the break-in to a sentence of two and a half years with the last year suspended at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.
A balaclava-wearing raider who robbed an off-licence in Cork city while carrying a knife gave himself up at Gurranabraher garda station after footage of the crime appeared on Crimecall on TV.

Detective Sergeant Kieran OSullivan said that because of a difficulty identifying the raider it was decided to broadcast CCTV of the crime.

He was not known so the CCTV was run on Crimecall on February 27 this year. As a result of that, a number of calls were made by members of the public nominating the accused.

As a result of this he made a phone call himself to gardai saying he did the robbery. He presented himself at Gurranabraher garda station. He was fully cooperative at interview, Det. Sgt. OSullivan said.

30-year-old Trevor Doyle of Red Forge Road, Blackpool, Cork, had 24 previous convictions, including four circuit court convictions. One of them was for a robbery dating back to November 2015.

Detailing the offence in the present case  the robbery at ODonovans off-licence on Thomas Davis Street, Cork  the detective said it was committed on January 11 this year at 5.18 p.m..

Mr Doyle went into ODonovans off-licence on Thomas Davis Street at a time where there was one teller working behind the counter.

The raider was wearing dark clothes and a balaclava and he had a kitchen knife in his hand.

The raider said to the member of staff in relation to the cash register, Open it or Ill use it, showing the knife as he said this.

Detective Sergeant OSullivan said that as well as the footage of the actual robbery there was follow-up coverage on security cameras of the accused man going to Blackpool shopping centre.

Elaine Audley defence barrister said 30-year-old Trevor Doyle of Red Forge Road, Blackpool, Cork, gave himself up and cooperated with the investigation and ultimately pleading guilty to the robbery.

Judge McCourt imposed a sentence of two years and six months with the last six months suspended at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.
Cillian Sherlock, PA

The Government is aiming to hold two referendums on gender equality in early March, according to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.

In line with the recommendations on gender equality made by the Citizens Assembly, people will be asked to vote on a series of amendments to the Constitution.

The Citizens Assembly recommended that an article of the Constitution which deals with the family should be amended so protection is not limited to marital families.

It was also recommended that the Constitution be amended to remove a reference to a womans life within the home and replace it with language that is non-gender specific that recognises care within the home and wider community.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the Cabinet will see the proposed wording of the referendums next week (PA)

The proposal for the wording of the referendums is due to go to Cabinet next Tuesday.

Responding to a question from Labour leader Ivana Bacik, Mr Varadkar said it would be necessary for the Bill to be in the Houses of the Oireachtas before Christmas or first thing in January in order to have the referendum in early March, which is the Governments current timeframe.

Ms Bacik said she is concerned the wording of the referendum would deviate from the recommendations of the Citizens Assembly and the Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality.

In particular, were concerned to see that rather than offering meaningful recognition for carers, the draft reported today will merely strive to support the provision of care, which really is a rather ineffective phrase.

Furthermore, we understand from the reports in the papers today that the provision of care to be recognised in the Constitution will be limited to that: Within the home or within the family.

Labour leader Ivana Bacik questioned the Taoiseach on the wording of the referendum questions (Brian Lawless/PA)

Whereas we [Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality] and the Citizens Assembly had proposed a more inclusive definition of care to include care outside the home.

Ms Bacik also called for confirmation that the referendum will expand the definition of family beyond the basis of marriage.

Mr Varadkar said the wording of the referendums would be shared following Cabinet approval.

He said: Changing the Constitution is never straightforward. You always have to bear in mind how it might be interpreted by the courts, and I have a strong view that laws should be made here in the Oireachtas and a decision on how peoples money should be spent be made here in the Oireachtas.

We always have to take that into account in making any changes to the Constitution, but the wording will be brought to Cabinet by Minister [for Equality Roderic] OGorman next Tuesday.

Subject to approval by Cabinet, well be able to share it with everyone on Tuesday and then discuss it further from there.
Fiona Magennis

A 33-year-old woman accused of murder is alleged to have stabbed her housemate in the chest after her boyfriend went to his room to ask for a cigarette, a jury has heard.

Nicola Brennan, of no fixed abode, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Juris Viktorovs (36) at Shillelagh, Ballyconnell, Co Wicklow on February 10th, 2022.

Opening the case for the State on Tuesday afternoon, Fiona Murphy SC told the jury of eight men and four women that Mr Viktorovs, who was originally from Latvia, lived at the house in Ballyconnell and shared a room there with his girlfriend.

She said Ms Brennan also lived at the address with Viacestaus Narnickis  known as Young Slav  who was her partner at the time and with whom she shared a room.

She said another man who they knew and who was known as Old Slav was also there at the time. Old Slav and Young Slav worked together, she said.

Ms Murphy said it was fair to say that all five were people who drank heavily on a regular basis.

She said Old Slav was married but would stay at the house if he was drinking with the occupants.

On the date in question, the accused and her partner were in the company of Old Slav and his wife before Old Slavs wife dropped the three of them back to the house, she said.

Counsel said, at a certain point, the two couples were in their rooms and Young Slav came to Juris Viktorovs room and asked for a cigarette. She said the deceased rolled a cigarette for him and the pair spoke in Russian.

Ms Murphy said while they were speaking, the accused came in and shouted something at Young Slav and threw a knife to him, but he kicked it away.

She said it is alleged Ms Brennan then stabbed Mr Viktorovs.

Counsel said Mr Viktorovs took the knife out of his chest and laid on the ground.

'Chaotic'

She told the jury at that point, a number of 999 calls were made, and it is the prosecutions case that the accused made a number of comments during this time.

She said it became clear that Mr Viktorovs had died and it was fair to say that things were somewhat chaotic in the house.

She told the jury the accused was arrested and her boyfriend, Young Slav, was also arrested. She said gardai were satisfied Young Slav was not involved in the stabbing and no charges were brought against him.

The knife believed to be the murder weapon was found in the room, she added.

The knife was plunged into a mattress and the DNA of the deceased was found on the tip of the blade.

She said a false nail was found in Ms Brennan's room, and also in Mr Viktorovs room.

While at the Garda station, Ms Brennans clothes were seized and the blood of the deceased was found on the cuff of the pyjamas she was wearing at the time, counsel told the court.

False nails were found discarded, and they were a match for the ones found at the house, she added.

Ms Murphy told the jury they will hear evidence of conversations she had with people following her release from custody.

The accused was subsequently rearrested and detained, and the court will hear various accounts Ms Brennan gave during this time.

The prosecution will say all of this evidence will satisfy you that she is guilty of murder, Ms Murphy said.

She said the prosecution's case against Ms Brennan is that she stabbed Mr Viktorovs in the chest, causing his death.

Evidence in the case is due to commence on Wednesday.
HAVING set up a small online company in 2015 selling beautiful throws, Cork-based Jamie Monagans Loominations has just introduced a new line of luxury throw blankets for babies. They are made out of 100% cotton, 70% of which is recycled.

Theres that sustainable element, which is something a lot of people are looking for these days, says Jamie.

This American entrepreneur (on a small scale basis) moved to Ireland 23 years ago with her writer husband, David Monagan and their three children.

One evening, in her Military Hill home, she had an idea. Jamie had a throw growing up which had been bought by her mother, probably from the same mill where I have my throws woven.

Baby's Building Blocks throw. Picture: Miki Barlok

The throw had a picture of the New Jersey shore woven into it.

My mother gave it to me when we came to live here.

"It was white and green. I had it for years and it was still in great shape, despite having been washed and put in a drier a thousand times.

I had it over my lap, reading my book, and I realised Id never seen anything like it in Ireland. So I decided to start a business.

One of the beautiful baby throws, now part of the Loominations range. Picture: Miki Barlok

With the help of graphic artist John MacMonagle, she designed three throws depicting a map of Ireland and maps of the Atlantic Way and the Ring of Kerry.

While those appeal to the tourist market, Jamies collection now also includes museum masterpieces, 20th century modern, William Morris and trees of life as well as the throws for babies  which are heirloom pieces.

Wheels on the Bus throw. Picture: Miki Barlok

The line for babies comprise a design called patchwork magic, suitable for girls, wheels on the bus for boys, and two gender neutral designs called babys building blocks and Noahs Ark.

Noah's Ark. Picture: Miki Barlok

The throws are woven in an American, state-of-the-art hi-tech computer-driven jacquard loom. There are very few of them in the world.

The looms are actually manufactured in Germany. Generally, youll only find a mill that can make this kind of throw blanket close to where cotton is grown.

So it makes sense to have them woven in the US. Youre never going to grow cotton in Ireland.

The weaving technique is very specific. Its a wonderful mill. I have visited it. Its been in the same family for generations and the throws are woven in safe and ethical conditions. Theyre expensive to make and I have to ship them. Im the only carrier of these throws in Ireland.

The larger one (137x178cm), patchwork magic has eight miles of pre-shrunk cotton woven into every throw. It costs 159. The smaller ones cost 140.

Jamie references a survey commissioned by One4All gift vouchers in the UK which found that people are spending an all time high of 180 on a gift for a family or friends baby. Before the baby is even born, 80 is spent. So there is definitely a market for people who want a high quality baby gift that is going to last and last.

Patchwork Magic throw. Picture: Miki Barlok

A throw is something you can buy for the first baby.

They can crawl on it, it can be hung on a wall as a piece of tapestry, or it can be tucked around baby in the buggy.

The throw can be passed on to any other children that come along although it might be difficult to get the first-born to part with it, given the way young children become attached to blankets.

Some of the other throws from Loominations. Picture: Joleen Cronin

Jamie says her eldest child, Laura, now aged 35, still talks about her childhood blanket which she called moonie.

With American rituals such as the baby shower imported to Ireland, a Loominations baby throw would be a great gift.

If you dont know the babys sex, you can give a neutral throw as a gift. (And then there are gender reveal parties  yet another excuse to buy a gift.)

I did my own market research before introducing the baby line. You need to buy gifts with a personal, hand-selected feel. People are buying fewer gifts but higher quality ones. You can buy a child an adorable little outfit but very quickly, theyll grow out of it.

There are all the milestones such as the announcement of the pregnancy, the gender reveal, the birth, babys first birthday and Christmas.

Having worked in PR for theatre in Cork, including a ten year stint at the Cork Opera House, Jamie currently looks after publicity for The Grainstore music venue at Ballymaloe. Asked if she always had an entrepreneurial streak, she says: David and I had talked about 50 different ideas and never acted on them because none of them really made sense. I thought Loominations was a runner. I sell the maps of Ireland in stores in the US, particularly in stores that specialise in Irish stuff. I sell them in Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.

Loominations Throw Blankets. Picture: Joleen Cronin

The Local Enterprise Office (LEO) in Cork was a fantastic support, from day one. Jamie adds: Im doing something with them on expanding into Europe.

Jamie, whose grandfather was a Donnelly from Roscommon, is delighted to have made the move to Cork. At one point, she and her family returned to Connecticut for a year, but realised they really missed Cork. Her children have spread their wings. Laura, a management consultant with PWC, lives in London with her Australian husband, whom she met in Cork. Harris is a chef who has returned to Cork, having travelled around south-east Asia for five months. Eoghan is involved in a start-up company in Manhattan where he lives with his Brazilian wife whom he met in Dublin.

For more on Jamies business see www.loominations.ie
Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions.

Most Americans surveyed were unaware of the countrys widespread forever chemical contamination found commonly in sources such as drinking water. PhotoAlto / Antoine Arraou / Getty Images

Nonstick, waterproof and stain-resistant are all commonplace terms that are self-explanatory.

But the forever chemicals behind the coatings that give products the ability to resist grease, water and oil are not so well-known, it turns out.

A new study conducted by AgriLife scientists at Texas A&M University is the first generalized survey in the United States to test public awareness and knowledge of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) forever chemicals. The researchers found that most Americans have no knowledge of the substances and are not aware of their potential associated risks, a press release from the Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) said.

This is the first survey of its kind, and what we found is that the vast majority of people do not have a clear understanding of PFAS, said Allen Berthold, interim director of TWRI and the studys lead author, in the press release.

There are thousands of manufactured chemicals that fall under the category of PFAS. They are an ever-growing threat to the environment and human health, as they are not easily broken down or gotten rid of. This is because they have one of the strongest possible chemical bonds, that of the molecules carbon and fluorine.

The study, Lets talk about PFAS: Inconsistent public awareness about PFAS and its sources in the United States, was published in the journal PLOS One.

Since the 1940s, PFAS compounds have been used in products from nonstick cookware to food wrappers and many other consumer products, as well as in firefighting foam, according to the press release. PFAS levels have been found in food, soil and air, and toxic amounts have been detected in U.S. drinking water.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed a national drinking water standard for PFAS in March. However, most consumers have no idea there is a problem.

When I ask an audience at a public presentation if theyve ever heard of PFAS, usually only a few people from a room of 100 will say yes, and thats fairly consistent with these survey results, Berthold said in the press release. PFAS in drinking water has received media and regulatory attention this year, but the general publics awareness of the contaminant had not been measured until this research.

The research team analyzed and measured Americans knowledge of and experience with PFAS, as well as their perceptions of potential health and environmental risks associated with the compounds.

They found that 45.1 percent had never heard of forever chemicals, while 31.6 had heard of PFAS, but had no knowledge of what they were. Most respondents, 97.4 percent, did not believe PFAS impacted their drinking water, and just 11.4 percent knew that their community had experienced PFAS exposure.

The U.S. Geological Survey came out with research in July that showed at least 45 percent of the countrys drinking water was estimated to be contaminated with one or more kinds of PFAS chemicals.

Research has come out in the last year showing that many Americans are exposed to PFAS, including through drinking water supplies, whether they know it or not, said co-author of the study Audrey McCrary, program specialist with TWRI, in the press release. So, a significant knowledge gap here needs to be addressed.

Michael Schramm, TWRI research specialist and co-author of the study, said community exposure was the strongest indicator of PFAS awareness in the study.

However, of the people aware they were exposed to PFAS, approximately half stated they did not know what PFAS were, Schramm said in the press release. This indicates a large gap in the information being provided to the public.

According to the study, respondents who were aware of community exposure to PFAS had a higher likelihood of knowing the sources of PFAS, altering their use of items that could potentially be contaminated with the toxic compounds and answering that their sources of drinking water were also contaminated.

Across the U.S., 1,100 respondents from all 50 states participated in the online survey.

The survey found no significant differences in experience, knowledge and perceptions of risk regarding PFAS across various demographics.

It was very notable that there was no statistical difference depending on race, gender or age  perception was largely the same across the board, said deVilleneuve in the press release. This research was a fact-finding effort and gives us baseline data moving forward as interest in PFAS remediation continues to grow.
Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions.

Trees and other plants are known for their air purifying capabilities, providing oxygen to the millions of species on our planet. Planting more trees and preserving the ones we have has been one of the strategies being used to help mitigate the effects of the climate crisis.

A new study using more realistic modeling suggests that plants may be capable of absorbing even more carbon dioxide produced by human activities than previously estimated.

However, the researchers emphasized that their findings do not mean governments can slow down the reduction of carbon emissions in the fight against climate change, a press release from Trinity College Dublin said.

Plants absorb carbon from the atmosphere and convert it into sugars used for metabolism and growth through the process of photosynthesis.

Plants take up a substantial amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) every year, thereby slowing down the detrimental effects of climate change, but the extent to which they will continue this CO2 uptake into the future has been uncertain, said lead author of the study Dr. Jurgen Knauer of the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment at Western Sydney University, according to the press release. What we found is that a well-established climate model that is used to feed into global climate predictions made by the likes of the IPCC predicts stronger and sustained carbon uptake until the end of the 21st century when it accounts for the impact of some critical physiological processes that govern how plants conduct photosynthesis.

Scientists have historically been unclear on how the carbon uptake benefits provided by vegetation will respond to changes in temperatures, rainfall and carbon dioxide levels as the climate crisis progresses. For instance, more extreme heat and droughts might significantly weaken the capacity of terrestrial ecosystems to act as carbon sinks.

We accounted for aspects like how efficiently carbon dioxide can move through the interior of the leaf, how plants adjust to changes in temperatures, and how plants most economically distribute nutrients in their canopy. These are three really important mechanisms that affect a plants ability to fix carbon, yet they are commonly ignored in most global models, Knauer said.

The study, Higher global gross primary productivity under future climate with more advanced representations of photosynthesis, was published in the journal Science Advances.

The new modeling looked at a climate scenario with high emissions in order to test how the carbon uptake of plants would respond to worldwide climate change until 2100, the press release said.

The research team examined versions of the model with varying complexities and realistic depictions of plants physiological processes. The most simplistic version did not take into account the three essential physiological mechanisms of photosynthesis, but the most complicated version took all three into account.

The researchers found that the more complex models consistently predicted greater increases in the carbon uptake of vegetation across the planet. They found that the processes reinforced each other, as they would in the real world, strengthening their effects when combined.

Because the majority of terrestrial biosphere models used to assess the global carbon sink are located at the lower end of this complexity range, accounting only partially for these mechanisms or ignoring them altogether, it is likely that we are currently underestimating climate change effects on vegetation as well as its resilience to changes in climate. We often think about climate models as being all about physics, but biology plays a huge role and it is something that we really need to account for, said Silvia Caldararu, an assistant professor in Trinitys School of Natural Sciences who was part of the research team, in the press release.

Caldararu went on to say that the findings of the study could help scientists better assess potential solutions to the climate crisis found in the natural world.

These kinds of predictions have implications for nature-based solutions to climate change such as reforestation and afforestation and how much carbon such initiatives can take up. Our findings suggest these approaches could have a larger impact in mitigating climate change and over a longer time period than we thought, Caldararu said. However, simply planting trees will not solve all our problems. We absolutely need to cut down emissions from all sectors. Trees alone cannot offer humanity a get out of jail free card.
(Source: Reuters)Pope Francis, in an earlier interview said that the church should not take a step back in dealing with the problem involving the Catholic religious. He stated that everyone mus t be stronger and that people should not play around the lives of the children.

Pope Francis has shared lunch with around 1,200 poor, homeless and refugees, from around Rome while also decrying the material, cultural and spiritual poverties that exist in the world as "scandal."

The Pope had lunch with people from Rome's poor and economically disadvantaged for the World Day of the Poor on Nov. 19, 2023, Catholic News Agency reported.

The lunch was served in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall and preceded by the Angelus and a special Mass reported CNA.

"We are living in times that are not particularly sensitive to the needs of the poor. The pressure to adopt an affluent lifestyle increases, while the voices of those dwelling in poverty tend to go unheard," said the pontiff in his sermon at the mass.

"We are inclined to neglect anything that varies from the model of life set before the younger generation, those who are most vulnerable to the cultural changes now taking place."

EXHALTING PHYSICAL QUALITIES

Francis said people disregard anything unpleasant or that causes suffering, and exalt physical qualities as if they were life's primary goal.

Among the 5,000 who filled the basilica for Mass were homeless persons and other people in need who were seated in the front rows near Pope Francis, Catholic News Service reported.

After celebrating Mass and praying the Angelus, the pope ate lunch in the Vatican audience hall the group of more than 1,200 people, continuing a tradition he began on the first World Day of the Poor in 2017, said CNS.

According to CAN, the lunch, The lunch was offered by Hilton Hotels and organized by the Vatican's charity office and the Sant'Egidio community.

The meal included spinach and ricotta cheese-stuffed cannelloni, meatballs with tomato sauce, and a cauliflower puree. The dessert was tiramisu and small pastries.

World Day of the Poor, the seventh edition, this year drew its theme from the Book of Tobit: "Do not turn your face away from anyone who is poor."

In the week leading up to the world day, the Vatican extended the hours and operations of a medical clinic it runs near St. Peter's Square dedicated to caring for anyone in need, said CNS.

'GIFT OF LOVE'

In his homily at the Mass, the Pope said that Christians "have received from the Lord the gift of his love and we are called to become a gift to others."

"Virtual reality is overtaking real life, and increasingly the two worlds blend into one. The poor become a film clip that can affect us for a moment, yet when we encounter them in flesh and blood on our streets, we are annoyed and look the other way," preached the pontiff.

He said that haste is now the people's daily companion, preventing them from stopping to help care for others.

"The parable of the Good Samaritan (cf. Lk 10:25-37) is not simply a story from the past; it continues to challenge each of us in the here and now of our daily lives. It is easy to delegate charity to others, yet the calling of every Christian is to become personally involved," said Pope Francis.
(Photo: Vatican News)Pope Francis and President Katerina Sakellaropoulou of Greece on Dec. 4, 2022.

Pope Francis has lamented a global "retreat from democracy" making a speech in Athens, the cradle of Western civilization.

The Pope spoke to political leaders, representatives of civil society, and members of the diplomatic corps at the Greek Presidential Palace on Dec. 4, Catholic News Agency reported.

He spoke hours after arriving from the island of Cyprus in a visit that will highlight refugees and migrants and ties with the Greek Orthodox Church.

"Here democracy was born. That cradle, thousands of years later, was to become a house, a great house of democratic peoples," said Francis.

"I am speaking of the European Union and the dream of peace and fraternity that it represents for so many peoples," Francis said.

"Yet we cannot avoid noting with concern how today, and not only in Europe; we are witnessing a retreat from democracy."

"Without Athens and without Greece, Europe and the world would not be what they are. They would be less wise, less happy," noted the Pope.

The Acropolis, and Mounts Olympus and Athos, point high towards God, for we need transcendence in order to be truly human, he explained according to Vatican News.

The Gospels were written in Greek, the language of human wisdom which became the voice of divine Wisdom, he added.

Francis said people should beware of politicians with "an obsessive quest for popularity, in a thirst for visibility, in a flurry of unrealistic promises...," Reuters News agency reported.

The Pope hoped that strengthened democracy everywhere "may be the response to the siren songs of authoritarianism; and that individualism and indifference may be overcome by concern for others, for the poor and for creation."

Pope Francis also touched upon life and death issues.

He recalled that part of the oath of Hippocrates of ancient Greece, regarded as the "Father of Medicine", can be applied to our time, regarding life, especially of the unborn.

"The right of all to care and treatment," said Francis, "must always be respected, so that those most vulnerable, particularly the elderly, may never be discarded."

"For life is a right, not death. Death is to be accepted, not administered," he stressed.

Pope Francis arrived in Greece after a two-day visit to Cyprus, an island in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

In a packed itinerary, he met Cypriot authorities, Orthodox bishops, local Catholics, and migrants, as well as celebrating Mass in the country's largest stadium.

3 DAYS IN GREECE

The 84-year-old pope's three days in neighboring Greece will be equally frenetic, with scheduled meetings with Orthodox leaders, the Catholic community, local member of his order, the Jesuits, migrants on the island of Lesbos, and young people.

Relations with the Greek Orthodox Church to which 90 percent of the population belongs are important, because the first schism in the Catholic Church happened in the 1053 long before the next big split during the Protestant Reformation.

Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens and All Greece welcomed Pope Francis to the Orthodox Archbishopric of Greece in Athens.

Pope Francis acknowledged how tragically "world concerns poisoned us" and led to divisions among Christians.

He said, "Shamefully  I acknowledge this for the Catholic Church  actions and decisions that had little or nothing to do with Jesus and the Gospel, but were instead marked by a thirst for advantage and power, gravely weakened our communion."

The Pope added, "I feel the need to ask anew for the forgiveness of God and of our brothers and sisters for the mistakes committed by many Catholics."

The Pope made a daylong visit to Lesbos on April 16, 2016, after which he took 12 refugees back to the Vatican.

He is the first pope to visit mainland Greece since John Paul II, who in May 2001 became the first pontiff to visit the country in 1,291 years.

Greece, officially known as the Hellenic Republic, is a predominantly Orthodox Christian country of 10.7 million people, around 50,000 of whom are Roman Catholic.

Pope Francis on Saturday urged Greece and Europe to work for a renewed humanity by lifting their gaze to God and showing concern for others, the poor and for creation.

Asylum-seekers fleeing war and poverty-hit homelands in the Middle East, Asia and Africa use Greece as a main entry points into the European Union.
(Photo by lucianmilasan)

The further education of pastoral ministers should include dealing with dementia says Bishop Franz-Josef Bode, deputy president of the German bishops' conference, speaking about a condition that is growing rapidly worldwide.

Growing number of people suffering from dementia need support along with their relatives, Bishop Bode said on April 28 in a podcast of the Catholic Academy of the Diocese of Dresden-Meissen.

The German Catholic news agency KNA reported he said every pastoral minister should have a basic knowledge of how to deal with dementia as like many other illnesses the disease can draw stigma and discrimination.

The World Health Organization says Dementia is a syndrome in which there is deterioration in cognitive function beyond what might be expected from the usual consequences of biological ageing.

Dementia is a generic term for the impaired ability to remember, think or make decisions that interferes with doing everyday activities.

It is not a disease, but is often caused by diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's.

It is one of the most frequently mentioned fears that people cite about old age.

KNA reported that on April 30, Bishop Bode was scheduled to participate in the start of the church's "Week for Life" campaign in the eastern city of Leipzig. The joint campaign this year focuses on people with dementia.

Bishop Bode said pastoral ministers had to ask themselves whether they were sufficiently aware of people with dementia and their relatives.

In addition, integrating people with dementia into the general life of the church is a new challenge.

The bishop said that in the pastoral care of relatives it also was important to make clear that the "form of relationship is different, but that does not mean that there is no relationship anymore."

He said it was important to encourage relatives to be patient and to convey that "this is still the person that you love, even if they have changed."

The bishop noted that dealing with dementia sufferers is particularly challenging because a healthy person gradually "becomes quite different."

It is "a kind of litmus test whether we also stand by the fact that life to the end is wanted by God and retains its dignity."

The WHO says that although dementia mainly affects older people, it is not an inevitable consequence of ageing.

Currently more than 55 million people live with dementia worldwide, and there are nearly 10 million new cases every year.

Dementia results from a variety of diseases and injuries that primarily or secondarily affect the brain.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia and may contribute to 60-70 percent of cases.

UNDERMINING WITH 'DEMENTIA'

An example of when the prejudicial use of dementia is used to undermine people came in the United States when Francis Collins was appointed director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health in 2009, Christianity Today reported.

Collins announced that he was to retire at the end of 2021 after serving more than 10 years in his job including through a difficult period during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He is an evangelical Christian who previously worked as the head of the Human Genome Project, Collins' 2009 appointment still drew scorn. Christianity Today cited a 2010 profile in the New Yorker magazine linking him to dementia due to his beliefs.

Collins read in the Times that many of his colleagues in the scientific community believed that he suffered from "dementia."

Steven Pinker, a cognitive psychologist at Harvard, questioned the appointment on the ground that Collins was "an advocate of profoundly anti-scientific beliefs."

P. Z. Myers, a biologist at the University of Minnesota at Morris, complained, "I don't want American science to be represented by a clown."

Nevertheless, Collins served under three presidential administrations.

During the pandemic, Collins spoke numerous times in his efforts to dispel misconceptions about the virus and vaccine.

Prior to his term at the NIH, Collins was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He also wrote the best-selling book, The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief, which won a CT Book Award.




Perak, Malaysia poultry farmers mandated to shift to closed house system

Poultry farmers in the Perak, Malaysia are required to transition from the current open cage system to an environmentally sustainable closed house system within the next three years, The Star reported.

Datuk Mohd Zolkafly Harun, the chairman of the State Rural Development, Plantation, Agriculture, and Food Industry Committee, said that those failing to comply may face penalties under the recently amended Poultry Farming Enactment (2023) gazetted on July 20.

Addressing a media conference, Datuk Harun stated that non-compliance could result in a minimum compound of MYR 5,000, a fine reaching up to MYR 50,000, or imprisonment not exceeding three years. As of now, 203 out of the 507 licensed poultry farms in the state have already made the switch to the closed coop system.

He said that the deadline for the transition is December 31, 2025, providing ample time for poultry farmers to adhere to the new regulations.

- The Star
Wuzhen in E China's Zhejiang blazes new trail of rural vitalization through theater festival

10:48, November 21, 2023 By Wang Jue ( People's Daily

The 2023 Wuzhen Theater Festival recently kicked off in Wuzhen, Tongxiang, Jiaxing, east China's Zhejiang province.

The festival showcased 87 performances selected from 28 specially invited plays from 11 countries and regions. Eighteen performances were staged during the festival's Emerging Theater Artists' Competition. Additionally, there were 12 Wuzhen Dialogues, 12 workshops, 27 reading sessions, six major exhibitions, and over 2,000 carnivals.

Photo shows the Wuzhen Carnival of the 2023 Wuzhen Theater Festival in Wuzhen, Tongxiang, Jiaxing, east China's Zhejiang province. (Photo from the official account of the Wuzhen Theater Festival on WeChat)

What sparks would fly when the ancient town of Wuzhen meets theater and tradition encounters modernity?

Since its establishment 10 years ago, the Wuzhen Theater Festival has nurtured local talents in various aspects such as theater construction, stage design, theater services, and brand promotion. More importantly, it has strengthened the local community's capability in the theater business.

In 2016, Andi, who studied drama performance, returned to his hometown Wuzhen and founded a small theater group called Utopian Youth Drama Club. In 2016, the group performed an interactive drama themed with the pawnshop culture of Wuzhen during a Carnival of the Wuzhen Theater Festival. In the following two years, it brought to the festival a segment of Chinese cross talk on intangible cultural heritage.

"The Wuzhen Theater Festival provides us with a platform for learning and communication," Andi said. "Without the festival, I wouldn't have started my career in theater, and I couldn't even imagine being able to make a living by drama."

The Zhaoming Academy, a historical site situated on the north side of Xizha Street in the Xizha scenic area, Wuzhen, enjoys a long history. Today, with sound maintenance and protection, the Zhaoming Academy has become a tourist attraction and also serves as a performance venue during the Wuzhen Theater Festival.

Wuzhen is steeped in cultural relics and historic sites that showcase its rich history and heritage. Chen Xianghong, initiator of the Wuzhen Theater Festival and president of Wuzhen Tourism Co., Ltd., said that Wuzhen possesses a wealth of historical and cultural assets and the Wuzhen Theater Festival has further lifted the artistic vibe in the town.

Photo shows a market of the 2023 Wuzhen Theater Festival in Wuzhen, Tongxiang, Jiaxing, east China's Zhejiang province. (Photo from the official account of the Wuzhen Theater Festival on WeChat)

Over the past 10 years, the Wuzhen Theater Festival has been continuously developing. Its Wuzhen Carnival has turned bridges, streets, and alleys into stages and theaters, bringing the art of drama to more audiences who have never stepped into a theater before.

This year, the Wuzhen Carnival was hosted in the public spaces, on the rivers, and even in the air above the Xizha scenic area, featuring a variety of performance art forms, including parades, installation art, improvisational performances, multimedia, and more. In addition, the inclusion of music, film, trendy toys, installations, reading, exhibitions, and markets has made the festival more diverse and open.

"The theater becomes a part of Wuzhen, and Wuzhen becomes a stage for theater," Chen commented. The Wuzhen Theater Festival, with its unique charm, has gradually integrated into the local lifestyle.

Gao Yunchao, a skilled craftsman at a lantern workshop in the Xizha scenic area, was a volunteer for the second Wuzhen Theater Festival.

"It was my first close encounter with drama, dance, and other forms of art, and it was quite fascinating," Gao said.

Starting from the third Wuzhen Theater Festival, he became an apprentice at the lantern workshop. The place in front of the workshop happened to be a stage of the Wuzhen Carnival, and it became a prime spot for Gao to watch the performances.

Over the years, he has watched many performances such as shadow puppetry, sketch comedy, and contemporary dance in the workshop, and growing from an apprentice to a skilled craftsman.

Photo shows the Wuzhen ancient town scenic area in Tongxiang, Jiaxing, east China's Zhejiang province. (People's Daily Online/Yuan Xinyu)

Over the past 10 years, the Wuzhen Theater Festival has nurtured a multitude of local audiences. Visiting Wuzhen in October to watch plays has become a cherished tradition for many locals. Everyone was talking about drama during the festival, from homestay owners to chefs, and from taxi drivers to young mothers.

Ji Mengting, a resident of Wuzhen, has parents who run a homestay in the Xizha scenic area. The family of three has been attending the Wuzhen Theater Festival since its first edition. In her eyes, the festival is an annual theatrical extravaganza that not only boosts local tourism but also allows the locals to experience a variety of artistic styles.

As Wuzhen becomes more and more international, it is attracting more and more international talents. Wei Zhehao, who had worked in the tourism industry in the UK for eight years, returned to China in 2020 to work at a university in Jiaxing and is currently on assignment at the Wuzhen scenic area. In his view, Wuzhen has two major brands, the Wuzhen Theater Festival and the World Internet Conference, making it an internationalized ancient town in China.

He believes the hosting of the Wuzhen Theater Festival has not only brought positive impacts on Wuzhen's economy, culture, and education, but has also brought about significant changes to Wuzhen in rural tourism and brand image building. Every year, Wuzhen attracts people from all over the world to visit, invest, and settle down.

Chen said the theater festival provides a new idea for the development of small towns and rural revitalization.

"Some people say that the Wuzhen Theater Festival is a mirror reflecting a cultural pursuit that belongs to Chinese small towns in the process of contemporary urbanization. It is referred to as a new rural development model," Chen noted.

"Wuzhen has evolved from a tourist town to a cultural town, and now it has entered a new stage of development. This is also a manifestation of the strength of small towns," he added.

(Web editor: Chang Sha, Liang Jun)
Cancer survivor competing in Roger Albert Clark Rally to raise funds for Hospice



Ian Tunney

In 2020, Ian Tunney was diagnosed with cancer of the thyroid. After two operations and radiation, he was given the all-clear.

Ian has now set himself the target of completing the 2023 Roger Albert Clark Rally (RAC) and raising money for Hospice Isle of Man along the way.

Ian said: "Many friends, both in the rallying community, and away from it, have been helped by Hospice Isle of Man, and the work they do to support people affected by cancer across the Island is invaluable."

The rally will be taking place November 23 to 27 and will cover a total distance of 1,200 miles through forest tracks in England, Scotland and Wales.

Ian has been involved in motorsport and rallying for many years and has been working together with his two sons, Luke and Ross, to restore and recommission an ex-factory Mitsubishi Starion rally car.

The car and entry fee have been funded by Ian and his friend Chris Sanderson, meaning 100% of donations will go directly to Hospice Isle of Man.

To donate visit Ians Just Giving page.

Photos
Ben my Chree to go into dry dock due to damage

The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company (IOMSPC) has confirmed that the Ben-my-Chree has sustained minor damage to its hull, which will result in the vessel going into dry dock for repairs.

It sustained the damage during passage to Belfast for lay-up; which couldn't be in Douglas due to the Department of Infrastructures ongoing works on the King Edward VIII pier in Douglas Harbour.

The Company said that following investigation of various options, it is now apparent that repairs cannot be carried out while the vessel is in the water.

Ben-my-Chree will require drydocking in order to effect permanent repairs. The Company says it is "assessing the quickest way to fix the damage, ideally in combination with the routine annual dry docking".

It says that an internal investigation is being undertaken into the circumstances surrounding the damage and IOMSPC is working in collaboration with Isle of Man Ship Registry, Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Lloyds Register.

MV Arrow is in place in order to provide resilience for the Companys lifeline services.

The Steam Packet will give a further update on the progress of repairs in due course.
Tynwald backs XL Bully dog importation ban



XL Bully

The XL Bully has been added to a list of dogs that cannot be imported to the Isle of Man.

As of one minute past midnight (00:01) on Wednesday (November 22) the XL Bully importation ban will come into force.

Tynwald voted to amend the Wild Animals Act 1980, in response to the UK Governments recent decision to make it illegal to own the XL Bully breed in England or Wales from February 1, unless the owner has successfully applied for it to be registered, and keeps their dog muzzled in public.

XL Bullies are said to have originated in the US in the late 1980s, when American pit bull terriers and American Staffordshire terriers were crossed. There are four variations: standard, pocket, classic and XL.

The XL is regarded as a specific breed in the US, however it is not recognised as such by the main British dog associations, such as the Kennel Club.

Clare Barber MHK, Minister for Environment, Food and Agriculture, said: It has been important to move quickly, in order to close a potential loophole for additional XL Bullies to be introduced to the Isle of Man, and Id like to thank officers and Tynwald members for their support on the matter. XL Bullies already on the Island are not affected by this change, although we would always impress upon owners the importance of behaviour training for dogs.
Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao is set to plead guilty to federal money laundering charges and step down from his position at the company he founded. Zhao and the cryptocurrency exchange have reached a plea deal with the government, which conducted a multi-year investigation into the company, CNBC reports. As part of the settlement, Binance will forfeit $2.5 billion and pay a $1.8 billion fine. Zhao is slated to personally pay $50 million.

Zhao will be prohibited from having any involvement with Binance for three years. As part of the plea deal, Zhao will plead guilty later on Tuesday to violating and causing a financial institution to violate the Bank Secrecy Act, according to Reuters .

Binance, Zhao and others were accused of failing to institute an effective anti-money laundering program. According to the Justice Department, they willfully violated economic sanctions in a deliberate and calculated effort to profit from the US market without implementing controls required by US law." Court documents state that the lack of anti-money laundering measures led to Binance facilitating almost $900 million in financial transactions in violation of sanctions against Iran between 2018 and 2022.

In a statement, Zhao confirmed he is stepping down as CEO, with the company's former global head of regional markets Richard Teng taking over the top job. "Today, I stepped down as CEO of Binance," Zhao wrote on X. "Admittedly, it was not easy to let go emotionally. But I know it is the right thing to do. I made mistakes, and I must take responsibility. This is best for our community, for Binance, and for myself."

Zhao now plans to take a break before perhaps getting more involved in investing. However, "I cant see myself being a CEO driving a startup again. I am content being an one-shot (lucky) entrepreneur."

Today, I stepped down as CEO of Binance. Admittedly, it was not easy to let go emotionally. But I know it is the right thing to do. I made mistakes, and I must take responsibility. This is best for our community, for Binance, and for myself.



Binance is no longer a baby. It is  CZ  Binance (@cz_binance) November 21, 2023

The settlement resolves criminal charges related to breaching sanctions regulations, conspiracy and conducting an unlicensed money transmitter business. Meanwhile, former compliance chief Samuel Lim will reportedly face charges as part of the deal.

This is a major settlement between the company and agencies such as the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Treasury Department. The CFTC charged Binance, Zhao and Lim with violating its rules, as well as the Commodity Exchange Act, earlier this year.

Binance turned a blind eye to its legal obligations in the pursuit of profit. Its willful failures allowed money to flow to terrorists, cybercriminals, and child abusers through its platform, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement. Todays historic penalties and monitorship to ensure compliance with US law and regulations mark a milestone for the virtual currency industry. Any institution, wherever located, that wants to reap the benefits of the US financial system must also play by the rules that keep us all safe from terrorists, foreign adversaries, and crime, or face the consequences.

Binance will remain in operation, albeit under stricter rules. It will need to ensure it abides by anti-money laundering regulations by beefing up its compliance program. The company will also have to appoint an independent compliance monitor.
Even though it seemed that former OpenAI CEO Sam Altman would lead a new AI research division at Microsoft, he might still get his old job back. According to Bloomberg, the OpenAI board  which caused chaos at the company when it fired Altman on Friday  has reopened discussions with the former chief executive regarding his possible reinstatement.

The talks are said to involve board member (and Quora CEO) Adam DAngelo as well as OpenAI investors, some of whom have been pushing for Altman's return. According to the report, board members "largely refused to engage" with Altman until Monday, so these latest talks are said to be a significant development.

Meanwhile, Kevin Scott, Microsoft's chief technology officer, said that his company will match the compensation OpenAI workers are currently receiving if they jump ship. Most of the company's workers have threatened to walk unless the OpenAI board resigns and reinstates Altman and former president Greg Brockman (who resigned in protest over the board booting out Altman). They warned the board on Monday that Microsoft is willing to hire them too, and Scott has confirmed that.

To my partners at OpenAI: We have seen your petition and appreciate your desire potentially to join Sam Altman at Microsofts new AI Research Lab, Scott wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Know that if needed, you have a role at Microsoft that matches your compensation and advances our collective mission.

To my partners at OpenAI: We have seen your petition and appreciate your desire potentially to join Sam Altman at Microsofts new AI Research Lab. Know that if needed, you have a role at Microsoft that matches your compensation and advances our collective mission.  Kevin Scott (@kevin_scott) November 21, 2023

It's unclear whether Scott's offer is contingent on Altman officially joining Microsoft, as CNBC notes. In any case, OpenAI workers may not have too much trouble finding a new job if they resign, as many tech companies are battling to hire AI experts. For instance, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said that any OpenAI researcher who has quit will receive matching salary and equity if they join his company.

Meanwhile, in interviews he gave after saying Altman and Brockman were joining his company on Monday, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella reiterated that he wants to keep working with OpenAI. However, he noted "that depends on the people of OpenAI staying there or coming to Microsoft. So Im open to both options, but one thing I will not do is stop innovating." Nadella also said that At this point, I think its very clear that something has to change around the governance" at the ChatGPT operator.

After Altman's sudden firing, he and Brockman spent the weekend in crunch talks with the OpenAI board in an effort to get their jobs back. Those initial talks proved unsuccessful, and the board has appointed former Twitch chief executive Emmett Shear as interim CEO.

The OpenAI board has declined to share the exact reasoning for its decision to fire Altman, though it claimed that he had not been "consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities." After he took the reins, Shear said he'd bring in an independent investigator "to dig into the entire process leading up to this point and generate a full report. According to Bloomberg, Shear has told folks in the OpenAI orbit that he won't stay on board if he doesn't get a clear explanation from the board as to why it ousted Altman.
Sonos is planning to enter new markets over the next couple of years. The company, which currently makes smart speakers and soundbars, is gearing up to launch high-end, over-the-ear headphones, smaller in-ear wireless earbuds and a streaming box for TVs, according to a Bloomberg report. The new headphones would directly compete with Apples AirPods Max and AirPods, as well as devices from Sony and Bose, while the streaming box would compete with the Apple TV and devices from Roku and Amazon.

Sonos reportedly plans to charge more than $400 for the over-the-ear headphones  around the same as Sony's $400 highly-regarded WH-1000MX5, but cheaper than Apple' $549 AirPods Max. Its streaming box will reportedly cost between $150 and $200  significantly higher than Apple, Amazon and Rokus devices.

The company, best known for high-end smart speakers, has been trying to develop headphones since 2019. Its new products are an attempt to revive sales, which have slumped this year. On an earnings call earlier this month, Sonos CEO Patrick Spence said that he expects brand new products to account for a large portion of the companys revenue by the second half of 2024.

Sonos plans to release the over-the-ear headphones by April next year. Bloomberg reports that they will come in black and white color options, sync with other Sonos speakers, and also let people use their voice to navigate between songs. Sonos is also working on software to let people control all Sonos equipment in their house from their phones when they are away.

The streaming box will reportedly be released by the end of 2024 or early 2025. It will run an Android-based operating system and run streaming apps, similar to how existing streaming boxes work. Sonos is currently in talks with Netflix and companies offering live television to support its device.

In addition to headphones and a streaming box, Sonos is also working on updated versions of current home theater equipment, including a new subwoofer, a second-generation Roam speaker, a new version of its high-end Arc soundbar, and a more expensive Era 100 speaker with an ethernet port that Bloomberg says is aimed at businesses. The updated Arc might cost $,1200, a major price bump compared to the current model that retails for $900. It isn't clear how much the Era 100, the Roam and the subwoofer will cost.
Teenage Engineering just revealed a, uh, toy car/doodad that costs $250. Yes, its $250 for a little piece of metal with wheels that you can roll around a desk for a bit before getting bored. The company tends to releases two kinds of products. There are the extremely expensive, yet pretty darn cool, audio devices and, well, everything else. Todays surprise release falls squarely in the latter camp.

This might not be quite as egregious as the companys $1,600 desk that you have to assemble yourself or those little wooden dolls that cost $2,000, but its still a doodad that should cost around $2.50, and not $250. Teenage Engineering says its Grip Car is made from aluminum and features smooth ball bearing rubber wheels. The use case scenarios here seem endless, with the company suggesting folks move it in any direction or put it on their shelf. Wait, those are the only two.

An image of Teenage Engineering's Grip Car. (Teenage Engineering)

The Grip Car is available in three colors, to those curious, so youll have your pick of red, black or aluminum. It was created by Danish designer Anders Hermansen, who has previously worked with companies like Bang & Olufsen to help make some of its in-wall speakers, among other products.

Incidentally, the official Teenage Engineering website has been acting peculiarly lately, with an abundance of symbols that seem to advertise some kind of announcement for tomorrow. The company confirmed to Engadget that the Grip Car isnt part of this forthcoming announcement and to keep an eye out for a press release tomorrow afternoon. The announcement looks to be audio-related, due to the floating icons on the site, but it remains unknown if itll be hardware or software.
Tinder is adding many new, pretty basic, features, including the profile prompts and basic info tags other dating apps, like Hinge or Bumble, have. Profile prompts, for example, are a long-standing feature on both, with Tinder users now able to share their responses to statements like The first item on my bucket list is  or Two truths and a lie.

The dating app points to Gen Zs responses in its recent Future of Dating report as motivation for the updates, saying: At Tinder, we understand that connecting today is about authenticity, depth and the desire for connections that go beyond the surface.

The company calls it a rizz-first redesign, which equates to these new prompts, zodiac sign info and new animations. Is that rizz-first? Im not sure it is.

 Mat Smith

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The biggest stories you might have missed

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Itll help test current theories of star formation.

TMA (NASA)

The James Webb telescope has captured parts of the center of the Milky Way in unprecedented detail. This area is about 300 light-years from the galaxys supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A, and over 25,000 light-years from Earth. The galactic center is the most extreme environment in the Milky Way, according to University of Virginia professor Jonathan Tan.

Continue reading.

And reinstates Sam Altman as CEO.

OpenAIs corporate drama kept Engadget busy over the weekend, as the company ousted its CEO and co-founder Sam Altman, then reportedly tried to get him back when he was poached by Microsoft  one of OpenAIs major investors. Now, most of the companys staff have threatened to quit unless the board resigns and reinstates former CEO Sam Altman and ex-president Greg Brockman. According to Wired and Kara Swisher, around 500 employees signed the letter.

Continue reading.

Linda Yaccarino says X stands against antisemitic content.

X CEO Linda Yaccarino called a report from watchdog group media Matters for America misleading and manipulated, following a large-scale advertiser pullout. In a note she sent to X employees on Sunday night, she said: While some advertisers may have temporarily paused investments because of a misleading article, the data will tell the real story.

Major advertisers, including Apple, Disney, Paramount Global and Yaccarinos former employer, NBCUniversal, pulled their ads from X last week, after the watchdog groups report found ads from some of these brands ran next to pro-Nazi content on the website. It also came days after Musk publicly endorsed an antisemitic conspiracy theory as a response to a far-right X user.

X filed its lawsuit against Media Matters on Monday.

Continue reading.
US Senator Ron Wyden wants the public to know about the details surrounding the long-running Hemisphere phone surveillance program. Wyden has written US Attorney General Merrick Garland a letter (PDF), asking him to release additional information about the project that apparently gives law enforcement agencies access to trillions of domestic phone records. In addition, he said that federal, state, local and Tribal law enforcement agencies have the ability to request "often-warrantless searches" from the project's phone records that AT&T has been collecting since 1987.

The Hemisphere project first came to light in 2013 when The New York Times reported that the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) was paying AT&T to mine and keep records of its customers' phone calls. Four billion new records are getting added to its database every day, and a federal or state law enforcement agency can request a query with a subpoena that they can issue themselves. Any law enforcement officer can send in a request to a single AT&T analyst based in Atlanta, Georgia, Wyden's letter says, even if they're seeking information that's not related to any drug case. And apparently, they can use Hemisphere not just to identify a specific number, but to identify the target's alternate numbers, to obtain location data and to look up the phone records of everyone who's been in communication with the target.

The project has been defunded and refunded by the government several times over the past decade and was even, at one point, receiving federal funding under the name "Data Analytical Services (DAS)." Usually, projects funded by federal agencies would be subject to a mandatory Privacy Impact Assessment conducted by the Department of Justice, which means their records would be made public.

However, Hemisphere's funding passes through a middleman, so it's not required to go through mandatory assessment. To be specific, ONDCP funds the program through the Houston High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, which is a regional funding organization that distributes federal anti-drug law grants and is governed by a board made up of federal, state and local law enforcement officials. The DOJ had provided Wyden's office with "dozens of pages of material" related to the project in 2019, but they had been labeled "Law Enforcement Sensitive" and cannot be released to the public.

"I have serious concerns about the legality of this surveillance program, and the materials provided by the DOJ contain troubling information that would justifiably outrage many Americans and other members of Congress," Wyden wrote in his letter. "While I have long defended the governments need to protect classified sources and methods, this surveillance program is not classified and its existence has already been acknowledged by the DOJ in federal court. The public interest in an informed debate about government surveillance far outweighs the need to keep this information secret."
While Google may have officially released Android 14 at the start of October, theres a good chance youre still waiting for the update to arrive on your device. In recent years, the company has done its best to reduce the lag between when the latest version of Android arrives on its own Pixel phones and those from third-party partners, but that gap still exists in 2023. As of the writing of this article, many phone manufacturers are still beta testing their Android 14 skins.

Engadget reached out to nearly every major phone manufacturer in the US market to find out how close they are to releasing a stable build of Android 14. If youre unsure if your phone will receive the new OS, this article will answer that question too.

ASUS

ASUS Zenfone 9 in (Richard Lai/Engadget)

ASUS began publicly testing Android 14 in the US on October 10. At the moment, the beta is only available on the companys current flagship, the Zenfone 10. The Zenfone 10 Android 14 closed community beta is first up  and as such Zenfone 10 is the first device which should be getting a stable release, an ASUS spokesperson told Engadget.

ASUS declined to say when Zenfone 10 users could expect a stable version of Android 14 to arrive on their devices, with the company noting the timing of the release is highly dependent on the stability and results of the beta tests with our signed-up community members.

Beyond the Zenfone 10, only a handful of other ASUS phones will receive Android 14 due to the companys current policy of supporting its recent devices with two platform updates. Taking that into account, the oldest phones ASUS will update with Android 14 are the Zenfone 9 and ROG Phone 6.

Google

For 2023, Google added a selfie camera with autofocus to the Pixel 8 Pro, though the standard Pixel 8 still gets a traditional fixed-focus shooter. (Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget)

As the main steward of Android, Google was one of the first phone makers to release a stable build of Android 14. Much of the Pixel line, dating as far as back to 2020s Pixel 4a 5G, has had access to Android 14 since October 4. Starting with the Pixel 8 series, Google has promised to support future devices for seven years. The first Android 14 Pixel Feature Drop will arrive sometime in December. In the meantime, you can enroll in the Android Beta for Pixel program to check out the first two Android 14 quarterly platform release (QPR) betas. Those include features that will arrive in later Feature Drops.

Huawei

Unless theres a dramatic change in US-China relations, Huawei devices in the United States, Canada and Europe will not receive access to Android 14, at least not in the form accessible on devices from other manufacturers. In 2019, the Commerce Department placed the telecom giant on its Entity List, a move that prompted Google to cut official ties with Huawei. HarmonyOS, the company's version of Android, doesnt draw directly from the codebase Google makes available to its commercial partners. Additionally, most recent Huawei devices, including the Mate 60 Pro, arent available outside of China.

Motorola

The Motorola Razr+ folded shut and held in mid-air, with a weather widget showing on its external display. (Photo by Cherlynn Low / Engadget)

Motorola will begin rolling out Android 14 to its phones in early 2024. The 2022 Edge, Edge+ and Edge 30 Fusion are the oldest devices the company plans to upgrade this time around. The companys 2023 lineup  including the Razr, Razr+, Moto G Power, G Stylus and G 5G  are also slated to receive Android 14. For the status of Android OS on a specific device, users can visit our software support page, a Motorola spokesperson said.

Nothing

Thanks to its OS 2.0, Nothing is finally showing its vision of a more thoughtful smartphone UI. (Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget)

Carl Peis Nothing recently began rolling out the second open beta of Nothing OS 2.5, which builds on Android 14 with a few features designed to extend the capabilities of the companys signature Glyph interface. Nothing is continuing the process of Beta testing on Phone (2) which provides early access to our newest improvements, including new features for Glyph interface, and refinements resulting from Open Beta 1, a Nothing spokesperson told Engadget.

Pei detailed Nothing OS 2.5 in a recent community update Nothing uploaded to YouTube. Among other enhancements, Open Beta 2 adds a new Glyph animation when the Phone 2s NFC hardware is in use. The update also adds new optional shortcuts users can access from the Phone 2s power button, and tweaks to the operating systems three-finger swipe gesture to make it more reliable. You can find the full list of changes on Nothings website.

To date, Nothing has pledged to support its phones with three years of OS upgrades and four years of security updates. Having only entered the smartphone market in July 2022 with the Phone 1 and released one other handset since then, Nothing users can rest assured their device will get Nothing OS 2.5.

OnePlus

The Open's 6.3-inch exterior display doesn't sound like a big increase over the Z Fold 5's 6.2-inch Cover Screen, but that tiny bit of added width makes a big difference in overall usability. (Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget)

OxygenOS 14, OnePlus upcoming skin of Android 14, does not currently have a release date. The company declined to say when users could expect the update to arrive, telling Engadget it did not have any additional information to share at this time.

However, the good news is that OnePlus is testing a beta version of OxygenOS 14 with users outside of the company. On November 8, it announced the Beta 4 release of OxygenOS 14, at the same time making the software available to people in the US and India.

If you bought your OnePlus phone anytime in the last three years, its likely to receive Android 14. With its two most recent products, the OnePlus 11 and OnePlus Open, OnePlus pledged to provide four years of Android updates and five years of security patches. With earlier handsets, including last years OnePlus 10 Pro, the company said it would support those products with three years of platform updates.

With that in mind, the OnePlus 8T, which was released in late 2020, is likely the oldest OnePlus phone slated to receive OxygenOS 14. Additionally, as with most other manufacturers, those with older devices will probably end up waiting longer before they see the latest version of Android arrive on their phone.

Samsung

While it's a bit pricey starting at $1,200, Samsung's Galaxy S23 Ultra continues it's reign as the flagship Android phone to beat. (Sam Rutherford/Engadget)

Samsung began rolling out a stable build of its Android 14 skin, One UI 6, at the end of last month. With the company offering four generations of OS updates on many of its recent devices, older phones like the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy A32 wont be left out of the companys Android 14 rollout. That said, expect to wait longer if you do own one of those earlier handsets.

Sony

Sony's Xperia I V smartphone debuts vlogging features like 'Product Showcase' (Sony)

Sony began rolling Android 14 to its flagship Xperia 1 V phone on November 6. If your 1 V hasnt prompted you to install the update yet, you can manually check if its available to download by opening your phones Settings menu and tapping the System Update option, which is found under the System heading.

The Android 14 update will be rolling out to other Xperia models, a Sony spokesperson told Engadget. However, we are not able to share the exact timing of that rollout.

Xiaomi

Xiaomi's 13 Pro packs a 1-inch camera sensor and Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor (Xiaomi)

Outside of Google, Xiaomi was one of the first OEMs to roll out a stable release of Android 14 to its users. As of this article, MIUI 14, which builds on the latest version of Googles operating system, is available on the Xiaomi 13 Pro, 13 and 12T.

Unfortunately, those with older Xiaomi handsets may end up waiting a while before MIUI 14 arrives on their phone. The exact timeline for Xiaomi to update its older devices to Android 14 is currently not available, a Xiaomi spokesperson said. Please stay tuned for further updates on this matter.
X has filed a lawsuit against media watchdog group Media Matters over the latter's research that showed ads on the social network appearing next to antisemitic content. The company's owner, Elon Musk, promised to file a "thermonuclear lawsuit" against the organization late last week following an advertiser exodus. In its complaint, X said Media Matters "knowingly and maliciously manufactured side-by-side images depicting advertisers' posts on X Corp.'s social media platform beside Neo-Nazi and white national fringe content." It added that the group portrayed the "manufactured images" as if they represented the typical user's experience in the platform. "Media Matters designed both these images and the resulting media strategy to drive advertisers from the platform and destroy X Corp," the company wrote.

As TechCrunch notes, though, Media Matters didn't exactly "manufacture" the images it used with its research. Based on X's own investigation as it detailed in its lawsuit, the organization used an account older than 30 days to bypass the website's ad filters to follow a set of users known to produce "extreme, fringe content" along with the biggest advertisers on the platform. The group then allegedly kept on scrolling and refreshing its feed to generate "between 13 to 15 times more advertisements per hour than viewed by the average X user." X said the watchdog didn't provide any context regarding the "forced, inauthentic nature" of the advertisements it saw."

In a response to Media Matters' research, X CEO Linda Yaccarino said "not a single authentic user on X saw IBM's, Comcast's, or Oracle's ads next to the content in Media Matters' article." She added that "only two users saw Apple's ad next to the content, at least one of which was Media Matters," confirming that the organization did see the advertisements, even if it had to create the right conditions for them. After Yaccarino released her statement, Media Matters head Angelo Carusone retweeted several posts from seemingly authentic users showing ads for searches and tags such as "killjews" and "HeilHitler." We reached out to the organization about the lawsuit, and a spokesperson told Engadget: "This is a frivolous lawsuit meant to bully X's critics into silence. Media Matters stands behind its reporting and looks forward to winning in court."

Aside from X's lawsuit, Media Matters also has to grapple with an investigation by Ken Paxton, the Attorney General of Texas. Paxton said his office is looking into Media Matters, which he called "a radical anti-free speech" organization, for potential fraudulent activity. He said he's investigating the watchdog to "ensure that the public has not been deceived by the schemes of radical left-wing organizations who would like nothing more than to limit freedom by reducing participation in the public square."

Fraud has both civil & criminal penalties pic.twitter.com/BdC5Zfr1XM  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 21, 2023

The media watchdog had published its findings after X owner Elon Musk responded to a tweet that said Jews pushed "hatred against whites that they claim to want people to stop using against them." Musk wrote: "You have said the actual truth." Several big-name advertisers had pulled their campaigns from the platform following the incidents, including IBM, Apple, Disney, Paramount and Comcast. Meanwhile, Lionsgate specifically cited Elon's tweet as the reason for pulling its ads.

According to Fortune, Yaccarino held an all-hands meeting after X filed the lawsuit to confirm to staff members that some customers' advertisements are still on pause. When asked about what the best outcome for the lawsuit would be, the CEO said a win would validate that X was right.

"They have a long history of being an activist organization, to force a narrative and not allow people of the world to make their own decisions," she reportedly responded. "I think one of the main goals that underscores the dedication to truth and fairness and that is that we allow people a global Town Square, to seek out their own information and make their own decisions. So exposing Media Matters to train peoples rights to make their own decisions will be a validation that X was right, and this was an inauthentic manipulation."

Update, November 21, 2023, 12:14AM ET: Added information from Fortune's report about X's all-hands meeting.
Despite being busy with each other's separate schedules and commitments, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are doing their best to meet, especially on special days.

Previously, Taylor showed up at Arrowhead Stadium in October to cheer on her boyfriend as his team played against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end traveled to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to watch his pop star girlfriend in her "The Eras Tour" concert.

Travis Kelce is actually down so bad for Taylor Swift its ruining my life pic.twitter.com/fTLyEXqUpN   CEL  (@moonlithoax) November 12, 2023

This Thanksgiving, the couple, with their families, could reportedly spend the holiday together in Kansas City, per TMZ.

TMZ previously reported that Taylor and Travis' parents would come together during the game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Interestingly, Travis reportedly bought a new $6 million mansion in Leawood, Kansas, which is a lavish 17,000 square-foot estate boasting six bedrooms, six baths, a six-car garage, a wine cellar, a "Beverly Hills"-style pool area, a lighted tennis and pickleball court and a miniature golf course.

Aside from the luxurious amenities, it is more secluded for the high-profile couple. With Travis' home being private yet spacious, he can easily host his family and his girlfriend Taylor's parents for Thanksgiving.

However, after an unfortunate incident at one of Taylor's concerts in Brazil where a fan died due to extreme heat, the singer's Thanksgiving plans are reportedly "up in the air," per Page Six.

"She doesn't know her holiday plans yet," according to the outlet's source.

"She is devastated about a fan dying. The weather is extreme. It's a mess she didn't expect. It's been a traumatic experience. It's been a lot. She is going to decide today," the source added.

The American singer-songwriter will reportedly decide about her Thanksgiving plans after her Monday night concert in Rio de Janeiro.

Taylor is currently on her sixth concert tour, "The Eras Tour," described as a "journey through all of her musical 'eras.'"

"The Eras Tour" commenced on March 17 in Glendale, United States and is scheduled to conclude on December 8, 2024, in Vancouver, Canada.

After performing in Rio de Janeiro, Taylor will head to Sao Paulo, Brazil for her Nov. 24, 25 and 26 concerts. She will then have a winter break before she resumes her tour in Tokyo, Japan, in February next year.
Sevilla

Un informe de CCOO apunta que el 75% de los que acuden a la Cartuja de Sevilla van en coche por "no tener alternativas"
From: Doyle Glass -- History to Life For Immediate Release: Dateline: Dallas , TX Tuesday, November 21, 2023

John Basilone was born on November 4, 1916, in Buffalo, New York. Raised in a working-class family, he enlisted in the United States Army in 1934. After serving for 3 years, he was discharged. One day later, he reenlisted. A few years after his second tour of duty in the Army, Basilone decided to enlist again, this time in the Marines.

Sergeant Basilones defining moment came during the Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942. The Japanese forces, recognizing the importance of Henderson Field for controlling the airspace over Guadalcanal, launched a major offensive to recapture the airfield from the Allied forces. The battle was characterized by fierce ground combat, with both sides suffering heavy casualties. The Marines, stationed in defensive positions around Henderson Field, faced relentless attacks from the well-entrenched Japanese forces.

During the night of October 24-25, 1942, the Japanese launched a massive assault on the Marine positions. The enemy attacked from multiple directions, and the situation became extremely chaotic. Basilone, realizing the critical nature of his role, displayed extraordinary leadership and courage.

Basilone manned his .30 caliber water-cooled machine gun and provided crucial suppressive fire against the advancing Japanese forces. Despite being under heavy enemy fire and facing waves of infantry attacks, Basilone maintained his position, delivering devastating fire on the enemy. His accurate and sustained machine gun fire not only inflicted heavy casualties on the Japanese but also helped to stem their advance and protect the Marines defensive perimeter.

As the battle raged on, Basilone moved about under intense fire, making sure his machine gun continued to function and providing inspiration to his fellow Marines. His fearless actions and steadfast commitment to holding the line played a pivotal role in the successful defense of Henderson Field.

Basilones heroic actions on Guadalcanal did not go unnoticed. In recognition of his extraordinary leadership and bravery under fire, he was awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration in the United States. The citation praised Basilones indomitable fighting spirit, superb leadership, and dauntless courage.

After receiving the Medal of Honor, Basilone returned to the United States, where he became a symbol of wartime heroism. However, his commitment to the cause remained unyielding. Rather than basking in the accolades, Basilone requested a return to the front lines, eager to continue serving alongside his fellow Marines.

Basilones second act of valor occurred during the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945. Leading an assault against a heavily fortified enemy position, he once again displayed exceptional leadership and bravery. For his actions on Iwo Jima, Basilone was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross, adding another illustrious accolade to his already distinguished service record.

Tragically, Sergeant John Basilones life was cut short during the Battle of Iwo Jima. However, his legacy lives on as a testament to the indomitable spirit of the American servicemen who fought during World War II. Basilones selfless dedication to his comrades and his unwavering bravery under fire make him an enduring symbol of heroism.

Sergeant John Basilones story is one of sacrifice, valor, and dedication to duty. His actions during the pivotal battles of Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima earned him the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross, cementing his place in history as a true American hero. As we reflect on the sacrifices of those who served during World War II, Sergeant John Basilone stands as a shining example of the courage that defined a generation.

#usmc #usarmy #wwiihistory #MedalofHonorMonday


Monday, November 20, 2023

On September 15th, it was announced that the digital asset trading platform Coinwin has successfully entered the U.S. market after obtaining the necessary qualifications and completing registration with the U.S. government. Coinwin also plans to establish branches in the U.S. shortly, hire staff to operate, and provide compliant and efficient services for local individuals and businesses engaged in digital currency transactions. Additionally, this move is expected to create new opportunities for the global adoption of digital economics.

According to a data report released by market analysts within the Coinwin exchange, due to a significant increase in investment capital in the blockchain technology sector, the global blockchain revenue is projected to reach $6 billion in 2023. It is further estimated that by the end of 2035, the global blockchain market will generate $169 billion in revenue. This indicates a promising future for the blockchain economy. Coinwin intends to leverage this market opportunity as part of its global expansion strategy, aiming to boost its business revenue and profits.

When looking at the regional presence in the global blockchain market, Coinwin's strategic move is noteworthy. In the global market, approximately 30% of Americans own at least one form of cryptocurrency, and many businesses recognize the attributes of cryptocurrencies. It is anticipated that by 2035, the Americas will have the largest market share in the cryptocurrency market. Coinwin's competitive team positions it well to thrive in this context, and its presence will offer the U.S. digital economy market greater room for imagination in future development.

Coinwin was founded in 2018 in Singapore. Over the years, it has established operational centers in several countries and regions, including Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Europe, and more. With its recent entry into the American market, Coinwin aims to make people aware that trading in cryptocurrencies can be done safely and securely. The company's initial offerings will include trading for five digital currencies: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash. Additionally, they will provide localized products and services to cater to the needs of the local users.

In the past few years, Coinwin has consistently prioritized security, transparency, and a user-centric approach. This approach has gained recognition from the government, the public, and the media, and it has been well-received in the capital markets. Notable supporters include several globally renowned venture capital firms and international banks. People have been discussing Coinwin's foray into the emerging market, expressing various reasons for their involvement, ranging from the desire to diversify their investment portfolios to a strong belief in its potential to revolutionize security and decentralized currency.

Coinwin also intends to actively expand its presence in overseas markets in the future, guided by the principle of sustainable development. This will enable global digital economic transactions to spread economic and social benefits, transforming the way people live and consume worldwide, while also providing everyone with more rewarding opportunities.

Disclaimer:

The information provided in this release is not investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. Cryptocurrency transactions carry inherent risks. Users of SpeedyPostage are responsible for conducting their research, ensuring compliance with local regulations, and using the service responsibly. SpeedyPostage or the publisher is not liable for any losses or issues related to cryptocurrency usage for postage services.
Roseann Byler, owner of Bylers Bakery at 425 Main Ave S. in Choteau, told the Sun Times last week they have sold. The favorite jaunt of Choteau early risers been listed for over a year, with Byler hoping to sell to someone who is willing to keep the business as a bakery and provide the donuts for local customers.

The bakery sold to Fairfield business owners April and Steve Gillespie of La Mia Cucina. The sale includes the building and everything inside.

April said, we are so blessed to meet them (Lloyd and Roseann Byler) and have a wonderful new friendship, we cant wait to learn the donuts.

The bakery will have a new sign, new name, and new decor.

La Mia Cucinas food truck menu and kitchen serves Italian and Mexican cuisine. People love their fresh ingredients and unique recipes; their business has done quite well since opening in August of 2022. They are located at 2272 US Hwy 89 in Fairfield.

The collaboration is impressive and big news for Teton County and the surrounding communities. The loyalty of customers is what keeps these small businesses thriving.

La Mia Cucina will keep the current staff from both locations. The Gillespies are bringing aboard their daughter, Victoria. Other staff members are Bethany Zimmerman and summer staff member, Shienne McNary, both of Fairfield.

The main hurdle they face in their current setup is they dont have indoor dining space and winter has arrived. So to keep with restaurant regulations and to expand the business they had to have a commercial kitchen. To fry food a restaurant must have a commercial hood over the fryer. They struggled finding that in Fairfield.

Steve and April said, Thank you to Fairfield and surrounding communities over the last year and we are looking forward to Choteau. Steve also works as a home inspector and talked about how the bakery building is in good shape.

The bakery plans to stay open as is with the Wednesday-Friday schedule of 6:00am - 2:00pm and will stay in operation until November 17th. Byler mentioned several customers including the standing order for Conrads Java Hut. Sun River Electric will be able to enjoy their weekly donut orders as usual.

The plan is to combine its current hours of 11:00am  7:00pm to overlap the current bakery schedule. Byler said, I enjoy the community and will miss everyone but the next phase of life is coming. Her daughter Kelsey Sweeney also wanted to comment to the community, Its been a fun nine years and I will miss the customers and Im excited to see what adventures we get into next. Both Byler and Sweeney plan to stay on during the transition with La Mia Cucina to keep the customers as the priority.

The restaurant will have a grand opening in early December as La Mia Cucina Cafe and Bakery. They have big plans for the future including being back to once again serve food in Fairfield as long as it all goes well.

Bylers Bakery, on their Facebook page, posted the announcement on October 25th,

Hey!! I figured its time to update you all with our news!

The bakery is officially selling!! Yes, we cant believe it either but its been a long time coming n while its very bittersweet we are excited for the next chapter in our lives.

The good news is the donuts are staying!! Mom will be coming in and making them! Cinnamon rolls and some breakfast items as well!! So the donut saga will continue on because lets be honest we eat donuts every once in awhile and certainly couldnt live without them.

So about the new owners!! We are thrilled to announce its our friends from a town away. La Mia Cucina. They have the food truck just outside of Fairfield. We are thankful to have Steve and April take over and add some delicious food to our community.

Its just what our town needs!! They will take over sometime after thanksgiving! More details to come!

That being said we are closed the week of thanksgiving for a family vacation. So orders will have to be picked up the week before and there will be a limited list to choose from! Ill try to have that out next week.

Once again thank you for your support throughout the years. We couldnt ask for a better community and we hope to still be apart of it just in a different way!

Kelsey, for the Bakery Crew
Montana Republican U.S. Reps. Matt Rosendale and Ryan Zinke and U.S. Sen. Steve Daines want the Biden administration to delay a federal decision to potentially list North American wolverines under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

They are objecting to the Biden administration potentially using climate change concerns to list wolverines as a threatened species. Reduced snowfall and snowpacks adversely impact wolverine population, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and conservation groups.

The GOP trio wrote U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Martha Williams Nov. 17 asking that a decision on whether to list wolverines as threatened under the ESA be delayed 120 days.

A Nov. 27 deadline related to the wolverines ESA status is approaching per a court order. The Trump administration denied environmentalist and conservation groups efforts to get wolverines protected status in 2020.

A postponement is necessary because the proposal is based largely on faulty conclusions drawn from climate predictions instead of a thorough assessment of population data. Any decision about placing or removing a species on the ESA must be based on updated population data, not potential climate effects on a portion of the habitat. Under federal statute, ESA determinations must (be) made solely on the basis of the best scientific and commercial data availableafter conducting a review of the status of the species, Daines, Zinke and Rosendale said in their correspondence.

There are an estimated 318 wolverines left in the continental U.S., according to a report from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in September.

Uncertainty over the wolverines future condition in the contiguous U.S. is relatively high. Key questions remain around gene flow between the U.S. and Canada, core habitats and key dispersal corridors among core areas of the contiguous U.S., and the effective population size in the contiguous U.S., the USFWS report reads.

Nevertheless, the best available information suggests that habitat loss as a result of climate change and other stressors are likely to impact the viability of wolverines in the contiguous U.S. through the remainder of this century.

Wolverines are cousins to weasels, otters, badgers and ferrets.

Conservation and environmental groups  including Defenders of Wildlife, EarthJustice, Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) and Endangered Species Coalition  have long pressed for federal protections for wolverines.

They point to climate change and reduced snowpacks in the U.S. as part of the reason to give protections to wolverines, who require snowpacks to raise their offspring. The decision could foretell more federal ESA protections based on climate changes and extreme weather  and more fights with Republicans and industries impacted by those moves.

Wolverines numbers are better in Canada and Alaska though the CBD says wolverine numbers have been adversely impacted historically in the continental U.S. by trapping and development.

The Biden administration could give wolverines threatened status which is the next step down from endangered but still foresees potential extinction.

Other wildlife and species deemed threatened under U.S. and international endangered species laws include grizzly bears, gray wolves, American crocodiles, Florida panthers, emperor penguins, wood bison and gopher tortoises.

ESA status gives the federal government more power to require conservation plans and to impose regulations to preserve endangered and threatened species. That can impact ranchers, farmers, real estate developers, mining operations and winter recreation activities.

Last May, a federal judge ordered the U.S. government to reconsider wolverines protection status after environmental groups challenged the Trump administration decision. The orders deadline is Nov. 27.

The Montana GOP lawmakers want to push the decision into 2024.

The wolverine is a remarkable resilient animal, and it cannot be listed on the ESA without ample evidence. The Service has not met the criteria to issue a new final determination over the past 18 monthsthey should either not list the wolverine at all or substantially delay a final determination, Rosendale said in a statement.

Zinke, who served as U.S. Interior Secretary in the Trump administration from 2017 to 2019, said the wolverine push is a federal overstep.

Once again, the Biden administration is trying to control Montana and I wont stand for it. Just like with the grizzly I believe Montana knows better than D.C. bureaucrats how to manage our wildlife and habitat. This overreach by the Biden admin is not based on science, its based on their agenda to control our land, water, wildlife, and way of life, Zinke said.
A Montana sheriff was killed In a head-on crash with a commercial truck Sunday on U.S. Highway 212 near Crow Agency and the Little Big Horn Battlefield National Monument.

According to the Montana Highway Patrol, troopers respond to the crash just after 5 p.m. Monday. Big Horn County Sheriff Darrell King was killed in the crash approximately four miles southeast of Crow Agency and near the site of the Battle of Little Bighorn and Custers Last Stand in 1876.

In an announcement on Monday, MHP said it was determined that a commercial motor vehicle collided head-on with a passenger vehicle being driven by Sheriff King, which was not a Big Horn County vehicle. He was pronounced deceased at the scene. Speed and impairment do not appear to be factors in the crash, which remains under investigation.

According to the Big Horn County News, King, 55, spent most of his career in law enforcement after serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was sworn in as Big Horn County Sheriff in January after being elected. King was formerly a prosecutor in Lame Deer as well as being employed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the La Paz County Sheriffs Office in Arizona.

The Big Horn County Commissioners must now appoint an interim sheriff according to state law. The elected position will then appear on the ballot in Nov. 2024.

Im saddened to hear of the tragic loss of Big Horn County Sheriff Darrell King. A Marine Corps veteran, Sheriff King served our country and spent over 17 years in law enforcement, said Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte.

Other law enforcement and elected officials across the state reacted to Kings death with sadness and condolences Monday.

Saddened to hear the news of the tragic passing of Big Horn County Sheriff Darrell King. His selfless dedication to our nation as a Marine, his work with the BIA, and his commitment to keeping our local communities safe as County Sheriff left a lasting legacy, said U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Montana.

The Big Horn area is also home to the Crow Indian Reservation and Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation. Native Americans make up more than two-thirds of the rural countys population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. More than one-quarter of the Montana countys population lives below the poverty line.
MBABANE - Development banks are the new paradigm for the acceleration of sustainable development.

The Southern African Research Foundation for Economic Development (SARFED) Regional Coordinator, Dr George Choongwa, says in Eswatini, such institutions would create new opportunities and frontiers for accelerated economic growth, while addressing the needs for socioeconomic development for many Eswatini individuals and enterprises. In a statement, the economist said development banks, unlike commercial banks, prioritise the urgency of socioeconomic development and sustainability, more than the profit driven models in development finance. He noted that currently, there were five commercial banks in Eswatini (namely First National Bank, Standard Bank, Building Society, Eswatini Bank and NedBank), three being private while two were public.

Revolving

He said however, the country has promoted the establishment of other financial institutions that operated in the interest of public financing such as FINCORP, the cooperative societies and the Youth Revolving Enterprise Fund (YERF) among others. He said in spite of these financial structures, there was still no development bank yet in the country. Dr Choongwa mentioned that access to funding was one of the most challenging hindrances to socio-economic inclusion and equity, especially among social enterprises in Eswatini. He said while the majority, especially those in the rural community and the unemployed remain unbankable, they were still faced with limited access to funding, hence limiting the rate of socio-economic inclusion and human capital development. He said therefore, the potential of this sector has not fully been explored, especially due to stringent conditions faced by them in accessing funding through the structured or conventional methods given by the commercial banks.

He said apart from providing substantial security as collateral, these prospective beneficiaries are also faced with other challenges such as limited technical support, reduced lead time in borrowing as well as limited investment portfolios among others. Dr Choongwa mentioned that one of the contributing factors to such limitations was what was given in the 2019 Sustainable Development Center for Africas report, which states that most African countries were still faced with wide financing gaps , also an estimate of USD 500 billion which was also more than Africas annual collective domestic revenue in total.

Challenges

He highlighted that according to the IMF, the 2023 report on regional economic outlook for Sub Saharan Africa , most African countries are still faced with challenges of mobilising adequate resources for both quick economic recoveries from the COVID-19 pandemic which also intensified the tightening of international financial conditions, causing a drastic reduction of domestic revenue levels as spending increased in attempt to mitigate both the health global pandemic and other related effects such as climate change induced ones, causing high debt vulnerability for most countries including Eswatini. The economist said however, with the introduction of a development banking mechanism, both socio-economic and financial inclusion would be enhanced and accelerating the advancement of economic growth, stability and sustainable development in general. He said development banks stimulate higher levels of industrial efficiency as this will reduce the lead time between application and provision of financial support for most clients or beneficiaries.

Plans

The ripple effect to such developments would be that of stimulating the private sector-led growth, which has at the moment, has been stagnantly characterised with slow growth trends, contributing to the wide spread gap in unemployment and general economic efficiency. He added that while the financial sector in Eswatini remained stable and sound, the country still lagged behind in establishing a development banking system which would enhance the establishment and sustainability of socio-economic frontiers in the country, as this would serve as strategic pathways for the attainment of both national development plans as well as the sustainable development goals. The economist further made recommendations which include implementing a comprehensive approach to build a resilient financial system against economic shocks; identify strategic stakeholders for sustainable investment portfolios; development banking should facilitate capital formation and ownership for the Eswatini populace; and use of the development banking system to establish an economic niche and intensifying economic resilience through development banks.
The following is a release

Missoula, Mont. - A University of Montana student who wove connections between the Russian language, business, renewable energy, data and entrepreneurship recently was awarded the oldest and most renowned fellowship in the world.

Kolter Stevenson, of Amsterdam, Montana, and an alumnus of Manhattan High School, is the first UM student in 30 years to receive the Rhodes Scholarship for study at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.

Its an honor to represent the State of Montana, Stevenson said. I share this award with my entire team who supported me in this journey. Im still taking in the news.

He is one of 32 American college students who were named 2024 Rhodes Scholars. Stevenson is the only student from Washington, Montana, Idaho, and Alaska to be selected for two-year postbaccalaureate study at one of the worlds most prestigious institutions.

Kolter embodies the talent and promise of Montana and the impact of a UM education at its best, UM President Seth Bodnar said. Were here to ignite in students a desire to solve complex challenges and to provide a broad-base education and specific skills to ultimately make the world a better place. We are beyond proud to celebrate Kolter as UMs newest Rhodes Scholar and as one of Montanas  and our nations  greatest treasures. The entire state should join UM in celebrating this extraordinary achievement.

Enrolled in four UM majors and carrying a 4.0 GPA in each one, Stevenson, a UM senior, was celebrated in letters of recommendation from UM faculty for his humble leadership, high intellect, varied interests, and insatiable curiosity related to renewable energy, globalization, languages, culture and data.

He also speaks four languages, including Russian, Norwegian, Spanish and English.

Its a gift and a blessing when youre able to talk to someone in their own language, Stevenson said. The cultural learning is just much deeper, and when you can switch to their language, theres tenfold the understanding.

Stevenson said he found intellectual rigor and opportunity at UM in the majors of management information systems, finance and international business, with a certificate in big data analytics, each housed in UMs College of Business.

Stevenson also studies Russian in UMs College of Humanities and Sciences and is enrolled at UM as a Presidential Leadership Scholar in UMs Davidson Honors College.

Of particular interest to Stevenson is UMs cornerstone strength in World Languages and Cultures, where he found a family of sorts in UMs Russian program. He was tutored and mentored by Ona Renner-Fahey, professor of Russian, and Clint Walker, associate professor of Russian.

Without hyperbole, I can say that in many respects Kolter is the most impressive student I have ever had in over 25 years of teaching, said Renner-Fahey. "He is intelligent and driven but, more than that, he is also an unusually kind and humble person who possesses a seemingly endless amount of energy and genuine desire to make the world a better place.

Stevenson found Russian by way of Norwegian, when he independently sought to dive deeper into his familys roots by studying in Bergen, Norway, for his junior year of high school. He was the first student from Manhattan High School to ever participate in a foreign exchange. It was there he encountered a particularly gifted Russian language instructor.

I remember my brain really hurt that fall, when I was reading and learning Russian but all through Norwegian, he said. But once I got it, it was like a math equation that finally fell into place.

In 2022, Stevenson was awarded a Critical Language Scholarship with the U.S. Department of State to spend a summer Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, to enhance his Russian and research energy production across Central Asia.

It was in Kyrgyzstan that Stevenson discovered a deep interest in renewable energy and sustainable technologies for Central Asian economies. He plans to continue studying the intersection of diplomacy, cultural sovereignty and energy in Russian-speaking regions while at Oxford.

After graduating from Manhattan High School, Stevenson was the only student in his class to enroll in UM, where he was selected as a Presidential Leadership Scholar. He said he felt a natural connection with UMs Davidson Honors College faculty and staff, including Tim Nichols, dean of the DHC; Bethany Applegate, DHC director of Student Engagement; and Kylla Benes, director of UMs Office of External Scholarships.

He has a rare combination of academic, interpersonal and technical skills that will enable him to reach his goals, Nichols said. An investment in Mr. Stevenson is an investment in a driven, innovative, culturally competent, selfless leader who will help the U.S. collaborate with other nations.

Nichols and Stevenson also praised the work of Kylla Benes, UM's director of external scholarships and fellowships, who guided Stevenson through the complex Rhodes application and interview process.

While immersed in Russian at UM, Stevenson wished to combine language expertise with other majors like management information systems and finance so that he could hone applicable skills in any field, such as data analysis, resource modeling and coding.

He was particularly inspired by classes taught by Jason Triche, associate professor management information systems, and leveraged Triches mentorship to develop a sentiment analysis using natural language processing on interviews with Russian and Ukrainian refugees in Montana, with hopes to discover their sentiments about using nonprofit humanitarian organizations.

The outcomes of his independent study could help the city, state and area nonprofits create a sustainable and safe community for Ukrainian people settling in Montana, Triche said.

Inspired by an old radiator in his dorm room in Knowles Hall (before the buildings recent renovations)  working with his friend and roommate  Stevenson parlayed skills in analytical technology to develop Smart Dorm, a technology that can analyze energy waste and increase energy efficiency and comfort for tenants.

The businesss technology is currently undergoing patent approval and has a been named a national finalist for the U.S. Department of Energys Grid Enhancing Technology category.

While earning four majors and enjoying evenings at Spanish and Russian-speaking events, Stevenson has also made time to enjoy life as a student at UM.

He has taught alpine ski lessons as a Professional Ski Instructor of America at the Yellowstone Club, in addition to volunteering as a firefighter and emergency medical technician with the East Missoula Rural Fire District and Frenchtown Rural Fire District.

I am only sitting here as a Rhodes because of the incredible faculty, mentors and community families that I have, Stevenson said. Im convinced there is not another university in the country where I could have had these opportunities and this level of support.

Each year, thousands of Rhodes Scholarship applications are submitted by colleges and universities across the world. Applicants who demonstrate academic excellence, the ability to lead and care for vulnerable members of society are selected as finalists. They participate in a two-day interview process that determines the winners.

UM has produced 29 Rhodes scholars in its history. The last Rhodes scholars at UM were Charlotte Morrison in 1993 and Scott Bear Dont Walk in 1992.

UMs former Rhodes finalists were Beatrix Frissell in 2022; Arwen Baxter and Teigan Avery in 2021; alumnus Ryan Garnsey in 2020; alumna Mara Menahan in 2014 and alumnus Derek Crittenden in 2015. UM President Seth Bodnar and his wife, Dr. Chelsea Bodnar, are also former Rhodes Scholars.

Stevenson thanked UM faculty and staff for their support and encouragement including:
HERSHEY, Pa.  A Westmoreland County dairy farmer received the Pennsylvania Farm Bureaus highest honor at the groups annual meeting last week.

Rick Ebert, former Pennsylvania Farm Bureau president, received the Barnraiser Award in recognition of his many years of service advocating for Pennsylvania agriculture at the county, state and national level.

The award is not given out annually but only when a worthy nominee is put forth.

This award is reserved for individuals who truly exemplify excellence in leadership and service to agriculture and Rick is a perfect example of that, said Pennsylvania Farm Bureau President Chris Hoffman, during an awards banquet, held Nov. 14.

Ebert served as Pennsylvania Farm Bureau president from 2014-2022. He co-owns Will-Mar-Re Farms in Blairsville, where they milk Holsteins, grow crops and recently got into raising sheep.

He also served as vice president of the state farm bureau for 10 years and represented District 16 on the state board of directors from 1996 to 2004. He was president of the Westmoreland County Farm Bureau and vice chair of the Young Farmers and Rancher Committee, now called the Young Ag Professionals.

Local award winners

Cliff Wallace, president of Beaver-Lawrence Farm Bureau, was awarded the 2023 Distinguished Local Affairs Leader Award for his work advocating for local farmers and rural residents in the aftermath of a train derailment and chemical spill that took place in East Palestine, Ohio, near the Pennsylvania-Ohio state line.

Wallace collected information on how chemical burnoff after the derailment impacted farms around the area and pushed government agencies to take soil samples to ensure local farmland was not contaminated.

Wallace taught agriculture for more than 30 years at Mohawk School District. He runs a beef cattle operation in Enon Valley, Pennsylvania with his son, where they also grow corn, soybeans and hay.

Ernie Mattiuz, a longtime Elk County Farm Bureau member, received the 2023 Distinguished Service to Agriculture award. Mattiuz, of Kersey, Pennsylvania, owns and operates Earleyville Farm, which started as a cow-calf operation. He adapted over the years to selling raising hogs and selling pork directly to consumers and later transitioning into grains.

Hes been involved with the farm bureau for more than 35 years. He served on the states board of directors for eight years. He was involved with getting grant funding to get the Pennsylvania Friends of Agriculture Foundations Mobile Education Ag Lab into local schools. He also was instrumental in getting a tax exemption for loggers passed into law, as well as getting the Pennsylvania Game Commission to update its red tag law.

Other awards

Ryan and Andrea Brown, of Cumberland County, received the 2023 Young Ag Professionals Achievement Award. They will go on to represent the state at the national Young Farmers and Ranchers competition at the American Farm Bureau Federation Convention in Salt Lake City in January. The couple bought Ryans grandfathers farm in 2014 where they raise beef cattle and show goats, as well as farming corn, soybeans, wheat and hay.

Darla Romberger, of Cumberland County, won the 2023 Young Ag Professionals Discussion Meet. She will also represent the state at the national conference in January. The Columbia County Farm Bureau won the Premier County Award. Bonnie LaTourette, of Wayne County, received the 2023 Outstanding Woman in Agriculture Award.

The Pennsylvania Friends of Agriculture Foundation honored two educators with Teacher of the Year Awards. Blythe Heisey, a teacher at South Lebanon Elementary School, was named Teacher of the Year. Jenna McIntire, a teacher at Big Spring Middle School, was named runner-up.

Priorities

Hundreds of farmers from all corners of the commonwealth attended the 73rd annual meeting, held Nov. 12-15 at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center to set policy for the statewide organization on issues impacting farmers and rural families.

President Hoffman, a Juniata County hog and chicken farmer, said priorities for the group this year include pushing for whole milk in schools, reforming the states over-order premium for milk, advocating for responsible large-scale solar development and developing new measures to control wildlife and respond to wildlife damage on farms.

He said theyre excited about the Agricultural Conservation Assistance Program, which pumped $154 million into 66 Pennsylvania counties to fund projects that reduce pollution in waterways. More than $40 million has been awarded to 359 projects so far, Hoffman said.

Theyre still working on a legislative fix to Prop 12, a controversial California rule that requires farms to meet certain animal welfare standards to sell meat in the state. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Prop 12 in a May decision, which requires more space for breeding pigs.

Hoffman said he had his farm Prop 12 certified, but called the rule a dangerous precedent for animal agriculture across the nation.

Also during the meeting, Cambria County farmer Tommy Nagle was re-elected as vice president of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau. He was previously appointed to the position by the PFB board of directors to fill a vacancy following last years annual meeting. Nagle raises beef cattle and grows crops on his farm in Patton.

(Rachel Wagoner is Farm and Dairys editor. She can be reached at 724-201-1544 or rachel@farmanddairy.com.)
Farmers in a control zone set up after an outbreak of bluetongue virus near Canterbury can now call a dedicated hotline to get advice or ask questions.

Farmers in and around the temporary control zone (TCZ) can call the bluetongue hotline on 024 7771 0386, available 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.

It has been set up following the confirmed case of bluetongue virus 3 (BTV 3), a notifiable exotic disease, near Canterbury on 11 November 2023.

Before this, the last outbreak of bluetongue in the UK was in 2007, meaning it had been officially free of the virus since 2011.

Farmers calling the hotline will be signposted to Ruminant Health & Welfare (RH&W) bluetongue hub for the most up-to-date bluetongue information.

A #BTV3 bluetongue hotline is now available - call 024 7771 0386 for advice linked to the current situation. NFU members can also access the CallFirst hotline: 0370 845 8458 pic.twitter.com/ofOrehsCc8  Ruminant Health & Welfare (@ruminanthw) November 20, 2023

They will also be signposted to Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) for queries relating to surveillance testing and Defra for details on available licenses for any animal movements.

Surveillance is ongoing in the 10km TCZ following the bluetongue case, said Dr Joseph Henry, who is chair of the RH&W bluetongue working group.

He said: If you farm animals in or around the TCZ, please do ensure you are registered with your paperwork up-to-date, to allow routine disease surveillance to be undertaken so we can build an accurate picture of the disease situation.

In the UK, bluetongue is a notifiable disease, meaning anyone suspecting it must take action and report it to APHA.
Scientists will carry out research into plant breeding and animal nutrition to increase agricultural productivity as part of a new centre announced by the prime minister.

The UK-CGIAR centre was launched by Rishi Sunak at a global food security summit hosted by Number 10 on Monday (20 November).

Mr Sunak said: Were launching a new UK-CGIAR centre to drive cutting edge research on flood tolerant rice, disease resistant wheat and much more.

"These innovations will reach millions across the poorest countries as well as improving UK crop yields and driving down food prices.

The centre aims to harness the UK's strengths in science and technology to help tackle the challenges of global food security and climate change.

It will do so by strengthening existing partnerships and forging new collaborations between CGIAR - a global partnership of international organisations engaged in food security research  and science centres in the UK and globally.

Scientists at Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) are among those who will work with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), which is part of CGIAR and co-hosted by Kenya and Ethiopia.

Researchers say they hope to drive a step change in the breeding and manipulation of forages and crop residues for use in ruminant production systems.

The project, which starts next year, will combine ILRIs expertise in plant breeding and SRUCs record on ruminant nutrition to develop tools to accelerate the development of new forages and plant residues for Sub-Saharan Africa that boost animal production while decreasing emissions.

Lead SRUC researcher, Professor Jamie Newbold, explained that in Africa and Asia, demand for livestock products is expected to grow 200% by 2030.

Livestock is a fast-growing, high-value agricultural subsector accounting for 1580 per cent of GDP in low- and middle-income countries," he said.

Ruminants can make use of feed substrates such as crop residues and forages not otherwise nutritionally available to humans.

"However, such systems are associated with higher levels of greenhouse gas emissions and low productivity, particularly in the Global South.

There is a need to develop solutions that increase the productivity of livestock systems in Sub-Saharan Africa while also reducing their environmental impact.
Defra has announced a further 74 million to help farmers invest in improved slurry infrastructure to tackle water pollution and improve air quality.

Applications are open for the second round of the slurry infrastructure grant which forms part of a total 200m being invested in slurry infrastructure and equipment.

The second round has more than double the funding on offer than the first round of the scheme to help meet increased demand.

Farmers can apply for grants of 25,000 to 250,000 to replace, expand, build extra and cover slurry stores, and fund equipment such as separators, reception pits and agitators.

Based on feedback, improvements have been made to the second round, including how much storage pig farms can apply for, offering grants towards a slurry separator, and the option to retrofit covers onto existing stores.

Farming Minister Mark Spencer said it was vital that farmers were supported to make environmental improvements.

He said: "Were indebted to farmers who work day in day out to ensure we have great British food on our tables while protecting and shaping our countryside.?

"Our slurry infrastructure grant is helping farmers to invest in infrastructure which is often costly but can deliver big benefits for our waterways and air quality, while also cutting their input costs.

The grant aims to enable more farmers to go beyond existing storage requirements, supporting better compliance with regulation and more effective use of organic nutrients.

It is part of Defra's commitment to tackle nutrient pollution at source, meaning grants will be prioritised in areas near protected sites with ammonia pressures in nutrient neutrality catchments.

The National Pig Association (NPA) welcomed the second round's changes, as the grants now provide funding for pig producers to help improve slurry storage.

NPA chief executive, Lizzie Wilson said: "We are really pleased the storage has been increased to eight months as this brings many more pig farmers into play.

We were involved in the development of the scheme and, while we didnt get everything we wanted  for example, we pushed hard for more storage capacity and permeable as well as impermeable covers  this is a real improvement for pig farmers on round 1.

We urge members to look at the guidance and consider applying if you think it could help your business."

Farmers interested in the scheme can find out how to apply for round two, who can apply and what the grant can pay for on Defra's website.
A new initiative aiming to encourage rural young people to drive safely in the countryside has been launched by NFYFC.

With most YFC members living in rural locations, the organisation's 'Drive it Home' module aims to help reduce the number of incidents on rural roads.

More than half of fatal crashes in Britain occur on rural roads, according to the charity Brake, and per mile travelled, they are the most dangerous roads for all kinds of motorist.

And its rural young people aged between 16 and 29 who are at the highest risk of dying from a road traffic accident.

NFYFC's Drive it Home programme includes an awareness session, focusing on the four main causes of people being killed or seriously injured on roads.

The 'fatal four' inappropriate speed, not wearing a seatbelt, driving while distracted and drink and drug driving.

The programme can be delivered during a club meeting and lasts around one and a half hours.

Originally launched in 2012, the module has now been renewed to address the key issues facing rural road users today.

Suitable for 10-to-28 year olds, it aims to help young people think about the preparations needed for driving.

It includes an interactive exercise about the items people should keep in their car, such as a first aid kit, a warning triangle, and a blanket.

The course also gives guidance to young people on what to do if they're first on the scene of a road traffic incident.

NFYFC chair of council, Rosie Bennett said the course could be a life-saver. "Were urging YFCs to include the Drive it Home module in their programmes, as its an issue that affects everyone living in rural communities."

Leicestershire Police officer Rob Cross, who is also vice president of Leicestershire & Rutland YFC and a former county chair, worked to re-develop the course.

Mr Cross also helped to deliver the pilot course to his former club Lutterworth YFC. He said: I am proud to have helped develop this course., which I hope will be a prevention tool and stop rural young people from becoming a statistic.

Id much rather be involved in talking to YFCs than having to pick up the pieces of a fatal road traffic collision and speaking to their bereaved family and friends."

The Drive it Home module is part of NFYFCs suite of training modules, which have been developed to deliver during club meetings by YFC trainers.
Mbabane  Lodanda Nemalangeni has been nominated for the Best Siswati/Group category at the South African Traditional Music Awards (SATMA) 18 Awards.

This information was confirmed by Samkelo Dlamini, a member of the group, in an interview with this publication. The SATMA Awards are an annual ceremony that celebrate music created in the style of the people and various language groups of South Africa. They were founded by Dumisani Goba in 2005, with the aim of promoting unity and eliminating tribalism. The official slogan of the awards is My Culture, Your Culture, One Nation.

The awards, which were inaugurated in 2006, strive to bring together people from all races and ethnic groups by celebrating South Africas diverse musical cultures and combating tribalism and other divisive measures. This year, the awards will take place on December 15 at the DCC DOME in SA. According to Dlamini, the group received the nomination through their talent and was contacted by Ligwalagwala FM, a renowned South African radio station. They were informed that their music was well-loved by people from Mpumalanga, which led to their nomination. We received a call and they shared that they saw some of our videos on YouTube. They said our music was most loved by people from Mpumalanga and that is how we bagged the nomination, he said.

Dlamini expressed his excitement about the nomination and mentioned that it would help the group achieve their goal of promoting indigenous music. He also encouraged people to support the group by downloading their songs from platforms like Apple Music, iTunes, Spotify and Clouds Music. Furthermore, Dlamini appealed to local companies and event organisers to support the group and contribute to the growth of the genre. Lodanda has been in the music industry for about a decade and focuses on producing 100 per cent undiluted pure Swati music. Her songs tell stories of emSwati women and their dances.

This nomination is significant as it marks the first time a local artist has been nominated in this category at the SATMA Awards. Other local artists have received international nominations, such as Uncle Waffles, who was nominated for a BET Award and Linda Dlamini, who was recently nominated for the South African Gospel Awards. Since 2006, the SATMA Awards have been hosted in various provinces and cities across South Africa, including KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, and Bokone Bophirima (North West). The awards have also been held in venues such as Durban, East London and Mafikeng. Additionally, the SATMA road show has been conducted in all provinces as part of the build-up to the main event.
Of the many thousands of new books that hit the British market every year, only a few are seen on TV and in the newspapers and fewer still reach coveted bestseller status. To find out why, we did some research and found a handful of specialist companies that may provide the answer. These firms give new books and their writers a helping hand by pushing them into the media spotlight. They work with celebrities and other big names but offer their services to everyone, including self-publishers. So who are these companies, what do they do, and how can authors hire their services? Weve collected some information about five of the top book publicity companies out there to help all authors kickstart their own journey to fame and bestseller status.

Book Reading

Palamedes PR

Palamedes PR is a long-established name in the book marketing field and the recognised market-leader. Their specialist services include international press, TV and radio, and PR stunts. Based in London with international clients.

Website: Palamedes PR

Telephone: +44 (0)208 1036883

Email: [email protected]

FMcM Associates

FMcM Associates is a UK-based agency with extensive experience in promoting books and authors. They offer a wide array of services, including media relations, digital marketing, and event planning.

Website: FMcM

Telephone: 020 7405 7422

Email: [email protected]

Smith Publicity

Smith Publicity is another prominent name in the industry, specialising in book promotion and author branding. Theyre based in the US but work with British authors. They offer various packages, including traditional and online media outreach, author branding, and influencer marketing.

Website: Smith Publicity

Telephone: +1 (856) 489-8654

Email: [email protected]

Midas PR

Midas PR is a London-based company that has earned a reputation for its professionalism and strategic marketing expertise. They have a diverse portfolio of clients, ranging from traditional publishing houses to independent authors. Midas PR offers a range of services, including media relations, social media management, and event coordination.

Website: Midas PR

Telephone: 020 7361 7860

Email: [email protected]

Hope & Glory

While prominent London-based agency Hope & Glory may be best known for its promotion of multinational consumer brands, it also offers book promotion and author branding services.

Website: Hope & Glory

Telephone: 020 3588 9700

Email: [email protected]

by Matt Shine for www.femalefirst.co.uk

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A Robbie Williams fan has died after falling at one of his concerts last week.

A Robbie Williams fan has died after falling at one of his concerts last week

The woman in her 70s fell down six rows of seating at Sydney's Allianz Stadium in Moore Park on Thursday evening (16.11.23), and she passed away on Tuesday (21.11.23).

A New South Wales Ambulance spokesman told Daily Mail Australia: "We were called in to reports of a woman in her 70s who had fallen.

"We treated her on scene to injuries to her face and head and took her to St Vincent's Hospital in a critical condition."

Medical authorities confirmed on Tuesday that the lady has passed away.

A Venues NSW spokesman previously revealed the woman was treated by staff and a guest who was a "qualified medical professional".

They explained: "The patron was attended to immediately by venue staff and a nearby guest who is a qualified medical professional.

"Medics arrived shortly after and the patron was taken from the venue by ambulance to hospital."

The incident occurred on the first night of the Australian leg of Robbies 'XXV Tour'.

At the time of writing, he is yet to comment publicly on the tragedy.

It comes after a Taylor Swift fan died at her concert in Brazil last week.

The 33-year-old pop megastar had been gearing up to take to the stage in Rio de Janeiro as part of her 'Eras' tour on Friday (17.11.23), but was left heartbroken when she heard a 23-year-old woman - who has since been named as Ana Clara Benevides - had initially passed out in the 42-degree heat before suffering a cardiorespiratory arrest, according to local media.

In a handwritten note posted to Instagram, Taylor said: "I can't believe I'm writing these words but it is with a shattered heart that I say we lost a fan earlier tonight before my show. I can't even tell you how devastated I am. There's very little information I have other than the fact that she was incredibly beautiful and far too young. I'm not going to be able to speak about this from stage because I feel overwhelmed by grief when I even try to talk about it.

"I want to say now feel this loss deeply and broken heart goes out to her family and friends. This is the last thing I ever thought thing would happen when we decided to bring this tour to Brazil."
Susan Sarandon is being slammed for claiming Jewish people are getting a taste of what it feels like to be Muslim.

Susan Sarandon is being slammed for claiming Jewish people are getting a taste of what it feels like to be Muslim

The Oscar-winning Dead Man Walking actress, 77, made the statement amid the war with Hamas, and has attended a string of rallies in New York tackling the conflict  where she joined in the chant From the river to the sea.

It is a war cry used by pro-Palestinian activists and Hamas that many have blasted as an anti-Semitic demand for the destruction of Israel.

Susan said at a recent demonstration: There are a lot of people afraid of being Jewish at this time, and are getting a taste of what it feels like to be a Muslim in this country.

She has also come under fire online for retweeting posts on X celebrating Pink Floyds outspoken frontman Roger Waters, 80, who has spent years being accused of anti-Semitism.

Susan took to X to highlight an appearance by Roger at an event in Uruguay, and resent one post that said: Despite attempts by the Israeli lobby to cancel the event, Roger Waters of Pink Floyd took the stage in Uruguay, donning a Kufiyyah and advocating for an end to the Israeli genocide in Gaza.

Muslim-American journalist Asra Nomani is among those slamming Susan for her remarks and stance on the war.

She listed the privileges enjoyed by her family in the US after she said on X: Hi there @SusanSarandon. Let me tell you what it means to be Muslim in America.

The reporter added: Please dont minimise the experience of Jewish Americans by sanitising the hell that it is for Muslims living in Muslim countries and vilifying America for the life  and freedoms  she offers Muslims like my family.

Go, live like a Muslim woman in a Muslim country. You will come back to America and kiss the land beneath your feet.

Susan is known as a left-wing campaigner known for her protests with Jane Fonda, 85, against the Iraq war, as well as her support for former US presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders and her climate change stand.
Readymade garment (RMG) trade unions in Bangladesh recently demanded a Tk 2,000 difference between grades, in addition to a monthly minimum salary of Tk 23,000, 65 per cent as the basic salary, retaining grades one and two, and abolishing grades five and six.

They also want Tk 1,000 as healthcare benefits and Tk 600 as transport allowance.

Sommilito Garments Sramik Federation, an alliance of Bangladesh garment sector unions, has demanded a Tk 2,000 difference between grades, a monthly minimum salary of Tk 23,000, 65 per cent as the basic salary, retaining grades one and two, and abolishing grades five and six. It also wants Tk 1,000 as healthcare benefits and Tk 600 as transport allowance.

Sommilito Garments Sramik Federation, an alliance of apparel sector trade unions affiliated with IndustriAll, conveyed the demands to Minimum Wage Board chairman Liaquat Ali Mollah in a letter, domestic media outlets reported.

State minister for labour and employment Monnujan Sufian announced on 7 November that Tk 12,500 is the minimum wage for entry-level RMG workers.

However, trade unions and workers rejected the proposal, leading to protests and violence, in response to which, the Minimum Wage Board issued a gazette notification inviting comments and appeals within 14 days.

The top-grade wage was set at Tk 14,750 per month, a mere Tk 2,250 more than that of the lowest. Trade unions have submitted appeals.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
In a move set to redefine its relationship with a crucial Indo-Pacific ally, the UK is poised to sign a significant long-term agreement with South Korea. This week, the UKs prime minister, Rishi Sunak, and president Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea will formalise the Downing Street Accord, which aims to fortify bilateral trade and investment.

Trade and investment are at the forefront of this visit, with the prime minister hosting key South Korean investors at Downing Street. The trade secretaries from both nations are preparing to sign an accord to commence negotiations for an upgraded free trade agreement (FTA), expected to be modern and world-leading, the UK government said in a press release.

The UK is preparing to sign the Downing Street Accord with South Korea to boost trade and investment. This agreement will initiate negotiations for an advanced free trade agreement. This collaboration is expected to bolster the UK's economy, double trade since 2011 to 16 billion annually, and significantly expand global renewable energy capacity.

The future-proofed FTA aims to accommodate the technology-driven landscape of the upcoming decades, focusing on new digital trade, rules of origin, and streamlining existing arrangements. It also includes digitising customs procedures.

South Korea, the worlds 13th largest economy, boasts approximately 45 million middle-class consumers and an import market projected to grow by 45 per cent by 2035. Since the initial FTA in 2011, trade between the UK and South Korea has more than doubled, now valued at 16 billion annually.

The negotiation launch coincides with South Korean businesses committing over 21 billion in new investments in the UK, particularly in renewable energy projects. This investment is anticipated to support more than 1,500 highly skilled jobs and is a precursor to the upcoming Global Investment Summit in London, the release added.

Moreover, this investment is fundamental to a new clean energy partnership between the UK and South Korea, aiming to triple global renewable energy capacity.

Prime minister Rishi Sunak said: Long term, global partnerships are vital to our prosperity and security, both today and in the future. As two nations focussed on innovation, harnessing new technologies and defending the international rules-based order, the UK and Republic of Korea are natural partners.

Through our new Downing Street Accord, we will drive investment, boost trade and build a friendship that not only supports global stability, but protects our interests and lasts the test of time.

These close ties have already propelled 21 billion of investment between our countries, and I know a free trade agreement fit for the future will only drive further investment, delivering on my promise to grow the economy and support highly skilled jobs.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DP)
Against the backdrop of an unforgettable tragedy that struck Bhopal in 1984, the series The Railway Men emerges as a poignant tale of bravery and unity amidst chaos. As the Union Carbide chemical factory's negligence led to a devastating gas leak, plunging the city into a crisis, the narrative unfolds, depicting the harrowing events that unfolded in the wake of this catastrophe. The gripping series chronicles the valiant efforts of a Bhopal station manager, an unlikely alliance with a bandit, and a determined railway engineer, racing against time to avert an impending disaster at the Bhopal railway station. With lives hanging in the balance and communication severed, their collaboration becomes a beacon of hope amidst the looming threat. Anchored by stellar performances from Kay Kay Menon, Babil Khan, Divyenndu, and R. Madhavan, The Railway Men draws inspiration from a true story, weaving together the bravery and resilience of individuals amidst an unfathomable crisis. With narratives that portray resilience, teamwork, and overcoming adversity, here are a few shows and films worth adding to your binge-watch list:

Chernobyl





Chernobyl is a gripping miniseries chronicling the catastrophic nuclear disaster of April 1986. Set in the Soviet Union, it follows the events leading up to the explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant and the subsequent aftermath. The story primarily focuses on Valery Legasov, a prominent Soviet nuclear physicist, played by Jared Harris, and his relentless efforts to uncover the truth behind the disaster while navigating the opaque and bureaucratic Soviet system. As the reactor core ruptures, Legasov, alongside plant workers and government officials, races against time to contain the disaster and prevent further devastation. Amidst the chaos, Ulana Khomyuk, a determined nuclear physicist portrayed by Emily Watson, joins forces with Legasov in their quest for truth and justice. Their investigation unveils the systemic flaws, cover-ups, and human errors that led to the disaster, exposing the grim reality of political deceit and the price of scientific arrogance.

The Days





The Days: Fukushima's Tale delves into the philosophical depths akin to Chernobyl, with Masao Yoshida (played by Koji Yakusho) recounting the haunting realities of the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Set against the catastrophic events of 2011, the series vividly portrays the challenges faced by station manager Masao Yoshida and his steadfast team as they grapple with the impending catastrophe. It unfolds the gripping narrative of a handful of heroes battling against insurmountable odds to avert Japan's descent into the darkest nuclear catastrophe in history. The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant's fate hangs in the balance following the Tohoku earthquake, the most powerful tremor ever recorded in Japan, which triggers a monstrous tsunami that cripples the plant's diesel generators, plunging it into darkness. Across eight intense episodes spanning March 12 to 15, The Days meticulously chronicles the valiant efforts of plant workers struggling to prevent a catastrophic meltdown, with coolant pumps ceasing to function after the blackout.

Deepwater Horizon





Deepwater Horizon is a gripping film depicting the real-life disaster that unfolded on the eponymous offshore drilling rig in 2010. The plot centres on the harrowing events leading to one of the most catastrophic oil spills in history. Mark Wahlberg stars as Mike Williams, an electrician on the rig, whose ordinary workday transforms into a fight for survival when a series of malfunctions triggers a massive explosion. The movie navigates the escalating tension as the crew battles to contain the escalating disaster while facing unimaginable chaos and danger. Directed by Peter Berg, Deepwater Horizon provides a visceral portrayal of the courage and resilience displayed by the workers amidst the unfolding catastrophe.

Erin Brockovich





Erin Brockovich portrays the inspiring true story of a determined legal assistant, played by Julia Roberts, who takes on a powerful corporation accused of polluting a small town's water supply. Erin, a single mother struggling to make ends meet, uncovers evidence linking Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) to severe illnesses in Hinckley, California. Despite lacking a legal background, Erin's tenacity and empathy for the affected residents drive her to investigate further.Her relentless pursuit of justice against the odds leads to a groundbreaking legal battle, challenging the corporate giant with the support of her boss, Ed Masry (Albert Finney). Through her sheer determination and empathy, Erin not only secures a monumental settlement for the affected community but also becomes an emblem of hope and empowerment for those fighting against corporate negligence. The film celebrates Erin's unwavering spirit, illustrating the impact of one individual's dedication in holding powerful entities accountable for their actions.

Silkwood





Silkwood is a gripping drama based on the true story of Karen Silkwood, portrayed by Meryl Streep, a worker at a plutonium processing plant who uncovers alarming safety violations. Karen becomes an activist, advocating for better working conditions after witnessing hazardous negligence that threatens the lives of employees. Despite facing resistance and intimidation from the company, Karen gathers evidence of the plant's dangerous practices. As she delves deeper into her investigations, her personal life becomes entangled in the struggle for workplace safety. Her relentless efforts to expose the truth lead to a tragic turn of events as she mysteriously dies in a car accident, raising suspicions of foul play. The film, directed by Mike Nichols, offers a powerful narrative of corporate corruption, individual bravery, and the sacrifices made in pursuit of justice, shedding light on the dangers faced by whistleblowers and the complexities of fighting against powerful entities. Streep's portrayal captures the strength and vulnerability of Karen Silkwood, making the film a poignant exploration of moral courage in the face of adversity.

The China Syndrome





The China Syndrome is a gripping thriller centering on a television reporter, Kimberly Wells (Jane Fonda), and her cameraman, Richard Adams (Michael Douglas), who stumble upon safety violations at a nuclear power plant. While covering a routine story, they witness a near-meltdown, but their attempts to report the incident are thwarted by the plant's management, who aim to cover up the severity of the situation. As Kimberly and Richard dig deeper, they uncover a web of deceit and negligence that jeopardises public safety. Their pursuit of the truth puts them at odds with the powerful corporation running the plant. The title, The China Syndrome, refers to a theoretical nuclear meltdown scenario, adding tension as the characters race against time to expose the potential catastrophe. The film, directed by James Bridges, serves as a cautionary tale about the risks of nuclear power and the ethical dilemmas faced by journalists in their pursuit of truth against formidable opposition.

Dark Waters





Dark Waters is a chilling legal thriller based on true events, following corporate attorney Rob Bilott (played by Mark Ruffalo) as he uncovers a shocking environmental scandal. Bilott, working for a prestigious law firm, investigates a small West Virginia town's mysterious cattle deaths linked to chemical giant DuPont's landfill. His investigation unravels a dark history of chemical pollution, revealing DuPont's deliberate cover-up of the toxic dangers posed by perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). As Bilott digs deeper, he faces relentless opposition and personal sacrifices, risking his career and family's safety in his pursuit of justice. The film illuminates the intricate legal battle spanning years as Bilott fights against DuPont's vast resources and legal manoeuvres. Dark Waters, directed by Todd Haynes, serves as a haunting expose of corporate malfeasance and the arduous fight for environmental accountability, shedding light on the profound impact of corporate negligence on communities and individuals.
Nargis Fakhri burst onto the Bollywood scene through her debut in Rockstar, directed by Imtiaz Ali and featuring Ranbir Kapoor in the lead. Recently, she opened up about the challenges of sudden fame and the rumours connecting her to Ranbir and Shahid Kapoor during their appearance in the song Dhating Naach from Phata Poster Nikhla Hero.

When asked about the dating speculations with Ranbir and Shahid, Nargis expressed how it used to deeply bother her. She recounted instances where false stories circulated like one claiming she moved into Shahid's apartment while her mother visited him, despite her mother never having been to India.

Reflecting on her post-Rockstar fame, Nargis admitted to feeling overwhelmed and stressed by the sudden attention. She described it as a peculiar phase where her body felt strained, but she navigated through it. Recalling her initial days in the industry, she confessed to being quite clueless about the magnitude of the film Rockstar and Ranbir Kapoor's impact as an actor. "I was incredibly naive; I didn't grasp much," Nargis remarked.

After Rockstar, Nargis appeared in various Bollywood movies like Madras Cafe, Main Tera Hero, Azhar, and Housefull 3. While some of these films fared well commercially, her acting received mixed reviews. She also ventured outside Bollywood, notably starring in the American spy comedy Spy alongside Melissa McCarthy and Jason Statham.
Parineeti Chopra Refused To Work With Sushant Singh Rajput: Parineeti Chopra, who has proved her talent with some remarkable performances, has been in the headlines for her wedding with AAP leader Raghav Chadha. In the past, filmmaker Anurag Kashyap had revealed that he was initially considering Sushant Singh Rajput for the film "Hasee Toh Phasee," which was released in 2014.

However, Sushant signed a three-film deal with Yash Raj Films, and his first project with them was "Shuddh Desi Romance," where he was paired opposite Parineeti Chopra. And now, Kashyap has revealed a few details about the film and stated that Parineeti initially did not want to work with Sushant.

Parineeti Chopra refused to work with SSR as he was a TV actor

Speaking to journalist Faye D'Souza candidly, Anurag Kahyap recently opened up about the casting of his film Hasee Toh Phasee and revealed that his first choice for the male lead was Sushant Singh Rajput.

However, he added that Parineeti Chopra refused to work with Sushant because he was a television actor. For the unversed, Siddharth Mlahotra was later signed for the same role.

VIRAL VIDEO | Parineeti Chopra's Claims Growing Up Poor As A Teen; Actress Schoolmates Call Her FAKE

Talking about the same, Kashyap said, "He was supposed to do the film (Hasee Toh Phasee) and we had to find an actress and we reached out to Parineeti Chopra. She said 'I don't want to work with a television actor'. So we explained to her who Sushant Singh is, he is doing Kai Po Che, he is doing PK, and by the time Hasee Toh Phasee comes out, he will not just be a television actor."

He also revealed that SSR then went on to work with Parineeti Chopra in Shuddh Desi Romance, which was his first YRF film, which was a better deal than his film.

"And she was doing a film called Shuddh Desi Romance and she must have gone and spoken to YRF, they called him and said 'Why don't you come and do Shuddh Desi Romance and not do that film?' And he disappeared on us," he said.

Netizens slam Parineeti Chopra for refusing to work with SSR

A clip of Anurag from the interview has been doing the rounds on Reddit, evoking harsh reactions from netizens. Unhappy with Parineeti's attitude towards SSR and belittling TV actors, many called her out for rejecting the then-budding actor Sushant Singh.

One user commented, "During Shuddh Desi Romance, she said he looks like a truck driver and didn't want to do the intimate scene", while another wrote, "You know how she said she would never marry a politician and then did that? I have a sneaky feeling he's going to be of use to her a little later on and she knows it."

Parineeti Chopra's Bridal Ivory Lehenga Took 104 Days To Make, Embroidery To Jewels - All Details Here
Siddhant Chaturvedi, the young and talented actor is also a favourite for multiple brands, one of them being Skechers. The Gully Boy actor took center stage at the Skechers Mumbai Walkathon, transforming the event into a spectacular celebration of fitness and style.

The highlight of the day was Siddhant's magnetic meet and greet with fans, where the excitement reached new heights. A captivating video captures the star surrounded by a sea of admirers, showing the genuine connection he shares with his audience.

Siddhant's effortless charm and genuine enthusiasm for Skechers resonated throughout the event. As fans flocked to catch a glimpse of their favorite ambassador, the atmosphere buzzed with energy and positivity.

The video not only encapsulates the essence of the Mumbai Walkathon but also showcases Siddhant's influence in inspiring an active and stylish lifestyle.
MBABANE  Parents will not be required to pay for their children who are expected to return to boarding facilities to resit the Form V examination papers, which were leaked.

In an interview with some of the schools, they revealed that the learners had their fees covered as they had paid for the entire term prior to completing. Schools are expected to officially close on December 15, 2023. Mbuluzi High School Head teacher Siza Dlamini said when charging fees, they had covered the entire term up to the official closing date for schools. Dlamini said the scholars were still within their budget. The school will not spend more as the learners are covered, he said. He said if it was beyond the official closing date, they would have faced challenges as they would need to be cushioned. The head teachers stated that some parents were worried and approached the schools, seeking clarity on whether they would be required to pay extra fees, but it was explained to them and they were happy. St Marks High School Head teacher Khanyisile Shabangu, on the other hand, said the learners had paid fees for the entire term and were still covered. Shabangu stated that the children just needed to return to school and would be covered in terms of food.

Charging

Mhlatane High School Head teacher Dudu Dludlu also shared the same sentiments that they would not be charging the learners anything as their fees for the term were paid in full, despite that they had not completed it. Dludlu said they explained to the learners in a meeting held at the school yesterday that they supported parents and government as the incident was unprecedented. Deputy Head teacher at Mjingo High School Mbhekile Khumalo said about eight learners had indicated that they would require accommodation out of 10 pupils who sat the Form V exams and were staying at the hostel. Khumalo said their hostel was open for all learners who lived far away to use it. The deputy said two of the learners stated that they would not need accommodation at the hostels as they had made alternative arrangements.

He said the learners would not be charged anything by the school and food would also be catered for. Khumalo said in the history of the hostel, when they conducted lessons during holidays, few pupils took the option to be accommodated at the hostel, which made the learners afraid to use the facilities. He said the school had already closed in the other internal classes because Mjingo was a marking centre. Khumalo stated that the matrons would be around to take care of the resitting learners.
Tanuj Virwani Engaged: It's time to party and celebrate for talented actor Tanuj Virwani and all his fans and admirers. The talented actor who earlier established his niche as an artiste in different genres is now taking a magnanimous step forward in his personal life. The actor who's been dating Tanya Jacob for some time has officially announced his engagement.

Tanya Jacob is from Singapore and both of them have known each other for quite some time before starting to date. In a beautiful post shared on social media, Tanuj and Tanya can be seen in their romantic-best avatar mesmerizing all the fans. Tanya can be subtly seen flaunting her beautiful engagement ring and the fans are super happy seeing this beautiful moment.

Sharing the great news with fans on Instagram, Tanuj Virwani wrote, "It's neither the Journey that matters most , nor is it the the Destination . It is the Company (heart emojis) Cannot wait to spend the rest of my Life with you @tanyajacob1 Welcome to the Fam"

Take a look at the announcement post here:

All we can say is that may God bless this beautiful couple with all the love, happiness, prosperity and peace that they deserve and may they bring positivity into each other's lives. Wishing them a lovely life together going forward.

Stay tuned for more updates related to the much-in-love couple's wedding.
Sidharth Malhotra On Life After Marrying Kiara Advani: The third episode of Karan Johar's popular talk show Koffee with Karan 8 is going to be nostalgic as it will feature the filmmaker's OG students Sidharth Malhotra and Varun Dhawan.

The episode is going to be special as it will mark the Student Of The Year reunion, as both actors will be seen together on screen on the chat show after 10 years since they made their debut with Johar's directorial film.

Apart from this, Siharth will also be talking about his life after marriage with actor-wife Kiara Advani.

Sidharth Malhotra on life post-marriage with Kiara Advani

Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani tied the knot this year in February, and since then they have been shelling out some major couple goals. Recently, on his appearance on KWK 8, the actor gushed over his wife and said that he 'feels more responsible now'.

Koffee With Karan 8: Sidharth Malhotra To Sizzle In Next Episode; A Look At His Previous Appearances

Talking about Kiara, Sidharth said, "I came to Bombay (Mumbai) about 16 years ago, and I lived by myself for the initial years with friends. I shared rooms and apartments, and now I have this one person I have dated, and obviously, there is so much love. I feel more responsible now; I feel like I have another person I have to take care of."

He then went on to add that Kiara motivates him to work harder. He said, "What binds both of us together is that both of us are very family-oriented. Both of us have that upbringing. Even though she grew up in Mumbai, she is very disconnected. She is not so skewed by whatever is happening in the industry or behind the camera."

"I like that. I find that very refreshing; she could be in any profession. She handles her stardom in a way, possibly in a similar way that I like it. Even today, we like spending time together and meeting families. I never had a family in Bombay, but now I do thanks to her," the Mission Majnu star said.

Sidharth and Kiara relationship

Kiara and Sidharth fell for each other on the sets of their 2021 movie, Shershaah. Both got married in an intimate ceremony on February 7 after dating for a brief time at Jaisalmer's Suryagarh Palace. Their wedding was attended by close family members and only a few celebrities, including Karan Johar, Shahid Kapoor, and Juhi Chawla.

KWK 8: Not Katrina Kaif, Vicky Kaushal To Appear On Karan Johars Show With Kiara Advani? Heres All We Know
Mammootty's 'Kaathal - The Core' Faces Ban In Gulf: The Gulf region witnesses a prohibition on the screening of the highly anticipated Mammootty starrer 'Kaathal - The Core,' directed by Jeo Baby. Initially banned in Qatar and Kuwait, reports now confirm Saudi Arabia's denial of permission by its Censor Board.

Dhruva Natchathiram First Review: Vikram's Movie Gets Praise For Visual Brilliance And Vinayakan's Performance

Earlier, the movie was slated for screening at Vox Cinemas in the UAE; here, too, the movie faced a sudden withdrawal. Abdul Samad, CEO of Truth Global Films, the film's Gulf distributors, disclosed the bans in Qatar and Kuwait, emphasising the film's subject as the reason for the denial.

Censor certificates crucial for release in these countries have been declined, severely affecting the film's scheduled release on the 23rd of this month.

Malayalam cinema, especially films featuring stars like Mammootty and Mohanlal, enjoys a significant fanbase in Gulf theatres, prompting eager anticipation for 'Kaathal - The Core.' The potential of this film to screen across numerous theatres in the Gulf translates to substantial profits for its stakeholders.

The film's significance is heightened by Mammootty's intense performance and actress Jyothika's return to Malayalam cinema after a 13-year hiatus. Notably, this marks their first collaboration. The song "Ennum En Kaaval," featuring lyrics by poet Anwar Ali, composed by Mathews Pulickan, and sung by G. Venugopal and K.S. Chitra, has already captivated music enthusiasts.

Content Restrictions In Gulf: 'Kaathal - The Core' And The Ongoing Screening Dilemma

Earlier, Mohanlal's film 'Monster,' directed by Vysakh, faced a similar ban. The film was denied release in multiple countries at the time due to its LGBTQ content. The ban was lifted in Bahrain after the producers complied with the censor board's request to trim 13 minutes from the film.

Films dealing with topics such as homosexuality, regardless of language, are denied permission to be screened in some Gulf countries. Out of these, English films have been denied the highest number of screening permits so far. Recently, the UAE banned the animated movie 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.'

This is because the film deals with the topic of transgender people. Additionally, Kuwait and Lebanon denied permission for the English film 'Barbie.' The ban was based on content that was against public decency, social norms, and traditional values.

Thangalaan Update: Producer Gnanavel Raja Hails Movie By Chiyaan Vikram And Pa Ranjith As World Class

'Kaathal - The Core' boasts a stellar cast, with Mammootty as Mathew Devassy, Omana's husband, Jyothika as Omana Mathew, Mathew's wife, Joji John as Tomy, Mathew's brother-in-law, Jisshu Sengupta, Muthumani as Adv.Ameera, Chinnu Chandni, Sudhi Kozhikode, Alex Alister as Kuttayi, Anagha Maya Ravi as Femi Mathew, Mathew and Omana's daughter, Josey Sijo as Sibin Teekoy, and others. Written by Adarsh Sukumaran and Paulson Skaria, the film is produced by Mammootty under Mammootty Kampany, with Salu K. Thomas managing cinematography and Francies Louis overseeing editing. Distribution is handled by Wayfarer Films.
Dhruva Natchathiram First Review: The movie industry is abuzz with anticipation for Vikram's much-awaited spy action thriller, 'Dhruva Natchathiram.'

Mansoor Ali Khan Booked For Offensive Remarks Against Actor Trisha Krishnan

Initiating its first shooting schedule in late January 2017, the movie encountered nearly a six-year delay in its release due to production issues and financial constraints. As the producers withdrew their involvement midway, director Gautham Menon took over the production responsibilities.

The film features Vikram, Ritu Varma, R. Parthiban, Radhika Sarathkumar, Simran, and Vinayakan in pivotal roles. Vikram embodies the dual personas of John and Dhruv in this movie.

'Dhruva Natchathiram: Chapter One - Yuddha Kaandam' is eagerly awaited for its theatrical release on November 24, fueling anticipation among audiences.

The musical score for Dhruva Natchathiram is composed by Harris Jayaraj. Gautham Vasudev Menon has envisioned the film as two chapters and intends to proceed with the second chapter of Dhruva Natchathiram.

Director Lingusamy Applauds 'Dhruva Natchathiram'

In a recent social media post, esteemed director and producer Lingusamy shared his ecstatic reaction after viewing the final cut of 'Dhruva Natchathiram' in Mumbai. Praising the film's exceptional quality, Lingusamy lauded its captivating visuals and highlighted the outstanding performances.

He commended Chiyaan Vikram for his cool portrayal and singled out Vinayakan, noting his captivating presence that stole the spotlight. Extending congratulations to Gautham Vasudev Menon and Harris Jayaraj for their exceptional collaboration, Lingusamy expressed his anticipation for the film's release, wishing it tremendous success.

Happened to see the final cut of #DhruvaNatchathiram in mumbai & it was just fantastic. well made, visuals on par with the best.@chiyaan was so cool & #vinayakan stole everything in the movie. huge cast & everyone were brilliant. @menongautham congrats brother, u along with  Lingusamy (@dirlingusamy) November 21, 2023

Uncertainty Clouds Dhruva Natchathiram's Release Date

Set for release on November 24, 2023, 'Dhruva Natchathiram,' directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon, is classified as a spy action thriller.

However, the highly anticipated release of Gautham Vasudev Menon's directorial venture 'Dhruva Natchathiram,' starring Chiyaan Vikram, faces potential postponement from its scheduled November 24 release, according to the latest reports.

The film's debut seems uncertain due to unresolved financial concerns, casting a cloud of disappointment over eager fans awaiting its release. The delay hinges on pending financial issues yet to be ironed out, marking an unfortunate setback that might disrupt the anticipated unveiling of this action-packed thriller.

The scheduled 'Dhruva Natchathiram' press meet in Chennai on November 20 faced cancellation, further puzzling fans. Yet, we anticipate updates on the film's release. Hopefully, it aligns with fans' hopes for a smooth November 24 debut.

'Dhruva Natchathiram' Sets Record In OTT Deal

Reportedly, the digital streaming rights for 'Dhruva Natchathiram' have secured a record-breaking price, with Netflix allegedly acquiring the film's digital rights.

Sources indicate that Netflix has obtained the streaming rights for the movie in Telugu, Tamil, and other languages. Netflix's substantial acquisition of the OTT rights is attributed to Vikram's immense popularity, indicating a significant investment on their part.

Reports suggest that the film's OTT rights have fetched a record price, purportedly with Netflix acquiring the digital rights for 40 crores.

The film Dhruva Natchathiram was reportedly made with an estimated budget of around sixty crores. Reports from within Kollywood suggest that more than half of the film's budget has been recovered through OTT rights.

Mammootty's Film 'Kaathal - The Core' Faces Ban In Gulf Countries, Reasons Speculated Around LGBTQ Content

Dhruva Natchathiram's Telugu Version "Dhruva Nakshatram" Sparks Buzz

Meanwhile, the Telugu title "Dhruva Nakshatram" for director Gautham Menon's long-pending movie, "Dhruva Natchathiram," is generating significant excitement in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Reports suggest that the film has been acquired for Rs 7 crore in the Telugu-speaking states.
Mansoor Ali Khan's Press Conference Amid Growing Controversy: Amidst the escalating tensions following his derogatory comments towards Trisha Krishnan, actor Mansoor Ali Khan held a press conference at his Chennai residence.

He addressed the ongoing issue with Nadigar Sangam, citing their alleged lack of a fair hearing and the threat of suspension as his primary concerns.

Claiming support from the people of Tamil Nadu, Mansoor questioned the necessity of an apology, asserting that his side of the story remains unheard. He sarcastically expressed his delight over the extensive coverage of the incident, he mentioned disappointment with the choice of images used by certain English newspapers.

During the conference, Mansoor diverted attention to cinematic depictions, questioning whether Rape sequences in movies are misconstrued as reality, highlighting the lack of questioning in that regard.

Despite attempts to reach out to industry figures like Nasser and Vishal, Mansoor Ali Khan expressed disappointment at the lack of response. He issued a four-hour ultimatum for Nadigar Sangam to retract their statement.

Mansoor Ali Khan's Disrespectful And Misogynistic Comment

Few days ago controversial video capturing actor Mansoor Ali Khan's repugnant remarks about actress Trisha at a press conference has set social media ablaze, drawing vehement condemnation from the actress herself.

Trisha, known for her role in 'Leo,' slammed her co-star, stating, "A recent video has come to my notice where Mr.Mansoor Ali Khan has spoken about me in a vile and disgusting manner.I strongly condemn this and find it sexist,disrespectful,misogynistic,repulsive and in bad taste.He can keep wishing but I am grateful never to have shared screen space with someone as pathetic as him and I will make sure it never happens for the rest of my film career as well. People like him bring a bad name to mankind."

Mansoor Ali Khan reportedly said during a press conference, "When I heard that I was acting with Trisha,I thought there would be a bedroom scene in the film. I thought that I could carry her to bed just like I did with other actresses in my earlier movies. I have done so many rape scenes in a number of movies, and it's not new to me. But these guys didn't even show Trisha to me on the sets during the Kashmir schedule."

As this situation continues to evolve, tensions remain high between Mansoor Ali Khan, Trisha Krishnan, and Tamil Film Industry the concerned authorities. Stay tuned for further updates as the issue unfolds.
Chiranjeevi Supports Trisha Amid Mansoor's Remarks: Veteran actor Chiranjeevi Konidela took a firm stance against the recent derogatory comments made by actor Mansoor Ali Khan concerning actress Trisha Krishnan.

In a resounding social media post, Chiranjeevi expressed deep concern and condemnation, addressing the comments as "reprehensible" and "disgusting." Emphasising that such remarks were not just unacceptable for an artiste but for any woman or girl, he underscored the urgent need to condemn these remarks in the strongest terms possible.

"These comments must be condemned in the strongest words. They reek of perversion," stated Chiranjeevi in his post. His words resonated with a call for support, not just for Trisha but for every woman who might face similar derogatory remarks. The actor pledged his solidarity with Trisha Krishnan and all women subjected to such horrid comments.

My attention was drawn to some reprehensible comments made by actor Mansoor Ali Khan about Trisha.



The comments are distasteful and disgusting not just for an Artiste but for any woman or girl. These comments must be condemned in the strongest words. They reek of perversion.  Chiranjeevi Konidela (@KChiruTweets) November 21, 2023

Mansoor Ali Khan's Disrespectful And Misogynistic Comment

Few days ago controversial video capturing actor Mansoor Ali Khan's repugnant remarks about actress Trisha at a press conference has set social media ablaze, drawing vehement condemnation from the actress herself.

Trisha, known for her role in 'Leo,' slammed her co-star, stating, "A recent video has come to my notice where Mr.Mansoor Ali Khan has spoken about me in a vile and disgusting manner.I strongly condemn this and find it sexist,disrespectful,misogynistic,repulsive and in bad taste.He can keep wishing but I am grateful never to have shared screen space with someone as pathetic as him and I will make sure it never happens for the rest of my film career as well. People like him bring a bad name to mankind."

Mansoor Ali Khan reportedly said during a press conference, "When I heard that I was acting with Trisha,I thought there would be a bedroom scene in the film. I thought that I could carry her to bed just like I did with other actresses in my earlier movies. I have done so many rape scenes in a number of movies, and it's not new to me. But these guys didn't even show Trisha to me on the sets during the Kashmir schedule."

The comments made by actor Mansoor Ali Khan sparked outrage across the industry and among audiences. Chiranjeevi's firm stance further emphasises the need for accountability and solidarity in addressing derogatory remarks and supporting those affected. The industry, along with fans and the public, awaits further developments in this ongoing issue.
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7 Best Malayalam Murder Mystery Movies You Haven't Watched Yet

Murder mystery movies, like detective movies or thrillers, feel almost participatory when you watch them. They are characterized by suspenseful storytelling, intricate plots, and a web of clues and red herrings that challenge both the characters and the audience to piece together the puzzle. . These movies often blend elements of suspense, drama, and sometimes psychological thrillers to create a captivating and thrilling viewing experience. If you thrive on dark revelations, unexpected twists, and gripping drama, we've got you covered. Check out this list of the finest Malayalam murder mystery movies you might not have seen yet.

12th Man Unlike traditional CID-style investigations with officers chasing leads, '12th Man' takes an unconventional approach. In the movie, Mohanlal essayed a central role, employing a conversational investigation method. He portrays a seemingly carefree and oblivious police officer whose name is nearly inconsequential in the narrative. This officer gathers everyone into a room, unraveling the mystery to uncover the killer. Starting off with a hint of humor, the storyline progressively builds into riveting drama, reaching its apex as a brilliant and intense thriller.

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Ini Utharam The narrative revolves around a woman's admission of a murder at a police station. Despite skepticism surrounding her confession, the authorities commence their inquiry. Directed by Sudeesh Ramachandran and scripted by Ranjith Unni, this investigative crime drama, led by Aparna Balamurali, received acclaim from both audiences and critics alike.



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The Priest Mammootty takes the lead as Father Carmen Benedict in 'The Priest,' is a mystery thriller drama. The storyline centers on a string of enigmatic deaths unfolding in a small town, drawing Father Benedict into a quest to unravel these perplexing cases. The movie blends suspense, supernatural aspects, and investigative turns, appealing directly to enthusiasts of thrillers.



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Ela Veezha Poonchira The movie opens with a glimpse of a secluded wireless police station atop a hill, where Sudhi and Madhu, portrayed by Sudhi Kopa and Soubin Shahir, serve as police officers. During the relentless monsoon, they receive unsettling news at the stationa woman's body parts scattered across different spots in Ilaveezhapoonchira. This sudden turn of events thrusts them into an unforeseen and fast-paced narrative, uncovering a gripping plot that alters their lives. If you like dark crime thriller as a genre, Ela Veezha Poonchira is a must watch just for its brilliant screen play.

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John Luther The storyline focuses on the disappearance of a teacher named Prakashan, reported at the police station where John Luther serves as a CI. During the investigation, John encounters an accident while probing another case. Directed and written by Abhijith Joseph, the movie stars Jayasurya and Athmeeya Rajan in prominent roles.

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Joseph Joseph, a retired Police officer renowned for his crime-solving skills, remains in demand by the police department even post-retirement. In a tranquil town, a string of accidents occurs, brushed off as mere traffic incidents by the authorities. However, Joseph's suspicions are piqued. His own tragic past, where his wife and daughter fell victim to a similar accident, fuels his curiosity about a potential pattern or conspiracy. Driven by this quest for truth, Joseph plunges into a risky investigation, risking his life to uncover the hidden truth behind these incidents. The film directed by M.Padmakumar, and featured Joju George in the lead role. Released in 2018 , the film garnered widespread praise for its gripping storytelling, exceptional performances, and profound emotional resonance.

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Oru Kuprasidha Payyan The film follows Ajayan, portrayed by Tovino Thomas, entangled in a crime he vehemently denies committing. His quest to establish innocence unravels unexpected twists, exploring societal perceptions and the intricate layers of the justice system within a thrilling narrative. It's a suspenseful tale delving into societal perceptions and the intricate workings of the justice system.

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Phase two of Economist Impact's Health Inclusivity Index, supported by Haleon, measures experience of health inclusion across 42,000 people in 40 countries





Health inclusivity scores fall worldwide with addition of lived experience data, exposing glaring policy-practice gap in wealthy countries





66% of survey respondents experience barriers to health inclusion, with the most vulnerable worst affected





Index reveals stark generational divide with Gen Z and Millennials experiencing greater barriers to access and higher levels of discrimination





LONDON, Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- More than three in five people worldwide experience health exclusion, with vulnerable and younger populations the worst affected, according to phase two of the global Health Inclusivity Index from Economist Impact, supported by consumer health company Haleon.

This year's study - which measures the extent and experience of health inclusion across 40 countries and 42,000 people - revealed that 66% of those surveyed face at least one barrier in accessing healthcare services. Lack of available appointments; inconvenient hours; distance and cost of travel; and lack of trust in healthcare services were the most widely reported barriers. Alarmingly, the Index also revealed that one in five people worldwide (20%) lack access to mental health services in their community, while 17% lack access to sexual health services.

The study suggests that younger generations face particular issues, with almost half of Gen Z (45%) stating their quality of care has been compromised as a result of their age, health status, or other personal factors, compared with 19% of Baby Boomers. Almost a third of Gen Z (28%) and Millennials (32%) report that their pain or health conditions are not taken seriously by healthcare professionals. While almost a quarter of Gen Z (21%) and Millennials (22%) report they've been completely denied access to healthcare, compared with just 8% of Baby Boomers.

Besides appointment hours and availability, together with distance and cost to travel, Gen Z are the most likely to cite lack of trust in healthcare providers and fear of discrimination as major obstacles when seeking healthcare services. 44% of Gen Z also cited social media as a trusted source of health information and advice - the highest proportion amongst all generations surveyed.

The most vulnerable populations, namely people from marginalised groups and those with chronic health conditions, also report being denied access to healthcare (26%). Discrimination is a key barrier, with more than a quarter (27%) of those from marginalised groups and people with chronic health conditions experiencing this when interacting with healthcare providers.

Sarah McDonald, VP Sustainability and Social Impact, Haleon, said: "With the Index revealing high rates of health exclusion worldwide, more action is needed to overcome the barriers, particularly for vulnerable populations. These latest findings reveal a clear gap between policy and experience, as the inclusive health ambitions of many of the world's wealthiest countries are out of step with the reality of their citizens. As we saw in phase one of the research, the Index demonstrates that empowering people and communities to take care of their health is key. A greater focus on community services, self-care and health literacy programmes can boost inclusion, bringing better everyday health within reach of more people."

The first phase of the Index, launched in 2022, examined the presence, coverage and effectiveness of inclusive healthcare systems, policies and programmes. The research methodology for 2023's phase two study has been enhanced to include an assessment of people's experience of these inputs - by capturing insights from 42,000 people to understand their experiences of health inclusion or exclusion.

With the addition of this lived experience data, health inclusivity scores have deteriorated under phase two of the Index across 85% of the countries surveyed. For example, the UK's score fell by 13%, falling from first to third place, behind Australia and Sweden. With all but one country scoring below 80 out of 100, it's clear that governments and policymakers have a long way to go in tackling health exclusion.

The declining scores year-on-year expose a policy-practice gap between governments' ambitions of delivering inclusive health policies and systems and people's real-life experience of them. High income countries display the largest gaps, with an average 18-point difference between their scores on inclusive health policies and people's real-life experience, with Germany showing the greatest discrepancy. This reveals that many of the world's wealthiest nations are struggling to deliver inclusive health policies and systems effectively, with marginalised and vulnerable populations at greatest risk of exclusion.

Jonathan Birdwell, Global Head of Policy and Insights, Economist Impact, said: "Measuring a country's ability to provide quality healthcare involves evaluating its policy but also its population's ability to use their healthcare services. That's why we are pleased to add lived-experience indicators to Economist Impact's Health Inclusivity Index. The results of this phase of the Index show that high-income countries still have a lot of improvements to make if they are to effectively turn their policy into action."

In common with last year's findings, phase two of the Index concludes that empowering people and communities to have greater agency over their own health is a key driver of inclusion. Low-and-middle income countries outperform wealthier countries in this area due to their focus on community-based services, self-care and health literacy programmes. For example, 73% of people in low-and-middle income countries have been given advice or information on managing their health at home, compared with 65% for high-income countries.

Consequently, low-middle income countries display an average policy-practice gap of just 3-points and are more effective at ensuring inclusion for marginalised groups, those with chronic health conditions and Gen Z. The fact that countries with less developed infrastructure, lower spending and fewer resources are more effective in delivering population-level health inclusivity in practice is a rich source of learning for both high-and lower-income countries.

As a global leader in consumer health, Haleon will leverage this and other learnings from the Index to engage governments, policymakers and partners around the globe and work together to tackle the biggest barriers to health inclusivity.

Under phase two of the Health Inclusivity Index, Australia achieves the highest score, followed by Sweden, UK, USA, France, Israel, Canada, South Korea, Germany, Switzerland and Thailand. The full findings of the Index can be found here: https://impact.economist.com/projects/health-inclusivity-index

Media Contacts: Haleon Media Contact:

Gemma Thomas

gemma.x.thomas@haleon.com (mailto:gemma.x.thomas@haleon.com)

+44 (0) 7721376006 Economist Impact Media Contact:

Holly Donahue

hollydonahue@economist.com (mailto:hollydonahue@economist.com)





Notes to Editors:





About Haleon and Health Inclusivity

Haleon's social impact goal is to empower millions of people a year to be more included in opportunities for better everyday health - with the company aiming to reach 50 million people a year by 2025. During 2022, we empowered more than 22.4 million people.

We have identified three key barriers to health inclusivity that Haleon is well placed to help address, which are:

 health literacy;

 healthcare accessibility; and

 bias & prejudice

Examples of Haleon's efforts to break down barriers to health inclusivity include:

Health Literacy:

Our Caltrate calcium supplement brand in China has run several initiatives to raise awareness of the risks of osteoporosis and how to actively prevent and manage it. This includes working with Health Professionals to reach more consumers through online education, in-person outreach and bone density tests.

Healthcare Accessibility:

To help make our brands more accessible, we have collaborated with Microsoft on expanding the functionality of their Seeing AI app for Haleon products. Seeing AI is a free mobile app that scans the information on product labels and reads it out loud. Consumers can scan the barcode on UK and US Haleon products and hear crucial information such as name, ingredients, and usage instructions.

Bias and Prejudice:

The Advil Pain Equity Project is a long-term commitment to champion equitable and accessible pain relief in the United States, created by Advil and launched in partnership with Morehouse School of Medicine and BLKHLTH. The Advil Pain Equity Project's first campaign, Believe My Pain, is focused on illuminating the issue of pain inequity in Black communities.

About Haleon

Haleon (LSE / NYSE: HLN) is a global leader in consumer health, with a purpose to deliver better everyday health with humanity. Haleon's product portfolio spans five major categories - Oral Health, Pain Relief, Respiratory Health, Digestive Health and Other, and Vitamins, Minerals and Supplements (VMS). Its long-standing brands - such as Advil, Sensodyne, Panadol, Voltaren, Theraflu, Otrivin, Polident, parodontax and Centrum - are built on trusted science, innovation and deep human understanding.

For more information, please visit www.haleon.com

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, Press Release making Economist Impact's offering unique in the marketplace. Visit www.economistimpact.com for more information.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a24060d5-eb9b-4fa1-8cbf-e5427cfaaa24
Over 1.5 million searches from MENA to Germany in 2023

DUBAI, UAE, Nov. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Wego, the largest online travel marketplace in MENA (Middle East and North Africa), and the German National Tourist Office, GCC are excited to announce their strategic partnership. This collaboration aims to bring forth the wonders of Germany's winter season to the MENA audience and encourage travellers to explore its enchanting destinations.

In 2023, Wego observed an impressive influx of travel interest from the MENA region to Germany, with approximately 1.5 million searches registered. The surge in travel searches is a testament to the popularity of Germany as a travel destination among individuals from the Middle East and North Africa.

The campaign is designed to inspire travellers to embrace the magic of Germany's winter season, underscoring the authenticity of its experiences. Through a series of meticulously curated content, travellers will be transported into the heart of winter festivities, offering a glimpse into the world of German traditions.

Commenting on the partnership, Mamoun Hmedan, Chief Business Officer, at Wego, said: "Germany's winter season is a hidden gem, and we are thrilled to partner with the German National Tourist Office, GCC to unveil this splendid destination to our users. The number of searches on our platform signify a robust interest in exploring the wonders of Germany. Wego is thrilled to play a part in facilitating these travel aspirations and enabling travellers from the MENA region to embark on unforgettable journeys to Germany."

Germany, often celebrated for its rich cultural heritage, is equally captivating during the winter months. With its snow-blanketed landscapes, charming Christmas markets, and a host of winter activities, it offers a unique blend of traditions and modern-day festivities. Travellers can revel in the beauty of Christmas markets, indulge in delightful culinary experiences, and explore picture-perfect towns adorned in twinkling lights.

Yamina Sofo, Director of Marketing & Sales Office Gulf Countries at the GNTO, GCC, commented: "Germany is renowned for its winter activities that enhance the festive celebrations with a touch of magic. Whether it's Christmas markets, winter sports, or traditional gatherings, we ensure that the celebrations are memorable for everyone, particularly for tourists. Throughout the year, Germany remains an appealing destination for GCC travellers, and we strive to offer them the best festive experience through a variety of exciting activities."

About Wego

Wego provides award-winning travel search websites and top-ranked mobile apps for travelers living in the Asia Pacific and the Middle East regions. Wego harnesses powerful yet simple to use technology that automates the process of searching and comparing results from hundreds of airlines, hotels, and online travel agency websites.

Wego presents an unbiased comparison of all travel products and prices offered in the marketplace by merchants, both local and global, and enables shoppers to quickly find the best deal and place to book whether it is from an airline or hotel directly or with a third-party aggregator website.

Wego was founded in 2005 and is dual headquartered in Dubai and Singapore with regional operations in Bangalore, Riyadh, Cairo, Lahore, and Kuala Lumpur.

About the GNTB

The German National Tourist Board (GNTB) works on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action to represent Germany as a tourist destination and is funded by the Ministry in accordance with a decision taken by the German Bundestag. Working closely with the German travel industry and private-sector partners and trade associations, the GNTB develops strategies and marketing campaigns to promote Germany's positive image abroad as a travel destination and to encourage tourists to visit the country.

The GNTB's primary strategic areas of action are:

Developing evidence-based action plans on the basis of targeted market research and ongoing analysis of market-specific customer demand (Sinus milieus).

Supporting the travel industry, which is dominated by small and medium-sized businesses, through relationship management and the sharing of knowledge.

Raising awareness of the Destination Germany brand and enhancing the brand profile with a focus on sustainability and climate change mitigation.

Focus on sustainability and digitalisation:

The GNTB promotes forward-looking tourism in line with the objectives of the German government. The focus here is on sustainability and digitalisation.

To make inbound tourism more sustainable and competitive, our organisation follows a three-pillar strategy that combines the sharing of knowledge with external partners and a supporting communications strategy with our internal sustainability initiative. The GNTB positions Germany as a sustainable and inclusive destination in the international travel market.

The GNTB is a pioneer when it comes to using immersive technologies (virtual, augmented and mixed reality), voice assistants and other conversational interfaces, and artificial intelligence applications such as chatbots. To ensure that tourism offerings are visible on AI-based marketing platforms, the GNTB coordinates the German tourism industry's open-data/knowledge graph project.

The GNTB has 25 foreign agencies that it manages from its head office in Frankfurt.

Further information can be found in our online press center at www.germany.travel/presse . To download press pictures, please register via: https://dam.germany.travel



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Rise in insurgency activities and geopolitical conflicts, advancements in lightweight and durable ballistic materials, and increase in defense spending drive the growth of the bulletproof vests market

PORTLAND, Ore., Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Bulletproof Vests Market by Type (Soft Bulletproof Vest, and Hard Bulletproof Vest), Protection Level (II, IIA, III, IIIA, and IV), and End User (Military and Law Enforcement, and Civil): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2022-2032". According to the report, the global bulletproof vests industry size generated $1.8 billion in 2022, and is anticipated to generate $3.2 billion by 2032, witnessing a CAGR of 6.4% from 2023 to 2032.



Prime determinants of growth

Factors such as rise in insurgency activities and geopolitical conflicts, advancements in lightweight and durable ballistic materials, and increase in defense spending drive the growth of the bulletproof vests market. However, high cost of advanced body armor materials, and weight and thermal burden hinder the growth of the market. Furthermore, integration of smart textiles, sensors, and increase in demand for specialized bulletproof vests tailored to specific industry needs offer remarkable growth opportunities for the players operating in the bulletproof vests market.

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Report Coverage & Details:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2023-2032 Base Year 2022 Market Size in 2022 $1.8 billion Market Size in 2032 $3.2 billion CAGR 6.4 % No. of Pages in Report 330 Segments covered Type, Protection Level, End User, and Region Drivers Rise in insurgency activities and geopolitical conflicts Advancements in lightweight and durable ballistic materials Increase in defense spending Opportunities Integration of smart textiles, sensors, and communication devices Increase in demand for specialized bulletproof vests tailored to specific industry needs Restraints High cost of advanced body armor materials Weight and thermal burden

Impact of Russia-Ukraine War

The Russia-Ukraine war has led to surge in demand of bulletproof vests within conflict zones. Military and law enforcement agencies in regions directly affected by the hostilities, particularly Ukraine, have experienced an urgent need for advanced protective gear.

The Russia-Ukraine war has exerted a multifaceted impact on the global bulletproof vests market, influencing key aspects of production, demand dynamics, and strategic considerations within the industry.

The soft bulletproof vest segment to maintain its leadership status during the forecast period

Based on type, the soft bulletproof vest segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for more than half of the global market revenue and is estimated to maintain its leadership status during the forecast period. The segment is also expected to register the highest CAGR of 6.8% from 2023 to 2032. The soft bulletproof vests segment is witnessing growth due to a greater focus by manufacturers on developing lightweight, flexible fabrics that enhance comfort and reduce fatigue compared to traditional heavy Kevlar-only designs. The wider adoption of soft vests among police forces globally is a major growth factor, as the improved comfort and ergonomics compared to plate carriers allows comfortable all-day use while on patrol duties. Demand from private security personnel, VIPs, and civilians in high-risk occupations that requires concealed protection rather than bulky tactical armor is also propelling market revenue.

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The protection level III, IIIA segment to maintain its leadership status during the forecast period

Based on protection level, the III, IIIA segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for more than half of the global market revenue and is estimated to maintain its leadership status during the forecast period. The segment is also projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 7.4% from 2023 to 2032. Protection Levels III and IIIA are witnessing dynamic trends and growth factors shaped by the multifaceted security challenges faced by military and law enforcement personnel. A notable trend is the increasing demand for versatile vests capable of providing comprehensive protection against a spectrum of ballistic threats, including handguns and certain rifle rounds.

The military and law enforcement segment to maintain its leadership status during the forecast period

Based on end user, the military and law enforcement segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for more than four-fifths of the global market revenue and is estimated to maintain its leadership status during the forecast period. The segment is also projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 6.6% from 2023 to 2032. The rise in threats from small arms, shrapnel, and armor-piercing ammunitions faced by forces conducting counterinsurgency and urban combat operations are key growth drivers of the market. Mandatory body armor policies instituted by police departments are also increasing procurement. Ongoing technological advances enabling lighter, cooled, connected vests drive adoption from forces looking to upgrade aging protective gear.

North America to maintain its dominance by 2032

Based on region, North America held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2022, accounting for more than two-fifths of the global market revenue. There is increase in demand for advanced protective solutions driven by rise in security threats in North America. Law enforcement agencies in the U.S. are actively seeking innovative vests that provide not only ballistic resistance but also incorporate features like modularity and compatibility with tactical gear. The trend towards multifunctional vests aligns with the evolving needs of security personnel facing complex and unpredictable threats.

Asia-Pacific is expected to witness the fastest CAGR of 7.5% from 2023 to 2032. Countries like China and India are investing significantly in upgrading the capabilities of their armed forces, including the adoption of advanced protective gear. This trend is fostering the demand for vests that offer not only ballistic resistance but also enhanced features such as modularity, compatibility with additional equipment, and adaptability to diverse operational environments.

Key Highlights:

The report examines segments including soft bulletproof vests and hard bulletproof vests, evaluating their market presence in diverse regions such as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA.

This study integrates top-tier data, professional opinions, and analytical insights, along with critical independent perspectives. The research methodology aims to offer a well-rounded perspective on global markets, empowering stakeholders to make informed decisions that align with their ambitious growth objectives.

To enhance our market understanding, a thorough review of over 3,700 product literature pieces, annual reports, industry statements, and comparable materials from major industry participants was conducted.

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Leading Market Players: -

Point Blank Enterprises, Inc.

MARS Armor Ltd.

U.S. Armor Corporation

VestGuard UK Ltd.

Armor Express

MKU Limited

Slate Solutions

Safariland, LLC.

EnGarde Body Armor

ARGUN s.r.o.

The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players of the global bulletproof vests market. These players have adopted strategies such as new product launches 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.

Similar Reports We Have on Military Industry:

Advanced Protective Gear and Armor Market Research Report 2023-2032

Military Wearables Market Research Report 2023-2032

Military Bodywears Market Research Report 2023-2032

Military Headwear Market Research Report 2023-2032

Military Wristwear 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.

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MBABANE  Some senior employees of the Ministry of Education and Training got a chance to make requests to the minister during the introduction.

Senior Inspector Nutrition Thobile Gamedze, highlighted to the Minister of Education, Owen Nxumalo, that the school feeding programme would require a lot of support from him. Gamedze said the support required was financial support. The inspector stated that the programme would cause a lot of questions to be directed to the minister, from the media in particular and the teachers if not attended to. Gamedze stated that post-COVID-19, the programme had a lot of issues, discussed at Cabinet, Parliament as well as the media. Furthermore, she appealed to the minister not to just look at the programme in terms of funding it, but as an investment, because it was the largest social protection mechanism scheme the world over. She said the school feeding was a programme that was concerned with ensuring equitable access to education. She said the programme looked at guaranteeing that all learners, regardless of background had access to education.

Nutritional

This, she said, was done through the provision of nutritional support to the pupils in terms of sending food to the schools. There are two components to this, including buying at central level and also the schools supplementing what is bought. Gamedze said having seen that there was a challenge in terms of the availability of funds, they were planning to host a school feeding indaba, next week. She said regional meetings would be conducted and, through support from partners, a main event would then be held. Gamedze said following the pilot project of the home-grown schools feeding, which was evaluated, it would be presented at the George Hotel today. Senior Chief Inspector of Schools Musa Macwele also stated that they had transport challenges and could not reach schools as expected but sit in offices and do nothing. Macwele said their job was not to sit in the offices but to visit the schools to check whether quality education was being delivered. According to Macwele, there were no vehicles to reach the schools. He urged the minister to attend to the matter in order for them to deliver on their mandate.
Biosimilar Hyrimoz  (adalimumab) citrate-free high-concentration formulation (HCF) indicated for all conditions of reference medicine Humira *

(adalimumab) citrate-free high-concentration formulation (HCF) indicated for all conditions of reference medicine Humira Hyrimoz  HCF to launch progressively across Europe

HCF to launch progressively across Europe Hyrimoz HCF strengthens well-established Sandoz biosimilar immunology portfolio in Europe

Basel, November 21, 2023 - Sandoz, the global leader in generic and biosimilar medicines, today announces the launch of Hyrimoz (adalimumab) citrate-free high concentration formulation (HCF; 100 mg/mL) in Europe. The medicine will become available to patients progressively across European markets, starting today.

Hyrimoz HCF, like the currently available 50mg/mL version of Hyrimoz, is indicated for all conditions covered by the reference medicine*: rheumatic diseases, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, plaque psoriasis, uveitis and hidradenitis suppurativa.1

Rebecca Guntern, President Europe Sandoz said: "People living with chronic inflammatory conditions can experience debilitating effects on daily life. The launch of Hyrimoz HCF in Europe is a key milestone in offering an additional treatment option to those that need it and showcases our unwavering commitment to expanding access to high-quality medicines."

Hyrimoz citrate-free HCF is an updated formulation (100 mg/mL) to the currently available Hyrimoz 50 mg/mL and offers a 50 percent reduction in injection volume, thereby potentially decreasing the number of injections required for patients who need 80 mg/mL or higher dosing. The HCF formulation is administered with the familiar Hyrimoz SensoReady pen, aiming for an enhanced yet familiar patient experience.



The launch of Hyrimoz  HCF strengthens the Sandoz biosimilar portfolio in immunology, including Erelzi (biosimilar etanercept), Zessly (biosimilar infliximab) and Rixathon (biosimilar rituximab, including rheumatoid arthritis indication). Hyrimoz citrate-free HCF (adalimumab-adaz) launched in the US in July 2023.

Sandoz is committed to helping millions of patients access critical and potentially life-changing biologic medicines sustainably and affordably across a range of areas including immunology, oncology, supportive care, and endocrinology. It has a leading global portfolio with eight marketed biosimilars and a further 25 assets in various stages of development. Since launching the first biosimilar in Europe in 2006, Sandoz has helped to create early and expanded patient access to life-altering medicines while increasing healthcare savings and creating competition that fuels further innovation.

About adalimumab

Adalimumab is a human immunoglobulin G1 (IgG(1)) monoclonal antibody targeting tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a). The adalimumab reference medicine (Humira*) was first approved with an adalimumab concentration of 50 mg/mL.1 In 2015, the EMA and US FDA approved Humira HCF, which contains adalimumab at a concentration of 100 mg/mL.

Disclaimer

This Media Release contains forward-looking statements, which offer no guarantee with regard to future performance. These statements are made on the basis of management's views and assumptions regarding future events and business performance at the time the statements are made. They are subject to risks and uncertainties including, but not confined to, future global economic conditions, exchange rates, legal provisions, market conditions, activities by competitors and other factors outside of the control of Sandoz. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual outcomes may vary materially from those forecasted or expected. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement, and Sandoz undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

References

EMA. Humira EPAR Product Information. Available from: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/EPAR/humira (https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/EPAR/humira). [Accessed October 2023]

*Humira is a registered trademark of AbbVie Biotechnology Ltd

# # #

About Sandoz

Sandoz (SIX: SDZ; OTCQX: SDZNY) is the global leader in generic and biosimilar medicines, with a growth strategy driven by its Purpose: pioneering access for patients. 22,000 people of more than 100 nationalities work together to bring Sandoz medicines to some 500 million patients worldwide, generating substantial global healthcare savings and an even larger total social impact. Its leading portfolio of more than 1500 products addresses diseases from the common cold to cancer. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Sandoz traces its heritage back to the year 1886. Its history of breakthroughs includes Calcium Sandoz in 1929, the world's first oral penicillin in 1951, and the world's first biosimilar in 2006. In 2022, Sandoz achieved sales of USD 9.1 billion and core EBITDA of USD 1.9 billion.

Global Media Relations contacts Investor Relations contacts Global.MediaRelations@sandoz.com Investor.Relations@sandoz.com Joerg E. Allgaeuer

+49 171 838 4838 Karen M. King

+1 609 722 0982 Chris Lewis

+49 174 244 9501 Laurent de Weck

+41 79 795 7364

Attachment
EUROCASTLE INVESTMENT LIMITED



Contact:

Oak Fund Services (Guernsey) Limited

Company Administrator

Attn: Hannah Crocker

Tel: +44 1481 723450

Eurocastle Announces Signing of its First Investment Under New Strategy

Guernsey, 21 November 2023 - Eurocastle Investment Limited (Euronext Amsterdam: ECT) ("Eurocastle" or the "Company") today announces that it has agreed to acquire the first investment under its new strategy, part of a boutique retail complex in an affluent part of Athens, Greece. The asset is being purchased from one of the largest Greek banks out of a distressed situation where the main leaseholder is in default. Eurocastle's strategy is to lease-up the last 20% of the building currently vacant and then seek an exit in the open market.

Eurocastle is acquiring the asset alongside a local partner (the "JV Partner") who is anticipated to take a 20% interest in the asset. The total expected investment is approximately 6.3 million, of which Eurocastle's share is approximately 5.0m with a closing targeted before the end of 2023, subject to certain conditions precedent.

As previously announced, Eurocastle intends to leverage the relationship of the Company's investment manager with a local JV Partner in Greece to source investment opportunities. In parallel with executing this first investment, the Company has been underwriting a number of additional opportunities.

In order to support its new investment program, Eurocastle has been working on establishing an investment platform through which it expects to invest the majority of its current net corporate cash of over 18 million alongside selected external co-investors. In addition to generating attractive risk adjusted returns on its share of any investments made through the platform, Eurocastle anticipates also receiving market standard management and incentive fees from the external investors.

ABOUT EUROCASTLE

Eurocastle Investment Limited.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - November 21, 2023) - European Energy Metals (TSXV: FIN) (FSE: W28) ("European Energy" or the "Company") is pleased to report it has completed a Phase 1 exploration program on its Central Finland Lithium Project.

The field program ran from early July through the end of October and comprised reconnaissance prospecting and geological mapping. Field teams conducted follow-up of known pegmatite occurrences documented by the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) and granitic complexes considered prospective for generating lithium-cesium-tantalum- type (LCT) pegmatites. General prospecting for pegmatite boulders in the extensive overburden covered terrane was also undertaken. Numerous individual pegmatites and occasional pegmatite swarms were identified during the program. Pegmatite boulders containing the lithium-bearing mineral spodumene were also discovered locally. A total of 1,099 rock chip (grab) samples were collected across the >250,000-hectare project with assay results anticipated imminently.

The initial success from the Phase 1 program encouraged the Company to submit its first applications for Exploration Licenses ("EL's") covering an area of 4,550 hectares within it's 11,690 hectare (ha) Nabba Reservation. The Nabba EL (2,812 ha) and Nabba 2 EL (1,738 ha) are located on the northern half of the Company's Nabba Reservation and adjacent to the Keliber Projects of Sibanye-Stillwater. Under an Exploration License or EL, the Company would be permitted to undertake more advanced exploration such as detailed base-of-till (BoT) sampling, trenching and diamond drilling.

An estimated 600 million investment by Keliber's parent company Sibanye-Stillwater Limited in partnership with the Finnish Minerals Group (www.mineralsgroup.fi) is underway and will see the development of open-pit and underground mining from several deposits, construction of a central spodumene concentrator plant and a lithium hydroxide chemical plant at tidewater in Kokkola. When completed, this complex will comprise a complete hard-rock spodumene pegmatite lithium supply chain (source: www.sibanyestillwater.com).

The Nabba ELs lie <8 km west of Keliber's Spodumene Concentrator Plant and several previously known Li-spodumene pegmatite prospects/deposits occur within 1 km of the Nabba licences, including the Emmes Deposit which hosts NNW-SSE trending Li-bearing, spodumene pegmatites, and a resource of 1.08 Mt grading 1.22% Li2O (source: GTK).

"The inaugural exploration program was highly successful in identifying a number of both individual pegmatites and pegmatite swarms, in addition to pegmatite boulders, with visible spodumene mineralization," commented Jeremy Poirier, CEO of European Energy Metals. "The discovery of local spodumene-bearing pegmatite mineralization expands on the number of known pegmatite occurrences documented by the Geological Survey of Finland and drives our application for exploration licenses."

Mike Basha, P.Eng., P.Geo. (NL), VP Exploration of European Energy Metals Corp., a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has prepared this press release.

Pursuant to an earn-in agreement with Capella Minerals Ltd (TSXV: CMIL), European Energy has the right to earn an 80% interest in the Finnish Lithium Project.

About European Energy Metals Corp.

European Energy Metals Corp. is a junior mining company currently focussed on the Lithium-Cesium-Tantalum Finnish Pegmatite Project in central Finland. Governing bodies in Europe and Finland are legislating environmentally friendly and energy independent laws and policies. One of the key components is access to REE and, specifically, lithium. The Company's concessions are located within 15 kms of the Keliber mine, and production complex currently under construction which is expected to begin production in H2 2025.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Jeremy Poirier, CEO

Telephone: 604-722-9842

Email: info@europeanenergymetals.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking information is typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. Such statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the future results of operations, performance and achievements of the Company, including the presence of lithium mineralization at, and the exploration and development potential of, the Finland Pegmatite Project. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurances that such expectations will prove to be correct. All such forward-looking information is based on certain assumptions and analyses made by the Company in light of their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors management believes are appropriate in the circumstances. This information, however, is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from this forward-looking information include the costs of any anticipated work programs and the ability to fund such costs, required approvals in connection with any work programs and the ability to obtain such approvals, risks inherent in exploration as well as those described under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties" in the Company's most recently filed MD&A. The Company does not intend, and expressly disclaims any obligation to, update or revise the forward-looking information contained in this news release, except as required by law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/187974


PARIS (dpa-AFX) - French industrial gases company Air Liquide Group (AIQUY.PK) and Sasol (SSL) announced Tuesday that it has signed new long-term contracts to supply an additional 100 MW of renewable electricity to the Secunda site in South Africa.



The companies have signed new Power Purchase Agreements or PPA with the wind and solar company Mainstream Renewable Power.



The deal is for the long-term supply of a capacity of 97.5 MW of renewable power to Sasol's Secunda site, where Air Liquide operates the biggest oxygen production site in the world.



Mainstream will create a local company with strong socio-economic development commitments which will build a solar farm located in the Free State province. This renewable energy production facility is scheduled to be operational in 2025.



Air Liquide acquired Sasol's 16 oxygen production units in Secunda and has been operating them since June 2021, in the framework of a long-term supply contract with its partner. Air Liquide operates a total of 17 Air Separation Units or ASUs in Secunda, with a total capacity of 47,000 tonnes/day of oxygen.



Air Liquide and Sasol have already signed two sets of PPAs earlier, with Enel Green Power and TotalEnergies with its partner Mulilo. The three PPAs together represent a total renewable power capacity of around 580 MW.



According to Air Liquide, these contracts will contribute to the targeted reduction by 30 percent to 40 percent of the CO2 emissions associated with oxygen production in Secunda by 2031.



Nicolas Poirot, Chief Executive Officer of the Africa Middle East & India hub, said, 'Together with our long-term partner Sasol, we have secured massive amounts of renewable energy generation capacity. This will significantly contribute to the decarbonisation of our operations in Secunda and actively support the development of renewable energies in South Africa...'



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OSLO, Norway, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Havfram has signed a Senior Secured Green ECA Term Loan Facility (the "Facility") to fund its two Wind Turbine Installation Vessels ("WTIVs"), currently under construction at CIMC Raffles.

The Facility was entered into with a syndicate led by DNB Bank ASA (Coordinator, Bookrunner, Green Loan Advisor and Agent) with SpareBank 1 SR-Bank ASA, Credit Agricole, Sparebanken Vest and Rabobank as Mandated Lead Arrangers and with Export Finance Norway as ECA lender. The Facility is also partly supported by an insurance provided by Atradius Dutch State Business N.V, the ECA of The Netherlands.

Bjrn Kristian Red, CFO at Havfram stated: "We are pleased to secure financing for our two state-of-the-art Wind Turbine Installation Vessels.This Facility, alongside the equity provided by our sponsors Sandbrook and PSP Investments, fully funds Havfram's newbuilding programme with the support of leading maritime lenders and export credit agencies. Access and cooperation between equity and debt capital providers are key to success in providing the world with renewable energy. This facility is a shining example to this collaboration, and supports our work to harvest clean energy from offshore wind."

About Havfram

Havfram is a pure play offshore wind company, providing a wide range of services across the offshore wind value chain. Leveraging deep offshore wind industry knowledge, together with decades of know-how from the Norwegian energy & marine sectors and essential experience in operating in harsh offshore environments, Havfram offers the highest standards and services to customers worldwide. Havfram provides offshore wind installation expertise to the global market as an owner and operator of Wind Turbine Installation Vessels (WTIVs). The company is majority owned by Sandbrook Capital, a leading climate fund led by an experienced team determined to combine consistent financial returns and real climate impact. Together we aim to lead the path towards clean energy.

Contact

Corinna Thiel / Marketing & Communications Manager Havfram

E: corinna.thiel@havfram.com

havfram.com

The following files are available for download:

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Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - November 21, 2023) - MAX RESOURCE CORP. (TSXV: MAX) (OTC Pink: MXROF) (FSE: M1D2) ("Max" or the "Company") is pleased to report high-grade assay results from continuous rock chip channel sampling collected at the recently discovered AM-08 target, located in the AM District of its wholly-owned Cesar Copper-Silver Project, in Northeastern Colombia (refer to Figures 1 to 4).

AM-08 Highlights

Continuous chip channel sampling across the width of the structurally controlled mineralization at the primary outcrop has returned values of: 2.6% copper and 58 g/t silver over 15.0m including, 3.5% copper + 77 g/t silver over 10.0m including, 8.1% copper + 172 g/t silver over 1.0m.



In addition, continuous chip channel sampling across mineralized outcrops at several locations west of the primary occurrence has returned values of: 2.5% copper + 48 g/t silver over 2.0m. 1.8% copper + 18 g/t silver over 1.8m. 1.1% copper + 16 g/t silver over 5.3m.







Figure 1: AM District Target Map

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/3834/188162_c204875e9465797e_001full.jpg





Figure 2: AM-08 Chip Channel Sample Locations Map

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/3834/188162_c204875e9465797e_002full.jpg

Located approximately seven kilometres northwest from AM-08, AM-07 (Max News Release dated September 20, 2023) was discovered by prospecting.

AM-08 is characterized by the presence of two styles of copper-silver mineralization: structurally controlled and stratiform sediment hosted. Stratiform mineralization at AM-08 has been mapped along strike for 400 metres.

"The assay results from four outcrops at AM-08 are exceptional and make this a top-priority target for Max. The high-grade results along with the combination of structural and stratiform mineralization provides the Company with the potential for significant deposits," commented Brett Matich, CEO of Max.

"Field crews will now focus on expanding the stratiform mineralization at the AM District, along strike and on identifying other locations where the stratiform and structural mineralization intersect to create wider zones," he concluded.





Figure 3: AM-08 Target - Photograph of Primary Mineralized Outcrop Sampling



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/3834/188162_c204875e9465797e_003full.jpg

Description of the Mineralisation

Two types of copper-silver mineralization are observed at AM-08, structurally controlled and stratiform:

The structurally controlled mineralization is hosted in an NNE striking fault and is thickest where it intersects an NNW striking fault. The primary copper mineral is chalcocite which occurs in multiple veins up to 3 cm thick.

Stratiform mineralization is observed where the mineralized structure comes into contract with sedimentary rocks or lithological contacts. Copper minerals include chalcocite and bornite which form irregular veins that are concordant with the strata. The strike and dip of bedding in the AM-08 area is measured at N30- 60E and 30NE respectively.

Results

Assay results from continuous chip channel samples collected at four different locations at the AM-08 target are presented in Table 1 through Table 4 below:

Table 1: Chip Channel Assay Results from Primary Outcrop (Structurally Controlled Mineralization) at AM-08.

Sample

Number UTM Coordinates (WGS84 Z18N) Host Rock Interval Copper Silver Easting (m) Northing (m) (m) (%) (g/t) 504732 764,445 1,208,660 Hydrothermal Breccia 1.0 0.6 17 504731 764,444 1,208,659 Hydrothermal Breccia 1.0 0.3 10 504730 764,443 1,208,659 Hydrothermal Breccia 1.0 1.4 32 504729 764,442 1,208,659 Hydrothermal Breccia 1.0 0.7 17 504728 764,441 1,208,659 Hydrothermal Breccia 1.0 0.8 17 504727 764,440 1,208,659 Hydrothermal Breccia 1.0 3.9 91 504726 764,439 1,208,658 Hydrothermal Breccia 1.0 4.2 96 504725 764,438 1,208,658 Hydrothermal Breccia 1.0 1.3 32 504724 764,437 1,208,658 Hydrothermal Breccia 1.0 1.4 37 504723 764,436 1,208,658 Hydrothermal Breccia 1.0 3.6 82 504722 764,435 1,208,658 Hydrothermal Breccia 1.0 3.2 89 504721 764,434 1,208,658 Hydrothermal Breccia 1.0 8.1 172 504720 764,433 1,208,658 Hydrothermal Breccia 1.0 3.1 48 504719 764,432 1,208,658 Hydrothermal Breccia 1.0 4.6 97 504718 764,431 1,208,659 Hydrothermal Breccia 1.0 1.6 28 Weighted Average Assay Result 15.0 2.6 58 including 10.0 3.5 77 including 5.0 4.5 98

Table 2: Chip Channel Assay Results from Outcrop of Stratiform Mineralization at AM-08.

Sample

Number UTM Coordinates (WGS84 Z18N) Host Rock Interval Copper Silver Easting (m) Northing (m) (m) (%) (g/t) 504712 764,176 1,208,562 Siltstone 1.0 1.9 25 504711 764,175 1,208,563 Siltstone 0.5 0.0 0.3 504710 764,174 1,208,564 Siltstone 1.0 0.0 0.3 504709 764,174 1,208,564 Siltstone 1.0 2.7 47 504708 764,173 1,208,565 Siltstone 0.8 0.9 15 504707 764,173 1,208,566 Siltstone 1.0 0.3 8 Weighted Average Assay Result 5.3 1.1 16 Including 1.8 1.8 31

Table 3: Chip Channel Assay Results from Outcrop of Structurally Controlled Mineralization at AM-08.

Sample

Number UTM Coordinates (WGS84 Z18N) Host Rock Interval Copper Silver Easting (m) Northing (m) (m) (%) (g/t) 504705 764,307 1,208,659 Dacite 1.0 4.9 93 504703 764,309 1,208,660 Dacite 1.0 0.1 2 504704 764,308 1,208,659 Dacite 1.0 0.3 8 Weighted Average Assay Result 3.0 1.8 34 Including 2.0 2.5 48

Table 4: Chip Channel Assay Results from Outcrop of Stratiform Mineralization at Target AM-08.

Sample

Number UTM Coordinates (WGS84 Z18N) Host Rock Interval Copper Silver Easting (m) Northing (m) (m) (%) (g/t) 504736 764,121 1,208,520 Siltstone 0.6 2.9 23 504735 764,120 1,208,520 Siltstone 0.6 0.7 10 504734 764,119 1,208,519 Siltstone 0.6 1.8 22 Weighted Average Assay Result 1.8 1.8 18

Quality Assurance

All AM-08 rock chip samples are shipped to ALS Lab's sample preparation facility in Medellin, Colombia. Sample pulps sent to Lima, Peru, for analysis. All samples were analyzed using ALS procedure ME-MS41, a four-acid digestion with inductively coupled plasma finished. Over-limit copper and silver are determined by ALS procedure OG-62, a four-acid digestion with an atomic absorption spectroscopy finish. ALS Labs is independent from Max.

Corporate

Max is pleased to announce that further to its news release dated (Max News Release dated November 7, 2023), it has closed its acquisition of all the issued and outstanding shares of Bay Street Mineral Corp. ("Bay Street"), an arm's-length Canadian corporation. Max has obtained TSX-V approval for this acquisition.

In consideration for the acquisition of Bay Street, Max issued the sole shareholder of Bay Street a total of 14,000,000 common shares ("Shares") in the capital of Max. The Shares are subject to escrow and shall be released over a 36-month period, commencing on the closing date of the acquisition. Bay Street holds an underlying 3% net smelter royalty ("Royalty"), over 19 mining concessions covering 184-km and 31 mining concession applications covering 796-km of the Company's wholly-owned Cesar Copper Silver Project (the "Royalty"). Through its acquisition of Bay Street, the Company has re-acquired interest to the Royalty.

Background

The Cesar Copper Silver Project comprises of three districts: AM, Conejo and URU. Collectively the three contiguous districts stretch over 120-km in NNE/SSW direction (refer to Figure 4).

This region provides access to major infrastructure from oil & gas and mining operations, includes Cerrejon, the largest coal mine in South America, held by global miner Glencore. Max's 20 mining concessions collectively span over 188-km.

In 2022, Max executed a 2-year co-operation agreement with Endeavour Silver Corp. ((TSX: EDR) (NYSE: EXK), which assists to expand its 100% owned landholdings, Endeavour will hold an underlying 0.5% NSR.





Figure 4: Cesar Copper Silver Project

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AM District

Starting in the far north of the Jurassic basin, classic stacked red bed outcrops with extensive lateral continuity have been rock sampled over many kilometres within the AM District. Highlight values of 34.4% copper and 305 g/t silver have been documented in the sedimentary red bed sequences. The Company confirmed that stratiform mineralization continues at depth with two scout drill holes completed earlier this year (Max News Release dated April 4, 2023). In addition, Colombian field crews continue to discover and sample new mineralized outcrops including at the recently identified AM-7 target (Max News Release dated May 25, 2023 and Max News Release dated June 22, 2023) and AM-08 target (Max News Release dated September 20, 2023).

Conejo District

Midway south, the Conejo District is the most recent to be recognized and is characterized by structurally controlled mineralization hosted in intermediate and felsic volcanic rocks. Numerous mineralized outcrops have been discovered over 3.7-km at the primary target in the district with surface samples averaging 4.9% copper (2% cut-off). No drilling has been conducted at Conejo, but it has emerged as an area of focus for the Company.

URU District

Mineralization within the URU District is hosted in intermediate volcanic rocks and is structurally controlled. At URU-C, a 9.0m of 7.0% copper and 115 g/t silver surface discovery was confirmed at depth by drill hole URU-12, which intersected 10.6m of 3.4% copper and 48 g/t silver. At the URU-CE target, 750m to the east, 19.0m of 1.3% copper discovered in outcrop was confirmed by drill hole URU-9, which intersected a broad zone of copper oxide returning 33.0m of 0.3% copper from 4.0m, including 16.5m of 0.5% copper (Max News Release date January 24, 2023). (Note: all drill intersections are down holes widths, not true width, which remains unknown at this time.)

Target Evaluation

Max has identified and is evaluating 27 targets along the Cesar 90-km-long belt for potential drill testing. The Company is focused on expanding, refining, and prioritizing these targets in preparation for a drill program. Initial efforts have been concentrated on those targets with the greatest size potential with work that includes the following field activities:

Systematic chip and channel sampling of the mineralized outcrops.

Detailed geological and structural mapping of each showing.

Target scale prospecting and soil sampling.

Airborne Magnetic/Radiometric Surveys.

Regional Exploration

Max has demonstrated that the Cesar basin is fertile for copper-silver mineralization over a large area; however, only a fraction of the basin has been explored. As a result, Max has dedicated on of its geological teams to regional exploration with the goal of discovering additional copper-silver prospects over 1,000 sq-km.

Qualified Person

The Company's disclosure of a technical or scientific nature in this news release was reviewed and approved by Tim Henneberry, P.Geo (British Columbia), a member of the Max Resource advisory board, who serves as a qualified person under the definition of National Instrument 43-101.

About Max Resource Corp.

Max Resource Corp. (TSXV: MAX) is a mineral exploration company advancing the newly discovered district-scale Cesar copper-silver project. The wholly owned Cesar Project sits along the Colombian portion of the world's largest producing copper belt (Andean belt), with world class infrastructure and the presence of global majors (Glencore and Chevron).

In addition, Max controls the RT Gold property (100% earn-in) in Peru, encompassing a bulk tonnage primary gold porphyry zone, and 3-km to the NW, a gold bearing massive sulphide zone. Historic drilling in 2001, returned values ranging 3.1 to 118.1 g/t gold over core lengths ranging from 2.2 to 36.0m.

Max is proactive, with the corporate goal of transitioning the Cesar basin towards the mining of copper, the key metal for Colombia's transition to clean energy. The safety of our people and the communities where we operate is most important. We conduct exploration in a manner which supports protection of ecosystems through responsible environmental stewardship.

Source: NI 43:101 Geological Report RT Gold Project for Max Resource Corp. by Luis Rodrigo Peralta, Mar. 8, 2023. NI 43:101 Geological Report Rio Tabaconas Gold Project for Golden Alliance Resources Corp. by George Sivertz, Oct.3, 2011.

For more information visit: https://www.maxresource.com/.

For additional information contact:

Tim McNulty E: info@maxresource.com T: (604) 290-8100

Rahim Lakha E. rahim@bluesailcapital.com

Brett Matich T: (604) 484 1230

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Except for statements of historic fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law.

Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates 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 statements including, but not limited to delays or uncertainties with regulatory approvals, including that of the TSXV. There are uncertainties inherent in forward-looking information, including factors beyond the Company's control. There are no assurances that the commercialization plans for Max Resources Corp. described in this news release will come into effect on the terms or time frame described herein.

The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties that could affect financial results is contained in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedarplus.ca.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/188162
OPEX Corporation, a global leader in Next Generation Automation providing solutions for document, mail, and warehouse automation, has received top honors at the Document Manager magazine DM Awards for its innovative Gemini scanning technology.

This is the second consecutive year Gemini won the prestigious award, which was announced at the 17th annual DM Awards event held November 16, 2023, in London. Winners are chosen by an independent panel of industry judges.

"We are again excited to receive this recognition for Gemini, which offers customers the unique ability to scan documents of different sizes at different speeds without changing equipment," said Scott Maurer, President, OPEX International. "As the industry keeps re-affirming, Gemini truly incorporates game-changing processing capabilities which reduce operator prep time and maximize throughput."

Versatile Gemini with Right-Speed scanning technology also features superior paper handling, scanning speeds of up to 240 pages per minute, multiple feed modes, an ergonomic work station for operator comfort and productivity, and scalability for the future.

In addition to document and mail automation solutions like the Gemini scanner, OPEX offers a host of industry-leading warehouse automation technologies. For nearly five decades, OPEX has served as a trusted partner, collaborating closely with clients to develop customized, scalable solutions that transform how they conduct business.

About OPEX

OPEX Corporation is a global leader in Next Generation Automation, providing innovative, unique solutions for warehouse, document and mail automation. With headquarters in Moorestown, NJ, USA-and facilities in Pennsauken, NJ; Plano, TX; France; Germany; Switzerland; the United Kingdom; and Australia-OPEX has more than 1,600 employees who are continuously reimagining and delivering customized, scalable technology solutions that solve the business challenges of today and in the future.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121271108/en/

Contacts:

For Additional Information

Laura Evans

levans@opex.com

+1.856.727.1100 x 5012
MAASTRICHT, Netherlands, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- TEFAF, the world's foremost organization for fine art, antiques, and design, will celebrate its 20-year partnership with AXA XL, a Division of AXA, at TEFAF Maastricht 2024 (March 9-14; March 7 & 8 by invite only). Since 2004 the two organizations have collaborated given their shared belief in the power of art to transform our lives and strengthen our communities.

In celebration of its 20th anniversary, the longstanding partnership has been renewed with an even more enriched program for 2024. AXA XL will be the primary sponsor of the first TEFAF Summit, to be launched at TEFAF Maastricht 2024. The TEFAF Summit, produced in association with the Netherlands Commission to UNESCO, TEFAF's long-supporting heritage partner Cultural Emergency Response, and several other leading agencies, will focus on critical issues concerning cultural heritage.

Hidde van Seggelen, President of TEFAF's Executive Committee, expressed his excitement about renewing and strengthening the longstanding partnership: 'We are thrilled to celebrate this milestone anniversary with AXA XL. Their unwavering commitment to TEFAF and the larger art community is invaluable, and we look forward to many more successful years together'.

Sylvie Gleises, AXA XL's CEO for Singapore, has recently been appointed to TEFAF's Global Advisory Board. She commented that 'the partnership between TEFAF and AXA XL is a testament to the power of art. It is a shining example of what can be achieved through collaboration and shared passion. Our partnership allows us to reach a core segment of our community, and I am delighted to join the TEFAF Global Advisory Board. As a new member, I am committed to offering my support, advice, and perspective'.

Ms. Gleises oversees AXA XL's insurance operations in Singapore and is the Executive Sponsor for AXA XL's Fine Art insurance strategy in APAC & Europe. Ms. Gleises joined AXA Group in 2006 and has held several strategic positions, including Chief of Staff to the Group's former Chairman & CEO, Henri de Castries. She also served as CEO for Continental Europe, and Global Head of Distribution and Marketing for AXA Art, where she was responsible for the relationship with TEFAF.

AXA XL AND THE ARTS

Beyond partnering with TEFAF, AXA XL has long committed itself to the arts, funding academic research, cultural heritage protection, art conservation/restoration, and hosting a juried competition - the AXA Art Prize - for students in the US and UK.

ABOUT TEFAF MAASTRICHT

TEFAF Maastricht is widely regarded as the world's premier fair for fine art, antiques, and design, covering 7,000 years of art history, from ancient to contemporary. Featuring over 260 prestigious dealers from some 22 countries, TEFAF Maastricht is a showcase for the finest artworks on the market. Alongside the traditional areas of Old Masters, antiques, and classical antiquities that cover approximately half of the fair, you can also find modern and contemporary art, photography, jewelry, 20th-century design, and works on paper.?

PRESS CONTACT

Cultural Communications | tefaf@culturalcomms.co.uk

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MUMBAI, India, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- W.Media is holding the third edition of its Mumbai Cloud & Datacenter Convention and Awards this year, and we can't wait to welcome our delegates and speakers who comprise the creme de la creme of the industry. The Mumbai Cloud & Datacenter Convention and Awards 2023 will be a day-long convention, and will be held at St. Regis, Mumbai on December 1st.

This exclusive event will bring together over 600 delegates, including C-level executives, digital infrastructure professionals including architects, engineers and consultants (AECs), key buyers, decision makers, data center owners and operators.

Industry stalwarts have agreed to speak at the Mumbai Cloud & Datacenter Convention and Awards 2023. These include Kamal Nath (CEO, Sify Technologies), Sumit Mukhija (CEO, STT Global Data Centers - India), Sujeet Deshpande (Founder & CEO - India, Lumina Cloud Infra), and Sanjay Bhutani (CEO, AdaniConneX) who will participate in a power packed panel discussion on the topic: "Will building at scale be able to keep up with projected digital growth?"

Sumit Mukhija (CEO, STT Global Data Centers - India) feels upbeat about the growth of the industry in the region. He says, "The momentum that have seen over the past few years will continue to be a significant factor in shaping India's growth in the foreseeable future. In fact, digitalization of India is the biggest digital growth story in the world." He elaborates, "Cloud, which is the fundamental building block of Digital is growing more than 30% annually. Datacenters, which are the bedrock of Cloud deployments at scale, dovetail this cloud growth at more than 20% annually. Around $25Bn of investments lined up for enhancing digital infrastructure in India over the next 3-4 years alone." He further says, "Similar to the purchase power parity, even if you look purely from a India's digital parity as compared to other major economies, the potential growth is at least 3-4 times from current levels. The sector's capacity is expected to see substantial growth, potentially exceeding 3GW by 2030."

Mukhija says events like Mumbai Cloud & Datacenter Convention and Awards 2023 are relevant because the "Industry including its key stakeholders like Datacenter services providers, Equipment and Manpower suppliers, contractors, influencers and most importantly customers, all of us require reliable platforms where the ecosystem can come together, discuss and interact around these areas." He says, "Mumbai Cloud and Datacenter Convention is one such forum where key stakeholders converge to showcase their products, services as well as discuss technology trends, opportunities and challenges and in the process enable collaboration between industry players to collectively advance the sector's growth and sustainability."

Another power panel discussion will see wizards like Vinod Javur (COO, Digital Edge DC), Manish Shangari (VP, AECOM), Sujit Panda (CTIO, BDx Data Centers), and others share their ideas on: "How will the data centers of 2033 differ from those of today?"

There will also be insightful presentations by industry leaders on a wide variety of subjects such as cooling and ventilation solutions, internet infrastructure, quality management, data center infrastructure, and new innovations.

"About a decade ago, the data center industry transformed the supply from enterprise grade data centers to cloud grade data centers. This transformation enhanced the scale, specifications as well as operational efficiencies across the industry. Today, we are witnessing the next radical phase of evolution from DC grade DC to Artificial Intelligence (AI) grade DCs - with massive scales, even higher densities and faster deployment ramps," says Vipin Shirsat, Managing Director, Princeton Digital Group, India.

Shirsat will deliver a special keynote address on the topic: "Building and scaling AI infrastructure in India". He says, "Although AI and Machine Learning (ML) requirements have just started hitting the market, they are coming with a big bang. Data centre infrastructure design is undergoing a generational shift to meet AI requirements. AI usually runs on huge clusters made up of power dense GPUs - processing units required for ML/AI. To meet these demands, DC infrastructure will have to evolve to be AI-ready, and operators will have to adopt new design and architecture suitable for AI requirements. It might be too early to gauge their potential. AI-ready DC capacity demand is expected to grow at 80%+ in the coming years."

Siddharth Jain (MD, EPI India) will also deliver a special keynote address on "The Future of Data Center Operations: A Quality Management framework with a maturity level approach". Other such special addresses will be delivered by Rajeev Sharma (CSO, Mitsubishi Electric India Ltd.), Deepak Singh Thakur (Power Conversion Business Director, Socomec Group), and Sanjay Motwani (VP - APAC, Legrand - Data, Power and Control). He says, "One of the biggest challenges today and for the foreseeable future is the operating efficiencies coupled with flexibility in a Data Center." He hopes his organisation can play a role in alleviating this, and says, "We at Legrand focus and help Data Center address these issues and guide the Data Centres in becoming more efficient as they scale their operations."

Roopak Karkala (VP Industrial Automation, Evio Pvt. Ltd.) will speak about Electrical Power Management Systems (EPMS) solutions for Data Centers as part of a Tech Bench Presentation. At another such Tech Bench presentation, Asim Ansari (Commercial Director, Airedale by Modine) will speak about a brand new data center fan wall range.

The Mumbai Cloud & Datacenter Convention and Awards 2023 will also include a modest technology expo that will showcase the latest innovations and futuristic technologies and advancements in the cloud and data center industry. The event will conclude with an Awards ceremony where the best of the best will be recognized and rewarded in as many as 15 different categories.

REGISTER NOW!

Join us at St. Regis on December 1st, 2023, for the Mumbai Cloud & Datacenter Convention and Awards. If you haven't booked your passes yet, or need more details about the agenda, speakers, schedule, and session information, please click here to register.

For sponsorship, exhibition and further involvement opportunities, get in touch at india@w.media

Media Contact:

Naveen Lawrence

+91-9867831994

navin@w.media

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Readies business for next chapter of growth

LONDON, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Checkout.com , the global payments solution provider, today announces the appointment of a new Chief Technology Officer, Mariano Albera.

Mariano has been with the business for over three years and has already had a significant impact on delivering unrivalled performance for merchants. A seasoned technology leader, Mariano has experience in leading technology teams and strategy for large global businesses. Prior to joining Checkout.com, Mariano served as the CTO of Expedia's Partner Solutions, the CTO of Ovo Energy, and the CTO of Thomas Cook's eCommerce and distribution systems. In his new role based in London, Mariano will accelerate the evolution of Checkout.com's platform and focus on offering merchants high-performance payments.

The appointment comes after the business reported an excellent growth of over 40% YoY, across its core sectors of Commerce and Fintech.

"I'm thrilled to be leading the Checkout.com global technology team. We have an incredible opportunity to use the latest innovations in machine learning and AI to improve the performance of our customers' payment operations. Payments is a critical step in online consumer experience, and we want to put all our expertise in making sure our customers perform better in the digital economy by optimising payment methods in each geography," said Mariano Albera, CTO, Checkout.com.

"We're excited about Mariano taking on the CTO role, and know that he is the best possible candidate for our next phase of growth. Mariano has a rare mix of intensity and attention to detail, with a systematic customer first mindset. Shipping innovative payment features and helping our merchants optimize their payment performance globally is our number one priority and the foundation behind our growth in 2024 and beyond", said Guillaume Pousaz, CEO, Checkout.com.

Ott Kaukver stepped down after three years in the position and will leave the business at the end of 2023.

About Checkout.com

Checkout.com is a global payments solution provider that helps businesses and their communities thrive in the digital economy. Purpose-built with performance, scalability, and speed in mind, its modular payments platform is ideal for enterprise businesses looking to integrate better payment solutions seamlessly. Checkout.com is trusted by global companies like Sony, Wise, GE Healthcare, and Shein. With an international team spread across 19 offices worldwide, it offers innovative solutions that flex to your needs, valuable insights that help you get smart about your payments' performance, and expertise you can count on as you navigate the complexities of an ever-shifting world. Find out more at www.checkout.com .

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MBABANE  I am just a banker and will need all the assistance.

The above statement was made by the newly-appointed Minister of Education and Training, Owen Nxumalo, during a meeting with the ministrys employees yesterday. Nxumalo asked to be oriented in the education sector as he did not have a professional understanding of same. He stated that he had worked in the banking sector for a period exceeding 25 years and was an accountant by profession. The minister said he best understood the banking sector, as he was skilled in it until he assumed a managerial position and sat in the executive committee (EXCO). If you have been trained in a skill, you have an understanding of it and know exactly what you are doing. The minister said he would seek the Director of Education, Dr Ntombenhle Dlamini, to orient him about the ministry.

Nxumalo promised to respect the employees as professionals, adding that he would also seek advice whenever there was a need. Even at Cabinet level, I will come with the professional expertise on whatever matter. He pleaded with the employees to be supportive and team players. The minister said he had private sector experience as he worked there and encouraged the staff to work hard and get appraisals in order to get promotions based on hard work. I promise that I will not offer any favours for staff members, but will treat people the same.

Nxumalo said he was happy that the employees mentioned the issue of Circular Number 3, 2013, which would allow for vacant posts to be filled in the ministry, adding that guidelines covering issues of skills audit would be addressed. This, he said, would help evaluate if one qualified to be employed in a specific post. I will not be recognising people because of relations but on merit, the minister said.

Furthermore, he called for the rooting out of corruption at all levels in the country. Nxumalo stated that he would also be alert that he did not fall into the corruption trap. He said he was hoping to work collectively with all employees under the ministry. The minister mentioned that Cabinet, in the past, worked collectively and discouraged ministers to make statements without their knowledge. We will discuss issues and agree on the direction to be taken. Nxumalo said whenever they failed, it should not be because of working in silos. The minister added that the ministry needed to perform well in order for him to have another chance to serve the ministry, adding that other former ministers were not able to come back due to underperformance.

Nxumalo mentioned that he was a good listener and would visit all the stations and find out their challenges and write them down, with the assistance of the director of education. We will then give feedback on the challenges and where we are in terms of progress. He said they needed to push hard for the budget and mentioned the gaps the ministry faced. Nxumalo said he had mentioned earlier on the delays in the free primary education (FPE) funding, adding that it was important that schools were supported with all the necessary tools in order for them to perform. He also encouraged the employees to take the strategic and annual plans as their bibles when working. He said the Education Ministry was critical, hence as a Christian, he urged all to pray because the most important thing was delivering quality education in rural areas. Nxumalo said a number of issues touching on the ministry were raised during Sibaya, including the standardisation of school fees, which he said needed to be looked into and reports be compiled.
CHICAGO, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As per the most recent analysis conducted by We Market Research, the carbon steel market is poised to attain a value of $ 953.6 billion by the end of 2023. Gazing into the future, the market's potential appears even more impressive, with projections suggesting a substantial surge to $1,542 billion till 2033. This remarkable growth trajectory is underpinned by a robust compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.4% expected between 2023 and 2033.

The growing consumer emphasis on safety within the automotive sector is expected to drive a significant surge in the demand for carbon steel in the years to come.

The automotive industry is undergoing a significant transformation, and one of the key drivers of change is the growing emphasis on safety by consumers. With an increasing awareness of the importance of vehicle safety features, there is a strong shift towards using high-strength materials like carbon steel in automobile manufacturing.

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Carbon steel's popularity in the automotive sector is primarily due to its exceptional structural strength and impact resistance. This makes it a preferred choice for constructing the vehicle's frame and body, ensuring better protection for occupants during accidents. Moreover, advancements in steel manufacturing techniques have led to the development of advanced high-strength carbon steel variants, which are not only strong but also lightweight. This helps automakers meet the dual goals of enhancing safety while improving fuel efficiency.

In the coming years, this trend is expected to gain even more momentum. Consumers are increasingly demanding vehicles that offer comprehensive safety features, including robust crash protection. Regulatory bodies and safety organizations are also raising the bar by introducing stringent safety standards. As a result, automakers are turning to advanced materials like carbon steel to meet these requirements.

In addition to safety considerations, the versatility and cost-effectiveness of carbon steel make it an attractive choice for automakers. It can be molded into various shapes and sizes, providing design flexibility without substantially increasing production costs.

As consumer perception continues to place safety at the forefront of vehicle selection criteria, the demand for carbon steel in the automotive sector is poised to experience a significant upswing. This trend not only benefits consumers with safer vehicles but also contributes to the ongoing evolution of the automotive industry toward a more secure and technologically advanced future.

In the forecast period, Europe is poised to bring about a significant transformation in the carbon steel industry.

In the upcoming forecast period, Europe is emerging as a pivotal player in shaping the dynamics of the carbon steel market. Several key factors are converging to propel Europe into a position of prominence within this industry.

Carbon Steel Market Report Scope:

Report Attributes Description Market Size in 2023 USD 953.6 Billion Market Forecast in 2033 USD 1,542.8 Billion CAGR % 2023-2033 3.4 % Base Year 2022 Historic Data 2016-2022 Forecast Period 2023-2033 Report USP Production, Consumption, company share, company heatmap, company production capacity, growth factors and more Segments Covered Type and Application Regional Scope North America, Europe, APAC, South America and Middle East and Africa Country Scope U.S.; Canada; U.K.; Germany; France; Italy; Spain; Benelux; Nordic Countries; Russia; China; India; Japan; South Korea; Australia; Indonesia; Thailand; Mexico; Brazil; Argentina; Saudi Arabia; UAE; Egypt; South Africa; Nigeria Key Companies HBIS Group; Baosteel Group; ArcelorMittal; Nippon Steel Corporation; POSCO; AK Steel Corporation; NLMK; Evraz plc; United States Steel; and JFE Steel Corporation among others

One of the foremost drivers of this transformation is the region's strong commitment to sustainability and environmental considerations. European countries have been at the forefront of adopting stringent regulations and eco-friendly practices. As a result, the European carbon steel market is increasingly focusing on the development of cleaner and more sustainable production processes. This aligns with the global trend toward reducing the carbon footprint of steel production, making European carbon steel products more attractive to environmentally conscious consumers and industries.

Europe's emphasis on innovation and technology is another driving force. The region has been actively investing in research and development, leading to the creation of advanced, high-strength carbon steel alloys. These innovations are being incorporated into a wide range of applications, from automotive manufacturing to construction, where strength and durability are paramount. This technological edge positions Europe to provide cutting-edge solutions to global markets.

Furthermore, Europe's role as a major hub for automotive and construction industries is contributing significantly to the transformation of the carbon steel market. As these sectors prioritize safety, energy efficiency, and sustainability, the demand for high-quality carbon steel is on the rise.

Lastly, Europe's strategic location and established trade networks make it a pivotal exporter of carbon steel products. Its ability to supply quality carbon steel to global markets further solidifies its influence within the industry.

In summary, Europe is undergoing a remarkable shift in the carbon steel market, driven by its commitment to sustainability, innovation, and its strong industrial presence. As these factors converge, Europe's impact on the carbon steel industry during the forecast period is poised to be transformative, shaping the industry's direction and offerings for years to come.

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Competitive Landscape

The carbon steel market is characterized by intense competition among numerous players, ranging from large multinational corporations to regional producers.

ArcelorMittal is the world's largest steel producer, with a significant presence in the carbon steel industry accounting for around 15% of the market share. The company operates in over 60 countries and produces a wide range of carbon steel products for various applications.

Nippon Steel Corporation is a leading Japanese steel producer and a major player in the carbon steel market. The company is known for its high-quality carbon steel products and its focus on technological innovation.

China Baowu Steel Group is the largest steel producer in China and a significant player in the global market. The company has a vast production capacity and is expanding its presence in international markets.

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Denver, Colorado--(Newsfile Corp. - November 21, 2023) - CBD of Denver, Inc. (OTC Pink: CBDD), today announced that Magic Lappen is set to expand beyond brick and mortar stores to teleshopping as Libra 9 GmbH signed a new partnership with Channel 21 (formerly RTL Shop), the third largest teleshopping channel in Germany.

"We are pleased to announce a partnership between Libra 9 GmbH and Channel 21, one of Germany's leading teleshopping broadcasters. This partnership marks a significant step for our flagship product, the Magic Lappen, as we introduce it to a broader audience through Channel 21's extensive network," stated CBDD CEO Axel Reinke.

Channel 21 is known for its rigorous selection process, emphasizing innovative, high-quality products. The inclusion of the Magic Lappen in their product range is a testament to the exceptional quality and uniqueness of the product.

The Magic Lappen, a revolutionary cleaning cloth that delivers streak-free results with just water, will be available in a convenient 3-piece set through Channel 21. This opportunity to showcase the product on such a reputable platform provides a significant opportunity. Channel 21's reach extends to approximately 32 million households, providing unparalleled exposure to the target market. This exposure is crucial for demonstrating the unique capabilities and benefits of the Magic Lappen to a wide audience.

The potential for sales growth through this partnership is substantial. Channel 21 has a strong customer base of nearly 6 million shoppers who trust the network for its quality and innovative products. "We are confident that the Magic Lappen will be well-received by this discerning audience, further establishing our brand in the market, and contributing to our sales growth. The premiere of 'The Magic Lappen' is scheduled for the end of February, although there is a chance it might debut earlier, possibly in December," states Mr. Reinke.

CBD of Denver also is announcing the filing of Q3 with OTC markets. The company has sales of $677,893 for Q3 of 2023 vs $26,907 for the same period last year. The sales are approximately $145,000 for Berliner and $532,000 for Luxora. The company is also pleased to announce that the net loss from operations has improved to a loss of $50,850 this quarter vs $219,160 for the same period last year. For the first 9 months of 2023, the loss is $94,284 vs $982,924 for the same period of 2022. The Company's initiatives have been achieving the desired results. The Company had a board call last week and most of the board and key executives will be meeting in Berlin in early December to continue finalizing Company's 2024 strategy for both the Berliner and Luxora verticals. One topic of this meeting will be to streamline the reporting process, so the company does not have to apply for another extension again next quarter. This initiative has already been discussed and agreed upon with the Company taking the first steps this Wednesday to put in new support personal, professionals and protocols so the Company is ready to file in a timely matter. The Company will continue to provide updates to the public and our shareholders.

About CBD of Denver, Inc. (BERLINER INNOVATION)

CBD of Denver, Inc. is focused on acquiring profitable assets at attractive valuations to create value for shareholders. The company's team is dedicated to sourcing high-margin, innovative products that align with its values. The Company is offering a number of innovative consumer products through Libra 9 GmbH, such as the Magic Lappen and the BerlinR13 Anti-Slip solution.

Follow Magic Lappen on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok for more information and updates.

Follow The Magic Lappen on Instagram: @themagiclappen

Shop on our website: https://www.the-magic-lappen.com/

Visit the CBDD/ Berliner Innovation: www.berlinerinnovation.de

See our innovative Anti-Slip product: www.berlinr13.de

For questions, please contact us at: investors@libra9.de

About LUXORA LLC

LUXORA LLC is a trailblazing entity in the European cannabis industry, with offices spanning the USA and Europe. Our core expertise revolves around unlocking the potential of the legalized cannabis market, offering infrastructure solutions and consulting tailored to the dynamic needs of this rapidly expanding sector. With a profound understanding of the opportunities and challenges brought forth by legalization, our experienced team is dedicated to pioneering the future of the legal cannabis market in Europe. Our offerings range from consulting and market research to product development and distribution solutions, aimed at simplifying the path to legalization for our esteemed clients.

For inquiries, please contact Investor Relations: investors@luxora-holding.com

For more information, please visit: www.luxora-holding.com

Follow Us: Twitter | Instagram.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/188207
TechScope Training has reported surpassing $20 million in offer letters for its students, marking a significant milestone in the company's history.

New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - November 21, 2023) - TechScope Training, a pioneering institution in the realm of IT education and career development, has reached a remarkable milestone. With an impressive accomplishment of surpassing $20 million in student offer letters, TechScope Training has solidified its reputation as an industry leader. This achievement underscores the effectiveness of TechScope in bridging comprehensive tech education with lucrative employment opportunities, facilitating a bright and prosperous future for its students.

TechScope Training Achieves Remarkable Milestone with 20 Million in Student Offer Letters

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TechScope Training has reported surpassing $20 million in offer letters for its students, marking a significant milestone in the company's history. This achievement highlights the organization's effectiveness in connecting comprehensive tech education with employment opportunities in the industry.

Rohan Hossain, CEO of TechScope, has been instrumental in steering the company's educational programs to align with the evolving demands of the tech sector, facilitating career progression for students. His strategic leadership and dedication to aligning the institution's educational programs with the ever-evolving demands of the tech sector have propelled TechScope to new heights.

"Our objective is to deliver an education that equips our students with the necessary skills to navigate and succeed in the current tech landscape, getting into tech isn't hard just confusing," Rohan stated.

TechScope's approach to education extends beyond technical skill enhancement, offering career support services that have been instrumental in the high-quality job placements of its graduates.

The company has forged strategic partnerships with leading tech entities such as AWS, Salesforce, Databricks, and GCP. These collaborations ensure that TechScope's curriculum remains at the forefront of technological innovation and industry relevance.

"Through these partnerships, we integrate practical industry knowledge into our educational offerings," Hossain explained. Its team holds AWS certifications and specializes in various technical services, including development, architecture, and administration.

TechScope's portfolio includes 37 clients and 85 consulting contracts, with a team that holds AWS certifications and specializes in various technical services, including development, architecture, and administration.

Looking to the future, TechScope Training is well-positioned to maintain its role as a pioneer in tech education. With Hossain at the helm, the company is poised to respond and shape the industry's standards, fostering a generation of tech professionals who are as innovative as they are skilled.

Hossain encapsulated this sentiment perfectly. "Our resolve is unyielding: we are on course to a future enriched by groundbreaking achievements and substantial contributions to the IT industry," says Hossain.

As a prominent figure in the realms of IT training, staffing, and consulting, TechScope is committed to offering services tailored to the evolving needs of the IT sector. This approach ensures that the tech talent it nurtures not only excels in the current workforce but also plays an influential role in pioneering the transformation of the IT industry.

About TechScope

TechScope provides IT training, staffing, and consulting services. The company focuses on delivering practical and effective education to develop skilled technology professionals capable of meeting industry demands.

Contact Info:

Name: Rohan Hossain, CEO

Email: admin@techscope.org

Organization: TechScope

Website: http://techscope.org

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/188206


LONDON (dpa-AFX) - The UK government borrowing exceeded expectations and also hit the second highest level on record for the month of October, but the borrowing so far this financial year was less than the official projection, giving room for maneuver in the autumn statement.



Public sector net borrowing excluding banks increased by GBP 4.4 billion to GBP 14.9 billion in October, the Office for National Statistics reported Tuesday. This was the second biggest October borrowing since monthly records began in 1993.



Interest payable hit the highest for any October since records started in April 1997, the ONS said.



Central government debt interest payables grew GBP 1.1 billion from the last year to GBP 7.5 billion and also exceeded the Office for Budget Responsibility's estimate of GBP 4.9 billion.



At the same time, receipts increased by GBP 2.5 billion to GBP 76.9 billion, which was also above the GBP 75.4 billion forecast by the OBR in March.



In the financial year-to-October, PSNB excluding banks was GBP 98.3 billion, which was GBP 21.9 billion more than in the same period last year. However, borrowing was still GBP 16.9 billion less than the OBR forecast of GBP 115.2 billion.



'With the election drawing nearer, the Chancellor surely won't be able to resist the temptation to unveil a pre-election splash', said Capital Economics' economist Ruth Gregory said.



Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is set to unveil a net fiscal giveaway averaging about GBP 12 billion or 0.5 percent of GDP per annum, Gregory noted.



In a speech on Monday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak suggested personal tax cuts in the Autumn Statement on Wednesday.



The Institute for Fiscal Studies reportedly warned that the government can only afford 'a tiny tax cut'.



The ONS data showed that public sector net debt came in at around 97.8 percent of GDP at the end of October.



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Umm Al Quwain, United Arab Emirates--(Newsfile Corp. - November 21, 2023) - Qemtex Powder Coatings has commenced the construction of the inaugural powder coatings plant in Umm Al Quwain, UAE. The facility in the UAQ Free Trade Zone is anticipated to become operational by June 2024, with a projected production capacity of 10,000 tons per year.





Notable figures at the groundbreaking ceremony included the CEO and Co-founder of Qemtex, Alexandr Glukhov; and General Manager of UAQ FTZ, Johnson M. George

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The Qemtex Powder Coatings plant will take shape in the UAQ FTZ, United Arab Emirates, over the next eight months. By its targeted launch in June 2024, the plant's capacity will reach 4,000 tons of finished products per year, with a subsequent three-year plan to increase production to 10,000 tons annually. The facility will manufacture a diverse range of powder coatings. All countries within the MENA and EU regions will be able to buy powder coatings from Qemtex, and there are plans for market entry into the US.

Over the next three years, the total investment in construction and development will exceed 60 million dirhams (approximately $16 million). The project will draw upon European technologies and innovations by Kazakhstan-based AsiaColor Powder Coatings.

At the groundbreaking ceremony, the Co-founder of Qemtex Powder Coatings, Alexandr Glukhov, stated, "We are grateful to Umm Al Quwain and the Free Trade Zone for creating favorable conditions for companies to enter the international market. This is an excellent location for manufacturing with robust physical and legislative infrastructure. For us, entrepreneurs from Kazakhstan, this is a significant milestone as we are already expanding globally."





CEO and Co-founder of Qemtex Powder Coatings, Alexandr Glukhov

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Key participants in the groundbreaking ceremony included Alexandr Glukhov (CEO and Co-founder of Qemtex Powder Coatings) and Johnson M. George (General Manager of UAQ FTZ), along with partners of Qemtex.

Iurii Nemtcev, MR

Marketing Manager

QEMTEX Powder Coatings

Dubai, UAE

Info@qemtex.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/188038
Lead, South Dakota--(Newsfile Corp. - November 21, 2023) - Dakota Gold Corp. (NYSE American: DC) ("Dakota Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to report assays from an additional six drill holes from the Richmond Hill Gold Project ("Richmond Hill") in South Dakota. RH23C-059 returned an exceptionally high-grade intercept, 0.575 oz/ton Au over 7.3 feet (19.73 grams/tonne over 2.2 meters) within a larger interval of 0.249 oz/ton Au over 19.5 feet (8.55 grams/tonne over 5.9 meters). This intercept is outside the known historical resource boundary of the Richmond Hill Breccia Pipe and is the highest-grade intercept returned to date from Dakota Gold's drilling campaign at Richmond Hill proving that higher grades are possible throughout the very large, Richmond Hill Breccia Pipe Complex.

Highlights (See Table 1):

Drill hole RH23C-059 intersected 0.575 oz/ton Au over 7.3 feet (19.73 grams/tonne over 2.2 meters) within a larger interval of 0.249 oz/ton Au over 19.5 feet (8.55 grams/tonne over 5.9 meters) in an area outside of known historic resource boundaries.

RH23C-059 was collared in oxidized and altered Precambrian greenstone basement rocks located on the shoulder of and in between the Richmond Hill Breccia Deposit and the Turnaround Breccia Target where these rocks were exposed to increased structural preparation and hydrothermal fluid flow caused by the emplacement of the two breccia bodies. Other similar relationships are seen elsewhere on the property and may hold similar high-grade opportunities for future exploration.

The Company has completed the validation/metallurgical drill program at Richmond Hill and has submitted all metallurgical samples for analysis with expected results in early January 2024. Assay results for an additional eleven drill holes completed before and after the validation/metallurgical program remain outstanding.

James Berry, Vice President Exploration of Dakota Gold, said, "The results from RH23C-059 are telling us there are high-grade opportunities at Richmond Hill. It is a large and complex geologic system, and we are learning about the important controls over gold deposition with each drill hole completed. We are starting to see a common pattern of higher gold grades which we will apply in future exploration targeting and resource development work."

Exploration Update:

RH23C-059

RH23C-059 was drilled due west and was designed to validate historical resources below the historical Richmond Hill open pit mine. The drill intersected 0.575 oz/ton Au over 7.3 feet (19.73 grams/tonne over 2.2 meters) within a larger interval of 0.249 oz/ton Au over 19.5 feet (8.55 grams/tonne over 5.9 meters) within altered Precambrian greenstone at less than 100 feet below the surface outside of the reclaimed pit area. Almost all the mineralization in RH23C-059 occurs in the Precambrian wall rocks adjacent too but not within Richmond Hill Breccia. RH23C-059 intercepts also include 0.067 oz/ton Au over 76.4 feet (2.30 grams/tonne over 23.3 meters), 0.022 oz/ton Au over 27.6 feet (0.75 grams/tonne over 8.4 meters), and 0.051 oz/ton Au over 9.9 feet (1.75 grams/tonne over 3.0 meters).

RH23C-054

RH23C-054 was designed to validate historical resources below the historical Richmond Hill Mine open pit mine and was angled about 25 degrees to the south of RH23C-059 from the same drill pad. It encountered similar altered Precambrian rocks also outside the historical Richmond Hill Mine pit but returned overall lower grades within a similar interval of greenstone: 0.044 oz/ton Au over 10.0 feet (1.51 grams/tonne over 3 meters), 0.044 oz/ton Au over 10.7 feet (1.51 grams/tonne over 3.3 meters), 0.038 oz/ton Au over 25.6 feet (1.30 grams/tonne over 7.8 meters) and 0.053 oz/ton Au over 10.8 feet (1.82 grams/tonne over 3.3 meters). Mineralization was also encountered at depth below the historical resource pit in Tertiary Breccias and intercepted 0.027 oz/ton Au over 38.8 feet (0.93 grams/tonne over 11.8 meters) and 0.044 oz/ton Au over 20.1 feet (1.51 grams/tonne over 6.1 meters).

RH23C-056

RH23C-056 was designed to validate historical resources below the historical Richmond Hill Mine open pit mine and was angled about 60 degrees to the south of RH23C-059 from the same drill pad. Mineralized intercepts occur mostly deeper in the hole associated with both Tertiary Breccia and in altered Precambrian wall rocks near the main Tertiary Breccia body. The best intercepts from this zone were 0.037 oz/ton Au over 29.7 feet (1.27 grams/tonne over 9.1 meters) and 0.059 oz/ton over 28.8 feet (2.02 grams/tonne over 8.8 meters).

RH23C-055

RH23C-055 was designed to test the northern end of the MW3 East Zone area. The upper portion of the drill hole intervals were Tertiary mineralization hosted in the Cambrian Deadwood Formation. The lower portion of the drill hole intercepted higher-grade, 0.082 opt Au over 42.0 feet (2.81 grams/tonne over 12.8 meters) in Tertiary Breccias.

RH23C-018

RH23C-018 was designed as an exploration drill hole east and south of the MW3 Main Zone. Only minor, Tertiary Breccia mineralization was encountered.

RH23C-019

RH23C-019 was designed as an exploration drill hole to test the north end of the Turnaround Breccia. Pervasive but lower-grade mineralization was encountered throughout the hole like results from other holes in this area.





Table 1. RH23C-018, RH23C-019, RH23C-054, RH23C-055, RH23C-056, and RH23C-059 Drill Results (Imperial / Metric Units)

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Abbreviations in the table include ounces per ton ("oz/ton"); grams per tonne ("g/t"); feet ("ft"); meter ("m"); Tertiary breccia hosted mineralization ("Bx"); Cambrian Deadwood Fm hosted Tertiary mineralization; Tertiary intrusive hosted mineralization ("Tert"); and Precambrian hosted Tertiary mineralization.





Figure 1. Plan View of Dakota Gold Corp. Richmond Hill Drill Holes with Highlighted Gold Intercepts.

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Figure 2. Cross Section View of Richmond Hill Drill Hole RH23C-059.

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The Company currently has four drills operating on its properties in the Homestake District of South Dakota, at the Maitland Gold Project (Maitland) and Richmond Hill Gold Project. The Maitland drills are targeting Homestake-hosted and Tertiary gold mineralization and the Richmond Hill drills are targeting Tertiary breccias and replacement mineralization. Richmond Hill is located 2.3 miles west of Maitland and 1.5 miles north of Coeur Mining, Inc.'s Wharf Mine.

About Dakota Gold Corp.

Dakota Gold (NYSE American: DC) is a South Dakota-based responsible gold exploration and development company with a specific focus on revitalizing the Homestake District in Lead, South Dakota. Dakota Gold has high-caliber gold mineral properties covering over 46 thousand acres surrounding the historic Homestake Mine.

The Dakota Gold team is focused on new gold discoveries and opportunities that build on the legacy of the Homestake District and its 145 years of gold mining history.

Subscribe to Dakota Gold's e-mail list at www.dakotagoldcorp.com to receive the latest news and other Company updates.

Shareholder and Investor Inquiries

For more information, please contact:

Jonathan Awde, President and Chief Executive Officer

Tel: +1 604-761-5251

Email: JAwde@dakotagoldcorp.com

Qualified Person and S-K 1300 Disclosure

James M. Berry, a Registered Member of SME and Vice President of Exploration of Dakota Gold Corp., is the Company's designated qualified person for this news release as defined in Subpart 1300 - Disclosure by Registrants Engaged in Mining Operations of Regulation S-K and has reviewed and approved its scientific and technical content.

The ranges of potential tonnage and grade (or quality) disclosed above in respect of the Richmond Hill Gold Project are conceptual in nature and could change as the proposed exploration activities are completed. There has been insufficient exploration of the Richmond Hill Gold Project to allow for an estimate of a mineral resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the estimation of a mineral resource. The disclosure above in respect of the Richmond Hill Gold Project therefore does not represent, and should not be construed to be, an estimate of a mineral resource or mineral reserve.

Quality Assurance/Quality Control consists of regular insertion of certified reference materials, duplicate samples, and blanks into the sample stream. Check samples will be submitted to an umpire laboratory as the drill program progresses. Assay results are reviewed, and discrepancies are investigated prior to incorporation into the Company database. Samples are submitted to the ALS Geochemistry sample preparation facility in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Gold and multi-element analyses are performed at the ALS Geochemistry laboratory in Vancouver, British Columbia. ALS Minerals is an ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited lab.

Forward-Looking Statements

This communication contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and expectations that may not be realized and are inherently subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from these statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among others, the execution and timing of our planned exploration activities, our use and evaluation of historic data, our ability to achieve our strategic goals, the state of the economy and financial markets generally and the effect on our industry, and the market for our common stock. The foregoing list is not exhaustive. For additional information regarding factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in our forward-looking statements, we refer you to the risk factors included in Item 1A of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-KT for the nine-month transition period ended December 31, 2022, as amended, as updated by annual, quarterly and other reports and documents that we file with the SEC. We caution investors not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this communication. These statements speak only as of the date of this communication, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise these statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. We do not give any assurance that we will achieve our expectations.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/188337
The citric acid market is expected to witness notable growth owing to its wide application as a preservative, flavoring agent, taste enhancer, and pH balancer in the food & beverages, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics industry. An increase in the usage of citric acid in the food & beverage industry, such as in bakeries, confectionery, sauces, condiments, and dressings is expected to fuel the market growth.

PORTLAND, Ore, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Citric Acid Market by Form (Powder and Liquid), Gender (Male and Female), Application (Acidulant, Cleaning Agent, Binding Agent, Preservatives, and Others), Grade (Food, Industrial, and Pharmaceuticals) and End Use (Food & Beverages, Cleaning & Sanitation, Animal Feed, Personal Care, and Pharmaceuticals), Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032". According to the report, the citric acid market was valued at $4,081.7 million in 2022 and is projected to reach $7,028.2 million by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 5.6% from 2023 to 2032.

Request Sample Report: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/39970

Prime determinants of growth

The citric acid market is driven by factors such as an increase in demand for packaged food and beverages products and rise in demand for organic food additives. However, fluctuating costs and availability of raw materials and dental issues related to the consumption of citric acid enriched products restrict the market growth. Moreover, the introduction in technological advancement in the manufacturing of citric acid offers new opportunities in the coming years.

Report coverage & details:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2023-2032 Base Year 2022 Market Size in 2022 $4,081.7 million Market Size in 2032 $7,028.2 million CAGR 5.6 % No. of Pages in Report 584 Segments covered Form, Application, Grade, End Use, and Region Drivers - Increase in demand for packaged food and beverages products - Rise in demand for organic food additives - Growth and expansion of personal care and cosmetics industry. Opportunities - Technological advancements - Growing demand for citric acid-based cleaning products. Restraints - Citric acid leads to dental problems - Fluctuating costs and availability of raw materials

The powder segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period

Based on form, the powder segment dominated the market in 2022 accounting for more than four-fifths of the market share and is expected to dominate the market during the forecast period. This segment is projected to attain the highest CAGR of 5.4% from 2023 to 2032, owing to its easy usage and wide available in the market.

Buy This Report (584 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, and Figures) @ https://bit.ly/3G2JNEM

The acidulant segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period

Based on application, the acidulant segment dominated the market in 2022 accounting for more than three-fifths of the market share and is expected to dominate the market during the forecast period. This segment is projected to attain the highest CAGR of 5.1% from 2023 to 2032, owing to the high usage in the food and beverages industry as a natural flavor enhancer.

The food segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period

On the basis of the grade, the food segment dominated the market in 2022 accounting for more than two-thirds of the market share and is expected to maintain its dominance during the forecast period. The increase in the growth rate of the global population propels the demand for food products in the market. Therefore, the requirement of food grade citric acid is high in the food & beverages industry as it helps to increase the shelf life of the product.

The food and beverages segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period

On the basis of the end use, the food and beverages segment dominated the market in 2022 accounting for more than two-thirds of the market share and is expected to maintain its dominance during the forecast period. The need for quality food-grade citric acid is high in the food and beverages industry as consumers are aware and conscious of maintaining proper health condition and seek food and beverage products made from good quality ingredients.

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 more than one-third of the global citric acid market revenue and is likely to dominate the market during the forecast period. Asia-Pacific is home to one of the largest food and beverages market. The food and beverages industry in this region is expanding rapidly because of the rise in living standards and increase in disposable money among customers. Therefore, the requirement of citric acid as a preservative and acidulant is high in the food and beverage industry.

Enquire Before Buying: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/39970

Leading Market Players: -

Foodchem International Corporation

BASF SE

Jungbunzlauer Suisse AG

Shandong Juxian Hongde Citric Acid Co. Ltd.

Tate & Lyle PLC

Cargill, Incorporated

Citribel NV

Sucroal S.A.

Gadot Biochemical Industries Ltd.

Archer-Daniels-Midland Company

F.B.C Industries, Inc.

Shandong Ensign Industry Co.,Ltd.

Koninklijke DSM N.V.

RZBC Group Co., Ltd.

Huangshi Xinghua Biochemical Co, Ltd.

The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the citric acid market. These players have adopted different strategies such as acquisition, partnerships, and new product launches to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in the market. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario.

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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.

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International Thinkers Converge in Saudi Arabia for Groundbreaking Dialogue on Ethics and Communication in the Modern Age

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As a key player in various industries and sectors, Saudi Arabia continues to forge ahead with its ambitious Saudi Vision 2030 goals. This year, the Kingdom takes a significant step in the realm of philosophical engagement by hosting the third annual Riyadh International Philosophy Conference from December 7th to 9th. The conference's theme, 'Trans-Cultural Values and Ethical Challenges in the Communicative Age', represents a substantial highlight on the global philosophical calendar for the year 2023.

Set against the backdrop of Riyadh's diverse cultural landscape, the event is more than just a meeting of minds; it is a symbol of the Kingdom's commitment to fostering global dialogue and understanding. This philosophy conference is a testament to Saudi Arabia's role in creating prosperous platforms that meld cultural and intellectual thought from around the world, aligning with its vision to be a leader across diverse fields, and to guide humanity towards a future characterized by progress, development, and mutual understanding.

Attracting esteemed philosophers, historians, scientists, and artists from over 13 countries, the conference is poised to be a melting pot of ideas and perspectives. It will explore the intricacies of transculturality, tackling how we can navigate ethical challenges in a world where cultural boundaries are increasingly blurred.

This year's discussions aim to probe the core of collective human experience, examining how cultural interactions shape identities and influence the future. The Riyadh International Philosophy Conference stands as a symbol of inclusivity, inviting a spectrum of thought to contribute to a diverse and engaging philosophical dialogue.

For more information about the conference and its schedule, please check the official website: HERE

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Indicative Terms for up to US$598m in a potential UKEF (UK Export Credit Agency) Supported Project Financing

Company in final stages of appointing the Mandated Lead Arranger for Monte Do Carmo, Brazil

(All numbers reported in US dollars)

TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / Cerrado Gold Inc. (TSXV:CERT)(OTCQX:CRDOF) ("Cerrado" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that further to the October 18, 2023 announcement in relation to potential Export Credit Agency ("ECA") Supported Project Financing of up to $598 million, the Company has appointed the Toronto-Dominion Bank ("TD") as the MLA for its Mont Sorcier Iron and Vanadium Project located in Quebec. Cerrado is also in the final stages of finalizing the appointment of the MLA for its Monte Do Carmo project in Brazil.

As announced on September 5th, the Company together with its advisors, SD Capital Advisory Ltd and GKB Ventures Ltd ("S&G"), initiated a tender process to solicit interest from global Project Finance Banks to act as the MLA for the Company's Brazil and Quebec projects. As a result of this competitive process, the company received compelling bids. Together with the Company's advisors, the bids were evaluated based on ECA Project Finance Experience, execution capabilities and ultimately the financial terms for the Project Financing. TD has extensive experience in ECA financing, a longstanding relationship with UKEF, and presented competitive and compelling terms for the project financing.

The UKEF-backed facility is expected to be for up to US$598 million on a non-recourse project financing basis for a total tenor of 11 years. The funding will be to cover 70% of the expected project capital expenditures for the Mont Sorcier project.

As is common for ECA-supported Project Financing, UKEF provides political and commercial guarantees to project lenders, thereby lowering the overall project risk to the lender and resulting in lower costs of capital. This reduces the cost of debt to Cerrado Gold (and its 100% owned company Voyager Metals Inc) whilst at the same time extending tenors and creating debt capacity not normally available in the commercial bank market. To secure such support, project developers commit to a pre-agreed level of procurement from UK-based organizations for goods, services and materials. UKEF's mandate is to promote and support exports from British companies in the global market.

The appointment of TD is on an exclusive basis and sets out the indicative terms upon which the proposed ECA financing is expected to be based. For the avoidance of doubt, the terms are purely indicative and do not constitute an offer of finance or a legally binding commitment of any kind to provide finance. The provision of any binding offer is subject to, among other things: credit and other internal approvals; E&S approvals; satisfactory due diligence and documentation; satisfaction of KYC requirements and other terms customary for this type of transaction.

While the conclusion of project financing remains subject to the completion of a bankable feasibility study, an environmental impact assessment, the granting of construction permits, amongst other requirements, the appointment of the MLA is a significant milestone for the project financing of the Mont Sorcier project. At the Mont Sorcier project, work continues to advance the feasibility study and the environmental impact assessment. The feasibility study is targeted for completion in H2 2024 after which the next phase of the process will commence comprising of a formal due diligence period before a final binding offer and documentation.

Mark Brennan, CEO and Chairman, stated: "We are very pleased to have the support of TD as the MLA to lead our Project Financing in partnership with UKEF as we progress with the development of Mont Sorcier. We believe the strong interest in our project is indicative of the robust nature of the Mont Sorcier project and we look forward to working with TD, UKEF and other stakeholders to deliver the Mont Sorcier project".

About TD Bank Group

The Toronto-Dominion Bank and its subsidiaries are collectively known as TD Bank Group ("TD" or the "Bank"). TD is the sixth largest bank in North America by assets and serves over 27.5 million customers in four key businesses operating in a number of locations in financial centres around the globe: Canadian Personal and Commercial Banking, including TD Canada Trust and TD Auto Finance Canada; U.S. Retail, including TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, TD Auto Finance U.S., TD Wealth (U.S.), and an investment in The Charles Schwab Corporation; Wealth Management and Insurance, including TD Wealth (Canada), TD Direct Investing, and TD Insurance; and Wholesale Banking, including TD Securities and TD Cowen. TD also ranks among the world's leading online financial services firms, with more than 16 million active online and mobile customers. TD had $1.9 trillion in assets on July 31, 2023. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades under the symbol "TD" on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges.

About Cerrado

Cerrado Gold is a Toronto-based gold production, development, and exploration company focused on gold projects in South America. The Company is the 100% owner of both the producing Minera Don Nicolas and Las Calandrias mine in Santa Cruz province, Argentina, and the highly prospective Monte Do Carmo development project, located in Tocantins State, Brazil. In Canada, Cerrado Gold is developing it's 100% owned Mont Sorcier Iron Ore and Vanadium project located outside of Chibougamou, Quebec.

In Argentina, Cerrado is maximizing asset value at its Minera Don Nicolas operation through continued operational optimization and is growing production through its operations at the Las Calandrias Heap Leach project. An extensive campaign of exploration is ongoing to further unlock potential resources in our highly prospective land package in the heart of the Deseado Masiff.

In Brazil, Cerrado is rapidly advancing the Serra Alta deposit at its Monte Do Carmo Project, through feasibility and into production. Serra Alta is expected to be a high-margin and high-return project with significant exploration potential on an extensive and highly prospective 82,542 hectare land package.

In Canada, Cerrado holds a 100% interest in the Mont Sorcier Iron Ore and Vanadium Project, which has the potential to produce a premium iron ore concentrate over a long mine life at low operating costs and low capital intensity. Furthermore, its high grade and high purity product facilitates the migration of steel producers from blast furnaces to electric arc furnaces contributing to the decarbonisation of the industry and the achievement of SDG goals.

For more information about Cerrado please visit our website at: www.cerradogold.com.

Mark Brennan

CEO and Chairman

Mike McAllister

Vice President, Investor Relations

Tel: +1-647-805-5662

mmcallister@cerradogold.com

Disclaimer

NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking information" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation, all statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that discusses predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, without limitation, statements regarding the business and operations of Cerrado. In making the forward-looking statements contained in this press release, Cerrado has made certain assumptions, including, but not limited to completing the feasibility study and securing UKEF's support for the Mont Sorcier Project and the Monte Do Carmo Project, raising sufficient funds to cover the balance of project capital expenditures not covered by project financing, other conditions of closing a transaction with UKEF and TD including but not limited to those described in this news release and appointing an MLA for the Monte Do Carmo Project. Although Cerrado believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations of any forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this press release. Except as required by law, Cerrado disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward-looking statements or otherwise. Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking information, including, without limitation, the risks described under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties" in the Company's most recent Management's Discussion and Analysis and other risks identified in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The risk factors referred to above are not an exhaustive list of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking information. The Company's statements containing forward-looking information are based on the beliefs, expectations and opinions of management on the date the statements are made, and the Company does not assume any obligation to update such forward-looking information if circumstances or management's beliefs, expectations or opinions should change, other than as required by applicable law. For the reasons set forth above, one should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

SOURCE: Cerrado Gold Inc.

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HALIFAX, England, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- HX5 Encrypted Ltd, a UK software company, have built a new anonymous and encrypted messaging platform to help businesses be more effective and efficient when dealing with concerns.

The company founder claims it is going to revolutionise the way businesses deal with whistleblowers, change management, stock loss and customer and supplier feedback.

Andy Parr, the company's founder says, "We built the platform to be the first truly independent way for people to report to companies while maintaining their anonymity. There are two ways the system can work. A business can deploy the platform internally allowing anyone to report to them regardless of who they are. Or for companies that do not have the platform deployed people can report via the platform, and the platform automatically raises the concern with the company giving them chance to deal with it. We believe this level of independence provides the reporting person with total anonymity to protect them from being retaliated against for reporting something to the company."

Illegal Killings

Andy built the platform because he blew the whistle about illegal killings in Afghanistan and was retaliated against for raising the issue.

"I know what it is like to think you're doing the right thing and people will trust and listen to you, only for the organisation you're trying to protect to turn against you and treat you like the problem. It taught me a life lesson. If I faced the same circumstances again, I would still report but armed with what I now know, I would do it anonymously to protect my career. I would never report internally to a company that's causing concern because even though they often claim their systems are anonymous, there are lots of digital ways you can be identified," Andy said.

The platform comes with a portal website helping businesses keep a tab on what is being reported, who it is that is handling the report and various statistics to help managers know what the problems are inside the business and spot trends.

Total Business Eco-System

Because of the way it has been built, anyone, not just internal employees, can report. This means whistleblowing reports can come from the businesses eco-system, suppliers and customers, so they can report things like internal theft or stock loss and feedback on customer performance - helping the business to improve its bottom line through better management of issues.

For those companies that don't have whistleblowing software enabled internally, the reporting person can still raise a concern via it, submitting an internal company email that all messages will go to and from when they join. But this time, if the business doesn't deal with that matter effectively or fails to respond, the platform has a cohort of approved lawyers and journalists that the reporting person can 're-allocate' the report to, so they can resolve the matter more publicly and potentially through civil litigation. This option isn't available when the platform is deployed inside the company directly.

Uncover Serious Wrongdoing

Andy says this is important to uncover serious wrongdoing that impacts things like the environment for utility companies or fraud in the financial sector. "Our system is multi-sectoral. We have even deployed it as a 'crimestoppers' function in a police force. It facilitates safe communications between parties that are trying to do the right thing. But it protects both sides by ensuring the matter is dealt with effectively and efficiently and resolved to prevent further harm. We really believe it is a game-changer for whistleblowers. Because it allows them to report safely while helping to protect the organisation's reputation because without the platform the person can report externally without even engaging the company. In light of today's always on media and social media, stories can and do blow up and can cause significant reputational damage to companies that fail to deal with matters effectively. Our platform puts a stop to that risk."

About HX5 Encrypted Ltd

HX5 Encrypted is incorporated in the UK and builds software for businesses. They are currently working on a risk intelligence platform to enable banks and other large financial institutes to share intelligence to prevent money laundering and tax evasion. They are seeking financial investment to bring that solution to the market. For more information about the company or their software contact Andy via the details below.

Contact:

Office@hx5encrypted for more information

+44 (0)1422 415303

www.HX5Encrypted.co.uk

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NHLANGANO  One pupil died on the spot while 38 others were rushed to hospital after the kombis they were on board were involved in an accident.

The accident happened at an area called Power, just after Ngwane Teachers Training College, on the route to Makhosini from Nhlangano, in the Shiselweni Region. Both the kombis were headed towards the same direction. It was gathered from sources at the scene, that the white kombi that was behind the Quantum developed mechanical faults and hit the Quantum from behind.

It was said that both kombi drivers lost control of the vehicles, which then landed on the side of the road; with the white kombi rolling with the passengers on board. Also, it was gathered that the driver of the white kombi was seriously injured and is among those who were rushed to Hlatikhulu Government Hospital. After the accident, motorists rushed to the scene to help retrieve the pupils. It was gathered that some of the pupils were trapped inside, but they were eventually retrieved and rushed to hospital.

Critical

At least 11 of the pupils were said to be in a critical condition, while the others were treated and discharged. In hospital yesterday, some parents arrived shortly after the accident and were seen in queues with their children. Some were spotted standing outside the emergency room as the passages were packed and they were requested to wait for the healthcare workers to be able to move around. Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati confirmed the accident and that one person had died.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - November 21, 2023) - Purepoint Uranium Group Inc. (TSXV: PTU) (OTCQB: PTUUF) ("Purepoint" or the "Company") announced today the approval of the 2024 exploration program for the Smart Lake JV Project that is jointly owned by Cameco Corporation (73%) and Purepoint (27%). The Smart Lake Project is located approximately 18 km west-northwest of the Hook Lake Project and 60 km south-southwest of Orano's former Cluff Lake mine within the western Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan, Canada. The 2024 exploration program is scheduled for Q1-2024 and will include transient electromagnetic (EM) surveys targeting the Groomes Lake conductor.

"In recent years, advancement of our western projects has focused primarily on our Hook Lake joint venture. With the recent exploration successes in the region and a heightened market sentiment around uranium, we are very excited to return to Smart Lake with our partner Cameco," said Chris Frostad, President and CEO at Purepoint.

Highlights

The ground EM geophysical surveys will include approximately 15 km of Stepwise Moving Loop (SWML) and 24 km of Fixed Loop (FL) transient electromagnetics (TEM) that target the northern Groomes Lake conductor as follow up to previous airborne and ground geophysical results.

A DC resistivity/IP survey is planned to profile the Beatty River Fault, Groomes conductor, and eastern magnetic low and help identify sandstone structure and alteration.

The Groomes Lake conductor is considered a highly prospective uranium target and has not yet been drill tested.

Exploration at Smart Lake has firmly established the presence of graphitic shear zones that are locally hydrothermally altered and host to anomalous uranium mineralization. Numerous priority target areas, where EM conductors are cross-cut by east-west structures, are yet to be drill tested.

During the 2019 re-logging of Smart Lake drill core, it was immediately recognized that the rocks were similar to those encountered at our Hook Lake JV Project.

Geophysical surveys are expected to begin in Q1-2024.

Complete details of all Purepoint's exploration projects and next steps can be found on the company's website at https://purepoint.ca/investor/portfolio-handbook/.

Smart Lake Project

Purepoint, as operator, holds a 27% ownership of the Smart Lake project in joint venture with Cameco Corp.

The Smart Lake property includes two claims with a total area of 9,860 hectares situated in the southwestern portion of the Athabasca Basin, approximately 60 km south of the former Cluff Lake mine and 18 km west-northwest of Purepoint's Hook Lake JV Project.

Depth to the unconformity, where it occurs, is relatively shallow at less than 350 metres.

Aeromagnetic and electromagnetic patterns at Smart Lake reflect an extension of the patterns underlying the Shea Creek deposits (Indicated resource of 68M lbs at 1.50% U3O8; UEC PR Jan 2023) 55 km north of the property. Exploration by Purepoint has firmly established the presence of anomalous uranium and hydrothermal alteration. Numerous priority target areas, where EM conductors are cross-cut by east-west structures, are yet to be drill tested.

Like the Kianna fault at Shea Creek, known uranium mineralization at the Smart Lake project is associated with the intersection of the east-west Arthur Fault and north-south-striking fluid/chemical traps including the Shearwater conductor and chloritized mafic orthogneiss. The occurrence of low-grade uranium mineralization along the Arthur Fault away from Shearwater conductor underscore the need to target east-west structures both at the intersection with conductive anomalies and at magnetically interpreted lithological contacts.

Additional east-west striking faults (Groomes Lake and Cristobal) have been interpreted from examination of airborne magnetic and electromagnetic surveys. These faults are spatially related to strong EM conductors identified in both airborne and ground-based geophysical surveys.

About Purepoint

Purepoint Uranium Group Inc. (TSXV: PTU) (OTCQB: PTUUF) actively operates an exploration pipeline of 9 advanced projects in Canada's Athabasca Basin. In addition to its flagship joint venture project at Hook Lake with partners Cameco and Orano and a second joint venture with Cameco at Smart Lake, Purepoint also holds seven, 100% owned projects with proven uranium rich targets. With an aggressive exploration program underway on multiple projects, Purepoint is emerging as the preeminent uranium explorer in the world's richest uranium district.

Scott Frostad, P.Geo., Purepoint's Vice President, Exploration, is the Qualified Person responsible for technical content of this release.

For more information, please contact:

Chris Frostad, President & CEO

Phone: (416) 603-8368

Email: cfrostad@purepoint.ca

For additional information please visit our website at https://purepoint.ca, our X feed: @PurepointU3O8 or our LinkedIn page @Purepoint-Uranium.

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 Press release.

Disclosure regarding forward-looking statements

This press release contains projections and forward-looking information that involve various risks and uncertainties regarding future events. Such forward-looking information can include without limitation statements based on current expectations involving a number of risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance of the Company. These risks and uncertainties could cause actual results and the Company's plans and objectives to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. These and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking information are based on estimates and opinions of management on the dates they are made and expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/188103
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - November 21, 2023) - NORTEC MINERALS CORP. (TSXV: NVT) ("Nortec" or the "Company") is pleased to announce initial soil sampling results from the 2023 Soil Sampling Program on the Sturgeon Lake VMS project. Results from the first of four soil grids have confirmed anomalous copper - zinc - gold and manganese values, coincident with both Magnetic and Electromagnetic ("EM") geophysical survey results, thereby confirming prospectivity of three high-priority VMS targets in Grid 1 (Figure 3) of the 2023 VTEM ("Versatile Time Domain Electromagnetic") survey (see news release May 31, 2023).

Highlights

Three high quality targets identified, where highly anomalous copper - zinc - gold and manganese (a key pathfinder in the Sturgeon Lake Camp) were discovered in soils and are coincident with both Magnetic and Electromagnetic geophysical survey results (Figure 3).

Ground truthing of the Northeast copper target is continuing to expose the potential for a high-grade copper-rich VMS discovery (Figure 4).

Drill permits have been received for the Sturgeon Lake project.

The Company has been selected as a 2023 OJEP ("Ontario Junior Exploration Program) recipient and appreciates Ontario's financial commitment to early-stage exploration projects, such as our Critical Mineral project at Sturgeon Lake.

"The initial results from the 2023 soil survey clearly demonstrate the strong prospectivity of this underexplored part of the Sturgeon Lake VMS camp. We now have established drill targets that host the correct technical criteria for a potential VMS deposit discovery. As the remainder of our soil assays and ground EM data are received and interpreted, we hope to continue generating drill targets for the 2024 drilling campaign," stated Cameron Bell, Vice President of Exploration.

Soil results on Grid 1 have confirmed the presence of three high-quality VMS targets that all host coincident Magnetic and EM values with each having a depositional geometry.

VMS Target 1 (Figure 3) hosts a strong correlation between high Cu, Zn, Au, and Mn soil assays in and around two strongly coincident Magnetic and EM anomalies. Limited and shallow historical drilling within the Target 1 area has provided results of 5.8g/t Au, 4.5g/t Ag, 0.64%Pb over 0.9m in historical hole C81-2, thereby confirming that the target is mineralized.

VMS Target 2 (Figure 3) hosts a significant copper soil anomaly of 2450ppm or 0.245% within a coincident Magnetic and EM anomaly and has never been drill tested.

Work on the Northeast copper target (Soil Grid 4 - Figures 1 and 4) is confirming the potential for a new copper-rich VMS discovery in an underexplored part of the Sturgeon Lake camp, namely the central sturgeon assemblage. Five short historic holes have been drilled in the area's >2km strike length and each hole intersected VMS depositional lithologies, alteration and sulphide mineralization, which are characteristic of a copper-rich VMS mineral system. Two holes, C-2 (Ontario Assessment File 52G15NW0042) and H-9 intersected pervasive sections of copper-rich stockwork mineralization (0.16%Cu over 15.2m and 0.34% Cu over 13.4m including 3.1% Cu over 0.3m respectively) on the periphery of the 2023 VTEM anomalies. The Company has recently completed a ground EM survey (results pending) to help define discrete VMS conductors for target refinement in the planned 2024 drill program. The area is fully permitted for drill testing.

The 2023 Soil Sampling Program is complete and remaining results are expected in the coming weeks.

Ontario Junior Exploration Program ("OJEP")

The Company is also pleased to announce it has been selected as a recipient of the 2023 OJEP funding program with support of up to $200,000 having been awarded to the Company.

About Sturgeon Lake VMS Property

The Sturgeon Lake VMS Property lies immediately north and adjacent to Glencore's past-producing mines and is host to the highly prospective continuation of the volcanogenic massive sulphide ("VMS") producing volcanic stratigraphy. Numerous historical drill intercepts on the property host anomalous zinc - copper mineralization and favourable VMS geology. Drill holes H-9 (Ontario Assessment File 52G15NW0086) and C-81-2 (Ontario Assessment File 52G15NW0038) also display strong potential for both copper and gold-rich VMS systems in two highly prospective areas, where drill intercepts of 3.1% Cu over 0.3m and 5.8g/t Au over 0.9m were realized.

The Sturgeon Lake VMS mining camp is host to five high-grade past producing zinc - copper - lead - silver - gold mines of Glencore plc, having a total combined production of 19.8Mt @ 8.50% Zn, 1.06% Cu, 0.91% Pb and 119.7g/t Ag (Franklin, J. M., 1996. Volcanic-associated massive sulphide base metals in Eckstrand, O. R., Sinclair, W. D., Thorpe, R.I. (eds.), Geol. Survey Canada Geology of Canada 8, 158-183.).

The Sturgeon Lake Mine Camp is located within the prolific Sturgeon Lake greenstone belt in the Wabigoon sub-province of Ontario's Superior Province, approximately 270 kilometers northwest of Thunder Bay.





Figure 1: 2023 Soil grids with the 2023 VTEM results (SFz15 EM) as background.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4874/188142_e5b9c2763422596b_001full.jpg





Figure 2: 2023 Soil grids with infrastructure as background.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4874/188142_e5b9c2763422596b_002full.jpg





Figure 3: 2023 soil results over soil grid 1. Locations of historical DDH collars are interpreted from government assessment data.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4874/188142_e5b9c2763422596b_003full.jpg





Figure 4: Northeast copper target area with soil grid 4 layout (results pending). Locations of historical DDH collars, and projected intersections, are interpreted from government assessment data.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4874/188142_e5b9c2763422596b_004full.jpg

Qualified Person

The technical information in this release has been reviewed and verified by Cameron Bell, P. Geo., Vice President of Exploration of the Company, and the Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

About Nortec Minerals Corp.

Nortec is a mineral exploration company that holds 100% interests in two exploration stage critical mineral (zinc) projects, namely the Mattagami River Zinc and the Sturgeon Lake VMS properties, both located in Ontario, Canada. Additionally, the Company holds a 16.4% interest in the Tammela Gold and Tammela Lithium projects in Southwest Finland. Additional information can be found on the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com and its website at www.nortecminerals.com.

On behalf of the Company,

"Sara Hills"

Chief Financial Officer

info@nortecminerals.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Information set forth in this press release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future, not past events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address a company's expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", and "intend", statements that an action or event "may", "might", "could", "should", or "will" be taken or occur, or other similar expressions. 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. Such factors include, among others, risks associated with project development; the need for additional financing; operational risks associated with mining and mineral processing; fluctuations in palladium and other commodity prices; title matters; environmental liability claims and insurance; reliance on key personnel; the absence of dividends; competition; dilution; the volatility of our common share price and volume; and the impact of governmental entities. Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/188142


MOSCOW (dpa-AFX) - The United States has announced its latest military assistance package to help Ukraine meet its immediate battlefield needs against Russia.



The new security assistance package, worth $100 million of arms and equipment, was announced by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin using previously authorized presidential draw down authorities.



Austin met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov during an unannounced visit to the country on Monday.



He underscored the United States' steadfast support for Ukraine as it defends itself from Russian aggression during talks with senior leaders in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv.



It marks the 51st drawdown of U.S. inventory for Ukraine since August 2021. The U.S. has provided $44.2 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the start of the war.



Capabilities to be provided by the Pentagon include Stinger anti-aircraft missiles; M142 HIMARS rocket launchers; additional ammunition for HIMARS; 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds; Javelin, TOW, and AT-4 anti-tank weapons; demolition munitions; more than three million rounds of small arms ammunition; Claymore anti-personnel munitions configured to be consistent with the Ottawa Convention; as well as spare parts, ancillary equipment, services, training, and transportation.



Austin underscored the continued support from the U.S.-led international coalition of nearly 50 countries, which has so far provided about $36 billion in security assistance to Ukraine. He claimed that it enabled Ukrainian forces to regain more than half of the territory seized by Russia.



The Department of Defense said Austin will host the 17th meeting of the Ukrainian Defense Contact Group later this week.



Austin's visit comes as Congress takes up President Joe Biden's request for supplemental funding to continue to support Ukraine.



US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said it is critical for Congress to take action to support Ukraine by passing the President's supplemental funding request. He promised that until Russia ends its war of aggression, the United States and the coalition known as the Ukrainian Defense Contact Group will continue to stand with Ukraine.



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Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore (HMGICS) opens to progress onwards, redefining future mobility production and customer experience

Cell-based production and digital twin technology bring unprecedented human-centric manufacturing, with integration between humans, robotics, and AI tech

Transformative and immersive brand experience through flexible vehicle customization, VR factory tour, test rides on Skytrack and sustainable Smart Farm

Smart urban mobility hub aims for shared growth with Singapore's local businesses and academics, creating an open innovation ecosystem

HMGICS Grand Opening marks the next phase in Hyundai Motor Group's development of mobility and innovation alongside Ulsan EV factory construction

SEOUL, South Korea and SINGAPORE, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyundai Motor Group (the Group) today officially opens the Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore (HMGICS) to accelerate the delivery of the Group's human-centric future mobility vision.

The facility introduces a new 'smart urban mobility hub' concept, which includes a highly automated flexible production system and provides unprecedented ways for electric vehicle (EV) buyers to interact with their vehicles and the Hyundai brand. HMGICS symbolizes the Group's determination to progress onwards with its global leadership in the creation of sustainable, innovative mobility solutions and progressive customer experience.

Following the Group's groundbreaking ceremony at its new Ulsan EV factory, HMGICS will establish itself as one of two Hyundai Motor Group innovation pillars that will lead the company's future in the electrification era over the next 50 years as part of its challenge to become a 100-year company.

Given its worldwide reputation for innovation and diversity, Hyundai Motor Group chose Singapore as the ideal home for its first industry-changing smart urban mobility hub. Delivering a human-centric manufacturing approach, HMGICS elevates collaboration between people, robotics, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to new levels of synchronization. Further to this, digital twin Meta-Factory technology will ensure ultra-rapid responses to changing customer demands and production requirements.

Seamlessly integrated into the Jurong Innovation District urban landscape and the broader Singapore smart city ecosystem, the seven-story, 86,900 m2 HMGICS facility has the capability to manufacture up to 30,000 EVs per annum. Operational since early 2023, HMGICS already produces IONIQ 5 and the fully autonomous IONIQ 5 robotaxi and will add IONIQ 6 to its portfolio of models built on-site next year. The facility will serve as a testbed for developing future mobility solutions - including Purpose Built Vehicles (PBVs) - thanks to its advanced manufacturing capability.

"HMGICS is an open and connected urban innovation hub that encourages and embraces creativity and collaboration. It seeks to completely redefine the very concept of manufacturing," said Euisun Chung, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair at the HMGICS Grand Opening Ceremony.

"We thought hard about how to meet the diverse needs of our many customers," he added. "By combining our manufacturing expertise and the latest cutting-edge technologies, the result is this Innovation Center - a new paradigm of manufacturing."

More information about HMGICS: https://www.hyundai.com/sg/home

More information about Hyundai Motor Group: http://www.hyundaimotorgroup.com or Newsroom: Media Hub

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ANKARA, Turkey, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The transformative impact of artificial intelligence, extending from design to production and data analysis to marketing, has now found its way into the realm of education. Prof. Dr. Yavuz Demir, the visionary Rector of Ankara Science University, has made an innovation in education by introducing Cere, an artificial intelligence assistant developed by Cerebrum Tech, into the elective literature course, 'Shakespeare in Class'. Prof. Dr. Demir, who actively leveraged Cere during lectures and discussions, expressed his groundbreaking achievement, stating, "We stand as the inaugural educational institution worldwide to pioneer a course utilizing artificial intelligence. The feedback from both students and colleagues has been exceptionally positive, marking this as a seminal and extraordinary experience. I am confident that the influence of artificial intelligence in education will surpass our current predictions, opening new frontiers of possibility."

As advancements in artificial intelligence gain momentum globally, a wave of creative applications is surfacing across various domains. The dynamic landscape of generative artificial intelligence is fostering enthusiasm not only in education but across all facets of life. At the forefront of this wave is Ankara Science University, where Rector Prof. Dr. Yavuz Demir is spearheading a groundbreaking initiative. This transformative practice involves the integration of Cere, an artificial intelligence assistant developed by the Turkish technology company and venture studio, Cerebrum Tech, into the 'Shakespeare in Class' course. This course, delving into the timeless works of William Shakespeare, represents a remarkable stride in leveraging AI within the realm of education.

Students experience artificial intelligence firsthand

Prof. Dr. Demir, reflecting on a month of integrating Cere into his classes, emphasized the significance of forward-thinking. "Delving beyond the confines of the present is crucial. We take pride in being the inaugural educational institution worldwide to pioneer a course employing artificial intelligence. The transformative impact of artificial intelligence is undeniable, extending its influence across diverse sectors, notably in education. Recognizing this, I opted to incorporate Cere as an assistant in my course, a proactive measure to stay abreast of technological advancements. Despite the brief one-month duration of our collaboration, I am immensely satisfied with Cere's contributions, particularly its intriguing and thought-provoking ideas on our course topics. While our nation is still in the process of acclimating to artificial intelligence, we are boldly introducing this transformative technology to our students - a monumental stride. Essentially, we are carving out a space for artificial intelligence within our 'culture of coexistence'," he elucidated.

'This is just the beginning'

Prof. Dr. Demir advocates for a more extensive integration of artificial intelligence in academia, recognizing the current initiative as a pivotal beginning. He noted that the application has sparked significant interest among his colleagues, foreseeing a steady rise in the utilization of AI within the field of education in the years to come. Expounding on the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in education, Prof. Dr. Demir articulated, "AI applications in education hold immense promise for enhancing students' learning experiences, providing invaluable support to educators, and streamlining the educational process. These applications can serve diverse purposes, including monitoring student performance, delivering tailored learning materials, aiding professors in making more informed assessments, and refining education policies. Our ongoing application is a deliberate effort to carve out a role for artificial intelligence within humanity's 'culture of coexistence.' It serves as an initial step, and I believe that AI in education will surpass our current understanding, pushing boundaries beyond our imagination."

"We are Embarking on an AI Journey Across Multiple Courses"

Cere, introduced by the technology company Cerebrum Tech as a mobile and web application in March, proudly stands as Turkiye's inaugural artificial intelligence assistant, boasting a cutting-edge 3D avatar design. Prof. Dr. Demir highlighted Cere's invaluable contributions to in-class discussions, both in pre-lecture preparations and addressing students' queries during sessions. Expressing their intent to expand Cere's role across various university courses, Prof. Dr. Demir shared, "Cere's distinctive ideas significantly enhance our brainstorming sessions, capturing diverse student perspectives. Seeking continuous improvement, we collaborated with the Cerebrum Tech team to enhance Cere's creativity and knowledge base. The upcoming semester-end survey will provide clear insights from our students, guiding our evaluation with professors on the potential continuation of Cere in additional courses."

"I was introduced to an artificial intelligence application for the first time in this course"

In the 'Shakespeare in Class' course, open to students from various classes, 3rd-year student Aybike Yurdabakan shared her transformative experience, noting, "I had never used any artificial intelligence application before this course. Cere significantly contributes to our learning experience, providing valuable information on Shakespeare's main ideas, his impact on art, and literature-related issues, both past and present. The incorporation of AI into academia is an exciting development that should be embraced more widely."

About Cerebrum Tech:

Cerebrum Tech is a pioneering next-generation technology company and venture studio where culture and values form the foundation of a sustainable and robust brand. At Cerebrum Tech, the focus is on innovation, driving its team to constantly explore uncharted territories, unlock new opportunities, and push the boundaries of what's possible. Established in 2021, Turkiye, Cerebrum Tech harnesses the transformative power of AI, IoT, and Web3 to maximize productivity through accessible, user-friendly, and secure products. Its unwavering commitment to innovation propels it forward, ensuring it remains at the forefront of technological advancements. In addition to its pioneering work in technology, Cerebrum Tech maintains a strong focus on game development, where it crafts immersive and engaging experiences that captivate enthusiasts worldwide.

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Combines services and technology for fast, painless migration to the leading construction planning platform.

BOSTON, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- MOCA Systems, Inc. (MSI), a leading provider of services and software to the design and construction industry, announces a specialized customer assistance program to enable users of Bosch's popular RefinemySite to step up to Touchplan, the premier construction planning platform. The program combines data migration technology, expert user training, and flexible contract terms, all designed to preserve the customer's investment and prevent disruption in their Lean Construction journey.

"Bosch and MOCA Systems have always shared a deep commitment to the Lean Construction Institute's Last Planner System for efficient, reliable construction planning," said MSI CEO Sandy Hamby, adding "and Touchplan's Patented Pull Planning technology further enables Lean Construction at scale for even the largest projects."

The Step Up to Touchplan program provides RefinemySite users with the following:

Generous discounts on Touchplan software to offset their RefinemySite sunk cost

Dedicated Customer Success professionals to assure a smooth transition

Data migration tools and assistance to preserve their RefinemySite data assets

Free training and access to a wide variety of Touchplan learning resources

Live chat with Touchplan experts and software migration specialists

"Delighting our customers is job one at MSI," said Jason Lyon, Touchplan's VP of Customer Success. "With our 30-second response time, dedicated success advocates, and methods for continuously improving planning routines, we can provide RefinemySite users with everything they need to easily take their Lean Construction journey to new heights," he added.

Current RefinemySite customers can send an email to StepUp@touchplan.io to learn more about the Step Up to Touchplan program and schedule a free consultation with a Lean planning expert to assess your needs and plan an efficient transition from RefinemySite to Touchplan.

About MOCA Systems, Inc.

Starting as a commercial technology spinoff from MIT, for two decades, MSI has delivered innovative services and software to the design and construction industry, serving the needs of builders in the smallest and largest projects alike. A profitable firm with more than 100 employees, offices across the U.S., and partners around the world, MSI provides solutions that assure construction completion on-time, on-budget, and fulfilling all owner expectations.

Kelsey Bixler

Director of Growth Marketing

StepUp@touchplan.io

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Financial Backing to Solidify Industry-Leading Market Position for Newly Combined Company

LEXINGTON, Ky., Nov. 21, 2023, a Lexington, Kentucky-based operationally focused private equity firm that makes control investments in lower middle market industrial B2B and specialty distribution companies in North America and Europe, today announced the successful closing of MiddleGround Carbon CV, L.P., a single asset continuation vehicle("Castle Metals"), a leading provider of metals, services, and supply chain solutions serving industrial and aerospace customers. MiddleGround originally purchased Banner in December of 2019 from High Street Capital, of Chicago.



Since MiddleGround's investment in Banner in 2019, MiddleGround brought industry veteran Dan Stoettner back to lead the business. Under Stoettner's leadership, the company completed two acquisitions. In 2019, the company did a little over $100 million of revenue with ~$9 million of EBITDA. For the Last Twelve Month ("LTM") period Banner has more than tripled in size to nearly $350 million of revenue and EBITDA has expanded to ~$55 million.

The management team at Banner, led by Stoettner, has demonstrated the ability to maximize performance while integrating new acquisitions and expanding the geographic footprint of the business through greenfield expansion projects.

Castle Metals was a public company up until 2020 and has been on MiddleGround's watch list for years. Castle has a global footprint and ~$600 million of revenue with ~$50 million of EBITDA. MiddleGround acquired Castle earlier this year and Fund I has warehoused the deal using recyclable capital while MiddleGround raised the CV.

"Our goal is to consistently deliver value to our investors through cash returns," said John Stewart, Founding and Managing Partner of MiddleGround Capital. "With the successful close of this continuation vehicle, we were able to return significant capital to Fund I investors and had the opportunity for a meaningful liquidity event that returns $102 million of recyclable capital and $234 million of Fund I returns. In this market, this is an extraordinary achievement and demonstrates our ability to find creative solutions in a difficult market for the benefit of our investors. While the Banner investment has been a successful outcome for Fund I, the CV has a lot of opportunity to create value for its investors and we saw a strong uptake from Fund I investors investing in the CV as well as strong demand from new investors. Hamilton Lane was lead investor on the deal. Our team, led by Ryan McComb on the Transaction side and Mandy Kamm on the Investor Relations side, raised the CV in less than 30 days. We were able to sell Banner with no discount to the mark and with no placement agent fees. Since the inception of MiddleGround we have built strong investor relationships that appreciate our differentiated approach to Industrial investing. We have delivered over a billion dollars of co-investment opportunity and those relationships were the difference while raising the capital for the CV."

"The CV allows MiddleGround to extend its ownership of Banner as well as to support a merger between Castle and Banner. The combination further expands on MiddleGround's value creation plan by building a global leader within the metals distribution space. Following the close of the transaction, Banner and Castle will continue to operate as independent brands while also benefiting from these additional resources, expanded geographic reach, and complementary product offerings under a single capital structure," said Ryan McComb, Director and the lead of the Transaction Team for the CV.

"The combined company will be led by industry veterans Dan Stoettner and Dan Lewis, who will be CEO and CFO, respectively. This transaction is a strong step forward for both Banner and Castle and with the ongoing support provided by MiddleGround, the combined company is well-positioned to enter the next phase of growth. Not only will the merger allow for operational improvements and geographic expansion opportunities for both Banner and Castle, it will also have no impact on current customer relationships or product offerings," added McComb.

"This is a natural fit given that Banner and Castle have long been recognized for their unparalleled metals expertise across the medical, industrial, and aerospace sectors," said Stoettner. "Through this combination, we will be better equipped to meet the evolving needs of a variety of industries. Further, the CV will also bring even stronger financial footing and ensure we are poised to capitalize on growth opportunities in the future, adding reliability and resilience for our employees, our customers, and our ability to serve as a leading provider in our sectors. By joining forces, we stand to greatly enhance our specialty metals platform, ensuring we have the ability to address a broader range of key end markets while simultaneously better serving the needs of our customers."

"Our goal in this merger is to position our company as a market-leading supplier for our long-standing, loyal customers," said Mark Zundel, Executive Vice President, Aerospace & Corporate Strategy at the combined company. "The combination enhances the many synergies between our brands, and our recapitalized structure will allow us to expand into new areas and markets. I am confident that together we will enhance our collective ability to provide the broadest range of high-quality metals as well as solve distribution, pricing, processing, and supply challenges both globally and locally."

Cerberus and Fifth Third partnered with MiddleGround Capital to provide the debt financing to complete this transaction and serve as the combined company's lenders post-close. Dechert LLP served as a buy-side legal advisor and Greenberg Traurig LLP served as a sell-side legal advisor to MiddleGround Capital.

About Banner

Established in 1961, Banner Industries is a value-added metals processor and distributor serving OEMs, contract manufacturers, and precision machine customers through two divisions: Banner Service Corporation.

About Castle Metals

A. M. Castle & Co. is a leading provider of metals, services, and supply chain solutions. Headquartered in Oak Brook, IL and established as the metals business brand in 1890, Castle Metals distributes and processes alloy, carbon, stainless steel, nickel, aluminum, titanium, cast iron, and red metals. For more information, please visit: https://www.castlemetals.com/ .

About MiddleGround Capital

MiddleGround Capital is a private equity firm based in Lexington, KY. MiddleGround makes control equity investments in middle market B2B industrial and specialty distribution businesses. MiddleGround works with its portfolio companies to create value through a hands-on operational approach and partners with its management teams to support long-term growth strategies. For more information, please visit: https://middleground.com/ .


In her welcoming remarks, Margaret Fong, Executive Director of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), stated, "With collaboration the lynchpin of the success of the logistics, maritime and aviation industries, all sectors of society must come together to address supply chain vulnerabilities"



Paul Chan, Financial Secretary of the HKSAR Government, delivered the opening address



The Asian Logistics, Maritime and Aviation Conference (ALMAC) 2023, jointly organised by the HKTDC and the HKSAR Government, commenced today (21 November) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and will run until tomorrow

HONG KONG, Nov 21, 2023 - (ACN Newswire) - The 13th edition of the Asian Logistics, Maritime and Aviation Conference (ALMAC) 2023, jointly organised by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), commenced today (21 November) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.This annual gathering for the logistics, maritime and aviation sectors attracts industry professionals from around the world. Themed Future-proofing Supply Chains: Diversification - Decarbonisation - Digitalisation, the conference draws nearly 70 speakers to share their insights in 20 forums, fostering exchange and discussion on industry developments. Fu Xuyin, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Transport of the People's Republic of China delivered the Keynote Address in person, and Financial Secretary of the HKSAR Government Paul Chan was the Guest of Honour and delivered Opening Remarks.Welcoming participants, Margaret Fong, Executive Director of the HKTDC, said: "With collaboration the lynchpin of the success of the logistics, maritime and aviation industries, all sectors of society must come together to address supply chain vulnerabilities. Industry players, supply chain management service providers and shippers from all over the world once again gather in Hong Kong for this annual event, underlining the city's status as a key logistics, maritime and aviation hub. ALMAC highlights the myriad of opportunities arising from increased regional connectivity, with a focus on the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) as well as the development of railways connecting China to Europe. In light of the importance of greener, more sustainable supply chains today, industry leaders will discuss the opportunities and challenges that come with reducing emissions across supply chains as well as the circular economy. We also have sessions on how you can better integrate sustainability into your business operations."In his speech, Mr Chan, the Financial Secretary, mentioned: "There will be more business with the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), Middle East and indeed the Belt and Road countries. In other words, the demand for logistics, maritime and aviation services with and within this region will rise rapidly. The trade figures published by China and economies in these regions have demonstrated such a clear trend. And Hong Kong will remain committed to our super-connector role and be a platform providing high value-added logistics, maritime, aviation, financial and risk management services. We will continue to be a steadfast supporter of free trade and multilateralism, advocating for the reduction in trade barriers, and the free flow of goods and services, people and capital."Reshaping global supply chains: accelerating diversificationSupply chains are essential for trade and business development. In recent years, global geopolitical factors, freight supply imbalances, surging transportation costs and labour shortages have challenged the industry, highlighting the need to establish people-centric, innovation-driven, collaborative and sustainable supply chains executed in real time. RCEP has created the world's largest free trade area, contributing to the consolidation and strengthening of regional industrial supply chains.Prominent industry leaders, including Gladis Araujo, Former Global Supply Chain Strategy Vice President of at Mattel Inc and Business Partner & Chief Supply Chain Officer at Prodensa Group, and Phil Showering, Chief Supply Chain Officer at Ghassan Aboud Group and Chief Executive Officer at Gallega Global Logistics, discussed global supply chain challenges and potential under the theme Driving Global Economic Growth through Supply Chain Transformation. During the session, Mr Showering said: "Pandemic has pushed all the industry stakeholders to change and prioritise collaboration for the first time. Work with all kinds of suppliers and ports to develop new trade lines, as well as with government entities, and with countries. We can facilitate collaboration through electronic trade, breaking down new barriers."As global trade evolves, supply chains continue to diversify, prompting businesses to actively recalibrate and decentralise supply chain networks. Adeline Franger Chouraqui, CEO, CMA CGM Greater China; Thomas Kowitzki, Vice President, Global Head of China Rail, DHL Global Forwarding and Semyon Pak, Managing Director for International Business and Member of the Management Board, Kazpost JSC, shared insights at the Power Dialogue session Spotlight on Asia: Reshaping the Global Supply Chains. They explored cooperation in areas such as RCEP, the GBA, railway transportation and multimodal transportation, emphasising the need to strengthen regional connectivity.Digital transformation fortifies Hong Kong's shipping, aviation hub statusThe Policy Address by HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee last month presented several recommendations to consolidate Hong Kong's position as an international shipping centre and aviation hub. These included establishing a smart port to strengthen competitiveness by setting up a port community system to facilitate the flow and sharing of data among operators and other stakeholders in shipping, ports and logistics.International technology company representatives, including Andres de Leon, Chief Executive Officer, HyperloopTT; Rachelle Woodsford, Global Head of Strategic Customers, Dronamics; Kyongsoo Noh, Chief Operating Officer, Seadronix Corp; and Nathan Zeng, CFA, Senior Director of Global Technology Services, Hai Robotics, discussed revolutionary solutions and cutting-edge technologies driving the modernisation of logistics and intelligent supply chains.Challenges and opportunities of green transformationAs the International Maritime Organization, under the United Nations, set the net-zero target for carbon emissions from international shipping at 2050, green business has become an irreversible trend. Peter Hui, Vice Chairman, Textile Council and Willy Lin, Chairman, Hong Kong Shippers' Council, will delve into implications of impending carbon taxes and other environmental, social and governance (ESG) measures during tomorrow's SCM & Logistics Forum.Shippers - including industries from various sectors in apparel, sports, electronics and e-commerce - join this year to gain insight into innovative logistics solutions. At tomorrow's Shippers' Forum - themed E-commerce Logistics and Fulfillment - Lai Tze Siung, Chief Logistics Officer, Pomelo Fashion, Ma Wei, General Manager of JD Logistics Hong Kong Express Business and Mao Lingke, General Manager of Air Freight Department, Cainiao Global Supply Chain, will present best practices on e-commerce logistics and fulfillment, covering such areas as warehouse optimisation, last-mile delivery, supply chain traceability and visibility, to empower businesses to streamline operations and stay competitive in the e-commerce landscape.Facilitating business networking is a key focus point for the HKTDC and is an important aspect of this event, enabling collaboration and mutual success across various industries. The exhibition segment is also a conference highlight as nearly 100 exhibitors showcase cutting-edge logistics and supply chain solutions from around the world. The inaugural Logtech Salon will display robots, artificial intelligence systems and data systems tailored for the industry, giving insiders valuable insights into developments and applications of innovative technology in the field.ALMAC: https://www.almac.hk/main/en/ALMAC programme: https://almac.hktdc.com/conference/almac/en/programmeALMAC speaker list: https://almac.hktdc.com/conference/almac/en/speakerPhoto download: https://bit.ly/3MUDI0RMedia EnquiriesPlease contact Raconteur Limited:Molisa Lau, Tel: (852) 6187 7786, Email: molisalau@raconteur.hkBetsy Tse, Tel: (852) 9742 7338, Email: betsytse@raconteur.hkHKTDC's Communications & Public Affairs Department:Clayton Lauw, Tel: (852) 2584 4472, Email: clayton.y.lauw@hktdc.orgAbout HKTDCThe Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedInSource: HKTDCCopyright 2023 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.
Gross Proceeds of up to $800,000 to be Used to Expand the Mineable Resource at Bradshaw Gold Deposit and to Further Test the NTGP Area

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - November 21, 2023) - Gowest Gold Ltd. (TSXV: GWA) ("Gowest" or the "Corporation") announced today a proposed non-brokered private placement of up to 7,619,048 flow-through units of the Corporation (the "FT Units"), at a price of $0.105 per FT Unit, for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $800,000 (the "Offering"). Each FT Unit will comprise one common share and one-half common share purchase warrant (each whole common share purchase warrant), a "Warrant"), issued on a flow-through basis, with each whole Warrant being exercisable to acquire one additional common share of the Corporation at a price of $0.14 for a period of 24 months following the closing date of the Offering. The common shares underlying the Warrants will not be issued as flow-through shares.

The gross proceeds of the Offering will be used to incur "Canadian exploration expenses" as defined in subsection 66.1(6) of the Income Tax Act (Canada)(the "Tax Act"), and renounced to subscribers under the Offering with an effective date no later than December 31, 2023. Such Canadian exploration expenses will also qualify as "flow-through mining expenditures" as defined in subsection 127(9) of the Tax Act.

More specifically, it is anticipated that the gross proceeds from the Offering will be used to expand the mineable resource at the Corporation's 100% owned Bradshaw Gold Deposit ("Bradshaw"), as well as to further test other parts of the Corporation's North Timmins Gold Project ("NTGP") area where notable gold has previously been intercepted. The latter includes both the Roussain Gold Zone, located approximately two kilometers northeast of Bradshaw, and the Sheridan Gold Zone, located just west of Bradshaw.

Dan Gagnon, President and Chief Executive Officer of Gowest, said, "As we've recently reported, we are continuing our aggressive exploration work focused on continuing to expand our already substantial resources at and around the Bradshaw mine, as well as in other demonstrated gold zones within other parts of our large and highly prospective NTGP area. Our recently completed exploration drilling around Bradshaw has proven very successful and earlier testing, particularly at both the Roussain and Sheridan zones, continued to provide strong support for additional resource and reserve potential across our large property area. We remain very excited as we advance this next phase of drilling and anticipate still greater growth for the benefit of all of our investors."

Please see Gowest Gold Ltd. news release dated November 14, 2023.

It is anticipated that the closing of the Offering will occur on or about November 24, 2023; provided however, the Offering may be completed in one or more tranches (including after such date). The closing of the Offering is subject to the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

The Corporation anticipates that certain officers and/or directors of the Corporation may participate in the Offering. Participation by insiders in the Offering will be exempt from the valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101") by virtue of the exemptions contained in Sections 5.5(a) and (b), and 5.7(1)(a), respectively, of MI 61-101.

Subject to compliance with the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange and applicable securities legislation, the Corporation may pay a finder's fee in connection with the Offering comprised of: (i) a cash fee equal to up to 6.0% of the gross proceeds received from the sale of FT Units sold to purchasers introduced to the Corporation by the finder, and (ii) warrants exercisable for a period of 24 months from the date of issuance to acquire that number of common shares of the Corporation, at a purchase price of $0.14 per share, equal to up to 6.0% of the number of FT Units sold to purchasers introduced to the Corporation by the finder.

All of the securities issued or issuable pursuant to the Offering will be subject to a hold period in Canada expiring four months and one day after the date of issuance.

All dollar amounts referred to in this press release are in Canadian Dollars, except where expressly indicated otherwise.

The securities offered pursuant to the Offering have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements. This release does not constitute an offer for the sale of securities in the United States.

About Gowest

Gowest is a Canadian gold exploration and development company focused on the delineation and development of its 100% owned Bradshaw Gold Deposit (Bradshaw) on the Frankfield Property, part of the Corporation's North Timmins Gold Project (NTGP). Gowest is exploring additional gold targets on its +100-square-kilometre NTGP land package and continues to evaluate the area, which is part of the prolific Timmins, Ontario gold camp. Currently, Bradshaw contains a National Instrument 43-101 Indicated Resource estimated at 2.1 million tonnes ("t") grading 6.19 grams per tonne gold (g/t Au) containing 422 thousand ounces (oz) Au and an Inferred Resource of 3.6 million t grading 6.47 g/t Au containing 755 thousand oz Au. Further, based on the Pre-Feasibility Study produced by Stantec Mining and announced on June 9, 2015, Bradshaw contains Mineral Reserves (Mineral Resources are inclusive of Mineral Reserves) in the probable category, using a 3 g/t Au cut-off and utilizing a gold price of US$1,200 / oz, totaling 1.8 million t grading 4.82 g/t Au for 277 thousand oz Au.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may contain certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding the Corporation's proposed Offering and the use of proceeds of the proposed Offering. Forward-Looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Corporation to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Readers are therefore cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this news release and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Corporation disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise.

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.

For further information please contact:

Dan Gagnon

President & CEO

Tel: (416) 363-1210

Email: info@gowestgold.com



Greg Taylor

Investor Relations

Tel: (416) 605-5120

Email: greg.taylor@gowestgold.com

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/188193
Almonty Industries Inc. ("Almonty" or the "Company") (TSX: AII ASX: AII OTCQX: ALMTF Frankfurt: ALI.F), through its wholly-owned South Korean subsidiary, Almonty Korea Tungsten Corporation ("AKTC"), is pleased to announce that it has received a fully executed Utilization Request for US$13.7 million in conjunction with the sixth drawdown on the US$75.1 million KfW IPEX-Bank ("KfW") loan facility related to the construction of the Company's Sangdong Mine in South Korea. This US$13.7 million drawdown is scheduled for release on November 24, 2023.

"As planned and on time, Almonty will now received its sixth drawdown on its US$75.1 million loan facility with KfW, bringing the total amount of drawdowns to date to US$53.9 million," said Lewis Black, President and CEO of Almonty.

About Almonty

The principal business of Toronto, Canada-based Almonty Industries Inc. is the mining, processing and shipping of tungsten concentrate from its Los Santos Mine in western Spain and its Panasqueira mine in Portugal as well as the development of its Sangdong tungsten mine in Gangwon Province, South Korea and the development of the Valtreixal tin/tungsten project in northwestern Spain. The Los Santos Mine was acquired by Almonty in September 2011 and is located approximately 50 kilometres from Salamanca in western Spain and produces tungsten concentrate. The Panasqueira mine, which has been in production since 1896, is located approximately 260 kilometres northeast of Lisbon, Portugal, was acquired in January 2016 and produces tungsten concentrate. The Sangdong mine, which was historically one of the largest tungsten mines in the world and one of the few long-life, high-grade tungsten deposits outside of China, was acquired in September 2015 through the acquisition of a 100% interest in Woulfe Mining Corp. Almonty owns 100% of the Valtreixal tin-tungsten project in north- western Spain. Further information about Almonty's activities may be found at www.almonty.com and under Almonty's profile at www.sedar.com.

Legal Notice

The release, publication, or distribution of this announcement in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law and therefore persons in such jurisdictions into which this announcement is released, published, or distributed should inform themselves about and observe such restrictions.

Neither the TSX nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

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. These statements and information are based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made and reflect Almonty's current expectations.

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 Almonty to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: any specific risks relating to fluctuations in the price of ammonium para tungstate ("APT") from which the sale price of Almonty's tungsten concentrate is derived, actual results of mining and exploration activities, environmental, economic and political risks of the jurisdictions in which Almonty's operations are located and changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, forecasts and assessments relating to Almonty's business, credit and liquidity risks, hedging risk, competition in the mining industry, risks related to the market price of Almonty's shares, the ability of Almonty to retain key management employees or procure the services of skilled and experienced personnel, risks related to claims and legal proceedings against Almonty and any of its operating mines, risks relating to unknown defects and impairments, risks related to the adequacy of internal control over financial reporting, risks related to governmental regulations, including environmental regulations, risks related to international operations of Almonty, risks relating to exploration, development and operations at Almonty's tungsten mines, the ability of Almonty to obtain and maintain necessary permits, the ability of Almonty to comply with applicable laws, regulations and permitting requirements, lack of suitable infrastructure and employees to support Almonty's mining operations, uncertainty in the accuracy of mineral reserves and mineral resources estimates, production estimates from Almonty's mining operations, inability to replace and expand mineral reserves, uncertainties related to title and indigenous rights with respect to mineral properties owned directly or indirectly by Almonty, the ability of Almonty to obtain adequate financing, the ability of Almonty to complete permitting, construction, development and expansion, challenges related to global financial conditions, risks related to future sales or issuance of equity securities, differences in the interpretation or application of tax laws and regulations or accounting policies and rules and acceptance of the TSX of the listing of Almonty shares on the TSX.

Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable, including but not limited to, no material adverse change in the market price of ammonium para tungstate (APT), the continuing ability to fund or obtain funding for outstanding commitments, expectations regarding the resolution of legal and tax matters, no negative change to applicable laws, the ability to secure local contractors, employees and assistance as and when required and on reasonable terms, and such other assumptions and factors as are set out herein. Although Almonty 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. 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, Almonty. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and are cautioned that actual outcomes may vary.

Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. Almonty cautions that the foregoing list of material factors is not exhaustive. When relying on Almonty's forward-looking statements and information to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events.

Almonty has also assumed that material factors will not cause any forward-looking statements and information to differ materially from actual results or events. However, the list of these factors is not exhaustive and is subject to change and there can be no assurance that such assumptions will reflect the actual outcome of such items or factors.

THE FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS PRESS RELEASE REPRESENTS THE EXPECTATIONS OF ALMONTY AS OF THE DATE OF THIS PRESS 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. WHILE ALMONTY MAY ELECT TO, IT DOES NOT UNDERTAKE TO UPDATE THIS INFORMATION AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME EXCEPT AS REQUIRED IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121482844/en/

Contacts:

Lewis Black

Chairman, President and CEO

Telephone: +1 647 438-9766

Email: info@almonty.com
MANZINI - Three people were trapped inside a car and burnt to death during a horrific road traffic accident which claimed five lives.

The accident involved two cars; a Toyota GD6 LDV, which was driven by a 36-year-old man of Elangeni and a Corsa Lite sedan. It happened on Saturday at around 11pm at Ematimatima, near Mawelawela Correctional facility, along the MR8 (Malkerns/Mhlabubovu) Public Road.

Pothole

According to a source close to the matter, the Corsa Lite sedan was coming from Malkerns going towards Mhlabubovu, while the Toyota GD6 LDV was driving in the opposite direction. The source alleged that one of the drivers tried to avoid a pothole and collided head-on with the other vehicle. He said the Corsa Lite sedan had five people, while the driver of the Toyota GD6 LDV was alone in the car. He said after the head-on collision, two passengers were ejected from the Corsa Lite, while the driver and the two others were trapped inside the car. Later on, the car caught fire and the three occupants who were trapped inside it were burnt to death, the source said.

He said all the six people were rushed to Mankayane Government Hospital, where the five occupants of the Corsa Lite sedan were certified dead upon arrival. The driver of the Toyota GD6 LDV was treated and discharged. One of the passengers who died on the spot is Tjelizwe Dlamini (28) of LaMgabhi (Bhunya), who had just graduated with a Primary Teachers Diploma from William Pitcher College. Another one is Sipho Dlamini (27) of KaLuhleko, Bhunya. Sipho and Tjelizwe were friends and their demise was confirmed by senior members of their families. The names of the other deceased people will not be revealed for now, because their families are yet to inform their next of kin. However, one of them worked for a local financial institution. Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati confirmed the accident.

Occupants

She said the five occupants of the Corsa Lite sedan died after the accident, while the driver of the Toyota GD6 LDV was treated and discharged in hospital. A concerned LaMgabhi community member said the MR8 Public Roads was one of the roads that needed to be revamped, as it had too many potholes. He said during the 11th Parliament, the issue of the road was discussed by the inkhundla council and the Member of Parliament (MP) took it to the House of Assembly. He said as a result, government promised to attend to it, but nothing had been done so far. The community member expressed hope that the newly-elected inkhundla council would make a follow-up because many cars were involved in accidents along the road. He said some overturned, while trying to avoid the potholes, while others damaged their tyres.
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO THE U.S. NEWSWIRE OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

REGINA, SK / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / ROK Resources Inc. ("ROK" or the "Company") (TSXV:ROK)(TSXV:ROK.WT)(OTCQB:ROKRF) has filed its interim Financial Results and Management Discussion & Analysis for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023.

Q3 2023 HIGHLIGHTS

Production up 10% YoY and 17% QoQ: Production averaged 3,858 boepd in the period, representing 10% growth compared to Q3 2022 and 17% growth compared to Q2 2023.

Production averaged 3,858 boepd in the period, representing 10% growth compared to Q3 2022 and 17% growth compared to Q2 2023. Outperformed production forecast: Production exceeded the Company's average Q3 2023 forecast of 3,475 boepd by 11%.

Production exceeded the Company's average Q3 2023 forecast of 3,475 boepd by 11%. Net Debt reduced by 51% YoY: Net debt reduced from $30.7 million at Q3 2022 to $15.0 million in Q3 2023.

Consistent with previous disclosure, the Company's capital program remained weighted to the second half of 2023, with a focus on Southeast Saskatchewan light oil growth. Total debt has been reduced by over 51% year-over-year, which has provided the Company with the flexibility to allocate development capital across some of the most economic plays in North America.

OPERATIONS UPDATE

In Q3 2023 the Company successfully drilled and completed 6 gross (5.9 net) wells in Southeast Saskatchewan, consisting of 3 gross (2.9 net) Frobisher horizontal wells and 3 gross (2.98 net) Midale horizontal wells. The Company had the 8th best performing Mississippian oil well in Saskatchewan for Q3 2023 with monthly volume of 6,962 bbls and an IP30 of 232 bbls/d.

In Q4 2023 the Company has drilled 3 gross (3 net) Frobisher horizontal wells in Southeast Saskatchewan and 1 gross (0.30 net) Gething gas well in Kaybob Alberta. In December, the Company will drill 2 gross (1.45 net) wells, both unbooked horizontal Frobisher locations in core operating areas.

Current corporate production is approximately 4,000 boepd with 2 gross (2 net) Midale horizontal wells in "clean-up" period post-frac, plus an additional 6 gross (4.75 net) wells forecasted to be on-stream no later than Q1 2024.

OUTLOOK

The Company has had success with early Q3 2023 drilling results and will complete its drilling program in late Q4 2023, a few weeks behind schedule. With operational delays impacting on-stream dates, management expects some wells to begin producing in early Q1 2024. Management will evaluate production results and release a 2024 capital budget and production guidance in Q1 2024.

As a result of uncertainty on production timing of Q4 2023 drilling, exit 2023 production guidance is as follows:

* Before inclusion of any mark-to-market fair value of hedges to be realized in the following 12 months

Financial Q3 2023 Q3 2022 YTD 2023 YTD 2022 Net income (loss) (7,752,269 ) 10,810,729 (7,273,545 ) 85,559,744 Basic ($/share) (0.04 ) 0.05 (0.03 ) 0.52 Diluted ($/share) (0.04 ) 0.05 (0.03 ) 0.50 Funds flow 5,303,180 13,472,784 22,170,046 33,052,787 Basic ($/share) 0.02 0.07 0.10 0.20 Diluted ($/share) 0.00 0.00 0.10 0.19 Expenditures on property, plant and equipment 7,580,757 11,938,870 16,585,543 16,441,696 Operating Operating Income Oil and Natural Gas Sales 22,144,104 26,554,511 64,019,554 63,386,401 Royalties (2,931,103 ) (4,303,644 ) (11,490,495 ) (10,185,960 ) Operating Expenses (13,353,260 ) (9,926,624 ) (32,594,808 ) (17,551,783 ) Operating Income 5,859,741 12,324,243 19,934,251 35,648,658 Realized gain on commodity contracts 563,524 1,552,524 5,689,069 1,788,499 Processing and other income 708,047 627,612 1,730,119 1,212,622 Net Operating Income 7,131,312 14,504,379 27,353,439 38,649,779 Average daily production Crude oil (bbl/d) 1,986 2,170 2,046 1,644 NGLs (boe/d) 432 240 391 163 Natural gas (mcf/d) 8,647 6,535 7,961 4,206 Total (boe/d) 3,858 3,500 3,764 2,507 Operating Netback per boe Oil and Natural Gas Sales 62.38 82.47 62.30 92.60 Royalties (8.26 ) (13.37 ) (11.18 ) (14.88 ) Operating Expenses (37.60 ) (30.83 ) (31.72 ) (25.64 ) Operating Netbacks ($/boe) 16.52 38.27 19.40 52.08 Operating Netbacks, after hedging ($/boe) 18.09 43.10 24.94 54.69 Operating Income Profit Margin 26.5 % 46.4 % 31.1 % 56.2 % Operating Income Profit Margin, after hedging 29.0 % 52.3 % 40.0 % 59.1 % Share information Common shares outstanding, end of period 215,393,217 201,247,706 215,393,217 201,247,706 Weighted average basic shares outstanding 215,249,087 199,711,392 213,861,560 164,762,938 Weighted average diluted shares outstanding 215,249,087 222,398,843 213,861,560 170,622,352

Q3 2023 FINANCIAL SUMMARY

In Q3 2023, the Company realized average daily production volume of 3,858 boepd (63% Liquids), resulting in crude and natural gas sales of $22.1 million oil and natural gas sales and realized hedge gain of $0.5 million. This generated a net operating income of $7.1 million, after royalties, operating expenses, and processing and other income.

Capital expenditures in the quarter totaled $8.5 million, $4.0 million less than forecasted. The Company's active drilling program in Southeast Saskatchewan contributed $7.5 million to the total, with the remainder being allocated primarily to abandonment/reclamation work and land purchases. The Company expects an increase in Q4 2023 capital expenditures and maintains its 2023 capital target of ~$30 million.

Operating costs, which include expenses incurred to operate wells, gather, treat, and transport production volumes, as well as costs to perform well and facility repairs and maintenance, were higher compared to previous periods. The Company proactively chose to perform seven facility turnarounds that were overdue on the recent acquisitions. Annual costs incurred in Q3 2023 such as property taxes, government fees and levies and increased water and emulsion trucking costs during evaluation stages of new wells also contributed to the increased operating expenses of the quarter. The Company expects operating costs to normalize back to previous levels in Q4 2023 and through 2024.

NET DEBT

Net Debt as at September 30, 2023, and December 31, 2022, as outlined below:

September 30,

2023 December 31,

2022 Cash and cash equivalents - 5,258,881 Accounts receivable 12,614,460 10,862,673 Prepaids and deposits 609,242 1,144,672 Risk management contracts (1,704,538 ) 4,418,471 Accounts payable (12,981,473 ) (13,678,677 ) Adjusted working capital (2) (1,462,309 ) 8,006,020

Credit Facility (8.2%) (1) 13,113,586 - Lease obligations (1) 438,252 - Senior Loan Facility (15%) (1) - 43,347,566 Less: adjusted working capital (2) 1,462,309 (8,006,020 ) Net debt 15,014,147 35,341,546

Represents undiscounted face value of debt balances and lease obligations outstanding as of each respective date presented. Calculation of adjusted working capital excludes current portion of debt as presented on the statement of financial position. The mark-to-market fair value of the current portion of risk management contracts is included within adjusted working capital.

ROK uses "Net Debt" as a measure of the Company's financial position and liquidity, however it is not intended to be viewed as an alternative to other measures calculated in accordance with IFRS.

Complete reports and statements are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on the Company website www.rokresources.ca.

LITHIUM UPDATE

The Company, as a twenty-five (25%) percent shareholder and manager of operations of Hub City Lithium Corp., remains on track for the release of the Preliminary Economic Assessment in Q4 2023.

About ROK

ROK is primarily engaged in exploring for petroleum and natural gas development activities in Alberta and Saskatchewan. It has offices located in both Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada and Calgary, Alberta, Canada. ROK's common shares are traded on the TSX Venture Exchange under the trading symbol "ROK".

For further information, please contact:

Cameron Taylor, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Bryden Wright, President and Chief Operating Officer

Jared Lukomski, Senior Vice President, Land & Business Development

Lynn Chapman, Chief Financial Officer

Phone: (306) 522-0011

Email: investor@rokresources.ca

Website: www.rokresources.ca

Non-IFRS Measures

The non-IFRS measures referred to above do not have any standardized meaning prescribed by International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") and, therefore, may not be comparable to similar measures used by other companies. Management uses this non-IFRS measurement to provide its shareholders and investors with a measurement of the Company's financial performance and are not intended to represent operating profits nor should they be viewed as an alternative to cash provided by operating activities, net income or other measures of financial performance calculated in accordance with IFRS. The reader is cautioned that these amounts may not be directly comparable to measures for other companies where similar terminology is used. "Operating Income" is calculated by deducting royalties and operating expense from total sales revenue. Total sales revenue is comprised of oil and gas sales. The Company refers to Operating Income expressed per unit of production as an "Operating Netback". "Operating Income Profit Margin" is calculated by the Company as Operating Income as a percentage of oil and natural gas sales. "Funds from Operations" is calculated by adding other income and realized gains/losses on commodity contracts ("hedging") to Operating Income. "Net Debt" includes all indebtedness of the Company, such as the Term Loan, Credit Facility, and Senior Loan Facility (as defined within the Company's interim condensed financial statements for the nine months ended September 30, 2023), net of Adjusted Working Capital. "Adjusted Working Capital" is calculated as current assets less current liabilities, excluding current portion of debt as presented on the Company's statement of financial position within the Company's interim condensed financial statements for the nine months ended September 30, 2023.

"Funds Flow" includes all cash for (used in) operating activities and is calculated before the change in non-cash working capital. "Funds flow", "funds flow basic ($/share)" and "funds flow diluted ($/share)" are capital management measures and are key measures of operating performance as they demonstrate the Company's ability to generate the cash necessary to repay debt and fund capital investments. Management believes that by excluding the temporary impact of changes in non-cash operating working capital, funds flow, funds flow basic ($/share) and funds flow diluted ($/share) provide useful measures of ROK's ability to generate cash that are not subject to short-term movements in non-cash operating working capital. Funds flow on a per share basis (basic and diluted) is calculated by dividing funds flow by the weighted average number of basic shares and weighted average number of diluted shares outstanding for the relevant period.

The following table reconciles cash flow from operating activities to funds flow:

Q3 2023 Q3 2022 YTD 2023 YTD 2022 Cash provided by operating activities 5,600,679 12,427,942 22,250,783 28,783,787 Change in non-cash working capital (297,499 ) 1,044,842 (80,737 ) 4,269,000 Funds Flow 5,303,180 13,472,784 22,170,046 33,052,787

Conversion Measures

Production volumes and reserves are commonly expressed on a barrel of oil equivalent ("boe") basis whereby natural gas volumes are converted at the ratio of 6 thousand cubic feet ("Mcf") to 1 barrel of oil ("bbl"). Although the intention is to sum oil and natural gas measurement units into one basis for improved analysis of results and comparisons with other industry participants, boe's may be misleading, particularly if used in isolation. A boe conversion ratio of 6 Mcf to 1 bbl is based on an energy equivalency conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip and does not represent a value equivalency at the wellhead. In recent years, the value ratio based on the price of crude oil as compared to natural gas has been significantly higher than the energy equivalency of 6:1 and utilizing a conversion of natural gas volumes on a 6:1 basis may be misleading as an indication of value.

Abbreviations

bbls/d barrels per day boe barrels of oil equivalent Boepd IFRS barrels oil equivalent per day International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board IP Initial Production NGLs Natural Gas Liquids Mboe Mg/l Thousands of barrels of oil equivalent Milligrams per Litre MMboe Millions of barrels of oil equivalent PDP QoQ Proved Developed Producing Quarter of quarter TP Total Proved Reserves TPP Total Proved and Probable Reserves WTI YoY West Texas Intermediate, the reference price paid in U.S. dollars at Cushing, Oklahoma for the crude oil standard grade Year over year

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results, performance, prospects, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the Company's objectives, goals, or future plans and the expected results thereof. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on several estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include but are not limited to general business, economic and social uncertainties; litigation, legislative, environmental, and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; delay or failure to receive board, shareholder or regulatory approvals; those additional risks set out in ROK's public documents filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca; and other matters discussed in this news release. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these statements, which only apply as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. Except where required by law, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether because of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Neither the Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility of the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: ROK Resources Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/807411/rok-resources-files-financial-results-for-the-third-quarter-of-2023-releases-operational-update
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / Forward Water Technologies Corp. ("Forward Water" or the "Company") (TSXV:FWTC) announces that Mr. Grant Thornley, Vice-President of Engineering Solution Sales will be present at the Direct Lithium Extraction 2023 Conference as an invited speaker in Orange County, California.

Date: December 11-12, 2023

Location: Hyatt Regency

Link: https://www.direct-lithium-extraction-show.com/access/program

The Company has been invited to participate as a panellist for a discussion on Market Size, Trends in the Lithium Market and How Supply is to Meet Demand. This unique event, scheduled for December 11-12, 2023 is designed to bring together industry luminaries, researchers, and pioneers to explore the forefront of lithium advancements.

Vice-President of Engineering Solution Sales, Mr. Thornley comments "As we prepare to gather at the Direct Lithium Extraction 2023 Conference, it's evident that we're not just discussing the future of lithium; we're actively shaping it. The convergence of industry leaders, cutting-edge technologies, and insightful discussions creates an unparalleled environment for collaboration and innovation. I am honored to be part of a forum that is driving the sustainable energy revolution forward, and I look forward to contributing to the transformative dialogue that will define the next phase of lithium extraction technologies.".

The DLE Conference promises to be a pivotal moment for those engaged in the lithium sector, providing a stage for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and the forging of strategic partnerships. Attendees will not only be spectators; they will be integral contributors to the ongoing narrative of sustainable energy solutions.

The Direct Lithium Extraction 2023 Conference is more than an event; it's a commitment to being a catalyst for positive change in the world of lithium.

About Forward Water Technologies Corp.

Forward Water Technologies Corp. is a publicly traded Canadian company dedicated to saving the earth's water supply using its patented Forward Osmosis technology. The Company was founded by GreenCentre Canada a leading technology innovation centre, supported by the government of Canada. The Company's technology allows for the reduction of challenging waste streams simultaneously returning fresh water for re-use or surface release. The Company's mandate is to focus on the large-scale implementation of its technology in multiple sectors, including industrial wastewater, oil and gas, mining, agriculture and ultimately municipal water supply and re-use market sectors. For more information, please visit www.forwardwater.com.

About Direct Lithium Extraction Conference 2023

The Direct Lithium Extraction 2023 Exhibition and Conference offers market intelligence and industry presentations on lithium extraction from brine resources, emphasizing reduced environmental impact, water usage, and faster production times.

Mr. Howie Honeyman, Ph.D., President & Chief Executive Officer

(519) 333-5888

Forward Water Technologies Corp.

howie.honeyman@forwardwater.com

For further information please contact:

Kayla.ferderber@forwardwater.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 news release.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this news release constitute "forward-looking information" as such term is used in applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking information is based on plans, expectations and estimates of management at the date the information is provided and is subject to certain factors and assumptions, including, that the Company's financial condition and development plans do not change as a result of unforeseen events and that the Company obtains any required regulatory approvals.

Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause plans, estimates and actual results to vary materially from those projected in such forward-looking information. Some of the risks and other factors that could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: impacts from the coronavirus or other epidemics, general economic conditions in Canada, the United States and globally; unanticipated operating events; the availability of capital on acceptable terms; stock market volatility as well as the other risks and uncertainties applicable to the Company as set forth in the Company's continuous disclosure filings filed under the Company's profile at www.sedarplus.ca. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, other than as required by applicable law.

SOURCE: Forward Water Technologies Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/807572/forward-water-technologies-to-participate-at-the-direct-lithium-extraction-2023-conference-in-california-usa
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / (TSXV:OGN)(OTCQX:OGNRF) Orogen Royalties Inc. ("Orogen" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it has acquired the Hot Tip Gold Project in central Nevada, USA.

Hot Tip Project Highlights

A low-sulphidation epithermal gold target highlighted by a large four-kilometre-diametre steam heated alteration cell focused on an undrilled three- kilometre-long by one-kilometre-wide graben.

Widespread pathfinder anomalism at surface indicates an extensive metal rich hydrothermal cell proximal to the margins of two calderas.

Historical drilling in hydrothermal breccia outside of the graben margin includes 0.38 grams per tonne ("g/t") gold over 24 metres.

A district scale target with similarities to AngloGold Ashanti's Motherlode deposit in the emerging Silicon-Merlin district.

Hot Tip was acquired through staking under the Orogen-Altius Minerals generative exploration alliance.

Orogen VP of Exploration, Laurence Pryer commented, "Orogen's proprietary methodology of distinguishing epithermal-related advanced argillic alteration from argillic alteration formed in other environments allows our team to identify untested prospective high-level steam-cap systems in a very competitive district. Hot Tip represents an excellent exploration target and is available for option or sale for industry exploration partners."

About the Hot Tip Project

The 890-hectare Hot Tip property is located in central Nevada, 250 kilometres northwest of Las Vegas (Figure 1). The claims are located on road accessible BLM land in Railroad Valley, 20 kilometres south of US Highway 6 on the eastern edge of the Pancake Range.

Figure 1: Location of the Hot Tip property

The property contains a four-kilometre-diametre Late Miocene epithermal steam cap (Figure 2) consisting of silicified and argillized Oligocene tuffs overlying Devonian dolostones with common jasperoid development. The core of the alteration zone is marked by alunite with a morphology, habit and geochemistry indicative of an underlying boiling zone. The alunite is concentrated in a three-kilometre-long by one-kilometre-wide graben comprising the untested, down dropped, core of the system. A historical drill hole near a hydrothermal breccia outside the northwest margin of the graben returned 0.38 g/t gold over 24 metres indicating the precious metal bearing potential of the system. Pathfinder elements are strongly anomalous and define an extensive metal-rich hydrothermal system.

Orogen has mapped rhyolite dykes across the property whose emplacement is controlled by the graben structures. These dykes are proposed to constitute apotheoses of favourable intrusive host rocks at depth (Figure 3) analogous to AngloGold Ashanti's Mother Lode deposit (inclusive resource of 1.7 million ounces gold at 0.77 g/t1).

The alteration at Hot Tip is open under alluvial cover to the north, south, and east with altered outcrops of silicified rhyolite with visible cinnabar, within the extension of the graben, over three kilometres to the south of the principal target displaying the district scale potential of the property.

More details on the Hot Tip property including a technical presentation can be found at

https://orogenroyalties.com/project-generation/project-generation/

Figure 2: Hot Tip property displaying hydrothermal alteration cell from AVIRIS,

graben margins and mapped breccia bodies

Figure 3: Schematic cross-section looking NNE at Hot Tip

Qualified Person Statement

All technical data, as disclosed in this press release, has been verified by Laurence Pryer, Ph.D., P.Geo. VP Exploration for the Company. Dr. Pryer is a qualified person as defined under the terms of National Instrument 43-101.

About Orogen Royalties Inc.

Orogen Royalties is focused on organic royalty creation and royalty acquisitions on precious and base metal discoveries in western North America. The Company's royalty portfolio includes the Ermitano gold and silver Mine in Sonora, Mexico (2.0% NSR royalty) operated by First Majestic Silver Corp. and the Expanded Silicon gold project (1.0% NSR royalty) in Nevada, U.S.A, being advanced by AngloGold Ashanti. The Company is well financed with several projects actively being developed under option by industry exploration partners.

On Behalf of the Board

OROGEN ROYALTIES INC.

Paddy Nicol

President & CEO

To find out more about Orogen, please contact Paddy Nicol, President & CEO at 604-248-8648, and Marco LoCascio, Vice President, Corporate Development at 604-248-8648. Visit our website at www.orogenroyalties.com.

Orogen Royalties Inc.

1015 - 789 West Pender Street

Vancouver, BC

Canada V6C 1H2

info@orogenroyalties.com

Forward Looking Information

This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward looking statements". All statements in this presentation, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that Orogen Royalties Inc. (the "Company") expect 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 believe 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, exploitation and exploration successes, 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 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.

References

https://reports.anglogoldashanti.com/22/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/AGA-RR22.pdf

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: Orogen Royalties Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/807427/orogen-royalties-acquires-the-hot-tip-gold-project-in-nevada
Embarks on strategic initiative to explore additional opportunities to maximize shareholder value

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - November 21, 2023) - SLANG Worldwide Inc. (CSE: SLNG) (OTCQB: SLGWF) ("SLANG" or the "Company"), a leading global cannabis consumer packaged goods company with a diversified portfolio of popular brands, today announced that it has retained PGP Capital Advisors, LLC, ("PGP") to assist in a review of its strategic alternatives. The Board of Directors has formed a committee of independent directors (the "Committee") to assist SLANG's management team and PGP in exploring, reviewing and evaluating strategic alternatives that may be available to the Company to maximize shareholder value.

"The Company has been successful in driving organic growth and streamlining operations. With each of our business segments continuing to produce positive net income, EBITDA and cash flow, the Company is in the best financial health that it's ever been," said John Moynan, Chief Executive Officer of SLANG. "Our flexible strategy has allowed us to adapt and succeed in a challenging industry. I believe that this review will provide us with options that could create greater long-term value for SLANG and our shareholders as well as the ability to increase the scale of our business."

The Company will evaluate a full range of strategic and financial alternatives, including, but not limited to, one or more of the following: a business combination, sale, divestiture, acquisition or merger that may involve all or part of our business or assets, restructuring, recapitalization, refinancing, or any other strategic transaction that may be identified during our strategic review. The Company is evaluating these opportunities in order to explore synergies which may reduce the overhead costs associated with being publicly traded, provide opportunities to rapidly increase scale and market share, and to expand the overall product offering and footprint of SLANG.

Financial and Operational Highlights:

Strong Financial Position to Support Growth : The Company announced cash and restricted cash of $11.2 million as of August 15, 2023;

: The Company announced cash and restricted cash of $11.2 million as of August 15, 2023; Streamlined Operations: The Company posted its strongest adjusted gross margin [1] to date in 2Q 2023 of 54% as a result of its success in streamlining operations;

The Company posted its strongest adjusted gross margin to date in 2Q 2023 of 54% as a result of its success in streamlining operations; Colorado Leadership : In the first half of 2023, sales of O.pen cartridges experienced significant growth, up by 16% to 415,082 units from 357,924 units, during the same period in the previous year with the brand maintaining its position as the top performing vape cartridge in Colorado;

: In the first half of 2023, sales of O.pen cartridges experienced significant growth, up by 16% to 415,082 units from 357,924 units, during the same period in the previous year with the brand maintaining its position as the top performing vape cartridge in Colorado; Vermont Leadership : The Company established a first-mover position in Vermont with the opening of the state's first recreational cannabis stores and its expansion into the Vermont wholesale market. The Company continues to lead and operate as one of Vermont's strongest cannabis operators;

: The Company established a first-mover position in Vermont with the opening of the state's first recreational cannabis stores and its expansion into the Vermont wholesale market. The Company continues to lead and operate as one of Vermont's strongest cannabis operators; Legacy Brand Positioning: O.pen has demonstrated more than a decade of success in becoming one of the most recognized and best-selling vape brands in the country, selling over 12 million vape products since its inception in 2012;

O.pen has demonstrated more than a decade of success in becoming one of the most recognized and best-selling vape brands in the country, selling over 12 million vape products since its inception in 2012; Strategic Partnership: SLANG brands are distributed across 12 states as a result of partnerships with best-in-class operators such as Trulieve, providing for brand performance and broad distribution.

Other than as described in this news release, the Company has not set a timetable to complete the strategic review process and has not made any decisions related to strategic alternatives at this time. The Company cautions that there are no assurances that the evaluation of strategic alternatives will result in the approval or completion of any specific transaction or outcome. The Company does not intend to comment further unless and until the Board of Directors approves a specific transaction, concludes its review of strategic alternatives or determines that further disclosure is appropriate or required.

To be added to SLANG's email distribution list, please email SLNG@kcsa.com with "SLNG" in the subject line.

About SLANG Worldwide

SLANG Worldwide Inc. is the industry leader in branded cannabis consumer packaged goods, with a diversified portfolio of five distinct brands and products distributed across the U.S. Operating in 13 legal cannabis markets nationwide, SLANG specializes in acquiring and developing market-proven regional brands, as well as launching innovative new brands to seize global market opportunities and match evolving consumer tastes. The Company has over a decade of experience operating in the nascent and highly regulated cannabis sector, and its partners enjoy the benefits of that experience, with access to the SLANG playbook for successful operations, sales and marketing. Its strong product pipeline from uniquely positioned and scalable brands like O.pen, Alchemy Naturals, Ceres, Firefly, and partnerships with brands like Greenhouse Seed Company have a proven track record of success with the brands consistently ranking among the top performers in the states where SLANG operates. Learn more at slangww.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements." Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements, or developments in the industry to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such 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. The forward-looking statements contained herein include, but are not limited to, statements in respect of the activities of the Special Committee and possible strategic alternative transactions.

Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management of SLANG at this time, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive risks, uncertainties and contingencies that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Applicable risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to the interest of third parties in pursuing a possible strategic alternative transaction with the Company; the terms and conditions of any proposal that may be received; the ability to successfully consummate a potential strategic alternative transaction; the available funds of the Company and the anticipated use of such funds; regulatory risks, risks related to the COVID-19 global pandemic, changes in laws, resolutions and guidelines, market risks, concentration risks, operating history, competition, the risks associated with international and foreign operations and the other risks identified under the headings "Risk Factors" in SLANG's annual information form dated April 27, 2022 and other disclosure documents available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. SLANG is not under any obligation, 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 expressly required by applicable law.

Non-IFRS Measures

Adjusted gross margin is a non-IFRS financial measure that the Company uses to assess its operating performance. Management defines adjusted gross margin as gross margin before fair value adjustment of biological assets. This data is furnished to provide additional information and is a non-IFRS measure and does not have any standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS. The Company uses this non-IFRS measure to provide shareholders and others with a supplemental measure of its operating performance. The Company also believes that securities analysts, investors and other interested parties, frequently use this non-IFRS measure in the evaluation of companies, many of which present similar metrics when reporting their results. As other companies may calculate this non-IFRS measure differently than the Company, this metric may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. Please refer to the Company's press release dated August 24, 2023 and it's management's discussion and analysis for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023 for a reconciliation of adjusted gross margin to its nearest comparable IFRS measure.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider has reviewed, or accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of, the content of this news release.

Company Contact

Mikel Rutherford, CFO

833-752-6499

Media and Investor Inquiries

Investors@SLANGww.com

KCSA Strategic Communications

Phil Carlson

SLANG@kcsa.com

1 See "Non-IFRS Measures"

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/188141
ApeX

ApeX Protocol Marks 1-Year Milestone with Achievements and Roadmap Unveiling



21-Nov-2023 / 13:50 CET/CEST

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.





NEWS RELEASE BY APEX

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | November 21, 2023 07:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

ApeX Protocol , one of the leading permissionless and non-custodial derivatives decentralized exchanges (DEX), is proud to announce its first-year anniversary, marking a year of remarkable achievements, strategic partnerships, and exciting roadmap unveilings. ApeX will be celebrating this milestone with a 2-week long celebration, with 25,000 USDC and 50,000 APEX in rewards.

Accomplishments: Decentralized Innovation at its Best

In just 12 months, ApeX has solidified its position as a leader in the DeFi space, offering both USDC and USDT cross-margined perpetual contracts with up to 50x leverage on over 25 trading pairs, boasting over 17B cumulative trading volume and over 29K traders. Built on StarkWare's Layer 2 scalability engine StarkEx and operating on an orderbook model, ApeX provides a secure, efficient, and user-friendly experience for users.

Apart from developing a DEX, ApeX has also introduced 2 passive income solutions with the launch of the Staking program and Smart Liquidity Pool (SLP - the first-ever market-making liquidity pool on a decentralized orderbook DEX). With an average staking APY of 26.5%, participants have earned over 450K USDC via revenue-sharing since the program's launch, actively partaking in the success of the project. With an average APR at 18.85%, SLP has empowered retail users to access market-making strategies with a minimum $100 deposit and contribute liquidity to the platform, while passively earning fees in USDC.

What's more, ApeX has introduced the first ever decentralized and self-custodial trading bot on Telegram and also formed a series of strategic partnerships with prominent market players such as Bybit, Mantle, Arbitrum, etc., to expand the ecosystem and enrich user experiences. Other notable collaborations include teaming up with algorithmic trading software like Astrabit, market research platform X-explore for detecting and preventing wash trading and Sybil attacks, and oracle network services provider Stork for precise and reliable price data feeds.

Celebrations: 25K USDC and 50K APEX in Rewards

To celebrate this significant milestone, ApeX is hosting a two-week extravaganza with 25,000 USDC and 50,000 APEX up for grabs, including a special 1-year anniversary trading competition , triple-boosted staking rewards, engaging social media games, and recognition for outstanding community members who have contributed significantly to the platform.

The Roadmap: The Journey Continues

Looking ahead, ApeX is gearing up to introduce exciting further developments:

Web3 Social Trading: ApeX is poised for significant developments in social trading, including the upcoming launch of DIDs, SBT minting event, and the introduction of copy trading, along with other social trading tools. These innovations are meant to provide users with enhanced avenues for collaboration and shared success.

Tokenomics Updates: Furthermore, ApeX is preparing to restructure its tokenomics to optimize the model for the community's benefit and overall project value, with 3 key initiatives:

First, a strategic reduction in the $APEX supply from the treasury, initially targeting 10-15% of the total supply; Second, the introduction of a Buyback and Burn Mechanism to empower APEX holders with seamless token swaps directly on ApeX; Lastly, bootstrapping APEX-ETH liquidity pools on top-tier DEXs and enabling liquidity providers to participate in ApeX revenue sharing by earning yields in USDC.

As ApeX celebrates its first year, the journey ahead looks even more promising. "ApeX's first year has exceeded our expectations, and we're thrilled to continue pushing the boundaries of decentralized finance. This anniversary is a testament to the incredible community that has shaped ApeX into what it is today. Our accomplishments and partnerships showcase collective effort and passion driving decentralized excellence, while our roadmap reflects our commitment to innovation and provides users with a seamless, rewarding trading experience," shared Tekla I , the Head of Business Development at ApeX Protocol.

With a focus on user-centric innovations, strategic collaborations, and a commitment to decentralized excellence, ApeX remains at the forefront of shaping the future of decentralized finance.

About ApeX

ApeX is a non-custodial trading platform that delivers limitless cross-margined perpetual contracts to its metacommunity under a new social trading framework. It is primed to provide unlimited access to the perpetual swaps market with its order book model, as it remains committed to the promises of speed, efficiency, and security with transparency on traders' preferred derivatives trading assets.

Website | Twitter | Discord | Telegram | Blog

Contact Details

Mariam I

mariam@davionlabs.com

Dissemination of a CORPORATE NEWS, transmitted by EQS Group.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.




MONTREAL, Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bombardier Inc. ("Bombardier" or the "Corporation") today announced certain matters with respect to its cash tender offer previously announced on November 6, 2023 (as it may be amended from time to time, the "Tender Offer") to purchase for cash up to $360,000,000 aggregate purchase price (exclusive of accrued and unpaid interest, and as such aggregate purchase price may be increased or decreased by the Corporation, the "Aggregate Maximum Purchase Amount") of (i) its outstanding 7.125% Senior Notes due 2026 (the "2026 Notes") and (ii) its outstanding 7.875% Senior Notes due 2027 (the "2027 Notes" and together with the 2026 Notes, the "Notes"), subject to possible proration and other terms and conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase (as defined below). Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to such terms in the Offer to Purchase dated November 6, 2023 (as amended by the Corporation's press release titled "Bombardier Increases the Maximum Amount Sought Under its Cash Tender Offer Previously Announced Today" dated November 6, 2023, the "Offer to Purchase") with respect to the Tender Offer.



Based upon the aggregate principal amount of 2026 Notes that were validly tendered and not validly withdrawn as of the Early Tender Date, the proration factor with respect to the 2026 Notes is approximately 22.43%. Based upon the aggregate principal amount of 2027 Notes that were validly tendered and not validly withdrawn as of the Early Tender Date, the proration factor with respect to the 2027 Notes is approximately 13.00%.

An amount of 2026 Notes equal to the 2026 Tender Cap and an amount of 2027 Notes equal to the 2027 Tender Cap, in each case that were validly tendered and not validly withdrawn at or before the Early Tender Date, will be accepted for purchase by Bombardier on the Early Settlement Date. All such Notes that have been accepted will be settled on the Early Settlement Date in accordance with the terms of the Tender Offer as set forth in the Offer to Purchase, including proration with respect to both the 2026 Notes and 2027 Notes. Bombardier expects such Early Settlement Date to be November 24, 2023.

On the Early Settlement Date, the aggregate total purchase price payable under the Offer to Purchase for Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn at or prior to the Early Tender Date and accepted for purchase will have reached the Aggregate Maximum Purchase Amount, the 2026 Tender Cap with respect to the 2026 Notes and the 2027 Tender Cap with respect to the 2027 Notes. As a result of the amount of 2026 Notes and 2027 Notes accepted for purchase on the Early Settlement Date, no Notes tendered after the Early Tender Date will, under the terms of the Offer to Purchase, be accepted for payment unless, in the Corporation's sole and absolute discretion, the terms of the Tender Offer are further amended or waived by the Corporation to permit further purchases of the 2026 Notes or 2027 Notes. There can be no assurance that the Corporation will further amend or waive any terms of the Tender Offer to accept any Notes tendered after the Early Tender Date or amend the Tender Offer in any other respect.

Except as expressly set forth herein, the terms and conditions with respect to the Tender Offer are as set forth in the Offer to Purchase, subject to the Corporation's right to further waive, amend or terminate any provisions of the Tender Offer, in the Corporation's sole and absolute discretion.

The obligation of the Corporation to accept for purchase, and to pay for, Notes validly tendered pursuant to the Tender Offer is subject to, and conditioned upon, the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions as set forth in the Offer to Purchase, in the sole and absolute discretion of the Corporation.

None of Bombardier, the trustees for the Notes, the agents under the respective indentures for the Notes, the dealer managers, the information and tender agent, any of their respective subsidiaries or affiliates or any of its or their respective directors, officers, employees or representatives makes any recommendation to Holders as to whether or not to tender all or any portion of their Notes, and none of the foregoing has authorized any person to make any such recommendation. Holders must decide whether to tender Notes, and if tendering, the amount of Notes to tender.

All of the Notes are held in book-entry form. If you hold Notes through a broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee, you must contact such broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee if you wish to tender Notes pursuant to the Tender Offer. You should check with such broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee to determine whether they will charge you a fee for tendering Notes on your behalf. You should also confirm with the broker, dealer, bank, trust company or other nominee any deadlines by which you must provide your tender instructions, because the relevant deadline set by such nominee may be earlier than the deadlines set forth in the Offer to Purchase.

Bombardier has retained Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. and RBC Capital Markets, LLC to serve as dealer managers for the Tender Offer. Bombardier has retained Global Bondholder Services Corporation to act as the information and tender agent in respect of the Tender Offer.

For additional information regarding the terms of the Tender Offer, please contact Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. at +1 212-250-7527or by contacting Global Bondholder Services Corporation at (855) 654 2014 or by email at contact@gbsc-usa.com.

This notice does not constitute or form part of any offer or invitation to purchase or sell, or any solicitation of any offer to sell or purchase, the Notes or any other securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction, and neither this notice nor any part of it, nor the fact of its release, shall form the basis of, or be relied on or in connection with, any contract therefor. The Tender Offer is made only by and pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Offer to Purchase and the information in this notice is qualified by reference to the Offer to Purchase.

This announcementdoes notconstitute an offertobuy orthesolicitationof an offer tosellany securities in any jurisdiction or in any circumstances in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful. In those jurisdictions where the securities, blue sky or other laws require the Tender Offer to be made by a licensedbrokerordealer,theTenderOfferwillbedeemedtobemadebythedealermanagersoroneor more registered brokers or dealers licensed under the laws of such jurisdiction.

Certain statements in this announcement are forward-looking statements based on current expectations. Bytheirnature,forward-lookingstatementsrequireustomakeassumptionsandaresubject toimportant knownandunknownrisksanduncertainties,whichmaycauseouractualresultsinfutureperiodstodiffer materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. For additional information regarding these risks and uncertainties, and the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements, please refer to the Offer to Purchase.

Forinformation
Kingston, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - November 21, 2023) - Delta Resources Limited (TSXV: DLTA) (OTC Pink: DTARF) (FSE: 6GO1) ("Delta" or "the Company") is pleased to provide additional final assay results from its second phase of drilling, previously announced on June 6, 2023 , at the Delta-1 Gold project located 50 km west of Thunder Bay, Ontario.

Results from the final fifteen (15) drill holes of the second phase drill program are provided in Table 1 below. Other results from the forty-eight (48) drill holes comprising this phase of drilling were released on September 12, 2023 and October 5, 2023.and October 23, 2023.

Highlights:

Depth Extension at Delta-1 (Figure 2):

D1-23-72 intersected 1.49 g/t Au over 18.9 metres including 2.27 g/t Au over 10.0 metres . Including a three-metre interval grading 5.20 g/t Au, This intersection extends the Beta Zone to a vertical depth of 285 metres, 100 metres east of drill hole D1-23-86.

. D1-23-86 intersected 0.64 g/t Au over 58.7 metres including 2.20 g/t Au over 9.0 metres This intersection extends the Beta Zone to a vertical depth of 240 metres 100 metres west of drill hole D1-23-72. Hole D1-23-86 also intersected 9.66 g/t Au over 1.5 metres at a vertical depth of approximately 365 metres.



Increased Gold Inventory at Delta-1; Gamma Zone Near Surface Extended for 200 metres (Figure 1):

D1-23-77 intersected 1.05 g/t Au over 11.5 metres ,

, D1-23-78 intersected 0.54 g/t Au over 23.5 metres from 6.0 metres. These intersections extend the Gamma Zone for a surface strike length off 200 metres to date. Drill holes D1-23-77 and 78 were drilled respectively 100 metres east and west of drill hole D1-23-53: 1.18 g/t Au over 42.0 metres (September 12, 2023).



Eastern Extension of Gold mineralization and alteration corridor (Figure 1):

D1-23-73 intersected 0.50 g/t Au over 6.5 metres , and

, and D1-23-74 intersected 0.49 g/t Au over 15.50 metres.

Both these drill holes are located on a section 846 metres east of hole D1-23-38: 1636 g/t Au and 697 g/t Au over 1.0 metres each (May 11, 2023), showing the potential for new mineralized zones east of the currently defined gold zone.

(May 11, 2023), showing the potential for new mineralized zones east of the currently defined gold zone. D1-23-76 is located 1.15 kilometres east of hole D1-23-38 and intersected the alteration corridor over a core length of 202 metres.

Western Extension of Gold mineralization (Figure 1):

D1-23-83 intersected 0.63 g/t Au over 10.5 metres including 3.17 g/t over 1.5 metres.

including 3.17 g/t over 1.5 metres. The intersection is a 275-metre step-out west of the currently defined gold zone.

New High-Grade Zones intercepted at depth showing under-ground potential (Figure 2):

Hole D1-23-86 intersected 9.66 g/t Au over 1.5 metres at a vertical depth of approximately 365 metres.

at a vertical depth of approximately 365 metres. These high-grade gold intercepts at depth have become common at Delta-1, such as in drill holes D1-23-67: 24.4 g/t Au over 1.5 metres, 200 metres vertical, and D1-23-68: 12.5 g/t Au over 1.0 metres and 11.2 g/t Au over 1.5 metres at 382 metres and 406 metres vertical respectively (October 23, 2023 ) .

Andre Tessier, President and CEO commented: "These latest results demonstrate that the mineralization and the broader alteration/deformation corridor are still open in all directions. With all the phase two drilling results now in-hand, we are continuing to integrate and model all of this new geological and assay data to better our understanding of the structural controls and geometry, as well as the geochemical and geophysical signatures of the mineralized zone. We are looking forward to the 2024 drilling program, which we strongly believe will benefit from the technical and targeting work currently being undertaken."

The complete table of results from this release is shown below at Table 1:

DRILL HOLE NO UTM Coordinates Zone 16 Azimuth Incl. Length

(m) FROM

(m) TO

(m) Au Grade

(g/t) CORE

LENGTH (m) Easting Northing D1-23-72 289926 5385044 360 -45 552 78.00 81.00 1.75 4.00 277.50 280.50 1.82 3.00 325.00 329.00 1.63 4.00 403.10 422.00 1.49 18.90 incl. 403.10 413.10 2.27 10.00 and 408.10 411.10 5.20 3.00 451.80 457.90 1.41 6.10 D1-23-73 291448 5384899 180 -45 501 41.50 48.00 0.50 6.50 73.20 74.70 1.72 1.50 D1-23-74 291448 5384899 360 -45 118 64.50 80.00 0.49 15.50 incl. 64.50 66.00 3.10 1.50 D1-23-75 291753 5384823 180 -45 342 NSR D1-23-76 291753 5384823 360 -45 215 NSR D1-23-77 290464 5385220 180 -40 165.0 36.00 47.50 1.05 11.50 D1-23-78 290262 5385245 180 -40 174.0 6.00 29.50 0.54 23.50 D1-23-79 290155 5385240 180 -40 156.0 NSR D1-23-80 290041 5385283 180 -40 174.0 NSR D1-23-81 289939 5385310 180 -40 201.0 NSR D1-23-82 289989 5385208 0 -45 345.0 137.50 155.50 0.54 18.00 164.50 190.00 0.60 25.50 incl. 164.50 167.50 3.30 3.00 D1-23-83 288809 5385649 180 -45 468.0 163.00 173.50 0.63 10.50 incl. 164.50 166.00 3.17 1.50 D1-23-84 288811 5385405 180 -45 153.0 NSR D1-23-85 289379 5385566 180 -62 531.0 NSR D1-23-86 289830 5385052 0 -45 590.0 290.30 349.00 0.64 58.70 incl. 340.00 349.00 2.20 9.00 514.50 516.00 9.66 1.50

TABLE 1: Table of new drilling results at the Delta-1 Project; November 21, 2023.

Geological Discussion

The Delta-1 project is located in the Shebandowan Greenstone Belt and covers a 19 km strike extent of the Shebandowan Structural Zone. Gold mineralization at Eureka, occurs within a broad corridor of highly altered (ankerite-calcite-silicification and albitization) rocks exhibiting highly anomalous gold values of up to 0.2 g/t gold. Higher-grade mineralization within this corridor is associated with a stockwork of quartz-ankerite-pyrite-gold veinlets, with increased density of these veinlets generally proportional to increased gold grade. The gold mineralized zones have so far been intersected for a strike of approximately 2.3 kilometres, with a higher-grade segment extending for nearly 950 metres. So far, the mineralized zone extends from surface to a vertical depth of approximately 250 metres. Mineralization strikes approximately 100 to 120 degrees azimuth, with a dip of 75-80 degrees north (shallower dips of 50N are observed in the western portion of the zone). Higher-grade, wide ore shoots are observed and appear to be plunging approximately 40 degrees towards the west, within this structural corridor. Similar ore shoots are often observed in structurally controlled gold deposits and often occur with a certain periodicity. The currently defined ore shoots are open at depth.

The Next Steps

Delta has paused drilling in early October 2023 to analyze and further interpret the very large amount of geological, structural, and geochemical data accumulated since the beginning of this phase of drilling. Delta completed a 37-line kilometre 3D Induced Polarization survey covering 282 hectares, to better characterize the known mineralized zone and explore the extensions of the gold-bearing structure. Delta also completed a televiewer probing survey on fourteen (14) strategically located drill holes to collect valuable structural information on possible fault and vein orientations. Compilation of geological and geochemical data is also underway. This multidisciplinary approach will be used to help vector towards new mineralized zones within the gold-bearing structure. Delta will resume its drill campaign shortly after this work is completed, likely in January 2024.

Analytical Protocol and QA/QC

Chemical analyses reported in this press release were performed at AGAT Laboratories. AGAT Laboratories is accredited to ISO 17025 by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC). Sample preparation was performed in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Sampling and analytical procedures are subject to a comprehensive Quality Assurance and Quality Control program that includes duplicate samples, blanks, and analytical standards.

The following assaying protocol was adopted at Delta-1 to reduce the assay variability due to nugget effect caused by visible gold:

If visible gold is observed in the sample or within the assumed mineralized zone , the assay is performed by Metallic Screening whereby the entire sample is crushed, a 1 kg portion is pulverized and screened to 106m and analyzed by 50 g fire assay with gravimetric finish at the AGAT Laboratory in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

, the assay is performed by Metallic Screening whereby the entire sample is crushed, a 1 kg portion is pulverized and screened to 106m and analyzed by 50 g fire assay with gravimetric finish at the AGAT Laboratory in Thunder Bay, Ontario. If no visible gold is observed or outside of the mineralized zones , an initial assay is performed by 50 g Fire Assay with ICP-OES finish at the AGAT Laboratory in Thunder Bay, Ontario. If the assay result exceeds 2.0 g/t gold, remaining rejects are pulverized, a 1 kg portion is screened to 106m and analyzed by 50 g fire assay with gravimetric finish at the AGAT Laboratory in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

NQ-size drill core was sawed in half lengthwise and half of the core was sampled and sealed in clean plastic bags before being shipped for assay. The remaining half of the core was replaced in core boxes and is stored at Delta's core storage facilities. Standards and blanks are inserted in the sequence of samples on site as quality assurance and quality control in addition to the regular insertion of blank, duplicate, and standard samples accredited by SGS Canada Minerals Laboratories during the analytical process.

Qualified Persons

Daniel Boudreau, P.Geo. and Manager of Exploration at Delta Resources Limited, is the Qualified Persons as defined by NI-43-101. He has supervised the drilling program in the field and reviewed the technical information presented in this press release.

Ontario Junior Exploration Program

Delta Resources would like to acknowledge the financial support provided by the Ontario Government via the Ontario Junior Exploration Program ("OJEP"). Delta will be receiving up to $200,000 upon completion of its exploration program at Delta-1.

Other news

Delta Resources Limited has entered into a sponsorship agreement with RocksAndStocksNews. RocksAndStocksNews ("R&S") is a private entity owned and operated by Allan Laboucan. He is based in Mexico where operates an online portal for precious metals and mining stocks. It provides distribution of Delta's news releases along with comments and/or opinions on its YouTube Channel. It has a 6 month contract for a total of C$12,000 that expires on April 30, 2024 that was paid in full upon at the beginning of the contract. It will not receive shares or options as compensation. At the time of the agreement, R&S and the Company are unrelated and unaffiliated entities. No buying or selling recommendations are made, no price projections on Delta are given and nor do they give any financial advice. The owner of R&S is currently a shareholder of Delta, and at there sole discretion may purchase additional securities and or sell these securities for investment purposes.

About Delta Resources Limited

Delta Resources Limited is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on growing shareholder value through the exploration of two very high-potential gold and base-metal projects in Canada.

DELTA-1 is Delta's flagship project, where the Company is building gold ounces 50 kilometres west of Thunder Bay, Ontario, at surface and adjacent to the Trans-Canada highway. To date, the gold mineralization is defined over 1.8 km from surface to a vertical depth of 250 m. Highlights include drill intercepts such as 5.92 g/t Au over 31 m (incl. 14.8 g/t Au over 11.9 m), and 1.79 g/t Au over 128.5 m. The property covers 107 square kilometres and Delta has identified a 5 km long corridor of intense alteration and deformation at the property, on strike with the gold zone, that has yet to be thoroughly explored.

The DELTA-2 property covers 194 square kilometres in the prolific Chibougamau District of Quebec. The property holds excellent potential for gold-rich polymetallic VMS deposits as well as hydrothermal-gold deposits. Delta targets VMS deposits such as the LeMoine past producer where 0.76 Mt were mined between 1975 and 1983, grading 9.6% Zn, 4.2% Cu, 4.5 g/t Au and 84 g/t Ag.

Figure 1: Map of the Delta-1 Gold Zone, showing the new assay results from this press release. The map also shows the alteration corridor that is hosting the gold mineralization and the East Extension of the mineralized zone. This alteration corridor is defined over approximately five kilometres of strike length at Delta-1. Additional drilling will be testing for the presence of high-grade gold shoots within this corridor.



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8482/188155_a6e1dc72141bdad7_002full.jpg

Figure 2: 3D model of the Delta-1 Gold Zone oriented as a longitudinal section, looking north. The illustration shows the location of drill holes D1-23-72 and D1-23-86 and high-grade intercepts at depth in drill holes D1-23-67, 68, 72 and 86. Noth the eastern and western extensions are not shown.



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8482/188155_a6e1dc72141bdad7_003full.jpg

About Delta Resources Limited

Delta Resources Limited is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on growing shareholder value through the exploration of two very high-potential gold and base-metal projects in Canada.

DELTA-1 is Delta's flagship project, where the Company is building gold ounces 50 kilometres west of Thunder Bay, Ontario, at surface and adjacent to the Trans-Canada highway. To date, the gold mineralization is defined over 1.8 km from surface to a vertical depth of 250 m. Highlights include drill intercepts such as 5.92 g/t Au over 31 m (incl. 14.8 g/t Au over 11.9 m), and 1.79 g/t Au over 128.5 m. The property covers 107 square kilometres and Delta has identified a 5 km long corridor of intense alteration and deformation at the property, on strike with the gold zone, that has yet to be thoroughly explored.

The DELTA-2 property covers 194 square kilometres in the prolific Chibougamau District of Quebec. The property holds excellent potential for gold-rich polymetallic VMS deposits as well as hydrothermal-gold deposits. Delta targets VMS deposits such as the LeMoine past producer where 0.76 Mt were mined between 1975 and 1983, grading 9.6% Zn, 4.2% Cu, 4.5 g/t Au and 84 g/t Ag.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DELTA RESOURCES LIMITED.

Andre C. Tessier

President, CEO and Director

www.deltaresources.ca

We seek safe harbor. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The TSX Venture Exchange has not approved nor disapproved of the information contained herein.

For Further Information:

Contact Delta Resources Limited

Frank Candido, Chairman

Tel: 514-969-5530

fcandido@deltaresources.ca

or

Andre Tessier, President and CEO

Tel: 613-328-1581

atessier@deltaresources.ca

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Some statements contained in this news release are "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", "believes" or variations of such words and phrases (including negative or grammatical variations) or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotation thereof. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking information is inherently uncertain and involves risks, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause actual facts to differ materially. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting the Company will be those anticipated by management. The forward-looking information contained in this press release constitutes management's current estimates, as of the date of this press release, with respect to the matters covered thereby. We expect that these estimates will change as new information is received. While we may elect to update these estimates at any time, we do not undertake to update any estimate at any particular time or in response to any particular event.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/188155
Stewart, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - November 21, 2023) - Decade Resources Ltd (TSXV: DEC) ("Decade") or the Company announces that it has conducted programs on 4 different properties in the Golden Triangle area of BC. The Company is awaiting assay results on all of the properties explored.

A summary of some of the work on these properties is as follows:

Terrace Project -Nobody Knows Zone:

The Company cored significant copper sulphide mineralization intercepts from the recently discovered Nobody Knows No 2 zone at the Copper River prospect. The project is part of a large claim holding consisting of 48 contiguous minerals claims which include Nobody Knows, Dardanelle (presently farmed out) and Treasure Mountain properties totaling 17,470 hectares. All 48 mineral claims are 100% owned by Decade Resources Ltd. The project stretches from 10 to 40 air kilometers east of Terrace, B.C., on the northern slopes of the Copper River valley. Highlights of the program include:

Diamond drilling continues to intersect copper sulphides in felsic volcanic flow rocks. Primary sulphides are bornite with minor chalcocite and covellite as well as chalcopyrite.

Copper mineralization has been outlined along 200m of strike and to a depth of 150m.

4000m of drilling has been completed in 33 drill holes.

The discovery drill holes show similarities to many of the world's major sediment-hosted copper systems with the association of silver with copper.

Rocks hosting the copper mineralization present have been sheared with abundant ground up copper mineralization (bornite) in the fault gouge.

During soil sampling, new zones of copper mineralization were located.

Assay results have only been received for parts of the first 2 holes and the Company expects results for additional holes shortly. Due to the industry high demand for analysis, the receipt of results has been slower than usual. The Company eagerly awaits the results for abundant copper mineral drill core intersections.

Results received for the first 2 holes: namely DDH-23-1 returned 1.82 % Cu eq over 3.5 m (including 7.25 % Cu eq over 0.76m) and DDH-NB-23-2 which returned 2.13m of 6.87 % Cu eq.

Terrace project - Treasure Mountain

The Company also announces that it is completed 4 drill holes testing bornite and chalcocite bearing quartz-epidote veins approximately 1 .5 km north of the Purdex zone. High copper values with associated silver occur within replacement zones in volcanic rocks along a 14 km strike length. At present, there are 22 different copper-silver showings. This area is 20 km west of the Nobody Knows mineralization being drilled. Historic drilling has been carried out on 2 small areas of this mineralized trend. On the Purdex occurrence, the following results were obtained:

A 26 metre surface chip sample assayed 2.44 per cent copper and 0.4 grams per tonne silver (Minister of Mines Annual Report 1965). A total of nine chip samples ranging in length from 0.9 to 4.0 metres were collected from old trenches in 2017 by the Company confirming earlier work. They assayed from 0.49 to 5.51 % copper and from 7.2 to 42.7 g/t silver. They gave a weighted average of 3.37% copper and 30.68 g/t silver.

The 2023 drilling intersected quartz veining with bornite and chalcocite. The Company will release assay results once they have been received and compiled.

In addition, surface sampling concentrated on areas with high assay results in past programs. Based on the 2023 work, an additional claim was staked to cover an area with chalcocite bearing float boulders that assayed > 5 % copper.

Red Cliff

The Company as operator conducted a drilling program that was in excess of 1600m of drilling in 23 drill holes to further define the Montrose zone. Initial results for the first 12 2023 holes are shown below:

UPPER MONTROSE DDH No. From (m) To (m) Core Length (m) Copper % Gold g/t MON-2023-6 5.79 7.92 2.13 0.35 6.78 MON-2023-7 5.56 12.5 6.94 0.34 1.72 MON-2023-8 10.03 17.68 7.65 0.33 5.6 MON-2023-9 8.53 17.68 9.15 0.85 8.7 MON-2023-10 9.92 16.5 6.58 0.27 5.27 MON-2023-11 14.3 19.2 4.57 0.19 1.61 MON-2023-12 38.4 40 1.6 0.59 3.91

The Company has received results for the remaining holes and is presently compiling them. Once completed results will be released.

In addition, geologists with climbing experience sampled above the original Red Cliff underground workings that had copper - gold production in the past. Exploration above the highest underground level indicated strong copper mineralization over several metres.

Grassy

The project is located 2.5 km north of the Premier Gold-Silver mine pit and 3 km east of the Big Missouri mine where Ascot Resources released high - grade results recently.. The fault structures hosting mineralization over 3 km of strike are present on the claims. A 2 - day program was completed on the claims. Assay results have not been received and the Company expects results shortly.

Del Norte

The Company can earn up to a 55% interest in the property by spending $4 million over a five - year period. The Company can an earn an additional 20% interest by carrying the property to commercial production. To date, the Company has spent over 3 million dollars. Geologists with climbing experience sampled in the area of the Eagle's Nest zone. Grab sampling of veins in 2021 was carried out with significant results below:

Sample # Sample Type Au g/t Ag g/t ENKM 76 Outcrop Select Grab 22.7 5220 ENKM 77 Outcrop Select Grab 15.9 675 ENKM 80 Outcrop Select Grab 66.9 957 ENKM 83 Outcrop Select Grab 6.8 6.7 A20-168 Float Grab 49.7 2290

Assay results have not been received and the Company expects results shortly.

In addition, the Company holds a 100 % interest in the Premier East property which is located on strike with the Ascot Resource Prew zone on which results were recently released.

Assays are completed by ALS labs with preparation of pulps in Terrace and final results from analysis in North Vancouver BC.

Ed Kruchkowski, P. Geo., a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101 is responsible for the contents of this release. E. Kruchkowski is not independent of Decade as he is the president of the Company.

Decade Resources Ltd. is a Canadian based mineral exploration company actively seeking opportunities in the resource sector. Decade holds numerous properties at various stages of development and exploration from basic grass roots to advanced ones. Its properties and projects are all located in the "Golden Triangle" area of northern British Columbia. For a complete listing of the Company assets and developments, visit the Company website at www.decaderesources.ca which is presently being updated. For investor information please call 250-636-2264 or Gary Assaly at 604-377-7969.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DECADE RESOURCES LTD.

"Ed Kruchkowski"

Ed Kruchkowski, President

"Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release."

"This news release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements."

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/188163
Statkraft used actual production data from wind and solar farms in Spain to study the feasibility and bankability of hydrogen projects. For a 1 MW electrolyzer to achieve a 40% utilization rate, five times more solar capacity would be needed, it said.Statkraft said it sees a lot of momentum in the hydrogen space across Europe, but "few actual investment decisions so far as the EU regulatory challenges are complicating the development." The Norwegian company has proposed a number of "clarifications" to current legislation, underscoring the importance of "improving electrolysis economics" by using ...

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 presentation will detail the latest promising research discoveries in Coretec's CSpace 3D display technology

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Nov. 21, 2023on its CSpace3D volumetric display technology has been selected for presentationat the 2024 SPIE Photonics West Conference. Taking place in San Francisco, CA, on January 30, 2024 at 4:40 pm PST, the presentation details the most recent CSpace research developments. It will be given by Adelaide's Dr. Yunle Wei.



The presentation is based on Coretec's CSpace technology that utilizes two invisible infrared lasers to generate visible, 3D image pixels in glass within an imaging chamber. The research evaluated three types of alternative low-phonon-energy types of glass that possess high optical quality and the potential for mass manufacturing. Tellurite glass was found to be the most promising candidate, due to its high fluorescence efficiency for display and up-scalability of the imaging chamber size. The technology can be used in a wide array of applications including medical imaging, automotive and aerospace design, visualization in weather, defense monitoring, and many others.

"Our work with The Coretec Group has been highly beneficial and generated encouraging results," said Dr. Wei, Post Doctoral Researcher at the University of Adelaide's Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS). "I look forward to connecting with and presenting our exciting results to fellow industry professionals."

"We're encouraged by the results from The University of Adelaide, and excited to share them with leaders in the photonics industry," said Matt Kappers, CEO of The Coretec Group. "While our Company's efforts continue to focus on Endurion, we are eager to pursue new milestones in the development of our CSpace technology, and aim to ultimately realize the shareholder value of this highly specialized product."

About The Coretec Group

The Coretec Group, Inc. is an Ann Arbor, Michigan-based developer of engineered silicon and is using its expertise to develop silicon anodes for lithium-ion batteries that will charge faster and last longer. This program is called Endurion. Silicon has the theoretical ability to hold up to 10x the amount of lithium-ions as compared to traditional graphite. Through its proprietary nanoparticle approach, Endurion is loading silicon into the battery anode. A modest increase in silicon will be a game changer that will revolutionize the EV market as well as other energy storage applications.

Additionally, the Company is using its engineered silicon to develop a portfolio of other energy-focused products, including solid-state lighting (LEDs), semiconductors, and printable electronics. Coretec continues to develop CSpace, its 3D volumetric display technology with a wide array of applications including medical imaging, automotive, and others.

For more information, please visit thecoretecgroup.com.

Follow The Coretec Group on:

Twitter - @CoretecGroupInc

LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/company/24789881

YouTube - www.youtube.com/channel/UC1IA9C6PoPd1G4M7B9QiZPQ/featured

Forward-Looking Statements

The statements in this press release that relate to The Coretec Group's expectations with regard to the future impact on the Company's results from operations are forward-looking statements and may involve risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond our control. Such risks and uncertainties are described in greater detail in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Since the information in this press release may contain statements that involve risk and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time, the Company's actual results may differ materially from expected results. We make no commitment to disclose any subsequent revisions to forward-looking statements. This release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of offers to buy any securities of any entity.

Corporate Contact:

The Coretec Group, Inc.

Lindsay McCarthy

info@thecoretecgroup.com

+1 (866) 916-0833

Media Contact:

Spencer Herrmann

FischTank PR

coretec@fischtankpr.com

+1 (518) 669-6818
Jordan's king, EU official stress civilian protection, two-state solution in Gaza conflict

Xinhua) 10:49, November 21, 2023

AMMAN, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- King Abdullah II of Jordan on Monday discussed the situation in Gaza with the EU foreign policy chief, with both sides stressing protecting civilians and adopting the two-state solution.

At a meeting in the Jordanian capital Amman with Josep Borrell, high representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the king urged intensive efforts to stop the conflict in Gaza, end the siege, and ensure the delivery of food, medicine, water, and fuel to the Strip, according to a statement by Jordan's Royal Hashemite Court.

The Jordanian leader also warned of the disastrous repercussions of the ongoing conflict, whose victims are innocent civilians.

He also warned of the continued escalations and settler violence against the Palestinians in the West Bank, reiterating that the only way to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is the two-state solution.

Borrell, for his part, also stressed the need to protect civilians in the Gaza Strip, and applauded Jordan's crucial role in working towards creating a political horizon for the Palestinian issue, the statement said.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
PIGGS PEAK  Prime Minister (PM) Russell Mmiso Dlamini turned down a lucrative job offer in Europe to serve his home country.

Dlamini, who has been in office for about two weeks now, turned down the offer at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. At that time, he was the Chief Executive Officer of the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), which was one of the organisations that were in the forefront in dealing with the pandemic, through the procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) for various ministries, among others. On November 3, 2023, Dlamini was appointed PM by His Majesty King Mswati III. In an interview with the PM, he confirmed the lucrative job offer that he turned down in Europe, but did not wish to comment much on the matter.

Clarity

The PM had been asked to give clarity on claims that when His Majesty King Mswati III appointed him as PM at the Peoples Parliament, he had been offered a well-paying job in Russia and was on his way out of the NDMA to take up the new job opportunity. What happened is that in the middle of COVID-19, I had a lucrative job offer at an organisation, I will not mention, in Europe. I turned down the offer because the country was in the middle of a crisis and the NDMA was established primarily to deal with crises, so it did not make sense for me to abandon the nation at a time when they needed us the most, said the PM briefly.

Appointment

He said it was not true that prior to his appointment as PM by His Majesty the King, he had an offer in Russia. He said he believed the people talking of a lucrative job offer were most likely referring to the one he turned down in Europe at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. When His Majesty the King appointed me as PM, I had no job offer. I was still at the NDMA and I still had a running contract with them. I was still to serve the agency as my contract had not elapsed, he elaborated. Worth noting is that the COVID-19 pandemic had its first confirmed case in Eswatini in 2020 and was at its peak between 2021 and 2022.

Meanwhile, at the closing event of a week-long Cholera Eswatini National Simulation Exercise, which was held at Ndvwabangeni, Etikhuneni on Friday, the Acting NDMA CEO, Victor Mahlalela, highlighted that the head of government may have been appointed as the countrys PM, but he was still very active when it came to activities of the NDMA. Mahlalela substantive position at the agency is that of Operations Director. In an interview with this publication, Mahlalela revealed that despite his appointment, the PM was still active in the operations of the agency, as they would consult with him now and then. I am trying my level best to deliver as the acting CEO (at NDMA). I can confidently state that it is workable and we still very much work together with the new PM, said Mahlalela. The acting CEO highlighted that he received help in carrying out many of his functions of the agency from the PM.

He continues to be active in many undertakings of the agency. If there is something we cannot figure out, we meet with him and discuss how we can deal with that particular situation, said the acting CEO.

Education

In terms of education, the premier holds a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in Sustainable Development Planning and Management from the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa. While doing this course, he studied complexity theory and systems thinking, applied economics, biodiversity and sustainable agriculture. He is also armed with a BA Honours in Development Administration from the University of South Africa (UNISA) and a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Eswatini (UNESWA). The King appointed him to lead government business in the 12th Parliament. As an expert in disasters, the King highlighted during his appointment that he was the right person to deal with disasters, such as poverty, as declared by the King to be a disaster in the kingdom during Sibaya.
The Company Reports Strong Cash Position, Positive Working Capital and Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities

Corsicana, Texas--(Newsfile Corp. - November 21, 2023) - Midwest Energy Emissions Corp. (TSXV: MEEC) (OTCQB: MEEC) ("ME2C Environmental" or the "Company"), a leading environmental technology firm, has reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2023.

Financial Highlights

Cash of $2.5 million on hand at September 30, 2023

Working capital of $1.7 million

Q3 2023 total revenues of $6.7 million

Net cash provided by operating activities of $786,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2023

Management Commentary

Richard MacPherson, Chief Executive Officer of ME2C Environmental, commented, "Our results from this third quarter we believe were solid, with cash on hand that has continued to increase from quarter to quarter during 2023 and which we expect will continue to increase through the foreseeable future. Our revenues remain constant with our strong customer base although reduced by $739,000 in Q3 2023 compared to Q3 2022 and resulting in a net loss for Q3 2023. Such reduction in revenues was significantly impacted by the closure of one of our customer's power plants at the end of 2022. We are confident we will be able to replace this loss of business with new direct supply business and/or new licensing agreements. In addition, net cash provided by operating activities remains positive.

"In addition to such financial highlights, the recently announced settlements in our patent litigation with many of the defendants demonstrate a strong recognition of the validity of our patented technologies. Our lawsuit will continue against the remaining defendants with a trial date to be rescheduled by the Court.

"A business-first approach across the U.S. coal-fired fleet has been our objective from day one and remains the basis for the new business partners that we have obtained in recent years. This strategy will continue as we intend to engage with all utilities across the U.S. who continue to use our patented technologies outside of either a license or supply agreement," continued MacPherson.

"Additional growth opportunities that we expect to see over the next 12 to 18 months include the exportation of our core technologies for mercury emissions outside of North America, including Southeast Asia, and emerging technologies that remain under development for potable water and rare earth element extraction. Our Company is keenly focused on bringing forth environmental technologies that address critical infrastructure needs in an affordable, highly effective manner. We look forward to providing updates to the market as these opportunities further develop," concluded MacPherson.

About ME2C Environmental

ME2C Environmental is a leading environmental technologies company developing and delivering patented and proprietary solutions to the global power industry. ME2C's leading-edge mercury emissions technologies and services have been shown to achieve emissions removal at a significantly lower cost and with less operational impact than currently used methods, while maintaining and/or increasing power plant output and preserving the marketability of byproducts for beneficial use. ME2C Environmental is a trade name of Midwest Energy Emissions Corp. For more information, please visit http://www.me2cenvironmental.com/.

Safe Harbor Statement

With the exception of historical information contained in this press release, content herein may contain "forward-looking statements" that are made pursuant to the Safe Harbor Provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 or forward-looking information under applicable Canadian securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements are generally identified by using words such as "anticipate," "believe," "plan," "expect," "intend," "will," and similar expressions, but these words are not the exclusive means of identifying forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made. Matters that may cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, among other factors, the loss of major customers; dependence on availability and retention of key suppliers; changes, or lack of changes, in environmental regulations; risks related to advancements in technologies; lack of diversification in the Company's business; risks related to intellectual property, including the ability to protect intellectual property and the success of the ongoing patent litigation; competition risks; changes in demand for coal as a fuel source for electricity production; ability to retain key personnel; absence of a liquid public market for our common stock; share price volatility; and, the potential that dividends may never be declared. In addition, this release contains time-sensitive information that reflects management's best analysis only as of the date of this release. ME2C Environmental does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect future events, information or circumstances that arise after the date of this release. Further information concerning issues that could materially affect financial performance or other forward-looking statements contained in this release can be found in ME2C Environmental's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission or Canadian securities regulators.

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.

ME2C Environmental Contact:

Stacey Hyatt

Corporate Communications

ME2C Environmental

Main: 614-505-6115 x-1001

Direct: 404-226-4217

shyatt@me2cenvironmental.com

Investor Relations Contact:

Jessica Butt

IR Representative

Adelaide Capital

Direct: 416-844-6202

jessica@adcap.ca

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/188137
Homegrown UAE fitness brand, GymNation, has proudly announced a management-led buyout of all equity held by previous investor, JD Gyms.

DUBAI, UAE / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / Homegrown UAE fitness brand, GymNation, has proudly announced a management-led buyout of all equity held by previous investor, JD Gyms.

GymNation Management Team

The deal, backed by Tricap Investments and Ruya Partners, sees the GymNation founders and management team, Loren Holland, Frank Afeaki and Anthony Martland, become significant majority shareholders in the business they founded back in 2017.

Tricap Investments is a diversified principal investment group with offices in Washington D.C. and Dubai, specialising in the execution of both direct and fund investments, and private equity transactions.

Ruya Partners is an independent private credit firm based in Abu Dhabi whose investor base includes institutional funds from the GCC including UAE sovereign-backed Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners, a joint venture between Mubadala Capital and Alpha Wave Global, and Jada Fund of Funds, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF).

Since its launch, GymNation has delivered on its mission of making fitness more affordable and accessible for the UAE population, and has rapidly grown from a single gym start-up into the UAE's leading gym operator with 12 gyms and over 60,000 members.

Having been voted "The Best Gym in the UAE" on Virgin Radio's The Kris Fade Show for the last 2 years running, and with over 40,000 five-star Google reviews, GymNation have cemented their position within the UAE as "The People's Gym" and are now set to replicate this success across the GCC.

Loren Holland, Founder & CEO, GymNation commented; "This management buyout is another exciting chapter for GymNation, and with the support and backing of Tricap Investments and Ruya Partners we are perfectly positioned to accelerate the growth of GymNation across the GCC. Within the coming weeks, we will be announcing our first six Saudi Arabian locations, a further four more UAE sites, as well as company formations in Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait. GymNation has pioneered the democratisation of health and fitness across the UAE, which prior to our launch was recognised as the 2nd most expensive market in the world to own a gym membership. Now it's time for us to have the same impact across other GCC markets."

The innovative structure of the deal has allowed GymNation to launch a trailblazing Equity Incentivisation Scheme for the wider management team, aimed at attracting and retaining world-class talent, through rewarding, incentivising and aligning, key members of the team with direct equity in the business.

Frank Afeaki commented; "On the day of signing the deal, 15 GymNation management team members also signed their own documentation to become shareholders in the business, I am proud that we are able to reward the team in a way that no others within the industry do and have them as shareholders alongside myself, Loren and Ant."

Ant Martland added: "We have an exceptional management team, supported by significant ongoing investments into key technology and systems that are going to place GymNation at the forefront of the fitness industry. It's still very early days in our growth story, and the whole team couldn't be more excited, and motivated, to rollout GymNation across the region."

The management team were advised by James Wigglesworth at Orca Capital (Corporate Finance) who will also join the board as a Non-Executive Director at completion, DLA Piper (Legal), Tatsu Partners (Debt Advisory) and PwC (Financial, Tax and Commercial Vendor Due Diligence).

Tricap Investments were advised by TAAS Partners (Legal).

Ruya Partners were advised by Dentons (Legal).

About GymNation

GymNation is the UAE's leading gym operator. With the first location opening in 2018, the company has grown to 12 UAE locations, with over 60,000 members. With memberships starting from AED 99 per month and no-contract, cancel-anytime membership options, GymNation is here to make a difference and ensure that everybody in the GCC has access to affordable, world-class fitness facilities - that's why we call ourselves "THE PEOPLE'S GYM".

For more information on GymNation, visit: www.gymnation.com

About Tricap Investments

Tricap Investments is a diversified principal investment group with offices in Washington D.C. and Dubai. Tricap invests on behalf of its principals, shareholders, and partners. The group sources, develops, structures, and executes both direct and fund investments and private equity transactions. For more than 30 years, Tricap and its principals and partners have invested globally in real estate, infrastructure and technology sectors.

For more information on Tricap Investments, visit: www.tricapinvestments.com

About Ruya Partners

Ruya Partners is an independent private credit firm that provides bespoke funding solutions to private sector companies in developing markets. Ruya Partners investor base includes sovereign-backed and pension funds from the GCC including UAE based Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners, a joint venture between Mubadala Capital and Alpha Wave Global, and Saudi Arabia based Jada Fund of Funds. Ruya Partners is headquartered in Abu Dhabi and regulated by the ADGM Financial Services Regulatory Authority.

For more information on Ruya Partners, visit: www.ruyapartners.com

Contact Information

Gym Nation

Head of PR

getfit@gymnation.com

SOURCE: GymNation

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/807594/gymnation-the-uaes-leading-gym-operator-announces-management-buyout
Brand drops limited-edition varsity letterman jacket and hosts first-ever Homecoming event to kick off new '1 in 8' effort

CHICAGO, IL / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / Astronauts. Teachers. Award-winning playwrights. Executives. Small business owners. 1 in 8 Americans have one thing in common: the experience of working at a McDonald's restaurant (just think... that means 1 in 8 Americans have been trusted with the World Famous Fries). Whether their career continued within the Golden Arches or beyond, McDonald's is celebrating both former and current crew members who make up this diverse community with the launch of its new "1 in 8" initiative.

Members of the 1 in 8 will have access to unique programming, like opportunities to attend exclusive events, mentorships with notable alums who've gone on to make an impact in their respective fields, reunions with former team members and more.

To officially kick things off, McDonald's is dropping a limited-edition letterman jacket that represents what it means to be 1 in 8 - because a group this iconic deserves swag to match. Designed by McDonald's alum and founder of lifestyle brand Robotic Minds Concept, Kendall Hurns tapped into his nostalgia and love for the brand to create this one-of-a-kind jacket, featuring IYKYK surprises for fellow crew. For each jacket sold, McDonald's will contribute funding to help exceptional crew members achieve their aspirations through once-in-a-lifetime experiences and opportunities. Jackets go on sale on Monday, Oct. 16 at 10 a.m. ET at www.McDonalds1in8.com, while supplies last.

"For 1 in 8 Americans, the McDonald's restaurant experience offers critical life skills and creates opportunities for meaningful work and connections," said Tiffanie Boyd, Senior Vice President & Chief People Officer at McDonald's. "Formally bringing this group together will give past and present crew members alike the chance to continue growing, building their networks and celebrating the special community they represent."

In the midst of Homecoming season, McDonald's also honored the 1 in 8 with its first-ever Homecoming celebration in New York City today, Oct. 11. During the event, current crew and 1 in 8 alums had the chance to connect to share personal stories and career advice. In attendance were a handful of well-known 1 in 8ers, including New York Times Best Selling Author and Peloton Instructor Cody Rigsby, Michelin-star restaurant chef, Harold Villarosa, TV host, actress and entrepreneur Alejandra Espinoza, creative entrepreneur Kendall Hurns, and McDonald's franchise owner, Paul Hendel - who started as a crew member when he was 16 years old and now owns 31 restaurants. The event also brought the Homecoming spirit with the Brooklyn United marching band, exclusive gear and a friendly face-off to see who could build a Big Mac the fastest (because there's no truer test for a 1 in 8er).

"It's no secret that McDonald's is my day one," said Rigsby. "It's a full circle moment for me to be able to share my journey to inspire others - including those who had the same start as me and used their job at McDonald's as a jumping off point."

And while many members of the 1 in 8 use the skills learned at McDonald's to succeed in different fields, others apply them to grow within the company as franchisees, management or corporate positions.

"Reflecting back on my beginnings as a McDonald's restaurant employee 38 years ago, I'm proud to be a part of an organization that roots for and supports its people," said Myra Doria, U.S. National Field President at McDonald's. "It's special to have experienced first-hand the doors that the Golden Arches can open for a person."

The 1 in 8 initiative is shining a spotlight on the spectacular people that make up the Golden Arches. For the first time, McDonald's is featuring a cast entirely made up of restaurant crew in its creative campaign - highlighting real stories and real people from local restaurants across TV spots, social media, and digital content.

Are you a member of the 1 in 8? Share your story here on www.McDonalds1in8.com and stay up to date on future 1 in 8 opportunities.

About McDonald's USA



McDonald's USA, LLC, serves a variety of menu options made with quality ingredients to millions of customers every day. Ninety-five percent of McDonald's approximately 13,500 U.S. restaurants are owned and operated by independent business owners. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com, or follow us on Twitter @McDonalds and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mcdonalds.

About McDonald's Now Serving Platform

McDonald's Now Serving platform is about more than serving delicious food. It's something customers and Crew see every day in McDonald's restaurants as orders are served, but also celebrates our rich legacy of supporting communities, in partnership with franchisees, for more than 60 years. Now Serving is the comforting meals we provide following natural disasters and the support we give families through our partnership with Ronald McDonald House Charities. In restaurants, it's about recognizing Crew through our Thank You Crew initiative and offering ongoing education and mentorship opportunities. Click here to learn more.

View original content here.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from McDonald's Corporation on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: McDonald's Corporation

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/mcdonalds-corporation

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: McDonald's Corporation

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/807598/mcdonalds-celebrates-the-powerful-fact-that-1-in-8-americans-have-worked-under-the-golden-arches
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - November 21, 2023) - Cosa Resources Corp. (TSXV: COSA) (OTCQB: COSAF) (FSE: SSKU) ("Cosa" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it has received the necessary permits from the Saskatchewan Government to conduct ground-based geophysics and diamond drilling exploration work on its 100% owned Ursa uranium project in the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan ("Ursa", or the "Property").

Highlights

Permitted activities include access trail construction, camp establishment, diamond drilling and geophysical surveying

Permits are valid until June 2025, allowing for multiple seasons of drill testing

Trail building is expected to commence Q4/2023 followed by ground-based geophysics and diamond drilling in Q1/2024

Keith Bodnarchuk, President & CEO, commented: "Saskatchewan's status as a favoured uranium exploration district is built on the Athabasca Basin's long history of discovery, development and production of Tier 1 uranium deposits and the Province's reputation as a stable, low-risk political environment. We are pleased to have progressed Ursa to this important milestone well ahead of the upcoming winter exploration season. With permits in hand and an abundance of high-priority target areas identified by our recently completed MobileMT survey, we are excited to complete ground-based geophysics and follow up diamond drilling in winter 2024."

Next Steps

With the receipt of permits, Cosa is continuing procurement to support exploration programs in winter 2024. Selection of contractors to complete trail establishment, geophysical surveying, diamond drilling, and temporary work camps is underway. It is anticipated that trail construction activities will begin in December 2023 followed by geophysical surveying commencing early in 2024. Mobilization of diamond drilling equipment and personnel will be initiated as drill targets are refined in high priority areas (Figures 2 and 3). To streamline 2024 exploration, Cosa intends to utilize the winter access trail to mobilize supplies and equipment for an expanded summer drilling campaign at Ursa.

About Ursa

Ursa covers 65 kilometres of strike length of the Cable Bay Shear Zone, a highly prospective and underexplored geological analogue to the setting underpinning major current- and past-producing eastern Athabasca uranium mines. Recently completed airborne surveying at Ursa mapped over 100 kilometres of basement conductive trend strike-length within the Project. A 3-D conductivity model contains several kilometre-scale zones of increased conductivity in the sandstone above conductive basement, a setting consistent with several major deposits in the Athabasca Basin. Cosa has identified 10 initial target areas at Ursa for follow-up with ground geophysics and drilling in 2024 and beyond. None of the 15 historical drill holes within the Project, including three drill holes which intersected weak uranium mineralization, are located within the initial 10 target areas.





Figure 1 - Basement Conductivity Model 100 m Below the Unconformity with Selected Sandstone Conductivity Contours and Target Areas



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Figure 2 - Sandstone Conductivity Model 200 m above the Unconformity with Selected Basement Conductivity Contours and Target Areas

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About Cosa Resources Corp.

Cosa Resources Corp. is a Canadian mineral exploration company based in Vancouver, BC and is focused on the exploration of its uranium properties in northern Saskatchewan. The portfolio includes ten uranium exploration properties totaling over 165,000 ha across the Athabasca Basin region.

The team behind Cosa Resources has a track record of success in Saskatchewan, with several decades of combined experience in uranium exploration, discovery, and development in the province.

Qualified Person

The Company's disclosure of technical or scientific information in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Andy Carmichael, P.Geo., Vice President, Exploration for Cosa Resources. Mr. Carmichael is a Qualified Person as defined under the terms of National Instrument 43-101.

Contact

Keith Bodnarchuk, President and CEO

info@cosaresources.ca

+1 888-899-2672 (COSA)

Cautionary Statements

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.

The information contained herein 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. "Forward-looking information" includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including, without limitation, planned exploration activities. 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. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, among others, statements relating to: the exploration, development, and production at the Company's mineral projects.

Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information relating to any future mineral production, liquidity, enhanced value and capital markets profile of the Company, future growth potential for the Company and its business, and future exploration plans are based on management's reasonable assumptions, estimates, expectations, analyses and opinions, which are based on management's experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, and other factors that management believes are relevant and reasonable in the circumstances, but which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, the price of uranium and other commodities; no escalation in the severity of public health crises; costs of exploration and development; the estimated costs of development of exploration projects; the Company's ability to operate in a safe and effective manner and its ability to obtain financing on reasonable terms.

These statements reflect the Company'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 the Company 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; regulatory, consent or permitting delays; risks relating to reliance on the Company's management team and outside contractors; 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; 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; the Company's ability to successfully integrate acquired assets; the speculative nature of exploration and development; 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 around the world; general economic factors; and the factors identified under the caption "Risk Factors" in the Company's management discussion and analysis and other public disclosure documents.

Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information or implied by 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 forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or reissue forward-looking information as a result of new information or events except as required by applicable securities laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/188215
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - November 21, 2023) - Royal Road Minerals Limited (TSXV: RYR) ("Royal Road" or the "Company") is pleased to provide results of initial scout drilling, regional sampling and mapping from its Santo Domingo porphyry copper and gold project in San Juan Province, Argentina.

The Santo Domingo district is located 120 km east of San Juan City at an average altitude of approximately 1,200 meters above sea level. The district comprises at-least three exposed porphyry copper-gold-molybdenum occurrences (El Arriero, Divisoria and Alunita) and a vein-hosted gold and polymetallic vein system (Yvette) located within a mineral rights package covering a total area of approximately 185 square kilometers. Royal Road has entered into an option agreement with an individual titleholder to acquire 100% of the mineral rights package (see Press Release, February 15, 2023).

In preparation for exploration activities at Santo Domingo, Royal Road has completed environmental impact assessments, renewed and updated environmental impact permits, deposited relevant insurances, completed social, environmental, flora and fauna and archaeological studies and acquired all necessary permits, including hazardous waste and surface water extraction. The Company has held concertation meetings with departmental and provincial officials, has conducted public audiences and established environmental and social quality control committees within its local communities. Water for scout drilling was provided by the local municipality, trucked to site and recycled at the drill rig.

The Company has completed geological mapping, grid-based soil geochemical sampling, channel and select rock chip geochemical sampling and has concluded the first scout-drilling program to be conducted at Santo Domingo. Highlights are as follows:

The Santo Domingo porphyry occurrence can be mapped over an area of approximately 10 square kilometers and is characterized by a discrete inner breccia-controlled porphyry copper-molybdenum mineralized system, surrounded by a copper-gold system, zoning outwards towards the east to a polymetallic vein system





Initial scout drilling has served to identify depth potential at the El Arriero breccia-controlled, dyke-dominated, porphyry copper-molybdenum system and to highlight the stark difference between El Arriero and the broader, surrounding copper-gold porphyry style mineralization





Mapping and sampling have confirmed that the broader copper-gold porphyry system is represented by variably exposed magnetite matrix breccias, quartz-magnetite veinlets and sheeted veinlets related to porphyry dykes (see Figure 1). Rock-chip geochemical results have returned up to 3.6% copper and 86.8 grams per tonne gold (see Table 1) and saw cut channel samples have returned best results of 20 meters at 1.2 grams per tonne gold





gold (see Table 1) and saw cut channel samples have returned best results of Regional mapping and rock-chip channel sampling reveals the copper-gold porphyry system zones outwards towards the East to the Yvette polymetallic vein network which is a linked curvilinear brittle shear-controlled zone of some 3 kilometers strike length and 180 meters aggregate width. Rock chip sampling from sub-meter to 1.5-meter-wide veins at Yvette have returned significant results including 115.7 grams per tonne gold, 1,967 ppm silver, 1% copper and 17.4% zinc (see Table 1). Veins are hosted in 10-30-meter-wide individual shear zones





(see Table 1). Veins are hosted in 10-30-meter-wide individual shear zones The Company is currently completing further regional mapping and planning airborne geophysics over the Santo Domingo project

FIGURE 1 - The El Arriero Copper Molybdenum Target



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FIGURE 2

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Four diamond drill holes were drilled into the El Arriero target for a total of 1664 meters (see Figures 3 and 4, link here to drill results table). Drill holes targeted copper soil-geochemical anomalies and rock-chip channel results and intercepted potassic-altered diorite porphyry dyke bodies and granodiorite emplaced into a discrete poorly-sorted collapse breccia. B-type quartz, pyrite, chalcopyrite veinlets and micro-breccias in diorite dykes returned anomalous copper (up to 0.7 % Cu, average 0.03%) and molybdenum contents (up to 0.19%, average 36ppm) associated with biotite alteration. Granodiorite dyke bodies are interpreted to be a later mostly barren intrusive phase related to a sericite - illite alteration overprint. Drill holes did not intercept economic copper or molybdenum grades over significant widths, with the exception of AR-DDH-001 however, which drilled out of the breccia body and into the wall rock, all drill holes remained in the potassic altered and weakly mineralized dyke and breccia system implying potential for a more assembled porphyry target at depth where the diorite dykes may coalesce. Drill hole AR-DDH-004 ended in 4 meters at 0.01% molybdenum.





FIGURE 3



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FIGURE 4

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The Alunita to Yvette Copper-Gold Target

Scout drilling, mapping and rock-chip geochemistry (including historic samples) reveals a more broadly distributed copper and high-grade gold porphyry system which includes the Divisoria and Alunita occurrences and essentially surrounds El Arriero, extending over an area of approximately 10 square kilometers and eastwards to the Yvette polymetallic vein system (see Figure 1). Gold and copper values are associated with magnetite rich breccias, quartz-magnetite veinlets, and sheeted veinlets related to porphyry dykes. As part of this scout drilling program two drill holes, ARR-DDH-005 and 006, totalling 298 meters were drilled into the copper-gold system adjacent to El Arriero and beneath and in the vicinity of a continuous saw-cut channel sample which returned 20 meters at 1.2 grams per tonne gold. Best results from drilling were 5 meters at 0.9 grams per tonne gold (ARR-DDH-006 from 70-75 meters) with most other intersections of greater than 1 gram per tonne gold limited to one meter or sub-meter intervals (see Figure 5). The Company is planning airborne magnetics and radiometrics to best define future drill-targets within this extensive zone of alteration and mineralization.





FIGURE 5

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The Yvette Polymetallic Vein System

Yvette is a polymetallic fault-controlled vein network extending over 3 kilometers in known strike length and up to 180 meters in width. The area is characterised by multiple historic underground gold and silver mines developed on sub-meter to 1.5-meter-wide veins hosted in shear zones of 10 to 30 meters width. Channel rock chip sampling has returned best results of 0.7 meters at 15.0 grams per tonne gold, 48.5ppm silver 0.1% copper and 0.4% zinc and grab rock chip samples have returned up to 115.7 grams per tonne gold, 1,967 ppm silver, 1% copper and 17.4% zinc (Table 1). To-date continuous saw-cut channel sampling has not been conducted across the broader shear zone structures which host the mineralized veins.

"This new work has identified a porphyry copper-gold-molybdenum mineralized system at Santo Domingo of unknown extent and with complex overprinting and vertical preservation relationships," said Dr Tim Coughlin, Royal Road's President and CEO. "The next step is obviously airborne geophysics focused particularly on identifying new drill objectives in the copper-gold part of the system, exploring potential for a deeper more coherent porphyry copper-molybdenum body at El Arriero and mapping out the broader shear-zone control to high-grade polymetallic veins at Yvette."

Table 1: Rock Chip Sample Summary Santo Domingo Prospect Total No Samples Ranges Copper % Gold g/t Silver ppm Zinc % Copper Gold Porphyry Region (Divisoria, Alunita, Arriero West) 1533 Maximum 3.64 86.8 200.0 8.71 Mean 0.03 0.5 1.5 0.02 Minimum Below laboratory detection Yvette vein-system 658 Maximum 1.00 115.7 1967.0 17.37 Mean 0.03 1.8 51.1 0.64 Minimum Below laboratory detection

TABLE 1

About Royal Road Minerals

Royal Road Minerals is a mineral exploration and development company with its head office and technical-operations center located in Jersey, Channel Islands. The Company is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the ticker RYR and on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the ticker RLU. The Company's mission is to apply expert skills and innovative technologies to the process of discovering and developing copper and gold deposits of a scale large enough to benefit future generations and modern enough to ensure minimum impact on the environment and no net loss of biodiversity. The Company currently explores in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Morocco, and Colombia. More information can be found on the Company's website www.royalroadminerals.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.

The information in this news release was compiled, reviewed, and verified by Dr. Tim Coughlin, BSc (Geology), MSc (Exploration and Mining), PhD (Structural Geology), FAusIMM, President and CEO of Royal Road Minerals Ltd and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Royal Road Minerals employees are instructed to follow standard operating and quality assurance procedures intended to ensure that all sampling techniques and sample results meet international reporting standards. More information can be found on Royal Road Minerals web site at www.royalroadminerals.com.

Quality Assurance and Quality Control:

Core and reconnaissance samples were prepared and analysed at the ISO9001:ISO14001 certified Alex Stewart Laboratory facilities in Mendoza, Argentina. All samples were assayed by fire assay for gold with AA finish (30 g charge) and for copper and other 31 elements by total four acid digestion and ICP-OES Radial / MS analysis (0.2 g aliquot). Samples returning greater than 5 g/t gold and/or greater than 200 g/t silver were assayed using gravimetric analyses. Samples returning greater than 1% Pb and / or greater than 1% Zn were assayed using total four acid digestion and ICP-OES ore grade. A QA/QC program (12,6 %) was implemented on batches of samples including CRM material, field duplicates and laboratory duplicates (rejects and pulps) to control assay accuracy and precision.

The following information was derived from previous operator's public announcements.

Rock chip samples were prepared at the Acme Analytical Laboratories ("AcmeLabs") preparation facility in Mendoza, Argentina and assayed by fire assay (50 gram charge) at the AcmeLabs laboratory in Chile and for ICP-MS 32 elements (15 grams charge) at the AcmeLabs laboratory in Vancouver, all ISO-9001:2000 certified laboratories. Samples returning greater than 10 g/t gold and/or greater than 100 g/t silver are assayed using gravimetric analyses. Samples returning greater than 1% Pb and / or greater than 1% Zn are assayed using aqua regia digestion ore grade / AAS.

Cautionary statement:

This news release contains certain statements that constitute forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements") describing the Company's future plans and the expectations of its management that a stated result or condition will occur. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company, or developments in the Company's business or in the mineral resources industry, to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance, achievements or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include all disclosure regarding possible events, conditions or results of operations that is based on assumptions about, among other things, future economic conditions and courses of action, and assumptions related to government approvals, and anticipated costs and expenditures. The words "plans", "prospective", "expect", "intend", "intends to" and similar expressions identify forward looking statements, which may also include, without limitation, any statement relating to future events, conditions or circumstances. Forward-looking statements of the Company contained in this news release, which may prove to be incorrect, include, but are not limited to the Company's exploration plans.

The Company cautions you not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. There is no guarantee that the anticipated benefits of the Company's business plans or operations will be achieved. The risks and uncertainties that may affect forward-looking statements include, among others: economic market conditions, anticipated costs and expenditures, government approvals, and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's filings with Canadian provincial securities regulators or other applicable regulatory authorities. Forward-looking statements included herein are based on the current plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and opinions of the Company management and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements should assumptions related to these plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and opinions change.

For further information please contact:

Tim Coughlin

Phone: +44 (0)1534 887166

tim.coughlin@royalroadminerals.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/187814
Jetico, developer of best-in-class data wiping software, announced today the release of a major update to BCWipe. Users of Jetico's solution for securely erasing files will now receive notifications that offer timely, personalized advice on when and how to use BCWipe to effortlessly employ cyber hygiene best practices.

"As the digital landscape continues to evolve, it's crucial to follow cyber hygiene best practices to safeguard data. However, here at Jetico we understand how challenging it can be to implement these practices consistently," explains Jetico CEO, Hannaleena Pojanluoma. "With our latest update, we're aiming to simplify cyber hygiene for our users and allow everyone, from novice to expert, to unlock the full potential of BCWipe. The new version of the software not only provides our customers with timely reminders, but can also automate essential actions with minimal effort on the user's part."

BCWipe now provides users with an alert if excessive amounts of junk or recoverable files, such as shadow copies, builds up on their system. Users can then choose to immediately wipe this data by executing a one-click command that is available within the alert message. BCWipe can further be automated to delete similar types of files without requiring any input from the user.

BCWipe is an advanced data deletion utility trusted by the U.S. Department of Defense for DoD wipe requirements, such as cleaning up classified data spills. BCWipe has proudly served the U.S. Defense Community for over 15 years and is widely accepted as the de facto standard for wiping files beyond forensic recovery on both hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid-state drives (SSDs).

Find out more about BCWipe and see how it can benefit you and your organization. Start your free trial of the software now or contact our data protection specialists for further inquiries.

About Jetico

Jetico provides complete endpoint data protection software for National Security, Compliance and Personal Privacy. Trusted for over 15 years by the U.S. Department of Defense, Jetico's BCWipe can wipe selected files beyond forensic recovery, such as in response to classified data spills, while BCWipe Total WipeOut can erase hard drive data entirely, such as for disposal or decommission. To protect stored data, Jetico's BestCrypt delivers compliant data encryption software for whole disks, virtual drives and selected files or folders. Jetico Enterprise Editions include central management for client software control.

Jetico products are trusted by government and military agencies, all of the top 10 U.S. defense contractors, many national laboratories, as well as various other enterprises and a wide global base of home and small business users in over 100 countries. Founded in 1995, Jetico is privately held and headquartered besides Otaniemi Science Park in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, Finland. For more information, please visit jetico.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121039018/en/

Contacts:

Valeria Corti

Marketing Manager, Jetico

valeria.corti@jetico.com

Phone (U.S.): +1 202 742 2901

Phone (Europe): +358 50 339 6388
Novel nanobubble technology uses a fraction of the energy consumed by conventional methods.

Irish start-up NanobOx has secured first-round funding of $1 million from a consortium led by international agri-food technology investor The Yield Lab, with the remainder coming from DeepIE Ventures and Growing Capital. This funding will see the company complete field trials in agriculture and aquaculture, with the aim of going to market in 2024.

NanobOx has developed novel, patented technology that generates nanobubbles of gases such as air, oxygen, ozone and carbon dioxide directly in water using an electric field. Nanobubbles are the smallest possible size of bubble, having the highest rate of oxygen transfer.

Bubbles are used in a wide range of industries to dissolve gases in water. The smaller the bubbles, the better they are at transferring the gas to the water but the more expensive they are to generate. "Our revolutionary nanobubble technology requires less energy than it takes to power a lightbulb, an order of magnitude less than competing methods," explained Dr John Favier, CEO and co-founder of NanobOx with CTO, Dr Mohammad Reza Ghaani, developer of the technology.

A particular focus for NanobOx is using its technology to add oxygen to water using only ambient air. "We uniquely generate nanobubbles from air that are enriched with oxygen, providing an oxygen-transfer efficiency of 90%, compared to less than 20% using conventional aeration," noted Dr Favier.

Maintaining dissolved oxygen concentration in water is critical to almost all controlled biological processes, but the technologies employed in the $50 billion-plus water aeration market are highly inefficient.

"Our first-generation products are being designed for the treatment of water in agriculture and aquaculture to increase yield and reduce input costs. NanobOx nanobubble aeration technology can be deployed to significantly reduce energy costs and enhance performance in any bioprocess requiring addition of oxygen to process water, including wastewater treatment, industrial bioreactors and environmental remediation," he added.

Field trials of the novel nanobubble aeration technology are under way with leading horticultural and aquacultural producers and researchers in Europe, North America and Asia.

NanobOx was the winner of Enterprise Ireland's Big Ideas 'One to Watch' award in 2022 and has been recognised as an early-stage company in Ireland with potential to have a major impact globally.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121524745/en/

Contacts:

Please visit www.nanobox.ie or email info@nanobox.ie.
Independent testing confirms DriveNets Network Cloud-AI is highest-performance Ethernet solution for AI

RA'ANANA, Israel, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- DriveNets - a leader in innovative networking solutions - today announced it has joined the Ultra Ethernet Consortium, an organization aimed at building an open, interoperable, Ethernet-based architecture for high-performance networking serving AI and HPC workloads. The inclusion of DriveNets in the consortium reflects the company's role as a leader and innovator in AI networking solutions. DriveNets Network Cloud-AI - introduced in May and now available for order with Broadcom Jericho 3-AI based white boxes - offers the highest-performance AI networking solution available today, based on trials with leading hyperscalers and independent testing by Scala Computing. It improves the performance of large-scale AI workloads regardless of GPU or AI accelerator used, enabling users to build open, multi-vendor AI infrastructures.

DriveNets is part of the first group of companies to join the UEC after its founding by members including Microsoft, Meta, Broadcom, AMD, Arista, Cisco, Oracle, HPE, Intel and Eviden.

"AI is going to be ubiquitous in cloud and data center infrastructure and will require technology that can effectively minimize GPU idle cycles in high-performance AI workloads," said Ido Susan, founder and CEO of DriveNets. "Solving for that calls for Ethernet-based fabric that supports open, standards-based architectures that eliminate vendor lock-in. The Ultra Ethernet Consortium is committed to advancing open, interoperable Ethernet-based solutions, and DriveNets is proud to support its efforts to evolve the Ethernet standard."

DriveNets Network Cloud-AI solution is already 18-24 months ahead of the rest of the AI networking industry in terms of performance thanks to its implementation of high-scale, cell-based fabric with cell-based load balancing and end-to-end scheduling. Based on the highest-scale router technology, it uniquely supports AI back-end and front-end networks with the same solution.

The results of Scala Computing's testing showed that DriveNets Network Cloud-AI Ethernet solution delivers exceptional job completion time (JCT) results at the highest workload performance without being locked to a specific hardware - supporting an open and flexible ecosystem of ASICs, ODMs, and optical vendors.

DriveNets also continues to contribute to the Open Compute Project (OCP) distributed disaggregated chassis (DDC) standard, which is becoming the leading open networking standard. OCP is also working with the UEC to improve Ethernet performance for AI clusters and HPC. Joining the UEC and Network Cloud-AI's industry-leading Ethernet-based AI networking performance reinforce DriveNets' leadership role in the efforts to bring high-performance Ethernet solutions to the industry.

Learn more about DriveNets here.

About DriveNets

DriveNets is a leader in cloud-native networking software and network disaggregation solutions. Founded in 2015 and based in Israel, DriveNets offers communications service providers (CSPs) and cloud providers a radical new way to build networks, substantially growing their profitability by changing their technological and economic models. DriveNets' solution - Network Cloud - adapts the architectural model of cloud to telco-grade networking. Network Cloud is a cloud-native software that runs over a shared physical infrastructure of standard white-boxes, radically simplifying the network's operations, offering telco-scale performance and elasticity at a much lower cost. Learn more at www.drivenets.com

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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/drivenets-joins-ultra-ethernet-consortium-commits-to-developing-open-multi-vendor-ethernet-solutions-for-ai-301994843.html
MarketVector launches first-to-market Bioproduction ESG Index and expands its range of cutting-edge Thematic ESG Indexes

MarketVector IndexesTM ("MarketVector") announces the licensing of the MarketVectorTM Bioproduction Tech and Tools ESG Index (MVBIOP), MarketVectorTM Artificial Intelligence ESG Index (MVAI), MarketVectorTM Global Metaverse and e-Games ESG Index (MVMETV), MarketVectorTM Global Clean Energy Transition ESG Index (MVCET ), and MarketVectorTM Japan Quality Tilt ESG Index (MVJPNQ) to underlie 5 new ESG UCITS ETFs issued by Fineco Asset Management on November 16, 2023.

Fineco AM MarketVector Bioproduction Tech Tools ESG UCITS ETF (BIOPRA)

Fineco AM MarketVector Artificial Intelligence ESG UCITS ETF (ARTIN)

Fineco AM MarketVector Global Metaverse e-Games ESG UCITS ETF (METAAH)

Fineco AM MarketVector Global Clean Energy Transition ESG UCITS ETF (EMOVE) and

Fineco AM MarketVector Japan Quality Tilt ESG UCITS ETF (JPMQ)

"The launch of the MarketVectorTM Bioproduction Tools Tech Index (MVBIOP) reflects our steadfast commitment to defining expansive industries and spearheading innovation together with our clients," said Steven Schoenfeld, CEO of MarketVector. "MVBIOP stands as a testament to our expertise in thematic investing and unlocking unique opportunities for investors within broad sectors" he continued. "Furthermore, the MarketVectorTM Japan Quality Tilt ESG Index (MVJPNQ) is our first stand-alone Japanese factor index, with a focus on companies driving Japan's reformed equity capital markets," Schoenfeld stated.

The MarketVectorTM Bioproduction Tech and Tools ESG Index (MVBIOP) is a pureplay index that tracks the performance of global companies predominantly involved in technologies, tools, materials, and processes related to developing or manufacturing biopharmaceuticals. MVBIOP isolates companies within the biopharmaceutical sector that diverge fundamentally from traditional drug companies. The index only includes entities integral to optimizing and facilitating the production of biologics a field that leverages tools like Artificial Intelligence, big data, and groundbreaking R&D technology to treat complex diseases. This focus allows investors to tap into a segment with distinct growth drivers and risk profiles, separate from the broader drug manufacturing industry.

The MarketVectorTM Artificial Intelligence ESG Index (MVAI) tracks the performance of globally listed companies involved in Artificial Intelligence, with a focus on productivity software, big data analytics related to machine learning, and embedded machine learning semiconductors.

The MarketVectorTM Global Clean Energy Transition ESG Index (ticker: MVCET) tracks the performance of global companies involved in providing technologies and materials contributing to the global transition to clean energy.

The MarketVectorTM Global Metaverse and e-Games ESG Index (MVMETV) tracks the performance of companies involved in technologies and services related to the metaverse, e-gaming (video gaming), and eSports.

The MarketVectorTM Japan Quality Tilt ESG Index (MVJPNQ) tracks the performance of 500 of the largest companies that are incorporated and listed in Japan, weighted by a combination of float-adjusted market capitalization and quality-related factors.

Detailed information about the indexes, including methodology details and index data, is available on the MarketVector website.

Key Index Features

MarketVectorTM Artificial Intelligence ESG Index (MVAI)

Number of Components: 94

Base Date: December 31, 2017

Base Value: 1,000

Key Index Features

MarketVectorTM Bioproduction Tech and Tools ESG Index (MVBIOP)

Number of Components: 49

Base Date: December 31, 2015

Base Value: 1,000

Key Index Features

MarketVectorTM Global Clean Energy Transition ESG Index (ticker: MVCET)

Number of Components: 75

Base Date: December 31, 2017

Base Value: 1,000

Key Index Features

MarketVectorTM Global Metaverse and e-Games ESG Index (MVMETV)

Number of Components: 68

Base Date: December 31, 2018

Base Value: 1,000

Key Index Features

MarketVectorTM Japan Quality Tilt ESG Index (MVJPNQ)

Number of Components: 496

Base Date: December 31, 2015

Base Value: 1,000

About MarketVector Indexes www.marketvector.com

MarketVector IndexesTM ("MarketVector") is a regulated Benchmark Administrator in Europe, incorporated in Germany and registered with the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin). MarketVector maintains indexes under the MarketVectorTM, MVIS and BlueStar names. With a mission to accelerate index innovation globally, MarketVector is best known for its broad suite of Thematic indexes, a long-running expertise in Hard Asset-linked Equity indexes, and its pioneering Digital Asset index family. MarketVector is proud to be in partnership with more than 25 Exchange-Traded Product (ETP) issuers and index fund managers in markets throughout the world, with more than USD 30 billion in assets under management.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121483476/en/

Contacts:

Media

Eunjeong Kang, MarketVector

+49 (0) 69 4056 695 38

media-enquiries@marketvector.com

Sam Marinelli, Gregory FCA on behalf of MarketVector

610-246-9928

sam@gregoryfca.com
The "Europe Ammonia Crackers Market Analysis and Forecast, 2023-2032" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Europe ammonia crackers market is on a meteoric rise, poised to surge to $415.61 million by 2032 from its 2022 position at $54.40 million. This remarkable growth is steered by an impressive compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24.9% forecasted during the period spanning from 2023 to 2032.

Europe, a region brimming with developed and emerging economies, boasts a dynamic landscape that includes economic powerhouses such as Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Russia, and the Rest-of-Europe. The pressing demand for ammonia crackers in the region has witnessed a significant upswing.

This growth can be attributed to the rapid expansion of Europe's end-use industries, with major contributions coming from the transportation, power generation, and metal sectors, among others. Europe, as a market for ammonia crackers, ranks prominently, driven by ongoing developments and project announcements within the region.

The ammonia crackers market exhibits different stages of development, with small-scale ammonia crackers at the mature stage, while large-scale counterparts are in the midst of evolving. This thriving ecosystem comprises primary ammonia cracker manufacturers, green hydrogen and green ammonia producers, technology providers, and end-users.

The market remains in its evolutionary phase, with Asia-Pacific and Europe taking the lead. These regions are followed closely by North America, China, Rest-of-the-World, and the U.K., all contributing to the global growth and innovation in this sector.

Delving into Market Dynamics

The ammonia crackers market draws vitality from diverse sectors that rely on its essential functions. These include heat treatment, metal industry, oil and gas, power generation, mobility, and various other applications.

In the realm of ammonia crackers, the decentralized segment is set to lead the way in the European market during the forecast period from 2023 to 2032.

The European market for ammonia crackers spans various capacities, catering to small-scale applications, medium-scale operations, and large-scale industrial needs.

Europe emerged as a frontrunner in the ammonia crackers market in 2022. The region's strong foothold in manufacturing, particularly in the metal industry, heat treatment, mobility, and various other sectors, played a pivotal role. The influence of industry giants like Siemens Energy and thyssenkrupp AG, deeply integrated into the ammonia crackers supply chain, has significantly bolstered the market's growth prospects in the region.

Competitive Landscape

As the European ammonia crackers market embarks on an unprecedented growth trajectory, these industry leaders are spearheading innovation and driving the sector's evolution.

Amid this remarkable journey of growth and transformation, key players are shaping the industry landscape:

Haldor Topsoe A/S

Siemens Energy

KBR Inc.

Air Liquide

thyssenkrupp AG

Duiker Combustion Engineers

Key Attributes:

Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 75 Forecast Period 2023 2032 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $56.08 Million Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2032 $415.61 Million Compound Annual Growth Rate 24.9% Regions Covered Europe

Key Topics Covered:

1 Market

1.1 Supply Chain Analysis

1.2 Impact of COVID-19 on the Ammonia Crackers Market

2 Europe

2.1 Global Overview

2.2 Europe

2.2.1 Market

2.2.1.1 Key Producers and Suppliers in Europe

2.2.1.2 Business Drivers

2.2.1.3 Business Challenges

2.2.2 Application

2.2.2.1 Europe Ammonia Crackers Market (by End User), Volume and Value Data

2.2.3 Product

2.2.3.1 Europe Ammonia Crackers Market (by Cracker Type), Volume and Value Data

2.2.3.2 Europe Ammonia Crackers Market (by Capacity), Volume and Value Data

2.2.4 Europe (by Country)

2.2.4.1 Germany

2.2.4.1.1 Market

2.2.4.1.2 Application

2.2.4.1.2.1 Germany Ammonia Crackers Market (by End User), Volume and Value Data

2.2.4.1.3 Product

2.2.4.1.3.1 Germany Ammonia Crackers Market (by Cracker Type), Volume and Value Data

2.2.4.1.3.2 Germany Ammonia Crackers Market (by Capacity), Volume and Value Data

2.2.4.2 France

2.2.4.3 Italy

2.2.4.4 Spain

2.2.4.5 Russia

2.2.4.6 Rest-of-Europe

2.2.4.6.1 Market

2.2.4.6.2 Application

2.2.4.6.2.1 Rest-of-Europe Ammonia Crackers Market (by End User), Volume and Value Data

2.2.4.6.3 Product

2.2.4.6.3.1 Rest-of-Europe Ammonia Crackers Market (by Cracker Type), Volume and Value Data

2.2.4.6.3.2 Rest-of-Europe Ammonia Crackers Market (by Capacity), Volume and Value Data

3 Market Competitive Benchmarking and Company Profiles

3.1 Competitive Benchmarking

3.1.1 Competitive Position Matrix

3.1.2 Product Matrix of Key Companies (by Capacity)

3.1.3 Market Share Analysis of Key Companies, 2022

3.2 Company Overview

3.2.1 Role in the Ammonia Crackers Market

3.2.2 Product Portfolio

3.2.3 R&D Analysis

3.2.4 Analyst View

4 Research Methodology

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/i3a602

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/20231121321785/en/

Contacts:

ResearchAndMarkets.com

Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com

For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470

For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900
Fort Johnson, LA (71446)

Today

Areas of patchy fog early. Cloudy this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 71F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Showers and thundershowers this evening, then cloudy with rain likely overnight. Low 57F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%.
LONDON, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Trip.com, a leading one-stop travel service provider, is gearing up to offer a spectacular Black Friday experience for travellers in the United Kingdom. From November 24th to 26th, Trip.com is set to roll out a huge array of exclusive deals for travel enthusiasts, providing incredible discounts on flights, hotels, train journeys, and attractions.

Embark on a Journey of Savings and Adventure

Put it in your diary! Starting November 24th, Trip.com introduces a sequence of exclusive promotions, released at specific times throughout the day, catering to the savvy UK traveller. These limited-time offers will create a race against the clock to snag jaw-dropping travel deals.

Deals Tailored to UK Travellers' Desires

Trip.com, understanding the diverse travel needs of its customers, has meticulously crafted deals to cater to every kind of traveller. Whether you're seeking a quick city break, a luxurious resort stay, or an efficient train journey, these deals have been designed with your travel goals in mind. Our all-in-one app supports you from the initial planning stages to the final booking, ensuring a seamless travel experience for every journey.

Highlights of the UK Black Friday Sale

Flight Deals: Twice daily on the 24th, 25th, and 26th, offering discounts up to 100.

Hotel Offers: Available on all three days, with savings up to 100.

Exclusive UK Perks:

50% off Railcards - explore more, for less.

Up to 10% off selected train routes and all train tickets for new users, with a 4% discount for all users.

Up to 15% off attractions and tours

Your Guide to the Promo Code Schedule

Get ready to claim these enticing deals according to the following schedule:

24th November:

10am: 50% off Railcards

5pm: 50 off ALL flights (min spend 200)

6pm: 50 off ALL hotels (min spend 150)

8pm: 20 off ALL flights to Spain

25th November:

10am: 50% off Railcards

12pm: 100 off ALL flights (min spend 500)

6pm: 100 off ALL hotels (min spend 250)

8pm: 30 off ALL flights to Turkey (min spend 40)

26th November:

10am: 50% off Railcards

12pm: 15 off ALL flights (min spend 100)

6pm: 20 off ALL hotels (min spend 100)

8pm: 100 off ALL flights to Thailand

Discover More and Book Your Next Adventure

For further details and to access these unparalleled offers, visit Trip.com's dedicated Black Friday landing page. Don't miss out on this opportunity to fulfil your travel dreams with Trip.com!

About Trip.com

Trip.com is an international one-stop travel service provider, available in 24 languages across 39 countries and regions in 31 local currencies and sites. Trip.com has an extensive hotel and flight network consisting of more than 1.2 million hotels and flights from over 480 airlines covering 2,600 airports in 200 countries and regions around the globe. Trip.com's world-class 24/7 multilingual customer service as well as additional centres in Edinburgh, Tokyo and Seoul, help to 'create the best travel experience' for its millions of customers worldwide. To book your next trip, visit trip.com

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/tripcom-unveils-unprecedented-black-friday-travel-deals-in-the-uk-301994862.html
The win marks third award bestowed on the project in 2023 for reducing wastewater and increasing sustainability

BOSTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / Sappi North America Inc., a leading producer and supplier of diversified paper, packaging products and pulp, has been named a Platinum Winner in the category of Business Development - Sustainability & Environment in the 2023 TITAN Business Awards for its "Cloquet Mill Effluent TSS Reduction" project.

The three-phase project, completed in 2022, was designed to find a new chemical treatment program to reduce the TSS (total suspended solids) and biological oxygen demand (BOD) substances in the Cloquet Mill's effluent, reducing the load being sent to the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District (WLSSD) in Minnesota. The project achieved immediate and consistent reduction in TSS of 11,500 lbs. per day, a reduction in BOD of 1,800 lbs. per day, and a reduction in mercury to WLSSD from 37.9 ppt to 6.3 ppt.

"The Cloquet Mill's Effluent TSS Reduction Project has won multiple awards this year for its ability to address and manage critical wastewater discharge in the local area of Cloquet," said Patti Groh, Director of Communications, Sappi North America. "This is a testament to the environmental benefits and positive impact that investing in sustainable innovations can have on our organizations and the communities."

The program underwent several iterations between 2015 and 2022 to resolve its challenge of reducing the amount of chemicals necessary for pH control that would eventually enter local community's wastewater systems and ensure the project's long-term viability. The third and final iteration of this project yielded an immediate and consistent reduction in TSS and an overall resolution. The substantial reduction in TSS and subsequent decrease in BOD not only minimized wastewater substances but also reduced costs for the mill and achieved a significant reduction in the load sent to WLSSD. Furthermore, the substantial decrease in mercury sent to WLSSD allowed Sappi to maintain compliance and target its mercury effluent limit for a record 10 consecutive months.

In 2023, the Cloquet water savings project has won the American Forest & Paper Association's (AF&PA), SEAL Sustainability Awards and now the TITAN Business Awards. The TITAN Business Awards serves as a primary awards program that predominantly respects and appreciates unparalleled breakthroughs amongst entrepreneurs, business departments, companies and organizations, creative services, business technology solutions, products and services, alongside business websites both locally and internationally.

To learn more about Sappi and its sustainability initiatives, please visit: https://www.sappi.com/.?For a full list of winners, please visit: https://thetitanawards.com/winner.php.

###?? ??

About Sappi North America, Inc.???

Sappi North America, Inc., headquartered in Boston, is a market leader in converting wood fiber into superior products that customers demand worldwide. Our four diversified businesses - high-quality Graphic Papers, Dissolving Pulp, Packaging, and Specialty Papers deliver premium products and services with consistent quality and reliability. Our high-quality Coated Printing Papers are used for premium magazines, catalogs, books, direct mail and high-end print advertising. We are a leading manufacturer of Dissolving Pulp, which is used in a wide range of products, including textile fibers and household goods. We deliver sustainable Packaging and Specialty Papers for luxury packaging and folding carton applications with our single-ply packaging brands and for the food and label industries with our specialty papers. We are one of the world's leading suppliers of Casting and Release Papers with lines for the automotive, fashion and engineered films industries.???

Sappi North America is a subsidiary of Sappi Limited (JSE), a global company headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, with more than 12,000 employees and manufacturing operations on three continents in seven countries and customers in over 150 countries. www.sappi.com???

Contact?

Rajira Hernandez

Account Manager

Matter Communications

(978) 499-9250

sappi@matternow.com??

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Sappi North America on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Sappi North America

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/sappi-north-america

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Sappi North America

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/807614/sappis-cloquet-mill-effluent-tss-reduction-project-wins-platinum-in-the-2023-titan-business-awards
The restaurant owner has impacted his community well beyond his restaurant

NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / KeyBank



On November 8 an Indianapolis east side restaurant was destroyed after it caught fire. The owner and head chef of 1313 Eatery, Ron Gilmore, is a well-known community advocate for the city of Indianapolis and a selected guest chef for the 2023 KeyBank Guest Chef Program at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Gilmore opened the restaurant with his brother in 2021 to transform the restaurant scene and build a sense of community and togetherness.

But the fire is putting their mission on hold.

To support 1313 Eatery, KeyBank surprised Gilmore with $5,000 during the Pacers home game on Sunday, November 19.

Watch the video above to see Gilmore's reaction when KeyBank Market President Juan Gonzalez shared the news.

Gilmore said he had no idea KeyBank was surprising him with funds.

"It's just a blessing," he said. "I'm going to put it all towards the restaurant."

"We believe small businesses are the heart of our communities," said Gonzalez. "I hope this gift can help Chef Ron and his team get back on their feet after such devastation."

Gilmore is one of ten chefs selected for the KeyBank Guest Chef Program. As part of the program, during select games of the 2023-24 Pacers season, guest chefs will showcase their signature dishes at The Kitchen stand located on the Main Concourse of Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Section 17). Fans will have the opportunity to experience Indy's amazing local food cultures and flavors.

Gilmore, and his signature dishes, will be featured during the Pacers home games on November 27, December 16, 18, 20 and 23.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from KeyBank on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: KeyBank

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/keybank

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: KeyBank

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/807616/watch-keybank-surprises-indianapolis-restaurant-owner-with-5000-after-his-restaurant-was-destroyed-in-a-fire
Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd, a significant sponsor

Montreal, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - November 21, 2023) - Quantum eMotion Corp. (TSXV: QNC) (OTCQB: QNCCF) ("QeM" or the "Company") a trailblazer in classical and quantum cybersecurity, is delighted to share a significant stride in its path to commercialization.

In a recent clinical study, Greybox Solutions Inc., a key partner of Quantum eMotion in its commercial strategy in digital healthcare, showcased remarkable success with its remote patient monitoring and digital therapeutics platform (DTx) in treating heart failure outpatients. The study revealed a significant reduction in emergency room visits and/or hospitalizations and a 23% decrease in healthcare costs, as highlighted in preliminary results presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions held November 11-13, 2023, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Developed in collaboration with the Centre hospitalier de l'Universite de Montreal (CHUM), Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd., and MEDTEQ+, this DTx study is providing significant insights in addressing heart failure utilizing Takecare, a technological platform including a self-care application for patients, a clinical dashboard enabling remote-monitoring by the team, a DTx module providing automated medication suggestions to the treatment team and finally, educational modules for patients - a crucial development in an era where digital health solutions for this disease are gaining traction without conclusive evidence of their impact on public healthcare systems in North America. With 750,000 Canadians living with heart failure and over 100,000 new diagnoses annually, this condition is a leading cause of hospitalization in Canada. Projections indicate that by 2030, associated healthcare costs in the country will surge to $2.8 billion annually.

Francis Bellido, CEO of Quantum eMotion, expressed excitement about Greybox's milestone and its positive implications for the commercialization of the Sentry-Q cybersecurity platform. He emphasized the critical role of robust cybersecurity in safeguarding sensitive patient data amid escalating data breaches. Bellido commended Greybox's formidable partners in the study, singling out Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) for its strong history in cardiovascular diseases and visionary approach to digital therapeutics. He noted BI's recognition of the potential to enhance health outcomes and create innovative business models by integrating digital therapeutics into their existing drug offerings.

Bellido stated, "I am impressed by the quality of Greybox's partners in this landmark study, in particular Boehringer Ingelheim (BI), a German behemoth with a strong history in cardiovascular diseases. BI is one of the big pharma that sees the benefits of digital therapeutics in improving health outcomes in patients and in creating new business models by growing existing revenues from drugs through bundling strategies."

As the digital healthcare market surges towards an estimated value of USD 191.9 billion by 2026, fueled by the virtual healthcare adoption catalyzed by COVID-19, the demand for digital therapeutics, home healthcare, and remote patient monitoring continues to rise. Quantum eMotion remains committed to providing state-of-the-art cybersecurity to ensure the utmost protection in this rapidly evolving landscape.

About QeM

The Company's mission is to address the growing demand for affordable hardware security for connected devices. The patented solution for a Quantum Random Number Generator exploits the built-in unpredictability of quantum mechanics and promises to provide enhanced security for protecting high value assets and critical systems.

The Company intends to target the highly valued Financial Services, Healthcare, Blockchain Applications, Cloud-Based IT Security Infrastructure, Classified Government Networks and Communication Systems, Secure Device Keying (IOT, Automotive, Consumer Electronics) and Quantum Cryptography.

For further information, please contact:

Francis Bellido, Chief Executive Officer

Tel: 514.956.2525

Email: info@quantumemotion.com

Website: www.quantumemotion.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to vary materially from targeted results. Such risks and uncertainties include those described in the Corporation's periodic reports including the annual report or in the filings made by Quantum from time to time with securities regulatory authorities.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/188219
The European Smaller Companies Trust's (ESCT's) manager, Ollie Beckett at Janus Hendersons Investors (JHI), remains very positive about the outlook for European small-cap companies, which is reflected in a relatively high level of gearing of c 15%. He considers the last three years, where small-cap stocks have lagged the performance of large-cap equities, an anomaly and a result of macroeconomic events and recession fears, which have led to elevated investor risk aversion. The manager believes that the current valuation of the trust's benchmark, the MSCI Europe ex UK Small Cap Index, provides a very attractive entry point to the asset class. ESCT's portfolio of reasonably valued stocks with exposure across the company life cycle has a commendable performance track record, with its NAV total return ranking first out of the four funds in the AIC European Smaller Companies sector over the last one, three, five and 10 years.

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.
PARIS, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- During HUAWEI CONNECT 2023 in Paris, Huawei held a session themed Building Green, Ultra-Broadband, and Intelligent Fiber Infrastructure for ICT Service Providers (ISPs). At the session, Huawei discussed the intelligent transformation of the ISP industry with over 200 industry customers, business leaders, technical experts, and partners. They shared ideas, solutions, and case studies and discussed hot topics such as low-carbon and green development, aiming to build intelligent, sustainable, and reliable ICT infrastructure to promote the intelligent transformation of the ISP industry.

In his speech, Michael Ma, Vice President of Huawei and President of Huawei's ICT Product Portfolio Management & Solutions Department, said that digitalization and intelligence are setting off a global transformation. Huawei aims to build green, ultra-broadband, and intelligent ICT infrastructure networks for ISPs to accelerate the intelligent transformation of the industry.

Gavin Gu, President of Huawei's Enterprise Optical Business Domain, said that network connectivity is the foundation of digital, intelligent transformation. Huawei provides the premium all-optical network solution for the Gigabit era, which ensures Gigabit experience and creates more value for ISPs, including the likes of Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) growth, faster deployment, and low costs. Moreover, optical network technology is more and more intensely used in the Business-to-Business (B2B) market thanks to its unique advantages. This is also a new driving force for the continued growth of ISPs.

In addition, Huawei and European ISPs shared their industry insights and best practices. Guest speakers included Mickael LE PORT, CEO of NGAnalytics, and Dr. Marcus Brunner from the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI).

For more information about Huawei's latest technologies and solutions in the ISP industry, please visit: https://e.huawei.com/en/industries/ict-service-provider.

About Huawei

Founded in 1987, Huawei is a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices. We have 207,000 employees and we operate in more than 170 countries and regions, serving more than three billion people around the world.

Our vision and mission is to bring digital to every person, home and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world. To this end, we will work towards ubiquitous connectivity and inclusive network access, laying the foundation for an intelligent world; provide diversified computing power where you need it, when you need it, to bring cloud and intelligence to all four corners of the earth; build digital platforms to help all industries and organizations become more agile, efficient, and dynamic; and redefine user experience with AI, making it smarter and more personalized for people in all aspects of their life, whether they're at home, on the go, in the office, having fun, or working out.

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Media contact:

Rafal Kwiatkowski

0048 539-531-140

rafal.kwiatkowski@huawei.com

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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.


EQS Newswire / 21/11/2023 / 16:00 CET/CEST

NANJING, CHINA - Media OutReach - 21 November 2023 - The Yangtze Culture Forum is scheduled in Nanjing, China on November 24, 2023. The forum will bring together guests from all over the world to discuss and promote the shared values of humanity. The forum's main objective is to explore the challenges and opportunities faced by river cultures, ecosystems, and economies, and to engage in discussions on the sustainable development of major rivers. Additionally, it aims to establish a global network for dialogue and collaboration among major river cities. This will foster exchange and mutual learning in river basin areas, eventually constructing a shared human destiny community.



Cityscape of Nanjing city

The forum will be jointly hosted by Nanjing, UNESCO, and other partners.



Rivers play a vital role in nurturing cities and preserving their cultural heritage and shared memories. Nanjing, the only one of China's four great ancient capitals located along the Yangtze River, has been continuously paying attention to the Yangtze River issue for many years. The uniqueness and innovation of this forum lie in establishing a platform to showcase and share the diverse cultures of the entire Yangtze River basin, with a broader goal to foster mutual learning and exchange among civilizations and cities of great rivers.



The forum will focus on the theme "Flowing Rivers, Converging Future". It will discuss issues that are common in river basins globally, including the Mississippi River. The topics will include ecological conservation, economic development, and the preservation and recording of culture. The forum will be a platform for sharing wisdom about civilization and the future and will address the mutual shaping of cities and rivers.



Nanjing, an important city in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and St. Louis, located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, became the first pair of sister cities between China and the United States since diplomatic relations were established in 1979. When they became sister cities, the banner presented by Nanjing read, "The friendship between the people of Nanjing and St. Louis is as enduring as the Yangtze and Mississippi Rivers." These two great rivers have become witnesses to the friendly exchanges between the two cities and countries.



In 2019, during a visit to Nanjing, St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson said, "I am the sixth consecutive mayor of St. Louis to visit Nanjing. Our friendship will transcend everything and endure permanently. This is the traditional friendship between the people of the two cities and between the Chinese and American people."



Nanjing, a city located along the Yangtze River, is closely linked to the river in the same way as St. Louis is to the Mississippi River. China has been actively developing five national cultural parks, and one of them is the Yangtze River National Cultural Park. Nanjing aims to become a shining example in this park, exhibiting the changes and developments that have taken place along the Yangtze River. Through its endeavors, Nanjing sets an example of the transformations occurring along the Yangtze and reflects China's perspective on development.



Hashtag: YangtzeCultureForum

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

News Source: Media OutReach

21/11/2023 Dissemination of a Financial Press Release, transmitted by EQS News.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



Media archive at www.todayir.com


Anti-aircraft warfare market worth $28.6 billion by 2028 - Exclusive Report by MarketsandMarkets

PR Newswire

CHICAGO, Nov. 21, 2023

CHICAGO, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Anti-aircraft warfare market is projected to grow from USD 20.9 billion in 2023 and is estimated to reach USD 28.6 billion by 2028; it is expected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.5% from 2023 to 2028 according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. The demand for these weapons has witnessed significant growth recently due to growing threats from unmanned aerial vehicles, proliferation of advanced technologies like stealth and electronic countermeasures in aircraft. Thus, it is imperative to avoid collateral damage and provide combatants with advanced defence systems have led to the growth of anti-aircraft warfare market.

The Anti-aircraft warfare market includes major players Lockheed Martin Corporation (US), Raytheon Technologies Corporation (US), Thales Group (France), BAE Systems (UK), and General Dynamics Corporation (US). These players have spread their business across various countries includes North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World.

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Browse in-depth TOC on "Anti-aircraft warfare market" 270 - Tables

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Anti-aircraft warfare Market Report Scope:

Report Coverage Details Market Revenue in 2023 $20.9 billion Estimated Value by 2028 $28.6 billion Growth Rate Poised to grow at a CAGR of 6.5% Market Size Available for 2019-2028 Forecast Period 2023-2028 Forecast Units Value (USD Million/Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered Capability, System, Platform, Range, and Region Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of World Key Market Challenge Technical Challenges Of Counter-Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (C-UAV) Key Market Opportunities Development of directed energy-based air defence system Key Market Drivers Increasing development of indigenous air defense systems to drive market

"The attack segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR rate for the anti-aircraft warfare market during the forecast period."

Based on capability, the anti-aircraft warfare industry has been segmented into Support, and Protection and Attack. The attack segment is projected to reach USD 19.4 billion by 2028. In the Asia Pacific region, this segment is projected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

"The weapon system segment is projected to register the highest CAGR of 7.1% during the forecast period."

Based on system, the anti-aircraft warfare market has been segmented into weapon system, radar system, electronic warfare system, command and control system and others. The weapon segment will secure leading market position in 2023. It is expected to have a market size of USD 9.2 billion in 2023 and grow at a CAGR of 7.1% to reach USD 12.9 billion in 2028. This is due to the increasing demand for advanced and sophisticated weapons from militaries around the world.

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"The naval segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR rate for the Anti-aircraft warfare market during the forecast period."

Based on platform, the market segmented into airborne, land and naval. The Naval segment is estimated to account for the largest share of 55.1% of the anti-aircraft warfare market in 2023. The air defense systems mounted on naval platforms are in huge demand due to development and procurement of anti-aircraft warfare systems for naval ships and unmanned surface vehicles.

"By range, the medium range segment is estimated to account for the largest share of the Anti-aircraft warfare market in 2023."

Based on range, the market is segmented into short range (<20 KM), medium range (20 - 100 km), and long range (>100 km). The medium range segment is estimated to account for the largest share of 53.3% of the anti-aircraft warfare market in 2023. This is due to increased procurement of medium range anti-aircraft weapon systems with their spare parts which serves as a vital layer of defense for the protection of strategic infrastructure.

"The North American market to contribute the largest share in 2023."

The North American market is going to contribute the largest share of 46% to the anti-aircraft warfare market in 2023. This is attributed to the presence of major companies such as Northrop Grumman Corporation, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Technologies, and General Dynamics Corporation in the US, which are continuously investing in the R&D of new and advanced technologies in the anti-aircraft warfare market. These investments are driving the growth of the market in North America.

Lockheed Martin Corporation (US), Raytheon Technologies Corporation (US), Thales Group (France), BAE Systems (UK), and General Dynamics Corporation (US) are some of the leading players operating in the Anti-aircraft warfare companies.

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Browse Adjacent Market: Aerospace and Defence Market Research Reports Research Reports &Consulting

Related Reports:

Directed Energy Weapons Market by Technology (High Energy Lasers, High-power Radio Frequency, Electromagnetic Weapons, Sonic Weapons), Platform (Land, Airborne, Naval, Space), Application, Product, Range and Region - Global Forecast to 2027

Command and Control Systems Market by Application, Solution, Platform, Installation Base (New Installation, and Upgradation), Installation (Fixed Command Centers, Deployable Command Centers) and Region - Global Forecast to 2027

Electronic Warfare Market by Capability (Support, Attack, Protection), Platform (Airborne, Naval, Ground, Space), Product (EW Equipment, EW Operational Support), End Use (OEM, Upgradtion) and Region - Global Forecast to 2027

Missile Defense System Market by Technology (Fire Control System, Weapon System, Countermeasure System, and Command and Control System), Range (Short, Medium, and Long), Threat type, Domain (Ground, Air, Marine, and Space), and Region (2021-2026)

Missile Seekers Market by Technology (Active Radar, Semi-active Radar, Passive Radar, Infrared, Laser, Multi-mode), Missile Type (Interceptor, Ballistic, Cruise, Conventional), Launch Mode, and Region (North America, Europe, APAC, & RoW) (2021-2026)

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BANGALORE, India, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Diagnostic Imaging Market is Segmented by Type (X-ray, Ultrasound, MRI), by Application (Hospital, Clinic): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2029. It is Published in Valuates Reports Under the Category of Medical Devices & Equipment .



The Global Diagnostic Imaging market is projected to reach USD 12630 Million in 2029, increasing from USD 9962.4 Million in 2022, with a CAGR of 3.5% during the period of 2023 to 2029.

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Major Factors Driving the Growth of Diagnostic Imaging Market

The government's increased investment and reimbursement initiatives, the growing demand for early detection tools, the expansion of new facilities by market players in developing nations, the rising prevalence of lifestyle-related diseases, and technological advancements to improve turnaround times are all thought to be driving factors in the market growth.

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DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING MARKET TRENDS

The burden of related disorders is steadily rising on a global scale. The likelihood of contracting illnesses rises in direct proportion to age. Due to the ageing population's rapid expansion, it is anticipated that age-related disorders including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer's disease will become more common. Gaining a clearer perspective helps you comprehend your condition better. Furthermore, physicians can precisely forecast your risk of contracting an illness like cancer thanks to medical imaging.

The majority of diagnostic imaging techniques are non-invasive and painless. For the most part, no additional preparation is needed for procedures. For example, an ultrasound uses a transducer and is a very pleasant and painless diagnostic method. The doctor can observe your unborn child and monitor its progress during pregnancy with the aid of ultrasound equipment. Your doctor can ensure that your baby is developing normally and spot any anomalies. It's among the greatest ways to keep an eye on a developing foetus.

With the use of an ultrasound, medical professionals may identify a wide range of illnesses. Physicians can also use the pictures it generates to assist them in planning treatments. To find the source of any symptoms you may be experiencing, such as pain, swelling, or infection, your doctor may recommend an ultrasound. When anesthesiologists insert needles close to nerves during surgery, ultrasounds are also used to help.

Ultrasounds are frequently used by medical professionals to assess illnesses pertaining to the abdomen, circulation, urology, obstetrics, infant care, and even musculoskeletal disorders. Ultrasounds are frequently used by doctors to examine the following bodily parts: the heart, joints, uterus, blood vessels, muscles, bladder, and kidneys.

One of the most popular and widely utilised diagnostic imaging examinations is the X-ray . They let medical professionals see into the body. A high-energy beam produced by X-ray machinery may penetrate through some parts of the body but not thick tissue or bones. This procedure creates a picture that your doctor can use to determine whether you have any bone injuries.

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MEDICAL DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS

The diagnostic imaging market in Asia Pacific is expected to develop at the quickest rate during the projected period due to the increased demand for improved imaging technologies and the rising frequency of chronic illnesses. In this underdeveloped, price-sensitive sector, more local manufacturing facilities are anticipated to offer diagnostic devices at reasonable prices.

The portion with the highest share was ultrasonography. One reason for the segment's rise is the increase in ultrasonic applications. Advances in ultrasound transducers have created new opportunities for ultrasound devices in the fields of biomedical and cardiovascular imaging. Furthermore, it is anticipated that increased emphasis on the creation of portable ultrasound equipment would broaden the modality's applicability in both emergency and ambulatory care. The incorporation of artificial intelligence into ultrasound devices to mechanise the picture quantification and selection process is anticipated to have an impact on market expansion as well.

The majority was accounted for by hospitals. Among the reasons propelling the market are the growing need for sophisticated imaging modalities and the incorporation of imaging technology into surgical suites. When compared to general or special hospitals, the demand for these modalities at teaching hospitals has increased significantly in some wealthy nations.

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Key Players:

GE

IDEXX

Esaote

Agfa Healthcare

Toshiba

Carestream Health

BCF Technology

Mindray

Hallmarq

Heska

Sedecal

Kaixin Electric

Chison

MinXray

Diagnostic Imaging Systems

AGFA

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M. Anthony Mills in The New Atlantis:

Last month, President Joe Biden issued an executive order on artificial intelligence. Among the longest in recent decades and encompassing directives to dozens of federal agencies and certain companies, the order is a decidedly mixed bag. It shrinks back from the most aggressive proposals for federal intervention but leaves plenty for proponents of limited government to fret about. For instance, the order invokes the Defense Production Act  a law designed to assist private industry in providing necessary resources during a national security crisis  to regulate an emerging technology. This surely strains the laws intent, not to mention allowing the executive branch to circumvent Congress.

Setting aside the merits or demerits of the order itself, however, it is worth stepping back to consider what this move by the White House tells us about the politics of AI  and in particular what it leaves out.

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Rise in the adoption of online banking applications and & mobile banking services and an increase in incidences of financial fraud boost the growth of the global fraud management in the banking market. In addition, the increase in the use of digital transformation technology positively impacts the growth of fraud management in the banking market.

PORTLAND, Ore., Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Fraud Management in Banking Market by Component (Solution, and Service), Fraud Type ((Payment Fraud, Loan Fraud, Identity Theft, Money Laundering, and Others), and Application (Fraud Detection and Prevention Systems, Identity and Access Management (IAM), Customer Authentication, Transaction Monitoring, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032". According to the report, the global fraud management in banking market was valued at $6.5 billion in 2022, and is projected to reach $48.4 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 22.6% from 2023 to 2032.

(We are providing report as per your research requirement, including the Latest Industry Insight's Evolution, Potential and COVID-19 Impact Analysis)

130 - Tables

69 - Charts

269 - Pages

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Prime determinants of growth

Rise in the adoption of online banking applications and & mobile banking services and an increasing increase in incidences of financial fraud augment the growth of the global fraud management in the banking market. In addition, the increase in the use of digital transformation technology positively impacts the growth of fraud management in the banking market. However, the rise in incidents of false positive rates and growing fraud complexity are hampering fraud management in the banking market growth. On the contrary, the rise in innovations in the Fintech Industry is expected to offer remunerative opportunities for the expansion of fraud management in the banking market during the forecast period.

Report coverage & details:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2023-2032 Base Year 2022 Market Size in 2022 $ 6.5 billion Market Size in 2032 $ 48.4 billion CAGR 22.6 % No. of Pages in Report 269 Segments covered Component, Fraud Type, Application, and Region. Drivers The rise in adoption of online banking applications and mobile banking services. Increasing incidences of financial fraud Increase in use of digital transformation technology Opportunities Rise in Innovations in the Fintech Industry Restraints Growing incidents of false positive rates Rise in fraud complexity

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COVID-19 Scenario

Fraud management in the banking market has witnessed significant growth in the past few years, and even in the wake of the pandemic, the demand for fraud management in banking increased dramatically. This is attributed to the growing need for fraud management in banking among enterprises to enhance their employees' internet needs.

In addition, an increase in work-from-home offered by numerous organizations to protect their employees during the COVID-19 pandemic, led to the requirement of high-speed internet connectivity among individuals. This, in turn, is expected to drive market growth during the forecast period.

The service segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period.

By component, the solution segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for more than two-third of the global fraud management in banking market revenue, as it provides personalized services, accelerates throughput, and reduces operational costs. However, the wireless segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 9.8% from 2023 to 2032, These services reduce management concerns efficiently with personalized assistance and optimized performance development.

The payment fraud segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period

By fraud type, the payment fraud segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for more than one-third of the global fraud management in banking market revenue, owing to the increasing incidence of fraud payments. Many key players are coming up with new technologies including Artificial Intelligence and Machine learning. However, the money laundering segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 25.9% from 2023 to 2032, owing to the surging usage of virtual currencies and growing penetration of the internet, which foster the adoption of fraud management in the banking market in the healthcare segment.

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Asia-Pacific maintain its dominance by 2032

By region, North America held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2022, accounting for more than one-third of the global fraud management in banking market revenue, owing to rise in adoption of fraud management in banking in small & medium enterprises to ensure effective flow of financial activities. However, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to witness the fastest CAGR of 25.3% from 2023 to 2032 and is likely to dominate the market during the forecast period, owing to the growing adoption of web-based and mobile-based business applications in the sector of banking.

Leading Market Players: -

IBM Corporation,

SAS Institute Inc,

SAP SE,

NICE Actimize,

ACI Worldwide Inc,

Experian PLC,

BAE Systems,

FIS global,

LexisNexis Risk Solutions,

BioCatch Ltd,

The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players of the global fraud management in banking 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.

Inquiry before Buying: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/283865

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About Us:

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Android 11 and Android 9 Scanners Level-Up Accuracy, Range and Battery Capabilities

MONTEREY PARK, CA / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / Tera, the leading innovator of handheld barcode scanners, is pleased to announce the introduction of the Android 11 PDA scanners. Now distributed globally through ADM Tech LLC, the 20-year-old company's latest product introductions promise even greater accuracy and efficiency in barcode scanning for the supply chain industry.

The Android 11 P172 model is a tailored solution encompassing OEM, ODM, and SDK development services, spanning labeling, packaging, branding, and streamlined manuals. It offers high-efficiency scanning with the Zebra SE4750 engine and boasts a 13-foot scanning range that makes it ideal for large spaces such as industrial sites and warehouses. Its extended battery life provides up to 12 hours of uninterrupted operation and 500 hours of standby to ensure minimal downtime. Maximum efficiency is achieved with 4G, Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth 5.0 for real-time data transmission. The P172 comes with a full accessory pack, including a charging cradle and pistol grip, free lifetime technical support, and supplemented offline assistance in the U.S. and Germany.

The Android 11 P166 model offers effective scanning of all common 1D and 2D barcodes and is suitable for a variety of industries ranging from retail to finance and manufacturing. This high-performance scanner features a 5.5-inch HD display for optimal visibility even in bright conditions and is ultra-durable for resilience in any environment. The P166 4300mAh battery ensures more than 12 hours of operation and nearly 500 hours of standby, with a quick-charging cradle included for convenience. It comes with 24/7 customer support, technical assistance, and offline technical support in the U.S. and Germany.

"At Tera, we are driven by product innovation that helps our customers achieve a greater level of business success," said Min Zhou, the CEO of Tera. "These two product introductions promise enhanced speed and efficiency, creating opportunities for a higher level of productivity and therefore profit. Our entire product line offers uninterrupted workflow to help businesses maximize operations."

Staying true to its decades-long motto of "make it terrific," Tera has launched these advanced PDA scanners as part of its commitment to continuously deliver premier and secure user experiences. The company's impressive achievements and unwavering reputation include a worldwide customer network spanning governments to Fortune 500 companies across industries, including aviation, automotive, education, and healthcare.

Learn more about the Android 11 P172 version at https://tera-digital.com/products/mobile-computer-android-scanner-p172 and the Android 9 P166 version at https://tera-digital.com/products/mobile-computer-android-scanner-p166 .

Press Contact:

Blair Bao

718-883-0287

hello@baocommunications.com

SOURCE: Tera Technology

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/807713/tera-introduces-two-new-handheld-barcode-scanners-that-promise-unprecedented-accuracy-and-efficiency
EQS-News: CPI PROPERTY GROUP / Key word(s): Miscellaneous/Real Estate

CPI PROPERTY GROUP - Muddy Waters Report



21.11.2023 / 16:28 CET/CEST

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.





CPI Property Group

(societe anonyme)

40, rue de la Vallee

L-2661 Luxembourg

R.C.S. Luxembourg: B 102 254



Press Release - Corporate News



Luxembourg, 21 November 2023



CPI PROPERTY GROUP - Muddy Waters Report



CPI PROPERTY GROUP (hereinafter "CPIPG", the "Company" or together with its subsidiaries the "Group"), a leading European landlord, notes today the publication of a report by Muddy Waters.



As any reader can see, Muddy Waters conducts detailed analysis, and puts effort into telling a compelling and engaging story to suit their needs. We believe that Muddy Waters is categorically wrong about CPIPG.



CPIPG understands that a second report by Muddy Waters will be released soon, and we anticipate more unpleasant and untrue statements will be made. Considering the detail involved, spanning transactions of various sizes over several years, CPIPG will take some time to respond completely and thoroughly. Once our response is prepared, we will hold a call with bondholders.



As appropriate, the Group will actively seek ways to support our bondholders through buybacks - as we have done over the years. We are also considering legal steps against Muddy Waters.



CPIPG is almost entirely family-owned, and our primary shareholder has contributed significant amounts of capital to the Group over a long period of time. Our Group was built on the back of strong banking relationships and a track record of meeting our obligations, even in times of uncertainty.



Finally, despite general negativity in the market around real estate, our portfolio continues to operate from a position of quality and strength. CPIPG continues to make significant disposals and has ongoing access to bank financing across our region.



The Group appreciates the continued support of our banks, bondholders, and other stakeholders.



For further information, please contact:



Investor Relations

Moritz Mayer

Manager, Capital Markets

m.mayer@cpipg.com



For more on CPI Property Group, visit our website: www.cpipg.com



Follow us on Twitter (CPIPG_SA) and LinkedIn



21.11.2023 CET/CEST Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by EQS News - a service of EQS Group AG.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.

Archive at www.eqs-news.com


DELRAY BEACH, Fla., Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- UpHealth, Inc. ("UpHealth," or the "Company") (NYSE: UPH), today announced that the Company has resumed trading on the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") under the symbol "UPH." Trading of UPH resumed, today on November 21, 2023, at market open following the disclosures provided in the November 20, 2023 filings, accessible via the Company's Investor Relations website and the Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov .

About UpHealth, Inc.

UpHealth is a global digital health company that delivers digital-first technology, infrastructure, and services to dramatically improve how healthcare is delivered and managed. UpHealth creates digitally enabled "care communities" that improve access and achieve better patient outcomes at lower cost, through digital health solutions and interoperability tools that serve patients wherever they are, in their native language. UpHealth's clients include health plans, healthcare providers and community-based organizations. For more information, please visit https://uphealthinc.com .
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The U.S. Department of the Treasury on Tuesday announced the awarding of the second round of State Small Business Credit Initiative Technical Assistance grants to help small businesses access legal, accounting, and financial counsel. Under the SSBCI Technical Assistance Grant Program, the Treasury approved 20 additional state awards, totaling more than $50.8 million. These awards will be used to provide legal, accounting, and financial advisory services to eligible small businesses applying for the SSBCI capital program and other government small business programs. This is in addition to the recent announcement of a new $75 million competitive grant program to support technical assistance, such as legal services to help businesses obtaining capital from investors and advising on financial management, for very small and underserved businesses. 'These investments are a key part of the Biden-Harris Administration's efforts to fuel the small business boom by providing small businesses and entrepreneurs the resources they need to succeed,' said Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo. 'Today's announcements will help unlock the potential of entrepreneurs in underserved communities across the nation who may have otherwise never had the support needed to pursue their business ideas and ambitions.' SSBCI funding at large is expected to catalyze up to $10 of private investment for every $1 of SSBCI capital funding, providing small business owners with the resources they need to sustainably grow and thrive. 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 Hostel Market (by Booking Channel, Region): Insights and Forecast with Potential Impact of COVID-19 (2022-2027)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global hostel market is predicted to record a value of US$6.04 billion in 2023, growing at a CAGR of 10.15%, during the forecast period.

Hostels offer an array of advantages, from budget-friendly accommodations to the opportunity to connect with fellow travelers from around the globe, find travel companions, and exchange travel insights. Some hostels, such as Zostel in India or Hostelling International, cater to specific traveler demographics.

Western Europe dominates the hostel market, driven by its wealth of tourist destinations in various European cities. While London remains a major hub for UK tourism, regional markets across the United Kingdom have gained popularity among both tourists and investors.

The United Kingdom's hostel market is poised for significant growth, with hybrid hostels emerging as a prominent trend in the industry. The expansion of hostels has surpassed that of hotels, primarily due to the growing millennial population. Additional factors contributing to this growth include the increasing use of third-party booking platforms, a surge in international travelers, and a rise in young solo travelers.

The rise of the millennial population has played a pivotal role in driving growth in the OTA (Online Travel Agency) hostel market. Millennials are known for their tech-savvy nature and heavy reliance on mobile applications for booking accommodations. They gather information from social media platforms and are influenced by the experiences of fellow travelers, making OTA an essential booking channel, particularly for this demographic.

The hostel market features a diverse landscape with a multitude of players. Key industry leaders include Hostelworld Group, Hostelling International (HI), Generator Hostels, Safestay plc., A&O Hotels and Hostels, London Backpackers, Wombat's Hostel, Green Tortoise Hostel, Newquay International Backpackers, and Maestro Hostel. Explore the exciting possibilities and trends in the hostel market through our comprehensive research report.

Driver: Escalating Popularity of Solo Travel

The increasing popularity of solo traveling is creating a favorable environment for the growth of the travel industry as well as the hostel market. Solo travelers are experience seekers and majority of them travel to collect memories and experience the local culture, as well as to make social connections.

These solo travelers are typically outgoing, curious, and adventurous people who like to meet and connect with new people or like-minded travelers during their tour. Solo travelers mostly prefer hostels with buzzing communal spaces as they are budget-friendly and provide the opportunity to meet other travelers. Owing to the rising preference of solo travelers to book hostels during their trip, the demand for hostels is expected to increase in the coming years.

Challenge: Misconceptions About Hostels

A major barrier to the success of hostel market has been the certain misconceptions associated with the hostel. One of the major misconceptions about the hostels is that the hostels are only for young people. Therefore, majority of the older travelers are reluctant to book hostel for their stay. Another misconception is that the hostels are dirty, resulting in the low demand from many guests.

There are various other misconceptions, including hostels are only for partying for solo travelers, have no privacy, and are not considered safe. In fact, people also think that unlike many hotels, hostels do not provide any amenities. Hence, the growing misconceptions about the hostels is regarded as a key factor that restrain the growth of the hostel market.

Trend: Rising Demand for Luxury Hostels

One of the major trends that would impact the growth of the hostel market is the rising demand for luxury hostels. The hostel market has undergone a major transformation and now designer hostels with private rooms, vibrant bars, yoga classes and luxurious interior designs are becoming more common.

Luxury hostel accommodations offer the perfect balance of privacy, amenities, and social activities. These luxury hostels are characterized by swimming pools, cocktails, art shows, live music, rooftop bars, yoga classes and luxury suites. Luxury hostels also provide excellent service and maintain clean premises. Therefore, the rising demand for luxury hostels is creating a robust development in the overall hostel market.

The COVID-19 Analysis

During the pandemic, hostel industry witnessed a decline due to the restrictions in travelling all around the world. Many hostel chains were losing money and were forced to close due to the lockdown the integration of technology in hostel apps and online booking channels would open new doors, pave the way for enhancement, and widen the horizons of the hostel business in the next years.

Analysis of Key Players

Global Market Analysis

Global Hostel Market: An Analysis

Global Hostel Market by Value: An Overview

Global Hostel Market by Value

Global Hostel Market by Booking Channel (Online Travel Agencies (OTAs), Hostel Websites, Offline Direct and Offline Intermediaries)

Global Hostel Market by Region (Western Europe, Asia, Latin America, North America, Australia and New Zealand and Rest of the World)

Global Hostel Market by Volume: An Overview

Global Hostel Market by Volume

Global Hostel Market: Booking Channel Analysis

Global Hostel Market by Booking Channel: An Overview

Global Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) Hostel Market by Value

Global Hostel Websites Hostel Market by Value

Global Offline Direct Hostel Market by Value

Global Offline Intermediaries Hostel Market by Value

Hostel Overview

Benefits of Staying in a Hostel

Hostel Segmentation: An Overview

Hostel Segmentation by Booking Channel

Market Dynamics

Growth Driver

Greater Spending by Millennial

Growing Interest for Travel

Rising Middle Class Population

Increasing Role of Online Travel Agencies (OTAs)

Escalating Popularity of Solo Travel

Increasing Investments in the Hostel Industry

Challenges

Overcrowding in Hostels

Misconceptions about Hostels

Rise of Budget and Midscale Hotels

Market Trends

Surging Interest in Sustainable Travel

Growing Number of Mobile Bookings

Shift in Consumer Preferences towards Shared Experiences

Rising Demand for Luxury Hostels

Increasing Importance of Social Interaction for Travelers

Introduction of Hybrid Hostels

Competitive Landscape

Global Hostel Market Players by Total Properties

Global Hostel Market Players by Instagram Followers

Company Profiles: Business Overview, Operating Regions, Business Strategy

A&O Hotels and Hostels

Generator Hostels

Green Tortoise Hostel

Hostelling International (HI)

Hostelworld Group

London Backpackers

Maestro Hostel

Newquay International Backpackers

Safestay plc.

Wombat's Hostel

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/29171c

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NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / Alkermes

Originally published in Alkermes September 2023 Corporate Responsibility Report

We strive to conduct our business activities in a manner that minimizes the environmental impacts of our operations and promotes effective stewardship of environmental resources. We are committed to complying with applicable laws, rules and regulations and operating with the highest standards of conduct. All Alkermes facilities are subject to routine regulatory inspections in respect of EHSS to confirm compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

We strive to maintain a culture of sustainability throughout our organization and work collaboratively across internal stakeholder groups and functions to identify ways to mitigate risks, increase operational efficiencies and reduce our environmental impacts, including those related to resource use, waste management and climate change.

Following a 2020 survey of leaders across our operations functions to identify the environmental focus areas of highest importance to our business operations, we identified the following key environmental focus areas:

Energy Use, GHG Emissions and Renewables

Waste Optimization and Circular Economy

Pharmaceuticals in the Environment

Water Conservation

Sustainability in the Supply Network

Biodiversity

In 2021, we established a global, cross-functional sustainability steering team to further develop and enhance our focus on these areas, and in 2022, we began to work with Sustainserv, an independent consultant, to help us further advance our environmental sustainability strategy and associated disclosures.

Energy Usage and GHG Emissions Highlights

Alkermes recognizes the serious environmental, economic and societal impacts caused by climate change. We continually monitor and review our energy usage in order to identify opportunities for further optimization and reduction. Our activities in support of this objective include:

Analysis of data and trends from electricity, natural gas and processed gas monitoring systems at our facilities;

Replacement of legacy equipment with more energy- efficient alternatives;

Incorporation of sustainable design and building techniques into new facilities to promote less energy use; and

Assessments of options to procure and further integrate renewable energy sources into our operations.

A group of engineering leaders from each of our sites meets regularly to develop best practices for our facilities and utility systems. A sub-team of this group is responsible for integrating sustainability principles and practices into the design of our capital projects, monitoring company-wide energy audits and developing multi-year plans for energy reduction initiatives.

Our overall energy use increased sequentially by 4% in 2022, and in turn our combined Scope 1 & 2 GHG emissions (absolute) increased by 2%. Combined Scope 1 & 2 emissions per $M revenue were 40% lower than our baseline year of 2015. The increases were primarily due to increased commercial activities (and corresponding gasoline usage) related to the launch of a new proprietary product, increased diesel usage at one of our facilities as part of an electrical supply upgrade and increased process gases and refrigerants emissions related to required system repair and maintenance.

These increases were partially mitigated by our continued assessment and implementation of opportunities to improve our energy use and reduce GHG emissions at our facilities including:

Our Dublin offices and Athlone facility were supplied by 100% renewable electricity generation in 2022; and

At our Athlone facility, a dedicated chilled water unit was installed as part of a process upgrade. This upgrade allowed the site's baseload chiller to operate more efficiently, saving an estimated 1,175,150 kWh annually.

As part of an upgrade to our Athlone facility completed in 2022, the facility now provides additional Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations.

For the third consecutive year, the electricity at our Athlone facility was verified by Captured Carbon, an independent provider of energy services in Ireland, as being sourced from 100% renewable electricity generation in 2022. This achievement underscores our continued commitment to reducing our environmental impact and implementing sustainable business practices.

Water Conservation Highlights

We recognize that water is a scarce and invaluable resource that we must endeavor to conserve and use efficiently and sustainably. We have implemented programs across our organization to assess, reduce and optimize our water consumption, and we examine opportunities to further conserve water on an ongoing basis.

Despite these efforts, overall absolute source water usage at our facilities increased 15% in 2022 compared to 2021, primarily due to groundwater well repair work at our Athlone facility. However, even with this increase, our overall absolute source water usage decreased 22% compared to our 2015 baseline measurement year and the majority of the water used in such repair work was recovered and recycled.

Case Study: Protecting Local Ecology

In 2022 and early 2023, our Athlone facility designed, constructed and commissioned an enhanced Fire Water Retention Facility, which, in the event of a major incident, is designed to contain contaminated firefighting water and help protect the local environment. The project was completed in response to revised national guidance from the Environmental Protection Agency of Ireland, who consulted on the project.

Read more





View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Alkermes on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Alkermes

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/alkermes

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Alkermes

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/807838/environmental-protection-sustainability-at-alkermes
Regulatory News:

SMAIO (Software, Machines and Adaptative Implants in Orthopaedics Euronext Growth Paris ISIN: FR0014005I80 Ticker: ALSMA), a French player specialized in complex spine surgery with a global offer comprising software, adaptative implants and related services, today announces the successful completion of its 2nd U.S training and reflection program on sagittal balance, held in San Diego (California) in mid-November 2023.

As a follow-up to the first four "Sagittal Alignment Academy" training programs for its European (Copenhagen, Madrid and Brussels in October 2022 and April 2023) and North American (Dallas in November 2022) customers, SMAIO continues to intensify the dissemination of its holistic approach to spine surgery in the United States, the world's largest spine surgery market, with the first "Sagittal Alignment Think Tank".

Emphasizing its expertise in restoring patients' spinal alignment and having succeeded in convincing a college of 8 of the most recognized faculties in both the United States and Europe, SMAIO has launched its Sagittal Balance Academy in a "Think Tank" format. This new initiative leaves plenty of room for discussion between participants selected from among the best spinal deformity surgeons in the United States. A total of 24 U.S surgeons met for a day in San Diego, where they were able to use KEOPS Balance Analyzer 3D software to analyze real cases requiring vertebral realignment, and to take part in several workshops on realistic simulators using Kheiron Spinal Fixation System osteosynthesis equipment, two flagship products in the SMAIO portfolio.

SMAIO's objective is to develop a consensus with U.S. surgeons on a patient-specific method of spinal realignment, based on the extensive data in SMAIO's KEOPS database and the artificial intelligence technologies that leverage it. The Think Tank's hands-on workshops also gave them the opportunity to understand how the i-kontrol platform enables them to precisely plan and execute spinal realignment surgeries in their daily practice.

To date, five U.S. surgeons are actively involved in the preliminary launch phase of i-kontrol in the United States, which is due to be completed at the end of 2023, giving way to the "full release" phase, which aims to triple the number of users of SMAIO solutions in the United States by 2025.

Philippe ROUSSOULY, Chairman and CEO of SMAIO, comments: "SMAIO's commercial strategy is based on significant expansion in the United States. These training courses are therefore of instrumental in promoting our technological and scientific offering to a wide range of surgeons in this strategic country, where selling prices are higher than in other geographies. Thanks to the very positive feedback, we are enthusiastic about continuing to train and support surgeons, helping them to carry out personalized interventions to promote optimal and lasting balance in patients."

Prof. Munish Gupta (MD), Spine surgeon and Professor of orthopaedic surgery at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, adds: "The sagittal alignment course was a truly amazing educational opportunity to discuss the most cutting edge thinking of the sagittal plane in adult spine deformity. I was very impressed with the software and technology to produce patient-specific rods by SMAIO. This technology can help a lot of spine surgeons around the world."

About SMAIO

A precursor in the use of clinical data and imaging of the spine, SMAIO designs global solutions for spine surgery specialists. The Company has recognized expertise thanks to KEOPS, its Big Data management software that has become a global reference with more than 100,000 patient cases documented.

SMAIO offers spine surgeons a comprehensive platform, I-Kontrol, incorporating planning, implants and related services, enabling them to treat spinal pathologies in a safe, effective and lasting way.

SMAIO is positioned at the forefront of innovation with the ambition of providing surgeons with the first active robotic solution enabling a high level of performance and repeatability to be achieved.

Based in Lyon, France, SMAIO benefits from the skill and expertise of more than 30 highly specialized staff.

For further information, please visit our website: www.smaio.com

Listing market: Euronext Growth Paris

ISIN: FR0014005I80

Ticker: ALSMA

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121453860/en/

Contacts:

SMAIO

Philippe Roussouly

Chief Executive Officer

Renaut Fritsch

Chief Financial Officer

investors@smaio.com

NewCap

Dusan Oresansky/Quentin Masse

Investor Relations

smaio@newcap.eu

Tel.: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 92

NewCap

Arthur Rouille

Media Relations

smaio@newcap.eu

Tel.: +33 (0)1 44 71 00 15
Esker, a global cloud platform and leader in AI-driven process automation solutions for Finance, Procurement and Customer Service functions, today announced the appointment of Catherine Plasse as Esker's new Chief Financial Officer.

Reporting to Emmanuel Olivier, Esker COO on the Board of Directors, Plasse will manage and coordinate Esker's Finance teams worldwide and join Esker's Associate Board of Directors. She will lead the creation of information for the public and financial communities and ensure the maintenance of a high-level internal control environment and compliance with regulatory obligations. Plasse will also play a crucial role in steering the operational performance of Esker by managing budgetary and control aspects. In collaboration with the Board of Directors, she will also be actively involved in the development of Esker's environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) policies.

Plasse brings to Esker more than 15 years of experience in strategic financial management and providing key input to executive levels at a variety of international companies. Plasse held various Financial Analyst and Controller positions at Suez Group, most notably as CFO in the U.S. for three years. She holds three degrees in International Business Administration, from Northumbria University (BA), IAE France (master's degree) and EDHEC Business School (BA). She also holds a certification in Sustainable Transition Management from HEC Paris and in Principles of Sustainable Finance from Erasmus University of Rotterdam.

"I'm delighted to be joining Esker, an innovative company that plays a key role in the digital transformation of businesses worldwide," said Plasse. "I look forward to contributing to Esker's continued success and collaborating with such a dynamic and talented team."

"Catherine brings to Esker a wealth of international experience, strong technical and managerial skills, as well as deeply held beliefs in ESG responsibility. We look forward to working with her and continuing Esker's success story," said Jean-Michel Berard, CEO at Esker.

About Esker

Esker is a global cloud platform built to unlock strategic value for Finance, Procurement and Customer Service professionals, and strengthen collaboration between companies by automating the cash conversion cycle. Esker's solutions incorporate AI technologies to drive increased productivity, enhanced visibility, reduced fraud risk, and improved collaboration with customers, suppliers and employees. Founded in 1985, Esker operates in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific with global headquarters in Lyon, France, and U.S. headquarters in Middleton, Wisconsin. For more information on Esker and its solutions, visit www.esker.com. Follow Esker on LinkedIn and join the conversation on the Esker blog at esker.com/blog.

2023 Esker S.A. All rights reserved. Esker and the Esker logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Esker S.A. the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121866411/en/

Contacts:

Press Contact:

Christina Davies

Tel: (972) 366-7453

cdavies@ideagrove.com



Investor Relations Contact:

Emmanuel Olivier

Tel: +33 (0)4 72 83 46 46

emmanuel.olivier@esker.com
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / Del Monte Foods, Inc.:

Nourishing Families, Nourishing Schools Program: 1 Million+ Served for Youth and Community Well-Being

Recently, Del Monte Foods shared a progress update on the first year of its "Nourishing Families by Nourishing Schools" program, a groundbreaking initiative launched in partnership with the nonprofit Alliance for a Healthier Generation (Healthier Generation). This commitment was made in support of the company's Growers of Good purpose to grow a healthier and more hopeful tomorrow by making nutritious foods more accessible to all.

Del Monte Foods' and Healthier Generation's partnership was announced at the 2022 Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) meeting. The program is dedicated to enhancing the physical, mental, and social-emotional well-being of children, with a strong commitment to reaching 75 percent of students representing Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) populations.

One Year of Progress

In year one, the partnership has:

Reached 1.25 million families with family-oriented nutritious and easy recipes and activities to foster community and connection through meals.

with family-oriented nutritious and easy recipes and activities to foster community and connection through meals. Engaged more than two million children at nearly 4,700 K-12 schools with program content.

at with program content. Ensured inclusive reach with 67 percent of the students and families reached to date representing BIPOC populations and 75 percent of schools and districts reached serving under-resourced communities through Title I funding.

Our commitment to accessible and high-quality nutrition for families and schools extends beyond financial support," said Greg Longstreet, President and CEO of Del Monte Foods. "We are proud to share the milestones we've achieved in improving the health and well-being of youth across the country. Our progress demonstrates our dedication as Growers of Good to making a tangible difference in the lives of students and families."

Kathy Higgins, CEO of Healthier Generation, added, "The positive impact of this initiative on students and communities is evident in the reach that we've had in the past year. We are proud of the progress we've achieved in partnership with Del Monte Foods, and we remain dedicated to our mission of enhancing whole child health for current and future generations."

This year's programming included the launch of four impactful multimedia campaigns to promote nutrition education and access:

Leading into the holiday season, Healthier Generation and Del Monte Foods provided virtual resources and content for families to help bring joy to mealtimes for their holiday campaign, including nutritious, fun and affordable recipes with some spins on holiday classics. Through the Choose Good, Do Good campaign in January and February, customers could purchase Del Monte Foods products at a discounted rate at participating retailers and a portion of the sales would go to Healthier Generation's programs to support children and families. For National Nutrition Month in March, the partnership provided families with resources to encourage physical activity and family mealtime bonding with affordable, nutritious meals. Amidst the busy back-to-school season, the organizations teamed up to provide quick and easy nutritious recipes for parents and hosted an engaging cooking segment with a celebrity chef.

Year Two and Beyond

Looking ahead, Del Monte Foods and Healthier Generation are committed to furthering their impact in year two and beyond. Del Monte Foods is an official sponsor of the Improving Nutrition & Food Access distinction for the 2024 America's Healthiest Schools - Healthier Generation's signature annual recognition program that celebrates schools across the nation for their achievements in advancing the physical, mental, and social-emotional health of students, staff and families. Del Monte Foods will collaborate with Healthier Generation to support schools in meeting these criteria within the food and nutrition topic through resources and programs.

Del Monte Foods and Healthier Generation will also continue to prioritize developing resources for educators and families that help them combat food insecurity and boost nutrition through emphasizing the value of school meals, teaching how to recognize the signs of food insecurity in children, finding ways for families to come together at mealtimes, and more.

For more information on Del Monte Foods' commitment to fostering goodness for people, communities, and the planet, please refer to its Sustainability Report.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Del Monte Foods, Inc. on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Del Monte Foods, Inc.

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/del-monte-foods-inc

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Del Monte Foods, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/807789/del-monte-foods-announces-year-1-progress-with-nonprofit-partner-healthier-generation-to-nourish-the-wellness-of-youth-and-communities
Finsbury Growth & Income Trust Plc - Transaction in Own Shares

PR Newswire

LONDON, United Kingdom, November 21

For immediate release

21 November 2023

FINSBURY GROWTH & INCOME TRUST PLC

(the "Company")

MARKET PURCHASE OF COMPANY'S OWN SHARES

The Company announces that it has today purchased 153,427 of its own shares ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 810.63 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 24,187,534; 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 200,803,769.

The figure of 200,803,769 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
CHICAGO, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Arizton's latest research report, the Latin America green data center market is growing at a CAGR of 10.79% during 2022-2028.

To Know More, Download the Free Sample Report:

https://www.arizton.com/request-sample/3985

Browse In-Depth TOC on the Latin America Green Data Center Market

228 - Pages

20 - Table

53 - Charts

Green data centers in Latin America are adopted by local companies, particularly in the telecom sectors. These companies are crucial in managing data storage and processing, particularly in the region's small- and mid-sized markets. Prominent data center companies Ascenty, Digital Realty HostDime, and Scala Data Center are committed to lowering carbon emissions and sourcing renewable energy to power their operation. Hyperscale operators, such as Google, AWS, Microsoft, and Huawei Technologies, primarily drive sustainable investments and technological innovation. Microsoft is actively exploring ways to minimize waste and create environmentally friendly data centers through various trials and research initiatives. Major hyperscalers AWS, Microsoft, and Google pledged to give back more water than they use by 2030.

Sustainable Innovations in Data Center Power Technology

The data center industry makes significant progress in sustainable solutions, and companies adopt innovative green technologies, refusing energy efficiently and using metrics to enhance diversity and inclusion standards. It is essential to prioritize technologies that can decrease the carbon footprint of digital infrastructure as more data centers are built in the region. Some helpful tools include server virtualization, efficient cooling systems, using renewable energy, optimizing energy management, and applying modular designs in data centers. Data centers can work toward a more sustainable future by adopting these technologies.

Finding energy-efficient solutions in the technology sector is an ongoing challenge in Latin America and the Caribbean due to the expected increase in service demand over the next 20 years, according to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Sustainability is a significant focus, leading many companies to adopt more efficient and eco-friendly data center infrastructure.

Eco-diesel Generators: Microsoft uses eco-diesel generators for its cloud regions. However, the adoption of eco-diesel generators is comparatively lower in Latin America. We expect the use of eco-diesel generators to increase in the next 3-4 years in Latin America.

Natural Gas Generators: Natural gas is supplied through pipelines on demand, allowing data center operators to control their supply and budget closely. The supply and distribution of natural gas are reliable because the pipelines are usually underground and protected from natural elements. Data centers demand high computing power, and eco-friendly energy sources are now crucial. In recent years, data centers have been designed to take advantage of a stable and dependable power grid system.

Fuel Cells: In February 2022, NorthC announced that its new data center facility in Groningen is installed with fuel cells that run on green hydrogen. It is the first European data center design. The facility's 500 kW fuel cell module will run on hydrogen created by renewable power.

HVO: In August 2023, Brazil will open 100 HVO stations. Data centers have not used these stations until now, but with their opening, data center operators can use them in their data centers for carbon neutrality. HVO is among the emerging trends concepts in the data center market. However, Latin American operators have not adopted it yet, as we believe that during the forecast period, at least some operators will introduce HVO in their data centers.

Nuclear Energy Generation: Nuclear power is considered a significant alternative renewable energy source. We expect more data center operators to purchase nuclear power as a part of the mix in their PPA as an alternative to 100% green and renewable energy.

Other Innovations: In 2022, Equinix partnered with ZutaCore, Virtual Power Systems (VPS), Bloom Energy, and Natron to test cutting-edge technologies under Equinix's Data Center of the Future initiative. The technologies explored include generator-less and UPS-less data centers, among other technologies.

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Larger Colocation and Hyperscale Data Center Operators Driving the Market Growth

Hyperscale operators such as Google and Microsoft are actively driving renewable energy adoption in Latin America. For instance, in January 2022, Microsoft announced plans to develop a cloud region in Chile at an investment of over $315 million. The cloud region will be powered by 100% renewable energy.

Colocation operators like ODATA and Scala Data Centers are active adopters of renewable energy in Latin America. For instance, in November 2022, Scala Data Centers signed a PPA of 600 MW with Enel Americas to power its hyperscale data center campus in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Some major renewable energy producers and suppliers in the Latin American market include Enel Green Power, ENGIE, GreenYellow, and The AES Corporation.

Innovations in Data Center Cooling and Power Technologies

In Latin America, data center power technology innovations include adopting lithium-ion and smart grid UPS and DRUPS systems.

Fuel cell-based power backup is also expected to enter the Latin American market long term, driving down investments in inefficient diesel generators and the market for efficiencies.

Hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) is among the emerging trends in the data center market. However, data center operators in Latin America are yet to adopt this technology. There are initiatives by some oil companies involved in the development of the HVO fuel stations, wherein it is witnessed that during the forecast period, at least some operators will introduce HVO in their data center facilities.

A tropical test bed is currently in the testing phase in Singapore to make data centers more efficient in a tropical climate. If successful, this can also positively impact the Latin American market and further decrease the PUE of facilities.

Free cooling is adopted by data center operators in facilities in Brazil, Chile, Argentina, and the Caribbean, at least partially. For instance, Equinix uses free cooling in its SP3 data center in Sao Paulo.

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Vendors

Prominent Data Center Investors

Ascenty (Digital Realty)

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Ava Telecom

Claro

EdgeConneX

Equinix

Google

HostDime

Huawei Technologies

KIO Networks

Lumen Technologies (Cirion)

Microsoft

ODATA (Aligned)

Oracle

Scala Data Centers

Telecom Italia Sparkle

CloudHQ

Renewable Energy Providers

Acciona Energia

EDP Renewables

Enel Green Power

Engie

Elera Renovaveis

Faro Energy

GreenYellow

HDF Energy

Iberdrola

Mainstream Renewable Power

RZK Energia

Shell

The AES Corporation

TotalEnergies

Market Segmentation

Infrastructure: Electrical Infrastructure, Mechanical Infrastructure, and General Construction

Electrical Infrastructure, Mechanical Infrastructure, and General Construction Electrical Infrastructure: UPS Systems, Generators, and Other Electrical Infrastructures

UPS Systems, Generators, and Other Electrical Infrastructures Mechanical Infrastructure: Cooling Systems, Racks, and Others Mechanical Infrastructure

Cooling Systems, Racks, and Others Mechanical Infrastructure Cooling System: CRAC & CRAH Units, Chiller Units, Cooling Towers, Condensers & Dry Coolers, Economizers & Evaporative Coolers, and Other Cooling Units

CRAC & CRAH Units, Chiller Units, Cooling Towers, Condensers & Dry Coolers, Economizers & Evaporative Coolers, and Other Cooling Units General Construction: Core and Shell Development, MEP & Architectural Design Services, Physical Security & Fire Safety Systems, and DCIM/BMS Solution

Core and Shell Development, MEP & Architectural Design Services, Physical Security & Fire Safety Systems, and DCIM/BMS Solution Geography: Latin America (Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Columbia, and the Rest of Latin America Countries)

Key Questions Answered in the Report:

How big is the Latin America green data center market?

What is the growth rate of the Latin America green data center market?

What are the key trends in the Latin America green data center market?

Which country holds the largest Latin America green data center market share?

How many MW of power capacity is expected to reach the Latin America green data center market by 2028?

Check the Detailed Table of Contents of the Report @ https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/latin-america-green-data-center-market?details=tableOfContents

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SEATTLE, WA and AUSTIN, TX / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / Executives of ExoFusion, a leading company in the Commercially Viable Fusion (CVF) space have been invited to speak at a variety of scientific and technical events. As private fusion companies make their mark in the energy, technology, and science arenas, ExoFusion' s innovative patents, simulations and designs are gaining wide currency in a fast-growing market.

First in line is Informa's AI Summit in New York City, where the focus is AI's commercial applications. ExoFusion CEO Romi Mahajan will lead a panel on verticalized AI and will host Microsoft executives for a fireside chat around AI and the company's role as a platform giant. Informa Vice-President of Applied Intelligence Jenalea Howell said," Informa is thrilled to have Romi Mahajan from ExoFusion lead a panel and a fireside chat on verticalized AI and challenge the audience with real application advice to develop a clear path to m our AI New York Summit, capping off a great year of discussions on the most important tech development of 2023."

ExoFusion's Chief Scientific Advisor and leading Plasma Physicist Dr. Swadesh Mahajan will be speaking at the Fusion Power Associates Annual meeting in Washington DC. The talk will cover the set of inventions ExoFusion has brought to market - to increase plasma confinement. In the words of FPA President Dr. Steve Dean, "Fusion Power Associates is happy to welcome Dr. Swadesh Mahajan as a speaker at our annual meeting. His innovative fusion company- ExoFusion- is a leader in the quest for Commercially Viable Fusion."

ExoFusion's team has also been invited to speak at a panel on enabling technologies for Fusion at FusionXInvest 2024. The focus here will be on the company's patented Super XT Divertor and breakthroughs in liquid metals for Plasma-Facing Components invented by ExoFusion Co-Founders Dr. Michael Kotschenreuther, Dr. David Hatch, and Dr. Swadesh Mahajan.

With over $6 billion being invested over the past few years, the market for CVF is booming as is the "Fusion Supply Chain."

Boilerplate-

ExoFusion accelerates the path to Commercially Viable Fusion. With the latest science and proprietary innovation in confinement, ExoFusion's design, and simulations backed by IP, significantly reduces the cost, time, and scale to achieve CVF. Led by world-renowned physicists, technology commercializers, marketers and finance experts, ExoFusion is making significant breakthroughs in the goal to realize CVF.

Contact:

Romi Mahajan

romi@thekkmgroup.com

4255917664

SOURCE: ExoFusion

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/807792/private-fusion-leader-exofusion-executives-to-speak-at-industry-events
CHICAGO, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Arizton's latest research report, the data center physical security market is growing at a CAGR of 7.78% during 2022-2028.

To Know More, Download the Free Sample Report: https://www.arizton.com/request-sample/4001

Data Center Physical Security Market Report Scope

Report Attributes Details Market Size (2028) $1.59 Billion Market Size (2022) $1.01 Billion Cagr by Revenue (2022-2028) 7.78 % Base Year 2022 Forecast Year 2023-2028 Market Segmentation Products, Physical Security Layers, End Users, and Geography Geographic Analysis North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Nordics, Central & Eastern Europe, Middle East, Africa, APAC, and Southeast Asia

The data center physical security market has been witnessing growth over the years and is expected to grow even more during the forecast period. The major factors responsible for the development include increased data center activities and investment by the hyperscale and colocation operators. The rise in data center facilities will lead to more and more adoptions of physical security products. The exponential increase in the internet-using population globally and more remote regions starting to access the internet led to a colossal level of data generation that needs to be processed and stored. Here is where data centers are crucial in fulfilling these data-driven processes. This led to the mass-scale construction of data centers in several cities globally.

Cloud service providers like AWS, Microsoft, Google, Tencent Cloud, and Oracle need wholesale colocation space. These service providers either construct their own data centers or work with colocation providers to build a built-to-suit facility for their operational requirements. As demand grows, several leading financial, healthcare, and IT software service providers colocate their wholesale colocation space. Several IoT and Big data companies and service providers are interested in the wholesale colocation. Most colocation service providers have multiple layers of security, including perimeter fencing, vehicle barriers, cameras that monitor 24/7, and MFA near the doors and data halls, which comprises key card access, biometric scanners, ID verification, and, in some facilities, a retina scan. Some colocation data centers have additional biometric and key card access racks. Employees of data centers are pre-checked before entering and leaving. A few colocation data centers permit customers to install physical security on their racks and data halls. For instance, STACK Infrastructure's ICN01A Seoul data center is a colocation campus that offers 24/7 on-site security personnel, dual-factor biometric access, CCTV coverage with 93-day retention, vehicle gates with badge access, perimeter fencing, and tenant-specific security. They are also equipped with dual smoke detection using very early smoke detection apparatus (VESDA) and clean-agent gas fire suppression systems.

Advances in Video- & Cloud-Based Analytics Creating Market Opportunities

Businesses saw a massive surge in using the latest technologies and software to be at par with their competitor's post-pandemic. Companies re-work video analytics strategies and adopt a more hybrid approach using cloud and edge to decentralize decision-making. A hybrid approach to video analytics can be optimal for certain types and sizes of businesses instead of only cloud-based or on-premises technology.

Video surveillance and analytics became more efficient with the advent of 5G. Edge data centers and smart cities increasingly deploy advanced surveillance methods. 5G supports the increasing density of cameras, with the uplink bandwidth required by 4K and 8K videos. Companies also offer Video Surveillance as a Service (VSaaS), hosted cloud-based video surveillance. The service includes video recording and storage, cybersecurity, remote monitoring, and management alerts.

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Geographical Analysis

Americas Region: Technologically Advanced and Established Markets:

North America leads the data center physical security market in the Americas region, followed by Latin America. North America is considered among the developed and established data center markets and sets the base for other areas like Europe and the APAC region. Latin America is among the emerging and developing data center markets with high potential during the forecast period.

APAC Region: The Most Dynamic and Fastest Growing Markets:

The APAC region is considered among the fastest-growing markets across the globe due to increased digitalization and internet users creating a higher demand for data storage facilities. The region has some of the largest and most established markets, such as China, Singapore, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, and India. Some emerging markets include Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, New Zealand, and Thailand.

MEA Region: The Evolving and Higher Potential Markets:

The MEA region has a higher potential for growth in adopting physical security products. The market witnesses higher physical security breaches compared to other regions. The operators are involved in deploying higher measures of physical security products to reduce unauthorized entry and access into data center buildings.

Europe Region: Several Established and Booming Markets:

The European region has the presence of several established markets, such as the UK, France, Germany, Ireland, and the Netherlands. The region is also witnessing a boom across other markets such as Spain, Poland, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, and other countries. The development of data center facilities will lead to increased adoption of physical security products.

Data Center Physical Security Market Dynamics

Opportunities

Rise in Edge Data Center Investments

Use of Anti-Climb Perimeter Security

Advances in Video- & Cloud-Based Analytics

Introduction Of Robot-Driven Physical Security Measures for Data Centers

Market Growth

Investments In Colocation Data Center Facilities

Increase In Hyperscale Investments

Challenges

Security Challenges

Physical Security

Access Control

Surveillance Cameras in Server Rooms

Click to Get Your Customize Report According to Your Business Requirement Now: https://www.arizton.com/customize-report/4001

About the Report:

The study considers the present scenario of the global data center physical security market and its market dynamics for 2023-2028. It covers a detailed overview of several market growth enablers, restraints, and trends. The report offers both the demand and supply aspects of the industry. It profiles and examines leading and prominent companies operating in the industry.

Market Segmentation

Products: Video Surveillance, Access Control, and Other Physical Security Products

Video Surveillance, Access Control, and Other Physical Security Products Physical Security Layers: Perimeter Security Layer, Building Security, Data Hall Security, and Cabinet Security

Perimeter Security Layer, Building Security, Data Hall Security, and Cabinet Security End Users: Colocation Data Centers, Hyperscale Data Centers, and Enterprise Data Centers

Colocation Data Centers, Hyperscale Data Centers, and Enterprise Data Centers Geography: North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Nordics, Central & Eastern Europe, Middle East, Africa, APAC, and Southeast Asia

Key Company Profiles

ABB

Alcatraz AI

AMAG Technology

ASSA ABLOY

Axis Communications

Barkers Fencing

Bayometric

Bosch Security and Safety Systems

BioConnect

Boon Edam

Boston Dynamics

Cisco Systems

Convergint Technologies

CLD Physical Security Systems

Dahua Technology

Digitus Biometrics

Eagle Eye Networks

Genetec

Gunnebo

Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology (Hikvision)

Honeywell

Horton Automatics

Instor (Accelevation)

Johnson Controls

Kisi

LenelS2 (Carrier)

Legrand

Pacific Controls

Pelco (Motorola Solutions)

Puffins Solutions

Schneider Electric

Secure I.T. Environments

Securitas

Siemens

Southwest Microwave

Suprema

Verkada

WireCrafters

Check the Detailed Table of Contents of the Report @ https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/data-center-physical-security-market-size-analysis?details=tableOfContents

Key Questions Answered in the Report:

How big is the data center physical security market?

What is the growth rate of the global data center physical security market?

What are the key trends in the data center physical security market?

Who are the key data center physical security market players?

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MONTREAL, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Central America Nickel Inc. (the "Company" or "CAN") is pleased to announce that it has filed patent applications in the United States, Canada and Mexico titled "Recovery of gold and silver values from feedstocks using ultrasound-assisted extraction." These national applications are based on International application No. PCT/2019/051807.

The application is based on a process of selective recovery of metal values from various feedstocks, specifically gold and/or silver, with the use of CAN's proprietary ultrasound technology, the Ultrasound Assisted Extraction (UAEx).

The UAEx is an innovative green solution to conventional processes providing for a more environmentally-friendly, efficient and affordable extraction of both gold and silver values, with over 85% recovery rates in solution of gold and silver; these results were achieved within one-hour, under ambient temperature, and without the use of pressure.

This process addresses global extractive industry issues including mercury pollution created by artisanal gold mining, as the UAEx does not use cyanide or mercury, and operates in a closed-loop system.

The objective of the UN Minamata Convention, adopted in October 2013, is the elimination of mercury in artisanal mining, with some 147 parties that have ratified the agreement which calls for countries to phase out mercury use in products, ban the opening of new mercury mines, and limit the emission of mercury into the environment. The International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) estimates that there exists between 20 to 30 million artisanal and small-scale miners across 80 countries, responsible for 37% of global mercury pollution. Artisanal mining accounts for 20% of the global supply of gold and generates approximately US$30 billion annually.

Pierre Gauthier, CEO of Central America Nickel comments, "We have developed a commercially-scalable, green-chemistry approach that could potentially address and solve a major industry and environmental issue associated with traditional gold and silver metallurgical processes. We hope that our technology contribution is not only a key advancement that could alter the industry standard, but also represents a crucial innovation as we move towards more sustainable mining practices."

Metallurgical testing for the extraction of gold and silver has been conducted on samples originating from the Company's properties as well as from properties of the CAN's joint venture partner, Auxico Resources Canada Inc., including on different solid materials such as soil, sediment and silica ores from two mines in the state of Sinaloa, Mexico, specifically Aguamas and Campanillas mines. CAN's UAEx process resulted in the recovery of over 90% of gold and over 80% silver in 1-hour extraction time, without the use of heat and pressure (refer to Table 1).

SAMPLES (Auxico Projects) Feed material % Au UAEx Recovery % Au Feed material % Ag UAEx Recovery % Ag Aguamas Mine, Mexico 0.01 98 0.08 88.76 Campanillas Mine, Mexico 0.05 98 0.05 87.47

Table 1: Testing conducted on JV partner Auxico Resources Canada Inc. projects in Mexico using the UAEx

The ore sourced from the Campanillas mine (20 wt%), comprised 0.05% gold (Au) and 0.05% silver (Ag), was leached with a 50% v/v H2SO4 solution comprising thiourea (<1%), with the resulting slurry subsequently sonicated with stirring at room temperature and under atmospheric pressure over a period of 60 minutes. The results of elemental analysis confirmed that 98% of the Au and 87.47% of the Ag were extracted.

In most cases, gold is intimately associated with sulphidic minerals such as pyrite, pyrrhotite, arsenopyrite, marcasite, chalcopyrite, chalcocite, bornite, enargite, etc., and typically gold cannot be economically recovered from gold-containing ores using cyanide without the ore being given a pre-treatment. These pre-treatments such as roasting, pressure oxidation, bacterial oxidation, using an acidic leaching medium and hydrometallurgical processes, are typically very capital intensive and use high temperatures. In the case of most existing extraction procedures, the presence of one metal may prevent a smooth and effective extraction of another. However, testing conducted using the UAEx proves a high recovery rate of both Au and Ag, and studies conducted on gold extraction depict that leach time in the presence of ultrasound can be reduced by 3 times, resulting in recoveries over 90% in less than 1-hour, inferring that with the use of UAEx as an intensifier, metallurgical processes could be more efficient, more cost-effective and would require less energy.

The implications of the UAEx technological process are dramatic in terms of CAPEX/OPEX reduction due to increased mineral recovery rates and reduced processing times, with the ability to extract complex minerals which are difficult to separate from one another using conventional methods. The main advantages of the UAEx process is that it enables minerals to separate from ore and into solution more efficiently and lower cost than traditional processing methods, with significantly less environmental impact, including substantially minimized CO2 emissions, waste and energy requirements.

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

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.

Pierre Gauthier, Chairman & CEO, Central America Nickel Inc., Tel: +1 514-299-0881, Email: pg@centralamericanickel.com

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With the recent attainment of Saudi FDA Class C certification, complementing its existing Class IIb regulatory certification in the EU and Class II 510(k) in the USA, the SaMD platform reaches a new pinnacle in patient care versatility. This achievement enables the platform to monitor patients across all age groups, including infants and those pregnant, and seamlessly integrates with various external devices such as heart rate and blood sugar monitors, and smart inhalers. Beyond facilitating disease self-management for patients, the platform is equipped to aid clinicians in managing critical and serious conditions, including heart failure, COPD, asthma, cancer, rare diseases, pre-/post-op monitoring and more. Additionally, the platform has the ability to host advanced machine learning algorithms, enhancing its capabilities in risk prediction, diagnosis, and disease progression.?

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.
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / CASE Construction, a brand of CNH Industrial, recently completed the Beach Care Project in Ivory Coast using the King of Construction, the 570T, along with raising awareness on plastic waste among the local community.

After the previous stages in the Mediterranean coastal areas of Italy, France and Spain, and at Thorney Bay Beach on Canvey Island, England, the initiative has reached the Ivory Coast, more precisely Assouinde Beach and Assinie Beach.

In Ivory Coast, beaches are not only an extremely important environmental resource, but also function as a social resource capable of creating a positive impact on the region's tourist industry and economy overall. This highlights the necessity of the Beach Care Project - both economically and environmentally.

The Beach Care Project aims to raise awareness of the need for eco-friendly management of the beach ecosystem while also cleaning beaches. Cleaning operations were carried out at Assouinde Beach and Assinie Beach with local volunteers who were mainly families and primary school children. The project was managed by local authorities along with other scientific research bodies and NGO's.

This three-year project combines research and education with collective actions. Initially, it was developed in collaboration with the Italian Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR, National Council of Research), the French Comite National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS, National Committee of Scientific Research), and the Spanish Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC, High Council for Scientific Investigations). The project was later implemented in schools across Europe with educational kits and lessons on the safeguarding of the environment, reaching over 10,000 children.

In Ivory Coast, the Beach Care Project ran for one week with activities addressing the protection of the environment to raise awareness among local populations regarding the fight against waste, in particular plastic waste. All of this was in collaboration with the NGO JAH LIVE.

As many as 280 tons of plastic waste are produced in the Ivory Coast every day. Only 10 percent of this is recycled, while the remaining 90% is buried in local landfills or released into the natural environment, which constitutes a true hazard to the health of local populations and a threat to the environment. With these concerning statistics, CNH's call to action with the Beach Project becomes more essential than ever and demonstrates the company's initiative in addressing the climate crisis.

The Beach Project demonstrates the CNH's commitment to addressing the climate crisis across the globe.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from CNH Industrial on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: CNH Industrial

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/cnh-industrial

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: CNH Industrial

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/808037/cnh-takes-sustainable-initiative-the-ivory-coasts-beach-care-project
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - November 21, 2023) - SLANG Worldwide Inc. (CSE: SLNG) (OTCQB: SLGWF) ("SLANG" or the "Company"), a leading global cannabis consumer packaged goods (CPG) company with a diversified portfolio of popular brands, today announced details of its planned release of its third quarter 2023 financial results and conference call.

The Company plans to release its financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2023, before markets open on November 28, 2023. Management plans to host an investor conference call that same day at 10:00 am ET to discuss the results.

Timing: Tuesday, November 28, 2023 at 10:00 am ET

Dial In: 1-(888) 440-5983 (US toll-free) or 1-(646) 960-0202 (international)

Conference ID: 6291438

Webcast: A live webcast can be accessed via the Company's website at www.slangww.com or https://events.q4inc.com/attendee/894460650

About SLANG Worldwide Inc.

SLANG Worldwide Inc. is the industry leader in branded cannabis consumer packaged goods, with a diversified portfolio of five distinct brands and products distributed across the U.S. Operating in 13 legal cannabis markets nationwide, SLANG specializes in acquiring and developing market-proven regional brands, as well as launching innovative new brands to seize global market opportunities and match evolving consumer tastes. The Company has over a decade of experience operating in the nascent and highly regulated cannabis sector, and its partners enjoy the benefits of that experience, with access to the SLANG playbook for successful operations, sales and marketing. Its strong product pipeline from uniquely positioned and scalable brands like O.pen, Alchemy Naturals, Ceres, Firefly, and partnerships with brands like Greenhouse Seed Company have a proven track record of success with the brands consistently ranking among the top performers in the states where SLANG operates. Learn more at slangww.com.

To be added to SLANG's email distribution list, please email SLNG@kcsa.com with "SLNG" in the subject.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements." Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements, or developments in the industry to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such 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 are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management of SLANG at this time, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive risks, uncertainties and contingencies that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Applicable risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to regulatory risks, risks related to the COVID-19 global pandemic, changes in laws, resolutions and guidelines, market risks, concentration risks, operating history, competition, the risks associated with international and foreign operations and the other risks identified under the headings "Risk Factors" in SLANG's annual information form dated April 27, 2022 and other disclosure documents available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. SLANG is not under any obligation, 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 expressly required by applicable law.

Reader Advisory

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Company Contact

Mikel Rutherford, CFO

833-752-6499

Media and Investor Inquiries

Investors@SLANGww.com

KCSA Strategic Communications

Phil Carlson

SLANG@kcsa.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/188135
Vancouver, British Columbia and Miami, Florida--(Newsfile Corp. - November 21, 2023) - Deal Night Events ("Deal Night" or the "Company"), an investor event series created by Vancouver entrepreneur and investor, Kevan Matheson, is pleased to announce the completion of its ninth event which took place on November 16, 2023 at Briza on the Bay in Miami, FL. This highly anticipated event was the most unique and unforgettable experience yet, marking a significant milestone in Deal Night's remarkable five-year history.





Deal Night Miami November 16, 2023

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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Kevan Matheson, Founder of Deal Night Events, stated: "We were thrilled to return to Miami's booming business hub for our ninth event. Hosting these events brings me immense satisfaction, fueled by my deep commitment to making early-stage investing more inclusive. The positive feedback from our past events, particularly the praise for the diversity and excellence of deal flow during Deal Night, fuels our commitment. Moving forward, our primary focus remains on fostering an environment where innovation and accessibility thrives, ensuring that promising entrepreneurs receive the support needed to transform their groundbreaking ideas into successful businesses. We're constantly striving to enhance the overall experience, and for our upcoming events, we have some exciting plans that we are eager to unveil."

Deal Night's ninth event featured a diverse array of presentations from emerging start-ups and publicly traded companies. Additionally, the Company strategically utilized the impact of social media by partnering with prominent influencers, who collectively boasted a substantial following of 3 million. This exposure not only amplified the online visibility of the featured companies but also generated increased interest among prospective investors following the event.

Presenters include:

Skyharbour Resources Ltd. (TSXV: SYH) (OTCQX: SYHBF) (FSE: SC1P)

Alaska Energy Metals Corporation (TSXV: AEMC) (OTCQB: AKEMF)

Tabler App

Esquisito Tequila

Scott D. Clary and Polina Groman

Event Partners Include:

Newsfile Corp

Westwick Capital Partners

Upcoming Events

For companies interested in presenting at upcoming events, please click here.

For investors interested in attending upcoming events, please pre-register at this link.

-##-

About Deal Night Events

Deal Night Events is an event series created by Kevan Matheson and organized by Apollo Shareholder Relations, which aims to democratize access to early stage investments by transforming how companies engage with investors. The events feature engaging, "Shark Tank"-style company pitches in an upscale, social atmosphere. The event introduces potential investors in the audience to early-stage investment opportunities that historically have been only accessible to institutional investors and those in closed, tight-knit, and established capital markets communities. Deal Night events have taken place in Vancouver, Toronto and Miami, with plans to expand to Beverly Hills, London, New York and Dubai.

For further information on Deal Night Events, please visit www.dealnightevents.com.

About Apollo Shareholder Relations Inc.

Apollo is a full-service investor communications agency with a specific focus on modern outreach techniques. Primary activities include live events in Miami, Toronto and Vancouver, content creation, influencer and social media marketing, as well as branding and design. To learn more, please visit https://apollorelations.com.

Contact Information:

Kevan Matheson

Founder of Deal Night Events

Instagram: @kevmatheson & @dealnightevents

Email: hello@dealnightevents.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/188301
- All Resolutions Approved -

TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / AI/ML Innovations Inc. (CSE:AIML)(OTCQB:AIMLF)(FWB:42FB), a leading company committed to acquiring and advancing Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning technologies that address urgent societal needs, is pleased to report the results of its Annual General Meeting held on November 17, 2023. A total of 13,283,644 common shares were voted by Proxy, representing 21.1% of the Company's issued and outstanding common shares, constituting a quorum. Each of the resolutions presented to the shareholders, as set out in the Information Circular, were approved with a greater than 99 percent vote in favour.

Specifically, the following resolutions were approved:

1. To elect Directors for the ensuing year.

Elected: Tim Daniels; Nick Watters; Randy Duguay; Fabrice Pakin.

2. To appoint auditors for the ensuing year and to authorize the Directors to fix the remuneration of the auditors.

Appointed: Baker Tilly Canada.

3. Approval of the Company's Stock Option Plan.

4. Approval of the Company's Restricted Share/Deferred Share Unit Plan.

The Company's Information Circular is available for download under the Company's profile on SEDAR at https://www.sedarplus.ca/ AI/ML Innovations Inc. wishes to thank all those shareholders who participated in the AGM.

About AI/ML Innovations Inc. https://aiml-innovations.com/

AI/ML Innovations Inc. has realigned its business operations to capitalize on the burgeoning fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), with an initial investment focus on emerging digital health and wellbeing companies that leverage AI, ML, cloud computing and digital platforms to drive transformative healthcare management solutions and precision support delivery across the health continuum. Through strategic partnerships with Health Gauge (95.2% owned by AIML), Tech2Heal (up to 22% ownership rights, with 12.44% currently owned by AIML), AI Rx Inc. (70% owned by AIML) and other planned accretive investments, the Company continues to capitalize on expanding growth areas, to the benefit of all the Company's stakeholders. AI/ML's shares are traded on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol "AIML", the OTCQB Venture Market under "AIMLF", and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under "42FB".

On behalf of the Board of Directors

Tim Daniels, Executive Chairman

For more information about AI/ML Innovations :

For detailed information please see AI/ML's website or the Company's filed documents at www.sedar.com.

For further information, contact: Blake Fallis at (778) 405-0882 or info@aiml-innovations.com.

Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: AI/ML Innovations Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/808011/aiml-innovations-inc-announces-annual-general-meeting-results
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - November 21, 2023) - Hertz Lithium Inc. (CSE: HZ) (OTCQB: HZLIF) (FSE: QE2) (the "Company" or "Hertz") announces, further to its news release on November 3, 2023, that the Company has revised the terms of its previously announced non-brokered private placement. The Company will now be conducting a non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of up to $3,500,000 (the "Private Placement").

The Private Placement will consist of the issuance of up to 11,111,111 units (the "Non-FT Units") at a price of $0.18 per Non-FT Unit for gross proceeds of up to $2,000,000, and up to 3,750,000 flow-through units (the "Charity FT Units") at a price of $0.40 per Charity FT Unit, for gross proceeds of up to $1,500,000. Each Non-FT Unit will be comprised of one common share in the capital of the Company (each, a "Share") and one share purchase warrant (each, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one additional Share (each, a "Warrant Share") for a period of 24 months from the closing date at an exercise price of $0.40 per Warrant Share. The Warrants will be subject to an accelerated expiry upon thirty (30) business days notice from the Company in the event the Shares trade for fourteen (14) consecutive trading days anytime after four (4) months from closing of the Private Placement at a volume-weighted average price of at least $0.60 on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE").

Each FT Charity Unit will be comprised of one Share, to be issued as a "flow-through share" within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada) (the "Tax Act") that will be issued as part of a charity arrangement, and one Warrant.

The net proceeds from the sale of Non-FT Units will be used for the advancement of the Company's Lithium Extraction Technology, exploration at its Lucky Mica Project, Consulting/Management fees, marketing/IR, and general and administrative matters. The gross proceeds from the issuance of the Charity FT Units will be used for "Canadian Exploration Expenses" within the meaning of the Tax Act, which will be incurred on or before December 31, 2024, and renounced with an effective date no later than December 31, 2023, to the initial purchasers of the Charity FT Units in an aggregate amount not less than the gross proceeds raised from the issue of Charity FT Units.

The Private Placement may close on one or more dates as the Company may determine.

The Company may pay a finder's fee in connection with the Private Placement to eligible arm's length finders in accordance with the policies of the CSE. All securities issued in connection with the Private Placement will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months and one day following the date of issuance in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws.

The securities issued pursuant to the Private Placement have not, nor will they be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons in the absence of U.S. registration or an applicable exemption from the U.S. registration requirements. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in the United States or in any other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

About Hertz Lithium Inc.

Hertz Lithium is a British Columbia based junior exploration company primarily engaged in the acquisition and exploration of mineral properties. The Company's lithium exploration projects include the Lucky Mica Lithium Project, the ACDC Lithium Project and the Patriota Lithium Projection. The Lucky Mica Project is 939 hectares located within the Arizona Pegmatite Belt in the Maricopa County of Arizona, USA. The ACDC Project is 26,500 hectares located in the renowned James Bay Lithium District in Quebec, Canada, just 26kms southeast of the Covette Lithium Project owned by Patriot Battery Metals and is contiguous to Rio Tinto's Kaanaayaa project claims. The Patriota Lithium Project is 2,963 hectares located within the Eastern Brazilian Pegmatite Province in Minas Gerais, Brazil and host to similar geology as Sigma's "Green Lithium Mine". 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 that utilizes a process for extracting lithium directly from alpha-spodumene.

For further information, please contact Mr. Kal Malhi or view the Company's filings at www.sedarplus.ca.

On Behalf Of the Board of Directors

Kal Malhi

Chief Executive Officer and Director

Phone: 604-805-4602

Email: kal@bullruncapital.ca

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information

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 DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR THROUGH UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICE

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/188307
Vancouver, British Columbia and Johannesburg, South Africa--(Newsfile Corp. - November 21, 2023) - Platinum Group Metals Ltd. (TSX: PTM) (NYSE American: PLG) ("Platinum Group", "PTM" or the "Company") reports the Company's financial results for the year ended August 31, 2023 and provides an update and outlook. The Company is focussed on advancing the Waterberg Project located on the Northern Limb of the Bushveld Complex in South Africa (the "Waterberg Project"). The Waterberg Project is planned as a fully mechanised, shallow, decline access palladium, platinum, gold and rhodium ("4E") mine and is projected to be one of the largest and lowest cost underground platinum group metals ("PGM" or "PGMs") mines globally.

The Company's near-term objectives are to advance the Waterberg Project to a development and construction decision including the arrangement of construction financing and concentrate offtake agreements. The Company is also advancing an initiative through Lion Battery Technologies Inc. ("Lion") using platinum and palladium in lithium battery technologies in collaboration with Anglo American Platinum Limited ("Amplats") and Florida International University ("FIU").

The Company has filed its audited consolidated financial statements (the "Financial Statements") for the year ended August 31, 2023, Annual Information Form ("AIF"), and Management's Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A") with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca). The Company has also filed a Form 40-F annual report ("Form 40-F"), including the Financial Statements, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on EDGAR (www.sec.gov). Shareholders may receive a hard copy of the complete Financial Statements and MD&A from the Company free of charge upon request.

All amounts herein are reported in United States dollars unless otherwise specified. The Company holds cash in Canadian dollars, United States dollars and South African Rand. Changes in exchange rates may create variances in the cash holdings or results reported.

Recent Events

As of November 21, 2023, the directors, and shareholders of Waterberg JV Resources (Pty) Ltd. ("Waterberg JV Co.") are in process to approve a stage three budget of $1.62 million (the "Stage Three Budget") for continued work on the Waterberg Project. The Stage Three Budget, covering the period from September 1, 2023 to February 29, 2024, is a subcomponent of the $21 million Work Program (as defined below) approved in principle on October 18, 2022.

On September 18, 2023, the Company reported the closing of a non-brokered private placement of common shares at a price of US$1.18 per common share. An aggregate of 2,118,645 common shares were subscribed for and issued to existing major beneficial shareholder, Hosken Consolidated Investments Limited ("HCI") through its subsidiary Deepkloof Limited, resulting in gross proceeds to the Company of approximately US$2.5 million (the "Private Placement"). Closing of the Private Placement allowed HCI to return to a near 27% interest in the Company.

On June 21, 2023, the Company reported that Lion Battery Technologies Inc. ("Lion") had engaged The Battery Innovation Center ("BIC") in Newberry, Indiana to help drive commercialization of its next generation platinum and palladium based battery chemistries. Lion is advancing both proprietary lithium-sulfur and enhanced lithium-ion (NMC) technology using the unique catalytic properties of platinum and palladium. Under a scope of work, the BIC will conduct independent small and large scale trials to validate Lion's proprietary platinum and palladium based electrode composition, slurry, and films in both lithium-sulfur and lithium-ion (NMC811) coin and pouch cells. Collaboration with BIC will also include additional research and development focused on improving performance and scale-up with the goal of creating prototypes for commercialization consideration in 2024. Lion's target is to develop batteries with specific energies that are 20% to 100% higher than current technologies while meeting or exceeding their present cycle lives.

On June 9, 2023, the Company reported that the Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security ("JOGMEC") and Hanwa Co. Ltd. ("Hanwa") had established a special purpose company, HJ Platinum Metals Ltd. ("HJM"), to hold and fund their future equity interests in the Waterberg Project. The combined interests of JOGMEC (12.195%) and Hanwa (9.755%) were consolidated into a 21.95% interest for HJM going forward, with JOGMEC to fund 75% of future equity investments into HJM and Hanwa the remaining 25%.

On May 17, 2023, the Company reported that exploration borehole WE153 had intercepted platinum group metals mineralization consistent with both the T Zone and F Zone as found within the mineral resources and reserves of the Waterberg Project. Borehole WE153 was collared on prospecting rights owned by Waterberg JV Resources (Pty) Ltd. ("Waterberg JV Co.") located adjacent to the north of the Waterberg Project mining right. See the Company's May 31, 2023 MD&A for full details and assay results for borehole WE153.

On March 30, 2023, the Company reported positive results from a completed infill drill campaign at the Waterberg Project. Assay results for sixteen planned F Zone boreholes were disclosed. During February 2023, recovered drill cores were logged and mineralized intercepts were sampled and sent for assay by Intertek Genalysis Minerals in Australia. Results will be incorporated into a definitive feasibility study update now underway and described more fully below. See the Company's news release dated March 30, 2023 for full details and assay results for all F Zone boreholes completed under the infill drill campaign.

On March 24, 2023, the directors, and shareholders of Waterberg JV Co. approved a stage two budget of $3.6 million (the "Stage Two Budget") for continued work on the Waterberg Project. The Stage Two Budget, covering the period from April 1, 2023 to August 31, 2023, is a subcomponent of the $21 million Work Program (as defined below) approved in principle on October 18, 2022. Work pursuant to the Stage Two Budget was substantially completed in October 2023.

On February 21, 2023, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued FIU a fifth patent, No. 11,588,144 B2, entitled "Battery Cathodes for Improved Stability". The patent involves the fabrication of cathodes using palladium as a catalyst in carbon nanotubes. The carbon structure provides a barrier between the catalyst and the electrolyte, thereby increasing the stability of the electrolyte during charging and discharging of a battery. Further patents are currently applied for. Under an agreement between Lion and FIU (the "Sponsored Research Agreement"), Lion has exclusive rights to all intellectual property being developed by FIU including the patents granted.

On January 26, 2023, the Company reported positive results from the infill drill campaign at the Waterberg Project. Assay results for sixteen planned T Zone boreholes and one of sixteen planned F Zone boreholes were disclosed. Recovered drill cores were logged and mineralized intercepts were sampled and sent for assay by Intertek Genalysis Minerals in Australia. Results will be incorporated into a definitive feasibility study update now underway and described more fully below. See the Company's news release dated January 26, 2023 for details and assay results for all sixteen T Zone boreholes completed under the infill drill campaign.

On November 10, 2022, the South African Supreme Court of Appeal (the "Supreme Court") dismissed an August 31, 2022 application by Africa Wide Mineral Prospecting and Exploration Proprietary Limited ("Africa Wide") seeking leave to appeal the June 14, 2022 South African High Court (the "High Court") ruling dismissing their challenge to the 2018 sale of the Maseve Mine and awarding costs to the defendants. On July 10, 2023, the Company received notice that Africa Wide had applied for a reconsideration of the ruling of to the President of the Supreme Court. On October 6, 2023 the Supreme Court ordered that Africa Wide's application for reconsideration be denied "for the reason that no exceptional circumstances warranting reconsideration or variation of the decision refusing the application for leave to appeal have been established". Africa Wide was again ordered to pay costs to the defendants.

On October 18, 2022, the directors and shareholders of Waterberg JV Co. approved in principle a pre-construction work program (the "Work Program") for the Waterberg Project amounting to approximately $21.0 million over a 23-month period ending August 31, 2024. From the Work Program an initial budget (the "Initial Budget") of approximately $2.5 million was approved for expenditure by March 31, 2023, and this work is now complete.

On October 13, 2022, the South African Department of Mineral Resources and Energy ("DMRE") ruled to dismiss a series of appeals filed in 2021 against the grant of the Waterberg Mining Right. In its ruling the DMRE provided the regulatory reasons why each appeal was denied and confirmed the DMRE's assessment that Waterberg JV Co. has complied with Black Economic Empowerment requirements and Social and Labour Plan community consultation procedures.

On October 4, 2022, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued FIU a fourth patent, No. 11,462,743 B2, entitled "Battery comprising a metal interlayer". The patent involves the use of palladium as interlayer in batteries to stabilize and enable lithium metal anodes in various existing and emerging lithium battery technologies. Further patents are currently applied for. Under the Sponsored Research Agreement, Lion has exclusive rights to all intellectual property being developed by FIU including the patents granted.

Results For The Year Ended August 31, 2023

During fiscal 2023, the Company continued its efforts to lower costs. During the year ended August 31, 2023, the Company incurred a net loss of $5.66 million (August 31, 2022 - net loss of $8.24 million). The current year loss was lower primarily due to interest expense being reduced to $nil in the current fiscal year, versus $1.65 million in fiscal 2022. All the Company's remaining debt was paid off during fiscal 2022. General and administrative expenses during the year were lower at $3.89 million (August 31, 2022 - $4.34 million). Share based compensation was also lower at $1.98 million (August 31, 2022 - $2.16 million). The foreign exchange gain recognized in the current year was $0.25 million (August 31, 2022 - $0.33 million gain) due to the to the U.S. Dollar increasing in value relative to the Canadian Dollar during the period.

At August 31, 2023, finance income consisting of interest earned and property rental fees in the year amounted to $0.58 million (August 31, 2022 - $0.18 million). Basic and diluted loss per share for the year amounted to $0.06 as compared to a loss of $0.09 per share for fiscal 2022.

Accounts receivable at August 31, 2023 totalled $0.22 million (August 31, 2022 - $0.38 million) while accounts payable and other liabilities amounted to $1.37 million (August 31, 2022 - $1.12 million). Accounts receivable was comprised primarily of value added taxes repayable to the Company in South Africa. Accounts payable consisted primarily of payables related to project engineering and maintenance costs on the Waterberg Project.

On July 27, 2022, the Company entered into an Equity Distribution Agreement with BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc. and BMO Capital Markets for a new at-the-market equity program (the "2022 ATM") to distribute up to $50.0 million (or the equivalent in Canadian dollars) of Common Shares. No common shares were sold pursuant to the 2022 ATM prior to August 31, 2022. As of August 31, 2023, the Company had issued 1,089,503 Common Shares, through BMO Capital Markets on the NYSE American pursuant to the 2022 ATM, at an average price of $1.81, for gross proceeds of $1.98 million. Directly attributable expenses and legal fees to maintain the 2022 ATM in good standing, and for commissions on equity sales, totaled $0.45 million during fiscal 2023.

Total expenditures on the Waterberg Project, before partner reimbursements, for the year were approximately $4.44 million (August 31, 2022 - $3.36 million). At year end, $41.61 million in accumulated net costs were capitalized to the Waterberg Project (August 31, 2022 - $40.37 million). Total expenditures on the property since inception to August 31, 2023 are approximately $85.4 million.

For more information on mineral properties, see Note 4 of the Financial Statements.

Outlook

The Company's primary business objective is to advance the Waterberg Project to a development and construction decision. PTM is the operator of the Waterberg Project as directed by a technical committee comprised of representatives from joint venture partners Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd. ("Implats"), Mnombo Wethu Consultants Proprietary Limited ("Mnombo"), and HJM. Before project financing and a construction decision can be undertaken, arrangements will be required for project concentrate offtake or processing.

On October 18, 2022, Waterberg JV Co. approved in principle the pre-construction Work Program (as described above) for approximately $21.0 million over a 23-month period ending August 31, 2024. The Work Program, to be funded pro rata by the joint venture partners, includes work on project infrastructure including initial road access, water supply, essential site facilities, a first phase accommodation lodge, a site construction power supply from state utility Eskom and advancement of the Waterberg Social & Labour Plan. Work to prepare an update to the 2019 Waterberg Definitive Feasibility Study with updated mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates was also approved and is currently in process, and will include a review of cut-off grades, mining methods, infrastructure plans, scheduling, concentrate offtake, dry stack tailings, costing and other potential revisions to the project's financial model (the "DFS Update").

From the Work Program, an Initial Budget of approximately $2.5 million was approved, funded and completed by March 31, 2023, including thirty-two infill boreholes, several geotechnical boreholes, and one exploration borehole. A Stage Two Budget for $3.6 million in work was approved for expenditure on March 24, 2023 and substantially completed in October 2023. The Stage Two Budget included DFS Update engineering, pre-construction engineering, electrical power supply engineering and the permitting and licensing of construction aggregate borrow pits identified near the Waterberg mine site. A Stage Three Budget in the amount of $1.62 million is currently in process of approval by consent resolutions of the board of directors, and shareholders of Waterberg JV Co. The Stage Three Budget includes completion of the DFS Update and other engineering and the permitting work already underway. A final Stage Four Budget in accordance with the Work Program is expected to be considered for approval in approximately February or March of 2024.

The Company continues to work closely with regional and local communities and their leadership on mine development plans to achieve optimal outcomes and best value to all stakeholders.

Before project financing and a construction decision can be undertaken, arrangements will be required for project concentrate offtake or processing. In addition to seeking reasonable terms for Waterberg concentrate offtake from an existing smelter/refiner in South Africa, the Company must also consider alternatives. The Company is assessing the economic feasibility of constructing a matte furnace and base metal refinery in South Africa, either with or without investment partners, to process Waterberg concentrate. A matte furnace and base metal refinery as described above is envisioned as a separate business from Waterberg JV Co. that could provide fair market concentrate offtake terms to Waterberg JV Co. and possibly to other PGM miners.

The Company is also assessing the economic feasibility of constructing a matte furnace and base metal refinery outside of South Africa to process Waterberg concentrate. Working with a potential partner in a jurisdiction with less expensive power and water, the Company has completed a trade off study which indicates that savings on power and water substantially offset the cost of additional concentrate transportation. Before concentrate could be exported from South Africa, a formal government approval would be required. Further studies are underway.

As the world seeks to decarbonize and look for solutions to climate change, the adoption of battery electric vehicles is forecast to reduce the future demand for PGMs used in autocatalysis. The unique properties of PGMs as powerful catalysts are being applied to various technologies as possible solutions for more efficient energy generation and storage, which may create new demand for PGMs. The Company's battery technology initiative through Lion with partner Amplats represents one such new opportunity in the high-profile lithium battery research and innovation field. The investment in Lion creates a potential vertical integration with a broader industrial market development strategy to bring new technologies to market which use palladium and platinum. Research and development efforts by FIU on behalf of Lion continue. Technical results from Lion's research may have application to most lithium-ion battery chemistries and the scope of Lion's research work is being expanded.

Environmental, Social and Governance

Platinum Group recently received its third annual Environmental, Social and Governance ("ESG") disclosure report from Digbee Ltd. ("Digbee"), a United Kingdom based company that has developed an industry standard ESG disclosure framework for the mining sector providing a right-sized, future looking set of frameworks against which they can credibly disclose, track, compare and improve their ESG performance. For 2023, Platinum Group achieved an overall score of BBB with a range of C to AAA based on the information provided. This score is an improvement from the BB score achieved in 2022. Digbee ESG has been developed in consultation with mining companies, ESG specialists and capital providers and is endorsed by leading financial institutions, producing mining companies and other industry stakeholders. Digbee's reporting framework is aligned with global standards, including the Equator Principles. For more details about the Company's 2023 Digbee ESG Report please refer to the Company's MD&A, AIF and Form 40-F.

Regulatory

As well as the discussions within this news release, the reader is encouraged to also see the Company's disclosure made under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's current AIF and Form 40-F .

Qualified Person

Rob van Egmond, P.Geo., a consultant geologist to the Company and a former employee, is an independent qualified person as defined in National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). Mr. van Egmond has reviewed, validated and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release and has previously visited the Waterberg Project site.

About Platinum Group Metals Ltd. and the Waterberg Project

Platinum Group Metals Ltd. is the operator of the Waterberg Project, a bulk underground palladium and platinum deposit located in South Africa. The Waterberg Project was discovered by Platinum Group and is being jointly developed with Implats, Mnombo, JOGMEC and Hanwa.

On behalf of the Board of

Platinum Group Metals Ltd.

Frank R. Hallam

President, CEO and Director

For further information contact:

Kris Begic, VP, Corporate Development

Platinum Group Metals Ltd., Vancouver

Tel: (604) 899-5450 / Toll Free: (866) 899-5450

www.platinumgroupmetals.net

Disclosure

The TSX and the NYSE American have not reviewed and do not accept responsibility for the accuracy or adequacy of this news release, which has been prepared by management.

This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws and forward-looking statements within the meaning of U.S. securities laws (collectively "forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "intend", "estimate", "may", "plans", "postulate" and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. All statements that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the success of the Company's objective to advance the Waterberg Project to a development and construction decision, the approval and completion of the various phases of the Work Program, the planned DFS Update, the plan for and development of the Waterberg Project and the potential benefits and results thereof including that it is projected to become one of the largest and lowest cost underground PGM mines globally, financing and mine development of the Waterberg Project, potential commercial alternatives for mine development financing and concentrate offtake, financing and mine development of the Waterberg Project, the size and cost of the Waterberg Project, the economic feasibility of establishing a Waterberg matte furnace, work with local communities, the development of new battery technologies and the potential benefits of utilizing palladium and platinum therein, the commercialization thereof and Lion's development of next generation battery technology, the success of Lion's and FIU's research and development efforts, the expansion of Lion's research work into additional battery chemistries, the ability of the Company to obtain all required permitting, surface access, and infrastructure servitudes, the effect of battery electric vehicles on the market for PGMs, the use of PGMs in solutions to climate change, and the Company's other future plans and expectations. Although the Company believes any forward-looking statements in this news release are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations and assumptions in such statements will prove to be correct.

The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results or performance and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including the Company's inability to generate sufficient cash flow or raise additional capital, and to comply with the terms of any new indebtedness; additional financing requirements; and any new indebtedness may be secured, which potentially could result in the loss of any assets pledged by the Company; the Company's history of losses and negative cash flow; the Company's properties may not be brought into a state of commercial production; uncertainty of estimated production, development plans and cost estimates for the Waterberg Project; discrepancies between actual and estimated mineral reserves and mineral resources, between actual and estimated development and operating costs, between actual and estimated metallurgical recoveries and between estimated and actual production; fluctuations in the relative values of the U.S. Dollar, the Rand and the Canadian Dollar; volatility in metals prices; the uncertainty of alternative funding sources for Waterberg JV Co.; the Company may become subject to the U.S. Investment Company Act; the failure of the Company or the other shareholders to fund their pro rata share of funding obligations for the Waterberg Project; any disputes or disagreements with the other shareholders of Waterberg JV Co. or Mnombo; the ability of the Company to retain its key management employees and skilled and experienced personnel; conflicts of interest; litigation or other administrative proceedings brought against the Company; actual or alleged breaches of governance processes or instances of fraud, bribery or corruption; exploration, development and mining risks and the inherently dangerous nature of the mining industry, and the risk of inadequate insurance or inability to obtain insurance to cover these risks and other risks and uncertainties; property and mineral title risks including defective title to mineral claims or property; changes in national and local government legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments in Canada and South Africa; equipment shortages and the ability of the Company to acquire necessary access rights and infrastructure for its mineral properties; environmental regulations and the ability to obtain and maintain necessary permits, including environmental authorizations and water use licences; extreme competition in the mineral exploration industry; delays in obtaining, or a failure to obtain, permits necessary for current or future operations or failures to comply with the terms of such permits; risks of doing business in South Africa, including but not limited to, labour, economic and political instability and potential changes to and failures to comply with legislation; pandemics and other public health crises; the Company's common shares may be delisted from the NYSE American or the TSX if it cannot maintain compliance with the applicable listing requirements; and other risk factors described in the Company's most recent AIF and Form 40-F annual report, other filings with the SEC and Canadian securities regulators, which may be viewed at www.sec.gov and www.sedarplus.ca, respectively. Proposed changes in the mineral law in South Africa, if implemented as proposed, may have a material adverse effect on the Company's business and potential interest in projects. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether because of new information, future events or results or otherwise.

The technical and scientific information contained herein has been prepared in accordance with NI 43-101, which differs from the standards adopted by the SEC. Accordingly, the technical and scientific information contained herein, including any estimates of mineral reserves and mineral resources, may not be comparable to similar information disclosed by U.S. companies subject to the disclosure requirements of the SEC.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/188154
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - November 21, 2023) -Vext Science, Inc. (CSE: VEXT) (OTCQX: VEXTF) ("Vext" or the "Company"), a U.S.-based cannabis operator with vertical operations in Arizona and Ohio, today announced that it plans to release its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2023, before market open on November 28, 2023.

The Company will also host a conference call and webcast on Tuesday, November 28, 2023 at 8:00 a.m. ET to discuss its third quarter financial results.

CONFERENCE CALL DETAILS

Date: November 28, 2023 | Time: 8:00am ET

Participant Dial-in: 416-915-3239 or 1-800-319-4610

Replay Dial-in: 1-800-319-6413

Conference ID: 10022744

Playback #: 0563 (Expires on December 12, 2023)

Listen to webcast: https://www.gowebcasting.com/13095

A replay of the conference call and webcast will be available on Vext's investor website following the conclusion of the call. For more details, contact the IR team at investors@vextscience.com.

About Vext Science, Inc.

Vext Science, Inc. is a U.S.-based cannabis operator with vertical operations in Arizona and Ohio. Vext's expertise spans from cultivation through to retail operations in its key markets. Based out of Arizona, Vext owns and operates state-of-the-art cultivation facilities, fully built-out manufacturing facilities as well as dispensaries in both Arizona and Ohio. The Company manufactures Vapen, one of the leading THC concentrates, edibles, and distillate cartridge brands in Arizona. Its selection of award-winning products are created with Vext's in-house, high-quality flower and distributed across Arizona and Ohio, as well as through Vext's partnerships in other states. Vext's leadership team brings a proven track record of building and operating profitable multi-state operations, with the Company having operated profitably since 2016. The Company's primary focus is to continue growing in its core states of Arizona and Ohio, bringing together cutting-edge science, manufacturing, and marketing to provide a reliable and valuable customer experience while generating shareholder value.

Vext Science, Inc. is listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol VEXT and trades on the OTCQX market under the symbol VEXTF. Learn more at www.vextscience.com and connect with Vext on Twitter/X and LinkedIn.

For more details on the Vapen brand:

Vapen website: VapenBrands.com

Instagram: @vapen

Facebook: @vapenbrands

Forward Looking Statements

Statements in this news release that are forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties concerning the specific factors disclosed here and elsewhere in Vext's periodic filings with Canadian securities regulators. When used in this news release, words such as "will, could, plan, estimate, expect, intend, may, potential, believe, should," and similar expressions, are forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, statements related to the Transaction, including the use of proceeds of the Transaction, and other statements regarding future developments and the business and operations of the Vext, and the Company's business plans in Arizona and Ohio, all of which are subject to the risk factors contained in Vext's continuous disclosure filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

Although Vext has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, there can be other factors that cause results, performance or achievements not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, including, but not limited to: dependence on obtaining regulatory approvals; being engaged in activities currently considered illegal under U.S. Federal laws; change in laws; reliance on management; requirements for additional financing; competition; hindered market growth and state adoption due to inconsistent public opinion and perception of the medical-use and adult-use marijuana industry and; regulatory or political change.

There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate or that management's expectations or estimates of future developments, circumstances or results will materialize. Because of these risks and uncertainties, the results or events predicted in these forward-looking statements may differ materially from actual results or events.

Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this news release are made as of the date of this release. Vext disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise such information, except as required by applicable law, and Vext does not assume any liability for disclosure relating to any other company mentioned herein.

The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the content of this news release.

Eric Offenberger

Chief Executive Officer

844-211-3725

For further information:

Jonathan Ross, Vext Investor Relations

jon.ross@loderockadvisors.com

416-244-9851

SOURCE: Vext Science, Inc

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/188229
Eliq, a Goteborg, Sweden-based software company providing a home energy platform, raised 10M in funding.

Backers included existing investor Inven Capital and new investors Axpo and Valkea (Fortums investment arm for early-stage companies).

The company intends to use the funds to expand its sales and marketing efforts while accelerating product development efforts.

Led by CEO Hakan Ludvigson, Eliq provides an energy intelligence platform that focuses on home energy efficiency, expediting the transition towards more sustainable home energy use by making sense of energy data. The platform allows utilities, banks, and smart home providers to offer their customers solutions to interpret energy data, provide guidance on energy-efficient usage, and facilitate upgrades and green financing.

Eliq is currently active in 15 European countries with 30+ live customers.

This recent funding brings total funding since its inception to 19m.

FinSMEs

21/11/2023
LucidLink, a San Francisco, CA-based provider of a storage collaboration platform, $75M in Series C funding.

The rotund was led by Brighton Park Capital. Headline, Baseline Ventures, and Adobe Ventures, also participated.

The company intends to use the funds to accelerate product and engineering development, customer acquisition efforts, and expansion into new verticals and geographies.

Founded in 2016 and led by CEO Peter Thompson, and CTO George Dochev, LucidLink provides a storage collaboration platform that is designed to help remote and hybrid teams of creative professionals tackle a variety of complex use cases by enabling immediate access to huge files and secure real-time collaboration. Its system is built specifically for the modern computing environment, eliminating the need to download or synchronize files by allowing users to stream data directly from the cloud.

Customers include Adobe, A&E Networks, Whirlpool, Shopify, Buzzfeed, and Spotify, as well as Hollywood studios, major broadcasters, brands, digital ad agencies, architectural firms, and gaming companies.

LucidLink has an office in Sofia, Bulgaria, and remote employees across North America, Europe, and Australia.

FinSMEs

20/11/2023
Munch, a Tel Aviv, Israel-based AI-powered automation platform for social media, raised $7.2M in Seed funding.

The round was led by A* Capital, with participation from Liquid2 and Pre-Seed investors Cardumen Capital and Remagine Ventures.

Founded in 2021 by Oren Kandel and Peter Naftaliev, Munch provides an automation platform for businesses to maximize their ROI on social media content. Leveraging AI, it turns lengthy videos into bite-sized clips for social media that engage audiences and keep brands at the forefront of digital trends. It includes automatic editing, instant and precise subtitle generation, pre-scripted social media posts formulated through advanced AI technology and caters to a multilingual audience supporting over 20 different languages. Content is clipped and adjusted to always have the action at the center of the frame no matter what social media platform it will be shared on. Single purpose videos, such as podcasts, webinars, and livestreams, can be transformed into a series of engaging clips with the potential to go viral.

The company intends to use the funds for R&D, customer growth and team expansion to further accelerate its global presence after reaching $2M annual recurring revenue within 8 months. Munch has over three thousand paying subscribers worldwide with signed contracts with several major, well-renowned media giants as a primary short-form vendor.

FinSMEs

21/11/2023
A$AP Rocky could learn Monday whether he will be ordered to trial on allegations that he fired a gun at a former friend and collaborator outside a Hollywood hotel.

A Los Angeles judge is set to hear evidence Monday against the 35-year-old rap star and father of two children with Rihanna as he decides whether he should stand trial on two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. He has pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors allege that outside the W. Hotel in Hollywood on Nov. 6, 2021, Rocky pointed a handgun at Terell Ephron, then in a confrontation soon after fired shots that grazed Ephrons knuckles and left him with minor injuries.

At the first day of the hearing earlier this month, Ephron, who once went by A$AP Relli, testified that he and Rocky were close friends as teens along with the other members of the A$AP collective, a group of New York high school students who sought to make music and pursue other art forms.

He said their friendship lasted until well after Rocky became a star, but began to fray after he felt that Rocky had failed to follow through on promised business ventures and had neglected the other members of their high school collective, who were having difficult lives. The tension came to a head when the shots were fired in 2021, he said.

Prosecutors also played surveillance video that captured part of the incident. It appears to show Rocky brandishing a gun and possibly firing it, though his lawyers deny that he did so.

Rocky was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport in the case in April, and charged in August. He attended the Nov. 8 hearing, as is generally required in felony cases, and is expected to be in court Monday.

He is a two-time Grammy nominee whose first two studio albums in 2013 and 2015 both went to No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

He has released little music in recent years, and has become better known as the romantic partner, fellow fashion influencer and co-parent of Rihanna, with whom he had a second son in May.

Rocky also became an unlikely cause for then-President Donald Trump, who said he was trying to get the rapper freed and returned to the U.S. when he was jailed after a brawl in Sweden in 2019. He was found guilty of assault at trial but was given a conditional sentence that meant no additional jail time.

Now, Rocky is being represented in the Los Angeles case by Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina, who representing the ex-president in his New York criminal case and others.

Tacopina took on Ephron in contentious cross-examination during his Nov. 8 testimony, suggesting with his questioning that Ephron was fabricating the incident for financial gain because he has also filed a civil lawsuit.

In California courts, preliminary hearings like these are a sort of miniature version of a trial, with only a judge deciding whether sufficient evidence exists to move forward. The standard of proof for doing so is far lower than whats required for criminal guilt.

Superior Court Judge M.L. Villar could make a decision on moving forward to trial as early as Monday, though the testimony or his ruling could take longer.
Bigg Boss 17 is getting interesting every day as the episodes come with their own set of fun elements, banter, and of course the arguments between the contestants. Actress Ankita Lokhande who is also among the contestants in Bigg Boss 17 has of late started opening up about the late actor, Sushant Singh Rajput.

The two actors who shared the screen on the hit show Pavitra Rishta dated for around 7 years before calling off their relationship. That being said, in one of the recent episodes of Bigg Boss 17, Ankita spoke about the late actor, sharing why she did not attend his funeral, despite Vicky Jain encouraging her to.

Ankita also shared that she knows what went wrong with the Kedarnath actor as he died at a young age.

I didnt have the courage to see that, Ankita Lokhande on attending SSRs funeral

The TV actress was seen talking to her co-contestant Munawar Faruqui and clearly got emotional as she spoke about Sushant Singh Rajput. A clip is going viral on social media that shows the actress reciting a few lines from the song Kaun Tujhe Yun Pyaar Karega from Sushants film MS Dhoni: The Untold Story.

As Munawar shared that he attended a special screening of MS Dhoni: The Untold Story at your Yash Raj Studios, adding that he met Sushant for the first time and the last time, Ankita joined in and said, He was really a nice person. I feel very strange on using the word was for him. Now, its still okay but it was very weird earlier. He was also a friend of Vicky so it was the worst feeling.

#AnkitaLokhande talks abt SSR, what a great man he was, his funeral, how its difficult talking abt him in past tense n breaks down remembering him n her dad #BB17 #BiggBoss17 pic.twitter.com/MWUshVXPG0  Rachit (@rachitmehra_2) November 20, 2023

Further, Munawar asked if the actress knew about what went wrong with Sushant before his shocking demise. Ankita while replying with a yes refrained from revealing the reason and said, I couldnt go to his funeral. I didnt have the courage. I thought I wouldnt be able to see that. Vicky asked me to go but I couldnt muster the courage.

The actress later also opened up on how Sushant was the first close person in her life whom she lost.
Netflix India celebrated a historic win at the International Emmy Awards 2023, with Vir Das winning the award for Vir Das: Landing, in the Comedy category. This makes him the first Indian comedian to achieve this feat. The success underscored the global appeal of Indian storytelling and Netflixs key role in bringing these local stories to global audiences. The award for the Comedy Category was a tie with Derry Girls Season 3 also receiving the recognition.

Talking about winning at the International Emmy Awards, Vir expressed his excitement and joy saying, This moment is truly surreal  an incredible honor that feels like a dream. Winning an Emmy for Vir Das: Landing in the Comedy Category is not just a milestone for me but for Indian comedy as a whole. Its heartening to see Vir Das: Landing resonate globally, thanks to Netflix, Aakash Sharma and Reg Tigerman who made it special. My journey from crafting local stories to receiving a global accolade has been both challenging and rewarding, and Netflix has been instrumental in that growth. Im excited about the continued exploration of diverse narratives, from Noida to the International Emmys  India gets you there.

On dealing with backlash, Vir Das in an EXCLUSIVE interview with Firstposts Lachmi Deb Roy had mentioned, You dont need to bother about it. Any feedback is good feedback. Good artists take their feedback, mouth shut and heads down and imbibe what they think is positive and try and learn from it and it will reflect in their next piece of art. Thats how I operate and it shows in my next piece of work.

About Vir Das Landing

In his fourth Netflix special Vir Das presents a show about what it means to be truly global while looking for home. To carry your country across the world with you, whatever that country is, and to find your feet. A show about growing up in India, seeing the globe, love troubles, colossal failures, social media madness, the perils of outrage, unplanned drugs, war-zone boarding schools, metaphorical mathematical equations, the current state of comedy, getting nominated, getting intoxicated, and ultimately just getting situated.

This follows Netflixs ground-breaking achievement in 2020, when it became the first to secure an International Emmy in the Best Drama Series category for an Indian series with Delhi Crime.

Vir Das: Landing is currently streaming on Netflix
Late actor Irrfan Khans son Babil Khan, who made his impressive debut with Qala is currently garnering rave reviews for his performance in Netflixs web show The Railway Men. While the actor is already on cloud nine with the series success, he will make his debut in IFFI (International Film Festival of India) as the event is known for its presentation of the finest in global cinema.

The 54th edition is known for spotlighting the pinnacle of world cinema and providing a platform for filmmakers and talents from across the globe.

Talking about this special opportunity, Babil said, It is an absolute honor to be invited to the prestigious International Film Festival of India. This festival has a rich history of celebrating outstanding cinematic achievements and is known for bringing the world to India. I am thrilled to be a part of it. Its a platform that has showcased the work of some of the finest filmmakers, and what could be better than meeting all the cinema enthusiasts? I am looking forward to meeting the worlds most talented people at our Indias festival.

The actor will be an integral part of the panel discussion titled In Conversation: Bringing Stories Rooted in Reality to Screen along with other cast members and core crew members of Netflixs The Railway Men.

Talking about the review, Firstpost gave The Railway Men 4 stars and wrote, The show depicts not only what happened on that dreadful night, but also the health impact of industry pollution many years later. The best thing about The Railway Men is that it never loses its track or focus even while showing the side-stories. The realistic depiction with real images will make your heart sink again. Its not a natural disaster, but a human disaster which definitely could have been avoided!
As she lived, so she died. Budhni Manjhiyain, a woman from the Santhal tribe, passed away at the age of 80 at her residence near Panchet in Jharkhand.

But what made this 80-year-old special? Why is it that her demise, albeit lonesome and in the absence of her tribal members, making news?

We take a closer look at who was Budhni Manjhiyain, and her link to Jawaharlal Nehru that made her infamous.

Nehrus tribal wife

Budhni Manjhiyain was a Santhali woman and lived an ordinary life in the village of Dhanbad in West Bengal until 1959 when her life took an unbelievable turn and a simple gesture by the then prime minister changed the course of events for years to come.

On 6 December of 1959, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru travelled to Dhanbad in West Bengal to inaugurate a dam over the Damodar river, also known as the sorrow of Bengal.

Nehru had then insisted that a woman working on the project be a part of the inauguration and the Damodar Valley Corporation selected 15-year-old Budhni, along with Ravan Manjhi, a Santhali man, to welcome the PM.

However, what happened next would remain with Budhni forever. In reciprocation of Budhni garlanding him, Nehru garlanded Budhni. He also insisted that the teen press the button at the power station to signal the start of operations. She was flanked by Nehru, which offended the tribal community.

When Budhni returned to her village that evening after all the fanfare, the village elders at Karbona told her that by garlanding the PM at the function she had in effect married him. Furthermore, since Nehru was not a Santhal, she was no longer a part of the community and was told to leave the village. The inflexibility of the community ensured that the excommunication was complete.

Left with no option, Budhni left her home behind and then took shelter in Panchet with the help of a Sudhir Dutta.

In 1962, Budhni, who was employed by Damodar Valley Corporation, was thrown out of her job and found herself helpless.

A life in exile

Budhni then took up work as a daily-wager in Purulia and became closer to Sudhir Dutta. Reports state that the two wanted to marry but couldnt because they feared the repercussions they could face if they did so.

The two had a daughter, according to a report by The Hindu, who also lived in exile like her mother.

Interestingly, in 1985 when Rajiv Gandhi learnt of her plight, he met with her and it was at this meeting that she requested that she be reinstated at her job in Damodar Valley Corporation. Her request was approved and she worked there until 2005 when she retired.

In 2001, a news report uploaded on the website www.ambedkar.org, wrote about Budhni headlining it as tribal wife of Nehru is outcast and driven to poverty. The article had then recounted the details of Budhnis life in which she said, I wish they would allow me to go back to Karbona.

Bidding goodbye

Following her retirement, Budhni lived a quiet life and passed away on 17 November following a prolonged illness.

A Times of India report states that there are now calls for a monument be built in her honour and for pension to be provided to Budhnis daughter, Ratna.

Bhairav Mandal, the chief of Panchet panchayat, have written to the DVC management about the memorial. Sumesh Kumar, deputy chief engineer of DVC at Panchet, told Times of India that no decision had been taken so far. These decisions can be taken only after consulting top officers.

With inputs from agencies
In 2019, the United States Congress created the Space Force  a new branch of its military to handle threats in space  which was signed into law by then president Donald Trump.

Now, it has been reported that Beijing has created its own near-space command.

The development comes months after the United States and Beijing had a stand-off over a Chinese spy balloon that entered US airspace.

But what is it exactly?

Lets take a closer look:

What is it?

As per SCMP, the new command takes its place alongside the Peoples Liberation Armys army, air force, navy and rocket branches.

The unit is reporting directly to the top level of the military and has access to hypersonic weapons.

The newspaper has not been able to independently verify the development.

It quoted researchers from the National University of Defence Technology as saying, The near-space combat force is in the process of rapid development. The establishment of relevant units is not yet mature, and combat operations have not been standardised. The understanding of near-space combat command needs to be deepened.

It is necessary to adjust the hierarchy of command and control powers, selection of command methods, implementation of executive orders and support for command communication.

The researchers, who submitted their report to the 11th China Command and Control Conference, claimed that near-space is a hotly-contested zone that could determine the outcome of future battles.

The near-space force operates in a special battlefield. Actions carried out in sensitive areas or over the territory of other countries may trigger political or diplomatic reactions, they wrote.

It is thus necessary to shift the decision-making power upwards, they added.

The highest military command can approve the scale of use, activity areas and method of use to avoid causing political and diplomatic nuisance, the paper concluded.

How would it work?

As per WION, the space command would be locked on the opposing nations rocket sites.

That would curtail their capability of launching anti-satellite missiles.

These attacks must be precise, overwhelming and merciless, the paper states.

Researchers said critical infrastructure being lost would degrade the rival nations weapons infrastructure and tamp down its fighting spirit.

This could change the pace of battles and bring a major impact to how a war would end, the researchers added.

They said that the ability to take some decisions would be given to the unit during a hot-war scenario.

This will place an additional burden on its commanders who would need to be able to plan and command the battlefield from a high position and with broad vision, they added.

They also added that the unit would operate from near-space  which begins around 20 kilometres above earth.

Here, hypersonic weapons would play a key role.

Victory will mainly be chalked up to innovative strategies and combat tactics based on an in-depth analysis of the enemys weakness, the researchers added.

What do experts say?

Experts say no one ought to be surprised.

Space News quoted Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) reports as saying that China is working on jammers to hit US military reconnaissance platforms and restrict communications.

A piece in ORF noted that Beijing in particular is paying special attention to Near Space Flight Vehicles (NSFV) or Near Space Technologies (NST).

Beijings investment in NSFV is unsurprising given the range of military challenges confronting the country, which ironically, the PRC has invited through its aggressive conduct whether against India, Taiwan, the Philippines or the US, the piece stated.

The piece further said that in the months and years ahead, many countries will need to wake up to the fact that they will have to pour resources into NSFVs.

Some in the US top brass are worried.

General Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations for the US Space Force, told Nikkei recently that Beijing is making massive investments to counter what they see as Washingtons first-mover advantage in space.

The pace with which theyve been able to put those capabilities in play, and the scale at which they are putting those capabilities, is the most alarming, Saltzman said.

Saltzman, a four-star general, said it is fair to think China will target US space facilities in case of a conflict.

The US wants rules to govern space to be established.

Until we establish those [rules] and get a commitment worldwide, globally, internationally, that says this is what acceptable behavior is [and] these are the norms of behavior in space, then they could always say, Well, that wasnt unsafe. That was just normal,' Saltzman noted.

The US is also planning to reach out to Japan to counter China.

Japan has been such a great partner over the years that I wanted the Space Force to be there and be able to act and interact on a routine basis with our counterparts in Japan, as a part of US Forces Japan, Saltzman added.

They cant just attack the US They have to say, No, were willing to attack Japan and the US,' Saltzman said. Partnerships, in and of themselves, create deterrence because the country has to decide whether theyre willing to go to war against the whole world [and] because its not going to be a one-on-one situation.

With inputs from agencies
The latest target of Israels ground offensive in Gaza is hospitals. In north Gaza, the Israeli military claims to be uncovering one terrorist shaft after another under some of its largest medical facilities. If Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is to be believed, Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who masterminded the 7 October attacks, is hiding deep in a Gaza tunnel, like a little Hitler in a bunker. He is Israels Target No 1. Exposing the Gaza metro, the Palestinian military groups underground network, and the blowing the lid off hospitals is the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) spy group, Unit 504.

We take a look at the workings of this specialised unit and its key role in defeating Hamas.

What is IDFs Unit 504?

The IDF Unit 504 has been at the forefront of the Israeli ground offensive in north Gaza. Israel claims that this group has played a key role in exposing how Hamas has been using hospitals in Gaza to carry out its militant operations.

According to a report in The Jerusalem Post, Unit 504 is the Israeli armys human spying version of the Mossad, the countrys key intelligence agency. It is one of the most secretive units, which has agents that operate beyond Israels borders.

While Mossad focused on Iran and international terrorism, and Shin Bet, Israels internal security service, had its eyes on the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, Unit 504 was reportedly involved in Lebanon. It also carries out covert operations in the enclave and Syria.

This group, which is trained in spying, has reportedly carried out hundreds of highly classified operations, with highly trained operatives working undercover, often in hostile environments.

The work of Shin Bet and IDF Unit 504 sometimes overlaps as they both handle intelligence issues with Israels border nations. However, the former specialises in complex missions, while the latter is known to be able to bring a larger critical mass of operatives and human resources to address a threat or problem, according to The Jerusalem Post.

The group focuses on ongoing military operations unlike the Mossad and Shin Bhet, which involve themselves with bigger strategies.

Those working for this IDF secret unit undergo a rigorous training programme, which includes mastering intelligence-gathering techniques, hand-to-hand combat and training in the use of firearms. They are also trained in Arabic for nine months, according to a report by Israel Radar, a media outlet that specialises in geopolitical intelligence.

A thorough background check is conducted which includes an investigation into the past activities of potential recruits, the report says.

What has been the IDF Unit 504s role in the Israel-Hamas war?

Until the 7 October attacks, the human spying work in Gaza was left largely to the Shin Bet, even though the IDF gathered intelligence through tech and surveillance tools. But after the Hamas assault, Unit 504 was pressed into action immediately. It built a makeshift southern headquarters, doubled the size of its ranks and focused back on Gaza, reports The Jerusalem Post.

The IDFs secret collective has been carrying out extensive operations since the war with Hamas began. Many of its Arabic-speaking soldiers have been deployed in Gaza and are working closely with combat troops. Their key responsibility is conducting interrogations and providing intelligence to the IDF.

Unit 504 has interrogated close to 500 Palestinians in the last month and a half. Those detained in Gaza are taken to a detention facility in southern Israel. So far, around 300 individuals, which include members of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and other groups have been grilled. They have provided information about the location of Hamas tunnels, weapons depots, and how Palestinian terror groups operate including the use of human shields, according to reports in the Israeli media.

IDF: Activity of the 504 Unit during war is revealed  A senior official in the 504 Unit: So far, we have apprehended over 300 terrorists from the terrorist organizations during the ground operation who were brought into Israeli territory for further interrogations. The pic.twitter.com/puNN5YaPUK  Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) November 20, 2023

The IDF has released videos of the Unit 504 interrogation. One video, which claims to be a Palestinian at Al-Shifa Hospital, said that there were 80 to 100 Hamas operatives inside. He said that Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists were dressed as medical helpers and they used the hospitals emergency rooms for activities, The Jerusalem Post reports.

4/1

Activity of the 504 Unit during war is revealed - A senior official in the 504 Unit: "So far, we have apprehended over 300 terrorists from the terrorist organizations during the ground operation who were brought into Israeli territory for further interrogations. pic.twitter.com/ktN3S01bNV  Sander (@BRHartsupplies) November 20, 2023

Since launching the operation at the medical facility, IDF has shown images of a tunnel shaft and military equipment which it says belongs to Hamas terrorists. A video filmed on Friday shows a staircase leading into a tunnel, which the Israeli military says, is 55 metres long and located 10 metres underground. At the end of the tunnel is a metal door with a small window, which IDF said has not been opened yet because of the possibility that Hamas has booby-trapped it, reports CNN.

The IDF also released video footage claiming that hostages abducted from Israeli territory were seen at the hospital.

This is WHY Hamas brought hostages to the Shifa Hospital after the October 7 massacre. Why is Hamas still holding over 200 civilians hostage 44 days later? This is the question the world should be asking. pic.twitter.com/P8EL5Z8wRT  Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 21, 2023

Other Palestinians have reportedly told Unit 504 that Hamas terrorists were using civilians as human shields at the Palestine Red Crescent Society building in Gaza and that 100 operatives were controlling the Al-Rantisi Hospital, the only childrens facility in Gaza, the report claims.

The intel unit helped flag 300 terrorist sites for IDF operations, with more than 100 of them having later been attacked by various Israeli forces, the IDF said in a statement.

Until now, we have arrested more than 300 terrorists, as part of the invasion, who were taken for extended questioning to Israel, a senior Unit 504 commander was quoted as saying by The Jerusalem Post. The information that came out of questioning such prisoners has had tremendous value, led to eliminating other terrorists, and to enhancing the security of our forces.

Apart from this, Unit 504 is also helping in the ground offensive by collecting critical surveillance. Its tech team has reportedly developed a virtual reality device to help soldiers get a feel of the battle areas in Gaza. The programme has been created based on real videos taken by spies in the enclave deployed by the collective.

While Unit 504 has been key to the success of the ground operations, it has also done its bit in evacuating civilians. It has convinced Palestinians to leave north Gaza by sending 10 million electronic messages, nine million recorded messages and 3,000 telephone calls by officers trained in Arabic. They also dropped flyers urging them to flee to the south, according to Israeli media reports.

The exodus of civilians further enabled the IDF to conduct strikes and carry out extensive operations on Hamas infrastructure.

However, the claims by the IDF cannot be independently verified.

What has Hamas said?

The allegations by Israel about Hamass presence inside Gaza hospitals have been denied by the militant outfit, the Gaza health ministry, and hospital officials.

Dr Medhat Abbas, the director general of the health ministry, told CNN that the medical facilities in the enclave are used to treat patients only and not to hide anyone.

It questioned the authenticity of the images from inside Al-Shifa hospital.



With inputs from agencies
The workers trapped inside the collapsed Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhands Uttarkashi district are facing an increasingly difficult battle for survival as all elements seems to be conspiring against the rescue operation.

Over five different agencies are working on different ways to find a way to evacuate the labourers as the rescue operation enters its 10th day.

The operation came to a standstill over the weekend, due to an American drilling machine breaking down. It was subsequently decided to use an alternative strategy called top down drilling.

In the meantime, the rescue workers are sending water, oxygen, and cooked meals to the stranded workers. The government is also providing dry fruits, antidepressants, and multivitamins in addition to these necessities.

Lets take a look at how these workers are surviving inside.

Cooked food, fruits and other essential items sent

Puffed rice, chana, and dry fruits had been the labourers only sources of nourishment up until this point. However, the government is expanding their food supply with bananas, apple slices, daliya, and khichdi, as a six-inch pipe now reaches the two-kilometer-long tunnel portion of the collapsed construction where labourers are confined.

According to ANI, rescuers are filling khichdi in cylindrical bottles to be sent to the stranded workers. Hemant, the cook who prepared the khichdi, said that this is the first time a hot meal is being sent to the workers. We are only preparing the food which we have been recommended, he said.

#WATCH | Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand) Tunnel Rescue: Food items including Khichdi, Dal are being prepared and packed to be delivered to the people trapped inside the tunnel Cook Hemant says, Food will be sent to the people trapped inside. For the first time, hot food is being sent pic.twitter.com/dAVZSSi1Ne  ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2023

Rescue operation in-charge Colonel Deepak Patil said that through this alternative lifeline we can send food, mobiles, and chargers inside the tunnel. He also said keeping in mind the condition of the labourers, a list has been prepared with the help of doctors on available food options.

We are bringing plastic cylindrical bottles with wide mouths so that we can send bananas, apples, khichdi and daliya, he added.

According to PTI, the government is sending multivitamins, antidepressants and dry fruits to the trapped workers.

#WATCH | Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand) tunnel rescue | Rescue team officials establish audio-visual contact with the workers trapped in the tunnel for the first time, through the pipeline and endoscopic flexi camera. (Video Source: District Information Officer) pic.twitter.com/JKtAtHQtN4  ANI (@ANI) November 21, 2023

Since the first day, we have been sending food through the 4-inch wall. As sunlight is not reaching there, we are sending Vitamin B, Vitamin C, and antidepressants as doctors suggested. These people have been working in the tunnel for a long time, so there is no disappointment among them, and they are looking forward to coming out. It will take some time, but we will eventually get them out, Ministry of Road and Transport Anurag Jain told ANI on Sunday.

Anshu Manish Khalkho, Director of the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited, detailed the ongoing support efforts: Were providing food every half-an-hour and maintaining communication every two-three hours.

Walks, yoga & talks with relatives

The trapped labourers have been asked to engage in activities like yoga, walking and have encouraging conversations among themselves and with their loved ones.

Indian Express quoted Dr Abhishek Sharma, the government-appointed psychiatrist overseeing the mental health of workers, as emphasising their resilient spirits. He said, Weve kept constant contact, suggesting activities like yoga, walking, and encouraging conversations among them to maintain high morale. Among those trapped inside is one Gabbar Singh Negi, who has been in a similar condition before. Being the oldest among them, he is ensuring everyones confidence remains high.

Khalko said officials from various states, relatives, and medical professionals are also regularly engaging with them, fostering two-way communication through our channels.

The two-mile buffer zone trapping workers is also being used by them to take a lengthy stroll. As per information provided to the Odisha government when they arrived at the site, a few men had gone for a walk to the opposite end of the tunnel.

The sanitation needs taken care

According to officials, the stranded labourers have also set aside a space for their sanitary requirements approximately one kilometre away from the wreckage, reported Indian Express.

The fact that there is a natural water source inside the tunnel is beneficial for the workers, even with the difficult conditions. Dr Sharma said, They have been resourceful, using containers to store and utilise this water for drinking and other necessities. To make sure its safe, chlorine pills were supplied.

According to the authorities, there are no problems with chilly weather or mosquitoes because the area is closed. Asked if the workers have any option to bathe or change clothes, an official said: Bathing or changing clothes will probably be the last thing on their mind.

Keeping the morale high

The workers strong morale helps them combat the anxiety that comes with waiting for help for an extended period of time, even when the rescue operation encounters numerous obstacles, as per Livemint.

Keeping up the morale of the trapped workers and their family members should be everyones collective responsibility at the moment, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari stated, emphasising the importance of doing so.

Fortunately, there is light inside because the electricity is on. There is a pipeline, and thus water is available. There is a four-inch pipe, which was used for compression. Through that, we are sending food from day 1, he added, while taking stock of the situation on Monday.

Latest developments in rescue operations

Earlier on Monday, Khulko said there was an atmosphere of joy among the trapped labourers after they came to know about the breakthrough.

The NHIDCL Director said the rescuers will now go with full force to evacuate the labourers.

Earlier there was doubt what would happen if the first lifeline was closed. But now that we have established an alternative lifeline, now we will go with full force, Khulko said.

Meanwhile, two robotics machines of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)  weighing 20 kilogrammes and 50 kilogrammes- have arrived at the site.

On the use of the robotics machine from DRDO, the NHIDCL Director said, An attempt was made to use that machine inside, but as I told you, the strata and rubble inside (the tunnel) are very loose, so it was not successful there.

With inputs from agencies
OpenAIs CEO, Sam Altman, was sacked last Friday (17 November) and the company chose Mira Murati as interim CEO for a limited time in order to bring Emmett Shear, co-founder of the streaming site Twitch, on board.

On Monday, as many were still gaining their bearings, Microsofts Satya Nadella announced the hiring of OpenAI co-founders Sam Altman and Greg Brockman to run a new advanced AI research team, which analysts hail as a major win for the tech behemoth.

This hiring marks another twist in the seven-year-old partnership between the US giant and the startup that created ChatGPT.

Here are key moments in the history of their partnership:

Founded as a non-profit

OpenAI is founded in 2015 by entrepreneurs and investors, including Sam Altman, Greg Brockman and Tesla chief Elon Musk.

It is established as a not-for-profit organisation that publishes open-source research and software available to all.

Teams up with Microsoft

Musk quits the project in 2018 following clashes with the board of directors.

Altman transforms OpenAI into a capped profit company and seeks new investors.

Microsoft injects $1 billion

In 2019, Microsoft invests $1 billion (Rs 8,331 crore) in OpenAI, largely in the form of computing credits, in exchange for a role in the future commercialisation of its technologies.

The goal for Microsoft is to develop its cloud offering, where it competes with Google (Alphabet) and Amazon.

GPT-3 launched

OpenAI launches GPT-3 in 2020, the third version of its large-scale language model, trained on huge volumes of text scraped from the internet by Microsofts computing infrastructure.

Also Read: Sam Altman sacked: Whats going on at ChatGPT-maker OpenAI?

This model is far more powerful than its competitors, with some 175 billion parameters.

Supercomputer trains AI

Microsoft in 2020 says it has built a supercomputer exclusively designed to train large OpenAI models.

Its cloud network, Azure, can now make these systems available to Microsoft customers.

AI-generated images

OpenAI in 2021 says it has developed DALL-E, an AI model capable of generating images when provided with descriptions.

ChatGPT goes public

OpenAI achieves worldwide attention with the November 2022 launch of ChatGPT, a language model open to the public, initially available free of charge.

Microsoft reportedly seeks stake

In January 2023, Microsoft announces an investment of several billion dollars over several years  $10 billion (Rs 8,33,16 crore), according to US media.

It says it is investing in the development of specialised supercomputer systems for its partnership with OpenAI, but makes no mention of acquiring a stake in its capital.

According to US media, Microsoft had sought to buy 49 per cent of OpenAI, in an offer that valued it at $29 billion (Rs 24,16,13 crore).

Microsoft integrates GPT-4 into products

In March 2023, Microsoft says it is integrating the GPT-4 version of OpenAI into its consumer products such as search engine Bing, Outlook email and Office suite (Word, Excel), but will charge users extra.

Microsoft not informed of dismissal

Microsoft is not notified of the OpenAI boards decision on Friday to dismiss Sam Altman, according to US press reports.

After trying over the weekend to get him reinstated, the group announces that it is hiring him and co-founder Greg Brockman.

Brockman suggests that they will continue to create AI products at Microsoft, and he announces the recruitment of several key OpenAI managers for these projects.

Meanwhile, hundreds of OpenAI staff members Monday sign a letter threatening to leave the company and join Microsoft if the board is not replaced.

With inputs from AFP
In a piece of positive news, a Spanish same-sex couple has become the first in Europe and second in the world to have a baby they both carried.

According to Metro.co.uk, proud parents Estefania, 30, and Azahara, 27, welcomed a boy called Derek Eloy into the world on 30 October in Majorcas Palma city.

While Azhara carried her son for nine months, the egg that went on to produce him was fertilised in Estefanias womb.

Lets take a closer look.

How was it possible?

The couple from Spain sought help at a fertility clinic in March to begin their path towards parenthood.

Estefania underwent a novel fertility procedure called INVOcell, which involved inserting a tiny, thumb-sized capsule containing sperm and eggs into her vagina, the report said.

For five days, it was left in place to allow for in natural fertilisation. The embryos were carefullt examined and chosen before being placed into Azaharas uterus to continue developing.

On 30 October, she gave birth to a healthy boy via a C-section after carrying the child for the complete nine months.

Metro quoted a doctor from the team that made the babys birth possible as saying, The novelty in this process is that both could carry the embryo and share it for as long as needed.

The revolutionary fertility treatment, including the required medication, cost the couple over 4,400 Pounds (~Rs 457,909).

Estefania told local media, Now, I look at him, my partner and I look at each other, and we feel that its something that has been within both of us, something weve done together. It was a way for both of us to be able to carry him. The idea that I could participate in this way and carry him in my womb was much more exciting.

What is INVOcell?

The INVOcell, an FDA-approved device that aids in reproduction, is used in this treatment, according to Florida-based INVO Bioscience.

The sperm and eggs are housed in an INVOcell, a tiny, cylindrical medical device that is inserted into the vagina to create ideal conditions for incubation.

The process of traditional IVF involves fertilising the egg and sperm in a lab, which significantly raises the treatments cost.

Unlike Effortless IVF, which usually involves one female supplying the egg and carrying the embryo, Reciprocal Effortless IVF involves one female providing the egg and initial incubation environment, while another egg brings the embryo to term in a pregnancy, according to India Today.

In addition, the patient chooses how many embryos will be placed in their uterus. Next, the leftover embryos can be frozen for later use.

The doctors who do this treatment advise not engaging in any physically demanding activities or any other activity that can alter the vaginal temperature, such using a sauna or bath.

How successful is it?

The womans body is implanted with the INVOcell device, which has proven to be far more cost-effective than lab incubation, the report suggest.

A growing number of female same-sex couples are opting for reciprocal effortless in vitro fertilisation.

The worlds first twin births occurred in 2018 when two married ladies in Texas became mothers, reported NDTV.

The pair had a chance at parenthood when they tried reciprocal effortless in vitro fertilisation with radical technology, which was developed by fertility doctors Dr Kathy and Dr Kevin Doody of CARE Fertility in Bedford, Texas.

Conventional IVF typically costs between $14,000 and $16,000 including medicines. With INVOcell, the cost of simple IVF is approximately half that.

Who is it best for?

Patients with a BMI of 34 or below, an AMH of 0.8 or higher, and access to high-quality sperm are the best candidates for INVOcell treatment, as per Times Now.

Same-sex female couples

Couples seeking an affordable alternative to traditional IVF treatment

Patients who are candidates for three cycles of FSH IUI

Single moms by choice

With inputs from agencies
Sahara Group founder Subrata Roys death has brought his controversial legacy to the fore. There is now the question of the future of the undistributed funds of over Rs 25,000 crore lying with the market watchdog, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), for over a decade.

Roy died of a cardiac arrest in Mumbai at the age of 75 last week after an extended battle with complications arising from metastatic malignancy, hypertension and diabetes, as per his companys statement. Known for his rags-to-riches story, the fall of Roy, who was once among Indias richest businessmen, was entirely spectacular. We will take a brief look at it here.

What is the story behind the unused Rs 25,000 crore? What happens to these Sahara funds in the SEBI account now? Lets understand.

Sahara Groups legal troubles

The legal woes of Subrata Roys company began in the early 2010s. It came under SEBIs scanner after failing to repay money to investors.

In 2011, Indias stock market regulator ordered two Sahara Group firms  Sahara India Real Estate Corporation Ltd (SIREL) and Sahara Housing Investment Corporation Ltd (SHICL)  to pay back the amount raised from about 3 crore investors through certain bonds, as per the news agency PTI report. This came after SEBI ruled that the Rs 24000 crore raised by these two firms through bonds was illegal.

According to BBC, Sahara had started raising money from nearly 2.76 crore small investors in the mid-2000s, most of whom were from rural India  in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Around 97 per cent of these investors had deposited less than Rs 40,000, reported NDTV.

In August 2012, the Supreme Court upheld the SEBIs order, asking Saharas two firms to refund investors with 15 per cent interest. The apex court asked Roys company to deposit approximately Rs 24,000 crore with the SEBI. However, the group maintains its liability was quite less and it had paid back over 95 per cent of investors directly, according to PTI.

The court had asked these companies to deposit the money with the SEBI, but since they did not have cash, they raised Rs 80,000 crore via four co-operative societies. Out of this, Rs 25000 crore was transferred to the SEBI and Sahara Group invested the remaining amount in Aamby Valley City, a senior government official told NDTV.

Roy even went to jail for a little over two years after being arrested in 2014 as he failed to appear in court over the case. He was later granted bail in 2016.

SEBI has issued Rs 138.07 crore in refunds to investors over a period of 11 years, PTI reported citing the regulators latest annual report. The amount deposited in the bank accounts opened specially for reimbursement is over Rs 25,000 crore.

According to the regulators latest report, it received 19,650 applications for 53,687 accounts as of 31 March 2023, of which refunds have been made concerning 17,526 applications involving 48,326 accounts for an aggregate amount of Rs 138.07 crore, including the interest amount of Rs 67.98 crore, PTI reported. The rest of the applications were closed due to being untraceable.

The regulator said it recovered a total sum of Rs 15,646.68 crore as of March this year. As per the news agency, this amount along with the accrued interest after due refunds to the eligible bondholders was deposited in nationalised banks in line with the apex courts 2012 verdict.

According to SEBI, around Rs 25,163 crore funds recovered from the Sahara Group have been deposited in these state-owned banks as of 31 March 2023.

What happens to Saharas funds with SEBI now?

As per a report in the Economic Times (ET), the Centre is exploring legal options to transfer the unclaimed funds of the Sahara-SEBI Refund Account to the Consolidated Fund of India. Officials say there are hardly any claimants coming forward after 11 years.

However, government sources told NDTV that it would be premature for the SEBI to transfer the unclaimed funds. We have managed to pay about Rs 230 crore to as many as 2.5 lakh investors. New registrations are still taking place, so it would be premature to say money from the SEBI would be transferred to the Consolidated Fund of India, the senior government official told the news channel.

Union cooperation minister Amit Shah launched the CRCS-Sahara Refund Portal in July to facilitate the repayment to lakhs of depositors in four cooperative societies of Sahara Group within 45 days of registration.

As per NDTV, SEBI disbursed Rs 5,000 crore initially, with investors getting the amount via the Sahara refund portal. Its an automated, streamlined, and structured process and it is still ongoing. Once completed, then only the legality of transferring the funds to CFI can be examined, the news channel quoted the government official as saying.

There would also be a clause for transferring funds to investors in the future, NDTV reported.

With inputs from agencies
Albanias Opposition politicians set off coloured smoke flares in parliament on Monday: The reason: to stop the chamber from voting on the 2024 budget. The Opposition Democratic Party members said they were protesting against increasing authoritarian rule by the governing Socialists.

The minute Prime Minister Edi Rama took his seat to vote on next years budget, MPs piled chairs in the centre of the chamber and set off smoke bombs and lit a small fire, which led red, green and purple smoke filled the air as security kept protesters back from the seat of Prime Minister Edi Rama.

One MP appeared to light a small fire which was passed forward in a container before flames briefly spread and were doused by surrounding MPs.

The Socialists, who have 73 seats in the 140-seat Parliament, voted quickly in principle and closed the session in five minutes. Each budget item will be debated later this week.

What the Opposition wants

The Opposition wants to establish parliamentary investigation commissions to look into suspected corruption cases involving Rama and other high government officials.

The Socialists say the Oppositions demands do not meet constitutional requirements.

One of the Opposition legislators, Gazmend Bardhi, stated that they would not allow the Parliament to conduct its routine work.

Our battle is to show to each citizen that this is not the Parliament representing them, he said.

However, Bledi Cuci, the president of the Socialists parliamentary bloc, asked Albanians to remember that the Parliament was passing the largest budget in history, twice the size of the one passed in 2013, when the Socialists took control.

In democracy, the opposition speaks with alternatives and not with flares, he added.

The de-facto leader of the party, Sali Berisha, a former prime minister, has accused the government of trying to silence the Opposition in parliament where Ramas Socialist Party has a majority.

The battle has no way back, Berisha told reporters after the disturbance in the chamber where the budget passed a first vote in a session that lasted less than five minutes.

Our goal is to bring pluralism to parliament.

How it all began

The unrest began last month, two days before prosecutors charged Sali Berisha, former prime minister and president of the Democratic Party, with corruption in connection with a land-buying scam that is currently being investigated in Tirana.

Prosecutors claim Berisha, 79, gave financial favours to his son-in-law, who was arrested. Berisha has stated that they are both innocent and that the case is politically motivated by his opponent, Rama.

Bardhi stated that the Oppositions protests would become more radical, but he did not elaborate.

Since 2021, when Berisha and his family members were prevented from entering the country by the US, and then by the UK, due to alleged corruption, the Opposition has been divided into at least three factions. Berisha is the fourth top Albanian official forbidden from entering the United States due to corruption.

Albania has struggled to combat corruption, which has hampered the countrys democratic, economic, and social growth.

Berisha accuses Rama of orchestrating the prosecution against him. Rama denies the accusation.

They (Opposition) brought the vocabulary and manners of the street into politics, Rama said on X, previously Twitter, after the disturbance.

With inputs from Reuters and AP
The Israel-Hamas war has spread to the waters of the Red Sea as Yemens Houthi militia group hijacked a cargo-ship bound for India from Turkey.

A day after they hijacked the vessel  Galaxy Leader  which has 25 crew members on board, the Houthis also put out a video of them doing so, dropping from a helicopter and taking over. The Houthis also issued a statement, asserting, All ships belonging to the Israeli enemy or that deal with it will become legitimate targets.

But who are the Houthis and how are they linked to the Israel-Hamas war? Why have they seized a ship which was enroute to India?

Who are the Houthis?

The Houthis are Zaydi Shiites, or Zaydiyyah and are in minority today in Yemen. However, that was not the case earlier. They ruled Yemen until the civil war broke out in 1962 and it was then that they were sidelined.

As per The Guardian, the Houthis over the years slowly gained ground outside their traditional northern strongholds. In 2014, they came into prominence fighting against Yemens Sunni-majority government. Since then they have been in power in northern Yemen, including the official capital Sanaa, and the official government now operates out of Aden.

Their slogan has long been: God is the greatest; death to America; death to Israel; curse the Jews; victory to Islam.

As per Brookings, the groups official name is Ansar Allah  meaning supporters of God.

The Houthis have long been long backed by Saudi Arabias regional rival Iran  which also sponsors Hamas and the Lebanese Shiite militia group Hezbollah, which continues to trade deadly cross-border fire with the Israelis.

According to analysis and studies, the Houthis take inspiration from the Hezbollah. A Brookings report stated, Although different kinds of Shiites, the two groups have a natural attraction. Hezbollah provided inspiration and expertise for the Houthis. Iran was a secondary source of support, especially since the Houthis and Iranians share a common enemy in Saudi Arabia.

Notably, today, the Houthis are a significant fighting force; they have thousands of fighters and a huge arsenal of missiles and armed drones, reports Reuters.

What role do Houthis play in the Israel-Hamas war?

The Houthis have long espoused an anti-Israel stance and abide by a strong hard-line Islamist ideology. In fact, they have announced their support for brothers and sisters in Palestine.

And following the 7 October attack perpetrated by Hamas against Israel and the consequent violence, the Yemeni group on 31 October announced that they have joined the Israel-Hamas war on behalf of the Hamas side and have fired several missiles towards Tel Aviv since then.

An Associated Press report states that since 7 October the Iran-backed Shiite Muslim force has launched at least six drone and missile attacks toward southern Israel. However, they have caused little to no damage, as most have been intercepted by Israeli air defences.

What about the hijacking of the ship?

On Sunday, a cargo ship, Galaxy Leader, was heading from Turkey to Pipavav in Indias Gujarat when it was hijacked by the Yemeni-Houthis. The ship is a British company and operated by the Japanese.

However, the Houthis insist that the cargo ship is Israeli, owned by Abraham Rami Ungar, a claim rejected by Tel Aviv after the hijacking.

The ship has now been taken to Hodeidah port area in Yemen, the rebel group confirmed. There are 25 crew members, belonging to Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Mexico and the Philippines on the ship when it was hijacked.

Footage of Houthi forces hijacking the ship Galaxy Leader in the Red Sea yesterday. pic.twitter.com/PSFLpV4FLA  OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) November 20, 2023

The hijacking is in line with the Houthis previous statement in which they said that they would attack Israel-linked ships in the Red Sea and the crucial Bab al-Mandeb, a narrow strait that connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, if Israel continued its bloodshed in Palestine.

Our eyes are open to constantly monitor and search for any Israeli ship in the Red Sea, especially in Bab al-Mandab, and near Yemeni regional waters, the leader of the group, Abdulmalik al-Houthi, said in a broadcast speech last week, as reported by Reuters.

And following Sundays incident, Mohammed Abdul-Salam, the Houthis chief negotiator and spokesman was quoted as telling AP, The detention of the Israeli ship is a practical step that proves the seriousness of the Yemeni armed forces in waging the sea battle, regardless of its costs This is the beginning, he added.

How have countries reacted?

Early on Monday, Japan confirmed that the cargo vessel had been hijacked and that they were appealing with the Houthis for the release of the ship.

Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said that Tokyo is communicating with Israel, and in addition to directly approaching the Houthis, we are also urging Saudi Arabia, Oman, Iran and other countries concerned to strongly urge the Houthis for the early release of the vessel and crew members.

Israel too reacted to the hijacking, deeming it as an Iranian act of terrorism. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quoted as saying, This is another act of Iranian terrorism which expresses a leap forward in Irans aggression against the citizens of the free world, and creates international implications regarding the security of global shipping lanes.

Echoing similar sentiments, the Israeli military said on social media: The hijacking of a cargo ship by the Houthis near Yemen in the southern Red Sea is a very grave incident of global consequence.

The United States, which has been a staunch ally of Israel, also denounced the seizure of vessel, calling it a violation of international law and demanded the immediate release of the vessel and its crew.

The Houthi seizure of the motor vessel Galaxy Leader in the Red Sea is a flagrant violation of international law, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told a briefing. We demand the immediate release of the ship and its crew and we will consult with our allies and UN partners as to appropriate next steps.

Why this hijacking matters?

The Houthis hijacking of the ship is significant. This marks the first time the Yemeni fighters have been known to seize control of a commercial vessel after insertion by helicopter.

Moreover, it has the potential to trigger a serious escalation in the latest Israel-Palestine conflict, and could even draw the United States and Iran into direct involvement in the war.

With inputs from agencies
In a major breakthrough on Tuesday morning, the rescue officials  who had been working round-the-clock to reach the workers trapped inside a tunnel in Uttarakhand for the last 10 days  have managed to capture their images through an endoscopy camera.

The endoscopy camera was sent inside the tunnel through a six-inch pipe that was pushed through the rubble last night to send food for the workers.

Rescue officials also spoke to some workers through radio handsets. In the video, the rescue officials are seen asking the workers to come in front of the camera.

Aap camera ke paas walkie talkie pe aake baat karein (Come in front of the camera and talk to us through the Walkie Talkie), a rescue worker is heard asking them.

#WATCH | Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand) tunnel rescue | Rescue team officials establish audio-visual contact with the workers trapped in the tunnel for the first time, through the pipeline and endoscopic flexi camera. (Video Source: District Information Officer) pic.twitter.com/JKtAtHQtN4  ANI (@ANI) November 21, 2023

The rescuers were sent khichdi in glass bottles, their first hot meal in 10 days, through the pipe last night. Earlier, only dry fruits and water could be sent in for them.

Rescue operation in-charge Colonel Deepak Patil said the workers will also be sent mobiles, and chargers through the pipe.

Over the past week, multiple attempts to rescue the workers had failed owing to several challenges, including the topography and the nature of rocks in the area and immense debris.

The Centre has devised a five-option action plan that involve drilling from three sides to access the trapped workers. Five different agencies have been tasked with carrying out each operation.

Two tunnels will be drilled horizontally from the right and left sides of the main tunnel, while a vertical shaft will be drilled from the top of the tunnel.

The round-the-clock rescue work is being carried out by multiple agencies, including NDRF, SDRF, BRO, and the ITBP. An international tunnelling expert team also arrived at the spot yesterday. A robotics team from defence research organization DRDO has also reached.

41 workers have been stuck since last Sunday after a portion of the tunnel caved in. Officials said that all workers are safe and are being supplied food and water through steel pipes that have been drilled into the opening.

The under-construction tunnel that has collapsed is part of the ambitious Char Dham project, a national infrastructure initiative to enhance connectivity to the Hindu pilgrimage sites of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri.
Amid increasing tensions between anti-junta groups and government forces in Myanmar, India issued an advisory on Tuesday, urging its citizens to refrain from undertaking non-essential travel to the neighboring country.

Additionally, Indians residing in Myanmar were advised to register with the Indian embassy in Yangon.

Given the ongoing conflict in Myanmar since 2021, a large number of its citizens have sought refuge in India. The United Nations reports that the escalated hostilities in Myanmar over the past month have resulted in the displacement of approximately 90,000 people.

In view of the evolving security situation in Myanmar, all Indian nationals are advised to avoid non-essential travel. Those already living in Myanmar are advised to take precautions and avoid travel to the regions affected by violence. Inter-state travel by road should also be avoided, the advisory said.

The Ministry of External Affairs emphasised the importance of Indian nationals in Myanmar registering with the Embassy of India in Yangon.

With inputs from PTI
India has voiced its concern about the significant human suffering resulting from the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, participating in a virtual meeting of BRICS leaders, expressed Indias welcome for international efforts to de-escalate the situation.

Emphasising the release of hostages and adherence to international humanitarian law, Jaishankar highlighted the urgent need for humanitarian aid to reach Gaza safely.

He condemned the terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, asserting a firm stance against compromising with terrorism and the unacceptable practice of hostage-taking.

Jaishankar thanked South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for convening the meeting, where Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin also addressed the attendees.

Although Prime Minister Narendra Modi couldnt join, Jaishankar conveyed his greetings and discussed the West Asia situation, particularly focusing on Gaza.

India stressed the importance of restraint, immediate humanitarian support, and a peaceful conflict resolution through dialogue and diplomacy.

Prime Minister Modi has spoken to several leaders in the region and across the world in this context. He has highlighted the need to create conditions for peace and restart direct and meaningful peace negotiations.

He said India believes that the concerns of the Palestinian people must be addressed in a serious and sustainable manner.

This can only happen with a two-State solution that is based on peaceful co-existence. We have been consistently supportive of international efforts towards this end.

The minister said that over the years, India has supported the socio-economic welfare of the Palestinian people and strengthening of their national institutions.

Our development partnership is geared towards these objectives. We continue to provide assistance both bilaterally and through the UN. Our economic assistance to Palestine, developmental projects there and financial support to Palestinian Authority reflect our position. India remains supportive of the UN Relief and Welfare Agencys (UNRWA) role and have been contributing USD 5 million annually.

Jaishankar said that India has also sent 70 tonnes of humanitarian assistance including 16.5 tonnes of medicines and medical supplies in response to the crisis in Gaza.

We thank Egypt for facilitating this delivery. Our relief assistance will continue.

The leaders of the BRICS countriesBrazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa joined the meeting along with their counterparts from newly added member states.

With inputs from ANI
India and Lithuania conducted their 9th Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) in New Delhi on Tuesday, addressing various regional and multilateral concerns, including UNSC reforms and the Ukraine conflict, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

Sanjay Verma, Secretary (West) at the Ministry of External Affairs, led the Indian delegation, while the Lithuanian delegation was headed by Egidijus Meilunas, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, according to an official release from the MEA.

The MEA spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi, shared the event details on X and stated, 9th India-Lithuania FOC held in New Delhi today. Co-chaired by Secy (West) @SanjayVermalFS and Vice Minister @LithuaniaMFA @MeilunasE. Discussions covered bilateral, regional and multilateral issues including political, economic, consular, people-to-people contacts, UNSC reforms, Ukraine conflict and #G20India.

Highlighting the strong and amicable bilateral relationship between India and Lithuania, the MEA noted that despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, trade between the two countries has grown in recent years.

The FOC provided an opportunity for reviewing bilateral engagements and for exchanging views on regional and global issues of mutual interest, including developments in our respective neighbourhoods, EU, Ukraine conflict, Indias Presidency of G20, cooperation in multilateral fora, and UNSC reforms.

Both sides also discussed furthering relations in sectors such as trade and investments, and cultural linkages, it added. Both sides agreed to hold the next round of FOC at mutually convenient dates in Vilnius.

With inputs from ANI
A news report of the UP government crackdown on businesses using fake documents for Halal certification has created a lot of ado, including the backlash and flak from the usual suspects, a clique that intolerantly and vehemently propounds its tolerance just for the fact that Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath is perceived as the Hindutva icon and that he unabashedly asserts his Hindu ascetic identity. The state police have filed a FIR for the phoney branding of products as halal in order for financial gain. The FIR filed in Lucknow names several businesses that exploit consumers faith by acquiring bogus certificates to classify various items as halal. Halal India Pvt. Ltd., Chennai; Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind Halal Trust, New Delhi; and Halal Council of India, Mumbai, are among them.

Halal is an Arabic term that implies permissibility. Halal-certified products claim to have met the standards of Islamic law and are suitable for a Muslim to partake in. Muslims consider meat obtained in accordance with Islamic principles to be halal.

The Sunnah (jurisprudence) with regard to slaughter is to make the animal face towards the qiblah, but that is not obligatory. If he slaughters it facing any other direction, his slaughter is halal, but he has omitted a Sunnah. This entails severing the cattle or poultrys jugular vein, carotid artery (which transports blood from the brain to the heart and vice versa), and windpipe with a sharp knife at the front of the neck. The animals must be alive and healthy at the time of slaughter, and the carcass must be free of blood. Only a Muslim can perform the slaughter. During the process, it is also prescribed to recite religious Islamic prayers, known as shahada.

Halal also acts as a powerful tool of economic apartheid and a gateway activity for religious exclusion and eventually conversion. This excludes non-Muslims from the process. Since Hindus and Sikhs have not been sticklers to their way of slaughter so far because of greater secularisation and very little idea about how halal economics work, most of the meat sold in India is halal, observes senior journalist Abhijit Majumdar in an enthralling article for the FirstPost.

This abstruse halal certification for slaughtered meat was introduced in 1974 due to the absence of any prior recorded documentation. The Muslim world expanded the scope of halal certification in 1993 to include other items. Ludicrously, halal isnt just limited to meat; even vegetarian products like coffee, paneer, nuts, soya, et al, come with a halal certification these days to show that they dont include any haram ingredients like alcohol, pig fat, and so on.

Even cosmetics that are haram, i.e. non permissible in Islam are touted with a halal certification! Our indigenous brands such as CavinKare, Daawat rice, Bikano, Goldwinner oil, Vadilal ice cream, Amrutanjan Health Care, Baba Ramdevs Patanjali, Haldiram, Bikanervala and Gujarat Ambuja Exports are compelled to pursue halal certification in order to gain a stronger presence in markets like Singapore, Malaysia, and the Gulf Cooperation Council.

It is time that the subject is gauged in a diligent, sagacious, fastidious and objective manner, precluding the alleged communal tilt that a select voice in the media, academia, or polity is trying to give the issue that only pertains to the gig economy around health and food choice of millions. Delving a bit further, one would concur that this is a global phenomenon and not merely a state-centric or Bharat-centric issue. Halal food fraud is fast gaining public interest. Consumers are no longer satisfied accepting food products certified as halal at face value, aware of the potential for false advertising or food fraud. George Christensen, an Australian politician, claims that the funds generated through the halal economy facilitate the spread of Sharia law and extremism in his country. There are even rumours of the money being used for terrorism.

In India, the halal economy is worth around $100 billion and growing rapidly by the day. Director Rupesh Paul, in his book, Fuck Off, notes, Halal economy is a big thing here. Sharia-compliant companies and halal food indexes are rising to fame, promoting greater investment in the halal industry. This is how the funds generated from halal go back into the system and generate more produce and money through Islamic banking and financial services. This is certainly developing an Islamic stronghold over the world.

He further goes on, Even cosmetics were haram once. However, a significant amount of money is involved, and naturally, it has been made halal. Whats more, Dominos, Kelloggs, Vadilal Ice cream and many other non-halal-certified pre-existing chains and products are allowed to function in Islamic countries only when they pay a hefty sum to gain a halal certification. The money goes into strengthening the Islamic system. An entire guiding system exists for keeping non-Muslim consumers in the loop and maximising profits. Its a pretty well-drafted and calculated move on the part of Islamic communities.

In a democracy like India, where the government has set up FSSAI to certify a product, it is nothing but extortion, especially for non-meaty products. Even if one takes into account the religious sensitivities of Muslims vis-a-vis halal meat, and for that, a body exclusively comprising Muslims can be set up, the government can easily set up its own halal certification centre for non-meat products and earn easy money. The government, which doesnt mind extorting Hindu temples for money in the name of managing them while pursuing a laissez-faire approach with minority institutions, religious or otherwise, may find this idea quite appealing, opines senior journalist Utpal Kumar in a scathing article.

We need to address a few pertinent questions without mincing words.

1. Should the Indian economy allow this Sharia-inspired parallel economy of Halal to persist, thus compromising the secular credentials of the national economy?

2. An organisation like Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind (JUH), one of the oldest halal certifying trusts in India, is constantly in the news for their legal support of the accused in terror-related cases. Even in murder cases, like in the case of Kamlesh Tiwari, bomb blasts and terror funding cases, the organisation extended legal support to the accused. Under the garb of Nehruvian secularism that we espouse as a nation-state, what are the chances of these so-called private trusts misappropriating funds (already under the legal probe) detrimental to national integrity and sovereignty when given a free run?

3. While this Islamist certification must cost a fee, how fair is it for the majority in Bharat to bear this illicit extra cost when it is completely unwarranted, untoward and unwanted?

4. Does the existence and prevalence of these quasi-certifying bodies nullify the existence of FSSAI?

5. Is it truly secular to impose a religious (communal) food choice on someone, even if inadvertently, leaving aside his consent?

6. This halal represents a form of apartheid: economic and religious. Do we need such entities that may catapult in the snapping of ties between two communitiespitting one against anotherat the cost of wooing one while putting the internal peace of the nation on the altar?

7. Bharat is also known as the birthplace of religion. Where will it stop if every religion, sect or community starts seeking legitimacy for its food preferences?

Time is propitious for the other states to follow the lead of UP CM Yogi Adityanath in prohibiting the felonious halal certification.

The author is an independent journalist and columnist. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.

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A day after President Mohamed Muizzu, an associate of former pro-China President Yameen Abdul Gayoom, took office, he requested India to withdraw its unarmed air force personnel deployed to operate air assets on Maldivian soil. This request came in his meeting with Indian minister Kiren Rijiju, who represented the country in his swearing-in. He expressed the hope that India would honour the democratic will of the people of Maldives. India currently has about 50-60 personnel maintaining and operating the gifted Dornier aircraft and two helicopters deployed in the country.

These air assets were employed, apart from monitoring Maldives Exclusive Economic Zone and drug trafficking, for medical evacuation from remote islands. The removal of the unarmed air force personnel would adversely impact these activities. It would also hamper the trilateral security arrangement of Male with Sri Lanka and India to prevent piracy in its vicinity.

During the past five years these air resources were involved in over 520 rescue missions. Muizzu acknowledged their role however he had fought the elections on the claim that he would remove all foreign troops from Maldivian soil. Simultaneously, he mentioned that he hoped to find a workable solution to the problem. After all, removal of air assets would erode the confidence of tourists visiting remote islands.

Muizzu has himself admitted that he is unaware of the true strength of Indian air force personnel on the island. On one hand he demanded their withdrawal while on the other he requested for accelerating work on India assisted projects including the USD 500 million Greater Male Connectivity Project, which is a 6.74 km-long bridge and causeway linking Male to its nearby islands of Villingli, Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi.

There has been no mention of the Indo-Maldivian agreement to develop, support and maintain a Coast Guard harbour for Maldivian forces at Uthuru Thila Falhu. This harbour would house Indian gifted naval vessels to Maldives. It could also have Indian technical personnel, possibly from the coast guard, as the base would have a gifted radar deployed. The project is currently under construction.

Similarly, no discussion took place on the National College of Policing and Enforcement built by India in Addu city. During electioneering it was projected that its size was larger than required and it was intended to accommodate Indians involved with the institute, thereby opening doors for pushing in immigrants. Election campaigning was dominated by a pro/anti-India stance.

Seeking to justify his demand, Muizzu stated that Indian troops would not be replaced by Chinese military personnel. Muizzu mentioned in his first interview, Maldives is too small to be entangled in geopolitical rivalry, adding, For the Maldives, it is very important that we put our interests first also we want to work together with all the countries, have a good friendly, cordial and candid relationship.

Maldives is about 70 nautical miles from Minicoy in the Lakshadweep and 300 nautical miles from Indias west coast. The country is located along major shipping routes, hence has strategic implications for India. Interestingly, the presence of Indian military personnel on the island was a major issue during the elections rather than other concerns including rising sea levels and the economy. India remains Maldives closest neighbour, a geographical fact which can never be brushed aside.

For any small nation, sharing proximity with a powerful neighbour, rumours on loss of sovereignty are taken seriously. There are always fears about the intent of the neighbour. Furthermore, the Maldives has a Muslim majority and is susceptible to radicalisation, making it easier to push an anti-India agenda.

On the contrary, Maldivian leadership is aware that it has always been India which has come to their rescue, whether it be the coup attempt in 1988, tsunami in 2004 or measles vaccines to stem an outbreak in 2020. In 2014, India rushed over 2000 tonnes of water when Males only water salination plant caught fire. The Chinese, who were then making inroads, took weeks to respond. India continues to provide Maldives with foodgrains to meet their requirements. Maldivians rush to India for medical treatment as also for higher education, secure in the belief that India will never turn them down. Hence, India can never be ignored.

Maldivians are aware that if they grow closer to China, they could be caught in a debt trap. Further, proximity to China would push India, which provides maximum support and funds most of its development, away. China too has never been popular in the Maldives, considering its reputation of grabbing national assets in lieu of loans.

In this scenario, China could consider employing Islamist Pakistan to act on its behalf in Maldives, which is also a Muslim majority country. Pakistans caretaker information minister, Murtaza Solangi, was present at the swearing in of Muizzu. Maldivian nationals proceed to Pakistan for religious studies. This religious education has resulted in the rise of radicalism in the country, with some joining ISIS, post training in Pakistan. It has also enhanced the anti-India belief. Pakistan ships make regular port calls to Maldives.

The Pakistan army chief, General Bajwa, visited the island in 2018 accompanied by the naval chief, post the visit of the then PM Nawaz Sharif. These visits took place when pro-China Yameen Abdul Gayoom, was the president of Maldives. It is likely that a similar visit would take place again in the near future. All Pakistan High Commissioners to Male are senior naval officers, possibly with the intent to push for navy-to-navy cooperation and joint patrolling. Maldives is also part of the Saudi Arabia-led military alliance that is apparently focused on countering terrorism, and is headed by former Pakistan army chief Raheel Sharif.

There is also a possibility of Pakistan exploiting Maldives, with the backing of China, as a terrorist and drug launch pad against southern India. In 2020, Maldivian police arrested four Pakistanis involved with drug trafficking in Addu city along with 80 kilograms of drugs.

It is possible that the current request by Muizzu for India to withdraw its air force personnel is to fulfil a poll promise. It is also likely that Male would seek retired Indian air force personnel to operate its air assets. However, there would be an anti-India tilt as electioneering displayed. Simultaneously, while India has been considering an increased role of Beijing in Male, Islamabad may well be the surprise.

The author is a former Indian Army officer, strategic analyst and columnist. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.

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In a significant development, China has officially entered the Gaza conflict, hosting a crucial meeting with major regional players from West Asia. Beijing aims to play the role of a mediator in a bid to de-escalate the conflict, protect civilians and address the humanitarian crisis. The Chinese government has entrusted its top diplomat, Wang Yi, with this important mission.

Chinas call for ceasefire and broader ambitions

China is not merely seeking an end to the Israel-Hamas war; it is leveraging the situation to deepen its influence in West Asia and challenge US dominance in the region. As the US faces criticism for its support of Israel, China sees an opportunity to position itself as a key player in regional conflicts. China hosted a two-day meeting with key regional players and Muslim countries to discuss the Israel-Hamas conflict. Attendees included Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Indonesia and the Palestinian National Authority, among others. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), representing 57 Islamic countries, was also present. The collective goal is to build pressure on Israel and achieve an immediate ceasefire.

Arab worlds plea for Chinas support

Saudi Arabias foreign minister strongly condemned the Israeli attacks emphasizing the need for international action to address the humanitarian crisis. Egypts foreign minister called for a stronger role for China in stopping the attacks expressing frustration with countries that support Israel.

We are still facing serious developments and a serious humanitarian crisis  or a (indistinct word) humanitarian disaster rather  that requires effective international action to address it and confront it, including the ongoing violations by Israeli forces. We condemn the military aggression witnessed in the Gaza Strip. We stress the need to stop this war and forced displacement, as well as to create conditions for the return of stability and for achieving peace, said Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud.

Chinas diplomatic moves

Chinas involvement in the Gaza conflict aligns with its broader diplomatic strategy. Earlier this year, China brokered a truce between Saudi Arabia and Iran, normalising ties after seven years of strained relations. Last month, China dispatched a special envoy to the region, reinforcing its diplomatic presence. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning expressed Chinas commitment to making unremitting efforts, along with Arab and Islamic countries, to push for an early ceasefire and an end to the war in Gaza.

Chinas active role in the Gaza conflict signifies a setback for US, whose influence in the region is diminishing. The conflict exposes Americas limitations and prompts requests for Chinas intervention in other Middle East tensions. The shifting dynamics suggest that West Asian powers are increasingly turning to China for diplomatic solutions, eroding the trust in the US to handle regional conflicts effectively.

Chinas strategic move in the Gaza conflict reflects its broader ambitions to reshape power dynamics in West Asia and challenge the traditional influence of the United States. The outcome of Chinas mediation efforts remains uncertain, but the geopolitical landscape is undeniably undergoing a significant transformation.

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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No position is 100 per cent safe, whether in business or in politics. Just ask the Junta in Myanmar. In 2021, they toppled the democratically elected government. And since then, they have been invincible, crushing dissent, jailing the opposition, and driving out insurgents.

But maybe not for long, because Myanmars Junta is facing an all-out civil war. It is like the avengers of resistance. There are multiple ethnic insurgent armies, pro-democracy activists, and anti-Junta politicians; all of them have banded together. They are taking the fight to the military regime.

This weekend saw some of the most violent clashes. The insurgents say the army is dropping gas bombs on them. Basically, chemical weapons. Though there is no proof to back this claim, its clear the Junta is spooked.

The fighting broke out late last month; it began in the northeastern State of Shan, but since then, it has spread to Chin State in the west and Kayah State in the east. And in Rakhine State, also in the west, the progress has been stunning. Entire military units have surrendered without a fight. Some reports say 50 per cent of Myanmar is under rebel control.

If true, thats a massive victory, but this success has come at a cost, and thats civilians. Around 26 thousand people have been displaced in Rakhine State. Many have also fled to India.

My house was completely burnt down and was damaged. We have lost everything. But we want to go back to the village and construct a new house, said a 54-year-old refugee from Myanmar, Vunglianzing.

We have to fear this bombing. The peoples are (were) running in the rivers on the border. Yes. We have to fear, run. This bomb came on Sunday afternoon about 5:30 pm, said a 22-year-old refugee from Myanmar, Lalriatfela.

So another refugee crisis. Another because Myanmar already has one, and they are Rohingya Muslims, who were persecuted and killed by the Myanmar Junta. More than one million of them had to flee.

Today, they are a people without a state. Bangladesh hosts around 900 thousand of them, Pakistan: 350 thousand, Saudi Arabia: 200 thousand, India: 40 thousand, the UAE: 10 thousand, and Southeast Asia around 150 thousand, out of which  Malaysia is the largest host.

Does the global community have a plan for the Rohingyas? Not from the looks of it. Most of them stay in shelters or camps, where living conditions are horrible.

Opportunities are few, and their future is bleak. So what do the refugees do? Many of them try to flee elsewhere.

On Sunday, 500 Rohingyas tried to land in Indonesias Aceh province. It was the fifth such attempt in one week. Their voyages are fraught with risks. The boats are of poor quality. The weather can be bad. And the sea is unforgiving. Yet, hundreds of Rohingyas have made the journey. Most of them set sail from Bangladesh.

The Bangladesh government helped us by giving rations and food, but there is no security of life there. Thats why we decided to come here as Indonesia is a good muslim country, said Musyur Husen, a Rohingya refugee.

We came here with our children knowing that we might die, or we might survive in our own way. We came with the hope that we can educate our children here, he said further.

Just one problem though, Indonesia doesnt seem to want them. Aceh province has its own history of violence, the locals understand what the Rohingyas are going through, at the same time, there are concerns like how resources will be used up, or how refugee camps could create social tensions.

We did not mean to refuse them, but the place here is not conducive. The facilities are very limited. The community is hesitant to accept them because its likely that the refugees will stay here for a long time, and the community is unable to provide logistics [for that long], said Aswadi, a 53-year old local fisherman.

Thats the issue everywhere, the logistics, the resources, and of course, the sentiments. Even India grappled with the same issues. Last year, there was talk of India deporting the Rohingyas back to Myanmar. It triggered a lot of backlash. So in the end, the proposal was shelved. But clearly, this is not a long term solution. The Rohingyas deserve to live in their homeland. Thats not India. Thats not Bangladesh. Thats Myanmar.

But what have Muslim nations done to achieve that? Statements at every summit, beyond that nothing. No lobbying at global organisations. No endless supplies of aid. At least not the kind we are seeing for Gaza. It tells you what the priority is.

The question is, will the current fighting help the Rohingyas return eventually? We cannot count on it. Myanmars last democratically elected leader was Aung San Suu Kyi, and she defended the Rohingya genocide at an international court. So dont hope for much.

Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.

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On 19 November, an unverified screenshot went viral. It was trending on X, formerly known as Twitter. It was a grab of the live tracking feed of GDP for all countries and allegedly belonged to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). It showed Indias economy surpassing the $4 trillion mark.

The tweet went viral in just hours. Political and business personalities retweeted it. Economists and analysts welcomed it. It was all over social media. They were all lauding India for achieving this feat.

But officially, there was pin-drop silence, no tweet from the government. No confirmation from the finance ministry. Even the National Statistical Office did not comment on it. But that viral screengrab was probably fake. India has not crossed the mark, though it remains quite close to it.

Worlds biggest economies are:

1. United States: $26.9 trillion

2. China: $17.7 trillion

3. Germany: $4.4 trillion

4. Japan: $4.2 trillion

5. India: $3.75 trillion

Currently, India is the worlds fifth largest economy, after the United States, China, Germany and Japan.

In June the GDP touched the $3.75 trillion mark according to the Indian finance ministry data. This is up from the $2 trillion mark in 2014. So the economy has been growing steadily for quite some time. Even during the pandemic and the global economic gloom that followed it, India remained resilient.

A bright spot in the global economy.

So if it is not $4 trillion yet, how far is India from its goal? Well, not so far. According to IMF data, Indias GDP will reach $4.2 trillion in the next fiscal year.

At this rate of growth, it will still take India 3 years to surpass Japan to become the fourth largest economy.

Which brings us to the question, when will India become a $5 trillion economy? Nominal growth will have to average 9.1 per cent for India to reach this goal by 2027. If that happens, India will surpass Germany as well. Having said that, there are a list of challenges ahead. And former RBI Governor D Subbarao spoke about it. He listed eight main challenges:

Increasing investment Improving productivity Improving health and education Creating jobs Raising agriculture productivity Maintaining macroeconomic stability Managing global mega-trends Improving governance



So thats what stands between India and a $5 trillion economy right now. Right now our economy is in a good place. It is growing consistently. It is one of the worlds major economies, and has displayed a lot of resilience. So while this viral screenshot turned out to be fake, Indias growth story is for real.

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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OpenAI sacked its CEO, Sam Altman, and the move backfired. Microsoft has hired Altman, and he has poached his top team. All of this happened in the last 48 hours. It cant get more dramatic than this!

Incident and impact

OpenAI is the hottest Silicon Valley start-up right now. Its value jumped from 29 billion dollars this year to over 80 billion dollars currently.

And now, the company is imploding. It is the organisation behind ChatGPT, the most promising tech product in the last one year. Sam Altman led it; he is co-founder, CEO, and, of late, a celebrity.

Almost the face of the Artificial Intelligence revolution. Last Friday, he was sacked. From the company he founded. It was a bolt from the blue; no one saw it coming.

His sacking was followed by mass exits. Investors panicked. Two CEOs were named in 48 hours. And now, the future of OpenAI is in jeopardy.

For something as high-tech as AI, the story behind Altmans firing is as human as it gets. There was a rift. It led to a boardroom coup. Altman had a falling out with his board of directorsfour people in all: Ilya Suts Kever, a chief scientist at OpenAI; Adam DAngelo, the CEO of Quora; Tasha McCauley, a technology entrepreneur; and Helen Toner, an academic. These were the board members. They sacked Altman.

But they dont hold any equity in the company. Directors hold no equity in OpenAI or other compensation. Nor are they compensated. Yes, it sounds unusual. How can a board of directors, with no financial interest, wield so much power? Well, OpenAI is not structured like your usual corporation. It was started in 2015 as a non-profit. By 2018, they needed more money to build tools like ChatGPT and to hire good talent. So they created a subsidiary, OpenAI Global LLC, a for-profit company. This subsidiary raised capital. Investors like Microsoft came on board. It also became a vehicle to attract talent. So the subsidiary brought in the money. It supported OpenAIs philanthropic vision. And this division, this structure, led to a divide. It caused all the drama over the weekend.

The board felt that OpenAI was losing its way and that Altman had lost focus. It was all about making money instead of tackling the risks posed by AI. They disagreed on the way forward. Reports say Altman wanted to create a new venture, a chip projectsemiconductors that can run AI-based technologies. And he was meeting investors for this. Planning to raise billions of dollars.

Apparently, the board did not like it; there could have been some jealousy too.

Look, I think ultimately what ends up happening is that you start to have founders and CEOs that are bigger than the board, bigger than the company. And thats really what played out here in terms of, with Altman that became the face of AI globally, and I think that from the view of the White House, the Wall Street, Silicon Valley, said Dan Ives, Managing Director and Senior Equity Analyst at Wedbush Securities.

They are yet to explain themselves; in the last 48 hours, the board hasnt said much, let alone explain their decision to sack Altman.

All they have said is that Altman had not been consistently candid in his communications. Well, the boards conduct doesnt scream candid either. They are facing a massive backlash. The dismissal was all hush-hush. The board told no one about it. Not even the investors.

In fact, CEO Satya Nadella was left surprised and furious by the ouster, as Microsoft is a major investor. They put over 10 billion dollars into OpenAI. Reports say the board blindsided Microsoft.

After the sacking was announced, there was an outpouring of support for Sam Altman. From employees to investors, they spoke up for him. The investors also tried to reinstate him.

Altman shared this picture:

first and last time i ever wear one of these pic.twitter.com/u3iKwyWj0a  Sam Altman (@sama) November 19, 2023



He visited the OpenAI Office as a guest. First and the last time I ever wear one of these, he posted, referring to his visitors badge.

So there were hectic negotiations. Altman is said to have pushed for major changes to the board. Ultimately, they couldnt agree. And the drama took another turn. A new announcement was made Monday afternoon.

Microsoft has hired Sam Altman. He will continue his work on AI with Microsoft, and with a familiar research team. It is because many of his colleagues from OpenAI are jumping the ship. Theyre joining Altman at Microsoft. The list includes Greg Brockman, former president of OpenAI, and three senior researchers, all poached by Microsoft.

What about OpenAI?

They have appointed a new interim CEO yet again. First, the board elevated someone from within, Mira Murati, OpenAIs Chief Technology Officer as the interim CEO, but she barely lasted a day on the job. Emmett Shear has now replaced Murati, Shear has co-founded Twitch, the video streaming platform. He is promising an investigation into the recent events. Meanwhile, on social media, theres a flood of posts. Mostly from employees at OpenAI.

They say: OpenAI is nothing without its people and Sam Altman has been sharing these posts possibly hinting at more departures in the near future.

An open letter is going viral. It is from OpenAI employees addressed to the board. OpenAI has about 700 employees. Over 500 of them have signed this letter. They want the board to step down else the employees have threatened to leave the company.

So the ship called OpenAI could be sinking while the ouster of Altman came as a shock. Its not the first of its kind. This is typical of the tech worlds game of thrones. Many founders have been booted from the companies they built. The list of famous victims is long and notable. For example, Steve Jobs of Apple, Jack Dorsey of Twitter, Travis Kalanick of Uber, Jerry Yang of Yahoo and Mike Lazardis of Blackberry. All these founders were sacked from their own companies.

So, while the world of technology continues to advance at a breakneck pace, what remains constant are the boardroom battles. The corporate power play and the office politics. Even AI hasnt cracked the code on this one.

Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.

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Arab states find themselves on edge as the conflict in the region inches closer to their doorstep, bringing with it threats to both peace and trade. The recent seizure of the cargo ship Galaxy Leader in the Red Sea has further intensified concerns.

Galaxy Leader hijacking

The Galaxy Leader, en route from Turkey to India, fell victim to hijackers in the Red Sea. Contrary to the typical image of pirates, this attack was orchestrated by the Houthi rebels, a Shia armed group embroiled in Yemens civil war and backed by Iran. The Houthi declaration of war on Israel last month adds a geopolitical dimension to the hijacking as they claim the ship is Israeli.

The naval forces of the Yemeni Armed Forces, with the help of Allah the Almighty, carried out a military operation in the Red Sea, resulting in the seizure of an Israeli ship and escorted it to the Yemeni coast. The Yemeni Armed Forces deal with the ships crew in accordance with the teachings and values of our Islamic religion, said Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea.

Conflicting narratives

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refutes the Houthi assertion, stating that no Israeli nationals were on board. The murky nature of global shipping further complicates matters, with the Galaxy Leader being owned by a British firm, operated by the Japanese and registered in the Bahamas. The ships ties to Israeli businessman Abraham Rami Ungar provide a potential motive for the Houthi targeting.

Stakeholders, including Japan, expressed deep concern over the incident, recognising its potential to disrupt the critical Red Sea shipping route, responsible for over 10 per cent of global trade. As the Houthi threat to hijack more vessels looms, the international community may need to respond with measures such as escort vessels or the deployment of warships in the Red Sea.

Currently, ministries and agencies including the transport ministry and the foreign ministry are gathering information and working with the relevant countries for the early release of the vessel and its crew, said Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno.

US dilemma and Iranian proxy threat

US faces a dilemma in responding to Iranian proxies like the Houthi rebels, who have targeted US assets in over 60 reported attacks since October. President Joe Bidens limited airstrikes in eastern Syria have drawn criticism from some Pentagon officials, who argue for a more aggressive approach to counter the growing Iranian influence.

Gaza conflict and diplomatic efforts

Meanwhile, the conflict in Gaza continues, with Israel targeting the Al-Shifa Hospital, alleging its use as a Hamas command base. Evidence presented includes video footage of hostages brought into the hospital and the discovery of tunnels nearby. Diplomatic efforts led by Qatar and US aim to secure the release of hostages in exchange for daily pauses in the fighting, offering a glimmer of hope amid the ongoing violence.

We are hopeful that we can get a significant number of hostages freed in the coming days. I dont want to go into the details of these talks. They are obviously very sensitive. The less we go into the details, the better the chances of such a deal. But they are very serious efforts, and Im hopeful that we can have a deal in the coming days, said Michael Herzog, Israeli Ambassador to US.

As the Red Sea becomes a potential hotspot and tensions escalate in the Gaza conflict, diplomatic efforts are crucial to avoiding further destabilisation in the region. The outcome of talks involving Arab nations, China, Israel and Hamas with Qatar will shape the future of West Asia, highlighting the pressing need for peaceful resolutions in the face of mounting global concerns.

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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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday slammed the Congress-ruled Rajasthan government, saying Chief Minister Ashok Gehlots magic on the state is fading away with each turning page of the red diary.

Modis comments came during a rally in Rajasthans Baran in the last leg of campaigning ahead of elections. The prime minister alleged that the red diary contains details of how the states land, forest and water have been sold in the last five years.

Nowadays, there is talk of the Red diary and the Jadugar jis face is fading away with each turning page of the red diary. In this red dairy, it is clearly written how your land, water and forest have been sold out, Modi said.

During its campaigns, the Bharatiya Janata Party has mentioned the Red Diary and its contents which reportedly contain alleged incriminating material against the Ashok Gehlot-led government and his administration several times.

With Congress support, the morale of anti-social forces is high. People in Rajasthan are being beheaded publically and this is being celebrated. The entire country saw what happened with Dalit youths in Jhalawar. Ram Navami, Holi, Hanuman Jayanti fell victim to riots in Rajasthan which was known for festivals, PM Modi further said.

#WATCH | Rajasthan Elections | In Anta, Baran, PM Narendra Modi says, With Congress support, the morale of anti-social forces is high. People in Rajasthan are being beheaded publically and this is being celebrated. The entire country saw what happened with Dalit youths in pic.twitter.com/gSLuDxYH4Y  ANI (@ANI) November 21, 2023

It has been 75 years since Indias independence. Now, we have the aim of a developed India before us. The aim of making India developed is incomplete without making Rajasthan developed. But as long as the three enemies of the country  corruption, dynasty and appeasement  are amid us, it is difficult for this resolution to be fulfilled until then. Congress is the biggest symbol of these three evils, PM Modi said.

With inputs from agencies
In a strategic move to enhance domestic manufacturing and position itself as a key player in the global electronics supply chain, India has sanctioned subsidies for some of the worlds leading tech hardware companies. Notable beneficiaries include Foxconn Technology Group, a major Apple supplier, and computer giant Lenovo Group, among others.

The Indian government, in an official statement released on Saturday, confirmed the approval of subsidies for 27 companies under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme.

This initiative covers domestic assembly of desktop and laptop personal computers (PCs), tablets, and various other tech hardware. The approved companies include industry giants such as Dell, HP, and AsusTek Computer.

According to Ashwini Vaishnaw, Indias Minister for Railways, Communications, Electronics, and Information Technology, Twenty-three out of 27 approved applicants are ready to start manufacturing on day zero. Four companies will commence production in the next 90 days.

Contrary to recent reports, Apple contract manufacturer Luxshare Precision Industry Co has vehemently denied walking away from a substantial $330 million deal in India. The Shenzhen-listed firm clarified on Monday that it had never made such an investment decision.

The Indian government anticipates that the PLI scheme will directly create 50,000 jobs and indirectly contribute to an additional 150,000 jobs. This projection is based on a total investment of $360 million, with the estimated value of information technology hardware production expected to reach $42 billion.

This recent round of subsidy approvals follows the earlier PLI phase focused on smartphone manufacturing, providing government incentives to the Indian unit of Taiwanese firm Foxconn, officially known as Hon Hai Precision Industry.

The move is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modis Make in India campaign, signalling Indias commitment to economic transformation and the diversification of global manufacturing beyond mainland China.

The approval of subsidies for Lenovo, the worlds largest PC vendor, marks a notable development, particularly amid rising geopolitical tensions between China and India. Other Chinese tech companies, such as Vivo, have faced challenges in India, with four executives arrested last October for alleged visa violations and tax evasion.

As India seeks to reduce its reliance on imports from China and tighten scrutiny of Chinese companies operating in its market, the PLI scheme aligns with Prime Minister Modis agenda to transform India into a new high-tech manufacturing hub.

Meanwhile, Luxshares decision to expand its contract manufacturing operations in Vietnam instead of India underscores the ongoing trend of diversifying production beyond China.

(With input from agencies)
On Friday night, the OpenAI board, through a Google Meet session, shockingly terminated Sam Altman from his position for what was cited as a lack of consistently candid communication. Adding to the upheaval, Greg Brockman was also ousted from the board and subsequently resigned from OpenAI.

The aftermath of these dismissals saw several key OpenAI researchers, including Jakub Pachocki, departing from the organization. In a swift move, Mira Murati assumed the role of interim CEO for a brief period, until the appointment of Emmett Shear, the former CEO of Twitch, as the new chief executive.

Meanwhile, Microsofts Satya Nadella tried to moderate the insurrection within OpenAI and tried to play kingmaker, and reach a common solution between. When the talks to reinstate Altman failed, Nadella offered Altman, Brockman and many other top scientists and executives from OpenAI to join Microsoft and lead a research project.

However, since then, reports have surfaced that the Microsoft offer may have been a ruse by Nadella to protect Microsofts stock from tanking significantly when the markets reopened on Monday.

The boards decision to remove Altman sparked significant criticism, with Sutsveker being labelled as the mastermind behind the move. This decision led to a shake-up in the board, bringing in new faces to fill the void.

Quoras Adam DAngelo

Adam DAngelo, known for his role as the co-founder and CEO of Quora and former Facebook CTO, joined the OpenAI board in 2018. With a long-standing involvement in AI and machine learning, DAngelo has been a key figure in the industry since high school when he co-developed the Synapse Media Player alongside Mark Zuckerberg, utilizing ML algorithms for song recommendations.

At Quora, DAngelo spearheaded the launch of Poe, a generative AI chatbot platform featuring diverse AI models such as ChatGPT, Sage, Claude-instant, Claude-instant-100k, and Claude+. Poe offers users a range of chatbot personalities, fostering engaging dialogues with AI. Quora is actively developing an API to integrate AI developers models into Poe, expanding its accessibility and functionalities, and recently introduced creator monetization to generate revenue.

Tasha McCauley, a leading figure in robotics

Tasha McCauley, a prominent robotics engineer and tech entrepreneur, has been a driving force in the field of robotics and technology. Currently serving as the CEO of GeoSim Systems, focused on developing virtual city models, McCauley has also held positions such as the co-founder and CEO of Fellow Robots.

Her contributions to advancing robotics in retail and various industries have been noteworthy, complemented by her background in academic and research roles. McCauley, who has been a faculty member at Singularity University, further expanded her expertise by joining RAND Corporation in 2023 as an adjunct senior management scientist.

Helen Toner, an influential figure in AI policy and development

Helen Toner, recognized as a key influencer in AI with a specific focus on policy and strategic development, holds a significant position as the director of strategy and foundational research grants at Georgetown Universitys Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET).

Responsible for guiding strategic initiatives and managing research grants, Toner plays a crucial role in shaping policies and strategies around emerging technologies, particularly AI. Before joining CSET, she served as a senior research analyst at the Open Philanthropy Project and became a member of the OpenAI board in 2021.

Ilya Sutskever

And finally, we have Ilya Sutskever, another cofounder and chief scientist at OpenAI. Sutskevers played a central role in the controversial dismissal of Altman and Brockman. Recognized as a leading figure in computer science, Sutskever, before launching OpenAI in 2014, worked at Google Brain for about three years, contributing significantly to sequence modelling, machine translation, and projects like TensorFlow and AlphaGo.

Sutskever, who co-authored the influential paper ImageNet Classification with Deep Convolutional Neural Networks, has consistently prioritized research and innovation in AI. However, his involvement in the decision to remove Altman and Brockman has sparked controversy, with reports suggesting his regret over the move.

In a surprising turn, Sutskever has publicly supported Altman and said that he regrets terminating him, and even went on to sign an open letter by OpenAI employees demanding the boards resignation and Altmans reinstatement as CEO. The letter, reportedly boasting over 700 signatures, adds another layer of complexity to the unfolding saga at OpenAI.

(With input from agencies)
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, OpenAIs investors, along with Sam Altman, want Altman to be the CEO of OpenAI. Nadellas job offer to Altman and Greg Brockman was to hold off Microsofts stock from tanking when the US market reopened on Monday (Tuesday in India), sources have revealed.

Sam Altman, the ousted CEO of OpenAI, may not be joining Microsoft as initially anticipated afterall Multiple sources have informed The Verge that Altman and co-founder Greg Brockman are open to returning to OpenAI, provided the board members responsible for Altmans dismissal step aside.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella addressed the situation in recent interviews with CNBC and Bloomberg TV, stating that Altmans employment with Microsoft and the potential migration of OpenAIs 700 staffers would be decisions left to the OpenAI board, management, and employees. Nadella emphasized Microsofts commitment to partnering with OpenAI but indicated a need for governance changes within the organization.

Regarding the composition of OpenAIs board, Nadella mentioned on CNBC that discussions with the board would take place to address governance issues. He stressed the importance of transparency in decision-making, stating on Bloomberg that surprises are bad, and Microsoft would seek governance changes in the ongoing dialogue with OpenAI.

The recent announcement of Emmett Shear, co-founder of Twitch, as OpenAIs new CEO has made the situation more complex. Altman, along with former president Brockman and the companys investors, is reportedly seeking an amicable resolution with the board. The Microsoft hiring announcement is seen as a temporary measure, referred to as a holding pattern, while negotiations continue.

The reported mass exodus of OpenAI employees, including key figures like board member and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, has intensified pressure on the board. Altmans statement on X, expressing a commitment to working together in some capacity, suggests that the conflict is ongoing.

Negotiations to reinstate Altman reached a stalemate, leading to parallel efforts by OpenAIs management team and investors to identify potential board replacements. Despite this, the board proceeded with its CEO search, announcing Shears appointment on Sunday. Sutskever, who initially played a role in Altmans removal, has since joined an open letter calling for the boards resignation and Altmans reinstatement.

Inside OpenAI, there is a reported power struggle, with most employees opposing the current three-person board. A scheduled all-hands meeting on Sunday was reportedly boycotted by employees in San Francisco, expressing discontent with the new CEO. Social media posts from employees indicate their commitment to maintaining service stability for OpenAIs developers, possibly as a means to pressure the board to resign.

New CEO Emmett Shear has encountered challenges in obtaining detailed reasoning for Altmans termination, which has not been shared with investors. Shear has pledged to hire an independent investigator to examine the entire process leading up to Altmans dismissal.

In response to these developments, Altman, in another X post, emphasized the priority of ensuring OpenAIs continued success. However, questions remain about the compatibility of joining Microsoft with over 700 former OpenAI employees and how this aligns with the goal of OpenAI thriving independently. Altmans absence from Microsofts internal corporate directory adds to the uncertainty surrounding the situation.
In a notable gathering that preceded the recent leadership changes at OpenAI, a group of AI and military leaders convened for a discreet three-day retreat in the mountains of Utah.

Hosted by the startup Scale AI, a data security contractor catering to entities such as OpenAI and the US Army, the AI Security Summit aimed to foster candid discussions on industry challenges.

According to a Bloomberg report the invite-only summit took place at a luxury hotel near Park City, Utah, where attendees, including representatives from the military and AI sector, engaged in off-the-record conversations.

Notably, the summit coincided with talks between President Joe Biden and Chinas President Xi Jinping in San Francisco, where AI regulations were among the discussed topics.

While the summit featured discussions on critical issues like the pace of AI advancement and the potential evolution of artificial general intelligence (AGI), there seemed to be no foreknowledge of the subsequent leadership changes at OpenAI, which occurred just days after the event.

The summits atmosphere blended serious discussions with recreational activities, as attendees selected custom cowboy hats, enjoyed gourmet meals, and participated in an archery lesson where a lighthearted remark captured the essence of the gathering.

Bloombergs Rachel Metz, the sole journalist present, agreed not to directly quote participants or reveal specific details.

While some general information about the event has surfaced, such as panel discussions covering topics like US-China AI relations and in-depth examinations of AI-enabling chips, the summit remains shrouded in mystery due to the confidential nature of the discussions.

The intertwined nature of work and recreation in the tech world, particularly within the realms of AI leadership and military contractors, was evident throughout the summit.

(With inputs from agencies)
Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh on Tuesday said that the Palestinian militant group was near a truce agreement with Israel, even as the deadly assault on Gaza continued and rockets were being fired into Israel.

Hamas officials revealed they are close to reaching a truce agreement with Israel and the group has delivered its response to Qatari mediators, Haniyeh said in a statement sent to news agency Reuters by his aide.

There were no more details about the terms of the potential agreement.

US President Joe Biden said on Monday he believed an accord was near. Were closer now than weve been before, White House spokesman John Kirby said of an agreement aimed at securing the release of some hostages held in Gaza and a pause in the fighting that would allow much needed aid into the besieged enclave.

Hamas took about 240 hostages during its October 7 rampage into Israel that killed 1,200 people.

Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), met Haniyeh in Qatar on Monday to advance humanitarian issues related to the conflict, the Geneva-based ICRC said in a statement. She also met separately with Qatari authorities.

The ICRC said it was not part of negotiations aimed at releasing the hostages, but as a neutral intermediary it was ready to facilitate any future release that the parties agree to.

Talk of an imminent hostage deal has circulated for days. Reuters reported last week that Qatari mediators were seeking a deal for Hamas and Israel to exchange 50 hostages in return for a three-day ceasefire that would boost emergency aid shipments to Gaza civilians, citing an official briefed on the talks.

Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Herzog said on ABCs This Week on Sunday that he hoped for an agreement in the coming days while Qatars Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said that the remaining sticking points were very minor. A deal for a truce between Israel and Hamas has never appeared close before.

Sensitive negotiations like this can fall apart at the last minute, White House deputy national security adviser Jon Finer told NBCs Meet the Press program on Sunday. Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.

Hamas raid on October 7, the deadliest day in Israels 75-year-old history, prompted Israel to invade the Palestinian territory to target Hamas.

Since then, Gazas Hamas-run government said at least 13,300 Palestinians have been killed, including at least 5,600 children and 3,550 women, by unrelenting Israeli bombardment.

Hamas said on its Telegram account on Monday that it had launched a barrage of missiles towards Tel Aviv. Witnesses also reported rockets being fired at central Israel.

HOSPITALS AT RISK

The Palestinian news agency WAFA said on Tuesday at least 17 Palestinians were killed in Israeli bombing of the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza at midnight.

Gazas health ministry said on Monday that at least 12 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded by firing into the Indonesian Hospital complex, which was encircled by Israeli tanks. Health officials said 700 patients along with staff were under Israeli fire.

WAFA said the facility in the northeast Gaza town of Beit Lahia, funded by Indonesian organisations, had been hit by artillery rounds. Hospital staff denied there were any armed militants on the premises.

World Health Organisation chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was appalled by the attack that he too said had killed 12 people, including patients, citing unspecified reports.

The Israeli Defence Forces said troops had fired back at fighters in the hospital while taking numerous measures to minimise harm to non-combatants.

Like all other health facilities in the northern half of Gaza, the Indonesian Hospital has largely ceased operations but is still sheltering patients, staff and displaced residents.

Twenty-eight prematurely born babies evacuated from Gazas biggest hospital, Al Shifa, were taken into Egypt for urgent treatment on Monday.

Israeli forces seized Shifa last week to search for what they said was a tunnel network built by Hamas beneath the hospital. Hundreds of patients, medical staff and displaced people left Shifa at the weekend, with doctors saying they were ejected by troops and Israel saying the departures were voluntary.
During a virtual summit of BRICS leaders on Tuesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping urged an immediate ceasefire and the release of hostages in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.

According to Beijings state news agency Xinhua, Xi said, All parties in the conflicts should immediately cease fire and hostilities, stop all violence and attacks targeting civilians, and release civilian detainees to avoid more loss of lives and suffering.

He did not make specific reference to the estimated 240 hostages abducted from Israel by Hamas last month, nor to Palestinian prisoners being held by Israel.

Xi Jinping also advocated for an international peace conference to address the Israel-Hamas conflict, stating that a just solution to the question of Palestine is essential for sustainable peace and security in the West Asia.

China calls for an early convening of an international peace conference that is more authoritative to build international consensus for peace, he said.

Since the outbreak of the latest Palestinian-Israeli conflict, China has been working actively to promote peace talks and a ceasefire, he said.

Beijing, he said, has provided humanitarian assistance to help ease the humanitarian plight in Gaza and would continue to do so.

Pretoria is hosting a virtual meeting of BRICS  a group of major emerging economies that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa  aimed at drawing up a common response to the Israel-Hamas conflict, reported AFP.

The call for an immediate ceasefire has been a consistent stance from Beijing since the start of the conflict last month.

With inputs from agencies
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Tuesday accused France of inciting a fresh war in the Caucasus by arming Bakus arch foe Armenia, with which it had fought two wars.

France is pursuing a militaristic policy by arming Armenia, encouraging revanchist forces in Armenia, and laying the groundwork for provoking new wars in our region, Aliyev told an international conference in Baku.

Baku and Yerevan have been locked in a decades-long territorial conflict over Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh region, which Baku reclaimed in September after a swift offensive against Armenian separatists.

Earlier last month, Azerbaijans president had slammed the European Union and warned that Frances decision to send military aid to Armenia could trigger a new conflict in the South Caucasus after a lightening Azerbaijani military operation in October.

The recent announcement on France supplying arms comes just a month after Azerbaijan declared victory following a swift military offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh, forcing more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians living in the breakaway region to escape from their homes

Azerbaijans President Aliyev last week pulled out of a European Union-brokered meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at which Brussels said it was standing by Armenia.

Aliyev also criticised the EUs approach  and particularly Frances position  when European Council, Charles Michel, dialled him, according to an official Azerbaijani statement released at the time.

The head of state emphasized that the provision of weapons by France to Armenia was an approach that was not serving peace, but one intended to inflate a new conflict, and if any new conflict occurs in the region, France would be responsible for causing it, an Azerbaijani government official said.

France, on its part, the country which has Europes largest Armenian diaspora community, has made it clear that it was not going to sit on the sidelines in the event of a conflict. The European country has also agreed on future contracts with Armenia to supply it with military equipment to help ensure its defences, Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna had said during an October 3 visit to Yerevan.
Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, urged regional governments and the BRICS alliance to join forces in the pursuit of a diplomatic resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian problem on Tuesday.

During a virtual BRICS meeting, Putin blamed the Middle East issue on U.S. diplomacys failure in the region in broadcast remarks.

We want the international world to work together to defuse the situation, implement a truce, and resolve the Palestinian-Israeli problem through diplomacy. Additionally, the regions nations and the BRICS states may be crucial to this effort, according to Putin.

He didnt go into detail on how such an endeavour might be set up.

South Africa, Brazil, Russia, India, and China make up the BRICS alliance. August saw an agreement to grow it to include members from Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, Argentina, and the United Arab Emirates.

According to experts on Russian and Western policy, Putin is attempting to leverage the Gaza situation for geopolitical gain as part of his plan to win over supporters in developing nations and establish what he refers to as a new world order in opposition to US domination.

He has frequently criticised US policies, called on Israel to exercise moderation, and shown compassion for the Palestinian people in past remarks.

He warned Israel last month against besieging Gaza in the same manner that Nazi Germany had besieged Leningrad during World War Two, stating that an invasion by ground forces was necessary.

(With agency inputs)
The BRICS group of nations Tuesday called for an immediate and sustained humanitarian truce in Gaza during an extraordinary summit where chair South Africa accused Israel of war crimes and genocide in the Palestinian territory.

Pretoria hosted a virtual meeting of BRICS  a group of major emerging economies that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa  aimed at drawing up a common response to the Israel-Hamas conflict.

We called for an immediate, durable, and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities, the group said in a summary of the meeting.

We reiterated our strong support for regional and international efforts aimed at achieving an immediate cessation of hostilities, ensuring the protection of civilians and the provision of humanitarian aid.

Fighting has raged in Gaza after Hamas gunmen killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, during cross-border raids on 7 October  the deadliest attack in Israels history.

In retaliation, Israel launched a relentless bombing campaign and ground offensive in Gaza, which is ruled by Hamas.

According to Hamas, the war has killed more than 13,300 people, thousands of them children.

The collective punishment of Palestinian civilians through the unlawful use of force by Israel is a war crime. The deliberate denial of medicine, fuel, food, and water to the residents of Gaza is tantamount to genocide, said South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

On Tuesday, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said a truce agreement with Israel was in sight, with mediator Qatar adding negotiations to free hostages seized by the Palestinian Islamist group were at their closest point to a deal.

Leaders and representatives of BRICS said a long-term diplomatic solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict was needed to ensure peace, with Chinese President Xi Jinping calling for an international peace conference to achieve that goal.

There can be no sustainable peace and security in the Middle East without a just solution to the question of Palestine, Xi said, speaking through an interpreter.

Barbaric acts

China has historically been sympathetic to the Palestinians and supportive of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

And it has this year sought to play a greater role in the Middle East, facilitating a historic rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran and sending an envoy to the region to push for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict.

BRICS, an acronym for its member countries, sees itself as a counterweight to the US and Western-led global order.

Describing Hamass attacks and hostage-taking as barbaric acts Brazils President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said they did not justify the use of indiscriminate and disproportionate force against civilians.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has accused the West of stoking tensions in the Middle East and criticised Israel for its conduct in the conflict, said a long-term and sustainable ceasefire was key to prevent other states from being drawn into the war.

Two-state solution

The concerns of the Palestinian people must be addressed in a serious and sustainable manner, this can only happen with the two-state solution that is based on peaceful coexistence, said Indias foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

Representatives from Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates  countries that are all due to join BRICS in January 2024  were also invited to the talks.

South Africa has long been a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause, with the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party often linking it to its own struggle against apartheid.

Earlier this month, it recalled all its diplomats from Israel and last week it joined four other nations in calling for an International Criminal Court investigation into the conflict.

On Monday, Israels foreign ministry said it had also recalled its ambassador to Pretoria for consultations.

The summit came as a delegation of foreign ministers of the Palestinian Authority, Indonesia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan hold talks this week on the conflict.
The Israeli military claims that Hamas employed a covert method to transport bullets for the October 7 attack in Gaza.

It is alleged that up to 50 rice sacks discovered after the incident are believed to have served as ammunition pouches for weapons such as AK47s, Dragunov sniper rifles, and MPK machine guns.

Israeli investigators, during a display of recovered military equipment, asserted that the sacks indicate a potential smuggling route through humanitarian aid.

Lt Col Idan Sharon-Kettler, deputy commander of the enemy equipment retrieval unit, dismissed the idea that these 1kg rice sacks were legitimately used for food and then repurposed for terrorism, emphasizing their inefficiency as ammunition pouches.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and intelligence agencies expressed astonishment at the scale and effectiveness of the early morning attack, despite Gaza being under strict blockade for 17 years.

Israel has previously accused Hamas of using humanitarian aid shipments for weapon smuggling.

A showcase at a military base displayed a range of weapons recovered from towns and kibbutzim near Gaza, including AK47s, mines, mortars, heavy machine guns, and rockets.

Lt Col Sharon-Kettler highlighted the use of thermobaric munitions, claiming they were responsible for burning families alive in their homes.

The display also featured anti-armour weapons, sacrifice devices used against civilians, and explosives allegedly originating from Iran. Israel maintains that its operation aims to eradicate Hamas from Gaza, but the civilian population is paying a significant toll, with thousands of casualties, including over 4,100 children, according to the UN, NGOs, and Hamas-controlled authorities.

Israel accuses Iran of supporting Hamas in preparing for the attack, emphasizing the sophisticated military equipment used and the extensive planning involved.

Lt Col Sharon-Kettler stated, This is not something that has been cooked in someones backyard. This is years-long planning, a lot of funding, huge money.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry has confirmed that Premier Li Qiang will attend the virtual G20 Leaders Summit at Indias invitation on Wednesday.

India holds the presidency of G20 till November 30. The virtual summit will further discussions on the key outcomes and action points decided upon at the annual conclave of the grouping that was held in September.

The summit will also delve into the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas conflict. It is also expected to push for the effective implementation of various decisions taken at the blocs annual summit in New Delhi over two months back, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.

India has extended the invitation to leaders of all G20 Members, including the Chair of the African Union, as well as nine Guest countries and Heads of 11 International Organisations.

Meanwhile, on Monday, the Kremlin said that President Vladimir Putin will set out Russias view of what it sees as the deeply unstable world situation when he addresses an upcoming virtual G20 summit on November 22.

Russian state TV presenter Pavel Zarubin said on his Telegram channel on Sunday that it would be the first event in a long time including both Putin and Western leaders.

With inputs from agencies
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said that he shared Indias perspective on the Canada row with his Australian counterpart following Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus allegation that the Indian government was involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Jaishankar briefed Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong on the issues between India and Canada during the India-Australia Foreign Ministers Framework Dialogue.

From our point of view, the key issue is really the space which is being given to extremism and radicalism in Canada, Jaishankar told reporters at a joint press conference with Wong.

He highlighted that India shares a strong relationship with both India and Canada.

So, it was important that Australia get our perspective on the issue, Jaishankar said.

Since Trudeaus remarks in the Canadian Parliament, India and Canada have expelled a senior diplomat each. India has also forced parity in diplomatic presence at Canadian missions here leading to the withdrawal of 41 diplomats.

India has said that Canada had not provided any evidence to back Trudeaus claims.

If you have a reason to make such an allegation, please share the evidence with us. We are not ruling out an investigation and looking at anything which they may have to offer. They havent done so, Jaishankar said during a visit to the UK last week.

With inputs from PTI
EU chief Charles Michel made an unannounced visit to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Tuesday, the tenth anniversary of the start of the pro-European Maidan protest movement.

Good to be back in Kyiv, among friends, the president of the European Council posted on social media, alongside a picture of him descending from a train.
Germanys Interior Ministry has urged Muslim groups in the country to condemn Hamas deadly attack on Israel on October 7 and support Israel.

Germany is home to over 5.5 million Muslims, making it the second-largest religious group in the country.

I expect the Muslim organisations to clearly position themselves and uphold their responsibilities in society, interior minister Nancy Faeser said in an interview with German broadcaster ARD.

The groups need to clearly condemn the attack by Hamas, and not just with a yes, but, she said.

It must be very clear, we stand by Israels side, added Faeser.

She further said that some Muslim groups in the nation have lived up to their responsibilities while others have not.

The voices defending our values must get louder, said the minister ahead of a conference gathering German politicians, Muslim groups and representatives of the Christian and Jewish communities.

The two-day-long meeting will focus discussions on how to battle rising antisemitism and Islamophobia in the country.

Israel-Hamas war update
Germany on Tuesday announced 1.3 billion euros ($1.4 billion) more in military gear for Ukraine in its fight against Russia, including four further IRIS T-SLM air defence systems as well as artillery ammunition.

The package was unveiled by Defence Minister Boris Pistorius after talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov in Kyiv.

Germany is the second biggest contributor of military equipment to Ukraine, and Pistoriuss visit to Kyiv was his second since he became defence minister at the start of the year.

The IRIS-T systems are highly sought after by Ukraine to shoot down Russian drones and missiles.

The latest four pledged by Germany mark the third batch of IRIS-T systems that Berlin is offering to Ukraine since the beginning of the war.

Three IRIS-T systems from the first batch have already been delivered, and a fourth will follow in this winter. A second batch of four will arrive in 2024.
Indias Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ruchira Kamboj on Monday said that India has always advocated for the resumption of direct negotiations towards establishing a sovereign, independent and viable state of Palestine living within secure and recognised borders side by side at peace with Israel.

Addressing the United Nations General Assembly during informal discussions on the humanitarian situation in Palestine, Kamboj said, India has had a consistent position of achieving a just, peaceful and lasting solution to the Israel-Palestine issue. India has always advocated the resumption of direct negotiations towards establishing a sovereign, independent and viable state of Palestine living within secure and recognised borders side by side at peace with Israel.

#WATCH | At the UNGA informal discussions on the humanitarian situation prevailing in Gaza, Permanent Representative of India to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj says, India welcomes all efforts by the international community that strive towards de-escalation of the conflict and pic.twitter.com/LSjE6M8zJU  ANI (@ANI) November 21, 2023

Welcoming the international efforts to ensure further de-escalation of the conflict, Kamboj said that India opposes terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and is clearly against violence.

India welcomes all efforts by the international community that strive towards a de-escalation of the conflict and enables the delivery of urgent humanitarian assistance to the people of Palestine, she said.

The message from our leaders has been clear and consistent  we are firmly opposed to terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, clearly against violence and are on the side of adherence to international humanitarian law and ensuring that further escalation is prevented, humanitarian aid delivery continues, all hostages are released unconditionally and all parties work towards an early restoration of peace and stability. Towards this, we also welcome efforts for humanitarian pauses, added the diplomat.

Kamboj highlighted that India has already delivered 70 tonnes of disaster relief materials, including medicines and medical supplies, to the people of Palestine.

We are also firm in our commitment to provide humanitarian aid to the people of Palestine and have already delivered 70 tonnes of disaster relief materials including 17 tonnes of medicines and medical supplies in two tranches and our humanitarian support continues. Similarly, India continues to play an active role as Member of the Advisory Commission of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), she said.

Israel announced war against Hamas after it launched attack on Israel on October 7 and killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, with around 240 people taken hostage, according to Israeli officials.

Meanwhile, amid the ongoing situation in Gaza, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will host the BRICS groups of nations to convene a virtual BRICS Extraordinary Joint Meeting on Monday, the South African President Office said.

In a major development, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres will also participate in the virtual meeting.

As per the press statement, in the meeting, the South African President will deliver an opening speech, followed by speeches from invited states and members on the current humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Later in the meeting, a joint statement on the situation in the Middle East with particular reference to Gaza will be adopted.

Leaders of BRICS countries, Brazil, Russia, India and China  will join the virtual Extraordinary Meeting with invited BRICS leaders of Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates, said the press statement.

With inputs from agencies
A top intel official reportedly warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the threat posed by his judicial overhaul plans that encouraged Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas to take military action against Israel.

Israeli newspaper Haaretz quoted Brigadier General Amit Saar, the head of the Israel Defense Forces Military (IDF) Intelligence Research Department, saying that he had first appealed to Netanyahu on March 19, a week before Knesset was due to approve the judicial overhaul bill. This was also the time when Defense Minister Yoav Gallant was fired for calling to pause the overhaul.

Saar sent a second letter to the Israeli prime minister on July 16, a week before the parliament approved the reasonableness bill curtailing the judiciarys review powers.

All the players in the [security] system note that Israel is in a serious, unprecedented crisis, which threatens its cohesion and weakens it. For our main enemies  Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas  this weakness is an expression of a linear process ending with Israels collapse, and the current situation is an opportunity to accelerate and deepen its troubles, Saar wrote in his first letter.

The intel officer also warned that political divisions within Israel were leading the country to try to refrain from a security escalation, and allowing the risks against it to grow.

What is Israels new law on judicial overhaul?

Earlier this year, Israels Parliament passed a new legislation that rolled back some Supreme Court powers.

At the time, Netanyahu said the changes were needed to rein in an over-interventionist court, but critics accused him of authoritarianism.

The new legislation is an amendment that removes one, but not all, of the tools the Supreme Court has for quashing government and ministers decisions. Up until now, if the court deemed an executive decision unreasonable, it could void it. Once the bill is in effect, judges will no longer be able to do this, though they will still be able to rule against the government based on other legal grounds.

With inputs from agencies
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees on Tuesday welcomed Indias $2.5 million donation, saying that the generous contribution has come at a difficult time given the situation, especially in Gaza.

Since its inception in 1950, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) carries out direct relief and work projects for registered Palestine refugees. Nearly all of its funding comes from voluntarily donations from UN members.

According to the Representative Office of India in Ramallah, India donated $2.5 million to UNRWA on Monday as part of its yearly contribution of $5 million for the fiscal year 20232024. This money will support the agencys core programmes and services, which include relief, healthcare, education, and social services for Palestinian refugees.

The contribution was handed over by the Representative of India (ROI) to Palestine, Renu Yadav, to the Director of Partnerships, Department of External Relations of UNRWA, Karim Amer.

The ROI underlined Indias continued support for the agencys activities in the region and the services it provides to Palestinian refugees during the handover ceremony at UNRWAs field office in Jerusalem, an official press release said.

Spokesperson for UNRWA, Tamara Alrifai, told PTI that the agency received a very generous contribution from India yesterday (Monday), which is most welcome during these difficult times and in the face of huge needs across the region, particularly in Gaza.

The UNRWA has been struggling to provide basic services to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians since the 7 October Israel-Hamas conflict which has prompted more than two-thirds of the Gaza population of approximately 2.3 million to flee their homes.

Earlier on 19 November, India had delivered 32 tonnes of humanitarian assistance to the people of Palestine via the El-Arish Airport in Egypt. Since 2018, India has given $27.5 million to UNRWA.

During an Extraordinary Virtual Ministerial Pledging Conference for UNRWA held on June 23, 2020, India announced that it would contribute $10 million to UNRWA over the next two years.

Prior to the war in Gaza, UNRWA was already facing an increased demand for services resulting from a growth in the number of registered Palestine refugees, the extent of their vulnerability, and their deepening poverty. The agency is mandated to provide assistance and protection to some 5.6 million Palestine refugees registered with it across its five fields of operation.

Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank, including East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip achieve their full human development potential, pending a just and lasting solution to their plight. UNRWA services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, protection, and microfinance among Palestinian refugees.

During the first-ever Indian Prime Ministers visit to Palestine in February 2018, India increased its annual financial contribution fourfold to the UNRWA core budget, from $1.25 million to $5 million.

India has also made a strong appeal to other traditional donors of UNRWA to consider enhancing their contributions as well as to non-donor member states to consider contributing to the agency in solidarity with the Palestine refugees.

With inputs from agencies
In a joint effort to bolster security ties, Russia and India are currently engaged in naval exercises in the Bay of Bengal.

Despite concerns from the United States regarding Indias collaboration with Russia amid Moscows offensive in Ukraine, the two nations aim to comprehensively develop and strengthen naval cooperation.

Moscows defense ministry emphasized that the purpose of these exercises is to enable the Russian and Indian navies to jointly counter global threats and ensure the safety of civilian shipping in the Asia-Pacific region.

The drills, scheduled to conclude on Wednesday, involve ships from Russias Pacific Fleet, notably the Admiral Tributs anti-submarine destroyer. India, navigating its economic and security interests in both Russia and the West, has strategically maintained a careful balance between the conflicting sides.

Despite refraining from sanctioning Moscow over the Ukraine offensive, India has benefitted from discounted Russian oil supplies.

Simultaneously, India and the United States launched a joint military exercise named VAJRA PRAHAR at Umroi in Meghalaya.

This three-week exercise, facilitated by the Indian Army and US Army Special Forces, aims to exchange best practices and experiences in joint mission planning and operational tactics.

Initiated in 2010, this 13th edition of the Indo-US Joint Special Forces exercise involves planning and rehearsing Special Operations, Counter Terrorist Operations, and Airborne operations in simulated conventional and unconventional scenarios in mountainous terrain.

Key highlights of VAJRA PRAHAR include combat free fall insertion of troops, water-borne insertion of troops, precision engagement of targets at long ranges, and combat air controlling of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft.

This exercise serves as a platform for the exchange of ideas, sharing best practices, enhancing interoperability, and strengthening defense cooperation between the armies of India and the United States.

(with inputs from agencies)
Israel-Hamas War LIVE Updates

Israeli strike kills 3 south Lebanon

According to Lebanese official media and the channel, Al Mayadeen, an Israeli strike near the Israeli border on Tuesday killed two journalists employed for a Lebanese TV station and a third individual.

Al Mayadeen said that the strike had been carried out on purpose since the TV team was known to be pro-Palestinian and pro-Iran's regional military alliance. The incident took place close to the town of Tir Harfa, about a mile from the Israeli border.

Israel was also held accountable, according to Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who said in a statement that Israel was trying to muzzle the media with the strike.

Along the border, fighting broke out between Israel and Hezbollah, a Lebanese organisation backed by Iran, following an attack on
Israel, that has been in war with Hamas, Tuesday listed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) as terror organisation to symbolise the marking of 15th year of commemoration of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

To symbolise the marking of the 15th year of commemoration of the Mumbai terror attacks, the state of Israel has listed Lashkar-e-Taiba as a Terror Organisation, Israeli embassy in India said in a statement.

Israel said listing has been done by them without any request from India.

Despite not being requested by the Government of India to do so, the state of Israel has formally completed all necessary procedures and has satisfied all required checks and regulations to the result of introducing Lashkar-e-Taiba into the Israeli list of illegal terror organisations, the Israeli embassy said.

Why has Israel listed LeT as a terror organisation?

Israel elaborated its decision to list LeT as a terror group, saying, while it only lists terror organisations who are actively operating against it from within or around its borders, or in a similar manner to India  those globally recognised by UNSC (United Nations Security Council) or the US state department; the Israeli ministries of defense and foreign affairs, have jointly worked in the last few months towards an expediated and extraordinary listing of the Lashkar-e-Taiba organisation on this date, to highlight the importance of a Unified Global Front in combating terrorism.

Lashkar-e-Taiba is a deadly and reprehensible terror organisation, responsible for the murder of hundreds of Indian civilians as well as others. Its heinous actions on November 26, 2008, still reverberate in force, through all peace seeking nations and societies, the Israeli embassy said.

The state of Israel offers its sincere condolences to all victims of terrorism and to the survivors and bereaved families of the Mumbai attacks, including those in Israel. We stand with you united in the hope for a better peaceful future, the Israeli embassy added.

A total of 166 people, including six Americans, were killed and another 238 were injured in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks in which 10 Pakistani terrorists laid a siege for over 60 hours, attacking and killing people at iconic and prominent locations in the financial capital of India, Mumbai.

The attackers also targeted the Chabad House, a Jewish community center in Mumbai.

The move to designate LeT as a terror organisation comes amid Israels ongoing conflict with Palestinian terror organisation  Hamas.

The development also comes at a time when Israel has asked India to designate Hamas as a terrorist entity.

In October, Israeli ambassador to New Delhi Naor Gilon said stressed on the need for proscribing Hamas as a terrorist organisation following the attacks on Israeli cities on October 7 in which thousands of Hamas terrorists entered towns in Israel and killed over 1,400 people.

The important countries for us are with us. These are the democracies of the world. Having said thatI think it is also time to officially designate Hamas in India as a terror organisation, Gilon had said.

With inputs from agencies
In advance of a Tuesday parliamentary vote in the African nation that will determine the future of the Israeli embassy, Israel has called its ambassador to South Africa, Eliav Belotserkovsky, back to Jerusalem for consultations.

Tensions over the Israeli war on Gaza have recently increased in the diplomatic ties between the two nations. President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa has previously stated that his nation thinks Israel is killing thousands of Palestinians in Gaza and committing war crimes and genocide there.

Israels ministry of foreign affairs posted late on Monday on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying, The Ambassador of Israel to Pretoria has been recalled to Jerusalem for consultations following the latest South African statements.

This occurred prior to a motion to close the Israeli embassy and sever all connections with Israel until a cease-fire is put into effect in Gaza being put to a vote in the South African parliament.

The African National Congress, which is in power, as well as a few other minor parties, support the motion that the leftist opposition party Economic Freedom Fighters submitted.

South Africa declared last week that it had requested an investigation into what it considered to be Israels genocide in Gaza from the International Criminal Court. On Monday, the countrys cabinet requested that the ICC issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Given that much of the global community is witnessing the commission of these crimes in real time, including statements of genocidal intent by many Israeli leaders, we expect that warrants of arrest for these leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, should be issued shortly, South African minister in the presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, told reporters Monday.

Earlier this month, South Africa recalled its ambassador to Israel and withdrew all its diplomatic staff from the country.

The conflict will also be the subject of a virtual meeting of BRICS countries on Tuesday, which will be attended by leaders of the bloc, including Ramaphosa, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The economic bloc was formed by Brazil, Russia, India and China in 2009 and added South Africa in 2010. Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Egypt and Ethiopia are also set to enter BRICS.

The Israel-Hamas war erupted after the Palestinian militant groups surprise attacks on Israel on Oct.7, which killed about 1,200 people. Israels retaliatory strikes on Gaza have so far killed more than 12,700 people, according to Palestinian health authorities.

(with inputs from agencies)
In light of mounting indications that a deal to free the hostages who were kidnapped by Hamas militants and brought to the Gaza Strip over six weeks ago may soon be reached, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called a meeting of his military cabinet on Tuesday.

We are moving forward. Without going into any detail, Netanyahu told the reservists, I dont think its worth saying too much, not at least not right now, but I hope there will be good news soon.

In light of developments in the matter of the release of our hostages, his office announced, he would meet with his war cabinet at 6 p.m. (1600 GMT), and then with his larger security cabinet and the entire cabinet.

When the entire cabinet convenes at 8 p.m. (1800 GMT), two far-right members of Netanyahus administration declared they would vote against the agreement, though it was not anticipated that they would sway the outcome.

For days, rumours of an impending hostage exchange have circulated. According to Israels count, during Hamas Oct. 7 incursion into Israel that resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people, the organisation grabbed roughly 240 captives, including children and elderly individuals.

Netanyahus office announced it was calling a meeting of the directors general of all key government departments to plan for the treatment and assistance of the captives, indicating it expected them to return shortly.

According to a U.S. official briefed on the talks mediated by Qatar, the agreement calls for the exchange of 150 Palestinian inmates for 50 hostages, the majority of whom are women and children, and a four- to five-day ceasefire.

Maintaining military pressure is the best approach to get a favourable agreement, according to Bezalel Smotrich, the finance minister, and Itamar Ben-Gvir, the minister of national security, the two far-right members of Netanyahus government.

(With agency inputs)
According to Lebanese official media, an Israeli strike near the Israeli border on Tuesday killed two journalists employed for a Lebanese TV station and a third individual.

Al Mayadeen said that the strike had been carried out on purpose since the TV team was known to be pro-Palestinian and pro-Irans regional military alliance. The incident took place close to the town of Tir Harfa, about a mile from the Israeli border.

Israel was also held accountable, according to Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who said in a statement that Israel was trying to muzzle the media with the strike.

After Hezbollahs Palestinian affiliate Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7, fighting broke out along the border between Israel and the Iranian-backed Lebanese organisation.

Israeli tolls from the Hamas strike indicate that 1,200 Israelis were killed. In response, Israel invaded and bombed the Gaza Strip, killing at least 13,300 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run administration in the region.

The violence along the Israel-Lebanon border has intensified, escalating Western concerns about a Middle East conflict that might involve both Iran and the United States.

The violence at the border is at its worst since Israel and Hezbollah fought a war in 2006; almost 70 Hezbollah members, 13 civilians from Lebanon, seven Israeli forces, and three Israeli citizens have died as a result of it.

(With agency inputs)
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has allegedly been quoted as saying the government should just let people die during the COVID-19 pandemic rather than impose a second national lockdown, the inquiry into how Britain handled the global health crisis heard on Monday.

Patrick Vallance, who was the governments chief scientific adviser during COVID-19, made a note in his diary on October 25, 2020, about a meeting involving then Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Sunak, who was finance minister.

The diary entry shown to the inquiry recorded how Dominic Cummings, Johnsons most senior adviser during the pandemic, had relayed to Vallance what he said he had heard at the meeting.

Vallance quoted Cummings in his diary as saying: Rishi thinks just let people die and thats okay. This all feels like a complete lack of leadership.

A spokesperson for Sunak said the prime minister would set out his position when he gives evidence to the inquiry rather than respond to each one in piecemeal.

The inquiry is examining the governments response to the coronavirus pandemic that shut large sections of the economy and killed more than 220,000 people in Britain. It is due to run until the summer of 2026.

Senior government officials have repeatedly said the government was unprepared for the pandemic and a toxic and macho culture hampered the response to the health crisis.

The danger for Sunak is that evidence at the inquiry undermines his attempt to cast himself as a change to the chaotic leadership of Johnson even though he was one of the most senior ministers in that government.

Previous evidence has shown he was branded Dr. Death by one government scientific adviser over his Eat out to Help out policy in the summer of 2020, which subsidised meals in pubs and restaurants but was criticised by health experts for spreading the virus.
Hamas has threatened to repeat October 7 attack on Israel. Not just this, the Palestinian terrorist organisation is also inciting the people of West Bank Bank to attack Israeli and take part in terrorist activity.

According to a report by Memri, the West Bank branch of Hamas student organisation has posted a message, calling on the people to emulate the October 7 attack.

The terrorist organisation also posted a graphic showing terrorists with their face masked, crossing a fence and raiding an Israeli locality.

The settlements are our targets. Let us storm them, [operating] singly or in groups, and let them taste the might of our resistance, read the text accompanied by the graphic shared the Islamic Bloc.

The posts were shared by Hamas on Telegram channels in which the terrorist organisation has also asked people of West Bank to storm in Israeli localities within their reach to emulate the October 7 attack and also incite terrorism as well as provide operational advice on carrying out effective attacks.

In another post, shared recently on Telegram, Hamas wrote, Ambushes of death await you.

The graphic alongwith the post showed armed terrorists preparing to attack an Israeli locality, with the text, You have no security. Most of our resistance fighters are lying in wait for you. The [West] Bank is not a playground for the settlers.

However, earlier on Tuesday (21 November), Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said his organisation was nearing a truce agreement with Israel.

We are close to reaching a deal on a truce, Haniyeh said in a post on Telegram.

Negotiators have been working to seal a deal to allow the release of around 240 mostly Israeli hostages seized on 7 October, during the suprise and unprecedented attack on Israel which has been deadliest in its history.

Intense negotiations mediated by Qatar, where Hamas has a political office and where Haniyeh is based, have been under way.

On Sunday, Qatars prime minister said a deal to free some of the hostages in return for a temporary ceasefire hinged on minor practical issues.

The following day (on Monday), US President Joe Biden said he believed a deal to free the hostages was close.

With inputs from agencies
Indian-origin Canadian Member of Parliament Chandra Arya on Monday shared a purported video of a pro-Khalistani supporter giving a call to hold a demonstration at the Hindu Laxmi Narayan Mandir in Surrey next Sunday, claiming that all this is being done in the name of freedom of speech and expression just to create trouble.

In a post of X, Arya said, Last week Khalistan supporters verbally abused a Sikh family outside a Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey BC according to some reports. Now it appears the same Khalistan group want to create trouble at the Hindu Laxmi Narayan Mandir in Surrey. All these are being done in the name of freedom of speech and expression.

Last week Khalistan supporters verbally abused a Sikh family outside a Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey BC according to some reports.

Now it appears the same Khalistan group want to create trouble at the Hindu Laxmi Narayan Mandir in Surrey.

All these are being done in the name of https://t.co/szTznICBo0  Chandra Arya (@AryaCanada) November 20, 2023

He said that he has asked Canadian authorities multiple times to step in and take action as allowing these activities openly and publicly is unacceptable.

Like a broken record, I am again asking Canadian authorities to step in and take action. Hindu temples have been attacked many times during the last couple of years. Hate crimes are being committed against Hindu-Canadians. Allowing these things to continue to be done openly and publicly is not acceptable, he added.

This is not the first time such threats have been issued and temples attacked in Canada by Khalistani extremists.

In August this year, a Hindu temple was vandalised in Canada by extremist elements with Khalistan referendum posters in August this year.

The poster on the temple gate referred to and also had the picture of Khalistan Tiger Force chief and designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was killed in June this year.

Earlier in April, BAPS Swaminarayan temple was vandalised with anti-India graffiti in Windsor, in Canadas Ontario.

In February, the Ram Mandir in Canadas Mississauga was vandalised with anti-India graffiti. The Consulate General of India in Toronto condemned the defacing of the mandir and requested Canadian authorities to investigate the incident and take prompt action against the perpetrators.

In January, a Hindu temple in Brampton was defaced with anti-India graffiti, triggering outrage among the Indian community.

The Consulate General of India in Toronto condemned the vandalism at the Gauri Shankar Mandir, stating that the act has deeply hurt the sentiments of the Indian community in Canada.

Meanwhile, the ties between India and Canada have soured after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, during a debate in the Canadian Parliament, claimed his countrys national security officials had reasons to believe that agents of the Indian government carried out the killing of Canadian citizen Nijjar, who also served as the president of Surreys Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara.

India, however, had outrightly rejected the claims, terming them absurd and motivated. Notably, Canada has yet to provide any public evidence to support the claim about the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Nijjar, who was a designated terrorist in India, was gunned down outside a Gurdwara, in a parking area in Canadas Surrey, British Columbia, on 18 June.

With inputs from agencies
In the face of escalating sea levels and a dire shortage of drinking water, President Mohamed Muizzu of the Maldives has abandoned relocation plans for citizens.

The president has reportedly pledged to combat the encroaching waves through extensive land reclamation and the construction of elevated islands. However, environmental and rights groups caution that these policies may heighten the risks of flooding.

Maldives, renowned for its pristine white sand beaches and coral reefs, is grappling with the urgent realities of the climate crisis. Former President Mohamed Nasheed had, 15 years ago, forewarned of the possibility of the Maldives becoming the worlds first environmental refugees in need of relocation.

Nasheed proposed acquiring land in neighboring countries such as India, Sri Lanka, or even Australia.

President Muizzu, seeking $500 million in foreign funding to shield vulnerable coastlines, asserts that Maldivians will remain in their homeland, dismissing the need for external land procurement. He emphasizes self-sufficiency and proposes expanding living and economic spaces through land reclamation.

While President Muizzu advocates for sea walls to designate certain areas as safe islands, approximately 80% of the Maldives lies less than a meter above sea level. The fate of the picturesque beach islands, vital for the tourism industry that contributes nearly one-third of the nations economy, remains uncertain.

The UNs Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned in 2007 that rising sea levels could render the Maldives virtually uninhabitable by the end of the century.

Already, the Maldives is contending with the consequences of increased salt levels contaminating drinking water. Former Environment Minister Shauna Aminath reveals that every inhabited islet in the archipelago depends on costly desalination plants due to the depletion of freshwater sources.

President Muizzu, a British-educated civil engineer, proposes expanding beyond the densely populated capital, Male, with ongoing reclamation projects having increased the nations landmass by approximately 10% in the past four decades. However, concerns arise as environmental and rights groups accuse authorities of neglecting environmental regulations, leading to rushed and inadequately mitigated reclamation projects.

In a damning report, Human Rights Watch points to instances such as the burial of 70% of mangroves on Kulhudhuffushi and damage to coral reefs in the Addu reclamation project. Environmental advocates stress the need for careful consideration in reclamation efforts to prevent further harm to island communities and the delicate ecosystems surrounding the Maldives.

(with inputs from agencies)
A majority of Taiwanese do not consider the United States a trustworthy country, despite expressing belief in Washingtons security commitment to the island, according to a recent survey conducted by National Chengchi University in Taipei.

According to South China Morning Post, the annual survey, which polled 1,211 Taiwanese adults in September, found that only 34 per cent agreed that the US is trustworthy, maintaining the same level as the previous year when it fell from 43.4 per cent in 2021.

Yet as American credibility remained stable, more than 50 per cent did not deem the US trustworthy in the survey of 1,211 Taiwanese adults conducted in September, although China fared significantly worse.

Analysts attribute this skepticism to the unfolding events in Ukraine and how the US government responded to Russias invasion.

We suspect that the drop may have come from the occurrence of the Ukraine war and how the United States government responded, South China Morning Post quoted Hsin-Hsin Pan, a member of the survey team at Taipeis Soochow University, as saying.

Washingtons handling of Russias invasion of Ukraine indicates to many Taiwanese how the US might respond if Beijing were to engage in armed conflict with the island, Pan added.

Despite the mixed views on the US, perceptions of China were consistently negative.

Only 9.3 per cent of respondents considered China trustworthy, a slight decrease from last years 9.4 per cent and 13.5 per cent in 2021. China considers Taiwan a renegade province and has asserted its intention to reunite it with the mainland, even if force is necessary.

While the US does not officially recognise Taiwan as an independent country and adheres to a one-China policy, the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 legally binds Washington to provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character and maintain the capacity to resist any form of coercion.

President Joe Biden has reiterated the US commitment to intervene militarily should China use force against Taiwan.

The survey also indicated strong support for American arms sales to Taiwan, with over 65 per cent of respondents expressing approval. Approximately 57 per cent believed that the US would use force to assist Taiwan if Beijing attempted to unilaterally change the status quo.

The findings highlight a notable gap between the overall credibility of the US and the credibility of its security commitment to Taiwan. Analysts emphasise that more people are willing to assign credibility to the US security commitment to Taiwan than to the US overall.

Regarding the question of whether Taiwan and China belong to the same country, about 78 per cent of those polled rejected this idea.

Notably, more than 50 per cent of Kuomintang party members or supporters, who generally favor closer ties with Beijing, also asserted that Taiwan and China are not part of the same country. This suggests a disconnect between the KMT party stance and the beliefs of its support base.

As Taiwan approaches its presidential election scheduled for January 13, the political landscape is becoming increasingly complex.

The election is expected to focus on local health and welfare issues, as well as relations with Beijing and the islands sovereignty.

With regional tensions rising, the outcome of the election is seen as a potential turning point for the islands future relations with China and the United States. The winning party will play a crucial role in shaping the trajectory of these relationships amidst evolving geopolitical challenges.

With inputs from agencies
Vicky's Vlog: Global Media Congress in Abu Dhabi

By Wang Zi (People's Daily App) 13:16, November 21, 2023

The second edition of the Global Media Congress opened on Tuesday in Abu Dhabi, the capital city of United Arab Emirates (UAE), with the theme of Facilitating global business connections and brand reinvention in the new media landscape. What did it look like? Come check it out!

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
Myanmar authorities have handed over 31,000 telecom fraud suspects to China since law enforcement officers from both countries launched a crackdown on online scams in September, Chinese authorities said on Tuesday.

The suspects included 63 financiers and ring-leaders of crime syndicates that have cheated Chinese citizens of large sums of money, the Ministry of Public Security said in a statement.

The crackdown has achieved significant battle results, the ministry said.

More than 100,000 people engage in telecom fraud each day in at least 1,000 scam centres in Myanmar, which shares a border with southwest China, Chinese state media has reported.

The Chinese police started to crack down on the fraud in September and this month, police launched what they said were swift attacks on crime gangs in Myanmar.

The Myanmar ringleader of a gang died by suicide last week while on the run from Myanmar authorities, Chinese police said. Three members of his gang were later handed over to Chinese police.

With telecom scams in Myanmar targeting Chinese citizens surging, Assistant Foreign Minister Nong Rong visited Myanmar this month, saying China was ready to work with Myanmar on tackling cross-border crime including online gambling.

Nong also said China supported Myanmar in maintaining stability on their common border as Myanmars junta battled insurgents in the area.

Myanmars ruling military is facing attacks on multiple fronts in its borderlands as an alliance of ethnic minority insurgent groups combines with pro-democracy fighters to challenge the juntas rule.

China has been playing a constructive role in its own way to promote peace talks and urge relevant parties to put the interests of the people first, cease fire and end war as soon as possible, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday.
North Korea has fired what it claims is a military spy satellite, Seouls armed forces said Tuesday, hours after Japan confirmed that Pyongyang had warned it of an imminent launch.

North Koreas previous efforts to put a spy satellite into orbit in May and August both failed, and Seoul, Tokyo and Washington had repeatedly warned Pyongyang not to proceed with another launch, which would violate successive rounds of UN resolutions.

North Korea has fired what it claims is a military surveillance satellite in a southwards direction, South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

Japan also confirmed the launch, with Prime Minister Fumio Kishidas office posting on X: North Korea has launched a suspected ballistic missile.

Space launches and ballistic missiles have significant technological overlap, experts say, and Pyongyang is barred by UN resolutions from any tests involving ballistic technology.

Tokyo warned residents in the southern region of Okinawa to take shelter, but soon lifted the alert, saying the projectile had passed into the Pacific.

Seoul has been saying for weeks that Pyongyang was in the final stages of preparation for another spy satellite launch.

Kang Ho-pil, chief director of operations at the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Monday that Seouls military would take necessary measures to guarantee the lives and safety of the people if the launch went ahead.

The office of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hinted earlier Tuesday that it would consider suspending the 19 September military agreement  a key deal aimed at de-escalating tensions on the peninsula  in response.

The launch came earlier than expected, as North Korea had on Tuesday informed Japan that it would launch a satellite between Wednesday and 1 December.

The launch that came hours before its time window notification seems to underscore two things: Pyongyangs confidence in success and intention to maximise surprise factor to the outside world, Choi Gi-il, professor of military studies at Sangji University, told AFP.

Russian help

Seouls spy agency this month warned Pyongyangs next launch effort was likely to be more successful than its first two efforts, as the North appeared to have received technical advice from Russia, in return for sending at least 10 shipments of weapons for Moscows war in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested in September after meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that his nation could help Pyongyang build satellites.

Seoul and Washington have both subsequently claimed Pyongyang has been shipping weapons to Russia, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warning this month that military ties between North Korea and Russia were growing and dangerous.

Successfully putting a spy satellite into orbit would improve North Koreas intelligence-gathering capabilities, particularly over South Korea, and provide crucial data in any military conflict, experts say.

In a commentary carried by the Norths official Korean Central News Agency Tuesday, Ri Song Jin, a researcher of the National Aerospace Technology Administration, slammed South Koreas own spy satellite plans, saying they were extremely dangerous military provocations.

Seoul plans to launch its first spy satellite via a SpaceX rocket later this month, South Korean officials have said.

This shows that the North needs practical and effective capabilities of space-based reconnaissance and surveillance as a key way of exercising the war deterrent more clearly and promoting the strategic security balance in the region, KCNA said.

North Korea has conducted a record number of weapons tests this year.

Seoul, Washington and Tokyo have ramped up their defence cooperation in response, and on Tuesday a US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the USS Carl Vinson, arrived at South Koreas Busan Naval Base.
According to South Korea and Japan, North Korea launched a rocket on Tuesday that was reportedly carrying a satellite. This would be Pyongyangs third attempt this year to launch its first spy satellite into orbit.

After two unsuccessful efforts to launch what it claimed to be spy satellites earlier this year, North Korea had already informed Japan that it intended to send up a satellite between Wednesday and December 1.

Seoul and Tokyo officials stated that they were unable to confirm whether a satellite had been launched into orbit right away.

The launch on Tuesday will be the first since Russian President Vladimir Putin promised to assist Pyongyang in building satellites during a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in September at Russias state-of-the-art space complex.

Officials from South Korea have stated that this endeavour most likely involved technical support from Moscow as part of an expanding collaboration that has seen North Korea transport millions of artillery shells to Russia. North Korea and Russia have acknowledged no such arms sales, but they have made public commitments to greater cooperation.

The rocket was fired towards the south from the Tongchang-ri area, which is home to the Norths major Sohae satellite launch complex, according to the South Korean military. It is thought to be carrying a reconnaissance satellite.

In order to protect citizens in the south from the potential threat of a North Korean missile, the Japanese government issued an emergency warning.

Using its emergency radio system, the Japanese government advised Okinawan citizens to seek shelter underground or within buildings. NHK, the public broadcaster cited a Japanese defence ministry official as saying that the missile was likely to be a satellite.

Later, it claimed that at approximately 10:55 p.m., the missile appeared to have flown over and past Okinawa in the direction of the Pacific Ocean, and it cancelled its emergency alert.

Citing a researcher at the nuclear-armed states space agency, North Korean state media KCNA stated on Tuesday that it was the nations sovereign right to bolster its military might against the U.S.-led space surveillance system and that Pyongyangs creation of military satellites was justified.

Japans Fumio Kishida reiterated to media upon reaching the prime ministers office that North Koreas launch was a breach of resolutions from the U.N. Security Council and a threat to the security of Japanese citizens.

(With agency inputs)
Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong announced that her country will host the Indian Ocean Conference in Perth in February next year.

The conference will serve as a platform to address practical solutions for the significant challenges facing the region.

Wong expressed her pleasure at the confirmation during a joint press briefing with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar as part of the India-Australia Foreign Ministers Framework Dialogue.

The Indian Ocean Conference, inaugurated in 2016 in Singapore with participation from 30 countries, has evolved into a consultative forum for regional countries to discuss matters of mutual interest.

Emphasising the importance of collaboration, Wong highlighted shared concerns such as climate change, maritime security, and ocean health during her discussions with Jaishankar in New Delhi.

Wong also unveiled an Australia-Indian Audio Visual Coproduction agreement aimed at fostering collaboration in the film and series industry.

Acknowledging the comprehensive strategic partnership and Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) membership, Wong stressed the shared commitment to a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. She expressed gratitude for Indias collaboration in the G20 and pledged continued engagement with China based on cooperation, disagreement when necessary, and pursuit of national interests.

With inputs from ANI
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr announced the commencement of joint maritime and air patrols in the South China Sea with the United States military on Tuesday.

Marcos characterised this move as a significant initiative, emphasising the deepening ties between the two defence treaty allies this year.

As part of this collaboration, the Philippines has decided to nearly double the number of bases accessible to the US military, including those facing Taiwan, reported Reuters.

This significant initiative is a testament to our commitment to bolster the interoperability of our military forces in conducting maritime and air patrols, Marcos said.

The announcement follows Marcoss statement in Hawaii a day earlier, where he described the situation in the South China Sea as more dire than it was before, citing the Chinese militarys proximity to the Philippine coastline.

The decision to conduct joint patrols is expected to provoke China, which has previously cautioned the Philippines against engaging in activities with the United States that could escalate regional tensions.

China claims most of the South China Sea through a nine-dash line that stretches as far as 1,500 km (900 miles) south of its mainland, cutting into the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of rival claimants such as Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, according to Reuters.

Relations between the Philippines and China have deteriorated under Marcos, marked by repeated standoffs in disputed waters and heightened rhetoric, raising concerns about a potential escalation.

With inputs from agencies
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said that there is real momentum in the India-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership as he and his Australian counterpart Penny Wong concluded the 14th Foreign Ministers Framework Dialogue in Delhi.

#WATCH | External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar says We have just concluded the 14th Foreign Ministers Framework Dialogue. We had a very good discussion which really covered a very large number of subjects. We took stock of where our ties are. We reviewed the progress meet on pic.twitter.com/f5ruJ6IerT  ANI (@ANI) November 21, 2023

Addressing a joint press briefing alongside Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong, Jaishankar said, We have just concluded the 14th Foreign Ministers Framework Dialogue. We had a very good discussion which really covered a very large number of subjects. We took stock of where our ties are. We reviewed the progress meet on different initiatives, especially the follow-up with the first annual summit which took place between our Prime Ministers this year. There is real momentum in the India-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership.

Acknowledging the presence of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in India during the G20 Summit in September, Jaishankar extended his thanks to FM Wong for Australias strong and consistent support during Indias G20 presidency.

He said he and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday held the second India-Australia 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministers dialogue along with Australian Deputy PM Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Wong, which turned out to be very productive.

#WATCH | External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar says Yesterday, Defence Minsiter and I held the 2nd India-Australia 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministers dialuge along with Deputy PM Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong. It was a very productive 2+2. There are many pic.twitter.com/u7O2w1N4Xq  ANI (@ANI) November 21, 2023

There are many firsts in our (India-Australia) relationship this year. We have made a new beginning with the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the economic cooperation and trade agreement has entered into force and this is the first year, we are seeing its impact which has been very positive on our trade, said the foreign minister.

When our PM went to Australia, we established little India in Sydney. We saw new consulate Generals on both sides, Australians in Bengaluru, we are opening ours in Brisbane. More direct flight connections, the opening of the first Australian university campuses in India, an agreement on mutual recognition of educational qualifications migration and mobility arrangement. Today amongst other things, we also highlighted the importance of moving on the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement, the CECA negotiations, he added.

Jaishankar said the two countries also discussed the Quad at length and there is an inclination to push the envelope to find new convergences and fresh areas of cooperation.

EAM Dr S Jaishankar addresses a joint press briefing with Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong in Delhi We discussed the Quad at some length today. Quad has made enormous progress in the last few years. There is a broad range of issues we are cooperating on. pic.twitter.com/diD6UBqwBZ  ANI (@ANI) November 21, 2023

We discussed the Quad at some length today. Quad has made enormous progress in the last few years. There is a broad range of issues we are cooperating on. There is an inclination to push the envelope to find new convergences and fresh areas of cooperation. Todays discussion was around what more we can do to add to the Quad, said Jaishankar.

Talking about the discussion on security issues, Jaishankar said India shared growing convergences with Australia and at the heart of it was a shared commitment to a free, open, inclusive, prosperous and rules-based Indo-Pacific region.

Penny Wong and I also spoke about terrorism, radicalism and extremism. We have cooperated very closely in forums, including the FATF. In terms of regional and global issues, we discussed in great detail what is the current situation in West Asia or the Middle EastWe discussed Southeast Asia, ASEAN, where we actually approach it literally from the 2 ends. We would continue to work towards a rules-based international order. We will support freedom of navigation in international waters, and promote connectivity, growth, and security for all while respecting the territorial integrity, said the minister.

On current diplomatic relations between India and Canada discussed with Australia, Jaishankar said, Yes, I spoke about it to Minister Wong today. Australia has a good strong relationship with both our countries. So, it was important that Australia get our perspective on the issue. From our point of view, the key issue is really the space which is being given to extremism and radicalism in Canada.

#WATCH | On current diplomatic relations between India & Canada discussed with Australia, EAM Dr S Jaishankar says, Yes, I spoke about it to Minister Wong today. Australia has a good strong relationship with both our countries. So, it was important that Australia get our pic.twitter.com/hAvhdjzzL4  ANI (@ANI) November 21, 2023

Meanwhile, Australian FM informed the reporters that Australia will be hosting the Indian Ocean Conference in Perth in February next year.

We discussed among other things our work in the Indian Ocean Region and how we can collaborate on climate change, maritime security and health of the oceans. Australia and India share a lot Australia will host the Indian Ocean Conference in Perth in February next year, Wong said.

On Australia-China relations, Wong said, China is a country with whom we will continue to engage. In the way which we describe,  we will cooperate where we can, we will disagree where we must and we will engage in our national interests.

#WATCH | On Australia-China relations, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong says, China is a country with whom we will continue to engage. In the way which we describe,  we will cooperate where we can, we will disagree where we must and we will engage in our national pic.twitter.com/K5U1WkotC8  ANI (@ANI) November 21, 2023

With inputs from agencies
Russia said on Tuesday it fended off Ukraines attempts to get to the occupied eastern bank of the southern Kherson region and claimed Kyivs army had suffered colossal losses.

The Ukrainian army said last week it had pushed Russian forces back three to eight kilometres (two to five miles) from the banks of the Dnipro River, which would have been their first meaningful advance in months.

All attempts by the Armed Forces of Ukraine to conduct a landing operation in the Kherson area have failed, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said at a roundtable meeting with officials.

Thanks to the pre-emptive actions of our military the Ukrainian forces are suffering colossal losses, he added.

AFP was not able to independently verify the military situation in the Kherson region.

But some pro-Kremlin military bloggers published reports contradicting Shoigus statements.

And the Russian-installed governor of the Kherson region Vladimir Saldo admitted last week dozens of Ukrainian troops had established positions around the tiny eastern bank village of Krynky.

If confirmed, the advances would be an important breakthrough for Ukraine, which has staged multiple attempts to cross the Dnipro river.

The waterway has become a de-facto frontline between the two sides since Moscow retreated from the western bank in November 2022.

Crossing it would be a step towards creating a land bridge to the annexed Crimean peninsula.

But many analysts say the territory controlled by Ukrainian troops is small and would be difficult to transform into a real breakthrough.
In a quaint village in the Netherlands, the unassuming St Matthias church became the unexpected stage for a groundbreaking revelation in mammalian mating.

Surveillance cameras captured serotine bats engaged in a unique mating behaviour, challenging established norms and prompting researchers to reconsider the intricacies of reproduction.

Unveiling the Unconventional: Bats Mating Without Penetration

As per reports, a black-and-white video footage showed entwined serotine bats in a frantic manner hitherto unknown in the mammalian world. What sets this footage apart is the absence of penetration, a phenomenon known as intromission in the realm of reproductive science.

This unexpected discovery is believed to be the first documented evidence of any mammal engaging in mating without penetration.

The Anatomical Puzzle of Serotine Bats

Serotine bats, scientifically known as Eptesicus serotinus, have long puzzled scientists due to their unique anatomy. The male bat possesses an unusually large erect penis, featuring a heart-shaped head that is seven times wider than the females vagina. The sheer size raised questions about the mechanics of copulation, leading researchers to consider two scenarios.

Two Scenarios Under Scrutiny: Copulatory Tie or Cloacal Kiss?

Scientists speculated whether the male bats penis becomes engorged only inside the vagina, creating a copulatory tie, or if bats engage in contact mating akin to the cloacal kiss observed in birds. Until now, such contact behaviour had never been observed in mammals

From Spam to Scientific Revelation: The Journey of Bat Footage

The journey towards this scientific revelation began with an email in Dutch, initially flagged as spam, containing the word penis and the Latin name for the serotine bat. The email, sent by Jan Jeucken, a bat monitor at St Matthias Church, included the peculiar video footage.

Subsequent communications from a bat rehabilitation centre in Kharkiv, Ukraine, provided additional footage, bringing the total to 97 mating events for analysis.

Decoding Bat Behavior: Video Analysis and Anatomical Examinations

Analysis of the videos revealed that none of the males engaged in penetrative sex. Instead, they utilised their oversized penises as a tool to push aside the females tail membrane and make contact with the vulva.

This non-penetrative mating process involved some fumbling but persisted for an average of around an hour, with some instances lasting nearly 13 hours.

Anatomical examinations of live serotine bats confirmed the remarkable proportions of the penis and highlighted sensory hairs on the heart-shaped head.

Future Investigations and the Bat Porn Box

While the footage doesnt definitively prove non-penetrative sex, observations of fluid on female abdomens suggest attempts at sperm deposition. Scientists plan to swab females after mating and are developing a bat porn box to capture mating couples from multiple angles, deepening our understanding of this unconventional reproductive behavior.

Scientific Community Reacts: A Paradigm Shift in Bat Reproduction

Experts, including Dr. Nicolas Fasel from the University of Lausanne, expressed surprise at this unprecedented discovery. Some skeptics, like Prof Paul Racey from the University of Exeter, questioned the viability of mating without intromission, hinting at the potential waste of semen.

However, the scientific community acknowledged the need for open-mindedness in light of recent revelations about bat sexual behaviour.

With inputs from agencies
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and First Lady Kim Keon Hee commenced a three-day state visit to the UK on Tuesday, marking the inaugural visit hosted by King Charles III since his coronation in May.

Yoon and his wife, who arrived in Britain on Monday, will experience an elaborate itinerary during the visit, beginning with a ceremonial welcome from Charles and Queen Camilla on Tuesday.

The day includes a private lunch at Buckingham Palace, a visit to Westminster Abbey and Parliament, and culminates in an evening state banquet at the palace.

The trip will also be about business, with Yoon and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak set to agree on deepening cooperation and launch negotiations on an upgraded free-trade deal.

Trade and investment is expected to be a key focus of the visit, with trade secretaries from both countries preparing to sign an agreement to launch the negotiations for an upgraded modern, world-leading Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on Wednesday, said Downing Street.

President Yoon is scheduled to address parliament on Tuesday, emphasising the symbolic importance of the visit and Londons recognition of Seoul as a key partner in global cooperation and the Indo-Pacific region.

Yoons speech will cover bilateral ties and future strategies to strengthen the relationship, according to Reuters.

The economic cooperation between the UK and South Korea will focus on science and technology, with an emphasis on expanding business opportunities and high-tech industry supply chains. Notable business figures, including Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai Motor chief Chung Eui-sun, will accompany President Yoon.

Ahead of the visit, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak highlighted the natural partnership between the UK and South Korea as nations focused on innovation and new technologies. The UK seeks to expand exports in digital, business, and financial services, with ministers eyeing an enhanced free trade agreement.

With inputs from agencies
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed that he has lost count of the number of assassination attempts made against him since Russia unleashed a full-scale invasion of the country on 24 February 2022.

I really dont know, Zelenskyy said to The Sun when he was asked to precisely tell how many plots he survived.

Speaking to the UK-based newspaper at his fortified Kyiv headquarters, Zelenskyy recalled that the first plot to kill him was like the first outbreak of COVID.

But after that, they were not so bad, he said.

The first one is very interesting, when it is the first time, and after that it is just like COVID, the Ukrainian president said.

First of all people dont know what to do with it and its looking very scary, he added.

And then after that, it is just intelligence sharing with you detail that one more group came to Ukraine to [attempt] this, Zelenskyy said.

Russia still wants to very much topple Zelenskyy

The Ukrainian president also said almost two years later, Russia still wants very much to topple him from power.

He even claimed to know the codename of Russias latest mission to oust him and its deadline of the end of the year.

The name of the operation is Maidan 3, Zelenskyy said.

It is meant to change the president. Its bye bye. Maybe its not by killing. I mean its changing. They will use any instruments they have, he added.

So thats the idea, to the end of the year. They have even named the operation. But you see we can live with it, the Ukrainian president said.

Zelenskyy recounted the first day of Russias invasion in February last year, where Putins special forces parachuted into Kyiv to kill. The Ukrainian president said his bodyguards sealed off his office with makeshift barricades and bits of plywood.

Zelenskyy also said he rejected offers from officials of Britain and the US to evacuate him, saying, I need ammo, not a ride.

Elections illegal under martial law

Zelenskyy ruled out holding elections in Ukraine that had been due to take place in 2024, stressing that it was illegal under martial law, impossible because of the war and would divide the country when people were focused on fighting Russia.

Zelenskyy also refused to be drawn on whether or not Ukraine had carried out its own assassinations in reply to Russias attempts on his life.

I cant discuss with you any special operations of Ukrainian intelligence or Secret Service or of some special forces, he said.

There are some moments which we are not discussing. Not only inside Russia, there are things we are not discussing on our temporarily occupied territories, Zelenskyy said.

War with Russia not a movie

Zelenskky vowed to fight on and insisted that the war with Russia was not a movie.

Thats war, and Ukraine has all the rights to defend our land, he said.

We need more successful results on the battlefield, Zelenskyy said, but denied his top generals claims that the war had reached a stalemate.

In the morale, there is no stalemate. We are at our home. Russians are on our land. Therefore there is no stalemate in this. As regards the sky, there is no stalemate. Russians have more power in that. And really, how to move forward when you cant control the sky? the president said.
In light of Israel-Hamas war, experts in cybersecurity noted a substantial increase in the number of internet-connected honeypots in Israel. These honeypots, fabricated networks designed to attract hackers, have become a crucial component in the ongoing conflicts digital landscape.

Honeypots, commonly employed by cybersecurity firms and governments, serve as bait to identify and observe hackers activities on controlled decoy networks. Despite the tangible, physical clashes between Israel and Hamas, the year 2023 reveals a digital facet to every conflict, with the deployment of honeypots aiding in understanding hackers strategies amid the ongoing crisis.

John Matherly, the founder of Shodan, a search engine for exposed devices and networks, reported a surge in the number of honeypots in Israel, with these imitating a diverse array of products and services. The goal is not to mimic specific devices but to detect any malicious activity across the country.

Matherly indicated that the rise began in September and has continued to escalate, with most honeypots focused on running web servers. Notably, theres a concentration on monitoring broad-scale attacks rather than specifically targeting industrial infrastructure assaults.

Piotr Kijewski, CEO of the Shadowserver Foundation, confirmed a significant uptick in deployed honeypots in Israel post-October 7, propelling the country into the top three globally for the number of deployed honeypots. Before the conflict, Israel wasnt even in the top 20.

According to a report, the exact entity behind this surge in honeypot deployment remains unclear. However, strategically, deploying honeypots could provide Israel with a tactical advantage, enabling them to monitor online activities of adversaries.

Silas Cutler, a resident hacker at cybersecurity firm Stairwell, affirmed the tactical sense in deploying honeypots during a conflict, citing a similar approach during the early months of the war in Ukraine. Cutler explained that deploying infrastructure for observation becomes crucial in gaining insights into the heightened background noise of internet exploitation during such turbulent times.

Despite these developments, the party responsible for deploying the honeypots across Israel and the specific motivations behind it remain undisclosed. Requests for comments from the Israel Defense Forces have not received a response as of yet.
Two journalists covering the violence along the Israeli border for Beiruts Al-Mayadeen TV were killed on Tuesday by an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon, according to the Lebanese information minister and their TV station.

A Lebanese civilian was also killed in the strike, the station reported.

The journalists, identified as Farah Omar, a correspondent, and Rabih Maamari, a cameraman, were martyred by treacherous Israeli targeting, according to Pan-Arab Al-Mayadeen TV, which is politically aligned with the militant Lebanese group Hezbollah. The broadcaster further stated that it was an airstrike.

It was direct targeting. It was not a coincidence, said Ghassan bin Jiddo, director of the TV channel, holding back his tears in a live broadcast. They join the martyrs of Gaza, he said.

Bin Jiddo said a man from the village, whom he identified as Hussein Akil, was also killed.

Last week, the Israeli government blocked Al-Mayadeen TV news channel from broadcasting in Israel.

Lebanese Information Minister Ziad Makary called the strike on the journalists outrageous.

The Israeli military said it was looking into the matter.

Local media reported several Israeli strikes on South Lebanon Tuesday.

Lebanese State-run National News Agency said Israels military struck the outskirts of the villages of Teir Harfa and Majdal Zoun in South Lebanon. It also reported that another strike on a home in the border village of Kfar Kila killed a woman, Laiqa Serhan, 80, and wounded her granddaughter who was taken to hospital for treatment.

Israeli shelling on southern Lebanon on Oct. 14, killed Reuters videojournalist Issam Abduallah and wounded other journalists from Frances international news agency, Agence France-Presse, and Qatars Al-Jazeera TV.

The Lebanon-Israel border has been witnessing daily exchange of fire between members of the militant Hezbollah group and Israeli troops. The clashes began a day after the Palestinian militant Hamas group carried out a deadly attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking more than 240 hostages.

Israel has since carried out a wide-scale military campaign in the Gaza Strip killing more than 12,700 people.

(With inputs from agencies)
Leader Jean-Pierre Lacroix of the United Nations peacekeeping force, who advocates for an expanded toolkit to protect civilians in increasingly complex territory, stated that the presence of peacekeepers, whose shortcomings can frustrate local populations, is not a magic wand for conflict zones.

About 90,000 so-called Blue Helmets serve under the UN flag in 12 different operations, ranging from Lebanon to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and from South Sudan to the Western Sahara.

As in Mali, where the government has forced UN peacekeepers to leave, or the DRC, where some locals have expressed hostility, these missions do not always have unanimous support on the ground.

However, according to UN under-secretary-general for peace operations Lacroix, the peacekeepers safeguard hundreds of thousands of civilians every day, as stated in an interview with AFP.

He acknowledged that, depending on available resources, budget, terrain, and logistical constraints, these protection mandates occasionally raise expectations that we cannot meet.

Those who are not protected become frustrated by it, and those who would prefer the continuation of chaos manipulate these resentments.

As per Lacroix, nations where UN peacekeepers are stationed are confronted with the weaponization of fake news and disinformation.

Would things be better there if there were no such missions? In most cases, it would probably be much worse, he stated.

But it doesnt mean that peacekeeping operations are the magic wand, or the universal response to every kind of crisis.

The 15-member UN Security Council authorizes the Blue Helmets in supporting political processes that lead to sustainable peace, Lacroix said.

But today we have a more divided Security Council, with members that dont put their weight behind the political processes associated with UN peacekeeping, he added.

Lacroix hopes a December 5-6 ministerial meeting in Ghana will prompt a recommitment by members toward the global bodys peacekeeping missions.

 Peace enforcement? 

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has already urged reconsideration of the future of such operations, particularly where there is no peace to keep.

Blue Helmets can protect civilians when a ceasefire is already in place. UN peacekeepers do not do peace enforcement, Lacroix said.

They are not counter-terrorist units, or anti-gang forces.

Yet they are deployed in environments that are becoming more dangerous, he said, where non-state actors, armed groups, private security companies, crime syndicates and people involved in terrorism have little interest in creating peace.

The idea then of making room for complementary but non-UN missions is gaining ground.

The international community and multilateral system need a more diverse set of tools and responses to address widening challenges, Lacroix stressed.

New forms of peacekeeping operations to better address the drivers of conflict such as the impact of climate change or transnational criminal activities, peace enforcement operations conducted by the AU (African Union) or other regional (or) sub-regional organization, we need all of that, he said.

Could such forces serve as models in Gaza, after the Israel-Hamas war?

The jury is out.

I think there are millions of scenarios that one can imagine for a security mission in the ravaged Palestinian territory, Lacroix said. But its very hypothetical up to now.

However missions look in the future, their immediate challenge is finding funding, and volunteers.

After a year of equivocation, the Security Council last month finally approved deployment of a multinational force, led by Kenya, to help restore security in crime-plagued Haiti. Nairobi pledged 1,000 police but wants other members to help cover the cost.

(with inputs from agencies)
The negotiations to free hostages captured by Hamas since the terrorist groups attack on Israel on October 7 have reached their closest point to a deal and have also reached the final stage, Qatar has said.

We are at the closest point we ever had been in reaching an agreement, foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said, adding negotiations have reached a critical and final stage.

Qatar, the negotiator between Israel and Hamas, has brokered a deal to free over 240 hostages in exchange for a temporary ceasefire. So far, with Qatars deliberation, only four hostages have been released.

We are very optimistic, very hopeful, Al-Ansari told a briefing.

But we are also very keen for this mediation to succeed in reaching a humanitarian truce, he said.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that the return of all the Israelis taken hostage by Hamas is the sacred and supreme mission.

Returning our hostages is a sacred and supreme mission  to which I am committed. We will not let go of the mission to return them, and it is my responsibility as well as the war cabinets, he said.

The chief of Hamas on Tuesday that the Palestinian militant group was near a truce agreement with Israel, even as the deadly assault on Gaza continued and rockets were being fired into Israel.

Hamas officials were close to reaching a truce agreement with Israel and the group has delivered its response to Qatari mediators, Ismail Haniyeh said in a statement sent to Reuters.

With inputs from agencies
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that we are making progress on the return of hostages Hamas seized during the 7 October attacks, after mediators said a truce deal was in sight.

I hope there will be good news soon, Netanyahu told Israeli soldiers at a military base in the north of the country.

Shortly afterwards, his office released a statement saying that in light of the developments regarding the release of our hostages, the war cabinet, security cabinet and the government will meet in succession on Tuesday evening.

The comments came after the leader of Hamas  which according to Israel killed around 1,200 people and seized about 240 hostages in the attacks  and key mediator Qatar both said a truce agreement with Israel was in sight.

Sources from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said the tentative agreement would include an exchange of hostages and Palestinian prisoners along with a five-day truce.

The deal tabled is comprised of a complete ceasefire on the ground in the Gaza Strip and an end to Israeli air operations over the Palestinian territory, except in the north, where they would only halt for six hours daily, sources from the allied militant groups said.

In retaliation for the 7 October attacks, Israel launched a relentless bombing campaign and ground offensive in the Gaza Strip.

According to the Hamas government, the war has killed more than 13,300 people, thousands of them children.

Netanyahu made no reference to a ceasefire in his comments.

We want to restore security, we will act and achieve the return of security to both the south and the north, he said.

I want to salute you and tell you that we continue until victory, he told the troops in the north where Israel borders Lebanon.
The World Health Organisation expressed sadness that evacuating patients would deprive Palestinians of a lifeline, but on Tuesday it said that three hospitals in the Israeli-besieged northern Gaza region had asked for assistance and that preparations were being made for that.

In the Israel-Hamas conflict, hospitals have been bombarded. All hospitals in northern Gaza have essentially stopped operating properly, while some patients who were unable to escape and displaced Gazans are still housed there.

Right now, three hospitals in the north have requested to be evacuated; the key question is, where to? WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier stated at a Geneva press conference that there is no safe space and that hospitals in the south were already overcrowded and experiencing a shortage.

He claimed that hospital employees made the requests out of concern for their own lives.

That means the situation on the ground has grown so dire that the only other alternative is facing what they think is certain death as the hospitals are under attack, he stated.

Removing someones access to health care is like taking away their final option and their last shred of humanity. And thats exactly whats taking place at the moment.

According to him, there were three hospitals  Al Ahli Hospital, Indonesian Hospital, and Al Shifa  where several babies had already been saved.

He continued, At this point, its just in the planning stages with no further details, adding that thorough coordination with conflicting parties was necessary to ensure the convoy did not

(With agency inputs)
In the ongoing Epic v. Google trial, The Verge reveals that Spotify secured a unique deal with Google for Android-based payments. According to Googles global partnerships head, Don Harrison, Spotify paid no commission for subscriptions through its system, but 4% if users chose Googlea significant reduction from Googles 15% fee.

Googles Effort to Keep Numbers Private

Google aimed to keep Spotifys numbers confidential during the antitrust battle with Epic, citing potential harm to negotiations with other app developers. The User Choice Billing program, launched in 2022, reduces the Play Store commission by about 4%, often resulting in minimal savings for developers.

Spotifys Unique Deal Justification

Don Harrison emphasized Spotifys unparalleled popularity as the reason for a bespoke deal, stating that if Spotify didnt work well on Android, people might avoid buying Android phones. The agreement included a $50 million commitment from both companies to a success fund.

Googles Response and Other Developer Deals

Google acknowledged the unique arrangement with Spotify and noted that some developers might have different fees in broader partnerships. However, specific developers receiving better rates were not disclosed. It was revealed during the trial that Google offered Netflix a 10 percent discount, but Netflix declined and now avoids in-app purchases on Android.

Spotifys History of Fee Complaints

Spotify, dissatisfied with in-app purchase fees, dropped support for Apples App Store billing in mid-2023 to avoid a potential 30% commission. While Epic continues its legal battle, Spotify seems to have found a less complicated and cost-effective resolution with Google.

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National

AP

Rosalynn Carter, outspoken former first lady, dies at 96

Former first lady Rosalynn Carter has died at the age of 96

ATLANTA

Former first lady Rosalynn Carter, the closest adviser to Jimmy Carter during his one term as U.S. president and their four decades thereafter as global humanitarians, has died at the age of 96.

The Carter Center said she died Sunday after living with dementia and suffering many months of declining health. The statement said she died peacefully, with family by her side at 2:10 p.m. at her rural Georgia home of Plains.

Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished, the former president said in the statement. She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.

President Joe Biden called the Carters an incredible family because they brought so much grace to the office.

He had this great integrity, still does. And she did too, Biden told reporters as he was boarding Air Force One on Sunday night after an event in Norfolk, Virginia. God bless them. Biden said he spoke to the family and was told that Jimmy Carter was surrounded by his children and grandchildren.

Later, the White House released a joint statement from the president and first lady Jill Biden saying that Carter inspired the nation. She was a champion for equal rights and opportunities for women and girls; an advocate for mental health and wellness for every person; and a supporter of the often unseen and uncompensated caregivers of our children, aging loved ones, and people with disabilities, the statement added.

Reaction from world leaders poured in throughout the day.

The Carters were married for more than 77 years, forging what they both described as a full partnership. Unlike many previous first ladies, Rosalynn sat in on Cabinet meetings, spoke out on controversial issues and represented her husband on foreign trips. Aides to President Carter sometimes referred to her  privately  as co-president.

Rosalynn is my best friend ... the perfect extension of me, probably the most influential person in my life, Jimmy Carter told aides during their White House years, which spanned from 1977-1981.

The former president, now 99, remains at the couples home in Plains after entering hospice care himself in February.

Fiercely loyal and compassionate as well as politically astute, Rosalynn Carter prided herself on being an activist first lady, and no one doubted her behind-the-scenes influence. When her role in a highly publicized Cabinet shakeup became known, she was forced to declare publicly, I am not running the government.

Many presidential aides insisted that her political instincts were better than her husbands  they often enlisted her support for a project before they discussed it with the president. Her iron will, contrasted with her outwardly shy demeanor and a soft Southern accent, inspired Washington reporters to call her the Steel Magnolia.

Both Carters said in their later years that Rosalynn had always been the more political of the two. After Jimmy Carters landslide defeat in 1980, it was she, not the former president, who contemplated an implausible comeback, and years later she confessed to missing their life in Washington.

Jimmy Carter trusted her so much that in 1977, only months into his term, he sent her on a mission to Latin America to tell dictators he meant what he said about denying military aid and other support to violators of human rights.

She also had strong feelings about the style of the Carter White House. The Carters did not serve hard liquor at public functions, though Rosalynn did permit U.S. wine. There were fewer evenings of ballroom dancing and more square dancing and picnics.

Throughout her husbands political career, she chose mental health and problems of the elderly as her signature policy emphasis. When the news media didnt cover those efforts as much as she believed was warranted, she criticized reporters for writing only about sexy subjects.

As honorary chairwoman of the Presidents Commission on Mental Health, she once testified before a Senate subcommittee, becoming the first first lady since Eleanor Roosevelt to address a congressional panel. She was back in Washington in 2007 to push Congress for improved mental health coverage, saying, Weve been working on this for so long, it finally seems to be in reach.

She said she developed her interest in mental health during her husbands campaigns for Georgia governor.

I used to come home and say to Jimmy, Why are people telling me their problems? And he said, Because you may be the only person theyll ever see who may be close to someone who can help them, she explained.

After Ronald Reagan won the 1980 election, Rosalynn Carter seemed more visibly devastated than her husband. She initially had little interest in returning to the small town of Plains, where they both were born, married and spent most of their lives.

I was hesitant, not at all sure that I could be happy here after the dazzle of the White House and the years of stimulating political battles, she wrote in her 1984 autobiography, First Lady from Plains. But we slowly rediscovered the satisfaction of a life we had left long before.

After leaving Washington, Jimmy and Rosalynn co-founded The Carter Center in Atlanta to continue their work. She chaired the centers annual symposium on mental health issues and raised funds for efforts to aid the mentally ill and homeless. She also wrote Helping Yourself Help Others, about the challenges of caring for elderly or ailing relatives, and a sequel, Helping Someone With Mental Illness.

Frequently, the Carters left home on humanitarian missions, building houses with Habitat for Humanity and promoting public health and democracy across the developing world.

I get tired, she said of her travels. But something so wonderful always happens. To go to a village where they have Guinea worm and go back a year or two later and theres no Guinea worm, I mean the people dance and sing  its so wonderful.

In 2015, Jimmy Carters doctors discovered four small tumors on his brain. The Carters feared he had weeks to live. He was treated with a drug to boost his immune system, and later announced that doctors found no remaining signs of cancer. But when they first received the news, she said she didnt know what she was going to do.

I depend on him when I have questions, when Im writing speeches, anything, I consult with him, she said.

She helped Carter recover several years later when he had hip replacement surgery at age 94 and had to learn to walk again. And she was with him earlier this year when he decided after a series of hospital stays that he would forgo further medical interventions and begin end-of-life care.

Jimmy Carter is the longest-lived U.S. president. Rosalynn Carter was the second longest-lived of the nations first ladies, trailing only Bess Truman, who died at age 97.

Eleanor Rosalynn Smith was born in Plains on Aug. 18, 1927, the eldest of four children. Her father died when she was young, so she took on much of the responsibility of caring for her siblings when her mother went to work part time.

She also contributed to the family income by working after school in a beauty parlor. We were very poor and worked hard, she once said, but she kept up her studies, graduating from high school as class valedictorian.

She soon fell in love with the brother of one of her best friends. Jimmy and Rosalynn had known each other all their lives  it was Jimmys mother, nurse Lillian Carter, who delivered baby Rosalynn  but he left for the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, when she was still in high school.

After a blind date, Jimmy told his mother: Thats the girl I want to marry. They wed in 1946, shortly after his graduation from Annapolis and Rosalynns graduation from Georgia Southwestern College.

Their sons were born where Jimmy Carter was stationed: John William (Jack) in Portsmouth, Virginia, in 1947; James Earl III (Chip) in Honolulu in 1950; and Donnel Jeffery (Jeff) in New London, Connecticut, in 1952. Amy was born in Plains in 1967. By then, Carter was a state senator.

Navy life had provided Rosalynn her first chance to see the world. When Carters father, James Earl Sr., died in 1953, Jimmy Carter decided, without consulting his wife, to move the family back to Plains, where he took over the family farm. She joined him there in the day-to-day operations, keeping the books and weighing fertilizer trucks.

We developed a partnership when we were working in the farm supply business, Rosalynn Carter recalled with pride in a 2021 interview with The Associated Press. I knew more on paper about the business than he did. He would take my advice about things.

At the height of the Carters political power, Lillian Carter said of her daughter-in-law: She can do anything in the world with Jimmy, and shes the only one. He listens to her.

Ceremonies celebrating the life of Rosalynn Carter will take place after the Thanksgiving holiday in Atlanta and Sumter County, Georgia, the Carter Center announced Sunday evening.

The repose on Nov. 27, at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, is open to the public. A private funeral and interment will take place Nov. 29 but the services will be broadcast on TV and streamed online, the center said.
Issue Date: 20th November 2023

Gardai in Tipperary are appealing to the public for information following an incident which occurred on a train operating between Limerick Colbert and Limerick Junction stations, on Thursday afternoon, 16th November 2023.

The incident occurred on a train that departed Colbert at 4.50pm and arrived at approximately 5.20pm at Limerick Junction.

A number of passengers on board the train came to the assistance of the injured party at the time. Gardai are now requesting that they make contact with them.

Anyone with information in relation to this matter that can assist Gardai with their investigation is asked to contact Tipperary Town Garda Station on 062 80670, or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.
Google Is Developing Cubes, a New Feature That Serves as a Dashboard for All Your Android Apps News oi -Kabir Jain

Google is reportedly developing a feature called Cubes that aims to change how Android users organize and engage with their apps. The feature is expected to act as a unified dashboard, providing users with a categorized view of information from all of their apps on their Android devices.

Evolution of Cubes

Cubes first made an appearance in January, raising speculation about Google's efforts to enhance app categorization. Although initially leaked through beta programs, Google swiftly concealed the feature. Recent updates in the Google Play Store have brought to light key aspects of Cubes, shedding light on its potential impact.

The Cubes Interface

Cubes is anticipated to be directly linked to the user's Google account, akin to the Play Store. Screenshots reveal multiple categories such as Social, Shopping, Games, Read, Food, and more, all accessible from a single dashboard. Users can select apps based on their specific needs, streamlining the app discovery process.

Home Screen Widget

Google seems to be working on a home screen widget for Cubes, providing users with instant access to app categories with a single click. Notably, users will have control over which apps to display in each category, ensuring a personalized experience.

Code Breadcrumbs and Shopping Integration

Code teardowns and leaks suggest that Cubes could aggregate information across various apps on a user's phone, presenting it in a categorized manner. The presence of shopping cart-like functionality hints at a potential integration that could allow users to directly shop for items through Cubes.

Unveiling the Mystery

While Google has not officially acknowledged Cubes, glimpses from code breadcrumbs and interface leaks paint a promising picture. The backend system is still under development, indicating that the full potential of Cubes may take some time to unfold.

Turns out I was right. Cubes act as a central hub of information shown from different apps across different categories. You will be able to choose apps to show content from. What I found after digging through Play Store code is that you may be able to shop for things directly...  AssembleDebug (@AssembleDebug) November 16, 2023

Anticipating the Future

The development of Cubes aligns with the evolving usage patterns of smartphone users. As attention spans decrease with the rise of short videos, Cubes could become a pivotal feature in the Android operating system. Its potential debut might coincide with beta versions of Android 15 in the coming year.

Via

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Oppo Reno 11 5G Full Specs Confirmed ahead of Launch: Reno 11 Series Pricing Leaked News oi -Carlsen Martin

The Oppo Reno 11 series is arriving in China later this week. The line-up is expected to include the Oppo Reno 11 and Reno 11 Pro. According to reports, a Reno 'Pro Plus' model won't be joining the fray for the moment.

The Reno 11 series has already been listed on Oppo Mall in China. However, the Oppo Reno 11 series was recently spotted on China Telecom confirming key specifications and pricing of the Reno 11 series.

Oppo Reno 11 Series Launch Date

The Oppo Reno 11 series launch date in China is set for later this week, on November 23. The Oppo Reno 11 launch event will be livestreamed on the company's official Weibo account from 02:00 pm local time or 11:30 am IST.

Oppo will also unveil the Pad Air 2 Android tablet alongside the Reno 11 series. The Oppo Reno 11 series launch date in India and globally are yet to be announced, although we believe it will arrive sometime in the first quarter of 2024.

Oppo Reno 11 Series Pricing

According to China Telecom, the Oppo Reno 11 price will start from CNY 2,799 (roughly Rs 33,400) for the base 8GB/256GB model. The Oppo Reno 11 also comes in 12GB/256GB and 12GB/512GB models that will set you back CNY 2,999 (roughly Rs 35,800) and CNY 3,199 (roughly Rs 38,150), respectively.

The Oppo Reno 11 Pro price is expected to start from CNY 3,999 (roughly Rs 47,700) for the base 12GB/256GB model, while the 12GB/512GB variant could be priced at CNY 4,199 (roughly Rs 50,100). The Oppo Reno 11 series will come in Moonlight Gem, Fluorite Blue, and Obsidian Black color options.

Oppo Reno 11 5G Specifications (Expected)

According to the official Oppo website, the Reno 11 5G will be powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8200 SoC paired with up to 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and up to 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage. The phone has also been confirmed to feature a 6.7-inch FHD+ Curved AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a maximum touch sampling rate of 240Hz.

The Oppo Reno 11 5G packs a 4,800 mAh battery that supports 67W wired fast charging. For optics, the Oppo Reno 11 5G boasts a triple-camera setup on the back with a 50 MP primary sensor with an f/1.88 aperture and OIS support. The main camera is paired with a 32 MP telephoto unit and an 8 MP ultrawide lens.

Up front, the Reno 11 5G opts for a 32 MP selfie camera. The Oppo Reno 11 will run Android 14 out of the box with ColorOS 14 on top. The Oppo Reno 11 5G weighs around 184 grams and measures around 7.66mm thick.

Oppo Reno 11 Pro Specifications (Expected)

While there is no information about the Oppo Reno 11 Pro's specifications, the China Telecom listing suggests that it will be powered by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset. It is expected to use the same display as the vanilla Reno 11, although the 'Pro' model could get a slightly smaller 4,700 mAh battery.

Other aspects of the Oppo Reno 11 Pro are the same as its vanilla counterpart, although camera specifications could differ. Additionally, the Oppo Reno 11 Pro is expected to measure 8.26mm thick and weigh 190 grams. Stay tuned to Gizbot for more information about the Oppo Reno 11 series.

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Mon Monday

47 /27

More sun than clouds. Highs in the upper 40s and lows in the upper 20s.
USNS Mercy's visit to Solomon Islands marks 2nd stop of Pacific Partnership 24-1

US Navy

18 November 2023

From Grady Fontana

HONIARA, Solomon Islands -- Pacific Partnership has returned to the Solomon Islands to continue the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR) preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific region, Nov. 18.

The arrival of Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) to Honiara, Solomon Islands, marks the next phase of the Pacific Partnership 24-1 (PP 24-1) mission that will enable participants, including U.S. and Solomon islanders, to work together to enhance disaster response capabilities and foster new and enduring friendships.

"The Pacific Partnership 24-1 mission in the Solomon Islands is crucial as it fosters regional collaboration, strengthens ties, and enhances disaster response capabilities between us while highlighting our mutual commitment toward peace, security and cooperation," said U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Mark A. Melson, Commander, Task Force 73 and executive agent for this year's mission. "It also provides a platform for shared knowledge and resources, between the U.S. Navy and our partners, while building resilience, capacity and interoperability in the event of an HA/DR scenario in the Indo-Pacific region.

At the invitation of host nations, the Pacific Partnership's mission partners conduct tailored humanitarian civic action preparedness activities in areas such as engineering, disaster response, public health, and host nation outreach events.

As part of the mission stop, Pacific Partnership will provide tailored medical care focusing on surgical care, training for first responders, clinical care, subject-matter exchanges, and community education at Honiara, Gizo and Auki. Medical personnel will also provide support for the 2023 Pacific Games, in Honiara.

The PP-24-1 mission in the Pacific Games, namely, the USNS Mercy was invited by host-nation leadership as a result of the success of the previous Pacific Partnership 2022 mission stop in Honiara.

Engineering projects will include renovations at National Referral Hospital (NRH), while experts in the field shared knowledge exchanges with exercises covering HA/DR topics this past September.

Additionally, the U.S. Pacific Fleet Band will perform alongside Australian military musicians in a variety of community engagements.

"Pacific Partnership has an enduring relationship with the Solomon Islands that started in 2007, and being asked to come back and support the medical infrastructure of the Solomon Islands as they host the Pacific Games demonstrates that continued commitment on both sides," said U.S. Navy Capt. Brian Quin, mission commander, Pacific Partnership 24-1. "On behalf of my team, we look forward to deepening our partnership and cooperation the people of the Solomon Islands."

USNS Mercy will serve as the mission platform and a combined team of civil service mariners and uniformed military members make up the crew of Mercy, which can staff up to 1,200 medical personnel.

The hospital ship has all the capabilities found in modern hospitals, such as those in the NRH, and Gizo and Kilu'ufi hospitals, where many PP 24-1 activities will take place.

The ship has 12 fully equipped operating rooms, 1,000 hospital beds, radiological services, a medical laboratory, a pharmacy, optometry facilities, a CT scanner and an oxygen-producing plant.

Pacific Partnership focuses on multiple lines of effort to help build resilience and host nation capacity to support essential humanitarian services.

This year's mission will also feature nearly 1,500 personnel from allies and partner nations including Australia, Chile, the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, and New Zealand.

Born out of the devastation brought by the December 2004 tsunami that swept through parts of South and Southeast Asia, Pacific Partnership began as a military-led humanitarian response to one of the world's most catastrophic natural disasters. Building on the success and goodwill of this operation the U.S. helped spearhead the inaugural Pacific Partnership mission in 2006.

Pacific Partnership, now in its 19th iteration, is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Each year the mission team works collectively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific.





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Press release on the ongoing evacuation of Russian nationals from the Gaza Strip

19 November 2023 15:04

2335-19-11-2023

On November 19, a special Emergencies Ministry flight arrived in Moscow from Cairo bringing the latest group of evacuees from the Gaza Strip, 120 Russian nationals and Palestinians (family members).

At Domodedovo Airport, a Foreign Ministry team provided them with the necessary assistance with paperwork and border and migration control.

In all, 558 out of around 900 Russian nationals and their family members who asked for assistance have been evacuated from the Gaza Strip; 408 of them have already been brought from Egypt to Russia aboard Emergencies Ministry aircraft.

The situation at the Rafah crossing remains complicated. The evacuation of foreign nationals is being conducted in stages, taking into account the ongoing hostilities and the limited capacity of the crossing.

The coordinated work of the Foreign Ministry and Emergencies Ministry crisis centres and other relevant agencies, as well as Russian diplomatic missions in Cairo, Tel Aviv, Ramallah and Doha continues. All the necessary measures are being taken to provide for the prompt and safe evacuation of our citizens from the Gaza Strip.

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USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) Returns to Yokosuka

US Navy

19 November 2023

From Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jordan Brown

YOKOSUKA, Japan -- The U.S. Navy's only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), returned to its forward-deployed port in Yokosuka, Japan, following a six-month deployment in the Indo-Pacific region, Nov. 19.

During the ship's final full deployment as the forward-deployed aircraft carrier, which spanned from early May to late November, Ronald Reagan participated in numerous multi-national integrated military exercises, with participants including the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, Royal Australian Navy, Republic of Korea Navy, and the Indonesian Navy. In November, the Nimitz-class supercarrier also participated in a multi-large deck event with USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), Carrier Strike Group 1, and Japanese Hyuga-class helicopter destroyer, JS Hyuga (DDH 181).

"In their hard work and professionalism throughout this deployment, Ronald Reagan Sailors have stood firm behind our partners and allies," said Capt. Daryle Cardone, commanding officer of Ronald Reagan. "Our mission of maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific is enabled by the trust we continue to build through exercises at sea and cultural exchanges ashore."

Ronald Reagan travelled 56,219 nautical miles and conducted daily flight operations with fixed and rotary-wing aircraft amounting to 1,838 launches and recoveries, and 2,157 rotary wing sorties. Ronald Reagan also conducted maritime security operations, maritime strike training, and replenishments-at-sea and fuelings-at-sea.

During the deployment, the ship made port visits to Vietnam, Republic of Korea and the Philippines, with Sailors participating in 12 community relation events, resulting in 2,016 hours of volunteer service. Sailors also had the opportunity to learn about each countries' culture through cultural exchange events and tours hosted by the ship's Morale, Welfare, and Recreation.

In port, Ronald Reagan will continue to provide presence and act as a deterrence through continuous training and proficiency in warfighting, as well as conduct routine maintenance and upkeep of the ship and her systems.

Upon liberty call, Sailors disembarked the ship in dress blues in an orderly but excited manner. Families and friends filled the pier, holding signs and searching for their Sailor among the thousands of crew members exiting.

"Our Sailors have more than earned their time back home," said Cardone. "In addition to time with loved ones, their time in port is a chance to invest in the incredibly valuable partnership we have with the Japanese people. We are thankful for our relationship and we will continue to forge those bonds, whether at sea or ashore."

The Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group is deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. As the U.S. Navy's largest forward-deployed fleet, 7th Fleet interacts with 35 other maritime nations to build partnerships that foster maritime security, promote stability, and prevent conflict.

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Statement following the Kimberley Process Plenary on conflict diamonds

Global Affairs Canada

Statement

November 20, 2023 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Melanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement:

"On the Kimberley Process's twentieth anniversary year, Canada, a founding member of the Kimberley Process, remains committed to this forum as a means of breaking the link between conflict and diamonds."

"Canada is deeply concerned that the November 2023 Kimberley Process Plenary, held in Victoria Falls from November 6-10, 2023, was unable to discuss an issue at the core of its mandate - how the trade in rough diamonds fuels conflicts. Canada and several other Kimberley Process Participants, including Ukraine, have been calling for Russia's use of rough diamonds to finance its illegal and unjustifiable war of aggression against Ukraine to be addressed for the last two years, but Russia and a few of its allies continue to abuse the consensus mechanism to prevent this important work from moving forward.

"We are disappointed that a communique was not adopted by consensus at the 2023 Plenary, and we will continue to stand by Ukraine in refusing to accept a text that did not reflect a balanced summary of the week's proceedings. This undermines the multilateral body's credibility by failing to publicly report its work in an objective and transparent manner.

"While no communique was adopted, Canada supports the other ongoing work within the Kimberley Process that was advanced during the 2023 Plenary, and will continue to advocate for reform within the Kimberley Process so that the forum can better meet its mandate, including by expanding the definition of "conflict diamond", so that the Kimberley Process's relevance and credibility as a conflict prevention mechanism is maintained."

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Argentina: Statement by HR/VP Josep Borrell on the presidential election

European External Action Service (EEAS)

20.11.2023

EEAS Press Team

The EU congratulates Javier Milei upon his election as President of Argentina.

The people of Argentina voted in democratic, peaceful, orderly elections, which have taken place in the year the country celebrates 40 years of democracy.

The EU and Argentina have built a close, constructive and wide-ranging relationship over the past decades, based on common values.

The incoming government of Argentina, taking office under challenging economic circumstances, can count on the EU to further strengthen our partnership to deliver positive results for our societies, including by finalising negotiations as soon as possible on the EU-Mercosur Association Agreement.

Argentina is an important global player and the EU looks forward to working with the new administration to tackle global challenges.

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The Defence Forces' participation in international training cooperation in 2024

Finnish Ministry of Defence

20.11.2023

Minister of Defence Antti Hakkanen has decided on the Defence Forces' participation in international training cooperation in 2024. In accordance with the Government Programme, Finland actively participates in international exercises.

As a Member of NATO, international exercises will become an increasingly integral part of normal training and exercises in the Finnish Defence Forces. The exercises will improve the ability to lead and implement joint operations with allies as part of Finland's defence and that of NATO.

The plan for international exercises for 2024 includes 103 exercises in Finland and abroad while in 2023, the figure was 89. Some of the exercises that were national in the past will now be international with troops from allied nations taking part.

After Finland joined NATO, the most important change is that Finland will also participate in exercises that develop the operational capability and readiness required for NATO's joint operations. The exercises also test operational plans as part of the Alliance's command and troop structure. Exercises under Article 5 of the NATO Treaty are part of training and exercises.

Led by Norway, Nordic Response will be the most important exercise in 2024 for developing the Defence Forces' operational capability. 14 countries will participate in the exercise, which takes partly place in Northern Finland.

The Defence Forces will provide more detailed information about training and exercises later.

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Sweden scales up support to civilian population in Sudan

Government Offices of Sweden

20 November 2023

Through the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), Sweden is providing an additional SEK 149 million to the civilian population in Sudan. This support will help meet growing humanitarian needs resulting from the armed conflict that broke out in April this year. Parts of the support will also go towards food security and protection of human rights.

The situation of the civilian population in Sudan has deteriorated sharply. An estimated 10 000 people have lost their lives since the armed conflict broke out in April. Around 25 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, which is roughly half of Sudan's population. There is a shortage of food and water, and a number of health care facilities have been forced to close. A food crisis that was already acute has deepened and there are reports of serious abuses against civilians, including sexual and ethnic violence, particularly in the Darfur region.

To address needs in the country, Sweden is scaling up its assistance to Sudan by SEK 149 million. This includes SEK 89 million in additional humanitarian assistance and top-ups of SEK 25 million to improve small-scale farmers' opportunities for self-sufficiency and SEK 35 million to monitor and document human rights abuses.

Sweden's support to the civilian population in Sudan The SEK 89 million in humanitarian assistance from Sida will be provided through the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). Sweden's humanitarian assistance to Sudan in 2023 totals SEK 355 million.



Mercy Corps, a humanitarian organisation, will be allocated SEK 25 million. The organisation's food security programme aims to increase small-scale farmers' opportunities to improve their production and, together with the private sector, enhance their prospects of self-sufficiency. To date, the programme has helped over 31 000 farmers, a large proportion of whom are women. This top-up of SEK 25 million is expected to help reach an additional 10 000 farmers.



SEK 35 million will go to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The OHCHR has maintained its office in Sudan since the fighting broke out and plays a key role in monitoring and documenting human rights abuses. Sida is now extending its agreement with the OHCHR by a year and increasing Sweden's support from SEK 50 million to SEK 85 million.

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ICRC President in Qatar to urge progress to alleviate humanitarian crisis

ICRC - International Committee of the Red Cross

Geneva (ICRC) -- The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) traveled to Qatar on Monday to advance humanitarian issues related to the armed conflict in Israel and Gaza.

News release

20 November 2023

Israel and the occupied territories

President Mirjana Spoljaric met with Ismael Haniyeh, Chair of Hamas' Political Bureau, and separately with authorities of the state of Qatar.

The ICRC continues to appeal for the urgent protection of all victims in the conflict, and for the alleviation of the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza strip. ICRC staff in Gaza have been delivering life-saving assistance, and an ICRC surgical team continues to perform operations. The ICRC is calling for sustained, safe humanitarian access so it can increase its work.

The ICRC has persistently called for the immediate release of hostages. The ICRC is insisting that our teams be allowed to visit the hostages to check on their welfare and deliver medications, and for the hostages to be able to communicate with their families. Agreements must be reached that allow the ICRC to safely carry out this work. The ICRC cannot force its way in to where hostages are held, nor do we know their location.

The ICRC does not take part in negotiations leading to the release of hostages. As a neutral humanitarian intermediary, we remain ready to facilitate any future release that the parties to the conflict agree to, as ICRC staff have already done on two occasions.

The visit by President Spoljaric is a part of the ICRC's direct discussions with all sides to improve respect for international humanitarian law. President Spoljaric has also met multiple times in recent weeks with families of hostages held in Gaza, as well as senior Israeli and Palestinian leaders.

About the ICRC

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a neutral, impartial and independent organization with an exclusively humanitarian mandate that stems from the Geneva Conventions of 1949. It helps people around the world affected by armed conflict and other violence, doing everything it can to protect their lives and dignity and to relieve their suffering, often alongside its Red Cross and Red Crescent partners.

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Press Briefing by IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari November 20th, 20:15

IDF Press Release

Press Briefing

20.11.23



Good evening,

IDF soldiers continue to fight and further their achievements in the Gaza Strip. In the past days, our soldiers have been in frontal battles with terrorists from Hamas' 'Zaytun' Battalion. This is one of the key battalions of the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip. Our soldiers have the upper hand in these battles. Our soldiers located and destroyed much of the battalion's resources, including factories for the production of rockets and weapons, terrorist and intelligence materials, and headquarters. All of which are located inside or near schools, mosques and other humanitarian complexes. This is Hamas' method of operation, to use the civilian population as a human shield. In addition, the soldiers from the 188th Brigade located inside a mosque, a factory that produced weapons and UAVs. I want you to understand - a mosque in the area of Zaytun has been used as a factory for the production of weapons. Soldiers entered the mosque and conducted a search. Working in cooperation with soldiers from the Yahalom unit and after the forces checked that there were no traps, they discovered a tunnel shaft.

In addition to this tunnel shaft, the soldiers went further below and discovered a workshop for making rockets. Terrorists making rockets inside a mosque, taking advantage of Islam and the symbols of Islam in order to produce terrorism. This is how we work, by exposing a lot of weapons, destroying terrorist infrastructure and revealing to the world Hamas' methods of using mosques, schools and hospitals in order to hide its terrorist infrastructure.

Every time, before soldiers engage in combat, the IAF conducts a wide series of strikes directed at removing threats to the ground forces and creating optimal conditions for ground operations. The soldiers continue to advance according to plan. This takes time because of efforts to ensure the security of our soldiers, preliminary action by the IAF, the conducting of searches, and the need to detect explosives and booby-traps. This takes time and it is good that it does, it requires patience and this is how we will continue to act.

This war has stages. We conduct ongoing situational assessments every day. We adjust the deployment of our reservists in some of the IDF's homefront units. We can reduce the number of reservists, and return them home in order to recharge and be ready to return later, This helps the economy, and we can do this because they are in units in the rear. We thereby create conditions that allow us to sustain the fighting over time.

In the north, the IDF struck with fighter jets, combat helicopters and tanks, Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure and eliminated terrorist cells in Lebanese territory. It was a very broad strike in which we eliminated Hezbollah terrorists who fired rockets at us, and a squad that tried to fire anti-tank missiles into Israeli territory. We responded in a very firm manner to the shooting toward our territory. Hezbollah's launches struck Israeli territory. Three aircraft were launched and one hit an outpost. There were no casualties in the north. We have no casualties and we responded very aggressively to these attacks. We are on very high alert in the north and will continue to actively respond.

On the home front, we continue to update the guidelines of the Home Front Command constantly. The guidelines must be followed, they save lives. They are continuously updated. We are making adjustments in the south in regard to learning and also with municipalities where the various learning institutions are open. Keep checking the websites to stay up to date with the guidelines. These guidelines save lives.

So far, we have notified the families of 388 fallen IDF soldiers who have fallen in the battles for the defense of Israel. We embrace the families in their most difficult time, may their memory be blessed.

Today was celebrated worldwide as International Children's Day. At this moment, 40 boys and girls are being held in the Gaza Strip. They were brutally kidnapped from their beds by Hamas terrorists. They are being kept across Gaza, away from their homes. Some are held without their parents, without basic rights. The people responsible for this crime are the Hamas leadership, led by Yahya Sinwar. He is solely responsible for knowing where these children are and is the one responsible for this. We and the entire world have a moral obligation to return these children and all the hostages home. To the families of the hostages - we will do everything, everything to make this happen.

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IDF and ISA Eliminate 3 Additional Hamas Company Commanders; Ground Operations in Gaza Continue

IDF Press Release

Press Release

20.11.23

IDF

Ground operations in the Gaza Strip continue; the IDF and ISA killed three additional company commanders of the Hamas terrorist organization



IDF troops continue to operate in the Gaza Strip, directing aircraft to strike terrorists, terrorist infrastructure, and locating weapons and military equipment.



IDF fighter jets, directed by IDF and ISA intelligence, killed three additional Hamas company commanders.



In addition, IDF troops identified a terrorist cell as they entered a nearby building. As a result of the strike carried out by an IDF aircraft, the terrorists were killed and a weapons depot in which they hid was struck.



Attached is a video of the strike on the terrorist cell and weapons depot: https://bit.ly/47jzW9H



Attached is a video of the IDF ground troops in the Gaza Strip: https://bit.ly/46maPSf



Attached is a video of the IDF strikes in the Gaza Strip: https://bit.ly/3MSw86S



Attached are photos of the IDF operations in the Gaza Strip:

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Gaza experiencing challenging time; sympathy no longer enough: Iran UN envoy

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Nov 20, 2023

New York, IRNA -- Iran's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Amir Saeid Iravani has said that Gaza is experiencing a challenging time, where people are facing unabated war crimes and crimes against humanity by the Israeli regime, adding that sympathy is no longer enough in such a dire situation.

The people of Gaza, who continue to suffer from Israel's vicious war, expect concrete support from the UN, the Iranian envoy said on Wednesday as he addressed the Informal Plenary Meeting of the UN General Assembly on the Humanitarian Situation in the Gaza Strip,

The following is the full text of Iravani's speech at the meeting of the 78th Session of the UNGA in New York City.

Mr. President, let me begin by thanking you for convening this meeting. I would also like to thank all the briefers for their informative remarks.

Gaza is experiencing a challenging time and the people of Gaza facing unabated war crimes, and crimes against humanity by the Israeli regime. The people of Gaza expect concrete support from the United Nations. Their land is still under occupation and they continue to suffer from Israel's vicious war despite worldwide calls for a ceasefire, notably voiced in resolutions adopted by the General Assembly urging an end to hostilities and in appeals from the Security Council for humanitarian pauses. In such a dire situation, sympathy is no longer enough. There is generally an expectation that the content of the Security Council resolution should have included the main elements of the resolution of the General Assembly that was adopted with a majority of 121 votes, especially its key point that there is a most urgent need for an immediate, sustainable and durable truce for civilians.

Regrettably, some members of the Security Council who voted in favor of the General Assembly resolution refused to agree to the amendment that included the demand for a truce in the UNSC resolution to avoid the UNSC resolution being vetoed. Consequently, the adopted resolution lacks an adequate provision for ending the war, which is essential for ceasing Israel's atrocities in Gaza against innocent civilians.

What has happened since the adoption of this resolution? Has the number of attacks on innocent people decreased? Has Gaza's population received sufficient humanitarian assistance? The answer is NO. Instead, the representative of the occupying regime said in the same meeting that they would do whatever they wish. This regime has directly attacked three UNRWA schools housing thousands of Palestinian displaced families only since the first part of this meeting held on Friday. All this because there is a fundamental problem and missing gap in the resolution that it lacks an executive guarantee and is not a legally binding resolution.

Accordingly, we believe that the General Assembly must play a leading role based on the powers and authority granted to it by the Charter of the United Nations. During the last two years, the General Assembly's capacity has been used to address issues related to peace and security. Now, the international community expects the same. To assist the Palestinian people in the current catastrophic situation, we believe the same potential must be utilized.

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FM: Iran unaware of Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, will continue backing Hamas politically

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Nov 20, 2023

New York, IRNA -- Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian has reiterated that his country was not aware of the October 7 Operation Al-Aqsa Storm by Palestine's Hamas Resistance Movement against Israel, saying that what Hamas did was a completely Palestinian decision.

The foreign minister made the comment in an interview with American television, CBS, during his last week's trip to Geneva, Switzerland.

Hamas is a freedom-seeking movement which fights the Israeli occupation based on international law, Amirabdollahian said, adding that based on international law, people of an occupied country can enter into war to defend themselves.

"We are opposed to killing women and children everywhere", the top diplomat told CBS, but "what Hamas did was based on its legitimate right to defend itself."

Amirabdollahian also said that Iran will continue to politically support Hamas.

On a question whether Iran supports resistance movements like Lebanon's Hezbollah and Yemen's Ansarullah in their operations against the Israeli regime, Amirabdollahian said that the Islamic Republic supports these movements, but they shoulder responsibility for their own decisions, and that they have clearly announced that they would not remain indifferent towards the Israeli genocide in Gaza.

The foreign minister echoed the same comments regarding Iraq-based resistance groups, which have in recent weeks carried out attacks on US bases in Iraq and Syria in retaliation for Washington's support for the Tel Aviv regime in the Gaza war. He said that Iran has no proxies in the region and those groups act based on their decisions.

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Ceasefire to be announced in coming hours -- sources

Xinhua) 13:25, November 21, 2023

GAZA, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- A Hamas official said Tuesday that a ceasefire agreement with Israel will be announced in the coming hours in Qatar.

The official, who requested to remain anonymous, told Xinhua, "We are close to reaching an agreement in the coming hours, and the movement has delivered its response to the mediators."

Another Hamas source said, "The agreement will be announced in Qatar, and it may be soon, and its success is linked to the commitment of the Israeli side."

The ceasefire deal, said the sources, will last for five days and includes the release of 50 civilians and foreign nationals held by Hamas in exchange for the release of 300 Palestinian detainees, including children and women, held by Israel.

The deal also includes the entry of 300 trucks of food, medical and fuel aid into the Gaza Strip.

The sources indicated that the release of prisoners will take place in stages, at a rate of 10 Israeli prisoners per day compared with that of 30 Palestinian prisoners.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Hamas says seizure of Zionist ship is a victory for bloods of Gazan people

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Nov 20, 2023

Tehran, IRNA -- Sami Abu Zuhri, a senior Hamas official, says the Yemeni seizure of an Israeli ship is a victory for the bloods shed in Gaza Strip by the Zionist regime.

This measure has to be an example for all the Muslim Ummah across the world so as to take actions in the face of the US and Zionist crimes, Abu Zuhri said on Monday, according to Palestinian Shahab News.

He said that the US and the Zionist regime have to pay the price of their crimes in Gaza.

On Sunday, the Yemeni Navy and Coastal Defense Forces seized an Israeli vessel in the Red Sea and transferred it to the shores of the Hudaydah Port in the Arab country.

The Armed Forces of Yemen issued a statement regarding the details of the seizure of the Israeli ship in the Red Sea, underlining that all ships belonging to the regime as well as those in connection with Tel Aviv are considered legitimate targets for the Armed Forces of Yemen.

According to Yemeni media outlets, Spokesman for the Ansarullah movement Mohammed al-Bukhaiti said on Monday: We are not scared of the Zionist enemy, but if we refuse to support Gaza, we must be afraid of the almighty God's penalty.

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Yemen not afraid of Zionist enemy's reaction: Ansarullah

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Nov 20, 2023

Tehran, IRNA -- Yemen does not fear the Zionist enemy's reaction to the seizure of an Israeli ship, a member of the political bureau of the Ansarullah movement in Yemen emphasized.

According to Yemeni media outlets, Spokesman for the Ansarullah movement Mohammed al-Bukhaiti said on Monday: We are not scared of the Zionist enemy, but if we refuse to support Gaza, we must be afraid of the almighty God's penalty.

As to Yemeni fighters' unrelenting support for Palestinian resistance, the official noted that there are two options, either the aggression by the Israeli regime's army against the Gaza Strip comes to an end, or the war will spill over, because we do not allow them to massacre our brothers in Gaza.

On Monday, the Yemeni Navy and Coastal Defence Forces seized an Israeli vessel in the Red Sea and transferred it to the shores of the Hudaydah Port in the Arab country.

The Armed Forces of Yemen issued a statement regarding the details of the seizure of the Israeli ship in the Red Sea, underlining that all ships belonging to the regime as well as those in connection with Tel Aviv are considered legitimate targets for the Armed Forces of Yemen.

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Hamas official urges UN to put Zionist war criminals on trial

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Nov 20, 2023

Tehran, IRNA -- A senior official of the Palestinian Resistance movement, Hamas, has urged the United Nations to condemn the crimes committed by the Israeli regime in Gaza and bring the war criminals to trial.

In recent days, the Zionists have aggravated their crimes in Gaza in order to compel the Palestinians to leave their lands, Osama Hamdan said on Sunday.

In his remarks, the senior Hamas official called on the UN Security Council and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to help open the Rafah crossing as emphasized by Arab and Islamic countries after their recent meeting.

On October 16, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani told reporters at his weekly press briefing that the Rafah crossing on the border between Gaza and Egypt is the only way to send aid to the war-stricken people in Gaza.

As the Hamas official underlined, the Zionist regime of Israel has bombarded numerous houses in Gaza assuming that the Israeli captives were there; meanwhile, the issue is that the side that hinders the exchange of prisoners is the regime (not Hamas).

He further called on the European countries to stop supporting the Zionist regime.

Analysts believe that the security and military support extended by the West, the US in particular, to the Israeli regime is considered a green light to the continuation of brutality against Palestinian children and women.

Since the beginning of the conflict between Hamas and the Zionist regime of Israel on October 7, the number of Palestinians killed during the war rose to 13,000. Thousands of the dead are children, women, and the elderly.

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China urged action to prevent humanitarian disaster in Gaza

ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency

Mon / 20 November 2023 / 11:59

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi describes the unfolding situation in Gaza as a 'humanitarian disaster'.

Tehran (ISNA) - Arab and Muslim ministers urged for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza during their visit to Beijing on Monday, marking the initial stage of a diplomatic tour aiming to advocate for an end to the Israeli aggression on Gaza and facilitate humanitarian aid to the devastated Palestinian enclave.

The delegation intends to exert pressure on Western nations to reject "Israel's" "self-defense" justification for its ongoing aggression against Palestinians, as Al-Mayadeen reports.

The officials engaging in discussions with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday represent countries such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Indonesia, Palestine, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, among others.

"We are here to send a clear signal: that is we must immediately stop the fighting and the killings, we must immediately deliver humanitarian supplies to Gaza," said Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has urged the international community to take immediate action to prevent the unfolding "humanitarian disaster" in Gaza.

Diplomats from Arab and Muslim-majority nations, including a delegation from the Palestinian Authority, Indonesia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, are currently in Beijing for discussions focused on de-escalating the ongoing war.

Addressing foreign ministers during the opening remarks in Beijing, Wang said, "Let us work together to quickly cool down the situation in Gaza and restore peace in the Middle East as soon as possible."

"A humanitarian disaster is unfolding in Gaza," Wang added.

It is worth noting that China's Foreign Ministry has consistently advocated for an immediate ceasefire and urged both "Israel" and Palestine to pursue a "two-state solution" for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

Since the beginning of the war on Gaza, the death toll in the Gaza Strip has surpassed 12,300, including at least 6,000 children. UNRWA has lately estimated that nearly 1.7 million individuals have been displaced in the region since October 7, with almost 884,000 seeking shelter in 154 UNRWA installations, including those in northern Gaza.

End Item

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Iran rejects any role in Yemen's ship seizure

ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency

Mon / 20 November 2023 / 11:35

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman says There is no basis for Benjamin Netanyahu's claims regarding Iran's role in seizing the Galaxy Leader ship.

Tehran (ISNA) - Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesmanIn Nasser Kanani rejects Israel Prime Minister office allegasion that claimed Iran was involved in the seizure of the Israeli ship by the Yemenis.

"These accusations are false and caused by the difficult conditions that the Zionist regime is dealing with". Kanani said on Monday in weekly press conference In Tehran.

Yemen armed forces spokesman said on sunday that the movement's fighters have seized the ship, Galaxy Leader owned by an Israeli businessman.

In a video statement, Brigadier General Yahya Saree confirmed that the ship named Galaxy Leader was led to the Yemeni coast, emphasizing that this operation comes in support of Palestine's West Bank and Gaza.

The Israeli cabinet called the seizure "a very serious event on a global level", with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office saying Israel was not involved in the ship's ownership, operation or the makeup of its international crew.

"This is another Iranian act of terrorism that represents an escalation in Iran's belligerence against the citizens of the free world, with concomitant international ramifications vis-a-vis the security of global shipping routes," claimed a statement released by the prime minister's office.

"We have repeatedly said that the resistance groups in the region represent their countries and nations and make decisions based on interests of their countries and nations and act independently" Iranian top diplomat responded to Israeli allegation.

Kanani also said that "Such comments are in line with dire situation that the Zionists are facing and they cannot accept that they have suffered a strategic, heavy and multi-dimensional defeat by the resistance movement in Palestine".

"Unlike the US, Iran does not have proxy forces and the resistance groups in the region are the representatives of their nations, and they act based on their interests, and their actions are part of the reactions to the regime's crimes. It is a Zionist who is committing genocide and war crimes in Gaza under the support of US". Iranian foreign ministry spokesman stressed.

AnsarAllah have launched several missile and drone attacks against Israel since the latest assault on the besieged Gaza Strip began on October 7, killing more than 12,300 Palestinians, including 5,000 children.

End Item

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Congratulations to Javier Gerardo Milei on his election as President of Argentina

Vladimir Putin sent a message of congratulations to Javier Gerardo Milei on his election as President of the Argentine Republic.

November 20, 2023

16:15

The message reads, in part:

"Russian-Argentinian relations rest on the good traditions of friendship and mutual respect. We hope for the further promotion of our strategic partnership with Buenos Aires in many diverse areas and for the development of constructive dialogue on current international issues."

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At the informal meeting of EU foreign ministers, Krisjanis Karins calls on EU to take an active role in addressing the crisis in the Middle East

Republic of Latvia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

20.11.2023.

On 20 November 2023, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Krisjanis Karins, took part in an informal meeting of the European Union Foreign Affairs Ministers to discuss the situation in Israel and the region.

At the meeting, the Latvian Foreign Minister called on the EU to assume an active role in dealing with the crisis in the Middle East, actively countering the threat posed by Hamas to Israel, providing support to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip and the region, and working with regional and global partners on a long-term solution.

Foreign Minister Karins underlined the need to actively give though to the resumption of a political dialogue after reducing the current tension in order to achieve a lasting two-state solution. "A political two-state solution is the only way to reduce the grounds for radicalisation and to ensure peaceful co-existence in the future," the Foreign Minister noted.

The informal videoconference of EU Foreign Affairs Ministers took place at the initiative of the EU High Representative, Josep Borrell, to follow up with a discussion in the EU on the current tensions in Israel and the Palestinian territories. The meeting is held against the backdrop of a visit by the EU High Representative to the Middle East aimed at strengthening the EU's coordination efforts with countries in the region to address the crisis.

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Our collective defence commitment is and will remain steadfast, says Minister of National Defence of Canada

Republic of Lithuania - Ministry of National Defence

2023-11-20

International cooperation | Security and defense policy

On November 18-19 Minister of National Defence A. Anusauskas attended the Halifax International Security Forum in Canada where he had a meeting with Minister of National Defence of Canada B. Blair who was appointed in summer. The officials addressed Canada's contribution to the Baltic security and defence and bilateral cooperation. The Canadian Defence Minister reiterated Canada's resolve to invest more capabilities in the security in the eastern flank.

According to Minister B. Blair, as one of NATO founders, Canada takes collective defence very seriously and therefore doubles-plus eFP contingent in Latvia and collaborates on cyber security. B. Blair underscored that Canada should and would do even more for security in the eastern flank because Allies' cooperation had never been so critical. According to him, despite the physical distance over the Atlantic between the Allies, Canada is under no illusion and knows well that European security is Canadian security.

A. Anusauskas noted at the meeting that the contributions from Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom were obviously significant and boosted deterrence but the decisions taken at the NATO Summit in Vilnius on the regional defence plans needed to be implemented faster, especially the Rotational Air Defence Model. Minister also invited Canada to join the demining of Ukraine coalition formed by Lithuania.

"The International Halifax Security Forum today focusses on the war in Ukraine. Even though more conflicts appear and more security challenges hit the world, our, Allied, assistance to Ukraine must remain solid, consistent and leading to victory. We have to be united in support of Ukraine's aspiration to become a member of NATO," said A. Anusauskas.

A. Anusauskas extended to the Canadian counterpart a formal visit invitation to Lithuania, thanked for the Canadian capabilities dedicated to the NATO Air Policing Mission, assistance in the Baltic Defence College activities, and the decision to open the Embassy of Canada in Vilnius. According to Minister, it clearly shows the growing cooperation.

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Secretary General in Pristina: "NATO will do what is necessary to maintain a safe and secure environment in Kosovo"

NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

20 Nov. 2023

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with Dr Vjosa Osmani of Kosovo in Pristina on Monday (20 November 2023) to discuss the security situation in Kosovo and the wider region.

Mr Stoltenberg condemned both the outbreak of violence in northern Kosovo in September and the attacks on KFOR troops in May which left 93 injured, describing the attacks as "unacceptable". Following these incidents, NATO has deployed around 1,000 additional troops to Kosovo, sent heavier armour, and stepped up patrols in the north. These steps will ensure that KFOR has the forces, capabilities and flexibility to fulfil its UN mandate. The Secretary General said: "We will do what is necessary to maintain a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for all people in Kosovo."

Mr Stoltenberg further underlined that stability in the region depends on all sides choosing diplomacy over violence, and honouring existing commitments. He expressed strong support for the EU-facilitated dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina and welcomed the latest proposals for the establishment of the association of Serb-majority municipalities in Kosovo, saying that "this would be a key step toward normalisation of the relationship, and toward lasting peace and prosperity in the region."

Earlier on Monday, the Secretary General visited NATO's Camp Nothing Hill where he met KFOR Commander Major General Ozkan Ulutas and addressed the troops, thanking them for the stability their presence brings to the Western Balkans region.

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NATO Secretary General underscores importance of stability in the Western Balkans at the start of his visit to the region

NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

20 Nov. 2023

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg started his four-day visit to the Western Balkans this week (19 - 22 November 2023) in Bosnia-Herzegovina, stating that "NATO has been committed to Bosnia-Herzegovina for many years. Your security matters for the Western Balkans region and it matters for Europe".

In his remarks with the Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Borjana Kristo, the Secretary General said that "Allies strongly support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia-Herzegovina." He expressed concerns about secessionist and divisive rhetoric, and malign foreign interference including from Russia, that threatens to undermine stability and hamper reforms. He called on "all political leaders to preserve unity, build national institutions, and achieve reconciliation".

The Secretary General underlined NATO's deepening political and practical cooperation with Boznia-Herzegovina, including through NATO Headquarters Sarajevo that supports the EU-led Operation Althea, and a new defence capacity building package that will help strengthen Bosnia-Herzegovina's capabilities in crisis management, cyber defence, and countering terrorism. Mr Stoltenberg visited NATO Headquarters Sarajevo where he thanked Brigadier General Pamela McGaha and NATO staff for supporting peace and stability in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Mr Stoltenberg also met the High Representative for Bosnia-Herzegovina, Christian Schmidt, where he praised the "excellent cooperation" with his office. "We want to see a peaceful country at the heart of a stable region, and your efforts as High Representative are vital to the unity and to the reconciliation of this country," he said.

The Secretary General will continue his visit to the region, travelling to Kosovo today for meetings with Ms Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu and Mr Albin Kurti. On Tuesday, Mr Stoltenberg will meet President Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister Ana Brnabic in Serbia. Later that day, he will travel to the Republic of North Macedonia to meet President Stevo Pendarovski and Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski. On Wednesday, the Secretary General will participate in a meeting with Allied leaders from Albania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Slovenia.

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"This must stop," UN chief says in response to escalating deaths in Gaza

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 09:36, November 20, 2023

UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 19 (XINHUA) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday once again called for a humanitarian ceasefire, in response to the increasing number of deaths in Gaza.

"This war is having a staggering and unacceptable number of civilian casualties, including women and children, every day," the top UN official said in a statement. "This must stop. I reiterate my call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire."

Since Oct. 7, over 11,000 individuals have lost their lives in the beleaguered region of Gaza. Spikes in casualties, attacks on schools and shelters, including the death of a UN worker, and crippling fuel shortages blocking aid deliveries rippled across Gaza over the weekend, as the World Health Organization helped to evacuate 31 babies in critical condition at the besieged Al-Shifa Hospital.

"I am deeply shocked that two UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) schools were struck in less than 24 hours in Gaza. Dozens of people -- many women and children -- were killed and injured as they were seeking safety in United Nations premises," the secretary-general said.

He added that hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians are seeking shelter at United Nations facilities throughout Gaza due to the intensified fighting. "I reaffirm that our premises are inviolable."

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Iran raps UN Security Council for failing to call for ceasefire in Gaza

Iran Press TV

Monday, 20 November 2023 11:03 PM

Iran has slammed the United Nations Security Council for failing to call for ceasefire in the Gaza Strip in its recently-approved resolution on Israel's genocidal war against the besieged territory.

Iran's Permanent Ambassador to the UN Amir Saeed Iravani made the remarks in an address to a UN General Assembly meeting on the humanitarian situation in Gaza on Monday.

He was referring to a mid-November resolution passed by the Security Council, which only called for "extended humanitarian pauses" in Gaza.

The resolution, prepared by Malta, was adopted with 12 votes in favor, while the United States, Britain and Russia abstained. It followed repeated vetoes cast by the United States, Israel's biggest and oldest ally, against previous resolutions that called for cessation of the Israeli regime's aggression against Gaza.

Iran's ambassador said the Security Council's resolution failed to stop Israel's atrocities in Gaza as it lacked an executive guarantee and was not legally binding.

"There is generally an expectation that the content of the Security Council's resolution should have included the main elements of the resolution of the General Assembly that was adopted with a majority of 121 votes, especially its key point that there is a most urgent need for an immediate, sustainable and durable truce for civilians," he said.

The General Assembly's resolution, which was adopted in late October, called for "an immediate, durable, and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities" in the Gaza Strip.

"What has happened since the adoption of this resolution [by the Security Council]? Has the number of attacks on innocent people decreased? Has Gaza's population received sufficient humanitarian assistance? The answer is no. Instead, the representative of the occupying regime said in the same meeting that they would do whatever they wish," Iravani said.

Iran's ambassador added that the Security Council's resolution "lacks an adequate provision for ending the war, which is essential for ceasing Israel's atrocities in Gaza against innocent civilians."

Noting that "the people of Gaza expect concrete support from the United Nations," Iravani added, "Gaza is experiencing a challenging time and the people of Gaza are facing unabated war crimes and crimes against humanity by the Israeli regime."

"In such a dire situation, sympathy is no longer enough," he said.

According to Gaza's Government Media Office, the death toll from Israel's geocidal war on the territory climbed to 13,300 on Monday, including more than 5,600 children and 3,550 women, with 31,000 people wounded so far.

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Western embassies receive 'suspicious' arms deliveries in Lebanon: Al Akhbar daily

Iran Press TV

Monday, 20 November 2023 7:20 PM

A Lebanese daily newspaper has revealed that Western embassies in the Arab country are receiving "suspicious" arms deliveries in what is speculated as a move aimed at fortifying the diplomatic missions against Israel's sporadic attacks on Lebanon.

The Beirut-based Al Akhbar daily said in a weekend report that Lebanon has been witnessing a "suspicious security movement," as several Western military planes carrying weapons have arrived at Beirut International Airport since Israel launched all-out aggression on Gaza last month.

Stressing that the aircraft include US, British, French, and Canadian planes, the Lebanese paper said, "Some of the planes have also landed at a decommissioned airstrip in the Hamat military base."

The newspaper cited unspecified sources as saying, "A Canadian plane had landed at Beirut Airport and was found to be carrying various types of weapons (including silencers and detonators)."

The deliveries, as Al Akhbar said, came in the wake of "requests sent by foreign countries to Lebanon to allow the entry of weapons and ammunition, under the pretext of enhancing the security of its embassies and evacuating its nationals and diplomats."

The paper said Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati had listed the Western requests on the agenda of the last cabinet meeting; however, nothing was decided on.

Western and Arab states reportedly sent requests to Lebanese security services expressing "fear that their employees or nationals would be exposed to attacks against the backdrop of what is happening in Gaza."

Elsewhere in the report, the daily newspaper cast doubt on a statement last week by the Lebanese army command that such movements are aligned with the "routine" transport of military aid.

"They are suspicions regarding the aircraft entering and unloading their cargo, as it is not known to whom this equipment is going, and whether the destination is actually limited to the army," said Akhbar.

The newspaper added that the move would be regarded as a possible "attack on the principle of sovereignty" in Lebanon.

Western embassies have not answered any questions about the shipments, the report said, underlining that diplomats have referred all questions to military attaches "who coordinate all steps with the Lebanese army and security forces."

The Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah has reportedly fired more than 1,000 rockets, mortars, missiles, and drones at Israel since October 8, a day after the besieged Gaza Strip came under heavy shelling by the occupation regime.

In early November, Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said all options were on the table against Israel, urging the Zionist regime to stop its aggression against Palestinians in Gaza immediately.

Israel unleashed a bombardment campaign against Gaza on October 7, after the Palestinian resistance groups launched Operation Al-Aqsa Storm in response to decades of violence against Palestinians.

According to the figures announced by Palestinian health authorities, at least 13,000 Palestinians, including more than 5,500 children and 3,500 women, have been killed in its relentless bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

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700 people trapped inside Gaza's Indonesian Hospital under siege by Israel: Official

Iran Press TV

Monday, 20 November 2023 6:46 PM

A senior health official in Gaza says hundreds of people have been trapped inside a hospital in the territory, hours after Israeli forces launched an attack on the facility and imposed a siege on it.

Ashraf al-Qudra, a spokesman for Gaza's health ministry, said on Monday that some 700 patients along with staff at the Indonesian Hospital were under constant Israeli fire.

The hospital, which is funded by Jakarta and is located in the northeast Gaza town of Beit Lahia, came under attack by Israeli forces earlier in the day. At least 12 people were killed in the attack and dozens more were injured.

Israeli tanks have now encircled the complex under the pretext that it is being used by Palestinian resistance fighters.

The Israelis had used the same pretext to besiege Gaza's largest hospital, al-Shifa, last week. However, the regime has yet to provide evidence that al-Shifa was a base for Palestinian fighters days after its forces entered the hospital by force.

Backed by the United States and several Western countries, Israel has defied widespread global condemnations of its attacks on hospitals, mosques, churches and schools in Gaza by launching repeated assaults on places of gathering where civilians seek shelter from the regime's relentless bombardments.

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said on Monday that he was "appalled" by the attack on the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza.

Medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres also said on Monday that the Israelis had attacked its clinic in Gaza City earlier in the day.

Gaza's health ministry says that more than 13,000 people have been killed in 45 days of Israeli aggression on Gaza as of Monday.

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South Africa to host BRICS virtual meeting on Gaza as proposed by Iran's president

Iran Press TV

Monday, 20 November 2023 5:28 PM

Upon a proposal by Iran's President Ebrahim Raeisi, the leaders of the BRICS group of emerging economies will hold an emergency virtual meeting to discuss Israel's ongoing onslaught against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

"Leaders of the BRICS countries - Brazil, Russia, India and China - will gather [under the South African presidency] for an emergency virtual meeting, inviting the leaders of the [new] BRICS countries - Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates," the South African president's office said in a statement on Monday.

It added that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is scheduled to deliver the opening remarks at the BRICS extraordinary meeting on Tuesday.

It noted that the six member and invited states will deliver separate statements on the current humanitarian crisis in Gaza as the Israeli regime continues its relentless attacks on the besieged Strip.

UN Secretary General Antnio Guterres will attend the meeting and the participants are expected to issue a joint statement.

Back in August, the South African president announced that the BRICS group agreed to admit Iran, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, the UAE and Saudi Arabia as new members.

Ramaphosa added that the five current member states have reached a "consensus on the first phase of this expansion process" and have invited the six states to become new members of the BRICS group from January 1, 2024.

Israel waged the war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas carried out the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in retaliation for intensified Israeli crimes against Palestinians.

Israel has so far killed at least 13,300 Palestinians, including more than 5,600 children and 3,550 women, in its relentless bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

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Jakarta strongly condemns Israel's attacks on Indonesian Hospital in Gaza

Iran Press TV

Monday, 20 November 2023 5:04 PM

Indonesia's foreign minister has condemned in the strongest terms Israel's attacks on Indonesian Hospital in the besieged Gaza Strip as a "clear violation of international humanitarian laws."

"All countries, especially those that have close relations with Israel, must use all their influence and capabilities to urge Israel to stop its atrocities," Retno Marsudi stated on Monday.

Israeli forces opened fire and launched artillery strikes on the hospital and the surrounding areas in the early hours of the day.

The Gaza Health Ministry's General Manager Munner al-Bursh said the regime forces began artillery strikes "in the middle of the night and targeted the surgical department, wounding the doctors working there and killing 12 civilians who were taking refuge."

Elsewhere in his remarks, Bursh said Israeli forces also targeted people leaving the facility and shot them outside the hospital. "Their bodies are still lying on the ground, and nobody has been able to bury them."

"We are using a small power generator that runs on vegetable oil, manufactured by some creative individuals who sacrificed some of their food supply to run the generator," Bursh said.

Ashraf al-Qudra, Gaza's Health Ministry spokesman, said the situation is "catastrophic" in Indonesian Hospital. "The Indonesian Hospital staff are insisting they will stay to treat the wounded. There are about 700 people, including medical staff and injured people, inside the hospital."

Reports said Israeli forces are going to repeat what happened at Shifa Hospital and will also occupy the Indonesian Hospital as tanks surrounded the facility.

Meanwhile, Palestinian Prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh has said the Israeli military operation in Gaza "is for the purpose of killing, in the spirit of revenge and with the aim of displacing our people."

And UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said the number of civilians killed in Israel's war on Gaza has been "unparalleled and unprecedented" since he took office in 2017.

Children make up virtually 47 percent of Gaza's 2.3 million population. UNICEF has labeled the Gaza Strip "a graveyard for thousands of children." It has also described the situation in Gaza as "a growing stain on our collective conscience", calling the rate of children casualties "simply staggering."

Save the Children says more children have been killed in Gaza than in all other conflicts around the world since 2019 combined.

Israel has killed 13,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 7.

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Lebanon's Hezbollah targets Israeli military sites with missiles in fresh attacks to support Palestinians

Iran Press TV

Monday, 20 November 2023 4:53 PM

The Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah has launched a fresh round of retaliatory missile attacks on Israel's military sites in the occupied territories in support of Palestinians amid the regime's barbaric aggression on the besieged Gaza Strip.

Lebanon's Arabic-language al-Mayadeen television news network said Hezbollah targeted with Burkan (Volcano) missiles Israel's Branit barracks and other military posts opposite the southern Lebanese border on Monday.

The popular resistance movement also struck an Israeli infantry force on Karantina Hill near the Hadab Yaron site "with appropriate weapons."

The television news network said Hezbollah fighters targeted the Zibdin barracks in the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms "with direct fire," causing an unspecified number of casualties. Hezbollah also targeted an Israeli infantry force near al-Dhairah and another force near al-Taihat, "inflicting casualties."

"Supporting our steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and endorsing their brave and noble resistance, the fighters of the Islamic Resistance launched three offensive marches at at 01:10 PM on Monday, 20th November 2023, targeting Israeli occupation forces' gathering centers west of Kiryat Shmona. They achieved direct hits and caused casualties," the Lebanese resistance movement said in a statement.

Israeli media confirmed the attacks and said "some 25 rockets and three suicide drones" were launched by Hezbollah from Lebanon at multiple locations along the dividing line between the occupied territories and the Arab country.

The Israeli military said sirens sounded in the northern towns of Kiryat Shmona, Manara, and Margaliot, claiming that several of the rockets were intercepted by the regime's so-called Iron Dome anti-missile system.

Hezbollah has reportedly fired more than 1,000 rockets, mortars, missiles, and drones at Israel since October 8, a day after the besieged Gaza Strip came under heavy shelling by the occupation regime.

In early November, Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said all options were on the table against Israel, urging the Zionist regime to stop its aggression against Palestinians in Gaza immediately.

Hezbollah was ready for all possibilities, Nasrallah said at the time, adding that whoever wanted to prevent a regional war had to quickly stop the Israeli aggression against the besieged coastal territory.

Israel unleashed a bombardment campaign against Gaza on October 7, after the Palestinian resistance groups launched Operation Al-Aqsa Storm in response to decades of violence against Palestinians.

According to the figures announced by Palestinian health authorities, at least 13,000 Palestinians, including more than 5,500 children and 3,500 women, have been killed in its relentless bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

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China hosts Muslim-majority nations for 'urgent' action on Gaza

Iran Press TV

Monday, 20 November 2023 2:37 PM

Diplomats from Arab and Muslim-majority nations have called for an immediate end to Israel's bombardment of the Gaza Strip as they meet at a summit hosted by the foreign minister of China.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi welcomed counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, the Palestinian National Authority, and Indonesia, as well as the head of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (ICC) for a two-day visit on Monday.

The Chinese minister called on the delegates to "work together to quickly cool down the situation in Gaza."

The summit is the latest attempt by Beijing to put an end to Israel's air and ground attacks against the besieged Palestinian territory, which have killed more than 13,000 people, including over 5,500 children, in six weeks.

Wang told the visiting diplomats that the world "must act urgently, taking effective measures to prevent this tragedy from spreading."

"Let us work together to quickly cool down the situation in Gaza and restore peace in the Middle East as soon as possible."

"A humanitarian disaster is unfolding in Gaza," Wang told the delegates, warning that the situation in Gaza "affects all countries around the world."

He noted that grave violations committed by Israel against Palestinians are "questioning the human sense of right and wrong and humanity's bottom line."

Visiting diplomats also voiced their own strong calls for an end to the war in Gaza.

"The message is clear: the war must stop immediately, we must move to a ceasefire immediately, and relief materials and aid must enter immediately," said Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.

He said countries represented in the delegation hoped to cooperate with Beijing and "all countries" that are "responsible and appreciate the seriousness of the situation."

Saudi Arabia held a joint Islamic-Arab summit in Riyadh this month, urging the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate "war crimes and crimes against humanity that Israel is committing" in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry said in message on X, "We look forward to a stronger role on the part of great powers such as China in order to stop the attacks against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. "

Shoukry said "there are major countries that give cover to the current Israeli attacks."

The Palestinian Authority's foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki said for his part that Israel is seeking to "bring to an end the Palestinian people's presence on what remains of its historical land."

Beijing has acted as a strong voice pushing for an immediate ceasefire at the United Nations, including the Security Council, since Israel waged its war on the Gaza Strip on October 7.

Last week the UN body passed its first resolution on Israel's war on Gaza, which called for extended humanitarian corridors throughout the enclave to protect civilians. The United States and the United Kingdom abstained.

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All countries must end trade, political ties with Israel to force it to end Gaza genocide: Iran president

Iran Press TV

Monday, 20 November 2023 1:52 PM

Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi says all countries should end commercial and political cooperation with Israel in an attempt to compel the regime to end its atrocities in the Gaza Strip.

The Iranian president made the plea in a Monday letter to the heads of 50 countries, including Russia, China, Turkey, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Kenya and Jordan, following the continuation of Israel's crimes against the oppressed and defenseless people of Gaza.

He called on all free and independent countries to use all the available means, including cutting off trade and political cooperation and communications with Israel, to exert pressure on the regime and play a more prominent role in ending the regime's crimes against Palestinians.

Raeisi slammed Israel's brutal acts in massacring thousands of people in Gaza and destroying the Strip's infrastructure over the past 40 days.

He also censured some Western governments' double standard policies and their deliberate violation of the principles of morality and human rights.

"It is expected that freedom-seeking and independent countries, especially Muslim states [adopt] a coherent and unified approach in the diplomatic and economic fields to put pressure on this occupying regime," he said.

Such an approach would lay the groundwork for ending the Tel Aviv regime's crimes in killing civilians and removing the siege of Gaza, the president emphasized.

Israel waged the war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas carried out the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in retaliation for intensified Israeli crimes against Palestinians.

Israel has so far killed at least 13,000 Palestinians, including more than 5,500 children and 3,500 women, in its relentless bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has urged the United Nations secretary general to form an international committee to visit hospitals in the besieged strip to counter Israel's "false" claims that they are used as launch pad for anti-Israel operations. Hamas has noted that the claims are aimed to "justify" Israel's attacks on hospitals in Gaza.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on Sunday called on Muslim countries to sever political ties with the Israeli regime for "at least a limited period of time."

It is necessary, Ayatollah Khamenei said, to "cut off the lifeline of the Zionist regime" and Muslim countries should work to disrupt Israel's access to energy and goods.

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All Israeli ships in Red Sea 'legitimate targets', Yemen warns

Iran Press TV

Monday, 20 November 2023 11:20 AM

The Yemeni information minister in the National Salvation Government has stressed that all Israeli ships passing through the Red Sea are "legitimate targets" as Sana'a is intensifying its operation against Israel in retaliation for its brutal aggression on the Gaza Strip.

Speaking in an interview with al-Mayadeen on Sunday, Deifullah al-Shami said all the Israeli ships at the Red Sea "would be legitimate targets" for the Yemeni armed forces, noting that Sana'a is confronting "a strategic enemy of the entire Arab and Muslim Nation."

"We are dealing with a criminal enemy and it's impossible for anyone who sees the massacres and the genocide [committed against the Palestinians] to be neutral, so we will target anything that belongs to that enemy."

Al-Shami stressed that Sana'a has "information on all Israeli ships that pass through the Red Sea."

He made the remarks after the Yemeni armed forces announced the seizure of an Israeli ship at the Red Sea and the detention of dozens of its crew members. Israeli media confirmed the regime's ownership of the confiscated ship.

Yemen's Ansarullah resistance movement spokesman Mohammed Abdul-Salam said the seizure of the ship was a "practical step" that proves that the Yemeni armed forces are serious in their involvement in the war in support of the Palestinian resistance in Gaza.

He stressed that Israel must stop its aggression on Gaza so the conflict does not spill over to other areas in the region.

Brigadier General Yahya Saree, the spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces, announced early on Sunday that the military units would target all ships owned or operated by Israeli companies or carrying the Israeli flag.

Yemen's move, he said, is in support of Palestinians amid Israel's savage onslaught on the besieged Gaza Strip.

Saree also called on all countries to withdraw their citizens working as crews on any such vessels.

In a televised speech broadcast live on November 14, the leader of Ansarullah called on Arab countries and the Muslim world to adopt a clear stance in the face of Israel's atrocities in Gaza.

He said the Yemeni forces are keeping a watchful eye on any Israeli ship in the Red Sea, and in the Bab el-Mandab Strait in particular, as well as Yemeni territorial waters.

Israel launched the war on Gaza on October 7 after the territory's Palestinian resistance movements waged the surprise Operation al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in response to the Israeli regime's decades-long campaign of bloodletting and devastation against Palestinians.

The Israeli aggression has so far killed more than 13,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

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Iran warned US resistance groups won't stay silent amid Gaza war; world wants ceasefire: Tehran

Iran Press TV

Monday, 20 November 2023 11:03 AM

Iran says the resistance groups in the region have repeatedly warned the US and Israel that they will not sit idly by if the occupying regime continues its attacks against the Palestinian people in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Speaking at a weekly press conference on Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kan'ani said that the growing opposition to Israeli crimes in Gaza and the US support for the regime's atrocities show that nations are dissatisfied with the war and want it to stop.

"The actions of the Zionist regime spark a reaction by the resistance groups in the region. They (the groups) had repeatedly warned the US and the Zionists that if these attacks continue, they will not remain silent," he said.

"The US and the Zionist regime must understand that they can escape the situation only by stopping the war completely and immediately, allowing the dispatch of humanitarian aid [to the coastal enclave], and ending the forced displacement of the people of Gaza."

The Iranian diplomat also urged the US government to pay attention to global security and peace and stop its support for Israeli crimes in Gaza instead of asking others to do or end doing something.

Over the past years, he noted, members of US Congress have demonstrated that they are sacrificing the interests of the American people for those of the Zionist regime.

'Israel blocks entry of aid to Gaza'

Kan'ani git out at the "questionable immunity" granted by the US to Israel, saying it enables the regime to prevent the entry of humanitarian assistance to Gaza.

"The Zionist regime has not fulfilled its responsibilities and is preventing the sending of aid [to Gaza]. The amount of aid that has entered [the enclave] is like a drop in the ocean. Only 25 to 40 trucks are allowed to pass borders daily, a number which is very little."

Iran sent relief aid after coordination with Egypt, but it did not reach Gaza as a result of Israel's non-cooperation with Cairo and international organizations, the spokesman said, adding, however, that Tehran and the Egyptian Red Crescent Society exchange messages on a daily basis.

Israel waged the bloody war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian Hamas resistance movement launched Operation Al-Aqsa Storm in the occupied territories.

Since the start of the aggression, the Tel Aviv regime has killed 13,000 Palestinians, including more than 5,500 children and 3,500 women, and injured at least 30,000 others.

It has also imposed a "complete siege" on the coastal sliver, cutting off fuel, electricity, food and water to the more than two million Palestinians living there.

On Sunday, Yemen's Armed Forces seized an Israeli ship and detained dozens of its crew members in the Red Sea in support of Palestinians amid Israel's savage onslaught.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed the vessel "was hijacked with Iran's guidance."

'Anti-Iran claims aimed to escape dire situation in Gaza'

Kan'ani rejected the accusations as a "projection" of blame by Israel to escape from the dire situation it is facing in Gaza.

"We have repeatedly announced that the resistance groups represent their nations and make decisions and act independently based on the interests of their nations," he said.

"This regime cannot accept that it suffered a multi-dimensional defeat from a Palestinian resistance group in Gaza and it seeks to make accusations against others, including the Islamic Republic of Iran. However, it should know that such allegations are invalid and of no use to the regime."

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Iran, Qatar FMs urge world to stop Israeli violations of intl. law, regime's war crimes

Iran Press TV

Monday, 20 November 2023 10:37 AM

The foreign ministers of Iran and Qatar say the international community needs to take immediate action to force the Israeli regime to stop its brutal acts in the Gaza Strip that are in blatant violation of international law.

In a phone conversation on Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Qatari counterpart Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, discussed the latest developments in Palestine and Israel's atrocities assault on Gaza.

They emphasized that the Tel Aviv regime is responsible for the ongoing catastrophic situation in the besieged Strip.

The top Iranian and Qatari diplomats also called on Muslim and Arab countries to urgently deliver humanitarian assistance to the oppressed Palestinian people.

Amir-Abdollahian and Al Thani exchanged views about the latest innovative approaches to stop Israel's war crimes in Gaza.

Israeli airstrikes on Gaza have repeatedly targeted hospitals, residential buildings, mosques, and churches. Under the Geneva Convention, attacks on hospitals are strictly prohibited.

Several hospitals in Gaza City have become refuges for Palestinians hoping to be spared Israeli bombardments, which began early in October.

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has urged the United Nations secretary-general to form an international committee to visit hospitals in the besieged strip to counter Israel's "false" claims that they are used as launch pad for anti-Israel operations. Hamas has noted that the claims are aimed to "justify" Israel's attacks on hospitals in Gaza.

Israel has so far killed at least 13,000 Palestinians, including more than 5,500 children and 3,500 women, in its relentless bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

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IRGC chief: Israel defeated by resistance, own mistakes; Palestinians ultimate victor

Iran Press TV

Monday, 20 November 2023 10:29 AM

The chief commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says the Israeli regime has been defeated by the resistance of the Palestinian people as well as its own mistakes.

"The Zionists seek to fake victory by defeating children and infants as well as bombing the oppressed [Palestinian] people in Gaza. They are subject to attacks and [war of] attrition [waged] by the Palestinians every day," Major General Hossein Salami said on Monday.

"The enemy has been defeated by the resistance of the innocent, faithful Palestinian people and its own mistakes," he said.

He added that the Zionists have expanded their operation in the Gaza Strip and exposed themselves to the Muslim fighters, as a result of which "at least 15 tanks and several personnel carriers are destroyed and some of them are killed every day."

Salami emphasized that the world is changing and Islam is spreading in the globe and said, "God willing, Palestinians will emerge victorious in the battle [against Israel]."

The ongoing military operation by the Palestinian resistance groups against Israel - named Operation Al-Aqsa Storm - has undermined the United States' position in the world, he asserted.

Israel has been carrying out relentless air and ground attacks on Gaza, including hospitals, residences, and houses of worship, since October 7, when Palestinian resistance movements launched a surprise attack, dubbed Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, against the regime.

Since the beginning of the war, Israel has killed at least 13,000 Palestinians, including more than 5,500 children and 3,500 women, in its bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

Pointing to Israel's bombings of innocent people in Gaza, Salami said the Tel Aviv regime has suffered a defeat in ethics, has been isolated in politics, and has acted stupidly in tactics.

"The Zionists are repeating their mistakes and their collapse and annihilation lie in their mistakes," he reiterated.

'West's hidden policies'

He said the developments in Gaza revealed the "hidden" policies of Western governments and the Zionists against Muslims.

Israel's war on Gaza also exposed the true face of the US and its allies, who claim to advocate human rights, freedom, democracy, security and welfare, the IRGC chief commander added.

He emphasized that the US, Israel and their allies came to the region to occupy Muslim countries under the pretext of promoting democracy, yet they "killed hundreds of thousands of Muslims over the last 20 years, destroyed many cities, and in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, and Syria, ruins of their policies have remained."

Salami further lashed out at the Americans for provoking serious conflicts among the Muslim nations and imposing a blockade on the Gaza Strip while preventing the establishment of a ceasefire there.

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Top Saudi diplomat urges intl. community to press Israel for ceasefire in Gaza

Iran Press TV

Monday, 20 November 2023 9:19 AM

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud says the international community needs to shoulder responsibility to stop Israel's violations in the Gaza Strip.

The top Saudi diplomat made the appeal on Monday during a meeting between China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi and counterparts from Arab and Muslim countries in Beijing.

"We are here to send a clear signal: that is we must immediately stop the fighting and the killings, we must immediately deliver humanitarian supplies to Gaza," Prince Faisal said.

"We aspire to cooperate with China and other countries that understand the seriousness of the situation to end the war," he noted.

He argued that the dangerous escalations in Gaza require effective international action to end the conflict.

'China ready to help restore peace in region'

Wang, for his part, said Beijing is willing to work to help restore peace in the West Asia region.

"Let us work together to quickly cool down the situation in Gaza and restore peace in the Middle East as soon as possible," he said.

He also said that Beijing is a "good friend and brother of Arab and Muslim countries," adding that it has "always firmly supported the just cause of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate national rights and interests."

Wang called on the international community to take urgent action to stop the ongoing "humanitarian disaster" in Gaza and prevent the tragedy from spreading to other regions.

"The situation in Gaza affects all countries around the world, questioning the human sense of right and wrong and humanity's bottom line," he said.

Foreign ministers from Arab and Muslim nations are in China on the first leg of a tour to the permanent member states of the United Nations Security Council in order to push for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and allow humanitarian aid convoys into the area.

Israel has been launching relentless air and ground attacks on Gaza, including hospitals, residences, and houses of worship, since October 7, when Palestinian resistance movements launched a surprise attack, dubbed Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, against the regime.

The Israeli strikes have killed at least 13,000 Palestinians, including 5,500 children and 3,200 women. Over 30,000 individuals have sustained injuries as well.

According to the Ministry of Health, 6,000 citizens are still missing or under the rubble, including 4,000 women and children.

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Oman slams Israeli airstrikes on UN-run schools in northern Gaza

Iran Press TV

Monday, 20 November 2023 7:46 AM

Oman has strongly condemned Israel's relentless military attacks against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, particularly the deadly raids on UN school-converted shelters in the northern flank of the enclave.

The Omani Foreign Ministry, in a statement released on Saturday, offered the sultanate's condolences to the families of those killed in the assaults and wished a speedy recovery for the wounded.

Oman praised the steadfastness of "the brave Palestinians in the face of the Israeli injustice, aggression and occupation of Palestinian territories, which continue in flagrant violation of international law and United Nations Security Council resolutions."

The statement also renewed Oman's call on the international community to take practical steps to impose deterrent sanctions on Israel to stop its aggression and the crimes it commits against civilians.

Such crimes, including Israel's continued enforcement of an inhumane blockade on the Gaza Strip and depriving people of basic necessities including fuel, water, food, and medicine, display contempt and disregard for the human soul and human dignity, the Omani Foreign Ministry stated.

The statement slammed these actions as a blatant violation of the UN Charter and international principles, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Jordan also on Saturday condemned the Israeli strikes on UN-run schools in the Gaza Strip.

In a statement, the Jordanian Foreign Ministry voiced the kingdom's strong rejection and condemnation of Israeli assaults, saying they were in blatant violation of international law.

The ministry's spokesperson, Sufian Qudah, stressed the need for more strenuous efforts to stop unrelenting Israeli attacks, the Tel Aviv regime's "repeated violations of international law and international humanitarian law," and its assaults on civilians, schools, hospitals and places of worship.

Also, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said the bombing of the al-Fakhoora school represents Israel's "another blatant violation" against civilians in Gaza, and "another war crime that requires investigation and holding its perpetrators to account."

It added that targeting the school, which is run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), constitutes a deliberate insult to the UN, its relief organizations and humanitarian goals.

The ministry reiterated its appeal to influential international parties and the UN Security Council to intervene immediately to put an end to the human suffering in the Gaza Strip, implement an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, and provide the necessary protection for Palestinian civilians.

Earlier on Saturday, at least 100 Palestinians were killed and dozens of others wounded after Israel bombed the al-Fakhoora school, which housed displaced people in the northern Gaza Strip.

Dozens more were killed and injured in another Israeli attack on the Tel al-Zaatar school in northern Gaza.

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IRGC: Palestinian resistance shattered Israel's delusion of grandeur; US rushed to take over

Iran Press TV

Monday, 20 November 2023 7:03 AM

A senior commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says the United States was forced to run Israel after the occupying regime was defanged at the hands of the Gaza-based Palestinian resistance fighters in their October 7 operation.

Deputy Commander of the IRGC's Quds Force Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Fallahzadeh said that Hamas fighters hit the Zionist regime "like lightning" in Operation Al-Aqsa Storm and "humiliated" it after attacking steel forts, concrete walls, and multi-meter-high fences.

"The Palestinian resistance forces shattered the Zionist enemy's grandeur and disrupted and destroyed its intellectual dome in the field of management, thus the US was forced to take over the regime's management," Fallahzadeh said on Sunday.

He further noted that the Palestinian resistance managed to demolish Israel's intelligence system, defeat its military, and damage its security.

The IRGC commander also emphasized that the Zionist regime has "achieved nothing" in its heavy aggression, bombings, artillery fire, and direct attacks by tanks and personnel carriers against the besieged Gaza Strip.

The occupying regime is massacring Palestinian people out of "weakness and desperation," he said.

"The enemy fights with the innocent, oppressed people of Gaza and does not dare battle with resistance groups." Fallahzadeh asserted.

"Hamas is indelible and the truth is victorious. It is the falsehood that will be destroyed."

He also said that over the past 75 years, the Zionists have committed crimes in the occupied territories, displaced 7 million defenseless Palestinians, and massacred more than 150,000 people.

Israel waged the brutal war on Gaza on October 7 after Hamas launched Operation Al-Aqsa Storm in the occupied territories.

Since the start of the aggression, the Tel Aviv regime has killed 13,000 Palestinians, including more than 5,500 children and 3,500 women, and injured at least 30,000 others.

It has also imposed a "complete siege" on the coastal sliver, cutting off fuel, electricity, food and water to the more than two million Palestinians living there.

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A dozen killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza's Indonesian Hospital; complex surrounded by tanks

Iran Press TV

Monday, 20 November 2023 6:30 AM

At least 12 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli forces' direct strikes on Indonesian Hospital, one of the largest hospitals in the northern Gaza as the Israeli brutal aggression on the besieged strip enters its 45th day.

Israeli forces opened fire and launched artillery strikes on the Indonesian Hospital and the surrounding areas in the early hours of Monday.

Health ministry in Gaza says at least 12 Palestinians were killed in the hospital strikes.

Reports said Israeli forces are going to repeat what happened at al-Shifa Hospital and will also occupy the Indonesian Hospital as tanks surrounded the place.

Last week, Israel raided Al Shifa, Gaza's main hospital claiming that it was a Hamas "operational center," sharing unverified images and videos of what it said were Hamas weapons and equipment.

According to the medical team, the Indonesian Hospital was targeted without prior warning.

The strikes prompted staff at the hospital to appeal for urgent help from the United Nations and the Red Cross.

Following the strikes, the government media office in the Gaza Strip warned of another massacre that could be committed in the Indonesian Hospital.

Medical authorities in Gaza said the hospital has a capacity of 140 patients, but currently, there are more than 650 patients inside it.

The hospital is also sheltering thousands of displaced Palestinian people who sought refuge from the Israeli aggression on the besieged Gaza Strip.

Multiple casualties were also reported in an Israeli airstrike that targeted the nearby Kuwait School where hundreds of families have been sheltering.

Also on Monday, the bodies of more than 30 Palestinians were transferred to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza after Israeli strikes hit the refugee camps of Bureij and Nuseirat.

Israeli airstrikes on Gaza have repeatedly targeted hospitals, residential buildings, mosques, and churches. Under the Geneva Convention, attacks on hospitals are strictly prohibited.

Several hospitals in Gaza City have become refuges for Palestinians hoping to be spared Israeli bombardments, which began early in October.

On October 17, hundreds of civilians were killed and injured by Israeli airstrikes on al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City. The attack has been condemned as an act of genocide by many governments around the world.

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has urged the United Nations secretary-general to form an international committee to visit hospitals in the besieged strip to counter Israel's "false" claims that they are used as launch pad for anti-Israel operations. Hamas has noted that the claims are aimed to "justify" Israel's attacks on hospitals in Gaza.

The Israeli aggression has so far killed more than 13,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and injured more than 30,000 others.

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Hamas: Israel's claim about captives aimed at covering up its 'security, military failure'

Iran Press TV

Monday, 20 November 2023 12:38 AM

The Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, has dismissed Israel's allegation about Gaza's al-Shifa Hospital being used by the movement to keep the captives it captured during a surprise operation against the regime last month.

The movement's statement came after earlier on Sunday, Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari played two videos, which he claimed showed several captives being brought to the hospital after the October 7 operation by Palestinian resistance groups that led to the capture of hundreds of Israeli soldiers and settlers.

"There is nothing new in what the Zionist military spokesman said except an attempt to cover up their lies and [to corroborate] their claim that Hamas has used al-Shifa Hospital as a military headquarters for command and control," the movement said.

Hamas added that the health condition of injured Israeli captives is constantly monitored and treatment is provided to them in hospitals, after which they return "to their places of detention."

The movement said it only took the captives to the hospital "because some of them were wounded in airstrikes" by Israel, which also killed a number of captives as the movement's military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, had already announced.

The brigades' spokesman, Abu Ubaida, said in early November that more than 60 Israeli captives in the Gaza Strip were lost due to the regime's incessant airstrikes against the blockaded territory. He added that the bodies of 23 captives were also trapped under the rubble of the buildings and structures that were destroyed by the Israeli strikes.

Elsewhere in its Sunday statement, Hamas said, "We have released images of all that and the [Israeli] army spokesman is acting as if he has discovered something incredible."

The Israeli regime started the war on Gaza on October 7 after the territory's resistance groups carried out the surprise Operation al-Aqsa Storm against Israel in response to the regime's intensified crimes against Palestinian people.

According to Gaza's Health Ministry, at least 13,000 Palestinians, including more than 5,000 children, have so far been killed, and about 30,000 people have been injured.

Al-Shifa, Gaza's largest hospital, has taken the brunt of the Israeli regime's attacks on healthcare targets since the beginning of the war.

"We affirm that the occupation is not qualified to investigate and issue judgments. It is the aggressor party and has committed war crimes against hospitals," Hamas noted, referring to the regime knocking dozens of Gaza's hospitals out of service since the onset of the war.

Hamas added, "We have repeatedly called for the formation of an international committee to investigate the occupation's lies about the hospitals, which the Nazi occupation has turned into military barracks after emptying them of patients and medical staff by force of arms and threats."

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Philippines seeking bilateral deals to avoid South China Sea conflict: Marcos

Slow progress on a long-sought regional code of conduct with China has forced Manila to approach Vietnam and Malaysia for separate deals.

By Jason Gutierrez for BenarNews 2023.11.20 -- The Philippines is seeking separate agreements with Southeast Asian neighbors to reduce the risk of conflict in the South China Sea, given the slow pace of progress on a long-sought regional code of conduct with China, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Monday.

The situation for the Philippines in the disputed waterway "has become more dire" amid China's increasing encroachment on the nation's maritime boundaries, Marcos said, and Manila needed to partner with allies to maintain peace in the region.

"We are still waiting for the code of conduct between China and ASEAN and the progress has been rather slow unfortunately," Marcos said during a live streamed event in Hawaii.

"We have taken the initiative to approach those other countries around ASEAN whom we have existing territorial conflicts with, Vietnam being one of them, Malaysia being another and to make our own code of conduct."

China claims nearly the entire South China Sea, including waters within the exclusive economic zone of Association of Southeast Asian Nations members Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

Negotiations to establish a code of conduct between ASEAN and China for the region have been going for more than two decades, but progress has been slow amid disputes over the scope and legal status of the document.Though a 2016 international arbitration ruling invalidated China's sweeping claims to the South China Sea, Beijing has refused to acknowledge it.

Though a 2016 international arbitration ruling invalidated China's sweeping claims to the South China Sea, Beijing has refused to acknowledge it.

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs later pushed back against Marcos for his remarks about pursuing separate agreements with Vietnam and Malaysia.

"Formulating a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) is an important task for China and ASEAN countries to implement the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC). Any departure from the DOC framework and its spirit will be null and void," Mao Ning, spokesperson for the ministry, told a daily news conference on Monday in response to a reporter's question about Marcos' speech in Hawaii.

Two analysts told Radio Free Asia, a news service affiliated with BenarNews, that the Philippine efforts to work with other South China Sea nations could be positive.

"[I]in terms of actually pressuring China to take some concrete steps, I think this is a good idea if the Philippines and Vietnam could agree," said Bill Hayton, an associate fellow in the Asia-Pacific Program at Chatham House, an independent United Kingdom think tank.

He said this could be a step toward "a sort of de facto recognition of each other's occupations in the South China Sea and then a means to ending the disputes between them."

Carl Thayer, a Vietnam analyst and emeritus professor at the Australian Defense Force Academy in Canberra, pointed out that the Philippines is solving disputes with Malaysia and Vietnam bilaterally.

"And by cutting China out, it is in a sense following through on the arbitral tribunal award of 2016," Thayer said, adding, "the Chinese case has no legal standing in international law, so it's an end run and a hardening of the Philippine attitude toward protecting its sovereignty."

Marcos was visiting Honolulu while on his way home from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders' Week summit in San Francisco.

On Friday, he met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the event in a bid to ease bilateral tensions after a series of standoffs in the South China Sea. Chinese coast guard and maritime militia ships have in recent months stepped up efforts to block Philippine vessels from delivering supplies to a military outpost in Second Thomas Shoal (Ayungin Shoal).

Marcos said he requested the meeting with Xi "to voice to the Chinese leader his concern on some of the incidents that were happening between Chinese and Philippine vessels, culminating in an actual collision," the Philippine Presidential Communications Office said in a statement Saturday.

On Monday, Marcos said the most pressing challenge for Philippine security was ensuring peace in the West Philippine Sea, Manila's name for the South China Sea within its jurisdiction.

"The Indo-Pacific region, particularly the West Philippine Sea, is in the middle of a global geopolitical transformation and has become an arena of normative contestation," he said.

"Tensions in the West Philippine Sea are growing, with persistent unlawful threats and challenges against Philippine sovereign rights and jurisdiction over our exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf."

'No Aloha for Marcos'

In Hawaii, Marcos also met with the top U.S. military commander in the Indo-Pacific, Adm. John Aquilino, who leads a 380,000-strong force of military and coast guard personnel, and connected with the large Filipino community there.

The visit was laden with personal significance for Marcos, whose late father Ferdinand Marcos Sr. fled to Hawaii after his regime was toppled in 1986. Thousands of activists and opposition politicians were jailed or disappeared during his brutal two-decade rule, during which he is accused of plundering state coffers of up to U.S. $10 billion.

The older Marcos died while in exile, but his family was allowed to return home where they rebuilt their political base, despite demands for an apology from the victims of his father's dictatorship.

On Saturday, Marcos told a gathering of Filipino-Americans that he felt a "deep sense of nostalgia" to be back and wanted to thank members of the community "who hold a very special place in my heart."

"My father is no longer with us, but when my mother found out that I was going to Honolulu, she said you make sure that you go back to all of those people who went out of their way to keep us comfortable to keep us alive," he said.

Not everyone was happy with his visit, however. A small group of protesters rallied outside the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu carrying a black banner that read, "No Aloha for Marcos."

BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated online news organization.

RFA Vietnamese service contributed to this report.

This report has been updated to include comments from the Chinese government and two analysts.

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 November 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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Muslim, Arab nations urge China to press Security Council on Gaza ceasefire

After Beijing trip, top diplomats from Indonesia and elsewhere plan to visit other permanent members of U.N. body to coax them into forcing Israel's hand.

By Pizaro Gozali Idrus for BenarNews 2023.11.20 -- Top diplomats of Arab and majority-Muslim countries met with their Chinese counterpart in Beijing on Monday to gather support in calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, where more than 13,000 Palestinians have been killed, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said.

Retno also condemned what she said was an Israeli attack on an Indonesian-run hospital in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian enclave that, according to reports, killed at least 12 civilians, after which hospital personnel lost contact with three Indonesian volunteers.

The meeting in Beijing with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, requested by Arab and Muslim-majority nations, was "to ensure a ceasefire can be called immediately and humanitarian assistance can also be dispatched without obstacle," Retno said in a statement after all the top diplomats met.

The delegates from the Muslim and Arab world were in China's capital on their first stop in a globe-trotting itinerary during which the ministers planned to visit with officials of all five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. The United States, Russia, France and Britain are the remaining four nations, which the ministers are looking to persuade to, in turn, coax Israel into ending hostilities in Gaza, the Saudi Arabian foreign ministry said Monday.

The U.S., Israel's closest ally, has led a bloc of Western countries in resisting international and U.N. calls for a ceasefire, with Washington's envoy to the world body vetoing or voting against official resolutions on this question.

Israel's air and ground strikes on densely populated Gaza began in the wake of attacks by Hamas militants in early October that killed 1,400 people.

Since then, Israel has been bombarding Gaza almost non-stop - Monday was the 45th day - and launched a ground strike into the territory. The Israeli operations have crippled hospitals and destroyed civil infrastructure, leaving Gaza in the midst of a dire humanitarian crisis, U.N. officials have warned.

In addition to Retno, the visiting delegation included the foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia, and the secretary general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Retno noted that the People's Republic of China this month holds the rotating presidency of the U.N. Security Council.

After some more time in Beijing on Tuesday, the foreign ministers' delegation will visit Moscow to raise Russia's support for a ceasefire in Gaza, Retno said.

The delegation told China's Wang that it hoped the international community would address "all the ongoing violations by the Israeli occupation forces and their repeated violations of international law and international humanitarian law," said a statement published by the Saudi Press Agency.

The ministers said it was important, especially for the Security Council's permanent members to stop these "violations."

For his part, Wang said that Beijing had always supported the Palestinian cause.

China "[h]as been working hard to de-escalate the conflict, protect civilians, expand humanitarian aid, and prevent humanitarian disasters, and has been calling for a return to the two-state solution and the early settlement of the Palestinian question," Wang said, according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement.

"China appreciates Arab and Islamic countries for their active mediation efforts for peace, and stands ready to work with them to make unremitting efforts for an early ceasefire in Gaza, the easing of the humanitarian crisis, the release of the detainees and an early, comprehensive, just and enduring settlement of the Palestinian question."

All countries should 'pressure Israel'

Meanwhile, Jakarta received news Monday of a deadly strike on a hospital run by an Indonesian charity in the north of the Gaza Strip, even as it was preparing a second batch of humanitarian aid to ship to the war-torn enclave.

"Indonesia condemns in the strongest terms the Israeli attack on the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza which killed a number of civilians," Retno said in the same statement in which she spoke about the Beijing meeting.

"The attack was a clear violation of international humanitarian law. All countries, especially those with close ties to Israel should be using all their influence and abilities to pressure Israel to stop its cruelty."

The health ministry in Gaza said Israel was responsible for the attack on the Indonesian Hospital that killed at least a dozen people, including wounded patients and family members with them, the Agence France-Presse news agency reported, adding that dozens were also wounded.

A medical worker at the hospital told the Associated Press agency that the killings occurred when an Israeli artillery shell struck the second floor of the facility's building. A Gaza health ministry spokesperson said around 600 patients, 200 health care workers and 2,000 displaced people had been sheltering there.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the World Health Organization, condemned the attack.

"WHO is appalled by an attack on the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza, reportedly resulting in 12 deaths, including patients, and tens of injuries, including critical and life-threatening ones," he wrote on social media site X.

"Health workers and civilians should never have to be exposed to such horror, and especially while inside a hospital."

Israel says that Hamas maintains a network of tunnels and command centers in Gaza, including under hospitals, a claim Hamas has denied.

Last week, Israeli forces raided al-Shifa hospital, saying it was conducting an "operation against Hamas in a specified area" there. But its military has yet to show any evidence in public to support its claims.

Also on Monday. Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo reiterated Jakarta's staunch support for the Palestinian people. Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority nation, doesn't recognize Israel and has condemned its strikes on Gaza and the heavy human toll they are taking.

"I would like to once again affirm that Indonesia will always stand by the side of the nation of Palestine in its struggle," Jokowi said after sending the humanitarian aid for Palestinians from the Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base in Jakarta, state news agency Antara reported.

Jokowi also said that his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, did not specifically respond to Indonesia's call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, when the two met at the White House in Washington last week.

Still, Jokowi said he was optimistic that the U.S. would take the recommendations into account.

"I believe they will note what we have conveyed," he said, according to Antara.

Arie Firdaus in Jakarta contributed to this report.

BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated news outlet.

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 November 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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Iran's Proxies, Partners Flex Weapons-Manufacturing Capabilities In Middle East

By Michael Scollon November 20, 2023

Iran's strategy in the Middle East is essentially a take on an old proverb: Give your proxies and partners weapons and you can sustain their battles for a day. Teach them to make weapons and they can fight your enemies for a lifetime.

With Iranian-backed militant groups taking the charge in the Islamic republic's fight against Israel and the United States, Tehran is seeing its effort to help them acquire their own weapons-manufacturing capabilities pay off.

"Iran has established a network of allies and partners throughout the Middle East, from the Huthis in Yemen, to pro-Iranian groups in Iraq, to pro-Iranian groups in Syria, to Hizballah in Lebanon, to Hamas in Gaza," said Samuel Bendett of the Virginia-based Center for Naval Analyses. "And [Tehran] basically feeds some of its technology there directly, or provides kits and parts and other assistance to the local developers from those units, from those groups, and either gives them training in Iran or trains them on their location."

Increasingly, those Tehran-backed militant groups are turning to weapons they have produced themselves, often based on Iranian blueprints or manufactured or assembled with Iran's assistance. "Those groups now have a lot of know-how which was provided to them by Iran," Bendett said. "And they're now using them against the U.S. and its allies in the region."

The Iranian-backed Islamic Resistance Movement -- better known as Hamas and considered a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union -- utilized a vast array of indigenously produced weapons and employed advanced battlefield tactics during its surprise multipronged attack on Israel on October 7 that left around 1,200 people dead.

The Israeli Defense Forces said they recovered Iranian-manufactured mortars and explosives used by the Palestinian extremist group after the assault, and Israeli military officials have reportedly estimated that up to 10 percent of the weapons used in the attack were made in Iran.

But most were produced or refined by Hamas indigenously in the Gaza Strip, including assault rifles, missiles, rockets, mortars, shells, and ammunition, according to Israeli defense officials.

Some of the at least 19 Iranian proxies and partners in the region that help make up Iran's so-called axis of resistance have also used Iranian-derived or indigenously manufactured weapons built with Tehran's help against Israel as well as U.S. troops based in the region since the Hamas assault.

These militant groups boast varying levels of firepower in their respective arsenals made up of Soviet-era, Russian, Iranian, and indigenously manufactured weapons based on Iranian designs. While Iran denies delivering arms to the groups directly, many of the missiles, rockets, and other weapons are similar to those produced by Iran.

Lebanese Hizballah boasts the most formidable arsenal of projectiles among Tehran's proxies -- including its own manufactured or refitted missiles and rockets. Since October 7, Hizballah has launched hundreds of rockets and missiles at Israel.

The Iranian-backed Huthi rebels in Yemen claim to have launched ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones, at Israel. On November 8, the Pentagon announced that a U.S. military surveillance drone was shot down off the coast of Yemen by Huthi forces.

In an apparent response to U.S. support for Israel's retaliatory land invasion and aerial bombardment of the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, Iranian proxies in Iraq and Syria have launched 58 attacks against U.S. forces in the past month, according to the Pentagon.

Tehran has denied involvement in the Hamas attack, and in early November Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reportedly pressed Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh to silence those calling for Iran and Lebanese Hizballah to join the Israel-Hamas war.

According to sources cited by Reuters, Khamenei said during the meeting with Haniyeh in Tehran that Iran would continue to offer political and moral support but would not directly enter the conflict.

But Iran has publicly boasted about the military aid it has provided to Hamas in recent years. And despite international sanctions and a sea and land blockade on the Gaza Strip that was imposed by Israel and Egypt in 2005, experts say it is clear that Tehran has provided assistance to boost Hamas's fighting capabilities.

Middle East political analyst Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib told RFE/RL that Hamas built up its arsenal by looting weapons from evacuated Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip, purchasing them in Israel, smuggling arms and materials across the border with Egypt, and domestically producing drones, rockets, and various munitions.

But there is little evidence that any seaborne smuggling of arms has taken place since Hamas took power in the Gaza Strip in 2007, he said. And the smuggling from Egypt that reached its height after the Egyptian revolution in 2011 declined sharply after the Muslim Brotherhood government there was overthrown in 2013 and has since "been reduced to a trickle."

Nevertheless, Alkhatib said, "the weaponry and the arsenal that Hamas has right now has been building up for over a decade" and benefited from thousands of tons of smuggled arms and materials that could be used to manufacture its own weapons.

"Even if the smuggling stopped, those are still significant and vast enough to offer Hamas and other groups the ability to inflict damage as we saw on October 7 and as we're seeing in their defensive battle with advancing Israeli ground troops," said Alkhatib, a U.S. citizen from Gaza.

Whereas Hamas historically focused on building up a stockpile of rifles and machine guns, he says, it turned its attention to developing kinetic capabilities -- including mines, targeted explosive warheads, improvised explosive devices, anti-tank missiles, and rocket propelled grenades.

Hamas has also invested heavily in developing longer-range rockets and guidance and targeting capabilities as well as a range of unmanned aerial vehicles, including fixed-wing and weaponized commercial-grade drones.

Hamas had a falling out with Tehran, including over the extremist group's support of the Syrian uprising in 2011, Alkhatib says. But Yahya Sinwar, Hamas's leader in Gaza, realigned the organization with Tehran "because they have realized that without Iran, their military capability won't stand a chance in continuing to evolve."

The realignment "with Iran, with the Syrian regime, and certainly with [Lebanese] Hizballah," he added, "are directly related to Hamas's needs and reliance on Iran to procure materials and, more importantly in the era of limited to no smuggling, technologies and know-how to domestically produce [weapons] systems."

Aided by Iranian weapons blueprints and the use of modern digital platforms for remote training, Hamas has learned how to upgrade old rockets and missiles to expand their range and lethality, he said.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and Lebanese Hizballah have also been able to remotely teach Hamas fighting tactics and how to develop its massive tunnel network. "And, more importantly, Iran is also teaching Hamas how to use strategic capabilities," Alkhatib said, such as how to integrate drones on the battlefield.

"What was particularly spectacular about the October 7 attack," Alkhatib said, "is that Hamas for the first time demonstrated a combined-arms approach to guerrilla warfare, whereby intelligence was linked with the artillery barrage, was linked with the aerial capabilities of using the paragliders, was linked with the ground troops with the elite forces, with the logistical networks to transport the hostages back to Gaza and to send the attacks in waves with internal operational security.

"This was a qualitative leap forward in Hamas's fighting doctrine. And it could have only been learned and developed through assistance from Iran, broadly, and more specifically, its proxies and its arms in the region such as Hizballah and the IRGC," he added.

Elsewhere in the Middle East, Iran's support for proxies and its involvement in the Syrian civil war now leaves it with a significant number of experienced fighters at the ready for future conflicts.

Alkhatib notes that Iran supported hundreds of thousands of Shi'ite militias and fighters in Iraq and Syria, both to support the government of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria and to combat the Islamic State (IS) extremist group alongside Syrian and Iraqi government forces.

"Now that both have been largely defeated, IS and the Syrian rebels, Iran was left with these powerful, battle-hardened, well-trained, well-organized militias that had nothing to do," Alkhatib said. "And so, they have been recycled and repurposed by the IRGC to further bolster the so-called axis of resistance, and to be used in a potential fight with Israel and the United States."

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-proxies-weapons- manufacturing/32692564.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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Wider Europe Briefing: A Controversial OSCE Meeting, And Keeping The EU Warm This Winter

By Rikard Jozwiak November 20, 2023

Brief #1: With The Ukraine War, The OSCE Is At An Impasse

What You Need To Know: Two big questions loom over the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) ministerial meeting in Skopje on November 30-December 1, which will bring together the foreign ministers from the 57 members of the Vienna-based organization.

Firstly, will one of them -- Russia's Sergei Lavrov -- show up? And secondly, who will take over the one-year OSCE rotating chair for 2024 after North Macedonia?

The two questions are somewhat linked. Lavrov was barred from attending the ministerial meeting in the Polish city of Lodz last December, with Poland -- the organization's chair that year -- justifying the ban by saying that he was on the EU sanctions list after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The thinking this time around -- at least among some member states -- is that it could be useful to have Lavrov in the Macedonian capital. The OSCE remains the only larger political organization in Europe in which Russia is still a member, having been expelled from the Council of Europe last year.

Apart from potentially confronting Lavrov over Ukraine, OSCE diplomats might desire the Russian foreign minister's presence in Skopje to help solve the problem of who should take over the chair of the organization next year.

Estonia is the only candidate -- having applied already back in 2020 -- but Russia has always rejected this and is set to do so again this year. The argument Moscow has put forward is that it doesn't want another NATO country as chair -- following on from North Macedonia and Poland -- and has accused both countries of constantly bringing up "Russia's ongoing aggression against Ukraine" at the weekly OSCE Permanent Council, where ambassadors to the organization meet. In various OSCE forums, North Macedonia and Poland have rejected the idea that there can be "business as usual" as long as the conflict goes on.

Deep Background: Normally, the chair is decided at least a year in advance via unanimity among member states. It would be unprecedented for the OSCE to enter a new year without a country at the helm -- a scenario that could even usher in the demise of the entire organization.

It has already been decided that Finland will chair the OSCE in 2025, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) -- the predecessor of the OSCE -- that aimed to improve relations between East and West and which committed the Soviet Union to formally observing human rights and international law. The decision for Finland to chair in 2025 was made well before the country became a NATO member.

So, how to solve this impasse?

Estonia is so far not withdrawing its candidacy and has received full backing from the other 26 EU member states -- including the bloc's foreign ministers when they met in Brussels on November 13. Speaking to RFE/RL after the meeting in Brussels, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said: "We cannot normalize relations with the aggressor. We must continue the international isolation of Russia and must not submit to its provocations and blackmail. I am glad that the EU unanimously supports Estonia."

It will be interesting to see if this position prevails in the run-up to the Skopje meeting. The united EU stance on Estonia has so far prevented the search for alternative chairs, especially among non-NATO EU members. Perhaps the most natural choice would be Austria, as it already hosts the organization in Vienna. But there have also been talks between 2024 chair North Macedonia and Malta about the possibility of Valletta picking up the OSCE baton at the last minute, even though the country's small diplomatic service might struggle.

From what I understand from sources familiar with the issue who wish to remain anonymous, it appears that Russia has rejected another possible candidate, Kazakhstan, from chairing, or North Macedonia continuing in the hot seat for another year. If Russia doesn't get its way, then it could walk away from the OSCE, a scenario that many member states are keen to avoid.

One concern is that if Russia left, other countries -- particularly from the former Soviet bloc -- could follow, in solidarity with Moscow. At the same time, the organization is also keen to avoid being without a chair, especially as the yearlong role is key for the daily functioning of the organization.

Drilling Down

Ahead of the Skopje meeting, pressure could increase on Estonia to withdraw its candidacy. A policy note from the United States directed to EU member states, which was seen by RFE/RL, underlines that "the United States appreciates Estonia's willingness to serve as 2024 chair and supports Estonia as a principled and capable candidate for a future chairpersonship." The note adds that "Russia has made clear it will not join consensus on another NATO member as chair" and that the "OSCE urgently needs to identify a country capable of gaining consensus to serve as chair in 2024. A failure to do so is a victory for Russia."

It is also worth considering the presence of Lavrov himself at the ministerial meeting in Skopje. Last year, Poland acted on its own and stopped him from entering the country several weeks in advance, saying he was on the EU's sanctions list. The same could apply to North Macedonia, which as an EU candidate country has aligned with the EU's sanctions on Russia. But there's a catch: The EU has only imposed an asset freeze on Lavrov and not a visa ban. And even if there were a visa ban, this can be waived by EU member states and aligned countries in order for the Russian foreign minister to attend international conferences. Lavrov could, in other words, be welcome in North Macedonia without the country violating any legal or political obligations.

EU foreign ministers also discussed Lavrov's presence in Brussels last week. Some -- notably from the Baltics states -- expressed shock at his potential invitation, but others -- such as Germany -- said that everyone should be there and everyone should speak to him.

Some OSCE members, particularly from Western Europe, are hoping that Lavrov's presence would be an opportunity for dialogue, even if it's just discussions on internal OSCE matters, such as the question of extending the mandate of the secretary-general.

Ukraine and others, however, are warning of giving in to Russian pressure. They have noted how Moscow has obstructed several important OSCE initiatives in recent years, such as blocking three field missions to Ukraine and, for the last two years, the entire OSCE budget.

Brief #2: Will EU Citizens Stay Warm This Winter?

What You Need To Know: It was supposed to be Russia's most powerful weapon against the EU after last February's invasion of Ukraine: the threat that the bloc's citizens would freeze over the winter.

While energy prices did soar at the end of summer and early fall in 2022, mostly due to a scorching heat wave and Russia squeezing gas supplies. The media was full of stories of how badly the EU would cope, painting dire scenarios for the winter of 2022-23 and warning about potential blackouts for private households and industries. Fast forward a year and the doom and gloom is nowhere to be seen -- neither in the media nor among political circles in the European Union. The consensus seems to be that EU citizens will be warm in their homes and workplaces this winter, in what could be described as one of the bloc's true success stories in recent years.

Deep Background: At the start of Russia's full-scale attack on Ukraine in 2022, imports of Russian gas by pipeline made up 40 percent of all EU gas imports. Today, that figure is down to 13 percent. The EU has blocked 90 percent of Russian oil from entering the bloc and is starting to completely phase out purchases of Russian coal. This created a price shock in the summer of 2022, with gas prices peaking at 294 euros ($320) per megawatt hour (MWh) in August that year and electricity prices reaching 474 euros per MWh around the same time.

So far this year, the average price in the EU for gas has been 44 euros per MWh and 107 euros per MWh for electricity -- a considerable drop that has led to the EU fulfilling its target of having its gas storages 90 percent full two months before the November 1 deadline. These storages are now around 99 percent full, making blackouts this winter unlikely, even in the event of a Russian cutoff or a prolonged cold snap.

How did the EU achieve this? Well, the bloc reduced gas demand by around 15 percent compared to last year. Partly this was due to households and companies consuming less due to higher prices, plus the winter of 2022-23 and fall of 2023 were fairly mild. Another contributing factor was the installation of over 3 million heat pumps across the EU in 2022 alone, which has helped to slowly lower gas consumption for the generation of power.

Drilling Down

The main challenge for the EU has been to find alternative energy sources to replace Russian gas. In this regard, Brussels has fared reasonably well. One of the issues that made the energy crisis so alarming over the summer of 2022 was that over half of France's 56 nuclear reactors were shut down due to maintenance work. Now, many of those are back online, alleviating the problem to a certain extent. According to the European Commission, there has also been record use of solar power and offshore wind farms. While these renewable sources are helping, the main lifesaver for the EU has been the purchase of liquefied natural gas (LNG), with imports from the United States increasing sixfold since last year.

The EU has driven LNG prices down by having the European Commission organize three rounds of joint purchasing of the gas, instead of having individual member states competing to bid. The EU has also been lucky that LNG demand in China has shrunk due to slowed economic growth there, meaning that tanks carrying LNG could quickly be rerouted from Asia to Europe.

This means that the EU now has excess reserves going into the winter, with some LNG tankers functioning as offshore storage facilities. Some gas is also being kept in Ukraine, which has some of the largest gas stores on the continent and are far from the front lines of the war.

The problem with the LNG market is that prices are volatile and sensitive to all sorts of external shocks. In recent months, prices have shot up due to strikes at Australian LNG facilities, repair work at a large gas processing plant in Norway, and the war in the Middle East, which has stopped work at a facility off the Israeli coast.

There is also increased fear of sabotage, something that both NATO and EU officials are monitoring carefully since it appeared that in October a Chinese-registered vessel damaged an undersea gas pipeline connecting Estonia and Finland. It hasn't been established yet whether this was intentional or not.

There is also an elephant in the room. While the EU has cut a lot of Russian pipelined gas, it has in the same period increased its purchase of Russian LNG by 40 percent. About 15 percent of all EU LNG imports now come from Russia, with Portugal and Spain using a considerable amount as the Iberian Peninsula is something of an energy island with very few interconnectors to the rest of the EU. The reality is that the Kremlin will continue to enjoy a share of the EU energy market. Despite repeated calls, Russian LNG will not be sanctioned by Brussels. In a proposal for new EU sanctions on Moscow, seen by RFE/RL last week, there are no proposed measures on Russian gas, whether it's shipped via pipeline or as LNG.

Looking Ahead

Keep an eye out for the Dutch parliamentary elections on November 22. Dutch politics tends to be notoriously messy, with over a dozen parties making up the chamber and months usually needed -- postelections -- to cobble together a viable coalition. These elections came about after the current coalition fell apart in the summer over how to handle increased migration, which ended with the resignation of Prime Minister Mark Rutte. Having run the country for 13 years, making him one of the longest-serving leaders in the EU, Rutte said he was leaving politics but didn't rule out the possibility of taking on a position such as NATO secretary-general or president of the European Council.

Current NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will tour the Western Balkans this week. He will first go to Bosnia-Herzegovina, which has been aspiring to join the military alliance for well over a decade but has failed to make much progress, largely due to objections from the Serb-dominated Republika Srpska. Stoltenberg will also visit Kosovo, home to the NATO-led international peacekeeping force KFOR, which was recently bolstered due to tensions between Serbia and Kosovo.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/wider-europe-briefing- osce-lavrov-russia-ukraine-gas-winter/32691816.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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Stoltenberg Says NATO Reviewing Making Peacekeeping Increase In Balkans Permanent

By RFE/RL's Balkan Service Novemmber 20, 2023

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said the alliance is considering making permanent an increase in its military presence in Kosovo that came after violence erupted in northern Kosovo in September.

NATO announced an increase in its KFOR peacekeeping force days after a shoot-out on September 24 in Banjska, which left a Kosovar police officer and three of the attackers dead.

The increase showed how seriously the alliance took the violence, Stoltenberg said on November 20 at a joint news conference in Pristina with Kosovar President Vjosa Osmani.

"We are now reviewing whether we should have a more permanent increase to ensure that this doesn't spiral out of control and create a new violent conflict in Kosovo or the wider region," Stoltenberg said.

Tens of thousands of ethnic Serbs who live in northern Kosovo do not recognize central Kosovar institutions, and they have often clashed with Kosovar police and international peacekeepers. In May, violence erupted when Kosovar authorities tried to install mayors in some Serb-majority towns.

NATO reinforced KFOR, which normally has a troop strength of 4,500, by several hundred troops, sending additional forces from Britain and Romania. The current review includes peacekeeping forces in Bosnia-Herzegovina, where Stoltenberg started a tour of the Western Balkans earlier on November 20.

He said those responsible for the attack on September 24 must face justice and he will convey this message during meetings scheduled to take place on November 21 in Belgrade.

"In September we saw a serious outbreak of violence in northern Kosovo, which raised concerns that a wider conflict could return to the Western Balkans," he said, noting the violence in May in which 93 KFOR troops were injured, some seriously.

"Such violent attacks are unacceptable. Those responsible must face justice," he said.

Stoltenberg arrived in Pristina from Sarajevo, where he warned about "secessionist and divisive rhetoric" sweeping across Bosnia and signs of "malign foreign interference," namely from Russia.

The NATO chief said the allies "strongly support the sovereignty and territorial integrity" of Bosnia amid growing concerns that Moscow is trying to bring instability to the region in an attempt to help shift attention away from its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Moscow's interference "threatens to undermine stability and weaken reforms," he said.

Since being ravaged by a civil war three decades ago during the breakup of the former Yugoslavia, Bosnia has struggled to overcome ethnic divisions. NATO played a major role in ending the 1992-95 Bosnian War and implementing a U.S.-sponsored peace plan that partitioned the country between a Serbian entity -- Republika Srpska -- and the Bosniak-Croat federation connected by a weak central government.

Bosnia's stability has been further shaken in recent months by Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik, who increasingly has pursued nationalist and secessionist policies while seeking closer ties with Serbia and Russia.

"All political leaders must work to preserve unity, build national institutions, and achieve reconciliation. This is crucial for the stability and the security of the country," Stoltenberg said.

"NATO has been committed to Bosnia-Herzegovina for many years. Your security matters for the Western Balkans region and it matters for Europe," he added.

NATO invited Bosnia to join the Membership Action Plan in 2010. Though this is a first step toward admission to NATO, it does not prejudge any decision on future membership.

"We must reach political consensus and through dialogue get to stances of great importance for Bosnia when it comes to its cooperation with NATO," said the chairwoman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia, Borjana Kristo after meeting with Stoltenberg.

After scheduled stops in Serbia and North Macedonia on November 21, Stoltenberg is to participate in a meeting with the leaders of NATO members Albania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Slovenia on November 22.

With reporting by Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/nato-stoltenberg-balkans- tour-bosnia-russia-interference/32692304.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 the continuing evacuation of Russian citizens from the Gaza Strip

20 November 2023 17:48

2349-20-11-2023

On November 20, a fifth group of people was evacuated from the Gaza Strip - 117 Russian citizens and their family members (Palestinians and citizens from Ukraine and Sweden) arrived on a special Emergencies Ministry flight from Cairo to Moscow.

At Domodedovo Airport, Crisis Centre staff, the Consular Department and other Foreign Ministry divisions helped them process the paperwork and pass through border and migration control.

Overall, 561 people have been evacuated to Egypt from Gaza via the Rafah border crossing. Emergencies Ministry planes carried 525 of them to Russia.

The Foreign Ministry, the Emergencies Ministry and other relevant departments, as well as our diplomatic missions in Cairo, Tel Aviv, Ramallah and Doha continue their coordinated evacuation efforts. Under the plan, the remaining Russian citizens and their family members will leave the conflict zone in the next few days.

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Argentina Risking $4Bln Per Month in Trade With China, Brazil by Potentially Halting Ties

Sputnik News

20231120

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The potential suspension of Argentina's cooperation with China and Brazil would put at risk its $4.2 billion-a-month on average trade with the two countries, Sputnik calculated on Monday based on data from the Argentine statistical service.

On Sunday, far-right politician Javier Milei of La Libertad Avanza alliance won the runoff of the presidential election in Argentina. During the presidential campaign, Milei spoke against joining BRICS and cooperating with China, Brazil and Russia, and advocated a foreign policy oriented toward Israel and the United States.

Brazil became Argentina's largest trading partner in January-September 2023, data shows. During this period, Argentina supplied its neighbor with $8.9 billion worth of goods and purchased $14.1 billion worth of goods from it, which brings Argentina's trade deficit with Brazil to $5.2 billion.

China supplied Argentina with $11 billion worth of goods and purchased from it $3.96 billion worth of goods, resulting in a $7 billion trade balance in China's favor.

Argentina's combined trade with Brazil and China in the first nine months of 2023 amounted to $38 billion, or $4.2 billion per month.

The United States is the third largest trade partner of Argentina: US exports to the country amount to $3.97 billion and imports to $6.9 billion. Argentina also has a trade deficit with the US that amounts to $3 billion.

At the same time, commodity flows with China, Brazil and the United States are not interchangeable.

While Brazil imports mainly petroleum products, oil and grain, and China imports mainly meat, grain and soy, the United States imports oil, precious metals and aluminum. The situation is similar with Argentina's imports: while Brazil mainly supplies soy, automobiles and electricity, and China various equipment, the US supplies liquefied natural gas, diesel and coal, the statistical data shows.

 Sputnik

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Over 8,000 People Evacuated From Gaza Via Rafah Crossing - Egypt's Information Service

Sputnik News

20231120

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Over 8,000 evacuees from the Gaza Strip have arrived in Egypt via the Rafah border crossing, including 6,713 foreign nationals and dual citizens, Egypt's State Information Service reported on Monday.

The information service said that 929 Egyptian nationals had crossed the country's border from the Gaza Strip.

At the same time, Egyptian hospitals have admitted 236 patients and 197 accompanying persons from the conflict-torn enclave, according to the information service.

The Rafah crossing is the only route in and out of Gaza for the civilian population there, as well as the main artery for humanitarian aid into the Palestinian enclave.

On October 7, Hamas launched a surprise large-scale rocket attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip and breached the border, killing some 1,200 people and abducting over 200 others in neighboring Israeli communities. Israel launched retaliatory strikes and ordered a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip, cutting off supplies of water, food, and fuel. On October 27, Israel launched a ground incursion inside the Gaza Strip with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. The conflict has resulted in the deaths of over 13,000 people in the Gaza Strip.

 Sputnik

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Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General

Department of Public Information . News and Media Division . New York

20 November 2023

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's noon briefing by Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

** Noon Briefing Guests

Alright, good afternoon. We are delighted to be joined by our colleagues from the World Health Organization (WHO). We have with us Dr. Michael Ryan, the Executive Director of WHO's Health Emergencies Programme, and he is in Geneva, and with some luck, we should have Rob Holden, WHO's Senior Emergency Officer, who is joining us from Gaza. But, I do know that we have some problems connecting Rob. They will obviously be talking to you about the situation of the health sector in Gaza and the recent evacuation from the Al-Shifa. So, without further ado, Michael, you go ahead, and hopefully Rob will join us.

[...]

Alright, I may have a bit of news.

** Gaza

Just to stay in the topic with an update from our Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs colleagues about the situation in Gaza: They tell us that about 69,000 litres of fuel entered Gaza from Egypt yesterday. The Israeli authorities have confirmed that they would start allowing the entry of a daily amount of approximately 70,000 litres of fuel from Egypt, which while good, remains well below the minimum requirements for essential humanitarian operations. Fuel is set to be distributed by UNRWA [United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East]. UNRWA also tells us that with that, they will support food distribution and the operation of generators at hospitals, water and sanitation facilities, shelters, and other critical services.

Yesterday, UNRWA and UNICEF [United Nations Children's Fund] distributed some 19,500 litres of fuel to water and sanitation facilities south of Wadi Gaza, enabling them to operate generators and resume their operation. That amount of fuel is expected to last for about 24 hours. To the north of Wadi Gaza, all water and sanitation facilities are presumed to be shut down, and no distribution of bottled water has been taking place since the start of the Israeli ground operations on 28 October, raising grave concerns about dehydration and waterborne diseases. UNRWA has also reported that the number of fatalities in the attack that directly hit Al Fakhouri school in Jabalia on 18 November is at least 24 people, with others injured. At the time of the incident, the facility was sheltering about 7,000 internally displaced persons.

In a statement that you saw yesterday, the Secretary-General said he was deeply shocked that two UNRWA schools were struck in less than 24 hours in Gaza. Dozens of people and children were killed and injured as they were seeking safety in United Nations premises. The Secretary-General reaffirmed that UN premises are inviolable. He also reiterated his call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.

** Yemen

Also, I was asked about the incident that took place in the Red Sea, concerning the ship, and I can tell you that while the circumstances around the incident remain unclear, we are following with deep concern reports of the seizure by the Houthis of a vessel flying the flag of the Bahamas in the Red Sea and reportedly en route between Turkiye and India. We reaffirm the importance of ensuring that international law is respected in full in relation to maritime navigation, freedom of navigation. We urge all concerned parties and countries in the region to exercise maximum restraint and refrain from taking any escalatory actions.

** Emissions Gap Report

Back here, this morning, you saw the Secretary-General launched the 2023 UNEP [United Nations Environment Programme] Emissions Gap report, which is not good news, and says that if nothing changes, in 2030, emissions will be 22 Gigatonnes higher than the 1.5 degree-limit will allow. That's roughly the total present annual emissions of the USA, China, and the European Union combined. That report was shared with you.

** Secretary-General's Travel

He also announced that later today he will travel to Chile and then to Antarctica to see the deadly impact of the climate crisis. Scorching temperatures mean Antarctic ice is melting faster, with deadly consequences for people around the world. While in Antarctica he is expected to stop to see the Collins and Nelson Glaciers, and he will also stop at the Kopaitic Island, which is home to penguins and other species which are being impacted by climate change. The Secretary-General will be accompanied on this trip by President of Chile, Gabriel Boric. The Secretary-General will also take his experiences in Antarctica to COP28 [twenty-eighth Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change] in Dubai next week, where he will call for action that matches the scale of the crisis we face. We expected him back in New York on Sunday. And we have pencilled in on Monday afternoon a stakeout with him, in which he will answer some of your questions.

** Security Council

The Security Council also met this morning. The Secretary-General spoke at their debate on the vital link between development and sustaining peace. He told Council members that development by itself is not enough to secure peace, but it is essential. No peace is secure without inclusive and sustainable development that leaves no one behind. Noting that development gains are often among the first casualties of war; the closer a country is to conflict, the farther it is from sustainable and inclusive development. By contrast, he added, human development lights the way to hope  promoting prevention, security and peace. This is why advancing peace and advancing sustainable, inclusive development go hand-in-hand, he said. Those remarks were shared with you.

** Mali

A couple of peacekeeping updates, the first from Mali, where the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) tells us that it has closed its base in Ansongo, in the Gao region of eastern Mali, and handed it over to civilian authorities on Saturday 18 November. Over the past decade of service in Ansongo, peacekeepers have played a key role in stabilizing the area and contributing to reducing the impact of terrorist groups, in support of local authorities and the Malian Defense and Security Forces.

The UN Mission noted that these efforts include securing the transborder road that connects Niger to Mali, which has been vital for the country and the broader region. To protect civilians and restore state authority, the Mission also undertook numerous activities, including building and equipping facilities for the Malian forces and local police, providing fuel for their security patrols, and securing the airstrip for humanitarian [activities].

The Peacekeeping Mission in Mali also provided basic services to help prevent community conflict and improve living conditions, including access to safe drinking water and electricity. Despite these improvements, persistent insecurity remains a challenge, mainly due to the limited presence of national authorities. The Ansongo camp is the ninth of 13 bases that have closed under MINUSMA's plan to withdraw from Mali by 31 December. That is in line of course with the Security Council wishes. The Mopti base will close in early December, and the liquidation phase in remaining sites in Timbuktu, Gao and Bamako will begin on 1 January.

** Abyei

From Abyei, our peacekeeping mission in there, UNISFA, has strongly condemned attacks by a group of armed youths on villages in the area around Angath, Wunpeth, and Korioch yesterday, which resulted in a number of people killed and injured. It also reports that, contrary to what was reported in a number of media over the weekend, no peacekeeper was killed or wounded during these incidents. In response to the attacks, UNISFA moved quickly to enhance security in the impacted area by intensifying patrols, closely monitoring the situation and engaging with the relevant communities.

** Niger

And going back to West Africa, Niger, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that last week, on 14 November to be precise, 320 tons of therapeutic nutritional products from the World Food Programme (WFP) arrived in Niamey as part of trucks transporting humanitarian goods which entered the country through Burkina Faso. This was the first entry of humanitarian goods into the country since 26 July.

More humanitarian transports  including medicines, medical equipment, water and sanitation items and therapeutic foods from UNICEF are on their way to Niger, and those will arrive from Togo to Kaya in Burkina Faso. This is a welcome development for humanitarian organizations, whose stocks were almost depleted while needs remain high across the country. We have been reporting. To give you a sense of the needs, 4.3 million people need humanitarian assistance in Niger, including 3.3 million people who are food insecure, according to the latest food security analysis. Our humanitarian partners are working on statistics for next year and we will be communicating those figures towards the end of the year.

** Somalia

And crossing the continent, backing to the east, in Somalia, out humanitarian colleagues are telling us that heavy rains and floods have impacted [half] a million people in the past week alone. This brings the total number of people impacted since the start of floods in early October to 1.7 million. The number of people displaced also continues to increase and has reached more than 640,000. According to our partners, at least 41 people have been killed, including 12 children. Roads, bridges and airstrips have been damaged in many parts of the country, hampering the movement of people and supplies and leading to higher prices of basic commodities.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warns that suspected cases of Acute Watery Diarrhoea and cholera are rising and are expected to [further increase]. Our humanitarian partners, the authorities and local communities have stepped up assistance to impacted people. More than 740,000 men, women and children have received life-saving assistance since October. Despite the rapidly growing needs, funding for the humanitarian response remains low. With six weeks in the year remaining, the Humanitarian Response Plan for Somalia is only 40 per cent funded.

** Liberia

And you will have seen that over the weekend we issued a statement on Liberia, where the Secretary-General commended the Government and people of Liberia for the 2023 presidential and legislative elections, which took place in a calm and peaceful manner. These were the first general elections since the closing of the UN Mission in Liberia in 2018. The Secretary General reaffirms the continued support of the United Nations to the people of Liberia in their efforts to consolidate peace, democracy, and sustainable development.

** International Days

International days: Today is Africa Industrialization Day. In his message, the Secretary-General says that accelerating Africa's industrialization is vital for growth, diversifying economies and combatting poverty. And today is of course World Children's Day. UNICEF tells us that 400 million children  or about one child in every five  are living in or fleeing from conflict zones. But beyond conflict zones, children's rights also are under threat. These include rising poverty and inequality, public health emergencies and, of course the global climate crisis. Mr. Klein?

** Questions and Answers

Question : Thank you. This question regards the shipment of fuel into Gaza. First of all, are those shipments going directly to UNRWA personnel?

Spokesman : Yes.

Question : And secondly, what monitoring process, if any, is in place to make sure that the fuel gets to where it's needed, hospitals, etc. rather than being perhaps stolen by Hamas?

Spokesman : UNRWA has decades and decades of experience of working in Gaza and ensuring that monies and supplies go to whom it's intended. The fuel goes to run UN-run facilities, including health centres and others. So it remains in the... as far as I know, it remains in the custody of the UN the whole time. Margaret?

Question : Just a follow-up on the fuel. Okay. So it's supposed to be a 140,000 litres every 48 hours. So I guess that means they're... you said they got 69,000, so the half of it?

Spokesman : Yeah. It said 70,000 about a day. Yeah.

Question : So are they going to do it...?

Spokesman : 70,000 a day.

Question : So they're going to split it and go daily. But then there's supposed to be another 20,000 litres for PalTel, the communications entity. Is that going to go through UNRWA also or directly to them?

Spokesman : I don't know. It's a very valid question and I will check.

Question : Because... And can you check and see if it was delivered?

Spokesman : I will check everything you asked me to check. Dezhi, and then... I will get there.

Question : Also a couple of follow-ups. First of all, follow ups, also on the fuel. You just mentioned that 70,000 litres of fuel each day, it's below the minimum requirements. Can we know what would be the minimum requirements? [cross talk]

Spokesman : Yeah, I mean, as I was... as I was reading it. That was my question. I believe it's in the hundreds of thousands, but I'll check with the... what we actually... what the volume would be to meet the actual needs.

Question : So the second follow-up, you just mentioned that the Secretary-General issued a statement on the attack on two UNRWA schools there. I know this question sounds stupid, but I have to confirm this. Does these schools... do these schools have Hamas bases or weapons in there? Because I think it's UNRWA school. You guys know the situation.

Spokesman : These schools were there to shelter civilians. Right? They are not there to shelter combatants. The coordinates of these schools have been communicated. These schools didn't pop up overnight. They've been there for a long, long time. It is unacceptable that people seeking shelter under the UN flag be then confronted with these types of bombings.

Question : Okay. So one last question. This question is concerning the climate crisis. I think, yeah, today, there has been a report released called "Climate Equality: a Planet for the 99%", which, in this report, it says that in 2019, the superrich 1% were responsible for 16% of global carbon emissions, which is the same as the emissions of the poorest 66% of the humanity. Just want to know what does the Secretary-General has to say of these findings?

Spokesman : First of all, we have no doubt as to the solid scientific base of what our Oxfam colleagues put together. And it is yet another glaring example of the impact of inequality that we see in the world that impacts not only basic services, people's lives, but climate, as well.

Question : But then what does the UN think the super-rich 1 per cent should do?

Spokesman : People should be more responsible and think of others. Yes, ma'am. Oh sorry. And I'll get to you in a second.

Question : Thank you. I'm wondering if you have any update on the possibility of opening the Kerem Shalom Crossing?

Spokesman : No, no update. And as I said, as soon as... if there was positive answer, we would share that with you pretty quickly.

Question : But are there any ongoing negotiations?

Spokesman : Yeah, I mean we're... this is something we've been in discussions with the Israeli authorities and been pushing for. Okay. Anade?

Question : Thank you Steph. Steph, my question is last week, you said that Under-Secretary General Rosemary DiCarlo was traveling to the region. And if I remember correctly, you said her diplomatic efforts would start on Sunday, which is yesterday. You also mentioned that she'd be meeting with Israeli, Palestinian Jordanian officials. Can you give us any details as to who she'll be meeting with? Any readouts we'll be able to get or any discussions...? [cross talk]

Spokesman : Uh... It's a very good question. It's information we should have had... I know she met with a number of Israeli counterparts yesterday, but let me get... I'll try to get a further readout for you. [He later added: USG DiCarlo met on Sunday with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and other senior Israeli officials, including from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She also met with families of hostages being held in Gaza. On Monday, she held further meetings with Israeli interlocutors and UN colleagues on the ground. Tomorrow, 21 November, she is traveling to Ramallah to meet with Palestinian interlocutors.] Serife and then Mike and then we will go to the screen.

Question : Thank you, Stephane. I actually have a follow-up from briefing to you. So during the WHO's briefing, I think it was Mike who said that have the mandate to verify all information that relates to the attacks on healthcare facilities. They publish that information, and they also report that information back to the Secretary-General. And then it's the Secretary-General who has the task, who has the mandate to task, any other bodies such as the ICC (International Criminal Court) to investigate. So, considering that there are about 350 attacks on healthcare facilities since the beginning of the crisis, is the Secretary-General planning to task any bodies like the ICC to investigate? Thank you.

Spokesman : I will get back to you on all of the questions you've asked. Because I have to check the legal pathways. That... Mike was talking about things that I was not aware of, but there's a lot of things I'm not aware of so... Mushfique, I have to apologize because I know you wanted to ask a question on Friday, and I ran away quickly. So, go ahead, please.

Question : Thanks. Thank you, Stephane. Very quick. Bangladesh Government announced its election schedule on 7 January in crackdown on opposition and [inaudible] rejected help from the international community for a political solution. I'm wondering what step the Secretary-General is going to take to ensure a free, fair and credible election in Bangladesh. Has Government rejected the international call?

Spokesman : We continue to call on all stakeholders, the Government, the political parties to do whatever they can, to promote a peaceful, inclusive, and credible election. Mike, sorry, I skipped you. Didn't I? Sorry. I apologise. [cross talk]

Correspondent : Don't worry about it.

Spokesman : I feel it's Friday today for some reason, and...

Question : Every day is Friday right now; the energy is exhausting. What is the responsibility for UN workers and those affiliated with UN agencies to report Hamas' usage of UN facilities for military purposes? Is there a procedure in place? Who do they go to? And how far up the chain of command? [cross talk]

Spokesman : I mean we've had... I would refer you to investigations and reports that were done after... in past conflicts in Gaza, where we reported very transparently what we had found in that regard. The focus right now is, and I think as Rob put it very clearly, is on keeping people safe. But every time there's been investigations after previous conflict, we've been very clear and we've shared with you all of those findings.

Question : Are there any adjustments made within, while the conflict is going on? Are there any communications with Hamas after a report of their presence?

Spokesman : Well, we have repeatedly called for combatants not to use our facilities, not to fire to our facilities or from our facilities or near our facilities. Stefano?

Question : Thank you, Stephane. Just a follow-up on this, I know this was asked before, but just to clarify. Let's say if actually Hamas is using some of those facilities. Even just for hiding. And there are children, civilians, family, then there are, instead of finding shelter, what the international law says, can Israel actually shoot at these...? [cross talk]

Spokesman : I think you... the international humanitarian law is very clear. Right? And it's not for me to give you a synopsis of it, I would encourage you to read... I would encourage you to read the Geneva Conventions for yourselves. Because I think that's the best way for you to find out.

Correspondent : I understand.

Spokesman : So we have repeatedly called for premises... UN premises not to be used in combat. Right? But I... as far as what international law says, it's... international law is not a secret. Read it for yourself.

Question : No, I understand. But then when he's asked when we ask you, if Israel is committing crime against humanity or war crimes, then the answer that you give is that there will be investigation or there will be... why that, why you can't say if...?

Spokesman : Because there will need to be accountability. And I think the Secretary-General answered that specific question when Kirsten asked this morning. Maggie, go ahead.

Question : In previous Gaza conflicts, when UNRWA installations have been hit, been damaged, they're... the UN did approach Israel for reparations or compensation, however you want to call it. Will you be doing that again in this conflict?

Spokesman : I have no doubt there will be full investigations done in order to have accountability once this conflict is over. Our focus right now is, I mean, in Gaza, for colleagues in Gaza as a humanitarian law.

Question : And can you just remind us if Israel ever paid any of that compensation?

Spokesman : I will check if there were some discussions. Go ahead, Joe. Go ahead.

Correspondent : Okay. I'll make this very quick.

Spokesman : Killing won't be painful. Go ahead.

Correspondent : No, I wouldn't do that.

Spokesman : I'm sorry. I'm kidding. Go ahead Joe. I'm happy to... go ahead Joe. I'm all smiles and all ears.

Question : Okay. Just briefly, could you give us any update if you have one, on where the negotiations are going with the release of 50 to 70 hostages in return for a four or five day pause? There were reports that, this is very close to being completed, and I assume the UN has had some part in these discussions. Can you just give us a general sense where this stands?

Spokesman : No. I won't... for the reason that there's so much writing on this. There are obviously discussions going on, very intensive discussions, but I will leave it at that.

Question : Yesterday, in the Secretary-General's statement that you sent out, the last paragraph. He thanked Qatar for their mediation. Was that a direct reference to the hostage negotiations?

Spokesman : Well yeah, there's... you know, Secretary-General's been in touch with the Prime Minister, Foreign Minister of Qatar, with the Amir. I mean, it's not a secret that Qatar has been playing a pivotal role on a number of issues, but notably on the issues of hostages. Okay. Programming note, this is my Friday because I will not be here until the rest of the week. Farhan [Haq] will be here Tuesday and Wednesday. We're closed on Thursday. Stay away. Friday, we will... unless there is breaking news, we will only post highlights. But we'll have duty team, and we will see you back on Monday. And, hopefully, the SG will have a stakeout on Monday, which means I don't have to brief.

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Gaza: 'Unprecedented and unparalleled' civilian death toll: Guterres

20 November 2023 - The UN chief said on Monday that in the current conflict between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants in Gaza, the world is witnessing an "unparalleled and unprecendented" level of civilian death, compared to any other conflict since he became Secretary-General in 2017.

In reply to a question at a press conference dealing with the latest emissions report, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that in all the reports issued during his tenure, on children in conflict, it was clear that the current war in Gaza has seen thousands of child deaths - compared with hundreds, in conflicts in Yemen and Syria.

Without entering into discussing the accuracy of the figures released by the health ministry in Gaza, which are regarded by UN agencies as reliable, he said that "what is clear is that we have had in a few weeks thousands of children killed."

Latest reports from health authorities indicate that more than 13,000 civilians in total have died in the enclave since the 7 October terror attacks by Hamas, and subsequent Israeli offensive.

"This is what matters. We are witnessing a killing of civilians that is unparalleled and unprecedented in any conflict since I have been Secretary-General."

Opportunity out of tragedy

Also addressing how the region can move forward once the fighting stops, the UN chief said that it was "important to be able to transform this tragedy into an opportunity."

"For that to be possible, it is essential that after the war we move in a determined, irreversible way to a two-State solution", he told correspondents.

"It means also that after the war - and this is my opinion - I believe it to be important after the war to have a strengthened Palestinian Authority to assume responsibilities in Gaza."

He said a humanitarian ceasefire was a crucial first step, along with unrestricted access for humanitarian aid, "the liberation of hostages" and an end to violations of international humanitarian law and protection of civilians.

He said the Palestinian Authority which administers the West Bank, and which was forced out of Gaza in 2006 by Hamas, could clearly not assume control while Israeli tanks remain, meaning there must be a "transition period".

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UN protectorate, no solution

"I do not think that a UN protectorate in Gaza is a solution. I think we need a multi-stakeholder approach in which different countries, different entities, will cooperate. For Israel, of course, the US is the main guarantor of its security. For Palestinians, the neighbouring and Arab countries of the region are essential", Mr. Guterres said.

"So everybody needs to come together to make the conditions for a transition, allowing for a strengthened Palestinian Authority, to assume responsibility in Gaza and then, based on that, to finally move...in a determined and irreversible way to a two-State solution based on the principles that have been largely established by the international community and which I have time and time again outlined."

'Unliveable'

Meanwhile, in Gaza a tweet by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNWRA on Monday, described the situation in shelters as "unliveable". It said that Gazans had "no options", echoing repeated warnings from UN humanitarians nowhere is safe for civilians in Gaza.

Since Hamas's terror attacks on Israel on 7 October that claimed around 1,200 lives with nearly 240 hostages captured, hundreds of thousands of Gazans have fled south, following an evacuation directive from the Israeli military.

Astonishing exodus

Satellite images of the exodus showed a mass of people moving across a landscape of shattered buildings, while photographs taken at ground level showed families carrying their belonging on foot and a woman dragging two babies in car seats behind her.

In an update on Sunday, Tom White, Director of UNRWA Affairs, told US network ABC that 13 UNRWA sites where people had been "sheltering under the UN flag" had been "directly hit" since 7 October, while "countless other shelters" had suffered "collateral damage" - many of them in the south of Gaza, where civilians had been told to flee.

Dozens killed in shelters

Mr. White said that 73 people had been killed in UNRWA shelters to date, "a large proportion of them in the south".

"The reality is the Gazans have got nowhere to go for safety and they are all exposed to the threat of fighting and particularly airstrikes," the UNRWA official said.

According to the UN agency, more than 880,000 internally displaced have sought shelter in 154 UNRWA installations across all five of Gaza's governorates. Out of Gaza's 2.3 million people, 1.7 million are now displaced.

To date, 104 UNRWA staff have been killed along with at least 11,000 people in Gaza according to health authorities.

"Houses have been hit all across the Gaza Strip," said UNWRA's Mr. White, who said that people's main concern was, "If they're in the north or in the south, are they safe?"

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AFIMSC leads new ACE, military pilot training mission beddown project

Published Nov. 20, 2023

By Mila Cisneros

Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center Public Affairs

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas (AFNS) -- The Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center is leading a more than $500 million facilities construction project to facilitate expeditionary skills training and military pilot training at Ebbing Air National Guard Base, Arkansas.

In line with the National Defense Strategy, focus on collaboration between the U.S. and its allies and partners on shared objectives, the project will establish a permanent F-35 Lightning II training center for military pilots from Singapore and NATO countries who purchase the weapon systems under the Foreign Military Sales program. Ebbing ANGB will become the new location for the 425th Fighter Squadron, a Republic of Singapore air force F-16 Fighting Falcon training unit, currently based at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona.

"This project will provide additional capacity to allow training for more of our international partners than current facilities allow," said Col. Adam T. Rice, Air Education and Training Command lead for Ebbing Field integration and synchronization. "The mutually beneficial FMS mission increases interoperability and enhances the long-term relationships between the U.S. military and our allies and partners."

As part of the expansive multi-year effort, Ebbing Field will also host missions intended to enhance U.S. national security by providing additional resources for Air Force agile combat employment and large force employment training and exercises, U.S. Air Force F-35 pilot qualification and upgrade training while also serving as a standing aircraft emergency divert location.

"ACE shifts operations from centralized physical infrastructures to a network of smaller, dispersed locations that can complicate adversary planning, improve resilience, and provide more options for joint force commanders," Rice said. "Ebbing will provide an excellent area for us to train the force on how to conduct ACE operations in support of deterrence, crisis response or other operations, while at the same time also supporting our U.S. F-35 pilot training mission."

In June, the Air Force Civil Engineer Center partnered with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the 97th Contracting Squadron at Altus AFB, Oklahoma, and the 772nd Enterprise Sourcing Squadron from AFIMSC, to award more than $27 million in appropriated funds for planning and design of construction. The work includes design on four military construction projects, construction of eight facility renovation projects and installation of 10 relocatable facilities. AFCEC, a primary subordinate unit of AFIMSC, is the design and construction execution manager of the effort planned to be complete in late 2028.

"AFCEC is partnering with the Air Education and Training Command to deliver timely and cost-effective design and construction solutions required to support operations at Ebbing Field," said Col. George Nichols, deputy director of AFCEC's Facility Engineering Directorate. "It's the most hybrid beddown I've been a part of in 23 years: multiple active-duty missions on an Air National Guard base."

The Arkansas installation officially became the location for the foreign pilot training mission in March when the secretary of the Air Force signed the project's Record of Decision after completing the requirements within the National Environmental Protection Act and the Environmental Impact Statement. AFCEC's NEPA team partnered with Ebbing ANGB and the National Guard Bureau to conduct the environmental impact analysis that led to the decision.

"The EIA gave us the green light to move forward with the construction phase and turn Ebbing into an Air Force foreign mission training center," Nichols said. "Central location, existing fighter aircraft infrastructure, and range and airspace were decisive factors in making Fort Smith the official choice to host the FMS mission."

Other key organizations engaged in execution include the host 188th Wing at Fort Smith and AFIMSC's Detachment 7 providing installation and mission support for AETC, the parent of the training mission at Ebbing ANGB.

Ebbing ANGB will require new infrastructure, including a mix of military construction and facility renovation projects, to reach completion. AFCEC plans to use relocatable facilities to ensure the base is ready for initial operational capabilities in 2024, until permanent infrastructure is in place.

"It is a complex and large program that necessitates careful planning and construction of different facilities to line up with when the different countries will arrive for training," said John Ahern, an AFCEC program manager. "Because we can't build that quick, we'll be leasing relocatable facilities to ensure the mission starts while MILCON construction is completed."

Working hand-in-hand with multiple Department of Defense stakeholders, AFCEC is making steady progress with planning, design, and construction activities to ultimately accommodate 24 F-35 aircraft from the various nations and 12 Singapore air force F-16s.

Most facilities supporting the F-35 FMS aircraft will be new MILCON construction while beddown of the F-16s will require renovation and modernization of current infrastructure, Ahern said.

"A program of this magnitude on a constricted timeline shows how significant partnerships are to meet mission requirements and execute on time and within budget," Nichols said. "We can't succeed without the strong collaboration and partnership we have and utilizing all acquisition tools in our toolbox. Whether it's managing the funds or awarding projects, we work as one team, across almost every AFCEC directorate, AFIMSC Resource Management and legal support, contracting agencies, and multiple USACE districts, to make this happen."

Foreign Military Sales, overseen and directed by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, is a security assistance program authorized by the Arms Export Control Act. The act allows the U.S. to sell defense equipment, conduct training, and provide services to a foreign country when the president deems that doing so will strengthen U.S. national security and promote world peace, according to the DSCA website.

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U.S. 4th Fleet Conducts Inaugural Maritime Planning Symposium

US Navy

20 November 2023

From U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command / U.S. 4th Fleet

CALLAO, Peru -- 25 naval officers from eight partner nations recently completed the first-ever U.S. 4th Fleet Maritime Planning Symposium at the Peruvian Naval War College (Escuela Superior de Guerra Naval) in Callao, Peru.

Supported by the College of Operational Warfare - International Maritime Staff Officer Course at the U.S. Naval War College, professors Sean Carroll and Raymond Tortorelli and U.S. 4th Fleet planners led this inaugural maritime planning symposium in Peru to introduce and work through the Military Decision Making Process - Multinational. Navies from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Uruguay sent junior officers to participate in the seminar.

"In the U.S. Navy, we get many reps and sets in maritime planning early on in our careers," said Lt. Cmdr. Cassie Redner, U.S. 4th Fleet Maritime Operations Center (MOC) Training Officer. "This symposium gives an opportunity for partner nation naval junior officers to get some experience with the Military Decision Making Process - Multinational by working through a scenario so that when they participate in operations and exercises they have already spent time working together and learning together. This effort seeks to increase proficiency and improve interoperability earlier in the officers' careers."

Professors Carroll and Tortorelli led symposium participants through a UNITAS-like scenario and worked through the steps of the Military Decision Making Process - Multinational. The planning process helps staff members conduct essential planning in support of missions that naval forces execute at sea.

"We intend to make this an annual symposium, offering our partner navies an opportunity to host," said Rear Adm. Jim Aiken, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet. "Our desire is to have a continuum to build a cadre of partner nation naval officers who understand and are able to execute maritime planning for exercises and operations. This is our latest step in that effort, and we thank the Peruvian Naval War College for hosting this first symposium."

U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet supports U.S. Southern Command's joint and combined military operations by employing maritime forces in cooperative maritime security operations to maintain access, enhance interoperability, and build enduring partnerships in order to enhance regional security and promote peace, stability and prosperity in the Caribbean, Central and South American region.

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Heavy Fighting Erupts Around Northern Gaza Hospital Amid Israel-Hamas Conflict

By VOA News November 20, 2023

Latest developments:

Heavy fighting is reported around the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza, with 12 reported killed.

48 journalists have been killed in Gaza since October 7, according to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists.

Israel published video of what it described as a tunnel dug by Palestinian militants under Shifa hospital. Hamas denied the claim.

31 babies have been evacuated from Shifa Hospital, with 28 taken to Egypt for care.

The Israeli army said five more soldiers had been killed in fighting in the Gaza Strip, raising the number of troop deaths there to 64 since the war began.

Heavy fighting erupted Monday around a hospital in northern Gaza as Israel pressed on with its offensive against Hamas militants.

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said at least 12 people were killed when a shell hit the second floor of the Indonesian Hospital.

Israel's military says troops outside the hospital fired back at fighters within the facility but added that no shells were fired toward the hospital.

Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi condemned the attack and blamed Israel.

"Indonesia strongly condemns the Israeli attack on the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza that killed a number of civilians," she said in a statement. "The attack is a clear violation of international humanitarian law. All countries, especially those with close ties to Israel, must use all their influence and capabilities, to urge Israel to stop its atrocities."

About 600 patients, 200 health care workers and 2,000 displaced people from the Indonesian Hospital are now sheltering in southern Gaza, Health Ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qidra said. "The [Israeli] occupation aims to evacuate the hospital, as it did in Shifa" in Gaza City, he said.

Some relief for Gaza's collapsing health system arrived Monday. Dozens of trucks entered the territory from Egypt with equipment from Jordan to set up a field hospital. Jordan's state-run media said the new facility in the southern town of Khan Younis would be operating within 48 hours.

In addition, Israel says it is starting to allow about 70,000 liters of fuel each day into Gaza from Egypt, although the allocation would be far short of the minimum requirements for essential humanitarian operations. But it will help support food distribution and the operation of generators at hospitals, water and sanitation facilities, shelters, and other critical services.

Meanwhile, 28 premature babies evacuated from Shifa on Sunday have arrived in Egypt, Egyptian-state media reported, while the World Health Organization said three others have been reunited with their families in southern Gaza.

Israel published video Sunday of what it described as a tunnel dug by Hamas militants under Shifa Hospital, a focus of its search-and-destroy missions against Hamas militants. Israeli engineers uncovered the tunnel 10 meters deep and running 55 meters to a blast-proof door.

"This type of door is used by the Hamas terrorist organization to block Israeli forces from entering the command centers and the underground assets belonging to Hamas," said a military statement.

While acknowledging that it has a network of hundreds of kilometers of secret tunnels, bunkers and access shafts throughout the Palestinian enclave, Hamas has denied that these are in civilian infrastructure like hospitals.

The Israeli army said Sunday five more soldiers had been killed in fighting in the Gaza Strip, raising the number of troop deaths there to 64 since the war began.

All five died in northern Gaza, where its forces are engaged in a ground operation against Hamas militants, the military said.

Israel began its military campaign to wipe out Hamas after its fighters crossed into southern Israel on October 7. Israel said 1,200 people were killed and some 240 captives taken in the terror attack. Gaza health officials say more than 13,000 Palestinians, including 5,000 children, have been confirmed killed in Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip.

On the diplomatic front, Michael Herzog, Israeli ambassador to the United States, told ABC's "This Week" show on Sunday that Israel is "hopeful we can get a significant number of hostages [held by Hamas] freed in the next few days," with an accompanying short pause in the fighting, possibly lasting five days.

President Joe Biden told reporters Monday he believes a deal to release hostages could be reached soon but declined further comment.

U.S. news reports say about 50 of the estimated 240 hostages held by Hamas  particularly women and children  could be returned to Israel, but it is not clear whether and how many Palestinian prisoners held by Israel might be freed.

Hamas has released four hostages, Israel has rescued one, and the bodies of two Israeli hostages were found near Shifa since the warfare erupted.

Herzog refused to call any cessation in fighting a cease-fire, signaling that Israel plans to resume its attack on Hamas targets after the pause ends.

White House deputy national security adviser Jon Finer told CNN's "State of the Union" show that the U.S. believes it is "closer than we have been perhaps at any point since these negotiations [over the hostage release] began weeks ago."

He said, "There are areas of difference and disagreement that have been narrowed, if not closed out entirely," while adding that no deal has been reached.

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said 48 journalists and media workers have been confirmed killed in the region since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent Israeli offensive began.

The CPJ, which documents journalists killed on both sides, said its list of those killed comprises 43 Palestinians, four Israelis and one Lebanese.

VOA's Eva Mazrieva contributed to this report. Some information came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.

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Arab Muslim Delegation in Beijing Calls for Immediate Gaza Cease-Fire

By VOA News November 20, 2023

Arab and Muslim officials holding meetings with China's top diplomat Wang Yi in Beijing on Monday called for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and for allowing humanitarian aid into the war-shattered Palestinian enclave.

A delegation of ministers from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Indonesia, the Palestinian Authority and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, among others, visited Beijing on the first leg of a tour in world capitals urging an end to the hostilities in Gaza.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the foreign diplomats that their decision to start in Beijing shows their high level of trust in his nation.

"China is a good friend and brother of Arab and Islamic countries," Wang said in opening remarks at a state guest house before their talks began. "We have always firmly safeguarded the legitimate rights and interests of Arab [and] Islamic countries and have always firmly supported the just cause of the Palestinian people."

China  the world's second-largest economy after the U.S.  has been a longtime supporter of the Palestinians and has been quick to denounce Israel over its settlements in the occupied territories. Beijing has not publicly condemned the initial Hamas attack on October 7, while the United States and others have called it "an act of terrorism."

However, China does have growing economic ties with Israel.

China's President Xi Jinping will attend a video summit of BRICS leaders Tuesday on the Palestinian-Israeli issue, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

In comments posted by his ministry on X, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told his Chinese counterpart, "We look forward to a stronger role on the part of great powers such as China in order to stop the attacks against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Unfortunately, there are major countries that give cover to the current Israeli attacks."

Israeli ambassador to Beijing Irit Ben-Abba told foreign reporters at a briefing Monday that she hoped there would not be "any statements from this visit about a cease-fire, now is not the time," she said.

She noted that her country is allowing sufficient humanitarian aid into Gaza in collaboration with international organizations and that "putting pressure on Israel in this regard is politically motivated and is not conducive to the humanitarian assistance which is needed."

"This isn't Israel's first war against the Palestinian people," said Riyad Al-Maliki, the Palestinian Authority foreign minister. "However, Israel wants this to be its last war, where it takes full control of the Palestinian people's presence on what's left of the historical land of Palestine."

The Israeli ambassador said she hoped the delegation would talk about hostages captured by Hamas "and call for their immediate release without preconditions," adding that the parties involved should talk together about Egypt's "role in facilitating humanitarian assistance."

The delegation will also meet with officials from the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and is putting pressure on the West to reject Israel's justification of its actions against Palestinians as self-defense.

"We are here to send a clear signal, that is, we must immediately stop the fighting and the killings, we must immediately deliver humanitarian supplies to Gaza," said Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.

He added they appreciated the resolution issued by the United Nations Security Council, calling for urgent and extended humanitarian pauses in Gaza, "but we still need more efforts and cooperation."

The joint Islamic-Arab summit held in Riyadh earlier this month, organized by Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also urged the International Criminal Court to investigate "war crimes and crimes against humanity that Israel is committing" in the Palestinian territories.

Israel began its military campaign to wipe out Hamas after Hamas fighters crossed into southern Israel on October 7. Israel said 1,200 people were killed and some 240 captives taken in the terror attack. Gaza health officials say at least 13,000 Palestinians, including 5,000 children, have been confirmed killed in Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip.

Some information in this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters.

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NATO Mulls Sending More Troops to Western Balkans Amid Violence

By Garentina Kraja November 20, 2023

NATO's secretary general said Monday that the alliance is reviewing a permanent increase of NATO peacekeepers to Kosovo and Bosnia at a time of increasing violence and warnings of Russian interference.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, where Bosnian-Serb leaders have stepped up their rhetoric seeking secession from the federation, NATO's Jens Stoltenberg said that NATO allies "strongly support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia-Herzegovina."

"We are concerned by the secessionist and divisive rhetoric, as well as malign foreign interference, including Russia," Stoltenberg said in Sarajevo.

Stoltenberg later on Monday stopped in Kosovo, where on September 24 dozens of heavily armed men led by Kosovo-Serb politician Milan Radojcic  with alleged ties to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic  attacked Kosovo police in Banjska, killing one officer and engaging state security forces in an hourslong gun battle on the grounds of a Serbian Orthodox monastery.

Three of Radojcic's armed men were killed before the attackers fled to neighboring Serbia, where U.S. national security officials said they monitored "an unprecedented" but brief Serbian military buildup along the border with Kosovo's Serb-dominated north. The Serb military presence along the border, which included artillery, tanks and mechanized infantry units, dissipated after U.S. warnings.

Stoltenberg said NATO allies, who responded to the late-September fighting by deploying an additional 1,000 peacekeepers, found the violence "serious" and added more patrols in the area.

"We are now reviewing whether we should have a more permanent increase to ensure that this does not spiral out of control and create new violent conflict in Kosovo or in the wider region," Stoltenberg said during the joint news conference in Pristina with Kosovar President Vjosa Osmani, which followed meetings with national leaders.

Officials in Pristina have blamed their counterparts in Belgrade for orchestrating the Banjska attack, which officials in Belgrade deny and portray as a reaction by local Serbs disgruntled with Kosovo's government.

Eye on Russia

Stoltenberg's visit to Bosnia and Kosovo comes amid increased fears that Russia may use Serbian leaders in Bosnia  and Serbia's rejection of Kosovo's independence  to enflame hostilities in a region where ethnic tensions remain rife.

"We expect that those who are responsible for this absolutely unacceptable violence are held to account," Stoltenberg said. "It is important that it has consequences because we need to do whatever we can to ensure that this kind of violence doesn't happen again."

The September gun battle followed another violent clash in May, when 93 NATO peacekeepers were injured by a Serbian mob that protested a move by Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti to install Albanian mayors in municipal buildings after a local election boycotted by Kosovo Serbs.

Kosovo seceded from Serbia in 2008, when it fought a war of independence following Yugoslavia's disintegration. Serbia's 1998-99 crackdown in Kosovo ended after NATO's bombing campaign and a U.N. resolution that forced Serbia to relinquish control over the territory.

"NATO has a history in this part of Europe since the 1990s and, therefore, we have invested a lot in stability, in peace in this region, in Kosovo but also in Bosnia," Stoltenberg said. "We are really investing in security in this region because safety for these people in this region, stability in this region matters for our own security."

Leaders from Kosovo and Serbia are engaged in a EU-mediated dialogue that aims to normalize relations between the two. The dialogue, however, has largely stalled amid opposing demands between the two sides.

Stoltenberg urged both sides to refocus the dialogue.

"Stability in the region depends on all sides choosing diplomacy over violence and in honoring existing commitments," he said.

Stoltenberg's tour of the region is scheduled to include a stop in North Macedonia.

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Iran, Qatar call for global pressure on Israel to stop int'l law violations in Gaza

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 10:28, November 21, 2023

TEHRAN, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Iranian and Qatari foreign ministers called on the international community to take immediate measures to pressure Israel into stopping its "flagrant violations of international law" in Gaza.

The appeal was made in a phone call between Iran's Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and Qatar's Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, in which they discussed the latest developments in the Gaza Strip and the ongoing Israeli attacks on the coastal enclave, according to a statement released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Monday.

The two ministers held Israel accountable for "the present situation in the occupied territories," calling for efforts by Muslim and Arab states to immediately send aid to the "defenseless" Palestinians.

The two sides also exchanged views on the latest political initiatives aimed at stopping the Israeli "war crimes" against Gaza.

Israel has been carrying out attacks on Gaza over the past weeks in retaliation for the Hamas attacks on southern Israel on Oct. 7. The conflict has so far led to the deaths of over 13,000 Palestinians in Gaza, while on the Israeli side, about 1,200 people have lost their lives, the majority of whom were killed in the Hamas attacks.

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Yemeni forces release video of seizing Israeli ship in Red Sea

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 21 November 2023 2:06 AM

Yemen's Armed Forces have released a video showing their earlier capture of an Israeli ship during a recent operation in the Red Sea in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip who are under Israel's genocidal war.

Yemeni forces released the footage on Monday, a day after seizing the vessel, which was traveling under the name of Galaxy Leader.

The video shows the country's forces dropping from a military helicopter onto the deck of the Israeli ship "following a monitoring and control operation."

It also shows the forces raising Yemeni and Palestinian flags on the deck of the vessel after bringing it under their full control and redirecting it towards the Yemeni coast.

Reporting the operation on Sunday, Lebanon's Arabic-language al-Mayadeen television news network said it followed earlier warnings by Yemen's Ansarullah resistance movement that it would target any Israeli ship crossing the country's territorial waters.

The report added that 52 crew members who were on board the ship were arrested.

Before the operation was carried out, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, the spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces, had announced that the country's military units would target all ships owned or operated by Israeli companies or carrying the Israeli flag in support of the people of Gaza amid the regime's savage onslaught against the besieged territory.

Saree also called on all countries to withdraw their citizens working as crew members on any such vessels.

Speaking in an interview with al-Mayadeen, the information minister of Yemen's National Salvation Government stressed that all Israeli ships passing through the Red Sea are "legitimate targets" as Sana'a intensifies its operations against Israel in retaliation for its brutal aggression on Gaza.

"We are dealing with a criminal enemy and it's impossible for anyone who sees the massacres and the genocide [committed against Palestinians] to be neutral. So we will target anything that belongs to that enemy," Deifullah al-Shami said, stressing that Sana'a has "information on all Israeli ships that pass through the Red Sea."

Since October 7, when the Israeli regime started its war of aggression on the Gaza Strip, Yemen's Armed Forces have conducted several operations against the occupied territories, pledging to keep up their strikes as long as the regime continues its ongoing war on the territory.

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Palestinian fighters destroyed 60 Israeli military vehicles in 3 days: Al-Qassam Brigades

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 21 November 2023 12:09 AM

The military wing of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas says its fighters have destroyed as many as 60 Israeli military vehicles over the last three days amid the regime's unrelenting aggression against the Gaza Strip.

Abu Ubaida, the spokesman for the al-Qassam Brigades, provided the information on Monday, saying the targeted vehicles included at least 10 armored personnel carriers.

"Our fighters targeted an [Israeli] infantry force with an anti-personnel projectile on Saturday, causing significant injuries," he said, adding that resistance fighters heard the screams of the enemy soldiers who cried for help.

The spokesman, meanwhile, reported that the al-Qassam Brigades inflicted "fatalities and injuries" on Israeli forces in "several qualitative operations," which were carried out during the same period.

'Israel eliminating traces of failure'

According to the al-Qassam's spokesman, "When the [Israeli] enemy is unable to tow its damaged vehicles, it resorts to bombing them from the air to erase the traces of its failure."

"The enemy may have bombed its own forces on the ground, thinking they were captured in the Rantisi Hospital operation," Abu Ubaida said, referring to an attack by Palestinian resistance fighters targeting Israeli forces at the hospital.

"A force of elite [resistance] fighters, consisting of 25 members, carried out a composite attack on the enemy forces at Rantisi Hospital, which the enemy [has] turned into a base after evacuating it of patients," he noted.

According to Palestinian media, soon after Abu Ubaida's announcement, resistance groups fired a massive volley of rockets towards Israeli targets, including in the coastal city of Tel Aviv and other areas in the center of the occupied territories, describing it as one of the largest rocket barrages against Israel since the beginning of the regime's war on Gaza.

Following the rocket attack, sirens sounded over a wide area across the occupied territories extending from Ashdod in the south to Herzliya in the north.

Palestinian fighters have been engaged in defensive operations against Israeli forces since October 7. On that day, Israel launched an all-out war against the besieged Gaza Strip in response to an operation carried out by the territory's resistance groups. At least 13,300 Palestinians have been killed since the onset of the Israeli military aggression, including upwards of 5,600 children.

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Beijing hosts delegation, urges immediate cease-fire in Gaza

Global Times

Arab-Islamic delegation's first stop in Beijing underscores trust, highlighting China's constructive role in Middle East

By Chen Qingqing Published: Nov 20, 2023 11:11 PM

China urged an immediate cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, expressed opposition to any forced displacement and relocation of Palestinian civilians and emphasized that any arrangement concerning the future and destiny of the Palestinian people must have their consent, Chinese top diplomat Wang Yi told visiting Arab and Islamic foreign ministers on Monday.

Apart from talks with Arab and Islamic countries, China is also keeping communication with other permanent members of the UN Security Council on the Palestinian-Israeli issue.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that it is imperative to avoid further deterioration of the Palestinian-Israeli situation, especially the emergence of a more serious humanitarian crisis.

The two heads of state, in a telephone conversation on Monday, agreed that the two-state solution is the fundamental way to solve the cycle of Palestinian-Israeli conflicts.

At the invitation of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, President Xi Jinping will attend the BRICS extraordinary virtual summit on the Palestinian-Israeli issue and deliver important remarks in Beijing on the evening of November 21, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying announced on Monday night.

China will continue to work with Arab and Islamic countries to promote the full implementation of the relevant resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Chinese Vice President Han Zheng said on Monday while meeting the delegation of Arab and Islamic foreign ministers in Beijing.

China highly appreciates the peace efforts and the call for justice at the Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit and supports the joint ministerial follow-up committee to play a greater role, Han said.

A delegation consisting of Arab and Islamic foreign ministers is visiting China from Monday to Tuesday, including Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki and Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Hissein Brahim Taha.

During the visit, China will have in-depth communication and coordination with the delegation on ways to deescalate the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict, protect civilians and seek a just settlement of the Palestinian question, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

The delegation, which is set to meet officials representing each of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, is also piling pressure on the West to reject Israel's justification of its actions against Palestinians as self-defense, and Beijing is the first leg of their tour, Reuters reported on Monday.

The UN Security Council must listen to the voices of Arab and Islamic countries and take responsible actions to cool down the situation, Wang said. As the rotating presidency of the Security Council, China will continue to strengthen coordination with Arab and Islamic countries, build consensus and push the Security Council to take further meaningful actions on the situation in Gaza, Wang said.

Taking China as the first stop of its international mediation efforts shows a high degree of trust in China and reflects the fine tradition of mutual understanding and mutual support between the two sides. China is a good friend and a good brother of Arab and Islamic countries, Wang told Arab and Islamic diplomats.

China has always firmly upheld the legitimate rights and interests of Arab and Islamic countries and firmly supported the just cause of the Palestinian people in restoring their legitimate national rights and interests, the Chinese diplomat said.

In regard to this conflict, China has firmly stood on the side of justice and fairness, has been working hard to de-escalate the conflict, protect civilians, expand humanitarian aid, and prevent humanitarian disasters, and has been calling for a return to the two-state solution and the early settlement of the Palestinian question, Wang said.

The visit also came after the UN Security Council adopted its first resolution on Wednesday since the Israeli-Palestinian conflict broke out under China's active rotating presidency role. The council had failed to adopt four draft resolutions on the situation in a row.

China's position on the Palestinian question aligns with that of the Arab and Islamic world and its proposition on the issue is also in line with the status of the issue itself, helping China gain the trust of the Arab and Islamic countries, some experts said. Under China's mediation, Saudi Arabia and Iran have agreed to restore diplomatic relations in March, highlighting the constructive role that China has been playing in the Middle East.

Major push for peace

In the meeting with Arab and Islamic officials, the Chinese Foreign Minister said the pressing task now is to fully implement relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly and achieve an immediate cease-fire and cessation of hostilities. A cease-fire should not be a diplomatic rhetoric. It is a matter of life and death for the people in Gaza.

A cease-fire should be achieved as a top priority. This is the pressing need of the people in Gaza, the wish of the overwhelming majority of countries, and the unanimous voice of all peace-loving people around the world, Wang said.

"A cease-fire and humanitarian pauses are two different things. While Arab and Islamic countries and China are demanding a cease-fire, the US-led West is asking for humanitarian pauses," Niu Xinchun, a research fellow at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times on Monday. "There's still a huge gap between humanitarian pauses and a ceasefire."

The latest resolution adopted by the UN Security Council called for "urgent and extended humanitarian pauses and corridors throughout the Gaza Strip", with three abstentions - Russia, the US and the UK. Some experts saw the resolution as being a product of compromise.

Countries like Jordan and Egypt play an important role on the Palestinian question. For example, as one of the surrounding countries to the Gaza Strip, Egypt could play a bigger role in terms of humanitarian aid, Liu Zhongmin, a professor at the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times on Monday.

"Also, countries like Saudi Arabia and Egypt could play an important role in the future resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in which the discussion between those countries and China could focus on some practical issues," Liu said.

The fundamental reason for the cycle of conflict between Palestine and Israel is that the Palestinian people's right to statehood and survival and their right of return to their homes have been ignored for a long time, Wang said at the meeting.

The way out is to implement the two-state solution and establish an independent Palestinian state. China calls for an early convening of an international peace conference with greater scale, scope and effectiveness, and a timetable and roadmap for this purpose, Wang said.

Divisions exist

In a recent joint Islamic-Arab summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and other Muslim countries called for an immediate end to military operations in Gaza, rejecting Israel's justification of its actions against Palestinians as "self-defense." The development was seen as a historic moment of the Arab-Islamic world moving toward unity while Israel intensifies its attacks on the Gaza Strip.

However, the absence of Turkey and Iran from the delegation showed that divisions still exist among Arab and Islamic countries, especially when Turkey's stance on the Palestinian question appeared to be much stronger than Saudi Arabia's, experts noted. "They did not come up with a consensus on imposing countermeasures on Israel nor measures against the US, showing that Arab-Islamic unity is still in question," Liu said.

An Israeli official said on Monday that progress has been made in the Qatar-mediated talks aimed at freeing some of the 240 hostages held by Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.

According to Israel's state-owned Kan TV news, the proposed deal includes the release of about 50 women and children, who would be released in several stages. In exchange, Palestinian women and minors currently held in Israeli prisons would be released, in addition to a few-day pause in the relentless Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip.

Six weeks into the war, Israel is facing intense international pressure to justify its operations, according to the media report.

Israel officials have also warned that a "window of legitimacy" for the war to rout Hamas may be closing, media reported.

"It's hard to say if the conflict will become a long-term war, but at least it won't stop for now," Niu said, noting that as Israel's own goals are far from being met.

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Xi, Putin congratulate meeting of China-Russia dialogue mechanism between ruling parties

Global Times

By GT staff reporters Published: Nov 20, 2023 09:17 PM

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, on Monday respectively sent congratulatory letters to the 10th meeting of the dialogue mechanism between the ruling parties of China and Russia. The fact that the two leaders attach such importance to the dialogue mechanism between ruling parties shows that this kind of mechanism serves as an important pillar of bilateral relations, and also that China and Russia are willing to jointly enhance close communication of this kind between ruling parties, said Chinese experts.

In his congratulatory letter, Xi extended warm congratulations on the convening of the meeting. He said that at present, changes unseen in a century are unfolding at an ever faster pace and the world has entered a new period of disorder and transformation. China-Russia relations have withstood the severe test of changes in the international landscape, maintained a high level of development, set an example of a new model of major-country relations, and played a more prominent strategic role in achieving global stability and development.

Noting that next year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of China-Russia diplomatic ties, Xi said China is ready to work with Russia to grasp the general trend of history, firmly develop relations featuring permanent good-neighborly friendship, comprehensive strategic coordination and mutually beneficial cooperation, and vigorously promote the development and revitalization of both countries to inject more stability and positive energy into the world.

Xi pointed out that the exchanges and cooperation between the CPC and the United Russia party form an important part of China-Russia relations in the new era, and the dialogue mechanism between the ruling parties of China and Russia has developed into a unique channel and platform for the two countries to consolidate political mutual trust, enhance strategic coordination and promote mutually beneficial cooperation.

It is hoped that the two parties will take the 10th meeting of the dialogue mechanism as an opportunity to demonstrate the responsibility of major parties and countries, enrich exchanges in the new era, create a new situation of institutionalized exchanges and cooperation, and contribute more to the development of China-Russia relations in the new era, safeguarding international fairness and justice, and promoting the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, Xi said.

Putin said in his congratulatory letter that the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination is at the highest level in history, and the two countries are working together to advance a number of large-scale cooperation projects in the fields of economy, transportation, energy and culture, among others. The two countries are coordinating positions through bilateral channels and multilateral mechanisms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS to resolve major international issues and promote the building of a more just and democratic international order.

As the ruling parties of Russia and China, the United Russia party and the CPC have carried out high-level and constructive interactions and promoted the rapid development of bilateral cooperation in various fields, Putin said. The central committee organs and local institutions of the two parties have maintained institutionalized interactions, exchanged useful experience on party building, legislation and social work, and held in-depth discussions on a series of practical issues on the bilateral and international agendas, he added.

Putin expressed the belief that the 10th meeting of the dialogue mechanism will be meaningful and constructive, and further promote and deepen the fruitful cooperation between Russia and China.

The dialogue mechanism between the ruling parties of China and Russia serves as an important pillar of bilateral relations between the two countries, Cui Heng, an assistant research fellow from the Center for Russian Studies of East China Normal University, told the Global Times.

Cui said that both leaders sending congratulatory letters to the meeting not only demonstrates the fact that they attached great importance to the mechanism, but also shows their willingness to enhance inter-party communication, especially before next year's Russian presidential elections.

Cui pointed out that China's cooperation and communication with Russia is wide-ranging and mutually beneficial. There is no major conflict of interests between the two countries.

Also on Monday, China's Xinhua News Agency reported that Vyacheslav Volodin, Chairman of the Russian State Duma, is scheduled to visit China from Tuesday to Thursday at the invitation of China's top legislator Zhao Leji.

Cui said the meeting of the dialogue mechanism between the ruling parties of China and Russia as well as visits between Chinese officials and the Russian State Duma are routine exchanges between the two countries, and "it is those exchanges that have helped buttress and elevate bilateral ties."

When meeting with Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission earlier this month in Moscow, Putin said that Russia is willing to strengthen strategic communication with China, upgrade the level of practical cooperation and continuously push forward the in-depth development of bilateral relations between the two countries and the two militaries.

As China-Russia ties steadily march forward, Western media started another round of smearing against the bilateral relationship. CNBC reported that "Russia will be watching the talks [between Chinese and American leaders] closely, given its alliance with China, and any signs of a rapprochement between Beijing and Washington is likely to earn a frosty response from Moscow."

Chinese experts called the remarks a "clichA narrative" used by Western media and politicians to smear the China-Russia friendship. "They have always believed that China-Russia cooperation is a makeshift method, but they failed to see the strong internal driving force of the relationship. Such cooperation is beneficial for both countries," said Cui.

He noted that some Western countries and their Asian allies always use the perspective of bloc politics to interpret China-Russia relations, which simply reflects their own small clique mindset.

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China-developed global pioneering tandem flying-wing vertical takeoff and landing UAV unveiled in Shenzhen

Global Times

By Global Times Published: Nov 20, 2023 01:40 PM

China-developed global pioneering tandem flying-wing vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) was unveiled at the 25th China Hi-Tech Fair (CHTF), which was concluded on Sunday in China's tech hub of Shenzhen. It can realize takeoff and landing in vertical state, and can fly at normal level after taking off, China Central Television reported.

The new type of drone is independently developed and manufactured by researchers from the Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It adopts the globally pioneering aerodynamic layout of tandem flying-wing and multi-rotor.

The researchers have mastered the entire technological chain, including the driving system, sensor data fusion, flight control system, and algorithms. They have achieved multiple performance limits of drones, such as operating at temperatures as low as -40 C, or at an altitude of 5,500 meters, or taking off and landing in strong level-seven winds, according to the report.

By adopting the tandem flying-wing design, it is possible to achieve vertical taking off and landing without a runway, making it significantly more adaptable, Liao Dongpo, the person in charge of the exhibition from the Changchun institute said, according to media reports.

Fu Qianshao, a Chinese aviation expert, told the Global Times on Monday that China had also developed single wing vertical takeoff and landing drones, and compared with the traditional solo wing design, this new tandem flying-wing design can provide more stability when operating in strong crosswind.

While tandem wing configuration has less aerodynamic efficiency than an equivalent conventional single wing configuration, the advantages it provides are more significant in this case, Fu said.

It is surely a unique aircraft, the expert said.

The UAV mainly uses new energy lithium batteries as its power source, with its rotor providing upward lift during vertical taking off, and providing horizontal thrust after transitioning to horizontal flight. It also provides the UAV with superior payload capacity and endurance.

It has a total weight of around 50 kilograms when fully loaded, and a carrying capacity of about 17-18 kilograms, with a battery life of up to four hours, according to Liao.

In June, China published its first mandatory national standards for the civil drone industry to ensure the sector's healthy development. The new policy, due to take effect on June 1, 2024, includes mandatory technical requirements covering 17 areas from electronic fences to remote identification and emergency disposal processes.

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China, Saudi Arabia sign 50b yuan 3-year local currency swap agreement

Global Times

By GT staff reporters Published: Nov 20, 2023 08:58 PM

The People's Bank of China (PBC), the central bank, and the Saudi Central Bank have signed a local currency swap agreement. The swap size is 50 billion yuan ($6.98 billion) or 26 billion Saudi riyals. It will be valid for three years and can be extended by mutual agreement, the PBC said on Monday in a statement.

The swap arrangement, which has been approved by the State Council, will strengthen financial cooperation, expand the use of both currencies and promote trade and investment facilitation, read the statement.

Amid the continued internationalization of the yuan, experts said that the swap will have a demonstration effect and encourage more countries in the Middle East to follow suit.

The agreement is a breakthrough to promote the use of the yuan in the Middle East and an opportunity to advance the yuan's global use, Xi Junyang, a professor at the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, told the Global Times on Monday.

Saudi Arabian businesses can use the yuan in more scenarios with fewer restrictions, especially for international trade and external economic cooperation, said Xi, adding that the deal may facilitate bilateral energy trade.

For instance, as one of the largest crude oil producers in the world, Saudi Arabia usually uses the US dollar for its international trade, Xi added. Observers said that the use of the yuan may bolster bilateral crude exchanges.

In 2022, China imported 508 million tons of crude oil, and half of the top 10 sources were Arab countries, with Saudi Arabia ranked first, according to China Petrochem.

The report added that about one-quarter of Saudi Arabia's crude oil has been exported to China in recent years. China is the largest importer of crude oil from Saudi Arabia.

More and more countries now prefer to use local currencies to settle foreign trade deals to reduce their reliance on the US dollar, said Xi. Saudi Arabia's pioneering move may play a vital role in boosting the yuan's use among regional countries, which will also support the currency's internationalization, he noted.

Chinese authorities are striving to promote the yuan's internationalization. China's central bank has vowed to promote the internationalization of the yuan earlier this month in a steady and prudent manner, with targets set for the opening-up of the financial market. Facilitation of the use of the yuan as an international currency is an important highlight.

The PBC said that continuous efforts will be made to steadily advance bilateral currency swaps and local currency settlement cooperation with other central banks, including effectively leveraging currency swaps to support the development of the offshore yuan market and facilitate trade and investment.

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China Reportedly Sets Up Near-Space Command for Hypersonic Weapons Forces

Sputnik News

20231120

Fantine Gardiner

According to reports from Chinese media, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) may have set up the first-ever military command for hypersonic weapons and other near-space military operations.

The report was carried in Chinese media on Monday and based on a paper submitted to the 11th China Command and Control Conference in October by researchers from the National University of Defense Technology in Changsha.

It refers to the PLA's Near-Space Command as a fifth command, joining the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Rocket Force.

"The near-space combat force is in the process of rapid development. The establishment of relevant units is not yet mature, and combat operations have not been standardized. The understanding of near-space combat command needs to be deepened," the researchers wrote.

"It is necessary to adjust the hierarchy of command and control powers, selection of command methods, implementation of executive orders and support for command communication," officials said.

The researchers said it was necessary for the PLA to be prepared to fight in near-space, which had become a hotly contested zone and could "determine the outcome of future battles."

Ironically, when the United States set up its Space Force (USSF) in 2019, the Pentagon cited purported threats posed to US space supremacy by Chinese and Russian technology, which includes anti-satellite (ASAT) missiles and supposed "stalker" satellites, among other weapons. China tested an ASAT missile in 2007 that successfully destroyed a malfunctioning Chinese satellite using a kinetic kill vehicle.

"The near-space force operates in a special battlefield. Actions carried out in sensitive areas or over the territory of other countries may trigger political or diplomatic reactions," they said, necessitating a higher level of command authority.

According to researchers, China realized that hypersonic weapons in particular could pose international political problems, as well as surveillance drones and other high-altitude equipment.

"The highest military command can approve the scale of use, activity areas and method of use to avoid causing political and diplomatic nuisance," the paper said.

China became the first country in the world to put hypersonic weapons into regular military service in 2019, and has added several more similar weapons since, which can be fired from land-based silos or transporter-erector-launcher trucks, sea-based warships and submarines, and by H-6N bomber aircraft in mid-flight.

Hypersonic weapons are one of the few to operate in near-space, which extends from 12 miles (63,000 feet) altitude up to the boundary of space at 62 miles altitude. There, the air is too thin for heavier-than-air aircraft to fly but too thick for satellites to operate.

However, it is ideal for hypersonic weapons, which use a rocket boost to achieve speeds above Mach 5 before detaching an unpowered glide vehicle that can maneuver to confuse and avoid enemy air defense systems.

At present, almost no air defense system in operation is known to be able to take down a hypersonic weapon in flight, although some, such as Russia's S-500 and the US' SM-6, have been purported to be able to do so under certain circumstances.

The researchers said this new capability "could change the pace of battles and bring a major impact to how a war would end," noting that in a future war, hypersonic weapons could be used to devastating effectiveness to paralyze an enemy's communications and transportation networks early in the conflict - including their ability to take offensive action in space and near-space.

"Hypersonic weapons can attack rocket launch sites, [destroying] the enemy's ability to fire anti-satellite missiles on our civilian satellite networks," the researchers said. "These attacks must be precise, overwhelming and merciless."

They also note that command and control hubs would be primary targets, as they always are in war.

At present, only China and Russia have hypersonic weapons in full military service. Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States have tested hypersonic weapons, but not yet announced their deployment with front-line forces. Several other nations have announced programs to develop hypersonic weapons.

A Sputnik

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Chinese Defense Ministry rebuts Australia's claims about recent warship interaction

Global Times

By Global Times Published: Nov 21, 2023 12:45 AM

Australia's claims about a recent interaction between Chinese and Australian warships are completely inconsistent with the facts, said a spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense on Monday.

Spokesperson Wu Qian's statement came in response to Australia's recent accusation that a Chinese warship conducted "unsafe and unprofessional" interaction with an Australian warship in "international waters in Japan's exclusive economic zone," resulting in injuries to Australian naval divers.

China is firmly opposed to the Australian remarks and has lodged solemn representations with the Australian side, Wu said.

Australia's HMAS Toowoomba frigate recently operated in waters near the East China Sea, and China's Ningbo destroyer took measures including tracking, monitoring, identifying and verifying in accordance with the law and regulations, Wu said.

In the process, the Chinese vessel strictly abided by international rules including the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea and the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea. It kept a safe distance from the Australian vessel, and did not conduct any activity that could affect the Australian side's diving operations, Wu said.

China and Japan have not carried out maritime delimitation in the relevant waters, so the claim of Chinese military activity in "Japan's exclusive economic zone" is not correct, the spokesperson stressed.

"We urge the Australian side to respect the facts, stop rude and irresponsible accusations toward China, engage in endeavors that are conducive in boosting mutual trust, and build a positive atmosphere for developing better bilateral relations and military-to-military ties," Wu said.

In response to the same event, Mao Ning, a spokesperson at China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a regular press conference on Monday that the Chinese military is strictly disciplined and always operates professionally in accordance with international law and international common practices.

"We hope relevant parties will stop making trouble in front of China's doorsteps and work with China to preserve the momentum of improving and growing China-Australia ties," Mao said.

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N Korea set to proceed with satellite launch soon: S Korea military

Pyongyang has a history of staging provocations when the South's leader goes abroad.

By Lee Jeong-Ho for RFA

2023.11.19

Updated at 17:07 ET, Nov. 20, 2023

South Korea's military authorities said on Monday they have detected new activities from North Korea, which appears to be a preliminary sign for its satellite launch. The authorities did not disclose specific details, but asserted that Seoul would respond to any new developments that could pose a threat to regional security.

North Korea's launch of a military reconnaissance satellite is a violation of U. N. Security Council resolutions amid concerns that this technology can also be used for ballistic missiles.

In August, North Korea failed in its second attempt to launch a satellite, three months after its first attempt to do so.

In a stern warning to the North, Kang Ho-pil, the South's chief director of operations at the Joint Chiefs of Staff strongly urged "the immediate cessation of the military reconnaissance satellite launch that is currently being prepared."

In a press briefing on Monday, Kang warned that the North Korean regime must "face the reality that the international community is unanimously condemning its illegal actions."

"If North Korea proceeds with the launch of the military reconnaissance satellite despite our warnings, our military will take necessary measures to ensure the safety and security of our citizens," Kang added. The measures could stem from the strengthened military cooperation with Washington and Tokyo, as indicated during the trilateral foreign ministers meeting in San Francisco last week.

They could also include the possibility of suspending the effectiveness of the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement, where the two Koreas agreed to halt what each other defined as hostile actions towards one another near the border. South Korea's defense minister Shin Won-sik had told reporters last month that the agreement has limited the South's surveillance capability against North Korean provocations. North Korea has also conducted a number of provocations near the inter-Korean border, which are violations of the inter-Korean agreement. Critics in South Korea have long argued that the deal has already become ineffective, only to restrict Seoul's operational and surveillance capabilities.

Last week, the North's official Korean Central News Agency reported the successful testing of a new solid-fuel engine for an intermediate-range ballistic missile, or IRBM. The tests, conducted at two separate occasions, were to assess the technical specifications of the high-thrust solid-fuel engines developed for Pyongyang's new type of IRBM, KCNA noted.

North Korea's IRBM has a range of some 4,000 kilometers, capable of striking U.S. territories in the West Pacific, including Guam.

The report came as South Korea's National Intelligence Service told lawmakers in the National Assembly earlier this month that Russia has acquired over 1 million artillery shells from North Korea since August. In exchange, the North is most likely to have received technology transfer for what it claims as "satellite" launch from Russia, the spy agency said.

European trip

South Korea's detection of its northern neighbor's preparations for a satellite launch coincided with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's departure to Europe on Monday for his state visit to the United Kingdom, and then travel to France. North Korea has a history of conducting ballistic missile tests when South Korean presidents are abroad, seemingly to challenge Seoul's response capabilities and the efficiency of its systems in the president's absence.

In response to Pyongyang's maneuver, as well as to demonstrate South Korea's readiness and systematic operational strength, the presidential National Security Council, led by its chief Cho Tae-yong, was convened on Monday.

The NSC discussed "North Korea's potential provocations, such as preparations for the launch of their so-called 'reconnaissance satellite' before the President's state visits to the United Kingdom and France," said a statement from the Presidential Office on Monday.

The NSC Standing Committee members have "checked the readiness of the government's security measures and decided to further strengthen the defense posture of the military to respond effectively and immediately to any provocations from North Korea," the statement said, adding that the measures were to "ensure that there are no gaps in national security during the president's overseas trip."

The action appears to communicate a dual message: signaling South Korea's preparedness to North Korea; and to South Korean voters that the government is effectively handling North Korean provocations even during the president's absence. The South Korean president's presence in the country during North Korean provocations has frequently been a central issue in domestic politics, often serving as a primary target for criticism from opposition parties.

South Korea is scheduled to hold its general election in April.

Edited by Elaine Chan and Taejun Kang.

Updates to recast, add context.

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 November 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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Choe Ryong Hae Inspects Preparations for Election of Deputies to Local People's Assemblies of DPRK

Korean Central News Agency of DPRK

Pyongyang, November 21 (KCNA) -- Choe Ryong Hae, member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, first vice-president of the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK and chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly, went to various polling booths in Pyongyang Municipality to learn about the preparations for the election of deputies to local people's assemblies.

Finding himself at sub-constituency No. 1 of constituency No. 79, sub-constituency No. 90 of constituency No. 89 and sub-constituency No. 112 of constituency No. 106, Choe Ryong Hae gave pep-talks to the officials of the election committees in their devoted efforts to make the upcoming election successful.

He called for making sure that the people fully express their will in the upcoming vote by well equipping the polling booths and conducting various forms of election campaigns in different ways in order to make the voters have a better understanding of the significance of the election and the modified and supplemented Law of the DPRK on the Elections of Deputies to the People's Assemblies at All Levels.

He underscored the need to organize meetings between candidates for deputies and voters to be suited for the specific conditions of each region and unit so as to ramp up the voters' political consciousness and patriotic passion and ensure that the advantages and vitality of the most popular and democratic social system of the state are clearly demonstrated once again.

Choe Ryong Hae called on the officials of every election committee to bear in mind the importance of their duty during the run-up to the election of deputies to local people's assemblies which will help cement the single-minded unity, the bedrock of the existence and development of the state, and fulfill their responsibility and role in the preparations for the forthcoming election. -0-

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The Federal Chancellor met with President ErdoAYan of Turkey "Direct dialogue is key, especially in difficult situations"

Germany - Federal Government

The situation in the Middle East, the Russian attack on Ukraine and Sweden's NATO membership: these were some of the issues discussed by Federal Chancellor Scholz and Turkey's President ErdoAYan during the latter's visit to Berlin.

Friday, 17 November 2023

Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz welcomed the Turkish President Recep Tayyip ErdoAYan in Berlin, where they met to discuss current global crises and conflicts. Regarding Russia's attack on Ukraine, the two heads of state agreed that Russia had to end its war of aggression as soon as possible. While the German and Turkish governments hold very different views concerning the current Middle East conflict, the Federal Chancellor stressed that "direct dialogue is key, especially in difficult situations".

Russian attack on Ukraine

In view of the far-reaching consequences of the Russian attack on Ukraine, Scholz praised Turkey's constructive and vital role concerning Ukrainian grain exports, and he thanked the Turkish President for his personal commitment in this essential matter. He also expressed his regret at Moscow's decision to abandon the agreement.

In the context of this "turning point", the Federal Chancellor reiterated that Russia must not move any borders by force and he also warned of the possible threat to European security. Concerning Sweden's NATO membership he said: "We hope that a decision will be made soon. It is key, after all, to strengthen NATO as an alliance."

Barbaric attack on Israel by Hamas

With regard to the situation in the Middle East, the Federal Chancellor stressed: "The Federal Government strongly condemns this act of terror committed by Hamas." He added that Turkey and the Federal Government were united in their concern that the situation in the Middle East could escalate further. However, the Federal Chancellor also highlighted that "our solidarity with Israel is non-negotiable" and that "it is enshrined in international law that Israel has the right to defend itself".

See here for further details: Germany stands firmly alongside Israel .

Federal Chancellor Scholz also highlighted that every human life had the same value: "We are also saddened by the suffering of the Palestinian civil population in Gaza." He went on to say that Germany was the biggest donor of humanitarian aid and had further increased such aid to over 160 million euros this year.

Once more, the Federal Chancellor pointed out that it was necessary to find a long-term political solution for the Middle East conflict: "A two-state solution continues to be our goal." Israel's right to exist was non-negotiable for Germany, he said. Scholz also found clear words concerning emerging anti-Semitism: "There is no room for anti-Semitism in our country, regardless of whether it is politically or religiously motivated, whether it stems from the right or the left, and whether it has developed here for centuries or is brought to Germany from the outside."

However, he also expressed his determination to counteract any attempts to call into question the solid position of the five million Muslims that live in Germany.

Strengthening bilateral relations

In view of Turkish-German and Turkish-EU relations, Scholz explained that both sides had failed to draw on their full potential in recent years. Scholz also mentioned displacement and irregular migration as central issues, and said that the two governments agreed in their wish to limit irregular migration. The Federal Chancellor called for a continuation of the solid agreement between the EU and Turkey that was drawn up in 2016. "We will have to discuss the issue of repatriations, too," he added.

Scholz also spoke about the close contacts and personal connections between citizens from both countries. Following the earthquake in the Gaziantep region in February, Germany had helped without delay, had enabled thousands of affected individuals to stay in Germany for a short time, and had provided funding for reconstruction, Scholz said. He also pointed out that there was great potential in the area of business cooperation: "We should expand reciprocal trade further. Legal security for companies and solid financial and economic policy are cornerstones in this regard."

Debate concerning the visit

The Turkish President's visit to Germany had given rise to public debate even before it took place. During government question time in the Bundestag on 15 November , Federal Chancellor Scholz said very clearly that "the things that require discussion will always be discussed, including opposing views. This is also very important in this matter, to be clear and to explain one's own position unambiguously."

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Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh holds bilateral talks with his Australian counterpart Mr Richard Marles in New Delhi

India - Press Information Bureau

Ministry of Defence

Emphasises on military cooperation in niche training areas such as Artificial Intelligence, anti-submarine & anti-drone warfare and cyber domain

India & Australia agree that strong defence partnership will augur well for overall security of Indo-Pacific

Posted On: 20 NOV 2023 5:49PM by PIB Delhi

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh held a bilateral meeting with Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Mr Richard Marles in New Delhi on November 20, 2023. Both the ministers reaffirmed their commitment towards further strengthening the bilateral defence relations. They expressed satisfaction at the increasing military-to-military cooperation between the two countries, including joint exercises, exchanges and institutional dialogue. The Raksha Mantri congratulated Minister Marles on the maiden and successful conduct of multilateral exercise 'Malabar' by Australia in August this year.

Both ministers underscored the importance to further enhance cooperation in information exchange and maritime domain awareness between the two countries. The two sides are also in an advanced stage of discussion to conclude implementing arrangements on Hydrography Cooperation and cooperation for air-to-air refueling.

Shri Rajnath Singh emphasised that the forces of the two countries should also look at cooperating in niche training areas like Artificial Intelligence, anti-submarine and anti-drone warfare and cyber domain. The two ministers agreed that deepening cooperation in defence industry and research would give a fillip to the already strong relationship.

The Raksha Mantri suggested that shipbuilding, ship repair and maintenance and aircraft Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) could be the potential areas of collaboration. The two ministers also discussed cooperation for joint research in underwater technologies. Collaboration between the defence start-ups of both the countries, including that for solving challenges jointly, was discussed by the ministers. They concurred that a strong India-Australia defence partnership will augur well not just for the mutual benefit of the two countries but also for the overall security of the Indo-Pacific.

*****

ABB/Savvy



(Release ID: 1978250)

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Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's telephone conversation with Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hossein Amir-Abdollahian

19 November 2023 18:26

2336-19-11-2023

On November 19, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had a telephone conversation with Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hossein Amir-Abdollahian at the Iranian side's initiative.

The discussion focused on the current situation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone. The ministers expressed general concern about the ongoing armed confrontation in the Gaza Strip and stressed the imperative for an early ceasefire, alongside urgent assistance to the affected civilian population.

Additionally, the ministers touched upon the schedule for their upcoming engagements and delved into a number of other topical issues on the bilateral and international agenda of mutual interest.

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Measures taken by China against dumping of nuclear-contaminated water by Japan are entirely reasonable and necessary: FM

Global Times

By aGlobal Times Published: Nov 20, 2023 10:38 PM Updated: Nov 20, 2023 10:32 PM

The current measures taken by China and other relevant parties in response to the dumping of nuclear-contaminated water from Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea are completely justified and necessary, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on Monday said in response to whether the two countries would have the dialogue to address the issue.

China has agreed to address its ban on Japanese seafood through expert-level talks, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said aftertalks withChinese President Xi Jinping in San Francisco.

China's position against the release of nuclear-contaminated water is consistent and clear, Mao said. "We hope that the Japanese side can work with China to properly handle the issue of the dumping of nuclear-contaminated water in a constructive manner."

Tokyo Electric Power Company TEPCO said that the third round of the dumping of nuclear-contaminated water at the Fukushima nuclear power plant has been completed at around noon on Monday, according to Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK).

The third round, which began on November 2, totaled 7,753 tons. The fourth round is expected to start early 2024, and the total cumulative dumping of the four emissions are about 31,200 tons, and 233,351 tons have already been discharged.

China's total imports of aquatic products from Japan in October were only 2.4 million yuan, a decrease of 99.3 percent from 325.79 million yuan in October 2022, according to data released by the General Administration of Customs (GAC) on Saturday.

This comes after China banned all aquatic products from Japan over Fukushima nuclear waste water dumping on August 24.

China's imports of seafood from Japan dropped to zero in September, according to data earlier released by the General Administration of Customs (GAC). It's noticeable that there is no recorded data of China importing meat, fish, and other aquatic invertebrate products from Japan in September.

The GAC announced on August 24 that China will halt all aquatic product imports from Japan after the Japanese government, in disregard of the strong criticism and opposition from international community, unilaterally started the dumping of the Fukushima waste water into the ocean.

The move aims to prevent the risk of radioactive contamination caused by the dumping of nuclear-contaminated wastewater from Fukushima to affect food safety, protect the health of Chinese consumers, and ensure the safety of imported food.

According to a press release from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on September 4, Japan told the WTO that China's ban on Japanese seafood is "unacceptable," while asking China to cancel the measures.

In response, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that it is entirely legitimate, reasonable and necessary for China to take emergency measures against imports of aquatic products from in Japan in accordance with Chinese laws and provisions of WTO agreement.

China is replacing Japanese seafood products with domestic or imported aquatic products from other countries. Chinese seafood companies, which are currently processing scallops from Japan such as Hokkaido, are also considering moving their factories to Southeast Asian countries including Thailand.

In addition to China, other countries including Russia have also adopted temporary restrictive measures against fish and seafood imports from Japan. The decision was taken as a "precautionary measure," and the restrictions would stay until Moscow is provided with comprehensive information that confirms the safety of Japanese fish and seafood products, Russia's Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision announced on October 16.

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Boats carrying 525 Rohingya land in Indonesia's Aceh region

One of the people-smuggling boats, with 249 aboard, had been pushed back to sea twice since Nov. 16.

Pizaro Gozali Idrus and Uzair Thamrin for BenarNews 2023.11.19 -- Up to 525 Rohingya were allowed to disembark in western Indonesia's Aceh province when their three boats landed there on Sunday after weeks at sea, the latest in a wave of new Rohingya arrivals since Nov. 13, according to officials.

Sunday's landings in Aceh included about 250 people who were on a boat that had reached the province's coast last Thursday but was pushed back to sea by villagers at two locations before it was finally allowed to come ashore after an urgent appeal by UNHCR, the U.N.'s refugee agency.

"The three ships that landed this morning were in three different locations, in Bireuen, Pidie and East Aceh, with around 500 people," Mitra Salima Suryono, a spokesperson for UNHCR in Indonesia, told BenarNews, a news outlet affiliated with Radio Free Asia. The landings brought to 866 the total number of Rohingya who have arrived in Aceh aboard five people-smuggling boats since last Monday.

The three boats that landed on Sunday had spent between a month to two months on the open water after setting sail from Cox's Bazar, in southeastern Bangladesh, officials said. The district is home to sprawling camps that house about 1 million stateless Rohingya Muslim refugees from the nearby Rakhine in Myanmar, officials said.

Some of the 241 Rohingya who disembarked from the boat in Pidie regency (pictured) looked famished, sick and exhausted, according to a representative of a local fishermen's association.

"Their physical conditions were unstable because they didn't eat enough while at sea," Marfian, the secretary in Pidie for Panglima Laot, the fishermen's group, told BenarNews.

A police official in Bireuen confirmed that the boat with 249 people, which was pushed back to sea twice earlier, had landed in that regency along the northern coast near the western tip of Sumatra island.

"We are looking after them and making sure everything goes well," Second Inspector Marzuki, a spokesperson for the Bireuen police who goes by one name, told BenarNews.

Residents of two villages along Aceh's coast pushed back the boat on Thursday after two other boatloads of Rohingya had landed in the region on Nov. 13 and Nov. 14. Police at the time said that locals had been complaining about bad behavior shown by some among the 1,000-odd Rohingya who were already sheltering in Aceh.

Indonesia and neighboring Malaysia, both majority-Muslim countries, are popular destinations for Rohingya who decide to pay human smugglers money to embark on the often perilous and potentially deadly sea journey from Cox's Bazar.

"[T]he sailing season has started, and many refugees try to leave the camps in Bangladesh where they face precariousness, overcrowding, insecurity, lawlessness and now also food rations cuts," Chris Lewa, the director of the Arakan Project, a Thailand-based human rights group that advocates for rights for the stateless Rohingya people, told BenarNews in an email early Monday (Bangkok time).

"We know of one more boat still at sea, maybe more. Surely more will be planning to leave."

Miftachuddin Cut Adek, deputy secretary-general of Panglima Laot, the fishermen's association, said that members of his group were always open to allowing in the Rohingya.

"We accepted them for humanitarian reasons," he told BenarNews. "It's a pity that they were adrift in the sea when they reached the shoreline, but were rejected."

Usman Hamid, executive director of Amnesty Inetrnational's branch in Indonesia called it irresponsible for locals to have forced the Rohingya on that one boat to return to potential perils out on the open sea.

"This reflects a major decline in Indonesian civility. Even though the locals previously showed generosity and humanity towards Rohingya refugees," Usman Hamid said in a statement issued before the boat with 249 people aboard was allowed to land.

"Indonesia has an obligation to help them. The policy of returning them to their country of origin clearly violates the non-refoulement principle, a basic pillar of the life of civilized nations," said Usman.

In January 2023, Jakarta called for region-wide cooperation to conduct rescue operations for Rohingya stranded at sea, so that Indonesia wouldn't have to bear the burden of this task disproportionately.

Indonesia does not grant asylum or legal status to refugees. Refugees who arrive in Indonesia are usually confined to temporary shelters or detention centers, and face an uncertain future, as they have no access to formal education and jobs.

Human rights groups have said that the number of Rohingya leaving for third countries highlights the dire conditions at the refugee camps in southeastern Bangladesh and the deteriorating situation in post-coup Myanmar.

Many Rohingya have grown desperate because they see no hope of being repatriated to Myanmar, which has been convulsed with violence following the February 2021 coup by the Burmese military, rights advocates and NGOs in the region have said.

The year 2022 was the deadliest since 2014 for Rohingya attempting such sea voyages, according to the United Nations. At least 348 individuals died or went missing at sea, UNHCR reported in January.

Imran Vittachi contributed to this report from Washington.

BenarNews is an online news outlet affiliated with Radio Free Asia.

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 November 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 facilitates evacuation of certain countries' citizens from Myanmar to avoid conflict: Chinese FM

Global Times

By Global Times Published: Nov 20, 2023 06:17 PM Updated: Nov 20, 2023 06:14 PM

China has facilitated the evacuation of some certain countries' citizens from northern Myanmar through China to avoid a conflict, and will continue to maintain communication with relevant countries and provide assistance, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Monday, in response to the question about citizens from some other countries such as Thailand are being evacuated through China.

China is closely following the conflict in northern Myanmar and calls on relevant parties to cease fire as soon as possible, said Mao. Recently, some countries have requested assistance from China, and China has provided entry and exit facilities to them, according to Mao.

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the diplomatic institutes in Myanmar have issued consular notice regarding Chinese citizens. Chinese citizens located in the conflict-torn areas of northern Myanmar are advised to evacuate to safe areas or return to China as soon as possible.

Recently, some Chinese citizens have already returned to China, and the relevant authorities will continue to closely monitor the security situation in northern Myanmar and provide assistance to Chinese citizens, said the spokesperson.

Since the conflict in northern Myanmar began, China has been playing a constructive role in its own way, promoting peace and talks actively, urging the relevant parties to prioritize the interests of the people and to cease fire as soon as possible, Mao noted. China has also encouraged the resolution of differences through dialogue and consultation, in order to avoid escalation, Mao said.

China has made significant efforts in terms of manpower, material, and financial resources, to keep the main border ports between China and Myanmar operating smoothly. China also cooperated with Myanmar in rescuing efforts, and providing assisted to personnel from other countries evacuating through China, according to Mao.

China hopes that the relevant parties will work toward the same goal as China and promote the early return of peace and stability in Myanmar.

China called on Myanmar to cooperate with China to maintain the stability of the China-Myanmar border, effectively protect the safety of Chinese citizens and property along the border, as well as strengthen the security measures to Chinese personnel, institutions and projects in Myanmar, said Assistant Foreign Minister Nong Rong, during the visit in Myanmar from November 3 to 5, according to China's Foreign Ministry.

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Ongoing conflict in northern Myanmar kills 2, including child

Nearly 30,000 displaced people are facing water shortages in a nearby camp.

By RFA Burmese 2023.11.20 -- Residents in northeastern Myanmar are facing both a humanitarian crisis and intense conflict, people living in the area told Radio Free Asia. On Sunday night, airstrikes by junta forces killed two people, including a child, in Shan state.

Locals were caught off guard when a junta plane began an aerial attack on Myo Thit village in Namhsan township around 10 pm. It was unexpected because there had not been any fighting beforehand, said one local, asking to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals.

"There is no fighting in Namhsan, but the aerial bombardment was carried out while people were sleeping," he told RFA, adding that six women and two men were injured in addition to the two killed. "People died and houses were also burned."

The explosions damaged 23 houses in total. The bomb weighed roughly 500 pounds and killed Tar San Naw, as well as a child, when it landed on a house, according to a statement released by the Ta'ang National Liberation Army on Monday.

The junta has not released any information about this attack and calls by RFA to Shan state's junta spokesperson Khun Thein Maung went unanswered.

Conflict in northeastern Shan state has intensified in the last two months, as an allied group of resistance armies took three major cities in Operation 1027 in late October.

Earlier that month, the Ta'ang National Liberation Army attacked several junta convoys, causing their troops to retaliate. Since Oct. 10, nearly 30,000 internally displaced people have been sheltering in makeshift tents near the China-Myanmar border in Laukkaing township.

Since Thursday, heavy rain has made life more difficult for those forced from their homes.

After several days of rain, resources are becoming harder to find and people's health is deteriorating, said a Laukkaing resident, who did not want to be named for security reasons.

"They have been living in tents since before [the rain]. It is raining and they are not comfortable anymore. Most are workers from other areas, not residents," he told RFA. "There are many people who came to work in Laukkaing from other areas. Water also became scarce in that camp."

Elderly people and children are also more prone to illness in the colder weather without blankets, he added. On Saturday, the camp's water and electricity were cut off.

The Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army warned Chinese citizens in Laukkaing to return to China to avoid conflict in the region. They also told civilians to stay away from military camps and not to move around the area.

All of Laukkaing's roads and gates out of the city are blocked and locals are facing food shortages, residents also reported. Junta troops are not letting food or supplies into the city.

After Operation 1027, battles between the military junta and the three northern allies have been continuing in eight townships, including Namhkan, Chinshwehaw, Nawnghkio, Lashio and Manton.

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 November 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 Rebel Offensive Helps China's Cybercrime Crackdown

By Ingyin Naing November 20, 2023

Myanmar rebels have launched a series of coordinated attacks known as "Operation 1027" that outside analysts say have given them new momentum in their struggle against the military junta. The operation also reportedly aligns with China's interest in cracking down on transnational crime in the region, particularly cybercriminals who target Chinese consumers.

"Just as Operation 1027 kicked off, the Chinese side started to really wake up to just how horrific some of the impacts of all of this criminal activity that is going on, under the protection of the Myanmar army, actually are for China," Jason Tower, Myanmar program director for the United States Institute of Peace, a U.S. government funded think tank, told VOA via Zoom on Tuesday.

Operation 1027, named after the date of its commencement, is being spearheaded by the Three Brotherhood Alliance, which includes the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, MNDAA, the Ta'ang National Liberation Army, TNLA, and the Arakan Army or AA. The U.S. institute of peace says in a report this month that the coordinated rebel offensive has made swift gains across the region, overrunning more than 100 junta outposts, and capturing at least four towns, including an important border crossing with China.

The offensive targets pro-junta militias and military-sponsored Border Guard Forces or BGF that run the Kokang Self Administrative Zone or SAZ, which the MNDAA administered until it was ousted by the Myanmar military in 2009.

"The Chinese government has started to fight cybercrime more forcefully since September" Li Kya Win, a spokesperson for MNDAA, told VOA via Telegram on Thursday. "Ethnic armed groups along the border have also become deeply involved in China's efforts to curb the criminal enterprises and the trafficking of Chinese nationals."

Rebels claim that despite Chinese pressure, the Burmese-junta-aligned security forces have done little to go after the criminals that Beijing is concerned about.

Rebel spokesperson Li Kya Win says, "The Kokang BGF have not been deeply involved in the crackdown on online scam syndicates, many of which are located in the SAZ. Only after we started the 1027 operation," Win added, "the Kokang BGF felt pressure to do something against the cybercrime kingpins. Therefore, we are the ones who are actually implementing the shutdown of this lucrative criminal activity along the Chinese border."

The rebel crackdown has also led to the release of Chinese nationals and others who were being detained by online scammers, according to Jason Tower.

"With the MNDAA coming in and taking all these positions, it's maximized pressure on the military, and the military has no choice but to release people from these scam compounds. You're now seeing thousands of people coming out of the Kokang areas going over back to China, and the MNDAA is playing a very active role along with the Brotherhood Alliance in eradicating these scam syndicates," said Tower.

Massacre before 1027

Chinese support for the 1027 operation was reportedly spurred by a mass killing at one of the scam centers in the Kokang SAZ last month (October 20).

"Scores of Chinese nationals were murdered by Border Guard Force police as they tried to escape from a scam center compound," Tower told VOA. "And I think that is really the reason why you saw China give support to the MNDAA and the Brotherhood Alliance."

The incident was not widely reported at the time. VOA reached out to local news media for more context. An editor of an independent local news agency based in northern Shan state responded with details of the massacre. His name is being withheld for safety reasons.

"On October 20th, when the news came out that the MNDAA and its allies were going to attack Kokang's capital Laukkai," the editor told VOA by phone, "the detainees in the compound owned by Ming Xuecheng, a former official of the Kokang SAZ and a former member of the pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) in the Shan state parliament, were moved to another safe location. At that time the detainees tried to run away and were shot and killed by the security team."

"At least 60 people died," the editor told VOA. "There were a lot of Chinese nationals among them. At least four Chinese intelligence officers who were working undercover in this compound were among those listed as killed."

VOA has been unable to independently confirm the account. Analyst Jason Tower says approximately 100 foreign nationals, mostly Chinese, died during the escape attempt. Tower said it occurred in the "Hiding Tiger Mountain Villa," a compound owned by Ming Xuechang, a notorious cybercriminal whose son is a colonel in a junta-aligned military unit.

"The government of Lincang, a nearby Chinese city, sent a strongly worded letter the next day demanding an investigation," Tower added. "This was ignored by the [Myanmar] military -- and this is what caused the Chinese government to agree to operation 1027."

Ringleader kills himself to avoid arrest, junta says

A statement released November 11 by the Ministry of Public Security's Criminal Investigation Bureau said arrest warrants had been issued for all of the Ming family members involved in criminal activities in the region.

Among them were Ming Xuecheng, his son Ming Guoping, and two other Ming family members from Zhenkang County, which lies directly across the Chinese border from Kokang.

The statement went on to say that an investigation by Chinese police found the family members are, "ringleaders of a criminal group involved in telecommunication network fraud in the Kokang Autonomous Region in northern Myanmar." The statement says that they are also suspected of "intentional homicide, intentional injury, illegal detention and other serious crimes."

An audio clip released on Friday by Myanmar Junta spokesperson, Major General Zaw Min Tun, said that police in the Kokang SAZ had moved to arrest the four Ming family members in Laukkai city on November 16th, but the 69-year-old Ming Xuecheng, who was "the mastermind of an online scam ring," killed himself during the arrest attempt by shooting himself with a pistol. The body of the deceased ringleader was surrendered to Chinese authorities on November 17th, along with the other family members, the spokesperson said.

"We are working together to eradicate online fraud," the audio statement continued. "We have conducted investigations all around Shan State and the autonomous region.

The statement claimed authorities arrested 286 people in total, including 270 Chinese nationals, 13 Myanmar nationals, 2 Malaysians, and one Vietnamese.

China's Myanmar Challenge

It remains to be seen if this operation constitutes a change in Beijing's relations with Myanmar factions fighting in the country's civil war.

"China is facing a dilemma," Than Soe Naing, a China-Myanmar expert and former member of the Communist Party of Burma, told VOA via Zoom. "They are not sure if the Brotherhood's operation will succeed or not. The Brotherhood Alliance do not yet control the Kokang SAZ completely.

At the same time, from China's perspective," Naing says, "the junta did act on the demands of the Chinese government. In addition, the losses China faces from online fraud are not as big as the current trade revenue losses caused by the latest actions near their border."

"China's seeing some successes in this," says Jason Tower, "but it's coming with costs, because now you're seeing that the border trade has basically been shut down between the two countries." However, the military junta, according to Tower, was already losing control of major trade routes before Operation 1027 and had not been able to foster key economic investments by China because of a lack of competent governance by the junta.

"The military completely failed when it came to cracking down on crime," he says, "At the end of the day, the military is one of the key enablers of all of that criminal activity."

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Protesters Block Major Border Crossing Between Afghanistan And Pakistan

By RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal, RFE/RL's Radio Azadi November 20, 2023

Protesters in Pakistan have blocked a major border crossing with neighboring Afghanistan to protest against Islamabad's refusal to allow document-free travel, which has hit traders and the local economy on both sides hard.

Late on November 19, protesters in Chaman, a border town in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan Province, blocked the gate connecting the town to Spin Boldak, a town in the southern Afghan province of Kandahar.

Speaking to RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal on November 20, Ghousullah Lagharee, the leader of a monthlong sit-in protest in Chaman, said the action would continue until Islamabad rescinds its decision to only allow people with valid travel documents to cross the border.

"We will continue this blocked until the government accepts our demands [to resume passport-free travel]," he said.

"We will announce further steps as this is blocked and the ongoing strike [in Chaman] continues," he added.

Last month, Pakistan unilaterally ended the century-old "Easement Rights," an arrangement that allowed members of some communities straddling the 19th-century Durand Line border to cross freely.

In Chaman, free movement across the border helped most residents earn a living by moving goods between the neighboring countries. Members of the Achakzai and Noorzai Pashtun tribes make up most residents on both sides of the border in the desolate desert region.

"The government restrictions have killed our livelihoods and made our people jobless," said Faiz Mohammad, a local union leader in Chaman.

He said that at least 20,000 families in Chaman alone depended on document-free travel to trade with Afghanistan.

Attaullah, another leader of the protesters in Chaman, said they had been meeting senior civil and military officials in Balochistan's capital, Quetta, and were now seeking an audience with senior government leaders in Islamabad.

"We hope to have our first meeting with them today or tomorrow," he told Radio Mashaal on November 20.

Pakistani officials insist cross-border movement has to be regulated to improve security and control smuggling in the country.

Islamabad has blamed Afghanistan's Taliban rulers for failing to prevent Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which they say is a Taliban ally and shelters in Afghanistan, from launching attacks inside Pakistan and then retreating back across the border.

On November 8, caretaker Pakistani Prime Minister Anwar ul-Haq Kakar said terrorist attacks inside the country had increased by 60 percent since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in August 2021. Since then, some 2,300 people have been killed in these attacks.

In early October, Islamabad announced November 1 as a deadline for more than 1.7 million "undocumented foreigners" to leave the country. In a nationwide crackdown after the expiry of the deadline, Pakistani police arrested thousands of Afghans and deported them.

Pakistani authorities said on November 20 that more than 400,000 Afghans had crossed into Afghanistan from Pakistan during the crackdown on migrants.

But in Chaman, protesters are adamant that they will not allow Islamabad to invoke security fears or budget woes to wipe out their livelihoods.

"Our people have awakened. Anybody who is thinking about laying a brick on the border must think hard first," Lagharee told Radio Azadi.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-border-afghanistan- protest-restrictions/32692454.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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Russia vows retaliation against Finland's anti-Russian actions

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 16:07, November 20, 2023

MOSCOW, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- A senior official from the Russian Foreign Ministry has pledged that Russia will retaliate against any anti-Russian measures taken by Finland, local media reported on Monday.

"Taking into account the confrontational actions of Finland towards Russia, the Russian side decided to terminate the Russian-Finnish intergovernmental agreement on promoting cross-border cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Finland, signed in Helsinki on April 13, 2012," said Sergei Belyaev, director of the Second European Department at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "We place the blame for this entirely on the Finnish side."

Belyaev highlighted Finland's consistent confrontational stance against Russia following Russia's military operation in Ukraine, including supplying arms to Ukraine and escalating sanctions against Russia.

He emphasized that Finland's NATO membership resulted in the halt of longstanding bilateral political dialogues at various levels, causing severe harm to previously flourishing trade and economic ties. Moreover, connections between regions and sister cities were severed.

Belyaev said that Finland imposed entry restrictions on Russian citizens in September 2022, which impedes travel of many groups including property owners and employees of Finnish companies. These restrictions were further tightened from July 10 onwards.

Regarding Finland's plans to introduce property seizure mechanisms affecting Russian nationals, Belyaev clarified that these plans are still in development. Moscow hopes that these projects, which violate private property rights, will not come into effect.

"Under the current Russophobic stance of Finnish authorities, various scenarios are unfortunately possible. Any anti-Russian actions will undoubtedly receive a response. Our reaction will hinge on the specific decisions made in Helsinki, especially concerning the expropriation of Russian property," stated Belyaev.

In October, Finland's Minister of Justice, Leena Meri, revealed plans to reform legislation by 2027, enabling property confiscation from owners with whom contact is impossible or who have payment arrears.

Many Russian property owners in Finland are unable to pay their expenses and taxes due to the European Union's banking and payment sanctions on Russia following its military operation in Ukraine.

Finland further tightened entry restrictions for Russian property owners in early July. Reports from Finnish media highlighted the difficulties in conducting bank transfers from Russia to Finnish banks, affecting tax payments and property-related bills.

The Finnish Cabinet recently announced the complete closure of border crossing points on the southeast border with Russia from November 18, 2023, to February 18, 2024. Responding to this decision, the Russian Embassy in Helsinki expressed concerns and hinted at exploring reciprocal measures.

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Kyrgyz Court Releases Kadyrov Critic, But Orders His Deportation

By RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service November 20, 2023

BISHKEK -- A court in Bishkek has ruled that Russian citizen Mansur Movlayev, an outspoken critic of the authoritarian ruler of Russia's North Caucasus region of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, who was sentenced in Kyrgyzstan earlier in October to six months in prison for illegal border-crossing, must be released but that his deportation order to Russia remains in force.

Movlayev's lawyer, Bakyt Avtandil, told RFE/RL on November 20 that his client left the Birinchi Mai district court's premises a free man and "nobody came up to him regarding his pending deportation." He added that the court said Movlayev had served his six-month sentence because time spent in pretrial detention counts double.

Movlayev, a native of Chechnya, is wanted in Russia on extremism charges that he rejects as politically motivated.

The Kyrgyz State Committee of National Security (UKMK) said in August that its officers had detained Movlayev in a counterterrorist operation, stressing that the 28-year-old Chechen activist is "a follower of radical Islam" with links to terrorist groups in the Middle East.

In 2020, Movlayev was sentenced to three years in prison on illegal drugs charges that he vehemently rejected as politically motivated, calling the case against him retaliation by Chechen officials for his criticism of Kadyrov and his government.

In 2022, Movlayev was granted an early release, but then detained again.

Noted Chechen opposition bloggers Ibragim and Baisangur Yangulbayev said at the time that Movlayev managed to escape and fled Russia for Kyrgyzstan in 2022, where he planned to get assistance from international rights groups to travel to the European Union for safety reasons.

Kadyrov, who has ruled Chechnya since 2007 with a cult of personality around him, is frequently accused by Russian and international human rights groups of overseeing grave abuses, including abductions, torture, extrajudicial killings, and targeting the LGBT community.

Kremlin critics say Russian President Vladimir Putin has turned a blind eye to the abuses because he relies on the former rebel commander to control separatist sentiment and violence in Chechnya.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/chechnya-critic- movlayev-released-deportation/32692180.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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Russia Lodges Protest to Finnish Ambassador Over Closure of Border Checkpoints

Sputnik News

20231120

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian Foreign Ministry has lodged protest to Finnish Ambassador Antti Helantera over Helsinki's decision to close border checkpoints between the countries, the ministry said on Monday.

"On November 20, the Russian Foreign Ministry held a conversation with the ambassador of Finland to Russia, Antti Helantera. The Russian side protested against the closure of the most actively used checkpoints on the Russian-Finnish state border by the Finnish authorities," the ministry said in a statement, and called Helsinki's decision "provocative."

The ministry added that the closure of checkpoints violates rights of tens of thousands of citizens of both countries.

"The decision was made in a hurry, without any consultations with the Russian side, which had previously been an integral part of cooperation in ensuring the effective functioning of the joint border," the ministry stressed.

On Thursday, the Finnish cabinet said it had decided to close four out of eight checkpoints on the border with Russia from November 18 to February 18, 2024 due to the deteriorating situation with migrants. Helsinki has accused Moscow of directing asylum seekers, mainly from the Middle East, to its border, with the number of asylum requests soaring to 60 a day, compared to a total of 91 arriving from August 1 to November 12. The Russian embassy in Finland told Sputnik that the Finnish government's measures were a cause for concern, and Russia would work on retaliatory measures.

A Sputnik

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'Back for Taiwan': Hsiao Bi-khim accepts DPP's VP nomination

ROC Central News Agency

11/20/2023 05:42 PM

Taipei, Nov. 20 (CNA) Hsiao Bi-khim (), Taiwan's representative to the United States for the past three years, has been formally named Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) nominee Lai Ching-te's () running mate in Taiwan's 2024 presidential election.

"I am Hsiao Bi-khim and I am back. I will shoulder the unshirkable responsibility of supporting Taiwan," Hsiao said less than a day after returning from Washington at a press conference held Monday to unveil the Lai-Hsiao ticket at Lai's campaign headquarters in Taipei.

The announcement was not a surprise, as Hsiao had long been speculated to be Lai's top choice for the job.

At the press event, Lai, who is currently vice president and chairman of the DPP, thanked Hsiao for agreeing to be his running mate.

"Bi-khim's homecoming is meant to safeguard Taiwan," Lai said, explaining that she was chosen for the job because of her "top-notch performance" as Taiwan's top representative to the U.S. since 2020.

During her three-year-tenure, Hsiao was able to make Taiwan-U.S. ties the "best ever in history," Lai said.

He also praised Hsiao for "her willingness to make sacrifices whenever the DPP needed her most," including by running as a lawmaker and spending 10 years in Hualien County, a traditional stronghold of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT), and for remaining humble.

According to Lai, he first invited Hsiao to be his running mate during his stopover in America on his way to visit then-diplomatic ally Honduras in January 2022, long before his official nomination as the DPP's 2024 presidential candidate in April 2023.

Hsiao said she thought Lai was joking about asking her to be his running mate back in 2022, but the role has since taken on added importance given the changing international landscape.

In recent times, in particular after Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022 and Chinese warships and warplanes began conducting drills closer to Taiwan, the international community has paid closer attention to cross-Taiwan Strait tensions, according to Hsiao.

"Whether Taiwan can safeguard its democracy and decide its own future will have a huge impact on Taiwan's own survival and on the world as a whole," Hsiao said.

Given that Taiwan is facing mounting challenges, Hsiao said she understood that she had to take up the responsibility.

"I will take advantage of all the experience accumulated in my previous posts and do even more for Taiwan, and for Taiwan's people," she pledged.

Who exactly the DPP duo will face in the presidential election slated for Jan. 13, 2024 has yet to be settled.

Potential rivals in presidential race

Their main opponents are likely to be KMT presidential candidate Hou Yu-ih () and Taiwan People's Party (TPP) Chairman and presidential pick Ko Wen-je (), though the two could still team up on a joint ticket.

Business tycoon Terry Gou (), founder of manufacturing giant Hon Hai Precision Industry (Foxconn), could also run.

Hsiao, 52, has served as Taiwan's top representative to Washington since July 2020, months after losing her legislative seat to former Hualien County Magistrate Fu Kun-chi ().

Hsiao said earlier Monday that she had officially tendered her resignation as Taiwan's top envoy to U.S. to Foreign Minister Joseph Wu () and President Tsai Ing-wen () respectively.

It could take several days, however, before her resignation is processed and takes effect, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).

Before that happens, Hsiao will be on paid leave, MOFA said in a press release. It added that it cannot say who will be the acting representative to the U.S. while Hsiao is on leave.

Hsiao was born in Japan in 1971 to an American music teacher and a Taiwanese Presbyterian minister and grew up in Tainan. She relinquished her U.S. citizenship in 2002.

Shortly after acquiring a master's degree in political science at Columbia University in New York in 1995, Hsiao began serving as head of the DPP's liaison office in the U.S.

She later returned to Taiwan and took up the post of director of the DPP's Department of International Affairs.

Before being posted to Washington to head the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office, which functions as Taiwan's de-facto U.S. embassy, Hsiao served four nonconsecutive terms as a legislator, first from 2002-2008 and again from 2012-2020.

In an article published earlier this year, the New York Times described Hsiao as "one of the most influential" foreign envoys in Washington despite the absence of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Taiwan.

Over the past three years, bilateral ties between Taiwan and the U.S. have continued to develop against the backdrop of tense U.S.-China relations, with Washington approving several arms sales deals to Taipei.

In June 2022, Taipei and Washington also launched the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade, under which both sides signed an initial trade agreement and set out a new round of negotiations afterward.

Following then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's whirlwind visit to Taipei in August 2022, Beijing sanctioned Hsiao for "working hard to promote Pelosi's visit" and labeled her as a "diehard separatist" encouraging Taiwanese independence, according to Chinese state media.

Hsiao later responded by saying she would not be intimidated by the punitive measures that bar her and her family from traveling to China, Hong Kong and Macao. "Where there is oppression, there will be resistance," she said on social media at the time.

(By Teng Pei-ju and Joseph Yeh)

Enditem/ls

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Gou campaign says 'anything possible' after meeting with TPP's Ko

ROC Central News Agency

11/20/2023 04:27 PM

Taipei, Nov. 20 (CNA) Sunday's meeting between independent presidential candidate Terry Gou () and Taiwan People's Party (TPP) nominee Ko Wen-je () shows that anything -- including a potential joint ticket between the two -- is possible before the Nov. 24 filing deadline, Gou's campaign said Monday.

Huang Shih-hsiu (), a Gou spokesman, made the comments to reporters about the hour-long meeting at Gou's home Sunday night, one day after Ko's negotiations on forming a joint ticket with the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) hit a brick wall due to disputes over poll results.

Huang contended that KMT Chairman Eric Chu's () dealings with Ko mirrored the "promise-breaking and breach of trust" he engaged in when Gou unsuccessfully sought the party's presidential nomination in May.

Given those actions, "the KMT may be on its own" in the election, Huang said.

As for Gou, preparations are being made for him to register as an independent candidate, even as talks with Ko continue. Before the Nov. 24 deadline, "any result is possible," he said.

Asked about the possibility of a Ko-Gou ticket, Huang said Gou did not have "any pre-set opinions" on the matter, and that a pairing could potentially have Ko or Gou at the top of the ticket.

Ko, Hou, Lai

Ko, meanwhile, sent mixed signals at a rally Sunday on whether he would continue seeking an alliance with the KMT, saying he would "extend utmost goodwill" to unite the opposition, but also committing to "fight to the end" as the TPP's presidential candidate.

Asked on Monday about the meeting with Gou, a Ko campaign spokesperson was similarly vague, saying the two had discussed ways to bring together the opposition and replace the current government.

The KMT, which has nominated New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-ih () as its presidential candidate, has set a Wednesday deadline for forming a joint ticket with Ko.

If that fails, both the KMT and TPP will have to quickly announce running mates for their candidates to register by Nov. 24.

The opposition candidates will face off in the Jan. 13, 2024 election against Vice President Lai Ching-te () of the Democratic Progressive Party, who has consistently led the field in opinion polls.

Lai on Monday announced Hsiao Bi-khim (), Taiwan's top envoy to the United States, as his running mate.

(By Lai Yu-chen and Matthew Mazzetta)

Enditem/ASG

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Candidates begin registering for Taiwan regional leader election

Global Times

By Yang Sheng Published: Nov 20, 2023 09:58 PM

Candidates of different political parties in the island of Taiwan are able to register with the regional leader election commission from Monday to Friday, with the secessionist Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate formally announcing his running mate while opposition parties including the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Taiwan People's Party are struggling over whether to work together or run in the election separately.

DPP candidate Lai Ching-te, who is also the deputy regional leader of the island, formally announced Hsiao Bi-khim, the island of Taiwan's representative in the US, and a diehard separatist sanctioned by the Chinese mainland, as his running mate.

This has once again proven that the DPP is a secessionist party that has absolutely no sincerity in fixing cross-Straits relations, which it seriously damaged, the experts said, and will keep playing the card of "Taiwan independence" in the regional election, and its provocative and aggressive stance toward the mainland and reunification will be further intensified, said the experts.

The Chinese mainland will hold no illusion toward this group of secessionists, and if the DPP wins the regional election next year, cross-Straits relations and the security situation in the Taiwan Straits will definitely face new challenges and danger, and considering the lack of unity among the opposition parties, a new round of threats from Taiwan secessionism is highly likely to emerge, said experts.

According to the Xinhua News Agency on April 7, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee announced sanction measures against diehard "Taiwan independence" separatist Hsiao.

The spokesperson said Hsiao solicited foreign help and sought US support for the independence agenda to intentionally provoke confrontations across the Taiwan Strait and undermine cross-Strait peace and stability, further exposing her diehard nature of seeking "Taiwan independence."

The mainland decided to impose further sanction measures on Hsiao, strictly banning her and her family members from entering the mainland and the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao, and also banning her financial sponsors and related businesses from cooperating with mainland organizations and individuals. All other necessary punitive measures will be taken to ensure lifelong accountability according to law, said the spokesperson.

The opposition parties KMT and the Taiwan People's Party have still not reached agreement on how to form an alliance to compete with the DPP, with some experts saying that according to polls conducted by various institutions on the island, the two opposition parties face certain defeat if they run separately, which is why the future of cross-Straits relations is facing great risks.

Li Fei, a professor at the Taiwan Research Center at Xiamen University, told the Global Times on Monday that the Chinese mainland has no interest in intervening in the regional election, as the mainland has never attached hope on any single party for realizing reunification, as none of those politicians are fully reliable, and the mainland can only count on its own strength and capability.

No matter who wins the election next year, the mainland will keep pushing the reunification process in different ways. On the one hand, the mainland will release more resources to directly benefit Taiwan compatriots allowing them to share its development; on the other hand, it will continuing strengthening its military might to deter secessionists and foreign forces that interfere in cross-Straits affairs, and be prepared for a worst case scenario, experts said.

"The more powerful we are, the more hope there is for peaceful reunification. When we have an overwhelming advantage in military, politics, sci-tech and economy, the time for us to reunify the island will be ripe, and those secessionists and US politicians might abandon their attempts to resist our goal of reunification," said a Beijing-based expert on the Taiwan question who asked for anonymity.

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Taiwan's US envoy Hsiao Bi-khim joins 2024 presidential race

Democratic Progressive Party candidate Lai Ching-te confirms 'cat warrior' diplomat as running mate.

By Hsia Hsiao-hwa for RFA Mandarin, Ray Cheng for RFA Cantonese 2023.11.20 -- Taiwanese presidential candidate and incumbent vice president Lai Ching-te has confirmed his running mate will be Hsiao Bi-khim, the democratic island's former envoy in Washington, who has described herself as a "cat warrior" in the face of China's "wolf-warrior" diplomacy.

"It is my great honor to announce that I've chosen @bikhim - a warrior for democracy and one of #Taiwan's most influential ambassadors - as my running mate," Lai said via his X account on Monday.

"Fueled by shared commitment, we pledge to build a brighter future for all. Together, we'll work towards a stronger Taiwan," he said.

The choice of Hsiao, 52, suggests the ruling Democratic Progressive Party will still be campaigning on a platform of protecting Taiwan's democratic way of life from China's territorial ambitions and expanding its diplomatic reach, a platform that brought a landslide victory for outgoing president Tsai Ing-wen in 2020.

Hsiao, who has served as Taipei's de facto ambassador to the United States and who has been sanctioned as an "independence diehard" by Beijing, said she has shared values with Lai including defending Taiwan's freedom and democracy.

"I believe we have lots of common convictions - we are both willing to take on responsibility for Taiwan," she said, according to official footage of the announcement streamed to YouTube.

"I've described myself as a cat warrior," she said. "That's because, in diplomacy, you have to step cautiously, lightly, but sure-footedly, like a cat."

She said her decision to run on Lai's ticket came against a background of "one-sided and constant changes in the status quo made by the other side," in a reference to Beijing's escalation of military threats and disinformation campaigns targeting the island as Tsai's administration continued to forge stronger ties with Washington, in part spurred on by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

During her tenure in Washington, Hsiao has built a network of strong connections with administration officials despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties with the United States, which switched recognition to Beijing in 1979.

Washington is obliged by the Taiwan Relations Act to help the island defend itself, while the 2022 Taiwan Policy Act allows Washington to provide U.S.$4.5 billion in security assistance over four years.

Hsiao's tenure has been linked to the development of "the most mutually trusting" relationship with Washington so far, Lai said, adding that Beijing's criticism of their likely pairing last week showed the Chinese Communist Party's attempts to involve itself in the presidential race.

The announcement of Lai's running mate comes amid mounting doubts about the success of a planned opposition pact between the Kuomintang and the Taiwan People's Party, whose candidates would otherwise split the opposition vote, according to media reports.

With the deadline for candidate registration looming at the end of this week, Taiwan People's Party presidential candidate Ko Wen-je said on Sunday he intends to remain his party's presidential candidate, while Kuomintang chairman Eric Chu said the opposition alliance would likely be finalized by Wednesday, sparking widespread doubts that the two parties can yet reach an agreement on who should run for president, Ko or Kuomintang candidate Hou Yu-ih.

Former Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Lin Chuo-shui said if Lai wins the presidency, Washington will feel it has a strong channel of communication open with Taipei, which is a selling point for the Lai-Hsiao campaign.

Blue-white challenge

But he said if the opposition manages to seal its pact and campaign on a single ticket, it could pose a major threat to the pairing.

"It's now mainstream politics to campaign on a Taiwanese identity, on defending ourselves against China, and on broadening international diplomatic support for Taiwan," Lin said.

"That favors the DPP, but any cooperation between the blue [Kuomintang] and white [People's Party] camps could still pose a big challenge," he said.

Kuomintang lawmaker Chen I-hsin said a replacement for Hsiao needs to be found in Washington "as soon as possible."

"A change of general just before the battle is going to have an impact," he said.

Former Chinese citizen Zola, who is now a permanent resident of Taiwan, said China can't stand the Lai-Hsiao pairing because both candidates have fairly clean records, and aren't easy to undermine with disinformation.

"The Communist Party prefers corrupt people, who are easy to influence and control," he said. "Lai and Hsiao are both democratically elected representatives who can't be controlled."

"This is what should happen in a democratic country ... The Chinese Communist Party may want 'unification' under a Greater China, but Taiwan's 23 million people should decide what they want for themselves," he said.

Chinese president Xi Jinping told President Biden last week that he has no intention of invading Taiwan in the next few years, which some analysts said could weaken any candidate who relies on boosting the island's defenses as a key plank in their platform.

According to Chen Li-fu, chairman of the Taiwan Association of Professors, the Kuomintang is more likely to be undermined by Xi's comments, now that Lai's campaign has chosen to frame national defense as a path to peace and the maintenance of the status quo, while the Kuomintang has tried to appeal to young people who don't want to be conscripted to serve in a cross-strait war.

"Xi Jinping's comment to Biden that he has no intention of attacking Taiwan ... is tantamount to telling people not to vote for the Democratic Progressive Party," Chen said.

"But if the Chinese Communist Party isn't invading, then these young people will never have to fight, so the strategy collapses," he said, adding that Lai has been careful not to sound too hawkish during his candidacy.

Meanwhile, former defense minister Tsai Ming-hsien has said outright that he "doesn't believe" Xi, amid an official silence on the topic from Beijing since the leaders met.

Taiwanese military analyst Chieh Chung said it remains to be seen whether the People's Liberation Army will keep up its military incursions and sabre-rattling around Taiwan, as it has in recent months.

"Taiwanese people are more acutely aware that the Chinese Communist Party's military aircraft and warships often appear around [the island]," Chieh said. "If this situation doesn't improve significantly, I think there will still be a sense of crisis among the Taiwanese people."

"If Beijing keeps going with high-intensity military activity around Taiwan, then people will still feel uneasy that war could break out at any time," he said.

Translated by Luisetta Mudie.

Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content November 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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Defence Secretary Grant Shapps Franco-British Council Defence Conference remarks

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps addressed attendees at the Franco-British Council Defence Conference reception alongside French Defence Minister SAbastien Lecornu after their bilateral meeting on 20 November 2023.

20 November 2023

Ladies and gentlemen and to my now friend, SAbastien, it's wonderful to have you here in London and thank you for joining us at the magnificent ambassador's residence. And thank you to you for welcoming us here this evening.

And it's a timely moment to be here because this year we not only commemorate 80 years since D-Day, it's actually 120 years since the signing of our Entente Cordiale.

What precisely is it that makes our entente so special? It was after all, supposed to be nothing more than an informal understanding. And yet it survived the loss of millions during the Great War.

It was the animating spirit that flowed through the heroic soldiers of the Free French on D-Day. And, in our own century, it has remained, and been reanimated by the Lancaster House Treaties of 2010.

Perhaps the best answer to this entente conundrum was provided by Ferdinand Foch, the Supreme Allied Commander of the combined British, French and American forces in World War 1.

Foch, whose statue stands proudly just 20 minutes walk from here, once said: "The moral factor is the most important in war."

This, to me, is the crux. We share the same values: liberty, equality, fraternity. Values that are embedded in our DNA. And values that mean there is far more despite some bumpy times, that unites us than divides us.

You saw that in the magnificent state visit that has already been referenced where Their Majesties the King and Queen visited France earlier this year.

And, since becoming Defence Secretary, I've had the pleasure of seeing our entente in action. Today our forces are operating across air, land and sea.

Our industries are pushing the boundaries of technologies in everything from complex weapons to Maritime Mine Counter Measures and missiles.

And our great Combined Joint Expeditionary Force is coming into its own. Able to muster more than 10,000 at a moments' notice, it has created the structures to allow us to plan and operate together and over the few months the Griffin exercises will train our people to cope with the intensity of maritime warfare anywhere in the world.

However, I think we need to acknowledge that world is rapidly changing, the threats that we face are increasing.

120 years ago, Foch wrote "Truly enough, a new era had begun, the era of national wars, of wars which were to assume a maddening pace".

Words that seem especially prescient today with Ukraine fighting to kick Russian invaders out of their own country and Israel pursuing the Hamas terrorists in Gaza, those who brought mass slaughter to the people of Israel on October 7.

That 'maddening pace' that he talked about as being fuelled both by ideology and realpolitik.

Hamas shares an ideology with that of Daesh and al Qaeda offshoots that are growing in influence across Sub Saharan Africa for example.

Behind Hamas lies the malign shadow of Iran which continues to pull the strings of its other proxies, no matter whether it's Palestinian Islamic Jihad; Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis of Yemen or the militants of different locations from Iraq to Syria.

And as Iran and North Korea send suicide drones and artillery to Russia, Russia invites Hamas to the Kremlin.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin has a "no limits partnership" with China. And China, in the midst of massive military and economic expansion, has a mutual defence treaty policy with North Korea.

Collectively, these nations seek to rewrite the international order in their own image.

If we are to respond then we must follow Foch in showing resolution, courage and commitment. And I think that means three things.

First, showing our wholehearted backing for Ukraine.

The media focus might have switched on to the Middle East but our focus, as SAbastien and I discussed today, has not.

Putin's success wouldn't just be a disaster for Ukraine and of course her neighbours, it would give autocrats everywhere the green light to ride rough shod over the international rules-based system which is why I told President Zelenskyy, when I visited him in Kyiv earlier this year, our support remains absolutely unwavering.

As winter draws on, we know Ukraine can expect more attacks.

So, the international community must continue working with coalition colleagues to keep providing Ukraine with equipment and ammunition that she requires.

And we must keep combatting Russia and their campaign of disinformation which seeks to make others forget Ukraine's plight.

Second, we must shore up our international order, which means continuing to bolster NATO, which is the bedrock of our European shared defence.

Next year the Alliance marks its 75th anniversary and it remains in rude health, much strengthened by the partnerships with countries like France.

It has played a pivotal role in reassuring our Eastern European allies and deterring further Russian aggression.

Indeed, much to Putin's chagrin, NATO is now stronger than it was before he invaded, with the addition of Finland and soon, we very much hope, Sweden as well.

But there is more to do.

Whether reinforcing deterrence and defence along the Alliance's Eastern and Northern flanks or providing greater reassurance to nations like Moldova who have greatly been affected by Russia's war.

Finally, we must elevate the entente.

France is already the UK's closest ally in Europe, but, as this year's Defence Command Paper refresh and the Franco-British summit in March underlined, ours is a relationship which has room to grow still.

As the threat of extremism rises again, we can increase our efforts to share intelligence, counter terror and combat the cyber misinformation that poisons our national debate.

We can do more on capabilities too, pressing ahead with the Future Cruise and Anti-Ship Weapon programme that we discussed this afternoon, and pursuing the innovations that will help to deliver directed energy weapons, deep precision strike and future combat air systems.

Lastly, there's more we can do on operations as well.

I already talked about CJEF is up and running but we must think about adapting it to operate in ever more contested areas such as the High North.

And, of course, we are looking forward to future coordinated carrier deployments in the Indo-Pacific.

Not merely a means of mutually supporting each other's task groups, improving the interoperability of our embarked helicopters and testing our un-crewed autonomous vehicles at sea.

But, for the first time, a demonstration of complementary and persistent European presence in a region of critical importance when we do so.

But SAbastien I think this is all just the start.

And that's why you're here today. It's why we've had those excellent discussions this afternoons. We've got our brightest brains I'm told from the military, government, industry and academia, even one of two members of the press from both sides of the Channel.

Opportunity abounds for us and we need your help deciding where we go next.

Next year's momentous anniversaries are about much more

than honouring the past, as important as that is. They offer us important insights into our future.

Now, by the end of the Great War, Field Marshall Foch was leading both the French and British forces to victory.

And on the base of his statue in London the following words are inscribed "I am conscious of having served England as I served my own country".

He understood that our collective strength lay, not in the might of our arms, but in the strength of our shared values.

I have no doubt that as long as we keep those principles of freedom, justice and democracy uppermost in our minds, then we will not simply follow Marshall Foch in preserving our entente cordiale but, 120 years on, transform it into an entente supreme that merits a third plaque on the wall outside.

SAbastien, thank you very much indeed.

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November 20, 2023

Transcript

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Holds a Press Gaggle, Kyiv, Ukraine

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III

BRIG. GEN. PAT RYDER: All right, ladies and gentlemen, welcome. Secretary Austin will have a few opening remarks, and then we'll turn it over to questions. Please note, I will call on reporters.

So, Mr. Secretary, over to you, sir.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LLOYD J. AUSTIN III: Good evening. It's great to be back in Kyiv.

This is my third visit to Kyiv as Secretary of Defense, my second visit since the war started. I was here in April of 2022. Since that time, the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which, as you know, is a group of about 50 nations that work together to provide much-needed security assistance to Ukraine - that group has roared into action, and we have continued to work together to provide much-needed security assistance in the form of HIMARS, other artillery platforms, tanks, munitions. And so really, really good work on the part of our allies and partners.

Had a good chance to discuss a number of issues with President Zelenskyy and Minister Umerov; talked about current operations and also talked about what Minister Umerov looks to do with the Ministry of Defense going forward in terms of his near-term goals and objectives and his mid-term goals and objectives. So very, very constructive conversations.

I wanted to reassure the leadership that the United States of America will continue to support Ukraine. And so, you know, we talked about the things that we're going to continue to do to make sure that they have what they need to be successful on the battlefield.

It also gave us an opportunity to re-focus and make sure that we maintain alignment between the operations on the ground and the President's objectives. And so that was a great opportunity.

And so overall, it's been a great visit. And with that, I'll take a couple of your questions.

BRIG. GEN. RYDER: Ellee, CBS?

Q: I'm going to derail things. I have an Israel question, so sorry. Have you seen any cause for concern, how the Israelis are using the American-provided weapons? And have you voiced any concerns to your counterparts in Israel?

SEC. AUSTIN: So the question is have I seen any cause for concern, in terms of how the weapons that we're providing to Israel are being used? We have said every step of the way that our expectation is that the Israelis conduct their operations in accordance with the law of armed conflict.

And we have made sure that we continue to emphasize to the Israelis that they must account for civilians in the battlespace. And not only that, but they must do everything - or should do everything that they can to get humanitarian assistance in to the people in Gaza.

And as we've said a number of times, Hamas does not equal the Palestinian people. Hamas is a terrorist organization and the Palestinian people deserve better, they deserve much more. And again, hopefully at the end of this, you know, this will transition into something that provides good governance for the people of Gaza and addresses the underlying causes of instability.

(CROSSTALK)

Q: Mr. Secretary, German Minister Boris Pistorius said that XX will be a gamechanger in Ukraine. Some are afraid of even F-16s won't be a gamechanger. Given these statements, and what, in what in your opinion, can be a gamechanger or advantage in Ukraine?

SEC. AUSTIN: Well, that's a great question. And you heard me say, you've heard us say a number of times that there is no silver bullet in a conflict like this. It really depends on providing the right capabilities and also integrating those capabilities in meaningful ways so that you can create the right effects on the battlefield.

And so whether it's F-16s, whether it's HIMARS, whether it's something else, it's the way that you go about utilizing those capabilities and integrating it, synchronizing the capabilities to produce the right effects on the battlefield.

BRIG. GEN. PAT RYDER: Let's go to Voice of America, Carla Babb.

Q: Thank you. First of all, there's been a steady drumbeat of aid rolling out for Ukraine. Did you tell your counterparts about any additional U.S. aid that is coming out for Ukraine in the coming days?

And then on the fighting, how important is it to prevent Russia from again having the winter months to harden their defenses? And have you received assurances from the people you stood with today, from these leaders, that they are going to keep the pressure on Russia?

SEC. AUSTIN: Well, you heard President Zelenskyy say a number of times that he intends to continue to keep the pressure on the Russians. And so, we expect that, you know, that will absolutely happen.

And the first part of your question again, Carla?

Q: Well, the first part was did you tell them that about any additional aid that the U.S. would be providing to Ukraine in the coming days?

SEC. AUSTIN: Yeah, so I announced today another $100 million drawdown using presidential drawdown authority, that it'll provide additional artillery munition -- munitions, additional interceptors for air defense, and a number of anti-tank weapons as well.

So, our support continues, but you're right, other allies and partners are also stepping up to the plate as well.

BRIG. GEN. PAT RYDER: Let's go to IC TV, Natalia

Q: Good evening. Mr. Secretary, I will follow up with my colleague's question. From your perspective, is Ukrainian Army all ready for winter combat, especially considering the fact of this funding challenges from the United States Congress?

SEC. AUSTIN: I think they are prepared for combat in the winter, and certainly they did a great job last year. This year, we expect for them to be, just based upon what the President has said, President Zelenskyy has said, for them to be even more aggressive. In this latest drawdown package that I just mentioned, we've included in there some winter gear as well. We provided winter gear last year.

So yeah, they have the means that they'll need to be successful in fighting in the wintertime. And I think I agree with President Zelenskyy -- the right thing to do is continue to press the fight, take the fight to the enemy.

BRIG. GEN. PAT RYDER: Let's go to AFP, Will.

Q: Secretary Austin, how worried are you personally about the future of U.S. security aid to Ukraine, given the opposition in Congress? And how do you seek to reassure Ukrainians through your visit ... the U.S. back and forth.

SEC. AUSTIN: Well, I continue to see bipartisan support in both chambers of Congress. And I know that there are some things that we need to continue to work through to get the supplemental request approved, and we'll continue to work with Congress to do that. Again Congress, our congressional members, have valid questions that we will answer. But again, I would point out that Ukraine matters, what happens here matters. Not just to Ukraine, but to the entire world.

This is about the rules-based international order. This is about, not living in a world where a dictator can wake up one day and decide to annex the property of his peaceful neighbor. That's not the world that we want to live in.

And so, this is more than just Ukraine, this is about, again, the rules-based international order.

BRIG. GEN. PAT RYDER: Final question, Missy Ryan, Washington Post?

Q: Hi, Secretary Austin. Coming away from your talks today, do you have a sense that Ukraine has a more clear path to substantial territorial progress and that it has remedied some of the issues that contributed to the problems in the current counter-offensive?

And I have a follow-up, if I might.

SEC. AUSTIN: I think, you know, Ukraine -- the Ukraine military is a learning organization and it will continue to learn from all of its operations to this point. I think what's important is that the military constructs its operations to focus on the objectives and the goals that the President wants to achieve. And again, synchronizing that up and making sure that we remain in the right place -- or they remain in the right place continues to be something that they'll continue to focus on.

So yeah, I think -- I think they have learned a lot. I think they'll continue to learn. But, you know, this is dynamic. As they learn and make adjustments, the enemy learns and makes adjustments.

Q: And then the related follow-up is I know you and your team and your counterparts on the military side have been working really hard over the last year and a half to support Ukraine and train their forces to get at a number of different capabilities. And yet, the operation -- offensive operations haven't had the outcome that everybody wanted.

How does this deadlock on the battlefield get broken, given that you guys have give -- you know, given all the support that you thought you could give?

SEC. AUSTIN: Well, let's take stock of what the Ukrainians have actually done.

They've take back half the prog- -- half the -- the ground that the Russians originally occupied. I think that's a pretty big deal.

I think if you look at what they've accomplished here at the -- with the Black Sea Fleet, they have inflicted significant pain on the -- on that fleet and actually caused them to reposition a bit.

If you look at the damage that they've created the Russians land forces overall, it's significant, and it will take Russia quite a while to recover from that in order to create the kind of force that it had before this began.

So, we have to give credit where credit is due. I mean, we said it was going to be a tough fight. It's a grinding fight, and I think we'll continue to see that in the future.

Now, what's important, as you've pointed out in your earlier part of the question, is that they learned from, you know, operations in the past and that they'd make the right adjustments, and that they anticipate that the enemy will also adjust as they are adjusting.

(CROSSTALK)

https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/3594984/

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November 20, 2023

Release

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Visits Ukraine

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III traveled to Ukraine today to meet with Ukrainian leaders and reinforce the staunch support of the United States for Ukraine's fight for freedom. He will also underscore the continued U.S. commitment to providing Ukraine with the security assistance it needs to defend itself from Russian aggression, while also discussing a long-term vision for Ukraine's future force.

During his visit, Secretary Austin will engage in high-level talks with Ukrainian leadership. The discussions will focus on further bolstering the strategic partnership between the United States and Ukraine, to include ensuring Ukraine's armed forces have the battlefield capabilities they need for both the winter and to defend their country against future Russian threats.

Later this week, Secretary Austin will also host the 17th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group virtually from the Pentagon, continuing the vital work of international coordination and support for Ukraine with nearly 50 nations expected to participate.

https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/3593643/

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November 20, 2023

By Joseph Clark , DOD News

Austin Reaffirms U.S. Support During Ukraine Visit

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III underscored the United States' steadfast support for Ukraine as it defends itself from Russian aggression during talks with senior leaders in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, today.

Austin met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov during an unannounced visit to the country.

The leaders discussed Ukraine's current operations and near-term and midterm goals and objectives, Austin told reporters following the talks.

"I wanted to reassure the leadership that the United States of America will continue to support Ukraine," he said. "We talked about the things that we're going to continue to do to make sure they have what they need to be successful on the battlefield."

He added that the discussions were an opportunity for the leaders to refocus and ensure that to maintain alignment between the ongoing operations and objectives on the battlefield.

Austin's visit marks his third to Ukraine as defense secretary and second since Russia's invasion.

While in Kyiv, he announced a new security assistance package for Ukraine valued at up to $100 million.

The package includes additional air defense capabilities, artillery ammunition, antitank weapons and other materials to help Ukrainian forces defend their territory amid Russia's ongoing assault.

It marks the 51st drawdown of U.S. inventory for Ukraine since August 2021. The U.S. has provided $44.2 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the start of the war.

Austin also underscored the continued support from the U.S.-led group of nearly 50 countries known as the Ukrainian Defense Contact Group, which has rallied in support of Ukraine.

The international coalition has provided about $36 billion in security assistance to Ukraine, further enabling Ukrainian forces to defend their nation's sovereignty and regain more than half of the territory seized by Russian invaders.

"That group has roared into action, and we have continued to work together to provide much needed security assistance in the form of [High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems], other artillery platforms, tanks [and] munitions," Austin said. "And so, really good work on the part of our allies."

Austin will host the 17th meeting of the Ukranian Defense Contact Group later this week.

Austin's visit comes as Congress takes up President Joe Biden's request for supplemental funding to continue to support Ukraine.

While Congress continues to work through the request, Austin said he is confident there is bipartisan support for Ukraine in both chambers of Congress.

"I know that there are some things that we need to continue to work through to get the supplemental request approved," he said. "And we'll continue to work with Congress to do that."

The secretary added that continued support for Ukraine is imperative.

"What happens here matters not just to Ukraine, but to the entire world," Austin said. "This is about the rules-based international order. This is about ... not living in a world where a dictator can wake up one day and decide to annex the property of his peaceful neighbor. That's not the world we want to live in."

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Minister A. AnuAauskas urged to not get tired of supporting Ukraine at the Halifax International Security Forum

Republic of Lithuania - Ministry of National Defence

2023-11-20

International cooperation | Security and defense policy

On November 18-19 Minister of National Defence Arvydas AnuAauskas took part in the Halifax International Security Forum in Canada. He had meetings with Commanding General of the United States Army Pacific and members of the German Bundestag.

When addressing the NATO: Necessary panel, Minister A. AnuAauskas highlighted the need to accelerate the implementation of the NATO defence plans agreed to in Madrid and Vilnius Summits. It has been agreed to strengthen the air defence in the eastern part of the Alliance and ensure that the Allied defence and security budgets are not smaller than 2 % of GDP, as a matter or urgency for the sake of Allied security.

Minister also accentuated the importance of sustained assistance to Ukraine, saying that "Lithuania has and will support Ukraine's fight for as long as it takes because it is the security of Europe and the world that is decided on that battlefield. EUR 131,93 billion has been given in European assistance to Ukraine already. Moreover, the European Union is weighing an additional assistance package of EUR 50 billion. The Old Continent makes a serious contribution in helping Ukraine prevail, however, the American input is decisive. Therefore, all efforts must be made to ensure a relentless support," underscored A. AnuAauskas at the round-table discussion.

NATO is the guarantor of the European, Euro-Atlantic and global security, therefore the Allies must be ready for collective defence, to support Ukraine and cooperate with the global partners, said Minister of National Defence at the meeting with Commanding General of the United States Army Pacific Gen Charles A. Flynn. In the discussion on the security threats and challenges in the Indo-Pacific, A. AnuAauskas pointed out Lithuania's leadership in support to Taiwan. Minister also noted the steadfast support of the United States calling the U.S. force and the NATO enhanced Forward Presence in Lithuania a security guarantee.

The meeting with the Bundestag delegation addressed the consistent military cooperation between Lithuania and Germany and the action plan for stationing the German brigade in Lithuania. Taip pat A. AnuAauskas also invited Germany to join the demining coalition for Ukraine assembled by Lithuania.

Held by the German Marshall Fund of the United States and the Canadian Government, the Halifax International Security Forum is the largest international conference of such kind in Canada. It annually convenes the most renowned political strategists, defence and military representatives and analysts from North America, Europe and Asia.

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Russia urges Britain to avoid involvement in Ukraine crisis

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 17:01, November 20, 2023

MOSCOW, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Moscow urged Britain to stop its involvement in the Ukraine crisis, local media reported on Monday.

"The British leadership continues to demonstrate its focus on comprehensive support for Ukraine. The British have a thesis about the need to inflict 'defeat on the battlefield' on Russia," said Sergei Belyaev, director of the Second European Department at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He said that since the start of the Ukraine crisis, London has sent military equipment to Ukraine totaling approximately 6.6 billion pounds (8.23 billion U.S. dollars), ranking second in NATO after the United States.

"However, London's involvement in the Ukrainian conflict goes beyond arms supplies and training Ukrainian Armed Forces fighters on the UK's territory. More than 30,000 individuals are already involved in these activities," Belyaev said.

"British military instructors are engaged in training and supplying units of Ukraine's special operations forces directly within Ukraine. This includes conducting sabotage operations in the Black and Azov Seas, as well as targeting critically important civilian infrastructure facilities in our country," he added.

While urging Britain to stop its citizens from getting involved in military activities in Ukraine, he noted that Western mercenaries are not combatants under the international humanitarian law and do not have the right to the status of prisoners of war.

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US stands with Ukraine for 'long haul': Pentagon chief to Zelensky

Iran Press TV

Monday, 20 November 2023 5:00 PM

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has reassured President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine that Washington will remain by the side of Kiev "for the long haul."

Austin met with Zelensky in an unannounced visit to Kiev on Monday, when he told the president that the US "will remain with you for the long haul."

"The message that I bring you today, Mister President, is that the United States of America is with you."

"What happens here in Ukraine - that not only matters to Ukraine but it matters to the rest of the world. It certainly matters to the United States of America."

And Zelensky said the Pentagon chief's visit was "an important signal for Ukraine."

"We count on your support," the Ukrainian president told Austin.

The trip to the Ukrainian capital is Austin's second since Russia launched its "special military operation" in Ukraine in February 2022. Ever since, Washington has provided over $40 billion in military aid to Ukraine.

Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged US lawmakers during a hearing last month to sustain support for Ukraine.

Earlier reports, however, said Washington will reduce its military support for Ukraine in 2024, as US officials are increasingly critical of Ukraine's counteroffensive strategy and tactics.

Ukraine launched its counteroffensive in early June, asking for even more weapons to push south toward the Crimean Peninsula by the end of the year.

Ukrainian forces have for months been struggling to cross the Dnipro River and transport heavy military equipment and supplies, in order to open a new line of attack in the south on the most direct land route to Crimea, which declared independence from Ukraine in 2014.

Russia's Defense Ministry said in a statement on Friday Ukrainian forces suffered significant losses in the battle on the eastern bank of the river.

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Pentagon chief visits Ukraine to reassure Kiev amid concerns over US support

Iran Press TV

Monday, 20 November 2023 11:07 AM

Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin has made an unannounced visit to Ukraine to reassure Kiev that Washington will continue to support the former Soviet republic in its proxy war against Russia.

Austin "traveled to Ukraine today to meet with Ukrainian leaders and reinforce the staunch support of the United States for Ukraine's fight for freedom," Pentagon said in a statement on Monday.

"He will also underscore the continued US commitment to providing Ukraine with the security assistance it needs to defend itself from Russian aggression," it added.

Austin's trip to Kiev is his second visit to the former Soviet republic since Russia launched its special military operation in Donbas in February 2022.

The United States is the major supplier of weapons and munitions to Kiev, and a reduction in Kiev's share of US military aid would be a blow to Ukraine in its continued war against the Russian army.

During a congressional hearing last month, Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken were groveling in Congress begging support for Ukraine.

Back then, Austin confessed to lawmakers that "without our support, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin will be successful."

However, continued aid for Kiev was left out of a temporary deal passed by Congress last week to avert a US government shutdown.

In this regard, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh admitted earlier this month that military aid packages to Kiev "have been getting smaller because we have had to meter out our support for Ukraine."

The United States began coordinating aid from dozens of wealthier ally countries, leading a push for Western countries' support for Kiev right after Russia launched its military campaign in Ukraine to stop Kiev's persecution of the Russian-speaking population there and to prevent the US-led NATO forces from further encroachment.

However, there is growing concern among US allies across the globe over Washington's focus generally shifting to the Middle East, in particular, to Israel.

Also, US allies are concerned over depleted resources in America.

The United States alone has supplied Kiev with over $100bn worth of weapons and munitions.

However, US leaders have repeatedly said that Washington would continue to support the leaders in Kiev for "as long as it takes" to defeat the Russian forces.

Hard-line Republican lawmakers' opposition to continued arms aid, the recent decrease in arms supply to Kiev, and the shifting of attention to Palestine have raised doubts about Washington's priorities across the globe in the future.

A senior US State Department official who approved US arms transfers to its allies across the globe even resigned over Washington's decision to send weapons and munitions to Israel.

Josh Paul, who has been the long-time director of congressional and public affairs for the State Department's Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, tendered his resignation on Wednesday.

In his resignation letter, he wrote, "blind support for one side is destructive in the long term to the interests of the people on both sides."

Paul said that American support of Israel only leads to more and deeper suffering for both Israelis and Palestinians, adding, "I fear we are repeating the same mistakes we have made these past decades, and I decline to be a part of it for longer."

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U.S. To Send $100 Million In Arms To Ukraine, As Pentagon Chief Pledges Support 'For Long Haul'

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service November 20, 2023

Washington announced a package of weapons and equipment to support Ukraine as Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that the United States was in "for the long haul" in its support for Ukraine as it continues to battle Russian troops.

The package provides up to $100 million of arms and equipment authorized under previously directed drawdowns, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. The package includes High-Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and additional ammunition.

The assistance "will help meet Ukraine's immediate battlefield needs as it fights to retake its sovereign territory," Blinken said, adding that it was critical for Congress to take action by passing President Joe Biden's request for additional funding for Ukraine.

Austin arrived earlier in the day in Kyiv on an unannounced visit in a show of support for Ukraine amid concerns of a "war fatigue" among Ukraine's Western allies, especially in the United States -- Ukraine's main provider of military and financial aid.

"The message that I bring you today, Mr. President, is that the United States of America is with you, we will remain with you for the long haul," Austin told Zelenskiy after the meeting.

"I was honored to meet with President Zelenskiy in Kyiv today to reaffirm the United States' steadfast support for Ukraine. We, along with our allies and partners, will continue to support Ukraine's urgent battlefield needs and long-term defense requirements, Austin said in a separate message on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Zelenskiy highlighted the visit as "a very important signal for Ukraine" and said, "we count on your support."

Zelenskiy's office said he thanked the U.S. government and pointed out the importance of the visit of the delegation ahead of the November 22 meeting of the Ramstein group, formally known as the Contact Group on Defense of Ukraine.

The meeting emphasized the urgency of continuing the uninterrupted supply of all the necessary weapons and ammunition by the allies, Zelenskiy's office said. The president also emphasized the need to strengthen Ukraine's capabilities ahead of winter.

The visit was Austin's second to Ukraine. He arrived in Kyiv by train from Poland with a delegation that included U.S. Army General Christopher Cavoli, supreme commander of allied forces in Europe. The U.S. officials also met with Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and Chief of Staff General Valeriy Zaluzhniy.

Washington has given tens of billions of dollars in military and other aid to Ukraine since the start of Russia's unprovoked invasion in February last year.

The U.S. government has reiterated many times that it will stand with Kyiv for as long as it takes. However, there has been growing concern about Washington's continued assistance amid opposition from some hard-line Republicans in Congress.

Further financial assistance for Ukraine was left out of a temporary bill approved by Congress last week to avert a U.S. government shutdown.

The Pentagon said in a statement that Austin's visit was meant to "reinforce the staunch support of the United States for Ukraine's fight for freedom."

"The discussions will focus on further bolstering the strategic partnership between the United States and Ukraine, to include ensuring Ukraine's armed forces have the battlefield capabilities they need for both the winter and to defend their country against future Russian threats, the Pentagon statement said.

"He will also underscore the continued U.S. commitment to providing Ukraine with the security assistance it needs to defend itself from Russian aggression, while also discussing a long-term vision for Ukraine's future force," it said.

Austin's visit to Kyiv comes ahead of a meeting later this week of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, also known as the Ramstein format, which consists of some 50 countries that back Kyiv in its war against Russia.

In Ukraine, Russian shelling of civilian-populated areas killed at least three people on November 20, regional officials said.

Serhiy Lysak, the governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region, said on Telegram that an 83-year-old woman was killed by Russian artillery strikes in Nikopol and a 53-year-old man was wounded.

Two civilians were killed when Russian troops shelled Kherson early on November 20, the head of the southern Ukrainian city's military administration, Roman Mrochko, reported.

Regional Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on Telegram that two drivers were killed when Russian troops fired at the parking lot of a private transport company in Kherson.

Prokudin earlier on November 20 said that overnight shelling of residential areas of the region wounded six people, including one child.

With reporting by AFP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-austin- kyiv-visit-kherson-grenade-blast/32691947.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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Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's comment on the 10th anniversary of the beginning of Ukrainian Euromaidan

20 November 2023 14:13

2339-20-11-2023

Anti-government riots started on Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) ten years ago, on November 21, 2013. They triggered the current disaster in Ukraine and, at the same time, took it to the point of no return.

Skilled US and European-trained provocateurs brought crowds of people into the streets under the attractive slogans of "a better European life," visa-free travel to the EU countries, democracy, freedom of speech, human rights and an anti-corruption struggle. In reality, these well-orchestrated mass riots, paid for from outside, were aimed at overthrowing the legitimate authority. Literally, from the first Euromaidan days, it was clear that this was yet another colour revolution, a favoured brainchild of the US and its allies.

In January and February of 2014, artificially encouraged riots developed into an armed mutiny and ended in an anti-constitutional coup that was rejected by residents of many districts of the country.

The November 2013 events were triggered by the government's decision to suspend the planned signing of the EU Association Agreement with a view to analysing the consequences of it in terms of the effects on the Ukrainian economy. I'd like to emphasise that it was only about the suspension of the signing of the agreement, not its cancellation. The problem was that the new commitments Kiev was to assume under the EU Association Agreement were at odds with its obligations to the CIS free trade zone.

Western and Ukrainian propagandists deliberately avoid speaking about this important point even though it is a key to understanding the tragic situation we are seeing today. Ten years ago, the delay in the signing of the Association Agreement with the EU upset the Western plans on trying to break Ukraine away from Russia and destroy historically established economic, humanitarian, cultural, spiritual, family and fraternal ties that had united our countries and peoples for many centuries.

The West recalled its abortive attempt to lay its hands on Ukraine during the 2004 Orange Revolution when overseas ideologists invented a third round of elections in violation of the Ukrainian constitution with a view to pushing through a defeated candidate. This is why their actions in 2013 were more sophisticated and brazen. Their goal was to subordinate the Ukrainian elites in order to pump resources out of Ukraine and turn it into a hotbed of instability and a bridgehead for an attack on Russia.

In November 2013, the West and the radical neo-Nazi Ukrainian opposition went all-out to finally change Ukraine's multi-vector course and put its economy and politics into the neocolonialist Western coordinate system. The United States and its satellites acted crudely and cynically, enforcing the principle - whoever is not with us, is against us. In this way, they compelled Kiev to make an artificial choice between the West and Russia.

It is appropriate to ask today what the events on Euromaidan have given Ukraine and whether its "blue dream" of integration into the European family has come true. The answer is obvious. The self-sufficient, industrial and populous republic of the former USSR has turned into a poor, dying territory. Ukraine has lost its state independence. It is on the Western colonialists' payroll who now determine its domestic and foreign policy.

Mass violations of human rights and freedoms have become routine in Ukraine and its citizens are discriminated on the basis of ethnicity and language. A corrupt neo-Nazi dictatorship is raging in the country where lawlessness and mayhem reign. A totalitarian, repressive machine that suppresses dissent is working at full capacity. Reprisals by the central authorities and the eight-year civil war have prompted six of Ukraine's 27 regions to take the decision to join Russia.

The Ukrainians that were on Maidan a decade ago could hardly imagine what tragic consequences it would lead to.

Sadly, the fraternal Ukrainian people have become a hostage to the Anglo-Saxons, and the regime that serves their interests. They have to live under tyranny, in fact, in a colony that fully depends on foreign handouts. This is the cost of the notorious "European choice." It concealed the West's cold-blooded plan to turn Ukraine into a Russophobic and aggressive nationalist state and use it as a weapon in its existential struggle against Russia. Ukraine is paying for this with hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian lives and millions of broken destinies.

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Kiev Loses Over 130 Soldiers in Donetsk Direction in Past Day - MoD

Sputnik News

20231120

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia repelled one Ukrainian attack, and Kiev lost more than 130 soldiers and 9 equipment units in the Donetsk direction in the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday.

Russia repelled an attack near the settlement of Kleshcheevka in the Donetsk People's Republic, the ministry said.

"The total losses of the Ukrainian armed forces in this direction amounted to more than 130 soldiers killed and wounded, two infantry fighting vehicles and three cars. During the counter-battery struggle, two Msta-B howitzers, a self-propelled Gvozdika artillery unit, as well as a D-30 gun were hit," the ministry said.

Three Ukrainian attacks were repelled by Russia, and Kiev lost 30 soldiers in the Kupyansk direction, the ministry said.

"In the South Donetsk direction... enemy's losses amounted to up to 70 servicepeople, an infantry fighting vehicle and two vehicles," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian counteroffensive began in June, with Kiev deploying brigades trained by NATO instructors and armed with Western equipment. Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Kiev's push had failed, with Ukraine suffering casualties estimated at more than 90,000.

A Sputnik

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Designation of Russia's Military Officials Due to Involvement in Gross Violations of Human Rights Against Civilians in Ukraine

US Department of State

Press Statement

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

November 20, 2023

The Department of State is designating Azatbek Omurbekov, also known as "The Butcher of Bucha," a Colonel in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation for his involvement in gross violations of human rights, namely the extrajudicial killings of unarmed Ukrainian civilians from Andriivka, Ukraine. The Department is also designating Daniil Frolkin, a Guard Corporal in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation due to his involvement in a gross violation of human rights, namely the extrajudicial killing of an unarmed Ukrainian civilian in Andriivka. As a result of today's action, Omurbekov, Frolkin, and their immediate family members are ineligible for entry into the United States.

Colonel Omurbekov was the commanding officer of Russia's 64th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade during the period of time that Russia's forces controlled the Ukrainian town Andriivka. Omurbekov later led the brigade to Bucha, Ukraine, where the Department of State determined that the 64th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade killed, beat, dismembered, burned, and conducted mock executions of civilians. After accounts of the brigade's brutality emerged, the Kremlin responded by issuing a statement indicating that Russian Federation President Putin had conferred honors upon the 64th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade, and Russia's Ministry of Defense promoted Omurbekov and praised his leadership.

The reports that Omurbekov and Frolkin were involved in gross violations of human rights, as documented by NGOs and independent investigations, are serious and credible. By publicly designating Omurbekov and Frolkin, the United States reaffirms its commitment to upholding human rights, acknowledging the injustice experienced by victims and survivors, and promoting accountability for those responsible for human rights violations.

The United States stands committed to promoting accountability for Russia's abuses and atrocities against the people of Ukraine. We will continue to use all appropriate avenues to pursue justice for Ukraine. We stand with Ukraine in its fight for sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the rule of law, for as long as it takes.

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The world sees America's strength in helping Ukraine - address by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

President of Ukraine

20 November 2023 - 19:03

I wish you health, fellow Ukrainians!

It was an eventful day.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Austin paid a visit to Ukraine. The delegation also included Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Mr. Cavoli. It was a very productive conversation, and it is important that it took place on the eve of the new meeting in the Ramstein format.

Of course, we discussed the situation on the battlefield and its prospects - how we can enhance both our defense and our advancement. There is a new defense package for our country from the United States. I am grateful for it. In particular, there will be more artillery - shells that are needed right now.

We also discussed Ukraine's actions in the Black Sea and the protection of our export corridor. Freedom of navigation is a fundamental value for the entire world, and Ukraine has proven here in the Black Sea that we are capable of driving the aggressor out of the water area that it wanted so badly to make dead.

I am grateful to all partners who are helping us to ensure the real restoration of international law on our land and in our sea, and I am especially grateful to the United States for its continued leadership in support.

Normal life in the world largely depends on whether America is strong in protecting life. And the world sees this strength in helping Ukraine.

I held several important meetings today. The first one was about planning our international communication for the coming weeks. There will be relevant events. I also held meetings with the heads of the intelligence services - both the Main Intelligence Directorate and the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine. Both are working efficiently, and I am grateful for that.

A meeting with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. Mostly about current issues - things that the government is currently implementing. But also about our relations with some partners.

In particular, the Prime Minister reported on his talks with representatives of Bulgaria and Romania, which is clearly a growing area of cross-border cooperation. I am grateful to our partners. This includes the work of the maritime corridor, the Danube export cluster, and the overall trade turnover between our countries. With Romania alone, we see the potential to reach 4 million tons of trade turnover by the end of this year. This is very powerful and very supportive not only for our country, not only for jobs in Ukraine, but also for partner countries. The whole region grows when neighbors cooperate.

I am sure we will expand our cooperation. Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Ukraine, and the entire European Union are absolutely interested in making our ties stronger. Because later on, this strength is reflected in the growth of our ability to defend ourselves - to defend freedom.

I thank everyone who helps Ukraine! I thank everyone whose job is to make Ukraine, our people, and our children more secure. And I thank every Ukrainian soldier, every sergeant, every officer of the Defense and Security Forces of Ukraine, everyone who defends the state and truly cares about human life!

Glory to Ukraine!

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Andriy Yermak met with CEO of Fox Corporation Lachlan Murdoch, who is on a visit to Ukraine

President of Ukraine

20 November 2023 - 11:40

Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak met with CEO of Fox Corporation Lachlan Murdoch, who arrived on a visit to Ukraine.

The meeting was also attended by The Sun journalist Jerome Starkey and Fox News Channel journalist Benjamin Hall, who was covering the war in Ukraine, was seriously wounded on March 14, 2022 near Kyiv, was saved by doctors and has now returned to Ukraine.

The Head of the President's Office emphasized that the United States is a strategic partner of Ukraine, so it is very important that the American audience learns about what is happening in our country directly from the scene of events from the leading US media.

In particular, the CEO of Fox Corporation was briefed on the situation at the frontline, protection of Ukrainian skies, the state of the energy sector, the consequences of Russian aggression for civilians and infrastructure, Russian crimes against Ukrainian children, and cooperation between Ukraine, the United States and other international partners in countering full-scale Russian aggression.

During the briefing on the security situation, moderated by Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Roman Mashovets, representatives of the Ukrainian security and defense forces spoke about the overall situation in the combat zone and Ukraine's successes in the Black Sea. They also discussed air and missile threats from Russia with the onset of winter and the importance of further strengthening Ukraine's air defense system.

Deputy Head of the Office of the President Oleksiy Kuleba informed that in more than 630 days of full-scale Russian aggression in Ukraine, more than 200,000 objects have been damaged, 25,000 of them completely destroyed. The scale of Russian crimes against civilians was also illustrated by specific examples of residents of Bucha and Yahidne in Chernihiv region, and by Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral as an example of cultural heritage.

Advisor to the Head of the Presidential Office Dariia Zarivna spoke about the crimes committed by the Russian Federation against Ukrainian children. As of today, 554 children have been killed, the youngest of whom was only two days old. 19 thousand 546 children, on whom there is confirmed information, were abducted and brought to Russia by force and fraud, but in fact this figure is much higher and may exceed a hundred thousand. So far, only 386 young Ukrainians have been returned.

Joint international efforts are needed to counter this wave of crimes against our children, and that is why President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has initiated the Bring Kids Back UA strategic action plan, which can be joined by any country, organization or individual and which is in line with clause four of the Ukrainian Peace Formula on the release of captives and deportees.

"Today it is very important to know the truth and to tell it. I hope this will be useful for a deeper understanding of what is happening in Ukraine today," said Andriy Yermak.

As part of Lachlan Murdoch's visit to Kyiv, the Head of the Office of the President and the CEO of Fox Corporation visited Mykhailivska Square. They laid flowers at the Wall of Remembrance of the Fallen Defenders of Ukraine.

Lachlan Murdoch also visited the National Conservation Area "St. Sophia of Kyiv", where he was told about the history of St. Sophia Cathedral.

In addition, the Fox Corporation CEO met with representatives of all religious denominations, including those who survived Russian captivity and occupation. He was told about how representatives of the clergy are supporting the Ukrainian military and civilians in these difficult times for Ukraine.

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President of Ukraine met with Fox Corporation CEO Lachlan Murdoch and journalists of Fox News and The Sun

President of Ukraine

20 November 2023 - 10:09

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Fox Corporation CEO Lachlan Murdoch, Fox News journalist Benjamin Hall and The Sun journalist Jerome Starkey, who visited our country.

The Head of State thanked the representatives of the media group for comprehensive coverage of Ukraine's fight against Russian aggression and for telling about Russian atrocities despite the risks to themselves.

In the spring of 2022, a group of Fox News journalists came under Russian fire in Kyiv region. Cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski and Ukrainian fixer Oleksandra Kuvshynova were killed. Benjamin Hall was seriously wounded.

The President noted the important role of the world media in consolidating international support for Ukraine and expressed condolences to all those whose relatives and friends were taken by the war.

"All this time, journalists, cameramen, editors, photographers, drivers have been on the frontline. As this is a hybrid war, information is also a weapon in Russian hands. My sincere condolences to the families and friends of those very brave men and women who lost their lives trying to show what is happening in Ukraine. In particular, it is thanks to journalists from many countries that we now have such support in the world," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The President awarded Benjamin Hall with the Order of Merit, III class, for his outstanding personal contribution to strengthening interstate cooperation, support for Ukraine's independence and territorial integrity.

The Head of State thanked Lachlan Murdoch for his visit and emphasized that it is a very important signal of support at the time when the world's attention is blurred by other events.

The President also spoke about the situation on the battlefield, the high motivation and determination of the Ukrainian people and their belief in victory. Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of maintaining the world's attention to our efforts in the fight for freedom and our state.

"For some reason, people treat it like a movie and expect that there will be no long pauses in the events, that the picture before their eyes will always change, that there will be some surprises every day. But for us, for our warriors, this is not a movie. These are our lives. This is daily hard work. And it will not be over as quickly as we would like, but we have no right to give up and we will not," the Head of State emphasized.

The interlocutors discussed further cooperation and exchanged views on Russian propaganda narratives used by opponents of support for Ukraine. They also discussed the Ukrainian vision of a just peace based on the Peace Formula.

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US Secretary of Defense Makes Surprise Visit to Kyiv

By Carla Babb November 20, 2023

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced $100 million in new military aid for Ukraine during an unannounced visit to Kyiv on Monday, part of an effort to reassure Ukrainian leaders that the United States will continue to support the country's fight against Russia's invasion.

After an overnight train ride from Poland, Austin met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, who thanked the U.S. defense secretary.

"Your coming is a very important signal for Ukraine," said Zelenskyy. "We are very thankful to the American people. They are with us [through] all these difficulties, tough months and all these years."

The additional U.S. military aid to Ukraine comes from existing stockpiles of weapons and includes artillery, interceptors for air defense and another High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS.

During their meeting Monday, Austin praised the "grit, ingenuity," and "courage" of the Ukrainian people and pledged continued U.S. support for Ukraine.

"The message that I bring you today, Mr. President, is that the United States of America is with you. We will remain with you for the long haul," he told Zelenskyy. "What happens here in Ukraine not only matters to Ukraine, but it matters to the rest of the world."

Following the meeting, Austin told reporters that he believes Ukraine is "prepared for combat in the winter."

"You heard President Zelenskyy say a number of times that he intends to continue to keep the pressure on the Russians. And so we expect that, you know, that that will absolutely happen," Austin said in response to a question from VOA.

Senior U.S. defense officials said Austin came to Kyiv to discuss the immediate winter fight and to plan for future security assistance.

"We are continuing to provide a regular battle rhythm of security assistance, and we are planning to be able to do that throughout the winter," said a senior defense official who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity due to security concerns about the trip.

The visit, Austin's first since April 2022, comes as the onset of winter has Ukrainian and Western officials convinced that Russian President Vladimir Putin will resume targeting critical infrastructure as he did last winter, leaving many Ukrainians without power on some of the coldest days of the year.

"One of the most important capabilities this winter will be air defense," a second senior defense official told reporters traveling with Austin and speaking under the same conditions of anonymity.

"We've been able to surge air defense equipment, but that doesn't mean that there aren't still needs and that there won't still be needs in the coming months ahead."

An onslaught of nearly 40 Iranian-made drones launched from Russian territory bombarded Ukrainian air defenses over the weekend. Ukraine said its forces destroyed 29 of the 38 drones, but those that made it through Ukraine's defenses struck multiple infrastructure facilities and caused power outages in more than 400 towns and villages throughout the country.

The drones attacked from the Odesa and Zaporizhzhia regions in the south, to the Chernihiv region in the north, near the border with Belarus. They also targeted Kyiv in the second attack so far this month, but all drones heading to the capital were shot down, said Ukrainian officials.

The Pentagon will continue to draw down from its current weapons and ammunition stockpiles to support Ukraine, but officials say that over the coming months, the United States also will be sending Ukraine a number of capabilities that were procured last year through contracting. Ammunition supplies have also increased, according to officials, due to Western improvements in production capacity.

Other countries say they are also surging capabilities, with Germany announcing earlier this month that it would deliver more crucial air defense systems by the end of this year.

In addition to air defense, officials hope to deny Russian forces an opportunity this winter to fortify their positions. Last winter, Russian fighters capitalized on a lull in the fighting by digging in on territory they controlled, causing some analysts to refer to the fight as a "stalemate."

"I wouldn't call it a stalemate. No. This is a dynamic battle," a senior defense official said. "Ukraine continues to push and succeed on the battlefield against Russian forces. You've seen them continue to strike further behind Russian lines. ... They are making inroads in disrupting Russian operations, in degrading Russian capabilities."

The official pointed to the recent Ukrainian offensive in the Kherson region as an example of Ukraine's ability "to create a disadvantage for Russian forces in an area where, frankly, their defenses are thinner."

Ukrainian troops last week pushed Russian soldiers out of positions on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River and established several bridgeheads. Crossing the river with heavy equipment and supplies could give Ukrainian forces the opportunity to open a new line of attack on the most direct land route to Crimea, which was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.

Although Moscow's forces still control about 18% of Ukrainian land, the Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova, told VOA last month that Kyiv's forces had taken back more than 50% of its invaded territory.

The surprise visit by Austin to Kyiv also comes as Western support is at risk of wavering, especially as events in Israel and Gaza in the last month divert attention from the prolonged conflict in Europe.

Austin will host another round of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group virtually from the Pentagon this week. The Pentagon says more than 50 nations are expected to participate in the talks, which help Ukraine's partners coordinate military aid sent to Kyiv.

There has been a growing reluctance in the U.S. Congress to send more military aid to Ukraine, although Austin told reporters Monday, "I continue to see bipartisan support in both chambers of Congress."

In a statement Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken appealed for lawmakers to support Biden's latest funding request for Ukraine military aid.

"Helping Ukraine defend itself ... helps prevent larger conflict in the region and deters future aggression, which makes us all safer," Blinken said.

A senior defense official said, "We continue to believe that Congress will provide that support, and we are planning based on that conviction," while also acknowledging that should support for Ukraine aid change, the administration would have to reassess some of the longer-term military procurements planned for Kyiv.

The Pentagon has remained just as active on securing aid for Ukraine as it was before the conflict erupted in the Middle East because "Ukraine matters," another senior defense official said.

"I keep hearing people, you know, coming up to me saying, 'Oh, I guess you're not as busy as before.' That could not be further from the truth, and this trip is a testament to that," the senior defense official added.

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Ukraine Fires Top Cyber Defense Officials for Graft

By VOA News November 20, 2023

Two Ukrainian senior cyber defense officials were fired Monday for alleged embezzlement in the government's cybersecurity agency, a government official said.

Yurii Shchyhol, head of the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection (SSSCIP) of Ukraine, and his deputy, Viktor Zhora, were dismissed by the government, senior cabinet official Taras Melnychuk wrote on Telegram.

Melnychuk, the cabinet's representative to parliament, did not give the reason for the dismissals. Shchyhol wrote on Facebook that he was confident he could prove his innocence, Interfax Ukraine reported. There was no immediate comment from Zhora.

The SSSCIP is responsible for securing government communications and defending the state from cyberattacks.

Anti-corruption prosecutors announced they were investigating the head and deputy head of the SSSCIP over their alleged roles in a six-person plot to embezzle 62 million Ukrainian hryvnia ($1.72 million) between 2020 and 2022.

Authorities suspect the officials of buying software at an inflated price from two companies allegedly under their control in a sale that had been closed to other bidders, Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau said.

In a statement on Telegram, the SSSCIP said it was cooperating with investigators and that all agency procurement had been carried out legally.

Last September, Shchyhol told Reuters that Russian spies were using hackers to target computer systems at law enforcement agencies to identify and obtain evidence related to alleged Russian war crimes.

Ukraine has increased its efforts to stomp out corruption as it pursues membership in the European Union, which has made the fight against graft a key prerequisite for negotiations to begin.

Polish protests

Kyiv hopes to negotiate with Poland and the European Commission this week about Ukraine's export of goods through Polish routes.

About 3,000 mostly Ukrainian trucks were stuck on the Polish side of the border Sunday morning due to a lengthy blockade by Polish truckers, Ukrainian authorities said.

Earlier this month, Polish truckers blocked roads to three border crossings with Ukraine to protest what they see as government inaction over a loss of business to foreign competitors since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

Truckers from Ukraine have been exempted from seeking permits to cross the Polish border since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Polish truckers want a limited number of licenses to be issued for Ukrainian truckers, a demand Kyiv said it would not consider.

"This week we hope to have negotiations in a trilateral format," Taras Kachka, a Ukrainian trade representative, said in televised comments Monday.

He said the blockages may affect critical supplies of energy resources for Ukraine, which is suffering from constant Russian attacks.

Russian shelling increases

Russian shelling killed three people Monday and damaged power lines and a gas pipeline in Ukraine's central Dnipropetrovsk and southern Kherson regions, authorities said.

An elderly woman was killed, and a man injured in a Russian artillery strike on the town of Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk's governor Serhiy Lysak wrote on Telegram messenger.

On Monday morning, two drivers were killed when Russian forces shelled a private transport company parking lot in Kherson, regional Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said.

Russian drones have increased their attacks on Kyiv targeting Ukrainian infrastructure as the winter is approaching.

Russia launched 20 Iranian-made Shahed drones, targeting the Ukrainian capital and the Cherkasy and Poltava regions, according to a military statement.

Ukrainian anti-aircraft systems shot down 15 of the drones.

Ukraine's Military Administration spokesperson, Serhii Popko, said that the drones attacked Kyiv from different directions in waves that were "constantly changing vectors."

In his nightly video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin for his pledge of $100 million in new military aid to Ukraine.

"There is a new defense package for our country from the United States. I am grateful for it. In particular, there will be more artillery - shells that are needed right now," said Zelenskyy.

The Ukrainian president also stressed talks on expanding cross-border cooperation with Bulgaria, Romania and Moldova. "This includes the work of the maritime corridor, the Danube export cluster and the overall trade turnover between our countries," he said.

Some information for this article came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.

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TORONTO, Nov. 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The SOGC is proud to be presenting our Menopause Summit 2.0 at this years Ontario CME from November 23-25. The summit will take place on Friday, November 24th and will cover a broad range of topics that intertwine with menopause such as how to manage symptoms at work; how to address cognitive changes associated with this condition; as well as addressing the many myths about menopause that cause hesitation in women when they are seeking help.

As one of relatively few menopause specialists in the country, I am bursting with pride and excitement to be hosting our second menopause summit of the year with the support of the SOGC. Women spend half their lives in menopause, on average. It is time for all of us to join the menopause movement and expand our knowledge, research, and advocacy on this important stage of life that has been shrouded in shame for so long. I am immensely looking forward to celebrating menopause and aging women with my colleagues at this weeks event, said Dr. Michelle Jacobson, Chair of Menopause Summit 2.0.

Our medical education event will cover menopause and so much more. We have so many good speakers who are leading experts in their fields. We're thrilled that our members will be joining us in record numbers. Their support is essential. We look forward to this event with a great energy and enthusiasm. The goal of this conference is talk about the latest developments in women's health. Women need to know what's new since the shortage of primary healthcare providers is affecting facilities across Canada and in Ontario as well, affirmed Dr. Diane Francoeur, SOGC Chief Executive Officer.

This half-day summit will feature discussion panels and workshops with some of the most qualified experts on important topics such as:

GSM in breast cancer ; Discussions on the evidence for hormonal and non-hormonal treatment options in breast cancer survivors with GSM and exploring novel treatments for breast cancer survivors.



; Discussions on the evidence for hormonal and non-hormonal treatment options in breast cancer survivors with GSM and exploring novel treatments for breast cancer survivors. Myths of menopause ; What are the common misleading information on the internet and social media about menopause? Providing evidence-based resources and recommendations about various complementary and alternative treatments



; What are the common misleading information on the internet and social media about menopause? Providing evidence-based resources and recommendations about various complementary and alternative treatments ADHD/Cognition in menopause ; Knowing the difference between ADHD, anxiety, and depressive symptoms and how psychostimulants may be helpful in treating brain fog in menopause.



; Knowing the difference between ADHD, anxiety, and depressive symptoms and how psychostimulants may be helpful in treating brain fog in menopause. Menopause in the workplace; What is the impact of menopausal symptoms on women in the workplace? How to identify symptoms and formulate alterations that can improve work-life experience for those going through menopause.

Visit our website for full Ontario CME program details

About the SOGC

For nearly 80 years, the Society of Obstetricians of Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) has been a leader in the advancement of womens health through excellence and collaborative professional practices. We are the number one source that women turn to for guidance and reassurance about their health because we prioritized their wellbeing above all.

CONTACT:

Patrick OReilly, SOGC Communications Specialist

Tel: 438-370-5095

Email: poreilly@sogc.com
ISTANBUL, Nov. 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Boyden, a premier global leadership and talent advisory firm, announces the expansion of its business in Turkiye with new offices in Azerbaijan. The extended team will enhance the close business relationship between the two nations through a seamless, cross-border approach to executive search and leadership consulting.



Turkish companies in Azerbaijan and Azeri companies in Turkiye will benefit from one local contact for both markets, through Murat Ergene and Ibrahim Paksoy, Managing Partners in Turkiye, and Allahverdi Baghirov, Principal in Azerbaijan. Collaboration is further strengthened by two new Principals who join the team in Turkiye, Hande Donmez Osma and Melis Erturk Keskin.

We understand the complex challenges facing our clients and have robust resources to meet their needs, comments Murat Ergene, Managing Partner, Boyden Turkiye. Through our global partnership we draw upon our collective insight into the evolution of different industries, the global talent pool and the leadership needs of organisations worldwide.

Boyden has served clients in Turkiye for twenty-five years, and is distinctive in providing locally-rooted, cross-border capabilities, adds Ibrahim Paksoy, Managing Partner, Boyden Turkiye. Clients value our client-centric approach and previous multinational experience in senior-level roles. We are delighted to welcome Allahverdi in Baku, and look forward to delivering exceptional outcomes through synergies in the region and with our global colleagues.

Based in Azerbaijan, Allahverdi Baghirov brings to Boyden over 15 years experience in HR leadership, consulting on human resource management, executive search, leadership development and assessment. Before joining Boyden, he was CHRO, Executive Board Member at Araz Supermarket MMC, Chief Administrative Officer at UBN Ltd, and Head of HR at Gilan Holding. His consulting capabilities have a strong academic base; he is also Adjunct Lecturer at Baku Higher Oil School in Baku, Azerbaijan.

About Boyden

Boyden is a premier leadership and talent advisory firm with more than 70 offices in over 45 countries. Our global reach enables us to serve client needs anywhere they conduct business. We connect great companies with great leaders through executive search, interim management and leadership consulting solutions. Boyden is ranked amongst the top companies on Forbes Americas Best Executive Recruiting Firms for 2023. For further information, visit www.boyden.com.

Contacts:

Chris Swee

Chief Marketing Officer, Boyden

T: +1 914 747 0172

E: cswee@boyden.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6aeb0fb9-c3a8-448d-9d3d-48208f73f13d
LEXINGTON, Ky., Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MiddleGround Capital , a Lexington, Kentucky-based operationally focused private equity firm that makes control investments in lower middle market industrial B2B and specialty distribution companies in North America and Europe, today announced the successful closing of MiddleGround Carbon CV, L.P., a single asset continuation vehicle (CV) with approximately $440 million in capital commitments that provided the capital to purchase Banner Industries (Banner), a leading processor and distributor of metal bar products for a diverse set of industrial and medical end markets, and A.M. Castle & Co. (Castle Metals), a leading provider of metals, services, and supply chain solutions serving industrial and aerospace customers. MiddleGround originally purchased Banner in December of 2019 from High Street Capital, of Chicago.



Since MiddleGround's investment in Banner in 2019, MiddleGround brought industry veteran Dan Stoettner back to lead the business. Under Stoettners leadership, the company completed two acquisitions. In 2019, the company did a little over $100 million of revenue with ~$9 million of EBITDA. For the Last Twelve Month (LTM) period Banner has more than tripled in size to nearly $350 million of revenue and EBITDA has expanded to ~$55 million.

The management team at Banner, led by Stoettner, has demonstrated the ability to maximize performance while integrating new acquisitions and expanding the geographic footprint of the business through greenfield expansion projects.

Castle Metals was a public company up until 2020 and has been on MiddleGrounds watch list for years. Castle has a global footprint and ~$600 million of revenue with ~$50 million of EBITDA. MiddleGround acquired Castle earlier this year and Fund I has warehoused the deal using recyclable capital while MiddleGround raised the CV.

Our goal is to consistently deliver value to our investors through cash returns, said John Stewart, Founding and Managing Partner of MiddleGround Capital. With the successful close of this continuation vehicle, we were able to return significant capital to Fund I investors and had the opportunity for a meaningful liquidity event that returns $102 million of recyclable capital and $234 million of Fund I returns. In this market, this is an extraordinary achievement and demonstrates our ability to find creative solutions in a difficult market for the benefit of our investors. While the Banner investment has been a successful outcome for Fund I, the CV has a lot of opportunity to create value for its investors and we saw a strong uptake from Fund I investors investing in the CV as well as strong demand from new investors. Hamilton Lane was lead investor on the deal. Our team, led by Ryan McComb on the Transaction side and Mandy Kamm on the Investor Relations side, raised the CV in less than 30 days. We were able to sell Banner with no discount to the mark and with no placement agent fees. Since the inception of MiddleGround we have built strong investor relationships that appreciate our differentiated approach to Industrial investing. We have delivered over a billion dollars of co-investment opportunity and those relationships were the difference while raising the capital for the CV.

The CV allows MiddleGround to extend its ownership of Banner as well as to support a merger between Castle and Banner. The combination further expands on MiddleGrounds value creation plan by building a global leader within the metals distribution space. Following the close of the transaction, Banner and Castle will continue to operate as independent brands while also benefiting from these additional resources, expanded geographic reach, and complementary product offerings under a single capital structure, said Ryan McComb, Director and the lead of the Transaction Team for the CV.

The combined company will be led by industry veterans Dan Stoettner and Dan Lewis, who will be CEO and CFO, respectively. This transaction is a strong step forward for both Banner and Castle and with the ongoing support provided by MiddleGround, the combined company is well-positioned to enter the next phase of growth. Not only will the merger allow for operational improvements and geographic expansion opportunities for both Banner and Castle, it will also have no impact on current customer relationships or product offerings, added McComb.

This is a natural fit given that Banner and Castle have long been recognized for their unparalleled metals expertise across the medical, industrial, and aerospace sectors, said Stoettner. Through this combination, we will be better equipped to meet the evolving needs of a variety of industries. Further, the CV will also bring even stronger financial footing and ensure we are poised to capitalize on growth opportunities in the future, adding reliability and resilience for our employees, our customers, and our ability to serve as a leading provider in our sectors. By joining forces, we stand to greatly enhance our specialty metals platform, ensuring we have the ability to address a broader range of key end markets while simultaneously better serving the needs of our customers.

Our goal in this merger is to position our company as a market-leading supplier for our long-standing, loyal customers, said Mark Zundel, Executive Vice President, Aerospace & Corporate Strategy at the combined company. The combination enhances the many synergies between our brands, and our recapitalized structure will allow us to expand into new areas and markets. I am confident that together we will enhance our collective ability to provide the broadest range of high-quality metals as well as solve distribution, pricing, processing, and supply challenges both globally and locally.

Cerberus and Fifth Third partnered with MiddleGround Capital to provide the debt financing to complete this transaction and serve as the combined companys lenders post-close. Dechert LLP served as a buy-side legal advisor and Greenberg Traurig LLP served as a sell-side legal advisor to MiddleGround Capital.

About Banner

Established in 1961, Banner Industries is a value-added metals processor and distributor serving OEMs, contract manufacturers, and precision machine customers through two divisions: Banner Service Corporation (BSC) and Banner Medical Innovations (BMI). BSC serves a diverse set of industrial customers and steel service centers with applications in irrigation, diesel fuel systems, electric motors, agriculture, aerospace, and auto, among others. BMI processes medical-grade metals for device manufacturers in orthopedic, spine, dental, and other specialty medical fields. Banner is headquartered in Carol Stream, IL with additional facilities in IL, IN, OH, TX, CT, CA, TN and Mexico. For further information, please visit: https://banner-industries.com/ .

About Castle Metals

A. M. Castle & Co. is a leading provider of metals, services, and supply chain solutions. Headquartered in Oak Brook, IL and established as the metals business brand in 1890, Castle Metals distributes and processes alloy, carbon, stainless steel, nickel, aluminum, titanium, cast iron, and red metals. For more information, please visit: https://www.castlemetals.com/ .

About MiddleGround Capital

MiddleGround Capital is a private equity firm based in Lexington, KY. MiddleGround makes control equity investments in middle market B2B industrial and specialty distribution businesses. MiddleGround works with its portfolio companies to create value through a hands-on operational approach and partners with its management teams to support long-term growth strategies. For more information, please visit: https://middleground.com/ .
Feature: Enduring friendship between China, U.S. art troupes reverberates through music

Xinhua) 15:06, November 21, 2023

SHANGHAI, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- In an auditorium at the China Welfare Institute Children's Palace in Shanghai, as the melody of the famous Chinese song "The Moon Represents My Heart" filled the air, music once again became witness to the enduring friendship of five decades between the Philadelphia Orchestra and the institute.

Jointly performed by artists from the orchestra and children from the palace's Little Companion Art Troupe, the song wraps up the visit by a 23-member delegation from the Philadelphia Orchestra to Shanghai.

The bond between these two institutes could be traced back to 1940, when the China Aid Council, in response to a call from Soong Ching Ling, founder of the welfare institute, asked the Philadelphia Orchestra to hold a charity concert in the United States to raise funds to support the medical work of the late Dr. Bethune in north China.

Consequently, the Philadelphia Orchestra became the first orchestra to visit and perform after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1973. During their maiden trip, the members visited the welfare institute and were deeply impressed by the pivotal role that art played in enlightening the children. In 2013, the orchestra visited Shanghai again and performed together with the Little Companion Art Troupe.

The latest visit by the Philadelphia Orchestra was warmly received by the children and faculty of the Children's Palace. Tristan Rais-Sherman, a conductor of the U.S. orchestra, was presented with Chinese paper-cut items crafted by the children, while violinist Davyd Booth received a paper-cut silhouette of himself.

"I like the gifts very much, and I will keep them forever," said Rais-Sherman. "This is my first time in China. The whole trip has been very busy, so I have not been able to see much of the city yet. But I have been impressed by the trip so far."

Speaking about his visit to ShanghaiTech University the day before, Rais-Sherman said: "It was so much fun and such an enjoyable experience. It was great to be at ShanghaiTech because I had a side career in tech as well as software engineering. I was able to speak to the students about the skills that they might need in music and engineering or science because I know a little bit about both."

Booth, 73, has been to China 13 times since he first set foot in the country in 1973.

"Actually, the 1973 visit to China was the first time I ever left the United States in my life. It turned out to be such a strong thread throughout my life. I'm deeply grateful for this wonderful opportunity to be here again after 50 years," he said.

"The power of music is very strong," Booth added. "We have a wonderful foundation that we have built since 1973. We play all over the world actually in many countries, but this is our most extensive friendship. We develop friendships with many organizations here and with many individual people that I still keep in contact with, so it is a very important event in our lives, both professionally and personally."

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Pune,India, Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to Fortune Business Insights, global Inspection Management Software Market Size was valued at USD 7.98 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 20.40 billion by 2030, exhibiting a CAGR of 12.7% during the forecast period. to Grow Rapidly; Increasing Adoption of Automated Inspection Techniques is Driving Market Progress. Fortune Business Insights mentioned this in a report, titled Inspection Management Software Market Forecast, 2023-2030.

The software is widely used for confirming effective facility inspections and regular audits by organizations of all sizes. Market expansion is driven by the rapid adoption of business automation processes for smooth inspection





Request a Free Sample PDF: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/inspection-management-software-market-108591





Key Industry Development:

Benchmark Gensuite, the provider of the inspection management platform, expanded its operations in Mason, Ohio. To provide its customers with a better service at home, globally, and across various operating profiles, its employees now have the opportunity to work together in person.

Key Takeaways

Growing Importance of Strategic Planning to Propel Market Growth

Rising Adoption of the Business Automation Process for Seamless Inspection to Support Market Expansion

Rapid Integration of Inspection Management Software to Enhance the Working Efficiency in SMEs to Support Market Growth

Increased Demand for High-quality Standards Boosted Manufacturing Segment Growth





Discover the Leading Players Featured in the Report:

Companies leading the Inspection Management Software Market share are Dassault Systemes (France), Hexagon AB (Sweden), Oracle Corporation (U.S.), Wolters Kluwer N.V. (The Netherlands), Ideagen (U.K.), Autodesk Inc. (U.S.), Zoho Corporation Pvt. Ltd. (India), Penta Technologies, Inc. (U.S.), Intelex Technologies (Canada), ComplianceQuest (U.S.)





Report Scope & Segmentation

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2023 to 2030 Forecast Period 2023 to 2030 CAGR 12.7% 2030 Value Projection USD 20.40 billion Base Year 2022 Inspection Management Software Market Size in 2022 USD 7.98 billion in 2022 Historical Data for 2019 to 2021 No. of Pages 160 Segments covered Deployment, Enterprise Type, End User and Geography





Browse Complete Report Details:

https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/inspection-management-software-market-108591





Drivers and Restraints

Increasing Demand for AI-equipped Visual Inspection Systems to Enhance Market Growth

AI-powered automated systems can identify errors and address them in real time. This is crucial for enhancing quality control. AI-equipped visual inspection systems are preferred over manual operations as these systems can perform constant and error-free tasks. Increasing implementation of these technologies to smooth production processes is boosting market development.

Decision intelligence is gaining popularity as it can support the automated decision-making of humans. Businesses are adopting this advanced innovation to improve overall decision-making capabilities. Hence, the increasing need for automated inspection is driving the market growth.

Nevertheless, market growth is hampered by the high cost of software installation processes.





Segments:

By Deployment Mode

On-Premise

Cloud

By Enterprise Type

Large Enterprises

Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

By End-Users

Manufacturing

Aerospace and Defense

Retail and Consumer Goods

Healthcare and Life Sciences

Energy and Utilities

Others (IT and Telecom)

By Region

North America

South America

Europe

Middle East & Africa

Asia Pacific





Regional Insights

Presence of Major Manufacturing Facilities Fueled Market Expansion in North America

North America accounted for the highest inspection management software market share. Market growth in the region is propelled by the rapid adoption of cloud technologies and robots. The presence of well-known production facilities and retail chains is supporting market development in North America.

The market in Asia Pacific is projected to rise at the highest growth rate over the forecast period. Automation is revolutionizing governments and businesses in the region. Rising private and public investments in technology infrastructure are driving market growth in the region.





Quick Buy - Inspection Management Software Market Research Report

https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/checkout-page/108591





Competitive Landscape

Leading Companies Are Maintaining their Dominance by Offering Better Quality Assurance

Top inspection management software providers are working on offering superior quality assurance to enhance operational efficiency. They are concentrating on offering advanced solutions for industry-specific needs. By adopting these tactics, companies can make a mark in the market.





FAQs

How big is the Inspection Management Software Market?

Inspection Management Software Market size was USD 7.98 billion in 2022.

How fast is the Inspection Management Software Market Growing?

The Inspection Management Software Market will exhibit a CAGR of 12.7% during the forecast period, 2023-2030





Related Reports:

Quality Management Software Market Size, Share, Growth 2030

Digital Inspection Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis





About Us:



Fortune Business Insights offers expert corporate analysis and accurate data, helping organizations of all sizes make timely decisions. We tailor innovative solutions for our clients, assisting them to address challenges distinct to their businesses. Our goal is to empower our clients with holistic market intelligence, giving a granular overview of the market they are operating in.

Contact Us:

Fortune Business Insights Pvt. Ltd.

US: +1 424 253 0390

UK: +44 2071 939123

APAC: +91 744 740 1245

Email: sales@fortunebusinessinsights.com

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Greenville, South Carolina, Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ARCpoint Inc. (TSXV: ARC) (the Company or ARCpoint) a leading US-based franchise system providing drug testing, alcohol screening, DNA and direct to consumer (DTC) clinical lab testing services, is pleased to report that it has implemented and deployed an Application Programming Interface (API) developed by MD Care Group, LLC, (MD Care Group) a telehealth company, which provides consumers with cost-effective, virtual access to healthcare through a national network of thousands of board-certified physicians and healthcare providers. The new API will allow ARCpoint customers to connect with MD Care Groups doctors to discuss results from ARCpoint diagnostic tests or other medical concerns they may have, thus allowing for the creation of virtual primary care and urgent care centers anywhere ARCpoint services can be accessed. The two companies are also discussing the possibility of developing and deploying a second API which would allow doctors within the MD Care Group system to refer patients to ARCpoint testing locations.



This is a new concept  it really takes direct primary care to a new level for our clients, said Chris Cole, co-founder of MD Care Group. As a result of this collaboration, patients can now get their lab test results back and be connected promptly with one of our board-certified physicians. This really simplifies the process and eliminates the wait times and cost of traditional healthcare.

Under this new collaboration, customers can book a diagnostic test online at ARCpointLabs.com, at any of the 136 franchised locations, or by scanning a QR code on their mobile device at any of the Companys participating affiliate partner locations. After a test(s) is conducted, the patient will receive a text or email notification of results and if requested, a video conference link for an appointment with an MD Care Group practitioner. Once the lab test results have been discussed, the practitioner can write a prescription if needed and it will be sent instantly to the patients pharmacy of choice.

ARCpoint CEO John Constantine added, Our relationship with MD Care Group will make it far easier for ARCpoint customers to consume and access healthcare where it is most convenient for them and how they want. It will also dramatically increase the opportunity to expand our network by allowing us to offer access to virtual doctors through new affiliates, even if an ARCpoint franchisee location is not located nearby.

An Application Programming Interface is a mechanism that enables two distinct software components to communicate with each other using a set of definitions and protocols. In essence, an API can be thought of as a contract of service between two applications. This contract defines how the two applications communicate with each other using requests and responses. Prior to the deployment of the API with MD Care Group, ARCpoint used its own network of virtual doctors to provide prescriptive authority, as required by law, to order the diagnostic tests selected by a customer, and then provide any necessary review of results before they were sent to the patient. Under this system, although ARCpoint provided general text comments about parameters related to test results, customers did not have the option to specifically discuss test results through a video system with an ARCpoint-supplied doctor. With the new MD Care Group relationship, the Company believes customers will be much better served by having virtual access to a network of medical professionals 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. MD Care Group provides services to all 50 US states with consultations in English and Spanish as well as 85 other languages on request.

As the Company discussed in its August 10, August 17 and October 17, 2023, news releases, affiliate businesses are health-related businesses that are separate from ARCpoint, such as health or vitamin stores, fitness facilities, chiropractor offices, physician offices, clinical and genetic reference labs, and pharmacies. Given regulatory, licensing, technology and other issues, many of these types of businesses have not been previously able to offer DTC healthcare testing services. Using the MyARCpointLabs platform, affiliates can offer some or all ARCpoint's products and services to their customers to both enhance their own product and service offerings and, in some cases, generate additional revenue, while at the same time meeting applicable regulatory and other compliance obligations. As also discussed in the October 17, 2023, news release on the launch of ARCpoint Employer Access, any business can now become a new type of affiliate by offering ARCpoint wellness and preventative diagnostic testing services to their employees.

About MD Care Group, LLC:

Based in Greenville, South Carolina, MD Care Group, LLC is a pioneer in personalized virtual care. MD Care Group features a national network of dedicated health care providers pared with the advanced technology required to deliver reliable, accurate medical care centered on you and your needs. MD Care Group offers an extensive suite of solutions for some of the most common roadblocks to quality health care, including telemedicine/urgent care, virtual primary care, behavioral health, virtual dermatology, care navigation, and lab screenings and assessments. Learn more at www.mdvirtualcare.com .

About ARCpoint Inc.

ARCpoint is a leading US-based franchise system that leverages technology along with brick-and-mortar locations to give businesses and individual consumers access to convenient, cost-effective healthcare information and solutions with transparent, up-front pricing, so that they can be proactive and preventative with their health and well-being. ARCpoint is based in Greenville, South Carolina, USA. ARCpoint Franchise Group LLC, formed under the laws of the state of South Carolina in February 2005, is the franchisor of ARCpoint Labs and supports over 130 independently owned locations. ARCpoint sells franchises to individuals throughout the United States and provides support in the form of marketing, technology and training to new franchisees. ARCpoint Corporate Labs LLC develops corporate-owned labs committed to providing accurate, cost-effective solutions for customers, businesses and physicians. AFG Services LLC serves as the innovation center of the ARCpoint group of companies as it builds a proprietary technology platform and a physician network to equip all ARCpoint labs with best-in-class tools and solutions to better serve their customers. The platform also digitalizes and streamlines administrative functions such as materials purchasing, compliance, billing and physician services for ARCpoint franchise labs and other clients.

For more information, please contact:

ARCpoint Inc.

Jason Tong, Chief Financial Officer

Phone : (604) 889-7827

E-mail : invest@arcpointlabs.com

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION:

This press release contains forward-looking statements or forward-looking information (collectively referred to hereafter as forward-looking statements) within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation.

All statements that address activities, events or developments that ARCpoint expects or anticipates will, or may, occur in the future, including statements about ARCpoints future growth, business prospects, future trends, plans and strategies, expected benefits from business activities and the Companys prospects for new business are forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements are preceded by, followed by or include words such as may, will, would, could, should, believes, estimates, projects, potential, expects, plans, intends, proposes, anticipates, targeted, continues, forecasts, designed, goal, or the negative of those words or other similar or comparable words. Although the management of ARCpoint believes that the assumptions made and the expectations represented by such statements are reasonable.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of ARCpoint to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties applicable to the Company, as well as trends identified by the Company affecting it and the healthcare services industry can be found in the Companys 2022 Annual MD&A and its continuous disclosure record available on SEDAR. Although ARCpoint has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, or intended. Forward-looking information included in this press release includes, but is not limited to, statements in respect of the expected timeline for deploying ARCpoints online portals and the expected benefits of such online portals.

Such cautionary statements qualify all forward-looking statements made in this press release. ARCpoint 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 applicable law.

Any forward-looking information speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and except as required by law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Company to predict all such factors. When considering the forward-looking information contained herein, readers should keep in mind the risk factors and other cautionary statements in the Companys disclosure documents filed with the applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities on SEDAR at www.sedar.com . The risk factors and other factors noted in the disclosure documents could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those described in any forward-looking information.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this Press release.
NEW YORK, Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of FMC Corporation (FMC or the Company) (NYSE: FMC). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.



The investigation concerns whether FMC 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 September 7, 2023, Blue Orca published a short report on FMC, alleging that FMC has concealed from investors that it has suffered a recent string of stunning legal defeats around the globe that have enabled competitors to now launch competing generics at prices up to 80% below the price of FMCs flagship insecticide product and that [c]ontrary to the Companys claims, FMCs process patents to not protect its flagship product from generic competition. On this news, FMCs stock price fell $6.09 per share, or 7.41%, to close at $76.10 on September 7, 2023. Then, on October 23, 2023, FMC announced that it was again cutting its Q3 2023 outlook and guidance for revenues for Q4 and FY 2024, projecting earnings well below the expectations of analysts, citing substantially lower sales volumes in Latin America, particularly Brazil.

On this news, FMCs stock price fell $8.83 per share, or 12.18%, to close at $58.12 per share on October 23, 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.
Parsippany, New Jersey, USA, Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zhao Yan, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of Bloomage, represented the Chinese business community at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit 2023, held in San Franciso, U.S., between Nov. 14 to Nov. 16, to attend several discussions on sustainable business development.

This year, one of the focal points at the summit centered around the theme of Global Sustainable Development. Reflecting on this subject, Zhao Yan commented, Never before has our global society been so intricately interconnected. The shared challenges and objectives in sustainable development have brought us to a profound realization of our 'Global Community of Shared Future.' It is imperative that we harbor a reverence for nature, judiciously harness technology, reshape the Earth's resources, and collectively safeguard our sole blue planet."

Furthermore, Zhao Yan emphasized the pivotal role that the Asia-Pacific business community plays in fostering robust global economic and trade cooperation and development. "It is crucial to intensify multi-faceted collaboration, fostering openness, inclusivity, interconnectedness, joint creation, and cooperative success. This will significantly contribute to the prosperity and advancement of the global economy and human society," she stated.

The APEC CEO Summit is a prestigious gathering of APEC economic leaders aimed at discussing pressing Asia-Pacific affairs and fostering stronger economic cooperation. It is a vital platform to exchange knowledge and insights between experts and the business community, making it one of the most influential business events in the Asia-Pacific region.

This year's summit also prominently featured the theme of "Creating Economic Opportunity," which highlighted key issues such as green and low-carbon transformation of industries and sustainable development. Its goal is to propose actionable, effective solutions for balanced economic growth, setting the foundation for success in the Asia-Pacific region and the overall global economy.

About Bloomage

In 2000, Bloomage (formerly Bloomage Biotech) took its first steps as a producer of hyaluronic acid using microbial fermentation. After more than 20 years, Bloomage has emerged as a leading global biotechnology and biomaterial company specializing in hyaluronic acid industrialization. Bloomage is dedicated to improving peoples quality of life by creating healthier experiences.

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NEXICART-2 to expand studies of NXC-201 in relapsed/refractory AL Amyloidosis to U.S. sites based on IND clearance

72 patients previously dosed with NXC-201 ex-U.S.

First CAR-T program for light-chain (AL) Amyloidosis

Favorable tolerability enables expansion into autoimmune indications

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nexcella, Inc. (Nexcella, Company, We or Us), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of novel cell therapies for oncology and other indications, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the Investigational New Drug (IND) application for BCMA CAR-T NXC-201 (formerly HBI0101). With this clearance, NEXICART-2 (NCT06097832) is to expand studies of NXC-201 in relapsed/refractory AL Amyloidosis to the United States. Favorable tolerability enables potential expansion into autoimmune indications.

Building on encouraging NXC-201 clinical data to-date, we are thrilled that multiple leading U.S. sites are currently planning to enroll patients in the coming months, said Ilya Rachman, MD PhD, Executive Chairman of Nexcella. No approved treatment options currently exist for relapsed/refractory AL Amyloidosis patients."

72 patients have been dosed (9 in AL Amyloidosis, 63 in multiple myeloma) with NXC-201 ex-U.S. Relapsed/refractory AL Amyloidosis dose escalation levels included: 150 x 106 (n=1), 450 x 106 (n=2), and 800 x 106 (n=6) CAR+T cells, demonstrating a 100% overall response rate (9/9) (median 6 lines of prior therapy) (as of the September 20, 2023 AL Amyloidosis data cutoff). Relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma dose escalation levels included: 150 x 106 (n=6), 450 x 106 (n=7), and 800 x 106 (n=50) CAR+T cells, demonstrating a 95% overall response rate with median 11.9 months of follow-up (as of the July 17, 2023 multiple myeloma data cutoff). NXC-201 publications, presentations and posters include the 65th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting & Exposition, 27th Annual American Society for Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT), 20th International Myeloma Society (IMS) Annual Meeting, Clinical Cancer Research (CCR), 49th Annual Meeting of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) and Haematologica.

We credit our world-class cell-therapy expert team in achieving this IND clearance in-line with our previously communicated timelines, said Gabriel Morris, President of Nexcella. NXC-201s favorable tolerability profile, including overcoming neurotoxicity, potentially enables expansion beyond AL Amyloidosis into autoimmune indications.

About NXC-201

NXC-201 (formerly HBI0101) is a BCMA-targeted investigational chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy that is being studied in a comprehensive clinical development program for the treatment of patients with relapsed/refractory AL amyloidosis, relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma, and potentially expanding into autoimmune indications: systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), myasthenia gravis (MG), and multiple sclerosis (MS).

NXC-201 has been awarded Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) by the FDA in both AL Amyloidosis and multiple myeloma.

About NEXICART-1

NEXICART-1 (NCT04720313) is an ongoing Phase 1b/2a, open-label study evaluating the safety and efficacy of NXC-201 (formerly HBI0101), in adults with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma and relapsed/refractory AL amyloidosis.

The primary objective of the Phase 1b portion of the study is to characterize the safety and confirm the recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D) and Phase 2 dose of NXC-201. The Phase 1b portion has been successful in determining the recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D) of 800 million CAR+T cells. The expected primary endpoint for the Phase 2 portion in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma is overall response rate and duration of response. Nexcella plans to submit data to the FDA in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma once 100 patients are treated with NXC-201. The expected primary endpoint for NXC-201 in relapsed/refractory AL Amyloidosis is overall response rate. Nexcella plans to submit data to the FDA in relapsed/refractory AL amyloidosis once 30-40 patients are treated with NXC-201.

About AL Amyloidosis

AL amyloidosis is a rare systemic disorder caused by an abnormality of plasma cells in the bone marrow. Misfolded amyloid proteins produced by these cells cause a buildup of misfolded immunoglobulin proteins in and around tissues, nerves and organs, gradually affecting their function. This can cause progressive and widespread organ damage and high mortality rates.

AL amyloidosis affects roughly 30,000  45,000 patients in the U.S. and Europe, and it is estimated that there are approximately 3,000  4,000 new cases annually in the U.S. The estimated annual global incidence of AL Amyloidosis is ~15,000 patients. The Amyloidosis market was $3.6 billion in 2017, expected to reach $6 billion in 2025, according to Grand View Research.

About Nexcella, Inc.

Nexcella, Inc., is a Los Angeles, California based clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of novel cell therapies for oncology and other indications. Our lead candidate, next generation BCMA-targeted CAR-T NXC-201 for relapsed/refractory AL amyloidosis and relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma, has produced 100% and 95% response rates in each indication, respectively, as of July 17, 2023 across 72 patients. NXC-201 has been awarded Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) by the FDA in both AL Amyloidosis and multiple myeloma. We believe NXC-201 has the potential to be the worlds first Single-Day CRS CAR-T, enabling faster return home for patients. Expansion into autoimmune indications is planned: systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), myasthenia gravis (MG), and multiple sclerosis (MS). Our N-GENIUS platform allows us to discover, develop, and manufacture cutting-edge cell therapies for patients in need. To learn more about Nexcella, Inc. visit us at www.nexcella.com



Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements reflect our current view about future events. When used in this press release, the words anticipate, believe, estimate, expect, future, intend, plan, or the negative of these terms and similar expressions, as they relate to us or our management, identify forward-looking statements. Such statements, include, but are not limited to, statements contained in this press release relating to our business strategy, our future operating results, continuing development of our product candidates, including development timelines, timing of FDA submissions and expected endpoints, long-term visions and strategies, evaluations and judgements and beliefs regarding potential efficacy and safety of our product candidates, future clinical development of our product candidates, including any implication that results or observations in initial data, data observed to date, or earlier clinical trials will be representative of results or observations in later data or clinical trials, the expected timing of such results and the potential market size and benefits for our product candidates. Forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and assumptions regarding our business, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Our actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. They are neither statements of historical fact nor guarantees of assurance of future performance. We caution you, therefore, against relying on any of these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, without limitation, our ability to raise capital to fund continuing operations; our ability to protect our intellectual property rights; the impact of any infringement actions or other litigation brought against us; competition from other providers and products; our ability to develop and commercialize products and services; changes in government regulation; our ability to complete capital raising transactions; that our product candidates may not realize the anticipated responses discussed in this release or that their development may suffer delays that materially and adversely affects future commercial viability; that the market for our product candidates may not grow at the rates anticipated or at all; and other factors relating to our industry, our operations and results of operations. Actual results may differ significantly from those anticipated, believed, estimated, expected, intended or planned, including: the uncertainties related to market conditions and other factors described more fully in the section entitled Risk Factors in Immix Biopharmas Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, and other periodic reports subsequently filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof, and we specifically disclaim any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements.

Contacts:

Mike Moyer

LifeSci Advisors

mmoyer@lifesciadvisors.com



Company Contact

irteam@nexcella.com






TORONTO, Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- At the 17th biennial convention of the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) on Tuesday, educational assistant Laura Walton, grocery store clerk Ahmad Gaied, and community worker Jackie Taylor were elected to be the next executive officers of Canadas largest labour federation starting January 1, 2024.



Running together as Team Ignite, these members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), and the United Steelworkers (USW) respectively received a strong mandate to conduct the renewed energy of the labour movement to organize workers, build workers power, and win a better future for workers and all residents of the countrys most wealthy province.

Ontarians are facing intersecting crises of high prices, a lack of affordable housing, an escalating climate emergency, health care privatization, democracy-threatening misinformation, and a corrupt provincial government enriching millionaire developers at the expense of the majority of Ontarians who are struggling every day, said Laura Walton, president-elect of the OFL. Workers are ready to meet this moment with positive solutions and building a movement with the resolve to win. Its time for a better standard of living for the people whose work is responsible for record profits  especially racialized and young workers who have been told, for too long, their only choice is to accept low-wage jobs and worse working conditions than the last generation.

Workers unions  united through our federation  are well-resourced and prepared to fight for higher wages, no more workers killed on the job, and defined benefit pensions for all, said re-elected OFL secretary-treasurer Ahmad Gaied. I started working in one of billionaire Galen Westons super-profitable grocery stores when I was 17. My coworkers and I are tired of rich posers like Doug Ford and Pierre Poilievre who spew hatred and disinformation because they know that the more people learn about what they actually stand for, the less anyone is willing to vote for them. Im proud to be part of a team thats heard the call for a new focus on political education so workers can be organized not just in our workplaces, but at the ballot box and in the halls of power too.

The wave of strikes across Ontario is continuing, and thats a good thing, said Jackie Taylor, the OFLs next executive vice-president. Workers are joining unions in record numbers because we understand our value and refuse to accept low pay, long hours, no pensions, and overall disrespect from illegitimately rich owners who do no real work for their wealth. Change comes through struggle. Frontline workers are leading the way and Im humbled to help my co-workers across Ontario channel their power  and use it to win the changes they need and deserve.

This will be Walton and Taylors first term as president and executive vice-president. Gaied has been re-elected to serve a third two-year term as secretary-treasurer.

Founded in 1957, the OFL has grown to represent over one million Ontario workers belonging to more than 1,500 locals from 54 affiliated unions, making it Canadas largest labour federation.

Biographies of the newly-elected and re-elected OFL executive officers are in the backgrounder below.

BACKGROUNDER

Laura Walton

OFL President-elect

Laura Walton is the president-elect of the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL).

Laura has served as the president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Ontario School Boards Council of Unions (OSBCU) since 2019. In addition to her role with OSBCU, Laura also serves on the CUPE Ontario Executive Board.

With a firm belief in the equalizing power of inclusive public education, Laura led her 55,000 coworkers across Ontario to withdraw their labour for two days in November 2022 in protest of the Ford government using the notwithstanding clause to ram through legislation that imposed a contract on CUPE education workers.

Frontline workers, a united labour movement, and overwhelming community support compelled a Conservative majority in the provincial legislature to repeal its anti-worker Bill 28 in record time. The lowest-paid education workers ultimately resisted concessions and negotiated a $1 per hour pay increase each year for four years after a decade of legislated wage erosion.

Laura is proud of her rural roots growing up in Belleville where she worked in radio and marketing and supported children with special needs as an educational assistant. Previously she served as president of CUPE Local 1022 which represents the education workers of Hastings and Prince Edward County District School Board.

Ahmad Gaied

OFL Secretary-Treasurer

Ahmad Gaied is the secretary-treasurer of the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL). He was first elected to the position at the federations 15th biennial convention in 2019.

Ahmad joined the OFL executive at the OFLs 2015 biennial convention as executive vice-president. At the age of 33, he was the youngest ever OFL executive officer to be elected. Ahmad is also a racialized worker and a proud member of the Muslim community in Toronto.

He is an ardent supporter of grassroots and worker-led initiatives to assist organizing non-union workers so that they can benefit from union representation.

A long-time activist and community advocate, Ahmad began his trade union activism as a chief steward at his No Frills store in 2003 and rose through the ranks to the position of member engagement representative for UFCW Canada Local 1000A.

Within his union, Ahmad has also served as a certified member of the joint health and safety committee, and was elected to UFCW Canadas Toronto divisional board for both Loblaw and No Frills units, representing retail workers across the GTA. He is also a frequent instructor and facilitator on labour rights issues and has led numerous initiatives on engaging young workers.

In addition to his labour union activism, Ahmad is a dedicated community advocate. He currently volunteers with multiple not-for-profit, non-partisan community organizations to help increase civic engagement. Ahmad is also Vice-President of the Ontario NDPs ScarboroughRouge Park provincial riding association, and he has worked extensively as an NDP voter contact organizer in the GTA and throughout the country  most notably in the 2015 Alberta election that led to a sweeping NDP victory.

As well, Ahmad has worked as Employment Insurance (EI) worker representative and referee before the role of EI referee was abolished by the Harper Conservative government.

Ahmad self-identifies as Canadian, Libyan, Arab, and African. He speaks both English and Arabic, which he uses to build bridges within the community.

As part of the new generation of workers who are facing the most precarious labour market in our countrys history, Ahmad is committed to mobilizing youth and equity-seeking workers to stop Ontarios race to the bottom.

Jackie Taylor

OFL Executive Vice-President-elect

Jackie Taylor is the incoming vice-president of the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL).

Jackie became a member of United Steelworkers (USW) Local 9042 in 2016, working at Labour Community Services of Peel in partnership with the Peel Region Labour Council. In her role as head of the agencys labour advocacy program, she delivered workshops focused on mental health, led fundraising efforts and activities aimed at building healthy relationships with unions, workers and their communities.

Between 2003 and 2016, Jackie steadily rose through the ranks in her local union. Her early union activism included advocating for fellow members and ensuring they received fair and equal treatment on the job. Jackie went on to serve on Steelworkers pay equity and bargaining committees, helping the union achieve meaningful gains at the bargaining table, to the benefit of all members.

Additionally, Jackie is a longtime activist on USW Women of Steel committees, working with Women of Steel across Canada and the United States. Together, theyve organized to strengthen womens rights in the workplace and advance womens activism within the union. As the current USW District 6 education coordinator, Jackie supports the Steelworkers member-to-member education program through facilitation, course development and outreach to members across Ontario and Atlantic Canada.

Jackie is equally committed to labour activism outside her union, serving on the OFL Workers of Colour Committee (2003-2016), the OFL Human Rights Committee (2018-present) and as an active member of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU).

The principles that guide Jackies activism stem from her passion to connect with union members, amplify their voices and be their advocate at a societal and political level. In a rapidly-changing society, education and communication are crucial in our workplaces and in our communities.

Jackie is committed to continuing the work and mission of the OFL and its affiliates and to a united labour movement, especially on the political front. She believes the OFL and its affiliates have the tools to empower working people to take action on the issues that matter to them: the ability to join a union and to negotiate good contracts that improve their wages, benefits, pensions, job security, workplace health and safety and overall working conditions, to provide decent jobs for all.

Media contacts:

Ken Marciniec

CUPE Communications

kmarciniec@cupe.ca

+1 (416) 803-6066 (mobile)

Jenny Sellathurai

OFL Communications

jsellathurai@ofl.ca

+1 (416) 894-3456 (mobile)

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/594d8a96-9d2a-498e-8841-734cd6b68621
SEATTLE, Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Planted Materials, a pioneering provider of renewable feedstocks to global manufacturers, today announced the completion of their first pre-seed round securing $500,000 in capital at a post-investment valuation of $6.7 million. This milestone achievement marks a significant step in the companys mission to utilize plant waste to produce renewable materials and chemicals to help drive the circular economy, while enhancing Seattles image as a prime location for sustainability-based business.



Planted Materials has seen early commercial validation of its waste-to-product biorefinery technology, with the viral launch and growth of its Green Water Labs brand," said Galileo Russell, Founder and Partner at HyperGuap, and one of the participants in this funding round. "We are excited about future product launches as Noah and the team define a new category of sustainable and natural products.

Further enabling its ability to rapidly scale, Planted Materials was accepted into the Greater Seattle Export Accelerator (GSEA) program. The GSEA runs in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration to collaborate with community, state, and federal international trade entities to support the launch, growth, and scaling of STEM and/or R&D-focused small businesses in the greater Seattle area.

Planted Materials CEO was also selected as a delegate to accompany Washington State Governor Jay Inslee on his trade mission to Australia earlier this month. The delegation traveled with the goal of expanding the existing billion-dollar trade relationship with Australia and accelerate the global switch to clean energy.

The tremendous support weve received from the Seattle community is helping us lay the foundation for one of the most pioneering clean tech movements in the Pacific Northwest, said Noah Belkhous, CEO and co-founder of Planted Materials. After three years of bootstrapped R&D, this investment is enabling Planted Materials to jumpstart the development of our pilot facility that will recycle organic waste into renewable materials on a commercial scale.

Planted Materials also launched its next funding round at the recent 5th annual Demo Day hosted by Santa Clara Universitys Bronco Venture Accelerator. The Planted Materials team participated in the 12-week program, getting access to the Universitys mentors, faculty, investor network, and other resources.

About Planted Materials

Founded in 2020, Planted Materials recycles and processes organic waste to create renewable alternatives to petroleum-based materials and chemicals. With nearly a quarter of all greenhouse gasses originating from the manufacturing industry, the companys mission is to supply eco-friendly, renewable materials to sustainable manufacturers around the world. Its consumer products arm, Green Water Labs , operates with a commitment to environmental preservation through the development of plant-based alternatives to chemicals used in and around homes and businesses.

Contact:

Natalie Raines

natalie@plantedmaterials.com

206-818-0626
This news release constitutes a "designated news release" for the purposes of the Company's prospectus supplement dated April 26, 2023 to its short form base shelf prospectus dated November 4, 2021

/NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES/

TORONTO, Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Abaxx Technologies Inc. (NEO:ABXX)(OTCQX:ABXXF) (Abaxx or the Company), a financial software and market infrastructure company, majority shareholder of Abaxx Singapore Pte. Ltd., and producer of the SmarterMarkets Podcast, is pleased to announce that it has closed its non-brokered private placement previously announced on October 23, 2023 (the Financing). The Financing consisted of the issuance of 5,338,866 common shares (the Shares) of the Company at a price of CAD $5.75 per common share for aggregate gross proceeds of CAD $30,698,480.

The proceeds of the Financing are expected to enable Abaxx to complete its final applications for recognized market operator and approved clearing house licenses for Abaxx Exchange Pte. Ltd. (Abaxx Exchange) and Abaxx Clearing Pte. Ltd. (Abaxx Clearing), respectively, with the Monetary Authority of Singapore, and provide working capital and funds for general corporate purposes through the launch of its exchange. No finders fees or commissions were paid in connection with the Financing.

Abaxx welcomes this new funding from some of the worlds largest institutional investors and top commodity infrastructure portfolio managers, said Josh Crumb, CEO of Abaxx. Upon closing of this placement, the Company now has the backing and the capital certainty to proceed to the final licensing of our Exchange and Clearinghouse in Singapore. On behalf of the Abaxx board of directors, I would like to welcome our new institutional shareholders from Canoe Financial, K2 Asset Management and the multiple additional leading global institutional investors who participated in the placement.

A total of 3,665,218 Shares issued in connection with the Financing are subject to a statutory hold period of four months from the date of issuance in accordance with applicable securities legislation. The Financing is subject to final acceptance of Cboe Canada.

This press 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 issuable under the Financing 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 to or for the account or benefit of persons in the United States or U.S. persons (as such terms are defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

Termination of ATM Program

The Company also wishes to announce that it has terminated its at-the-market equity offering program relating to sales of common shares (ATM Program) with BMO Capital Markets, as sales agent. The ATM Program was originally announced on April 26, 2023. Upon termination, the Company is expected to have no further obligations related to the ATM Program.

About Abaxx Technologies

Abaxx is a development-stage financial software and market infrastructure company creating proprietary technological infrastructure for both global commodity exchanges and digital marketplaces. The Companys formative technology increases transaction velocity, data security, and facilitates improved risk management in the majority-owned Abaxx Commodity Exchange (Abaxx Singapore Pte. Ltd.) - a commodity futures exchange seeking final regulatory approvals as a recognized market operator and approved clearing house with the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). Abaxx is a founding shareholder in Base Carbon Inc. and the creator and producer of the SmarterMarkets podcast.

For more information please visit abaxx.tech, abaxx.exchange and smartermarkets.media.

For more information about this press release, please contact:

Steve Fray, CFO

Tel: 416-786-4381

Media and investor inquiries:

Abaxx Technologies Inc.

Investor Relations Team

Tel: +1 246 271 0082

E-mail: ir@abaxx.tech

Forward-Looking Statements

This News Release includes certain "forward-looking statements" which do not consist of historical facts. Forward-looking statements include estimates and statements that describe Abaxx or the Companys future plans, objectives, or goals, including words to the effect that Abaxx expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by such terms as seeking, believes, anticipates, expects, estimates, may, could, would, will, or plan. Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although these statements are based on information currently available to Abaxx, Abaxx does not provide any assurance that actual results will meet managements expectations. Risks, uncertainties, and other factors involved with forward-looking information could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward-looking information in this news release includes but is not limited to, Abaxxs objectives, goals or future plans, the planned use of proceeds from the Financing, regulatory approval for the Financing, other risks which may preclude the use of proceeds from the Financing, other risks which may preclude Abaxx from achieving corporate objectives or otherwise advance the progress of Abaxx; effects of the termination of the ATM Program, timing of the commencement of operations and regulatory approvals, financial predictions, and estimates of market conditions. Such factors include, among others: risks relating to the global economic climate; dilution; the Companys limited operating history; future capital needs and uncertainty of additional financing; the competitive nature of the industry; currency exchange risks, including risks relating to currency conversion of Financing proceeds; the need for Abaxx to manage its planned growth and expansion; the effects of product development and need for continued technological change; protection of proprietary rights; the effect of government regulation and compliance on Abaxx and the industry; the ability to list the Companys securities on stock exchanges in a timely fashion or at all; the ability to obtain regulatory approvals for the Financing in a timely fashion or at all; network security risks; the ability of Abaxx to maintain properly working systems; reliance on key personnel; global economic and financial market deterioration impeding access to capital or increasing the cost of capital; and volatile securities markets impacting security pricing unrelated to operating performance. In addition, particular factors which could impact future results of the business of Abaxx include but are not limited to: operations in foreign jurisdictions, protection of intellectual property rights, contractual risk, third-party risk; clearinghouse risk, malicious actor risks, third-party software license risk, system failure risk, risk of technological change; dependence of technical infrastructure; and changes in the price of commodities, capital market conditions, restriction on labor and international travel and supply chains. Abaxx has also assumed that no significant events occur outside of Abaxxs normal course of business.

Abaxx cautions that the foregoing list of material factors is not exhaustive. In addition, although Abaxx has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, or intended. When relying on Abaxx's forward-looking statements and information to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Abaxx has assumed that the material factors referred to in the previous paragraph will not cause such forward-looking statements and information to differ materially from actual results or events. However, the list of these factors is not exhaustive and is subject to change and there can be no assurance that such assumptions will reflect the actual outcome of such items or factors. The forward-looking information contained in this press release represents the expectations of Abaxx as of the date of this press 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. Abaxx does not undertake to update this information at any particular time except as required in accordance with applicable laws. Cboe Canada does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.
VANCOUVER, Nov. 20, 2023 - Brixton Metals Corp. (TSX-V: BBB, OTCQB: BBBXF) (the "Company" or "Brixton") is pleased to announce that it has completed the first tranche of the non-brokered private placement previously announced on October 30, 2023, November 6, 2023 and November 10, 2023 (the "Offering").

The first tranche of the Offering consisted of 15,016,666 units ("Units") and 49,386,593 national flow-through units ("NFT Units"). The second tranche of the Offering will consist of 16,384,645 charity flow-through units ("Charity FT Units") scheduled to close later this week, for total gross proceeds from both tranches of $14,580,535.51.

Each Unit consisted of one common share of the Company and one half of one transferable common share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"), each whole Warrant exercisable at a per share price of $0.23 until November 20, 2025. Each NFT Unit consisted of one common share of the Company issued as a "flow-through share" within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada) (each, an "FT Share") and one half of one transferable Warrant. Each whole Warrant comprising the NFT Units shall entitle the holder to purchase one common share of the Company at a per share price of $0.23 until November 20, 2025.

One insider participated in the Offering for aggregate cash consideration to the Company of $35,003, which constitutes a Related Party Transaction under TSX Venture Exchange Policy 5.9. The Company availed itself of the exemptions contained in section 5.5(c) of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 ("MI 61-101") for an exemption from the formal valuation requirement and Section 5.7(1)(b) of MI 61-101 for an exemption from the minority shareholder approval requirement of MI 61-101 as the fair market value of the securities to be distributed in the transaction, and the consideration to be received by the Company for those securities, insofar as the transaction involves interested parties did not exceed $2,500,000.

The proceeds raised from the sale of the Units will be used by the Company for general corporate purposes. Proceeds from the sale of NFT Units will be used to incur "Canadian exploration expenses" and "flow through mining expenditures" as defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada).

The securities issued to subscribers of the NFT Units will be subject to a hold period until March 21, 2024 pursuant to applicable Canadian securities laws. Because the offering of the Units was completed pursuant to the Listed Issuer Financing Exemption, the securities issued to Canadian resident subscribers for the Units were not subject to a hold period pursuant to applicable Canadian securities laws.

Finder's fees of an aggregate $92,940.12 and 558,235 warrants to purchase common shares of the Company at a per share price of $0.23 until November 20, 2025 were paid to persons who introduced the Company to subscribers to the Offering.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

Mr. Gary R. Thompson, Chairman and CEO

Tel: 604-630-9707 or email: info@brixtonmetals.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.

Information set forth in this news release may involve forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", and "intend", statements that an action or event "may", "might", "could", "should", or "will" be taken or occur, or other similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact included herein are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding potential quantity and/or grade of minerals, potential size and expansion of a mineralized zone, proposed timing of exploration and development plans, and the use of proceeds of the Private Placement. 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. Such factors include, among others, the following risks: the need for additional financing; operational risks associated with mineral exploration; fluctuations in commodity prices; title matters; and the additional risks identified in the annual information form of the Company or other reports and filings with the TSXV and applicable Canadian securities regulators. Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements.

Brixton does not undertake to update any forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

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, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws, unless an exemption from such registration is available.

Not for distribution to United States Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States
Vancouver, November 21, 2023 - European Energy Metals (TSXV: FIN) (FSE: W28) ("European Energy" or the "Company") is pleased to report it has completed a Phase 1 exploration program on its Central Finland Lithium Project.

The field program ran from early July through the end of October and comprised reconnaissance prospecting and geological mapping. Field teams conducted follow-up of known pegmatite occurrences documented by the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) and granitic complexes considered prospective for generating lithium-cesium-tantalum- type (LCT) pegmatites. General prospecting for pegmatite boulders in the extensive overburden covered terrane was also undertaken. Numerous individual pegmatites and occasional pegmatite swarms were identified during the program. Pegmatite boulders containing the lithium-bearing mineral spodumene were also discovered locally. A total of 1,099 rock chip (grab) samples were collected across the >250,000-hectare project with assay results anticipated imminently.

The initial success from the Phase 1 program encouraged the Company to submit its first applications for Exploration Licenses ("EL's") covering an area of 4,550 hectares within it's 11,690 hectare (ha) Nabba Reservation. The Nabba EL (2,812 ha) and Nabba 2 EL (1,738 ha) are located on the northern half of the Company's Nabba Reservation and adjacent to the Keliber Projects of Sibanye-Stillwater. Under an Exploration License or EL, the Company would be permitted to undertake more advanced exploration such as detailed base-of-till (BoT) sampling, trenching and diamond drilling.

An estimated 600 million investment by Keliber's parent company Sibanye-Stillwater Limited in partnership with the Finnish Minerals Group (www.mineralsgroup.fi) is underway and will see the development of open-pit and underground mining from several deposits, construction of a central spodumene concentrator plant and a lithium hydroxide chemical plant at tidewater in Kokkola. When completed, this complex will comprise a complete hard-rock spodumene pegmatite lithium supply chain (source: www.sibanyestillwater.com).

The Nabba ELs lie <8 km west of Keliber's Spodumene Concentrator Plant and several previously known Li-spodumene pegmatite prospects/deposits occur within 1 km of the Nabba licences, including the Emmes Deposit which hosts NNW-SSE trending Li-bearing, spodumene pegmatites, and a resource of 1.08 Mt grading 1.22% Li 2 O (source: GTK).

"The inaugural exploration program was highly successful in identifying a number of both individual pegmatites and pegmatite swarms, in addition to pegmatite boulders, with visible spodumene mineralization," commented Jeremy Poirier, CEO of European Energy Metals. "The discovery of local spodumene-bearing pegmatite mineralization expands on the number of known pegmatite occurrences documented by the Geological Survey of Finland and drives our application for exploration licenses."

Mike Basha, P.Eng., P.Geo. (NL), VP Exploration of European Energy Metals Corp., a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has prepared this press release.

Pursuant to an earn-in agreement with Capella Minerals Ltd (TSXV: CMIL), European Energy has the right to earn an 80% interest in the Finnish Lithium Project.

About European Energy Metals Corp.

European Energy Metals Corp. is a junior mining company currently focussed on the Lithium-Cesium-Tantalum Finnish Pegmatite Project in central Finland. Governing bodies in Europe and Finland are legislating environmentally friendly and energy independent laws and policies. One of the key components is access to REE and, specifically, lithium. The Company's concessions are located within 15 kms of the Keliber mine, and production complex currently under construction which is expected to begin production in H2 2025.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Jeremy Poirier, CEO

Telephone: 604-722-9842

Email: info@europeanenergymetals.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking information is typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. Such statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the future results of operations, performance and achievements of the Company, including the presence of lithium mineralization at, and the exploration and development potential of, the Finland Pegmatite Project. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurances that such expectations will prove to be correct. All such forward-looking information is based on certain assumptions and analyses made by the Company in light of their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors management believes are appropriate in the circumstances. This information, however, is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from this forward-looking information include the costs of any anticipated work programs and the ability to fund such costs, required approvals in connection with any work programs and the ability to obtain such approvals, risks inherent in exploration as well as those described under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties" in the Company's most recently filed MD&A. The Company does not intend, and expressly disclaims any obligation to, update or revise the forward-looking information contained in this news release, except as required by law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/187974
TORONTO, Nov. 21, 2023 - Dore Copper Mining Corp. (the "Corporation" or "Dore Copper") (TSXV:DCMC; OTCQX:DRCMF; FRA:DCM) is pleased to announce that it is commencing a rights offering (the "Rights Offering") to the holders of common shares in the capital of the Corporation ("Common Shares") to raise aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $3,960,000. The net proceeds of the Rights Offering will be used for exploration and development activities and for working capital and general corporate purposes.

Under the terms of the Rights Offering, holders of Common Shares at the close of business (Toronto time) on November 28, 2023 (the "Record Date") will receive 0.337167854796804 of one transferable right (each whole right, a "Right") for each Common Share held as of the Record Date. All fractional Rights will be rounded down to the nearest whole number of Rights with no additional compensation paid therefor. Each Right will entitle the holder thereof to subscribe for one Common Share (the "Basic Subscription Privilege") at a subscription price of $0.12 per Common Share (the "Subscription Price"). The Subscription Price represents a 25% discount to the last closing price of the Common Shares on the TSX Venture Exchange prior to the announcement of the Rights Offering. Pursuant to applicable securities laws, and to the extent that other holders of Rights do not exercise all of their Rights under the Basic Subscription Privilege, each holder of Rights who fully exercises its Basic Subscription Privilege will also be entitled to subscribe for additional Common Shares on a pro rata basis at the Subscription Price in the manner prescribed by securities laws and as further detailed in the Rights Offering Circular (as defined below). The Rights Offering is expected to expire at 5:00 p.m. (Toronto time) (the "Expiry Time") on December 22, 2023 (the "Expiry Date"). Any Rights not exercised at or before the Expiry Time on the Expiry Date will be void and will have no value.

The Rights will be listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the trading symbol "DCMC.RT" commencing on November 27, 2023 and will be posted for trading until 12:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on the Expiry Date.

The completion of the Rights Offering is conditional upon the satisfaction of certain conditions, including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, including the final acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange.

In connection with the Rights Offering, the Corporation has entered into a standby commitment agreement (each, a "Standby Commitment Agreement") with Ocean Partners UK Limited ("Ocean Partners") and Equinox Partners Investment Management, LLC (together with Ocean Partners, the "Standby Purchasers"), pursuant to which the Standby Purchasers have each agreed, subject to certain terms and conditions, to exercise its Basic Subscription Privilege in respect of any Rights it holds, and, in addition thereto, to acquire any additional Common Shares available as a result of any unexercised Rights under the Rights Offering (each, a "Standby Commitment"), with each Standby Purchaser purchasing 50% of such Common Shares, such that the Corporation will, subject to the terms of the Standby Commitment Agreements, be guaranteed to issue 33,000,000 Common Shares in connection with the Rights Offering for aggregate gross proceeds to the Corporation of approximately $3,960,000.

Each of the Standby Purchasers is a "related party" of the Corporation under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101") because each has beneficial ownership of, or control or direction over, directly or indirectly, more than 10% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares. The Rights Offering is not subject to the related party transaction rules under MI 61-101 based on a prescribed exception related to rights offerings.

Further details on the Rights Offering, including eligibility requirements for shareholders to participate and the procedures to be followed by shareholders in order to subscribe for Common Shares, will be included in a rights offering circular (the "Rights Offering Circular"), a rights offering notice (the "Rights Offering Notice"), a notice to ineligible holders (the "Notice to Ineligible Holders") and the Standby Commitment Agreements which will be available under the Corporation's issuer profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. It is expected that a copy of the Rights Offering Notice, a direct registration system advice representing the Rights ("Rights DRS Advice") and a subscription form ("Subscription Form") will be mailed to each registered shareholder of the Corporation resident in the Eligible Jurisdictions (as defined below) as at the Record Date. Registered shareholders who wish to exercise their Rights must forward the Rights DRS Advice, together with the completed Subscription Form and the applicable funds, to the rights agent, Computershare Investor Services Inc., at or before the Expiry Time. Shareholders who own their Common Shares through an intermediary, such as a bank, trust company, securities dealer or broker, will receive materials and instructions from their intermediary.

The Rights Offering will be conducted only in the provinces and territories of Canada (the "Eligible Jurisdictions"). Accordingly, and subject to the detailed provisions of the Rights Offering Circular, Rights will not be delivered to, nor will they be exercisable by, persons resident outside of the Eligible Jurisdictions unless such holders can establish that the transaction is exempt under applicable legislation. Rather, such Rights may be sold on their behalf. If you are a holder of Common Shares and reside outside of Canada, please review the Rights Offering Notice, the Rights Offering Circular and the Notice to Ineligible Holders to determine your eligibility and the process and timing requirements to receive and exercise your Rights. The Corporation requests that any ineligible holder interested in exercising their Rights contact the Corporation at their earliest convenience.

Neither the Rights being offered or the Common Shares have been or will be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be exercised, offered or sold, as applicable, in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the securities of the Corporation. There shall be no offer or sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification of such securities under the laws of any such jurisdiction.

In order to ensure that the Corporation can meet its short?term obligations prior to the closing of the Rights Offering, the Corporation has entered into a bridge loan agreement with Ocean Partners, pursuant to which Ocean Partners has agreed to provide an unsecured short-term loan to the Corporation in the amount of C$250,000 and bearing interest at a rate of 15% per annum (the "Bridge Loan"). The Bridge Loan constitutes a "related party transaction" for the purposes of MI 61-101 as Ocean Partners is a "related party" of the Corporation. The Corporation is exempt from the requirements to obtain a formal valuation or minority shareholder approval in connection with the Bridge Loan in reliance on sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a), respectively, of MI 61-101, as the fair market value of the Bridge Loan does not exceed 25% of the Corporation's market capitalization as calculated in accordance with MI 61-101.

About Dore Copper Mining Corp.

Dore Copper Mining Corp. aims to be the next copper producer in Quebec with an initial production target of +50 million pounds of copper equivalent annually by implementing a hub-and-spoke operation model with multiple high-grade copper-gold assets feeding its centralized Copper Rand mill1. The Corporation has delivered its PEA in May 2022 and is proceeding with a feasibility study.

The Corporation has consolidated a large land package in the prolific Lac Dore/Chibougamau and Joe Mann mining camps that has historically produced 1.6 billion pounds of copper and 4.4 million ounces of gold2. The land package includes 13 former producing mines, deposits and resource target areas within a 60-kilometer radius of the Corporation's Copper Rand Mill.

For further information, please contact:

Ernest Mast Laurie Gaborit President and Chief Executive Officer Vice President, Investor Relations Phone: (416) 792-2229 Phone: (416) 219-2049 Email: ernest.mast@dorecopper.com Email: laurie.gaborit@dorecopper.com Visit: www.dorecopper.com Twitter: @DoreCopper Facebook: Dore Copper Mining Instagram: @DoreCopperMining LinkedIn: Dore Copper Mining Corp.

Technical report titled "Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Chibougamau Hub-and-Spoke Complex, Quebec, Canada" dated June 15, 2022, in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). The Technical Report was prepared by BBA Inc. with several consulting firms contributing to sections of the study, including SLR Consulting (Canada) Ltd., SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc. and WSP Inc. Sources for historic production figures: Economic Geology, v. 107, pp. 963-989 - Structural and Stratigraphic Controls on Magmatic, Volcanogenic, and Shear Zone-Hosted Mineralization in the Chapais-Chibougamau Mining Camp, Northeastern Abitibi, Canada by Francois Leclerc et al. (Lac Dore/Chibougamau mining camp) and NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Joe Mann Property dated January 11, 2016 by Geologica Groupe-Conseil Inc. for Jessie Ressources Inc. (Joe Mann mine).

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. 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, including, without limitation, statements with respect to the terms of the Rights Offering, the completion of the Rights Offering, the Standby Commitments, the anticipated benefits of the Rights Offering, the net proceeds to be available upon completion of the Rights Offering, the intended use of proceeds from the Rights Offering, the timing and ability of the Corporation to close the Rights Offering, the timing and ability of the Corporation to receive necessary regulatory approvals, including the final acceptance of the Rights Offering from the TSX Venture Exchange, the Corporation's ability to meet its production target, the commencement, timing and completion of a feasibility study, and the plans, operations and prospects of the Corporation and its properties are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the inability of the Corporation to complete the Rights Offering, the termination of the Standby Commitment Agreements, the inability of the Corporation to achieve the anticipated benefits of the Rights Offering, the inability of the Corporation to obtain the necessary regulatory approvals for the completion of the Rights Offering on terms acceptable to the Corporation or at all, the estimated costs of the Rights Offering and the net proceeds to be available upon completion of the Rights Offering, the operating expenses of the Corporation for the 12 month period following the Expiry Date, actual exploration results, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, future metal prices, availability of capital and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, uninsured risks, regulatory changes, delays or inability to receive required regulatory approvals, health emergencies, pandemics and other exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Corporation with securities regulators. Although the Corporation has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause such actions, events or results to differ materially from those anticipated. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Corporation disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.
VANCOUVER, Nov. 21, 2023 - Sage Potash Corp. (TSXV: SAGE) (OTCQB: SGPTF) ("Sage Potash" or the "Company") is pleased to announce its collaboration with Connecticut-based investment bank, ACP Capital Markets (referred to as "ACP"). ACP will serve as the exclusive financial advisor to Sage Potash, bolstering the company's near-term financing goals. This collaboration is poised to ignite Sage Potash's district-scale Sage Plains Potash Project situated in Utah's prolific Paradox Basin.

Sage Potash is actively advancing the Sage Potash project, focusing Resource Definition, and permitting that will allow for drilling of geological wells that will double as water access, cavern development and waste disposal wells, all of which will support the establishment of an initial demonstration (pilot potash recovery) plant. ACP will work closely with Sage Potash to secure the necessary funding required to execute the establishment of a 20,000 to 50,000 TPY operation. This initial production phase will not only kickstart project cash flow but also provide valuable insights into solution mining production methods, facilitating further refinement and scalability.

This partnership underscores Sage Potash's commitment to the success of the Sage Plains potash project and represents a significant step toward realizing its full potential.

Peter Hogendoorn, CEO of Sage Potash Corp., expressed, "We are pleased to announce our partnership with ACP Capital Markets. Their expertise and deep reach to knowledgeable AG investors and strategic partners will be key to creating a financial structure that leverages valuation at the project level. ACP has a proven track record of unlocking agriculture asset value throughout the agriculture supply chain, making them the perfect collaborator for our journey ahead. Their involvement will play a significant role in driving our mission to advance the Sage Plain Project as the only significant potash deposit that is able to insulate American potash production from global market fluctuations. ACP's client universe understands these growing complexities and the need to establish domestic supply of potash for national food security."

Mark Bishop, Managing Director and Head of Resources at ACP Capital Markets, commented, "As long-term players in the US and Latin American agribusiness sector, partnering with Sage Potash represents an exceptional opportunity for our relationship base and for Sage. Sage's commitment to revolutionising the landscape by bringing a strategic asset to production aligns perfectly with our mission to drive exceptional financial growth and set new benchmarks within this sector. We share the vision to provide America with a domestic supply of potash, essential for retaining true food independence. This partnership heralds an exciting journey ahead, marking a significant step towards unlocking shareholder value. ACP is proud to be a key piece in this transformative puzzle and are enthusiastic about the imense potential for Sage."

About ACP Capital Markets

ACP Capital Markets specializes in providing capital markets services to companies seeking assistance with private debt and private equity needs typically within underserved geographies and sectors as well as to provide M&A/Advisory services. The firm is staffed by 15 producing bankers, many of whom were previously at Salomon Brothers, UBS and other bulge bracket institutions, and focuses primarily on asset-driven sectors including resources and their verticals (mining, commercial scale agribusiness, water and upstream energy), power generation, transportation/logistics, telecommunications and defense/security. ACP specializes in cross-border financing principally within Latin America and supports issuers within the OECD including North America and Australia within its sector disciplines. The firm sources capital primarily from its established network of institutional investors including private equity, special credit funds and selectively from strategic operators globally.

About Sage Potash Corp.

Sage Potash is a Canadian company vested solely in the Sage Plain Property and intends through sustainable solution mining techniques to become a prominent domestic potash producer within the Paradox Basin situated in Utah. For further information, please refer to the Company's disclosure record on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) or contact the Company by email at info@sagepotash.com.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors,

Peter Hogendoorn

CEO & Executive Chairman

+1 (236) 836-4182

info@sagepotash.com

Website: www.sagepotash.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 Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. The forward-looking statements herein are made as of the date of this news release only, and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budgets", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "predicts", "projects", "intends", "targets", "aims", "anticipates" or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases or may be identified by statements to the effect that certain actions "may", "could", "should", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to future events or future performance of Sage, including completing a step out pilot production well that will double as a resource definition drill hole, advancing preliminary engineering and feasibility towards a PEA, completing 3D seismic and step-out well and new resource calculations [MA1] , and management's expectations regarding Sage's growth. Forward-looking statements and information are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the ability of Sage to control or predict, that may cause Sage's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied thereby, and are developed based on assumptions about such risks, uncertainties and other factors set out herein, including, but not limited to, the risk factors set out under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's final non-offering long form prospectus dated March 2, 2023 available for review on the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. Such forward-looking information represents management's best judgement based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information.

SOURCE Sage Potash Corp.
Vancouver, November 21, 2023 - Akwaaba Mining Ltd. (TSXV: AML) ("Akwaaba" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Heidy Arocha Rodriguez as a new Director of the Company.

About Ms. Arocha

Ms. Arocha is an independent corporate lawyer and consultant, with 22 years of professional experience, including legal and regulatory corporate Affairs for Ghana, Mauritania, and Spain. She was a director of Legal & External Relation for Kinross Gold Corp for 7 years until 2018. Ms. Arocha held the positions of Managing Director and General Legal Counsel of the American Chamber of Commerce of Spain, and Managing Director and General Legal Counsel of Biosphere Foundation managing the global project of Mr. Al Gore; ex- vice President of the United States "The Climate Project for Spain".

Akwaaba's Board and Management are very pleased to welcome Ms. Arocha to the Company's Board of Directors. Ms. Arocha has significant expertise in legal and regulatory affairs for Ghana and will be involved with the regulatory agencies in Ghana to help the Company maintain the good standing of its concessions.

On behalf of the Board of Akwaaba Mining Ltd.:

"Iyad Jarbou"

Chief Financial Officer

Tel: 604.362.7685

Email: iyad@akwaaba-mining.com

FORWARD-LOOKING AND OTHER CAUTIONARY INFORMATION

Except for statements of historical fact, this news release contains certain 'forward-looking information' and 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of applicable securities laws. This release may contain statements that are forward-looking statements and are subject to various risks and uncertainties concerning the specific factors disclosed under the heading "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in the Company's periodic filings with Canadian securities regulators. Such information contained herein represents management's best judgment as of the date hereof based on information currently available. As a result, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this release. The Company does not assume the obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required by law. For more information on the Company, investors should review the Company's filings that are available at www.sedar.com.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada 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/188249
TORONTO, November 21, 2023 - BacTech Environmental Corp. (CSE:BAC), (OTC:BCCEF), (FSE:0BT1), a well-established environmental technology company specializing in environmentally friendly bioleaching and remediation solutions for the recovery of precious metals and critical minerals, announced today its plan to conduct a non-brokered unit financing to secure capital for its proposed bioleach processing facility in Tenguel, Ecuador.

The company aims to raise up to $1.0 million through this offering. Each unit, priced at $0.08, will comprise one (1) common share and one half (1/2) of a common share purchase warrant. A whole warrant will enable the holder to acquire an additional common share at $0.12 within a two-year period from the closing of the financing.

"Following the receipt of the final permit from the Ecuadorian government, we are seeking equity to fund deposits on equipment with longer lead times, such as impellers and stainless steel, as well as working capital until the $20 million Green Bond is finalized," stated Ross Orr, BacTech's President, and CEO.

Interested parties are encouraged to express their interest in the financing directly to BacTech. BacTech remains committed to achieving the Company's environmental and social objectives while delivering long-term value to BacTech's shareholders and stakeholders.

About the Tenguel - Ponce Enriquez Bioleaching Project

BacTech is planning to build a new owner-operated bioleaching facility in Tenguel, Ecuador, in a region where arsenic is associated with sulphide gold ore (Arsenopyrite). The Company's plan is to build a 50 tpd bioleach plant capable of treating high gold/arsenic material. A 50 tpd plant, processing feed of 1.75 ounces of gold per tonne, similar to feeds available to the Company from local miners, would produce approximately 31,000 ounces per year. Plant designs are modular and can be expanded without affecting ongoing production. The total concentrate market in the Ponce Enriquez area is estimated to be between 200 and 250 tonnes per day, allowing for increased throughput potential with a larger plant. BacTech has signed an agreement with the government to build a Phase 2 plant that would see the addition of 150-200 tpd of capacity capable of producing in excess of 100,000 ounces per annum.

Key economic highlights, assuming a base gold price @ $1,600 per ounce:

 Pre-tax NPV (Net Present Value with 5% discount rate) of $60.7M

 Pre-tax IRR (Internal Rate of Return) of 57.9%

 Annual Gold Production of 30,900 ounces

 Capital Cost of $17.0M

 Bioleach Operating Cost of $212 per tonne

 Pre-tax Earnings Prior to Employee Bonus - $10.9M annually

 Estimated local employee bonus pool - $1.64M

In total, there are over 100 small mines operating in the area. BacTech continues to investigate the prospects of establishing additional modern bioleaching facilities across other areas of Ecuador, Peru, and Colombia. Where possible, the Company will partner with national and local governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and others to assist with the funding of these projects and ensure that they meet the Company's high expectations not only for environmental standards, but also for the highest standards in all ESG considerations.

About BacTech Environmental Corporation

BacTech Environmental Corp. is a company that specializes in environmental technology. We use a process called bioleaching to recover metals like gold, silver, cobalt, nickel, and copper, while also safely removing harmful contaminants like arsenic. This process is eco-friendly and uses naturally occurring bacteria that are safe for both humans and the environment. By using our proprietary method of bioleaching, we are able to neutralize toxic concentrates and tailings while also creating profitable opportunities. The company is publicly traded on several stock exchanges, including the CSE, OTCQB, and Frankfurt Stock Exchange.

For further information contact:

Ross Orr

President & CEO

BacTech Environmental Corp.

416-813-0303 ext. 222,

borr@bactechgreen.com

Website: www.bactechgreen.com

Investor Presentation: www.bactechgreen.com/investors

Follow BacTech on:

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BacTechGreen

Twitter https://twitter.com/BacTechGreen

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/1613873

Vimeo https://vimeo.com/bactechgreen

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@bactechenvironmental

Disclaimer: Stated goals of raising US$20 million to finance planned construction of the project in no way guarantees process approval.

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking information", which may include, but is not limited to, statements with respect to future tailings sites, sampling or other investigations of tailing sites, the Company's ability to make use of infrastructure around tailings sites or operating performance of the Company and its projects. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified using words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release and the Company disclaims, other than as required by law, any obligation to update any forward-looking statements whether because of new information, results, future events, circumstances, or if management's estimates or opinions should change, or otherwise. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

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.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the shares, nor is it a solicitation of interest from a prospective investor.

Copyright (c) 2023 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.
VANCOUVER - November 21, 2023 (TSXV:NRG), (OTC:NRGOF), (Frankfurt:X6C) - Newrange Gold Corp. ("Newrange" or the "Company") announces that the previously announced transaction (Newrange News Release of May 25, 2023) whereby Newrange would acquire 100% of the issued share capital of ASX-listed Mithril Resources Ltd. ("Mithril") in a friendly business combination has been terminated by mutual agreement. No break fee is payable by either party under these circumstances.

Robert Archer, President and CEO of Newrange commented that, "despite overwhelming shareholder support (>99% approval for both companies) and unanimous approval from both boards, the continuing bear market for junior mining equities has prevented the completion of the Concurrent Financing of $3.6 million prior to the second court hearing on November 22, which is a Condition Precedent of the Scheme Implementation Deed and the Reverse Take Over.

While we are deeply disappointed in this outcome, the companies remain in contact should there be a future opportunity to propose an alternative transaction. Consequently, Newrange will update shareholders at the earliest opportunity as things develop."

Simultaneously, Newrange's Board of Directors will decide on the implementation of the proposed name change and 2:1 share consolidation, both of which are subject to final TSXV approval.

ABOUT NEWRANGE

Newrange is an exploration company listed on the TSXV, with a focus on district-scale exploration for precious metals in the prolific Red Lake District of north-western Ontario, Canada. The past-producing high-grade Argosy Gold Mine is open to depth, while the adjacent North Birch Project offers additional discovery potential. Further information can be found on our website at www.newrangegold.com.

Signed: "Robert Archer"

President & CEO

For further information contact:

Email: info@newrangegold.com

Tel.: +1 (877) 271-5886 ext. 110

Website: www.newrangegold.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statement:

Some of the statements in this news release contain forward-looking information that involves inherent risk and uncertainty affecting the business of Newrange Gold Corp. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements.

Copyright (c) 2023 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.
VANCOUVER, November 21, 2023 - Gold\'n Futures Mineral Corp. (CSE:FUTR) (FSE:G6M), (OTC:GFTRF) (the "Company" or "Gold'n Futures") is pleased to report the closing of its non-brokered private placement offering of units (the "Private Placement") of the Company as announced on October 31, 2023. All securities issued in connection with the Private Placement are subject to a hold period that expires March 18, 2024. Gold'n Futures has issued 11,500,000 units to raise gross proceeds of $115,000. In addition, the Company will pay finders' fees of $11,500 in cash, 805,000 common shares and 805,000 share purchase warrants (as defined below).

Each unit ("Unit") consists of one common share of the Company ("Common Share") and one Common Share purchase warrant ("Warrant"), with each Warrant entitling the holder to purchase one additional Common Share at a price of C$0.05, at any time prior to the date which is sixty (60) months from the closing of the private placement ("Closing Date"); provided that, if at any time after the Closing date, the volume weighted average trading price of the Common Shares on the CSE is at least C$0.10 per share for the preceding ten (10) consecutive trading days, the Company has the right to accelerate the expiry date of the Warrants issued under the Offering ("Warrant Acceleration Right") by way of written notice and press release. Subject to the Warrant Acceleration Right, the expiry date of the Warrants shall occur thirty (30) days from the end of the abovementioned ten (10) consecutive trading days and any Warrants not exercised during the thirty (30) day term shall expire.

The Company intends to use the proceeds of the Offering for general working capital purposes and exploration expenses.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical content of this press release has been prepared, reviewed and approved by Mr. Walter Hanych, P. Geo., who is a Qualified Person under NI 43-101 regulations and is a director of the Company.

About Gold'n Futures Mineral Corp.

Gold\'n Futures Mineral Corp. (CSE: FUTR) (FSE: G6M) (OTC: GFTRF) is a mineral exploration company with two advanced Canadian gold projects. The Hercules Gold Project is 195 km northeast of Thunder Bay, Ontario in the Beardmore - Geraldton gold mining camp. It is 54 km north west of Equinox Gold's Greenstone gold mine that reportedly boasts 5.5 million ounces of Proven and Probable Reserves (https://www.equinoxgold.com/growth-projects/greenstone-project/). The Hercules Property consists of 425 contiguous claims (11,370 ha). From the historical and its current work, the Company has built a comprehensive database and model and is preparing a new Mineral Resource Estimate based upon current and historical drilling totalling the order of 537 holes comprising 114,000 m of core.

The Brady-Huxter Gold Project is in Central Newfoundland, 50 km southeast of the town of Gander. The Brady-Huxter property consists of nine mineral licenses, which cover 2,350 ha and contains two large porphyry-hosted gold deposits, the Reid and Mosquito Hill. These deposits have a combined drill-defined historical resource estimate of 59.5 million tonnes containing 938,753 oz of indicated and inferred gold mineralization (see Gold'n Futures news of October 16, 2023).

Gold'n Futures is conducting programs to expand its gold resources and to develop viable gold mining operations through the application of extensive geological experience and knowledge combined with advanced technologies and computer modeling.

For more information, please visit our website at: www.goldnfuturesmineralcorp.com

On behalf of the Board of Directors

For further information

Stephen Wilkinson,

President and CEO,

Email: stephen@goldnfutures.com

Ph: +1.236.886.8808

Forward-Looking Statements:

This news release includes certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, statements regarding the trading of the Company's common shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange, future capital expenditures, anticipated content, commencement, and cost of exploration programs in respect of the Company's projects and mineral properties, anticipated exploration program results from exploration activities, resources and/or reserves on the Company's projects and mineral properties, and the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Often, but not always, forward looking information can be identified by words such as "pro forma", "plans", "expects", "will", "may", "should", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", "potential" or variations of such words including negative variations thereof, and phrases that refer to certain actions, events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. In making the forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation, that market fundamentals will result in sustained precious and base metals demand and prices, the receipt of any necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals in connection with the future exploration of the Company's properties, that the COVID-19 global pandemic will not affect the ability of the Company to conduct the exploration program on the Hercules Gold Project, the availability of financing on suitable terms, and the Company's ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and other factors include, among others, statements as to the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company, including the Company's option to acquire the Hercules Gold Project, the proposed expenditures for exploration work thereon, the ability of the Company to obtain sufficient financing to fund its business activities and plans, delays in obtaining governmental and regulatory approvals (including of the Canadian Securities Exchange), permits or financing, changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting mining operations, risks relating to epidemics or pandemics such as COVID-19, including the impact of COVID-19 on the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations, the Company's limited operating history, currency fluctuations, title disputes or claims, environmental issues and liabilities.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements in this news release except as otherwise required by law.

Mineral Resources which are not Mineral Reserves, do not have demonstrated economic viability. The estimate of Mineral Resources may be materially affected by metal prices and exchange rate assumptions; changes in local interpretations of mineralization geometry and continuity; changes to grade capping, density and domain assignments; changes to geotechnical, mining and metallurgical recovery assumptions; ability to maintain environmental and other regulatory permits; and ability to maintain the social license to operate. The estimate of Mineral Resources may be materially affected by environmental permitting, legal title, taxation, socio-political, marketing, or other relevant issues. Mineral Resources are classified according to Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum ("CIM") Definition Standards (2014) and CIM Best Practices (2019). The Inferred Mineral Resource in this estimate has a lower level of confidence than that applied to an Indicated Mineral Resource and cannot be converted to a Mineral Reserve. It is reasonably expected that the majority of the Inferred Mineral Resource could be upgraded to an Indicated Mineral Resource with continued exploration.

The Canadian Securities Exchange accepts no responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Copyright (c) 2023 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.
Drivers unhappy after Las Vegas GP oil spill

Even as Max Verstappen's Las Vegas GP negativity fades, it is clear that other drivers and officials remain unhappy with certain events over the recent race weekend.

Pierre Gasly, Las Vegas GP 2023

 Alpine

Pierre Gasly, for instance, admits that he even took the initiative to tell the FIA that he has a major grip with one incident that occurred just an hour before Saturday's highly-anticipated grand prix.

I have already discussed it with the FIA, the Alpine driver admits.

He's referring to the fact that the engine of one of the attractive classic cars scheduled to take the Formula 1 stars around the circuit for the pre-race driver parade dumped all of its oil onto the race grid.

Track workers tried to cover the spill with what Ferrari's Carlos Sainz described as a white product .

The Spaniard was already furious about having his race weekend severely affected by the well-known manhole cover.

And he said the oil spill directly contributed to the first-corner incidents in the race.

This is another problem that the FIA should pay more attention to, Sainz insisted. "I think this was not fair. All the oil was on the inside.

The asphalt there was already dirty and then we parked those cars there for the oil to leak onto the track an hour before the start. I want to emphasise that this is unacceptable, said the Ferrari driver.

Even Fernando (Alonso), with all his experience, had no grip when he got there.

Frenchman Gasly heartily agreed.

I'm sure they'll change a few things for the future because it really didn't feel fair that some guys had to start on oil while others had a clean track, he said.

Also on the same page is George Russell, a leading voice in the Formula 1 drivers' union, the GPDA.

It's not the first time we've seen these historic cars dripping oil, said the Mercedes driver. It was quite shocking to see how bad it was.

Even McLaren team boss Andrea Stella recognised the problem.

This seems like an obvious point, he said. "If there's a Formula 1 race about to happen, you don't want oil spilled on the track an hour before the race.
Father spoke to Verstappen about Las Vegas outbursts

Max Verstappen's father admits he has spoken to the triple world champion about his vocal frustration with Formula 1 over the entire Las Vegas GP weekend.

Max Verstappen, Las Vegas GP 2023

 Red Bull

You can always say some things, Jos Verstappen, a former F1 driver, told De Telegraaf newspaper. "But in some cases you also need to be a bit more delicate.

I told Max about this. Sometimes he needs it, the Dutchman admitted.

"I think he gets tired of too many people. Max loves racing, as you can see. I understand him, and I understand that he prefers to drive on a circuit like Suzuka.

But you can't just kick everything without looking. Sometimes there are circuits that are less fun. And in the end the race was absolutely great, Verstappen senior added.

Fellow Dutchman and ex-F1 driver Christijan Albers agrees that Verstappen's mood and standpoint about Las Vegas contributed to a general negativity about the sport's newest blue-riband event.

There was so much negativity, and Max didn't help, he said.

"Max has this status as a world champion now. I understand that he's at the end of his rope this season. Sometimes I understand his positions and sometimes I don't.

You also get older, you know what's going on more and how important it is for Formula 1. America is simply the most important market, Albers, 44, added.

Even Zandvoort boss Robert van Overdijk, who was in Las Vegas as part of a Dutch GP delegation to observe the first F1 event there in decades, defended the race organisers.

I think what has been achieved there is impressive, he said. "You should not underestimate how much work is involved.

It's like closing the Coolsingel (street) in Rotterdam for a few weeks. That is almost impossible to imagine.

In an editorial, De Telegraaf newspaper declared that after days of Verstappen negativity and teething problems with the new event, Las Vegas ultimately delivered a spectacular event.

All's well that ends well for Formula 1 and the hugely hyped race in Las Vegas, the editorial reads.
Rapper A$AP Rocky to stand trial over allegedly shooting at old friend

Yahoo News Showbiz News Nov - 21 - 2023 , 11:51

US rapper A$AP Rocky will stand trial for twice pulling a gun on a former friend and shooting at him once, a court in Los Angeles ruled Monday.

The 35-year-old, who has two children with R&B star Rihanna, is being prosecuted on two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. He has denied the charges.

The court heard how Terell Ephron, one of the founding members of the A$AP collective, was left slightly injured after the confrontation in Hollywood in November 2021.

At a hearing last week, Ephron, known by his stage name A$AP Relli, said the friendship between the two men had soured, accusing him of abandoning other members of the group, which was founded in New York in 2008.

While A$AP Rocky -- whose real name is Rakim Mayers -- had gone on to fame and fortune, other members of the collective have descended into poverty and drug use, he said.

After the death of one member of the group, the two men clashed in an encounter partially caught on surveillance camera. (Read Video: Pizza Hut selling snake pizza in Hong Kong

Ephron said Mayers pulled a gun and thrust it towards his stomach, saying "I'll kill you right now."

In a later altercation, Ephron said he told his former friend he had "failed everybody" but that nobody was brave enough to tell him.

"I just wanted him to hear my side," Ephron said, adding that Mayers had then shot at him, with the bullet grazing his left hand.

Mayers, who is free on bail, was ordered to be arraigned on January 8.
Local content in petroleum upstream sector: 10 years on

Rodney Nkrumah-Boateng Opinion Nov - 21 - 2023 , 10:02

I brring you warm, breezy greetings from Takoradi, where I am attending the 2023 Local Content Conference and Exhibition this week.

It is being organised by the Petroleum Commission, regulators of the petroleum upstream sector, which covers exploration activities and drilling, among others.

10th anniversary conference

If this years conference is particularly special, it is because this coincides with the 10th anniversary of Ghana passing the Petroleum (Local Content and Local Participation) Regulations, 2013; L.I. 2204.

Aptly, therefore, the theme for the conference is, 10 Years of Local Content in Ghanas Upstream Petroleum Industry  Achievements, Challenges, And Prospects.

For Energy Minister Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, local content in the upstream petroleum sector is nothing short of an article of faith.

On several platforms, he has declared his unwavering faith in Ghanaian talent and skills, stating that it is unacceptable that we remain mere spectators in the process by which our natural resources are exploited.

The duty of the state, he insists, is therefore, to do all it can to empower Ghanaians to be leading lights in this highly complex industry.

Following Ghanas successful discovery of oil in 2007 after several unsuccessful attempts, the then NPP government under the leadership of J.A. Kufuor held a number of consultative meetings with key stakeholders to address some critical concerns and build consensus on efficient and sustainable management of our oil resources for the benefit of Ghanaians.

Subsequently, in February 2008, a major national conference was held in Accra dubbed Ghana National Forum on Oil and Gas Development to discuss a number of pertinent issues, including enhancing Ghanaian participation in the emerging oil and gas industry.

The passage of the Local Content and Local Participation Regulations (L.I 2204) in 2013 was one of the several important outcomes of the forum.

The mandate of L.I. 2204 was to specify minimum obligations for operators in the upstream petroleum sector with respect to local capacity development.

In line with our objective to build capacities and skills of industries, as well as develop internationally competitive business, L.I. 2204 also requires all foreign companies operating in the upstream sector in Ghana to incorporate Joint Ventures with indigenous Ghanaian companies.

Subsequently, under Dr Prempeh, there has been amendment to L.I. 2204 with the passage of the Petroleum (Local Content and Local Participation) (Amendment) Regulations, 2021; L.I. 2435.

This has opened up the ways of collaboration between Indigenous Ghanaian Companies (IGCs) and foreign entities that desire to undertake various scopes of contracts in servicing the Exploration and Production (E&P) spectrum in Ghana.

Whereas L.I. 2204 essentially provided for joint venture partnerships as the main mode of collaboration between IGCs and foreign companies to undertake petroleum activities/oilfield services in Ghana, L.I. 2435 has added strategic alliance and channel partnership.

Achievements, challenges

Ten years after the passage of L.I. 2204 and its implementation, the upstream petroleum sector has witnessed remarkable achievements.

In 2021 for instance, out of a total of US$ 1.3 billion value of services available, US$ 238 million went to IGC while US$ 1.1 billion went to Joint Ventures (involving Indigenous Ghanaian companies).

Further, between 2014 -2022, out of total contracts valued at US$17 billion, IGCs and Joint Ventures benefitted from contract values worth US$ 3.4 billion and US$5 billion, respectively.

Most importantly, industrial establishments that were non-existent prior to the passage of the L.I. have emerged.

There have been significant in-country investments by way of capital investments, cementing units, waste management/thermal absorption plants, fabrication yards, manufacture of bolts, nuts and valves and refurbishments of some aviation facilities in Takoradi.

In terms of job role localisation, the country has done relatively well, given the age of the industry in Ghana.

Available data shows a job role localisation rate of about 85 per cent with Ghanaians increasingly assuming positions in core technical and managerial roles.

On challenges, the nature of certain contracts makes it difficult to implement local content as envisaged by LI2204.

Further, the joint venture requirement permanently ties non-indigenous Ghanaian companies to a particular IGC, which constrains technology transfer and capacity development, concentrating benefits of the industry to only few entities.

There is clearly a case to be made for further amendments to the regulations to eliminate some of these bottlenecks.

Policy initiatives

Beyond legislative amendments, some of the policy initiatives being pursued by government to give full meaning to local content include empowering local firms to play progressively active roles in the oil and gas value chain through capacity development and financing support, and aggressively investing in education and skills enhancement of Ghanaians through programmes, such as the Accelerated Oil Capacity Development Programme (AOGC).

The future of local content in this important sector looks quite promising indeed.

Rodney Nkrumah-Boateng,

Head, Communications & Public Affairs Unit,

Ministry of Energy.
Transforming TVET curriculum: Step to progress

Seth Afum A. Dankwah Opinion Nov - 21 - 2023 , 10:28

The Pre-Tertiary Education Act of Parliament now provides two agencies for delivering pre-tertiary education: the Education Service (ES), formerly GES, and the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Service, which is responsible for a section of secondary education.

In today's rapidly evolving world, countries must equip their workforce with the necessary skills and knowledge to meet the demands of a competitive global economy.

Ghana, recognising the importance of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), has undertaken significant efforts to enhance national productivity and employability through the transformation of its TVET curriculum.

Traditionally, the Technical and Vocational system served as the backbone of TVET in Ghana. However, the Competency-Based Training (CBT) curriculum was introduced in some TVET institutions a few years ago; a new era of skill development and capacity building has emerged.

This transformation has been spearheaded by the Commission for TVET, with the support of the TVET Service as the implementing agency.



Competency-based

As Ghana's quest for enhanced national productivity and employability has currently led to the transformation in the TVET curriculum, a comparative analysis between the traditional Technical/Vocational system and the innovative Competency-Based Training curriculum has unveiled a resounding victory for CBT.

This victory is attributed to capacity-building workshops organised for some TVET institutions in the past, empowering facilitators to spearhead success.

The traditional curriculum clings to the past, while the CBT curriculum paves the way for a vibrant and dynamic future, emphasising the contrasting approaches and their implications for Ghana's TVET sector.

Curriculum

The CBT curriculum goes beyond mere theoretical knowledge by empowering learners to become self-reliant and capable of addressing real-world challenges.

This hands-on approach fosters a culture of innovation and problem-solving, traits that are highly sought after in today's competitive global economy.

The Commission for TVET is expanding its work with the introduction of the CBT curriculum in all of Ghana's TVET institutions.

The resultant positive impact on national productivity and employability signals a rising tide that benefits society as a whole.

In a speech to open a one-week institutional capacity-building workshop, Mr Patrick Kweku Abotsi, the Principal of J. G. Knol Technical Institute located at Adukrom Akuapem in the Eastern Region, indicated: The Competency-Based Training curriculum is the fuel that will propel Ghana's TVET revolution forward, creating a skilled workforce capable of driving national progress".



Training

What then is Competency-Based Training? It is an educational approach that focuses on developing specific skills and competencies required for a particular job or industry.

CBT emphasises practical application and real-world scenarios to ensure that learners acquire the necessary skills for a successful performance in the workplace.

CBT has gained popularity in vocational and technical education systems worldwide due to its effectiveness in producing job-ready graduates.

By aligning training programmes with industry demands and focusing on the development of specific competencies, CBT enhances employability and equips learners with the practical skills required to succeed in the workforce.

The 2023/2024 first-year batch of learners in the TVET institutions will be taught and assessed on the interim harmonised CBT curriculum, comprising core subjects and any of 30 elective subjects in various TVET institutions nationwide, under the free secondary education policy.

As the renowned American author Mark Twain once said, "The secret of getting ahead is getting started."

Let us embrace this transformative journey and unlock the full potential of our nation through a robust and dynamic TVET curriculum.

Together, we can shape a brighter future for Ghana and its citizens.



The writer is a facilitator/teacher,

J. G. Knol Technical Institute,

P. O. Box RD 39, Adukrom-Akuapem.
Play-based pedagogies impacting positively on education system

Emmanuel Bonney Education Nov - 21 - 2023 , 06:50

Play-based pedagogies for teaching and learning at the Kindergarten schools are making a great impact in the nations education sector, the Deputy Minister of Education in charge of General Education, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, has said.

He explained that the play-based pedagogies, which created the opportunity for the children to learn through a set of well-planned play activities, ensured that the children were excited during their learning activities, able to ask questions, overcame fears, got curious and communicated properly without any hindrance.

Rev. Ntim Fordjour said this when he led a delegation from the Education Ministry to visit the Obosomase Methodist and Mamfe Presbyterian kindergartens in the Akwapim North Municipality in the Eastern Region last Tuesday.

Pilot

The visit was aimed at ascertaining the current state of the play-based pedagogies and training being piloted in the schools.

The Deputy Minister commended Sabre Education and other institutions helping with the piloting of the play-based pedagogies in some selected schools in the country.

Rev. Ntim Fordjour stated that the Education Ministry was keen on foundational learning, especially early child learning, adding that the first two pre-primary education was very critical in the life of every child as it gave the children the enthusiasm for life-long learning opportunity.

He indicated that after a few years of testing in some selected KGs in some municipalities, metropolis and district assemblies across the country, the results had been very instrumental, hence plans to roll out across all schools in the country.

Assurance

Tony Dogbe, Executive Director of Sabre Education, assured the Deputy Minister that all the development partners were ready to cooperate with them to roll out the play-based curriculum in all schools across the country.

He explained that there was a need for all the stakeholders to contribute their quota towards getting the best learning outcomes for the nation.

Background

After years of testing, piloting and replicating, plans are being developed for Sabre Education, Right To Play and Innovations for Poverty Action to support the Ministry of Education and its agencies to roll out play-based kindergarten training nationwide so that every child can receive quality early years education.
Review Free SHS for parents to support - NUGS charges govt

Graphic.com.gh Education Nov - 21 - 2023 , 06:40

The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) has asked for an urgent review of the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy to allow parents and guardians to support the funding of pre-tertiary education in the country.

In far-reaching proposals, the students body also demanded the uncapping of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to free funds for the expansion of infrastructure in second-cycle schools.

The General Secretary of NUGS, Ismail Tuohesung Issahaque, further urged the government to honour the 18-month arrears of allowances for nursing trainees and appealed to the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to not let the 22,000 Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE) candidates suffer for the poor judgement of supervisory elements.

In an interview with the Daily Graphic in Accra last Tuesday, Mr Issahaque said it was time for the Free SHS policy to succumb to a review, given the chequered list of challenges that had bedevilled its implementation over the years.

In the company of the Secretary for International Relations, Joshua Nakpri; the Secretary for Union Development, Ebenezer Dehar Krah, and a Committee Member, Ellis Dennis Adjei, Mr Issahaque said while NUGS commended the government for the Free SHS initiative, the challenges facing second cycle schools needed to be addressed for smooth academic activities.

Congestions

He said infrastructure and facilities needed to be improved in SHSs to deal with congestion in the various institutions, as well as the regular provision of food items for feeding the students.

Mr Issahaque called for a review of the policy to enable parents, especially those who could pay, to contribute towards the policy, especially when it came to the issue of feeding, among other things.

We commend the government for such a brilliant policy, but we think it is time we reviewed the policy for parents to contribute to addressing all these issues, he said.

GETFund

The NUGS General Secretary blamed some of the challenges facing the education sector from the basic school level to the tertiary stage on the problem of capping the GETFund, the only reserve used to cater for the countrys educational system.

As we sit in the 2023 budget, the government is expecting GH4.1 billion from GETFund revenue. Out of this amount, the education sector is only getting GH2.1 billion.

This is a policy that was formulated with the motive of catering only to education, and now 55 per cent of the revenue that would be generated is not going into education.

So, as a matter of urgency, NUGS is calling on the government to uncap the fund to enable it to take care of what it has been set aside to do.

It is for education, he said.



Nursing Allowance

On nursing training, Mr Issahaque said for the past 18 months, students in the training schools in the country had not received their allowances, adding that the allowances served as stipends that supported the students in their day-to-day lives.

He said some of the students used the money to pay their school fees, among other pressing issues in school.

He urged the government to put in place a structure of school fees that would be common to all nursing training institutions.

BECE results

He also said that WAEC should ensure that no punitive action would prevent the 22,270 candidates whose 2023 BECE results were withheld from continuing to the SHS level.

Mr Issahaque said the students should not be made to suffer any punishment other than those who were supposed to supervise them.

He said if there was any optional punishment, WAEC should opt for it and not take the children off schooling.

Meanwhile, WAEC has confirmed that from today, it began a series of meetings with the 22,270 BECE candidates whose results are under scrutiny.

The Head of Public Affairs of WAEC, John Kapi, told the Daily Graphic that the results of the candidates were being withheld mainly because of collusion.

On November 9, 2023, WAEC released the provisional results of candidates who sat for the 2023 BECE.

There are two processes that we have to go through.

One is to do our preliminary investigations, and then we would also have a one-on-one with the candidates. he said.
11 Health facilities get support on World Diabetes Day

Daily Graphic Nov - 21 - 2023 , 08:19

An organisation with interest in the fight against diabetes, Splenda Ghana, has made donations to 11 diabetic health facilities in the Greater Accra and Eastern regions as part of its commemoration of World Diabetes Day, which fell on November 14.

The items included glucometers, as well as Splenda Zero Calories and Splenda Stevia Sweeteners, for distribution to the diabetic patients of the beneficiary facilities.

The initiative aligns with the companys corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities of promoting healthy living, particularly for diabetic patients.

Beneficiaries

The facilities in Greater Accra included the Mamprobi Hospital, Lapaz Community Hospital, Kaneshie Polyclinic, Achimota Hospital, Maamobi General Hospital, Madina Polyclinic, Tema Community 22 Clinic, La Polyclinic and Ashaiman Polyclinic.

In the Eastern Region, the Eastern Regional Hospital and Matthew 25 Clinic were the beneficiaries.

Since 1991, World Diabetes Day has been commemorated.

Though the day has been marked by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health

Organisation (WHO) since 1991 to highlight the threat posed by diabetes, it became an official United Nations (UN) Day in 2006.

It is the worlds largest diabetes awareness campaign reaching a global audience of over 1 billion people in more than 160 countries.

Diabetes is a chronic, metabolic disease characterised by high levels of blood glucose (or blood sugar), which leads to serious damage to the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys and nerves.

The WHO has said about 24 million adults are living with diabetes in Africa, and the number is expected to rise by 129 per cent to 55 million by 2045.

The theme for 2023 World Diabetes Day was: Know Your Risk.

Apart from the donations, Splenda Ghana also teamed up with other interest groups to organise activities to draw attention to the disease and its debilitating effects.

Together with the Elwak Keep Fit Club, a health walk and free health screening exercise were organised for the public.

Also, the company partnered with the Mamprobi Hospital to organise a health talk on healthy living for patients and other clients.

Knowing the risk

The Managing Director (MD) of Brighter Purpose Group Limited and the Team Lead for Splenda Ghana, Maabena Webb, who led the team, said Splenda Ghana considered its role in the fight against diabetes as crucial.

She stated that a study by the WHO had indicated that the African region had the highest numbers in statistics with regard to undiagnosed cases of diabetes and was thus keen to help raise more awareness to help curb the disease.

Knowing this, we at Splenda Ghana have tasked ourselves to join the IDF to educate the World, especially Ghanaians and Africans, about the risks of diabetes, and also support those who have already been diagnosed to manage the condition, she said.
2 Agro-based companies donate towards Farmers Day

Severious Kale-Dery Nov - 21 - 2023 , 07:07

Two agro-based companies, Omni Fert and New Okaff Industries Limited, have donated towards the 39th edition of the National Farmers Day celebration at the forecourt of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

Donations

Omni Fert presented a cheque for GH50,000, while New Okaff donated farm products worth GH90,000 and a cheque for GH10,000.

The Sales Agronomist of OmniFest, Shaban Abdul-Manaf, and the Commercial Director of New Okaff Industries Limited, Kwasi Boamah Adomako, presented the donation on behalf of their respective companies.

In a statement, Mr Abdul-Manaf said his company stood for excellence and quality in the provision of soil and crops specific fertilisers.

He said OmniFert green revolution aimed at making Ghanaian farmers to believe in indigenous agro inputs companies.

The Deputy Minister of MoFA in charge of Crops, Yaw Frimpong Addo, who received the items on behalf of the ministry, thanked the donors for their continuous support and donations towards the celebration of the day.

He said their gestures were encouraging and a motivation for other corporate organisations to donate in support of this years Farmers' Day Celebration.

2023 National Farmers Day

The 2023 National Farmers Day, which marks its 39th edition, will be held on December 1, 2023, at the University of Mines and Technology (UMAT) in Tarkwa, in the Western Region

The National Farmers Day at the national level in many years was celebrated in a day, this was, however, revised to a five-day agricultural fair and a grand Durbar.

The essence is to allow farmers to network with industry players and learn and adopt new technologies, machinery, and research innovations in agriculture.

The fair also offers a business platform for various stakeholders to link up and form partnerships that will ensure the overall benefit of their farm enterprises.

Dubbed Delivering smart solutions for sustainable food security and resilience, it is aimed to achieve food security in the country within the context of an increase in population growth and its accompanying food system issues.
2 Years after construction of water system: Potable water now flows for Twumguaso

Haruna Yussif Wunpini Nov - 21 - 2023 , 06:14

Inhabitants of Twumguaso, a farming community in the Okere District in the Eastern Region, can now access potable water from a mechanised water system constructed in 2021.

The mechanised water system jointly constructed by Rotary International, Rotary Club Dallas District 5810 in the United States of America, Rotary Club of Accra West District 9102 and Rotary Club of Irving Sunrise District 5810, could not be operationalised.

That was because it lacked electricity to pump the water, making it impossible for the people to have safe drinking water for two years.

The situation compelled the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) to intervene, by drawing the attention of the Electricity Company of Ghana in the region to come to the communitys rescue.

The PURC took the action after the Assembly member for the Twumguaso Electoral Area, Katakyie Agyeman Prempeh, made the issue known by raising it on Accra-based Peace FM.

Joy

The community members who started enjoying the water last Wednesday were full of joy and praised the PURC, the ECG and the Okere District Assembly for their timely intervention.

The residents could not hide their excitement as they jubilated and danced for joy, although no music was being played.

The mechanised water system with the electricity meter

A resident, Salomey Asare, who is also a waakye (rice and beans) seller, told the Daily Graphic that they had relied on polluted water from the Krenchi Stream for many years.

She said the new water facility would now provide them with potable water, so they would no longer have to travel long distances in search of safe drinking water.

Intervention

The Eastern Regional Manager of the PURC, Jude Aduamoah, said his outfit had to intervene because that formed part of its mandate to make available potable water for deprived communities.

"As soon as we heard about the predicament of the people, we approached the ECG to rectify the situation and we are happy that water is now flowing for the benefit of the people," Mr Aduamoah stated.

He educated the people in the community on how electricity tariffs were being increased and asked them to table all their concerns to the PURC for redress.

Meter provision

The Eastern Regional Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the ECG, Emmanuel Halm, said ECG had to promptly act by providing a meter to the facility, to ensure the flow of water because the company was there for people

He gave the assurance that ECG would address all inherent challenges associated with the new meter provided for the facility as well as others, to ensure public confidence in the company.

Mr Halm stated that all rotten electricity poles within the communities in the region would be replaced as soon as possible.

He advised the residents of the area who engaged in illegal connections to desist from such bad practices since that could land them in trouble.

The Assembly member for the Twumguaso Electoral Area, Katakyie Agyeman Prempeh, told the Daily Graphic that their search for potable water had ended because the PURC, ECG and the Okere District Assembly had put back smiles on the faces of the people.

He thanked the donors for the provision of the water facility and assured them that they would take good care of it.

Challenge

The Mankrado of Twumguaso, Foster Appiah Agyekum, said prior to the construction of the facility in 2021 the people faced a big challenge of not having potable water, which negatively impacted on the lives of the inhabitants, especially school children and women preparing food for sale.

He said although they were aware that the new facility would instantly provide them with water, such a dream became an illusion because the community lacked electricity to pump the water for the past two years.

The Mankrado was, therefore, happy that at long last water was now flowing to make life worth living for the people.

He thanked the PURC and ECG, as well as the Okere District Assembly, for ensuring that power was provided for the facility and urged members of the community to put in place mechanisms that would ensure the sustainability of the water facility.

He urged the people to regularly maintain the new facility so it lasts long and serves its intended purpose.
6 Perish in accident at Akyem Koforidua

Samuel Kyei-Boateng Nov - 21 - 2023 , 14:28

Six people lost their lives while nine others sustained serious injuries when a Pontiac Vibe private car collided head on with a white Toyota Hiace passenger vehicle last Sunday evening.

The accident, which occurred at Akyem Koforidua on the Akyem Akroso-Asamankese road, killed four persons instantly and two others also passed away later at the hospital.

The Pontiac Vibe car with registration number GG 3528-14 was returning from Akwatia to Akyem Achiase with four mourners, while the Toyota Hiace with registration number GM 3150-13 was heading towards Accra from Akroso with 15 passengers on board.

The injured persons have been admitted at the Asamankese Government Hospital for treatment while the corpses have also been deposited at the morgue of the same facility for autopsy and preservation.

Incident

An eye witness, narrating the incident, said on reaching the outskirts of Akyem Koforidua, the Pontiac Vibe car burst a front tyre which made the driver lose control of the vehicle and accidentally crashed into the Toyota Hiace vehicle from the opposite direction.

A nurse on duty at the emergency ward at the Asamankese Government Hospital who confirmed the admission of the victims said some of the injured persons had been transferred to the Koforidua Government and Korle Bu Teaching Hospitals for specialist attention.

Apart from the bank manager who has been identified, the three other deceased persons and the 11 injured ones are yet to be identified.

Victims

The driver of the Pontiac Vibe car, Emmanuel Asiedu, who until his death was the branch manager of the South Birim Rural Bank at Akyem Achiase, was stuck in the vehicle after the accident and rescuers had to cut part of the car before he could be removed from it.

Another male mourner in the Pontiac Vibe car also died on the spot.

A middle aged woman and a three-month-old baby girl who were also travelling in the Toyota Hiace also lost their lives.
Child Streetism Suit: Supreme Court gives verdict on Wednesday

Daily Grraphic Nov - 21 - 2023 , 01:43

The Supreme Court will tomorrow declare whether or not the presence and plight of street children is constitutional and lawful.

A seven-member panel of the court is expected to give the judgment in a suit filed by Child Rights International (CRI), a non-governmental organisation.

The court will decide whether the plight of street children is a violation of Articles 25(a), 28(1) (a), (d), (2) (3) (4), 13(1) and 37 of the 1992 Constitution.

Led by the Executive Director of CRI, Bright Appiah, it is the case of CRI that the 1992 Constitution protects children and, therefore, by allowing children to fall victims to streetism, the government was violating the childrens constitutional right to education, health, human dignity, and denying them their social and economic rights.

About streetism

Streetism is used to describe children who live and work on the streets due to a lack of family ties or worse still, stuck in manipulative relationships, where their guardians (or in certain cases parents) use them to support the household financially, through various activities on the streets

The applicant, whose work seeks to protect and safeguard the social, educational and constitutional rights of children, is asking the court for a number of reliefs and declaration.

Among these are the declaration that the Government of Ghana is in breach of Articles 25(a), 28(1) (a), (d), (2) (3) (4), 13(1) and 37 of the 1992 Constitution for not taking urgent steps to ensure that children do not engage in work that constitute a threat to their health, education or development, and that children are not deprived of medical treatment, education or any social or economic benefit.

CRI

CRI is also seeking an order directed at the government to define, by law, penalties for child exploitation for begging or other forms of economic exploitation to punish all those who may try to benefit or gain money from childrens work; an order directed at the government to improve the law on health care, by defining by law the provision of free primary health services to all poor children, children living in street situation or children in emergency situations.

Additionally, the applicant is seeking an order for the government to provide rules and procedures to be followed for the provision of free basic medical services to poor children, children in street situation or children in emergencies.

Again, it wants mechanism to include agencies that can ask for this help on behalf of children and an order to implement mechanisms to control and enforce the legal framework guaranteeing education for all children.

Order

It is further seeking order directed at the government for procedures related to school enrolment of children in street situations and their provision with the necessary didactic material; and also, an order for government to submit to the court, not later than three months from the date of final judgment, a plan of action detailing all the steps, strategies, and measurable targets by which the defendants undertake to obey and perform the orders contained in the reliefs the applicant is seeking.

Moreover, the applicant is seeking an order directed at government to submit to the court, two years from the date of final judgment and thereafter every six months until the expiry of the three-year plan of action, a report particularising all the steps taken, and targets met in obeying the orders of the court
Govt must invest in Parliaments infrastructure  Speaker

Daniel Kenu Nov - 21 - 2023 , 05:01

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, has urged the government to invest in local infrastructure for Parliament to enhance its work and preserve the gains chalked up under democracy.

He said unlike the judiciary and the executive arms of government, Parliament has been sidelined and even lost all our properties.

Currently, the speaker said, Parliament was struggling to get its lands to be able to put up some structures to accommodate it.

"The residence of the Speaker was almost sold to the private sector.

Actually, it was sold to the private sector.

It was when they went to register it that Lands Commission identified that to be the residence of the Speaker.

Luckily, I was inside so I was saved, the Speaker said.

Speaker's Breakfast Forum

The Speaker disclosed this in Accra yesterday during the Speaker's Breakfast Forum aimed at consolidating the relationship between parliament and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and explore new ways of working together for accountable governance.

The forum, on the theme: Thirty years of Parliamentary democracy under the Fourth Republic: Reflections on citizens' engagement and the way forward, also formed part of Parliament's celebration of 30 years of uninterrupted parliamentary democracy.

It was with support from Star Ghana Foundation, which was also marking its fifth anniversary.

Constituency offices

The Speaker said Parliament, unlike the judiciary and the executive, was the only institution which did not have offices across the country, apart from Accra.

"Parliament is not visible anywhere as an institution, that is why we are really keen on building not only constituency offices for Members of Parliament but also see how we can get structures for regional offices.

"The failure as a nation to prioritise this has resulted in MPs operating without offices in their respective constituencies," he told the forum.

The Speaker said the plan to have an office for MPs in their constituencies has not seen the light of day.

MPs look for their own means of transportation and reach out to their constituents.

They organise and fund all activities but we expect them not to be corrupt, he said.

Engagement

Mr Bagbin, who touched on a number of vexed national issues, also lamented the limited engagement between MPs and the public.

That, he said, had created a disconnect between MPs and the public, making it difficult for the latter to appreciate the work of Parliament and MPs.

He revealed that as a result, while internationally the Parliament of Ghana was rated 88 per cent as being an effective instrument of keeping government in check, locally the CDD-Ghana Afro Barometer gave Parliament only eight per cent.

As a result, he said, the choice of an MP was influenced by some considerations and not competence or care for the people.

This, the Speaker said, accounted for the high attrition rate of MPs who get rejected for all the wrong reasons at the polls.

The Speaker said regular engagement with constituents was an integral part of representative democracy and must be used as an effective tool for citizens participation in decision-making.

"I believe this would foster transparency and accountable governance.

"Regular and structured engagement, including regular constituency visits by MPs with citizens, help to know how we have performed and what we can do to better our work," the Speaker said.

Reforms

In line with this, the Speaker said Parliament had undertaken a number of reforms and restructuring to make it more engaging.

They included the breakdown of its Public Affairs Department into three  media relations, public engagement and television, he explained.

Also, there was a department on Citizens Bureau to better engage the public and CSOs and think thanks, the Speaker said.

As a result, the Parliamentary Service Board has approved a new organogram which includes revised Standing Orders to take effect before the House goes on break on December 22.

Under the new Standing Orders, committee sittings will be open to the public and the media.

Also, the Citizens Bureau is facilitating the development of a manual titled: "Working with Parliament of Ghana, a guide to CSOs.

The manual, apart from serving as a reference material for CSOs working on Parliament, would be an important resource for building the capacities of CSOs better, the Speaker said.

The Bureau had also been working to complete the "Open Parliament Action Plan, he added

That, Mr Bagbin said, would be inaugurated before the end of the month to create a government partnership caucus in Parliament to ensure that the House exercised stronger oversight over the partnership.
Graphic Business/Stanbic Bank breakfast meeting puts spotlight on Budget 2024 today

Daily Graphic Nov - 21 - 2023 , 06:00

The last quarter edition of the Graphic Business/Stanbic Bank Breafast Meeting comes off today at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra.

On the theme Fiscal Discipline: Breaking the Political Business Cycle in 2024, the event, which has grown to become one of the most patronised thought-leadership meetings in the country, is expected to attract government officials, captains of industry, academia, business associations and corporate leaders, among others.

Speakers for this last edition for the year are finance and economics lecturer from the University of Ghana, Legon, Dr Patrick Asuming, and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Petrolsol, Michael Bozumbil.

As an influential platform for discussing pressing national issues, it was during the first quarter event of the year that the idea of an investor protection law was proposed, and it is currently being worked on.

Graphic Business/Stanbic Breakfast meeting was also the first platform to discuss the post-Domestic Debt Exchange Programme.

Against this background and more, todays event is in line with the post-2024 Budget Statement and Government Economic Policy discussions meant to further digest the pressing issues to shape policy going forward.

Fiscal Discipline, according to analysts, is critical as the nation heads for the 2024 election year.

Over the past three decades in the fourth republic, election-related spending has posed challenges for the economy.

It is in this vein, and also coming immediately after the 2024 Budget that the event is being organised to bring stakeholders together to deliberate on matters of national concern.

Organisers of the event, Graphic Business, are hopeful that the objectives for the programme will be achieved to set an agenda for greater discourse as far as this years budget is concerned.
Methodist Church Ghana grassroots organisation  Bishop Edusa-Eyison

Emmanuel Bonney Nov - 21 - 2023 , 02:23

The Methodist Church Ghana is a democratic, grass roots and faith-based organisation guided by the principles of inclusiveness in decision-making, the Bishop of the Northern Accra Diocese (NAD) of the Methodist Church, Rt. Rev. Prof. Joseph M.Y. Edusa-Eyison, has said.

That, he explained, underscored the bottom-up approach in all major decision-making in the church in line with it being methodical in its practices and administration over the years as its name implied.

Rt. Rev. Edusa-Eyison was responding to queries by some members of the Association of Methodist Mens Fellowships of the Northern Accra Diocese during its annual Time with the Bishop 2023 conference held at the Nii Boiman Circuit in Accra.

Hierarchy

This is as a result of what some described as decisions taken by the top hierarchy of the church and forced down the throats of congregants.

Rt. Rev. Edusa-Eyison said the impression that decisions were taken without the involvement of the members might have come about probably by the inability of Rev. Ministers, Circuits and Society Stewards to collate and or explain issues thoroughly to worshippers.

On the decision by the Methodist Church Ghana for Societies/Branches to establish new churches, Rt. Rev. Edusa-Eyison said the issue of boundaries must not be allowed to prevent a Society to plant a new church which was a bit of a distance to that particular Society and or nearer to a sister church and that territorialism should not be a barrier or problem at all.

Lifestyle

In his sermon, the Superintendent Minister of the Nii Boiman Circuit, Very Rev. Dominic Ansah, observed that the lifestyle, sense of judgement, approach to handling issues and the ability to distinguish good from bad, as well as the sense of self control determined who was a mature Christian.

The Diocesan Chaplain of the Mens Fellowship, Very Rev. Ebenezer Grant, commended the fellowship for the institution of the annual Time with the Bishop programme which, he said, provided a platform for the Bishop to share his plans and activities for the preceding year and solicit views from members of the fellowship.

The special guest Nii Yarboi I, Nii Boiman Mantse, said chiefs and traditional authorities were partners and agents of development with the church and that the presence of the Methodist Church in the area had brought some form of development to Nii Boiman.

The Diocesan Chairman of the Mens Fellowship, Kwamina Amoasi-Andoh, expressed his appreciation to members of the Mens Fellowship in particular and the Nii Boiman Circuit of the Methodist Church for hosting this years event which was on the theme, Discipleship; Growing into Christian maturity.
NICU Soldiers, Ghandour Cosmetics celebrate World Prematurity Day at Korle Bu

Gloria Apprey Nov - 21 - 2023 , 06:27

NICU Soldiers, an advocacy blog committed to addressing issues in neonatal intensive care units (NICU), has collaborated with Ghandour Cosmetics Limited, a leading brand of personal care products in Ghana to celebrate this years World Prematurity Day at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra.

The event, held last Friday, under the theme "Small actions, BIG IMPACT: Immediate skin-to-skin care for every baby everywhere", aimed to raise awareness on the challenges faced by preterm (born before 37 weeks) babies and their families.

Kangaroo care

This years theme emphasised the importance of skin-to-skin contact (Kangaroo care) to all infants, especially premature babies.

Speaking at the event, Senior Specialist Paediatrician at the NICU of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr Kojo Ahor-Essel, highlighted the various challenges faced by preterm babies, such as difficulties in maintaining warmth, feeding, and fighting infections.

He said the small actions taken by the health workers and the mothers, such as providing adequate nutrition, warmth, and care, can have a huge impact on the survival and development of the babies.

Dr Kojo Ahor-Essel, Senior Specialist Paediatrician, speaking at the event

Commending NICU Soldiers and Ghandour Cosmetics for their thoughtful gesture, Dr Ahor-Essel spoke out against the stigma and discrimination attached to preterm babies.

compassion

He said most causes of prematurity are unknown or beyond the control of mothers, urging the public to show compassion and support for families of preterm babies and celebrate their achievements.

The Brand Manager at Ghandour Cosmetics, Victoria Abaka, expressed the company's decision to participate in the event as part of its corporate social responsibility and commitment to customer satisfaction and safety.

She therefore, expressed the hope that the gifts given to the mothers would encourage them and help them in taking care of their babies.

A Clinical Psychologist Yasmin Mohammed, reiterated the importance of support for parents whose babies were on admission at the unit.

She said peer support had been shown to reduce parental stress, anxiety and depression for parents with babies at the NICU.

As part of the event, Ghandour Cosmetics distributed packs of body care, hygiene, baby care products to parents with babies in the NICU at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

The celebration was aslo marked by music, dance, a skit on caring for preterm babies and testimonials from parents sharing their experiences and challenges of having preterm babies.
Provide women quality, affordable health care  E/R Population Officer

Haruna Yussif Wunpini Nov - 21 - 2023 , 19:07

The Eastern Regional Officer of the National Population Council (NPC), Isaac Ter-Ibinibe Sopelle, has said unless women and girls have equal access to quality and affordable health care, Ghana's attainment of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) would be an illusion.

He also mentioned other factors that would hinder the countrys attainment of the SDG, to include free exercise of sexual and reproductive health rights and treatment, as well as women being respected as equals.

Mr Sopelle made the statement when he addressed women and men groups made up of traders, seamstresses and religious organisations to observe this year's World Population Day at Koforidua, in the Eastern Region last Monday.

The event was on the theme: "Unleashing the power of gender equality to spur national development".

According to the Regional Population Officer, in the 2021 Population and Housing Census, women and girls constituted 50.9 per cent of the population.

More women

That, Mr Sopelle indicated, meant there were more women than men in the country.

He explained that the high proportions in the number of women and girls had implications for the countrys socio-economic development, especially in terms of women's empowerment, rights and choices, as well as infinite opportunities.

He also stated that the World Health Organisation (WHO) had noted that unless women and girls had access to quality and affordable health care and the aforementioned factors, Ghana's Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2030 agenda achievement would be in limbo.

He, therefore, called for a concerted effort to accord Ghanaian women and girls such recognition.

He said there was, the need to achieve gender equality and realise human rights as a key requirement of a just and sustainable country.

Challenges

The Eastern Regional Director of the Department of Gender, Juliana Abbeyquaye, for her part, said her outfit was tackling the challenges facing women and girls and had managed to make it possible for pregnant schoolgirls to continue their education after delivery.

That achievement, she indicated, was in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service (GES).

Ms Abbeyquaye called for the inculcation of gender issues rights from the home, community and decision-making levels.

She advocated equal opportunities for both females and males to make decisions, especially in marriages, since that was the best practice to ensure peaceful co-existence among them.

The Eastern Regional President of the Federation of Muslim Women Association, Hajia Ruckaiyah Issah, in an interview with the Daily Graphic called on all and sundry to stop all forms of discrimination against women.

Writer's email:haruna.wunpini@graphic.

com.gh
Prudential Bank supports Daughters of the Most Blessed Trinity

Daily Graphic Nov - 21 - 2023 , 07:14

Prudential Bank Limited has donated GH20,000.00 to the Daughters of the Most Blessed Trinity, a faith-based charity organisation as part of its corporate social investment.

The organisation manages the Blessed Trinity Leadership Academy at Akokoamong and Holy Name of Jesus School, also at Abakomadi, a very deprived community near Abuakwa.

The Managing Director of PBL, Bernard A. Gyebi, who presented the cheque to the organisation, said the donation reaffirmed the banks commitment to support the school and social causes.

Request

He said last year, the bank donated GH50,000.00 to the organisation in response to a request made by the management of the school seeking assistance to renovate parts of the school premises .

Mr Gyebi said the bank also donated 30 computers to the school last year to support the refurbishment of its information communication and technology laboratory.

He commended the Catholic Sisters for bringing quality education to the inhabitants of the area and promised them that the bank would continue to support charity works to help the poor and needy in society.

Receiving the cheque, the Superior General of the organisation, Sis Eugenia Ampofu, said through the school, poor children who had no hope of completing primary school were now in the university studying various courses in Science and Engineering.

She thanked the bank for the gesture.

Sis Eugenia gave an assurance that the money would be put to good use for the benefit of the children and called on corporate Ghana to also lend a hand.

Sis Eugenia said the existing bond between the bank and the NGO would be strengthened for the mutual benefit of the two organisations.

Members of staff present to support the managing director during the presentation included Thomas Broni, Executive Head Operations, Akosua Boahen, Mr Thomas Dwomoh-Ameyaw and Naomi Adjei-Twum.
STEM education necessary for technological advancement  Dr Bawumia

Emmanuel Bonney Nov - 21 - 2023 , 05:00

The Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has said Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education was necessary for technological advancement and economic growth.

He, therefore, said the governments commitment to foster STEM skills among the youth was not a choice, but a necessity.

Dr Bawumia also said that technical, vocational education and training (TVET) was a catalyst for change, adding that it provided people with practical skills fundamental to industrial growth.

He said it was through TVET that we cultivate a skilled and adaptable workforce capable of meeting the demands of a dynamic and evolving job market.

"By investing in STEM and TVET education, we equip our students with the tools to understand, adapt to, and drive these changes to position the nation at the forefront of global innovation and digitalisation which will be the backbone of our nation's prosperity," the Vice-President added.

This was contained in an address read on his behalf by the Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, at the opening of this years Education Week in Accra yesterday.

The five-day programme is on the theme: "Education delivery for national transformation: The case for STEM and TVET".

The event is the sixth in a series and is held annually to assess the performance of government policies, programmes and projects in the education sector.

Self-retrospection

Dr Bawumia said to improve on the effectiveness and efficiency of the governments development interventions, it was important to periodically embark on an impartial self-retrospection on policies, programmes and projects being implemented and make good use of the feedback for the achievement of institutional goals.

Education, he said, was the best investment, for which reason the government had since January 2017, initiated and implemented innovative and transformative programmes in the sector.

The Vice-President mentioned free SHS, provision of infrastructure at all levels, restoration of teacher trainee allowances, harmonisation and prioritisation of TVET education with the passage of the Pre-Tertiary Act, 2020 (Act 1049); review of previous curriculum to focus on 21st Century skills and the deepening of inclusive, special and complementary education.

It is both an honour and a responsibility to advocate the development of a robust STEM and TVET ecosystem that empowers our youth and drives the nation into a new era of innovation and progress.

He commended the Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, for his commitment to enhancing STEM and TVET education.

For his part, Dr Adutwum said the countrys educational system was going through a major transformation, adding that we have received support to build a number of schools.

He mentioned the Arab Development Bank as one of the establishments that was supporting the government to construct more basic and junior high schools in the country.

A Deputy Minister of Education, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, said assessing the progress of policies, programmes and interventions was pivotal to the delivery of effective public policy.

Significance

The UNESCO Country Director, Edmond Moukala, said the week-long event provided the government and other stakeholders the opportunity to jointly reflect on the successes and the challenges that had been militating against access to quality and inclusive education.

For her part, the Vice-Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Prof. Rita Akosua Dickson, said it was important to take stock of how far the country had come in education delivery.
Strengthening institutions crucial for democracy in Africa  Media Foundation for West Africa

Elizabeth Nyaadu Adu Nov - 21 - 2023 , 07:00

The Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MfWA), Sulemana Braimah, has said that strengthening institutions, promoting transparency and fostering civic engagement are crucial to safeguard democracy across Africa.

He explained that the threats to democracy in West Africa were multifaceted, surrounding issues such as political instability, electoral malpractices and diminishing civic participation.

At the opening of a two-day regional democracy strategy dialogue, dubbed West Africa Regional Democracy Strategy Dialogue, Mr Braimah said these had been worsened by external pressures, economic challenges and security concerns across the continent.

When democracy is decaying, it is not just about the Executive, it is about all the institutions of democracy; it is about the police, military, media and the Judiciary, among others.

When democracy is deteriorating, you will see the effects manifesting around all these institutions, he said.

He, therefore, called for concerted efforts to strengthen democratic institutions and ensure transparent electoral processes.

Strategy dialogue

The event was organised by the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI), in collaboration with the MfWA, the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) and the West Africa Democracy Solidarity Network (WADEMOS) on the theme: Strengthening Democracy and State-Citizens Relations in West Africa.

It brought together 10 leading and influential regional civil society organisations (CSOs) which have strong relationships with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS); 10 leading activists and CSO leaders from Niger and the transitional countries, including Burkina Faso, Guinea and Mali, to foster a renewed commitment to democratic values and principles, and to create a stronger and more resilient democratic future for West Africa.

State of democracy

The Director-General of WACSI, Nana Asantewa Afadzinu, said the dialogue would build a collective movement that transcended existing divisions, and addressed the inherent vulnerabilities in the democratic systems of the region.

She noted that it would rigorously examine the pivotal role of civil society in upholding democratic values, consolidating regional development and navigating the multifaceted contemporary landscape.

She expressed concern about the regions democratic backsliding.

Highlighting the decline in the regions democratic progress, Nana Afadzinu said there was a time when West Africa was making progress towards constitutionalism, constitutionally elected governments, and the strengthening of institutions, encompassing the Executive, Legislature, Judiciary and Electoral systems.

Poor leadership

However, Nana Afadzinu said the present situation was retrogressing due to the actions of certain leaders who prolonged their stay in power and manipulated the political landscape, often leading to citizen protests and infringements on their rights.

Thats why this crucial convening has brought together 10 prominent regional civil society organisations with strong ties to ECOWAS.

It also involves 10 leading activists and CSO leaders from countries in transition, such as Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, and Niger.

The discussions during this gathering will help develop a robust communication strategy that amplifies civil society voices and fosters collaboration with regional bodies such as ECOWAS and state governments, she said.

The acting Project Director of the WADEMOS, Paul Osei Kufuor, said there was a need for good governance in West Africa, adding that the CSOs' engagement would go a long way to restore constitutional order in Niger.
Well not shield wayward journalists  GJA

Alberto Mario Noretti Nov - 21 - 2023 , 06:34

The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has made it clear that it will not shield any deviant journalist whose unruly conduct disrupts the peace during the 2024 general election.

If you choose to go wayward, you do so at your own peril, without any protection from the GJA, the General Secretary of the association, Kofi Yeboah, said.

He was speaking at the opening of a days seminar in Ho on Promoting Peaceful Journalistic Media Platforms Ahead of Elections 2024, for 15 journalists selected from various media houses in the Volta Region.

The programme which took place last Thursday was part of the GJA/US Embassy Ghana Elections 2024 Project: Journalists for Peaceful Discourse.

Mr Yeboah said the 2024 election was critical in Ghanas political history and the media had an important role to play in contributing to its smooth and peaceful course.

Ethics

For that reason, he pointed out that journalists must always uphold the ethics of their profession, abide by the truth and cross-check their facts in the discharge of their duties, without compromise.

Our profession thrives on credibility and speed must not override accuracy, Mr Yeboah added.

Further, he said, journalism was not about insults but rather about engaging ideas.

Mr Yeboah maintained that what Ghana needed now was peace journalism and not war journalism.

The Public Affairs Officer of the GJA, Rebecca Ekpe, said the medias role in preserving Ghanas democracy before, during and after the 2024 elections was crucial.

It is our duty to provide the right and equal platforms for all Ghanaians to express their views, without taking sides, she said.

Misguided commentary

The GJA Public Affairs Officer said misguided political commentary could trigger violence in a volatile political atmosphere.

Hence, she maintained the GJA would always stand for professional journalism and peaceful solutions to all political disputes.

Ms Ekpe reminded the participants that credibility and trust in media reportage were key in engaging the people and ensuring stability in the country.

The Volta Regional Secretary of the GJA, Fred Duodu said fact-checking, objective evidence and value judgement must be supreme in media coverage to ensure harmony in the country.

The training topics included Facts-checking for Peace Sensitive Reportage in Elections Coverage, and Integrity of Elections? Medias Role.

Present was the Oti Regional Director of the Electoral Commission, Nuhu Mahama, and representatives of the New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress.
World Toilet Day commemorated in Accra

Joshua Bediako Koomson Nov - 21 - 2023 , 05:00

Access to improved toilet facilities in the country, including shared toilets, has increased from 66 per cent in 2018 to 80.8 per cent this year.

This is as a result of comprehensive policies and initiatives the government has initiated over the past six years to ensure greater access to safe drinking water and toilet facilities.

Under the Greater Accra Sustainable Sanitation and Livelihoods Improvement Project (GASSLIP), 5,000 household toilets have been provided in the region, as well as 60 institutional toilet facilities.

In addition, about 300,000 toilets have been constructed under programmes supported by development partners such as the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Bank, Global Communities, the World Vision and the African Development Bank.

This was disclosed by the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Dr Freda Akosua Prempeh, at an event to commemorate the World Toilet Day at Mpoase Community Park in the Ablekumah West District in Accra yesterday.

The day is marked on November 19 every year to shed light on the importance of toilets and the challenges faced by people worldwide in accessing such critical service.

It was on the theme: Accelerating change through strategic partnership: Every contribution counts.

Challenges

In spite of the strides the nation has made, the minister said many citizens were still grappling with limited access to toilets.

She said the situation was affecting communities, impacting on public health, straining the environment and also posing obstacles to economic development.

As at the 2021, according to the 2021 Population and Housing Census, open defecation in urban areas stood at nine per cent, while nationwide it was almost 17.7 per cent.

This means that nearly one out of every 10 residents in urban areas practise open defecation, while 25 per cent of urban population depend on public toilets.

Let us reflect on the power of collaboration since the government and other stakeholders have unique roles to play in leveraging our strengths and shared resources to create sustainable solutions, Dr Prempeh said.

Strategy

The Municipal Chief Executive for Ablekuma West Municipal Assembly, George Cyril Bray, said there was the need to address the situation by identifying strategic ways to promote ownership of household toilets.

He gave an assurance that the assembly would continue to sensitise people and promote the construction of household toilets.
US Embassy issues alert regarding threats against LGBTQI+ travellers in Ghana

Kweku Zurek Nov - 21 - 2023 , 11:57

The United States Embassy has updated its travel advisory to Level 2, advising travellers to "Exercise Increased Caution" due to emerging threats against LGBTQI+ individuals in Ghana.

The alert issued on November 20, 2023, highlights concerns about crime and violence directed at members of the LGBTQI+ community in Ghana.

The advisory specifically outlines areas with increased risks, including parts of the Bono East, Bono, Savannah, Northern, North East, and Upper East regions, citing civil unrest.

The embassy warns of violent crimes such as carjacking and street mugging, emphasizing that these incidents often occur at night and in isolated locations.

Country summary

The alert said violent crimes are a concern, and travellers should exercise increased caution, especially in urban areas, crowded markets, and when travelling after dark, where criminal elements may use blockades to restrict movement. Areas near the northern border in the Upper East and Upper West regions are highlighted for heightened caution due to security issues.

The advisory also noted that the U.S. government may have limited ability to provide emergency services to US citizens in Ghana, as local police may lack the resources to respond effectively to serious crimes.

LGBTQI+ travellers

The alert addressed the challenges faced by LGBTQI+ travellers in Ghana, citing prohibitions in Ghanaian law on "unlawful carnal knowledge" between persons of the same sex. Punishments for such activities can include fines and incarceration.

The advisory highlights the increase in anti-LGBTQI+ rhetoric and violence in recent years, with reported incidents of targeted assaults, rape, mob attacks, and harassment.

The embassy encourages travellers to visit their LGBTQI+ Travel Information page and review the Human Rights Report for additional details. It also urges enrollment in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) for emergency alerts and advises a review of the Country Security Report for Ghana. Travellers are recommended to prepare a contingency plan for emergency situations and follow the Department of State on social media for updates.

Northern border in Upper East and Upper West Regions

In a separate section, the advisory highlights the need for increased caution in border areas, particularly the northern border. Due to security concerns over criminal activity in remote areas, travel of U.S. government personnel to the northern and northwestern border is currently limited.
'Bawumia's only message is John Mahama' - Sam George

GraphicOnline Politics Nov - 21 - 2023 , 15:05

Ningo Prampram Member of Parliament Samuel Nartey George has criticized Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia's economic management skills.

Mr. Nartey George claims that the New Patriotic Party flagbearer Dr. Bawumia is solely focused on attacking former President John Dramani Mahama, rather than outlining his own plans for the economy.

"John Dramani Mahama has been outlining flagship policy initiatives over the past weeks in public engagements," Mr. Nartey George wrote on X.

"The other one, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has only one message - John Mahama! He is so pathetic and clueless in his engagements so far it explains to us all the reasons our economy under his leadership is in shambles. Bawumia is empty and spent."

Mr. Nartey George went on to say that Mahama has a clear vision for the country's future, while Bawumia is stuck in the past.

"John Mahama has a clear vision and plan to #BuildTheGhanaWeWant," George said. "PS: I am open to a factual debate on the policies outlined so far. I'm uninterested in party bots seeking to earn their daily stipend."

Dr. Bawumia has previously criticized Mahama's proposed 24-hour economy, claiming that it does not make sense.

"John Mahama says he has a new idea. What is the idea? He says he wants a 24-hour economy. He doesn't even understand that policy," Bawumia said.

Dr. Bawumia went on to list several examples of businesses that operate 24 hours a day in Ghana, arguing that Mahama's proposal is unnecessary.

However, Mahama has insisted that the 24-hour economy is essential for creating jobs.

"The 24-hour economy I proposed is for jobs and more jobs," Mahama said.

The debate over the 24-hour economy is likely to continue in the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election where Mr. Mahama and Dr. Bawumia are frontrunners.
Economic issues will dominate 2024 electioneering  Dr Osae-Kwapong

Albert K. Salia Politics Nov - 21 - 2023 , 09:18

A fellow the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Dr John Osae-Kwapong, has stated that the debate on the economy must dominate the 2024 general election.

There is no doubt that the country has faced some major economic challenges, and Ghanaians have borne the brunt of those challenges.

The major economic indicators are not at the level where any incumbent government can confidently say that all is well, even as it works to address them, he stressed.

As former President Kufuor said during the 2000 election campaign, voters must examine their economic situation and vote accordingly.

I believe that the same will be true of the 2024 election.

The state of the economy, who is to blame for it, and who has real practical solutions to bring the economy back to full recovery and onto a path of sustained growth and prosperity will be the number one issue, I believe, he said in an interview with the Daily Graphic.

Dr Osae-Kwapong, who is a renowned researcher and political scientist, said there would also be other issues dealing with good governance such as corruption, which regularly featured during elections.

Independent candidates

As to the chances of an independent presidential aspirant in the 2024 presidential election, he said data from the Afrobarometer Survey showed that very few Ghanaians (not more than five per cent) regularly said they intended to vote for a presidential candidate who was not running on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) or the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

And that intention is seen clearly when you examine our election results.

The best showing of third parties, including independents, was the 2000 election, where their total combined share of votes was seven per cent, he pointed out.

Dr Osae-Kwapong said that given that history, he believes the independent presidential aspirant (reference Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen) would have a spoiler effect by chipping away some votes from the incumbent party since he was a well-established figure of the party who broke away.

With time, and the various pre-election surveys and polls that will be conducted in 2024, we will get a better sense of what his prospects are.

If I were to hedge my bets, I would say he may be a king-maker by pushing the election into a second round but not the king himself.

I could be wrong, he said.

North debate

Dr Osae-Kwapong said if Ghanaians accept the argument that the countrys elections were also driven by ethnic identities, then we can expect the north to be a battleground in 2024, given that the presidential candidates of our two major political parties are from the North.

He, however, said in Afrobarometer Round 7 (2017), when Ghanaians were asked the main reason for their choice of president in the 2016 election, only two per cent said it was because of a shared ethnic identity with the candidate.

So, maybe ethnicity does not drive us that much to the polls, he stressed.

Dr Osae-Kwapong pointed out that there was a change in the political landscape of the northern regions that he felt had not yet been noticed or at least not to the extent that one would expect.

That change is the performance of the NPP in the northern regions since the 1996 elections.

In the Northern Region, where the (NPP) has traditionally performed well, the party has increased its share of the vote from 39 per cent in 1996 to 46 per cent in 2020.
Dont politicise debates on 2024 Budget - Dormaa East MP to colleagues

Daily Graphic Politics Nov - 21 - 2023 , 05:09

The Member of Parliament for Dormaa East, Paul Apraku Twum Barimah, has called on the Majority and the Minority groups in Parliament to avoid politicising debates on the 2024 budget and financial statement.

Rather, he said they should focus on the programmes and projects that would help to improve the livelihood of the people of Ghana.

In an interview with the media at the Parliament House, Mr Twum Barimah described the budget as one that would promote economic stability and growth.

Growth

The New Patriotic Party MP for Dormaa East in the Bono Region said the budget has been developed to bring relief to the people of Ghana and would propel economic growth and infrastructural development.

When you look at the budget carefully, you realise that the government did not introduce new taxes.

Besides, some old taxes were removed, as captured in the budget, some contracts have also been flagged and being reviewed to help the country save resources, he said.

In the budget, government has secured funds to construct the La General Hospital.

Let me emphasise that this budget will not bring major challenges in its implementation which is good.

This clearly shows that the country is moving forward and I want the Minority and the Majority Members of Parliament to discuss this budget dispassionately devoid of politics, he added.

Parliament is scheduled to commence debate on the 2024 Budget statement and economic policy of the government today.

The Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who presented the Business Statement for the week on the floor of Parliament last Friday said the Business Committee looked forward to a lively, well researched and informed debate.

He said in order to afford as many Members of Parliament (MPs) as possible the opportunity to participate in the debate, the committee has proposed the following time allotments: Seconder and Ranking Members of the Finance Committee would have 20 minutes to speak, other committee members, 15 minutes and all other MPs, 10 minutes.

The debate is expected to be concluded by leadership of both the Majority and Minority on Tuesday, November 28, 2023.
NDC raises doubts over commitment to flood relief

Daily Graphic Politics Nov - 21 - 2023 , 05:05

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Volta Region has expressed scepticism regarding Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta's recent promise to allocate some GH220 million outlined in the 2024 budget, for the first phase of the government's relief package for victims of the recent flood disaster triggered by the spilling of excess water from the Akosombo and Kpong Dams.

The party said it acknowledged the urgency and necessity of aiding those affected by that human-induced calamity.

However, they remained highly apprehensive and uncertain about the government's ability to fulfil yet another promise.

Hon. Ken Ofori Atta, the Finance Minister's, track record in meeting financial commitments has always raised questions among the discerning public, and this new pledge only adds to the growing list of such unfulfilled assurances, a statement issued and signed by the NDC Volta Regional Communications Officer, Sorkpa Kafui Agbleze, said.

The failed promise, captured in the 2022 Budget, to make available some GH10 million to ameliorate the plight of residents of Anlo, Keta and Ketu South Municipalities which have and are still reeling under the havoc of the perennial tidal waves, is still fresh on the minds of the people, it added.

2024 Budget

The party said the 2024 annual budget had woefully failed to inspire confidence since no clear commitments had been made towards their welfare while they wait for the actual release of the funds pledged in the next year's financial statement.

The recent flood disaster has left many communities along the Lower Volta in distress, requiring swift and effective action.

The Volta NDC, therefore, urges the government to go beyond mere promises and empty rhetoric, and ensure that deliberate immediate disbursements of relief funds are made to drastically alleviate the hardships and suffering of these unfortunate citizens, it said.

We believe that the affected people deserve concrete and immediate response.

We will closely monitor the government's actions to ensure accountability and fulfilment of promises made in the 2024 budget, it stated.

Commendation

The group, however, commended the government for the submission of a document to the International Development Association (IDA) to enable it to access some funds from the Crisis Response Window from the World Bank but condemned the Finance Minister's failure to inform Ghanaians about the actual amount government intended to access and the timeline to expect such funding.

We are equally worried about the government's inability to spell out the additional resource allocation by the Ministry of Agriculture for the restoration of livelihood to the victims of the VRA induced flooding so we can properly hold them accountable.

We will accept nothing short of full restoration of livelihood and properties of the affected victims of the flood disaster, it said
Mahama is speaking as if he has never been President before - Bawumia

GraphicOnline Politics Nov - 21 - 2023 , 08:15

The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, says former President John Mahama has been addressing Ghanaians in a manner that suggests he has never been President of Ghana before.

In an address at Nalerigu in the North East Region on Monday [Nov 20, 2023], after he called on the Overlord of Mamprugu, following his election as flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Bawumia said between himself and Mahama, one has been President before, and one has not, but the one who has been President before is speaking as though he has never been President before.

"Between the two of us, only one of us has been President before. That is John Mahama. He was President before. I have only been Vice President. I have not been President before but by the grace of God, you'll make me President in 2025, in shaa Allah," Dr. Bawumia said.

"Today, John Mahama is going around the country and he is speaking to people as if he has never been President before. When we were suffering under his Presidency, he told us he was a dead goat. A dead goat who had no feelings. Today he wants to resurrect and become a live goat."

Dr. Bawumia added that after Mahama failed to provide solutions to many societal problems as President, he has resurfaced and is pretending to have a magic wand.

"Suddenly he has all the solutions to our problems. But when he was President, what solutions did he bring to Ghana? Did he solve the unemployment program? Did he create jobs? Did he tackle corruption? Did he issue Ghana cards? Did he build astro turfs? Did he abolish the three months pay policy for teachers? Did he establish Free SHS? He had no solutions to our problems."

Dr. Bawumia added that even though he is yet to become President, he has proposed and spearheaded programs that have positively impacted the country.

"I have not yet become President but I, as a Vice President, have brought solutions to many of our problems," he said.

"We did not have a unique identity, so I championed the government's policy for the Ghana card. Today we have 17 million people issued with the Ghana card. Today, because of my proposal, we have no guarantor for student loans if you have a Ghana card. Today Ghana has a digital property address system because we had a problem of no functional address."

He continued: "Before you could not transfer money between one teleco to another. But today, because of mobile money interoperability, you can transfer money Vodafone to MTN, to Airtel Tigo. Before, you could not transfer money between a bank account and a mobile account. Today you can do that. Today, you can renew the National Health Insurance on your mobile phone."

"Today, you can sit at home and buy electricity credit on your mobile phone. Today we have brought Zipline drones and they are delivering medicines to 2700 hospitals and clinics across the country."

"Today, we have one constituency, one ambulance. And another idea I brought is Agenda 111. We are building hospitals in districts without hospitals. Other ideas I brought are Zongo Development Fund and Gold for Oil policy. Today you can acquire a driver's license and passport online. Today you can file your taxes online."

Dr. Bawumia called for a comparison between himself and Mahama for a determination of who has the best ideas to transform the country.

"We have brought ideas to the table. Ideas are what transform a nation. And you can see as Vice President, what ideas I have brought to the table."

"What ideas did John Mahama bring? Can you remember one idea John Mahama brought? Just one! Can you remember?
NDC will reverse law banning importation of vehicles older than 10 years into Ghana  Mahama

Getrude Ankah Nyavi Politics Nov - 21 - 2023 , 11:51

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) flag bearer, John Dramani Mahama says the next NDC administration will reverse the plan to ban the importation of vehicles older than 10 years into Ghana.

This decision, according to Mr Mahama is targeted at generating employment opportunities for the youth within the automobile industry.

Per the new law, the importation of vehicles older than 10 years into Ghana is banned.

The move is to encourage vehicle manufacturing companies to set up local plants in Ghana and be able to have a ready market in Ghana.

The new law also provides for import-duty rebates for companies that manufacture or assemble vehicles in Ghana.

The ban on the importation of vehicles older than 10 years is to help create a market for vehicles to be produced or assembled in Ghana.

Mahama's proposal to reverse the law

Addressing some artisans and traders at the Techiman magazine in the Bono East Region, former President Mahama said the law will be reversed.

He, however called on the government to consider procuring a significant portion of the newly assembled vehicles from automobile assembly companies in Ghana.

There are vehicle assembly plants owned by foreigners with the goal of assembling vehicle parts and selling brand-new cars to Ghanaians. The affordability of these new cars is a challenge for many Ghanaians; the government should play a role in addressing this issue by purchasing a significant portion of these locally assembled cars.

He added that given the substantial demand for vehicles in the government sector, such a move could contribute to the profitability of these companies. Recognizing the financial constraints faced by ordinary Ghanaians in affording new cars, the NDC plans to eliminate the proposed ban on the importation of used vehicles.
PNC's Janet Nabla commends NPP for enforcing party's constitution on Alan's butterfly allies

Dickson Worlanyo Dotse Politics Nov - 21 - 2023 , 19:55

The General Secretary of the Peoples National Convention (PNC), Janet Nabla, has commended the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) for taking the bold decision to enforce the constitution of the party by ensuring that some members of the party who have publicly endorsed an independent presidential aspirant have automatically forfeited their membership.

Her commendation is on the back of the formal announcement by the NPP on Monday, November 20, 2023, that Yaw Buaben Asamoa, Nana Ohene Ntow, Boniface Abubakar Saddique and Hopeson Adorye are no longer members of the NPP for declaring their support for Alan Kyerematen, who resigned from the party to contest for President as an independent candidate.

I've heard some Ghanaians discussing the NPP expelling members, and I believe these individuals may not understand the principles of good governance. How can one advocate for a political party to embrace disobedience merely for electoral victory? she queried.

Ms Nabla said any political party that condoned disobedience solely to attain political power is a 419 political party and is unfit to govern Ghana.

Only a political party employing Machiavellian politics or the 48 Laws of Power would endorse disobedience to secure power, she stated.

She said when politicians are advised not to hold offenders accountable for violating their constitution, those same politicians may come to power one day and fail to act responsibly.

Therefore, she said referring to a disciplinary action as a hindrance to winning elections contradicted the expectation that political parties should do the right thing when in power.

A disciplined political party fosters effective leadership. Hypocrisy poses a threat to this generation, she stated.
With todays digitalisation our economy is already running 24hrs- Bawumia to Mahama

Graphic.com.gh Politics Nov - 21 - 2023 , 06:20

With todays digitalisation, Ghanas economy is already running 24hrs, the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has said.

He was reacting to a proposal by former President John Dramani Mahama that when he is elected as President in 2024, he will run a 24-hour economy.

To Dr Bawumia, the former presidents proposal was already working with the help of digitalisation where the utility companies are already running a 24-hour service in addition to having access to online and ATM services by the banks.

Mahama doesnt understand 24hr economy; dont vote for him  Bawumia

Dr Bawumia said former President John Dramani Mahama does not understand the 24-hour economy policy he was proposing.

The Vice President explained that the policy was already being implemented in Ghana as hospitals, fuel companies, among others, operate a 24-hour system.

Dr. Bawumia, therefore, urged Ghanaians to ignore Mr Mahama during the 2024 polls since he has nothing new to offer.

John Mahama says he has a new idea. What is the idea? He says he wants a 24-hour economy. He doesnt even understand that policy. Today in Ghana, our hospitals work 24 hours, our electricity company works 24 hours, our water company works 24 hours, our fuel stations work 24 hours, and many chop bars work 24 hours. Today because of digitalisation, you can transfer money 24 hours, you can receive money 24 hours So he doesnt understand his own policy. It doesnt make sense, Dr Bawumia said.

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  The websites of two government ministries in Bahrain briefly became inaccessible Tuesday night after a cyberattack took them down, purportedly over the island kingdom's stance on the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

A statement posted online by a self-described group calling itself Al-Toufan, or The Flood in Arabic, claimed hacking the Foreign Ministry and the Information Affairs Ministry's websites. Both later became accessible.

Another statement included scans of passports for American citizens and a top Russian diplomat in Bahrain that allegedly came from the hack.

The statement said the hacks came in retaliation for the abnormal statements issued by the island's Al Khalifa ruling family, without elaborating. Bahrains Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa opened a summit last week in the kingdom with a call for a swap between Hamas and Israel for the hostages and a halt in the bloodshed.

A Bahrain government statement sent later Tuesday night to The Associated Press acknowledged that a number of government agency websites have today been the target of malicious cyberattacks.

The government of Bahrain has implemented a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy and framework to address such threats, the statement said. "Government operations were unaffected by the attacks, and work is ongoing to restore access to the targeted websites.

In February, the self-described group issued a claim that it had taken down the websites of Bahrains international airport, state news agency and chamber of commerce to mark the 12-year anniversary of an Arab Spring uprising in the small Gulf country. The same shadowy self-described group targeted government websites during elections held last year that were boycotted by a banned Shiite opposition group and others.

Bahrain reached a diplomatic recognition deal with Israel in 2020 alongside the United Arab Emirates. The island kingdom, home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, has drawn repeated criticism from Iran, its regional arch rival, over that.

___

Follow AP's coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
Rolling power outages have prompted not only a call from Attorney General Douglas Moylan and Sen. William Parkinson for residents to start filing claims with the Guam Power Authority for their damaged electrical appliances, but also a push to abolish the commission that governs GPA.

GPA says they set aside $11 million to pay these claims. Well, lets see, Parkinson said on Tuesday.

From broken air-conditioners to refrigerators and computers, the untold damage caused by GPAs load shedding has become a source of frustration among residents, who have been enduring rolling power outages for several months now.

On Friday, residents experienced power outages up to three times.

GPA earlier said the extended load shedding was a result of cooling water leak, boiler tube leak, and a combustion turbine that needed to be taken offline for preventive maintenance.

Fiasco

Parkinson, chairman of the legislative committee with oversight of public utilities, said the $11 million should be used to pay out GPA customers who have had air-conditioners and other electrical appliances break because of load shedding or power surges.

GPA shouldnt be holding on to that money. This fiasco is their liability under the law, Parkinson said.

He asked for GPA records showing payouts it has made in the last five years, under the law that his father, the late former Speaker Don Parkinson, introduced several years back.

That law makes GPA liable for damage caused to electrical appliances and devices when such damage is proximately caused by power surges, among other things.

The senator noted that its increasingly clear GPA must be held accountable for the repercussions of inconsistent electricity supply.

Its only fair and just that GPA takes responsibility for these damages, he said, after also introducing a bill that would scrap the Consolidated Commission on Utilities.

CCU is the board governing GPA and the Guam Waterworks Authority.

Recently, CCU approved pay raises for members of the GPA and GWA management team based on performance evaluation, and is set to do more job reviews that could be tied to more pay raises.

AG: CCU is unconstitutional

The attorney general in October issued a legal opinion saying CCU has not only failed to adequately improve local utilities over the past two decades, but its very existence is contrary to the Organic Act of Guam and unconstitutional.

In line with the opinion, Parkinson this week introduced Bill 203-37, seeking to abolish CCU.

The bill, if enacted, would also restore the boards of GPA and GWA to boards appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Legislature.

Moreover, this is a vote of no confidence in the ability of the CCU to effectively maintain adequate power generation as plainly evidenced by load shedding, Parkinson said.

He echoed the AGs earlier opinion that the governor of Guam has had no authority over GPA since CCU was created in 2002.

The decisions that have led to the lack of power generation and load shedding we face today have been made by the CCU since 2002, he added.

AG: File claims within 90 days of damage

Moylan, in a separate statement on Tuesday, said CCUs failure to provide reliable electrical power triggered Guams consumer protection rights laws, and raises health, safety and welfare concerns, among other problems.

The attorney general said Guam law requires GPA to pay when power surges, voltage fluctuations or frequency fluctuations damage consumers property.

Claims must be filed within 90 days of the damage, he said.

With the constant re-energizing of Guams power grid (or load shedding), unstable power surges and fluctuations can damage electrical and electronic equipment, Moylan said.

In filing claims with GPA, the AGs office suggests that the consumer get a stamp-received copy from GPA, or acknowledged reply if emailed.

GPA is not liable in the event that your equipment is defective or your home or business has electrical problems that were the cause of the damage. Your obtaining a writing from a qualified service tech is important in order to support your claim, showing GPA was the proximate cause for the damage, Moylan said in a statement.

Food going to waste

The normal inside temperature of a refrigerator is 40F, the AG said.

But load shedding, he said, interrupts the safe temperature, causing spoilage, especially for this holiday seasons food preparations and leftovers.

Perishable foods, such as meat, poultry, mayonnaise, fish, milk and soft cheeses are the most susceptible to spoilage and food safety concerns. Spoiled foods can lead to food poisoning, Moylan said.

He also called on consumers to refrain from opening refrigerators in the event of continuous load shedding since the cooling cycles will take longer to reach the safe 40F temperature.

At least 2 more years

The attorney general said with CCU estimating that the load shedding problem will continue for at least two more years, this endangers public health, safety and welfare.

It is important to know your rights and to understand how unreliable power will detrimentally affect yours and your familys welfare, he said, encouraging residents to visit the AGs office website, www.oagguam.org, for more information on their consumer rights.
At the orders of acting Gov. Joshua Tenorio, the Guam Police Department has launched an internal affairs investigation of the airport and prison over allegations that a man returning to Guam from Chuuk last week was assaulted by law enforcement upon his arrest.

Tenorio ordered the investigation last Friday, Adelup spokesperson Krystal Paco-San Agustin said.

Both the Guam International Airport Authority and the Department of Corrections will be investigated, she said.

GPD will also be looking into whether a criminal complaint was filed and will initiate one if none was filed, she added.

Officers from GPD were not involved in the airport arrest that led to the allegations of assault, Chief of Police Stephen Ignacio told the Pacific Daily News Monday.

GPD will be gathering evidence to determine if there was any wrongdoing or misconduct on the part of airport employees that contacted the alleged victims, Ignacio said.

There is a 90-day limit on internal affairs investigations, and a final report will be given to airport management.

Were still in the early stages. We just started today, he said.

The police chief said upon completion of the investigation, a copy of the report will be provided to airport management. Any criminal complaint would be separate from the administrative investigation, but they will run in parallel, he said.

From arrival to alleged assaultThe assault allegedly happened at the A. B. Won Pat International Airport on Nov. 14, the PDN reported, by so far unidentified law enforcement officers.

Family of the allegedly assaulted man asked for their identities to be concealed over concern for their safety.

GIAA announced last Friday that it was launching a review of the allegations.

According to the Airport Authority, U.S. Customs and Border Protection notified the airport on Nov. 14 that the allegedly assaulted man had an active warrant.

Airport Police conducted the arrest, GIAA confirmed.

The warrant was issued for failure to appear in court for a civil dispute with a former landlord, according to prison records and the mans family.

CBP as of Monday had yet to respond to an inquiry from the PDN, or confirm whether they were involved with detaining or arresting the man.

Following the arrest, the airport stated, the man was transported to GPD offices in Hagatna for booking and processing, before being transported to DOC.

Ignacio told the PDN that GPD does not conduct a medical evaluation during the booking stage.

Every medical evaluation is done beforehand, or at the Department of Corrections during in-processing, he said.

There was no record of any injury when the man was later confined at the Hagatna Detention Facility, the Department of Corrections confirmed last week.

Photos of injuries on the mans head and body were reviewed and published by the PDN. His family member asserted that the injuries were caused by a beating that took place in an area at the airport, after the mans initial arrest.

The warrant was vacated by the court on Nov. 15, and the man was ordered to be released, prison records show.

DOC providing records

Corrections Director Fred Bordallo said GPD will be provided with all records related to the allegedly assaulted mans booking at the Hagatna lockup.

The corrections director said it was his understanding that the officers who processed the man found no indication of a really brutal injury.

A nurse also checked the man the morning after his late-night confinement.

If a person was hit, you would be having marks all over the place, he said.

Bordallo, a former police officer, said DOC was historically very strict about ensuring an injured person received medical attention.

I have confidence, he said, that the internal affairs investigation would reveal any unethical behavior of civil rights violations. None of us in law enforcement (is) above the law  we have to treat all arrestees, anyone whos going to be brought into our custody with true respect, he said.
An inspection of a garbage truck entering the Port of Guam led to the arrest of the truck driver over alleged possession of drug paraphernalia and suspected crystal methamphetamine.

Rufo Viloria Sebastian, 51, of Barrigada, was booked and confined in connection with possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, according to a news release from the Port Authority of Guam.

Upon entering the Port terminal yard, an armed security guard assigned to Gate 2 informed the operator of the Mr. Rubbishman garbage truck that he would be conducting a random inspection and instructed the driver to exit the vehicle.

During the inspection, the guard witnessed the driver place something inside his right boot. The guard approached the driver to ask what the item was.

The driver handed over a small case which allegedly contained drug paraphernalia and a white crystalline substance suspected to be methamphetamine.

The guard called for the assistance of a Port police officer and a test was administered on the substance. The result of the test was that the substance was crystal methamphetamine, also known as ice.

I want to commend Port Police Chief Jesse Mendiola for his leadership as well as the guard and officers who worked on this case, Port General Manager Rory J. Respicio said in a statement.

Respicio said this arrest is the result of Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero, Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio and our boards directives to prevent drugs from entering our island through Guams ports of entry.

We will continue to do everything possible to keep the Port safe and continue this Administrations efforts to secure our border, he added.
When CHamoru poet Craig Santos Perez took to the stage to accept his 2023 National Book Award for Poetry for his book, from unincorporated territory [amot], he traced his love for poetry and discovery of its healing power to where he came from.

I come from Guam, which is a U.S. territory, one of the last remaining colonies in the world, Perez, now a University of Hawaii professor, said. And when I was growing up in kind of a colonial American school system, we were never taught my own peoples literature. We were always taught American literature. And so when I started writing, my mission was to hopefully inspire the next generation of Pacific Islander authors.

Amot is the CHamoru word for medicine. Perezs intent is to offer healing through experimental and visual poetry, according to the University of Hawaii, where Perez is an assistant professor in the English Department, teaching Pacific literature and creative writing.

His winning book, from unincorporated territory [amot], is a collection of poems created to help heal traumatic wounds linked to colonialism, militarism and environmental injustice in the western Pacific island of Guahan or Guam, the University of Hawaii said.

Perez recalls that growing up, theres only one bookstore on Guam where his mother would take him every week to buy him a book.

She instilled the love of reading and writing from a very young age. So thank you, Mom. I love you so much, Perez said of his mother, who traveled to join him at the invitation-only 74th National Book Award ceremony in New York City on Nov. 15.

The awards ceremony featured literary heavyweights and Hollywood royalty Oprah Winfrey, who, like Perez, shared the importance of books and words. Oprah paid tribute to Alice Walkers 1983 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Color Purple. Oprah was cast in the 1985 movie adaptation of the book.

That is the power of a story well told, she said.

Perezs winning book of poetry is a powerful and deeply personal piece of work about the indigenous CHamoru people and healing stories about Guams past, present and future.

In his remarks at the awards ceremony, Perez also thanked his partner, Olivia, whos been supportive of me and getting me to write again.

Perez also thanked his brother, sister, father and mother, and Omnidawn Publishing.

To Laura, for helping me typeset and design this book. To Rusty, Im not sure if you folks are watching back home, but Rusty has been my publisher and teacher for the last 20 years. Im so grateful to you, Rusty. I love you so much. And thank you also to Ken Keegan, another publisher of Omnidawn, who is no longer with us, he said.

Perez ended his speech by reading from his book a poem titled, Pacific written tradition.

I return home to Guam for the first time after 15 years away and visit an English class at one of Guams public high schools, the poem begins, and a few lines down, We were taught that missionaries were the first readers in the Pacific because they could decipher the strange signs of the Bible/We were taught that missionaries were the first authors because they possessed the authority of written words.

Then came the lines that make Perez a literary force to reckon with:

Our ancestors deciphered signs in nature, interpreted star formations and sun positions, cloud and wind patterns, wave currents, and ocean efflorescence/Thats why master navigator Papa Mau once said, If you can read the ocean, you will never be lost./Now, let me tell you about Pacific written traditions./How our ancestors tattooed their skin with defiant scripts of intricately inked genealogies./How they carved epics into hard wood with sharpened points, their hands, and the pressure and responsibility of memory./How they stenciled petroglyphic lyrics on cave walls with clay, fire, and smoke./So the next time someone tells you our people were illiterate, teach them about our visual literacies, our ability to read the intertextual sacredness of all things.
Everything from sanitation inspections to reports on the number of certified teachers at local public schools may soon be just a click away for parents and the public.

Lawmakers on Tuesday entertained Sen. Jesse Lujans Bill 48-37, which seeks to mandate that various reports dealing with health and safety at Guam Department of Education schools be posted online.

Lujan introduced the bill in February, about two weeks after it came to light that some public schools were getting their sanitary permits renewed annually even though they had not been inspected in years.

Simon Sanchez High Schools last graded health inspection was in 2016, the PDN reported at the time.

Education Superintendent Kenneth Swanson on Tuesday told lawmakers that Lujans proposal was entirely reasonable and that GDOE would be ready to implement the online postings.

Reports would have to be posted within 30 days of an inspection, should the bill become law.

Reports related to the following subjects, among others, would be included:

Plumbing

Toilet facilities

Ventilation

Safety

Garbage disposal

Food protection

Accessibility and accommodation for students with disabilities

The number of certified instructors at a school

Lujan said parents and the public are currently left in the dark about unsafe of unsanitary school conditions unless the local media blows the whistle. That status quo would continue, unless something was done to empower parents, he said.

Swanson told senators that all necessary documents could be posted up on GDOEs already existing website, and included on the main navigation bar for parents to easily access.

The superintendent said there may be some issues with a section of the bill that requires schools to report when more certified teachers will be hired.

The answer to that is that it depends, he said.

Reports dealing with accessibility for students could also potentially cross over into the territory of confidential information, he added.

But besides some technical details, GDOE was in support of the spirit of the bill, he said.

Written testimony from Department of Public Health and Social Services Director Art San Agustin did not outright oppose the bill, but did propose a number of technical corrections.

In particular, San Agustin asked that it be made clear whether the Division of Environmental Health was responsible for enforcing the reporting by GDOE, and if so, what the penalties would be.

Education Chairman Sen. Chris Barnett asked to be added as a cosponsor to the bill, which he said would help parents to understand the problem areas at their childrens schools so they could help out or prepare their kids properly.

Ive gone to many schools that Ive talked to parents before the school day starts and asked them, Hey, did you know that there was a flea infestation? and many of them dont, Barnett said.

Bill 48-37 already has bipartisan support, with Sens. Joanne Brown, Sabina Perez, Will Parkinson, Dwayne San Nicolas, Frank Blas Jr., and Vice Speaker Tina Muna Barnes as co-sponsors.
Lawmakers entertain testimonies from government leaders, medical professionals and other concerned citizens during a Nov. 1, 2023 public hearing on a bill about an all-in-one hospital and medical campus land deal, at the Guam Congress Building in Hagatna.
Researchers and residents along the Gulf Coast have been stumbling upon an unusual and eerie find: glass bottles known as witch bottles, or spell bottles.

But unlike the romantic tales of seafaring messages leading to love and adventure, these relics of folklore come with a caution  keep them sealed.

Messages in bottles have long been part of maritime lore, with every bottle carrying the potential of a story from distant waters. These messages have ranged from scientific experiments tracking ocean currents to romantic notes, like one from a Swedish sailor in 1956 that led to an unexpected marriage with a young Sicilian girl.

However, the bottles currently appearing along the coastline are of a different nature entirely. The Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies has been cautiously gathering these witch bottles, traditionally known in folklore as protective talismans.

Designed to ward off evil spells, the bottles are left unopened by researchers  wary no doubt of the historical belief that disturbing them could unleash the very spells they were meant to contain  but also because the ingredients are often a bit off putting.

Whats is a witch bottle?

According to Learn Religions, the purpose of a witch bottle is twofold. It serves as a protective charm for the user and redirects any harmful intentions or negative energy back to the source.

To make one, they suggest youll need the following items:

A small glass jar with lid

Sharp, rusty items like nails, razor blades or bent pins

Sea salt

Red string or ribbon

A black candle

You also will need to add something that identifies the bottle as belonging to you. Suggested ingredients include urine, hair, or wine with a little spit in it. Then all the items and ingredients are placed in the glass jar, sealed with candle wax, and kept in a safe place  never to be opened or disturbed.

So many great beach finds this week due to extreme high tides to the dunes, big waves, and strong winds from a northern... Posted by Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies on Friday, November 17, 2023

Jace Tunnell serves as the director of community engagement at the Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, where he produces a video series about interesting items and creatures that wash up on the beaches along the Gulf Coast. Over time, hes found about eight witch/spell bottles  and even lines his outdoor fence with several  though he admits his wife thinks thats a bad idea.

Jace Tunnell, director of community engagement at the Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, displays his collection of witch bottles.Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies

He notes that historically the bottles are often displayed or buried by their creators. However, many others are cast into the sea where they eventually land on the beaches.

Witch bottles, also called spell bottles, are bottles we find when conducting our weekly beach surveys to identify what is washing up onto the beaches for that particular week, Tunnell said. The story goes that people put items in a bottle such as sticks, leaves, metal, or other objects around their house and throw them into the ocean in the hopes of casting out bad luck in their lives. Folks also do this for wishing for good fortune or casting spells on others.

When he finds the bottles, he takes a photo and posts it to social media, where he tells the story of how it was found.

Our goal is to educate folks about natural and man-made items in the Gulf of Mexico, to get them interested, for the ultimate goal of protecting the ocean, he said.

A brief history of witch bottles

According to McGill Universitys Office for Science and Society, between the 16th and 17 centuries, there was a powerful belief that evil spells could be fended off by trapping them in a witch bottle, which if properly prepared, could actually reflect the spell itself while also tormenting the witch, leaving the witch with no option but to remove the spell.

In the book, Magic Ritual Witch, written by Annie Thwaite, around 1670, a ballad titled A Miraculous Cure for Witchcraft recounted the folk tale of a girl near London who was physically and mentally troubled by a witchs curse.

After many failed attempts to cure her, she sought help from a chemist known for his knowledge. He instructed her to place her urine and other items into a bottle and bury it in a manure pile  and warned her not to disturb it. Following his advice, she watched the pile all night until a swollen-looking witch demanded the bottle back. According to the ballad, she refused, the witch stormed off, later died, and the girl began to heal.

Furthering public education with witch bottles

The Harte Research Institute isnt currently using these bottles for research. Tunnell said his posts are more to educate the public about where these bottles might have come from.

Because of the ocean currents in the Gulf of Mexico, these bottles could literally be coming from anywhere in the world, Tunnell said. Its not uncommon for us to find marine debris washing in from west Africa, Brazil, Mexico, or the Caribbean. Since these bottles dont have any writing on them such as date or location of origin, it really is a mystery of how far these bottles have traveled.




Haiti - FLASH : Arrest of a new suspect in the assassination of President Moise





Haitian authorities have arrested a new suspect in the investigation into the assassination of President Moise https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34162-haiti-flash-president-jovenel-moise-assassinated-by-mercenaries-official-updated-7am-+-video.html



Defense lawyer Jimmy Jean-Baptiste said Monday that Jacmel's interim executive agent, Macky Kessa, had been arrested but not charged.



He said Kessa was being held at Haiti's national penitentiary in the capital, Port-au-Prince, and planned to seek his release.



"Sorry, I can't say much but the main thing is that my client came to the investigating judge's square, he spent about three hours answering the Magistrate's questions and after the hearing, he issued a deposition order against my client," the lawyer said.



It was not immediately clear why Kessa was arrested. Mayor Kessa made a brief statement to the press to simply reiterate the secrecy of the instruction. "The hearing of any judge is secret. I couldn't say anything because it is secret."



Jean-Baptiste declined to comment further, noting that the investigation is ongoing. Judge Walther Wesser Voltaire, who is investigating the case, has not yet made any comments.



Judge Voltaire is due to hear this week several other new defendants in the magnicide of July 7, 2021, including the former Minister of Justice and Public Security, Rockefeller Vincent. As part of the ongoing investigation, Judge Walter Wesser Voltaire also wishes to hear Leon Charles, the representative of Haiti to the OAS, Josue Pierre Louis, the secretary general of the palace as well as Fils-Aime Ignace Saint-Fleur the Director of the Bmpad. The investigating judge has already sent a letter to the government commissioner of Port-au-Prince, Me Edler Guillaume, asking him to take all necessary measures so that the aforementioned personalities appear in his office.



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Security : A Kalashnikov rifle seized by the PNH





During clashes with armed bandits, the Haitian National Police (PNH) confiscated a Kalashnikov rifle and a vehicle, this Sunday, November 19, 2023, around 2:25 p.m., at Rue de la Reunion.



Indeed, armed individuals, aboard a black Kia Sportage vehicle with registration number: AA-16316, opened fire on the BI1PAP patrol. The police, without the slightest hesitation, had to respond.



Under heavy fire from the police, the bandits had to flee through corridors and the suspect vehicle was hit by several projectiles.



The PNH is more than determined to combat organized crime in all its forms across the country. She also continues to seek the frank cooperation of the population.



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Haiti - UN : The President of the UN General Assembly in Haiti





The President of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Mr. Dennis Francis, made his first official outing with a two-day visit to Haiti, which began yesterday, Monday, November 20, 2023.



Mr. Dennis Francis was received by Prime Minister Ariel Henry, together they took an overview of the situation in the country. During his stay, he will meet various interlocutors from government, political and civil society sectors.



"Here in Port-au-Prince to express my full solidarity with the Haitian people and convey the message that the international community has not forgotten them," said Dennis Francis on his X account (former Twitter).



Mr. Dennis Francis expressed to the head of the Haitian government the solidarity of the international community with the Haitian people. He also assured him of the support of sister nations in his quest for security for the restoration of democratic institutions, stability and for the well-being of Haitians.



Dennis Francis (born 27 November 1956) is a diplomat from Trinidad and Tobago who has been his country's permanent representative to the United Nations in New York since 2021. On 1st June 2023, he was elected President of the Assembly General of the United Nations at its seventy-eighth session, beginning its mandate on September 5, 2023.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















China's largest land port sees surging cargo throughput

Xinhua) 16:14, November 21, 2023

HOHHOT, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Manzhouli, China's largest land port, has registered a surge in cargo volume so far this year, according to the port administration office.

Manzhouli, in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, handled more than 20 million tonnes of cargo from January to Nov. 20, up 39.9 percent year on year.

The figure consisted of 18.73 million tonnes of railway freight and 1.32 million tonnes of road freight, up 35.3 percent and 171 percent, respectively, said Zhang Shipu, director of the administration office.

Thus far this year, Manzhouli port has handled 4,353 China-Europe freight train trips, transporting a total of 472,900 twenty-foot equivalent units of cargo.

Imports and exports via Manzhouli port mainly include daily necessities, industrial machinery, and agricultural and sideline products.

To further promote the high-quality development of Manzhouli and enhance the facilitation of cross-border trade, the port has launched a raft of measures to improve customs clearance efficiency for China-Europe freight trains, streamline clearance procedures and reduce associated costs, Zhang said.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)




Haiti - Haitian Red Cross : No involvement in blood management





The Haitian Red Cross wished to react through a press release following certain comments published on the Internet regarding any responsibility of the Haitian Red Cross (CRH) regarding the availability and quality of blood products on the Haitian territory. CRH would like to point out that this is a misunderstanding and would like to clarify the facts.



Since October 13, 2020, there has been a decree creating the national body for blood and blood products (ONASAPS) which is the sole entity responsible for the management of blood, blood products and blood transfusion issues throughout the Haitian territory, ref. Le Moniteur Special No. 32. All related questions and files have since then been the responsibility of the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP).



The CRH would like to point out that confusion persists, linked to the fact that the National Blood Transfusion Center (CNTS) continues to use old documents with CRH letterhead, in particular requisitions, despite several warnings given to the head of the CNTS. In addition, for the sake of collaboration, the CRH, auxiliary to the public authorities in the humanitarian field, allowed the CNTS to continue to use its premises free of charge in several regions of the country.



The CRH reminds the population in general and the press in particular that it has no technical or administrative responsibility in the management of blood and blood products since the publication of the said decree.



CRH, as a humanitarian institution, remains committed to providing humanitarian assistance to the population in cases of epidemics likely to threaten the health of the nation. CRH, which has an ambulance service for medical emergencies and road accidents, also intervenes in disaster preparedness, response, risk reduction and strengthening community resilience by mobilizing the power of humanity.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Havre Police Department

Michael Keith Healy Jr. of Harlem, 25, was arrested on three Justice or City court warrants served on First Avenue Monday at 9:44 a.m.

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A 16-year-old girl was issued a summons on a charge of underage tobacco possession or consumption after a juvenile with a vape pen was reported at Havre High School at 11:38 a.m. Monday.

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Fred Nashookpuk of Havre, 38, was arrested on a charge of violation of a no contact order after a 12:05 p.m. Monday caller reported a man and a woman drinking alcohol from a bottle at Pepin Park on Seventh Avenue.

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A vehicle crash was reported at 12:17 p.m. Monday on First Street West, and officers assisted with transporting one person to another location.

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Christopher Henry Joseph Wood of Havre, 28, was arrested on a charge of partner or family member assault after a domestic disturbance with one person bleeding from their arm was reported on 15th Avenue at 1:07 p.m. Monday.

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Officers assisted Havre Fire Department Monday at 5:16 p.m. on Washington Avenue where a fire pit was reported to be overflowing.

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Lowanda Lynn Arkinson of Box Elder, 51, was arrested on a disorderly conduct charge and on three Justice or City court warrants after a caller at a Second Street business reported two women outside drinking.

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A written or verbal warning was issued after a Monday 7:13 p.m. caller at a First Street West business asked to have officers tell someone to stop panhandling at the business.

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Martin Duane Flying Jr. of Havre, 31, was arrested on a criminal contempt charge related to a 24/7 Sobriety Program no-show reported at 8 p.m. at the police station.

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Gordon James Bacon of Box Elder, 44, was arrested on charges of trespass to property, possession of dangerous drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia after officers assisted Havre Fire Monday at 8:55 p.m. on an ambulance call to a First Street business.

Hill County Sheriff's Office

Deputies investigated a Monday 2:58 p.m. report from Bullhook Community Health Center that a person had been bitten by their own dog.

Havre Fire Department

Emergency medical technicians responded to 10 calls Monday.

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Firefighters responded to an 11:07 a.m. Monday fire alarm on the 10 Block of Third Street West where they found burnt food and the alarm was reset.

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Firefighters, along with an ambulance crew, responded Monday at 12:19 p.m. to a vehicle crash on the 100 Block of First Street West where three patients were looked at on scene and no one was transported to medical care, and the fire crew stayed on site until the highway department could spread sand on oil and coolant that had spilled at the scene.

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Firefighters and an ambulance responded to a Monday 5:16 p.m. report of a fire on Washington Avenue, but they found that the pit was legal and they returned to the station.

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Firefighters and an ambulance crew responded to a 5:40 p.m. Monday carbon monoxide alarm on the 700 Block of Fourth Avenue where gas was detected in the basement and the scene was turned over to NorthWestern Energy.

Havre Animal Shelter

This morning the animal shelter held two 6-month-old kittens and one cat all of unknown gender, six female cats, three male cats, and six kittens between 12 weeks and 6 months old.

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Also this morning, the animal shelter held five female mixed-breed dogs, 11 puppies between 12 and 18 weeks old, and a female German shepherd.

Births

A girl was born Friday, Nov. 10, 2023, to Kayla and Layne Waid of Havre.
(HedgeCo.Net) The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged Payward Inc. and Payward Ventures Inc., together known as Kraken, with operating Krakens crypto trading platform as an unregistered securities exchange, broker, dealer, and clearing agency.

According to the SECs complaint, since at least September 2018, Kraken has made hundreds of millions of dollars unlawfully facilitating the buying and selling of crypto asset securities. The SEC alleges that Kraken intertwines the traditional services of an exchange, broker, dealer, and clearing agency without having registered any of those functions with the Commission as required by law. Krakens alleged failure to register these functions has deprived investors of significant protections, including inspection by the SEC, recordkeeping requirements, and safeguards against conflicts of interest, among others.

Through its platforms services, Kraken allegedly:

Provides a marketplace that brings together the orders for securities of multiple buyers and sellers using established, non-discretionary methods under which such orders interact, and thus operates as an exchange;

Engages in the business of effecting securities transactions for the accounts of Kraken customers, and thus operates as a broker;

Engages in the business of buying and selling securities for its own account without an applicable exception, and thus operates as a dealer; and

Serves as an intermediary in settling transactions in crypto asset securities by Kraken customers, and acts as a securities depository, and thus operates as a clearing agency.

The SECs complaint also alleges that Krakens business practices, deficient internal controls, and poor recordkeeping practices present a range of risks for its customers. As alleged in the complaint, Kraken commingles its customers money with its own, including paying operational expenses directly from accounts that hold customer cash. Kraken also allegedly commingles its customers crypto assets with its own, creating what its own auditor had identified as a significant risk of loss to its customers.

We allege that Kraken made a business decision to reap hundreds of millions of dollars from investors rather than coming into compliance with the securities laws. That decision resulted in a business model rife with conflicts of interest that placed investors funds at risk, said Gurbir S. Grewal, Director of the SECs Division of Enforcement. Krakens choice of unlawful profits over investor protection is one we see far too often in this space, and today were both holding Kraken accountable for its misconduct and sending a message to others to come into compliance.

The SECs complaint, filed in federal district court in San Francisco, alleges that Kraken violated the registration provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and seeks injunctive relief, conduct-based injunctions, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains plus interest, and penalties.

In February of this year, Kraken agreed to cease offering or selling securities through crypto asset staking services or staking programs and pay a civil penalty of $30 million.
The "Kauppatori Christmas Sauna," a collaboration between five Finnish companies, aims to provide visitors with joyous and unforgettable experiences throughout the duration of the Christmas Market.

In a blend of tradition and innovation, Turku's Market Square is set to host a unique Christmas Sauna this holiday season. The sauna, a novel addition to the city's festive celebrations, will open alongside the much-anticipated lighting of Christmas lights along the Aura River on Saturday, November 25.

Designed by Space of Mind in partnership with Studio Puisto Architects and Protos Demos, the sauna is a testament to exquisite design and craftsmanship, hand-built in Halikko using untreated solid wood. It offers three finishing options: larch, galvanized steel, and tar felt, all sourced from local producers.

Aleksi Koskelin, CEO of Space of Mind, highlights the sauna's design philosophy, which aligns with the company's award-winning Lepotilank, a two-person design cabin. "Our new sauna brings users closer to nature without burdening the environment, offering a space and landscape connection, whether in the archipelago or Turku's market square," he says.

A Unique Sauna Experience

The sauna's wood-fired stove is provided by Juup, a company cherishing Finnish sauna traditions through generations. Its aesthetic appeal is enhanced by a chimney from Harma Air, designated as the official chimney of Santa Claus. Traditional bathing methods are employed, with water heated on the stove and mixed in basins, complemented by natural bath products from the local brand HETKINEN, inspired by the Finnish forest.

After enjoying the gentle heat, guests can relax in a heated, cozy glasshouse, observing the bustling Christmas Market while savoring warm glogg or a refreshing sauna beer courtesy of Kakola Brewing Company.

Reservations and Anticipation

The Christmas Sauna is open for bookings throughout the Christmas Market until December 22. Since the opening of the booking calendar in mid-November, slots have been filling up rapidly.

Alexander Tornroth from Kakola Brewing Company, responsible for managing the Christmas Sauna, expresses his delight at the enthusiastic response. "It's fantastic to see how quickly people have embraced the idea of a sauna at the Market Square. Christmas Saunas are a Finnish tradition, and experiencing it in this unique setting is something special. We're pleasantly surprised by the number of bookings in just the first week," he remarks.

Reservations for the Kauppatori Christmas Sauna can be made for the period of November 25 to December 22 via the Christmas Market's website. The identity of the first distinguished guest to grace the sauna's benches remains a secret, set to be unveiled at a press conference in Turku Cathedral on Wednesday.

HT
The phenomenon has intensified, he was quoted telling journalists at the Vartius border-crossing point in Kuhmo, Eastern Finland, on Monday by Helsingin Sanomat. I wanted to come to the border and see how weve prepared or the situation  as well as to give my support to border officials.

PRIME MINISTER Petteri Orpo (NCP) says it is clear that migrants are being systematically assisted to get to the eastern border of Finland.

The premier described the situation at the border as highly unusual but declined to comment on whether the government is planning to close additional border-crossing points or the entire eastern border.

The government last week closed the four south-eastern border-crossing points of Imatra, Niirala, Nuijamaa and Vaalimaa until February. The receipt of asylum applications was simultaneously concentrated to two border-crossing points: Vartius in Kuhmo and Salla in Lapland.

Were drawing up further measures. And if necessary, well implement them quickly, said Orpo. It has been necessary to monitor how the decisions weve already made impact the situation. Already they were exceptionally forceful.

He outlined that the measures have to be carefully devised, proportionate and send a clear message to third countries and Russia.

We dont approve of this kind of activity. This is a systematic operation, and we want to put an end to it.

Orpo added that there is reason to be concerned about the continuing unpredictable behaviour of Russia. You cant prepare for everything thats within the realm of possibility if another country intends to cause confusion and disorder in Finnish society. Thats why we have to prepare for the fact that anything can happen in the future.

No progress has been made in negotiations through diplomatic channels, according to the prime minister. Itd be best for everyone if we managed to restore the situation to the level it was before the restrictions.

The Lapland Border Guard District has reported that 16 asylum seekers arrived at the Vartius border-crossing point and another 35 at the Salla border-crossing point on Monday. The Vartius border-crossing point was closed briefly a couple of times also yesterday in order to calm down the situation, according to Helsingin Sanomat.

Captain Jouko Kinnunen from the Lapland Border Guard District told STT on Monday that Russian officials are operating in violation of joint agreements and brought nine people to the border on Monday. They were registered as asylum applicants in Finland.

Although he confirmed that there have been more discrepancies than usual in the documents of asylum applicants, he described the overall situation as calm.

Were well able to guarantee the borders inviolability in the terrain. Were prepared to uphold general order and security at the border-crossing point by solidifying structures at the border, he said to the news agency.

Members of the Finnish Defence Forces have assisted in erecting temporary obstacles at the border.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT
The fundraising was announced at a support concert held at the Tavastia Club, with an initial goal of raising 1 million by the first round of the presidential elections on January 28.

Pekka Haavisto's support association has kick-started a significant fundraising campaign in Helsinki, aiming to gather 1.5 million for his presidential campaign. So far, the campaign has successfully raised 511,052.

The campaign aims to collect the remaining 500,000 by the potential second round on February 11.

During the launch event, it was revealed that the campaign has already achieved a third of its target funding, with 511,052 collected to date. The Green Party has contributed over 100,000 to this amount. Notably, around 60% of the funds raised so far have come from individual donors.

Ville Hulkkonen, Haavisto's campaign manager, highlighted the campaign's ambition. "Our goal for the first round of the presidential elections is to raise 1 million. We aim to run a campaign that has a strong presence across Finland, he stated.

The funds collected from donations are earmarked for a national campaign that will be visible and influential throughout Finland.

Hulkkonen elaborated on the campaign strategy, emphasizing the role of volunteers and the need for financial resources. "The heart of the campaign is built on the efforts of volunteers. However, we also need funds to ensure that the campaign is visible on the streets, in newspapers, on social media, and online in the lead-up to the elections. This visibility is crucial for introducing the candidate and his vision for Finland's future to everyone. We hope as many people as possible will join us in making history. Every euro counts, he explained.

The fundraising campaign encourages Finnish citizens to get involved by posing the question, What does it cost to make history?

In a move towards transparency, Haavisto's campaign pledges to publish the funds raised almost in real-time on its website, haavisto2024.fi. The campaign will also list the names of donors who consent to the publication of their support.

In the 2012 presidential elections, Haavisto's campaign raised a total of 1,052,420.38 across both the first and second rounds. This year's campaign aims to surpass this amount, seeking broad public support and transparency in its fundraising efforts.

HT
The recent sharp increase in food prices has significantly altered consumer behavior and the cash flows within the entire food supply chain, according to interim results from a research project by Pellervo Economic Research PTT, the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), and REINU econ. However, any potential structural changes will only be evident in the longer term.

In recent years, crises have tested the resilience of food markets. The consumer price of food has risen by approximately one-fifth in two years, amid exceptionally large cost and price changes throughout the food chain. This increase coincides with a general rise in living costs. A consumer survey conducted as part of the project revealed notable shifts in consumption patterns and purchasing behavior across different product categories.

Currently, consumers are highly price-conscious, with 72% of survey respondents considering price a key factor in their purchasing decisions. The preference for domestic products was a major consideration for nearly half (46%) of the respondents, with this preference being particularly strong among those over 65 years of age.

About 40% of respondents felt that food is too expensive relative to their household income, while 32% disagreed with this sentiment. The survey also indicated that nearly half of the consumers are increasingly opting for cheaper alternatives in grocery stores. Some participants reported having to compromise on the environmental or health aspects of products to save money.

Sari Forsman-Hugg, Research Director at PTT, stated, It is crucial to identify to what extent these changes will revert once purchasing power improves and to what extent we are witnessing more permanent shifts in purchasing and consumption behavior. It's also important to note that a portion of consumers haven't made significant changes.

The consumer survey, conducted in late August, focused on food purchases from grocery stores during 20222023. It involved 1,067 respondents aged 1879 and was weighted to be representative of the population.

Long-term Reactions to Price Changes

The project also examines how consumption has historically reacted to changes in prices and incomes over the long term, spanning more than 40 years. The findings show that food consumption has changed approximately in line with price changes, with income growth having a less significant impact on food consumption than prices.

Juho Valtiala, a researcher from Luke, notes, Price changes alter the relative shares of different food groups, such as shifting from more expensive meat to cheaper sources of protein. However, the most significant changes have occurred within individual groups, as indicated by the surveys emphasis on compromises in quality.

Slow Growth in Food Chain Cash Flows

Over the past decade, cash flows in the food chain have evolved slowly, influenced by structural changes like market shifts, fluctuations in export markets, and international market shocks. The rise in food prices in 2022 is particularly noticeable.

The price increases, which began in autumn 2021, have impacted both agriculture and other segments of the food chain, leading to a rise in producer prices and an increase in the agricultural cash flow. Concurrently, price increases have led to a reduction in demand, meaning that the cash flow through commerce has not grown in tandem with prices. Import cash flows have also increased due to price rises, and restaurant cash flows have been bolstered by the recovery from COVID-19 restrictions.

Kyosti Arovuori, an agricultural economist from REINU econ, stresses the importance of examining cash flow changes over the long term, as annual fluctuations often even out over time. However, he notes that from 2012 to 2021, the average annual growth in the food chain's cash flow was only about 0.4%, presenting a challenge for the entire sector.

Grain Markets Reflect Food Chain Dynamics in Shock Situations

The study also focuses on grain markets, which are particularly susceptible to direct and indirect disruptions. These markets provide valuable insights into price transmission and post-shock recovery patterns. The analysis reveals varying market impacts and recovery speeds following different shocks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia's attack on Ukraine, and the agricultural cost crisis.

Mauri Yli-Liipola, an agricultural economist from PTT, explains, Producer prices for grain tend to return to pre-shock levels faster than consumer prices for grain products. While consumer price increases are more moderate, they tend to be more permanent. However, recovery speeds vary from one shock to another.

Aiming for Improved Market Functionality

The research project aims to comprehensively examine factors influencing the functioning and value creation of the food chain and to develop solutions for improving market functionality. It analyzes cash flows and changes in consumer behavior across the sector.

The project will continue until the end of 2025, providing more detailed insights into how new market equilibriums are reflected in price transfers and cash flows, and the extent to which changes in consumption are permanent. The main funder of the project is the Agricultural Development Fund (Makera), with additional funding from the Food Industry Association (ETL), the Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK), and the Finnish Grocery Trade Association (PTY).

HT
Many of the lawmakers interviewed yesterday by the newspaper reminded that evaluating the measures is difficult because only the government has up-to-date information on the situation at the border and the role of Russia.

OPPOSITION LAWMAKERS in Finland are cautiously supportive of the government drawing up further measures in response to the inflow of asylum seekers to border-crossing points at the border between Finland and Russia, indicates a report by Helsingin Sanomat.

Eveliina Heinaluoma (SDP) stated to Helsingin Sanomat that it is good that the government is preparing to expand its toolkit.

It is important, she underscored, that no room whatsoever is given to the mischievous and appalling exploitation of people by Russia: Reacting quickly is a way to try to prevent the situation from worsening. The intention is to send a message to both Russian authorities but also to these people around the world who are being exploited is that the Finnish border is monitored and isnt a transit stop.

She also urged the government to keep the parliament up to date on the situation instead of notifying it of developments with a bit of a delay.

[The government] has access to the entire operational picture of officials. Its terribly important that the whole parliament gets up-to-date information on whats happening and what kind of measures are considered, Heinaluoma said to Helsingin Sanomat.

Petri Honkonen (Centre) similarly indicated that he is ready to resort to further measures.

The government last week closed four border-crossing points in south-eastern parts of Finland: Imatra, Niirala, Nuijamaa and Vaalimaa. The receipt of asylum applications was simultaneously concentrated to two border-crossing points: Vartius in Kuhmo, Kainuu, and Salla in eastern Lapland.

Not everything thats behind the decisions is necessarily communicated publicly. But my impression is that Russia will continue using these people as instruments. I support the idea of closing the entire eastern border, if necessary, stated Honkonen.

Laura Meriluoto (LA) said the government has a key role in assessing the need for further measures because it has access to the most up-to-date information.

I do emphasise, however, that you have to find some kind of balance from the perspective of internal security and, on the other hand, the human rights obligations that apply to Finland, she commented.

Sofia Virta, the chairperson of the Green League, told Helsingin Sanomat that she has yet to receive information that would necessitate the closure of the entire border.

If media information about Russia being involved in human trafficking and trying to push people across the border at the Vartius and Salla border-crossing points is correct, you have to send a strong signal to Russia that this isnt acceptable. There are many ways to do so, not only the ways in the border [guard] act, she wrote in a message to the newspaper.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT
Finnish Presidential Candidate Pekka Haavisto commented on the meeting between U.S. President Biden and Chinese President Xi in California. Via a message on a X (Twitter) communication platform, Haavisto highlighted the meeting's impact on the predictability of relations between the United States and China, which also affects Finland and the EU's relations with China.

During his campaign, Haavisto noted that a common concern was the risk of deteriorating U.S.-China relations leading to a global conflict. "One of the most frequently asked questions on the campaign trail has been whether the deteriorating relations between China and the United States could lead to a new, perhaps global, conflict, he wrote in his post.

The Biden-Xi meeting seems to have brought back some level of predictability to these relations. The options of decoupling or reducing critical dependencies and risks in Western relations with China have been discussed, with the U.S. appearing to opt for the latter. The U.S. has continued to expand trade restrictions, especially in the export of technology and advanced semiconductors to China, Haavisto wrote in his post.

Both countries have shown a strong interest in easing tensions. The U.S. is engaged in supporting Ukraine and Israel, and an escalation in Taiwan would be detrimental. China, on the other hand, is grappling with challenges like declining birth rates, aging population, and youth unemployment.

The meeting between the U.S. and Chinese Presidents indicated positive developments in international relations. President Biden emphasised cooperation on climate change, AI development, and anti-drug efforts. Importantly, the two countries have restarted direct military communication.

The most politically sensitive topic was Taiwan. President Xi reiterated China's stance on eventual unification with Taiwan but did not expressly communicate an active desire to use military force. President Biden, on his part, insisted that China refrain from interfering in Taiwan's upcoming presidential elections, which could result in a change in the current administration and a more dialogic approach towards China.

This meeting's central message at the political and diplomatic level was the restoration of predictability to U.S.-China relations, impacting Finland and EU's relations with China as well.

Helsinki Times reached Presidential Candidate Pekka Haavisto during his campaign trip in Finlands Pohjanmaa where he was heading to Kokkola to meet and address his supporters and other citizens.

During a phone interview, Haavisto told Helsinki Times: The recent Biden-Xi meeting signalled a return to stability in US-China relations, essential after the period of heightened tensions marked by incidents like the Chinese balloons. This renewed communication, especially the reestablishment of the US-China military hotline and collaborative efforts in AI and climate change, is a positive development, not just globally but also for Finland and the EU.

Discussing the shift in the US's stance post the Pelosi visit to Taiwan, Haavisto acknowledged the need for a multipolar world and highlighted China's role in global affairs, including their participation in discussions on the Zelensky peace plan and active presence in international events. He also touched upon the concept of 'decoupling' and de-risking' in Western relations with China, noting the alignment of US and European strategies in reducing dependency on critical sectors.

Haavisto then spoke about the transition from globalisation to regionalisation, a trend accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This shift has prompted Europe to rethink its over-dependency on China for essential materials.

Looking ahead, Haavisto doesn't foresee a world divided into blocs like during the Cold War. He sees simultaneous developments, like the growing EU-India relations, as evidence of ongoing global cooperation despite existing tensions.

Regarding Finland's role in the EU and NATO, Haavisto emphasised the importance of contributing Finnish perspectives and analysis in global politics. He highlighted Finland's engagement with the Nordic countries as an example of regional collaboration without forming a specific bloc.

Discussing the US's focus on Ukraine and Israel, Haavisto expressed concerns about the potential impact of US presidential elections on their foreign policy, emphasising Europe's interest in continued US support for Ukraine.

Finally, Haavisto viewed the Biden-Xi meeting as a step towards reducing the risk of global conflict, noting the restoration of trust in some areas and the importance of ongoing dialogue for addressing complex issues like Taiwan's future.

Short Biography and Introduction of Pekka Haavisto

Pekka Haavisto: A Prominent Figure in Finnish Politics

Pekka Haavisto, a seasoned Finnish politician and member of the Green League, has been a notable figure in Finland's political landscape for several decades. Born in 1958, Haavisto has an extensive background in environmental issues, international relations, and human rights, all of which have been central themes throughout his political career.

Political Career Highlights:

Haavisto first entered the Finnish Parliament in 1987 and has since held various significant roles in Finnish politics.

He served as the Minister of Environment from 1995 to 1999 and later as the Minister for International Development from 2013 to 2014 and again from 2019, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2019 to 2023.

His expertise in international affairs is well-regarded, having been involved in numerous UN and EU missions, particularly in conflict resolution and peace negotiations.

Presidential Races:

Haavisto has been a candidate in the Finnish presidential elections multiple times, with his first attempt in 2012 marking a significant milestone. He reached the second round of voting, ultimately finishing as the runner-up. This achievement was notable as it was the first time a Green League candidate had progressed so far in a presidential election in Finland.

In the subsequent presidential race, Haavisto again represented the Green League. While he did not reach the same level of success as in 2012, his candidacy was significant in maintaining the visibility and influence of the Green League in Finnish national politics.

Poll Performance:

Throughout his political career, Haavisto has enjoyed varying degrees of support in polls. His popularity has often been attributed to his diplomatic approach to politics, his advocacy for environmental issues, and his stance on human rights.

In presidential election polls, Haavisto has been seen as a strong candidate, particularly among voters who prioritise environmental issues and international diplomacy.

Recent Years:

He was holding the position of the Minister Of Foreign Affairs in the previous government during which Finland joined NATO. Haavisto has continued to play a vital role in Finnish politics, focusing on international relations and environmental issues. His views on global affairs, particularly relating to the dynamics between major world powers like the US and China, are highly respected both nationally and internationally.

HT
Terveystalo, a leading healthcare provider in Finland, is actively participating in a campaign that focuses on the escalating performance pressures faced by women.

In Finland , private healthcare facilities are reporting a significant increase in mental health-related visits, with a notably higher proportion of women seeking help for depression and anxiety. This trend reflects the growing mental health challenges faced by individuals across all ages and genders, although women seem to be disproportionately affected.

These pressures, stemming from societal expectations, social media portrayals of a 'perfect' life, and family responsibilities, are contributing to heightened levels of anxiety and stress, especially among young women.

The Finnish capital, Helsinki, is symbolically addressing this issue by erecting a new statue, 'Tavis Amanda,' during the mental health week observed from November 19 to 26. This statue, a temporary replacement for the iconic 'Havis Amanda' during its restoration, is strategically placed at Kauppatori (Market Square) to spark conversations about the increasing mental health problems and the performance pressures particularly experienced by young women.

Tuija Turunen, the leading psychologist and psychotherapist at Terveystalo, emphasizes the importance of self-compassion in todays world where being ordinary is no longer the norm. She points out that societal, media, and familial pressures are contributing to increased anxiety and appearance-related stress, regardless of gender. However, women, who often face additional pressures in managing work and family life, are more likely to seek professional help, thus highlighting their struggles more prominently.

According to Terveystalo's data, there has been a 36.5% increase in visits related to anxiety and depression diagnoses since the beginning of the 2020s. Women account for more than double these diagnoses compared to men, with their share at about 68% versus men's 32%.

This situation is compounded by the World Health Organization's warning, even before the COVID-19 pandemic, that the next global crisis would be a mental health crisis. The pandemic's isolation measures have accelerated this, leaving many to cope with their feelings and thoughts alone.

Suomen Mielenterveys ry (Finnish Mental Health Association) reported a record 400,000 call attempts to their crisis hotline last year, with anxiety being the most common reason for calls. Notably, suicidal tendencies are most prevalent among women aged 18 to 29.

In response to these growing concerns, the Tavis Amanda statue, designed by illustrator Sanna Mander and crafted by Maker3D and Fantasia Works, stands as a reminder of the value of ordinariness for mental health. This statue, representing an ordinary woman without the burden of performance pressures, symbolizes the acceptance of less striving in life. This initiative is supported by Terveystalo, alongside UN Women Finland, MeNaiset magazine, and Salutorget restaurant.

Tavis Amanda, located at the corner of Sofiankatu and Pohjoisesplanadi in Helsinki, greets passersby, including guests attending the Independence Day celebrations at the Presidential Palace, with a relaxed demeanor, underscoring the message that ordinary is enough.

HT
A recent study by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) has brought to light the significantly lower quality of life experienced by individuals assisting their partners with functional limitations. The 2020 FinSote population survey, with responses from over 28,000 Finnish residents aged 20 and above, indicates that these caregivers face substantial psychological strain and assess their health as poorer compared to the general population.

Approximately one in ten spouses in Finland is involved in caring for a partner with reduced functional ability, with a majority being over the age of 65 (61% of caregivers). The results show that some of these caregivers suffer from serious coping problems and may themselves be in need of assistance. If the caregivers health or ability to function deteriorates, it can limit their caregiving capacity, leaving the person in need without necessary care, explains Anna-Mari Aalto, a leading expert at THL.

Supporting the Health and Well-being of Caregivers

Spousal caregivers reported receiving insufficient support services from social and health sectors to aid their resilience. They expressed a need for more access to nurse, doctor, and dentist services, as well as inadequate home care services and guidance from social workers.

Taking on the responsibility of caring for a loved one can be very demanding, often leading to neglect of ones own well-being, health, and needs. Additionally, it can be challenging to distinguish between ones own service needs and those of the spouse. A common sentiment was the inadequacy of home services, which might reflect the joint need for assistance in daily life, says Katja Ilmarinen, a specialist researcher at THL.

Interestingly, the respondents did not recognize a need for caregiver support services or caregiving allowances. Only one in ten of those assisting their spouses felt the need for these services, and over half of them found these supports inadequate or had not received them at all.

The Role of Informal Care in Finland

In Finland, informal care by spouses significantly supplements social and health services. Without the aid provided by spouses, the costs of these services would be considerably higher. Even when spousal care does not meet the criteria for formal caregiver support under the law, caregivers are entitled to certain services under the Social Welfare Act to support their well-being. Safe caregiving requires ensuring the caregivers well-being, health, and competence. It is especially crucial to identify high-risk care situations where both the caregiver and the recipient are in danger of burnout, and to offer support early on, states Sari Kehusmaa, a leading expert at THL.

This study sheds light on the often overlooked struggles of spousal caregivers in Finland, emphasizing the need for enhanced support and recognition of their vital role in the healthcare system.

HT
In a significant political move, Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf has urged the United Kingdom to officially recognize the State of Palestine. This appeal is seen as an effort to break the long-standing deadlock that has perpetuated cycles of violence between Israelis and Palestinians.

First Minister Yousaf communicated this request through a letter addressed to UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

With a focus on resolving the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the letter was also sent to Sir Keir Starmer, the Leader of the Opposition in the UK Parliament.

This correspondence comes just before a crucial debate in the Scottish Parliament, scheduled for Tuesday, 21 November, centered on the situation in the Middle East. The First Minister plans to lead this debate, which will address a Government motion. The motion not only condemns the atrocities committed by Hamas on 7 October but also calls for the release of hostages and urges all involved parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire.

Yousaf's call for the UK's recognition of Palestine reflects a proactive stance in international diplomacy, aiming to use the UK's influence to foster peace in the region. The move signals a potential shift in the UK's approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, highlighting the urgent need for a sustainable solution that addresses the rights and safety of both Israelis and Palestinians.

This development marks a pivotal moment in Scotland's foreign policy engagement and underscores the First Minister's commitment to advocating for peace and stability in the Middle East. The debate in the Scottish Parliament is expected to further discuss the UK's role in this international issue and the potential impact of recognizing the State of Palestine.

HT
Balkcom presents $14.75 million check for utility plant improvement

Wastewater Treatment Facilities Manager Garrett DeMoss, Rep. Jennifer Balkcom, Mayor Barbara Volk and Water Treatment Facilities Manager Ricky Levi holding a commemorative check.

State Rep. Jennifer Balkcom made a ceremonial presentation of a $14.75-million check to Hendersonville's water & sewer utility during a special called meeting of the Hendersonville City Council on Monday.

We are grateful to receive this funding that will be put towards projects in our capital improvement plan, City Manager John Connet said. These projects will make our water and wastewater treatment operations more resilient and

sustainable and will translate to future savings for our utility customers.

The request was made by Balkcom and strongly supported by Sen. Tim Moffitt. The funding was a direct appropriation from the N.C. General Assembly as part of the state budget process. Balkcom said she was happy the funding would be meeting a local need and expressed appreciation to city officials for their collaboration during the process.

Wastewater treatment manager Garrett DeMoss and water treatment manager Ricky Levi accepted the check on behalf of Hendersonville Water & Sewer.

The funds will be designated for solids management improvements to promote resiliency, sustainability and cost savings to the utility by constructing a new biosolids thermal drying facility and a water treatment residuals storage building.

The city owns and operates water and wastewater treatment facilities that serve a population of more than 80,000 water and more than 20,000 sewer customers in Hendersonville and surrounding areas in Henderson

County. Recently, disposal of water and wastewater treatment solid residuals at area landfills has become costly and unreliable. Because the number of active landfills in Western North Carolina is limited, rejection of solids has forced Hendersonville to transport the materials to various landfills at greater distances.

To mitigate current costly and unreliable solids disposal practices, hendersonville intends to construct a new biosolids thermal drying facility at its wastewater treatment facility (wwtf) and a water treatment residuals storage building at its water treatment facility. The new thermal dryer will produce a high-quality, nutrient-rich biosolid product produced from the wastewater treatment process that can be beneficially re-used as a fertilizer or soil amendment. The water treatment residuals storage building at the water treatment plant will temporarily store water treatment residuals before proper disposal.
The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday said it had issued showcause notices to edtech firm Think & Learn Private Limited and Byju Raveendran over alleged violation of 9,362.35 crore under Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999. Byju Raveendran of Think and Learn Pvt. Ltd that runs edutech start-up Byjus. (HT File)

Adjudicating Authority issues show cause notices to M/s. Think & Learn Private Limited and Byju Raveendran for violation involving an amount of Rs. 9362.35 Crore under FEMA, 1999, the central agency posted on X.



The announcement by ED comes hours after Byju's denied receiving any such notice over FEMA violations. Byju's unequivocally denies media reports that insinuate it has received a notice from the Enforcement Directorate. The company has not received any such communication from the Enforcement Directorate, the edtech platform had said in a statement earlier on Tuesday.

What's the case about?

In April this year, the ED had searched two business and one residential premise, including that of Byju's registered company Think & Learn Pvt. Ltd. -- under the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).

Byju's has been facing probe by the ED that claimed to have seized incriminating documents and digital data after searches. According to the agency, the company has not prepared its financial statements since 2020-21 fiscal and has not got the accounts, audited which is mandatory.

ED said the searches were carried out on the basis of complaints received by private people, alleging that edtech founder Raveendranwas issued "several" summons but he remained evasive and never appeared.

The searches found that the company received foreign direct investment (FDI) to the tune of about 28,000 crore during 2011-2023.

"The company also remitted about 9,754 crore to various foreign jurisdictions during the same period in the name of overseas direct investment," the ED had said.



According to the ED, Byju's booked around 944 crore in the name of advertisement and marketing expenses including the amount remitted to foreign jurisdiction.

The company earlier this month reported narrowing of operational losses in core business to 2,253 crore for the 2021-22 fiscal.
Elon Musk's electric car company Tesla and the Indian government are likely to finalise their deal to bring the America-made vehicles to the country. According to reports, Tesla might enter the Indian market in 2024. Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hands with Tesla chief executive Elon Musk during a meeting in New York City,(via REUTERS)

Bloomberg reported that India is inching closer to shaking hands with Tesla Inc, which would allow the US automaker to ship cars to the country. It is also expected that under this deal, Tesla would set up a factory in India in 2024.

The announcement regarding the deal can be made during the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit in January 2024, said a source quoted by Bloomberg. Tesla is considering Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat to set up their electric vehicle (EV) factory.

Tesla is also expected to make an initial investment of USD 2 billion to set up shop in India, and would look to increase purchases of auto parts from the nation to as much as USD 15 billion, reported Bloomberg.

Sources have also said that the plans are not finalised yet and could change in the future. Elon Musk's company is eyeing Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu since they already have well-established ecosystems for electric vehicles and exports. Gujarat is being considered because of the rapid increase in infrastructural development.

Apart from auto parts and shipping EVs, Tesla Inc is also planning to make some batteries in the country to bring down the costs. Tesla currently has factories set up in the US, China and Germany, and the Modi government's push for increasing EVs in India could lead to a major revenue boost for Elon Musk's firm.

India's electric vehicle market still remains low, with battery-powered cars accounting for just 1.3% of the total passenger vehicles sold last year.

While tariffs on importing Tesla vehicles to India can be exceptionally high, the prices could drop down to as low as 15 lakh if the vehicles are locally made.
The Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) has announced a new response-to-resolution process. The company serving more than 20 million customers each day through more than 21,000 retail outlets and over 90 million consumer base has called the move a significant improvement in its customer service experience (CX). A file photo of an oil refinery operated by Hindustan Petroleum Corp., in Mumbai.(Bloomberg file)

Streamline the response-to-resolution process for customer service requests related to LPG and Retail Outlets especially those coming via social media and email," Rajeev Goel, executive director, public relations, corporate communications and CSR, HPCL, said in a statement.

As of now, the HPCL serves its customers through Touch Points across the country everuday. The customers reach out via several channels including email and social media platforms.

The response to these requests by customers is centralised, with the actual resolution requiring coordination with thousands of field officers and offices across the length and breadth of the country.

According to the company statement, HPCL roped in QuickMetrix, the leading ORM (Online Reputation Management) and Customer Experience (CX) platform.

Working with the HPCL team, QuickMetrix recommended a two-way integration with Microsoft Dynamics 365.

How does the resolution system work?

The service requests from the HPCL customers received via emails and social media are collated and managed on QuickMetrix. These requests are tended to by a team of dedicated Customer Service Representatives in a centralized function.

When a customer service representative gets a service request on QuickMetrix, he/she interacts with the customers to get the details needed by the HPCL field officers.



This action seamlessly generates a ticket in the HPCL Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, Microsoft Dynamics 365. The ticket is then intelligently routed to the appropriate Field Officer or office via the Dynamics 365 app.

After the ticket reaches the designated field officers, they take swift action to resolve the issue. When the ticket is successfully closed by the field officer, Dynamics 365 immediately updates QuickMetrix. This real-time information update enables the Customer Service Representatives to promptly update the customer regarding the resolution status.

The central team at HPCL now has an efficient system for monitoring tickets and intervening in cases of aging tickets. They can also analyse tickets that take longer time to resolve to identify root causes and explore measures for quicker resolution. Additionally, streamlined reports provide valuable insights for continuous improvement, the statement added.

Benefits

According to HPCL, this process of integrating QuickMetrix with Microsoft Dynamics 365 delivered remarkable results for the company. HPCL said it witnessed a significant reduction in resolution times, resulting in a vastly improved customer experience.

For the LPG business, resolution time has decreased by an impressive 59%, the statement added. In the case of Retail Outlets, the reduction in resolution time is even more remarkable, with an astounding 85% improvement.

This innovative integration between QuickMetrix and Microsoft Dynamics 365 has been a game-changer for us and in alignment with HPCLs relentless focus on customer satisfaction. We are not only responding to customer requests faster but also resolving issues with unprecedented speed and efficiency, Goel said in the statement.



Our customers have noticed the difference, and we are committed to continually enhancing their experience. Our internal teams now invest time in analysis & continuous improvement rather than follow up," he added.
Employees at IT major Infosys are set to receive their performance bonuses for the July to September quarter. The bonuses, to be credited in November, will be in the form of an 80% payout. Infosys

The performance bonus, however, is not for all employees. Additionally, the 80% payout is the average; an individual's payout will be as per their performance and contributions in the relevant quarter (Q2FY24).

Who all will receive the payout?

According to an email sent by the Infosys HR team to the tech giant's staffers, the bonuses are only for eligible employees  people at position level 6 (PL6-manager) and below band (those below the manager category, barring entry-level staffers).

Dear Infoscion, we were able to stay relevant and build a solid foundation for future market share expansions in Q2, despite the challenging environment. You play a pivotal role in the success of our organisation and we look forward to an optimistic quarter with you, the email read.

The email further stated that unit managers will finalise the distribution of payouts for their respective units and inform those eligible, this week.

Infosys appraisal cycle

The Bengaluru-based company began its annual appraisal cycle in October. At the tech firm, appraisals begin in October each year, ending in September of the following financial year. Employees receive their ratings in January, followed by the release of the pay rise letter in June.
Morgan Stanley Co-President Andy Saperstein has been diagnosed with cancer and plans to keep working as he begins to receive treatment. A screen displays the trading information for Morgan Stanley on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., January 19, 2022. (REUTERS)

Im young and in otherwise good health, Saperstein, 56, said in a memo to employees Tuesday. That gives me great confidence as I begin the process of starting treatment so I can recover from this illness and put it all behind me. While my travel may be limited during the period of my treatment, I plan to continue working to make sure Morgan Stanley remains on our great path forward.

Saperstein was one of three candidates to take over for outgoing Chief Executive Officer James Gorman, a job that ultimately went to Ted Pick last month. In a rare move for Wall Street, the two men who missed out on the top job agreed to stay on, with Dan Simkowitz replacing Pick as co-president leading the investment-banking and trading division and Saperstein gaining oversight of the firms asset-management business in addition to his role leading wealth management.

Those two divisions have grown significantly over the past decade and produced roughly 57% of the firms revenue in the first nine months of this year. They manage a total of $6.2 trillion in client assets. On Monday, New York-based Morgan Stanley named Jed Finn head of the companys $4.8 trillion wealth-management business, giving him oversight of the biggest revenue generator at the firm.

Saperstein, who was charged with expanding the firms wealth-management juggernaut, has worked under Gorman at three firms across three decades, starting at consulting giant McKinsey & Co. before joining him at Merrill Lynch and then Morgan Stanley, where they overhauled the white-shoe investment bank.
In a bizarre incident, a man attacked his wife with a knife inside a police station in Karnataka while the couple was undergoing marital counselling. The woman sustained grievous injuries to her neck but is out of danger, news agency PTI reported. His wife, who suffered a deep cut on her neck, was taken to a nearby hospital and is out of danger. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon in Hassan district inside a women's police station after the wife had filed a complaint alleging torture and 'ill-treatment" by her 23-year-old husband. The man suspected her of infidelity and attacked her out of anger during the counselling session, the agency said.

ALSO READ | Karnataka police constable travels 230km to kill wife over suspicion of infidelity: Report

The couple had been married for more than two years and had been asked to come in for marital counselling on Sunday, where the man was questioned about his behaviour. When the woman accused him of misbehaving with her over suspicion that she was having an extra-marital affair and refused to go home with him, the man took out a knife from his pocket that he had brought from home and attacked her.

ALSO READ | Bengaluru: Female deputy director of Karnataka geology department found murdered

Cops rushed to overpower the man and took him into custody immediately after the attack. His wife, who suffered a deep cut on her neck, was taken to a nearby hospital, where she is receiving treatment and is out of danger.

The wife's accusations and refusal to go with him apparently angered the man to the extent that he took out a knife from his pocket, which he had brought from home, and attacked her inside the police station. He tried to stab her in the neck which left a deep cut, a senior police officer told the agency.

The man has been arrested and further probe is on.

(With inputs from PTI)
Almost two months after pro-Khalistan graffiti was found on a flyover in the national capital, Delhi Polices special cell has detained a man, aged around 35 years, from Kurukshetra in Haryana, according to sources. Pro-Khalistan graffiti being removed in New Delhi earlier this year. Two months after similar graffiti was found on a flyover in the national capitals Kashmere Gate area, Delhi Polices special cell detained a man from Kurukshetra in Haryana on Tuesday. (HT file photo)

Also read: Like a broken record: Canadian MP on fresh Khalistani threat to Hindu temple

The detained man, identified as Malak Singh, is suspected of having painted graffiti in Delhi and other parts of India at the behest of Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, the chief of banned outfit Sikhs for Justice, the police sources said on Tuesday.

Raids are underway in this connection in neighbouring Punjab also, they said.

The police had registered a case on September 27 after pro-Khalistan and anti-India slogans were found on the Kashmere Gate flyover.
A 36-year-old man allegedly slit the throats of his two minor sons aged 2 and 5 after which the younger child died in Delhis Wazirpur area, police said on Tuesday. The man and his eldest son were admitted to a nearby hospital by their family members. (Representative file image)

The man then tried to die by suicide with the same sharp object at their home in Wazirpur JJ Colony near Bharat Nagar in northwest Delhi on Monday evening, police added.

The man and his eldest son were admitted to a nearby hospital by their family members. Their condition is serious and are undergoing treatment, the police said.

Also Read: Son slits fathers throat in west Delhi, held trying to get body cremated

The man took the alleged extreme step out of anger and frustration over a family feud, the police said, and added that a case of murder, attempt to murder, and attempted suicide has been registered at the Bharat Nagar police station.

The police are questioning his family members to ascertain the exact reason behind such an act.

Deputy commissioner of police (northwest) Jitendra Kumar Meena said that around 6:30pm, the Bharat Nagar police station was informed about a stabbing incident at JJ Colony in Wazirpur.

A police team reached the house and learnt that a 36-year-old man, who is an inverter mechanic by profession, had committed the act. All three were taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared the 2-year-old child dead.

Initial inquiry revealed that the wife of the man had gone to the ground floor, where her mother-in-law lives, to fetch water when the man took the extreme step. Prima facie, it appears that he was enraged and upset due to family feud. Legal action is being taken into the matter, added DCP Meena.

If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist.

Helplines: Aasra: 022 2754 6669;

Sneha India Foundation: +914424640050 and Sanjivini: 011-24311918,

Roshni Foundation (Secunderabad) Contact Nos:

040-66202001, 040-66202000,

ONE LIFE: Contact No: 78930 78930, SEVA: Contact No: 09441778290
The plea came before Justice Sachin Datta who said he would pass an order on the interim application. HT Image

The defamation suit was filed in relation to a news article published by The Wire on November 9, which alleged links of the chief secretarys son to the beneficiarys family.

The 19-acre land in question was acquired by the National Highways Authority of India in 2018 for the construction of the Dwarka Expressway.

Kumar, in his plea, has sought to take down the article as well as a direction to restrain the news portal and the reporter from publishing any further defamatory articles against him.

During the hearing, senior advocate Maninder Singh, who appeared for Kumar, said the article was pre-planned in order to activate people against him and to please some people.

The counsel for the news portal said the intention behind the article, which only raised a few questions, was not to defame Kumar in any manner.

The suit said that a legal notice was also sent by the chief secretary to the portal and the reporter on November 13, claiming that the contents of the article are ex-facie misleading and per se defamatory.

According to reports, the price of the land was increased from 41.52 crore to 353.79 crore in May and the Union Ministry of Home Affairs initiated action against South West Delhi District Magistrate Hemant Kumar for approving the enhanced compensation.
The high court here on Tuesday asked authorities in the national capital, including the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), to submit a time frame for removal of concrete around all roadside trees. Representational picture(File photo)

Justice Jasmeet Singh directed the authorities to file their affidavits indicating the total number of trees that are surrounded by concrete and the number of trees around which concrete has already been removed.

"All respondents shall file an affidavit indicating the total number of trees which are concretised and the total number of trees which were concretised, have been now de-concretised and remain to be de-concretised," the court ordered.

"The affidavit will also indicate why the balance number of trees have not been de-concretised and the time frame within which the same shall be done," it added.

The court was hearing a contempt petition filed through lawyer Aditya N Prasad alleging that the area around hundreds of trees in Vasant Vihar in South Delhi was concretised and sought their preservation.

The counsel for CPWD told the court that it has de-concretised trees in all residential colonies in the city.

"It is to be done all over Delhi. It is not restricted to Vasant Vihar...The goal post is all over Delhi," the court told the counsel appearing for the respondents.

The court clarified that the affidavit by the respondents shall indicate the location of the trees and their de-concretisation shall be verified.

In 2021, the high court had said that photographs of the Vasant Vihar area depicted that hundreds of trees were concretised right up to the tree trunk, which was their evident victimisation.

The petitioner had said the conduct of authorities in failing to preserve the trees was a non-compliance with the orders passed by the high court as well as by the National Green Tribunal.
JAIPUR: Three persons abducted a 16-year-old girl in Rajasthans Ladnun town on Sunday, took turns to rape her and pushed her out of their car near her house later in the evening, police said on Tuesday. Police said the three suspects were taken into custody within hours of the police complaint being filed (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Ladnun station house officer (SHO) Shambhu Singh said the two suspects, Jasaram, 38, and Mahaveer, 34, have been placed under arrest for the girls gang rape. The third suspect, a 16-year-old, has been detained and action is being separately taken against him in line with the law for juvenile offenders.

Singh said the rape survivors father first raised an alarm about his daughter when he returned home on Sunday evening and found her missing and the main gate wide open. Police said when he was looking for his daughter, he saw a car approach the locality and dump someone on the lane.

It was his daughter.

The SHO also said the family filed the first information report (FIR) on Monday morning after his daughters condition stabilised and she spoke about the incident. A case was filed against the accused under sections 376 D (gangrape), 363 (abduction) of the Indian Penal Code, and the relevant sections of the Pocso Act. The medical test of the girl was also done; the report is awaited, he said.

As news of the gruesome crime spread, people staged a protest at the hospital to demand action against the culprits. On and off social media, leaders of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party attacked the Ashok Gehlot government over the crime and claimed that the situation would improve if people voted for the BJP. State elections in Rajasthan are due to be held on November 25.
The Rajasthan Congress on Tuesday released its manifesto for the upcoming state assembly poll due on November 25, promising a law for the farmers guaranteeing the Minimum Support Price (MSP), and expansion of the free medical treatment limit from 2,500,00 to 5,000,000 lakhs under the Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot and party leader CP Joshi release the partys manifesto for the upcoming state assembly elections in Jaipur on Tuesday. (ANp)

The manifesto also announced a law to guarantee complete school education, creating 1,000,000 employment opportunities- of which 400,000 are government jobs, and a new scheme to recruit people at the panchayat level to ease employment access for the youth at the ground level.

The party has promised to conduct a caste survey which was already notified by the state Social Justice and Empowerment Department on October 8, hours after chief minister Ashok Gehlot announced the exercise.

Launching the Jana Ghoshana Patra at the state party office in Jaipur, the CM on Tuesday said, Our government has delivered 96% of the promises made in the 2018 manifesto. Our 2023 manifesto is also a roadmap towards Mission 2030 and making Rajasthan one of the top states for which social security has been our priority in both the manifesto and the seven guarantees.

The party has earlier also announced seven guarantees for the state where it promised a 10,000 annual allowance to the woman head of the family, a law for the old pension scheme, expansion of the subsidised cylinder scheme to over one crore families, purchasing cow-dung at 2 per kg, 15 lakh insurance per household for damages due to natural disaster, free laptops for the fresh college-goers, and English medium school-education for all the students.

Congresss manifesto also committed to enact a Minimum Support Price Guarantee Act following the recommendations of M S Swaminathans National Commission on Farmers (NCF) in 2004. HT on November 19 reported that the party may propose such a law that will penalise anyone who doesnt purchase agricultural produce on MSP, ensuring fair returns to the farmers.

In an attempt to woo the farmers, the party has also announced an interest-free agricultural loan facility of up to 2 lakh to all farmers from cooperative banks, expansion of 12 agricultural missions outlined under the state agriculture budget, and a detailed plan for the staggered implementation of the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP).

Commenting on the development, the president of Kisan Mahapanchayat, Ram Lal Jat said, The MSP law, plan for ERCP, and the Congresss slew of promises to farmers in their manifesto will be beneficial for the small farmers. The MSP law will surely enrich Rajasthan and its farmers. It will be a historic step in Rajasthan. The farmers are thankful to the party.

While the partys major opponent in Rajasthan, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in their manifesto on Thursday announced a subsidised LPG cylinder at 450 to each Ujjwala scheme beneficiary, the Congress has committed to further reduce the cost of gas cylinders to 400 besides the partys guarantee to provide every household under the National Food Security Act and Below Poverty Line categories with LPG at 500.

Highlighting the core priorities of the party if it forms the government, the chairman of the Congress manifesto committee and the state assembly speaker C P Joshi also said that the party will also implement a Small Traders Credit Card Scheme similar to the Kisan Credit Card Scheme which will provide interest-free loans up to 500,000 to small traders, shopkeepers, and young entrepreneurs, promoting economic growth.

The Congress has also pledged to expand the scope of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) by guaranteeing 150 days of employment annually from the current 125 days and also include the auto and taxi drivers under the Gig Workers Welfare Act.

Both acts were introduced in the state assembly session in July this year,.While one of them is supposed to provide social security to gig workers and allow them to air any grievances, another one ensures a minimum income to the marginal people in the rural and urban areas and also a minimum pension of 1,000 per month in case of aged, disabled, or single women.

To ensure womens safety in the state, the Congress also proposed the installation of CCTV cameras in public spaces, the appointment of security guards at every village and urban ward, reducing the average investigation time in sexual harassment cases, and setting up womens courts on the lines of womens police stations for addressing legal matters concerning women.

Meanwhile, the BJP, which has been cornering the Congress for the womens safety issue in the last few months, said that a Mahila Thana will be set up in every district and a Mahila Desk in every police station besides an anti-Romeo squad in every city.

However, Joshi also announced a monthly free coupon for women to travel on state-owned buses, the expansion of free smartphones with an internet scheme, a scheme for special leave to be availed by women during their menstrual cycle, and 33% reservation for the women in the co-operative institutions, targeting the women voters of the state.

Enactment of an Accountability and Auto Service Delivery Act for good governance, introduction of a government-owned mobile-app based tele-medicine service, the Inclusion of In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) package Chiranjeevi Scheme, implementation of necessary measures and stringent punishments to prevent paper-leak incidents, and providing the youth with a career cell and an e-employment exchange are in the Congresss commitments ahead of the poll.

For the development of the Dalits, other backward categories, most backward classes, and the tribal people, the party has also announced a slew of proposals such as establishing an Equal Opportunities Commission, modification of the reservation percentage aligning with the actual number of population that would be enumerated in the caste survey, and provide a monthly 3,000 scholarship to children of SC/ST, OBC, minority, and EWS to support their school education.

Vowing to the welfare of the minorities, the party has also promised to implement a robust Minority Development Policy in consultation with community leaders, and constitute an Empowered Committee to study the social, economic, and educational conditions of minorities.

Setting up a state-level grievance redressal committee for the specially-abled people, and providing them with an additional 100 working days for specially abled under the MGNREGA were also declared by the party in their manifesto.

Assuring to fulfil all the new series of promises made by the party, the CM also laid out the growth of Rajasthan in the last five years under his governance.

He said, We are the first in the country who formed the government based on the manifesto. Rajasthan is now at the 12th position in the country in terms of per capita income which was in 30th rank in 2017-18 during the previous BJP government. It is also the second in the country in terms of financial development which has been possible only because of our schemes. It shows that the Congress does what it says.

Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge said, Congress never lie about their promises. But Modi keeps seeking sympathy during the election. Did they do anything except rebuking the Congress? They have repeated the same schemes we have implemented in their manifesto only to compete with us. People will never believe them. Congress will surely return to power this time.

The partys state president Govind Singh Dotasra, former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot, and other party leaders such as Jairam Ramesh, Mohan Prakash, and Bhanwar Jitendra Singh were also present at Tuesdays event.

However, reacting to the Congress manifesto, BJP state chief C P Joshi said, Congresss manifesto is a lie. It again reflects the partys attempt to cheat the people. Chiranjeevi is a scheme changing the name of Modis Ayushmann Bharat scheme. The manifesto neither mentions anything on the prevention of paper-leak nor the measures for womens safety. It is only an attempt by Gehlot to come back to power. But all will go in vain. People saw their true colour.
Continuing his attack on the Congress government in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday said criminals called the shots in the poll-bound state unlike in Uttar Pradesh where criminals and anti-social elements were sent on a journey to naraklok (hell). Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath addressing a rally in Udaipur in Rajasthan on November 21. (Sourced)

Making another comparison between the two states, he said, While Rajasthan has been crying for the last five years, in U.P., ever since the BJP came to power, lakhs of earthen lamps shine bright on Deepotsav. Under the Congress, Rajasthan has become notorious for mafia, criminals, lawlessness and paper leaks.

Addressing a series of public meetings for the second day in Rajasthan in Dungarpur, Udaipur, Chittorgarh and Bhilwara, Yogi said, In U.P., the criminals and mafia sent on a journey to naraklok (hell) will not be getting human form again. In Rajasthan, things are different now but will change as soon as the BJP is voted to power (there).

He also spoke of how the countrys profile had gone up under Prime Minister Narendra Modis stewardship. Today wherever PM Modi goes, people extend a hearty welcome to him. Such respect, such adulation is of course for PM Modi but in essence it is also a respect for 142 crore Indians. Countrys global profile has gone up manifold now, the CM added.

He said, India today talks of global peace but doesnt hesitate to gouge the eyes of its enemies who dare to cast an evil eye on the country. Yogi said since 2014, the countrys motto has been simple, Pehle hum kisi ko chedtey nahin, par koi chedega to uslo chorhte nahin (first we dont provoke anyone but if anyone does so, we dont leave them either. He said that curfews had become the identity of the Congress government while there were celebrations in BJP ruled states.
LUCKNOW A nine-year-old son of a senior Uttar Pradesh cop was killed after being hit by a speeding SUV in Lucknow on Tuesday morning, police said, adding that two college students were arrested later in the day. The spot where the accident took place near a street light pole on G20 Road. (Sourced)

The boy, Naimish Krishna, son of additional superintendent of police (ASP) Shweta Srivastava, was skating outside the park gate when the vehicle hit him, causing grievous injuries that led to his untimely demise. The incident took place in front of his mother, who was following him in a vehicle, said Ashish Srivastava deputy commissioner of police (east).

The two ypuths in the vehicle - Sarthak Singh, 20, LLB first semester student from a private university and his friend Devshree Verma, 22, pursuing BTech third year from a city college were arrested after the police launched a search for them. They were booked under IPC sections 279 (reckless driving) and 304-A (causing death due to negligent driving), he said.

The DCP said Devshree Verma was driving the SUV while going towards G20 road and Sarthak Singh was behind the wheel while returning when the boy was hit. The accused are residents of Indira Nagar Sector 16 and 19, respectively.

The speed of the SUV would have been around 150kmph as the two youths were competing with each other as to who could drive faster, the DCP said.

Sarthak Singh is son of a former Zila Panchayat member of Barabanki while Devshree Verma belongs to a businessmans family.

He said Verma had borrowed the SUV from his uncle Anshul Verma, a Kanpur jeweller, on Monday night and took it for the ride early on Tuesday morning. The jeweller had come to Lucknow for a family function and handed over the SUV to his nephew.

The news of the incident spread like wildfire, after which senior police officials, including special DG (law and order) Prashant Kumar and police commissioner SB Shiradkar reached ASP Shweta Srivastavas maternal home on Faizabad Road near Kukrail Bandha to console her. The ASP stays along with her mother in Lucknow while her husband Abhinav Srivastava is employed with a private bank in Gurgaon.

Shweta Srivastava is a 2007 batch Provincial Police Services (PPS) officer and currently posted as ASP in State Special Investigation Team since August 2022. Before being promoted to the ASP rank, she was posted as ACP of Gomti Nagar circle in Lucknow. Her son Naimish was a Class 3 student at St Francis School (Gomti Nagar branch).

The ASP had taken her son for a skating session at Team Awadh Speed Skating Academy at gate number 6 of Janeshwar Mishra Park around 4.30am. The childs road session was scheduled in the morning and the incident took place around 5.25am, said Sudhir Awasthi, inspector in-charge of Gomti Nagar Extension police station.

The SUV was coming from Shaheed Path side, moving towards Janeshwar Mishra Parks gate number 6 when it hit the boy. The victim suffered head injury and was declared dead at Sahara Hospital, he said, adding, The driver fled the spot after the accident.

He said the SUV was seized from Devshree Vermas house after the arrest of the two youths.
Mumbai: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) which is currently considering a proposal to appoint a new Director General of Police (DGP) of Maharashtra has sought some clarifications from the state government and questioned the need to change the current state police chief before the end of his term. The incumbent DGP Rajnish Seth who will retire on December 31, was selected by the state government as the chairperson of the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) in early October. According to insiders in the ruling alliance of Shiv Sena, NCP (Ajit faction), and BJP, Seth was given the option of the MPSC to create a vacancy for senior IPS officer Rashmi Shukla, who was mired in controversy over allegations of tapping phones of politicians during the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) regime. HT Image

Accordingly, the state government sent a proposal to the UPSC to appoint a new DGP. The UPSC now will prepare a panel of three officers fit to be DGP post and send it back to the state to select one from them but it has sought some clarification.

Shukla, an IPS officer of the 1988 batch is senior to the present DGP Rajnish Seth. At present, she is the DGP of the Sashastra Seema Bal. She had faced a slew of cases and she was accused of phone tapping while she was Commissioner of Intelligence of Maharashtra. Shukla was also wanted in these cases and moved the judiciary for relief. Her statements were recorded during the MVA and the then government consisting of the Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP and Congress accused her of being close to BJP. The UPSC has also asked about the criminal record she faced.

The list being sent for empanelment of officers has names of DG rank officers like Rashmi Shukla, Police housing corporation chief Sandeep Bishnoi. Mumbai police commissioner Vivek Phansalkar, Railway police DG Pradnya Sarvade, Thane police commissioner Jaijeet Singh, ATS chief Sadanand Date, NIA additional director Atulchandra Kulkarni and state security corporation DG Bipin Kumar Singh.

Shukla is due to retire in June 2024, but if she becomes the DGP, she can get a stipulated two year term. Phansalkar will retire in April 2025. These are two officers who can make it to the DGP.

Sources in the state government said that since there are elections due, there is a high chance of the state government appointing Shukla. Her vigilance report is now clear. The second choice can be Phansalkar but if he is promoted, then the state can downgrade the post of police commissioner Mumbai so that an officer of additional DG rank can be accommodated there. The state can possibly appoint special commissioner Deven Bharti to head Mumbai police or get another officer.

The state has responded to the UPSC that a vacancy was created as Seth was appointed in MPSC and also replied on charges faced by Shukla and now she has a vigilance clearance. All cases against her are now closed.
LUCKNOW/GORAKHPUR The Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) in Uttar Pradesh is actively combatting the sale of unauthorised Halal-stamped products across the state. Various FSDA squads conducted raids on stores in the state capital to curb the manufacture, storage, distribution, and sale of food products with Halal certification, excluding those intended for export. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath has directed officials to impose a ban on products with Halal certification (HT Photo)

As part of their enforcement efforts, samples were collected during inspections at different establishments on Tuesday. Notably, the FSDA team targeted Spencers Retail Private Limited at Ashiana Emerald Mall, seizing five packets of 500 grams of organic ingredients, valued at approximately 800, all bearing an unauthorised Halal certificate.

Spice Metro Cash And Carry Wholesale Near BBD College faced similar action, with 50 packets of Chaat Masala and 42 packets of Garam Masala, worth approximately 3,900 and 4,400 respectively, confiscated due to their unauthorised Halal certification.

Blinkit Store in Banthra Karauli also came under scrutiny as 164 packets of Chicken Delite soup (Knorr Brand), valued at approximately 11,480, were seized for featuring an unauthorised Halal certificate. Assistant Commissioner of FSDA, SP Singh, said that samples from these establishments were sent to the laboratory for analysis, and legal action would be taken based on the results under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.

Additional inspections were carried out at various establishments, including Best Price Near Shaheed Path LuLu Mall, Blinkit Store Gudamba Kursi Road, Smart Jiya Cantt Road, Vishal Mega Mart Burlington Square, Kashmir Dry Fruit Mart Hazratganj, Satguru Kirana Hazratganj, 24X7 Grocery Store Nazarbagh, Patanjali, and others.

While no food items with unauthorised Halal certification were found, a warning was issued to these establishments against selling such marked items in the future. Assistant commissioner SP Singh said, A ban has been imposed on the sale of Halal-certified products in the domestic market, as investigations continue to ensure compliance.

Meanwhile, FSDA raids were also conducted in Kanpur and Moradabad. Vijay Pratap Singh, the food safety commissioner in Kanpur, reported that despite inspections at 23 places on November 20, no unauthorised Halal-certified products were found. Similar reassurances came from Rajvansh Srivastava, assistant commissioner of Food Safety in Moradabad, as they continue to check for compliance in the region.

In Gorakhpur and Basti divisions, district authorities launched a rigorous crackdown operation against the sale and storage of Halal-certified products on Tuesday, resulting in the confiscation of numerous spices, dry fruit items, and cosmetic products.

A team comprising officials from the goods, security, and drug departments meticulously inspected products at City Mall and various other stores, as well as the food corner in the city. In a targeted operation at Orion Mall and Big Bazar, 18 packets of spices commonly used in Biryani, along with assorted cosmetic items, were seized.

In Basti, a joint team of district Food and Drug Security Authorities (FSDA) officials raided a wholesale dry fruit shop in Gandhi Nagar, seizing 12 bags of honey and some pastes certified with a Halal certificate.

In Sidharth Nagar, the team scrutinised a range of items, including oil, toothpaste, cold drinks, and meat packets. Similarly, in the Abubakar Nagar market of Deoria district, officials seized 73 packets of Biryani masala and 64 packets of Korma masala, all adorned with Halal certificates.

Significantly, chief minister Yogi Adityanath has directed officials to impose a ban on products with Halal certification, considering it a malicious attempt to exploit sentiments.
SILCHAR: India on Monday handed over seven Bangladeshi nationals including three children to a joint team of Sylhet police and Border Guard Bangladesh at the Indo-Bangla border post in Assams Karimganj district, completing the process to deport them that started several years ago. On Monday, they were taken to Karimganj from Matia transit camp and were handed over to a team from Bangladesh near Zero Point

A Border Security Force (BSF) official said the seven illegally entered India near Tripuras Agartala and were headed to Delhi when they were arrested in Assam.

Six of them were arrested in Karimganj while one was apprehended in Sivasagar district. They were sent to Goalparas Matia Transit Camp as per the courts order after the arrests, an official said.

The seven were identified as Sahida Begum, Abdul Wadud Mandal, Babul Sardar, Sarmin Begum and her three minor sons Ismail Sheikh, Shakil Sheikh and Shakib Sheikh. Sahida is a resident of Bangladeshs Gopalganj district while the others are residents of the Khulna district, an officer said, citing official records.

On Monday, they were taken to Karimganj from Matia transit camp and were handed over to a team from Bangladesh near Zero Point along pillar number 1360 at Sutarkandi-Beanibazar.

The Bangladesh side was represented by Sylhet districts Beanibazar police station officer-in-charge, Shimul Roy and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel.

A BSF official said an illegal immigrant is deported only after the receiving country confirms that the immigrant concerned is its national.

The official said there were over 200 Bangladeshi nationals at the Matia Transit Camp where the process for deportation was in various stages.
The Bihar government issued the gazette notification for the two quota bills on Tuesday after Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar signed the Bihar reservation of vacancies in posts and services (For SC, ST, EBC and OBC) amendment Bill and the Bihar (In admission in educational, institutions) reservation amendment Bill, 2023, to pave the way for the increase in quota from the existing 50% to 65%. CM Nitish Kumar chairs a review meeting to implement the provisions of new reservation law. (Santosh Kumar/HT)

The two bills were signed on November 18 itself, though became public on Tuesday only.

Bihar Legislative Assembly had on November 9 passed the two bills unanimously.

With this, total reservation in the state will reach 75% after adding the 10% quota to the economically weaker sections (EWS).

Under the new provision, based on the findings of the landmark caste survey in the state, the quota for scheduled (SC) goes up to 20%, while that of scheduled tribe (ST) to 2%, extremely backward classes (EBC) to 25% and other backward classes (OBC) to 18%.

Earlier, total reservation in Bihar was 50%.

On analysis of data collected during Caste based Survey 2022-23, it is apparent that large section of backward classes, schedule caste and schedule tribe need to be promoted for them to catch up to satisfy cherished aim in the Constitution of equality in opportunity and status, says the gazette notification.

It further says that the members of SC/ST and other backward classes have remained deprived and marginalized for centuries. Though affirmative action has led to improvement in their life to certain extent, the ultimate goal of equality has not yet been achieved. Date further strengthens the perception that in addition to measures already in place the State is required to take further measures to accelerate ultimate object of proportional equality.

The survey  the first in independent India to successfully enumerate all castes  had found that EBCs, which comprise 112 castes, and the OBC  formed by 30 communities  together comprised 63.13% of the state population. Scheduled castes form 19.65% and scheduled tribes 1.68%.

Upper castes were found to be 15.52% of the states population.

Though BJP backed the bills in the House, the party and its allies have questioned the veracity of the survey, with several caste groups claiming that their number is less than what they perceived.

However, chief minister Nitish Kumar had brushed aside these apprehensions in the Assembly, saying how could anyone question the data when it is the first-time caste-based count has been done since 1931.

The bill is expected to shake up heartland politics. It certainly has the potential. However, it will be interesting to watch how far it goes to benefit the I.N.D.I.A bloc. Now Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is also talking by about it strongly and promising caste-based census in the country. The buildup will be key, said D M Diwakar, former director of AN Sinha Institute of Social Studies.

Later, the CM held a high-level meeting with the top officials for effective implementation of the two quota bills so that the benefits could reach the targeted groups.
Bihar Combined Entrance Competitive Examination Board, BCECEB has released the Bihar AYUSH NEET UG 2023 counselling stray round schedule. Candidates who want to check the schedule can check it on the official website of BCECEB at bceceboard.bihar.gov.in. Bihar AYUSH NEET UG 2023 Counselling: Stray round schedule out

As per the official schedule, the online registration cum choice filling for seat allotment will begin today, November 21, 2023 and will close on November 23, 2023. The seat allotment result will be displayed on November 25, 2023 and the allotment order can be downloaded from November 25 to November 27, 2023. The document verification and admission will be done from November 26 to November 27, 2023.

Bihar AYUSH NEET UG 2023 Counselling: How to apply

To apply online, candidates can follow the steps given below.

Visit the official website of BCECEB at bceceboard.bihar.gov.in.

Click on Bihar AYUSH NEET UG 2023 counselling stray round link available on the home page.

Enter the login details and click on submit.

Fill the application form and make the payment of application fees.

Once done, click on submit.

Your application form have been submitted.

Download the confirmation page and keep a hard copy of the same for further need.

For more related details candidates can check the official website of BCECEB.
Finished your board exams but not sure what career choice to make? Well, this is one situation felt by most students, especially the college-goers. Any individual needs to make the correct choice when it comes to his/her profession to lead a successful life. Whether choosing a career in the engineering sector, medical or agricultural sciences or even entrepreneurship, the decision is never easy. However, with the right guidance, the decision-making process can become a lot simpler. Easy steps to build your dream career(Pixabay)

While a few colleges do offer career counseling sessions, numerous other institutions in India do not have this facility. As a result, students find it slightly difficult to decide on what they want to do next.

OSSSC Recruitment 2023: November 20 last date to apply for 2712 Forest Guard & other posts

Speaking to Hindustan Times, Dr. Jogen Chandra Kalita, Dean of Faculty of Science and Professor & Head of the Department of Zoology, Gauhati University, said, the fact of career guidance needs to be taken up seriously by the school authorities at the secondary stage itself by setting up career guidance cells with professionals and experts from different walks of life, including the corporate sector.

He added, Students would then know about the various opportunities to them in different disciplines  from basic science, medical, engineering, law, humanities, management, nursing, commerce, and international trade, among others.

Prof Kalita further stated that such guidance will enable students to identify their strengths weaknesses, opportunities, and threats while opting for various career paths.

In this article, we will look at some tips that can help you make a great career choice!

1.Narrow down what you are passionate about

The foremost task for any individual when it comes to a fruitful career is pursuing what they truly believe in. In other words, following ones dream can do wonders. However, it is natural for students to be unsure about what interests them the most. The trick to solving this issue is to narrow down your interests by identifying what encourages you or drives you to be successful.

CTET July 2024 registration closes soon, apply on ctet.nic.in

2. Develop your skill-set

Once you have narrowed down your interest, it is imperative to develop your skills. Now, skills are of two types  hard skills and soft skills. While hard skills relate to technical knowledge needed for a specific work, soft skills primarily focus on personality characteristics required for easy communication.

3. Network building

Networking is one of the most important ways to learn more about a specific job from other working professionals. The individuals can also provide credible inputs and act as references to inform about opportunities. For instance, updated profiles on social media networking platforms such as LinkedIn can help individuals get in touch with successful professionals who can share insights about the industry and inform them about vacancies.

IIT Bombay ends CEED 2024 and UCEED 2024 applications today with late fee

4. Doing a SWOT analysis

Another important aspect of career building is doing a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis of yourself. In other words, it is crucial to analyze ones strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats routinely. A thorough analysis will drive students in the right direction of career growth.

5. Having an optimistic approach

An optimistic outlook in ones career path is one of the most crucial points that needs to be kept in mind. There will be highs and lows in your career, but one must never give up. Always be ready for change and cherish every opportunity that comes your way. The idea is to taste success with a positive mindset.

(Taken from different sources)
The University College London (UCL) has announced a new scholarship scheme to enable 100 of Indias brightest students to study in the UK at one of the worlds leading universities. This scholarship will support Indian students with an outstanding academic record to pursue full-time Master's degree studies at UCL. UCL announces scholarship scheme for Indian students to study in the UK

UCL Vice-President (External Engagement), Kirsty Walker, and Vanita Uppal OBE, Director, The British School New Delhi on November 21 signed an agreement officially launching the initiative at a ceremony in India.

According to the press release by UCL, Thirty-three scholarships will be awarded to exceptional students who have achieved or are on track to achieve a first-class degree for the 202425 academic year. A further 67 scholarships will be awarded during the following two years.

The UCL India Excellence Scholarships offer prospective Master's students in any discipline the opportunity to receive 5,000 towards their studies.

We are delighted to be able to offer these new and diverse opportunities that both illustrate our ongoing commitment to Indian students and strengthen our connection with India. Indian students are vital members of UCLs global community and we are dedicated to providing more resources and support to help the very best of them share their knowledge and expertise with us in the UK," said UCL President and Provost, Dr Michael Spence.

The inaugural UCL India Summer School will take place from June 10 to June 14, 2024, and will feature five leading UCL professors delivering modules to 50 students in years 10 and 11, working in small groups, said the press release.
Pax Jolie-Pitt's scathing views against his father, days after Brad Pitt made his affair public has gone viral. Pax Jolie-Pitt, shared quite scathing views against his father, days after Brad Pitt made his affair public.

In 2020, Pax Jolie post put up an Instagram story to wish his father, Hollywood icon, Brad Pitt, a Happy Father's Day. However, apart from the word there wasn't anything happy in the 19-year-old's wish. Sharing a photograph of Brad with an Oscar, he wrote: "Happy Father's Day to this world class a*****e!! You time and time and again prove yourself to be a terrible and despicable person."

You have no consideration or empathy toward your four youngest children who tremble in fear when in your presence. You will never understand the damage you have done to my family because you are incapable of doing so.

According to images shared by Daily Mail, he ended his note with: "You have made the lives of those closest to me a constant hell. You may tell yourself and the world whatever you want, but the truth will come to light someday. So, Happy Father's Day, you f*****g awful human being!!!"

The four youngest children who tremble in fear, would be Zahara, 18, Shiloh, 17, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 15. The last three are Brad and Angelina's biological children while Zahara was adopted by the Maleficent actress in 2005 from Awasa, Ethiopia.

Pax as well, was adopted by Angelina from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam in 2007 when he was three years old. A year later he was formally adopted by Brad.

Well, it seems it's not only Pax who holds grudges against Brad as Zahara who recently joined the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority in Spellman College's Atlanta campus, dropped Pitt from her last name.

Angelina along with Pax and Maddox was present to celebrate the Zahara's luncheon in Georgia.

As for Brad, he is rumoured to be dating, Ines de Ramon, a 26-year-old jewellery designer.
George Clooney is a reputed figure in Hollywood, famous for hit films like Ocean's Eleven and Ocean's Twelve. The 62-year-old actor has never really been mired in any public feuds throughout his career. However, the Up in the Air star once swore to never work with one particular director. Almost 25 years ago, Clooney had an altercation with American filmmaker David O. Russell on the set of the 1999 film Three Kings. At that time, the situation escalated so badly that the 65-year-old director nearly took up a physical fight with Clooney. US actor George Clooney arrives for The Albies hosted by the Clooney Foundation at the New York Public Library in New York City on September 28, 2023. The Albies is the Clooney Foundation for Justice's annual event honoring courageous defenders of justice. The event is named in honor of Justice Albie Sachs, who is revered for his heroic commitment to ending apartheid, and will be hosted by Amal and George Clooney, co-founders of the Clooney Foundation for Justice, and Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)(AFP)

Unlike Clooney, Russell has made many headlines for alleged feuds, misconduct, and bad behaviour towards stars while filming. More recently, he was accused of making Amy Adams cry on the set of American Hustle and brutally yelling at Jennifer Lawrence during the 2015 film Joy as per Best Life. What's more shocking is that Russell's own niece accused him of sexual misconduct in 2011. However, he denied the allegations and was not charged for the allegations.

Russell constantly yelled and screamed

Back in 2000, while speaking to Playboy, Clooney revealed that he fought for a role in Russell's war drama film. David Russell wrote as good a script as I've ever read. I fought to get it. He wanted a lot of other actors before me. They went to Mel [Gibson] and to [Nicolas] Cage. I wanted to work on this movie. David is in many ways a genius, though I learned that he's not a genius when it comes to people skills, he said.

However, Clooney's fondness towards Russell started fading soon after filming began. He yelled and screamed at people all day, from day one, [Russell yelled at] me often and at someone daily, the Ticket to Paradise star explained to the outlet. In later news, Clooney revealed his dissatisfaction with Russell's mistreatment of crew members. According to Vulture, Clooney said, I told [Russell], 'You can yell and scream and even fire [the camera car driver], but what you can't do is humiliate him in front of people. Not on my set, if I have any say about it.

Clooney went nuts after Russell hit him

Talking to Playboy, Clooney recalled a more heated situation and said, David wanted one of the extras to grab me and throw me down. This kid was a little nervous about it, and David walked up to him and grabbed him. He pushed him onto the ground. He kicked him and screamed, Do you want to be in this [expletive] movie?

When the ER star tried to intervene, Russell goaded him into a physical fight, grabbed him by his throat and hit him in the head. At that point, Clooney revealed that he went nuts and held onto the director's throat. I had him by the throat. I was going to kill him. Kill him. Finally, he apologized, but I walked away, the Perfect Storm actor recalled.

Following the heated exchange between the duo, Clooney decided that the would never work with the Amsterdam crooner ever again. Staying true to his promise, the Gravity star has not worked with Russell to date. However, he revealed that he made peace with Russell in 2014. Clooney told Showbiz411 back then, There came a time when I just said to him, Is this going to go on forever? We've got to shake hands and let it go. We put it behind us. And that's great, he added.
Lily Gladstone is a revelation in Martin Scorsese's period saga Killers of the Flower Moon. As one of the last Osage standing, Mollie, Lily exudes an easy charm. She effectively holds her own in front of stalwarts like Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio, underlining the film's theme that Native Americans like her have so much to offer. (Also Read: Martin Scorsese interview: Barbie and Oppenheimers success offers hope for a different cinema to emerge') Lily Gladstone plays the leading lady in Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon

In an exclusive interview with Hindustan Times, Lily talks about her creative inputs for the film, the implied fear of getting pigeonholed as a member of her community on screen, and how the Osage is a tribe of storytellers. Excerpts:

When I interviewed Martin Scorsese last month, he said that Killers of the Flower Moon resonates with anyone who's ever been colonised. Do you believe its story is as universal as it's personal to you?

It's a great question. It seems like it is universal. There are people who are resonating with it, with Mollie specifically. This film is an indictment of people's complicity in colonisation and white supremacy because of the paradigm we look the film through. It is personal to me, but I do see that the people reacting to it the most and resonating it with the most are the ones who've been affected by colonisation.

You saw first-hand Martin Scorsese get acquainted with the Osage culture while making this film. Was there anything specific you personally helped him out with?

(Laughs) Yeah, and Leo too. I was visiting my language teacher, Chris Corte. Chris knows that when you teach language, you also teach culture. And if you're teaching culture, you also teach story. Chris told me this story of a trickster figure, which we have in our nation too. Our trickster figure is different. The Osage have several trickster figures for different purposes. Chris was telling me about a coyote figure, and I kept thinking wow, it's a really good analogy for the rest of the film. With Chris' permission and other communities' permissions, we used it in our film.

We don't tell that story in the film, but Ernest (Leonardo DiCaprio) is that coyote figure. He's soft-serving, hedonistic, loves to feel good, is kind of silly and stupid, and keeps getting into trouble. He doesn't win in the end, but the audience learns how not to be by watching him. So I was talking to Marty how Molly had a blind spot for Ernest because she believed he wasn't capable of that. So Molly may have seen him as this trickster figure.

When you hear these stories as a kid, they're very funny. But then you think about them as an adult and you realise it was giving you a lesson. So Marty loved that. Leo loved that, as it gave him some kind of characterisation to sink his teeth into. It's still kind of a joke between all of us calling Leo a coyote. When everyone was saying this film is going to be called Marty's first Western, I jumped in and said I see it as a cautionary tale, Marty's trickster story.

You said in an interview that no Osage filmmaker is going to get $200 million to make an epic like Martin Scorsese did.

(Laughs) I hope I'm wrong!

That's what I'm coming to. Do you believe that you being the face of this movie is a step in the right direction, that will help us see that day sooner than we imagine?

Thank you for asking that. I hope so, I really hope so. One feedback that's been coming in a lot is people desiring to watch more perspectives of Molly and her sisters, of what the Osage were experiencing. A lot of what was in the film was influenced by a book written by an Osage man, Charles Red Corn. It's called A Pipe for February. Marty is very supportive of that being developed, maybe into a series. And Charles' grandson is adapting it right now, with the support of Marty.

There are these stories that deserve this level of production and immersive worldbuilding. If it's the trickster story that makes this film so universal, it comes from indigenous knowledge. There are Osage filmmakers who deserve that kind of budget to tell these stories through their perspective. We now know that people are excited by, challenged by, and are seeking out these stories.

Finally, do you feel the critical acclaim you're getting from the film is going to fetch you more opportunities outside your identity as an indigenous woman? Or is there a concern that you'd be limited to roles from your community as an actor?

I've been asked since my undergrad if I want my characters to be limited by ethnicity. So far, it hasn't helped me back. Any role I play, which is native or highlights native history or culture, whether or not it's laid out, I'm always going to make that character native. Short answer: No, I've got some lovely offers in films that exist in different realms and are going to expand and challenge me as an actor.

Native American people have been all over the world. One example I use is that I met a Blackfeet man in Vienna. He was Viennese-born. His grandmother was a Blackfeet married to a Viennese farmer back at the turn of the century. They moved back to Vienna together and started a family. When I met him, I said yes, you look like people back home. It goes on to show that there is a narrative that we're stuck in a narrow box, but native people have been everywhere and they'll always be. We're like a lot of people in the world, we're global citizens. So any role that I play now will be an extension and demonstration of that.

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Peacock's reality show Love Island Games crowned its first-ever winners Monday night November 20. After weeks of intense battle, Justine Ndiba and Jack Fowler, 27, won the first season of the Love Island spinoff show. In addition to the winners' title, Ndiba and Fowler also took home a hefty paycheck of $100,000. Prior to the finale, two other couples- Aurelia Lamprecht, 25, & Johnny Middlebrooks, 25, and Deb Chubb, 27, & Callum Hole, 25, were up against the champion duo. Love Island Games 2023(Instagram/ Peacock)

Ndiba showcased her generosity and kind-heartedness when she chose to split the prize money with Fowler. When she was given the choice to either keep the entire amount or split it with her partner, Ndiba said, I wouldn't have been able to get here without Jack. My family could really use this. I just feel like the connection I felt with Jack this time was a lot more real than the last time, she continued, adding that Fowler had a rough time in here.

I feel like we both really deserve it, so I'm going to split it, Ndiba added. The 30-year-old then said to Fowler, Money is not everything. Just to be here with you doing this is more than that. The reality show, which was set in serene Fijian islands, brought together fan-favourite Love Island contestants spanning various seasons and series across the globe- USA, UK, Australia, France, Sweden and Germany.

Fowler made his Love Island debut in 2018, on the fourth season of the UK version of the show. Meanwhile, Ndiba first appeared on the US version of the show back in 2019. She was also crowned the winner of Love Island USA Season 2, in 2020. The inaugural season of the Peacock's reality dating spin-off show premiered this year on November 1. The show hosted by Maya Jama featured 26 islanders in total.
Around 35 fishermen from Tamil Nadu who were arrested more than a month ago from near the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) in the Indian Ocean, and tried and fined 25,000 Pounds Sterling, were on Monday handed over to the Indian Coast Guard, a defence statement said. 35 fishermen from Tamil Nadu who were arrested more than a month ago from near the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), at Vizhinjam after they were handed over to Indian Coast Guard.(PTI)

The fishermen had ventured to fishing areas in the deep sea, around 230 nautical miles near the BIOT -- an archipelago of 58 islands covering some 640,000 sq km of ocean. The area is a British Overseas Territory, located approximately halfway between East Africa and Indonesia, and administered from London, the statement said.

The fishermen were arrested on September 29, tried at BIOT and fined 25,000 British Pounds, it said. One boat has been seized as the fine was not paid, while another boat and its 35 crew members were released, it said.

They were brought off Vizhinjam on BIOT patrol vessel 'Grampien Endurance' and on their own fishing boat. They were handed over at sea to Indian Coast Guard ships 'Anagh' and 'C 441', the statement said.

The fishermen are expected to arrive at Vizhinjam around 7:30 pm where they will be medically examined and interrogated by agencies concerned. Subsequently, they will be handed over to the Fisheries Department for safe passage to Thengapattinam in Tamil Nadu, the statement added.
New Delhi HT Image

After successful conclusion of a preliminary free trade agreement (FTA) last year, India and Australia have started discussions to take bilateral ties forward in areas such as digital trade, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), traditional knowledge, labour, and sports, two people aware of the development said.

New Delhi and Canberra concluded the seventh round of talks regarding a comprehensive deal on October 20, agreeing to pursue negotiations on five tracks and 14 new areas, including digital trade, government procurement, MSMEs, traditional knowledge, sports, gender, environment, innovations, space, labour, and competition policy, they added requesting anonymity.

While each partner has identified potential areas of cooperation, both will finally converge on areas of common interests, and take the negotiations further. Meanwhile, formal talks on five tracks  remaining goods, services, digital trade, government procurement, product-specific rules of origin (ROO-PSRs) -- have been progressed fast, one official said.

GRAF ON 2+2

According to official data of the commerce ministry, Indias exports to Australia jumped 17% to $4.9 billion in the first six months (April-September) of 2023-24 while imports fell by 24.6% to $8.3 billion. India key exports to Australia are petroleum products, pharmaceuticals, iron and steel products, electrical machinery, and garments. Its chief imports are coal, gold, iron ore, pulses and minerals. Most of the imports are feeding to our domestic industries as raw materials, the second official said.

After operationalising the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) with Australia in December last year, the two partners agreed to pursue a wider deal, a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) and have been working on its contours since February. India and Australia are looking to enhance the scope of ECTA, signed on April 2, 2022, and ratified by parliaments of the two countries last November. During Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Australia in May, he and his counterpart Anthony Albanese reiterated their commitment to concluding CECA by the end of this year.

The talks for expanding scope of ECTA proves that the deal is mutually beneficial and has immense potential to grow further, the second official said. The impact of FTA between India and Australia is visible. Australia has become Indias 10th top export destination in April-October 2023 with exports of $5.48 billion, with about 16% year-on-year growth, he added. According to the Australian trade department, in 2022 India was Australias 6th largest trading partner with two-way trade in goods and services valued at $46.5 billion.

The comprehensive FTA will take economic ties between the two countries to a strategic level as Australia is expected to offer assured supplies of critical minerals such as lithium and cobalt to India without any disruption, the second official said. The two sides will, however, have to deal with tricky issues such as Australias demand for greater access to Indias market for its wines and agricultural products, the officials said.
The Congress released its manifesto for the Rajasthan assembly elections on Tuesday. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party in-charge for Rajasthan Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, chief minister Ashok Gehlot, state party president Govind Singh Dotasra, manifesto committee chairman CP Joshi and former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot released the manifesto - 'Jan Ghoshna Patra' - at the state party office. Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot (PTI)

The Congress promised a new scheme for recruitment at the panchayat level and caste census in the Rajasthan election manifesto if it returns to power in the state.

"...The way in which we have managed the financial situation of Rajasthan, the people of Rajasthan will feel proud about it... The per capita income has increased by 46.48 per cent in Rajasthan. Till 2030, it is our dream to achieve the number-one position in per capita income. In 202021, the state GDP reached 19.50, which is the highest in the decade...," Gehlot said at the press conference.

Gehlot has already announced seven guarantees, or promises, to the people of Rajasthan if the Congress is re-elected.

The seven guarantees include

An annual honorarium of  10,000 to the women head of the family under the Griha Lakshmi Yojana guarantee. LPG cylinders for  500 to 1.05 crore families. Purchase of dung from cattle rearers for  2 per kg under the Gowdhan guarantee. Law for the old pension scheme for government employees. Laptop or tablet to students taking admission in government colleges. Insurance cover up to  15 lakh per family to compensate for losses due to natural calamity and education in English medium. Chiranjeevi health insurance scheme to be made from  25 lakh to  50 lakh

The Bharatiya Janata Party has already released its manifesto.

On the release of the manifesto, Kharge said, "...We fulfill the promises we make... If any party does 90 per cent of what is said in the manifesto, then this is a big achievement for Rajasthan and the Congress party..."

Rajasthan will go to the assembly election on November 25 and the counting of votes will be held on December 3. The BJP won 163 seats in the 2013 legislative assembly elections and formed the government in Rajasthan.

In the 2018 assembly elections, the Congress won 99 seats, while the BJP won 73 seats in the 200-member House. Gehlot eventually took the oath as CM with the support of BSP MLAs and Independents.
Assembly Elections 2023: Campaigning is in full flow for the upcoming Rajasthan and Telangana assembly elections, to be held on November 25 and 30, respectively. While Rajasthan, where the Congress is in power, has 200 assembly segments, Telangana, which has a Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government, has 119 assembly segments. Representational Image

The counting of votes for both states will be held on December 3. On the same day, counting will also take place for assembly polls held in Chhattisgarh (November 7 and 17), Madhya Pradesh (November 17) and Mizoram (November 7). Together, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram have 360 seats  90, 230 and 40, respectively.

Significantly, these are the last set of state polls before next year's Lok Sabha elections, where prime minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will seek a third straight term.
New Delhi: Delhi water minister Atishi on Tuesday opened yet another front against chief secretary Naresh Kumar as she accused him of not releasing funds to the Delhi Jal Board. Requesting LG VK Saxena to intervene in the matter, she said the alleged freeze of funds may trigger a severe water crisis in the national capital. She also demanded suspension of finance secretary Ashish Verma for not releasing the funds. Delhi vigilance minister Atishi(ANI)

The minister said despite her being the finance minister of the union territory, the finance department wasn't releasing funds for the agency, which provides water to the people of Delhi. She accused Verma of stopping all DJB funds since August at the behest of the chief secretary.

Atishi claimed there could be a water crisis in Delhi as there was no money to pay the salaries of DJB's workers.

"Delhi is about to face a serious crisis of water supply and sewer maintenance due to non release of funds to the Delhi Jal Board, by the Finance Dept of Delhi Govt. Have written to the Honble LG VK Saxena," she wrote on X later.

"Earlier, these were routine matters where officers would execute the directions of the Ministers. However, after the GNCTD Amendment Act, officers only follow the directions of the Honble LG as he controls Services and Vigilance. Therefore have requested the intervention to prevent a crisis in Delhi," she added.

Also read: Atishi files report on complaint against Delhis chief secretary

This comes days after Atishi - who also handles the vigilance department of the Delhi government  submitted a probe report to chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, alleging irregularities in land acquisition for the Dwarka expressway. The report claimed Naresh Kumar benefited a company linked to his son with over 850 crore of illicit profits. The minister recommended the suspension of the chief secretary and a CBI probe into the matter.

"A clear nexus has been found between Naresh Kumar, his son Karan Chauhan and the beneficiary landowners who were provided a windfall gain of 897.1 crores at the cost of public exchequer... a detailed report will be submitted to the CM within one week, Atishi said in the report.

Also read: Delhi minister Atishi writes to CBI, ED for probe against chief secretary

Kumar has denied the charge.

"Let CBI/ED also investigate such conspiracy being done by vested interests, including public authorities, to malign me, against whom action has been taken by me, including removal from services/posts, suspension, referring cases to ED, CBI and Delhi Police with approval of the competent authorities for investigation, Kumar said in a statement.

On November 19, Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena refused to consider Atishi's report alleging prima facie complicity of Naresh Kumar in the alleged scam.

Also read: "This is Kejriwal Model": BJP's Shehzad Poonawalla attacks Delhi CM over toxic foam floating on Yamuna's surface

Saxena alleged the report was leaked to start a media trial, reported PTI.

"I have received the 'Preliminary Report' on 'Complaints', submitted by the Hon'ble Minister (Vigilance) and endorsed by the Hon'ble Chief Minister. It is surprising and unfortunate, to say the least, that this report, which deals with sensitive vigilance-related matters and has been marked to my Secretariat in confidential cover, is already in the public domain and its digital/electronic copies are freely available and details thereof have been widely reported in the media," he has said in an official file, per PTI.

With inputs from PTI
New Delhi: The parliamentary privileges committee will resume its deliberations over charges that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker Ramesh Bidhuri hurled communal slurs at Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) parliamentarian Danish Ali during a discussion in the Lok Sabha onSeptember 22 by asking both lawmakers to depose before it on December 7. BJP lawmaker Ramesh Bidhuri hurled communal slurs at Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) parliamentarian Danish Ali during a discussion in the Lok Sabha in September. (PTI)

Oral evidence of Kunwar Danish Ali, MP in respect of complaints received from various Members of Parliament against Shri Ramesh Bidhuri and Kunwar Danish Ali, MPs for alleged improper conduct during the discussion on Chandrayaan-III Mission in the House. (2) Oral evidence of Shri Ramesh Bidhuri, MP in respect of complaints received from various Members of Parliament against him and Kunwar Danish Ali, MPs for alleged improper conduct during the discussion on Chandrayaan-III Mission in the House, the notice of the meeting said on Tuesday.

The privileges panel, led by BJPs Sunil Singh, will hear Ali for the first time after he accused Bidhuri of making communally explicit remarks against him. Complaints have also been filed against Ali for indecent utterances and conduct, and for offering a running commentary when Bidhuri was speaking on Chandrayaan-3 in the special session of Parliament in September.

READ | BJPs Ramesh Bidhuri skips privileges committee meeting

Ali filed the complaint in September, and the delay in the probe against Bidhuri led some opposition members to draw a parallel between the quick deliberations against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra in the ethics panel and the Bidhuri case.

There is no possibility of partial treatment against opposition lawmakers, top-ranking officials said. No meetings were possible due to festivals, including Durga Puja, Kali Puja, Chhath puja, a member of the privileges panel said, wishing to remain unnamed. Many members of the panel are not available during this period.

The fact that the privileges panel has called its meeting days after the winter session schedule (was announced) underlines that there is no delay, he said. A case filed by BJP lawmaker Janardan Singh Sigriwal is also pending.

The winter session will be held from December 4 to 22. BJP MP Sigriwal had filed a privilege notice against police officials and Patna administration officers for physically assaulting him during a protest.

READ | Exposed BJPs face': Danish Ali takes swipe after Ramesh Bidhuri gets new role as poll in-charge

In his letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on September 24, Ali had sought a privilege probe against Bidhuri. During the course of his speech, he directed the most foul, abusive invectives against me which are part of the record of the Lok Sabha, he had written. Among the words he directed against me were Bhadwa (pimp), Katwa (circumcised one), Mullah ugravadi (Muslim terrorist), atankvadi (terrorist) etc.

Earlier this month, when Moitra faced an ethics panel over a cash for query charge, Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi said, Has Ramesh Bidhuri appeared in front of the ethics committee? Will television media continue to play to the tune of powers to be or will they practice journalism? Will Gautam Adani be scrutinised for his business practices like Facebook CEO is in the US Congress?

Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee had raised similar concerns. Ramesh Bidhuri shamelessly spews offensive remarks, trampling on the sanctity of Parliament, he said on November 3. Shockingly, no action was taken by the ethics committee. Why? Simply because hes a BJP politician!
RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel on Tuesday welcomed the Supreme Court rejecting a petition by the National Investigation Agency (INA) to stop the state police from investigating the larger conspiracy into the 2013 Jheeram Ghati attack, saying the courts move opens the doors of justice for Chhattisgarh. Chhattisgarh chief minister and Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel said Jheeram Ghati attack, which wiped out the then Congress leadership in the state in 2013, is the worlds biggest political massacre (PTI)

Baghel described the attack, which wiped out the then Congress leadership in the state in 2013, as the biggest political massacre. Among the dead were Congress stalwarts such as Nand Kumar Patel, Vidya Charan Shukla and Mahendra Karma.

Todays decision of the Honorable Supreme Court on the Jheeram case is like opening the door of justice for Chhattisgarh. The Jheeram incident was the biggest political massacre in the democratic world in which we lost 32 people including senior Congress leaders, Baghel said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Baghel added that though the NIA and an inquiry commission probed the attack, no one looked into the political conspiracy.

When the Chhattisgarh Police started this investigation, NIA approached the court to obstruct it. Today the path has been cleared. Now Chhattisgarh Police will investigate this Everything will become clear, the chief minister said.

Baghel, who led the Congress to victory in 2018, led the party in the state elections held in two phases on November 7 and 17. The votes are scheduled to be counted on December 3.

Earlier in the day in New Delhi, a bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and comprising justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra dismissed the NIAs plea. Sorry, we would not like to interfere. Dismissed, the bench told the NIA on Tuesday, according to news agency PTI.

Maoists attacked a convoy of Congress leaders in Jheeram valley in Bastar districts Darbha area on May 25, 2013, killing 29 people. The Bastar police lodged a case at Darbha police station. NIA took over the case and filed a charge sheet.

The Bhupesh Baghel government filed an FIR on May 26 following a complaint by a Congress leader Jitendra Mudliyar who lost his father in the attack to seek a probe into the larger conspiracy into the attack.

The NIA objected to the FIR and asked, first the Jagdalpur court and later the Chhattisgarh high court to stop the Bastar police. But the trial court rejected the plea in 2020; the high court turned it down in 2022, leading the NIA to approach the Supreme Court.
A man has been arrested for making threatening calls to the Mumbai Police Control Room claiming to be associated with the notorious Dawood Ibrahim gang, police said on Tuesday. The arrested individual asserted that the Dawood gang had instructed him to orchestrate a plot to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.-(PTI / File)

The caller also threatened to target JJ Hospital, a prominent medical institution in Mumbai, according to police.

The case has been registered under Section 505 (2) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which deals with statements promoting enmity, hatred, or ill-will between different religious, racial, language, or regional groups or castes.

"A man arrested for placing threat calls at Mumbai Police Control Room in the name of Dawood Ibrahim gang. The man had claimed that the gang had told him to blow up PM Modi and UP CM Yogi Adityanath. The caller had also threatened to blow up JJ Hospital. Case registered u/s 505 (2) of the IPC," the statement read.

In October, Mumbai Police received a mail in which the sender threatened to blow up Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the stadium named after him in Ahmedabad if the Indian government failed to pay 500 crore and release notorious gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. The email also mentioned that the terrorist group had already deployed people to carry out the attacks.

According to the police, the threat mail was initially sent to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which apparently originated in Europe, and the federal agency alerted the Mumbai police about the same.

Earlier in August, the Kerala police arrested a man who allegedly wrote a letter threatening a suicide attack on Prime Minister Modi during his two-day visit to the state. However, as it turned out, the accused wrote the letter to implicate his estranged friend and neighbour.
NEW DELHI: he Supreme Court on Tuesday sharply criticised the Delhi government for not clearing its overdue payment of 415 crore for the Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) despite the top courts order in July this year and ordered the money to be deducted from the states advertising budget, a direction that will take effect if the government fails to make the payment within a week. The RRTS project is an ambitious venture involving semi-high-speed rail corridors that will connect Delhi to three cities (HT FILE PHOTO/SAKIB ALI)

We are left with no option but to direct that the funds allocated under the advertising budget by the state for this year be transferred to the project. a bench of justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia said on an application by the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) that the Delhi governments hadnt paid up four months after the top courts order on July 24 that set a final two-month deadline.

The court paused implementation of the direction, giving the government one more week on the request of senior lawyer Meenakshi Arora who appeared for the Delhi government At the request of the counsel, the order shall be kept in abeyance for a period of one week. If funds are not transferred for the project, the funds (from advertising budget) will stand transferred, the bench said.

You cannot take this court for granted We will post this matter on November 28. We will see what you have done that day.

As the bench earlier took up the NCRTC application, it lamented the governments reluctance to pay up for the infrastructure project.

What is to be done if this is the way states listen. Budgetary provision is something which the state government should do. If such national projects are to be affected, and money is being spent on advertisements, we would be inclined to direct those funds to be transferred to this project.

At previous hearings, the top court had questioned the governments contention that it did not have money to pay for the project and sought information on how much it spent on advertising. In July, it cited data provided by the Delhi government and reasoned that if the government could spend 1,100 crore on advertisements in three years, it could certainly pay for the infrastructure project.

In an affidavit in July, the Delhi government said its total ad spend over the last three financial years: 296.89 crore in 2020-21, 579.91 crore in 2021-22, and 196.36 crore for 2022-23, adding up to a total of 1,073.16 crore over the period.

Senior advocate Aparajita Singh, assisting the court as amicus curiae, stressed the RRTS was proposed as a step to reduce Delhis pollution load by cutting down the number of vehicles that enter the national capital from nearby towns and cities.

The Delhi government was required to contribute 1,180 crore towards its share for the construction of the Delhi-Meerut RRTS corridor.

On two occasions in the past, the Supreme Court allowed the Delhi government to pay 265 crore and 500 crore out of the environmental compensation charge (ECC) funds to meet its liability. A balance amount of 415 crore was overdue, for which the Delhi government again sought to draw the sum from ECC. This time, however, the court refused.

On Tuesday, as the Delhi government sought additional time till December 5 to make the payment, the bench refused, saying this was gross breach of the order.

The RRTS project is an ambitious venture involving semi-high-speed rail corridors that will connect Delhi to three cities  Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, Alwar in Rajasthan, and Panipat in Haryana  and is being executed by the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), a joint venture between the Centre and the concerned states.

The Delhi-Meerut corridor is expected to become operational in 2025. NCRTC earlier informed the court that the Delhi-Alwar corridor, which passes through Rewari, is awaiting sanction by the Centre, while the Delhi-Panipat corridor is awaiting the Delhi governments nod.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday slammed the ruling

Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government in Rajasthan over the paper leak issue. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Kota.(BJP/X)

While addressing a rally in Kota, the prime minister said that he guarantees actions against those involved in the paper leaks if the Bharatiya Janata Party forms a government in the state.

Students from all across the country come to Kota for education purposes, the prime minister said. Congress party has destroyed the dreams of the youth repeatedly in the last five years. Congress sold papers for all exams. I want to assure you the one involved in the paper leak, will be sent behind bars. This is the guarantee of Modi," he added.

Continuing his attack, PM Modi said the Congress would inflict more damage on the state if it remained in power.

Read | Ashok Gehlot releases Rajasthan Congress manifesto, promises caste census

He also alleged that rallies by the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) are being held openly with the state's sanction.

"PFI rally is being carried out in full police protection; the longer such a Congress government remains in power, the more damage it will inflict on Rajasthan," the PM said.

The PFI was banned by the Centre in September last year over its alleged links with terror activities and association with global terrorist organisations like ISIS.

Modi also claimed that the people of Rajasthan have intense anger towards the Gehlot government.

"I have never seen such intense anger against the Congress government in Rajasthan before. The youth of Rajasthan want freedom from Congress. Women, farmers, traders, businessmen and shopkeepers of Rajasthan all want freedom from Congress. These people are the people who will take the lead in creating a Congress-free India," he said.

Rajasthan will go to the assembly election on November 25 and the counting of votes will be held on December 3.

In 2013, the BJP won 163 seats in the 2013 legislative assembly elections and formed the government.

In the next assembly elections in 2018, the Congress won 100 seats, while the BJP won 73 seats in the 200-member House. Gehlot eventually took the oath as CM with the support of BSP MLAs and Independents.
Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committee on Monday slammed the Election Commission for not changing the date for counting votes cast in the state assembly poll despite numerous appeals and said it does not respect Mizo sentiments. Voters show their fingers marked with indelible ink after casting their votes for Mizoram Assembly elections, in Mamit district(PTI)

The Congress in a press release said that numerous appeals have been made by political parties, including it, to re-schedule the December 3 poll counting date as it falls on a Sunday, which is a sacred day for the majority Christians in Mizoram.

Blaming the Election Commission for its "deafening silence" on the issue and "disrespecting the sentiments of the Mizo people", it said the Congress felt that "injustice" is being done in Mizoram as the poll body had changed the polling date for Rajasthan due to a Hindu festival though it refused to do comply with similar requests made in the north eastern state.

"The ECI does not only care about hurting the sentiments of the Mizo people. It is deliberately trying to hurt their sentiments," the Congress statement alleged.

Last week state Chief Electoral Officer Madhup Vyas, who discussed the matter with the EC recently, said that the Commission will not reschedule the counting date in Mizoram.

Mizoram Congress president Lalsawta had written to the Election Commission on October 9 saying that the counting date be changed as no official programmes or businesses are transacted on Sundays in Mizoram. He had asked the poll body to reschedule the date of counting after December 3.

He wrote to the state chief electoral officer on November 13 again requesting that the EC reschedule the counting date to December 4 or 5 as a small state like Mizoram will be able to complete all election processes within the time frame set by it.

Votes cast in all the five states - Chhatisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan and Mizoram - in the recent assembly polls will be counted on December 3.

Political parties, civil society organisations, churches and a church-sponsored poll watchdog in Mizoram opposed it and sent numerous pleas to the Election Commission.

Christians constitute about 87 per cent of Mizoram population according to the 2011 census.

Meanwhile, Mizoram NGO Coordination Committee, a conglomerate of major civil society organisations and student bodies, has threatened to stage a massive protest if pleas to reschedule counting is not responded to.

The committee, which comprises of five major organisations of Mizoram, including Central Young Mizo Association and Mizo Zirlai Pawl, decided to send a delegation to Delhi to discuss the matter with the EC. If the discussion does not yield positive results, the NGO coordination committee will organise a protest.

Polling for the 40-member Mizoram assembly was held peacefully on November 7 and more than 80 per cent of over 8.57 lakh voters cast their votes to decide the fate of 174 candidates.
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached assets worth 751 crore belonging to Associated Journals Limited (AJL) and Young Indian (YI) in its money laundering probe into the affairs of Congress-run National Herald newspaper, the agency said on Tuesday. (HT)

While immovable properties worth 661 crore belonging to AJL have been attached in Delhi, Mumbai and Lucknow, YIs proceeds of crime have been attached in the form of equity shares.

Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has issued an order to provisionally attach properties worth 751.9 crore in a money-laundering case investigated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. Investigation revealed that M/s Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) is in possession of proceeds of crime in the form of immovable properties spread across many cities of India such as Delhi, Mumbai and Lucknow to the tune of Rs. 661.69 crore and M/s. Young Indian (YI) is in possession of proceeds of crime to the tune of Rs. 90.21 Crore in the form of investment in equity shares of AJL, ED said in its statement.

Also Read | Petty vendetta tactics: Cong response to ED action in National Herald probe

The agency initiated money-laundering investigation against National Herald on the basis of process issued by the court of Metropolitan Magistrate of Delhi after taking cognisance of a private complaint vide order dated June 26, 2014.

The ED statement said on Tuesday that court held that seven accused persons including M/s Young India, prima facie committed offences of criminal breach of trust u/s 406 of Indian Penal Code, cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property under section 420 (cheating) of IPC, dishonest misappropriation of property u/s 403 and criminal conspiracy u/s 120B of IPC.

The court, it added, held that accused persons hatched a criminal conspiracy to acquire properties worth hundreds of Crores of AJL through a special purpose vehicle, Young Indian.

AJL was given land on concessional rates in various cities of India for the purpose of publishing newspapers. AJL closed its publishing operations in 2008 and started using the properties for commercial purposes. AJL had to repay a loan of 90.21 crore to All India Congress Committee (AICC), however AICC treated the said loan of Rs.90.21 Crore as non-recoverable from AJL and sold it for Rs.50 lakh to a newly incorporated company Young Indian without any source of income to pay even 50 lakh, ED said.

By their action, the shareholders of AJL as well as donors of Congress Party were cheated by the office bearers of AJL and Congress Party, ED alleged.

The ED probe has revealed that after purchasing the loan of 90.21 crore from AICC, YI demanded either repayment of loan or allotment of equity shares of AJL to it.

AJL held an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) and passed a resolution to increase share capital and issue fresh shares worth 90.21 crore to YI. With this fresh allotment of shares, shareholding of more than 1000 shareholders was reduced to a mere 1% and AJL became subsidiary company of YI. YI also took control over properties of AJL, ED said on Tuesday.
New Delhi: External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday met his Australian counterpart Penny Wong and discussed India's strained relationship with Canada. The two also discussed the Quad alliance with the Australian foreign minister during the India-Australia Foreign Ministers' Framework Dialogue. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar meets with Australian Foreign Minister Senator Penny Wong. (ANI)

Responding to a query on Canada after the two leaders met in the national capital, he said they discussed the diplomatic row. He said he communicated India's views about space being given to extremism and radicalism in Canada.

"From our point of view, the key issue is really the space which is being given to extremism and radicalism in Canada," he said.

He said since Australia had good relations with both India and Canada, it was important that the country "Australia gets our perspective on the issue".

The two leaders also discussed Quad -- a regional partnership of Japan, India, US, Australia formed to counter China's growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.

Also read: India, Australia back two-state solution to resolve Israel-Palestine conflict

"We discussed Quad at some length today...There are a broad range of issues we are working on, he said.

Among the topics discussed in the meeting include intelligence sharing on shipping and military activities along with trade and investments.

India and Australia agreed to jointly map the Indian Ocean sea floor which is critical for submarine operations and work out formal arrangements for air-to-air refueling, reported Bloomberg.

India and Canada have had strained ties since September, when PM Justin Trudeau alleged India's involvement in the killing of Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

New Delhi, rejecting the allegation as 'baseless', has demanded evidence from Canada.

India and Australia backed a two-state solution to resolve the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Meanwhile, at a virtual meeting of BRICS leaders, S Jaishankar said the concerns of Palestinians must be addressed seriously.

"The ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza is causing immense human suffering. Right now there is an urgent need for humanitarian aid to reach the population of Gaza. It is also imperative that all hostages are released. PM Modi has spoken to several leaders in the region and across the world in this context. He has highlighted the need to create conditions for peace and restart direct and meaningful peace negotiations. We believe that the concerns of Palestinians should be addressed seriously. This can happen only with a two-state solution," he added.

With inputs from PTI, ANI
The Union government has the legislative competence to regulate matters of online gaming, the Centre has told the Delhi high court. HT Image

It made the statement in response to a petition by NGO Social Organisation for Creating Humanity (SOCH) challenging the constitutional and legislative validity of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2023, which aim to regulate online gaming. According to the amended rules, online gaming intermediaries are required to undertake the same due diligence procedures across India.

In an affidavit, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said: Entry 31 and Entry 97 (residual entries) of the Union List allow the central government to legislate on matters pertaining to online gaming. Central government has the legislative competency to enact any law on online gaming, and in this particular instance, enacting the impugned amendments in the IT Rules, 2021.

In its plea, SOCH contended that the amended rules are beyond the Centres legislative competence as states under the State List have the exclusive power to legislate on the issue of gambling and betting.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an 'orange' alert for Kerala and Tamil Nadu and anticipated heavy rainfall in Andhra Pradesh. The forecast predicts heavy to very heavy rainfall across these states for the next three days. IMD has anticipated heavy rainfall in parts of Andhra Pradesh until Thursday along with the likelihood of thunderstorms during this period. (HT File)

Kerala and Mahe are on orange alert as isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall (115.6 to 204.4 mm) is expected from 21st to 23rd November, the weather department wrote on X.

In another tweet, the IMD mentioned, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal are likely to experience isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall (115.6 to 204.4 mm) on 21st and 22nd November.

These districts in TN to witness the wet spell

Over 10 districts in Tamil Nadu are expected to experience intermittent heavy rainfall due to weather fluctuations in the coming three days, a statement from the regional meteorological centre in Chennai said.

The forecast for Wednesday from the regional center suggests the likelihood of light to moderate rain across many areas, accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning in a few spots in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal. Isolated places, such as Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, and Tenkasi districts may witness heavy to very heavy rainfall. Moreover, heavy rainfall is anticipated in other districts like Ramanathapuram, Thoothukudi, Theni, Dindigul, Pudukkottai, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, and Karaikal.

Thursday's forecast indicates heavy rain at isolated spots in Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Tirupur, Theni, and Dindigul districts of Tamil Nadu.

Rainfall has been recorded in various parts of Tamil Nadu, including North Coastal areas and North Interior Tamil Nadu, as well as South Tamil Nadu and Karaikal from past two days. An orange alert was issued for Ramanathapuram district due to heavy rainfall, with a yellow alert issued for eight other districts on Monday.

Thiruvarur district reported the highest rainfall at 11 cm, while Chennai experienced minimal rain.

Over the past two weeks, multiple regions in Tamil Nadu have encountered moderate to heavy showers, resulting in significant waterlogging and temporary closure of schools.

Heavy rain predicted in parts of Andhra Pradesh

IMD has anticipated heavy rainfall in parts of Andhra Pradesh until Thursday along with the likelihood of thunderstorms during this period.

According to an official quoted by news agency ANI, the department's forecast predicted heavy rainfall in sections of South Coastal Andhra Pradesh (SCAP) and Rayalaseema on Tuesday.

The weather department said that thunderstorms, accompanied by lightning, are expected in parts of North Coastal Andhra Pradesh (NCAP), Yanam, SCAP, and Rayalaseema over the next three days, starting from Tuesday.

The department highlighted the presence of a trough in the easterly direction at mean sea level over the Comorin area off the Andhra Pradesh coast, extending up to 3.1 km above mean sea level. Furthermore, they noted the merging of an upper air cyclonic circulation over the Comorin area and a similar development over the southwest Bay of Bengal off the Tamil Nadu coast with the aforementioned trough.

Meanwhile, various regions across Andhra Pradesh experienced cloudy conditions on Tuesday.

(With inputs from agencies)
New Delhi: People walk along the Kartavya Path in front of the India Gate amid heavy smoggy conditions in New Delhi on November 13. Delhi regularly ranks among the most polluted major cities on the planet, with a melange of factory and vehicle emissions exacerbated by seasonal agricultural fires. (AFP)

Current and past greenhouse gas emissions that have led to global warming are unequally distributed globally, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) said on Monday, citing Indias example.

Per capita territorial emissions vary significantly across countries since they are more than double the world average of 6.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in Russia and the US, while those in India remain under half of that, the UN body said.

Similarly, historical emissions and contribution to global warming vary significantly across countries and groups of countries, UNEP has said, saying nearly 80% of historical cumulative emissions from the burning of fossil fuels and land use came from the G20 countries, with the largest contributions from China, the US and the European Union, while the least developed countries contributed just 4%.

The US accounts for 4% of the current world population, but has contributed 17% of global warming from 1850 to 2021, including the impact of methane and nitrous oxide emissions. India, in contrast, accounts for 18% of the world population, but has contributed 5% of the warming, the UNEP report said.

Only nine countries have submitted new or updated nationally determined contributed to reduce emissions since last years UN climate summit in Egypt, bringing the total number that have been updated since the 2021 Paris climate pact to 149.

Inequality in consumption-based emissions is also found among and within countries. Globally, the 10% of the population with the highest income accounted for nearly half (48%) of emissions with two-thirds of this group living in developed countries. The bottom 50% of the world population contributed only 12% of total emissions, according to Broken Record, the 2023 emissions gap report released by UNEP.

As of September 25, 97 nations covering approximately 81% of global greenhouse gas emissions had adopted net-zero pledges either in law (27 countries) or in a policy document (54 countries). All G20 members except Mexico have set net-zero targets, but overall net-zero goals do not inspire confidence, the report said. Net-zero is a target of completely negating the amount of greenhouse gases produced by human activity to be achieved by reducing emissions and implementing methods of absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Limited progress has been made on key indicators of confidence in net-zero implementation among G20 members, including legal status, existence and quality of implementation plans and alignment of near-term emissions trajectories, the report pointed out. None of the G20 nations, which include India, are currently reducing emissions at a pace consistent with meeting their net-zero targets, it added.

The UNEP called on all nations to deliver economy-wide, low-carbon development. Coal, oil and gas extracted over the lifetime of producing and planned mines and fields would emit over 3.5 times the carbon budget available to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, and almost the entire budget available for 2 degrees of warming, the thresholds agreed upon by all countries in the Paris agreement.

The low-carbon development transition poses economic and institutional challenges for low and middle-income countries, but also provides significant opportunities. Transitions in such countries can help to provide universal access to energy, lift millions out of poverty and expand strategic industries, the UNEP report said. The associated energy growth can be met efficiently and equitably with low-carbon energy as renewables get cheaper, ensuring green jobs and cleaner air.

International financial assistance will have to be significantly scaled up, with new public and private sources of capital restructured through financing mechanisms for such a transition, the UNEP said.
India on Tuesday issued an advisory for its nationals in Myanmar amid fighting between Myanmars anti-junta groups and government forces. This photo taken on November 10, 2023 shows fighters of the ethnic rebel group Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) standing guard at a check point in the town of Namhkam in northern Shan state.(AFP)

New Delhi has advised all Indian nationals living in Myanmar, except short-term tourists, to register themselves with the Embassy of India in Yangon.

Registration with the Embassy will facilitate any measures that need to be taken in a situation of emergency or if such a need arises, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

The ministry has asked Indians in Myanmar to download and fill out a registration form available on this website and send its hard and soft copies to the embassy.

It has also sought two colour passport-size photographs of each member of the family, one copy of each of the Passport's first page, last page and current visa page and the passport of each individual for verification purposes.

Explained | Spike in fighting in Myanmar and what it means for India

No fee will be charged for registration. A certificate of registration will be issued to the applicant within one month. Submission of papers may either be done in person or through authorised representatives who will be required to produce authority letter and proof of identity, the ministry added.

Last week, India had expressed deep concern at fighting between Myanmars anti-junta groups and government forces close to the countrys border, which resulted in Myanmar nationals seeking refuge in Mizoram, and pushed for a cessation of violence and a constructive dialogue.

We reiterate our call for the return of peace, stability and democracy in Myanmar, external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi told a regular media briefing while responding to questions on the recent fighting.

Bagchi had said Indias position on the situation in Myanmar is very clear  we want cessation of the violence and resolution of the situation through constructive dialogue.

According to the UN, the intensified fighting since last month has displaced about 90,000 people.
Israel has listed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) as a terror organisation to symbolise the marking of 15th year of commemoration of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, in which 166 people were killed while another 238 were injured, Israeli embassy in New Delhi said in a statement on Tuesday. The listing has been done by Israel on its own, without any request from India. (Representative file photo)

The listing has been done by Israel on its own, without any request from India.

Despite not being requested by the Government of India to do so, the state of Israel has formally completed all necessary procedures and has satisfied all required checks and regulations to the result of introducing Lashkar-e-Taiba into the Israeli list of illegal terror organisations, Israeli embassy said.

Elaborating on decision to list LeT as a terror group, Israeli embassy said while it only lists terror organisations who are actively operating against it from within or around its borders, or in a similar manner to India - those globally recognised by UNSC (United Nations Security Council) or the US state department; the Israeli ministries of defense and foreign affairs, have jointly worked in the last few months towards an expediated and extraordinary listing of the Lashkar-e-Taiba organisation on this date, to highlight the importance of a Unified Global Front in combating terrorism.

Also Read: 5 LeT terrorists killed in Kulgam encounter

The development comes at a time when Israel has also asked India to designate Hamas, which its forces are fighting in Gaza after October 7 attack in which thousands of Hamas fighters entered towns in Israel and killed over 1,400 people.

In retaliation, Israel has declared a war Hamas and has bombarded its locations in Gaza, in which over 11,000 people have been killed so far.

Israeli ambassador to New Delhi Naor Gilon said in October last week in a media briefing that The important countries for us are with us. These are the democracies of the world. Having said that...I think it is also time to officially designate Hamas in India as a terror organisation.

It is not known yet if India will reciprocate to Israels move to list LeT.

The Israeli embassy said that Lashkar-e-Taiba is a deadly and reprehensible terror organization, responsible for the murder of hundreds of Indian civilians as well as others. Its heinous actions on November 26, 2008, still reverberate in force, through all peace seeking nations and societies.

The state of Israel offers its sincere condolences to all victims of terrorism and to the survivors and bereaved families of the Mumbai attacks, including those in Israel. We stand with you united in the hope for a better peaceful future, it added.

Founded in 1990 by Mohammad Hafiz Saeed in Mudrike in Pakistan, LeTs primary goal is to attack Indian troops in Kashmir but over the years it is considered one of the deadliest Pakistan backed terror organisation as it has carried out multiple bomb blasts in Indias various cities, and created proxy outfits and sleeper cells.

Both UNSC and US have designated LeT as an international terror organisation in 2005 and 2001 respectively.

Due to political pressure from the United States and India, LeT was formally banned in Pakistan on January 13, 2002. Nevertheless, it was able to continue its terrorist operations in the Kashmir territory and has since become more powerful with the support of Pakistani Army and spy agency  ISI, according to Indian intelligence officials.

Its charitable front, Jamaat-ud-Dawa collects funds in the name of serving people, which are then used for terror activities, Indian officials added.
The electronics and information technology ministry (MeitY) has summoned officials from major social media companies for a meeting on Nuisances of deepfake content on Social Media Platform on November 23. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed concern over misuse of technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to create deepfakes. (File)

The summon to social media companies was sent two days after IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the ministry would call them to brainstorm about deepfakes. On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed concern over misuse of technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to create deepfakes and said the media can play a role in raising awareness

A new crisis is emerging due to deepfakes produced through artificial intelligence. There is a very big section of society which does not have a parallel verification system This (deepfake) will take us to grave danger and has the potential to spread the fire of dissatisfaction, Modi said .

A day after a viral fake video of Telugu actor Rashmika Mandanna sparked concerns about the misuse of AI and its potential to further gender violence online, the IT ministry had sent two letters to all social media platforms reminding them of their responsibility to weed out misinformation and deepfakes as mandated by Indian law, HT had reported earlier.

Also Read: Will hold meets with social media platforms to discuss deepfakes: IT minister Vaishnaw

Most important is that the immunity which the platforms have, the globally accepted safe harbour provision, that will not be applicable if the platforms do not make adequate efforts [to control deepfakes], Vaishnaw said. To be sure, only courts can determine if an intermediary can lose its safe harbour protection and subsequently hold it liable for third-party content.

In response to a question about whether the platforms had the technology to spot and take down deepfakes, Vaishnaw had said, I think they should be able to do it.

In an advisory issued in February, the ministry had also asked social media platforms to put in place appropriate technology and processes for identifying information that may violate the provisions of rules and regulations or user agreement.
The Karnataka high court on Monday granted a stay on the arrest warrant against Chitradurga Murugha Mutt seer Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru, paving the way for his release hours after his arrest in connection with a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) case. Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru

A bench of Justice Suraj Govindaraj granted a stay on the warrant, citing unfair treatment by the Chitradurga district courts order against the seer.

Sharanaru was released from the prison on Monday evening.

Sharanaru, a former pontiff of Sri Jagadguru Murugarajendra (SJM) Mutt, was re-arrested on Monday morning in connection with a second Pocso case. Acting on a warrant from the second additional district and sessions court, Murugha Sharanaru was apprehended by the Chitradurga Rural police at Virakta Mutt in Davangere.

The legal saga took a turn when the second additional sessions court issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW), setting a deadline for the police to arrest Sharanaru and present him before the court by Tuesday. Upon being brought before the court by police, judge BK Komala ordered that the seer be remand to a judicial custody for 14 days.

Pointing out that the prosecutor sought a warrant from the district court despite the high courts directive, which resulted in Sharanarus arrest and subsequent judicial custody, the seers advocate challenged this before the bench of justice Suraj Govindaraj in the evening.

The high court was informed that the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) had filed a memo before the trial court seeking a NBW against the seer.

The memo stated that there was no high court order allowing him to appear through video conferencing.

You cant misinterpret the order of this court just because it is a sensational case, justice Govindaraj said while setting aside the NBW and directing the seers release. It is rather surprising that the SPP is not aware of the order dated 8-11-23 of this court. This court has categorically ordered accused number one [seer] not to enter Chitradurga and attend court hearings by video conferencing.

The orders passed by the trial court are contrary to the orders passed by this court, the judge said. I am of the considered opinion that this court has to exercise its inherent powers to render effective justice, justice Govindaraj said.

The above-recited facts and the manner in which the orders have been passed would indicate that a gross injustice has been caused to the petitioner in violation of the order passed by this court, the high court said, while staying the NBW issued by the trial court earlier in the day.

Consequently, the NBW issued and the arrest made, which is contrary to the orders of this court, it said and directed the prison authorities of Chitradurga district to forthwith release the petitioner.

Meanwhile, defence advocate M Umesh criticised the prosecutors objections to a virtual appearance, stating that the high court order was unjustly ignored by the district court. The public prosecutors objections to a virtual appearance were unjust, and the high court order was not considered by the district court. The high court clarified that the law must be applied uniformly, irrespective of the accuseds identity, Umesh told HT.

He said Murugha Sharanaru would be released from prison on Tuesday.

(With PTI inputs)
Union home minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Amit Shah on Monday said the outcome of the assembly elections would decide the future of not only Telangana but also the whole country. Union home minister Amit Shah during a road show at Nacharam in Medchal-Malkajgiri district on Monday. (PTI)

Shah further described the state elections as a fight between family-based parties and a peoples party like the BJP.

BJP is the only party which is really fighting for the people of Telangana, while the Congress, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) are interested in the well-being of the families heading them, Shah said while addressing an election rally at Jangaon.

All these are 2G, 3G and 4G parties. The BRS is the two-generation party with K Chandrasekhar Rao and his successor KT Rama Rao. The AIMIM is a three- generation party with grandfather (Abdul Wahed Owaisi), father (Salahuddin Owaisi) and son (Asaduddin Owaisi) heading the party. With regard to the Congress, it is a 4G party, with leaders of four generations  Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi reigning supreme in the party, he said.

Shah said these parties work towards the interest of their own families without caring about common people, whereas the BJP have no other family interests, except the people.

He reiterated that though the BRS was in power in the state, its steering was under the control of the AIMIM chief Owaisi. It was only under pressure from the AIMIM that KCR has not been celebrating the Telangana liberation day on September 17. If the BJP is voted to power, we shall celebrate it officially and also construct a martyrs memorial at Bhairanpally near Jangaon, he said.

Shah asserted that the BJP was committed to categorisation of Scheduled Castes and anointment of an OBC leader as the chief minister of the state, if it was voted to power.

Describing the BRS as the most corrupt political party in the country, the Union minister alleged that massive corruption had taken place in the construction of Kaleshwaram irrigation project and schemes like Mission Bhagiratha and Mission Kakatiya.

He assured that an inquiry by retired Supreme Court judge would be ordered into the corruption during the BRS rule and see that all those who were involved in corruption would be punished.

Senior BRS leader and state finance minister T Harish Rao accused the BJP leadership of making false allegations against the BRS government. The national leaders of BJP are reading out the scripts being prepared by the local leaders. The BJP cannot win even a single seat, forget coming to power. There is no point in wasting your valuable vote by voting for the lotus, he said at Siddipet.
The Congress on Tuesday responded to the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) decision to attach assets belonging to Associated Journals Limited (AJL) and Young Indian (YI) in its money laundering probe into the affairs of Congress-run National Herald newspaper. Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi.(File)

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said that the decision reflects ED's desperation to divert attention from certain defeat in the ongoing elections in each state.

"PMLA action can only be consequential to some predicate or main offence," he said. "There is no transfer of any immovable property. There is no movement of money. There are no proceeds of crime. Indeed, there is no complainant who claims to have been cheated: not a single one!!"

He claimed that the step is a "prefabricated structure of deceit, lies and falsehood" by the BJP "to divert, distract and digress" in the middle of the elections.

No BJP coalition partner  CBI, ED or IT  can prevent certain impending defeat of the BJP. An assignment of loan without transfer of any immovable property or movement of money is being dressed up to justify the attachment and freezing of assets of a company which runs an iconic voice of the Indian independence movement  the National Herald  only because it is linked to the Congress party and its legacy, Singhvi wrote.

He further added: These petty vendetta tactics shall not frighten the Indian National Congress in any way.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached assets worth 751 crore belonging to Associated Journals Limited (AJL) and Young Indian (YI).

While immovable properties worth 661 crore belonging to AJL have been attached in Delhi, Mumbai and Lucknow, YIs proceeds of crime have been attached in the form of equity shares.

Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has issued an order to provisionally attach properties worth 751.9 crore in a money-laundering case investigated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. Investigation revealed that M/s Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) is in possession of proceeds of crime in the form of immovable properties spread across many cities of India such as Delhi, Mumbai and Lucknow to the tune of Rs. 661.69 crore and M/s. Young Indian (YI) is in possession of proceeds of crime to the tune of Rs. 90.21 Crore in the form of investment in equity shares of AJL, the ED said in its statement.

The agency initiated money-laundering investigation against National Herald on the basis of process issued by the court of Metropolitan Magistrate of Delhi after taking cognisance of a private complaint vide order dated June 26, 2014.

In its statement on Tuesday, the ED said that court held that seven accused persons including M/s Young India, prima facie committed offences of criminal breach of trust u/s 406 of Indian Penal Code, cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property under section 420 (cheating) of IPC, dishonest misappropriation of property u/s 403 and criminal conspiracy u/s 120B of the Indian Penal Code.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host a virtual G20 leaders summit on Wednesday evening to deliberate on the implementation of the Delhi Declaration prior to concluding Indias presidency this month, Sherpa Amitabh Kant said on Tuesday. The in-person G20 summit was held on September 9 and 10 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. (PTI)

The virtual meeting is expected to see similar attendance of global leaders as seen in the in person meeting at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on September 9-10, Kant added.

A virtual summit of the G20 after conclusion of the physical summit was something very rare and rather exceptional as no other presidency held such a meeting to take forward the guidance provided by the participating leaders into action for a just and equitable world, Kant said at a media briefing.

READ | Virtual G20 Summit to be held on November 22

The meeting aims to provide an impetus to implement the Delhi Declaration unanimously agreed upon by all members at the 18th G20 leaders summit held in New Delhi in September. The declaration demonstrated the commitment of the G20 Leaders to address global challenges in a very ambitious, inclusive, decisive and action-oriented manner, Kant said.

During the closing session of the New Delhi summit on September 10, Modi had announced India would be hosting a virtual summit. Leaders of the G20 nations, including the chair of the African Union, as well as nine guest countries, and heads of 11 international organisations have been invited to the meeting.

Earlier, speaking on this matter on November 6, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said a momentum must be maintained on the policy guidance of the New Delhi Declaration by engaging with G20 nations.

On December 1, 2022, when India assumed the mantle of the G20 presidency, Honble Prime Minister wrote, and let me quote his words, Can the G20 go further still? Can we catalyse a fundamental mindset shift, to benefit humanity as a whole? Throughout this presidency year, this call from the Prime Minister was the clarion call for Indias G20 presidency, she said at a seminar.

READ | PM Modi interacts with G20 team at Bharat Mandapam: Credit for huge success goes to you

India holds the G20 Presidency until November 30. The G20 troika during the Brazilian G20 presidency in 2024 will comprise India, Brazil and South Africa.

India assumed the rotating G20 presidency on December 1 last year for a year, and will remain part of the top troika for another. The new troika will be formed when Brazil assumes the presidency next month, with India as the past presidency and South Africa holding the presidency after Brazil.

The G20 is a forum for international economic cooperation. It comprises 19 countries that include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US, and the European Union. The G20 members represent around 85% of the global GDP, over 75% of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population.

While Spain was invited as a permanent guest at the forum, India included Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates as guest countries during its presidency.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host a virtual Leaders Summit on Wednesday evening to deliberate implementation of the Delhi Declaration prior to cG20oncluding Indias Presidency this month, Sherpa Amitabh Kant said adding that the virtual meeting is expecting similar attendance of global leaders as was seen in the physical meeting at Bharat Mandapam on September 9-10. India holds the G20 presidency until November 30. (File photo)

Addressing a pre-summit press conference, Kant said, a virtual summit of G20 after conclusion of the physical summit is something very rare and rather exceptional as no other presidency held such a meeting to take forward the guidance provided by the participating leaders into action for a just and equitable world.

The meeting aims to give an impetus to implementing the Delhi Declaration that was unanimously agreed by all members at the 18th G20 Leaders Summit held in New Delhi on September 9-10, 2023, he said. The New Delhi Leaders Declaration demonstrated the commitment of the G20 Leaders to address global challenges in a very ambitious, inclusive, decisive and action-oriented manner, he added.

We had 83 paras in our declaration. There were 87 outcomes. And there were 118 documents attached to it. That means there were almost (with outcomes and documents) we had 205 actions on which we had to pursue action, he said.

Also Read: Voice of Global South Summit: G20 underlined importance of climate finance, says Bhupender Yadav

During the closing session of the New Delhi G20 Summit on 10 September 2023, Modi had announced that India would be hosting a virtual G20 Leaders Summit prior to the conclusion of Indias G20 Presidency. Leaders of the G20 members including the Chair of the African Union, as well as nine Guest countries, and heads of 11 International Organisations are invited in the meeting.

Earlier, speaking on this matter on November 6, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said a momentum must be maintained on the policy guidance of the New Delhi Leaders Declaration by engaging with G20 nations. On December 1, 2022, when India assumed the mantle of the G20 presidency, Honble Prime Minister wrote, and let me quote his words, Can the G20 go further still? Can we catalyse a fundamental mindset shift, to benefit humanity as a whole? Throughout this presidency year, this call from the Prime Minister was the clarion call for Indias G20 presidency, she said at a seminar on Strong, Sustainable, Balanced and Inclusive Growth in New Delhi.

India holds the G20 Presidency until November 30. The G20 Troika during the Brazilian G20 Presidency in 2024 will comprise India, Brazil, and South Africa.

India assumed the rotating G20 presidency on December 1, 2022, for one year, and will remain part of the top troika for another year. The new troika will be formed when Brazil assumes the presidency next month, with India as the past presidency and South Africa holding the presidency after Brazil.

The G20 is the premier forum for international economic cooperation. It comprises 19 countries -- Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, and the US -- and the European Union (EU). The G20 members represent around 85% of the global GDP, over 75% of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population. While Spain is invited as a permanent guest at the forum, India included Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore and the UAE as guest countries during its presidency.
NEW DELHI: President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday flagged off three trains including two express trains in Odishas tribal belt of Badampahar and Rairangpur, the first set of long-distance passenger trains to operate in the section in 112 years. President Droupadi Murmu flags off the three new trains from Badampahar railway station in the presence of railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Odisha governor Raghubar Das on Tuesday. (ANI)

President Murmu, who was at Badampahar railway station, flagged off the Badampahar  Tatanagar (Jharkhand) MEMU (08147); Badampahar - Rourkela Weekly Express (18051) and Badampahar- Shalimar Weekly Express (18049) from Badampahar.

President Murmu also undertook an inaugural trip on one train to Rairangpur town close to her birthplace.

Railway officials said Badampahar railway station, from where President Murmu flagged off three trains, was earlier only served by MEMU trains.

This is the first time that express trains connecting the Badampahar and Rairangpur region to Rourkela and Kolkata have been inaugurated, a railways official said. An express train is one where the average speed, excluding halts, is more than 36 km per hour and runs for long distances.

In her speech, President Murmu praised the government for taking several steps for the development of tribal communities.

These trains are aimed to help locals in travelling to neighbouring states such as Jharkhand and West Bengal. People will also not face any inconvenience in visiting Odishas industrial town Rourkela, she said.

According to the railways, the Shalimar-Badampahar Weekly Express will be the first-ever express train connecting Shalimar near Kolkata in West Bengal with Badampahar in Odisha. The second weekly express train will connect the mineral-rich areas of Badampahar with Rourkela, known as the steel city of India while the third -- Tatanagar-Badampahar MEMU -- will will run six days a week except on Sunday. This will be an additional service between Badampahar and Tatanagar, an important industrial city of Jharkhand, the railways said.

Murmu said: There is almost three times increase in the current budget compared to the budget for the Financial Year 2013-14 Inclusive development is incomplete without the development of tribal people. That is why the government is giving priority to the development of tribal communities.

She also urged tribal youth to take advantage of the governments schemes.
New Delhi: As rescue teams race against time to save 41 labourers trapped in Uttarkashis Silkyara tunnel, the government has asked television channels to refrain from sensationalising the issue. The information and broadcasting ministry has advised media to be cautious and sensitive while reporting on the tunnel rescue. (HT Photo)

The information and broadcasting ministry (MIB) on Tuesday asked television channels to avoid capturing any live posts or videos from close to the tunnel site where rescue operations are underway and to make sure that rescue operations are not affected by the presence of camera persons or reporters.

It is also advised to be cautious and sensitive while reporting on the matter, especially in putting out headlines, videos, and images, the ministry said in an advisory.

The government advised the media to be cautious and sensitive while reporting on the matter due to the sensitive nature of the operation and the apparent psychological effect on the family members of those trapped.

Telecast of video footages and other pictures relating to the operations by the TV channels especially by placing cameras and other equipment in close proximity of the rescue operations site have the potential to adversely affect the ongoing operations, the advisory said.

Also Read: Rescuers release video of workers trapped in Uttarakhand tunnel via endoscopic camera

The tunnel, being built by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL) in Silkyara, as part of the Union governments Char Dham all-weather road project, collapsed on November 12, trapping 41 workers inside.

As per the government, the labourers are trapped in a 2 km-built portion of the tunnel, which is complete and is relatively safe for them.

A major breakthrough came on Tuesday morning as the first video footage of the workers trapped was released. Drilling is expected to start from the Silkyara side by the rescuers to bring back the trapped workers.

The visuals were captured using an endoscopic camera sent in through the alternative six-inch food pipeline. In the video, the workers, wearing yellow and white helmets, are seen receiving food items sent to them through the pipeline and talking to each other.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Tuesday took a swipe at the Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule for acknowledging his presence at a casino in Macau, calling it a hit wicket. Posting a picture of Bawankule gambling in a casino, Raut said he didn't name anyone in his earlier posts but the Bharatiya Janata Party went on to announce that the person in the photograph was the party's state president. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut posted pictures of Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule at a Macau casino.

Did I name or made allegations against anyone in my tweet ? NO ! Raut said in a social media post on X.

All I said in my simple Tweet was that 'some Nero is busy gambling in Macau (China) as Maharashtra burns...' he added.

A war of words broke out between Raut and Bawankule on Monday after the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader posted a picture accusing Bawankule of spending 3.50 crore at the gaming slots.

The BJP leader clarified that he was on a family holiday and later posted pictures of him and his family saying that they were taken at the hotel where they had put up.

There is a restaurant and casino in the same space on the ground floor. I was sitting there after we had our meal and someone took our picture, he insisted.

Raut remarked, Well, well, well... this is what they call in Hindi - Aa Bail, mujhe maar !!.

Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday censured Rauts post on X saying it displayed a perverse mentality.

It is also a sign of frustration, he said.

Reacting to the BJPs remarks against him, Raut said he has 27 pictures and five videos to support his claim and it would be in the interest of BJP workers if they watched their words.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday told the Centre to come out with a comprehensive mechanism to stop misleading advertisements making unverified claims to cure all kinds of diseases even as it reprimanded yoga guru Baba Ramdev and his commercial entity Patanjali Ayurved Limited for making disparaging remarks against modern medicine and discrediting its proponents. The Court was dealing with a petition filed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) seeking an order against all misleading advertisements. (Reuters)

A bench headed by justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah said, This is blatant infraction of law what you (Patanjali) are doing. We will take it very seriously if you keep doing this and even impose cost to the extent of 1 crore on every product.

The court was dealing with a petition filed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) seeking an order against all misleading advertisements claiming to have a cure for all ailments and discrediting doctors in the process by doubting the efficacy of allopathic medicines. The petition made Patanjali Ayurved as one of the respondents referring to an advertisement issued in July last year in leading newspapers, which alleged that health benefits claimed by allopathy are nowhere to be seen and those dependent on it are suffering from hellish pangs of adverse health effects.

The court said that it did not intend to enter into a debate about whether allopathy is superior or ayurveda and asked the the Centre to come out with a comprehensive solution to deal with all kinds of misleading claims.

We want to find a real solution to the problem of misleading advertisements making false claims that it can cure a particular disease, said the bench, also comprising justice PK Mishra. Posting the matter to February 5, the bench asked additional solicitor general (ASG) KM Nataraj to deal with the issue in a holistic manner where citizens are not misled by these false claims.

Also Read: SC notice on Baba Ramdev plea to club FIRs over Covid-19 allopathy comment

Senior advocate Sajan Poovayya appeared for Patanjali and said that the petition has tried to suppress many facts and presented selective statements by the company and Baba Ramdev. The Court recorded in its order the statement by Poovayya that the company will not publish any misleading statement or make any casual statement to the press on the issue agitated before it in the petition.

The IMA had in its petition reproduced a series of statements made by the yoga guru which are blatantly false and accused him of running a concerted campaign to malign doctors and create doubts in the minds of people about allopathy.

Senior advocate PS Patwalia appearing for IMA along with advocate Prabhas Bajaj said, Patanjali claims to have a permanent solution for life style disorders, incurable, chronic and genetic diseases, skin diseases, arthritis, cervical spondylitis, asthma, among others which is an infraction of law. The IMA argued that such unabated misinformation campaign against allopathy is continuing with complete inaction and indifference by the state authorities.

Under the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectional Advertisements) Act, 1954, publication of such advertisements is prohibited. Section 3 of the 1954 Act prohibits any advertisement claiming the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of any of the diseases involving lifestyle diseases.

Patanjalis claim to eradicate asthma was in direct contravention to the Drugs & Cosmetics Rules 1945, the petition added.

The association of doctors told the Court that while every commercial entity such as Patanjali Ayurved has a right to promote its own products, the continuous, systematic and unabated spread of misinformation regarding allopathy should stop. During Covid-19 pandemic, Baba Ramdev held a press conference in June 2020 announcing that his company had developed a cure for Covid-19 pandemic. Later, the Centre issued a notice asking Patanjali not to make such false claims.

At another public event in May 2021, during the peak of the second wave of the pandemic, Ramdev called allopathy to be a stupid and bankrupt science and falsely claimed that more than 1000 doctors have died after taking both doses of the vaccine.

The IMA had also registered criminal cases against Ramdev and Patanjali over his false claims in several states. Ramdev had approached the Supreme Court in a separate proceeding seeking consolidation of all criminal cases at a single place. Besides, a defamation suit filed by IMA against Ramdev is pending before the Delhi high court.

Ramdev filed an affidavit in response in January this year before the top court pointing out that in June, 2021 he had hailed practitioners of modern medicine as Gods envoys and appealed people to get vaccinated.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the Delhi government to cough up its share ( 415 crore) in the RRTS project by November 28. In a strongly worded reminder, the court ordered that the sum will have to be redirected from the AAP government's advertisement budget for this year, if it failed to transfer the money to the authorities by the stipulated time. The Supreme Court of India (File)(File photo)

In July, the Supreme Court had given the Delhi government two months to clear the dues for the Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System.

"Why has the Delhi government not complied with the court's order? We will stay your (Delhi governments) advertising budget. We will attach it and take it here," the court said.

The AAP government today said it would make budgetary allocations towards the RRTS project.

In response, the Supreme Court told the Delhi government's counsel it was "constrained to direct the funds allocated for advertisement purposes to be transferred to the project in question", reported Live Law.

The court said it would keep the order in abeyance for a week.

Trains of the Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS).(PTI)

The court, citing its April order, pointed out that the Delhi government failed to comply with its directions to pay the balance amount promptly.

"If such national projects are affected, and if money is being spent on advertisement, we would be inclined to ask the money to be directed to the infrastructure," the court said.

The court also asked the Delhi government to not go back and forth on the subject.

What was Supreme Court's order in July

In July, the Delhi government told the court that it was facing scarcity of funds due to the BJP-led Central government's termination of the goods and service tax compensation scheme in June 2022.

The sudden cessation of GST compensation has severely impacted the financial resources of the state government. This has led to a substantial reduction in the availability of funds, the AAP government had said.

The court, however, pointed out that the government had spent 1100 crore over the past three financial years on advertisement.

"If 1,100 crore can be used for advertisement in the last three financial years, certainly money can be paid for the infrastructure project," the court had said.

The priority section of the RRTS corridor was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month.
Shabnam Mausi, who was the first transgender person in India to win an Assembly election, was on Monday booked in Anuppur in Madhya Pradesh for violation of model of conduct for allegedly failing to deposit a pistol with the police, an official said. Shabnam Mausi had made electoral history in February 2000 by becoming the first transgender person to be elected as MLA.(X(formerly Twitter))

Mausi was issued a notice to deposit the pistol but did not do so after which she was booked under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code for disobeying an order promulgated by a public servant, Kotwali police station in charge Amar Verma said.

"Mausi deposited a 12-bore gun but failed to hand over the pistol. The pistol licence has been cancelled by the administration following this lapse," he said.

Depositing firearms on the orders of the police as part of enforcement of model code of conduct, which is in place in MP since October 9 for the November 17 Assembly polls, is mandatory. Poll results will be declared on December 3.

Mausi had made electoral history in February 2000 by becoming the first transgender person to be elected as MLA. She had won a bypoll from Sohagpur seat in Shahdo district which was necessitated by the death of sitting Congress legislator Krishnapal Singh.

She had defeated the BJP's Lallu Singh by a margin of more than 17,800 votes. However, in the 2003 Assembly polls, she managed to get just 1,400 votes and lost.

Sohagpur seat was merged with other Assembly constituencies in the delimitation exercise of 2008.
A Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud on Monday adjourned the hearing of an array of issues concerning the Kashi Vishwanath-Gyanvapi dispute in Varanasi to December 1 due to paucity of time. On May 20, 2022, the Supreme Court transferred the lawsuit from a civil judge to the Varanasi district judge, citing the complexities and sensitivities involved in the matter (HT File Photo)

When the case came up, the court was informed that by the next date of hearing, a report by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on the Gyanvapi mosque will be made available. A Varanasi district judge had last week given the ASI time till November 28 to submit its report.

The Supreme Court is seized of a bundle of petitions filed by the mosque management committee challenging the spot inspection and order of survey of the mosque, as well as an order upholding the maintainability of the lawsuits.

Through its petition, the management committee endeavours to bar all claims over the access to the mosque or title of the Gyanvapi complex, relying on a 1991 law. Section 3 of the law imposes a prohibition on individuals and groups of people against converting a place of religious worship into a different denomination, or even a different segment of the same religion.

It had earlier sought to get the case thrown out under Order VII, Rule 11 of the Civil Procedure Code (CPC). But last September, the Varanasi district judge dismissed the committees application. This judgment was upheld by the Allahabad high court in May, compelling the committee to approach the apex court.

The other petition by the committee has challenged the May 2022 order of the Varanasi court directing a full survey of the mosque complex through an advocate commissioner. After the committee challenged this before the top court, the bench declined to stop the survey but directed that the section of the complex where a Shivling was reportedly found shall remain protected, adding that Muslims will also have the right to offer namaz in other sections of the mosque without any hindrance.

On May 20, 2022, the Supreme Court transferred the lawsuit from a civil judge to the Varanasi district judge, citing the complexities and sensitivities involved in the matter. It asked the district judge to decide on priority the application of the management committee that challenged the maintainability of the suit.

In September, the apex court refused to halt the ASI survey of the mosque, observing that it cannot find fault with the district courts order of July 21, nor would it interfere with every interlocutory direction passed in the case. The bench held that the order of the district judge cannot be construed to be without jurisdiction since the CPC empowers a court to issue a commission for a scientific investigation, the report of which is subject to be argued and tested at the time of trial.

At the same time, the bench noted that the high court was correct in introducing some additional safeguards to circumscribe the order of the district judge, which included the directions passed to ensure there will be no excavation at the site, nor would there be destruction of any part of the existing structure. The ASI will carry out its survey only using non-invasive methods, the top court directed.

While the mosque management committee banks on the provisions of the 1991 law to challenge all proceedings relating to the religious character of the Gyanvapi mosque, the law has, however, not prevented a spree of litigation in recent months, which include several lawsuits regarding the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi and Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah dispute in Mathura.

The Varanasi district judge is holding a joint trial of eight lawsuits claiming the existence of Hindu idols inside the Gyanvapi mosque, whereas there are 10 suits pending before a Mathura trial judge relating to Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah dispute. Meanwhile, a batch of petitions, some seeking to scrap the 1991 law and others asking for tight enforcement of the same law, remain pending before the top court since March 2021.
The submission made in the Supreme Court on Monday revealed that the Tamil Nadu governor RN Ravi sanctioned the prosecution of former ministers of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) C Vijayabhaskar and B V Ramana over the illegal sale of gutkha (chewing tobacco). The submission was filed by the attorney general of India on behalf of the governor in the top court. (ANI)

The ruling DMK government had in July granted permission to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to prosecute former health minister Vijayabhaskar and former minister for commercial taxes, Ramana, two retired director general of police and eight other officers. They are accused of taking bribes amounting to 39.91 crore to help transport, store and sell gutkha products in Chennai - which is banned in the state since 2013.

The governor has sanctioned their prosecution on November 13, according to the submission filed by the attorney general of India on behalf of the governor in the top court. The submission was made during the apex courts hearing on a petition filed by the Tamil Nadu government against the governors delay in processing the 12 bills passed by the state legislature, besides withholding several other files relating to sanction and remission. After a rap from the Supreme Court, the governor returned 10 of these bills on November 13 which led the state government to convene a special assembly session on November 18, where the 10 bills were re-adopted and passed again.

Besides them, the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government had also sent requests to the governor to initiate prosecution for corruption against two other former ministers, KC Veeramani and MR Vijayabhaskar and former vice chancellor of Tamil University in Thanjavur, G Baskaran. The governor has returned the file against Veeramani on November 18, while the decision on former transport minister Vijayabhaskar is under consideration. Sanction has been accorded to prosecute the ex-vice chancellor on November 18.

The CBI took over the gutkha scam case from the Tamil Nadu police in 2018 (following a Madras high court order). In the same year the first charge sheet was filed with the central agency charging six accused.

In July 2016, the Income Tax department had raided a godown in Chennais suburbs belonging to a company which sold MDM brand gutkha. The I-T officials found a diary with names of ministers, officers and various others who had been paid kickbacks to continue selling the banned product.

Law minister S Reghupathy on Monday said that they were aware that the governor has accorded sanction only after his submission in the top court. I cannot opine on the Supreme Courts observations but it is a victory for the DMK that the (court) has asked (governors) to give assent to bills, the law minister said.

Neither the AIADMK nor the affected ministers reacted to the development. However, the opposition party will hold a meeting chaired by its general secretary Edappadi K Palansiwami on Tuesday evening in Chennai.

In the submission filed by the governor, he has also said that only five bills are pending with him now. Out of the 580 proposals received for premature release of life convicts, he has approved 362, while 53 are under examination and the rest of 165 have been rejected. On the proposal related to retired DGP Sylendra Babus appointment as chairman to the Tamil Nadu public service commission, it was submitted that the governor has observed that there is no transparency in the entire selection process. The concerns were not addressed by the state, so the governor returned this filed on October 26.

On November 2, the state government filed a second writ petition in the Supreme Court challenging three notifications issued by the governor for a search committee to appoint vice-chancellors to three universities. The contention in this matter is of the governor including a nominee of the UGC to the committee which the government opposed. The governor has defended it saying that UGCs regulations from 2018 mandate the nominee.
Union Minister Gajendra Singh Sekhawat on Tuesday responded Congress's poll promise of carrying out caste census if voted to power in Rajasthan. Union Minister Gajendra Singh Sekhawat.(ANI)

Sekhawat claimed that such a census cannot be done as it is it is not in the purview of a state government. He also accused the Ashok Gehlot government of dividing the nation. Follow full coverage of the Rajasthan Assembly elections.

They can never do (caste census) because it is not in the purview of the state government. As per the constitution, the Centre is subject and only the central Government can do it, the minister of Jal Shakti said, according to ANI. Their party (Congress) has always divided the nation and they are trying to do it once again...

Earlier today, the Congress promised a caste census in its Rajasthan election manifesto if it returns to power in the state.

"To formulate policies based on the spirit of equal social welfare for all sections of the society, we will conduct caste-based census," the party said in the manifesto.

The party also promised reservation to minorities on basis of their population after the caste census.

The manifesto was released by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, PCC chief Govind Singh Dotasra, chairman of the manifesto committee CP Joshi and former deputy CM Sachin Pilot at the party office in Jaipur.

The party also promised to double the amount for beneficiaries under the Chiranjeevi Health Insurance scheme from 25 lakh to 50 lakh annually.

Rajasthan will go to the assembly election on November 25 and the counting of votes will be held on December 3.

In 2013, the BJP won 163 seats in the 2013 legislative assembly elections and formed the government under Vasundhara Raje.

In the next assembly elections in 2018, the Congress won 100 seats, while the BJP won 73 seats in the 200-member House. Gehlot eventually took the oath as CM with the support of BSP MLAs and Independents.
To address both the physical and mental well-being of the 41 trapped workers inside Uttarakhand's Silkyara tunnel, recommendations have been made for them to engage in physical exercise and maintain regular communication. According to news agency Reuters, psychiatrist Abhishek Sharma, sent to the tunnel site, advised the men to walk within the 2-km confined area, practice light yoga, and sustain regular conversations among themselves as a means of occupying their time. This picture released by Department of Information and Public Relation (DIPR) Uttarakhand and taken with endoscopic camera on November 21, 2023 shows a group of workers trapped inside the under-construction tunnel, days after it collapsed in the Uttarkashi district of India's Uttarakhand state. (via HT)

Sleep is very important for them ... and as of now they have been sleeping well and not reported any difficulties in sleeping, Sharma was further quoted as saying by Reuters, noting the workers' high spirits and eagerness to be rescued soon.

A video released by news agency ANI on Tuesday showcased food being packed for the trapped workers, set to be delivered through a six-inch pipeline to their location.

On November 12, 41 labourers were trapped as sections of the Uttarakhand's Silkyara-Dandalgaon tunnel collapsed due to a landslide on Diwali day. Situated about 30 km from Uttarkashi's district headquarters and a seven-hour drive from Dehradun, the tunnel forms part of the ambitious Char Dham all-weather road project of the central government.

Using an endoscopic camera sent through a narrow pipe, rescuers managed to make contact with the workers for the first time on Tuesday. This pipe serves as the conduit for delivering air, food, and water to the trapped individuals.

The six-inch pipeline inserted by rescuers through the debris of the collapsed Silkyara tunnel, supplemented the existing four-inch tube which was used for providing oxygen, dry fruits, and medicines to the affected section beyond the rubble. This larger pipeline is now fully operational, enhancing the support efforts at the Silkyara Tunnel in Uttarkashi.

What food has been prepared to send for the trapped workers?

Abhishek Ramola, the hotel owner responsible for preparing food for those trapped, told news agency ANI, We have cooked food for the people trapped inside. We are giving rice and paneer today in the food. We have made around 150 packets for them. All items have been prepared under the supervision of the doctor...We have given all easy-to-digest food.

Sanjeet Rana, a cook, said,We have cooked veg pulao, mattar paneer, and butter chapati for the people trapped inside. We have packed the food in an accurate portion. The food is less spicy and less oily...

Around 5-10 kilograms each of various fruits like apples, oranges, sweet lime, and five dozen bananas have been successfully delivered inside. Additionally, packets containing medicine, salt, and electrolytes have also been dispatched.

They can be saved in less than 3 days if horizontal drilling works

Officials on Tuesday said that the government's primary focus is on horizontal drilling to free all 41 workers trapped inside Uttarkashi's Silkyara tunnel. They expressed optimism that the rescue might be completed in less than three days if no challenges, such as encountering hard rocks, arise during the process.

However, they also highlighted the potential for a prolonged rescue operation in case the horizontal drilling encounter difficulties, prompting the exploration of alternative methods.

The government has initiated a comprehensive five-option action plan to facilitate the workers' rescue. Anurag Jain, secretary of the ministry of road transport and highways said "vertical drilling stands as the second-best choice," elaborating on the simultaneous operation of rescue efforts across multiple fronts.

Regarding the timeline, PTI quoted Jain as saying, "If everything goes well, it may take 2-2.5 days to rescue the trapped workers, in case no obstacles in the form of hard rocks are encountered during the horizontal drilling process."

He highlighted the prevalent international practice of utilising Augur boring machines for horizontal drilling as the current strategic approach.
Kolkata: Amid growing strain in his relationship with the Trinamool government, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose has alleged snooping attempts in Raj Bhavan, his official residence. Bose claimed on Tuesday he had "reliable information" about snooping in the governor's house in Kolkata. Kolkata: West Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose speaks during a press conference at the Governor House. (PTI)

Bose said the matter had been brought to the notice of the concerned authorities.

"It is a fact. I had reliable information about snooping in Raj Bhavan. That issue has been flagged to the concerned authorities. I will wait and watch," Bose told PTI.

Bose, however, didn't elaborate on who could be behind the alleged snooping attempt.

Like his predecessor, Bose has been having a strained relationship with the state government over a host of issues.

Earlier this month, Bose sought a report from the university on the installation of new plaques with Rabindranath Tagore's name. He also renamed the North Gate of Raj Bhavan as 'Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore Gate. This came after some plaques had been installed inside the campus sans Tagore's name, triggering a massive controversy.

On November 16, Bose alleged there was a culture of violence in Bengal politics. Reacting to the murder of a TMC worker, he had said, "Law will take its course. We will certainly take strong action against it and Raj Bhavan will also be doing its duty. Strict action should be taken against violence. It requires not only legal action but also social measures. Violence is influencing the politics of Bengal. This culture of violence must stop".

Before that, West Bengal Speaker Biman Banerjee had pointed out delay in approval of bills on the part of the governor.

"Since 2011, a total of 22 bills have been awaiting approval at Raj Bhavan. Three Bills have remained unresolved from 2011 to 2016, four from 2016 to 2021, and 15 from 2021 until now. Among these, six bills are currently under CV Anand Bose's review," he said on November 7.

Bose later said no bill was pending with him, except those needing clarification from the state government or under the consideration of courts.

Bose and the state government have had confrontation on issues linked to the appointment of university VCs, the state's foundation day, the withholding of MGNREGA dues by the Centre and political violence.

With inputs from PTI, ANI
A report shows what function doctors and other medical professionals played in Nazi crimes  and how doctors today can learn from reflecting on the past. A "medical report" from the Third Reich: countless doctors aided and abetted Nazi crimes (Thomas Frey/dpa/picture alliance )

"It's often surprising how limited the knowledge about the Nazis' medical crimes is in today's medical community, maybe with the exception of Josef Mengele's experiments in Auschwitz," said Herwig Czech of the Medical University of Vienna in Austria.

That's why Czech and his colleagues suggested establishing a new commission to the editor-in-chief of renowned medical journal The Lancet three years ago.

They planned to raise awareness of the Nazis' medical crimes and enable today's medical professionals to draw conclusions for the future.

ALSO READ: Simon Wiesenthal, the Holocaust and the politics of guilt

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The commission came to be and released its report in November 2023.

Details of Nazi atrocities

The researchers collected historical evidence of the medical atrocities committed during the Third Reich.

Their results show that the atrocities were committed by more than just a small number of individuals. They also show the consequences can still be felt today.

The report details how doctors and medical experts helped to come up with the so-called forced sterilization laws and actively participated in the sterilization of more than 350,000 people who had been categorized as "genetically inferior" according to the Nazis' race laws.

Many of the people who were sterilized suffered severe physical and psychological consequences from the procedure, and a large number of victims died. At least 230,000 people with mental, cognitive and physical disabilities were murdered "euthanasia programs" in Germany and the occupied territories during World War II.

Tens of thousands were abused as medical test subjects, for example in concentration camps.

Eugenics were used to justify crimes

The National Socialist racial ideology was used as a pseudo-scientific justification for these atrocities. The basis for what Nazis called "racial hygiene" was eugenics, the study of allegedly superior hereditary traits.

Eugenics in turn goes back to the theory of evolution, which was published by British researcher Charles Darwin in the mid-19th century.

According to this theory, only the fittest members of a species survive in a process of natural selection, while the others disappear.

Eugenicists applied this theory of natural selection to human society.

Their goal was to further the procreation of people with supposedly "good" hereditary traits and prevent the procreation of people with what they perceived as "inferior" hereditary traits.

'Inferior' traits as a scapegoat for society's ills

In Germany and elsewhere, society across all parties and classes accepted eugenics as a science. Even researchers and doctors were on board. That caused immeasurable suffering.

In early 20th century Germany, the theory had no trouble finding its footing, because many people were struggling. Mass unemployment meant many people lived in squalor, there was a drastic rise in crime, illnesses spread easily and mortality rates were high. Eugenics supporters said that "inferior biological substance" was responsible for this dismal state of affairs.

They claimed that only drastic eugenical measures, such as forced sterilization or the killing of "unworthy life," could stop the imminent demise of society. According to eugenicists, there just wasn't enough money, food and space to share with "unworthy life."

The Nazis' obsession with race

The Nazis latched onto eugenics as a welcome justification for their race laws. They encouraged the raising of so-called "racially pure Aryan children," and wanted to eradicate what they considered "unworthy life" through forced sterilization, euthanasia and systematic murder, for example in concentration camps. Researchers and doctors were active participants in this endeavor.

The new report uses 878 sources and is the most comprehensive of its kind so far, The Lancet says. It chronicles the development of medical research during the Nazi regime, portraits individual perpetrators and victims, including imprisoned doctors, who treated their fellow inmates under the most difficult circumstances.

Nazi anatomy textbook still in use today

Despite efforts to deal with past crimes, many perpetrators and accomplices were not held responsible after the war, or only saw justice years later.

The report has found that knowledge gathered by the Nazis has often continued to be used without reexamination.

An anatomy textbook by Austrian anatomist Eduard Pernkopf, for example, is still used today because of its close attention to detail, even though the avid Nazi included images of people who were executed during the Third Reich.

One of the commission's goals is to make doctors and medical personnel aware of the origins of the medical knowledge they use.

"Medical students, researchers and practicing medical professional should know where and from whom the basics of medical knowledge originated. They owe that to the victims of National-socialism," said Shmuel Pinchas Reis from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, one of the commission's co-chairs.

Implications for the future

The authors see the commission report as a first step. They plan to create extensive online documentation.

"The medical atrocities committed by the Nazis are among the most extreme and best documented examples for medical participation in human rights violations in history," said Sabine Hildebrandt from the Harvard Medical School in Boston, another commission co-chair.

"We must study the history of the worst of humanity to recognize similar patterns in the present and counter them with the goal to encourage the best."
President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday flagged off three trains from Badampahar Railway Station in Mayurbhanj district of Odisha. President Droupadi Murmu flags off the three new trains, namely Badampahar-Tatanagar MEMU, Badampahar-Rourkela Weekly Express and Badampahar-Shalimar Weekly Express, from Badampahar Railway Station in the presence of Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Odisha Governor Raghubar Das, on Tuesday. (President of India-X)

She also undertook an inaugural trip on one of the trains from Badampahar to Rairangpur, a village about 13 km away from her birthplace -- Uparbeda. Murmu spent a considerable time of her life in Rairangpur.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, and Governor of Odisha Raghubar Das among other senior leaders and Railway officials were present at the flagging-off ceremony.

"Providing connectivity to the tribal areas of the country is Modi govt's priority. These three trains will benefit the mineral-rich areas in many ways, Vaishnaw told PTI.

It is for the first time in 91 years that this area has come up on the Railways map and express trains have started, he added.

The South Eastern Railway (SER), under which the Badampahar station comes, had beautifully decorated the station and held a cultural event to welcome the President and other dignitaries.

The event witnessed a huge gathering of locals who came to celebrate the historic moment.

The three trains -- Shalimar-Badampahar and Badampahar-Rourkela weekly express and one MEMU between Badampahar and Tatanagar -- will connect tribal areas with bigger cities and give a huge boost to the local economy, access to healthcare and tribal tourism, a Railways official said.

According to the Railways, the Shalimar-Badampahar Weekly Express will be the first-ever express train connecting Shalimar near Kolkata in West Bengal with Badampahar in Odisha.

The second weekly express train will connect the mineral-rich areas of Badampahar with Rourkela, the Steel City of India while the third -- Tatanagar-Badampahar MEMU -- will be important for daily commuters as it will run six days a week except on Sunday.

This will be an additional service between Badampahar and Tatanagar, an important industrial city of Jharkhand, the Railways said.

The South Eastern Railway (SER) zone, under which these areas fall, said these trains will pass through mineral-rich and industrial areas and will improve connectivity.

People from nearby areas will also be able to avail of this train service for visiting bigger cities for various purposes, it added.

"It will benefit students and job aspirants by providing easy access to the premier educational institutes and corporate houses," an SER official said.

Highlighting the importance of the trains for people who need medical treatment, he said, "Patients from this area can now consult doctors and avail treatment at reputable hospitals of Kolkata and Tatanagar."

Besides providing better connectivity to boost the growth and development of the Mayurbhanj district of Odisha, these new trains will also encourage tourists from West Bengal and Jharkhand to explore and enjoy the picturesque landscape and dense forest of northeastern parts of Odisha.

The President also laid the foundation stone of the redevelopment of Badampahar Railway Station as part of the Amrit Station Scheme under which more than 1,300 railway stations across the country are being redeveloped with state-of-the-art facilities.

"Badampahar Station in Chakradharpur Division has been earmarked for redevelopment under Amrit Station Scheme at an estimated cost of 12.22 crore," according to a statement by Railways.

"The redevelopment of Badampahar Railway Station will enhance rail-transport infrastructure and boost tourism for the state of Odisha," it stated.
When Mike Johnson, the low-profile representative from Louisiana became the Speaker of the House of Representatives last month, few in Washington DC knew him. But in an interview, Johnson left little to the imagination when asked to explain his worldview. Mike Johnson is opposed to abortion access and same-sex intimacy. (AP)

What does Mike Johnson think about any issue under the sun? Go pick up a Bible off your shelf and read it. Thats my worldview. Thats what I believe, the senior-most elected Republican figure declared unapologetically.

Johnson is opposed to abortion access and same-sex intimacy. He denied the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential elections and had few qualms about the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol, which was animated by the presence of religious extremists. He is a member of the Freedom Caucus, the Far-Right branch of the Republican Party which has moved from the fringe to the mainstream of Americas oldest political formation in less than a decade. And he is a Donald Trump loyalist. Since Trumps election in 2016, American political scientists have offered several frameworks, primarily economic and cultural, to explain the rise of the Far-Right.

Globalisation and technology hollowed out American working-class jobs. Liberals failed to recognise this angst and shift policy gears. The dramatic shift in the voter base of the two parties, where White and increasingly Black and Hispanic voters who didnt go to college are opting for Republicans while the college-educated across race veers towards Democrats, reflects this changing political landscape. The demographic churn, with the rise in the power of people of colour, caused anxieties among the White majority. Barack Obamas presidential tenure was emblematic of this trend, and the most progressive vote in America in 2008 and 2012 was followed by the most regressive vote in 2016. Immigration has also led the Right to peddle the Great Replacement Theory, which suggests that the influx of outsiders was part of an organised conspiracy to take over America.

All of it is linked. But perhaps no single framework explains Johnsons rise, Trumps popularity, the judiciarys arch-conservative orientation, the elimination of national legal protection for abortion rights, the backlash against pedagogy around slavery and the obsession with sexual mores than the increased salience of Christian Nationalism, fuelled by demographic anxieties amid the relative decline of the Christian population as America becomes more multi-religious.

Yet, even the American liberal media hesitates to consistently label Republicans a Christian nationalist force, a reticence that does not extend to, say the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which always has the Hindu nationalist descriptor attached. This is not to say that the BJP doesnt prioritise Hindutva in its political matrix, but imagine the western medias narrative if Narendra Modi went around saying that only the shastras define his worldview.

The impact of Christian nationalism which scholar Paul D Miller defines as the presumption that Christians are Americas first citizens, architects, and guardians; they invented America and have the right to stay on top and define its culture and identity; and that America is for Christians, particularly White Christians, and should be a Christian nation  has, however, been captured in polls repeatedly.

A May 2022 University of Maryland Critical Issues Poll showed that 61% of Republicans supported declaring the US a Christian nation, even if more than half the Republicans acknowledged that this would be unconstitutional. An October 2022 Pew study showed that 45% of those polled said the US should be a Christian nation, while one-third said it already is one.

And, a February 2023 Public Religion Research Institute and Brookings Institution said that 54% of Republicans polled could either be classified as adherents (21%) or sympathisers (33%) of Christian nationalism, with adherents seven times more likely than non-adherents to suggest that true patriots may have to resort to violence. Over half the adherents and 38% sympathisers also endorsed the idea of an authoritarian ruler.

Now see the link with party politics. According to the Brookings study, 71% of Christian nationalist adherents and 57% sympathisers held favourable views of Trump. Another analysis by labour leader Michael Podhorzer shows that the Republicans represent nearly every one of the highest-density evangelical districts (93% of the top quintile) in the House while the overwhelming majority of the Republican House Caucus (70%) represents most evangelical districts. Seeing Vivek Ramaswamy, the only non-Christian in the Republican presidential field, resort to acrobatics such as suggesting that his Hindu faith is akin to Judeo-Christian values is yet more evidence of this trend.

Add it all up. A substantial segment of the American population interprets Trumps slogan of America First as Christians First. One chamber of the American legislature is led by a declared evangelist. The American Supreme Court is dominated by those who wear their religious beliefs on their sleeves. A man whose personal life history has little in alignment with Christian values but is seen as its champion led the American executive till 2020 and may return in 2024. Republican candidates of other faiths have to pledge their alignment with the religious values of the dominant to be accepted. And the Democrats hesitate to call out religious fundamentalism in clear terms for fear of alienating voters of that faith.

None of this is to suggest that Christian nationalism is the sole reason for the extreme turn of the Republicans or that only Christians back the Grand Old Party. Nor is it to ignore the history of how Christianity has always shaped American national life. Neither is it to discount the robust countervailing narrative that views America as a nation that gives freedom and equal rights to adherents of all faiths, a pluralist and secular view that constitutes the majority in the US. And nor is it to underestimate the trend of wider secularisation of society where religion plays a far less central role in determining everyday life than in the past.

But to understand why America is today politically dysfunctional, institutionally corroded, and internationally inconsistent, it is time to reverse the gaze. The American dream is colliding with its Christian nationalist nightmare.

The views expressed are personal
On November 11, 2023, London witnessed one of the largest processions in recent times. This was in support of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The event unfortunately acquired an anti-Semitic colour.

The Metropolitan Police (Met), despite the risks involved, had permitted the event and thrown in more than 1,000 of its personnel to ensure there was no untoward happening. It was estimated that about 300,000 people took part in this march. Barring a few minor clashes between the police and the crowd, the demonstration passed off peacefully. The police are now looking for a few demonstrators who carried provocative placards evoking strong reactions from sections of the British public.

The occasion culminated in a debate on law and order management in democracies. There are two points of view here. One stands for a total ban on public processions in the interest of public peace. The other believes that a blanket prohibition of processions is antithetical to democracy. I stand for a blend of the two approaches. This is, no doubt, tightrope walking indeed.

A balanced and enlightened mind combined with an ability to communicate on the part of the top brass in government and the police ranks should achieve this blend. No one in the seat of power can arrogate to himself the right to quell dissent. But he has, at the same time, the duty to come down heavily on anyone abusing the right to free speech.

The United Kingdom (UK)s home secretary (equivalent to our home minister) Suella Braverman, minister in charge of the police portfolio, was initially not warm to the idea of allowing the procession, although, after the event ended, she praised the police for its handling of the assembly. Earlier, she had openly criticised the Met for giving permission to the organisers and wrote an article in The Times (London) questioning the wisdom of police commissioner Mark Rowleys decision. Interestingly, she also ignored Downing Streets feelers that she should tone down her piece. There was a feeling that in doing so she was trying to embarrass Prime Minister (PM) Rishi Sunak. The grapevine is that by taking this stand, she was wooing the Right in her Conservative Party with a view to staking her claim to leadership after next years general elections.

Braverman has since been sacked from the Sunak cabinet. Interestingly, under the previous regime headed by Boris Johnson also she was shown the door for breaching security guidelines.

These events in London may seem bizarre to us in India. A serving home minister going to the media criticising a decision of his or her own police force in an act of defiance of the prime minister is inconceivable. Also, a police chief standing his ground in a crucial field decision against the wishes of his superior functionary is a rare phenomenon. In fairness to PM Sunak, however, there is no report to suggest he ever interfered with what was essentially a professional decision by Commissioner Rowley.

This was autonomy at its best, not given to the police in any region of our country. None of our political parties would also like to concede greater independence to the police than the modicum that is available to them now. The subordination of the Indian police to our political executive is nearly total leading to erosion of public confidence in police professionalism and neutrality.

This degeneration of policing ignited by the politicisation of field decisions started within decades of our winning Independence and the process continues unabated. The ruling class as well as the Indian Police Service (IPS) leadership are guilty of not attempting to stem the rot.

What we recently saw in London was a supreme case of a popularly elected chief executive of the country, namely the PM, scrupulously avoiding any unprofessional interference in field policing. Ironically, this does not happen in India because of our British legacy. The alien rulers gave us a system some 170 years ago whereby the police were always under the thumb of the executive. The philosophy behind this was the conviction that the police could not be trusted because they could overstep their limits and, therefore, had to be controlled always by the magistracy.

This explains why the police leadership remained in the hands of the wholly White ruling class. It was this objective that persuaded the British rulers to recruit only mere literates or semi-literates into the lower rungs of every police force in the country. Indianisation and recruitment of educated men to the higher echelons were initiated only in the early 20th century. The shadow cast by the legacy of such an unprofessional approach to setting up a critical public service agency remains.

The creation immediately after Independence of an IPS to which young men and women are chosen on the basis of a competitive examination has improved the situation somewhat and the impact of professionalism, especially in urban centres, is now discernible.

In sum, policing a democracy is an extremely delicate exercise. It calls for an imaginative and cultured approach that is in conformity with the law and humanity and which eschews imperiousness. The political executive has a major role to play here. Any political or personal bias by decision-makers to settle scores with their adversaries will certainly distort the image of a government and the police force it controls.

RK Raghavan is a former CBI director. The views expressed are personal
Ice wine industry pours new life into SW China's mountainous areas

16:24, November 21, 2023 By Du Mingming ( People's Daily Online

Walking into the grape fields of Tacheng town in Weixi Lisu Autonomous County, in southwest China's Yunnan Province, one finds bunches of Vidal ice grapes emitting an attractive fruity aroma.

These grapes are expected to be harvested in January at temperatures of minus 7 degrees Celsius or lower and then made into a local specialty: ice wine. The ice grape industry has boosted farmers' income in high-altitude mountainous areas, contributing to local revitalization.

Vidal ice grapes are grown at a vineyard in Qibie village, Tacheng town, Weixi Lisu Autonomous County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Nov. 17, 2003. (People's Daily Online/Du Mingming)

Unlike other wines, ice wine is made from grapes frozen while still on the vine. This freezing process naturally concentrates the sugars in the grapes, resulting in an extremely sweet wine with a distinctive flavor. The wine, known for its transparent golden-yellow color, is often referred to as "liquid gold."

The favorable natural conditions in Weixi make it an ideal location for ice wine production. The area's many river valleys feature a significant temperature difference between day and night, conducive to grape growth. After more than a decade of development, the local ice grape industry has reached a significant scale.

Vineyard in Qibie village, Tacheng town, Weixi Lisu Autonomous County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Nov. 17, 2023. (People's Daily Online/Du Mingming)

Li Huiying, a villager in Tacheng, shared with a smile, "My family grows more than 10 mu of Vidal ice grapes, and we earn at least 5,000 yuan ($704) per mu." Li added that her family previously grew corn, which was time-consuming, labor-intensive, and less profitable.

"Since we started planting ice grapes in 2009, our income has significantly increased. Lapu Valley Winery Co., Ltd. purchases the Vidal ice grapes in our village, so we don't need to worry about sales," Li said.

The processing workshop at Lapu Valley Winery, Weixi Lisu Autonomous County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Nov. 17, 2023. (People's Daily Online/Du Mingming)

Lapu Valley Winery is among the few wineries in China that produce high-quality fine ice wine and sweet white wine. "Ice grapes are grown at high altitudes, and after years of planting and experiments, we have successfully developed ice wine here in Tacheng. The vineyards, scattered across the mountains at elevations ranging from 2,000 to 3,200 meters, have helped increase villagers' incomes by two to threefold," said Chen Junwu, chairman of the winery.

Chen noted that the winery has more than 500 mu of vineyards in Tacheng transferred from villagers and provides technical guidance to farmers managing another 1,200 mu. The unique vertical climate zone created by the high altitude results in varying temperature gradients, allowing grapes planted at different elevations to develop distinct flavor profiles.

Wang Guilong, the winemaker at the winery, explained that ice wine in Tacheng is considered high-end and niche. It is produced from grapes grown at altitudes of 2,600 to 3,200 meters. The mountainous terrain limits the large-scale mechanization of vineyards and increases the labor cost.

Wines made by Lapu Valley Winery in Weixi Lisu Autonomous County, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (People's Daily Online/Du Mingming)

According to Wang, ice grapes are normally harvested the following January, when they are withered and frozen. He explained that the processing of ice grapes is under strict control. "The grapes are pressed and extracted soon after farmers harvest and transport them to the winery at night. Fermentation is conducted at a low temperature, between 8 and 12 degrees Celsius," he said.

As the winery is located in the core area of the Shangri-La tourism circle, winery sightseeing has become an integral part of their business. Lapu Valley Winery has developed a business model that combines tourism, winemaking, and homestays, attracting about 30,000 tourists annually and indirectly fostering entrepreneurship and employment in the surrounding villages.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
The Delhi BJP on Monday claimed that following a NCT of Delhi RERA order, property registration has been stalled by the sub-registrars here. Representational picture(File photo)

However, a senior revenue department officer said no directions have been issued to sub-registrars to stop property registrations.

Slamming the AAP government, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva asked Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to clarify whether the NCT of Delhi Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) order will apply on properties constructed before November 20 or any later date.

Sources in the AAP-led Delhi government, however, said RERA comes under the Centre, so the BJP should question the central government, and stop "misleading" the people.

In a statement, Sachdeva claimed that "misusing the Supreme Court's concern for protecting the interest of property buyers, the Delhi government's RERA has brought a notification after which sub-registrars stalled property registration in Delhi today."

The Delhi RERA in its order in September had directed agencies concerned to stick to a Supreme Court order in 2008 whereby maximum number of dwelling units that could be constructed on different plot sizes were fixed.

The officer said there are no directions to sub-registrars to stop property registrations. "We will consult with the RERA to understand the intent of its order and how to go about it," the officer said.

The RERA had also stated in its order that various civic authorities such as MCD. DDA, NDMC and Delhi Cantonment Board are sanctioning building plans with additional dwelling units without kitchen built with pantry or store.

"The builders after sanction of building plans, convert pantries and stores into kitchens and sell units as separate dwelling units, circumventing orders of the Hon'ble Supreme Court," stated the RERA order.

It had directed that all building plans sanctioned after September 15, 2023, will clearly indicate total number of dwelling units that can be constructed on the plot marking each dwelling unit separately on the plan.

The authority has further directed all sub-registrars to: not to register more than the number of permissible dwelling units as per plot size.

The Delhi BJP president claimed that the RERA order says that on plots of up to 50 metres only three dwelling units will be allowed, while Delhi is full of small plots of up to 50 metres having four to five dwelling units.

Similarly the order says that only four dwelling units will be allowed on plots of 50 to 250 metres whereas a large number of properties of above 100-250 metres size in Delhi have six to eight dwelling units, Sachdeva claimed.

He said Delhi has 1671 unauthorised colonies with lakhs of units where no Building Plan has been sanctioned till date. So, one fails to understand how will property sale and purchase take place in these areas, the BJP leader said.

In unauthorised colonies three to four houses of say 200 metres normally has eight to 10 dwelling units and people want to know from Chief Minister Kejriwal what will be the future of their houses that will become illegal as per the RERA order, he said.
Union minister of state Electronics and Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Tuesday said that the government is likely to take some "major steps" on the issue of deepfakes, ANI reported. Union Minister for Electronics and Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar.(Reuters)

Deepfake videos are synthetic media created using AI, which generates convincing-looking fake images, videos or audio not usually discernible to someone not trained in spotting them.

"You will have to wait till November 24 to see what we do. We will talk to the industry and we will come up with an overall framework that strengthens our existing framework that is already present," Chandrasekhar was quoted as saying by ANI.

Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed concerns over the misuse of technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to create deepfakes and said the media can play a role in raising awareness since a large section of society does not have the wherewithal to ascertain the veracity of content.

Modi also stressed on the need to carry some precautionary notes about the pitfalls and dangers of AI and deepfakes.

Amid the concern, the Electronics and Information Technology Ministry (MeitY) has summoned officials from major social media companies for a meeting on Nuisances of deepfake content on Social Media Platforms on November 23.

The summon to social media companies was sent two days after IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the ministry would call them to brainstorm about deepfakes.

On Tuesday, Chandrasekhar said that the government would engage with the industry to make sure that they do not allow deepfakes to create chaos, harm or toxicity on the internet for Indians.

We continue to engage with all the platforms. I have always said that the platforms and the government are partners in ensuring that the internet in India is open, safe, trusted and accountable for our digital citizens. We will continue to engage with them, the minister said, according to ANI.
OpenAI, the company behind the artificial intelligence bot ChatGPT, faces a significant crisis as its board fired co-founder and chief executive Sam Altman on Friday. This move has sparked discontent, with hundreds of OpenAI staff threatening to quit, and Microsoft, its largest investor, has hired Altman. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella (R) greets the then OpenAI CEO Sam Altman during the OpenAI DevDay event on November 06, 2023 in San Francisco.(AFP)

Reportedly, OpenAI did not consult Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella before the ousting, leaving him unaware of the board's decision. Once a non-profit organization, OpenAI has attracted over $13 billion in investment from Microsoft, holding a 49 per cent stake in now the for-profit AI company.

Now, Nadella has himself revealed his stance on Sam Altman's surprise exit.

Speaking to Bloomberg TV on whether the OpenAI board gave him any reason for firing Sam Altman, Microsoft CEO Nadella said, I as far as I'm concerned, you know, we feel very confident in Sam and his leadership team, I have not been told about anything that they published internally at open AI. The board has not talked about anything that Sam did other than some breakdown in communications.I've not directly been told by anyone from their board about any issues and so therefore, I remain confident in Sam and his leadership and capability and that's why you know, we want to welcome him to Microsoft." the Microsoft CEO added.

OpenAI announced in a blog post on Friday that its board no longer has confidence in Altman's ability to lead the organisation. Another co-founder and board chair Greg Brockman was also shown exit gate.

The post said that Altman was not consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities."

Altman was replaced by Mira Murati, OpenAIs chief technology officer who was initially named as interim CEO. However, her appointment remained short-lived as Twitch former CEO Emmett Shear succeeded in another surprise move.

Microsoft CEO Nadella said on Monday that Altman and Brockman, together with colleagues, will be joining Microsoft to lead a new advanced AI research team.

"We remain committed to our partnership with OpenAI and have confidence in our product roadmap, our ability to continue to innovate with everything we announced at Microsoft Ignite, and in continuing to support our customers and partners," Nadella posted on.

"We look forward to getting to know Emmett Shear and OAI's new leadership team and working with them," Nadella wrote on X.

Altman responded, "Satya and my top priority remains to ensure OpenAI continues to thrive. We are committed to fully providing continuity of operations to our partners and customers."

"The OpenAI/Microsoft partnership makes this very doable," he added.
A doctor aboard an Air India flight that was yet to take off was called upon to assist a woman during a medical emergency. The doctor, along with other medical professionals, checked the womans vitals and aided her off the plane. He has now taken to X to share his experience of dealing with this medical emergency. Expectedly, many praised the doctors heroic efforts. Air India also responded to the post and expressed heartfelt gratitude to the doctor for his lifesaving intervention. The woman aboard the Air India flight was disoriented and had seizures. (Representational image)

Dr Sankaran, in his post, shared that he and another radiologist were called to attend to the woman who was disoriented and had seizures on a flight that hadnt taken off. Flight was yet to take off, and fortunately vitals were stable, and we could offload her with the help of local Medanta doctors, he wrote in his tweet.

The doctor further informed that following this incident, all the passengers underwent security screening and clearance, leading to a one-hour delay in the flight.

In the next few lines, he recounted his first experience attending to a medical emergency aboard a flight from Delhi to Bengaluru.

Take a look at the entire tweet of the doctor below:

Air India replied to this tweet and wrote, Dear Mr Sankaran, we honour you for the part you played! Thank you. It always feels blessed to have a persona like you amongst us, who never hesitate to extend their helping hands for people. Thank you for noticing our staff commitment, and we will surely pass on your appreciation.

Heres how others reacted to this tweet:

Take a bow, doctor, wrote an individual.

Another joined, Its awesome youve kept that same passion for caring for people all these years. Keep up the great work, doc! You rock.

Service to mankind - a motto you evidently follow. Thank you, expressed a third.

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The doctors experience in handling medical emergencies on X has accumulated over 1.6 lakh views and more than 1,400 likes. Many even retweeted his post.
The chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, issued a warning that his party would not recognise the results if any interference was seen in the upcoming general elections of 2024, ARY News reported on Monday. Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) president Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari(AFP)

Speaking at a workers' convention in Nowshera, the PPP chairman stated that parties with a two-thirds majority claim to have reached a consensus on the future setup.

However, he did not name any specific parties. It is pertinent to note that both the PML-N and PPP were allies in the previous PDM (Pakistan Democratic Movement) coalition government in which Shehbaz Sharif was the prime minister.

In addition to lamenting the lack of purpose for elections when the results are predetermined, Bilawal Bhutto advised senior politicians not to put in unnecessary effort and to abstain from running for office on the "back of administration, according to ARY News.

He issued a warning, saying that if there was any electoral meddling, his party would not recognise the results.

He reiterated his call for "transparent polls," saying, "We will only accept the choice of the people, not anyone else's.

Notably, the general elections are scheduled for February 8, 2024, as announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday.

Details state that, in accordance with Section 57 of the Election Act, the Election Commission of Pakistan announced the general election date.

The notice stated that the general elections would be held on February 8, 2024, in accordance with the Supreme Court's ruling.
The Brics grouping on Tuesday called for an immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hamas while expressing its deep concern over the dire humanitarian crisis triggered by the raging conflict between the two sides. Brics held an extraordinary meeting on the situation in the Middle East with particular reference to Gaza on Tuesday. (AFP)

We reiterated our strong support for regional and international efforts aimed at achieving an immediate cessation of hostilities, ensuring the protection of civilians and the provision of humanitarian aid, the Brics (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) grouping said in a Chairs Summary issued after an extraordinary meeting on the situation in the Middle East with particular reference to Gaza.

India said the Israel-Hamas conflict, triggered by the October 7 terrorist attack, was causing immense human suffering in Gaza while welcoming the efforts of the international community towards de-escalation and drawing attention to the urgent need to ensure that humanitarian aid and relief reached the Palestinian city.

It is also imperative that all (Israeli) hostages are released, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said.

We believe that there is a universal obligation to observe international humanitarian law. We are all aware that the immediate crisis was triggered by the terrorist attack of October 7. Where terrorism itself is concerned, none of us should and can compromise with it.

The minister was virtually addressing the extraordinary joint meeting. He was representing Prime Minister Narendra Modi who could not attend the meeting due to other commitments.

The Brics grouping emphasised the importance of preventing further destabilisation and escalation of violence, including the spillover of the conflict in the region and called upon all parties to exercise maximum restraint.

Along with the need for restraint and immediate humanitarian support, India also emphasises the peaceful resolution of conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy, Jaishankar said in his address.

India has adopted a nuanced approach towards the developments in the Middle East. Other Brics members have taken a hard line on the raging war.

The collective punishment of Palestinian civilians through the unlawful use of force by Israel is a war crime, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said in his opening remarks.

The deliberate denial of medicine, fuel, food and water to the residents of Gaza is tantamount to genocide. The atrocities that we have witnessed are the latest chapter in a painful history of suffering, oppression, occupation and conflict going back more than 75 years, he added.

An AFP report from Johannesburg quoted Chinese President Xi Jinping as saying that there can be no sustainable peace and security in the Middle East without a just solution to the question of Palestine.

Jaishankar said India believed that the concerns of the Palestinian people must be addressed in a serious and sustainable manner.

This can only happen with a two-state solution that is based on peaceful co-existence. We have been consistently supportive of international efforts towards this end. Earlier in Delhi, India and Australia backed the two-state solution to resolve the decades-old conflict and bring lasting peace to the troubled region.

Over the years, India has supported the socio-economic welfare of the Palestinian people and strengthening of their national institutions. Our developmental partnership is geared towards these objectives. We continue to provide assistance both bilaterally and through the UN, Jaishankar said at the Brics summit.

The international community is facing a complex situation with many dimensions, he said. We have to address them all and yet have to prioritise. Our endeavour should be to both make a difference on the ground immediately while also creating conditions for lasting solutions, Jaishankar added.

The special meeting was convened by South Africa and included countries that will soon be a part of the grouping: Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, Egypt, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates.
Britain and South Korea will sign a defence agreement during a state visit by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol this week to jointly enforce United Nations Security Council sanctions on North Korea, the British government said on Tuesday. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaks during the 9th Session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, in Pyongyang.(Reuters)

The agreement will support closer relations between Britain's Royal Navy and the South Korean navy to counter smuggling in the East China Sea which is aimed at bypassing international sanctions, Britain said.
Fuel shortages and worsening sanitation in the Gaza Strip are shaping up to be the perfect storm for tragedy through the spread of disease, the United Nations warned on Tuesday. Israel-Hamas War: A Palestinian child carries flour bags distributed by UNRWA in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip.(Reuters)

UNICEF, the UN children's agency, said there was a serious threat of a mass disease outbreak in the besieged Palestinian territory.

"Without enough fuel, we will see the collapse of sanitation services. So we have then, on top of the mortars and the bombs, a perfect storm for the spread of disease.

"It's a perfect storm for tragedy," UNICEF spokesman James Elder told a press briefing in Geneva.

"We have a desperate lack of water, faecal matter strewn across densely populated settlements, an unacceptable lack of latrines, and severe, severe restraints on hand-washing, personal hygiene and cleaning."

Speaking via video-link from Cairo, Elder said the potential for wider loss of life in Gaza was being significantly exacerbated because an estimated 800,000 children in the enclave are displaced from their homes.

Read more: Britain and South Korea to jointly enforce sanctions against North Korea

"If children's access to water and sanitation in Gaza continues to be restricted and insufficient, we will see a tragic yet entirely avoidable surge in the number of children dying," said Elder.

"It's also important to note it's starting to rain in Gaza. Now combined, children face a serious threat of mass disease outbreak. This, of course, would be lethal."

Hamas gunmen stormed across the border from Gaza into Israel on October 7, killing around 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and taking around 240 people hostage, according to Israeli officials.

In retaliation, Israel launched a relentless bombing campaign and ground offensive in Gaza, killing more than 13,300 Palestinians, thousands of them children, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

Supplies of water, electricity, fuel and food were cut off to the impoverished and densely populated territory in the aftermath of the Hamas attacks.

Elder called for the release of 30 or so children being held hostage "somewhere in this hellscape", saying their fear and torment "has to end".

UNICEF is particularly concerned about the risk of a cholera outbreak in the Gaza Strip, fearing an exponential rise in child deaths if an outbreak was to strike.

Cholera, which has not so far been detected in Gaza, is contracted from a bacterium that is generally transmitted through contaminated food or water.

It causes diarrhoea and vomiting, and can be especially dangerous for young children.
Germany on Tuesday announced 1.3 billion euros ($1.4 billion) more in military gear for Ukraine in its fight against Russia, including four further IRIS T-SLM air defence systems as well as artillery ammunition. Ukrainian soldiers take part in a sniper shooting exercise at a training facility outside Kyiv, Ukraine(AFP)

The package was unveiled by Defence Minister Boris Pistorius after talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov in Kyiv.

Germany is the second biggest contributor of military equipment to Ukraine, and Pistorius's visit to Kyiv was his second since he became defence minister at the start of the year.

The IRIS-T systems are highly sought after by Ukraine to shoot down Russian drones and missiles.

The latest four pledged by Germany mark the third batch of IRIS-T systems that Berlin is offering to Ukraine since the beginning of the war.

Three IRIS-T systems from the first batch have already been delivered, and a fourth will follow in this winter. A second batch of four will arrive in 2024.
The chief of Hamas told Reuters on Tuesday that the Palestinian militant group was near a truce agreement with Israel, even as the deadly assault on Gaza continued and rockets were being fired into Israel. Palestinian group Hamas' top leader, Ismail Haniyeh.(Reuters / File)

Hamas officials are "close to reaching a truce agreement" with Israel and the group has delivered its response to Qatari mediators, Ismail Haniyeh said in a statement sent to Reuters by his aide.

There were no more details about the terms of the potential agreement.

U.S. President Joe Biden said on Monday he believed an accord was near. "We're closer now than we've been before," White House spokesman John Kirby said of an agreement aimed at securing the release of some hostages held in Gaza and a pause in the fighting that would allow much needed aid into the besieged enclave.

Hamas took about 240 hostages during its Oct. 7 rampage into Israel that killed 1,200 people.

Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), met Haniyeh in Qatar on Monday to "advance humanitarian issues" related to the conflict, the Geneva-based ICRC said in a statement. She also met separately with Qatari authorities.

The ICRC said it was not part of negotiations aimed at releasing the hostages, but as a neutral intermediary it was ready "to facilitate any future release that the parties agree to."

Talk of an imminent hostage deal has swirled for days. Reuters reported last week that Qatari mediators were seeking a deal for Hamas and Israel to exchange 50 hostages in return for a three-day ceasefire that would boost emergency aid shipments to Gaza civilians, citing an official briefed on the talks.

Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Herzog said on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday that he hoped for an agreement "in the coming days" while Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said that the remaining sticking points were "very minor."

A deal has appeared close before.

"Sensitive negotiations like this can fall apart at the last minute," White House deputy national security adviser Jon Finer told NBC's "Meet the Press" program on Sunday. "Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed."

Hamas' raid on Oct. 7, the deadliest day in Israel's 75-year-old history, prompted Israel to invade the Palestinian territory to target Hamas.

Since then, Gaza's Hamas-run government said at least 13,300 Palestinians have been killed, including at least 5,600 children and 3,550 women, by unrelenting Israeli bombardment.

Hamas said on its Telegram account on Monday that it had launched a barrage of missiles towards Tel Aviv. Witnesses also reported rockets being fired at central Israel.

HOSPITALS AT RISK

The Palestinian news agency WAFA said on Tuesday at least 17 Palestinians were killed in Israeli bombing of the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza at midnight.

There was no immediate comment from Israel.

Gaza's health ministry said on Monday that at least 12 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded by firing into the Indonesian Hospital complex, which was encircled by Israeli tanks.

Health officials said 700 patients along with staff were under Israeli fire.

WAFA said the facility in the northeast Gaza town of Beit Lahia, funded by Indonesian organisations, had been hit by artillery rounds. Hospital staff denied there were any armed militants on the premises.

World Health Organisation chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was "appalled" by the attack that he too said had killed 12 people, including patients, citing unspecified reports.

The Israeli Defence Forces said troops had fired back at fighters in the hospital while taking "numerous measures to minimise harm" to non-combatants.

Like all other health facilities in the northern half of Gaza, the Indonesian Hospital has largely ceased operations but is still sheltering patients, staff and displaced residents.

Twenty-eight prematurely born babies evacuated from Gaza's biggest hospital, Al Shifa, were taken into Egypt for urgent treatment on Monday.

Israeli forces seized Shifa last week to search for what they said was a tunnel network built by Hamas beneath the hospital. Hundreds of patients, medical staff and displaced people left Shifa at the weekend, with doctors saying they were ejected by troops and Israel saying the departures were voluntary.

(Reporting by Reuters bureaux; Writing by Idrees Ali and Raju Gopalakrishnan; Editing by Cynthia Osterman & Simon Cameron-Moore)
Toronto: Following a rash of anti-Semitic incidents in Canada after the terror attacks by Hamas on Israel on October 7, Canadian authorities have moved against use of the Nazi swastika symbol, which has also been condemned by leaders like Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. To prevent it from being conflated with the Hindu sacred symbol, an Indo-Canadian community organisation has launched a campaign to Reclaim Swastika. The sacred swastika symbol adorning the exterior of an Indo-Canadian residence in the Greater Toronto Area, Canada. (Supplied photo)

Anti-Semitic incidents have seen the Nazi symbol appear when Jewish synagogues, schools, community centres and even businesses have been targeted. On November 5, during a protest rally in Ottawa, that symbol was displayed, drawing a reaction from Trudeau, who posted on X, The display of a swastika by an individual on Parliament Hill is unacceptable.

The Toronto Police Services website also described the swastika as a hate symbol and warns its use could result in criminal charges.

This has led to concern within the Indo-Canadian community, with the organisation, Canadian Organization For Hindu Heritage Education (CoHHE), launching its Reclaim Swastika Campaign. In a letter to Toronto Police and other law enforcement authorities, it pointed out Swastika word in Sanskrit means auspiciousness and well-being of all and the Swastika symbol is very sacred and used extensively during worshipping rituals in our temples, homes and businesses.

CoHHE board member Ruchi Wali said, Swastika is not a hate symbol, its an ancient and sacred symbol used by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists. Nazis never used Swastika and they used hooked/ tilted cross or Hakenkreuz. Swastika is wrongly associated with the Nazi symbol. Its deeply Hinduphobic to call Swastika a hate symbol, when its a symbol for peace and prosperity.

That point of view has also gained support from Jewish groups. In a statement, Richard Marceau, vice-president, External Affairs & General Counsel, Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), said, The Nazi version of the swastika has reared its ugly head at many hate rallies across the country in recent weeks. In this context it is indisputably the ultimate antisemitic emblem. However, we also recognise that the swastika is a holy symbol for Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and Zoroastrians.

Context is everything. It is essential to ensure that the ancient and rich heritage of the Hindu symbol not only be respected but honoured, while also addressing the Nazi misappropriation of the symbol that has twisted and weaponised it into one of racism and hate, he added. CIJA uses the term Nazi to qualify the term swastika in posts and statements.

Finally, we are in close touch with the Hindu community about this issue, and many others. Only through dialogue will we understand each other better, Marceau said.

Other Indo-Canadian organisations have expressed concern over the way the term has been attacked by Canadian politicians. The National Alliance of Indo-Canadians has taken exception to Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus statement that public display of Swastika is unacceptable, the organisations chair Dr Azad Kaushik said.

Dr Kaushik said, By criminalising Swastika as a symbol of mischief and hate, religious sensitivities of Hindus, Jains and Buddhists are hurt, further marginalising these Indo-Canadian communities and making them a target of hate and discrimination.
US forces were attacked at an airbase west of Baghdad early on Tuesday and a US military aircraft responded in self-defence, two U.S. officials said, in the first US retaliation on Iraqi territory to dozens of recent militant drone and missile attacks. Representational picture(AFP)

The attack against Ain al-Asad airbase caused minor injuries and damage to infrastructure, one U.S. official said, with another saying U.S. forces used an AC-130 gunship to respond.

The U.S. had so far limited its response to numerous recent attacks against its forces in Iraq and neighbouring Syria, claimed by Iran-aligned Iraqi militia groups, to three separate sets of strikes in Syria.

The attacks began on Oct. 17 and have been linked by Iraqi militia groups to U.S. support for Israel in its bombardment of Gaza, following attacks by Gaza-based Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israel.

ALSO READ| Pakistan court declares jail trial of ex-PM Imran Khan illegal, his lawyer says

The attacks against U.S. targets have ended a year-long unilateral truce that Iraqi factions, some formed in the aftermath of the 2003 U.S. invasion to fight U.S. troops and others in 2014 to fight Islamic State, declared with Washington.

Tuesday's strike was the first reported by the U.S. in Iraq in more than two years.

Social media accounts linked to Iran-aligned Iraqi militias published a statement in the name of the "Islamic Resistance in Iraq", mourning a member who they said had been killed in battle against U.S. forces on Tuesday, without elaborating.

His killing is the first reported casualty in Iraq linked to the Gaza war, which has drawn in other factions in Iran's network of regional militias, known as the Axis of Resistance, such as Lebanon's Hezbollah.

U.S. and international forces that make up the global coalition to fight the remnants of Islamic State have been targeted more than 60 times in Iraq and Syria since Oct. 17, U.S. officials say.

Dozens of U.S. servicemen suffered minor injuries in the attacks but have all returned to duty, U.S. officials say.

The U.S. has 900 troops in Syria and 2,500 in Iraq on a mission it says aims to advise and assist local forces trying to prevent a resurgence of Islamic State, which in 2014 seized large swaths of both countries before being defeated.
In a significant move to mark the 15th anniversary of the tragic Mumbai terror attacks, Israel has officially designated Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) as a terror organization. The Israeli Embassy said in a statement that all necessary procedures have been completed to declare LeT as a terror outfit, noting that the decision was made independently without any formal request from the Indian government. Two Israeli nationals were among the six Jewish victims during the terror attacks at Mumbai's Chabad House during 26/11 terror attack.(File Photo)

While Israel only lists terror organizations who are actively operating against it from within or around its borders, or in a similar manner to India - those globally recognized by UNSC or the US state department; the Israeli ministries of Defense and Foreign affairs, have jointly worked in the last few months towards an expediated and extraordinary listing of the Lashkar -e- Taiba organization on this date, to highlight the importance of a Unified Global Front in combating terrorism, the statement reads.

To be sure, two Israeli nationals  Gabriel Holtzberg and Rivka Holtzberg  were among the six Jewish victims during the terror attacks at Chabad Lubavitch Jewish centre in Mumbai, known as the Chabad House.

Terming LeT a deadly and reprehensible terror organization responsible for the murder of hundreds of Indians, the embassy said its heinous actions on November 26, 2008 still reverberate in force, through all peace seeking nations and societies.

The Embassy of Israel expressed sincere condolences to all victims of terrorism, survivors, and bereaved families of the Mumbai attacks, extending solidarity to those in Israel affected by this heinous act.

"We stand with you united in the hope for a better peaceful future."
Saudi Arabia demanded the start of a serious and comprehensive peace process to establish a Palestinian state along the borders decided in 1967, Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman told a virtual summit of the BRICS group. Israel-Hamas War: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman(Reuters)

"The Kingdom's position is constant and firm; there is no way to achieve security and stability in Palestine except through the implementation of international decisions related to the two-state solution," the prince said in strongest comments following Hamas' rampage in Israel and subsequent bombardment of Gaza by Tel Aviv.

Chinese president Xi Jinping also called for a ceasefire for lasting peace and security in the region saying that the two-state solution is the way out for durable peace in the region. Addressing the BRICS, Xi Jinping said that the fundamental way out of the recurring Palestine-Israeli conflicts is to implement the two-state solution, restore the legitimate rights of the Palestinian nation, and establish an independent State of Palestine.

Earlier Saudi Arabia had held the 'Israeli occupation' responsible for the 'crimes' committed against the Palestinians as the prince reiterated the call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza while stressing the Kingdom's 'unequivocal' rejection of continued Israeli aggression in Gaza and forced displacement of residents.

Pointing to the 'double standards' in applying international humanitarian law, the prince had then slammed the international community's silence towards the violations against Palestinian civilians.

We are facing a humanitarian catastrophe that testifies to the failure of the UN Security Council and the international community to put an end to the Israeli violations - a matter that demonstrates double standards, he said, calling for a coordinated and collective effort among Arab and Islamic states to take action to lift the siege and deliver humanitarian and relief aid into Gaza.

The Kingdom has made tireless efforts since the beginning of the aggression in Gaza and has continued consultations to stop the war, he said, adding, A Palestinian state must be established on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that "we are making progress" on the return of hostages who were seized by Hamas during the October 7 attacks. Earlier, mediators said that a truce deal was in sight. Israel-Hamas War: Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks.(AP)

"I hope there will be good news soon," Benjamin Netanyahu told Israeli soldiers at a military base, as per news agency AFP. The war cabinet, security cabinet and the government will meet in succession "in light of the developments regarding the release of our hostages", his office said in a statement after Hamas leader and key mediator Qatar both said a truce agreement with Israel was close. The tentative agreement would include an exchange of hostages and Palestinian prisoners along with a five-day truce, it was reported.

"We want to restore security, we will act and achieve the return of security to both the south and the north," Israeli PM said, adding, I want to salute you and tell you that we continue until victory.

The deal is comprised of a complete ceasefire on the ground in the Gaza Strip and an end to Israeli air operations over the Palestinian territory, except in the north, AFP reported citing Hamas.

This comes as Israel claimed that Hamas was using civilians and hospitals as shields. Israel's relentless aerial bombardment in the enclave where 2.3 million Palestinians live has been criticised as well. after Hamas Oct. 7 rampage into southern Israel.

More than 12,700 Palestinians  two-thirds of them women and children have been killed since the war began while about 4,000 people are reported missing. Some 1,200 people have been killed in Israel and around 240 were taken captive by Hamas.
Israel has recalled its ambassador to South Africa, Eliav Belotserkovsky, back to Jerusalem for consultations ahead of a parliamentary vote in the African country to decide the fate of the Israeli embassy on Tuesday. Members of the Active African Christians United Movements (AACUM) stand on and wave South African and Israeli flags as others gather in support of Israel outside of the embassy of Israel in Pretoria.(AFP)

The two countries diplomatic relations have recently witnessed a rise in tensions over the Israeli war on Gaza. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa previously said his country believes Israel is committing war crimes and genocide in Gaza, where thousands of Palestinians have been killed.

"Following the latest South African statements, the Ambassador of Israel to Pretoria has been recalled to Jerusalem for consultations, Israels ministry of foreign affairs posted late Monday on X, formerly known as Twitter.

This came ahead of a vote in South Africa's parliament on a motion to shut down the Israeli embassy and cut all ties with Israel until a cease-fire is implemented in Gaza.

The motion tabled by the leftist opposition party Economic Freedom Fighters has the backing of the ruling African National Congress and other smaller parties.

South Africa announced last week that it had referred what it called Israels genocide in Gaza to the International Criminal Court for an investigation, with its cabinet calling on the ICC Monday to issue an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Given that much of the global community is witnessing the commission of these crimes in real time, including statements of genocidal intent by many Israeli leaders, we expect that warrants of arrest for these leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, should be issued shortly," South African minister in the presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, told reporters Monday.

Earlier this month, South Africa recalled its ambassador to Israel and withdrew all its diplomatic staff from the country.

The conflict will also be the subject of a virtual meeting of BRICS countries on Tuesday, which will be attended by leaders of the bloc, including Ramaphosa, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The economic bloc was formed by Brazil, Russia, India and China in 2009 and added South Africa in 2010. Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Egypt and Ethiopia are also set to enter BRICS.

The Israel-Hamas war erupted after the Palestinian militant group's surprise attacks on Israel on Oct.7, which killed about 1,200 people. Israel's retaliatory strikes on Gaza have so far killed more than 12,700 people, according to Palestinian health authorities.
Hospitals in Gaza have become the primary target for Israeli forces as they press their offensive against Hamas in the northern region. At least 12 people were killed and dozens injured in a fresh attack at Indonesian Hospital in the beseiged enclave, the Gazan health ministry said. Thousands of patients and displaced people have been sheltering in that hospital for weeks. Smoke rises after Israeli strikes in Gaza, as seen from southern Israel, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, November 21, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko(REUTERS)

The fresh offensive came as 28 premature babies were being evacuated from another hospital in Gaza City, Al-Shifa, which was raided by the Israeli military earlier based on the claim that Hamas has been using the complex as a key military base.

Like all other health facilities in the northern half of Gaza, the Indonesian Hospital has largely ceased operations but is still sheltering patients, staff and displaced residents.

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his commitment on securing the release of hostages after he met with the family members of Israelis being held captive in Gaza.

Meanwhile, both Israel and Hamas officials indicated a potential truce deal to release dozens of hostages from Gaza. However, no timeline has been announced either on the release of hostages or the final completion of the deal.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Israeli Cabinet that the war to eliminate Hamas wouldnt let up after a cease-fire, even as he signaled that a deal was near to free hostages in Gaza in return for a temporary pause in fighting. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu(AP)

There is nonsense out there as if after the pause in fighting, we will stop the war, Netanyahu said at the start of a meeting where officials set to vote on a hostage deal, according to his office. We are at war and we will continue it until we achieve all the objectives. We will eliminate Hamas, return all the hostages and guarantee that there will be no element in Gaza that threatens Israel.

The remarks were the clearest signal yet that even as Hamas and Israel appeared to be on the cusp of an agreement to release dozens of hostages, the Israeli government wouldnt accede to growing international pressure for a longer-term cease-fire to the war that began Oct. 7.

READ | Israel recalls its envoy as South Africa set to vote on closing Israeli embassy

Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh earlier indicated the hostage negotiations were moving forward, following similar comments from US President Joe Biden. The movement delivered its response to the brothers in Qatar and the mediators, and we are close to reaching a truce agreement, Haniyeh, whos based in Qatars capital Doha, said in a statement on Telegram.

Biden said Tuesday a deal is very close and the chances of it being completed are very good.

The contours of the deal have emerged in recent days as officials on all sides hinted a major agreement was in the works. An Israeli official told local media that 50 women and children held hostage in Gaza would be released during a four-day pause in the fighting, Maariv reported. All of those released would be Israeli citizens, the news website said.

Israel will be willing to continue the pause in fighting for additional days in exchange for 10 more hostages per day, meaning the total number of released hostages may reach 70 or 80, it said. The releases are expected to begin on Thursday or Friday, Kan, the Israeli public broadcaster, reported. It said Israel will release three female or teenage prisoners for every hostage freed.

READ | Israel went through a series of failures, says senior advisor to PM Netanyahu

When we have more to say, we will, but things are looking good for the moment, Biden told reporters at the White House.

Qatar is helping broker the talks between Israel and Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the US and European Union. Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said the negotiations are at a critical stage.

The sides are the closest they have been to a hostage deal since the war started, a US official said. Talks have fallen through in the past, however, and theres no guarantee of success.

The developments come as international pressure grows on Israel to end its more than six-week retaliatory offensive in Gaza, which authorities in the Hamas-run enclave say has killed more than 14,000 people and triggered a humanitarian crisis. The government media office said 6,800 people are reported missing or trapped under the rubble. Israel has said the Hamas attacks killed more than 1,200 people.

In the meantine, Israeli forces have been engaged in intense fighting with Hamas in the northern Gaza Strip even as the hostage talks have progressed. The main thrust of Israels ground offensive is into Gaza City, which the military describes as Hamass center of gravity.

Troops have taken control of many parts of the citys Al Shifa hospital and over the weekend showed videos they say prove Hamas exploited the facility, building a command center and tunnels underneath.

While Israel has concentrated its air strikes and ground assault on northern Gaza, it is now turning its attention to the south, signaling the possibility of sending troops there. Israel has urged civilians to evacuate to southern Gaza since the beginning of the war.

The United Nations says the humanitarian situation in the densely packed Gaza Strip is dire and that its roughly 2 million inhabitants need much more food and medicine. Fears also remain of the war growing into a wider Middle East conflict as exchanges of fire along Israels northern border with Lebanon continue daily.

Israeli warplanes on Tuesday struck targets inside Lebanese territory after Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters shot mortar shells at a military post, Israels army said. Three civilians including two journalists died in the Israeli bombing, the Lebanese state-run National News Agency reported.
An Israeli strike killed two journalists working for a Lebanese TV channel and a third person near the border with Israel on Tuesday, Lebanese state media and the channel, Al Mayadeen, said. Representational picture(AP)

Al Mayadeen said the strike, near the town of Tir Harfa, about a mile from the Israeli frontier, had deliberately targeted the TV crew because the channel was known to be pro-Palestinian and pro-Iran's regional military alliance.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati also blamed Israel, saying in a statement that the strike was an Israeli attempt to silence the media.

Israel's military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah broke out along the border after Hezbollah's Palestinian ally Hamas launched an attack on Israel on Oct. 7.

The Hamas attack killed 1,200 Israelis, according to Israeli tallies. Israel in response has bombarded and invaded the Gaza Strip, killing at least 13,300 people according to the territory's Hamas-run government.

Israel-Lebanon border violence has escalated, raising Western fears of a widening war in the Middle East that could draw in both the United States and Iran.

It is the worst violence at the border since Israel and Hezbollah fought a war in 2006 and has so far killed more than 70 Hezbollah fighters, 13 Lebanese civilians, seven Israeli troops and three Israeli civilians.

Al Mayadeen named its killed journalists as Farah Omar, a correspondent, and Rabie al-Memari, a camera operator.

The third person killed in the strike was Hussein Aqil, who was at the site where the crew was filming. Al Mayadeen told Reuters he was not working with the channel.

More than 50 journalists have been killed since Oct. 7, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, most of them in Gaza.
A World Health Organization spokesperson said on Tuesday that three hospitals in Israeli-besieged Gaza had requested help with evacuating patients and that planning had started. Israel-Hamas War: Displaced Palestinians in a camp, operated by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNWRA), in Khan Younis, Gaza.(Bloomberg)

Hospitals have come under bombardment in the Israel-Hamas conflict and all hospitals in the northern part of the enclave have effectively ceased functioning normally, although continue to house some patients that could not flee and displaced Gazans.

WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said evacuations were a last resort. "It's robbing the entire population of the north of the means to seek health (care)," he told a Geneva press briefing. The three hospitals were Al Shifa, from which a group of babies has already been rescued, Indonesian Hospital and Al Ahli Hospital, he said. "So far it's only in planning stages with no further details," he added.

At the same briefing, the U.N. children's agency (UNICEF) warned of the risk of "mass disease outbreak" that could cause child death rates to mount in the densely populated enclave where thousands of people are crammed into overcrowded shelters.

"If childrens access to water and sanitation in Gaza continue to be restricted and insufficient, we will see a tragic  yet entirely avoidable  surge in the number of children dying," said UNICEF spokesperson James Elder.
Canadian MP Chandra Arya on Monday raised concerns about the threat posed by pro-Khalistani elements and fervently sought intervention from the authorities. Arya expressed his distress over recent disruptive incidents and vandalisation of Hindu temples by Sikh extremists and said the group now wants to create trouble at a temple in Surrey. Khalistani extremist threatening to protest inside Hindu temple.

Arya was referring to a video in which a pro-Khalistani activist can be heard threatening to protest inside Laxmi Narayan Mandir in Surrey.

All these are being done in the name of freedom of speech and expression. Like a broken record, I am again asking Canadian authorities to step in and take action, the Canadian MP of Indian origin wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

He emphasized that this was not an isolated event, citing a pattern of attacks on Hindu temples in recent years.

Hindu temples have been attacked many times during the last couple of years. Hate crimes are being committed against Hindu-Canadians. Allowing these things to continue to be done openly and publicly is not acceptable, Arya added.

Last week, reports surfaced of Khalistan supporters verbally abusing a Sikh family in Abbotsford during an Indian High Commission event after they attempted to pick India's national flag from the ground.

This distressing incident serves as a stark reminder to the mainstream silent Sikh community that these self-proclaimed Khalistanis believe they have the liberty to abuse and threaten anyone under the guise of free speech and freedom of expression, US-based Sikh leader Sukhi Chahal said on X.

India has been raising concerns over the rise in pro-Khalistani activities on Canadian soil and attacks on Hindu temples.

In August, a Hindu temple was vandalised by extremist elements with Khalistan referendum posters, with pictures of slain Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) chief and designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Earlier in April, BAPS Swaminarayan temple at Windsor in Canada's Ontario was vandalised with anti-India graffiti.
Israel has released a video purportedly capturing the harrowing moment when a young Israeli woman was executed by a Hamas gunman on October 7. The security camera footage shows Hamas gunmen chasing people from an outdoor music festival, with one seen executing a woman at point-blank range. The video shows people running from Hamas gunmen as they tried to escape a festival near the border on Oct. 7 that turned into a massacre.

Sharing the video on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), an account linked to Israel's foreign ministry posted, A young Israeli woman begs for her life. A moment later she is shot at point blank range.

In a chilling scene captured on video, chaos unfolds as festivalgoers near the border attempt to escape from Hamas gunmen. At the end of the 88-second-long clip, a woman, yet to be identified by name, is seen squatting on the ground with a gunman standing beside her.

The video shows the gunman raising his rifle and firing at close range, causing the woman to fall to the ground. The disturbing incident is marked by a cloud of dust rising from the impact of the shot.

New footage from October 7th shows Hamas terrorists executing Israelis who tried to escape from the Nova music festival. This is a war between good and evil, it added.

Warning: Disturbing video. Viewers discretion advised

Reuters verified the location of the footage, near Kibbutz Alumim, by the road layout, trees and a nearby building that matched the satellite imagery of the area.

The video was shared amid Israel's attempt to fend off international criticism of its retaliatory attack on the Gaza Strip which has triggered a grave humanitarian crisis in the Hamas-controlled region.

While there has been strong support and sympathy for Israel from Western governments over the Hamas attacks, Israel's deadly assault on Gaza has also prompted widespread anger and calls for an immediate ceasefire.

Meanwhile, the chief of Hamas has said that the Palestinian militant group was near a truce agreement with Israel, reported Reuters. Ismail Haniyeh said in a statement that Hamas officials are "close to reaching a truce agreement" with Israel and the group has delivered its response to Qatari mediators, according to the report.

(With inputs from agencies)
The Japanese government issued an emergency warning for residents in the south to take cover from a North Korean missile, news agency Reuters reported. Japan said over its J-Alert broadcasting system that North Korea appeared to have fired a missile. It sent out the warning to residents in the southern prefecture of Okinawa as North Korea had notified Japan that it plans to launch a satellite. A TV screen shows a file image of North Korea's missile launch during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea.(AP)

Japan and South Korea have said that this could be North Korea's third attempt to put a spy satellite into orbit in violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned North Korea's missile launch in the strongest possible terms, saying, We have already made a strong protest against North Korea, and we have condemned it in the strongest possible terms.

North Korea tried to launch spy satellites twice earlier this year but failed. South Korean officials have said in recent days that it appeared set to try again soon, it was reported.

What South Korea said after the missile launch?

North Korea fired a military spy satellite southwards, Seoul's military said, after Japan confirmed that Pyongyang had warned it of an imminent launch.

"North Korea has fired what it claims is a military surveillance satellite in a southwards direction," South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

South Korea's state maritime safety agency issued a warning to vessels of the launch for the same areas as previous launches, news agency Reuters reported.

What Japan said ahead of the missile launch?

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's office had earlier said that it had "strongly demanded" North Korea halt preparations for the launch while Japan was preparing for "unforeseen circumstances" and cooperating with the United States and South Korea.

"Even if the purpose is to launch a satellite, using ballistic missile technology is a violation of a series of United Nations Security Council resolutions," Fumio Kishida said, adding, This is also a major national security concern.
North Korean IT workers are seeking employment in Western tech companies using sophisticated subterfuge to get hired. With the use of fake names, sham LinkedIn profiles, counterfeit work papers and mock interview scripts, North Koreans wish to land a job outside the country to secretly earn hard currency as per news agency Reuters. North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un(Reuters)

A former North Korean IT worker and several cybersecurity researchers told Reuters that North Korea dispatched thousands of IT workers overseas to bring in millions to finance Pyongyang's nuclear missile programme.

An interview script used by North Korean software developers which offers suggestions to answer a question on "good corporate culture" reads, People are free to express ideas and opinions. Some also contain excuses for the need to work remotely.

The scripts totalling 30 pages, were found by researchers at Palo Alto Networks, a US cybersecurity firm. The documents detail the workings of North Korea's remote IT workforce and contain dozens of fraudulent resumes, online profiles, interview notes, and forged identities.

It also revealed some of the tools and techniques used by North Korean workers to convince firms to employ them in jobs.

"Richard", a senior embedded software developer, said "I (flew) to Singapore several weeks ago. My parents got Covid and I (decided) to be with family members for a while. Now, I am planning to go back to Los Angeles in three months. I am thinking that I could start work remotely right now, then I will be on board when I go back to LA."

A North Korean IT worker who recently defected confirmed the authenticity of the documents to Reuters, saying, We would create 20 to 50 fake profiles a year until we were hired. Once I was hired, I would create another fake profile to get a second job."

Sokeel Park of Liberty in North Korea (LINK), an organisation that works with defectors, said, There is a risk to the North Korea government, as these privileged workers are exposed to dangerous realities about the world and their country's enforced backwardness.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa has barred the addition of the word "sahib" to the title of public servants, saying it unnecessarily elevates their status and makes them feel not accountable to the people. A view of the Supreme Court of Pakistan building during sunset hours in Islamabad, Pakistan.(Reuters)

In a two-page order, Chief Justice Isa said that adding the word sahib with ones job title is not favourable as it may instil in them delusions of grandeur and a perception of unaccountability, which is unacceptable since it is against the interests of the public whom they are meant to serve, The Express Tribune newspaper reported.

"It is about time that the practice of adding the word sahib with ones job title is discontinued, as it unnecessarily elevates the status of public servants, discontinued, as it unnecessarily elevates the status of public servants, which may instil in them delusions of grandeur and a perception of unaccountability, which is unacceptable since it is against the interests of the public whom they are meant to serve," the order said.

Chief Justice Isa's order came as he was hearing a bail plea in the case of a child's murder in Peshawar last year.

He observed in the order that the Additional Advocate General of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province had referred to a local deputy superintendent of police as DSP sahib.

"You have spoiled everyone by calling them sahib. He is a DSP or rather an incompetent DSP,..and not a sahib, Pakistan Today reported Chief Justice Isa as saying as he reprimanded the Additional Advocate General.

Justice Isa observed that the case challan had only relied on two statements and there was a lack of proper investigation.

He added that this was a "classic example of an incompetently handled investigation".

The suspect in the case was granted bail by the Supreme Court, and it was said that the police did not conduct any investigation to determine those responsible for the child's death. This is the best case to quote as an example of a poor investigation, another report on the matter by SAMAA TV said.
Russia cannot co-exist with the present "regime" in Kyiv, a senior Russian official said on Tuesday, reaffirming the goals of what President Vladimir Putin calls a special military operation to "demilitarise" Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin.(AFP)

Putin sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022, triggering a war in Europe and the most serious confrontation between Russia and the West since the depths of the Cold War.

"The current regime (in Kyiv) is absolutely toxic, we do not see any options for co-existence with it at the moment," Russian Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik told reporters in Moscow.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has ruled out talks with Putin, while leaving the door open to talks with Russia.

Miroshnik's post was created to collect evidence of alleged Ukrainian crimes against civilians. Moscow also faces allegations by Kyiv and its allies that Russian forces have committed war crimes in Ukraine. Moscow denies the allegations.

Miroshnik, a former official in the Russian-backed self-styled separatist administration of the "Luhansk People's Republic" in eastern Ukraine, accused Ukrainian forces of committing crimes against civilians in regions that Moscow now says it has annexed.

Ukraine is carrying out its own investigations into alleged Russian war crimes on its territory, and accuses Moscow of deliberately targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure in air strikes. Russia denies this.

A UN-mandated body has chronicled war crimes it says Russian forces have committed in Ukraine, and the International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Putin for the illegal deportation of hundreds of children from Ukraine.

Russia, which does not recognise the jurisdiction of the ICC, has rejected the allegations against Putin.

Miroshnik said Russia could resist NATO as long as was needed to defeat Ukrainian forces and that the West would eventually lose interest, meaning the Kyiv leadership would collapse. Kyiv says it will continue fighting until the last Russian soldier has left its territory, and its Western allies have said they will continue to support Ukraine.
Three people were killed and eight were wounded in overnight Russian missile attacks and shelling in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk and Kharkiv regions, Ukrainian officials said on Tuesday. Russia-Ukraine War: Damaged radar, a vehicle and equipment are seen at a Ukrainian military facility outside Mariupol.(AP)

Missiles hit a hospital in the Donetsk town of Selydove and a coal mine, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said on the Telegram messaging service.

"Two buildings of the hospital were damaged, six civilians were injured. There may be victims under the rubble, search operations continue," Klymenko said.

The Ukrainian prosecutors' office later said one person was killed in the attack, presumably with S-300 missiles.

Read more: Israel recalls its envoy as South Africa set to vote on closing Israeli embassy

"The occupation forces targeted the city hospital where people were being treated. As a result of the shelling, eight citizens sustained contusions and shrapnel wounds, and one was killed," prosecutors said.

Klymenko said one worker was killed in the attack on the coal mine.

"Four buildings, 19 vehicles and a power line were damaged. 39 miners were trapped underground. As of now, all miners have been brought to the surface," he said.

Invading Russian forces have occupied much of Donetsk and Russia has said it intends to take over the whole region.

In Kharkiv, one person was killed in Russian shelling, the region's governor, Oleh Synehubov, said.

Reuters was not able to verify the reports.
Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky linked historic pro-democracy protests in Kyiv one decade ago to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Describing the demonstrations on Maidan square as the "first victory" of the war with Russia, he said, The first victory in today's war took place. A victory against indifference. A victory of courage. The victory of the Revolution of Dignity. Russia-Ukraine War: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses a media conference.(AP)

Ukraine marks the 10-year anniversary of the months-long protest movement in which around 100 civilians died in violent clashes with security forces in Kyiv. The massive protests led to the ouster of Kremlin-backed president Viktor Yanukovych. The Maidan protests erupted in late 2013 when Viktor Yanukovych ditched a trade deal with the European Union.

Volodymyr Zelensky praised his country's progress towards gaining membership to the European Union, saying, Year after year, step by step, we do our best to ensure that our star shines in the circle of stars on the EU flag, which symbolises the unity of the peoples of Europe. The star of Ukraine.

This comes after the EU's executive recommended opening formal membership talks with Ukraine. European Council president Charles Michel also arrived in Kyiv to show his support as Ukraine marks the anniversary of the protests.

"Good to be back in Kyiv  among friends," Charles Michel on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), posting a picture of himself shaking hands with the European Union's ambassador to Ukraine, Katarina Mathernova, at Kyiv's railway station.

What Russia said on Maidan protests?

The Kremlin described Ukraine's 2014 revolution as a foreign-sponsored coup which defined Ukraine's current pro-Western political position.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, The fact that it was sponsored from abroad has been acknowledged, directly and indirectly, by representatives of foreign countries. That is no secret to anyone.
A majority of South African lawmakers on Tuesday voted in favor of a motion calling for the closure of the Israeli embassy and the cutting of diplomatic ties until Israel agrees to a cease-fire in Gaza. Supporters of South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) and various political parties including civil society groups gather in solidarity with the Palestinian people outside the Israeli embassy in Pretoria.(REUTERS)

The vote on the motion supported by the ruling African National Congress party came as President Cyril Ramaphosa in a meeting with other world leaders accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza with its military offensive in the beseiged territory in search of its Hamas militant rulers.

The motion tabled by the opposition party Economic Freedom Fighters received the support of 248 parliament members while 91 lawmakers opposed it.

The vote came after Israel's foreign ministry said it had recalled its ambassador to South Africa, Eliav Belotserkovsky, back to Jerusalem for consultations."

The two countries diplomatic relations have witnessed a rise in tensions over the war in Gaza. Ramaphosa previously said his country believes Israel is committing war crimes in Gaza, where thousands of Palestinians have been killed.

READ | Hamas militants hide inside Gaza hospitals, Palestinians confirm in IDF video; hostage relatives rebut Israel minister

South Africa announced last week that it had referred what it called Israels genocide in Gaza to the International Criminal Court for an investigation. Its cabinet has called on the ICC to issue an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Earlier this month, South Africa recalled its ambassador to Israel and withdrew all its diplomatic staff.

Ramaphosa's new comments Tuesday came in a virtual meeting of BRICS countries attended by leaders of the bloc including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The Israel-Hamas war began after the Palestinian militant group's surprise attacks on Israel on Oct.7 killed about 1,200 people. Israel's retaliatory strikes on Gaza have killed more than 12,700 people, according to Palestinian health authorities.
A US Navy plane overshot a runway and splashed into a bay in Hawaii on Monday, but authorities said all nine people aboard made it safely to shore with no injuries. US Navy plane occupants safe after landing in Hawaii shore (AP)(AP)

The Honolulu Emergency Medical Services Department was called to respond to a downed military aircraft in Kaneohe Bay, but when they got to the scene, military officials told the emergency workers that all nine people on board made it safely to shore and there were no injuries, spokesperson Shayne Enright said.

Coast Guard spokesperson Petty Officer Ryan Fisher said the Coast Guard responded but that rescue operations were quickly called off.

"It sounds like all parties involved were rescued," he said. The P-8A aircraft overshot the runway at a Marine base on Kaneohe Bay, said US Marine Corps spokesperson Gunnery Sgt. Orlando Perez. He did not have further information.

The P-8A is often used to hunt for submarines and used in reconnaissance and intelligence gathering. It is manufactured by Boeing and shares many parts with the 737 commercial jet. The base is about 16 kilometers from Honolulu on Oahu.

What happened to US Navy plane?

A US Navy plane ended up overshooting its runway distance and flying into a bay in Hawaii. However, the Hawaii authorities said all the occupants of the plane have escaped without any injuries from the incident.

Photos on social media showed the US Navy plane floating on the water offshore, a visual which was eerily similar to when commercial pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger had to make an emergency landing on water in New York.

At the time of the crash, the visibility on the accident site was low and witnesses were quick to call the Coast Guard. However, it was soon discovered that rescue operations were not needed and all 9 aboard escaped with no injuries.

(With inputs from AP)
The lower part of Mississippi Valley, among other parts of the country, may be affected by violent thunderstorms and several tornadoes. Meteorologists have now warned residents to stay alert through Monday evening, November 20. The lower part of Mississippi Valley, among other parts of the country, may be affected by violent thunderstorms and several tornadoes (Pixabay - representational image)

Thunderstorms hit parts of the country on Monday, from northeastern Texas to western and central Mississippi to southern Arkansas, according to The Mirror. Some of these storms have reportedly displayed rotation, a precursor to the formation of tornadoes.

AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno has warned that "there are likely to be multiple tornadoes on the ground into tonight from northeastern Texas to the lower part of the Mississippi Valley." Accuweather highlighted high-risk areas extending from the northeastern corner of Texas through much of northern Louisiana and into central Mississippi. Shreveport, Louisiana, Little Rock, Arkansas, Jackson, Mississippi, and the northeastern side of the Houston metropolitan area have been cautioned to be on high alert.

The National Weather Service, meanwhile, in Shreveport, has issued a Tornado Warning for north-central Louisiana, effective until 4 pm CST. It has specifically mentioned Grant Parish and La Salle Parish.

The National Weather Service also confirmed a tornado producing storm over Colfax, about seven miles northeast of Lena. It is believed to be moving northeast at a speed of 55 mph. Residents in the affected areas have been asked to immediately take cover. The storm is expected to bring damaging winds, and threaten life and property.

The storm is expected to reach Jena and Midway by about 3:30 pm CST. Other locations that may be affected are Nebo, Zenoria, Rogers, Lake Iatt, Pollock, Aloha, Dry Prong, Fishville, Bentley, and Williana.

Residents have been urged to shift to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a well-built building. They have also been advised to avoid windows. If one is outdoors, in mobile homes, or vehicles, they must move to the nearest substantial shelter so as not to be affected by flying debris.

"The threat of tornadoes will continue well after sunset, and the risk of storms packing high winds and torrential downpours will likely persist through the night time hours on Monday as they progress to the east over the Gulf Coast states, Rayno said.

The storm system responsible for the tornado threat has been lifting northeastward over the central and eastern US through Tuesday, October 21. The conditions are now predicted to shift to a torrential downpour event, or a strong wind gust. The risk area will extend from the Florida Panhandle northeastward to upstate and central South Carolina, and will include parts of Alabama and Georgia.
Mugshots of four teenagers accused of murdering fellow student Jonathan Lewis have been released. Eight juveniles have been arrested and will be tried as adults. However, mugshots of only four of them  Dontral Beaver, 16; Gianni Robinson, 17; Damien Hernandez, 17; and Treavion Randolph, 16  have been released. (Clockwise from top left) Damien Hernandez, Dontral Beaver, Gianni Robinson, and Treavion Randolph have had their mugshots released (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department)

While these four teens appeared in court late last week, the others, also aged 13-17, remain in juvenile court. They are waiting to be transferred to adult court.

The youths brutally beat 17-year-old Jonathan Lewis near Rancho High School on November 1 when he tried to stand up for a younger friend who had been robbed by the gang. After the incident, a video showing the moment the fight broke out surfaced.

A hearing is set to be held on Tuesday, November 21, which will be an arraignment and a discussion of bail, said Randolph's attorney, Daniel Martinez from the Clark County Special Public Defender's Office.

Tuesday will be an initial arraignment, Daniel told 8 News Now. If the district attorney has filed charges we will be entering a not guilty plea in all likelihood they'll address bail at that time.

Randolphs family told the Daily Mail that the video of the beating does not show him. They added that he is someone who has never been in any trouble.

I've seen that video. I've watched it all. You can't see Treavion on there, Randolphs uncle said. They say they identified him from that video, but we don't know for sure. We haven't been told much. We don't know a lot about the whole thing.

Randolph has a brother, Lovell Randolph III, and a sister named Abigail. In May, his mother Oliva Lopez-Aranda filed for divorce from his father Lovell Randolph Jr due to irreconcilable differences.

Randolph Jr has a long criminal past and is in jail at present. He is serving a five-year sentence at Three Lakes Valley Conservation Camp in Elko, Nevada, for use of a deadly weapon. He was convicted in 2020 for battery, and in 2018 for conspiracy to commit a violent crime and robbery. He also has two convictions in 2015 for pandering and assault with a deadly weapon.

Meanwhile, Jonathans family has set up an anti-bullying foundation in his memory. The foundation, Team Jonathan, has reportedly partnered with other anti-bullying campaigns including Choose Love and Dads in Schools. Their aim is to combat the increasing number of bullying incidents in schools across the US.
Salesforce's chair and CEO Marc Benioff has offered jobs to OpenAI researchers who have tendered resignation, or whose immigration is impacted. Over 500 OpenAI staffers have threatened to resign after Microsoft hired former CEO Sam Altman and ex-president Greg Brockman. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff prepares to introduce OpenAI CEO Sam Altman ahead of a conversation held at Yerba Buena Theater during the first day of Dreamforce, the annual tech conference hosted by Salesforce, in San Francisco, Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023 (Jessica Christian/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)(AP)

If your immigration is now impacted by Open AI on O1, H1B, or other visa then Salesforce will match any OpenAI researcher who has tendered their resignation full cash & equity OTE to immediately join our Salesforce Einstein Trusted AI research team under Silvio Savarese, Marc wrote on X.

Send me your cv directly to ceo@salesforce.com. Einstein is the most successful enterprise AI Platform completing 1 Trillion predictive & generative transactions this week! Join our Trusted AI Enterprise Revolution, he added.

More than 500 employees threaten to quit OpenAI over Sam Altmans firing

Sam's dismissal followed what the company said was a deliberative review process by the board, which concluded that he was not consistently candid in his communications with them, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities.

CNN obtained a letter where more than 500 employees have accused the OpenAI board of mishandling Sams firing. They have also alleged that the company failed to provide enough evidence to prove that Sam had not been candid with the board. They have accused the board of negotiating in bad faith with the companys executive leadership.

The process through which you terminated Sam Altman and removed Greg Brockman from the board has jeopardized all of this work and undermined our mission and company, the letter read, in part. Your conduct has made it clear you did not have the competence to oversee OpenAI.

The employees also said, We are unable to work for or with people that lack competence, judgement and care for our mission and employees. The employees further threatened to imminently follow Sam to Microsoft if the board does not resign and reinstate him, as well as Greg. Microsoft has assured us that there are positions for all OpenAI employees at this new subsidiary should we choose to join," they wrote.
A deadly listeria outbreak has led to a nationwide alert in the US. As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the outbreak has been linked to peaches, plums or nectarines from HMC farms.

As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the outbreak has been linked to peaches, plums or nectarines from HMC farms.

This is because one person has died and 10 others were rushed to the hospital, after eating fruit products from the company at stores across the states. Out of the 10, one was a pregnant woman who went into pre-term labor.

It is advised that anyone who bought them from May 1 to November 15 in 2022 and 2023 should throw them out immediately and clean the areas where they were stored, said the CDC.

The products are sold in 2lb bags and branded HMC Farms or Signature Farms. The numbers are: yellow peach 4044 or 4038, white peach 4401, yellow nectarine 4036 or 4378, white nectarine: 3035, red plum 4042, and black plum: 4040

They can also be found as individual fruits with a sticker that has USA-E-U and a number.

The victims have been located in seven states until now: California, Colorado, Kansas, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Florida.

Since it takes up to four weeks to determine if someone is part of an outbreak, the number of those infected is likely to increase, stated the CDC.

"Listeria can survive in the refrigerator and can easily spread to other foods and surfaces," added the centre in a Food Safety Alert.

As mentioned above Listeria, is a rare bacteria that can cause serious issues to pregnant women, newborns, or immuno-compromised people if it's consumed through food.

It causes listeriosis, a serious infection with a case-fatality rate of around 20-30%. It can cause fever, muscle aches, fatigue and in some serious cases, sepsis or meningitis.

The latest listeria outbreak occurred in Florida on June 30, 2022, as reported by the CDC.
United States President Joe Biden is trailing Donald Trump in a new poll as his handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict has faced criticism from both sides of the political party.

The youngest voters in the country, which have long been a Democratic-leaning demographic, have turned against the president as seven in ten voters aged 18 to 34 disapprove of Biden's response to the Israel-Hamas war.

Biden Trails Trump in New Poll

The Democratic president's approval rating is not at 40%, which is the lowest recorded by NBC at any point during his presidency. The latest poll also marks the first time that Biden has lagged behind his potential 2024 rival in an NBC survey.

In recent weeks, a massive generational divide has swept the U.S. amid the ongoing Middle Eastern war. Older generations have mostly favored the status quo in Washington where lawmakers have defended Israel's position and actions in the Gaza Strip.

However, Younger Americans are widely divided in favor of the U.S. calling for a ceasefire in the region, and those who largely oppose the recent campaign of Israel's military. The latter is thought to have caused a steep civilian death toll in the war-torn region, as per the Independent.

For the president, the situation in the Middle East is all the more desperate given already-present concerns regarding his ability to lead the U.S. effectively. Biden's support from within his own party is already viewed as tenuous given polling that suggests most of his party's voters prefer him to step aside.

Furthermore, a sudden drop in enthusiasm and support among Biden's younger members could also pose a serious problem for his re-election efforts moving forward. The NBC poll surveyed 1,000 registered voters across the U.S. between Nov. 10 and Nov. 14. The margin of error for the poll was 3.1 percentage points.

The White House has also sought to tread a line amid the bloody war and express condemnations of both anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. While the center-right has praised Biden's team, his administration has failed to win over his own party's activist base.

Read Also: Pro-Israel Supporters to Conduct Rally in DC

Handing of the Israel-Hamas War

The poll noted that only half of Democratic voters, 51%, approved of Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas war. Roughly 60% of independent voters said that they do not approve while nearly 70% of Republicans said the same thing, according to The Hill.

The Democratic lawmakers who have called for a defunding of Israel include Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Cori Bush. The situation follows a protest that broke out in front of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters in Washington D.C. last week.

However, Biden has so far resisted calls for a ceasefire and he wrote an opinion piece on Saturday where he said that as long as Hamas is clinging to its ideology of destruction, a ceasefire could not be considered peace.

The Democratic president said that a ceasefire would only provide members of the Hamas militant group more time to exploit in rebuilding their stockpile of weapons, reposition, and restart the killing of innocent people, said Axios.

Related Article: Several Polls Say US Support for Israel Declining as Siege of Gaza City Continues

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On Nov. 17, Sam Altman made huge headlines after getting ousted as the chief executive of OpenAI, as announced by the AI tech firm.

Now, the former OpenAI CEO was seen for the last time at the company's headquarters in San Francisco. Altman even posted a photo of him on Monday, Nov. 20.

He said that it was the "first and last time" he'd wear one of these as he holds a guest pass attached to an OpenAI lanyard. But, some rumors claim that his supposed to be "last visit" could be a sign that Sam Altman could be re-hired as OpenAI's CEO.

Sam Altman Seen Visiting OpenAI Headquarters

According to CNN Business' latest report, Sam Altman visited OpenAI's HQ on Sunday, Nov. 19. Although the ex-CEO didn't provide the exact reason for his visit, many people familiar with the AI firm's activities shared their speculations.

Rumors claim that the board engaged with Altman, as well as Greg Brockman-OpenAI's former president who resigned after learning about Altman's termination.

Sources said that the two ex-OpenAI officials returned to the office because the board was having second thoughts about re-hiring them.

Although Altman and Brockman haven't confirmed if they are planning to go back to the AI company, many people believe that their visit on Sunday is a clear sign they are still "mulling" a return.

first and last time i ever wear one of these pic.twitter.com/u3iKwyWj0a  Sam Altman (@sama) November 19, 2023

If ever the former CEO accepts the board's alleged return offer, there's a chance that he will impose conditions. These could include making Microsoft, the largest investor in OpenAI, to be a part of the board.

Aside from Microsoft, speculations also claim that Altman could be planning to add more of his allies as directors. As of writing, the termination of Altman is a big deal for OpenAI given that the board is down to four members.

Read Also: Elon Musk Vs. Sam Altman: OpenAI CEO's GPTs Bashes X's Grok AI, Calling It 'Cringey Boomer'

Why OpenAI Should Disclose Reason for Sam Altman's Termination

It is still unclear why OpenAI's board decided to remove Sam Altman as CEO, and it looks like they have no plans to provide an explanation soon.

But, Elon Musk said that the artificial intelligence developer has the responsibility to disclose the main reason for Altman's termination.

Via Business Insider, Elon Musk said that this should be done since the potential danger of AI is too great.

"Given the risk and power of advanced AI, the public should be informed why the board felt they had to take such drastic action," said the billionaire.

Related Article: OpenAI 'Superintelligence' Development Could Start Soon! CEO Sam Altman Now Seeking More Funds From Microsoft

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Amazon, one of the tech giants leading the charge in the race for artificial intelligence (AI) dominance, has made a significant move by announcing the elimination of several hundred jobs in its Alexa unit.

The decision comes as Amazon reevaluates its business priorities and redirects its focus toward generative AI, as per Fortune.

Amazon's Generative AI Shift Spurs Job Cuts

Daniel Rausch, the Vice President of Alexa and Fire TV, explained the rationale behind the job cuts in a message addressed to Amazon employees.

Rausch stated that the company is realigning its efforts to better serve its customers by concentrating on generative AI, a field gaining traction in recent years.

While Amazon has not disclosed the exact number of positions being eliminated, it is clear that this move is part of a broader effort to streamline the company's operations and adapt to changing market dynamics.

These layoffs follow previous job reductions in Amazon's gaming and music teams and add to the 27,000 employees the company let go during the past year.

Given the intense competition in the tech industry, Amazon's decision to focus on generative AI is not surprising. The company has been actively integrating AI into various aspects of its business, from customer reviews to providing cloud infrastructure services for AI development through its AWS platform.

In September, Amazon unveiled an update to its popular voice assistant, Alexa, which introduced more generative AI features, signaling the company's commitment to staying at the forefront of AI technology.

The impact of these job cuts extends beyond the United States, affecting employees in Canada and India as well. While employees in the US and Canada have already been notified, those in India will receive their notifications in the coming week. The timing for other regions will depend on local regulations.

This move reflects Amazon CEO Andy Jassy's cost-cutting efforts that began last year as the company navigated economic challenges and slower growth in its core retail business, according to Reuters.

Read Also: Man in His 20s Commits Suicide at Disneyland by Jumping from Parking Structure

Amazon's Massive Layoffs Impact Tech Projects

Amazon initiated its largest-ever round of layoffs, trimming its workforce and discontinuing less profitable projects. These cost-cutting measures also affected Amazon's devices and services division, which includes Alexa. Since its launch in 2014, Amazon has invested heavily in Alexa, amassing top talent to drive its development.

Former CEO Jeff Bezos was a strong advocate for voice technology and believed it would play a pivotal role in the future of human-computer interaction. At one point, Amazon had 5,000 employees working on Alexa and Echo devices.

However, the landscape has evolved since then, with generative artificial intelligence and chatbots like OpenAI's ChatGPT challenging the dominance of digital assistants like Alexa.

Amazon's recent announcements about enhancing Alexa with productive AI capabilities, such as composing messages for users, reflect its determination to stay ahead in this rapidly evolving field.

Despite the workforce reductions, Amazon remains optimistic about the future of Alexa and its role in the lives of millions of users. Rausch emphasized that Alexa continues to see widespread use, with users interacting with the virtual assistant tens of millions of times every hour.

Moreover, there are now over 500 million Alexa devices in consumers' homes, underscoring Amazon's ongoing commitment to developing and evolving AI-driven technologies, CNBC reported.

Related Article: House Speaker Mike Johnson Plans to Publicly Release 44K Hours of Jan. 6 Footage

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NASA's EMIT imaging spectrometer aboard the International Space Station (ISS) has spent more than a year in space and has detected methane emissions across the world.

In a surprising development, EMIT surpassed even the expectations of its designers by identifying point-source emissions of greenhouse gases. EMIT is an acronym that stands for Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation.

NASA's Emit Surpasses Expectations

The instrument was launched in July 2022 in an attempt to map 10 key minerals on the surface of the world's arid regions. These mineral-related observations are already available to researchers as well as the public. They would also help improve understanding of how dust that gets lofted into the atmosphere affects the Earth's climate.

While detecting methane was not part of EMIT's primary mission, its designers did expect that the imaging spectrometer would have such capability. Since August 2022, the instrument has identified more than 750 emissions, some small, others in remote locations, and others persistent in time.

In a statement, a research technologist on the EMIT science team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, Andrew Thorpe said that they were a little curious at first regarding what they could do with the instrument, as per SciTechDaily.

When the source of methane emissions is known, operators of landfills, agriculture sites, oil and gas facilities, and other methane producers have an opportunity to address the issue. It is also considered crucial in limiting climate change to track human-caused emissions of methane.

This is because it offers a comparatively low-cost rapid approach to reducing greenhouse gases. Methane is known to linger in the atmosphere for roughly a decade. However, during this time, it is up to 80 times more powerful at trapping heat compared to carbon dioxide, which can stay for centuries.

NASA's EMIT has proven quite effective at identifying emission sources both big (tens of thousands of pounds of methane per hour) and tiny (hundreds of pounds of methane per hour). This ability is crucial because it permits the identification of a greater number of "super-emitters." These are sources that produce disproportionate shares of total emissions.

Read Also: Astronomers Baffled by Star That Came Back to Life With Repeated Energetic Flares in Supernova Explosion

Identifying Methane Sources

The latest study compares EMIT's data with those that were collected by airborne instruments. These fly over specific areas to measure methane and the researchers found that the instrument can capture 60% to 85% of the methane plumes that are normally seen by airborne instruments, according to Interesting Engineering.

Airborne instruments, while being more sensitive than EMIT, are also much more expensive to make use of. They also need to have some prior information that there is methane in a certain area that they are monitoring and they are not able to cover the entire world.

In comparison, NASA's EMIT is able to collect data over vast regions from the ISS and covers areas between 51.6 degrees north and south latitude. It is capable of capturing high-resolution images that allow researchers to identify methane plumes on a large scale which was previously impossible.

The findings also provide a new perspective on space-based monitoring and its potential to track greenhouse gas sources. If technology continues to advance, instruments such as EMIT could play a pivotal role in global efforts to fight against climate change, said CityLife.

Related Article: Solar Flare 2024: What Would Happen if Global Internet Suddenly Stopped

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The hat of former French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte has been sold for $2.1 million at a Paris auction to an anonymous buyer.

The black beaver hat was the star of a sale of memorabilia of the former French emperor and it was only expected to fetch somewhere between $655,000 to $873,000. During Napoleon's life, he wore more than a hundred uniquely shaped bicorne hats.

Napoleon Bonaparte's Hat Sells for $2.1 Million

A French industrialist spent more than five decades trying to assemble the collection before he lost his life last year. There were also other exceptional items on sale at the Paris auction, including Jean-Louis Noisiez's collection that featured a silver plate looted from Napoleon's carriage after his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

A vanity case that Napoleon owned was also on sale at the auction, which included razors, a silver toothbrush, scissors, and other personal belongings. The sale comes as a new film known as "Napoleon" directed by Ridley Scott is opening in cinemas across Europe this week, as per EuroNews.

The latest sale surpassed the price that another one of Napoleon's hats was priced at in 2014 and was sold by the Drouot auction house. The hat that was sold in Paris is one of the 20 remaining of the 120 that the former French military commander was believed to have owned throughout his lifetime.

The massive price of the latest sale was believed to have been inflated by the hype that surrounds the release of the movie about the former French emperor. The film stars popular Hollywood star Joaquin Phoenix.

During his time, Napoleon was known to wear his hats sideways to ensure that he was distinguishable on the battlefield. This led to the creation of one of the most recognizable brands in history, which has endured even after his death more than two centuries ago.

The points or "corns" of the hats were placed parallel to the former French commander's shoulders. This was a style that was referred to as "en bataille," which comes in contrast to the majority of his officers. They instead wore theirs at right angles to their shoulders, according to The Guardian.

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Former French Emperor's Bicornes

The Drouot auction house's Pierre Osenat said that Napoleon was also distinguishable by a "cockade." This was a cluster of ribbons of distinctive colors that the commander reportedly added himself in 1815 when he traveled across the Mediterranean to Antibes from his exile in Elba.

Osenat said that the majority of the remaining Napoleon bicornes that still exist are kept inside museums and roughly five are stored in private collections. The provenance of the bicorne hat was mainly due to remaining in the possession of the same family throughout the 19th century.

Napoleon first came into prominence during the French Revolution and became a key figure in the Revolutionary Wars. He also served as first consul and had himself crowned emperor in 1804. In 1821, the former French commander died on the island of Saint Helena in the Atlantic Ocean, said Aljazeera.

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The AI industry is in a bit of a shuffle mode as OpenAI and Microsoft terminate and hire Sam Altman.

Previously, the former OpenAI CEO made huge headlines after it was confirmed that the AI developer removed him as the chief executive officer.

After hearing the news, Greg Brockman, OpenAI's president, decided to quit the board. Numerous rumors claim that the artificial intelligence firm is considering re-hiring Sam Altman as its CEO.

However, these speculations were debunked after Microsoft announced that it hired Sam Altman. Here are the latest details in the AI industry.

Sam Altman Hired by Microsoft Days After His Termination in OpenAI

The Verge reported that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella confirmed that he hired both Sam Altman and Greg Brockman as part of the software giant's new advanced AI research team.

"We're extremely excited to share the news that Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, together with colleagues, will be joining Microsoft to lead a new advanced AI research team," said Nadella via his official X post.

We remain committed to our partnership with OpenAI and have confidence in our product roadmap, our ability to continue to innovate with everything we announced at Microsoft Ignite, and in continuing to support our customers and partners. We look forward to getting to know Emmett November 20, 2023

"We look forward to moving quickly to provide them with the resources needed for their success," he added.

Sam Altman confirmed this revelation by reposting Nadella's X post and captioning "the mission continues."

Microsoft's CEO replied, saying that he was really excited that Altman decided to join their company.

Im super excited to have you join as CEO of this new group, Sam, setting a new pace for innovation. Weve learned a lot over the years about how to give founders and innovators space to build independent identities and cultures within Microsoft, including GitHub, Mojang Studios,  Satya Nadella (@satyanadella) November 20, 2023

Satya Nadella further stated that Microsoft already learned a lot over the years on how to give innovators and founders space to create independent identities and cultures.

Elon Musk also replied to Sam Altman, saying that it is "wild times." The billionaire also congratulated the former OpenAI CEO, saying Altman is "for the win."

Read Also: Elon Musk Vs. Sam Altman: OpenAI CEO's GPTs Bashes X's Grok AI, Calling It 'Cringey Boomer'

OpenAI's New CEO

Since rumors about Sam Altman getting re-hired as OpenAI's CEO were debunked, the AI developer also announced that it already chosen who will be their new CEO.

Time Magazine reported that OpenAI's new CEO will be Emmett Shear, the former chief executive officer of Amazon's game-streaming platform Twitch.

This announcement defied calls from OpenAI's investors to bring back Sam Altman to OpenAI. Shear's arrival in OpenAI is the latest "twist" in the AI industry.

If you want to learn more details about what's happening in OpenAI, you can click this link.

Related Article: Sam Altman Seen Visiting OpenAI Headquarters-Is This Sign He'll Be Re-Hired as CEO?

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WHO confirmed that over 30 premature babies, who are in extremely critical condition, were evacuated from Gaza's Al-Shifa Hospital. World Health Organization officials announced this new information on Sunday, Nov. 19.

As of writing, the WHO-led team said that these babies are receiving urgent health care in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. After that, they will be transported to Egypt.

Here are other details shared by WHO officials about the ongoing issue in Gaza's largest hospital.

Over 30 Premature Babies in Critical Condition Evacuated From Al-Shifa Hospital

According to Fox News' latest report, 31 premature babies were moved out of the Al-Shifa Hospital as the situation in the Gaza Strip worsens.

Right now, the hospital is suffering from clean water, fuel, food, medical supplies, and other essential item shortages.

"The babies were successfully transported to the neonatal intensive care unit at Al-Helal Al-Emarati Maternity Hospital in southern Gaza, where they are being assessed and stabilized," said WHO.

The World Health Organization added that these premature babies are suffering from serious infections because they don't have the needed medical supplies.

Some of these babies are dehydrated and have sepsis and hypothermia, as confirmed by Gaza hospital director Mohamed Zaqout.

WHO said that Gazan doctors in the Al-Shifa Hospital confirmed that they can no longer continue their infection control measures because of the lack of needed items.

Thanks to the WHO-led team, which was established with the help of the United Nations and the Palestine Red Crescent Society, the premature babies were transported via six ambulances.

Read Also: Israeli Police Claims Hamas' Religious Leaders Allow Sexual Violence, Rape During Oct 7 Terrorist Attack

Why Israel Raided Al-Shifa Hospital

BBC reported that the Al-Shifa Hospital was raided by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) because it is believed to be controlled by Hamas terrorists.

After raiding the health facility, Israeli officials claimed that they found an operational center, which was allegedly used by the Palestinian militant group.

Israel even shared images showing that Hamas weapons and other equipment were found at the Al-Shifa Hospital. However, Hamas officials denied the accusations, claiming that they never operated in the hospital.

As of writing, the massive raid against the Al-Shifa Hospital is still being investigated by the UN and Israel is still looking for more evidence to prove their claims.

Related Article: WHO Calls Gaza's Al-Shifa Hospital 'Death Zone' After UN Conducts High-Risk Assessment Mission

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Many Americans confirmed that they are having trouble sleeping during the winter season. This is a big deal since winter in the U.S. is about to start.

A new survey revealed that six out of 10 U.S. citizens find it harder to sleep during the snowy season compared to spring and other seasons.

The poll, which was commissioned by Mattress Firm and conducted by OnePoll, involved asking 2,000 American adults between Sept. 26 to Sept. 29.

Here's what participants shared regarding their sleeping routines during winter.

Americans Say Sleeping During Winter is More Difficult

According to Fox News' latest report, American surveyees said that they are willing to make sacrifices just to have better sleep during the winter season.

Almost 50% of them said that they could even give up the internet if it would give them a good night's sleep. Meanwhile, 43% of them are willing to give up their smartphones.

The remaining surveyees said that they could give up a job promotion and their cars just to have better slumber at night. The question is, why is it so hard to sleep during the cold season?

Experts said that it could be because of daylight saving time. Aside from this, previous studies claimed that winter also makes people more tired than usual or even makes them feel sadder.

"It's truly remarkable how keenly attuned we are to the impact of circadian rhythm disruptions, particularly when they stem from the change in seasons and length of daylight," said Mattress Firm sleep advisor Dr. Jade Wu.

"Our bodies' acute awareness of these changes serves as a reminder of the intricate connection between our internal clocks and the external environment," she added.

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Since winter has longer nights and fewer daylight hours, it is important to know the things you can do to help your body's sleeping routine adjust.

Luckily, Health.Com provided some useful tips that Americans can follow when the winter comes (expected to start in December), such as the following:

Avoid taking quick naps in the morning or even sleeping before your planned sleeping schedule.

Don't forget to exercise during winter; at least do a 30-minute run or walk per day.

Make sure to watch your eating habits during winter as it can affect your sleeping pattern.

Instead of sitting after lunch, take a walk outside to get your metabolism going.

Never forget to expose your body to sunlight during daylight hours in winter.

Related Article: How to Survive Sleepless Nights on Christmas, New Year Celebrations-Here's What You Should Do

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The US is still suffering from gun-related suicides as Americans who own firearms is not decreasing. In 2022, statistics showed that suicide cases linked to pistols and other guns drastically increased.

During that period, almost 27,000 gun-linked suicide cases were recorded in the US; 73 Americans are estimated to take their lives using their firearms each day.

However, because of misinformation and stigma surrounding gun ownership in the US, preventive measures are hampered. This is why a professor shared his suggestions, which he claims will work in the US.

How to Prevent Gun-Related Suicides: Here's What Experts Suggest

Paul Nestadt, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University, was interviewed by The Guardian regarding the rising gun-related suicide cases in the US.

He was asked about the ways that can prevent firearms-linked suicides and the methods that will work despite around 1/4 to 1/3 of Americans owning pistols, rifles, and other guns.

"If someone in the house is experiencing depression or has a substance use issue, the gun might temporarily be stored outside the house," explained the professor.

Nestadt added that police stations, gun shops, firearm ranges, etc., will gladly allow people to store their guns with them temporarily.

Aside from this, he also said that if there's a kid in the house who is at risk of getting access to firearms, the best thing to do is lock the gun with ammunition, storing them separately and properly.

Paul Nestadt also suggested asking the police or clinicians for a petition to temporarily remove guns in houses if family members are seeing signs that one of them is planning to commit suicide.

Of course, they should also get some help from psychiatrists and other experts who can talk to the person at risk of suicide.

Read Also: Maine Shooting Changes Pro-Gun Congressman's Stance; Jared Golden Now Calls for Firearm Ban

Gun-Related Suicides in the US

Previously, the Pew Research Center conducted a study to determine the situation of gun-related suicides in the United States. Based on its findings, suicides accounted for over 50% of gun deaths in 2021.

This is quite alarming since suicides are higher compared to murder and other deaths involving firearms. Pew's study showed that there's a rising trend in firearms-related suicide cases in the US.

Because of this, gun-linked suicides in the US are much higher compared to other developed countries. But, the United States still falls behind compared to Latin American nations.

Related Article: Joe Biden Calls for Stronger Gun Laws After Maine Mass Shooting-Says 'We Cannot Accept It'

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NYU is now facing a lawsuit after dismissing a renowned doctor over his pro-Israel social media posts. The top Jewish cancer biologist claimed that the university and a cancer center made him the sacrificial lamb.

Dr. Benjamin Neel, the former NYU Langone Health's Perlmutter Cancer Center director, experienced discrimination because of his religion.

He also accused the hospital and the New York University of firing him without following the due process.

NYU Faces Lawsuit After Dismissing Doctor Over Pro-Israel Posts

According to Fox News' latest report, Neel, who served as the cancer center's director for nine years, claimed that New York University and the hospital fired him as a "sacrificial lamb."

Based on his statement, the educational and health institutes axed him to protect their images as the Israel-Hamas war worsens.

"Dr. Neel became a political casualty of NYULH's effort to terminate Dr. Masoud and other physicians," said the filing of Dr. Neel.

The plaintiff's attorney, Milt Williams, also called the termination against the renowned Jewish doctor a "travesty." He said that Dr. Neel was the first one to lose his job just for posting on his social media account to challenge those who are celebrating the deaths of innocent Israelis.

"Moreover, a careful review of Dr. Neel's social media account would reveal that he has taken balanced positions on Israel-related issues," clarified Williams.

Business Insider reported that the lawsuit, which was filed on Thursday, November 16, in the New York State Supreme Court, claims that the Jewish doctor has become a casualty of the cancer center's "ill-considered plan to feign the appearance of even-handedness."

Read Also: Pro-Palestine Protester Arrested, Charged in Death of LA Jew Paul Kessler

NYU to Defend Termination Decision Against Jewish Doctor

Steve Ritea, the spokesman of NYU Langone Health, said that they would stand their ground to defend the decision to terminate the Jewish doctor.

The official explained that they will remain committed to providing a safe and inclusive environment since they are "an institution dedicated to healing."

Ritea said they will ensure that they always offer an environment free of discrimination for all patients and employees.

He explained that Dr. Neel disregarded all these by sharing a series of social media posts NYU claims to be racist against Arabs.

Related Article: March for Israel: Jewish Groups Gather in Washington DC To Call Out an Antisemitism

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Pope Francis invited trans women to guest at lunch to celebrate the Catholic Church's World Day of the Poor in Torvaianica, Italy, and welcome and build a remarkable relationship with the LGBT community on Sunday.

Trans women have now visited Pope Francis monthly, where they were given VIP seats. They have received handouts of medicine, cash, and shampoo, and the Vatican also prioritized these women to acquire vaccination in health facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pope Francis Invites Trans Women at Catholic Church's Lunch

The trans women invited to the lunch were mainly Latin American migrants who worked as prostitutes and joined over 1,000 other poor and homeless people in the Vatican auditorium.

Francis believed that the marginalized communities should be treated with utmost dignity. The menu at lunch proved Francis' belief as they served cannelloni pasta filled with spinach and ricotta to start, meatballs in a tomato-basil sauce and cauliflower puree, and tiramisu with petit fours for dessert.

The lunch was Francis's latest gesture of inclusion for the marginalized trans community of Torvaianica, which marks his papacy in word and deed.

Andrea Paola Torres Lopez, a Colombian transgender woman known as Consuelo, said that they were not welcome at the church before and saw them as the devil until Francis came and opened the doors to them.

According to ABC News, several LGBT organizations embraced Francis' message of inclusivity as the community has been suffering discrimination in the church that teaches homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.

GLAAD and DignityUSA, an organization working for respect and justice, said that Francis' note was to convey a message to political and cultural leaders to end their expulsion, exclusion, and discrimination against the LGBT community.

The trans community recognized Francis' message was a sign of a more personal approach to them, and their stories were heard, and the church wanted to include them.

Read Also: US Join Australia in Fighting Child Sexual Exploitation Amid Increasing Online Abuse Cases

Trans Women as Godparents

The Vatican's doctrine office has recently approved that trans women could be baptized, godparents, and witnesses in weddings. Francis also suggested that same-sex couples could receive blessings from the church.

In January, Francis finally reversed his comment way back in 2013, saying, "Who am I to judge?" to an allegedly gay priest and said, "Being homosexual is not a crime." He cleared that "todos, todos, todos" - is a child of God, is loved by God, and is welcome in the church.

Carla Segovia, a 46-year-old trans woman and Argentine sex worker, said that being a godparent was the closest thing she would ever get to having a child of her own. She said that the new norms were more welcoming and comfortable.

"This norm from Pope Francis brings me closer to finding that absolute serenity," she said.

Claudia Vittoria Salas, a 55-year-old transgender tailor and house cleaner, said she was already a godparent to three nieces and nephews. She said that her earnings from prostitution were for the education of her godchildren.

She said that being a godparent was a big responsibility and was like a replacement for a mother and a father.

Related Article: Vatican Announces Baptism for Transgender People, Church Welcomes LGBT Community



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A federal appeals court struck down a key tool used in the enforcement of the Voting Rights Act on Monday, potentially setting up another Supreme Court showdown over the landmark civil rights law.

The 8th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that private entities cannot bring lawsuits under a provision of the law, known as Section 2. If the ruling stands, it would dramatically weaken what remains of the Voting Rights Act that was passed in 1965 in an effort to counter racial discrimination in elections.

Threatening the Voting Rights Act

The judges of the appeals court made the 2-1 decision and said that the "text and structure" of the Voting Rights Act statute shows that Congress did not provide private plaintiffs the authority to sue. The panel affirmed a 2022 ruling made by a Trump-appointed federal judge in Arkansas. It held only the U.S. Justice Department can bring Section 2 lawsuits.

However, that particular ruling runs counter to decades of legal practice. The majority of cases that are brought under the Voting Rights Act are brought by private plaintiffs, with the DOJ facing strained resources and other considerations that limit how many cases it can file to only a few every year, as per CNN.

In a statement, the senior vice president of the non-partisan Campaign Legal Center, Paul Smith said that eliminating individual people's right to sue under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act runs contrary to settled law. He added that it went against common sense and any basic concept of fairness.

Smith said that when the government itself discriminates against its people, they should have the right to fight back legally. The center had submitted a friend-of-the-court brief in the case that argues that private lawsuits are crucial to enforcing the Voting Rights Act.

The voting section of the U.S. Justice Department, which enforces federal voting laws, does not have enough lawyers to be everywhere across the country at once. The executive director of the Center for Election Innovation & Research, David Becker worked as an attorney in the DOJ's voting section during the Clinton and Bush administrations.

Read Also: Supreme Court Rules Against Florida on State's Law Banning Drag Shows

Federal Appeals Court Ruling

The director of the ACLU's Voting Rights Project, Sophia Lin Lakin said that the federal appeals court's ruling puts the Voting Rights Act in jeopardy. She argued that it is very cavalierly tossing aside critical protections that voters have very much fought and died for for years, according to Politico.

The court's decision originates in a racial gerrymandering case out of Arkansas where the state chapter of the NAACP and others argued that the state's legislative districts violated the Voting Rights Act. This was by diluting the voting power of Black voters.

The federal appeals court's decision is most likely going to be appealed to the Supreme Court, where the current conservative majority has issued various key decisions in the past few years that have also weakened the Voting Rights Act.

However, the justices have upheld the law in other instances, including in a ruling in June that found Alabama had drawn a racially discriminatory congressional map, said the New York Times.

Related Article: Mike Johnson Plans to Publicly Release 44K Hours of Jan. 6 Footage

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vehemently condemned the Palestinian Authority's denial of responsibility by the terrorist group Hamas for the tragic October 7 massacre at a music festival in Israel.

The prime minister's remarks came following an official statement from the Palestinian Authority, which blamed "Israeli helicopters" for the deaths of hundreds of participants at the Supernova music festival near kibbutz Re'im, as per Fox News.

Netanyahu Denounces Palestinian Authority's Hamas Massacre Denial

Netanyahu, addressing the nation in a video statement released in Hebrew and English, expressed disbelief at the PA's claim, calling it "utterly preposterous" and a "complete reversal of truth." He criticized PA President Mahmoud Abbas for denying the existence of the Hamas-led massacre, comparing it to his past denial of the Holocaust.

"Today, the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah said something utterly incredible. It denied that it was Hamas that carried out the horrible massacre at the nature festival near Gaza. It actually accused Israel of carrying out that massacre. This is a complete reversal of truth. Abu Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas), who in the past has denied the existence of the Holocaust, today is denying the existence of the Hamas massacre, and that's unacceptable," Netanyahu asserted.

The Israeli Prime Minister also addressed the ongoing conflict with Hamas, reiterating his strong opposition to the idea that the Palestinian Authority would rule the Gaza Strip following the Israel-Hamas war.

He emphasized his goal for the aftermath of the conflict, stating, "My goal is that the day after we destroy Hamas, any future civil administration in Gaza does not deny the massacre, does not educate its children to become terrorists, does not pay for terrorists, and does not tell its children that their ultimate goal in life is to see the destruction and dissolution of the State of Israel. That's not acceptable, and that is not the way to achieve peace," according to Times Of Israel.

Read Also: Liberian President George Weah Concedes Defeat After Provisional Results Show Challenger's Victory

Allegations of Hamas Base at Al Shifa Hospital Intensify

Simultaneously, Netanyahu labeled as "preposterous" the Palestinian National Authority's claim that Israel massacred its own civilians at the music festival near Gaza. He criticized Abbas's remarks, stating that they were unacceptable and not conducive to achieving peace in the region.

In a separate development, Israel has heightened its allegations of Hamas terrorists using Gaza's largest medical facility, Al Shifa Hospital, as a base. From a video released by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), two foreign hostages-a Nepalese and a Thai civilian-were being held at Al Shifa Hospital following the October 7 attack by Hamas.

The IDF had initiated raids on Al Shifa Hospital on November 15, arguing that Hamas was using the medical facility as a command center with networks of tunnels running underneath. The raids were part of Israel's ground offensive to eliminate Hamas, a response to the deadly attack by the terror group on the Jewish nation on October 7.

According to Palestinian officials, more than 11,500 people have lost their lives in Gaza during the conflict, while around 1,200 were reported killed in Israel. As tensions persist, the international community closely monitors the situation, hoping for a resolution that brings lasting peace to the region, India Today reported.

Related Article: Pedro Sanchez Re-Elected for Another Term as Spanish Prime Minister, Plans To Form New Government

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Hundreds of dogs in several states across the US caught an unusual respiratory illness since mid-August, and veterinarians began to warn pet owners to take basic precautions.

Oregon, Colorado, and New Hampshire were among the states in the US that have recorded rising cases of respiratory illness, which have caused long-term respiratory disease and pneumonia.

Hundreds of Dogs Catch Unusual Respiratory Illness

The Oregon Department of Agriculture and the US Department of Agriculture's National Veterinary Services Laboratory reported more than 200 cases of the illness, which encouraged pet owners to reach out to their vet and make regular checkups so veterinarians could report the instances as soon as possible.

The departments have also reported that the unusual respiratory illness in dogs does not respond to antibiotics.

Furthermore, they have also revealed that the symptoms of respiratory illness in dogs include coughing, sneezing, nasal or eye discharge, and lethargy. The cases of pneumonia in dogs escalated quickly and made the dogs sick, lasting for 24 to 36 hours.

Veterinarian Dr. Mike Hutchinson said that the respiratory illness was still unknown to them.

"When that happens, you should see your veterinarian because we're going to treat those symptoms. And for viruses, there's really no good anti-viral on the market. However, we can support the symptoms sometimes by nebulizing them or giving them some support, fluids, things that they need," Hutchinson said.

According to Kurt Williams, director of the Oregon Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Oregon State University, the dogs have also died without a clear way to define the disease, which made it hard to put a number on how many died from the unusual respiratory illness.

Read Also: Former US First Lady Rosalynn Carter Dies at 96; Cause of Death Revealed

Basic Precautions to Avoid Respiratory Illness in Dogs

Along with the departments, veterinarians were continuously tracking down the cause of the illness. But as of the moment, they were encouraging pet owners to take basic precautions to keep their pets healthy.

Hutchinson advised isolating dogs from other dogs as much as possible as pets were more likely to catch the illness in places like kennels, dog parks, and groomers.

He said they have already required that all of the vaccines should be new and that they have a health certificate from their veterinarian. Williams agreed that pets should have up-to-date vaccines, especially those that protect against several respiratory illnesses.

David Needle, a senior veterinary pathologist at the University of New Hampshire's New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, has been investigating the unknown disease for almost a year, and he said that, luckily, there was no significant increase in dogs dying from the illness.

However, he still encouraged pet owners to decrease contact with other dogs. Needle has also extended research at the university's Hubbard Center for Genome Research to look at samples from dogs in Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, and more would be coming from Oregon and Colorado.

Related Article: Nepal Hindu Festival 2023: Dogs Pampered as Part of Celebration-Here's Why



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Italian officials convicted more than 200 people of being part of the notorious 'Ndrangheta crime group and have been sentenced to lengthy prison times that total 2,200 years.

The ruling was made as part of the nation's largest mafia trial in the last three decades, which began in January 2021. The trial occurred in a purpose-built bunker in the southern Italian town of Lamezia Terme.

Italian Mafia Trial

More than 400 lawyers represented the defendants, and roughly 900 witnesses provided testimony in the case. The panel in charge of the case had three judges deliberating the fate of the 338 people accused since the end of the trial on Oct. 16.

They delivered their verdict on Monday, and it took the court one hour and 40 minutes to hand down its rulings to the defendants. Roughly 207 mobsters were imprisoned, and more than 100 were acquitted. As per CNN, the total jail time handed down to the defendants includes five life sentences and three 30-year sentences.

The defendants included 42 women, which was considered to be a record for a mafia trial, 39 of whom were convicted. Many of the suspects had colorful nicknames, including "The Wolf," "Fatso," "Sweetie," and "Lamb Thigh." Testimonies presented during the trial revealed that they were caught on some 24,000 wiretaps.

The defendants who were convicted include:

The one-time Forza Italia lawmaker Giancarlo Pittelli.

Former police chief Giorgio Naselli.

Former financial police officer Michele Marinaro.

Former mayor Gianluca Callipo.

Former regional councilors Luigi Incarnato and Pietro Giamborino.

They were all said to be affiliated with the 'Ndrangheta crime group and they were convicted of mafia association, extortion, bribery, and five murders. The trial was also referred to as the Rinascita Scott, which was named after the United States special agent Scott W. Sieben who was credited with uncovering the ties between Colombia's cartels and the 'Ndrangheta.

While many defendants were acquitted, the trial still dealt a major blow to the crime group. The 'Ndrangheta enjoys a near monopoly on the European cocaine trade, according to The Guardian.

Read Also: David Cameron Visits Ukraine, Promises Additional Military Support for War-Torn Nation

'Ndrangheta Crime Group

Nearly all defendants were initially arrested in December 2019 after a lengthy investigation that started in 2016 and stretched across at least 11 Italian regions. Roughly 2,500 law enforcement personnel participated in the raids that focused on suspects in Vibo Valentia, Calabria, which is the heart of an area controlled primarily by the 'Ndrangheta's Mancuso clan.

An elite carabinieri unit known as the "Cacciatori," which means "the hunters," conducted the arrest of several suspects. The mobsters were allegedly hiding in bunkers located behind sliding staircases, hidden trapdoors, and maintenance hole covers.

The 'Ndrangheta crime group originates from Calabria, the impoverished southern region located at the tip of Italy's boot. The group's name is believed to come from the ancient Greek words "Andros" and "Agathos," which mean brave or fearless man.

The group substantially expanded its reach from the 1970s onwards when it reinvested ransom money from kidnappings into public work projects and drug trafficking, particularly cocaine, according to Reuters.

Related Article: Finland Closes Borders With Russia, Accuses Moscow of Instrumentalizing Immigrants

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Indian authorities are intensifying their efforts to rescue 40 construction workers who have been trapped underground for more than a week.

The incident occurred while the workers were constructing a highway tunnel in the northern state of Uttarakhand. Although the workers are receiving essential supplies, including food and water, concerns have arisen as some are experiencing health issues such as vomiting and headaches, as per CNN.

India Tunnel Worker Rescue

To enhance the rescue operation, state authorities have approved the purchase of additional equipment and manpower. The new strategies include constructing escape tunnels from the left and right sides of the tunnel and vertical drilling from the upper hill, which is already in progress. These measures aim to provide multiple options for reaching the trapped workers.

Rescue teams have been working tirelessly, using a high-powered drilling machine acquired on Thursday, to reach the stranded workers. However, the challenging mountain terrain poses risks of further debris falling and complicating rescue efforts.

Anshu Manish Khalkho, director of the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), stated, "We have opted for a pause-and-go approach to maintain balance." Rescuers have drilled approximately 25 meters (82 feet) into the collapsed tunnel, which accounts for about a third of the distance to the trapped workers. Currently, there are 60 meters of rubble separating them.

The rescue operation involves inserting pipes into the drilled hole and welding them together to create an escape route for the trapped workers. While the task may seem straightforward, it must be executed carefully to avoid vibrations that could impact the fragile terrain.

Additionally, a replacement drilling machine is being dispatched from the city of Indore to support the ongoing rescue operations after the original machine broke, Chronicles reported.

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Indian Ministers Assess Trapped Workers' Rescue Efforts

Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India Nitin Gadkari and Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami visited the location to assess the rescue efforts. Gadkari expressed optimism that, if the machines perform effectively, the workers could be rescued within two to three days. He reassured the public that the trapped workers are safe and in good spirits.

The tunnel collapse occurred as part of the Himalayan Char Dham Highway project, a significant infrastructure initiative aimed at improving connectivity in Uttarakhand and facilitating access to key pilgrimage sites. Despite the challenges, authorities are committed to ensuring the safe rescue of the trapped workers.

Multiple agencies, including the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Sutluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVNL), Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), NHIDCL, and Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Limited (THDCL), are collaborating on the rescue mission, employing various strategies to expedite the operation. This includes vertical and horizontal drilling, creating supply pipelines, and reinforcing the existing tunnel.

The top priority remains saving the lives of the trapped workers, and expert teams are diligently working on all available options to achieve this goal. The ongoing efforts to maintain the workers' morale and ensure their safety are of paramount importance during this challenging rescue operation, The Indian Express reported.

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In a tragic turn of events, authorities have reported that a woman from Florida was discovered deceased on Saturday. The grim discovery took place within a storage unit that was registered under the name of her estranged husband. This distressing development comes exactly one week after the woman was initially reported missing.

Authorities discovered Shakira Yvonne Rucker's body in a storage unit owned by her estranged husband, Cory Hill, 51, on Saturday. The Winter Springs Police Department had previously issued a missing person alert after Rucker was last seen on November 11, as per CNN.

Florida Woman Discovered Dead in Ex-Husband's Storage Unit

Rucker's disappearance was reported to the police after she left her home, purportedly with Hill, and failed to return. The search for Rucker expanded across four counties, involving multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI. Winter Springs Police Chief Matthew Tracht commended his team for their tireless efforts in the search, which sadly concluded with the discovery of Rucker's body.

The Orange County Sheriff's Office played a crucial role in the investigation. The breakthrough came following a report of a foul odor from a storage facility in Apopka, leading to the grim discovery. Rucker, a mother of four, suffered multiple gunshot wounds, with the shooting believed to have occurred at the storage facility.

Sheriff John Mina expressed his condolences to Rucker's family, acknowledging the immense pain and suffering they endured. The case took a further dark turn with the revelation that Hill was already in custody, facing charges of attempted murder in an unrelated case involving his girlfriend and her family. Hill is now the prime suspect in Rucker's homicide, with charges pending as the investigation continues.

Before her disappearance, Rucker was last seen by her children on November 11, heading to a restaurant in Polk County with Hill. Despite a phone call indicating she was returning home, she never arrived, sparking immediate concern from her family. Surveillance footage from the restaurant confirmed the couple's presence there, adding to the case's complexity, according to The Lowcountry's News Leader.

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Shakira Rucker Discovered, Husband Silent in Florida Case

The discovery of Rucker's body in a storage unit registered to Hill, coupled with his subsequent silence on her whereabouts, raised significant suspicion. Sheriff Mina criticized Hill's lack of cooperation, which prolonged the family's agony and complicated the investigation.

While a motive for the murder remains unclear, authorities are piecing together the events leading up to Rucker's tragic death. Hill, with a criminal record including a 1993 murder conviction, faces multiple charges. His arrest on November 12, the day after Rucker's disappearance, for a separate violent incident further paints a troubling picture of the suspect's background.

This case has cast a somber light on the issue of violent crime in the Orlando metropolitan area. Recent statistics place Orange County as one of Florida's regions with the highest rates of violent crime, underscoring the importance of robust law enforcement and community vigilance in addressing and preventing such tragedies.

As the investigation continues, Rucker's family and the Winter Springs community mourn the loss of a beloved mother and resident. The law enforcement community remains committed to bringing justice for Rucker and her family, ensuring that those responsible are held accountable for their actions, Newsweek reported.

Related Article: Kaitlin Armstrong Receives 90 Years Imprisonment for Killing Mo Wilson Over Love Triangle

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On Monday, three teenage girls in New Orleans were sentenced to 20 years in prison after carjacking and killing Linda Frickey, a 73-year-old woman, last year.

News outlets in New Orleans reported that the three teenage girls were convicted of attempted manslaughter, and there was a fourth suspect who is a male and faces a second-degree murder charge and has a life sentence.

Teenage Girls Sentence to 20 Years in Prison

The four suspects proceeded to a trial on Monday, and the prosecutors said that the male suspect was behind the wheel when Frickey died. The four suspects ranged in age from 15 to 17 and were charged as adults in the murder in March 2022.

The authorities reported that Frickey died due to blunt force injuries when she was entangled in a seatbelt and the carjackers bolted away with her car. The neighbors have witnessed Frickey being dragged, and they watched helplessly. Due to the dragging, Frickey's arm was cut off.

District Attorney Jason Williams's office said the prosecutors were not yet allowed to comment until the case was over.

Read Also: Florida Rapper Faces Murder Charges After Allegedly Shooting Manager in Miami Street

Suspects Show Remorse

Frickey's family commented on the statements the two defendants made during an interview with the reporters outside the courthouse. Jinny Frickey, sister of Frickey, said that when the suspects were saying they were sorry, she felt that they were really sorry.

"Because you go back, hindsight, a lot of times, you are sorry for the actions you completed. But you did it. And, unfortunately, they did it, and they have to serve the time," Jinny said.

According to ABC News, the defendant wrung her hands and stood up before Frickey's family. The teenage girl said that was not what they set out to do and cried while explaining the killing.

Furthermore, she hoped that Frickey's family could forgive them.

The statement said that they would like to call attention to the remarkable grace of Mrs. Frickey's family, responding to the statement of the three teenage defendants who accepted accountability for their roles in the carjacking and killing of Frickey.

The statement added that their hearts and unwavering support would continue with Frickey's family as they fight for justice and pursue determination to provide a solution that would honor Frickey's memory.

According to BBC News, vehicle thefts and carjackings have dramatically increased in 30 major US cities since the pandemic began. The Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) reported that motor thefts doubled in eight of the cities they have examined.

In 2019, the cases averagely increased, while in 2020, the cases escalated to 59%. Furthermore, the report said that carjackings were most likely to happen near the victim's home, and nearly 40% of carjackers own a firearm.

Related Article: Capitol Hill Facing Surge in Robberies, Carjackings; Senate Offers Tips to Reduce Crime Risk





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For the past two weeks, Mayor Eric Adams has come under intense scrutiny as the FBI conducts a federal corruption inquiry into potential misconduct surrounding his 2021 mayoral campaign.

The investigation has shed light on possible connections between the campaign and Turkish nationals and government officials, as per to Mail Online, as per New York Daily News.

FBI Investigates Mayor Eric Adams' Turkish Ties

While no accusations have been made against Adams or his top campaign fundraiser, Brianna Suggs, questions about Turkey's involvement in New York City politics have taken center stage.

The FBI's investigation centers around allegations of a straw-donor scheme and illicit overseas donations. The search warrant executed at the home of a member of Mayor Adams's staff revealed that federal investigators are probing whether Adams's campaign conspired with Turkish entities to funnel illegal foreign contributions into the campaign and whether any benefits were provided in return for these donations.

Eric Adams has had a long history of interactions with Turkey and its community dating back to his time as a Brooklyn state senator in 2011. He continued to develop close ties with New York City's Turkish community during his tenure as Brooklyn borough president from 2014 through his 2021 mayoral campaign. Adams made multiple trips to Turkey, some of which were sponsored by the Turkish government or Turkish organizations.

Recent raids by federal agents targeted KSK Construction, a Brooklyn-based company founded by a Turkish national, focusing on donations made by employees of the firm during a 2021 fundraiser for Adams's campaign. Investigators discovered records of money returned to employees in the exact amounts as their contributions.

Additionally, the FBI is looking into Adams's interactions with a Turkish-owned nonprofit called Bay Atlantic University, which made donations to his mayoral campaign that were subsequently returned. The FBI has even searched the residence of a Turkish Airlines executive, suggesting a comprehensive examination of Adams's ties to Turkey, according to Intelligencer.

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NYC Mayor's Turkish Consulate Intervention Under FBI Scrutiny

One of the most concerning aspects of the investigation is Adams's alleged intervention with the New York Fire Department to allow the Turkish government to occupy a new high-rise consulate in Manhattan, despite safety concerns.

This intervention is now part of a broader public corruption inquiry by the FBI and federal prosecutors in Manhattan. It led to the seizure of Adams's electronic devices and raised questions about whether he used his influence to benefit Turkish interests.

While Eric Adams has defended his actions as routine work on behalf of constituents, the investigation has raised significant questions about his ties to the Turkish government and community. As the FBI continues its inquiry, Adams has cooperated fully and has not been accused of wrongdoing.

Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India Nitin Gadkari and Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami visited the location to assess the rescue efforts.

As the investigation unfolds, the spotlight on Mayor Eric Adams and his campaign's connections to Turkey will continue to be a significant point of interest in New York City politics. The city awaits further developments in this high-profile federal corruption inquiry, The New York Times reported.

Related Article: French Performers Initiate Silent March, Calling for Peace Amid Israel-Hamas War

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(Photo : Win McNamee/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 08: National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby answers questions during the daily briefing at the White House on November 08, 2023 in Washington, DC. Kirby and White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre answered a range of questions during the briefing.

According to reports, the United States has expressed its belief that Israel and Hamas are making progress towards reaching an agreement that would result in the release of certain hostages currently being held in Gaza.

This development comes amidst an ongoing and lethal assault by the Israeli military on Gaza City, which is being met with retaliatory rocket attacks launched into Israel by Hamas, as per SCMP.

US-Hamas Hostage Release Negotiations

In a statement on Monday, US President Joe Biden expressed his belief that an agreement was close at hand. According to White House spokesman John Kirby, there has been significant progress made in a hostage agreement, bringing the parties involved closer than ever before.

In a devastating incursion into Israel on October 7, the Palestinian militant group Hamas reportedly seized approximately 240 hostages, resulting in a tragic loss of 1,200 lives.

In a statement released by the Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Mirjana Spoljaric, the president of ICRC, held a meeting with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Qatar on Monday.

The purpose of the meeting was to address and make progress on various humanitarian issues pertaining to the ongoing conflict. In addition, she held separate meetings with Qatari authorities.According to the organization, it has clarified that it was not involved in the negotiations aimed at securing the release of the hostages.

The neutral intermediary expressed its readiness to assist in any future release that may be agreed upon by the parties involved.Rumors of an impending hostage deal have been circulating for several days.

Qatari mediators have been actively pursuing a potential agreement between Hamas and Israel. The deal, as reported by an official familiar with the ongoing discussions, involves the exchange of 50 hostages in exchange for a three-day ceasefire. The proposed ceasefire aims to facilitate the delivery of emergency aid to the civilians in Gaza.

In a recent interview on ABC's 'This Week,' Israeli Ambassador to the United States, Michael Herzog, expressed his optimism for an agreement in the near future. He stated that he hoped for a resolution "in the coming days."

Similarly, Qatar's Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, also weighed in on the matter, describing the remaining obstacles as "very minor" sticking points. A deal has allegedly been agreed upon. However, both the White House and Israel have denied any such agreement, according to sources.

In a statement on Sunday, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani expressed optimism regarding the progress of negotiations, stating that there are now only "very minor" practical and logistical hurdles left to overcome in order to finalize a deal.

Read Also: Israel Says It Discovers Underground Site Inside Al-Shifa Hospital, Finds Dead Hostages

Israel, Hamas Thinking of Implementing Release Plan

According to information obtained by the BBC from a reliable source familiar with the ongoing discussions, it has been revealed that Israel and Hamas are reportedly considering the possibility of implementing a phased release plan. In a potentially significant development, a limited number of hostages have reportedly been released, accompanied by the implementation of a ceasefire.

If this situation persists, there is a possibility of further layoffs. In other reports, there has been speculation that a potential component of the package might involve the release of certain Palestinian prisoners currently detained by Israel, specifically focusing on women and minors.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated his refusal to cease Israel's retaliatory attacks in Gaza. Previously, he had made it clear that he would only entertain the idea of a ceasefire once all hostages were released.

The operation is employing a combination of air and artillery strikes, along with the deployment of ground troops. According to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry, the death toll is believed to have surpassed 13,000.

In a recent development, the Israeli mili

ary has announced the discovery of two hostages in the Gaza Strip. The victims have been identified as 65-year-old Yehudit Weiss and 19-year-old soldier Noa Marciano.

Related Article: Netanyahu Slams Palestinian Leader Mahmoud Abbas for Claiming Israel Killed Their Own People, Not by Hamas

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Thousands of pro-ceasefire protestors disrupted the California Democratic Party Convention, resulting in leaders locking down the building on November 18 in Sacramento.

On Saturday, the party posted on social media that the security guards locked entrances to the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center after the voting ended for party approval.

Pro-ceasefire Protestors Disrupt California Democratic Party Convention

The demonstration calling for a ceasefire in the Israeli-Hamas war disrupted a US Senate Candidates forum on Saturday.

Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks expressed his disappointment as protests have intimidated and harassed Jewish delegates and guests, which resulted in canceled meetings and events.

According to The Epoch Times, Hicks said in a letter to delegates on Sunday that as a California Democrat, he upholds the constitutionally-protected right to free speech and freedom of expression as sacred.

"But, exercising those rights with violence, intimidation, harassment, or bullying has no place in our Party or in our communities. Antisemitism and Islamophobia have no place in our Party or in our communities," he added.

Furthermore, he said that the chair condemned any form of violence that may bring harm to their people and divide the people from one another.

The demonstration led the party to cancel the convention center's caucus meetings, hospitality suites, and a VoteFest.

A spokesperson for the protest explained that they performed the demonstration as most democratic representatives did not respect constituents' very fierce desires.

Aylet Hasachar, one of the protest leaders, said that the commotion in Gaza now was genocide, and the democrats were involved in the promotion of genocide.

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US Senate Race

The party delegates could not promote any candidates for the US Senate race, as no candidate received 60% of the delegates. However, Rep. Barbara Lee placed first in the voting, garnering nearly 42% of the vote.

Lee was running in a tight race against Democrats Rep. Adam Schiff and Rep. Katie Porter and Republican Steve Garvey. Lee said that she was incredibly proud and honored to receive the support of many Democratic Party delegates.

On Saturday, Lee posted on X, formerly Twitter, "From day one, this campaign has been focused on delivering the progressive agenda that working people in California deserve: a Green New Deal, single-payer health care, and economic, racial, social, and environmental justice for all."

Lee would be the 78 who would take over in the office if she was elected.

The Inside California Politics survey on November 17 showed that Schiff was in the lead with 16% support of voters, Porter was in second with 13%, Garvey was at 10%, and Lee was at 9%.

The survey was conducted from November 11-14 and tested 1,000 registered voters by landline.

Schiff posted on X, formerly Twitter, that he was grateful for the support of hundreds of delegates from all over the state, and the volunteers and the staff made the weekend possible.

Garvey, a former Los Angeles Dodger, filed papers on November 15 to run for the California senate seat that was left open due to the death of longtime Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who died in office September 29.

Related Article: French Performers Initiate Silent March, Calling for Peace Amid Israel-Hamas War



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British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak allegedly thought that it was okay to just "let people die" during the coronavirus pandemic, the UK COVID inquiry heard on Monday.

The government's former chief scientific adviser at the peak of the health crisis, Patrick Vallance, made a note in his diary on Oct. 25, 2020. It revolved around a meeting that involved then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson and then Finance Minister Sunak.

COVID Inquiry Hears Patrick Vallance

The entry in Vallance's diary shown to the inquiry recorded how Johnson's most senior adviser during the pandemic, Dominic Cummings, related to Vallance what he said he had heard at the meeting.

Vallance quoted Cummings in his diary as saying: "Rishi thinks just let people die and that's okay." He added that the entire situation felt like a complete lack of leadership. A spokesman for the current prime minister said that Sunak would set out his position when he gives the inquiry evidence rather than respond to each issue separately, as per Reuters.

The COVID inquiry is examining the British government's response to the health crisis that led to the shutting of large sections of the economy and the killing of more than 220,000 people in the region. The inquiry is expected to run until the summer of 2026.

Senior government officials have repeatedly said that the government was surprised and unprepared for the COVID-19 pandemic. They added that a "toxic" and "macho" culture hampered authorities' response to the health crisis.

The danger for Sunak within the inquiry is that evidence undermines his attempt to cast himself as a change to the chaotic leadership of Johnson. This comes even though he was one of the most senior ministers during that leadership.

Vallance also admitted that officials did not have any basis for the rule of six that made it illegal to have gatherings of more than six people. According to the Independent, he noted that they could not tell anyone whether it was better or worse to have more or fewer in the rule.

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"Just Let People Die"

He described Cabinet ministers as being "meek as mice" and accused them of an "abrogation of responsibility" for not imposing recommended measures to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. In one of his notes dated Oct. 11, 2020, he welcomed being dropped from a press conference in favor of Sunak.

Vallance also contradicted Sunak's evidence to the COVID inquiry, saying that the then finance minister would most certainly have known that scientists were worried about his "eat out to help out scheme."

The former chief scientific adviser said he would be very surprised if Sunak had not learned about objections to his plan to help the hospitality industry. The prime minister wrote to the inquiry and said he "did not recall any concerns about the scheme" being raised in ministerial meetings.

His remarks came even after growing concerns that the discount plan could fuel the spread of the coronavirus. The other diary note about letting people die included remarks made during the meeting, such as "they have had a good innings," said The Guardian.

Related Article: Lloyd Austin Visits Ukraine as US Announces $100 Million Military Aid for Kyiv

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The Supreme Court rejected an appeal made by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for a new trial in the murder of George Floyd.

The decision on Monday left in place the conviction against the former police officer for the killing of the Black man in May 2020. Chauvin's lawyers had asked the high court in October to take up his legal battle. It centered around a Minnesota trial court's denial of the defendant's requests for a change of venue and to sequester the jury.

Derek Chauvin Requests New Trial

The ex-police officer argued that the decision to maintain the proceedings in Minneapolis deprived him of his right to a fair trial. He said that this was because of pretrial publicity and the threat of violence and riots if he was acquitted of the charges against him.

In a filing to the court, Chauvin's lawyers said that their client's case showed the profound difficulties that trial courts face in consistently ensuring a criminal defendant's right to an impartial jury even when extreme cases come along, as per CBS News.

They added that the jurors in the initial trial who heard the case had a "vested interest in finding Chauvin guilty to prevent further rioting in the community where they lived. They also allegedly wanted to avoid the possible threat of physical harm to them or their families.

In April, the Minnesota Court of Appeals affirmed the former police officer's conviction and rejected his request for a new trial. This was after the defendant's lawyer challenged the decision by Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill not to move the trial from Minneapolis, among other issues.

But the state Supreme Court declined to review that particular decision in July and left Chauvin's conviction and 22.5-year sentence in place. The 12-member Hennepin County jury found the defendant guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter in April 2021 for the killing of Floyd.

Read Also: Mising Florida Woman Found Dead Inside Estranged Husband's Storage Unit

George Floyd's Murder

The murder of the 46-year-old Black man made national headlines as it was recorded on video and led to protests against police brutality and racial injustice. At the time of the incident, Chauvin was found to have kneeled on Floyd's neck for nearly 10 minutes despite the man's cries of not being able to breathe, according to Fox News.

Chauvin's plea for a new trial comes after new evidence allegedly shows that he was not the cause of Floyd's death. He noted that he would never have pleaded guilty in 2021 if he had known about the theories of a pathologist from Kansas that he has been communicating with since February.

The other officers involved in Floyd's death are serving smaller sentences when compared to Chauvin. These are J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao. Thao was sentenced to serve 42 months, Kueng was sentenced to serve 36 months, and Lane was sentenced to serve 30 months.

In a statement, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Department of Justice said that the four officers have all been convicted and sentenced to prison for the killing of Floyd. She added that they will be held accountable for their crimes, said Patch.

Related Article: New Orleans: 3 Teenage Girls Sentence to 20 Years in Prison After Carjacking, Killing 73-Year-Old Woman

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The court approved the life sentence of Michael MacKay, a Saskatchewan man in Canada, after killing his wife, Cindy MacKay, with a deadly drink of Gatorade and strychnine on Monday.

The court reported that Cindy died in February 2020 after drinking the concoction with strychnine, a toxic pesticide used to kill gophers and coyotes on farms.

Court Approves MacKay's Life Sentence

MacKay pleaded guilty and was convicted of a second-degree murder. A judge in Battleford, Saskatchewan, has established a joint recommendation from Crown and defense lawyers that he would serve ten years before he has a chance at parole.

According to the statement, MacKay had an affair with another woman for months before he killed his wife. Before MacKay poisoned his wife, he texted the other woman, "Goodbye will likely be in the next few days."

Then, the day MacKay poisoned his wife was when he drove his two daughters to school and returned to their farm to mix Gatorade and strychnine for his wife. Cindy woke up feeling unwell that day and was left with their youngest child in the house.

The court said that Cindy felt something off, and while brushing her teeth, the poison took effect.

MacKay called 911, and later on, the paramedics arrived. Cindy was put into cardiac arrest on the way to the hospital. She was taken by an air ambulance to a hospital in Saskatoon, where she died from multiple organ failure due to poisoning.

The doctors said strychnine makes a person's muscles contract intensely and painfully until the person cannot breathe and eventually dies.

The medical staff contacted RCMP as Cindy's death seemed suspicious. MacKay talked to the police and suggested that her death was suicide.

"Nothing can undo the pain and suffering," he said in court. He admitted his shortcomings as a husband to Cindy and as a father to his children.

Tyler Mack, Cindy's brother, said that Cindy was a genuinely great person and a wonderful mother to her three children. Krista Mack, Cindy's sister, added that she was relieved when MacKay admitted that he was guilty, and she believed that he was not truly sincere in the court.

She said outside the courthouse that he was faking his whole little performance in the court.

Read Also: Headless Body Found in New York Beach Weeks After Irish Filmmaker Ross McDonell Vanishes

Family Mourns Cindy's Death

Cindy's family were all wearing red shirts in honor of Cindy as Mackay continued to spread the word in their small community that she took her own life.

Her family members told the court she was a loving and compassionate mother. They also described Cindy as a talented nurse, a beloved community member, and someone who loves animals dearly.

They said that her death was painful, and it left them shattered and afraid. The family also said they could not go to the farm where MacKay lives, and he was with the children while out on bail.

Mack said that they feared something would happen to the children as they knew Mackay was capable of harming someone. Furthermore, he said, "If a husband can do this to his wife, what stops anybody?"

Related Article: Feds Seize 10 Million Doses of Deadly Drugs, Including Heart-Shaped Fentanyl Pills





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Apple could finally release its Vision Pro VR headset in March 2024 alongside its new iPad products, which is a little later than rumors previously estimated it would come out.

An industry insider, Mark Gurman claimed in his recent Power On newsletter that the tech giant's original plan to release its Vision Pro was in January 2024. However, the launch date was pushed back for reasons unknown.

Release Date for Apple's Vision Pro

In a separate report, Forbes suggested two potential reasons for the delay of the launch: Apple could want to conduct further "advanced device testing," and the company could still be hashing out the logistics of how it would distribute the VR headset.

The current plan is for the tech giant to release the Vision Pro in the United States first and have an international launch to specific nations later next year. There is currently no information about the global regions that would receive supplies of the VR headset.

However, Gurman has previously said that the United Kingdom and Canada are two possible locations that the Vision Pro would be sent to. Other reports said that Apple is expected to "sell the device by appointment only" at one of its in-person stores or online on its digital storefront, as per TechRadar.

Additionally, Apple's Vision Pro is slated to offer differently-sized headbands as well as prescription lenses so that all users can enjoy the mixed-reality experience. This would require retailers to stock up on hundreds of accessories for a headset that they could not be familiar with.

While it is disappointing for many customers eager to buy the Vision Pro to learn about its delayed release, the decision to push the date back does make sense. This is not only because Apple wants to do more testing of the product but also so that it could line up the launch with the release of other products.

Spring is typically a busy time for the company and the next season looks like it will be the same. In October, Gurman said that there would be new iPads coming out in March but it would be a minor refresh.

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Features of the VR Headset

Apple's Vision Pro is powered by the visionOS software that is described by the tech giant as "the first OS designed for the ground up for spatial computing." The software's three-dimensional interface also frees apps from the boundaries of a traditional display, according to TechCrunch.

Contrary to other VR headsets on the market, Apple's Vision Pro has a battery pack that is not built into the device itself. It instead has a wire from the rear that connects to an external battery pack. It is said to provide up to two hours of use or it can be plugged into the wall for all-day use.

The price of the tech giant's VR headset is set at $3,499, which makes it out of reach for most of Apple's typical audience. However, the target for the product seems to be developers and other workplace professionals. But many enthusiasts will surely find a way to justify a purchase of the product, said Android Authority.

Related Article: Apple's Announcement of Support for RCS in 2024 Could be Start of Replacement of SMS

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(Photo : GIANLUCA CHININEA/AFP via Getty Images)

Courtroom monitors display the defendants listening to the verdict at the maxi mafia-trial in Lamezia Terme on November 20, 2023 where some 200 people were convicted in the so-called Rinascita Scott trial against alleged members of the 'Ndrangheta mafia in the Calabrian province of Vibo Valentia and the mob's white-collar facilitators.

An Italian court has handed down a landmark verdict in what has become the country's largest mafia trial in three decades.

Over 200 members of the notorious 'Ndrangheta crime syndicate have been sentenced to a total of 2,200 years in prison, marking a significant blow to the criminal organization, as per CNN.

Unveiling the Global Reach of Italy's Most Dangerous Mafia

The trial, which began in January 2021 and unfolded in a specially constructed courtroom in the southern Italian town of Lamezia Terme, involved more than 400 lawyers representing the accused and over 900 witnesses providing testimony.

The 'Ndrangheta, while less well-known internationally than some other Italian mafia groups, is considered one of the most dangerous and powerful criminal organizations in the world. Over the years, it has expanded its reach far beyond its origins in the impoverished region of Calabria, gaining control of much of Europe's cocaine trade and establishing connections with criminal entities across the globe.

The verdicts in this trial represent a significant blow to the 'Ndrangheta, particularly by imprisoning leading members of the Mancuso crime family, a prominent 'Ndrangheta faction. The prosecution argued that this faction had strong links to criminal organizations in Italy, the United States, and other countries.

The sentences included five life imprisonments and three 30-year sentences, underscoring the severity of the crimes committed by the convicted individuals. Among those found guilty were high-profile figures such as Giancarlo Pittelli, a former Forza Italia lawmaker, and former police chief Giorgio Naselli. The trial also saw the conviction of 42 women, a record for a mafia trial, highlighting the diverse nature of the criminal organization's membership.

The charges against the accused ranged from extortion, money laundering, and corruption to usury, murder, and involvement in a criminal organization. This trial exposed the extent of the 'Ndrangheta's influence over local politics, governments, and even a former member of Italy's Parliament. It demonstrated how the criminal syndicate not only controlled the local economy but also maintained deep ties to cocaine trafficking and exerted influence through powerful politicians.

This operation, known as "Rinascita Scott" or Rebirth Scott, paid tribute to a US drug agent who had relentlessly pursued 'Ndrangheta mobsters. It reflects the decades-long effort by Italian authorities to combat the influence of organized crime in the country. While such crackdowns are essential, experts warn that the 'Ndrangheta remains deeply rooted in southern Italy, making it challenging to eradicate, according to The New York Times.

Read Also: House Speaker Mike Johnson Plans to Publicly Release 44K Hours of Jan. 6 Footage

Ndrangheta Trial Reveals Cracks in Mafia Loyalty

One notable aspect of this trial was the cooperation of some younger relatives of 'Ndrangheta families who collaborated with prosecutors, betraying their familial ties. This cooperation sent a strong message that some individuals prioritize their communities over blood ties, challenging the core of the mafia's strength.

The 'Ndrangheta trial showcased the organization's ability to form alliances with law enforcement officials, institutions, and national politicians, highlighting its influence's depth and transformation into a structural component of global capitalism.

In addition to the mafia members, this trial included several non-mafia individuals, including a high-ranking police official, mayors, public servants, and businessmen. This marks a departure from previous trials and underscores the need to address the broader issues that allow organized crime to thrive, such as unemployment, education, and trust in institutions.

While this historic trial represents a significant step in the fight against the 'Ndrangheta, it is clear that more work needs to be done to uproot the criminal organization completely. Building trust in institutions, providing economic opportunities, and challenging the criminal mentality are all essential components of Italy's ongoing battle against organized crime.

Senior state prosecutor Nicola Gratteri, who has dedicated over three decades to fighting the mafia, played a pivotal role in this operation. His relentless pursuit of justice and the collaboration of individuals willing to break with tradition have brought the 'Ndrangheta to its knees in this trial. However, the fight against organized crime is far from over, and Italy must remain vigilant in its efforts to dismantle criminal networks and create a safer future for its citizens, South China Morning Post reported.

Related Article: US Claims Israel Hostage Release Deal Is Closer Than Ever; IDF Continues Pounding Hezbollah, Iran's Other Terrorist Groups

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China's diplomatic efforts in the Middle East have gained significant attention with the meeting held in Beijing on Monday.

The gathering brought together foreign ministers from several critical Middle Eastern nations, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority, and Indonesia, as per Fox News.

China's Diplomatic Moves in the Middle East

The primary objective of this meeting was for China to exert its influence and contribute to resolving the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi welcomed the foreign diplomats, emphasizing the high level of trust these nations have placed in China.

Wang Yi underscored China's commitment to its role as a friend and brother to Arab and Islamic countries, emphasizing its consistent support for the legitimate rights and interests of these nations and the just cause of the Palestinian people.

During this diplomatic gathering, one significant development was the signing of a local currency exchange agreement between the Saudi Central Bank and the People's Bank of China (PBC). This agreement amounts to 26 billion Saudi riyals, equivalent to 50 billion yuan ($6.98 billion), and is set to be effective for three years, with the possibility of extension through mutual consent.

The currency swap agreement aims to enhance financial cooperation, promote the use of both currencies in trade and investment, and facilitate economic activities between the two countries. This agreement could serve as a model for other Middle Eastern nations, encouraging them to follow suit and further advance the use of the yuan in the region.

This move is a significant step towards promoting the yuan's internationalization, especially in the Middle East. It may enable Saudi Arabian enterprises to use the yuan more freely in international trade, reducing their dependence on the US dollar, the traditional choice for such transactions. This shift in currency usage could also have implications for bilateral energy trading, making it easier and more efficient, according to The News.

Read Also: Opinion Letters to The Guardian Stress Antisemitism on UK Campuses Must be Stopped

Yuan Rises as Saudi Arabia Shifts From Dollar

Historically, Saudi Arabia, a major global producer of petroleum energy, has conducted its international transactions in US dollars. However, with this currency swap agreement, there is potential for the yuan to become more prominent in bilateral crude oil exchanges.

The central bank of China has pledged to prudently advance the internationalization of the yuan, an objective that China has been actively pursuing. The ease of using the yuan as a medium of exchange is crucial to this effort.

The People's Bank of China is dedicated to leveraging currency swaps to support the growth of the offshore yuan market, ease trade and investment, and strengthen cooperation with other central banks in local currency settlement.

In addition to the currency swap agreement with Saudi Arabia, China has also pursued similar agreements with other countries. It has signed numerous currency swap agreements worldwide, highlighting its commitment to expanding the global reach of the yuan. These efforts align with China's broader strategy to reduce reliance on the US dollar and establish the yuan as a more prominent international currency.

While the currency swap agreement between China and Saudi Arabia may appear relatively small in monetary terms, its significance lies in its potential to symbolize a shift away from the US dollar, especially in the global oil trade. As China continues to strengthen its economic ties with countries in the Middle East and beyond, the yuan's internationalization is likely to gain further momentum, reshaping the landscape of international finance and trade, Insider reported.

Related Article: The Guardian Removes Bin Laden's 2002 "Letter to America" After TikTok Users Cite It

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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced opening an investigation into Media Matters for "potential fraudulent activity."

The move comes after a defamation lawsuit filed against the left-leaning media watchdog group by X CEO Elon Musk, who accused Media Matters of manipulating data on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, as per Fox News.

Media Matters Sparks Ad Exodu, Texas AG Probe

When Media Matters published a report accusing X of placing ads next to "white nationalist hashtags." This report prompted a slew of advertisers, including IBM, Apple, Disney, Lionsgate, and Paramount, to withdraw their advertisements from the platform. In response, Musk vowed to unleash a "thermonuclear lawsuit" against Media Matters, alleging that the group had misrepresented the user experience to mislead advertisers.

Republican Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey also expressed interest in the matter, stating that his legal team was "looking into" the allegations. Attorney General of Texas Ken Paxton has initiated an official investigation into Media Matters, signifying a transition towards greater formality.

"We are examining the issue closely to ensure that the public has not been deceived by the schemes of radical left-wing organizations who would like nothing more than to limit freedom by reducing participation in the public square," Paxton declared.

The investigation will be carried out under the Texas Business Organizations Code and the Deceptive Trade Practices Act. Paxton's decision to pursue this course of action aligns with his concerns regarding the allegations against Media Matters, which he characterized as a "radical anti-free speech organization."

Elon Musk, the owner of X.com (formerly known as Twitter), wasted no time in championing the investigation. In a post on the platform, Musk emphasized the potential legal consequences of fraudulent activity, stating, "Fraud has both civil and criminal penalties," according to Washington Examiner.

Read Also: Opinion Letters to The Guardian Stress Antisemitism on UK Campuses Must be Stopped

Media Matters in Tech Controversy

Media Matters for America, founded in 2004. The organization in question is a progressive research and information center that has a dedicated focus on thoroughly monitoring, analyzing, and addressing conservative misinformation within the United States media landscape. However, the organization has found itself at the center of controversy for its recent report on X.

The current dispute highlights the ongoing tension between media organizations and tech platforms. Media Matters' report alleging the placement of ads next to far-right content on X triggered the withdrawal of major brands' advertisements from the platform, further fueling the contentious legal battle.

In this controversy, it is important to note that right-wing criticisms of the media are not a recent development. The investigation launched by Attorney General Ken Paxton underscores the political and legal challenges facing organizations involved in media monitoring and the ongoing debate over free speech.

Paxton's decision to investigate Media Matters for "potential fraudulent activity" will undoubtedly be closely watched by both supporters and critics of the organization. As this legal battle unfolds, how it will impact the broader discourse surrounding media, social platforms, and the protection of free speech in the digital age remains to be seen, Dallas Voice reported.

Related Article: The Guardian Removes Bin Laden's 2002 "Letter to America" After TikTok Users Cite It

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Oregon's landmark drug decriminalization law, which reached its third anniversary, is under scrutiny as the state grapples with a devastating surge in opioid-related deaths and growing calls for its reversal.

Opioid-related fatalities in Oregon have soared to a staggering 955 this year, a stark contrast from the 280 deaths recorded in 2019 before the passage of Measure 110, which garnered 58% approval, as per Fox News.

Oregon's Opioid Crisis Spurs Law Reevaluation

The surge in opioid deaths has deeply affected the state's communities and has prompted many to voice concerns and call for a reevaluation of the law.

Michael Bock, a private security guard in Portland, expressed his heartbreak over the drastic change, stating that before Measure 110, he rarely had to perform life-saving interventions. Still, since its passage, it has become a nearly daily occurrence.

The crisis in Oregon has led to a push for legislative action from House Republicans, who argue that Measure 110 has failed the state. House Republican Leader Jeff Helfrich emphasized the urgent need for meaningful change to address addiction, crime, and homelessness that are plaguing Oregon.

Republican proposals include criminalizing the possession of fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine. They also advocate for offering individuals charged with drug-related offenses the option of treatment instead of incarceration, with the added provision of clearing the criminal records of those who complete treatment.

In a letter to state leadership, Republicans outlined a series of actions they demand, including reinvesting funds into county probation departments, state specialty courts, and creating additional recovery resources such as treatment beds.

The letter highlights the urgency of the situation, as each day, the current policy remains in place, provides more opportunities for drug dealers to exploit vulnerable Oregonians, perpetuates addiction without access to promised treatment, and exacerbates the homelessness crisis.

While most House Republicans signed the letter, E. Werner Reschke, a GOP House member, did not endorse it but called on the governor to convene a special session to repeal Measure 110.

State Senate Republicans also weighed in on the issue, urging the convening of a special legislative session to address the state's drug crisis and declaring a state of emergency, according to Washington Examine.

Read Also: The Guardian Removes Bin Laden's 2002 "Letter to America" After TikTok Users Cite It

Drug Decriminalization Law Under Fire Amid Opioid Crisis

Oregon's pioneering drug decriminalization law, once celebrated as a revolutionary approach, is now facing backlash amid a surge in public drug use fueled by the proliferation of fentanyl and a rise in synthetic opioid overdose deaths.

Republicans are expected to propose the reinstatement of criminal penalties for drug possession during the forthcoming legislative session that begins in February, where the measure is anticipated to be a major topic of discussion.

Even prominent Democrats who initially supported the law are open to amending it in light of the alarming increase in synthetic opioid deaths. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data reveals that Oregon has witnessed the most substantial rise in synthetic opioid overdose fatalities among states reporting their numbers, with a 13-fold increase from 2019 to the 12 months ending June 30.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic-exacerbated effects of the opioid crisis, there is a severe shortage of mental health professionals, and the proliferation of fentanyl is evident in cities like Portland, where public drug use occurs openly on busy streets.

While the debate over the future of Measure 110 continues, the state grapples with the complex challenge of addressing addiction, drug-related crime, and homelessness amidst the ongoing opioid crisis. Public support for expanding treatment remains high, but finding effective solutions remains a pressing concern for Oregon as it navigates this multifaceted crisis, Yahoo News reported.

Related Article: NYC's Sweet Truth Act Requires Added Sugar Transparency in Restaurants-But, Some New Yorkers Are Against It

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The New York City Police Department (NYPD) is embarking on a $390 million endeavor to overhaul its radio communication system.

This move has ignited a heated debate over transparency and accountability in policing. The plan involves fully encrypted police radio channels by December 2024, a dramatic shift away from a practice that has allowed the public and the press to monitor police dispatches since 1932, as per Gothamist.

NYPD's Radio Encryption Sparks Transparency Debate

NYPD Chief of Information Technology, Ruben Beltran, defended the move during a recent City Council hearing, citing concerns about the misuse of public access to police radio channels. He asserted that "bad actors" had exploited this open communication channel in various ways, including fleeing from police officers who could be tracked through radio transmissions.

Additionally, individuals had breached the system to disrupt communications with music or their voices. At the same time, some opportunistic entities, including ambulance chasers and tow truck companies, had used the airwaves to profit from medical emergencies.

"We have to stop giving the bad guys our game plan," Beltran argued during the hearing.

Critics of the plan, however, contend that it will hinder transparency and accountability for law enforcement. Many journalists and photojournalists rely on police radios to cover breaking news and hold police officers accountable for their actions.

They argue that public access to police radio communications has played a vital role in informing the public about incidents such as the killing of Eric Garner and other high-profile cases.

Councilmember Robert Holden labeled the move to encrypted police radios as "a crime in itself," and Councilmember Vickie Paladino emphasized that there should never be a blackout of the press, according to Daily News.

Read Also: Italian Officials Convict More Than 200 People as Part of 'Ndrangheta Crime Group Trial

NY Senator Proposes Police Radio Transparency Act

State Senator Michael Gianaris has introduced a bill, the Keep Police Radio Public Act, aimed at preserving news media's access to police radio communications while addressing concerns related to public safety. Under this proposal, credentialed news media would be allowed real-time access to police radio transmissions, while the public could listen on a 10-minute delay.

Gianaris explained that the legislation is designed to strike a balance between transparency and the need for certain protections, acknowledging that the NYPD is attempting to address legitimate issues. Most police departments in the state currently have unencrypted police scanners and would only be affected if they chose to change their systems.

Critics argue that the NYPD's move to encrypted police radios aligns with a broader nationwide trend, where police departments are increasingly opting for encrypted radio scanners. However, they emphasize the importance of upholding transparency and accountability in law enforcement.

The debate over encrypted police radios has sparked concerns about the future of public access to vital information and the role of the press in monitoring law enforcement activities. As the NYPD's radio system upgrade progresses over the next few years, the fate of transparency in police communications remains a topic of intense discussion in New York City, Yahoo News reported.

Related Article: US Claims Israel Hostage Release Deal Is Closer Than Ever; IDF Continues Pounding Hezbollah, Iran's Other Terrorist Groups

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US Navy aircraft experienced a partial submersion in the shallow waters of Kaneohe Bay. The incident occurred on Monday afternoon when the aircraft overshot the runway at Marine Corps Base Hawaii.

Which occurred at approximately 1:57 p.m., involved a P-8 Poseidon aircraft that was in the process of landing, as per Hawaii News Now.

US Navy Aircraft Mishap at Marine Corps Base Hawaii

Authorities confirmed that the aircraft had nine individuals on board, all of whom successfully made it to shore uninjured. The crew was engaged in what military officials described as "routine training" at the time of the incident.

The Boeing P8 Poseidon, classified as a military surveillance and patrol aircraft, is a vital component of the US Navy's reconnaissance capabilities.

Aircraft expert Peter Forman weighed in on the incident, noting that several factors might have contributed to the overshoot. Forman cited the shorter runway at Kaneohe, unfavorable weather conditions, and the influence of Kona winds as potential contributors.

"The pilot probably didn't put the plane down exactly where he wanted to on the runway," Forman speculated. "It's probably a combination of all those factors put together."

A thorough investigation is underway to determine the exact events that led to the mishap and to evaluate the factors that played a role in it.

The incident unfolded near Marine Corps Base Hawaii, located near Kaneohe Bay, when the P-8A Poseidon overshot the runway during its landing. Lt. Hailey Harms, the deputy director of public affairs at the base, reported that the accident occurred early Monday afternoon during a routine training mission, according to The New York Times.

Read Also: Netanyahu Slams Palestinian Leader Mahmoud Abbas for Claiming Israel Killed Their Own People, Not by Hamas

Navy Crew Rescued From Downed Aircraft in Hawaii

All nine Navy personnel on board successfully escaped from the aircraft and were rescued from an inflatable life raft floating in the water. As of late Monday afternoon, the aircraft remained partially submerged in the bay.

According to Lt. Mohammad N. Issa, a spokesman for the Navy's Third Fleet, the crew members involved in the incident are assigned to a squadron based in Whidbey Island, Washington. He also noted that emergency workers had implemented a temporary floating barrier to safeguard the environment from any potential hazards posed by the downed aircraft.

The P-8A Poseidon, known for its extensive wingspan of about 123 feet and a length of approximately 130 feet, is predominantly used for surveillance missions. Its role in military reconnaissance makes it a crucial asset in maintaining national security.

While details surrounding the precise cause of the overshoot remain limited, it is clear that all nine individuals on board the aircraft were fortunate to escape unharmed.

Marine Corps Base Hawaii, located approximately 10 miles from Hawaii's capital, Honolulu, is home to around 9,300 military personnel and 5,100 family members. In the Pacific region, the base is crucial in supporting military operations and training.

As the investigation into the incident continues, both military authorities and aviation experts will closely examine the contributing factors, aiming to enhance safety measures and prevent similar occurrences in the future. The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of rigorous training and preparedness for military personnel and the continued dedication to ensuring their safety, The Sun reported.

Related Article: Lloyd Austin Visits Ukraine as US Announces $100 Million Military Aid for Kyiv

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Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said on Tuesday (November 21) that a truce agreement between his group and Israel was already in sight, raising hopes that dozens of the over 200 people taken hostage on October 7 could be released.

Hamas, PIJ Agrees to Truce Deal

The Times of Israel cited Palestinian sources saying that a five-day ceasefire would be accompanied by the exchange of some of the hostages for prisoners held in Israeli jails.

"We are close to reaching a deal on a truce," Haniyeh said, according to a statement sent by his office to Agence France Presse (AFP).

The Hamas leader added that his group had given its response to Qatar and other mediators without making any elaborations.

Sources from Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad confirmed to AFP on the condition of anonymity that their groups had agreed to the terms of a truce deal, which also included a ceasefire on the ground and limits to Israeli air operations over southern Gaza.

But Hamas's Gaza chief Yahya Sinwar insisted that all Israeli air operations be halted during the truce.

The agreement further stressed that between 50 and 100 Israeli civilian and foreign hostages would be released in exchange for some 300 Palestinians held in Israeli jails, including women and children.

Israeli military personnel would not be included in the exchange.

The Hamas and PIJ sources added that the tentative deal would also allow for up to 300 trucks of food and medical aid to enter Gaza.

Read Also: Netanyahu Slams Palestinian Leader Mahmoud Abbas for Claiming Israel Killed Their Own People, Not by Hamas

White House Also Claims Hostage Deal with Hamas at Hand

It was previously reported that the United States expressed its belief that Israel and Hamas - which the US designated as a terrorist organization - were making significant progress towards reaching an agreement resulting in the release of some of the hostages.

Both US President Joe Biden and national security spokesperson John Kirby said they were confident that an agreement would be struck soon, with Qatar acting as an intermediary.

Israel Yet to Respond to Hamas's Hostage Deal Claims

There was no immediate official response from Israeli officials on the status of negotiation efforts to secure the release of the hostages seized during Hamas's sabbath assault across southern Israel. However, local media cited a senior Israeli official saying that they were "very close" to striking a deal.

The official added that, while there were still technical issues to resolve, there was an agreement to free at least 50 people, with dozens more slated for release if the truce were extended beyond the initial few days.

Despite this, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted that the Israel Defense Force (IDF) would press ahead with its offensive to annihilate Hamas and ensure that hostages would be released.

His office also repeatedly cautioned against various media reports regarding the hostage negotiations, adding that it would formally notify the public in the event that a deal has actually been reached.

Related Article: US Claims Israel Hostage Release Deal Is Closer Than Ever; IDF Continues Pounding Hezbollah, Iran's Other Terrorist Groups

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In the Epic Games v. Google trial, fresh evidence indicates that streaming music service Spotify and Google came to an apparently special and very lucrative agreement for Android-based payments.

Don Harrison, the president of Google's global partnerships, testified that Spotify does not pay a commission to Google for subscriptions purchased directly via the music service's own platform. Also, it only paid a far lower cost to Google if its subscribers choose to use Google as their payment processor4%, as opposed to the standard 15%.

'Key Investment Partnerships'

When Google was in its antitrust battle with Epic, it tried to keep Spotify's data under wraps as they could hurt its bargaining position with other app developers who may be hoping for more favorable prices, as reported by The Verge.

Launched in 2022, the User Choice Billing program allows developers to reduce Google's Play Store commission by 4% if they use their own payment system, lowering Google's subscription service charge from 15% to about 11%. That typically ends up saving developers little or no money as they must foot the expense of payment processing themselves. And in court, Google has emphasized perks like improved flexibility rather than cost reductions.

Harrison, however, claims that a bespoke agreement was necessary due to the unprecedented success of Spotify. Harrison testified, "If we don't have Spotify working properly across Play services and core services, people will not buy Android phones." Also, as part of the agreement, both sides put up $100 million in a "success fund."

After Harrison spoke, Google issued a statement acknowledging his words.

Google spokesperson Dan Jackson said that as part of a larger collaboration that involves significant financial expenditures and product integrations across numerous form factors, a small number of developers that engage more directly in Android and Play Store may have different service fees. "These key investment partnerships allow us to bring more users to Android and Play by continuously improving the experience for all users and creating new opportunities for all developers," he added, TechCrunch reported.

Google declined to identify any other developers who had been successful in negotiating more lenient charges with the company. During the trial, it was revealed that Netflix had turned down a 10% discount offer from Google. With the removal of in-app purchases on Android, Netflix is also no longer contributing financially to Google's distribution efforts.

See Also: OpenAI Staffers Threaten to Quit Unless Ex-CEO Sam Altman Is Reinstated

Spotify's Involvement in the Lawsuit

When it comes to in-app purchases, Spotify has been less than happy in the past. It stopped accepting payments via the App Store in the middle of 2023 to avoid Apple's 30% fee.

Spotify was also one of the first and most visible members of the Coalition for App Fairness, which included Fortnite's developer Epic Games, and supported the antitrust litigation against Apple and Google. Epic, however, has kept up its legal struggle with both companies, while Spotify seems to have discovered a simpler and cheaper method to avoid litigation with Google.

See Also: White House Slams Elon Musk's Support for Antisemitic Tweets on X

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A gunman opened fire at a Walmart located in Dayton, Ohio, before taking his own life, according to the authorities. The incident happened on Monday night, November 20, leaving four people injured.

This violence marks at least the second death shooting at the retail company. In a separate but related incident almost 10 years ago, police shot and killed a man clutching an air rifle he discovered on the store's shelf without its packing.

4 Injured, 1 Dead

According to the Beavercreek Police Department, a male suspect entered the store at 8:35 PM local time, fired shots at four persons, and then shot himself. The department reports that he died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

In a social media post, the police agency also said that no officers involved in the response fired their weapons.

Capt. Scott Molnar stated in a press conference on Monday that the wounded had been sent to local hospitals for treatment. There was no information available about their current situation.

The suspect has not been named, and it is unknown whether or not he was known to any of the victims at the store.

"We're heartbroken by what's happened at our Beavercreek, Ohio, store. This remains a developing situation, and we're working closely with investigators on the scene," A Walmart representative told CNN on Monday night.

WKEF, via ABC 6, said that customers include students from neighboring Wright State University.

"It's crazy thinking that we're literally less than five minutes away where we live. They could have went to a campus and not a Walmart, and it could have been us," Wright State University student Kailie Conley stated in the interview.

The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives were all working together to figure out what happened that night.

UPDATE: There is no active threat. A male walked into the Walmart in Beavercreek around 8:35 p.m. Monday and began firing a gun, injuring four people. The victims were transported to area hospitals and their conditions are unknown at this time.  Beavercreek PD (@beavercreekohpd) November 21, 2023

See Also: New Orleans: 3 Teenage Girls Sentence to 20 Years in Prison After Carjacking, Killing 73-Year-Old Woman

Shooting Incidents at Walmart Stores

According to the Gun Violence Archive, this incident is one of at least 609 mass shootings that have taken place in the United States this year. The Gun Violence Archive defines a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more persons are shot, excluding the gunman.

Back in September, there was a shooting at a separate Walmart, and local police said two people were killed. The victims are identified as 26-year-old James Wyatt Norton and 20-year-old Zoey Nicole Messenger, both residents of Hiram City in Georgia.

Meanwhile, in 2014, another shooting occurred at the exact location at Walmart in Dayton, Ohio, as reported by CNN station WLWT. As a result of picking up an unwrapped air rifle that had been placed on top of its box inside the shop, 22-year-old John Crawford III was shot and killed by police. Outrage and demands for change followed the shooting death of the unarmed Black man.

See Also: Missing Florida Woman Found Dead Inside Estranged Husband's Storage Unit

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Military officials from the Philippines and the United States announced the commencement of joint patrols in waters near Taiwan on Tuesday, November 21. This is an initiative that is likely to inflame tensions further between the Philippines and China.

This year has seen a dramatic increase in the number of security-related engagements between the treaty partners, such as the decision to nearly double the number of Philippine bases the US is allowed access to (including ones that face Taiwan) and the execution of their largest-ever joint military practice in April.

This three-day joint maritime and air exercise was a "significant initiative" to strengthen coordination between the two forces, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. remarked. "I am confident that this collaboration will contribute to a more secure and stable environment for our people," he posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Today marks the beginning of joint maritime and air patrols a collaborative effort between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the United States Indo-Pacific Command in the West Philippine Sea.



This significant initiative is a testament to our commitment to bolster the November 21, 2023

Joint Air and Sea Exercise

Eugene Cabusao, spokesman for the Northern Luzon command, said the exercise will begin on Mavulis island, the northernmost point of the Philippines situated around 100 kilometers (62 miles) from Taiwan. It will end at the West Philippine Sea, the name Manila gives to the area of the South China Sea that is inside the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

According to Reuters, the US will deploy a littoral combat ship and a P8-A maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft, while the Philippines will provide three naval vessels, two FA-50 light combat aircraft, and an A-29B Super Tucano light attack jet.

The report comes after Marcos warned of the dire situation in the South China Sea and the growing proximity of Chinese military forces to the Philippine shore.

This is a hint that the Philippines is increasing its defense posture in response to what it calls China's "dangerous and offensive" actions in the area, which has long been considered a possible hotspot between the US and China.

Jay Batongbacal, head of Manila's Institute of Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, also said that the combined patrol with the US demonstrated Manila was taking a position over the South China Sea. "It shows that the Philippines is really firming up its posture on West Philippine Sea issues."

See Also: US Stands With Philippines in Worsening South China Sea Conflict With China

Strained Ties

Using a "nine-dash line" that extends up to 1,500 km (900 miles) south of the mainland, China claims most of the South China Sea. This line overlaps the EEZs of other nations, including Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

After a tense relationship with previous President Rodrigo Duterte, who had shifted closer to Beijing in return for infrastructure projects and investments, Marcos has strengthened ties with Washington since taking office last year.

Marcos's administration has worsened tensions with China, with frequent incidents between Chinese and Filipino boats in areas claimed by both nations escalating into verbal confrontations and fears of violence. The tension was recently attempted to be alleviated by Marcos' meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

See Also: Foreign Officials Condemn China's Dangerous Behavior in South China Sea

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The UK's Ministry of Defense said in its daily intelligence report on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday (November 21) that Russia fired dozens of Iran-made Shahed attack drones at targets around Kyiv over the weekend in an attempt to degrade Ukraine's air defenses while the Kremlin appeared to be stockpiling its supply of cruise missiles.

Russian forces launched about 50 Shahed drones in waves from Kursk and Krasnodar in order to prepare the battle space ahead of a winter campaign against Ukraine, the Washington Times reported.

Read Also: Finland Closes Border Crossings To Prevent Asylum Seekers From Russia From Entering Country

Russia Intends to Stockpile Cruise Missiles, Drones for Winter Attack

However, Whitehall's intel report added that Russia has refrained from firing any of its air-launched cruise missiles for nearly two months, saying that relying on Shahed drones in the short term would allow the Kremlin to "build up a substantial stock" of missiles.

Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine  21 November 2023.



Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/u5M50Sfnzr



 #StandWithUkraine  pic.twitter.com/aFWIQWgLoL  Ministry of Defence  (@DefenceHQ) November 21, 2023

"Russia is highly likely to use these missiles if it repeats last year's effort to destroy Ukraine's critical national infrastructure," the report added.

Last Saturday (November 18), Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he expected Russia to steadily increase the number of aerial attacks by winter, urging Ukrainians to prepare for such attacks.

"It is crucial for all of us in Ukraine to be 100% effective. Despite all the difficulties. Despite all the fatigue. Despite any attempts to weaken Ukraine," he said on his Telegram account.

Related Article: Lloyd Austin Visits Ukraine as US Announces $100 Million Military Aid for Kyiv

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The social media platform X, formerly Twitter, issued a community note on United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres after social media users countered his claim about the deaths in Gaza in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.

We are witnessing a killing of civilians that is unparalleled and unprecedented in any conflict since I have been Secretary General- UN chief @antonioguterres pic.twitter.com/cj3EZgbSoE  UN News (@UN_News_Centre) November 20, 2023

The official UN news account on X posted several quotes from Guterres's press conference on Monday (November 20) when he insisted that the world has been "witnessing a killing of civilians that is unparalleled and unprecedented in any conflict" since assuming the UN's top job.

Casualty Count Conundrum

After the post went live, it received a community note, which allowed users to provide additional context for "posts that might be misleading." In particular, X users pointed to at least two conflicts with significant death tolls either equal to or above the death toll in the Gaza Strip - the Syrian Civil War and the Yemen War, both of which have seen hundreds of thousands killed.

An unnamed Israeli official told Fox News Digital that Guterres has "lost any moral standing."

"He willfully ignores the thousands of civilians killed in conflicts in Ukraine, Syria, Yemen, and elsewhere, as he pursues vilification of Israel," he added. "Shame on him."

On the other hand, a representative for Guterres responded by saying that the secretary-general stood by his comments, initially noting that he was responding to the "large number of civilian casualties reported so far in Gaza" and argued that the numbers cited in the community note were "still below the 11,000+ deaths counted so far in Gaza," and that the Yemeni casualties "preceded [Guterres's] term."

The spokesperson also argued that Guterres was "clearly talking about the casualties among children," noting that the comment followed a list of the numbers of child casualties in various conflicts in recent years.

"Although he did use the word civilians in the last sentence, the focus of what he was saying, and the statistics he provided, were about child deaths," the spokesperson claimed.

Read Also: Hamas Claims 'Truce' With Israel Is Close; Israeli Officials Yet to Respond

Israel's UN Envoy Tells Guterres to Resign

It was also reported that Guterres stressed in his comments that he was not going to enter into "discussing the accuracy of the numbers that were published by the de facto authorities in Gaza."

Guterres took office in 2017. During that year, the Syrian Civil War saw over 10,000 civilians dead.

Meanwhile, the Yemen War, which began before he took office, has claimed over 377,000 deaths, with the UN itself reporting that a child died every seven minutes in the Yemen War in 2022 alone, though this included deaths due to starvation or disease.

The Hamas-controlled Gazan health ministry reported over 11,000 people dying in Gaza since Israel began its bombing runs in response to the October 7 attack that killed 1,200 Israeli civilians and foreign nationals.

However, the ministry number does not distinguish between combatant and civilian casualties, nor does it specify how they died, similar to the UN's figures for Yemen. Despite this, the UN maintained that the ministry's numbers have held up to scrutiny in past conflicts and have largely been proven accurate.

Short memory? I think not. More likely that its the regular bias and anti Israeli approach of the Secretary General https://t.co/JPQPE1mTKn November 20, 2023

Israel's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Gilad Erdan replied to Guterres's comment on X, criticizing him for the distorted numbers.

"Short memory? I think not," he said. "More likely that it's the regular bias and anti-Israeli approach of the Secretary-General."

Erdan has since called for Guterres to resign after accusing the secretary-general of losing "all morality and impartiality" by "[distorting] and [twisting] reality."

In response, Guterres pushed back on the claim, insisting that he has "condemned, unequivocally" the October 7 attack and does not in any way endorse terrorist acts.

The secretary-general's spokesperson did not respond to queries about the claims of an anti-Israel bias at the UN.

Related Article: UN Chief Warns Gaza Becoming 'Graveyard for Children' as Israel-Hamas War Death Toll Tops 10,000

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Pope Francis was reportedly expressing deep reservations about the direction of the Catholic Church in Germany, warning that concrete steps currently being taken by the proponents of what the German congregations call "The Synodal Way" "threaten" to undermine the unity with the rest of the church.

The pope addressed his criticism in a November 10 letter addressed to four German Catholic laywomen and initially published in the German newspaper Welt on Tuesday (November 21).

The women were identified in the letter as theologians Katharina Westerhorstmann and Marianne Schlosser, journalist Dorothea Schmidt, and religious philosopher Hanna-Barbara Gerl-Falkovitz. They were previously designated as delegates to the Synodal Way but resigned in February in protest, saying that the concept was a departure from mainstream Catholic doctrine and practice.

The women wrote to the pope on November 6 expressing their concerns about the direction of the church in Germany.

"There are indeed numerous steps being taken by significant segments of this local Church that threaten to steer it increasingly away from the universal Church's common path," the pope wrote.

The letter was written in German but included Francis's handwritten signature.

Read Also: Pope Francis Fires Texas Bishop Joseph Strickland

Pope Francis's Concerns

Among the main concerns the pope had was a push to set up a permanent "Synodal Council," a mixed body of clergy and laity that would govern the German Catholic congregations, which was a top priority for the Synodal Way, a controversial progressive initiative demanding significant radical changes in church structure and teaching.

Francis insisted in his letter that such a "consultative and decision-making body" as currently proposed was "not in alignment with the sacramental structure of the Catholic Church." He also reiterated his letter explicitly ordering high-ranking Vatican officials to tell German bishops that the establishment of a so-called "Synodal Council" was prohibited.

According to EWTN, a committee of Synodal Way leadership recently met earlier this month in Essen to lay the groundwork for the Synodal Council - which they aim to establish by 2026 - directly disregarding the papal order.

Four German bishops voted in June to block funding for the preparatory committee, and a total of eight out of 27 German bishops were absent from the November 10-11 meeting.

"In my 'Letter to the Pilgrim People of God in Germany,' I sought not to find 'salvation' in constantly evolving committees, nor to persist in self-absorbed dialogues rehashing the same themes," Francis wrote. "Rather, I aimed to reemphasize the importance of prayer, penance, and adoration."

The pope also called upon German Catholics to "engage with our brethren" in the margins, a buzzword that identified his papacy so far.

Conservative German Catholics Praise Francis's 'Broadside' to the German Church

Reacting to the latest papal condemnation of the Synodal Way, theologian Martin Bruske of the countermovement New Beginning said that his group welcomed Francis's letter.

"The flagship of Peter has given the German Church a broadside across the bow," he wrote on New Beginning's website. "Those who do not want to hear and see this will bear full responsibility if they ultimately disappear into the maelstrom of division."

Bruske added that Francis wanted to avoid confronting the Synodal Way in a coercive manner, but the letter was a "clear signal" for German Catholics to toe the ecclesiastical line.

Related Article: Vatican Doctrine Office Upholds Position vs. Freemasonry

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
As Singapore anticipates a full recovery of tourism numbers in 2024, Hallam's appointment is perfectly timed especially as Hilton Singapore Orchard approaches its second year as a fully operational hotel. The British hospitality expert brings over three decades of hospitality experience, of which 21 significant years were spent with Hilton. Prior to his current role, Hallam served as the General Manager of Hilton Adelaide for close to five years, and earlier as the Vice President of Sales for Hilton Asia Pacific from 2015 to 2019 when he was based in Singapore.

Succeeding his predecessor Cedric Nubul, who steered the opening of the hotel for two years since its pre-opening, Hallam will lead a team of over 490 team members toward continued growth. His unwavering dedication to the hospitality and tourism sector underscores his commitment to excellence, fostering positive change, and ensuring exceptional guest experiences.

As General Manager, Hallam will oversee day-to-day operations of the hotel's 1,080 rooms and suites, five world-class culinary concepts, and its extensive MICE and wedding offerings spanning over 2,400 sqm of meeting spaces with the support of Hotel Manager Linda Reddy. Hallam will also continue to strengthen the hotel's existing programmes, raising its profile in the region as a brand-defining and inspirational landmark hotel for Hilton in Singapore and the region.
As the tourism industry celebrates a monumental return to events, Hotelbeds are proud to announce the return of the MarketHub Asia.

After a successful event in Bangkok back in 2017, we're excited to invite guests to join us in the city once more - this time, at the Amari Bangkok.

2023's event takes place under the banner of 'Where Next?'. Join us as we invite top influencers and key figures to discuss the topics which define our industry: from data and technology to the power of our people, the MarketHub is where thought leaders gather to shape the future of travel.

Expect a schedule packed with presentations, roundtables and learning opportunities, as well as business networking opportunities in our tradeshow area!

MARKETHUB ASIA 2023

This year, the MarketHub Asia will take place in Thailand's sprawling capital, Bangkok Famed for its round-the-clock activity, Bangkok's pulsing atmosphere instills a certain sense of energy into its visitors - ideal for a schedule packed full of thought-provoking talks and networking opportunities.

The MarketHub's blend of (net)work and play makes Bangkok an ideal location to greet our international guests: outside of keynotes and panels featuring subject matter experts from the travel industry and beyond, our Events team have gone the extra mile to ensure that your time in-destination is as exciting and culturally enriching as possible. Be sure to come along to experience all that's in store!

Our four-day programme is supported by our special partner, Amari Hotels & Resorts, who will host guests at their glistening Watergate location. Situated in the heart of the vibrant Pratunam neighbourhood in downtown Phetchaburi, the property serves as the perfect base from which to unwind and network, as we welcome our esteemed guests from around the world to the MarketHub 2023.

This event is organized by HBX Group
London, UK  HSMAI Europe, the European arm of the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI), the industrys leading advocate for intelligent, sustainable revenue growth globally, is calling on hospitality, travel and event leaders to join its expanding board of directors.

With the association looking to grow and evolve its board to reflect the fast-changing dynamics and demographics of the UK and European sector, it is seeking a broader representation, including leaders from smaller and mid-sized companies, focusing on diversity.

Desired expertise and knowledge for a board of directors seat includes revenue management, commercial, marketing, sales, digitalisation, Artificial Intelligence and sustainability, all of which mirror HSMAI Europes growing membership and current industry trends.Leaders interested in the role should represent a wide range of companies including hotel chains of all sizes; suppliers of software solutions to the industry; events agencies; industry vendors and partners; and national and regional travel-related companies.

But above all, leaders joining our board of directors will be experienced professionals who are motivated to make a real difference in our sector; those committed to spearheading huge industry impact, said Martin Firing Jrgensen, chair of the HSMAI Region Europe nomination committee.

Enriching and expanding our board with new talent from a broader range of companies and disciplines will ensure we fully represent our growing pan-European membership and the trends shaping our industry and ultimately, will help us work closely with all stakeholders in key markets as we look to deepen our regional presence.

He added: Our board of directors is a valuable asset, supporting HSMAI Europe in meeting its goals, with every expert characterised by their passion to make our industry even better then it is already dedicated to fostering change and innovation. HSMAI Europe has ambitions to grow its board of directors up to 25 leaders, a considerable jump from the current eight. To be considered for the role, candidates must be an employee at a company with an HSMAI membership and be passionate about driving industry change through collaboration, knowledge sharing and championing best practices.

The first of three annual board meetings will take place in London on January 17th, 2024, prior to HSMAI Europes Leadership Day and its hotly anticipated annual ROC conference and the HSMAI Awards Europe on January 18th .

For more information on this opportunity, email [email protected]

About HSMAI Region Europe

HSMAI  Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International  is a global organisation founded in the US in 1927. HSMAI Region Europe is the European arm of the organisation. HSMAI Europe aims to be a key influencer, pioneer and the go-to industry resource for professional development, commercial strategies and sustainability in the hospitality, travel and tourism industry. www.hsmai.eu
Digital Markets Act (DMA), What Does This Mean for Your Hotel?

The European Commission has initiated the implementation of a legal framework to regulate digital markets with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) of September 14, 2022, progressively applicable from May 2, 2023.

Internet giants, such as OTAs in the hotel sector, will have to comply with a set of obligations and prohibitions or face heavy fines. The European Union (EU) aims to break the hegemony of these behemoths by imposing rules that will benefit both European businesses and Internet users. According to HOTREC, the three giants of the OTA market are Booking Holding, Expedia Group, and HRS Group, with a combined market share of 92%.

The aim is to promote fairer competition between all digital players while encouraging innovation within the digital economy. The first impacts of these measures should be felt as early as the first quarter of 2024. This new European legislation could empower hotels and change the nature of relationships with online travel agencies. In this article, we explain what the DMA is and what impact it could have on the hotel industry.

What is the Digital Markets Act?

DMA objectives

The aim of digital market regulation is to ensure fairness between digital players and to protect Internet users. The DMA is intended to combat the anti-competitive practices of the major technology platforms designated as gatekeepers of access to information. The goal is to correct the imbalances in their domination of the European market.

These major players have acquired a quasi-monopoly position: according to the European Commission, over 10,000 online platforms operate in Europe, but only the largest capture most of the value. As a result, a series of obligations and prohibitions have been put in place for these gatekeepers in order to:

Open up competition, in particular for the benefit of SMEs and start-ups

Boost innovation, growth, and competitiveness

Offer consumers greater freedom of choice

With this legislation, the EU aims to become a global role model in the digital economy industry.

Applicable sanctions

The legislation also includes regular monitoring and strict checks to ensure compliance by gatekeepers. In the event of a breach, the European Commission will have the power to impose severe sanctions, as well as bans on specific behaviors. Specifically, it will be empowered to impose fines of up to 10% of global annual sales in the event of proven non-compliance with the new regulations, and up to 20% in the event of a repeat offence. It will also be able to impose penalty payments of up to 5% of its total worldwide daily sales.

What is a gatekeeper according to the European Commission?

The DMA regulation focuses specifically on companies that act as gatekeepers at the Internet entrance. These players, whether based in Europe or elsewhere, have a significant impact on the internal market. They serve as major access points for end-user companies seeking to reach their customers, and they hold a solid, sustainable position.

Here are the official criteria:

They offer one or more essential platform services in at least three European countries.

They have very high sales or market valuation (several billion) over the last three years.

They have more than 45 million users in the European Union per year over the last three years.

Companies meeting these criteria had until July 2023 to identify themselves to the European Commission. The latter officially designated six companies as gatekeepers in September 2023: Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, Meta and Microsoft. It is also able to designate companies that do not meet all these thresholds but are deemed too hegemonic according to certain criteria. The companies concerned will be able to contest this decision.

What does the DMA mean for your hotel?

Potential impact on the hotel digital ecosystem

This regulation should enable hoteliers to better control their online distribution and negotiate fairer terms with platforms. It will also bring unprecedented changes to the DMAs requirements for gatekeepers, with as yet unmeasurable consequences for the hotel industry.

The obligations and prohibitions applied to gatekeepers may have several beneficial consequences for your hotel:

Transparency : Platforms will have to increase their level of transparency in the way they rank and present accommodation choices to users. Hotels would have access to data on how their name, content, and ARI feed are used by OTAs. OTAs will have to provide more data on your ads, including their performance on metasearch and in paid search.

: Platforms will have to increase their level of transparency in the way they rank and present accommodation choices to users. Hotels would have access to data on how their name, content, and ARI feed are used by OTAs. OTAs will have to provide more data on your ads, including their performance on metasearch and in paid search. Restrictions on data use : Limitations will be put in place to regulate how platforms can exploit the data collected via their services.

: Limitations will be put in place to regulate how platforms can exploit the data collected via their services. Interoperability and data portability : Hotels would be able to easily transfer their listings and customer information from one platform to another.

: Hotels would be able to easily transfer their listings and customer information from one platform to another. Prohibition of unfair commercial practices : For example, it will be forbidden to impose price parity clauses on hotels.

: For example, it will be forbidden to impose price parity clauses on hotels. Third-party access: Platforms will have to authorize other travel service providers to access their platforms in order to offer complementary services.

Booking.com as a non-gatekeeper

Booking.com has publicly announced its position as a non-gatekeeper with regard to the DMA regulation. The Commission has validated Booking.coms self-designation, so the platform is in an advantageous position: by avoiding being subject to the control of the new regulation, it increases its power over hoteliers.

However, as mentioned above, the Digital Markets Act allows the European Commission to designate a platform as a gatekeeper, even if it does not meet all the criteria. Perhaps the European Commission will subsequently revisit this decision as the market evolves. Should this be the case, it could radically change the dynamics of the hotel industry, giving hotels back control over their rates and data to increase direct sales.

Conclusion

With the implementation of these new regulations, even though no OTA has been designated a gatekeeper yet, theres no doubt that the dynamics of hotel-OTA partnerships are about to be transformed. A similar scenario could soon unfold for American hoteliers, given the comparable scope of the American Innovation and Choice Online Act. This significant step in the regulation of the digital ecosystem promotes fair competition between market players, as well as better protection for Internet users.

For hoteliers, this regulation has the potential to rebalance the relationship of power with OTAs, thanks to greater control over their online distribution and partnership with platforms. Considering the importance of the hotel industry to European economies, the DMA has implications for direct distribution and the profitability of hotel establishments. Although the exact consequences of this regulation are not yet known, its implementation will directly influence the distribution of hotel establishments and the presentation of options to end customers.

About Cendyn

Cendyn is a catalyst for digital transformation in the hospitality industry. We help hotels around the globe drive profitability and guest loyalty through an integrated technology platform that aligns revenue, eCommerce, distribution, marketing and sales teams with centralized data, applications, and analytics, so they can capture more demand and accelerate growth. With offices located across the globe, in the United States, France, United Kingdom, Singapore, Bangkok, and India, Cendyn serves tens of thousands of customers across 143 countries. To find out more, visit www.cendyn.com.
Embracing Contactless Check-In with DigiStay in the Indian Hotel Sector

Is it time for the Indian hotel sector to proactively embrace contactless check-in with DigiStay? Read on to know more.

Fueled by evolving consumer preferences, the surge in adopting contactless technology across various sectors has been remarkable in recent years. This trend is particularly prominent in the payments sector, which has witnessed a sixfold growth between 2018 and 2021 in India alone. Building on this transformative shift, the Ministry of Civil Aviation in India has partnered with Dataevolve Solutions to introduce the DigiYatra App at select Indian airports. Employing facial recognition software, this cutting-edge app provides contactless passenger validation and has garnered significant traction since its launch in December 2022, boasting over 3 million users as of June this year. The efficacy of the DigiYatra App was vividly demonstrated during the G20 Summit in Delhi, where passengers were actively encouraged to leverage the app for efficient airport management. Despite its current limited deployment in a select number of airports, the app's success not only underscores its potential for widespread adoption but also signifies the nation's willingness to embrace innovative solutions.



While DigiYatra has transformed the aviation sector, there is immense potential for similar innovations in the hospitality industry as well. Leading global hotel chains, including Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton, Accor, and citizenM, have already embraced contactless check-in at their properties. Hilton, for instance, has been utilizing digital check-in since 2015, offering guests the convenience to choose rooms, access digital floor plans, and even use a mobile key through the Hilton Honors App. Marriott, Radisson, IHG, Accor, and others have followed suit, providing guests with pre-check-in facilities, digital room keys, and additional features, such as ordering in-room dining and requesting housekeeping, through their mobile apps.

OYO Rooms, meanwhile, has introduced a virtual front desk solution leveraging GPT-4 for partner hotels in the UK. This solution is expected to not only reduce guest wait time with a 5-minute check-in service and language translations but will also enhance operational efficiency, reducing front desk operations expenses by 60%. citizenM has implemented self-check-in-kiosks at its properties, that allow guests to create their own keycards via QR code scanning or entering booking references. All these features eliminate front-desk lines and free up staff time for more meaningful tasks. Additionally, these innovations improve operational efficiency, especially during peak times or seasons, and engage guests proactively before their stay, contributing to an elevated overall experience. Going forward, hotels may be able to utilize the extra space freed by eliminating front desks for additional revenue-generating purposes such as co-working areas, shops, or pop-up restaurants.



Despite the global trend, the adoption of contactless check-in technology in hotels in India remains limited mainly due to the associated investment requirements. Nevertheless, considering the current manual check-in and check-out procedures, wherein staff relies on physical documents for identification verification, resulting in frequent delays and guest frustration, it is imperative for the Indian hotel sector to proactively incorporate these technological advancements. Introducing a contactless check-in system, DigiStay, akin to DigiYatra could potentially revolutionize the hotel sector, streamlining the entire process and allowing guests to complete formalities well in advance. It is perhaps time for the hotel sector, in collaboration with the Tourism Ministry and relevant state tourism boards, to consider evaluating potential partnerships with DigiYatra or similar service providers for a unified check-in process that encompasses air and rail travel reservations alongside hotel reservations, although revisiting certain state and local regulations may be necessary to facilitate this integration.

Mandeep S. Lamba, President  South Asia, oversees the HVS practice in South Asia. Mandeep has spent over 30 years in the hospitality industry having worked with International Hotel Companies such as Choice Hotels, IHG and Radisson Hotels before becoming President for ITC Fortune Hotels in 2001. Having successfully built the Fortune brand in Indias mid-scale hospitality sector, Mandeep ventured into an entrepreneurial stint for over 8 years, setting up JV companies with Dawnay Day Group UK and Onyx Hospitality Thailand before joining JLL in 2014, as Managing Director, Hotels & Hospitality Group  South Asia. An established industry leader, Mandeep has won several awards and recognitions for his accomplishments. Recently, he was featured in the Hotelier India Power List of the most respected hoteliers in India for the second year in a row. Contact Mandeep at +91 981 1306 161 or mlamba@hvs.com.

Dipti Mohan, Senior Manager - Research with HVS South Asia, is a seasoned knowledge professional with extensive experience in research-based content creation. She has authored several point of view documents such as thought leadership reports, expert opinion articles, white papers and research reports. Contact Dipti at dmohan@hvs.com.

Dhwani Gupta, Associate - Research with HVS South Asia, studied literature for her undergraduation and believes that you can do anything with the right amount of research. After graduating, she pursued a course in Management and Liberal arts which gave her a wider perspective of the world. As a result, the more difficult a topic is, the more fun she has writing it. Contact Dhwani at dgupta@hvs.com
From Silos to Synergy: Getting Hotel Teams on the Same Page

Now that the hotel industry has moved away from siloed departments, you expect your commercial teams to work together. But thats impossible when each department is still operating independently.

Team members outside the revenue-management department often feel mystified by the hotels pricing and availability decisions. And thats holding your hotel back.

Picture this: The marketing team dreams up a brilliant marketing campaign. They design beautiful content with compelling text, get it in front of the public through all the proper channels, and then celebrate its success. But the hotel misses forecast and the STR report shows they lost share.

Or this: The Director of Sales sets the sales goals for the coming year. The sales managers collect their monthly bonus checks, but the hotel consistently misses the budget.

Sound familiar?

What went wrong? Each department was operating in a vacuum. The marketing team are experts at devising and selling campaigns. The sales team knows how to set revenue goals and achieve them. But neither sales nor marketing asked revenue management if their efforts would help the hotel achieve its goals.

Many hotel companies are moving from distinct Sales, Marketing, and Revenue Management Departments towards one unified Commercial Strategy Team. This is a massive step in getting everyone on the same page to implement the hotels revenue strategies. But if the head of the commercial strategy department is the only one who understands all three disciplines, they will have difficulty getting the departments to move in the same direction.

Lets relook at some of the opening examples to demonstrate why all members of the commercial strategy team need to understand revenue management concepts and the hotels strategy.*

Marketing Campaigns: The Right Marketing for the Wrong Offer

When developing marketing campaigns, the team needs to consider not only what offers the customers will buy, but also which offers the hotel wants to sell. When the team develops offers based solely on creativity rather than need, they often focus on high-demand periods, when the hotel can sell out without investing in marketing or offering discounts. The campaign may sell well and appear successful, but the rooms sold are just traded down from the higher rates revenue management was trying to sell.

While living in Kenya, I was the Head of Revenue Management (what Directors of Revenue Management are called in much of Africa) with an ownership group, opening a second independent boutique hotel. The opening GM proudly told me that she had purchased a billboard promoting an opening rate equivalent to $99 (Kenyan currency is the Kenyan Shilling (KES), but this hotel only sold in USD)

The billboard instructed guests to use a specific promo code based on the hotels name. The problem was that our PMS only accepted 3-letter codes. (Not to mention that I thought a $99 intro rate was much too low- the hotel's retail rate was in the high $ 100s). A simple conversation could have prevented the problem we were now faced with. We couldnt find a solution and ended up paying to change the billboard. We kept the $99 rate despite my adamant objections.

Sales: The Right Group at the Wrong Time

Much of the inherent conflict between sales and revenue management results from the fact that, in my experience, the incentives of the two departments are completely misaligned (that is a subject for a future article). During five years as a sales manager/director in my early career, my bonus was based on hitting a set revenue target. This target is derived from the total hotel budget but exists in a vacuum relative to the rest of the hotels business.

The challenge this presents is that all groups are not equal, even if their projected revenue is the same. Consider a large group booked during the hotels peak season. How much revenue from higher-rated room sales will it displace? Now consider the same group booked during the hotel's low season. This group is filling rooms that would likely have gone empty otherwise. The sales manager is credited with the same revenue amount, but which scenario would you prefer for your hotel?

I was the culprit in several of these situations during my sales days, back when I was you and naive, not yet schooled in the revenue management principles I now espouse. I was selling the SMERF market in an office park outside of Washington, D.C., and had been pursuing a group that didnt follow my usual Friday-Sunday pattern. But I had invested so much energy in the endeavor that I just had to book it. The Director of Revenue Management supported the low-rated weekend groups I usually sold, but I was unprepared for the resistance I encountered when I tried to book one of these groups mid-week. The Director of Sales went to bat for me, and the GM approved the group (she was an excellent DOS). I reached my sales goal, but the hotel fell short of that months budget. I now know what a mistake that was, and I still feel a little bad about it. Sorry, Dana!

Where Do We Go From Here?

Hopefully, I have convinced you that we have a problem. But dont despair; there is a solution. First, we must step out of our comfortable, well-insulated departmental worlds and be open to exploring the worlds in which our peers exist. Start small: talk to your counterparts. Ask them how they spend their days, what excites them, and what keeps them up at night. How is their performance judged? Is there any overlap with how yours is judged? Can you attend one of their team meetings to see what they discuss internally? What data are they using, and what do they do with it?

You are now silently asking me, Who has time for all this?. The answer is that we have more time than we think. These discussions can occur over lunch, whether in the cafeteria or over Zoom (we all need to eat). Or we can schedule a short coffee chat to start even smaller. Or we can ask our peers to record their team meetings and watch the recording when we have some downtime or need a break from our own jobs. We can even play it in the background and multi-task. Some exposure is better than none.

You may also be thinking, My relationship with my revenue management colleagues is so strained that they would think I am up to something if I approached them with this. Thats fair. But would you rather continue glaring at each other in meetings or start working together to make more money for the hotel and yourselves? Show them this article and tell them you want to turn over a new leaf.

Once we leave our comfort zones and explore others, we will find that we all have more in common than we think. When we embrace that idea, there is no limit to what we can accomplish together.

* I am sure that sales and marketing teams could provide similar examples related to revenue management. If anyone does write this article, please let me know. I would love to read it.

Lynn Zwibak is the Founder and President of Zwibak Revenue Management, which provides revenue management training to non-revenue managers. Her mission is to educate the hotel industry on revenue management principles so that hotels can be more profitable. She is the author of the Study Guide and Exam for HSMAIs Certified Revenue Management Analysist designation, a professor of Revenue Management at Virginia Tech University, and a member of the Kennedy Training Network. Email her at: lynn@zwibak.com or visit www.zwibak.com
Mercure Oradea Hotel to Open 2026 in Romania

Accor announced the signing of a franchise agreement with local partner Grand Hotel West to opening of a new Mercure Hotel in Oradea in early 2026.

Mercure Oradea will bring the charming city in North-Western Romania 90 elegant and tastefully designed rooms, a restaurant, a lobby bar, and a wine cellar. A versatile conferencing area with two multifunctional rooms hosting up to 150 participants each make the hotel the optimum destination for both business and private events. Guests seeking relaxation will relish at the indoor pool, the spa area and the gym. A kids corner and a parking lot of 105 places will complete the services and the guest experience.

The brand-new hotel  currently under construction  will be located on 37 Ceyrat Street, in the South-Eastern part of Oradea town, 4 km away from the future Nokian Tyres factory and only 17 km from Bors, one of the most important crossing points on Romania's border with Hungary.

Oradea is a city of significant touristic and economic importance. It attracts visitors from all over the world with its rich history, architectural marvels, and vibrant cultural scene. Baroque, Art Nouveau, and Gothic styles merge seamlessly in the city's architecture, showcased by landmarks like Oradea Fortress, Black Eagle Palace, and Moon Church. With its picturesque central square and charming pedestrian streets, Oradea offers a vivid atmosphere that charms tourists.

In addition to its cultural appeal, Oradea is a vital economic hub for the region. The city boasts a diverse economy, with thriving industries such as manufacturing, services, and tourism. Its strategic location near the borders of Hungary and Romania positions Oradea as a gateway for international trade and investment. The city's well-developed infrastructure, including modern transportation networks and a growing business sector, further enhances its economic potential.

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"The opening of a brand-new Mercure Hotel in Oradea will further enhance the city's hospitality infrastructure, offering a higher level of accommodation and services to meet the demands of discerning travellers. It will not only provide a comfortable and memorable stay for leisure tourists the hotel will become the preferred destination for international business travellers and investors."  says Maria Dragulin, Accor Development Director for Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova and the Czech Republic.

"As a local investor and relentless supporter of Oradea's development, I am confident that the new Mercure hotel we are opening in partnership with Accor will bring a valuable and attractive alternative to the range of hospitality options in the city. Furthermore, a new hotel affiliated to an international chain will reinforce the city's positioning as a travel destination, boosting its overall tourism potential and generating lasting economic benefits."  stated Rares Ticra, representative of GRAND HOTEL WEST, Oradea.

Through the Mercure brand, Accor promises a completely new hotel experience. Each facility has its unique style and personality inspired by the local environment and culture. According to the brand's DNA, Mercure hotels are rooted in their local community, providing a full experience of the authenticity of the region, with its cuisine, crafts, and traditions.
Zleep Hotel Prague Opens in the Czech Republic

The Zleep Hotels brand continues its international growth in Europe: guests can now experience Scandinavian simplicity, Danish design, and quality where it matters at the new Zleep Hotel in Prague.

According to Denis Huttig, Senior Vice President Operations Deutsche Hospitality: "The opening of Zleep Hotel Prague marks an important step in our strategy of international expansion for Deutsche Hospitality and our brand Zleep Hotels. The select-service brand is one of the engines driving our growth. We are very pleased about the opening of our first Zleep Hotel in Central Europe, an exciting addition to our portfolio in one of the most popular destinations on the continent."

"Zleep Hotel Prague has all the prerequisites for success thanks to excellent transport accessibility to both the city center and the airport. It will also benefit from the business clientele from the neighboring office buildings," says David Musil, Director of Residential Development and Hospitality at Penta Real Estate.

JiAi Kladivo, Hotel Manager Zleep Hotel Prague, contributes wide-ranging experience from Prague's budget hotel industry: "Prague is a vibrant city full of history that enchants millions of visitors every year. My team and I are thrilled to offer guests a comfortable stay, in tune with our brand promise 'Go to Zleep Smiling'."

A good night's sleep is a sure bet in the 166 rooms thanks to the especially high-quality, extra-long beds. Each room has its own private bathroom with a rain shower. A stylish interior reflecting a Nordic influence with natural materials such as wood create a warm and cozy atmosphere. Travelers can enjoy smart TV and free Wi-Fi in their rooms, as well as guest terminals for self-check-in. The product is rounded off by a stylish lobby with breakfast and lounge area, a bar, and a terrace beckoning guests to get together and relax.

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During wintertime, travelers benefit from a special offer at Zleep Hotel Prague: up to 35 percent off the Flex Price excluding breakfast. The Winter Special is bookable online until 24 February 2024 for travel between 27 November 2023 and 3 March 2024. For further information and reservation: www.hrewards.com

The hotel opens its doors in the new Waltrovka quarter in the southwest of the Czech capital. The city center, the congress center and Prague's Vaclav Havel Airport can be reached quickly and easily by public transportation: Radlicka metro station and U Trezorky bus stop are just a few minutes' walk from the hotel.

Prague is the Zleep Hotels brand's third location outside Denmark, following Upplands Vasby, near Stockholm in Sweden, and Madrid in Spain. Deutsche Hospitality, to which the brand Zleep Hotels belongs, is thereby celebrating its entry into the Czech Republic market. Further Zleep Hotels brand openings slated for 2024 include Lausanne-Chavannes, Hillerd and Zurich-Kloten.

Zleep Hotel Prague is operated by Deutsche Hospitality in its capacity as leaseholder. The project was managed by the Czech project development company Penta Real Estate.
SW China's Chongqing to resume direct passenger flights to Kathmandu

Xinhua) 16:53, November 21, 2023

CHONGQING, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- A direct passenger flight route linking southwest China's Chongqing Municipality and the Nepali capital Kathmandu will resume on Dec. 12, according to the Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport.

Operated by Himalaya Airlines, the air service will run twice a week using an Airbus A320 aircraft every Tuesday and Saturday.

The inbound flight will leave Kathmandu at 9:25 a.m. local time and arrive in Chongqing at 3:15 p.m. Beijing Time. The outbound flight will depart Chongqing at 4:25 p.m. and arrive in Kathmandu at 6:35 p.m. local time.

It will be the 11th international route to be resumed at the Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport this year.

Since the beginning of 2023, the airport has resumed 10 international routes to destinations including London, Paris, Moscow and Sydney. It is expected that by the end of this year, the airport will offer 19 international routes, amounting to about 90 flights per week.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
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Today

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Tonight

Cloudy with occasional light rain...mainly this evening. Low 39F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
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Volunteers serve up Thanksgiving dinner on Monday at the Berkshire Food Project. The crowd has thinned out after the rush at 11 a.m. There was a second sitting at 4 p.m. PreviousNext

Berkshire Food Project Serves Up Thanksgiving Dinner



First Congregational Church of Williamstown donated 60 pies. NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  It was Thanksgiving on Monday at the Berkshire Food Project.

The free lunch program has for three decades made a point of ensuring anyone can get a turkey dinner with all trimmings  albeit a few days before the holiday.

"It's wonderful," said Arnold Hynes, sitting with friends in the dining room at First Congregational Church. "We're regulars here at every meal. It's really wonderful."

His friend Jim said it was "the first time I've had Thanksgiving in 2 1/2 years, I truly appreciate it." He's had a tough few years after a serious fall working construction left him with a lot of medical issues and a failed marriage.

Still, Jim was hoping to pay back the project somehow and wasn't looking for more because "I don't want to take away from anybody else."

But there was plenty to go around on Monday: More than 320 pounds of turkey, 150 pounds of potatoes, 225 cups of stuffing and more than 60 pies from First Congregational Church in Williamstown were served up, along with some mini pies from Many Forks Farm.

"Today is really kind of our largest event of the year and this weekend, and today, we've had over 60 volunteers come through," said Executive Director Stephanie Bosley. "And so just seeing the magnitude of generosity that's in our community that people have donated their time, they've donated supplies to us."

Casita, the new Mexican eatery on the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art campus, took over the turkey duties, organizing with restaurants around the area to cook up the birds and then delivered and prepared them in the morning.

The turkeys were donated or purchased with monetary donations, which was a big help for the nonprofit. The potatoes came from Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.

"Every person that walks through our doors gets a meal, and today is no exception," Bosley said. "So if we run out, we'll just go buy some more from the store and we'll prepare it quickly."

She took over as director in September, and has a some familiarity with food production, noting her mother's been in food service her whole career.

"But this is different than anything that I've done before and I really am enjoying my time here," she said.

The Thanksgiving meal was started by longtime former director Valerie Schwarz and Bosley said it's now a tradition.

"We live in such a great community. And I love the sense of community here at Berkshire Food Project, having the ability to share a meal with our neighbors," she said. "You know, I usually try to grab something and sit down with folks. And it's just, it's been great."

The dining room was busy at the 11 a.m. seating; a second was set for 4 to 6 p.m. A number of volunteers including Mayor Jennifer Macksey were on the serving line.

Helena Romana came in as a volunteer a couple years ago and soon became the dining room manager and kitchen assistant.

"I've always had a thing for helping the community," she said. "I thank my grandmother for that, she instilled that value. I used to live right across the street and I just started volunteering and a month later they hired me."

The project serves lunch three times a week but will be closed this Friday; but diners will get something to take home on Wednesday to tide them over.

And everyone on Monday was given a bag of nonperishable items donated by MountainOne.

"We realized that maybe some of the food access points that people regularly visit will have holiday hours," said Bosley. "So I want to make sure that people had enough until Monday when we reopen."
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Leonardo DiCaprio has said he has just one wish he wants to fulfil before he turns 50.

The Hollywood star, who can be seen in new Martin Scorsese film Killers of the Flower Moon, shared the goal in a preview of a new interview with US breakfast show Good Morning America.

During the chat, which will be broadcast on Tuesday (21 November), the Oscar-winning Revenant actor, who turned 49 earlier this month, was asked what goal hed like to accomplish before he reaches the milestone age next November.

Youre 49  how the hell did that happen? host Chris Connelly asked DiCaprio, who replied: I have no idea. Connelly then asked the actor what hed like to do before he turns 50. He told the host: Hm, good question. You know what? Just one more movie. One more movie.

This is confirmation that the actor does not plan to go on hiatus having completed Killers of the Flower Moon, Scorseses adaptation of David Granns non-fiction book.

The film, which also stars Lily Gladstone and Robert De Niro, documents the string of murders that plagued the Osage Indian tribe in Oklahoma during the 1920s after oil was found on their land. The case was deemed the FBIs first homicide investigation.

In The Independents film critic Clarisse Loughrey five-star review, the film was described as carrying Scorseses traditional fixations: the rotted core of mans heart; how power breeds the impulse for destruction; the myths of cowboys and outlaws and the dirty truth to them.

DiCaprio is typically selective about the roles he chooses  since 2015, he has starred in just four films: The Revenant, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Dont Look Up and Scorseses latest.

What his next movie will be remains to be seen, but the actor, who also produces, is set to collaborate with Scorsese for the eighth time on another adaptation of one of Granns books: The Wager.

The book, which was published earlier this year, tells the story of survivors of a shipwreck who, six months after returning home, are accused by three men of hijacking their ship.

Leonardo DiCaprio on Good Morning America (ABC)

For DiCaprios 49th birthday, he held a star-studded birthday party in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles.

According to various reports, stars such as Salma Hayek, Beyonce, Jay-Z, Rita Ora, Taika Waititi,, Kim Kardashian, Tobey Maguire, and Kate Beckinsale were all in attendance.

Lady Gaga, Chris Rock, and Olivia Wilde were also said to be on the partys guest list.

After the party, a video of the actor rapping for his guests circulated online, which drew comparisons to a memorable scene from HBO series Succession.
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North Korea says it is preparing for its third attempt to put a spy satellite into orbit, in a launch that would breach UN sanctions on ballistic missiles.

Pyongyang notified Japan that it could carry out the launch as soon as this Wednesday. It drew immediate condemnation from the Japanese government, which said it would work with allies to strongly urge Kim Jong-un to cancel the attempt.

Two earlier attempts this year resulted in embarrassing and costly failures, with the satellites breaking up during early stages of the launch. North Korean officials described the incidents as the countrys most serious shortcoming.

Neighbouring South Korea also warned Pyongyang to not go ahead with its launch, suggesting it could suspend a 2018 inter-Korean agreement to reduce tensions and resume front-line aerial surveillance and live firing if the launch is carried out.

North Korea is prohibited by UN Security Council resolutions from carrying out any activity using ballistic missile technology, and this includes attempts to send a satellite with a rocket into space.

Even if the purpose is to launch a satellite, using ballistic missile technology is a violation of a series of UN Security Council resolutions, prime minister Fumio Kishida told reporters.

It is also a matter that greatly affects national security.

Japanese coastguard spokesperson Kazuo Ogawa said North Korean officials identified three maritime zones where debris from the rocket may fall, adding that the launch could take place any time between Wednesday 22 November and Thursday 30 November.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un meets Russias president Vladimir Putin at the Vostochny cosmodrome in the Amur Oblast of the Far East Region, Russia on 13 September (via REUTERS)

Two of the areas identified are in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and China and the third is in the Philippine Sea, he said.

The areas notified are the same as those identified for its earlier attempts to launch a spy satellite in May and August, suggesting this possible third attempt could have a similar flight path.

Mr Kishida said the countrys defence systems, including Aegis destroyers and PAC-3 air defence missiles, stand ready to deal with any possible unexpected developments, without elaborating further.

Some experts see the satellite launch attempts as a cover for North Korea to test its missile technology, while North Korea said it needs a space-based surveillance system to better monitor its rivals.

This new endeavour marks the first attempt at a satellite launch since Mr Kim made a rare and historic trip to Russia in September and toured Russias Vostochny cosmodrome with president Vladimir Putin.

Objects salvaged by South Korea's military that are presumed to be parts of the North Korean space-launch vehicle that crashed into sea following a launch failure, are displayed (AP)

Mr Putin had promised to help Pyongyang build satellites after they toured the modern space launch centre.

It also comes just before South Koreas own planned launch of its first reconnaissance satellite on 30 November.

South Korea is conducting the launch with the help of a SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket from the US militarys Vandenberg base.

North Koreas first two attempts had failed due to technical problems encountered in the early stages of each launch. It had vowed to continue to make attempts until a successful launch.

South Korea salvaged debris from the failed first launch and said the satellite was too crude to perform effective military reconnaissance.
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Indias air force scrambled two fighter jets on Sunday to investigate the sighting of an Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) near an airport.

An alert was issued by security forces after the UFO sighting was reported from the northeastern state of Manipur at about 2.30pm local time.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) also halted flight operations at state capital Imphals Bir Tikendrajit International Airport for several hours.

The object was visible with bare eyes, an unnamed official from one of Indias federal police agencies reportedly said.

IAF activated its Air Defence response mechanism based on visual inputs from Imphal airport, said a post on X by the IAF. The small object was not seen thereafter.

Indian authorities have not revealed specific details of their investigation of the UFO sighting.

A video on social media showed a small white dot on the skyline near the airport. The Independent could not verify the authenticity of the video.

Rafale fighter jets were dispatched to investigate the object from the Hashimara airbase in the eastern state of West Bengal.

Soon after information about the UFO near the Imphal airport was received, a Rafale fighter aircraft from a nearby airbase was scrambled to go and search for the UFO, a defence official was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

The jet returned and another one was later sent to investigate.

Reports said the second fighter jet also returned without finding any evidence of a UFO.

The fighter jets were equipped with advanced sensors and carried out low-level flying over the suspected area near the airport, but didnt find anything suspicious.

The UFO was visible with bare eyes moving westwards of the airfield [at the Imphal airport] till 4 pm, an official from Indias Central Industrial Security Force was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Investigation operations took several hours and flights at the Imphal airport resumed operations only after 5.30pm on Sunday, after authorities received clearance from the IAF.

Two flights were diverted from the airport and three departing flights were delayed before operations were allowed to resume.
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In 1974, Diamond Glenn McCarthy sat down to reminisce about the highs and lows, the fortunes made and squandered, by the wildcatters of American oil.

They risked and sometimes they won, Mr McCarthy, the gregarious risk-taker dubbed King of the Wildcatters told Texas Monthly. In the early 20th century, he had bet big on drilling wells in places ignored or considered unproductive by major oil companies. By the 1940s, he had 400 wells and a $200million fortune (about $2.5billion in todays money).

Today, a new energy revolution is in motion: an unprecedented, multibillion-dollar sprint towards renewables and away from burning oil and gas which have helped crank up the planets temperature, leaving it a cauldron of dangerous extremes.

New UN report urges rapid action on climate change

While solar arrays and wind turbines are now commonplace, there are smaller, riskier niches within the clean energy sector. One of these, if it pans out, could be no less than transformational on a global scale, advocates say.

Welcome to wildcatter 2.0 and the race for natural hydrogen.

In Africa, Europe, Australia and the United States, a growing number of start-ups are staking their fortunes and reputations on finding vast, underground deposits of hydrogen.

Like fossil fuels, natural hydrogen can be used as a primary source of energy. Unlike fossil fuels, the gas produces no carbon emissions. Whats more, hydrogen is constantly renewing underground when water and iron minerals react under high temperatures. Early research says there may be enough accessible natural hydrogen to power the planets clean energy needs for generations.

The drilling operations of Natural Hydrogen Energy LLC in Nebraska. In 2019, the company established its first hydrogen borehole (Viacheslav Zgonnik)

Theres a wildcatting phenomenon to it and risk-taking, Dr Michael Webber, professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, told The Independent. But now its super scientific and sophisticated.

Until relatively recently, it was commonly accepted that natural hydrogen (also called geologic, white or gold hydrogen) didnt exist on Earth. Or at least, it didnt exist in places that humans could reach, or in large accumulations.

Then in 2007, a discovery was made in Bourakebougou in the West African nation of Mali. A Malian businessman, Aliou Diallo, had funded tests of a water well in the small village which had been plugged in the late Eighties after an unfortunate worker leaned over the hole while smoking a cigarette and was badly burned. The tests revealed that the borehole was releasing 98 per cent natural hydrogen.

Bourakebougou subsequently became the first place in the world to get its electricity from a source of natural hydrogen, which was run through a retrofitted Ford engine.

For the village, it was a game-changer, giving people lights in their homes and public spaces for the first time. Children did better in school as they were able to study into the evening.

We were called crazy when we went to conferences, Asma Diallo, Aliou Diallos daughter and development director of Hydroma, the Montreal-based company which emerged from the discovery, told The Independent. But we decided this was still an interesting discovery, and that we wanted to see what was possible.

Beneath Mali, a layer of impermeable rock traps hydrogen in highly-concentrated, large quantities fairly close to the surface. In the past decade, Hydroma has drilled 30 wells across an area the size of Switzerland, all of which have yielded high concentrations of hydrogen, Diallo says.

Hydroma has estimated that there are 630 billion cubic meters of hydrogen (around 60 million tons) of natural hydrogen in the Mali field, and the company is forging ahead with plans to become commercial, Diallo says. First, they plan to provide electricity to bolster Malis unreliable power grid, and in the long-term, pipe natural hydrogen to neighboring countries and possibly export to Europe.

Testing of the abandoned well in the village of Bourakebougou, 60km from Bamako, Mali, in about 2007. The borehole was found to be releasing 98 per cent hydrogen (Courtesy of Hydroma)

Development, however, is hampered by a volatile political situation. Mali has experienced three coup detats in the past decade and 30,000 people have been displaced.

In a politically insecure location, it doesnt make it easy. But from a geological and scientific standpoint, its the perfect scenario of how natural hydrogen makes sense, Diallo said.

Some have needed no convincing.

Viacheslav Zgonnik first became interested in natural hydrogen while at university in Ukraine, and what he learned had such an impact that he switched his postdoctoral studies from chemistry to geochemistry. The Mali discovery happened when I was doing my post-doc. It was extremely encouraging to see that happen, he told The Independent.

A decade ago, he founded Natural Hydrogen Energy (NH2E) in the US. And in 2019, the company established its first hydrogen borehole near the tiny town of Geneva, Nebraska, and now says it is working towards commercial production.

Zgonnik estimated that five years ago, only a handful of companies were working on natural hydrogen. This year, I counted around 50 already, he said. I believe that next year, that growth will be even faster and we will see hundreds of companies.

Hydrogen, which releases only water and heat when burned, is already a $150billion industry. But it must be separated from other elements  like the oxygen in water  and that takes vast amounts of energy, still mainly powered by fossil fuels. There are more sustainable ways of producing green hydrogen but the process remains expensive.

Still, governments have invested billions in hydrogen production and storage, particularly in the wake of Russias invasion of Ukraine, an event which showed the danger of relying on an authoritarian regimes supply of natural gas to power economies.

One tech company estimates that natural hydrogen could be a $75billion industry by 2030 even though it remains to be seen whether it can work at a commercial scale.

Companies from Spain and the UK to Australia are racing to prove its possible, and investors with deep pockets and an appetite for risk are flocking. Hyterra, an Australian investment company, has a stake in NH2E. Koloma, a Colorado-based natural hydrogen company, recently received $91m from a group that includes Bill Gates Breakthrough Energy Ventures.

So far, its mainly venture capital funds and wealthy individuals that are involved. There are unknowns associated with exploration, and larger companies are still waiting, Zgonnik said.

Small companies are much more agile and willing to take risks to crack the code, so to speak, on how to drill and where to drill. When they find the sweet spots, then I believe bigger companies will put much larger amounts of money in, and accelerate the development significantly.

Some startups claim that natural hydrogen has the potential to be produced for much lower costs than other forms of hydrogen  one dollar a kilogram and as low as 50 cents  making it cheaper than green hydrogen currently, and comparable to gray hydrogen, which has a chunky carbon footprint.

Its better to work with the Earth

Last month, the International Energy Agency said that it was the unprecedented acceleration in clean energy keeping the Paris Agreement temperature limit of 1.5C within reach, for now  countering emissions from oil and gas, which continue to rise.

But even with an increasing array of clean energy options, reaching global net zero emissions by 2050 is dogged by some serious problems  particularly on how to decarbonize major sectors like shipping, aviation, long-haul trucking and steel manufacturing.

Amid a daily montage of climate disasters, the arrival of natural hydrogen seems an almost Hollywood plot twist.

I get very philosophical, so excuse me, but of course its better to work with the Earth. We just have to know where to look, said Webber, who has written hundreds of articles and books about energy and advises the US government.

Im an engineer but we dont always have to engineer a solution. Thats been true for coal, oil, gas, wood, wind, solar, water, you name it. Why wouldnt the Earth make hydrogen as well?

Hydromas operations in Mali. In the past 15 years, the company has drilled 30 wells across an area the size of Switzerland in the landlocked West African nation (Courtesy of Hydroma)

Webber learned about natural hydrogen when he joined French energy company Engie as chief science and technology officer in 2018. There, he met geologist Isabella Moretti, the chief science officer, who he called the godmother of natural hydrogen.

Webber said he was blown away by what he learned from Moretti, one of a small band of scientists who has been studying natural hydrogen for decades.

Instead of torturing nature to liberate hydrogen from water, or methane, you can go look for it, Webber said. Theres a lot of it, and its in a lot of places. As you dig into it, you discover that, actually, weve been stumbling over hydrogen for decades but it was a nuisance.

What if we just change our mindset? It is a remarkable, transformational moment for the globe potentially.

Its hard to fathom in a world where atmospheric geoengineering  aka manipulating how much sunlight reaches Earth  is considered a climate solution, that we are only beginning to understand what is beneath our feet.

Dr Geoffrey Ellis, a geologist with the US Geological Survey [USGS] in Colorado, offered a theory. Hydrogen doesnt exist in the same places as oil and gas and because it is a diffusive and reactive, it was thought it couldnt accumulate in large amounts.

Companies werent looking for it, or did see it and it wasnt what they were exploring for, so they walked away from those places, he told The Independent.

With more time on his hands during the pandemic, Ellis re-read a study, written by Alliou Diallo and colleagues, on the Bourakebougou discovery. Since then, he and a few others at USGS have focused their efforts on figuring out natural hydrogens potential.

As you dig into it, you discover that weve been stumbling over hydrogen for decades but it was a nuisance. Dr Michael Webber, Professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Texas at Austin

A USGS simulation model estimated between tens of millions and tens of billions of megatons of hydrogen are in Earths crust. But an important caveat: much of that would be inaccessible to humans, either too deep or too far offshore, or too small amounts to exploit, Ellis said.

But if just 1 per cent was recoverable, that would be enough hydrogen to keep the world going for at least two centuries, even if there was a surge in demand for hydrogen.

Theres still a lot of learning to be done to understand this better, Ellis said. But I think we could do it. We just need to do the research and figure it out.

Despite growing enthusiasm, the challenges surrounding natural hydrogen are immense as even those heavily invested acknowledge.

There is still much to learn about how hydrogen forms and accumulates underground. There is the prospect of a valuable new primary and even renewable energy source, but for long-term success, the industry will need new subsurface imaging technologies and new data processing techniques to identify potential hydrogen accumulations efficiently, Rod Davies, hydrogen lead at net zero consultancy, Marakon told The Independent in an email.

He also noted that there may be potential public resistance to a new form of energy that relies on the extraction of resources.

Mining laws would need to be adapted in countries where hydrogen does not yet fall into any category that would allow an exploration or production permit to be requested, Moretti explained in a recent interview.

So-called fairy circles, located in the Namib Desert, in the Namib-Naukluft National Park of Namibia. Their presence is a sign that hydrogen is escaping from the Earth (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Even if large amounts could be tapped underground, the next challenge would be storing and transporting hydrogen over long distances. Hydrogen is the lightest of all atoms and loves to make its escape into the atmosphere, so wastage becomes an issue. And it takes up a lot of space unless pressurized or liquefied, which are expensive.

There is a mismatch where natural hydrogen is being discovered and where it could be used, which would require massive investments in completely new infrastructure, said Dr Emre Gencer, a principal research scientist at the MIT Energy Initiative.

I think it will be part of the solution but we need to take it with a grain of salt, he told The Independent.

For now, the oil and gas industry remains on the sidelines. Its not that they dont believe in it, its more a stage and maturity thing, Webber said. If people figure it out, then they buy it. The wildcatters dont mind that either, thats how you get rich.

Zgonnik suggested natural hydrogen is a gift for the fossil fuel industry and one that could provide new jobs. It presents an opportunity to pivot from fossil fuels, using their skills, existing infrastructure and tools, he said.

Switching to renewables requires building new infrastructure, which is expensive and takes time. We need to make the clean energy transition much faster and leverage existing infrastructure for transmission and distribution to end users.

But the initial problem is finding the stuff. The largest accumulation of white hydrogen to date was stumbled upon this summer by scientists who were studying methane at a mining basin in France.

Fairy circles , which appear across landscapes where hydrogen is present, are a giveaway, but in hundreds of other locations hydrogen has been seeping unnoticed out of the ground for decades.

The USGS plans to publish a map next year of promising US locations of natural hydrogen. The east and west coasts are likely prospects along with the Mid-Continental rift which runs from Minnesota down through Iowa and into Kansas.

But dont grab a shovel just yet. The map is at national scale, and very coarse resolution. Youre not going to be able to look at the map and say, Im going to buy a lease and put a well right there, Ellis said.

Election officials count the ballots in Malis referendum in Bamako on June 18, 2023, using the light from their cellphones. Mali often has electricity curtailment of up to eight hours a day (AFP via Getty Images)

Whatever the difficulties, the potential remains tantalizing for those on the frontlines of the experimental field. We dont know yet how efficient it will be, how quickly we will be able to scale up, Zgonnik said. But because the reserves of hydrogen on Earth could potentially supply all we need for the clean energy transition, and even more that, then its worth trying at least.

And its hard to underestimate the potency of natural hydrogen in a country like Mali. More than 50 per cent of the population do not have electricity, and even for those who do, power can be curtailed up to eight hours a day. This not only makes daily life harder for its citizens but a lack of stable electricity has hampered the countrys economic progress.

If you live in the Western world and had to think of living without electricity, you wouldnt imagine what that means for quality of life, said Asma Diallo, who took up her role at Hydroma after working in the green hydrogen industry in France.

I saw hydrogen as having real potential for economic development in the African continent.

This is an African project that was founded by an African, that has the potential to really change the energy mix in the region. It is very exciting and empowering.
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Brad Pitts son called him a world class a**hole and f***ing awful human being in a scathing Fathers Day post.

Pitt, 59, shares six children with former wife Angelina Jolie: sons Maddox, 22, and Pax, 19, daugters Zahara, 18, and Shiloh, 17, as well as twins Vivienna and Knox, 15.

Pax lashed out at the Fight Club actor in a Fathers Day post shared on his private Instagram account three years ago, according to a MailOnline report.

Happy Fathers Day to this world class a***hole, Pax reportedly addressed a message to his adoptive dad. You time and time and again prove yourself to be a terrible and despicable person.

You have no consideration or empathy toward your four youngest children who tremble in fear when in your presence, the teenager captioned a photograph of Pitt accepting the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 2020,

Pax, then 16, wrote: You have made the lives of those closest to me a constant hell. You may tell yourself and the world whatever you want, but the truth will come to light someday.

So, Happy Fathers Day, you f***ing awful human being!!!

(Getty Images)

A source told MailOnline that the message was posted from a private Instagram account belonging to Pax and described the rant against Pitt as unusual since Pax never says much about his parents on the profile.

The Independent has contacted Pitts representatives for comment.

The report comes days after Pitt and Jolies daughter Zahara, who was adopted in 2005 from Ethiopia, dropped her fathers last name during a sorority induction ceremony at Spelman College, an American liberal arts college in Atlanta, Georgia.

In a video obtained by Essence, the 18-year-old undergraduate reportedly identified herself as Zahara Marley Jolie  notably choosing to omit her famous fathers surname.

Jolie, who was married to Pitt for two years, filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences, days after an alleged physical altercation between him and their oldest son Maddox, then 15, while they were onboard a private jet in 2016.

Following an FBI investigation into the child abuse allegations, Pitt was cleared of all charges. However, a detailed account of what transpired on the private plane was made public last year, after FBI records were leaked to the press.

According to the documents, the Maleficent actor told investigating officers that Pitts actions during the flight from France to Los Angeles frightened their children, aged between 8 and 15 at the time.

Jolie also said that Pitt allegedly lunged at one their kids after they called him a prick, adding she had to hold him back in a choke hold.

According to the report, Pitt told Jolie that one of the children looked like a f***ing Columbine kid, referring to the Columbine High School massacre in 1999, during which two 12th graders  Eric Harris and Dylan Kelbold  gunned down 12 children and a teacher in Colorado.

Jolie and Pitt are still locked in a bitter custody battle for their six children, three of whom were adopted by the Maleficent star.

Pitt later formally adopted Maddox, Pax, and Zahara as well.
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This is the best time of year to discover new recipes.

As the days get shorter and colder, a glossy new cookbook  and all the food-related inspiration that comes with it  can be just the thing you need.

And there are plenty of new releases to sink your teeth into  whether you want to transport yourself to a sunnier country, settle down with some comfort food  or even get a head start on Christmas shopping.

Some of the biggest names in food  including chef and former Saturday Kitchen presenter James Martin, BBC stalwarts the Hairy Bikers, and cult restaurateur Russell Norman  have new cookbooks out  and this is what you can expect from each of them.

1. James Martins Spanish Adventure by James Martin

In his new book, Martin shows that Spanish cuisine is far more than just paella and sangria (Quadrille/PA)

If you were captivated by James Martins 20-part ITV series taking a culinary tour around Spain  from the Michelin-starred restaurants of San Sebastian to the local markets of Santiago de Compostela  youll want to pick up the accompanying cookbook.

One of Martins favourite areas in the country is Toledo, a special ancient city right in the middle of Spain, he notes. Its famous for great produce including game, saffron, honey, olive oil, garlic and the list goes on.

Yorkshire-born Martin says he first fell in love with Spanish food when he came to London as a young chef, and wanted to dedicate this book to the cuisine because he wanted people to know about the people, the fantastic variety of landscapes, and the spectacular produce available, he says.

They have the best markets in Europe and the range of ingredients is fabulous  the seafood, the meat, the vegetables and the fruit.

In the cookbook, Martin highlights that Spanish cuisine is far more than just paella and sangria. There are plenty of recipes for traditional dishes  including tapas bites, croquetas, empanadas, Seville pork with patatas bravas and burnt Basque cheesecake  as well as classic Spanish ingredients (such as chorizo, olives and plenty of seafood).

While Spain is predominantly known for meat and fish, Martin also shows some of the beautiful ways the country uses vegetables too  such as a dish for deep-fried aubergines drizzled with honey and served with a tomato sauce, and salt-baked celeriac with new potatoes and salsa.

Valencia beans and red prawns

A simple seafood dish inspired by the chefs travels around Spain (Dan Jones/PA)

Located on the east coast, the 2,000-year-old city of Valencia boasts wide sandy beaches, striking architecture, a buzzing food scene and culture, says Martin.

It has its own language (a dialect of Catalan) and unique cuisine, with a focus on rice, seafood and meat. This dish showcases red prawns on a bed of white beans and vegetables.

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

75ml olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 onion, diced

 leek, diced

 carrot, peeled and diced

 green pepper, cored, deseeded and diced

3 bay leaves

2 whole smoked chilli peppers (or a pinch of chilli flakes)

300g cooked butter beans

Splash of white wine

Small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

8 red prawns, split lengthways

Sea salt

Method:

1. If you want to use a BBQ, heat a BBQ until hot and the coals are white.

2. Heat a medium paella pan and, when hot, add the oil, then add the garlic, all the vegetables, the bay leaves and the smoked peppers. Cook for two to three minutes, then stir in the beans, 50 millilitres of water and the wine and cook for three to four minutes. Season with salt and finish with the parsley.

3. Meanwhile, pop the prawns onto the BBQ, drizzle with oil and season with salt, then cook for two to three minutes until charred, turning once or twice. Alternatively, grill on high for three to four minutes.

4. To serve, remove the smoked peppers (if using) from the beans and then pile the prawns on top of the beans and drizzle with extra olive oil if desired.

James Martins Spanish Adventure by James Martin (Quadrille, 27)

2. The Hairy Bikers Ultimate Comfort Food by Si King and Dave Myers

The Hairy Bikers are bringing it back to basics with their bible of comfort food (Seven Dials/PA)

Its hard to believe Dave Myers and Si King  otherwise known as the Hairy Bikers  have been on our screens for nearly two decades, with their first BBC show airing in 2004.

Theyve written plenty of cookbooks over the years  dedicated to everything from Mediterranean food to curries  and their latest is all about comfort food. In the introduction, the duo think back to what comfort food meant to them growing up  for Myers, its a classic chip butty, and King picks out his mothers curries and casseroles.

British classics like these permeate the book  including beef and barley stew, sausage rolls and lemon drizzle cake  but theres a definite international flavour, with dishes inspired by Myers and Kings travels all over the world. Think soba noodles with miso mushrooms, Szechuan lamb bao buns, chipotle prawn tacos and more.

While comfort food might make you think of heavy, rich dishes you want to curl up in the winter with  and those recipes are represented  theres also a wider picture of comfort and what it means throughout the year. Lighter recipes such as the teriyaki chicken salad and Spanish-style roasted vegetables with halloumi will bring just as much joy in the summertime.

Chocolate eclairs

A classic pastry recipe youll want to master (Andrew Hayes-Watkins/PA)

Possibly everyones top teatime pleasure, eclairs are a bit of work, but are so worth it, say Myers and King.

Just picture yourself biting into that beautiful choux pastry filled with cream and spread with chocolate.

Makes: about 8-12

Ingredients:

For the choux pastry:

115g plain flour

100g butter

2 tsp caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

3 eggs, well beaten

1 tbsp icing sugar

For the filling:

300ml double cream

1 tbsp icing sugar

 tsp vanilla extract

For the chocolate glaze:

100g dark chocolate (or 50g dark chocolate and 50g milk chocolate)

50g whipping cream

50g butter

25g golden syrup

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and line two baking trays with baking parchment. Sift the flour on to another piece of baking parchment.

2. Put the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract in a pan with 225 millilitres of water and a generous pinch of salt. Heat gently until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved, then turn up the heat until the mixture is boiling. Remove the pan from the heat.

3. Pull up the sides of the baking parchment and slide the flour into the butter and sugar mixture. Stir the flour into the wet ingredients to form a thick paste which should come away from the sides of the pan in one solid mass. Put the pan back over a gentle heat and continue stirring with a wooden spoon for two or three minutes, until the mixture is slightly steaming and leaves a floury residue on the base of the pan.

4. Leave to cool for a couple of minutes, then beat for a couple of minutes more. You can then transfer the dough to a stand mixer or use electric beaters if you prefer. You will see steam escape from the dough at this point. Keep beating until the steam has subsided.

5. Gradually work in the eggs, just a couple of tablespoons at a time, until you have a thick glossy dough  it needs to be quite stiff and firm enough for you to draw your finger through it without the sides falling back in. The dough initially breaks up a lot, but eventually it will come together again.

6. Fit a large star or plain round nozzle into a piping bag and scoop the dough into the bag. If you dont have a nozzle, simply snip off the end of the bag off  the hole should be about 2.5cm wide.

7. Pipe tiny amounts of the dough under the corners of the baking parchment on the trays to keep the parchment in place. For large eclairs, pipe eight lines of dough, as evenly as possible, on to the baking trays, making each one about 15cm long. To make sure they dont spread to an oval shape, pipe them slightly wider at each end. To make slightly smaller eclairs, pipe 12 lines of about 10cm long. Wet your fingers and smooth out the ends of the eclairs if peaks have formed. If you havent used a star nozzle, run a fork along the length of each one.

8. Dust the eclairs with the icing sugar  this will help them darken and crisp up in the oven. Bake for 25 minutes by which time they should have formed a crust. Use a skewer to poke holes in each end of the eclairs so steam can escape from their centres, then continue to bake for another eight to 10 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave the door ajar. Leave the eclairs in the oven for about half an hour  this will help make sure they are crisp all the way through.

9. To make the filling, whip the cream until it is stiff, then fold in the icing sugar and vanilla extract. Chill for half an hour.

10. For the glaze, put the chocolate, cream, butter and golden syrup into a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Melt together gently to make a fairly thin ganache.

11. To fill the eclairs, cut three holes in the base of each one. Fill a piping bag with the cream and pipe it into the holes. Squeeze the eclairs lightly  they should feel nicely full. Dip each filled eclair in the chocolate glaze  this gives a much better coverage than trying to spread it  then leave them in the fridge to set. These are best eaten on the same day they are made as the pastry will eventually soften, but they will keep for up to 48 hours.

The Hairy Bikers: Ultimate Comfort Food by Si King and Dave Myers (Seven Dials, 25)

3. Brutto by Russell Norman

Named after one of his restaurants, Normans Brutto is all about ugly but good food (Ebury Press)

Russell Normans debut cookbook, Polpo, won the Inaugural Waterstones Book of the Year back in 2012, and anything the London restaurateur has done since has always been hotly anticipated.

For his latest cookbook, Norman has turned his sights on Florence. Named after one of his London restaurants, brutto is the Italian word for ugly, and references the Italian expression, brutto ma buono  ugly but good.

Tuscan cuisine is known for meat, offal, game and beans, Norman explains in the introduction  and these are all represented in the cookbook, albeit with a few more veggie options than you might seen in a traditional Florentine kitchen.

Youll learn a lot about food in Florence from Brutto  such as the citys passion for wine bars, where antipasti such as coccoli (fried dough balls served with prosciutto and soft cheese) and deep-fried courgette flowers are served.

Some of the recipes are Italian classics youll know about  such as tagliatelle with ragu and asparagus risotto  and others are more unusual, deeper dives into Italian cuisine  think Florentine-style fried chicken or an oven-baked spinach dish cooked with eggs, cream, Parmesan and a dash of nutmeg.

Tuscan food is largely known as peasant food  meaning its relatively cheap and easy to make, while still being packed full of flavour.

Spinach and ricotta dumplings

A simple yet delicious Florentine dish (Jenny Zarins/PA)

Gnudi translates as naked, as these little dumplings are the most nude and simple form of homemade pasta you can make, says Norman.

The combination of spinach and ricotta is a very traditional marriage and appears in much of the pasta of the region, in ravioli and crespelle for example. Its a very satisfying process, and easy enough for children to help with in the kitchen if you want to encourage an early interest in Italian cooking for little chefs.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

500g baby spinach leaves, washed

50g 00 flour

250g ricotta

1 large free-range egg, beaten

150g grated parmesan

Flaky sea salt

Black pepper

 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

250g semolina

100g butter

A large handful of sage leaves

Method:

1. Steam the spinach for three minutes over a large pan of boiling water. Thoroughly drain and squeeze to remove the excess water, then chop the leaves finely. Set aside.

2. Mix the flour with the ricotta in a large bowl until it resembles lumpy breadcrumbs. Stir in the egg and two-thirds of the Parmesan. Add a pinch of salt, a twist of black pepper, the nutmeg and then add the spinach. Combine thoroughly with a wooden spoon or with your hands.

3. Put half the semolina into a bowl and shake the rest on to a baking sheet or a tray. Take small lumps of the flour, egg and spinach mixture and form them into small balls by rolling them between your palms, to the size of large olives. Turn each ball through the bowl of semolina, then place on the tray youve prepared with the rest of the semolina. When finished, you should have 2430 little balls.

4. Fill a very large pan with water and bring to a rolling boil. Place the gnudi in the boiling water as quickly as possible, bringing it back to the boil on the highest heat, and continue to simmer for about three minutes.

5. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over a medium heat, melt the butter and add the sage leaves. When it bubbles, reduce to a very low heat. This should take no more than two minutes, while the gnudi are cooking.

6. The gnudi will float to the surface when they are ready. Turn off the heat, remove them with a slotted spoon and drain the excess water on kitchen paper. Place on four warmed plates, pour the butter and sage over the top, then evenly distribute the remaining Parmesan. Add a flourish of black pepper.

Brutto by Russell Norman (Ebury Press, 32)
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On Thursday 23 November, Americans will be hard at work to prepare their Thanksgiving dinner, with foods on the menus ranging from a roasted turkey to a green bean casserole.

Aside from the dishes served in the lavish feast, which can vary based on families cultures and traditions, Thanksgiving is also the annual holiday for people to commemorate all that theyre grateful for.

In the midst of planning the big meal, theres also a huge range of ingredients that need to be purchased at your local grocery store. However, since Thanksgiving Day is a federal holiday in the US, some stores will be completely shut down on the holiday.

For example, both Target and Walmart announced permanent closures on the holiday in 2020, with the policy remaining in place ever since. The outbreak of the pandemic had initially pushed these chains to close their doors on Thanksgiving, in order to limit crowding and spread out the shopping season.

However, that doesnt mean that all grocery stores will remain closed on Thanksgiving Day. In fact, there are some retailers that you could make your way to on the morning of the holiday, in preparation for your annual feast.

Once Thanksgiving Day comes to a close, many stores will be reopening on Friday. From there, shops be operating during their earlier or usual business hours, in preparation for some of the biggest sales of the year.

Here are when stores open and close on Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday in the US.

Whole Foods

If youre looking for some fresh produce to cook up a storm, then youre in luck, as Whole Foods is set to be open during the holiday season. However, they will run on a limited schedule, and hours of operation may vary, so be sure to check your local store. Whole Foods stores will be open on Black Friday, with hours of operation depending on location.

Costco

All Costco stores in the US will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, as noted by the retailers official site. Costco Warehouses will reopen on Friday, with hours depending on store locations. The retailer has already started some of its online sales for Black Friday, with some in-store sales going from 24 November through 27 November.

Walmart

The retail giant will be closed on the holiday, before reopening the next day for Black Friday, an annual shopping occasion filled with store deals. Walmarts usual hours are from 6am to 11pm every day, but opening times on Black Friday are based on stores locations.

Target

The beloved retail store will also be closed on Thanksgiving Day before reopening the next day for Black Friday. Hours of operation for the day after Thanksgiving vary based on the stores location.

Trader Joes

Stores will be closed on 23 November in observance of the federal holiday. Trader Joes stores will reopen on Black Friday, with hours of operation depending on each store.

Wegmans

While Wegamans will be open on Thanksgiving, hours of operation are limited. For example, one Wegmans store in Brooklyn, New York, will be closed at 4pm, instead of at 11pm like it usually does. Opening and closing times for Wegmans can vary based on the location of the store.

Although most Wegmans stores are expected to reopen at 6am on Black Friday, specific opening and closing times vary for each location.

Starbucks

Earlier this month, a spokesperson for Starbucks told Country Living that stores will be open on Thanksgiving Day. While its usual hours of operation are from 6am to 9pm, stores opening and closing times on the holiday vary based on location.

Although Starbucks is expected to operate from 6am to 9pm on Black Friday, specific hours vary for each store.

Aldi

According to Aldis official website, all stores will be closed on Thanksgiving Day. Aldi will be reopening on Black Friday, as its hours of operation are usually from 8.30am to 9pm. However, specific opening and closing hours vary for each location.

Dollar General

The low-priced retailer will be open from 7am to 10pm on Thanksgiving Day but times may vary depending on location. You can find out more on the day by heading over to the stores website. Dollar General is expected to be open during its usual hours during Black Friday, with specific closing and opening times based on location.

CVS

A representative with CVS told ThePioneerWoman.com that most, but not all, CVS locations will be open on Thanksgiving. To check your local store, be sure to head over to the CVS website. On Black Friday, CVS locations will be open during its regular hours.

Dunkin Donuts

The beloved coffee chain will be open on Thanksgiving Day but with limited hours. Opening and closing times of stores on the holiday vary based on location.

Dunkin Donuts with reopen on Black Friday, with its usual hour of operation based on each store.

Walgreens

Most Walgreens stores will be closed on 23 November this year, according to a press release shared by the brand on 16 November. While this is the first time that Walgreens has closed its doors on the holiday, some 24-hour stores will still be open during certain hours on Thanksgiving Day, depending on store location.

Walgreens stores will reopen on 24 November, with opening and closing times depending on the location of the store.
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NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday that the recent violent outbreaks in Kosovo were unacceptable and perpetrators must be brought to justice.

I count on all sides to reduce tensions and to refrain from escalatory actions, he said during a visit to Serbia's capital Belgrade, after his stops in Bosnia and Kosovo, on the second day of his trip in Western Balkans,

Stoltenberg's trip reflects Western concerns over the stability of the volatile Balkan region that went through a series of wars in the 1990s.

Serbia and Kosovo witnessed a spike in tension following two violent incidents in May and September as the war raged in Ukraine. Western allies fear Russia could try to spur Balkan trouble to avert attention from its aggression on Ukraine.

In May, Serb demonstrators in northern Kosovo clashed with NATO peacekeeping troops. In September, a Kosovo policeman and three Serb gunmen were killed in a shootout after about 30 masked men opened fire on a police patrol near the Kosovo village of Banjska.

The two incidents have prompted NATO to beef up its peacekeeping presence in Kosovo. Stoltenberg said on Monday that NATO was considering deploying additional peacekeeping troops.

The NATO head said in Belgrade that some of the 93 troops wounded in clashes with Serb demonstrators had life-changing injuries.

This is unacceptable, the facts must be established. The perpetrators must face justice, said Stoltenberg. I welcome that Serbia is prepared to cooperate in these efforts.

Stoltenberg also urged Serbia and Kosovo to engage constructively in a European Union-mediated dialogue that is aimed at normalizing relations between the former foes. Serbia does not recognize Kosovo's 2008 declaration of independence.

Both Serbia and Kosovo have been previously warned by EU diplomats that refusal to compromise jeopardized their chances of joining the EU.

Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic said at a joint press conference with Stoltenberg that tensions in Kosovo were the result of increased pressure by the government there on the ethnic Serb minority.

Only Serbs are under threat in Kosovo," Vucic insisted.

Serbia has pledged to prosecute the alleged ringleader of the armed group behind the September shootout in Kosovo. Belgrade has denied allegations it orchestrated the incident.

Stoltenberg also called for increased cooperation with Serbia and the resumption of joint military training exercises, saying that NATO respected Serbia's decision to remain militarily neutral.

Belgrade has maintained friendly relations with Russia and refused to join Western sanctions against Moscow, which has backed its bid to retain claim on Kosovo.
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An ex-Royal Marine has started a world record-breaking challenge to ski solo across Antarctica which will take two and a half months to complete, covering over 2,000km on a route that has never been attempted before.

Sam Cox, from Torquay, Devon, hopes to complete the longest solo unsupported crossing of the continent and officially started the trek on Monday after a 15-day delay in Chile waiting for an appropriate weather window left him with just 78 days to complete the 1,250-mile journey.

The 34-year-old is dragging all the supplies he will need in a specially designed sledge known as a pulk weighing 26 stone, which includes food, spare equipment and communications gear.

The only link Mr Cox will have to the outside world is a beacon plotting his incremental location in case of emergency and limited communications through a satellite phone.

The new father said being away from his wife Abi and their baby daughter Nora will be tough but he hopes to make them really proud and will be using his experience to help tackle the challenges of crossing Antarctic tundra and glaciers.

Most of my first day was uphill but the conditions are good with the odd soft patch of snow that stops the pulk dead, Mr Cox said.

My plan for the first week, while my pulk is at its heaviest, is to ski 10 hours a day or until I make 20km and then Ill see how Im getting on.

Overall, Im really pleased with the day and hopefully I can keep this pace for the next few weeks, especially when my pulk gets lighter.

While Ive been training for this for over two years and know Ive made all the preparations I can, Im still attempting something very ambitious so Im not taking anything for granted.

Being away from Abi and Nora for so long is going to be tough, especially over Christmas, but theyve been so supportive, and I hope to make them really proud.

Joining the Royal Marines in 2010, Mr Cox spent 13 years as an officer, serving on combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as long periods working in the jungle, the desert and the Arctic Circle.

He now leads bespoke micro-expedition adventures in remote northern Sweden that provide an insight and experience into the polar expedition world.

Mr Cox started his expedition at the north coast of Berkner Island and will finish at the base of the Reedy Glacier on the Ross Ice Shelf, going via the South Pole.

During his challenge, Mr Cox is working with the Austrian Space Forum to research the psychological impact of the expedition on the human brain  where each day is very similar in an unfamiliar and relentless environment.

Mr Cox said: The opportunities for scientific research in Antarctica are limited, so this expedition is a chance for me to help with some really rare research.

Ill be taking part in studies that have never been done for this long in Antarctica.

Lamont Kirkland, chief executive of sport, challenge and adventure charity Team Forces, said: Its an absolute pleasure to back Mr Cox on this worlds first expedition attempt.

The sheer amount of preparation and training Mr Cox has done shouldnt be underestimated. Its going to be a tough journey, but hell be a true pioneer making history on one of Earths last great wildernesses. Its a truly epic expedition.

British adventurer and television presenter Bear Grylls said of the expedition: An incredible challenge that sums up the Commando spirit of relentless determination in the face of overwhelming adversity.

I admire this endeavour so much and it will help and inspire many.
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A legal challenge to the Governments new laws to deal with the legacy of the Northern Ireland Troubles is due to begin on Tuesday.

High Court judge Mr Justice Colton will hear the case at the Royal Courts of Justice in Belfast.

The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act received royal assent in September despite widespread opposition from political parties, victims organisations in Northern Ireland and the Irish government.

Aspects of the laws include a limited form of immunity from prosecution for Troubles-related offences for those who co-operate with the new Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR).

The new Act will also halt future civil cases and legacy inquests.

Multiple Troubles victims and family members launched judicial reviews to challenge aspects of the Act.

Mr Justice Colton has directed that the lead case will be a joint submission brought by Martina Dillon, John McEvoy and Linda McManus.

Ms Dillons husband Seamus was shot dead outside the Glengannon Hotel in Dungannon on December 27 1997. An inquest into his death has opened.

Mr McEvoy narrowly escaped being killed in the loyalist gun attack on the Thierafurth Inn in Kilcoo, Co Down, in 1992. The High Court has previously ruled there has not been in effective investigation into the attack in which another man, Peter McCormack, was killed.

Ms McManus is the daughter of James McManus, who was injured in a gun attack on the Sean Graham Bookmakers on the Ormeau Road, Belfast, in 1992. She has issued a civil claim seeking damages.

Ms Dillon said: Truth and justice are not too much to ask, we shouldnt have to fight for decades to get it.

Victims have been shamefully ignored; we did not want this law.

We want answers about what happened to our loved ones, and we want accountability.

I fight this oppressive legislation in my husbands memory and in solidarity with other victims having their rights denied.

Grainne Teggart, Amnesty International UKs Northern Ireland deputy director, said: This case has significant implications, not just in the UK but internationally.

We have repeatedly warned about the concerning precedent which could be set by this legislation which provides a blueprint for letting state forces and armed groups off with murder and other serious crimes.

Mr Justice Colton has previously said challenges to the Act will focus on a number of areas, including the establishment of the ICRIR, the cessation of police investigations, the cessation of inquests and civil proceedings and the potential immunity from prosecution.

However, he said the courts primary focus would be the argument that sections of the Act are incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights.

The hearing is expected to last at least five days.
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The parents of a four-month-old baby who died after suffering injuries consistent with a fall from a multi-storey building or a fatal road crash have been jailed.

Reece Kelly, 31, was sentenced to life imprisonment to serve a minimum of 18 years for the murder of his baby son Dallas Kelly, a spokesman for Cumbria Constabulary said.

Georgia Wright, 23, was jailed for three years for child cruelty.

Sentencing the pair at Carlisle Crown Court on Tuesday, Mr Justice Dove said they had betrayed the trust of Dallas.

He said: The greatest betrayal of that trust was by you, Reece Kelly, when you murdered your son Dallas Kelly by shaking him with very significant force.

He said Kelly had been looking after Dallas on October 15 2021 and had gone upstairs to the baby, who was crying.

Mr Justice Dove said: As Dallas continued to cry, I have no doubt that you lost your temper.

He said Kelly had held the baby hard around his chest and shook him, causing extensive injuries.

Dallas died on October 19 2021, four days after Kelly called emergency services and reported finding his son unresponsive.

A police spokesman said the injuries had been described by an expert as consistent with those caused by a fall from a multi-storey building or a fatal road traffic collision.

Mr Justice Dove said the murder occurred against an extremely disturbing background of family life in which both defendants were pre-occupied with obtaining and consuming drugs.

He said: I have no doubt your addiction to drugs had a significant impact upon your ability to care for your children as parents.

Kelly admitted manslaughter but a jury found him guilty of murder and convicted both him and Wright of child cruelty after a trial.

The court heard he and Wright, of Hunday Court, Workington, prioritised drug-taking over their son, failed to take him to medical appointments, failed to provide adequate parental supervision and exposed him to harmful substances.

Victoria Agullo, senior Crown prosecutor for CPS North West, said: Dallas should have been safe with his parents, whose duty was to love and care for him, and protect him from harm.

Both his parents let him down badly, their chaotic, drug-filled lifestyle and lack of basic care is staggering.

Detective Superintendent Jenny Beattie said: Dallas was a four-month-old boy who was entirely defenceless from the actions of his parents, Reece Kelly and Georgia Wright.

Any child, particularly one as young as Dallas, should have parents who care deeply for them and act in their childs best interest at all times. Sadly, this was not the case for Dallas.

There is never any excuse or reason to cause harm or distress to a child and I am pleased that both Reece Kelly and Georgia Wright have been held accountable for their actions.

Both had numerous opportunities to take responsibility for what they had done, however right until the end they have both continued to act in a selfish manner.
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Sir James Dyson has told the High Court an article that a vicious article in the Daily Mirror was a highly distressing and hurtful personal attack.

Sir James, 76, entered the witness box at the Royal Courts of Justice on Tuesday to give evidence in the trial of his libel claim against the newspapers publisher Mirror Group Newspapers Limited (MGN) over an article published in January 2022.

In his witness statement, the inventor and billionaire entrepreneur who is one of the leading lights in British technology and industry, said he felt the article was a personal attack on all that I have done and achieved in my lifetime and is highly distressing and hurtful.

To be accused by the defendant in the articles of being a hypocrite who had screwed the country and who set a poor moral example to young people is not only wrong but incredibly harmful to my reputation Sir James Dyson

In the Daily Mirror article, journalist Brian Reade referred to Sir James as the vacuum cleaner tycoon who championed Vote Leave due to the economic opportunities it would bring to British industry before moving his global head office to Singapore.

He continued: Kids, talk the talk but then screw your country and if anyone complains, tell them to suck it up.

MGN is defending the libel claim, including on the basis of honest opinion.

In a witness statement, Sir James said the article, and an online version, were vicious and vitriolic.

The inventor added that it was incredibly harmful to my reputation and was published to at least many hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people.

He wrote: They attacked my personal character and morals in the very worst way, accusing me not just of being a hypocrite, but of screwing the country and setting a poor moral example to young people.

He continued: The context in which they did so was an article with a headline referring to cheats prospering, and which included a rogues gallery of notorious persons who have acted, or are alleged to have acted, illegally or dishonestly.

As someone who has invested so heavily in the UK and its young people, I found these attacks particularly damaging and distressing.

He wrote: I have taken serious personal financial risks, made huge investments in this country and have worked incredibly hard to benefit my country.

Through my actions, I have prioritised setting a good moral example to young people.

He continued: So to be accused by the defendant in the articles of being a hypocrite who had screwed the country and who set a poor moral example to young people is not only wrong but incredibly harmful to my reputation.

These allegations represent a personal attack on all that I have done and achieved in my lifetime and are highly distressing and hurtful.

Most importantly, they undermine all the work I have done trying to help young people with an interest in engineering to gain the necessary training as well as practical experience and employment opportunities in this field.

Sir James Dyson, who backed the UK leaving the European Union, also said that a decision to establish a Dyson global headquarters in Singapore had nothing to do with Brexit at all.

He said the move relating to the group of companies he founded had no material impact upon Dysons UK operations or its commitment to the UK, or to the amount of corporation tax paid in the UK.

The inventor continued: It simply reflected the long-term commercial reality of Dysons global business operations that had existed for many years previously, the same one faced by countless other UK companies which have made similar decisions to expand internationally and manufacture in south-east Asia.

Adrienne Page KC, for MGN, told the court the words in the article are substantially correct and that Sir James could not dictate how the commentator poses them.

She added that it is pitched to a lay audience, against a notorious background to 2019 and he is doing it pithily.

On how the reference to having screwed the country could be viewed, the court heard that this may not necessarily be limited to the potential impact on the Dyson corporation.

Opinions do not need to be justifiable as the claimant puts it, they need to be capable of being held by a person who is honest Adrienne Page KC, for MGN

Ms Page said it could be a symbolic betrayal, ditching Britain, of two-fingers to Britain.

In written submissions, she added that Sir James approach to the legal claim has been markedly unreasonable, wholly disproportionate and abusive.

She stated: It might strike the court as surprising that a person who enjoys a level of success and influence as this claimant would choose to spend somewhere in the region of 1 million litigating to trial the question of whether these short passages represent an opinion an honest person could have held.

The barrister said that an honest person could, self-evidently, have held the opinion.

Ms Page continued: Opinions do not need to be justifiable as the claimant puts it, they need to be capable of being held by a person who is honest.

It was a genuinely and indeed widely held view that the decisions relied on represented a betrayal of this country made particularly acute by the claimants prior and influential support for a political position which, in the eyes of many, has caused this country severe economic harm.

The trial before Mr Justice Jay is set to conclude on Friday with a decision expected at a later date.
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The damage to the glass protecting a National Gallery painting allegedly inflicted by Just Stop Oil protesters will cost more than 6,000 to repair, a court heard.

Harrison Donnelly, 20, and Hanan Ameur, 22, pleaded not guilty at Westminster Magistrates Court on Tuesday to causing 6,445 of criminal damage by allegedly smashing the glass covering a mid-17th century painting of a nude goddess Venus gazing into a mirror held by Cupid.

On the morning of November 6, the duo reportedly hit small orange hammers against the glass protecting the very famous painting known as Rokeby Venus, or The Toilet of Venus.

Suffragette Mary Richardson attacked the same Diego Velazquez artwork using a meat cleaver in 1906 at the central London gallery, protesting against the arrest of activist Emmeline Pankhurst.

If you want to be inside (prison) for Christmas commit another offence and that's what's going to happen to you Judge Michael Snow

The artwork itself is not believed to have suffered damage in the incident, the court heard.

District Judge Michael Snow granted them conditional bail until their pre-trial plea hearing at Southwark Crown Court on December 19 this year.

He banned Donnelly, of Sillitoe Way, Nottingham, from entering inside the M25 other than to attend court or meet his solicitors, and Ameur, of Hornsey Road, Islington, was forbidden from entering the London borough of Westminster even to travel through it.

Judge Snow said: If you come back (to court) for something else I will remand you into custody.

If you want to be inside (prison) for Christmas commit another offence and thats whats going to happen to you.

Days before the alleged offence at the National Gallery, Ameur pleaded not guilty to aggravated trespass after reportedly storming a performance of Les Miserables in Londons West End, for which she and four others will stand trial on February 5 next year.

Following the hearing, the National Gallery said minimal damage had been sustained to the surface of the painting.

Therefore, it will be undergoing conservation treatment before going back on display.
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A haulage boss accused of being part of a people-smuggling ring linked to the deaths of 39 migrants tried to stop his mother gossiping after news of the tragedy broke, a court has heard.

Caolan Gormley, 26, denied involvement in an unlawful immigration plot with his former boss Ronan Hughes and one of his own truck drivers, Christopher Kennedy.

Gormley had worked for Hughes after he got his licence at the age of 19 and had been friends with Kennedy since college, the Old Bailey was told.

Giving evidence on Tuesday, Gormley told jurors that he thought they were engaged in smuggling alcohol rather than humans.

He told of his shock and total disbelief when 39 Vietnamese men, women and children were found dead in one of Hughess vehicles in Essex early on October 23 2019.

He said he saw the breaking news on social media then someone sent him a photograph of the truck and trailer on WhatsApp which he sent on to Kennedy.

The defendant said he was taking a break at a truck stop in Sandbach, Cheshire, on his way to deliver racehorse bedding to Cambridge when he spoke to Hughes.

Gormley said: He called me the night before and I was returning the call. I remember when he answered he sounded different, panicked, making no sense at all. It was just mumbo jumbo. He was making zero sense.

At 3.46pm on October 23, Gormley received a text from his mother in Co Tyrone asking if the truck in the news belonged to one of Hughess brothers.

He replied: Dont know and neither do u (sic).

Asked to explain the message, Gormley said: My mother works in a doctors surgery and is a bit of a gossip, and I didnt want her gossiping. Perhaps there would be repercussions for her.

Defence barrister Stephan Alfred asked: You thought it would be unsafe for her bandying names about?

Gormley replied: I mean talking about that in general, you wouldnt want people going around talking about it.

He added that he never heard anything bad about anyone in the Hughes family until the migrant deaths.

Mr Alfred suggested the tragedy had sent a shockwave through the industry.

Gormley said there was total disbelief this had happened, adding: I was just shocked, to be honest.

On the evening of October 23, Gormley said he dumped the burner phone he had used to communicate with Hughes.

He said: I didnt want any connection between me and Ronan Hughes. I was in the services on the Scottish-English border on the job around 10-11pm. I just disposed of it in the bin.

Gormley was asked why he had denied to the bitter end being the owner of that phone when interviewed by police.

He said: I lied about it because I didnt want to confess a crime I had committed in relation to alcohol smuggling.

I had contacted Ronan Hughes on the phone. At that time the news had come out about what happened with the 39 dead and I didnt want any affiliation with that.

Me and him and Christopher Kennedy were conspiring with alcohol but I wasnt conspiring with immigrants. That was the exact reason why.

Gormley told jurors that he had agreed with Hughes to provide legitimate documents that could be doctored for illicit consignments of alcohol from Europe, and that Kennedy had collected some of it.

The prosecution allege he was involved with three trips on October 11, 14 and 18 2019, and that they were all to do with smuggling people and not alcohol.

Gormley was asked about a run which was scuppered on October 14 when Kennedys truck was found to contain migrants at the French border.

He said: Kennedy said he stopped at the supermarket to buy alcohol and cigarettes on his way to the crossing. At that time he was actually covering his tracks for what had happened.

He just said they must have got in the trailer while he was in the shop. Its a very hot spot for migrants in the Calais area. Its very common. I had no reason not to believe his account.

Kennedy told him there were five or six migrants found on board when he was stopped by French officials, the defendant said.

The prosecution allege that some migrants from that failed trip on October 14 were believed to have died days later in the fatal run overnight on October 22-23.

A consignment of biscuits from Belgium was ruined during the October 18 run, the court heard.

Gormley said: Kennedy called me up and told me the biscuits had been rejected. I just presumed damage.

Mr Alfred asked: Were you in any way involved in an agreement to facilitate the entry of migrants to this country?

Gormley replied: No, not at all.

Jurors have been told that a number of individuals have already been convicted of their part in the people-smuggling operation.

Hughes and Romanian Gheorghe Nica were said to have been in charge of a network of drivers willing and able to take lorry loads of migrants to the UK.

Gormley, of Co Tyrone, denies a single charge of conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration. The trial continues.
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The discriminatory use of pepper spray against Black inmates has been normalised in male prisons, campaigners say, as new figures show a shocking spike in cases.

The Prison Reform Trust (PRT) has accused the government of failing to meet its legal duties on equality after data shows the ongoing disparity in the deployment of Pava irritant spray against Black prisoners.

Pava, a synthetic form of pepper spray that causes searing pain in the eyes and a burning sensation on the skin, was first introduced in prisons in a pilot in 2018 before it was rolled out more widely across the male prison estate.

Between April 2019 and March 2020, the first year it was available, 12 per cent of inmates it was used on were Black/Black British.

By November 2021 this had soared to 39 per cent, despite Black men only making up around 13 per cent of the male prison population. The rate had increased even further to 43 per cent by December 2022.

The PRT said the routine disproportionate use of the spray against Black prisoners was a shocking indictment of the prison system.

The latest figures show between November 2022 and September 2023 there were 181 recorded incidents where pepper spray was deployed against Black/Black British men, compared with 192 incidents for white men, according to a briefing from the PRT shared exclusively with The Independent.

The Prison Reform Trust has called for further rollout of pepper spray to be halted (Danny Lawson/PA)

The data also reveals that between April 2019 and December 2022, 30 per cent of those sprayed were Muslim, despite only accounting for around 17 per cent of the male prison population.

Following the findings, the PRT has urgently called for further rollout of the spray to be halted, amid claims it could be used to incapacitate children under plans to curb violence at young offender institutions.

Prison officers have backed calls for a rollout to allow staff to defend themselves from aggression in the youth prisons following a mass brawl at Feltham Young Offenders Institution in west London in September.

However, the PRT believes the continued expansion of Pava without an explanation of the disproportionate use against Black inmates represents a failing by HM Prisons and Probation Service (HMPPS) to meet its obligations to consider how policies affect people protected under the Equality Act.

It is urgently calling for data around the use of force and pepper spray to be published and for the prison service to commission its Race Action Programme, brought in to help tackle racism in the justice system, to re-examine Pava policies.

A charity has accused the Prison Service of failing in its duty under equality laws (Getty)

Pia Sinha, chief executive of the Prison Reform Trust, said: The routine and disproportionate use of Pava spray on Black, Black British and Muslim prisoners is a shocking indictment of our prison system and the governments commitment to meeting its obligations under equality law. Now, ministers are even considering the possibility of extending the rollout to children in custody.

Its time to call a halt to this reckless expansion. The safety of staff and prisoners should be based on good relationships, with staff having the knowledge and skills to engage effectively with the people in their care.

The routine arming of staff with Pava is an admission of failure by the government, and risks adding to rather than reducing a deteriorating cycle of violence in our prisons.

Their calls come after Charlie Taylor, the inspector of prisons, warned that Black inmates were twice as likely to have force used against them, including Pava spray and the use of batons.

In a report last year, he said the Prison Service needs to take meaningful action to address issues including the disproportionate use of force on Black prisoners.

A Prison Service spokesperson said: Pava is only used as a last resort by specially trained prison officers and we monitor its use carefully, including for any disparities in the way its deployed.
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David Cameron appeared to take a sly dig at fellow former prime minister Boris Johnson in his first speech in the House of Lords.

Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton said he had been no Cincinnatus hovering over my plough, in reference to Mr Johnsons final words as he left office.

Mr Johnson had likened himself to Cincinnatus, who left ancient Rome to work on a farm only to be called back to save it from crisis, with many interpreting Mr Johnsons words as him hinting at a future return to frontline politics.

I have not been sitting like some latter-day de Gaulle at Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises waiting to be asked Lord Cameron

The new Foreign Secretary told peers he had been surprised to be asked to return to Government, and had not been sitting like some latter-day de Gaulle at Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises waiting to be asked.

He joked that the ornate surroundings of the upper chamber are a significant upgrade from his now-infamous shepherds hut.

Lord Cameron cannot address the House of Commons because he is not an elected MP, which critics argue will reduce democratic accountability.

Instead, Foreign Office minister Andrew Mitchell will deputise for him in the Commons, while he will answer questions from peers monthly.

However, the Foreign Secretary told peers he is happy to consider other appropriate mechanisms so that Parliament is able to scrutinise all the work of my department.

Lord Cameron was speaking as he opened the debate for the Trade (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) Bills second reading in the upper chamber.

He said: It is truly an honour to stand here at this despatch box and make my maiden speech in this House. I have always respected the work that is done here, so often a patient, diligent and considered complement to the other place.

And I hope to play a full part in your Lordships House.

He added: When I look at the ornate, carved wooden panels that surround us and compare them to my now-infamous shepherds hut, I can tell you this is already a significant upgrade.

The Foreign Secretary said that wanting to serve under Rishi Sunak, whom he described as a strong and capable Prime Minister, was one of the reasons why I accepted his offer of this role.

He said: I hope that some of my experience will help the Prime Minister in meeting the vital challenges that we face as a country.

That said, it was a surprise to be asked. I have not been sitting like some latter-day de Gaulle at Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises waiting to be asked, how shall I put it, to take back control.

Nor am I Cincinnatus hovering over my plough. I leave all classical allusions, and indeed illusions for that matter, to another former prime minister with whom I shared a number of educational experiences.

Lord Cameron also joked that he was in the delicate position of many of his fellow peers being there at his own nomination, and joked that the Liberal Democrat benches are particularly full due to their time in Government during the coalition years.

Lord Cameron said: I am in what Margaret Thatcher described in her maiden speech here as in a delicate position, responsible for proposing to elevation to this House quite so many of its current members.

So I hope you will forgive me for my part in putting  how can I put it  space here at a premium.

I note that the Liberal Democrat benches are particularly full. I always said to my deputy prime minister and partner and friend Nick Clegg that his party would feel the benefit of participating in the coalition for many, many years to come.

I just didnt predict exactly how that would manifest itself.

He emphasised that he is not the first peer to sit in the Cabinet, with Lord Mandelson, Lord Adonis, Lord Frost and Baroness Morgan of Cotes also doing so in recent times.

Lord Cameron said: Lord Mandelson sent me a particularly charming welcome, but he pointed out that I am a comeback novice and this is only my first one, compared with his three.

I suppose my response should be that to make three comebacks you need both his prodigious talent and you need to be sacked twice by the Prime Minister, which is a fate Im hoping to avoid.

Former Chancellor of the Exchequer Lord Lamont of Lerwick welcomed his former special adviser to the upper chamber, saying: Its a mystery to me why we have today still this self-defeating idea that former prime ministers should never return to frontline politics and Im glad Lord Cameron has broken that rule.

He added that he was not surprised by the appointment, as Lord Cameron wasnt wholly convincing in his denial that he wasnt remotely interested in a conversation they had a year ago.

Lord Cameron used his speech to lay before peers the benefits of joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a trading bloc made up of 11 countries: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

He added that the Bill, which provides measures to ensure the UK will be compliant with international obligations when it accedes to the CPTPP, is narrow but with considerable benefits.

He concluded: It is an investment in a brighter future  and I should know, because I was the future once.
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Residents in a seaside town in North Yorkshire have taken to the streets to express their concern about becoming the UKs first hydrogen village - despite not being given a vote on the matter.

If approved, the proposed trial would see Northern Gas Networks (NGN) switch 2,000 homes in Redcar switch from natural gas to hydrogen heating.

The project is deemed to be a key element of the governments 2050 net-zero carbon emissions target.

Heat in buildings is one of the biggest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the UK - accounting for 22 per cent of total UK emissions - and hydrogen could be used as a low-carbon alternative to natural gas.

However, the plans have faced criticism since their announcement. Originally, the trial was set to take place in both Redcar and the Whitby area of Ellesmere Port in Cheshire, but plans for the latter were dropped following local protests. Now, some residents in Redcar are hoping for the same outcome.

But what are hydrogen homes and why are the plans facing backlash?

Redcar is the only candidate left to host a trial of hydrogen home heating, but locals want a vote on the proposal first

Why does the government want to trial hydrogen homes?

The UK has committed to reaching net zero by 2050. With heat in buildings accounting for one fifth of Britains emissions, authorities are keen to find an alternative.

According to the government, hydrogen offers a low-carbon heating option that works in a similar way to natural gas.

NGN say that using hydrogen gas to heat homes doesnt create any carbon dioxide when burned, making it a greener alternative to fuel used today.

They also say that a hydrogen gas supply could offer the most cost-effective and least invasive route to zero-carbon home heating for many UK homes.

Redcar residents protested for a vote on the plan on Saturday morning (Supplied)

What does the trial involve?

The trial will involve 2,000 homes in Redcar being switched to 100 per cent hydrogen heating in 2023, pending on whether the plans are approved in 2023. The trial is expected to last for at least two years.

NGN says that Redcar has been selected because there are already commitments to produce hydrogen in the area.

Homeowners natural gas appliances would be replaced with hydrogen-compatible equivalents and other adjustments required to properties will be made.

Hydrogen will be piped to premises for the trial period through the existing natural gas network, which the government says will be appropriately modified to ensure it can safely transport hydrogen.

What do residents say?

Redcar residents have expressed their concerns over the plans. More than 500 people have signed a petition calling for a vote on the proposals and a protest was held on Saturday morning.

Plans for a similar trial near Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, were scrapped earlier this year in the face of local opposition.

Carl Conway, 51, has lived in the area for 25 years and says the community is scared by the lack of information they feel they have received.

Father-of-three Carl Conway has lived in Redcar for 25 years (Supplied)

Im very concerned along with all of the other residents who dont want this to go ahead because we dont want to be used as guinea pigs, the father-of-three told The Independent.

What theyre doing is causing massive disruption to our lives. Our homes might be totally worthless after this.

Safety is a major concern of the community and from an insurance point of view, we dont know whether we will even be covered.

A 2022 review of research also cast doubt on the effectiveness of hydrogen. It found that heating with hydrogen is a lot less efficient and more expensive than alternatives such as heat pumps, district heating and solar thermal.

Carl Conway says residents are scared and dont have enough information (Supplied)

Another Redcar resident, Maria Tucker, said she felt as though the trial was being forced upon residents.

She said: I feel its totally wrong that this trial is being forced upon us. We should be allowed to vote on this matter. Our local MP and Councillors are fully aware of our concerns and that we want the right to vote.

Residents can choose to opt out of hydrogen power and choose to have their appliances replaced with electric appliances, but Mr Conway says many are not satisfied with this alternative.

He added that many residents do not feel as though they are being given enough information to make informed decisions on the trial.

He said: Everyone Ive spoken to feels the same. We dont think NGN are answering our questions and theyre not putting anything in writing.

Local residents Dr Craig Harrison and his wife Val, joined the march and live in the trial area.

I cant believe that a PM from North Yorkshire is letting this happen. Its like something from an authoritarian regime, Dr Harrison said.

The fact the gas company can legally come into your house and force you to use a different method of heating is a concern, he said.

Its dangerous, disruptive and expensive and it certainly wont be levelling up the North, Val Harrison added. We have an awful lot of questions and Northern Gas Networks dont seem to have any answers.

What do officials say?

It said it was planning a public meeting in December and is working with the government about the arrangements and a survey suggested 76 per cent of residents were in favour, with another 19 per cent indifferent or undecided.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero says safety is fundamental to the project and that a decision would be made later this year.

A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson said: No decision on the trial has yet been made and we have always said community support would be at the centre of any decision.

An NGN spokesperson said: This a government initiative to demonstrate the repurposing of a gas network, where participants can choose between electric or hydrogen.

We understand that there may be concerns about the move and our door is always open. We continue to actively encourage anyone with questions or reservations to come and speak to us at our Hydrogen Hub on the High Street.

In a statement addressed to Redcar residents Northern Gas Networks, CEO Mark Horsley, added: There is absolutely no scenario in which we would ever install a product in anyones home or community that compromised their safety. To claim otherwise is false, and Ive been disappointed to see unevidenced rumours circulating.
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The brother of a Scottish man jailed in India for six years and facing terrorism charges has called on foreign secretary David Cameron to secure his release.

Jagtar Singh Johal, 36, was "arbitrarily detained" from India's northern state of Punjab in 2017 for allegedly being associated with the banned Sikh separatist group Khalistani Liberation Force.

Family members claimed the Dumbarton-based "campaigner for Sikh human rights" was bundled into an unmarked car and since has been subjected to torture, including electric shocks, during his time in prison. The Indian government has denied he was tortured or mistreated.

UK intelligence agencies MI5 and MI6 have been accused of tipping off the Indian officials that led to his arrest.

Prime minister Rishi Sunak reportedly raised Mr Johal's case with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi this September. Since then there has been no change in India's stance on the Sikh activist.

Now his brother, Gurpreet Singh Johal, has said he hoped the new foreign secretary would make a difference where successive British governments have failed.

"Were hopeful that this foreign secretary, well first of all he has to meet us to confirm exactly what he is going to be doing to bring Jagtar back home, but really enough is enough because this government has really let down Jagtar and his family over the last six years," the brother told BBC Radio Scotland.

He said the family was hopeful Lord Cameron would be able to leverage his experience and long-standing diplomatic relationships to call for the Briton's release.

"... because the UK government has a policy and the policy is if you are arbitrarily detained, which the UN working group on detention has found, that you should be calling for release.

Were hopeful that the sixth foreign secretary after six years might do something that the other foreign secretaries have failed to do," he added.

The UN working group on arbitrary detention in May 2022 found that Mr Johal's arrest was in breach of human rights law.

Gurpreet Singh Johal said he last spoke to his brother on his siblings wedding anniversary in October. He is hopeful in the next six months or so that he could at least be out on bail but thats as much as I know because I dont know what situation he is in.

He is trying to put light at the end of the tunnel by thinking that he will be out in the next six months at least on bail, he added.

He separately wrote a letter to Lord Cameron, urging him to take "robust action" in order to secure his brother's release.

Mr Johal has been detained for 2,208 days and could face the death penalty if convicted.

The bottom line is my brothers life depends on what David Cameron decides to do and whether he decides to call for Jagtars release to bring him back home.

In his letter to Lord Cameron, Gurpreet Singh Johal added: Jagtar is a British citizen, born and raised in Scotland, arbitrarily detained abroad on politically motivated charges and facing a possible death sentence.

It must be a priority for the UK government to resolve his case and bring him home.

Mr Johal was initially arrested in connection with an arms recovery case but later named in seven targeted attack cases, five of them being murder charges related to the separatist movement.

A total 11 cases have been registered against Jaggi Johal in India  eight of which are being investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), two by Punjab Police and one by Delhi Police Special Cell, his lawyer told the Indian Express newspaper last year.

The UK government is committed to seeing Jagtar Singh Johals case resolved as soon as possible, a spokesperson told PA news agency.

We continue to provide consular assistance to Mr Johal and his family and have consistently raised his case directly with the government of India.
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Young offenders institutions are more violent than adult male prisons and conditions are getting worse, HM Inspector of Prisons has warned, as the number of assaults soars.

Inspections boss Charlie Taylor warned that youth prisons were storing up real problems for the future by failing to rehabilitate or educate child convicts.

Youth detention centres have seen a 30 per cent increase in assaults in the past year, with 297 incidents per 100 children  up from 229 in 2020/21. Self-harm had also increased by 37 per cent in the past year, Mr Taylors review found.

A shortage of prison officers means children are being locked up for many hours a day to try to limit the disorder.

One child said it was mental torture, just seeing the light of day for 30 minutes a day. Thats 3-5 hours a week, they added.

At Werrington Young Offenders Institution, near Stoke-on-Trent, prison staff had to deal with children climbing parts of the estate and then refusing to come down. On a number of occasions, staff had to call for back-up from a specialist prison command team after rival groups of children started fighting each other.

Inspectors highlighted one incident of disorder that prompted staff to ask for the use of specialist-trained dogs and explosives that produce a flash of light and loud noise to control the unruly inmates.

Youth detention centres have seen a 30 per cent increase in assaults in the past year (Getty/The Independent)

They said children at Werrington, which holds 89 boys aged between 15 and 18, had described being hypervigilant when out of their cell. They were fearful of moving around the prison in case staff accidentally took them to the wrong area and they were confronted by other children with whom they had disagreements.

At the time of the inspection in August this year, there was a significant shortage of prison officers due to sick leave and injury, meaning there were just 58 out of a target of 115 staff available.

Although violence has increased across the youth offender estate, the number of children being detained in these institutions has fallen from 939 in 2015/16 to 435 in 2022/23.

The vast majority of the 435 children held are aged between 15 and 18, and male. Over half are from a minority ethnic background. Some 66 per cent had been in local authority care and 12 per cent had children of their own.

There has also been a rise in the number of children who have been sentenced for violence, up to 65 per cent from just 33 per cent in 2015/16.

Mr Taylor said child offenders often distrust staff and warned government ministers away from introducing pepper spray as a way to help officers control violent incidents.

He said: Not even a third of children could name a single member of staff they believed would help them if they had a problem.

Our report shows how poor trust already is between staff and children, and our inspections continue to find an absence of the basic activities that should improve trust and behaviour which would be far more productive and serve public protection far better over time.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: The number of children in custody has fallen by 79 per cent since 2010 as a result of early intervention work and the wider use of robust community sentences.

They said those children that remain have often committed the most serious offences and have exceptionally complex needs. They added that the MoJ were recruiting a specialist youth justice workforce trained to work with extremely vulnerable children.
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Watch as South Koreas president Yoon Suk Yeol visits Westminster Abbey in London on Tuesday, 21 November, as he began a three-day state visit.

It came fter the head of state and his wife Kim Keon Hee were welcomed by the King and Queen.

Following tradition, the Prince and Princess of Wales accompanied the pair from their hotel to Whitehall.

Mr Yoon and Charles inspected a guard of honour formed by F Company Scots Guard, whose members were recently deployed to South Korea where they were training troops.

Charles spent time learning about Korean culture, including K-pop music and cuisine, before the state visit.

A glittering state banquet was held in Mr Yoons honour at Buckingham Palace, where 170 guests gathered in a white tie and tiara affair in an opulent ballroom.

On Wednesday, Mr Yoon will hold bilateral talks with Rishi Sunak at Downing Street and also meet Sir Keir Starmer.
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Tesco has issued a warning to customers to spend their Clubcard vouchers before they expire at the end of the month.

More than 20 million people in the UK hold a Tesco Clubcard, which allows shoppers to receive discounts on selected items as well as rack up points they can redeem later as vouchers for use in-store.

But while they are racking up points, many are forgetting to use them before they expire. Tesco customers have now been reminded to spend more than 16m worth of Clubcard vouchers before they expire at the end of November.

The vouchers, which were first issued in November 2021, will expire on 30 November 2023 and could instead be used to help out at a tough time of year for family budgets.

Emma Botton, Tesco Group Customer Director, said: We want to help customers household budgets stretch further right now and Clubcard is the best way to get great value with Tesco.

With more than 16m worth of Clubcard vouchers due to expire at the end of November, were reminding customers to spend them now  or even use them to get ahead with some early Christmas shopping.

Last December, Tesco announced that it was revising its Clubcard scheme to give out coupons to loyal shoppers more often.

Tesco Clubcard vouchers are issued every three months in February, May, August and November. The shop said that more than 100 million worth of new ones are set to be issued from October 30 - the highest amount issued at one time since 2015.

Customers can use their Clubcard vouchers on their weekly shop or fuel, treat themselves or use them towards 100 reward partners, including Pizza Express and Spa Seekers.
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Irelands deputy premier Micheal Martin said humanitarian workers have not been able to provide governments with the proof of life of any hostages believed to be held by Hamas, including nine-year-old Irish-Israeli Emily Hand.

Mr Martin said the Irish government continues to work with Israeli and Egyptian authorities to get the remaining Irish citizens and their dependents out of Gaza.

Earlier, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told the Dail that the Government was doing everything it could to secure Emilys release.

Speaking to reporters in Dublin, Mr Martin said: The International Committee of the Red Cross and Red Crescent have not had access to the hostages, I understand, in terms of verification and proof of life of any hostage  and that obviously remains a matter of deep anxiety for the families of all involved.

He added: Ordinarily, in theatres of conflict or wars they would get access to prisoners of war camps, for example.

I hope and I pray that Emily Hand will be freed along with other hostages Micheal Martin

Mr Martin said there has been no further information with respect to any individual hostage, adding: Not least Emily Hand.

Asked about the release of bodies, he said there has been no indication of that yet.

But he said the bones of an agreement on the release of hostages by Hamas exists.

We want all hostages released. We have raised the case of Emily Hand with all of the key governments and agencies which may have influence and channels with people who could affect the release of hostages and particularly Emily Hand, Mr Martin said.

We have prioritised the release of children and older people and that is our focus. I hope and I pray that Emily Hand will be freed along with other hostages.

He added: We know that the bones of an agreement is there. I think what were all waiting for now is the realisation of it and the release of hostages.

Mr Varadkar spoke on the issue during Leaders Questions in the Dail.

We understand that there are some discussions and talks under way between intermediaries involving the release of hostages, he said.

I had a chance to speak with the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar only yesterday. Ill meet today (Tuesday) with the ambassadors of some Arab countries and some Muslim countries and, as you know, the Tanaiste has been very involved in contacts as well.

And we are particularly pursuing the case of Emily Hand, a young Irish-Israeli girl who we believe is being held hostage in Gaza by Hamas, and were doing everything we can to make sure that if there is the release of some hostages by Hamas in the coming days, that children are first among those to be released.

Were very strongly of the view that hostages should never be taken by anyone in any conflict anywhere, ever. But, particularly the taking of children as hostages is particularly wrong. Were pushing and using all our contacts and all our abilities to ensure that if there is a hostage release in the coming days, that Emily Hand is among one of those to be released. Thats a major priority for us now, as a government.

We should not forget, only one Irish citizen has been killed so far in this conflict, Kim Damti, who was killed by Hamas in Israel, attending a music festival, and there is an Irish citizen being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza, and were doing everything we can to facilitate her release.

Also on Tuesday, Mr Martin described the recent vandalism of his Department of Foreign Affairs building as a criminal act.

He said diplomats had done extraordinary work to get 51 Irish citizens and their dependents so far out of Gaza through the Rafah crossing.

Why you would attack the Department of Foreign Affairs is simply beyond me, he said.

Mr Martin said the majority of Irish citizens have left Gaza but some are not in a position to leave due to personal circumstances.
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Nigel Farage and Fred Sirieix have clashed on Im A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! as they got into a heated debate about Brexit.

During Mondays episode, tensions rose as First Dates host Sirieix described a poster used by the Ukip party leader during the 2016 campaign as shameful.

As they discussed politics, French TV star Sirieix asked: Whats the benefit of Brexit then? If you are an average person from Britain, whats the benefit?

Farage replied: To know that were independent, we stand on our own two feet in the world.

Recalling a poster which showed a long queue of migrants under the slogan Breaking Point, Sirieix added: The thing is the intolerance that came because Brexit was about immigration, I remember your poster.

I thought it was shameful what you did Nigel. Shameful.

Sirieix added that he felt it was about demonising migrants, to which Farage replied: In your view it was, but it wasnt.

In the Bush Telegraph, the former politician turned GB News presenter said: I knew it wouldnt take long, I knew politics would rear its head as indeed it did. And Fred feels very strongly about it.

As the debate continued, other campmates left them to wash up their dishes, with food critic Grace Dent telling Hollyoaks star Nick Pickard: Brexit was his entire idea. Its his specialist subject. Freds not going to change his mind on anything.

In the Bush Telegraph Sirieix said: Nigel Farage is in the jungle with me so were bound to have this conversation but at the end of the day nothing is going to change, Nigel believes what he believes, I believe what I believe. It was only a matter of time.

Farage also made a jab at former prime minister Boris Johnson after This Morning presenter Josie Gibson asked what he was personally like.

He replied: Entertaining in small doses. (Hes) surprisingly introverted. You see this big act, fluffing the hair  surprising.

Asked if the former prime minister was a fumbler in real life, he added: I think hes one of the most disorganised human beings that possibly ever lived.

The whole things bloody chaos. Shambles.

Elsewhere, Farage tucked into a pizza topped with four different animal penises, as he took on his first bushtucker trial.

He teamed up with YouTuber Nella Rose for the Jungle Pizzeria task, winning nine of ten stars for their efforts.

Among the various other unappetising toppings Farage ate were camel and sheep udder, cow and goat feet and blended bulls tongue.

As Rose tried not to vomit while tasting dishes that included giant mealworms and fly pupae, Farage offered her words of encouragement.

For his last meal, Farage had to eat a slice with a sheep, pig, bull and crocodile penis  which secured him his fifth and final gold star.

Im A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! continues on Tuesday at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
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A private lunch with the monarch and their consort in the historic surroundings of Buckingham Palace forms a traditional part of each state visit by a foreign power.

But there was a flurry of activity in the Blue Drawing Room when the South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and First Lady Kim Keon Hee dined with the King and Queen at the grand royal residence on Tuesday.

The lunch  where guests including the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duchess of Edinburgh and the South Korean delegation dined on chicken  coincided with North Korea launching what it claims to be a spy satellite.

The launch marks the latest demonstration of North Koreas determination to build a space-based surveillance system during protracted tensions with the United States.

Residents on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa were initially told to take cover before the order was lifted.

A spy satellite is among the key military assets coveted by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who wants to modernise his weapons systems to cope with what he calls escalating US threats.

Among those who joined the President at the Palace were the South Korean director of national security Cho Taeyong, deputy prime minister Choo Kyung-ho and the minister of foreign affairs Park Jin  who no doubt were informed of the developing crisis.

But the lunch continued, with the President moving to the Palace picture gallery afterwards to press ahead with the planned programme.

William and Kate joined the entourage to view an exhibition of Royal Collection artefacts celebrating the UKs ties with South Korea, where the princess was heard to smile and remark and karaoke to Mr Choo and Mr Park.

The 62-year-old President is a known fan of karaoke and in April belted out a verse of one of his favourite songs, American Pie, at a White House dinner at the request of President Joe Biden during a state visit to the US.

William said: Ill put it in the diary as he was shown gifts given to his late grandmother Elizabeth II when she became the first British monarch to make a state visit to Korea in 1999.

They saw a celadon vase which was presented to the late Queen and decorated with chrysanthemums to symbolise virtue, long life and purity.

They heard how Elizabeth II visited the rural village of Hahoe in Andong Province, where she was held in such high esteem that they sent a crate of apples to the royal household for her every year on her birthday.

William and Kate shared a tender moment at the end of the exhibition when the prince placed his hand on his wifes back.

The prince also pointed out members of the royal family pictured in a photograph with Sir Winston Churchill on the Palace balcony in 1945 to guests.

Thats VE Day. Princess Margaret and the Queen Mother, William said.

The images of Sir Winston were included especially for the President who is a huge fan of the wartime politician.

Churchill became prime minister for the second time in October 1951, during the Korean War in which nearly 100,000 British troops fought and more than 1,000 died.

Korea featured in Sir Winstons publications, including Stemming the Tide (1951-52)  in which he declared: I have always been anxious to bring the conflict in Korea to an end as speedily as possible.

Mr Yoon peered closely at letters between Churchill and King George VI and picked up a book on the Second World War which Sir Winston gifted to the then-monarch to examine it.

He is likely to have been thrilled with the official gifts he received from Charles and Camilla  a copy of Sir Winstons Stemming The Tide book, hand-bound at the Royal Bindery, Windsor Castle, with a bespoke dedication label.

The Presidents other gifts included a one-off special bottling of Laphroaig whisky, from a cask that was signed by the King when he visited Laphroaig distillery in 2008.

The Queen gave Mrs Kim a pashmina hand embroidered with the Mugungwha  the national flower of South Korea  and the names of the First Ladys dogs, created by embroiderers from The Royal School of Needlework.

Mrs Kim has been a vocal critic of dog meat consumption and has adopted a number of stray dogs.

It was reported last week that South Korea aims to ban eating dog meat and put an end to the controversy over the ancient custom amid growing awareness of animal rights.

The President and the First Lady had four dogs  Tori, Narae, Mari and Sunny  and three cats  Akkaengi, Navi and Norangi  when Mr Yoon came to power, but they are now said to have around 11 pets.

Camilla is a known dog lover and her coronation dress featured Royal School of Needlework golden motifs of her own terriers, Beth and Bluebell.

Other gifts from the King and Queen to the couple were a silver-framed signed photograph of Charles and Camilla and a bespoke Royal Scot Crystal whisky decanter and tumbler set, engraved with the Kings cypher, the Presidential Seal, and with the dates of the state visit.
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Rishi Sunak will threaten to cut benefit payments to hundreds of thousands of people with mobility and mental-health problems unless they find work they can do from home.

The prime minister will tell them to find jobs or face a benefits cut of 4,680 a year if they do not in a bid to get more people back to work, according to reports.

It comes as part of a drive to slash the governments welfare bill, with ministers insisting that many on benefits can no longer be written off as incapable of working thanks to the post-Covid boom in remote working.

In September, work and pensions secretary Mel Stride launched a consultation to overhaul the governments work capability assessments, which determine whether someone is eligible to claim universal credit instead of working.

The consultation promised to reflect the rise of flexible and home working and better employer support for disabled people and people with health conditions.

At the time, Mr Sunak said he wanted to "help people take advantage of modern working environments".

The response to the consultation is set to be published alongside the governments autumn statement on Wednesday, according to The Times.

Universal credit claimants unable to walk 50 metres unaided do not have to look for a job under limited capability for work and work-related activity category. But this descriptor is expected to be removed, it reported.

It will mean that from 2025, hundreds of thousands of claimants will be hit by the carrot and stick approach.

The chancellor Jeremy Hunt last week warned as part of a wider crackdown that those who coast on benefits will lose handouts if they refuse to take a job.

Claimants deemed fit to work, but who fail to take steps to find employment, will be cut off from accessing benefits such as free prescriptions and dental treatment, help from energy suppliers and cheaper mobile phone packages.

The chancellor said the move, launched just days the autumn statement, was necessary to stop anyone choosing to coast on the hard work of taxpayers.

But the plans were condemned as hateful by senior Tories and potentially illegal by the head of Britains equalities watchdog.

Former deputy prime minister Michael Heseltine told The Independent that ministers should not use the health service as a sanction.

Tory minister Laura Trott on Tuesday brushed off suggestions that plans to encourage people with mental health or mobility problems to work from home are uncaring.

The chief secretary to the Treasury, told Sky News: "If you can work as a principle, you should work, and that is what the government believes. Thats been the thrust of all of our policies.

"Of course, there should be support for people to help them into work or to help them with issues that theyre facing, but ultimately, there is a duty on citizens that if they are able to go out to work, thats what they should do."

Ministers are also finalising a package of tax cuts ahead of Wednesdays autumn statement, with Mr Hunt expected to announce a cut in income tax or national insurance.

Ms Trott said the economy had turned a corner and the government can now talk about tax cuts.
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The governments former deputy chief medical adviser has revealed he thought about quitting after his family was threatened with having their throats cut during the pandemic.

Testifying at the Covid inquiry on Wednesday, Sir Jonathan Van-Tam said his family had been asked to temporarily move home for their safety while police dealt with the extremely hateful messages  but they remained in place because we didnt want to leave the cat.

Sir Jonathan said that while he might have expected the very, very intense workload at the pandemics outset  which was horrendous for all of us, with officials working 16-hour days, seven days a week  he did not expect my family to be threatened with having their throats cut.

Jonathan Van-Tam was a frequent addition to Downing Streets daily Covid briefings at the height of the pandemic (PA)

The former government official, who left the post in March last year, added: I did not expect the police to have to say, Will you move out in the middle of the night, or in the middle of the evening? Will you move out for a few days while we look at this and potentially make some arrests?

He continued: It was a very stressful time indeed. My family didnt sign up for that, and I only make this point because Im so worried that if theres a future crisis, people will not want to sign up for these roles and these jobs, because of the implications that come with them.

His testimony echoes that of Sir Patrick Vallance, who told the inquiry on Monday that he considered quitting as chief scientific adviser as a result of concerns for the wellbeing and safety of my family after receiving threats and abuse.

Former chief medical officer Sir Chris Whitty has also expressed alarm to the inquiry about threats to health officials, and a man was last year jailed for eight weeks after admitting to intending to cause Sir Chris distress when approaching him in public last June.

Sir Jonathan became the latest of those three top scientists  frequently seen flanking Boris Johnson and other cabinet ministers at the Downing Street podium in the height of the pandemic  to take the stand this week, and face questioning about decisions taken during the crisis.

The former deputy chief medical officer was absolutely not consulted about the Eat Out to Help Out scheme (EPA)

In a blow to the prime minister, Sir Jonathan joined his colleagues in saying  contrary to Mr Johnsons assertions to the inquiry  that he was absolutely not consulted on then-chancellor Rishi Sunaks Eat Out to Help Out scheme, adding: The first I heard about was, I think, on the TV.

Had I been consulted I wouldnt have made any distinction between Eat Out to Help Out and any other epidemiological event that brought different households into close contact with each other for the purposes of socialising, eating and consuming alcohol, he said.

The net epidemiological effect is agnostic to whats on the menu. I would have said this is exactly encouraging what weve been trying to suppress and get on top of in the last few months. So it didnt feel sensible to me.

While the first lockdown in March 2020 could have been earlier, Sir Jonathan said it was clear that we were losing control of the virus bit-by-bit through the autumn prior to the second lockdown.

Warning that there were just too many delays for the tiered restrictions system to work efficiently, he added: Youre already dealing with yesterdays data trying to make decisions. And the tier system just seemed interminably slow between a decision and the negotiation on the economic packages to enable it to happen.

Concluding his testimony earlier on Wednesday, Sir Chris appeared to agree, saying that while the second national lockdown was inevitable, it wasnt necessarily inevitable had different decisions been taken.

And Sir Chris suggested that on the weekend before the first national lockdown, there was a stark realisation that the UK was a lot further along the path than we thought we were.

The ex-CMO said he did not believe that all parts of the Downing Street machinery equally were seized of the urgency of the situation in mid-March 2020, adding: This was a lot of people really not getting what exponential growth was actually going to mean.

Sir Chris also lamented the confusion around the concept of herd immunity, describing public remarks on the concept by some government officials as being a long way from helpful for the public.

The top medic said his sole contribution on the issue before the first lockdown was to say to people this is very complicated, please dont talk about it, adding: Not because I wanted to hide it, but because I thought a very uninformed discussion was forming that was not helping policy-making.

He added: It was clearly a ridiculous goal of policy and a very dangerous one, and a lot of what was being said could have led to considerable confusion  and indeed did.
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The King and Queen will officially welcome the president of South Korea to the UK on Tuesday and stage a glittering state banquet in his honour at Buckingham Palace.

Charles and Camilla are hosting Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee for the first incoming state visit since the Kings coronation and the second of his reign.

The Prince and Princess of Wales will play a key role by greeting the President and the First Lady at their hotel on Tuesday morning.

William and Kate will travel with Mr Yoon and Mrs Kim to the ceremonial welcome on Horse Guards Parade in central London, where the King and Queen will be waiting.

A guard of honour, formed by F Company Scots Guards, will give a royal salute amid traditional pomp and pageantry and the King and Mr Yoon will inspect the troops on the parade ground.

Charles, Camilla, William and Kate and their guests will then travel in a carriage procession down The Mall to the Palace, before a private lunch and a visit to see Royal Collection exhibits in the Picture Gallery.

Later, Mr Yoon will lay a wreath at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey and deliver an address in the Royal Gallery at the Palace of Westminster to members of both Houses of Parliament.

In the evening, 170 guests will gather for the banquet, customarily a white tie and tiara affair, in the opulent Palace ballroom.

The King and Queen are expected to be joined by William, Kate and other members of the royal family, while Charles and Mr Yoon will make speeches.

Foreign secretaries are also usually invited, meaning the newly appointed Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton is likely to make a return to dining at the royal residence, harking back to the days when he was prime minister.

Mr Yoon, 62, is a known fan of karaoke and in April belted out a verse of one of his favourite songs, American Pie, at a White House dinner at the request of President Joe Biden during a state visit to the US.

He got a standing ovation.

Critics of Mr Yoon, a former prosecutor general, have accused him of suppressing freedom of speech during his 18-month presidency and cracking down on fault-finding news reports about him in the name of fighting fake news.

Mrs Kim, a 51-year-old former head of an art event-planning company, has also attracted controversy.

She made a televised public apology in 2021 after admitting exaggerating her professional credentials when applying for jobs at universities over a decade ago.

Mr Yoon and Mrs Kim made a low-key arrival at Stansted Airport on Monday.

Before his trip, Mr Yoon said the world is facing a polycrisis of multiple conflicts and threats to humanity.

He told The Daily Telegraph that the wars in Ukraine and Israel, and rising tension with Russia, North Korea and in the South China Sea, have compelled him to seek very close security co-operation with the West.

He secured a landmark deal with the US earlier this year to counter the North Korean nuclear threat.

Mr Yoon previously warned fellow world leaders about possible co-operation between North Korea and Russia after North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The King and the South Korean President met last year at the reception for heads of state and official overseas guests at the Palace on the eve of the late Queens funeral.

Mr Yoons opponents accused him of being disrespectful during his trip to London after he missed the chance to view the late Queens coffin lying in state  which he blamed on heavy traffic.

He was also caught on microphone swearing after a chat with Mr Biden at the UN general assembly the following week, with the footage going viral in his home country.

The King visited South Korea in November 1992.

As the Prince of Wales, he carried out the tour with his then-wife, Diana, Princess of Wales, but the pair were branded The Glums for looking ill at ease together and a month later it was announced Charles and Diana were separating.

On Wednesday, Mr Yoon will hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at Downing Street and also meet Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.

The state visit follows the first incoming one of the Kings reign by South Africas President Cyril Ramaphosa last autumn.
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Rishi Sunak has hit out at a warning from the United Nations that lengthy sentences for climate protesters could curb freedoms in the UK.

The Prime Minister said it was entirely right to hand tough sentences to demonstrators who cause major disruption.

The comments were in response to Ian Fry, the UNs special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change, raising concern at the sentences handed to Just Stop Oil campaigners who scaled the Dartford Crossing in October 2022.

Morgan Trowland, 40, and Marcus Decker, 34, were jailed for three years and two years and seven months respectively after using ropes and other climbing gear to scale the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, causing gridlock across two days when police closed it to traffic.

It's entirely right that selfish protesters intent on causing misery to the hard-working majority face tough sentences Prime Minister Rishi Sunak

Mr Fry, in a letter to a UK Government representative sent in August, said the sentences were significantly more severe than previous sentences imposed for this type of offending in the past.

The special rapporteur said he was particularly concerned about the sentencing of the environmental human rights defenders in relation to their rights to freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly and association.

He added: I am gravely concerned about the potential flow-on effect that the severity of the sentences could have on civil society and the work of activists, expressing concerns about the triple planetary crisis and, in particular, the impacts of climate change on human rights and on future generations.

He asked how Trowland and Deckers sentences were compatible with international norms, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which the UK has ratified.

But the Prime Minister defended the Governments approach, saying: Those who break the law should feel the full force of it.

Conservative Party leader Mr Sunak tweeted: It is entirely right that selfish protesters intent on causing misery to the hard-working majority face tough sentences.

Its what the public expects and its what weve delivered.

Last month, Trowland and Decker lost a bid to challenge their sentences at the Supreme Court, the UKs highest court.

In July, the protesters lost an appeal over what their lawyers said was the extraordinary length of their jail terms for the direct action on the crossing over the River Thames in south-east England.

In their ruling, the judges acknowledged the long and honourable tradition of civil disobedience on conscientious grounds and that the sentences handed to Trowland and Decker went well beyond previous sentences imposed for this type of offending.

But Lady Chief Justice Lady Carr said the jail terms were not excessive and reflected Parliaments will under new laws enacted under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act last year.

The legislation introduced a new fault-based public nuisance offence for what obviously will include non-violent protest behaviour, with a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment, the appeal judges said.

Lady Carr said the sentences met the legitimate aim of deterring others from such offending.

Just Stop Oil shared a message Trowland issued from prison following the UNs intervention in his and Deckers case.

Trowland said: The sentences given to myself and Marcus Decker demonstrate that our Government is determined to protect those who are planning climate genocide.

Its people vs oil and our Government has signalled that it is on the side of oil.

The two mens trial, held at Basildon Crown Court in spring 2023, was told the QEII bridge was shut from 4am on October 17 until 9pm the next day, sparking traffic jams as motorists were forced to use tunnels instead.

Structural engineer Trowland, of Islington, north London, and private tutor Decker, of no fixed address, denied causing a public nuisance, arguing it was a protest.

The jury was told the protesters ascended to a point close to 200ft above the road and unfurled a giant Just Stop Oil banner and rigged up hammocks and stayed there.

The men came down at about 5.30pm on October 18 with the help of police and a very tall cherry picker crane, but the bridge, which links the M25 in Essex and Kent, was not reopened to traffic until later.

Essex Police said those affected by the disruption included a heavily pregnant woman who needed urgent medical help.

Another person missed the funeral of their best friend of 35 years, the force said, and a business lost more than 160,000 in earnings.

In April, a jury unanimously found Trowland and Decker guilty of causing a public nuisance.

Just Stop Oil says Decker, a German citizen who the group said has leave to remain in the UK, faces deportation after serving his sentence.

Trowland has six previous convictions relating to protests, while Decker has one, with lawyers for the pair previously saying they would not take part in further disruptive protests.

The Prime Ministers official spokesman said judges had the UK Governments full backing to use the new powers given to them by MPs to punish those carrying out disruptive protests.

Mr Sunaks spokesman told reporters: While it is not for us to comment on specific decisions of the court, it is entirely right that the courts  use the tough new powers that Parliament has granted and they have our full backing to do so.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has been contacted for comment.
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The UK and South Korea are to launch talks on a new trade deal and sign a diplomatic accord as part of Korean President Yoon Suk Yeols state visit.

Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch will begin negotiations with her Korean counterpart Bang Moon Kyu at the UK-Korea Business Forum at Mansion House on Wednesday.

They will also announce 21 billion of investments committed by Korean businesses in green energy and infrastructure projects across the UK.

The UK secured a free trade deal with South Korea in 2019, with the agreement largely aimed at keeping trade flowing post-Brexit and removing uncertainty.

The UK hopes to secure modern digital provisions in a new deal because most of its services exports to Korea are delivered digitally.

Ms Badenoch said: The Government is upgrading our trade deal with South Korea to ensure that our trading relationship plays to the UKs strengths as an advanced, high-tech economy.

This refreshed, modernised deal will boost our world-leading services sector while also creating new opportunities for UK exports such as in our world-leading food and luxury goods sectors.

Mr Yoon began his state visit on Tuesday with a welcome from the King and Queen.

He will hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and sign the new long-term agreement covering defence and technology co-operation in Downing Street on Wednesday.

The Downing Street Accord follows similar agreements with Singapore and Japan, coming as the UK seeks to consolidate influence in the Indo-Pacific.

It will include a defence agreement that will boost the British and Korean militaries co-operation on countering smuggling in the East China Sea which North Korea relies on to evade sanctions.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said: The UK is leading the way in supporting our Korean friends in countering North Koreas aggressive posturing and ensuring the safety and security of the Indo-Pacific.

Deepening the ties between the Royal Navy and Republic of Korea Navy, our bilateral defence relationship has never been stronger.

Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron said: This agreement  signed 70 years after the Korean War Armistice  is a truly unique step in the strengthening of our work to secure the security of the Korean Peninsula and the region. We are proud, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, to be at the forefront of international sanctions enforcement activity.

This incudes upholding international commitments to curtail North Koreas illegal weapons programmes.

A new clean energy partnership will also be signed, bolstering collaboration on low-carbon technologies, civil nuclear, and policies to tackle climate change.

Downing Street said the accord will also see the countries work closer together on technology such as artificial intelligence, semi-conductors and quantum.

Science ministers will also sign a memorandum of understanding to boost space co-operation.

South Korea will host next years AI summit after the first UK-backed gathering in Bletchley Park earlier this month.

The UK visit coincides with the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the UK and Korea, as well as the 70th anniversary of the armistice of the Korean war.
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President Volodymyr Zelensky has hailed the important role of the worlds media in fostering international support for Ukraine, as he met representatives of Fox News and The Sun, including Fox Corporation chief executive Lachlan Murdoch.

He met Fox News correspondent Benjamin Hall and The Sun journalist Jerome Starkey in his Kyiv office and thanked them for comprehensive coverage of the war, including shining light on Russian atrocities despite personal risks, the presidents official website said in a statement.

He also told The Sun how he has survived at least five assassination attempts by Russian President Vladimir Putin, likening his reaction to the attempts as just like Covid.

The first one is very interesting, when it is the first time, and after that it is just like Covid President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky

He told the newspaper: The first one is very interesting, when it is the first time, and after that it is just like Covid.

First of all people dont know what to do with it and its looking very scary.

And then after that, it is just intelligence sharing with you detail that one more group came to Ukraine to (attempt) this.

But he could not tell the newspaper exactly how many plots he had survived.

The Sun also reported after the meeting that Mr Zelensky accused the Kremlin of helping Hamas launch attacks in Israel in October, and that the Ukraine-Russia conflict could spiral into a third world war.

He also said Ukraine needs more Western aid and weapons.

According to his website, Mr Zelensky thanked reporters across the globe for garnering support.

All this time, journalists, cameramen, editors, photographers, drivers have been on the frontline, he said.

As this is a hybrid war, information is also a weapon in Russian hands.

It will not be over as quickly as we would like, but we have no right to give up and we will not Volodymyr Zelensky

My sincere condolences to the families and friends of those very brave men and women who lost their lives trying to show what is happening in Ukraine.

In particular, it is thanks to journalists from many countries that we now have such support in the world.

He also emphasised the importance of keeping the worlds attention on the conflict at a time when it is blurred by other events.

For some reason, people treat it like a movie and expect that there will be no long pauses in the events, that the picture before their eyes will always change, that there will be some surprises every day, he said.

But for us, for our warriors, this is not a movie. These are our lives. This is daily hard work. And it will not be over as quickly as we would like, but we have no right to give up and we will not.

Mr Zelensky awarded Mr Hall with the Order of Merit, third class, after he was caught up in a shelling attack while reporting on the war in March 2022, which caused him to suffer burns all over, lose half a leg and his feet and sustain damage to one eye.

Mr Murdoch, son of media mogul Rupert Murdoch, was appointed chairman of both Fox and News Corp in September.
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A landslide in Alaska has killed at least three people and left three others missing after it ripped down a heavily forested mountainside in southeast Alaska and smashed into three homes in a remote fishing community.

The large landslide hit the residences near the city of Wrangell at around 9pm local time on Monday, leaving one woman injured. Members of emergency services found the body of a girl in an initial search and late on Tuesday, the bodies of two adults were found by a drone operator.

Crews resorted to a cadaver-sniffing dog and heat-sensing drones to search for two children and one adult who remained unaccounted for hours after the disaster. The ages of the children were not released.

At least three homes were hit by the landslide, said Alaska State Troopers spokesperson Austin McDaniel, adding that the rescued woman had been on the upper floor of a home that was struck. She was in good condition and receiving medical care.

Right now, the major focus is on search and rescue, said Mark Roberts, the state homeland security division incident commander.

The slide  estimated to be about 137m wide  occurred during a significant rain and windstorm near Wrangell, an island community of 2,000 residents some 250km south of Juneau.

This image from video provided by Sunrise Aviation shows the landslide that occurred the previous evening near Wrangell, Alaska, on 21 November2023 (AP)

The slide down the mountainside left a scar of barren earth from near the top of the peak down to the ocean, wiping out large evergreen trees and leaving what appeared to be remnants of homes in its wake.

Such landslides are known as debris flows and pose a threat due to the steep slopes in southeastern Alaska, which is further increased during heavy rain, explained state Department of Natural Resources geologist Barrett Salisbury.

Angela Stires is embraced by her daughter, Tuesday, 21 November 2023, at the community center, which opened for people displaced by the landslide in Wrangell, Alaska (AP)

The debris flow occurs when the soil becomes so saturated it no longer has the strength to hold itself in place, he told NBC News.

A geologist from the state transportation department was flown in from Juneau and conducted a preliminary assessment, clearing some areas of the debris field for ground searches to begin.The landslide buried a highway and cut off access and power to approximately 75 homes. Boats evacuated residents from the cut-off area to the unaffected part of town, according to the state emergency management office.

In this image provided by the US Coast Guard is the aftermath of a landslide in Wrangell, Alaska on Tuesday, 21 November 2023 (AP)

A large-scale search and rescue mission wasnt initially possible because the site was unstable and hazardous, said the troopers.

Governor Mike Dunleavy issued a disaster declaration for Wrangell, saying he and his wife were praying for the community.Rose and I are heartbroken by this disaster and we pray for the safety of all those on site and offer all the resources our state has available, he said in a statement on social media.

Troopers also warned of the threat of possible additional landslides in the area after a day of stormy weather marked by high winds and rain. They urged people caught on the other side of the slide, away from Wrangell, to evacuate by water taxi. A shelter has been established.

Additional reporting from the wires
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Entering contract talks with Detroit's three automakers, Shawn Fain set lofty expectations for what he could gain for his union members  and delivered on many of them. He secured significant pay raises, improved benefits, the right to strike over plant closures and a raft of other concessions.

But to the United Auto Workers president, the agreements that emerged from talks that were marked by six weeks of strikes were merely the start of a victory streak and a renaissance for the 88-year-old union. Now, Fain has set his latest ambitious goal: To gain UAW membership in nonunion companies across the industry  from foreign automakers with U.S. operations like Toyota to electric vehicle makers like Tesla to EV battery plants that will likely represent a sizable share of auto jobs in the decades ahead.

Already, Fain asserted in an interview with The Associated Press, the contracts have benefited workers in nonunion auto companies: Soon after the UAW won major pay raises for its workers, Toyota, Honda, Hyundai and Nissan  all nonunion operations  raised their own workers' pay in what Fain characterized as an obvious bid to stop the UAW from unionizing those workforces.

Last week, workers at General Motors, Ford and Stellantis collectively voted 64% to ratify the new settlement deals, which are among the richest contracts in the UAW 88-year history. The agreements ended many wage tiers, gave temporary hires better pay and a path to full-time work and boosted from around 6% to 10% the annual 401(k) contributions for those without pension plans.

According to Fain, workers at some nonunion plants, including the electric vehicle sales leader, Tesla, have contacted the UAW about joining the union, which hasn't even begun its organizing efforts. Fain noted that the nonunion companies didn't raise pay for their workers until after the UAW won general and cost-of-living raises, which should reach 33% by the time the contacts expire in 2028.

Companies play their workers as fools sometimes, he said in the interview. They care about keeping more for themselves and leaving the employees to fend for themselves.

Fain, who took office just eight months ago in the first direct election of UAW leaders in its history, said the time is right for labor unions to grow as they did in the 1930s and 40s, before they began a steady decline beginning in the 1950s. American workers, he said, are fed up with stagnant wages while corporate executives earn ever-growing multiples of median worker pay.

Companies, Fain said, will spend limitless amounts to try to stop the UAW, but the union can point to its Detroit contracts to show workers they will have a voice. In that way, he said, the union is a great equalizer."

Fain declined to say which nonunion companies the UAW would target first. But high on the list is Tesla, whose biggest shareholder is CEO Elon Musk, the world's wealthiest man and an outspoken opponent of the union.

The world's richest man is the richest man for a reason, Fain said. They get this kind of wealth by exploiting other people.

Musk, who also runs the rocket company SpaceX, is talking about shipping Tesla production to Mexico and other low-cost countries.

A message was left seeking comment from Tesla.

The union leader said he expects Toyota, Honda and others to fight the UAW's organizing effort by threatening to close factories or eliminate benefits. Musk has threated to end stock awards that go to production workers if they vote to join the union. Fain said the UAW, if given the opportunity, would negotiate to retain and increase those stock awards.

The union, Fain says, also will have to organize Detroit automakers' EV battery plants, which are joint ventures with South Korean companies. GM and Stellantis, the maker of Jeep and Ram vehicles, have agreed to bring their joint venture plants under the union's national contract, making it easier for the UAW to sign them up. Ford has not.

That, he said, could become a problem if Ford fights the UAW's efforts to organize at the plants in Kentucky and Tennessee.

Unless they change their tune, it's going to be an all-out war, Fain said.

Ford did agree to put a wholly owned battery plant in Michigan and a planned electric pickup plant in Tennessee into the UAW contract. But in the interview, Fain accused CEO Jim Farley of agreeing to work with the union on the joint-venture plants  only to renege later.

At that point, things didn't go well, Fain said. We had to make progress where we could, and we did.

A message was left at Ford seeking a response to Fain's accusation.

Fain declined to say what his fight would look like or if it could mean a strike against Ford in 2025, when the joint-venture plants are set to open.

It just means we're going to do what we have to do to get it, he said. Those workers deserve their fair share of economic and social justice."

Ford has said it couldn't pledge to unionize the battery plants because its joint venture partner would have to agree. In addition, Ford has said, the plants haven't been built, and it can't agree to the unionization of workers who haven't been hired yet.

In the contract talks, Fain said, he would have liked to gain stronger pension increases for longtime workers with defined benefit plans. He'd also like steady pension checks for newer hires rather than 401(k) plans. The union plans to seek law changes requiring retirement security for all workers, and will push for the benefits in 2028 contract talks.

In the interview, Fain said he doesn't expect the higher costs that the automakers will absorb from the new contracts to lead them to build new factories in Mexico or Canada. The union, he said, can strike if a U.S. plant is closed and could take action if companies build new factories elsewhere.

The UAW, he said, will try to work with the companies. But he noted that partnering with the automakers in the past to address costs has typically benefited them to the exclusion of workers. He noted the concessions the UAW agreed to in 2008 to help the automakers survive dire financial problems.

This time, he said, union members negotiated for themselves but also won raises for nonunion workers in the South who would have received nothing without the UAW.

"Thats something to be proud of, he said.
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Elon Musk has now amplified the widely debunked Pizzagate conspiracy theory on X, just days after he sparked outrage for pushing an antisemitic conspiracy theory.

On Monday, an X user attempted to link the founder of Media Matters  the left-leaning non-profit group that last week accused X of promoting adverts from global companies alongside pro-Hitler content  to the owner of the so-called Pizzagate restaurant.

Mr Musk then boosted the post by replying to it, with the one-word phrase: Weird.

Now, the three-year-old conspiracy theory and baseless claims of its ties to Media Matters have been promoted to the tech moguls 160 million followers.

Pizzagate is an anti-Hillary Clinton conspiracy theory promoted on 4chan, Reddit, Twitter and other platforms in the final days before the 2016 US presidential election.

Believers accused then presidential hopeful Ms Clinton and other senior Democrats of running a child sex trafficking ring out of a Washington DC pizza joint. The conspiracy theory led to a shooting at the restaurant.

The amplification of the theory by the tech billionaire comes amid a growing row between Mr Musk and Media Matters after the organisation published a report revealing that adverts from big brands including IBM, Apple, Oracle and Bravo were running next to pro-Hitler and antisemitic content on Mr Musks social media platform.

The revelation prompted a series of major companies  including Disney, Apple and IBM  to pull advertising from X.

On Monday, Mr Musk responded by filing a thermonuclear lawsuit against Media Matters. Mr Musk has also branded the organisation evil in a post on X.

Mr Musk and other X executives have denied the accusations in the Media Matters report, saying that the research strategy used by the non-profit to uncover the content placed next to company adverts was not representative of how regular people use its platform.

Elon Musk has been accused of amplifying the Pizzagate conspiracy theory (EPA)

The organisation had followed accounts that posted the content, then refreshed the X timeline until adverts appeared, X executive Joe Benarroch said.

Meanwhile, an X spokesperson told The Independent the company did not intentionally place the adverts next to the posts from the antisemitic accounts, which have now been demonetised, meaning advertising can no longer run on their profiles. However, the accounts have not been removed.

Media Matters president Angelo Carusone issued a statement on Monday addressing Mr Musks campaign against the organisation, calling the lawsuit meritless and an attempt to silence reporting that he even confirmed is accurate.

Musk admitted the ads at issue ran alongside the pro-Nazi content we identified. If he does sue us, we will win, the non-profit said.

After Mr Musks $44bn acquisition of X closed last year, he relaxed moderation policies on X and cut many staff involved with safety on the platform.

Since then, Mr Musk has come under fire on multiple occasions over content promoting antisemitism on the site.

Mr Musk has also sparked outrage over his own posts and comments which have promoted antisemitic content.

On Wednesday, the self-described free-speech absolutist said a post which promoted an antisemitic theory was the actual truth.

The Comet Ping Pong pizza restaurant that was at the center of the Pizzagate conspiracy theory (EPA)

A social media user had appeared to push the great replacement conspiracy theory on X, claiming that Jewish communities have been pushing the exact kind of dialectical hatred against whites that they claim to want people to stop using against them.

Im deeply disinterested in giving the tiniest s*** now about Western Jewish populations coming to the disturbing realisation that those hordes of minorities that support flooding their country dont exactly like them too much. You want truth said to your face, there it is, the post added.

Mr Musks responded by writing: You have said the actual truth.

His response received praise from white nationalist Nick Fuentes  while prompting widespread backlash from dozens more, including the White House, with many accusing him of antisemitism.

He later responded to the accusations of antisemitism, insisting nothing could be further from the truth.

This past week, there were hundreds of bogus media stories claiming that I am antisemitic. Nothing could be further from the truth, he wrote.

I wish only the best for humanity and a prosperous and exciting future for all.

This came after an earlier scandal in the days after the 7 October Hamas attacks on Israel, where Mr Musk was forced to delete a post in which he amplified an account widely accused of antisemitism and promoted debunked videos as reliable sources of information about the attack.

Last year, advocacy organisation the American Jewish Committee called on Mr Musk to apologise over a controversial post that made a satirical comparison between Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Adolf Hitler.

Mr Musk has previously insisted that he is pro free speech but against antisemitism of any kind.
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X owner Elon Musk is involved in yet another lawsuit.

This time he is being sued by a 22-year-old college graduate who alleges the billionaire defamed him after amplifying a rumour that the young man was a member of a neo-Nazi group.

In the defamation suit filed in Travis County, Texas, Ben Brody accused Mr Musk of committing astonishingly reckless conduct when he furthered a false claim on social media that Mr Brody, who is of Jewish heritage, participated in a violent street brawl on behalf of a neo-Nazi extremist group. The filing stated that Musk personally leveled these accusations against Ben Brody, and it has led to severe personal harassment and permanent damage to his reputation.

The suit hinges on claims arising from Pride Night in Portland Oregon on 24 June.

According to the filing, a video captures two groups  the Proud Boys and the Rose City Nationalists, a Portland extremist group which openly espouses neo-Nazi Views  fighting one another.

The footage quickly went viral on social media. Although most members of the Rose City Nationalists are masked, the video reveals the faces of two members toward the end of the video.

A conspiracy theory then emerged. One social media user accused the unmasked members of being either federal agents masquerading as racists -OR- Leftists masquerading as far right, and asked if anyone could identify the unmasked members.

Another user then replied to the conspiratorial tweet with a screenshot of an Instagram post from Ben Brodys Jewish college fraternity, which gave a little bio of who Mr Brody is, including that after graduation, he plans to work for the government. This user then posted a screenshot of Mr Brodys social media bio, tweets show.

These posts took the conspiracy theory in a new direction.

Mr Musk had previously wondered in a tweet who the unmasked members were, so when the post about Mr Brody came about, he replied, very odd.

A series of social media users replied to Mr Musks tweet writing that the unmasked individual was not Mr Brody and that he was mistaken.

According to the suit, one social media user perpetuated the theory against Mr Brody, writing, Remember when they called us conspiracy theorists saying the Feds were planting fake Nazis at rallies?

Mr Musk replied, Always remove their masks.

The college graduate noticed the conspiracies and took to Instagram to try to defuse them. He posted a video trying to clear his name, the filing stated, which also included debit card receipts and video footage that demonstrated that he was in California  not Portland  on the night of the brawl.

Despite a series of users linking to Mr Brodys Instagram video and urging Mr Musk to take down the tweets linking the brawl to the 22-year-old, the SpaceX founder seemed to not address those pleas.

He instead replied to a tweet of a blog post, which contained the image of the alleged Mr Brody look-alike, but made no mention of Mr Brody or his aspirations to work for the government, the suit stated. Still, on 27 June, Mr Musk wrote, Looks like one is a college student (who wants to join the govt) and another is maybe an Antifa member, but nonetheless a probable false flag situation.

The filing states: A reasonable reader of Musks tweet would conclude that undisclosed information served as the basis for Musks assertion.

This tweet was viewed over 1.2m times, the suit claimed. Mr Musks personal endorsement of the false accusation against the 22-year-old propelled the accusation from anonymous rumor to gospel truth for many individuals, and causing others to use Musks endorsement to justify their desire to harass Ben Brody and his family, the filing continued.

As a result, Mr Brody has suffered emotional distress, panic attacks, and headaches, and his family was doxxed multiple times, according to the suit.

My life is ruined, Mr Brody thought at the time, he told CNN. I put that I wanted to work for the government. And thats just because I didnt know specifically what part of the government I wanted to work for. You know, I was like, I could be a lawyer, he explained to the outlet.

The X owner was told through his lawyers about the contents of the defamation suit, Mr Musk has not taken down the posts or retracted his claims, according to the filing. As of 21 November, his 27 June tweet was still posted on his social media platform.

I just want to make things right, the recent grad told CNN. Its not about vengeance. Im not angry. Its not resentment. I just want to make things right, to get an apology, so that this doesnt happen again to anyone else.

Mr Brodys lawyer, Mark Bankston, successfully took on Alex Jones after he spread conspiracy theories about the Sandy Hook massacre.

The lawsuit also comes as Mr Musk is under fire for sharing antisemitic conspiracy theories on X.
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X, formerly known as Twitter, filed a federal defamation suit on Monday in Texas against Media Matters for America, accusing the media watchdog group of kicking off an advertiser exodus with a harmful article alleging the social network let top brands display ads near antisemitic and pro-Nazi posts.

The liberal-leaning media observer allegedly curated a feed specifically with fringe accounts and those belonging to corporations like IBM, Comcast, Apple, and Oracle, then displayed screenshots of the unsavoury posts appearing near company ads in a critical article, according to the lawsuit.

The Media Matters analysis, published last week, also alleges that X owner Elon Musk has increasingly begun a descent into white nationalist and antisemitic conspiracy theories.

The lawsuit does not dispute that some top brands ads were featured near the inflammatory content.

Rather, it suggests Media Matters gamed X to produce extremely unlikely pairings that are usually screened out by the services advertising tools, alleging that one harmful match appeared for only one viewer (out of more than 500 million) on all of X: Media Matters.

Not a single authentic user of the X platform saw IBMs, Comcasts or Oracles ads next to that content, which Media Matters achieved only through its manipulation of Xs algorithms, the suit continues.

Elon Musk alleges Media Matters manipulated X into unlikely pairings of top brands ads and hateful content (AP)

Media Matters created these pairings in secrecy, to manufacture the harmful perception that X is at best an incompetent content moderator (a harmful accusation for any social media platform), or even worse that X was somehow indifferent or even encouraging to Nazi and racist ideology, the suit argues elsewhere.

Media Matters told The Independent in a statement that its analysis of X and its content policies remains valid.

This is a frivolous lawsuit meant to bully Xs critics into silence, Media Matters President Angelo Carusone said in the statement. Media Matters stands behind its reporting and looks forward to winning in court.

Top executives at X have railed against Media Matters in recent days.

If you know me, you know Im committed to truth and fairness. Heres the truth, Linda Yaccarino wrote on X on Monday. Not a single authentic user on X saw IBMs, Comcasts, or Oracles ads next to the content in Media Matters article. Only 2 users saw Apples ad next to the content, at least one of which was Media Matters. Data wins over manipulation or allegations.

Mr Musk, meanwhile, called the organisation pure evil in an X post of his own.

Outside of the disputed accuracy of the Media Matters report, Mr Musk has openly endorsed a right-wing conspiracy theory on X in recent days, prompting criticism that hes fueling antisemitism.

Media Matters alleges X, formerly known as Twitter, allowed ads for major companies to appear by neo-Nazi content (AFP via Getty Images)

Last Wednesday, the billionaire X owner responded to a tweet echoing claims of the racist and often antisemitic great replacement theory, including that Jewish people were flooding America with hordes of minorities to promote dialectical hatred against whites.

Mr Musk called the claim the actual truth.

The theory referenced in the original post was among the hateful ideas directly referenced by the gunman who killed 11 people at a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018, the deadliest antisemitic attack in US history.

At a time when antisemitism is exploding in America and surging around the world, it is indisputably dangerous to use ones influence to validate and promote antisemitic theories, Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League civil rights group, which monitors antisemitism and other forms of extremism, wrote on X in response to Mr Musk.

The White House also weighed in, alleging the tech CEO was contributing to the spread of abhorrent promotion of antisemitic and racist hate.

It is unacceptable to repeat the hideous lie behind the most fatal act of antisemitism in American history at any time, let alone one month after the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust, the White House said in a statement.

The Independent contacted Mr Musk during the backlash against his response to the post and did not receive an answer.

Amid the controversy, Mr Musk has alternatively defended Xs content policies and appeared to mock critics who allege the network is harbouring hateful content.

Last week, he shared a clip of someone playing a video game level called Echo of Hatred, with the caption defeating hatred is never easy.

Clear calls for extreme violence are against our terms of service and will result in suspension, he wrote elsewhere on X on Friday.

This summer, a study from the Center for Countering Digital Hate alleged X failed to take down 99 per cent of a selection of hate content flagged by the group. The group alleged that the platform is allowing them to break its rules with impunity and is even algorithmically boosting their toxic tweets.
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An unlikely TikTok star has racked up millions of views for being the most unusual and coolest viral sensation people have seen in a long while.

Who is it? Well, its a multi-sex, multi-coloured lobster, of course.

Last week, Jacob Knowles, a fisherman from Maine, found the extremely rare crustacean that is half brown, half blue with the colours perfectly split down its body. The lobster is also half-male and half-female.

Mr Knowles, who was already a very popular fisherman content creator with over 2 million followers on TikTok, took to social media to show off his latest discovery.

In a video, which had amassed over 6.3 million views as of Tuesday morning, Mr Knowles explains the lobsters rarity.

Jacob Knowles explains the lobster is split 50/50 in colour and sex (jacob__knowles/TikTok)

Not only its split 50/50 right down its back  blue and normal (brown)  but if you look underneath, its actually half-male, half-female, Mr Knowles said, explaining that the blue side is male, and the brown side, the more common colour, is female.

This perfectly split creature is called a gynandromorph, but the phenomenon is not limited to just lobsters; it can also be seen in butterflies, lizards, birds and snakes, to name a few.

Being rare is not an understatement; while blue lobsters are considered one in 2 million, split lobsters are said to be one in a 50 million catch, according to National Geographic.

Now, video of the rare lobster has gone viral on TikTok and Mr Knowles followers have even given the creature the new name Bowie  a homage to the late star David Bowie.

The lobster has both male and female reproductive systems (jacob__knowles/TikTok)

Similar to the lobsters split colours, the star had heterochonia, meaning he had two different-sized pupils that made it look like he had two contrasting eye hues.

Mr Bowies androgynous alter-ego, Ziggy Stardust, was cited by online fans as another reason behind the multi-sex lobsters new name.

For now, Mr Knowles has built Bowie a large cage hanging off a pier, in order to conserve the rare specimen from the wild.

Bowie, the lobster, hopes to find a new, safer home in an aquarium or science centre (jacob__knowles/TikTok)

The fisherman explained that Bowies chance of survival is more likely in the cage, where he can feed him and keep him away from predators.

He is hoping to see if the lobster is able to reproduce by itself using both the female and male reproductive systems; however, there is little research to suggest that this would be possible.

While Mr Knowles said he is happy to keep his new lobster friend in the cage for a few months, he has called out to any aquariums or science centres to give Bowie a more permanent home.
 Close Biden pays tribute to former first lady Rosalynn Carter: She brought so much grace to office

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Rosalynn Carter, the wife of former president Jimmy Carter, died at the age of 96 on Sunday.

The Carter Center announced the former first ladys death just two days after she entered hospice care at the couples home in Plains, Georgia. Rosalynn is survived by her husband, four children, 22 grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and a legacy of mental health advocacy.

Jimmy Carter, 99, who is also in hospice care, paid tribute to his wife in a statement saying: Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished. She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.

The Carter Center said there was no update on Mr Carters health.

On Tuesday, President Joe Biden issued a proclamation ordering flags to be flown at half-staff at the White House and all federal government buildings from 25 November until sunset on the day of interment.

A formal funeral will take place on Wednesday 29 November in Plains. Members of the public are invited to pay respects as Carter lies in repose at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum.
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The handoff was quick and seamless, a coffee cup containing the DNA of a suspected Russian spy swapped for an identical one in a hallway exchange between a CIA operative and an FBI agent.

The move was textbook spycraft, but everything else about the scenario was extraordinary: The handoff went down within the bowels of CIA headquarters, and the suspected mole was one of the agencys own  but so was the man tasked with catching him.

The target was Harold Jim Nicholson, a charismatic career spy and devoted single dad whod been working for the CIA for 16 years. Hed end up serving even more time than that in prison.

The CIA colleague whod swiped the coffee cup from his desk was John Maguire, a former Baltimore cop whod carved out a counterrorism niche within the spy agency.

Maguire had been recalled from overseas by CIA superiors  banished to HR as punishment, hed thought, for rejecting a posting in Pakistan in autumn 1995  before being called into a secret meeting at Langley, asked if hed accept an unidentified job, then whisked to an off-site location.

There, in an FBI safe house in an unprecedented interagency spy-catching collaboration, he learned the details of the ask: Someone within the CIA was sneaking secrets to the Russians. Nicholson was the likely culprit. Maguire was to get Nicholson to hire him as his righthand man, spy on him from within his own department, then nail him with evidence so they could lock Nicholson up for treason.

By the summer of 1996, Maguire was working next to the suspected spy.

There were times when I just wanted to stab him in the neck at his desk and just say, F*** it, hes dead. Its over. Here, Maguire, now retired from the agency, tells The Independent.

Harold James Jim Nicholson, a longtime CIA officer and father of three, was described as smooth and crafty  and mercenary  by the man who was tasked with catching him (FBI)

He resisted the urge, however  and in just a matter of months, using an arsenal of tricks from old-school detective work to info-seeking liquid lunches, Maguire pulled it off. A spy had never been used to catch a spy at Langley before, and theres been no public announcement of any such feat since.

After more than two decades behind bars, Nicholson was released from prison on 24 November. He was sentenced in 1997 to 23 years and 7 months for conspiracy to commit espionage  one of the highest-ranking CIA officers ever convicted of the offence. But the turncoat spy wasnt done; from prison, he duped his youngest child  a son in his mid-20s who worshipped his dad and long believed hed been railroaded  into continuing his traitorous relationship with the Russians.

They were caught and both convicted, the younger Nicholson avoiding jail time with a plea deal while his father was slapped with eight more years. The disgraced CIA man was also transferred from his cushy Oregon facility to the hardcore Colorado prison colloquially known as Supermax  from which hes scheduled to walk free after Thanksgiving.

Jim Nicholson was what they call a double hitter: There was his first crime, which he got caught for, went to prison, and then from prison organized his second one, author Bryan Denson, who interviewed Nathaniel Nicholson, Maguire and other players extensively for his 2015 book The Spys Son, tells The Independent.

Denson believes the release is a gut-check moment for the spy, who turned 73 just days before he walked free.

Maybe Jim is a better person than he proved himself to be there for a bit, and maybe he will show fealty for his family and want to, you know, put his grandchildren on his knee and be that guy  but hes going to be a pauper if he does it, Denson tells The Independent, noting that Nicholson, like any convicted spy, will be legally barred from profiting off of his crimes.

Maguire, who has more firsthand experience of Nicholson and his personality, is convinced hes going to run.

Hes not going to stay here, says Maguire, who remains incredulous that the US government never used Nicholson as a bargaining chip to get back Americans imprisoned in Russia like Brittany Griner and Paul Whelan. Hell be gone in a couple of weeks.

Nicholsons lawyer, contacted by The Independent, said neither he nor his client could comment before the release  and did not yet respond to a follow-up request. The Bureau of Prisons confirmed he was released 24 November, two days earlier than scheduled.

Very few turncoats have been released from prison in recent years  Robert Hanssen died behind bars earlier this year and Aldrich Ames remains serving a life sentence without parole. Ana Montes, who spied for Cuba and was released in January, moved to Puerto Rico, and Jonathan Pollard, who spied for Israel, moved there after his 2015 release.

After covering Nicholson for years and literally writing the book on him, Denson says the spys next steps remain a big question to me.

Does he just get himself plucked by the Russians and go back to Moscow where the moneys waiting for him? Denson says. Or does he stay here and do right by his family?

Because Nicholson, when it comes down to it, betrayed everyone and everything in his life that he purported to hold dear: His country, his colleagues, his career and, most importantly, his family and his children.

Nicholson was arrested in 1996, on the eve of his 46th birthday, and sentenced to more than 23 years in prison but he then co-opted his son into continuing his relationship with the Russians while he was behind bars (FBI)

Its all a far cry from the life Nicholson imagined as he idolized James Bond while growing up on Air Force bases with a former Army cryptographer mother, Betty, and Air Force serviceman stepfather, Marvin Nick Nicholson. Bettys first husband and Jims biological father had walked away from the family, and Marvin married her when Jim was seven, formally adopting the child.

Inspired by his familys military history and the spy stories he devoured, a young Nicholson enrolled in ROTC during college at Oregon State, where he met his future wife, Laurie, who would later give birth to the couples three children. Nicholson worked in military intelligence but left the Army in 1979 and held a civilian job briefly, before joining the CIA the following year.

He hauled his growing family to various posts abroad. From the Philippines to Romania to Thailand, his marriage grew ever more tumultuous with allegations of cheating on both sides; by 1992, Laurie, fed up with her husbands selfish ambition and infidelity, had returned to the US and filed divorce papers. She later told Denson that one of Jims greatest faults  was that he had somehow accustomed himself to champagne tastes on a Budweiser budget, he writes in The Spys Son.

Two years later, Nicholson walked into the Russian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, where he was stationed, the CIA under the impression he was trying to recruit their intelligence chief. Instead, the veteran operative offered his own services to the SVR (the Russian foreign intelligence department that preceded the KGB) for payment  just weeks after infamous CIA turncoat Ames was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Nicholson, Denson writes in his book, figured that with Ames out of the way, the SVR might be in the market for another highly paid mole inside the CIA.

They were. So began a deeply damaging double-cross that would continue, in various guises, for more than a decade.

In the immediate, however, Nicholson pulled off some of his most damaging work. With primary custody of his children, he moved the family back to Virginia in 1994 and began working as an instructor at the CIAs training facility, colloquially referred to as The Farm. There, he gathered intelligence on the upcoming recruits and sold it to the Russians, rendering the future US spies effectively useless going forward. He was also photographing and summarizing top-secret files and reports to pass along, everything from information about US policy to foreign cables to debriefings of Ames that could prove useful to the Russians.

By 1996, US intelligence had realised it had a problem and was frantically trying to root out the mole.

Thats when the higher-ups tapped Maguire, who was miserable at his temporary Langley desk assignment after years of exciting and efficacious field work. Hed been recalled from overseas as authorities zeroed in on Nicholson as the mole  unaware that higher-ups were readying him for a mammoth in-house espionage challenge, he says.

Theres a reason that HR is only on the second floor, he jokes You cant even jump out of the window high enough; youll land in the bushes, break your legs and then youll be in HR in a wheelchair.

Hes the type of no-nonsense guy who cracks those jokes in between explaining how he took down one of the most damaging spies in history. He learned the details in the safe house after passing a polygraph from the first-string, varsity officers  people that know their s***.

Eventually, says Maguire, The lead agent said, Weve got another Ames.

Nicholsons son, Nathaniel, travelled in his stead to meet-ups with Russians in exotic locales but was spared prison through a plea deal after his arrest (Nathan Nicholson)

He was instructed to get [Nicholson] to pick you to be his deputy and use the position to surveil and snare him  and fast.

Youve got to catch that f****r in a year; we cant afford to wait five years, Maguire says another high-ranking superior told him at a later meeting. Youve got to catch him doing something.

Real-life espionage, he says, is not some swashbuckling James Bond thing, although he noted that Nicholson, who was enamoured with 007 as a child, himself was a real womanizer, known for being tall, dark, handsome, and very smooth, very, very, crafty.

The spywork itself was more mundane, a methodical mind game of four-dimensional chess, and you have to plan and role play, Maguire says.

What I had to do for this was essentially an operational meeting for eight to nine hours a day and not make a mistake and not mess up, says Maguire  all the time watching for clues that Nicholson might be readying to do something operational.

I needed to make sure I didnt miss anything, he tells The Independent. It was very stressful an enormously straining mental exercise.

Nicholsons MO included targeting younger officers and collecting background information on them to share with the Russians, so that they would be vulnerable to being convinced to share information themselves later down the track on overseas missions.

He was a clever guy and a mercenary son of a bitch, because he didnt care what happened to those kids, those young officers  theyre working for a guy whos set up a target package on them so they can be approached later in their careers, he says. Ive never seen that before.

Nicholsons predecessor, Ames, executed horrible crimes, Maguire says  but he didnt headhunt in the building,

And we know Jim was headhunting in the building.

So was Maguire, though  and his efforts paid off after a liquid lunch in Georgetown in October 1996, not long before Nicholson was scheduled to make an overseas trip.

He had a six-pack of beer on the floor of the car, and Im drinking beer in his car on the way back to the building; were driving around in rural Virginia, and I say, Are you lost? And he goes, No, no, no, and theres a place out here, this is one of the days when they release unique runs of stamps.

Nicholson hopped out at a rural post office, bought stamps, got back in the car, and they returned to Langley, Maguire triggering a meeting with the FBI to tip them off that it seemed his boss was readying to do something operational.

They just bet the farm on that night, and they had a tremendous amount of manpower deployed and prepared, Maguire says. And sure enough, he went out late at night, left his house, left his kids at home alone and went out  and they actually caught him in the act mailing something, and then that was the stamp that he bought  and he licked it, so there was DNA on it. And he threw it in the mailbox, and before the sun came up that thing was processed and in the evidence system, and then the real postcard went back in the mailbox and went on its way to the overseas address, and he established a direct link to the KGB.

Nicholson was arrested on the eve of his 46th birthday and sentenced in June 1997 to 23 years and seven months in prison. His childrens lives had been uprooted unceremoniously, the family home in Virginia turned upside down before the oldest, Jeremi, who was in college in Oregon, flew his younger sister, Star, and brother, Nathaniel, back to the West Coast.

Nicholson, who turned 73 recently, served as overseas case officer and instructor at the CIAs training facility before taking up a position at Langley, where his righthand man was tasked with spying on him to prove his treason (NCSC)

The youngest Nicholson was just 12 when his father was arrested, and the spys mother and stepfather refused to believe their feted, patriotic scion had done any wrong. Along with the children, theyd visit the imprisoned ex-CIA officer at the Oregon facility where he was sent, and it was there that Nathan recalled his father apologising  and explaining that hed just wanted to help you kids out, Denson writes in The Spys Son.

Nathan never let go of the memory of that painful heart-to-heart, Denson writes. Seeing his dad so sorrowful, head literally hung low, churned in his young mind. He convinced himself that the government must have pressured him to confess  even to his own kids  that he spied for Russia.

Nathan followed his fathers footsteps into the Army, but an injury sidelined his military career and he returned to Oregon, where he enrolled in community college in 2005, visiting his father in prison every other Saturday. Nicholson had been cooking up ways to resume contact with the Russians, and it wasnt long before he enlisted his son.

During one visit, he told Nathan that his old friends in Moscow were holding an account open in his name, and that together they might be able to make some early withdrawals, Denson writes. Jim had lost his freedom in service to the Russian Federation, and now he felt it was Russias turn to help support his kids while he was away. He wanted to know if Nathan was willing to serve in his stead on the outside.

His youngest agreed on the spot  soon establishing contact with the Russians by walking into the consulate in San Francisco, before travelling to meetings in far-away locales from Mexico to Cyprus, passing messages and accepting money between 2006 and 2008 before he was caught. The younger Nicholson, at 26 years old, narrowly avoided jail in a plea deal that helped him build the prosecutions case against his father, who received an additional eight years.

I think his heart was really, for a time, broken when he realized, finally, what his dad had done, Denson, a fellow Oregonian who now considers Nathan a friend after extensively interviewing him for the 2015 book. His dad made it sound like it was no big deal  and this is, of course, coming from Nathan himself. [His dad] made it sound like he was just doing him a little favour, but he had to be secretive.

I think, in his heart, Nathan probably knew that it was wrong, but  hes a guy who is a pleaser, Denson says. He loves his close circle of friends and family and shows it  Nathan Nicholson is a fundamentally decent man.

Denson and Maguire, both fathers, could not believe the spy had coopted his son into crime.

That was the most mercenary thing, Maguire says, adding: He used his son and destroyed the basis of trust that a kid has with their father.

That ruthless streak and demonstrated fairweather loyalty only supports Maguires theory that Nicholson will high-tail it out of America as quick as his treasonous feet can carry him.

Hell behave himself for a couple of weeks, hell get a plan together and figure out what he wanted to do, says Maguire, adding that every officer has a long-term contact break plan that investigators never uncovered among Nicholsons things.

He is a traitor he made his bed. He is a spy. He doesnt believe in the country. He hates the system, and he signed up with an enemy nation, he says. And if thats where he wants to have his allegiance, then ship him there and get a good innocent man back.
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A horrific disease has been taking hold of deer across the US, leaving them debilitated by slowly shutting down their bodies.

The first case in Yellowstone National Park was recently discovered in an adult male mule deer, but cases of what is known as zombie deer disease have been recorded across the country since the 1960s.

But what is this disease, how does it work and should humans be concerned about it? Here is everything we know about this illness.

Chronic wasting disease, otherwise known as zombie deer disease, is part of a family of prion illnesses  where a type of protein folded in an obscure way can cause other proteins to fold in the same way, leading to cellular death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

These rare illnesses are known for their long incubation periods that eventually affect how the brain functions.

Versions of prion diseases can affect humans, but its more typical among animals.

In this case, the Animal and Plant Inspection Service says chronic wasting disease has so far only been recorded as naturally occurring in deer, reindeer, moose and elk.

The CDC said the disease has been known to make deer lose weight drastically, stumble around, lose energy and other neurologic symptoms, but it may take over a year after contraction for this to develop.

There are currently no treatments or vaccines for this disease.

Sometimes, deer will die without ever developing the zombie-like symptoms.

Norway, Finland and Sweden and a small number of imported cases in South Korea have been recorded in reindeer and moose.

As of November 2023, there have been cases of chronic wasting disease in free-ranging deer, elk and moose in at least 31 states in the US, as well as three provinces in Canada, according to the CDC.

Yet this disease is not a new occurrence; the first identified case of chronic wasting disease was in captive deer in a Colorado research facility in the late 1960s, then in wild deer in 1981.

CWD has yet to be linked to humans, but the health department still advises to take extra precaution (Idir D/Getty Images)

By the 1990s, Colorado and Wyoming saw cases spreading, which has now spread further across the country. Other states without robust wildlife surveillance may be affected, but cases have not been confirmed.

The CDC expects the affected areas to continue to expand; in some of the most densely affected areas, infection rates may exceed one in 10 deer and elk.

In one captive deer herd, it is reported that the rates were much higher, four in five, which suggests a greater risk than wild deer.

Chronic wasting disease is thought to be spread between the animals directly or indirectly through bodily fluids such as faeces, saliva, blood, and urine, such as through the same food or water source. The disease is highly contagious and can spread quickly, especially within captive herds.

However, no known cases of chronic wasting disease have affected humans, according to the CDC, but initial studies are underway to determine if the disease can spread to human bodies.

Despite the lack of cases, scientists have been studying if prion diseases could be occurring at a higher rate in people who are in contact with or eat elk or deer meat, but due to the long incubation periods of the illness, it may be years before any risks are discovered.

Apart from humans, for animals not from the Cervid family (deer, moose and elk), experimental research has found that chronic wasting disease as infected squirrel monkeys and laboratory mice that carry some human genes, reports the CDC.

Testing was also carried out on macaques, a monkey that is the most genetically similar to humans out of any animal and was found to be infected by chronic wasting disease after being fed infected deer meat.

While little is known about chronic wasting disease and human exposure, the CDC has recommended that hunters should test meat they have caught from deer, especially in areas where chronic wasting disease is rife.

To be extra cautious, people are also advised to avoid sick-looking animals, wear protective gear and latex gloves when handling the animal or its meat, minimise the handling of organs, and not use household utensils while field dressing.
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A British woman is said to be among three suspects arrested in connection with the shooting of a Spanish former politician.

Alejo Vidal-Quadras was shot in the wealthy neighbourhood of Salamanca in central Madrid earlier this month by a gunman wearing a helmet who was riding behind a driver on a motorbike.

The 78-year-old conservative politician survived the attack as the bullet passed through his jaw.

He is still in hospital recovering from a double fracture of the jaw, the hospital said on Tuesday, but is making good progress.

An anti-terrorism court is in charge of the investigation.

Spanish police on Tuesday said they had detained three people as part of its investigation into the shooting. The National Police force's press department said two suspects were detained in the city of Lanjaron in southern Spain and the third in the city of Fuengirola.

Spanish state news agency EFE and other media outlets said none of the three are suspected of having fired the shot that hit Mr Vidal-Quadras.

EFE said the two people arrested in Lanjaron were a Spanish man and his partner, a British woman. A man detained in Fuengirola, also a Spaniard, was arrested in connection with a motorbike used in the shooting, the news agency reported.

The woman and her partner was being held in Lanjaron in the Alpujarras mountain region in southern Spain.

Police are looking into whether they have links with foreign countries.

Police work at the site where Alejo Vidal-Quadras, former head of Spain's People's Party in the Catalonia region, was shot in the face (REUTERS)

Mr Vidal-Quadras is former head of the centre-right Peoples Party (PP) in Catalonia and a founder of Spains far-right Vox party. He was also the European Parliament vice-president between 2009 and 2014.

The Paris-based Iranian opposition group, the Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, described him as a staunch ally.

In October 2022, Mr Vidal-Quadras was included in an Iranian sanctions list in retaliation for European Union sanctions imposed on the country following the death in custody of 22-year-old Iranian-Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini.

The Iranian sanctions included a visa and entry ban on Mr Vidal-Quadras and seizure of any property in Iran.

Ms Aminis death triggered months of nationwide protests that represented one of the fiercest challenges to the Islamic Republic since its establishment in 1979.

Associated Press contributed to this report
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German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius vowed Tuesday to keep supporting Ukraines efforts to win its war against Russia, pledging further military aid worth 1.3 billion euros ($1.4 billion).

The new support is to include further Iris-T SLM anti-aircraft missile systems as well as anti-tank mines and 155-millimeter artillery shells, German news agency dpa reported.

We are talking about 20,000 additional shells, Pistorius said at a joint news conference with his Ukrainian counterpart, Rustem Umerov, in Kyiv, according to dpa.

Andrii Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian presidents office, said it was a great aid package.

Pistorius's unannounced trip to the Ukrainian capital came a day after U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin traveled to Ukraine and pledged American support for the long haul, including an additional $100 million in weapons from U.S. stockpiles.

The visits appeared to be part of an international political effort to keep the war in the public mind as other issues clamor for attention, including the Israel-Hamas conflict.

European Council President Charles Michel also arrived in Kyiv on Tuesday, which is the 10th anniversary of what Ukraine calls its Revolution of Dignity. That uprising brought momentous change for Ukraine, pushing it closer to the West and bringing confrontation with Moscow.

Pistorius paid tribute to the demonstrators who were killed during the pro-European protests 10 years ago, dpa reported.

Courageous people of all ages took to the streets for freedom, for rapprochement with Europe, and paid for it with their lives, Pistorius said. He put down red roses at a makeshift memorial to those killed.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in a video message, saluted the Ukrainian desire for freedom and its application to join the 27-nation European Union. The future of Ukraine is in the European Union, she said.

The future that the Maidan fought for has finally just begun, she said in a reference to central Kyiv's Independence Square.

For Moscow, the Ukrainian revolt was fomented by Western interests, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday reaffirmed the Kremlins view that it was a coup, a forceful coup financed from abroad.

Ukraines current fight to push out the Kremlins forces has lasted almost 21 months. A recent Ukrainian counteroffensive apparently has yielded no major changes on the battlefield, and another tough winter of attritional warfare lies ahead.

The U.K. defense ministry said Russia could target Ukraines power grid again, just like last winter when Moscow sought to wear down local resistance by denying civilians home heating and running water.

Russia has now refrained from launching its premier air-launched cruise missiles from its heavy bomber fleet for nearly two months, likely allowing it to build up a substantial stock of these weapons, the ministry in London said Tuesday.

Germany is the second biggest single provider of military and financial support to Ukraine after the United States, and German officials said Pistorius aimed to assess the effectiveness of its aid as well as take stock of the fighting during his visit.

Pistorius said he wanted to express our solidarity, our deep solidarity and admiration for the courageous, brave and costly fight that is being waged here.

Meanwhile, two Russian missiles struck a hospital in the eastern Donetsk region, wounding six people and possibly leaving more buried under rubble, Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said Tuesday.

Russian forces attacked Ukraine overnight with 10 Shahed-type drones, four S-300 missiles and one Iskander-K cruise missile, Ukraines air force said Tuesday.

Nine Shahed drones and the Iskander-K missile were successfully intercepted on Monday night, it said. No casualties were immediately reported.

At least five Ukrainian civilians were killed and 10 others were injured in southeastern regions of the country over the previous 24 hours, the presidential office said Tuesday.

Civilians have been victims of Russia's barrages on an almost daily basis. At least 10,000 Ukrainian civilians, including more than 560 children, have been killed and more than 18,500 have been injured since Russias full-scale invasion, the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said Tuesday.

In other developments, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu claimed that Ukrainian efforts to cross the Dnieper River on the southern front line have failed.

He told top Russian military brass that Moscows forces are steadily holding positions along the entire line of contact and are gradually improving their positions.

Ukraines military claimed last week its troops had secured multiple bridgeheads on the rivers eastern bank in the Kherson region. That would be a small but potentially significant strategic advance amid fighting that has largely come to a standstill.

___

Associated Press reporters Yuras Karmanau in Tallinn, Estonia, and Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin contributed to this report.

___

Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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Russian forces in Ukraines eastern theatre of war are stepping up their assault around Bakhmut and have switched from defensive to offensive lines of attack, Kyivs military officials said.

The attacks are focused on Klishchiivka, a village on higher elevation about 9km away from Bakhmut, said Volodymyr Fityo, a spokesperson for Ukrainian ground forces.

Klishchiivka was recaptured from Russian forces by Ukraine in September in counteroffensive operations. Bakhmut had been taken by Russian troops in May and has faced some of the most violent fighting between the two countries.

Russian occupying forces have brought in the necessary reserves and gone on the attack, the spokesperson said, referring to renewed assaults by Moscow.

Ukrainian troops repelled 11 attacks in the past 24 hours, Mr Fity said. The enemy is trying to dislodge our men from defensive positions around Klishchiivka, he said.

This comes amid reports of growing numbers of Russian soldiers deserting the frontline in Donetsk.

Top military officials in Ukraine said there were growing numbers of Russian personnel who refused to conduct offensive operations. This has led Russian commanders to use physical force and barrier troops to push their forces to fight.

The military commanders have also increased their reliance on mobilised reservists and penal recruits.

According to Russian accounts of the offensive, their forces have beaten back more than 30 Ukrainian attacks in and around Bakhmut in the past week.

Ukrainian officials confirmed some success for its troops on the eastern bank of the Dnipro river which is now seeing territorial control by Kyivs forces.

Ukrainian forces had carried out several successful and effective actions on the east bank of the Dnipro nearly a week after military officials acknowledged their presence there, said another military spokesperson, Andriy Kovaliov.

He said Russian forces were making up to 10 daily attempts to dislodge Ukrainian forces from positions on the eastern bank.

Russia has been looking to launch a new offensive on Avdiivka, where it has already unleashed two waves of unsuccessful attacks.

To be truthful, enemys attempts to surround Avdiivka have resulted in significant losses for them, said military analyst Serhiy Zgurets, writing on the Espreso TV media outlet website.

Avdiivka has witnessed fierce fighting as the vast coking plant city remains under Ukrainian control, despite more than a month of Russian attacks.

Recent rains have left the battlefield ground soft and unsuitable for enemy equipment near the town, said Maksym Morozov, an official from Ukraines interior ministry.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed that at least five or six Russian attempts to assassinate him have been foiled by his security services.

The wartime leader, speaking from the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, said the volume of attempts had turned him almost numb to the danger. He compared the later attempts to catching the Covid-19 infection.

The first one is very interesting, when it is the first time, and after that it is just like Covid, he said in a new interview. The first attempt carried panic, he added.

First of all people dont know what to do with it and its looking very scary, he told The Sun. And then after that, it is just intelligence sharing with you that one more group came to Ukraine to [attempt] this.

The president of Ukraine claimed Vladimir Putin still wanted very much to topple him as the war continues to rage nearly two years on.

Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky has described Russian attempts on his life (PA Wire)

The name of the operation is Maidan 3, Mr Zelensky said. It is meant to change the president. Its bye-bye. Maybe it is not by killing. I mean its changing. They will use any instruments they have. So thats the idea, to the end of the year. They have even named the operation. But you see we can live with it.

The Ukrainian president claimed Russia parachuted special forces into Kyiv to assassinate him on the first day of Moscows invasion of Ukraine last year.

From there began the operation to turn Mr Zelenskys office and each of his next locations into a fortress. His closest team was handed rifles and body armour and his bodyguards shut off any access to his office using makeshift barricades and bits of plywood.

On being asked how many attempts he has dodged, the president says he really doesnt know.

The Ukrainian president did not answer the question of whether or not Ukraine had also planned similar assassination plots in response to Russia.

Vladimir Putins special operation in Ukraine is nearing its second anniversary (Sputnik)

Mr Zelensky denied claims the conflict had hit a stalemate, which Ukrainian commander-in-chief Valery Zaluzhny said is due to technological and tactical parity between Russian and Ukrainian forces.

In the morale, there is no stalemate, he said. We are at our home. Russians are on our land. Therefore there is no stalemate in this. As regards the sky, there is no stalemate. Russians have more power in that. And really, how to move forward when you cant control the sky?

Ukrainian officials have strongly pushed back on suggestions they are in a stalemate with Russia after a long-awaited counteroffensive over the summer did not radically change the battle lines on the ground.

In a visit to Washington last week, Andriy Yermak, head of the presidents office, provided no details but confirmed that Ukrainian forces had finally pushed through to the east bank of the Dnieper River, which has essentially served as the immovable front line between Ukrainian and Russian forces for months.

However, as winter sets in it will become more difficult for either side to make large gains due to ground conditions.
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Yemens Houthi rebels have released dramatic footage of a hijack involving armed men dropping down from a helicopter onto the deck of an Israeli-linked cargo ship in the southern Red Sea.

The Iran-backed rebel group said it would continue to target ships connected to Israel, adding that they are treating the ships crew in accordance with Islamic principles and values.

No Israelis were aboard the Bahamas-flagged Galaxy Leader which is operated by a Japanese company with crew members from the Philippines, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine and Mexico, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahus office earlier said.

The hijack has raised fears that regional tensions heightened by Israels war on Hamas are spilling into the seas.

The footage, released by TV channel Al Masirah a day after the ship was hijacked, showed several armed men in black camouflage jumping from the helicopter onto the ships deck, before heading towards the helm and taking its 25 crew members hostage.

The Houthi group was quoted by Al-Jazeera as saying that it captured the vessel in response to heinous acts against our Palestinian brothers in Gaza and the West Bank.

Israel, however, says the seized ship was British owned and Japanese operated. Japans government also confirmed the ship was leased and operated by the Japanese company Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line) and was transporting cars. We strongly condemn such activity, said the countrys chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno.

The ship is registered in the name of a British company and part-owned by an Israeli businessman, according to reports. Ownership details in public shipping databases associated the ships owners with Ray Car Carriers, founded by Abraham Rami Ungar, one of Israel richest business tycoons, reported the Associated Press.

Houthi fighters seize cargo ship in the Red Sea off Yemen coasts (EPA)

Mr Ungar told the agency he was aware of the incident but could not comment as he awaited further details.

Meanwhile, Tehran issued a statement denying involvement in the ships seizure, a day after Israel accused Iran of backing the confiscation.

A Houthi fighter holds up a pistol in the cargo area of the Galaxy Leader cargo ship in the Red Sea in this photo released November 20, 2023 (Reuters)

"We have said multiple times that resistance groups in the region act independently and spontaneously based on their interests and that of their people," Irans foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said on Monday. Israeli claims were aimed at diverting attention away from Israels "irreparable defeat" in its battle against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, he added.

Earlier on Sunday, Prime Minister Netanyahus office issued a statement referring to the incident as an Iranian act of terrorism with consequences for international maritime security.

Houthi fighters seize cargo ship in the Red Sea off Yemen coasts (EPA)

"This is another Iranian act of terrorism that represents an escalation in Irans belligerence against the citizens of the free world, with concomitant international ramifications vis-a-vis the security of global shipping routes," his office said.

The US denounced the move by the Houthi group as a violation of international law and demanded the immediate release of the vessel and its crew.

"The Houthi seizure of the motor vessel Galaxy Leader in the Red Sea is a flagrant violation of international law," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told a briefing. "We demand the immediate release of the ship and its crew and we will consult with our allies and UN partners as to appropriate next steps."

Additional reporting from the agencies
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Deadly airstrikes reportedly hit the home of a Palestinian photojournalist targeted by a group that monitors media outlets for critical coverage of Israel, days after the group published a speculative report that questioned if he had prior knowledge of the 7 October attack by Hamas.

Yasser Qudih, among photojournalists scrutinised by Israeli media advocacy group HonestReporting, survived the attack, but at least seven family members were killed, according to Reuters.

The attack in Gaza on 13 November arrived five days after the HonestReporting report asked whether photojournalists who captured the aftermath of the Hamas attack coordinated with Hamas or were part of the plan; HonestReporting later admitted there was no evidence to defend those suggestions and said that the group was merely raising questions.

Those accusations were also aimed at some of the worlds largest news organisations, including Reuters, The New York Times, Associated Press and CNN, which have categorically denied the allegations.

Mr Qudihs images of the war are published widely across media outlets covering Israels seige. In a statement following reports of the attack on his home, Reuters condemned the baseless accusations from HonestReporting.

Thereafter, numerous threats against his safety circulated online. HonestReporting later accepted that its accusations were unfounded, according to Reuters.

The situation on the ground is dire, and the [Israel Defense Forces] unwillingness to give assurances about the safety of our staff threatens their ability to deliver news about this conflict without fear of being injured or killed, the statement added.

Despite the spurious claims in the HonestReporting report, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office told news outlets that hired those journalists that they were participants in this horrifying event.

Israels former defence minister Benny Gantz also suggested that if journalists knew of the attack beforehand, they are no different than terrorists and should be treated as such. Danny Danon, former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, promised to hunt them down together with the terrorists.

Republican US Senator Tom Cotton also called on the US Department of Justice to investigate news outlets for federal crimes by supporting Hamas terrorists.

A letter from general counsel with The New York Times to Mr Cotton said his reliance on disinformation and falsehoods should not be abused by a US senator to falsely accuse fellow Americans of crimes.

The company also issued a statement condemning reckless allegations that are putting our journalists on the ground in Israel and Gaza at risk.

Mr Qudih told Reuters that the four strikes on his two-storey home in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza were seconds apart. He said roughly 20 people were inside during the strike, which left an impact crater in a yard behind the house and destroyed a side of the building.

His in-laws, two nieces aged 13 and eight, and an eight-year-old nephew were killed, according to a post shared on his Instagram profile.

Photojournalist Belal Khaled captured the burial of his family members.

A statement from the IDF to Reuters declined to say whether the agency was responsible or whether Mr Qudih was a target.

The IDF is currently focused on eliminating the threat from the terrorist organization Hamas. Questions of this kind will be looked into in a later stage, IDF said in a statement to Reuters.

Palestinian journalists carried mock coffins of journalists killed during the war at a symbolic funeral in the West Bank on 7 November. (AP)

Gazas health ministry has reported more than 13,000 dead since 7 October, including more than 5,500 children. Israels ongoing bombardments and military siege in Gaza have marked the deadliest period for journalists in more than 30 years.

At least 50 journalists, including 45 Palestinian media workers, have been killed in the aftermath of Hamas attacks last month, as of 20 November. At least four Israeli journalists and one Lebanese reporter also have been killed.

At least 11 journalists were injured, three journalists were reported missing, and 18 journalists were arrested, while Palestinian media workers have reported widespread threats and cyberattacks against them, and reported targeted killings of their family members, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Belal Jadallah, a prominent journalist in Gaza and the director of the nonprofit media group Press House Palestine, was killed and his pharmacist brother-in-law was seriously wounded during an Israeli attack on Sunday, according to his family.

Tor Wennesland, the United Nations special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, said he was shocked and saddened to learn of the death of Jadallag, a professional, knowledgeable [and] passionate journalist who dedicated his life for the freedom of journalism [and] protection of journalists.

The Independents request for comment to HonestReporting was directed to a statement from 12 November, in which the group said it stands behind the legitimate questions we raised to media outlets in our recent expose.

We are proud of the role that we play in holding the media accountable. How journalists frame events in and about Israel affect the safety of Jews worldwide; so we will continue to ensure that anti-Israel bias in mainstream media is exposed, the statement reads.

Despite HonestReportings recent backpedaling, its a virtual certainty that their irresponsible speculation will be cited to justify past and future violence against the press, Seth Stern, director of advocacy with the Freedom of the Press Foundation, told The Independent earlier this month.

Theyve put journalists lives at risk, he added. And its disgraceful for politicians  to cite the spurious report to call for violence against journalists and baseless investigations of news outlets.
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The leader of Hamas has said a deal on a truce with Israel is close  raising hopes of the realease of dozens of hostages being held inside Gaza and a pause in the Israeli military offensive on the besieged territory.

Ismail Haniyeh, of the Hamass political wing, said: We are close to reaching a deal on a truce and that Hamas had delievered its response to mediators from Qatar. There has been no immediate response from Israel.

A source has told The Independent: There is an understanding that women and children will come out of Gaza between 50 and 75, adding that an estimated 40 children will be included. This will involve a ceasefire or pause. Any deal is expected to be announced by Qatar, which is mediating in the negotiations.

Negotiators have been working to secure a deal to allow the release of about 240 mostly Israeli hostages who were seized on 7 October when Hamas launched attacks into Israel which killed more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians.

A deal may include a multi-day truce of up to five days, comprising a ceasefire on the ground and limits to Israeli air operations over southern Gaza. Between 50 and 100 Israeli civilian and foreign hostages would be released, but no military personnel. In exchange, up to 300 Palestinians would be released from Israeli jails, with a report from Axios suggesting that a ratio of three prisioners for every one hostage would be used.

President Joe Biden boosted hopes of a release on Monday, saying that he believed a deal to free the hostages was close. I believe so, Mr Biden said when asked whether a hostage deal was near, and crossed his fingers. On Sunday, Israels ambassador to the United States, Michael Herzog, told ABC that Israel was hopeful a significant number of hostages could be released by Hamas "in coming days." The same day Qatari prime minister sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani told a press conference in Doha that the main obstacles to a deal were now very minor, with mainly practical and logistical issues to surmount.

Israels three-member war cabinet met with representatives of the hostages families Monday evening. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told families the government considers the release of hostages and the defeat of Hamas to be equally important, according to a family member who attended.

Udi Goren, whose cousin Tal Chaimi is in captivity in Gaza, said that was "incredibly disappointing" for the families, as Israel has said it could take months to dismantle Hamas.

Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas. In the wake of the attack on 7 October the Israeli military launched a ferocious bombing campaign and imposed a crippling blockade on Hamas-run Gaza. Across the territory, there are shortages of food, water and fuel for generators to power basic infrastructure.

The health ministry inside the Hamas-controlled territory more than 13,000 Palestinians including 5,500 children have been killed. Israeli ground troops and artillery have penetrated deep inside the strip, including encircling and entering hospitals they accuse militants of using as bases.

The Israeli bombardment has turned much of Gaza, particularly northern Gaza where military operations have been focused, into a wasteland, with about two-thirds of the territorys 2.3 million residents rendered homeless, leading to calls for a ceasefire or humanitarian truce.

The statement from Hamas came in the wake of Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), meeting with Haniyeh and separately with authorities of the state of Qatar to advance humanitarian issues related to the conflict, the Geneva-based ICRC said in a statement.

The ICRC said it does not take part in negotiations leading to the release of hostages. As a neutral humanitarian intermediary, we remain ready to facilitate any future release that the parties to the conflict agree to, as ICRC staff have already done on two occasions, the group added.

The has shifted to the Jabaliya camp, a dense warren of concrete buildings near the northern Gaza City that houses refugees from the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. Israel has been bombarding the area for weeks, and the military said Hamas fighters have regrouped there and in other eastern districts after being pushed out of much of Gaza City.

Fighting has also intensified outside the Indonesian Hospital on the outskirts of Jabaliya. Health officials in Gaza said on Tuesday that hundreds of patients and displaced people are trapped inside with dwindling supplies after some 200 were evacuated the day before. Palestinian officials said an Israeli shell struck the hospital on Monday, killing 12 people. Israel denied shelling the hospital, saying its troops returned fire on militants who targeted them from inside.

Additional reporting by agencies
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Benjamin Netanyahu has called on his government to back a hostage release deal  with the announcement of an agreement with Hamas expected as early as tonight, diplomatic sources have told The Independent.

A deal  which has been mediated by Qatar  would see dozens of hostages being held inside Gaza freed and a temporary pause in the Israeli military offensive on the besieged territory. The Independent understands that the deal could be implemented 24 hours after it is announced.

At a late meeting, the Israeli prime minister, Mr Netanyahu, vowed to continue the war against Hamas after any pause in hostilities and said an agreement had the full support of security officials. The hostages return is a sacred and top goal, Mr Netanyahu said in a video message to the cabinet, but we will not stop until we have total victory.

Qatars foreign ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said the two sides were at the closest point we ever had been in reaching an agreement adding that negotiations were at a critical and final stage.

US President Joe Biden, said: "My team is in the region shuttling between capitals. We're now very close, very close, to bringing some of these hostages home very soon," he said. "But I don't want to get into the details because nothing is done until it's done."

John Kirby, National Security Council spokesperson, said that the US was "working very very hard" to push the deal over the line, but acknowledged that the final hours were the most "delicate". He would not confirm if US citizens are among the 50 or more hostages that are expected to be released if the deal goes through.

Sources have told The Independent the deal concerned Israelis or those with dual nationalities and that for every 10 additional hostages Hamas releases there may be a day extension to the four-day pause that is part of the expected agreement.

"We're closer than we've been," Mr Kirby said. "We're obviously working on this very very hard, and we're all hopeful... But we... do not want to say anything in these delicate hours that could put a deal at greater risk."

It came after Ismail Haniyeh, chief of the militant groups political wing, confirmed on Tuesday morning that Hamas was close to reaching a deal on a truce and that it had delivered its response to mediators from Qatar.

Children look at photographs of Israelis kidnapped by Hamas during a rally joined by hundreds in solidarity with Israel and those held hostage in Gaza (AP)

A Hamas official. Issat el Reshiq, told Qatars flagship TV channel Al Jazeera that negotiations were centred on how long the truce would last, arrangements for delivery of aid into Gaza and details of the exchange of captives.

Sources close to the negotiations told The Independent that as many as 75 civilian hostages, including dozens of children, could be released alongside a pause in the fighting. Previous attempts to get this far have fallen at the last hurdle, one diplomatic source said, adding that it was important to be cautious as so far nothing has been signed.

Media reports have said that it could involve a multi-day truce of up to five days, comprising a ceasefire on the ground and limits to Israeli air operations over southern Gaza. In exchange for the hostages, up to 300 Palestinians would be released from Israeli jails, according to a report from Axios suggesting that a ratio of three prisoners for every one hostage would be used. The Independent understands that the exact ratio of how many Palestinian prisoners would be released to the number of Israeli hostages has not been determined.

Protesters called for the release of Hamas hostages outside Benjamin Netanyahus office in Jerusalem (AFP via Getty Images)

Kamelia Hoter Ishay, the grandmother of 13-year-old Gali Tarshansky, who is believed to be held in Gaza, said she was trying not to follow all the deal reports because she was afraid of being disappointed. "The only thing I am waiting for is the phone call from my daughter, Reuma, who will say, 'Gali is coming back.' And then I'll know that it's really over and I can breathe a sigh of relief and say that's it, it's over," she told Reuters.

Negotiators have been working around the clock to secure the release of about 240 mostly Israeli hostages, including babies under one year old, who were seized on 7 October when Hamas launched it unprecedented attacks into southern Israel which killed more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians. So far only four female hostages have been released in deals brokered by Qatar, the US and Egypt.

Pressure has mounted on the Israeli authorities from the families, who have been increasingly alarmed about the safety of their loved ones as Israel has launched a ferocious bombardment of the 42-km- besieged Gaza Strip.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (PAFP via Getty Images)

Sources close to the negotiators have told The Independent the talks had been fraught and have not touched upon the exchange of military personnel. Although Israel has in the past firmly rejected requests for ceasefire, one source said a ceasefire or a pause was essential to be able to move the hostages safely.

Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), met Haniyeh in Qatar on Monday to "advance humanitarian issues" related to the conflict, the Geneva-based ICRC said in a statement. She also separately met Qatari authorities.

The ICRC  which transported the four previously-released hostages to Egypt a few weeks ago  said it was not part of negotiations aimed at releasing the hostages, but as a neutral intermediary it was ready "to facilitate any future release that the parties agree to".

Talks of an imminent deal have swirled for days. Mr Biden raised hopes on Monday. saying he thought a deal to free the hostages was close. I believe so, Mr Biden said when asked whether a hostage deal was near, and crossed his fingers. On Sunday, Israels ambassador to the United States, Michael Herzog, told ABC that Israel was hopeful a significant number of hostages could be released by Hamas "in coming days."

An Israeli strike inside Gaza on Tuesday (AFP via Getty Images)

The same day, the Qatari prime minister, sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, told a press conference in Doha that the main obstacles to a deal were now very minor, with mainly practical and logistical issues to surmount.

Mr Netanyahu has faced mounting criticism for not prioritising a hostage deal as Israeli forces have been pushing deeper into Gaza with a possible operation set to open in the south of the besieged enclave.

Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas. In the wake of the attack on 7 October the Israeli military launched a ferocious bombing campaign and imposed a crippling blockade on Hamas-run Gaza. Across the territory, there are shortages of food, water and fuel for generators to power basic infrastructure.

The health ministry inside the Hamas-controlled territory more than 13,000 Palestinians including 5,500 children have been killed. Israeli ground troops and artillery have penetrated deep inside the strip, including encircling and entering hospitals they accuse militants of using as bases.

The Israeli bombardment has turned much of Gaza, particularly northern Gaza where military operations have been focused, into a wasteland, with about two-thirds of the The has shifted to the Jabaliya camp, a dense warren of concrete buildings near the northern Gaza City that houses refugees from the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. Israel has been bombarding the area for weeks, and the military said Hamas fighters have regrouped there and in other eastern districts after being pushed out of much of Gaza City.

Fighting has also intensified outside the Indonesian Hospital on the outskirts of Jabaliya. Health officials in Gaza said on Tuesday that hundreds of patients and displaced people are trapped inside with dwindling supplies after some 200 were evacuated the day before. Palestinian officials said an Israeli shell struck the hospital on Monday, killing 12 people. Israel denied shelling the hospital, saying its troops returned fire on militants who targeted them from inside.
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A prominent Palestinian poet and author whose dispatches in The New Yorker and elsewhere captured daily life in Gaza during Israels ongoing siege has been released by Israel Defense Forces after his abrupt arrest and detention over the weekend.

Mosab Abu Toha was fleeing northern Gaza with his wife, brother-in-law and three children, including his three-year-old son, who is an American citizen, when he was arrested at a checkpoint alongside dozens of other people.

Mr Toha and his family received clearance for safe passage through the Rafah border, according to his brother Hamza Abu Toha and Diana Buttu, a Palestinian-Canadian lawyer working with his family. He was reportedly arrested with more than 200 others at a checkpoint, then imprisoned and beaten, according to Ms Buttu.

Mr Toha is the author of the American Book Award-winning poetry collection Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear and the founder of Gazas first English-language library. He was a visiting poet and librarian-in-resident at Harvard University in 2020.

Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear also was named a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award in Poetry and the 2022 Walcott Poetry Prize.

News outlets, his publishers, free expression groups and press freedom advocates urged his immediate release and protection following news of his disappearance.

Mr Toha was detained for no evident reason and questioned somewhere outside Gaza in southern Israel, according to The New Yorkers web editor Michael Luo, who shared an update from the magazines top editor David Remnick on social media on Tuesday.

On Monday, Mr Luo said Mr Remnick sent a note to staff about the worrisome news surrounding Mr Tohas disappearance, adding that the publication learned he was arrested in central Gaza.

A spokesperson for The New Yorker on Monday directed The Independent to a statement on its website under the headline Israeli Forces Reportedly Detain a New Yorker Contributor.

In an essay published here last month, he wrote about Israeli air strikes in his neighborhood. One idea in particular haunts me, and I cannot push it away, he wrote. Will I, too, become a statistic on the news? Over the weekend, Israeli forces reportedly detained Abu Toha in central Gaza. His whereabouts are now unknown, the statement said. The New Yorker joins other organizations in calling for his safe return.

An IDF spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment from The Independent and other news organisations. A statement from the agency on Tuesday claimed that its military intelligence indicated interactions among civilians and a terror group in Gaza. Mr Toha was arrested among those civilians, questioned and released, according to the IDF.

Mosab Abu Tohas poetry collection Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear received a 2023 American Book Award. (Arrowsmith Press)

Mr Toha and his family sought refuge at the Jabalia refugee camp after his home was bombed. Earlier this month, The New Yorker published his account of the attacks at his home and his life inside the camp.

I sit in my temporary house in the Jabalia camp, waiting for a ceasefire, he wrote. I feel like I am in a cage. Im being killed every day with my people. The only two things I can do are panic and breathe. There is no hope here.

Free expression groups PEN America and PEN International called for Mr Tohas protection in the wake of his disappearance.

We are relieved and grateful at the news that poet Mosab Abu Toha has been released and will be reunited with his family, PEN America shared in a statement on Tuesday. Poets and writers must be free to speak truth without fear.

Jehad Abusalim, who co-edited the anthology Light in Gaza: Writings Born of Fire, which includes a chapter from Mr Toha, said his release is the direct result of your relentless pressure, a force driven by both outrage and a deep sense of familiarity.

One may wonder why Israel would kidnap a poet, he wrote in an essay following news of his arrest. Despite the ongoing war and constant bombardment, Mosabs words have appeared in many US and international publications. His writings defy  and will continue to defy  the violence surrounding him.

Gazas health ministry has reported more than 13,000 dead, including more than 5,500 children, following Hamas attacks in Israel on 7 October that killed 1,200.

The weeks that followed during Israels ongoing bombardments and military siege have also marked the deadliest period for journalists in more than 30 years. At least 53 media workers have been killed, including 46 Palestinian, four Israeli, and three Lebanese journalists, as of 21 November, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
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US president Joe Biden and vice president Kamala Harris joined Instagrams Threads after the White House said Elon Musks sharing of an antisemitic conspiracy theory on X was unacceptable.

Within an hour of joining the rival Meta-owned platform, Mr Bidens profile garnered over two million followers.

Folks, its President Biden, the official US presidents account posted on Threads.

Youre hearing from me today from a new platform, but my message to you hasnt changed: Right now, we face an inflection point  one of those challenging moments in history where the decisions we make today will determine decades to come, the president said.

Several accounts on the X rival app responded to the post, calling for a ceasefire amid Israels invasion of Gaza, and posting Free Palestine along with words of support for Palestinians.

Mr Biden joining Threads ahead of a presidential election could boost the platforms legitimacy and bring more followers to the app.

The White Houses decision comes as X, formerly Twitter, is embroiled in a controversy over the platforms owner Mr Musk endorsing a post falsely asserting that Jewish people have been pushing the exact kind of dialectical hatred against whites that they claim to want people to stop using against them.

The conspiracy theory was among the hateful ideas referenced by the gunman who carried out the deadliest antisemitic attack in US history, killing 11 people at a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018.

Mr Musk immediately faced backlash for sharing the post at a time when Jewish people were facing an increasing amount of hostility due to the Israel-Hamas conflict which began on 7 October.

It is unacceptable to repeat the hideous lie behind the most fatal act of antisemitism in American history at any time, let alone one month after the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust, Andrew Bates, a spokesperson for the White House, said in a statement.

Watchdog group Media Matters for America said earlier that it found advertisements for companies like IBM, Apple and Oracle were being placed alongside antisemitic content on X.

A number of companies, including Apple, Disney, Discovery, Warner Bros, and Paramount Global have paused their ads on X.

The latest incident marked yet another effect of X failing to moderate harmful content.

It also points to the Biden administrations efforts to turn to more social media platforms to engage with users ahead of the 2024 presidential elections.

Mr Musk responded on Sunday saying X would be filing a thermonuclear lawsuit against Media Matters and all those who colluded in this fraudulent attack on our company.

Responding to the Tesla Titans post, Media Matters president Angelo Carusone called Mr Musk a bully who threatens meritless lawsuits.

Musk admitted the ads at issue ran alongside the pro-Nazi content we identified. If he does sue us, we will win, Mr Carusone said.

X has not responded to The Independents request for comment.
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Googles decision to delete millions of inactive Gmail accounts could erase millions of photos and other irretrievable memories, users have warned.

The purge, which comes into effect next month and will hit any account that has not been used for more than two years, could impact parents who have set up email addresses for young children in order to share and mark milestones with them.

It could also inadvertently affect people who continue to manage the online accounts of deceased relatives.

Googleannounced the policy in a blog post earlier this year, claiming that the move aims to protect active users from security threats like phishing scams and account hijacking. The mass closure will also free up significant amounts of server space, which will also save the US tech giant money and resources.

Google warned that the new policy applied to personal Google accounts, which includes content within Google Photos and Google Workspace tools like Docs, Drive, Gmail, Meet and Calendar.

Recommended Google is about to ditch passwords forever

Nicholas Worley, founder and chief executive of digital archiving platform Inalife, urged people to take action immediately in order to risk losing access to the accounts.

If you have a Google account set up for your kids and have been emailing them, or if you manage the account of a deceased loved one... Login, save or backup any important memories and stories, he wrote on LinkedIn.

Mr Worley told The Independent that he began recording memories when he learnt he was having his first child in 2019.

I have friends and now Inalife users who had set up emails for their kids and hadnt known about the deletion issue before being told, he said.

The Independent has reached out to Google for further information about whether any impacted accounts will be retrievable once the purge has taken place, and the exact number of accounts potentially impacted.

In its May blog post, Googles vice president of product management Ruth Kricheli said that users would be able to keep their account active by reading or sending an email, using Google Drive, watching a YouTube video while logged in, downloading an app on the Google Play Store, or using Google Search.

[The] update helps us continue our advancements in account security, and helps reinforce our commitment to keep your private information private, she wrote.

This update aligns our policy with industry standards around retention and account deletion and also limits the amount of time Google retains your unused personal information.

Google has already begun sending notifications to both the main email addresses and recovery emails of any accounts at risk of deletion.
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Microsoft stock has hit a record high after hiring sacked OpenAI boss Sam Altman and other key figures from the AI firm.

The US tech giant, which is a key investor in OpenAI, is the second most valuable company in the world behind Apple. The firms market cap on 21 November reached above $2.8 trillion  up $1 trillion since the start of the year.

Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella announced that Mr Altman, who headed ChatGPT creator OpenAI until he was ousted on Friday, would join Microsoft to lead a new advanced AI research team alongside fellow OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman

Were extremely excited to share the news that Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, together with colleagues, will be joining Microsoft to lead a new advanced AI research team, Mr Nadella wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

We look forward to moving quickly to provide them with the resources needed for their success.

Despite his new role, Mr Altman is reportedly keen on returning to his former company following a revolt among OpenAI employees against the board.

More than 700 OpenAI workers signed a letter threatening to quit unless the board resigns and reappoints Mr Altman as chief executive.

The process through which you terminated Sam Altman and removed Greg Brockman from the board has jeopardised all of this work and undermined our mission and company, the open letter stated. Your conduct has made it clear you did not have the competence to oversee OpenAI.

OpenAI board member Ilya Sutskever said on Monday that he deeply regrets his role in Mr Altmans sacking, adding that he was now working to reunite the company.

Following his exit from OpenAI last week, Mr Altman wrote on X: I loved my time at OpenAI. It was transformative for me personally, and hopefully the world a little bit. Most of all I loved working with such talented people. Will have more to say about whats next later.

After rumours emerged that he was looking to rejoin his former company after being hired by Microsoft, Mr Altman wrote: Satya [Nadella] and my top priority remains to ensure OpenAI continues to thrive.

We are committed to fully providing continuity of operations to our partners and customers. The OpenAI/ Microsoft partnership makes this very doable.
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Sam Altman might still return to OpenAI after his ouster from the company, Microsoft chief Satya Nadella hinted.

Chaos erupted at OpenAI on Friday as the companys board abruptly fired its founder and chief Mr Altman, saying it no longer has confidence in his ability to continue leading OpenAI.

Later, hundreds of the ChatGPT companys employees threatened to quit unless its board resigned.

When asked on Monday whether Mr Altman would join Microsoft, that has invested billions in the ChatGPT company, Mr Nadella said he was open to both options.

Look, that is for the OpenAI board and management and the employees to choose, he told CNBC.

We obviously want Sam and Greg to have a fantastic home if theyre not going to be at OpenAI, the Microsoft chief said.

We chose to explicitly partner with OpenAI and we want to continue to do so, and obviously, that depends on the people of OpenAI staying there or coming to Microsoft, Mr Nadella had said.

Microsoft later officially announced it was hiring Mr Altman and OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman, who resigned on Friday.

Extremely excited to share the news that Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, together with colleagues, will be joining Microsoft to lead a new advanced AI research team, Mr Nadella said in a post on X.

We look forward to moving quickly to provide them with the resources needed for their success, he said.

Mr Altmans sacking was followed by about 500 staff at the company demanding the boards resignation and the reinstatement of their dismissed boss.

The employees signed a letter demanding OpenAIs board resign and reinstate Mr Altman, claiming the decision to oust him jeopardised the companys work.

The letter was reportedly signed by several senior staff at OpenAI.

Mira Murati, the companys chief technology officer who was appointed as the interim chief following Mr Altmans exit, was one of the signatories.

Another signatory, Ilya Sutskever, the companys chief scientist and one of the board members, expressed deep regret over the decision to remove Mr Altman.

Employees at the companys headquarters reportedly refused to attend an emergency all-hands meeting with new OpenAI boss Emmett Shear that was scheduled on Sunday.

Some had responded to a Slack announcement with a middle-finger emoji, according to reports.

Mr Nadella also said its clear something has to change around the governance at OpenAI.

Well have a good dialogue with their board on that, and walk through that as that evolves, he said.

Mr Altman said on X that his top priority remains to ensure OpenAI continues to thrive.

We are committed to fully providing continuity of operations to our partners and customers, the ousted tech boss said on Monday.

We have more unity and commitment and focus than ever before. We are all going to work together some way or other, and Im so excited. one team, one mission, Mr Altman said.
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Donald Trumps Truth Social platform has filed a lawsuit against 20 media organisations for making what it claims to be defamatory statements about the companys financial losses.

In the lawsuit, filed in the 12th Judicial Court of Sarasota County, Florida, on Monday, Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) accuses the reckless and malicious outlets of falsely reporting that the company had lost $73m since its launch.

The company claims that the false reporting was part of a seemingly coordinated effort to destroy TMTG and Truth Social.

This case is about an unprecedented and seemingly coordinated media campaign, by no less than 20 major media outlets, to attack Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) and its social media platform, Truth Social, by falsely reporting that TMTG had lost $73 million, the lawsuit reads.

This number was an utter fabrication. Each defendant, in apparent coordination, reported the exact same false number within approximately 24 hours of one another, each citing to a public Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing, in which the mystery $73 million loss appears nowhere.

The media outlets named in the suit are: Reuters, The Guardian, The Miami Herald and its executive editor Alex Mena, The Daily Mail, CNBC, Mediaite, The Hill, Forbes, Axios, The Daily Beast, Gizmodo, Salon.com, MarketWatch, New York Daily News, Newsweek, MSNBC, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, Benzinga and Rolling Stone.

Truth Socials parent company claims that this was a coordinated effort by the media organisations to damage TMTGs reputation, degrade the firms financial standing, freeze its access to capital, and torpedo the anticipated merger between Digital World Acquisition Corporation (DWAC) and TMTG.

The lawsuit centres around the release of an SEC filing on 13 November, which gave a glimpse into the social media companys financial health for the very first time.

Donald Trump during a visit to the Texas border this weekend (REUTERS)

The filing  a registration statement  was filed as part of the planned merger between Digital World Acquisition Corporation (DWAC), a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC), and TMTG.

The Independent also covered the SEC filing at the time, but reported how it showed Truth Socials parent company had lost almost $23m in the first half of 2023 and brought in just $2.3m in net sales.

In total, TMTG suffered a net loss of $31.6m since the organisations founding in February 2021, the filing revealed.

This includes a net loss of $59m in the year ending 31 December 2021, a net profit of $50.5m in the year ending 31 December 2022 and a net loss of almost $23m in the six months ending 30 June 2023. The companys Truth Social app went live in February 2022.

The filing, as The Independent reported at the time, raised doubts about the viability of the company.

TMTGs independent registered public accounting firm has indicated that TMTGs financial condition raises substantial doubt as to its ability to continue as a going concern, the company noted in the filing.

The company said the management has substantial doubt that TMTG will have sufficient funds to meet its liabilities as they fall due, including liabilities related to promissory notes previously issued by TMTG.

The filing also raised concerns that both TMTG and DWAC might not survive if the merger doesnt go through.

It is uncertain that Digital World will be able to consummate a business combination by this time. If a business combination is not consummated by this date, there will be a mandatory liquidation and subsequent dissolution of Digital World, the filing said.

TMTG believes that it may be difficult to raise additional funds through traditional financing sources in the absence of material progress toward completing its merger with Digital World, the filing further said.

A number of companies that had licence agreements with President Trump have failed. There can be no assurances that TMTG will not also fail, the filing said.

The filing also cites a number of risks related to our chairman, president Donald J Trump, namely the former presidents trove of legal battles.

Donald Trumps social media app Truth Socials logo on a smartphone in February 2022 (AFP via Getty Images)

According to the lawsuit, the companies being sued by TMTG all published reports within 24 hours of each other and with nearly identical headlines claiming the company had lost $73m since its launch in February 2022.

TMTG claims it contacted each of the 20 media organisations demanding a retraction and apology over the report of a $73m loss. While some organisations have issued little-noticed corrections or updates, none have retracted the defamatory articles or publicly apologised, the suit claims.

As a result of the widespread lies in the reports, TMTG claims committed and potential investors have reacted negatively and the companys ability to raise additional capital has been hampered.

TMTG is now seeking $1.5bn in compensatory, special, and punitive damages from the media organisations, as well as income the companies have made from the reports.

The company is asking for a jury trial in the lawsuit.

The Independent has contacted the 20 media organisations being sued by TMTG for comment  as well as TMTG. Nextar responded: No comment, while the others have yet to reply.

Mr Trump launched Truth Social back in February 2022 after he was banned from Twitter, Facebook and Instagram following the January 6 Capitol riots.

The social media platforms have since reinstated the former presidents accounts but he continues to predominantly use Truth Social as his outlet of choice.

The Independents Io Dodds and Vishwam Sankaran contributed to this report
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Gatwick airport stations new arrivals area has opened  with a promise to transform journeys.

The 250m project, which forms part of Gatwicks South Terminal, welcomed its first train at 5.46am on Tuesday. Passengers on the Thameslink service from Bedford via central London were able to use new high-capacity lifts and escalators to reach a newly created arrivals space  which has been built above seven platforms on one of the busiest railways in the country.

The experience is very different from the previous crush as passengers were funnelled into facilities built in the 1960s, when Gatwick handled around 4 million passengers a year. The Sussex airport now has more than 10 times as many, but rail station facilities have long been inadequate for the volume of travellers.

With no congestion from passengers walking in the opposite direction, the platform-to-terminal journey for most will take less than a minute.

Meanwhile people arriving on the first wave of inbound flights from Addis Ababa, Doha and New York enjoyed sole use of the rail departure concourse, which previously was shared with incoming train travellers.

Speaking exclusively to The Independent, Gatwicks chief executive, Stewart Wingate, said: Its been a long time coming. Weve been working on it with Network Rail from 2015 and its fantastic to see the new station open for passengers to use.

Passengers will see an enormous difference. About 40 per cent of our passengers and staff get to and from the airport by train.

In the future, wed like to see as many as 60 per cent of our passengers and staff get to and from the airport by sustainable travel options.

Before the Covid crisis, Gatwicks station was one of the 20 busiest in the UK, with many more passengers than key hubs such as Liverpool Lime Street and Cardiff Central.

Passenger numbers reduced drastically during the pandemic, but are now returning in droves  with some European links above 100 per cent of pre-Covid levels.

Jordan Gill, principal architect at Systra, who designed the station, said: We were set the brief by Network Rail to really solve three problems. We had issues with safety, congestion and the passenger experience at Gatwick.

The key thing weve done here is to create this new concourse space as a welcome to Gatwick airport.

Previously all traffic  both arriving and departing passengers  would leave through the old concourse built in the 1960s, that hadnt received any upgrade work for at least the last 40 years.

If people just walk through here and get that nice feeling about the airport, then I think weve been successful because the point is to move people safely and efficiently into the airport space.

The space constraints involved in the 1960s station have not been completely overcome, with large numbers of passengers continuing to build up on platform 4, the main departure location for central London. But new track work means that more platforms can be used for both north- and southbound trains, allowing crowds to be somewhat dispersed.

Currently 15 trains run to London every hour: to both Victoria (terminus for Southern and Gatwick Express) and the Thameslink line via Blackfriars to St Pancras.

Gatwick also has direct trains to the capital and onwards to Cambridge, Peterborough and Bedford, as well as to Brighton and the rest of the south Coast. There is also a link to Reading for connections to the west of England.

Listen to Simon Calders podcast report from the new Gatwick station
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In the 1930s, the UK led the world in connected transport: Gatwick was the first airport anywhere on the planet with a direct connection between trains and planes. Integrated transport has been at the heart of the hubs identity ever since, but the 1960s railway station has been bursting at the seams and a pain to use for many years.

Since 5.46am on Tuesday 21 November 2023, passengers suddenly have more room to breathe. A rejuvenated 250m rail station, doubled in size, is now open as part of the airports South Terminal. Heres what it means for passengers.

What was the problem that needed solving?

Gatwick was built at its current location because of easy access to the main London to Brighton rail line. When the Gatwick Racecourse was repurposed as an airport in the 1930s, a tunnel was built to the terminal. It proved revolutionary: passengers could travel from central London to central Paris in under three hours.

Today London Gatwick is the second-busiest airport in Britain. It has 15 trains an hour to London with some services continuing to Cambridge, Peterborough and Bedford, plus links to Brighton, the rest of the South Coast and Southampton  as well as trains to Reading for connections to the West of England.

But Britains airports are booming again. Arriving and departing airline passengers are rapidly approaching  and in many cases exceeding  pre-pandemic numbers. As anyone who has been to a British airport in the past six months or so will testify, congestion is growing.

With Gatwick returning to the almost 60,000 passengers per day who were using the airport rail station before Covid, the highly constrained space needed a radical solution. Congestion and resulting slow boarding delayed trains and caused disruption to ripple widely across the Southern and Thameslink networks.

According to the principal architect, Jordan Gill: We had issues with safety, congestion and the passenger experience at Gatwick.

What is the solution?

Doubling the available floor space  and separating arriving and departing travellers rather than having everyone milling about together. There are eight new escalators and five jumbo-sized lifts built for passengers with limited mobility or with large amounts of luggage and families with young children.

A pair of platforms are wider. The hope is that passengers will be able to get on and off trains much more quickly, which will also improve punctuality for passengers waiting up and down the line.

The new arrivals space is designed to work intuitively, using the airports style for signage rather than the traditional rail approach.

Who paid for the 250m upgrade?

The taxpayer covered most of the cost (200m). London Gatwick Airport chipped in with 42m, with the rest made up by an enterprise called Coast to Capital.

In comparison, Inverness airport station, which was built from scratch and opened earlier this year, cost just 15m  though wider rail works including a passing loop and additional track added a further 27m. It was, though, a much smaller project.

The Gatwick transformation had to take place above a live railway and within an airport that runs 24 hours a day, with many other constraints  including the height of cranes that could be used, because of airspace restrictions.

What is the aspiration?

The new station forms part of Gatwicks ambition to get three out of five passengers to the airport by public or ultra-low emission transport by 2030. Currently, the figure arriving by rail is 40 per cent, which has nearly doubled in the past two decades.

Easier rail access is part of the carrot; the recently introduced 5 drop-off charge for people who want to be dropped at the terminal is a stick.

But arent passenger numbers down, post Covid?

Yes. Across the network, there are around 20 per cent fewer rail travellers. But Gatwicks decline is probably less, because aviation has rebounded so strongly.

Stewart Wingate, the airports chief executive, says: This year, we'll see about 41 million passengers travel through the airport So we're about 90 per cent recovered across the full year versus 2019. And we're very confident about the future prospects for the growth of the airport.

What we'd like to do in the future is bring into routine use our northern runway. We're currently going through a planning process to make that happen and we should be examined in 2024, with a decision from the government about this time next year.

We could grow to as many as 78 million passengers in the late 2030s.

Do I still need to take the Shuttle from the rail station to North Terminal?

Yes, although it is also a reasonably pleasant 15-minute walk.

What about the coming rail strikes?

Passengers using Gatwick will be impacted twice: once on Sunday 3 December, when Thameslink train drivers will walk out, and Wednesday 6 December when its the turn of Aslef members working for Gatwick Express and Southern.

But for main line passengers between London, Gatwick and Brighton, there should still be a fair number of trains running. They may be very crowded, especially in the mornings. And if youre trying to connect from other parts of England, it could be messy all the way through from 1 to 9 December.

Five things youll find at Gatwicks new station

Wider platforms (for 5, 6 and 7, at least). New lifts and escalators. Seamless signposting that implies you are already within the airport when you reach the arrival level. More reliable trains. A Gatwick Museum above platforms 5 and 6, which charts the development of Gatwick since the name was coined in the 13th century.

Two things you wont find

Retail outlets, including WH Smith, West Cornwall Pasty Co and a bureau de change. A traditional ticket office; instead, staff are on hand to help passengers use the 20 or so ticket machines or, if necessary, dispense more complex tickets directly. Of course, many passengers organise their tickets online.

Listen to Simon Calders podcast report from the new Gatwick station
A California house at the centre of an hours-long SWAT standoff erupted in flames on Monday 20 November.

The incident began when deputies from the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department attempted to conduct a search on the property on Fairwood Way, Upland.

A suspect barricaded himself inside for six hours, but the SWAT standoff came to an end after the house caught on fire and burned down.

Deputies said they tried to enter the building after deploying tear gas and exchanged fire with the suspect.

The Upland Police Department, which assisted deputies, said the suspect was shot by officers after emerging from the house.

It was not immediately clear what started the fire.
Two people and their dog were rescued after their boat broke down 90 miles off the coast of Florida on Saturday, 19 November.

A Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew airlifted the pair and their pet after receiving an alert that a porthole on the vessel had broken, allowing water to get into the boat and damaging some of the electronics.

Lt. J.G. Connor Sullivan, command duty officer, Sector St. Petersburg, said: "Due to the reported water ruining the system, this alert gave us their last known position and allowed us to investigate because the owners registered it to their equipment.
US President Joe Biden confused Taylor Swift for Britney Spears during his speech at the White Houses annual turkey pardoning ceremony on Monday (20 November).

As he began pardoning the turkeys, Liberty and Bell, he referenced Swifts current tour and accidentally called her Britney.

The president said: Just to get here, Liberty and Bell had to beat some tough odds and competition. They had to work hard, to show patience, and be willing to travel over 1,000 miles.

You could say its even harder than getting a ticket to the Renaissance tour, or Britneys tour. Shes down, its kind of warm in Brazil right now.
A Tesla crashed into a family home in California last Friday (17 November) after launching over a swimming pool, prompting firefighters to attend the scene.

San Mateo Police Department shared images of the collision showing the vehicle smashed into the side of the property, destroying the kitchen.

No-one was hurt in the incident, authorities said.

Jerami Surratt, public information officer for the police department, told SFGate that the Tesla "probably flew 40 to 50 feet through the air."

Meredith Donato, who told KTVU she is the owner of the house said: "There's obviously property damage, but at the end of the day it's just stuff."
The company, which was founded in 2021, offers a coding platform targeted at data scientists and machine- learning engineers to allow teams to collaborate and share results .

Dublin-based Elkstone Ventures led the funding round, with further contributions from angel investors, including Sean Mullaney, chief technology officer at Algolia, and Rob Hickey, former European vice president of engineering at DataRobot.

Zerve said it plans to use the funding to build a new architecture for data science and AI development.

The business, which currently has 12 employees, will also create a number of new roles across its engineering, cloud infrastructure and research and development functions.

Zerve is headquartered in Tipperary and recently opened an office in the Nexus Innovation Centre at the University of Limerick.

Chief executive and co-founder Phily Hayes said the business is looking to create an architectural shift that changes how data science gets developed.

The toolkit for the [code- first data user] is very fragmented so if theyre going to do a project from start to finish, they have to rely usually on lots of other teams and jump between different stacks, he said.

For us, it looked like an opportunity to try and create one platform that helps code- first data users, he said.

What we built is a platform that will allow you to explore your data while also producing production- ready code.

Co-founder Greg Michaelson said Zerve would enhance the capabilities of data science and empower data scientists to deliver effortlessly in the era of AI.

Elkstone partner Niall McEvoy pointed to the startups ambition to bridge the gap between data science and AI development.

The team has built a technology that will really allow companies to break down silos and harness the power of AI and data science and has the potential to do to data science what Figma did for design, he added.

Zerve is currently one of 10 European startups chosen to participate in Intels Ignite accelerator programme, which is focused on deep tech startups in which 148 firms have participated.

Since 2019, when the programme commenced, the 148 companies that have completed the accelerator have raised over 1.6bn.
The sale of the Aperee chain includes seven operating premises

Embattled nursing home chain Aperee Living has been sold to a group of investors led by its former chief executive, Paul Kingston.

The chain, which has seven premises in Ireland and was founded by the Cork-based investment firm Blackbee, has been embroiled in controversy in recent months.

Three of its nursing homes  which are included in the sale  had their registration cancelled following inspections by the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa).

Those nursing homes were at Callan in Co Kilkenny, Ballygunner in Co Waterford and Belgooly in Co Cork. The HSE assumed control of the nursing home in Co Kilkenny, while the other two were closed.

The Hiqa report into the Kilkenny home found residents money was being used to fund operational costs at the home, and highlighted staff shortages and fire safety risks.

Hiqa inspectors also expressed serious concerns about the control of residents finances and fire safety risks following a visit to a Co Galway nursing home owned by the Aperee group.

Mr Kingston led the Aperee group until summer 2022.

Last year, BlackBee founder David OShea and a number of companies related to the group initiated legal action against Mr Kingston and Aperee chief financial officer Hazel OConnor, seeking declarations that the pair had no legal or beneficial interest in the share capital or voting rights of Aperee Holdings.

The defendants had claimed they were entitled to 40pc of the profits of a planned deal to sell 12 of the groups nursing homes in 2021.

The case was later settled.

The acquisition deal with Mr Kingston also includes a partially completed site in Glanmire in Cork, as well as a site in the county that has planning permission for a 100-bed nursing home and 47 independent living units.

We are fully committed to providing the highest standards of care to all residents at the nursing homes we have acquired, prioritising excellent clinical support, dedicated personal care, companionship, daily activities and community events, insisted Mr Kingston.

He added: We are very much looking forward to engaging with all our directors of nursing and their clinical teams, as well as meeting with residents and their families to ensure we deliver a best in class service in the nursing home sector.

Mr OShea said he believed the sale to Mr Kingston and his consortium will bring stability and growth to Aperee Living.
Deenish Island facility has continued to operate pending the outcome of an appeal to the States Aquaculture Licence Appeals Board. Photo: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg

Norwegian fisheries giant Mowi has applied to the Department of Agriculture for a new licence for its controversial salmon farm in Kerry.

The facility located on Deenish Island lost its licence in 2019 under then-Agriculture Minister Michael Creed for allegedly harvesting twice the amount of salmon permitted under its licence.

The facility has continued to operate pending the outcome of an appeal to the States Aquaculture Licence Appeals Board (ALAB), despite protests by environmental groups.

In a new aquaculture and foreshore licence application filed with the Department of Agriculture, Silver King Seafoods Limited, a company owned by Mowi Ireland, said the licenced facility would employ a minimum of seven people.

The company is fully integrated with breeding, growing, harvest, processing and sales facilities in Ireland, it said.

The firm said on-site staff would be supported by the Mowi Ireland sub aqua dive team, an in-house veterinarian and technical support staff.

Making the decision to strip the facilitys licence in 2019, Mr Creed said in 2016, Mowi Ireland harvested 1,100 tonnes of salmon at the site, instead of the permitted 500 tonnes.

He said this led to a rise in effluent discharge from the Deenish site.

In its submission to ALAB, Mowi Ireland said there was no breach of its licence conditions.

It argued that when the licence was granted in 1995, harvesting referred to killing fish on-site. It said the fish reared at the Deenish facility were taken to Castletownbere in Cork to be slaughtered.

The company also denied there had been a rise in effluent discharge from the site.

Mowi Ireland also previously pointed to issues with the slow pace of the Irish licensing system, saying it had sought renewal and improvement of the Deenish licence in 2007.

In its appeal to ALAB, the company said: Some of Mowi Ireland applications to renew licences have been with the Department since 2000.

Little or no information has been provided regarding the progress of these applications over the years.

The Department of Agriculture referred queries on the issue to ALAB. Mowi Ireland had not responded to a request for comment at the time of publication.

In a statement, ALAB said: The appeal is currently under consideration by the ALAB board.

The responsibility for the implementation of licence conditions is a matter for the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

Advocacy group Salmon Watch Ireland has opposed the operation of the Deenish facility, claiming it has a negative impact on local wildlife and fish stocks.

In September, Mowi Ireland announced it would cut 33 of its Irish staff.

The firm, which employed 265 people in Ireland before the cuts, had flagged difficulties at its Irish operations after warmer than normal sea temperatures impacted the amount of salmon fished in Ireland.

The company, which is the worlds largest producer of Atlantic salmon, said the warmer than normal temperatures impacted on the growth of its fish and hindered its projected salmon production for this year.

In 2022, Mowi had global sales of 4.9bn, while its Irish arm had turnover of 72m. The company has operations in 26 countries and employs 11,500 people worldwide.
The Dublin office will be led by Jacqueline Flynn

The opening of the office follows a decision by the London-headquartered firm to utilise the newly revised Investment Limited Partnership structure in Ireland.

Exponent has received approval from the Central Bank for its Irish business to operate as an alternative investment fund manager.

The Dublin office will also support the firms investment activity in Ireland.

Exponent has invested more than 1bn in 12 Irish-owned or Irish-based businesses in the past decade.

These include five platform and seven bolt-on acquisitions since 2012.

The new Dublin base will be led by Jacqueline Flynn. Ms Flynn will join Exponent as its operations director and most recently served as chief operating officer for BlackRocks Irish operations.

Investment activity will be led by Exponent partner David McGovern, who is responsible for investing here alongside other senior members of the team.

Other members of the firms finance and investor relations functions will relocate to the Dublin city office, while Exponent plans to add more staff across functions.

Ireland is a compelling environment to invest the resources of our firm and opening an office in Dublin is a natural and exciting step for our business, Mr McGovern said.

"We are resolute in our commitment to Ireland and look forward to expanding the team in the years to come as we continue our investing journey in the Irish market, he added.

Exponent also has an office in Amsterdam. Now investing from its fourth fund, the firm has raised more than 3bn to date. It focuses on corporate carve-outs and acquiring founder-led businesses.

Waste and environmental services company Enva, which was acquired by Exponent in 2017, was sold in June to US private equity firm I Squared Capital. Enva was formerly a part of DCCs Environmental division.

Exponent said the sale of Enva delivered a near 4x return for investors.
Prof Gerardine Doyle, Director of UCD Smurfit Business School and Associate Dean of UCD College of Business with Breege ODonoghue, awards jury chair

Seven journalists from the Irish and Sunday Independents have been shortlisted for the prestigious UCD Smurfit School Business Journalist Awards, alongside peers from The Irish Times, Business Post, BBC Northern Ireland and other media outlets.

Overall, 23 journalists have been shortlisted over seven award categories for the annual awards.

From Mediahuis Ireland; The Irish Independent's Fionnan Sheahan and Melanie Finn were shortlisted for Business News Story of the Year as is the Sunday Independents Sean Pollock.

Caoimhe Gordon of the Irish Independent is shortlisted in the Upcoming Journalist of the Year category alongside Donal MacNamee of the Business Post and Vish Gain of Silicon Republic.

Sunday Independent journalist Mark Tighe is shortlisted for Audio Story of the Year for an episode of The Indo Daily podcast.

Paul ODonoghue of the Sunday Independent is shortlisted for Business Feature of the Year.

Irish Independent journalist Amy Molloy has been shortlisted for a Women in Business Journalism Award alongside Jenny Darmody of Silicon Republic and Maria Delaney of Noteworthy.

The awards are organised by the UCD Smurfit Business School and sponsored by Bank of Ireland and honour excellence in Irish business journalism across the media spectrum.

The awards are adjudicated by an independent panel of judges composed of business, media and academic leaders. This years independent panel of judges was chaired by Breege ODonoghue, one of the countrys most successful retail executives, Primark Brand Ambassador and a member of a range of business and not-for-profit boards.
Eric Mosley says conspiracy was effected through unlawful means

The founder of Workhuman, a company which provides cloud-based services to recognise and reward employees, claims certain investors have engaged in a campaign of interference and obstruction to prevent a major and transformative acquisition deal.

Eric Mosley, CEO of Dublin and Massachusetts-based Globoforce Group PLC , trading as Workhuman, has claimed a conspiracy to damage Workhuman was effected through a variety of unlawful means.

These included a scheme of misrepresentation and intimidation, to force Workhuman to accede to a proposal which would have placed the company under an undue financial and operational burden, he claimed.

It was also done through a campaign to prevent the company from effecting a capital restructuring which would have brought about the repayment of a debt, it is claimed.

Globoforce/Workhuman is suing Luxembourg Investment Company 276 SARL (LuxCo) and global alternative asset management firm Intermediate Capital Group PLC (ICG) which is listed on the London stock exchange. ICG is the parent of a number of companies, including ICG Europe Fund VIISCSp (FundVII) which holds LuxCos shareholding in Workhuman.

It is also suing an indirect investor behind a number of companies in the Luxembourg-registered Falcon Group. It is suing six executives/directors of ICG: Benoit Durteste, David Lomer, Hadj Djemi, Luigi Bartone, Sam McKelvey and Bernard Coady, ICGs managing director and point of contact with Workhuman.

A seventh individual, Stephen Welch, of Rodimus Operations, Park Road, London, is also being sued although Workhuman says there is no allegation of wrongdoing against him. It is claimed Mr Welch is a professional director who was invalidly appointed to Workhuman.

The case came before the Commercial Court on Monday when Mr Justice Denis McDonald was told there was consent for its entry to the commercial list.

However, the judge adjourned the entry application for a week to allow Mr Welch to be served with the papers outside the jurisdiction and for him to enter an appearance in the case.

In an affidavit, Mr Mosley said the company has more than 320 customers and more than six million employee users worldwide spanning 180 countries. Its turnover in 2022 was US$1,133m, he said.

Between September and March last, he said, Barry Maloney, chairperson and director of Workhuman, conducted extensive discussions with the main shareholder of a company Workhuman was looking to acquire. For commercial sensitivity reasons, that company is not named, he said.

Mr Mosley said the acquisition was proposed as an all-equity deal and which, if executed, would have significantly enhanced the scale and growth opportunities of both companies.

Last March, he said, the defendants opportunistically sought to block the acquisition at the eleventh hour in an attempt to procure substantial benefits for ICG and its affiliates, to which they had no entitlement..

As a result of a breakdown in the relationship between Workhuman and ICG, Workhuman decided it was appropriate that ICGs influence, through its direct and indirect shareholdings, should be addressed, he said.

In response to steps taken by Workhuman, the defendants have orchestrated and continue to operate an unlawful campaign to obstruct, block, frustrate and intimidate the company, and others, including the companys board of directors, in an attempt to continue to apply pressure and exercise leverage over Workhuman.

In doing so, the defendants have caused potentially irreparable damage to the company, its business and the interests of its shareholders, he said.

The claims are denied.

Globoforce/Workhuman is seeking declarations including that Stephen Welch was not validly appointed a director of the company and that Barry Maloney is and continues to be a director.

It seeks, as necessary, injunctions prohibiting Mr Welch from acting as director and the withdrawal of a notice of September 19 last purporting to direct the removal of Mr Maloney as director and putting Mr Welch in his place.

It also seeks a declaration that Mr Maloney has continuing authority to act for and on behalf of the Falcon companies as investor director on the board of the company. It also seeks financial compensation arising from the defendants alleged conduct.
Rakim Mayers, aka A$AP Rocky will stand trial on two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. He has pleaded not guilty (Allison Dinner/Pool Photo via AP)

A Los Angeles judge found that there is enough evidence for ASAP Rocky to stand trial for allegations that he fired a gun at a former friend and collaborator outside a Hollywood hotel in 2021.

Superior Court Judge ML Villar made the ruling at at a preliminary hearing, after hearing roughly a day and a half of testimony.

Rocky has pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm.

His attorney attempted to cast doubt on the case while questioning a police detective.

The two-time Grammy-award nominee is accused of pointing a gun and firing it at a former childhood friend in 2021 (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP, File)

The 35-year-old hip-hop star, fashion mogul and two-time Grammy nominee is in a relationship with Rihanna, with whom he has two young children.

Mr Villar said the totality of the video and testimony shows there is sufficient evidence for the defendant to go to trial.

She emphasised that preliminary hearings have a much lower evidence standard than a trial, and she was only finding probable cause.

Rocky, sitting in the courtroom, showed no visible reaction.
Irish language rappers Kneecap have thanked BBC Radio 6 Music after the station named the groups first single as their obsessed track of the week.

In September Kneecap revealed they had signed a record deal with London-based Heavenly Recordings.

Their first single with the label, Better Way To Live, was released last week with the music video filmed in Maddens Bar in Belfast.

Writing on X, the Belfast trio said: Gracias @bbc6music for making Better Way To Live their obsessed track of the week. The support for the track has been next level yous [sic] are all legends.

The nationalist-leaning group, who were formed in 2017, are made up of west Belfast natives Mo Chara, Moglai Bap and DJ Provai have built a reputation in recent years for producing controversial and creative music.

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During the summer the group unveiled a new mural ahead of their show they played at Feile an Phobail in Belfast featuring the slogan England Get Out of Ireland.

The group has previously said they like their music to get people riled up.

Today's News in 90 seconds - November 21st

Kneecap have a number of upcoming tour dates across the UK and Ireland, including shows in Liverpool, London and the Ulster Hall in Belfast.

They are also embarking on a tour of the US and Canada next year.
Communities were evicted from the Scottish Highlands by greedy landlords, and never returned  and now farmers could be driven off Irelands uplands if policy-makers dont protect these communities

Travelling through the Highlands in Scotland is an interesting experienc

e. The landscape is familiar at one level  especially if you are from the West of Ireland  and yet in other ways it is totally different, to the point of being almost alien.

The spectacular mountains remind you of parts of Kerry and Connemara, in particular.

What is different is the absence of farming activity, but most notably the people who once resided there.

Across the Scottish Highlands your next-door neighbour could be 20 or 30 miles away, and while that may appeal to some, most people  especially the young  will find such isolation difficult.

Of course, the absence of people has a knock-on effect on farming and how these upland areas are managed.

The Highlands, similar to our hills, had thriving communities over 300 years ago. However, through forced evictions, many parts of the Highlands were effectively cleared of people between 1750 and 1860 as landlords focused on large-scale pastoral farming.

The Highland Potato Famine (1846-56) and assisted passages to North America, especially the Canadian province of Nova Scotia (New Scotland) were also critical factors in these clearances.

The Highlands is one of seven distinct regions in Scotland, and the largest by area.

The region covers 25,656 sq/km and has a population of 238,060 based on the 2021 census.

Stob Ban in Glen Nevis in the Scottish Highlands

A comparable area in Ireland would include Clare and Donegal and all of Connacht  which have a combined population of 886,538, according to the 2022 census. Four times greater than the Highlands. 

The question is, why has the population in the Scottish Highlands not recovered? 

Many regions in Ireland have arguably dealt with more traumatic events, but the population sustained or returned. One of the key reasons for this is the tie to the land.

Today, as in the past, all our hills are farmed. While elements may have changed, the knowledge passed down through the generations has helped sustain these farming communities and their wider rural communities.

This commitment by small landowners living in these communities to work the land has provided the critical difference in outcome between the Irish uplands and the Scottish Highlands.

However, all of this could be about to change as farming activity makes way for environmental ambition, especially the restoration and re-establishment of existing and long-lost habitats through the Nature Restoration Law (NRL).

In Brussels agreement has been reached on a final text for this law. From here, it is over to Member States to develop their NRL within the framework of the overall plan.

While some will see the NRL as an extension of the Natura 2000 land designations, this new law will bring it to an entirely different level.

While the designations restricted activity and reduced income potential and have been a major issue for farmers, the NRL can end all farming activity, and through legally binding targets compel farmers and landowners to restore and if necessary re-establish habitats.

The NRL has the potential to drive a major reduction in farming activity  a reduction that on many of our hills could see an end to the farming systems that have for years sustained farm families and the wider rural communities.

In this scenario, the likelihood of a population decline is quite high.

So it is incumbent on those developing our National Plan to consider the socio-economic factors in local areas to ensure entire communities are not wiped out.

The restoration re-establishment of habitats must be balanced against the socio-economic needs of communities that have for centuries lived and worked in these areas.

We must also recognise that while there may have been a change to the landscape over time, this isnt necessarily a negative.

Across many of our hills, we see High Nature Value Farming ecosystems deliver habitats of critical importance through sustainable farming practices.

Any National Plan will need to have enough flexibilities to recognise this. Our experiences of the Natura 2000 land designations havent been positive, but the hope is that past mistakes wont be repeated.

As we look to the future we must also learn from the past. The Scottish experience must not be repeated here. We dont have landlords pushing farmers off the land, but we must ensure that well-meaning environmentalists dont deliver a similar outcome.

Our hills are much more than an experiment  they are farmed landscapes nurtured by generations of farmers embedded in living communities that have survived and flourished despite the odds.

As we move past 50 years of EU membership we must ensure that these people, their way of life, and the landscapes they have sustained and developed are protected.

Vincent Roddy is president of the Irish Natura & Hill Farmers Association
The ICMSA is set to host Minister for the Environment, Eamon Ryan at a meeting in Tullamore, Co Offaly, within weeks, to discuss the impact of rewetting of farmland.

A spokesperson for Offaly ICMSA has said that the local executive will be pushing the association to organise a public meeting at the earliest opportunity where the details of rewetting projects can be thrashed out.

Minister Ryan gave a commitment to the association at its AGM last week, that he would attend such a meeting, having been challenged by Offaly ICMSAs Pat OBrien.

The Minister explained that his schedule was packed and that he had yet to be informed of any single farmer who had complained that neighbouring privately owned land had been adversely affected by the Bord na Mona rewetting.

Offaly farmer, Michael Guinan, told Minister Ryan that hed be happy to show him damage to his farm that could only have been caused by the Bord na Mona Rewetting Programme."

Bord na Monas flagship environmental project came under attack from landowners earlier this year who warned that their properties and livelihoods are in jeopardy.

The company is in the process of rewetting 80,000 acres of drained peatlands, but farmers say they will have an adverse effect if the project goes wrong.

Several hundred farms adjoin the project site in the midlands, and farmers have sought written assurances that Bord na Mona will remedy any damage should their lands become flooded.

Bord na Mona has said it will adjust its rewetting plans where a risk of flooding on adjoining land is identified, but the company stops short of agreeing to fix any damage that might happen.

Earlier this year, Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue also promised farmers that they will not be forced to rewet their land under the EU's Nature Restoration Law.

Instead Irelands contribution to 2030, 2040 and 2050 rewetting targets will be met using state owned land.

Proposed targets and the timeframes are: by 2030, rewetting 30pc of drained and farmed peatlands; by 2040, restoring 40pc of drained and farmed peatland, rewetting half of this area; and by 2050, restoring 50pc of bogland, with half of this area rewetted.

There is a fear that the EU stick could be cuts, or total blocks, on EU farm grants for peatlands.
Research from DCU has found that older farmers and farmers with children were more likely to experience burnout and that lower income was related to poorer sleep.

More than a quarter of farmers are burnt out while half are getting poor sleep, according to researchers who say it raises the potential for farm-related injuries.

The DCU study, published in Safety Science, found that 62.7pc of farmers are getting less than seven hours sleep a night, with existing research suggesting that sleeping less than 7.5 hours is associated with increased potential for farm-related injuries.

Poor sleep and being burned out can lead to serious negative impacts on farmers' health and safety. In our study we found that poor sleepers and burnout farmers displayed higher mental health and physical health issues," said Dr Siobhan O'Connor, lead investigator on the study.

"Being burnout and having poor sleep can lead to farmers making quick and poor judgments on the farm, which can potentially lead to accidents. It also can negatively impact their quality of life and their relationships with their family.

The research, funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, surveyed 351 Irish farmers from across the country.

It also showed that older farmers and farmers with children were more likely to experience burnout and that lower income was related to poorer sleep.

Large scale changes are needed to truly tackle burnout in an entire occupation such as financial, psychological and social supports," said Dr O'Connor.

"Targeted interventions for Irish farmers, particularly our older farmers and those with young families are also key.

The researchers recommend that farmers take stock of their own wellbeing and note how they are feeling and sleeping.

Burnout can present as a farmer feeling very overwhelmed, having a short fuse, finding arduous the tasks they had previously enjoyed, disengagement or demotivation, finding it hard to concentrate, eating poorly, not exercising, and stopping taking part in their social activities, breaks or holidays.

It is also important for us to check in not only with ourselves, but all those in our farming community, including our family and farmer friends," said Dr O'Connor.

Project researcher Anna Donnla O'Hagan detailed the unique challenges which face the farming profession in taking time out.

They have this really demanding occupation; with financial pressures, relying on market prices, production targets, unpredictable weather, disease outbreak, so a lot of time pressures. On top of this they also have a lot of administrative tasks beyond the time intensive and physical role, Dr OHagan said.

Because of the farming lifestyle, it can be very hard to take a break. Someone who works nine-to-five, they get to leave work at five o'clock, and get a break from it, but those lines can be quite blurred among farmers in that farming is their lifestyle.

Sometimes there can be poor availability and high costs associated with arranging cover for farmers so they end up going a very long time without taking any break from the farm.
The EU is set to give the green light to the Governments planned clampdown on Airbnbs after a rowback that will allow rural short-term lets escape new rules.

The EU Commission raised serious concerns about proposed new laws from Tourism Minister Catherine Martin earlier this year, which aimed to clamp down on houses and apartments being rented out on sites such as Airbnb or Booking.com without the appropriate planning permission.

The Government climbed down and put forward softer proposals which would mean rural properties would not have to abide by the strict new rules.

The delay caused by Europe now means the crackdown has been pushed back again, with the Governments latest Housing for All progress report saying it will finally be in place by next summer and not in the first three months of the year, as initially hoped.

However, the Government hopes this is the last delay to the register.

A provisional agreement was reached between the European Parliament and European Council last week and this means the Department of Tourism can finally work to put the new register in place.

It is now expected the EU Commission, which initially put a standstill on the Governments plans, will give a formal green light on the new proposals in the coming weeks.

Under the plans, Airbnbs and similar short-term rentals will not have to apply for special planning permission if they are located in areas with a population of less than 5,000.

All short-term rentals will have to be logged onto the new register, which will be overseen by Failte Ireland.

Local authorities will be able to keep an eye on which properties have the correct planning permission and clamp down on the ones who do not.

The softening of rules for rural properties will form part of new planning guidelines to be published by the end of this year or early next year, under which the Government hopes to put 12,000 properties back into the long-term rental market.

Officials believe holiday homes in rural areas do not contribute to increases in the cost of rent and would not be suitable for long-term renting.

Failte Ireland welcomes the reaching of a provisional agreement by the European Council and the European Parliament on the Short Term Rental Proposal following a final trialogue on 15th November, which will provide for harmonisation of collection and sharing of short-term rental accommodation data across the EU, said a spokesperson for Failte Ireland.

A spokesperson for the Department of Tourism said: A positive response from the Commission by the end of the standstill period on 22 December 2023 and the clarity now on the EU STR should allow the legislative process to commence early in 2024.
Hundreds of thousands past and present students will soon be able to vote in Seanad elections.

Housing Minister Darragh OBrien is seeking Cabinet approval to begin the process of expanding the electorate for electing university members to the Seanad.

At present, only students who attended Trinity College and National University of Ireland can vote for the six Seanad seats.

However, earlier this year, University Limerick student Tomas Heneghan won a Supreme Court case after he challenged the constitutionality of preventing students from other third level institutions from voting in Seanad elections.

The Supreme Court judgment in the Heneghan case requires the Oireachtas to legislate to remedy unconstitutional provisions of the Seanad Electoral (University Members) Act, 1937.

Mr OBriens memo will set out his plans to extend the franchise for Seanad university panel to all Irish citizens, aged 18 and over, and who hold a degree from a designated institution of higher education in Ireland.

The minister will establish a new six-seat higher education constituency for the Seanad to replace the existing NUI and University of Dublin university constituencies and successful senators will be elected by eligible graduates through proportional representation by way of single transferrable vote (PR-STV).

The Department of Housing and Local Government and Heritage will now begin drafting the general scheme of a bill as a matter of priority, working closely with the Department of Further and Higher Education, and institutions of higher education, on the details.

There are currently more than 170,000 people eligible to vote in Seanad elections and the new legislation will see many multiples of this number being given a vote.

The Department of Housing and the Department of Higher Education are to develop an eligibility criterion for voting under the reformed Seanad panel.

A Government source said they did not expect the changes to be put in place in time for the next Seanad election and instead the reforms are most likely two general elections away from being implemented.

Energy Minister Eamon Ryan. Photo: Gareth Chaney/Collins

Separately, Eamon Ryan will bring a memo setting out his plans to ensure the Adare by-pass in Limerick will be built in time for the Ryder Cup, which will be held at Adare Manor in September 2027.

Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys will give the Cabinet an update on the introduction of pay related social welfare for people who lose their jobs suddenly. Pay related benefits will be paid to workers over nine months beginning with an initial maximum payment of 450 for the first three months, 375 for the next three months and 300 for the final three months.

Meanwhile, Irelands censorship laws are to be repealed and the Censorship Board to be scrapped, under plans brought to Cabinet by Justice Minister Helen McEntee.

Over 12,000 publications were banned by the board ever since it was set up in 1930.

The board previously considered if Fine Gael Justice Minister Alan Shatters Laura should be banned after a complaint was made but decided to take no action.

Minister McEntee believes the Censorship Board is no longer effective or appropriate today and will propose to draft Heads of a Bill which would repeal Censorship of Publications Acts.

The law currently allows for the censorship and prohibition of books and periodicals (such as magazines, journals and newspapers) that are considered indecent or obscene, or have an unduly large proportion of space devoted to crime.

However, it does not apply to online material.

Several significant amendments have already been made to the Censorship of Publications Acts, including changes to allow the publication of information on contraception, abortion and divorce.

Repealing censorship laws will not impact prosecution of offences for possession or publication of child abuse material or for circulating threatening material.

The Censorship Board and Appeal Board have effectively ceased in the last 20 years with significantly reduced volumes of complaints and appeals.
Man jailed for 10 years over cowardly and unprovoked chemical attack on partners ex that cost victim an eye

A special fundraising appeal has been launched to help a father-of-three who lost an eye in an horrific chemical attack.

Cork Circuit Criminal Court was told that Francis Costello (40) prayed he would die such was the horrific pain he suffered as a consequence of the unprovoked attack by John Paul Carey (36) last year.

The appeal has been launched with the aim of raising 10,000 to help Mr Costello with his recovery and ongoing medical bills.

It was launched by Mr Costello's brother, Roy, who said Francis has a long road ahead of him with father-of-three unable to resume his job because of his injuries.

"Francis has already been through countless visits to hospital in Cork to try to save his eye and travelled to Dublin on a number of occasions to meet with specialists with the hope of getting a prosthetic eye when all attempts to save his eye failed and it had to be removed," he said.

"My brother initially spent 10 days in hospital where he underwent plastic surgery on his face and head. He was sent home on morphine and was basically helpless. It was another two weeks after he came home that the doctors took him off the morphine and reality set in.

Francis Costello lost an eye after the caustic soda attack. Photo: Provision Photography.

"This attack took from my brother in every way. He was left physically, emotionally and mentally scarred and it took him a long time to be able to deal with what happened to him.

"Francis still has a long road ahead of him. He has been told his eye socket is damaged so badly that a prosthetic eye might not be possible. He will be travelling to Dublin for operations in the hope that they can repair it enough so he can get his prosthetic eye and be somewhat happier with how he looks after the attack.

"With medical, travel and living expenses mounting up, friends and neighbours told me I should make this GoFundMe in the hope to help Francis get his health and life back."

Family and friends hope the appeal will support Francis in his ongoing recovery.

Carey, who has 99 previous convictions including convictions for armed robbery, drug possession and assault, was questioned by gardai immediately after the attack in a bid to determine precisely what substance he had thrown at Francis Costello and his two brothers.

Judge James McCourt was told that Carey offered no assistance to officers desperately trying to determine the substance but then asked them: "If he (Mr Costello) was still a handsome man?"

Judge McCourt imposed a ten year prison sentence but agreed to suspend the final six months in light of Carey's plea and other mitigating factors.

He also backdated the sentence to April 18 2022 when Carey was taken into custody.

Carey pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm to Francis Costello at Connolly Road in Ballyphehane, Cork on March 4 2022 contrary to Section 4 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act.

He also admitted assault causing harm to Mr Costello's two brothers, John and Roy, at the same location and date contrary to Section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act.

All three men were struck by a corrosive liquid thrown at them by Carey who has addresses at Dunmanus Crescent in Knocknaheeny, Allihies in west Cork and Glanmire where he was originally from.

Such were the horrific injuries to Mr Costello's face that his left eye had to be surgically removed in October 2022 after desperate attempts by Cork surgeons to save it failed.

Mr Costello's brother, John, now has only 90pc vision in his right eye and 80pc vision in his left eye.

Roy Costello was left with serious scars on his arms and hands from the caustic solution tossed at him.

Gardai and Cork Fire Brigade were called to the scene on March 4 - and fire brigade officers were so concerned about the nature of the liquid that had even burned into the front door of the property that they sealed off the entire area and had to alert a special cleaning crew.

Mr Costello was rushed by ambulance to Cork University Hospital (CUH) where he underwent emergency medical treatment for several weeks.

Gardai later found a bottle nearby and Detective Inspector Jason Lynch said it was found to have contained a powerful caustic soda solution used for unblocking clogged drains.

In an emotional victim impact statement, Mr Costello said the pain was so great that evening he wanted to die.

"The night of March 4 2022 will remain with me for the rest of my life," he sobbed as he insisted on delivering his victim impact statement in person.

Judge McCourt noted the courage displayed by Mr Costello and he outlined the impact of the attack on his life.

"The physical pain I went through...I just wanted to die to stop the burning in my eyes, my face and my head as I lay on the ground crying and screaming in pain while I was being kicked and punched, he said.

"I was praying the next blow would be fatal just to stop the suffering. Little did I know that night that, for the next year, I would be battling with my mental and emotional health, attending multiple procedures, surgeries and my eye being removed last October.

"I lost the will to live - and I had planned to end it all so many times. Thankfully, I did not go through with it. I believe today there is a way through anything life might throw at me."

Mr Costello said he had only emerged from the nightmare thanks to the incredible support of family, friends, neighbours and officials with victim support groups.

Speaking after the sentencing hearing, Mr Costello said: "What he did to me, you wouldn't do it to an animal."

Mr Costello also said that Carey's letter of apology was far too late to have any meaning for him.

He said he hoped the sentencing would give him some closure and that he could continue to rebuild his life after the horrific attack.

The court heard that Mr Costello, who had previously worked in retail, lost his job and is now fearful every day of his sight.

Judge McCourt was told that John Paul Carey had been working that day but, after going for a few drinks, had become agitated over a dispute between Mr Costello, Mr Costello's former partner who was now in a relationship with him, and himself.

He called to the Costello family home and, after Francis answered the door, threw the caustic liquid into his face.

The liquid was also thrown on his two brothers who rushed to help their sibling when they heard him screaming in agony and writhing on the ground by the front door.

Judge McCourt was told that the incident occurred while Carey was under the provisions of a suspended portion of a four year and six month sentence imposed for the armed robbery of Little Island Post Office on February 5 2020.

Carey had also received a ten year prison sentence, with the final five years suspended, for drug offences.

Elizabeth O'Connell SC, for Carey, pointed out to the court that he came from an unfortunate and extremely sad background, having lost his mother in tragic circumstances.

She said her client had submitted a letter of apology to the Costello family on the day he was first arraigned over the incident.

Ms O'Connell also noted that her client's "reckless and irrational actions" had damaged the stability he had finally managed to achieve in his personal life.

She pointed out that Carey was still involved in a relationship with Mr Costello's ex-partner and had a child with her last year.

Donal O'Sullivan BL, for the State, said the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), indicated the sentence in the matter should be at the higher end of the scale given the severity of the injury involved.

Judge McCourt warned that: "The loss of an eye is an enormous injury. I was convinced of that before the DPP ever opened his mouth."

He noted that Carey's plea had saved the State a lengthy trial and had avoided the Costello family having to give evidence.

"Not only were these attacks cowardly but they were unprovoked," the judge said.

He noted that the attacks occurred at a family home and clearly hinted at planning and premeditation.

"The level of harm visited on Francis Costello is appalling. This (offence) clearly falls at the upper end of the scale."

Judge McCourt agreed to suspend the final six months of the 10 year prison sentence on the basis of Carey entering into a bond to keep the peace for one year on his release from prison.
'I was sitting at the top table with Martin McGuinness and Gerry Adams and they didnt look comfortable at all,' said Ben Dunne. Photo: Steve Humphreys

'I was sitting at the top table with Martin McGuinness and Gerry Adams and they didnt look comfortable at all,' said Ben Dunne. Photo: Steve Humphreys

The late Ben Dunne attended at least one Sinn Fein outreach to the business community in Dublin  but the party is maintaining silence on whether there were any further links.

His presence may partly explain why Mary Lou McDonald was quick to lavish praise on the controversial businessman who died in Dubai but whose funeral is expected to be held in Ireland.

Mr Dunnes presence at a Sinn Fein event raised eyebrows among fellow business leaders  having been kidnapped by the IRA in 1981 and held for seven days until a ransom was paid.

In a 2014 radio interview with Miriam OCallaghan, Mr Dunne said: I was sitting at the top table with Martin McGuinness and Gerry Adams and they didnt look comfortable at all.

I wasnt too comfortable myself.

So I turned around and said, Listen, fellas, if this is a fundraising lunch, its a refund Ill be looking for. They broke their hearts laughing and we had a fantastic lunch.

The businessman lived with his family in Carpenterstown, near Castleknock, close to where Ms McDonald attended Fianna Fail cumann meetings before she left that party.

The Sinn Fein president did not reply to a request for comment as to whether she and Mr Dunne were known to each other, and neither did a party press officer respond.

Ms McDonalds online expression of sympathy drew sharp responses from some users of X.

But his son Rob responded to her: Thanks Mary Lou for your condolences. My dad would always say its crucial to keep looking forward and never dwell on the past.

Mary Lou replied: Love and solidarity to your family at this time, Rob. Your dad was a really good man.

Separately, Sinn Fein TD Eoin O Broin said at Leinster House yesterday that he never supported the taking of hostages in any conflict.

When asked if Sinn Fein owes an apology to Mr Dunnes family, he said the IRA has previously apologised for those matters.

Mr O Broin said: Republicans have apologised for a very large number of things that happened during the conflict, including spokespeople acting on behalf of the IRA, when the armed conflict was brought to an end and the IRA disbanded, apologising.

And I think we all need to do whatever is required to ensure that people who lost loved ones or experienced conflict have their needs and concerns dealt with.

Thats a piece of work we are constantly engaged with, and particularly in the North where these issues are most acute.

But all I will say is, very senior republicans, including people speaking on behalf the IRA, previously have apologised for those matters.
Jimmy Guerin sues Gemma ODoherty over online posts he claims meant he was a paedophile

The Twitter and Facebook posts stated that "paedophile brother of Veronica Guerin, murdered with the involvement of garda" had been found guilty of possession of hundreds of child sexual abuse images.

Gemma O'Doherty

Tim Healy Tue 21 Nov 2023 at 19:25







Jimmy Guerin, a brother of murdered journalist Veronica Guerin, claims in a High Court action that Gemma O'Doherty defamed him in social media posts and a website video which he claims meant he was a convicted paedophile.
Modern Morals: My best friend says she cant afford to go to my foreign wedding next year. Is it insensitive to ask her to get a loan?
latest | Gangland murder victim Brandon Ledwidge was due in court on drug charges

Ledwidge (23) was shot several times as he answered the door of his home on Barry Drive at around 7pm on Saturday

Brandon Ledwidge

Neil Fetherstonhaugh and Eamon Dillon Tue 21 Nov 2023 at 15:37







Murdered Brandon Ledwidge who was shot dead in Finglas, Dublin last Saturday night, was due in court today on drug possession and intent to sell charges.
China rejects Australian allegations over warship encounter as "completely unfounded"

Xinhua) 18:35, November 21, 2023

BEIJING, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- China has rejected Australian allegations of a Chinese warship engaging in "unsafe and unprofessional" behavior while interacting with an Australian vessel as completely unfounded.

China vehemently opposes the "baseless" Australian comments, and has lodged solemn representations with the Australian side, said Wu Qian, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, on Monday.

Wu said that the Australian frigate HMAS Toowoomba was operating in waters near the East China Sea, where the Chinese destroyer Ningbo took measures such as tracking, monitoring, identification, and verification in accordance with the law and regulations.

The Chinese vessel strictly adhered to international rules such as the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea and the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, having maintained a safe distance from the Australian vessel and not engaged in any activity that might affect Australian diving operations, Wu added.

In response to the Australian remarks that "HMAS Toowoomba was in international waters inside of Japan's exclusive economic zone," the spokesperson emphasized that there is no demarcation between China and Japan in the relevant waters and that China's military activities did not take place within or enter Japan's exclusive economic zone.

Wu called on Australian side to respect the facts and cease making reckless and irresponsible accusations against China. He also urged Australia to engage in actions that would enhance mutual trust and contribute to the positive development of relations between the two countries and their militaries.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Hongyu)
Former DUP First Minister had said he hoped for a restoration of the Assembly within weeks

Former DUP leader Peter Robinson has said an end to the Stormont impasse is "very close"

DUP MP Sammy Wilson has rejected the suggestion from his former party leader that the Assembly could be restored saying he does not get the impression we are close to a deal.

Mr Wilson made the comments in response to an interview former DUP leader Peter Robinson gave to Times Radio in which the former First Minister told listeners to that he hoped for a restoration within a number of weeks.

Responding on BBCs Good Morning Ulster, Mr Wilson said Mr Robinson must have different information than I have.

Meanwhile TUV leader Jim Allister called the intervention flawed analysis.

Mr Wilson said: "Peter knows and the public know we have set out certain objectives that we believe are necessary for the stability of the Assembly and the safety of the union and if those conditions are not met it is pointless going back into the Assembly.

You have to see the nature of the deal to decide whether it is a good deal or not. The objectives we set out were to restore Northern Irelands place in the union. We are a unionist party and you would expect us to do that.

I certainly dont get the impression we are close [to a deal] the very fact the government is now using the kind of economic blackmail... is indication they know they have not sought to move the position along. He [Peter Robinson] must have different information than I have.

Mr Robinson said Northern Ireland is very close to the period where decisions have to be taken on a way forward  with or without the DUPs return.

Mr Robinson  who was First Minister between 2008 and 2016  said it was important the outstanding issues were resolved, but that eventually, Northern Ireland could have the best of both worlds with dual market access.

The Stormont Executive has not functioned since February 2022, when then-First Minister Paul Givan resigned over his partys opposition to the NI Protocol, the forerunner to the Windsor Framework Brexit deal adopted by the Government in February this year.

After a question on the future of the Stormont institutions, Mr Robinson told listeners to Times Radio that he hoped for a restoration within a number of weeks.

"People used to talk about the Titanic in terms of it being all right when it left here (Belfast), he said.

"To some extent I can say that of my period as First Minister. I think there is a massive desire for the Assembly to get up and running. That is the policy of the party I previously led.

"I think we are coming very close to the period when decisions have to be taken, not just by the DUP, but by the Government if the DUP does not go back.

"I would hope within the next number of weeks that Sir Jeffrey will get sufficient [progress] to allow him to return to the Assembly.

"I think its important we deal with those issues; many of them are constitutional, others are economic.

"While it seems a long period now in the fullness of time, waiting until you get things right could serve the country very well and we could have virtually the best of both worlds with having access in a seamless way both to the UK market and the European market.

Sinn Fein MLA Conor Murphy said the people of Northern Ireland had been left to suffer due to dysfunctionality within the DUP.

He told the BBC: I think there is a degree of choreography going on, it (Peter Robinsons comments) reflects the comments that Jeffrey Donaldson made at his own party conference.

But meanwhile everyone sits and waits until this drama plays out within the DUP.

Clearly one of their main problems is the level of disagreement and dysfunctionality within their own party.

While the rest of us wait, programmes suffer and public services suffer, people have an uncertain economic future and the cost-of-living crisis is continuing to bite families and workers, the DUP continue to play this out.

They really need to get to a decision, to face in to the party and tell them the time is now to get back into the executive and get back to work with the rest of us.

TUV leader Jim Allister branded the intervention by the former party leader as orchestrated choreography.

His flawed analysis is dependent on a glaring fallacy, namely the pretence that through Stormont unionists could achieve further Protocol changes, Mr Allister said.

Meanwhile UUP leader Doug Beattie said Mr Robinson was a pragmatist.

"He is literally saying what I have been saying for the last two years, Mr Beattie said.

"I think he understands the way to secure the union is to have devolution. I think he is an important voice in the DUP. I think it adds a bit of weight to Sir Jeffrey Donaldson getting Stormont back up and running again.
Meaghan OBrien is on a mission to have invisible patients listened to within the health system (Meaghan OBrien/PA)

A bride-to-be who suffered a devastating stroke is on a mission to have invisible patients listened to within the health system.

Meaghan OBrien was just 22 when she collapsed after starting a gym session, but recognised the signs of stroke such as facial drooping and left arm weakness.

Paramedics had to wheel her past her mother, who was waiting to start a class in the same gym, before she was taken to hospital and given thrombolysis, a clot-busting drug.

Ms OBrien, who is originally from Boston, in the US, but now lives in Dingle, is due to marry her fiance next year.

She recently graduated as an Irish Heart Foundation patient champion, to amplify the often-unheard views of heart and stroke patients.

After her stroke in the US in January 2013, she was flown by medical helicopter to a Boston hospital.

I was in ICU and surrounded by doctors and machines, it was so scary. I couldnt do anything, I couldnt sit up, go to the toilet or move my head, she said.

A week later, Ms OBriens family was given the devastating news that she would never walk again.

When practising walking up and down the corridors, I was surrounded by people in their 70s and 80s. I asked myself, why am I here?, she said.

Now 32, she has defied doctors, regaining the ability to walk and returning to her IT job.

Ms OBrien and 11 other patients have graduated from the Patient Champion programme, part of the charitys investment in heart and stroke patients.

Meaghan OBrien (left) with the Irish Heart Foundations advocacy campaign manager Pauline OShea (Meaghan OBrien/PA)

They will advocate for fellow patients and lobby TDs and Senators to ensure their needs are taken into account when policy decisions are being made about their care.

I would have benefited so much from the programme if it was developed when I had my stroke, she said.

Im here for those patients now, to support them. No patient should be told they cant do something, as mindset is so important to recovery.

The Irish Heart Foundations advocacy campaign manager, Pauline OShea, who was diagnosed with heart failure in 2012, said many patients feel unheard, invisible and disempowered within the health system.

This programme, and our organisations commitment to ongoing peer and professional advocacy support for patients, provides a natural hub for heart and stroke patients from all over Ireland to come together and work for changes needed in cardiac and stroke care, of which there are many, she said.

Patients challenges often extend beyond medical issues and can lead to financial stress, mental health difficulties and relationship breakdown.

We often have people making decisions about patients lives without any patient input.
Pharmaceuticals giant Pfizer is planning more redundancies in Ireland, this time in its commercial division and the relocation of its Citywest office to Ringsend.

The move comes just weeks after the company announced up to 100 job losses at its manufacturing plant in Newbridge, Co Kildare.

Workers were informed of the redundancies at a meeting on Tuesday.

A Pfizer spokesperson said it expected to make savings through the relocation of staff based in Citywest in Dublin to the Watermarque Building in Ringsend.

The spokesperson declined to say how many staff would be affected.

While there will be redundancies in our commercial operations as a result of these changes, we will work with impacted colleagues to support them as best we can, she said.

This will include utilising open roles and moving talent to other opportunities, to help minimise the overall impact to colleagues.

Despite this specific impact, we expect to see overall growth in our Irish operations.

She said the company recently announced an additional 230 roles at its Grange Castle and Ringaskiddy manufacturing sites.

The spokesperson said Pfizer had launched what it described as an enterprise-wide cost-realignment programme.

These changes are being implemented on a rolling basis and differ area to area, she said.

Ireland is a manufacturing base for the pharmaceutical firm globally, and many of its leading medicines are produced here.

It has five sites in Ireland, employing 5,000 workers working in manufacturing, research and development, commercial operations, and global business services and finance.

Pfizer has 125 employees at Citywest in Dublin, 2,210 at Grange Castle in Dublin, and another 400 in Ringsend.

A further 1,400 are employed in Newbridge iand 820 in Ringaskiddy in Cork.

Earlier this month, Pfizer announced it would seek 100 redundancies at its manufacturing plant in Newbridge.

Some of the job losses are expected to be through compulsory redundancies but most will be voluntary.

The workers affected helped make Pfizers Covid antiviral treatment and production is scaling down in line with customer demand.

Located here since 1969, Pfizers worldwide research and development division is also based in Ireland and medicines manufactured here are distributed to 100 countries worldwide.

When the Newbridge job losses were announced, a spokesperson at the Department of Enterprise said the Irish economy had continued to show resilient growth in recent years, reaching full employment despite international economic challenges.
Ireland is going to have to change the way it trades with Israel, the Taoiseach has said in a major escalation of language over the Gaza conflict.

Leo Varadkar said: "I have said at European meetings, and I will say it again, that we cannot continue to aid Palestine and trade with Israel in the way we have done in the past."

He added: "That is going to have to change in some way."

It came after Mr Varadkar said Emily Hand could soon be free if Hamas prioritises children in the rumoured imminent release of hostages.

There are positive signals from both Hamas and Israel over an imminent hostage deal, as early as today.

We are particularly pursuing the case of Emily Hand, a young Irish-Israeli girl who we believe has been held hostage in Gaza by Hamas, Leo Varadkar told Mary Lou McDonald in the Dail  notably criticising kidnapping and hostage-holding.

We're doing everything we can to make sure that if there is the release of some hostages by Hamas in the coming days, that children are the first of all those to be released, the Taoiseach said.

And we're very strongly of the view that hostages should never be taken by anyone, in any conflict, anywhere, ever, he told the main Opposition leader.

The taking of children as hostages is particularly wrong, he said. We're pushing, and using all our contacts and abilities, to ensure that if there is a hostage release in the coming days, that Emily Hand is a long one of those to be released. Thats a major priority for us, Mr Varadkar said.

The leader of Hamas said on Tuesday that a truce agreement with Israel was close, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he hoped for good news soon about hostages, the most optimistic signals so far of a deal to pause fighting and free captives.

Hamas officials were "close to reaching a truce agreement" with Israel and the group has delivered its response to Qatari mediators, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said in a statement sent to Reuters by his aide.

Netanyahu said: "We are making progress. I don't think it's worth saying too much, not at even this moment, but I hope there will be good news soon", according to remarks released by the Israeli prime minister's office.

Netanyahu would convene his war cabinet from 1600 GMT "in light of developments in the matter of the release of our hostages", his office said, followed by meetings of his wider security cabinet and the full cabinet.

A source briefed on the negotiations told Reuters the long-awaited agreement, which would see the first truce of the war and the first mass release of those held by both sides, was in its "final stages" and "closer than it has ever been".

That was echoed by a U.S. official who said it was the "closest we've been" to a hostage deal.

The deal, as described by the first source, envisages the release of around 50 civilian hostages by Hamas and of female and minor-aged Palestinian detainees from Israeli custody, as well as a multi-day pause in fighting.

A Hamas official told Al Jazeera TV that negotiations were centred on how long the truce would last, arrangements for delivery of aid into Gaza and details of the exchange of captives. Both sides would free women and children, and details would be announced by Qatar, which is mediating in the negotiations, said the official, Issat el Reshiq. Israel's Channel 12 and Channel 13 TV stations both quoted unidentified officials as saying terms of a deal could be reached "within hours".

Hamas took about 240 hostages during its Oct. 7 rampage into Israel that killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies.

Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), met Haniyeh in Qatar on Monday to "advance humanitarian issues" related to the conflict, the Geneva-based ICRC said in a statement. She also separately met Qatari authorities.

The ICRC said it was not part of negotiations aimed at releasing the hostages, but as a neutral intermediary it was ready "to facilitate any future release that the parties agree to".

Speaking in the Dail, the Taoiseach said he had a chance yesterday to speak with the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar, which has been in discussion with Hamas, and was due to meet with the ambassadors of some Arab and Muslim countries.

Ms McDonald, who again called for Israel to be referred to the International Criminal Court, said all of us were looking forward to Emily being back with her family soon, noting that she turned nine last Friday.

Mr Varadkar said: We're calling for the hostages to be released and we believe a ceasefire can facilitate that. We're calling for the killing to stop and that's why ceasefire must be adhered to by all sides, not just by Israel, but also by Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the other armed groups. A ceasefire can create the space, perhaps, to begin contacts about The Day After - about how Gaza is going to be returned to Palestinian control, and how it's going to be managed in the weeks, months and years ahead, he said.

Today's News in 90 seconds - November 21st

The Government understands that there are some discussions and talks under way between intermediaries involving the release of hostages, Mr Varadkar said. The Tanaiste had been very involved in contacts as well, he said.

One Irish citizen had been killed thus far in this conflict. Kim Damti was killed by Hamas in Israel while attending a music festival, Mr Varadkar said. People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett commented that one word that was commonly on the lips of thousands of protesters in a march in Dublin last weekend in support of Palestinians was genocide.

We have all the evidence we need that a genocide is under way, yet the Government, Mr Boyd Barrett said, was doing nothing. He cited the Genocide Convention and the obligation of a state to do everything in its power to prevent it.

Mr Varadkar said: I think what has happened to the Palestinian people for the past 75 years is shameful. It is appalling. The Western world had let them down very badly, and that is putting it mildly.

He said he was not an expert on the term genocide, but his understanding was that it an attempt to obliterate a whole people, and that had certainly happened in the Shoah, or Holocaust.

Also on Tuesday, Irish aid groups have said that "only a trickle" of humanitarian aid is getting into Gaza, as they warned of the need for a ceasefire.

A charity representative also said that the first thing they do each day is check if their staff lived through the night.

The Israeli bombardment of and missile strikes on the Gaza Strip have led to an unprecedented humanitarian crisis in the region, with food, water, fuel and medicines extremely limited.

The military operation was launched in response to an attack from Hamas militants, who killed 1,200 Israeli citizens and are thought to have kidnapped more than 200 others, including Irish-Israeli citizen Emily Hand.

Representatives of Dochas, Trocaire and Concern addressed Irish parliamentarians and senators on Tuesday during a meeting of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee.

As well as highlighting the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza, they also raised concerns about other conflicts in the world and the need to respond to the conditions created by climate change.

Rosamond Bennett, chief executive of Christian Aid and chair of Dochas, said that of the 11,000 people killed in Gaza in recent weeks, 160 children are being killed every day.

She said that more children had been killed in Gaza since October 7 than in all wars around the world since 2012.

She added that she remembers being shocked at the amount of rubble in the Gaza Strip when she visited the enclave in 2013 and cannot imagine how it is now, or how it could be rebuilt.

Ms Bennett said it is "very difficult" to get public funding for humanitarian crises in Yemen, Syria, and Sudan as those conflicts are not raised as often in the media, meaning that government funding is crucial in these cases.

Dominic MacSorley, humanitarian ambassador at Concern Worldwide, who was speaking via videolink from the Chad border with Sudan, said that there was a need to move on from Ireland focusing on one international crisis at a time.

Finola Finnan, deputy chief executive of Trocaire, said that there was only a "trickle of aid" going into Gaza as there was only one crossing open - the Rafah crossing at the Egyptian border.

She said there was very little aid going to the north of the region.

"Since October, we've had about 1,320 trucks have gone in, only 4% of the daily average volume prior to the current hostility, so there's very little aid going in.

"At the moment, we're waiting to scale up and we absolutely need a cessation of the bombardment on the population to be able to scale up to anything like we need."

Ms Bennett added: "I was in Gaza in May, and the need is huge there. Even before this, about 80% of the population rely on humanitarian aid. And as Finola said, there are very few trucks going in compared to what there was previously."
Westmeaths tourism industry has been given a 100,000 shot in the arm courtesy of a 2.3m government backed investment in outdoor recreation.

Rural Affairs Minister Heather Humphreys approved funding for planning and design to be carried out on a Greenway link from Castletown Geoghegan Rail Station to the village.

Funding was also set aside for the design of a 6km spiritual and cultural trail in Moate Gateway Linear Park.

Both projects have been allocated 50,000 in a bid to bring both initiatives on stream over the coming months.

Details surrounding the investment have been given the seal of approval at local political level.

"Its very welcome news, said a delighted sounding Westmeath County Council Cathaoirleach, Cllr Liam McDaniel.

"I live about two miles outside the village of Castletown Geoghegan and there is a hardworking local community group in the area who will very much welcome this announcement.

The long serving Fianna Fail local politician said the added financial support would go a long way towards strengthening the county's broader tourism appeal.

"The greenway is a big part of Westmeath in that it runs from Athlone and through Mullingar and we are really the main east to west connection on the greenway.

Cllr McDaniel was equally at pains to stress the importance of a proposed spiritual and cultural trail at Moate Gateway Linear Park.

"Any funding that comes to Westmeath is welcome, but this has huge potential for the area, he added.

For her part, Ms Humphreys said her department remained committed towards ensuring the country's outdoor tourism industry was developed to its full capacity.

Were now heading into the darker days of winter and its more important than ever to make the most of those precious daylight hours by getting out and about when you can," she said.

The funding Im announcing today will support the further development of our hiking trails, water based activities and other amenities making them even more enjoyable places for families to visit nationwide.
Two separate Referendum papers will be offered to the public on gender equality in March, the Taoiseach has told the Dail.

One will propose amending the reference to womens labour in the home, dating from the adoption of the Constitution in 1937.

The other is expected to be re-worked language for inclusion, expanding the definition of a family to reflect common modern arrangements and circumstances.

Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik asked if the gender equality referendum would be held in March, as was being speculated.

She said she was conscious that time is of the essence to if the referendum is to be held on International Womens Day, March 8 next year.

Mr Varadkar said a proposal for two referendums will go to Cabinet next Tuesday, without giving details.

If adopted, the Government would be in a position to share it with it all immediately after that, he said.

Mr Varadkar also said the wordings for new insertion would also be available early next week.

In order to have the referendums in early March, which is the current timeframe, it would be necessary to have the Bill in the House either before Christmas or first thing in January when the Dail returns.

Ms Bacik said it was understood that wording would refer to the provision of care within the home, but Labour would see it expanded to other settings too.

She said her party also wanted an expansion of the definition of a family beyond that based on marriage, and asked for further details.

But Mr Varadkar said there would be an opportunity to go through the wording or wordings next week. Changing the Constitution is not straightforward, he added.

When published, the Dail would be able to discuss it from there.
James was the type of person whod try to help anyone in a bit of bother

Jimmy Nicoll in his younger years before his struggles took over

A proud dad who collected a bravery award on behalf of his son who died while trying to rescue a dying man says his boy would do anything to help others, despite his own life of turmoil.

Courageous James (Jimmy) Nicoll drowned last April after trying to rescue a distraught young man who jumped off a bridge in Dublin into the River Liffey.

Former soldier Jimmy (40) was homeless at the time of the incident and was also fighting heroin addiction.

He had been staying in a homeless shelter in Temple Bar with his girlfriend, Donna, and the pair were making their way back there when they encountered two young men arguing on Grattan Bridge near Capel Street.

Being James, he stepped in and tried to intervene, saying its alright, settle down, explains James Nicoll senior.

Unveiling of a park bench in James' memory

Then your man just jumped in, and James jumped in after him. He was fully clothed with his shoes on and tried to get him out.

It would have been mild at the time, but the water would have been very cold. James could swim, but that didnt help.

Jimmy had earlier been heard by bystanders announcing Im ex-Army as he tried to help.

Both Jimmy and the young man he tried to rescue died.

James was found first, at the Millennium Bridge, and then the other lad after. I believe he was 21, reveals James Snr (72).

James Snr hails from Dublins South Circular Road, is retired from the army and lives with his wife Noreen in Portarlington, Co Laois.

He remembers being told that his son had died.

The gardai contacted me here at three oclock in the morning when they called out to the house, he recalls.

I sleep in the front room and the doorbell rang about three or four times. I looked out the window and saw the garda car and I thought to myself here we go, whats he after doing now?

You dont know whats in a persons mind. The guards came to the door and told me what happened. I got a huge shock.

Noreen and James Snr with their sons gold medal bravery award

James Snr says Jimmy was the youngest of his five children and had served with the Calvary Corps in the Army for four years.

Jimmy was always very quiet, always happy though. He was polite and gentle, James says.

Jimmy bought himself out of the army but during this time he started smoking heroin with a friend and eventually became addicted.

Noreen and myself used to keep track on him every now and again, where he was, what was he doing, explains James.

He was never actually in trouble. He seemed alright. Hed look for a few pound and that was it. Money wasnt worth a damn. Wed give him anything we had. It was just his way.

Jimmy Nicoll in his younger years before his struggles took over

He wasnt interested in coming home at all, he wanted to stay in Dublin. He just got on as best he could and that was it.

He went to England for a while. I was overseas at the time. Every now and again hed contact me Da, I need money, I need money. It was becoming too much.

Jimmy came back to his familys then home at the time in The Curragh in Co Kildare.

He tried to clean up and stayed for a short while, remembers James. He kept on saying I want to go to Dublin, then we let him go to Dublin and that was it.

We couldnt do any more for him. Noreen would bring him nearly every day of the week to various clinics, but no joy.

He would say Im off the gear but then hed be back on the gear and off it again, and then back on again. He wasnt interested in getting clean, only staying as he was.

Jimmy also became homeless.

He was in numerous shelters. One thing he never liked was the shelters, maintains James.

Hed sleep with his boots on and keep everything in his pockets. Hed be beat up in the middle of the night and theyd take whatever money you had, even though it wasnt a whole lot, and off hed go again.

Jimmy wasnt a big drinker.

He was off the drugs at the time of the incident. He was taking methadone, James says.

Jimmy was in a relationship with Dubliner Donna for more than 20 years and also had a child.

Grattan Bridge in Dublin

Donna is a lovely girl, says James. Shed phone you maybe once a week or once a fortnight and then maybe disappear for a month or more. She is her own individual and thats it.

I know it has affected her, although she wouldnt be the type of person who would tell you.

There were 26 people honoured at the National Bravery Awards last week and Jimmy was the only recipient of the highest accolade  a gold medal.

I felt very proud when I walked up and received the award on his behalf, reveals James.

It wasnt just his army background. James was the type of person whod try to help anyone who he saw having a bit of bother. A park bench has been unveiled in Portarlington in his memory.

Just before he died Jimmy was interviewed on the streets by a videographer from a YouTube site called KoldTurkey.

He confirmed addiction was the reason for his homelessness.

I made that decision. When I was in the Army I decided to smoke heroin so its my fault for leaving the Army, its my fault for leaving my family homeless. No one elses fault. It cant be. It was my decision, he reflected.
Red paint being thrown on Iveagh House, home to the Department of Foreign Affairs, is a criminal act, Tanaiste Micheal Martin has said.

Pro-Palestine protesters gathered outside of the Department and red paint was thrown over the building.

Minister Martin said diplomats in the Department have been putting in extraordinary work in getting over 50 Irish passport holders out of Gaza and it is simply beyond him why anybody would target the building.

Its with the greatest of regret that we view that criminal act in many ways in terms of defacing Iveagh House, particularly in the context of the extraordinary work of the diplomats have been putting in in terms of the entire Middle Eastern crisis, he said.

Our diplomats and the headquarter team on the consular side flat out since this began to get Irish civilians out of Gaza.

Why you would attack the Department of Foreign Affairs is simply beyond me, he said.

Today's News in 90 seconds - November 21st

Minister Martin said it is outrageous for Sinn Fein local election candidates to endorse it.

For Sinn Fein candidates to endorse it is even worse and highly irresponsible and outrageous, said the Minister.

Gardai are investigating an incident of criminal damage which took place during the protest.

Gardai attended the scene of an incident of criminal damage which occurred at a location on St Stephens Green on Saturday 18th November 2023, at approximately 3.15pm, said a Garda spokesperson.

Investigations are ongoing.

The Foreign Affairs Minister said there has been no proof that Irish citizen Emily Hand, who turned nine years old last week, is alive, or indeed that of any other hostage.

I hope and I pray that Emily Hand will be freed, along with other hostages. The International Committee of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent has not had access, is my understanding, to the hostages in terms of verification or proof of life of any hostage, he said.

And that obviously remains a matter of deep anxiety for the families of all those involved.

We know that the bones of an agreement is there what I think were all awaiting now is the realisation of it and the release of the hostages.

He said ordinarily humanitarian aid access would be allowed to any prisoners of war.
Eugene and Luba Healy in their camper van which they drove across Europe to rescue Luba's mother and grandmother last year. Photo: Seamus Farrelly

A Ukrainian vet who married in Ireland over 20 years ago has launched a campaign to provide desperately needed humanitarian aid for her homeland as the country faces a second winter after the Russian invasion.

Luba Healy, a mother of five who lives in Trim, Co Meath but who is originally from Gaivoron, said she was deeply moved by the suffering of ordinary people during a trip to rescue her 70 year old mother, Nina, and 99-year-old grandmother, Galina.
Smoke rises after Israeli air strikes in Gaza, as seen from southern Israel, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, November 21, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko

A special virtual run to show solidarity with the people of Gaza and to raise financial aid for displaced Palestinians through the Irish Red Cross is taking place across Ireland this weekend.

Sanctuary Runners, a solidarity-through-sport initiative, will coordinate a Run For Gaza on Saturday, November 25, across Ireland and the world.

The aim of the run is to show solidarity with the displaced people of Gaza and those currently held hostage in the territory as well as raising funds for the humanitarian relief effort.

Graham Clifford, CEO and Founder of the Sanctuary Runners said many people feel helpless as the horrific scenes of death and destruction in Gaza play out on our television screens.

We have Palestinian friends and members in Sanctuary Runners and we want to show our solidarity with them and all impacted, he stated.

Participants are being asked to run, jog or walk any distance, anywhere, at any time on Saturday and post a message or image of support to social media using the hashtag #RunForGaza.

File image from the Sanctuary Run 2022 in Dublin.

Runners are being urged to donate to the Irish Red Cross Appeal for the Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza.

Sanctuary Runners groups across the country will take part together, as well as other groups, clubs and organisations keen to show solidarity with the people of Gaza, the event outlines.

Mr Clifford stressed that the group are very conscious of the huge number of people displaced in Gaza, many of whom are likely to become international refugees having already been refugees within their own territory.

He added that homes, hospitals and vital services in Gaza have all been destroyed.

Sanctuary Runners was established to show solidarity, friendship and respect to, and with, people fleeing war, conflict, poverty and climate change  this run, while a small gesture, will allow people the opportunity to display that solidarity one step at a time, Mr Clifford remarked.

Sanctuary Runners is inviting any groups, organisations or sporting bodies that wish to participate in the Run For Gaza to contact graham@sanctuaryrunners.ie to include their logo on their wall of partners for this event.

For more information on the Run For Gaza just visit Sanctuaryrunners.ie
I have never been a smoker, so it never occurred to me that I could get lung cancer

When Pamela Morrison (39) developed a cough last year, the Cork woman was prescribed cough medicine and reassured her that it was nothing to worry about. But her symptoms got worse, and the primary school teacher was sent for tests, which revealed Stage IV cancer

Pamela Morrison advises anyone who has any health concerns to trust themselves if they think something isnt right

Pamela Morrison Tue 21 Nov 2023 at 03:30

I developed a cough about a year prior to diagnosis. It came and went, so I put it down to seasonal allergies, or long-Covid or something. It never stayed long enough for me to feel worried and it wasnt very bad. I had also had a pain in my back, near my left shoulder blade for a few months before the cough began.
As Luke Whitty described it, he was doing his regular Saturday gig in The Crown Bar in Wexford town, when a crowd from Dublin arrived, and asked him to play Grace and a few rebel songs like Come Out Ye Black and Tans.
Childrens Minister Roderic OGorman says he is aware of the increasing pressure to secure placements for children in care, up to and including special care. Photo: Maxwells

A 16-year-old girl was rushed to hospital last month after taking cocaine and fentanyl. The girls background was disruptive and dysfunctional: her mother had been sent to prison and the girl fell in with a bad crowd, resulting in the abuse of drink and drugs. Social services believed she was being sexually exploited by different adult men. She entered state care after gardai found her in the home of a known sex offender, but she was going missing from her residential placement nearly every day.

The girl was seriously at risk and was clearly a candidate for special care, the system in place for children with profound behavioural issues, who would be considered a risk to themselves and others. The High Court agreed and ruled she should be admitted to special care.

Bizarrely, the judgment is being appealed  by the state agency responsible for improving the well-being and outcomes for children. Yes, you did read that correctly. Tusla, the child and family agency, is challenging mandatory orders and subsequent special care orders for an at-risk child.

The agency even accepts the girl requires special care but nevertheless contends the orders should be set aside. Why? Because theres nowhere to put the girl. There are only 26 bed spaces in the special care system, but they cant be filled due to a shortage of staff. The recruitment and retention problem is exacerbated by assaults on staff and a dispute over pay scales, remuneration and allowances.

Hence, a situation is developing where a guardian ad litem, a lawyer appointed to represent the interests of the child, will apply for a care order but the hearing is deliberately delayed by the State in the knowledge there is no place to send the child. So we have situations where children should be in special care but arent because the State is looking the other way.

A child at risk cannot be treated as a problem that will go away. Tusla is failing in its statutory responsibilities. Childrens Minister Roderic OGorman says he is aware of the increasing pressure to secure placements for children in care, up to and including special care.

He admits the problem is particularly acute in special care, where the children present with complex needs, and require higher supports, including staff resources. He says every effort is being made to support appropriate special care services in Ireland.

The minister talks about Tuslas Strategic Plan for Residential Care Services for Children and Young People 2022-2025, published last year. But this is an immediate problem that negates policy formulation.

For quite some time now, there has been a suggestion that the Department of Children is overstretched due to the pressures of finding housing and services for refugees and asylum-seekers. The department has performed admirably in this area.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar talks loftily about making Ireland the best country in Europe to be a child. So surely vulnerable children must be a priority?
Your story about the RTE presenter who will receive 100,000 more than the new 250,000 RTE salary cap until 2025 was galling and is most certainly unacceptable (Irish Independent, November 18)

What is very noticeable in all of this is the deafening silence emanating from our political class; none seemed to raise so much as an eyebrow.

And doesnt this tell the story of modern Ireland, a country riven from head to toe with wealth inequality?

A large section of the population struggle to keep a roof over their heads, while many thousands of others are homeless.

Many more are having their lives made miserable by having to pay huge rents, forcing them to ration food and access to energy and other necessities, with those on the lowest incomes suffering frequent disconnection from power because they cannot feed the meter.

In the face of this, we see no urgency from the powers that be to once and for all sort out the housing crisis and ensure that every citizen can access an affordable, safe place to live, be able to afford enough food to maintain good health and access the energy to properly prepare it. Is this too much to ask?

But the problem is now becoming more and more obvious.

There is a strata in Irish society that has become so detached from the everyday experience of so many that they cant even hear the question.

 Jim OSullivan, Rathedmond, Co Sligo

Whole world will pay the price for failing to address the causes of this conflict

Senan Molony is right that the crisis in Gaza could unleash horrors around the globe (As Middle East conflict deepens, it could unleash horrors across the world, Irish Independent, October 28).

With each passing day, killing and destruction wreak havoc on the lives of children, women, the most vulnerable and frail.

Basic services like healthcare, sanitation and education have become frighteningly fragile and out of service. There is a widespread lack of access to clean water and food.

People are trapped in a perpetuating cycle of death and starvation.

Being a child in Gaza means witnessing unspeakable violence on an unprecedented scale.

One day, the world will pay the price of failing to address the underlying causes of this conflict that is Israels occupation of Arab and Muslim lands.

Dr Munjed Farid Al Qutob, London

Trinity College should make a stand and revoke Joe Bidens honorary degree

This week in Ballina, a citizen splattered red paint on a mural of the American president. It was done by someone who felt helpless in trying to stop Joe Bidens total support for the onslaught on the Palestinian people.

It wont save a single child, nor stop a single bullet being fired. But it, in its frustrated way, expressed support for those under siege.

In 2016, Trinity Colleges chancellor, former Irish President Mary Robinson, bestowed an honorary doctorate on the then US vice-president. Ms Robinson is a former UN high commissioner for human rights and has been devoted to civil rights all her life.

Now would be a good time for Trinity to withdraw Mr Bidens award.

Ms Robinson still stands for what made her the peace icon she is. Its not her gift to remove the award. The college can.

When children and people are dying in targeted hospitals, then being buried in mass graves, its time for diplomatic and scholastic norms to be suspended.

John Cuffe

Co Meath

If Israel wants support from Ireland, it would help to learn of our history

Philip Ryan tells us, unsurprisingly, that many Israeli Jews think Ireland does not understand their country and that Arabs want to take over the world (Micheal Martin gets a taste of Israeli paranoia as he visits scene of savagery carried out by Hamas raiders, Irish Independent, November 18).

I wonder how many Israelis know about Bloody Sunday or Enniskillen or any of the atrocities committed in Northern Ireland during the Troubles?

The understandable fury of the mayor of Sderot, Alon Davidi, at the tense meeting with the Tanaiste last week underscores that reality when he said something to the effect of when we took away the IRA guns, peace happened.

What happened in southern Israel on October 7 was despicable and unfathomable and should be condemned in the strongest possible terms. But if Israel thinks that by taking the guns away from Hamas while bludgeoning the civilian population in the process will lead to lasting peace, then they know very little about Ireland.

Tom McElligott, Listowel, Co Kerry

Provisions in Budget for carers, while belated, are an act of social justice

It may have gone unnoticed in the details of Budget 2024 that access to the contributory old age pension will improve for long-term carers from January.

For the first time ever, those who forwent their entitlement to work outside the home in order to look after a loved one for 20 years or more will get a long-term carers contribution on their PRSI record for each week that they provided full-time care. These contributions will be invaluable in helping them to qualify for the contributory old age pension, which must be applied for.

This commendable provision is wonderful news for those who feared being left without an independent income in their golden years on the grounds that they had not paid PRSI on their meagre carers allowance.

Even though carers provide long-term care, with love, compassion and considerable self-sacrifice, they were thus far denied a contributory old age pension.

In addition to the beautiful gift of living at home in the bosom of their families that carers bestow on their dependent loved ones, they also save the State millions in residential costs. Carers are angels of mercy who do their loved ones a noble service. They are shining examples of the goodness and the generosity of spirit that permeates Irish society.

It isnt an act of charity to pay carers a contributory old age pension. Rather, its an act of social justice. Carers make their contribution through their selfless dedication to those in need. They more than earn their contributory old age pensions. Well done to the Government for recognising that fact, however belatedly.

Billy Ryle, Tralee, Co Kerry
Rapper, music producer and business mogul, Sean 'Diddy' Combs, formerly known as Puff Daddy, was at the centre of disturbing allegations by his former girlfriend and singer Cassie.

In the lawsuit, Cassie accused Diddy of rape, violent behaviour and sex trafficking during their 10-year relationship. Combs denied the allegations and just 24 hours after the initial lawsuit was filed, the pair reached an agreement but the details were not disclosed.

On today's episode of the Indo Daily, host Fionnan Sheahan is joined by features journalist Dee Molumby to talk through the impact of the case on the rap legend.
The dotted blue line represents the selected preferred route for the Mallow Relief Road and the red line marks the proposed route of the active travel walkway and cycle path.

A key priority for the proposed Mallow Relief Road is to ease the chronic traffic congestion that has blighted the North Cork town in recent years.

A senior official with Cork County Council has confirmed that the local authority have submitted an allocation request to Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) for 2024 that includes a significant funding request for the N72/N73 Mallow Relief Road.

Senior Engineer Roads and Transportation Sean Callery said if their funding request is granted, it would be sufficient to progress the scheme during 2024, but warned that if no funding is provided the scheme will continue to be paused.

Mr Callery was replying to a motion from Fine Gael councillor Tony OShea at Mondays Northern Committee meeting which sought an update on the submission for National Roads funding for 2024.

The dotted blue line represents the selected preferred route for the Mallow Relief Road and the red line marks the proposed route of the active travel walkway and cycle path.

Mr Callery said they have requested funds in excess of 1 million to progress the scheme next year. The level of funding that has been requested is in excess of 1 million and would be sufficient to progress the scheme in 2024. That would be to prepare and submit a planning application for the scheme. If the funding is not granted or that level of funding is not provided it will hamper the progress of the scheme significantly. If no funding is provided it will continue to be on pause.

The allocation usually comes out towards the end of the year, but in 2023 we actually got it in the early part of the year. We hope to get it before Christmas but it could come out early next year, he added.

Fine Gael councillor Tony OShea thanked the engineer for his response and said it is critically important that funds are provided for next year. It is crucially important that this is funded for next year because if it is not I think we will have to go back and start all over again. The most important thing is that we get the funding required to bring it to the planning stage in 2024.

It is really disheartening, said Fianna Fail councillor Pat Hayes. The difficulty I see is that there is no change in the minister as regards transport. If the same minister wont step up and allocate it, what are we going to do? How are we going to resolve this issue as regards getting this funding to progress? We have practically lost a year. We need further action at this stage. I see very little light at the end of this tunnel with what is in place at present.

Fianna Fail councillor Gearoid Murphy said he shared the same concerns about Minister Ryan with his party colleague. Essentially this is the main road for many parts of Duhallow to Dublin. It is an essential piece of infrastructure. I share the concerns of Cllr Hayes regarding the minister. It has been disgraceful how the minister has treated this project and committee, firstly personally overruling it essentially, secondly failing to provide any explanation as to why he did so and refusing to meet us.

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Labour Party James Kennedy said there was no logic to the ministers decision, while Fine Gael councillor John Paul OShea said the project is now entering a critical phase. We are in a critical phase now in terms of applying for national funding for 2024. The project is currently on hold and if we lose another 12 months questions will have to be asked do we have to go back to the start of the project. We cant lose another 12 months.

Niall Healy, Cork County Councils director of service for roads and transportation acknowledged the importance of the project. From an executives perspective this is a highly essential project. We have put in a significant ask to bring the project to a planning stage next year. We have articulated clearly to TII the importance of this project and rebuilding momentum on it.
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh OBrien, has announced the approval of a second proposal under the Croi Conaithe Cities Scheme.

Contracts have already been signed for the delivery of 68 owner occupier apartments, for sale on the open market, at Carrs Hill / Carrigaline Road, Castletreasure, near Corks Douglas Village which are being developed by Cairn Homes.

Contracts have also been signed for the delivery of 274 owner occupier apartments for sale on the open market at Blackrock Villas, Blackrock, Cork which is being developed by Glenveagh.

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The Croi Conaithe Scheme supports building 5,000 apartments for sale to owner-occupiers up to 2026 and aims to bridge the current viability gap between the cost of building apartments and the market sale price.

The scheme launched in May 2022 with an Expressions of Interest process, managed and administered by the Housing Agency on behalf of the Department.

Id like to commend those developers who have engaged with the scheme at an early stage. Their foresight and willingness to embrace this new approach is very much welcome, Minister OBrien said.

We want to increase the supply of urban, owner-occupier apartments and provide those who wish to purchase a home with a greater choice. Giving people the opportunity to buy a home in our cities will help make them more vibrant. I look forward to making further announcements in relation to other proposals in the near future, the minister added.
An applicant had sought to create three apartment buildings in the historical dwelling

8 & 9 Kent Street were built as a pair of dwellings in circa 1870, adjacent to Clonakilty Methodist Church.

The construction of the building at 9 Kent Street, YOUGHALS, Clonakilty is dated to circa 1870. Photo: NIAH

A plan to transform a historical house in Clonakilty into three apartment units has failed for now after Cork County Council deemed an application seeking planning permission to be incomplete.

The house is located at 9 Kent Street and its construction is dated to 1870. It has been used commercially for the last 40 years. The semi-detached building is situated adjacent to and owned by Clonakilty Methodist Church, the applicant seeking to transform it.

The construction of the building at 9 Kent Street, YOUGHALS, Clonakilty is dated to circa 1870. Photo: NIAH

The house was built as a pair alongside an attached dwelling at number 8 Kent Street which is now used by West Cork Enterprise Board. The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage states that the building is a fine house and, though some features have been replaced, the slate hanging, pedimented doorcase and timber sliding sash windows add much to the pair's character and charm.

Clonakilty Methodist Church applied for planning permission to change the use of the house, designated a protected structure, from commercial to residential on November 8.

The application, submitted on behalf of the church by Dublin-based Dixon McDonnell Architects, sought to turn the house into three apartments; a one-bedroom apartment unit on the ground floor of the building, a two-bedroom apartment on the first floor, and a one-bedroom on the second-floor.

8 & 9 Kent Street were built as a pair of dwellings in circa 1870, adjacent to Clonakilty Methodist Church.

In addition, a conservation report from the applicant that the building has had extensive alterations over the years. When complete, the Methodist Church noted that they intended to use the ground floor unit as a caretakers apartment.

Cork County Council rejected plans for the building as it did not meet the requirements of the Planning & Development Regulations 2001.

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In an Invalid application letter was sent on November 17 and the local authority called on the applicant to re-submit the application. Submissions from the public are due by December 12.
Rush Tidy Towns has been shortlisted for both the Group of the Year and Tourism Special Recognition Award categories

The Bull Island Action Group achieved dual nominations in the Tourism Special Recognition Award and Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion categories

Two groups from Dublin have been shortlisted for the Clean Coasts Ocean Hero Awards in recognition of the contributions they have made to safeguarding their local coastline and marine life.

Rush Tidy Towns has been shortlisted for both the Group of the Year and Tourism Special Recognition Award categories.

Their nomination recognises commendable efforts in dune protection, consistent beach clean-ups, and their appointment as national Sustainable Development Goals champions for 2023/2024.

Their 2023 initiative to safeguard the local sand dunes system earned them a nomination in the Tourism Special Recognition Award.

Similarly, the Bull Island Action Group received dual nominations in the Tourism Special Recognition Award and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion categories.

Rush Tidy Towns has been shortlisted for both the Group of the Year and Tourism Special Recognition Award categories

With two decades as a Clean Coasts group, they played a crucial role in maintaining the cleanliness of North Bull Island and Dollymount Beach.

Additionally, their collaborative efforts with Raheny Tidy Village Group, including a Santry River clean, contributed to their recognition.

The groups inclusive approach to clean-ups, fostering collaboration with various local groups and engaging individuals from diverse backgrounds, earned them a spot in the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion category.

Established in 2006 as the Clean Coasts Merit Awards and initially featuring a single category for Clean Coasts Group of the Year, the program has evolved over the years.

Engaging over 2,000 Clean Coasts groups and 40,000 volunteers, it has become an integral part of coastal communities nationwide.

Clean Coasts celebrates its 20th anniversary as an organisation this year and the winners of its Ocean Hero Award will be announced at an in-person ceremony on December 7.
Christian Fleming denies manslaughter of Glencar man in one punch incident

The jury in the trial of Killorglin man Christian Fleming for manslaughter has heard how the deceased man, Stephen OConnor, had sustained brain injury after a propelled fall which saw the left side of his head impact against the flat surface.

Acute alcohol intoxication was a contributory factor, Pathologist Dr Linda Mulligan told Tralee Circuit Criminal Court on Tuesday, but she added that alcohol was not the direct cause of his death.

Christian Fleming of Mount Lyne, Killorglin, denies the unlawful killing of Stephen OConnor on a date unknown between February 10, 2019, and February 11, 2019.

Glencar man Stephen OConnor died following what has been described in court as a one-punch incident outside a local take-away in Killorglin.

Mr Fleming has also pleaded not guilty to assaulting John OConnor, causing him harm on February 10 at Main Street, Killorglin.

Tuesdays sitting heard how Dr Mulligan carried out a post mortem examination on the late Stephen OConnor on February 12, 2019, at CUH after being directed to do so by the Coroner for Cork City. He had been removed to hospital in Cork, because of the nature of his injuries, the trial has already heard.

Injury number one was to the corner of the right eye and this was in keeping with a punch to the face consistent with what Gardai told the pathologist was a blow to that area in an alleged assault, she told Tom Rice, prosecutor.

The right side bridge of the nose and the right side of the corner of the eye had bruises and there were injuries to the left side of the scalp.

The impact with the left side of the head against the flat surface caused the brain to move inside the skull, Dr Mulligan detailed.

She gave details of haemorrhage and clotting on the right side of the brain, and other complications and of the cutting off of oxygen and how the swelling impacted on the brain stem which was ultimately the cause of death.

Blood alcohol was at 302 mgs per cent and no illegal drugs were detected. The level of intoxication would have affected the late Stephen OConnors balance but was not a direct cause of death. Alcohol was a contributory factor but not a direct cause, she told Mr Rice on re-examination.

Mr Rice said he felt counsel for the accused was implying that the level of alcohol could be fatal and so that is why he had put this question to Dr Mulligan.

The, at times, harrowing and very detailed medical evidence was given via video link and Mr OConnors family could be seen to be visibly upset at the rear of the court. The link broke down a number of times and questions, as well as the pathologists evidence, had to be repeated.

The injuries he had suffered had resulted from a propelled fall, Dr Mulligan said.

The level of alcohol would have affected the dead mans balance, actions and reactions, she felt. However, this would depend on his metabolism, how regularly he drank, and on other factors.

It was her opinion death had occurred because of traumatic head injury which had resulted from a propelled fall during an alleged assault, she said.

The punch had propelled him to the ground.

It is the propelled fall that causes the impact, she said during cross examination by counsel Mark Nicholas.

Mr Nicholas, SC, asked if 302 mg was a significant level of intoxication and Dr Mulligan said it was over six times the legal limit for driving.

But everyones reaction depends on a lot of factors, she added.

However, it would have almost certainly affected his motion, coordination and balance, she said.

While 302 mgs was high, according to Gardai, this man was walking and talking, she also said.

The family of Stephen OConnor had consented to donation of his organs, the trial also heard.

Brain stem tests were carried out at 3.25pm on February 11, 2019 and he was found to be brain stem dead, according to a written statement from a consultant at CUH. The hospital kept him on life support as the family had consented to organ donation and the family were with him for the hours until he was transferred at 11.20pm to the operating theatre for organ removal and his life support switched off.

The trial also heard, read into court, medical evidence from Killorglin GP Dr Anne Cronin.

John OConnor, whom Christian Fleming denies assaulting causing him harm, attended her clinic on February 15. He was complaining of bruising under his left eye and tenderness under his nose. She felt there were soft tissue injuries to his nose.

Meanwhile, at Mondays sitting, evidence from witnesses on the night was heard at the Tralee court.

The court heard that witness Patrick Devane, from Cahersiveen, went with friends to Killorglin and was dropped in Killorglin town centre near Aldi at around 9 pm.

He went to Paud ONeills Bar and Barn Music venue and was talking to Christian Fleming and one of his friends. He was in good form, Mr Devane replied to Tom Rice, prosecuting.

He had met Christian previously at the August Puck Fair in Killorglin and did not know him well.

Mr Devane was shown CCTV footage and identified himself and Christian Fleming and a third man entering the toilet area and going together into a cubicle. It was now 12.26am on Sunday morning.

They took cocaine in the cubicle, he told Mr Rice.

I had cocaine. Christian gave me a house key and we all took a key, Mr Devane said

Asked by Mr Rice to explain what he meant, Patrick Devane said: Put the key into the bag, take it out and put it to your nostril and sniff it.

Did you have much cocaine with you that night? Mr Rice asked, to which Mr Devane replied no  he had one gramme.

When you had it, how did you feel? Mr Rice asked and Mr Devane replied that he did not know. I was drunk, it was long ago, he said, adding that he could not remember. I was on drugs, he added.

His friends mom brought them home, he thought but wasnt sure. He did not go to Chicken Zone.

Cross-examined by Katie OConnell, junior counsel for Mr Fleming, Mr Devane agreed a key of cocaine was a very small amount. Asked if Mr Fleming sniffed just one key, he replied Yes.

Glenbeigh man Enda Sweeney had been socialising on the night playing pool at Kingstons Bar with a number of girls before going to The Forge.

He gave evidence of going to Chicken Zone and seeing someone on the footpath, a clearly badly injured man.

He gave advice to the person trying to assist the injured man and enquired if an ambulance had been sent for. He went into Chicken Zone for napkins for the injured man.

He tried to speak to him but there was no reaction, only a strange sound and his eyes were closed, he told Mr Rice.

Cross-examined by Ms OConnell, he was asked why he was wearing a three-piece suit on the night and if there was an occasion.

You were on a night out in a three-piece suit? she asked. He said he was on a night out and that was what he wore.

Witness Shauna OShea from Sunhill was socialising with friends at ONeills and went to Chicken Zone for food. She told the court she saw people having words back and forth and a slap was delivered and a man staggered against the wall. A bouncer was not having any of it and said lads get out.

Who threw the slap? Mr Rice asked her. Christian, she replied.

She did not know the tall man with the beard who was slapped. He staggered back a little and seemed okay afterwards she added.

Other males left and she went up to order her food. The door was open and she heard males shouting and someone, a male, say Christian, run she said, but did not see what had taken place.

Eventually when she came out she saw the man on the ground.

She was asked to identify herself on CCTV in a red jacket on her way to Chicken Zone and did so.

Cross-examined by Ms OConnell, Ms OShea said she saw Mr Fleming and others having words back and forth inside the premises.

Other witnesses gave evidence to the jury of unpleasantness shortly before 1am in the form of a verbal argument in The Barn involving the deceased.

There was nothing physical, only name calling, Caitriona Foley said. She had known the deceased and had been challenged by him verbally and said it was out of character for him and she was not afraid of him, although she was shocked.

There was drink obviously on all sides. Ive never known Stephen to be in any way aggressive. I would know him to be a quiet man. At first I thought he was only joking, then he said it a second time.

She was shocked, she said, at a remark he made when she was talking to her life-long friend Danny Moriarty, a neighbour from when they both lived in Iveragh Park. Stephen then called her a bitch and she called him a scumbag, she told the court. It was name calling back and forth, she continued, adding that people intervened.

A CCTV clip of six minutes involving what Mr Rice described as unpleasantness and Ms OConnell described as a melee was shown to the court.

Catriona Foleys husband, Brendan Foley, said he heard his wife being called a bitch. He agreed with Ms OConnell that, looking at CCTV, Mr Fleming was watching what was happening essentially.

The trial continues.
The enormously successful West Kerry Tractor Run  Morchuaird Tarracora Chorca Dhuibhne  returns to the road this Sunday (November 26), and organisers are hoping for another bumper haul to add to the 80,000 or so the event has raised for good causes since its inception in 2018.

As profiled in last weeks edition of The Kerryman, University Hospital Kerry Palliative Care will receive half of all funds raised by the 2023 run. The Irish Lung Fibrosis Association (ILFA), a long-standing beneficiary of the event, will receive the other half.

The events co-chair, Lios Poil man John Patrick OSullivan, himself a lung-transplant recipient, explained that this years run falls at an important time in legislation around transplants.

At the minute, the human-tissue bill has gone through the Dail and has gone to the Seanad for approval, he told The Kerryman. That should make a difference to patients on waiting lists. Hopefully there will be more organs available.

We hope it will be signed into law by February or March.

This bill would mean individuals are presumed to have consented to organ donation, unless they decide to opt out of the register.

This is a complete turnaround from the current system, whereby a person must register as an organ donor and make their wishes known to their next-of-kin.

John Patrick received his transplant in 2016 and is a staunch advocate of ILFA. The association depends on public donations, and John Patrick said they could not be worthier of that support.

ILFA supports patients, they educate us, and they provide as much as they can for research, he said.

Research is what makes things happen and improve, improve, improve. Drugs have improved, the transplant process has improved, people are living longer after receiving transplants, and the more that goes into research, improvements usually follow.

They also support doctors and nurses who go abroad to hone their skills at centres of excellence around the world.

Anybody in the county that needs support, a support group meets monthly at the Meadowlands Hotel in Tralee at 3pm on a Saturday, the last Saturday of every month. We have an informal meeting, people can come in and discuss their problems, and we can point them in the right direction.

This years run takes place on Sunday, with registration from 11am at the former seal sanctuary in Lios Poil. The run embarks around Corca Dhuibhne from 12pm, finishing later at the Marina in Dingle. The Marina Inn bar and restaurant will provide food for those who take part.

There is no set registration fee, but you can donate, on the day, at the seal sanctuary. You can donate online at www.gofundme.com/f/west-kerry-tractor-run-2023. Organisers thank everyone who supports the event in any way, including, but not limited to, stewards; John Liston for providing his premises to the run for pre-registration, at which food and refreshments will be available; and the Marina Inn.

To learn more about ILFA, visit https://ilfa.ie/, or give local members John Patrick (087 280 9801) or Gerry Redican (086 838 7653) a call. You can donate to ILFA via its website.

To register as an organ donor, phone 1890 543 639 or free text DONOR to 50050. Further information on organ donation is available from www.citizensinformation.ie.
The road outside Filemore National School has been described as a death trap by a local councillor, and he has called for action at the site, which has already been the scene of several incidents and near-misses.

Fianna Fail Councillor Michael Cahill wants immediate action at the site on the N70, and school principal Norah Golden laid out the urgency of the situation.

Were on the main Ring of Kerry road, she told The Kerryman. Between trucks, cars, and everything, its extremely busy. The welfare and safety of the children is a huge concern for us.

Ms Golden explained that the speed limit outside the school, signalled by flashing signs, is 60 kilometres an hour during school opening and closing times. She wants that dropped to 30 kilometres an hour, and she wants signage to show drivers what speed they are currently travelling at as she feels that type of signage is the most effective in tackling speed. She also asked for warning signage on the approach to the school, as many motorists may not be aware that they are driving in the direction of a school.

Parents have also written to public representatives. They explained that the schools single-line parking must accommodate teachers, SNAs, a bus space, wheelchair space, and parents car pick-up  all while motorists might be zooming past.

Their letter asks for the faded road markings  on yellow rumble strips and on the approach to the school  to be restored to their original state. They also feel that if flashing speed signs are installed, they should be operational throughout the school day, to cover times when extra-curricular activities take place.

There are bends on either side, and motorists pick up speed when they see the straight bit of road, Cllr Cahill told The Kerryman. Id describe it as a death trap on Irelands premier tourist route. Youre talking about thousands of visitors on an annual basis whore not familiar with the area.

Ive already contacted the Minister [Eamon Ryan]; Transport Infrastructure Ireland; the RSA; and Kerry County Council and its CEO, Moira Murrell.

I also have it on the agenda for the next [Kenmare] Municipal District meeting, and I believe the principal, board of management, parents, and children deserve to have this matter addressed ASAP.
Even Santa will be sustainable at the former Johnston Court now rebranded as The Canopy on OConnell Street

Jon Dunt (The Canopy), Santa (Robert McDaid) and Patricia Chandler (North West Hospice) at The Canopy, Sligo.

After a 1 million rebrand and makeover, The Canopy (formerly known as Johnston Court Shopping Centre) is a transformed shopping destination.

Located on OConnell Street, Sligo this retail hub has undergone a complete reimagination with a strong focus on sustainability.

Lush greenery and trees have revitalised the interior, solar panels are being installed to provide renewable energy, and a dedicated initiative supports local businesses and artists.

The centre has seen an uptick of 9% in footfall over the last quarter in 2023 compared to the same quarter last year.

Embracing this ethos, The Canopy is thrilled to host VOYA and photographer Eddie Lee for an exclusive Christmas pop-up shop.

VOYA and Eddie Lee will be located in the creatively designed, transparent cubes that sit outside Boots along the main thoroughfare of The Canopy.

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Immerse yourself in luxury with VOYA at The Canopy from Friday 1st December.

VOYAs pop-up shop will offer luxury organic products for the body and home and gift vouchers.

In keeping with The Canopys vision for sustainability VOYA helps to protect the biodiversity of the west coast of Irelands reefs through the sustainable and traditional harvesting practices of their core ingredient seaweed.

Their products are packaged using recycled, recyclable, or biodegradable materials - voyaseaweedbaths.com

Photographer Eddie Lee will also pop-up at The Canopy. He is an Irish landscape and portrait photographer based in Sligo.

The inspiration for Eddies work comes primarily from the wild Atlantic coast where he has spent all his life, and Sligos Neolithic landscape of mountains, lakes, hills, valleys and cairns regularly features in his work.

Eddie is also passionate about night sky and astrophotography, taking advantage of the few clear nights the west of Ireland offers up.

The Canopy is also calling on other local artists and musicians who would like to take over the cubes in 2024 to host an event, create a mural, play a gig. Think outside the cube. This is a creative space and they want to hear from you.

The Canopy welcomes a sustainable Santa from Friday 1st December.

Santa will be at The Canopy every Thursday to Saturday from 3.00pm to 6.00pm until Saturday 23rd December.

There will even be mulled wine and mince pies for the adults (in conjunction with Hargadons Bros).

Santa at The Canopy has become a beloved tradition of the shopping centre, and if you ever get the chance to meet him, youll know hes the real deal.

And this year as a nod to The Canopys sustainability efforts, Santa has promised to only gift climate-kind, minimal-waste toys. Santa has teamed up with Irish eco toy store Jiminy.ie to help with this task.

Santa and The Canopy want to ensure each child will receive an eco toy that will come in plastic-free packaging, minimising their trash footprint.

The Canopys iconic Santa is local volunteer Robert McDaid who foregoes his fee each year and instead, the fee is donated to Sligo Cancer Support Centre.

The Canopy has always and will continue to have Santa in the centre for FREE.

Donations are gratefully accepted for the North West Hospice which provides palliative care services for people with life limiting illnesses.

The Canopy has raised over 38,000 over the last few years through this Santa project.
There was standing room only as a capacity crowd attended a Palestine Solidarity Public Meeting in the Glasshouse Hotel, Sligo organised by the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign, on Thursday night last.

The Mayor of Sligo, Cllr Declan Bree, chaired the meeting and the speakers included Sinn Fein Councillor Arthur Gibbons, People before Profit representative Mr Brian OBoyle, Dr Salem Gharbia (a native of Gaza) who represented the local Palestinian community, and Ms Denise Curran, President of the Mandate Trade Union.

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Cllr Gibbons told the meeting it was pointless to simply say that Israel must abide by international law when it was blatantly breaking international laws every single minute of every single day.

There actions are war crimes and genocide, and are crimes against humanity. Ireland must be the voice that condemns war crimes regardless of who commits them.

We must be the voice that demands an end to the Israeli siege and attacks on Gaza. We must be the voice that says that the Palestinian people have a right to freedom and we must be the voice that says end apartheid and end the occupation.

Mr Brian O Boyle said: Over the last six weeks Western leaders have shown utter contempt for Palestinian lives.America and the EU claim they support universal human rights but they have allowed Israel to drop a bomb every two minutes on a defenceless population.

The West stood by while Israel cut water, electricity food, fuel and medical supplies to more than two million people. When Vladamir Putin attacked civilians he was rightly deemed a war criminal, but when Netanyahu does the same, he is deemed a statesman.

Irish people are not fooled. They understand hypocrisy when they see it and they demand action now.

We need to expel the Israeli Ambassador and build a massive campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions to make Israel a pariah state like apartheid South Africa, he said

Ms Denise Curran pointed out that the Irish trade union movement and her own trade union Mandate, stood firmly with the people of Gaza and Palestine.

We urge our government to push harder with the EU and globally for a ceasefire and for justice for Palestine.

The Palestinian people have asked us to support the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) Campaign. They have asked us to apply economic pressure on the Israeli government by simply choosing not to purchase goods from Israel.

The Palestinian speaker, Dr Salem Gharbia, who is a native of Gaza, said: In Gaza, its just so hard to put into words what life is like now. All communication is lost, no access to food or water, and all the hospitals are out of service.

The madness intensifies as there is no safe place amidst the widespread devastation, nothing is spared, mosques, churches, hospitals, schools and the UN shelters; nowhere is safe. The difficulties for people in Gaza daily escalate, painting a dire picture of uncertainty and hardship in the midst of this crisis.

Us being here in this meeting is important, for we stand with humanity and justice and we join with people worldwide in calling for the ending of the Israeli attacks on Gaza.

Pointing out that there were many Israeli citizens who opposed the attacks on Gaza, Cllr Bree told the meeting that he had learned earlier in the day that Ms Aida Touma- Suleiman, a member of the Israeli parliament and one of her colleagues has been banned from attending or voting in the Parliament for a period of two months because they called for an end to the war in Gaza.

We were privileged to have Aida Suleiman speak here at a public meetings in Sligo when she visited Ireland back in 2016. She fully supports the right of the Palestinian people to a free and independent state of Palestine, he said.

The Mayor received unanimous support when he proposed that the meeting extend its solidarity to her and to the many courageous Israelis who support the anti-war movement.
Enniscorthy Historical Reenactment Society laid a wreath in the Orchard Peace Park at 11am on 11th day of the 11th month as the bells of St Mary's and St Aidan's Cathedrals rang out , for all the Enniscorthy people who fought and died in WW1 on the 105th. anniversary of the end of the war. In Picture. Ray Murphy, Deidre Mernagh, Bridget Murphy and Joe Mernagh.

A COMMEMORATIVE wreath was laid at Orchard Peace Park by the Enniscorthy Historical Re-enactment Society on Saturday, November 11.

The annual wreath laying commemorates the young Irish people from Enniscorthy and the surrounding area who fought in World War 1 and it is laid below a commemorative plaque that was placed in the location a number of years ago remembering those who lost their lives.

But spirits were dampened on the day when members of the Enniscorthy Re-enactment Society discovered that the plaque commemorating those who took part in World War 1 had been stolen.

Ray Murphy from the Enniscorthy Historical Re-enactment Society explained what happened when they realised the plaque was gone.

We went in last Saturday morning and when we went down to it we noticed that it was gone, he said.

I dont know how long it has been gone, its been a couple of months since I was up there, he added.

Ray and the other members of the society are appealing to anyone who has any information to come forward.

We want to get it back, hopefully we can.
Cllr Michael Whelan with Minister of State James Browne and Minister Darragh O'Brien, in Rosslare Europort last July.

Ramsgrange looks set to be linked with the 16m waste water treatment plant in Arthurstown, meaning the village can finally grow again.

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage press office has confirmed to this newspaper that there will be a positive announcement for Ramsgrange before Christmas.

In April 2022, the Minister announced a new funding measure, under the Multi-annual Rural Water Programme, for the waste water collection and treatment needs of villages and settlements that do not have access to public waste water services. Funding of 50 million has been specifically allocated under the National Development Plan 2021-2030.

The first round of funding is intended to follow a demonstration project model approach to inform future funding needs that will provide appropriate longer-term solutions.

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All rural local authorities were asked to submit a maximum of two suitable priority applications each, for this funding measure. A total of 23 individual applications from 13 local authorities were received before the closing date September 15, 2022, and this included an application from Wexford County Council relating to Ramsgrange.

An independent expert panel has evaluated each application received, and Minister Darragh OBrien plans to announce approval of funding for specific projects in the coming weeks, including a positive announcement for Ramsgrange.

Minister for Housing Darragh O'Brien.

Welcoming the news, Cllr Michael Whelan said: Last July I met with Minister OBrien and Minister Browne in Rosslare and put forward the case for Ramsgrange which is an ideal village for this scheme. With approximately 60 houses with three estates, a secondary school and a national school, Ramsgrange has so many things happening such as SWWFRC, Day care centre, housing for the elderly, pub, shop, etc.

This grant will see approximately 2million being invested into much needed wastewater infrastructure, he said.

With the secondary school expanding and all the activity in the village, this work being carried out will open Ramsgrange for further development. Great praise has to go to Wexford County Council staff who put a great application together when applying for this pilot scheme last year. This will also help to clean up the rivers flowing in to Duncannon beach and compliment the work been carried out by Wexford County Councils Duncannon Blue Flag Farming and Communities Scheme EIP, therefore bringing the return of the blue flag even closer. So this is welcome news for the area in more ways than one.

He said: The fact that Ramsgrange wasnt included in the plans from day one has been an issue but this is a very welcome development, one which will mean further millions for the area. Cllr Whelan said having better sewerage infrastructure may entice a developer to build another estate there and will be a game changer for the area.

Cllr. Michael Whelan. Photo; Mary Browne

The Arthurstown, Ballyhack and Duncannon Sewerage Scheme has was officially opened by Minister OBrien in early March.

Located on a hilly area accessed just off the pier at Arthurstown, the new facility built by SISK has eliminated the discharge of raw sewage into the Barrow, Nore, Suir estuary.

Working in partnership with Wexford County Council, Irish Water acquired the land for the plant which caters for almost 4,000 people. Works commenced in summer 2021 at Arthurstown, Ballyhack and Duncannon.

New pump stations were also built in Ballyhack and Duncannon, with extensive road works during construction. Pumped and gravity mains installed from Duncannon up to Church Road, from Mersheen to Ballyhack, and through the Dunbrody estate which link up all the pump stations to the treatment plant.

2022 saw mechanical and electrical works following a period of intensive civil engineering works.

The works have eliminated the equivalent of 1,500 wheelie bins of raw sewage being discharged into the estuary per day.
The two sculptures which are now filled with bottle tops.

Sustainability was at the heart of a recent collaboration between Carrig-on-Bannow Tidy Towns and Danescastle National Schools Green Schools Committee.

The voluntary group reached out to the local community  school, daycare centre, local businesses  to start saving their bottle tops for an initiative within the community.

The Danescastle NS students in particular threw themselves into the initiative with the help of teacher Jason Barron and principal Aine Kennedy, saving thousands of bottle caps from landfill and thus helping to protect wildlife and marine life locally. Many other caps were saved via countryside and junior Tidy Towns local beach litter picks.

The two sculptures which are now filled with bottle tops.

With the help of David Staunton of Staunton Engineering, countless volunteer hours went into creating two beautiful sculptures, a heart and a butterfly, that are filled with recycled bottle tops and adorn the front of the village school. There was huge rivalry amongst the students in all classrooms as to who would collect the most.

The tidy towns group would like to thank all those in the parish who supported the project and those who visit from far and near to enjoy the many biodiversity initiatives seen this year.
At the Fascinating Wexford History Vol 5 book by Des Kiely in Wexford Book Centre on Thursday evening were Melanie, Des and Lucy Kiely.

The fifth and final volume in Des Kielys Fascinating Wexford History series has been launched at The Book Centre and, like its predecessors, contains a collection of unusual and interesting stories from Wexfords past. In addition to stories which may not have been known to the general public, Des also sheds new light on well-documented tales, chief among them the famous plane crash at Carnsore in June 1941.

While much has been written about an incident which saw all five crew members pass away, Des has uncovered information which suggests one of those on board may have had Jewish heritage.

A mezuzah, a Jewish prayer handwritten on parchment rolled up in a tiny metal tube, was found at the crash site in Nethertown known locally as the Aeroplane Field, he writes. "The mezuzah sat in the Military Archives in Dublin for 50 years before it was correctly identified. It is thought that up to 150,000 Jews were in the Third Reichs armed forces, some managed to join in order to survive the Holocaust.

The day after the crash, a funeral service for the five dead airmen was held in Crosstown cemetery, they were provided with full military honours by the Wexford defence forces who carried their swastika-draped coffins.

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Some 63 years earlier tragedy was averted when the Idaho steamship ran aground off the coast of Wexford. En route to Liverpool from New York in 1878, it struck Coningmore Rock off the Saltees in dense fog. Mercifully, all 129 passengers and crew made it ashore on lifeboats to Great Saltee Island where they spent the night.

The next day they landed at Kilmore Quay where they were served refreshments in the Wooden House Hotel. They eventually travelled by train to Dublin and finally from there to Liverpool.

"The wreck of the Idaho was discovered almost a hundred years later in 1976 by Kilmore publican, John Kehoe and the ships bell and anchor were recovered in 1988, says Des. The bell can be seen in Kehoes pub and the anchor in front of the marina in Kilmore Quay.

Volume Five of Fascinating Wexford History opens with the history of the Pierce bicycle which was manufactured between 1897 and 1930 and a story about the first motor car registered in Wexford, also in 1897, to a Colonel John Magrath of Bann-A-Boo House (now incorporated into the Riverbank Hotel). He was the owner of an Arnold Benz.

The Enniscorthy Guardian reported in September 1897 that, Colonel Magrath created quite a stir in Enniscorthy by driving through the town on a motor car. The vehicle was the only one of its kind ever seen in the town, and the citizens were deeply astonished by its appearance.

Continuing the vehicular theme, Des tells the story of Smiths Engineering, which began assembling the Renault 4L hatchback on the site of the former Star Ironworks off Trinity Street in 1965. At its height the company employed nearly 200 people and was producing 35 cars a day and continued in business until 1984. The first ever Irish-built road and racing car was the TMC Costin, built by the Thompson brothers in Castlebridge between 1983 and 1989. The car won first place on its first outing in Mondello Park.

The exploits of the 1798 rebels are also documented, albeit in a somewhat sombre tale of deportation to Australia. Des provides an account of their transportation Down Under via the diary of the wife of the ships captain. It details a gruelling six-month voyage to the penal colony in Sydney, stopping off on the South Atlantic island of St Helena and Cape Town.

On board the Friendship II were Michael Hayes from a well-to-do Selskar Street family in Wexford town and Fr James Dixon from Crossabeg. Fr Dixon would be the first priest to celebrate public Mass in the colony in 1803 wearing vestments made from curtains and with a chalice made of tin. He was pardoned in 1809 and returned to Crossabeg where he was appointed parish priest in 1819. Michael Hayes received a pardon in 1808 but remained in Sydney and became a successful businessman.

On a lighter note, Des records the construction of Wexfords first timber bridges at Wexford, Ferrycarrig, New Ross and Ferrymountgarret, as well as the origins of the JFK Memorial Park, Irelands first cement works in Drinagh and the history of Wexfords Ballast Bank and breakwaters .

There is also a story on the legendary Skin-the-Goat, who was the getaway cabbie in the Phoenix Park murders in 1882 and hailed from Camolin, a story of Wexfords patron saint, Ibar of Begerin Island, and one on Luke Wadding, the Old English bishop of Ferns, who spent 12 years constructing and fitting out a public thatched chapel or Mass house in 1674 on Back Street (High Street), 25 years after Cromwells siege and plundering of the towns medieval churches.

There are further chapters on Australias most notorious escaped convicts from Wexford who operated out of the bush, the renovation of Sigginstown Castle, the inventor or the binaural stethoscope born in Wexford and a Duncannon convicted killer who survived the Titanic.

Fascinating Wexford History Volume Five is on sale now.
A WICKLOW MAN accused of the murder of father-of-three Stephen O'Meara in Wicklow told gardai Mr. O'Meara thought he was going to Ballydonnell Wood to collect a drug debt of 15,000 and not to be murdered.

The trial of 27-year-old Michael Dickenson is underway in the Central Criminal Court before a jury of seven men and five women presided over by Mr. Justice Patrick McCarthy.

Dickenson of Darragh Park, Wicklow town has pleaded not guilty to murdering Stephen O'Meara at Ballydonnell Wood, Redcross on or about August 6, 2009. Mr. O'Meara, a 26-year-old father-of-three from Rosehill in Wicklow town, was last seen on that date.

His body was found by gardai in a shallow grave five months later, on Christmas Eve, in an isolated wooded area at Ballydonnell, Red Cross. The prosecution alleges that Dickenson drove Mr O'Meara to the remote Ballydonnell Woods, where he was shot by another man, who then helped the accused drag the body into the grave.

The court has previously heard evidence Mr O'Meara was asked to collect a debt of 15,000 from the accused's brother Paddy Byrne, which was owed to drug dealers in Dublin and that he was to be paid 2,000 for doing so. TUESDAY, JUNE 26

Deputy State Pathologist Dr Khalid Jabbar said the cause of death was internal haemorrhage owing to gunshot wounds to the torso and leg.

He said the bones of the left leg were exposed and the left foot was missing. The pathologist, who carried out a post mortem at St Columcille's Hospital in Loughlinstown on December 26, 2009, said he had visited the grave, where Mr. O'Meara was found face down.

Dr. Jabbar said the right foot was in situ and still on the body, but ' the entire left foot was missing'.

He said he examined dental records and fingerprints and was 'confident' the deceased, whose body was decomposing, was Stephen O'Meara.

He said he would 'entertain the possibility' that he might not have been dead when he was buried.

Ballistics expert Detective Garda David O'Leary said there was evidence the bullets were fired from a .243 calibre rifle. Patrick Marinan, defending, told the jury that Dickenson was making admissions under Section 22 of the Criminal Justice Act, and because of this 3040 witnesses could be dispensed with. He said Dickenson admits that crime scenes, exhibits and corpse were properly preserved. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27

The court heard memos of garda interviews in which the accused denied shooting Mr O' Meara but said he drove him to Ballydonnell Woods, Red Cross. 'I did not have anything to do with it, the only thing I had to do with it was I was asked to drive him,' Mr Dickenson told gardai in an interview on December 23, 2009.

He told gardai in that interview that another person paid to have Mr O' Meara shot and he said the amount was '6,000 or something like that'.

He also told gardai he did not witness the shooting of Mr O'Meara but said he heard about it 15 or 20 minutes later.

He said he was asked to collect Mr O' Meara and bring him there but he did not believe he was going to be shot saying 'I just thought they were going to frighten him'.

When asked by gardai if he regretted it he replied 'more than anything in the world' but told them he received no money for driving Mr. O' Meara there and said he did that 'out of stupidity'.

He said he was 'not in a position' to say who the people he thought were going to frighten Mr O'Meara were, but said it had been organised to clear his brother's drugs debt. Mr. Dickenson told gardai he had to flee to England because he was in fear of his life but came home to see his three children at Christmas.

In an earlier interview he told gardai he had ' every intention' of handing himself in after Christmas because he knew he was wanted for questioning. THURSDAY, JUNE 28

The jury watched videos and listened to memos of garda interviews of Dickenson during the course of his detention.

In an interview on December 24, 2009 the accused told gardai he saw Mr. O' Meara being killed by another man and said he was made cover his body over.

'I witnessed this man killing Stephen O' Meara. He made me cover him over,' the accused told gardai.

He said he 'couldn't name names' and that he wanted to be put into the witness protection programme. In an earlier interview the accused also told gardai, 'I don't want to mention anyoneI'm in fear for my family.'

The accused also drew a sketch map to where the body could be located and this information was relayed to the search team. When gardai informed him that the body had been located he told them 'it's all over now, that's all I ever wanted'.

In an earlier interview he said got a call from a person that he did not want to name and he collected Mr. O' Meara before bringing him to Ballydonnell Woods.

He said he reversed his car into the wood and saw a man standing there who Mr. O' Meara knew and that he was expecting him to be there. He told gardai the man who was there told him to wait around the area and then he said he heard two loud bangs.

He said the man told him later that it ' had been taken care of ' and said he had an idea Mr. O'Meara would be shot dead but he ' honestly didn't think they'd go through with it'. At the end of Thursday's proceedings the trial was adjourned until Monday as one of the jurors asked Mr. Justice Patrick McCarthy to be excused from service on Friday. MONDAY, JULY 2

Detective Sergeant Fergus O'Brien told the court Dickenson was arrested at Bachelor's Walk in Wicklow town on Sunday, December 27, 2009. Det Sgt O' Brien told Mr Denis Vaughan-Buckley SC prosecuting that when charged the accused replied, 'I am sorry for all the hardship I've caused Stephen's family.' Dickenson indicated locations to gardai on a sketch map of Ballydonnell Woods of where Mr. O' Meara had been shot by another man and where the grave was.

He later went out to the woods with gardai where he had gone with two other men and said one of the men had gone into the trees with Mr. O'Meara.

When asked by gardai why Mr. O'Meara did not run from these men he said he ' showed no fear' and believed he was collecting a drug debt. 'Stephen O'Meara showed no fear, he'd b***s of steel. I'd have s**t myself,' the accused told gardai. ' He was just expecting to collect the 15,000,' he added.

He said that a trench and a shovel were already at the location and that 'it was all set up when he got there.' Dickenson said when he skipped the country he was not aware the gardai were looking for him and said he thought about killing himself.

'You'll never understand what I've been through in the past five months,' the accused told gardai.

When asked by gardai if he felt guilty Dickenson replied, 'I honestly don't know what I feel.'

The trial continues.
Clare McGrath, Chair, Water Safety Ireland presenting the Seiko Just In Time Awards to Garda Conor O'Keefe, with Thomas Byrne, Minister of State at the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and Superintendent Sean Fallon.

The Superintendent of Bray District HQ has paid tribute to six serving gardai based in Bray and Greystones who received awards from Water Safety Ireland in recognition of the roles they played in saving lives this year.

It is an absolute honour for me to have such members attached to the District, Supt Pat Connell said, following the Rescue Appreciation Awards which were presented at a ceremony at Dublin Castle, on Tuesday, November 14, 2023.

They portray their determination and resolve daily, and not only in events of such potential tragedy. Like all the members attached to the Bray District they do not know what difficult and challenging conditions they will face when they go out on duty, yet they take up their duty with professionalism, courage and pride, and, they make a difference.

The six members who received recognition showed true bravery and awareness, knowing that their safety and the safety of others around them (not just the injured parties), was of paramount importance. It is people like this and their colleagues who surround and support them that makes An Garda Siochana the organisation that it is.

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I can only hope that people who are aware of these awards and stories, will firstly learn to swim and respect the water through Water Safety Ireland and their courses. Secondly, take encouragement to make a difference and look at An Garda Siochana as a career option going forward, he added.

Some 55 people, including six serving gardai based in Bray and Greystones  Garda Conor OKeefe, Garda Keith Keating, Garda Ciara Hayes, Garda David Power, Garda Gary McDonald and Reserve Garda Ivan Keogh  received awards from Water Safety Ireland in recognition of the roles they played in saving 29 lives in 24 near-drowning incidents this year.

July was a particularly busy month for gardai in the Bray and Greystones areas, with members called upon to intervene in a number of potentially fatal incidents involving members of the public who had got into difficulty in the water.

Garda Conor OKeefe responded to a call at Bray promenade that month, and upon arrival was alerted to a woman in distress in the water. Garda O Keefe, who had received beach lifeguard training from Water Safety Ireland, entered the water and managed to swim out to the woman and put her in a cross chest carry and bring her to safety.

Also in July, in nearby Bray Harbour, Garda Keith Keating became alerted to a woman in distress in the water and used a dingy boat in the harbour to reach her and pull her to safety.

Garda Gary McDonald and, once more, Garda Keith Keating (JIT) and Garda reserve Ivan Keogh received a call regarding a man in distress in the water at the Cove, Greystones, also in July. Upon arrival, Garda Reserve Keogh retrieved a lifebuoy and a blanket and Gardai Keating and McDonald waded out towards the male, placed him into an arm carry and brought him safely back onto the shore. They took him to the garda station, where he received medical treatment.

In August, Garda Ciara Hayes and Garda David Power were alerted to a female in distress in the water along Bray seafront. After an extensive search of the area, they spotted a body floating in the water. Both gardai waded into the water and managed to bring the person to safety. She made a full recovery.

Speaking at the ceremony, Thomas Byrne, Minister of State at the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, commended the valiant efforts of all those involved.

It is an honour to pay tribute to the courageous and deserving award recipients being recognised at Water Safety Irelands National Awards Ceremony. I want to commend the valiant efforts of these individuals who save others from drowning and to also pay tribute to the ongoing work of Water Safety Ireland volunteers who teach swimming and water rescue skills, he said.

We are recognising true heroes, we have wonderful examples of individual work, teamwork, we also have members from the public, members of the gardai, Water Safety Ireland CEO Joanne Walsh said.

Given an average of 105 people drown in Ireland each year, commenting on the need for people to become more aware of the risks and dangers of open water swimming, Ms Walsh stated: We all know that safety is a small investment required for the delivery of a rich future and in order to make this happen we need everyone to be water safety aware and water safety conscious."

Water Safety Ireland points out that drownings can happen quickly and silently but with the right knowledge, skills and attitudes everyone can avoid the hazards and take responsibility for their own safety. People are urged to start a water safety conversation with your family, friends and colleagues and encourage them to read Water Safety Irelands guidelines at www.watersafety.ie so they can enjoy Irelands waterways safely.
The Bord na Mona Scholarship Pathway is open to Wicklow students in third-level education.

Wicklow students in third-level education are encouraged to apply for the Bord na Mona Scholarship Pathway, which includes a monetary grant, work placement opportunities and site visits to Bord na Mona projects.

The cost of studies and student life can be a barrier for potential students, so Bord na Mona has created a fund that provides financial support for access to studies through scholarships, along with a Bord na Mona assigned mentor.

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There are a total of 10 scholarship places available for students across Ireland, and eligible candidates must be enrolled in undergraduate studies (level 8), masters or doctoral studies.

The selection process will include a candidate screening application form, personal statement submission, and a business case submission. To apply, visit bordnamona.ie/careers/scholarships/
The late Juris Viktorovs, who was stabbed to death in February 2022.

A 33-year-old woman accused of murder is alleged to have stabbed her housemate in the chest after her boyfriend went to his room to ask for a cigarette, a jury has heard.

Nicola Brennan, of no fixed abode, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Juris Viktorovs (36) at Shillelagh, Ballyconnell, County Wicklow on February 10, 2022.

Opening the case for the State on Tuesday, Fiona Murphy SC, told the jury of eight men and four women that Mr Viktorovs, who was originally from Latvia, lived at the house in Ballyconnell and shared a room there with his girlfriend.

She said Nicola Brennan also lived at the address with Viacestaus Narnickis  known as Young Slav  who was her partner at the time and with whom she shared a room.

She said another man who they knew and who was known as Old Slav was also there at the time. Old Slav and Young Slav worked together, she said.

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Ms Murphy said it was fair to say that all five were people who drank heavily on a regular basis.

She said Old Slav was married but would stay at the house if he was drinking with the occupants.

On the date in question, the accused and her partner were in the company of Old Slav and his wife before Old Slavs wife dropped the three of them back to the house, she said.

Counsel said at a certain point, the two couples were in their rooms and Young Slav came to the Juris Viktorovs room and asked for a cigarette. She said the deceased rolled a cigarette for him and the pair spoke in Russian.

Ms Murphy said while they were speaking, the accused came in and shouted something at Young Slav and threw a knife to him but he kicked it away.

She said it is alleged that the accused, Nicola Brennan, then stabbed Juris Viktorovs.

The lawyer said Mr Viktorovs took the knife out of his chest and laid on the ground.

She told the jury at that point, a number of 999 calls were made and it is the prosecutions case that the accused made a number of comments during this time.

The late Juris Viktorovs, who was stabbed to death in February 2022.

She said it became clear that Mr Viktorovs had died and it was fair to say that things were somewhat chaotic in the house.

She told the jury the accused was arrested and her boyfriend, Young Slav, was also arrested. She said gardai were satisfied he wasnt involved in the stabbing and no charges were brought against him.

The knife believed to be the murder weapon was found in the room, she said. The knife was plunged into a mattress and the DNA of the deceased was found on the tip of the knife.

She said a false nail was found in the room of the accused, Nicola Brennan and also in Mr Viktorovs room.

While in the garda station, Ms Brennans clothes were seized and the blood of the deceased was found on the cuff of the pyjamas she was wearing at the time, counsel said. False nails were found discarded and they were a match for the ones found at the house, she added.

Today's News in 90 seconds - November 22nd

The lawyer told the jury Ms Brennan was released from detention and they will hear evidence of conversations she had with people following her release.

The accused was subsequently rearrested and detained and Ms Murphy said the twelve jurors will also hear various accounts Ms Brennan gave during this time.

The prosecution will say all of this evidence will satisfy you that she is guilty of murder, said Ms Murphy.

She said the prosecution case against Nicola Brennan is that she stabbed the deceased, Juris Viktorovs in the chest causing his death.

She told the jury what she had said was not evidence but was instead a general overview of the case.

Mr Justice Paul McDermott told the eight men and four women that evidence in the case will commence on Wednesday morning. He asked them not to talk about the case to anyone outside of their number.
Pupil Isaac Malone cuts the ribbon with Fr. Aquinas Duffy, Minister Simon Harris, teacher Niamh Gahan, Derek Sherwin and school Principal Eimear O'Dwyer at the official opening of the new ASD unit in St.Mary's NS, Barndarrig

School Principal Eimear O'Dwyer speaking at the official opening of the new ASD unit in St. Mary's NS, Barndarrig.

Minister Simon Harris speaks with Kelsey and Freddie Rice at the official opening of the new ASD unit in St.Mary's NS, Barndarrig. Photo: Michael Kelly

Quinn Malone at the official opening of the new ASD unit in St.Mary's NS, Barndarrig. Photo: Michael Kelly

Isaac Malone at the official opening of the new ASD unit in St.Mary's NS, Barndarrig. Photo: Michael Kelly

MINISTER Simon Harris officially opened the new ASD Unit at St Marys National School, Barndarrig on Friday. Named the Stepping Stones class, it has been described as a pure joy as children and teachers thrive in the new environment.

Fr. Aquinas Duffy blessed the new classroom and prayers of the faithful were read by pupils. Ryan Browne, a fourth class pupil, recited a poem called This School.

Speaking at the launch, Niamh Gahan, Stepping Stones class teacher, said: Being involved in this new adventure in Stepping Stones can only be described as an absolute privilege by members of staff - to work alongside a phenomenal group of children and their wonderful parents. As the saying goes, every day is a school day.

This applies to the adults as well as the children in St. Marys. With each day, we learn more and more about the individual children in our care, their sparkling personalities, great sense of fun and their remarkable talents. As their supporting adults, we are beginning to discover and appreciate the unique perspective of the world this special group of neurodiverse students possess.

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Though we are only in term one, we have had the opportunity to observe and celebrate so many special individual achievements within the classroom, that just cannot be matched anywhere else. It can only be described as pure joy every day we come to school here in St. Marys.

School Principal Eimear ODwyer was also praised for her efforts in securing the new classroom.

Minister Harris spoke to the assembled guests about the importance of providing inclusive education for all and the boost that this early intervention class will have on the families and wider community members in the Barndarrig area. He also highlighted the need for continued funding and provision for classes for autistic children as they progress through their school years as this classroom can only cater for the needs of children for two years of their lives.

Minister Harris spoke of his own school days and how painful it was for him to watch his brother have to travel a long distance to attend school while he and his sister could attend their local primary school.

He empathised with the families of the children in Stepping Stones and promised to continue to advocate for autistic children in Ireland.

Members of the audience included Derek Sherwin, Chairperson of the Board of Management, Phil Keogh and Kieran OBrien, Martin Cullen, Chairperson of Barndarrig GAA Club, parents, relatives, staff and friends of the school.
Students attending Wicklows first youth climate conference last week heard warnings from a leading commentator on the environment that one fifth of the earths surface will be unliveable by 2070 if global warming continues at current levels.

In a call to action, the students demanded more education on climate change at all levels to make young people aware and able to make informed decisions as they lead change.

More than 400 students from St Davids, Colaiste Chill Mhantain, the Dominican College Wicklow and from host school Colaiste Chraobh Abhann (CCA) in Kilcoole attended the conference, supported by Codling Wind Park, as did several local politicians and community representatives. It was entitled Our Climate, Our Future and co-hosted by author and comedian Colm ORegan and CCA head boy Cayden Elliott.

Environmental campaigner John Gibbons told attendees that his generation had bequeathed the climate crisis to young people, and it was vital the current generation stepped up and addressed the challenges of global warming. But he added that this was not to give a free pass to his generation and that they owed it to future generations to help younger people mitigate and reverse the damage they had caused.

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The main objective of the conference was to provide a platform for the voices of young people on the climate crisis and to encourage attendees to become lifelong advocates for a better and sustainable future.

Panel member and member of the organising committee Hannah Jaison said shed like to see climate change given far more prominence in the primary and secondary school curriculums.

My friends and I only truly became aware of the devastating effects of climate change during our post-primary school years, she said.

This is far too late and as a result we are far behind where we should be. Climate change needs to be made a core part of the primary curriculum and a compulsory subject in secondary right up to Leaving Cert level.

That would focus minds and show leadership to the world. It would also enable people to make informed decisions as young adults - young adults who will shortly have the right to vote. And 16- and 17-year-olds should remember that they can pre-register online and will be automatically added to the electoral register when they turn 18.

Other speakers included Eimear Manning, Youth and Climate Justice Development Officer at the National Youth Council of Ireland, Noel Cunniffe, CEO of Wind Energy Ireland and Codling Wind Park Project Director Scott Sutherland.

Noel Cunniffe, said deploying renewable energy such as wind and solar are the best solutions to addressing the climate emergency. In his presentation he pointed out that one off-shore wind turbine can generate enough electricity in just over 16 minutes to power an average Irish house for a year. He also pointed to the career opportunities which existed in the renewable energy sector and urged students to consider them.

Scott Sutherland ,who was interviewed by Colm ORegan during the conference, said: We are keenly aware that it is young people who face the most uncertain future in the fight against climate change. Young people understand that everyone has a role to play in this fight and its time for political leaders and policy makers to listen to them and most importantly to take action.
Funding has been approved for two popular outdoor recreational areas in County Wicklow, which will greatly enhance the amenities while also boosting visitor numbers by making them safer and more attractive.

Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys, announced funding of almost 2.3m to support the development of 50 outdoor adventure projects across Ireland, including just over 45,000 each for Bray Head and Lugnaquilla.

The investment under the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) will be key to enhancing outdoor amenities such as walkways, mountain trails, cycleways, rivers, lakes and beaches. When the projects are ultimately delivered, it is hoped that they will provide a major boost to local economies by attracting visitors and furthering the county's reputation as a destination for adventure tourism.

The funding for the Bray Head Recreation Plan is to manage and protect the landscape, while ensuring visitors can enjoy the amenity safely. The Recreation Plan for the Lugnaquilla uplands area is to manage visitor numbers, land use, habitats and safety with changes to access routes.

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These projects are to receive the funding to bring them to a shovel-ready stage. Once at a shovel ready stage, they will be in a position to secure further funding through the other measures of the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme.

Announcing the funding, on Tuesday, Minister Humphreys said: Were now heading into the darker days of winter and its more important than ever to make the most of those precious daylight hours by getting out and about when you can.

The funding Im announcing today will support the further development of our hiking trails, water based activities and other amenities making them even more enjoyable places for families to visit nationwide. These amenities are here for us all to enjoy. I would encourage everyone who can to get out and about, and make the most of what our countryside has to offer.

The economic and social benefits of this investment for our rural heartland can be seen today through the unprecedented number of people enjoying the new amenities my Department has funded in collaboration with local communities all over the country. Im also pleased that this investment will mark another step forward in delivering on the Governments ambitious new National Outdoor Recreation Strategy  Embracing Irelands Outdoors.
The Duke of Sussex is among high-profile people bringing a claim against publishers Associated Newspapers (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

The latest stage of the Duke of Sussexs legal battle with the publisher of the Daily Mail is due to take place at the High Court.

In a ruling on November 10, a judge concluded that Harry  along with other high-profile individuals including Sir Elton John and Baroness Doreen Lawrence  could continue their claims over alleged unlawful information gathering against Associated Newspapers (ANL).

The trio are among a group of high-profile individuals  including Sir Eltons husband David Furnish, actresses Sadie Frost and Liz Hurley and ex-MP Sir Simon Hughes  accusing the publisher of carrying out or commissioning unlawful activities such as hiring private investigators to place listening devices inside cars, blagging private records and accessing and recording private phone conversations.

Sir Elton John is part of the group bringing legal action against Associated Newspapers (Aaron Chown/PA)

ANL, which firmly denies the allegations, had asked a judge at a hearing in March to rule in its favour without a trial, arguing the legal challenges were brought far too late.

But Mr Justice Nicklin ruled ANL had not been able to deliver a knockout blow to the claims earlier this month.

In his 95-page-judgment, the judge said that each of the seven people in the ANL claim have a real prospect of demonstrating that ANL concealed relevant facts that would have allowed them to bring a claim against the publisher earlier.

A hearing is now due to take place on Tuesday to deal with the consequences of the judgment.

The cases remain at an early stage and ANL has yet to file a formal defence in the case which could see a third High Court trial centred on Harrys allegations of unlawful information gathering against major newspaper publishers.

Following the ruling, ANL said in a statement: As we have always made unequivocally clear, the lurid claims made by Prince Harry and others of phone hacking, landline tapping, burglary and sticky-window microphones are simply preposterous and we look forward to establishing this in court in due course.

The hearing in London is due to begin at 10.30am.
The Kremlin said yesterday it deeply regretted Finlands decision to shut crossings on its border with Russia, a move it said reflected Helsinkis adoption of an anti-Russian stance.

Finland, a member of the European Union and  starting this year  also of the Nato military alliance, closed four crossings on its border with Russia on Saturday as it seeks to halt a flow of asylum-seekers it says was instigated by Moscow.
Police at the scene where Alejo Vidal-Quadras, former head of Spain's People's Party in the Catalonia region, was shot in the face, in Madrid, Spain. Photo: Reuters/Nacho Doce

Spanish police on Tuesday detained a man linked to a murder attempt on the former head of Spain's conservative People's Party in Catalonia on November 9, news website El Confidencial reported.

The man, a Spanish national, was under police surveillance for several days before his arrest, El Confidencial reported, citing sources close to the investigation. Police are looking into whether he has links with foreign countries.
LATEST | Netanyahu asks his cabinet to back deal for hostage release as fighting rages on ground

Deal would include 50 hostages, mostly women and children, in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners and a pause in the fighting, says US official

Father of nine-year-old held hostage by Hamas calls for evidence of proof of life

Maayan Lubell Tue 21 Nov 2023 at 19:40







Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked his government to back a deal to clear the way for the release of some of the hostages held by Hamas in war-torn Gaza since the October 7 assault on Israel.
60 years later, a Secret Service agent still grapples with the assassination of John F Kennedy

Paul Landis was at the centre of a pivotal moment in US political history

US President John F Kennedy and first lady Jacqueline Kennedy smile at the crowds lining their motorcade route in Dallas on November 22, 1963. Minutes later the President was dead.

James D Robenalt Washington Post Tue 21 Nov 2023 at 22:09

Paul Landis stood guard outside Parkland Memorial Hospital's Trauma Room No 1 as Fr Oscar Huber rushed past. It was just before 1pm on Friday, November 22, 1963. Less than half an hour earlier, Landis had been riding on the running board of a Secret Service car when he witnessed President John F Kennedy's murder up close as the motorcade drove through Dallas's Dealey Plaza.
Elon Musk wants reporters jailed over story that sparked antisemitism row on X

Media group reported adverts from big brands were running next to pro-Hitler content

Elon Musk has come under fire on multiple occasions over content that promotes antisemitism. Photo: Toby Melville/PA

Martha McHardy UK Independent Tue 21 Nov 2023 at 03:30







Elon Musk, an adviser to former president Donald Trump, and Missouri attorney general Andrew Bailey have called for journalists at Media Matters to be jailed over a report which sparked an antisemitism row on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Photo Courtesy: Sam Altman X page

Five hundred Open AI employees have expressed their intention to join Microsoft if Sam Altman, the former CEO of OpenAI, and Greg Brockman, a co-founder of OpenAI, are not reinstated.

The employees have written a letter to the OpenAI board, stating that they will resign if Altman and Brockman are not reinstated, reports Business Today.

In accordance with the letter, the employees accused the board of undermining their work and the companys mission. They also reject the notion that OpenAI was advancing too quickly without proper safety considerations, read the report.

They also demanded the current board members of the company to resign.

"We will take this step imminently, unless all current board members resign, and the board appoints two new lead independent directors, such as Bret Taylor and Will Hurd, and reinstates Sam Altman and Greg Brockman," Business Today quoted the letter.

Meanwhile, Sam Altman and Greg Brockman are joining Microsoft to lead a new team for advanced research in Artificial Intelligence, IT major's CEO Satya Nadella announced on Monday (November 20, 2023).

"We remain committed to our partnership with OpenAI and have confidence in our product roadmap, our ability to continue to innovate with everything we announced at Microsoft Ignite, and in continuing to support our customers and partners. We look forward to getting to know Emmett Shear and OAI's new leadership team and working with them," Nadella wrote on X.

"And were extremely excited to share the news that Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, together with colleagues, will be joining Microsoft to lead a new advanced AI research team. We look forward to moving quickly to provide them with the resources needed for their success," he said.

Nadella's post was shared by Altman with the message, "The mission continues."

In response to Altman's tweet, Nadella wrote: "I'm super excited to have you join as CEO of this new group, Sam, setting a new pace for innovation. We've learned a lot over the years about how to give founders and innovators space to build independent identities and cultures within Microsoft, including GitHub, Mojang Studios, and LinkedIn, and I'm looking forward to having you do the same."

We remain committed to our partnership with OpenAI and have confidence in our product roadmap, our ability to continue to innovate with everything we announced at Microsoft Ignite, and in continuing to support our customers and partners. We look forward to getting to know Emmett  Satya Nadella (@satyanadella) November 20, 2023

Last week, Open AI sacked CEO Sam Altman prompting the co-founder Greg Brockman to quit soon after.

Meanwhile, Open AI has named former Twitch CEO and co-founder Emmett Shear as the company's interim CEO.
Photo courtesy: UNI

Kolkata/UNI: A massive fire broke out at a plastic factory cum godown at the industrial Ghusuri in Howrah district, close to this city, early on Tuesday, a day after a blaze damaged a portion of a jute mill in the same thickly populated area, police and fire brigade sources said.

There had been no immediate report of any casualty in the fire, which had thickened the sky with black smoke as the fire brigade personnel were trying to ascertain the source of fire at the scene, which is surrounded by manufacturing units and residential buildings, they added.

Two firefighting vehicles were pressed into service to combat the leaping flames, which were also aided by the winds blowing from the nearby Ganges.

The fire brigade was trying to ascertain if the fire had started in the godown or in the plastic factory.

Police cordoned off the area to assist the fire fighting personnel and more fire combat vehicles were on standby.

On Monday, a portion of a jute mill in Howrah's industrial area at Foreshore Road near this city was destroyed in a fire.

The Vijayshree jute mill on the Foreshore Road was damaged.

The industrial areas also witnessed a massive blaze on November 10, in which three factories and godowns were razed into the ground.
Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons/ShareAlike 3.0 Unported

The Israeli government has designated Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) as a terrorist organization, just days before India marks the 15th anniversary of the Mumbai terror attack.

"To symbolize the marking of the 15th year of commemoration of the Mumbai terror attacks, the state of Israel has listed Lashkar-e-Taiba as a Terror Organization," read a statement issued by the Israeli Embassy in India.

Israel said its government completed the action despite no such request from India.

"Despite not being requested by the Government of India to do so, the state of Israel has formally completed all necessary procedures and has satisfied all required checks and regulations to the result of introducing Lashkar -e- Taiba into the Israeli list of illegal terror organizations," read the statement.

"While Israel only lists terror organizations who are actively operating against it from within or around its borders, or in a similar manner to India - those globally recognized by UNSC or the US state department; the Israeli ministries of Defense and Foreign affairs, have jointly worked in the last few months towards an expediated and extraordinary listing of the Lashkar -e- Taiba organization on this date, to highlight the importance of a Unified Global Front in combating terrorism," the statement said.

Israel described LeT as a deadly and reprehensible terror organization.

"Its heinous actions on November 26, 2008 still reverberate in force, through all peace-seeking nations and societies," read the statement.

The 2008 Mumbai attacks were twelve coordinated shooting and bombing attacks across Mumbai by members of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

Ajmal Kasab, the only attacker who was captured alive, later confessed upon interrogation that the attacks were conducted with the support of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Kasab was hanged on Nov 21, 2012 at Yerwada Jail in Pune.

The attacks, which drew widespread global condemnation, began on Wednesday, Nov 26, 2008 and lasted until Saturday, Nov 29, 2008, killing 164 people and wounding at least 308.

Eight of the attacks occurred in South Mumbai - at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, the Oberoi Trident, the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, Leopold Cafe, Cama Hospital (a women and children's hospital), the Nariman House Jewish community centre, the Metro Cinema, and a lane behind the Times of India building and St. Xavier's College.

Six Jews were among the 166 people killed in the attacks.

There was also an explosion at Mazagaon, in Mumbai's port area, and in a taxi at Vile Parle.
Photo Courtesy: PIB

India and the USA's Joint Special Forces exercise 'Vajra Prahar 2023' began at the Joint Training Node in Meghalaya's Umroi region on Tuesday.

The US contingent is represented by personnel from the 1st Special Forces Group (SFG) of US Special Forces.

The Indian Army contingent is led by Special Forces personnel from the Eastern Command.

Exercise Vajra Prahar 2023 is a joint exercise conducted between the Indian Army and US Army Special Forces.

"It aims at sharing best practices and experiences in areas such as joint mission planning and operational tactics," read a statement issued by the Indian government.

The first edition was conducted in the year 2010 in India and the 13th edition of the Indo-US Joint Special Forces exercise was conducted at the Special Forces Training School (SFTS), Bakloh (HP).

The current edition is being conducted in Umroi Cantonment, Meghalaya from 21st November to 11th December 2023.

During the course of the next three weeks, both sides will jointly plan and rehearse a series of Special Operations, Counter Terrorist Operations, Air Borne operations in simulated conventional and unconventional scenarios in mountainous terrain.

Key highlights include Combat free fall insertion of troops from stand-off distances, Water borne insertion of troops, Precision engagement of targets at long ranges, Combat air controlling of fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft besides Airborne insertion and sustenance of troops.

The exercise has evolved as a mechanism to exchange ideas and share best practices between the Special Forces of both the nations.

It is also a platform to enhance inter-operability and strengthen defence cooperation between the armies of India and the United States of America.
Photo Courtesy: Pixabay

Mumbai/IBNS/UNI: An Air India Mumbai-New York flight was forced to return from Iranian airspace early on Tuesday morning following some technical issues, official sources said.

The flight, AI-119, bound for JFK Airport in New York took off around 2.20 am and returned after a few hours.

The sources said that there were certain minor technical issues in the aircraft and the decision to fly back to Mumbai was taken to conduct precautionary checks in the interest of passengers and crew safety.

An alternative flight was being arranged to fly out the stranded passengers expeditiously even as they were given hotel accommodation, flight options, cabs, and meals, said the sources.
Photo courtesy: UNI

New Delhi/IBNS: The Enforcement Directorate has attached property worth Rs. 90 crores belonging to Young Indian, the company linked to Congress's Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi , in connection to its investigation into the National Herald case.

The attached property includes the National Herald Houses in Delhi and Mumbai and Nehru Bhavan in Lucknow.

According to media reports, the overall value of properties seized belonging to Associated Journals is Rs. 752 crore.

The probe agency is investigating an alleged money laundering case linked to the National Herald newspaper.

The case involves allegations of cheating, conspiracy, and criminal breach of trust in the acquisition of Associated Journals Limited, which operated the newspaper by Young Indian Pvt Ltd.

The agency has already questioned Sonia and Rahul Gandhi in this connection.

"ED has issued an order to provisionally attach properties worth  751.9 Crore in a money-laundering case investigated under the PMLA, 2002," the ED said today in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

"Investigation revealed that M/s. Associated Journals Ltd. (AJL) is in possession of proceeds of crime in the form of immovable properties spread across many cities of India such as Delhi, Mumbai and Lucknow to the tune of  661.69 Crore and M/s. Young Indian (YI) is in possession of proceeds of crime to the tune of  90.21 Crore in the form of investment in equity shares of AJL," the post read.

ED has issued an order to provisionally attach properties worth Rs. 751.9 Crore in a money-laundering case investigated under the PMLA, 2002. Investigation revealed that M/s. Associated Journals Ltd. (AJL) is in possession of proceeds of crime in the form of immovable properties  ED (@dir_ed) November 21, 2023

"Reports of attachment of AJL properties by ED reflects their desperation to divert attention from certain defeat in the ongoing elections in each state," posted Congress's Abhishek Singhvi on X.

Reports of attachment of AJL properties by ED reflects their desperation to divert attention from certain defeat in the ongoing elections in each state. (1/n)  Abhishek Singhvi (@DrAMSinghvi) November 21, 2023

"An assignment of loan without transfer of any immovable property or movement of money is being dressed up to justify attachment & freezing of assets of a company which runs an iconic voice of Indian indepemdence mvmnt (sic) -- National Herald -- only cz its linked to INC & its legacy," he wrote.

"These petty vendetta tactics shall not cow down the Congress or the opposition," read a third.

These petty vendetta tactics shall not cow down the Congress or the opposition. (5/n)  Abhishek Singhvi (@DrAMSinghvi) November 21, 2023

The Congress has always accused the Centre of misusing central probe agencies for political vendetta, insisting that there is no evidence of money laundering or any monetary exchange.
Photo courtesy: PR Team

After the grand Diwali celebrations at her Mumbai residence, popular Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty, accompanied by her husband Raj Kundra, her two children Viaan Raj Kundra and Samisha Shetty Kundra, close friend Akanksha Malhotra Aggarwal and her family embarked on an enchanting post-Diwali retreat at the exquisite Kuda Villingili Resort in the Maldives.

Nestled amidst the luxurious backdrop of pristine beaches and turquoise waters, Kuda Villingili offered Shetty and her family an unparalleled retreat that felt like a home away from home.

The resort's idyllic setting and top-notch amenities allowed the family to unwind and indulge in the lap of luxury.

Shetty was captivated by the scenic beauty of the Indian Ocean, engaging sunset cruises, and the diverse culinary experiences that became integral components of her stay.

The Spice restaurant, under the expert guidance of the Qureshi brothers  Asif and Ijaz Qureshi, left a lasting impression with its standout dish, the 'Stuffed Kulcha,' that became a personal favorite of the Bollywood star.

"I have to say, Kuda Villingili Resort truly stands out as one of the best resorts in the Maldives. The impeccable staff and the luxurious yet genuinely comfortable ambiance made us feel right at home on this beautiful island. Every moment of our holiday was truly enjoyable.

"What pleasantly surprised me the most was the exceptional culinary experience at Kuda Villingili. I tasted over 12 diverse types of cuisines, and among them, Spice, the fantastic Indian restaurant, became an absolute favorite. Starting our days with healthy breakfast options at The Restaurant added a delightful touch to our mornings," Shilpa said.

"The resort's massive swimming pool quickly became our go-to hangout spot; it's perfect for families. Kuda Villingili wasn't just a place to stay; it became the backdrop for lasting memories of an ideal family holiday filled with love and laughter, and we can't wait to come back soon," she added.

Documenting her blissful experience on Instagram, Shilpa Shetty expressed her appreciation for the warm reception, diverse breakfast choices, and her newfound love for mango sticky rice. The resort's staff, known for their discreet hospitality, played a crucial role in ensuring a serene and secluded stay tailored for high-profile guests.

Shetty, renowned for her iconic roles and impeccable style, showcased her beach glam in a stunning Shivan and Narresh halter midi dress, leaving her Instagram followers in awe with the hashtag #beachvibes.

Embracing the Maldivian ambience, Shilpa Shetty created enduring memories, from watching breathtaking sunsets on a cruise to indulging in the thrill of fishing. She expressed her love for fishing trips in the Maldives, deeming it an experience not to be missed.

Kuda Villingili Resorts family-friendly atmosphere resonated with Shetty, who shared heartwarming moments of her son Viaan radiating joy while enjoying ice cream. Viaan's participation in a cooking class, where he made fried rice under the guidance of the hotel's chefs, added to the family's delightful experience.

The family spent quality time by the resorts pool, the largest in the Maldives, and stayed in the three-bedroom residence  an ideal accommodation for families or large groups of friends.

The Maldives, renowned for its crystal-clear waters, white sand beaches, and unparalleled privacy, continues to be Bollywood's preferred holiday destination. Kuda Villingili Resorts unique combination of warm hospitality, breathtaking natural beauty, and exclusivity solidifies its status as the best-in-class retreat for high-profile family holidays.
A five-year-old boy drinks bottled water delivered by UNICEF in the Khan Younis camp.Photo Courtesy: UNICEF/Eyad El Baba

The UN chief said on Monday that in the current conflict between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants in Gaza, the world is witnessing an "unparalleled and unprecendented" level of civilian death, compared to any other conflict since he became Secretary-General in 2017.

In reply to a question at a press conference dealing with the latest emissions report, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that in all the reports issued during his tenure, on children in conflict, it was clear that the current war in Gaza has seen thousands of child deaths - compared with hundreds, in conflicts in Yemen and Syria.

Without entering into discussing the accuracy of the figures released by the health ministry in Gaza, which are regarded by UN agencies as reliable, he said that what is clear is that we have had in a few weeks thousands of children killed.

Latest reports from health authorities indicate that more than 13,000 civilians in total have died in the enclave since the 7 October terror attacks by Hamas, and subsequent Israeli offensive.

This is what matters. We are witnessing a killing of civilians that is unparalleled and unprecedented in any conflict since I have been Secretary-General.

Opportunity out of tragedy

Also addressing how the region can move forward once the fighting stops, the UN chief said that it was "important to be able to transform this tragedy into an opportunity."

"For that to be possible, it is essential that after the war we move in a determined, irreversible way to a two-State solution", he told correspondents.

"It means also that after the war - and this is my opinion - I believe it to be important after the war to have a strengthened Palestinian Authority to assume responsibilities in Gaza."

He said a humanitarian ceasefire was a crucial first step, along with unrestricted access for humanitarian aid, "the liberation of hostages" and an end to violations of international humanitarian law and protection of civilians.

He said the Palestinian Authority which administers the West Bank, and which was forced out of Gaza in 2006 by Hamas, could clearly not assume control while Israeli tanks remain, meaning there must be a "transition period".

UN protectorate, no solution

"I do not think that a UN protectorate in Gaza is a solution. I think we need a multi-stakeholder approach in which different countries, different entities, will cooperate. For Israel, of course, the US is the main guarantor of its security. For Palestinians, the neighbouring and Arab countries of the region are essential," Guterres said.

"So everybody needs to come together to make the conditions for a transition, allowing for a strengthened Palestinian Authority, to assume responsibility in Gaza and then, based on that, to finally move...in a determined and irreversible way to a two-State solution based on the principles that have been largely established by the international community and which I have time and time again outlined."

'Unliveable'

Meanwhile, in Gaza a tweet by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNWRA on Monday, described the situation in shelters as unliveable. It said that Gazans had no options, echoing repeated warnings from UN humanitarians nowhere is safe for civilians in Gaza.

Since Hamass terror attacks on Israel on 7 October that claimed around 1,200 lives with nearly 240 hostages captured, hundreds of thousands of Gazans have fled south, following an evacuation directive from the Israeli military.

Astonishing exodus

Satellite images of the exodus showed a mass of people moving across a landscape of shattered buildings, while photographs taken at ground level showed families carrying their belonging on foot and a woman dragging two babies in car seats behind her.

In an update on Sunday, Tom White, Director of UNRWA Affairs, told US network ABC that 13 UNRWA sites where people had been sheltering under the UN flag had been directly hit since 7 October, while countless other shelters had suffered collateral damage - many of them in the south of Gaza, where civilians had been told to flee.

Dozens killed in shelters

White said that 73 people had been killed in UNRWA shelters to date, a large proportion of them in the south.

The reality is the Gazans have got nowhere to go for safety and they are all exposed to the threat of fighting and particularly airstrikes, the UNRWA official said.

According to the UN agency, more than 880,000 internally displaced have sought shelter in 154 UNRWA installations across all five of Gazas governorates. Out of Gazas 2.3 million people, 1.7 million are now displaced.

To date, 104 UNRWA staff have been killed along with at least 11,000 people in Gaza according to health authorities.

Houses have been hit all across the Gaza Strip, said UNWRAs White, who said that peoples main concern was, If theyre in the north or in the south, are they safe?
Photo Courtesy: Unsplash

China on Monday said its military is strictly disciplined and always operates professionally while responding to the Australian government's recent accusation that six navy divers were hurt due to probable sonar pulses emitted by a Chinese warship.

"The Chinese military is strictly disciplined and always operates professionally in accordance with the international law and international common practices. We hope relevant parties will stop making trouble in front of Chinas doorsteps and work with China to preserve the momentum of improving and growing China-Australia ties," Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said.

The Australian Government on Saturday said it expressed serious concerns to the Chinese Government following an 'unsafe and unprofessional interaction' with a Peoples Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) destroyer.

"On Tuesday 14 November 2023, HMAS Toowoomba was in international waters inside of Japans Exclusive Economic Zone enroute to commence a scheduled port visit," the Australian Defence Ministry said in a statement.

HMAS Toowoomba had been in the region conducting operations in support of United Nations sanctions enforcement.

It had stopped conducting diving operations in order to clear fishing nets that had become entangled around its propellers.

"At all times, HMAS Toowoomba communicated its intention to conduct diving operations on normal maritime channels, and using internationally recognised signals," the statement said.

While diving operations were underway a PLA-N destroyer (DDG-139) operating in the vicinity closed towards HMAS Toowoomba. Toowoomba again advised the PLA-N destroyer that diving operations were being conducted and requested the ship keep clear.

"Despite acknowledging Toowoombas communications, the Chinese vessel approached at a closer range. Soon after, it was detected operating its hull-mounted sonar in a manner that posed a risk to the safety of the Australian divers who were forced to exit the water," read the statement.

"This is unsafe and unprofessional conduct," the ministry said.

Medical assessments conducted after the divers exited the water identified they had sustained minor injuries likely due to being subjected to the sonar pulses from the Chinese destroyer.

"The safety and well-being of our ADF personnel continues to be of our utmost priority," the Ministry said.

The Australian Defence Ministry said it expects all countries, including China, to operate their militaries in a professional and safe manner.
Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons/ShareAlike 4.0 International

In a disheartening turn of events, Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan is once again at the center of controversy, accused of violating Sikh rehat maryada and causing distress among the Sikh community.

The recent incident involves an alleged party with song and dance organized by the management of Pakistans Project Management Unit (PMU) near the revered Gurdwara in the Narowal district.

The controversy echoes a similar incident in 2021 when a Pakistani models bareheaded photos within the Gurdwara complex sparked widespread criticism on social media. The model later apologized and removed the controversial images from her account.

This time, the focus is on a video that has gone viral on social media, showing a party with song and dance near the PMU office on November 18. According to reports, non-vegetarian items were served openly during the event. The video captures a woman singing, accompanied by dancing participants, with a Sikh person visible in the first row of the audience.

Expressing concern over the incident, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami and Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Harmeet Singh Kalka have taken note of the video and its potential implications.

SGPC president Dhami emphasized that if the event occurred within the Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib complex, it would constitute a violation of maryada and Sikh sentiments, particularly in a place so closely associated with Guru Nanak Dev. Dhami expressed disappointment, stating, The authorities should have refrained from indulging in such a kind of act as it would lead to hurting the sentiments of the global Sikh community.

DSGMC spokesperson Manjit Singh Bhoma demanded a public apology from the organizers, emphasizing that the event took place near the PMU office, an integral part of the Gurdwara Kartarpur complex. The call for an apology underscores the seriousness with which Sikh organizations view any actions that may disrespect the sanctity of the religious site.

This incident has reignited concerns about the need for strict adherence to Sikh rehat maryada and the responsible management of religious sites. The Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib holds immense significance for Sikhs worldwide, and any perceived disrespect is bound to evoke strong reactions from the Sikh community.

As the controversy unfolds, the global Sikh community watches closely, hopeful for swift corrective action and a renewed commitment to maintaining the sanctity of Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib. The incident serves as a reminder of the insensitive nature of Pakistan towards its Sikh minority, and the lack of responsibility of those entrusted with the management of sacred Sikh sites.

(Photo and text courtesy: Khalsavox.com)
Shooting in Walmart store in Dayton leaves four people hurt. Photo Courtesy: Unsplash

At least four people were injured when a shooter entered a Walmart in the US city of Dayton on Monday (November 20, 2023) and opened fire inside it, police said.

The attacker later took his own life.

The victims were shifted to the hospital for treatment.

Beavercreek police posted n X: "There is no active threat. A male walked into the Walmart in Beavercreek around 8:35 p.m. Monday and began firing a gun, injuring four people. The victims were transported to area hospitals and their conditions are unknown at this time."

Police said the victim died due to apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

"No shots were fired by any responding police officers," police said.

The identity of the shooter is still not known.

Were heartbroken by whats happened at our Beavercreek, Ohio, store, a Walmart spokesperson said in a statement to CNN. This remains a developing situation, and were working closely with investigators on the scene.
What the Melting of Antarctic Ice Shelves Means for the Planet

A Q&A with Richard Alley, professor of geosciences at Pennsylvania State University, on how melting at the South Pole could impact sea level rise
To develop state standards for reading in Alaska Native languages for kids in kindergarten through third grade, the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development is looking for an expert in the field.

There isnt currently a benchmark for determining reading proficiency in Alaska Native languages. Although reading teaching in Alaska Native languages is permitted by state law, school districts find it challenging to report their progress to the state government in the absence of standards. The guidelines, according to education authorities, will enhance the teaching of Alaska Native languages in the state.

The standards, according to Joel Isaak, director of tribal affairs for the Alaska Department of Education, are a useful method to sustain Alaska Native languages within the framework of the educational system as it is right now.

Its using education as the vehicle for increasing access to Alaska Native languages, he said. The goal is to promote and preserve through implementation of Alaska Native languages.

According to him, the development of standards is a reaction to suggestions made by the Alaska Native Language Preservation & Advisory Council to broaden access to education in Alaska Native languages.

According to Isaak, it is a component of a larger departmental initiative to encourage Alaska Native languages throughout the state.

The guidelines will be a crucial step in normalizing the languages in state education, according to Xunei Lance Twitchell, a professor of Alaska Native languages at the University of Alaska Southeast and the chair of the Alaska Native Language Preservation & Advisory Council.

According to Twitchell, possible next steps may include making it necessary to complete a semester of an Alaska Native language in order to graduate from high school or obtain a license to teach in the region.

Governor Sean Parnell approved a measure making 20 Alaska Native languages state languages in 2014. Early on in the states existence, Alaska Native languages were frequently forbidden in classrooms. According to Twitchell, making these languages compulsory would be a wonderful step for the state.

Indigenous peoples were forced to move away from their languages. So now collectively, we all look at that and say, Well, we can all be part of a solution, he said.

The deadline to apply to become a standards developer is October 31. The states Board of Education will accept the standards after they have gone through the public process of development.
People are having a good laugh at a Chinese airline because of a funny mistake. You know how airplane food isn't always a hit? This airline might have gone too far with one menu item that got everyone talking.

What did the airlines do?

Someone on a China Eastern Airlines flight noticed something pretty surprising on the business class menu and shared it online.

The airline supposedly had a dish on its menu that included imported dog food and okra as an appetizer. Many people on social media say it's probably a mistake in translation. We hope it is.

Reddit

How did people on the internet react?

The picture got almost 1,000 likes on Facebook and was shared on Reddit, leading to more jokes and trolling.

Apparently, economy-class passengers only get domestic dog food, one user joked. If its business class, I expect my imported dog food to be 96% air-dried organic beef, another wrote.

Most likely, the translation has gone wrong. Besides, how bad could dog food be? said another.

Some users speculated that the translation might refer to hot dogs or suggest that the airline was pet-friendly. The ambiguity left room for various interpretations.

There were requests from others to see the original Chinese version of the menu to understand better what was being offered.

Unsplash

While the idea of dog food may be considered better than no food during a flight, Japan Airlines stirred controversy earlier this year by encouraging passengers to forgo meals on certain flights.

The airline has been experimenting with this initiative since 2020, stating that it's part of its strategy to reduce environmental impact by reducing plastic usage and minimizing the number of meals served to decrease food waste.

Japan Airlines urged passengers to make the "ethical choice" of not having a meal, emphasizing that many travelers preferred sleeping through flights rather than being awakened for a meal.

For each passenger who chose to skip the in-flight meal, the airline pledged to donate towards school lunch projects benefiting children in developing nations facing hunger.

While some customers received emails from Japan Airlines about this initiative, it has sparked mixed reactions.

Despite the differing opinions, the airline clarified that passengers could still request other beverages and snacks.

For more trending stories, follow us on Telegram.


A 28-year-old trader, identified as Bashiru Aliya, on Monday jailed by an Area Court in Jos, Plateau State.

INFORMATION NIGERIA reports that Bashiru was sentenced to nine months imprisonment for stealing two cartons of seasoning worth N98,500.

The judge, Shawomi Bokkos, made the judgment after Bashiru pleaded guilty to the charge.

READ MORE: Woman Jailed In Kano For Duping Husband Of N2m

Bokkos, however, gave him the option to pay a N20,000 fine and ordered him to pay another N120,000 as compensation to the complainant.

Meanwhile, the prosecutor, Inspector Ibrahim Gokwat, had earlier told the court that the case was reported on August 4, at the Railway Police Station by the complainant, one Moses Agbo.

According to News Agency of Nigeria, the prosecutor said that the convict conspired with his friend now at large, and stole the items from the complainants shop in the market.

Gokwat added that the offence contravened the provisions of the Plateau Penal Code.
Former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has narrated how the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), lost a local government election in Ogun State in 1998 because he rejected plans to bribe officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Obasanjo made this revelation on Monday in Abeokuta, at a high-level consultation he organised titled, Rethinking Western Liberal Democracy in Africa.

He said that the party leaders had told him that there should be money allocated for the police and INEC, but he rejected the proposal on the belief that INEC officials and policemen are government workers earning salaries monthly.

Obasanjo told politicians and professors at the debate that he is not always comfortable with the phrase, Nigerian factor, when discussing democracy and other issues affecting development.

He said: When things go wrong, you said the Nigerian factor. The first thing I learnt in politics was this thing called the Nigerian factor.

In 1998, we had the first local government election. We had parties, and here in Abeokuta, we met in my office and they came up and said, look, this is money for INEC, money for police. At a stage, I said, What nonsense! Is police not being paid, and INEC too?

READ MORE: Western Liberal Democracy Not Working in Africa, Another System Needs To Be Adopted  Obasanjo

They said thats how we do it. I said You cannot do that. So, they didnt do that. And of course, we lost all the local governments.

We lost all. And then they came to me and said, Baba, you see? If you had allowed us to do it the way we used to do it, we would have won. And I felt guilty.

During the next election which was State Assembly, I just stayed in my house. I said Well, do whatever you want to do, I will not be part of it.

So, I didnt even go. But, the result was the same. One of the people who got money didnt even distribute it to where he was supposed to distribute it.
Former President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari has said that he did his best in the eight years that he governed the country, but is unsure if he achieved the expected results.

Speaking in an interview on Nigeria Television Authority, NTA, on Sunday, Buhari reiterated that his administration tried as much as possible to be accountable.

READ MORE: I Dont Miss My Time As President  Buhari

He said that he was still being harassed by people who throng his home daily, noting that if the border with a nearby country had not closed, he would have run out of Nigeria by now.

God allowed me to serve my country, but I did my best. But whether my best was good enough, I leave for people to judge,  he stressed.

Nigerians are extremely difficult. People know their rights. They think they should be there, not you. So, they monitor virtually your every step. And you have to struggle day and night to ensure that you are competent enough, he said.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has posited that it is not right for a few individuals to overturn the decisions of millions of voters.

According to him, the powers vested in the hands of a few judges is totally unacceptable.

Obasanjo made the disclosure in reaction to the Court of Appeal judgements on disputes from the 2023 elections in Nigeria.

Recall that recently, three governors were consecutively sacked in separate judgements delivered by the judges of the Court of Appeal.

The affected Governors are, Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State, Abba Kabir Yusuf in Kano, and Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State.

Speaking on Monday at the high-level consultation on Rethinking Western Liberal Democracy in Africa held at Green Resort Legacy, Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, Ogun State, the former President faulted what he labelled cathedral pronouncements by the judges.

READ ALSO: Tinubu Is A Democrat, Stop Blackmailing Him, Judiciary  Presidency Replies Atiku On Dictatorship Comment

I believe whatever form of democracy we have or whatever system of government we have, three or four men in the judiciary should not be able to overturn the decisions of millions that have voted. Now, we have to find a way to handle that.

I dont know what the way will be but, for me, I think its totally unacceptable that millions (of votes), maybe 10m on one side, maybe 9million on the other side. Then, you have five people sitting down, three of them agree, two disagree. And you come up and make cathedral pronouncements that cannot be changed. I believe that should not be accepted.

How do we do it? I dont know. But whatever form of democracy we have, we should look at how to handle this. If you say go again for election, then, what happened to the previous election will repeat itself? I dont know.

So, I personally feel strongly about. It does not matter what you say about the judiciary, but in fact, only five people or seven will sit down. If there are five, three may agree, two may not agree, and the decision of three will be final. All that you have done comes to the decision of three or decision of four, Obasanjo said.
The Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court on Monday gave a double life sentence to a 65-year-old man, identified as Igwe Ambrose for sticking his fingers into the private parts of his tenants seven- and eleven-year-old children.

Justice Abiola Soladoye ruled that the prosecution had proven Ambroses four counts of sexual assault by penetration and indecent treatment of a child beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency disclosed this in a statement posted on its X handle on Monday.

According to the statement, the landlord committed the offences at Shagari Estate, Ipaja, between January and June 2021.

The statement read: Ambrose was found guilty of inserting fingers into the private parts of his tenants children. The survivors are aged seven and 11.

READ MORE: She Seduced Me  Father Of 20 Who Raped 12-Year-Old Girl Confesses

He was arraigned on a four-count charge bordering on sexual assault by penetration and indecent treatment of a child.

The judge, Abiola Soladoye, described the landlord as a dirty old man who fingered and touched the breasts of the survivors on the pretext of helping them with their school assignments.

Soladoye sentenced the defendant to life imprisonment for count one and count two each; while counts three and four carried seven years jail term each.
Following Tuesdays announcement of new minority leadership roles by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, there was uproar in the upper legislative chamber.

Information Nigeria reports that Senator Abba Moro of Benue South was named Minority Leader by Akpabio, while Senator Osita Ngwu of Enugu West was named Minority Whip.

Simon Mwadkwon, a senator for Plateau North, and Darlington Nwokocha, a senator for Abia Central, were replaced by members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after the courts dismissed them both.

Nwokocha of the Labour Party (LP) served as the Minority Whip, while Mwadkwon, the former Minority Leader, is a member of the PDP.

Soon after Akpabio finished making the announcements said to be from the minority caucus, an altercation ensued on the floor of parliament.

READ ALSO: Its Unacceptable For Few Judges To Upturn Decisions Of Millions Of Voters  Obasanjo On Appeal Court Judgements

LPs Tony Nwoye, Senator from Anambra North, stated that it was unjust for the Senate President to select the leaders of the minority caucus.

Are we your slaves? Why will the senate president be picking leaders for us?

You have done your worst. You have pushed us to the wall. Meaning what? It is unfair. It is not about me, it is about the institution of the state, Nwoye shouted at the presiding officer.

After some senators pacified Nwoye, Akpabio explained that the two minority leaders had shown the signatories of senators who agreed with the decision.

Minority, put your house in order first, Akpabio said.

The senate president can only work with what is before me. You have senator Abaribe and Aliero, their names are not here.

Akpabio furthered that he sympathises with minority parties in the senate.
Mr. Ibus wife Stella Maris has sparked outrage with a viral video in which she apologised to the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) after being accused online for lying.

In an interview with Uche Maduagwu, Stella first apologised to the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) for declining their help because of her husbands health issues.

Stella disclosed that she was tricked into saying her spouse was not helped by the body while he was a member.

READ MORE: Western Liberal Democracy Not Working in Africa, Another System Needs To Be Adopted  Obasanjo

In support of her latest allegation, the actors spousewho has been embroiled in a legal battle with his daughter, Jasmine, disclosed that the public relations representative for the guild, actress Kate Henshaw, visited her husband in the intensive care unit.

She added that Mr. Ibu and Henshaw joked around and conversed because he was still quite talkative at the time. Stella, was however quiet about who tricked her and how she was tricked.

Watch video below;
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Daniel Bwala, criticised a judgement of the appellate court sacking Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State.

Bwala lamented that he has never seen a situation where an election is invalidated on the grounds that a court order was disobeyed.

The PDP chieftain led this out during an interview on Channels Televisions Politics Today programme on Monday.

Recall that in September, the Plateau State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal affirmed the victory of Mutfwang but two months later, an appeal court on Sunday sacked the states governor.

The court held that the party violated the court order that a valid congress be conducted in the 17 local government areas of that state.

However, Bwala argued that an election should not be invalidated because of a court order on party congresses.

READ MORE: Appeal Court Sacks Plateau Governor, Declares APC Candidate Winner

He said: If you look at the grounds in section 134, disobedience to court order was not there. Now, the court can say disobedience to court order was a consequence of not conducting the primary.

Even if they dont conduct the primary, it is pre-election but it is more of the disobedience of the court order.

because our eyes are now fixated on Ebonyi because if this goes this way, then we have every reason to believe that it will go in the favour of PDP.
The presidency has called on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to stop blackmailing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the judiciary over their loss of elections.

Recall that last week, Atiku called on opposition parties to form a merger against the ruling party, saying the All Progressives Congress (APC) is turning Nigeria into a dictatorship of one party.

The PDP also called for a review of what it described as biased verdicts delivered by election panels set up to entertain petitions from the polls.

Umar Damagum, acting National Chairman of the PDP, urged Nigerians to rise and defend the integrity of our judicial system and stem a looming crisis in our beloved country.

However, on Monday, the ruling party condemned the allegations by Atiku and the PDP, via a statement by Bayo Onanuga, Tinubus Special Adviser on Information and Strategy.

He described the claims as wild and libellous and born out of PDPs desperation to hang their woes on President Tinubu and the judiciary.

President Tinubu is a democrat to the core. We make bold to say that as president, he has not interfered with the judgment of the judiciary.

We had witnessed how, under his watch, the PDP governor in Osun defeated the APC at the Supreme Court. Similarly, the PDP Governor in Bauchi also won his case in the Appeal court, beating the APC.

READ ALSO: APC Moving Nigeria Into Dictatorship, Opposition Parties Need To Merge  Atiku

President Tinubu is also not planning to impose a one-party state as Atiku has serially alleged and his party and spokesman have now parroted.

Unlike Atiku Abubakar, President Tinubus record as a democrat par excellence and a strong advocate of the rule of law has been globally acknowledged.

His record of service as governor, which witnessed giant strides in various facets of the state, was responsible for the dominance of his political structure in Lagos and not by any undemocratic conduct, as Atiku Abubakar wants the public to believe.

While Atiku and PDP are now crying wolf over the Appeal Court rulings on governorship polls in Plateau, Zamfara and Nasarawa States, we hasten to ask the former Vice President where he was in 2019 when the court ruled against All Progressives Congress in Zamfara State. The court then awarded all the positions won by the APC to PDP.

We once again implore Atiku and PDP to stop their campaign of calumny and blackmail against the judiciary and the honourable judges and justices.

Judgments are based on law and evidence. In election petition cases, they are based on the Electoral Act and the Constitution, not on sentiments and emotions.

It is irresponsible and a disservice to our country for the opposition, after failing to observe the letters and spirits of the law, to now turn around to tear down an important arm of our government, Onanuga detailed via X.
Nigerias former President, Olusegun Obasanjo has posited that African countries must discard the liberal democracy introduced to the continent by the Western countries.

According to him, Africa should practise a form of democracy he described as Afro democracy.

Obasanjo who spoke on Monday during a two-day event organised by the Africa Progress Group, which took place at the Olusegun Obasanjo presidential library, Abeokuta, Ogun State, said liberal democracy allows a government by a few people over a large population of people.

The former president said the majority of people are kept out of the government under liberal democracy.

These few people are representatives of only some of the people and not full representatives of all the people.

Invariably, the majority of the people were wittingly or unwittingly kept out. This is why we should have Afro democracy in place of Western liberal democracy.

The weakness and failure of liberal democracy as it is practised stem from its history, content, context and its practice.

Once you move from all the people to representatives of the people, you start to encounter troubles and problems.

For those who define it as the rule of the majority, should the minority be ignored, neglected and excluded?

READ ALSO: Theres Hope For Nigeria Under Tinubus Govt  PDP Lawmaker

In short, we have a system of government in which we have no hands to define and design and we continue with it, even when we know that it is not working for us.

Those who brought it to us are now questioning the rightness of their invention, its deliverability and its relevance today without reform, Obasanjo stated.

Africa, he said, must question the performance of democracy in the West and on the continent of Africa.

Obasanjo added that the continent must look inward and outward to understand how another form of government can be adopted.

We are here to stop being foolish and stupid. Can we look inward and outward to see what in our country, culture, tradition, practice and living over the years that we can learn from?

Something that we can adopt and adapt for a changed system of government that will service our purpose better and deliver.

We have to think out of the box and after, act with our new thinking.

You are invited here to examine clinically the practice of liberal democracy, identify its shortcomings for our society and bring forth ideas and recommendations that can serve our purpose better, he added.
The Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Monday, reacted to former President Olusegun Obasanjos comment on Western liberal democracy not suited for African nations.

Obasanjo had criticised Western democracy, suggesting it had not delivered good governance and development in Africa.

He called for a reexamination and moderation of democracy to better suit African nations, citing the Western models disregard for African history and complexities.

Obasanjo proposed an Afro democracy tailored to the continents unique needs.

The ex-President said the snag with the liberal democracy was that it was not home-grown and did not take into account African history and multicultural complexities, among other peculiarities.

Picking holes in the Western liberal democracy, Obasanjo described it as a government of a few people over all the people or population and these few people are representatives of only some of the people and not fully representatives of all the people. Invariably, the majority of the people are wittingly or unwittingly kept out.

Reacting, Onanuga blamed Obasanjo for the current state of Nigerias democracy.

While speaking to The Punch, Onanuga noted that the democracy the country currently practises dates back to direct inputs by Obasanjo when he led the country first as military Head of State from 1976 to 1979 and as civilian President from 1999 to 2007.

READ ALSO: APC Has Bought All Institutions, Will Soon Wipe Out Opposition  Labour Party Warns

Obasanjo ought to know that he brought this thing into Nigeria. He was the one who made us adopt it in 1979. He must have seen it as expensive and unsuitable when he governed us for eight years and even wanted an extension for another four years.

So, the way he is sounding, it is like the man is getting wiser after leaving office, Onanuga said.

The Presidency blamed the former leader for a poorly copied model during his tenure as Head of State and, later, President.

It criticised Obasanjo for not advocating a better system despite his current views saying, If he believes in what he is saying now, he ought to be an advocate of the need to go back to the parliamentary system.

We were practicing the parliamentary democracy the British left for us. Then, the military struck in 1966. And when we were going to return to democracy, instead of going back to what we were practicing before, parliamentary democracy, which was not expensive, it was this same Obasanjo who accepted the recommendation of the constitutional assembly at that time that recommended this American-style democracy.

The Presidency criticised Obasanjos implementation of the presidential system, saying, Obasanjo also knew that he copied this presidential system very wrongly. He copied the form and structure. But he didnt copy the spirit of it.

Something that should have been under him in 1999 to 2007, he even made attempts to modify the constitution.
Historically, working with big data has been quite a challenge. Companies that wanted to tap big data sets faced significant performance overhead relating to data processing. Specifically, moving data between different tools and systems required leveraging different programming languages, network protocols, and file formats. Converting this data at each step in the data pipeline was costly and inefficient.

Enter Apache Arrow, an open-source framework that defines an in-memory columnar data format that every analytical processing engine can use.

Developed by open source leaders from Impala, Spark, Calcite, and others, Apache Arrow was designed to be the language-agnostic standard for efficient columnar memory representation to facilitate interoperability. Arrow provides zero-copy reads, reducing both memory requirements and CPU cycles, and because it was designed for modern CPUs and GPUs, Arrow can process data in parallel and leverage single-instruction/multiple data (SIMD) and vectorized processing and querying.

So far, Arrow has enjoyed widespread adoption.

Whos using Apache Arrow?

Apache Arrow is the power behind many projects for data analytics and storage solutions, including:

Apache Spark, a large-scale parallel processing data engine that uses Arrow to convert Pandas DataFrames to Spark DataFrames. This enables data scientists to port over POC models developed on small data sets to large data sets.

Apache Parquet, an extremely efficient columnar storage format. Parquet uses Arrow for vectorized reads, which make columnar storage even more efficient by batching multiple rows in a columnar format.

InfluxDB, a time series data platform that uses Arrow to support near-unlimited cardinality use cases, querying in multiple query languages (including Flux, InfluxQL, SQL and more to come), and offering interoperability with BI and data analytics tools.

Pandas, a data analytics toolkit built on top of Python. Pandas uses Arrow to offer read and write support for Parquet.

The InfluxData-Apache Arrow effect

Earlier this year, InfluxData debuted a new database engine built on the Apache ecosystem. Developers wrote the new engine in Rust on top of Apache Arrow, Apache DataFusion, and Apache Parquet. With Apache Arrow, InfluxDB can support near-unlimited cardinality or dimensionality use cases by providing efficient columnar data exchange. To illustrate, imagine that we write the following data to InfluxDB:

field1 field2 tag1 tag2 tag3 1i null tagvalue1 null null 2i null tagvalue2 null null 3i null null tagvalue3 null 4i true tagvalue1 tagvalue3 tagvalue4

However, the engine stores the data in a columnar format like this:

1i 2i 3i 4i null null null true tagvalue1 tagvalue2 null tagvalue1 null null tagvalue3 tagvalue3 null null null tagvalue4 timestamp1 timestamp2 timestamp3 timestamp4

Or, in other words, the engine stores the data like this:

1i, 2i, 3i, 4i; null, null, null, true; tagvalue1, tagvalue2, null, tagvalue1; null, null, tagvalue3, tagvalue3; null, null, null, tagvalue4; timestamp1, timestamp2, timestamp3, timestamp4;

By storing data in a columnar format, the database can group like data together for cheap compression. Specifically, Apache Arrow defines an inter-process communication mechanism to transfer a collection of Arrow columnar arrays (called a record batch) as described in this FAQ. This can be done synchronously between processes or asynchronously by first persisting the data in storage.

Additionally, time series data is unique because it usually has two dependent variables. The value of your time series is dependent on time, and values have some correlation with the values that preceded them. This attribute of time series means that InfluxDB can take advantage of the record batch compression to a greater extent through dictionary encoding. Dictionary encoding allows InfluxDB to eliminate storage of duplicate values, which frequently exist in time series data. InfluxDB also enables vectorized query instruction using SIMD instructions.

Apache Arrow contributions and the commitment to open source

In addition to a free tier of InfluxDB Cloud, InfluxData offers open-source versions of InfluxDB under a permissive MIT license. Open-source offerings provide the community with the freedom to build their own solutions on top of the code and the ability to evolve the code, which creates opportunities for real impact.

The true power of open source becomes apparent when developers not only provide open source code but also contribute to popular projects. Cross-organizational collaboration generates some of the most popular open source projects like TensorFlow, Kubernetes, Ansible, and Flutter. InfluxDBs database engineers have contributed greatly to Apache Arrow, including the weekly release of https://crates.io/crates/arrow and https://crates.io/crates/parquet releases. They also help author DataFusion blog posts. Other InfluxData contributions to Arrow include:

Fast, memory-efficient sorts, picked up by other implementations

Performance improvements at all levels (apache/arrow-rs#1248 and apache/arrow-rs#2646)

Making the Arrow crate safe by default and additional error-checking (apache/arrow-rs#817)

Apache Arrow is proving to be a critical component in the architecture of many companies. Its in-memory columnar format supports the needs of analytical database systems, data frame libraries, and more. By taking advantage of Apache Arrow, developers will save time while also gaining access to new tools that also support Arrow.

Anais Dotis-Georgiou is a developer advocate for InfluxData with a passion for making data beautiful with the use of data analytics, AI, and machine learning. She takes the data that she collects and applies a mix of research, exploration, and engineering to translate the data into something of function, value, and beauty. When she is not behind a screen, you can find her outside drawing, stretching, boarding, or chasing after a soccer ball.



New Tech Forum provides a venue for technology leadersincluding vendors and other outside contributorsto explore and discuss emerging enterprise technology in unprecedented depth and breadth. The selection is subjective, based on our pick of the technologies we believe to be important and of greatest interest to InfoWorld readers. InfoWorld does not accept marketing collateral for publication and reserves the right to edit all contributed content. Send all inquiries to doug_dineley@foundryco.com.
A plane takes off from Philadelphia International Airport (PHL). The Thanksgiving 2023 travel period will be our busiest since 2019, said Atif Saeed, CEO of PHL, in a statement. Read more

This year could be PHLs busiest Thanksgiving for travel since 2019.

Between the start of the holiday period last Friday and the end next Tuesday, an estimated 905,000 travelers could come through Philadelphia International Airport, based on the number of seats available on flights on those days, the airport said.

Thats 11% higher than 2022 and 19% lower than in 2019, said Heather Redfern, the airports public affairs manager.

The Thanksgiving 2023 travel period will be our busiest since 2019, said Atif Saeed, CEO of the airport, in a statement. The uptick in travel continues a trend we have experienced throughout this year and makes us excited for our continued pandemic recovery as we head into 2024.

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Expectations from airport officials about a busy holiday time are in line with research conducted by a team at Villanova University, led by Chenfeng Xiong, assistant professor in the department of civil and environmental engineering.

We want to ask ourselves, are we at the end of the pandemic? Are we back to normal daily life?, Xiong said about questions his team was asking as they examined their data.

Predicting travel patterns and human behavior

Xiong said the airport could see around 95% of the holiday travel it saw in 2019 during the same time.

His team has been studying how human mobility influences the dynamics of diseases. Their research has produced some projections for what air travel could look like this week at PHL.

From 2019 through 2023, the team, which includes Ph.D. student Weiyu Luo, collected data from smartphone location-based services, social media, GPS, and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth hot spots using AI-driven data mining.

Other data that they used but did not need to mine includes information from the Census, the National Household Travel Survey, and local regional household travel surveys in the Philadelphia metropolitan area.

Using data from the six days before Thanksgiving through five days after the holiday, the team mapped out travel patterns from 2019 through 2022 for PHL travelers. Then, with that same data pool, they created an AI model that produced estimates and projections for 2023.

In 2022, during the 12 days examined, an estimated 867,000 travelers came through PHL, according to Xiongs research. This year, that number is expected to rise to nearly 1,000,000, which is about 95% of traffic in 2019 and about 100,000 over what the airport has said it anticipates.

The increase this year could be because more travelers are comfortable flying who might not have been since the COVID-19 pandemic, or that the availability of travel options are increasing and many international flights are gradually being added to our available choices, said Xiong.

The pandemic changed when people travel during Thanksgiving

The days that travelers are choosing to fly during the Thanksgiving holiday period have also changed since 2019, according to Xiongs research. While the busiest travel day in 2019 was estimated to be on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, this year the busiest time is expected to be the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

Thats in line with a trend since 2021, where Wednesday has become the slightly busier day for travel than Sunday, according to the model.

The Sunday after Thanksgiving is not expected to see as many travelers as in 2019. Xiong said that could be in part because of remote work options, which allows travelers to spread out their return over a longer period of time. Still, this years Sunday travel after Thanksgiving is expected to be higher than in 2020, 2021, and 2022.

And PHL expects that day to be its busiest Thanksgiving travel day this year, with 92,474 passengers arriving and departing. The second busiest day is expected on the day before Thanksgiving, according to airport officials.
Shots were fired in the concourse of SEPTA's 15th and Market Street station on Sunday. Read more

Philadelphia police are investigating after shots were fired on the concourse at SEPTAs 15th and Market Street station Sunday night.

The incident happened just before 10 p.m. in the concourses southwest staircase on 15th Street near the Clothespin sculpture, SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch said.

Busch said there were several gunshots but confirmed that no one was shot and that no injuries were reported. It is unclear what circumstances led to the gunfire.

SEPTA police detained the suspect at the 11th Street station, Busch said, and recovered the weapon. The identity of the suspect has yet to be released.

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The incident comes as SEPTA transit police consider striking as early as Monday afternoon after the transit agency failed to reach a contract agreement with Fraternal Order of Transit Police Lodge 109 by the deadline. The transit police officers are asking for a pay increase amid a staffing shortage and upticks in antisocial behaviors  like smoking and turnstile jumping  but not violent crimes.

 READ MORE: Transit police union could strike Monday afternoon as contract talks with SEPTA have stalled

SEPTA services will not be disrupted if unionized transit police strike. Close to 50 nonunion police supervisors will patrol the system with help from the Philadelphia Police Department and Pennsylvania State Police, Busch said.

We will be positioned to maintain police presence on the system and get priority responses to emergency incidents, Busch said. Investigations like that into last nights shooting will not be interrupted.

A previous version of this story noted that there was an arrest made by Philadelphia Police.
Seth Reich was sentenced to 3-to-10 years in state prison after a hearing Monday at the Chester County Justice Center. Read more

A former teacher at a Chester County charter school was sentenced to 3-to-10 years in prison Monday for undressing a former student and forcing himself onto her while she was passed out in a hotel room.

Seth Reich, a onetime theater teacher at Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School Center for Performing and Fine Arts in West Chester, was convicted in May of sexual assault, simple assault, furnishing liquor to minors, and related crimes for the assault on the then-19-year-old victim in August 2019.

Prosecutors said Monday that Reich, 42, was a master manipulator who used his authority to exploit insecure female students, first becoming a friend, then a mentor, and eventually, sexually assaulting them.

Reichs lawyer, James Funt, disputed that, saying his client was a changed man who had taken responsibility for what he had done, and was addressing his mental-health issues.

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After a five-hour hearing, Chester County Court Judge Analisa Sondergaard landed somewhere in the middle, admonishing Reich for his actions, but crediting the testimony of his doctors and family as mitigating what could have been a longer term behind bars.

 READ MORE: An ex-Chester County teachers sexual assault trial begins with questions of consent

What happened to [the victim] will not be batted off as a mistake, a bad choice in judgment or stepping outside of his marriage, Sondergaard said. This was a crime.

Jurors acquitted Reich of institutional sexual assault. They rejected prosecutors assertions that Reich had groomed another student into a sexual relationship while she was at the school.

Funt had told the jury Reich and the teen were friendly while she was enrolled at Pennsylvania Leadership, but only became intimate after she graduated and turned 18.

The victim of the sexual assault in the hotel room testified during the trial that she met Reich when she worked on a play he was directing in the summer of 2019. She was a close friend of the other teen Reich had become intimate with.

Both teens exchanged frequent texts with Reich, they said, and joked about meeting up at a hotel room after the play ended. The messages included references to buying condoms and filming a pornographic movie, but the two women testified that they had been sent in jest.

When the three went to the hotel, prosecutors said, Reich plied the teens with tequila, to the point where the older teen passed out.

She told police she awakened to find Reich and her friend  who she didnt know was having a relationship with him  being intimate. When she protested, she said, Reich slapped her and sexually assaulted her.

Afterward, the victim struggled with panic attacks and flashbacks of her assault, she wrote in a statement read in court Monday, and Reich pressured her not to tell anyone what had happened.

 READ MORE: A guidance counselor at a Bucks County middle school had a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old student, police say

He believed he was above the everyone and everything, including the law, the woman said. He knew the truth would ruin his career and marriage, and so I had to bear the weight of what happened alone, at 19.

Reich addressed both victims in his own statement Monday, saying he was deeply sorry and truly believed at the time that what happened in the hotel room had been consensual.

The pain and disgust I feel for all of this will haunt me for the rest of my life, Reich said. There are no words to express how sorry I am.

In arguing for leniency for his client Monday, Funt said Reich sought psychiatric help after his arrest and began proper treatment of his bipolar disorder after years of inconsistent therapy and ineffective medication.

The irony of this case is that this arrest saved his life, Funt said. He is doing everything we want him to do, societally speaking, to become a better person and reduce the risk of recidivism.

 READ MORE: Wynnewood basketball coach charged with sexually abusing minors in Chester County

His unchecked bipolar disorder contributed to the inappropriate relationships he had with the two students, according to psychologists who testified for the defense Monday. They said Reich was in a manic, hypersexual state when he exchanged texts with the two teens, planning the night in the hotel.

Reichs arrest in 2021  five days before his wife gave birth to their son  was a wake-up call for him, according to his wife, mother, brother, uncle, and cousin. All said they were impressed by the progress he has made, and how he has accepted responsibility for his actions and become a doting father.

 READ MORE: Pure evil masked as a teacher': ex-high school teacher admits sexual relationships with students in Bucks and Lehigh Counties

But Deputy District Attorney Erin OBrien said Reich was only truly sorry for being charged with the crimes, not the actions themselves.

Rarely has anyone come before this court for sentencing with as much support, educational background and resources in life as this defendant, she said, citing Reichs two masters degrees and the sheaf of letters written on his behalf.

He had all of those things and every opportunity in he world, and he used that to become a teacher and find young women to exploit.
Kevin Bethel has been the Philadelphia School District's safety chief since 2019. He's set to become the next police commissioner. Read more

On Kevin Bethels watch, the Philadelphia School District reshaped and rebranded its school police force, shifting from a traditional law-enforcement group to school safety officers, with an emphasis on mentoring and supporting students.

Bethel, whom Mayor-Elect Cherelle Parker has tapped as the citys next police commissioner, has spent the last four years as the Philadelphia School Districts safety chief, steering the system away from arrests and insisting on trauma-informed practices, restorative justice and training in adolescent development for his officers.

After retiring as a deputy police commissioner in 2016, Bethel became a Stoneleigh Fellow, earning national attention for the pre-arrest diversion program he created, which slashed district student arrest rates by 84% in six years.

Eventually, former Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. convinced Bethel to work for the district.

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 READ MORE: Mayor-elect Cherelle Parker has tapped Kevin Bethel for police commissioner, source says

A focus on juvenile justice

In the last years of Bethels city police work, he oversaw school police operations. A hard look at student arrest data shocked him, he has said: 1,600 students were locked up in the 2013-14 school year.

Was the city perpetuating the school-to-prison pipeline, he wondered, moving Black and brown students from economically disadvantaged homes to schools with draconian discipline policies, courtrooms and jails?

I remember walking in the door and saying to [then-Commissioner Charles H.] Ramsey, I couldnt do it anymore, that this was wrong, Bethel said. I really thought about the trauma of what that looked like, what did it mean when I took a 10-year-old child out of the school in cuffs, take him into headquarters, fingerprint him or her, because they came to school with a pair of scissors. I was like, Are you kidding me?

Instead of arresting first-time offenders, the diversion program offered social services. Department of Human Services workers got involved with qualified students, attempting to figure out why they acted out and how to address unmet needs.

Bethel worked as a consultant nationally before eventually agreeing to work directly for Hite.

In 2019, he pledged a reboot of the school police force accomplished in a thoughtful and effective way. At the end of the day, part of our charge is to provide service, and I think sometimes we get caught in this space where we forget about empathy.

The next year, Bethel asked the Philadelphia school board to sign off big, formal changes to his force of about 300 officers, none of whom are permitted to carry guns. Instead of school police in traditional uniforms, the force became known as school safety officers wearing polo shirts.

The shift  which officials at the time said was related to a change in school code that prohibited anyone who wasnt a sworn officer from carrying the title of police  came as some other districts abolished their school police forces altogether. Bethel said that Philadelphia schools still needed a safety force, but vowed it would be a different organization.

What happened in the district under Bethel?

As gun violence surged in the city, Bethel looked for ways to keep students safe, often attracting outside funding to pay for programs.

In 2021, he introduced the Safe Paths program, modeled after a similar effort in Chicago, paying community members in targeted neighborhoods to monitor the areas around schools as children make their way to and from classes.

Along with former Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw, Bethel introduced a safety zone program that stationed additional city police in 27 areas encompassing 40 district and charter schools, monitoring students passage to and from school.

For a time, Bethel ordered random weapons scans at the districts middle schools, though he ended that practice after a few months because he said he was very conscious of the impact that it has on putting children through metal detectors.

In August, Bethel announced a new tack  minimally invasive gun detection at middle schools. Instead of walking through a metal detector or even needing to remove bags and submit to a search, students walk between two parallel poles, and safety officers are alerted if a weapon is detected.

I was looking for something that did not add to the trauma of the young people, Bethel said in August. We felt this was a less-intrusive, very minimal way to do it.

He also added drones to the districts patrolling strategy.

How was he received?

Personable, affable and comfortable on a big stage, Bethel generally earned high marks in district circles. When Tony B. Watlington Sr. took over as superintendent, he kept Bethel on and has repeatedly expressed confidence in his leadership.

But Bethels turning away from more traditional policing styles in schools rankled some, to be sure.

Some critics didnt like the shift to new uniforms and said students had less respect for officers in polo shirts.

And while restorative justice can work well and keep students out of jail when school staff have adequate training and resources to make it work, some officers and school staff have said the pendulum has swung too far in the Bethel years.

The kids know there are no consequences, theyre getting away with a lot of what they shouldnt get away with, one veteran officer, who noted students have not been penalized for such things as setting fires and assaulting classmates, said in 2021. Im for giving people second chances, but at some point, they need to understand they cant do this in real life.

Tamir Harper, a district teacher turned climate manager at Lea Elementary, first interacted with Bethel when Harper ran UrbEd, the youth advocacy organization he founded. One of UrbEds core platforms was reimagining school policing, and in Bethel, Harper said he found someone who knew data, genuinely listened to the community, and created ways to make people feel safe and respected.

I have not been excited about a police commissioner ever, said Harper. Im excited about Kevin Bethel as police commissioner.

Even after Bethel left the city police force, he remained reflexively committed to the core mission of the work: keeping people safe.

Last month, when students walked out of Mathematics, Civics and Sciences Charter School in protest of the schools founder announcing its closure, hundreds of teenagers crossed North Broad Street to stand on the steps of district headquarters to share their frustration.

District officials, including Bethel, heard them out, then encouraged them to go back to class. Some headed for the subway and home, but most agreed to return to school.

Bethel, concerned about their well-being on the busy road where cars whizzed by, walked them across Broad Street himself.
Hilah Kohen, an Israeli American Jewish graduate student at Penn, speaks with a megaphone during a sit-in to protest university inaction in relation to the bombings in Palestine, at Houston Hall at the University of Pennsylvania. Read more

A petition signed by more than 500 academics and writers from inside and outside the United States has called on the University of Pennsylvania to defend its students, faculty, and staff against targeted harassment for speaking in support of Palestinians.

The move comes as anti-Muslim and anti-Jewish harassment complaints have spiked regionally and nationally and as college campuses struggle to respond to concerns voiced in the aftermath of Hamas Oct. 7 attack on Israel and the subsequent military siege of Gaza.

In recent weeks, faculty and students who have spoken out for Palestinian literature, lives, rights, and freedom have been subject to online death threats, libelous public petitions, and harassment and intimidation by both colleagues and the Penn Administration, the petition said.

 READ MORE: Anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim harassment complaints spike in Philly region

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We the undersigned call for the University of Pennsylvania to step up and defend, protect, and support its Arab, Palestinian, and Muslim students, faculty, and staff under attack.

The academics are asking Penn President Liz Magill to offer a statement of support for the academic freedom and safety of Penn faculty who have been attacked on social media and within the university, and for Penn to repudiate all libelous and defamatory attacks on its Arab, Palestinian, and Muslim students and faculty.

It also calls on Penn to show the same level of concern for them as it purports for Jewish students and faculty.

 READ MORE: Under pressure from Jewish community, Penn president unveils plan to combat antisemitism

Other local universities whose professors have signed the petition are Penn State, Stockton, Drexel, Swarthmore, Haverford, Temple, and Bryn Mawr. Professors from the other seven Ivy League universities also signed, as well as academics in other countries, including Spain, England, Germany, and Canada.

We need safe campuses where people can express their views and debate each other, said Deepa Kumar, a professor of journalism and media studies at Rutgers University, who signed the petition.

Bill Mullen, a professor emeritus at Purdue University in Indiana, said the petition came together within the last seven to 10 days, an effort by concerned faculty both inside and outside of Penn. He said it was sent Monday morning to top Penn administrators, deans, and others.

 READ MORE: Penn's donor backlash raises questions about how much influence philanthropists should have

The people who signed it want the university to apologize to the faculty, staff, and students who have felt unprotected, said Mullen, who was on the organizing committee for the Palestine Writes literature festival he attended at Penn in September. These are people who commit their livelihood and energies to the university, and they deserve to be protected like everybody else.

Mullen provided examples of harassment and intimidation experienced by faculty and students but asked that they not be used to protect those involved.

He noted an Oct. 28 letter by the American Association of University Professors calling on Penn to do more to support its Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim faculty and students.

The University received a letter from AAUP-Penn late in October and are aware of the related petition, a Penn spokesperson said. We share AAUP-Penns desire to keep all members of our community safe, as well as its commitment to academic freedom. We look forward to engaging with the AAUP-Penn leadership.

Penns administration has not responded to AAUP-Penn about its Oct. 28 statement, or any of its communications directly, said David Kazanjian, a professor of English and AAUP-Penn communications secretary.

A history of complaints

The festival on Penns campus was criticized by some for inviting speakers who had a history of making antisemitic remarks. Some major donors called on Penn to cancel the festival, which it did not. More than 4,000 people, describing themselves as alumni and supporters of Penn, sent an open letter to Magill challenging Penns handling of the festival.

Magill in statements condemned the speakers and announced a university plan to combat antisemitism, as well as a presidential commission to look at the interconnectedness of antisemitism and other forms of hate, including Islamophobia. At a trustees meeting earlier this month, she said she regretted that anyone doubted her position on antisemitism and vowed to regain the trust of alumni.

Penn has experienced several antisemitic incidents this semester, including a swastika painted on the inside of an academic building and vandalism at Penn Hillel. Earlier this month, some Penn staff members received vile, disturbing emails threatening violence against the Jewish community, particularly Penn Hillel and Lauder College House, Magill had said. While a safety sweep deemed the threats not credible, Penn police and the FBI are investigating, Magill had said.

 READ MORE: U.S. Department of Education investigates Penn, Lafayette, over antisemitism and Islamophobia allegations

The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law filed a complaint against Penn this month, alleging it has failed to address harassment and discrimination against its students. The U.S. Department of Education last week said it was opening an investigation into Penn, as well as investigations at several other colleges, including Lafayette in Easton, over allegations of antisemitism and Islamophobia on campus.

Treat all forms of racism with equal concern

Mullen said academics wrote the petition in part to counter the criticism of heavyweight donors who have been pressuring Penn to do more to fight antisemitism. Some donors have even called on Magill and board chair Scott L. Bok to step down.

 READ MORE: Palestinian students and supporters walk out of classes as donors accuse Penn of antisemitism and close their checkbooks

Ania Loomba, a Penn professor of English and comparative literature who signed the petition, said the university has failed to support those who have stood up for Palestinians. Most of the schools comments and efforts have been focused on antisemitism, she said.

Treat all forms of racism with equal concern, she said.

While some Penn leaders have met with faculty who have been under attack, nothing concrete has been done, and in the meantime, the threats have been escalating.
Daryl Hall (left) and John Oates during their performance at the Hoagie Nation festival at the Mann Center in Fairmount Park in 2021. Read more

Daryl Hall is suing John Oates.

The pop and R&B duo formed in Philadelphia in 1970 has forged one of the most successful alliances in musical history. In their heyday  between 1974 and 1991  the partners scored 29 Top 40 hits and six that reached number one. Theyve been inducted together into both the Songwriters and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and are generally considered the most commercially successful pop music duo of all time.

But all is not well in Hall and Oates land.

On Nov. 16, Hall filed a lawsuit against Oates in court in Nashville. Philadelphia Magazine reported the news after being posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, by Tennessee-based Axios reporter Nate Rau last week.

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What is the dispute dividing the duo, who first met in an elevator at the Adelphi Ballroom in West Philadelphia in 1967 while leading their own bands?

That is unknown. The file is sealed. It can only be seen by Private Eyes, so to speak. So we dont know if the partners have, in fact, grown Out of Touch, to quote another 1980s chart-topping hit. Presumably, the lawsuit was filed in a Nashville Chancery Court because thats where Oates lives.

Representatives for Hall, Oates, and Hall & Oates as a group, were contacted by The Inquirer for comment but had yet to respond at time of publishing.

In 2017, 2018, and 2021, Hall & Oates headlined their own Hoagie Nation festival in Philadelphia. The first two years were held at the Festival Pier on the Delaware River waterfront, and then in 2021, it moved to the Mann Center, where it appeared to be poised to take its place alongside the Roots Picnic as an annual event.

But the fest wasnt staged in either of the last two years. The duo, who have worked together and apart for decades, played only a handful of dates in 2022, including one at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, and none this year.

Meanwhile, theyve been busy individually.

Particularly Hall. Hes been touring with fellow Philadelphia Todd Rundgren as an opening act, with upcoming shows this week in Japan and the Philippines. His webcast, Live From Daryls House, relaunched this month from its home base in Pawling, N.Y., with episodes featuring Glenn Tilbrook, Robert Fripp, and Lisa Loeb.

Oates is an active member of the creative community in Nashville, and appeared at the Americana Music Honors show in September. He has released a series of singles this year, the latest of which is Too Late to Break Your Fall.
At some point in the career of a creative chef, brewer, artist, or yes, even a critic, there comes a time when pushing limits is no longer the ultimate thrill, and special satisfaction can found in reconsidering the basics.

Its the only way to explain why I found myself suddenly so excited about the green salad at Meetinghouse, the tavern that replaced the pioneering Kensington gastropub Memphis Taproom three months ago. Id normally glance right past that item on most menus. But chef-partner Drew DiTomo and his crew have lavished so much love on their towering piles of leaves, carefully building crowns of juicy sweet baby romaine ribs that rise around leggy tangles of peppery watercress, that it looked like a floral arrangement in shades of chive-dusted green. And what flavor! The delicacy of the lettuce is key, of course. But the dressing is electric, a traditional vinaigrette amped with extra Dijon and pureed whole shallots, then softened just enough with the sweetness and tang of verjus.

It makes such a nice centerpiece for a meal, says DiTomo, who says the entire kitchen stops to help build salads when orders for several come in.

That salad is as much a metaphor for the philosophy behind Meetinghouse as it is a menu highlight. At every turn, potentially overlooked classics are celebrated through a commitment to craft that elevates the mundane to the memorable. Whether its a roast beef sandwich, broiled fish, or a plain turkey cutlet, or the house beers designed by partner Colin McFadden  simply described as pale, dark, or hoppy  understated qualities here shine through with a special clarity.

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After spending a decade at Tired Hands as director of production operations, chasing down unconventional ingredients for wacky cult beers (like 100 pounds of Astronaut ice cream for a milkshake DIPA), McFadden finds his latest chapter and personal venture with three partners more about honing approachable styles  and a broader audience. These simple but very well-crafted beers are more about fostering a casual pub experience than showcasing a brewers ego. Partner Marty West is another Tired Hands alum.

These are crushable, balanced, moderate-alcohol beers brewed to Meetinghouses specs by Tonewood in Oaklyn, suitable for washing down a plate of broiled clams or a club sandwich. Beer nerds might still home in on the citrusy Yakima hops for Mount Pleasant, the roasty but dry dark malts for Living Thing, or the long cold fermentation that makes Morning Swim drink like a pilsner. (They may also just head straight for the Belgian Orval.)

Partner Keith Shore, a graphic designer who previously helped craft the branding for Copenhagens Mikkeller Beer, designed the sky blue tiles that serenely accent the bar (made at Moravian Tile Works in Doylestown), and created murals for the spacious side patio, as well as the logo of two solemn figures bearing candles that appears on both the pubs beer cans to go and the stained glass transom above the entrance. Theyre a symbol, Shore says, of the passing time.

We could sense that delicate balance of reverence, commitment to simplicity, and warm community energy when we stumbled recently into a memorial celebration on the patio for McFaddens late sister-in-law, Kara Mallon, which happened to coincide with the big-screen broadcast of a Phillies playoff game. The evenings special was a tribute to her favorite dish, a fantastic turkey cutlet riff on cordon bleu, memorably topped with green bean salad. But the gathering was also buoyed by the crowds of neighborhood Phillies fans whod gathered in full regalia to cheer their team to a suspenseful playoff victory.

Somehow, that juxtaposition of private sadness and tributes enveloped in a moment of communal joy felt so right  even more poignant  in this public space, where the whole endeavor feels like a fresh showcase for old souls, and the air of polished nostalgia is deliberate and organic. This brick building girded with glass block windows and deco steel trim at the corner of Cumberland and Memphis Streets has been a bar for at least 90 years, owned for much of that time by the Sawchyn family in a neighborhood steeped in Eastern European immigration. The Memphis Taproom gave it a bold gastropub makeover in 2008 with craft beers and vegan specialties, like its innovative smoked coconut club, right on cue to signal the coming gentrification of Kensington.

Meetinghouses beer focus is retro enough given that most beverage-driven projects are currently hybrid cocktail-natural wine bars. But its even more of a throwback on the menu to the shot-and-a-beer bars of yore that DiTomos dad used to take him to in Overbrook (Johnnys Place) and Havertown (Oakmont National Pub) or South Philly, where Old Original Nicks Roast Beefs signature is the rightful North Star for DiTomos own roast beef sandwich. Its a bold stand-in for a beef option where most bars would serve a burger, quick to produce and delicious in a way that makes you realize roast beef is the forgotten stepson of Phillys sandwich tradition. Deeply flavored with garlic and herbs, and with flavorful au jus pooling on the plate beneath its soaked kaiser roll, this is the ultimate $10 bargain (complete with a pickle and side cup of horseradish) on a value-forward menu thats remarkably almost entirely under $20 a plate.

That includes a perfectly minimalist turkey cutlet, a throwback to DiTomos Italian days as chef at Amis (where it was called turkey milanesa), whose secret is a relatively low fryer temperature that leaves its breading more evenly browned, silky, and rich. This is the kind of place where fleshy top neck clams are simply broiled with compound butter and wine, just as he was taught as a teen at Anthonys Ristorante in Upper Darby (plus some Delco inspiration from Clam Tavern thrown in). The vegan version, made with fried oyster mushrooms, is just as good with a plate of shatteringly crisp fries to mop them up.

DiTomo opts for frozen fries over fresh for consistency, but also as a strategy to keep prices reasonable and focus his staffs labor in more valuable places, like making rich stocks that lend a dish like the tender pork steak a sheen of demiglace-sauced luxury. Or however many hours it takes to peel all the baby potatoes that get perfectly boiled then rolled in a fringe of herbs to garnish a hunk of flaky broiled cod over a classic butter sauce. Id say this is classic diner fare, but a romanticized version, where the quality of ingredients and execution is more refined. Is there a better fish entree in Philly for under $22? I doubt it. Meetinghouses Friday fish special, currently two branzino fillets for $25, is close behind.

DiTomo (still also a consultant on Servant, the Apple TV+ series) makes some gestures to modern trends with his Bikini, a stellar hot vegan sandwich of braised collard greens and dates layered with cauliflower puree, whose dairy-free creaminess lends a saucy balance. The chef flexes his Culinary Institute of America-trained skills with an open-faced pate en croute made from pork steak trimmings and a tangy top glaze of sour cherry gelee.

The kitchen gets regular doses of creativity, meanwhile, with the Sunday Roast, a weekly changing meat dish paired with multiple veggies  our night a rustic wine-braised beef stew with carrots and buttery mashed potatoes.

The old-school vibes shuffle along into dessert, as well, where Meetinghouse serves a dark chocolate homage to the pot de creme from Dmitris (RIP), a silky scoop of Fiore Fine Foods vanilla ice cream with an optional midnight green dousing of creme de menthe, a classic cheesecake with bright red cherries and standard creme brulee. Then there is also the Baked Pineapple, an homage to the crushed pineapple stuffing DiTomos maternal grandmother (Mama Shaw) used to serve with ham. With a generous helping of maple-sweetened vanilla cream poured over top, its transformed here into the bread pudding dessert of retro buffet dreams. And a nearly forgotten history, somehow, is made deliciously relevant again.

Meetinghouse

2331 E. Cumberland St.; meetinghousebeer.com

Open Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 4-11 p.m.; Friday until midnight; Saturday, 11 a.m.-midnight; Sunday 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Kitchen closes an hour before closing time.

Plates, $9.75-$21.50.

Not wheelchair accessible. The grandfathered space has stairs at both entrances and the bathroom is too narrow to accommodate a wheelchair.
OTG employees with Unite Here Local 274 and their supporters picketed at the Philadelphia International Airport in February. Workers at the 15 Philadelphia International Airport restaurants operated by OTG ratified a new contract on Mon., Nov. 20, 2023. Read more

Workers at the 15 Philadelphia International Airport restaurants operated by OTG have ratified a new contract. The deal comes after more than five years without a current contract, and following a prolonged dispute over whether the company and the workers union had already reached an agreement in 2022.

OTG restaurants employ more than 200 people at the airport who are members of Unite Here Local 274. Their vote in support of the contract was unanimous, the union said.

The new contract includes benefits in line with Philadelphia Prevailing Wage Ordinance requirements, and it will provide free health care for employees starting on Jan. 1, the union said. It also includes wage increases and back pay, as well as increased holiday pay, vacation time, and sick time.

By working together, weve made historic progress toward a workplace that meets the needs of our diverse membership, many of which are of Black, Brown, immigrant, and women workers, said Rosslyn Wuchinich, president of Local 274.

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Securing quality free health care and robust holiday, vacation, and sick time, along with raises and retroactive pay, brings these members a level of security and stability that every person deserves, Wuchinich said.

The union said it expects the new OTG contract to set a standard for other employers whose workers are members of Local 274.

Our OTG crew members are essential to us, so we consider this latest development to be a win both for them and our entire organization, Rick Blatstein, founder and CEO of OTG, said in a statement Monday. Under this agreement, all PHL crew members will be receiving higher wages, with the majority also eligible to receive free health insurance.

Years of waiting

OTGs nonmanagement workers unionized in 2014. They got their first contract in 2015, and it expired in 2018. The union and company have been negotiating on and off since then.

The latest escalation was in October, when about 80 members who work at Independence Prime in Terminal B and Local Tavern in Terminal F voted to authorize a strike if the unions negotiating committee called for it.

After years of waiting, the joy Im feeling is indescribable, said Musa Jabateh, who works full-time at Independence Prime in Terminal B. Knowing that Ill have access to free health care means more than words can capture  its a real improvement that will bring peace of mind and a better quality of life for me and my coworkers.

That benefit seemed like it was in reach over a year ago, OTG workers have said.

According to Unite Here, workers and OTG reached an agreement on contract terms in mid-June 2022, then voted to accept those terms a week later. Wuchinich has said that she has emails from OTG leaders acknowledging the agreed-upon terms and that workers voted to ratify it.

Union members then waited months to see the changes go into effect. In December, OTG told union representatives that there had been no agreement.

Since then, OTG has maintained that there was no agreement in 2022. A spokesperson said in October that the union was spreading false information.
Anthony Minniti in front of his business, The Camden Apothecary, in Camden, NJ, on Monday, Nov. 20, 2023. The Camden Apothecary is open for business, touted by Minniti as the state's first cannabis dispensary operated at a neighborhood pharmacy. Read more

Camden now has a dispensary for medical and recreational marijuana inside a neighborhood pharmacy, offering customers one-stop shopping and home delivery.

It is believed to be the first dispensary in New Jerseys growing cannabis industry to be inside a pharmacy, said Anthony V. Minniti, owner and operator of Bell Rexall Pharmacy.

The Camden Apothecary opened with a soft launch Monday for elected officials and business leaders, making it one of more than 50 adult-use cannabis retailers in New Jersey, according to state data.

The dispensary operates in its own section within the pharmacy on the corner of Haddon Avenue, a mainstay in the community for nearly a century.

 READ MORE: N.J. weed users look elsewhere with lack of dispensaries

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Customers can order online and pick up their product in a secured area at the store where they must show identification. Buyers older than 21 can also order at a digital kiosk in the reception area with tables, chairs and love seats. Soft music plays throughout the space.

We wanted to create a whole experience that was different from other dispensaries, said Nichelle Pace, vice president of the Camden Business Association, who designed the space.

Minniti said home-delivery service within a 25-mile radius in New Jersey will be available in about a week. The pharmacy provides the same service for prescription orders, he said.

On the second level is a spacious bud bar for people Minniti describes as cannasseurs to smell products all grown and manufactured in New Jersey. They include flower, bud, concentrates, edibles, vapors and pre-rolled products.

Whats good for stress? asked City Council President Angel Fuentes.

All of them, responded Tim Bartolini, director of operations. We have everything.

Bartolini said he wants to educate customers about regulated cannabis to make sure they avoid bad experiences. The dispensary plans to add wellness items like topicals and tinctures, he said.

Camden currently has two cannabis dispensaries and two more have been approved to open soon in the 9-square-mile city of 70,000. Organic Farms opened last month with what its owner says is a first in the region: a cannabis drive-thru window.

Mayor Victor Carstarphen said the city formed a committee and met with residents and business leaders before moving forward with recreational cannabis sales. A 2% transfer tax imposed on every sale will be used for community programs.

I was never against this, the mayor said. It has strong benefits.

Camden residents get a 5% discount on cannabis products and 25% off paraphernalia and merchandise, Minniti said. Most of the contractors, vendors and employees of the dispensary are city residents, he said.

 READ MORE: Camden has a new recreational marijuana dispensary

Minniti said he expects about 100 to 200 walk-in customers a day to the apothecary, and 50 to 100 home deliveries. The stores close proximity to Philadelphia makes it an easy commute across one of the Delaware River bridges, but the product cannot be transported over state lines.

He believes Camden Apothecary will be a model for other dispensaries around the country. Georgia recently approved a law that will allow for medical marijuana products at independent pharmacies, with restrictions, in addition to seven dispensaries.

A second-generation pharmacist, Minniti said he got the idea for the dispensary years ago when he discovered an antique bottle used to dispense liquid cannabis. The pharmacy, in business since 1931, appeared to have dispensed cannabis until the federal government banned it. His family purchased the business in 1997.

Minniti believes the dispensary will be popular among customers who frequent the pharmacy for many of their healthcare needs, not solely to have prescriptions filled. The pharmacy can manage any adverse interactions between their prescriptions and marijuana use, he said.

I look at this as just another evolution of pharmacies, Minniti said. Were really getting back to what the country used to have  medicinal use.

The dispensary operates seven days a week. An ad on its website notes it will be open for Thanksgiving: Stop by on the way to Grandmas.
Removal of the Meglio Furs sign at Broad and Wharton Streets in Philadelphia last week. Read more

Broad Street in South Philly has quietly lost a local landmark: the Meglio Furs sign.

Removal of the long-dormant neon sign at the southwest corner of Broad and Wharton began last week. As of Monday morning, the sign had been completely removed from the buildings facade.

The signs fate, as well as what business could be moving into the Meglio Furs space, currently remains unclear. The buildings owner, listed in city records as WP Wharton Properties LLC, did not immediately respond to request for comment.

Peter Zutter, president of the South Broad Street Neighborhood Association, said he was disappointed to see the sign being taken down. The group previously helped preserve the sign for the nearby Boot & Saddle but was unable to do the same with Meglio Furs. The sign for the Boot & Saddle received historic protection earlier this year, meaning that if an owner decides to tear down the building it is attached to, they would need to offer a plan to preserve the sign.

I am hoping maybe the sign was carefully taken down and will be displayed somewhere else or refurbished and replaced, but with this developer, I doubt it, Zutter said.

It is unclear when Meglio Furs initially opened, but references to the business date back to 1952 in The Inquirers archives. Also unclear is when the business closed, though OCF Realty reports that Meglio Furs ceased operations sometime around 2000.

City records indicate that the building was formerly owned by Salvatore and Carmela Meglio, and that the developer purchased it in summer 2020 for $1 million.

The building last made headlines in 2016, when vandals spray-painted racist graffiti and references to former President Donald Trump on its storefront and in other nearby areas.
A crowded Dog Park at Bok as breeds of all kinds enjoy the weather in Philadelphia on April 20, 2023. A mystery respiratory illness is impacting dogs across the country. Veterinarians say dog owners should be cautious and proactive, minimizing contact with other dogs and making sure their pets are up to date on vaccinations. Read more

Update: On Wednesday, Nov. 29, Pennsylvanias Agriculture Department reported cases of the illness in Pennsylvania. Its unclear how many cases there are since there is no official record. Read more here.

A respiratory illness deemed a mystery illness by veterinarians is impacting dogs across the country, causing symptoms like lethargy and sneezing. Just ahead of the holiday season, pet owners say theyre worried as some rethink boarding and gatherings.

Oh, its definitely on my mind [while] living in the city, where people let their dogs say hi on walks, dog park interactions, and doggy day cares, said South Philly-based Randi Figures Yavorsky who has two chihuahua mixes. Its very scary.  My dogs are up to date on their shots, including the flu shot, and I cant imagine them getting sick and not having answers.

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Little is known about the origins of the illness, but experts say there are preventative measures that can be taken.

Heres what we know.

What is this mystery illness?

The illness is considered a respiratory disease by experts and its symptoms can include loss of appetite and optical and nasal discharge. In some cases, it has led to pneumonia or hospitalizations.

And while much about the disease is still unknown, experts say theyve been studying the virus for over a year.

Instances of the disease have been cropping up over the last few months, but cases have been increasing recently, especially in Oregon. The virus does not have a name yet.

Deborah Silverstein, a University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine professor and section chief of emergency and critical care, said the illness is likely a resurgence of at least some of the organisms seen with canine infectious respiratory disease complex  the formal name for kennel cough.

How many cases are there and where?

Officials say 14 states have documented cases of the illness. No cases have been reported in Pennsylvania or New Jersey at this time.

States with cases include California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Oregon, Rhode Island, Maryland, Washington and Vermont.

The American Veterinary Medical Association reported at least 200 cases in Oregon since August, but there is no official count of infections.

Last week, a University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine spokesperson confirmed with The Inquirer that the school has not seen a marked increase of the mysterious illness or other respiratory illnesses at its hospital.

By Wednesday, the spokesperson said theyd received a couple of respiratory cases on campus. Still, Silverstein said respiratory colds are quite common and that the number of dogs impacted ebbs and flows in different areas throughout the year.

She added that clusters of sick dogs increased after the main COVID-19 pandemic wave because of factors including more people adopting dogs, a rise in boarding dogs, and an increased popularity in doggy daycare.

Several Philly-based vets have begun sending emails to clients to try and curb anxiety surrounding news about the illnesses.

It is definitely respiratory disease season right now, which makes things scarier when you see articles about an unknown emerging disease, Companion Pet Hospital personnel out of Dickinson Narrows said in an email to pet owners. Philadelphia was seeing an increase in respiratory cases with more severe outcomes in early 2023 ... While it is possible that we will see a return of this severe respiratory disease, we are not seeing it at this time. We are definitely seeing an increase in milder cases, however.

How does the illness spread?

Like any respiratory disease, the spread of the illness comes from close contact and sharing air with  even through barking  an infected dog. People also can transmit the germs from one dog to another.

For this reason, communal areas with multiple dogs and shared items, like water bowls, can increase the risk of a dog picking up the virus.

Arielle Harris is a board member with the South Philadelphia Association of Dog Owners (SPADO), a nonprofit that manages upkeep at the Columbus Square dog park.

She said the virus has been top of mind for her and she believes cases appearing in Pennsylvania is inevitable.

I figure once news breaks of it being in Pennsylvania, we will release a general statement just urging people to exercise caution, she said.

Harris said that while the park requires dogs to be registered with the ACCT and up to date on vaccinations already, theres no way to verify a dogs vaccination status upon entry since it is a volunteer effort. Its all based on good faith.

All SPADO can do is try our best to keep the park as clean as possible, she said.

She added that the board cleans the park monthly and does not have access to running water during winter because the pipes are shut off to avoid freezing. In turn, dog owners are encouraged to bring their own water supply (though empty bowls are still available).

How worried should I be?

We suggest caution rather than worry, the Oregon Veterinary Medical Association said.

The organization added that periodic outbreaks of respiratory diseases are to be expected. This just happens to be the latest version.

Stephen Kochis, the chief medical officer for the Oregon Humane Society, told the New York Times he doesnt want dog owners to panic because of the uptick in cases.

According to the New York Times, the virus itself isnt usually fatal, and veterinarians have not reported an increase in deaths. Still, theyre cautioning dog owners to decrease contact with other dogs and monitor and treat symptoms to make sure it doesnt escalate to a more dangerous secondary infection.

Silverstein with PennVet added, Stay calm. There is no evidence at this time to cause major concern.

If my dog gets it, what do I do and how long will it last?

Typically, respiratory illnesses, like kennel cough, last one to three weeks. In this case, experts say the mystery illness can linger or take a downward turn.

For that reason, vets say if a dog is showing symptoms, their owner should be proactive.

Isolate them in the home, call your vet, get them seen, David Needle, a senior veterinary pathologist who has been researching the virus for a year, told the New York Times.

What precautions can I take against the illness?

Experts say the best things dog owners can do to try to avoid or minimize the impact of the mystery illness include:
Adriana Barrera, a South Philadelphia housecleaner, speaking about her experiences at the summit hosted by the National Domestic Workers Alliance and Key Labor Organizations at the First Unitarian Church on Saturday. Read more

Adriana Barrera just wanted a water break.

For 10 years, she went from her home in South Philly to work the evening shift as an office cleaner in Center City. She always felt like she and other immigrants working for Allan Industries were being exploited, she said, receiving demanding tasks to complete in just a four-hour shift, not even allowed a minute to sit and drink water. Barrera, who only speaks Spanish, said she was never told what her employment contract stipulated, but was encouraged by her employer to just sign it quickly.

In 2022, Barrera got connected with the Philadelphia chapter of the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA), an advocacy organization that fights for workers rights. As she learned more about what she and other workers were entitled to, like a minimum 10-minute break, she realized just how poorly shed been treated. She pushed back against her bosses, and told other employees about what shed learned.

But it didnt help, she said.

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When I tried to [advocate] for my rights, [my boss] told me that the door was wide open and that I could leave anytime, she said through an interpreter.

 READ MORE: Phillys Domestic Workers Bill of Rights protects those working in homes

Barrera believes she was subjected to unusually strict inspection grades as retaliation, and eventually left Allan Industries after a tense confrontation with a supervisor.

Allan Industries is a New Jersey-based janitorial services provider specializing in commercial office space, with over 3,500 employees working across the country.

We always strive to treat all of our employees with respect, said Amber DeRidder, vice president and general manager of Allan Industries, in response to Barreras allegations. If theres ever any issues, employees can go to [their] union and put in a complaint, and we always strive to correct or deal with any issues. [The] same thing [will happen] if they report it to our HR department.

Barrera said, Were not going to let ourselves be humiliated. Were not going to let ourselves be trampled on and to be treated as if we arent worth it. We are human beings and we deserve respect. She shared her story at last weekends Philly Workers Fight Back Summit, an event organized by the Philly NDWA, AFL-CIO, 215 Peoples Alliance/El Comite de Trabajadores, Philly Black Worker Project, Community Legal Services (CLS), and the Sheller Center for Social Justice at Temple Law School.

She was not the only one at the summit with a story to tell.

The summit brought workers from different sectors together at the First Unitarian Church to build solidarity and find common ground in their fight for rights. Through speeches and small group discussions, workers talked about the challenges theyve faced, and shared strategies for storytelling and advocacy. Councilmember Kendra Brooks, Councilmember-elect Nicolas ORourke, and State Rep. Rick Krajewski also joined the summit.

The biggest issues that workers are facing are things that are already illegal, said Nicole Kligerman, the Pennsylvania chapter director of the NDWA. Its around wage theft, its around retaliation, its around the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights not being respected. So its not actually that we need new laws, its that we need our laws to work.

According to a 2023 survey of over 200 Philadelphia domestic workers conducted by the NDWA, nearly half of respondents reported experiencing a violation of the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights, and roughly a quarter of respondents said they experienced wage theft and/or retaliation at work.

As labor unions across the country, representing a wide array of employment sectors, are in the middle of a renewed fight for workers rights, Kligerman said that the timing of the summit was intentional. Not only are they building on nationwide momentum for workers, but the organizations behind the summit are also hoping to capitalize on the results of Phillys recent elections.

Kligerman said that in 2024, NDWA and its partners at CLS and the Sheller Center will introduce legislation that would establish full funding for the citys Office of Worker Protections and improved enforcement mechanisms for protecting workers rights, sponsored by Councilmember Brooks. NDWA anticipates the support of Mayor-elect Cherelle Parker, and spent time at the summit getting attendees on board with their campaign.

Having multiracial, multilingual, multi-gender workers coming together, thats how we win, Kligerman said. That is the unity thats needed to actually make the paradigm shift.

Ever since Barrera left her office-cleaning job two years ago, shes struggled to find steady work. She does sporadic housecleaning as it comes in, but its just barely enough to continue supporting her husband and 14-year-old daughter.

But shes still going to continue fighting for workers rights, no matter the challenges that come before her. Shes already testified to the Department of Labor about her contract never being presented in Spanish, leading to the departments creation of sample agreements for domestic workers.

Im doing it not just for myself, but for everyone, Barrera said.

The more people speak up across sectors, the more that were going to keep employers accountable.
Kevin J. Bethel, chief of school safety for the Philadelphia School District, speaking with reporters at the scene of a shooting on Pechin Street behind Roxborough High School in September 2022. He is expected to be named the next commissioner of the Philadelphia Police Department. Read more

Mayor-elect Cherelle Parker will name Kevin J. Bethel as her pick for Philadelphias next police commissioner, according to two sources with knowledge of the talks, ushering in a new era for one of the nations largest police departments.

Bethel, a former deputy commissioner and the current chief of school safety for the School District of Philadelphia, will be announced Wednesday as the next head of the 5,500-member force. His appointment comes as the Philadelphia Police Department tries to navigate the city out of a three-year wave of gun violence while it has been gripped by low morale and a shortage of nearly 1,000 officers.

The hire is the first staffing decision made by Parker, who won the mayoral election earlier this month and will take office in January. She campaigned on a pledge to end lawlessness in the city by hiring hundreds of police officers, increasing the number of cops who patrol on foot and bike, and embracing tough-on-crime tactics such as stop-and-frisk.

A spokesperson for Parkers transition committee declined to comment Tuesday, other than to say that a news a conference is scheduled for Wednesday morning.

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Bethel, 60, has for months been seen as a top candidate. He spent three decades rising through the ranks of the Philadelphia Police Department, culminating in 2008, when then-Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey named him a deputy commissioner charged with leading patrol operations across the entire city.

Bethel also has significant experience in juvenile justice and criminal justice reform, including working with the Stoneleigh Foundation to expand diversion programs for students who commit low-level offenses at school. Hes testified and lectured countless times about reducing the school-to-prison pipeline, and hes well-known in political circles.

Parker has for weeks projected that knowledge of Philadelphia was a key consideration, saying several times that she would pick someone who doesnt need a GPS to make it to 52nd and Market.

During her first news conference after winning the Nov. 7 general election, Parker said shed make her decision based the candidates credentials and his chemistry with other officers.

They not only need to have the trust of the mayor, she said, but they need to have the support of the rank-and-file.

A spokesperson for the police union declined to comment pending Parkers formal announcement Wednesday.

Parker considered several candidates, all of whom had ties to the city. They included John M. Stanford, the interim commissioner; deputy commissioner Joel Dales; Joel Fitzgerald Sr., a former Philadelphia police officer who is now chief of police for Denvers transit system; and Branville Bard, the vice president for public safety at Johns Hopkins University who started his career in Philly.

 READ MORE: Kevin Bethel reshaped Phillys schools. Heres a look at his time as the districts safety chief.

Stanford has been leading the department since September, when Danielle Outlaw abruptly resigned to take a job with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Outlaw, who had never worked in Philadelphia before being hired, was sworn in weeks before the coronavirus pandemic upended daily life and created myriad challenges for policing. The rest of her tenure was marked by mass protests, a staff exodus, and a record-breaking number of shootings and homicides.

No one more serious than Kevin Bethel about public safety

Bethel has a national profile and has for years been floated as a candidate for top policing jobs across the country.

Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Washington-based Police Executive Research Forum, said his organization, which consults agencies on hiring law enforcement leaders, has been after Kevin Bethel for years, trying to get him to interview for a job outside Philadelphia.

He never applied, Wexler said. He was determined to stay in Philadelphia. If he gets the job, Philadelphia will be getting one of the most creative, smart police leaders in the country.

Wexler said he met Bethel through Ramsey, who was something of a mentor to Bethel. Earlier this year, Ramsey described Bethel as a right arm to me during the eight years the two worked in top department leadership.

I was usually the first one in and the last one out [of headquarters] at night, Ramsey said. If anyone was still in the office, it would be Bethel, going over crime numbers. He is absolutely driven when it comes to fighting crime.

Bethel is the second of Ramseys deputies to ascend to commissioner. Mayor Jim Kenneys first pick to lead the department in 2016 was Richard Ross, another one of Ramseys top advisers. Ross resigned in 2019 amid allegations he retaliated against another officer with whom hed had an affair.

Former Mayor Michael Nutter, who hired Ramsey, said Ramsey and Bethel are similar philosophically, strategically, and mindset-wise.

Everybody has to be their own person, and nobody is going to be the second coming of anybody else, Nutter said. [But] theres a lot of agreement in how they conduct themselves, how they would go about doing the work.

He added: Theres no one more serious than Kevin Bethel about public safety.

Bethel will face high shootings and low staffing

Bethel will inherit a police department that is in need of leadership and a clear strategic direction, said Jerry Ratcliffe, a Temple University criminologist who has studied and consulted the department.

Ratcliffe said no one should expect a quick turnaround given deep challenges related to staffing and morale, but he said Bethel has many of the qualities required to be an effective commissioner.

He knows when to double down and support the police department and say no, this is the right thing to do, even if its not popular, Ratcliffe said. And he knows when to own it and say yeah, as a police department, we could have done that better. Theres a balancing act there.

Staffing is among the departments most urgent challenges. Like many other industries and city agencies, the police department bled officers during the pandemic, losing hundreds to retirement and resignation. At the same time, hundreds of cops were out of work on injury leave  some of whom were abusing the program.

Outlaw blamed the political environment and a perceived lack of support for police after the protests sparked by the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020. She said the problem was exacerbated by a 2020 rule that was championed by Parker and required most municipal workers to live in the city for a year before applying for a job.

That rule was waived for police recruits in early 2022. Despite millions of dollars in new funding to support hiring efforts, there are still about 900 officer vacancies and hundreds are expected to retire in the next four years.

 READ MORE: Philly Police Dept. has inconsistent strategies, slow response times, and outdated systems, city controller says

That attrition came as the city was gripped by record-setting rates of shootings and homicides in 2021 and 2022, leaving more than 1,000 people dead over two years. Thousands more people were shot and survived, and the violence has been intensely concentrated in some of Philadelphias most disadvantaged communities.

Gun violence rates have improved markedly this year. Police statistics show homicides are down about 30% compared to the same time last year, an encouraging sign  but the 372 people killed this year is still higher than at almost any other point in the last 15 years.

In addition, there have been nearly 1,200 nonfatal shootings this year, an improvement from the unprecedented heights recorded during the pandemic, but still higher than in the years leading up to the 2020 spike.

Wexler said hes confident in Bethel, who is the kind of person that wont have traditional responses to problems.

Hes more of a problem-solver, he said. Hell put a lot of emphasis on prevention, but he will also recognize that something needs to be done about Philadelphias crime problem.
Jude Husein (center) speaks during the second annual International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People in Philadelphia, which took place in front of the Municipal Services Building, in 2022. Read more

Mayor Jim Kenneys administration will allow the citys third annual Palestinian Day of Solidarity to take place next week. But in a break from tradition, organizers said they cannot hold the event next to City Hall, they are barred from using the citys official logo, and no city representative will speak at the third annual community celebration honoring the citys Palestinian residents.

The decision comes after a month of tense deliberations in which city officials tried to postpone the Nov. 29 celebration and also withdraw the citys involvement due to the incendiary political climate around the ongoing war in the Middle East.

In a meeting with organizers Monday, officials agreed to keep the Nov. 29 celebration date  the United Nations-designated day of international solidarity with the Palestinian people  on the condition that organizers host the event at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, another city-owned property, rather than outside the Municipal Services Building where it had been held in years past. Officials said the relocation was necessary due to ongoing construction and Christmas Village near City Hall.

A Kenney spokesperson on Monday said that the citys participation this year would also be a distraction.

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Given the current conflict and climate, we feel that prominent participation by the City will distract from the true meaning of this event, which is for Philadelphias Palestinian community to have an equal opportunity to celebrate their heritage, the mayors office said in a statement. We are grateful to the Palestinian community in Philadelphia and the Arab American Community Development Corporation for their advocacy.

The city declined to answer questions about the deliberations over the last month. But according to emails shared with The Inquirer, city officials expressed concern to organizers about local tension due to the conflict abroad, images on the promotional literature, and lack of control of speeches at the event. At one point, officials asked organizers to continue with the event as a demonstration rather than a city-sponsored ceremony.

Jude Husein, a Ramallah-born event organizer, said the day was never billed as a political statement on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but as a local recognition similar to what the City Hall offers other communities.

Husein said officials apologized Monday for the protracted negotiations. Still, the final decision felt like a slap in the face.

It feels like they dont care  and they dont want to care, Husein said Monday. This doesnt happen to any community but ours.

The Palestinian Solidarity Day was initially pitched as an alternative to the kind of flag-raising ceremony that other national communities receive to recognize their impact on Philadelphia. The city has flown over 40 flags since launching the Philadelphia Honors Diversity Flag Raising Program in 2018. That includes raising the flag for Israel on its national Independence Day, which recently observed its 75th anniversary in May.

To qualify for a flag-raising, a national community must either be recognized by the U.S. Department of State, maintain a U.S. consulate or embassy, or show significant historical, ethnic, or commercial ties to Philadelphia. Husein argued to officials that Palestine met the final criteria, but the Kenney administration ultimately agreed to solidarity day, without a flag raising.

The first International Palestinian Day of Solidarity came and went in Philadelphia in 2021 with little pushback, save for the Israeli consulate in New York asking Kenney to reconsider  a first for the mayor during his tenure.

I dont know what motivates another country or counsel to take their position, Kenney said at the time. My position is: I represent everybody who lives in Philadelphia, no matter what ethnicity or what religion they are, and I have a responsibility to show them respect, and to show that we care that theyre here and that were happy that theyre here.

Husein said there was a small counterdemonstration during the second annual event in 2022. During last years event, City Representative Sheila Hess spoke in the mayors place.

Husein said officials on Monday agreed to provide a podium and a sound system for the event next week on the Art Museum apron. Beyond that, Husein said, the citys role would be almost invisible.

In an Oct. 27 email, Amy Eusebio, executive director of the Office of Immigrant Affairs, offered to move the event to a different date based on unspecified community feedback. Eusebio also asked that the image of a raised fist  a political symbol used by numerous resistance movements  be removed from the promotional materials. On Nov. 13, she suggested that proceeding as a demonstration rather than a city-sponsored event would provide the greatest freedom and mean the community is at liberty to share whatever they would like without reservation.

Husein agreed to amend the flier, but insisted the city keep the Nov. 29 date and maintain its role as the official cosponsor of the event.

All because maybe a few people will scold you for acknowledging that Palestinian Philadelphians are human that actually exist, you all choose to look the other way, Husein wrote.

Husein also pushed back on the citys proposal to treat the day as a demonstration and argued the city was imposing a double-standard about political speech that did not apply to other groups.

Its not a demonstration. The whole purpose of this day is to uplift, amplify and empower the Palestinian community in Philadelphia, Husein said. Were here, and unfortunately we cant raise the flag, but were going to recognize them as a community that matters.

The dragged-out negotiations have left her with just over a week to put together the itinerary for the event. She said she also wasnt sure whether the city would provide a written acknowledgment recognizing the day as it did in years past.

Its heartbreaking, she said. I have to go back to a community and say Hey, not only are they sticking us at the Art Museum, they dont want their logos, they dont want to speak, but maybe well walk away with some acknowledgment.

But yeah, were gonna take it, she added, because were stepchildren.
Anthony Minniti pose for a pictures in front of his business,The Camden Apothecary, in Camden, NJ on Monday, November 20, 2023. The Camden Apothecary is open for business, the city's first cannabis dispensary operated at a neighborhood pharmacy in the city's Parkside section. Read more

Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter

It looks like well have a cloudy and rainy day with a high of 50. The good news is that it should be clear by tomorrow when a lot of us will be traveling for Thanksgiving.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, I want to know your turkey day memories while in the city. It could be anything from a messy travel mishap to a wholesome family moment.  Email me your Philly story for a chance to be featured in tomorrows newsletter.

Our lead story today focuses on a new Camden cannabis dispensary inside a neighborhood pharmacy.

 Taylor Allen (@TayImanAllen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

The Camden Apothecary opened with a soft launch Monday for elected officials and business leaders, making it one of about 50 adult-use cannabis retailers in New Jersey.

It is believed to be the first dispensary for medical and recreational marijuana in New Jersey to be inside a pharmacy, according to Anthony V. Minniti, the owner and operator of Bell Rexall Pharmacy.

How it works: The dispensary operates in its own section within the pharmacy. Customers can order online and pick up in a secured area in the store where they must show identification. Home-delivery options within a 25-mile radius will be available in about a week. Camden residents get a 5% discount on cannabis products and 25% off paraphernalia and merchandise.

Note: Camden has two cannabis dispensaries, and two more have been approved to open in the near future.

Click here for a peek inside.

A group of strangers gathered on a recent Sunday to learn how to shroud, part of a growing death-positive movement in Philly.

The idea that death and dying can be part of life and does not have to be handled by walled-off specialists in expensive facilities has gained traction in recent years. These deathcare enthusiasts want to demystify and de-commercialize the end of life.

Many were drawn to the workshop by fliers posted around the city that read Yes, you heard that right! Shroud as in wrapping a dead body for burial. The free event at the MAAS building promised a shrouding demonstration on a live human, and it also served as the first meeting of a nascent deathcare volunteer group, which has aims to help Philadelphians who cannot afford funeral costs prepare and bury their loved ones.

Notable quote: I really want Philadelphia to be a death-positive hub on the East Coast, said Isabel Knight, 29, the president of the National Home Funeral Alliance and the workshops organizer.

Knights vision is to have the grassroots group wash and shroud the dead for free, and perhaps transport bodies in personal vehicles with burial permits to cemeteries.

Read more for a recap of the workshop.

What you should know today

 Trivia time

What are the names of this years White House pardoned turkeys?

Hint: The names are Pennsylvania-themed.

A) Ben and Franklin

B) Susquehanna and River

C) Liberty and Bell

D) None of the above

Think you know? Check your answer.

What were...

 Wondering: What will happen to the Meglio Furs sign that was on Broad Street in South Philly?

 Watching: Microsoft hired two executives from the company that created ChatGPT after one of them was abruptly fired by OpenAI.

 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: Run before your Thanksgiving meal 

TRYOUT TREK

Email us if you know the answer. Well select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Kathy Houck, who correctly guessed Mondays answer: Patti LaBelle.

Photo of the day

And thats all I have for you this morning. Stay warm out there 

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirers Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
Hamid Golshani with his wife, Nadia Niknami, at a wedding the couple recently attended. Golshani posted on Nextdoor on Nov. 6 saying he was looking for an invitation so he could experience a traditional Thanksgiving. Read more

People in this city often get a bad rap.

But Philadelphians can be some of the most welcoming and down-to-earth people in the country. Thats the vibe I got when I moved to the city from Washington during the early 1990s. All these years later, I still feel the same way.

Recently, I was reminded of just how genuine residents of this city can be after I stumbled across a post on Nextdoor from a former Drexel University graduate student. Hamid Golshani, whos originally from Iran but now lives in North Philadelphia, asked if anyone knew how he and his wife could celebrate Thanksgiving with an American family.

He added that he didnt want to be rude by seeking an invite. We dont mind paying our share etc. We would just like to know what Thanksgiving is all about, Golshani, who works for a medical device company in Exton, Chester County, wrote.

As I read his post, I wondered: In this climate  when our city is facing some of its biggest challenges, the nation is as deeply divided as its ever been, and the world is facing two wars with global implications  would any strangers invite Golshani and his wife (Nadia Niknami, a 35-year-old graduate student studying cybersecurity at Temple University) to their Thanksgiving dinner?

I shouldnt have worried. As of Monday, more than 100 people had liked his post, and about half as many had replied with advice or invited him over. One woman suggested that he begin the day by watching the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade on the Parkway: It is a fun tradition to experience with other Philadelphians.

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One of the first invitations came from a Fairmount resident who wrote, You and your family would also be welcome at our Thanksgiving  it would just be my wife and me  so not a large family gathering if that is what youre looking for  Both of our families are too far away to visit for the holiday, but I like to cook the big meal and it is always too much food for us!

Another respondent wrote, in part, I am American and I always have a very traditional Thanksgiving and invite several international students. So far this year I will have Indian, Colombian, & Chinese guests  If you are still looking, PM me.

A West Philadelphia resident replied to Golshanis post: It is just me & my teen daughter  Our apt is very tiny but you are more than welcome!

Reading the responses brought tears to my eyes. Its hard to know how many of these invitations were authentic, but watching strangers offer to open their homes to someone from another country on Thanksgiving reminded me of what I love most about the holiday. The most American of commemorations is all about family and friends coming together to enjoy good food and give thanks for their blessings.

I reached out to Golshani to see if he was actually serious when he asked for a Thanksgiving invitation. When I asked about his interest in our annual holiday, Golshani, 38, gave a simple reason: My friends say a lot of good things about this celebration.

Golshanis story  and the response he got from other Philadelphians  reminds me of the Arizona grandmother who accidentally invited a stranger to her home for Thanksgiving in 2016. Wanda Dench had intended to text her 24-year-old grandson and invite him over, but instead she reached Jamal Hinton, a 17-year-old high school senior, by mistake. They messaged back and forth a bit discussing the mix-up before Hinton asked if he could still come over. Dench, now 65, responded, Of course you can. Thats what grandmas do  feed everyone.

The two have been celebrating the holiday together every year since. Their saga is the inspiration for a Netflix film about their unlikely friendship. But heres the thing: This beautiful story could just as easily have happened in the City of Brotherly Love.

Golshanis plans are all set now. He has accepted a Thanksgiving dinner invitation from a friend of a friend, who is also from Iran. I smiled when I got his email. I knew someone would come through for him.

On a day when so many of us seek out reminders of home, its perhaps fitting that Golshani will end up celebrating Thanksgiving with someone from his native Iran. Those bonds, those connections, may end up being the best way for Golshani to find his own meaning of the holiday after all.
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (center) looks at crime scene photos as he visits Kibbutz Kfar Azza near the Israel-Gaza border, the site of an Oct. 7 massacre by Hamas, with Israel's Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana (left) and Israeli Army Maj. Diamond (right) on Sunday. Read more

Republican presidential candidate and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie last week called for University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magills firing, accusing the university leader of failing to combat antisemitism on campus amid tensions surrounding the Israel-Hamas war.

The president of Penn should be fired today without hesitation, Christie said during a discussion at Hudson Institute, a D.C.-based research organization. This is not about freedom of speech. This is about rank incompetence.

Pennsylvania Senate candidate Dave McCormick followed Christies call this week when the Republican was asked in an interview whether Magill should be fired.

Of course, McCormick told the Delaware Valley Journal. Anybody who showed in this moment of crisis that they couldnt step up and be clear about good and bad, evil versus not evil, I think is not qualified to lead.

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The Magill criticism comes as Republican politicians across the country have similarly blasted university and college presidents, who they argue have not shown sufficient support for Israel or cracked down on what they see as harmful or antisemitic speech. Their criticism coincides with prominent donors halting funding to increase pressure on university leaders. And it suggests that the Israel-Hamas war  along with increasingly partisan views on higher education  will likely be major topics in the 2024 election.

Christie and McCormick arent alone in condemning university presidents. House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R., N.Y.) called on the president of her alma mater, Harvard University, to resign last week after the schools president refused to punish students who signed onto a letter blaming Israel for the Oct. 7 massacre committed by Hamas.

Christie, who visited Israel earlier this month  the first presidential candidate to do so  also said the presidents of Harvard and Cornell Universities should be fired.

Broader Republican backlash has also boiled up in Congress. House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith (R., Missouri) said last month that his committee is exploring whether it could revoke some universities tax-exempt statuses. Republican Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) called on the Department of Homeland Security to deport students in the United States on visas who have expressed support for Hamas and its attack, labeling them foreign nationals.

Democrats have been far less critical of university leadership handling of war-related tensions. The party is more divided on the war and has taken a mixed  and sometimes more nuanced  approach to the conflict. Nine House Democrats voted against a resolution earlier this month that condemned Hamas and supported Israel. Six voted present. Several, including Rep. Summer Lee (D., Pittsburgh), favor a cease-fire. Lee said the resolutions failure to mention a two-state solution or peace with Palestinians led to her vote.

Republicans have been losing faith in higher education for a while now

While a surge in college campus activism has put a spotlight on universities and their leaders, GOP trust in higher education was plummeting before the Israel-Hamas war, polls show.

Only 19% of Republicans said in a Gallup poll in July that they have a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in higher education, compared to 56% who said the same eight years ago. Democratic confidence also slid about 9 percentage points since 2015. The most common answer Republicans gave for their loss of confidence was that colleges were becoming too liberal or too political.

Several GOP presidential candidates including Former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy have declared war on woke colleges.

The war between Israel and Hamas has only further ignited those GOP complaints.

Penn backlash continues

Penn has been at the epicenter of complaints of anti-Muslim and anti-Jewish harassments as both have spiked across the country, and particularly on college campuses.

The university has struggled to respond to myriad concerns after the Hamas attack on Israel and subsequent military siege of Gaza. Penn continues to receive backlash for its early response to the attack and the Palestine Writes literary festival held on campus in September. The festival was criticized by some for inviting speakers who had a history of making antisemitic remarks. Some major donors called on Penn to cancel the festival, which it did not. More than 4,000 people, describing themselves as alumni and supporters of Penn, sent an open letter to Magill challenging Penns handling of the festival, and several donors have since withheld funding.

Im glad to see some of the donors are now taking a stand and saying that unless you change your policies, were not giving you any more money, Christie said last week about Penns situation. But guess what? They have tens of billions already.

Earlier this month, Magill announced the universitys antisemitism action plan, which includes establishing a task force and student advisory group, and hiring an expert to help the university prevent and respond to antisemitism as well as Islamophobia and other forms of hate.

Calls for new leadership have largely failed as Penns board continues to express confidence in Magill, who is in her second year as president. She delivered an impassioned pledge at the last board meeting to regain the trust of alumni.

Penn has experienced several antisemitic incidents this semester, including a swastika painted on the inside of an academic building and vandalism at Penn Hillel. Earlier this month, some Penn staff members received vile, disturbing emails threatening violence against the Jewish community. Penn police and the FBI are investigating, Magill had said.

Leaders at the school say backlash against faculty and students speaking in support of Palestinians is also a problem.

This week a petition signed by more than 500 academics and writers from inside and outside the United States called on Penn to defend its students, faculty, and staff against targeted harassment for speaking in support of Palestinians. The academics asked Magill to pledge to support the academic freedom and safety of Penn faculty who have been attacked on social media and within the university, and for Penn to repudiate all libelous and defamatory attacks on its Arab, Palestinian, and Muslim students and faculty.

It also calls on Penn to show the same level of concern for them as it purports for Jewish students and faculty.

Staff writer Sue Snyder contributed to this article.
Kevin Bethel, pictured in September 2016, has been tapped as the city's next police commissioner. Read more

Mayor-elect Cherelle Parker is expected to announce Wednesday morning that Kevin Bethel will be the citys next police commissioner.

He will oversee the citys Police Department, which includes 5,483 officers and 828 civilian employees. His appointment comes at a time of turmoil for the $850 million department, which is working to fill 897 vacant officer positions amid a three-year wave of gun violence.

His hire is the first staffing decision made by Parker, who embraced a tough-on-crime message on the campaign trail.

Who is Kevin Bethel?

Bethel, 60, is the chief of school safety for the School District of Philadelphia. He worked for the Philadelphia Police Department for 30 years before focusing his efforts on school safety. He lives in North Wales in Montgomery County, has three daughters, and is married to Rhonda Bethel, a retired Philly detective.

Bethels father left when he was a child, and he credited Charles Ramsey, who worked as police commissioner from 2008 until retiring in January 2016, as serving as a father figure for him in the department.

What is his current job?

Bethel oversees the school districts more than 300 safety officers as chief of school safety, a position hes held since 2019. Bethel reshaped the schools police force to focus on mentoring and supporting students rather than arresting them. He has steered the system toward trauma-informed practices and restorative justice and hes trained his officers in adolescent development.

What is Kevin Bethels background?

Bethel joined the Philadelphia Police Department in 1986, where he was first assigned to the 6th District, which includes Chinatown and parts of Center City and Northern Liberties.

Before being assigned captain of the 17th District in Point Breeze in 2005, he worked as a sergeant and then as a lieutenant in the internal affairs and narcotics units.

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He was promoted to deputy commissioner in 2008, and tasked with overseeing the departments citywide patrol divisions, as well as Operation Pressure Point, a campaign to reduce violent crime in 12 districts. He also worked with the citys LGBTQ community to develop a nine-page directive for improving police interactions with transgender individuals.

In 2016, Bethel retired from the department and began a fellowship through the Stoneleigh Foundation, where he developed a pre-arrest diversion program for youths who got into trouble on school grounds.

Bethel is the founder and executive director of the Law Enforcement and Juvenile Justice Institute, a nonprofit that focuses on rehabilitating youths who might otherwise end up in the court system. He holds a masters degree in public safety management from Saint Josephs University and he was a senior policy advisory for the Juvenile Justice Research and Reform Lab at Drexel University.

How much will he get paid?

The former police commissioner Danielle Outlaw, who resigned from the post in September, was paid $299,000 a year. Bethels salary has not been released yet, and it may not be made public until January.

What are his views on policing?

Bethel has experience in juvenile justice and criminal justice reform. His work diverting and decreasing arrests in Philadelphia schools has attracted national attention.

You dont get your respect from barking and screaming and hollering and cuffing, Bethel said in 2019 about his work in Philly schools. Were going to encourage mentoring and engaging with young people, and giving these officers the space to be able to work outside what has been the traditional boundary of, Youre here as the enforcer, and thats all.

He hosted a TED Talk six years ago about dismantling the school to prison pipeline and giving kids second chances. Watch here:

He was also featured on the podcast Reducing Crime, which features speakers who work to advance public safety. In the podcast, he spoke about the importance of data and recalled being shocked to learn hundreds of kids were arrested in 2013 for things like fighting or bringing scissors to school. Listen here:
Najah Queen and her husband, Shane Randall, in front of Randall's childhood home. In 2018, they were working toward renovating it to move their family in, but instead the home was placed in conservatorship and sold. Read more

When a house fire tore through the Cox family home in Powelton Village last Christmas Eve, displacing 97-year-old Elizabeth Cox and her 71-year-old son, Warren, it seemed like the worst that could happen.

Then three months later, while repairs at the house were still in early stages, the family got a notice in the mail: A nonprofit group had filed a petition in court to seize control of their home as a conservator, claiming that it was blighted and abandoned.

They were devastated, said Pilla Parker, Coxs granddaughter, who found herself in charge of fighting the petition. They just lost everything.  My grandmother on the coldest day of the year was carried outside with nothing but the clothes on her back.

Parker learned that the petition for property conservatorship was made possible by a Pennsylvania law known as Act 135, which enables nonprofit organizations to take over abandoned properties, bring them up to code, and sell them, taking a substantial fee.

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Nonprofits have filed more than 570 such petitions just in Philadelphia. A new analysis by the Advocacy for Racial and Civil Justice Clinic at the University of Pennsylvanias law school concludes that the conservatorships have come at the expense of vulnerable property owners. The researchers found that petitions were disproportionately filed against Black and Asian American property owners, and in areas at high risk of displacement due to rising real estate values.

It shows that despite the intention of the act to ensure development that will benefit people who already live in an area, instead what is happening is that petitions are filed in communities that are already at risk for gentrification, said Cara McClellan, the legal clinics director.

 READ MORE: Penn Law researchers mapped where Act 135 was used in Philly. Here's what they found.

The law was passed in 2008, but usage took off in Philadelphia after it was revised in 2014.

John Taylor, the former state representative who sponsored the legislation, said he was motivated by the abandoned properties dotting his former Northeast Philadelphia district, including a vacant building next to his office that attracted squatters and crime.

Its one of the most effective and underutilized laws in all of Pennsylvania, he said.

In Taylors view, the true beneficiaries of Act 135 are the neighbors who worry about a collapsing rowhouse dragging down their homes  not to mention their property values.

But his legislation also greatly expanded the financial upside for conservators.

When a property is sold through conservatorship, the homeowner theoretically recovers any profits. But a conservator who successfully sells a property is now able to recover all of its legal fees and repair costs, plus a fee worth up to 20% of the sale price. In practice, McClellan said, that means owners who cant afford to fix their properties can be left with nothing.

Even homeowners who fight and get to keep their properties can be on the hook for the conservators legal fees.

One of the most prolific Act 135 filers was the nonprofit that filed against the Cox family: Scioli Turco, an organization run under the umbrella of the Philadelphia nonprofit Caring People Alliance, which also runs Boys and Girls Clubs.

Scioli Turcos managing director Beth Grossman said it does not target gentrifying areas and is not motivated by profit.

We are mission-based, she said. Our mission is to be here as a resource for community groups to address abandoned and vacant and blighted properties.

She said that saves the city money, helps neighbors, and could even fight crime, given that researchers have found fixing abandoned homes makes communities safer.

 READ MORE: Renovating abandoned houses reduces the rate of gun violence, Penn study finds

In 2018, the organization petitioned for control of a home in the Graduate Hospital neighborhood that had been in Shane Randalls family for three generations.

Randall, then a social worker with the Philadelphia Fire Department, had inherited the house from his mother in 2015 and said he and his wife, Najah Queen, planned to renovate and move in. But it took two years to get tenants out. His contractor finally got a permit to start work in April 2018. That August, the conservatorship petition was posted on the door.

A next-door neighbor, Sally Scott, said she had contacted Scioli Turco because the decaying rowhouse was causing serious damage to her home, including water infiltration that led to one bedroom being sealed off and vented to prevent her home from filling with mold.

I was concerned about it collapsing, she said. It was a valid concern because when the structural engineer got in there, the ceiling had already collapsed inside from the water intrusion.

Randall said that his engineer came to a different conclusion and that he was well on his way to fixing the house.

He fought the conservatorship, and a judge granted him six months to complete a list of repairs. Randall said he was hampered by long delays in the permitting process. Still, he fixed the roof, repointed the brick, stucco-coated the rear wall, and installed new windows and doors, spending more than $50,000, he said.

Grossman said the work Randall had done was absolutely substandard, and he did not fulfill the obligations set by the judge.

In the end, the judge approved the conservatorship, and Scioli Turco sold the house to a developer for $400,000. All of that went to reimburse the nonprofit or to cover its $80,000 conservators fee.

To Scott, the process was more than fair, and the outcome was a relief. She no longer lives in the house but said selling it is a big part of my retirement plan.

Randall, who said he lost his job because he was spending so much time in court fighting over the house, was left with tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees. In his view, the house was stolen.

We dont even go down that street anymore, Queen said. It was a big fight and a lot of loss.

McClellan, the Penn Law professor, said many cases she reviewed point to a dire need for home-repair funding  which would prevent low-income owners from having to abandon their properties in the first place. She said theres also a need to look at whether incentives in Act 135 are aligned with the laws purported goals.

 READ MORE: Repairing all the homes in the Philly area would cost at least $3.7 billion

She points to the case of the Cox family, who were fighting a petition in a fast-gentrifying part of the city.

In that case, Parker, mobilized all of her resources, from social media to civic association leaders, to make clear that the home was not abandoned and therefore not eligible for conservatorship.

Grossman said Scioli Turco recognized that filing was in error, and withdrew it. But Parker said it never should have happened.

As an African American family that has been able to hold and retain a home for 70 years, that someone can come into court and petition to take the house and say theres blight  thats the unfortunate part, she said. Theyre stripping communities of resources.
Chinese VP meets with Uzbek FM

Xinhua) 20:34, November 21, 2023

BEIJING, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice President Han Zheng met with Uzbekistan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Bakhtiyor Saidov on Tuesday in Beijing.

Han said China and Uzbekistan are ancient civilizations, and the age-old Silk Road witnessed the friendly exchanges between the two peoples for more than 2,000 years.

Noting that since the establishment of diplomatic ties 31 years ago, the two sides have always treated each other as equals and respected and trusted each other, Han said the development of China-Uzbekistan relations has entered a new era under the strategic guidance and personal promotion of the two heads of state.

China is willing to step up mutual support with Uzbekistan, speed up the synergizing of development strategies, and translate the high-level political relations between the two countries into tangible results to the greater benefits of the two peoples, Han said.

Saidov said the Uzbekistan-China relations are at the best and highest level in history, adding that Uzbekistan regards China as the most important comprehensive strategic partner.

Uzbekistan is willing to strengthen strategic dialogue with China, implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, and continuously deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, Saidov said.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Hongyu)
Natural-born brokers Sponsored by: The future of the insurance industry has never been brighter, thanks to this years IB Rising Stars. The group all displays passion and has achieved not only for themselves but also on behalf of their clients and colleagues. While some have focused all their attention on a career in the industry, IB features two of the winning cohorts who have made it to the top via a less direct path.

Rachael Hirsch  Stellar Insurance Brokers

Senior Account Manager

There is a satisfaction that comes with starting on the ground floor and rising rapidly. This is how its played out for Hirsch. She had no plans for a career in the industry before joining Stellar Insurance Brokers in a support role after being made redundant.

Hirsch says, It then moved into working one on one with the director, and he very much mentored me to become the person, the broker and the salesperson that I am today.

Now she has the biggest portfolio in the firm. That illustrates the pressure and expectation on Hirsh.

Im not going to lie; its a lot, but its the satisfaction that I get from helping my clients that keeps me going, she says. I have such purpose in what I do to support my clients, so that they can protect what theyve worked so hard for.

Currently, Hirschs responsibilities include:

managing a portfolio in excess of $650K in commission and fees, comprising SME risks across a variety of industries



being responsible for the day-to-day management of this portfolio, including servicing renewals and endorsement requests from existing clients



continuing to write new business accounts



mentoring junior staff

Having seen all aspects on the way up has made Hirsch such a powerful operator.

She says, The opportunities that Ive had to work with such a vast variety of clients in different industries with different insurance requirements have exposed me to a lot in a short period of time.

Im not in a niche, as theres been so much variety; its helped me understand the business a lot better. I feel confident in supporting my clients and in the advice that Im giving them.

Proving how important she is for Stellar Insurance, Hirsch is planning to become an equity partner.

Ive been there for a long time now, and the founding director wants to kind of step away, so the other director is going to take that responsibility, and the plan is to work alongside her and do it together, she says. I want to be part of the future of this company.

Along with mentoring junior staff members, Hirsch offers guidance to a host of young brokers looking for advice. Shes involved in the Council of Queensland Insurance Brokers (CQIB) Young Professionals Committee, assisting in promoting the insurance industry as well as supporting young professionals on their journey.

She says, Weve had an issue with getting new recruits into the industry, and it just doesnt have a future if no one comes on board. I love to delve a little bit deeper and do what I can to get the word out there.

In addition, Hirsch was asked to be part of the CQIB Emerging Brokers mentoring program.

I worked alongside a younger member from another brokerage and helped mentor him through a 16-week program. I got a lot from that. Even though I was the mentor, it had lots of insights for me as well, she says.

Along with her stellar success professionally, Hirsch also has a family and children to be there for.

She says, Someone told me theres no such thing as work-life balance; its work-life harmony.

And Hirsch is proud of being able to fulfil all her roles, even though they can be tough.

Regardless of where you work or what industry that is, if you have purpose behind what you do, that just comes with it, she says. You have the purpose of being a mother, so youre going to be there for your kids when they need you. Youve got the purpose of being a broker, so youre going to support a client to get the best outcome.

Ive done a lot in my career, and Im very grateful for where I am, but Im also incredibly grateful for the people around me because theyre absolutely the reason why I am where I am

Rachael Hirsch Stellar Insurance Brokers

Tom Hatton, Gallagher Bassett

Branch Manager  Short-Tail Claims

To get where I am, I moved to the other side of the world on a gut reaction. I think if you trust your instincts and what feels right and work hard, theres ample opportunity, Hatton says.

Hailing from Dublin, Hatton made the move to Australia after talking to a friend who had moved to Sydney. Sensing it was right, he booked a ticket and hasnt looked back. After some temporary work to fulfil visa requirements, he landed a role at Gallagher Bassett.

He says, I started off as a motor claims consultant on the contract for the NSW state government and everything that they essentially own or are responsible for. It was dealing with police cars, ambulances and general agency vehicles.

Six months later, Hatton was made team leader, even though he had no experience in a senior role. Then, two and a half years later, he moved up again to become property team leader.

It was the same kind of departments, but looking after government property, so schools, hospitals and police stations, plus things like the Sydney Opera House, he says.

In less than a year, Hatton had taken another step up into his current role.

The motor team and the property team report through to the branch manager. I love the strategic element of it; its not like the day-to-day operations of getting your hands dirty with claims, he says. Its more making strategic decisions that will help lead the team into future events and catastrophes.

This is a persistent issue in NSW, where a series of natural disasters have occurred in recent years. One example was the 2022 floods in eastern Australia. During the months of February through April:

over 1,800 claims were received for various government assets that were damaged



Hatton successfully managed and supported his team through this stressful period



an emergency repair delegation for emergency service vehicles has been established under Hattons direction, allowing for quick repairs on emergency vehicles during times of disaster

Hattons ingenuity and abilities have streamlined the claims process for state agencies, reducing the administrative burden on them.

Our clients would include all the emergency services who are first responders, and these people may have lost their own homes, but theyre still serving their communities and helping with rescues and clean-ups, he says. Im proud of how the team and myself reacted to those events by being able to take some of the grunt work away and allow them to focus on what was more important.

The nature of his clients speaks to Hattons own personality.

He says, Were not just pushing paper; theres a bit of meaning behind it. If we can keep a police station or an ambulance station open, thats obviously a massive win, not just for them but for the community.

In his early leadership roles, Hatton was often younger than those under his direction. He didnt let this intimidate him, instead preferring to be a leader who empowers those who work for him.

Im not micromanaging or looking over peoples shoulders. I dont find that to be an efficient way of working, he says. I let people have their space, and they know that they can go away and do their job. Trusting the people I work with has really helped me earn their respect.

For someone whos moved so rapidly, its unsurprising that Hatton has plans for his future.

He says, Im looking potentially at things like an MBA or further study that I can do to enhance my knowledge and continue my development. I want to keep furthering myself, so its making sure that I have the skills to succeed if Im successful in getting more opportunities.

I like being around the people I work with and building relationships in person, and its really important, especially when youre in a leadership role, to be in the team and know what theyre going through

Tom Hatton Gallagher Bassett

From the Sponsor At AXA XL, we are committed to recognising and nurturing exceptional talent in the insurance industry. We are delighted to once again announce our sponsorship of Insurance Business Rising Stars report, an initiative that celebrates and supports the next generation of insurance professionals. This partnership reflects our dedication to fostering innovation, expertise and leadership within AXA XL and across our industry. In a dynamic era marked by rapid change and evolving challenges, the identification and nurturing of exceptional talent have become paramount. We firmly believe that Insurance Business Rising Stars encapsulate the essence of expertise, visionary leadership and transformative thinking. These qualities not only propel individuals to new heights but also serve as catalysts for the resilience of the entire insurance sector. The team at AXA XL is excited about the opportunity to play a pivotal role in recognising and supporting the Rising Stars who are poised to make a significant impact on our industry. We look forward to witnessing the remarkable achievements of these emerging talents and are excited to play a part in their promising careers. Catherine Carlyon

Country Leader, Australia

AXA XL
You call in each part of this wheel and everyone puts in their little part to get a really good outcome, he said. Yesterday I was working on a tender document and there were six people contributing towards it at the same time - it was quite impressive.
One of the key things to come of Big Map meetings so far, said Moss, is how effectively they can bring together local government with other stakeholders, including insurers, to develop a plan to combat local risks by listening to and then engaging with the locals.
This promotion to COO for Adam is well deserved, as he has consistently shown his love and passion for this organization over many years, said Bill Johnson, CEO, chairman, and founder of Liberty. This, in addition to his boundless energy, sharp mind and wonderful leadership qualities, puts us in a great position to continue to succeed as we move forward on our journey of growth here at Liberty.
Further, under the terms of the DPAs, Tysers and H.W. Wood have also agreed to cooperate with ongoing or future investigations related to these events. They are also committed to enhancing their compliance programs and providing regular reports to the department on remediation and the implementation of these measures over the DPA's three-year duration.
Reporter Brazil had also documented cases where Swiss Re had concluded insurance contracts with farms that illegally cultivated indigenous protected areas and used armed violence, with one client being a defendant in a murder case when he took out three insurance policies. Another client was under investigation for allegedly using slave labour on his coffee farm.
The state of Delaware has lost its fight with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) over the release of information on captive insurers, a fight the state took all the way to the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court on Monday declined the states request for review of a federal appeals court ruling that mandated that the Delaware insurance commissioner comply with a summons for release of the information to the federal tax agency.

The fight placed Delawares state regulation of insurance and its authority to protect corporate privacy up against the power of the IRS to enforce federal tax laws.

The IRS wants the Delaware Department of Insurance to give it data on two captive insurers for an investigation it is conducting into potential tax avoidance by micro-captives. The IRS has been warning about alleged abusive micro-captive insurance transactions for years, even placing them on an annual Dirty Dozen list of tax scams. The IRS insists it is entitled to the information under federal tax laws.

But Delaware has a corporate privacy law that the insurance department says bars it from disclosing certain information about captive insurance companies to anyone, including the federal government, without the companies consent. However, the law does allow disclosure to the federal government if it agrees in writing to keep the disclosed information confidential. The IRS would not agree to do that and instead petitioned the federal district court to enforce its summons against the insurance regulator.

The Department of Insurance argued that, under the federal McCarran-Ferguson Act, which established state regulation of the business of insurance, Delaware law overrides the IRSs statutory authority, and it should not have to provide the information to the IRS.

The federal district court backed the IRS. While the McCarran-Ferguson Act does protect state insurance laws from federal intrusion in certain situations, the court concluded that, before any such reverse- preemption occurs, precedent requires that the conduct at issue  in this case, the refusal to produce summonsed documents  must constitute the business of insurance within the meaning of the federal McCarran-Ferguson law. The district court held that this threshold requirement was not met.

In late April, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the district courts ruling and mandated that the Delaware insurance commissioner comply with the summons for information.

The state then asked for an emergency order pausing the Third Circuits mandatory order pending consideration of its appeal of the ruling to the full Supreme Court. The state withdrew that emergency order request after the parties agreed to a deal in which the department began producing files and the IRS agreed to hold those files as confidential until the Supreme Court resolved the case. The Supreme Court has now declined to hear the case.

The state calls the lower courts rulings a misapplication of reverse-preemption under McCarran-Ferguson. These courts found that a state insurance regulatory statute did not reverse-preempt a federal statute that is not about insurance regulation. But the insurance department maintains this is an error because its protection of the captive insurance data falls under the meaning of the business of insurance under McCarran-Ferguson.

The department claims that this is a matter of the business of insurance because the confidentiality provision at issue deals with materials submitted in connection with the licensure and examinations of captive insurers for the purpose of determining the solvency and safety of insurers, and for the protection of its policyholders.

But the Third Circuit asserted in upholding the lower courts that the departments refusal to provide documents and testimony responsive to the IRS request is not the business of insurance,' adding that it is plainly not the core of the business of insurance.'

The court added that after complying with the IRS requests, the department will be no less entitled to the information it currently receives to license captive insurance companies than it has previously been.

In petitioning for the emergency order from the high court, Delaware argued that the mandate would require the state insurance commissioner to violate the insurance laws of his own state, an outcome that upends Congress stated purpose in enacting the McCarran-Ferguson Act.
New York finally has a law on the books that allows insurance companies to waive pre-insurance photo inspections.

Bills to permit inspection waivers have been introduced since 2009. Gov. Kathy Hochul recently signed one with the lofty title of Auto Insurance Consumer Relief Act (A.3172-A/S.5889) that passed the legislature this summer.

The enactment of the Insurance Consumer Relief Act will allow insurers to waive these inspections beginning May 15, 2024 and is effective through October 1, 2027 when it sunsets. insurance providers may continue requiring the photos if they want.

Big I NY, the association for the states 12,000 independent insurance agents and brokers, which has long contended these inspections are unnecessary and unduly burdensome to policyholders, called the signing a great day for New York policyholders and insurance agents.

For too long, Ted Walsh, Big I NY board chair and president of Walsh Duffield agency, said in a press release, the car insurance photo inspection mandate has been a burden and an inconvenience for hard-working New Yorkers. Modern solutions for combatting fraud have made the regulation unnecessary and obsolete.

Currently, New York State law makes photo inspections mandatory for many drivers in order to obtain comprehensive or collision coverage. The industry contends that the law, originally enacted in the late 1970s, no longer serves a purpose and unnecessarily inconveniences consumers and small business owners. If buyers do not complete the photo inspection within 14 days, their collision and comprehensive coverage is terminated.

The law amends section 3411 of the insurance law to permit an auto insurer to waive the physical inspection requirement by filing a waiver with the state insurance regulator.

The existing inspection law was enacted to address problems of fraudulent damages to motor vehicles that were insured after the accident had been sustained. Those in favor of keeping the photo mandate have maintained that the requirement helps prevent fraud and lower rates for policyholders.

However, proponents of the new law argued that technology advances and vehicle tracking systems such as VIN etchings have made it more difficult for persons seeking to engage in insurance fraud. Also while some people may still attempt to purchase policies for phantom vehicles, special investigation units (SIUs) are equipped to identify such issues, they contended.

The industry maintained that the current regulation is complex and expensive for insurers to implement, which drives up the overall cost for all auto insurance. In addition, the industry noted that under current law, people who have no intention of committing auto insurance fraud can find at the time of an accident, that they have lost coverage for such an accident because no auto inspection was performed.

Topics Carriers Legislation Auto New York
Britains opposition Labour Party met bank and insurance leaders on Monday to discuss ways to boost investment in infrastructure, as it continues a charm offensive with finance bosses ahead of an expected election next year that it is favored to win.

Shadow finance minister Rachel Reeves chaired the first meeting of the so-called British Infrastructure Council on Monday morning, which was attended by the CEOs of several banks including HSBCs Noel Quinn and Lloyds Charlie Nunn.

Other executives from finance firms including insurers M&G and Phoenix, asset manager BlackRock and lender Santander UK were also present.

Labour has sought to reassure investors and voters alike that the party, once seen by some voters as spendthrift, can be trusted with the economy. The party currently has a substantial lead over the governing Conservatives in opinion polls.

Under the right conditions, there are significant pools of private capital available to finance investment in critical national infrastructure, Reeves said in a statement.

The announcement comes ahead of the governments Autumn Statement on Wednesday, when finance minister Jeremy Hunt is due to announce a further round of measures to persuade pension companies to invest in UK companies and infrastructure to boost growth and the Citys competitiveness as a financial center.

Britain, facing strapped finances and a need for huge investments to meet net zero targets, has little choice but to rely on the private sector for cash to fund such projects, whoever wins next years election.

(Reporting by Iain Withers and Huw Jones, editing by William Maclean)

Photograph: A train passes the construction site of the High Speed 2 (HS2) rail line at Euston station in London, on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)

Topics Carriers
Australias markets regulator wants companies and directors to prioritize cyber resilience, warning it will take action against businesses that fail to make reasonable investments to protect themselves.

Australian Securities and Investments Commission Chair Joe Longo said this months cyberattack on DP World Plc is a stark reminder that firms must invest in cyber resilience and be adequately prepared.

If things go wrong, ASIC will be looking for whether company directors and boards took reasonable steps, and made reasonable investments proportionate to the risks that their business poses, to be prepared for this kind of attack, Longo said in prepared remarks ahead of a speech in Melbourne on Tuesday. And if we have reason to believe those steps were not taken, and directors did not act with reasonable care and diligence, we will act.

DP World, one of the worlds largest port operators, is slowly working through a backlog of more than 20,000 freight containers piled up at Australian ports and labor strikes further impeded a return to normal operations. Australia has been hit with a wave of high-profile incidents in the past 18 months, including on health insurer Medibank Private Ltd. and telecommunications giant Optus.

Pensions focus

The regulator is also monitoring the performance of Australias A$3.5 trillion ($2.3 trillion) pension sector, known locally as superannuation. Longo will use his Tuesday address to warn the industry is poised to take enforcement action against misconduct in the sector. ASIC says 3.5 million Australians will retire in the next decade, with at least A$750 billion of funds shifting from the accumulation phase to the retirement phase.

Poor marketing, distribution and advice practices leave consumers in sub-optimal investment choices, resulting in poor investment returns, Longo said in the prepared remarks. We will take strong action to protect consumers against conduct that is not efficient, honest and fair in this sector.

Related:

Copyright 2023 Bloomberg.

Topics Cyber Australia
Severe storms have delayed a search-and-rescue operation for 12 crew members of a cargo ship that sank off Turkeys Black Sea coast, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said Monday.

The Turkish-flagged Kafkametler sank on Sunday after hitting a breakwater outside the harbor off the town of Eregli, some 200 kilometers (124 miles) east of Istanbul, Yerlikaya told reporters. He said rescue crews were on standby waiting for the weather conditions to ease to begin a rescue mission.

Unfortunately, we could not carry out search-and-rescue activities for the 12 Turkish crew members, Yerlikaya said. As soon as conditions improve the search- and-rescue operations will begin immediately. (Editors note: Later news reports revealed that the body of the ships cook had been found which left 11 crew members still missing).

The severe storms that hit northwestern Turkey caused widespread damage and disruption on Sunday, including the breakup of another cargo ship and the evacuation of a prison.

The Cameroon-flagged Pallada broke into two due to heavy weather conditions after running aground amid 5-meter (16-foot) waves off Eregli, the Maritime General Directorate said. All 13 crew were rescued safely.

Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said prisoners had been transferred from Ereglis prison to surrounding facilities due to rising water levels.

Elsewhere in Turkey, two people were killed after being swept by flood waters caused by heavy rains in the southeastern provinces of Diyarbakir and Batman, Yerlikaya said. Some 50 people were hurt in the floods.

In neighboring Bulgaria, gale-force winds and heavy rain and snow claimed the lives of two people on Sunday and disrupted power supplies. Officials declared a state of emergency in the Black Sea city of Varna.

Photograph: A view of a Cameroon-flagged Pallada rests among rocks at the sea shore in Eregli, Turkey, Monday, Nov. 20, 2023. The Cameroon-flagged Pallada broke into two due to heavy weather conditions after running aground in 5-meter (16-foot) waves off Eregli, the Maritime General Directorate said. All 13 crew were rescued safely (IHA via AP)

Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Windstorm Trucking
Some K-12 public schools are racing to improve protection against the threat of online attacks, but lax cybersecurity means thousands of others are vulnerable to ransomware gangs that can steal confidential data and disrupt operations.

Since a White House conference in August on ransomware threats, dozens of school districts have signed up for free cybersecurity services, and federal officials have hosted exercises with schools to help them learn how to better secure their networks, said Anne Neuberger, the Biden`s administration`s deputy national security advisor for cyber and emerging technology.

Neuberger said more districts need to take advantage of programs available that would better guard against online attackers who are increasingly targeting schools. Their aim is to lock up computer systems, and in some cases, steal and publish sensitive personal information if a ransom is not paid.

Compromises happens again and again, often in the same way, and there are defenses to protect against it. And here the government has really brought companies together, brought agencies together to deploy some of those, Neuberger said in an interview. Dont give up. Reach out and sign up. And your kids will be a lot safer online.

The administration announced steps over the summer to help cash-strapped schools, which have been slow to build up cybersecurity defenses. Ransomware attackers, many of whom are based in Russia, have not only forced schools to temporarily close but have exposed a wealth of students` private information.

Last month, parents sued the Clark County School District in Nevada, alleging a ransomware attack led to the release of highly sensitive information about teachers, students and their families in the countrys fifth largest school district. In another high-profile case this year, hackers broke into the Minneapolis Public Schools system and dumped sexual assault case records and other sensitive files online after the district refused to pay a $1 million ransom.

More than 9,000 small public school districts across the United States with up to 2,500 students  that`s roughly 70 percent of public districts in the country  are now eligible for free cybersecurity services from web security company Cloudflare through a new program called Project Cybersafe Schools, Neuberger said. Since August, roughly 140 districts in 32 states have signed up for the program, which provides free email security and other online threat protection, she said.

James Hatz, technology coordinator for Rush City Public Schools in Minnesota, said the program arrived just in time for their district, quickly stopping 100 suspicious emails from getting to staff. Hatz said cybercriminals often try to get teachers to click on malicious links by pretending to be an administrator sharing documents about things such as pay raises.

We are not going to be bulletproof, but the more we can do to make it harder, the better between user training, this program and everything else, Hatz said.

Neuberger also said a $20 million grant program from Amazon Web Services that is designed to help schools improve their cybersecurity has received about 130 applications.

The Federal Communications Commission has also proposed a pilot program that would make up to $200 million available over three years to strengthen cyber defense in schools and libraries. Neuberger said the hope is that money will be available to schools in the near future.

But Doug Levin, director of the K12 Security Information eXchange, a Virginia- based nonprofit that helps schools defend against cybersecurity risk, said he fears attacks against schools are going to continue to grow both in frequency and severity without more federal support and requirements that schools have baseline cybersecurity controls.

Most have underfunded their IT functions. They do not have cybersecurity experts on staff. And theyre increasingly being viewed as as a soft target by cyber criminals, Levin said. So, ultimately I think the federal government is going to need to do more.

Photo: (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Cyber K-12
U.S. auto safety regulators on Monday said they had opened a probe into 16 separate recalls issued by Hyundai and Kia covering 6.4 million vehicles relating to brake fluid leaks that could result in fires.

The affiliated Korean automakers have issued a string of recalls since 2016 for antilock braking system (ABS) and Hydraulic Electronic Control Units (HECU) issues manufactured by the same parts supplier.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it was opening an audit query to evaluate the timeliness of Hyundai and Kias defect decision making and adherence with reporting requirements; and understand the varying defect descriptions and remedies between these recalls.

Hyundai said it was fully cooperating with NHTSA and puts the safety of our customers and employees as the top priority in everything we do. Kia said it will work closely and in cooperation with NHTSA during its review.

The Korean automakers in September recalled a combined 3.37 million vehicles in the United States due to the risk of engine fires, telling owners to park outside and away from structures until repairs are complete.

The automakers said internal brake fluid leaks can cause an electrical short that could lead to a fire.

Hyundai in September said it has reports of 21 fires and 21 other thermal incidents since 2017, while Kia has reports of at least 10 confirmed fires and melting incidents.

Kia said the HECU in the vehicles may experience an electrical short as a result of brake fluid leaks. Hyundai said the ABS module may leak brake fluid internally and cause an electrical short.

The U.S. units of Hyundai and Kia in November 2020 agreed to a record $210 million civil penalty after NHTSA said they failed to recall 1.6 million vehicles for engine issues in a timely fashion and inaccurately reported some information.
X Corp. failed to persuade a federal judge to curb the US Federal Trade Commissions close watch over the social media platforms data privacy policies and block the agency from questioning company owner Elon Musk.

US Magistrate Judge Thomas Hixson in San Francisco said in a ruling Thursday he was legally powerless to release the company, formerly known as Twitter, from FTC oversight. X Corp. had complained that after the billionaire bought the platform last year, the agency pursued an investigation that has spiraled out of control and become tainted by bias.

The judge also rejected X Corp.s request to spare Musk from a deposition by government attorneys.

X Corp. didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

The worlds richest person, who has a history of challenging the authority of government regulators, is also resisting a subpoena from the US Securities and Exchange Commission in its probe of his purchases of Twitter shares ahead of his takeover of the company.

The court fight over X Corp.s claims that the FTC is harassing Musk stems from the companys agreement last year to pay a $150 million fine over alleged misuse of user data and consent to agency supervision of its privacy protections.

Hixson said the federal district court lacks the power to grant X Corp. any relief from its obligations under the FTC consent decree as its an administrative order.

The court also does not understand how it could order the FTC not to depose Musk, Hixson wrote in his ruling, which was posted shortly after he held a brief hearing Thursday.

A whistle-blower complaint from Twitters former head of security in 2022 cited severe shortcomings in the companys handling of users personal data. Musk, who paid $44 billion for the company, hired an outside law firm to do an internal investigation into allegations about lax computer-security measures.

The FTC sought to depose Musk on July 25, according to a court filing by X Corp. FTC Chair Lina Khan declined to meet with him personally until his company complied with the information requests.

At the hearing, Justice Department lawyer Zachary Cowan argued that Musk should be questioned by Khans agency as he had first-hand knowledge about the companys data practices and compliance efforts relevant to the FTCs probe.

The agencys conduct during the investigation is so insidious and Musk was being targeted as hes been a vocal critic of the Biden administration, Daniel Koffmann, an attorney for X Corp., told the judge.

Separately, Bloomberg reported in October that the SEC was investigating how Twitter managed a 2018 security lapse that exposed personal user information.

The case is US v. Twitter Inc., 3:22-cv-03070, US District Court. Northern District of California (San Francisco).

Photo: Elon Musk. Photographer: Chris J. Ratcliffe/Bloomberg

Copyright 2023 Bloomberg.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton accused Pfizer PFE.N and its supplier Tris Pharma of providing childrens ADHD medicine that it knew might be ineffective to the states Medicaid insurance program for low-income people, in a lawsuit unsealed on Monday.

The lawsuit, filed in Harrison County, Texas District Court, alleges that Pfizer and Tris manipulated quality-control testing for the drug Quillivant XR in order to obtain passing results from tests it was required to perform under federal law between 2012 and 2018. Properly done tests frequently showed that the drug failed to dissolve as it was supposed to, a sign that it would not be released in the body as expected, the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit also alleged that Pfizer, despite knowing of the quality-control issues, persuaded Texas Medicaid program to add Quillivant to its list of preferred drugs.

Paxton alleged that many Texas families complained that Quillivant failed to work.

I am horrified by the dishonesty we uncovered in this investigation, Paxton, a Republican, said in a statement. The lawsuit accuses the companies of defrauding the states Medicaid program, and seeks unspecified money damages from the companies.

Pfizer and Tris, which manufactured the drug for Pfizer, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The lawsuit stems from a whistleblower complaint by Tarik Ahmed, who worked as Tris head of technology from 2013 to 2017.

Quillivant was developed by Nextwave Pharmaceuticals, a company acquired by Pfizer in 2012. Like other drugs for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, it has been plagued by shortages, and never achieved a large national market share.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2017 warned Tris of manufacturing lapses.

In its 2022 annual report, Pfizer said it had received a subpoena from federal prosecutors in the Manhattan-based Southern District of New York related to its relationship with Tris and the production of Quillivant in 2018, but had not heard anything further after responding.

(Reporting by Brendan Pierson in New York, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Matthew Lewis)

Topics Lawsuits Texas
At CoVerica Insurance, employees live by four precepts: Die to self (i.e., set aside your pride, biases, prejudices and personal history); Actions sought to support the best interests of all involved; Do the right things for the right reasons; and Conduct open and honest dialogue.

The precepts are more than just a slogan. They shape the companys culture and philosophy. Employees say the agency lives by its word, offering workers a place where they can find long-term professional success by abiding by the companys core principles.

Workers also praise CoVerica for providing competitive compensation and benefits, promoting employee growth and training, and actively supporting the community.

Employees at CoVerica successfully nominated the company for Insurance Journals 2023 Best Agency Work For  Silver award winner for the South Central region. The Dallas-based agency, which turns 40 this year, specializes in commercial, personal and life/health insurance solutions.

It feels like a validation that what weve been doing is the right thing to do be doing, Mike Sterlacci, founder of CoVerica, said of his employees actions. CoVerica is a big believer in the whole person, Sterlacci said, a sentiment shared by its employees.

You could be an intern or you could be an executive and the door is always open, said Garrett Cooper, director of technology innovations at CoVerica. And its life, its not just work.

I feel like CoVerica really cares about me as an individual, and not just worker #72, an employee wrote. They really are thinking about their employees, and how they can make everyones present and future lives better.

One way CoVerica ensures that employees are well situated for success is by using Culture Index, which explores a workers personality to understand what drives them.

The objective is to find a role that matches an employee to their strengths.

CoVerica meets with members one-on-one annually to review their Culture Index survey and address whether any changes need to be made.

Have always had a positive experience with these, one employee wrote. Always gotten good salary bumps and performance feedback is very constructive.

Several employees commended CoVerica for its open and consistent communication. The transparency extends beyond office walls to how the company sells insurance.

The watchwords at CoVerica are to be Open and Honest  in every aspect, in all dealings, with everyone we come in contact with, one employee wrote. Every decision asks one question  is the decision good for all parties involved? Only if it is, should we move forward. This is rare in a business world where so many companies seek to win in a transaction.

CoVerica employees also praise the agencys compensation and benefits. These include tuition reimbursement, full funding for certifications, generous PTO, a 401k plan and an employee stock program. Additionally, CoVericas office includes a gym with personal trainers, a social deck and a full kitchen, as well as workplace chaplains.

They really are thinking about their employees, and how they can make everyones present and future lives better, one employee wrote.

CoVerica and its employees are in turn highly motivated in giving to local fundraising and volunteer initiatives. The agencys charity arm, CoVerica Cares, donated $40,000 last year.

Our values of empathy, positive impact, helping others, facing challenges, and unwavering integrity are evident in our team, said an employee.

Sterlacci encourages other agency owners to locate their North Star and understand what success means to them.

What is it that youre working for? Why is that you get up and go to work every day? And then when you can figure that out as an owner, then youre clear about that to your staff, so youre clear about where youre coming from and where youre going, he said.
Mueller Co., a nationwide manufacturer and seller of gas and water distribution products, and IH Services, Inc., which provides cleaning services in Mueller facilities, has agreed to pay $150,000 and provide other relief to settle allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced.

According to the lawsuit, IH Services assigned three female janitors to work at Muellers Albertville, Alabama, fire hydrant manufacturing plant. Several male Mueller employees solicited these female employees for sex, exposed their genitals and made sexual comments about the womens bodies and sex lives. The EEOC further alleged that one Mueller employee attempted to rape one of the female janitors.

After the women complained to multiple IH Services and Mueller managers, IH Services retaliated against two of them by reducing their hours, making them work overnight shifts, and suspending or terminating them, according to the EEOC.

This alleged conduct violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits an employer from permitting a hostile work environment based on sex and retaliating against those who complain about Title VII violations. The EEOC filed suit against Mueller Co. and IH Services, Inc. in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama after its Birmingham District office completed an investigation and first attempted to reach a settlement through its voluntary conciliation process.

Now, under a three-year consent decree, in addition to monetary relief for the victims, both companies will revise their sexual harassment and retaliation policies and post them in prominent locations for all employees. Both companies will also provide annual training on their sexual harassment and retaliation policies and employee rights under Title VII.

Under Title VII, employers must provide a workplace free from severe or pervasive sexual harassment, said EEOC Birmingham District Director Bradley Anderson. Companies like Mueller do not get a free pass when its employees harass individuals who are employed by another company. Likewise, employers like IH Services are liable for sex harassment of their employees even when the harasser is not its employee.

Topics Claims Alabama
A federal judge has sentenced Ramon Paz of Lakeland, Florida to 33 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud to avoid paying for workers compensation insurance.

According to the U.S. Attorneys Office, Middle District of Florida, Paz owned and managed a company that supplied construction services and labor for construction contractors and subcontractors. Under Florida law, Pazs company was required to have adequate workers compensation insurance coverage. Pazs company had agreements with contractors and subcontractors to use workers purported to be Pazs employees at construction sites, and these workers were often undocumented aliens who were actually working for and under the daily supervision and direction of the contractors. Paz or others would then regularly receive payroll checks from contractors that were cashed at various financial institutions to pay Pazs purported employees and other related expenses.

During the time period charged, Paz falsely and fraudulently represented in insurance applications that his company had a very limited payroll and a very limited number of employees who worked on construction jobsites. Paz also falsely and fraudulently sent wire communications to numerous contractors representing that his companys employees had full workers compensation coverage.

In reality, Pazs company received and cashed more than $21 million in checks from various construction contractors for these purported employees. These payroll figures far exceeded the very limited payroll figures that Paz had reported to his workers compensation insurance company. As a result, these employees, in reality the employees of other entities, performed work on jobsites without adequate insurance coverage. In addition, the insurers lost premiums they would have charged had they been aware of the true number of workers their policies were thus being manipulated to cover.

As a result of these misrepresentations, prosecutors said Pazs company also disclaimed responsibility for ensuring that jobsite workers were legally authorized to work in the country and that required state and federal payroll taxes were being paid for these workers. The contractors who actually paid these workers wages and used their services were thus also able to avoid responsibility for those duties as well.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Florida Department of Financial Services. It is part of a lengthy investigation by those agencies into the use of shell companies and ghost employees in the construction industry.

The court also entered an order of forfeiture against Paz in the amount of $500,731, the proceeds of the wire-fraud conspiracy. Paz had pleaded guilty on February 8, 2023.

Topics Florida Fraud Workers' Compensation Talent
Source: Streetwise Reports

November 21, 2023 (Investorideas.com Newswire) This gold junior, which just went public, is starting its first drilling campaign at its flagship project in Mexico. A nearby project might give a clue on what to expect.

Centenario Gold Corp. (CTG:TSX.V), which just went public at the beginning of the month, announced it is starting its first drilling campaign at its Eden project near Cosala, Mexico.

The company plans to drill 1,500 meters over 10 to 12 core holes in a portion of the Buenavista vein-breccia structure that returned assays as high as 239.9 grams per tonne gold (g/t Au) and 1,390 g/t silver (Ag) during surface and underground sampling.

Initial drilling at Eden is expected to last about 30 days, the company said. All logging and sampling will be done at a base camp in Tasajeras, about 30 kilometers from the project.

"The holes are designed to test the down dip extension of the vein-breccia structures along a 400-meter-long portion of the Buenavista corridor," Centenario said in a release. "Drill pads and access to the drill pads are all completed. The Mexican mining authorities have approved the drilling permit, and local community permits and agreements are in good standing."

The project sits in a good neighborhood on the northern border of Prime Mining Corp.'s Los Reyes property. Prime just finished more than 158,000 meters of drilling there and announced an updated multi-million-ounce high-grade open constrained resource.

Los Reyes could give a glimpse of what Centenario can expect at Eden.

"The key elements of our continuing discoveries made over the past two years are the size and scale of the high-grade mineralization," Prime Chief Executive Officer Daniel Kunz said, according to Resource World Magazine. "Ongoing metallurgical test work is confirming the relatively simple, high-recovery nature of the resources."

Centenario's stock was listed on the TSX Venture Exchange on November 1. On its first day, its share price jumped to CA$0.18 per share after completing a private financing of CA$0.15 per share in October for CA$1.8 million.

The Catalyst: Mine Has Good Neighbors

Most of the underground channel rock samples taken at the project have returned high-grade gold and silver results, Centenario said.

The company's exploration team visited and evaluated more than 12 projects before finding the Eden gold-silver property in Mexico's Durango state in 2020. In 2021, the company signed a four-year option agreement to acquire 100% of Eden's mineral rights subject to a 1% net smelter return.

Eden is made up of three adjoining mineral concessions totaling more than 5,600 hectares. According to a National Instrument 43-101 technical report filed in April on Eden by geologist Derrick Strickland, little was known of the area before Centenario's exploration programs, even though 30 kilometers nearby is the historic mining town of Cosala.

"There are numerous old mine workings identified on the property which have been sporadically active, at a small scale," Strickland wrote about Eden.

However, local geography is conducive to big mineral discoveries. "The Eden project is located along the lower western flank of the Sierra Madre Occidental, a prominent north-west-trending volcanic belt that extends from one end of Mexico to the other on the Pacific side of the country," he wrote.

Again, Prime's Los Reyes project could give a glimpse of what to expect. Earlier this year, Prime outlined a new mineral resource estimate (MRE) on the property of an indicated 1.47 million ounces gold equivalent (Moz Au Eq) and an inferred 730,000 ounces Au Eq. The MRE used a cut-off grade of 0.22 g/t Au.

"We are targeting yet another doubling of our mineral resource," Prime Executive Vice President of Exploration Scott Smith said. "Since the MRE year-end drilling cut-off, we have already drilled an additional 20,000 meters at Los Reyes that are not included in today's mineral resource estimate."

Historically, 1 Moz Au and 60 Moz Ag were recovered from five separate mines at Los Reyes between 1770 and 1990, Prime said.

Management: Dozens of Years of Experience

Centenario's management brings a lot of experience to the table, as well.

Chief Executive Officer and Director Alain Charest has made a 30-year career of exploring gold and silver projects in Mexico.

He was the exploration geologist and vice president of exploration for Francisco Gold Corp. and Chesapeake Gold Corp., where he spearheaded the discovery and development of the El Sauzal gold deposit in Chihuahua state, which was mined by Goldcorp.

Charest also participated in the discovery and development of the Marlin deposit in northwest Guatemala.

President and Director Doug Fulcher has over 45 years of mineral exploration experience working with numerous senior and junior mining companies domestically and internationally, both public and private.

Fulcher was the President and CEO of Maritime Resources Corp. from 2014 to 2019, developing the Hammerdown project in Newfoundland. He was the president, CEO, and co-founder of Abacus Mining and Exploration from 2003 until 2010, where he was instrumental in the development of the Afton Ajax project in Kamloops, British Columbia.

'A Darling for Investors?'

Gold has long been "considered a safe-haven asset for retaining its value throughout history" during market uncertainty, Forbes wrote in "Why Gold Is a Good Investment Right Now" in May.

"Gold became a darling for investors in 2020 during the worst pandemic in generations, gaining as much as 40%," Forbes wrote. "Gold has returned 18% over the last three years, 54% over the last five years, and 41% over the last decade. That compares unfavorably to the S&P's 41% three-year return, 51% five-year return, and 156% ten-year return but easily trumps the low- to mid-single-digit returns for other nonequity investments such as government bonds and high-yield savings accounts."

According to a recent Gallup poll, about one-quarter of Americans think gold is the best asset to invest in long-term, its highest level in more than a decade.

Gold was up US$21.60 at US$1,981.40 an ounce on Thursday, compared to US$1,820.20 in October.

Ownership and Share Structure

Centenario said about 7.4 million, or 18.5%, of its 40 million shares are owned by insiders and management. The rest is in retail.

Top shareholders include Charest with 1.83 million shares or 4.58%, Fulcher with 1.25 million shares or 3.13%, Jackie Cheung with 850,000 shares or 2.13%, and Fang Qiong Joanne Yan with 850,000 shares or 2.13%, according to Reuters.

There are currently about 10.6 million shares held in escrow, which will be released over the next 36 months, and 1.5 million shares held in escrow to be released over the next 18 months, the company said.

Centenario has a market cap of about CA$6 million with 40 million shares outstanding, the company said. It trades in a 52-week range of CA$0.18 and CA$0.10.

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Source: Timothy Lee

November 21, 2023 (Investorideas.com Newswire) The Canadian company is making progress in this regard such that Q4/23 numbers should improve, noted a Red Cloud Securities report.

Silver X Mining Corp. (AGX:TSX.V) missed Q3/23 estimates for production after halting it temporarily but since the restart, has been ramping operations back up aggressively, reported Red Cloud Securities analyst Timothy Lee in a November 15 research note.

"We view the recovery of operational performance towards the [quarter's] end positively as important metrics such as grade and throughput are approaching levels seen in Q3/22 and Q4/22 before operational issues affected H1/23 earnings," Lee wrote. "This bodes well for future performance."

240% Gain Implied

As such, Red Cloud maintained its CA$0.85 per share target price on the Canadian silver miner, its current price of about CA$0.25 per share, noted Lee.

The gap between these two prices reflects a significant yield for investors of 240%.

Silver X remains a Buy.

Q2 Production Down

Silver X stopped production at its Nueva Recuperada operation in Peru for most of Q3/23 for a "strategic operational reset to deal with issues such as grade variability," explained Lee.

Due to that downtime, production during the quarter came in below Red Cloud's forecast and below that of previous quarters.

Specifically, total Q3/23 production was 95,373 ounces of silver equivalent (95,373 oz of Ag eq) versus Red Cloud's estimate of 143,240 oz of Ag eq. Also, Q3/23 production was 62% lower quarter over quarter (QOQ) and 74% lower year over year (YOY).

During Q3/23, Silver X processed 15,700 tons (15.7 Kt) of ore, lower than Red Cloud's projection of 20 Kt and down QOQ and YOY, 56% and 49%, respectively.

Turning It Around

Lee highlighted that Silver X restarted Nueva Recuperada operations on September 19 and since, has made a concerted effort to ramp production back up to previous levels. It is making progress.

"With the reported recovery in throughput, production figures for Q4/23 and beyond should improve," Lee purported.

In the 45 days since the restart (between September 19 and November 3), the company processed 230,444 oz of Ag eq, much more than the 121,000 oz (121 Koz) it processed in Q3/23.

Also, since September 19, the average head grade was 304.25 grams per ton (304.25 g/t) Ag eq, Lee noted, nearing the 369 g/t Ag eq achieved in Q4/22. This is positive but may not be accurate, Lee pointed out, because Silver X used stockpiled material when it resumed milling operations.

"The full effects of the new mine scheduling protocol at Nueva Recuperada on head grades remain to be confirmed," the analyst wrote.

Looking Forward

Now, for Q4/23, Red Cloud estimates Silver X will produce 179 Koz of Ag eq and process 25 Kt at Nueva Recuperada, Lee relayed.

Further, the investment firm forecasts that by Q4/24, one year later, production and processing will have more than doubled, reaching 430 Koz and 60 Kt of Ag eq, respectively.

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Source: Streetwise Reports

November 21, 2023 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Silver X Mining Corp. releases operational results from the third quarter. One analyst said the numbers bode "well for future performance."

Silver X Mining Corp. (AGX:TSX.V) announced it has successfully processed 230,444 ounces of silver equivalent (Ag Eq) in 45 days after resuming mining operations at its Nueva Recuperada project in Central Peru.

The company has released operational results from the third quarter, ending September 30, 2023.

It reported upgrading its operations and protocols to optimize production at the site before the resumption, planning to target areas on the Nueva Recuperada Project determined to have a higher likelihood of mineralizing.

"We view the recovery of operational performance towards the end positively as important metrics such as grade and throughput are approaching levels seen in Q3/22 and Q4/22," wrote Red Cloud Securities analyst Timothy Lee in an updated research note. "This bodes well for future performance, and we look forward to the release of financial results for Q3/23 and Q4/23 to see if the optimization measures have resulted in favorable cost metrics as well."

Silver X saw an average head grade of 304.25 grams per tonne Ag Eq since the resumption of the operations which "is approaching the 369 g/t AgEq average head grade achieved in Q4/22," noted Lee, who rated the stock a Buy with a target price of CA$0.85 per share.

The company said it processed 90,303 ounces Ag Eq in September and 140,050 ounces Ag Eq in October 2023.

"Our team is doing an outstanding job in increasing production steadily and safely," said Chief Executive Officer Jose Garcia. "We count now on a more robust mine schedule and have built stronger alliances with our local community and strategic partners."

Total processed metal was reduced to 120,915 ounces Ag Eq during the quarter due to the temporary halt of operations in July and August 2023, the company said.

"With the reported recovery in throughput, production figures for Q4/23 and beyond should improve," Lee noted.

Silver X said its monthly metal throughput was back to its previous levels from Q3 and Q4 in 2022.

"We continue to forge ahead in increasing throughput in Q4 2023 and in successfully delivering to our shareholders our plans to build a prolific silver district in central Peru," Garcia said.

The Catalyst: Possible Return of More Than 260%

Lee's target price would be a potential return of more than 260% for investors on the stock. In an earlier research report, the analyst noted Silver X has a number of positive factors working in its favor, including the renewed operations at Nueva Recuperada and a new chief operating officer, Freddy Mayor Zavellos, who was a founding member.

Technical Analyst Clive Maund also reported on the company in June and rated it as a "Strong Speculative Buy" for potential investors.

"Bullish factors to observe are how volume has declined to a relatively low level which shows the lack of interest characteristic of a bottom, the Accumulation line holding up well overall relative to price, the price well below a still rising 200-day moving average, which is a measure of how oversold it is, and how the MACD has been creeping higher all this month as downside momentum drops out," Maund wrote.

Silver X's more than 20,000-hectare Nueva Recuperada Silver District in Central Peru produces silver, gold, lead, and zinc from the district's Tangana Mining Unit.

Mining has taken place in the area since the 16th century, and the plant has been in operation for 60 years. Historically, about 200 million ounces (Moz) Ag Eq has been produced within a 30-kilometer radius, the company said.

The company has a number of catalysts on the horizon, including drilling on the Plata project and an Environmental and Social Impact Statement (ESIA).

Silver Is an Important Ingredient of Clean Energy

Nature's most conductive element, silver is used to coat electrical contacts in computers, phones, cars, and appliances - it's not just for jewelry. It's also an important element in solar technology.

"Silver is not only a precious metal, but also an industrial metal," Sankar Sharma, chief executive officer of Risk Reward Return, told CBS News. "Silver is used in medical applications, solar panels, batteries, nuclear reactors, semiconductors, touch screens, and more."

The World Silver Survey 2023, published by the Silver Institute, said there was a 237.7 Moz deficit between supply and demand for the precious metal in 2022. This deficit was expected to be repeated in 2023, the institute said.

"Mined output over the longer term, four to five years out, is forecast to begin to decline," the report said. "This will be due to losses from grade decline and reserve depletion at existing operations exceeding the new production that is expected to come online from the current project pipeline."

Newsletter writer Rick Mills of Ahead of the Herd has noted that "to satisfy future demands, it's clear that more silver mines must be developed to reverse this trend. The focus has to be on promising silver explorers and mine developers that could contribute to the future supply chain."

Ownership and Share Structure

Reuters' breakdown of the company's ownership and share structure shows management and insiders owning 17.12% of the company. According to Reuters, chairman Jose Maria Garcia Jimenez owns 8.40% of the company with 13.99 million shares, Vice President Sebastian Wahl owns 7.85% with 13.05 million shares, executive chairman Luis Zapata owns 0.50% with 0.84 million shares, director Michael Hoffman owns 0.24% with 0.40 million shares, director Darryl S. Cardey owns 0.09% with 0.16 million shares, and CFO Ronald Anibal Marino Sanchez owns 0.06% with 0.10 million shares.

Institutions own 19.69% of the company, Reuters said. Baker Steel Resources Trust Ltd. owns 11.71% with 19.50 million shares, US Global Investors Inc., owns 5.02% with 8.36 million shares, Earth Resource Investment Group owns 1.85% with 3.08 million shares, and Sprott Asset Management LP owns 1.11% with 1.85 million shares.

Reuters reports that there are 166.58 million shares outstanding, with 118.69 million free-float traded shares.

The company has a market cap of CA$37.48 million and trades in a 52-week range of CA$0.17 and CA$0.475.

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Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investing involves risk and possible losses. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. Contact management and IR of each company directly regarding specific questions.

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Nursing home group Aperee Living is to be taken over by a group of investors headed by its former chief executive following months of turmoil which has seen the registration of three of its facilities cancelled.

Aperee Living operates seven nursing homes in Ireland. However, in recent months, the companys homes in Ballygunner in Co. Waterford, Belgooly in Co. Cork, and Callan in Co. Kilkenny had their registration cancelled following inspections by the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa).

The homes in Waterford and Cork were closed while Hiqa directed the HSE to take over the Kilkenny home. The deal to take over Aperee Living includes these three sites as well as the partially completed site in Glanmire and the Rochestown site in Corkwhich has full planning for a 100-bed nursing home and 47 independent living units.

Paul Kingston, who served as chief executive of Aperee Living up to June 2022, is leading the consortium to take over the ailing nursing home group. Mr Kingston said he and his investors are fully committed to providing the highest standards of care to all residents at the nursing homes we have acquired.

We are very much looking forward to engaging with all our Directors of Nursing and their clinical teams, as well as meeting with residents and their families to ensure we deliver a best in class service in the nursing home sector, he said.

David OShea, the outgoing director of the company and last remaining shareholder, said he is delighted that the acquisition has been finalised which he believes will bring stability and growth to Aperee Living going forward.

According to Hiqa, inspectors at the Callan nursing home found that residents money was used for running the centre, and highlighted chronic staff shortages and fire safety risks.

Inspectors did acknowledge that residents health, social care and spiritual needs were well catered for.

In the Ballygunner facility, Hiqa found that governance and management systems in place in the centre were not stable and not clearly defined. There were also significant concerns about the availability of sufficient resources to ensure the effective delivery of care.

Belgooly

Aperee's Belgooly nursing home was closed earlier this year, forcing over 50 residents to find new homes.

The company said at the time that a review had found that there was uncertainty as to the long term viability of the home, along with infrastructural restrictions at the property.

It has been the subject of damning Hiqa reports in relation to fire safety issues.

Aperee confirmed on Tuesday that the Belgooly site is part of the sale, and in response to questions from the Irish Examiner, it said the new owners will carry out an assessment in the weeks ahead with a view deciding on its use.

Cork South West-based Fine Gael Senator Tim Lombard, who had criticised Aperees handling of the Belgooly closure, described the sale of the group as positive news but he sounded several notes of caution.

We need assurances that the company taking over is financially viable and has enough financial firepower behind it secure all the sites and bring them up to a suitable standard, he said.

A range of compliance issues specifically in relation to the Belgooly site were raised in Hiqa reports, and the company needs to ensure that these issues are dealt here, and elsewhere across the entire chain, if required.

There was a lot of chaos and uncertainty in relation to the Belgooly facility in the last few weeks of its operation.

This was home to over 50 residents, and the way its closure was handled caused great upset to them, to the staff, and in the wider community.

A lot of the families have unfortunate memories of the last few weeks there, about the uncertainty, the lack of communications, and many are upset at how they were treated.

I would be surprised if any of those who had to move out would move back in. Its a real uphill battle for this new nursing home group to restore that confidence.
Contracting Plus, the parent company of new specialist broker, Mortgage Navigators has announced plans to create 100 new jobs in the next three years in response to "strong growth" in Ireland's specialist financial services.

Founded in 2022 by Chairman, Michael Dineen, Contracting Plus is an Irish-owned professional services firm. The company offers accounting, tax and advisory services to independent professional contractors, with divisions in Cork, London, and India, along with its Dublin headquarters.

The firm has also recently opened a new mortgage advisory firm at Cork Airport Business Park, with chairman, Mr Dineen adding that Mortgage Navigators would "smooth the route for self-employed contractors."

Currently employing more than 150 people, Mr Dineen said its plans to create 100 more jobs followed strong growth in the independent contractors' segment in Ireland, adding that, "Demand for professional contractors is a feature of evolving labour markets internationally, and Irelands talented independent professionals help attract the multi-national corporations and FDI here, as well as supporting indigenous R&D and business innovation.

Headed by Margaret Barrett, previously with Bank of Ireland, the new arm of the business will expand into insurance next year following approval as an intermediary by the Central Bank.

Speaking on the company, Ms Barrett said, "Getting a mortgage as a professional contractor in Ireland should not be any different to an employees or a business owners mortgage assessment."

"Contracted project managers or professional contractors sometimes do not fit neatly into the expectations lenders have. So, despite higher earnings, quite often, and more demand for their services, a different approach to borrowing may be needed.

"The job is to ensure the contractor is presented a cost-effective borrowing route, based on their individual needs."
Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary brushed off an investigation by Italy's competition agency into the pricing of the low-cost carrier's flights as a "joke", blaming Italy's populist leadership.

"It's just Italian politics," he told reporters at a news conference held in Portugal's capital Lisbon. "You have a bunch of populists running around in Italy... it's what populist politicians do."
THIS week, I finally remembered to register JJs birth - just in the nick of time before I ended up in jail.

I was sitting in my bath of money last week counting my 100 notes when I suddenly realised something was missing. Yes, that sweet, sweet childrens allowance was nowhere to be seen. I checked everywhere - under the soap and behind the shampoo - before remembering I had to officially announce JJs arrival before the megabucks came my way.

Step one in registering the child involved finding a friend with a working printer. In a scene distinctly reminiscent of when my brother would loiter around a neighbours sitting room in the hope of having a go on their Nintendo, I conjured up a reason to visit a friend who I knew wasnt short on inkjets before casually dropping in my need for speed and the real cause for my call.

You havent registered his birth? she asks, aghast. Julie, what have you been doing these last three months?

I feel it isnt the time to be honest and say I have been catching up on Selling Sunset. Instead, I take my printed registration of birth form and run. To be fair, she could probably guess I have been bingeing on the reality real-estate show over these last few months, given that I had just referred to a three-bed semi-detached priced at 500,000 as an absolute steal.

Nipping home I quickly fill out the birth registration form and still feel myself blushing when I write comedian under my occupation because it still feels like notions all these years later. Bundling JJ into the car seat I leave my husband with the important task of paying an electricity bill. With that, we hit the road - JJ in the back and me driving, because thats how the law works.

Registering JJ meant heading to Killarney, and I relished the chance to embark on a day trip to the big city. Im not sure if youre familiar with the Dingle to Killarney commute, but it is basically the M50 with better signage. It mostly involves passing through a place called Keel, a townland that never ends and, much like the Bermuda Triangle, nobody can really prove it exists.

When we arrive at our destination, the main street of Killarney is like downtown Manhattan.

JJ and I stare up at the tall buildings, some of which are a whole three stories. Clutching my boy tight, I tell him to watch his bum bag because were not in Kansas anymore.

We arrive at the civil registry office, a place I havent been to since myself and his presumed father got hitched in 2021. I regale JJ with tales of how a pandemic and a massive storm were no doubt signs from the universe not to marry my current husband, but I chose to ignore these warnings from God and pursue the union nonetheless.

After a brief wait outside, were ushered in. And upon rechecking our details, I am suddenly doubting myself - is the name JJ befitting of the little guy? But theres no time for second-guessing as he decides to shout the house down. It is Murphys Law that your child will remain quiet up to when you need them to be quiet.

Thankfully, much like fast food workers met with late-night customers slurring, Can I get extra garlic sauce? the office staff are unfazed by JJs crying, and within minutes the cert is in my hands.

On the drive back, I realise this is the first time JJ and I have never gone anywhere, just the two of us, and I promise to conjure up another reason to escape the house very soon. Like Julian Assange, I have mostly been under house arrest these last few months, only I have done so minus the help from the Ecuadorian embassy.

When we land home, I show my husband the birth certificate. Johnny James Cooke is officially in the building.

Theres just one mistake, he says.

My heart sinks. Oh no, what?

Well, it says here youre - a comedian.

His delivery is so deadpan it takes a minute for the joke to register, but when it does, we both fall around laughing at his playful jibe.

We are still laughing when I ask him if he paid the utility bill, and the answer is a sheepish no. And that is the story of how we ended up minus electricity.

As I write this by oil lamp, feathered quill in hand, and pigeon carrier at the ready, I can only hope you receive this update on my parental status. On the plus side, our lack of power means, for the first time, that I have a legitimate reason not to be getting back to emails, though not being able to watch Selling Sunset is still a big price for a bedraggled mammy to pay.
SHE thought there was something wrong with her when she didnt instantly love her son. Many told her its the most magical time, giving birth, or at least your babys safe and sound. But this mum  responding to a survey undertaken by the Parent-Infant Foundation in Britain  found not everyone feels like that straightaway.

The survey of over 1,000 women, who had given birth in the last five years, ran for six weeks earlier this year in support of Infant Mental Health Awareness Week. It found that more than one in 10 women struggled to bond with their baby in the first few weeks after birth.

Dr Freda Wynne, senior clinical psychologist with the specialist perinatal mental health team in Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH), says it is not unusual for a mum not to bond immediately with their baby. Its not always a rush of love and it doesnt come easily to all parents. It is common to have feelings of indifference towards our baby, or an is this all feeling.

Wynne says for some, bonding can begin in pregnancy and continue straight through  the British survey found that 56% started to bond during pregnancy. For others, it starts straight away [after birth], and for others again it can take a few weeks or longer. Feelings of warmth and love can take time. Its a process.

Dr Anne-Marie Casey, senior clinical psychologist at Childrens Health Ireland (CHI) Crumlins paediatric psychology department, says the terms bonding and attachment are sometimes used interchangeably but points out there are subtle differences between them. Bonding is what the parent feels for the infant  its the parent bit. Attachment is the emotional connection that develops between parent and infant  its the both bit.

Bonding is important, she says, because it helps parents feel connected to their newborn. Most parents find the feelings towards their infant develop within the first week of birth, but some can struggle with the bond.

And while there can be a collectively held view that youll feel love and immense joy from the moment you set eyes on your baby, Casey points to other British research from the National Childbirth Trust that found up to 32% of new mothers have difficulties bonding with their baby. She cites even earlier research that found 40% of first-time mothers and 25% of second-time mothers feel indifferent to their babies.

Were living in a world of perfect and instant everything. But although this has been a relationship developing over nine months, relationships take time to nurture. Like all relationships, it takes time to get to know your baby.

Dr Anne-Marie Casey, senior clinical psychologist at Childrens Health Ireland (CHI) Crumlins paediatric psychology department

Reach out for help

There can be many reasons why a new mother might struggle to bond with her baby. Casey points to some of these: If the new mum had a C-section or there was some separation between parent and infant early on; if the infant spent time in the neonatal intensive care unit (Nicu); was born early or with a congenital difficulty; or if the mother experienced birth trauma.

One mum who responded to the Parent-Infant Foundation survey said: I really struggled to bond with my first baby after a week-long horror show of a labour. He was in Nicu for a week. Which was very difficult, especially as it was the height of covid.

Additional factors that can make bonding difficult for a new parent include having mental health difficulties (for example, postpartum depression or anxiety), multiple stressors in their life, if they themselves havent had good caregiving experiences as a child, previous traumas or previous fertility/pregnancy losses. These can all be compounded by societal pressures on new parents  and unrelenting expectations on those transitioning to become parents, says Casey.

Becoming a parent is demanding of your time, one mother told the British survey: It often leaves people grieving their old life pre-baby. And that can be triggering to feel detached, or to feel easily triggered by the challenges of parenthood.

If a mum feels she is not connecting with her baby  and if she has an inflated sense of anxiety, guilt, worry, isolation, making her feel even further disconnected from her baby  and if she feels hopeless about the potential bond, Casey says these are warning signs to reach out for support. Its estimated that one in 10 new mothers feel embarrassed to speak to someone when theyre struggling to bond with their baby, but the message is do not feel alone. Try not to worry or overthink it. These feelings are more common than you think.

Some mums who participated in the survey wanted to see more openness about bonding difficulties. I just think it should be discussed  the possibility that you might not bond immediately but that that is okay, said one.

The good news, says Casey, is that caring for your baby helps create the bond. That love and joy, the feeling of this baby is mine, comes from the most mundane of tasks. You expect love to come out of a joyous thing  but its from that tender, task-oriented care that it emerges.

In the doing of these tasks, Casey urges parents to pay attention to the cues their baby is sending. The babys behaviour is its language. How is it speaking to you?

Delight for parents can come when they realise how adeptly the baby has communicated I liked this or disliked that.

All of these tasks of parenting an infant  like bathing, feeding  can help build an emotional connection with the baby. This bond [grows] into an attachment, where the babys capacities develop to reciprocate the care and love, and the emotional connection is enhanced.

Positive feelings will come if intention is there

Wynne says when you consider the transition to parenthood it is not surprising that a mum might not initially feel connected. Theres so much to adapt to in those early weeks, so much going on and to get used to.

Whats important is that the parent has an intention to connect with their baby  even in the absence of any lovely feelings. When were holding our baby close, cuddling our baby, really trying to develop the relationship and getting to know our baby, were hoping through that the [happy lovely] feelings will emerge.

If the intention to connect is there, Wynne says opportunities for connecting arise all the time. In those everyday interactions  feeding, changing, bathing, talking to baby about what were doing, tuning in and looking for the ways theyre interacting, and responding to those cues. Engaging in these activities is great for baby, but also sets up the conditions for feelings of connection to develop for mum.

The feelings may not be there initially but its through these interactions that, over time, they come [because] things can start to develop emotionally between mum and baby  the way your baby looks at you when you feed her. The first smiles can make you smile.

For mums concerned about their bond with their baby, connecting with a trusted friend or family member can be an important first step in acknowledging their feelings and getting some support, says Casey. Speaking to your local public health nurse can be a vital step too. They can link you in with peer support, feeding, and new parent groups. And speak to your GP or primary care centre if you feel the lack of bond is getting in the way of looking after your infant or yourself.

Wynne points out that the perinatal mental health team sees women during pregnancy and up to one year after childbirth. We have a specialist mental health midwife who often meets women struggling with bonding.

Ideas abound that new parenthood is a very happy time. Whereas in reality, its more of a balance between happy and more difficult moments. Thats probably more realistic but it isnt often talked about much, says Wynne.

And bonding is a process, she says, which may occur as a powerful moment or experience  or as lots of little moments of connection that over time build the bond.
Brighten up dark winter days with these colourful jumpers from Sully and Juno. Founded by mums Gillian White Duggan and Nina Shelton in 2021, this Irish clothing brand designs bright childrens clothes that accommodate all sensory needs.

Each item of clothing  leggings, sweaters, hoodies, T-shirts, and romper suits  comes with a sensory profile. Before buying, you can find out how the garment fits, whether the fabric is lightweight or heavyweight, the type of material used and how it feels against the skin. You can check if there are tags, buttons or zips to ensure your child will be comfortable in these clothes.

Our favourite is this rainbow jumper, which can be customised with a childs name. Its available from sullyandjuno.ie from 32.

Wonders of the Wild, by Eanna Ni Lamhna

Nature questions answered

If your kids enjoy learning new facts about plants and animals, they will surely be riveted by a new book by biologist, radio and TV presenter and wildlife enthusiast Eanna Ni Lamhna. With illustrations by the award-winning Brian Fitzgerald Wonders of the Wild will inspire them to open their eyes to the amazing plants and animals that live in the natural world that surrounds us.

If you or your children have ever asked why rabbits eat their poo, why frogs dont drown when they hibernate at the bottom of the pond for months, or why some sea life glows in the dark, this is the book for you.

Its for sale in all bookshops and online from 19.99.

Stem exhibition

STEM South West is back for its fifth year, taking over Cork City Hall from 4pm to 8pm on Wednesday, November 22. The annual expo brings together Irelands leading technological, pharmaceutical, and engineering companies to stage an exhibition to inspire young minds and inform them of the possibilities a career in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) offers.

The organisers want to show that STEM subjects are the bedrock of many careers in areas as diverse as health, climate change, housing, computing, and energy. This is why they have organised this free event and invite secondary school students, their parents and teachers to attend.

STEM South West will feature a host of technology demonstrations showing Stem products and systems in action as well as career talks, expert panels, question and answer sessions, fun competitions and spot prizes. Professionals who work in STEM will also be on hand throughout the evening to provide insight into its many opportunities.

Tickets need to be booked in advance through eventbrite.ie

Further information is available from stemsouthwest.ie

Little Lou Cooks. Pic: Nathalie Marquez Courtney.

Time-saving cooking

Lou Robbie of @littleloucooks on Instagram and TikTok wants to take the stress out of preparing kids lunchboxes.

The professionally trained cook is a strong advocate of homemade food and, over the years, has built up a repertoire of homemade snacks that are perfect for school lunches. On her social media channels, where she has more than 50,000 followers, she demonstrates how to make these recipes and encourages parents to batch cook and freeze snacks so they can be defrosted overnight and popped into lunchboxes in the morning.

Her most popular snacks include mini scones, muffins, nut-free energy bars and easy oat bars. All with the approval of her two primary school-aged kids. By following her tips, we could save time on busy mornings.
Both Revenue and DPD have issued warnings ahead of Black Friday, urging the public to be wary of "attractively low" prices and scammers.

This weekend will be one of the busiest shopping weekends of the entire year, as shops and online retailers slash prices on products, with thousands taking advantage of 'Black Friday' and 'Cyber Monday' sales.

However, in a year which has seen a large majority targeted by at least one scammer, consumers are being warned to be alert.

Revenue note that while goods advertised online may seem "attractively low", there is a good reason for that.

"This may be because tax and duty has not been included in the price advertised, or because the goods may be counterfeit."

Customs duties and import Vat charges do not apply when ordering goods from Ireland or other EU countries online.

However, almost all goods arriving from non-EU countries will be liable to import tax and duties.

A Revenue spokesperson explained: "Consumers also need to remember that parcel operators typically charge a separate administration fee. Where the price advertised is not inclusive of these costs, additional charges may apply once the goods arrive in Ireland."

Maureen Dalton, Head of Revenues South East Frontier Management Branch, advised: "All goods will be liable to Vat, whilst goods with a customs value of more than 150 will be liable to both Customs Duty and Vat.

This means, for example, that an item of clothing bought online from the US or UK, at an equivalent cost of 250, could cost in the region of 97 extra for Customs Duty, Vat, insurance, and handling fees.

On top of the issues surrounding Vat and customs, Revenue are also highlighting how scammers can lure people in via a fake link.

They explained: "An .ie domain name does not necessarily mean that the seller is based in Ireland. Shoppers can check where a business is based by reading through the About, Contact us and Terms and Conditions sections of its website.

During the course of 2022, Revenue seized counterfeit goods worth almost 5.8 million.

Commenting on the risks associated with counterfeit goods, Ms Dalton cautioned: "Imitation brand clothing, runners, handbags and mobile devices are among the counterfeit goods most commonly seized by Revenue.

When shopping online, shoppers should be mindful that some deals are too good to be true, and what looks like a good decision to buy can ultimately be an expensive, or even dangerous one.

Meanwhile, DPD Ireland has issued a warning to customers purchasing online to be cautious in the lead-up to the busiest online shopping period of the year.

Chief Executive of DPD Ireland, Des Travers, said: "The industry is aware of the increased number of fraudulent scams by text and email that target our customers, purporting to be from us or other parcel delivery companies and we ask all shoppers to be extra vigilant.

"DPD Ireland will never request payment over the phone, by text or email regarding re-deliveries. The exception is when Vat or excise duty needs to be paid and you will receive an official email from us advising of same.

The company reported its busiest night of the year last Wednesday and expects the numbers to increase from now on.

Mr Travers said: "The volume is projected to exceed last year while we continue to maintain a service level in excess of 99%. Planning, staffing and routing details have been underway for months in preparation for the busiest time of the year."
The Palestinian ambassador to Ireland has said those who were evacuated from Gaza this weekend will be looked after.

Dr Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid was in Dublin airport on Sunday night awaiting the arrival of second group of Irish citizens who have fled the war.

There were highly emotional scenes at Terminal 1 when two young children, whose mother was killed in an Israeli airstrike, were reunited with their father.

Khalid el-Estal was working abroad when his wife was killed and his brother brought the children Ali, 4, and Sara, 1, to Dublin with the help of the Irish Government.

As she awaited the flight from Cairo, Dr Wahba Abdalmajid thanked the Irish people for their help.

She said: Im here today to welcome them. I know some of them. I know that they have families here but whatever we can do, it will not take any effort to help our Palestinians here. I know they are Irish, but they are Palestinian originally.

So we will not spare any effort to help.

A Palestinian woman reacts as people inspect the damage following Israeli strikes on Rafah, on the southern Gaza Strip, on Monday. Picture: Mohammed Abed/AFP via Getty Images

The ambassador also thanked the Irish Government and said: I know the effort they put to bring them here I know that wasnt an easy mission.

But I know there as well will be some kind of arrangements we didnt talk about this yet, it was last-minute that we knew they would arrive safe.

Im sure Ireland will put more effort to help and Im sure the Palestinians will too and not spare any effort to help."

A man carries a child injured in an Israeli strike on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on Monday. Picture: Mahmud Hams/AFP via Getty Images

Dr Wahba Abdalmajid also referenced those who are still in Palestine and said more effort needed to be made from countries around the world to stop the war.

Since October 7, when they attacked the schools and hundreds of civilians, defenceless people were killed in cold blood.

Yesterday, something exploded in our hearts and minds, and I think the only way I have words to say, its enough. I mean you should stop this war. Its not normal to attack normal civilians.

This is shameful. Im sorry to say this word but this is failure of international community. This is really a failure of humanity as well. I want to raise my voice from here in Ireland to the whole world.

"I think its enough. It is enough, the killing of the Palestinians, enough killing of innocent people."

One 19-year-old broke down in tears after he arrived in Dublin with his mother and young siblings.

Mazen Haia, 19, a computer engineering student at the Islamic University of Gaza said he would sleep on the streets if he had to.

It is very difficult, now I dont know how my life will continue, he said. We left our father to die and my cousin, I dont know how our lives will continue after that.

"They bombed our university, they bombed schools, they bombed our houses; we were all praying to get out. We were told to get out of our houses.

There were dead bodies when we were walking, animals, donkeys. We left everything.

"I only have some clothes, only this, we dont have any money now, I dont know how our life will continue. I cant imagine."
New proposals to repeal archaic censorship laws are due to come before Cabinet today.

Justice Minister Helen McEntee will seek Cabinet approval to draft legislation that would allow for the Censorship of Publications Act to be repealed.

Under the proposals, books and periodicals banned by the Censorship Board, which was established in 1930, will be removed from the existing register of banned literature.

However, it is understood that some books, which contain criminal material, will remain banned under separate legislation.

Ms McEntee is proposing the repeal as there are existing provisions in place to deal with the circulation, possession, and publication of illegal materials.

It would also not prevent the prosecution of individuals for possessing or publishing child abuse material or threatening material.

Since the Censorship of Publications Board came into effect, more than 12,000 books and periodicals have been banned.

Ireland has received criticism internationally due to its censorship laws, with reviews being undertaken by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Also at Cabinet today, Transport Minister Eamon Ryan is due to seek approval to accelerate the development of the Adare Bypass in Co Limerick.

It comes after three judicial reviews against the road project were withdrawn earlier this year.

It is understood the plan to accelerate the development of the bypass is to ensure that it is complete ahead of the Ryder Cup, to be held in Adare Manor in 2027.

The bypass is one element of the 33km Limerick to Foynes project which is due to connect the port with motorways near Limerick City.

Housing Minister Darragh OBrien is to seek Cabinet approval to expand the voting franchise for the Seanad, with the creation of a new six-seat Higher Education constituency.

This constituency would replace the existing NUI and University of Dublin constituencies, where at present only people who graduated from Trinity College or a National University of Ireland college, including UCC or UCD, can vote

The change would allow any graduate over the age of 18 who holds a degree from a designated higher education institution to vote for candidates in the new Higher Education constituency.

A referendum to extend voting rights to all third-level graduates passed by 92% in 1979, but no reform took place. In more recent years, a series of legal challenges were undertaken, with the Supreme Court ruling in March that the Government needed to enact the referendum result.

Additionally, Tanaiste and Defence Minister Micheal Martin is to update Cabinet ahead of the publication of the Implementation Plan for the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces.

The implementation plan is due to set out the overall timetable for delivering on recommendations within the report.
A legal challenge to the British governments new laws to deal with the legacy of the Troubles is due to begin on Tuesday.

High Court judge Mr Justice Colton will hear the case at the Royal Courts of Justice in Belfast.

The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act received British royal assent in September despite widespread opposition from political parties, victims organisations in Northern Ireland and the Irish government.

Aspects of the laws include a limited form of immunity from prosecution for Troubles-related offences for those who co-operate with the new Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR).

The new Act will also halt future civil cases and legacy inquests.

Multiple Troubles victims and family members launched judicial reviews to challenge aspects of the Act.

Martina Dillon, wife of murdered hotel doorman Seamus Dillon (Paul Faith/PA)

Mr Justice Colton has directed that the lead case will be a joint submission brought by Martina Dillon, John McEvoy and Linda McManus.

Ms Dillons husband Seamus was shot dead outside the Glengannon Hotel in Dungannon on December 27, 1997. An inquest into his death has opened.

Mr McEvoy narrowly escaped being killed in the loyalist gun attack on the Thierafurth Inn in Kilcoo, Co Down, in 1992. The High Court has previously ruled there has not been in effective investigation into the attack in which another man, Peter McCormack, was killed.

Ms McManus is the daughter of James McManus, who was injured in a gun attack on the Sean Graham Bookmakers on the Ormeau Road, Belfast, in 1992. She has issued a civil claim seeking damages.

Ms Dillon said: Truth and justice are not too much to ask, we shouldnt have to fight for decades to get it.

Victims have been shamefully ignored; we did not want this law.

We want answers about what happened to our loved ones, and we want accountability.

I fight this oppressive legislation in my husbands memory and in solidarity with other victims having their rights denied.

Grainne Teggart from Amnesty International UK (Liam McBurney/PA)

Grainne Teggart, Amnesty International UKs Northern Ireland deputy director, said: This case has significant implications, not just in the UK but internationally.

We have repeatedly warned about the concerning precedent which could be set by this legislation which provides a blueprint for letting state forces and armed groups off with murder and other serious crimes.

The hearing will take place at the Royal Courts of Justice in Belfast (Liam McBurney/PA)

Mr Justice Colton has previously said challenges to the Act will focus on a number of areas, including the establishment of the ICRIR, the cessation of police investigations, the cessation of inquests and civil proceedings and the potential immunity from prosecution.

However, he said the courts primary focus would be the argument that sections of the Act are incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights.

The hearing is expected to last at least five days.
A 76-year-old man growing and smoking cannabis all his life had a two-year sentence suspended on multiple counts of cultivating the illegal drug at his home in West Cork  but he plans to grow it again.

A condition of the suspension of the sentence is that David Walton, of Kilnaspogh, Skibbereen, Co Cork, keeps the peace for 12 months and does not grow cannabis during that period.

As he left the dock at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, he said to Judge Helen Boyle: Simply speaking, I will grow cannabis next year.

Judge Boyle explained the condition of the suspension of the two-year sentence to Mr Walton who has a long beard, long white hair and wore a colourful woven poncho.

Judge Boyle said: You have to not grow cannabis for 12 months.

Mr Walton replied: There is no chance Ma'am.

Before the suspended sentence was imposed, Mr Walton had predicted he would get a prison sentence and was pleading with the judge not to jail him.

Im a softie, please just leave me alone. I havent hurt anyone. We are so peaceful. I have respect for the court I am a passionate man, he said.

Representing himself in court, he said he joined the Merchant Navy as a younger man and everyone in that line smoked cannabis at the time.

I am guilty but I dont take this seriously. Im just a simple guy. Sixty years ago I was first convicted of cultivation, he said.

Detective Garda Shannon Ryan said there were five raids on the home of the accused in 2020 and 2021, and on each visit cannabis plants were being cultivated.

The official valuation of cannabis under cultivation is based on a plant reaching full maturity and having a potential street value of 800. On that basis, the plants seized at his home could have had a potential value of 100,000.

However, the plants were actually very small and if they were to be harvested in the condition in which they were found they would have had a total value  across the five seizures  of no more than 4,000.

Judge Boyle said in her judgment: Mr Walton is a man who lives off the grid. He does not take benefits from the State. He does not believe cannabis should be illegal. He has done some good works, working with American Indians.

He started life in the Merchant Navy when he said they all smoked cannabis. He has lost two brothers. I am sorry.

He smokes cannabis to get relief from gout. He is a pacifist. His father was a conscientious objector and he was treated poorly.

I accepted he does not come to any attention except because of his belief that he should be allowed to cultivate cannabis without intervention. There is a duty on citizens to respect the law.

The judge concluded by finding that it was at the lower end of the scale for such cases and that on the basis of his health and advanced years she would impose a suspended sentence.
The victim of protracted sexual abuse spoke on Tuesday of feeling lonely her whole life as her abuser used to tell her nobody cared for her the way he did.

Now at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, 35-year-old Erik Richardson of no fixed address in West Cork has been jailed by Judge James McCourt for three years on six counts of sexually assaulting the child in a manner described as orchestrated, systematic and protracted.

Detective Garda Linda Lyons testified the injured party made a complaint against the accused on June 14, 2022, stating he sexually her on six occasions when she was aged from six to 12 years old. He was about 10 years older than her.

Questioned on three separate occasions, the defendant admitted what he described as a lot of wrongdoing to her. He accepted what he disclosed to his partner in a phone call from prison was correct. This conversation was recorded and became part of the case.

Erik Richardson also said of the victim when interviewed by gardai about the allegations she had made, that she would not lie.

Now separated from his partner and isolated from his family with the exception of his brother, Erik Richardson said he would give anything if he could turn back the clock and take the offences back.

Defence senior counsel Jane Hyland referred to the defendants nomadic lifestyle. His mother died in tragic accident when he was three. His father was unable to provide stability for him due to alcohol and he lived with his grandparents, Ms Hyland said.

Det Garda Lyons said the accused was previously convicted and sentenced for a sexual assault on another nine-year-old girl.

Ms Hyland said he had been subject to probation supervision and had engaged with the service.

Victim impact statement

The victim, who did not want to be identified but wanted Richardson to be named, delivered her own victim impact statement, struggling with tears as she did so.

It has affected me in every aspect and sense of my being. I do not remember a time in my life when I felt normal. My whole life I had to lie to protect someone who did not deserve protection because I was scared. I feared what would happen, what people would say or think or if people would even believe me.

I feel like the child inside of me is screaming for help and there was nothing I could do It has led to me being in and out of counselling, on and off different anti-anxiety depression tablets, because I felt I could never face the demon I have been carrying around.

I would be in my room wishing  praying to any anyone who was listening  to just let me die in my sleep because if I died in my sleep no one could blame or be angry with me for choosing death.

I would like to say to you, Erik, why did you think it was okay to do this to me and to use me both physically and mentally? I finally got the courage to report this matter, the main reason being, I do not want to afford you the opportunity to hurt anyone else.

Mr Richardson trembled visibly in the dock, worsening as the sentencing progressed to the point where he was staggering around the dock area by the end of the hearing.

Judge McCourt said he had to consider the harm done to the injured party. In mitigation, he said the accused was himself relatively  16 years-old  when this abuse started, ending when he was about 22.

You proffered signed pleas of guilt. At the very least they saved the injured party giving her evidence in chief and then being subject to rigorous cross-examination. You suffered the ignominy and shame and are now isolated from your family.

The nature of the offences on an escalating basis go from indecent to particularly indecent. You spared the injured party having to give graphic evidence of what happened to her.

Having a previous conviction for sexual assault aggravates matters. There was a significant age difference. One cannot underestimate the devastating and traumatic effect on the injured party.

"Fortunately, she is now in a loving relationship. It does not take from the very protracted nature of the abuse by you on a little girl. You do appear to appreciate the gravity of the offences, albeit late in the day.

"You managed to isolate her to take advantage and perpetrated these crimes. All orchestrated by you  systematic and protracted."

- If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please click here for a list of support services.
A man has been arrested in connection with defrauding 15 victims out of more than 275,000 collectively, in a case of romance fraud.

The man, aged in his 40s, was arrested yesterday in the west Dublin area as part of an ongoing Garda investigation into the laundering of the proceeds of romance fraud.
The Indian community in Cork has prepared ambitious plans for a large Indian-Irish cultural centre in Cork City, with a temple and apartments.

This centre, if developed, would be the first of its kind in Ireland.

The news emerged as members of the citys 5,000-strong Indian community gathered in Cork City Hall on Sunday to celebrate Diwali  Indias biggest and most important holiday of the year.

Dancer Bhavana Anand performing at the Diwali festival of lights organised by Cork's Indian community at Cork City Hall. Picture: David Creedon

The festival of light celebrates the triumph of light over darkness and the start of new beginnings for millions of people of the Hindu, Sikh, and Jain faiths.

Rohan, Ira, and Nishita Vedpathak were all smiles at the Diwali festivities at Cork City Hall organised by the city's Indian community. Picture: David Creedon

In India, homes and streets tend to be decorated with small oil lamps called diyas, with the light supposed to help Lakshmi  goddess of wealth and good fortune  find her way into peoples homes.

Ira Jaisingh, Manasvi Laad, Sarika Laad, and Hizza Sheby enjoying the Cork Diwali event. Picture: David Creedon

Homes are cleaned, new clothes are worn, and prayers are said.

Outside their homes, people draw rangolis  traditional designs made using colourful powders  to bring good luck and positivity into their lives.

People also visit friends and family, with sweets, gifts, and good wishes being exchanged.

Finance Minister Michael McGrath with cardiothoracic surgeon Kishore Doddakula and medical officer Vaishali Doddakula at the Diwali celebration at Cork City Hall. Picture: David Creedon

For those Indian people who have made Cork their home, Diwali was celebrated in Cork City Halls concert hall on Sunday, with a major cultural event.

Finance Minister Michael McGrath was among the guests who enjoyed a display of traditional Indian dance, and a performance by Anamika Chatterjee, a finalist in Indian Idol 6.

Kinsal Samlp, Rinki Motla, Megha Bhagat, Sarika Laad, Neetika Sethi, and Praonya Kulkarni were all enjoying the Diwali festivities at City Hall, Cork. Picture: David Creedon

It has emerged that senior figures in the citys Indian community have prepared a detailed vision document, setting out their proposals for the development of an Indian Irish cultural centre, in Cork.

It is hoped that such events could take place there in the future.

Members of the Joan Denise Moriarty School of Dance performed at the Cork Diwali event. Picture: David Creedon

They have presented their document to Cork City Council.

A council spokesman confirmed that preliminary discussions have taken place.

Rati Gupta, Poornima Chaudhary, Tanu Rastogi, and Pooja Nagar enjoying the Cork Diwali event. Picture: David Creedon

It is understood the project, which would have to be self-financed, would include:

A large community hall and play area;

A cultural centre with capacity for 400-people and a performance space;

Short-stay accommodation apartments for Indian students or medics who have arrived in Cork;

And a purpose-built temple.

Kishore Doddakula, a clinical lead and consultant cardiothoracic surgeon at Cork University Hospital (CUH), who is president of the India Eire Cultural Organisation, said they are planning big for the future.

Children from the Rhythm School of Dance at the Diwali festival at Cork City Hall. Picture: David Creedon

When I arrived in Ireland over 25 years ago, there were two mosques and today there are over 55. But there is still no Hindu temple, and there are about 5,000 Indian people living in Cork, he said.

Monika Tibra and Sajan Agarwal having fun at the Diwali festival of lights event at Cork City Hall. Picture: David Creedon

But we would like this facility to be not just a place of worship for Hindus, but a place for all, for cultural exchange where we could learn from each other and share cultures, run Yoga, and teach cooking classes.

The project would require up to five acres. Any development would require a planning application and a grant of planning.
On the 60th anniversary of the assassination of US president John F Kennedy, we delve back into the Irish Examiner archives and relive the day the great man visited Cork just months before he was killed. Here is an adapted version of the Cork Examiner report that appeared in print on June 29, 1963.

The flags have been been furled, the barriers have been taken away, the crowds have gone home. The final curtain has gone down on the biggest spectacle Cork has ever seen  the visit of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, president of the United States of America yesterday (June 28, 1963).

But this exciting day will linger in the memory of every man, woman and child who became part of it.

Cork, through its people, gave President Kennedy the greatest reception in his tour of Ireland  a tour in which every place he visited surpassed even the most optimistic expectation in the magnitude of their welcomes.

President Kennedy pictured on the steps of Cork City Hall during his Irish visit in 1963.

HISTORY HUB If you are interested in this article then no doubt you will enjoy exploring the various history collections and content in our history hub. Check it out HERE and happy reading

Cork, indeed, did President Kennedy proud and its people put on a welcome that is likely to be never surpassed for any great man or woman again.

From the moment his helicopter touched down at Collins Barracks until he left as a freeman of the historic city, from the Corporation playing field, one and a half hours later, it was roses, roses all the way from the citizens to the new citizen.

To say that enthusiasm knew no bounds was just the literal truth for the policemen who manned the barriers found that they could not always hold under control this cheering crowd who wanted to grasp his hand  to give his or her personal welcome to the grandson of an Irish emigrant who become president of the greatest democracy in the world.

And the historic ceremony in the flower-bedecked City Hall will be remembered for its dignity and formality as well as for its enthusiasm.

Cork indeed will remember and President Kennedy will never forget.

President Kennedy arrives in Cork, Collins Barracks.

The air of excitement which pervaded the City Hall made little of the long wait for the 1,000 people who were invited into the auditorium for the formal ceremony for the conferring of the Freedom of the City on the president.

A broadcast announcement that there was a change of plan and that the presidential party was half an hour behind schedule was contradicted almost immediately after it was announced.

The party was absolutely on schedule. The TV cameras were in position, the journalists and photographers were around and about in numbers and all was in readiness for the big occasion.

Crowds ahead of President Kennedy visit to Cork. File picture: Kevin Cummins

Batteries of floodlights revealed the colourful and spectacular scene in all its brilliance. A carpeted platform was erected in front of the stage, which was banked with floral decorations.

In the centre of the table at which the president was to sit with the civic leaders was the silver casket containing the scroll conferring the freedom, a beautiful of Cork craftmanship.

Behind the table, the desks of the members of the Corporation were arranged in a semi-circle. In front of the platform was the centrepiece of the lavish decorations  a floral depiction of the Stars and Stripes, the work of the City Gardner Mr Denis Gallagher.

The Mayor of Limerick, Mrs Francis Condell, was among the huge gathering.

President Kennedy in the crowd in Cork during his visit to Ireland. File picture: Aubrey Hart/Getty Images

Occupying places of honour in the front of the auditorium were the religious heads: the Bishop of Cork and Ross, Most Rev. Dr Lucey, The Bishop of Cloyne, Most Rev Dr Ahern, the Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, Rt. Rev. Dr Perdue, and the Minister of the Cork Hebrew Congregation Rev MM Baddiel.

The Corporation did not forget its own staff, and included among the different sections who were present were the cleaners who had worked so hard in the previous days to prepare the spacious concert hall. Mr M Moroney, B.E., was responsible for the resplendent platform.

Heads and members of the various public bodies, the County Council and its subsidiary committees, high ranking military and garda officers were also present.

Occupying seats near the front were Rt. Rev. Mgr. M. OMahony, pastor of Palm Beach Florida church, where the Kennedy family worship and members of the presidential suite including congressmen.

City Hall Arrival

A roar resounding from outside the City Hall heralded the arrival of the motorcade. Outside, of the quaysides there were tremendous scenes of excitement, for as the presidents open car pulled up outside the entrance of the City Hall, the thousands who had been watching the procession through the centre of the city swarmed to vantage points around the focal point.

President Kennedy of the USA is almost lost among a crowd of well-wishers during his visit to Cork. File picture: Keystone/Getty Images

Within minutes the entire of Lapps Quay, opposite the City Hall, was solidly jammed with wildly-cheering people. Outside the cordons, at either end of City Hall, the people poured in on top of the scores of gardai who stove manfully to prevent them breaking through.

On the rooftops they were perched and on the parapets on both Parnell and Clontarf Bridges, hundreds of men and youths hung precariously. To cope with any possible accidents from such a dangerous situation, lifeguards were in position on boats on the river between the bridges.

Standing ovation

The members of the Corporation, in their scarlet robes, were assembled on the City Hall steps and were introduced by the Lord Mayor to the president. As he made his way through the auditorium, a storm of cheering broke out as the huge attendance rose to its feet to acclaim the distinguished visitor applauding deliriously and waving their American hand flags.

On his way to City Hall, the president was introduced to a group of relatives from West Cork  Richard D Fitzpatrick, Richard P Fitzpatrick and Patrick Fitzpatrick.

President Kennedy speaking at Cork City Hall during his visit to the city in June 1963.

The president greeted them warmly and expressed the hope that he would meet them again before he departed.

The proceedings began formally with the Town Clerk calling the roll of the Corporation members.

The Lord Mayor announced that this was a special meeting of the Corporation convened to confer the Freedom of the City on President Kennedy.

President Kennedy at Cork City Hall with Lord Mayor of Cork Sean Casey. File picture

Meanwhile, the ever-swelling crowds in the vicinity of City Hall were impatiently awaiting the reappearance of the president. They began to chant We want Jack and when they saw the pressmen and photographers rushing out of City Hall they began to push forward and break through the police cordon.

Determined gardai and more determined spectators scrummaged and while the police line held, a number of people succeeded in breaking through. These were amongst the enthusiastic group that mobbed the president who had attended a brief reception in the Lord Mayors room.

St Johns Ambulance Brigade and Red Cross workers treated a number of people who were hurt in the crush.

President Kennedy

The president, in fact, nearly became a casualty. He tripped and fell back on his seat in his car, but quickly regained his feet and continued his now famous gesture of spontaneous hand-shaking as the motorcade made its way to Monaghan Road to reach his helicopter for his return flight to Dublin.
In a world of clashing religiously-driven ideologiesas the Israel-Hamas war is tragically showingthe need for religious freedom and religious tolerance has never been more important.

The latest conflict in the Middle East is driven by religious zealots representing two ideologiesZionism in Israel and Islamism on the Palestinian side in Gaza. And these have taken on a hate-filled, militant, political form.

There is a long, complex and tangled backstory to the present bloody conflict which threatens to escalate into a wider regional warand religion or, more specifically, religious extremism, looms large in this.

The tragic irony is that both Judaism and Islam trace their roots back to the same source, hence their claim to be (along with Christianity) Abrahamic faiths.

In her history of Islam, internationally renowned religious scholar Karen Armstrong reminds readers that both Judaism and Islam claim Abraham as a spiritual ancestor. And his two sons, Jacob and Ismael, were destined to become the fathers of great nationsthe Jews and the Arabs.

Over the course of time, both Judaism and Islam would become inward-looking and exclusionary in character, and hostile to other faith traditions.

The doctrine of the one true faith would assume a more central and potent role, and would lead to the Crusades of the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries, and the religious wars in Europe after the Reformation in the 16th century.

A birthday spread on a table at the entrance to St Stephen's Green in Dublin for Irish Israeli girl Emily Hand, who is believed to be being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza and turns nine on Friday. Photo: David Young/PA

Within Catholicism, it would see the emergence of the horrors of the Inquisition, which occurred in different phases between the 12th and 15th centuries.

In the Middle East a radical version of Islam known as Wahhabism took form at the end of the 18th century. In the 20th century, it would inspire a whole new generation of Islamic fundamentalists which today would include the Taliban and Hamas.

Wahhabism is the form of Islam that is still practised today in Saudi Arabia, a puritan religion based on a strictly literal interpretation of scripture and early Islamic tradition, according to Karen Armstrong.

It is a version of Islam that has been propagated widely by Saudi Arabia, using its petro-dollars to fund madrassas (Islamic schools) in various parts of the globe.

It is also worth noting that a majority of the hijackers responsible for the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York and the Pentagon in Washington DC came from Saudi Arabia, as did Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the attacks.

Zionism

It was the emergence and growth of Zionism in the 19th centurya religiously inspired political movement for the establishment and support of a national homeland for Jews in Palestinethat would radically alter the religious and political landscape in the Middle East.

Founded by an Austro-Hungarian journalist named Theodor Herzl in 1897, it followed the publication of his book Der Judenstaat (The Jewish State) in 1896 in which he envisioned an independent Jewish state during the 20th century.

Iris Haim, the mother of Israeli hostage Yotam Haim currently being held in Gaza, during a press conference at the Israel Embassy in London on Monday. Photo: Victoria Jones/PA

The movement received a major boost in 1917 during the First World War when the British government announced its support for the establishment of a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine, then part of the Ottoman Empire.

The statement of support for Jewish Zionist aspirations was issued in a letter from the British foreign secretary, Arthur Balfour, to Lord Rothschild, a leader of the British Jewish community, for transmission to the Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Ireland.

The Balfour Declaration was to prove to be the seed that led to the founding of the Israeli state.

The State of Israel was formally proclaimed on 14 May, 1948but this was only after violently-implemented ethnic cleansing on a massive scale took place, as a result of whichafter the defeat by Zionist forces of Palestinian militias and the armies of several neighbouring Arab statesmore than 700,000 Palestinians had by 1949 fled or been expelled from their homes.

After wars in 1967 and 1973, the Israeli policy, backed by successive governments of right and left, of encouraging settlements on occupied Palestinian land (in violation of international law) in the West Bank and East Jerusalem intensified. Under the present far-right government of Benjamin Netanyahuan unreconstructed Zionist with no interest in a two-state solutionthe annexation of the West Bank is looming.

In an article in the Financial Times, Sari Nusseibeh, a retired professor of philosophy who held the post of Palestinian Liberation Organisation representative in Jerusalem, said in reference to the Israel-Hamas war: Our dream of a future for both peoples is the victim of this tragedy.

Radical Islamism

The military threat from Hamas can be neutralised, though at what human cost can only be guessed at. But you cannot defeat an ideology. Islamism keeps alive the dream of a worldwide Muslim international order forged according to the principles of an Islamic State divinely ordaineda universal caliphate.

This is the creed of the Muslim Brotherhood founded in 1928, of which Hamas can be considered an offshoot. The founder of Hamas, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, had been a member of the Brotherhood.

He founded Hamas in 1987, and the 67-year-old radical was assassinated by an Israeli air strike in Gaza City on March 22, 2014.

In a widely reported speech to the Bloomberg organisation in London in 2014, the former British prime minister, Tony Blair, said Islamism was based on a politicisation of religion that is fundamentally incompatible with the modern world.

He said radical Islam was an extremist ideology whose adherents were prepared to kill a large number of people because of their beliefs. And he warned that Islamism represented the biggest threat to global security.

Islamism assumes that there is only one true religion, only one interpretation of that religion, and that this interpretation should prevail and dominate all countries politics, government institutions, and social life.

But he was careful to stress that this ideology did not represent Islam. The majority of Muslims do not agree with it. They are repulsed by it.

Religious fundamentalism

Religious fundamentalism of all varietiesChristian, Jewish, Islamicis hostile to religious freedom, a fundamental human right.

Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states: Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.

A succession of Popes throughout the 19th and 20th centuries insisted that the right to freedom of religion didnt apply to the Catholic Church.

A Palestinian woman sits by houses destroyed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip in Rafah on Monday. Photo: AP/Hatem Ali

The concept of religious freedom is one which only found formal acknowledgement and acceptance within the Catholic Church since 1965 when, on the day before it ended, the Second Vatican Councils Declaration on Religious Liberty was promulgated by Pope Paul VI.

Sooner or later the causes of the conflict that spawned the militants of Hamas and Hezbollah will have to be addressed.

Sooner or later there must be an independent Palestinian State. But that must come with an acknowledgement of Israels right to exist.

That will require a recognition of religious freedom, new expressions of religious tolerance, and acceptance of the right to self-determination.
The caretaker of a mobile home park in a small New Hampshire town has shocked residents after leaving $3.8m (3.5m) to the community in his will.

Residents of Hinsdale would see Geoffrey Holt around town in threadbare clothes  riding his lawn mower, heading to the convenience store, or parked along the main road reading a newspaper.

Despite having taught learner drivers in the past, Holt had given up driving a car, opting for a bicycle instead and finally the ride-on mower.

His mobile home in the park was mostly empty of furniture, with no TV and no computer.

Geoffrey Holt died aged 82 (Ed Smith via AP)

He seemed to have what he wanted, but he didnt want much, said Edwin Smokey Smith, Mr Holts best friend and former employer.

But Mr Holt died earlier this year with a secret. He was a multimillionaire and he gave it all away to this community of 4,200 people.

His will had brief instructions  $3.8m to the town of Hinsdale to benefit the community in the areas of education, health, recreation and culture.

I dont think anyone had any idea that he was that successful, said Steve Diorio, chairperson of the town select board. I know he didnt have a whole lot of family, but nonetheless, to leave it to the town where he lived in Its a tremendous gift.

The money could go far in this Connecticut River town sandwiched between Vermont and Massachusetts with abundant hiking and fishing opportunities and small businesses.

There has been no formal gathering to discuss ideas for the money since local officials were notified in September. Some residents have proposed upgrading the town hall clock, restoring buildings, maybe buying a new ballot counting machine in honour of Holt, who always made sure he voted. Another possibility is setting up an online drivers education course.

For years, Holt was known as a mobile home park groundskeeper in the small New Hampshire town. Now, hes being remembered as a millionaire who gave his fortune to the community (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Organisations would be able to apply for grants via a trust through the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, drawing from the interest, roughly $150,000 (137,000) annually.

Hinsdale will utilise the money left very frugally as Mr Holt did, said Kathryn Lynch, town administrator.

Mr Smith, a former state legislator who became the executor of Mr Holts estate, had learned about his fortune in recent years.

He knew Holt, who died in June age 82, had varied interests, like collecting hundreds of model cars and train sets that filled his rooms, covered the couch and extended into a shed.

He also collected books about history, with Henry Ford and the Second World War among his favourite topics. Holt had an extensive record collection too, including Handel and Mozart.

The small town in southwestern New Hampshire received a gift of .8 million from the estate of Geoffrey Holt, a long-time trailer park resident (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Mr Smith also knew that Holt, who earlier in life had worked as a production manager at a grain mill that closed in nearby Brattleboro, Vermont, invested his money. He would find a quiet place to sit near a brook and study financial publications.

Mr Holt confided to Mr Smith that his investments were doing better than he had ever expected and was not sure what to to do with the money. Mr Smith suggested that he remember the town.

I was sort of dumbfounded when I found out that all of it went to the town, he said.

Mr Holts sister, 81-year-old Alison Holt of Laguna Woods, California, said she knew her brother invested and remembered that not wasting money and investing were important to their father.

Geoffrey had a learning disability. He had dyslexia, she said. He was very smart in certain ways. When it came to writing or spelling, he was a lost cause. And my father was a professor. So, I think that Geoff felt like he was disappointing my dad. But maybe socking away all that money was a way to compete.
North Korea claims it has successfully placed a military spy satellite into orbit.

The Norths space authorities said in a statement issued early on Wednesday that its space launch vehicle placed the Malligyong-1 satellite into orbit on Tuesday night.

The North Korean statement adds leader Kim Jong Un observed the launch and says the spy satellite would enhance North Koreas war readiness in response to its rivals hostile military moves.

The statement says the country plans to fire more spy satellites.

A Japanese TV programme shows a J-Alert warning (Eugene Hoshiko/AP)

The Norths claim could not immediately be independently confirmed.

Japans Prime Ministers Office initially issued a J-Alert missile warning for Okinawa late on Tuesday, saying North Korea fired a possible missile.

It urged residents to take shelter inside buildings or underground. Within 10 minutes, the office said on X, formerly Twitter, that the missile had passed into the Pacific Ocean, saying it was lifting the earlier advisory.

The office, however, urged residents to stay away from any suspicious objects and to report anything to police or fire departments.

Japans Defence Ministry also announced that North Korea had fired a possible ballistic missile late on Tuesday but offered no other details.

South Koreas military said it maintains its readiness in close coordination with the US and Japan.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said: Even if North Korea calls it a satellite, the firing that uses ballistic missile technology is a clear violation to related United Nations Security Council resolutions. It is also a serious threat that affects the safety of the people.

A spy satellite is among the key military assets coveted by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who wants to modernise his weapons systems to cope with what he calls escalating US threats.

North Korea attempted to launch a spy satellite twice earlier this year but both launches ended in failure due to technical issues.

North Korea had vowed a third launch would take place some time in October but did not follow through with that launch plan without giving any reason.

South Korean officials have said the delay occurred likely because North Korea was receiving Russian technological assistance for its spy satellite launch programme.

North Korea and Russia, both US adversaries that are increasingly isolated globally, have been pushing hard to expand their relationships in recent months.

In September, Mr Kim travelled to Russias Far East to meet President Vladimir Putin and visit key military sites, touching off intense speculation of a weapons deal between the two nations.

A photo provided by the North Korean government, shows what it says a launch of the newly developed Chollima-1 rocket carrying the Malligyong-1 satellite at the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground (KCNA/KNS/AP)

The alleged deal involves North Korea supplying conventional arms to refill Russias ammunition stock drained in its war with Ukraine.

In return, foreign governments and experts say that North Korea seeks Russian help in enhancing its nuclear and other military programmes. During Mr Kims Russia visit, Mr Putin told state media that his country would help North Korea build satellites, saying Mr Kim shows keen interest in rocket technology.

Both Russia and North Korea dismissed outside accusations of their alleged arms transfer deal as groundless. Such a deal would violate UN Security Council resolutions that prohibit any weapons trading involving North Korea.

The White House said in October that North Korea had delivered more than 1,000 containers of military equipment and munitions to Russia. But South Korean defence minister Shin Wonsik said in a media interview this week that North Korea had sent about 3,000 containers to Russia.

Mr Kim previously said North Korea needed spy satellites to better monitor South Korean and US activities and enhance the effective use of its nuclear missiles. But South Korea has said a North Korean spy launch programme also involves efforts to manufacture more powerful intercontinental ballistic missiles.

If North Korea succeeds in launching the military reconnaissance satellite, it would signify that North Koreas ICBM capabilities have been taken to a higher level, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said in responses to questions from The Associated Press earlier in November. Therefore, we will have to come up with reinforced countermeasures.
Israel and the Hamas militant group appeared close to a temporary ceasefire deal that could bring the first pause in fighting in a devastating six-week war and result in the release of dozens of hostages held captive in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas predicted a Qatari-mediated deal could be reached in the coming hours, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was set to convene top decision-makers to discuss the matter.

We are advancing, Mr Netanyahu told troops during a visit to a training base. I hope there will be good news soon.

The announcement came as Israeli troops battled Palestinian militants in an urban refugee camp in northern Gaza and around hospitals overcrowded with patients and sheltering families.

A woman plasters photos of Israelis missing and held captive in Gaza as officials are said to be considering a deal to secure the release of some hostages (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Mr Netanyahus office said the special three-member war cabinet met on Tuesday and would be followed by meetings of his Security Cabinet, a forum of senior security officials, and the full Cabinet.

There was no word on whether a vote would take place, and details of a deal were not released.

Israeli media reports said an agreement would include a five-day halt in Israels offensive in Gaza and the release of 50 hostages held by Hamas in exchange for some 150 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

Israels Channel 12 TV said the first releases would be expected to take place on Thursday or Friday.

Talks have repeatedly stalled. But even if a deal is reached, it would not mean an end to the war, which erupted on October 7 after Hamas militants stormed across the border into southern Israel and killed at least 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and kidnapped some 240 others.

An Israeli offensive, including weeks of airstrikes and a ground invasion, has left more than 12,000 people dead, caused widespread destruction and displaced more than 1.7 million people, according to Palestinian health authorities.

Fighting in the Gaza Strip, now in its seventh week, has shifted to the Jabaliya refugee camp (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Israel, the United States and Qatar, which mediates with Hamas, have negotiated for weeks over a hostage release that would be paired with a temporary cease-fire and the entry of more aid.

In Washington, President Joe Biden said that a deal on releasing some hostages was very close.

We could bring some of these hostages home very soon, he said at the White House.

Qatars Foreign Ministry spokesman, Majed al-Ansari expressed optimism, telling reporters that we are at the closest point we ever had been in reaching an agreement.

He added that negotiations were at a critical and final stage.

Izzat Rishq, a senior Hamas official, said Tuesday that an agreement could be reached in the coming hours, in which Hamas would release captives and Israel would release Palestinian prisoners.

Hamas leader-in-exile, Ismail Haniyeh, also said they were close to a deal.

Israels Channel 12 TV, citing anonymous Israeli officials, said a truce could be extended and additional Palestinian prisoners released if there were additional hostages freed.

Journalists and family members gather next to Lebanese Red Cross ambulances carrying the bodies of the two slain journalists of pan-Arab TV network Al-Mayadeenm, who were killed by an Israeli strike (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Inside Gaza, the front line of the war has shifted to the Jabaliya refugee camp, a dense warren of concrete buildings near Gaza City that houses families displaced in the 1948 war surrounding Israels creation.

Israel has bombarded the area for weeks, and the military said Hamas fighters have regrouped there and in other eastern districts after being pushed out of much of Gaza City.

The fighting in Jabaliya raged around two nearby hospitals, trapping hundreds of patients and displaced people sheltering inside.

A strike on Tuesday hit inside one of the facilities, al-Awda, killing four people, including three doctors, the hospital director told Al-Jazeera TV.

Residents of Jabaliya said there was heavy fighting as Israeli forces tried to advance under the cover of airstrikes.

Hamza Abu Mansour, a university student said: They are facing stiff resistance.

The Israeli military said strikes hit three tunnel shafts where fighters were hiding and destroyed rocket launchers. Footage released by the military showed Israeli soldiers patrolling on foot as gunfire echoed around them.

In southern Lebanon, an Israeli strike killed two journalists with Al-Mayadeen TV, according to the Hezbollah-allied Pan-Arab network and Lebanese officials. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

A separate Israeli drone strike in Lebanon killed four Hamas members, a Palestinian official and a Lebanon security official said.

The Israeli military has been trading fire almost daily across the border with Lebanons Hezbollah group and Palestinian militants since the outbreak of the war.
Chin State rose in revolt against the regime in April 2021, just two months after the military coup, and has been at the forefront of the Spring Revolution since then. Even though the junta imposed martial law in seven of the states nine townships, its presence is limited to towns, while ethnic Chin resistance forces control most of the territory in the state.

After the Brotherhood Alliance launched Operation 1027 in northern Shan State on October 27, fighting escalated in Sagaing Region, Kayah, Rakhine and Chin states. On November 13, ethnic Chin forces led by the Chin National Front (CNF) seized Reh Khaw Da Town on the Myanmar-India border.

CNF spokesman Salai Htet Ni recently talked to The Irrawaddy about the escalating fighting in Chin State. Although he said he was sure that the resistance would prevail, he described regime boss Min Aung Hlaing as a wounded tiger, saying he would do anything to save face.

What was the motive for seizing Reh Khaw Da?

We have started to seize towns because [this] is part of the military strategy of ethnic armed organizations and every other organization participating in the Spring Revolution. We seized towns to remove the administrative mechanism of the regime.

The fact that [EAOs] in both northeastern and southeastern Myanmar are doing so [shows they are] implementing a military strategy in harmony.

We seized Reh Khaw Da partly because it is a trade town on the border with India [that] serves as a source of income for the regime.

What is the current situation in Reh Khaw Da?

We have taken total control of the town. We took measures [to allow] people to return to the town. People have started to return  We have to install a civilian administrative body and ensure public safety. As the town is a border trade town, we are working to ensure the safety of the border trade route.

What is your assessment of the morale of junta soldiers now?

[It] is at a low level. They are badly demoralized. Some soldiers feel that they are only fighting to protect the interests of a handful of [people in the] upper echelon of the regime. The regime is providing little support for its troops in the Chin Hills. They are in chaos. Junta soldiers from the rank of battalion commander and below are feeling [demoralized]. They have heavy weapons, but they are demoralized and depressed.

Is the junta reinforcing its troops in the Chin Hills?

A military convoy consisting of 87 vehicles left Pakokku in first week of September for military operations in the dry season. They suffered from ambushes by local resistance groups along the way. Eighty-five vehicles arrived in Pauk, but they did not proceed to the Chin Hills. We believe they were junta reinforcements coming for us.

Then fighting broke out in [Shan State] in northeastern Myanmar. So, those troops withdrew, and they were airlifted to Shan State.

What is your assessment of the offensives in ethnic areas like Shan, Kayah, Karen, Rakhine and Chin states?

As I have said, the juntas forces are only present in towns in Chin State. The objective of our offensive is to root out the military. So, we have conducted offensives in towns. [Resistance forces] have the same objective so we dont need to discuss or negotiate [plans]  A joint operation is taking shape on its own while we [seek] the same objective. For example, the convoy of 85 vehicles coming to attack us was forced to withdraw because of offensives in other areas.

The second wave of the Spring Revolution is rising, and if the regime is not defeated in this wave, there will be a third. We will fight until the regime is removed. If this strategy is not effective, we will try another strategy. We will continue to push.

Do you think the juntas days are numbered?

Looking at their political objectives and their five-point roadmap, it appears that they are firmly committed to their [goals]. So, we will have to continue to fight. But there will be growing friction within the regime. Internal friction is already happening, as proven by the arrest of senior officials. But they are not ready to make any political concessions. They will try to endure as much as possible.

Do you mean political dialogue is still unlikely?

Yes, it is. At the meeting of the National Defense and Security Council [in early November], [Min Aung Hlaing] shouted that his regime would discuss peace in accordance with the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement [NCA]. So, he will not engage in talks unless they are based on the NCA  He is already a wounded tiger. He will continue to do whatever it takes to save face.

What do you want to tell international organizations about civilian casualties inflicted by junta air strikes?

We are sure that the international community no longer accepts this brutal regime. Even ASEAN does not accept it. In the United Nations Security Council, the regime only survives because of Russia and China.

The regime knows that air attacks are not effective against local ethnic armed organizations, but it is short of personnel [to fight ground battles] and is therefore conducting air raids as part of its four cuts strategy [designed to cut off armed groups from food, funds, information and recruits].

It has been committing war crimes by conducting air raids that brutally kill civilians. The United Nations has, however, done little to stop this. Considering the suffering of Myanmars people, the UN and international organizations should not put off anymore. It is time [for them to] intervene in Myanmar.

The Chin and Karenni are the smallest [ethnic] populations in Myanmar. We feel [the juntas air strikes] are genocide against Chin people. Karenni people feel the same way. The regime has continuously carried out air raids targeting civilians. This is a war crime. The international community should stop standing by and intervene [with] prompt action.

What is your message to Myanmar citizens about the military operations by resistance forces?

We have the same beliefs and objectives. We are the peoples soldiers fighting back against the military regime that is killing people with weapons bought with public funds. We understand the suffering of the people, and we request their patience and continued support. We urge junta soldiers and non-[civil disobedience movement] civil servants to show sympathy for the people and join the revolution before it is too late for them.
Myanmar junta boss Min Aung Hlaing has amended the Broadcasting Law for the second time since the coup, further tightening the regimes grip on the media.

The amendments bring the Television and Radio Broadcasting Council  which is tasked with supervising, monitoring, and managing broadcasts  under direct junta control.

Duties of the council include designing and enforcing the code of conduct for broadcasting outlets and taking action against those that violate the Broadcasting Law.

On Nov. 16, Section 2(q) of the Broadcast Law was amended to allow the regime to appoint members to the council. The section previously defined the council as autonomous and independent from government authorities, members of the judiciary, and persons engaged in broadcasting services.

The amendment also revokes Sections 9-13 in Chapter 4 on the nine-member councils nomination and election by the president and bicameral parliament with public consultation, as well as members term limits.

Another section removed from the law on Nov. 16 covers the formation and membership of a national-level team to develop the TV and radio broadcasting industry. Min Aung Hlaing has appointed former military officer and Information Minister Maung Maung Ohn to chair the team.

The junta chief first made changes to the Broadcasting Law in November 2021, seven months after his coup. Back then, it was amended to broaden the definition of broadcasting to include internet-based broadcasts.

The amendment also introduced prison sentences ranging from six months to five years in addition to fines carried in the original law. It also labeled violation of the law as a cognizable offense, meaning police can arrest offenders without a warrant.

The regime launched a media crackdown even before amending the Broadcasting Law in November 2021, raiding media outlets, revoking their licenses, and jailing or killing journalists.

The crackdown forced many independent media outlets into exile. Meanwhile, over 100 staff of state-owned broadcaster Myanma Radio and Television joined the Civil Disobedience Movement.

The junta has revoked the licenses of 14 media agencies and detained 160 journalists. It has also rescinded the licenses of publishing houses for issuing books deemed unsuitable.

The latest amendments came as junta-controlled media including military mouthpiece Myawaddy TV stepped up their propaganda campaign.
The Myanmar military has resorted to bombing, shelling and gassing resistance and civilian targets in Namkham, according to the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA), which took the northern Shan State township early this month.

Namkham town, with a population of around 33,000, is among six northern Shan towns seized in the Brotherhood Alliances Operation 1027 offensive launched on October 27.

The ethnic alliance comprises the TNLA, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), and Arakan Army (AA).

Junta troops have been shelling the town and surrounding villages, destroying civilian houses, the TNLA reported.

Two civilians were wounded and a dozen houses destroyed when a regime fighter jet bombed Mam Mai village in Namkham Township on Monday.

A 500-pound bomb was dropped on Mam Mai village despite the absence of fighting there, the TNLAs Major Tar Aike Kyaw told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday.

Regime artillery also destroyed houses in Namkham towns Thar Yar Kone and Aung Chan Thar wards on Sunday as junta attacks on civilian targets escalated over the past four days, the TNLA said.

The TNLA also accused the junta of dropping two poison gas bombs during an attack on a base close to Namkham town last week. A junta spokesman denied the allegation.

Namkham Township is now the site of daily clashes, but junta forces have resorted to long-range artillery and air strikes, Major Tar Aike Kyaw said.

They are not able to launch another offensive, he added.

Many Namkham town residents have fled to escape the bombardment, though some still remain.

There is nowhere to flee, so we are still living in the town even though we are afraid of heavy weapons and airstrikes, said one resident.

Junta forces have shelled Namkham Township at least 56 times in the past four days, according to the TNLA.

It said 40 civilians have been killed and 58 wounded by regime artillery and aerial assaults in TNLA territory.
Among the many hardships that come with living under military rule, urban people now face the threat of arrest for performing everyday activities such as withdrawing money from banks or queueing at fuel stations. The trend emerged after pro-Myanmar junta Telegram channels started urging authorities to check those who queue in front of banks and fuel stations, saying such people aim to cause panic among the public.

Withdrawals surged in November after revolutionary forces seized a number of towns and the public lost confidence in the banks. At the same time, long lines of cars formed outside fuel stations this month amid a fuel shortage. Although these activities were simply the result of people taking care of their basic needs, the pro-junta telegram channels saw them as attempts to defame the military council.

Cars unnecessarily queuing in front of petrol stations need to have their numbers noted and be checked, the Han Nyein Oo Telegram channel said on Nov. 19.

A Yangon resident said the situation had deteriorated to the point that people feared arrest just for queuing for petrol.

It is just the latest threat that Myanmar people face from such pro-military activists.

Internet users have been extorted for money by pro-junta Telegram channels, which threaten to disclose their information online and have them arrested by the police.

After being banned from Facebook, military supporters turned to Telegram to hunt for revolutionary forces and others who oppose the military council, while also using it for personal gain through extortion.

Currently, more than 120 pro-junta Telegram channels operate as a network, sharing hate speech and calling for the arrest of civilians for a range of alleged offenses, according to the Beautifier of Diversity Network, which monitors pro-regime Telegram channels.

They hunt and expose civil servants who joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) and their supporters, Peoples Defense Force (PDF) members and supporters, National Unity Government supporters, anti-junta philanthropists, business owners and ordinary civilians who post and share information about anti-junta movements and participate in anti-junta strikes online.

Currently, they are demanding money from civilians in exchange for removing posts about them from their channels.

In just one example, Han Nyein Oo posted that it removed information about two women in September and October, apologizing and promising not to share posts about pro-democracy activists again.

According to research by The Irrawaddy, Han Nyein Oo alonewhich has more than 60,000 subscriberscalled for the arrest of 38 people within a three-month period, of whom 18 were arrested, including some residents of Mandalay who were picked up by police within hours of the posts appearing on Telegram.

A monitor from the Beautifier of Diversity Network, which has been monitoring 13 pro-junta Telegram channels, said there were many examples of posts disappearing from the Han Nyein Oo Telegram channel within hours or days of being posted.

They never declare on their channels that they ask for money to remove such posts. However, we heard that a kind of negotiation occurs. If someone gives money to them, they remove the post and there will be no more arrests, a monitor told The Irrawaddy.

Police involved in extortion

Ma Aye Myo fled from her house as soon as she received an urgent phone call from a friend who told her she was in danger of being arrested by the police. Ma Aye Myos Facebook account, address and business address were shared by pro-junta Telegram channels after she wrote a comment about the revolution under a Facebook post by a pro-democracy activist in July.

I luckily remained free that night because I was warned by my friend, Ma Aye Myo said.

However, her husband, two sons and two employees were arrested by police that night. Her husband had to pay 1,000,000 kyats (US$320) to polices to secure the groups release. The arrests came after the Ka Ka Han Telegram channel called for the detention of Ma Aye Myo, alleging that she had criticized the regime online.

They were released at midnight. My family apologized to the police many times to get them released, Ma Aye Myo explained.

Pro-junta activists network

This year, pro-junta activists have expanded their targets, sharing the Facebook accounts and addresses of Myanmar citizens who live abroad, alleging that they support the National Unity Government and calling on the junta authorities not to renew their passports.

It appears to be working. Some Myanmar citizens in Singapore were not allowed to renew their passports in October, and their family members in Myanmar have been threatened by the pro-junta Telegram channels.

Their network is really strong and well connected. Once, Ka Ka Han Telegram channel said their organization works with at least 20 members [operating the channel] around the country, a monitor at Beautifier of Diversity Network told The Irrawaddy. They have also called for the arrest of civilians who write comments under online media pages and under posts by pro-democracy activists on Facebook.

Arrests always occur. Especially if there is an online anti-dictatorship movementthen there are more arrests, a monitor from the network said.

More than 1,300 internet users have been arrested over the past 19 months for criticizing the military council and supporting anti-junta movements and revolutionary organizations on social media platforms including Facebook, TikTok and Telegram, according to the independent organization Data for Myanmar. About half of those arrested were from Yangon and Mandalay regions.

The military council has announced that action will be taken against those who post propaganda, threats or encouragement of anti-junta movements on social networks, under Section 52 (A) of the Anti-Terrorism Law, Section 124 (A) and Section 505 (A) of the Penal Code, and Section 33 (A) of the Electronic Communication Act and other relevant laws.

Data for Myanmar said about 65 people are arrested for writing and communicating anti-junta comments via social networks every month.

How to protect oneself?

People who have been threatened by pro-junta Telegram channels suggested Facebook users lock their profiles and not comment under media pages and pro-democracy activists posts using their real profiles.

Pro-junta Telegram channels are run by people with no humanity and no sympathy for others, who have various means of obtaining the personal information of those they target, a monitor at Beautifier of Diversity Network said.

They urge [authorities] to arrest the parents if they dont get the son. They are such cruel people that they call for the seizure of property from all targeted peopleeven from parents who are arrested despite having nothing to do with the revolution, she told The Irrawaddy.

Therefore, internet users need to be very careful and check their friend lists on Facebook, she added.

Instead of letting people know about your movements, it is time to hide your participation in the revolution, she said.
Staff abandoned Budalins public hospital in Sagaing Region on Sunday and Myanmar junta soldiers sealed it off, forcing inpatients to return home, according to residents.

A Budalin resident told The Irrawaddy: We heard a group phoned the medical superintendent and told staff to join the civil disobedience movement [CDM] or risk their lives. We also heard explosions in the compound on Saturday night. The superintendent told staff he could not guarantee their safety, they joined the CDM and we dont know their whereabouts. I heard the military is searching for them.

Two shells landed in the compound on Saturday and the 15 staff, including the superintendent, closed the hospital and left on Sunday morning. Junta soldiers then reportedly sealed off the site and removed personal items.

Another resident said: We dont feel safe. There is little other health care available in the town.

Budalin is 32km from the regional capital, Monywa, where the militarys northeastern command is based. There is no fighting between resistance groups and the junta in Budalin Township although frequent resistance drone attacks on junta positions in the town are reported.

The towns immigration office, fire station and the state-owned Myanma Economic Bank are closed.

Resistance forces raided the fire station on August 7 and detained 11 firefighters, including the townships fire chief, eight family members and a civilian. They were reportedly taken to resistance-controlled territory.

The regime has tightened security in the town with house searches and heavy deployments.

The Irrawaddy could not independently verify the reports.
The junta-appointed Union Election Commission on Monday dissolved the Shan State Kokang Democratic Party (SSKPD), the major rival of the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) in Kokang Self-Administered Zone.

The commission said it had approved the Kokang partys registration in May, but the party failed to recruit at least 1,000 members within 90 days of registration as required by the Political Parties Registration Law.

The Political Parties Registration Law, promulgated by the regime in January, made it mandatory for political parties to re-register or face dissolution. The law effectively dissolves existing political parties in favor of the USDP, the militarys proxy, political observers say.

Following a large-scale offensive by the Brotherhood Alliance in northern Shan State, the regime declared martial law in Kokangs capital, Laukkai, with Brigadier-General Tun Tun Myint of the Myanmar military taking charge of the town.

The SSKDP traces its roots to the pro-democracy uprising in 1988. It won its first constituency in Kunlong Township in the 1990 general election.

Together with popular pro-democracy parties the National League for Democracy (NLD) and the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy, the SSKDP boycotted the 2010 general election organized by the regime led by dictator Than Shwe. The party re-registered in 2012 and contested the 2015 and 2020 general elections in Kokang where the NLD chose not to field candidates. It was the main rival of the USDP.

The SSKDP lost to the USDP in the 2020 election. The USDPs candidates were Kokang administrators, their family members and leading Kokang businessmen. All were close to the military.

Before the 2020 election, SSKDP chairman Antony Su told The Irrawaddy that he would be more than happy if the election was free and fair.

Among the USDP candidates that defeated the SSKDP in 2020 were: Bai Yingcang, the son of Bai Suocheng who was appointed head of Kokang Self-Administered Zone (SAZ) by the Than Shwe regime in 2009; Liu Dehong, son of Kokang Border Guard Force leader Liu Guixiu; prominent businessman Maung Maung who is currently being detained in China; retired Kokang Border Guard Force leader Wei Shan; former Kokang SAZ head Zhao Dechang; former Lt-General Aung Than Htut; and Myint Shwe (also known as Li Zhenfu) who was recently sacked as head of the Kokang SAZ.

Bai Yincang and Maung Maung are the recipients of honorary titles conferred by junta boss Min Aung Hlaing last year,

The Union Election Commission has not yet taken action against the USDP for allowing a foreign national to run in an election. Former USDP lawmaker leading Ming Xuechang was a Chinese citizen, not ethnic Kokang Chinese. He committed suicide after he was recently arrested by the regime for his alleged involvement in online scams. He was about to be handed over to China.

The Political Parties Registration Law bars political parties from recruiting members who are foreign nationals or have acquired foreign citizenship. Electoral laws also ban foreign nationals and those who have obtained foreign citizenship from running in an election or being elected to any legislature.
Intense clashes were reported in Rakhine States Pauktaw town on Tuesday as the Rakhine ethnic armed group the Arakan Army (AA) attacked regime forces there as part of Operation 1027, according to local media reports.

The military junta used aircraft and gunboats to defend the coastal town, while military bases in the nearby state capital Sittwe used rocket bombs to shell resistance forces during the clash, local residents told the media.

A video released by local media outlet Western News shows a rocket launched by a junta unit in Sittwe racing through the sky.

Details of damage and casualties on both sides were unknown.

The AA briefly took control of Pauktaw last Thursday after regime police and officials from the juntas township administration department surrendered to the armed group. However, a junta unit of 100 troops retook the town on the same day after regime helicopter gunships and gunboats bombed it. The military unit shot dead around 10 civilians trapped in the town.

The AA vowed retaliation for the juntas killings of residents.

In a separate development in Operation 1027 on Tuesday, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) said it attacked and seized three more junta bases along with a large haul of weapons and ammunition in the north and center of the Kokang area in northern Shan State.

The ethnic rebel group said it also conducted three drone strikes on the militarys 291st Battalion in Hseni Township, northern Shan on Tuesday.

The Brotherhood Alliance of the MNDAA, AA and Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA) launched Operation 1027 on Oct. 27, attacking and seizing regime targets and bases in northern Shan, Kachin and Rakhine states and upper Mandalay and Sagaing regions.

Several Peoples Defense Force groups and other ethnic armed groups are coordinating with the operation.

As of Tuesday, 161 junta bases and nine towns had been seized in the operation.

The Myanmar junta has been unable to retake any of its bases despite vowing to launch a counteroffensive. The MNDAA is prepared for any potential action by the regime, its spokesperson Li Kyar Wen told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday.
Myanmar regime airstrikes and shelling have killed at least seven people and wounded about 30 within two days in Chin, Kayah and Shan states and Sagaing Region, according to volunteer groups.

At least four people were reportedly killed and 17 wounded in two days in Namkham, Namhsan and Muse townships in northern Shan State.

A 14-year-old girl was killed and four people, including two teenagers, sustained injuries in shelling on Ong Ma Sum village in Namhsan without any fighting reported in the township, according to the Taang Womens Organization (TWO), which monitors junta violence.

A teenager died of shrapnel injuries and her entire family and a teenage neighbor were wounded by junta shelling, a representative of TWO said.The junta is shelling civilian targets.

Junta warplanes also bombed Myo Thit village in Namhsan on Sunday night, killing a child and an adult and injuring eight others, TWO reported.

At least 25 village houses were damaged or destroyed.

On Sunday, three Man Mai villagers in the township sustained injuries and 10 houses were destroyed, volunteers said.

Fighting is ongoing in Namkham and the junta has used chemical bombs near residential areas, a volunteer said.

A Muse Township woman was killed and two other civilians injured in shelling, volunteers said.

TWO has reported over 50 deaths and 96 people injured by junta airstrikes and shelling in northern Shan State since October 27.

In Chin State on Tuesday, an airstrike injured at least seven Mee Zar villagers in Paletwa Township, where the Arakan Army is fighting junta forces, according to the Chin Defense Force (CDF).

At least seven people, including four teenagers, sustained injuries in a junta airstrike, a CDF spokesman said. Clashes continue between the Arakan Army and junta troops in Mee Zar Wa village on Tuesday.

Two days of airstrikes were reported in Indaw Township, Sagaing Region, and a woman was killed and two men injured on Monday, Indaw Revolution claimed.

On Sunday, two monks died and four people sustained injuries in junta shelling in the Kayah State capital, Loikaw, where resistance forces are fighting as part of Operation 1111.

More than 50 people have been killed and 70 injured in junta shelling, aerial bombing and shooting in Loikaw since November 11, according to the Karenni Human Rights Group.
Tuesday, Nov 21st, 2023 (9:48 am) - Score 1,240

Energy and telecoms provider Telecom Plus, which trades as UW (Utility Warehouse), has published their latest H1 FY24 results today and revealed that their broadband ISP has a total customer base of 363,595 (up by 22,203 in the year) and their mobile base hit 424,114 (up by 60,052). The operator also has a new CEO.

In terms of that CEO change, UW announced today that  after 16 years with the company  the operators current CEO, Andrew Lindsay, is stepping down as Co-CEO and from the Board to pursue other interests. Stuart Burnett will become sole CEO from the AGM next summer. He joined the business in 2016 and has been Co-CEO with Andrew since 2021.

NOTE: The operators mobile service is supplied via an MVNO deal with The operators mobile service is supplied via an MVNO deal with BT EE ).

However, its noted that Andrew will subsequently remain with the business on a part-time basis, for at least the next 3 years, with a focus on supporting and further growing their Partner community. Meanwhile, on the financial front, the operator saw total revenue grow by 57.1% to 883.6m (2022: 562.4m) and profit before tax was also up 36.1% to 43.7m (2022: 32.1m).

Stuart Burnett, Co-CEO, said: We have consistently offered the lowest-priced energy tariffs in the UK for over 2 years. Our unique multiservice model means we can continue to sustainably beat the competition, and is the primary driver of our continued rapid growth. We are fast approaching the 1m customer milestone, and our current rate of growth places us firmly on track to double the size of the business by welcoming a further million customers to UW over the medium term.

We should point out that UW currently sells full fibre broadband packages via both Openreach and CityFibres networks, although their coverage via the latter is through an existing relationship with TalkTalks Wholesale division. In the future, the latter could extend to some of the other alternative networks that TalkTalk work with (e.g. Freedom Fibre and CommunityFibre).
1371138342::cfb49c8e-2422-11e5-99a3-d7f5c6e8b241

A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more.
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By Robert Danisch, University of Waterloo | 

Donald Trump is campaigning for the presidency of the United States the same way that Adolf Hitler in Germany and Benito Mussolini in Italy campaigned almost 100 years ago.

Trump recently travelled to New Hampshire and delivered a speech that included a pledge to root out the communists, Marxists, fascists and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country that lie and steal and cheat on elections.

This was just the latest in a long string of Trumps dehumanizing, violent rhetoric.

Rhetoric of fascism

The use of the word vermin was particularly noteworthy. It was the same language that Mussolini used in his 1927 Ascension Day speech.

Trumps recent comment about undocumented immigrants polluting the blood of our country is in the same style, as are the ideas emanating from his campaign team to deport millions of immigrants and quarantine others in massive camps. This is the rhetoric of fascism, and it inevitably leads to violence.

Trumps staff and supporters have denied that his rhetoric is fascist. And the media has struggled over how to cover his comments.

Often, journalists will say that Trump is echoing fascist talking points. Echoing means to hear a sound again, and the sound that we hear is a copy of the original. The implication is that the echo is not the real thing, or is somehow an imitation of an original, perhaps slightly weaker.

That leads to arguments about whether Trump is truly fascist, giving his supporters and staff an opportunity to use pedantic distinctions as an excuse.

Repetition is powerful

The media should not debate whether Trump is an American Hitler. That allows him to leverage the appeal of Hitler among his far-right base, and provides him with fresh allegations about how the media treats him unfairly. The debate itself plays right into his rhetoric and his followers grievances.

Instead, the media, historians and political commentators should make clear that Trump is repeating and amplifying fascist rhetoric  and explain why hes doing so. Trumps intent is seemingly to grab the publics attention and ultimately persuade them to believe that certain people in society deserve to be dehumanized.

Media reporting and commentary should focus on what repeating a word like vermin is meant to achieve, and not whether its use makes Trump the new Mussolini.

When journalists report that Trump is echoing fascism and engage in the debate over what constitutes fascism, they end up circulating that rhetoric more widely.

MSNBC: Trump tests Republican Party willingness to follow him into fascism

Disseminating this rhetoric, even if its aimed at pointing out Trumps unsuitability for re-election, has consequences. It normalizes the use of dehumanizing, objectifying rhetorical tropes. More importantly, it amplifies those tropes, allowing them to reach ever-wider audiences.

Attention-seeker

Trumps rhetorical skill is in commanding attention. He knows that repeating fascist phrases will get the media to take notice and will result in the amplification of his message.

Avoiding further amplifying Trumps fascist messages could go some distance in stopping their circulation, at least through mainstream broadcast outlets. When those news organizations tie Trump to Hitler or Mussolini, they may actually strengthen his appeal with his base, who see him as a stronger leader than he really is.

So how should the media report on Trumps use of this rhetoric? By making clear hes repeating fascist phrases in order to dehumanize people and make violence against fellow citizens seem justifiable. That would undermine Trumps goal of associating himself with Hitler.

Circulating and amplifying Trumps fascist rhetoric runs the risk of further eroding democracy by normalizing fascist modes of talking about, and thinking about, our political opponents and fellow citizens.

Threatening democracy

In a fundamental way, we all learn to communicate through imitation. Trump wants his followers to imitate his rhetoric so it spreads and becomes a normal feature of our everyday lives.

But democracies cannot survive if it becomes commonplace to talk about our fellow citizens as vermin or infestations or impure. To the extent that the media plays an essential role in the health of democracy, repeating and amplifying fascist rhetoric threatens the very system that makes a free press possible and democratic norms achievable.

Trump has already normalized fascist rhetoric and a disdain for democracy.

The media shouldnt be unwittingly helping him further advance his fascist goals. Instead of giving his remarks a wider audience, news organizations must plainly point out that Trump uses this language to dehumanize his fellow citizens, create a path to violence and destroy democracy.

Robert Danisch, Professor, Department of Communication Arts, University of Waterloo

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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( Middle East Monitor )  The despicable diplomacy which is allowing Israel to ethnically cleanse the Palestinians from Gaza is spoken of mainly in terms of the humanitarian pause, the new catchphrase that allows the international community to pretend it is invested in Palestinians humanitarian well-being. The US keeps voting against resolutions of temporary respite as their narrative still hinges on Hamas. The same goes for the UK and its complaint that the recent resolution could not clearly condemn Hamas. Russia, meanwhile, voted against the resolution due to it not calling for an immediate ceasefire. A ceasefire is a starting point, but will achieve little long term if there is no concentrated effort for decolonisation.

The international community fails to call out Israel colonisation, so decolonisation will not happen anytime soon. And if Israel has its way, it will involve direct complicity in the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from Gaza, as Knesset members Danny Danon and Ram Ben-Barak, former Israeli ambassador to the UN and former deputy director of the Mossad respectively, have indicated in a recent op-ed.

It is imperative that the international community explore potential solutions to help civilians caught in the crisis, wrote Danon and Ben Barak after completely misrepresenting Israels colonial violence. Citing the example of former Yugoslavia, their first suggestion was for countries around the world to accept limited numbers of Gazan families who have expressed a desire to relocate. The international community has a moral imperative  and an opportunity  to demonstrate compassion, help the people of Gaza move toward a more prosperous future and work together to achieve greater peace and stability in the Middle East.

Danon and Ben Barak couldnt have been clearer. Israel has the impunity which allows it to act without any moral imperative. The moral imperative is then incumbent upon its international allies, which are expected to provide humanitarian relief that in turn facilitates Israels colonisation of Gaza.

Irish MP claims there are years of ethnic cleansing in Palestines Gaza



Ethnic cleansing has nothing to do with a desire to relocate, which is a decision based on free movement. Palestinians in Gaza have been forcibly displaced. A genocide is unfolding before our eyes. They have not embarked on a journey to relocate on the whims of Israels colonial plans. The cruelty with which such a suggestion is made to look purportedly moral should have the entire international community hanging its head in shame. This current scenario in the ongoing Palestinian Nakba is what the international community worked towards when it voted for the 1947 Partition Plan and when Israel was admitted as a UN member state. In the present-day circumstances, the international community debates about humanitarian pauses and other ludicrous conjectures, while Israel alters the definition of voluntary relocation to fit its forced transfer of the Palestinian civilian population in Gaza.

Its useless to ask where Israels moral imperative is, because colonial entities have no capacity for morality.

That being said, neither does the international community. This latest step in Israels colonisation of Palestine exposes many flaws in the international communitys construction of the Palestinian question, a term which is dehumanising and dissociates the land from the people and vice versa. Danon and Ben Barak have grasped the dynamics of the humanitarian paradigm all too well in terms of its exploitation and the normalisation of colonial violence. Short of a unified stance against Israel and its colonial violence, nothing the international community does will ever compensate for the horrors it inscribed with its recognition of the Zionist colonial project in Palestine.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor or Informed Comment.

Via Middle East Monitor
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(Special to Informed Comment; Feature)  While the US mainstream media and most political leaders have condemned ceasefire rallies for embracing the cry from the river to the sea as being anti-Semitic, the government of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has been openly championing an Israel from the river to the sea.

And while ceasefire rallies composed of Palestinians and other supporters, including Jews, have aspirationally chanted from the river to the sea, Netanyahu, his cabinet, and religious zealots have been actualizing just such a reality through actions taken and statements made on behalf of the Jewish state. It is an insidious, catastrophic irony, generally ignored by the US press.

After all, in a barely noticed presentation to the UN General Assembly on September 22, Netanyahu displayed a map of the Middle East from from the river to the sea. Israel, on the map was expanded to include all the land between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. In his remarks that day, Netanyahu referred to the New Middle East, which included diplomatic relations with Arab countries, but belittled Palestinians as only 2% of the Arab world. Netanyahu made it clear that Israel need not make peace with the Palestinians if Israel were increasingly recognized by Arab nations. He spoke of peace with Palestinians only as patronizing lip service.

Netanyahu asserted that there could be peace without acknowledging the rights of Palestinians. Indeed, he boasted:

For years, my approach to peace was rejected by the so-called experts. Well, they were wrong. Under their approach, we didnt forge a single peace treaty for a quarter century. Yet in 2020, under the approach that I advocated, we tried something different, and in no time we achieved a remarkable breakthrough. We achieved four peace treaties working with the United States. Israel forged four peace agreements in four months with four Arab states: the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco.

Obviously, he spoke in a self-congratulatory bluster a few days too soon, just shortly before the brutal Hamas massacre of October 7.

Netanyahus goal was and is to establish peace with Arab counties (including Saudi Arabia, negotiations which are now on hold), while ether killing off or exiling the residents of the Gaza strip. Meanwhile, the right-wing and religious block are using the IDF to protect settlers while they attack and kill Palestinians, (around 200 since October 7) forcibly removing them from their homes, and cutting down their olive orchards in the West Bank. The next step would be seizing the occupied territory completely and fully incorporating it governmentally into Israel, with the Jordan River being the new eastern border of the State. Also, Netanyahu wants to return the rubble of Gaza to Israeli control (although, he claims, only temporarily).

As I noted in a commentary for Informed Comment on November 6,Netanyahu [recently] referred to a biblical old testament passage that called for the killing of every Amalekite, as reported on November 3rd in Mother Jones:

There are more than 23,000 verses in the Old Testament. The ones Netanyahu turned to, as Israeli forces launched their ground invasion in Gaza, are among its most violentand have a long history of being used by Jews on the far right to justify killing Palestinians. As others quickly pointed out, God commands King Saul in the first Book of Samuel to kill every person in Amalek, a rival nation to ancient Israel. This is what the Lord Almighty says, the prophet Samuel tells Saul. I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.

The message was clear that he was equating all Gazans,  and likely all Palestinians  with the fate of the Amalekites. He wasnt just targeting Hamas. It was a call to arms for his religious party supporters and a dog whistle to American Christian Zionists.

Netanyahu touts peace with Saudi Arabia, issues nuclear threat to Iran | Al Jazeera Newsfeed

How was the promise of the 1993 Oslo Peace Accords thwarted, and how did we spiral down into the current crisis?

The New York Review of Books, in a historical footnote, recalled:

Enough is the word that Yitzhak Rabin, then Israels prime minister, stressed in his remarkable speech of September 1993 at the signing of the imperfect, but promising, Oslo Accords. We who have fought against you, the Palestinians, we say to you today in a loud and a clear voice: Enough of blood and tears. Enough. We are today giving peace a chance and saying to you and saying again to you: Enough

Yasser Arafat shook hands with Rabin and recognized the possibility of reconciliation: The battle for peace is the most difficult battle of our lives. It deserves our utmost efforts because the land of peace yearns for a just and comprehensive peace.

Rabin, in his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech in 1994, recognized the impossibility of security without peace: There is only one radical means of sanctifying human lives. Not armored plating, or tanks, or planes, or concrete fortifications. The one radical solution is peace.

Rabin was assassinated in 1995 after a Tel Aviv rally attended by an estimated 100,000 Israelis in which he led the crowd in advocating for a peaceful end to the intractable blood feud between Israelis and Palestinians. His killer was a right-wing Likudnik opposed to the peace process. Some Israelis thought Netanyahu inspired the assassination.

That assassination ushered in a rabid right-wing movement toward widespread expansion into the Occupied West Bank illegally according to International law, nearly 500,000 Jewish settlers on Arab land in the West Bank, and more than 200,000 Jewish settlers displacing Palestinians in East Jerusalem.

For those in doubt, consider some of just a few of the comments from Netanyahus political partners:

In mid-October, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said, It is an entire nation out there that is responsible. It is not true this rhetoric about civilians not being aware, not involved. Its absolutely not true. They could have risen up. They could have fought against that evil regime which took over Gaza in a coup detat. His comments appeared to erase the distinction between combatants and non-combatants, which underpins International Humanitarian Law. Equating innocent civilians with combatants is a common move among terrorists such as members of al-Qaeda.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, for his part, said, Gaza wont return to what it was before. We will eliminate everything.

Minister of Agriculture Avi Dichter told an interviewer, We are now rolling out the Gaza Nakba.

Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant added more incendiary rhetoric to the attack on Gazans, I have ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip. There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed, Gallant said shortly after the Hamas slaughter in Israel.We are fighting human animals and we are acting accordingly, he added on October 9.

Israels Heritage Minister, Amihai Eliyahu, recently announced that dropping an atomic bomb on Gaza was an option in the current Israeli offensive. Netanyahu disavowed the possibility, but did not fire Eliyahu, just suspended him from cabinet meetings. Eliyahus sentiments were echoed by Likud lawmaker, Tally Gotliv wrote, I urge you to do everything and use Doomsday weapons fearlessly against our enemies. She added, Its time to kiss doomsday. Shooting powerful missiles without limit. Not flattening a neighborhood. Crushing and flattening Gaza.  without mercy! without mercy!

According to Brett Wilkins at Common Dreams,

Nissim Vaturi, the far-right deputy speaker of the Israeli parliament, raised eyebrows and ire  after asserting on social media that Israels war on Gazawhich has killed and maimed over 40,000 people and displaced around 70% of the populationis too humane. We are too humane, he declared, Burn Gaza now, no less!

Likud Party stalwart Galit Distel Atbaryan, said of the energy unleashed among Israelis by the October 7 atrocities, Invest that energy in one thing: Erasing all of Gaza from the face of the earth.

Last week, two Israeli legislators, in the Wall Street Journal, called on Western nations to take in Palestinians from Gaza to reduce the population in Gaza who are being pummeled by the Israeli onslaught and denial of basic necessities, including food, water and functioning hospitals. In short, other nations should help expel Gazans by offering them a refuge, a strategy also supported by Netanyahus finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich.

But dont just judge the Netanyahu bigots by their words, judge them by their actions. It could have taken a far different course rather than the years of unending mowing the lawn bloodshed.

These actions add up to steps Israel is taking to govern from the Jordan River to the sea (the west of Israel lies on the Mediterranean coast.). It is not aspirational; it is happening in plain sight.
TORONTO, Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Adventus Mining Corporation (Adventus) (TSXV: ADZN) (OTCQX: ADVZF) and Luminex Resources Corp. (Luminex) (TSXV: LR) (OTCQX: LUMIF) are pleased to announce that they have entered into an arrangement agreement (the Arrangement Agreement), pursuant to which Adventus will acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Luminex (the Luminex Shares), in exchange for common shares of Adventus (the Adventus Shares), by way of a plan of arrangement (the Transaction, with the resulting entity referred to as the Resulting Issuer). The Transaction will create a combined company that intends to lead the advancement of the El Domo-Curipamba copper-gold project (the El Domo Project) towards production and consolidates a large and prospective gold-copper development and exploration portfolio in Ecuador totalling over 135,000 hectares which includes the preliminary economic assessment (PEA) stage Condor gold project (the Condor Project). Further details of the Transaction are outlined below.

Transaction Highlights

Exceptional Shareholder Base & Renewed Support  Brings together the support of members of Mr. Ross Beatys Lumina Group, local Ecuadorian investors and strategic and equity investors that include Altius Minerals Corporation ( Altius ) and Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. ( Wheaton ). A concurrent financing for approximately US$17.1 million, with participation by Mr. Ross Beaty and Wheaton is expected to be completed as part of the Transaction (described below).

 Brings together the support of members of Mr. Ross Beatys Lumina Group, local Ecuadorian investors and strategic and equity investors that include Altius Minerals Corporation ( ) and Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. ( ). A concurrent financing for approximately US$17.1 million, with participation by Mr. Ross Beaty and Wheaton is expected to be completed as part of the Transaction (described below). Well-Capitalized Copper-Gold Company  Transaction establishes a well-capitalized copper-gold company focused on the advancement of the El Domo Project and consolidation of one of the largest exploration portfolios in Ecuador for future growth potential. The El Domo Project, with a completed feasibility study centred on a shallow and high-grade copper-gold dominant deposit 1 , is supported by an investment contract with the Government of Ecuador and is on track for a construction decision in the first half of 2024.

 Transaction establishes a well-capitalized copper-gold company focused on the advancement of the El Domo Project and consolidation of one of the largest exploration portfolios in Ecuador for future growth potential. The El Domo Project, with a completed feasibility study centred on a shallow and high-grade copper-gold dominant deposit , is supported by an investment contract with the Government of Ecuador and is on track for a construction decision in the first half of 2024. Large Pipeline Gold Project  98.7% ownership of the gold-copper Condor Project, adjacent to Lundin Golds Fruta del Norte project and Tongling / China Rails Mirador project. A PEA was completed in 2021 highlighting a 12-year operation producing 187k ounces of gold per year and a US$562 million after-tax NPV 5% and a 20.3% after-tax IRR at US$1,760/oz gold 2 .

 98.7% ownership of the gold-copper Condor Project, adjacent to Lundin Golds Fruta del Norte project and Tongling / China Rails Mirador project. A PEA was completed in 2021 highlighting a 12-year operation producing 187k ounces of gold per year and a US$562 million after-tax NPV and a 20.3% after-tax IRR at US$1,760/oz gold . Industry Leading Exploration Portfolio  Combined exploration portfolio totalling over 135,000 hectares across 13 projects will be one of the largest land packages in Ecuador with approximately US$50 million in joint venture partner spending to date, and which continues to see funding interest from third parties.

 Combined exploration portfolio totalling over 135,000 hectares across 13 projects will be one of the largest land packages in Ecuador with approximately US$50 million in joint venture partner spending to date, and which continues to see funding interest from third parties. Synergy & Cost Savings  Post Transaction, the Resulting Issuer will be led by a strengthened board, and a management team with a proven history and in-country track record of discovery, exploration success, mine building, operations, community engagement and monetization. The Resulting Issuer is expected to save approximately US$2 million per annum through synergies.

 Post Transaction, the Resulting Issuer will be led by a strengthened board, and a management team with a proven history and in-country track record of discovery, exploration success, mine building, operations, community engagement and monetization. The Resulting Issuer is expected to save approximately US$2 million per annum through synergies. Value Creation & Potential for Shareholders  Expected to directly add liquidity and a greater following, while establishing a path to production at the El Domo Project: one of the highest grade and lowest capital intensity copper-gold projects globally.

___________________________________________

1 The El Domo Project feasibility study is a NI 43-101 Technical Report entitled: NI 43-101 Technical Report - Feasibility Study - Curipamba El Domo Project - Central Ecuador, filed on SEDAR+ on December 10, 2021.

2 The PEA is preliminary in nature and includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral resources, and there is no certainty the PEA will be realized. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The Condor Project PEA was based on the July 28, 2021 mineral resource estimate and base case economics were calculated using a gold price of $1,600 per ounce and a silver price of $21.00 per ounce, details of which, together with a summary of capital and operating expenditure estimates, assumptions and qualifications used by the qualified persons in preparing the PEA and the underlying mineral resource estimate, are disclosed in the report.

Christian Kargl-Simard, President and CEO of Adventus, commented: This Transaction is an exciting opportunity to unite complementary assets, teams, and investors to create value for all Adventus and Luminex shareholders. Adventus is pleased to welcome Mr. Ross Beaty, members of the Lumina Group, and new investors as we continue the advancement of the El Domo Project towards future cash flowing operations. For Adventus shareholders, the new capital and acquisition of Luminexs Condor Project and other properties allows the creation of a stronger and more diversified company with one of the largest copper-gold exploration portfolios in Ecuador.

Marshall Koval, CEO of Luminex, commented: We are very pleased to be entering into this combination with Adventus. The Adventus team has done a tremendous job advancing the El Domo Project from an exploration and PEA stage project to the expected start of construction in the first half of 2024. This combination gives Luminex shareholders a more immediate re-rating and return potential from the advancement of the El Domo Project, while reinforcing the growth and new discovery potential of the combined exploration portfolio.

Concurrent with the Transaction, Adventus and Luminex plan to raise approximately US$17.1 million in equity, as a combination of US$13.5 million in a fully committed non-brokered private placement (the Non-Brokered Private Placement) of subscription receipts of Adventus (the Subscription Receipts), and approximately C$5 million (approximately US$3.64 million based on the US$/C$ exchange rate on November 21, 2023) in a brokered bought deal private placement (the Bought Deal Private Placement, and together with the Non-Brokered Private Placement, the Concurrent Financing) of units (the Units) of Adventus, co-led by Raymond James Ltd. and National Bank Financial Inc., on their own behalf and on behalf of a syndicate of investment dealers (collectively, the Underwriters). In respect of the Non-Brokered Private Placement, Adventus and Luminex have received firm commitments for US$13.5 million in total, comprised of lead orders from Mr. Ross Beaty, Wheaton, and certain of Luminexs existing Ecuadorian investors. Further details of the Concurrent Financing are outlined below.

Altius, Adventus largest shareholder, has agreed to extend its outstanding US$4 million unsecured convertible debenture until December 31, 2024, subject to completion of the Non-Brokered Private Placement (the Loan Amendment). As Altius is an insider of Adventus, the Loan Amendment constitutes a related party transaction within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101  Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (MI 61-101). The Loan Amendment is exempt from the formal valuation and minority approval requirements of MI 61-101 as, at the time it was agreed to, neither the fair market value thereof, nor the fair market value of the consideration therefor, exceeds 25% of Adventus market capitalization.

Transaction Terms

Pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Arrangement Agreement, the holders of the issued and outstanding Luminex Shares will receive 0.67 Adventus Shares for each one (1) Luminex Share held (the Exchange Ratio). Luminex options that are outstanding at the time of completion of the Transaction shall be exchanged in accordance with the Exchange Ratio for similar securities to purchase Adventus Shares on substantially the same terms and conditions, and outstanding warrants of Luminex will become exercisable, based on the Exchange Ratio, to purchase Adventus Shares on substantially the same terms and conditions. The Transaction will be carried out by way of a court-approved plan of arrangement under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia).

Upon completion of the Transaction, the Resulting Issuer will continue to be listed as a Tier 1 mining issuer on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV) under the same Adventus name and ticker symbol, as well as on the OTCQX. Prior to completion of the Concurrent Financing, existing shareholders of Adventus will own approximately 61% of the Resulting Issuer and existing shareholders of Luminex will own approximately 39% of the Resulting Issuer on an undiluted basis. Mr. Ross Beaty is expected to be the only shareholder post completion of the Transaction and the Concurrent Financing to own greater than 10% of the issued and outstanding shares of the Resulting Issuer, owning approximately 13% on an undiluted basis.

The Arrangement Agreement contains customary reciprocal deal-protection provisions including non-solicitation covenants and a right to match any superior proposal as defined in the Arrangement Agreement. Under certain circumstances, Adventus or Luminex would be entitled to a termination fee of US$1,200,000. In connection with the Transaction, certain officers of Luminex shall agree to receive part of any change of control amounts owed in the form of Luminex Shares, which shall have a deemed value per Luminex Share equal to C$0.194 per share (the Change of Control Share Settlement). Any Change of Control Share Settlement is subject to the approval of the TSXV.

Complete details of the Transaction will be included in a management information circular to be delivered to Luminex securityholders in the coming weeks.

Conditions to Completion

The completion of the Transaction is subject to a number of terms and conditions, including without limitation the following: (a) approval of the Luminex securityholders, as described below; (b) approval of the TSXV; (c) approval of the British Columbia Supreme Court; (d) there being no material adverse changes in respect of either Adventus or Luminex; (e) a minimum of US$13.5 million in gross proceeds from the Concurrent Financing (which is fully committed, see Concurrent Financing below), and other standard conditions of closing for a transaction of this nature. There can be no assurance that all of the necessary approvals will be obtained or that all conditions of closing will be satisfied.

The Transaction is subject to the approval at a special meeting of Luminex securityholders by (i) 662/3% of the votes cast by Luminex shareholders, (ii) 662/3 % of the votes cast by Luminex shareholders and optionholders, voting together as a single class, and (iii) if required, a simple majority of the votes cast by the Luminex shareholders, excluding the votes cast by certain persons as required by MI 61-101. Adventus and Luminex are arms length parties and, accordingly, the Transaction is not a related party transaction.

Board of Directors and Management

Upon closing of the Transaction, the board of directors of the Resulting Issuer (the Resulting Issuer Board) will be comprised of eight (8) members, including three (3) nominees from Luminex. Mr. Christian Kargl-Simard will remain serving as President, CEO and Director of the Resulting Issuer and lead the combined management and project team. The head office will continue to be in Toronto, Canada.

The Resulting Issuer Board is expected to be led by Mr. Mark Wellings and is anticipated to include Ms. Karina Rogers, Mr. Leif Nilsson, Mr. David Darquea Schettini, Mr. David Farrell and Mr. Ron Halas as independent directors, and Mr. Christian Kargl-Simard and Mr. Marshall Koval as non-independent directors. Advisors to the Resulting Issuer Board will continue to be Mr. Christian Aramayo and Mr. Gerardo Fernandez; Adventus also anticipates the addition of Mr. Leo Hathaway in an advisory role.

Concurrent Financing

The Concurrent Financing will consist of two tranches, for total gross proceeds of approximately US$17.1 million, of which US$13.5 million is fully committed and the balance of approximately C$5M (approximately US$3.64 million) has agreed to be purchased on a bought deal private placement basis.

The first tranche is the Non-Brokered Private Placement, a US$13.5 million fully committed offering of Subscription Receipts of Adventus at a price of C$0.29 per Subscription Receipt.

Each Subscription Receipt shall entitle the holder thereof to receive, without payment of any additional consideration or further action on the part of the holder, one Common Share in the capital of Adventus upon the satisfaction or waiver of all conditions to the completion of the Transaction in accordance with the terms of the Arrangement Agreement (collectively, the Escrow Release Conditions). Mr. Ross Beaty, Wheaton and certain of Luminexs existing Ecuadorian shareholders have committed to participating in this tranche. No commission is being paid on the Non-Brokered Private Placement.

In connection with the second tranche, the Bought Deal Private Placement, Adventus and Luminex have entered into an engagement letter with Raymond James Ltd. and National Bank Financial Inc., on their own behalf and on behalf of the Underwriters, pursuant to which the Underwriters have agreed to purchase, on a bought deal private placement basis 1,725,000 Units of Adventus at a price of C$2.90 per Unit (the Unit Offering Price) for gross proceeds of approximately C$5 million, which the parties may agree to increase in the context of the market by an amount of up to an additional C$5 million. Each Unit shall consist of four (4) Adventus Shares and six (6) Subscription Receipts, with 40% of the price per Unit allocated to the Adventus Shares underlying each Unit and 60% of the price per Unit allocated to the Subscription Receipts underlying each Unit. Adventus has granted the Underwriters an over-allotment option to purchase at the Unit Offering Price up to such number of an additional Units as is equal to 15% of the number of Units sold pursuant to the Bought Deal Private Placement (the Over-Allotment Option). The Over-Allotment Option is exercisable by the Underwriters in whole or in part at any time until 48 hours prior to the closing date of the Bought Deal Private Placement. Adventus shall pay to the Underwriters a commission equal to 6.0% of the gross proceeds from the Bought Deal Private Placement, 50% of which will be paid to the Underwriters at closing of the Bought Deal Private Placement and 50% of which will be placed in escrow (the Escrowed Commission) as described below.

The gross proceeds of the Non-Brokered Private Placement, the gross proceeds from the sale of the Subscription Receipts underlying the Bought Deal Private Placement and the Escrowed Commission (collectively, the Escrowed Proceeds), will be placed into escrow. Provided that the Escrow Release Conditions are satisfied or waived (where permitted) prior to 5:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on March 31, 2024 (the Escrow Release Deadline), the Escrowed Commission will be released to the Underwriters from the Escrowed Proceeds, and the balance of the Escrowed Proceeds (less certain expenses of an escrow agent to be appointed) will be released to or as directed by Adventus and the Subscription Receipts shall be automatically converted into Adventus Shares, without payment of any additional consideration or further action on the part of the subscribers. In the event that the Escrow Release Conditions are not satisfied by the Escrow Release Deadline, the Escrowed Proceeds, together with interest earned thereon, will be returned to the holders of Subscription Receipts and such Subscription Receipts will be cancelled.

The net proceeds of the Concurrent Financing will be used to advance the El Domo Project, select exploration programs across the combined exploration portfolio of Adventus and Luminex, costs related to the proposed Transaction and for working capital and general corporate purposes.

The Concurrent Financing is being conducted in all of the provinces and territories of Canada pursuant to private placement exemptions, in the United States pursuant to available exemptions from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the U.S. Securities Act), and applicable state securities laws, and in such other jurisdictions outside of Canada and the United States, in each case, in accordance with all applicable laws, provided that no prospectus, registration statement or similar document is required to be filed in such foreign jurisdiction. Completion of the Concurrent Financing is subject to obtaining the required TSXV approvals and satisfaction of customary closing conditions. The Subscription Receipts and the Adventus Shares to be issued in connection with the Concurrent Financing, and the Adventus Shares underlying the Subscription Receipts, will be subject to a statutory four-month and one day hold period from the closing date. The closing date of both the Non-Brokered Private Placement and the Bought Deal Private Placement is expected to be on or around December 8, 2023.

Luminex and Adventus intend to rely on the part and parcel exception under the policies of the TSXV with respect to the Concurrent Financing and the Change of Control Share Settlement, as each is integral to the Transaction by ensuring the Resulting Issuer is sufficiently capitalized to complete mine construction at the El Domo Project.

The securities to be offered in the Concurrent Financing and the Change of Control Share Settlement have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, United States persons absent registration or any applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in the United States, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

Transaction Timeline

Pursuant to the Arrangement Agreement and subject to satisfying all necessary conditions and receipt of all required approvals, the parties anticipate completion of the Transaction in January 2024. Following completion of the Transaction, Luminex Shares will be de-listed from the TSXV and Luminex will cease to be a reporting issuer under Canadian securities laws.

Recommendations by the Boards of Directors and Fairness Opinion

After consultation with its financial and legal advisors, the board of directors of Adventus unanimously approved the entering into of the Arrangement Agreement. Raymond James Ltd. provided a fairness opinion to the board of directors of Adventus, stating that, as of the date of such opinion and based upon and subject to the assumptions, limitations and qualifications stated in such opinion, the consideration to be paid by Adventus is fair, from a financial point of view, to Adventus.

After consultation with its financial and legal advisors, the board of directors of Luminex (the Luminex Board) unanimously approved the entering into of the Arrangement Agreement, following the unanimous recommendation of a special committee of the Luminex Board (the Luminex Special Committee). The Luminex Board recommends that Luminex securityholders vote in favour of the Transaction. Haywood Securities Inc. provided a fairness opinion to the Luminex Special Committee, stating that, as of the date of such opinion and based upon and subject to the assumptions, limitations and qualifications stated in such opinion, the consideration to be received by Luminex shareholders under the Transaction is fair, from a financial point of view, to such Luminex shareholders.

Advisors and Counsel

Bacchus Capital Advisors is acting as financial advisor to Adventus. DLA Piper (Canada) LLP, DLA Piper LLP (US) and AVL Abogados are acting as legal counsel to Adventus in Canada, the U.S. and Ecuador, respectively.

Haywood Securities Inc. is acting as financial advisor to Luminex. Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP, and Tobar ZVS are acting as legal counsel to Luminex in Canada, the U.S. and Ecuador, respectively.

Analyst and Investor Webcast and Conference Call

Adventus and Luminex will host a joint conference call on Tuesday, November 22, 2023, at 12:00 pm (noon) ET to discuss the Transaction. Conference call and webcast details:

Date: Wednesday, November 22, 2023 Time: 12:00 pm noon ET Webcast link: https://events.6ix.com/preview/adventus-mining-corporation

Qualified Person and Technical Reports

The technical information of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Dustin Small, P.Eng., Vice President Projects of Adventus, a non-Independent Qualified Person, as defined by National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101). Technical information for the El Domo Project is derived from the Technical Report for the El Domo Project titled: NI 43-101 Technical Report - Feasibility Study - Curipamba El Domo Project - Central Ecuador, filed on SEDAR+ on December 10, 2021. Technical information for the Condor Project is derived from the Technical Report for the Condor Project titled: Condor Project NI 43-101 Technical Report on Preliminary Economic Assessment, filed on SEDAR+ on September 13, 2021.

About Adventus

Adventus Mining Corporation is an Ecuador-focused copper-gold exploration and development company. Adventus is majority owner of the 215 sq. km Curipamba copper-gold project, which has a completed feasibility study on the shallow and high-grade El Domo deposit. In addition, Adventus is engaged in a country-wide exploration alliance in Ecuador, which has incorporated the Pijili and Santiago copper-gold porphyry projects to date. Outside of Ecuador, Adventus owns an exploration project portfolio in Ireland with South32 Limited as the funding participant. Its strategic shareholders include Altius Minerals Corporation, Greenstone Resources LP, Wheaton Precious Metals Corp., and significant Ecuadorian shareholders. Adventus is based in Toronto, Canada, and is listed on the TSXV under the symbol ADZN and trades on the OTCQX under the symbol ADVZF.

About Luminex

Luminex Resources Corp. is a Vancouver, Canada based precious and base metals exploration and development company focused on gold and copper projects in Ecuador. Luminexs inferred and indicated mineral resources are located at the Condor Gold-Copper project in Zamora-Chinchipe Province, southeast Ecuador. Luminex also holds a large and highly prospective land package in Ecuador.

For further information from Adventus, please contact Christian Kargl-Simard, President and Chief Executive Officer, at +1-416-230-3440 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Please also visit the Adventus website at www.adventusmining.com

For further information from Luminex, please contact Scott Hicks, VP Corporate Development and Communications, at +1-604-646-1890 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Please also visit the Luminex website at https://luminexresources.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 news release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws and forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, respectively (collectively referred to herein as forward-looking information). Forward-looking information may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as plans, targets, expects, is expected, scheduled, estimates, outlook, forecasts, projection, prospects, strategy, intends, anticipates, believes, or variations of such words and phrases or terminology which states that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might, will, will be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking information in this news release includes: expected timing and completion of the Transaction; the strengths, characteristics and expected benefits and synergies of the Transaction; receipt of court approval; approval of the Transaction by Luminex shareholders and optionholders at the special meeting of Luminex securityholders; obtaining TSXV acceptance to complete the Transaction; certain officers of Luminex agreeing to receive the Change of Control Share Settlement, and obtaining TSXV acceptance to complete the Change of Control Share Settlement; the completion of the Concurrent Financing; the participation of the identified persons in the Concurrent Financing; the expected use of proceeds from the Concurrent Financing; the satisfaction of the Escrow Release Conditions; the conversion of the Subscription Receipts into shares of the Resulting Issuer; the exercise of the Over-Allotment Option; obtaining TSXV acceptance to complete the Concurrent Financing; the payment of commissions by Adventus with respect to the Concurrent Financing; the anticipated holdings of Ross Beaty and Altius after the completion of the Transaction; the completion of the Loan Amendment; obtaining TSXV acceptance to complete the Loan Amendment; the anticipated timing of the special meeting of Luminex securityholders to vote on the Transaction and the related management information circular; the expected delisting of the Luminex Shares from the TSXV; the composition of the Resulting Issuer board and management team; and the companies assessments of, and expectations for, future periods. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, intentions, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including information in this news release regarding the Transaction and the Concurrent Financing, contain forward-looking information. Statements containing forward-looking information are not historical facts but instead represent the companies expectations, estimates and projections regarding possible future events or circumstances. The forward-looking information included in this news release is based on the companies opinions, estimates and assumptions in light of their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, their assumptions regarding the Transaction and the Concurrent Financing (including, but not limited to, their ability to close the Transaction and the Concurrent Financing on the terms contemplated, and to derive the anticipated benefits therefrom), as well as other factors that they currently believe are appropriate and reasonable in the circumstances. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is also based upon a number of assumptions, including the companies ability to obtain the required securityholder, court and regulatory approvals in a timely matter, if at all; their ability to satisfy the terms and conditions precedent of the Arrangement Agreement in order to consummate the Transaction; their ability to satisfy the Escrow Release Conditions; assumptions in respect of current and future market conditions and the execution of the companies business strategies, that operations in Adventus and Luminexs properties will continue without interruption, and the absence of any other factors that could cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated, intended or implied. Despite a careful process to prepare and review the forward-looking information, there can be no assurance that the underlying opinions, estimates and assumptions will prove to be correct. Forward-looking information is also subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks, uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to, failure to receive the required shareholder, court, regulatory and other approvals necessary to effect the Transaction; the potential for a third party to make a superior proposal to the Transaction; that the Resulting Issuer and its shareholders will not realize the anticipated benefits following the completion of the Transaction; that all tranches of the Concurrent Financing will not be completed; that the proceeds of the Concurrent Financing will not be used as announced; that the Loan Amendment will not be completed; that the special meeting of Luminex securityholders to vote on the Transaction will not occur at the anticipated timeframe; and those set forth under the caption Risk Factors in Adventus annual information form, the companies most recent respective managements discussion and analysis, and other documents filed with or submitted to the Canadian securities regulatory authorities on the SEDAR+ website at www.sedarplus.ca.

Although the companies have attempted to identify important risk factors that could cause actual results or future events to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other risk factors not presently known to them or that they presently believe are not material that could also cause actual results or future events to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking information. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information, which speaks only as of the date made. The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the companies expectations as of the date of this news release and is subject to change after such date. Adventus and Luminex each disclaim any intention or obligation or undertaking 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. All of the forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by the foregoing cautionary statements.
Tibetologists praise Xizang's progress in human rights

Xinhua) 20:45, November 21, 2023

BEIJING, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Zhang Yun, a scholar who has engaged in Tibetology research for about four decades, said that he has witnessed the significant progress in human rights development in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region.

"An unmistakable transformation is the visible enhancement in the quality of life for local residents," said Zhang, a researcher with the China Tibetology Research Center (CTRC).

Recalling his first visit to the region in 1998, Zhang said that most vegetables were transported from other inland provinces and cities, residents were plainly dressed, and the living conditions were not good. However, there has been a dramatic change in the mood, dress and housing conditions of residents in the plateau region over the past decades.

Zhang was among close to 50 tibetologists who took part in a forum held in Beijing Tuesday, focusing on the promotion and interpretation of a white paper titled "CPC Policies on the Governance of Xizang in the New Era: Approach and Achievements."

The document, issued by the State Council Information Office on Nov. 10, highlighted that the Communist Party of China (CPC) guidelines for governing Xizang in the new era have brought about all-round progress and historic success in various undertakings in the region.

During the forum, experts and scholars engaged in multidimensional discussions, offering insights and suggestions on the region's modernization in the new era.

Based on detailed data and abundant facts, the white paper summarizes the comprehensive progress and historic achievements in various fields in Xizang under the guidance of the CPC, said Chen Zongrong, a Party official of the CTRC.

"This unequivocally indicates that the social and economic progress of Xizang epitomizes the nation's outstanding achievements in development, created on the roof of the world through the Chinese path to modernization," Chen noted.

The 2022 GDP of Xizang reached 213.26 billion yuan (about 29.86 billion U.S. dollars), 2.28 times of that in 2012 calculated at constant prices, according to the white paper.

The per-capita disposable income of the region's urban and rural residents as a whole rose to 26,675 yuan in 2022 from 8,568 yuan in 2012, representing the country's highest growth rate for eight consecutive years since 2015, the document said.

"The tremendous achievements in Xizang's economic and social development vividly demonstrate the incomparable superiority of the socialist system. They represent a microcosm of the historic achievements and changes in the cause of the Party and the country," said Zheng Dui, director-general of the CTRC.

Su Faxiang, a professor with Minzu University of China, highlighted that the Tibetan language has been widely used, ancient Tibetan texts and documents have been well protected, cultural heritage preservation has been continuously strengthened, and intangible cultural heritage has effectively been inherited and preserved.

"These efforts have laid a solid cultural foundation for the region's modernization," Su said.

The white paper reveals that China has implemented a series of policies benefiting people's livelihood in Xizang, such as in housing, healthcare, education, ecological conservation and infrastructure development, Zhang said, noting that these policies are long-term, fundamental, and conducive to the region's sustainable, efficient and high-quality development.

"With strong support from the central government, nationwide assistance, and diligent efforts of local residents, Xizang has great prospects for future development," he added.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Hongyu)
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - November 21, 2023) - MAX RESOURCE CORP. (TSXV: MAX) (OTC Pink: MXROF) (FSE: M1D2) ("Max" or the "Company") is pleased to report high-grade assay results from continuous rock chip channel sampling collected at the recently discovered AM-08 target, located in the AM District of its wholly-owned Cesar Copper-Silver Project, in Northeastern Colombia (refer to Figures 1 to 4).

AM-08 Highlights

Continuous chip channel sampling across the width of the structurally controlled mineralization at the primary outcrop has returned values of: 2.6% copper and 58 g/t silver over 15.0m including, 3.5% copper + 77 g/t silver over 10.0m including, 8.1% copper + 172 g/t silver over 1.0m.



In addition, continuous chip channel sampling across mineralized outcrops at several locations west of the primary occurrence has returned values of: 2.5% copper + 48 g/t silver over 2.0m. 1.8% copper + 18 g/t silver over 1.8m. 1.1% copper + 16 g/t silver over 5.3m.



Figure 1: AM District Target Map

Figure 2: AM-08 Chip Channel Sample Locations Map

Located approximately seven kilometres northwest from AM-08, AM-07 (Max News Release dated September 20, 2023) was discovered by prospecting.

AM-08 is characterized by the presence of two styles of copper-silver mineralization: structurally controlled and stratiform sediment hosted. Stratiform mineralization at AM-08 has been mapped along strike for 400 metres.

"The assay results from four outcrops at AM-08 are exceptional and make this a top-priority target for Max. The high-grade results along with the combination of structural and stratiform mineralization provides the Company with the potential for significant deposits," commented Brett Matich, CEO of Max.

"Field crews will now focus on expanding the stratiform mineralization at the AM District, along strike and on identifying other locations where the stratiform and structural mineralization intersect to create wider zones," he concluded.

Figure 3: AM-08 Target  Photograph of Primary Mineralized Outcrop Sampling



Description of the Mineralisation



Two types of copper-silver mineralization are observed at AM-08, structurally controlled and stratiform:

The structurally controlled mineralization is hosted in an NNE striking fault and is thickest where it intersects an NNW striking fault. The primary copper mineral is chalcocite which occurs in multiple veins up to 3 cm thick.

Stratiform mineralization is observed where the mineralized structure comes into contract with sedimentary rocks or lithological contacts. Copper minerals include chalcocite and bornite which form irregular veins that are concordant with the strata. The strike and dip of bedding in the AM-08 area is measured at N30- 60E and 30NE respectively.

Results



Assay results from continuous chip channel samples collected at four different locations at the AM-08 target are presented in Table 1 through Table 4 below:

Table 1: Chip Channel Assay Results from Primary Outcrop (Structurally Controlled Mineralization) at AM-08.

Sample

Number UTM Coordinates (WGS84 Z18N) Host Rock Interval Copper Silver Easting (m) Northing (m) (m) (%) (g/t) 504732 764,445 1,208,660 Hydrothermal Breccia 1.0 0.6 17 504731 764,444 1,208,659 Hydrothermal Breccia 1.0 0.3 10 504730 764,443 1,208,659 Hydrothermal Breccia 1.0 1.4 32 504729 764,442 1,208,659 Hydrothermal Breccia 1.0 0.7 17 504728 764,441 1,208,659 Hydrothermal Breccia 1.0 0.8 17 504727 764,440 1,208,659 Hydrothermal Breccia 1.0 3.9 91 504726 764,439 1,208,658 Hydrothermal Breccia 1.0 4.2 96 504725 764,438 1,208,658 Hydrothermal Breccia 1.0 1.3 32 504724 764,437 1,208,658 Hydrothermal Breccia 1.0 1.4 37 504723 764,436 1,208,658 Hydrothermal Breccia 1.0 3.6 82 504722 764,435 1,208,658 Hydrothermal Breccia 1.0 3.2 89 504721 764,434 1,208,658 Hydrothermal Breccia 1.0 8.1 172 504720 764,433 1,208,658 Hydrothermal Breccia 1.0 3.1 48 504719 764,432 1,208,658 Hydrothermal Breccia 1.0 4.6 97 504718 764,431 1,208,659 Hydrothermal Breccia 1.0 1.6 28 Weighted Average Assay Result 15.0 2.6 58 including 10.0 3.5 77 including 5.0 4.5 98

Table 2: Chip Channel Assay Results from Outcrop of Stratiform Mineralization at AM-08.

Sample

Number UTM Coordinates (WGS84 Z18N) Host Rock Interval Copper Silver Easting (m) Northing (m) (m) (%) (g/t) 504712 764,176 1,208,562 Siltstone 1.0 1.9 25 504711 764,175 1,208,563 Siltstone 0.5 0.0 0.3 504710 764,174 1,208,564 Siltstone 1.0 0.0 0.3 504709 764,174 1,208,564 Siltstone 1.0 2.7 47 504708 764,173 1,208,565 Siltstone 0.8 0.9 15 504707 764,173 1,208,566 Siltstone 1.0 0.3 8 Weighted Average Assay Result 5.3 1.1 16 Including 1.8 1.8 31

Table 3: Chip Channel Assay Results from Outcrop of Structurally Controlled Mineralization at AM-08.

Sample

Number UTM Coordinates (WGS84 Z18N) Host Rock Interval Copper Silver Easting (m) Northing (m) (m) (%) (g/t) 504705 764,307 1,208,659 Dacite 1.0 4.9 93 504703 764,309 1,208,660 Dacite 1.0 0.1 2 504704 764,308 1,208,659 Dacite 1.0 0.3 8 Weighted Average Assay Result 3.0 1.8 34 Including 2.0 2.5 48

Table 4: Chip Channel Assay Results from Outcrop of Stratiform Mineralization at Target AM-08.

Sample

Number UTM Coordinates (WGS84 Z18N) Host Rock Interval Copper Silver Easting (m) Northing (m) (m) (%) (g/t) 504736 764,121 1,208,520 Siltstone 0.6 2.9 23 504735 764,120 1,208,520 Siltstone 0.6 0.7 10 504734 764,119 1,208,519 Siltstone 0.6 1.8 22 Weighted Average Assay Result 1.8 1.8 18

Quality Assurance



All AM-08 rock chip samples are shipped to ALS Lab's sample preparation facility in Medellin, Colombia. Sample pulps sent to Lima, Peru, for analysis. All samples were analyzed using ALS procedure ME-MS41, a four-acid digestion with inductively coupled plasma finished. Over-limit copper and silver are determined by ALS procedure OG-62, a four-acid digestion with an atomic absorption spectroscopy finish. ALS Labs is independent from Max.

Corporate



Max is pleased to announce that further to its news release dated (Max News Release dated November 7, 2023), it has closed its acquisition of all the issued and outstanding shares of Bay Street Mineral Corp. ("Bay Street"), an arm's-length Canadian corporation. Max has obtained TSX-V approval for this acquisition.

In consideration for the acquisition of Bay Street, Max issued the sole shareholder of Bay Street a total of 14,000,000 common shares ("Shares") in the capital of Max. The Shares are subject to escrow and shall be released over a 36-month period, commencing on the closing date of the acquisition. Bay Street holds an underlying 3% net smelter royalty ("Royalty"), over 19 mining concessions covering 184-km and 31 mining concession applications covering 796-km of the Company's wholly-owned Cesar Copper Silver Project (the "Royalty"). Through its acquisition of Bay Street, the Company has re-acquired interest to the Royalty.

Background



The Cesar Copper Silver Project comprises of three districts: AM, Conejo and URU. Collectively the three contiguous districts stretch over 120-km in NNE/SSW direction (refer to Figure 4).

This region provides access to major infrastructure from oil & gas and mining operations, includes Cerrejon, the largest coal mine in South America, held by global miner Glencore. Max's 20 mining concessions collectively span over 188-km.

In 2022, Max executed a 2-year co-operation agreement with Endeavour Silver Corp. ((TSX: EDR) (NYSE: EXK), which assists to expand its 100% owned landholdings, Endeavour will hold an underlying 0.5% NSR.

Figure 4: Cesar Copper Silver Project

AM District

Starting in the far north of the Jurassic basin, classic stacked red bed outcrops with extensive lateral continuity have been rock sampled over many kilometres within the AM District. Highlight values of 34.4% copper and 305 g/t silver have been documented in the sedimentary red bed sequences. The Company confirmed that stratiform mineralization continues at depth with two scout drill holes completed earlier this year (Max News Release dated April 4, 2023). In addition, Colombian field crews continue to discover and sample new mineralized outcrops including at the recently identified AM-7 target (Max News Release dated May 25, 2023 and Max News Release dated June 22, 2023) and AM-08 target (Max News Release dated September 20, 2023).

Conejo District

Midway south, the Conejo District is the most recent to be recognized and is characterized by structurally controlled mineralization hosted in intermediate and felsic volcanic rocks. Numerous mineralized outcrops have been discovered over 3.7-km at the primary target in the district with surface samples averaging 4.9% copper (2% cut-off). No drilling has been conducted at Conejo, but it has emerged as an area of focus for the Company.

URU District

Mineralization within the URU District is hosted in intermediate volcanic rocks and is structurally controlled. At URU-C, a 9.0m of 7.0% copper and 115 g/t silver surface discovery was confirmed at depth by drill hole URU-12, which intersected 10.6m of 3.4% copper and 48 g/t silver. At the URU-CE target, 750m to the east, 19.0m of 1.3% copper discovered in outcrop was confirmed by drill hole URU-9, which intersected a broad zone of copper oxide returning 33.0m of 0.3% copper from 4.0m, including 16.5m of 0.5% copper (Max News Release date January 24, 2023). (Note: all drill intersections are down holes widths, not true width, which remains unknown at this time.)

Target Evaluation



Max has identified and is evaluating 27 targets along the Cesar 90-km-long belt for potential drill testing. The Company is focused on expanding, refining, and prioritizing these targets in preparation for a drill program. Initial efforts have been concentrated on those targets with the greatest size potential with work that includes the following field activities:

Systematic chip and channel sampling of the mineralized outcrops.

Detailed geological and structural mapping of each showing.

Target scale prospecting and soil sampling.

Airborne Magnetic/Radiometric Surveys.

Regional Exploration



Max has demonstrated that the Cesar basin is fertile for copper-silver mineralization over a large area; however, only a fraction of the basin has been explored. As a result, Max has dedicated on of its geological teams to regional exploration with the goal of discovering additional copper-silver prospects over 1,000 sq-km.

Qualified Person



The Company's disclosure of a technical or scientific nature in this news release was reviewed and approved by Tim Henneberry, P.Geo (British Columbia), a member of the Max Resource advisory board, who serves as a qualified person under the definition of National Instrument 43-101.

About Max Resource Corp.



Max Resource Corp. (TSXV: MAX) is a mineral exploration company advancing the newly discovered district-scale Cesar copper-silver project. The wholly owned Cesar Project sits along the Colombian portion of the world's largest producing copper belt (Andean belt), with world class infrastructure and the presence of global majors (Glencore and Chevron).

In addition, Max controls the RT Gold property (100% earn-in) in Peru, encompassing a bulk tonnage primary gold porphyry zone, and 3-km to the NW, a gold bearing massive sulphide zone. Historic drilling in 2001, returned values ranging 3.1 to 118.1 g/t gold over core lengths ranging from 2.2 to 36.0m.

Max is proactive, with the corporate goal of transitioning the Cesar basin towards the mining of copper, the key metal for Colombia's transition to clean energy. The safety of our people and the communities where we operate is most important. We conduct exploration in a manner which supports protection of ecosystems through responsible environmental stewardship.

Source: NI 43:101 Geological Report RT Gold Project for Max Resource Corp. by Luis Rodrigo Peralta, Mar. 8, 2023. NI 43:101 Geological Report Rio Tabaconas Gold Project for Golden Alliance Resources Corp. by George Sivertz, Oct.3, 2011.

For more information visit: https://www.maxresource.com/.

For additional information contact:

Tim McNulty E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. T: (604) 290-8100

Rahim Lakha E. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Brett Matich T: (604) 484 1230

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Except for statements of historic fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law.

Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates 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 statements including, but not limited to delays or uncertainties with regulatory approvals, including that of the TSXV. There are uncertainties inherent in forward-looking information, including factors beyond the Company's control. There are no assurances that the commercialization plans for Max Resources Corp. described in this news release will come into effect on the terms or time frame described herein.

The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties that could affect financial results is contained in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedarplus.ca.
ST. JOHN'S, NL / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / Sokoman Minerals Corp. (TSXV:SIC) (OTCQB:SICNF) ("Sokoman" or the "Company") announces a non-brokered private placement of flow-through ("FT") units (the "Private Placement") for gross proceeds of up to CAD$3,000,000. The Private Placement is expected to close on or before November 30, 2023.

The Private Placement is priced at $0.065 per FT Unit, each FT Unit consisting of one flow-through common share of the Company entitling the holder to receive the tax benefits applicable to flow-through shares in accordance with provisions of the Income Tax Act (Canada), and one-half of one common share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"), each full Warrant being exercisable for one additional common share of the Company, each of which will not qualify as a flow-through share, at an exercise price of $0.13 for 12 months from the date of issue.

All securities issued pursuant to the Private Placement will be subject to a four-month and one-day hold period.

In connection with the Private Placement, the Company may pay finders' fees in cash as permitted by the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange. The Private Placement is subject to approval by the TSX Venture Exchange.

The Company will use an amount equal to the gross proceeds received by the Company from the sale of the FT Units, pursuant to the provisions in the Income Tax Act (Canada), to incur eligible "Canadian exploration expenses" that qualify as "flow-through mining expenditures" as both terms are defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada) (the "Qualifying Expenditures") on or before December 31, 2024, and to renounce all of the Qualifying Expenditures in favour of the subscribers of the FT Units effective December 31, 2023.

The Company intends to spend approximately 25% of the gross proceeds on the Fleur de Lys Gold project, and the remaining balance on its flagship Moosehead Gold project.

The Company is well-funded to cover corporate and working capital needs for 2024 with ~$2M in cash and securities in the treasury.

About Sokoman Minerals Corp.

Sokoman Minerals Corp. is a discovery-oriented company with projects in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The Company's primary focus is its portfolio of gold projects; the 100% flagship, advanced-stage Moosehead, as well as the Crippleback Lake; and East Alder (optioned to Canterra Minerals Corporation) along the Central Newfoundland Gold Belt, and the district-scale Fleur de Lys project near Baie Verte in northwestern Newfoundland, that is targeting Dalradian-type orogenic gold mineralization similar to the Curraghinalt and Cavanacaw deposits in Northern Ireland. The Company also recently entered into a strategic alliance with Benton Resources Inc. through three, large-scale, joint-venture properties including Grey River, Golden Hope, and Kepenkeck in Newfoundland. Sokoman now controls, independently and through the Benton alliance, over 150,000 hectares (>6,000 claims - 1500 sq. km), making it one of the largest landholders in Newfoundland, in Canada's newest and rapidly emerging gold districts.

In October 2023, Sokoman and Benton completed an agreement with Piedmont Lithium Inc., a major developer of lithium projects and processing plants in the USA, and exactly the right partner to have to advance the lithium project. The agreement provides for Piedmont to earn up to 62.5% of the Killick Lithium Project (formerly Golden Hope project) by funding up to $12 million in exploration expenses and issuing $10 million common shares in 3 stages. The Killick Lithium Project has been transferred to Killick Lithium Inc. (Killick), a 100%-owned subsidiary of Vinland Lithium Inc. (Vinland). Newly created Vinland has received $2 million in financing from Piedmont for a 19.9% interest, with the balance of ownership between Sokoman and Benton. Sokoman and Benton will continue to operate the exploration efforts at Killick through the earn-in stages. Sokoman and Benton will retain a royalty of 2% NSR on future production. Piedmont will have exclusive marketing rights for the promotion and sale of any lithium products produced from the Project on a life-of-mine basis, and the right of first refusal on 100% offtake rights to the lithium concentrates.

The Company also retains a 1% NSR interest in an early-stage antimony/gold project (Startrek) in Newfoundland, optioned to Thunder Gold Corp (formerly White Metal Resources Inc.), and in Labrador, the Company has a 100% interest in the Iron Horse (Fe) project which has Direct Shipping Ore (DSO) potential.

Mineralization hosted on adjacent and/or nearby properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization hosted on the Company's property.

The Company would like to thank the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador for past financial support of the Moosehead Project through the Junior Exploration Assistance Program.

For more information, please contact:

Timothy Froude, P.Geo., President & CEO

T: 709-765-1726

E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Cathy Hume, VP Corporate Development, Director

T: 416-868-1079 x 251

E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Website: www.sokomanmineralscorp.com

Twitter: @SokomanMinerals

Facebook: @SokomanMinerals

LinkedIn: @SokomanMineralsCorp

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.

Investors are cautioned that trading in the securities of the Corporation should be considered highly speculative. Except for historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially. Sokoman Minerals Corp. will not update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. More detailed information about potential factors that could affect financial results is included in the documents filed from time to time with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities by Sokoman Minerals Corp.
MONTREAL, Nov. 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd (Osisko or the Corporation) (TSX and NYSE: OR) announced today that Mr. Sean Roosen has resigned as a director of the Corporation in order to focus all of his time and attention on his role as Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Board of Directors of Osisko Development Corp.

With the Corporations recent announcement of Mr. Jason Attew as President and Chief Executive Officer and Mr. Norman MacDonald as Chair of the Board, Osisko Gold Royalties is in extremely strong and talented hands and now is the right time for me to focus all my efforts on the future success of Osisko Development, said Mr. Roosen. I am proud of my contributions to Osisko Gold Royalties and look forward to watching it create long-term sustainable value for its shareholders over many years ahead as one of the premier intermediate North American precious metal royalty companies.

Mr. Norman MacDonald, Chair of Osiskos board of directors, said: On behalf of our board and shareholders, I want to thank Sean for his many contributions to Osisko over the years. As a significant shareholder of Osisko Development Corp., we support his decision to focus his efforts on the success of Osisko Development and look forward, as a shareholder, to enjoying the benefits of him doing so.

About Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd

Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd is an intermediate precious metal royalty company which holds a North American focused portfolio of over 180 royalties, streams and precious metal offtakes. Osiskos portfolio is anchored by its cornerstone asset, a 5% net smelter return royalty on the Canadian Malartic mine, one of Canadas largest gold mines.

Osiskos head office is located at 1100 Avenue des Canadiens-de-Montreal, Suite 300, Montreal, Quebec, H3B 2S2.

For further information, please contact Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd:

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements contained in this press release may be deemed "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. All statements in this press release, forward-looking statements are statements other than statements of historical fact, that address, without limitation, future events, production estimates of Osiskos assets (including increase of production), timely developments of mining properties over which Osisko has royalties, streams, offtakes and investments, managements expectations regarding Osiskos growth, results of operations, estimated future revenues, production costs, carrying value of assets, ability to continue to pay dividend, requirements for additional capital, business prospects and opportunities future demand for and fluctuation of prices of commodities (including outlook on gold, silver, diamonds, other commodities) currency markets and general market conditions. In addition, statements and estimates (including data in tables) relating to mineral reserves and resources and gold equivalent ounces are forward-looking statements, as they involve implied assessment, based on certain estimates and assumptions, and no assurance can be given that the estimates will be realized. 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", "scheduled" and similar expressions or variations (including negative variations), or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, most of which are beyond the control of Osisko, and actual results may accordingly differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Such risk factors include, without limitation, (i) with respect to properties in which Osisko holds a royalty, stream or other interest; risks related to: (a) the operators of the properties, (b) timely development, permitting, construction, commencement of production, ramp-up (including operating and technical challenges), (c) differences in rate and timing of production from resource estimates or production forecasts by operators, (d) differences in conversion rate from resources to reserves and ability to replace resources, (e) the unfavorable outcome of any challenges or litigation relating title, permit or license, (f) hazards and uncertainty associated with the business of exploring, development and mining including, but not limited to unusual or unexpected geological and metallurgical conditions, slope failures or cave-ins, flooding and other natural disasters or civil unrest or other uninsured risks; with respect to external factors: (a) fluctuations in the prices of the commodities that drive royalties, streams, offtakes and investments held by Osisko, (b) fluctuations in the value of the Canadian dollar relative to the U.S. dollar, (c) regulatory changes by national and local governments, including permitting and licensing regimes and taxation policies; regulations and political or economic developments in any of the countries where properties in which Osisko holds a royalty, stream or other interest are located or through which they are held, (d) continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions, and (e) responses of relevant governments to the COVID-19 outbreak and the effectiveness of such response and the potential impact of COVID-19 on Osiskos business, operations and financial condition; with respect to internal factors: (a) business opportunities that may or not become available to, or are pursued by Osisko or (b) the integration of acquired assets. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based upon assumptions management believes to be reasonable, including, without limitation: the absence of significant change in the Corporations ongoing income and assets relating to determination of its Passive Foreign Investment Company ("PFIC) status; the absence of any other factors that could cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended and, with respect to properties in which Osisko holds a royalty, stream or other interest, (i) the ongoing operation of the properties by the owners or operators of such properties in a manner consistent with past practice and with public disclosure (including forecast of production), (ii) the accuracy of public statements and disclosures made by the owners or operators of such underlying properties (including expectations for the development of underlying properties that are not yet in production), (iii) no adverse development in respect of any significant property, (iv) that statements and estimates relating to mineral reserves and resources by owners and operators are accurate and (v) the implementation of an adequate plan for integration of acquired assets.

For additional information on risks, uncertainties and assumptions, please refer to the most recent Annual Information Form of Osisko filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com and EDGAR at www.sec.gov which also provides additional general assumptions in connection with these statements. Osisko cautions that the foregoing list of risk and uncertainties is not exhaustive. Investors and others should carefully consider the above factors as well as the uncertainties they represent and the risk they entail. Osisko believes that the assumptions reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be accurate as actual results and prospective events could materially differ from those anticipated such the forward-looking statements and such forward-looking statements included in this press release are not guarantee of future performance and should not be unduly relied upon. These statements speak only as of the date of this press release. Osisko undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by applicable law.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Newcore Gold Ltd. ("Newcore" or the "Company") (TSX-V: NCAU, OTCQX: NCAUF) is pleased to announce positive results from two bulk-scale pilot heap tests completed as part of the ongoing metallurgical program at the Companys 100%-owned Enchi Gold Project ("Enchi" or the "Project") in Ghana. Two bulk-scale pilot heap tests, leached for 60-days, were completed on 15-tonne composite samples of oxide mineralization from the Sewum Gold Deposit ("Sewum") and the Boin Gold Deposit ("Boin") at Enchi. An average gold recovery of 91.9% was achieved from both samples, with Sewum achieving an average gold recovery of 93.5% and Boin achieving an average gold recovery of 90.3%. These strong metallurgical results on oxide material from Enchi continue to highlight the Projects amenability to heap leach processing.

Highlights from the Pilot Heap Test Results

Average gold recovery of 91.9% achieved from testwork on oxide mineralization. Two 15-tonne composite samples from Sewum and Boin, leached for 60-days. Sewum sample achieved an average gold recovery of 93.5% with a head assay grade of 0.81 grams per tonne gold ("g/t Au"). Boin sample achieved an average gold recovery of 90.3% with a head assay grade of 1.09 g/t Au.

Representative samples were collected at Sewum and Boin from two trenches on the central portions of each deposit, completed specifically for metallurgical testwork. The Sewum and Boin Gold Deposits at Enchi comprise approximately 76% of the Mineral Resource Estimate defined to date at Enchi. Results continue to show low consumption values for reagents: cement, cyanide, lime.

Results in-line with column testwork completed to date, highlight +90% gold recoveries with oxide and transition material amenable to heap leach processing. The pilot heap test results confirm the results of 14 column tests of 60 days or longer, completed over the past two years, which returned an average gold recovery of 92.2%.



Additional metallurgical testwork underway Optimization work continues with additional column tests to be completed on oxide mineralization from the Sewum, Boin, Nyam and Tokosea gold deposits. Additional testing of sulphide mineralization from Sewum is in progress.



Greg Smith, VP Exploration of Newcore stated, "These bulk-scale pilot heap tests completed on representative oxide material from the Enchi Gold Project returned high recoveries, in-line with results from metallurgical testing completed to date, further supporting the amenability of Enchi to heap leach processing. The larger, 15-tonne samples are a significant step in confirming the positive results from the extensive lab testing completed to date. These results, along with the additional positive test results completed and reported since 2021, will be incorporated into our updated Preliminary Economic Assessment Study which is targeted for completion in H1 2024. This testwork was completed on samples from the two largest deposits currently identified on the Project, Sewum and Boin, which together compromise approximately 76% of the current Mineral Resource Estimate. We continue to de-risk and advance the development of the Project with further metallurgical testwork underway on both oxide and sulphide mineralization at Enchi."

Metallurgical Testing Summary

The two bulk-scale 15-tonne pilot heap tests on oxide mineralization were completed as part of the ongoing metallurgical program at the Companys 100%-owned Enchi Gold Project in Ghana. A gold recovery of 93.5% for Sewum and 90.3% for Boin was achieved after 60 days of leaching.

Table 1  Pilot Heap Tests Detail and Average Gold Recovery

Deposit Sample Size Test Length Grade (g/t Au) Average Recovery Sewum 15 tonnes 60 days 0.81 93.5% Boin 15 tonnes 60 days 1.09 90.3% Average 15 tonnes 60 days 0.95 91.9%

Graph showing the leach curve

The gold recovery increased rapidly for the first 20 days reaching 78.6% for Sewum and 73.2% for Boin, continued at a moderate rate until day 40 reaching 91.7% for Sewum and 85.9% for Boin, with ultimate recoveries of 93.5% for Sewum and 90.3% for Boin achieved after 60 days.

Head Sample Analysis

The mineralized material collected from the trenches was mixed in an agglomeration drum, with three representative sub-samples taken at regular intervals. The head assay data for the three sub-samples is presented in Table 2. The average assay for the Sewum mineralized material was 0.81 g/t Au and that for Boin was 1.09 g/t Au.

Table 2a - Head Assays (g/t Au) of Sub-Samples for Sewum

Sample Assay 1 Assay 2 Average 1 0.85 0.88 0.87 2 0.51 0.76 0.64 3 0.94 0.89 0.92 Average 0.81

Table 2b - Head Assays (g/t Au) of Sub-Samples for Boin

Sample Assay 1 Assay 2 Average 1 1.14 1.10 1.12 2 1.15 1.21 1.18 3 0.97 0.98 0.98 Average 1.09

Reagent Consumption

The samples showed low reagent consumptions, in-line with the column testwork completed to date. During agglomeration, 8 kg/t of cement was added for each 15-tonne bulk sample. Cyanide consumption averaged 0.74 kg/t (0.77 kg/t for Sewum and 0.71 kg/t for Boin) with a 2.28 kg/t lime (hydrated) addition to maintain a pH above 10.5 for both tests.

Table 3 - Reagent Consumption (kg/t) Summary

Reagent Sewum Boin Average Cyanide 0.77 0.71 0.74 Lime 2.28 2.28 2.28 Cement 8.0 8.0 8.0

Metallurgical Testing  Pilot Heap Tests

The two 15-tonne samples were transported to the University of Mines and Technology located in Tarkwa, Ghana.

Two platforms were built to receive the bulk-scale metallurgical samples. Each of the two samples received were blended in an agglomeration drum and sub-samples taken for head assays. 8 kg/t of Portland cement, 1000 ppm cyanide solution and 2.28 kg/t lime were used in the agglomeration process and the agglomerates were placed on the prepared platforms. After a curing period of 72 hours, irrigation began and was completed for 60 days.

The heap leach pad preparation commenced with compaction of the ground with an impermeable clay layer at a slope angle of between 3 and 6 degrees near the designated collection solution point. The ground compaction was done such that there was uniform strength across the ground to prevent point stresses that could puncture the impervious membrane. Primary berms of height 0.5 metres were constructed around each leach pad, approximately 1.0 metre away from the heaps. The space that was occupied by the mineralized material was approximately 2.5 x 2.5 metres and was covered with quartz pebbles to create channels for the solution to run through the heap and then flow without obstruction to the collection point. 15-tonnes of each of the two different mineralized materials, one from Sewum and one from Boin, were then agglomerated on site with the aid of a concrete mixer. Coarse material larger than 5 to 10 cm was crushed, otherwise the mineralized material was agglomerated as received and poured out and heaped manually. The cyanide solution was pumped into the dripper tubes that were laid on top of the pilot heaps, for discharge onto the prepared heaps. Dripper tubes were used to prevent splashing of cyanide solution beyond heaps as an environmental precaution. Percolated solution then flowed down the pad slope to the collection point where the solution was channelled into a container filled with activated carbon for gold adsorption. Solution samples were then taken before and after adsorption for Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry ("AAS") analysis to determine the gold in solution for metal balancing and recovery calculations. After adsorption, the solution was conditioned and recirculated onto the heaps (closed circuit) for 60 days.

At the end of each processing day, solution exiting the heap was collected, the volume measured and the gold in solution determined. Gold in all particulate samples was analysed by fire assaying and that in solution samples by AAS.

The objective of the pilot heap tests was to simulate the response to leaching of the samples with the emphasis on establishing the gold dissolution characteristics (rate and extent) and reagent consumption within the material. All samples showed amenability to heap leaching, with recoveries from samples from both Sewum and Boin averaging 91.9% after 60 days.

Boin and Sewum Oxide Sample Details

The material for the pilot heap tests was sourced from two trenches excavated for metallurgical testwork on the Enchi Gold Project. The locations of the trenches were selected in order to allow for wide gold mineralized intercepts of oxide gold mineralization in each of the two largest deposits, Sewum and Boin. Material exposed in the trenches is consider representative of the oxide portion for both deposits. A total of 61 metres was completed on KBTR_MET_001 from Boin and 107 metres was completed on SWTR_MET_001 from Sewum. Trench KBTR_MET_001 at Boin was dug-out manually while as SWTR_MET_001 was dug-out mechanically. Samples were assigned a new unique number and submitted to the Intertek Lab located in Tarkwa, Ghana.

Trench KBTR_MET_001 at Boin includes a mineralized interval of 1.43 g/t Au over 44 metres, with a 15-tonne composite sample prepared from one 30-metre-long segment consisting of 30 one-metre samples with an average grade of 1.22 g/t Au (ranging from 5.17 g/t Au to 0.05 g/t Au).

Trench SWTR_MET_001 from Sewum includes a mineralized interval of 1.18 g/t Au over 92 metres, with a 15-tonne composite sample prepared from three segments totalling 60 metres in length and comprised of 60 one-metre samples with an overall average grade of 0.83 g/t Au (ranging from 5.31 g/t Au to 0.17 g/t Au).

Select assay results from the two trenches are shown below:

Table 4 - Enchi Gold Project Trenching Results Highlights

Hole ID Zone/Deposit From (m) To (m) Length (m) Au (g/t) KBTR_MET_001 Boin 1.0 45.0 44.0 1.43 including 5.0 34.0 29.0 1.97 SWTR_MET_001 Sewum 15.0 107.0 92.0 1.18 including 27.0 40.0 13.0 2.70 including 58.0 81.0 23.0 1.78

Notes:

1. Intervals reported are trench lengths with true width estimated to be 75 - 85%; and

2. Length-weighted averages from uncut assays.

3. For additional details and results of column tests completed on the same material see news release dated October 4, 2023.

Enchi Gold Project  Comparison of Pilot Heap Test Results to Column Test Results

The positive gold recovery values (average recovery of 91.9%) from the bulk-scale pilot heap testwork confirm results from a series of column tests completed over the last two years. A total of 14 column tests with leach times of over 60-days have been completed, with an average gold recovery of 92.2% achieved. This column testwork included six tests with a 60-day duration, two tests with a 70-day duration, and six tests with a 90-day duration. Gold recovery curves were similar with average gold recoveries of 65.6% after 30 days, 85.6% after 60 days, and 92.2% at the completion of the tests. The tests were completed on oxide and transition material from the Sewum and Boin deposits, except for one sample completed on mixed oxide and transition material from the Kwakyekrom gold deposit. Material used for the testwork included reverse circulation chip coarse rejects, split diamond drill core, as well as trench samples. Consumption values for reagents (cement, lime, cyanide) are similarly low when comparing the results of the column tests with the pilot heap test results. All testwork was completed at labs located in Tarkwa, Ghana, with thirteen of the column tests completed at Intertek Lab and one completed at the University of Mines and Technology.

Enchi Gold Project Mineral Resource Estimate

The Enchi Gold Project hosts an Indicated Mineral Resource of 41.7 million tonnes grading 0.55 g/t Au containing 743,500 ounces gold and an Inferred Mineral Resource of 46.6 million tonnes grading 0.65 g/t Au containing 972,000 ounces (see Newcore news release dated March 7, 2023). Mineral resource estimation practices are in accordance with CIM Estimation of Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve Best Practice Guidelines (November 29, 2019) and follow CIM Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves (May 10, 2014), that are incorporated by reference into National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101"). The Mineral Resource Estimate is from the technical report titled "Mineral Resource Estimate for the Enchi Gold Project" with an effective date of January 25, 2023, which was prepared for Newcore by Todd McCracken, P. Geo, of BBA E&C Inc. and Simon Meadows Smith, P. Geo, of SEMS Exploration Services Ltd. in accordance with NI 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, and is available under the Companys profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Todd McCracken and Simon Meadows Smith are independent qualified persons ("QP") as defined by NI 43-101.

Newcore Gold Best Practice

Newcore is committed to best practice standards for all exploration, sampling and drilling activities. Drilling was completed by an independent drilling firm using industry standard RC and Diamond Drill equipment. Analytical quality assurance and quality control procedures include the systematic insertion of blanks, standards and duplicates into the sample strings. Samples are placed in sealed bags and shipped directly to Intertek Labs located in Tarkwa, Ghana for 50 gram gold fire assay.

Qualified Person

Mr. Gregory Smith, P. Geo, Vice President of Exploration at Newcore, is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, and has reviewed and approved the technical data and information contained in this news release. Mr. Smith has verified the technical and scientific data disclosed herein and has conducted appropriate verification on the underlying data including confirmation of the drillhole data files against the original drillhole logs and assay certificates.

About Newcore Gold Ltd.

Newcore Gold is advancing its Enchi Gold Project located in Ghana, Africas largest gold producer (1). The Project currently hosts an Indicated Mineral Resource of 743,500 ounces of gold at 0.55 g/t and an Inferred Mineral Resource of 972,000 ounces of gold at 0.65 g/t (2). Newcore Gold offers investors a unique combination of top-tier leadership, who are aligned with shareholders through their 20% equity ownership, and prime district scale exploration opportunities. Enchis 216 km2 land package covers 40 kilometres of Ghanas prolific Bibiani Shear Zone, a gold belt which hosts several 5 million-ounce gold deposits, including the Chirano mine 50 kilometers to the north. Newcores vision is to build a responsive, creative and powerful gold enterprise that maximizes returns for shareholders.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors of Newcore Gold Ltd.

Luke Alexander

President, CEO & Director

For further information, please contact:

Mal Karwowska | Vice President, Corporate Development and Investor Relations

+1 604 484 4399

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

www.newcoregold.com

(1) Source: Production volumes for 2022 as sourced from the World Gold Council

(2) Notes for Mineral Resource Estimate:

1. Canadian Institute of Mining Metallurgy and Petroleum ("CIM") definition standards were followed for the resource estimate.

2. The 2023 resource models used ordinary kriging (OK) grade estimation within a three-dimensional block model with mineralized zones defined by wireframed solids and constrained by pits shell for Sewum, Boin and Nyam. Kwakyekrom and Tokosea used Inverse Distance squared (ID2).

3. Open pit cut-off grades varied from 0.14 g/t to 0.25 g/t Au based on mining and processing costs as well as the recoveries in different weathered material.

4. Heap leach cut-off grade varied from 0.14 g/t to 0.19 g/t in the pit shell and 1.50 g/t for underground based on mining costs, metallurgical recovery, milling costs and G&A costs.

5. CIL cut off grade varied from 0.25 g/t to 0.27 g/t in a pit shell and 1.50 g/t for underground based on mining costs, metallurgical recovery, milling costs and G&A costs.

6. A US$1,650/ounce gold price was used to determine the cut-off grade.

7. Metallurgical recoveries have been applied to five individual deposits and in each case three material types (oxide, transition, and fresh rock).

8. A density of 2.19 g/cm3 for oxide, 2.45 g/cm3 for transition, and 2.72 g/cm3 for fresh rock was applied.

9. Optimization pit slope angles varied based on the rock types.

10. Reasonable mining shapes constrain the mineral resource in close proximity to the pit shell.

11. Mineral Resources that are not mineral reserves do not have economic viability. Numbers may not add due to rounding.

12. The Mineral Resource Estimate is from the technical report titled "Mineral Resource Estimate for the Enchi Gold Project" with an effective date of January 25, 2023, which was prepared for Newcore by Todd McCracken, P. Geo, of BBA E&C Inc. and Simon Meadows Smith, P. Geo, of SEMS Exploration Services Ltd. in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects and is available under Newcores SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca. Todd McCracken and Simon Meadows Smith are independent qualified persons ("QP") as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

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 Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes statements that contain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation ("forward-looking statements"). All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussion with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often, but not always using phrases such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward-looking statements relate, among other things, to: statements about the estimation of mineral resources; timing and completion of an updated PEA; results of metallurgical testwork, results of drilling, magnitude or quality of mineral deposits; anticipated advancement of mineral properties or programs; and future exploration prospects.

These forward-looking statements, and any assumptions upon which they are based, are made in good faith and reflect our current judgment regarding the direction of our business. The assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to Newcore. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of Newcore believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, Newcore cannot assure its shareholders that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking statements, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Forward-looking information also involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such factors include, among others: risks related to the speculative nature of the Companys business; the Companys formative stage of development; the Companys financial position; possible variations in mineralization, grade or recovery rates; actual results of current exploration activities; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; fluctuations in spot and forward prices of gold and other commodities; fluctuations in currency markets (such as the Canadian dollar to United States dollar exchange rate); change in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, unusual or unexpected geological formations); the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development (including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses, permits and approvals from government authorities); and title to properties.

Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release and the Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, except as may be required by applicable securities laws. 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. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.
Highlights:

Multiple high-grade gold intercepts found within and around the Monique conceptual pit.

Infill drilling continues to intersect thick gold zones inside the conceptual pit, yielding up to 6.4 g/t Au over 18.3 metres (11.8 g/t Au over 18.3 metres uncut, including 223 g/t Au over 0.8 metre); 3.3 g/t Au over 27.9 metres; and 1.9 g/t Au over 47.9 metres.

Exploration and expansion drilling around and inside the Monique conceptual pit intersected new significant mineralization grading up to 16.6 g/t Au over 2.0 metres; 1.6 g/t Au over 19.5 metres; and 2.7 g/t Au over 11.8 metres.

Over 70,000 metres of drilling have been completed at Novador in 2023. Drilling for this year is finished at Monique, and two drills are now active at Courvan.

Planning a 30,000 metres expansion drill program for Q1 2024 at Novador.

TORONTO, Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PROBE GOLD INC. (TSX: PRB) (OTCQB: PROBF) (Probe or the Company) is pleased to present the third set of results from the 2023 Monique drill program on its 100%-owned Novador property (the Property) near Val-dOr, Quebec. The results from twenty-five (25) drill holes, totaling 9,940 metres, reveal significant high-grade mineralized intersections along strike, at depth, and inside the modeled Monique gold zones from surface to a depth of 450 metres (refer to Figure 1 and the table of selected drill results below). The new results show impressive gold grades and thicknesses, continuing to demonstrate growth and strong continuity of gold mineralization at the Monique deposit. The Monique Gold Trend zones remain open along strike and at depth.

David Palmer, President and CEO of Probe, states  Our 2023 Monique expansion program continues to emphasize both the substantial potential for ongoing expansion and the enhancement of the development project as we generate additional ounces within the existing conceptual pit shell. We have accelerated our expansion drilling program this year in anticipation of an Updated Resource in the latter half of 2024, and we are also progressing rapidly on our Updated PEA, slated for release in the first quarter of 2024. These pivotal milestones for 2024 will significantly elevate the value of our project by showcasing both current production growth in the new PEA and future production expansion in the Updated Resource. Beyond Novador, we are actively advancing several other strategic assets to unlock value for our shareholders, including Detour, Croinor, and our Casa Berardi-trend properties, where work programs are in progress or have recently been completed and results are pending. We are in the enviable position of being able to advance our projects and build value as we approach the new year, and brighter prospects, ahead.

Twenty (20) expansion and infill holes drilled to identify or confirm in-pit mineralization returned gold intercepts over 0.42 g/t Au, which is above the cut-off grade used in the current pit-constrained resource estimate. Seventeen (17) of these holes returned gold intercepts with a grade times thickness above 10.0 g/t Au. Five (5) exploration holes drilled south of the conceptual pit intersected interesting parallel structures in which two (2) holes returned low grade gold value.

Gold mineralization intersected is mainly associated with deformation zones that cross the deposit at an orientation of 280 - 300 and a 75- 80 dip to the north. This gold mineralization is defined by a network of quartz/carbonate/albite/tourmaline veins and veinlets, along with disseminated pyrite in the altered wall rocks.

Selected drill results from the 2023 Monique deposit drilling program are, as follows:

Hole Number From (m) To (m) Length (m) Gold (g/t) Zone MO-23-626 144.0 159.2 15.2 0.8 New/Expan MO-23-626 211.5 212.3 0.8 44.8 New/Expan MO-23-626 (cut) 373.0 391.3 18.3 6.4 B/Infill MO-23-626 (uncut) 373.0 391.3 18.3 11.8 B/Infill Including 375.5 376.3 0.8 223.0 B/Infill MO-23-626 537.0 539.0 2.0 16.6 M/Expan MO-23-627 347.0 353.0 6.0 4.9 B/Infill MO-23-628 159.0 192.0 33.0 1.3 B/Infill MO-23-628 353.0 368.9 15.9 2.0 M/Expan Including 360.0 361.0 1.0 23.4 M/Expan MO-23-629 70.0 102.0 32.0 0.7 New/Expan MO-23-630 152.0 154.0 2.0 9.8 A/Infill MO-23-630 223.0 270.9 47.9 1.9 B/Infill MO-23-631 136.0 153.0 17.0 0.6 New/Expan MO-23-632 250.8 255.4 4.6 2.5 A/Infill MO-23-632 263.0 273.8 10.8 1.6 B/Infill MO-23-632 308.2 324.1 15.9 2.0 I/Infill MO-23-632 447.0 457.5 10.5 2.0 M/Expan MO-23-633 143.0 154.0 11.0 1.2 New/Expan MO-23-635 238.0 250.0 12.0 2.9 B/Infill MO-23-635 348.0 349.5 1.5 9.5 New/Expan MO-23-635 365.0 372.0 7.0 2.4 M North/Ex MO-23-635 393.1 421.0 27.9 3.3 M/Infill Including 401.1 407.1 6.0 6.2 M/Infill MO-23-637 122.0 141.5 19.5 1.6 New/Expan MO-23-639 59.0 60.5 1.5 18.9 New/Expan MO-23-645 239.5 252.0 12.5 4.7 A/Infill Including 240.5 241.5 1.0 51.1 A/Infill MO-23-645 371.0 388.0 17.0 4.8 I/Infill Including 382.1 383.1 1.0 49.3 I/Infill Including 386.1 387.0 0.9 25.7 I/Infill MO-23-645 484.0 491.7 7.7 1.9 M/Expan Including 484.9 485.8 0.9 11.9 M/Expan MO-23-646 242.0 243.0 1.0 32.7 New/Expan MO-23-646 326.0 327.5 1.5 8.8 A/Infill MO-23-647 25.5 27.0 1.5 6.2 A/Expan MO-23-647 397.4 415.8 18.4 3.4 B//Infill including 414.8 415.8 1.0 49.7 B/Infill MO-23-647 467.0 470.5 3.5 3.3 I/Expan MO-23-647 547.5 564.0 16.5 1.8 M/Expan including 561.0 564.0 3.0 6.4 M/Expan MO-23-648 83.0 103.0 20.0 1.5 J/Expan MO-23-649 319.0 338.5 19.5 1.6 B/Infill including 324.0 325.0 1.0 23.6 B/Infill MO-23-650 249.9 257.0 7.1 1.6 A/Expan MO-23-650 618.3 626.3 8.0 3.2 B/Expan MO-23-650 724.8 736.6 11.8 2.7 M/Expan including 726.8 728.8 2.0 8.8 M/Expan

(1) All the new analytical results reported in this release and in this table, are presented in core length and cut to 100 g/t Au when needed. True width is estimated between 65 to 95 % of core length. Only grade times thickness above 10.0 g/t Au * m is reported.

Figure 1: Surface Map  Monique deposit new drilling results (holes MO-626 to 650)

About Probes Novador Project

Since 2016, Probe Gold has been consolidating its land position in the highly prospective Val-dOr East area in the province of Quebec with a district-scale land package of 600 square kilometres that represents one of the largest land holdings in the Val-dOr mining camp. The Novador project is a sub-set of properties totaling 175 square kilometres hosting three past producing mines (Beliveau Mine, Bussiere Mine and Monique Mine) and falls along three regional mine trends. Novador is situated in a politically stable and low-cost mining environment that hosts numerous active producers and mills.

Val-dOr properties include gold resources totaling 3,793,900 ounces in the Measured and Indicated category and 1,418,700 ounces in the Inferred category along all trends and deposits.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical content of this press release has been prepared, reviewed, and approved by Mr. Marco Gagnon, P.Geo, Executive Vice President, who is a "Qualified Person" as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101").

Quality Control

During the last drilling program, assay samples were taken from the NQ core by sawing the drill core in half, with one-half sent to a certified commercial laboratory and the other half retained for future reference. A strict QA/QC program was applied to all samples; which includes insertion of mineralized standards and blank samples for each batch of 20 samples. The gold analyses were completed by fire-assayed with an atomic absorption finish on 50 grams of materials. Repeats were carried out by fire-assay followed by gravimetric testing on each sample containing 3.0 g/t gold or more. Total gold analyses (Metallic Sieve) were carried out on the samples which presented a great variation of their gold contents or the presence of visible gold.

About Probe Gold

Probe Gold Inc. is a leading Canadian gold exploration company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of highly prospective gold properties. The Company is well-funded and dedicated to the exploration and development of high-quality gold projects, notably its 100% owned flagship asset, the multimillion-ounce Novador Gold Project in Quebec. Probe controls a large land package of approximately 1,600-square-kilometres of exploration ground within some of the most prolific gold belts in Quebec.

On behalf of Probe Gold Inc.,



Dr. David Palmer,

President & Chief Executive Officer

For further information:

Please visit our website at www.probegold.com or contact:

Seema Sindwani

Vice-President of Investor Relations

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

+1.416.777.9467

Forward-Looking Statements

Neither TSX nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This News Release includes certain "forward-looking statements" which are not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking statements include estimates and statements that describe the Companys future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Company or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by such terms as believes, anticipates, expects, estimates, may, could, would, will, or plan. Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although these statements are based on information currently available to the Company, the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet managements expectations. Risks, uncertainties, and other factors involved with forward-looking information could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, the Companys objectives, goals or future plans, statements, exploration results, potential mineralization, the estimation of mineral resources, exploration and mine development plans, timing of the commencement of operations and estimates of market conditions. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to failure to identify mineral resources, failure to convert estimated mineral resources to reserves, the inability to complete a feasibility study which recommends a production decision, the preliminary nature of metallurgical test results, delays in obtaining or failures to obtain required governmental, environmental or other project approvals, political risks, inability to fulfill the duty to accommodate First Nations and other indigenous peoples, uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future, changes in equity markets, inflation, changes in exchange rates, fluctuations in commodity prices, delays in the development of projects, capital and operating costs varying significantly from estimates and the other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry, and those risks set out in the Companys public documents filed on SEDAR. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information, which only applies as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brixton Metals Corporation (TSX-V: BBB, OTCQB: BBBXF) (the Company or Brixton) is pleased to announce that it has completed the first tranche of the non-brokered private placement previously announced on October 30, 2023, November 6, 2023 and November 10, 2023 (the "Offering").

The first tranche of the Offering consisted of 15,016,666 units (Units) and 49,386,593 national flow-through units (NFT Units). The second tranche of the Offering will consist of 16,384,645 charity flow-through units (Charity FT Units) scheduled to close later this week, for total gross proceeds from both tranches of $14,580,535.51.

Each Unit consisted of one common share of the Company and one half of one transferable common share purchase warrant (a Warrant), each whole Warrant exercisable at a per share price of $0.23 until November 20, 2025. Each NFT Unit consisted of one common share of the Company issued as a flow-through share within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada) (each, an FT Share) and one half of one transferable Warrant. Each whole Warrant comprising the NFT Units shall entitle the holder to purchase one common share of the Company at a per share price of $0.23 until November 20, 2025.

One insider participated in the Offering for aggregate cash consideration to the Company of $35,003, which constitutes a Related Party Transaction under TSX Venture Exchange Policy 5.9. The Company availed itself of the exemptions contained in section 5.5(c) of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 (MI 61-101) for an exemption from the formal valuation requirement and Section 5.7(1)(b) of MI 61-101 for an exemption from the minority shareholder approval requirement of MI 61-101 as the fair market value of the securities to be distributed in the transaction, and the consideration to be received by the Company for those securities, insofar as the transaction involves interested parties did not exceed $2,500,000.

The proceeds raised from the sale of the Units will be used by the Company for general corporate purposes. Proceeds from the sale of NFT Units will be used to incur Canadian exploration expenses and flow through mining expenditures as defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada).

The securities issued to subscribers of the NFT Units will be subject to a hold period until March 21, 2024 pursuant to applicable Canadian securities laws. Because the offering of the Units was completed pursuant to the Listed Issuer Financing Exemption, the securities issued to Canadian resident subscribers for the Units were not subject to a hold period pursuant to applicable Canadian securities laws.

Finder's fees of an aggregate $92,940.12 and 558,235 warrants to purchase common shares of the Company at a per share price of $0.23 until November 20, 2025 were paid to persons who introduced the Company to subscribers to the Offering.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

Mr. Gary R. Thompson, Chairman and CEO

Tel: 604-630-9707 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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 set forth in this news release may involve forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as anticipate, believe, plan, estimate, expect, and intend, statements that an action or event may, might, could, should, or will be taken or occur, or other similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact included herein are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding potential quantity and/or grade of minerals, potential size and expansion of a mineralized zone, proposed timing of exploration and development plans, and the use of proceeds of the Private Placement. 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. Such factors include, among others, the following risks: the need for additional financing; operational risks associated with mineral exploration; fluctuations in commodity prices; title matters; and the additional risks identified in the annual information form of the Company or other reports and filings with the TSXV and applicable Canadian securities regulators. Forward-looking statements are made based on managements beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements.

Brixton does not undertake to update any forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

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, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws, unless an exemption from such registration is available.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / Blackwolf Copper and Gold Ltd. ("Blackwolf" or the "Company") (TSXV:BWCG) (OTC PINK:BWCGF) announces the appointment of Ms. Vivien Chuang as a new independent director to its Board of Directors and Chair of the Audit Committee. The Company also announces the resignation of Ms. Jessica Van Den Akker from its Board.

Ms. Van Den Akker had served the Board since August 2020. The Company would like to thank Ms. Van Den Akker for her valuable contributions and wishes her every success in her future endeavors.

Ms. Chuang is a Chartered Accountant (British Columbia, Canada) with more than fifteen years of experience in the resource and mining sector. Her experience includes serving as Chief Financial Officer of Azincourt Energy Corp., a uranium developer in the world-class Athabasca Basin uranium district of Canada and Muzhu Mining Ltd. Ms. Chuang also served as Chief Financial Officer of Northern Empire Resources Corp., a Nevada-focused mining company that was acquired by Coeur Mining in 2018, K2 Gold Corporation (formerly West Melville Metals Inc.) and Chakana Copper Corp. (formerly Remo Resources Inc.). Currently, Ms. Chuang is President of VC Consulting Corp. which provides CFO and other financial accounting and compliance services to a number of companies. Ms. Chuang articled with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Simon Fraser University.

The Company further announces that it has entered into an agreement with OGIB Corporate Bulletin Ltd. ("OGIB") dated November 1, 2023 (the "OGIB Agreement"), whereby OGIB has agreed to provide marketing services to the Company, including the publication of a series of online articles about the Company. The term of the OGIB Agreement is 12 months that can be terminated after February 15, 2024 with 30 days notice. Pursuant to the OGIB Agreement and upon signing, the Company is required to pay a fee of $30,000 every three months.

OGIB is a subscription service based out of North Vancouver, British Columbia which provides research on public companies and is wholly-owned by Keith Schaefer. To the knowledge of the Company, OGIB has no holdings of the Company, directly or indirectly. Both OGIB and Mr. Schaefer are arm's length to the Company.

About Blackwolf Copper and Gold Ltd.

Blackwolf's founding vision is to be an industry leader in transparency, inclusion and innovation. Guided by our Vision and through collaboration with local and Indigenous communities and stakeholders, Blackwolf builds shareholder value through our technical expertise in mineral exploration, engineering and permitting. The Company holds a 100% interest in the high-grade Niblack copper-gold-zinc-silver VMS project, located adjacent to tidewater in southeast Alaska. In addition, the Company holds a 100% interest in five Hyder Area gold-silver and base metal properties in southeast Alaska and an option to acquire an 80% interest in the Harry gold-silver property located in northwest British Columbia in the Golden Triangle. For more information on Blackwolf, please visit the Company's website at www.blackwolfcopperandgold.com.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Blackwolf Copper and Gold Ltd.

"Morgan Lekstrom"

CEO and Director

For more information, contact:

Morgan Lekstrom

250-574-7350 (Mobile)

604-343-2997 (Office)

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Liam Morrison

604-897-9952 (Mobile)

604-343-2997 (Office)

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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 Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This release includes certain statements and information that may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. 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 "forwardlooking statements", are not historical facts, are made as of the date of this news release and include without limitation, statements relating to the properties located in the Golden Triangle area and the Company's future objectives and plans. Forwardlooking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties and actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, market volatility; the state of the financial markets for the Company's securities; fluctuations in commodity prices and changes in the Company's business plans. In making the forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions that the Company believes are reasonable, including without limitation, that the Company will continue with its stated business objectives and its ability to raise additional capital to proceed. 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. The Company seeks safe harbor.

For more information on the Company, investors should review the Company's continuous disclosure filings that are available at www.sedarplus.ca.
On Monday November 13, judges, lawyers and defendants returned to the criminal court in Dixinn, in the Guinean capital, after a two-week break and, above all, a spectacular operation to free several defendants in the 2009 Conakry stadium massacre trial. Around the Court of Appeal building, where the court has been relocated for this extraordinary trial, security arrangements have not at first sight been strengthened. Members of the police are stationed in front of the gate, but no more than usual. At the entrance, bags are opened and visitors are searched using a metal detector. It's been a good while that the number of staff mobilised for each hearing has been reduced compared with the start of the trial. A year ago, when it opened, the area was cordoned off by dozens of soldiers, police officers and prison guards. A roadblock closed off the road in front of the court and there were countless checks carried out.

On November 13, however, the atmosphere in the courtroom was unusual. In the dock, a seat between former head of the junta Moussa Dadis Camara and gendarmerie colonel Blaise Goumou remained empty. This is where Colonel Claude Pivi, the minister in charge of presidential security during the CNDD junta, used to sit. Moussa Tiegboro Camara, former head of the anti-drug unit, completes the row. On November 4 an armed commando got the four defendants out of Conakry's central prison. They were all caught by the authorities a few hours later, except for Pivi, who is still on the run.

Lawyers under threat

The trial is entering a new phase. After the defendants and victims, the witnesses are to give their version of events. At the start of the hearing, the court president called to the stand Tibou Kamara, who was Minister of Communication at the time of the massacre. But one after the other, the lawyers asked to speak. It was Pivi's lawyer, Fode Kaba Cherif, who spoke first. "One of the defendants is absent from this room," he said solemnly, before continuing a little provocatively: "Mr President, I would like to know where my client is." He asked for the trial to be suspended because Pivi "will not be able to hear the witnesses to prepare his defence".

For the prosecution, this argument does not hold water. As Pivi had attended more than a year of trials, he had been able to follow the proceedings up to that point, they argue. As for the civil parties' lawyers, they consider that "the problem is real" but prefer to continue with the trial. "We would have liked all the defendants to attend the witness hearings. We are asking that all measures be taken to bring the fugitive back," pleaded one of them.

A number of counsel - for both the defence and civil parties - also took the floor to talk about the threats now hanging over their safety. Jean-Baptiste Jocamey Haba, lawyer for Dadis, said that some of his colleagues "see vehicles around their homes every day and every night". "We will be forced to suspend our participation [in the trial] if measures are not taken," he warned. He also denounced the security measures taken at the central prison, which now prevent lawyers from gaining access to their clients. Special forces and gendarmes, he says, have replaced prison guards.

Politically correct

It was 3pm when witness Kamara was finally able to step up to the microphone to give his evidence. Dressed in a black suit, with a gold bracelet on his wrist and apparently relaxed, Dadis watched him cross the courtroom out of the corner of his eye. Kamara took an oath, swearing to "tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth". In front of the judges, the former minister spared his ex-boss and portrayed him as a man of compromise, even suffering from "an allergy to taking decisions", incapable of making a decision on his own. This description is the exact opposite of the hot-tempered leader that Guineans had become used to on television, sacking officials during his "Dadis Show".

In government, Kamara described himself as a minister without portfolio and without an office. "I didn't have any specific remit, nor a mandate with precise responsibilities," he told the court. But he did advise the head of state, particularly on political issues. On the night of 27 to 28 September 2009, he was summoned to Camp Alpha Yaya, the presidency headquarters. With the opposition demonstration due the next day, Kamara suggested that Dadis "talk to the organisers" to "reach an agreement with them" and thus avoid "a showdown with an uncertain outcome". The telephone call to Sidya Toure, president of the Union des forces republicaines (UFR), was cordial, Kamara recalls, even though Toure refused to postpone the meeting. This is a very different version from the one the opposition leader told the investigating judges. In their minutes, Toure describes Dadis as having completely let rip at the other end of the phone line, even threatening to "make [him] responsible for anything that might happen". Halimatou Camara, lawyer for the civil parties, challenged the witness and denounced the glaring discrepancy between his account and that of the victims: "You played the role of the politically correct!

Over two days, Kamara did not talk about the massacre itself. He said he knew nothing about the 150 or so dead, or the 100 or so women raped at the stadium, to the point that he sometimes seemed cold and distant.

With hindsight, don't you think that if President Dadis had agreed to clarify his position [by announcing that he was not standing in the presidential election], this demonstration would not have taken place? asked Amadou DS Bah, coordinator of the victims' lawyers' collective.

With time, hindsight and my modest experience, I conclude that the stakes of power always give rise to quarrels that sometimes have a dramatic outcome, as we saw with the events of 28 September," the witness replied.

Who had authority over the red berets?

The Wednesday November 15 hearing was all the more eagerly awaited as Kamara's hearing had disappointed the civil parties. It was the former armed forces Chief of General Staff, General Oumar Sanoh, who was to take the stand. He recounted the day of the massacre from his point of view as the man at the heart of the Guinean state's security apparatus.

On 28 September 2009, he had ordered the soldiers to stay in their barracks. This order was respected, he claims. However, at the end of the morning, he received a call at his office. It was a woman, introducing herself as the head of the International Red Cross. She said she was at the stadium, that her teams were overwhelmed and unable to manage the situation, particularly for transport of the dead and injured. She asked him to help her find ambulances. Sanoh ended up sending military trucks to transport the bodies of demonstrators killed at the stadium. "The lady loaded 155 bodies into the four trucks, he told the court.

Before being left at the morgue, the vehicles were parked at Camp Samory. On October 2, when the junta returned the bodies to the families, only 57 were displayed on the Faycal Mosque esplanade. Around a hundred bodies were missing. Sanoh had no explanation. He said that on the evening of the massacre he met Dadis. The president shouted at his men, "the palace furniture" as the soldiers directly under the orders of a CNDD leader are called, and accused them of having betrayed him.

When the prosecutor asked him if all the soldiers reported to him, in his capacity as Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, Sanoh replied with an almost inaudible yes, accompanied by a nod of his head, as if he was dreading the rest of the questioning.

Were the red berets [who fired on the population] under your authority or not? the prosecutor continued.

Those red berets were not my responsibility.

Were they not part of the military, Sir?

Normally, they should have reported to me, but then if you are told it's not your problem..."

Sanoh paused for a long moment. The presidential guard was not under his orders but directly under Dadis, the president of the transition, he acknowledged.

The trial is due to resume on November 27, with other key witnesses such as the gendarmerie chief of staff at the time of the events.
To listen to the podcast, click on the "play" button below:

In our latest Eco Files episode we are focusing on how climate change is being dealt with by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).

Back in December 2022 the Tribunal received a submission from a group of small island states to address climate change. The nine island states, called COSIS, the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law, have requested the tribunal issue an advisory opinion on the responsibilities of nation states in regards to climate change.

In September, ITLOS heard two weeks of public hearings in Hamburg about the request. It is the first time an international judicial body has been called upon to consider the responsibilities of countries when it comes to protecting the worlds waters from climate change.

The tribunal is due to issues an advisory opinion next year, which is not legally binding, but offers an authoritative statement on legal matters that could guide countries as they craft climate protection law.

The advisory opinion is also significant because it will be the first of three international courts to issue an opinion on climate change and could set precedent. In separate proceedings, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the International Court of Justice have also been asked to clarify states positions with respect to climate change.

In this episode we examine some of the arguments made by COSIS to the tribunal and listen to some of the testimony made throughout the ten day hearing, including from Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda Gaston Browne and environmental lawyer and indigenous Tuvaluan, Naima Te Maile Fifita.

We also interview the Deputy Minister of Justice of Sierra Leone, Alpha Sesay, who also addressed the tribunal, and stressed the need for equitable solutions to the climate emergency.
JTBC is reportedly looking at creating another spin-off to "Strong Woman Do Bong Soon" and "Strong Girl Namsoon."

After the success of both K-dramas, officials plan to release a new series with new cast members.

JTBC to Release 'Strong Girl Namsoon' Sequel

In an exclusive report by YTN, the spin-off is currently in the planning stage, which means that the cast lineup has yet to be announced.

Moreover, it is predicted that the characters from the previous season will make special appearances just like what "Strong Woman Do Bong Soon" stars Park Hyung Sik and Park Bo Young did in "Strong Girl Namsoon."

READ MORE: Park Bo Young Reveals Working as Part-Timer During Chuseok Holiday: 'It was difficult'

Following news regarding the rumored sequel, fans flocked to Twitter and expressed how excited they were to see more stories and possibly new cast members.

Jinja?!! Omg!!! We need the twins of BongSoon and MinHyuk!!! Then the BongMin couple! Manifesting please!!#StrongWomanDoBongSoon#StrongGirlNamSoon https://t.co/88jeEIFqMp  Millie (@ladyfangirl17) November 20, 2023

The possible sequel comes after "Strong Girl Namsoon," in which Lee Yoo Mi continues to showcase an impressive viewership rating.

From debuting with a 4.29 rating, the rom-com series jumped to an average nationwide rating of 9 percent on its 14 episodes, making it first place in its time slot across all cable channels.

As the drama series heads into its final week, viewers continue to talk about the journey of Kang Nam Soon with her family and Kang Hee Sik as they go against Doogo's CEO, Ryu Shi Oh.

What to Expect in the 'Strong Girl Namsoon' Ending

As mentioned, "Strong Girl Namsoon" is a spin-off of the hit K-drama "Strong Woman Do Bong Soon."

It focuses on the three generations of strong women who use their powers for the common good.

Lee Yoo Mi takes on the role of Kang Nam Soon, who spent her early years in Mongolia after accidentally being away from her father.

After a decade, she returns to her home country, where she meets her mother, Hwang Geum Joo, played by Kim Jung Eun, a self-made chaebol.

Interestingly, her grandmother, Gil Joong Gan, portrayed by veteran actress Kim Hae Sook, is a legend in their neighborhood and known for her extreme strength.

The story also touches on Kang Nam Soon's budding romance with police detective Kang Hee Shik, played by Ong Seung Woo, whose mission is to expose the illegal activities of Doogo's CEO, Ryu Shi Oh, played by Byeon Woo Seok.

With only two episodes left, Nam Soon has to face Ryu Shi Oh after he finally learns about Nam Soon being undercover.

Will Kang Nam Soon and her family escape Ryu Shi Oh's wrath and end the drug crime in Seoul?

Vewers get to watch the last two episode of "Strong Girl Namsoon" via JTBC and Netflix.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Lee Yoo Mi Reacts to Comments on Why Her Character in 'Strong Girl Namsoon' Speaks Informally

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars.

KDramaStars owns this article written by Geca Wills
Shin Min Ah opened up about her personal life and how her reputation or image affected her friendship.

During her appearance on Jung Jae Hyung's YouTube show, the South Korean top star bared it all about her life behind the spotlight.

Shin Min Ah Says Being Homebody, Non-Drinker Affects Her Friendship

There's no denying that the 39-year-old actress is one of the most sought-after stars in her generation.

From delivering hit K-dramas one after the other to starring in back-to-back projects, there's no doubt why Shin Min Ah has maintained her career throughout the years.

On the other hand, her busy schedule and reserved attitude could sometimes affect her relationships with others.

During her casual interview with Jung Jae Hyung, the "Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha" star said that her image as a homebody person sometimes worries her.

When asked about friends in the industry, Shin Min Ah mentioned that she has a group of celebrity friends.

However, the host mentioned that Shin Min Ah spent most of her time at home, to which the actress explained the reason behind it.

"I do meet people, you know. And I try to go for walks as much as I can."

READ MORE: Celebrity Couple Kim Woo Bin, Shin Min Ah Spotted Having Movie Date

Unfortunately, people would sometimes not invite her to social gatherings because she is not a drinker and is known for being a homebody.

"I don't drink, and folks who enjoy drinking refer to me as a homebody. Because I don't drink, people don't ask me to come to gatherings, saying things like, 'Oh, but Shin Min Ah doesn't drink.' 'I can just hang out in the bar with people without drinking, but nobody ever calls me! At some point, people stopped expecting me to show up."

Shin Min Ah Makes Silver Screen Comeback With 'Our Season'

Three years after the 2020 movie "Diva," Shin Min Ah stars in the upcoming movie "Our Season" together with veteran actress Kim Hae Sook.

Helmed by Yook Sang Hyo of the movie "He's on Duty," the film depicts the story of a woman named Bang Jin Joo, played by Shin Min Ah, who owns a Korean restaurant and uses her late mother's cooking recipe. Jin Joo's late mother, Park Bok Ja, is played by Kim Hae Sook.

Scheduled to hit theaters on December 6, "Our Season" will also feature "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" star Kang Ki Young as the guide.

During the press conference, Shin Min Ah described her new film as "a beautiful and lovely film that honestly expresses the universal emotion of mother-daughter love in a fantasy setting."

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Kim Woo Bin Reveals Shin Min Ah's Reaction to 'Black Knight' - Did She Enjoy it?

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars.

KDramaStars owns this article

Written by Geca Wills
The newest visual couple Kim Yoo Jung and Song Kang, who are about to meet the viewers with their drama "My Demon," introduced their characters on the front page of a famous magazine.

Elle Korea Collaborates With Visual Couple Kim Yoo Jung & Song Kang

Mysterious yet captivating, these kinds of aura are perfectly exhibited by Korean lead stars Song Kang and Kim Yoo Jung in their newest pictorial with the famous fashion magazine Elle Korea.

The shoot captured the dynamic between their roles, a chaebol heiress and a demon. The duo brought their characters on the pages of the known magazine and shared chops of their interviews talking about their series and what keeps them busy behind the lens.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Song Kang Reveals Reason for Choosing 'My Demon' His Next K-Drama: 'I was interested in..."

After the mesmerizing photo shoot, the two sat for an insightful interview. They were asked about their roles' characteristics in "My Demon."

Kim Yoo Jung Expresses Her Sense of Immersion Through Do Do Hee's Character

Kim Yoo Jung went first and expressed her deep connection with her character, Do Do Hee.

"She has a variety of aspects compared to the roles I've portrayed before, both in personality and background." The young actress mentioned that instead of forcing something new, she tried to move freely within the character.

"Do Do Hee's incredibly true to her emotions, which allows for a broad spectrum of expression."

Song Kang Talks About His New Role as Demon

Opposite her is the Netflix breakout star, Song Kang. He takes the role of Gu Won, a demon.

"The first time I read the script, I thought it had strong comedic elements. But when I started acting, I found many challenges, including the character's overconfident manner of speaking." He added that Gu Won has a strong sense of self-love.

Relating to the genre and narrative of their series, the lead stars were asked how they would feel if they received an offer from a demon. Song Kang answered, "I am someone who finds happiness in the little things, so I don't think I would accept any offers."

The heartthrob elaborated that his routine of waking up and going to the gym, taking a bath, and reading a book, already gave him happiness and he couldn't exchange that for more.

Kim Yoo Jung, the actress opened up about her recent interests. According to her, she's been into neuroscience lately, and she's watching related videos of it a lot. In addition, she enjoys reading books that are connected to the brain and genetics.

Furthermore, the engaging conversation with the "My Demon" stars will be found in the December issue of Elle Korea.

Catch Song Kang and Kim Yoo Jung starting November 24 with "My Demon" on SBS at 10 p.m. (KST). The drama will also be available on Netflix.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Kim Yoo Jung, Lee Se Young & Park Eun Bin To Have K-Drama Showdown on Weekend Primetime

What can you say about Kim Yoo Jung & Song Kang's collaboration with Elle Korea? Share your thoughts/replies in the comments!

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news and updates, keep your tabs open here at Kdramastars.

Kdramastars owns this article.

Shai Collins wrote this.
Government through the Ministry of Health has been urged to strengthen mental health services during and after epidemic outbreaks in the country.

This follows study findings conducted by Makerere University School of Public Health under the Uganda Health Fellowship Program together with partners conducted in the districts of Mubende and Kassanda after the outbreak of Ebola Sudan Virus Disease last year.

Speaking at the release of the findings during the 9th Uganda National Field Epidemiology Conference under the theme: The role of field epidemiology in strengthening public health emergency response in Uganda, Brian Agaba, one of the lead researchers in the study noted that over 55% of Ebola survivors and family members in the two districts were affected by different mental health disorders including stress, depression and anxiety.

He recommended quick emergency response in such cases to help the victims and also carry out evaluation and documentation of mental health disorders.
The opposition Democratic Party has opposed the passing of the Petroleum Amendment Bill 2023.

Last week on Tuesday, Parliament passed the Petroleum Amendment Bill 2023 which gives the monopoly of supplying oil products in Uganda to Uganda National Oil Company Ltd (UNOC), a government-owned company.

If signed, UNOC will be the only company allowed to import oil products and sell them to licensed oil companies such as Total, Shell, Stabex, among others.

Speaking to journalists at the partys head offices in Kampala, the acting DP spokesperson, Mr Ismael Kirya said the Bill was rushed as it contradicts the Competition Amendment Bill which was passed in 2022 to fight monopoly in the oil business. The Bill is yet to be signed.

He noted that parliament needed wider consultations with the stakeholders, explaining that the minority report was ignored.

Kirya added that Uganda needs a liberalized economy where everyone has a right to compete in the market just like the insurance companies.
Aperee Living, which operates seven nursing homes in Ireland, including one in County Kilkenny, has been sold to a group of Irish investors with a track record in managing and operating nursing homes.

The transaction includes homes in Callan , Belgooly and Ballygunner as well as the partially completed site in Glanmire and the Rochestown site in Cork, which has full planning for a 100 bed nursing home and 47 independent living units.



The portfolio has been bought by a consortium led by Paul Kingston, who has 25 years experience in the nursing home sector.



It is expected that the sale will serve to enhance the care of residents, while continuously driving new standards and improving upon facilities.

Earlier this month it was announced that the Callan nursing home, where 'serious regulatory concerns' were unearthed in recent weeks, was to be taken over by the HSE on an interim basis.

On November 3, the HSE/South East Community Healthcare (SECH) said it had been notified of a cancellation due by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) of the registration held by Aperee Living as provider for that companys nursing home in Callan.

It followed the publication of reports by health watchdog HIQA on six nursing homes run by Aperee Living, which brought to light concerns relating to governance and management. A report into the Callan home said that issues of 'serious regulatory concern had not been fully addressed, and additional issues were identified' during an inspection this year, which further evidenced that the management structure in place was 'not sufficient to provide a safe service'.

Discussing the purchase of the group by the new consortium, Paul Kingston said We are fully committed to providing the highest standards of care to all residents at the nursing homes we have acquired, prioritising excellent clinical support, dedicated personal care, companionship, daily activities and community events. We are very much looking forward to engaging with all our Directors of Nursing and their clinical teams, as well as meeting with residents and their families to ensure we deliver a best in class service in the nursing home sector.

Commenting on the sale, outgoing Director / Shareholder of Aperee Living David OShea said: I am delighted to see the finalisation of this acquisition, which I believe will bring stability and growth to Aperee Living going forward. I would like to take this opportunity to wish Paul and the consortium all the best.
Two prominent Kilkenny estates were among many Irish tourism businesses that met with 37 leading British meetings and events professionals in London, as part of Ireland Meets the West End.



The annual B2B event, organised by Tourism Ireland in conjunction with Failte Ireland, saw the buyers from Britain meet, and do business with, some 36 tourism businesses from Ireland, including Lyrath Estate and Mount Juliet Estate.

Sophie James, BI WORLDWIDE; David Boyce, Tourism Ireland; and Siobhan OSullivan, Mount Juliet Estate

The aim of Ireland Meets the West End is to grow Business Events from Britain to Ireland.



The event provides a valuable opportunity for the companies from Ireland to showcase and sell their product and to inspire the British buyers to confirm their corporate meetings and incentive events in Ireland for 2024 and beyond.

Tourism Ireland was delighted that so many top British meetings and events professionals took the time to attend our Ireland Meets the West End event and meet our partners from Kilkenny and Ireland  demonstrating their commitment and interest in Ireland for 2024 and beyond, said Siobhan McManamy, Tourism Irelands Director of Markets.

Business Events is an important, high yield sector and Tourism Ireland has been undertaking a busy programme of activity throughout 2023 to grow business in this area. Our promotions have been highlighting our world-class venues and facilities, as well as ease of access from Britain and the unique experiences on offer right around Ireland.

Meet in Ireland is the official MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and events) brand for the island of Ireland, comprising Tourism Ireland, Failte Ireland and Tourism Northern Ireland, who work in partnership to promote the island of Ireland as a leading Business Events destination.
Dale Wallster, director of Defense Metals (TSXV:DEFN), said the company wants to develop the onshoring of rare earth elements in North America, becoming only the second producing REE mine in North America behind Mountain Pass in California.

In early November Wallster was interviewed by Kitco Mining at the New Orleans Investment Conference (NOIC).

Defense Metals is focused on the Wicheeda rare earths project north of Prince George, British Columbia. Currently, in the pre-feasibility stage, Wicheeda has a measured and indicated resource of 6.4 million tonnes, averaging 2.86% total rare earth oxides (TREO). There are also 11.1 Mt inferred averaging 1.02@ TREO, reported at a cut-off grade of 0.5% TREO.

The 2023 mineral resource estimate is based on an updated geological model incorporating an additional 10,350 meters of drilling (45 holes) by Defense Metals during 2021 and 2022.

Wallster named infrastructure as one of the projects main advantages.

"We have road access to the property. We have the Bennett and Site C Dam hydroelectric lines close by, natural gas pipelines from northeastern BC and northwestern Alberta close to the property."

Another is buy-in from the local McLeod Lake Indian Band. "We see that as very critical in moving forward in the development of our project."

Favorable mineralogy and lanthanide distribution make Wicheeda an attractive light-rare-earth element (LREE) deposit. The rare-earth mineral monazite and a group of rare-earth carbonates (bastnaesite-parisite-synchysite) occur in approximately equal proportions. Mineral grains are coarse and well-crystallized, which facilitates metallurgical separation and concentration.

Wallster expects prefeasibility to be wrapped up during the first half of 2024, followed by a feasibility study. The next steps include hydrometallurgical and pilot plant testing. Defense Metals has already shipped samples to potential end users.

Special coverage of the New Orleans Investment Conference is brought to you by Discovery Group.
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(Kitco News) - Chinese jewelry companies reported a 12.2 percent year-on-year increase in retail sales of gold, silver, and other jewelry, reaching 247.2 billion yuan ($34.4 billion) between January and September, according to a report from China Daily.

The rate of growth nearly doubled Chinas overall retail growth rate. The growth rateis far higher than the average growth of total retail sales  at 6.8 percent  across China, said Ye Zhibin, president of the Gems & Jewelry Trade Association of China.

Against a global economic slowdown and turbulent international trade environment, Chinas jewelry industry performed with stability, potential, resilience as well as stamina, Ye said.

The jewelry industry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region also saw standout performance during the last two years, with export-driven growth actually outpacing the mainlands strong rate.

Overall exports have recovered to the level seen before the COVID-19 pandemic, with the total value of precious jewelry exports reaching about 66.7 billion yuan in 2022, an 18 percent increase compared to 2019, said Cheung King Yau, chairman of the Hong Kong Jewellery & Jade Manufacturers Association.

The first half of this year saw very strong growth. [Hong Kongs] overall export value of jewelry from January to June this year was 39.4 billion yuan, an increase of 13.3 percent over the same period last year, Cheung said.

The China International Import Expo, which concluded earlier this month in Shanghai, was a significant support for burgeoning jewelry sales. The excellent performance has also been reflected in international trade as the China International Import Expobecame one of the driving factors, Ye said.

Chinas jewelry trade deficit has persisted for years, but recent trends indicate a shift may be occurring.

Based on data from the past few years, China has maintained a continuous deficit in international trade in jewelry for many years, Ye said. It is worth noting that in recent years, the growth in Europe and the United States has significantly slowed down, while the Association of Southeast Asian Nations region has become more active.

The ASEAN region, in particular, has seen a surge in trade with China. The total worth of gold, silver and jewelry products imported by China from the ASEAN region in 2022 was $5.89 billion, a year-on-year increase of 62.5 percent, he said, while exports were worth $1.53 billion, a year-on-year increase of 90 percent.

Chinese domestic demand for gold has been very strong throughout 2023, and it has had a significant impact on the countrys precious metals markets. Recent months have seen Chinas domestic gold prices spike well above international spot prices as the countrys wealthy and middle class have clamored to secure the value of their own savings.

The populations appetite for gold was so great that the PBoC intervened in the market by banning banks from importing gold, which pushed the spread between the spot price of gold in Shanghai and in London to a record $121 per ounce in mid-September.

The Shanghai gold price has since pulled back from its highs, but it still trades slightly above global spot prices. Shanghai gold last traded at $2,002.12 per ounce and is up 1.05% on the session, while spot gold was trading at $2,001.02, up 1.17% at the time of writing.
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(Kitco News) - Swiss gold exports rose to their highest level since May as shipments to India skyrocketed in October ahead of the country's festive season, according to customs data released Tuesday.

India and China are the largest consumer markets for the precious metal, driven by seasonal demand that is highly sensitive to gold prices, while Switzerland is the world's largest gold refiner and transit hub.

A drop in gold prices ahead of the Hindu festivals of Dhanteras and Diwali prompted India's jewelers to stock up, resulting in the countrys October gold imports surging 60% from a year earlier to a 31-month high, a government source told Reuters on Monday.

The strong festival demand for gold in India is also supporting this years price outlook for the precious metal, according to analysts at Heraeus.

The analysts noted that Indian gold demand during the festival period appeared to have been strong. Preliminary import data show that gold imports in October may have risen by ~50% year-on-year during the month to ~115 tonnes, suggesting that festive demand for gold was stronger this year than in 2022, they wrote.

During the first three quarters of 2023, Indian gold demand was 3% lower year-on-year at 481 tonnes, according to the World Gold Council. To match last years level of gold consumption, Q423 will have to be the strongest quarter for demand in two years, they wrote. When adding Octobers imports to year-to-date demand this looks possible, though not probable, as without the demand catalysts of the November festivals, the persistently high gold prices in India may crimp demand to the end of the year.

In an earlier report, the analysts noted that Swiss investors increased their gold holdings by 691,000 ounces, or 8% of total Swiss funds holdings in October, bucking the global trend of gold ETF divestment.

Heraeus noted that at the beginning of November, global gold ETF holdings stood at 87.3 million ounces, down 0.7% on a monthly basis.

The reasons for the apparent change of strategy may be the ECBs softer approach to monetary policy following its first month with no rate increase in 10 months, and a much weakened macroeconomic picture emerging in Europe, they wrote. Swiss ETF inflow may show that institutions are warming to gold again.
Daryl and Sherry Richardson of Boone County donated a 30-foot Norway Spruce tree to the governor's mansion that will be on displayed on the mansion lawn, while Pea Ridge Forest of Hermann donated two Norway Spruce trees that will be seen in the interior of the mansion.
Protesters rally outside the Unicef offices in Tel Aviv on November 20 to demand the release of Israelis held hostage in Gaza since the October 7 attack by Hamas militants.
Aguia Resources Limited (CVE:AGRL  Get Free Report) shares traded down 7.1% during trading on Monday . The company traded as low as C$0.13 and last traded at C$0.13. 361,698 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 14% from the average session volume of 418,301 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$0.14.

Aguia Resources Trading Down 7.1 %

The business has a fifty day simple moving average of C$0.13 and a 200 day simple moving average of C$0.13. The stock has a market capitalization of C$24.14 million and a P/E ratio of -10.00.

Aguia Resources Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Aguia Resources Limited engages in the exploration and development of mineral resource projects in Brazil. Its flagship Rio Grande phosphate assets include the Tres Estradas, Joca Tavares, Porteira carbonatite, and Cerro Preto deposits located in the state of Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil. Aguia Resources Limited was incorporated in 2007 and is based in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

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Compania Cervecerias Unidas S.A. (NYSE:CCU  Get Free Report) announced a semi-annual dividend on Tuesday, November 21st, Wall Street Journal reports. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 1st will be given a dividend of 0.1146 per share on Wednesday, November 22nd. This represents a dividend yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 22nd. This is an increase from Compania Cervecerias Unidass previous semi-annual dividend of $0.03.

Compania Cervecerias Unidas has raised its dividend by an average of 14.7% per year over the last three years. Compania Cervecerias Unidas has a dividend payout ratio of 12.1% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities research analysts expect Compania Cervecerias Unidas to earn $0.99 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.12 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 12.1%.

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Compania Cervecerias Unidas Trading Up 0.2 %

Shares of NYSE:CCU traded up $0.02 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $12.00. The companys stock had a trading volume of 149,501 shares, compared to its average volume of 135,569. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $12.01 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $14.58. The company has a current ratio of 2.37, a quick ratio of 1.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88. Compania Cervecerias Unidas has a 12 month low of $10.82 and a 12 month high of $17.74. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.22 billion, a PE ratio of 17.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.83 and a beta of 0.88.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. StockNews.com raised Compania Cervecerias Unidas from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 14th. HSBC upgraded shares of Compania Cervecerias Unidas from a hold rating to a buy rating and cut their price objective for the company from $18.00 to $15.00 in a research report on Friday, October 27th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their target price on shares of Compania Cervecerias Unidas from $14.80 to $12.90 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Thursday, November 2nd. Finally, Bank of America downgraded shares of Compania Cervecerias Unidas from a buy rating to a neutral rating and cut their price target for the company from $20.00 to $11.70 in a report on Friday, October 27th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $13.40.

Read Our Latest Analysis on CCU

Institutional Trading of Compania Cervecerias Unidas

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Toroso Investments LLC lifted its holdings in Compania Cervecerias Unidas by 4.3% during the 4th quarter. Toroso Investments LLC now owns 19,903 shares of the companys stock valued at $261,000 after buying an additional 826 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in shares of Compania Cervecerias Unidas by 1.9% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 52,656 shares of the companys stock worth $823,000 after acquiring an additional 991 shares during the period. UBS Group AG raised its stake in shares of Compania Cervecerias Unidas by 2.2% during the second quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 61,759 shares of the companys stock valued at $780,000 after acquiring an additional 1,348 shares in the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Compania Cervecerias Unidas by 28.1% in the second quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 6,618 shares of the companys stock valued at $107,000 after purchasing an additional 1,450 shares during the period. Finally, Advisor Group Holdings Inc. bought a new position in Compania Cervecerias Unidas in the first quarter worth approximately $26,000. 18.24% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Compania Cervecerias Unidas Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Compania Cervecerias Unidas SA operates as a beverage company in Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Paraguay, and Uruguay. The company operates through three segments: Chile, International Business, and Wine. It produces and sells alcoholic and non-alcoholic beer under proprietary and licensed brands, as well as distributes Pernod Ricard products in non-supermarket retail stores.

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Copperleaf Capital LLC lessened its stake in shares of iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF (BATS:IFRA  Free Report) by 7.1% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 9,193 shares of the companys stock after selling 704 shares during the quarter. Copperleaf Capital LLCs holdings in iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF were worth $359,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich grew its holdings in iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF by 98,060.2% in the 2nd quarter. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich now owns 10,650,379 shares of the companys stock worth $416,217,000 after acquiring an additional 10,639,529 shares during the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF by 4.3% during the second quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 7,514,772 shares of the companys stock worth $293,677,000 after purchasing an additional 307,743 shares during the period. LPL Financial LLC increased its holdings in iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 1,879,874 shares of the companys stock valued at $73,465,000 after purchasing an additional 23,740 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley raised its position in iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 1,234,789 shares of the companys stock valued at $44,773,000 after purchasing an additional 14,657 shares during the last quarter. Finally, BlackRock Inc. lifted its holdings in iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF by 2.3% in the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 1,210,066 shares of the companys stock worth $45,160,000 after buying an additional 27,215 shares during the period.

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iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF Price Performance

Shares of IFRA stock traded down $0.14 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $37.32. The companys stock had a trading volume of 593,790 shares. The company has a market capitalization of $1.99 billion, a PE ratio of 15.08 and a beta of 1.03. The businesss 50 day moving average is $36.45 and its two-hundred day moving average is $37.74.

iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF Company Profile

The iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF (IFRA) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the NYSE FactSet U.S. Infrastructure index. The fund tracks an index of US-listed infrastructure companies that derive a significant portion of their revenue from within the US. IFRA was launched on Apr 3, 2018 and is managed by BlackRock.

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Tiger Brands (OTCMKTS:TBLMY  Get Free Report) is one of 183 public companies in the Packaged Foods industry, but how does it contrast to its competitors? We will compare Tiger Brands to related companies based on the strength of its institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, dividends, valuation, risk, profitability and earnings.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

0.3% of Tiger Brands shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 32.2% of shares of all Packaged Foods companies are held by institutional investors. 26.4% of shares of all Packaged Foods companies are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

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Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Tiger Brands and its competitors gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Tiger Brands N/A N/A 0.79 Tiger Brands Competitors $3.17 billion $125.09 million 255.54

Dividends

Tiger Brands competitors have higher revenue and earnings than Tiger Brands. Tiger Brands is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its competitors, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry.

Tiger Brands pays an annual dividend of $0.23 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.4%. Tiger Brands pays out 1.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, Packaged Foods companies pay a dividend yield of 88.9% and pay out 27.6% of their earnings in the form of a dividend.

Profitability

This table compares Tiger Brands and its competitors net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Tiger Brands N/A N/A N/A Tiger Brands Competitors -29.18% -209.99% -9.76%

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current ratings and price targets for Tiger Brands and its competitors, as provided by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Tiger Brands 0 1 0 0 2.00 Tiger Brands Competitors 584 2394 3224 166 2.47

As a group, Packaged Foods companies have a potential upside of 10.14%. Given Tiger Brands competitors stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Tiger Brands has less favorable growth aspects than its competitors.

Summary

Tiger Brands competitors beat Tiger Brands on 9 of the 13 factors compared.

About Tiger Brands

(Get Free Report)

Tiger Brands Limited engages in the manufacture and sale of fast-moving consumer goods in South Africa. The company offers baby care products under the Purity brand; bakeries under the Albany and Tinkies brands; and culinary fruit veg products under the Crosse & Blackwell, Benny, All Gold, Spray and Cook, Ice Cap, KOO, Colman's, Black Cat, Mrs H.S. Ball's Chutney, and Hugo's brands. It also provides home care products under the Airoma, Bio Classic, Bio Crystal, Doom, Jeyes, and Peaceful Sleep brands; milling products under the Golden Cloud and Ace brands; rice pasta under the Fatti's and Moni's, Cresta, Tastic, and Aunt Caroline brands; and superfoods under the Ace, Jungle, King Korn, and Morvite brands. In addition, the company offers personal care products under the Dolly Varden, Kair, No Hair, Perfect Touch, Status, and Ingram's brands; and snacks, treats, and beverages under the Beacon, Maynards, Hall's, Sparkles, Allsorts, Oros, Jelly Tots, Toff-O-Luxe, fizzer, Fizz Pop, Smoothies, Rose's, Easter, and Energade brands. Further, it provides out of home solutions and product offerings in various pack formats to franchised restaurant groups, hotel groups, catering groups, airlines, institutions, independent restaurants and coffee shops, independent hotels, game reserves, lodges, and bed and breakfast establishments; and product solutions for the establishment cleaning, pest control, and room air refreshing. The company also exports its products to approximately 55 countries worldwide. Tiger Brands Limited was founded in 1920 and is headquartered in Bryanston, South Africa.

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Imprint Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Rio Tinto Group (NYSE:RIO  Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 73,799 shares of the mining companys stock, valued at approximately $7,380,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of RIO. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC increased its holdings in shares of Rio Tinto Group by 350.0% in the 1st quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 225 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $3,442,000 after acquiring an additional 175 shares during the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP boosted its position in shares of Rio Tinto Group by 66.8% in the 2nd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 397 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 159 shares during the period. First Manhattan Co. boosted its position in shares of Rio Tinto Group by 555.4% in the 4th quarter. First Manhattan Co. now owns 426 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 361 shares during the period. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its position in Rio Tinto Group by 297.2% during the 1st quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 433 shares of the mining companys stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 324 shares during the period. Finally, Spotlight Asset Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Rio Tinto Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $32,000. 10.03% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

RIO has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. StockNews.com cut Rio Tinto Group from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a report on Friday, November 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Rio Tinto Group from a neutral rating to an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 13th. UBS Group raised Rio Tinto Group from a sell rating to a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, October 5th. Finally, Barclays raised Rio Tinto Group from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 24th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $72.00.

Rio Tinto Group Stock Up 1.5 %

Shares of RIO traded up $1.03 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $70.26. 1,593,823 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,153,045. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $64.01 and a 200-day moving average price of $63.70. The company has a market cap of $87.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.90 and a beta of 0.71. Rio Tinto Group has a 1-year low of $58.27 and a 1-year high of $80.51. The company has a current ratio of 1.99, a quick ratio of 1.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25.

About Rio Tinto Group

(Free Report)

Rio Tinto Group engages in exploring, mining, and processing mineral resources worldwide. The company operates through Iron Ore, Aluminium, Copper, and Minerals Segments. It offers aluminum, copper, iron ore, diamonds, gold, borates, titanium dioxide, salt, silver, molybdenum, and lithium. The company also owns and operates open pit and underground mines, refineries, smelters, and concentrator facilities, as well as power stations, research, and service facilities.

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Imprint Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Cooper Companies, Inc. (NYSE:COO  Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm bought 78,576 shares of the medical device companys stock, valued at approximately $7,858,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Nuveen Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in Cooper Companies by 28.0% during the second quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 166,071 shares of the medical device companys stock worth $63,677,000 after purchasing an additional 36,314 shares during the last quarter. Resources Management Corp CT ADV bought a new position in Cooper Companies during the second quarter worth $82,000. National Pension Service lifted its stake in Cooper Companies by 3.9% during the second quarter. National Pension Service now owns 80,304 shares of the medical device companys stock worth $30,514,000 after purchasing an additional 3,043 shares during the last quarter. State of Tennessee Treasury Department lifted its stake in Cooper Companies by 87.4% during the second quarter. State of Tennessee Treasury Department now owns 14,254 shares of the medical device companys stock worth $5,465,000 after purchasing an additional 6,649 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC bought a new position in Cooper Companies during the second quarter worth $945,000. 96.31% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently issued reports on COO. Bank of America began coverage on Cooper Companies in a research note on Monday, October 30th. They set a buy rating and a $380.00 price objective on the stock. Redburn Atlantic lowered Cooper Companies from a buy rating to a neutral rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $390.00 to $343.00 in a research report on Thursday, October 5th. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on Cooper Companies from $400.00 to $410.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, August 31st. Mizuho reaffirmed a buy rating and issued a $440.00 target price on shares of Cooper Companies in a research report on Monday, August 28th. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on Cooper Companies in a research report on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, Cooper Companies currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $401.30.

Cooper Companies Stock Performance

Shares of COO traded up $0.65 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $338.66. 85,747 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 290,267. The firm has a market capitalization of $16.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 61.12, a P/E/G ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 1.72 and a quick ratio of 0.99. The Cooper Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $302.88 and a twelve month high of $399.62. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is $325.72 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $358.50.

Cooper Companies (NYSE:COO  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 30th. The medical device company reported $3.35 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $3.34 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $930.20 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $899.77 million. Cooper Companies had a return on equity of 8.17% and a net margin of 7.83%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 10.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $3.19 earnings per share. Analysts predict that The Cooper Companies, Inc. will post 12.81 earnings per share for the current year.

Cooper Companies Company Profile

(Free Report)

The Cooper Companies, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, and markets contact lens wearers. The company operates in two segments, CooperVision and CooperSurgical. The CooperVision segment provides spherical lense, including lenses that correct near and farsightedness; and toric and multifocal lenses comprising lenses correcting vision challenges, such as astigmatism, presbyopia, myopia, ocular dryness and eye fatigues in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific.

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Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. (NYSE:TV  Get Free Report) was the target of unusually large options trading activity on Tuesday. Stock traders purchased 9,927 put options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 2,854% compared to the average daily volume of 336 put options.

Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE TV traded up $0.10 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $2.89. 9,098,679 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,364,451. Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. has a 1-year low of $2.10 and a 1-year high of $6.57. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $2.78 and a 200-day simple moving average of $4.11. The firm has a market cap of $1.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.10 and a beta of 1.53. The company has a quick ratio of 1.65, a current ratio of 1.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently commented on TV. Benchmark reaffirmed a buy rating and issued a $12.00 price target on shares of Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. in a report on Friday, October 13th. StockNews.com lowered Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Monday, November 13th. TheStreet lowered shares of Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. from a c- rating to a d+ rating in a report on Thursday, September 28th. UBS Group cut their price target on shares of Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. from $6.00 to $3.40 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 4th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. in a research report on Tuesday, September 19th. They issued a hold rating for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $6.50.

Institutional Trading of Grupo Televisa, S.A.B.

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Creative Planning lifted its holdings in Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. by 38.4% in the third quarter. Creative Planning now owns 40,800 shares of the companys stock valued at $124,000 after acquiring an additional 11,322 shares during the period. Ramirez Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. in the third quarter valued at about $932,000. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its position in shares of Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. by 11.7% during the 3rd quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 3,727,016 shares of the companys stock valued at $11,367,000 after acquiring an additional 389,551 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. by 8.6% during the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 6,716,568 shares of the companys stock worth $20,486,000 after acquiring an additional 533,822 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Alua Capital Management LP grew its holdings in shares of Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. by 4.5% in the 3rd quarter. Alua Capital Management LP now owns 10,985,011 shares of the companys stock worth $33,504,000 after acquiring an additional 476,543 shares during the period. 37.47% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Grupo Televisa, S.A.B.

(Get Free Report)

Grupo Televisa, SAB. operates as a media company in the Spanish-speaking Mexico and internationally. It operates through three segments: Cable, Sky, and Other Businesses. The Cable segment operates cable multiple system that provides basic and premium television subscription, pay-per-view, installation, Internet subscription, and telephone and mobile services subscription services, as well as sales local and national advertising services; and telecommunication facilities, which offers data and long-distance services solutions to carriers and other telecommunications service providers through its fiber-optic network.

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Mangham Associates LLC grew its stake in Brookfield Renewable Co. (NYSE:BEPC  Free Report) by 8.9% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 75,264 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 6,136 shares during the period. Brookfield Renewable comprises about 4.0% of Mangham Associates LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 6th biggest position. Mangham Associates LLCs holdings in Brookfield Renewable were worth $2,372,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in BEPC. Raymond James & Associates increased its stake in Brookfield Renewable by 30.7% during the first quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 90,746 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,975,000 after acquiring an additional 21,313 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its stake in Brookfield Renewable by 1.3% during the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 417,541 shares of the companys stock worth $18,288,000 after acquiring an additional 5,254 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Brookfield Renewable in the 1st quarter valued at $261,000. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp grew its holdings in shares of Brookfield Renewable by 154.7% in the 1st quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp now owns 3,601 shares of the companys stock worth $158,000 after purchasing an additional 2,187 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Citigroup Inc. increased its position in shares of Brookfield Renewable by 33.4% during the 1st quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 33,511 shares of the companys stock worth $1,464,000 after purchasing an additional 8,391 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 66.15% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently commented on BEPC shares. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Brookfield Renewable from $37.00 to $34.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Friday, September 22nd. BNP Paribas started coverage on shares of Brookfield Renewable in a research report on Friday, October 20th. They issued an outperform rating for the company.

Brookfield Renewable Trading Down 1.3 %

BEPC traded down $0.33 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $25.91. 425,124 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 708,839. Brookfield Renewable Co. has a fifty-two week low of $21.77 and a fifty-two week high of $36.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a current ratio of 0.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.65 billion, a PE ratio of -53.55 and a beta of 1.08. The companys fifty day moving average price is $24.69 and its 200-day moving average price is $29.11.

Brookfield Renewable Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 29th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 30th will be paid a $0.338 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 29th. This represents a $1.35 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.22%. Brookfield Renewables dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -275.51%.

Brookfield Renewable Company Profile

(Free Report)

Brookfield Renewable Corporation owns and operates a portfolio of renewable power and sustainable solution assets primarily in the United States, Europe, Colombia, and Brazil. It operates hydroelectric, wind, and solar power plants with an installed capacity of approximately 12,857 megawatts. The company was incorporated in 2019 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

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Stillwater Critical Minerals Corp. (CVE:PGE  Get Free Report)s stock price traded down 3.1% during trading on Monday . The stock traded as low as C$0.16 and last traded at C$0.16. 57,017 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 13% from the average session volume of 65,724 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$0.16.

Stillwater Critical Minerals Trading Down 3.1 %

The company has a market capitalization of C$30.66 million, a P/E ratio of -7.75 and a beta of 1.61. The firms 50-day moving average price is C$0.17 and its 200 day moving average price is C$0.18. The company has a quick ratio of 5.39, a current ratio of 7.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20.

Stillwater Critical Minerals Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Stillwater Critical Minerals Corp., a mineral exploration company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in Canada and the United States. The company explores for gold, palladium, nickel, cobalt, and copper deposits, as well as platinum group metals. Its flagship project is the Stillwater West project, which comprises 763 claims covering an area of approximately 61 square kilometers located in Stillwater District, Montana.

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Superdry plc (LON:SDRY  Get Free Report) shares fell 3.4% during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as low as GBX 39.41 ($0.49) and last traded at GBX 39.60 ($0.50). 184,028 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 47% from the average session volume of 348,735 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 41 ($0.51).

Superdry Price Performance

The stocks fifty day moving average price is GBX 42.41 and its 200-day moving average price is GBX 61.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 293.27, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.92. The firm has a market cap of 39.22 million, a PE ratio of -21.88, a P/E/G ratio of 0.56 and a beta of 2.21.

Superdry Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Superdry plc designs, produces, markets, and sells clothing, footwear, and accessories primarily under the Superdry brand for men and women in the United Kingdom and internationally. It operates through Retail and Wholesale segments. The Company operates through stores, concessions, various Internet sites, multi-brand independents and distributors, franchise, and license stores.

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Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO  Get Free Report) traded up 3.9% on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $487.75 and last traded at $487.46. 981,435 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 37% from the average session volume of 1,564,005 shares. The stock had previously closed at $469.03.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently issued reports on TMO shares. Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific from $625.00 to $530.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 26th. Sanford C. Bernstein began coverage on shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific in a report on Thursday, September 28th. They issued an outperform rating and a $603.00 price objective on the stock. KeyCorp downgraded shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific from an overweight rating to a sector weight rating in a report on Thursday, October 26th. StockNews.com upgraded Thermo Fisher Scientific from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, October 26th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Thermo Fisher Scientific from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating and set a $475.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 25th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $593.94.

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Thermo Fisher Scientific Stock Performance

The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $478.08 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $513.60. The company has a market capitalization of $188.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.74, a PEG ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 1.63 and a quick ratio of 1.25.

Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE:TMO  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 25th. The medical research company reported $5.69 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $5.61 by $0.08. Thermo Fisher Scientific had a net margin of 13.68% and a return on equity of 18.88%. The company had revenue of $10.57 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.60 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $5.08 earnings per share. The firms revenue was down 1.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts anticipate that Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. will post 21.52 earnings per share for the current year.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, January 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 15th will be given a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.29%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, December 14th. Thermo Fisher Scientifics dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 9.17%.

Thermo Fisher Scientific declared that its board has initiated a share repurchase program on Tuesday, November 14th that permits the company to buyback $4.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the medical research company to buy up to 2.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are often a sign that the companys leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling at Thermo Fisher Scientific

In related news, EVP Gianluca Pettiti sold 3,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $557.77, for a total value of $1,673,310.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 17,556 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,792,210.12. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other Thermo Fisher Scientific news, EVP Gianluca Pettiti sold 3,000 shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $557.77, for a total value of $1,673,310.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 17,556 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,792,210.12. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Marc N. Casper sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $454.41, for a total value of $4,544,100.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 131,175 shares of the companys stock, valued at $59,607,231.75. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 23,000 shares of company stock worth $10,778,910. 0.32% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Thermo Fisher Scientific

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brown Shipley& Co Ltd raised its position in Thermo Fisher Scientific by 9.3% in the third quarter. Brown Shipley& Co Ltd now owns 13,506 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $6,836,000 after acquiring an additional 1,152 shares in the last quarter. Diversified Trust Co raised its position in Thermo Fisher Scientific by 7.8% during the third quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 7,649 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $3,872,000 after acquiring an additional 553 shares during the last quarter. Resources Management Corp CT ADV increased its stake in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific by 5.7% during the 3rd quarter. Resources Management Corp CT ADV now owns 4,440 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $2,247,000 after purchasing an additional 238 shares in the last quarter. Creative Planning lifted its stake in Thermo Fisher Scientific by 45.5% in the 3rd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 116,941 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $59,193,000 after buying an additional 36,587 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Employees Retirement System of Texas increased its position in Thermo Fisher Scientific by 8.1% during the third quarter. Employees Retirement System of Texas now owns 107,185 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $54,254,000 after buying an additional 8,000 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.06% of the companys stock.

About Thermo Fisher Scientific

(Get Free Report)

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc provides life sciences solutions, analytical instruments, specialty diagnostics, and laboratory products and biopharma services in the United States and internationally. The company's Life Sciences Solutions segment offers reagents, instruments, and consumables for biological and medical research, discovery, and production of drugs and vaccines, as well as diagnosis of infections and diseases; and solutions include biosciences, genetic sciences, clinical next-generation sequencing, bio production to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, agricultural, clinical, healthcare, academic, and government markets.

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Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE:TSN  Get Free Report) was the target of some unusual options trading activity on Tuesday. Stock investors purchased 13,476 put options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 115% compared to the average volume of 6,254 put options.

Tyson Foods Price Performance

Shares of NYSE TSN traded down $0.76 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $47.65. The company had a trading volume of 1,100,976 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,160,147. The company has a market cap of $16.93 billion, a P/E ratio of -25.61, a PEG ratio of 0.48 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a current ratio of 1.34. The businesss 50-day moving average is $48.55 and its 200 day moving average is $50.93. Tyson Foods has a 52 week low of $44.94 and a 52 week high of $74.07.

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Tyson Foods (NYSE:TSN  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 13th. The company reported $0.37 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.29 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $13.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.72 billion. Tyson Foods had a positive return on equity of 2.51% and a negative net margin of 1.23%. Tyson Foodss revenue for the quarter was down 2.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.63 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Tyson Foods will post 2.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Tyson Foods

In other Tyson Foods news, Chairman John H. Tyson sold 133,277 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.16, for a total transaction of $6,152,066.32. Following the sale, the chairman now directly owns 2,739,150 shares of the companys stock, valued at $126,439,164. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website . Company insiders own 1.96% of the companys stock.

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in TSN. AlphaMark Advisors LLC boosted its position in Tyson Foods by 1.8% during the first quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC now owns 10,114 shares of the companys stock valued at $600,000 after purchasing an additional 183 shares during the last quarter. Unison Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Tyson Foods by 0.8% during the 2nd quarter. Unison Advisors LLC now owns 24,519 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,251,000 after buying an additional 186 shares during the last quarter. Horrell Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in Tyson Foods by 0.6% in the first quarter. Horrell Capital Management Inc. now owns 31,853 shares of the companys stock worth $1,890,000 after buying an additional 187 shares during the last quarter. Wetherby Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in Tyson Foods by 5.1% in the first quarter. Wetherby Asset Management Inc. now owns 4,031 shares of the companys stock valued at $361,000 after acquiring an additional 196 shares during the last quarter. Finally, RIA Advisory Group LLC boosted its holdings in Tyson Foods by 4.5% in the second quarter. RIA Advisory Group LLC now owns 4,779 shares of the companys stock worth $244,000 after purchasing an additional 207 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 63.68% of the companys stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

TSN has been the subject of several analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Tyson Foods from $55.00 to $51.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 14th. Bank of America cut their price target on Tyson Foods from $48.00 to $45.00 and set an underperform rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 17th. StockNews.com began coverage on Tyson Foods in a research report on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a sell rating on the stock. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price target on Tyson Foods from $50.00 to $46.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, November 14th. Finally, Stephens reissued an overweight rating and set a $70.00 price target on shares of Tyson Foods in a report on Tuesday, November 14th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five 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 a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $54.60.

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About Tyson Foods

(Get Free Report)

Tyson Foods, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a food company worldwide. It operates through four segments: Beef, Pork, Chicken, and Prepared Foods. The company processes live fed cattle and live market hogs; fabricates dressed beef and pork carcasses into primal and sub-primal meat cuts, as well as case ready beef and pork, and fully cooked meats; raises and processes chickens into fresh, frozen, and value-added chicken products, including breaded chicken strips, nuggets, patties, and other ready-to-fix or fully cooked chicken parts; and supplies poultry breeding stock.

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Angola, IN (46703)

Today

Rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers in the afternoon. High 43F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch..

Tonight

Steady light rain this evening. Showers continuing overnight. Low 37F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.
Kendallville, IN (46755)

Today

A steady rain this morning. Showers continuing this afternoon. High 43F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch..

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Light rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers overnight. Low 37F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.
Auburn, IN (46706)

Today

A steady rain this morning. Showers continuing this afternoon. High 42F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch..

Tonight

Steady light rain this evening. Showers continuing overnight. Low 39F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.
Amid the controversy regarding "Made in Abyss" involving K-pop idols, a forum mentioned LE SSERAFIM Sakura, who also admitted to watching the anime.

Here's what happened.

LE SSERAFIM Embroiled in 'Made in Abyss' Fiasco, Sparks Discussion Regarding Cultural Factors

On November 20, netizens opened an online thread, which discussed Sakura of LE SSERAFIM, who happened to have watched the popular dark fantasy anime "Made in Abyss."

The author uploaded a previous 2021 podcast between Sakura and her former HKT48 and IZ*ONE bandmate Yabuki Nako. However, the OP captioned that on the 28:45 mark, Sakura mentioned how she enjoyed watching the anime.

The post was made due to an ongoing fiasco involving the show. On November 20, numerous idols caught flak for either simply watching "Made in Abyss" or reading its manga releases due to its provocative themes and disturbing content.

Both Korean netizens and international fans have called out idols such as NCT Taeyong, SEVENTEEN Woozi, and TXT Soobin for having watched the show. This caused their fandoms and viewers of the anime to defend that media consumption does not equate to "promoting."

YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN: NCT Taeyong, SEVENTEEN Woozi & TXT Soobin 'Promote' Anime About Pedophilia? Fans Defend Idols

Back in the forum regarding Sakura, netizens weren't happy with Sakura's decision to watch the anime. They also expressed their shock with people who find the show enjoyable or even watchable.

They also pointed out that some otakus, a term for someone who consumes Japanese pop culture, skipped on watching "Made in Abyss," while others recommended the show.

Read their comments below:

"What do you expect from a Japanese kid? I can't expect her to be normal."

"How can a p*d* fetish anime with a bunch of weird and creepy elements be fun?"

"Korean male idols already recommended it, so who cares about a Japanese person doing the same thing?"

"But there were a lot of otakus who said they skipped it, and there were a lot of people who recommended it. Is there a divide between people who like it and those who don't?"

International fans noticed the "tame" reactions Sakura received from the online community, compared to the volatile ones the male idols got.

One fan stated:

"Not everyone exclusively supports girl groups and plenty of boy group stans like female groups too. The Korean male idol worshipping stan of boy group stans are different from the normal ones. Plenty of girl group stans hate on other girls. Sakura said here that she watched season 1 and not 2. People will still question her (decisions), but it won't have the same impact because she's Japanese and she speaks the language here. She is consuming her own country's media."

Meanwhile, some commented on the "hypocrisy" of the ones who called out these idols for watching the anime, while others stated how the conflict doesn't matter at all and fans just want to hate on everything.

"The fake a** b**ches are either silent or changing their tune."

"They don't care about actual issues like racism, bullying, sexism, misogyny, homophobia, or how tweens are debuting. But they draw the line at a cartoon everyone around them watched."

"K-pop fans never cared. They just want to hate."

"Give it a rest. Go touch some grass and watch the birds fly. I beg."

What are your thoughts on their discussion? Let us know in the comments below!

Read KpopStarz for more K-pop news.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: LE SSERAFIM Sakura Confesses She Had 'Celebrity Disease' - Here's What Made Her Change

KpopStarz owns this article

Written by Riely Miller
In an online community, Red Velvet Joy was mocked for her "thick" arms compared to Seulgi. As a response, ReVeluvs, its fandom, was quick to defend the idol.

Red Velvet Joy Mocked for 'Thick' Arms + ReVeluvs Jump to Idol's Defense

On November 20, a trending post featuring Red Velvet Joy caught the attention of its fandom ReVeluvs after the author made fun of Joy for allegedly having "thick" arms.

In the post, the OP wrote:

"Joy, your forearms are really thick. It's twice as much as Seulgi."

ALSO READ: Crush Reacts After Mention of Relationship With Red Velvet Joy  Are They Still Dating?

In less than a day, the post rose as a trending topic with about 60k views and in the comments, the idol also received some "aggro" reviews.

"Her face size is also three times as big as Seulgi."

"LOL HAHAHA"

"It's very thick."

"Her eyes are twice as big as Seulgi's."

Upon seeing this, its fandom ReVeluvs were quick to defend the idol and counterattacked.

"And yours (OP) is three times as big as Joy."

"Seulgi's bones are (just) thin. I've never heard of someone saying Joy's arms are thick."

"Do you live your whole life criticizing female idols arm fats?"

"If you have a bigger bust, you're bound to have arm fats. Also, what kind of idols have thick arms?"

"It seems like Joy isn't good at cameras. My friend is also really skinny, but she looks plump when taking photos. The face is small, but it looks puffy. Even when I look at it, it is strange that the camera isn't taking the photo properly. Isn't Joy just like my friend?"

"Seulgi's frame itself is thin, and among girl groups, she's on the slimmer side. Joy is attractively slim. Please stop mocking the girl groups' bodies. If you look in the mirror, doesn't 'Hyunta' (reality) come to you?"

"Joy is so pretty."

"What do you say? Joy has pretty shoulder and arm lines, so she wears a lot of tops that are sleeveless and show off her shoulders. I heard her arms are really skinny."

Red Velvet's Recent Activities

Meanwhile, Red Velvet recently made a comeback with a new album.

On November 13, the quintet released its third studio album, "Chill Kill," which received explosive responses upon its release.

Red Velvet topped various charts including iTunes where the album sat atop 35 regions around the world, including Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Ireland, Poland, Sweden, and more.

The album also ranked No. 1 on the digital album sales chart of China's largest music platforms QQ Music and Kugou Music. It placed first on the real-time AWA, a local music platform in Japan, realizing Red Velvet's unwavering global power.

In addition, the title song "Chill Kill" also ranked No. 1 at the top of various music charts, including Bugs and Vibe and even lined up all the songs, proving music fans' undying high interest in Red Velvet.

READ MORE: Red Velvet Gains Rave Reviews for 'Killing Voice' Stage + THIS Member Stands Out

For more K-Pop news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KpopStarz.

KpopStarz owns this article.

Written by Eunice Dawson.
Woman sentenced to 25 years after pleading guilty in case of boy found dead in suitcase in Indiana

A Louisiana woman has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for her involvement in the death of a 5-year-old Atlanta boy whose body was found last year in a suitcase in rural southern Indiana
PNN

Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) [India], November 21: Colourmoon Technologies, a trailblazer in the tech industry, recently celebrated its 15th Anniversary with a two-day extravaganza that left an indelible mark on its journey of success. The festivities kicked off on November 17th with an exhilarating Games Day, fostering team spirit and camaraderie. The entire team participated enthusiastically, showcasing not only their professional skills but also their sporting prowess.

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The celebrations reached their zenith on November 18th with a mesmerizing evening of stellar performances by the talented members of the Colourmoon family. The event was a spectacle of creativity, featuring captivating dances, soulful songs, entertaining skits, and a glamorous fashion show that added a touch of glamour to the proceedings.

A crowning moment of the evening was the prestigious Award Ceremony, where deserving employees were recognized for their exceptional performance and outstanding contributions to the company. "We are incredibly proud to celebrate this milestone and acknowledge the remarkable efforts of our team," stated CEO B. Subramanyam. The awards underscored the commitment and dedication of Colourmoon's employees, reinforcing the company's ethos of recognizing and rewarding excellence.

Also Read | Yamaha R3, Yamaha MT-03 Launch on December 15: From Specifications to Expected Price, Here's Everything To Know About New Yamaha Sports Bikes.

"Our anniversary celebration was designed to provide our employees with a well-deserved break from their usual work responsibilities. The main concept was to effectively diminish work pressure, allowing our employees to return to their duties rejuvenated and better equipped to concentrate on their tasks in the forthcoming days," added CEO B. Subramanyam. The event exemplified the company's commitment to employee well-being and highlighted its understanding of the importance of fostering a positive work environment.

Throughout its 15-year journey, Colourmoon Technologies has had the privilege of working with various clients from diverse industries. The company takes pride in its strong partnerships with a diverse range of esteemed clients, each contributing to its journey of success. Notable collaborations include Sri Chaitanya Techno Schools, Etv Win, Subhagruha, Brandix, Freshup, Action Ott, Special Doctor (India), and many more esteemed organizations.

Under the visionary leadership of CEO B. Subramanyam, CFO Sudhakar, and CTO Manikanta, Colourmoon Technologies has become an unrivaled leader in the industry. The trio's guidance has played a pivotal role in the company's success, driving exemplary app development, website development, and digital marketing services. The commitment to innovation and excellence has positioned Colourmoon Technologies as a trusted partner for clients seeking cutting-edge solutions in the ever-evolving tech landscape.

As Colourmoon Technologies reflects on its 15-year journey, the celebration serves as a testament to its resilience, growth, and unwavering commitment to excellence. The company looks forward to the future with optimism, poised to continue its legacy of innovation, collaboration, and success in the dynamic world of technology.

(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)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
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Amritsar (Punjab) [India], November 21 (ANI): The BSF troops have successfully intercepted a drone and recovered one small plastic container of a contraband item weighing 565 grams, from the farming field near village Mode in Amritsar on Tuesday.

"On the intervening night of November 20 and 21, on specific information regarding drone, BSF troops intercepted a suspected drone as well as heard some dropping sound near village Mode in Amritsar district. As per the laid down drill, BSF troops immediately reacted," the BSF said in a press release.

Also Read | Pro-Khalistan Graffiti Case: Delhi Police Special Cell Detains Man from Haryana, Allegedly Offered Money by SFJs Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.

The BSF further stated that a search operation by troops was carried out in the depth area.

"During the search, BSF troops recovered one small plastic container of contraband item suspected to be Heroin weighing 565 gms, wrapped with yellow adhesive tape, a metallic ring attached from the farming field near village Mode," the BSF further stated.

Also Read | Digital Fraud in Delhi: Doctor Falls Prey to Online Scammers Posing as Customer Care, Loses Rs 4.9 Lakh While Seeking Rs 113 Refund From Cab Service for Overcharging.

Yet another attempt to smuggle narcotics through a drone was foiled by vigilant BSF troops. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
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Badampahar, November 21: November 21 became a special day for President Draupadi Murmu's village, Rairangpur, as the people in this region received the gift of an express train for the first time. During her visit to Odisha, President Murmu flagged off three new trains from Badampahar station. These trains are Train No. 18049/18050 Shalimar -Badampahar - Shalimar Weekly Express, Train No. 18051/18052 Badampahar-Rourkela - Badampahar Weekly Express, and Train No. 08147/08148 Tatanagar- Badampahar- Tatanagar MEMU Service.

On this occasion, addressing the gathering, President Murmu said, "The development of any area depends on the connectivity of that area. Be it rail, roads or postal services - all these services make people's lives easier." She said that three trains launched today will help locals travelling to neighbouring states like Jharkhand and West Bengal. She added that people will also not face any inconvenience in visiting Odisha's industrial town Rourkela. The President said that despite the increasing trend of cell phones and courier services, India Post has not lost its relevance. G20 Dinner: President Droupadi Murmu, Along With PM Narendra Modi, at Delhi's Bharat Mandapam Ahead of Special Dinner (Watch Video).

President Draupadi Murmu Flags Off Three New Trains

#WATCH | Odisha | President Droupadi Murmu flags off a train from Badampahar Railway Station. She is flagging off three new trains (Shalimar-Badampahar Weekly Express, Badampahar-Rourkela Weekly Express, Tatanagar-Badampahar MEMU train) and laying the foundation stone for the pic.twitter.com/ZDP91FMiw8  ANI (@ANI) November 21, 2023

The inauguration of a new Postal Division at Rairangpur is an important event for the region. She expressed confidence that people of this area will now be able to avail of postal services easily. The President said that the Union Government is taking various initiatives for the development of tribal communities. She noted that there is almost three times increase in the current budget compared to the budget for the Financial Year 2013-14. She said, "Inclusive development is incomplete without the development of tribal people. That is why the government is giving priority to the development of tribal communities." President Draupadi Murmu Inaugurates Festival of Libraries 2023 at Pragati Maidan (See Pics).

She urged tribal youth to take advantage of the government's schemes. She emphasised that one's effort is also necessary for self-development. Therefore, youth should keep trying to move forward in their lives. The President said that the government has launched PM JANMAN (PM- Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan) on the occasion of Janjatiya Gaurav Divas this year for the development of PVTGs. She said that this is an important step towards the progress of tribal brothers and sisters.

She expressed confidence that this initiative will connect people with development in this Amrit kaal and will also help in achieving the goal of a developed India. After the event, the President travelled in the Badampahar - Shalimar Express from Badampahar to Rairangpur. Notably, this is the first time that express train service has commenced for the President's village and this region. Train service in this area began in 1911, but the locals had been eagerly awaiting express trains, a wait that concluded today.

She also virtually inaugurated the new Rairangpur Postal Division; released a Commemorative Special Cover of the Rairangpur Postal Division; and laid the foundation stone for the redevelopment of Badampahar Railway station on the occasion. On this special day, speaking to ANI, Minister of Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw said "This region is the centre of indigenous culture. Today, the President inaugurated the services of three trains from Badampahar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's commitment to developing every region, especially tribal areas, finds its synonymous fulfilment in this opportunity."

"For 60-70 years, some people engaged in entitlement politics, believing that the country is under their rule. Since the responsibility was entrusted to Narendra Modi by the people in 2014, transformative changes have occurred. Telecom towers are being installed in remote areas, post offices are being opened and a revolutionary development is underway. This has instilled a resolve and trust among the masses, marking a significant shift in the socio-economic landscape" Vaishnaw added.
Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh) [India], November 21 (ANI): A group of 100 devotees from Maharashtra's Nagpur reached Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh on Monday to offer their prayers to Lord Ram ahead of the consecration program of Ram Lala to be held in January next year.

As per the information from some of the members of the group, named Shiv Garjana Dhol Tasha Pathak, the group is scheduled to perform in the city of Ayodhya.

Also Read | Rajasthan: Immediate Cleanup Follows PM Narendra Modis Bikaner Roadshow As BJP Workers Respond to Prime Ministers Directive (See Pics).

One of the members of the Shiv Garjana Dhol Tasha Pathak group, Prateik, while speaking to ANI said, "We have come to Ayodhya to offer our prayers to Lord Ram. We have come over here with 100 people."

Speaking about the reason for the visit to Ayodhya with the 100-member group, he said, "A number of generations passed who did not get to see Ram Mandir. We are fortunate that on January 22, 2024, Ram Mandir is going to be established and a magnificent temple is going to be built. Our Dhol Tasha Pathak program is dedicated to Lord Ram to celebrate and welcome this moment."

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the Ram Mandir on January 22, 2024.

As per reports, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) plans to extend invitations to approximately 10 crore families for the inauguration of the Ram Temple.

A leader from the VHP stated that the event, scheduled for January 22 next year in Ayodhya, will witness the participation of around 4000 prominent representatives from various Hindu traditions, key officials of the Vishwa Parishad, and senior figures from the social, cultural, and creative spheres of the country.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has also been invited by Sri Ram Janambhoomi Trust members for the 'Pran Pratishtha' (consecration) ceremony at the Ram Temple on January 22, 2024.

Vedic rituals for the Pran-Pratishtha (consecration) ceremony of Ram Lalla (infant Lord Ram) in Ram temple in Ayodhya will begin on January 16, 2024--a week before the main ceremony.

A Vedic priest from Varanasi Lakshmi Kant Dixit will perform the main rituals of the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla on January 22.

The Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra Trust has decided to enthrone Ram Lalla at the sanctum-sanctorum of the Ram temple between 12 noon and 12:45 pm on that day.

Earlier, the General Secretary, Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra Trust Champat Rai, informed media that the Trust has also invited 2,500 prominent people from all walks of life, including scientists, Param Vir Chakra awardees and their family members, family members of deceased karsevaks and artistes.

Family members of those who have played a vital role in the Ram temple movement have also been invited. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
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Gorakhpur, November 21: Close on the heels of the Yogi Adityanath government imposing a ban on Halal-certified food items in the state, the chief food information officer of Gorakhpur conducted a raid at City Mall and AD Mall on Tuesday. While the team carried out raids at 7 to 8 places in the city, no Halal-certified food items were found anywhere, according to officials. Explained: What are Halal Certified Products? Know Rules of Halal Certification in India and Why Uttar Pradesh Has Banned It.

Speaking to reporters, Chief Food Information Officer Hitendra Mohan Tripathi said, "Apart from the FSI logo on fertilizers and beverages, we received a tip-off about some Halal-certified food items, the sale of which has been banned by the state government, entering the market. As part of the crackdown, we are checking food stores and other places. Any Halal-certified food items that we find will be banned from sale." He informed that raids were conducted at seven to eight places but no food items with Halal certification were found.

Raid At Gorakhpur Mall Over Ban of Halal-Certified Food Items

Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak told reporters, "Our government has a zero-tolerance policy against crime and corruption and we will have a similar approach in this matter as well." Uttar Pradesh: Yogi Adityanath Government Bans Sale of Halal Products in State After Cases of 'Forged' Halal Certificates Being Provided To Boost Sale.

Earlier, the state government, in a decisive step against the illegal issuance of 'Halal Certificates', came out with an order forbidding the production, storage, distribution, and sale of food products with Halal certification with immediate effect, according to an official release. The ban came into effect after CM Adityanath took cognizance of the issue, according to the statement.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Hong Kong, November 21 (ANI): Whether it is Australia, the Philippines or the USA, the government or the military, Beijing is intent on bluntly testing others' resolve to the utmost limit. This has been seen time and time again, most recently in dangerous activities by China's naval and law enforcement agencies, even while "dictator" Xi Jinping mouths soothing words of assurance to his Western counterparts.

The bottom line is that the words that flow so glibly from China's mouthpieces cannot be trusted. Recently, after meeting with Xi in California, President Joe Biden again termed him as a "dictator".

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While China's government swiftly condemned this as "wrong and irresponsible political manipulation," the description was apt.Theresa Fallon, Director of the Centre for Russia Europe Asia Studies in Brussels, remarked: "The fact that Biden said that Xi is a dictator and that it made headlines demonstrates how effective the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) con has worked.

Wumao [the 50 Cent Army, a propaganda force paid by the Chinese government to post comments online] are pushing, 'We aren't really communist.' Meanwhile foreign business executives have to spend 30 per cent of their time studying Xi Jinping thought and are expected to read four Xi books a month and write book reports on them."

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The CCP loves to mirror the language of democratic institutions and to describe Xi as a president. However, China is an authoritarian state, with Xi at its head. China does not hold elections. Ironically, the CCP describes China as a form of "advanced" democracy - one so advanced that the prescient party knows what the people want long before them! In fact, China is a panopticon surveillance state over which Xi exercises absolute control.

In the wake of last week's Biden-Xi meeting in the USA, Ian Hall, Professor at the School of Government and International Relations at Griffiths University in Australia, shared: "...I don't think Beijing has any intention of normalizing things with the US or allies or partners. They want the photoshoots that make Xi look like a statesman, while they work to undermine and unravel the West's interests, wooing the developing world in parallel. Western CEOs cozying up to Xi whilst democracy activists are getting beaten up by CCP thugs on US soil: welcome to our brave new multipolar world."

Three hundred of America's business elite - such as Elon Musk of Tesla, Tim Cook of Apple and Albert Bourla of Pfizer - crowded into the Hyatt Regency to meet Xi in San Francisco. Welcoming him with a standing ovation, they uncritically went into raptures when Xi proceeded to say that "China is ready to be a partner and friend of the US". This is so obviously not true, but little does the business community care. The problem is that too many put profits before principles, with such business leaders willing to toss aside their morals in order to make money.

Such adulation for Xi is inappropriate, especially when it so contradicts efforts by the US government to dissuade China from aggressive behavior. Furthermore, Xi arrived in California in a position weaker than what he is used to thanks to China's underperforming economy.

Ironically, China's business elite are not as gullible as America's. In the WeChat Index, a term for "run", which is widely used for emigrating out of China, experienced a remarkable surge on the same day that Xi met with Biden. On that day, the term's appearance rocketed 4411% in a single day! Moving out of China remains a cherished dream for many there.

In a telephonic briefing on 17 November, Daniel Kritenbrink, US State Department Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, told ANI and other media: "The president and Xi Jinping have known each other for quite some time. They had frank and candid conversations in the bilateral meeting...Now, obviously, there are many areas where we disagree, but we find this direct leader-to-leader diplomacy is critical for maintaining channels of communication and responsibly managing competition."

Kritenbrink continued: "Exchanges covered a wide range of important issues, including many difficult issues on which the United States and the PRC have differing views. President Biden raised concerns regarding the PRC, dangerous and unlawful actions in the South China Sea and the East China Sea ... President Biden underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait." Indeed, Biden said he expected cross-strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means, and he called for restraint in China's military activity near the Taiwan Strait.And what difference did such leader-to-leader talks on 15 November make? The following day, ten People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft and five PLA Navy (PLAN) vessels were detected around Taiwan, rising further to 21 aircraft and seven vessels by 20 November. In other words, there was no discernible decrease in PLA coercion against Taiwan.

The same pattern of a contradiction between Chinese words and actions was evident in Beijing's treatment of Australia. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited Beijing last week, a first visit by the country's top politician in seven years, but it attracted only lukewarm interest from Chinese media. Compared to 63 English-language and 90 Chinese-language articles that mentioned Albanese, there were 600+ articles in Australia's press. Chinese articles reflected a controlled, top-down approach, many of which were cynical and questioned whether Australia would sacrifice its relations with China on the altar of friendship with the USA.

Alarmingly, even as Xi was hobnobbing with world leaders at the APEC summit in California, his navy was aggressively acting against an Australian naval vessel inside Japan's exclusive economic zone. Defence Minister Richard Marles accused the PLAN of "unsafe and unprofessional conduct" concerning the frigate HMAS Toowoomba. She had stopped to allow divers to clear fishing nets that had fouled her propellers on 14 November. This was communicated clearly to a Chinese destroyer, which approached closely and operated its hull-mounted sonar. These sonar pulses injured the naval divers and forced them to exit the water.

Chinese "naval expert" Zhang Junshe, quoted by the Global Times, made a mockery of his title when he ridiculously said, "Australia said it had fishing nets that had become entangled around its frigate's propellers. It shows that such a close-in reconnaissance attempt not only posed threats to China's national security, but also to the normal maritime work of fishing boats." Any seafarer knows that loose fishing nets are a common hazard on the high seas.

Dr. Malcolm Davis of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute fumed: "If it's not a deliberate attack by the PLAN/PRC against the Australian navy in international waters, then by all means allow China to make things right by apologizing. If that doesn't happen, then we must assume that in spite of the Australian navy giving the Chinese ship multiple warnings of diving operations under way, the Chinese deliberately attacked our personnel, knowing the impact it would have on them. The question then is how does the Australian government respond after our people have been attacked? Does trade matter more than national security? How do we prevent more aggression from Beijing, noting past incidents? How do we respond next time?."

One positive sign to emerge from the Biden-Xi meeting was the reestablishment of military ties after Beijing cut them in the wake of former US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei last year. Kritenbrink noted: "The leaders agreed to establish military-to-military communications at high levels, at operational levels and between our theater commanders. These types of channels of communication are absolutely critical for reducing the risk of a military accident that could spark a broader conflict. This is a critical part of managing competition and, again, ensuring we don't veer into conflict."

However, how long will it be before China starts sulking and refuses to pick up the phone? Andrew Erickson, Professor of Strategy at the US Naval War College, lamented, "Sadly, this won't work...Before long, the PLA under Xi will blame the US and fail to communicate clearly and openly."

Although meetings and communications between military or government leaders are helpful, personal bonds with Chinese officials do not hold any sway. Personal ties hold little value in China's strategic decisions, since all hold to the party line and obey Xi at all costs.

In California, Xi spoke enigmatically of the "accelerating evolution of the profound change unseen in 100 years". Considering that the past century included a world war and a decades-long Cold War, it reflects Xi's penchant for empty and exaggerated slogans. Xi has similarly promised that China "has no intention to challenge the US or to unseat it ... China will never pursue hegemony or expansion, and will never impose its will on others ... China does not seek spheres of influence and will not fight a cold war or a hot war with anyone."

However, these are hollow words. Instead, China is utterly intent on its struggle against the USA and the Western-led order. As Chinese analysts reflected on Xi's visit to the USA, they smugly said "China has pointed out the correct direction for how to develop China-US elections, it is time to see how much the US can do, and to what extent the uncertainties in Washington will impact the future".

Such hubris was also reflected in a Global Times tweet: "Considering the US side repeatedly expressed its concern about a potential war in the Taiwan Strait, it's necessary for China's top leader to let the US understand that if one day a war breaks out in the region, it means China has completely lost hope for reunification. So if the US doesn't want to see a war, the correct solution is to support China's efforts to realize reunification peacefully."

This is typical of the twisted logic that the CCP imposes on its own populace and on the rest of the world. It is blaming its own violent tendencies on the peaceful efforts of others!

The Philippines has become far more vocal about Chinese wrongdoings in the South China Sea too. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr met with Xi on November 17. Although the topic of easing tensions in the South China Sea came up in their meeting, at-sea confrontations by PLAN, China Coast Guard and maritime militia vessels of Philippine resupply vessels near the Second Thomas Shoal have become routine.

Again, it is another example of Xi saying one thing, but having absolutely no intention to reduce coercion on the ground.

This is why countries need to stick together to tell China that its bullying is unacceptable. Kritenbrink told media: "President Biden made absolutely clear that the United States under his leadership remains committed to an affirmative agenda across the Indo-Pacific that is focused primarily on strengthening our ties with allies and partners...It's not an agenda aimed at any one country. It's about us, it's about our values, our shared values with partners, and it's about our desire to strengthen the rules-based international order from which we all benefit. I think the president made clear again, we're always going to focus first and foremost on our allies and partner relationships."

The US State Department Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs added: "I think the important point here is that we're going to remain focused on our commitment to this region. We think our future security and prosperity is inextricably tied to the Indo-Pacific region, and will continue to support work going forward and of course, within that larger context, it's important that we also continue to manage our important relationship in competition with the People's Republic of China."

In sharp contrast to American business heads that are like moths drawn to a flame, US Republican Chairman Mike Gallagher displayed a clearheaded understanding of Xi's bait-and-switch games.

He recently tweeted, "Deterrence by diplomatic scolding doesn't work. Deterrence by economic punishment doesn't work. You need the capability to deny your adversary their objective in real time. To deter Xi and preserve peace, we must move heaven and earth to arm Taiwan and turn the island into a porcupine. Peace is not easy - it requires the consistent efforts of our men and women in uniform to secure our interests and deter our adversaries from choosing the violent path. But while deterrence may be hard - war is hell." (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Tasmania, Nov 21 (The Conversation) As the war between Israel and Hamas has intensified in Gaza, disinformation and conspiracy theories about the conflict have been increasingly circulating on social media.

At least that's what I found in my analysis of some 12,000 comments posted on Telegram channels in the immediate aftermath of Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel. Not surprisingly, I also found language about the war was more likely to be threatening or hateful than language used in comments about other topics.

Also Read | Elon Musks X Files Lawsuit Against Media Matters for Interference and Business Disparagement Over Hate-Adjacent Ads Allegations.

Many comments on Telegram also linked the Israel-Hamas conflict to dangerous, antisemitic conspiracy theories related to the war between Russia and Ukraine, hundreds of kilometres away on another continent.

For instance, I found the Russian invasion of Ukraine was characterised by these conspiracy theorists as a justified resistance against the Khazarian Mafia (so-called fake Jews) who supposedly govern Ukraine either as Nazis, or like them.

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Commenters on Telegram characterised Hamas' October 7 attack in similar terms  as an attack against fake Zionist Ashkenazi Jews and Nazis.

Both conflicts were also characterised as new world order plots. Proponents of these conspiracies believe that powerful elites (often characterised as Jewish) are secretly trying to establish a totalitarian world government or other forms of global oppression.

A comment in one of the channels summarised this view, arguing these globalists are evil starting a second psyop [psychological operation] front after Ukraine failed.

Other comments linked the two conflicts by calling Western supporters of Ukraine hypocrites for condemning the actions of Hamas. As one user argued: The West's weapons in Ukraine [were] sent to Hamas for the offensive.

Polycrises and conspiracies

Many of these conspiracies are not new on their own. However, what is unique in this situation is the way people have linked two largely unrelated conflicts through conspiracy theories.

Research has shown that overlapping crises (often referred to as polycrises) may accelerate the spread of conspiracies, possibly due to the psychological toll that constantly adapting to rapid change places on people.

When crises overlap, such as wars and global pandemics, it can amplify the effects of conspiracies, too. For example, the amount of prejudice and radicalisation seen online may increase. In extreme cases, individuals may also act on their beliefs.

Although these conspiracies are appearing on the fringes of social media, it's still important to understand how this type of rhetoric can evolve and how it can be harmful if it seeps into mainstream media or politics.

How I conducted my research

I have been following several public Australian Telegram channels as part of a broader project investigating the intersection of conspiracy theories and security.

For the latest phase of this research, which has yet to be peer reviewed, I analysed 12,000 comments posted to three of these channels between October 8 and October 11.

To analyse so many messages, I used a topic modelling approach. This is a statistical model that can identify frequently occurring themes (or topics) within large amounts of text-based data. Essentially, topic modelling is similar to highlighting sections of a book containing related themes.

There are many approaches to topic modelling. I used BERTopic, which generates topics by clustering messages with similar characteristics, like words, sentences and other bits of context. In total, I identified 40 distinct topics in the comments I analysed.

I then split these topics into conflict and non-conflict groupings to analyse the sentiment behind them. I used Google's Perspective API algorithm to do this, as it can score text on a scale of zero to one for hateful or threatening language. The results show that conflict topics were more likely to involve threatening and hateful speech.

A key reason for this is the antisemitic nature of the most common conflict topic grouping (key words: Israel, Jew, Hamas, Zionist, Palestinian). One representative comment from this group, for instance, called for the elimination of Israel as a state.

I found Islamophobic messages in this topic grouping, as well. For example, some comments suggested Hamas' actions were reflective of Islamic beliefs or demonstrated the danger posed by Muslims more generally.

The second-largest topic (key words: Ukraine, Russia, Putin, war, Islam, propaganda) captured discussions linking the Hamas attacks to the Russia-Ukraine war. Messages did this by casting both conflicts as justified on similar grounds (a fight against alleged Nazis and Zionists), or by linking them to global conspiracies.

And I found variations of the new world order global conspiracy theory in other topics. For instance, the fourth-largest topic (key words: video, clown, fake, movie, staged) included comments accusing Israel and other common conspiracy figures of staging the Hamas attacks.

This closely aligns with topics about the Russia-Ukraine war from my broader project. One of the most frequently discussed topics (key words: Putin, war, Nazi, Ukraine, Jewish) frames Ukraine's defensive efforts as a sinister conspiracy, usually involving Jewish figures like Ukraine's president.

How to combat the spread of conspiracy theories

As noted, the conspiracy-friendly nature of social media, in addition to overlapping polycrises, may increase people's levels of prejudice and radicalisation.

Australian security agencies have already warned about this risk in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess warned of spontaneous violence arising from language that inflames tension[s].

Research has also shown a strong relationship between conspiracies and antisemitism, which presents clear risks for Jewish people. Indeed, antisemitism reached unprecedented levels in the United States in 2021 and 2022, possibly due to the series of overlapping crises the world was experiencing at the time.

Countering online conspiracy theories is therefore an important, but challenging task. Effective counter-strategies involve a mix of preventative and responsive approaches targeting both the suppliers and consumers of conspiracies.

This includes increasing our investment in education, reducing social inequality, and carefully debunking conspiracy theories when they appear. Awareness of the dynamics and spread of conspiracy narratives is a necessary first step. (The Conversation)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
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Belgrade, Nov 21 (AP) NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday that the recent violent outbreaks in Kosovo were unacceptable and perpetrators must be brought to justice.

I count on all sides to reduce tensions and to refrain from escalatory actions, he said during a visit to Serbia's capital Belgrade, after his stops in Bosnia and Kosovo, on the second day of his trip in Western Balkans,

Also Read | India Donates USD 2.5 Million to UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees.

Stoltenberg's trip reflects Western concerns over the stability of the volatile Balkan region that went through a series of wars in the 1990s.

Serbia and Kosovo witnessed a spike in tension following two violent incidents in May and September as the war raged in Ukraine. Western allies fear Russia could try to spur Balkan trouble to avert attention from its aggression on Ukraine.

Also Read | Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and UN Secretary-General Antonio Gutteres to Attend Virtual Meeting on Israel-Hamas War.

In May, Serb demonstrators in northern Kosovo clashed with NATO peacekeeping troops. In September, a Kosovo policeman and three Serb gunmen were killed in a shootout after about 30 masked men opened fire on a police patrol near the Kosovo village of Banjska.

The two incidents have prompted NATO to beef up its peacekeeping presence in Kosovo. Stoltenberg said on Monday that NATO was considering deploying additional peacekeeping troops.

The NATO head said in Belgrade that some of the 93 troops wounded in clashes with Serb demonstrators had life-changing injuries.

This is unacceptable, the facts must be established. The perpetrators must face justice, said Stoltenberg. I welcome that Serbia is prepared to cooperate in these efforts.

Stoltenberg also urged Serbia and Kosovo to engage constructively in a European Union-mediated dialogue that is aimed at normalizing relations between the former foes. Serbia does not recognize Kosovo's 2008 declaration of independence.

Both Serbia and Kosovo have been previously warned by EU diplomats that refusal to compromise jeopardized their chances of joining the EU.

Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic said at a joint press conference with Stoltenberg that tensions in Kosovo were the result of increased pressure by the government there on the ethnic Serb minority.

Only Serbs are under threat in Kosovo," Vucic insisted.

Serbia has pledged to prosecute the alleged ringleader of the armed group behind the September shootout in Kosovo. Belgrade has denied allegations it orchestrated the incident.

Stoltenberg also called for increased cooperation with Serbia and the resumption of joint military training exercises, saying that NATO respected Serbia's decision to remain militarily neutral.

Belgrade has maintained friendly relations with Russia and refused to join Western sanctions against Moscow, which has backed its bid to retain claim on Kosovo. (AP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Seoul, Nov 21 (AP) North Korea told Japan that it will make a third attempt to launch a military spy satellite later this month, Japanese media reported Tuesday.

Kyodo News, citing Japan's coast guard, said that North Korea notified Tokyo of its plan to launch the spy satellite sometime between Nov. 20 and Nov. 30.

Also Read | World Headed for Nearly 3 Degrees Celsius Warming If Drastic Steps Not Taken, Says UN Report.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told officials to try to talk Pyongyang into scrapping the plan in cooperation with the United States and South Korea, the Kyodo report said.

In North Korea's two previous attempts earlier this year, the rockets carrying the satellites failed during the launch due to technical reasons.

Also Read | Turkey: Severe Storms and Flooding Leave Nine Dead; 11 Crew Missing After Cargo Ship Sank in Black Sea (Watch Video).

North Korea had vowed a third launch would take place sometime in October, but failed to follow through with the plan without giving any reason.

North Korea says it needs a spy satellite to deal with what it calls increasing US-led military threats. South Korea retrieved debris from the first launch and called the satellite too crude to perform military reconnaissance.

The UN Security Council bans any satellite launches by North Korea because it views them as a disguised test of its missile technology. South Korean officials said that while North Korea needs a spy satellite to improve its monitoring of South Korea, the launch is also aimed at bolstering its long-range missile programme. (AP)

(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], November 21 (ANI): The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) senior leader Raza Rabbani termed the Pakistan Senate resolution backing military trials of civilians against the constitution and vowed to continue opposing it, The News International reported.

It reported that Pakistan's upper house of parliament passed a motion against the Supreme Court's verdict on civilians' trial in the military courts, calling for halting implementation of the judgement "unless it is considered by a larger bench". The resolution backs the military trial of civilians arrested in connection with the May 9 riots.

Also Read | Sam Altman Sacked: Over 500 Employees of ChatGPT Developer OpenAI Threaten To Resign and Join Microsoft.

In the senate, the Jamaat-e-Islami's Mushtaq Ahmed and PPP'S Rabbani opposed the resolution against the top court's verdict.

Speaking on the floor of the house today, the PPP leader said he voted the bill for setting up military courts in the country in 2015. Clarifying his position, Rabbani said he was bound by party discipline.

Also Read | Suriname Mine Collapse: 10 Dead After Illegal Gold Mine Collapses in South American Country.

He affirmed that his vote represents the PPP and said, "I was ashamed for voting the bill."

As per The News International, he added, he "had never felt more ashamed in his life as he was on that day and admitted that he voted on the amendment against his conscience."

Sources privy to the matter revealed that the bill was not part of the agenda of the Senate session and the motion was tabled in the house when a majority of the lawmakers were absent.

The day after the passage of the bill, the lawmakers lodged a strong protest in the house against the hasty approval of the resolution. The Senators called for immediate withdrawal of the resolution.

Without taking up any agenda item, Senate Deputy Chairman Mirza Muhammad Afridi adjourned the proceedings within minutes due to lack of quorum.

On his part, PTI Senator Ali Zafar urged the Senate to take action and condemn if basic human rights were being violated, The News International reported.

He termed the military trial of civilians "unfair".

Expressing his views, Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) Senator Manzoor Ahmed Kakar said that the resolution was passed in haste.

The News International reported, JI Senator Mushtaq Ahmad termed the Senate resolution as "a drone attack on the House" and an "attack on the democracy".

The JI senator said that he and Rabbani were not allowed to speak on the resolution that day in the House.

The leader of the house and the opposition leader were kept in the dark about the resolution, he said, adding that the motion was not shown to the lawmakers. "It [resolution] will strengthen undemocratic forces." (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, November 21: The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned hearing a petition filed by ex-JNU professor Amita Singh against the Delhi High Court order quashing summonses against The Wire editor and deputy editor over an article allegedly claiming that Singh prepared a dossier calling the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) a "den of organised sex racket".

A bench comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia adjourned the hearing till February 13, saying that the issue requires time to be heard and farm fires have taken up a lot of time today. Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar Moves High Court, Seeks Removal of Defamatory Article by Online News Portal The Wire in Dwarka Expressway Compensation Case.

In 2016, Singh filed a complaint alleging that an article written by The Wire's Deputy Editor Ajoy Ashirwad Mahaprastha in April 2016 titled "Dossier Call JNU 'Den of Organised Sex Racket'; Students, Professors Allege Hate Campaign", implied that she prepared a dossier that depicted JNU as a den of organised sex racket.

Singh in her defamation complaint alleged that the Editor did not verify the authenticity of the Dossier and used it for monetary benefits of its magazine. She has further alleged that the accused have started a hate campaign against her. Meta Again Rejects Allegations Made by The Wire Claiming Them False.

In 2017, following her complaint, a summoning order was passed against the Wire's Editor Siddharth Bhatia, and Deputy Editor Ajoy Ashirwad by a Delhi court. However, in March 2023, the Delhi High Court quashed the summoning order observing that there is nothing that could be considered to be defamatory against Singh. The court will resume hearing in February 2024.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 21, 2023 03:07 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
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Jerusalem, November 21: India has donated USD 2.5 million to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, prompting the UNRWA on Tuesday to welcome the generous contribution at a "difficult time", particularly in Gaza. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), functional since 1950, carries out direct relief and work programmes for registered Palestine refugees. It is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN Member States.

India on Monday gave UNRWA USD 2.5 million as part of its annual contribution of USD 5 million for the year 2023-24 to support the agency's core programmes and services, including education, healthcare, relief, and social services provided to Palestinian refugees, the Representative Office of India at Ramallah said. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and UN Secretary-General Antonio Gutteres to Attend Virtual Meeting on Israel-Hamas War.

The contribution was handed over by the Representative of India (ROI) to Palestine, Renu Yadav, to the Director of Partnerships, Department of External Relations of UNRWA, Karim Amer. The ROI underlined India's continued support for the agency's activities in the region and the services it provides to Palestinian refugees during the handover ceremony at UNRWA's field office in Jerusalem, an official press release said.

Confirming that UNRWA received a very generous contribution from India yesterday (Monday), which is most welcome during these difficult times and in the face of huge needs across the region, particularly in Gaza, a spokesperson for UNRWA, Tamara Alrifai, told PTI.

The UNRWA has been struggling to provide basic services to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians since the October 7 Israel-Hamas conflict which has prompted more than two-thirds of the Gaza population  of approximately 2.3 million  to flee their homes. Earlier on November 19, India had delivered 32 tonnes of humanitarian assistance to the people of Palestine via the El-Arish Airport in Egypt. Since 2018, India has given USD 27.5 million to UNRWA.

During an Extraordinary Virtual Ministerial Pledging Conference for UNRWA held on June 23, 2020, India announced that it would contribute USD 10 million to UNRWA over the next two years. Prior to the war in Gaza, UNRWA was already facing an increased demand for services resulting from a growth in the number of registered Palestine refugees, the extent of their vulnerability, and their deepening poverty. The agency is mandated to provide assistance and protection to some 5.6 million Palestine refugees registered with it across its five fields of operation.

Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank, including East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip achieve their full human development potential, pending a just and lasting solution to their plight. UNRWA services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, protection, and microfinance among Palestinian refugees. Israel Defense Forces Air Strikes Three Hezbollah Anti-Tank Missile Squads in Lebanon.

During the first-ever Indian Prime Minister's visit to Palestine in February 2018, India increased its annual financial contribution fourfold to the UNRWA core budget, from USD 1.25 million to USD 5 million. India has also made a strong appeal to other traditional donors of UNRWA to consider enhancing their contributions as well as to non-donor member states to consider contributing to the agency in solidarity with the Palestine refugees.
Tel Aviv, November 21: A spokesman for the Israeli military on Tuesday said the forces hit three Hezbollah anti-tank squads on the country's border with Lebanon, In a post on X in Hebrew, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said that in reponse, military aircraft "attacked a number of terrorist targets of the Hezbollah terrorist organisation, including military infrastructure and infrastructure for targeting terrorism". Israel Recalls Ambassador to South Africa Ahead of Parliamentary Vote to Shut Down Israeli Embassy Amid Israel-Hamas Conflict.

He also said that earlier in the day, "terrorists fired a mortar bomb at an IDF post in the Lebanese border area" but there were no casualties. "IDF forces attack the source of the shooting with artillery," the spokeman added.

In a separate statement, the IDF said that there were repeated attacks towards northern Israel with missiles and mortars fired from Hezbollah centres. Israel has warned the the Iran-based militant group of dire consequences it launched an attack against the Jewish nation. Yemen's Houthi Rebels Hijack Israeli-Linked India-Bound Ship in Red Sea and Take 25 Crew Members Hostage.

The Lebanon-Israel border has witnessed increased tension for six weeks after Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets toward Shebaa Farms on October 8 in support of the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 21, 2023 03:52 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
On 20 November Colombias transitional justice tribunal (JEP) charged 35 current and former soldiers in relation to the false positive murder of civilians, including former commander of the army(2014-2015).

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After losing his daughter as she was enjoying the Brazil leg of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour. Weiny Machado, 53, finally spoke out.

Machado, who lost his 23-year-old daughter as the heat-addled concert was going on, spoke with the local Brazilian newspaper, Folha de Sao Paulo. He says that he wants clarification on whether fans were prohibited from bringing water during the first concert that happened last Friday.

"I want to know if it's true that they are prohibited from bringing water and neglected to provide assistance," he stated in the interview. "I lost my only daughter, a happy and intelligent girl."

"She was about to graduate in psychology next April, saving money," he added. "I have no words to express my pain. She left home to fulfill a dream and came back dead."

Rio de Janeiro was under a massive heatwave when Taylor Swift arrived for her Eras Tour. However, despite the stifling heat, fans have complained that the organizers, Time for Fun, prohibited fans from bringing any water at all. While no cause of death has been released for Ana Clara Benevides Machado, it is widely theorized that the heat had something to do with her death.

According to PEOPLE Magazine, Benevides Machado said that she was unwell and was treated by first responders at the venue. She was later transferred to the Salgado Filho Hospital in Rio de Janeiro, where she later died. An autopsy has been ordered with a criminal investigation into her death being launched as the incident shocked many in Brazil and the Taylor Swift fandom around the world.

Taylor Swift Devastated by Fan's Death During Her Eras Tour Concert in Brazil

In a handwritten letter she posted on Instagram, Taylor Swift stated that Ana Clara Benevides Machado's death during her concert "shattered" her heart, writing, "I can't believe I'm writing these words, but it's with a shattered heart that I say we lost a fan earlier tonight before my show."

READ MORE: Taylor Swift Eras Tour Postponed in Brazil After Fan Dies in Rio de Janeiro Show

"I can't even tell you how devastated I am by this," she added, noting that "There's very little information I have other than the fact she was so incredibly beautiful and far too young."

"I'm not going to be able to speak about this from the stage because I feel overwhelmed by grief when I even try to talk about it," Swift continued. "I want to say now I feel this loss deeply and my heart goes out to her family and friends."

As for Benevides, her friend, Thiago Fernandes, has told a local newspaper that he wants Swift to at least pay tribute to her in some way, saying, "I want Ana to appear on the screens at Taylor's show."

Taylor Swift To Resume Brazil Concert After Postponement

After her fan's death, the organizers were forced to postpone her next performance in Brazil for Saturday. It has now been rescheduled for Monday, with fans for the Saturday concert still being able to use their tickets for the Monday show. The performance will still happen at the Estadio Nilton Santos in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Temperatures on Friday reached 102 degrees F with 70% humidity, which made things feel hotter inside the stadium, according to PBS. However, temperatures finally cooled down last Sunday after a few days topping 100 degrees.

READ MORE: Brazil: Jair Bolsonaro Tried To Hack the 2022 Election, Says Hacker

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Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Taylor Swift Speaks Out After Fan Dies Moments Before Eras Tour Show in Brazil - Entertainment Tonight
Donald Trump's latest rhetoric is echoing that of authoritarian regimes, including Nazi Germany, as he vowed to go after political opponents and call them "vermin," something Adolf Hitler himself did. Now, this rhetoric is sparking concerns from historians and political experts.

The walls have been closing in on Trump as his legal troubles mount, especially in his New York fraud trial where he is poised to lose his business empire and he is instead seeking to win the case in the court of public opinion by hurling baseless accusations on the judge and the New York DA.

According to American Oversight, Trump pledged to "root out" his political opponents and called them "vermin," which in turn echoes speeches by totalitarian dictators like Hitler and Benito Mussolini, who stamped out any form of dissent and opposition.

This "authoritarian streak" was also shown when the former president shared an anonymous comment that called for Jew York AG Letitia James and Judge Arthur Engoron to be jailed through a "citizen's arrest," whipping up his supporters to make them believe that there is a political plot against him and spurring them on to commit acts of violence.

Trump has also vowed that should he be president, he would call for the Justice Department to investigate his perceived enemies, which experts have pointed out as what authoritarian rulers often do. This is something that is currently happening in Nicaragua, where President Daniel Ortega has stamped out all forms of dissent and is ruling the country with an iron fist, and experts are pointing out that Trump may be veering this way.

Illinois Governor Slams Donald Trump's Rhetoric Reminiscent of the Nazi Era

Other politicians are finding Donald Trump's recent rhetoric to be disturbing, including Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, who is of Jewish descent. He said that the former president is "dangerous for our democracy" and added that he is dangerous for specific minority groups in the US because of his draconic policies on immigration.

According to The Guardian, Gov. Pritzker helped drive the construction of the state's Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Chicago, and he likened Trump's recent rhetoric to that of Nazi Germany.

READ MORE: Donald Trump Attacks Kim Kardashian After Daughter Ivanka Trump Attended Reality Star's Party

"The rhetoric that's being used by Trump, by some of the MAGA extremists, is rhetoric that was used in the 1930s in Germany [and] I am very concerned about the direction of the country if we see policies like what Donald Trump is espousing come to light," he said in a recent interview.

"In Germany in the 1930s people that they didn't want to have power, people that they wanted to separate and segregate, they began calling them immigrants, even people who had been in Germany for generations. This is a way to begin to segregate people and then eventually ... dehumanize and kill people," he added. "What I can tell you is that the things that he talks about are frightening to those of us who know the history of Europe in the 1930s and 40s. And I'm deeply concerned about his predilection for revenge and what that will mean for groups of people that didn't support him in the 2024 election if he gets elected."

Media Slammed for Giving Donald Trump's Nazi-Like Rhetoric a Free Pass

Donald Trump's pledge to "root out the communists, Marxists, fascists and the radical-left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country" was reminiscent of Nazi Germany because it is barely changed from its messaging, particularly its targeting of political opponents and the political left.

However, this is barely getting covered in mainstream media, in what The Hill called its "shrug-and-move-on response" to Trump's increasingly authoritarian rhetoric and vows to go after opponents. This showed that the media has now normalized Trump's dictatorial tendencies, which the Trump campaign has so far used to its advantage.

READ MORE: Donald Trump is Confused Why Co-Defendants Sidney Powell, Jenna Ellis, Kenneth Chesebro Pleaded Guilty

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Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Trump USES HITLER'S EXACT LANGUAGE - Says He Will ROOT OUT 'VERMIN' OPPONENTS!!! - Jesse Dollemore
Eduardo Verastegui may just be a former telenovela actor and film producer, but he is attracting many Christian conservatives to his cause as he runs for president in the Mexico presidential election next year.

The 49-year-old actor and producer is running as an independent for next year, and he decided to run after Mexico's Supreme Court decriminalized abortion, telling supporters, "Mourning is a reminder for me to recall why I'm doing this."

He is rallying all over deeply Catholic Mexico with his anti-abortion platform. Many conservatives are answering his call. Despite this, he still has a difficult task in gathering about a million signatures by early January to seal his candidacy.

However, according to the Associated Press, Eduardo Verastegui has also sparked some controversy in Mexico, which has been seeing an increase in pro-abortion and feminist advocacies.

The telenovela actor had been very vocal on his stance about religion, LGBTQ+ rights, and abortion, unlike many other Mexican candidates. On TikTok, he often prays and is using his platform to speak against LGBTQ+ inclusion. He has also vowed that if elected, he would do anything in his power to reverse abortion access.

A lot of Christian conservatives are now flocking towards him as they find themselves identifying with his beliefs. Many of his supporters are saying that he is the only prominent anti-abortion candidate in the Mexico presidential election, so that is why they are supporting him.

He is attracting supporters who usually vote for candidates from more established conservative parties. However, with the failure of these parties to stop the decriminalization of abortion, many have been disenchanted and are flocking to Eduardo Verastegui as an alternative instead.

READ MORE: Mexico: Acapulco on Long Road to Recovery After Hurricane Otis Devastation

Mexico Presidential Elections Beginning To Take Shape

Several candidates are seen to be running in next year's Mexican presidential elections, which will take place in June 2024. Aside from Eduardo Verastegui, who else is running to replace the outgoing Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador?

According to AQ, Nuevo Leon governor Samuel Garcia has already announced that he will be running. Meanwhile, one of the people seen as a favorite to win, former Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, surprised many by announcing he will not be running next year.

The current favorite seems to be the former head of the Government of Mexico City, Claudia Sheinbaum, who is running for the ruling Morena Coalition. Her biggest challenger is Xochitl Galvez of Frente Amplio por Mexico.

Mexico President Already Endorsing Claudia Sheinbaum for Next Year's Presidential Election

As for who is Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador endorsing as his successor, the current president has publicly gone on to place his support for former Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum.

CNN noted that Sheinbaum has been a longtime ally of AMLO and that she has already accepted the baton that he passed to her during a ceremony in a restaurant outside Mexico City.

She has vowed to assume "the full responsibility of continuing the course marked by our people, that of the transformation initiated by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador."

READ NEXT: Jalisco New Generation Cartel's Timeshare Fraud Network Sanctioned

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Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Mexico set to make history with its 1st female president in 2024 - ABC7
It is almost Thanksgiving and sure enough, Americans will be hitting the road to visit loved ones or go home for the holidays. However, the weather might complicate travel plans this week as rain, snow, and severe storms are expected to disrupt some travel plans.

Bad weather is to be expected across a large portion of the US as Thanksgiving approaches, including snow in New England and severe thunderstorms in the South. A system spanning from the southern Plains to Mississippi Valley is expected to spread across the Central United States and this will bring about some massive thunderstorms.

Thunderstorms that started around east Texas are expected to bring warm weather and moisture in nearby areas, with stormy weather being expected in Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi. Tornadoes are also possible in some areas of Louisiana and Mississippi, according to CNN.

The thunderstorm threat is also expected to spread eastward to parts of Alabama and the Florida panhandle, with storms possibly being strong enough to bring damaging wind gusts and perhaps a tornado. Rain is also likely in parts of the mid-Atlantic and the Southeast, though the heavy rainfall is unlikely to bring widespread flooding.

Up north, several areas such as New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire might experience some snow while rain might fall across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and much of New York, as well as the Carolinas.

While the days around Thanksgiving would be met with disruptive weather, Thanksgiving Day itself is expected to be dry, which means it would not be raining on the various Thanksgiving Day parades happening all over the US, particularly in New York. However, a few rain showers are expected in some parts like coastal Texas and the Northern Rockies.

READ MORE: Donald Trump Attacks Kim Kardashian After Daughter Ivanka Trump Attended Reality Star's Party

Tuesday Expected to Be Worst Day For Travel as Thanksgiving Approaches

Meanwhile, Fox Weather reports that the TSA is expecting 2.6 million passengers on Tuesday. However, this is expected to be the worst day for travel as this is when the storm is expected to push east and may cause some flight delays or cancellations.

"Widespread rain is expected across much of the eastern U.S.," noted the FOX Forecast Center. "While the main system moves into the Ohio Valley, a secondary system from Canada will dive south, providing an extra boost to the ongoing storm. This will allow for snow to break out across the Great Lakes, with mostly rain elsewhere."

It warned that Tuesday is "shaping up to be the worst day for travel."

Transportation Department Trying To Keep Thanksgiving Delays as Low as Possible

As Americans travel for Thanksgiving across the week, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is noting the weather disturbances that may hamper travel, according to CBS News.

In a statement, he said, "While we can't control the weather, we will also be using every tool at our disposal to keep cancellations and delays as low as possible in the first place, including working collaboratively with the airlines."

READ MORE: Donald Trump is Confused Why Co-Defendants Sidney Powell, Jenna Ellis, Kenneth Chesebro Pleaded Guilty

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WATCH: Could weather throw a wrench into Thanksgiving travel plans? - TODAY
In the aftermath of devastating rains that claimed at least 21 lives and displaced thousands, Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader emphatically declared that climate change demands urgent attention.

"Those who do not believe in climate change, start believing," Abinader said.

While the president acknowledged the "extensive and substantial" damages, specific figures were not provided.

The Caribbean country's Emergency Operations Center (COE) reported that over 13,000 people were forced to relocate to safer areas due to the torrential rains over the previous 48 hours, Reuters reports.

The flooding resulted in power outages, damaged bridges, and impassable roads. Tragically, at least 21 lives were lost, as confirmed by the COE.

President Luis Abinader announced the suspension of classes until Wednesday, allowing time to assess the impact on schools and ensure the safety of students.

The United States embassy issued a weather alert, predicting the continuation of rains from the tropical depression across portions of the country for the next 24 hours.

Protection agencies conducted over 2,500 rescues, with approximately 2,600 homes affected by the storm, as reported by the COE.

Forty-five communities were without communication, underscoring the widespread disruption caused by the weather event.

Meanwhile, four of the casualties are American citizens, and another three are from Haiti, according to France 24.

The recent calamity follows the passage of storm Franklin at the end of August, which resulted in two fatalities, one person missing, and the evacuation of around 3,000 individuals from hazardous areas.

READ NEXT: Dominican Republic and Haiti Standoff at Border

Torrential Rain Causes Wall To Collapse Killing 9

In a tragic incident linked to the heavy rains, a poorly designed concrete wall along a major avenue in Santo Domingo collapsed, claiming nine lives.

Civil engineer Cristian Rojas, a former president of the Dominican College of Engineers, Architects, and Surveyors, highlighted deficiencies in the wall's design, citing the absence of anchors as a critical factor in the collapse, per Jamaica Observer.

Rojas emphasized that warnings about the wall's vulnerabilities date back more than two decades, with experts cautioning about its failures and the lack of corrective measures.

The collapse occurred when floodwaters from an adjacent avenue combined with the wall's design, leading to its failure and resulting in fatalities.

Geologist Osiris de Leon recalled warnings from December 1999, as reported by El Siglo newspaper, urging the reconstruction of the wall due to cracks and the potential for a tragic accident.

The collapse occurred on the heavily transited 27 of February Avenue during the weekend, crushing cars and their occupants.

The Aftermath of Dominican Republic Torrential Rain

The aftermath of the torrential rains has left the Dominican Republic assessing the extensive damage.

President Lusi Abinader, during a press conference, acknowledged that the evaluation is ongoing but highlighted that damages, particularly in public works and agriculture, will be significant.

As of the latest update from the COE, in addition to the confirmed 24 deaths, 17,855 people are displaced, with 879 in shelters, La Prensa Latina noted.

Approximately 3,571 homes are affected, and eight roads and six bridges are damaged, including one collapse.

While electricity services have been restored to over 95% of customers, 117 out of 243 aqueducts remain inactive as a precautionary measure.

President Luis Abinader assured the public that the aqueducts would resume operations within a week as floodwaters recede.

Despite challenges, efforts are underway to restore normalcy to affected areas.

The president emphasized the unprecedented rainfall event, with certain areas experiencing 431 millimeters of rain, making it the highest 24-hour rainfall event in the country.

READ MORE: Argentina New President Javier Milei Faces Daunting Economic Problems

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Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Tropical Rains Cause Deadly Flash Flooding, Killing At Least 20, In Dominican Republic - From Fox Weather
Allentown officials say they intend to file a motion of no-confidence in Mayor Matt Tuerks leadership following news that he approved the termination of a city employee who called for an investigation into claims about misconduct and discrimination at City Hall this year.

There has to be a vote of no-confidence at this point, Councilman Ed Zucal told lehighvalleylive.com.

A no-confidence vote by city council would not remove the mayor from office, according to municipal governance law. It would just send a statement, Zucal said. The vote could happen as early as next Wednesday, he said.

A spokesperson for Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk confirmed that the city did fire the citys benefits manager Karen Ocasio on Monday. The reason behind her termination was not immediately provided when requested on Tuesday.

As Mayor, I have a duty to ensure a good working environment for all employees so that we may continue to provide high quality city services to our residents and stakeholders. I dont participate in retaliatory practices and I dont have tolerance for it either. Since these are personnel matters, we have no additional comment at this time, Tuerk said in a statement.

In a statement, Zucal called Ocasios firing an act of revenge. He said Ocasio had just filed a complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission prior to her termination.

Ocasio has filed multiple complaints to the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission regarding the issue, she alleged in September. She also told city council members at the time that shed been a target of prejudice and discrimination since she started her job in 2018.

From personal experience I can tell you this is going on, even to the point that when I first started I was told where the manager sits is called the United States and where administration sits is called Mexico, she told council in September.

Ocasio was employed by the city for five years, according to a Linkedin profile registered to her. Her resume says she began working for the city as a clerk in 2018 prior to serving as a human resources coordinator in 2020 and then as benefits manager for the city in 2022.

She did not immediately respond to requests for comment by lehighvalleylive.com on Tuesday.

A third party could also be called to investigate widespread claims about misconduct and prejudice across all levels of City Hall as early as next year, officials announced in October, following outcry by members of the public and other city employees.

Proponents of the investigation claim City Hall leaders are complicit in discriminatory behavior and perpetuate a culture of prejudice against minority employees. A letter lodged by the Allentown NAACP chapter in July and the subsequent firing of the citys second HR director Nadeem Eli Shahzad have further propelled speculation about the citys practices.

According to reports, Shahzad was quoted saying disagreements with Tuerk and his handling of racism allegations in city hall led to his ouster.

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Glenn Epps can be reached at gepps@lehighvalleylive.com or glenn_epps_on Twitter.
Volunteers soon will be decorating Bethlehems Christmas City Trellis with hundreds of ornaments, each engraved with the name of a Lehigh Valley first responder.

The tradition of the Bethlehem ornaments actually dates back hundreds of years to the citys Moravian roots. The limited-edition creations adorn the Christmas trees of local residents each holiday season. This year, the Bethlehem Citizens Christmas City Committee has chosen for its creation a pattern of four flickering candles with a Moravian star above, set in an arched window.

The star and candles represent the light Bethlehems first responders shine on the community, said Brittney Ciardi, assistant vice president of the Bethlehem Chamber of Commerce. First Responders, like the Star of Bethlehem, light the way during trying and uncertain times.

The committee has crafted a total of 200 for sale. Ornaments cost $30 each (custom engraving is no longer available). They can be purchased at visithistoricbethlehem.com or at the Bethlehem Chamber of Commerce office, 74 W. Broad St., Suite 240.

All proceeds benefit a fund launched for the citys Christmas tree and its annual tree lighting ceremony.

The trellis is a popular outdoor exhibit featuring musical chimes with the ornaments dangling from them. Its set up in Payrow Plaza, between City Hall and the Bethlehem Area Public Library. The trellis initially was launched in 2015 and has become one of the holiday highlights in the Christmas City.

The unveiling of the display is scheduled for 5 p.m. Friday, at the citys annual Christmas tree lighting.

Ciardi called the ornaments a beautiful way to say thank you in front of the entire community for anyone whose life has been touched by an emergency responder.

The trellis display expects to remain up until early January at Payrow Plaza. When it comes down, guests will be invited to take those ornaments home as a keepsake.

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Divers will inspect the 77-foot fishing boat that sank early Sunday while being towed during a salvage attempt two days after it became beached on the Jersey Shore, officials said.

The Susan Rose is fully submerged in 49 feet of water a half-mile off Point Pleasant Beach, approximately a half-mile south of the Manasquan Inlet, U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Matthew West said.

The company in charge of removing the vessel  Northstar Marine Services  is working with the boats owners on a new plan to salvage it.

We will be going out to dive on it  to do a dive inspections, take a look at the current state of it, Northstar Marine Services President Phillip Risko told NJ Advance Media on Monday. So were planning on that in the coming days, but nothing else particular at this point. Im not sure what day thats going to be.

The Susan Rose took on water unexpectedly while being towed around 2 a.m. Sunday. A tug boat was pulling the fishing boat to a shipyard in Staten Island, New York when it sank, Risko said.

All the oil and gas had been removed from the Susan Rose during the day on Saturday as crews worked to get the ship upright. Video recorded by Shore Boats shows the vessel getting pounded by large waves and surf through the day on Saturday. Crews uprighted the ship following the days second high tide at 11:30 p.m.

The Coast Guard has issued a warning to mariners about the underwater hazard and set up a buoy near the sunken wreckage, West said.

The fishing boat beached around 5 a.m. Friday with four aboard. One crew member got of the ship on his own with Point Pleasant Beach firefighters and emergency workers helping to rescue the other three. None were badly injured.

Risko said the Susan Roses owners are undecided about what they want to do next.

Were talking to the owners and underwriters about next steps, Risko said. Theres a chance theyll want it to be removed from where it is and probably re-floated, but thats not been decided yet. Itll be sometime before that would happen. A lot of things have to be put in place. The equipment is pretty unique and specialized and it has to be available. Its a bit of a process. Nothing at the moment has been planned.

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Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com.
Update: The ramp from Route 22 east to Route 512 and from Route 512 onto Route 22 east reopened to traffic at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Original post:

An overturned tractor-trailer has led to the shutdown of a ramp on and off Route 22 east in Hanover Township, Northampton County, state police say.

Trooper Nathan Branosky, public information officer for the Troop M barracks, told lehighvalleylive.com the accident happened shortly after 3:30 a.m. Tuesday. A rig was carrying produce when it overturned at the ramp from Route 22 east to Route 512.

The ramp remained closed by 8 a.m. from Route 22 east to Route 512 and from Route 512 onto Route 22 east.

The rig was carrying 40,000 pounds of produce that scattered onto the highway, Branosky said. The driver of the tractor trailer was injured and taken to St. Lukes Hospital-Anderson campus in Bethlehem Township for treatment. The drivers condition was unknown by state police.

Pennsylvania State Police continue to investigate what led to the accident.

An overturned tractor trailer Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023 led to the shutdown of a ramp on and off Route 22 east in Hanover Township, Northampton County, state police say. Trooper Nathan Branosky, public information officer for the Troop M barracks, told lehighvalleylive.com the accident happened shortly after 3:30 a.m. and the rig was hauling 40,000 pounds of produce.Mike Nester | lehighvalleylive.com contributor

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Pennsylvania State Police plan to increase patrols to combat aggressive driving over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

State Police from Bethlehem-based Troop M announced the enforcement, titled Pennsylvania Aggressive Driving Enforcement Education Program, will commence at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday and run until 11:59 p.m. Sunday. The enforcement annually targets aggressive driving on state highways. The troop covers Lehigh, Northampton and Bucks counties.

Trooper Nathan Branosky, public information officer for the Troop M, said troopers will be on the lookout for motorists who are speeding, having potential seat belt violations and those with child seat belt infractions. Additionally, troopers will be watching for texting while driving, handheld phone use, careless driving and reckless driving, Branosky said.

Troopers involved in the Selective Traffic Enforcement Against Drunk Drivers and Drug Recognition Expert campaigns additionally will be focusing on apprehending motorists who operate vehicles under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

A DUI checkpoint also is planned during the Thanksgiving enforcement period somewhere in Northampton County. The checkpoint involves troopers systematically stopping vehicles at selected locations to briefly observe drivers for articulable facts and/or behaviors normally associated with alcohol or drug impairment, state police said.

During last years Thanksgiving Holiday Traffic Enforcement Period, Troop M investigated a total of 80 crashes and made 27 DUI arrests, according to state police.

Anyone who flees a police officer during a traffic stop can face a third-degree felony charge which carries a sentence of up to seven years in jail and a fine of up to $15,000, Branosky said.

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Id long felt I had to prove to my family and the world that my queerness and transness werent liabilities, - Raquel Willis, The Risk It Takes To Bloom: On Life and Liberation

How did Raquel Willis go from navigating the limits of toxic masculinity as a Southern Black queer child in Augusta, Georgia, to building a writing and activism career built on passion, centering empathy, and collective liberation as an unapologetic Black trans woman?

She blossomed, Willis details in her debut memoir, The Risk It Takes To Bloom.

Inspired by a line from Elizabeth Appells poem RISK, the project began to sprout in 2020, on the horizon of Willis 30s amid the pandemic lockdown and social justice movements reinvigorated by the murder of George Floyd and other Black folks.

At this time, Willis was forced to reflect on her feelings about how the world shaped her. As she confronted systems meant to oppress her, societal standards of beauty, and perceived worthiness. The text she birthed makes readers feel as if they are peering into a big sisters diary, the confessions serving as a roadmap to liberation.

Blooming means regardless of the struggle, or maybe despite the complexity, we make it through to the other side, understanding that we deserve our wholeness, stories, and joy, she tells Reckon.

Willis says anyone going through a transition in life and waiting to bloom should find a space to fully express themselves. That could be a physical space or within the pages of a journal, sketchbook or voice notes app. She is inspired by a mantra of her possibility model, writer, director, producer and transgender rights activist Janet Mock: tell your story to yourself.

The Risk It Takes to Bloom: On Life and LiberationSt. Martins Press

The importance of grace was the biggest lesson Willis learned while writing The Risk It Takes To Bloom. Of course, grace for other folks  thats where forgiveness lies. And, for myself, thats where healing lies. Ive learned that naming and uncovering insecurities and anxieties is a part of the liberatory process, and those things Im fearful to share can be freeing once I do, she explains to Reckon.

Drawing inspiration from the epistolary styles of writers like Ta-Nehisi Coates and James Baldwin, Raquel includes letters to loved ones and trancestors between chapters of her experiences to reflect on their impact on her life and journey to liberation.

The letters came about because I found it difficult to write as myself in those particular points. I wanted to insert some of the wisdom Ive gleaned. So, the letters take a different tone because they show how my mindset has evolved since, which felt necessary, Willis says.

Two especially heart-rending chapters for Willis to write were a letter to her father and another recounting the loss of her grandmother and what it was like to see her mom in her own transition from wife to widow. According to Willis, they required her to contemplate the meaning and expectations of love and legacy.

I had a lot of anguish over turning my back on those expectations of their thoughts of legacy. But I think a good runner-up is the sexual harassment after bottom surgery in chapter 23 or chapter 13 about desire and validation, where Im essentially talking to the trade honey. And its a different kind of reckoning with relationships, she tells Reckon.

Award- winning writer, activist, and debut author Raquel WillisTexas Isaiah

In the future, she wants to write and uncover more about love and relationships as a Black trans woman in this age, tackling the conversation around how elusive not only the idea of fairytale love, but baseline love (flirting, dating, etc.), feels for many Black trans women, especially beyond fetishization. As a young trans woman blossoming into womanhood, the glimpses into that dynamic I appreciated the most as if receiving validation of my own feelings from a wise big sister. That is the beauty of this memoir, as it allows readers to interrogate and reflect on their journeys through life and the path to liberation.

For Willis, liberation means all of us being able to fully delve into self-expression without fear. She believes we get to be masters of our narratives, the drivers of our own destinies not restricted by white supremacist, cis-hetero, patriarchal capitalist and ableist ideas.

Liberation for all requires understanding that if someone else gets to shine, [experience] joy, or have some void filled in their life, then that doesnt mean theres a detriment to my experience, she says.

After a decade as an activist and community organizer, this idea of liberation was just the other side of the coin in expanding her definition of community. For Willis, community is a couple of different things. The top definition of community involves people with shared values, particularly in social justice and the world of collective liberation.

Even within that, as a Black trans woman, I know Im also in communities where we share identity, and we dont necessarily all share the same values. But the one I prioritize the most is communities of shared values, she tells Reckon. If were ever going to come to some coalition worth its snuff, were going to have to [accept] that all of us have the capacity to be both oppressed and oppressors.

Ultimately, Raquel sees The Risk It Takes To Bloom as a bridge between previous and future Black trans folks and those who believed and will, in collective liberation. This memoir is her contribution to documenting what it has been like to be Black and queer and trans in this generation.

I hope trans, non-binary, gender non-conforming and queer readers feel seen, less isolated, and encouraged to create their accounts of their experiences to share with the world. For cis folks to seek out more trans and queer voices, understanding our perspective is necessary and can help unlock things in them. Most of all, I hope it encourages folks to take more risks to bloom and shatter expectations, she says.

The Risk It Takes To Bloom is available now on shelves and online for purchase. Check out this excerpt from the memoir in which Raquel pays tribute to Chyna Gibson.
The Laois-based Embrace FARM network for bereaved and injured farm family support network is running a joint seminar to help anyone in the farming community who has been affected by suicide.

Embrace FARM is hosting the free webinar with HUGG, Irelands national suicide bereavement charity for people regardless of when their loss has occurred.

The organisations say it will bring together HUGG's evidence-based knowledge of suicide bereavement and the voice of those with lived experience of suicide loss, coupled with the practical and emotional supports offered by the Embrace FARM network.

The keynote speaker on the night will be Liz Gleeson, Psychotherapist, Lecturer and Grief and Loss Specialist, whose podcast Shapes of Grief has found its way onto recommended resources in Universities and Colleges internationally as a resource for grief education. Liz has also developed the award-winning Shapes of Grief Training Programme, the only programme that features contributions from Grief Experts worldwide.

Attendees will also hear the personal story of a farmer who is bereaved by suicide. He will share his own story of how suicide has impacted him and his family and what has helped him to move forward.

Norma Rohan, Co-Founder of Embrace FARM spoke about the reason for the webinar.

There is a sad reality that is becoming commonplace in our farming communities. Death by suicide is affecting more farm families, and for us at Embrace FARM, we are working with many farm families who are dealing with the pain of this loss. This webinar will not only remind those in our community of the supports we offer but will also address the stigma surrounding suicide that is still so prevalent to those seeking help, said the Shanahoe woman.

Fiona Tuomey, Founder and CEO of HUGG, lost her daughter, Milly, to suicide in 2016.

Sadly, suicides in the farming community are a reality. Rural isolation, stigma, and overwhelming grief, in addition to managing ongoing farming issues, can prevent those left behind from getting information and support. We want to change this and connect with this unique group of people living with suicide loss, she said.

HUGG and Embrace FARM are part of the Local Bereavement Networks supported by the Irish Hospice Foundation. The event will run for about an hour. Spaces are limited, so attendees are asked to register in advance. Details provided to register will be confidential and only used to secure your place at the webinar.

Only those presenting will be visible on screen. To register for the webinar scheduled for Tuesday, November 28 at 7.30 pm visit: https://bit.ly/SuicideInTheFarmingCommunity

If you, or someone you know might benefit from the work of Embrace FARM, you can reach them directly at 085 770 9966 or info@embracefarm.com
Eight primary schools in Meath and Kildare are participating in an evidence- based anti-bullying programme as part of a wider initiative that gives children equal access to a brighter future through education.

At an event today, November 20, in Scoil Mhuire Junior in Newbridge, the KiVa Anti-Bullying Programme was launched as part of a wider initiative led by Archways. There was a sense of celebration with the real stars of the day being the children who took part. The initiative is being coordinated and delivered by Archways with funding support from basis.point.

Archways has collaborated with basis.point since 2014 across a number areas throughout Ireland. This latest stage of that collaboration sees the work focus on Kildare and Meath.

Archways were also delighted this year to receive funding through the Community Foundation of Irelands Toy Show Appeal.

The KiVa Anti-Bullying Programme is an evidence-based initiative developed at the University of Turku in Finland. It is innovative and substantial and implemented in twelve countries across Europe, South America, and New Zealand. The goals of the KiVa Anti-Bullying Programme are to prevent bullying, to effectively tackle bullying cases, and to minimise the negative effects of bullying.

The eight schools participating in the programme are:

 Scoil Mhuire Junior, Newbridge, Co Kildare

 St. Patricks Church of Ireland NS, Newbridge, Co Kildare

 St. Oliver Plunkett NS, Killina, Co Kildare

 St. Conleths NS, Derrinturn, Co Kildare

 St. Annes Loreto Primary School, Navan, Co Meath

 Kilmainhamwood NS, Co Meath

 Duleek BNS, Co Meath

 Duleek GNS, Co Meath

Speaking at the event were representatives from the funders, the participating schools, the

University of Turku in Finland and Archways. The highlight of the event though was the colourful and joyous input from children in the participating schools.

Edel OMalley, CEO of basis.point said: We are delighted to partner with Archways to launch the new KiVa Anti-Bullying Programme. We believe that investing in programmes that develop skills to maintain good mental health is key to helping young people navigate their educational journey. The digital era brings new challenges for young people and teaching them soft skills such as empathy and respect will better equip them to flourish.

Denise Charlton, Chief Executive, Community Foundation of Ireland congratulated all involved: Ending bullying must involve educators, parents and most importantly children themselves. Archways are showing vison by expanding the KiVa programme to eight new schools in Meath and Kildare. The suite of support resources and materials offer accessible information and awareness raising which has an ability to transform the approach taken to remove bullying for good from the classroom, playground and sports. The work which is being undertaken would not have been possible without the generosity of viewers to the RTE Toy Show Appeal. Now that generosity is being turned into action.

Hugh Doogan, CEO with Archways said: We are grateful to our funders basis.point and the Community Foundation of Irelands Toy Show Appeal. Without their support we could not offer these programmes free of charge to the schools. We have worked with basis.point for almost ten years and in that time, we have supported over 20,000 children. The latest

initiative in Kildare and Meath includes programmes we have delivered with their support across the county such as the Incredible Years Parent Programme, the Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management Programme and a series of webinars to support parents support their children with anxiety and social and emotional wellbeing. It also includes a new

programme to help schools implement a structured evidence-based programme to address bullying. The KiVa Anti-Bullying Programme builds on the good work schools already do in this area. We are delighted to welcome colleagues today from Finland to see the great work being done in schools in Kildare and Meath.
ALDI Ireland has submitted a planning application to Kildare County Council to extend and fully revamp its Monread store in Naas, creating 10 new permanent jobs in the town.

The extended store will offer customers a larger shopping space, with the retail floor increasing by 33% from 990 sqm to 1315 sqm. Monread shoppers will also benefit from four new electric vehicle-charging points, two standard EV charging spaces and two accessible EV charging spaces along with 18 bike parking spaces available. If granted planning permission, the project will commence in 2026.

Commenting on the announcement, Colin Breslin, Managing Director Buying & Services, ALDI Ireland said: Our new larger Monread store will provide an even better shopping experience for customers in Kildare. The ALDI Monread Naas team are excited by this announcement, and we are looking forward to the store revamp which is part of ALDIs award-winning Project Fresh store layout. In addition, its great to see 10 new jobs being created in the town.

Since opening in October 2012 on the Monread Road, the store has become an essential part of the retail fabric of Naas town. It currently employs 24 full-time staff.

Operating nine stores, a regional distribution centre and head office facility in County Kildare, ALDI is deeply involved in the local community. ALDI employs over 600 staff in the county, spending almost 30M on wages annually. Through its partnership with FoodCloud, ALDIs Kildare stores have donated over 70,000 meals to local charities to date. Each store is also part of ALDIs Community Grants network, with, Irish Wheelchair Association, Irish Cancer Society and Main Street Foodbank Naas among those to avail of the 500 bursary grant in recent years.

This announcement follows the retailers recent commitment to a 33.6 million investment programme in four Midlands counties over the next two years. ALDI has submitted planning applications to construct four new stores across the Midlands, at Tullamore (Offaly), Moate (Westmeath), Granard (Longford) and Kilcock (Kildare). If approved, the proposed stores would all open by 2025, creating 120 permanent jobs across the region, with 200 jobs supported during the construction phase.
The number of asylum seekers to be accommodated in Sallins has been capped at a maximum of 112 people.

An agreement is now in place between Tetrarch Capital, the owners of the premises at The Waterways and the International Protection Accommodation Service, which is part of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability Integration and Youth (DCEDIY).

The agreement will come into force next year - in January or early February - and in the meantime refurbishment work is being carried out on the premises in compliance with national and local regulations.

The people moving in there will be couples and single adult females and according to DCEDIY there will be no single adult males placed in this property.

There will be a maximum of two people per room which equates to an overall maximum of 112 for the property.

The terms of the agreement mean that it will not be possible to exceed this number.

A breakdown of the number of couples and single adult females will not be known until closer to the opening date.

Read more Kildare news

The property will be managed and operated by Tetrarch who have good experience of such work already around the country.

Tetrarch was involved with both the Killashee Hotel and Millennium Park in Naas.

Representatives of Tetrarch have already met with community representatives in Sallins and outlined how the premises will be managed on a day to day basis.

Other agencies will be involved such as the HSE, Kildare County Council, County Kildare Leader Partnership Company and the gardai.

The department also thanked the local community in Sallins for its willingness to engage with us on this sensitive issue and we are prepared to continue our engagement over the coming months.

According to the department, the agreement will be for a two year period with the potential for one year extensions - if approved by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability Integration and Youth. The maximum period of use will be four years.

It was also pointed out that the government is dealing with an unprecedented level of migration into the country obviously compounded by the awful war in Ukraine and this situation is likely to remain for some time,hence the overwhelming need for accommodation centres like this one in Sallins.

A peaceful protest took place in Sallins on September 21 over the possible arrival of asylum seekers to the town.

About 80 people of all ages - and a handful of household pets - participated in the demonstration which started at the traffic lights near the Railway Inn pub and t later removed to The Waterways.

The protest was organised after news emerged that a hotel planned for The Waterways site, but which never opened, could become a venue for people who've left various countries claiming persecution.

The offer of the hotel was made through a request for tender for "Bespoke Panel Agreement for the Provision of Accommodation Services and Related Services for Persons Seeking International Protection" which was published by the government late last year.

Some of the participants carried placards reading Sallins Says No and "Sallins Says No To Unvetted Men.

Another bore the message Stop. We do not consent. This is a planned invasion on the community of Sallins. On the land of Eire. This is not acceptable."

Local TD James Lawless previously expressed deep frustration at the lack of coherent communication on the proposal.

He said these centres are arranged directly between the owners and the government - and TD and councillors are not involved.

He said similar centres have opened or will open in at least six other Kildare towns.
An incident which gardai allege took place at Corbans Lane in Naas involved four separate men.

Gardai relayed the allegations to Judge Desmond Zaidan at Naas District Court on Thursday, November 16 last.

The accusations relate to: Maroud Rashid, 28, with an address listed as 4 The Row, Eustace Demesne in Naas; Muhammed Masikul, 28, with an address listed as Apartment 11, Carrig Court, Saggart, Dublin 24, County Dublin; Malik Hossain, 30, with an address listed as 25 Feltham Hall, Blackbog Road, County Carlow; and Joshim Uddin, 29, with an address listed as 17 Alltown Rise in Naas.

The alleged incident took place on December 3 last, according to gardai.

It was alleged that on the day at around 2pm, the men turned up to an address in Corbans Lane.

According to gardai, at least one of the men had a weapon, 'a pointed stick(s)', with him.

An altercation broke out, which resulted in one person being allegedly assaulted with the weapon (Mr Hossain is the defendant charged with this alleged offence).

The alleged injured party allegedly sustained a concussion as a result of the assault, but it was heard that they did not lose consciousness.

When Judge Zaidan asked Garda Sergeant David Hanrahan what the 'catalyst for the alleged incident' was, Sgt Hanrahan, who was reading off the charge sheet, told him that it had something to do with a female, Judge.

However, defending solicitor Tim Kennelly told the court that his clients 'deny this outright.'

"They dont know where this allegation regarding it being over a woman is coming from," he added.

Instead, Mr Kennelly claimed that the cause of the incident arose from a tenancy dispute.

After consideration, Judge Zaidan said that he would refuse jurisdiction, citing the 'serious' nature of the allegations.

He adjourned the case to April 24, 2024, to allow time for a book of evidence to be presented as well as to allow time for the Director of Public Prosecutions to review his decision to refuse jurisdiction.
St Marks Special School in Newbridge has been awarded for their promotion of positive mental health and wellbeing among their students as part of the seventh annual Mission Possible School Achievement awards from Walk in My Shoes, the flagship awareness-raising and education campaign of St Patricks Mental Health Services.

Established in 2017, the Mission Possible School Achievement Awards recognises the vital role schools play in promoting positive mental health, raising awareness and reducing stigma in the school and the community.

For this years Mission Possible initiative, schools were invited to create their very own Mission Possible Wellbeing Walls to showcase all the wellbeing supports in place, and the initiatives happening in their school, as well as signposting students to the supports outside of school.

Since September, over 200 schools across Ireland have created wellbeing walls that creatively illustrate how they are supporting positive mental health. Of these 200 schools, 50 submitted their wellness wall projects.

St Marks Special School named their wellbeing wall We all fit together and it focused on how communities in school and outside of school help students to be themselves and to celebrate their unique individuality. The wellbeing wall symbolises unity, friendships, positivity and awareness  reminding students that they are all individuals and regardless of gender, disability or race, everyone can make a difference and fit together in this world.

All of the wellbeing walls created by schools have been added to the Walk in My Shoes School Portal, a secure online platform for primary and secondary school staff across Ireland to highlight and share with each other what theyre doing in their schools, classrooms and communities to promote positive mental health and wellbeing. The School Portal acts as a central hub of ideas and resources to help schools across the country to further promote and support mental health and wellbeing.

This years winning schools were selected by a panel of three judges: Aine Lynch, Chief Executive Officer, National Parents Council; Sinead Smyth, teacher at St Patricks Mental Health Services Willow Grove Adolescent Unit; and Tamara Nolan, Director of Communications and Advocacy, St Patricks Mental Health Services.

Speaking about the Mission Possible School Achievement Awards, Willow Grove teacher and judge, Sinead Smyth, said: I am delighted to be part of the Walk in My Shoes Mission Possible campaign, which is such a wonderful initiative in breaking down barriers to positive mental health for young people.

As a teacher in the Willow Grove Adolescent Unit, I understand the unique challenges faced by school students, particularly those who may be experiencing mental health difficulties. The Mission Possible School Achievement Awards is an opportunity for students and teachers to showcase their commitment to fostering supportive and inclusive learning environments for all students, and to challenge the stigma associated with mental health difficulties that can be a barrier to many young people seeking support.

Congratulations to all the teachers and students who participated in Mission Possible this year and built wellness walls in their schools. Through the creation of these wellness walls, schools are creating open and inclusive environments, providing students with important information about supports available, and encouraging them to continuously challenge mental health stigma.

The winning school in each category will receive prize money of 600, while all participating schools will receive a Certificate of Achievement.

To find out more about the 2023 Mission Possible School Achievement Awards, visit www.walkinmyshoes.ie.
A man refused to pay a taxi driver and verbally abused a garda after the driver took him to Naas garda station.

Before Naas District Court was Modestas Kubilius, 3, whose address was given as Fr McVerry Homeless Shelter, Kerdiffstown, Naas.

He was prosecuted for refusing to pay the fare at McDonalds, Monread Road, Naas as well as possession of a blade and breaching the Public Order Act on December 16, 2022.

Sgt Dave Hanrahan said the defendant refused to pay the 21 fare.

The incident happened at 1.45am and the defendant was intoxicated.

He was abusive at the garda station saying f off, Im not paying and f off, arrest me.

The court was also told that he punched the dashboard of the taxi vehicle, though this caused no damage. The defendant was found to be in possession of a small pocket knife.

Solicitor Joe Coonan said the defendant had fallen on hard times.

The defendant has seven previous convictions including for foreign convictions.

He has convictions here for thrift and trespass.

Mr Coonan stated he dealt with the defendant on the night and he was very intoxicated.

He was homeless at the time and prior to that he worked in the building industry.

He said he ended up in a mental health facility but is now off alcohol and living in Dungannon with a partner and theyre expecting a baby.

Read more Kildare news

Mr Coonan also said the defendant is working for his partners father, has not come to garda attention and is looking after his mental health.

The court was told that the knife was not produced.

The defendant was fined 750 for breaching the Public Order Act, 150 for not paying the fare and 400 for possessing the knife.

Judge Desmond Zaidan also granted free legal aid.
A truer set of figures should be kept to monitor homelessness in Ireland, a Sinn Fein TD has said.

Monthly updates on figures of those in emergency accommodation are published by the Department of Housing.

The most recent figures indicated there were 12,827 people in emergency accommodation in September, representing a 1.1% increase on the previous month.

Sinn Fein TD Eoin OBroin has estimated there are more than 20,000 people who are homeless when people in accommodation not funded by the state and rough sleepers are taken into account.

He has urged the Government to produce an independent report that includes those housed by other organisations and rough sleepers.

He told reporters in Dublin: Since 2018, most years Ive published a report asking what is the true level of homelessness in the state, and the reason I do that is because every month, the department of housing publishes their homeless figures  thats the number of adults and children in emergency accommodation funded by the Department of Housing.

However, we know that there are other people who are in emergency accommodation funded by other government departments or some that dont receive any state funding and therefore, the purpose of this kind of report is to track that.

As well as the numbers in emergency accommodation increasing, he said other types of homelessness are also on the rise.

He said there are at least 599 women and children in domestic violence refuges funded by Tusla and the Department of Children, about 105 men and women in emergency accommodation run by religious institutions  not funded by the state.

He said there is not a full count of rough sleepers across the country, but there are estimated to be more than 80 rough sleepers in Dublin.

The number of people living in emergency accommodation or sleeping rough has reached almost 20,000. Govt has committed to ending long-term homelessness by 2030. To do this they must have accurate information on the total number of people who are homeless.  @EOBroin #Housing pic.twitter.com/0roHC5XTN3  Sinn Fein (@sinnfeinireland) November 20, 2023

Mr OBroin said there are about 5,500 people who were in the international protection system, having been given leave to remain but who cannot get out of direct provision.

So when you count all of those individuals up, there are almost 20,000 people who should be officially categorised as homeless, he said.

And of course, thats before we even start talking about sofa surfers, and people who arent counted in the system.

Ive been calling since 2018 for the Government to produce an independent report that categorises all of this properly, and the way to do that is to reconvene the homeless consultative committees data subgroup, agree a methodology and then allow an independent body such as the CSO, or housing agency to then publish the reports regularly.

He added: It shouldnt be left to a TD to put in parliamentary questions and and compile this report on a regular basis, preferably monthly, an independent body should publish accurate numbers.

He said the Irish Government has signed up to a commitment to end long-term homelessness and the need to sleep rough by 2030 in the Lisbon Declaration, but questioned how the objective can be met with the current system.

We need an accurate report, we need to know the total numbers of people experiencing homelessness at any point in time and then we also need to see a plan from government to show year on year from now to 2030 how theyre going to reduce that number and achieve the objective of ending long term homelessness and the need to sleep rough, he said.
TRIBUTES have been paid to Sharon Shannons manager and friend, John Dunford.

Originally from Castlebar in Co Mayo, Dunford was well known to the Irish music scene as he worked alongside Sharon Shannon and Mike Scott of The Waterboys.

John Dunford passed peacefully on November 18, surrounded by his loving family in the Blackrock Hospice, after battling with lung cancer.

In a tribute posted on Facebook, Sharon Shannon said: I have some sad news in case some of you hadn't heard yet. Our great friend (my friend and manager for the last 35 years) John Dunford was diagnosed with lung cancer only 2 months ago and it advanced really quickly. He went into Hospice last Monday and he slipped away peaceful Saturday morning surrounded by his loving family. We are all heartbroken.

Staff of the Dublin music venue, Whelans, also paid tribute to the passing of their friend.

So saddened at the sudden passing of our friend John Dunford. John was Sharon Shannon's manager and was an influential character with the Waterboys, esp during the recording of Fishermans Blues. And what a character, so full of life and enthusiasm. We learned so much from him over the years, and were honoured to have known him. He will be sadly missed. Our deepest condolences to all John's family and friends and also to Sharon and the band, they posted alongside a picture of Dunford and Shannon.

Predeceased by his parents Stephen and Bernie, his brothers Steve and Tom, and nephew Kevin.



John lived every minute of his life to the full and was a generous, loving man who will be deeply missed by his wife Hilly, daughters Becky, Hannah, Katy and Emily, sons-in-law Niall and Craig, grandchildren Shay, Jude and Sid, brother Chuck, sister Derval, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews, his entire extended family and many close friends.

Johns career was varied and successful, including playing a leading role in the Irish music scene, teaching and lecturing, and a stretch as a salty sea captain.
NexGen Energy to Host Q3 Conference Call on Rook I Project Developments





VANCOUVER, BC, Nov. 20, 2023 /CNW/ - NexGen Energy Ltd. ("NexGen" or the "Company") (TSX: NXE) (NYSE: NXE) (ASX: NXG) is pleased to announce that it will be hosting its third quarter conference call on Wednesday, November 22, 2023, at 10:00 am Eastern Standard Time.

During the call, NexGen's President and Chief Executive Officer, Leigh Curyer, Chief Commercial Officer, Travis McPherson, and Chief Financial Officer, Benjamin Salter will provide an update on the Company's 100% owned Rook I Project. The conference call will highlight the latest milestones achieved, notably the recent Provincial Environmental Assessment approval, the status of Federal permitting and licensing, progress of Project confirmation program, recent financing, as well as current uranium market dynamics. The call will be followed by an interactive Q&A session.

Call details are as follows:

Date: Wednesday, November 22, 2023

Time: 10:00 am Eastern Standard Time

RapidConnect URL: https://emportal.ink/3sVPtx7

North America Toll Free: 1-888-664-6392

A replay will be available on the NexGen website under Events & Presentations. Further Information is available at www.nexgenenergy.ca.

About NexGen

NexGen Energy is a Canadian company focused on delivering clean energy fuel for the future. The Company's flagship Rook I Project is being optimally developed into the largest low cost producing uranium mine globally, incorporating the most elite standards in environmental and social governance. The Rook I Project is supported by a NI 43-101 compliant Feasibility Study which outlines the elite environmental performance and industry leading economics. NexGen is led by a team of experienced uranium and mining industry professionals with expertise across the entire mining life cycle, including exploration, financing, project engineering and construction, operations and closure. NexGen is leveraging its proven experience to deliver a Project that leads the entire mining industry socially, technically and environmentally. The Project and prospective portfolio in northern Saskatchewan will provide generational long-term economic, environmental, and social benefits for Saskatchewan, Canada, and the world.





NexGen is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "NXE" and on the Australian Securities Exchange under the ticker symbol "NXG" providing access to global investors to participate in NexGen's mission of solving three major global challenges in decarbonization, energy security and access to power. The Company is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, with its primary operations office in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Cautionary Note to U.S. Investors

This news release includes Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources classification terms that comply with reporting standards in Canada and the Mineral Reserves and the Mineral Resources estimates are made in accordance with NI 43-101. NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators that establishes standards for all public disclosure an issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. These standards differ from the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") set by the SEC's rules that are applicable to domestic United States reporting companies. Consequently, Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources information included in this news release is not comparable to similar information that would generally be disclosed by domestic U.S. reporting companies subject to the reporting and disclosure requirements of the SEC Accordingly, information concerning mineral deposits set forth herein may not be comparable with information made public by companies that report in accordance with U.S. standards.

Forward-Looking Information

The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable United States securities laws and regulations and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. "Forward-looking information" includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates, the 2021 Arrow Deposit, Rook I Project and estimates of uranium production, grade and long-term average uranium prices, anticipated effects of completed drill results on the Rook I Project, planned work programs, completion of further site investigations and engineering work to support basic engineering of the project and expected outcomes. 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. Statements relating to "mineral resources" are deemed to be forward-looking information, as they involve the implied assessment that, based on certain estimates and assumptions, the mineral resources described can be profitably produced in the future.

Forward-looking information and statements are based on the then current expectations, beliefs, assumptions, estimates and forecasts about NexGen's business and the industry and markets in which it operates. Forward-looking information and statements are made based upon numerous assumptions, including among others, that the mineral reserve and resources estimates and the key assumptions and parameters on which such estimates are based are as set out in this news release and the technical report for the property, the results of planned exploration activities are as anticipated, the price and market supply of uranium, the cost of planned exploration activities, that financing will be available if and when needed and on reasonable terms, that third party contractors, equipment, supplies and governmental and other approvals required to conduct NexGen's planned exploration activities will be available on reasonable terms and in a timely manner and that general business and economic conditions will not change in a materially adverse manner. Although the assumptions made by the Company in providing forward-looking information or making forward-looking statements are considered reasonable by management at the time, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be accurate in the future.

Forward-looking information and statements also involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performances and achievements of NexGen to differ materially from any projections of results, performances and achievements of NexGen expressed or implied by such forward-looking information or statements, including, among others, the existence of negative operating cash flow and dependence on third party financing, uncertainty of the availability of additional financing, the risk that pending assay results will not confirm previously announced preliminary results, conclusions of economic valuations, the risk that actual results of exploration activities will be different than anticipated, the cost of labour, equipment or materials will increase more than expected, that the future price of uranium will decline or otherwise not rise to an economic level, the appeal of alternate sources of energy to uranium-produced energy, that the Canadian dollar will strengthen against the U.S. dollar, that mineral resources and reserves are not as estimated, that actual costs or actual results of reclamation activities are greater than expected, that changes in project parameters and plans continue to be refined and may result in increased costs, of unexpected variations in mineral resources and reserves, grade or recovery rates or other risks generally associated with mining, unanticipated delays in obtaining governmental, regulatory or First Nations approvals, risks related to First Nations title and consultation, reliance upon key management and other personnel, deficiencies in the Company's title to its properties, uninsurable risks, failure to manage conflicts of interest, failure to obtain or maintain required permits and licences, risks related to changes in laws, regulations, policy and public perception, as well as those factors or other risks as more fully described in NexGen's Annual Information Form dated February 24, 2023 filed with the securities commissions of all of the provinces of Canada except Quebec and in NexGen's 40-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and Edgar at www.sec.gov.

Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information or statements or implied by forward-looking information or statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information or statements due to the inherent uncertainty thereof.

There can be no assurance that forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or reissue forward-looking information as a result of new information or events except as required by applicable securities laws.

SOURCE NexGen Energy Ltd.

20 november 2023 at 16:30

News published onand distributed by:
Brixton Metals Closes tranche 1 of $14.5 million Private Placement





Not for distribution to United States Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States



VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brixton Metals Corporation (TSX-V: BBB, OTCQB: BBBXF) (the "Company" or "Brixton") is pleased to announce that it has completed the first tranche of the non-brokered private placement previously announced on October 30, 2023, November 6, 2023 and November 10, 2023 (the "Offering").

The first tranche of the Offering consisted of 15,016,666 units ("Units") and 49,386,593 national flow-through units ("NFT Units"). The second tranche of the Offering will consist of 16,384,645 charity flow-through units ("Charity FT Units") scheduled to close later this week, for total gross proceeds from both tranches of $14,580,535.51.

Each Unit consisted of one common share of the Company and one half of one transferable common share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"), each whole Warrant exercisable at a per share price of $0.23 until November 20, 2025. Each NFT Unit consisted of one common share of the Company issued as a "flow-through share" within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada) (each, an "FT Share") and one half of one transferable Warrant. Each whole Warrant comprising the NFT Units shall entitle the holder to purchase one common share of the Company at a per share price of $0.23 until November 20, 2025.

One insider participated in the Offering for aggregate cash consideration to the Company of $35,003, which constitutes a Related Party Transaction under TSX Venture Exchange Policy 5.9. The Company availed itself of the exemptions contained in section 5.5(c) of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 ("MI 61-101") for an exemption from the formal valuation requirement and Section 5.7(1)(b) of MI 61-101 for an exemption from the minority shareholder approval requirement of MI 61-101 as the fair market value of the securities to be distributed in the transaction, and the consideration to be received by the Company for those securities, insofar as the transaction involves interested parties did not exceed $2,500,000.

The proceeds raised from the sale of the Units will be used by the Company for general corporate purposes. Proceeds from the sale of NFT Units will be used to incur "Canadian exploration expenses" and "flow through mining expenditures" as defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada).

The securities issued to subscribers of the NFT Units will be subject to a hold period until March 21, 2024 pursuant to applicable Canadian securities laws. Because the offering of the Units was completed pursuant to the Listed Issuer Financing Exemption, the securities issued to Canadian resident subscribers for the Units were not subject to a hold period pursuant to applicable Canadian securities laws.

Finder's fees of an aggregate $92,940.12 and 558,235 warrants to purchase common shares of the Company at a per share price of $0.23 until November 20, 2025 were paid to persons who introduced the Company to subscribers to the Offering.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

Mr. Gary R. Thompson, Chairman and CEO

Tel: 604-630-9707 or email: [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 set forth in this news release may involve forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", and "intend", statements that an action or event "may", "might", "could", "should", or "will" be taken or occur, or other similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact included herein are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding potential quantity and/or grade of minerals, potential size and expansion of a mineralized zone, proposed timing of exploration and development plans, and the use of proceeds of the Private Placement. 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. Such factors include, among others, the following risks: the need for additional financing; operational risks associated with mineral exploration; fluctuations in commodity prices; title matters; and the additional risks identified in the annual information form of the Company or other reports and filings with the TSXV and applicable Canadian securities regulators. Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements.

Brixton does not undertake to update any forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

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, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws, unless an exemption from such registration is available.

Not for distribution to United States Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States

20 november 2023 at 17:20

News published onand distributed by:
CloudMD Updates Timing of Q3 Earnings





VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CloudMD Software & Services Inc. (TSXV: DOC, OTCQX: DOCRF, Frankfurt: 6PH) (the "Company" or "CloudMD"), an innovative health services company transforming the delivery of care, today announced that the Company now expects to release its financial results for the period ended September 30, 2023 ("Q3 2023") on or before November 29, 2023.



The Company's auditor, KPMG LLP, has requested additional time to complete its review procedures. The Company is working diligently with its auditor to complete these procedures and finalize the date for the earnings call. The Company will communicate further details with respect to the earnings call and webinar as details are finalized.

About CloudMD Software & Services

CloudMD is an innovative North American healthcare service provider focused on empowering healthier living by combining leading-edge technology with an exceptional national network of healthcare professionals. Every day, our employees and healthcare providers live our values of delivering excellence, collaboration, connected communication, and accountability to solve complex health problems. CloudMD's industry-leading workplace health and wellbeing solution, Kii, supports members and their families with a personalized and connected healthcare experience across mental, physical, and occupational health. Kii delivers superior clinical health outcomes, consistent high engagement, and measurable ROI for payers such as employers, educational institutions, associations, governments, and insurers. CloudMD is also a market leader in workplace absence management through data-driven prevention, intervention, and return-to-work programs.

In addition, the Company sells health and productivity tools to hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare service providers to empower them to deliver better care. Visit www.cloudmd.ca to learn more about the Company's comprehensive healthcare offerings.

"Karen Adams"

Chief Executive Officer

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Investor Relations

[email protected]

1-647-484-1405

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.

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities laws, including statements about the Q3 2023 results. These statements are based upon information currently available to CloudMD's management. All information that is not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward?looking statements. In some cases, forward?looking statements may be identified by the use of terms such as "forecast", "assumption" and other similar expressions or future or conditional terms such as "anticipate", "believe", "could", "estimate", "expect", "intend", "may", "plan", "predict", "project", "will", "would", and "should". Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based on certain factors and assumptions made by management of CloudMD based on their current expectations, estimates, projections, assumptions and beliefs regarding their business and CloudMD does not provide any assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. While management considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to them, they may prove to be incorrect. Such forward?looking statements are not guarantees of future events or performance and by their nature involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including those risks described in the Company's MD&A (which is filed under the Company's issuer profile on SEDAR+ and can be accessed at www.sedarplus.ca), that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward?looking statements. Although CloudMD has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward?looking statements, other factors may cause actions, events or results to be different than anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could vary or differ materially from those anticipated in such forward?looking statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward?looking information. CloudMD does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information or future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws.

20 november 2023 at 17:30

News published onand distributed by:
Orla Mining Appoints Rob Krcmarov to its Board of Directors





VANCOUVER, BC, November 21, 2023 /CNW/ - Orla Mining Ltd. (TSX: OLA) (NYSE: ORLA) ("Orla" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Rob Krcmarov as an independent Director of the Company effective immediately.

Chuck Jeannes, Chairman of the Board of Orla, commented, "On behalf of the Board, I welcome Rob to Orla Mining. He brings a wealth of experience, particularly in geology, from his over 35-year career in the natural resources sector. We look forward to Rob's contributions as we continue to invest in our large and prospective exploration portfolio."

Mr. Krcmarov expressed his pleasure at joining Orla's Board of Directors, commenting, "I am delighted to be joining Orla, a company that has demonstrated consistency in its operational performance and emphasis on growth opportunities through exploration. Perhaps more importantly, these accomplishments have been achieved while maintaining a strong dedication to sustainability."

Mr. Krcmarov is a geologist and an experienced international mining executive who has held mine site, regional, and corporate leadership roles. Mr. Krcmarov most recently served as a technical advisor to Barrick Gold Corporation, having previously served as an executive with that company for 13 years, and as Executive Vice President Exploration and Growth since 2016. In these various roles, he led exploration teams which have discovered, drilled and delineated multiple value adding orebodies, including several world class greenfield discoveries. Mr. Krcmarov holds a Master of Economic Geology from the University of Tasmania and a Bachelor of Science in Geology from the University of Adelaide.

About Orla Mining Ltd.

Orla's corporate strategy is to acquire, develop, and operate mineral properties where the Company's expertise can substantially increase stakeholder value. The Company has three material gold projects: (1) Camino Rojo, located in Zacatecas State, Mexico, (2) South Railroad, located in Nevada, United States, and (3) Cerro Quema, located in Los Santos Province, Panama. Orla is operating the Camino Rojo Oxide Gold Mine, a gold and silver open-pit and heap leach mine. The property is 100% owned by Orla and covers over 160,000 hectares which contains a large oxide and sulphide mineral resource. Orla also owns 100% of Cerro Quema located in Panama which includes a pre-feasibility-stage, open-pit, heap leach gold project, a copper-gold sulphide resource, and various exploration targets. Orla also owns 100% of the South Railroad Project, a feasibility-stage, open pit, heap leach gold project located on the Carlin trend in Nevada. The technical reports for the Company's material projects are available on Orla's website at www.orlamining.com, and on SEDAR+ and EDGAR under the Company's profile at www.sedarplus.ca and www.sec.gov, respectively.

Forward-looking Statements

This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and within the meaning of Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the United States Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, or in releases made by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, all as may be amended from time to time, including statements regarding Mr. Krcmarov's potential contributions to the Company and the Company's prospective portfolio. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts which address events, results, outcomes or developments that the Company expects to occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Certain material assumptions regarding such forward-looking statements were made. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements involve significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. These risks include, but are not limited to, those risk factors discussed in the Company's most recently filed management's discussion and analysis, as well as its annual information form dated March 20, 2023, which are available on www.sedarplus.ca and www.sec.gov. Except as required by the securities disclosure laws and regulations applicable to the Company, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

SOURCE Orla Mining Ltd.

21 november 2023 at 06:00

News published onand distributed by:
LegalShield Positions for Growth, Appoints New President to Lead Employer Benefits Strategy





Exhibiting innovation and leadership in the voluntary benefits market, LegalShield appointed two industry veterans to lead the company's Business Solutions Division. Emily B. Rose has been elevated to President of Business Solutions, and Sean Rooney as Senior Vice President of Broker Sales & Service. Their expertise will enable LegalShield to expand its leading voluntary benefits offerings, already providing services to more than 40,000 employers nationwide.

With over 20 years of experience in the voluntary benefits industry, Rose is a leading expert in group legal plans, identity theft protection, supplemental health coverage, and property and casualty solutions. Her expertise extends to a wide range of organizations, from Fortune 500 companies and healthcare organizations to higher education institutions, public sector employers and state and local governments.

"With Emily at the helm, we are well positioned to accelerate growth and solidify our leadership in the employer benefits space," said LegalShield CEO Warren Schlichting. "Her vision and expertise will help us deliver even greater value to our customers and partners."

Also joining LegalShield's executive team is Rooney, a 25-year employee benefits industry veteran who originally came to the company in 2017, the same year as Rose. With extensive expertise in sales, account management, operations, and underwriting, Rooney leads LegalShield's efforts to expand its broker channel and provide industry-leading service to partners.

"Sean's leadership and industry expertise have been instrumental as we expand our broker relationships," said Rose. "Building these partnerships is key for LegalShield's continued growth. Under Sean's guidance, we will keep improving our broker programs to ensure top-tier service and seamless experiences."

Together, Rose and Rooney will leverage their deep understanding of the voluntary benefits landscape to further LegalShield's mission of providing accessible and affordable legal and identity theft protection to employees nationwide.

"As the workforce and workplace continue to evolve, innovative benefits are imperative for attracting top talent, driving retention and supporting employees holistically," said Rose. "LegalShield is uniquely positioned to shape the future of voluntary benefits by providing comprehensive legal and identity protection that empowers people both in and out of the workplace."

About LegalShield

A trailblazer in the democratization of affordable access to legal advice, counsel, protection, and representation, LegalShield is one of the world's largest platforms for legal, identity, and reputation management services protecting individuals and businesses across North America. Founded in 1972, LegalShield and its privacy management product, IDShield, has provided individuals, families, businesses, and employers with tools and services needed to affordably live a just and secure life. Through technology and innovation, LegalShield is disrupting the traditional legal system and transforming how and where people receive legal guidance and services, with access to qualified, trusted attorneys and law firms. LegalShield and IDShield are products of Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. To learn more about LegalShield and IDShield, visit LegalShield.com and IDShield.com.

21 november 2023 at 07:50

News published onand distributed by:
MAX Power Receives Drill Permit for Willcox Playa Lithium Project, Drilling Contractor Hired





VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MAX Power Mining Corp. (CSE: MAXX; OTC: MAXXF; FRANKFURT: 89N) ("MAX Power" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has received a permit from the Arizona State Land Department (ASLD) to carry out imminent first-ever diamond drilling at its 100%-owned Willcox Playa Property located approximately 200 miles southeast of Phoenix (see Figure 1 below). The Willcox Property, comprising 3,754 acres, is considered highly prospective for economic lithium mineralization based on MAX Power's recent work program (refer to July 24, 2023 news release) and compilation of historical data from the U.S. Geological Survey and other sources.

MAX Power has contracted Willcox-based Godbe Drilling LLC to commence a Phase 1 drill program at Willcox with mobilization to begin shortly after American Thanksgiving. This will be the first-ever systematic drilling on the Playa where the Company has abundant claystone and liquid brine targets (see Figure 2 below).

Mr. Peter Lauder, MAX Power Senior Geologist, commented: "The Willcox Playa has significant lithium discovery potential, so it's very exciting that MAX Power will be the first company to ever carry out systematic diamond drilling on the Playa. The targets are compelling."





Figure 1. Willcox Playa, Arizona, MAX Power Mining Corp.





Figure 2. MAX Power Mining Corp. Drill Hole Locations, Willcox Playa, Arizona





Qualified Person

The technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Thomas Clarke, P.Geo., Pr.Sci.Nat, and Director for Max Power Mining Corp. Mr. Clarke is the Qualified Person responsible for the scientific and technical information contained herein under National Instrument 43-101 standards.

About MAX Power

MAX Power is a dynamic exploration stage resource company targeting domestic lithium resources to advance North America's renewable energy prospects. MAX Power has also entered into a cooperative research and development agreement with the University of California Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) to develop state-of-the-art direct lithium extraction (DLE) technologies for brine resources.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

"Rav Mlait"

CEO

MAX Power Mining Corp.

MarketSmart Communications at 877-261-4466.

Company Contact [email protected], 778-655-9266

Forward-Looking Statement Cautions

This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, relating to exploration, drilling, mineralization and historical results on the Property; the interpretation of drilling and assay results, the results of any future drilling program, mineralization and the discovery mineralization (if any); plans for future exploration and drilling and the timing of same; the merits of the Willcox Playa Property; the potential for lithium within the Willcox Playa region; ability to access Property; ability to extract resources from the Property, commentary as it related to the opportune timing to explore lithium exploration and any anticipated increasing demand for lithium; any results and updates thereto as it relates to the USGS report; the Company's concentration hypothesis; closing of the transaction; future press releases by the Company; and funding of any future drilling program. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "interpreted," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "aims," "suggests," "often," "target," "future," "likely," "pending," "potential," "goal," "objective," "prospective," "possibly," "preliminary", and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "can," "could" or "should" occur, or are those statements, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions that forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made, and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Except to the extent required by applicable securities laws and the policies of the CSE, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements include risks associated with possible accidents and other risks associated with mineral exploration operations, the risk that the Company will encounter unanticipated geological factors, risks associated with the interpretation of assay results and the drilling program, the possibility that the Company may not be able to secure permitting and other governmental clearances necessary to carry out the Company's exploration plans, the risk that the Company will not be able to raise sufficient funds to carry out its business plans, and the risk of political uncertainties and regulatory or legal changes that might interfere with the Company's business and prospects. The reader is urged to refer to the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis, publicly available through the Canadian Securities Administrators' System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d4deab6e-a69b-49d4-81a7-99d4b7668986

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7a0c1363-7ad2-4a52-afe7-127f011e0d46

21 november 2023 at 08:00

News published onand distributed by:
Campbell to Report First-Quarter Fiscal 2024 Results on Dec. 6, 2023





Campbell Soup Company (NYSE: CPB) today announced that it will report its first-quarter fiscal 2024 financial results on December 6, 2023.

Mark Clouse, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Carrie Anderson, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, will host an investor conference call and webcast at 8:00 a.m. ET to review these results. The company's first-quarter earnings press release will be distributed prior to the call.

All interested parties are invited to listen to and view the webcast at 8:00 a.m. ET at investor.campbellsoupcompany.com/events-presentations/. Following the company's remarks, the conference call will include a question-and-answer session with the investment community. Participation by the press in the Q&A session is in listen-only mode. A copy of the presentation will be made available prior to the webcast.

Call-in details for the webcast are as follows:

Time/Date: December 6, 2023, at 8:00 a.m. ET

Participant Toll Free Dial-In Number: (888) 210-3346

Participant International Dial-In Number: +1 (646) 960-0253

Conference ID: 2518868

A transcript and webcast replay of the conference call will be posted on the company's website within 24 hours of the event.

About Campbell

For more than 150 years, Campbell (NYSE:CPB) has been connecting people through food they love. Generations of consumers have trusted us to provide delicious and affordable food and beverages. Headquartered in Camden, N.J. since 1869, the company generated fiscal 2023 net sales of $9.4 billion. Our portfolio includes iconic brands such as Campbell's, Cape Cod, Goldfish, Kettle Brand, Lance, Late July, Milano, Pace, Pacific Foods, Pepperidge Farm, Prego, Snyder's of Hanover, Swanson and V8. Campbell has a heritage of giving back and acting as a good steward of the environment. The company is a member of the Standard & Poor's 500 as well as the FTSE4Good and Bloomberg Gender-Equality Indices. For more information, visit www.campbellsoupcompany.com.

21 november 2023 at 08:35

News published onand distributed by:
IMG Wins A 2023 Travvy Award for "Best Travel Insurance Provider - Overall"





INDIANAPOLIS, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- IMG (International Medical Group), an award-winning global insurance benefits and assistance services company, is honored to have been recognized at the 9th annual Travvy Awards in the 'Best Travel Insurance Provider ? Overall' category.

"It's very exciting for IMG to win a Travvy Award in the category for 'Best Travel Insurance Provider ? Overall' for the second year in a row," said Grant Hayes, IMG Director of International Sales ? Travel. "Our uniquely positioned iTravelInsured travel protection plans coupled with the market-leading service we provide our customers are key differentiators for IMG, and we are grateful that those in the travel industry recognize our efforts and voted for us to win this award."

The annual Travvy Awards ? where more than 100,000 travel advisors casted votes to identify the best in the travel industry ? were held Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023, at the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention Center in Florida. The awards recognize the highest standards of excellence in the travel industry by honoring travel companies, travel products, travel agencies, and destinations for their outstanding achievements.

"We are proud to have received a 2023 Travvy Award," said Justin Poehler, IMG Chief Commercial Officer. "IMG's vision is to be recognized as the preeminent provider of travel and health safety solutions for people traveling and residing away from home, and receiving this award is a true testament to how we are achieving that vision within the travel insurance industry."

The 2023 Travvy Award winners were honored during a gala awards dinner and presentation attended by the finalists, industry leaders, and travel professionals from around the world. For more information about the Travvy Awards, a breakdown of categories, and a full list of winners, please visit www.travvyawards.com.

To learn more about all of IMG's award-winning travel and health safety solutions, visit www.imglobal.com.

About IMG (International Medical Group)

IMG (International Medical Group), a SiriusPoint company, is an award-winning global insurance benefits and assistance services company that has served millions of members worldwide since its founding in 1990. The preeminent provider of travel and health safety solutions, IMG offers a wide range of insurance programs, including international private medical insurance, travel medical insurance, and travel insurance, as well as enterprise services, including insurance administrative services and 24/7 emergency medical, security, and travel assistance. IMG's world-class services, combined with an extensive product portfolio, provide Global Peace of Mind for travelers, students, missionaries, marine crews, and other individuals or groups traveling, working, or living away from home. For more information, please visit www.imglobal.com.

About the Travvy Awards

The annual Travvy Awards, presented by TravelPulse, part of Northstar Travel Group, recognizes the highest standards of excellence in the travel industry by honoring travel companies and destinations for their outstanding achievement with this prestigious award. Thousands of votes ? cast by the travel professionals who sell the vast majority of these trips to tens of millions of consumers yearly ? determined the very best in the travel industry. The selections by advisors reflect the suppliers and destinations they believe provide outstanding service to their clients. For more information, please visit www.travvyawards.com.

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21 november 2023 at 09:00

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Graphisoft unveils AI-powered Visualizer for Archicad





Archicad users can accelerate the early design process by generating multiple design visualizations without modeling them in 3D, thanks to a powerful AI engine that generates high-quality images

BUDAPEST, Hungary, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Graphisoft, the leading Building Information Modeling software developer for architecture and multidisciplinary design, has introduced Archicad AI Visualizer. Powered by Stable Diffusion, a world-class AI-driven image generation tool, Archicad AI Visualizer creates detailed 3D visualizations during the early design stages thanks to a simple user interface optimized for architecture and interior design.

Archicad AI Visualizer creates 3D visualizations during early design stages with a user-friendly interface.

Rapid deployment of AI technology is built on Graphisoft's Adaptive Hybrid Framework

Announced last year, Graphisoft's Adaptive Hybrid Framework technology enables the fast and high-quality delivery of new capabilities and the integration of innovative technologies ? like AI ? in the company's solutions. "Our Adaptive Hybrid Framework approach lets us quickly and effectively integrate innovative technologies like the AI Visualizer into our tech stack. This is just the first example of how we can integrate it into new capabilities inside our software," said Zsolt Kerecsen, Vice President of Software Success at Graphisoft. "With many new projects underway, Graphisoft customers can expect to leverage additional AI-enabled solutions to do what they do best ? design great buildings."

AI powers Graphisoft's business operations

At Graphisoft, AI technologies are used in multiple business areas to streamline operations and positively impact software development, localization, support, and marketing communications. For example, using AI tools for instructional videos, Graphisoft provides materials in multiple languages, making those increasingly accessible. "By integrating AI into our software production processes ? including localizations ? we can better serve our customers and deliver our software faster and in higher quality," says Kerecsen.

Innovation fueled by user feedback

Archicad AI Visualizer is available to all architects and interior designers interested in exploring the future of AI-powered architectural visualization and providing feedback on their experience. "The buzz around AI breakthroughs has shaken up the tech industry as a whole, with the promise of enabling increased creativity," said Marton Kiss, Vice President of Product Success at Graphisoft. "We want this tool to be tested in the real world by real users where they need it most ? early in the design process when exploring designs and communicating with clients." The AI Visualizer will be made available for Nemetschek Group brands Allplan and Vectorworks in the coming months.

How does Archicad AI Visualizer work?

Archicad AI Visualizer is integrated into Archicad, so no additional purchase is necessary. Users create a simple concept model in Archicad. Then, using text prompts or a few descriptive words, like 'a modern office with wood surfaces,' generate any number of refined design variations ? without creating detailed models for each. The tool produces design alternatives in the early design phase by adding details, context, and ideas to the original concept.

The interface is easy to use, and prompts and results are optimized for architectural and interior design workflows. Intellectual Property rights are fully protected thanks to the local storage of source images on users' computers. Users can specify image sizes, vary the number of iterations to speed up image generation, edit the prompt strength for more precise results, and much more.

VIDEO | Archicad AI Visualizer | https://youtu.be/ZkgOtamXvVs

Download Archicad AI Visualizer

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21 november 2023 at 09:00

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In this image made from a video supplied by South Africa's Presidency, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa addresses BRICS leaders for a virtual meeting of leaders of developing countries on Tuesday, November 21, 2023. SOUTH AFRICA PRESIDENCY VIA AP PHOTO

The BRICS group of nations on Tuesday, November 21, called for an immediate and sustained humanitarian truce in Gaza during an extraordinary summit where chair South Africa accused Israel of war crimes and "genocide" in the Palestinian territory.

Pretoria hosted a virtual meeting of BRICS  a group of major emerging economies that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa  aimed at drawing up a common response to the Israel-Hamas conflict. BRICS, an acronym for its member countries, sees itself as a counterweight to the US and Western-led global order.

Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes The West and areas of the Global South divided over Palestine

"We called for an immediate, durable, and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities," the group said in a summary of the meeting. "We reiterated our strong support for regional and international efforts aimed at achieving an immediate cessation of hostilities, ensuring the protection of civilians and the provision of humanitarian aid."

"The collective punishment of Palestinian civilians through the unlawful use of force by Israel is a war crime. The deliberate denial of medicine, fuel, food and water to the residents of Gaza is tantamount to genocide," said South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, although he added that "in its attacks on civilians and by taking hostages, Hamas has also violated international law and must be held accountable for these actions."

Fighting has raged in Gaza after Hamas gunmen killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, during cross-border raids on October 7  the deadliest attack in Israel's history. In retaliation, Israel launched a relentless bombing campaign and ground offensive in Gaza, which is ruled by Hamas. According to Hamas, the war has killed more than 13,300 people, thousands of them children.

On Tuesday, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said a truce agreement with Israel was in sight, with mediator Qatar adding negotiations to free hostages seized by the Palestinian Islamist group were at their "closest point" to a deal.

Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes Israel-Hamas war deepens divide between Middle East and West

Leaders and representatives of BRICS said a long-term diplomatic solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict was needed to ensure peace, with Chinese President Xi Jinping calling for an "international peace conference" to achieve that goal. "There can be no sustainable peace and security in the Middle East without a just solution to the question of Palestine," Xi said, speaking through an interpreter.

'Barbaric acts'

China has historically been sympathetic to the Palestinians and supportive of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Indeed, it has this year sought to play a greater role in the Middle East, facilitating a historic rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran and sending an envoy to the region to push for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes Gaza ceasefire: Arab and Muslim countries seek Beijing's support

Describing Hamas's attacks and hostage-taking as "barbaric acts" Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said they did "not justify the use of indiscriminate and disproportionate force against civilians."

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has accused the West of stoking tensions in the Middle East and criticized Israel for its conduct in the conflict, said a "long-term and sustainable ceasefire" was key to "prevent other states from being drawn into the war." "All these events, in fact, are a direct consequence of the US desire to monopolize mediation functions in the Palestinian-Israeli settlement," Putin added

'Two-state solution'

"The concerns of the Palestinian people must be addressed in a serious and sustainable manner, this can only happen with the two-state solution that is based on peaceful coexistence," said India's foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

Representatives from Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates  countries that are all due to join BRICS in January 2024  were also invited to the talks.

Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes Thomas Piketty: 'It's time for Western countries to take the BRICS seriously'

South Africa has long been a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause, with the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party often linking it to its own struggle against apartheid. Earlier this month, it recalled all its diplomats from Israel and last week it joined four other nations in calling for an International Criminal Court investigation into the conflict. On Monday, Israel's foreign ministry said it had also recalled its ambassador to Pretoria for consultations.

The summit came as a delegation of foreign ministers of the Palestinian Authority, Indonesia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan hold talks this week on the conflict.
by Shelley Cohen

Veterans Day weekend was perfect timing for Army and Marine Purple Heart recipients to come to Hohenwald TN to experience a time of connecting and healing at the 9th Annual Muzzleloader Deer Turkey Hunt. This event sponsored by Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation (WWIAF.org) was hosted by Dennis Reynolds and Shelley Cohen. With incredible support from this community, these 5 heroes had an opportunity to connect with a commonality of being wounded while serving.

These Purple Heart recipients were from Maine, Washington, North Carolina, and Arkansas and were veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. One of these heroes is still currently active duty as well.

Their injuries have had a life-long impact on their overall health and well-being. They are very appreciative of the volunteer guides and other community members that are integral to the success of these events.

Volunteer guides included Jared Hinson, Chase Moore, Chris Brown, and Toby Adkins. Meals and baked goods were provided by MaryAnn Bria, Tammy Adkins, Hilliard family, Trista Graham, Ron Mcmahon, and Denise Patterson. Generous donations toward groceries were also provided including cases of bottled water from Highland Corporation. The use of a side-by-side vehicle for the event was provided by Chris Holt of C & C Motors. Game Warden Jonas Cothran donated ice and joined the group for lunch on the first day of the hunt.

One can see how it these events are a true community effort and outpouring of support for those who served and continue to serve on our behalf. Excerpts from some of their notes left behind are noted below;

"Very thankful to all who made this possible" - Lawrence US Marine Corp

"The volunteer guides are some of the most genuine people I have met." - Kyle US Army

"Will remember this event for the rest of my life. Thank you for an awesome experience." - Chris US Army

"I felt at home right away and it reset me at a time I really needed it. Allowed all of us to unplug from everyday chaos and bond with others who are facing similar challenges." - James Us Marine Corp

This weekend of sportsmanship also offers a setting that encourages these heroes to connect with other Purple Heart recipients who understand the impact of being a wounded warrior.

It is the love of the outdoors, sportsmanship, and the need to connect with other Warriors that is critical to the healing process. Whether it is traumatic brain injury, limb/back disability or post- traumatic stress disorder, or survivor's guilt- these events bolster self-confidence while strengthening a bond with nature and others.

The support of the local and surrounding communities helps to ensure the success of these events and we extend a big thank you to our volunteer guides as well as those who helped with food preparation and preparing the hunting sites

A documentary featuring DoubleCreek and interviews with WWIA Purple Heart veterans who have benefited from these events is available for viewing at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5THSTdAK5LE

The Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation was founded in 2007 and is dedicated to serving our nation's combat wounded, Purple Heart recipients, by providing world-class outdoor sporting activities. This recognition of their sacrifice promotes healing and wellness through camaraderie and a shared passion for the outdoors.

Our next event is a rifle hunt December 1st with heroes arriving from Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida.

Those interested in donating their time, funds, or other items, please contact Dennis Reynolds at 615 969 1078.
A YOUNG man was set upon by Kyle Hayes and others with numerous punches thrown in a nightclub and later pursued outside the nightclub and attacked, a trial has heard.

The trial of three men commenced at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court this Tuesday morning.

Craig Cosgrave, aged 24, of Caherelly, Grange, Limerick; Kyle Hayes, aged 25, of Ballyoshea, Kildimo, Limerick and Jai Chaudri, aged 22, of Carheeny, Kildimo, Limerick have all pleaded not guilty to alleged offences in the early hours of October 28, 2019.

Mr Cosgrave is charged with one count of violent disorder in the Icon nightclub in Limerick city centre.

Mr Hayes, a five-time All-Ireland winning Limerick hurler and four-time All-Star, is charged with violent disorder in the Icon nightclub; violent disorder at Upper Denmark Street, Limerick and assault causing harm to Cillian McCarthy, who was aged 20 at the time, of Tooreen, Ballysimon and originally of Hill Top, St Patricks Road, Limerick city.

Mr Chaudri is charged with violent disorder at Upper Denmark Street and assault causing harm to Mr McCarthy at Upper Denmark Street.

Prosecuting barrister John OSullivan, instructed by State Solicitor Padraig Mawe, said in his opening address to the jury that the three accused enjoy the presumption of innocence and the prosecution has to prove the case.

You will try the case based on the evidence, said Mr OSullivan.

Mr OSullivan said the jury will hear that the alleged victim - Cillian McCarthy - was on a night out and ended up in the Icon nightclub.

He was in the company of Craig Cosgrave who was at the time a friend of his. Cillian had been talking to two girls. In plain terms, Kyle Hayes was upset about this" said Mr O'Sullivan, who later added that "Cillian McCarthy offended Kyle Hayes by simply engaging in conversation with two girls - it started the whole thing off".

"In plain terms he (Mr McCarthy) was set upon by Kyle Hayes and others. Numerous punches were thrown, said Mr OSullivan.

The barrister said it is the prosecution case that Kyle Hayes and others pursued Mr McCarthy outside the nightclub and Kyle Hayes attacked Mr McCarthy on a public street - Upper Denmark Street.

It is the prosecution case that Mr Chaudri was a participant. CCTV does not extend to capture the actual attack. It shows the lead up to it and events after the attack.

"Two very important witnesses, Detective Garda Dean Landers and Garda Daniel ORiordan, it is anticipated will say they saw Kyle Hayes and others punch and kick Cillian McCarthy while he was on the ground.

"Kyle Hayes fled the scene and was captured a short time later, said Mr OSullivan, who added that Mr McCarthy suffered a fracture of the right orbital which is the area underneath the eye.

"The use of violence by the three men was totally unjustified," he added.

The prosecuting barrister concluded his address to the jury of seven men and five women by saying the prosecution has to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.

Mr Cosgrave is defended by Seamus Roche SC, appearing with Reginald Garrett BL, instructed by solicitor Kieran OBrien.

Mr Hayes is represented by Brian McInerney SC, appearing with Joseph McMahon BL, instructed by solicitor Sarah Ryan.

Pat Whyms BL, instructed by Sarah Ryan, is acting on behalf of Mr Chaudri.

Before the trial judge, Dermot Sheehan, broke for lunch, he told the members of the jury not to Google the trial or go on social media.

Dont bother reading the newspapers. If anybody asks what you are up to, tell them I am on a jury. That is as far as you can go. The only evidence happening is in this courtroom, said Judge Sheehan.

The trial, which is expected to last into next week, continues.
THE EAST Limerick branch of the Irish Red Cross will host a special fundraising event next month.

Light Up Limerick 2023 has been organised by the group to raise funds for the branch's ambulance base.

The run will feature a number of vehicles decked out in their festive gear with tractors, trucks, cars and much more taking part.

As part of the run there will be a blue lights appreciation section where crews from emergency services will spread some joy.

The first Limerick branch of the Irish Red Cross was founded in 1940 and they now have over 200 members volunteering in the city and county.

The organisation offers a range of services including first aid and ambulance cover at events, first aid training, health and social care support and a Red Cross Youth section.

The Light Up Limerick run will be making its way through Limerick city centre on Sunday December 17.

The time and specific route for the event will be shared closer to the time.

Details will be shared on the East Limerick Red Cross Facebook page over the next few weeks.

To find out more information about the Irish Red Cross and the work they carry out in Limerick, visit their website at limerickredcross.org.
THE GOVERNMENT have announced approval to advance construction of the Adare Bypass ahead of the Ryder Cup being held in Limericks Adare Manor in 2027.

The announcement which was made today, Tuesday by Green Party leader Eamon Ryan will assist traffic management during this busy period.

The Adare Bypass is a part of the Limerick to Foynes Project which sees the construction of 33km of road connecting Limerick city to the port of Foynes.

The Government will be investing approximately 150million in delivering the 7km bypass which will remove unnecessary traffic from Adare and eliminate a major regional point of congestion on the national road network. It will also improve the quality of life for those living and working in the town centre and allow for several urban realm improvements.

Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan said: This is a major infrastructural project of strategic importance to Limerick and our national road network. Once complete, Adare will see huge benefits. There will be less congestion and noise, air quality will be better, it will be easier for people to get in and out of their own town, it will be much safer and there will be improvements to green areas and shared spaces, making it an even more attractive town to live and work in. This is the type of transformation we want to achieve for people by prioritising bypasses and our towns centre first approach.

We are also facilitating the accelerated delivery of this project with the aim to complete it ahead of the Ryder Cup in 2027. Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) will be working closely with Limerick City and County Council and other agencies and stakeholders, and together, will do everything they can to open the bypass in line with this timeline, he added.

Minister of State and Limerick TD Niall Collins welcomed the announcement: As we prepare in Limerick and Adare for the Ryder Cup in 2027, huge recourses will have to be spent. And this is a demonstration of the Governments commitment to making these resources available.

The bypass will transform Adare for both locals and tourists. Not only will the local infrastructure and connectivity of the town improve, but it will also hopefully put an end to the major bottleneck of traffic in Adare, as almost 20,000 vehicles will be removed from the village of Adare every day once its operational so its hugely welcome that government is stepping up the plate when it comes to preparing for the Ryder Cup tournament in 2027, he added.
WITH over 5 billion streams, 20 UK and Ireland No.1s and some of the biggest dancefloor hits in the world between them, the lineup for The Big Day Out 90s vs 00s in Limericks TUS Gaelic Grounds on Saturday, 31 August is the essential throwback festival of summer 2024! Tickets are on sale 9am Friday, 24 November 2023.

From the 90s, Everybody Get Down as FIVE will be live on stage performing all their certified bangers. With hits like Keep on Movin and Slam Dunk (the Funk), the lads from London have toured the world, sold in excess of 15 million records worldwide and next summer they are coming to Limerick! And Things Can Only Get Better with one of the most iconic dance acts ever D:REAM Live keeping the 90s party going!

After nearly 20 years of filling dance floors across the world with hits like Everytime We Touch and Evacuate the Dancefloor dance sensations and heroes of the 00s CASCADA will be performing some of the worlds best party anthems. Glowsticks at the ready as Swedish DJ and producer BASSHUNTER, one of the worlds most in demand artists will be pumping out his hits like Now Youre Gone & All I Ever Wanted!

The party of the summer will be hosted by Mark McCabe who will be performing his iconic Maniac 2000 and playing some of the largest floor fillers of the 90s and 00s!

It was the best of times, it was the best of times as Charles Dickens would have written if hed been on the dancefloor in the 90s and 00s.

Subject to Licence. Tickets priced 54.90 from Ticketmaster  Available from Friday, 24 November 9am.

Please email the below address with the correct answer plus your name and mobile number for your chance to win one of 5 pairs of tickets plus one super prize of a pair of tickets plus overnight stay in the Greenhills Hotel, right beside the stadium and a meeting with 90s star of your choice on the day!

Question: The Gaelic Grounds is located in which city in Ireland?

Email your answer along with your name and mobile number to competitions@limerickleader.ie with 90s v 00s Competition in the subject line.
If the chaos at OpenAI has you wondering whats next for ChatGPT, its OK. Im right there with you.

Its also OK if you arent sure whos running the companythe office goldfish, your Uncle Don, ChatGPT itself.

Thats how crazy the past few days have been in the OpenAI Saga.

After a Friday ousting of Sam Altman, one of techs most-visible chief executives, OpenAIs board named Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati the interim CEO. And then it named another interim CEO, former Twitch head Emmett Shear. By Monday, the majority of the companys staff said theyd walk unless the board resigns and reinstates Altman. Microsoft, meanwhile, said it is hiring Altman. (Though that also could change!) This is moving quickly, so check WSJ.com for the latest.

Turns out, at a company dedicated to bringing AI to daily life without catastrophe, the humans were the problem.

Sure, ChatGPT will still generate your stuffing recipe for Thursday, but virtually every aspect of the products future seems uncertain. Pretty nutty for one of the fastest-growing apps of all time. Earlier this month, Altman announced ChatGPT had over 100 million weekly active users.

OpenAI is assuring users and developers that all systems are a go. Chief Operating Officer Brad Lightcap said Monday on X that OpenAIs products and platforms are operational and secure," and that the engineering and support teams continue working around the clock to support you." Lightcap was among the hundreds of employees who signed the letter asking the board to resign.

Still, its a wobbly moment for the company that was leading the AI revolution. Heres what you, the AI user, should knowfor now.

Generative AI is here to stay

Theres no putting the generative-AI genie back in the bottle. Thats the conclusion of the many tech leaders and power users Ive talked with since Friday.

ChatGPT, released a year ago, sparked an AI frenzy. Microsoft released its Bing chatbot (based on OpenAIs GPT technology), and Google rushed out its homegrown Bard. Anthropic, a startup founded by ex-OpenAI employees, released a chatbot named Claude. Meta has been rolling out its own chatbot in Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook.

If ChatGPT were to vanish tomorrow, youd have your pick of alternative generative-AI bots to write your cover letter, summarize your kids school emails and design your next marketing deck.

As important as this technology is, its not good for one company to just run away with it and become the de facto AI company in the world," said Mark Hinkle, a ChatGPT power user and CEO of Peripety Labs, an agency that works with companies to integrate AI tools.

App developers will keep building

Over the past year, OpenAIs GPT large language model, or LLM, technology has been baked into many popular apps. Instacart uses it to help you generate a shopping list. Snapchat has a My AI bot to answer questions. Duolingos Roleplay is a built-in language-learning buddy. Expedia will plan your next trip to Naples (Florida and Italy).

A Duolingo spokesperson said its AI features are largely agnostic to which base LLM they use," meaning its app isnt dependent on OpenAIs technology. It can shift to other options if needed. Expedia, Snap and Instacart declined to comment on their future plans with OpenAI.

The folks like me who actually are into the actual tech, building real things with the tech, this isnt going to stop or slow down what were doing," said Reuven Cohen, an early OpenAI developer and consultant who helps companies figure out how to incorporate AI.

Cohen, Hinkle and other developers I spoke with said theyre watching the news closely.

I am not clear on whether OpenAI will be the future for my business or not," Hinkle said.

Microsoft might save it all

And then theres Mighty Microsoft to save the day! (Please sing to the tune of the Mighty Mouse" theme song.) On Sunday, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced Altman would be joining the software giant. As of this writing, they left open the possibility that Altman could still return to OpenAI.

For those just catching up on this bromance, Microsoft has integrated OpenAIs technology across its products, including in Bing and Microsoft Office. The company remains OpenAIs largest investor with a 49% stake in exchange for $13 billion.

If youve been using Microsofts latest AI toolsincluding the Bing chatbot or the Copilot image- and text-generator integrated into Microsoft 365youve been using OpenAIs GPT technology. Whether Altman and Co. end up breaking off and starting something new at Microsoft, or if they figure it out at OpenAI, GPT technology is going to be a part of Microsofts offerings.

Maybe you wont use ChatGPT in the future, but youll use Microsoft-GPT or Bing-Copilot-Clippy or whatever Microsoft wants to call it.

No one really knows what OpenAIs future looks like. But the AI innovations it unlocked for the world are here to stay.

Write to Joanna Stern at joanna.stern@wsj.com
India is closing in on an agreement with Tesla Inc. that would allow the US automaker to ship its electric cars to the country from next year and set up a factory within two years, according to people familiar with the Indian governments thinking.

An announcement could come at the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit in January, one of the people said, declining to be identified because the discussions are private. The states of Gujarat, which is Prime Minister Narendra Modis home base, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu are under consideration because they already have well-established ecosystems for electric vehicles and exports, another person said.

Tesla would commit an initial minimum investment in any plant of around $2 billion, one person said, and would look to increase purchases of auto parts from the nation to as much as $15 billion. The US automaker would also seek to make some batteries in India to bring down costs, the person said.

No final decision has been made and the plans could change, the people said. Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said in June that Tesla plans to make a significant investment" in India and he intends to visit in 2024.

Representatives from Indias Ministry of Heavy Industries, which oversees the automobile sector, and the ministries of finance, and commerce and industry, didnt respond to requests for comment. Tesla also didnt respond to a request for comment.

Breaking into the worlds most-populous nation, where demand for electric vehicles is growing among aspirational middle-class consumers, would be a boon for Tesla, which currently has factories in the US, China and Germany. Modis government has been pushing to increase domestic manufacturing of EVs and encourage a more rapid adoption of cleaner transport.

Despite those efforts, Indias EV market hasnt taken off, with battery-powered cars accounting for just 1.3% of the total passenger vehicles sold last year, according to BloombergNEF. Buyers are hesitant to make the switch due to electric cars high upfront cost and a dearth of charging stations.

Tesla doesnt import cars directly into India because of the high tariffs that are levied. When its first locally made cars do go on sale they could retail for as little as $20,000, some of the people said.

Trade Minister Piyush Goyal, who visited Teslas plant in Fremont, California earlier this month, said in September that Tesla is planning to almost double purchases of auto parts from India to $1.9 billion this year. The electric carmaker sourced parts worth $1 billion from the nation last year, he said at an event in New Delhi at the time.

Tesla and India, which is the worlds third-largest automobile market, reopened dialog in May following a year-long impasse. Musk has criticized Indias high import taxes and its EV policies, and India, in turn, has advised Tesla not to sell cars in the country that have been made in China, its political rival.

India is now said to be considering lowering import taxes for international EV manufacturers for a period of five years if those firms eventually commit to setting up local factories.

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OpenAI on November 17 announced that co-founder and CEO Sam Altman has been dismissed for inconsistencies in communication with the company's board. In a statement on its website, the board said it "no longer has confidence" in Altman's ability to lead OpenAI.

OpenAI is the start-up that has produced the generative artificial intelligence platform ChatGPT.

Here is a look at the ongoing saga:

-- On November 17, OpenAI said it had ousted CEO Sam Altman after a review found he was not consistently candid in his communications" with the board of directors. The board no longer has confidence in his ability to continue leading OpenAI," the statement read.

-- In the same statement, the board announced that Mira Murati, OpenAIs chief technology officer, will take over as interim CEO effective immediately.

-- After Altman's exit, Microsoft Chief Satya Nadella reaffirmed the company's partnership with OpenAI and its commitment to delivering the benefits of AI technology.

-- In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Nadella wrote: As you saw at Microsoft Ignite this week, we're continuing to rapidly innovate for this era of AI, with over 100 announcements across the full tech stack  from AI systems, models, and tools in Azure, to Copilot. Most importantly, we're committed to delivering all of this to our customers while building for the future. We have a long-term agreement with OpenAI with full access to everything we need to deliver on our innovation agenda and an exciting product roadmap, and remain committed to our partnership, and to Mira and the team. Together, we will continue to deliver the meaningful benefits of this technology to the world."

-- Soon after Altman's ouster, co-founder and President Greg Brockman announced that he was also departing the company. Im super proud of what weve all built together since starting in my apartment 8 years ago. Weve been through tough & great times together, accomplishing so much despite all the reasons it should have been impossible. But based on todays news, I quit. Genuinely wish you all nothing but the best. I continue to believe in the mission of creating safe (artificial general intelligence) that benefits all of humanity," he wrote.

-- Various industry voices and tech leaders also took to social media to express support for Altman. Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt hailed Sam Altman as a hero as he built the company from nothing to $90 billion in value. In a tweet, Schmidt wrote, Sam Altman is a hero of mine. He built a company from nothing to $90 Billion in value and changed our collective world forever. I can't wait to see what he does next. I, and billions of people, will benefit from his future work- it's going to be simply incredible. Thank you"

-- Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky called Altman one of the top founders of his generation, recognizing his significant impact on the industry. Sam Altman is one of the best founders of his generation and has made an immense contribution to our industry," he wrote on X.

-- Lattice CEO Jack Altman who is Sam's younger brother called him the most generous and caring person. More important than being one of the most brilliant and impactful people our industry has ever had. Sam is one of the most generous and caring people I know. I've never met someone who has supported and lifted up more people around them than him. Couldn't be a prouder brother."

-- Wojciech Zaremba, Co-Founder of OpenAI wrote, It's been sad for me to see @sama and @gdb go. I love and respect them much. Despite all of these the mission of the OpenAI is bigger than any of us and stays the same - build safe AGI to benefit humanity."

-- Drawing parrel between Altman's ouster and Apple firing Steve Jobs, Chief of TED Chris Anderson wrote, I'm stunned by this. OpenAI firing @sama feels like Apple firing Steve Jobs. Who has the real story? Please, we need to know!"

-- The next day on November 18 Bloomberg reported that OpenAIs firing of Sam Altman followed wide-ranging disagreements between the chief executive officer and his board  in particular Ilya Sutskever, an OpenAI co-founder and the companys chief scientist. The debates included differences of opinion on AI safety, the speed of development of the technology, and the commercialization of the company, the quoted source said.

-- OpenAI President Greg Brockman who announced that he is departing the company expressed shock at the board's move. He reiterated that they were unaware of what was to happen.

-- Altman later on November 18 issued a statement thanking the outpouring of love he received. In a post on X, he wrote, I love you all. Today was a weird experience in many ways. but one unexpected one is that it has been sorta like reading your own eulogy while youre still alive. The outpouring of love is awesome. One takeaway: go tell your friends how great you think they are. If I start going off, the Openai board should go after me for the full value of my shares."

-- Reports from Bloomberg and The Verge emerged on November 19 of investors urging the OpenAI board to reverse its decision to dismiss Sam Altman.

-- Vinod Khosla of Khosla Ventures, an early backer of OpenAI expressed support for Altman's future ventures. In an X post, he wrote, To be clear, Khosla Ventures wants@sama (Sam Altman) back at@OpenAI (OpenAI) but will back him in whatever he does next."

-- On November 19, the board missed a crucial 5 PM PT deadline, leading to fears of the potential resignation of numerous OpenAI employees.

-- On November 20, it was reported that Altman will not be returning to OpenAI, despite various rounds of discussions with the Board. The Independent quoted co-founder and board director Ilya Sutskever telling staff late on November 19 that Altman would not be back.

-- Later on November 20, Microsoft Satya Nadella informed that Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, together with colleagues, will be joining Microsoft. We remain committed to our partnership with OpenAI and have confidence in our product roadmap, our ability to continue to innovate with everything we announced at Microsoft Ignite, and in continuing to support our customers and partners," Nadella wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

-- Nadella also expressed support for new interim CEO Emmett Shear. "We look forward to getting to know Emmett Shear and OAI's new leadership team and working with them. Were extremely excited to share the news that Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, together with colleagues, will be joining Microsoft to lead a new advanced AI research team. We look forward to moving quickly to provide them with the resources needed for their success," he added.

-- A few hours later, in a post on X, OpenAI's chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, who was reported to have played a role in the board rebellion against Altman, expressed regret for his part in the events. I deeply regret my participation in the board's actions. I never intended to harm OpenAI. I love everything we've built together and I will do everything I can to reunite the company," Sutskever wrote.

-- Around 505 employees of OpenAI on November 20 threatened to resign en masse if the company's board of directors failed to step down. Citing a letter it has obtained, CNN reported that 505 employees have warned the company that they would switch over to the new Microsoft AI team, whose operations would be headed by Altman and Brockman.

-- CTO Murati and Sutskever are believed to be among the signatories of the open letter, CNN reported.

-- Sam Altman, in a series of tweets on November 21, communicated a message of unity and commitment towards OpenAI's ongoing operations and its partnership with Microsoft. In one of the tweets, Altman underscored the shared priority between himself and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella to ensure the flourishing future of OpenAI.

We are committed to fully providing continuity of operations to our partners and customers. The OpenAI/Microsoft partnership makes this very doable. We have more unity and commitment and focus than ever before. We are all going to work together some way or other, and Im so excited. One team, one mission," he wrote.

-- Reports on November 21 suggested that OpenAI's investors are considering legal action against the company's board, following the removal of CEO Sam Altman. They are concerned about a mass exodus of employees and sinking value of their investments. Sources told Reuters that investors are consulting with legal advisors to explore their available options. However, it remains uncertain whether any legal action against OpenAI will be pursued.

-- OpenAI on November 22, went back on its decision to fire Sam Altman as its CEO and noted that an in-principle agreement had been reached for the return of the 38-year-old. Moreover, the OpenAI Board that fired Altman was revamped with Quora CEO Adam D'Angelo being the only continuity from the last board.

In a post on X, OpenAI wrote, "We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam Altman to return to OpenAI as CEO with a new initial board of Bret Taylor (Chair), Larry Summers, and Adam D'Angelo.

We are collaborating to figure out the details. Thank you so much for your patience through this."

 Soon after his reinstatement as OpenAI CEO, Altman said that he loved OpenAI and all the steps taken by him in the last few days were in service of keeping the AI startup's team together. Taking to X to share his feelings, Altman wrote, i love openai, and everything ive done over the past few days has been in service of keeping this team and its mission together. when i decided to join msft on sun evening, it was clear that was the best path for me and the team. with the new board and w satyas support, im looking forward to returning to openai, and building on our strong partnership with msft."

 Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella also lauded OpenAI's decision to reinstate Sam Altman as the chief executive once again and noted that the Redmond-based company was encouraged by the changes made to the OpenAI board. He wrote on X, We are encouraged by the changes to the OpenAI board. We believe this is a first essential step on a path to more stable, well-informed, and effective governance. Sam, Greg, and I have talked and agreed they have a key role to play along with the OAI leadership team in ensuring OAI continues to thrive and build on its mission. We look forward to building on our strong partnership and delivering the value of this next generation of AI to our customers and partners."

-- OpenAI's ex-interim CEO Emmett Shear who played a crucial role in facilitating the talks between the OpenAI board and Sam Altman said that he was pleased with the result and was glad to be a part of the solution. In his X post, Shear wrote, I am deeply pleased by this result, after ~72 very intense hours of work. Coming into OpenAI, I wasnt sure what the right path would be. This was the pathway that maximized safety alongside doing right by all stakeholders involved. Im glad to have been a part of the solution."

-- Former OpenAI President Greg Brockman also confirmed on X that he was coming back to the AI startup and will get back to coding tonight. In a later post, Brockman also thanked Satya Nadella and Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott for their unwavering support. He wrote, Incredible gratitude to @satyanadella, @kevin_scott, & the Microsoft team for their unwavering support during this trying chapter."

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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has reportedly served a show-cause notice to Byju's, alleging Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) breaches totalling 9,000 crore, as per a CNBC-TV18 report citing sources.

The notice reportedly encompasses Byju Raveendran, the founder of Byju's, and Think and Learn Pvt Ltd. The ED's move comes after an inquiry into potential FEMA violations by the ed-tech unicorn, it added.

Byju's has however strongly refuted the claims. In a statement on X, the company said, BYJUs unequivocally denies media reports that insinuate BYJU's of any FEMA violation. The company has not received any such communication from authorities."

The ED did not respond to Reuters queries for comments.

Also Read: Byju's Raveendran breaks into tears as crises engulf ed-tech startup

Earlier trouble with ED

Earlier in April, the ED had searched three Bengaluru premises related to Byju's and its billionaire CEO Byju Raveendran. They had also conducted seizures for possible violations of the nation's foreign exchange rules.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) said in a statement it had seized various documents and digital data during the search and had issued a summons for the CEO, but he did not appear.

"We have been completely transparent with the authorities and have provided them with all the information they have requested. We have nothing but the utmost confidence in the integrity of our operations, and we are committed to upholding the highest standards of compliance and ethics," Byju's legal team spokesperson in a statement to ANI said.

The company will continue to work closely with the authorities to ensure that they have all the information they need, and it is confident that the matter will be "resolved in a timely and satisfactory manner," the spokesperson added.

"We want to emphasize that it is business as usual at BYJU'S. We are committed to delivering high-quality educational products and services to our customers across India and the world," the spokesperson said.

What was found in April?

The searches revealed that the ed-tech unicorn has received foreign direct investment (FDI) to the tune of 28,000 crore (approx) from 2011-2023.

Further, the company has also remitted roughly 9,754 crore to various foreign jurisdictions during the same period in the name of overseas direct investment.

Byju and his firm Think & Learn have booked around 944 crore in the name of advertisement and marketing expenses including the amount remitted to the foreign jurisdiction.

Besides, the company has not prepared its financial statements since FY 2021. and has not got the accounts audited, according to the ED's press statement.

The probe against the platform was initiated based on various complaints received from private persons.

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Anupam Mittal, Shaadi.com founder and Shark Tank India judge, took to social media on Monday to commend Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella for "pulling one of the biggest coups of history and the future" by hiring OpenAI co-founder and former CEO Sam Altman.

"Hat-tip to Satya Nadella for pulling one of the biggest coups of history and the future by hiring Sam Altman and team," Anupam Mittal posted on X. He added, "Watch Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg as they circle a depleted OpenAI destroyed eventually by its board, the very people who were put in place to protect humanity." On Monday evening, Mittal retweeted OpenAI Chief Scientist Ilya Sutskever wherein he expressed his regret over Altman's ouster from OpenAI. Tartgetting Ilya, Mittal said, "If you cant make good decisions or stand behind the ones u made, resign."

Mittal also slammed "board-run companies and exotic management structures (sic)", in reference to the fact that Altman was fired by the board members of artificial-intelligence company OpenAI.

"And now this! This is what u get when you try to build disruptive tech with Board run cos & exotic mgmt structures. Get with the program and stop behaving like elitist punks operating with total," he said.

The Shaadi.com founder also expressed worry over the "concentration of AI (Artificial Intelligence) with private tech". He said, "the world needs a unique approach towards AI & India  can play a role like we did in digital infra".

Mittal's comments came after Sam Altman was fired by the board of OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. Following the surprise ouster, Altman joined Microsoft as the head of artificial intelligence research, along with the ChatGPT maker's former President Greg Brockman and other staff.

The developments come less than a year after OpenAI kicked off the generative AI frenzy with the launch of viral chatbot ChatGPT and bagged Microsoft as an investor, among other big names.

Nearly all of OpenAI staff have threatened to quit unless the board resigns and appoints two new lead independent directors apart from reinstating Altman and Brockman, according to a letter seen by Reuters. "Some investors in OpenAI explore legal recourse against the company's board," sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

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Private civil aviation firm IndiGo on 21 November said that eight transit passengers on a flight from Amritsar could not board their onward flight to Chennai after reaching Bengaluru, reported news agency PTI.

Citing the reason for the same, the aviation firm said that this took place due to a lack of time on Sunday and apologised for the inconvenience caused to the passengers.

The following statement by the aviation firm arrived against the backdrop of reports saying that the airline was not willing to fly the passengers and deboarded them from the plane.

Earlier on 19 November, IndiGo operated flight 6E 478 from Amritsar to Chennai via Bengaluru with eight transit passengers on board.

ALSO READ: Domestic air passenger traffic rises 11% to 1.26 crore in October

"Due to the delay of the incoming aircraft from Amritsar, these passengers were unable to board the onward flight to Chennai at the Bengaluru airport. IndiGo ground staff made every possible effort to help passengers make the connection, but due to lack of time, they were unable to board the aircraft," the airline said in a statement.

Elaborating more on the issue, an official said that due to operational reasons, there was a change in aircraft for the Chennai flight due to which the passengers had to deboard.

According to IndiGo, its staff offered the passengers overnight accommodation and booking on the next available flight, but certain passengers chose to stay at the airport lounge.

"We deeply apologise for the inconvenience caused to the passengers," it added.

Domestic air passenger traffic:

Meanwhile, official data released on Thursday said that domestic air passenger traffic in the country recorded an annual growth of nearly 11% to 1.26 crore in October.

The traffic stood at 1.14 crore passengers in October 2022 and at 1.22 crore passengers in September this year.

The data released by aviation regulator DGCA showed that IndiGo carried 79.07 lakh passengers, garnering a domestic market share of 62.6% in October. The market share was lower compared to the 63.4% registered in September.

With agency inputs.

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Investors in OpenAI , the parent company of generative artificial intelligence application ChatGPT , are considering legal action against the company's board, following the removal of CEO Sam Altman, as per a Reuters report quoting sources.

OpenAI's investors are concerned about a mass exodus of employees following Altman's ouster, they told the news agency. Notably, more than 500 of the company's 700 employees had written to the board threatening to leave if Altman was not reinstated.

Also Read | Sam Altman Confident of OpenAI's Future with Microsoft's Partnership: One team, one mission

Legal Deliberations On

The sources told Reuters that investors are consulting with legal advisors to explore their available options. However, it remains uncertain whether any legal action against OpenAI will be pursued.

Most of the investors are worried that their significant investments in OpenAI may go bust if the start-up crumbles post Altman's unceremonious exit. As a leader in its field, OpenAI is the "crown jewel" in many of these investor's portfolios and the looming uncertainty is making them uncomfortable, the report noted.

OpenAI did not respond to queries, as per the report.

Also Read: OpenAI's Ilya Sutskever deeply regrets his role in the ouster of Sam Altman

OpenAI's Company Structure

In terms of ownership, Microsoft holds a 49 percent take in OpenAI's for-profit arm, followed by employees and stakeholders who own another collective 49 percent, and the remaining 2 percent is with OpenAI's non-profit parent, as per the Reuters report quoting data from Semafor.

OpenAI's board dismissed Altman, citing a breakdown in communication, as detailed in an internal memo obtained by Reuters. Subsequently, the majority of OpenAI's workforce, totaling over 700 employees, threatened to resign unless the board was replaced.

Due to OpenAI's ownership structure, its control lies with the non-profit parent  this is unlike a typical venture capital (VC) backed company. The non-profit holds humanitarian interests above sole investor interest and thus it is employees and not investors who could hold the most sway on the board, legal experts told the agency.

Also Read: Sam Altman's Oster from OpenAI has brought AI safety back into the Spotlight

Challenges in Legal Recourse

Legal experts also suggest that while nonprofit boards have obligations, they also possess significant flexibility in making leadership decisions. OpenAI's corporate structure, utilising a limited liability company as its operational entity, could further protect the nonprofit's directors from investor actions, narrowing the prospects of legal recourse.

Even if investors pursue legal action, experts caution that their case may be weak. Companies generally enjoy considerable discretion in making business decisions, even if these decisions yield unfavorable outcomes. This flexibility was highlighted by the example of Apple's dismissal of Steve Jobs in the past, only to reappoint him later.

Investors, despite their concerns and potential losses, might thus face an uphill battle in seeking legal redress, given the unique governance structure and legal latitude enjoyed by OpenAI.

Watch: Open AI Gets Third CEO In Less Than A Week; Emmett Shear Replaces Mira Murati | Mint In Focus

Some Solace in Sight?

Sam Altman, in a series of tweets, has communicated a message of unity and commitment towards OpenAI's ongoing operations and its partnership with Microsoft. Amid significant leadership transitions, Altman's tweets reflect an undeterred focus on the organisation's mission and its collaboration with the tech giant.

In one of the tweets, Altman underscored the shared priority between himself and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella to ensure the flourishing future of OpenAI.

Also Read: Sam Altman, fired by OpenAI, to join Microsoft, announces Satya Nadella

We are committed to fully providing continuity of operations to our partners and customers. The OpenAI/Microsoft partnership makes this very doable," he wrote.

Altmans tweets painted an optimistic picture of teamwork and shared goals. The message of cohesion comes at a crucial time, as the company navigates through the restructuring of its leadership.

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Sam Altman, in a series of tweets, has communicated a message of unity and commitment towards OpenAI 's ongoing operations and its partnership with Microsoft. Amid significant leadership transitions, Altman's tweets reflect an undeterred focus on the organisation's mission and its collaboration with the tech giant.

In one of the tweets, Altman underscored the shared priority between himself and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella to ensure the flourishing future of OpenAI.

We are committed to fully providing continuity of operations to our partners and customers. The OpenAI/Microsoft partnership makes this very doable," he wrote.

Building on the sentiment of solidarity, Altman's other tweets radiated with enthusiasm and the promise of collective effort. "We have more unity and commitment and focus than ever before. We are all going to work together some way or other, and Im so excited. One team, one mission."

Altmans tweets painted an optimistic picture of teamwork and shared goals. The message of cohesion comes at a crucial time, as the company navigates through the restructuring of its leadership.

In a commendatory tone, Altman's third tweet lauded the OpenAI leadership team, specifically mentioning Mira Murati, Brad Lightcap and Jason Kwon, for their exceptional performance during these transformative times. The pride in his team is palpable as he believes their efforts will be noted in the annals of history.

All of them have been doing an incredible job through this that will be in the history books. Incredibly proud of them," he wrote.

Sam Altman to join Microsoft

These tweets from Altman seem to be a rallying cry, bringing together the collective spirit and expertise of OpenAI and Microsoft. Altman, along with Greg Brockman and their team, are set to join Microsoft to lead an innovative advanced AI research team.

The announcement follows a major reorganisation at OpenAI, the pioneering force behind ChatGPT, wherein former Twitch chief Emmett Shear has been appointed as the new CEO. This decision has reportedly defied calls from investors to reinstate former CEO Sam Altman.

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BharatPe co-founder Ashneer Grover and his wife Madhuri Jain will appear in front of Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) for questioning in connection with an alleged 81-crore fraud at the fintech unicorn, on November 21, 2023, police sources told PTI.

Earlier, Mint reported that the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Delhi Police, citing its investigation, has claimed that Grover and his family members used backdated invoices to siphon off funds. The probe agency also noted that it could not trace many firms to which BharatPe had made vendor payments, as per the report.

Grover, in his social media post, quoted the EOW as saying that the investigation of the case is at an initial stage" and replies from various authorities are yet to be received and examined."

Moreover, further course of investigation is in progress on the allegations levelled by the complainant in the present case," he further quoted the investigating body as stating.

In response to a complaint filed by BharatPe, the Economic Offenses Wing (EOW) has invited the couple to attend its office on Mandir Marg on November 21.

After Grover claimed he had been stopped at Delhi airport on Thursday while travelling to New York with his wife, the development occurred hours after he posted a post on X.

It was confirmed by the EOW officials that the couple had been stopped after they were issued a lookout circular.

In May, the EOW filed an FIR against Grover, Madhuri Jain, and their family members, Deepak Gupta, Suresh Jain, and Shwetank Jain.

Approximately 81.30 crore was reported to have been damaged by Grover and his family due to illegitimate payments to bogus human resource consultants, inflated and undue payments by passthrough vendors connected to the accused, sham transactions for input tax credits, payment of penalties to GST authorities, illegal payments to travel agencies, forged invoices by Madhuri Jain, and destruction of documents.

A status report was filed in court by EOW officials on November 7.

It is possible for the accused to spend between ten years and life in prison if convicted.

In December 2022, BharatPe filed a civil suit against Grover and his family in the Delhi High Court, seeking up to 88.67 crore in damages.

(With Inputs from PTI)

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The Congress released its manifesto for the Rajasthan assembly elections on Tuesday, November 21. At the state party office, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, the party's Rajasthan in-charge, Ashok Gehlot, the state party president Govind Singh Dotasra, the chairman of the manifesto committee, CP Joshi, and former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot released the manifesto - 'Jan Ghoshna Patra.'

If the Congress returns to power in Rajasthan, it promises a new panchayat-level recruitment scheme and caste census.

In a ceremony at the PCC office, president Mallikarjun Kharge, Gehlot, PCC chair Govind Singh Dotasra, manifesto committee chair CP Joshi, and other party leaders released the manifesto.

Joshi highlighted the salient points of the manifesto, saying the MSP would be decided according to the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission.

Elections will be held in Rajasthan on November 25, and the results will be announced on December 3.

The seven "guarantees" include:

Under the Griha Lakshmi Yojana, women heads of families are guaranteed an annual honorarium of 10,000.

LPG cylinders for 500 to 1.05 crore families.

Under the Gowdhan guarantee, dung is purchased from cattle rearers for 2 per kg.

Old pension law for government employees.

Students enrolled in government colleges will receive a laptop or tablet.

An insurance policy covering up to 15 lakh per family can compensate for losses due to natural calamities.

Chiranjeevi health insurance scheme to be increased from 25 lakhs to 50 lakhs

A manifesto has already been released by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

On the release of the manifesto, Kharge said, "...We fulfill the promises we make... If any party does 90 per cent of what is said in the manifesto, then this is a big achievement for Rajasthan and the Congress party..."

The assembly election in Rajasthan will take place on November 25, and the counting of votes will take place on December 3. In 2013, the BJP won 163 seats in Rajasthan's legislative assembly elections and formed the government.

In the 2018 assembly elections, the Congress won 99 seats, while the BJP won 73 seats in the 200-member House. After BSP MLAs and Independents supported Gehlot, he took the oath of office as CM.

(With agency inputs)

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Prospects for the Class of 2024 which had darkened when information technology (IT) services firms cut hiring are brightening again, as global capability centres (GCCs) step into the breach with higher salary offers.

GCCs in India, which were once captive units of foreign companies, have fanned out across technology schools ranging from the top Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) to smaller colleges in tier-2 and 3 cities.

According to multiple placement officers and industry executives, these centres plan to hire 50-100% more freshers than last year, paying up to 30% more than homegrown IT services firms. Companies such as Tata Consultancy Services Ltd and HCL Technologies Ltd are expected to pay 3.5-4 lakh for engineering graduates with basic skill sets, while Wipro Ltd and Infosys Ltd will not be heading to campuses this year.

Higher joining pay and no delays in starting with a company after accepting an offer have encouraged more students to accept offers from GCCs, placement executives said. Last year (2023 batch), out of 947 companies that visited, more than 350 were GCCs. This year (2024 batch), out of 440 companies that visited so far, more than 200 companies were GCCs," said Samuel Rajkumar V., director of the Vellore Institute of Technologys (VIT) career development centre. Campus hiring is still underway, and many more GCCs are expected to turn up for talent.

IT services firms and GCCs together hired 7,000 out of the 8,000 that graduated from the four campuses of VIT last year, Rajkumar said. This year, consultancies and banks, including Deloitte, KPMG, EY, JPMorgan and Bank of America have emerged as the biggest recruiters, he added.

At least 4,500 engineers graduate from Chandigarh University every year, and three-fourths of them start with an IT services firm or a GCC, a top executive said.

There has been an increase in the number of GCCs visiting the campus and the offers made by them," said Himani Sood, senior vice-president at Chandigarh University. But certainly, there has been an overall dip, which has caused a little anxiety among students. This decline is because of the IT services firms cutting back on hiring," Sood added.

While campus placements for engineering colleges have started, some of the older IITs will begin their recruitment process in December, while the B-schools will start in February.

To be sure, despite GCCs doubling down on hiring, the class of 2024 may find it harder to land a job than before as IT services firms, which have been the biggest recruiters so far, have cut back on hiring. Infosys and Wipro, which together hired over 200,000 of the half-a-million engineering graduates hired by the five biggest IT firms in the past three years, have said they dont plan to go to the campuses this year.

It (GCC hiring) may not offset the decline in hiring by IT services firms, but may help us in reducing the impact of the slowdown," said Rajkumar of VIT. Institutions in tier-2 and 3 cities that are entirely dependent on IT services companies will be badly impacted if the companies stay away, he added.

GCCs appear to have bucked the trend so far.

Shivendra Srivastava, head of people, Samsung Semiconductor India Research, said the company will raise hiring this year for design work in software and hardware, including from the semiconductor industry and fresh talent from leading campuses like IITs, IISc (Indian Institute of Science), NITs (National Institutes of Technology), IIITs (Indian Institutes of Information Technology) and BITS (Birla Institute of Technology and Science)." At the Samsung Semiconductor India event in 2024, it plans to make over 140 campus hires.

We had onboarded 100 freshers from engineering and B-schools in 2023, but this year, we aim to get 200 for roles ranging from voice to core developer roles," said Vijayaraj Palaniraj, head of talent acquisition at Equiniti India, the GCC of the UK-based share registrar.

Ditto for Thryve Digital Health, the GCC for a US-based healthcare company, which has 4,000 staffers across Chennai and Hyderabad. We plan to increase campus recruitment by 50%, covering engineering, business schools, nursing, pharma and various other colleges," said Bala Sankaranarayanan, president and chief executive of the company.

IT industry body Nasscom estimates that India is home to 1,580 GCCs, employing 1.6 million and generating about $46 billion in revenue at the end of March 2023. Unlike publicly traded IT services companies that share their earnings, global firms that run GCCs do not disclose details of their local operations.

Nine of Indias top 10 software services firms, which together employ over 2 million engineers, have seen their workforce shrink in the six months to 30 September, the first time in more than 25 years, as clients in the US and Europe cut spending amid rising economic and geopolitical risks.

Palaniraj of Equiniti India said his firm will recruit from arts and engineering colleges in Coimbatore, Mysore, Chennai and Bengaluru, offering 4 lakh for IT profiles and 3 lakh for business process outsourcing services. In comparison, IT services companies offer about 3.5-4 lakh for engineers.

Sankaranarayanan of Thryve said GCCs are growing because they are helping their clients with cost-efficient solutions compared to third-party service providers. They are hiring more because of the preference for keeping discretionary spending in-house, and not losing talent to the market.

In a recent interview, Wipros chief human resources officer Saurabh Govil said, Captives in India are coming up in big numbers, which is also drawing a lot of talent from the (IT) services companies. That is pushing up our compensation because these companies are doing more offshore in-sourcing and can afford to give higher raises to employees."
Viewed from one of Istanbuls glitziest restaurants, the Bosphorus looks sublime. The venue is a favoured haunt of mandarins, businessmen, minor celebritiesand Hamass financiers. A man on whom America has imposed sanctions for funding the Islamist group describes his various board seats. Its ridiculous," he says, of Americas accusation, but eventually admits, now, if youre asking what our employees do with their own money, why would I know?"

Hamas has three sources of power: its physical force inside Gaza, the reach of its ideas and its income. Since Hamass attacks on October 7th, Israel has killed more than 12,000 Palestinians in Gaza in seeking to wreck the first. But Israels declared goal of destroying Hamas for good requires its financial base to be dismantled, too. Very little of this sits in Gaza at all. Instead, it is overseas in friendly countries. Furnished with money-launderers, mining companies and much else, Hamass financial empire is reckoned to bring in more than $1bn a year. Having been painstakingly crafted to avoid Western sanctions, it may be out of reach for Israel and its allies.

Hamass income pays for everything from schoolteachers salaries to missiles. Around $360m each year comes from import taxes on goods brought into Gaza from the West Bank or Egypt. This is the easiest source of cash for Israel to strangle. After withdrawing from the strip in 2005, it strictly limited the movement of goods and people across the border. Now it stops even most basic necessities from getting in. -

A much larger income stream, though, comes from abroad. Israeli officials reckon this amounts to around $750m per year, making it the main source of funding for Hamass current stockpile of arms and fuel. Some comes from friendly governments, the biggest of which is Iran. America reckons that the ayatollahs provide $100m to Palestinian Islamist groups, mainly in military aid. The task for Hamass financiers is to move this money around without falling prey to Americas sanctions. In the past month alone, American officials have imposed three rounds of restrictions on people and companies for funding Hamas.

Dodging American sanctions requires some ingenuity. Millions of dollars flow to Hamas through crypto markets. Youd be surprised how much of the markets activity comes back to [Hamas]," says Firuze Segzin, an economist at Bilkent University. Americas treasury department says Hamas has smuggled more than $20m through Redin, a currency exchange crammed among tourist shops deep in Istanbuls run-down Fatih neighbourhood.

But the lions share of Hamass moneyat least $500m a year, say Israeli officialscomes from its investments, some of which are firms registered in countries across the Middle East. These are run by professionals from Hamass investment office and employ its members. American officials say the firms donate to charities which in turn funnel funds to Hamas; Turkish officials say profits are sometimes taken directly. Untangling these revenue streams is tricky for Western regulators. One such firm built the Afra Mall, Sudans first shopping mall, while another mines near Khartoum, its capital. A third built skyscrapers in Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates (uae). Many of these companies boast of their business deals, but deny affiliation with Hamas.

Can any revenue streams remaining to Hamas be choked off? That depends on the countries through which they flow. Since 1989, when Israel arrested a handful of Hamass top brass in Gaza and the West Bank, its bankers have lived abroad. Over time, though, geopolitical shifts have forced them to keep moving. Hamas abandoned its first financial hub, Amman, after Jordans ties to America grew too close.

Today, while Hamass politicians favour Doha, the capital of Qatar, and its companies range from Algeria and Sudan to the UAE, its financiers live in Istanbul. Zaher Jabarin, accused by Israel of running Hamass finances (which he denies), is based there, as are several other individuals under sanctions by America for funding the organisation. Eager to gain regional influence by supporting the Palestinian cause, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkeys president, offers shelter. Israel says that the Turkish government hands out passports (which it denies) and lets Hamas keep an office in the country.

Meanwhile, Turkeys banking system helps Hamas dodge American sanctions by conducting complex transactions across the world. A booming, lightly regulated crypto market helps. Many of Turkeys biggest banks, including Kuveyt Turk, have been accused by Israel and America of knowingly storing Hamass cash. Some murmur that Mr Erdogan quietly approves. In 2021 the Financial Action Task Force, a G7 watchdog, placed Turkey on its grey list" of countries doing too little to freeze terrorists assets.

No one benefits more than Hamass businessmen. The Turkish governments tacit approval opens doors and makes things smooth in business", says one of the groups finance employees. Trend GYO, an Istanbul-listed firm that has been placed under sanctions by America for funnelling funds to Hamas, won an official contract to build Istanbul Commerce University. Construction companies, which feature heavily in Hamass portfolio, can quietly swallow huge lumps of cash, and regularly receive large loans. All this allows Turkish officials to say that they are not directly lining Hamass pockets.

So far, Hamas seems financially bulletproof. Israel has inflicted little harm on either its income or savings; Turkeys banks have been unco-operative. Americas numerous sanctions are less effective if their targets can keep cash outside its banking system. And Hamas hides its companies well. Every time you think youve got a big fish, it changes its name," despairs one ex-Treasury official.

In fact, the risk is that Hamass finances will improve. As Israel steps up its attacks on Gaza, Western governments may blanch at the humanitarian horror. Countries with pro-Palestinian populations may make it even easier for Hamas to earn money. For months, rumours have circulated that some civil servants in Mr Erdogans economic ministry are co-ordinating with Hamass finance office.

For Israel, Hamas growing richer despite the war would be a disaster. With its wealth and financial roots intact, itor a similar organisationmay well flourish after the destruction. Gazans, meanwhile, have been plunged into tragedy so that Israel can destroy a group whose money and power are safely ensconced elsewhere. Compare their plight to the picture in Istanbul: eating lobster and gazing at the Bosphorus.

 2023, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved.

From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com
Trying to keep the bad guys from stealing your credit-card number? Consider using a virtual card for online or phone purchases.

Customers of credit-card companies such as Capital One, Citibank and American Express can generate a virtual-card number for an individual purchase when they are concerned about the security of using their permanent-card number. This free service uses regular credit-card accounts to generate unique numbers, card-verification codes and expiration dates.

Virtual credit cards have existed for many years, but many consumers and business owners havent used them. Now, as online fraud and security breaches are on the rise, virtual credit cards are an underused tool that can help shoppers protect themselves, some security experts say.

Here are answers to frequently asked questions consumers may have about virtual cards:

Why should I consider a virtual card?

The primary reason: Virtual cards can reduce the damage done by fraud. They come with the same protections against fraud that plastic comes with; federal law says consumers arent liable for more than $50 in charges that result from lost or stolen credit-card information. But the time and energy expended to replace a compromised card can be a hassle, especially if it is used for automated payments.

Think about how much damage you would have to repair," says Rajendran Murthy, associate professor at the Rochester Institute of Technologys Saunders College of Business.

Issuers, merchants and financial institutions lost $32.34 billion to credit-card fraud in 2021, with the U.S. accounting for slightly more than one-third of the losses, according to the Nilson Report, a research publication for the payments industry. One way credit cards can be stolen is when shoppers keep their card on file with an online retailer for convenience. If a thief gains access to the companys databases, the saved data is vulnerable. Virtual cards help reduce the chance your actual card data will be stolen.

Murthy says virtual cards also can help people manage subscriptions without being concerned about auto renewal; simply use a virtual card that expires before the renewal date, he says. Virtual cards could also be handy for parents whose children play online games that feature in-game purchases. These charges can quickly add up if no one is monitoring the card. By setting a limit, a parent can better control this type of spending, without constantly monitoring their credit card.

How can I get a virtual card?

First, your card company has to offer the option for your particular card. Several banks offer virtual cards only to corporate cardholders or for select cards. Assuming the option is available, the next step will depend on the provider.

Sometimes, virtual cards can be created using a link on the card issuers website after the user logs in to his or her account. With other providers, users can access virtual cards through internet browser extensions, meaning the types of data, like passwords, addresses and phone numbers, that a browser can remember.

As an example, Amex users who are logged into their Google account can select their virtual card number from the payment options drop-down and Chrome automatically populates the payment information. Users then continue to check out, possibly receiving a one-time verification code by text to confirm their identity before completing the purchase.

How do I buy something with a virtual card?

Using a virtual card can require some extra work for consumers. Before customers use the service to make an online purchase, some card providers require them to first log in to their credit-card account and receive an authentication code. Once they are authenticated, they can shop using virtual cards. Some providers offer the option of using multiple virtual cards with different numbers that can vary by purchase limit. Other users have quick access to them through browser extensions.

Are all virtual cards the same?

While the basic concept is the same, virtual cards can function differently, depending on the provider. Some virtual cards are for single use, while others can be used multiple times and allow customers to set spending limits and expiration dates. With Citibank, for example, users can set a maximum duration of two years, or a specific ending month and year, up to two years. Users can also choose a daily spending limit. Capital One users can lock or unlock their virtual cards at any time.

Privacy.com offers another option for shopping with virtual cards. Use of its virtual service is free for up to 12 new cards a month. Each card can be either a single-use card that automatically closes itself or a card that can be used only at one merchant. Otherwise, there are two fee-based models, one at $10 a month for up to 36 new cards a month and the other for $25 a month for up to 60 cards in that time frame.

Do I need a virtual card if I have a mobile wallet?

Consumers like mobile wallets offered by providers such as Apple and Google because they enter their card into the wallet, but their actual number doesnt get transmitted to the merchant. Mobile wallet users also generally have liability protection against verified unauthorized transactions. However, not all online merchants support this type of payment, so virtual cards can be a safe alternative, industry professionals say.

Could my bank stop offering virtual cards?

Yes, nothing is guaranteed, and some banks stopped offering virtual cards a few years back based on lack of customer demand and the availability of other payment options that are also considered safe, such as digital wallets. But industry professionals dont think virtual cards are going awayand some banks may even decide to add the option, depending on customer demand and fraud trends.

Banks have to offer the same services and conveniences that digital wallets and digital-payment mechanisms provide," says Ari Lightman, professor of digital media and marketing at Carnegie Mellon Universitys Heinz College. Banks dont want to be relegated to being a dumb pipe," where they simply move money but dont acquire any of the important customer data, he says.

How are banks making virtual cards easier to use?

Some card companies are starting to offer an option that might bring virtual cards back to the forefront," says Odysseas Papadimitriou, chief executive of WalletHub, which tracks credit-card trends.

American Express, for example, has a partnership with Google that works with the Chrome browser. Consumers shopping from a Google Chrome browser on their desktop, Android mobile device or select Android apps can choose to use an Amex virtual-card number. They first have to enroll an eligible card in one of several ways outlined on the the companys website.

Capital One users have the option to get virtual-card numbers by using Eno, its 24/7 virtual assistant. Customers add the Eno browser extension and the assistant generates virtual-card numbers when it is time to pay. The only thing users need to do is fill in the shipping and billing information. Eno automatically saves virtual-card numbers for each merchant so they can be used again.

Some consumers may prefer using virtual cards in this manner since it is more seamless than logging into an account each time they want to make a purchase. They should, however, be sure their devices remain secure to mitigate the chance of unauthorized purchases.

This type of application for the virtual card has a bright future," Papadimitriou says.

Cheryl Winokur Munk is a writer in West Orange, N.J. She can be reached at reports@wsj.com.
Bengaluru: The last month or so has been a busy one for Yash Pathak, 27, a Mumbai-based cricket commentator on digital media channels, as India won match after match in the world cup. That dream run ended on Sunday, when the Australians effortlessly beat the Indian team in Ahmedabad. In another field, however, Pathaks players continue to perform satisfactorilylast year, with his income rising, he felt the need to expand his investments beyond mutual funds. So, he started investing in stocks through Groww, a discount stockbroking platform.

Pathak first heard of Groww through a friend. I was unaware of how these platforms work. I was confused between a couple of them, but then took a leap of faith and downloaded Groww. It took 30-35 minutes to finish the entire account opening process, including uploading my documents," Pathak says. Separately, he also opened an account with Zerodha, Growws rival, on his mothers phone, registering it in her name.

For a first-timer like me, Groww has the easiest user interface. I would watch their Youtube videos and browse through their content before I invested in the initial two-three stocks. The experience has been very satisfactory so far," he said. In less than two years, Pathak has built a portfolio of blue chip stocks, along with short-term and mid-term horizon stocks.

Pathak is one of the millions of Indians who make up Bengaluru-based startup Growws expanding customer base. The discount stockbroker made headlines in September when its active user count hit 6.63 million, toppling Zerodha, which counted 6.48 million, from the top spot, as per National Stock Exchange (NSE) data. By October-end, Groww had 6.76 million active investors while Zerodha was at 6.47 million. Zerodha, however, is still the largest in terms of revenue.

According to the NSE, any individual who trades even once on a platform over the previous 12 months is an active user. The term discount broker is used to refer to a (self-service) model where platforms offer stockbroking services at a lower commission, without providing advisory or portfolio management services, unlike the business model followed by traditional brokerages.

Groww, which was formed in 2016, jumped into the digital broking space in mid-2020, during the peak of the pandemic, under Nextbillion Technology Pvt. Ltd. Backed by Tiger Global and Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia Capital India & South-east Asia), among others, it has raised $390 million so far, and was valued at $3 billion at its last fund-raising round in 2021.

There has been a paradigm shift where people want to take control of their finances. Groww allows them to do that," said a senior executive at Groww, who didnt want to be named. While the size of the customer base is an important metric, building customer satisfaction and trust are key, and its a work in progress. Growws focus has been on building products that will bring customers to the platform."

Groww, which is operated by Billionbrains Garage Ventures Pvt. Ltd, clocked 1,278 crore in revenue in 2022-23, up 264% from 350.9 crore a year ago. Net profit jumped to 449 crore from a loss of 239 crore during the same period.

In Indias burgeoning online investment market, which aims to make investing accessible and transparent to everyone, Groww competes not just with Zerodha, but also with Angel One Ltd, Upstox and other stockbrokers.

Growws ambition, however, is to do much more. The firm, which started with mutual fund distribution and later got into stockbroking, has ventured into new business verticals such as credit and payments, with more diversification plans in the pipeline.

What drove growth?

View Full Image Groww was valued at $3 billion in its last funding round in 2021 (Mint Research)

In 2015-end, Harsh Jain, Neeraj Singh, Lalit Keshre and Ishan Bansal, who were executives at e-commerce firm Flipkart, decided to start up. The choice of business was unanimous: financial services.

Flipkart at that point was already set to disrupt Indias e-commerce arena. When the four friends set up Groww, the aspiration was similar: to do what Flipkart had done in e-commerce.

Groww was launched in 2016 with a simple mutual fund distribution product. In April 2018, it started offering direct mutual funds with zero commission. Once it launched stocks in June 2020, targeting do-it-yourself (DIY) young investors, things moved fast. During the lockdown, discount broking firms such as Groww benefited hugely, with a record number of demat accounts opened on smartphones by people wanting to take a shot at stock markets.

Groww witnessed rapid growth and opened about 2 million demat accounts.

Then, in 2021, a record year for fund-raising by tech startups, Groww turned unicorn, after raising $83 million in a round led by Tiger Global. Within six months, it raised another $251 million, in a round led by American investment firm ICONIQ Growth.

However, unlike the bootstrapped Zerodha, which was the first to establish the discount broking model at scale and whose customer acquisition costs are said to be low, Groww spends a lot on acquiring customers, say industry watchers.

The average Groww customer is 26-29 years old and many are first-time users. About 80% of investments or transactions on the platform come from Tier 2, 3, 4 cities and towns. Groww charges 20 (or 0.05%) on every equity delivery, and the same amount on every executed future and options order.

Groww offered a better user interface and product suitable for todays environment than what was being offered by incumbents. It came up as a new player with a tech-first approach, focusing on millennials who were looking to deploy their savings into financial securities," said an investor in Groww, on condition of anonymity. Nearly 70% of customer acquisition by Groww is organic. The company has grown fast but meaningfully."

Bigger ambitions

View Full Image Nithin Kamath, founder and CEO of Zerodha, had stated that his companys AMC venture was motivated by the opportunity to create simple products for investors.

Initially, Groww used mutual funds to acquire users. Now, it plans to capture the full investment wallet of these users via stocks, insurance, and loans. Going ahead, it will offer the entire suite of financial products a financial consumer would use.

Besides stocks and mutual fund distribution under the Nextbillion Technology arm, the startup launched personal loans in 2022 under Groww Creditserv Technology, after securing an NBFC (non-banking financial company) licence. In August this year, it launched Groww Pay Services Pvt Ltd for payments via the Unified Payments Interface (UPI).

This year, Groww also completed the acquisition of the mutual fund business of Indiabulls Housing Finance for 175 crore, and ventured into the asset management space under the Groww Mutual Fund name. The move will allow it to create and sell its own mutual funds. In October, it announced the launch of the first fund, Groww Nifty Total Market Index Fund.

Going ahead, Groww may launch insurance products and do consumer durables financing, said a person familiar with the development.

From mutual fund distribution, stock trading to loans and payments, Groww has built a multi-product tech platform with the intent to offer more value to customers. In the coming years, the company will scale these businesses further and introduce newer verticals," the Groww executive said.

Groww has also been a sizeable mutual fund distributor in the country, opening more than 300,000 new systematic investment plans. or SIPs, every month.

Rival Zerodhas asset management company (AMC), Zerodha Fund House, a joint venture with smallcase, a portfolio investing platform, also launched two passive index equity mutual fund schemes this year. Zerodha founder and CEO Nithin Kamath had earlier said that the AMC venture was motivated by the shallow participation in Indian markets and an opportunity to create simple products for investors.

Retail trading has ballooned and is growing manifold. Discount broking platforms offer services and products by using tech efficiently, at a cost that dealer-driven brokers cannot match," said Rajesh Baheti, managing director, Crosseas Capital Services Pvt. Ltd, a brokerage firm. Most discount broking platforms are diversifying into asset management and other things, where they are using revenue from their retail stocktrading to develop their wealth management business."

The competition

View Full Image (Graphic:Mint)

It may have slipped to second place in active user numbers, but Zerodha remains much larger in terms of revenue and profitability. Founded in 2010, it reported 6,875 crore in revenue and a net profit of 2,900 crore in 2022-23. And unlike Groww, which doesnt charge for opening an account, Zerodha charges 200 from customers, which, in a way, filters out users who are not serious about trading.

Zerodha manages an overall asset base of 3 trillion, making it the largest retail focused broker, co-founder Kamath noted in a 26 September blog post. The company also valued itself at $3.6 billion in September, an 80% jump from its self-valuation of $2 billion in 2021.

But its not just Groww and Zerodha that have made big strides on the diversification and growth front. Upstox, backed by Ratan Tata, was set up in 2009. It is the fourth-largest discount brokerage today in terms of active customers, and achieved break-even in 2022-23, with overall revenue surging 44% from a year ago to cross the 1,000 crore mark.

The stockbroker launched Upstox Invest in 2022 to target young, first-time investors looking to explore equity investments and has seen big momentum. It also has Upstox Pro for professional traders.

Over time, we will onboard a larger number of customers. We will also diversify into new adjacent businesses like insurance, lending and asset management. We will do it when we are ready, not because the competition is doing it," Ravi Kumar, co-founder and CEO of Upstox, told Mint.

Compared to the US, equity retail investor participation in Indias stock market is still very low. The growth potential for platforms like ours is immense, given the kind of wealth creation that will happen. We will see a few larger discount trading platforms arise in the coming years," Kumar added.

Like Groww, around 80% of Upstoxs customer base is from beyond the metros, and 80-85% are first-time users. It is working on both online and offline initiatives to create awareness and educate people, specially in smaller towns.

After traditional brokerage Angel Broking Ltd transformed into Angel One Ltd in 2021 with a digital-first approach, its client base has touched 17.78 million at a 40% CAGR (compound annual growth rate). It is planning to start retail lending soon, and is also eyeing the wealth management space. Angel One has got in-principle approval for its asset management business.

Customers are looking for holistic solutions for their financial needs and want them on the same platform. Eventually, all the companies in this space that are trusted by a huge client base and understand tech will offer a wider range of solutions," said Angel Ones chief growth officer Prabhakar Tiwari.

What could go wrong?

View Full Image The business of new-age platforms could be disrupted due to tech glitches owing to their end-to-end digital presence.

In a July rating rationale on Growws stockbroking arm Nextbillion Technology, rating agency Icra said that while the company has initiated diversification through new lines of business, nearly 80% of its broking income in 2022-23 was from futures and options broking. Thus, any downturn in the capital markets may impact its financial performance.

In his blog post, Zerodhas Kamath wrote that despite phenomenal growth, the stockbrokers business has plateaued in terms of revenue and profitability.

At the same time, competition in the space is heating up. The success of discount trading platforms in the last two years has drawn new entrants. In September, for instance, HDFC Securities Ltd unveiled Sky, offering brokerage services at 20 per trade for intraday and delivery transactions across segments, similar to what Groww charges.

And while the growth of discount brokers has been phenomenal, with their market share surging to 58% of NSE active clients in 2022-23 from less than 10% till 2016-17, they could very well be laid low by serious tech glitches owing to their end-to-end digital presence. A couple of such mishaps could spark an exodus to another platform, said Alok Churiwala, managing director, Churiwala Securities Pvt. Ltd, another brokerage firm.

Also, in this highly regulated space, market experts believe any regulatory diktats could spring a surprise on these new-age platforms.

As Kamath put it aptly in his blog post: Almost every bull run in the markets creates the illusion that somehow participation and activity will keep going up forever. We keep discussing internally that we could see a 50% dip in activity and revenue if markets fall in no time. None of it is really under our control. And yeah, one (regulatory) circular is also enough to bring down our revenue by more than 50%."
Oil marketing companies (OMCs) in India will find support with international crude oil prices sustaining below the $80 per barrel mark in the near-term. The three major OMCs - Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) reported decent earnings growth in the July-September quarter of fiscal 2023-24 (Q2FT24) with improved gross refinery margins.

Indian Oil reported a net profit of 12,967 crore in the September quarter against a net loss in the year-ago period on steady fuel prices, while Bharat Petroleum also returned to black after reporting a net profit of 8,243.5 crore in the quarter-under-review.

International Brent crude price has normalised to sub-$80/bbl driven by easing of supply side concerns as there has been no major material impact on oil supply flows so far, on account of the war between Israel and Hamas, and easing fears of it escalating into a wider regional conflict.

Also Read: Crude oil to average at $120/bbl in 2024; World GDP growth downgraded on Middle East tensions: Fitch

Domestic brokerage firm JM Financials said in its latest report that OMCs gross auto-fuel marketing margin has jumped to 7.9 per litre compared to the historical margin of 3.5 per litre and gross auto-fuel integrated margin has risen to 16.8 per litre compared to the historical margin of 11.3 per litre.

Optimism on OMCs will be contingent on crude sustaining below ~$80/bbl with OMCs FY24 P/B valuations (at ~0.9x for HPCL/IOCL and 1.1x for BPCL) being only 10 per cent discount to historical average after recent rally,'' said JM Financials.

Which oil explorers will benefit from high crude prices?

The brokerage has maintained a buy rating on Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) at a target price (TP) of 225 and Oil India at a target price of 355, given the strong dividend play (of 6-8 per cent)

Our TP is based on $65/bbl net crude realisation, and various changes in windfall tax suggesting the government is fine with ONGC/Oil India making net crude realisation of ~$75/bbl,'' said JM Financials.

Brent crude price of $75-80/bbl is a sweet spot for ONGC/Oil India, as it improves visibility for net crude realisation of $75/bbl by eliminating the risk of ad hoc fuel subsidy burden, according to the brokerage.

OPEC's pricing power to support Brent at $80/bbl

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies (OPEC+) will meet for its next oil output policy decision on November 26, to consider whether to make additional oil supply cuts.

Saudi Arabia and Russia have extended their combined oil output cut of 1.3 million barrels per day (bpd) till the end of the year, which the oil majors first announced in July 2023, in a bid to support the stability of the oil market.

Analysts believe that OPEC+ will continue to use its strong pricing power to support Brent crude price ~$75-80/bbl, which is the fiscal breakeven crude price needed by Saudi Arabia

Saudi and Russia may agree to extend their 1.3 million barrels per day (mbpd) voluntary supply cut into CY24 as well vs. the current plan of extending it till end-CY23,'' said JM Financials.

Also Read: From $89 to near $100 and back: How Brent crude moved since last Diwali over OPEC+ cuts & more

The pricing power of OPEC+ has strengthened over the past 2-3 years due to the following reasons:

-US oil production continue to be at ~13 mbpd only (vs. pre-Covid peak of ~13.1 mbpd) as US shale investors are disciplined in capital investment.

-OPEC+ having shown strong ability to cut output by ~10 mbpd in early CY20 to offset the ~10 per cent decline in global oil demand post Covid.

OPEC+ still has enough headroom to cut output by another 4-5 mbpd to offset any macro-related risk to global oil demand growth, according to the brokerage.

The new normal for Brent crude price may be $80/bbl (except in the event of a global macro shock). This is a departure from the pre-Covid normal price of around $60-65/bbl, which was driven by marginal cost of US shale oil production,' said JM Financials.

OIL INDIA More Information

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Delhi air quality stood at 323 on Tuesday, November 21, morning at 6:30 am, which lies in the very poor category according to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR).

According to monitoring agencies, Delhi and its suburbs registered Marginal improvement on November 19, Sunday, but major relief from high pollution levels is unlikely over the next few days. Delhi registered13.2 degree Celsius temperature today as per India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Following an improvement in air quality, restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) - 4 were lifted in Delhi, but Environment Minister Gopal Rai advised people to continue following the rules since stages 1, 2, and 3 of GRAP are still in effect to combat air pollution, according to ANI.

Gopal Rai said, Though there has been a constant improvement in air quality, people still need to be aware in order to maintain this improvement," as quoted by ANI.

According to SAFAR, the air quality index at IIT Delhi was 321, at the Airport (Terminal 3) area was 336, and at Pusa it was 337.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recorded an AQI of 374 in Anand Vihar at 7:41 am, 399 in Jahangirpuri, 315 in Lodhi Road, and 370 in New Moti Bagh.

A quality index of 0 to 100 indicates good air quality, a quality index of 100 to 200 indicates moderate quality, a quality index of 200 to 300 indicates poor quality, a quality index of 300 to 400 indicates very poor and a quality index of 400 to 500 is considered severe.

Using the Air Quality Index, you can communicate air quality status to people in easy-to-understand terms. In this tool, complex air quality data is transformed into a single number (index value), nomenclature, and color.

As a result of improved air quality in Delhi, the CAQM (Commission for Air Quality Management) lifted restrictions imposed under GRAP 4 on Saturday, allowing trucks and buses to enter the city except for BS-3 and BS-4 petrol and diesel vehicles and lifting the ban on construction work.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', 401 and 450 'severe' and above 450 severe plus, according to PTI.

The Centre on Saturday removed stringent curbs, including a ban on construction work related to linear projects and the entry of polluting trucks into Delhi in view of a dip in air pollution levels due to favourable wind speed and direction, the report added.

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India bids farewell to Dr SS Badrinath, whose demise was recently confirmed. Renowned for establishing Sankara Nethralaya in Chennai, he was a beacon of hope in the field of ophthalmology and charitable healthcare. Rama Suganthan, Vice President of the Tamil Nadu Congress, confirmed the passing of Dr Badrinath. He was 83.

Born in a Chennai suburb, Dr Badrinath faced the adversity of losing his parents during his teenage years. Channelling his grief into ambition, he used his parents' insurance money to pursue a career in medical sciences. His journey in ophthalmology began with internships in New York, paving the way for his future achievements.

In 1978, after his overseas education and research, Dr Badrinath returned to India with a vision. He founded Sankara Nethralaya, a not-for-profit eye hospital, with the objective of offering free eye care to the economically disadvantaged. This initiative marked a significant milestone in Indian healthcare, providing a model for accessible and quality medical treatment.

Also Read: NITI Aayog meet seeks reforms in public healthcare system

Sankara Nethralaya stands as a testament to Dr Badrinath's dedication. Daily, around 1,200 patients receive care, and approximately 100 surgeries are performed, all free of charge. The institution not only heals but educates, offering training programmes for aspiring ophthalmologists.

The impact of Dr Badrinath's work extended beyond the walls of his hospital. Recognised for his humanitarian efforts, he was a recipient of the Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri awards, among the highest civilian honours in India. His recognition by the Government of India underscores his immense contribution to society and healthcare.

His legacy lives on in the thousands of lives he touched and the medical community he inspired. Dr SS Badrinath's story is not just one of professional achievement but of resilience, compassion, and a relentless pursuit to serve society.

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India Tuesday rejected Pakistans unwarranted and habitual" reference to Kashmir during a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) open debate on Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Promoting Sustaining Peace through Common Development, PTI reported.

The UNSC debate was going on under the presidency of China.

During the debate, Munir Akram, Pakistans permanent representative to the United Nations, made a reference to Kashmir in his remarks which was strongly rejected by the Indian side, the PTI reported.

Also Read | Airtel top boss Vittal pushes for e-Sim use

I will take not more than a few seconds to dismiss the unwarranted and habitual remarks made by a Permanent Representative earlier against my country and I will not dignify them with a response here," PTI quoted R. Madhu Sudan, Counsellor in Indias Permanent Mission to the United Nations as saying.

"Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels  Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here!

To gain international attention, Pakistan habitually raises Kashmir issue on various global platforms including the United Nations, irrespective of the agenda and topic of discussions, but the attempts have failed to garner any traction. India has consistently maintained that Jammu and Kashmir was, is and will remain an integral part of India.

Also Read | Bank of America sees S&P 500 hitting record 5,000 by the end of 2024

The bilateral relations between India and Pakistan have been tense since New Delhi scrapped Article 370 of the Constitution to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019, which evoked strong reactions from Pakistan. The nuclear-armed Islamabad downgraded diplomatic ties with India and expelled the Indian envoy.

New Delhi has categorically told the international community that the scrapping of Article 370 was an internal matter of India. It also advised Pakistan to accept the reality and stop all anti-India propaganda.

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Flight services in Imphal were disrupted in the afternoon on November 19 after an unidentified flying object or UFO was spotted in the skies, officials told PTI.

The disruption caused delays for three flights and led to the diversion of two planes before services were normalised after three hours, they added. The Indian Air Force Eastern Command at Shillong was also informed, as per the official.

"Due to the sighting of an unidentified flying object within Imphal controlled airspace, two flights have been diverted and three departing flights have been delayed. Flight operations commence after receipt of clearance from the competent authority," Airport Director Chipemmi Keishing said.

One of seven sister states in north-east India, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Assam share domestic borders with Manipur. The state also shares an international border to its east, with Myanmar.

So, here's all that we know so far about the UFO:

-- An official received a message from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) at 2.30 pm on November 19 about sighting a UFO near the airport.

-- The official told PTI the UFO was "visible with bare eyes moving westwards of the airfield till 4 pm".

-- Among the diverted flights was the Kolkata to Imphal Indigo Airlines flight), which was sent to Guwahati after a 25-minute holdup.

-- Delayed flights were however held up for at least three hours amid the UFO sighting.

-- The Indian Air Force (IAF) scrambled two of its Rafale fighter jets from a nearby airbase to the sighting area to search for the UFO, as per an ANI report citing defence sources.

-- The sources added that the Rafale jets were equipped "with advanced sensors and carried out low-level flying over the suspected area to look for the UFO, but it did not find anything there".

-- Sources added that concerned agencies are working to clear the details from videos captured by witnesses.

-- The Indian Air Force Eastern Command at Shillong has also "activated" its response mechanism it said in a post on social media site X, writing: "IAF activated its Air Defence response mechanism based on visual inputs from Imphal airport. The small object was not seen thereafter."

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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) attached properties worth 751.9 crore in connection with the money-laundering case against the Congress party-promoted Young Indian that owns the National Herald newspaper on Tuesday.

A provisional order was issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against the newspaper's publisher Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) and its holding company Young Indian, the Enforcement Directorate said in a statement.

The immovable assets that have been attached include the National Herald's office premises at ITO in Delhi, the Nehru Bhawan at Mall Avenue near Kaiserbagh in Lucknow and the Herald House in Mumbai, sources told news agency PTI.

The financial probe agency said that during the investigation, it was found that Associated Journals Ltd. (AJL) is in possession of proceeds of crime in the form of immovable properties spread across many cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and Lucknow to the tune of 661.69 crore."

"...and Young Indian (YI) is in possession of proceeds of crime to the tune of 90.21 crore in the form of investment in equity shares of the AJL," the Enforcement Directorate said in a statement on Tuesday.

The Enforcement Directorate had earlier questioned and recorded the statements of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, her son Rahul Gandhi and that of president Mallikarjun Kharge in this case.

What did ED claim in recent statement?

The agency initiated money-laundering investigation against National Herald on the basis of process issued by the court of Metropolitan Magistrate of Delhi after taking cognisance of a private complaint vide order dated June 26, 2014.

"The court held that seven accused persons including M/s Young India, prima facie committed offences of criminal breach of trust u/s (under Section) 406 of IPC (Indian Penal Code), cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property u/s 420 of IPC, dishonest misappropriation of property u/s 403 and criminal conspiracy u/s 120B of IPC," the ED said in a statement.

The court, it added, held that accused persons hatched a criminal conspiracy to acquire properties worth hundreds of crores of AJL through a special purpose vehicle, Young Indian.

"AJL was given land on concessional rates in various cities of India for the purpose of publishing newspapers. AJL closed its publishing operations in 2008 and started using the properties for commercial purposes," the ED said.

It added, "AJL had to repay a loan of 90.21 crore to All India Congress Committee (AICC), however AICC treated the said loan of 90.21 crore as non-recoverable from AJL and sold it for 50 lakh to a newly incorporated company M/s Young Indian without any source of income to pay even 50 lakh."

"By their action, the shareholders of AJL as well as donors of Congress Party were cheated by the office bearers of AJL and Congress Party," the ED said.

The ED further added that its investigation revealed that after purchasing the loan of 90.21 crore from AICC, YI demanded either repayment of loan or allotment of equity shares of AJL to it.

"AJL held an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) and passed a resolution to increase share capital and issue fresh shares worth 90.21 crore to YI. With this fresh allotment of shares, shareholding of more than 1000 shareholders was reduced to a mere 1% and AJL became subsidiary company of YI. YI also took control over properties of AJL," it said.

Congress reacts

Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi denied any "transfer of any immovable property". In a statement, he called the recent development in the case a "desperation to divert attention from certain defeat in the ongoing elections in each state...."

Hitting out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Singhvi said, " this is a prefabricated structure of deceit, lies and falsehood, or by and for the BJP, to divert, distract and digress in the middle of the elections.

The Congress spokesperson called the ED, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Income Tax Department (I-T) the BJP's "coalition partners". He said, "No BJP's coalition partner  CBI, ED or I-T  can prevent certain impending defeat of the BJP."

"An assignment of loan without transfer of any immovable property or movement of money is being dressed up to justify attachment and freezing of assets of a company which runs an iconic voice of the Indian Independence movement  the National Herald  only because it is linked to the Congress party and its legacy," the Congress said.

"These petty vendetta tactics shall not frighten the Indian National Congress in any way," the party added.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Uttarkashi Tunnel Collapse: Amid ongoing mission to rescue 41 trapped workers in the collapsed tunnel on 10th day, Additional Secretary Technical, Road and Transport Mahmood Ahmed Tuesday said the time from tonight is the 'most crucial' and if everything goes right, some 'good news' will come up in the next 40 hours, ANI reported.

Ahmed said the rescue teams are now pushing 800 mm-diameter pipes with the telescoping method instead of 900 mm used earlier.

Ahmed said the rescue teams are now pushing 800 mm-diameter pipes with the telescoping method instead of 900 mm used earlier.

"From this morning on, we started the process of horizontal drilling. Four 900-mm-diameter pipes of 6 metres each were pushed to 21-22 metres last week before they hit an obstacle. Now we have decided that we will lay an 800-mm-diameter pipe through the telescoping method. We have started that work. After that, we will do further drilling inside it with the American Auger machine. For us, the entire day until tomorrow from tonight on is most important," ANI quoted Additional Secretary Ahmed as saying.

As per the earlier rescue plan, 900-mm diameter pipes were planned to be pushed in using horizontal drilling equipment to create an escape route for the trapped workers.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), while sharing details about the progress made towards reaching the trapped workers, said the focus would be on horizontal digging" instead of finding a route through vertical digging as rock formation has created challenges for vertical drilling.

Ahmed said out of the total 60-metre length of horizontal drilling from the Silkyara end, around 22-45 metres are rubble.

"Not only this, we are doing the horizontal drilling from the other (Barkot) side and the work has been assigned to Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Limited (THDC)," ANI reported Ahmed as saying

"If everything goes right, we will come up with some 'good news' in the next 40 hours," Ahmed said, addressing a press briefing.

The rescue team on Monday evening managed to lay a 6-inch pipe through which solid food and mobile chargers were sent inside the collapsed section of the Silkyara Tunnel.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami for the second day in a row, to enquire about the progress of the rescue effort.

On social media, Dhami said he informed the PM about communicating with the workers using the endoscopic camera. The prime minister said it is our top priority to rescue all the workers safely," the CM posted.

The chief minister also indicated that a probe would be conducted into the incident after the workers were rescued. Action will definitely be taken against all suspicions but right now the priority is for all workers to come out safely," he added

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The first visuals of the Uttarkashi tunnel rescue in Uttarakhand have come up as the rescue team manages to establish contact with the people trapped for the first time. The endoscopic flexi camera reached the trapped workers, ANI reported.

It was revealed on November 12 that a tunnel that was being built to connect Silkyara and Barkot had collapsed. It was revealed that 41 workmen had been trapped in the incident as a result of a muck falling in a 60-metre section on the Silkyara side of the tunnel.

Five government agencies have been pushed into action to try different options to rescue the trapped workers at the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi.

The government has decided to work on all fronts to save the lives of the labourers trapped in the tunnel at Silkyara, as per Anurag Jain.

In a high-level meeting today, various options were examined based on technical advice and 5 options are to be pursued," the Road, Transport and Highways Secretary earlier said in a video brief.

The rescue team has been making efforts to insert more pipes in the area so that food, water and essential supplies are maintained till, as per Jain.

Professor Arnold Dix

The collapse of the Uttarkashi tunnel has brought the spotlight onto Professor Arnold Dix, a globally-acclaimed expert in tunnel safety and disaster investigations. Professor Dix, known for his proficiency in navigating challenging underground situations, is at the forefront of the complex rescue mission.

This is a race against time for the rescue attempt, which involves 'micro tunnelling' and other creative tactics. A road has already been built to the top of the hill in order to facilitate the drilling of a vertical shaft that will allow workers who are trapped to be rescued. The difficulty of the process is demonstrated by the employment of American-made auger equipment that encountered difficulties while drilling through the trash.

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World Television Day 2023: Television is an integral part of every Indian household. The device serves as a source of information, entertainment, and infotainment for everyone. The television is the centerpiece of every family, whether children watch cartoons and shows tailored to their age group or the elderly watch news and movies. Although television has undergone a lot of development and innovation since its inception, it is still relevant in the modern age. Due to the change in society, the types of shows, audience viewing patterns, and the way information is presented have changed dramatically. Over the years, television has adapted beautifully to our changing lifestyles and remained relevant.

Around the world, World Television Day is celebrated every year. Here's everything you need to know as we get ready to celebrate the special day.

Date: On November 21, every year, we celebrate World Television Day. World Television Day falls on a Tuesday this year.

History: Philo Taylor Farnsworth was an American inventor who built the first electric television in 1927. November 21 was declared World Television Day by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 1996. The first-ever World Television Forum took place in 1996 at the United Nations on November 21 and 22.

Significance: The purpose of this day is for people to discuss how important television is in our lives. There is a discussion and exploration of ways to improve broadcast patterns and ways to collaborate. Our lives have been enriched by television, and it has remained relevant over the years. Television offers something for everyone of all ages. Television is discussed on World Television Day as part of a discussion about its importance and significance. Additionally, the audience is informed about the benefits and impact of viewing television, the device that has brought the world closer together.

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A leader of Palestinian militant group Hamas said on Tuesday that it is "close to reaching" a truce deal in the Israel-Hamas war. "We are close to reaching a deal on a truce," Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was quoted by news agency AFP as saying. However, there has been no immediate response from Israel on the status of negotiations.

What is the Hamas-Israel deal about? Here's are key conditions that the truce might include:

1. Freeing hostages: Negotiations to free hostages seized in Hamass October 7 attack on Israel are at their closest point" to a deal and have reached the final stage," mediator Qatar was quoted by AFP as saying.

Between 50 and 100 Israeli civilian and foreign hostages would be released, but no military personnel, sources were quoted by the report as saying. In exchange, around 300 Palestinians, including women and minors, would be freed from Israeli jails. Around 240, mostly Israeli, hostages were held by Hamas fighters on October 7, during the deadliest assault on Israel in its history.

2. Five-day truce: The tentative agreement between Hamas and Israel would include a five-day truce, sources told AFP. Meanwhile, Al Jazeera quoted Hamas official Izzat el Reshiq as saying that the ongoing talks were for a truce that would last "a number of days".

3. Complete ceasefire: This truce could "comprised of a complete ceasefire on the ground and an end to Israeli air operations over Gaza, except in the north, where they would only halt for six hours daily", the report said.

4. Food and medical aid for Gaza: The Hamas and Islamic Jihad sources also said that the proposed deal might also allow for up to 300 trucks of food and medical aid to enter Gaza.

5. 'We will not stop fighting': After mediators said a truce deal was in sight, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said "we are making progress" on the return of hostages. "I hope there will be good news soon," Netanyahu told Israeli soldiers at a military base in the north of the country.

Earlier, the Israeli Prime Minister had maintained that, "We will not stop fighting until we bring the hostages home, destroy Hamas and ensure that there is no more of a threat from Gaza". He had said this on social media after meeting representatives of the hostages families on Monday evening.
Google Doodle is celebrating the 110th birthday of Japanese-Brazilian artist Tommy Ohtake whose life signifies the message that it's never too late to find your passion in life and excel at it.

Also Read| Google Doodle celebrates Oman National Day 2023. All you need to know

Early Life:

Born in 1913 in Kyoto, Japan, Ohtake did not begin her painting career until she was 40, but her work continues to stand the test of time. In 1936, at the age of 23, Ohtake visited her brother in Brazil, but as Japan became embroiled in the world conflict, she was unable to return to her birthplace for a long time and settled with her family in Brazil.

However, a visit to a Japanese artist studio almost 15 years later inspired her to try her hand at painting, and Ohtake's first art exhibition was held at the Salao Nacional de Arte Moderna in 1957.

What made Ohtake special?

Unlike most of the artists of her time, who were trying to be rigid and precise, Ohtake's vibrant, undefined forms cast an 'imperfect geometry' on the canvas. The journey, which began in 1957, saw Ohtake hold many solo exhibitions over the next decade and receive various awards from Brazilian art salons.

Also Read| Google Doodle celebrates Czech Republic Freedom and Democracy Day 2023. All you need to know

Later, Ohtake became interested in creating public art and eventually developed large-scale installations for many Brazilian and Japanese cities such as Guarulhos, Tokyo and Sao Paulo. Some of Ohtake's most iconic works include a series of murals depicting Sao Paulo's Consolacao metro station and a towering wave-shaped sculpture honouring Japanese immigrants to Brazil.

Ohtake went on to create awards for a Formula 1 race and a film festival. She also drew book illustrations and even designed a film set, always maintaining a strong focus on artistic experimentation.ReR

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Today's Google Doodle honours Chinese Australian surgeon Dr. Victor Chang on his birth anniversary. He is renowned as a pioneer of cardiac and transplant surgery.

Early life

Dr. Chang was born in the year 1936 on November 21. Dr. Changs connection with the medical field can be attributed to life circumstances that made him develop his interest in the field at a very young age. His desire to explore the field surfaced when his mother developed breast cancer.

Education

Dr. Chang studied medicine and surgery at the University of Sydney. He began his residency training at St. Vincents Hospital and worked at several hospitals around the world. In 1972, he returned to Australia and became a cardiothoracic surgeon at Sydney's St. Vincents Hospital.

Career

Dr. Chang is renowned for the development of St. Vincent's artificial heart valve and for various other contributions to medicine. The artificial heart valve developed by Dr. Chang was significantly cheaper than previous models. This made it it globally accessible for use in lifesaving procedures.

In 1984, Dr. Chang performed a successful heart transplant on the youngest Australian patient, Fiona Coote, who was 14 years old at the time of surgery. Coote received another heart transplant two years later. Currently, she is the longest-surviving heart transplant recipient in Australia.

Recognition

Dr. Chang's medical advancements were also honoured with various accolades which serve as a testament to his impactful innovations. In 1999, Dr. Chang was nominated for the Australian of the Century at the Peoples Choice Awards. He also received Australias highest honour, the Companion of the Order of Australia, in 1986.

Also read: Google Doodle celebrates Latvia Independence Day 2023

Dr. Chang strived to improve global healthcare and was passionate about sharing knowledge and skills. In 1984, he established the Victor Chang Foundation. To bring surgeons to St. Vincents Hospital in Sydney and train them in advanced cardiac surgery , the Foundation awards grants to educate Southeast Asian surgeons, especially for heart transplantation. Programs that explore innovation in cardiac surgery also receive grants.

To honour Dr. Chang's legacy, the Research Institute was founded in 1994 and named after him. The institute remains dedicated to finding cures, prevention, and diagnostic tools for cardiovascular disease.

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An India-bound cargo ship, Galaxy Leader, was hijacked on Sunday in the southern Red Sea by Yemens Houthi rebels, reported AP. The vessel en route from Turkey to India is believed to be having 25 people on board.

Houthi rebels, who control northern Yemen and its Red Sea coast, said the vessel was Israeli. All ships belonging to the Israeli enemy or that deal with it will become legitimate targets," AP quoted the rebels as saying.

Mohammed Abdul-Salam, the Houthis' chief negotiator and spokesman, said in a statement that the Israelis only understand the language of force".

The detention of the Israeli ship is a practical step that proves the seriousness of the Yemeni armed forces in waging the sea battle, regardless of its costs and costs," he added. This is the beginning."

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office rejected the claim.

Criticizing the hijack of the cargo ship Galaxy Leader by the Houthis rebels, Netanyahus office said the vessel was owned by a British company and operated by a Japanese firm, without naming either of those.

There were no Israelis among the ships 25 crew members, it said.

The Israeli government further said the crew members of the ship included people from Ukraine, Bulgaria, the Philippines and Mexico.

Netanyahus office blamed Sundays cargo ship hijack on Tehran, which it said is endangering global shipping lanes.

"The hijacking of the cargo ship by the Houthis near Yemen in the southern Red Sea is a very serious event on a global level. This is a ship that left Turkey on its way to India with an international civilian crew without Israelis," Daniel Hagari, Israeli military spokesperson, was quoted as saying.

Several media reports have indicated that the ship is under the ownership of Ray Car Carriers, founded by Abraham Rami" Ungar, who is known as one of the richest men in Israel citing ownership details in public shipping databases.

Houthi rebels have threatened to strike Israel since its war against Hamas started in early October, and have launched failed missile attacks that were believed to have targeted Israel. Sundays incident marks the first big escalation in the threat posed by Houthis against global maritime shipping since the latest conflict began.

Earlier, a spokesperson of Houthi rebels called on other countries on social media platform X (formerly called Twitter) to withdraw their citizens working on Israeli vessels. The rebels are believed to be getting training, technical expertise and increasingly sophisticated weapons  including drones, ballistic and cruise missiles  from Iran.

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Israel has banned the terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) while saying that the organisation is responsible for the "murder of Indians". The ban comes around the 15th year of the commemoration of the Mumbai terror attacks on November 26, 2008. Israel's ban symbolises the occasion as it called the outfit a 'deadly' and 'reprehensible' terror organisation.

The Indian government did not seek this action to be done. The Israel Embassy in India sent a press release stating that the state of Israel had officially finished all relevant processes and satisfied all checks and regulations as a result of adding Lashkar-e-Taiba to the Israeli list of unlawful terror organisations.

Also Read: Two LeT terrorists 'encircled' by security forces in J&K's Anantnag

The statement highlights that Israel lists only those terror organisations that are actively operating against it, be it from within or around its borders. Similarly, it lists those that affect India, those globally recognised by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) or the US State Department.

"Israel ministers of Defence and Foreign Affairs have jointly worked in last few months towards an expedited and extraordinary listing of the Lashkar -e- Taiba organization on this date, to highlight the importance of a Unified Global Front in combating terrorism," ANI quoted the statement as saying.

"Lashkar-e-Taiba is a deadly and reprehensible terror organization, responsible for the murder of hundreds of Indian civilians as well as others. Its heinous actions on November 26, 2008, still reverberate in force, through all peace-seeking nations and societies," the statement added.

"The state of Israel offers its sincere condolences to all victims of terrorism and to the survivors and bereaved families of the Mumbai attacks, including those in Israel. We stand with you united in the hope for a better peaceful future," It also says.

Will India ban Hamas now?

"I think that it is also time to officially designate Hamas also in India as a terror organisation," Naor Gilon, Israeli Ambassador to India, earlier said during a briefing with the media in New Delhi. He pointed to the United States, EU, Canada and Australia as countries that have already done this.

Indias Foreign Ministry previously refrained from calling Hamas a terrorist group, referring to it as a legal matter to be taken up by the relevant authorities. However, it did refer to the October 7 attacks as a terrorist attack.

As you are aware, the designation of a terrorist organization under Indian laws is a legal matter. I would refer you to the relevant authorities in this. I think we've been very clear that we see this as a terrorist attack. But on the designation part, the relevant authorities are the best place to respond to it," said MEA official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi during a briefing with the media in October.

Ambassador Gilon stated that Israel had been in touch with Indian authorities about the matter. At the same time, he also stressed that the country was not applying any pressure on India in this matter. Gilon also stated that this was not the first time that such conversations had taken place and added that discussions were ongoing.

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Given the pivotal role of Gaza's hospitals in the conflicting narratives of the Israel-Gaza war , the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) has released a video exhibiting AK47s, ammunition, and additional military equipment discovered in the MRI unit of a hospital.

Here are the top ten updates on day 47 of the Israel-Gaza war.

1. The Israeli military has shared videos showcasing the discovery of AK47s, ammunition, and various military equipment in the MRI unit of the hospital. As per a report by AP, IDF reported finding a Toyota pickup truck filled with weapons in a hospital garage, resembling the type of truck used by Hamas militants during the October 7 incursion.

Also Read: Israel-Gaza War: How Hamas boss Yahya Sinwar distracted Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of 7 October attack?

2. A group of fellow Democrats of US President Joe Biden on Monday, urged him to prompt Israel to swiftly undertake measures, such as reopening a significant border crossing, to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance for the innocent civilians in Gaza, Reuters reported.

3. Eliminating the threat posed by Hamas and protecting civilians are not mutually exclusive aims. Indeed, International Humanitarian Law requires that civilians be protected during armed conflict," a group of Democratic senators wrote in a letter to Biden.

Also Read: Netanyahu's popularity plummets amid Gaza war, future as Israeli PM uncertain

4. Gaza's health ministry, under the control of Hamas on Monday said that 200 patients were evacuated from a hospital, aided by the Red Cross, shortly after it was struck by a fatal Israeli attack. Ashraf al-Qudra, the health ministry spokesman, informed AFP that the evacuees were transported by bus from the Indonesian hospital in Jabaliya to Nasser Hospital in the southern town of Khan Yunis.

5. Amid ongoing conflict, 28 premature babies were transferred from war-ravaged Gaza to Egypt on Monday. The Hamas-run health ministry accused Israel of launching a deadly strike on the Indonesian Hospital in the territory. Meanwhile, negotiators were engaged in efforts to finalize a deal for the release of some of the approximately 240 hostages taken by Islamist militants during their unprecedented attacks on Israel on October 7.

Also Read: Israel-Hamas conflict: Biden says he believes Gaza hostage release deal near

6. In Tel Aviv's commercial center, families of Israeli children held captive by Hamas joined hundreds of demonstrators outside the UN Children's fund. They called on the organization to advocate for the release of their children.

7. US President Joe Biden on Monday said that he believes a deal to free hostages in Gaza is close. "I believe so," he said during a White House ceremony.

8. The president of the Red Cross travelled to Qatar to meet with Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh. Additionally, separate meetings were held with officials in Qatar, which has played a role in facilitating talks related to the hostages.

Also Read: Israel-Hamas War Highlights: No winners in war where thousands of children are killed, says UN committee

9. Concerns have escalated regarding the severe humanitarian conditions in Gaza, exacerbated by cold autumn rain that has added to the hardship for families residing in tents, transforming dust into mud. The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised alarms about the potential spread of illness, noting 44,000 cases of diarrhoea and 70,000 instances of acute respiratory infections recorded in shelters.

Also Read: Israel-Hamas conflict: BRICS leaders, UN to hold video summit Tuesday on Gaza

10. Yemen's Huthi rebels, supported by Iran, on Sunday said that they had taken control of a cargo ship in the Red Sea, which reportedly has connections to an Israeli businessman. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said, The vessel was hijacked with Iran guidance by the Yemenite Huthi militia", an allegation Iran rejected, AFP reported.

(With inputs from agencies)

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The Japanese government urged residents in the southern region of Okinawa to take shelter after North Korea fire d a missile late Tuesday.

"Missile launch. Missile launch. It appears that the missile was launched from North Korea. Please evacuate inside the building or underground," the office of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said via X.

Later the Japanese government lifted that evacuation warning for residents in the southern region of Okinawa late Tuesday after a missile from North Korea passed over.

"Missile passed. Missile passed. The missile is believed to have passed into the Pacific Ocean around 22:55 (1355 GMT). The call for evacuation is being cancelled," the office of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said via X.

North Korea on Tuesday made an apparent third attempt to place a military spy satellite into orbit, South Korea's military said. The launch marks the latest demonstration of North Korea's determination to build a space-based surveillance system during protracted tensions with the United States.

The launch came earlier than expected, as North Korea had on Tuesday informed Japan that it would launch a satellite between Wednesday and December 1.

It wasnt immediately known whether the launch was successful. But it is certain to invite strong condemnation from the United States and its partners because the U.N. bans North Korea from conducting satellite launches, calling them covers for tests of missile technology.

No further details were immediately available from Seoul, but Japans Prime Ministers Office initially issued a J-Alert missile warning for Okinawa late Tuesday, saying North Korea fired a possible missile. It urged residents to take shelter inside buildings or underground. Within 10 minutes, the office said on X, formerly Twitter, that the missile had passed into the Pacific Ocean, saying it was lifting the earlier advisory.

The office, however, urged residents to stay away from any suspicious objects and to report anything to police or fire departments.

A spy satellite is among the key military assets coveted by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who wants to modernize his weapons systems to cope with what he calls escalating U.S. threats. North Korea attempted to launch a spy satellite twice earlier this year, but both launches ended in failure due to technical issues.

North Korea had vowed a third launch would take place sometime in October. But it didnt follow through with that launch plan without giving any reason. South Korean officials have said the delay occurred likely because North Korea was receiving Russian technological assistance for its spy satellite launch program.

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North Korea has notified Japan it plans to launch a rocket carrying a space satellite between November 22 and December 1 in the direction of the Yellow Sea and East China Sea, Japan's Coast Guard said on Tuesday, November 21.

If carried out, it would likely mark a third attempt by the nuclear-armed state this year to put a spy satellite into orbit.

The notice prompted immediate condemnation from Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who said his country's defence systems, including the Aegis destroyers and PAC-3 air defence missiles, stood ready in case any "unexpected situation" arose.

"Even if the purpose is to launch a satellite, using ballistic missile technology is a violation of a series of United Nations Security Council resolutions," Kishida told reporters. "It is also a matter that greatly affects national security."

Also Read: North Korea fires unspecified ballistic missile off its east coast, 12th this year

Japan will work with the United States, South Korea and others to "strongly urge" North Korea not to go ahead with the launch, Kishida said.

Not First Attempt

North Korea had attempted to launch what it called spy satellites twice earlier this year but failed, and South Korean officials have said in recent days that it appeared set to try again soon.

The secretive country has notified Japan, as the coordinating authority for the International Maritime Organization for those waters, of its plans all three times.

The launch would be the first since North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made a rare trip abroad in September and toured Russia's most modern space launch centre, where President Vladimir Putin promised to help Pyongyang build satellites.

North Korea's notice also follows its denouncement on Monday of the potential US sale of hundreds of missiles to Japan and South Korea, calling it a dangerous act that raises tension in the region and brings a new arms race.

In that statement, carried by the KCNA news agency, the North's defence ministry said Pyongyang would step up measures to establish deterrence and respond to instability in the region, which it said was caused by the US and its allies.

South Korea's defence ministry did not immediately respond to calls seeking comment before business hours. North Korea has not made a formal announcement of the plan on official media.

Pyongyang has been seeking to place a military spy satellite into orbit, saying it plans a fleet of satellites to monitor moves by US and South Korean troops.

North Korea has made multiple attempts to launch what it called "observation" satellites, of which two appeared to have successfully reached orbit including one in 2016, but South Korean officials questioned whether it is transmitting any signal.

The North considers its space and military rocket programmes a sovereign right, and analysts say spy satellites are crucial to improving the effectiveness of its weapons.

The launch, if carried out, would likely come just before South Korea's own plan to launch its first reconnaissance satellite with aid from the US on November 30 by a SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket from the US military's Vandenberg base.

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This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.
The Islamabad High Court Tuesday declared the jail trial of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on charges of leaking state secrets illegal, Reuters reported citing the lawyer of the former prime minister.

"Islamabad High Court has declared illegal the notification for jail trial," Naeem Panjutha, the lawyer of the former prime minister, said in a post on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter).

The special court issued the directives while hearing the appeal filed by the former prime minister against a single-member benchs August 29 notification which had ordered jail authorities to keep Khan in judicial lockup" making confidential diplomatic cable public and keeping it in his possession.

The charges against the former prime minister is related to a confidential diplomatic cable sent to Islamabad by Pakistan's embassy in Washington last year, which he (Imran Khan) is accused of making public. The diplomatic cable reportedly went missing from Khan's possession.

Also Read | UGC to revise National Eligibility Test syllabus, says Chairman Jagadesh Kumar

The former ruling party had said, the diplomatic cable from the Washington embassy contained a threat from the US to topple the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insafs (PTI) government.

The former prime minister, who has been convicted in one graft case and suspended sentence to three years in jail, has been kept in the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi since September 26 when he was shifted there from the District Jail in Attock.

Earlier in August, Pakistans law ministry issued a no-objection certificate (NOC) for the jail trial of the former prime minister as requested by the interior ministry and the special court.

Meanwhile, the former prime minister has said that he has been implicated in dozens of cases to keep him out of politics ahead of general elections in February because of his differences with the powerful Army generals of the country.

Also Read | TCS to take $125 million hit to Q3 earnings over US lawsuit

The general elections in Pakistan are scheduled for February 8, 2024. Former three-time Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has also returned from the UK from self-imposed exile last month.

ICRA More Information

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BERDYCHI, UkraineEvery day, groups of Russian infantry attack the tree lines and pockmarked fields east of this village, which block their push to surround the city of Avdiivka. Every day, Ukrainian troops cut most of them down.

But more Russians keep coming. Depleted Ukrainian units cant shoot them all.

Step by step, they take our positions," said Lt. Oleksandr Shyrshyn, deputy commander of an understrength battalion of Ukraines 47th Mechanized Brigade that is defending a kilometer-long stretch of the front.

The Russian army is accepting heavy casualties as the price of inching forward. For weeks it has thrown tens of thousands of troops at Avdiivka, a shell-scarred industrial city in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine. Russias effort to encircle the town has become this falls biggest battle in President Vladimir Putins war to subjugate Ukraine.

Capturing Avdiivka could open up further local advances for Russia in Donetsk. It would also be a propaganda win for Putin, allowing him to claim that momentum in the war is back with Moscow.

This summer, Ukraine had hoped to take back swaths of the nearly 20% of the country that Russia currently occupies. But Russias well-fortified lines mostly held firm against the counteroffensive. Ukraine pounded Russian troops and logistics but used up several brigades and much Western-supplied ammunition without achieving the territorial breakthrough it wanted.

Even before Ukraines offensive wound down, Russia gathered reserves for its own renewed push on the eastern front.

The battle for Avdiivka could mark the beginning of many months on the defensive for Ukraine. With the U.S. in the grip of partisan paralysis and Europe struggling to boost military production, the uncertain supply of Western ammunition limits what Kyivs army can now attempt. Meanwhile, Moscow smells weakness.

Russias first attacks on Avdiivka in October failed. Columns of tanks and armored troop carriers fell prey to mines, drones and artillery. The Russians changed tactics, sending waves of infantry forward in small groups. The shift echoed Ukraines own switch to foot tactics in its summer offensive after losing too many armored vehicles.

Both armies are struggling to maneuver on open, mined terrain beneath skies buzzing with drones. The difference: Russia, with a population nearly four times Ukraines, can afford to lose untold thousands of soldiers for small gains.

Russias massive losses in the nearly two-year war have left its ground forces reliant on old vehicles and poorly trained conscripts, limiting its offensive potential, for now, to grinding assaults on small cities. Russia lost tens of thousands of men in the 10-month battle for Bakhmut, its last notable victory.

Meanwhile, Ukraine is struggling to replace its infantry losses in the summer counteroffensive and the costly defense of Bakhmut. Ukrainian casualty numbers are a tightly kept secret, but fresh graves and full hospitals around the country testify to the heavy toll.

Ukrainian front-line units are commonly 20% to 40% below full strength, said Ihor Romanenko, a military analyst and retired Ukrainian lieutenant general. Because of the shortage of infantry, those remaining are tired," he said. There is little scope for rest or rotation.

Avdiivka has long been a thorn in the side of Russian forces in eastern Ukraine. The fortified town forms a salient north of Donetsk city, limiting Russian control of the region. Ukrainian troops have held off Russian attacks here since 2014, when Moscow launched a covert invasion of Ukraines east. Only around 1,400 residents remain in Avdiivka, once home to more than 30,000.

Russian troops have surrounded Avdiivka on three sides and have taken the only high ground in the area, a broad slag heap to the northeast, using it to keep Ukrainian armor at bay with antitank missiles. Waves of Russian infantry are trying to assault Avdiivkas sprawling coke plant and have entered the citys southeastern outskirts.

Were still motivated, but were exhausted," said Pvt. Oleksandr Siergeichikov, who has been defending Avdiivka since the spring of 2022 with Ukraines 110th Mechanized Brigade. He described how Russian infantry took the slag heap by crawling over the bodies of their comrades until the Ukrainian defenders ran out of firepower.

The Russians plan is to push further past Avdiivka to the north and south, then cut off its supply roads. Avdiivkas lifeline has shrunk to a gap of less than 4 miles between the jaws of the Russian advance.

The attacking Russian infantry are mostly poorly trained, often bunching up and making easy targets, say Ukrainian soldiers fighting here.

They come like zombies. Some wear headlampsa happy moment for any machine-gunner," said Pvt. Bohdan Lysenko, who mans the 25 mm automatic cannon on a U.S.-made Bradley Fighting Vehicle with the 47th Brigade.

Drone images show fields littered with the bodies of Russian infantry hit by artillery, including U.S.-supplied cluster munitions. But the Russians keep coming.

Theyre not stupid. Its a strategy," said Cpl. Mykhailo Kotsyurba, a Bradley commander in the same company as Lysenko. They look for weak points, then go there. We dont have enough ammunition, but they have enough people."

Some Russians give themselves up rather than continue with near-suicidal assaults. They often say they walked into Ukrainian positions by accident. Voluntary surrender is a crime in Russia.

Our commanders, despite the circumstances, are given orders to take positions that are impossible to hold. Thats why we have such losses among the ordinary soldiers," said Andrei Bednyaev, an infantryman from Russias 114th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade. They treat us as waste material."

Bednyaev, who volunteered to speak to The Wall Street Journal in a makeshift Ukrainian holding facility, said he was captured while disoriented after an exploding drone blasted a brick wall at him.

The 47th Brigade, formed to take part in Ukraines counteroffensive, was trained by U.S. troops in Germany, armed with Bradleys and German-made Leopard 2 tanks, and thrown at Russias densely mined lines in the southern Zaporizhzhia region this summer. The slow pace of Western arms deliveries had given the Russians many months to prepare their defenses. Poor planning, reconnaissance and coordination also cost the Ukrainians, say troops who fought in the offensive. In August, the 47th took part in the capture of Robotyne, the only breach in the Russians main fortified line. But the brigade was exhausted and needed rebuilding.

In October, the 47th was sent to shore up the defense of Avdiivka. When the Russians saw their Bradleys and Leopards, they moved more drone units to the area to counter them.

Lt. Shyrshyns battalion, once made up of highly motivated volunteers, now relies mostly on briefly trained conscripts. The unit compensates by using its Bradleys in a mobile defense. Here you can use the potential of Bradleys more effectively than in Zaporizhzhia, where it was impossible to maneuver."

North of Avdiivka, the Russians have crossed a fiercely contested railroad track and now need to capture the villages of Stepove and Berdychi to progress. Soldiers fight and die to control the tree lines crisscrossing the abandoned farmland, where Ukraines fertile black soil is covered in craters.

A layer of cold mud clings to roads, vehicles and troops. The first winter snow is falling. Shells whistle high overhead.

A Russian special assault unit recently stormed some of the houses in Stepove. A Ukrainian Bradley raced up and down the street, pulverizing the houses with its cannon. This is the best vehicle I have ever seen," said Shyrshyn, rewatching the drone footage. Some Russians fled into a basement. A Ukrainian drone followed them inside and detonated its payload.

Shyrshyn grew up in Crimea speaking Russian but left after Moscow annexed the peninsula in 2014. I saw troops on the streets and Putin lying about it on TV, and I understood that they are not our brothers," he said. He switched to speaking Ukrainian and joined the army on Feb. 24 last year, the day Russia launched its full-scale invasion.

The 47th tries to cancel Russian advances with counterattacks. Their tactics, ordered from on high, often rely on costly frontal assaults. Kotsyurba and Lysenkos unit was ordered to retake a lost tree line with six Bradleys, each carrying six infantrymen. Reconnaissance on the Russians numbers was limited. The enemy also held a perpendicular tree line, so that the Ukrainian assault would be under fire from the flank. I told the general the plan was unrealistic," said Kotsyurba.

Lysenko judged from experience that the attack would end in a slaughter. He refused to take part and was fined a months salary and bonus. I paid 120,000 hryvnias for my life," he said of the sum, equivalent to $3,300.

The assault went ahead regardless, with the Bradleys unloading their troops at the tree line under heavy fire. The trenches contained far more Russians than expected. Their machine guns and grenades killed 17 of the Ukrainian infantry. The rest escaped in Bradleys that bore scars from rocket-propelled grenades.

Kotsyurba and Lysenkos company began the summer with 120 men. Its now down to around 20, including replacements. The rest are dead, wounded or have been transferred away from assault duties. The new faces are mostly over 40 years old, some in poor health.

Many veterans of the 47th blame Ukraines struggles this year on Soviet-style commanders whose rigid tactics have thinned their Western-trained ranks.

We dont have a chance playing war-of-exhaustion with Russia," said Lysenko. We need a fundamental change in our army."

Write to Marcus Walker at Marcus.Walker@wsj.com
Vivek Ramaswamy, an Indian-American entrepreneur, is among one of the seven Republican candidates struggling to be their party's presidential nominee ahead of the 2024 US general election. He hinted at a possible surprise in the race before heading to an event.

Also read: US Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy impressed with PM Modi, calls 'India a reliable partner' In a social media post on X, Ramaswamy said, "6 events across eastern and north-eastern heading towards number 5 of the 6 events .. Across the first four events, the people who show up at our events disproportionately have not been to a contest before these people are polled. So the polled numbers" He further added, "We are on the track to deliver essentially a major surprise."

A Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll survey showed that 67% of GOP voters said they would back the former president Donald Trump in the Republican presidential primary while 9 percent voted for Ron DeSantis and 8 percent for Nikki Haley. In this survey, Vivek Ramaswamy received 5% votes and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie received 3%, Asa Hutchinson and Doug Burgum received minimal votes reported The Hill.

President Joe Biden is the Democratic Party's speculative nominee. Moreover, the poll indicated Trump leading President Biden with 48% of votes while Biden amassed 41% of votes.

Trump skipped all of the previous three GOP debates instead he held counterprogramming events. However, according to polls, he has been widely leading the primary field in both national and early state polling.

Earlier, on November 18, Ramaswamy opened up about his faith at 'The Family Leader' forum organised by The Daily Signal platform. He drew parallels between the teachings of Hinduism and Christianity and shared his intention to promote shared values for the benefit of the next generation. He said that his faith provides him with freedom and motivates him to undertake this presidential campaign as a moral obligation.

In 2022, Ramaswamy started a company to pressure firms to abandon environmental, social and corporate governance initiatives. Ramaswamy is an ardent supporter of former US president Donald Trump and has even said that if he won the White House, he would forgive Trump, reported Reuters.

(With agency inputs)

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Apple, IBM, Disney, Warner Brothers, Comcast/NBCU, Paramount, Discovery - that's only some of the major advertisers who have abandoned X (formerly Twitter) en masse in the past few days. Most of these companies say they have paused" advertising on X, but this is the busy season and there's no timeline to suggest how long these pauses might last.

It is estimated that ad revenues this year on X will drop at least 50% compared with 2022. The social media platform is heavily dependent on ad revenues which contributed around $4 billion of its total revenues of $4.4 billion in 2022.

While advertisers had already turned cautious about X due to its unsatisfactory moderation processes, the trigger for the pullout was Elon Musks recent endorsement of a weird conspiracy theory associated with racist antisemitic groups. We arent keen to amplify what he said and arent, therefore, repeating it here but for those interested, the details can be accessed across the mainstream media.

IBM pulled out after explicitly citing the statement, calling it unacceptable". Even the White House issued a condemnation, It is unacceptable to repeat the hideous lie".

Instead of retracting the statement, Musk has threatened to sue media watchdogs and organizations that have pointed out issues with moderation.

It's not surprising that X has problems flagging hate speech since Musk has sacked 80% of the workforce, including most of the erstwhile moderation team. This has resulted in plenty of hate speech remaining on the platform for long periods. Musk has threatened to sue the Anti Defamation League, a Jewish NGO that combats antisemitic sentiments for pointing out the rising trend of hate speech on X.

The last straw for many advertisers might have been ad-placement. Watchdog organisation Media Matters recently released a study that showed how major advertisers had their ads placed in proximity to Pro-Nazi posts. Musk has also publicly threatened to sue Media Matters while admitting this has actually happened.

Ads in proximity to inappropriate content are the kiss of death for advertisers. It is especially important not to get this wrong online, where context is so crucial. The European Commission cited concerns on this front in freezing ads on X we have concerns that such content appears in an inappropriate context and thus affects the effectiveness of our communication." This is why platforms like YouTube and X demonetise" controversial content and refuse to place ads in proximity to such content, even when they don't remove the content.

X CEO Linda Yaccarino says the offending content has been demonetised. Yaccarino herself is from an advertising background and several senior advertising professionals have reportedly advised her to resign instead of trying to rein her boss in.

The festive period around Christmas and New Year is the biggest season for advertising and marketers. X would need to institute a lightning image makeover to convince advertisers that it can meet their concerns.

But the question remains: Can X survive Musk? In October 2022, Musk paid around $44 bn to take over Twitter after a long and complicated legal battle. He had first made a takeover bid in April 2022. He started a large-scale reorganisation, sacked most of the employees, introduced the concept of a paid blue tick, long posts, etc. He also changed the name in April along with the logo as part of the rebranding.

In 2021, Twitter declared revenues of $5bn and a loss of $221 million. Around $4.5 billion came from advertising. In 2022, it had $4.4 billion in revenues and about $4 billion was from advertising. This year (2023) ad revenues could shrink by 50% or more according to industry estimates. The company has a debt service burden of about $1 billion on $13 billion borrowed by Musk against its anticipated cashflows.

In May 2023, Fidelity (which owns a stake from before the Musk takeover) valued the company at $15 billion. In October, Bloomberg cited the pricing of stock options given to employees to calculate a valuation of $19 bn. That was before the big advertisers walked out. That's an epic story of value destruction.

Elon Musk remains the richest man in the world but even for him, this would hurt. A surge of 60% in Teslas market cap since January has helped to balance the losses in X. And, yes, large shareholders in Tesla have suggested Musk should be sent on leave or suspended as CEO because of the negative impact of his posts on the carmakers brand. That would certainly sting.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping is seizing on the conflict in Gaza to portray his country as a force for stability in the Muslim world, in contrast with what Beijing casts as American meddling in the Middle East.

In recent weeks, China has ramped up its appeals to halt the Israel-Gaza war, a show of diplomatic bustle laden with humanitarian platitudes but light on substantive proposals for achieving a cease-fire.

Chinas foreign minister on Monday hosted top diplomats from Arab and Muslim-majority countries in Beijing to discuss ways to mediate peace, building on efforts by Beijings Middle East envoy, who shuttled across the region this month to pledge Chinese support for talks to end the fighting in Gaza.

Xi has weighed in as well. Fresh from his San Francisco summit with President Biden last week, the Chinese leader discussed the Israel-Hamas conflict with French President Emmanuel Macron in a Monday phone call, before joining fellow leaders from the Brics bloc of emerging economies for a videoconference on the war the following day.

Xi agreed with Macron that the two-state solution is the fundamental way to resolve the cycle of Palestinian-Israeli conflict," according to the Chinese Foreign Ministrys readout of the meeting.

Chinas burst of diplomacy around Gaza is meant more to boost its image as a responsible global power than deliver substantive progress in resolving the decadeslong conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, experts on Chinese foreign policy said.

The Chinese do not bear the illusion that they can create a solution that no one thought of before," said Yun Sun, director of the China Program at the Stimson Center, a Washington think tank. If solving the issue is unlikely, then it is more important for China to be present at the table, to play an active role, and to claim leadership when possible."

Under Xi, China has leaned more forcefully into its self-styled status as a champion of peace and humanitarian values, often in contrast with what Beijing criticizes as U.S. warmongering in global hot spots. Since Hamas launched the Oct. 7 attacks on southern Israel that sparked the war, Chinese officials have repeatedly urged an immediate cease-fire and voiced support for Palestinian statehood, while state media accused Washington of pro-Israel bias and meddling in the Middle East.

The U.S., while committed to helping Israel defeat Hamas, has been pressing for Israeli restraint, including calls to minimize civilian casualties and allow a pause in the fighting to get humanitarian aid to people in Gaza.

Beijing has sharpened its focus on the Muslim world in recent years, stepping up engagement with Middle Eastern and other powers as it sought to temper criticism of the Communist Partys efforts to forcibly assimilate Muslim Uyghurs in Xinjiang. It also notably brokered a detente between Saudi Arabia and Iran this past spring.

Chinese diplomats are now tapping these gains as they try to mediate in the Israel-Gaza conflict.

On Monday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi chaired a meeting in Beijing with visiting foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia and the Palestinian National Authority, as well as the secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the worlds largest grouping of Muslim nations.

China is a good friend and brother of Arab and Islamic countries," said Wang, who restated Beijings willingness to work with partners in the Muslim world to end the Israel-Gaza war and forge a lasting peace. Israel should stop the collective punishment of the people of Gaza and open a humanitarian corridor as soon as possible to prevent a wider humanitarian disaster," Wang was quoted as saying in the Chinese readout.

The visiting foreign ministers said Arab and Islamic countries hope to work more closely with China to restart peace talks and promote the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the basis of the two-state solution, according to the Chinese readout.

The Beijing confab came after Chinas special envoy on the Middle East, Zhai Jun, pressed his governments peacemaking messages in meetings around the region in recent weeks, most recently at last weeks Manama Dialogue, an annual security forum in Bahrain.

China has avoided directly condemning Hamas for its Oct. 7 attacks while issuing broad denunciations of violence against civiliansin contrast with Washingtons preference for censuring Hamas in diplomatic statements about Gaza, including at the United Nations.

At a U.N. Security Council meeting last week, China backed a resolution calling for humanitarian pauses and corridors through the Gaza Strip to facilitate the provision of essential goods and services," which the council approved. Beijings representative at the meeting also expressed concern over the siege of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza, which Israel said was being used for operations by Hamas militants, and urged Israel to cease military operations against civilian facilities.

China is aligning itself with pro-Palestinian constituencies, as well as anti-Israel and anti-U.S. voices in the Middle East and elsewhere, said Enrico Fardella, a professor at the University of Naples LOrientale and director of the ChinaMed Project, which studies Beijings influence in the wider Mediterranean region.

The goal is to maximize the gains for Beijings international status at minimum cost," by showing the superiority of its own diplomatic action in the face of the Americans one-sided and pro-Israel position," he said.

Beijings perceived partiality toward the Palestinians and limited leverage over Israel, however, would likely curtail its ability to shape a speedy resolution to the war, some experts say.

Siding with Palestine is not going to contribute to the solution of the issue, and it does not project an image of neutrality," said Sun at the Stimson Center. Its similar to the Ukraine warwhile China thinks it is being fair and neutral, people see it as pro-Russia."

Israel meanwhile has pressed ahead with its military campaign in Gaza, where Israeli forces have largely taken control of the northern parts of the territory and are shifting the focus of their operations to southern Gaza.

While Beijing can exert some influence in Middle East affairs, thanks to its ties with Iran, its power to shape events in the region is quite limited," said Nurettin Akcay, a guest researcher at Shanghai University who has studied China-Middle East relations. The ongoing crisis has presented certain opportunities for China, but it has also underscored the reality that China lacks the required hard power to pursue its objectives."

Write to Chun Han Wong at chunhan.wong@wsj.com

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LEHAVOT HABASHAN, IsraelIn the days after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks in southern Israel, Orna Rayn searched frantically for someone to build a wooden barricade to secure the door of a safe room in her house about 6 miles from the Lebanon border.

Rayns sister, Einat Rothem-Nechushtan, moved into the safe room on Oct. 10, even before the Israeli government ordered the evacuation of her own small farming community in northern Israel because of fears of all-out war with Hezbollah, the Iran-backed army in Lebanon.

For weeks now, the southern Lebanon hills less than 2 miles from Rothem-Nechushtans home in Shear Yashuv have become an undeclared second front for the Israeli military, while it tries to rout Hamas fighters from the Gaza Strip 165 miles to the south.

The sisters have mapped out a plan of escape if Hezbollah fighters stage an Oct. 7-style cross-border attack.

This is the first time in my life that I dont feel safe in my home," said Rothem-Nechushtan, 54 years old, who remained at her familys bed-and-breakfast near the Lebanon border throughout Israels 34-day war with Hezbollah in 2006, even after a rocket injured one of her neighbors.

Many Israelis who live near the border say their military cant end the fighting without assuring them that Hezbollah cant do to them what Hamas did to Israelis in the south. Israeli military officials have amplified the pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to deliver a decisive blow.

The issue has become a point of contention in Israels war cabinet, where Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has pushed for broader military action against Hezbollah, and in Washington, where the Biden administration has put consistent pressure on Israel to refrain from taking provocative steps in Lebanon that could drag the American military deeper into the fight.

On Monday, Amos Hochstein, a senior Biden adviser who recently traveled to Lebanon, arrived in Israel to continue U.S. efforts to prevent the fighting from escalating.

Netanyahu has so far acceded to American pressure, but military officials say Israel is one deadly Hezbollah strike away from a new war in Lebanon. Netanyahu, aides say, hopes that a clear victory over Hamas in Gaza will push Hezbollah to pull its forces back from Lebanons southern border with Israel.

I have warned Hezbollah: Do not make a mistake and enter the war because this will be the mistake of your lives," Netanyahu said earlier this month. Your entry into the war will decide Lebanons fate."

Tens of thousands of Israelis from 42 communities near the Lebanon border have been officially evacuated by the government because of fears that weeks of low-level Hezbollah attacks on Israel could erupt into a full-fledged war.

I think that we are in a once-in-a-lifetime chance to do something serious," said Gideon Harari, a 66-year-old retired military officer who stayed behind in Shear Yashuv as a member of the communitys local security force. People will not come back because they are afraid, so you should do it now."

Hezbollah and Hamas militants in southern Lebanon have used rockets, mortars and drones to attack northern Israel. Israel has responded with airstrikes and artillery fire. On Monday, Hezbollah said it fired four more-powerful missiles at an Israeli base and an Israeli news outlet showed extensive damage from the apparent attack, which the Israeli military didnt discuss.

More than 70 Hezbollah fighters and 10 Lebanese civilians have been killed and 10 people, including seven Israeli soldiers, have been killed along the border in the past month, the deadliest surge in violence here since 2006.

If the Israeli invasion of Gaza has taken a high civilian toll, Israeli officials say a war with Hezbollah could be worse. In 2006, Israeli airstrikes killed more than 1,100 people, most of them civilians, according to human-rights groups. Israeli missiles flattened large sections of Hezbollah-controlled neighborhoods in Beirut, a city with a population greater than the entire Gaza Strip.

Those who will pay the price first and foremost are Lebanons civilians," Gallant recently told soldiers at the border. What we are doing in Gaza we can do in Beirut."

More than 13,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, most of them women and children, have been killed since Oct. 7, according to authorities in the Hamas-run enclave. The figures dont distinguish between militants and civilians.

In southern Lebanon, fears of war have spurred more than 23,000 civilians to flee, according to Lebanese government estimates.

Nemre El-Sayed, 85, left her home about 3 miles from the Israel border during the 2006 war. This time she has been living for a month in a temporary shelter in the coastal town of Tyre, bracing for the worst.

We are tired of wars and repeating the same struggle," she said. No one wants the war."

Israeli officials estimate that Hezbollah has more than 150,000 missiles, including hundreds capable of hitting precise targets. Hezbollah could fire 3,000 missiles a day, officials estimate, which would put immense strains on Israels air-defense system.

The more immediate fear for many residents of northern Israel is of Hezbollah fighters crossing the border to kill women and children as Hamas did on Oct. 7, when more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed, according to Israeli officials. Israeli officials say that there are thousands of Hezbollah fighters positioned along the border.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, pressing for a cease-fire in early November, said the time wasnt right for all-out war, while his groups sponsors in Iran have warned of the situation spiraling out of control for Israel and the U.S. if the Gaza offensive continues.

Israeli soldiers have transformed northern border towns and villages into unofficial military camps, with tanks in the streets, armored vehicles parked beside playgrounds and foot soldiers sleeping in tents in citrus groves. Security officials in border communities estimate that 100,000 Israeli soldiers have set up on the border, a figure the Israeli military declined to discuss.

Special trainers have been sent to villages to refresh the fighting skills of reservists, including in hand-to-hand combat.

A war is inevitable," said a 25-year-old Israeli paratrooper from Tel Aviv while his unit set up next to grapefruit and orange trees. Its not an if, its a when."

The soldier said Israel had to do something now.

Hezbollah is much better trained and more powerful than Hamas," he said. Either we have a lot of casualties on our end, or its almost like complete destruction of Beirut and southern Lebanon."

Israeli border resident Lior Shelef slept in bomb shelters as a child, and as an adult, in the mid-1990s, served as a soldier in southern Lebanon, where more than 250 Israeli soldiers died in combat between 1985 and 2000. His wife and three children are among those who have left their small town near the border.

I dont want my kids to grow up the way I did," he said, as Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah positions echoed through the valleys.

Shelef wants to see Israel fight Hezbollah without sending in ground forces. I dont see a way besides war," he said, cradling a rifle, butI dont think Israel wants to go back to the years of the Lebanese mud."

Shelef said the Israeli military, or world leaders, will have to get Hezbollah to pull all of its forces out of southern Lebanon, as required by the United Nations resolution that ended the 2006 war.

We need to find a way to make sure that Hezbollah wont be there before people come back," he said. Everything changed after Oct. 7."

Adam Chamseddine in Tyre, Lebanon, contributed to this article.

Write to Dion Nissenbaum at dion.nissenbaum@wsj.com
Scholars of happiness have found that close relationships are one of the critical ingredients of a contented life. What is true in general is also true of the workplace, according to research by Gallup. The pollster finds that having a best friend at work" is closely associated with all manner of good things, from greater employee engagement to higher retention and better safety records.

At some level, that is unremarkable. Spending time with people you like makes most things more appealing, including work. If a job is sufficiently humdrum, camaraderie among colleagues can be the main draw. The support of friends can also encourage people to try new things. A study from 2015 by Erica Field of Duke University, and her co-authors, looked at the impact of business training given to Indian women. Women who attended the course with a friend were more likely to end up taking out loans than those who came alone.

The reverse also applies. Antagonistic relationships with co-workers are always likely to make working life miserable. A study conducted by Valerie Good of Grand Valley State University found that loneliness has an adverse effect on the performance of salespeople. Among other things, they start spending more on wining and dining their customers. The only thing worse than a salesperson who sees you as a way to make money is one who wants your company.

So friends matter. The problems come when managers see the words higher employee engagement" and leap to the conclusion that they should try to engineer work friendships. In a report published last year Gallup gave the example of an unnamed organisation which has a weekly companywide meeting that spotlights one employees best friend at work. Its not known if, in the Q&A, others pop up to sob: But I thought we were best friends at work."

Startups also offer services to encourage work friendships. One monitors the depth of connections between people in different teams. It identifies shared interests (gluten-free baking, say, or workplace surveillance) between employees who dont know each other and arranges meetings between them. You thought life was bad? At least you are not making crumpets with a stranger in finance.

It is a mistake for managers to wade into the business of friend-making, and not just because it royally misses the point. The defining characteristic of friendship is that it is voluntary. Employees are adults; they dont need their managers to arrange play-dates. And the workplace throws people together, often under testing conditions: friendships will naturally follow.

The bigger problem is that workplace friendships are more double-edged than their advocates allow. They can quickly become messy when power dynamics change. The transition from friend to boss, or from friend to underling, is an inherently awkward one (This is your final warning. Fancy a pint?").

And friendships have the potential to look a lot like cronyism. A clever study by Zoe Cullen of Harvard Business School and Ricardo Perez-Truglia of University of California, Berkeley, found that employees social interactions with their managers could give their career prospects a boost relative to others.

The researchers looked at promotions of smokers and non-smokers who worked for a large bank in South-East Asia, hypothesising that sharing smoking breaks with managers who also indulged might give workers a leg up. And so it did. Smokers who moved from a non-smoking boss to a puffer were promoted more quickly than those who moved to another non-smoker. The authors found that social interactions did not just help smokers; socialising between male managers and male employees played a large role in perpetuating gender pay gaps. If firms are going to make friendship their business, they should worry about its downsides, too.

Companies should facilitate interactions between employees, particularly in a world of hybrid and remote working. Social gatherings and buddy systems are reasonable ways to encourage colleagues to meet each other and to foster a culture. But a high-quality work relationship does not require friendship. It requires respect for each others competence, a level of trust and a desire to reach the same goal; it doesnt need birthday cards and a shared interest in quiltmaking. Firms should do what they can to encourage these kinds of relationships. If individuals want to take it further, its entirely up to them.

Read more from Bartleby, our columnist on management and work:

Who is the most important person in your company? (Sep 14th)

Networking for introverts: a how-to guide (Sep 7th)

The best bosses know how to subtract work (Aug 31st)

Also: How the Bartleby 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
Music streaming giant Spotify pays Google a zero percent commission when users buy its subscription on Android if the payment is made using Spotify's own payment system, and only a 4% commission if the payment is processed by Google, The Verge reported, citing a senior Google executive. The California-based company usually charges a 15% commission for in-app subscriptions, while the fee is reduced by 4% when app makers use the User Choice Billing programme, where they don't use Google to process the payment.

The Verge report notes that the details of this generous deal offered by Google to Spotify were revealed during the Epic vs. Google antitrust trial being held in San Francisco. Interestingly, the company fought hard to keep the Spotify deal private, arguing that it could hamper its negotiations with other app developers who might want an even better rate.

Later on, Google spokesperson Dan Jackson also confirmed the news in a statement made to The Verge, he said, A small number of developers that invest more directly in Android and Play may have different service fees as part of a broader partnership that includes substantial financial investments and product integrations across different form factors. These key investment partnerships allow us to bring more users to Android and Play by continuously improving the experience for all users and creating new opportunities for all developers,"

What is Epic-Google trial about?

Epic, the maker of the popular mobile game Fortnite, has filed a lawsuit against Google, accusing the search giant of illegal price gouging by taking commissions of between 15% and 30% on in-app digital transactions, AP reported.

Meanwhile, Fortnite CEO Tim Sweeney took the stand in the antitrust trial on Monday, where he claimed that Google Play Store policies are illegal and allow Google to maintain a monopoly in the mobile app distribution market, reported Bloobmerg.

Sweeney said that before Fortnite launched in 2018, Google called him to the California office and tried to convince him to release Fortnite through the Play Store with a series of financial incentives, which his company refused, reported AP.

Speaking at the trial, Sweeney said, It seemed like a crooked arrangementGoogle was proposing a series of side deals, which seemed designed to convince Epic not to compete against them."

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US Senate Judiciary Committee has issued subpoenas to the CEOs of three tech companies - Discord , Snap and X (formerly Twitter ) - to compel them to testify at a hearing on 6 December on the sexual exploitation of children online.

The committee is chaired by Democratic Senator Dick Durbin and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. The two senators said on Monday they had issued subpoenas to Snap CEO Evan Spiegel, X CEO Linda Yaccarino and Discord CEO Jason Citron after the top executives refused to appear before the committee during weeks of negotiations, AP reported.

Committee members also noted that these three CEOs refused to cooperate with the service of subpoenas and that the assistance of the US Marshal Service was eventually enlisted to "personally serve the subpoenas", Reuters reported.

Senator Dick Durbin while informing about the subpoenas on X (formerly Twitter) wrote, We promised Big Tech that theyd have their chance to explain their failures to protect kids. Nows that chance. Im hauling in Big Tech CEOs before the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify on their failure to protect kids online."

Meanwhile, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew are expected to voluntarily testify at a future hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

In a joint statement about the hearings, the two senators wrote (as quoted by CNBC), Since the beginning of this Congress, our Committee has rallied around a key bipartisan issue: protecting children from the dangers of the online worldIts at the top of every parents mind, and Big Techs failure to police itself at the expense of our kids cannot go unanswered."

Meanwhile, Wilfredo Fernandez, head of US & Canada Government Affairs for X in a statement quoted by Reuters said that the company has been, "working in good faith to participate in the Judiciary committees hearing on child protection online as safety is our top priority at X. Today we are communicating our updated availability to participate in a hearing on this important issue."

(With inputs from Reuters, AP)

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Diversification Strategy

Stressed the importance of diversification across asset classes, regions, and sectors to manage risk and achieve long-term financial goals.
A convicted child molester has been found guilty of hacking the jumbotron at the Jacksonville Jaguars' stadium after the team learned he was a registered sex offender and fired him
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Two Longford mothers charged with fraudulently carrying out a string of transactions while using a stolen Revolut card have come in for criticism over their delays in handing in compensation to the court.

Sylvia Nevin (34) 41 Grian Ard, Ardnacassa, Longford and Winnifred Nevin (32), also known as Winnie Mooney, 4 Camlin View, Longford were both charged with a series of theft related offences at several shops in Longford town on March 6 2022.

They included thefts at Fresh Today, Longford Shopping Centre, Day Today, The Kiosk, 57 Dublin Street, Longford, Iceland, Athlone Road, Longford, Mr Price, Athlone Road, Longford, The Checkout, Ballymahon Street, Longford and Tesco, Longford Shopping Centre.

The court had previously heard the alleged incidents resulted in the loss of 234 to the injured party.

The stolen card was allegedly taken from the male victim inside the doors of a local fast food restaurant.

This matter relates to an incident where a revolut card was obtained from the injured party in a takeaway in Longford and gardai found out there was a number of transactions on that revolut card, said Sgt Mark Mahon.

The total amount the injured party was out of pocket was 234.76. It would appear there would be seven different transactions that brought it up to that amount at various different locations.

Judge Bernadette Owens accepted jurisdiction in the case, meaning the matter could be dealt with at District Court level.

However, when the case returned before Longford District Court last Tuesday, Judge Owens was told that neither women were in a position to tender money to the court.

Judge Owens took issue with that revelation and bemoaned how the charges placed in front of her dated back over 18 months.

These offences go back to March 6, 2022 and to come in here and say that people have to wait at a timescale that suits them is entirely unacceptable, she said.

Judge Owens said she would be willing to give both accused one final chance, but warned that by adjourning the case for two weeks, the onus was very much on both women to adhere to the courts directions.

The case will be finalised and if no money is in court, I will finalise it with no restitution for the injured party and I will apply a sentence accordingly, she said.

Both women were remanded on continuing bail to a sitting of Longford District Court on November 21.
Crime

By Chris Boyle Published: November 21 2023

Jesperson, 68, also said that Heuermann wrote back to him, essentially saying that he would think about it.

Keith Jesperson, otherwise known as the infamous "Happy Face Killer," has revealed that has had cooresponace with the notorious Rex Heuermann, during which he said that he urged the accused Gilgo Beach Killer to confess to his alleged crimes.

Jesperson, 68, also said that Heuermann wrote back to him, essentially saying that he would think about his words.

Jesperson is a serial killer who murdered at least eight women in the United States during the early 1990s; he was known as the "Happy Face Killer" because he drew smiley faces on his many letters to the media and authorities. He is currently sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.

Massapequa Park resident Heuermann made national headlines when was arrested on July 13 as a suspect in the Gilgo Beach case; he was charged the following day in the murders of three of "the Gilgo Four" victims: Amber Lynn Costello, 27, Melissa Barthelemy, 24, and Megan Waterman, 22.

Authorities say he may have been involved with the deaths of additional victims connected to the case as well, and is also currently the prime suspect in the death of Maureen Brainard-Barnes, 25.

Heuermann has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Jesperson said in a video posted by the Okaloosa County, Florida Sheriff's Office that he wrote to Heuermann and shared his experiences with the accused murderer and encouraged him to come clean about his purported deeds.

"Like I tried to explain to other killers who are arrested, I write to them, and I tell them how the system works. When you're dealing with serial crimes, there's a difference than a single murder. You open yourself up for litigation across the board," he said. "You have no say in the matter, it continues, and continues, and continues. So I always try to tell people to own it. Just admit it. If you're arrested, it means the prosecutor has enough evidence to take you to court and prove you guilty. They wouldn't have arrested him if they didn't, right?"

In his response, Heuermann wrote that he would take Jesperson's advice "under advisement."

Heuermann's letter, which has been publically released, also contains complaints about the quality of the food at the Suffolk County Correctional Facility (SCCF) and the lack of activities available to him in its yard.

"I will admit that food at SCCF is not much to look forward to each day," Heuermann's letter reads. "Also yard is just walking in circles outside."

The accused Gilgo Beach Killer also noted that he's been getting a number of letters from other individuals while he has been incarcerated from people wanting to either interview or befriend him.
Police: Brentwood Repairman Arrested After Charging Client Nearly $4,000 for Work He Never Did

Crime

By Chris Boyle Published: November 21 2023

Francis Warner, 41, is charged with Grand Larceny 3rd Degree; detectives are asking anyone who may have been a victim of Warner to call the Fifth Squad at 631-854-8538.

Suffolk County Police today arrested a Brentwood man who charged a North Bellport man for home repairs and never completed the work.

A North Bellport man notified police on November 13 that in October, he hired Francis Warner, of Warner Brothers Air Max HVAC, to do work on his home and Warner, the owner of the company, agreed to a cash payment of $3,850 and never returned to complete the work.

Warner, 41, of Brentwood, was arrested during a traffic stop in Brentwood at 11 a.m. Fifth Squad detectives charged Warner with Grand Larceny 3rd Degree. He is being held overnight at the Fifth Precinct and will be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on November 22.

Detectives are asking anyone who may have been a victim of Warner to call the Fifth Squad at 631-854-8538.
Crime

By Chris Boyle Published: November 21 2023

Two women stole credit cards from a purse on a chair at of BiVio Ristorante and later used the credit cards at BJs Wholesale Club in Commack, cops say.

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Second Squad detectives are seeking the publics help to identify and locate two women who stole credit cards from a Huntington restaurant in November.

Two women stole credit cards from a purse on a chair at of BiVio Ristorante, located at 1801 East Jericho Turnpike, on November 4 at approximately 9 p.m. The women later used the credit cards at BJs Wholesale Club in Commack. The women fled in a gray Kia Soul, possibly with Connecticut license plates.
Hezbollah carried out attacks on northern Israel on November 20. The first occurred in the morning toward a number of border areas stretching from the small Bedouin town of Arab al-Aramshe to Biranit and Aramshe. Social media accounts claimed that one rocket launched caused damage near Biranit. The IDF said as a result of the launches toward the area of Biranit, a fire broke out. IDF and Israel Fire and Rescue Services are at the scene.

The IDF carried out retaliatory fire to each assault. The IDF published a video of one of the retaliatory strikes. In the second round of Hezbollah attacks, more than 25 rockets were launched. In response to the launches toward Israeli territory earlier today, IDF tanks, a fighter jet, and a helicopter struck Hezbollah terror infrastructure in Lebanon, the IDF said.

Weather across Israel was stormy on Monday, continuing a weekend storm that has brought rain and flooding. The IDF has distributed winter gear to soldiers, particularly in northern Israel. A senior IDF official asked about the bad weather during a briefing to be reported on Monday and noted that the weather affects both Israel and Israels enemies. The IDF can fight in winter, he asserted. Nevertheless, the weather poses a challenge. When I visited an artillery unit on the border of Gaza last year, the shells had to be covered as a brief rain set in. The fields around Gaza will now turn to mud, and Gaza is susceptible to flooding. This can also exacerbate humanitarian issues in southern Gaza, where many people have fled. Numerous countries are sending aid to Gaza via Egypt. Frances Minister of Defense also said on Monday that Paris is sending the Dixmude helicopter carrier to provide humanitarian support off the coast of Egypt.

On Monday night, November 20, several rockets were fired from Gaza at central Israel. Israel used both its Iron Dome and Davids Sling air defense systems to shoot down the threats, the IDF said. Davids Sling is a medium-range interceptor, the middle tier in Israels multi-tiered air defense array. Davids Sling is a groundbreaking air defense solution that continues to prove itself on the battlefield, Shachar Shohat, Vice President for Strategy and Business Development at Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, said in a written statement. The system is playing a crucial role in defending Israel throughout the current conflict over the last month and continues to do so  with remarkable achievements in intercepting a variety of threats, Shohat noted. Israel has also used the Arrow air defense system several times during the recent war. Arrow and Davids Sling were jointly developed with the United States. Arrow was sold to Germany earlier this year, and Davids Sling was sold to Finland. Finalizing this agreement with our partners in Finland is a historic event, and we are confident that they will also be able to benefit from the systems combat-proven capabilities, Shohat said.

The IDF briefing Monday with the IDF official, whose name was not provided by the IDF for security reasons, included details about the impact of ground operations on Hamas battalions. Hamas is organized primarily at the battalion level in Gaza, the officer noted. This is because Hamas only has around 30,000 operatives, according to a subsequent statement from the IDF. As such, it doesnt have enough men to have numerous divisions of fighters. It also fights in a small area. In northern Gaza, where Hamas is now cut off and surrounded from its operatives in the south, ten Hamas battalions have been affected by fighting, the IDF said. Some of these have suffered heavy casualties. With an estimated strength of up to 1,000 fighters per battalion, some have suffered hundreds of casualties. The IDF has also detained hundreds of alleged terrorists in three weeks of ground operations.

The IDF, under the guidance of the Intelligence Directorate, works tirelessly to strike the terrorist organizations operatives across ranks to substantially weaken its capabilities, the IDF said. The new report provides some insight into Hamas capabilities. Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant had said on November 4 that 12 Hamas battalion commanders had already been eliminated. The IDF assesses that Hamas has 140 companies of fighters. In addition, Hamas has various specialized groups with anti-tank missiles, snipers, air defenses, and naval commandos. Israel targeted many of these groups and their commanders over the last month and a half.

The IDF pointed to several examples of Hamas battalions suffering heavy losses. These included the Shati battalion and the Daraj Tuffah battalion. The Shati battalion was located in the Shati neighborhood, a densely populated area near the beach northwest of Gaza City. It was founded as a refugee camp, and refugee camps have historically been centers of Palestinian political and militant activity. Israel sent tanks and infantry into the area beginning on November 10. The Shati battalion lost 200 terrorists, the IDF said on November 20. The battalion is responsible for several central headquarters, including the Shifa Hospital, which is used as a main command center for Hamas activity inside the Gaza Strip, the IDF said. These are all areas the IDF has focused on in recent ground operations. The other battalion, the Daraj Tuffah unit, lost 260 men, the IDF said. This constitutes a major blow to the battalions abilities, the IDF said.

Israel Defense Forces armored and infantry units also operated south of Gaza City in the Zaytun area on November 20. This is the IDF 36th divisions area of operation as it moves north toward Gaza City. At the same time, Gaza City is also being pressured from the north and west. The IDF said that troops have encountered an enemy that is entrenched in the heart of residential neighborhoods, hospitals, schools and kindergartens, and attacks from within civilian infrastructure. The same IDF statement said that the headquarters of the Hamas Gaza City brigade was destroyed in this battle in Zaytun. 65 IDF soldiers have fallen in ground operations, and 388 have been killed since the Hamas attack on October 7.

The IDF stressed that these units cannot replace these losses. Surrounded in Gaza City, Hamas doesnt have access to fresh recruits. More than a million people have left northern Gaza for the south, the IDF estimates. The IDF has been asking civilians to leave since early October. Rocket fire from northern Gaza has also been reduced to near zero, the IDF said.

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.
The U.S. military killed a fighter from the Iranian-backed Hezbollah Brigades in an airstrike in western Iraq on Nov. 21. The Hezbollah Brigades fighter had previously attacked U.S. troops at the Ain al-Asad Air Base.

A U.S. AC-130 gunship carried out an airstrike on a vehicle in the proximity of al-Asad airbase in Iraq, killing several Iran-affiliated militants, Liz Friden from Fox News reported. The vehicle carried out an attack on al-Asad in the last 24 hours, a U.S. defense official told Friden.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a front for Iranian-backed militias, confirmed that one martyr, known as Fadil al-Maksusi, was killed in the battle of truth against falsehood embodied by the American occupation forces in Iraq. Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, one of the larger Iranian proxies in Iraq and Syria, congratulated Hezbollah Brigades on al-Maksusis death.

Hezbollah Brigades is a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization and is led by Ahmad al-Hamidawi. Hezbollah Brigades was founded by Abu Mahdi al Muhandis, who was listed by the U.S. government as a specially designated global terrorist in July 2009 and was described as an advisor to former Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps-Qods Force commander Qassem Soleimani. Muhandis, along with Qaiz Khazali, played a key role in the Shia militias formation and subsequent attacks on U.S., Coalition, and Iraqi forces. The U.S. killed Muhandis and Soleimani in an airstrike in Baghdad in 2020.

Hezbollah Brigades receives training, funds, weapons, intelligence and other key aid from the Qods Force. The terror group is responsible for killing hundreds of American soldiers in Iraq. Despite this, Hezbollah Brigades is part of Iraqs Popular Mobilization Forces, which is an official, independent military arm of the Iraqi government.

Todays attack that killed the Hezbollah Brigades fighter is what the U.S. military has described as a self-defensive strike, or a strike that is designed to prevent an attack on U.S. or allied forces. The U.S. military has launched numerous self-defensive strikes in Somalia as it battles Shabaab.

The U.S. military has launched three other strikes against Iranian-backed militias, but they were unlike todays strike. Those three strikes, all of which took place in Syria and hit weapons depots and a safe house, were designed to deter the militias from attacking U.S. forces. The militias have launched more than 60 attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria using drones, rockets, mortars, missiles, and IEDs. Dozens of American soldiers have been wounded in the militia attacks.

Nearly all of these attacks have been claimed by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI), which was established in 2020 to serve as a clearinghouse for smaller Iran-backed militias. These smaller militias themselves are offshoots or fronts of more established, more prominent militias such as Hezbollah Brigades, Asaib Ahl-al Haq, Harakat Hezbollah al Nujaba, and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada. The IRI adds another layer of plausible deniability for Iran, which directs and supports these proxy militias behind the scenes.

Joe Truzman is a research analyst at FDD's Long War Journal focused primarily on Palestinian militant groups and Hezbollah. Bill Roggio is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Editor of FDD's Long War Journal.

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.
(Alliance News) - Cuts to national insurance for 28 million people will reportedly be at the heart of Chancellor Jeremy Hunt's autumn statement on Wednesday.

His deputy Laura Trott has already indicated that individuals will also benefit from a giveaway in a hint that either income tax or national insurance could be reduced.

The Times reported that the government is set to reduce headline rates of national insurance as well as make permanent a GBP10 billion-a-year tax break for companies that invest in equipment and technology.

With the Bank of England forecasting a stagnant economy in 2024, the Chancellor's Commons statement on Wednesday is expected to focus on backing businesses.

The government has also announced an increase in the national living wage, up from GBP10.42 to GBP11.44 from April, with the policy also extended to cover workers aged 21 and over, rather than 23 and over.

It will mean a GBP1,800 annual pay rise next year for a full-time worker on the living wage, while 18 to 20-year-olds will receive a GBP1.11 hourly rise to GBP8.60.

Treasury Chief Secretary Trott has indicated that workers could be in line for a tax cut.

She told the BBC's Today programme the government would focus on "cutting taxes for individuals".

A tighter approach to welfare is also expected with plans to get people off benefits and into jobs.

Those with mental health or mobility problems could be told to search for jobs that are possible to do from home.

Free prescriptions and legal aid will be cut off for benefits claimants deemed fit to work who do not look for employment, the government announced last week.

By PA Political Staff

Press Association: Finance

source: PA

Copyright 2023 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Gerard Schockmel had publicly said he wanted to be the country's next health minister, but saw the job go to an unelected appointee

Gerard Schockmel, whose prominence during the pandemic as one of the country's top virologists helped him land a seat in parliament, has hit out against his own party and the new minister after he was shunned for the job he had sought.

"The coalition could have appointed me if it had wanted to, but each party is trying to place its personalities," Schockmel told the Luxembourg Times' sister paper Virgule on Friday.

He added that "many people had great expectations that I would become health minister. I am receiving messages from people who are disappointed, including some who work in the hospital sector."

Schockmel, who is a trained doctor and rose to fame during the pandemic as one of the country's top infection experts, won a seat in parliament in the 8 October vote in his first election.

Before and after the vote, the 62-year-old member of the DP had said that he wanted to become the next person in charge of the health ministry, a move that then-Prime Minister Xavier Bettel publicly rebuffed.

The job he coveted went to Martine Deprez, who served in the State Council as a CSV appointee.

Martine Deprez has been appointed health minister and social security minister on Friday, despite not standing in the election  Photo credit: LT archive

He wondered whether she was "democratically legitimate", Schockmel told Virgule, adding that the new government should have appointed someone with experience working in the health sector. Deprez worked as a mathematics teacher for 21 years and had a ten-year stint as a top researcher in the General Inspectorate of Social Security, the budget watchdog of the social security system.

Schockmel's remarks are a striking break with Luxembourg's tradition of consensus-driven politics, where criticism of one's own party and government is rarely aired in public.

Ministers do not need to be elected in Luxembourg as they are appointed by the grand duke. The previous government also included people who had not been on the ballot before their appointment, including Paulette Lenert when she took over the health ministry and Yuriko Backes before taking on the finance brief.

Schockmel is still hoping he could land a spot on the health committee in parliament, which scrutinises the health minister's work, he told Virgule.

He said he would sit in the chamber for a full term and would give up his job at the Robert Schuman hospital at the end of the year to focus on his mandate.
Spanish police today detained three people in their investigation into a murder attempt on the former head of Spain's conservative Partido Popular in Catalonia.

One of the suspects was arrested in the southern port city of Malaga and the other two in Granada, a police source told Reuters, confirming early reports from news website El Confidencial and radio station Cadena SER.

Two of them were Spanish nationals and the third arrested was a British woman, the source said. Police are looking into whether they have links with foreign countries.

Alejo Vidal-Quadras was shot in the face on a sidewalk in the wealthy neighbourhood of Salamanca in central Madrid at 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 9 by a gunman wearing a helmet who fled on a motor bike.

The 78-year-old conservative politician survived the attack as the bullet passed through his jaw but is reportedly still in hospital.

An anti-terrorism court is in charge of case investigation. The court spokesperson was not immediately able to comment.

Vidal-Quadras is former head of the centre-right PP in Catalonia and a founder of Spain's far-right Vox party.

He also served as European Parliament vice-president between 2009 and 2014. He has been a staunch ally of the Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, and exile opposition group that has blamed the Iranian government for the attack.

Police have not confirmed any such theory, and a spokesperson for the Iranian Embassy in Madrid did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In October 2022, Vidal-Quadras was included in an Iranian sanctions list in retaliation for European Union sanctions imposed on the country following the death in custody of 22-year-old Iranian-Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini.

Amini's death triggered months of nationwide protests that represented one of the fiercest challenges to the Islamic Republic since its establishment in 1979.

The Iranian sanctions included a visa and entry ban on Vidal-Quadras and seizure of any property in Iran.
Manchester, VT (05254)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this morning will give way to cloudy skies and rain during the afternoon. High 48F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Rain showers this evening with overcast skies overnight. Low 36F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.
The family of a woman killed after an asthma attack at a cannabis production plant in Holyoke last year has filed a wrongful death lawsuit, claiming her employer failed to properly vent the facility and protect workers from airborne cannabis dust and mold.

Lorna McMurrey, 27, died in early 2022 while working for Trulieve Cannabis in Holyoke. Her death represented the first asthma-related workplace fatality in the American cannabis industry, Massachusetts public health officials announced last week.

The state Department of Public Health said Trulieve had contributed to McMurreys death by not recognizing and controlling ground-up cannabis as a potential respiratory hazard.

The lawsuit filed Tuesday in Hampden County Superior Court names as defendants the Florida-based Trulieve corporation, a company environmental health and safety manager and contractors who installed the HVAC system at the Holyoke cannabis production facility.

The defendants failed to develop and implement appropriate safety [policies] across its facilities throughout the United States, including its Holyoke Facility, Jeremy M. Carroll, an attorney for McMurreys family, said in a statement. Had they done so, Lorna McMurrey would be alive today.

Trulieve did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. In statements last year, the company defended its facility management and said it had proper air filtration systems in place.

Trulieve will continue to operate its facilities in a manner that fully protects the health and safety of all employees, the company said last year, according to CommonWealth magazine. We are confident we did so in January and will continue to do so going forward.

McMurrey died on Jan. 7, seven months after she began work at Trulieve.

At the time of her death, McMurrey worked in the Holyoke facilitys pre-roll joint production room, grinding cannabis buds that left her and other staff covered head to toe in cannabis dust and mold, the lawsuit said.

In November 2021, less than two months before her death, McMurrey suffered an asthma attack while working in the pre-roll production room and was brought by ambulance to a hospital for treatment.

Trulieve was aware of this incident, but took no steps to protect Lorna following her first collapse while inside the Facility, the lawsuit claimed. McMurrey returned to work a day later.

On Jan. 4, 2022, McMurrey had difficulty breathing while working in the cannabis facility and collapsed. An ambulance rushed her to a hospital. She never regained consciousness and died three days later, the lawsuit said.

State officials said last week that McMurrey suffered a severe asthma attack, leading to respiratory failure, cardiac arrest, a brain injury and ultimately her death.

Trulieve last year paid roughly a $14,500 settlement to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration related to McMurreys death. The publicly traded company also announced earlier this year that it was shutting down its operations in Massachusetts, blaming poor business.

McMurrey was a 2013 graduate of Westfield High School and a longtime resident of West Springfield, attorneys for her family said.

Trulieve needs to be held accountable, McMurreys mother, Laura Bruneau, said in a statement. It was their job to protect Lorna. Lorna was my life.

Alongside a report detailing the circumstances of McMurreys death, the Department of Public Health released a bulletin last week noting that other cases of non-fatal respiratory disease have been reported among cannabis production workers in Massachusetts exposed to cannabis dust, mold, pollen and other airborne contaminants.

The bulletin urged healthcare providers to be vigilant in identifying work-related asthma among cannabis business employees.

The legalized cannabis industry in Massachusetts is relatively new and the impact on the health and safety of workers demands our careful attention, Public Health Commissioner Robert Goldstein said in a statement.

About 17% of new-onset adult asthma cases are related to working conditions, but asthma specifically attributed to workplace exposures is underrecognized since data on symptoms and occupation is not routinely collected, state officials said. In Massachusetts, an estimated 200,000 adults have work-related asthma, officials said, citing public health data.
An Attleboro man whose drunk driving caused the death of 36-year-old woman in Norton in June 2020 was sentenced to five to seven years in state prison, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III said Tuesday.

Russell Stone, 63, was sentenced after he pleaded guilty to charges of manslaughter while operating under the influence of alcohol and operating under the influence of alcohol with serious bodily injury in Fall River Superior Court. The charges stemmed from the fatal crash that happened on Oak Street in Norton around 3:51 p.m. on June 7, 2020, Quinn said.

Read More: Milan Lucic pleads not guilty to assault and battery charge

Witnesses said a woman sitting in the front seat of Stones car got out of the vehicle and started screaming at him to slow down. The woman also told investigators that Stone was screaming that he wanted to die before crashing his car into a tree, according to Quinn.

When first responders arrived at the crash, they found Thersea McNutt, 36, of Attleboro, unconscious in the back seat. She had severe head trauma and was pronounced dead, Quinn said. In addition, the woman sitting in the front seat suffered a fractured spine and three fractures in her left arm.

Investigators later found several empty mini alcohol bottles in the vehicle, according to the district attorney. The bottles had Stones DNA on them.

After he was brought to the hospital following the crash, a blood test showed that Stones blood alcohol level was at .184, more than twice the legal limit. Further investigation revealed Stone was driving 51 mph in a 30 mph zone, Quinn said.

Read More: Franklin police charge 3 people believed to have helped hide missing teen

The defendant should not have been behind the wheel because of his intoxicated state. His reckless driving caused the death of an innocent person, Quinn said. The sentence is appropriate to hold the defendant accountable.
A Massachusetts man who is accused of killing a 6-week-old infant on Cape Cod in 2021 reportedly hurt the baby so badly that his injuries resembled being thrown out a window, according to NBC-10 Boston.

Randy Patterson-Gerber, 25, formerly of Centerville, pleaded not guilty, and was held without bail following his arraignment in Barnstable Superior Court on Monday, the news outlet reported.

Patterson-Gerber was indicted on a murder charge by a Grand Jury in Barnstable District Court for his role relating to the death of the child, Cape & Islands District Attorney Robert J. Galibois said Sunday, Nov. 19.

Barnstable police learned about an unresponsive 6-week-old infant at around 10:25 a.m. on or about September 7, 2021. The baby was found unresponsive, discolored and cool to the touch, Galibois said.

NBC-10 Boston reported that boy had hemorrhaging in his brain and eyes, several broken ribs and broken legs consistent with someone twisting them, a prosecutor said during the arraignment on Nov. 20.

Read More: Franklin police charge 3 people believed to have helped hide missing teen

The baby, whose name was given in court as Cobain, had injuries consistent with whats commonly known as Shaken Baby Syndrome, the news outlet reported, citing a Cape & Islands assistant district attorney.

The brain injury happens when a baby, or young child, is shaken violently, according to National Institutes of Health (NIH).

When this happens, the brain can bounce back and forth against the skull which can cause bleeding, bruising, and swelling, according to the NIH website. Shaken baby syndrome is known to cause long-term brain damage or even death.

On the morning of the fatal incident, the babys mother found Cobain in the bedroom face-up on the bed and not breathing, the news outlet reported. Patterson-Gerber, who was reportedly the last person with the infant, was laying face-down next to him.

First responders performed CPR while the baby was brought to Cape Cod Hospital, Galibois said. The infant was later airlifted to a Boston-area hospital where he died, the district attorney said.

Due to the nature of these charges the Cape & Islands District Attorneys Office will make no further comment on the charges against Randy Patterson-Gerber, at this time, Galibois said.

Patterson-Gerber is also wanted on three charges of assault and battery in a different case involving another baby of his in Norfolk County, NBC-10 Boston reported. He is due back in court on Jan. 3, the outlet reported.

The investigation is being conducted by The Unsolved Homicide Unit of the Cape & Islands District Attorneys Office, the Barnstable Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Cape and Islands District Attorneys Office.
Three people, including a person under the age of 18, have been charged after police believe they helped a 15-year-old who was reported missing for 11 days in October, according to the Franklin Police Department.

Alison Caruso, Andrew Conway and the third person are facing charges after Franklin police believe they helped hide the 15-year-old, Deputy Police Chief James West told MassLive Tuesday.

Caruso, 48, of Franklin, is expected to be charged with concealing or harboring a fleeing child and contributing to the delinquency of a minor in Dedham Juvenile Court. Caruso is also expected to be charged with intimidation of a witness and reckless endangerment of a child in Wrentham District Court, West said.

Conway, 58, of Hopkinton, will face charges of concealing or harboring a fleeing child and contributing to the delinquency of a minor in Dedham Juvenile Court.

The third person, whose name and age were not released due to them being under the age of 18, will be charged with intimidation of a witness in Dedham Juvenile Court, according to West.

The 15-year-old had been missing since Oct. 10, Franklin police said in a Facebook post. She was was found safe on Oct. 21 and was reunited with family, police continued.

Authorities believe the teenager willingly left home. She was found at another home in Hopkinton.

On Oct. 23, Franklin police said they believed the 15-year-old had adult assistance throughout the entirety of her disappearance and nothing indicates that she was abducted or kept against her will. Officials added charges could be filed to those who helped her.
Tens of thousands of people desperate for a warm place to sleep at night are living in Massachusetts shelters. And for the first time in the states history, families are being placed on waitlists as the emergency shelter system recently hit its maximum capacity.

Lawmakers are describing the situation as a humanitarian crisis. A failure to reach a deal on $250 million appropriation to bolster the shelter system last week at the close of formal session puts additional support for the shelter system in further doubt as Gov. Maura Healey has described the funding as necessary to keep the shelters running.

Amid the crisis, however, some Massachusetts lawmakers see a potential glimmer of hope for a path forward: the states depleted workforce could soon see a boost of thousands of workers once migrants receive their work authorization from the federal government.
A 50-year-old Middleborough school counselor was arrested on Friday afternoon after police said he hit a 10-year-old boy across the face outside of a classroom.

Steven Adamec, of Attleborough, faces four charges related to the suspected assault against the child, the Middleborough Police Department said.
SPRINGFIELD  Last year, Community Legal Aids (CLA) fundraising campaign Access to Justice raised over $33,000 to help underserved community members across central and Western Massachusetts obtain help with their matters in the civil courts. This year, the group is trying to top that amount.

There has been an increased demand for our services in the Springfield office, said Corrine Ryan, a managing attorney at Community Legal Aid, which helps low-income residents with employment and family law issues, for instance.

Between 2020 and 2023, the number of cases CLA handled in Hampden County jumped from 2,298 to 2,838, a 23.5% increase, according to a press release from CLA.

The legal aid organization saw the biggest jump in need surrounding its re-entry unit, which helps people re-entering society from state prison. So far, the unit has handled 103 cases in 2023, which is more than twice the number of cases handled in 2022.

CLAs housing and homelessness unit handled its second-highest increase in cases, which saw a 29% increase from 2022 to 2023.

Because of the increase in demand for free legal services, the service providers hope that the community will pour back financial support into CLAs fund.

Increased support means that we can accept more cases, helping more of our low-income and elderly neighbors, the press release said.

A majority of CLAs clients do not earn enough money to provide for a family of four, let alone for legal services, which is why the group offers pro bono aid.

The campaign helps those struggling with civil legal issues  for example, people who are being evicted, at risk of losing custody of their children, or seeking protection from violence.

By helping people with civil legal problems, the Hampden County Access to Justice Campaign embodies the principle that justice for all applies to everyone, not just those who can afford it, the press release said.

This campaign is running from now until the early part of 2024.

For more information, visit communitylegal.org.
Swastikas drawn on Quinn Middle School property are believed to be connected to a 19-year-old man, Hudson police announced on Tuesday.

The teen, whose name was not released, faces a charge of vandalizing property in connection with allegedly drawing swastikas in the dirt of the softball field, police said in a statement.

Reports of swastikas being found drawn in the dirt at the schools softball field behind Quinn Middle School started on Nov. 2, police said.

The investigation continued until Nov. 15, when police received a similar report. Officers arrived at the softball field and found a 19-year-old in the middle of a mental health crisis. Police requested mental health professionals to speak with the man.

Further investigation led to the teen being required to appear in Marlborough District Court to face the vandalism charge, police said.

The department added that the mans name will be released at his arraignment.

The swastika symbol has a well-known history of hatred, antisemitism and racism, and such symbols have no place in Hudson, Chief Richard DiPersio said in a statement. I want to thank the members of the community and school department that helped us identify and charge a suspect in this case.

The incident happened after swastikas were seen painted on a road in Wayland on Nov. 13. Wayland police said it was in contact with the Anti-Defamation League about providing support for the department and community during the investigation.

Read more: Wellesley College under federal investigation after antisemitism claims

On Monday, Nov. 20, Gov. Maura Healey announced a new division of the Massachusetts State Police intended to handle hate crimes in the Commonwealth.

The new Hate Crimes Awareness and Response Team, or HART, announced Monday will enhance statewide data to identify patterns and trends, develop advanced training with the Municipal Police Training Committee to help police respond to hate crimes and streamline coordination with local, state and federal law enforcement, officials said.
Bay State political leaders have paid tribute to veteran Democratic operative John Walsh, who died Monday, aged 65.

Walsh, who was diagnosed with stomach cancer earlier this year, died in hospice care, according to published reports. He helped engineer former Gov. Deval Patricks historic election in 2006, and is credited with reinventing politics in Massachusetts.

Walshs death was first reported by the Boston Globe.

Massachusetts owes John Walsh an enormous debt of gratitude for his lifetime of service. John was one of the truly good people. He was brilliant while staying relentlessly humble, optimistic, inclusive, and empathetic to all, Gov. Maura Healey said in a post to X, formerly Twitter.

Walshs legacy lives on through the countless people he mentored and who remain engaged in civic life trying to make this state and this country a better place. My thoughts and prayers go to Johns family and to all who count him as a friend and mentor, Healey continued.

Patrick wrote that Walshs memory lives forever in the legions of us he inspired, taught and cared about.

Today we lost the incredible John Walsh. His memory lives forever in the legions of us he inspired, taught and cared about.https://t.co/pgjdyg9DK6  Deval Patrick (@DevalPatrick) November 20, 2023

U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., for whom Walsh served as chief of staff, said in a statement that the veteran operative was a visionary who saw talent in everyone, and his genius was hands-on. We see it in the miles of knocked doors, hands he shook, coffee meetings he took, and minds he opened.

He didnt just see ways to change the world; he dedicated his life to changing it himself. He made time for everyone, shared selflessly of his wisdom and experience, and redefined leadership for Massachusetts candidates. Johns legacy will be in the young people he mentored and brought into public service, and the livable future they are fighting for every day, Markey continued.

U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-7th District, said Walsh believed unshakably in the possibility of progress and gave generously of his time, his wisdom, and his joy.

When one was embarking on something others deemed impossible or improbable, John Walsh was the person you wanted by your side, Pressley said. " ... He was a titan of Massachusetts politics but, more than that, he was a dear friend, a trusted mentor, and a constant presence for so many of us. John was an organizer in the truest sense of the term.

His belief in the power of personal connection was indefatigable, and it drove transformational change not only in Massachusetts, but across the country, Pressley continued. The legacy of his kindness, his wit, and his commitment to positive change will live on in the generations of staffers, volunteers, and elected officials who had the good fortune to know John and be inspired by him. My prayers are with his wife Donna, his son Coleman, his sister Patti, and with all those who loved him and were loved by him.

U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, D-2nd District, called Walsh a brilliant political strategist with a heart of gold. Lisa and I send our love to his wife Donna, his son Coleman and their extended family during this difficult time.

Walsh, the son of Irish immigrants ... became one of the most influential figures in Mass politics, ascending to Chairman of the [state] Democratic Party, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-1st District, posted to X. His spirit of activism changed our Commonwealth for the better. My thoughts are with his family during this difficult time.

A onetime Abington selectman and insurance salesman who had been involved in campaigns for years, Walsh was a key architect of Patricks successful 2006 run for governor, State House News Service reported.

Patrick, a mostly-unknown lawyer from Milton, scored a stunning win over two longer-established Democrats and a well-financed Republican officeholder with Walsh aboard as his campaign manager, according to State House News Service.

Walsh earned cult hero status among many of the party faithful for having awoken the partys grassroots to boot Republicans from the governorship after 16 years.

Walsh served as chair of the Massachusetts Democratic Party from 2007 to 2013, and helmed Markeys 2020 reelection, according to State House News Service.
Emergency funding for the states shelter system might be leading the headlines, but Republicans on Beacon Hill say they dont want legislative budget writers to forget another important constituency: State and county employees whose raises hang in the balance.

The year-end budget bills now before House and Senate negotiators include funding for more than 90 collective bargaining agreements for those employees.

On Monday, House Republicans who could play an outsized role in the final deal, called on the joint committee trying out to iron out the differences between the two chambers to pass a bill funding them, even as they seek consensus on other matters -- including a $250 million infusion into the states overburdened shelter system.

Despite the many unresolved differences between [the House and Senate budget bills], there is a clear consensus in both branches to fund these new contracts, most of which were agreed to many months ago, House Republicans wrote Monday to House and Senate negotiators of both parties.

The collective bargaining agreements include raises for about 100,000 workers, GOP lawmakers wrote, noting that many have gone without an automatic cost-of-living adjustment in quite some time, even as the cost of living in Massachusetts has continued to climb.

These CBAs were negotiated in good faith, and it is imperative that the state fulfill its obligation to fund these contracts, Republicans wrote.

Read More: Senate and House bump heads over emergency shelter cap with budget bill

On Monday, hundreds of union activists rallied in the State House, where they called on lawmakers to approve the funding, criticizing them for playing politics with their livelihoods, Politicos Massachusetts Playbook reported.

One top union leader, David Holway, president of the National Association of Government Employees, which represents 15,000 public employees, told the Boston Business Journal that it was a disgrace that lawmakers had failed to approve the funding before the end of formal sessions last week.

On Monday, Republicans told budget negotiators they understand the complexities they faced in negotiating a compromise agreement on the final deficiency budget, given the many areas of disagreement that exist.

But, they added, they feel strongly that the lack of agreement on other unrelated areas of the closeout budget does not justify continuing to hold up indefinitely the funding of these CBAs, for which there is both bipartisan and bicameral support.

Last week, the majority-Democrat state Senate approved a $2.81 billion close-out budget plan that set aside $378 million to fund those union deals. The House had previously approved its own, $2.74 billion version of the spending plan.

The actions by both chambers came on the heels of Democratic Gov. Maura Healeys September submission of a $2.15 billion supplemental budget bill.

We urge the Conference Committee to show its support for the states workers by immediately reporting out, in part, a bill that funds all pending CBAs so it can be moved through both branches and on to [Healeys] desk as soon as possible, Republicans wrote. Given the clear support in both branches to fund these items, we are confident there will be no issue with taking up such a bill during informal sessions.
Winter weather is fast approaching as forecasters warn of slippery conditions on roads Tuesday night, with the chance of snow on the horizon.

The National Weather Service said conditions in most parts of Massachusetts should stay dry until around 7 p.m. Heavy rains are expected to drench much of Western Massachusetts and Connecticut until some cold air creeps in to turn that rain in higher terrain like the Berkshires and Worcester Hills into wet snow.

This wet snow should carry on overnight while most areas should see rain between 7 and 10 p.m., and continue to see heavy rain going until Wednesday and daybreak, forecasters said. These conditions should move over toward the east between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m.

Areas in northern Western Massachusetts that could see snow can expect a chance for it to accumulate to around 1 inch to 4 inches at higher elevations, forecasters said. Some slight warming is expected to turn it into sleet and freezing rain for a brief period before all snow possibilities end between 2 and 5 a.m. Wednesday, according to a weather service post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

A winter weather advisory for the western parts of Franklin and Hampshire counties goes into effect from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Wednesday, with drivers told to plan on slippery, slushy road conditions, especially the Route 2 corridor of (northern Western) Massachusetts and elevations above 1,500 feet.

[11/21/23 3:30 PM] Update: Eastern Essex County added to Wind Advisory, otherwise the forecast remains unchanged.

: 7-10 PM Tonight, ending 2-5 AM Wednesday

: Strong winds Wednesday, especially on coasts, Cape, Islands, and Cape Ann #MAwx #CTwx #RIwx pic.twitter.com/hOzpRaevH1  NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) November 21, 2023

A wind advisory is also in effect for Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket counties from 4 a.m. to 4 pm. Wednesday. The strongest wind gusts will occur between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m., the weather service said.

Communities like Greenfield and Pittsfield could see between 1 and 2 inches of snowfall, with Fitchburg seeing a higher accumulation between 3 and 4 inches. Worcester is expected to see less than an inch of snow Tuesday night going into Wednesday afternoon.

Chilly rain on Wednesday will definitely slow down the morning commute, which is hopefully lighter than normal given the holiday travel today and later Wednesday, the weather service said. Rainfall totals should be somewhere between 1 and 2 inches, with the heaviest amounts likely seen in southern Eastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut.

Winds are also expected to pick up, with a chance for significant winds along the coast and around the Cape. These winds could be around 50 mph.

Some slight warming should raise temperatures on Wednesday, between the mid- and high 50s in southern Rhode Island, southern Eastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod, forecasters said. For the rest of the state, temperatures should linger in the mid-40s, while northern Western Massachusetts may struggle to reach 40, forecasters added.
The third General Assembly of the African Public Procurement Network (APPN), which wrapped up in Abidjan on Thursday, adopted around ten recommendations for an effective contribution to sustainable development in Africa. This followed an earlier decision by participants from around 40 African countries to host the 2024 APPN General Assembly in Rwanda.

Among the resolutions adopted were the establishment of an electronic, sustainable public procurement system, the creation of an ad hoc committee responsible for long-term capacity building among public procurement actors, professionalizing those involved, developing a strategic plan for the Network, and finding ways to exchange information more easily.

You have spent hours on work that has produced genuine results, Frank Mvula, Director of Fiduciary Services, and Inspection at the African Development Bank commented. Along with the World Bank and Islamic Development Bank, we are going to try to keep the network thriving by providing technical and financial support. I hope the results will not stop there. We have to be able to make progress. The ideas put forward need to be translated into action.

Boutheina Guermazi, Director for Regional Integration for Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and North Africa at the World Bank, praised the participants efforts as a network. You have discussed the challenges you face, shared your views, and achieved results. I am confident that you will work to improve the public procurement system when you return to your respective countries. It is your efforts that will transform public procurement in Africa and have a significant impact on the continent, she emphasized.

We are ready to support you in implementing the recommendations successfully. We wish you every success in the development of your road map, Elhadj Malick Soumare, the Islamic Development Banks representative at the General Assembly in Abidjan commended and reassured participants.

Joyeuse Uwingeneye, the newly elected President of the Network, appreciated the trust placed in her country, Rwanda, to host the APPN General Assembly in 2024. We will be working tirelessly to mobilize other partners to support the Network, alongside the African Development Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, and the World Bank. We will also be focusing our efforts on transforming the APPN and building capacity among its member states. We will do everything possible to strengthen the organization, stated Ms Uwingeneye, setting out her aims for her term of office.
THE LEGENDARY Johnny Marr will be performing an intimate gig in Limerick - and tickets are to go on sale this week.

The Smiths co-founder and co-songwriter will perform at The Big Top in Limerick's Milk Market, on June 24, 2024.

Johnny Marr (Maher) was born in Manchester of Irish parents who hailed originally from Athy, County Kildare. Playing music since the age of 13, Marr was co-founder and co-songwriter in The Smiths.

Marr created the distinctive Smiths jangly guitar sound, a sound which has gone on to influence countless bands such as The Cranberries, The Sundays, The Decemberists and The National.

It is Johnny Marr that we have to thank for such classics as This Charming Man, There Is A Light, That Never Goes Out and Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want.

Since leaving The Smiths, Johnny Marr has carved out an award-winning career as a collaborator

and solo-artist. Marr has played with The Pretenders, Modest Mouse and The Cribs. He formed Electronic with Bernard Sumner of New Order and has also collaborated with Talking Heads, Bryan Ferry and Hans Zimmer.

One of his most notable projects in recent years was the creation of a soundtrack for the 25th James Bond Movie No Time To Die.

Marrs solo output has gone from strength to strength and his recent performance at the 2023 Electric Picnic can only be described as sublime. Johnny Marr has just released a Spirit Power, a compilation of his best songs from his solo recordings. He has also just published a new book called Marrs Guitars. It contains photographs of each of Marrs guitars and a short essay on each by the man himself.

In 2010, Marr was voted the fourth-best guitarist of the last 30 years in a BBC Poll. Mojo have described him as arguably Britains last great guitar stylist and the NME gave him their Godlike Genius award in 2013.

Announcing the news, Mick Dolan said: We are delighted to welcome the legendary Johnny Marr back to Limerick. Johnny last played in Limerick with The Smiths in November 1984 at the old Savoy. As the man responsible for the unique and highly influential sound of The Smiths and a hugely successful artist in his own right, Johnny Marr is up there with the worlds guitar greats such as Rory Gallagher and Jimmy Hendrix. The gig promises to be a major highlight marking our 30 years in the music business.

Neil Dolan added: Dolans are beyond excited to announce this gig with Johnny Marr. Our venue has, for many years, celebrated the sounds emanating from Manchester. To have a founding member of The Smiths and one of the worlds greatest guitarists play at Limericks Milk Market is a major milestone for us. This gig is a must for all Indie music fans.

Tickets will be on sale this Friday, November 24 at 10am via Dolans.ie
A WESTPORT county councillor has called for a borough to be created between Westport, Newport and Louisburgh in an address to Seanad Eireann.

Cllr Hyland wants the existing Westport-Belmullet Municipal district  which stretches from Westport to Belmullet  to be abolished in place of an area consisting of the three West Mayo towns.

The Independent councillor said that this council would be run as a rating authority in the manner of the former Westport Town Council.

In his address. to a Seanad Public Consultation Committee on the Future of Local Democracy, Cllr Hyland said that he was often asked to vote on issues concerning Achill and Belmullet with which he was not aware of at all.

We would have Newport, Westport, Louisburgh as a borough council. We would be a rating authority and we would be the architects of our own future. The decision making would be close to the people, Cllr Hyland said.

Cllr Hyland doubled down on his criticism of the diabolical abolition of town councils in 2014 under the Fine Gael-Labour coalition. He also cited a recent Council of Europe report which ranked Ireland just above Moldova, Hungary and the Russian Federation for the autonomy of its local government.

The report by The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe (CLRAE) described Ireland as one of the most centralised countries in Europe.

The country was found to be compliant in eight out of 20 principles of the European Charter of Local Self Government.

Broken system

WE have a broken system. Did we need the Council of Europe to tell us that we had a broken system? Cllr Hyland said.

He also warned there would be further disengagement from the public if local democracy was not reformed.

The people now feel completely removed from local government, and from decision making, and from their councils. Thats the way they feel at the moment, he said.

Ballina Municipal District councillors Mark Duffy (Independent), Annie May Reape (Fianna Fail) and Jarlath Munnelly (Fine Gael) and Michael Loftus (Fianna Fail) also attended the hearing as part of a delegation from Mayo County Council.

Cllr Loftus voice 'serious concern' regarding the reduction of county councils' powers since local government reforms in 2014.

"With the reduction of councillors and local authorities, down from 114 local authorities down to the 31, and the reduction in councillors from 1627 down to 949, we were told at the stage in 2014 that we would get a lot more powers to deal with issues. But this is not the way it has happened," said Cllr Loftus, who is currently Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council.

"It seems to be today that most of the powers are with the Chief Executive, and that includes funding as well."

The Crossmolina-based councillor called for local authorities to be given more powers regarding planning and budgeting, as well as more staff.

He also called for an increase in pay for county councillors to reflect the 'full-time' nature of their work.

Echoing sentiments from Cllr Loftus, Cllr Munnelly proposed that local area councils should be given more powers relating to budgeting and taxation.

Under his proposals, local area councils to have 50 percent more elected representatives and be headed by a director, a senior engineer and a senior executive officer.

Cllr Reape said that the authority of local government had been 'seriously eroded', adding that council officials are no longer 'taking cognisance of what councillors are saying'.

Her fellow Ballina-based county councillor Mark Duffy echoed calls for the return of town councils, lamenting the lack of financial autonomy for each local area.

Cllr Duffy also suggested age quotas and gender quotas for each council to 'guarantee that we have fresh thinking and new ideas'.
THE regular closures of the new N5 between Castlebar and Westport in order to cut the grass verges was described as 'mind-boggling' at Wednesdays Castlebar Municipal District meeting.

Cllr Michael Kilcoyne said the saga was laughable and wondered how it ever came about.

What were these design people thinking? How do they not know that grass grows along the side of a road? If thats the best that road designers can come up with then I wonder what were at.

Did they ever look at any other option than closing the road every few weeks to cut the grass. You couldnt write, its so mad, he added.

Is there anywhere else in Ireland that shuts down a road so that grass can be cut? Why did they not figure this out long before the project was completed. It shouldnt have come as a surprise to them. I just dont know what to say about it, he added.
The Global Peripheral Neuropathy Market generated revenue of US$ 0.976 billion in 2019 and is forecast to witness an increase in revenue of US$ 1.3 billion by 2027, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 3.4% during the forecast period from 2021 to 2027.

The peripheral neuropathy market is experiencing remarkable growth from 2021 to 2027 on a global scale. This condition occurs when the peripheral nerves, located outside of the brain and spinal cord, sustain damage, leading to symptoms such as weakness, numbness, and discomfort. Moreover, peripheral neuropathy can also impact various physiological functions, including urination, metabolism, and circulation. The causes of peripheral neuropathy can range from traumatic accidents, infections, metabolic disorders, and genetic factors, to exposure to harmful substances. Notably, one of the prevalent causes of this condition is diabetes.

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The global market for peripheral neuropathy is experiencing a significant increase in demand. This surge is primarily due to the rising prevalence of aging and obese populations worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), by 2030, one in six people globally will be aged 60 years or older. Furthermore, by 2050, the global population of individuals aged 60 years and older is expected to double, reaching a staggering 2.1 billion.

In addition to the aging population, the World Obesity Atlas 2023 highlights that the prevalence of obesity is likely to rise from 14% to 24% of the population by 2035. This increase in obesity rates will affect nearly 2 billion adults, children, and adolescents. As the population continues to age and obesity rates climb, the occurrence of peripheral neuropathy is becoming more common, leading to a higher demand for effective treatment options.

The increasing prevalence of peripheral neuropathy is a significant driver in the global market. The aging population and the rise in obesity rates contribute to the growing demand for treatments and interventions to address this condition.

Diabetes: The Prevalent Cause of Peripheral Neuropathy

Diabetes has emerged as the leading cause of peripheral neuropathy worldwide, with a significant impact on older individuals and those living with long-standing type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Nearly half of all adults with diabetes will experience this condition in their lifetime, resulting in substantial morbidity. The consequences range from agonizing pain and the development of foot ulcers to the potential need for lower limb amputation. Among the various forms of diabetic peripheral neuropathy, distal symmetric polyneuropathy stands as the most prevalent, accounting for approximately 75% of all cases.

Studies have revealed a high prevalence of peripheral neuropathy among individuals with diabetes, with an overall rate of 40.3%. Notably, patients with type 2 diabetes are more frequently affected, with a prevalence of 42.2%, compared to 29.1% in those with type 1 diabetes. In the United Kingdom alone, approximately 26% of individuals with diabetes suffer from peripheral neuropathic pain. On a global scale, this equates to roughly 50 million people, and this number is expected to rise as the prevalence of diabetes is projected to reach 4.4% by 2030.

One widely prescribed drug for neuropathic pain associated with peripheral neuropathy is pregabalin (Lyrica, Pfizer). However, it is essential to acknowledge that the prevalence of this condition may vary due to inconsistent diagnostic criteria, differences in participant selection methods, and varying assessment techniques used across studies. Further research and advancements in treatment options are necessary to address the challenges posed by diabetic peripheral neuropathy effectively.

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy remains a prevalent and debilitating complication of diabetes, particularly impacting older individuals and those with long-standing diabetes. The most common form, distal symmetric polyneuropathy, affects a significant majority of cases. The high prevalence of peripheral neuropathy among individuals with diabetes highlights the urgent need for improved diagnostic and treatment strategies. By addressing these challenges, consumers can alleviate the suffering caused by this condition and enhance the quality of life for millions affected by diabetes-related peripheral neuropathy.

North America Dominated the Global Peripheral Neuropathy Market

The North American region is poised to dominate the peripheral neuropathy market due to several key factors. The latest technological advancements in developed and emerging cities, along with the increasing incidence of peripheral neuropathy and growing awareness of the disease, have contributed to the markets growth. Additionally, the recent developments in drugs and treatment facilities for patients have further solidified the regions position as a leader in this field.

Developed and emerging cities in the region have become hubs for cutting-edge research and innovation, resulting in the development of state-of-the-art diagnostic tools, treatment modalities, and wearable devices. These technological advancements have significantly improved the diagnosis and management of peripheral neuropathy, enhancing patient outcomes and driving the growth of the market.

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The increasing number of peripheral neuropathy cases in North America has also played a crucial role in the regions market dominance. For instance, the estimated prevalence of peripheral neuropathy among adults with diabetes in the US is 28%. Factors such as aging populations, sedentary lifestyles, and the prevalence of chronic conditions like diabetes have contributed to the rising incidence of peripheral neuropathy. Simultaneously, there has been a growing awareness of the disease among healthcare professionals, patients, and the general population. This increased awareness has led to early detection, timely intervention, and improved management of peripheral neuropathy, further fueling the markets growth.

List of Prominent Companies in the Global Peripheral Neuropathy Market

PledPharma

Helixmith

Solasia Pharma

Lexicon Pharmaceuticals

Asahi Kasei Pharma America Corporation

Cipla Limited

Abbott Laboratories

GlaxoSmithKline plc

Eli Lilly and Company

Merck and Co. Inc.

Lupin Limited

Pfizer Inc.

Novartis

Bristol Myers Squibb

Dr. Reddys Laboratories

Others

Segmentation Overview

By Type

Chemotherapy-induced

Diabetic

HIV/AIDS Associated

Idiopathic

By Diagnosis

Blood test

Biopsy

Imaging

Others

By Treatment

Medications

Antidepressants

Anti-seizure medication

Pain reliever

Topical treatment

Therapies

Nerve stimulation

Plasma exchange

Physical Therapy

Surgery

Others

By End-User

Hospitals

Clinics

Ambulatory Centres

By Region

North America

The U.S.



Canada



Mexico



Europe

The U.K.



Germany



France



Spain



Russia



Rest of Europe



Asia Pacific

China



India



Japan



South Korea



Australia & NZ



Rest of Asia Pacific



South America

Brazil



Argentina



Rest of South America



Middle East & Africa

U.A.E.



Saudi Arabia



South Africa



Egypt



Rest of Middle East & Africa



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by Mitch Burg , Op-Ed Contributor, November 20, 2023

I had an exciting career of almost 40 years in media. I spent the last 20 years of my career as part of The Media Edge and then as the President of Syndicated Network Television Association. What most people did not know is that I spent a decade of my career commuting from my home in Israel to the United States.

In the era prior to COVID-19, I worked from an office in my home, as many of you do now. We used technology to share files and do video calls with staff. I had full access to American television via the now defunct Slingbox technology. In addition, I had U.S. phone numbers that connected to my landline as well as to my mobile.

I was asked, several times, to tell my story as a commuter. I declined to tell the story at that point because I wanted people to focus on the insights that I was presenting, not that I spent 20+ hours roundtrip on an airplane to fly nonstop to New York or Los Angeles.

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My wife and I live in a city in central Israel, halfway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. We live in a private house, and we are fortunate that our children also decided on their own and at their own pace to move to Israel. Our immediate family now totals 25 people in Israel.

By now, most of you know the story of the invasion of Israel by Hamas. I will not recount it here nor will I get into a discussion of what is right or wrong with any of the participants, as this is too fluid a situation to be timely. I am sure that no one really cares about my opinion, and I don't care to spend my time in a debate.

October 7 was supposed to be a joyous day as Jews in Israel celebrated the holiday of Simchat Torah. As I walked to synagogue with my son and son-in-law at 6:30ish in the morning, we heard the distant sound of artillery fire, a rare, distinctive sound that we have only heard during previous serious attacks. We understood that there had to be a serious yet not immediately dangerous situation for where we were located.

An hour later, the synagogue service was interrupted by an air-raid siren and we proceeded rather calmly to the synagogue's safe room. After the recommended 10-minute period, we left the synagogue, went back to my son's home and experienced 6 more air raids over the next 5 hours.

We were now aware of the invasion along the Gaza border and saw many people drive away in uniform, further indicating the seriousness of the situation. Within 48 hours, Israel's active military more than tripled in size.

From an Israeli media perspective, we have access to four local channels that carry news, access to many additional international channels (including CNN, Fox News, BBC, Sky News and France 24) as well as web channels and social media.

Everybody wants to know what is happening, but unless it comes from a reputable source (e.g., a public leader in a position to know or their direct spokesperson), we understand that much of the air-filler comes from people who are speculating or opining.

The civilian population, for the most part, are not cowering in their homes. I think it would be fair to depict that we are cognizant of the threat, have taken the actions necessary to keep ourselves safe such as understanding the location and proximity to safe rooms (rooms specifically constructed to be used during attacks) when out of the house, adequately provisioning the safe room in our homes, and staying in touch with family and friends in Israel and abroad.

Please note that there is professional counseling available for those who desire it. There are even PSAs that tell civilians how to help someone who is having a panic attack.

Even with that knowledge, there can be times when a safe room is not available. Rocket attacks come without warning and a 10-minute errand that coincides with an attack leads to unwanted excitement. Israelis have been instructed to leave their vehicles, move away from the vehicle, and lay flat on the ground with their hands covering their head. This happened to me and my daughter. We were unhurt as we saw an Iron Dome take out the rocket in the distance.

The civilian population moved into action with a spirit of extreme volunteerism. There were many areas that needed to be addressed, including immediate assistance for the people living along the Gaza border, supplementing logistics for the reserves, supporting families whose loved ones were called into service, and providing additional support for families who needed help before the war.

Shouldnt the government be responsible for this, people ask. The easy and idealistic answer is yes, but that answer would be wrong. When youre under a barbaric attack, tripling the size of the military and taking 360,000 people out of the workplace in 48 hours, someone needs to step in. That is what the civilians who remain at home are doing.

My city, Beit Shemesh, has absorbed thousands of displaced people from the Gaza Border region. No one knows the real number as some of them have just moved in with relatives. We do know that thousands of incremental meals are being provided by one charity (and there are others) that feeds the needy. Where is this food coming from? The answer is from volunteers who donate, cook the food, and place it into containers for easy distribution.

If a displaced family wanted to leave the Gaza border area and had no transportation available, they could call this same charity, which dispatched brave drivers who entered the war region to extract them.

And what to do if you are called to duty and the logistics have not caught up with the new soldiers at the front? You call home and your neighbors cook and provide interim supplies for the entire battalion. Again, the volunteers are paying for the food, cooking, and delivering it to a central location for delivery to the front. Since the war began, a group of 100 volunteers has provided 7000 healthy meals for soldiers.

They are not alone in meeting the need. A local coffee shop has closed its doors to customers -- allowing volunteers, who spend 10 hours a day there, to prepare 10,000 sandwiches daily for soldiers. Other companies have joined the effort. A major airline caterer provides fruits and vegetables. And other people drop by with cases of granola bars.

At the beginning of the war, reserve soldiers needed bedding, linens, and other supplies. Volunteers met this need by driving to the Gazan border while the conflict was just beginning. They encountered one problem delivering the donated supplies: there were so many volunteers delivering supplies that it took an additional hour just to drive the last mile to the base.

Individual families had fathers and/or mothers who were called up. Community volunteers took on the responsibility of cooking, providing daycare, supplemental programming for children during the day and babysitters at night to help fill the void.

Every city has a less fortunate population who rely upon school-lunch programs as a necessary part of their meal program. When schools are closed as they were at the beginning of war, these families were without that source of food. Social workers looked through cities for spaces that a large enough for the children to play in and simultaneously, had a safe room large enough for all the children to enter in the event of a rocket attack.

There are so many additional volunteer stories that could be told. One volunteer is opening a school in an area that is conflict-free for 40 children children from the Gaza Border. One post high-school gap-year Yeshiva raised over $300,000 in 3 days to equip a battalion with needed safety equipment.

One elderly woman was found scouring the streets looking for available apartments for displaced families while simultaneously collecting games and toys for the children to play with. One group of teen-aged girls have taken it upon themselves to bake cookies and cakes for some of the officers running the war at the Kirya (Israels Pentagon).

Do I regret moving to Israel; not once in the 18 years that weve been here. Is Israel perfect; of course not. We have a vibrant dialogue that crosses political affiliation, religious observance, personal life preference as well as ethnic and cultural background. Can we better; yes, we can. When you take a step back, while the culture is different, is what Im describing so different from that of America?

In war, civilians dont ask the country what it can do for us; the country knows that it needs to protect its citizens. The civilians know that we are responsible for everybody. In volunteering and accomplishing the good deeds that are needed, the volunteers bring unity and harmony to Israels democracy. And that is why, with the sounds of war in my ears every day for the last month, Im here to stay.
by Fern Siegel , November 21, 2023

Baskin-Robbins is back with its holiday twist: turkey cake.

The new spot by 22Squared is part of the Seize the Yay campaign to promote its seasonal, Thanksgiving-themed ice cream cake. The ad is a humorous reminder to celebrate everyday moments, big or small.

The spot is running on national broadcast TV and social media  Meta, Snapchat, TikTok  as well as the brands owned channels.

The turkey cake is decorated with sugar cone legs and covered in caramel praline glaze. Customers can fill it with any ice cream flavor available. The company claims more than 1,400 options in its flavor library.

We rarely see full advertising for specific cakes, let alone ice cream cakes, but with this work we wanted to raise awareness of new traditions that a holiday-themed Baskin-Robbins cake creates, said Rocio Alvarado, group creative director, 22Squared.

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Through these campaigns, we showcase real-life holiday moments with our cakes at the center of the action. Capturing the authenticity of these holiday scenes is important for us to demonstrate how seamlessly our cakes fit into everyone's plans this year, no matter how guests choose to celebrate, added Jerid Grandinetti, Baskin-Robbins, vice president, marketing & R&D.

Now owned by Inspire Brands, Baskin-Robbins was founded in 1945 in Glendale, California, by two brothers-in-law: Burton Baskin and Irvine Robbins. Today, it has locations in 52 countries.

Baskin-Robbins' Creature Creations, which debuted in 2020, are ice cream scoops fashioned as whimsical creatures such as dinosaurs, unicorns and Martians. The concoctions inspired the brands first childrens e-book, The Festival of Creatures. The ice cream shop updated its logo, employee uniforms and packaging last year.
by Richard Whitman , Columnist, November 20, 2023

Havas Media North America has struck a deal to purchase what is calling a substantial amount of media time upfront from the Impact Network, the black owned and operated cable network.

Havas said it intends to resell the media time to clients at competitive rates. Impact Network says it is available in 70% of cable homes across the country. Part of the attraction for both Havas and potentially its clients is broadening the diversity of its media placements and supporting under-represented media owners--particularly media owned by people of color and other minorities.

advertisement advertisement This meaningful partnership helps ensure the continued growth of Impact Network as a media company without losing its equity, Havas said in a statement.

Impact Network will also provide Havas Media access to custom content creation in furtherance of its commitment to increase diverse media and diverse-owned business investments.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, November 20, 2023

Siding against Google, a federal appellate court has left in place a district judge's decision allowing a pay-per-click marketer to proceed with a class-action over alleged overcharges.

The appeals court's move came in a 12-year-old battle between Google and Rene Cabrera, who claimed he was overcharged for pay-per-click ads he purchased to market his former business, Training Options.

He alleged in a 2011 lawsuit that he bought pay-per-click ads from Google between 2008 and 2009, and that Google failed to correctly apply its smart pricing discount during that time, and also charged him for clicks that originated from states other than the ones he selected. He targeted Florida, North Carolina, Georgia, and Louisiana, but alleged that he was charged for clicks from users in New York, Virginia, California, Illinois, Texas, and other states, according to court papers.

Google argued to Cabrera that it was entitled to summary judgment -- meaning a ruling in its favor before trial -- for several reasons. Among others, Google said its agreement with advertisers doesn't set out a particular smart pricing formula, and that it disclosed in the Help Center that ads could be shown to users regardless of their location.

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In August, Davila rejected Google's bid for summary judgment on both points, paving the way for Cabrera to attempt to prove his claims at a trial.

He also said Cabrera could proceed on behalf of two classes: pay-per-click advertisers who paid for clicks that didn't originate from the chosen locations between January 2004 and March 2011, and advertisers who paid for search bundled clicks -- defined as advertisers who paid for clicks on both the display and search networks between June 2009 and December 13, 2012, and didn't set different bids on the different networks.

Google then asked the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to intervene and reverse the portion of the ruling that allowed the matter to proceed as a class-action -- which could sweep in numerous advertisers. The company essentially argued that the claims regarding promised discounts required individualized determinations.

A three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit rejected that request on Friday. The judges didn't give a reason, other than to refer to an 18-year-old decision that set out the standards for immediate appeals of class-certification decisions.
by Colin Kirkland , November 20, 2023

The Senate Judiciary Committee has called the leaders of Discord, Snap, and X to testify on December 6 for their alleged failure to protect children from sexual abuse online.



Big Techs failure to police itself at the expense of our kids cannot go unanswered, committee chair Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and ranking member Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said in a joint statement, adding that the CEOs would have their chance to explain their failures to protect kids.

Hearing from the CEOs of some of the world's largest social media companies will help inform the Committee's efforts to address the crisis of online child sexual exploitation, the senators said.

Child abuse is a proven problem across social-media platforms. According to the FBI, over 50% of victims of online sexual exploitation are between the ages of 12 and 15 with an estimated 500,000 online predators active each day.

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While X's head of U.S. and Canada government affairs Wilfredo Fernandez said the company is working to comply with the subpoena, Durbin said in the joint statement that X and Discord have refused an electronic service of the subpoenas, requiring the Committee to enlist the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service to personally serve the subpoenas.

In addition to this issue, the Committee has reported multiple bipartisan bills focused on preventing the exploitation of children online. This includes the STOP CSAM Act, which aims to support victims of online child abuse by increasing accountability and transparency for online platforms, as well as the EARN IT Act, which would revise Section 230 and strip tech companies of protection from civil lawsuits over user-generated posts containing child sexual abuse material.

However, both bills have proven controversial in relation to the future of online expression, user privacy, and the existence of end-to-end encryption.
by Ray Schultz , November 20, 2023

The Winsted Citizen, a small Connecticut newspaper founded last February with Ralph Naders help, is closing its doors

We beat the Grim Reaper every month for most of the year, wrote Andy Thibault, editor and publisher, in a memo to the staff, according to U.S. News. Our best month financially resulted in our lowest deficit.

Thibault continued, Now, our quest regrettably has become the impossible dream. It sure was great  despite numerous stumbles, obstacles and heartaches  while it lasted.

Nader, who reportedly lives in Winsted, told Associated Press in February, that he regretted the closure of the old Winsted daily.

After awhile it all congeals and you start losing history, he said, according to U.S. News. Every year you dont have a newspaper, you lose that connection.
by Ed DeNicola , Op-Ed Contributor, November 21, 2023

My heart goes out to the people of Israel. There is no excuse for the atrocities that Hamas committed on October 7, 2023. None. Its so sad. At the same time, there are so many Palestinian civilians in Gaza who are paying the price for Hamas crimes. The death toll keeps rising and my heart goes out to them too.

As all this is happening, we have X (formerly known as Twitter). Elon Musk refuses to be muzzled and he expresses his views freely -- even ones that are viewed as antisemitic -- while X CEO Linda Yaccarino is trying to build a successful advertising business.

This time, Musk posted to an X user that they said the actual truth after the user claimed that the Jewish people have been pushing the exact kind of dialectical hatred against whites that they claim to want people to stop using against them.

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To be completely transparent, who understands what dialectical hatred means -- and why would Jewish people who are predominantly white hate on white people in general?

The word "dialectical" is somehow a reference to Marxist dialectics having to do with the subversion of societal ideals. It is not easily apparent whether Musk is supporting a coherent viewpoint or whether his real goal is to encourage openness on his platform.

There are two other things to consider here, aside from the inappropriateness or poor timing of Musk's post. One is his own personal free speech, and the other is his goal to make X a platform where free speech is encouraged, and both are a problem for X's business.

Anyone with a degree in communications or who has spent any time working in media knows that free speech is antithetical to corporate advertising. Corporate communication -- including advertising outreach -- is highly filtered and curated, while free speech is not.

From a business perspective, X will have a difficult time growing a corporate advertising business while promoting and hosting free speech.

It's like having a race car and trying to win the Indy 500 with the parking brake engaged. The freer the speech, the less likely it will be that advertisers will want to advertise on the platform.

As a start-up business, if someone were to go to investors with any media acumen at all with the idea for a social-media platform based on free speech and supported by advertising, they would be laughed at and unlikely to win investment. It only works here because Musk is leading it and he has been so successful.

X is trying to bridge the two goals using AI and advertiser safety settings.

However, like so much of AI right now, it is falling short, and advertisers' ads are still being posted alongside hateful or politically incorrect posts. At least, that's what has been reported.

If Musk continues to stir up controversy and X keeps going down the current path of being an unfiltered place for free speech, Yaccarino will continue to have a hard time with advertisers.

From a leadership perspective, Musk is not doing Yaccarino any favors. As a leader, he is supposed to be giving her everything she needs to be successful.

His goal with his post might have been to encourage openness or to drive attention to X, but unfortunately, one side effect is that he is making her job much more difficult.

What Musk says not only impacts X, but it also affects his other business ventures including Tesla, The Boring Company, SpaceX, Neuralink and xAI. All these companies have investors, and his words have the power to cause their equity to lose value. Musk does not own any of these companies outright.

No one likes to be muzzled, and free speech is part of the U.S. Constitution. We may not always like what we hear, but at least we are free to speak our minds.

In some ways, Musk's goal to make X a public forum for free speech is a noble one. Musk is not wrong for wanting to make free speech available.

We all see cancel culture at work, and some of us have experienced it firsthand. If you have ever been caught on the wrong side of a media bubble, it can be terribly unfair. People need to be exposed to both sides of arguments even if they disagree with one side or the other.

The idea of using AI to avoid posting ads next to hateful speech is a good one, if X can make it work.

However, X will still contain that kind of language even if advertisers' ads are not directly next to it. It's not ideal.

Meta successfully operates two social-media services -- Facebook and Instagram. It might make more sense for X to do the same and split into two services with one being a filtered space supported by advertising and the other a place for free speech. X could revive the Twitter brand name for the former and use the X name for the latter.

If Musk can muzzle it, and X can improve brand safety, Yaccarino will at least have a fighting chance to fix X's ad business.

If not, she will likely be gone, and X will need to scramble to find someone else or a new business model that is not based on advertising.

A lot of people like X, and it would be wonderful if they could figure out a path forward that works both for users and as a viable business entity.

Knowing Musk and his past track record of success, the odds are in X's favor.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, November 21, 2023

A federal magistrate judge on Tuesday recommended that Meta Platforms be awarded a default judgment against four residents of Hanoi, Vietnam, who hijacked the accounts of advertising and marketing agency employees in order to perpetrate an ad fraud scheme.

U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Thomas Hixson in the Northern District of California recommended that the defendants be prohibited from accessing or attempting to access Meta's platforms, and from disrupting Meta's systems -- including by developing malware. It's not clear whether Meta will be able to enforce the injunction, given that the defendants never appeared in court.

The recommendation grew out of a lawsuit brought by Meta in June 2021. The company alleged that the Hanoi residents -- Them Nguyen, Le Khang, Nguyen Quoc Bao, and Pham Huu Dung -- duped agency employees users into installing an app called Ad Manager for Facebook from the Google Play store.

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That app, which wasn't affiliated with Facebook, obtained people's logins and passwords, which enabled the defendants to run ad campaigns without the users' knowledge. The fake "ad manager" app was installed more than 10,000 times between December of 2020, when it appeared on the Play store, and May 2021, according to Meta's complaint.

Hixson, who accepted Meta's allegations as true, said in his ruling that the defendants ran thousands of ads that redirected Facebook and Instagram users to various ecommerce sites, and spent at least $36 million in advertising, which was charged to the victims' business credit lines. Meta reimbursed the victims.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, November 21, 2023

A recent California appeals court decision against Meta Platforms threatens to disrupt online advertising by effectively banning demographic targeting, the tech organization NetChoice warned this week.

The decision, handed down in September, allowed California resident Samantha Liapes to proceed with a lawsuit claiming that Facebook violated the Unruh Act -- a state civil rights law -- because the company's ad-targeting system allegedly failed to serve some life insurance ads to women and older people.

Meta recently asked the California Supreme Court to review the decision.

NetChoice this week backed that request, arguing in a letter to the state Supreme Court that the Court of Appeal ruling misinterprets both the intent and the letter of the Unruh Act.

The Unruh Civil Rights Act was designed to prevent arbitrary discrimination against individuals; it was not intended to impede the flow of commercial information that can be beneficial to consumers, the organization writes.

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The group adds that if the ruling is left in place, it will effectively ban targeted advertising, leading to a less personalized online experience, higher costs for small businesses, and a less vibrant and innovative online marketplace.

Targeted advertising ensures the content users receive is relevant to their stage in life, cultural context, and other personal aspects, NetChoice writes. For instance, a retirement planning service is likely more relevant to an older demographic, while ads for maternity wear are generally most appropriate for women of childbearing age.

The organization adds: "If the lower court's ruling stands, it will effectively ban NetChoice's members -- and the entire online advertising industry -- from offering socially beneficial services to Californians."

Meta argued in its petition to the California Supreme Court that the lower court's ruling disregards decades of judicial consensus regarding the Unruh Act.

Ad targeting has existed for decades, and its never been held to violate general anti-discrimination laws like the Unruh Act -- until now, Meta wrote in a petition filed late last month.

Courts have always understood that the Unruh Act isnt meant to make established and legitimate business practices unlawful, Meta argued. Yet the Court of Appeal endorsed a limitless view of liability for targeted advertising whose effects will be as widespread as they are serious.

Meta also argued even if the Unruh Act applied, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act should have protected the company from liability. That law shields interactive companies from liability for third parties' online activity; in this case, the third parties are the advertisers who use Facebook's targeting tools.

Facebook doesnt require advertisers to select particular users to target for ads, the company wrote. So even as plaintiff reads the Unruh Act, those tools will be used toward discriminatory ends only if advertisers choose to do so.
I applied to this IPO and luckily got the allotment. My money almost doubled in just a few hours of listing.

This is a common statement regarding IPOs, which see high demand from investors based on past instances in which fundamentally sound companies IPOs provided quick and hefty returns. Take the example of Sigachi Industries Limited; the company had an issue price of Rs 163 but was listed on the stock exchanges at a whopping 270% gain and closed at Rs 603.

One of the core reasons for good IPOs to provide such high returns to investors is the price discovery element, where IPO stocks do not fall under the guidelines of upper or lower circuits only on the listing day. Hence, if a good IPO stock begins to rise on the listing day, it can rise as high as it can without any restrictions.

Currently, numerous companies are coming with their IPOs. In the last blog, we covered everything about the Tata Technologies IPO VS IREDA IPO. In this blog, we will cover everything about two more IPOs to help you understand where to invest. Here is all about Gandhar Oil Refinery VS Fedbank Financial Services IPO.

Gandhar Oil Refinery VS Fedbank Financial Services IPO

 Freepik

About The Companies

Gandhar Oil Refinery India Limited is a leading manufacturer of white oils prominently used in the consumer and healthcare industries. The company has an extensive range of 350+ products that fall under three categories: personal care, healthcare, and performance oils (PHPO). Now, it is launching an IPO to offer its shares for the first time. As of June 2022, the company had a presence in over 100 countries and catered to over 3500 clients, such as Patanjali, Marico, Dabur, and Emani.

Fedbank Financial Services is a retail-focused non-banking finance company (NBFC) that provides loan products such as gold loans, loans against property and business loans. The NBFC primarily provides loan services to MSME and emerging self-employed individuals (ESEI) sectors. As of March 2023, the company had offices in 191 districts and 575 branches and catered to numerous SMEs for its financial products.

IPO Details

Gandhar Oil Refinery IPO application will open from 22 November to 24 November, and the share allotment will be finalised on Thursday, 30 November 2023. The refunds will be initiated on 1 December 2023, and the shares will be credited to the demat account on 4 December 2023. The shares will list on NSE and BSE on 5 December 2023.

Gandhar Oil Refinery India has set the IPO price band at Rs 160-169 per share. Each share has a face value of Rs 2, and the lot size is 88 shares. The book-built issue is of Rs 500.69 crores. The issue is a mix of fresh issue of 1.79 crore shares aggregating to Rs 302.00 crores and an offer for sale of 1.18 crore shares aggregating to Rs 198.69 crores.

Fedbank Financial Services Limited IPO will open from 22 November to 24 November, and the share allotment will be finalised on Thursday, 30 November 2023. The refunds will be initiated on 1 December 2023, and the shares will be credited to the demat account on 4 December 2023. The shares will list on NSE and BSE on 5 December 2023.

Fedbank Financial Services Limited has set the price band for the IPO between Rs 133-140 per share. The face value for each share is Rs 10, and the lot size is 107 shares. The book-built issue is of Rs 1,092.26 crores. The issue is an offer for sale of 3.52 crore shares aggregating to Rs 600.77 crores and a fresh issue of 4.29 crore shares aggregating to Rs 492.26.

Financials

Gandhar Oil Refinery India posted a revenue of Rs 1,071.52 crores and Profit After Tax (PAT) of Rs 54.28 crores for the period ending 30 June 2023. At the same period, the company had a net worth of Rs 810.79 crores, making it a financially stable and profitable company. The current ROE of the company is 33.28%, and the EPS in Rs is 23.77.

Fedbank Financial Services Limited posted a revenue of Rs 9,412.51 crores and Profit After Tax (PAT) of Rs 53.88 crores for the period ending 30 June 2023. In the same period, the company had a net worth of Rs 1,414.90 crores. The current ROE of the company is 14.36%, and the EPS in Rs is 5.6.

Objectives Of The Issue

Gandhar Oil Refinery India will not receive any proceeds from the offer for sale. The company plans to use the fresh issue's net proceeds to finance a Bank of Baroda loan. It also plans to use the proceeds to expand its capacity to produce automotive oil at its Silvassa plant, along with expanding its capacity to produce petroleum jelly and white oils.

Fedbank Financial Services Limited aims to use the net proceeds from the fresh issue to augment the companys Tier-I capital base to meet all future capital requirements owing to business and asset growth. The company also plans to use the proceeds to meet offer expenses for future potential clients.

IPO Amount

The minimum amount of investment required by retail investors in the Gandhar Oil Refinery India IPO is Rs 14,872 for one lot of 88 shares, and the maximum amount is Rs 1,93,336. The minimum lot size investment for sNII is 14 lots (1,232 shares), amounting to Rs 2,08,208, and for bNII, it is 68 lots (5,984 shares), amounting to Rs 10,11,296.

The minimum amount of investment required by retail investors in Fedbank Financial Services Limited IPO is Rs 14,980 for one lot of 107 shares, and the maximum amount is Rs 1,94,740. The minimum lot size investment for sNII is 14 lots (1,498 shares), amounting to Rs 2,09,720, and for bNII, it is 67 lots (7,169 shares), amounting to Rs 10,03,660.

Conclusion

It is a rare occurrence that the next few days will see 5 main board and 1 SME IPO, providing an ideal way for investors to invest and ensure good profits in just a few days. At MensXP, we are creating blogs for every IPO to cover everything you need to know about upcoming IPOs. With the information mentioned above about Gandhar Oil Refinery VS Fedbank Financial Services IPO, you can analyse both the IPOs and choose the best one that matches your investment goals.



However, IPO listings can be volatile and result in losses. It is vital to invest after extensive company research and take measures to prevent hefty losses. It is advisable to consult a financial expert before applying for an IPO.

Disclaimer:

The above investment is meant to promote financial literacy and should not be taken as investment advice.




We've removed the Nothing Chats beta from the Play Store and will be delaying the launch until further notice to work with Sunbird to fix several bugs. We apologise for the delay and will do right by our users.

This is the message shared by Nothing, stating the current status of their latest venture, Nothing Chats. And it all happened in a few days.

Bridging the gap or breaching security?

 Nothing

In the fast-paced world of messaging apps, it looks like Nothing Chats has experienced a swift rise and an even swifter fall. This app by Nothing is basically designed to bridge the gap between Android and Apple users by supporting both RCS and iMessage. Great idea, but something happened right after the launch.



It was abruptly pulled from the Google Play Store just a day after its beta release. As mentioned above, Nothing cited that they need to fix several bugs. However, as the story unfolded, it became clear that these bugs were more than just minor glitches.

The Apple ID dilemma

 iStock

Let me give you a quick overview of how Nothing planned the functionality of this app. Basically, the app allows you to log in using an Apple ID, enabling you to create an Apple account even without owning any Apple products. Once you've signed up for an Apple ID, you can log into the app, granting you access to numerous iMessage features without the need for an iPhone.



This is alarming, right? Think about it, signing in with your Apple ID onto a device that you don't own is an enormous security issue, and it's a huge risk to anyone using it. In his latest video, YouTuber Marques Brownlee aka MKBHD, said that he had confirmed this with Nothing.

 iStock

When you sign in with an Apple ID, it's literally signing in on some Mac Mini in a server farm somewhere, and that Mac Mini will then do all of the routing for you to make this happen.



This means that you will never see or actually use that Mac Mini. Now, no one else is supposed to be able to use that Mac Mini or see your messages on it because it's all encrypted, but you are still logging in with your own Apple ID on someone else's computer!

The vulnerabilities of Nothing Chats

 Nothing

And thats not all. A tear down by 9to5google finally raised the primary concern  absence of end-to-end encryption in Nothing Chats. The app's vulnerability was exposed as attachments sent by users could easily be accessed in plain text. What further fuelled the skepticism is the use of HTTP instead of the more secure HTTPS by Sunbird, the platform behind Nothing Chats.



I even read what Kishan Bagaria, founder of Texts.com, stated. He labelled the app as extremely insecure, revealing that outgoing texts were being leaked to a sentry server in plaintext. Thats not cool at all.

texts team took a quick look at the tech behind nothing chats and found out it's extremely insecure



it's not even using HTTPS, credentials are sent over plaintext HTTP



backend is running an instance of BlueBubbles, which doesn't support end-to-end encryption yet pic.twitter.com/IcWyIbKE86  Kishan Bagaria (@KishanBagaria) November 17, 2023

Though Nothing has acknowledged the issues, which I think is the right thing to do, it remained tight-lipped about the privacy concerns. Instead, it assured users that they were working with Sunbird to fix several bugs and pledged to do right by our users.

This irony of a messaging app facing security concerns was not lost on users. Especially when the app which is promised to be the solution to the age-old Android versus Apple texting debate.

Privacy concerns unveiled

 iStock

This whole debate took a turn for the worse when users discovered that the Nothing Chats app required allowing Sunbird access to their iCloud accounts on its own Mac Mini servers. Yes, you read it right. As the information spread, the removal of the app from the Play Store seemed inevitable.



Texts.com's blog highlighted that messages sent with Sunbird's system lacked true end-to-end encryption, making them susceptible to compromise.

Nothing Chats is being taken down from Play Store & the brand is delaying the launch to work on bugs.



No, they were not bugs. Major security flaws with multiple false claims about data being end-to-end encrypted. Probably through Sunbird but still unprofessional of Nothing. pic.twitter.com/r8H3itjUwm  Ishan Agarwal (@ishanagarwal24) November 18, 2023

In case you want to know more then let me share how the vulnerability of the app came into light. Pointed out by 9to5Google, Sunbird's solution involved decrypting and transmitting messages using HTTP to a Firebase cloud-syncing server, storing them in unencrypted plain text.

This revealed that the company itself had access to these messages and logged them as errors using Sentry, adding fuel to the fire. Sunbird tried to justify the use of HTTP. It claimed it was only for the initial connection with iMessage.

Fallout and future

Well @nothing Chats App has taken down from Play Store due to serious security concerns.

Guess what.....It doesn't use HTTPS connections.

Looks like I was right the other day about it being a security risk. pic.twitter.com/ZockCFxO13  I Hate Apple (@iHateApplee) November 19, 2023

Nothing's attempt to downplay the situation as mere 'bugs' faced immediate backlash. A reader's context note is added to the aforementioned post by Nothing. The note emphasizes that the app was falsely advertised as end-to-end encrypted and exposed user data in plain text. You can check the details on Nothings post on X (formerly Twitter).

The fallout from these revelations has left Nothing Chats in a limbo, with the company yet to reveal when the app will return to the Play Store. As of now, Nothing Chats remains in beta and is exclusively available to Phone 2 users in the US, Canada, UK, and EU.

 Nothing

While they have plans to expand its availability to more countries, I believe that rather than focusing solely on expansion and enrolling more users, Nothing must address the serious privacy issues before proceeding with the app's stable release.



As users increasingly prioritise security in their messaging choices, gaining their trust is of utmost importance, and companies should avoid doing anything that questions their motto.

Nothing went through ALL that effort for Nothing Chats to turn Android users into blue bubbles & Apple just announced RCS support to just make it better for green bubbles anyways instead of shutting them down 



Literally the most unexpected things this week lol pic.twitter.com/NHHm7PPMLo  Ishan Agarwal (@ishanagarwal24) November 16, 2023

Apple has achieved this beautifully, especially in the US market, where it holds a market share of around 50%, and 87% of teens are using iPhones. I am not making up these numbers and the reason Apple can dominate the market is that they have managed to build a secure ecosystem of their products and services.

I am not endorsing Apple here, but it seems they tend to avoid making hasty decisions to grab market share.

Nothing needs to do better to have a firm footing in such a market.
Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota is dealing with the deaths of three airmen last month, causing an outcry from community members and pushing military officials to increase mental health resources at the remote installation.

Capt. Christopher Thibeaux-Moore, a spokesman for the base, told Military.com in an emailed statement that there was a "loss of three airmen in October" and Minot is "actively working to provide extensive mental health and resilience resources to struggling individuals."

Details about the deaths -- such as whether they are attributable to accidents, illness, training or suicide -- were not disclosed by the base, which said they are currently under investigation. The Air Force has, in the past, cited Pentagon and internal suicide prevention policies to Military.com as justification for not releasing more information regarding deaths at various installations.

Read Next: Navy Officially Ends Its 'Up or Out' Policy that Forced Sailors to Advance or Separate

"The loss of any airman affects us as a team," Col. Kenneth McGhee, 91st Missile Wing commander, said in an emailed statement. "We aim to respect the privacy and care of our members and their families in the wake of these events, and we must continue to advocate for various support systems through the Air Force and the local community to ensure that those who need to seek help are able to do so."

Community members in Minot, North Dakota, have been sounding alarms about the string of deaths. Last week, one woman in the community stood near a busy bridge for several days with a sign that said "3 Days for 3 Lives Lost" in an attempt to raise awareness about mental health issues in the military, according to a report from the Minot Daily News.

The woman, Lisa Hermosillo, told the local newspaper that there has not been proper information from the base about the situation.

"They said they wanted to respect the families and didn't want too much information getting out. I heard [about] it because airmen were changing their profile pictures on Facebook to honor the person who died," Hermosillo told the Minot Daily News. "Some airmen reached out to me saying they didn't even know deaths had happened until they saw a TikTok I made. How do we come together as a base and community if the problem is going to be isolated?"

The installation is a crucial component in America's nuclear triad -- the combination of land, sea and air-fired missiles that can react at a moment's notice in a national security emergency.

Minot Air Force Base operates two legs of the triad, housing the 5th Bomb Wing's B-52 Stratofortress strategic bombers and the 91st Missile Wing's Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles.

The northern base, located near the Canadian border, has often been criticized as one of the least desired duty stations among airmen due to its cold climate and remote location.

The entire active-duty Air Force tracked 64 deaths by suicide in 2022, for a rate of 19.7 per 100,000 airmen, according to annual suicide statistics released last month. Minot Air Force Base is home to more than 5,400 military service members, 677 civilians and more than 5,000 dependents, according to a base fact sheet.

Col. Daniel Hoadley, the 5th Bomb Wing commander, said in a statement that extra chaplains, counselors and mental health professionals have been made available in the wake of the deaths. Additionally, more counselors have been embedded in the affected squadrons.

"This is not a topic that leadership teams take lightly, and there is considerable effort put in to prevent and respond to these tragedies," Hoadley said. "There are a variety of resources in place to provide support systems for our airmen and families in times of need."

Air Force officials have been tight-lipped about deaths at other bases, such as Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma. When it was revealed that there had been 17 deaths of personnel tied to Tinker, the service and base declined to provide Military.com with the number of those deaths that were attributed to suicide. It said only that 11 of the deaths were attributed to illnesses or natural causes and accidents, and the other six were from "other causes" under investigation.

The string of deaths at Minot also comes as Air Force officials investigate whether troops in a wide assortment of jobs who have served at any of the nation's intercontinental ballistic missile bases are at risk for Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and other cancers.

-- Thomas Novelly can be reached at thomas.novelly@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomNovelly.

Related: Amid Deaths, Tinker Air Force Base Remains Tight-Lipped on Number of Suicides
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates  The helicopter-borne Houthi attack on an Israel-linked ship in the Red Sea highlights the danger now lurking in one of the worlds key shipping routes as the Israel-Hamas war rages, as well as the rebels tactics mirroring those of its chief sponsor, Iran.

While Tehran has denied aiding the Yemen rebel group in launching their attack Sunday, the targeted ship before the assault passed by an American-sanctioned Iranian cargo vessel suspected as serving as a forward spying base in the Red Sea. The rebels, dressed commando-style in bulletproof vests carrying assault rifles, covered each other and moved in military formation before quickly seizing control of the bridge of the Galaxy Leader.

While their body-camera footage serves as a propaganda coup to bolster their own position in Yemen amid some protests against their rule, it also signals a new maritime front has opened in a region long focused on the Persian Gulf and its narrow mouth at the Strait of Hormuz. It also puts new pressure on commercial shippers traveling through those waters, threatens to increase insurance costs that will get passed onto consumers and likely further stretches the U.S. Navy as it tries to serve as the region's security guarantor.

This has all the signs these people were trained by a professional military, which could clearly be Iran, an American defense official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters. This looks like something we havent seen before.

It's not just the U.S. and Israel suspecting Iranian involvement, however.

The risk intelligence firm RANE referred to the tactics employed by the Houthis as reminiscent of those used by Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard when seizing vessels in the past over years of tensions regarding Tehran's collapsed nuclear deal with world powers. Ambrey, a private intelligence firm, similarly referred to the operation as an Iranian-style vessel seizure" that provides the Houthis with a negotiation lever in much the same way Hamas' taking of some 240 hostages in their Oct. 7 attack on Israel did.

"The incident displayed a significant increase in the Houthis' capability to disrupt merchant shipping," Ambrey said. In the past, the Houthis had only used sea mines, missiles and remote-controlled improvised explosive devices in the Red Sea.

It added: The sophistication of the operation suggests that Iranian involvement is highly likely.

The Galaxy Leader, linked to Israeli billionaire Abraham Rami Ungar, also passed by the Iranian cargo vessel Behshad before the attack Sunday, according to satellite imagery first reported by the firm Tanker Trackers.

The Behshad has been in the Red Sea since 2021 off Eritrea's Dahlak archipelago. It arrived there after Iran removed the Saviz, another suspected spy base in the Red Sea that had suffered damage in an attack that analysts attributed to Israel amid a wider shadow war of ship attacks in the region.

Iran, for its part, denied Monday having anything to do with the attacks.

Those accusations are void, and a result of the complicated situation the Zionist regime is struggling with," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said. "We have said many times that resistance groups in the region represent their own countries and people, and they make decisions based on the interests of their own countries and nations.

However, Hamas has Iran as one of its main sponsors. The Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah, another Iranian-backed group, has engaged in cross-border fire for weeks with Israel. Iraqi militias have claimed drone attacks on U.S. bases there. Syria, another Iranian beneficiary, has launched sporadic attacks too.

It remains unclear just how much control the Iranians exert over the Houthis. However, the rebel group has seen its ballistic missile and drone program rapidly advance despite being targeted by a yearslong United Nations arms embargo. Analysts attribute that to Iranian weapons shipments, of which some have been previously seized by the U.S. and allied navies.

Houthi weapon sophistication has grown in other ways as well.

The Houthis have been able to fly this year a Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jet over the capital, Sanaa, during a military parade, along with a Northrop F-5 Tiger combat aircraft at another. A Houthi parade also saw Soviet-era Mil Mi-17 helicopters flying through the sky  the same helicopter used in Sunday's attack. A Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis had targeted Yemen's air force with airstrikes at the start of the war and the Houthis have yet to explain how they got these aircraft flying again.

The Houthis also have shot down an American MQ-9 Reaper drone during the Israel-Hamas war with a surface-to-air missile, as well as have fired drones and missiles toward Israel.

All of this makes the Red Sea, which stretches from Egypt's Suez Canal down to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait separating East Africa from the Arabian Peninsula, increasingly dangerous for shipping. That narrow strait, some 29 kilometers (18 miles) across at its tightest point, is crucial for cargo and energy shipments.

The U.S. has sent more vessels into and through the Red Sea, including the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier and its strike group. The Eisenhower is now in the Gulf of Oman, according to satellite images, meaning there are fewer U.S. Navy assets in the Red Sea to deter any possible new attacks.

And if the next attack sees fatalities  particularly of U.S. or Israeli nationals  that raises the risk of a wider war breaking out on the seas.

Significant Houthi interference with commercial shipping through the Strait is almost certain to trigger U.S. intervention due to the political and potentially economic implications, the New York-based Soufan Center warned.

Editor's note: Jon Gambrell, the news director for the Gulf and Iran for The Associated Press, has reported from each of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Iran and other locations across the world since joining the AP in 2006.
WASHINGTON  The White House voiced concern Tuesday that Iran may provide Russia with ballistic missiles for use in its war against Ukraine, a development that likely would be disastrous for the Ukrainian people, a U.S. national security official said.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby noted that Iran already has been providing Russia with unmanned aerial vehicles or drones, guided aerial bombs and artillery ammunition, and may be preparing to go a step further in its support for Russia.

Kirby highlighted a September meeting in which Iran hosted Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to show off a range of ballistic missile systems, sparking U.S. concern.

We are therefore concerned that Iran is considering providing Russia with ballistic missiles now for use in Ukraine, Kirby told reporters during a conference call. In return for that support, Russia has been offering Tehran unprecedented defense cooperation, including on missiles, electronics and air defense.

Kirby's warning came as President Joe Biden's request for more than $61 billion in emergency U.S. funding to continue to support Ukraine's defense remained stalled in Congress. The additional aid for Ukraine is part of a larger $106 billion funding request from the Democratic president that also would support Israel, Taiwan and the U.S. operations on the border with Mexico.

A growing group of lawmakers in the Republican Party, which controls the House of Representatives, opposes sending more money to Ukraine.

Kirby and other top U.S. officials have been urging Congress pass aid for Ukraine, saying existing funding is drying up.

He also noted Iran's announcement earlier this year that it had finalized a deal to buy Su-35 fighter jets from Russia, and said Iran is looking to buy additional military equipment from Russia, including attack helicopters, radars and combat-trainer aircraft.

In total, Iran is seeking billions of dollars worth of military equipment from Russia to strengthen its military capabilities," Kirby said. Russia has also been helping Iran develop and maintain its satellite collection capabilities and other space-based programs.

At the direction of the Russian government, Kirby said the Wagner mercenary group was preparing to provide an air-defense capability to either Hezbollah or Iran. He said the U.S. would be watching to see whether that happens and was prepared to use counterterrorism sanctions authority against Russian individuals or entities that might make these destabilizing transfers.

The U.S. says the Kremlins reliance on Iran, as well as North Korea  countries largely isolated on the international stage for their nuclear programs and human rights records  shows desperation. That comes in the face of Ukrainian resistance and the success of the global coalition in disrupting Russian military supply chains and denying replacements for weapons lost on the battlefield. The White House has said Russia has turned to North Korea for artillery.

U.S. officials say Iran has also provided Russia with artillery and tank rounds for its invasion of Ukraine.

The U.S. and other countries have taken steps to thwart the potential supply, sale or transfer involving Iran and ballistic missile-related items, Kirby said. The U.S. has also issued guidance to private companies about Iranian missile procurement practices to make sure they aren't inadvertently supporting Iran's development efforts.

Last May, the White House said Russia was interested in buying additional advanced attack drones from Iran for use in the war against Ukraine after it used up most of the 400 drones it had previously purchased from Tehran.

A U.S. intelligence finding released in June asserted that Iran was providing Russia with materials to build a drone manufacturing plant east of Moscow as the Kremlin looks to lock in a steady supply of weaponry for the war.
The opinions expressed in this op-ed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Military.com. If you would like to submit your own commentary, please send your article to opinions@military.com for consideration.

Those of us who fought in Somalia in 1993 were the first Americans to experience firsthand the barbaric tactic of using civilians as human shields in combat. We came away shaken, but we also realized that the tactic worked.

The cynical Somali leaders who used women and children as pawns in the Battle of Mogadishu ("Black Hawk Down") caused the American people to recoil in horror as noncombatants -- willing or unwilling -- were gunned down by coalition soldiers who had no other option than to fire into teaming crowds or be overwhelmed.

The asymmetric Somali tactic worked. The Clinton administration decided that the nation-building effort in Somalia was not worth the cost of seeing American soldiers being portrayed as indiscriminate killers of women and children. U.S. forces left Somalia in 1994.

That is what is being played out in Gaza today as Hamas uses housing areas, hospitals and refugee camps from which to launch missiles and rockets.

There is another way to deal with such tactics, but neither Israel nor its western allies have adopted it. The potential antidote is the selective use of directed energy (NLW).

Led by now retired Marine Gen. Tony Zinni, many of us Somalia veterans lobbied Congress to fund exploring such NLW systems, and the Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate was established in the mid-1990s. By the end of the decade, the United States had a directed energy weapon able to keep crowds that might contain armed elements at bay by making them feel like they were burning up should they cross a clearly defined line. The weapon excites the outer layer of skin and causes targeted individuals to feel like they are on fire. However, the sensation goes away immediately when the beam is taken off the targets and leaves no ill effects.

I led the red teaming of the operational field tests. Consequently, I am one of the people most exposed to the system and have not suffered any long-term medical effects after nearly two decades.

That said, we red teamers quickly realized that, although the system is very capable, it would be possible for the opposition to portray it as a death ray or instrument of torture if U.S. forces do not use it in a well-thought-out manner.

Unfortunately, the Russians gave NLW a bad name when in 2002 they used a supposedly incapacitating gas to attempt to save hostages in an opera house that had been seized by Chechen terrorists in Moscow. The Russians flooded the theater with a nonlethal gas that knocked out almost everyone inside -- including the hostages -- long enough to deal with the equally incapacitated terrorists. The gas was apparently fentanyl-based, and immediate treatment would have been needed by the hostages. The Russians either did not know this or did not plan for it. One hundred and seventy hostages died because competent medical help in adequate numbers was not on the scene.

A domestic example of a botched use of NLW was the FBI attempt to smoke out the occupants of the Waco, Texas, compound of David Koresh in 1993. A smoke grenade delivered by a modified tank set fire to the compound, incinerating most of its inhabitants. As a result of such incidents, policymakers have been reluctant to use existing systems due to fear of unintended consequences.

I mention all this because the next generation of directed energy weapons could potentially solve the problem that the Israelis face by incapacitating everyone in a building -- innocents and terrorists alike -- by giving them a temporary case of heat prostration. Then, the noncombatants and bad guys could be separated without mass casualties occurring. If our country or Israel decides to develop such a weapon, no technology is foolproof, as we found out in red teaming the original weapon. Most will eventually be countered, but the deterrent effect of negating the human shield factor would be worth the effort. There are several things to be considered before employing another such an NLW technology.

First, no weapon is guaranteed to be nonlethal. Some very old, very young or other at-risk people might perish, despite efforts to mitigate the effects. That point needs to be made to the media and the public in general.

Second, NLW must be used in a combined arms approach. NLW should always be covered by lethal means. A medical infrastructure needs to be standing by to help those innocents caught in the fighting, and a public affairs plan should be on hand to help the domestic and international audience understand what is being attempted and to do damage control if some fatalities occur among noncombatants or hostages. We also need to realize that the opposition is not above cleaning out morgues and planting corpses at the scene, even if no one is killed in such an operation.

Finally, there should never be a policy that NLW be attempted before lethal force is employed. Police departments that have adopted this rule have come to regret it.

We should pursue advanced directed-energy NLW not as a substitute for lethal force in urban combat or hostage rescue situations, but as another tool in the kit. If properly used, such a system would act as a deterrent to the cynical terrorists who would subject other humans to being used as shields.

-- Gary Anderson is a retired Marine Corps colonel who served as the military adviser to the U.S. Liaison Office in Somalia and has written extensively on nonlethal weapons.
Nancy Black Tribune Content Agency

Linda Black Horoscopes for Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023

Todays Birthday (11/21/23). Together, grow and blossom in partnership this year. Practice plus passion equals mastery, fun and ease. Lean on each other this winter before springtime contemplation. Summertime favors physical action. Resolve autumn romantic or creative challenges to reconnect with inspiring dreams and plans. Nurture each other.

To get the advantage, check the days rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

Aries (March 21-April 19)  Today is a 7  Plan your moves. A push now can have lasting value. Determine where and how. Do the research. Plot your course. Rest and review.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)  Today is an 8  Stand strong with friends, partners and allies. Disciplined community efforts bear fruit. Adapt around a challenge. Teamwork is your superpower. Together, youre unbeatable.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)  Today is an 8  Steadily lay the groundwork for a dreamy professional situation. Good luck follows action and initiative. A push now has lasting benefits. Make bold advances.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)  Today is a 9  Research the possibilities. Explore a subject youve long wondered about. Travel, study and investigate. Spread your wings to discover dreamy new views and flavors.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)  Today is a 9  Send invoices. Pay bills. Collect whats due. Dont gamble. Study the situation. Discuss opportunities and potential. Invest in home and family, for the future.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)  Today is a 9  Together, youre building something of lasting value. Take advantage of lucky conditions to interweave your roots. Support each other for shared stability and growth.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)  Today is an 8  All that practice is paying off. Maintain healthy routines with a busy schedule. Movement energizes and builds momentum. A push now scores extra.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)  Today is an 8  Have fun with your favorite people and activities. Romance sparks with a whisper. Enjoy a dreamy situation. Love grows with attention. Forge a lasting connection.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)  Today is a 7  Realize domestic fantasies with steady efforts and contribution. It may take a mess to make a lasting improvement. A push now makes a huge difference.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)  Today is a 9  Polish and edit carefully before publication. Its easier to catch mistakes upon repetitive review than to issue corrections. Your messages go farther today; diligently prepare.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)  Today is an 8  Balance considerations before purchasing. Can you wait on an item? Research carefully before committing. Grab lucky and lucrative opportunities. Make a lasting choice.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)  Today is a 9  Keep or change your promises. Stay in communication with changes. Your words and actions energize and advance a personal project. Let your heart lead.

Astrologer Nancy Black continues her mother Linda Blacks legacy horoscopes column. She welcomes comments and questions on Twitter, @LindaCBlack. For more astrological interpretations like todays Gemini horoscope, visit Linda Black Astrology by clicking daily horoscopes, or go to www.nancyblack.com.

2023 Nancy Black. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The congressional delegations from Nebraska and Iowa have thrown their support behind legislation that would return land to the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska that the federal government took decades ago but never developed.

The Army Corps of Engineers took the roughly 2.5-square-mile (6.5-square-kilometer) tract of land along the Missouri River in Iowa in 1970 through eminent domain for a recreation project, but it was never built. The tribe has been trying to get it back.

The Army Corps of Engineers decision to condemn and seize land from the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska was a classic case of government overreach, Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts, of Nebraska, said in a statement last week. My colleagues in the Nebraska and Iowa delegations and I want to see this wrong corrected, and the land returned to the Winnebago people.

In recent years, some tribes in the U.S., Canada and Australia have gotten their rights to ancestral lands restored with the growth of the Land Back movement, which seeks to return land to Indigenous people. Minnesota is in the process of returning to the Upper Sioux Community tribe part of a state park that holds secret burial sites of the Dakota people.

The U.S. federal government has never transferred a national park to a tribal nation, but several are co-managed with tribes, including Grand Portage National Monument in northern Minnesota, Canyon de Chelly National Monument in Arizona and Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska.

The land that would be returned to the Winnebago Tribe if the legislation passes was originally part of the reservation created for the tribe in northeastern Nebraska by a treaty in 1865. Part of the land wound up in Iowa because the Missouri River has shifted west over the years.

Another parcel of land on the Nebraska side of the river that was taken at the same time has already been returned to the tribe, but the Iowa land remains in the federal governments hands. Neither the Corps nor the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, which has been managing the land, objects to returning the land to the tribe, which should help clear the path for the proposal to pass.

We have been waiting for this wrong to be made right, and we are grateful for the leadership demonstrated by our congressional delegation, said Winnebago Tribal Chairwoman Victoria Kitcheyan.

__

Associated Press
With deer hunting season in full swing officials with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) are warning residents of the dangers of buying venison and venison products from unlicensed sources.

Many people assume food items sold online are from licensed and inspected, companies, but this is not always the case, said Jennifer Bonsky, MDARD Food and Dairy Division acting director. Before you buy any food, and at this time of year particularly venison, make sure the food was processed at a facility licensed by MDARD. Our staff works tirelessly to make sure businesses are following the law to keep your food safe and family healthy.

In particular, MDARD is concerned that unlicensed and uninspected facilities that sell or process venison may not handle the product properly, leading to an increased risk of foodborne illness. If the products are not handled properly, harmful bacteria like E. coli can contaminate the meat and can cause serious illness or even death.

The best way to tell if venison being offered for sale is being sold legally is to look at the label, Bonsky said. A proper label will list ingredients, weight of the product, the name, address and contact of the licensed food business, and have a best by date, if needed. You can also ask to see a copy of the sellers food license.

In Michigan, licenses are issued to processors and retailers that are inspected and properly follow state laws regarding how to handle venison. Licenses are also issued to retailers and meat processors to ensure any further processing such as grinding with added fat, sausage making, or smoking is done safely.

However, hunters who wish to have their deer processed for their own personal use may visit anyone -- regardless of if theyre licensed -- to have the deer cut and the meat wrapped. The meat must be labeled as not for sale and must be for the hunters own personal use. That meat can be shared with friends and family, but it cannot be resold.

For more information on deer processing requirements for retailers, click here.
WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI -- A woman previously reported missing was found dead near a Washtenaw County highway late Tuesday afternoon.

The body of Betty Reed, a 78-year-old woman from Ypsilanti, was located near U.S. 23 near Carpenter Road in the Milan area around 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 21, according to Derrick Jackson, spokesperson for the Washtenaw County Sheriffs Office.

Reed had been last seen at her home around noon on Sunday, Nov. 19, and had been reported missing to police. Investigators confirmed she had also been seen near Milan and York Township, where she had stopped multiple times asking for directions.

Police put out an alert on social media around 9 p.m., Nov. 20, asking for the publics help in locating Reed.

Reeds vehicle, which was off the roadway, was found by a farmer in the area, according to Jackson.

It looks like she drove off the roadway, got into a wooded area, the vehicle got stuck, she got out of the vehicle and wandered off, and she wound up collapsing in a field, Jackson said.

The area was closed around 11:30 a.m. on Nov. 21. It is unclear when it will reopen.

Police are not investigating the death as suspicious, Jackson said.

Reeds dog, Cali, was still by her side when police arrived, the sheriffs office said on social media. The dog will be reunited with Reeds family.

Its a very sad and unfortunate situation, Jackson said.

Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page, the Ypsilanti-area news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Ann Arbor daily newsletter.
SALINE, MI -- Saline now has a new sweet spot people can start their mornings at.

Arise Bakery and Cafe officially opened its doors in Saline on Friday, Nov. 17. The new business is taking over the former space of Matty Js Bakery and Cafe, which closed in April.

Related: Matty Js Bakery and Cafe in Saline announces it will be closing

Owners Andrea Cocciolone and Rose Richards have been friends for more than 25 years. The two were looking for a change in careers, which prompted them to share their love for coffee, Cocciolone said.

Weve always talked about opening a business together, Cocciolone said. Its pretty gratifying to see people enjoy our food and Im excited to be a place for people to come gather and work.

Cocciolone said she has always enjoyed baking for her family and friends and likes the process of learning how to make new items. Richards joked that she likes being the one who gets to try these new creations.

The bakery serves pastries, like cookies, scones, coffee cake, brownies, blueberry muffins and cupcakes, along with some baked goods from other local bakeries like Rich Grains Bakery and Grand River Bakery.

The new business will also serve coffee and espresso from Hyperion Coffee Co., as well as other options like breakfast sandwiches, quiche, avocado toast and bagels.

As for lunch, Arise Bakery and Cafe has a variety of sandwiches, salads and soups to choose from.

The bakery uses Boars Head meats and cheeses, but both owners stressed their focus on sourcing quality ingredients from local suppliers whenever possible.

Since opening, Cocciolone and Richards said it has been a great experience working together and theyre excited to become part of the Saline community.

Arise Bakery and Cafe, 972 E. Michigan Ave., is currently open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Find the new business online, on social media or by phone at 734-316-2320.

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OTTAWA COUNTY, MI  After a food security program in Ottawa County announced it would have to suspend its operations due to budget cuts from the county, commissioners argued about whether to restore the programs funding during their Tuesday, Nov. 21 meeting.

The debate centers on what caused the pause to the Ottawa Food program: The countys cuts to the health departments budget or what one commissioner described as dysfunction of the collaborative group overseeing the program.

Ottawa Food, a collaboration of over 45 agencies working to make sure the community has access to healthy and affordable food, announced last week that due to a 48% cut to the health departments health education budget, it no longer can afford a full-time coordinator for the program.

Without the coordinator, the food programs will not run to previous levels. Its unclear at this time if the programs would be completely shut down.

In a statement to media last week, Ottawa Food said its board members voted on Nov. 13 to pause the model of Ottawa Food as its been operating, rather than continue without a full-time coordinator.

The program stated while the collaborative still exists, all regular monthly and quarterly meetings and other activities are on pause.

Ottawa County Administrator John Gibbs, however, said that shouldnt be the case. He said the health department, which did not put out the statement from Ottawa Food, was using the popular program to score political points.

As previously stated during budget hearings this year, the Ottawa County Department of Public Health is fully capable of funding its portion of the Ottawa Food collaborative and continuing to provide a dedicated county staff member to the effort, Gibbs wrote in a statement. It is instead sadly choosing to engage in theatrics by attempting to needlessly cut high-profile programs in order to score political points, behavior which is a disservice to Ottawa County taxpayers and to all of the hard working staff in the Department of Public Health.

RELATED: Health officer asks judge to force Ottawa County to uphold $4M settlement offer

At the Nov. 21 board meeting, Chair Joe Moss and Vice Chair Sylvia Rhodea questioned Lisa Uganski, the health departments health planning and promotion manager, about why she didnt make a formal request of the county for more money for the Ottawa Food program. Gibbs was not at the Tuesday meeting.

Uganski said Administrative Health Officer Adeline Hambley has been in contact with Gibbs for several weeks now requesting more funding and she hasnt been given a solid answer. Uganski manages the Ottawa Food coordinator, who until recently was Sierra Schuetz. Schuetz has since moved from Ottawa Food to working in the health departments environmental health program, a position paid via grant funding.

When Im looking at my team, were looking at do we have the funding to do this, and if not, make the community aware now, Uganski said Tuesday. Theres a lot of planning and coordination and its not something we can do with just half the staff. Our coordinator and health education staff provide a lot of that, its a big undertaking.

Rhodea said shed like to take time to consider the relationship the county has with Ottawa Food and its funding structure. She said shed be in favor of creating a new county department, called the department of family impact, to make sure needs are truly being met. Moss agreed with Rhodeas idea for the new department.

Some of the programs run by Ottawa Food that are paused include Senior Project Fresh, which provides farmers market coupons to low-income senior citizens, as well as a program that collects fresh produce donations from Hudsonville, Georgetown Township and Spring Lake farmers markets.

RELATED: Ottawa County leaders pass $264M budget with some cuts to public health

According the Uganski, Ottawa Food provided food to 350 low-income seniors and 800 migrant workers and purchased 4,000 pounds of produce from local farmers using grant funding last year. The collaborative also provided thousands of resource guides about local food pantries, did interactive cooking demonstrations and other educational outreach.

Without having a coordinator, most of those programs dont exist close to those levels, Uganski told board members Tuesday.

Rhodea, though, said she was concerned about how Ottawa Food operates.

Im getting a little concerned here were funding organizations to do things that arent being done, Rhodea said. This is just very reminiscent of the whole budget process where things are taken to the media instead of the board. Im feeling uncomfortable maintaining a system that isnt coming to the board when needed and instead is going to the press for political moments.

We are absolutely committed to food security in this county but we are not committed to dysfunction, Rhodea said later in the meeting. We will be figuring that out. We have a lot of excellent nonprofits working on food in the county and were committed to that.

Uganski tried to ask if Rhodea meant there was dysfunction in Ottawa Food, but Moss cut her off and adjourned the meeting.

During the meeting, commissioners Doug Zylstra and Jacob Bonnema requested a funding request be placed on the next finance committees agenda. Moss said the commissioners would have to take that request up with the finance committee chairperson, Commissioner Gretchen Cosby.

It is my hope that we can see a budget adjustment to restore funding for the Ottawa Food coordinator be placed on the next finance committee agenda, Zylstra wrote on his website after the meeting Tuesday. The obvious lack of funding for the coordinator position is harming the Ottawa communitys combined effort to ensure all Ottawa County residents have access to healthy, local and affordable food choices.

Its unclear at this time if a funding proposal from Ottawa Food will be placed in front of the countys finance committee for approval. The finance committee next meets at the countys Fillmore Street complex at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 5.

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OTTAWA COUNTY, MI  A 33-year-old Conklin man was critically injured Monday, Nov. 20, in a crash just east of Coopersville, sheriffs deputies said.

The mans name was not released.

The other driver, a 16-year-old Muskegon boy, was not hurt.

The crash was reported at 5:46 p.m. at Cleveland Street and 40th Avenue in Ottawa Countys Wright Township.

Sheriffs deputies said that the Conklin man was driving a 2005 Toyota sedan north on 40th Street. He slowed for the stop sign at Cleveland Street but proceeded through the intersection and was struck by the teens westbound Jeep, which did not have to stop, police said.

The injured man suffered critical injuries and was taken by ambulance to an area hospital, police said.

Both drivers used seat belts.

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GRAND RAPIDS, MI  Parents and teachers are asking for more details from Grand Rapids Public Schools about the proposed plan to close 10 school buildings across the city.

On Monday, Nov. 20, the Grand Rapids Board of Education held the first of several scheduled public hearings to gather feedback from families on the districts restructuring plan. Superintendent Leadriane Roby has recommended closing 10 schools as part of an effort to consolidate resources for a smaller student body.

Grand Rapids parent Anna Johnson, who has children at Brookside Elementary School  one of the schools recommended for closure  said Monday she wants school administrators to further explain why the district wants to consolidate its middle-high school campuses, specifically Alger and Ottawa Hills.

Related: What to know about the 10 Grand Rapids schools that could be on the chopping block

The districts restructuring plan includes a recommendation to close Alger Middle School and move those students to a newly combined middle-high school campus at Ottawa Hills High School, mirroring effective school structures at City Middle High, CA Frost Environmental Academy and Southwest Middle High.

Johnson, who said her children would eventually go to the consolidated Ottawa campus, wants the district to provide further research on why a middle-high school campus is the best option for Alger, and how that will create the best school environment for students and teachers.

What are the resources that are going to be pooled on that campus? she asked the board. How do we foresee this being successful, beyond combining the schools onto one campus?

Sonja Ringlever, a school social worker at East Leonard, also asked the board Monday about what resources would be put in place to help students adjust after they are transferred to a new school. East Leonard is another school that would be on the chopping block under the districts proposed plan.

RELATED: What to know about the 10 Grand Rapids schools that could be on the chopping block

Ringlever said research has shown students who have been forced to move schools due to districtwide downsizing lag behind academically when compared to their peers who didnt have to move.

Students who have had to move have also tended to have long-term lagging skills and test scores, higher rates of absenteeism and weaker relationships with the adults in their school building, Ringlever told the school board.

Ringlever said she has asked GRPS administrators what supports and resources will be put in place at consolidated schools, but that she did not receive any answers. She asked the school board on Monday to postpone its final vote on the school closures until the district lays out a more detailed plan.

I worry that, while there is a plan of where students may go, there is little-to-no plan of what those schools and students will need to make this consolidation process a success, she said. It is my belief that these schools will need more robust support personnel like behavior specialists, academic interventionists, school counselors, and of course, an adequate amount of teachers in classrooms.

I worry without a well constructed plan that lays out explicitly what the district plans to do, our students in district will face tremendous consequences.

Mikaila Workman, who teaches special education in fourth and fifth grade at East Leonard, said she is concerned about how her special education students will be impacted by the schools closure.

East Leonard is the only elementary school in the district that houses Level 3 programs, which serve special education students with higher needs. While the districts restructuring plan says that East Leonard students will be transferred to Kent Hills or Coit Creative Arts Academy, Workman said the plan doesnt address where her students will go, because neither of those schools have L3 programs.

As a teacher, I should not have been put in a position where I have had to tell families that I dont know where your child is going next year, when general education students know that they will either go to Coit or Kent Hills, she said. Our L3 students should have received this information the same time that their gen ed peers received the information where they would be going. To me, it seems like the district did not consider all students when proposing this plan.

GRPS spokesperson Leon Hendrix said there will be special education services for East Leonards L3 students by the time they transfer to Coit or Kent Hills next year, but that the district is still working to hammer out the details.

Theres many layers to the needs of our special ed scholars that have to be worked out, so this is all part of the process, Hendrix said Monday. Once the board approves this, once we are able to draw new attendance boundaries, well be able to work out those details to make sure all of our scholars have the services that they need to be the best that they can be here at Grand Rapids Public Schools.

Here is the full list of the 10 schools GRPS is considering closing:

Aberdeen Academy (PK-8): 928 Aberdeen St. NE, in districts Northeast quadrant. There are 254 students enrolled, with a 46% building utilization rate. Aberdeen would close in 2027 under the proposed plan.

Brookside Elementary (PK-5): 2505 Madison Ave. SE, in districts Southeast quadrant. There are 281 students enrolled, with a 65% building utilization rate. Brookside would close in 2026 under the proposed plan.

East Leonard Elementary (PK-5): 410 Barnett St. NE, in Northeast quadrant. There are 312 students enrolled, with a 51% building utilization rate. East Leonard would close in 2024 under the proposed plan.

Grand Rapids Montessori Academy (PK-6): 159 College Ave. NE in Northeast quadrant. There are 310 students enrolled, and a 68% building utilization rate. Grand Rapids Montessori would close in 2026 under the proposed plan.

North Park Early Childhood Center @ Wellerwood (PK-K): 800 Wellerwood St. NE in Northeast quadrant. There are 192 students enrolled for a 100% building utilization rate. North Park would close in 2026 under the proposed plan.

Palmer Elementary (PK-5): 309 Palmer St. NE in Northeast quadrant. There are 178 students enrolled for a 53% building utilization rate. Palmer would close in 2027 under the proposed plan.

Sherwood Park Global Studies Academy (PK-8) : 3859 Chamberlain Ave. SE in districts Southeast quadrant. There are 552 students enrolled for a 23% building utilization rate. Sherwood Park would close in 2026 under the proposed plan.

Southeast Career Pathways (9-12) : 1356 Jefferson Ave. SE on districts Southeast side. There are 93 students enrolled, for a 26% building utilization rate. Southeast would close in 2025 under the proposed plan.

Stocking Elementary (PK-5) : 863 7th St. NW in districts Northwest quadrant. There are 142 students enrolled for a 28% building utilization rate. Stocking would close in 2024 under the proposed plan.

Westwood Middle School (6-8): 1525 Mount Mercy Dr. NW in districts Northwest quadrant. There are 151 students enrolled for a 19% building utilization rate. Westwood would close in 2028 under the proposed plan.

Roby and her administrative team released the list of recommended school closures on Nov. 13. The superintendent said there is a need to close schools because resources are stretched too thin over more than 40 schools across the city.

The proposed closures would save GRPS millions of dollars in maintenance costs, allowing the district to reinvest that money into a smaller number of schools and create a better learning environment for all students.

No staff will be laid off under the facilities master plan, Roby said. Teachers and staff from closed schools will be redistributed to other area schools under the restructuring plan.

The district shared the potential closures after passing a 20-year, $305 million bond proposal on Nov. 7 to improve facilities and provide a better learning environment for students.

Related: Thank You Grand Rapids! GRPS celebrates $305M school bond

Parents and community members can continue to give feedback on the closures at five upcoming community engagement sessions the district is hosting. Here are the dates and locations for the sessions:

Nov. 27: Virtual meeting at 6:30 p.m. Join here: Live.GRPS.org

Nov. 28: City High Middle Auditorium at 6:30 p.m.

Dec. 5: Ottawa Hills High Auditorium, 6:30 p.m.

Dec. 6: Burton Middle Auditorium, 6:30 p.m.

Dec. 7: Union High Auditorium, 6:30 p.m.

Roby said Monday that she will plan to add two daytime meetings -- one in-person and one virtual -- for families who work second shift and cant attend the night meetings. Details for those meetings are yet to come.

There are also opportunities for the public to offer feedback during the regularly scheduled 6:30 p.m. school board meetings on Dec. 4, and Dec. 11, at 1331 Martin Luther King Jr. St. SE, formerly Franklin Street. The school board is expected to vote on the final plan on Dec. 18.
JACKSON, MI  Many Jackson residents will now have a full Thanksgiving table thanks to help from the Jackson Police Department.

The department had its second-annual Turkey Drive Thru event Monday. Nov. 20, at the Jackson County Fairgrounds and gave out 300 free frozen turkeys to families.

The 2023 event was a major success, and police department staff were able to help double the families they did than last year, City Spokesman Aaron Dimick said.

Seeing so many people come out to the event really speaks to the need that exists in the Jackson community, Dimick said. With increasing food costs for families, we hope this will also alleviate some financial strain during the holiday season.

The event was organized through the departments Group Violence Intervention Program. The goal is to help local families get food on the table this Thanksgiving and help lessen the financial cost of having a celebration, officials said.

All 300 turkeys were given away in 30 minutes, officials said.

Our second-annual drive-thru event was a big success, Dimick said. We learned some lessons from last years event about how to organize traffic, so this was a very efficient event that went smoothly.

Walmart in Jackson donated 100 of the turkeys to this event. Some Walmart staff also helped officers distribute turkeys and gave out free $25 gift cards to residents, officials said.

The Jackson Police Department is just one of the organizations providing free turkeys or meals to residents. Other pickup events and community dinners are scheduled for the week of Thanksgiving, which falls on Thursday, Nov. 23 this year.

This includes Jacksons Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center, which is getting turkeys from Grand River Brewery, 117 W. Louis Glick Highway. The restaurant is donating a frozen turkey for each Thanksgiving meal purchased by patrons.

Officials at the King Center will give these turkeys to families in need from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 22, at the King Center, 1107 Adrian Street.

A full list of free turkey pick-up events and community dinners can be found here.

Want more Jackson-area news? Bookmark the local Jackson news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Jackson daily newsletter
LENAWEE COUNTY, MI -- A suspect was arrested in connection with the murder of Dee Warner, Michigan State Police announced Tuesday.

The Lenawee County woman, 52, disappeared in 2021 and is presumed dead.

The suspects name is being withheld pending arraignment scheduled for Wednesday, police said.

The Michigan State Police took over the investigation in August 2022 at the request of the Lenawee County Sheriffs Office.

Warner was last seen the morning of April 25, 2021, at her residence on Munger Road in Franklin Township, according to the Lenawee County Sheriffs Office. Since then, Warner has had no contact with her family or friends by phone or social media, police said.

On Oct. 12, 2021, Lenawee County officers launched an extensive search of Warners property, utilizing a large number of personnel, K9 units and ground-penetrating radar, police said, adding that the search team was unable to locate Warner.

Read more: Michigan State Police taking over investigation of Dee Warner, missing woman presumed dead

The family of Dee Warner held a press conference in May 2022 announcing that investigative attorney Billy Little presented evidence to police indicating Dee Warners husband, Dale Warner, killed her in a domestic dispute, according to previous MLive reporting.

Read More: Private investigator believes missing Michigan woman was killed by husband

The case was featured on an episode of Disappeared on the ID network last year. Little called the evidence he presented highly circumstantial, but still solid enough to be used by police and prosecutors to issue charges in the case.

Want more Jackson-area news? Bookmark the local Jackson news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Jackson daily newsletter

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BAY CITY, MI  An annual event in mid-Michigan that honors fallen police officers and their families is entering its 21st year.

Project Blue Light, a ceremony that honors fallen law enforcement officers, is scheduled to take place from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 6, at First Presbyterian Church, 805 Center Ave. in Bay City.

The event is free and open to the public to support the families. There will be an hour-long ceremony with multiple speakers.

Department and family members who are expected to be honored at the event must RSVP to event organizer Duane Bean at beand@baisd.net to reserve a wreath.

The event is organized by the Bay-Arenac Career Center and Saginaw Career Complex law enforcement classes.

The Bay-Arenac Career Center law enforcement class is even receiving an award for volunteerism for organizing the annual event at the MI-C.O.P.S. winter banquet before the ceremony.

Its very, very powerful for families, Bean, a Bay-Arenac Career Center instructor, said about the annual event. They look forward to this event every year because it gives them positive reinforcement in being loved by the law enforcement community.

Past ceremonies were recorded and uploaded to the Bay County, Michigan YouTube channel.

Want more Bay City- and Saginaw-area news? Bookmark the local Bay City and Saginaw news page or sign up for the free 3@3 daily newsletter for Bay City and Saginaw.
SAGINAW, MI  Fuzzys Restaurant, a Saginaw landmark known for its burgers, banana splits and other diner fare, is up for sale.

Scott Wilson, associate broker with Wilson Realty Inc., said this is an opportunity for an entrepreneur to buy an established restaurant thats ready to go from day one.

The buyer will unlock the door the morning after they purchase it, and theyll be busy, Wilson said. The people will be there.

The restaurant, located at 1924 Court St., is for sale along with the old fire station building, 1313 Bay St., thats adjacent to it and the buildings shared parking lot between Bay and Court streets.

The old fire station has commercial space on the first floor, previously Nines Fire House Pub, and an occupied one-bedroom apartment on the second floor. The asking price for both buildings is $750,000.

(The buyer will) get a restaurant that just doesnt seem to quit. Its busy whenever the lights are on and the doors are open, Wilson said, noting that everything is for sale except for a few family recipes that will not transfer.

Elaine Tambouridis has owned Fuzzys since 1999, and after a lifetime working in the restaurant business, shes ready to retire.

(This is) the most difficult decision of my life, very difficult, but Id like to be able to spend more time with my family, she said. And I want to travel. I plan on traveling the world. I have a home in Greece.

Tambouridis is looking for a buyer, but Fuzzys will remain open in the meantime.

Absolutely, Tambouridis assured customers. And if it doesnt sell, Ill keep it open.

After more than two decades in business on Court Street, Tambouridis says the best part has been getting to know her customers and working alongside her dedicated staff, some of whom have been with her for 22 years.

I appreciate every one of them, and I do plan on doing something else, so Im not going to be gone forever, she added. I love the memories and just appreciate their patronage and my employees.

Fuzzys was listed for sale on Wednesday, Nov. 15. Click here to see the real estate listing.

Want more Bay City- and Saginaw-area news? Bookmark the local Bay City and Saginaw news page or sign up for the free 3@3 daily newsletter for Bay City and Saginaw.
A well-known 300-pound black bear called Pumpkin was killed by a Massachusetts hunter.

The Hanson Police Department warned about Pumpkin in September, along with other bears, as he was snacking on a residents fall decorations.

After a few bites of pumpkin, it was on to the neighbors yard for some acorns. Officer Harrington helped shoo him back in the woods, police wrote.

The department continued to update residents about Pumpkin and included a photo of the bear.

On Halloween, police stated the bear wasnt aggressive toward humans but he has been known to go after small livestock, so please secure your goats and chickens.

The Whitman Police Department warned community members to be cautious ahead of trick-or-treating that night due to bears, and had additional police in town as a result.

But on Nov. 2, police updated residents that Pumpkin killed a goat and had attacked another animal.

Since the bear, known as Pumpkin, has gotten a taste for livestock he will have to be euthanized, Hanson Police Department wrote on Facebook.

However, it wasnt safe to euthanize the bear at the time, and it was left alone. People in the area then wanted to save the bear.

Hanson Police Department do better! Euthanizing a bear because hes being a bear! You said so yourself, we have to learn to live with the bears. That includes people with livestock. Find a better way to protect your animals, Kristy Myers wrote on Facebook.

Some questioned the departments statement that they could not simply relocate the bear. And Rachel Baird, a resident of Hanson, started a Change.org petition regarding the bear.

This is not just about one bear; this is about how we treat wildlife in general, read the petition.

But the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife confirmed to MassLive the bear was killed last week by a hunter legally using a bow and arrow.

Biologists believe its the same bear as Pumpkin due to photos and reports.

There are three regulated hunting seasons for black bears in Massachusetts during the fall. Hunters are only allowed to kill one bear per year.

They use the meat and fur of the animals. It also helps control the growing bear population. About 300 bears are killed by licensed hunters in Massachusetts each year.

Black bears are estimated to have a population of more than 4,500 in Massachusetts. and the governments website said that population is growing and expanding eastward. They live and breed in Worcester County, northern Middlesex County and the Berkshires.

Young males and breeding females are currently living in Eastern Massachusetts communities along Interstate 495, and young bears that wander are often east of I-495, the website stated.

Hanson police said its important for the community to learn about the bears as the population continues to grow with the hopes of avoiding these unfortunate encounters. Other bears are still in the area.
North America maintains a robust and diversified energy sector and thats why a shutdown of the Line 5 oil and gas pipeline would not be an economic disaster, a new analysis shows.

A Line 5 shutdown would cause fuel prices in Michigan to increase by a half-cent to 1 cent per gallon of gasoline, and refineries would replace their entire crude oil supply for an increase of about 68 cents per-barrel, according to a new report commissioned by pipeline opponents.

Those numbers are significantly less than what Enbridge and other pipeline advocates argue would be the financial fallout at the gas pump and elsewhere if Line 5 closes. The company contends the Midwest would experience billions in economic losses and disrupted supply lines if Line 5 shuttered.

However, recent analysis by Chicago-based PLG Consulting deduced that for both the crude oil and natural gas liquids transported by Line 5, there are a range of commercially viable and operationally feasible replacement options.

Above-ground portion of Enbridge Line 5 at the company's Mackinaw Station on Sunday, May 15, 2022. The oil pipeline travels under the Straits of Mackinac. (Cory Morse | MLive.com)Cory Morse | MLive.com

Consultants said the industry benefited during the last six years as key refineries and other businesses that depend on Line 5 developed contingency plans in the event of a pipeline shutdown.

The economic and industrial logistics experts ran the numbers and determined energy markets will adapt and can be expected to continue to do so  given advance notice  should Line 5 ever shut down. Many changes could happen immediately, and others might take up to 18 months to stand up, the consultants said.

Similar expert economic analysis was filed among witness testimony in federal court last year as part of a lawsuit between Enbridge and a Wisconsin tribe.

This echoes what every other expert has said about this issue, but brings concrete examples and facts to the table, said Beth Wallace, Great Lakes campaigns manager for the nonprofit National Wildlife Federation.

Related: Michigan to burn more natural gas for power, but prices lower than last winter

The report, paid for by the wildlife federation, shows how all but 13% of Line 5s supply of crude oil can be offset with existing infrastructure. Fully using the capacity of another pipeline between Illinois and Sarnia, Ontario, plus an increase in shipping deliveries to Montreal and Quebec City and rail deliveries to already connected refineries could backstop most of Line 5s daily 450,000 barrels of crude oil.

Additional railroad routes can be built within 18 months for between $15 million and $35 million to absorb the remaining crude volume, an estimated 37,000 to 90,000 barrels per day.

Consultants also determined how the energy industry would react to the loss of Line 5s approximately 80,000 barrels-per-day of natural gas liquids. The pipeline carries propane and butane for Michigans Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin, as well as to storage caverns in Canada, where the fuel is kept in preparation for the winter heating season.

Analysts said replacement propane and butane need not come exclusively from western Canada. Also, existing rail terminal facilities and the Ambassador distribution hub in Kalkaska could be ramped up to full capacity.

An easement marker denotes the location of the Enbridge Line 5 dual oil pipeline which runs under the Straits of Mackinac, Sept. 5, 2022. (Garret Ellison | MLive)

What would be required is an expansion to an existing rail terminal or at least one new such facility in the U.P.; experts identified six possible locations.

While such new rail facilities are built in the U.P., consultants said any shortfalls for residential propane could be bridged with portable railcars and truck transloaders, both common transportation equipment.

Finally, the experts explained all five of the Canadian propane storage caverns supplied by Line 5 are also serviced by railroads.

That such myriad options exist and can be readily implemented is consistent with the nature of hydrocarbon supply chains in North America, the report reads.

Related: Great Lakes oil spill researchers receive $3.8 million from Canada

Enbridge officials said the reports recommendations defy common sense and would put the environment at risk by suggesting the use of more oil tankers on the waters of the Great Lakes and more rail cars crisscrossing the region to transport the product Line 5 carries.

The company argues that there are currently no alternatives to deliver the entirety of energy that Line 5 transports, and that adding additional rail or marine vessel capacity is not only bad for the environment and our climate, but will take years, if not decades, to develop, permit, and build.

Also, company officials contend that to replace the energy being delivered by Line 5 would take 2,100 tanker trucks or 850 rail cars every day, which would heighten congestion on those systems and possibly displace other products such as auto parts or agricultural crops.

Yet critics say they trust the hired consultants numbers before those provided by the pipeline company.

Wallace argued decision-makers cant continue to rely on false economic claims Enbridge has asserted for years to justify Line 5s continued operations.

The Enbridge Energy terminal in Superior, Wis., June 11, 2023. The Canadian companys Line 5 oil pipeline runs from Superior to Sarnia, Ontario, by way of Wisconsin and Michigan, crossing into the Lower Peninsula under the Straits of Mackinac. (Garret Ellison | MLive)

The National Wildlife Foundation launched the report after the consultants first analyzed Enbridges arguments during the trial with the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.

In that case, a federal judge this summer ordered the Canadian oil transportation giants Line 5 trespassed 13 miles across tribal reservation land in Wisconsin and gave the company three years to remove it.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel praised what she called the game-changing report. For years, she filed lawsuits and legal briefs in other cases in an attempt to force Enbridge to shut down the pipeline  particularly the stretch that passes along the bottomlands in the Straits of Mackinac.

Enbridge has tried to justify its operation of a dangerous pipeline in the Great Lakes by arguing that Line 5 is too important to the economy to shut down. Those claims have never been true, Nessel said.

Enbridge is concerned with its own profits, not Michigans economy. As this new report shows, Michigan does not need Line 5, she said.

Enbridges Line 5 begins in Superior, Wisconsin, and transports crude from Alberta oil fields to petrochemical refineries in Sarnia, Ontario, picking up some fuel from northern Michigan along the way.

Related: Michigan river towns very local and upset about possible changes at hydro dams

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer revoked the companys Great Lakes bottomlands easement and ordered the line closed in 2020, sparking multiple lawsuits between high-ranking state officials and the company.

Final rulings about state or federal jurisdiction on the case remain pending.

Enbridge wants to build a utility tunnel through the bedrock beneath the Straits of Mackinac and run a replacement section of Line 5 through it, arguing it would heighten protections against possible environmental damages to drinking water resources for millions across the United States and Canada.

The best long-term plan to maintain the energy needs of this region is the Great Lakes Tunnel Project, which Enbridge is continuing to advance. It is the safer, smarter, better solution to protecting the environment and protecting our economies, according to a company statement.

Critics argue the urgency of the climate crisis means investment in fossil fuel industry infrastructure is counterproductive, especially given the soonest the tunnel could be completed is 2030.

An Enbridge boat prepares to deploy containment booms during an oil spill drill in the Straits of Mackinac on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015. The drill simulated a spill of light crude material from Enbridge Line 5, which was built in 1953 and runs under the water west of the Mackinac Bridge. (Neil Blake | MLive.com)The Grand Rapids Press

Enbridge already received permits to build the tunnel from Michigan state environmental regulators and the Mackinac Straits Corridor Authority but awaits a decision from the state Public Service Commission, which will consider climate impacts.

The company also requires a federal permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which has begun its environmental impact assessment, expected to include climate change consequences.

Michigan Republicans argue federal authorities are dragging their feet on the Line 5 tunnel review.
21.11.2023 LISTEN

In a generous Black Friday initiative, radio presenter Abeiku Santana, in partnership with Marriage Counselor Rev Charlotte Oduro, will generously provide free food and beverages to 200 individuals at West Hills Mall.

The charismatic host of Okay 101.7 FM will infuse the festivities with vitality through live coverage from the mall, broadcasting from 2:00pm to 6:00 pm.

Discussing the initiative on his show, he mentioned that Rev Charlotte Oduro will supply the food, while he will contribute the drinks.

Emphasising their aim to assist those unable to afford a meal, he invited individuals in need to come and partake in a free meal, setting a joyful tone for the upcoming Christmas season.

He urged people to join them in dinning with the poor.
Nigerian artist Folarin Falana, popularly known as Falz, has shared a harrowing experience from 2013 when he and his managers survived a life-threatening attack during the peak of Boko Haram activities in the country.

In an episode of "Untapped" with media personality Gbemi O, Falz revealed that after performing at a wedding ceremony in Abuja, he, alongside his managers Femisoro Ajayi and Sidney Sule, embarked on a journey back to Lagos.

The trip, which was supposed to be routine, took a terrifying turn.

"We fell asleep during the trip," Falz recounted.

He continued, "Then we just heard a loud bang. We woke up to see these turban-tying, AK47-wielding, dangerous-looking men in the middle of the expressway.

The bang we heard was a gunshot they had shot at the car. They shot at our car again, and the bullet came flying in between everyone. Everything happened so fast.

According to Falz, the armed men shot at their car multiple times.

The driver of the vehicle tragically lost his life instantly after being hit in the eye by a bullet.

They shot at us again, and the bullet hit the driver in the eye. The driver died instantly. The car started moving. It was wild. I remember seeing the car heading for a ditch and just thinking, this is it.

Then we passed out. I was the first to come around, he added.

Upon regaining consciousness, the artist described a chaotic scene where the armed men were demanding money.

I got out of the car and saw one of the men asking, Where is the money? I told him there was no money. He goes to the car looking for cash, he said.

They searched the vehicle for cash, and despite the perilous situation, Falz and his team were not helped by other motorists on the expressway.

We started to hear sirens from far away. The police did not come near. At this point, they increased fire and started shooting. They later moved away from us and retreated.

We tried to stop cars on the expressway, but not a single soul stopped. A police guy eventually came, and another guy said he was a doctor, he stressed.

The incident, according to Falz left a lasting impact on him, expressing fear that his parents might have discouraged him from pursuing his music career after such a traumatic experience.
20.11.2023 LISTEN

As one would anticipate the marketplace to be abuzz with abounding activity, a town's heart, so was the vibrant town of Keta, in the coastal Volta region of Ghana, brimming with a unique artistic fervour during the recently concluded Tsadidi Street Art Festival. The cultural gem, in its second year running, was graced by an ensemble of artists, students and enthusiastic spectators, all drawn together by the captivating allure of the festival's theme: 'Identity'.

This extraordinary convergence was masterminded by none other than GlennSamm, a revered walking artiste renown for his uncanny ability to convert an ordinary landscape into a visual storytelling masterpiece. His versatile identity as a humanitarian, brand and cultural influencer shone brighter than ever as he lived his creative mantra, promoting "hidden, diverse specific and unadulterated arts" through the festival.

The distinctiveness of this spectacle was underlined right at the onset by an unusual gesture: a grand procession that mimicked the strategic reverse walk which saved the Anlos from the wicked King Agorkorli- a backwards walk into Keta, led by GlennSamm himself, wreaking curiosity and intrigue among the eager onlookers. The festival's audacious commencement effectively set the stage for the ensuing splendid panorama of painting the town, a display of artistic prowess that would leave an indelible imprint on the hearts of the townsfolk.

With the ever-palpable presence of GlennSamm as an embodiment of inspiration, the talk party featuring students from Keta Business College, Zion College, and Keta Senior High was no ordinary discourse. It was an intellectual feast, as each viewpoint attempted to embrace the essence of the festival, the exploration of 'identity'. The youth's golden words echoed the town's painted streets, was heard, absorbed, and imprinting on countless minds ready for transformation.

Beyond this unique experience, the hospitality extended to the participants also deserves recognition. Notably, the chief of Keta - Togbi James - Ocloo V - Dufia, proved his audacious spirit when welcoming all with genuine warmth and appreciation. His ardent support to the cause and his imprint in Tsadidi's success underscored the principle of unity and camaraderie that permeated the bountiful city during the festival.

Such transformative occurrences stir not only the participating community but also reverberate far and wide, reaching those willing to appreciate beauty in all its forms. The Tsadidi Street Art Festival, in its essence, holds this untamed power - to challenge the status quo, to paint a town with colours of unexpected hope, to urge muted voices to speak with pride, and to celebrate 'identity' on a grand scale.

Beyond the painted aesthetics, the festival also marked a turning point for Keta's tourism. Painting the town did not only imply filling the blank canvas of brick and mortar with vibrant pigments, but it also metaphorically extended to reviving the town's effervescent spirit, thus re-painting its identity within Ghana's tourism tableau.

The Tsadidi Street Art Festival is consequently much more than a cultural event. It is an emblem of resilience, rebirth and a celebration of the diversity that binds us all. The dedication demonstrated by GlennSamm, a father figure for new, bold artists, puts him firmly in the centre of content marketing circles attracting wider interest from across the globe and further establishing Keta as a hotbed of artistic talent and cultural dynamism.

As the curtains of the Tsadidi Street Art Festival drew to a close, one can't overlook the tangible effect the festival had left behind. A town that had been painted anew, a heightened sense of identity among its inhabitants and a message that resonated worldwide - that through art, culture and collective empowerment, a town's spirit can be revived and its unique identity strengthened.

The lasting impact of the festival is not merely the rejuvenation of Keta's aesthetics but the renewed sense of belonging and pride among its dwellers, finding their identity in the most colourful of ways. Deeply entrenched in the hearts of the town's inhabitants, the festival evokes a sense of anticipation for the next, a yearning to relive the artistic ecstasy, and a collective dream that reaches beyond Keta, to the world.

In painting the town, the artists painted their stories, their identities. It was a proclamation of their very existence and a celebration of their individuality. Looking back at Tsadidi, the festival did not merely end; instead, it promised an enduring legacy of artistic exploration, robust cultural dialogue, and a unified voice of identity, earning a place in the annals of Ketas cultural history.

This year's Tsadidi Street Art Festival, hosted by GlennSamm and the Tsadidi Global team was indeed a breathtaking spectacle, a content marketing marvel and a testament to the positive impacts felt when culture, art, and tourism intersect. Their stories, their identities, have echoed onto the walls of Keta, and the ripple of that impact will be felt far and wide, marking yet another triumph for the Tsadidi Street Art Festival.

Special thanks to the MCE of Keta Hon. Emmanuel Gemegah, all the head teachers of the schools who participated in the talk party, the Assembly Man Hon. Akorli James Ocloo, CITI FM, CITI TV, Jubilee Radio, Sandcity Radio and Last but not the least. The people of Keta township for buying into the ideas.

Story by: John Claude Tamakloe.
Presidential staffer Dennis Miracles Aboagye has hit out at former President John Mahama over his pledge to cancel teacher licensure exams if elected president again.

In a post on social media, Mr. Aboagye described the opposition NDC flagbearer's promise as "retrogressive" and said the rejection of the proposal by the teachers' group CETAG was not surprising to him.

Mr. Aboagye, who is a communications member of the ruling NPP, said Ghanaian teachers want to find themselves at par with their peers globally.

"They acknowledge the need for change and transition but are willing to adapt for long term growth in their careers," he stated.

He backed CETAG's stance that the teacher licensure exams play an important role in ensuring professionalism and competence within the teaching ranks.

The presidential staffer took a swipe at Mr. Mahama, saying Ghanaians have not been inspired by his campaign pledges so far.

"They dont seem to inspire hope and imbibe confidence, sounds more like, you, trying to trick us into giving you power like you did to us in the past," Mr. Aboagye asserted.

He urged the former president to put more work into his policy proposals to address the country's challenges instead of what he termed as "cheap political ideas."

Mr. Aboagye's criticisms of Mr. Mahama's pledge come after CETAG president Prince Obeng Himah rejected cancelling the examination.

In my opinion, it is something that is good and it shouldnt be cancelled. That is CETAG we have stated that we should implement what we agreed two years ago when we had a conference that the students wanting to enter the teaching profession should be subjected to entrance exams, he told Accra-based Citi TV/FM.
20.11.2023 LISTEN

Some residents of the Yekine community at Dua in the Bongo district of the Upper East Region have been attacked by some strange skin ailments putting fear in residents.

The disease, which attacks the skin, eats deep into the flesh of the affected person and into the bone.

Some of the families believe the ailment is spiritual and have sent victims for traditional treatment while others are battling the disease at home.

A former messenger of the Naara Rural Bank from Apuwongo, a nearby community, is currently amputated and on admission at the Ultima Hospital, a popular Bone hospital at Zuarungu in the Bolgatanga East District.

The parents of a 15-year-old Master MBA Atampugre of Yikene are also in the Northern Region to seek traditional treatment for their son whose arm is affected and there is fear of amputation since the skin of the hand is eating away.

Mr Nyaaba Adongo, a 50- year-old man and father of five said he suffered the ailment for the past three years and indicated that his left foot started with a sore leading to a swell and according to him, two surgeries were done on him at the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital when he had complained of inability to urinate and painful groin.

He said apart from excruciating pain in the abdomen, he is unable to control urine.

According to Mr Adongo, who is a farmer, doctors at the hospital asked him to get funds for another surgery, but he could not raise the money.

He said the fourth toe on the right foot became rotten and eventually dropped off and indicated that even though the sore on the foot had healed, the sole of the same foot was punctured.

Mr Roger Abugre Apulonge, Assembly Member for the Apowongo -Yikene electoral area, who spoke with the GNA at the Yikene community confirmed the health issue in some communities in the electoral area.

He said the disease developed like a sore and eats into the skin, noting that some children developed boils and that three people in his community were already affected.

According to him, the electoral area combined with Apuwongo and Yikene, which has a population of over two 2,000 people, were worried about the spread if nothing serious was done to control the spread.

Mr Apulonge said his brother, who is amputated in the leg from Apuwongo started with a sore at the back of his leg that spread deep and a visit to the hospital and scanned check indicated it was cancer for which nothing could be done except amputation.

The Assemblyman appealed to researchers and health personnel to come to the community to help nib the situation in the bud.

-GNA
The individuals championing the viral #TheNewForce campaign with billboards erected in parts of the country have petitioned the Electoral Commission (EC) to ban one Sam Ankrah for allegedly fraudulently projecting himself as the originator.

In a statement issued on November 20, the group said Mr Ankrah has no connection to the conceptualisation, design or development of their "The Man in the Mask" campaign featuring billboards of a masked figure across the country.

The statement, signed by #TheNewForce, read: "We wish to state categorically that the said Sam Ankrah has no connection to the creative concept, design, and inventive process that developed the "The Man in the Mask" campaign."

They described his actions as "reprehensible" and evidence of a lack of credibility, saying he is undermining the vision of young Ghanaians through exploiting their ingenuity.

On the advice of their lawyers, #TheNewForce will file a complaint with the EC against Mr Ankrah for violating Section 6 of the Political Parties Act 2000, which constitutes an offence punishable by up to two years in prison.

The group also "reserve our right to consider civil action against him for infringement of our intellectual property rights."

They have demanded he cease using their intellectual property and issue an apology.

If the claim is true, it will be another twist in the mystery surrounding the true forces behind the billboard campaign that has gained significant attention online.
Children in French overseas territories lack the access to healthcare, housing and education that kids in mainland France can rely on, a new report by Unicef highlights. The UN children's agency is calling on the French government to address what it calls "alarming inequalities" and protect basic rights across the country.

In its report "Growing up in the overseas territories", Unicef flags up stark disparities between children in mainland France and its departments in the Caribbean, Indian Ocean and South America.

These territories are among the youngest in France, with a high percentage of their population under 18, and among the poorest.

In the Indian Ocean department of Mayotte, eight out of ten children live in poverty, according to Unicef. In French Guiana on the coast of South America, it's six out of ten.

On the French mainland, meanwhile, poverty affects two of every ten children.

Higher childhood mortality

Published to coincide with World Children's Day, Unicef's report also highlights how poverty impacts children's ability to access fundamental rights, such as education and healthcare.

"Access to basic care in the overseas territories is not necessarily guaranteed," Mathilde Detrez, Unicef advocacy officer and co-author of the report, told RFI.

"Indeed the childhood mortality rate is markedly higher in these territories than it is in mainland France. In Mayotte, for instance, it's 8.9 per thousand children, while on the mainland it's around 3.7 per thousand. So the gap is considerable."

Detrez says the disparity can be partly explained by growing up in poverty, which is known to negatively affect mental and physical health well into adulthood.

But she points the finger at gaps in the healthcare system too: "It's linked to the precarity in which a lot of the population live, but also a lack of services and a lack of medical staff."

Children out of school

Poverty is also one among many factors keeping children in overseas departments out of schools.

In French Guiana, anywhere between 5,900 and 10,000 children are estimated to be out of education, while in Mayotte the figure is thought to be around 5,400 to 9,600.

"The right to education is badly impacted, especially since in some territories distance makes things worse  like in French Guiana, where children are physically very far away from schools," Adeline Hazan, the president of Unicef France, told French news agency AFP.

Meanwhile in Mayotte, the ongoing drought and water shortages have contributed to emergency school closures.

State schools also struggle to recruit and retain teachers, especially ones capable of teaching in both French and local languages spoken by many children in the overseas territories, Unicef points out.

The result is markedly worse educational outcomes: in 2022, around 30 percent of children in the Caribbean department of Guadeloupe had difficulty reading, rising to nearly 52 percent in French Guiana and 56 percent in Mayotte.

That's compared to 12 percent of boys in mainland France and 9 percent of girls.

Detention of minors

Unicef stresses that the situation is even more precarious for children from an immigrant background.

In Mayotte, which has seen many people arrive clandestinely from the nearby Comoros islands in recent years, families without papers or an official address may find their children cut off from school or other public services.

Thousands of minors are even detained after entering French territory without permission, a practice that has been condemned by the European Court of Human Rights.

Of 3,211 children detained by France in 2011, 3,135 of them were held in Mayotte.

Unicef's Detrez says the policy contravenes the UN's international Convention on the Rights of the Child.

"We're calling quite simply for an end to the detention of children, which is traumatic and runs counter to the principle of dignity protected by the Convention," she told RFI.

More broadly, Unicef says it wants to see policymakers in overseas territories and in Paris work together more effectively to prioritise children's wellbeing.

"These inequalities within France are alarming," said Hazan. "Those in charge must guarantee that all children throughout the country can access their rights."
The Secretary General of Liberias ruling party, the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), Jefferson Tamba Koijee is rallying citizens to refrain from acts that would undermine democracy and peace in the country in the aftermath of the results of the just ended 2023 presidential election.

The CDC Chief Scribe said partisans of the party show be wary of those who would want to use their political defeat at the polls to ferment violence under the guise of being supporters and partisans of President George Weah and the CDC.

He spoke at a press conference on the evening of November 19, 2023 at the partys headquarters in Congo Town, Monrovia.

SG Koijee applauded President Weah for his magnanimity in accepting the outcome the 2023 polls which is an unprecedented display of patriotism and putting the wellbeing of the country above his personal ambitions to become president at all costs.

Here is the full text of the CDC Secretary Generals statement verbatim:

We want to congratulate all our collaborating parties for your hard work and dedication during these electioneering period. We want to warn those who are spies and pretending to be members of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) with the evil intentions to manipulate our partisans and supporters.

We know our partisans very well. They are sober, peaceful and resilient people. No political party has withstood intense provocations and remained peaceful like we did for 12years in opposition to the extent that our partisans and supporters were killed.

The CDC and its supporting political institutions went into this process with their all. We want to warn some of you who are pretending to be partisans and spreading false rumors that the CDC is calling for a rerun. That is false and misleading. Do not mislead our partisans. At no time did the CDC call for rerun. There were issues in a few places in Nimba , Grand Gedeh and Grand Kru Counties. Those issues are being handled by the relevant people with the National Elections Commission (NEC). I want to call on partisans of the CDC not to allow themselves to be misled at this time because there are people who will come to you under the guise of being partisans of the Coalition for Democratic Change to feed you with misinformation and disinformation with the evil intent to misrepresent the institution during this critical period in our body politics.

You fought a good fight. I want to encourage you to listen to us to provide direction for you. Do not allow yourselves to be deceived. The President has spoken very clearly and he will be having a conversation with all of you. CDCians from across the world, we appreciate you. You have demonstrated your commitment and love for the President and the CDC. Please remain law abiding. Theres time for everything. This time, we have committed ourselves to a peaceful, transparent and credible election. We will act responsibly and we want you to give deaf ears to misleading information that would push you to engage into acts that will undermine the peace of our country. Any negative actions taken by anyone claiming to be partisan of the CDC will not be condoned. If your action is in contravention of our calls for you to be peaceful and law abiding, you will bear the consequences of those actions alone. We will condemn you.

The party structure will not accept acts that are counterproductive. We encourage you to be steadfast and calm. Do not take any unlawful actions. Follow the direction of your leaders, remain circumspect and act within the confines of the law. The President has spoken to the nation and the world. He will be speaking directly to you his supporters and partisans. As a ruling party, he have a responsibility to protect the peace of this country and ensure the right thing is done. When the National Elections Commission gives the final results announcing the winner, we will officially congratulate the winner as a responsible and democratic institution. We appreciate the decision of the President to accept the outcome of the election as a leader who puts the wellbeing of his people and country above personal ambitions. I want you to give deaf ears to the misinformation and disinformation that are being spread around by evil minded individuals. They dont mean well for you. They see violence as their mainstay to remain relevant in society at the detriment of the vast majority of the population. We do not want them to succeed in deceiving you. No matter how hurt and broken you are as a result of the outcome of the election, we call on you to be sober and peaceful. We will remain here and provide guidance to you on the future direction of our party. Mayor Jefferson Koijee comments at a press conference yesterday, November 19, 2023 at the headquarters of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC).
The Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has affirmed the governments commitment to protecting the countrys forest reserves, including the Kakum National Park, from mining activities.

He stated that the relevant Act of Parliament, which safeguards forest reserves from indiscriminate mining, will be strictly enforced.

These remarks follow reports of potential mining activities in the Kakum National Park, which has encountered resistance.

Speaking to journalists in Accra, Mr. Jinapor said mining in forest reserves would not be permitted.

An LI is subsidiary legislation and therefore is subservient to an act of Parliament. And the act of Parliament which regulates mining, Act 703, and the enabling law for the forestry commission and the forest protection agency, will not and cannot allow indiscriminate mining in forest reserves and will take precedence over an LI, Samuel Abu Jinapor said.

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the public have raised concerns aboutthe potential impact of mining in the Kakum National Park, a renowned tourist site in Ghana and sub-Saharan Africa.

The Minerals Commission CEO, in an interview on Eyewitness News on Citi FM, said that the Commission had rejected an application by High Street Mining Company Limited to mine in the Kakum National Park in the Central Region.

Citi Newsroom
A group calling itself Delegates against Unopposed in the Nsawam Adoagyiri Constituency of the Eastern Region is kicking against any move by the leadership of the party in the region to allow the incumbent Member of Parliament Frank Annoh Dompreh to run unopposed.

Clad in white with red headbands, the group, at a press conference on Monday, argued that the dream of the party to break the eight may not see the light of day if a free and fair contest is not allowed for all well-meaning members of the party.

The convenor of the group, Abrokwa Abraham Asiamah, in an interview with Citi News after addressing the press, said the group would fiercely resist any move by the leadership of the party not to allow a fair playing ground in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Mr. Asiamah further threatened that the majority of the members of the party in the constituency would boycott the 2024 general elections if the incumbent MP was allowed to contest unopposed.

READ THE FULL STATEMENT FROM THE GROUP BELOW

PRESS CONFERENCE BY NPP POLLING STATION EXECUTIVES IN NSAWAM ADOAGYIRI AGAINST THE ORGANISATION OF EXTRAORDINARY CONGRESS IN DECEMBER 2023

Distinguished members of the media, ladies and gentlemen

We have called you here today to share with you some issues happening in the Nsawam Adoagyiri constituency, for which all attempts to get the leadership of the constituency to halt them have proven fruitless. We have made several calls to regional executives, but nothing has happened, and Frank Annoh Dompreh and his assigns are still on their path to send the NPP into opposition, making the slogan Break the 8 useless.

Since last year, the Member of Parliament has been talking about contesting unopposed in the parliamentary primaries of the New Patriotic Party. He printed t-shirts, and it became a mantra in the constituency. All along, we thought it was just a ploy to discourage others from contesting; little did we know that he had a clandestine motive to force delegates to accept such an undemocratic practice.

Since the beginning of the year, those of us who have spoken against the unopposed have been tagged as enemies of the MP. He went as far as causing the suspension of eight delegates after severely insulting and threatening them. In addition, during the Presidential Primaries of the NPP, which saw H.E. Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia come out victorious, Frank Annoh Dompreh pocketed 400 cedi of 66 delegates given to him by Dr. Bawumia. Up to today, he has still not given the money to these 66 delegates.

Today, we have met here to expose another diabolical attempt by the incumbent MP to perpetuate himself on us.

For some weeks now, the MP and his associates have been moving from electoral areas with a sheet of paper titled.

Details of Electoral Area Coordinators and Polling Station Executives Calling for an Extraordinary Congress in December 2023

Our intelligence within the Constituency Executive Committee informed us that on November 12, 2023, at around 4:30 p.m., the Constituency Chairman, who had received an auctioned Mercedes Benz from the MP, called a meeting of the Constituency Executive Committee to inform them that they had received a request for an Extra Ordinary Delegates Congress from about 400 polling station executives and area coordinators. He is therefore putting it before them for their approval to enable him to send it to the Regional Executive Committee for concurrent approval to enable them to organise such an event in the first week of December 2023.

Ladies and gentlemen, though he mentioned 400 polling station executives, he only mentioned the names of five polling station executives and area coordinators to the members of the Constituency Executive Committee. The chairman did not provide the details of the so-called 400 delegates to members of the constituency executive committee. The Constituency Executive Committee members, half of whom are against the practice, were unfortunately quite at the meeting because they were all afraid of the intimidation that would be meted out to them if they spoke against what was going on.

Ladies and gentlemen of the press, our intelligence at the Constituency Office indicates that some documents have been sent to the Regional Office of the NPP with some signatures of polling station executives, indicating that these individuals are calling for this extraordinary congress, whose intention is to lay a motion to approve Hon. Frank Annoh Dompreh to contest unopposed in Nsawam Adoagyiri.

Ladies and gentlemen of the press, we wish to inform the Regional Executive Committee and the National Executive Council of the NPP that what Frank Annoh-Dompreh and his agents have submitted to the Regional Executive Committee is fake and should be disregarded. Some delegates of Nsawam Adoagyiri were deceived into signing the document as part of acknowledging the receipt of some agriculture input received recently. Other signatures were completely made up.

The assigns behind this have perpetuated fraud by sitting in their houses, writing the names of polling station executives, and signing against the names of some of the delegates without their knowledge.

We wish to inform the leadership of the NPP in the Eastern Region and the National Executive Council to throw away the purported document emanating from the Nsawam Adoagyiri Constituency. It is fictitious and without any merit.

We also want to remind Frank Annoh-Dompreh and his assigns that their action is against the Guidelines for the Conduct of Parliamentary Elections'' issued by the National Executive Council. It is a gross disrespect to the national leadership of the NPP and a gross insubordination to the leader of the party, His Excellency, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.

We want to use this opportunity to let Ghanaians and the leadership of the NPP know that Frank Annoh-Dompreh and his associates have destroyed the NPP in the constituency and that if he is not contested and a new leadership emerges to represent the party on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party, we will lose the seat to the NDC in 2024. Here are the reasons:

1. The NDC currently controls the Nsawam Adoagyiri Municipal Assembly. The NDC has more Assembly members than the NPP, hence our inability to elect a presiding member. The Nsawam Adoagyiri Municipal Assembly is currently without a presiding member. The NDC currently has 15 as opposed to 13 for the NPP.

2. The NDC has gained more votes than the NPP in the parliamentary primaries over the last few years. In the year 2016, the NPP recorded 27,159 votes. This was increased by 7269 in 2020 to 34,428. In the same period, NDC, which recorded 18,888 votes in 2016, increased its votes by 12,298 to 31,186 in 2020. Any serious politician will tell you that if you present the same NPP candidate who is the direct cause of the abysmal performance of the party, you are automatically going to lose the seat. It must be noted that H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana, who visited Nsawam only once in the 2020 elections, won more votes than Frank Annoh-Dompreh.

Beside the numbers above, other poor management of the affairs of the party in the constituency requires fresh leadership, hence our quest to ensure that there are elections in this constituency. These include.

1. Poor running of the constituency office by the MP. In 2022, the chairman of the party had to take money from someone to pay for the constituency office rent to prevent eviction by the Landlord.

2. After 12 years of Frank Annoh-Dompreh, NPP still rents a space to use as a constituency office. Meanwhile, over the same period, the MP has built a mansion for himself at Dobro, while we continue to rent an old building as a constituency office.

3. There is no welfare scheme for polling station executives.

4. Intimidation, blackmail, threats, and insulting of polling station executives by Frank Annoh-Dompreh. The use of threats and intimidation is the norm in Nsawam Adoagyiri. At every opportunity, the MP publicly calls out and humiliates executives at meetings. In this year alone, 8 Polling Station Executives were suspended without hearing. It had to take the action of the indefatigable Eastern Regional Chairman to cause the issuance of a statement to reinstate these officers to enable them vote in the Presidential Primaries.

5. There has been no training or orientation for polling station executives over the almost 12 years Dompreh have been in power. We have been reduced to voting machines and recipients of peanuts from the MP at his whims and caprices.

6. Unequal distribution of opportunities. Our MP recently told all of us that he received 250 slot to get people into various sectors for employment. As of today, we do not know who received these slots. We, the polling station executives, don't matter to him on employment issues. Unless you go to his house to gossip or follow him to sing his praises, you don't matter.

These and many other issues affecting the partys operationalization in Nsawam Adoagyiri require urgent leadership change to bring in the needed excitement, energy, and resourcefulness for the growth of the party.

We are at this press conference sending a clear message to Frank Annoh-Dompreh and his associates to stop the process they have initiated to organise the so-called Extraordinary Delegates Congress.

We also want to say unequivocally that we stand with the General Secretary of the NPP, Lawyer Justin Kodua, on his statement to allow contests in all constituencies in the country without any exception and that we are appealing to him to ignore the Electoral Area Coordinators who met him at a recent funeral he attended in the constituency and were begging him to allow Frank Annoh-Dompreh to go unopposed. General, the one who spoke on behalf of the Area Coordinators has been promised a visa to the UK by Frank Annoh-Dompreh. Ignore him.

We, the delegates of Nsawam Adoagyiri, want an open contest in the constituency.

Thank you, Read by Adarkwa Abraham Asamoah Youth Organiser, R/C Girls B Amoakro 1 Polling Station

Tel : 0249878036 For interviews contact below 1. Albert Aboagyre Tannor Area Coordinator  Kojo Electora Area Tel: 0244407646 2. Ernest Amoako Area Coordinator  Ahodjo Electora Area Tel: 0265712344 3. Richard Afram Organiser  L/A Primary ankwa Dobro 1 Tel: 0597205452 4. George Asirifi Chairman: Ankwa Dobro Primary 2 Tel: 0243985981 5. Kwame Ayisi Polling Station Chairman, DJANKROM East Tel: +233 24 440 6142
The founder and leader of All People Congress (APC), Dr Hassan Ayariga, has said the controversial 24-hour economy was first proposed in his 2020 manifesto.

The 2020 presidential candidate of the All Peoples Congress (APC), in a statement, said he is happy the largest opposition leader, John Dramani Mahama wants to introduce a 24-hour economy for Ghanaians.

Former President John Dramani Mahama has reaffirmed his commitment to implementing his proposed 24-hour economy policy, dismissing criticism from opponents and reiterating its potential to boost employment and revitalize the Ghanaian economy.

During a campaign rally in the Bono East Region, Mr. Mahama emphasized that his vision for a 24-hour economy extends beyond simply extending the operational hours of existing businesses.

Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, on Monday, November 20, suggested that the 24-hour economy concept was already being implemented in Ghana and that Mr Mahama lacked understanding of the policy.

Dr. Bawumia called on Ghanaians to ignore Mr Mahamas proposals.

Below is Hassan Ayariga's full statement:

Dr. Hassan Ayariga writes:

Am happy to hear that former president Mahama says he will introduce 24 hours economy for Ghanaians and suddenly it has become a serious topic for discussion and some people are calling on Ghanaians to listen and follow while others are asking other political leaders to bring their policies.

Kindly read from Dr. Hassan Ayarigas APCs 2020 manifesto item number thirty, you will see a 24-hour production (a 3 shift system for companies, businesses, and workers). This is what the leader of the APC has been talking about, but we never pay heed to his policy, but when the major parties raise this same topic, then it becomes a serious policy.

Kindly read from Dr. Hassan Ayarigas APCs 2020 manifesto item number thirty, you will see a 24-hour production (a 3 shift system for companies, businesses, and workers). This is what the leader of the APC has been talking about, but we never pay heed to his policy, but when the major parties raise this same topic, then it becomes a serious policy.
The presence of United Nations peacekeepers, whose shortcomings can frustrate local populations, is not a "magic wand" for conflict zones, said their leader Jean-Pierre Lacroix, who supports an expanded tool kit to protect civilians in increasingly complex territory.

From Lebanon to the Democratic Republican of Congo (DRC), from South Sudan to the Western Sahara, some 90,000 so-called Blue Helmets serve under the UN flag, engaged in 12 separate operations.

These missions do not always meet with unanimous approval on the ground, as in Mali, where UN peacekeepers have been forced by the government to leave, or in the DRC where some inhabitants have expressed hostility.

Yet the peacekeepers protect "hundreds of thousands of civilians" daily, Lacroix, the UN under-secretary-general for peace operations, told AFP in an interview.

Sometimes such protection mandates "raise expectations that we cannot meet, because of the capacities that we have, because of the budget that we have, because of the terrain and the logistical constraint," he acknowledged.

"It raises frustrations from those who are not protected," and such resentments are manipulated "by those who would prefer the continuation of chaos."

According to Lacroix, countries where UN peacekeepers operate face "the weaponization of fake news and disinformation."

Would conditions be better there if such missions were absent? "In most cases, it would probably be much worse," he said.

But "it doesn't mean that peacekeeping operations are the magic wand, or the universal response to every kind of crisis."

The 15-member UN Security Council authorizes the Blue Helmets in "supporting political processes" that lead to sustainable peace, Lacroix said.

But today "we have a more divided Security Council," with members that "don't put their weight behind the political processes" associated with UN peacekeeping, he added.

Lacroix hopes a December 5-6 ministerial meeting in Ghana will prompt a recommitment by members toward the global body's peacekeeping missions.

'Peace enforcement'?

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has already urged reconsideration of the future of such operations, particularly where there is no peace to keep.

Blue Helmets can protect civilians when a ceasefire is already in place. "UN peacekeepers do not do peace enforcement," Lacroix said.

They are not counter-terrorist units, or anti-gang forces.

Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix speaks during an interview at UN Headquarters in New York City on November 20, 2023.. By Yuki IWAMURA (AFP)

Yet they are deployed in environments that are "becoming more dangerous," he said, where "non-state actors, armed groups, private security companies," crime syndicates and people involved in terrorism have little interest in creating peace.

The idea then of making room for complementary but non-UN missions is gaining ground.

The international community and multilateral system "need a more diverse set of tools" and responses to address widening challenges, Lacroix stressed.

"New forms of peacekeeping operations to better address the drivers of conflict such as the impact of climate change or transnational criminal activities, peace enforcement operations conducted by the AU (African Union) or other regional (or) sub-regional organization, we need all of that," he said.

Could such forces serve as models in Gaza, after the Israel-Hamas war?

The jury is out.

"I think there are millions of scenarios that one can imagine" for a security mission in the ravaged Palestinian territory, Lacroix said. "But it's very hypothetical up to now."

However missions look in the future, their immediate challenge is finding funding, and volunteers.

After a year of equivocation, the Security Council last month finally approved deployment of a multinational force, led by Kenya, to help restore security in crime-plagued Haiti. Nairobi pledged 1,000 police but wants other members to help cover the cost.
Vice President and NPP 2024 presidential candidate Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has critiqued former president John Mahama's campaign pledge to implement a 24-hour economy in Ghana.

While addressing supporters in Tamale on Monday, November 20, Bawumia argued that the proposal is not well-thought-out.

He noted that many sectors already operate 24-hours by necessity or market demand.

"Hospitals, utilities, security services and some businesses operate 24 hours a day to serve citizens," he stated.

Bawumia dismissed the idea that simply passing a law could transform the entire economy.

"I hear John Mahama has a new idea and he wants to run a 24 hour economy. I say where did he get this idea from? It is not a bright idea! A 24 hour economy cannot be legislated by government.

"Today, there are many businesses that are already working for 24 hours. Hospitals are opened for 24 hours. You can buy electricity for 24 hours. Because of digitalisation, you can transfer money for 24 hours. There are many chop bars and restaurants that are opened for 24 hours," Dr. Bawumia said.

He continued, "the police is working for 24 hours. The security services are working for 24 hours. So what is this 24 hour economy that you want to bring? Operating 24 hours is an issue for businesses. If you'll make more money opening 24 hours, there is no law preventing you."

According to Bawumia, enterprises should have flexibility to determine their own hours based on feasibility and profitability.

If a company finds sufficient demand to justify staying open overnight, nothing prevents it currently, noted the Veep. "But mandating a blanket 24/7 schedule would not align with economic realities on the ground."

The vice president further stressed that meaningful policy depends on pragmatic solutions, not superficial slogans.

In his view, Mahama's record lacks transformative initiatives comparable to programs championed by himself and the current NPP government.

Bawumia has touted innovative policies that have addressed issues like digital identity, financial inclusion, access to services and healthcare infrastructure expansion.
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is accusing the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government of intentionally using Teachers' Licensure Exams to reduce teacher employment in Ghana.

National Communications Officer of the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi, alleges that many qualified teacher trainees are being failed in the "obnoxious" licensure exams without justification.

"These qualified teachers are made to stay home without any job. Out of desperation, some are compelled to pay bribes to officials of the National Teaching Council in order to get a licence," Mr. Gyamfi said in a featured article.

Mr. Gyamfi was supporting his party's flagbearer John Mahama's recent pledge to scrap the licensure exam if elected in 2024.

During his campaign tour in the Bono region, Mr. Mahama said the exam was needless.

This Mr. Gyamfi stated, "the marking scheme for the obnoxious licensure examination remains a mystery."

He explained that "The pass mark is whimsically and capriciously adjusted depending on the number of qualified teachers government intends to deny employment every year."

He further alleged that some teachers who previously failed but later passed the exam have been denied employment and are sitting idle at home.

"The reason for this injustice is simple; the failed Akufo-Addo government/Bawumia government simply does not have the financial capacity to employ all teacher trainee graduates, hence has devised a plan to use the obnoxious licensure exam to suppress the number of teachers they have to employ every year under the guise of licensing teachers," Mr. Gyamfi said.

"This elimination by rough tactic is simply unfair. This is why, the visionary Nation Builder, H.E John Dramani Mahama, has promised to abolish it when elected in 2024," the NDC Communications Officer added.
Independent presidential candidate hopeful Dr. Sam Ankrah has denied claims that he has hijacked the viral #TheNewForce campaign to promote his own presidential bid.

In an interview with Accra-based TV3, Dr. Ankrah said his campaign is rather against "the man in the mask", because he believes Ghanaians rather need a transparent government.

"I saw the billboards announcing a new candidate and I was utterly appalled that at the height of our plight as Ghanaians in this economy, we have another political candidate using a mask as a symbol to launch themselves, he posited.

He insisted: "I am only here to send a message of accountability and transparency.

This comes after the individuals behind #TheNewForce petitioned the Electoral Commission to stop Dr. Ankrah, accusing him of fraudulently "projecting himself as the originator" of their campaign.

In a statement on Monday, November 20, the group said Dr. Ankrah "has no connection to the conceptualisation, design or development" of their masked figure billboards seen across the country."

They described his actions as "reprehensible" and showing "lack of credibility", saying he is undermining young Ghanaians' vision by exploiting their ingenuity.

The group demanded Dr. Ankrah cease using their intellectual property and issue an apology, warning they will file a complaint with the EC and civil action against him.
Deputy Ranking Member on Parliaments Education Committee, Dr. Clement Apaak, has clarified that former President John Dramani Mahama is not opposed to the licensing of teachers but to the writing of the teacher licensure exams.

During his 'Building Ghana Tour' in the Bono Region, Mahama vowed to abolish the licensure exams, arguing that subjecting teacher trainees to an additional assessment for qualification was unnecessary.

However, his promise has been strongly criticized by various associations, including the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG), which maintain the importance of the exams.

In an interview with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Eyewitness News on Citi FM on Monday, Dr. Apaak said, John Dramani Mahama is not opposed to licensing teachers; he is not opposed to teachers being professionals, and he is not opposed to adopting and following best practices. But we are opposed to the current practices, which is the decision not actually backed by the Teaching Act, that for one to be certified as a professional teacher and licensed, one has to write a licensure exam.

So it is important to distinguish and delineate between licensing teachers as professionals and saying that teachers must write an exam called a licensure exam, pass, and on the basis of that be given a license.

Similarly, the Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, has asserted that the exams were a ploy by the current administration to suppress teacher recruitment.

Mahama had explained thatteacher trainees already undergo rigorous four-year Bachelor of Education programs, encompassing at least 50 courses and eight semesters of intensive study and rigorous assessment via exams.

He, therefore, questioned the need for an additional exam after such comprehensive training.

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Vice-President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has challenged the flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama's proposed 24-hour economy policy, asserting that the initiative is already in practice in various sectors in the country.

According to Dr. Bawumia, key institutions such as hospitals, fuel companies, and more operate on a 24-hour basis, rendering Mr Mahama's proposed policy redundant.

He indicated that the NDC flagbearer has no understanding of the policy he intends to implement.

Vice-President Bawumia noted: John Mahama says he has a new idea. What is the idea? He says he wants a 24-hour economy. He doesnt even understand that policy. Today in Ghana, our hospitals work 24 hours, our electricity company works 24 hours, our water company works 24 hours, our fuel stations work 24 hours, and many chop bars work 24 hours.

Today because of digitalisation, you can transfer money 24 hours, you can receive money 24 hours So he doesnt understand his own policy. It doesnt make sense.

Dr Bawumia further highlighted the impact of digitalisation, enabling round-the-clock money transfers and transactions.

Dr. Bawumia therefore urged Ghanaians to disregard Mr Mahama's 24-hour economy proposal during the upcoming 2024 polls, asserting that the former President does not comprehend the policy he advocates.

He encouraged voters to focus on the New Patriotic Party (NPP) vision, stressing that Mr Mahama has nothing new to offer.

The Vice-President also positioned himself as the future leader of the country, stating: Mahama is the past, Dr. Bawumia is the future and called on voters to support him in the 2024 elections, promising to bring a new vision and policy to propel the country to greater heights.

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The Administrator of the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC), Mr Prince Sefah, has reiterated the organisations commitment to enhancing digital access to persons with disabilities.

Mr Sefah said this when GIFEC and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) collaborated to provide basic computer skills to visually impaired persons as part of the Digital Transformation Centers project in Ghana.

The initiative, named, "Introduction to Computer Basics for the Visually Impaired (ICBVI)," focuses on training both sighted and visually impaired educators to teach fundamental computer skills to visually impaired students.

The training of trainers, involving 20 individuals, which commenced on November 13, 2023, at the University of Ghana's Department of Assistive Technology, is expected to end on November 24, 2023.

Mr Sefah noted that the Digital Transformation Centers have trained 14,000 people and aim to train 3,000 more by the end of the year and 20,000 citizens by 2024.

They provided laptops to special needs students at various institutions and plan to update ICT resources at the University of Ghana's Department of Assistive Technology, he said.

GIFEC is expanding projects like Coding for Kids and aims to scale up the Computer Basics for the Visually Impaired project, he added.

The Senior Project Manager for ITU, Robyn Fysh, highlighted efforts to extend digital skills to marginalized communities across Ghana's 16 regions.

She was optimistic that the ITU and GIFEC would provide expertise and courses to empower instructors in their communities and ICT Centers.

The Head of the Department of Assistive Technology at the University of Ghana, Mr Alexander Bankole Williams, praised the initiative's goal to empower visually impaired individuals.

The training of trainers aims to equip individuals to train more visually impaired people across the country, with plans to train 50 more trainers by January 2024.
Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has accused the International Monetary Fund (IMF) of exerting pressure on the Ghanaian Parliament to swiftly pass several bills, including the Affirmative Action Bill, under a certificate of urgency.

Speaker Bagbin alleged that these actions are tied to the conditions set by the IMF for the disbursement of the remaining funds from the USD3 billion credit facility for Ghana.

Speaking at the Speakers Breakfast Meeting on Monday, 20 November 2023, the Speaker of Parliament indicated the Houses refusal to succumb to pressure from the IMF regarding the Affirmative Action Gender Equality Bill.

He emphasised the critical nature of the bill, which aims to address gender imbalances in decision-making spaces, and stated firmly.

Please, it wont happen; we wont pass it under a certificate of urgency, Speaker Bagbin stated.

He went on to highlight the perceived influence of the IMF in various provisions of the national budget. He indicated that the IMF's arm is discernible in several aspects of the budget, raising concerns about the extent of external influence on Ghana's fiscal policies.

The Speaker stressed the importance of consulting critical stakeholders before passing crucial bills, such as the Affirmative Action Gender Equality Bill.

Speaker Bagbin insisted that Parliament will not be dictated by the IMF, stressing the need for collaboration with stakeholders to ensure effective implementation.

The Affirmative Action Bill, currently under consideration, aims to rectify the historically low representation of women in decision-making spaces.

The Speaker Bagbin noted that the bill is pivotal for promoting democracy and development through the comprehensive participation of all segments of society.

He also reiterated Parliament's commitment to securing the buy-in of critical stakeholders before passing the Affirmative Action Bill into law, while emphasising the importance of a consultative approach to ensure that the implementation of the bill aligns with the expectations and needs of the diverse stakeholders involved.

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The Chief Justice of Ghana, Ladyship, Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo, has joined legal luminaries across Africa who have congregated at Algiers, Algeria, to participate in the African Court on Human and Peoples Rights Sixth African Union Judicial Dialogue.

Chief Justice Torkornoo, accompanied by high personalities in the Ghanaian judicial system, is expected to deliver a paper on the theme.

The Sixth Judicial Dialogue is on the theme Advancing Justice and Human Rights in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities for Integrating Regional and International Human Rights Jurisprudence in Domestic Courts.

The Judicial Dialogue fixed for November 20th to 22nd seeks to provide a platform for judges of national and regional courts and other stakeholders to deliberate on the challenges and opportunities related to integrating regional and international human rights jurisprudence into domestic courts in Africa.

Participants include representatives from national Supreme and Constitutional Courts from across the continent, presidents and judges of regional and sub-regional courts, representatives of the African Union, lawyers and researchers, and representatives of human rights institutions.

Lady Justice Imani Daud Aboud, President of the African Court, explained in her opening remarks that the Sixth Judicial Dialogue serves as a platform to promote awareness and understanding among participants regarding the relevance, importance, and potential benefits of integrating regional and international human rights jurisprudence in domestic courts.

She said it provides an opportunity for participants to enhance their capacity and skills in applying regional and international human rights standards in domestic court proceedings, including issues of jurisdiction, interpretation, and implementation.

Lady Justice Aboud noted that the dialogue platform would also identify and address challenges faced by domestic courts in integrating regional and international human rights jurisprudence and explore potential solutions and best practices to overcome these challenges.

To foster collaboration and cooperation among regional and domestic courts, legal practitioners, and stakeholders in promoting human rights and justice in Africa, including sharing experiences, expertise, and resources, the African Court President noted.

She said the dialogue would revolve around the role and significance of regional and international human rights jurisprudence in promoting justice and human rights in Africa and the challenges faced by domestic courts in integrating regional and international human rights jurisprudence.

Lady Justice Aboud said it would provide the grounds for capacity building and professional development for judges and legal practitioners to enable them to apply international human rights jurisprudence.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol).

In commemoration of this milestone, Lady Justice Aboud noted that the dialogue will also dedicate a half-day to discuss the contributions and achievements of the Protocol to the protection of the rights of women in Africa.

This will, inter alia, examine the jurisprudence developed by AU human rights bodies on the protection of the rights of women, reflecting on how this can be integrated in domestic legal systems, she stated.

Lady Justice Aboud stressed that concurrently, in collaboration with the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights-East African Regional Office, an additional half-day symposium will be organized as an integral part of the dialogue.

The dialogue was officially opened by Mr. Nadir Larbaouni, Prime Minister of the Peoples Democratic Republic of Algeria, who represented President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, while Mr. Abderrachid Tabi, Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals of the Peoples Republic of Algeria, performed the official welcome.

The African Court is collaborating with the African Union, the European Union, GIZ, the United Nations, and the Government of the Peoples Democratic Republic of Algeria for the dialogue.
Dr. Gillian Bogee, Senior Medical Officer and Head of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the Upper East Regional Hospital, has raised an alarm over a rising trend of preterm births recorded at the facility.

The unit attends to cases in the Bolgatanga Municipality, parts of the North East and Upper West regions, as well as neighbouring Burkina Faso and Togo.

According to Dr. Bogee, the unit, which specializes in caring for premature infants, has witnessed a surge in admissions over the past few months.

Dr. Bogee says half of the over 1,000 births recorded at the facility from January to October were preterm babies.

From January to October, we had a total number of admissions to be 1,152, and out of that number, 530 were low birth weight babies. Out of the 530, we lost 25 of them, and these 25 low birth weight babies that passed away were not on the Kangaroo Mother Care. They were on the ward being managed for other serious medical conditions, and some were also referred from neighbouring facilities with very serious medical conditions, she disclosed.

She attributed this rise to heightened stress, elevated blood pressure, and anxiety experienced by pregnant women amid the ethnic conflict in Bawku.

The conflict and the elevation of stress hormones in these women can predispose these women to having preterm delivery. It is not just Bawku; it is in the Upper East region. When they [pregnant women] are in Bawku and the place gets full, the next referral centre is the regional hospital. The conflict, stress, anxiety, and uncertainty can predispose them to having preterm deliveries. We are seeing the rise in preterm deliveries in the Upper East region, she stated.

Dr. Gillian Bogee, who spoke to Citi News in Bolgatanga, indicated that the impact of the protracted ethnic conflict has made some of the mothers have low BP, some were not eating well, some undernourished, and these are some of the things that can predispose the mother to have a preterm delivery.

The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the regional hospital, which specializes in caring for premature infants, is a 21-bed capacity with admissions of about 25 to 32 babies a week. Dr. Bogee, who disclosed this, added that the unit has two doctors, which is woefully inadequate.

She recommended caring for preterm babies using the Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC), a method of carrying infants with skin-to-skin contact.

Dr. Aiden Suntaa Saanwie, Medical Director of the Upper East Regional Hospital, said the hospital's NICU currently has six incubators, which are not enough to cater to the rising number of preterm babies recorded.

Dr. Aiden commended UNICEF, CRS, and BONABOTO-UK for their support in establishing the NICU, stating that the unit needs to be expanded to cater to the increasing number of cases recorded.

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The Sixth African Union Judicial Dialogue opened on Monday in Algiers, Algeria, and is expected to deepen the promotion of human rights and the effective administration of justice in Africa.

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune of the Peoples Democratic Republic of Algeria has pledged the commitment of his government to continue to support the promotion of human rights on the African continent.

The Algerian President, whose speech was read by Mr. Nadr Larbaoui, Prime Minister of Algeria, called for global condemnation of violations of human rights, irrespective of the perpetrator or the victim.

He said the government of Algeria condemns the ongoing war in Gaza, where innocent women, children, and the vulnerable are being killed.

The Sixth African Union Judicial Dialogue being organized by the African Court on Human and Peoples Rights is being supported by the African Union, the European Union, GIZ, and the government of Algeria.

Lady Justice Imani Daud Aboud, President of the African Court, said in her opening remarks that the dialogue will revolve around key areas such as the role and significance of regional and international human rights jurisprudence in promoting justice and human rights in Africa.

Other issues to be discussed, the African Court President noted, include challenges faced by domestic courts in integrating regional and international human rights jurisprudence and best practices and innovative approaches in applying regional and international human rights standards in domestic court proceedings.

Lady Justice Aboud said the dialogue will also focus on strengthening cooperation and collaboration between regional and domestic courts to enhance human rights protection and exploring areas of capacity building and professional development for judges and legal practitioners to enable them to apply international human rights jurisprudence.

She noted that the Sixth African Union Judicial Dialogue is expected to enhance awareness and understanding among judges and legal practitioners regarding the importance of integrating regional and international human rights jurisprudence in domestic courts.

It will also strengthen the capacity and skills of participants in applying regional and international human rights standards in domestic court proceedings and identify challenges and practical solutions for integrating human rights jurisprudence in domestic courts, leading to improved human rights protection.

Lady Justice Aboud noted that at the end of the three-day dialogue, outcomes are expected to help strengthen collaboration and cooperation between regional and domestic courts, legal practitioners, and stakeholders in promoting justice and human rights in Africa.

The Sixth African Union Judicial Dialogue is on the general theme of Promoting Human Rights in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities of Transposing Regional and International Human Rights Jurisprudence into National Jurisdictions.
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama, has said the next NDC government will reverse the ban on importation of used vehicles.

He said this decision aims to generate more employment opportunities for the youth within the automobile industry.

In 2020, the government announced plans to prohibit the importation of used vehicles older than 10 years and to impose a complete ban on salvaged cars, commonly known as accident cars, pending the full passage of the Customs Amendment Bill.

Addressing artisans and traders at the Techiman Magazine, Mr. Mahama urged the government to consider procuring a significant portion of the newly assembled vehicles from automobile assembly companies in the country.

There are vehicle assembly plants owned by foreigners with the goal of assembling vehicle parts and selling brand-new cars to Ghanaians. The affordability of these new cars is a challenge for many Ghanaians; the government should play a role in addressing this issue by purchasing a significant portion of these locally assembled cars.

Given the substantial demand for vehicles in the government sector, such a move could contribute to the profitability of these companies. Recognizing the financial constraints faced by ordinary Ghanaians in affording new cars, the NDC plans to eliminate the proposed ban on the importation of used vehicles, John Dramani Mahama assured.
ALMIGHTY GOD has created the world in such a way that all of us don't like the same thing. Some of us want to be lawyers, others want to be doctors. Some of us like fufu, others want TZ. Some of us want our women to be cute and slim, others, like a very famous politician, want women with expanded backsides.

When my classmate from Achimota School told me there was a chieftaincy title vacant in his home town and his mother is pressuring him to take it, I screamed and said Nana o!!! He looked hard at my face and said: Effah D, now I know you don't like me. Look at all the chieftaincy cases we are doing in Court and you want me to join the snake pit?

And so it was, that three months ago, he told me in the office that his younger brother has agreed to grab the position and he will be installed as the MANKRADO of AMANOKROM Akuapem, on Saturday, October 14, ,2023  Effah D, you must be there.

Akuapem has 17 towns altogether, and one of them is AMANOKROM made famous by the late EN Omaboe, who was the National Liberation Council (NLC) Commissioner for Finance and later became well known in Ghana as NANA WEREKO AMPEM, Gyaasehene of Akuapem and Chief of Amanokrom.

But reader, even though I like Chieftaincy and I am fairly familiar with chieftaincy positions, what baffles me is the title MANKRADO  who is he in traditional circles? I am told it actually means KRONTIHENE, the traditional deputy of the Chief  very very top post. So, by God's Grace, on Saturday, October 14, 2023, I left my Kasoa residence, picked up three other lawyers from the office and hit the road, heading east of Accra, objective: AMANOKROM. Time check, circa 8am.

As usual, hundreds of youths were doing jogging and health walk on the Aburi Hills, with the fair sex in all types of tantalising costumes, as I feasted my eyes along. We got to Peduasi Lodge and fell into terrible go-slow traffic, braved it with equanimity and hit Ahwerase, Obosomase, Manpong then AMANOKROM. My classmate from Achimota School whose much younger brother was going to be installed was waiting for us. He took us to the magnificent storey building lately built by legendary estates guru, Regimanuel as Family House cum Palace of the Mankrado  we were given some delicious kenkey breakfast, then reader  what is this?

Suddenly a very physically attractive and shapely lady, whose age I will put no more than 25, with pure spotless white calico cloth up to her breast line, in a staccato dance walk  one step forward, body bent down, shake the voluptuous backside, wave a huge whisk, then another step forward, was followed closely by a woman in smock carrying two bottles of schnapps. They climbed the steps upwards. We went to the main palace grounds of the Gyaasehene's Palace, venue for the installation. Several invited guests and divisional chiefs in very rich Kente and Adinkra cloths were present, climaxing with the bombastic arrival of the Gyaasehene, Okoforobor KWATIA, escorted by eight sword bearers, two giant state umbrellas and linguists  it was nice!!!

Libation was poured, prayers were said by Rev. Atiemo, and then my classmate's younger brother, Odehyee Ayisi Ofori, arrived at the grounds, escorted by a huge retinue of muskely firing party.

The MC formally introduced the Odehyee, a UK trained university-degree holder, with wife and children, managing his own business in Accra. He then went round the entire perimeter, swearing the oath, finally, to the Gyaasehene. After that he climbed the dais and sat three times on the laps of the Gyaasehene, he did a traditional dance briefly, then sat down on his seat, as MANKRADO of Amanokrom Akuapem.

The new chief then went inside the Gyaasehene's Palace and changed his costume to a very colourful rule designer cloth, then came to sit down, as the family in a long line brought all manner of gifts, courtesy, no doubt, of Regimanuel. Then there was another long line of dancing girls carrying gifts from the wife of the new chief to her husband.

Reader, guess who I saw sitting there quietly among the dignitaries: DAVID ASANTE APIETU, former Inspector General of Police. He was Director General, CID when I was MP and Deputy Minister of Interior. He was wearing white smock over Khaki trousers looking very much unlike somebody on retirement.

The toast of the firing party was this strong looking very well dressed 80 year old lady with a very small sword like gun, and anytime we will hear an earth shaking sound blast of a big gun  GBUM!! She will follow up with firing of her small pencil like gun. Small CLICK  like a key opening a door.

Programme over, we all returned to the Family House where an army band was playing, and then at about 3pm, Almighty God blessed the whole proceedings with massive down pour of rain. I finally got home at Kasoa at 7pm, having left my classmate's younger brother in the snake pit of chieftaincy!!!!

By Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey
Officials of Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has donated assorted items to support road traffic victims who are on admission at the emergency unit of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.

Items such as 615 pieces of bottled distilled water, 24 pieces of tinned milo powder, 16 pieces of bar soaps, 72 pieces of canned drinks, 48 pieces of tinned milk and biscuits among others were donated.

The Mayor of Kumasi, Hon. Sam Pyne presented the items at the forecourt of the emergency unit of KATH to the CEO of the hospital, Prof. Dr. Addai-Mensah.

The donation was done in partnership with the Bloomberg Philanthropies; a philanthropic organisation headquartered in New York.

It forms part of a programme dubbed "Bloom Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS)," an intervention aimed at reducing road crash fatalities and injuries.

Kumasi falls among priority cities captured for the new phase of BIGRS, which will run until 2025, aimed at saving 600,000 lives and preventing up to 22 million injuries in low and middle-income countries.

Addressing the media after the presentation, the City Mayor of Kumasi Hon Sam Pyne said the gesture was done to mark the World Day of Remembrance of Road Traffic Victims which falls annually on the 3rd Sunday of November.

He said the assembly during such occasions embarked on road safety sensitization outreach and donations.

He recalled the donation of speed guns to the Ghana Police Service and the holding of training programs, all by KMA.

Hon Sam Pyne indicated that this year, the Assembly settled on donating to the hospital to support the road traffic victims.

Receiving the items, the CEO of KATH, Prof. Dr. Okyere Addai-Mensah thanked the Mayor for the support.

He mentioned that the Mayor has been generous to the hospital, saying, "not too long ago he gave us a huge number of waste bins as part of his bid to ensure that sanitation is high on his agenda."
Guinea's junta has ordered a probe into toppled president Alpha Conde -- the country's first democratically elected leader -- for treason, following ongoing investigations into alleged killings, torture, kidnapping and rape.

Conde, who was ousted in a September 2021 coup after more than a decade in power, has been living in exile in Turkey.

He is already being investigated for alleged corruption, assassination, torture, kidnapping and rape.

"You are ordered... to initiate legal proceedings for alleged acts of treason, criminal conspiracy and complicity in the illicit possession of arms and ammunition", Justice Minister Alphonse Charles Wright said in a letter to the public prosecutor of the capital Conakry on Monday.

The letter alleged that Conde had acquired weapons and ammunition, without providing details.

In 2010, Conde became the first democratically elected president of the former French colony after decades of authoritarian and dictatorial regimes.

His decision to run for a third term triggered strong protests, which were violently repressed. After the 2021 coup, Colonel Mamady Doumbouya seized power and has promised to hand the reins of government to elected civilians by January 2026.

The junta has launched a slew of prosecutions against people close to Conde.

Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have also undergone at least one coup each since 2020.
? La presidenta Dina Boluarte realizo el quinto balance de gestion de su Gobierno para informar de manera clara, honesta, transparente y en permanente lucha contra la corrupcion, los avances alcanzados entre setiembre y octubre del 2023, en beneficio de los 33 millones de pic.twitter.com/acy3uwspMg
Elidel Prestige Limited has donated some essential educational materials to the Dzorwulu Special School in Accra.

The items donated include two Samsung TV sets, dozens of coloring books, several picture books, picture cards, sand trays, picture reading, and several other special needs education materials that were requested by the school.

The donation was a collaboration between Elidel Prestige Limited and Elidel Travel and Tours to support teaching and learning in the school.

The donation which was made on Friday, November 17, 2023, at the schools premises was part of the companys corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities.

HR and Projects lead at Elidel Prestige Limited Racheal Baiden said the donation is part of the companys commitment to give back to society and in doing so, we chose the Dzorwulu Special School so we can provide for the less privileged.

She added that the organization decided to donate to the Dzorwulu Special School due to the important role the school plays in educating children, especially those with special needs.

The Business Development Manager at Elidel Prestige Priscilla Martin on her part said the organization will continue to support the school. this is not our first time; we have been here before and we are planning to make a bigger donation to the school in the coming years.

Receiving the items on behalf of the school, the headmaster, Mr. Frederick Tetteh, expressed gratitude for the kind gesture. He prayed for Gods favor upon the company to expand and used the occasion to solicit assistance from other institutions.

We are grateful for this kind gesture from Elidel Prestige Limited. These things are really going to help in teaching and learning because the kids see reading and writing as a difficulty but with these items donated to us, it will enhance their learning since they will now see it as fun, he stated.
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), has criticised Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, labelling him as the country's most indisciplined politician in history.

The NDC expressed little surprise in view of this observation, attributing Dr Bawumia's behaviour in politics to his association with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Dr Bawumia had dismissed the 24-hour economy proposal put forth by NDC flagbearer John Mahama, asserting that key institutions such as hospitals, fuel companies, and more already operate around the clock.

He suggested that Mr Mahama lacks an understanding of the policy he aims to implement as president if elected in 2025.

In response to Dr Bawumia's claim that he had not been president before, Mustapha Gbande, a Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, criticised the Vice President for his lack of candour and decency in politics.

Mr Gbande viewed the above statement as a sign of desperation on Dr Bawumia's part to ascend to the presidency and continue with Nana Addo's influence on the resources of the country.

Mr Gbande, speaking on Accra 100.5 FM's Ghana Yensom morning show, asserted that Dr Bawumia was responsible for the corrupt deals under President Akufo-Addo's administration.

He expressed disappointment in the vice president's attempt to distance himself from the controversies of Akufo-Addo's term in his pursuit of the presidency.

He reminded the vice president that there is no single asphalted road in the North East region, the home region of the vice president.

He explained that these are the matters that should have engaged the mind of the vice president.

According to Gbande, there are numerous unanswered questions, particularly concerning the highly-discussed Gold-for-Oil deal, Dr Bawumia touts.

He accused the vice president of reducing governance to the Dombo-Busia mantra, claiming it to be the only positive accomplishment during his tenure.

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Minority in Parliament is demanding an unqualified apology from COCOBOD CEO Joseph Boahen Aidoo for making false statements about Ghanas 2023/24 cocoa forward sales.

The controversy stems from Mr. Aidoos refutation of former President John Dramani Mahamas criticism of the governments cocoa farm-gate pricing. Mr. Mahama had argued that cocoa farmers were being shortchanged, citing the high world market price of cocoa.

In response, Mr. Aidoo claimed that a greater percentage of Ghanas cocoa for the 2023/24 season was sold forward for $2,600, making it unfair to compare the farm-gate price to the current market price.

However, the Minority Group has produced evidence that only 36.2% of the cocoa was sold forward, leaving the remaining 63.8% to be sold at spot prices, which have been significantly higher than $2,600.

This revelation contradicts Mr. Aidoos assertion and indicates that cocoa farmers could have received a higher price for their produce had the government negotiated better terms for the forward sales.

The Minority Group is therefore calling on Mr. Aidoo to apologize to Mr. Mahama and the nation for his misleading statements. They also intend to engage with cocoa farmers across the country to inform them of the governments shortcomings in securing fair prices for their produce.

Below is the full statement by the Minority

PRESS STATEMENT 21st November, 2023. COCOBOD CEO LIED OVER COCOA FORWARD SALES; HE MUST RENDER AN UNQUALIFIED APOLOGY TO PRESIDENT MAHAMA IMMEDIATELY

The Minority in Parliament has come by indisputable evidence that exposes a blatant lie peddled by the Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD, Joseph Boahen Aidoo, about Ghana's 2023/24 cocoa forward sales.

It would be recalled that, shortly after the announcement of the farm-gate price of cocoa for the 2023/24 cocoa season, former President Mahama criticized the government for shortchanging cocoa farmers by pegging the farm-gate price at a paltry GHS1,308 despite a 46-year record-high surge in the world market price.

President Mahamas comments were grounded on the fact that our hard-working cocoa farmers deserve far more of the international market price, than they were given by the insensitive Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government, particularly given the unbearable cost of living and hardships they currently reeling under.

However, in a so-called Open Letter to former President Mahama dated 12th September 2023, the Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD Joseph Boahen Aidoo, took issues with President Mahama. He questioned President Mahama's understanding of how the producer price of cocoa is determined and claimed that the former President erroneously used $3,600 as the world market price to calculate the producer price.

In that statement, the COCOBOD CEO claimed that consistent with practice, Ghana's cocoa beans are mostly sold forward, and that the 2023/24 crop was sold between October 2022 and March 2023 at international prices; ranging between $2,200 per ton and $2,400 per ton. The incompetent and dishonest COCOBOD CEO went on to say that, the international price of cocoa then began to increase in April 2023, when a greater percentage of the 2023/24 crop had already been sold.

It has now emerged that the CEO of COCOBOD told deliberate falsehood in his desperate attempt to justify the rip-off that the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government has meted out to our hard-working cocoa farmers.

According to documents submitted to Parliament by COCOBOD as part of processes for the approval of the syndicated loan for cocoa purchases for the 2023/24 crop season, it was disclosed that only 36.2% of our cocoa for this season was sold forward and used as collateral to secure the $800 million syndicated loan.

Specifically, Paragraph 7.2 of the Joint Memorandum to Parliament by the Minister for Food and Agriculture and the Minister of Finance on the approval of the terms of the $800 million syndicated facility partly reads; The facility does not add to Ghanas debt stock. The loan is backed by cocoa sales contracts, and the quantity of cocoa collateralized for its repayment is about 36.20% of the anticipated production.

For the avoidance of doubt, 36.2% of the projected cocoa output for the 2023/24 season translates to a paltry 307,700 tons. This volume of cocoa cannot by any stretch of imagination constitute a greater percentage of our projected annual production volume (i.e 850,000 tons) as claimed by the CEO of COCOBOD in his deceitful response to President Mahama.

Simply put, the incompetent and dishonest CEO of COCOBOD lied to the good people of Ghana when he claimed that a greater percentage of Ghana's cocoa for the 2023/24 season was sold forward at a price of $2,600.

COCOBOD further disclosed to Parliament that the remainder of 63.8% of our 2023/24 cocoa output, which translates to 542,300 tons would be sold on the market at spot prices, which has been ranging between $3,600 and $4,000. This is contained at paragraph 4.2 of the Joint Memorandum. If COCOBOD succeeds in selling the remainder at the minimum spot price of $3,600 per ton as a worst-case scenario, COCOBOD would have shortchanged our hard-working cocoa farmers to tune of $542,300,000 (GHC6.5billion).

As a matter of fact, further information submitted to Parliament indicates that, COCOBOD has already sold part of the remaining 63.8% of our cocoa output for the 2023/24 season at spot prices ranging between $3,500 and $3,770 per ton from October to mid-November 2023.

Clearly, Former President Mahama was spot on when he said that the insensitive Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government is shortchanging cocoa farmers whose toil and sacrifices continue to sustain the country's economy.

The incompetent and dishonest CEO of COCOBOD in his bid to deceive our hard working farmers, threw truth and integrity to the dogs and sought to attack the credibility of President Mahama for exposing this grand heist.

The Minority Group wishes to state for the records, that Joseph Boahen Aidoo has lied to cocoa farmers and the entire nation. He had no basis whatsoever to impugn ill motive into what was a statement of fact by the respected former President. He therefore owes President Mahama, hardworking cocoa farmers and the entire nation an unqualified apology.

In the coming days, the Minority Group in Parliament shall in conjunction with the NDC Communications Bureau, embark on a series of engagements with cocoa farmers across the country on this subject. Our hard working farmers deserve to know the whole truth about this gross injustice that has been meted out to them by the corrupt and insensitive Akufo-Addo/Bawumia/NPP government.

SIGNED. HON. ERIC OPOKU (MP for Asunafo South and Ranking Member for Food and Agriculture)
Ethiopian Airlines Group, the fastest-growing global airline brand, and the continents largest airline, has signed deals to purchase a total of 84 aircraft at the Dubai Airshow.

Amidst the Airshow, Ethiopian has signed deals with aviations big names such as Boeing, Airbus, and Rolls-Royce for aircraft purchase, and engine total care service.

Ethiopian has agreed to order 11 Boeing 787 Dreamliners and 20 Boeing 737 MAX airplanes with an opportunity for 15 and 21 additional jets, respectively, from Boeing, making the total order size with Boing to 67 aircraft. It has also committed to buy 11 additional Airbus A350-900s with six more purchase rights. The total deal for 84 aircraft purchases is worth USD 23 billion at List Price.

Ethiopian Airlines has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Rolls-Royce for a comprehensive Total Care service agreement for 22 Trent XWB-84 engines that exclusively power the Airbus A350-900 aircraft.

Commenting on the deals Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mr. Mesfin Tasew said, We are pleased to reach a deal with both Boeing and Airbus for the purchase of these additional 84 airplanes. The Boeing 787-9, 737 -8 and the Airbus A350-900 aircraft models have been in ET fleet for several years now, and have demonstrated the highest level of passenger comfort, operational reliability and reduced operational cost. This order is consistent with our long-term fleet renewal and expansion plan. As a customer focused airline, we are particularly excited to boost our fleet with these ultra-modern airplanes that ensure a convenient and memorable onboard experience to our esteemed passengers, while being environmentally friendly with reduced carbon footprint.

Ethiopian Airlines currently operates more than 140 young and ultra-modern aircraft to its 133 destinations across Africa, Europe, Middle East, Asia and the Americas. The agreements Ethiopian has made on the Dubai Airshow sets the airline on motion to achieving its strategic goal by 2035.
A total of 120 delegates from the Nsawam-Adoagyiri Constituency in the Eastern Region are opposing attempts to have the Majority Chief Whip, Mr Frank Annoh-Dompreh, run unopposed in the upcoming January 2024 Parliamentary primary of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Expressing their discontent, the delegates cited ongoing issues within the Nsawam-Adoagyiri Constituency that have gone unaddressed by the constituency leadership.

Despite numerous efforts to bringing these concerns to the attention of regional executives, no action has been taken, leaving the delegates frustrated.

"We have repeatedly contacted regional executives, but to no avail.

"Mr Frank Annoh Dompreh and his associates persist in their actions, which we believe could lead the NPP into opposition, thereby rendering the 'Break the 8' slogan meaningless," stated Mr Samuel Okoh, a spokesperson for the dissenting group.

He conveyed the unity among delegates in opposing the intended unopposed candidacy of the incumbent Member of Parliament.

Mr Okoh disclosed that the sitting MP has organised a team to canvass the constituency, gathering signatures to support an extraordinary delegates' congress aimed at endorsing the unopposed candidacy of Frank Annoh-Dompreh.

This move, according to the delegates, unfairly denies other potential competitors the opportunity to participate in the democratic process.

Mr Okoh made this comment while speaking in an interview on the Ghana Yensom morning show hosted by Odehyeeba Kofi Essuman on Accra 100.5 FM on Tuesday November 21, 2023.

Below is the statement the group delivered at a press conference held at Nsawam on Monday November 20, 2023:

PRESS CONFERENCE BY NPP POLLING STATION EXECUTIVES IN NSAWAM ADOAGYIRI AGAINST THE ORGANISATION OF EXTRAORDINARY CONGRESS IN DECEMBER 2023

Distinguished members of the media, ladies and gentlemen

We have called you here today to share with you some issues happening in the Nsawam Adoagyiri constituency, for which all attempts to get the leadership of the constituency to halt them have proven fruitless.

We have made several calls to regional executives, but nothing has happened, and Frank Annoh Dompreh and his assigns are still on their path to send the NPP into opposition, making the slogan Break the 8 useless.

Since last year, the Member of Parliament has been talking about contesting unopposed in the parliamentary primaries of the New Patriotic Party.

He printed t-shirts, and it became a mantra in the constituency.

All along, we thought it was just a ploy to discourage others from contesting; little did we know that he had a clandestine motive to force delegates to accept such an undemocratic practice.

Since the beginning of the year, those of us who have spoken against the unopposed have been tagged as enemies of the MP.

He went as far as causing the suspension of eight delegates after severally insulting and threatening them.

In addition, during the Presidential Primaries of the NPP, which saw H.E. Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia come out victorious, Frank Annoh Dompreh pocketed 400 cedi of 66 delegates given to him by Dr. Bawumia.

Up to today, he has still not given the money to these 66 delegates.

Today, we have met here to expose another diabolical attempt by the incumbent MP to perpetuate himself on us.

For some weeks now, the MP and his associates have been moving from electoral areas with a sheet of paper titled.

Details of Electoral Area Coordinators and Polling Station Executives Calling for an Extraordinary Congress in December 2023

Our intelligence within the Constituency Executive Committee informed us that on November 12, 2023, at around 4:30 p.m., the Constituency Chairman, who had received an auctioned Mercedes Benz from the MP, called a meeting of the Constituency Executive Committee to inform them that they had received a request for an Extra Ordinary Delegates Congress from about 400 polling station executives and area coordinators.

He is therefore putting it before them for their approval to enable him to send it to the Regional Executive Committee for concurrent approval to enable them to organise such an event in the first week of December 2023.

Ladies and gentlemen, though he mentioned 400 polling station executives, he only mentioned the names of five polling station executives and area coordinators to the members of the Constituency Executive Committee.

The chairman did not provide the details of the so-called 400 delegates to members of the constituency executive committee.

The Constituency Executive Committee members, half of whom are against the practice, were unfortunately quite at the meeting because they were all afraid of the intimidation that would be meted out to them if they spoke against what was going on.

Ladies and gentlemen of the press, our intelligence at the Constituency Office indicates that some documents have been sent to the Regional Office of the NPP with some signatures of polling station executives, indicating that these individuals are calling for this extraordinary congress, whose intention is to lay a motion to approve Hon. Frank Annoh Dompreh to contest unopposed in Nsawam Adoagyiri.

Ladies and gentlemen of the press, we wish to inform the Regional Executive Committee and the National Executive Council of the NPP that what Frank Annoh-Dompreh and his agents have submitted to the Regional Executive Committee is fake and should be disregarded.

Some delegates of Nsawam Adoagyiri were deceived into signing the document as part of acknowledging the receipt of some agriculture input received recently.

Other signatures were completely made up.

The assigns behind this have perpetuated fraud by sitting in their houses, writing the names of polling station executives, and signing against the names of some of the delegates without their knowledge.

We wish to inform the leadership of the NPP in the Eastern Region and the National Executive Council to throw away the purported document emanating from the Nsawam Adoagyiri Constituency.

It is fictitious and without any merit.

We also want to remind Frank Annoh-Dompreh and his assigns that their action is against the Guidelines for the Conduct of Parliamentary Elections issued by the National Executive Council.

It is a gross disrespect to the national leadership of the NPP and a gross insubordination to the leader of the party, His Excellency, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.

We want to use this opportunity to let Ghanaians and the leadership of the NPP know that Frank Annoh-Dompreh and his associates have destroyed the NPP in the constituency and that if he is not contested and a new leadership emerges to represent the party on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party, we will lose the seat to the NDC in 2024.

Here are the reasons:

1. The NDC currently controls the Nsawam Adoagyiri Municipal Assembly.

The NDC has more Assembly members than the NPP, hence our inability to elect a presiding member.

The Nsawam Adoagyiri Municipal Assembly is currently without a presiding member.

The NDC currently has 15 as opposed to 13 for the NPP.

2. The NDC has gained more votes than the NPP in the parliamentary primaries over the last few years.

In the year 2016, the NPP recorded 27,159 votes.

This was increased by 7269 in 2020 to 34,428.

In the same period, NDC, which recorded 18,888 votes in 2016, increased its votes by 12,298 to 31,186 in 2020.

Any serious politician will tell you that if you present the same NPP candidate who is the direct cause of the abysmal performance of the party, you are automatically going to lose the seat.

It must be noted that H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana, who visited Nsawam only once in the 2020 elections, won more votes than Frank Annoh-Dompreh.

Beside the numbers above, other poor management of the affairs of the party in the constituency requires fresh leadership, hence our quest to ensure that there are elections in this constituency.

These include.

1. Poor running of the constituency office by the MP. In 2022, the chairman of the party had to take money from someone to pay for the constituency office rent to prevent eviction by the Landlord.

2. After 12 years of Frank Annoh-Dompreh, NPP still rents a space to use as a constituency office.

Meanwhile, over the same period, the MP has built a mansion for himself at Dobro, while we continue to rent an old building as a constituency office.

3. There is no welfare scheme for polling station executives.

4. Intimidation, blackmail, threats, and insulting of polling station executives by Frank Annoh-Dompreh.

The use of threats and intimidation is the norm in Nsawam Adoagyiri.

At every opportunity, the MP publicly calls out and humiliates executives at meetings.

In this year alone, 8 Polling Station Executives were suspended without hearing.

It had to take the action of the indefatigable Eastern Regional Chairman to cause the issuance of a statement to reinstate these officers to enable them vote in the Presidential Primaries.

5.There has been no training or orientation for polling station executives over the almost 12 years Dompreh have been in power.

We have been reduced to voting machines and recipients of peanuts from the MP at his whims and caprices.

6. Unequal distribution of opportunities.

Our MP recently told all of us that he received 250 slot to get people into various sectors for employment.

As of today, we do not know who received these slots.

We, the polling station executives, dont matter to him on employment issues.

Unless you go to his house to gossip or follow him to sing his praises, you dont matter.

These and many other issues affecting the party's operationalization in Nsawam Adoagyiri require urgent leadership change to bring in the needed excitement, energy, and resourcefulness for the growth of the party.

We are at this press conference sending a clear message to Frank Annoh-Dompreh and his associates to stop the process they have initiated to organise the so-called Extraordinary Delegates Congress.

We also want to say unequivocally that we stand with the General Secretary of the NPP, Lawyer Justin Kodua, on his statement to allow contests in all constituencies in the country without any exception and that we are appealing to him to ignore the Electoral Area Coordinators who met him at a recent funeral he attended in the constituency and were begging him to allow Frank Annoh-Dompreh to go unopposed.

General, the one who spoke on behalf of the Area Coordinators has been promised a visa to the UK by Frank Annoh-Dompreh. Ignore him.

We, the delegates of Nsawam Adoagyiri, want an open contest in the constituency.


Sam George, a sponsor of the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, has asserted that Ghana has little to lose if the United States severs business ties with the country.

According to the lawmaker, the US benefits more from trade relations with Ghana, indicating any legislation to end such ties will go against the United States.

During an interview with JoyFM, he emphasized, "There is more trade coming into Ghana than Ghanaian trade going into the US.

We are in a trade deficit doing business with the US. If the United States decides to stop doing business with Ghana, its the United States that is going to suffer, not Ghana."

These comments follow a recent statement from the US Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia Palmer, who expressed concerns that the anti-LGBTQ+ bill in Ghana could hinder her efforts to promote Ghana as an investment and trade destination.

Virginia Palmer further argued that the legislation might lead to reduced forex inflows, impact Ghanas bottom line, and limit workforce options, thereby affecting businesses.

In a reaction, the Ningo-Prampram Member of Parliament dismissed these concerns, stating that Ghana has alternative business partners globally.

"The US should be well aware that we are in a global world  China is ready to do business with us, Russia is ready to do business with us," Mr George asserted.

He also criticized Palmer's claims, particularly disputing her assertion that LGBTQ+ individuals constitute the best people in the workforce.

Taking a stance, Sam George reminded Ambassador Palmer of Article 42 of the Vienna Convention, emphasizing that she, regardless of her diplomatic status, should avoid actions offensive to her host country.

He said, "That Article 42 of the Vienna Convention, whether she is the US Ambassador or not, cannot conduct herself in a manner that is offensive to her host country and so we are serving notice to her to respect our rules but if she does not respect our rules we are going to organise a demonstration against her and insist that the American government changes her because she is pushing an agenda that is not the official position of the US government."

The MP reiterated that if the United States decides to terminate business relations with Ghana, the West African nation is prepared to explore other opportunities, asserting, "So be it, they are not the only country in the world."
21.11.2023 LISTEN

The Government of Ghana has teamed up with the Government of India to strengthen early warning systems, exchange knowledge and transfer technology.

The Deputy Minister for Communication and Digitalisation, Ms Ama Pomaa Boateng, led a 17-member delegation to India for an eight-day meeting from November 15th to 24th, 2023.

The meeting, hosted by India's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) under the Ministry of Home Affairs, aims to strengthen Ghana's National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO).

Ms Pomaa Boateng said the partnership aligns with the objectives of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG-17) and would specifically focus on strengthening IT infrastructure and operational capabilities within NADMO's decentralised Emergency Operation Centers (EOCs).

Recognising the shared challenge of climate-induced disasters, akin to India's annual experiences, the Deputy Minister stressed the need for enhanced capacity and technological advancements to forecast solutions and early warning systems for effective emergency management.

The programme's key areas encompass the assessment of IT emergency preparedness and response across NADMO's Emergency Operation Centers nationwide and capacity strengthening workshops on Emergency Telecommunications Preparedness and Response.

It will also include a comprehensive week-long South-South knowledge-sharing endeavour, including technology transfer sessions and a learning tour in India.
21.11.2023 LISTEN

The Deputy Managing Director of the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB), Madam Eno Ofori Atta, has urged the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development to take concrete and deliberate steps to improve the blue economy.

Speaking at the 2023 National Fish Festival celebration in Accra on Monday, she said Organisation of Economic Corporation and Development (OECD) projects that the blue or the ocean economy could outperform global economic growth by 2030.

Madam Eno explained that the blue economy covers all industries that have direct and indirect links to the ocean but is not limited to seafood production, ports, marine energy, shipping and coastal protection.

She admonished the Fisheries Ministry to take advantage of it and pledged that the ADB would support any course that is geared towards engineering growth in the fisheries and aquaculture industry.

ADB Plc has always played a pivotal role in the development of the aqua industry in Ghana through the provision of support to the sectors and other major aqua farms, she said.

She described the theme of the celebration, Developing Ghanas Blue Economy for Sustainable Fisheries Management and National Development, as appropriate, saying it was a clarion call on all to ensure sustainable use of the ocean to promote economic growth while preserving the health of the ecosystem.

The National Fish Processors Traders Association (NaFPTA) appealed to the government to fight against Illegal Unreported Unregulated (IUU) fishing.

The President of the Association, Mrs Regina Solomon, said some fishermen illegally use light to fish, causing depletion of fisheries stock.

The festival also witnessed activities like the exhibition of fish and stakeholder engagement on how the major players in the industry can collectively combat Illegal Unreported Unregulated fishing.
Vice President and New Patriotic Party flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has taken a jab at former President John Mahama, accusing him of pretending to have all the solutions to Ghana's problems.

Speaking to a crowd after meeting the Overlord of Mamprugu, Dr. Bawumia highlighted the irony in Mahama's recent criticisms.

He said, "Today, John Mahama is going around the country, and he is speaking to people as if he has never been President before.

When we were suffering under his Presidency, he told us he was a dead goat. A dead goat who had no feelings. Today he wants to resurrect and become a live goat."

The Vice President noted that Mahama failed to address key social issues during his time as president.

"Suddenly he has all the solutions to our problems. But when he was President, what solutions did he bring to Ghana?

Did he solve the unemployment problem? Did he create jobs? Did he tackle corruption? Did he issue Ghana cards?

Did he build astro turfs? Did he abolish the three months pay policy for teachers? Did he establish Free SHS? He had no solutions to our problems," remarked Dr. Bawumia.

Taking pride in his own record, Bawumia highlighted his role in impactful programs for the country even as he is yet to assume the presidency.

"I have not yet become President, but as Vice President, I have brought solutions to many of our problems," he declared.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa accused Israel of war crimes and "genocide" in Gaza, as he chaired an extraordinary summit of the BRICS group of nations on Tuesday.

Pretoria is hosting a virtual meeting of BRICS -- a group of major emerging economies that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa -- aimed at drawing up a common response to the Israel-Hamas conflict.

"The collective punishment of Palestinian civilians through the unlawful use of force by Israel is a war crime. The deliberate denial of medicine, fuel, food and water to the residents of Gaza is tantamount to genocide," Ramaphosa said.

Fighting has raged in Gaza after Hamas gunmen killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, during cross-border raids on October 7 -- the deadliest attack in Israel's history.

In retaliation, Israel launched a relentless bombing campaign and ground offensive in Gaza, which is ruled by Hamas.

According to Hamas, the war has killed more than 13,300 people, thousands of them children.

On Tuesday, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said a truce agreement with Israel was in sight, with mediator Qatar adding negotiations to free hostages seized by the Palestinian Islamist group were at their "closest point" to a deal.

Addressing the BRICS summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping, called for an "international peace conference" saying there could be "no sustainable peace and security in the Middle East without a just solution to the question of Palestine".

China has historically been sympathetic to the Palestinians and supportive of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

And it has this year sought to play a greater role in the Middle East, facilitating a historic rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran and sending an envoy to the region to push for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict.

'Clarion call'

BRICS, an acronym for its member countries, sees itself as a counterweight to the US and Western-led global order.

Ramaphosa called for an "immediate and comprehensive ceasefire" and the deployment of a UN force "to monitor the cessation of hostilities and protect civilians."

He also urged all countries "to desist from fueling" the conflict and stop supplying weapons to the warring parties.

"As individual countries, we have demonstrated our grave concern at the death and destruction in Gaza," he told the summit.

"Let this meeting stand as a clarion call for us to combine our efforts and strengthen our actions to end this historical injustice."

South Africa has long been a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause, with the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party often linking it to its own struggle against apartheid.

Earlier this month, Pretoria recalled all its diplomats from Israel and last week it joined four other nations in calling for an International Criminal Court investigation into the conflict.

On Monday, Israel's foreign ministry said it had also recalled its ambassador to Pretoria for consultations.

The summit came as a delegation of foreign ministers of the Palestinian Authority, Indonesia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan are in Beijing this week for talks aimed at a "de-escalation" of the conflict.

The BRICS group is expected to issue a joint statement after the talks, which are being attended also by Russia's Vladimir Putin, Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and India's foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

Representatives from Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates -- countries that are all due to join the group in January 2024 -- were also invited to the talks.
Gerry Griffin, who was in Paris to deliver a lecture at the Festival Explor'Espace, recounted some of the most memorable moments during his stint as a flight director for the Apollo program.

'Houston, we have a problem' is unarguably one of the most famous movie quotes ever. In real life, these words were uttered by the Apollo 13 astronaut Jack Swigert to NASA's mission control following the oxygen tank explosion on the ill-fated spacecraft.

Griffin who was one of the four flight directors for Apollo 13, recounted his sense of shock in mission control after hearing the message. He also explained why the mission was dubbed a successful failure despite the astronauts nebver landing on the Moon.

Speaking about other memorable moments during his stint, Griffin said the Apollo 8 and Apollo 11 missions were huge achievements.

Griffin also shared his thoughts on the upcoming Artemis mission.
South African higher education is plagued by inequalities due to the social and economic legacies of apartheid.

More than 50% of enrolment in higher education is from black, working-class, disadvantaged households from rural areas who depend on state-funded student aid . At the same time, some institutions of higher learning are also historically disadvantaged: they were designated for non-white students during the apartheid era. These institutions suffered discrimination, underfunding and limited resources, creating disparities in the country's higher education system.

In a rapidly evolving digital era, one of the big questions is: can technology help narrow the gap in access to education?

During the COVID-19 pandemic, educational institutions had to use online modes for tutoring. Online tutoring continues to be useful in blended learning models (a combination of face-to-face and online learning). But there have been concerns that the cost of online methods might exclude students from historically marginalised population groups.

The University of the Western Cape, one of the historically disadvantaged universities in South Africa, has been experimenting with a free mobile phone messenger platform, known as Moya , to provide online peer tutoring for its large, undergraduate classes. Tutoring is defined as

people who are not professional teachers helping and supporting the learning of others in an interactive, purposeful and systematic way.

I am a scholar of information systems with a research focus on health and education. My research focuses on creating more inclusive online environments for students and patients, especially those with lower socioeconomic status.

Research on the use of mobile instant messaging has predominantly looked at small classes of fewer than 50 students. My study sought to examine the factors that influenced students' engagement in the university's large undergraduate classes. I wanted to establish which factors affected third-year Information Systems students' use of a data-free instant messenger (Moya) for online peer tutoring, and what would improve their use of it.

My findings showed that the students preferred using WhatsApp  a mobile application that required them to buy data  over the one that was being offered that didn't require data. Students believed that Moya was difficult to use and that effort was required. They said they did not know how to use Moya, despite the similarities in user interface to WhatsApp.

The results can't be generalised to all South African tertiary institutions. Still, the key insights may be useful in other contexts where data-free mobile instant messengers are being considered.

What we found

Most of the students taking part in the study were full time (91.7%). They were predominantly young, aged between 18 and 42 (81.8%), and most used WiFi (50.8%) while 21.9% used prepaid mobile data.

Qualitative data was collected via an online survey asking three key questions: Which tool(s) did you not use in this course? Why did you not use the tools available? What would improve your use of that tool?

The study revealed several key factors that shaped students' attitudes to and use of the data-free instant messenger for online peer tutoring.

Students did not see the need for or benefit of using a data-free instant messenger when they were already using WhatsApp.

Students' perception of the application within their peer group influenced their decision to use it. An influencing factor was the lack of use by peers: more people are on WhatsApp than Moya.

Surprisingly, results showed that students had data and devices to use WhatsApp. As 50.8% of students had access to WiFi, they would be able to use an instant messenger requiring data, such as WhatsApp. A minority of students indicated that students had insufficient space to download the Moya application.

The fun or pleasure of using Moya was not evident.

Using WhatsApp was a habit and therefore was the preferred instant messenger.

We expected that cost would be a significant factor because Moya didn't require data. In fact, students chose to purchase dedicated WhatsApp data bundles (which are less expensive than some other data) from mobile operators.

The low usage level of Moya instant messenger for online peer tutoring can also be attributed to student claims of a lack of awareness of the application.

However, in our other study where Moya was used to tutor a large class of 495 first-year Accounting students online, the outcomes were more positive. Most students (79.47%) indicated that the tutor was available and helpful. Tutors indicated that the use of voice notes assisted students in understanding course concepts. Students agreed or strongly agreed (70.2%) that the course allowed them to fully participate.

What could improve platform use

Students' responses to the research question about improving the instant messaging varied. One recommendation (14.6% of responses) was that usage would improve if students did not have another medium, such as WhatsApp.

Usage would also improve if students did not have access to the internet or if they did not have data (10.5% of responses). A lack of access to the university's virtual private network, which gives students internet access, would also encourage usage.

Other responses were that its use would improve if usage was compulsory and if they were provided with more information about Moya. Social influence would improve with an increased number of users, such as peers and tutors.

What's next?

By addressing the identified challenges and building on the factors that encourage usage, educational institutions can harness technology to create a more equitable and enriching learning environment for all students. The insights move us closer to fulfilling the promise of inclusive education and empowering students for a brighter future.

Fazlyn Petersen receives funding from the National Research Foundation (NRF). The financial assistance of the NRF towards this research is hereby acknowledged. Opinions expressed and conclusions arrived at are those of the author and not necessarily attributable to the NRF.

By Fazlyn Petersen, Information Systems Senior Lecturer, University of the Western Cape
Former South African Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius, who was convicted of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp a decade ago, is unlikely to be released immediately if he is granted parole on Friday, the victim's family lawyer said.

The country's parole board on Monday said it would be "considering the profile of Oscar Pistorius on Friday, 24 November 2023".

But even if Pistorius's application was to be successful the ex-athlete might have to wait for weeks before being let out of prison pending an "internal process" by the Department of Correctional Services (DCS), according to the Steenkamp family lawyer, Tania Koen.

If "parole is granted, DCS follows an internal process, which is usually within a month", Koen told AFP.

Several legal experts questioned by AFP said the time between a decision to grant parole is taken and a prisoner is released varies from case to case -- with some hinting that the wait could depend on "political expediency".

The double amputee, who started serving his sentence in 2014, lost his first bid for parole in March.

DCS said he had not completed the minimum detention period required to be let out.

Prisoners in South Africa are automatically eligible for parole consideration after serving half of their sentence.

Pistorius, who turns 37 on Wednesday, had been thought to have served more than half, having started his term in 2014.

But after having pursued several appeals of his initial conviction, authorities determined their count from his last conviction, which fell short of half.

The Constitutional Court contradicted this process last month ruling that the count must start from the date of the first instance an inmate was put behind bars.

Pistorius killed Reeva Steenkamp, a model, in the early hours of Valentine's Day 2013, firing four times through the bathroom door of his ultra-secure Pretoria house, in a killing that shocked the world.

Arrested in the early hours back in February 2013, he had pleaded not guilty and denied killing Steenkamp in a rage, saying he mistook her for a burglar.
African legal experts, including lawyers and judges, have used the platform of the ongoing sixth African Union Judicial Dialogue to desert the role and significance of regional and international human rights.

The various legal experts during a panel discussion identified and analyzed the challenges encountered by domestic courts in integrating regional and international human rights jurisprudence.

The team of experts also examines specific obstacles such as the lack of awareness among judges and legal practitioners, difficulties in harmonizing domestic laws with international obligations, and ensuring consistent application of human rights principles.

The Sixth Judicial Dialogue is on the theme Advancing Justice and Human Rights in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities for Integrating Regional and International Human Rights Jurisprudence in Domestic Courts.

The Judicial Dialogue fixed for November 20th to 22nd seeks to provide a platform for judges of national and regional courts and other stakeholders to deliberate on the challenges and opportunities related to integrating regional and international human rights jurisprudence into domestic courts in Africa.

The panelists included Professor Nsongurua Udombana, Human Rights Institute, National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria, who delivered a paper on Challenges faced by domestic courts in integrating human rights jurisprudence, and the section was moderated by Honourable Remy Ngoy Lumbu, Chairperson of the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights.

Other panelists were the Chief Justice of the Gambia, Justice Hassan B. Jallow; a Judge of the Supreme Court of Mozambique, Justice Henrique Carlos Xavier Cossa, and a representative of the Judiciary of Algeria; and Prof. Ubena John Agatho from the High Court of Tanzania.

The team of experts also shared their experiences and lessons learned from domestic courts that have successfully integrated human rights jurisprudence.

The Sixth African Union Judicial Dialogue is being attended by representatives from national Supreme and Constitutional Courts from across the continent, presidents and judges of regional and sub-regional courts, representatives of the African Union, lawyers and researchers, and representatives of human rights institutions.

The dialogue was officially opened by Mr. Nadir Larbaouni, Prime Minister of the Peoples Democratic Republic of Algeria, who represented President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, while Mr. Abderrachid Tabi, Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals of the Peoples Republic of Algeria, performed the official welcome.

The African Court is collaborating with the African Union, the European Union, GIZ, the United Nations, and the Government of the Peoples Democratic Republic of Algeria for the dialogue.

-CDA Consult || Contributor
The Ministry for the Interior has announced a curfew has been imposed on Nkwanta Township in the Oti Region effective today, Tuesday, November 21.

As a result, all residents of Nkwanta Township are to stay indoors after 5pm from today until further notice.

The Minister for the Interior has on the advice of the Oti Regional Security Council and by the Executive Instrument imposed curfew on Nkwanta Township in the Oti Region from 5:00 pm  6:00 am effective Tuesday, November 21, 2023, the Ministry of Interior announced today.

The curfew has been imposed following the shooting incident at Nkwanta South early in the morning.

Information gathered indicates that armed assailants opened fire on residents at the Nkwanta Central Market unprovoked.

In the release from the Ministry of Interior, government has appealed to all residents to exercise restraint and use the established mechanisms for the resolution of all their conflicts and disputes.

Government also reiterates that there is a ban on all persons in Nkwanta Township and its environs from carrying arms, ammunition, or any offensive weapons.

The release from the Interior Ministry stresses that any persons found with any arms or ammunition will be arrested and prosecuted.
The Overlord of Dagbon, Yaa-Naa Abukari II has indicated that the people of the Northern Region should be grateful that Ghanaians have collectively taken a decision for a Northerner to lead the country after the 2024 general elections.

In advice to Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Ya-Na has urged him to see former President John Dramani Mahama as his elder brother and not his enemy.

He said as leaders of the two biggest political parties in the country, John Dramani Mahama and Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia should show that Northerners are people who are honest, competent, and keen on the development of the country.

John Mahama is your big brother and not your enemy. See him as an elder brother as you go about your campaign. We just have to be grateful to all Ghanaians for trusting that only a Northerner can lead Ghana after 2024. It is a big opportunity for us to demonstrate our maturity, competence, honesty, and dedication to move Ghana forward, Ya-Na Abukari II told Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.

This was after the Vice President paid a courtesy call on him as part of his thank-you tour after his election as Flagbearer of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).

After winning the flagbearer election on November 4, Dr Bawumia is set to face strong competition from NDC flagbearer John Dramani Mahama.
French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed his "deep concern" to Chinese leader Xi Jinping about military cooperation between Russia and North Korea during a phone conversation, while also calling on Beijing to make a "significant contribution" to humanitarian aid provided by the United Nations to Palestinian civilians.

Macron and Xi spoke by phone on Monday, and according to a French presidential official, "[France] would like for China to realise to what extent this is a problematic development for France and the entire European Union.

"It [the cooperation] would naturally lead to fuelling the scope of the Russian aggression" against Ukraine, the official told reporters.

Russia has become a pariah in the West after launching full-scale hostilities in Ukraine last year and has looked to strengthen historic ties with North Korea.

Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un at a Far East spaceport in September.

In October, the White House said that North Korea has delivered more than 1,000 containers of military equipment and munitions to Russia in recent weeks for use in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, China has refused to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine and has deepened its economic, diplomatic and military cooperation with Moscow since the start of the war in February 2022.

According to Paris  during Macron's state visit to China in April  Xi said he was ready to work with France "to create conditions for talks" between Moscow and Kyiv.

Most analysts say that the war in Ukraine after the Russian invasion is in stalemate, with Western sanctions also failing to completely isolate Moscow politically and economically.

China's humanitarian support 'extremely limited'

During their conversation, Presidents Xi and Macron discussed the Israel-Hamas war, reportedly agreeing "to avoid a more serious humanitarian crisis."

According to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, "The two heads of state exchanged views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and both believe that the top priority is to avoid further deterioration of the situation between Palestine and Israel, especially to avoid a more serious humanitarian crisis."

The phone call comes days ahead of a visit to China by French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna and as a delegation of top diplomats from the Palestinian Authority, Indonesia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan meet in Beijing for talks aimed at a "de-escalation" of the conflict in Gaza.

CCTV also reported that Xi and Macron had agreed to "continue to maintain communication on international and regional issues of common concern and contribute to maintaining world peace and stability".

"The 'two state solution' is the fundamental way to solve the recurrent conflict between Palestine and Israel," the state broadcaster added.

However, the Elysee palace remarked that to date, "Chinese [humanitarian] support is extremely limited  in the region of one million dollars a year  and we are therefore encouraging the Chinese authorities at the highest level to do much more."

Paris is also calling on Beijing to use its "influence" on Middle Eastern countries to "avoid any escalation" in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Xi welcomes French investment

On a bilateral level, China has called for more French companies to invest in the country and hopes France will provide a fair and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese firms.

However, China faces an electric vehicle subsidy investigation by the European Union and a looming probe into its steelmakers.

Several European countries have complained about China's opaque laws and rules regarding foreign companies in the country.

"China is willing to maintain high-level exchanges with the French side," Xi said, adding that he welcomed more French products entering the Chinese market.

Xi also said China was willing to strengthen cooperation with France at the United Nations and other multilateral institutions. China took over the presidency of the UN Security Council this month.
Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has explained to the Overlord of Dagbon, Yaa-Naa Abukari II, that former President John Dramani Mahama is fond of criticising him because he lacks ideas.

Nonetheless, the Vice President has assured that he will do a clean campaign in his bid to become President without insulting the former President.

Yaa-Naa, I wish to assure you that my team and I will conduct a clean campaign as you have indicated because myself and John Mahama are all your sons. What I will be doing is that I will bring to bear my ideas that I know will complement the development we are currently seeing.

My brother lacks ideas and so tends to criticize my ideas but I know Ghanaians are discerning and will vote for the NPP that I lead, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia assured Yaa-Naa Abukari II after calling on him as part of his thank you tour.

In his interaction with the Overlord of Dagbon, the Vice President expressed appreciation to Yaa-Naa Abukari II for the support.

He appealed to Yaa-Naa and his people to continue supporting him to ensure he becomes president after the 2024 general elections.

I am grateful to you Yaa-Naa and the entire Dagbon for the support but the real battle lies ahead and I will need your support again.

We have a battle ahead and Insha Allah with your support we shall overcome, Dr. Bawumia noted.

After winning the NPP flagbearer election on November 4, Dr. Bawumia is set to face strong competition from NDC flagbearer John Dramani Mahama.
Ethiopia's government said Tuesday that latest peace talks with the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), a rebel group from the country's most populous region, had ended without agreement.

It was the second time Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government and the OLA had sat down this year aiming to end a five-year insurgency in the restive Oromia region.

Classified as a "terrorist organisation" by Addis Ababa, the OLA has been fighting the government since 2018 after splitting from the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) when it renounced armed struggle.

"Due to the intransigence of the other party the talks have come to an end without an agreement," Abiy's national security adviser Redwan Hussein posted on X, formerly Twitter.

"The obstructive approach and unrealistic demands of the other party are the principal reasons why these talks could not succeed."

There was no immediate comment from the OLA.

A diplomat told AFP in early November that both parties were optimistic about the talks taking place in the Tanzanian capital Dar es Salaam.

The OLA had stated on November 13 that its leader, Jaal Maroo, was in Tanzania to lead the talks, and had expressed its determination to achieve a "peaceful political settlement".

An earlier round of talks between April and May also ended without agreement.

Abiy is of Oromo descent but the wider community, Ethiopia's largest ethnic group, has long complained of marginalisation and their homeland is plagued by instability and armed violence.

Since the OLA broke off and started fighting, a string of armed groups have risen up in Oromia claiming to be part of its cause, although they are only loosely tied.

The OLA's strength, estimated at a few thousand men in 2018, has increased significantly in recent years, though observers believe it is insufficiently organised or well-armed to pose a real threat to the government.

Oromia, which surrounds the capital Addis Ababa, has suffered ethnic massacres in recent years carried out by unknown groups, particularly in the Qellem Wollega and West Wollega areas.

The OLA has been repeatedly accused by Abiy's government of being responsible for the killings, a charge it denies.

The government in turn is accused of waging an indiscriminate crackdown that has fuelled Oromo resentment against the central government.
The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin has admonished the Majority in Parliament to be on their best behaviour during the debate on the 2024 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the government.

Following the presentation of the 2024 Budget by Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta last week, Parliament has today, Tuesday, November 21, commenced the debate on the budget.

In an advice to the Majority in Parliament, Speaker Alban Bagbin urged the group to strive to build consensus with the Minority.

He said the Majority now has a "limping Leader" Osei Kyei Mensah and President Akufo-Addo who has become a "lame duck."

This he argues is why the Majority in Parliament must behave and do things right to court the support of the entire House to push government's business.

I expect the Majority who have a limping Majority leader, limping because when you look at his back, you're less than those in front of you. You have a lame duck president, a lame duck because you have elected a flagbearer, and loyalty and commitment are shifting. So, your president is now a lame-duck president.

You need this side of the house to support you to finish your eight years. And so, if you don't behave well, we have difficulty in proceeding as a nation, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin noted.

The Speaker of Parliament continued, Please, I expect you to cooperate; I will not allow them to bully you. You'll get sufficient time to put across your case.

The Minority continues to hold the view that the 2024 Budget Statement and Economic Policy presented to Parliament is empty.

For the Majority in Parliament, the 2024 Budget will help government to achieve what it has set out to do to make the country better for Ghanaians.
El Gobierno del Peru expresa su pesar al Gobierno y pueblo de la Republica Dominicana por los lamentables fallecimientos y por los miles de desplazados, ocasionados por las fuertes lluvias que azotan dicho pais.
21.11.2023 LISTEN

The Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Honorable Dr. Henry Kwabena Kokofu, is among those being considered as a potential running mate for Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

This portal gathers information that despite the media attention given to individuals such as Education Minister Yaw Adutwum, Energy Minister Mathew Opoku Prempeh, and Chief of Staff Frema Osei Opare, among others, regarding the running mate position, Dr. Henry Kokofu, barring any last-minute hitch, could emerge as a possible candidate.

Dr. Kokofu, who has recently come to the attention of the vice president, is the dark horse in the contest, according to credible sources with close ties to Dr. Bawumia.

In addition to being Ashanti, which seems to be the primary criterion for choosing a running mate, the EPA director has extensive political experience. He has served as a polling station executive, constituency chairperson, Member of Parliament, and now EPA director. Consequently, he is exceptionally qualified for the position. He is also said to have a calm and affable demeanor that endears him to people, a trait most required to maximize the candidates Ashanti votes. More importantly, this portal gathers that the Vice Presidents heightened interest in Dr Kokofu is attributed to his expertise in environmental sustainability among others.

Profile

Hon. Dr. Henry Kwabena Kokofu, Esq is the Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the lead body that oversees and governs Ghanas environment.

He was the former Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Development Corporation (GIISDEC).

Henry was a Member of the Parliament of Ghana and served on the Parliamentary Select Committee on Lands and Forestry from 2013 to 2017.

He is currently serving on several Boards including the Petroleum Commission, Lands Commission, Ghana Maritime Authority, Environmental Protection Agency, Public-Private Partnership, and Public Investment Program Working Committee, and is the Special Envoy for the Ghana Presidency of Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF).
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Minority has urged Mr Joseph Boahen Aidoo, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to apologise to former President John Dramani Mahama.

This is over his open letter to the former President, in which he took issues with him on farm-gate price of cocoa.

Mr Eric Opoku, the Ranking Member of Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs Committee of Parliament and NDC Member of Parliament (MP) Asunafo South, in a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency alleged that the Minority in Parliament had come by indisputable evidence that exposed untruths peddled by the CEO of COCOBOD, about Ghana's 2023/24 cocoa forward sales.

The statement said, shortly after the announcement of the farm-gate price of cocoa for the 2023/24 cocoa season, former President Mahama criticised the Government for shortchanging cocoa farmers by pegging the farm-gate price at a paltry GHS1,308.00 despite a 46-year record-high surge in the world market price.

It said the President Mahamas comments were grounded on the fact that, the nations hard working cocoa farmers deserved far more of the international market price, than they were given by the insensitive the Government, particularly given the unbearable cost of living and hardships they currently reeling under.

It said however, in a so-called Open Letter to former President Mahama dated 12th September 2023, Mr Aidoo took issues with President Mahama.

It alleged that Mr Aidoo questioned former President Mahama's understanding of how the producer price of cocoa was determined and claimed that the former President erroneously used $3,600 as the world market price to calculate the producer price.

In that statement, the COCOBOD CEO claimed that consistent with practice, Ghana's cocoa beans are mostly sold forward, and that the 2023/24 crop was sold between October 2022 and March 2023 at international prices; ranging between $2,200 per ton and $2,400 per ton.

It alleged that the COCOBOD CEO went on to say that the international price of cocoa then began to increase in April 2023, when a greater percentage of the 2023/24 crop had already been sold.

The statement alleged that it had now emerged that the CEO of COCOBOD did not speak the truth in his attempt to justify the rip-off that the Government had meted out to our hard-working cocoa farmers.

It said documents submitted to Parliament by COCOBOD as part of processes for the approval of the syndicated loan for cocoa purchases for the 2023/24 crop season, it was disclosed that only 36.2 per cent of the nations cocoa for this season was sold forward and used as collateral to secure the $800 million syndicated loan.

It said specifically, Paragraph 7.2 of the Joint Memorandum to Parliament by the Minister for Food and Agriculture and the Minister of Finance on the approval of the terms of the $800 million syndicated facility partly reads; The facility does not add to Ghanas debt stock. The loan is backed by cocoa sales contracts, and the quantity of cocoa collateralized for its repayment is about 36.20 per cent of the anticipated production.

The statement said for the avoidance of doubt, 36.2 per cent of the projected cocoa output for the 2023/24 season translates to a paltry 307,700 tons.

It said this volume of cocoa could not by any stretch of imagination constitute a greater percentage of the nations projected annual production volume (i.e. 850,000 tons) as claimed by the CEO of COCOBOD in his response to President Mahama.

The statement alleged that simply put, the CEO of COCOBOD lied to the good people of Ghana when he claimed that a greater percentage of Ghana's cocoa for the 2023/24 season was sold forward at a price of $2,600.

It said COCOBOD disclosed to Parliament that the remainder of 63.8 per cent of our 2023/24 cocoa output, which translates to 542,300 tons would be sold on the market at spot prices, which had been ranging between $3,600 and $4,000.

It said this was contained in paragraph 4.2 of the Joint Memorandum.

The statement said if COCOBOD succeeded in selling the remainder at the minimum spot price of $3,600 per ton as a worst-case scenario, COCOBOD would have shortchanged the nations hard working cocoa farmers to tune of $542,300,000 (GHC6.5billion).

As a matter of fact, further information submitted to Parliament indicates that, COCOBOD has already sold part of the remaining 63.8 per cent of our cocoa output for the 2023/24 season at spot prices ranging between $3,500 and $3,770 per ton from October to mid-November 2023, the statement said.

It said clearly, former President Mahama was spot on when he said that the Government was shortchanging cocoa farmers whose toil and sacrifices continued to sustain the country's economy.

The Minority Group wishes to state for the records, that Joseph Boahen Aidoo has lied to cocoa farmers and the entire nation.

The statement said Mr Aidoo had no basis whatsoever to impugn ill motive into what was a statement of fact by the respected former President.

It said Mr Aidoo therefore owed former President Mahama, hardworking cocoa farmers, and the entire nation an unqualified apology.

The statement said in the coming days, the Minority Group in Parliament shall in conjunction with the NDC Communications Bureau, embark on a series of engagements with cocoa farmers across the country on this subject.

Adding to that the nations hard-working farmers deserve to know the whole truth about this gross injustice that has been meted out to them by the Government.

GNA
A desperate crush to get through a stadium gate for an army recruiting event saw at least 31 people trampled to death in the Republic of Congo capital, officials said Tuesday.

A prosecutor said he had opened an investigation into the disaster when several thousand youths descended on the Michel d'Ornano stadium on Monday night hoping for one of 1,500 army posts.

Security officials said the dead were left after people tried to push through one gate.

They said some tried to force the gate open while others tried to jump over a wall into the stadium.

The government revised down a toll of 37 dead to 31 but officials said many of the 145 injured were in serious condition.

A 24-year-old man, who declined to be named, told AFP how people were pushing to get through the gate, sparking a stampede. "There were people injured far worse than me," said the survivor, who dislocated his foot.

Another survivor, who also requested anonymity, said: "There was a row of people in front of me. The people fell. I fell on top of them and other friends fell on top of us."

He said he lost conscious and only woke up in an ambulance.

Several videos on social media appeared to show dozens of bodies in a city morgue.

Others showed injured people being admitted to hospitals in Brazzaville.

The army said in a statement read on national television that the recruiting drive had been indefinitely suspended.

Tresor Nzila, head of local rights NGO, called for a full investigation and to hold the Congolese government responsible for not evaluating the risks of a call-up.

"The Congolese government is incapable of creating other employment opportunities," he said. "The defence and security forces have become the main job providers".

The Republic of Congo, which is also known as Congo-Brazzaville to distinguish it from its larger neighbour the Democratic Republic of Congo, is an impoverished country of about five million people -- despite its rich oil and gas reserves.

Youth unemployment is about 42 percent, according to the World Bank.

Congo-Brazzaville's state prosecutor Andre Ngakala Oko said he had launched an investigation.

Congo has witnessed similar disasters. Seven people died in a stampede at a music festival in Brazzaville in 2011.

And at least 150 people were trampled to death in the capital in 1994 when worshippers crammed into a church to avoid a storm.
The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, embarked on a nationwide strike from Tuesday, November 14, and after the intervention of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, and the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, called it off two days later.

The reason for the strike according to labour leaders was the needless brutalisation of the NLC President, Joe Ajaero and other labour leaders, in Imo State on November 1, by people suspected to be agents of government who were averse to the mission of the labour leaders in the state; outstanding salary arrears owed Imo workers, unjust declaration of 11,000 workers in the state as ghost employees, unsettled gratuities, non-compliance with N30,000 minimum wage act, and declaration of 10,000 pensioners as ghost retirees.

While one might be tempted to view the labour leaders' mission in Imo State as pristine, the underlying factors are what give them out as hypocrites who have politicised unionism to achieve parochial political interests.

It is believed in some quarters, and perhaps rightly so, that the timing of the actions of the labour leaders in Imo State was tailored to coincide with the November 11 governorship election in the State so as to discredit the incumbent, APC's Senator Hope Uzodinma and shore up the ratings of Labour Party's Senator Athan Achonu before the voting public. That seems to be the crux of the whole shenanigan by the labour leaders. The other issues surrounding workers' welfare in the state were just a smokescreen which Ajaero and his cohorts deployed to suit their narratives and justify their actions.

This is so because the current leadership of NLC and TUC have paraded themselves unapologetically like people in bed with the Labour Party since the run-up to the last general elections till now. To them, any political party that is not Labour Party must be discredited in any state where they have any glimmer of hope of winning election especially in the southeast.

Their last mission to Imo State was certainly not in public interest but in Party interest. It was the basest politicisation and weaponisation of unionism in the history of our nation.

This is not to justify the unleashing of thugs to dehumanise anybody not to talk of leaders of unions as ubiquitous as the NLC and TUC. Such attacks only aggravate rather than alleviate issues. It should never have happened. It further widens the schism between government and workers and can be used as an excuse by workers to foreclose any form of dialogue with government. Such brutalisation belongs in the Stone Age and should not be witnessed in our society governed by laws. Every citizen irrespective of their affiliations and views deserves government protection and where one is suspected to be going over the line, there are laid down procedures to rein in such a person rather than resort to self-help. Two wrongs do not make a right!

Having said that, it is pertinent to state that one wonders where Joe Ajaero and his team were when the governor of Abia State, Mr Alex Otti sacked about 10,000 workers in one fell swoop for no good reason other than that they were employed by the previous administration. The careers of many senior civil servants including Directors have been cut short with suspensions and forced retirements under cloudy circumstances. And even at that, Abia workers who escaped being sacked have had their salaries slashed significantly leading to several protests by pockets of workers in the state including a time they had to block the office of the States Accountant-General to drive home their points.

At some point, pensioners also had to cry out against the ill-treatment meted out to them by Alex Otti's administration.

In all of these, Joe Ajaero pretended like he was no longer the president of NLC and abdicated his responsibilities to Abia workers by turning blind eyes and deaf ears to the workers' plight simply because Alex Otti runs a government of the Labour Party. To Ajaero and his team, Alex Otti's inhuman treatments of workers cannot be challenged as long as the government is not run by the PDP or APC. To them, everything LP is perfect even if their members, the workers are being grossly shortchanged.

This practise of unionism by hypocrisy took a turn for the worse when Ajaero led his team to Imo State to protest against the governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma for alleged industrial breaches far less in magnitude and effect than those committed by Alex Otti in Abia State. The timing of the planned industrial action in Imo State on the eve of a crucial governorship election was a well planned but failed political move by leadership of the labour unions and the Labour Party which they have sympathy for to diminish Uzodinma's ratings before the workers who form a critical mass of electorates in the state.

To further give credence to this shenanigan, Alex Otti had in the run up to the November 11 governorship election in Imo State brazenly ordered Senator Hope Uzodinma to prepare his handover note to the candidate of Labour Party, Senator Athan Achonu. His plans as the only governor of Labour Party in the entire country was clear: deploy the same strategy used in Abia for the Imo State election.

In the run up to the March 18 2023 governorship election in Abia, labour unions in the state were allegedly compromised and used by the Labour Party to instigate workers against the then state government led by the PDP, to discredit that administration so as to pave the way for the election of Labour Party's Alex Otti.

The same strategy was planned for Imo State with Joe Ajaero appointed to lead the charge. Unfortunately for him, Imolites do not accept such extraneous interferences in their election processes. It did not end well for him and his team.

The subsequent nationwide strike action by NLC and TUC was just a face-saving measure by the unions. The other issues given as reasons for the action were mere appendages used to pull the wool over the people's eyes.

Such politicisation of unionism in our clime should come to an end forthwith if the unions were to regain the kind of respect Nigerians had for them in the not-too-distant past having contributed in no small measure to the end of military dictatorship in Nigeria. Their value before Nigerians, it will seem to discerning Nigerians, has been on a consistent downward slide since the emergence of the Fourth Republic and Ajaero and other leaders of workers' unions in the country have a lot of work to do to regain the confidence of the people as unions that truly represent and pursue the interests of Nigerian workers everywhere irrespective of party affiliation or such other parochial considerations. They must be consistent with their struggle and stop being selective with their fight to improve the overall welfare of workers. They must not be seen to be fighting for the welfare of workers in Imo State simply because a certain Hope Uzodinma of the APC is the Governor while they ignore an even worse plight of workers in Abia State simply because a certain Alex Otti of the Labour Party is the Governor.

NLC and TUC should respect the agelong saying that what is sauce for the goose is also sauce for the gander. Anything other than that is unionism by hypocrisy, and that will lead to a gradual driving of the nail into the coffins of the unions.

Jude Chijioke Ndukwe sent this piece from Abuja and can be reached via [email protected]
The Advocacy for Alleged Witches urges the South African government to do more to end witchcraft accusations, witch persecution, and killing in the country. The statement has become necessary following two reported cases of witch-killing this November. A South African Newspaper, The Citizen, reported on November 16, 2023, the case of an elderly woman who was murdered for witchcraft in Muswani village in Malamulele in Limpopo. A 35-year-old man accused her, hit her with a stone and she died. And on Friday, November 10, another tragic incident occurred. An alleged witch was shot and killed in Mpumalanga. In this case, the suspect handed himself over to the police. As the report says, the police intervened in both cases and the suspects would be charged in court.

The Advocacy for Alleged Witches condemns the brutal murder of the two alleged witches within a short period.

The South African government should rise to the occasion and ensure that this ugly incident does not happen again. But much needs to change before witch killing can stop in South Africa. First, there has to be a shift in outlook and mindset. The belief in the efficacy of witchcraft remains strong in the country. It is unfortunate that early in this 21st century, South Africans still attribute their misfortunes to harmful magic. The South African government should take measures to educate and enlighten the people and reason them out of this misconception and superstition. The public education campaign should be taken to the villages and rural communities, to provinces such as Limpopo where witch persecution often takes place. Public enlightenment programs will help weaken the grip of witchcraft belief in the minds of the people. The programs will make people unwilling to commit atrocities in the name of witchcraft imaginaires. But the public awareness programs will remain ineffective if local healers such as the Sangoma do not cease sanctioning and sanctifying witchcraft cosmologies. These traditional healers use witchcraft narratives to make sense of people's existential problems and challenges. And they need to be held to account.

It is important to note that many people in South Africa and beyond attack and murder alleged witches because they believe, or better are made to believe that their misfortunes have been caused by witches in their families and communities. Traditional healers, diviners, spiritualists, and 'experts' in the occult tell them that witches are responsible for their problems. Traditional healers exploit desperate gullible folks who come to them with their problems. Instead of providing evidence-based advice and suggestions or referring them to agencies and institutions where they could get real help and solutions, these charlatans get them to blame their problems on witches and turn the people into witch-killing machines. In addition to prosecuting the suspects, the government should endeavor to charge, prosecute, and punish traditional healers implicated in these horrific crimes.

Furthermore, these cases have shown that the police often arrive after the harm has been done, the accused persons have been killed. This trend is unfortunate and has to change. On many occasions, police intervention comes too little too late to save lives. Knowing that witchcraft accusation is a form of death sentence, the government should step up police presence in places and provinces such as Limpopo that are notorious for witchcraft accusations, witch persecution, and killing. The authorities should understand that lives of alleged witches matter. Increased policing in these high-risk communities would send a positive signal and help dissuade and deter witchcraft suspecters and accusers from taking laws into their own hands.

In addition, the government of South Africa should take steps to protect elderly people in the country. As these cases have shown, older persons are vulnerable and are often the target. People tend to suspect, attack, or kill them. The state should provide care and protection to older persons who live in high-risk areas. The Advocacy for Alleged Witches welcomes the Older Persons Amendment Bill and the proposal to strengthen the protection, and prevent the abuse of older persons. As contained in the bill, the government of South Africa should eliminate harmful traditional practices, including witchcraft accusations against older persons in the region.

Leo Igwe directs the Advocacy for Alleged Witches, that works and campaigns to end witch hunting in Africa.
Bright Botchway, the National Deputy Coordinator of the Traders and Artisans Network-NDC unapologetically dared Vice President Dr. Mahamud Bawumia to come out with his campaign message to challenge the vigor and clarity seen in the transformative 24-hour economy envisioned by H.E John Dramani Mahama.

In an interview this morning with statenewsghanaI, Botchway, known for his unyielding advocacy for progress as a youth activist and feminist advocate, emphasized that the NDC, under Mahama's leadership, pledges robust state-backed security and substantial tax exemptions to bolster manufacturing companies and institutions that embrace this 24-hour economic paradigm. This, he asserts, isn't just a bold move but a game-changing strategy for all Ghanaians, particularly businesses that are already suffering under the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia government.

Botchway reiterates that the NDC's commitment to this 24-hour economy extends beyond mere rhetoric. He noted that the party vows to enhance the country's security network, ensuring a safer environment conducive to the growth and sustainability of such initiatives. "This isn't just a campaign promise; it's a concrete action plan poised to elevate Ghana's economic landscape," he stated.

He challenges Dr. Bawumia to outline any genuine vision that can resonate with the Ghanaian populace and stop the unnecessary attack on the former President.
Shares of Avidbank Holdings, Inc. (OTCMKTS:AVBH  Get Free Report) rose 0.2% on Monday . The stock traded as high as $20.73 and last traded at $20.73. Approximately 1,600 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 81% from the average daily volume of 8,519 shares. The stock had previously closed at $20.68.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Stephens increased their price objective on Avidbank from $19.00 to $23.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Tuesday, July 25th.

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Avidbank Trading Up 0.2 %

The businesss fifty day moving average price is $21.11 and its 200 day moving average price is $18.99. The company has a market capitalization of $161.13 million, a P/E ratio of 6.23 and a beta of 0.74.

Avidbank (OTCMKTS:AVBH  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 24th. The company reported $0.72 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts consensus estimates of $0.72. The business had revenue of $18.55 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.61 million. Equities research analysts anticipate that Avidbank Holdings, Inc. will post 2.83 EPS for the current year.

Avidbank Company Profile

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Avidbank Holdings, Inc operates as a bank holding company for Avidbank that provides financial products and services to businesses and individuals in the Santa Clara, San Mateo, and San Francisco counties. The company offers business and personal deposit products, such as checking, money market, and savings accounts; and certificates of deposit.

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Biotricity, Inc. (OTCMKTS:BTCY  Get Free Report)s stock price traded down 4% during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $0.92 and last traded at $0.95. 10,404 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 73% from the average session volume of 38,058 shares. The stock had previously closed at $0.99.

Biotricity Price Performance

The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $1.72 and a 200-day moving average price of $2.75. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.14 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.60 and a beta of 2.34.

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Biotricity (OTCMKTS:BTCY  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 14th. The company reported ($0.44) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($0.34) by ($0.10). The business had revenue of $2.89 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.30 million. As a group, research analysts forecast that Biotricity, Inc. will post -1.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Biotricity

Biotricity Company Profile

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC purchased a new stake in Biotricity in the first quarter valued at $135,000. AE Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Biotricity by 66.6% in the 2nd quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 250,100 shares of the companys stock valued at $159,000 after buying an additional 100,000 shares during the period. State Street Corp raised its holdings in shares of Biotricity by 586.8% in the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 135,295 shares of the companys stock valued at $307,000 after buying an additional 115,595 shares during the period. Susquehanna International Group LLP raised its holdings in shares of Biotricity by 53.7% in the 1st quarter. Susquehanna International Group LLP now owns 57,305 shares of the companys stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 20,024 shares during the period. Finally, Beacon Pointe Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Biotricity in the 1st quarter valued at $77,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 32.46% of the companys stock.

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Biotricity, Inc, a medical technology company, provides biometric data monitoring solutions in the United States. The company focuses on delivery of remote monitoring solutions to medical, healthcare, and consumer markets, including diagnostic and post-diagnostic solutions for lifestyle and chronic illnesses.

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Snap Inc. (NYSE:SNAP  Get Free Report) SVP Eric Young sold 119,112 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.90, for a total value of $1,417,432.80. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 3,391,040 shares in the company, valued at approximately $40,353,376. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.

Snap Stock Up 2.1 %

Snap stock traded up $0.25 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $12.15. The stock had a trading volume of 14,544,627 shares, compared to its average volume of 28,033,219. Snap Inc. has a 12 month low of $7.86 and a 12 month high of $13.89. The company has a market capitalization of $20.00 billion, a P/E ratio of -14.19 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $9.65 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $10.21. The company has a current ratio of 4.83, a quick ratio of 4.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50.

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Snap (NYSE:SNAP  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, October 24th. The company reported ($0.21) EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of ($0.24) by $0.03. Snap had a negative return on equity of 44.24% and a negative net margin of 29.99%. The business had revenue of $1.19 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.11 billion. As a group, equities analysts expect that Snap Inc. will post -0.79 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on SNAP. UBS Group decreased their price target on Snap from $14.00 to $12.00 in a research note on Wednesday, July 26th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Snap from $9.00 to $8.00 in a research note on Friday, October 6th. Truist Financial lifted their price target on Snap from $7.00 to $11.00 in a research note on Wednesday, July 26th. Piper Sandler lifted their price target on Snap from $8.00 to $9.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 25th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on Snap from $9.00 to $10.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 25th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seventeen have given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $10.52.

Read Our Latest Research Report on Snap

Institutional Trading of Snap

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. increased its holdings in Snap by 7.4% during the 2nd quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. now owns 13,440 shares of the companys stock worth $176,000 after purchasing an additional 930 shares in the last quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc increased its holdings in Snap by 4.5% during the 3rd quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc now owns 23,434 shares of the companys stock worth $209,000 after purchasing an additional 1,017 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Snap by 7.1% in the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 15,373 shares of the companys stock valued at $137,000 after acquiring an additional 1,025 shares in the last quarter. Fund Management at Engine No. 1 LLC grew its holdings in shares of Snap by 8.8% in the second quarter. Fund Management at Engine No. 1 LLC now owns 12,966 shares of the companys stock valued at $154,000 after acquiring an additional 1,052 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ethic Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Snap by 13.5% in the first quarter. Ethic Inc. now owns 9,184 shares of the companys stock valued at $331,000 after acquiring an additional 1,089 shares in the last quarter. 44.37% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Snap

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Snap Inc operates as a technology company in North America, Europe, and internationally. The company offers Snapchat, a visual messaging application with various tabs, such as camera, visual messaging, snap map, stories, and spotlight that enable people to communicate visually through short videos and images.

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RXO, Inc. (NYSE:RXO  Get Free Report) major shareholder Mfn Partners, Lp acquired 43,678 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 20th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $19.74 per share, for a total transaction of $862,203.72. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 12,985,002 shares of the companys stock, valued at $256,323,939.48. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Major shareholders that own 10% or more of a companys stock are required to disclose their transactions with the SEC.

Mfn Partners, Lp also recently made the following trade(s):

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On Friday, November 17th, Mfn Partners, Lp acquired 26,648 shares of RXO stock. The shares were bought at an average cost of $19.84 per share, for a total transaction of $528,696.32.

On Wednesday, November 15th, Mfn Partners, Lp acquired 100,000 shares of RXO stock. The shares were bought at an average cost of $19.67 per share, for a total transaction of $1,967,000.00.

On Monday, November 13th, Mfn Partners, Lp acquired 30,522 shares of RXO stock. The shares were bought at an average cost of $18.15 per share, for a total transaction of $553,974.30.

RXO Stock Performance

RXO stock traded down $0.12 during trading on Monday, hitting $19.85. 545,119 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,047,641. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $18.68 and its 200 day simple moving average is $19.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 1.29 and a quick ratio of 1.29. The company has a market cap of $2.32 billion and a PE ratio of -1,985.00. RXO, Inc. has a 1 year low of $15.67 and a 1 year high of $23.74.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

RXO ( NYSE:RXO Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 7th. The company reported $0.05 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.01 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $976.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $957.88 million. RXO had a positive return on equity of 10.55% and a negative net margin of 0.05%. RXOs quarterly revenue was down 14.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.11 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that RXO, Inc. will post 0.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Susquehanna dropped their price objective on RXO from $14.00 to $13.00 and set a negative rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded RXO from a neutral rating to an underweight rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $17.00 to $16.00 in a research report on Wednesday, October 11th. Oppenheimer reissued an outperform rating and issued a $24.00 price target on shares of RXO in a report on Monday, August 7th. Stephens lowered their price target on RXO from $23.00 to $19.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 3rd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price target on RXO from $19.00 to $17.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a report on Monday, October 16th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, RXO presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $20.81.

Get Our Latest Stock Report on RXO

Institutional Trading of RXO

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. increased its position in shares of RXO by 290.9% in the third quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 868,821 shares of the companys stock valued at $17,142,000 after buying an additional 646,540 shares in the last quarter. Ramirez Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of RXO in the third quarter valued at approximately $45,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company boosted its stake in shares of RXO by 26.0% in the third quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 58,765 shares of the companys stock worth $1,159,000 after acquiring an additional 12,139 shares during the last quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP boosted its stake in shares of RXO by 325.2% in the third quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP now owns 55,077 shares of the companys stock worth $1,087,000 after acquiring an additional 42,123 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc boosted its stake in shares of RXO by 1.3% in the third quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 336,561 shares of the companys stock worth $6,640,000 after acquiring an additional 4,479 shares during the last quarter. 92.73% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About RXO

(Get Free Report)

RXO, Inc provides full truckload freight transportation brokering services. The company also offers brokered services for managed transportation, last mile, and freight forwarding. RXO, Inc was founded in 2022 and is based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

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YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS. Armenia has numerously announced its readiness to negotiate with Azerbaijan, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Hakob Arshakyan said at a press briefing on Tuesday.

Armenia has numerously announced that it is ready for talks, Arshakyan said when asked to comment on Baku calling on Yerevan to engage in direct talks. Furthermore, various peace treaty drafts are being exchanged. In the event of news, our foreign ministry is regularly providing comments. If a documents with proposals is sent to Yerevan, and then conveyed to Baku with proposals from Yerevan, what is this if not talks?

Arshakyan stressed that Armenia never avoids taking part in talks in platforms which it deems effective.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday proposed to host the UN climate conference in 2028 or COP33 in India and launched the Green Credit Initiative focused on creating carbon sinks through peoples participation. Addressing the high-level segment for heads of states and governments during the UN climate conference in Dubai, he said India has presented a great example to the world of striking balance between development and environment conservation. India is one among only few countries in the world on track to achieve its Nationally Determined Contributions or national plans to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, the guardrail to avoid worsening of climate change impacts. Modi was the only leader to join the opening plenary along with COP28 President Sultan Al Jaber and UN Climate Change President Simon Steill. The prime minister called for maintaining a balance between mitigation and adaptation and said that energy transition across the world must be "just and inclusive". He called for rich countries to transfer technology to help developing nations combat climate change. The prime minister has been championing the Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE movement), urging countries to adopt planet-friendly living practices and move away from deeply consumerist behaviours. He cited a study by the International Energy Agency, saying this approach can reduce carbon emissions by 2 billion tonnes. Modi said everyones interest must be protected and everyones participation is necessary in the fight against climate change.

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YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan has offered Armenia to hold a meeting on the state border to continue the peace talks, according to a statement released by the Azerbaijani foreign ministry.

"Azerbaijan is ready for direct bilateral talks with Armenia to achieve the peace deal as soon as possible. We believe that the two countries should decide the future of their relations together. The two countries bear responsibility for the continuation of the peace process, including the selection of a mutually suitable venue or a decision to meet at the state border," the Azerbaijani foreign ministry said in a statement, according to the Trend news agency.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Armenian Foreign Ministry said it conveyed to Azerbaijan new proposals on a peace treaty.
Tests on dolphins living in Australian waters have revealed many are riddled with toxic chemicals, similar to those found in household "non-stick" products.

After examining the liver of a juvenile male from Victorias iconic Port Phillip Bay, researchers discovered it had the highest level of PFAS ever recorded in a dolphin. These toxins are commonly referred to as forever chemicals because some scientists believe they dont break down in our bodies or the environment.

The dolphin study results have been revealed amid growing calls to ban the sale of the chemicals in Australia, and the government indicating it plans some restrictions on imports.

Melbourne's dolphins have been found contaminated with alarming levels of PFAS. Source: Marine Mammal Foundation

Despite the staggeringly high presence of PFAS in the dolphin, you might be surprised to learn theyre not actually manufactured in Australia. However, they are imported into the country.

These chemicals are a common component in many products like non-stick cookware, sunscreens, cosmetics and stain resistant sprays. Theyve also been incorporated into firefighting foams, packaging and possibly even toilet paper.

Key PFAS facts you need to know

PFAS are Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl synthetic chemicals designed to make substances non-stick.

If you live in Australia, you most likely have detectable levels of PFAS in your blood.

Chronic exposure in animals has been linked to several concerning health issues.

While Australian authorities maintain the impact on humans is yet to be "well established", the US warns PFAS could lead to increased cancer risk, low birth weight, high cholesterol and liver enzyme changes.

What the dolphin results can tell us about Victoria's waters

The juvenile male had 30 per cent more PFAS in its liver than any other global sample, but it wasnt just this result that led researchers to describe the situation as "alarming". Tests of 38 dolphin carcasses collected in Port Phillip Bay and the Gippsland Lakes found PFAS levels were consistently high. The studys lead author, RMIT researcher associate Chantal Foord, described this as highly concerning and globally significant.

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While it had long been established that water across the dolphins Victorian habitats was polluted, the new results reveal for the first time the concentrations that exist in dolphin bodies.

PFAS are regularly found in non-stick frying pans and sunscreen. Source: Getty (File)

Foord chose to study dolphins because they are at the top of the food chain, so they are absorbing PFAS from the rest of the food chain. Theyre a canary in the coal mine, because they tell us whats in the water system and they could be an indicator that theres a potential concern about high chemical concentrations, she said.

But she doesnt think the high concentrations found in dolphins would necessarily be the same in humans. Dolphins eat the entire animal, the liver, kidney, everything, but were only eating the muscle tissue and concentrations are nowhere near as high, she said.

Foord warns her research raises a lot of questions as researchers are yet to understand where the pollutants are originating from. But unfortunately, were unlikely to know the source any time soon because Foord's research has concluded and there is no more funding immediately available.

Rare dolphin population under threat

The research was a joint project between RMIT, Marine Mammal Foundation and Melbourne University, and looked at four types of dolphin, including the Burrunan species, an animal recognised as distinct by the state of Victoria.

First described in 2011 by Dr Kate Robb who heads the Marine Mammal Foundation, Burrunan dolphins are restricted to Southern and South Eastern Australia, the Victoria population is believed to number just 250 individuals.

These are incredibly small populations and theyre living near industrial, agricultural and urban areas, they are particularly susceptible, Robb told Yahoo. A lot of our focus has been based on the threatening processes that increase the risk of extinction.

While PFAS is a concern for Burrunan dolphins, they are likely just one of several threats to the species. While the Port Phillip Bay population is believed to be stable, the Gippsland Lakes residents have declined 60 per cent in recent years. Two factors that have likely impacted water quality are the Black Summer Bushfires and the La Nina weather system.

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An alarming garden discovery comes with a warning for Aussies this summer as cane toad breeding season begins to ramp up in areas of the country where the pest has infiltrated.

A photo shared on social media this week shows a slimy, stringy mess hanging from a backyard tree. The jelly-like strands, which are "slippery to touch," are cane toad eggs, and are extremely toxic. Unlike native frogs who lay in clusters of individual round eggs, cane toads spawn appears as long, noodle-like strings  with each toad laying between 8000 and 25,000 in one sitting.

The amphibians  an introduced species, and mostly found in the northern parts of Australia and northern NSW  are particularly deadly for native wildlife and wreak havoc on the environment due to their toxin, but pets are at risk too if eaten.

Cane toad eggs can be very toxic to animals and humans. Source: Facebook

Cane toad spawn 'very toxic' to pets and humans

"The female toads put a lot of poison into the eggs to discourage animals like fish from eating them," Professor Rick Shine from Macquarie University told Yahoo News Australia. "The poisons are not a problem for most invertebrates like ants and spiders, but are dangerous for almost any vertebrate animal that hasnt evolved special abilities to deal with those poisons. Birds and rodents, for example, are generally OK, but dogs and humans are not."

Aussies warned to check static bodies of water

The viral post on Facebook warns Aussies to remain vigilant and to remove any eggs they might come across. They often take just two or three days to hatch.

"Friendly reminder to everyone to check regularly around your place in any ponds, buckets, dog bowls etc for cane toad eggs," the post says. "Dont be fooled by thinking that because something has a high side that they cant get in, they are unexpectedly great climbers, especially on rough surfaces!

Cane toads release a toxin through their parotid salivary glands on their back, pictured here. Source: Maroochydore Rd Vet Surgery/Getty

"Cane toad eggs and tadpoles are TOXIC. Please avoid feeding them to fish or letting pets eat them, just the same as you would an adult toad. Its far easier to get rid of the eggs than the adults!"

Story continues

Shine agreed the eggs are "very toxic" but only when eaten. "You just have to ensure that if you take them out of the fishpond then you dont leave them somewhere where an animal or child could find them and gobble a few down."

Cane toads are mostly found in northern Australia, extending down to northern parts of NSW. Source: Esri (esri)

Vet warns toxin could cause death

Earlier this month, Queensland-based vet, Maroochydore Rd Vet Surgery shared a post on Facebook warning of the risk to pets. The clinic says they've treated "hundreds of these cases", but say it's easily preventable with a few simple steps.

"The toads release a toxin through their parotid salivary glands on their backs. When your pet grabs the toad in their mouth, this causes the toad to release the toxin, which then coats your pet's mouth," they explained."This toxin is readily absorbed through the mucosa in the mouth".

The toxins are an irritant and can cause the gums to "become very red". "These toxins affect the heart and central nervous system, causing heart arrhythmias, tremors, seizures, blindness and even death," they warned.

Cane toad eggs are long, noodle-like strings with each toad laying between 8000 and 25,000 in one sitting. Source: Facebook

Tips for pet owners:

Keep your pet on a lead when outdoors at night, or watch them closely

Always check around your pet's water bowl at night

If eaten, use a wet cloth to wipe the gumline continually for 10-15 mins, always wetting the cloth after each wipe. Never stick a hose in their mouth! This will not remove the toxin and can cause aspiration pneumonia.

After this, if your pet appears normal, and it has been over 30 minutes since exposure, there is a good chance they will not need veterinary care.

At any stage that your pet is tremoring/shaking/seizing take them to a vet immediately

"Dogs never learn, and will often chase toads again, and again," the clinic said. If you think your pet has toad toxicity, please call your vet, or seek veterinary care immediately.

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Exhausted residents living along a major suburban thoroughfare say they feel "like prisoners" after being subjected to more than a year of constant roadworks, that have taken place just outside their homes for 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Locals at Penshurst, in south Sydney  about 17 kilometres from the CBD  say that construction on King Georges Road has dragged on for more than 12 months and there's still no end in sight. They say the noise at all hours of the day, in addition to constant exposure to pollution from the worksite, is "killing us".

Work to widen the strip from three lanes to six commenced in 2022 and is expected to be completed by January 2024, with residents six months ago having lost access to their driveways. Now, they fear Christmas could be jeopardised if they don't have access back in time for the festive season.

With a bulk of the work being conducted at night, locals have also begged authorities to reconsider construction hours so they can sleep.

Residents say the construction on King Georges Road in Penshurst takes place at all hours of the night. Source: A Current Affair.

Penshurst residents 'feel like prisoners' in their own home

"It's killing us the amount of noise, the amount of pollution, the amount of interruptions," resident Charlie Jin told A Current Affair, who has lived on the street for 12 years.

The Jin family have an electric vehicle which they claim they can no longer charge at home, with no access to the outlet from the street.

"We live in our own house as prisoners," Jin said through tears.

A group of angry locals have gathered this week to issue a complaint to council over the conditions they've been forced to live with.

"The government puts money and profit over people, that's what it's all about," a local known as Chris said.

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"None of us sleep well," another local, Moira, lamented. "You can literally feel the house shake when they drop their equipment."

She also complained of the constant work it takes to clean the dust from her property.

Fatmy Bazzi, who lives adjacent to Jin, claimed that her family hasn't had a good night's sleep in months, with the dust from the construction impacting her asthma.

Local woman Charlie Jin was brought to tears while talking about her sleepless nights. Source: A Current Affair.

"We understand this needs to be done so they can make the streets better. But it's just taking so long," Bazzi said. "I think they can inconvenience and close the streets during the day. So people can get sleep during the night because at night, it's just terrible."

Officials say residents 'should' regain driveway access soon

Executive Director at Transport for NSW Steven Issa said that  weather permitting residents should get access to their driveways back before Christmas.

"We will continue to work with residents to find a solution, alternate accommodation when noise is at its worst and meet their needs more broadly whilst we get through the remainder of the project," he said.

"Unfortunately there's just some things that can't be done during the day for safety reasons in the area that's required to work in."

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

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Fed-up locals living near a sinkhole that their local council told them would take just six weeks to repair say that a year down the track, the job remains unfinished, and the hole has now transformed into "a crater-sized roadblock".

Residents in Leonay, near Penrith in Sydney's west, say not only has the sinkhole not been filled in, it now consumes the entire street, which has resulted in a no-through road that's left just one route in and out of the suburb.

Back in 2022, Penrith City Council blocked off the then small sinkhole after it on formed River Road following flooding, advising residents at the time repairs would take between six to eight weeks to complete. Now, a year later, furious locals say traffic levels have drastically increased as a result of the road closure  and there's still no end in sight.

Traffic increased, street transformed into no-through road

The sinkhole formed in 2022 and originally begun as just a small gape int the street. Source: A Current Affair.

"It's [been]12 months. We can't exit the street the way we normally go," local Kelly Rossetto told A Current Affair, explaining drivers are forced to travel a kilometre extra to get in and out.

"Incredible amounts of traffic up a very narrow street with quite a high crest. It's a real concern."

Sinkhole exposed 'much larger issue'

According to council, the sinkhole exposed "a much larger issue with critical Sydney Water infrastructure" underneath the road surface, but defiant residents argue that still doesn't explain the year-long wait.

"We've heard varying stories. One is that they couldn't get the piping and my question is how are they building Sydney Airport - they must have pipes for that," another local, Steve Percival said.

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Others claim they haven't seen any workers in the area "in weeks".

Now, a year later, it's blown out to occupy the entire road, impacting traffic flow and residents' ability to come and go. Source: A Current Affair.

In letters sent to Leonay residents over the last year, Penrith Council has explained what they say has contributed to the blow out. In January, it blamed "industry wide supply constraints" on a wait for the pipes required. In May, locals were told work was due to start and take eight to 12 weeks.

In July, council said that Sydney Water burst water main was the reason for further delays making the site unsafe, but said completion was due in September. Now the completion date has been set for February  but locals said they "have little faith in that".

"We just want it fixed. We just want it opened," Josephine Braw said.

"It's been so long now that I've started thinking about forming a class action for the extra kilometres on my vehicle because it's an extra kilometre every time in and every time out.

"Judging from what the ATO tell me, I can charge back to council and that's about $1700 which I'd like to see come off my rates."

Local Kelly Rossetto said the closed road has resulted in "incredible amounts of traffic". Source: A Current Affair.

Council responds

Penrith City Council said it "regrets" the time it's taken to repair the roadblock, saying there was "extensive damage" underground.

"The work to repair the sinkhole exposed a much larger issue with critical Sydney Water infrastructure that Council is required to protect while undertaking our own repairs. These works were not anticipated at the time and only came about as work commenced on repairing the sinkhole.

"Dependent on Sydney Water providing timely approval to the protection plans, it is anticipated that access will be reinstated for residents and users of River Road in February," the spokesperson said.

Responding, Sydney Water said it had "critical assets in the vicinity" that need protecting, saying it needed to approve all work.

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France has many things going for it. It's one of the world's most-visited countries, boasts a rich history and a mouth-watering food scene.

While the French have nailed many aspects of life, there may be one department requiring a little work according to people online or rather, one zoo.

Posting to Reddit, one confused wildlife enthusiast uploaded an image of a map of Australia taken at a French zoological park. The map, seemingly located outside an emu enclosure, shows where the native Aussie icons are located around the country.

'Strange' issue with French map of Australia

Aussies have mocked a French zoo's illustration of Australia online that claimed to show where emus are and are not found in the country. Source: Reddit.

The green part of the map details where emus are found, while the white, apparently shows where they are not  one small circle and one elongated oval in Western Australia's northwest. While the image seems simple enough, eagle-eyed Aussies have have been quick to respond, laughing at what they say is a "strange" lack of "fact finding"  and experts agree.

According to this detailed interactive, put together by researchers at the Atlas of Living Australia, the French map is wildly inaccurate, leaving people online puzzled.

Animal expert highlights flaw in French emu map

Tyler Lower, Mammals & Birds Keeper at the Australian Reptile Park agreed the map was "definitely oversimplified".

"As for why emus have a limited distribution within this area, it will mainly be due to the climate not being sufficient enough for them to stay there," Lower told Yahoo News Australia.

"Between the NT and WA border, it's an arid climate and most likely [an area where they are not found]," he said, pointing to a more accurate map, that can be found here.

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"Im guessing that the zoo just decided that your everyday Joe just isnt that bothered by the accuracy of those maps," one person hypothesised. "To be fair, few tourists would be willing to travel to whoop whoop to verify it themselves," joked a second.

A more accurate representation of emu populations. Source: Getty / Atlas of Living Australia.

"I dont blame 'em. I live in WA and Im not going there to check either," another said.

The French map doesn't quite represent the ares of Western Australia where you won't find emus while it also overlooks that there are no wild emus in Tasmania.

Where emus are found

According to the Australia Museum, the animals were once found in Tasmania, but were driven to extinction.

"The Emu is found only in Australia (naturally)," the museum states. "It lives throughout most of the continent, ranging from coastal regions to high in the Snowy Mountains. Emus were once found in Tasmania, but were exterminated soon after Europeans arrived.

"Two dwarf species of emus that lived on Kangaroo Island and King Island also became extinct."

Emus move within their range according to climatic conditions, the museum continued. "If sufficient food and water are present, birds will reside in one area," it said. "Where these resources are more variable, emus move as needed to find suitable conditions. They are known to move hundreds of kilometres, sometimes at rates of 15 km to 25 km per day."

In Australia there are between 625,000 to 725,000 wild emus. Though the map at the zoo, may not be entirely accurate, other facts, when translated, appear to be correct.

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On Tuesday, 2018 stocks advanced, 1701 declined and 135 remained unchanged, with an advance decline ratio of 1.19 on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), indicating negative closing of stocks in broader markets. The trend of the major indices on Tuesdays trading is given in the table below.

On NSE, 193 securities advanced and closed at a new 52-week high whereas 10 securities sank to close at their new 52-week lows. In sectoral indices, Nifty PSU Bank, Nifty IT and Nifty FMCG were among the biggest losers. Nifty Metal, Nifty Media and Nifty Pharma among the biggest gainers.

KEC International (-1.07%) has secured new orders of Rs1,005 crore across its various businesses.

RattanIndia Enterprises (+17.41%) 100% wholly owned subsidiary -- Neobrands has introduced its casual fashion brand, FYLTR's lightweight winter collection.

Rategain Travel Technologies (+0.08%) has completed a capital raise of Rs600 crore through a Qualified Institutional Placement.

Vascon Engineers (+2.95%) has received Letter of Intent (LoI) of Rs356.78 crore for construction of general hospital building in Pune.

Bank of Baroda (-1.04%) is planning to raise up to Rs15,000 crore via bonds to fund business growth.

Exide Industries (EIL) (+1.26% )has invested around Rs100 crore by way of subscription in the equity share capital of its wholly owned subsidiary, Exide Energy Solutions (EESL).

Rushil Decor (0.00%) has received IGBC Green Building certification for its new MDF board plant located at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC).

Infosys (+0.24%) has collaborated with Proximus, Belgiums leading digital services and communications solutions provider, to deliver an IT modernization and consolidation project.

Ballarpur Industries has raised Rs140.76 crore through the allotment of 14,076 7% Rated, Listed, Secured, Redeemable, Non-Convertible Debentures Series-II (NCDs).

Datamatics Global Services (+0.98%) has signed a contract with a US based company for Digital Experiences Business. The total client target spend over 5 years is estimated at $36 million.

Titagarh Rail Systems (+6.62%) and ABB have formed a strategic partnership for metro rolling stock projects in India.

Inox wind (-3.02%) insiders pledged 27,80,000 shares. Paisalo Digital (+1.71%) Promoter bought net 60,000 shares through open market. Linc (+5.25%) promoter bought net 5,000 shares through open market. Orient Bell (+0.53%) promoter bought net 2,000 shares through open market. Ethos (+0.13%) promoter sold net 100,201 shares through open market. Som Distilleries and Breweries (+1.61%) promoter bought net 10,000 shares through open market.

The top gainers and top losers of the major indices are given in the table below:

The closing values of the major Asian indices are given in the table below:
After hiring Sam Altman to lead Microsofts advanced artificail intelligence (AI) research, the companys chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) Satya Nadella has said that its still possible that Mr Altman could return to OpenAI in some capacity.

In an interview with CNBC, Nadella said that Microsoft wants Mr Altman and former OpenAI president Greg Brockman to have a fantastic home if theyre not going to be in OpenAI.

Asked whether Mr Altman would return to OpenAI, Nadella said: Thats for, you know, the OpenAI board and management and the employees to choose  (Microsoft) chose to explicitly partner with OpenAI (and) obviously that depends on the people at OpenAI staying there or coming to Microsoft, so Im open to both options.

It means that Mr Altmans move to Microsoft is still not a done deal yet, as more than 500 employees at OpenAI on Monday reportedly threatened to resign and join Microsoft.

OpenAI has nearly 770 employees.

Mr Altman and Mr Brockman are still willing to return to OpenAI if the remaining board members who fired him step aside, multiple sources told The Verge.

Mr Nadella said that Microsoft would want to see something change around the governance at OpenAI going forward, including around its investor relations. Microsoft, which has invested over US$10bn (billion) into OpenAI to date does not have a seat on OpenAI board.

Its clear something has to change around the governancewell have a good dialogue with their board on that, and walk through that as that evolves, Mr Nadella told CNBC.

On Monday, in a letter to OpenAI's board, more than 500 current OpenAI staffers said that "Microsoft has assured us that there are positions for all OpenAI employees at this new subsidiary should we choose to join."

OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, who reportedly led efforts to remove Mr Altman, said on X that he deeply regrets his participation in the board's actions.

"I never intended to harm OpenAI. I love everything we've built together and I will do everything I can to reunite the company," he noted.

The letter read that the process through which the board terminated Sam Altman and removed Greg Brockman from the board has 'undermined our mission and company'.

"Your conduct has made it clear you did not have the competence to oversee OpenAl. When we all unexpectedly learned of your decision, the leadership team of OpenAl acted swiftly to stabilise the company," said the letter.

Disclaimer: Information, facts or opinions expressed in this news article are presented as sourced from IANS and do not reflect views of Moneylife and hence Moneylife is not responsible or liable for the same. As a source and news provider, IANS is responsible for accuracy, completeness, suitability and validity of any information in this article.
Politicians posing with wildlife was once considered as safe a bet as kissing a baby, but a seemingly innocuous photo of a government minister and fluffy marsupial has drawn widespread ire online.

Sour comments began flooding across Twitter moments after Tanya Plibersek shared a selfie showing her posing with a koala under a caption reading No one wants to imagine a future without koalas. While that's a message most Aussies could get behind, the post inadvertently drew attention to Australia's crumbling biodiversity and the lack of strong laws to protect it.

A social media post by Tanya Plibersek featuring a koala photo has unexpectedly drawn ire on social media. Source: Twitter

What ecologists say about Plibersek's koala post

The purpose of Plibersek's koala post was to highlight the Albaneses $12.4 million cash injection for health projects which will help the animals receive care when disaster strikes.

That money is bound to be helpful as Australia readies itself for a predicted horror fire season which could threaten koala populations. During the Black Summer bushfires around 60,000 koalas were killed or impacted, and the species was subsequently listed as endangered in NSW, Queensland and ACT.

But several high-profile ecologists have seized upon the big-picture threats that are driving the "disasters" koalas increasingly face. They've taken to social media to retweet Plibersek's post with lines accusing the government of not doing enough to prevent habitat loss and climate change.

University of Melbourne senior research fellow Dr Yung En Chee likened the Commonwealth's approach to placing ambulances at the bottom of cliffs, and said governments dont appear interested in stopping habitat loss.

Deakin University ecologist Professor Euan Ritchie quipped that the government better build a BIG wildlife hospital because koala homes are continuing to be destroyed.

Discover more of our environment coverage. (Discover more of our environment coverage.)

What the government is doing to reform logging of wildlife habitat

Koala hospitals are just one of the new funding streams announced by the Albanese Labor government since it shot to power promising to reform environmental protections.

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The Commonwealth makes decisions on development proposals that will have significant impacts on species like koalas threatened with extinction. But many of the day-to-day decisions required for smaller projects are made by local councils, and wildlife advocates say these approvals accumulate to death by 1000 cuts for many species.

Another area of contention are Australias Regional Forest Agreements, which essentially prevent the Commonwealth from interfering in the states native forest logging operations.

A spokesperson for Minister Plibersek told Yahoo these laws are undergoing consultation and the government would welcome crossbench support to expedite strong new laws through parliament.

We know native forests are valuable for their carbon storage and native habitats including for endangered animals like koalas. Thats why our government has already announced that for the first time in Australian history Regional Forest Agreements will have to comply with our strong new environment laws, they said.

Discover more of our environment coverage. (Discover more of our environment coverage.)

That time Scott Morrison picked up a wombat

Its not the first time recently a politician has raised eyebrows after posing with a native animal. In 2020, after then Prime Minister Scott Morrison posed with a wombat at a Central Coast wildlife park during a new zoos funding announcement, many critics took to Facebook to accuse his government of not doing enough to protect animals in the wild.

In 2022, Scott Morrison's koala photo was repurposed by social media users to draw attention to a surge in wildlife road deaths. Source: Facebook/Getty

A 2022 post showing Morrison hugging a koala also drew unwanted attention from activists who repurposed his post to highlight a spike in koala road deaths across NSW. And there have since been calls to ban politicians from posing with captive native animals until Australia's extinction crisis is reversed.

Reflecting on Pliberseks post, Polly Hemming from independent think tank Australia Institute told Yahoo that reforms to Australias environment laws need to be sped up.

Minister Plibersek said there would be no new extinctions on her watch. But there seems to be far more effort going into the minister's social media and photo opportunities than any measures that would actually achieve this, she added.

Hemming believes the answer to protecting koalas is simple Stop doing the harm. Stop approving new coal mines. Stop subsiding gas expansion. Stop native forest logging. Stop making excuses, she said.

Wildlife photographer Nick Volpe also weighed in, writing to his 16,000 followers, *Rampant deforestation continuing in koala habitat.* Oh but a cute photo opportunity and a tiny drop of funding for a few urban koalas will help our current extinction crisis!, he said in a retweet.

Australia is the only first-world nation in the top 10 deforestation hotspots, he later told Yahoo, before adding We need to lead by example and properly fund conservation efforts in this country to protect our wildlife and environment.

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After putting up billboards and flying aeroplanes calling for votes for the puteketeke, his bird of choice stomped the competition. It received 290,000 votes which, as Oliver pointed out in his latest show, was three times more than the rest of the top ten birds combined.
SWNS

A camgirl says she makes 1k a day granting weird requests to men - and even gets her daughter involved. Char Borley, 41, has been in the sex industry since she was 18 - starting as a Playboy model before turning to OnlyFans and webcamming. She says being a camgirl is a 24/7 job - and she receives a lot of strange requests from punters, like breaking wind into the camera, laughing at them and calling them naughty boys. Even her daughter, Tia, 23, occasionally gets involved by humiliating Chars clients who ask for it - and is proud of her empowering mum. She estimated she makes 1k a day and has used it to put her daughter through private school and university, as well as buy a brand new Audi Q3 and business class holidays. A lot of Chars punters have watched her content for 16 years - and many have bought her expensive gifts, she says. One of them spent 18k on three holidays for her - all in the same month. While another spent 6k on a trip to Bali, and flew her out business class. They lavish her in designer handbags - spending, on average, 5k per bag - which she sells and donates to dog charities. Char, from Suffolk, said: Webcamming and streaming is so liberating for me - Ive done it most of my career. Its so convenient - you can do it from anywhere, work your own hours - its fun. Its given me so many different opportunities - I can provide for my family and give them everything I never had, Ive been able to send Tia to private school and put her through uni. Shes got her degree in computer science from the University of Essex - and she doesnt have any debts. Ive paid them all off. But the niches are very wide-ranging - Ive even had men as young as 18 and as old as 76 asking to call me mummy! Char realised at 16 she didnt want to follow a traditional career path, so she began modelling for school uniform catalogues part-time - and was bullied rotten for it in school. As soon as she hit 18, she began glamour modelling - and was quickly scouted by Playboy and Page Three. She said: It was freeing - I was really shy when I was at school, and I found modelling clothes very boring. Glamour modelling was very exciting and fun - it was entertainment for myself, I didnt just have to stand rigid while photographers were snapping pictures. Char switched from glamour modelling to webcamming in 2007 - and started receiving a mix of requests. I didnt want to just sit there and make it feel forced - I know how to talk to people, she added. Its important for fans to know youre a real person - and if they really want you, theyll pay the price. My highest-paying niche by far is mummy - one of my clients pays 6k out-of-pocket just for me to chat with him and treat him like a naughty boy. A lot of men really like to be told off. This one guy told me he was broadcasting our call on his TV screen - I told him he was bad, and he ripped the entire TV out of the wall just to please me. He said, I dont deserve the TV - Ill never do it again! A number of Chars fans ask to be humiliated - and often send her photos wearing womens lingerie. Tia often gets involved by sending voicenotes laughing at the photos and mocking the men - something she says was her idea originally. Tia said: I didnt really have reservations at first, it was just a thing that mum did. But wed sit together in the bedroom, watching TV sometimes while these photos were coming through and wed basically just laugh down the phone. I decided to join in because it is funny, its pathetic and its opened my eyes up to how men can be. If anything, Ive learnt a lot about how different the world can be by mum doing it. It was really easy to get involved because it just happened by accident. Most of the time, Ill laugh and just tell them how pathetic they are. But some fans requests have nothing to do with being dominated - with one repeatedly asking Char to eat cheese and onion sandwiches. She said: Farting is huge at the moment. Some guys like me to just sit there and eat a lot of cheese and onion sandwiches, in the hope itll make me windy. They love all of that stuff - its very voyeuristic, they like watching women doing un-womanly things. Theres also something called IgnoreCam - where theyll dial me, and Ill pick up as if I have no idea who they are. Ill say things along the lines of - what the f**k do you want? and just sit there, ignoring them. They really seem to get off on that. She often makes 50k a month with webcamming - but inflation has meant her salary has taken a dip - with her lowest earnings this year being 12k in one month. But the job can be demanding - and Char admits she rarely gets a break, having different alarms set up for seven different time zones. She said: I have to be available in the morning for my UK-based clients. Ill have a cup of tea in between calls, before going to bed at 12pm. At 3pm, I wake up - spend an hour on my hair and makeup, then at 4pm its time for the US shift. My fans know I have to get some sleep - but theyre spread out across the UK, US, Dubai and Australia. If I get a call at 3am, I know I probably need to answer it. Im not just someone they call to get them off - Im a therapist and a friend, too. Some of these men have been with me for 16 years - a lot of them talk to me about their life troubles. One guy even told me about his close relative, whod recently died. He didnt want me to do anything but sit, and look pretty, and listen. Its definitely not a parasocial relationship - yes its behind a screen, but theres a lot of care there.
In Ridley Scotts Napoleon, the emperor has no clothes but plenty of ego
Saipan Chamber of Commerce member Broc Calvo of Turnkey Solutions was the lucky raffle giveaway winner during SCCs 4th Quarter Networking Mixer at the Pacific Islands Club-Saipan's Seaside Grill on Nov. 16, 2023.
Alarmed local residents were forced to call in the cops after spotting long strands of hair poking out of the back of a car.

Worried that a crime had been committed, police contacted the car owner, Sophie Milne, 26, urging her to explain why her vehicle had been sighted with hair flowing from her boot as she drove around Christchurch in New Zealand.

She was initially confused by the enquiry but quickly joined the dots, explaining it was in fact 'Cher'  a mannequin head she frequently uses while training to become a hairdresser.

New Zealand police were called after locals spotted strands of hair coming from a car boot, which ended up being from a mannequin. Source: Stuff

It is believed she had thrown the mannequin into her car but the hair had got caught in the boot's door, leaving the ominous sight visible to people she drove past.

Driver embarrassed people were 'lying awake' in terror

Milne was reportedly embarrassed explaining the misunderstanding to police, while it can be assumed authorities were relieved nothing sinister had occurred.

The driver thought of all her neighbours who may have been disturbed by what they saw, considering many may have been "lying awake at night wondering if someone has a body in their boot

"There are probably people all around Christchurch that have seen it," she told Stuff.

She believes she last used her boot a week earlier, meaning the hair had been poking out from the boot for several days before she was notified of the reported concerns.

Local who flagged hair to police apologetic over misunderstanding

One of the locals who spotted the hair from Milne's boot said she had tried to flag the oblivious driver down, but she turned off the road without realising the local was trying to get her attention.

"We called the hotline and the operator said they would put a call out to the local police to keep an eye out for your car. Im so sorry to cause you embarrassment, but holy hell Im relieved," she admitted.

Story continues

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Nearly 1,000 Rohingya refugees arrive by boat in Indonesias Aceh region in one week

Nearly 1,000 Rohingya refugees arrive by boat in Indonesias Aceh region in one week View Photo

LHOKSEUMAWE, Indonesia (AP)  Almost 1,000 Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar have arrived by boat in Indonesias northernmost province of Aceh in the last six days, officials said Monday.

They included five groups with women and children who were afloat for days. One batch of more than 240 people was twice denied landing by residents in Aceh Utara district, sparking concerns from human rights organizations. The group finally disembarked in Bireuen district on Sunday morning.

We thank the authorities and local communities who have received and granted landing permits for them and in the future we hope that this spirit of solidarity and humanity will continue to be extended to refugees who need assistance and protection, the the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said in a statement.

The refugees arriving in Aceh had endured a difficult sea journey. Most of them left refugee camps in Bangladesh, where more than 700,000 had fled following a crackdown by Myanmars army in August 2017. Myanmar security forces have been accused of mass rape, killings and the burning of thousands of Rohingya homes.

Most of the refugees have attempted to reach Malaysia, but many have ended up in Indonesia along the way.

The thwarted landing of hundreds of Rohingya refugees is a big step back for Indonesia, where communities have previously shown generosity and humanity towards those seeking safety after perilous boat journeys, said Usman Hamid, executive director for Amnesty International Indonesia.

Indonesias Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention, and does not have the obligation or capacity to accommodate refugees.

Accommodation has been provided solely for humanitarian reasons. Ironically, many countries party to the convention actually closed their doors and even implemented a pushback policy toward the refugees, Lalu Muhamad Iqbal, the ministrys spokesperson, said in a statement.

He said that Indonesias kindness in providing a temporary shelter has been widely exploited by people-smugglers who seek financial gain without caring about the risks faced by refugees, especially vulnerable groups such as women and children.

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Tarigan reported from Jakarta, Indonesia.

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Follow APs global migration coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/migration

By RAHMAT MIRZA and EDNA TARIGAN

Associated Press
North Korea says it put a military spy satellite into orbit on third try

North Korea says it put a military spy satellite into orbit on third try View Photo

SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  North Korea said it placed a spy satellite into orbit with its third launch attempt this year, demonstrating the nations determination to build a space-based surveillance system during protracted tensions with the United States.

The Norths claim Wednesday could not immediately independently be confirmed. Observers doubt whether the satellite is advanced enough to perform military reconnaissance. But the launch still invited strong condemnation from the United States and its partners because the U.N. bans North Korea from conducting satellite launches, calling them covers for tests of missile technology.

The Norths space agency said that its new Chollima-1 carrier rocket accurately placed the Malligyong-1 satellite into orbit on Tuesday night, about 12 minutes after liftoff from the countrys main launch center.

The National Aerospace Technology Administration called the launch a legitimate right of North Korea to bolster its self-defense capabilities. It said the spy satellite would help improve the Norths war preparedness in the face of the enemies dangerous military moves.

The agency said leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch at the scene and congratulated scientists and others involved. It said North Korea will launch several more spy satellites to better monitor South Korea and other areas.

U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said Washington strongly condemned North Korea for the launch, saying it raises tensions and risks destabilizing the security situation in the region and beyond. She said the launch involved technologies that are directly related to North Koreas intercontinental ballistic missile program.

South Korea said the launch would push it to suspend a 2018 inter-Korean tension-reduction agreement and resume frontline aerial surveillance of North Korea. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called the launch a serious threat that affects the safety of the people and said Japan lodged a protest with North Korea condemning the launch in strongest terms.

According to South Korean and Japanese assessments, the rocket carrying the satellite flew from the Korean Peninsulas west coast and over the Japanese island of Okinawa toward the Pacific Ocean. The Japanese government briefly issued a J-Alert missile warning for Okinawa, urging residents to take shelter.

A spy satellite is among the key military assets coveted by Kim, who wants to modernize his weapons systems to cope with what he calls escalating U.S.-led threats. North Koreas attempted launches earlier this year ended in failure due to technical issues.

North Korea had vowed a third launch would take place in October. South Korean officials have said the delay until now occurred likely because North Korea was receiving Russian technological assistance for its spy satellite launch program.

North Korea and Russia, both U.S. adversaries that are increasingly isolated globally, have been pushing hard to expand their relationships in recent months. In September, Kim traveled to Russias Far East to meet President Vladimir Putin and visit key military sites, touching off intense speculation of a weapons deal.

The alleged deal involves North Korea supplying conventional arms to refill Russias ammunition stock drained in its war with Ukraine. In return, foreign governments and experts say that North Korea seeks Russian help in enhancing its nuclear and other military programs.

During Kims Russia visit, Putin told state media that his country would help North Korea build satellites, saying Kim shows keen interest in rocket technology.

Russia and North Korea dismissed the allegation of their arms transfer deal as groundless. Such a deal would violate U.N. bans on any weapons trading involving North Korea.

Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said Tuesdays launch raises more questions than answers, such as whether the North Korean satellite actually performs reconnaissance functions and whether Russia provided technical and even material assistance.

What is already clear is that this is not a one-off event but part of a North Korean strategy of prioritizing military capabilities over economic development, threatening rather than reconciling with South Korea, and further aligning with Russia and China instead of pursuing diplomacy with the United States, Easley said.

Since last year, North Korea conducted about 100 ballistic missile tests in a bid to establish a reliable arsenal of nuclear weapons targeting the U.S. and its allies. Many foreign experts say North Korea has some last remaining technologies to master to acquire functioning nuclear missiles.

But the experts say that possessing a rocket that can place a satellite into orbit would mean North Korea can build a missile capable of carrying a warhead with a similar size of the satellite.

In written responses to questions from The Associated Press last week, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said the Norths successful launch of a reconnaissance satellite would signify that North Koreas ICBM capabilities have been taken to a higher level.

Yoon, currently on a state visit to the U.K., convened an emergency security council meeting during which officials decided to push for suspension of the 2018 deal. South Korean Defense Minister Shin Wonsik ordered the military to brace for a possibility that North Korea might use the deals suspension as a pretext to launch provocations.

Japans coast guard said earlier Tuesday that North Korea had told Tokyo that it would launch a satellite sometime between Wednesday and Nov. 30. Japans chief cabinet secretary, Hirokazu Matsuno, criticized North Korea for conducting the launch before its window started.

North Korea is under 11 rounds of U.N. sanctions over its past nuclear and missile tests. But its unlikely for the North to be hit with fresh sanctions over Tuesdays launch. Russia and China have already stymied any U.N. Security Council response over the Norths recent series of launch activities.

In June, Kims sister and senior ruling party official, Kim Yo Jong, called the Security Council a political appendage of the United States. She slammed the council for allegedly being discriminative and rude, saying it only takes issue with the Norths satellite launches while thousands of satellites launched by other countries are already operating.

The Norths two previous satellite launches in May and August involved the same rocket and satellite used in Tuesdays launch.

In the first attempt, the North Korean rocket carrying the satellite crashed into the ocean soon after liftoff. North Korean authorities said the rocket lost thrust after the separation of its first and second stages. After the second attempt, North Korea said there was an error in the emergency blasting system during the third-stage flight.

South Korea retrieved debris from the first launch and called the satellite too crude to perform military reconnaissance.

Some civilian experts said North Koreas Malligyong-1 satellite is likely capable of only detecting big targets like warships or planes. But by operating several such satellites, North Korea could still observe South Korea at all times, they said.

Kim is eager to introduce other sophisticated weapons such as more mobile ICBMs, nuclear-powered submarines and multi-warhead missiles. Observers say Kim would ultimately want to use an enlarged weapons arsenal to wrest greater U.S. concessions like sanctions relief when diplomacy resumes.

In response, the U.S. and South Korea have been expanding their regular military exercises and increasing the temporary deployments of powerful U.S. military assets in South Korea. On Tuesday, the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier and its battle group arrived at a South Korean port in a fresh demonstration of strength against North Korea.

___

Yamaguchi reported from Tokyo.

By HYUNG-JIN KIM and MARI YAMAGUCHI

Associated Press
Queen Camilla praises the role of journalists in society at Foreign Press Associations awards event View Photo

LONDON (AP)  Britains Queen Camilla, not always known for having an easy time with reporters, stepped into the lions den on Monday, praising the role of journalists in society as she delivered the keynote address at the Foreign Press Associations annual awards ceremony in London.

She shouldnt have worried much. King Charles IIIs consort was mobbed as she arrived for the event. London-based foreign correspondents surrounded her as she mingled with the finalists. With cellphones raised over their heads, glasses of Campari swishing, they jostled for a better view and a chance for a chat.

Camilla, who was criticized by Britains tabloids during the breakdown of Charles first marriage, praised the work of foreign correspondents, particularly in the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

She won laughter and appreciation when she took a self-deprecating swipe at herself.

There are journalists in my family, and I have even been the subject of one or two stories myself over the years, she said. I have also had the opportunity to visit a significant number of newsrooms and have seen how tough your work is. Particularly, if I dare say so, for women, who, despite the many hurdles they have faced, have been among the bravest reporters of all.

The FPA is the oldest and largest association of foreign correspondents in the world. It was founded in 1888 by foreign journalists who came to London to cover the case of Jack the Ripper.

Camilla was made an honorary member of the association, following in the footsteps of the king.

There are not many associations who can show off that they have two crowned kings and queens as their honorary members, FPA director Deborah Bonetti said as she presented the honor.

By DANICA KIRKA

Associated Press
Deliveroo riders arent entitled to collective bargaining rights, UK court says View Photo

LONDON (AP)  Britains top court said Tuesday that riders for one of the countrys biggest meal delivery companies dont have collective bargaining rights because they arent employees, a setback for gig economy workers who are pushing for better pay and working conditions.

The Supreme Courts ruling came in a case filed by the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain, which had sought to organize the people who deliver takeout meals for Deliveroo, a rival of companies like Uber Eats and Just Eat. After Deliveroo refused to negotiate, the union appealed, arguing that the company was violating rights guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights.

But the court ruled that the right to collective bargaining applies only when there is an employment relationship between the workers and the company. Deliveroo riders arent employees because their contract gives them the virtually unfettered right to pass deliveries on to a substitute, the court said.

The decision is the latest in a series of U.K. court decisions that are defining labor rights in the gig economy, where companies have sought to define workers as independent contractors with few of the job protections or benefits of traditional employees. While some workers enjoy the flexibility this offers, others say they are forced to work long hours just to make ends meet, with insecure employment making it difficult to plan for the future.

In a landmark ruling in February 2021, the Supreme Court ruled that Uber drivers were not independent contractors under U.K. law because the company controlled how they provided their services. Tuesdays ruling in the Deliveroo stalls the expansion of worker rights, at least for now.

The ruling is a very significant win for Deliveroo, said Nick Hawkins, a partner at the U.K. law firm Knights.

This will be a ruling that other gig economy business will have been watching closely, with no doubt some checking for the existence of substitution clauses in their contracts, Hawkins said.

Deliveroo welcomed the decision, saying it confirmed lower court rulings that the companys riders are self-employed.

This is a positive judgment for Deliveroo riders, who value the flexibility that self-employed work offers, the company said in a statement.

The union called the ruling a disappointment.

Flexibility, including the option for account substitution, is no reason to strip workers of basic entitlements like fair pay and collective bargaining rights, the union said. This dangerous false dichotomy between rights and flexibility is one that Deliveroo and other gig economy giants rely heavily upon in efforts to legitimize their exploitative business models.

But attorneys like Shireen Shaikh, employment senior counsel at the law firm Taylor Wessing, said it would have been surprising if the court had reached a different conclusion. That said, she pointed out that since the litigation began, Deliveroo had reached a voluntary agreement with the GMB union that offers a mechanism for negotiating pay and other conditions outside the statutory framework we associate with employees and workers.

This demonstrates how the legal question of status is sometimes becoming distinct from the question of which rights to afford to gig workers, not least from a reputational  perspective, she said in statement.

By DANICA KIRKA

Associated Press
Woolworths has been accused of selling quarter-sized vegetables for the price of halves, with one furious shopper branding a piece of cauliflower he was sold as "laughable".

We've been hearing about it for years, but it seems Aussies across the country are still facing "shrinkflation" at Coles and Woolworths  and they're taking to social media to prove the phenomenon isn't just in their imagination.

One Woolworths customer from Brisbane took to social media this week to upload images of a cauliflower piece that he claims was sold to him as a "half". In the images, the man compares the vegetable next to a box of matches in an attempt to prove its size.

Queensland man takes aim at supermarket giant

A man has claimed he was sold a quarter cauliflower for the price of a half. Source: Facebook.

"Apparently this is what now qualifies as half a cauliflower at Woolworths," the frustrated shopper said. "The thievery just gets more laughable. Young produce bloke couldn't understand why I reckoned it was a quarter  they're all like that.

"I tried to debate them, but to no avail, they couldn't understand what I was on about. That's how they now come after they 'trim and prepare them'".

The Queenslander described the piece as "laughable". Source: Facebook.

While some people hypothesised that perhaps, the wrong sticker was placed onto the vegetable in this example, others online said they'd noticed similar product sizes in stores too.

Woolworths employee responds

An employee of Woolworths also weighed in on the debate, and tried to divert blame from floor staff, who they say "have no control of the sizes".

A half piece of cauliflower sells for $1.45. Source: Woolworths.

"Each store is delivered the cauliflowers so staff have absolutely no say in what is delivered," the woman argued. "No matter the size or shape they are still required to provide customers with whole, half and quarter.

Story continues

"It amazes me how much control people think staff have control over whats provided! It wouldnt matter if they came in square shapes, we are still required to cut them."

Australia's biggest retailers  including both Woolworths and Coles  have attracted criticism this year over their soaring product prices, while each business records billion-dollar profits, with shoppers from all over the country airing their grievances online.

In response to Yahoo's enquiry, a Woolworths spokesperson said the company encourages shoppers to return unsuitable products to their local store or contact the Customer Hub for a refund or replacement.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Senator Mitch McConnell View Photo

U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered remarks on the Senate floor regarding the southern border crisis.

McConnell was Tuesdays KVML Newsmaker of the Day. Here are his words:

It is impossible to ignore the crisis at our southern border thats erupted on Washington Democrats watch:

Back-to-back record-setting years that saw millions upon millions of illegal arrivals at the border. And historic quantities of fentanyl and other lethal drugs pouring across to decimate American communities.

Lets remember where this crisis came from.

President Biden campaigned on open-borders policies. His message was so compelling that crowds literally showed up at the southern border with his campaign logo on their shirts. As one put it back then, the President had, promised us that everything was going to change.

Vice President Harris hit the campaign trail with a refrain of her own. She said Say it loud, say it clear, everyone is welcome here. And she called the previous administrations common-sense border security measures, criminalizing innocent people.

Well Mr. President, this is the Administration that canceled commonsense policies like Remain in Mexico, shelved DHS resources meant for border wall construction, and abandoned overstretched border enforcement personnel to contend with a tidal wave of mass migration.

Today, cleaning up this Administrations mess at the southern border is matter of urgent national security.

And Im grateful to the group of Senate Republicans including Senator Lankford, Senator Graham, and Senator Cotton who have been working in good faith on substantive policy reforms to bring the crisis under control.

The goal here is simple: Slow the flow; and stop the catch-and-release asylum system thats overrunning border communities and blue cities, alike.

This crisis isnt crying out for boatloads of new taxpayer dollars. Just commonsense policy reform.

Unfortunately, Senate Democrats do not appear ready to admit this reality. Theyre apparently not ready to seriously address asylum abuse. And thats a stance that puts them out of step with even left-leaning governments across the Western world.

For example, Germany, which is struggling with an asylum case load costing roughly $53 billion dollars, is exploring trusted third country policies to keep asylum seekers outside its borders while their cases are adjudicated.

Finland is considering closing some crossing points along its borders as Russia weaponizes migrant flows against the West.

Responsible people everywhere recognize that enforcing sovereign borders isnt some hand-wringing moral outrage. In fact, whats outrageous is refusing to do so!

The American people deserve safe streets, stable prices, and secure borders. These are the fundamental responsibilities of any government. But on all counts, the Biden Administration is failing to deliver.

The Newsmaker of the Day is heard every weekday morning at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45 on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML.
Cal Fire and Tuolumne County Fire Dept. trucks View Photo

Twain Harte, CA  One person was able to escape the flames of a house fire in the Twain Harte area of Tuolumne County, but the family pet was not as lucky.

CAL Fire named it the Shepherd Fire. It ignited around 4:30 p.m. on Monday in the 17800 block of Shepherd Drive. When firefighters arrived, flames were shooting out of the attic of a single-story home.

One person inside the house who escaped from the burning structure was flown to a valley hospital as a precaution for medical evaluation. CAL Fire detailed, The fire was confined to a single room and brought under control at 5:10 p.m. Two residents were displaced, and the family dog was found dead inside the home. The American Red Cross is assisting the two displaced residents.

What ignited the fire is under investigation. Resources assisting in battling the blaze included the Tuolumne County Fire Department, Twain Harte Fire, Mi Wuk Sugar Pine Fire Protection District, and PG&E.
PINNACLE, N.C. (AP)  Wildfires have prompted campgrounds in North Carolina and Tennessee to evacuate starting Sunday while firefighters prepared for high winds and low humidity on Monday, though officials hoped for some help from expected rain.

The National Weather Services office in Morristown, Tennessee, office issued a red flag warning into Tuesday in the East Tennessee mountains and southwest North Carolina, with winds between 25 and 50 mph Monday afternoon, increasing to 40 to 70 mph on Monday night with 80 mph gusts possible in some places.

In North Carolina, a youth camp and about a dozen homes were evacuated Sunday evening as the fire spread in the Sauratown Mountains in Stokes County, said Jimmy Holt, a ranger with the N.C. Forest Service, on Monday. About 50 children were safely evacuated from the Mountain Top Youth Camp and residents of about 12 threatened homes were advised to evacuate as the fire spread, Holt said. No injuries or damage to structures have been reported.

By Monday, the fire that was first reported Saturday evening had spread to 300 acres (121 hectares) with little containment and at least a hundred people are involved in fighting the blaze, including firefighters from Washington, Oregon, Utah and Montana, who are used to this type of ground, Holt said.

They are some of the best firefighters in the country that we have right here right now, he said.

Rain forecast for Tuesday could help contain the fire.

Its going to be a challenge today, Holt said. Yesterday was a very, very tough day we had on the mountain and today is going to be another tough day.

Firefighters on the Cherokee National Forest, which spans 10 counties along the Tennessee border, are securing containment lines on existing fires before the wind event, the U.S. Forest Service said in a news release.

In Tennessee, authorities also ordered an evacuation at a campground on Whitwell Mountain as a wildfire stemming from an escaped campfire spread, Marion County Emergency Management Director Steve Lamb told news outlets.

Its a challenging terrain; its hard to access the areas where the fire is, Lamb said. Were just having to work it out as we can; it will be some time.

About 20 acres (8 hectares) had burned, Lamb said on Monday and the Whitwell Police Department said in a statement on social media that a helicopter was being used in an effort to help contain and extinguish the blaze.

The red flag warning also led officials at the Great Smoky Mountain National Park to announce it would close campgrounds and most roads on Monday as a precaution to protect visitors, employees and park resources.

Employee and visitor safety is our only priority, said Cassius Cash, a superintendent. We understand these closures are an inconvenience, but we are trying to eliminate as much risk as possible during this dangerous weather event.

The park said it would issue an update on Tuesday about the status of its campgrounds and roads.

In southern West Virginia, a 2,200-acre (890-hectare) wildfire in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve was fully contained Monday, the National Park Service said. The cause of the fire, which has burned since Nov. 6, remains under investigation.
Deep sea explorer Don Walsh, part of 2-man crew to first reach deepest point of ocean, dies at 92

Deep sea explorer Don Walsh, part of 2-man crew to first reach deepest point of ocean, dies at 92 View Photo

Retired Navy Capt. Don Walsh, an explorer who in 1960 was part of a two-man crew that made the first voyage to the deepest part of the ocean  to the snuff-colored ooze at the bottom of the Pacifics Mariana Trench  has died. He was 92.

Walsh died Nov. 12 at his home in Myrtle Point, Oregon, his daughter, Elizabeth Walsh, said Monday.

In January 1960, Walsh, then a U.S. Navy lieutenant, and Swiss engineer Jacques Piccard were sealed inside a 150-ton, steel-hulled bathyscaphe named the Trieste to attempt to dive nearly 7 miles (11 kilometers) below the surface. A bathyscaphe is a self-propelled submersible used in deep-sea dives.

The two men descended to 35,800 feet (11,000 meters) in the Challenger Deep, the deepest point of the Earths oceans, part of the Mariana Trench, about 200 miles (320 kilometers) off Guam in the Pacific.

After a descent of about five hours, the steel-hulled submersible touched down on what the log described as the snuff-colored ooze of silt stewed up by the ship reaching the bottom.

When they reached the seafloor, the two men shook hands.

I knew we were making history, Walsh told The World newspaper of Coos Bay, Oregon, in 2010. It was a special day.

After spending 20 minutes on the floor and confirming there was life there when a fish swam by, they began their 3 1/2-hour ascent.

We were astounded to find higher marine life forms down there at all, Piccard said before his death in 2008.

Piccard designed the ship with his father, and they sold it to the U.S. Navy in 1958. Walsh was temporarily serving in San Diego when Piccard requested volunteers to operate the vehicle. Walsh stepped forward.

There was an opportunity to pioneer, Walsh told The World. I wasnt sure what I was going to be doing, but I knew Id be at sea. It wasnt until later they told us what they had in store.

Walsh was born Nov. 2, 1931, in Berkeley, California. He joined the Navy at age 17, and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy. He earned a masters degree and a doctorate in oceanography from Texas A&M.

He served in the Navy for 24 years, retiring with the rank of captain and serving on various submarines. He then became a professor at the University of Southern California before opening his own marine consulting business in 1976.

In 2010 he received the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award and served on many boards, including as a policy adviser to the U.S. State Department.

Walsh was a Navy officer, a submariner, an adventurer, and an oceanographer. To his family, we extend our deepest condolences and gratitude for allowing him to explore, and share his extraordinary experiences and knowledge with us, Chief of Naval Research Rear Adm. Kurt Rothenhaus said in a Navy press release.

Walsh traveled the world, including many trips to Antarctica, where the Walsh Spur pointed rock is named in his honor.

His daughter said one of the earliest lessons she and her brother Kelly learned from their parents is that the world is not a scary place  a lesson that was reinforced because their parents always came home after their various travels.

He encouraged them to venture out, as well.

Dont be scared of it and go have adventures and learn things and meet people, she recalled him teaching. Hes certainly instilled an enthusiastic curiosity about the world in Kelly and I, and thats a tremendous gift.

In 2020, Kelly Walsh made his own journey to the bottom of the Challenger Deep in a vessel owned and piloted by Dallas explorer Victor Vescovo.

An extraordinary explorer, oceanographer, and human being. Im so honored I could call him my friend, Vescovo posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, the day after Don Walshs death.

In addition to his children, Walsh is also survived by his wife of 61 years, Joan.

___

Thiessen reported from Anchorage, Alaska.

By MARK THIESSEN

Associated Press
Texas attorney accused of smuggling drug-laced papers to inmates in county jail View Photo

HOUSTON (AP)  A Texas attorney has been accused of using work-related visits to a county jail to smuggle in legal paperwork laced with ecstasy and synthetic marijuana to inmates over the past several months, authorities announced Monday.

Ronald Lewis, 77, was arrested on Friday after arriving at the Harris County Jail in Houston to visit an inmate, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said at a news conference.

During his arrest, Lewis had 11 sheets of paper believed to be laced with narcotics, according to authorities.

Lewis has been charged with two counts of bringing a prohibited substance into a correctional facility. He is free after posting bonds totaling $15,000. An attorney for Lewis did not immediately return a call seeking comment on Monday. Records with the State Bar of Texas show that Lewis has been a licensed attorney since 1982.

His arrest came after a monthslong investigation by the jail-based Criminal Investigations and Security Division, a new unit created earlier this year to probe an increase in drug overdoses at what is the largest county jail in Texas, Gonzalez said.

In June, following two inmate deaths that were possibly drug-related, the new unit began investigating information that illegal narcotics were being smuggled into the jail in paperwork that was sprayed or dipped with a chemical compound, said sheriffs office Lt. Jay Wheeler.

Investigators received tips that led them to Lewis.

Authorities allege that from July until this month, Lewis visited 14 inmates at the jail and he provided them with sheets of drug-laced papers, which were disguised as legal mail or other legal documents, Wheeler said.

Lewis was paid from $250 to $500 per transaction to smuggle in the papers, authorities said.

During the investigation, approximately 154 sheets of paper believed to be laced with narcotics were confiscated, Wheeler said.

Were currently working with the Texas Rangers to determine if any of the narcotics introduced in the jail by Mr. Lewis contributed to the death of any inmate, Wheeler said.

Other attorneys are also suspected of smuggling drug-laced paperwork into the jail but we dont think its actually widespread, Gonzalez said.

Theres incredible attorneys out there that uphold their oaths and work very hard to take care of their clients and make sure that theyre representing them effectively, Gonzalez said. Theres always going to be those that choose illegal ways of doing things  and if they are, it doesnt matter who they are. Were going to make sure we investigate it fully and hold them accountable.

Gonzalez said the county jail is like others around the country that have seen an increase in overdoses. The county jail has had at least 18 inmate deaths this year, some of them believed to be drug-related.

To restrict the flow of illegal drugs into the jail, the sheriffs office is transitioning to a new system that will digitize inmate documents, including legal paperwork and letters.

Were going to continue to raise the bar and do everything we can to make sure that were keeping a safe facility, as safe as possible, Gonzalez said.

___

Follow Juan A. Lozano on X, formerly Twitter: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70

By JUAN A. LOZANO

Associated Press
Federal judge grants injunction banning Kansas Two-Step Highway Patrol tactic View Photo

The Kansas Highway Patrol must stop using a tactic known as the Kansas Two-Step to detain out-of-state drivers long enough to find a reason to search their vehicles for illegal drugs, a federal judge has ruled.

U.S. District Judge Kathryn H. Vratil on Monday granted a permanent injunction. The injunction was not unexpected. It follows Vratils ruling in July that determined that the tactic violated drivers constitutional rights against unreasonable searches.

KHP spokeswoman Candice Breshears said the order is being reviewed by the state attorney generals office and declined further comment. A message left Tuesday with the office of Attorney General Kris Kobach was not immediately returned.

The injunction has several requirements, including cameras and audio for all marked and unmarked patrol cars. It also says troopers must inform drivers that they can refuse or revoke consent for a search at any time. The injunction also requires better training and documentation.

With the Two-Step, troopers finish the initial traffic stop, issuing a ticket or a warning, and start to walk away, then turn back to talk more to the driver. That allows them to keep looking for grounds for a vehicle search or to buy time for drug-sniffing dogs to arrive.

The American Civil Liberties Union sued on behalf of three drivers and two passengers traveling in 2017, 2018 and 2019 from neighboring Colorado, which has legalized recreational marijuana use. The judge concluded that the patrol targeted drivers traveling along Interstate 70 to or from states that have legalized either the medical or recreational use of marijuana. Kansas has authorized neither.

The Kansas Highway Patrol is not above the law, Sharon Brett, legal director for the ACLU of Kansas, said in a statement Tuesday. While KHP made various attempts to side-step accountability for its practices and put off this injunction, the Constitution has prevailed.

The patrol previously defended its tactics as a response to I-70 serving as a major corridor for drug traffickers. But Vratil said in the July ruling that the patrol waged war on motorists.

The war is basically a question of numbers: stop enough cars, and youre bound to discover drugs. And whats the harm if a few constitutional rights are trampled along the way? she wrote.

Questions about the patrols tactics became more visible after Colorado legalized recreational marijuana almost a decade ago. Missouri did the same in 2022, and Oklahoma allows the medical use of marijuana. Only a handful of states dont allow at least medical use.

By JIM SALTER

Associated Press
Rosalynn Carters advocacy for mental health was rooted in compassion and perseverance View Photo

CONCORD, N.H. (AP)  The sun was shining in June 1979 as Rosalynn Carter made her way through an enthusiastic crowd in Laconia, New Hampshire.

She shook my hand! yelled one delighted participant.

The first lady was in the state for her husbands reelection campaign, but this was no political rally. Instead, she was at a sprawling 75-year-old institution founded for feebleminded children that the U.S. Justice Department had deemed a classic example of warehousing. She was joined by Gov. Hugh Gallen, a kindred spirit who had been pushing to correct the deplorable conditions there and at the states psychiatric hospital.

Going to a place like the Laconia State School and talking not to voters but to people dealing with a very acute issue  well, it doesnt happen very often. It didnt then, and it certainly doesnt at all now, recalled Dayton Duncan, who was there as Gallens press secretary.

She could have just given a good speech about what the administration was hoping to do and left it at that, Duncan said. But the fact that she would go to the Laconia State School and meet with the people who work there, the children who were warehoused there and the parents, was special.

After leaving the White House, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter launched programs that have, among other things, monitored elections in at least 113 countries and nearly eradicated the Guinea worm parasite in the developing world. But the former president has said that The Carter Center would have been a success had it accomplished nothing but his wifes mental health work.

Thats according to Kathy Cade, vice chair of Atlanta-based center and a longtime aide to Rosalynn Carter, and others who know the couple. They spoke to The Associated Press in the months leading up to Rosalynn Carters death Sunday at age 96.

I do not think there has ever been another sort of leader in the mental health field who has had as much of an impact on mental health care and access to care and how we think about mental health and mental illness as Mrs. Carter, Cade said. And I think it has to do with her incredible concern about the issue and her perseverance for more than 50 years.

What evolved into a lifelong crusade began during Carters 1966 gubernatorial campaign in Georgia. Almost daily, Rosalynn was approached by voters distressed about loved ones housed at an overcrowded psychiatric hospital. Early one morning, she spoke to a weary cotton mill worker who explained that she and her husband worked opposite shifts to care for their mentally ill daughter.

The image of the woman haunted me all day, Rosalynn Carter wrote in her 2010 book, Within Our Reach: Ending the Mental Health Crisis. That night, she went to her husbands campaign rally and waited in line to shake his hand.

I came to see what you are going to do to help people with mental illness when you are governor, she told the surprised candidate.

Jimmy Carter responded by creating a state commission to improve services for those with mental illness. Then, as president, he created a national commission on mental health, which led to the passage of the Mental Health Systems Act of 1980, a major revamping of federal policy that sought to treat people with mental illness in their communities.

Rosalynn Carter was that commissions honorary co-chair and a driving force behind the legislation, traveling around the country to hear from experts and everyday citizens alike and sharing her findings with Congress. Though it was effectively repealed during the Reagan administration, advocates say it created a framework for much of the progress since then.

At The Carter Center, she created a program devoted solely to mental health in 1991 and eventually established fellowships for journalists who cover the topic. Years later, she lobbied Congress to create a landmark law requiring insurers to provide equality in mental health coverage.

Those who worked with her over the decades say Carters accomplishments were rooted in her compassion and listening skills.

Her power comes from her heart, said Cynthia Wainscott, a former board chair of Mental Health America, a national nonprofit organization. Shes very, very, very kind, and she listens to people. When youre talking to her, there can be three conversations going on around you, but you know shes keyed on you, and she hears you.

She also was an effective and inspiring mobilizer with sharp instincts, Wainscott said.

Preparing for an annual mental health symposium, Carter once suggested contacting a pollster to refine a key message: that 20% of Americans will have a psychiatric disorder in any given year. The pollster conducted focus groups and found that people didnt believe the statistic, but if it was restated as one in five Americans instead, they did.

When you hear 20%, you have to visualize 100 people and 20 of them are sick, and its complex and impersonal. If you say one in five, people think about their workplace, their school, their neighborhood, said Wainscott, who also led the National Mental Health Association of Georgia.

If she hadnt been in that room, none of us would have thought of asking a pollster to tell us how to phrase it, she said. It was brilliant.

Journalist Bill Lichtenstein considered Rosalynn Carter the patron saint of all who are dealing with mental health or behavioral issues.

Lichtenstein, who runs a media production company in Boston, was an investigative reporter for ABC News when he fell ill with manic depression in 1986. He went on to produce award-winning programs on recovery from mental illness, but he still remembers feeling shunned when he disclosed his own struggles. Carters desire to reduce such stigma is at the heart of her accomplishments, he said.

At the end of the day, whether its talking about more money for research or people with a mental health history being on a level playing field when it comes to employment or renting an apartment, the thing thats the most insidious, difficult obstacle to all of it is stigma, he said.

Lichtenstein serves on the board of advisers for The Carter Centers mental health journalism fellowship program, which has provided support to more than 220 journalists from the U.S. and six other countries over the years.

Marion Scher, a freelance journalist and author in South Africa, was awarded a fellowship in 2005. Her first article, headlined When is it more than just a bad day? was published in a mens health magazine along with the phone number for a mental health organization. The response, in a country where stigma remains strong, was massive, she said.

The phone was ringing off the hook for three weeks, she said. They had to bring in extra counselors to man the phones.

Scher now offers mental health journalism fellowships in South Africa, using local sponsorships. That kind of multiplier effect illustrates the impact of The Carter Center fellowships, and it wouldnt have happened without her tenacity, Cade said.

Carter was a woman of action  unsatisfied with just bringing together experts for discussions, she brainstormed ways to change policy by changing attitudes, Cade said, recalling how shed sit with her advisers and say What can we do? What else could we be doing?

___

Associated Press reporter Holly Ramer received a 2017-18 Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism.

By HOLLY RAMER

Associated Press
Cyprus president says his country is ready to ship aid to Gaza once a go-ahead is given

Cyprus president says his country is ready to ship aid to Gaza once a go-ahead is given View Photo

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP)  Cyprus is ready to immediately begin shipping large quantities of humanitarian aid to Gaza in vessels that can navigate shallow water once conditions on the ground allow for it, the president of the east Mediterranean island nation said Monday.

President Nikos Christodoulides said his countrys proposal for a maritime corridor from the Cyprus port of Larnaca to Gaza is the only one currently being discussed on an international level as a feasible way to significantly supplement the trickle of aid getting into the enclave through Egypts Rafah border checkpoint.

Planning for the corridor of about 230 miles (370 kilometers) is essentially completed, and aid can begin to flow when a pause in fighting is declared, Christodoulides said.

The Cypriot leader, who has been in regular contact with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the proposal, said that getting a green light to start the shipments is a complicated matter requiring intricate negotiations in light of the ongoing Israeli military operations in Gaza.

Everyone supports this initiative, the European Union, the United States, Christodoulides told The Associated Press in an interview. When we say that were a bridge to the region, were showing this in practice. Its every important for our country.

More significant is that Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lior Haiat said his country was definitely in favor of the project.

We are exploring it with all the relevant ministries and agencies in Israel, Haiat said without indicating when the corridor from Cyprus might open.

Israel put Gaza under siege and declared war on the Hamas militants who rule the Palestinian enclave after the group carried out a surprise attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing hundreds of people and taking 240 hostages. Aid organizations say civilians dont have enough food or clean water, and hospitals in Gaza report being out of even basic medical supplies.

The Israeli government has said it was reluctant to let aid into Gaza because Hamas might divert the shipments and thereby extend the groups survival. Its sensitivity regarding the security of supplies coming from Cyprus was addressed with an invitation for authorities from Israel, the U.S. and other European countries to join Cypriot agents in vetting all shipments so nothing could be used by Hamas against Israel.

In the immediate term, shallow-draft vessels will be used to ferry the aid and Cyprus is in contact with Gulf countries that can dispatch such ships, Christodoulides said.

What do we want? We want everything to be in place so when the situation on the ground allows for it, we can start, the president said.

In the medium term, planning foresees the construction of a floating dock off Gaza where all types of ships can offload assistance. For the long-term, the idea is to construct a Gaza port, he said.

According to Christodoulides, a side benefit to using the port of Larnaca to load cargo is its ample facilities to store the aid and because of its very close proximity to the islands main airport as well as a U.S.-funded facility built to train personnel from Cyprus and neighboring countries on port and maritime security.

Medicine, food, clothing and other essentials collected and stored at the port will flow to Gaza continuously, but it would be a one-way aid corridor, meaning that no Palestinians would be permitted to use the ships to leave the enclave, he said.

Aid reaching Gaza would be distributed by the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees using its established network, Christodoulides said.

___

AP writer Joe Federman In Jerusalem contributed.

By MENELAOS HADJICOSTIS

Associated Press
Live updates | An Israel-Hamas deal for hostages and a four-day cease-fire has been approved

Live updates | An Israel-Hamas deal for hostages and a four-day cease-fire has been approved View Photo

Israels Cabinet approved a cease-fire agreement with the Hamas militant group that would bring a temporary halt to the devastating war that is now in its seventh week.

The Israeli government said that under an outline of the deal, Hamas is to free at least 50 of the roughly 240 hostages taken in Hamas Oct. 7 attack over a four-day period. Qatar, which mediates with Hamas, later confirmed the deal, saying the start time will be announced in the next 24 hours and that it will last for four days.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said before the Cabinet voted early Wednesday that the war would continue even if a deal was reached.

Israel, the United States and Qatar have been negotiating for weeks over a hostage release that would be paired with a temporary cease-fire in Gaza and the entry of more humanitarian aid.

Israel says Hamas uses civilians and hospitals as shields, while critics say Israels siege and relentless aerial bombardment amount to collective punishment of the territorys 2.3 million Palestinians after Hamas Oct. 7 rampage into southern Israel.

Currently:

 Israels Cabinet approves a cease-fire for hostages deal with Hamas. Palestinian prisoners also to be freed.

 South Africas president accuses Israel of war crimes and acts tantamount to genocide in Gaza.

 South African lawmakers vote in favor of closing Israels embassy and cutting diplomatic ties.

 Bahrain government websites are briefly inaccessible after a cyberattack over the Israel-Hamas war.

 Find more of APs coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

Heres whats happening in the war:

BIDEN PRAISES HOSTAGE DEAL AND SAYS HE WONT STOP UNTIL THEYRE ALL RELEASED

NANTUCKET, Mass.  United States President Joe Biden said in a statement late Tuesday that he welcomes the agreement to release at least 50 hostages being held in Gaza and stressed that it is important that all aspects of this deal be fully implemented.

I am extraordinarily gratified that some of these brave souls, who have endured weeks of captivity and an unspeakable ordeal, will be reunited with their families once this deal is fully implemented, said Biden, who was in Nantucket, Massachusetts, for the Thanksgiving holiday. Biden said the agreement should release some American hostages, and added, I will not stop until they are all released.

Biden emphasized that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has committed to supporting an extended pause to make sure not only all hostages are released but that humanitarian assistance can be sent to Palestinians in Gaza.

Todays deal is a testament to the tireless diplomacy and determination of many dedicated individuals across the United States Government to bring Americans home, Biden said.

THE RED CROSS STANDS BY TO ASSIST ANY SWAP

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates  The International Committee of the Red Cross says it is standing by to assist any swap in the Israel-Hamas war.

Currently, we are actively engaged in talks with the parties to help carry out any humanitarian agreement they reach, the Red Cross said. As a neutral intermediary, it is important to clarify that we are not part of the negotiations, and we do not make decisions on the substance of it. Our role is to facilitate the implementation, once the parties agree.

QATAR CONFIRMS THE ISRAEL-HAMAS CEASE-FIRE AND HOSTAGE DEAL

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates  Qatar has confirmed an agreement for a cease-fire and swap between Israel and Hamas, saying the start time will be announced in the next 24 hours and that it will last for four days.

The statement early Wednesday morning from Qatars Foreign Ministry described the talks that produced the agreement as a mediation by Egypt, the United States and Qatar for a humanitarian pause.

The starting time of the pause will be announced within the next 24 hours and last for four days, subject to extension, the statement said. The agreement includes the release of 50 civilian women and children hostages currently held in the Gaza Strip in exchange for the release of a number of Palestinian women and children detained in Israeli prisons, the number of those released will be increased in later stages of implementing the agreement.

It added that the cease-fire will allow the entry of a larger number of humanitarian convoys and relief aid, including fuel designated for humanitarian needs. It offered no specifics on that, however.

HOSTAGES TO START BEING RELEASED ROUGHLY 24 HOURS AFTER DEAL OKD BY ALL PARTIES, WHITE HOUSE OFFICIAL SAYS

Hostage releases will begin roughly 24 hours after the cease-fire deal is approved by all parties, said a senior White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matters. The government of Qatar, which mediates with Hamas, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Israels Cabinet on Wednesday approved the cease-fire deal that would bring a temporary halt to the devastating war

The effort to free all of the roughly 240 hostages seized by Hamas in its brazen Oct. 7 attack began when Qatar approached the U.S. and Israel and quietly established a group to coordinate, the official said.

The groups efforts led to the release of two American citizens, Natalie and Judith Raanan. Their release proved their system could work and that intensified the process for larger-scale release, according to the official. Intense negotiations have continued since.

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Associated Press reporter Colleen Long contributed from Washington.

ISRAELS CABINET APPROVES CEASE-FIRE WITH HAMAS INCLUDING RELEASE OF SOME 50 HOSTAGES

Israels Cabinet on Wednesday approved a cease-fire deal with the Hamas militant group that would bring a temporary halt to the devastating war and release dozens of hostages being held in the Gaza Strip.

Under what the government called an outline of the deal, Hamas is to free at least 50 of the roughly 240 hostages it is holding in the Gaza Strip over a four-day period. It said it would extend the lull by an additional day for every 10 hostages released.

The government said the first hostages to be released would be women and children. It was not immediately clear when the truce would go into effect.

Netanyahu convened his Cabinet for the vote late Tuesday. The meeting stretched well into the early hours Wednesday.

FIGHTING IN JABALIYA SPILLS OVER TO HOSPITALS, AND STRIKE KILLS 3 DOCTORS

GAZA CITY  Four people, including three doctors, were killed when a hospital was struck amid intense fighting Tuesday in the Jabaliya refugee camp, the hospital director told Al-Jazeera TV.

The director of al-Awda hospital, Ahmed Mahna, blamed the strike on Israel, a claim that The Associated Press could not independently confirm. The medical aid group Doctors Without Borders confirmed that two of the doctors killed worked for it.

The group called for better protection of medical facilities, staff and patients in the besieged enclave.

Seeing doctors killed next to hospital beds is beyond tragic, and this must stop now, The aid group said in a post on X.

The Israeli military said Hamas fighters had retrenched in Jabaliya, a densely built district of concrete buildings near Gaza City that houses families displaced in the 1948 war surrounding Israels creation. Israel has bombarded the area for weeks.

NETANYAHU SAYS WAR WILL CONTINUE AFTER ANY CEASE-FIRE

JERUSALEM  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that Israel will continue its war against Hamas, even if a temporary cease-fire is reached with the Islamic militant group to release hostages.

In comments ahead of an expected Cabinet vote on a cease-fire proposal, Netanyahu vowed to press ahead.

We are at war, and we will continue the war, he said. We will continue until we achieve all our goals.

The Cabinet was expected to vote on a plan that would halt Israels offensive in Gaza for several days in exchange for the release of about 50 of the 240 hostages held by Hamas.

Israel has vowed to continue the war until it destroys Hamas military capabilities and returns all hostages.

EGYPT WILL TAKE ALL MEASURES TO KEEP PALESTINIANS FROM ENTERING, PRIME MINISTER SAYS

CAIRO  Egypts prime minister said Tuesday that Egypt will take all measures to prevent Palestinians from crossing into Egypt, as the Israeli army makes preparations to enter the south of besieged Gaza.

The comments by Mostafa Madbouly in a speech in Parliament were the strongest warning yet, hinting that military force could be used.

Egypt will not hesitate in taking all measures that guarantees the protection of its borders, Madbouly said.

Since the start of the conflict, Egypt has continually ruled out becoming a host nation for displaced Palestinians.

The North African country fears that a mass exodus of Palestinians onto Egyptian soil would nullify Palestinian demands for statehood, and jeopardies Egypts security and economy,

However, Egypt has allowed thousands of dual nationals and hundreds of injured and sick Palestinians to enter through the Rafah crossing from Gaza during past weeks.

HOSTAGES DEAL COULD BUILD TRUST, SAYS WOMAN WHOSE HUSBAND AND CHILDREN WERE TAKEN

TEL AVIV, Israel  A woman whose husband and two young children were abducted when Hamas fighters stormed Israel on Oct. 7 said that a deal to bring home some hostages now could pave the way for future deals.

Hadas Kalderon talked to N12 News Israel amid reports that Hamas and Israel were close to a cease-fire that would include freeing some hostages as well as some Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. Kalderon said negotiators should save whoever they can right now  because we dont know what will happen.

Who would dare vote against a deal? she asked.

Kalderon said she is in every dilemma possible, acknowledging that Offer, the father of her children, could remain in captivity even if her children are released under the proposed deal.

I still say: we are morally obligated  our responsibility is to return everyone, she said. But lets be realistic.

EU OFFICIAL: AID MONEY NOT BEING DIVERTED TO HAMAS

STRASBOURG, France  A senior European Union official said the bloc will continue to provide financial aid to the Palestinians after an investigation found that no money has been diverted to Hamas.

The review found no indications of EU money having directly or indirectly benefited the terrorist organization Hamas, EU Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis told reporters.

Payment to Palestinian beneficiaries and UNRWA will continue without payment delays. Finally, for those projects in Gaza that are not feasible due to the war, the money will be reallocated to Gaza either as humanitarian or development aid.

BIDEN: VERY CLOSE TO DEAL ON RELEASING SOME HOSTAGES

WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden said Tuesday that a deal on releasing some hostages was very close to being finalized, and that he was hopeful they can get home to their families very soon.

Were now very close, very close. We could bring some of these hostages home very soon, Biden said at an unrelated appearance at the White House. Things are looking good at the moment.

TURKEY, ALGERIA LEADERS HIT ISRAEL FOR CRIMES IN GAZA

ALGIERS, Algeria  The presidents of Turkey and Algeria had harsh words for Israels actions in Gaza on Tuesday as they said they hoped for successful negotiations on the release of hostages and risoners.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose government maintains ties with Hamas officials, said Turkeys foreign minister and intelligence chief were working with Qatari officials to negotiate releases.

We are engaged in constant talks and our expectation is to receive a positive result, Erdogan said in a joint news conference with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

Tebboune said as regional powers, he and Erdogan would continue to push to stop the human tragedy resulting from the crimes perpetrated by the Zionist entity in Gaza.

Tebboune reiterated his calls to take Israel to the International Criminal Court and said the denunciation of Israels crimes must be accompanied by an urgent initiative to halt the expansion of colonization in the West Bank.

Erdogan said Israels actions had turned into collective punishment and constitute war crimes.

STRIKE HITS BASE WITH U.S. TROOPS; INJURIES MINOR

BAGHDAD  A strike hit a base housing U.S. troops in Iraq early Tuesday, causing minor injuries to U.S. personnel and damage to infrastructure, a U.S. military official in the country said.

The official said U.S. forces responded in self-defense against those who carried out the strike on al-Asad military base in western Iraq. A second defense official said multiple militants were killed in a strike carried out by a special operations AC-130 gunship that was already operating in the area.

Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

Also early Tuesday, a drone strike on a highway west of Baghdad targeted two pickup trucks linked to the Kataeb Hezbollah militia, killing one militia member and injuring at least three others, two militia officials said.

The militia officials, who also spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media, said the strike hit a convoy traveling from Anbar to Baghdad. Later on Tuesday, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a coalition of Iran-backed militias, issued a statement announcing the death of one of its members in Iraq in what it said was a U.S. airstrike.

It was not immediately clear if the strike that killed the Kataeb Hezbollah member was the same one launched in retaliation to the attack on the al-Assad base.

The two incidents come as Iranian-backed militants have launched dozens of attacks on bases and facilities housing U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria since Oct. 17. While most of the more than five dozen attacks have been ineffective, at least 60 U.S. personnel have reported minor injuries. The militant groups have said that the strikes are in retaliation for U.S. support of Israel in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

By Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad, Bassem Mroue in Beirut and Tara Copp in Washington

KEY ISRAELI DECISION-MAKING BODIES TO DISCUSS ISSUE OF RELEASE OF HOSTAGES

JERUSALEM  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office has announced meetings of three key decision-making bodies late Tuesday to discuss the issue of the release of hostages.

A statement released by Netanyahus office said the special war Cabinet will convene at 6 p.m. (1600 GMT), followed by meetings of the broader Security Cabinet and then the full Cabinet.

It gave no further details, but the various bodies are required to approve important government decisions.

OFFICIALS OF MUSLIM NATIONS VISIT SECURITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO PUSH FOR CEASE-FIRE

MOSCOW  Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday hosted counterparts from the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to discuss the Israel-Hamas war.

Officials from eight Muslim countries and territories are visiting the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and other nations in an attempt to secure an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Speaking at the start of the talks in Moscow, Lavrov said Russia condemns any form of terrorism, but added that terrorism must be fought using methods that dont amount to collective punishment and dont contradict, or to put it bluntly, rudely violate the norms of international humanitarian law.

ISRAELI STRIKE KILLS TWO TV JOURNALISTS ALONG LEBANON-ISRAEL BORDER

BEIRUT  An Israeli strike in southern Lebanon killed two journalists for Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen TV who were reporting on violence along the tense Lebanon-Israel border, Lebanese Information Minister Ziad Makary and the station said Tuesday.

The Pan-Arab Al-Mayadeen TV identified the journalists as correspondent Farah Omar and cameraman Rabih Maamari. The station is politically allied with the militant Hezbollah group.

Hezbollahs media office vowed that the killing of the journalists will not pass without retaliation. Hours later, Hezbollah said it fired two missiles that struck an Israeli intelligence unit inside a home near Kibbutz Manara in northern Israel, killing and wounding those inside. It said the attack was in retaliation for the killing of the journalists and civilians on the Lebanese side of the border.

The Israeli military said it was looking into the matter. In a statement earlier Tuesday, it said its aircraft struck three armed terrorist cells in the area of the border with Lebanon in addition to Hezbollah infrastructure.

Lebanons state-run National News Agency reported that an Israeli strike on a home in the border village of Kfar Kila killed an 80-year-old woman, Laiqa Serhan, and wounded her granddaughter.

Last week, the Israeli government blocked Al-Mayadeen TV from broadcasting in Israel.

Israeli shelling of southern Lebanon on Oct. 14 killed Reuters videojournalist Issam Abduallah and wounded other journalists from Agence France-Presse and Qatars Al-Jazeera TV.

IRAN-BACKED YEMEN REBELS ATTACK ON SHIP RAISES RISKS IN RED SEA

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates  The helicopter-borne Houthi attack on an Israel-linked ship in the Red Sea highlights the danger now lurking in one of the worlds key shipping routes as the Israel-Hamas war rages, as well as the rebels tactics mirroring those of its chief sponsor, Iran.

While Tehran has denied aiding the Yemen rebel group in launching their attack Sunday, the targeted ship before the assault passed by an American-sanctioned Iranian cargo vessel suspected as serving as a forward spying base in the Red Sea. The rebels, dressed commando-style in bulletproof vests carrying assault rifles, covered each other and moved in military formation before quickly seizing control of the bridge of the Galaxy Leader.

While their body-camera footage serves as a propaganda coup to bolster their own position in Yemen amid some protests against their rule, it also signals a new maritime front has opened in a region long focused on the Persian Gulf and its narrow mouth at the Strait of Hormuz. It also puts new pressure on commercial shippers traveling through those waters, threatens to increase insurance costs that will get passed onto consumers and likely further stretches the U.S. Navy as it tries to serve as the regions security guarantor.

HAMAS OFFICIAL SAYS AGREEMENT ON HOSTAGE RELEASE COULD COME SOON

BEIRUT  Israel, the United States and Qatar, which mediates with Hamas, have been negotiating for weeks over a hostage release that would be paired with a temporary cease-fire in Gaza and the entry of more humanitarian aid.

Hamas has released four hostages, Israel has rescued one, and the bodies of two were found near Shifa.

Izzat Rishq, a senior Hamas official, said Tuesday that an agreement could be reached in the coming hours in which Hamas would release captives and Israel would release Palestinian prisoners. Hamas leader in exile, Ismail Haniyeh, also said they were close to a deal, but similar predictions in recent weeks have proven premature.

Hamas gunmen and their allies captured more 240 hostages during their deadly Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel in which they also killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians.

AWARD-WINNING PALESTINIAN POET ARRESTED BY ISRAELI TROOPS, BROTHER SAYS

TEL AVIV, Israel  The brother of an award-winning Palestinian poet in Gaza says he has been arrested by Israeli troops and his whereabouts are unknown.

Mosab Abu Toha has been contributing pieces to Western media since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, painting a dire image of its toll on civilians through his personal experience. His brother, Hamza Abu Toha, posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday that Mosab was arrested while evacuating to southern Gaza, following Israeli military orders. Hamza said his brothers wife and children were allowed to continue south, but the military detained my brother.

Mosab Abu Toha last posted on X on Nov. 15, writing Alive. Thanks for your prayers.

The literary and free expression organization PEN said it was concerned about the arrest and demanded to know Abu Tohas whereabouts and the reason for his arrest. The New Yorker magazine, to which Abu Toha has contributed multiple articles, called for his safe return.

The Israeli military said it was looking into the reports.

By The Associated Press
Analysis: Iran-backed Yemen rebels helicopter-borne attack on ship raises risks in crucial Red Sea View Photo

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  The helicopter-borne Houthi attack on an Israel-linked ship in the Red Sea highlights the danger now lurking in one of the worlds key shipping routes as the Israel-Hamas war rages, as well as the rebels tactics mirroring those of its chief sponsor, Iran.

While Tehran has denied aiding the Yemen rebel group in launching their attack Sunday, the targeted ship before the assault passed by an American-sanctioned Iranian cargo vessel suspected as serving as a forward spying base in the Red Sea. The rebels, dressed commando-style in bulletproof vests carrying assault rifles, covered each other and moved in military formation before quickly seizing control of the bridge of the Galaxy Leader.

While their body-camera footage serves as a propaganda coup to bolster their own position in Yemen amid some protests against their rule, it also signals a new maritime front has opened in a region long focused on the Persian Gulf and its narrow mouth at the Strait of Hormuz. It also puts new pressure on commercial shippers traveling through those waters, threatens to increase insurance costs that will get passed onto consumers and likely further stretches the U.S. Navy as it tries to serve as the regions security guarantor.

This has all the signs these people were trained by a professional military, which could clearly be Iran, an American defense official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters. This looks like something we havent seen before.

Its not just the U.S. and Israel suspecting Iranian involvement, however.

The risk intelligence firm RANE referred to the tactics employed by the Houthis as reminiscent of those used by Irans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard when seizing vessels in the past over years of tensions regarding Tehrans collapsed nuclear deal with world powers. Ambrey, a private intelligence firm, similarly referred to the operation as an Iranian-style vessel seizure that provides the Houthis with a negotiation lever in much the same way Hamas taking of some 240 hostages in their Oct. 7 attack on Israel did.

The incident displayed a significant increase in the Houthis capability to disrupt merchant shipping, Ambrey said. In the past, the Houthis had only used sea mines, missiles and remote-controlled improvised explosive devices in the Red Sea.

It added: The sophistication of the operation suggests that Iranian involvement is highly likely.

The Galaxy Leader, linked to Israeli billionaire Abraham Rami Ungar, also passed by the Iranian cargo vessel Behshad before the attack Sunday, according to satellite imagery first reported by the firm Tanker Trackers.

The Behshad has been in the Red Sea since 2021 off Eritreas Dahlak archipelago. It arrived there after Iran removed the Saviz, another suspected spy base in the Red Sea that had suffered damage in an attack that analysts attributed to Israel amid a wider shadow war of ship attacks in the region.

Satellite images Tuesday from Planet Labs PBC and analyzed by the AP showed the Galaxy Leader off Yemens port city of Hodeida, which is held by the Houthis.

Iran, for its part, denied Monday having anything to do with the attacks.

Those accusations are void, and a result of the complicated situation the Zionist regime is struggling with, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said. We have said many times that resistance groups in the region represent their own countries and people, and they make decisions based on the interests of their own countries and nations.

However, Hamas has Iran as one of its main sponsors. The Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah, another Iranian-backed group, has engaged in cross-border fire for weeks with Israel. Iraqi militias have claimed drone attacks on U.S. bases there. Syria, another Iranian beneficiary, has launched sporadic attacks too.

It remains unclear just how much control the Iranians exert over the Houthis. However, the rebel group has seen its ballistic missile and drone program rapidly advance despite being targeted by a yearslong United Nations arms embargo. Analysts attribute that to Iranian weapons shipments, of which some have been previously seized by the U.S. and allied navies.

Houthi weapon sophistication has grown in other ways as well.

The Houthis have been able to fly this year a Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jet over the capital, Sanaa, during a military parade, along with a Northrop F-5 Tiger combat aircraft at another. A Houthi parade also saw Soviet-era Mil Mi-17 helicopters flying through the sky  the same helicopter used in Sundays attack. A Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis had targeted Yemens air force with airstrikes at the start of the war and the Houthis have yet to explain how they got these aircraft flying again.

The Houthis also have shot down an American MQ-9 Reaper drone during the Israel-Hamas war with a surface-to-air missile, as well as have fired drones and missiles toward Israel.

All of this makes the Red Sea, which stretches from Egypts Suez Canal down to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait separating East Africa from the Arabian Peninsula, increasingly dangerous for shipping. That narrow strait, some 29 kilometers (18 miles) across at its tightest point, is crucial for cargo and energy shipments.

The U.S. has sent more vessels into and through the Red Sea, including the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier and its strike group. The Eisenhower is now in the Gulf of Oman, according to satellite images, meaning there are fewer U.S. Navy assets in the Red Sea to deter any possible new attacks.

And if the next attack sees fatalities  particularly of U.S. or Israeli nationals  that raises the risk of a wider war breaking out on the seas.

Significant Houthi interference with commercial shipping through the Strait is almost certain to trigger U.S. intervention due to the political and potentially economic implications, the New York-based Soufan Center warned.

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EDITORS NOTE  Jon Gambrell, the news director for the Gulf and Iran for The Associated Press, has reported from each of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Iran and other locations across the world since joining the AP in 2006.

By JON GAMBRELL

Associated Press
Nov. 21, 1993

A federally appointed administrator cleared the chief of the Auburn Teamsters local last week of charges that he violated the union's constitution and associated with known members of organized crime.

Though Paul Bush, of 32 Prospect St., faced no criminal charges, he could have been banned from union activities.

In a 13-page ruling, retired federal Judge Frederick B. Lacey wrote that Bush admitted to isolated and fleeting contacts with two known crime figures, but the Mafia did not influence Bush's union activities.

"Thus, no prohibited 'association' has been proven in this case, and consequently, the investigations officer has failed to meet his burden of proof," Lacey wrote.

"The decision speaks for itself," Bush said late Friday. "Judge Lacey was very fair. ... He cut through to the facts.

"His decision not only exonerated, but vindicated my conduct. My family and I are very, very grateful."

Bush said he will now be free to concentrate on union business. "I will be working tomorrow for my members," he said Friday, "and we will rebuild our local.

"I will continue to be the best business agent that I can be. ... There will be no more distractions."

Bush, 51, is president of the Auburn Teamsters Local 506 and the Finger Lakes Central Labor Council. Among the employees the Auburn Teamsters Local represents are drivers at Stott & Davis Motor Express Inc. and office workers at Cayuga Community College.
SOUTHINGTON  Workers are framing a 10,000 square-foot day care and preschool on West Street that will open as The Learning Experience next summer.

The day care at 1268 West St. was approved earlier this year and construction began this fall. It will have a 5,000 square-foot playground area and be able to accommodate 150 children.

Eric Spungin, a property owner partner with the development company Southington West Street LLC, said work is well underway.

Were framing. The foundations in, steels in and were framing, he said Monday. We plan to deliver it completed probably early summer.

The daycare will be run by The Learning Experience, an international day care and early childhood education company. The Learning Experience has 11 locations in Connecticut and is developing six more. In addition to Cheshire and Southington, the company is looking to expand to Vernon, Hamden, West Hartford and Wilton.

Town planners initially denied the daycare due to concerns about traffic on West Street, a state road. That led to changes in the plan, Spungin said, which then received town approval.

We redesigned it to meet the towns traffic concerns, he said.

The company staggers pickups and dropoffs to minimize traffic both outside and inside the day care facilities.

The company does extensive demographic analysis to determine where it should add locations and where child care is in the greatest demand, according to a company spokesman. The company couldnt be reached for comment Monday on its plans for opening. The Learning Experience will join existing day care centers Town & Country Early Learning Center, Stork Club and My Little Rascals Too along West Street.

The Learning Experience operates in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Late last year, Southington planners approved a 30-unit subdivision on a large parcel behind the property at 1268 West St. The development is in a long stretch parallel to Churchill Street with a small portion of West Street frontage.

Spungin said the day care development is separate from the housing subdivision, although nearby.

jbuchanan@record-journal.com203-317-2203
WALLINGFORD  Local food pantry Masters Manna kicked off its annual Turkey Tossing Two Days event on Monday by distributing complete turkey dinners to over 160 families.

Masters Manna anticipated serving 500 families by the end of its second day which is Tuesday, Nov. 21 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Originally, the event took place on one day but due to the increase in families, it was extended into two days to accommodate everyones schedule.

The turkey dinners include a variety of items that are served in a typical American household on Thanksgiving  turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy, vegetables, potatoes, and a dessert.

Families will be able to choose the items that they want, said Sue Heald, food pantry manager.

Christian Ochoa of Wallingford went to the event with his mother-in-law and daughter to pick up Thanksgiving essentials for their family dinner on Thursday. He got a turkey, bread, ice cream, potatoes and gravy among other items.

Whether someone has money or not, this is a huge help for families during this time of year, Ochoa said.

Ochoa has been stopping by the pantry for about 10 years and says that its been great to have support from the community.

Its a fun and gratifying thing that the pantry has been able to do, said Carol Maturo, a volunteer of three years. Its a big help even if its just for one person. They are able to come and grab some items that may be costly at grocery stores.

Vickie Gerace, volunteer, says that it helps families be able to use their money for other bills.

Everything has gone up in price and its been amazing to see Masters Manna help out, she said.

During the event, Bob McKenzie, board of directors member at Masters Manna, was handing out turkeys.

Upon arriving, families would check in and get a ticket which they would hand to McKenzie at the end of their shopping.

First, families would choose their side items like gravy, potatoes, vegetables, stuffing, and then they would grab a dessert. Finally, they would get a turkey that was big enough for their family.

McKenzie would ask whether they had a big or small family, and then hand them an appropriate sized turkey based on their answer.

This event has been going on for over 10 years, McKenzie said. We are dedicated to helping the community.

Masters Manna

Masters Manna has been in the community since 2006 with the mission to serve the homeless, near homeless, and low-income families in the Wallingford and Meriden area.

In addition to the Turkey Tossing Two Days event, the pantry has its Pappas Family Food Pantry which is open Monday through Thursday.

Shopping hours are Monday and Wednesday from 3 to 6:30 p.m., and Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Individuals are able to choose their items, so that no food goes to waste.

We have around 100 people coming through our doors to shop a day, McKenzie said. We make sure that no family goes without.

celescano@record-journal.com
Yves here. Perhaps readers can correct me, but my impression is that the long Finland-Russia border was not only (heretofore) not defended, but not even much demarcated, because people on either side went back and forth a lot, for commercial and other reasons. I would have to think the impact of the harm done to businesses on border towns would be more consequential to Finland than Russiabut it still may not amount to enough to make a difference. And perhaps Finland expects the fillup to be all the bulked-up border/surveillance activity. But that spending wont necessarily help many Finland border businesses that depended on daytime visitors from Russia.

By Andrew Korybko, a Moscow-based American political analyst who specializes in the global systemic transition to multipolarity in the New Cold War. He has a PhD from MGIMO, which is under the umbrella of the Russian Foreign Ministry. Originally published at his website

The latest dynamics suggest that NATO is conspiring to place more pressure on Russia along the blocs new Finnish members frontier, which is intended to provoke reciprocal military moves that can then be decontextualized as so-called unprovoked aggression for justifying a self-sustaining cycle of escalation.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said on Monday that his country will respond in accordance with its national interests if Finland closes the entirety of their joint border like the Finnish Interior Minister threatened to do last week. In the intervening days, the EU said that its ready to send forces to that frontier, Finland gassed a group of border crossers, and it also deployed soldiers there too. Taken together, Finland is clearly hellbent on positioning itself as a frontline NATO state against Russia.

It was assessed in summer 2022 that NATOs Northern Expansion Isnt A Major Defeat For Russia like the Mainstream Media misportrayed it as being and then earlier this spring that Finlands Membership In NATO Is More Symbolically Important Than Militarily. Those conclusions reflected the state of military-strategic affairs at the time, but seeing as how the latter are changing as a result of Finland hyping up an alleged migrant crisis with Russia, so too should those assessments change accordingly.

The latest dynamics suggest that NATO is conspiring to place more pressure on Russia along the blocs new Finnish members frontier, which is intended to provoke reciprocal military moves that can then be decontextualized as so-called unprovoked aggression for justifying a self-sustaining cycle of escalation. Its unclear how far and fast everything can move, but this seems to be the intent, which importantly comes amidst the bloc rethinking its proxy war on Russia through Ukraine.

This summers counteroffensive failed, Russia won the race of logistics/war of attrition with NATO, and that blocs former Supreme Commander recently argued for a Korean-like armistice, all of which is happening against the backdrop of the West reportedly pressuring Kiev to recommence peace talks. In the event that this proxy war freezes, then theres a certain logic inherent in replacing some of this lost pressure upon Russia via the opening of other fronts like the Finnish one.

Granted, the mutually assured destruction (MAD) between NATO and Russia places very real limits on how much pressure can be exerted along this newfound front, but still opening it might be deemed by the blocs decisionmakers to be better than keeping it closed in that scenario. In other words, where one door closes, another opens, or to be more direct, the end of NATOs proxy war on Russia via Ukraine could lead to the opening of a less high-stakes but still destabilizing front in Finland.

This outcome would also serve the supplementary purpose of being exploited by the Mainstream Media as the publicly plausible pretext for accelerating the Arctics militarization. This final frontier of the New Cold War is poised to soon be a theater of competition between the US-led Wests Golden Billion and the Sino-Russo Entente due to the Northern Sea Routes growing role in facilitating East-West trade. Considering this, hyping up the Finnish front like NATO is already doing kills two birds with one stone.

The case can thus be made that NATO has concluded that its hegemonic zero-sum interests are best advanced by opening up a controlled Finnish front against Russia, which could compensate for the partial closing of the Ukrainian one and push the blocs Arctic interests at the same time. For these reasons, Russian-Finnish tensions are expected to further worsen, and all moves that Russia makes in defense of its legitimate interests will be spun as unprovoked aggression to speed up these processes.
Yves here. This piece has a long warm up before getting to the main event. However, its noteworthy that technology expert and international development professor Peter Howson, who was initially a crypto enthusiast, changed his views 180 degrees after more investigation.

By Lynn Parramore, Senior Research Analyst at the Institute for New Economic Thinking. Originally published at the Institute for New Economic Thinking website

If Sam Bankman-Frieds conviction for perpetrating one of American historys most jaw-dropping financial frauds has made you less keen to embrace the crypto trend, youre in good company. Three-quarters of Americans who have heard of crypto have little confidence in its safety or reliability. Even the chip-making giant Nvidia has declared that crypto adds nothing useful to society, a sentiment recently voiced by legend short seller Jim Chanos, who stated that the technology is well-suited for the dark side of finance.

Yet, miraculously, Bitcoins value has been on the upswing as BlackRock, the worlds largest asset manager, goes full steam ahead with its crypto investment product plans. Cryptomania is still with us, with many intelligent individuals holding on to their optimism.

Elected officials like Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Roger Marshall (R-KS) have registered urgent concern about digital assets and their potential ties to criminal activity by introducing, and reintroducing, the Digital Asset Anti-Money Laundering Act, legislation aimed at mitigating risks and providing scrutiny over industry members, such as miners and validators.

Nevertheless, politicians like Congressman Tom Emmer (R-MN), often referred to as the crypto king of Congress, continue to champion cryptocurrency as an inherently patriotic pursuit, akin to apple pie. He is supported by numerous enthusiasts in Congress  a fact which may be attributed in part to what was revealed in a report from CoinDesk: One in three members of Congress took donations from FTX-related entities alone. And of course, who can forget Donald Trumps release of an NFT collection in 2022, featuring the former president decked out as, among other things, a cowboy? Trump, once presenting himself as a crypto skeptic, now seeks to enrich himself from the NFT craze.

Prominent MBA programs still tout the wonders of crypto, like Columbia Business School, which promotes crypto classes for students who can learn what it means to unleash the power of blockchain in the world of traditional finance. The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania offers an online certificate program on the economics of blockchain and digital assets, boasting that it was the first Ivy League school and the first American business school to take enrollment payments in cryptocurrency.

In the field of economics, a bewildering mix of skepticism and active promotion of cryptocurrency prevails. Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz has repeatedly cautioned against the appeal of crypto to criminals and its apparent lack of any socially useful purpose. In 2018, four other Nobel Prize winners, namely James Heckman, Thomas Sargent, Angus Deaton, and Oliver Hart, collectively labeled Bitcoin a bubble during a press conference, with Heckman drawing parallels to the infamous tulipmania in 17th-century Netherlands. Deaton expressed his view that the only advantage as far as I can see is you can be a crook.

By contrast, former Treasury Secretary and economist Larry Summers spent several years as an advisor to the disgraced crypto firm Digital Currency Group (DCG), currently under investigation for defrauding investors to the tune of over $1 billion.

Into this fraught landscape comes Peter Howson, a technology writer, researcher, and Assistant Professor in International Development at Northumbria University, who once embraced the possibilities of cryptocurrency and blockchain to help solve global problems like poverty and climate change. The idea of reimagining money was, to him, like reimagining power itself, but when he began to look more closely, he was troubled. In the end, he concluded it was all a mirage and that only people benefitting were the least deserving  the criminally-minded and the greedy. Howson calls crypto the biggest scam in history in his new book, Let Them Eat Crypto: The Blockchain Scam Thats Ruining the World. He believes that cryptocurrencies and blockchain have progressed beyond being just scams or bubbles, becoming destructive forces with the potential to severely impact economies, societies, and the environment. Its time, he believes, to get rid of them altogether.

Howson spoke to the Institute for New Economic Thinking about the dangerous social visions and economic ruin that crypto and blockchain bring in their wake.

Lynn Parramore: Lets go back to the beginning. The cypherpunks, techno-libertarian coders who pioneered digital currencies in the 1990s, drew inspiration from Friedrich Hayeks libertarian concepts of limited government power to protect free markets. How did these ideas influence the creation of Bitcoin?

Peter Howson: The story behind Bitcoins creation is fascinating. Satoshi Nakamoto  whoever that mysterious person or persons might be  is thought to be the mastermind behind the Bitcoin white paper published 15 years ago. The techno-libertarian coders pulled together existing innovations in order to make Bitcoin work, like block timestamping, the data stored in each block used to determine the exact moment in which it was mined, and the SHA-256 hashing algorithm used for cryptographic security. These things had been around for decades. The cypherpunks put it together and shared the concept through a mailing list.

Two key figures emerged at the outset. There was Timothy May, a crypto-anarchist and author of The Crypto Anarchist Manifesto in 1988, who had a penchant for privacy, gun collecting, sci-fi, and harboring libertarian fantasies of building a kind of virtual Galts Gulch  the name of the libertarian paradise at the bottom of the sea described in Ayn Rands novel Atlas Shrugged. May gets introduced to software architect Chip Morningstar, who came up with the first graphical virtual world or metaverse with a game called Habitat. Morningstar then introduces May to entrepreneur Phil Salin  weirdly like Jeff Bezos when you describe him  who created an e-commerce business called AMIX and dreamed of a commercial space exploration company, which he put together.

These guys are hi-tech Hayekians. They believe devoutly in the teachings of economist Friedrich Hayek, who held that any interference in the functioning of free markets destabilizes what he thought of as the spontaneous order, a self-correcting social system that emerges as a result of the voluntary activities of individuals. They think the best way to keep the government from meddling in this beautiful free-market utopia is to come up with a system of money governed by cryptographically secured software programs. So they create this digital metallism, which you can think of as a gold standard for money that cant be fiddled with by political actors. These techno-libertarians wanted to push human society back to a state of the gold standard using cryptocurrencies. Thats what Bitcoin was meant to be: Take the Hayekian principles and enable a global economy built on those foundations.

LP: Proponents of blockchain hail it as a wonderfully innovative and useful technology, claiming that it is able to establish trust and security in decentralized transactions, reducing the need for intermediaries and enhancing transparency. Whats your opinion of these claims?

PH: The big proponents of blockchain dont trust government at all. They suffer from what UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called a Trust Deficit Disorder. A lot of them see the answer to a problem of trust not in fixing our political institutions so that they can become more trustworthy, like addressing underlying corruption, but in dreaming that you can just get rid of political institutions entirely and just have a world governed by software  trustless software. The idea is that if everyone just does their own research and acts as a kind of pure homo economicus rational actor, then who needs political institutions? This is the thinking behind it. The problem is that this technology corrodes trust in political institutions: it doesnt fix anything. This is not what we need at a time when youve already got so much distrust. Here in the U.K., no one has any faith in either political party, labor or conservative, especially around whats happening in Ukraine, the Middle East, and with Covid.

LP: Very similar to what weve got in the U.S.

PH: Yes. Trump and everything. Were in unprecedented times where even the sanest people find it tricky to put faith into our democratically elected leaders. Blockchain plays into that and corrodes it even more. It doesnt make things better. It makes things a lot worse.

Theres something I talk about in the book  perhaps too lightheartedly  which is popular among Bitcoin enthusiasts called the Bitcoin Citadel. The idea is that from the ashes of the impending social breakdown, the early adopters of crypto projects will live in Bitcoin fortresses, and everyone else will be their eternal no-coiner slaves or whatever.

LP: That sounds a bit unhinged.

PH: It does, but I actually think some of these people really do thrive off the idea that there will be a sort of massive breakdown in our social and political institutions to enable them to push through with economic experiments. If this cryptocurrency cult had a bible, it would be William Rees-Moggs The Sovereign Individual: How to Survive and Thrive During the Collapse of the Welfare State. Peter Thiel, one of the Bitcoin whales, wrote the forward for it. William Rees-Mogg was the father of Jacob Rees-Mogg, who pushed the Brexit calamity forward. The book advocates that we need to accept the fact of this collapse of social institutions. The message is: Are you going to be a slave or a slave owner in the aftermath of that? Cryptocurrency will be the decider.

When you talk to people who are very au fait with the techie aspects of blockchain and cryptocurrency, like the software engineers and computer scientists, they are very realistic about the limitations of what blockchain and crypto can do. The people who get really enthusiastic are the ones who tend to advocate on a political level. With a few exceptions, they dont come from a computer scientist background.

LP: Because if they did, they wouldnt harbor these grandiose visions.

PH: Right.

LP: What about the idea that crypto is sound money? There are still people in the general public who believe that crypto is a reliable store of value and a medium of exchange.

PH: I was writing this book during the Covid lockdowns, when a lot of furlough checks were being written, and some people became concerned about how it would be paid for. Meanwhile, influential techies in Silicon Valley like Balaji S. Srinivasan, Marc Andreeson, and Jack Dorsey, are parroting the benefits of using cryptocurrencies as a way of returning us to monetary metalism. They use a lot of right-wing rhetoric in order to push these claims: We cant trust institutions, etc. In 2016, the late David Golumbia had written a book, The Politics of Bitcoin: Software as Right-Wing Extremism,that was ahead of its time. He looked at the antisemitism of some of the promoters of Bitcoin.

We might say we need to rein in the ability of corrupt political institutions to think in a short-term way in terms of managing the economy, but Bitcoin and blockchain cant do that. Its a dead end. It makes things a lot worse. Bitcoin, just like any other cryptocurrency is homemade funny money. If you take a payment rail used every day by most people, like Visa, Mastercard, Paypal, etc., that can scale. Visa on its own can currently carry out 7,000 transactions every second, no problem. As more people use it, they just need more service, more point-of-sale machines, and its fine. Bitcoin is so conservative in the way its coded that it could only ever manage seven transactions per second. That limitation has been imposed on it as part of this one-megabyte block size limit thought essential for Bitcoin security. It cant scale. Obviously, seven transactions per second doesnt work globally. Its only going to be a niche toy for enthusiasts. It couldnt ever overtake the U.S. dollar, or even a payment rail smaller than Visa.

Crypto just cant function as money. Its far too volatile to ever be a reasonable store of value. It cant fulfill any functions of money or gold. Weve got to stop thinking about it as money.

LP: Are crypto and blockchain good for anything at all?

PH: Bitcoin was released 15 years ago. Since then, no one has come up with a reasonable use case for blockchain or cryptocurrencies. That being said, they do have one use case, and that is to subvert the state in order to transmit something of value across the internet. Thats its only real use case other than as a speculative asset, which is just a dream, really. When it comes to subverting the state, were talking about sanctions evasions, money laundering, buying ghost guns, paying ransomware, and paying ransoms, even. Anything that a government or a regulator wouldnt want you to do with your money.

Lets say a refugee is kidnapped in Eritrea and sold into slavery in Egypt and you want to get them released. Obviously, there are ways the government tries to restrict you from being able to pay a ransom because they dont want to promote the interests of international terrorist organizations who are kidnapping people to fund their activities. Thats a reasonable kind of restriction that they have put on money transmitters. Bitcoin just enables you to go around it. Unfortunately, weve got this network of cryptocurrency exchanges that are facilitating all of these things. That is why fraud is baked into this technology. Its very purpose is to weaken the state and its ability to control the economy. We shouldnt be surprised when we see that happen. We cant just claim that sometimes we need to rein in the ability of the state to do things, because the state does other, necessary things as well. The tradeoffs are too intolerable.

LP: Sam Bankman-Fried claimed to adhere to effective altruism, a popular philosophy among wealthy tech people in Silicon Valley. In keeping with this philosophy, he claimed to want to make money in order to benefit humanity, to devote himself to the greater good. How has that worked out?

PH: He was able to pull this scam off because of his philanthropy. Theres a history of influential scammers doing thisBernie Madoff made lots of philanthropic gestures, for example. People engaged in all sorts of scumbaggery do this. Look at the Sacklers, owners of Purdue Pharma. They were one of the great philanthropic families and were also involved in criminal activity. A lot of these crypto philanthropists gave money to Oxford University, by the way. I refer to them as the Oxford mafia in the book. Theyve been really important in making it easier for Sam Bankman-Fried to pull off his crimes.

If you look at the FTX court case, youll see that a lot of investors are going to get their money back through various clawback mechanisms. But the people who are not going to get anything are the people in West Africa and the other poorest parts of the world, where even on the day before the whole House of Cards collapsed, Bankman-Fried was still soliciting from the poor there to give what little they had to this Ponzi scheme.

LP: So he was encouraging them to buy crypto.

PH: He was encouraging them to buy FTT tokens, which he obviously knew were completely made-up funny money. FTT was the proprietary token used on the now-bankrupt FTX exchange.

In the book, I try to show just how tragic this situation was for people in West Africa, specifically. Bankman-Fried, along with people who are not in court at the moment, like the people behind the Coinbase exchange, pooled their resources to launch start-ups in Africa, including Mara, designed to drive crypto and blockchain adoption in Africa through the creation of an African cryptocurrency exchange. The job of the Coinbase people was to go into these poor African countries and get themselves in with corrupt governments in order to bring about favorable crypto regulatory environments. The goal was to come in and basically extract as much real money from the poorest people as possible and give them made-up internet money. A good example of this is the Sango project in the Central African Republic. The president there, thanks to Coinbase and Bankman-Fried, has made Bitcoin and cryptocurrency legal tender with parity to the local currency. If businesses dont accept cryptocurrency as payment, they can be put in prison. So it isnt just Silicon Valley investors who are the victims of the FTX fraud. The poorest in the world are suffering at the hands of these people. Thats where I want to draw the focus.

LP: Lets talk about the criticism of crypto as environmentally destructive. Some argue that with transitions to more energy-efficient systems, blockchain technology may be more sustainable. For example, Ethereum has turned to the Proof-of-stake (PoS) mechanism for validation to replace the energy-consuming Point-of-work (PoW) mechanism used by Bitcoin and a lot of other currencies and platforms. But since PoS relies on a lottery system in which token owners are picked to receive rewards for validation, is there a different risk here in the sense that it favors the wealthy, and could it lead to a concentration of power and control in the hands of a few rich participants?

PH: Yes, totally. This goes to the bizarre nature of this scam and how language is used to facilitate it. Proponents use terms like decentralization or distributive networks to convey a sense of complex equations used to ensure this trustless technology. In reality, its the opposite. It centralizes power far more in the hands of people we really shouldnt be trusting. The worst scumbags in the world are able to grab more power than they deserve using this technology. Ethereum is not a PoW cryptocurrency anymore because it switched to PoS, which only uses a small amount of electricity to secure the network. But it still pulls all of the decision-making capabilities around this cryptocurrency within a very small handful of whale investors.

LP: Could the concentration of wealth ultimately lead to more problems for the environment?

PH: Some research has been done showing Bitcoin has a Gini index  a ranking of inequality  of 0.8, while Ethereum is 0.9. Imagine if these projects were countries, if they were sovereign currencies. In that case, no country on Earth would be as unequal as Cryptoland. We know from books like Richard Wilkinson and Kate Picketts The Spirit Levelthat more equal countries do better environmentally. Less equal countries do far worse in terms of environmental outcomes and pro-environmental behavior.

But I dont think we should entertain the crypto boosters dreams of Bitcoin and Ethereum ever being able to become actual working currencies. No one right now is using any of these technologies as money. In fact, there are some big cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin cash, for example, which nobody used for several days as currency. No one made a single transaction with it. These things are still using massive amounts of energy in order to validate the blocks, and yet no one is using them as currency. Theyre just holding them as speculative assets. Ethereum is no different. We dont need to think about what a future world would look like if these things were successful. They never could be.

LP: Should crypto and blockchain should be banned? Is there any reason we should hold onto them?

PH: I think we should hold on to cryptocurrency in terms of its potential future use case in the same way we should hold onto mustard gas and little polystyrene balls and all of these crap innovations that made the world inevitably far worse. Theres nothing of use here. Its been 15 years. The technology has proven itself to be a worse-than-nothing solution to anything it touches. It is designed purely to weaken democratic institutions, and yes, it has proven itself very good at that. But thats it.

Proponents of blockchain and cryptocurrency want to constantly tell us  its too early! Dont be anti-innovation! Dont stop us trying to make the world better and fairer with computer code! But this is just deliberate smoke in order to keep the scam going. I think people are sick of it. I think right now theres a real appetite for banning crypto. With FTX, people already have put these clawback mechanisms in place. I think we should be doing that for all crypto projects. Everyone who has a sad story about how theyve lost money on their crypto investment, well, they should be able to access money from the people who benefitted from it. Thats what we would do in any other case of fraud or illegal investment. We should be thinking about reparative justice.
Steven Cuddeback, a lifelong farmer and military veteran whose career in public service included a year as chair of the Cayuga County Legislature, died Tuesday, Nov. 14.

According to Cuddeback's obituary, he passed away after a "brief and courageous battle with cancer." He was 65.

Cuddeback owned and operated Cuddeback Farms  his obituary notes farming has been a family tradition since 1794  and was a member of Finger Lakes Old Time Farmers, an antique tractor club.

He graduated from Moravia High School in 1976 and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. He served for six years, until 1982.

After returning home to Cayuga County, he added law enforcement to his farming duties. He had a stint as a corrections officer at the Cayuga County Jail and served for more than 30 years as a police officer in the village of Moravia. He was also a member of the New Hope Fire Department.

In 2001, Cuddeback was elected to the Cayuga County Legislature. He represented a district that included the towns of Moravia, Niles, Sempronius and Summerhill. During his legislative tenure, he chaired two committees  Judicial and Public Safety and Public Works. He won reelection in 2005 and 2009.

Cuddeback was elected chairman of the Cayuga County Legislature in 2012. His father, Howard Cuddeback, and father-in-law, Jack Coulson, served as chairs of the Cayuga County Board of Supervisors, which preceded the county Legislature.

Although his time as a county legislator ended after three terms, Cuddeback continued his public service in the town of Niles. He was elected to the town council in 2017 and won another term in 2021. He was also named deputy town supervisor.

This year, Cuddeback sought the Republican nomination for town supervisor. He lost to David Denman in the primary election. Denman won the general election this month, but Cuddeback received 89 write-in votes.

Cuddeback is survived by his wife, Teri, their two sons, three grandsons and several other family members.

A service will be held from 2 to 3 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 30, at West Niles Fire Department, 3956 Valentine Road. Visitation and a reception will follow.
Record Store Day Black Friday at indie record stores across Nashville on Nov. 24

Even if you try to avoid retail hell on Black Friday, Record Store Day Black Friday might just be enough to pull you out of ye olde food coma. As ever, a slew of annual exclusive titles  about 170 this year  are headed directly to your favorite local mom-and-pop stores on Friday, Nov. 24.

The most notable local-flavored releases are not one but two live LPs recorded at Grimeys; both are RSD First offerings thatll go into wider circulation later. The late Justin Townes Earles Live at Grimeys was recorded at the old Eighth Avenue South location during a release party for his 2014 LP Single Mothers; its a reissue, originally released on RSD 2015. Meanwhile, Margo Prices Strays (Live At Grimeys) was captured during her January 2023 in-store performance celebrating Strays release. The Noise for Now: Vol. 1 compilation, whose proceeds support abortion access, also has several Nashville contributions, including Amanda Shires and Jason Isbells The Problem, Bullys Labor of Love and the dream team of Caroline Spence, Erin Rae, Michaela Anne and Tristen on Kate Bushs This Womans Work.

Fans of the Disney Channel-to-pop-star pipeline will want to check out releases from Olivia Rodrigo (GUTS: the secret tracks EP, a 12-inch RSDBF exclusive with an etching on the flip side) and the Jonas Brothers (an RSD First two-LP set called The Family Business). Hip-hop legends De La Souls catalog finally came to streaming this year, and you can celebrate in a physical way with their revered 3 Feet High and Rising reissued as a box set of a dozen 7-inches. If I decide to brave the Black Friday crowds, Ill probably try to snag Joni Mitchells Court and Spark Demos LP, the New Heart Designs 12-inch featuring BADBADNOTGOODs remixes of three songs from Turnstiles Glow On, and The Beach Boys Christmas Album  reissued on green vinyl, the 1964 LP includes Blue Christmas and White Christmas amid a mix of covers and originals.

If youre looking to snag some of those sweet RSD exclusives, or just get some great deals on this years best records, you have plenty of options around town. The aforementioned Grimeys (1060 E. Trinity Lane) is opening an hour early at 10 a.m. to offer RSD releases; guests hoping to snag some rare vinyl are invited to line up at the back door. If youre just interested in that days regular releases or general browsing, you can go in the front entrance and get a head start on holiday shopping for all your audiophile friends.

Just down the road, The Groove (1103 Calvin Ave.) will also have exclusives. Theyll also have an array of Black Friday sales of their own, with discounts around the store including 20 percent off select records and vinyl mystery bags  the perfect gift for a Dirty Santa or White Elephant exchange.

Vinyl Tap (2038 Greenwood Ave.) is having a mega celebration on Black Friday. Not only are they observing RSD, they are also honoring the stores seventh anniversary and owner Todd Hedricks birthday. In addition to sales and specials on most of their inventory, Vinyl Tap is opening up their record vault for the occasion, offering out-of-print and signed albums. DJs from community radio station WXNA will be on hand from 1 to 6 p.m. Friday to soundtrack your shopping, and drink specials will be offered all weekend.

All locations of The Great Escape  in our vicinity, thats the Nashville flagship (5400 Charlotte Ave.) and stores in Madison (105 Gallatin Pike N.) and Murfreesboro (810 NW Broad St., No. 202)  will open four hours early at 8 a.m. to offer the RSD exclusive releases to eager shoppers. All standard inventory will also be discounted 20 percent for Black Friday, so be sure to stick around and browse after you grab your new releases and rarities.

If you arent dead set on browsing all the special titles, Alisons Record Shop (994A Davidson Drive), Phonoluxe (2609 Nolensville Pike) and Third Man Records storefront (623 Seventh Ave. S.) will have Black Friday offers as well. Everything at Alisons will be 15 percent off all weekend, and Phonoluxe will be putting out some as-yet-unbrowsed stock. Meanwhile, Third Man will have two new releases  a four-LP set of Bo Diddleys Im a Man: Chess Masters, 1955-1958 and a two-LP compilation of New Zealand rockers Electric Bloods work called Transfusion  the only RSD Black Friday records they will have in store.

Check out the full list of RSD Black Friday exclusives on the official Record Store Day website. Not every store had details available at press time, and happenings can always change, so be sure to watch social media or check in with your favorite local shop for the latest. And keep up with them when its not Record Store Day  after all, theyre there for you 365 days a year.
Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg addressed the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia in Skopje on Tuesday (21 November 2023), marking the first such address since the country joined NATO.

In his address, Mr Stoltenberg said the Western Balkans is essential to the security of Europe. He thanked North Macedonia for its commitment to the security of the Alliance, including valuable support to NATOs KFOR peacekeeping mission in Kosovo. The Secretary General welcomed North Macedonias help for Ukraine: Here, in this Assembly, you are united in denouncing Russias war of aggression against Ukraine.

North Macedonia became a member of NATO in March 2020, following the Prespa agreement, which Mr Stoltenberg said contributed to good neighbourly relations, and a brighter future for the people of North Macedonia. The Secretary General added that North Macedonia is an example of a successful multi-ethnic society: You demonstrate to the region and to the whole world that it is possible for different ethnic and religious groups to live together in peace, he said.

Speaking earlier following a meeting with Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski, the Secretary General said: NATO can rely on North Macedonia and North Macedonia can rely on NATO. The Alliance guarantees your security. You are covered by NATOs air policing. Fighter jets from Greece and Italy patrol your skies to keep you safe. This is NATO solidarity in action.

Mr Stoltenberg also warned that authoritarian states are seeking to undermine our freedom and way of life, including in the Western Balkans. He said: Our response must be to work even more closely together in NATO. Through our military presence and our cooperation with Allies and partners, we are a strong force for stability in the region.

While in Skopje, Mr Stoltenberg is also meeting with President Stevo Pendarovski, and the President of the Assembly, Talat Xhaferi.
(As delivered)

President Vucic, dear Aleksandar,

Thank you so much for the warm welcome. It's great to be back in Belgrade and to meet with you again.

Serbia is an important regional actor and a long-standing partner of NATO. A good example of our cooperation is the joint work we have done over the past 10 years through NATOs Science for Peace Programme. And the way we work together also in different fields under the Science for Peace Programme we work on energy and environmental security, advanced technologies, and cyber-defence.

I look forward to seeing some of these activities, some examples of our important cooperation between NATO and Serbia when I meet some Serbian scientists later on today, demonstrating how NATO scientists and Serbian scientists are working together.

During our breakfast and our meeting we also discussed the possibility of resuming joint military exercises. NATO and Serbia have had joint military exercises before and actually you and I also visited the joint Serbian NATO civil preparedness exercise some years ago and we would welcome the possibility of resuming these kind of exercises in the future. And I look forward to further strengthening our cooperation.

President Vucic and I, we just discussed the recent tensions in the north of Kosovo. And the continued importance of NATOs KFOR peacekeeping mission. For two decades, KFOR has ensured a safe and secure environment in Kosovo for all communities. We will continue to do so impartially, and in line with our UN mandate.

In May, our KFOR troops were attacked. 93 of them were wounded. Some suffered life changing injuries. In September, we saw another outbreak of serious violence in Kosovo. This is unacceptable. The facts must be established. The perpetrators must face justice. Therefore I welcome that Serbia is prepared to cooperate in these efforts as we also discussed during our meeting.

In the wake of the violence, NATO has deployed around 1,000 additional peacekeepers and heavier armour to Kosovo. This has been the biggest reinforcement of our contingent in Kosovo in a decade. And it shows that NATO stands ready to preserve peace.

I welcome the close and continued coordination between the Serbian armed forces and KFOR. This is important to ensure timely information sharing to avoid any misunderstandings. I count on all sides to reduce tensions and to refrain from escalatory actions.

As I said, President Vucic, during our meeting, the Serbian military build-up of forces near the administrative boundary line again would not help the situation.

I welcome the EUs latest proposals for the establishment of the association of Serb-majority municipalities in Kosovo. This would be a key step toward normalisation of the relationships. I call on Belgrade and Pristina to engage constructively in the EU-facilitated dialogue. This is the only path to a lasting peace and stability.

We also discussed Russias war against Ukraine. We should continue to clearly condemn Russias unacceptable aggression. As Ukraine enters a second winter of war, support from NATO Allies and partners remains essential.

So President Vucic, dear Aleksandar, its great to be back and thank you for a very constructive and good meeting.

Moderator: Thank you, Mr. President. We can now move to your questions. Tanjug agency, Marija Stosic.

Marija Stosic (Tanjug): Good afternoon. The first question is for Mr. President, Mr. President, until when the objective for Serbia will be moved? There were speaking about the resignation of Albanian mayors. It did not happen. You mentioned the signed agreement on the community of Serbian municipalities as of 2013 Now, there is going to be a new one with much less authorities than in the Brussels agreement. How far will the scale of Serbia will go? On the condemnation of Banjska action, will someone be accountable for persecution and attacks against Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija? And a question for Mr. Stoltenberg. Will NATO ask for apprehension and bring to justice those who shot [inaudible], who was shot with two bullets by the members of the so called Kosovo Special Police Forces? Thank you.

Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg: NATO is based on some core values and principles and one of those core values and principles is of course, the rule of law and any violation of the rule of law and killings of civilians is absolutely unacceptable. And as always those responsible must be held accountable regardless of who's the perpetrator or who is responsible. Because this is about upholding some core principles, about the rule of law.

Then I think it is important to understand, as also President Vucic alluded to, the role that NATO has: the first responder when it comes to the rule of law is the Kosovo authorities and the Kosovo police, then the second responder is EULEX. And then, NATO's military presence, it is not a law enforcement presence. Our presence is there to ensure stability and to ensure that we live up to our UN mandate in an impartial way. So NATO is not a law enforcing authority in Kosovo, we are there with a military presence and we have actually increased our military presence with around 1000 personnel because of the increased tensions and violence. But rest assure, every time we see violations of the law, we see innocent people killed, then of course, the message is the same, that those responsible must be held accountable.

Then let me just sort of briefly say that I welcome the message from President Vucic on the resumption of joint military exercises. I really believe that NATO and Serbia can do more together and it demonstrates that we have a partnership that goes far beyond the issues we address in Kosovo. We work together on different Science for Peace projects. We work together on joint exercises. And we also are grateful for what Serbia has done in support different activities by NATO and how NATO has helped to work together with Serbia over many years.

The fact that we have exercises together and that we have joint military exercises between Serbia and NATO, doesn't mean that that undermines Serbias neutrality. Serbia has made it very clear that it will remain a neutral country, outside military blocks. We totally respect that. But we continue to believe that as a neutral country, outside the military blocks, Serbia can work closely with NATO and that will benefit NATO and benefit Serbia.

Moderator: Mustafa Ozturk, Anadolu Agency. Mustafa.

Mustafa Ozturk (Anadolu): Secretary General, after the armed clashes in north of Kosovo, Pristina demanded NATO to guard its border with Serbia while Serbia demands NATO to provide more security for Serbs living in Kosovo. Is NATO planning to take some steps to provide the requested security?

And also, Serbia will hold the general elections soon, so is there any planning to a secure environment in the north of Kosovo for Serbs living in Kosovo to participate in the elections? Thank you very much.

Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg: Again, NATO's presence in Kosovo is based on a UN mandate that gives us an important role to protect all people and to protect the free movement of people in Kosovo, but it doesn't put NATO into the law enforcement role. We are not a police, we are a military force. The law enforcement role and the police authorities tasks, that's partly Kosovo authorities, the Kosovo police, and partly EULEX. So again, I think it is important to understand what NATO is doing in Kosovo and what we are not responsible for in Kosovo.

Since the increased tensions, the increased violence, NATO has decided to increase its presence. I met with the KFOR troops in Kosovo yesterday. I also went to the north to one of the NATO bases up in the north. And, of course, what I saw there was a strong committed NATO force, which is there, of course, also to ensure the protection of the Serbs living in the north. We are now conducting a review of our presence. We had many more troops, not so many years ago. It has gradually been reduced.

The additional 1000 troops is the biggest reinforcement of our KFOR presence for at least a decade in Kosovo. As we have seen over the last weeks, the review which our military authorities are conducting is looking into whether we should strengthen the mission on a more enduring basis because what we have done so far as to call in reserves, and now we are looking into whether to have a more enduring increased presence. No decision has been made. And this is done about not only using the reserves, but having a higher baseline for our presence. Again, we are looking into different options now. No decision has been made, but what has happened is that we have added 1000 extra reserves to the KFOR troops in Kosovo.

Moderator: Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Secretary General. Dear colleagues, we thank you, we hereby end today's press conference. Thank you very much.
(As delivered)

Prime Minister Kovacevski, dear Dimitar,

It is great to see you again and great to be back here in Skopje and thank you so much for your warm welcome.

Later today, I will address the National Assembly.

This is really a high honour, and I am profoundly grateful.

The Republic of North Macedonia is a valued NATO Ally.

You contribute to the security and the stability of the Western Balkans through our KFOR peacekeeping mission in Kosovo.

You are committed to spending 2% of GDP on defence by next year.

And North Macedonia has strongly denounced Russias war against Ukraine.

You have joined the European Union in imposing sanctions on Moscow.

And you provide military and financial support to Ukraine.

And you provide forces to different NATO missions and operations.

So you are really a highly valued Ally and it makes a difference in your contributions to our Alliance.

NATO can rely on North Macedonia.

And North Macedonia can rely on NATO.

The Alliance guarantees your security.

You are covered by NATOs air policing.

Fighter jets from Greece and Italy patrol your skies to keep you safe.

This is NATO solidarity in action.

The security of the Western Balkans is vital to NATO.

And there are causes for concern.

Tensions have risen in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

I encourage political leaders there to refrain from divisive and secessionist rhetoric,

and instead concentrate their efforts on reconciliation and a peaceful future.

In Kosovo, we have seen recent incidents of serious violence.

Including an unacceptable attack on KFOR peacekeepers.

Those responsible must be held to account.

Belgrade and Pristina must engage in the EU-facilitated dialogue.

This is the only way to reach solutions that respect the rights of all communities.

We also see authoritarian states seeking to undermine our freedom and way of life.

Including here in the Western Balkans.

Spreading disinformation, sowing division and undermining democracy.

Our response must be to work even more closely together in NATO.

Through our military presence, and our cooperation with Allies and partners, we are a strong force for stability in the region.

So once again, Prime Minister, its good to be back. Ive been here many times before.

But this is my first visit, as you said, as Secretary-General, after you became a full-fledged member, so therefore it is a special honour to be here today.

Thank you so much.

Moderator: Now we'll hear from ALFA TV, questions.

Question 1: [interpreted from Macedonian] Thank you. Good afternoon. [inaudible] from ALFA TV. To the Secretary General Stoltenberg and Prime Minister Kovacevski. How do you interpret last week's statement of the Ukrainian President Zelenskyy that he has information that Russia has a plan for military destabilisation on the Balkans? Have you contacted Kyiv about the information and what do you see as the strongest security risk in the region?

Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski: [answers in Macedonian]

Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg: We do not see any imminent military threat from Russia against any NATO Ally or region. But of course, we remain vigilant. We monitor closely what Russia is doing, and we remain united. We have a military presence in this region with KFOR, with a headquarters in Sarajevo and actually also an office in Belgrade. And we are ready to quickly reinforce and to do what is necessary to defend and protect every Ally against any threat. But again, we don't see any imminent military threat against any NATO Ally. Then we continue to reiterate our consistent message to Russia that they should refrain from the aggressive actions against neighbours, and of course stop the military aggression against Ukraine. And they should respect international law and also the right for every nation to choose its own path. Because this is We have to remember that one of the reasons why President Putin went to war against Ukraine was that he didn't want Ukraine to join the Alliance. And he wanted more than that. He actually wanted NATO to guarantee no further NATO enlargement. He wanted NATO to remove all its forces from the eastern part of the Alliance. Putin is getting exactly the opposite. He's getting more NATO, more NATO presence in the eastern part of the Alliance, and now two new NATO members, Finland and Sweden. So this is a big strategic defeat for President Putin. And it means It demonstrates again that it was a big mistake to invade Ukraine. And I welcome the support from North Macedonia, from NATO Allies to continue to support Ukraine. We just had new announcements today from Germany, and also recently from the United States, of more military support to Ukraine. So we will be there to continue to support Ukraine in the right for self defence against Russian aggression.

Moderator: [speaks in Macedonian]

Question 2: [interpreted from Macedonian] Thank you. Simona Srbinoska from MIA. I have a question for the Prime Minister. What are your expectations from the December Summit of EU and what are the concrete benefits that we'll have for our Western Balkan growth plan?

Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski: [answers in Macedonian]

Moderator: And the last question, [inaudible].

Question 3: [interpreted from Macedonian] Good afternoon, Ivana [inaudible]. Mr. Stoltenberg, you visited several countries from the Western Balkans and your tour will finish here in Skopje, from what we saw. Neither of these countries in the region you did not address in the Assembly and this is not the case with Macedonia. You will address the day before the members of the parliament. Is this a message in terms of the process of the amendments to the Constitution? And what message do you send that the regional meeting of the leaders is happening in Skopje?

Secretary General: [] of North Macedonia as a highly valued NATO Ally, and I welcome very much that the government and the National Assembly is ready to host me, but also the summit tomorrow with leaders from NATO Allies in the region. And of course it is a great honour to be able to address the National Assembly in Skopje once again. So far I have visited partner nations, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, and also in Kosovo. Now I'm in a NATO Allied country and therefore it's also natural that this is the place where we have the big meeting with the heads of state and government from the other NATO Allies in the region. So this is a recognition of the importance, the role that North Macedonia plays in this Alliance, and also how much we value that you are now a full-fledged member. I have addressed the National Assembly before. But of course, this is the first time I address the National Assembly as North Macedonia being a full-fledged member of the Alliance. And I've followed that development very closely, and I would like to commend you for the courage, the wisdom and the bravery, actually, that was needed to ensure that you became a full-fledged member of the Alliance. The Prespa Agreement was not easy, but it was good for North Macedonia. It was good for the whole region and it was good for NATO. And this is about security. But it's also that security helps to promote prosperity. With stability and prosperity, there are actually more investments, more jobs and more foreign direct investments in North Macedonia. So there's a link between security and prosperity which I think has been demonstrated by the fact that you now are a full member of the Alliance. So I'm looking forward to the meeting this afternoon with the Assembly and also the summit tomorrow.

Moderator: This will be the end of today's press conference. Thank you for your attention.
Americas self-serving interests in ongoing conflicts are sending its proxy nations into disastrous situations with catastrophic repercussions

Retired U.S. Army colonel and author Douglas MacGregor warned that America's selfish interests are endangering both Ukraine and Israel in their respective conflicts, further pointing to the United States' lack of national strategy, which involves military power, economic development and cultivating good relations for commerce and business overseas. He told Mike Adams in a recent episode of the "Health Ranger Report" that "we're in a lot of trouble as a nation. We don't really define our fundamental interests. We don't essentially link means and ends and have no sense of limitations."

Adams, the free-speech platform Brighteon.com founder, also brought up the United States' lack of credibility on the world stage. He set U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's recent visit to the Middle East as an example, where he was largely ignored and not treated like a U.S. official used to be treated. For the retired combat veteran, this is not something new. "Up until World War One, we were a nation that focused preeminently on building prosperity at home and pursuing peace abroad. The formula for success for the country was if we built our economic foundation, raised our standard of living, and cultivated the emergence of an educated, intelligent, hard-working population, then the rest of the world would notice. They'll want to imitate us," he said, emphasizing that there was nothing in the Constitution or in the minds of the people who founded America about intervening in other people's affairs.

And now, by essentially signing on for these wars of intervention, the nation is deluding itself to believe that we were an indispensable nation and that our rights and values were universal, he commented. "We lost respect for other people's countries, national interests, cultures, and way of life. It's been a disaster."

Adams dug deeper saying that America today seems to be very good at running around the world attempting to bludgeon other nations into compliance with the Western liberal order, citing the devastation of Ukraine. "Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian young men lost their lives under the 'guidance' mostly of the United States of America," the Health Ranger said and proceeded to imply the possibility that Israel is in a similar situation where the U.S. is willing to fight Iran to the last Israeli, just as America wanted to fight Russia to the last Ukrainian.

The colonel commented that Israel's motivation in the current conflict is to once and for all settle accounts with the Muslim Arabs in Gaza. It's not enough for them to destroy Hamas. They are going for the complete elimination of the foundation for the militant group, which is 2.2 million Arabs living inside the enclave. "But no one stood up and said 'Eliminating these people is unacceptable. We won't support it. That is something that we have opposed repeatedly. We opposed the so-called ethnic cleansing in Bosnia Herzegovina. They know we've opposed ethnic cleansing in Africa.'"(Related: Israel admits willingness to inflict "mass civilian casualties" in Gaza  GENOCIDE is the endgame.)

Moreover, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been empowered to have more influence and authority than U.S. President Joe Biden's administration. "Every time Blinken opens his mouth and makes some policy pronouncement, Netanyahu contradicts him," he said and added that Netanyahu is clearly in charge. "This is a very dangerous situation for a great power like the United States because we do not want to be dragged into a potential regional war with virtually everyone in the region."

Domestic implications of Biden's faulty foreign relations policies

Elsewhere in the show, Adams touched on a critical point in line with Biden's continuous support for Israel's ongoing bombardment of civilian targets, hospitals, universities, and refugee camps in Gaza. As the U.S. border policies continue to be "wide open" and inviting for foreign illegals, there is a great risk that many border crossers will become more activated or radicalized. "Couldn't there be a very real domestic risk of suicide bombers, for example, because of the poorly thought-out policies of the way the U.S. State Department is interacting with Israel?" he asked.

MacGregor quickly concurred pointing out that at the moment, people no longer know who is inside the United States. We have no idea how many illegals are here. I spoke to a couple of people who have to remain anonymous, at Homeland Security. And I asked specifically, the numbers that have been published that we might have eight million illegals in the country, he said. They laughed and said, No, we've got at least 28 million, probably more. They explained that the eight million have come across the border since Biden became president.

What is worse, he said is that these border crossers are given money and a free ticket to wherever they want to go in America. "No one is seriously interrogated about their origins, connections, or their beliefs." He also said that the country is on a suicidal path, only it is assisted suicide, with the government assisting people in destroying the country "by overwhelming us internally with foreigners."

"Meantime, we're sending forces to assist and support Israel. They're there to support the security and survival of the Israeli state. But what Netanyahu is now saying is, 'Look, we have an opportunity to leverage American military power, which is doing nothing on the border and nothing to secure the United States. And we can leverage it to our heart's content to settle a case with everybody we don't like or who opposes us in the Middle East,'" he warned. "That's a very dangerous picture because now we're talking about the Turks and Iranians, joining together with the various Arab states in elicit coalescing into a military alliance aimed at Israel."

Watch the full episode of the "Health Ranger Report" featuring Col. Douglas MacGregor below.

This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

English.ElPais.com
Aussie intelligence points finger at ChiComs for CYBERATTACKS targeting the Land Down Under

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is responsible for the majority of the cyberattacks that have targeted Australia, according to an intelligence agency in the country.

The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), an office under the Australian Department of Defense, put forward this claim in a new report. It pointed out that the CCP remained a significant threat to the Land Down Under's cybersecurity in 2023, noting that China was a sponsor of most cyberattacks and malicious activities targeting critical infrastructures and businesses in Australia.

The ASD  which is "responsible for foreign signals intelligence, cyber security and offensive cyber operations" as per the Epoch Times  raised the alarm about a sharp rise in cybercrimes against Australian government entities, companies and individuals in its report.. "The global and regional strategic environment continues to deteriorate, which is reflected in the observable activities of some state actors in cyberspace," it stated.

"Some states are willing to use cyber capabilities to destabilize or disrupt economic, political and social systems. Some also target critical infrastructure or networks of strategic value with the aim of coercion or prepositioning on a network for future disruptive activity."

In May, the ASD highlighted that the Beijing-backed hacking group Volt Typhoon was able to use a technique called "living off the land" to blend in with normal system and network activities. In reality, the hackers were stealing information and conducting cyber espionage. The agency expressed concern that Volt Typhoon could apply the technique to Australian systems, given that it had breached critical infrastructure systems in the United States. (Related: More sophisticated Chinese cyberattacks target US firms, government agencies, defense contractors.)

The report also listed Russia as a threat, alongside the CCP. The ASD cited the Russian Federal Security Service's use of the "Snake" malware for long-term intelligence collection on high-priority targets worldwide.

Aussie DPM: Canberra's relationship with Beijing is "complex"

The ASD noted in its report that the AUKUS partnership  involving Australia, the U.K. and the U.S.  and its focus on nuclear submarines and other advanced military capabilities is likely to be targeted by malicious state actors. It also warned that these actors would continue to target Australian government agencies, critical infrastructure and companies to collect information.

Despite the cyberattacks from the CCP, China continues to be Australia's largest trading partner. Even Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles admitted that Canberra's relationship with Beijing was "complex" during an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

"We value, clearly, a productive relationship with China  but we've never pretended that this relationship is easy, said Marles, who also serves as the Australian defense minister. "They're our largest trading partner, so it's right to be investing in that relationship. But China has been a source of security anxiety for our country, and we prepare for that as well."

While the Australian government pointed to the CCP as a backer behind cyberattacks against the country, Marles said there was a need to maintain "excellent" diplomacy with Beijing and stabilize the relationship between the two nations. At the same time, he also assured the Australian population that Canberra was trying to make critical infrastructure defense as robust as possible.

"That's why we're seeing an A$10 billion ($6.5 billion) investment over ten years in the ASD, which effectively doubles [its] size. It is a huge uplift in our cyber capability and our cyber defense."

Marles' remarks followed an admission by Australian Cybersecurity Minister Clare O'Neil that the Land Down Under was vulnerable to cyberattacks. In turn, she made the admission after DP World, Australia's second-largest port operator, was hacked on Nov. 10. The incident sparked fears of a severe disruption to the supply chain.

Visit CommunistChina.news for more stories about China's role in cyberattacks worldwide.

Watch Mike Martins explain why China is taking over Australia in the clip below.

This video is from the Mike Martins Channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Report: China HACKED networks of at least SIX state governments in 2021.

Chinese hackers STEAL intellectual property from more than 30 companies.

Chinese hacking group targets private companies, gov't agencies linked to wind farms.

Chinese hackers exploit Microsoft cloud bug to raid US government email accounts, including the Commerce Secretary's.

Chinese government-backed hackers steal 60,000 emails from State Department employees by exploiting a Microsoft engineer's device.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

Brighteon.com
BBC on Al-Shifa raid: Israel tampered with evidence, edited unedited video and failed to prove claims

The BBC, one of only two news organizations allowed into Al-Shifa Hospital by Israel, is reporting that the IDF tampered with evidence, edited the "unedited" video of the raid they released on social media and have failed so far to prove that the site is being used as a "Hamas Command Center" as they claimed.

(Article by Chris Menahan republished from InformationLiberation.com)

??????? BOMBSHELL: BBC proves that the Israeli army is moving weapons around to show them as found at a specific place! They also have not yet produced evidence that Al Shifa was a headquaters with a huge underground facility! Caught  pic.twitter.com/OvkjujhOc5  Lord Bebo (@MyLordBebo) November 17, 2023

I reported on much of this yesterday and still nothing has changed.

They dug up a tunnel outside the building but it appears it was just a water reservoir or septic tank.

NOTICE? This is the SECOND time Israel claims a water reservoir at a hospital was a Hamas tunnel. They were exposed for doing this at Sheikh Hamad Hospital.https://t.co/YdK2QMyqkApic.twitter.com/XZyLZGwsRF  Syrian Girl ??? (@Partisangirl) November 17, 2023

Photos show how this type of septic tank/water reservoir looks like above ground. The pipe that would lead in and out of the tank can also be seen. This is not a "hamas tunnel" as the IDF claimed. #gazapic.twitter.com/Mbnl5YPviy  Syrian Girl ??? (@Partisangirl) November 17, 2023

Here is how the underground sewage tank looks before the IDF bulldozed it to make it look like a "Hamas tunnel" at Al Shifa hospital No wonder the IDF didn't want to go inside to film. #AlShifaHospitalpic.twitter.com/Ph8hP42RSp  Syrian Girl ??? (@Partisangirl) November 17, 2023

David Friedman, the former US ambassador to Israel under Donald Trump, claimed earlier this week that it has been "proven with certainty" that Hamas's HQ was under the hospital and accused an Al Jazeera interviewer of "Holocaust denial" for demanding evidence.

David Friedman, former US ambassador to Israel under Trump, says "it's been proven with certainty" that the Hamas Headquarters is under the Shifa Hospital. Asked for the source of this alleged proof, Friedman accuses Al Jazeera interviewer of "Holocaust denial". pic.twitter.com/qvLFMYd5va  Clash Report (@clashreport) November 15, 2023

As I highlighted yesterday, patients inside the hospital have been put through hell and multiple have died due to the disruptions caused by the IDF's raid/siege.

Read more at: InformationLiberation.com
Depopulating Gaza could facilitate Israels plans to build a lucrative rival to the Suez Canal

As Israel continues to fight a war against Hamas terrorists in Gaza that is killing thousands of civilians, they are drawing criticism and condemnation from around the world.

While their stated goal of eradicating the terrorists who brutally massacred more than a thousand Israelis and took hundreds of people hostage may have seemed reasonable initially, it quickly became apparent that they cannot meet this goal without causing undue harm to civilians. So why are they continuing? There is some speculation that their interest in building an alternative to the Suez Canal might be an underlying motivation.

Israel has been discussing plans to build a Suez Canal rival with the U.S. since the 1960s. The Suez Canal is a very lucrative trade route for Egypt, and with 20 percent of all world trade currently passing through it, there is a big opportunity there  especially when you consider the fact that many Western nations would prefer not to depend on Egypt for world trade given its close ties to Russia.

The proposed Israeli canal, which was dubbed the Ben Gurion Canal Project, would start near the port city of Eilat on the Gulf of Aqaba close to the Israel-Jordan border and flow through the Arabah Valley and the Dead Sea before then moving north around the Gaza Strip to ultimately connect the Gulf of Aqaba with the Mediterranean Sea. Cutting through the Gaza Strip would be a more direct route.

According to declassified documents from July of 1963, the U.S. Department of Energy helped create a plan to detonate hundreds of nuclear explosions under the ground of the Negev Desert to make the canal possible. The document noted: Such a canal would be a strategically valuable alternate to the present Suez Canal and would probably contribute greatly to the economic development of the surrounding area.

While 130 miles of the proposed 160-mile canal were situated in what was then virtually unpopulated desert wasteland, the main obstacle to the plan would be relocating people living in the Gaza Strip. The document points out: Another problem which has not been considered is that of political feasibility, as it is likely that the Arab countries surrounding Israel would object strongly to the construction of such a canal.

A canal would make Israel a key player in maritime commerce

If the new canal does proceed, it will be about a third longer than the Suez Canal but could handle more traffic. The parties that control the canal will have an outsized influence on the global supply routes of grain, oil and shipping. With Gaza out of the way, the canal could be created with ease and diversions would not be needed.

Theres also, not surprisingly, a lot of money at stake. The Suez Canal recently set a new record for annual revenue of $9.4 billion for Egypt, and the new canal would be designed to be more efficient and accommodate a higher volume of ships thanks to its hardier terrain than the Suez Canals sand. It would also allow two-way traffic, meaning ships could pass in both directions at the same time.

The canal would position Israel as a key player in global maritime commerce, and some believe that it would be in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus best interests to pursue it as he faces dwindling public support in Israel. The fact that Egypt  and by extension, Russia  would exert far less control over world trade makes it an attractive prospect to many other countries as well. What is happening in Gaza is so hard for many of us to comprehend, but when you follow the money, it becomes clear that there is a lot more to the story.

Sources for this article include:

ArmstrongEconomics.com

EurasiaReview.com
FBI wary of terrorists crossing the border illegally

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray's recent testimony before the House Homeland Security Committee shed light on the bureau's heightened concerns regarding individuals who enter the United States illegally, evading detection by border officials.

In addressing the committee's queries about the presence of known or suspected terrorists among these undocumented individuals, Wray emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating that such groups are of "great concern" to the bureau.

"Can the FBI guarantee American people that known or suspected terrorists, including any from Hamas or other terror groups, are not amongst those gotaways?" he asked. "Well, certainly the group of people that you're talking about are a source of great concern for us. That's why we're aggressively using all 56 of our joint terrorism task forces."

Wray added: "Any time you have a group of people in the United States that we don't know nearly enough about, that is a source of concern for us from a perspective in our lane of protecting Americans." Wray assured the committee that the FBI is taking robust measures to address this challenge.

The director highlighted the evolving landscape of border security, particularly as it pertains to individuals about whom the bureau lacks comprehensive information.

During the hearing, Wray acknowledged a disturbing trend  the increasing number of suspected terrorists attempting to cross the southern border.

Although he refrained from speculating on the driving forces behind this surge, he underlined its significance. This comes against the backdrop of record-level encounters with illegal immigrants along the U.S.-Mexico border, as reported by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Wray's testimony also touched on the broader context of border security, with October figures indicating approximately 240,000 encounters, marking an 11 percent decline from the previous month.

At least 2.5 million illegals stayed in the U.S. during Biden's first 26 months as president

Also, the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee reported that at least 2.5 million illegal immigrants had no confirmed departure from the U.S. after entering between January 20, 2021 and March 31, 2023, or roughly coinciding with President Joe Biden's first two years in office. (Related: MASS INVASION about to be unleashed against America as "border restrictions" end.)

U.S. authorities have emphasized the reinstatement of deportation flights to Venezuela, commencing on October 18, coinciding with Venezuelans surpassing Mexicans as the predominant nationality encountered at the border.

The apprehension of Venezuelans witnessed a substantial decline, plummeting by 45 percent from 54,833 to 29,637, maintaining their position as the second-highest nationality detained after Mexicans. Notably, arrests of Venezuelans experienced an even steeper drop, decreasing by 74 percent in the latter half of October compared to September.

Overall arrests for unauthorized border crossings totaled 188,778 in October, marking a decline from the 218,763 recorded in September, which stood as the second-highest monthly figure on record.

The surge in arrests over the preceding three months, attributed to adjustments by illegal migrants and smugglers following new asylum regulations implemented in May, contributed to this fluctuation.

A marginal increase was observed in the arrests of Chinese nationals, reaching 4,247, predominantly concentrated in the San Diego area, where 99 percent of these incidents occurred. This trend is indicative of a growing number of individuals flying to Ecuador before making their way to the U.S. border.

The use of the CBP One mobile app for scheduled appointments facilitated the entry of over 44,000 individuals from Mexico, contributing to the cumulative total of 324,000 appointments since the app's introduction in January.

An additional 270,000 people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela accessed the country by applying online with a financial sponsor and subsequently arriving at an airport.

This comprehensive data offers insights into the evolving patterns of border crossings, shedding light on the diverse nationalities, migration methods, and technological tools influencing immigration dynamics. The political discourse surrounding the Biden administration's border policies, particularly among Republicans who contend that lax security measures contribute to illegal immigration, was implicitly addressed.

Watch this video about the FBI issuing a terror warning after authorities caught illegals with IEDs at the southern border.

This video is from the BehindTheLinePodcast channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Texas border sector reports 10K known border crossers in single week.

BORDER DEFENSE: America protects US-Mexico border with barbed wire and verbal warnings.

Every state is now a border state: Alabama deploys 275 National Guardsmen to southern border to deter illegals.

Sources include:

TheEpochtimes.com

FoxNews.com

Brighteon.com
With Gasgoo Daily, we will offer daily important automotive news in China. For those we have reported, the title of the piece will include a hyperlink, which will provide detailed information.

Baidu's Apollo Go offers 821,000 rides in Q3 2023, up 73% YoY

Apollo Go, Baidu's autonomous ride-hailing service, provided 821,000 rides in the third quarter of 2023, up 73% year over year. As of September 30, 2023, the cumulative rides provided to the public by Apollo Go reached 4.1 million.

Photo credit: Baidu Apollo Go

NIO so far deploys over 20,000 supercharging piles in China

NIO announced on November 20 it had so far deployed over 20,000 supercharging piles in 306 cities across China.

Michelin working on expanding production capacity at Shanghai factory

On November 20, Michelin, a global leader in tire technology, initiated the groundbreaking for the second phase of its expansion project at the plant in Minhang Development Zone, Shanghai city. Covering nearly 70,000 square meters, the first stage of the aforesaid project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2026, lifting the factorys total annual production capacity of high-performance radial car tires to 9.5 million units.

CATL, China Academy of Civil Aviation Science and Technology to build joint lab for lithium battery safety

Recently, Chinese power battery giant CATL and China Academy of Civil Aviation Science and Technology ("CAST") held a signing ceremony in Ningde city, Fujian province for a framework agreement on establishing a joint laboratory focused on lithium battery safety, according to a press release CATL released on Monday via its WeChat account.

CATL to supply Stellantis with battery cells, modules for EV production in Europe

Stellantis N.V. and CATL announced on November 21 the signing of a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which outlines CATL's commitment to supplying Stellantis with LFP battery cells and modules for the latter's electric vehicle (EV) production in Europe.

Chinese autonomous mining solution developer EACON bags 400 million yuan in recent equity financing rounds

Chinese autonomous haulage solution provider EACON recently announced the completion of successive funding rounds, amassing close to 400 million yuan.

BYD Song L to hit market in mid-December

BYD's highly anticipated midsize SUV, the Song L, is scheduled to hit the market on December 15 this year. Positioned as a bold and stylish SUV with a focus on hunting-inspired coupe aesthetics, the Song L has already commenced pre-sales with a pricing range of 220,000 yuan to 280,000 yuan, offering five trim levels for consumers to choose from.

Xiaomi Group sees Q3 R&D expenses jump 22% YoY, to conduct second-round winter car testing soon

In a quarterly financial report released on November 20, Chinese consumer electronics and smart manufacturing company Xiaomi Group revealed that its research and development (R&D) expenditure leapt 22% year on year to 50 billion yuan in the third quarter of this year, marking its highest single-quarter R&D spending in the past two years.

China's largest-ever Tesla destination charging station launched in Shenzhen city

In an event held on November 17, Tesla celebrated the completion of the destination charging station in Qiaochengfang, Shenzhen city, showcasing an impressive facility featuring 188 destination charging piles. This station stands as the largest among the existing 700+ Tesla destination charging stations on the Chinese Mainland, according to a post on "Shenzhen Release", a WeChat account of Shenzhen's government.

BYD's FANGCHENGBAO to begin delivering BAO 5 off-road SUVs in late Nov.

On November 20, FANGCHENGBAO ("FANGCHENG" for "formula"), BYD's fresh professional personalized sub-brand, announced that its inaugural model, the BAO 5 ("BAO" for"leopard"), would officially commence deliveries on November 24.

NIO, Changan Auto join forces to develop battery swap-related business

On November 21, Changan Auto and NIO signed a cooperative agreement in Chongqing city on battery swap-related businesses on November 21. This groundbreaking collaboration aims to establish battery swap standards, facilitate the construction and sharing of battery swap networks, engage in joint R&D of battery-swap-enabled vehicle models, and implement an efficient battery asset management system.
Germany to DOUBLE its military aid spending for Ukraine in 2024

The government of Germany has announced its plan to "expand and increase" the support it provides for Ukraine amid the country's ongoing conflict with Russia.

This was announced by German Minister of Foreign Affairs Annalena Baerbock, who made the pronouncement during a meeting with her counterparts in the European Union in Brussels on Monday, Nov. 13. She provided few details regarding the proposals other than a promise to provide Kyiv with "winter protection" in the months ahead. (Related: DESPERATE MOVE: Zelensky BEGS Western allies for more money, promises to pay back all loans after the war.)

Baerbock reportedly told her European Union (EU) counterparts that, even as Europe struggles to respond to the ongoing war between Israel and Palestinians in Gaza, it is still important to "face the geopolitical challenge here."

"Our support will be massively expanded, especially for the next year," said Baerbock, who warned Moscow to not expect a reduction in EU aid to Kyiv as a result of the "dramatic situation worldwide."

"We will not only continue our support for Ukraine," she added. "We will continue to expand and increase it."

Baerbock's "winter protection," which has already been approved and is not included in the upcoming expanded aid package, includes a shipment of American-made Patriot air defense systems and additional electric generators.

German military aid to Ukraine set to expand to over $8 billion

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's current plan is for his governing coalition to put forward a bill in the Bundestag, the German parliament, to expand the country's military aid for Ukraine from four billion euros ($4.34 billion) to eight billion euros ($8.68 billion).

This is likely to be approved, as Scholz's coalition  comprised of the left-wing Social Democratic Party, the environmentalist Greens and the pro-free market Free Democratic Party  holds a comfortable majority in the Bundestag.

This increase would massively expand Germany's defense spending to 2.1 percent of its gross domestic product, well above the two percent target pledged by all North Atlantic Treaty Organization members.

"It is a strong signal to Ukraine that we will not leave them in the lurch," said Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius, adding that should the proposal be passed by the Bundestag, it would mean the annual budget allocation for Ukraine should be enough to last the whole fiscal year, which begins on Jan. 1, 2024.

Lawmakers from Scholz's government have already agreed on the increase in negotiations over the proposed 2024 federal budget.

This budget proposal does not include another 1.5 billion euros ($1.63 billion) in "commitment authorizations" Scholz's government has already agreed to allocate for Ukraine, which will primarily be spent on non-military aid for Kyiv.

Since the beginning of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine, Berlin has emerged as the second-largest provider of military aid for Kyiv. Germany has spent some $18.2 billion in military assistance for Ukraine, trailing far the U.S., which has spent around $45 billion.

Learn more about the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the support provided to Kyiv by Europe and the West at UkraineWitness.com.

Watch this clip from "Borzzikman: Independent Truth Seeker" claiming that Russian special forces units have captured German Army officers in Ukraine.

This video is from the channel The Prisoner on Brighteon.com.

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Ukrainian security forces, funded by U.S. taxpayers, operate a $34 billion CHILD-SELLING trafficking racket.

Europe's defense industry unable to achieve Ukraine weapons supply goal: "Unattainable," says German official.

EU members question bloc's moral authority as it condemns Russia's Ukraine invasion but excuses Israel for carrying out bombings of residential buildings in Gaza.

RIGGED: Lobbying group with deep ties to military-industrial complex behind articles demanding MORE TAXPAYER MONEY for Ukraine.

Ukraine suddenly discovers money to manufacture its own weapons as U.S. funding dries up.

Sources include:

RT.com

APNews.com

Reuters.com

Brighteon.com
Israel is losing as non-Western nations turn sharply against its war, but MSM covers it up

The mainstream media (MSM) has been championing Ukraine's advantage over Russia in their ongoing conflict. Non-Western allies have been dodging U.S. sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin's nation in support of Russia and they have been keeping on without much dependence on Western "superpowers." And now, even though the majority of non-Western countries have also turned sharply against Israel, mainstream news outlets continue to propagandize that Hamas is on the losing end of the war. According to Kevin Barrett, a Ph.D. Islamic studies scholar who wages "truth jihad," the media continue to manufacture and inhabit a bubble completely divorced from moral and strategic reality.

"They can't even imagine Israel being in the wrong, even though it is. They can't imagine Hamas being noble and chivalrous fighters, and Israelis being cowardly child-killing terrorists, though such is the case," he lamented in his recent Substack entry. "They can't acknowledge that the vast majority of the world disagrees with them for very good reasons, not because of 'anti-Semitism.' And above all, they can't imagine that Israel, despite (or because of) its genocidal assault on civilians, is losing the war."

Israeli leaders have been "romanticizing" their catastrophic retaliation to the Hamas attack on October 7, which started it all. Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy said, "We are waging a war with a cruel enemy, and this war has a painful and heavy price." Its Defense Minister Benny Gantz sums up the difficulty of the ground war: "The images coming from the ground battle are painful, and our tears are falling when we see our soldiers falling." However, facts prove that the conflict started on a weak footing. Israel launched the war on Gaza when it had the confidence of only 27 percent of its people, while only about 51 percent trusted the Israeli army. Added to this are the burdens of 250,000 people seeking refuge from the Gaza region and the northern areas near Lebanon, as well as the more than 240 Israelis held prisoner by the resistance in Gaza, according to Al Jazeera.

Israel is also suffering huge daily losses and erosion of resources, including soldiers, equipment, time, money, and legitimacy. As the war drags on, costs will continue to rise. "The resistance forces are very far from being broken. Despite the liquidations and assassinations, Hamas is succeeding in most cases in maintaining an organized method of fighting, based mainly on tunnel fighting, exiting from hiding places and launching missiles at our armored vehicles," newspaper Maariv wrote.

AlJazeera's Zuhair Hamdani and Talal Mushati commented: "Considering previous wars including 2008 and 2014, we find that 'destroying Hamas' was always a basic goal that was never achievable. There is no reason to believe that it will be achievable this time, especially since the movement is now much stronger, with much deeper roots in the Gaza Strip than before." Despite Defense Minister Yoav Galant's battlecry that there is no place for Hamas in Gaza and that at the end of the battle, "there will be no Hamas," Hamdani and Mushati opined that theirs was an unrealistic goal based on experience and the current realities on the ground. "Its military defenses and arsenal have been strengthened to the point of being difficult to penetrate, and in the end, it is not a state or a regular army that can announce its surrender, but rather an extended popular resistance movement in the path of a protracted Palestinian struggle," they emphasized.

Biden's support for Netanyahu possibly eroding

Analysts speculate that Israel is losing the battle, not because of its technical military capabilities, as weapons alone do not resolve wars. It is failing at the leadership level. Recent polls show that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is extremely unpopular. A public opinion survey conducted found that only 27 percent of Israelis support his political survival, and his political and military decisions are not accepted and are subject to widespread criticism.

They also dislike Netanyahu because he refused to accept responsibility for the security failure on October 7. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid warned that the prime minister's attempts to evade responsibility and blame the security establishment weakened the Israeli army and amounted to "crossing red lines."

The issue of prisoners held by the resistance has also sparked internal divisions, especially after Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu called for bombing Gaza with a nuclear weapon, saying, "What does hostage mean? In war, the price is paid. Why are the lives of hostages more precious than the lives of soldiers?" Israelis considered this to be "an abandonment by the government of its commitment to returning the hostages."

In the beginning, the administration of President Joe Biden showed all-out support for Netanyahu's goals. However, lately, Biden has began to re-assess this for fear that things would spiral into a wider regional war. Reportedly, the White House is considering crazy scenarios that Netanyahu may create to save his future at America's expense. Col. Douglas Macgregor, a decorated combat veteran of the first Gulf War, commented: "Israel is losing everywhere. Eventually, they will lose support from the United States."

Biden has been calling for a "tactical humanitarian pause" or a ceasefire, both of which Netanyahu rejected. "Well, there'll be no ceasefire, general ceasefire, in Gaza without the release of our hostages. Regarding tactical little pauses, an hour here, an hour there. We've had them before, I suppose, will check the circumstances to enable goods, humanitarian goods to come in, or our hostages, individual hostages to leave. But I don't think theres going to be a general ceasefire," Netanyahu said in a recent interview with ABC News's "World News Tonight." (Related: CANCELED: Biden's scheme to help Israel ethnically cleanse Gaza of all Palestinians is a NO GO thanks to Egypt.)

The latest news about the Israel-Palestine conflict can be found at WWIII.news.

Sources for this article include:

UNZ.com

KevinBarrett.Substack.com

AlJazeera.net

ABCNews.go.com
Dr. Peter McCullough: COVID shots should be taken completely off the market

Renowned cardiologist Dr. Peter McCullough has concluded that the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines may cause cardiac arrests following his review of various studies about the matter.

"We're seeing a disturbing continued trend of cardiac arrests in people who have taken the vaccine," said McCullough. "Now we have data from Nakahara in a human cardiac PET [positron emission tomography] study, showing that PET scans of the heart change in almost everybody who took the shot, at least for six months or longer, where the heart's metabolism changes."

"Of interest among those with a sore arm after the shot, there were more striking differences in the heart scan, consistent with the inflammatory changes seen in the arm and the heart at autopsy by Schwab et al," McCullough added.

Some so-called experts still insist that getting vaccinated is the safer choice, saying that COVID-19 can also cause cardiovascular problems.

Vaccine proponents pointed to one study, which showed instances where SARS-CoV-2 infection triggered a dangerous immune response in hardened fatty deposits (plaques) lining the heart's largest blood vessels. (Related: Dr. McCullough warns: Getting jabbed multiple times with mRNA COVID "vaccines" could promote "turbo cancer.")

Researchers observed that COVID-19 increases the likelihood of having a heart attack or stroke for up to a year after infection, particularly for those who already have underlying heart conditions.

"Our findings provide for the first time a direct mechanistic link between COVID-19 infection and the heart complications it provokes," said study lead Natalia Eberhardt, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Medicine at NYU Langone Health. "The virus creates a highly inflammatory environment that could make it easier for plaque to grow, rupture, and block blood flow to the heart, brain and other key organs."

The team was able to examine plaque-covered tissue collected from patients. Using a new technique that allowed them to study coronavirus infection of live tissue, the researchers found that exposing plaque to the virus boosts inflammation levels in blood vessels.

Multiple studies show mRNA vaccines are not good for the heart

COVID-19 vaccines, meanwhile, don't wait too long to do damage.

According to McCullough, one of the recent publications he examined has demonstrated direct cardiotoxicity of both Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines on heart muscle cells within 48 hours. This study has shown that Pfizer and Moderna are directly toxic to the heart muscle cells.

"This type of preclinical safety information should halt all mRNA vaccine development and mechanistic safety research should be undertaken. Because mRNA forces heart muscle cells to produce a foreign (non-human) protein, the Schreckenberg paper suggests all future mRNA vaccines will have cardiac toxicity."

Some findings show a direct mechanistic link between COVID-19 infection and the heart complications it provokes.

Worse yet are the findings of the studies on COVID-19 vaccines, the long-term implications of which are still unknown.

"So we have a lot of information suggesting these are no good for the heart," said Dr. McCullough. "They (COVID shots) should be off the market completely."

Visit Vaccines.news for more news related to COVID-19 vaccines.

Watch this video of Dr. Petter McCullough summarizing the latest safety data on COVID-19 vaccines.

This video is from the GalacticStorm channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Dr. McCullough says Jamie Foxx contacted him post-COVID jab, urges actor to speak out publicly.

Dr. Peter McCullough: Pfizer, FDA colluding to censor COVID vaccine concerns.

DON'T SHED ON ME: The covid "vaccinated" are a health threat to the unvaccinated, warns Dr. McCullough.

The mRNA "vaccine" experiment does alter human DNA and may pass genetic code from parent to child, warns Dr. McCullough.

Sources include:

PeterMcCulloughMD.substack.com

News-Medical.net

Brighteon.com
Ukraine must brace for loss of US support  ex-ambassador

Valeriy Chaly, Kievs former envoy to Washington, has said that Ukraine should brace for a potential political crisis in the US that could undermine further military assistance to the embattled nation.

(Article republished from RT.com)

In an interview with Espresso TV Channel this week, Chaly, who served as Ukraines ambassador to the US between 2015 and 2019, weighed in on a recent visit by a Ukrainian delegation to Washington that sought to lobby the US Congress for more financial support to Kiev. According to the diplomat, Ukraine has found itself in a precarious situation.

Out of the three scenarios that weve been talking about for a long time, our government has for some reason considered the most optimistic scenario, and what is happening now is actually the worst-case scenario, he told the Ukrainian broadcaster.

Chaly pointed to concerns that Republicans, led by new House Speaker Mike Johnson, would delay providing aid to Kiev. We dont know what will happen next. It is already clear that there will be a decrease, he added.

Still, the envoy said he was sure that the West would not pull the plug on Ukraine aid in the near future. I expect that this level of support will not decrease drastically until summer, Chaly said, recalling that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has a financial plan for Kiev at least until next July.

But now we have to think about the fall of next year when the US will most likely enter a political crisis when it will be difficult for us to close the budget for the year, the diplomat said.

Last month, US President Joe Biden asked Congress to approve a $106 billion aid package that focused mainly on Ukraine and Israel. However, many Republicans argued against the blank check policy on Ukraine and said they wanted to treat the two issues separately.

On Friday, Biden signed a temporary spending bill to avert a government shutdown that included no additional funding for Israel and Ukraine.

Since the start of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, the US has provided more than $44 billion in military assistance, with the White House recently warning that available funds were running out amid the congressional gridlock.

Russia has repeatedly warned the West against supplying Ukraine with arms, arguing that this would only prolong hostilities and make it a direct participant in the conflict.

Read more at: RT.com
U.S. government, state media upset that peasants allowed to read, censor Bin Laden letter

Lets get this caveat out of the way for the but muh terrorism mouth-breathers: Osama bin Laden was a Wahhabist fundamentalist spawned from the ultra-theocratic ruling class in Saudi Arabia  not my cup of tea, and not my ideological kindred.

(Article by Ben Bartee republished from ArmageddonProse.Substack.com)

Unlike most other Westerners, I have lived in Saudi Arabia  an experience I chronicle in my recently released memoir, Broken English Teacher: Notes From Exile  and have seen Islamic fundamentalism as a governing ideology up close. Not super pretty.

That caveat aside, heres the forbidden truth one is not meant to utter: bin Laden was an evidently thoughtful man who had a profound impact on world history. And he wrote a letter that can be read in a matter of minutes elaborating upon his and his comrades motivations for the 9/11 attack and their broader geopolitical objectives.

The proper question is not why would anyone want to read it; its why wouldnt anyone interested in the subject of global jihadist terrorism want to read about their motivations straight from the horses mouth?

What benefit is conferred by wallowing in ignorance and repeating the knuckle-dragging they hate us because of our freedom line pushed by American neocons? Thats a rhetorical question; its obviously immensely beneficial for the governments propagandistic efforts when no information that runs contrary to their stupid bumper sticker slogans is allowed to be seen or heard.

TikTok has stripped [bin Ladens] #LettertoAmerica from its search function. But more than 13 million people had already viewed it! a histrionic Andrea Mitchell pearl-clutched on MSNBC.

She was then joined for the censorship-fest segment by retired CIA spook Marc Polymeropoulos who now poses as a journalist of sorts to lament that the peasants should be permitted to read literature forbidden by the state.

CNN analyst explains disturbing Osama Bin Laden TikTok trend, reads the CNN headline. CNN's Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst  a fancy title for spook whisperer  John Miller calls the TikTok republications of, and videos about, the letter a digital crime scene.

Like TikTok, presumably also under threat by the multinational corporate state, British outlet The Guardian recently removed the letter from its website.

Now, when you visit the URL where the letter was previously housed by the outlet, all you get is a page that reads Removed: document.

Plantation owners, similarly, barred their slaves from reading for fear they might get a little uppity and start wondering whether masta really had their best intentions at heart.

These tyrannical dinosaurs still apparently havent figured out how the Streisand Effect works; the harder they try to hide information, the more alluring it becomes.

The letter is still widely available online, and I would encourage everyone  if for no other reason than as a fuck you to the governing authorities who wish for totalitarian control over what you see and hear  to read it who wants to understand what the Islamic fundamentalist mindset is as it relates to the West and what it views as Western imperialism.

Lastly, the central lesson here is that the corporate state media has once again demonstrated that it is undeniably the enemy of every American citizen; it wants to shutter your mind in darkness so that the only ideas allowed to reverberate off of the walls of the Platos cave that is your curated worldview are the ones pre-approved by the CIA and filtered through the free press.

For now, these institutions are allowed to muzzle Americans speech with relatively impunity.

One fine day, though, the cleansing rain will fall

Read more at: ArmageddonProse.Substack.com
WWIII looms: Russia warns West of catastrophic consequences if their already strained relations further deteriorate

Russia has issued a grim warning to the West about the potential for "catastrophic consequences" if the already strained relations between them further deteriorate, raising concerns about the possibility of World War 3.

On the 90th anniversary of Russian-U.S. relations, the Russian Foreign Ministry released a dire statement, emphasizing the precarious state of the relationship.

The statement pointed to Washington's aggressive stance, citing "rampant Russophobia" as a primary factor that could lead to a rupture at any moment. The ministry asserted that Russia did not seek this outcome but blamed the United States for provocative actions, including the pursuit of a "strategic defeat" against Moscow, which could result in disastrous repercussions.

Tensions between the West and Russia have plunged to Cold War-era lows, exacerbated by NATO's support for Ukraine.

Moscow accused the U.S. of obsessively attempting to change the regime and incite internal strife in Russia, with significant financial investment in this alleged project. (Related: Leaked Pentagon documents prove that World War III has been in the planning stages for years.)

Despite this harsh rhetoric, Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged that the U.S. had recently signaled a willingness to engage in pragmatic, informal dialogue during the APEC Summit in San Francisco.

However, the ministry emphasized that Washington's policy of unproductive verbal disputes persisted.

As the conflict between Russia and Ukraine enters its third year, Moscow finds itself in an increasingly desperate position on the battlefield.

The influx of billions of dollars in Western weaponry to Ukraine has blunted Russian advances, leading to heightened tensions. Some Russian politicians and pundits have even called for war with the West. The potential for a conflict between NATO and Russia is considered devastating, with concerns about the escalation to nuclear warfare. Russia possesses nearly 6,000 nuclear warheads, while NATO countries, including the U..S, U.K. and France, collectively hold a similar number.

Russia and the U.S. established ties in 1933

Russia and the U.S. established ties on November 16, 1933. This marked a significant turning point in the complex relationship between the two nations, given the crucial role of these ties in maintaining international peace and security.

Achieving this required the U.S. ruling elite to set aside ambitions and discard stereotypes, embracing a new reality. This decision not only opened avenues for promoting mutually beneficial trade and economic cooperation, but also laid the groundwork for the allied relationship between the Soviet Union and the United States during the Great Patriotic War, according to a Russian Foreign Ministry statement.

Subsequently, bilateral relations experienced fluctuations shaped by Cold War dynamics, even teetering on the brink of nuclear confrontation during the Cuban Missile Crisis. But leaders at the time exercised common sense, avoiding a fatal point of no return and reaching agreements on peaceful coexistence and arms control.

Regrettably, contemporary politicians and experts have struggled to grasp the processes unfolding in Russia since 1991. Instead, they persisted in futile attempts at regime change and internal strife, investing substantial funds in these endeavors.

As geopolitical shifts reshape the world and the global power balance undergoes rearrangement, Washington has focused on globally containing Moscow and Beijing, effectively pursuing a containment policy against the global majority resisting the West's rules-based order.

Nevertheless, the Russian ministry said the anniversary provides an opportunity to reflect on the positive historical experiences when the two countries navigated relations based on respect and consideration of each other's interests.

Watch this video about Russia rehearsing a massive nuclear strike.

This video is from the TruNews channel on Brighteon.com.

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Ex-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warns that the world is on the verge of a NUCLEAR WORLD WAR III.

America's globalist leaders are psychologically programming the public for World War III, nuclear Armageddon and climate LOCKDOWNS.

DANGER AHEAD: Major Jeffrey Prather and Mike Adams warn of Middle East escalation to WORLD WAR III.

Sources include:

MSN.com

Mid.ru

Brighteon.com
Nearly 60 U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria injured in series of attacks by Iran-backed militias

The Pentagon has reported that approximately 60 American troops sustained injuries following a series of attacks carried out by Iran-backed groups in Iraq and Syria over the past month.

In a press briefing, the Department of Defense revealed that since Oct. 17, American forces stationed in Iraq and Syria have seen 55 attacks against them  27 against forces in Iraq and 28 in Syria.

"We are also tracking 59 U.S. personnel who have received injuries in the TBI [traumatic brain injury] or non-serious categories since these attacks began," said the Pentagon. "Approximately 27 personnel have been evaluated for TBI and 32 for other non-serious injuries."

In a press briefing on Nov. 15, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh revealed that they had seen these kinds of attacks even before the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7. Meaning, the attacks on U.S. troops are separate from the Israel-Hamas conflict, even though Hamas and the militias in Iraq and Syria are supported by Iran. Instead, Singh claimed that the attacks were a direct result of Iran's disapproval of the presence of U.S. forces in the region.

Furthermore, Singh clarified that the presence of 2,000 U.S. troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria is operating under an agreement with the Baghdad government to defeat ISIS, support forces in Syria, and maintain influence in the region. However, the Biden Administration has moved more warships, fighter jets, air defense systems and troops into the Middle East since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack to avoid escalation of the Israel-Hamas war.

U.S. responds to repeated attacks to send a message to Iran

As a response to the series of attacks, the U.S. retaliated by destroying weapons and ammunition storage facilities in Syria, directly targeting Iranian Revolutionary Guard sites, to influence Tehran and pressure the militia groups supported by Iran to stop their attacks. The Pentagon also argues that Iran-linked militias store their weapons and plan attacks on these sites.

For instance, American fighter jets hit two places in Syria near Boukmal on Oct. 27, where Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Iranian-supported groups stored weapons and ammo. Then, on Nov. 8, more jets bombed a weapons storage spot near Maysulun in Deir el-Zour. On Nov. 12, U.S. airstrikes targeted a training facility and a safe house in the Bulbul district of Mayadin.

Although there were no reported casualties, the Pentagon claimed that the accuracy of their airstrikes had debilitated the Syrian military supplies and destroyed their sites. In short, the damages weaken the ability of the insurgents to carry out attacks. Now, given the damages, they believe Iran is getting the message to stop the attacks by their proxy forces.

Aside from the response attack, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also talked to al-Sudani and told him that there would be consequences if militias supported by Iran kept attacking U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria. (Related: Repeated attacks by Iranian-backed militants on U.S. troops in the Middle East increase tension between Washington and Tehran.)

Follow WWIII.news for more news about the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Watch this clip of Sen. Lindsey Graham threatening to "blow up" Iranian oil supplies if Tehran is drawn into the conflict with Israel.

This video is from the News Clips channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Defense officials warn: Iran could use Israel-Palestine chaos as an "opportunity" to attack American forces all over the Middle East.

Israel-Hamas conflict could escalate into World War III very quickly as Pentagon readies troops for deployment to the Middle East.

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Israel DELAYS Gaza ground offensive as it orders 1.1 million Palestinians in northern Strip to EVACUATE.

FBI Director Wray: Threats of terror attacks against the U.S. have reached "a whole other level" amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Sources include:

YourNews.com

MilitaryTimes.com

MSN.com

Brighteon.com
Biden extends SANCTIONS WAIVER for Iran, giving Tehran access to $10 billion in frozen funds

The administration of President Joe Biden has extended a sanctions waiver on Iran, granting the Islamic Republic access to approximately $10 billion in funds held in escrow accounts from Iraq in exchange for electricity guarantees for Baghdad.

According to the 120-day waiver signed by Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Nov. 14, Iraq can maintain its energy imports without fear of violating U.S. sanctions on Iran, even after a series of attacks against U.S. troops by Iranian proxy groups in Iraq.

The waiver also enables Iran to transfer electricity payments to accounts in Oman, facilitating conversion to other currencies for the purchase of non-sanctioned products. (Related: Repeated attacks by Iranian-backed militants on U.S. troops in the Middle East increase tension between Washington and Tehran.)

Moreover, U.S. officials claimed that Blinken signed the waiver to ensure Iraq could still access a critical energy source. They also stressed the implementation of a rigorous vetting process to make sure Iran will only use the freed-up funds for humanitarian purchases, like food, medicine, medical equipment and agricultural goods and equipment.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller also backed this claim when he defended the waiver extension, stating that the funds "can only benefit the Iranian people" and that the money is "held in third-party accounts outside Iran."

"They get their hands on zero additional dollars as a result of these waivers. Again, none of these funds are sent to Iran. They are held in third-party accounts outside Iran, and can be used only for humanitarian and other non-sanctionable purposes for the benefit of the Iranian people," Miller said in a press briefing.

Biden's move draws flak

As expected, the decision has faced criticism from foreign policy experts and Iran hawks in Washington.

Mark Dubowitz, the CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, praised Biden's support for Israel but strongly condemned the sanctions waiver. Dubowitz argued that making $10 billion available to Iran, the main financier and weapons supplier for the October 7 attacks on Israel, is "beyond belief."

FDD Senior Advisor Richard Goldberg called for swift action from Congress to lock down the $10 billion, especially after Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi declared in September that Tehran would use the money "wherever we need it."

However, Miller argued that Iran would persist in "destabilizing activities" irrespective of the waiver.

"We have seen Iran continue its destabilizing activities throughout that time, just as they did before the Trump administration issued the first of these waivers in 2018, which is why we have held them accountable through strikes against their proxy militias in the region and through the sanctions I just referred to, as well as a number of other measures. They choose to fund destabilizing activities first. They always have; as far as we can tell, they always will. So when it  looking at this money, we see the benefit of allowing these funds to move again to restricted accounts where they can only benefit the Iranian people," Miller said.

That being said, Republicans took their disapproval to X, formerly known as Twitter.

"Reckless and dangerous doesn't even begin to describe the wreckage Biden is leaving behind," said 2024 presidential candidate and Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. He even criticized the Biden administration for providing another sanctions waiver to Iran after the $6 billion ransom payment made on Sept. 11.

Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley said the waiver makes the U.S. "look like fools" for providing funds to terrorists who target American interests.

"Iran's proxies are targeting American troops abroad and just killed dozens of our citizens in Israel. Joe Biden needs to wake upwe look like fools paying terrorists who attack us and chant 'death to America," she tweeted.

Furthermore, Senators Todd Young and Bill Hagerty labeled the move "unconscionable" and "madness," respectively. Senator Marsha Blackburn questioned why the Biden administration would send another $10 billion to Tehran, given Iran's financial support for Hamas' terrorism. Senator Tom Cotton, a military veteran, condemned the waiver extension as "appeasement" that only emboldens the Iranian regime and its proxies.

Follow WWIII.news for more news about countries involved in conflicts around the world.

Watch this video from Red Voice Media discussing and criticizing why the Biden regime is giving another $10 billion to Iran after the $6 billion ransom payment.

This video is from the Red Voice Media channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

WSJ: Iran helped Hamas plan its surprise attack on Israel, shortly after Biden handed them $6 billion.

Bidens $6 billion ransom payment to Iran motivates Hamas to take more American hostages.

Defense officials warn: Iran could use Israel-Palestine chaos as an "opportunity" to attack American forces all over the Middle East.

Israel-Hamas conflict could escalate into World War III very quickly as Pentagon readies troops for deployment to the Middle East.

World War 3 could be imminent as Israel-Hamas war escalates, experts warn.

Sources include:

TheNationalPulse.com

APNews.com

MSN.com

NYPost.com

Brighteon.com
BMJ investigation finds that VAERS is broken, CDC not following maintenance standards

It appears as though the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is no longer effectively managing the government-run Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS).

The British Medical Journal (BMJ) conducted an investigation which found that VAERS, the nation's primary early warning system for detecting potential problems with pharmaceutical drugs and vaccines, is "overwhelmed" because the CDC is failing to manage it properly in accordance with the law.

Ever since Operation Warp Speed and the unleashing of Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) "vaccines," there have been so many reports flooding into VAERS about adverse events and deaths that the CDC is allegedly unable to keep up with logging them  that or the CDC is intentionally hiding the ugly truth by failing to upload it into the VAERS database for the public to view.

Beyond that, VAERS seems to be intentionally operated in such a way as to deliberately withhold damning information from the public. It is anything but transparent and wholly user un-friendly, as well as non-responsive. The BMJ investigation determined that there must be two versions of VAERS: the broken one the public cannot see, and the hidden, functional one the government can see.

(Related: The latest data from VAERS suggests that one out of every 1,000 COVID "vaccine" recipients is now dead.)

VAERS is broken

Co-managed by both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the CDC, VAERS exists to collect reports of symptoms, diagnoses, hospital admissions and deaths following vaccination. The purpose of this is to capture post-marketing safety signals to determine whether or not there are any unusual or unexpected reporting patterns for adverse events.

In the case of COVID injections, there is clearly a trend of recipients developing serious heart problems like myocarditis, as one example. VAERS has likely received tens of thousands of reports about this that, by all appearances, the CDC and the FDA are failing to properly tabulate into the system for public viewing.

Whether this is due to negligence or intent is unclear, but what we do know is that VAERS is broken as far as being functional in accordance with its designed intent. It is supposed to exist as a benefit to the public, but right now it exists as a tool of deception  and a very poorly managed tool of deception, at that.

Another fact that many do not realize is that VAERS is a voluntary reporting system. Health care providers are "strongly encouraged," but not required, to submit adverse event reports to it, even if they are unsure whether or not a vaccine injection caused it.

"In contrast, vaccine manufacturers are required by law to report all adverse events that 'come to their attention,'" explains The Epoch Times.

While anyone can legally file a VAERS report, those who do so falsely may be subject to fines or imprisonment. Even so, VAERS has been shown time and time again to capture very little of the overall number of vaccine adverse events that occur  as little as one percent, according to data from the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care study.

The CDC admits that in 2019, prior to COVID, VAERS received more than 48,000 reports of vaccine adverse events, 85 to 90 percent of which were mild. After Operation Warp Speed, the BMJ discovered that an "unprecedented" 1.7 million adverse events were reported to VAERS.

Of these 1.7 million reported adverse events, one million were reported in 2021, the first full year of the jab rollout, with another 660,000 being reported after that. Since 20 percent, or one in five, cases of these 1.7 million were considered "serious" rather than mild, the vast majority of these injuries were attributed to COVID jabs.

More related news can be found at CDC.news.

Sources for this article include:

TheEpochTimes.com

BMJ.com

NaturalNews.com
Capitol police INCITED January 6 riot by firing munition into peaceful crowd, new footage shows

In the interest of transparency, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has released more than 40,000 hours of January 6 "insurrection" footage showing that what the media reported and what actually happened are two entirely different things.

Those few short minutes of carefully curated footage that the media spread made it seem like the protesters at J6 suddenly started rioting. The truth, based on the much more extensive footage in its totality, suggests that the protesters were incited by law enforcement to create a scene.

The latest footage to come out publicly from this cache of evidence shows Capitol police actually inviting the protesters into the Capitol building  and they did so peacefully, almost as if the protesters were being offered a tour of the facility.

Other footage shows police officers shooting rubber bullets, tear gas grenades and stun grenades into crowds of peaceful protesters long before anyone was even inside the Capitol building. Together with the other footage, the media painted a false picture that the protest crowds erupted with violence and took over the Capitol building, which is not, apparently, what happened.

?Newly released footage of Matthew Perna (seen in red sweatshirt) shows Matthew walking calmly in the Capitol shooting video. Matthew pled guilty to initial charges, believing he may face 6-12 months in prison. Only after pleading guilty did the DOJ inform Matthew that they pic.twitter.com/1vu0vrLCFe  Brandon Straka (@BrandonStraka) November 18, 2023

Look at all this early J6 footage @TuckerCarlson could show the world, but won't. His producer @gregg_re and his team at Fox were given all of this last year. #J6CoverUp J6 protestors were fired upon with NO warning. USCP Chief Waldow lied saying he gave warnings but never did. pic.twitter.com/xNNsB8XfBy  InvestigateJ6 (@InvestigateJ6) September 6, 2023

(Related: House Speaker Johnson is a rabid Israeli-firster who also pushed Wuhan coronavirus [COVID-19] "vaccines" on Americans.)

It's no wonder they hid the footage all this time

Were it ever to be discovered that such tactics were used during the George Floyd psy-op to incite riots among Black Lives Matter, or more recently during the pro-Palestinian riots, you can be sure the media would be playing the evidence on loop ad nauseum. But because it is Trump supporters with J6, no such actions are being taken by the media.

All of this proves beyond of a shadow of a doubt that something screwy happened on J6, and that this is the reason why most of the pertinent footage from that fateful day was withheld from the country all this time.

"January 6 was a setup and one of the ringleaders was Pelosi," one commenter wrote.

"The hearings, the charges, the trials, the sentencing ... all designed to quell and cower any opposition in the next presidential election," suggested another.

"All this and yet Donny refuses to speak one word of support," wrote another, upset that Donald Trump, the guy whom the protesters were there to support that day, has done nothing, even as several of the protesters continue to rot in prison.

"Until fat boy Donald Trump expresses support, I will vote for Newsom before I vote for Mr. 'big, beautiful vax.'"

Another said the footage is shocking "but not at all surprising" considering the obvious presence of contractors who were clearly placed within the crowds to incite violence.

"This video is hard evidence of incitement," this person wrote, "censored for many years ... alongside the extensive evidence of gov. agent provocateurs placed in the crowd."

"The U.S. is done. The collapse is well underway ... just all of the rubble hasn't reached the ground yet."

The latest news about January 6 and other such events can be found at FalseFlag.news.

Sources for this article include:

ZeroHedge.com

NaturalNews.com
Beijing (Gasgoo)- Chinese autonomous haulage solution provider EACON recently announced the completion of successive funding rounds, amassing close to 400 million yuan.

Photo credit: EACON

The lead investor was Richen Capital, with contributions from Shenwan Innovation Investment, and continued support from existing shareholders, including Cherish Capital, etc. With this latest funding, EACON has bagged nearly 450 million yuan in financing this year, marking consecutive rounds of over 100 million yuan in a short span.

Established in May 2018, EACON holds cutting-edge unmanned driving technology with robust on-site operational capabilities. The company delivers unmanned driving technology and transport operation services to mining areas. It possesses wire-controlled complete vehicle control R&D capabilities and the ability to deploy a hundred unmanned mining trucks commercially.

This investment infusion will further enhance EACON's unmanned transport solutions and product R&D for open-pit mines. It aims to drive the large-scale commercial deployment of unmanned mining products in the international market. In July this year, EACON achieved the pioneering deployment of over a hundred units, establishing the world's largest unmanned mining fleet within a single mine site.

EACONs "Yushi" new energy unmanned driving wire-controlled platform meets mining industry demands for safety, efficiency, and environmental protection. Its core system employs adaptable intelligent chassis-by-wire system and hybrid technologies compatible with various operational conditions. Presently, the platform has been applied practically in 4 models, totaling nearly 300 mining trucks, accumulating an impressive 4.2 million kilometers in unmanned driving distance.
Connecticut school under fire for hosting December launch of After-School Satan Club

A school in the town of Lebanon in Connecticut is currently at the center of a heated debate as it prepares to host a new After-School Satan Club (ASSC) on Dec. 1.

According to a WFSB-TV report, Lebanon Elementary School will be the first school to have an ASSC. The club was founded by members of the Satanic Temple based in Salem, Massachusetts. The ASSC plans to plans to hold monthly meetings at the school to provide an alternative to religious after-school clubs.

The club also plans to focus on activities such as science projects, community services, puzzles, games, nature activities and arts and crafts. According to the Temple, the ASSC seeks to encourage children to think for themselves and promote a scientific, rationalist, non-superstitious worldview. In contrast with Good News Clubs in schools that focus on the Bible, the ASSC makes use of the Temple's Seven Fundamental Tenets.

"The Satanic Temple does not advocate for religion in schools," it claims on its website. The Temple also clarified its non-theistic stance in a Facebook post, claiming that Satan is a "literary figure" who represents a rejection of tyranny and a supporter of the human mind and spirit.

Moreover, the promotional video for the club features a catchy, semi-animated song encouraging children to embrace Satan as an imaginary friend. The video also repeatedly states that there is no hell, contrary to what Christianity espouses.

But the ASSC's entry into the school did not sit well with parents. "If you look at their website and the different things they're handing out, there's [the] symbolism of the devil  and I think that's inappropriate," concerned parent Kate Prokop said.

Amy Bourdan, a member of the religious freedom advocacy group Parent's Choice, criticized The Satanic Temple, accusing it of operating deceptively under the guise of a religious organization.

"I liken it to the [advertisements for] Camel cigarettes used to entice the youth and children," Bourdan said, suggesting that the group seeks to recruit children and steer them away from traditional religious beliefs.

2001 Supreme Court ruling favors ASSC

In 2001, the Supreme Court ruled that public schools should provide equal access to their facilities for both secular and religious groups, including organizations with contrasting ideologies like the Good News Clubs and ASSC. (Related: ACLU sues Pennsylvania school district on behalf of after-school club that worships Satan.)

Temple co-founder Lucien Greaves also reiterated their right to access public spaces without discrimination based on religious and philosophical beliefs. "We're not changing the politics here," he said. "This is something people should've recognized from the start."

ASSC Campaign Director June Everett explained that a parent had requested that ASSC be allowed to hold meetings at the school.

"We do not worship the devil. We're not sacrificing goats or babies," she clarified. "We are simply having equal access to the space that we have a right to."

Even Andrew Gonzalez, superintendent of the Lebanon Public School District (LPSD), released a statement confirming the elementary school's obligation to comply with the law under the 2001 Supreme Court ruling.

"[LPSD] allows outside organizations to use [school district] facilities, in accordance with Board Policy 1007. As such, LPS must allow community organizations to access school facilities without regard to the religious, political, or philosophical ideas they express," he stated. According to Gonzalez, denying access based on perspective could violate the First Amendment and other applicable laws.

Visit Satanism.news for more stories like this.

Watch Katie Petrick and David Fiorazo discuss the growing trend of After School Satan Clubs in America.

This video is from the FreedomProject Media channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Disneys new Christmas series depicts children holding up signs that say, We Love You Satan.

Jeffrey Prather: U.S. deep state is deeply evil for setting up child brothels, sacrificing kids to Satan.

Satanic temple in Texas files lawsuit demanding religious right to sacrifice babies through abortion.

Satanists admit that legalized abortion is how they perform ritual child sacrifices at the Satanic Temple.

Sources include:

DailyStar.co.uk

CMSEdit.CBN.com

USAToday.com

Brighteon.com
Health Ranger Report: Dr. Elizabeth Lee Vliet warns about the dangers of 5G and EMF radiation

Dr. Elizabeth Lee Vliet sat down with the Health Ranger Mike Adams during a recent interview on the "Health Ranger Report" to talk about the dangers of 5G and electromagnetic field (EMF) radiation

According to Vliet, radiation therapy uses ionizing radiation. In contrast, EMF  including the frequencies between 2G and 5G  and microwaves fall under non-ionizing radiation. This non-ionizing radiation can damage the human body, she added.

She also mentioned that the dosing of radiation for cancer patients has to be precise. "If you use too much, you will burn and damage the tissue; if you use too little, you don't kill the cancer," she explained to Adams. "So clearly, there's a dose-effect relationship."

Vliet, the president and CEO of Truth for Health Foundation (THF), said studies on electromagnetic radiation go back to the 1930s and 1940s. She added the Russians studied it widely from the 1940s to the 1950s, which led to the U.S. Navy research that began in the 1960s.

The preventive medicine specialist recalled that during the Cold War, the U.S. embassies in Moscow and Cuba were bombarded with microwaves by the Soviet Union, which apparently was used to listen to conversations by bouncing microwaves off the building. Vliet cited that many people working in the embassies got sick with headaches and neurologic complications and later on cancers. She said it became known as the Havana syndrome which came out in multiple studies and court cases.

"It's not that we haven't known about that. The problem is that the effects are not widespread in clinical medicine," Vliet remarked. "And let's face it, cell phones did not become ubiquitous and widely available around the world until after about 2007, with the invention of the iPhone." (Related: Substantial scientific evidence shows that RF radiation from mobile phones causes cancer.)

Vliet added that the U.S. does not have high safety standards compared to other countries, particularly in Europe.

"And what they were getting by with and still are to a great extent is they are looking only at the thermal effects or heat effects of cell phones close to your body. They are not looking at the other biological effect at the cellular level and the effects that are more subtle, causing inflammation, immune disruption, alterations in blood vessels, coagulation, bleeding pathways and cellular oxidative stress."

The Health Ranger agreed with his guest's remarks. He noted that while the human body can handle a lot of heat because it can dissipate heat, it can't handle a lot of chromosomal mutations.

In response to Adams' questions about 5G and the vaccines, Vliet said extensive information about the link between the two exists. She also recounted some of her vaccinated patients from the military service who on deployment. These patients suffered neurological effects that incapacitated them when they were exposed to intense fields of EMF radiation.

Adams: EVs are giant EMF generators

Adams said there are so many new EMF sources of exposure in the environment like electric vehicles, which he described as giant EMF generators.

"The EMF effects are off the charts. And the battery charger, the inverters and the battery charging stations  which are powered by diesel generators  and then they are using inverters to condition that. I mean there's all kinds of fields, plus 5G," said Adams.

Vliet also confirmed that 5G towers can deliberately broadcast a pulse signal that drives people insane, temporarily mad, violent or irrational. She cited psychiatry publications that touch on environments with high cation or positively charged ions, such as areas around EMF towers and electric towers.

"They already knew years ago that was possible," the THF president told the Health Ranger. "What we know clearly it disrupts entire brain pathways that regulate mood, memory, attention, concentration and executive functions like judgment. That's the frontal lobe brain syndrome; that's well documented as a result of brain inflammation, EMF radiation, the COVID shots, all of that."

Follow 5GAlert.com for more news about 5G and its adverse effects on human health.

Watch the full interview between Dr. Elizabeth Lee Vliet and the Health Ranger Mike Adams on the "Health Ranger Report" below.

This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Exposure to 5G radiation linked to depression and neurological dysfunction, study finds.

Microwave syndrome is on the rise as exposure to EMFs increases.

Radiofrequency radiation linked to brain damage and Alzheimers, experts warn.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

TruthForHealth.org
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved the Biden administration's ambitious plan to give the federal government full control of the internet under the guise of preventing digital discrimination.

According to the FCC, the new rules are designed to prevent digital discrimination based on income level, race, ethnicity, color, religion or national origin. This first bipartisan broadband access anti-discrimination law mandates the FCC to establish rules that guarantee Americans equal access to reliable, high-speed and unbiased broadband services.

The agency has been granted the authority to directly intervene in instances where company policies and practices impact consumer access differently or are intended to do so. These protections will extend to ensure equitable broadband deployment, network upgrades and maintenance in communities.

Moreover, the FCC stated that these new rules give the FCC the power to probe potential instances of discrimination in broadband access, collaborate with companies to resolve issues, facilitate mediation and impose penalties if necessary. The agency has also revamped its consumer complaint portal to streamline the process of reporting digital discrimination. The FCC will also conduct monthly assessments of complaint patterns to identify emerging trends. (Related: British government caught surveilling social media presence of school staff members.)

Unfortunately, the rules have given the FCC a lot of power over almost everything related to the internet, all in the name of promoting diversity, fairness and inclusion. In other words, the new rules could let the FCC censor and control internet service providers based on vague laws about fairness. It doesn't just focus on obvious discrimination; it also looks at "disparate outcomes," meaning the internet must be perfectly fair or the U.S. government might intervene.
FDA recalls more EYE DROPS due to risk of EYE INFECTION

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued another recall order for another batch of contaminated eye drops.

CBS News reported that the recall notice issued Nov. 15 arose from potential safety concerns after investigators found "unsanitary conditions" in the facilities where the eye drops were made. This new order came weeks after the regulator also warned consumers against using an earlier batch of products.

The most recent round of recalls involved 28 eye drop products, all coming from lots with expiration dates ranging from November 2023 to September 2025. The products sold on CVS, Rite Aid, Target and Walmart shelves were made by Kilitch Healthcare India Limited  which is headquartered in Mumbai, India.

The agency said the recall of these over-the-counter eye drop products had been prompted by unsanitary conditions in the manufacturing facility and positive bacterial test results from the environmental sampling of critical drug production areas in the facility, according to the investigators report.

Last Oct. 30, the FDA issued an alert flagging 26 eye care products from CVS Health, Leader (Cardinal Health), Rugby (Cardinal Health), Rite Aid, Target Up & Up and Velocity Pharma.

Contaminated eye drops linked to fatal outbreak of drug-resistant bacteria

In April, CBS News reported that federal inspection records from Feb. 20 through March 2 showed dozens of issues at Global Pharma Healthcare Pvt. Ltd.s manufacturing plant in India  ranging from dirty equipment and clothing to missing safeguards and procedures.

The investigation was prompted by a swelling multistate outbreak of a rare and extensively drug-resistant bacteria  Pseudomonas aeruginosa  that was linked to eye drops sold under the brand names EzriCare Artificial Tears and Delsam Pharmas Artificial Tears and Artificial Ointment.

On March 22, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) update reported that out of 81 patients identified across 18 states with the bacteria, 14 people have lost their vision; four have had their eyeballs removed; and the death toll has climbed to three. (Related: Three people died after using eye drops contaminated with rare bacterial superbug.)

Confirmed infection cases were from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, North Carolina, Nevada, New Jersey. New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin.

Patients reported experiencing symptoms, which included blurry vision; clear, green, or yellow discharge from the eyes; eye discomfort or pain; feeling of something in the eye (foreign body sensation); increased sensitivity to light; and redness of the eye or eyelid.

The federal investigators' report included the following:

Evidence of poor cleaning procedures throughout the facility  investigators reported surfaces that come into contact with the packaging were "not cleaned, decontaminated, sanitized or sterilized" at all

A product-filling room that had "soft, unsmooth and cracked sealant, protruding nails and nail holes across its walls"

Discolored and worn-out booties being used in the companys "clean rooms"

Absence of a tracker or monitoring record or have studies that show "how many times plant-issued clothing could be reused by workers"

Substantial gaps in written procedures and training for workers at the plant

Unexplained discrepancies wherein an inspector "saw a black-brown greasy deposit" on a part of one of the machines used to fill its products into appropriate receptacles, yet the logs claimed that particular machine had been cleaned just weeks before and had not been used since

Falling short of double-checking the ingredients it used to produce its products by merely relying on assurances from its suppliers

Not using appropriate preservatives in its reusable eye drop bottles raise the risk of bacteria growing in already opened bottles

CBS News reported that the March 30 recall of more than 50,000 products labeled Delsam Pharmas Artificial Ointment was prompted after an analysis by the agency found "unopened tubes of the ointment to be contaminated with bacteria."

On March 7, also over sterility concerns, eye drop recalls included Pharmedica USA LLCs "Purely Soothing, 15% MSM"  an anti-inflammatory remedy to help with eye irritation or swelling. Customers were warned to immediately stop using the product because it "may contain bacteria and germs"  which can result in eye infections that could cause blindness.

On March 1, Canadian-based Apotex Corp. voluntarily recalled six lots of its brand of eye drops labeled "Brimonidine Tartrate Ophthalmic Solution, 0.15%," which is prescribed for patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension, "out of an abundance of caution" over some concerns that cracks in some of the units' caps could compromise the drops' sterility and lead to infection.

Visit FDA.news for more similar stories.

Watch this news report about the FDA warning the public to stop using 26 types of eye drops immediately.

This video is from the Daily Videos channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Over 2M at-home COVID-19 test kits recalled due to false positive results.

FDA announces voluntary recall of contaminated eye drops that could blind people.

FDA issues warning on several over-the-counter EYE DROPS that could cause infection and partial vision loss.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

CBSNews.com 1

FDA.gov 1

USAToday.com

CDC.gov

CBSNews.com 2

FDA.gov 2

CBSNews.com 3

OptometryTimes.com

Brighteon.com
Israel bombs another school in Gaza, killing and injuring dozens

Upwards of 50 Palestinian civilians have been killed by Israel in the Jewish state's latest airstrike in Gaza, this one on Al-Fakhoura school, which was run by the United Nations.

The UN-affiliated school is located in northern Gaza where thousands of civilians have been displaced by the Israeli incursion. Thousands of Palestinians have died at the hands of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), which are bombing and mowing down civilians whom Israel claims are "human shields" for Hamas.

So many Palestinians have died amid all the chaos that cleanup of bodies remains difficult. Many wounded Palestinians also have nobody to care for them as Gaza's resources were turned off by Israel after October 7.

In Jabalia, where Israel also bombed a refugee camp, IDF bombed Al-Fakhoura, a school affiliated with the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

According to medical and other local sources in Gaza, "the bodies of the martyrs cover the school's corridors." In other words, there are dead bodies scattered throughout the facility, and it remains too difficult for rescue crews to clear them out of there.

(Related: Palestinian laborers with work permits in Israel say IDF soldiers tortured them without mercy in the aftermath of the October 7 Hamas attack.)

Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs says Israel "is committing massacres in the Gaza Strip"

The true goal of Israel is not simply to rid Gaza of Hamas. It is to rid Gaza of all Palestinians, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which issued a statement of condemnation against Israel.

"We condemn in the strongest terms the continuous mass massacres committed by the occupation forces against Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip, the most recent of which was the heinous massacre in Al-Fakhoura School, full of forcibly displaced people," the group said in a statement.

"We consider this a new evidence proving that Israel's declared war on Palestinian civilians aims to empty the entire area of the northern Gaza Strip of any Palestinian presence."

The statement goes on to point out Israel's flagrant disregard for international law, which bears all the marks of arrogance and pride  kind of like a we-are-better-than-you-and-can-do-whatever-we-want type of attitude.

"With this massacre, which targeted a UNRWA school, the occupation insults the international community and the United Nations, and belittles all ineffective international demands calling for the protection of civilians."

Already, some 12,000 Palestinians have died as a result of the Israeli military shooting or bombing them. Of these, more than 8,300 were women and children, not to mention the 30,000 others who have been injured on top of all this.

Hospitals, churches, schools and other civilian entities continue to be targeted by Israel, which simply argues that it has no choice but to kill civilians because they function as "human shields" for Hamas.

"It is going to be a beautiful day when Zionism is wiped off the face of the earth," one commenter wrote.

"It is their duty to resist foreign invaders," wrote another about Hamas, noting that even according to what Israel has presented as evidence thus far shows that Hamas has none of the advanced weaponry that Israel has, compliments of U.S. taxpayers.

"The Zionists have tried unsuccessfully to characterize those who have made themselves a military implement (lacking all the American-sponsored weaponry) to fight against the secular, non-Jewish Jews from the West."

"The cowards in their U.S.-sponsored F-16s, F-35s and other implements of destruction, bomb civilians from 1,500 feet in the air. So brave, those IDF terrorists."

The latest news about the situation on the ground in the Middle East can be found at WWIII.news.

Sources for this article include:

MiddleEastMonitor.com

NaturalNews.com
NSC denies accusations that U.S. gave IDF the go signal to attack Gaza hospital

The U.S. National Security Council (NSC) has denied accusations that Washington gave the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) the go signal to attack the Al-Shifa Hospital in the Gaza Strip.

"We did not give an OK to the military operations around the hospital, in similar fashion to the fact that  we don't give OKs to their own tactical operations," said NSC Spokesman John Kirby. "These are Israeli military operations that they plan and they execute  in accordance with their own established procedures that the U.S. is not  involved in."

During an interview with reporters, the NSC spokesman confirmed information from U.S. intelligence that Hamas fighters are using tunnels beneath Gaza hospitals  including Al-Shifa  to hide their military operations, store weapons, prepare against Israeli military operations and hold hostages. Kirby emphasized that using hospitals for military purposes constitutes a war crime.

However, he refuted the claims of any connection between his confirmation of intelligence regarding Hamas using Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza as a control center and the timing of the Israeli military.

"My delivery of some downgraded information yesterday, that, the timing of that really came after work by the intelligence community to prepare that information for downgrade. It has nothing to do with any operational timing or any decision-making by the IDF."

U.S. condemns Hamas, but supports Israel

International humanitarian law (IHL) protects civilians as well as non-belligerent entities like medical facilities and staff in times of war. In short, it aims to reduce the casualties of war. However, this protection is not unconditional.

International Committee of the Red Cross Chief Legal Officer Cordula Droege explained in a video that civilian objects, like hospitals, may lose their protected status if they are used for activities harmful to the enemy. If a hospital loses its protected status, an attack might be allowed, but the attacking party must give a warning before launching the strike.

The purpose of the warning is to give those misusing the hospital a chance to stop harmful activities or, if they don't stop, to allow the safe evacuation of patients and medical staff. However, Droege noted that this may not always be possible in war. She also reiterated that a warning does not grant a free license to attack.

All strikes are subject to the "principle of proportionality," requiring the attacker to ensure that the expected harm to civilians is not excessive compared to the anticipated military advantage. Additionally, all parties involved must take precautions to minimize harm to civilians, which clearly did not happen.

Meanwhile, the IDF claimed that they had been warning for weeks and notifying authorities that all military activities within the hospital must cease within 12 hours. During a Nov. 13 press call from San Francisco, however, Kirby did not criticize Israel's actions  but instead blasted Hamas for turning the Al-Shifa Hospital into an underground operations center. (Related: THOU SHALT NOT CRITICIZE ISAREL: Social media giants now CENSORING CONTENT that supports people of Gaza and opposes indiscriminate bombings by Israel.)

"Let's not forget what Hamas is doing. It is a violation of the law of war to headquarter yourself in a hospital," Kirby said the day after accusing the terror group of using Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza.

Visit WWIII.news for more stories related to the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Watch Glenn Beck talk about the warning signs of World War III in the video below.

This video is from the High Hopes channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

"You can't cancel all of us": Dave Chappelle criticizes Israel during performance in Boston.

MORE WAR: US Diplomats warned by State Dept. to avoid calling for ceasefire in Israel-Hamas conflict.

Netanyahu: Israel to take over "security" in Gaza after the Israel-Hamas war.

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."

WSJ says Iran helped Hamas plot attack on Israel "over several weeks;" Israel eager to start BOMBING Iran.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

Edition.CNN.com

JNS.org

Brighteon.com
Ukrainian front line on the brink of collapse as soldiers morale plummets

Ukrainian front lines are on the brink of collapse, some analysts believe, as evidence mounts showing an across-the-board breakdown.

One leaked report indicated that it was impossible to withdraw two thirds of a specific unit from the battlefield in order to recover their combat readiness because the third that would remain would not be able to hold down the fort. At the same time, recruitment efforts to bring in reinforcements have been proceeding very slowly.

Other reports indicate that the morale and psychological conditions of some units on the front lines are dire, leaving Ukraine with forces that are in critical condition and unable to fight properly, raising the chances that the whole front line could fall.

Geopolitical analyst Pepe Escobar wrote: A Perfect Storm of dwindling financing, weaponizing and Western support has darkened Kievs horizon, while serial Ukrainian disasters on the ground are so obvious they are even being picked up by Western mainstream media. This aint no 'stalemate'."

This week, Russian forces reported inflicting heavy losses on Ukraine troops who crossed the Dnieper River into the eastern bank. While Russian forces there were outnumbered at first, they have brought in reinforcements and vowed to inflict hell on the Ukrainian units.

Russia is reportedly now attacking the units trying to defend positions in the east bank, particularly the village of Krynky.

A Russian-installed governor for the occupied Kherson region, Vladimir Saldo, announced: In Krynky, our military is now destroying the enemy on the largest scale.

He added that the level of unpreparedness on the part of Ukraine was shocking, noting that Russian forces were surprised at how much the Ukrainian command does not value the lives of its personnel, sending them to their death in dozens and hundreds.

He also claimed they had Ukrainian forces blocked in Krynky, where they would face a fiery hell. He said: Bombs, missiles, ammunition from heavy flamethrower systems, artillery shells and drones are flying at [Ukrainian forces] ... Over the last two or three days alone, the enemys total losses amounted to about a hundred militants.

Frontline soldiers dealing with depression, PTSD, family separation

An expert on Ukraine and senior fellow with Washington-based think tank the Atlantic Council, Melinda Haring, recently told Business Insider that the situation is taking a toll on frontline soldiers. After a recent trip to Zaporizhzhia, she reported morale is low. While soldiers at first are flinty and steely and determined, she said that after talking with them for a bit, they reveal their frustration.

One of the biggest hardships is that most of them have been unable to see their families much as they only get 30 days off per year and can take no more than 10 days off at a time. Many have barely seen their families since February of 2022. Meanwhile, many feel there is not a lot of support from the rest of the country for those who are putting their lives on the line for the greater good.

She said: "That's a common feeling. There's a lot of stories of divorce, and of family separation, and also depression. And a lot of PTSD."

She also reported that many frontline soldiers felt that Ukraines allies want them to fight in a way they wouldnt expect of their own soldiers. "When I was talking to soldiers on the front lines, they did say, overall, the mood was one of determination, but also: 'We can't keep doing this without air power. You can't ask us to do this. You can't ask us to fight in a way you wouldn't fight yourself.' They're very eager to have air cover."

So far, around 70,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in the fighting, with 120,000 injured.

Sources for this article include:

Strategic-Culture.su

CNBC.com

BusinessInsider.com
Critics slam U.S.s hypocrisy to impress Chinas Xi Jinping, APEC attendees with San Franciscos miraculous transformation

San Francisco just finished hosting the 2023 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, a convention where government and business leaders discussed economic relations. It was held at the George R. Moscone Convention Center from November 14 through 17. The event prompted the shutdown of multiple city blocks for the security of nearly two dozen global leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Chinas President Xi Jinping, as well as Big Tech executives Elon Musk, Marc Benioff, Sam Altman, Satya Nadella, Sundar Pichai and many more.

In anticipation of this world leaders' conference, the California city had a massive "clearing operation" of the homeless, criminals, drug addicts and pushers and all the filth and excrement, seemingly overnight, to the surprise of its residents. Critics could not help but slam this "miraculous initiative" of their local government, alleging that they actioned on this just now to impress the attendees of the international event, despite the city carrying these problems for years.

California Governor Gavin Newsom seemed a little confused by how to defend this "magical" cleanup his administration has done. He said: "I know folks say, 'Oh, they're just cleaning up this place because all these fancy leaders are coming into town.' That's true because it's true."

Gavin Newsom admits San Francisco wiped its streets of filth and excrement for Xi Jinping but not Americans: "I know folks say, 'Oh, they're just cleaning up this place because all these fancy leaders are coming into town.' That's true because it's true." pic.twitter.com/qF1NrfeNFz  Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) November 13, 2023

An online commenter pointed out one obvious point, "San Francisco's homeless population was entirely cleared out for Xi Jinping" and took note that, "The government can easily fix our cities overnight. It just doesn't want to." Biden administration advisor Jake Sullivan was asked if the president agrees that it's more important to impress the leader of China than the American people who live in San Francisco. He answered: "I completely reject the premise" and denied having an idea of the context of Newsom's statement so he declined to comment.

"Does President Biden agree that it's more important to impress the leader of China than the American people that live in San Francisco?" JAKE SULLIVAN: "I completely reject the premise" pic.twitter.com/1GBkp5XGot  RNC Research (@RNCResearch) November 13, 2023

Moreover, San Francisco Mayor London Breed seemed to dodge a similar question thrown at her in an interview. She just gave an indirect remark and claimed: "We have been working on this now for a few years This is not an issue that weve been sitting around waiting to solve."

Meanwhile, even APEC attendee Musk aired his observation on his platform X, formerly Twitter, on Monday: "Does seem crazy that the zombie apocalypse can be cleaned up for an important visitor, but not for those who live there and pay for everything!"

Does seem crazy that the zombie apocalypse can be cleaned up for an important visitor, but not for those who live there and pay for everything!  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 14, 2023

Another tech giant bigwig who was expected to grace the summit is Salesforce CEO Benioff, who said: "San Francisco can be the cleanest, safest, most beautiful and incredible city in the world instantly. It happened for Dreamforce and it's happening again for APEC."

Not a "miracle," just a Band-Aid solution, residents lament

According to an article from the New York Post, the homeless were not really "removed" but were pushed to other parts of the city in preparation for the summit, to a place that would not be visited by the honorable attendees.

Residents and business owners said city officials' attempts to herd transients and drug addicts are only a "Band-Aid" to a severe problem as drug overdoses continue to plague the city. "They started clearing the tents earlier this week and there is definitely a lot more police presence," South of Market (SoMa) resident and community activist Ricci Lee Wynne told the news outlet.

The city reportedly targeted seven intersections in the Tenderloin and SoMa neighborhoods, which house the more concentrated encampments of drug-addled people high on fentanyl and heroin. The tents near the Moscone Center on Howard Street were cleared out, "which tells me the city could do this all along instead they just do the bare minimum," Wynne said, adding that as soon as APEC is done, "police presence will start to simmer down again, the tents will return. And it will slowly flare up again."

Furthermore, SoMa resident and business owner Adam Mesnick has seen temporary housing pop up in hotels for some of the homeless over the past week. "They are just essentially herding the problem around but offering no long-term solutions," Mesnick said. "I'm just outside what they consider the 'containment zone' for APEC, so the problem is getting pushed into my area, which is already pretty saturated with drug activity." He said that it would be virtually impossible to eliminate all of the "illegal squatters" after the convention.

"They are very good at creating an illusion and they are very good at performance art," he said referring to the city leaders. "It's indicative of a poor administration. And you know, really at this point, the frustration couldn't be any louder." The deli owner has reportedly discovered two dead bodies in his own neighborhood, one right outside his home. (Related: Homeless convicted pedophile arrested after camping near San Francisco school and offering free fentanyl for new users.)

Check out Collapsifornia.com to read more about the imminent societal collapse of California.

Sources for this article include:

InfoWars.com

Finance.Yahoo.com

NYPost.com
Severe storms with potential tornadoes threaten 20 million Americans from Texas to the southeastern United States ahead of Thanksgiving Day on Thursday, November 23. This is according to the National Weather Service (NWS) which warned that the severe thunderstorms affecting the South US are caused by a storm system moving from the southern Plains to the northeastern part of the country. The main weather hazards linked with the storm system will be deadly winds and tornadoes.

US weather authorities also warned that strong offshore Santa Ana winds threaten southern California by Tuesday morning, November 21. This is also the case across the western US, where millions of people as well are under high wind alerts as of Monday, November 20. Although these winds are not life-threatening, they can also fuel fire weather conditions across the region, leading to an increasing risk of wildfire emergence and spread.

US Weather Forecast

In its US weather forecast for this week, the NWS' Weather Prediction Center (WPC) at 3:01 a.m. EST (local time) on Monday reported a myriad of weather hazards facing the country this week. The hazards mentioned earlier include the severe weather system across the Deep South, snowfall and rainfall events across the Rockies or high Plains, and Santa Ana winds over southern California.

Last week, the WPC and other forecasters in the country said that major weather events will impact the nation ahead of Thanksgiving, primarily a cross-country storm that can cause problems for around 55 million Americans traveling before the national holiday. As forecasts have changed this week, the mentioned weather hazards on Monday can still affect ground and air travel this week.

Also Read: Severe Storms in Central US, Critical Fire Weather Conditions Forecasted in Southwest US

Severe Storms Forecast

The NWS' Storm Prediction Center (SPC) at 10:26 a.m. on Monday stated that a total of around 26 million people are affected by the looming severe storms across the southern US, specifically in the following areas:

Houston, Texas

Dallas, Texas

Plano, Texas

Mesquite, Texas

Shreveport, Louisiana

Bossier City, Louisiana

Monroe, Louisiana

New Orleans, Louisiana

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Metairie, Louisiana

Birmingham, Alabama

Mobile, Alabama

Memphis, Tennessee

Jackson, Mississippi

Hattiesburg, Mississippi

The SPC highlighted that "some strong" tornadoes, damaging thunderstorm winds, and isolated large hail are the main threats starting Monday afternoon across east Texas and parts of Louisiana, as well as into Mississippi and Alabama. Although the country is heading toward the end of its hurricane season and the start of the winter season, meteorologists said severe weather events can still occur.

Earlier this year, multiple tornadoes that spawned from severe thunderstorms have resulted in multiple deaths in different states nationwide. According to the SPC's Annual U.S. Killer Tornado Statistics in October 2023, a total of 75 tornado-related deaths were reported across the US since January 1 this year, with Mississippi being the highest after recording 14 deaths followed by Tennessee with nine deaths.

Related Article: Severe Storms to Hit the Northeast US Ahead of Approaching Cold Front
Talking crows may seem to be out of the ordinary as these wild birds are mostly known as scavengers of rotting carcasses and even garbage. Being omnivores, crows eat almost whatever is available, including insects, cultivated fruits, fish, eggs, nestling birds, nuts, spiders, snakes, snails, and vegetables, according to experts. However, a reported incident that occurred earlier this year suggests that these birds can also talk after a crow spoke to a Canada woman in the English language.

For years, experts have contested if whether wild crows can talk or not. Although some reports indicate that the winged scavengers can be taught to talk, it is not as sophisticated as parrots or even with the same level of human speech. Regardless, talking birds is a fascinating fact, confirming that animals other than humans are also capable of speech, at least on the most basic level. In the past several decades, several people also sought to have talking birds as their pets.

Talking Crow Incident

The talking crow incident occurred a few months back when a local resident in a Canadian town experienced in what can be called as a bizarre event. According to a report in recent days, the woman, named Lisa Sandoval, was near a waterfront in North Rustico, located in the northern shore of Prince Edward Island, when she heard someone calling her, "Hello! Hello!

At first, Sandoval looked at her surroundings and noticed that there was no person around at that time. When she checked again, only a crow was near, placing her in a state of disbelief at first, according to the report. Sandoval later found out that she was not the only one in North Rustico to have encountered the talking crow.

Unconfirmed testimonies in previous years indicate that the wild bird was initially found as an injured baby by a local elderly man and took care of him, as well as talked to him. The man eventually released the crow after it recovered.

Also Read: Caught on Cam: Bird Goes Viral After Singing the Harry Potter Theme

Can Crows Talk?

Despite arguments surrounding the topic of talking crows, scientists assert that birds can learn and copy limited sounds, noises, and even human speech such as "hello."

In 2020, a study published in the journal iScience showed that crows have categorical auditory working memory with the following discoveries outlined below:

Crows classified new sounds

Crows categorize different sounds

Crows can memorize these sound categories

Although it has been known that crows and other birds are unable to create unique speech, the study shows that crows can talk under the condition that they are trained in a delayed match-to-category task, requiring them to memorize sounds based on upward or downward sound frequency modulation.

In a related incident like the one experienced by the Canada woman, talking crows were also reported in a town in England in recent years. These birds were spotted in Knaresborough where two tourists spotted some crows chatting.

Related Article: Parrot Witness: Bird Testimony Solved Mysterious 2015 Murder Case in Michigan
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On November 20, FANGCHENGBAO ("FANGCHENG" for "formula"), BYD's fresh professional personalized sub-brand, announced that its inaugural model, the BAO 5 ("BAO" for"leopard"), would officially commence deliveries on November 24.

The company assured customers who had signed contracts before November 20 that deliveries would proceed according to the previously published delivery rules. For non-DiSus version orders placed from November 21 onwards, the estimated lead-time is around 4 to 6 weeks.

Photo credit: FANGCHENGBAO

Highlighting the national uniform sequencing of the BAO 5 deliveries, the official statement acknowledged potential variations in delivery times due to differences in configurations, colors, and customized features based on production batches. However, orders with identical specifications in terms of configuration, exterior and interior colors, and optional features will follow the established delivery rules. Specific delivery times will also be influenced by the completion of delivery procedures and the chosen pickup location, introducing some variability.

It's noteworthy that the DiSus Flagship Edition will initiate deliveries from January 2024.

For users in cities without FANGCHENGBAO's stores, they have the option to choose the nearest city with a store for pickup or wait for the completion of new stores in their city.

Photo credit: FANGCHENGBAO

The BAO 5, which went on sale on November 9, offers three trim levels with a price range of 289,800 yuan to 352,800 yuan.

In terms of dimensions, the BAO 5 measures 4,890/1,970/1,920mm in length, width, and height, with a wheelbase of 2,800mm. Off-road capabilities include an approach angle of 35, departure angle of 32, longitudinal passing angle of 20, and a minimum ground clearance of 220mm. Models equipped with the DiSus-P standard intelligent control system can achieve a minimum ground clearance of 310mm.

Photo credit: FANGCHENGBAO

Regarding off-road performance, FANGCHENGBAO claims that the BAO 5, along with other DMO-based models, can achieve a desert climbing height of 150 meters, showcasing its capability to tackle frequent uphill and downhill terrains without compromising on battery performance. The vehicle is designed to achieve a complete charge without losing power and can even gain charge during the process.

Photo credit: FANGCHENGBAO

Configurations across the entire lineup of the BAO 5 include 24 intelligent driving sensors, L2+ driver assistance system, up to 18 Devialet speakers, with additional headrest speakers for the driver, an onboard compressor refrigerator, and an active fragrance system

The model is powered by the DMO hybrid system, comprising a longitudinally positioned 1.5T efficient hybrid engine and two electric motors. The 1.5T engine has a maximum power of 143 kW and a peak torque of 274 Nm, while the front and rear dual motors enable maximum powers of 200 kW and 285 kW, respectively. The combined maximum power of the entire powertrain is 515 kW, with a peak torque of 760 Nm.

In terms of range, the BAO 5 offers a range of 125 kilometers on battery power alone and a combined range of 1,200 kilometers.
The Cuyama Valley is a remote and arid region in California, north of Santa Barbara. It is home to about 2,000 people, mostly farmers and ranchers who rely on the valley's only water source: groundwater.

The groundwater is stored in an aquifer, a layer of rock and sand that holds water underground.

The aquifer is replenished by rain and snow, but the valley receives very little precipitation, averaging only 12 inches per year.

For decades, the groundwater has been pumped out by wells and sprinklers to irrigate crops, especially carrots.

Carrots are a thirsty crop, requiring about 14 inches of water per year. The Cuyama Valley produces about 10% of the nation's carrots and is dominated by two of the world's largest carrot-growing companies: Grimmway Farms and Bolthouse Farms.

Together, they farm about 15,000 acres of carrots in the valley, using about 70,000 acre-feet of water per year. That is enough water to supply more than half a million people.

The excessive pumping of groundwater has caused the aquifer to drop by more than 300 feet since the 1950s.

This has led to land subsidence, saltwater intrusion, and reduced water quality. The aquifer is now critically overdrafted, meaning that more water is taken out than put back in. If this trend continues, the aquifer could run dry, leaving the valley without water.

The Legal Battle: Who Has the Right to Pump Groundwater?

In 2014, California passed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), a law that requires local agencies to develop and implement plans to manage groundwater sustainably by 2040.

The law also allows groundwater users to file lawsuits to determine their rights to pump groundwater, based on historical and beneficial use.

In 2019, Grimmway Farms and Bolthouse Farms filed such a lawsuit against more than 1,000 other property owners in the Cuyama Valley, including residents, small farmers, ranchers, and the Cuyama Community Services District (CCSD), which provides water and sewer services to the town of New Cuyama.

The carrot companies claimed that they have superior rights to pump groundwater, and that the other parties have no rights or limited rights.

They also asked the court to appoint a watermaster, a person or entity that would oversee and regulate groundwater pumping in the valley.

The lawsuit sparked outrage and resistance among the defendants, who argued that the carrot companies are trying to monopolize the groundwater and undermine the SGMA process.

They formed a coalition called the Cuyama Valley Water Guardians, and hired lawyers to fight the lawsuit.

They also launched a campaign to boycott carrots, urging consumers to stop buying carrots from Grimmway Farms and Bolthouse Farms.

They put up signs and banners along the valley's roads and outside their homes and businesses, saying "BOYCOTT CARROTS" and "STAND WITH CUYAMA AGAINST CORPORATE GREED".

The boycott campaign has gained support from local and national organizations, such as the Community Water Center, Food and Water Watch, and the Sierra Club.

The campaign has also attracted media attention, raising awareness about the water crisis in the Cuyama Valley and the impacts of corporate agriculture on groundwater resources.

Also Read: Carrots Won't Help You See at Night, but Blueberries Might?

The Future: Can the Cuyama Valley Achieve Water Sustainability?

The lawsuit is still ongoing, and the outcome is uncertain. The carrot companies have said that they are willing to negotiate a settlement with the other parties, but they have not withdrawn the lawsuit.

The CCSD and the Cuyama Valley Water Guardians have said that they are open to dialogue, but they have not accepted the carrot companies' claims to superior water rights.

The court has appointed a mediator to facilitate the discussions, but no agreement has been reached so far.

Meanwhile, the SGMA process is also moving forward, albeit slowly. The Cuyama Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA), a joint powers authority composed of representatives from the county, the state, and the CCSD, has developed a groundwater management plan for the valley, which was approved by the state in 2020.

The plan sets a goal to reduce groundwater overdraft by 70% by 2040, and proposes various actions to achieve it, such as monitoring, metering, reporting, and enforcing groundwater use, implementing water conservation and efficiency measures, developing alternative water sources, and restoring natural recharge areas.

However, the plan does not address the issue of water rights, which is left to the court to decide.

The plan also does not specify how the groundwater pumping reductions will be allocated among the different users, which is a contentious and complex matter.

The GSA has said that it will develop a groundwater allocation framework in the future, based on the court's ruling and the input from the stakeholders.

The Cuyama Valley faces a daunting challenge to achieve water sustainability and balance the needs of its diverse and conflicting water users.

The carrot boycott campaign is a manifestation of the frustration and desperation of a community that feels threatened by the actions of powerful corporate interests.

The lawsuit is a test of the legal and institutional framework that governs groundwater rights and management in California.

The SGMA process is an opportunity for collaboration and innovation to find solutions that are fair and effective.

The fate of the Cuyama Valley depends on the outcome of these three intertwined processes, and the willingness of all parties to work together for the common good.

Related article: The Original Carrot Color: Orange or Purple?
The world is still far from meeting the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, as agreed in the Paris Agreement, according to a new report by the United Nations.

The report, released on October 26, 2021, shows that the current pledges by countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions would lead to a temperature rise of between 2.1 and 2.9 degrees Celsius by the end of the century, compared to pre-industrial levels.

This would have devastating consequences for people and nature, such as more extreme weather events, sea level rise, biodiversity loss, food insecurity, and health impacts.

The report, called the Emissions Gap Report 2021, comes just days before the start of the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Glasgow, Scotland, where world leaders are expected to ramp up their climate action and ambition.

The report urges countries to submit more ambitious and concrete plans, known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs), to cut their emissions by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050

Current pledges are not enough to close the emissions gap

The report finds that the current NDCs submitted by countries would result in a global emissions level of 55 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent (GtCO2e) in 2030, which is 7.5% lower than the level projected last year (59 GtCO2e) based on the previous NDCs.

However, this is still far above the level needed to reach the 1.5 degrees Celsius target, which would require emissions to be reduced to 25 GtCO2e by 2030.

This means that there is still a huge gap of 30 GtCO2e between the current pledges and the desired outcome, equivalent to the annual emissions of the 27 countries of the European Union and China combined.

The report also analyzes the long-term net-zero emissions targets announced by some countries, such as China, the United States, and the European Union, which together account for more than half of the global emissions.

If these targets are fully implemented and aligned with the 1.5 degrees Celsius goal, they could reduce the projected temperature rise by 2100 to 2.2 degrees Celsius.

However, the report warned that these targets are not yet legally binding or supported by adequate policies and measures and that they need to be translated into more ambitious and immediate actions for the 2030 timeframe.

Also Read: 11,000 Scientists Warns Catastrophy If No Climate Actions Done

Urgent and transformative action is needed to close the emissions gap

The report calls for urgent and transformative action from all countries, sectors, and levels of society to close the emissions gap and achieve the 1.5 degrees Celsius goal.

It highlights the key opportunities and benefits of accelerating the transition to a low-carbon and resilient economy, such as creating jobs, improving health, reducing poverty, and enhancing biodiversity.

The report identifies several priority areas for action, such as phasing out coal and fossil fuel subsidies, scaling up renewable energy and energy efficiency, enhancing natural carbon sinks, promoting a circular economy and sustainable consumption and production, and increasing international cooperation and finance.

It also emphasized the need to integrate climate action with the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, which offers a unique chance to rebuild better and greener.

The report concluded that the COP26 meeting in Glasgow is a critical moment for the world to demonstrate its commitment and leadership on climate change, and to raise the ambition and action needed to avoid the worst impacts of global warming.

It urged countries to submit new and updated NDCs that are aligned with the 1.5 degrees Celsius goal and to implement them with urgency and transparency.

The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, said that the time for half measures and hollow promises was over and that more action was needed from the private sector and non-state actors such as local governments.

He added that this was not just about words on paper, but about getting stuff done.

Related article: Climate Change Expanding the Range of Crop Pests, Threatening Global Food Security
A team of researchers from the University of Montana and the U.S. Department of Agriculture has created the most complete genetic map of the American bison, revealing new insights into the evolution, diversity, and conservation of this iconic animal.

The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, also identified the gene responsible for albinism, a rare condition that affects some bison populations.

Bison genetics and evolution

The American bison, also known as the buffalo, is the largest land mammal in North America and a symbol of the wild west.

However, the bison population was nearly wiped out by overhunting and habitat loss in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, reducing their numbers from millions to less than a thousand.

Thanks to conservation efforts, the bison population has recovered to about 500,000 today, but their genetic diversity and health are still threatened by inbreeding, disease, and hybridization with cattle.

To better understand the genetic history and diversity of the bison, the researchers sequenced the genomes of 620 bison from 19 populations across the U.S. and Canada, including wild, captive, and hybrid bison.

They compared the bison genomes with those of cattle, yak, and other bovids, and reconstructed the evolutionary relationships and demographic changes of the bison over time.

The researchers found that the bison originated from a common ancestor with the yak about 5 million years ago, and diverged into two distinct lineages: the plains bison and the wood bison.

The plains bison is the more widespread and familiar type, while the wood bison is larger and darker, and lives in northern Canada and Alaska.

The two lineages diverged about 400,000 years ago, and have remained genetically distinct despite occasional interbreeding.

The researchers also discovered that the bison population underwent a severe bottleneck about 22,000 years ago, coinciding with the Last Glacial Maximum, when ice sheets covered most of North America.

The bison population then expanded rapidly after the ice retreated, reaching a peak of about 10 million individuals about 5,000 years ago.

The population declined again in the last 200 years due to human activities, resulting in a loss of genetic diversity and an increase of inbreeding.

Also Read: Rare Albino Dolphin Calf Seen Off-Coast Africa

Albinism gene in bison

One of the most striking findings of the study was the identification of the gene responsible for albinism in bison.

Albinism is a rare condition that causes a lack of pigment in the skin, hair, and eyes, resulting in a white or pale appearance. It is caused by mutations in genes involved in the production of melanin, the pigment that gives color to the skin, hair, and eyes.

It affects many animals, including humans, but its occurrence and genetic basis in bison were unknown until now.

The researchers found that albinism in bison is caused by a mutation in a gene called SLC45A2, which encodes a protein that transports melanin precursors into the cells that produce pigment.

The mutation disrupts the function of the protein, preventing the production of melanin and causing albinism.

The researchers estimated that the mutation arose about 8,000 years ago in a single bison, and spread through the population due to genetic drift and inbreeding.

They also found that albinism in bison is associated with reduced fitness and survival. Albino bison have lower reproductive success, higher susceptibility to disease and predation, and lower tolerance to heat and sunlight.

Albino bison are also more likely to be targeted by hunters and poachers, who consider them as trophies or curiosities.

The researchers estimated that the frequency of albinism in bison is about 0.1%, or one in a thousand, but it varies among populations and regions.

Related article: Rare Albino Flap Shell Turtle That Looks Like Melted Cheese Spotted in India!
Meteorologists warned against high risk of thunderstorms and tornadoes over Mississippi Valley.

A strengthening storm fueled by the moisture that is from the Gulf of Mexico is expected to ignite a significant round of severe weather, which will put lives and property at risk.

Violent Thunderstorms, Multiple Tornadoes

Weather experts noted that it has been many weeks since there was a significant outbreak of severe weather in the United States.

They warned that there is a high chance that violent thunderstorms with multiple tornadoes would occur over the lower part of the Mississippi Valley.

Meanwhile, some of the severe weather and tornado-producing storms will linger well after dark, which will add to the danger that the system will bring.

These storms, energized by the stream of water-laden and warm air from the Gulf of Mexico, will become severe.

Weather forecasters said that downpours, damaging winds and isolated tornadoes will be the biggest threat through the afternoon and evening hours from eastern Texas eastward into southern Arkansas, Louisiana Mississippi and western Alabama.

To recall, officials said that the last significant severe weather outbreak in the U.S. was centered on the Great Plains on October 3 to 4, when at least 175 storm reports were filed including eight tornadoes.

Furthermore, severe thunderstorms have not occurred since September 26 in Louisiana and way back on September 7 in Mississippi -- both states are in the thick of Monday's severe weather setup.

According to weather experts, thunderstorms began to erupt during the midday hours on Monday and a number of these thunderstorms had already become severe in the afternoon, bringing high winds, hail and torrential downpours in the zone from northeastern Texas to western and central Mississippi to southern Arkansas.

Meanwhile, some of the strongest storms have started to rotate and it is within these rotating thunderstorms that tornadoes are likely to develop into the evening hours.

Meteorologists said that there are likely to be multiple tornadoes on the ground into Monday night from northeastern Texas to the lower part of the Mississippi Valley.

They have outlined a high-risk area from the northeastern corner of Texas through much of northern Louisiana as well as into central Mississippi.

Officials have warned that the most significant risk of tornadoes will occur within that corridor.

Still, tornadoes will be possible to the north of this zone to central Arkansas and southwestern Tennessee as well as in the Gulf Coast in eastern Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi.

Authorities have said that residents in Shreveport, Louisiana, Little Rock, Arkansas, Jackson, Mississippi, and even the northeastern side of the Houston metropolitan area should be placed on heightened alert into the evening hours on Monday before the cluster of thunderstorms races eastward.

Read Also: Rain, Thunderstorms Likely in Southern Plains, Lower Mississippi Valley; Cooler Weather Expected in Upper Midwest

The Dangers of Tornadoes

A tornado is a narrow, violently rotating column of air that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground.

Because wind is invisible, it is hard to see a tornado unless it forms a condensation funnel made up of water droplets, dust and debris.

Tornadoes can be among the most violent phenomena of all atmospheric storms we experience.

This kind of weather phenomenon occur in many parts of the world, including Australia, Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America.

Related Article: Reforestation Along Mississippi River Will Reduce Agricultural Runoff, Revive Gulf of Mexico




Illegal wildlife trade, which includes wildlife smuggling or wildlife trafficking, is a global threat affecting wild animals. The increased demand for meat, skin, tusks, and other body parts of these animals is what drives this underground industry. Although local and international measures to combat wildlife trafficking have been imposed in the past several decades, wildlife smuggling and its international networks have persisted in Africa, Asia, Europe, and even in the Americas.

Earlier this month, the Canadian government issued a ban on illegal wildlife trade, particularly those involving elephant ivory and rhino horn. The move aims to protect these wild animals, which continue to be threatened and hunted down in Africa and other parts of the world. This black market for wild animal smuggling has increased in Canada for more than a decade, where thousands of animals and their body parts were sized by local authorities.

Canada Wildlife Trafficking Ban

Canada has imposed new regulations against illegal wildlife trade, particularly when it comes to banning the import of hunting trophies that include elephant ivory tusks and rhino horns, according to the Human Society International (HSI). Canada's minister of environment and climate change, Steven Guilbeault, stated that the Canadian government aims to protect and conserve elephant and rhinoceros populations, which saw a global decline.

In particular, the ban prohibits the domestic trade of elephant ivory and rhino horn, as well as the importation of hunting trophies that include these parts. This landmark initiative is based on a 2021 Ministerial mandate and is a manifestation of a seven-year campaign by HSI/Canada for the protection of these wild animals.

Prior to the Canada wildlife trafficking ban, the country had an existing law that states that it is illegal to import all wildlife that has been illegally, especially those without authorized permits, obtained from a foreign country.

Also Read: Despite Low Seizure Amount, Illegal Wildlife Trade May Boom Because of Covid-19

Illegal Wildlife Trade

According to Stephen Kavanagh, INTERPOL's executive director of police services, wildlife crime or illegal wildlife trade has become one of the world's largest criminal activities. During INTERPOL's November 6 news release, Kavanagh attributed that wildlife crime relates to armed violence and corruption, as well as financial crimes.

The intergovernmental organization, during the United for Wildlife Summit, also stated that environmental and wildlife crime continues to grow and pushes many species to the brink of extinction. Illegal wildlife trafficking is the world's fourth most lucrative crime after arms, drugs, and humans; with value generation of $7 billion USD and $23 billion USD annually, according to the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF).

Based on multiple documentaries and reports about illegal wildlife smuggling over the past several decades, evidence shows that the criminal trade of some animals and their body parts has accelerated along with the development of modern-day land, air, and water transportation. For instance, the United States and Canada in recent years have seized trafficked wildlife at airports and other transport hubs.

Related Article: Illegal Wildlife Trade: Sale of Restricted Wild Orchids Goes Unchallenged in Southeast Asia, Say Researchers
Rising sea level is one of the repercussions of climate change and global warming, as the world's glaciers and other icy structures continue to melt at an unprecedented rate. In this natural catastrophe, islands and even coastal communities are currently at risk of rising ocean waters and will continue to do so in the coming decades if the current rate of anthropogenic or human-caused greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel burning persists.

Maldives is one of the places on Earth that has been dealing with rising levels in recent years, with several proposed measures already, including the relocation of affected residents. Now, the island country's new leader, President Mohamed Muizzu, has announced that his administration will fight back against the threat of ocean flooding by building fortress islands while scrapping previous plans of relocating citizens of Maldives.

Maldives Rising Sea Levels

Maldives is known as for its white sand beaches and breathtaking islands, making it a popular holiday getaway for travelers worldwide and a destination for several water sports. It is also famous for its turquoise waters and widespread coral reefs. However, rising sea levels have threatened to swallow the island nation located in the middle of the Indian Ocean, southwest of Sri Lanka and India.

Earlier this year, scientists suggested that building higher islands or artificial islands could save Maldives from sea level rise, a problem that caused some residents of islands in Maldives to evacuate to its capital Male. In a study published in the journal Environmental Research Climate in February 2023, researchers suggest that land claim and island raising could be a solution for the sea level rise problem of Maldives.

According to NASA, images from the Landsat satellite showed that land cover in Maldives has increased significantly between 1997 and 2020. This is caused by the construction of an artificial island aimed to relieve crowding in Male amid rising sea levels. This looming natural disaster not only threatens Maldives but also the Indian Ocean archipelago, according to reports.

Also Read: Floating Paradise: Maldives to Build Floating City to Adapt to Rising Sea Levels

Maldives Fortress Islands

Due to the persisting threats posed by climate change and sea level rise, the Maldives government has expressed its plan to move toward building fortress islands. President Muizzu announced that the Maldives will stand against climate change-driven waves and rising sea levels by engaging in land reclamation projects and building higher islands, according to reports on Monday, November 20.

The Maldives relocation plan mentioned earlier started 15 years ago, during the country's former president Mohamed Nasheed, who warned Maldives citizens that they could become Earth's first environmental refugees that involves relocation to another country.

Since the relocation initiative has been scrapped, Muizzu is seeking international funding worth $500 million to protect the country's vulnerable coasts, asserting that Maldivians will not be leaving their homeland. The environmental threat faced by the Maldives is based on previous estimates by scientists that ocean waters will swallow most of the island nation's land area by the end of the 21st century.

Related Article: Artificial Taller Islands Could Save the Maldives from Imminent Sea Level Rise [Study]
According to information published by Asahi on November 21, 2023, Japan's government has agreed to provide four patrol boats to the Bangladeshi Navy under its new framework, the Official Security Assistance (OSA).

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Japanese Coast Guard's patrol vessel PM25 Muromi. (Picture source: Japanese gov)

The OSA, which stands for "Government Security Capacity Enhancement Assistance," aims to bolster security collaboration by providing defense equipment to allied countries. This framework was recently utilized in a summit with the Philippines, where Japan agreed to supply coastal surveillance radars.

Utilizing the OSA, the Japanese government has now agreed to supply Bangladesh with four patrol boats. These boats are intended for use by the Bangladeshi Navy for surveillance and disaster relief operations.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh is seeking to diversify its sources of defense equipment, moving away from reliance on China. Seizing this opportunity, the Japanese government aims to strengthen its security cooperation with Bangladesh.

Bangladesh, located on the Bay of Bengal, is strategically important due to major sea lanes and its proximity to India. It is also a key point in China's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, stretching from Asia to Europe.

For the OSA program, the Japanese government had allocated approximately 2 billion yen in the initial budget for this fiscal year, targeting the Philippines, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and Fiji as recipient countries.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On November 21, Changan Auto and NIO signed a cooperative agreement in Chongqing city on battery swap-related businesses on November 21. This groundbreaking collaboration aims to establish battery swap standards, facilitate the construction and sharing of battery swap networks, engage in joint R&D of battery-swap-enabled vehicle models, and implement an efficient battery asset management system.

This marks the initiation of NIO's collaboration with an automobile company in the battery swap sector.

Photo credit: NIO

NIO's Founder, Chairman, and CEO, William Bin Li, emphasized NIO's commitment to industry-wide openness from the very beginning of its battery swap services. Mr. Li drew parallels between NIO's battery swap network and energy cloud services to internet cloud infrastructure, highlighting its path from infrastructure development and internal integration, to all scenario validation and external openness. With five years of evolution, NIO's power swap network and energy cloud have accumulated substantial experience in technology R&D, and facility construction and operations, positioning NIO's battery swap business to open up to the broader industry.

Beyond the collaboration with Changan Auto, Mr. Li revealed in an internal briefing on November 20 that discussions are underway with 4-5 other automotive companies for potential collaborations on battery swap business.

In February of this year, Mr. Li announced NIO's plan to add 1,000 new battery swap stations in 2023, a significant increase from the 400-station target initially set at the NIO Day in December last year. By the end of this year, NIO aims to have over 2,300 battery swap stations nationwide, surging from the 1,305 stations in operation by the end of 2022.

On November 20, NIO celebrated the official launch of its 2,100th battery swap station in China, which is located at the Hukou Service Area on the G22 Qinglan Expressway. With this milestone, NIO's national network of power swap stations has reached a cumulative total of 2,103.
Dutch chip manufacturer ASML plans to invest 100 million euros ($109.6 million) a year for an unconfirmed number of years to expand the production and development capacity at its Berlin plant.

ASML is the only supplier of ultraviolet (EUV) and deep ultraviolet (DUV) technology, the world's most advanced chipmaking techniques used to mass-produce chips that are smaller than 7nm. It manufactures lithography components including wafer clamps, wafer tables, reticle chucks and mirror blocks at its Berlin factory.

The latest investment commitment reflects the growing global demand for semiconductors and the need to shore up the supply chain. The Berlin factory currently employees in 1,700 workers, a figure that is expected to increase to 2,300 within a few years, according to a report in the German Handelsblatt newspaper. AMSL has already employed 600 new workers at the factory since the start of 2022, managing director George Gomba told Handelsblatt.

Asked for comment, an ASML spokesperson confirmed that the company is committed to spending 100 million euros a year to bolster production capacity, and noted that amount has already been spent for 2023.

Even though the Dutch government has placed export restrictions on companies such as ASML, which sell advanced chip-making technology to China, in the third fiscal quarter of 2023, ASML's sales rose by 16% to 6.7 billion euros year over year, and profit rose by 11% to around 1.9 billion euros.

The restrictions form part of a broader trade war with China and mimic sanctions enacted by the US government, which first imposed restrictions on exports of chips to China in 2015, extending them in 2021 and twice in 2022. It was the US government that convinced the Netherlands and Japan to join it in expanding the ban on exports of chip-making technology to China.
China has cleared Broadcom's $69 billion acquisition of VMware, leaving the two companies free to close the transaction on November 22.

Although the deal faced scrutiny from a number of competition regulators across the globe, including in the UK and the EU, the acquisition was ultimately approved by all the necessary jurisdictions ahead of the merger agreement's expiration date on November 26.

Broadcom was required to seek approval from China's regulatory authorities because it generates billions in revenue from its business in the country. Approval came days after US President Joe Biden met with President of China, Xi Jingping.

Concerns were originally raised by the UK's Competition and Market's Authority (CMA) that the deal could harm the ability of Broadcom's rivals to compete with VMware's server virtualization software, and if there would be a potential financial benefit to Broadcom and VMware if they were to make rival products work less well with VMware's software.

However, it was ultimately concluded that the concerns were unfounded and the deal would not substantially reduce competition in the supply of server hardware components in the UK, a conclusion that was also reached by the EU Commission. In addition, Broadcom offered a commitment to interoperability by pledging to provide Marvell -- a rival in Fibre Channel host bus adapters -- with API access to VMware's virtualization products.

"Broadcom has received legal merger clearance in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, Israel, Japan, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and foreign investment control clearance in all necessary jurisdictions," VMware wrote in a press release on Tuesday. "There is no legal impediment to closing under US merger regulations."
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Edible oil industry body SEA has expressed concern that the rise in imports of refined palm oil is affecting domestic refiners and demanded that the government should increase the duty differential between crude and refined palm oil to 15 per cent from 7.5 per cent to check inward shipments.

India is a major importer of cooking oil to meet domestic demand. The country imports palm oil from Malaysia and Indonesia, while soyabean oil from Argentina and Brazil.

Among palm oils, the import of RBD Palmolein increased to 21.1 lakh tonnes in the 2022-23 marketing year (November to October) from 18.4 lakh tonnes in the previous year.

Crude palm oil (CPO) imports rose to 75.9 lakh tonnes in 2022-23 marketing year from 54.9 lakh tonnes in the year-ago period.

In a letter to its members, Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA) President Ajay Jhunjhunwala pointed out that Indian vegetable oil (comprising of edible and non-edible oil) refining industry is "facing challenges".

"The Indian edible oil Industry, with a size of Rs 3 lakh crore (USD 35 billion), holds significant importance. Over the last 12 years, Indonesia and Malaysia have imposed higher export taxes on CPO compared to refined oil to protect their refining industry. This has made refined oil cheaper, rendering Indian capacity redundant and unutilized," he said.

In India, the duty differential between CPO and refined palm oil has been reduced to 7.5 per cent, "serving the interests of the refining industry in Malaysia and Indonesia", Jhunjhunwala said.

He pointed out that the low-duty differential is negatively impacting the domestic vegetable oil refining industry.

"In light of this, SEA has once again appealed to the government to raise the duty difference from 7.5 per cent to 15 per cent between crude and refined palm oil," Jhunjhunwala said.

The SEA president said that India's imports of vegetable oils reached an all-time high of 167.1 lakh tonnes during the recently concluded 2022-23 oil year (November-October), with edible oil shipments hitting a record high of 164.7 lakh tonnes.

"The palm oil segment accounted for almost 60 per cent of imports. The landed prices of RBD palmolein are lesser than CPO due to exporting countries imposing higher export tax-cess on raw materials. This situation poses a significant threat to the profitability and viability of our refining industry, with many units now functioning solely as packers," he said.

Jhunjhunwala said this scenario is undesirable as it could lead to an increase in Non-Performing Assets (NPA) for supporting banks and shareholders, along with heightened unemployment in the industry and the value chain.

The president also expressed concern over the ban on exports of deoiled ricebran.

"The ban negatively affects solvent extraction, without serving its intended purpose of reducing dairy costs as deoiled ricebran price has least impact on milk and dairy prices," he said.

Jhunjhunwala said the price of deoiled ricebran has sharply dropped to nearly Rs. 13,500 per tonne from Rs 18,000 per tonne in August 2023.

"SEA strongly urges the concerned ministries not to extend the ban on DORB exports beyond end November 2023. We will also be meeting the concerned Ministers and senior officials in the coming days, hoping for a positive outcome," he told the members of the associations.

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NEW DELHI: Edible oil industry body SEA has expressed concern that the rise in imports of refined palm oil is affecting domestic refiners and demanded that the government should increase the duty differential between crude and refined palm oil to 15 per cent from 7.5 per cent to check inward shipments. India is a major importer of cooking oil to meet domestic demand. The country imports palm oil from Malaysia and Indonesia, while soyabean oil from Argentina and Brazil. Among palm oils, the import of RBD Palmolein increased to 21.1 lakh tonnes in the 2022-23 marketing year (November to October) from 18.4 lakh tonnes in the previous year.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Crude palm oil (CPO) imports rose to 75.9 lakh tonnes in 2022-23 marketing year from 54.9 lakh tonnes in the year-ago period. In a letter to its members, Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA) President Ajay Jhunjhunwala pointed out that Indian vegetable oil (comprising of edible and non-edible oil) refining industry is "facing challenges". "The Indian edible oil Industry, with a size of Rs 3 lakh crore (USD 35 billion), holds significant importance. Over the last 12 years, Indonesia and Malaysia have imposed higher export taxes on CPO compared to refined oil to protect their refining industry. This has made refined oil cheaper, rendering Indian capacity redundant and unutilized," he said. In India, the duty differential between CPO and refined palm oil has been reduced to 7.5 per cent, "serving the interests of the refining industry in Malaysia and Indonesia", Jhunjhunwala said. He pointed out that the low-duty differential is negatively impacting the domestic vegetable oil refining industry. "In light of this, SEA has once again appealed to the government to raise the duty difference from 7.5 per cent to 15 per cent between crude and refined palm oil," Jhunjhunwala said. The SEA president said that India's imports of vegetable oils reached an all-time high of 167.1 lakh tonnes during the recently concluded 2022-23 oil year (November-October), with edible oil shipments hitting a record high of 164.7 lakh tonnes. "The palm oil segment accounted for almost 60 per cent of imports. The landed prices of RBD palmolein are lesser than CPO due to exporting countries imposing higher export tax-cess on raw materials. This situation poses a significant threat to the profitability and viability of our refining industry, with many units now functioning solely as packers," he said. Jhunjhunwala said this scenario is undesirable as it could lead to an increase in Non-Performing Assets (NPA) for supporting banks and shareholders, along with heightened unemployment in the industry and the value chain. The president also expressed concern over the ban on exports of deoiled ricebran. "The ban negatively affects solvent extraction, without serving its intended purpose of reducing dairy costs as deoiled ricebran price has least impact on milk and dairy prices," he said. Jhunjhunwala said the price of deoiled ricebran has sharply dropped to nearly Rs. 13,500 per tonne from Rs 18,000 per tonne in August 2023. "SEA strongly urges the concerned ministries not to extend the ban on DORB exports beyond end November 2023. We will also be meeting the concerned Ministers and senior officials in the coming days, hoping for a positive outcome," he told the members of the associations. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
SAN FRANCISCOFalcon Studios has announced the release of its holiday-themed feature, Cum All Ye Faithful.

Join Falcon|NakedSword exclusives Dean Young, Beau Butler, and their team of Falcon Studios heartthrobs as they spread Christmas cheer while on a mission to stop the foreclosure on drag legend Sherry Vines holiday home. Directed by Tony Dimarco and written by Ben Rush, the first episode of Cum All Ye Faithful, featuring Damian Night and the Falcon Studios debut of Presley Scott, premieres tomorrow (Nov. 22, 2023) on FalconStudios.com. On the same day, fans can also catch the entire feature on DVD and as a digital download from store.FalconStudios.com.



Elaborates a company synopsis, "For years, friends from around the world have traveled to famous drag queen Sherry Vines rustic home on Californias Pacific Crest Trail for Christmas. But, when legislation against live drag performances threatens Sherry's livelihood, shell need all the help she can get to fight the conservative lawmakers and save her lodge-style holiday house. Good pal Damian Night rallies the chosen family to produce a photo op fundraiser that will hopefully stop greedy land developer Reign from buying Sherrys place right out from under her, and, at the same time, save drag as an art form. Old and new flames ignite among the hunks as they race against the clock to give Sherry financial security while also delivering the very best kind of hard candy Christmas."



The release of Cum All Ye Faithful comes just after Falcon Studios launched a campaign to raise money to help fight against anti-drag legislation across the country. Following the fundraising theme of the new holiday feature, Falcon Studios published a special PSA starring drag stars Vine and Ethylina Canne and released a limited-edition line of "Christmas Queen" merchandise. A portion of the proceeds from this new capsule collection of shirts, hoodies, tanks and mugs is being donated to the ACLU Drag Defense Fund. Fans can watch the PSA on YouTube and buy the new line of Christmas Queen swag at FalconMerchShop.com.

Promotion of Cum All Ye Faithful is available through the Buddy Profits affiliate program. For more information about Buddy Profits, contact the affiliate manager at [email protected].



For DVD retail and wholesale purchasing, contact John Gunderson at [email protected]. Contact Cameron Greer at [email protected] for any additional inquiries.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS), which aims to bring together corporate leaders, business delegations, entrepreneurs, academia, and think-tanks worldwide to establish strategic and business alliances, is set to begin in Kolkata on Tuesday.

The 7th edition of the summit will take place from November 21 to 22, 2023, at Biswa Bangla Convention Centre, Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan, and Dhono Dhanyo Auditorium. Leaders from over 25 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Poland, France, Australia, Germany, Malaysia, Bangladesh, and Fiji are expected to participate in the summit.

The United Kingdom will have the largest delegation with 55 representatives, focusing on addressing climate change and reducing emissions. Bengal witnessed a strike-free industrial success under the visionary leadership in the past 12 years. Explore the narrative of industrial progress at BGBS2023, the official handle of the business summit said on X.

Prominent business leaders from companies such as Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), ITC, Ambuja Neotia, and the Hiranandani Group are also likely to attend. Bengals significant contributions to the nations economy, industrial progress, and its thriving Micro, small, medium enterprises (MSME) sector will be showcased at the summit. Bengal accounts for 12% of the countrys leather and 10% of iron and steel exports, with approximately 90 lakh MSME units, representing 14% of Indias total MSMEs.

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NEW DELHI: The Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS), which aims to bring together corporate leaders, business delegations, entrepreneurs, academia, and think-tanks worldwide to establish strategic and business alliances, is set to begin in Kolkata on Tuesday. The 7th edition of the summit will take place from November 21 to 22, 2023, at Biswa Bangla Convention Centre, Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan, and Dhono Dhanyo Auditorium. Leaders from over 25 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Poland, France, Australia, Germany, Malaysia, Bangladesh, and Fiji are expected to participate in the summit. The United Kingdom will have the largest delegation with 55 representatives, focusing on addressing climate change and reducing emissions. Bengal witnessed a strike-free industrial success under the visionary leadership in the past 12 years. Explore the narrative of industrial progress at BGBS2023, the official handle of the business summit said on X.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Prominent business leaders from companies such as Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), ITC, Ambuja Neotia, and the Hiranandani Group are also likely to attend. Bengals significant contributions to the nations economy, industrial progress, and its thriving Micro, small, medium enterprises (MSME) sector will be showcased at the summit. Bengal accounts for 12% of the countrys leather and 10% of iron and steel exports, with approximately 90 lakh MSME units, representing 14% of Indias total MSMEs. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Ujwal Jalali By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The jury is still out on why he left his country Bangladesh. Yet he knew once in India, locating him would be like finding a needle in the haystack. So, the grand voyage of Apu Barua began two years ago.



The 26-year-old Bangladeshi national illegally entered India, and in coming months also managed to take immigration authorities of many countries for a ride.



The police said Barua changed his identity from a Bangladeshi national to an Indian and then to a Buddhist monk in order to leave India and settle in a European country. But his plans came a cropper when he was caught in Germany and deported to India.



Upon landing in Delhi in the intervening night of November 18-19, he was taken into custody and booked under relevant sections of the IPC and the Passport Act.



It all began on August 11, 2021, when Barua entered India by crossing the Indo-Bangla border from Matiranga (Bangladesh) to Sabroom in Tripura. After reaching India, he stayed in a hotel near IGM Hospital, Agartala, for four days during which he procured his birth certificate (issued by the Agartala hospital), Aadhaar and PAN with the help of an agent.



And he got a new identity  Anik Roy. Barua then left for Pune via Kolkata where he started working in a hotel. Later, he worked as a security guard in a society in Shivajinagar. With the help of a local, he changed his Aadhaar card address from Tripura to Maharashtra and applied for a passport.



Barua, a Chakma tribal, impersonated as a Buddhist monk and travelled to Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam.



But that was not all, he then managed to forge a membership letter of a respected Buddhist Gompa (association) and used it to procure an offer letter from the Spanish Buddhist association and obtained a Schengen visa.



Like all chickens come to roost, Barua was caught in Germany.

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NEW DELHI: The jury is still out on why he left his country Bangladesh. Yet he knew once in India, locating him would be like finding a needle in the haystack. So, the grand voyage of Apu Barua began two years ago. The 26-year-old Bangladeshi national illegally entered India, and in coming months also managed to take immigration authorities of many countries for a ride. The police said Barua changed his identity from a Bangladeshi national to an Indian and then to a Buddhist monk in order to leave India and settle in a European country. But his plans came a cropper when he was caught in Germany and deported to India. Upon landing in Delhi in the intervening night of November 18-19, he was taken into custody and booked under relevant sections of the IPC and the Passport Act. It all began on August 11, 2021, when Barua entered India by crossing the Indo-Bangla border from Matiranga (Bangladesh) to Sabroom in Tripura. After reaching India, he stayed in a hotel near IGM Hospital, Agartala, for four days during which he procured his birth certificate (issued by the Agartala hospital), Aadhaar and PAN with the help of an agent. And he got a new identity  Anik Roy. Barua then left for Pune via Kolkata where he started working in a hotel. Later, he worked as a security guard in a society in Shivajinagar. With the help of a local, he changed his Aadhaar card address from Tripura to Maharashtra and applied for a passport. Barua, a Chakma tribal, impersonated as a Buddhist monk and travelled to Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam. But that was not all, he then managed to forge a membership letter of a respected Buddhist Gompa (association) and used it to procure an offer letter from the Spanish Buddhist association and obtained a Schengen visa. Like all chickens come to roost, Barua was caught in Germany. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By Online Desk

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said on Tuesday a truce agreement with Israel was in sight, raising hopes that dozens of people taken hostage in the October 7 attacks could be released.

The majority of the hostages are Israeli civilians, some of them young children and elderly people. Only a handful have been released, freed by Israeli troops or their bodies recovered.

Speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, sources from Hamas and Islamic Jihad -- which also participated in the attacks -- confirmed that their groups had agreed to the terms of a truce deal.

The tentative deal includes a five-day truce, comprised of a ceasefire on the ground and limits to Israeli air operations over southern Gaza, among other conditions.

Meanwhile, 200 patients were evacuated from Gaza's Indonesian hospital with the help of the Red Cross just hours after it was hit by a deadly Israeli strike that killed 12 people, the Hamas-run health ministry said on Monday.

Health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said, "The Israeli army is laying siege to the Indonesian hospital. He told AFP that 200 people were evacuated from the hospital in Jabaliya and were taken by bus to Nasser hospital in the southern town of Khan Yunis.

400 people still remain inside the hospital but efforts continue to move them to other hospitals in southern Gaza, Qudra added.

The evacuation of the 140-bed hospital, which is close to the Jabaliya refugee camp, was carried out in coordination with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), he said, in a condition laid down by doctors after Israel struck an ambulance in northern Gaza, claiming it was being used by Hamas militants.

On Monday, a shell struck the second floor of the Indonesian Hospital, killing at least 12 people, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza and a medical worker inside the facility. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

The advance on the Indonesian Hospital came a day after the World Health Organization evacuated 31 premature babies from Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, the territory's largest, where they were among more than 250 critically ill or wounded patients stranded there days after Israeli forces entered the compound. Twenty-eight of the premature babies arrived in Egypt on Monday.

On October 7, Hamas militants stormed into southern Israel killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping some 240 others, according to Israeli authorities.

Israel has pounded Gaza relentlessly from the air, land and sea since then which has killed at least 13,000 people, also mostly civilians, health officials in Hamas-run Gaza said. The Hamas government said more than 5,600 children were among the dead, alongside 3,550 women, with another 31,000 people wounded

Israel has refused to heed calls for a ceasefire before Hamas releases all the hostages.

UPDATES FROM DAY 46 OF THE WAR

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Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said on Tuesday a truce agreement with Israel was in sight, raising hopes that dozens of people taken hostage in the October 7 attacks could be released. The majority of the hostages are Israeli civilians, some of them young children and elderly people. Only a handful have been released, freed by Israeli troops or their bodies recovered. Speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, sources from Hamas and Islamic Jihad -- which also participated in the attacks -- confirmed that their groups had agreed to the terms of a truce deal.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The tentative deal includes a five-day truce, comprised of a ceasefire on the ground and limits to Israeli air operations over southern Gaza, among other conditions. Meanwhile, 200 patients were evacuated from Gaza's Indonesian hospital with the help of the Red Cross just hours after it was hit by a deadly Israeli strike that killed 12 people, the Hamas-run health ministry said on Monday. Health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said, "The Israeli army is laying siege to the Indonesian hospital. He told AFP that 200 people were evacuated from the hospital in Jabaliya and were taken by bus to Nasser hospital in the southern town of Khan Yunis. 400 people still remain inside the hospital but efforts continue to move them to other hospitals in southern Gaza, Qudra added. The evacuation of the 140-bed hospital, which is close to the Jabaliya refugee camp, was carried out in coordination with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), he said, in a condition laid down by doctors after Israel struck an ambulance in northern Gaza, claiming it was being used by Hamas militants. On Monday, a shell struck the second floor of the Indonesian Hospital, killing at least 12 people, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza and a medical worker inside the facility. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. The advance on the Indonesian Hospital came a day after the World Health Organization evacuated 31 premature babies from Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, the territory's largest, where they were among more than 250 critically ill or wounded patients stranded there days after Israeli forces entered the compound. Twenty-eight of the premature babies arrived in Egypt on Monday. On October 7, Hamas militants stormed into southern Israel killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping some 240 others, according to Israeli authorities. Israel has pounded Gaza relentlessly from the air, land and sea since then which has killed at least 13,000 people, also mostly civilians, health officials in Hamas-run Gaza said. The Hamas government said more than 5,600 children were among the dead, alongside 3,550 women, with another 31,000 people wounded Israel has refused to heed calls for a ceasefire before Hamas releases all the hostages. UPDATES FROM DAY 46 OF THE WAR Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Yeshi Seli By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: With the US set to celebrate Thanksgiving on Thursday, its ambassador to India Eric Garcetti said he cannot confirm whether President Joe Biden will attend the India-led virtual G20 Leaders Summit which will take place on Wednesday.

With the Thanksgiving around the corner, we are not sure whether he will be able to take part in the virtual summit on November 22nd, Ambassador Garcetti told this newspaper. Garcettis statement came a day after the Russian media confirmed that President Vladimir Putin will attend the virtual summit. The Russian president had skipped the New Delhi G20 Summit in September, which was held in-person.

A virtual summit was proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the closing session of the New Delhi G20 Summit on September 10. The prime minister had announced that India will host the virtual meet before its G20 presidency ends on November 30. The precise date for the summit was announced by the Ministry of External Affairs on Saturday. The Virtual Summit will take forward key, select outcomes/action points from the New Delhi Summit as well as review developments since then, the MEA said in a statement.

Commenting on the India-US ties, Garcetti said they are much stronger than before  across the spectrum, including the defence partnership. Our defence relations have become fortified at three levels. The first is in the development of technology, the second is in the sales of weapons and the third is operational strategies. We are co-developing GE engines. We are friendly, trusted and committed, Garcetti said.

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NEW DELHI: With the US set to celebrate Thanksgiving on Thursday, its ambassador to India Eric Garcetti said he cannot confirm whether President Joe Biden will attend the India-led virtual G20 Leaders Summit which will take place on Wednesday. With the Thanksgiving around the corner, we are not sure whether he will be able to take part in the virtual summit on November 22nd, Ambassador Garcetti told this newspaper. Garcettis statement came a day after the Russian media confirmed that President Vladimir Putin will attend the virtual summit. The Russian president had skipped the New Delhi G20 Summit in September, which was held in-person. A virtual summit was proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the closing session of the New Delhi G20 Summit on September 10. The prime minister had announced that India will host the virtual meet before its G20 presidency ends on November 30. The precise date for the summit was announced by the Ministry of External Affairs on Saturday. The Virtual Summit will take forward key, select outcomes/action points from the New Delhi Summit as well as review developments since then, the MEA said in a statement. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Commenting on the India-US ties, Garcetti said they are much stronger than before  across the spectrum, including the defence partnership. Our defence relations have become fortified at three levels. The first is in the development of technology, the second is in the sales of weapons and the third is operational strategies. We are co-developing GE engines. We are friendly, trusted and committed, Garcetti said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Ramashankar By

Express News Service

PATNA: The Nitish Kumar government on Tuesday issued gazette notifications for raising the quota for deprived castes from 50 to 65 per cent in state government jobs and educational institutions, after receiving assent from Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar.

Governor Arlekar had signed the two Bills on November 18. Earlier both the Assembly and Council had passed the Bills on November 9 unanimously.

The Governor gave his assent to the two Reservation Amendment Bills barely a few days after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed hope that the Bills would be signed by the Governor at the earliest.

With issuance of gazette notification, reservation in government jobs and educational institutions in the state will be 75 per cent (inclusive of a 10 per cent quota for Economically Backward Sections). Under the new provision, the reservation quota for Scheduled Castes (SCs) has gone up to 20 per cent, while that of Scheduled Tribes (STs) has gone up to 2 per cent, Extremely Backwards Classes (EBCs) to 25 per cent and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) to 18 per cent.

At present the SCs get 16 per cent reservation in government jobs and educational institutions as SCs get 1 per cent only.

Similarly, EBCs get 18 per cent and OBCs 15 per cent respectively. Gazette notification said, On analysis of data collected during caste-based survey 2022-23, it is apparent that large section of OBCs, SCs and STs need to be promoted for them to catch up to satisfy cherished aim in the Constitution of equality in opportunity and status.

It further stated, The members of SC/ST and OBC have remained deprived and marginalised for centuries. Though affirmative action has led to improvement in their life to a certain extent, the ultimate goal of equality has not yet been achieved. Date further strengthens the perception that in addition to measures already in place the State is required to take further measures to accelerate the ultimate objective of proportional equality.

According to the caste-based survey report released on October 2, OBC and EBC together comprised 63.13 per cent of the state's total population. SC comprised 19.6 per cent while ST formed 1.68 per cent. Upper Castes were found to be 15.52 per cent.

The survey covered 112 castes in all sections in the state. JD(U) spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan Singh said, The move is aligned with the government's commitment to address social disparities and promote inclusivity.

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PATNA: The Nitish Kumar government on Tuesday issued gazette notifications for raising the quota for deprived castes from 50 to 65 per cent in state government jobs and educational institutions, after receiving assent from Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar. Governor Arlekar had signed the two Bills on November 18. Earlier both the Assembly and Council had passed the Bills on November 9 unanimously. The Governor gave his assent to the two Reservation Amendment Bills barely a few days after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed hope that the Bills would be signed by the Governor at the earliest.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); With issuance of gazette notification, reservation in government jobs and educational institutions in the state will be 75 per cent (inclusive of a 10 per cent quota for Economically Backward Sections). Under the new provision, the reservation quota for Scheduled Castes (SCs) has gone up to 20 per cent, while that of Scheduled Tribes (STs) has gone up to 2 per cent, Extremely Backwards Classes (EBCs) to 25 per cent and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) to 18 per cent. At present the SCs get 16 per cent reservation in government jobs and educational institutions as SCs get 1 per cent only. Similarly, EBCs get 18 per cent and OBCs 15 per cent respectively. Gazette notification said, On analysis of data collected during caste-based survey 2022-23, it is apparent that large section of OBCs, SCs and STs need to be promoted for them to catch up to satisfy cherished aim in the Constitution of equality in opportunity and status. It further stated, The members of SC/ST and OBC have remained deprived and marginalised for centuries. Though affirmative action has led to improvement in their life to a certain extent, the ultimate goal of equality has not yet been achieved. Date further strengthens the perception that in addition to measures already in place the State is required to take further measures to accelerate the ultimate objective of proportional equality. According to the caste-based survey report released on October 2, OBC and EBC together comprised 63.13 per cent of the state's total population. SC comprised 19.6 per cent while ST formed 1.68 per cent. Upper Castes were found to be 15.52 per cent. The survey covered 112 castes in all sections in the state. JD(U) spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan Singh said, The move is aligned with the government's commitment to address social disparities and promote inclusivity. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Yeshi Seli By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The row between India and Canada was discussed by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong during the India-Australia Foreign Ministers Framework.

"Canada was discussed as it was important that Australia got our perspective. Space has been given to extremism and radicalism in Canada and this had to be brought to light," said Jaishankar.

A diplomatic row began between India and Canada after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that India was involved in the killing of slain Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The Five Eyes nations (which includes the US, Australia, UK, Canada and New Zealand) also shared responses on Canadas allegation. That is why India spoke about its position.

Further, commenting on international terrorism and related issues, Jaishankar said India and Australia will work towards a "rules-based global order".

"We had an extensive discussion on security issues. We shared growing convergences with Australia and at the heart of it is really a shared commitment to a free, open, inclusive, prosperous and rules-based Indo-Pacific region. Perry Wong and I also spoke about terrorism, radicalism and extremism," he said.

Jaishankar further added, "As liberal democracies, as Quad partners, we would continue to work towards rules-based international order. We will support freedom of navigation in international waters, promote connectivity, growth and security for all while respecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all states".

The Quad, also known as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD), is a strategic dialogue between four major democracies in the Indo-Pacific region: Australia, India, Japan and the United States.

"We discussed the Quad at some length today. The Quad has made enormous progress in the last few years. There is a broad range of issues we are cooperating on. There is an inclination to push the envelope to find new convergences and fresh areas of cooperation. Today's discussion was around what more we can do to add to the Quad," Jaishankar said.

ALSO READ | Xi Jinping to skip virtual G20 leaders summit hosted by India, Putin expected to attend

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NEW DELHI: The row between India and Canada was discussed by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong during the India-Australia Foreign Ministers Framework. "Canada was discussed as it was important that Australia got our perspective. Space has been given to extremism and radicalism in Canada and this had to be brought to light," said Jaishankar. A diplomatic row began between India and Canada after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that India was involved in the killing of slain Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The Five Eyes nations (which includes the US, Australia, UK, Canada and New Zealand) also shared responses on Canadas allegation. That is why India spoke about its position.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Further, commenting on international terrorism and related issues, Jaishankar said India and Australia will work towards a "rules-based global order". "We had an extensive discussion on security issues. We shared growing convergences with Australia and at the heart of it is really a shared commitment to a free, open, inclusive, prosperous and rules-based Indo-Pacific region. Perry Wong and I also spoke about terrorism, radicalism and extremism," he said. Jaishankar further added, "As liberal democracies, as Quad partners, we would continue to work towards rules-based international order. We will support freedom of navigation in international waters, promote connectivity, growth and security for all while respecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all states". The Quad, also known as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD), is a strategic dialogue between four major democracies in the Indo-Pacific region: Australia, India, Japan and the United States. "We discussed the Quad at some length today. The Quad has made enormous progress in the last few years. There is a broad range of issues we are cooperating on. There is an inclination to push the envelope to find new convergences and fresh areas of cooperation. Today's discussion was around what more we can do to add to the Quad," Jaishankar said. ALSO READ | Xi Jinping to skip virtual G20 leaders summit hosted by India, Putin expected to attend Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By PTI

JAIPUR: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday raised the caste census pitch, describing it as an 'X-ray' of the country.

"If it is not known whose population is how much, then how will we talk about participation?" he said while addressing an election rally in Vallabhnagar, Udaipur.

Gandhi said the Congress will conduct a caste census in Rajasthan if it comes to power and would also do so at the national level if the party forms the government at the centre.

Rahul's sentiments about the caste census were also echoed in the Congress manifesto for Rajasthan, which was released earlier today, promising a caste survey, interest-free loans up to Rs 2 lakh to farmers, and 10 lakh job opportunities, among others.

Similarly, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had earlier said that a caste survey would be carried out in the state, on the lines of a similar exercise conducted in Bihar.

Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue, he said earlier that the PM used to say he is from OBC, but the day he (Gandhi) raised the demand for a caste census, Modi started saying there is only one caste in Indiathe poor.

"Modi said there is only one caste in the countrythe poorbut he did not say that there is another caste of billionaires as well. That is Adani, Ambani's caste. They have a special caste," he said.

The former Congress president charged that Modi's job is to divert public attention while Adani pickpockets and added that "they are a team."

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JAIPUR: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday raised the caste census pitch, describing it as an 'X-ray' of the country. "If it is not known whose population is how much, then how will we talk about participation?" he said while addressing an election rally in Vallabhnagar, Udaipur. Gandhi said the Congress will conduct a caste census in Rajasthan if it comes to power and would also do so at the national level if the party forms the government at the centre.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Rahul's sentiments about the caste census were also echoed in the Congress manifesto for Rajasthan, which was released earlier today, promising a caste survey, interest-free loans up to Rs 2 lakh to farmers, and 10 lakh job opportunities, among others. Similarly, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had earlier said that a caste survey would be carried out in the state, on the lines of a similar exercise conducted in Bihar. Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue, he said earlier that the PM used to say he is from OBC, but the day he (Gandhi) raised the demand for a caste census, Modi started saying there is only one caste in Indiathe poor. "Modi said there is only one caste in the countrythe poorbut he did not say that there is another caste of billionaires as well. That is Adani, Ambani's caste. They have a special caste," he said. The former Congress president charged that Modi's job is to divert public attention while Adani pickpockets and added that "they are a team." Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday said it has attached immovable assets and equity shares worth about Rs 752 crore as part of its ongoing money laundering investigation against the Congress-promoted National Herald newspaper and companies linked to it.

The provisional attachment order came as the elections in five states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram are in progress and the counting of votes is scheduled to be held on December 3.

The Congress called the agency action as "petty vendetta tactics" and dubbed the ED a "coalition partner" of the BJP which, it claimed, is staring at a certain defeat in the assembly polls.

The federal probe agency alleged in a statement that in this case the shareholders and donors of the Congress were "cheated" by the office-bearers of AJL and the party.

A provisional attachment order has been issued by the federal probe agency under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Associated Journals Ltd.(AJL) and Young Indian (YI).

The National Herald is published by AJL and owned by Young Indian Private Limited.

Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are majority shareholders of Young Indian with 38 per cent shares held by each one of them.

In the statement, the ED said it has issued an order to provisionally attach properties worth Rs 751.9 crore in the money laundering case being investigated under the PMLA.

Under the law, such a provisional order has to be approved by the Adjudicating Authority of PMLA in a time period of six months following which the ED can take possession of the attached properties.

"Investigation revealed that Associated Journals Ltd.(AJL) is in possession of proceeds of crime in the form of immovable properties spread across many cities of India such as Delhi, Mumbai and Lucknow to the tune of Rs.661.69 crore and Young Indian (YI) is in possession of proceeds of crime to the tune of Rs.90.21 crore in the form of investment in equity shares of AJL," it said.

National Herald's immovable assets include office premises at ITO in Delhi and one near Kaiserbagh in Lucknow.

The Gandhis, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leaders Pawan Bansal, D K Shivakumar (Karnataka deputy chief minister) and his MP brother D K Suresh were questioned and their statements were recorded by the agency in connection with the case last year.

According to sources, they may be called again for questioning before the ED files a charge sheet in the case.

The money laundering case stems from a court order -- Metropolitan Magistrate of Delhi -- that took cognisance of a private complaint against alleged irregularities in the National Herald's affairs on June 26, 2014.

The court had held that seven accused persons and entities, including Young Indian, "prima facie" committed offences of criminal breach of trust under various sections of the IPC, including cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property, dishonest misappropriation of property and criminal conspiracy, the ED said.

"The accused persons hatched a criminal conspiracy to acquire properties worth hundreds of crores of AJL through a special purpose vehicle-- Young Indian.

AJL was given land on concessional rates in various cities of India for the purpose of publishing newspapers," the agency said.

It added that AJL closed its publishing operations in 2008 and started "using" the properties for commercial purposes, it alleged.

It said AJL had to repay a loan of Rs 90.21 crore to All India Congress Committee (AICC), however AICC treated the said loan of Rs 90.21 crore as non-recoverable from AJL and sold it for Rs 50 lakh to a newly incorporated company Young Indian "without" any source of income to pay even Rs 50 lakh.

"By their action, the shareholders of AJL as well as donors of Congress Party were cheated by the office bearers of AJL and Congress Party," the agency claimed.

After purchasing the loan of Rs 90.21 crore from AICC, YI demanded either re-payment of loan or allotment of equity shares of AJL to it, the ED said.

AJL, it added, held an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) and passed a resolution to increase share capital and issue fresh shares worth Rs 90.21 crore to YI.

"With this fresh allotment of shares, shareholding of more than 1,000 shareholders was reduced to a mere 1 per cent and AJL became a subsidiary company of YI.YI also took control over properties of AJL," the agency said.

WATCH:

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NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday said it has attached immovable assets and equity shares worth about Rs 752 crore as part of its ongoing money laundering investigation against the Congress-promoted National Herald newspaper and companies linked to it. The provisional attachment order came as the elections in five states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram are in progress and the counting of votes is scheduled to be held on December 3. The Congress called the agency action as "petty vendetta tactics" and dubbed the ED a "coalition partner" of the BJP which, it claimed, is staring at a certain defeat in the assembly polls.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The federal probe agency alleged in a statement that in this case the shareholders and donors of the Congress were "cheated" by the office-bearers of AJL and the party. A provisional attachment order has been issued by the federal probe agency under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Associated Journals Ltd.(AJL) and Young Indian (YI). The National Herald is published by AJL and owned by Young Indian Private Limited. Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are majority shareholders of Young Indian with 38 per cent shares held by each one of them. In the statement, the ED said it has issued an order to provisionally attach properties worth Rs 751.9 crore in the money laundering case being investigated under the PMLA. Under the law, such a provisional order has to be approved by the Adjudicating Authority of PMLA in a time period of six months following which the ED can take possession of the attached properties. "Investigation revealed that Associated Journals Ltd.(AJL) is in possession of proceeds of crime in the form of immovable properties spread across many cities of India such as Delhi, Mumbai and Lucknow to the tune of Rs.661.69 crore and Young Indian (YI) is in possession of proceeds of crime to the tune of Rs.90.21 crore in the form of investment in equity shares of AJL," it said. National Herald's immovable assets include office premises at ITO in Delhi and one near Kaiserbagh in Lucknow. The Gandhis, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leaders Pawan Bansal, D K Shivakumar (Karnataka deputy chief minister) and his MP brother D K Suresh were questioned and their statements were recorded by the agency in connection with the case last year. According to sources, they may be called again for questioning before the ED files a charge sheet in the case. The money laundering case stems from a court order -- Metropolitan Magistrate of Delhi -- that took cognisance of a private complaint against alleged irregularities in the National Herald's affairs on June 26, 2014. The court had held that seven accused persons and entities, including Young Indian, "prima facie" committed offences of criminal breach of trust under various sections of the IPC, including cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property, dishonest misappropriation of property and criminal conspiracy, the ED said. "The accused persons hatched a criminal conspiracy to acquire properties worth hundreds of crores of AJL through a special purpose vehicle-- Young Indian. AJL was given land on concessional rates in various cities of India for the purpose of publishing newspapers," the agency said. It added that AJL closed its publishing operations in 2008 and started "using" the properties for commercial purposes, it alleged. It said AJL had to repay a loan of Rs 90.21 crore to All India Congress Committee (AICC), however AICC treated the said loan of Rs 90.21 crore as non-recoverable from AJL and sold it for Rs 50 lakh to a newly incorporated company Young Indian "without" any source of income to pay even Rs 50 lakh. "By their action, the shareholders of AJL as well as donors of Congress Party were cheated by the office bearers of AJL and Congress Party," the agency claimed. After purchasing the loan of Rs 90.21 crore from AICC, YI demanded either re-payment of loan or allotment of equity shares of AJL to it, the ED said. AJL, it added, held an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) and passed a resolution to increase share capital and issue fresh shares worth Rs 90.21 crore to YI. "With this fresh allotment of shares, shareholding of more than 1,000 shareholders was reduced to a mere 1 per cent and AJL became a subsidiary company of YI.YI also took control over properties of AJL," the agency said. WATCH: Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Rajesh Asnani By

Express News Service

JAIPUR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched a sharp attack on the Gehlot government, claiming that corruption was its top and only agenda. At his election rallies in Rajasthan on Monday, Modi further alleged Ashok Gehlot is pressurising local media to hide scams and corrupt deals from public eye. The PM appeared determined to make corruption the focal point of his attack as he highlighted the Red Diary issue, a recurring theme in his election campaign.

It may be noted here that corruption was cited as the central factor responsible for BJPs defeat in Karnataka. Modi also slammed the Gehlot government on the high prices of petrol and diesel in Rajasthan. He asserted, Petrol prices are an example of Congresss loot. There are BJP governments in neighbouring states of Rajasthan, where petrol is available at Rs 97 per litre. Rajasthan government sells expensive petrol. I guarantee that the prices of petrol and diesel will be reviewed as soon as the BJP government is formed after December 3.

At an election rally in Rajasthans Pali district, PM Modi asserted that Rajasthan needs a government which gives top priority to development. He alleged for the Congress there is nothing more important than corruption and minting money through dubious deals.

Taking a jibe at CM Ashok Gehlot, he stated, This time his magic cannot suppress your black money. Congress has pushed Rajasthan back. For Congress in Rajasthan, there is nothing bigger than corruption.

In a startling charge, PM Modi also accused the Gehlot government of putting pressure on the media as well not to reveal their dirty scams.

He claimed that the CM, who calls himself a magician, was distraught by the impending defeat and has started threatening the media and is forcing them not to give out details of corrupt deals. Modi said, People say that there has been an unannounced ban on the news of Lal Diary and lockers of Ganpati Plaza. A game is being played to suppress the media and publish false news.

Pressure on media

PM Modi accused the Gehlot government of putting pressure on the media not to reveal their scams. He claimed that the CM was distraught by the impending defeat and is threatening the media.

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JAIPUR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched a sharp attack on the Gehlot government, claiming that corruption was its top and only agenda. At his election rallies in Rajasthan on Monday, Modi further alleged Ashok Gehlot is pressurising local media to hide scams and corrupt deals from public eye. The PM appeared determined to make corruption the focal point of his attack as he highlighted the Red Diary issue, a recurring theme in his election campaign. It may be noted here that corruption was cited as the central factor responsible for BJPs defeat in Karnataka. Modi also slammed the Gehlot government on the high prices of petrol and diesel in Rajasthan. He asserted, Petrol prices are an example of Congresss loot. There are BJP governments in neighbouring states of Rajasthan, where petrol is available at Rs 97 per litre. Rajasthan government sells expensive petrol. I guarantee that the prices of petrol and diesel will be reviewed as soon as the BJP government is formed after December 3. At an election rally in Rajasthans Pali district, PM Modi asserted that Rajasthan needs a government which gives top priority to development. He alleged for the Congress there is nothing more important than corruption and minting money through dubious deals.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Taking a jibe at CM Ashok Gehlot, he stated, This time his magic cannot suppress your black money. Congress has pushed Rajasthan back. For Congress in Rajasthan, there is nothing bigger than corruption. In a startling charge, PM Modi also accused the Gehlot government of putting pressure on the media as well not to reveal their dirty scams. He claimed that the CM, who calls himself a magician, was distraught by the impending defeat and has started threatening the media and is forcing them not to give out details of corrupt deals. Modi said, People say that there has been an unannounced ban on the news of Lal Diary and lockers of Ganpati Plaza. A game is being played to suppress the media and publish false news. Pressure on media PM Modi accused the Gehlot government of putting pressure on the media not to reveal their scams. He claimed that the CM was distraught by the impending defeat and is threatening the media. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
LOS ANGELESDom King and Tim James star in Even Cowboys Get Blue Balls, a new three-part series produced by Men.com. The first episode is set for release on Nov. 22.

Directed by Iza L, the series also stars Chuck Conrad, Austin Wolf, and Olivier Robert, with a special guest appearance by Angellica Good.

Shot on location in Canada, the series tells the story of James, after leaving his home in the country without saying goodbye, finally returns years later. However, he won't be accepted so easily.

In the first scene, James strikes up a flirtation with ranch hand (Conrad) and the big burly hunk takes a break from his labor to blow him, then bangs him over a hay bale.

In the second scene, James hasn't quite readjusted to country life, so he rests in his bed until noon. The new neighbors (Good and Wolf) pay a visit, and James can't believe it when Wolf touches his bulge under the table. Later on, they hook up behind the women's backs.

The guys then take a ride out to the barn where they have a heart-to-heart about banging men in the country, and Wolf pulls James in close for a kiss before a hookup session.

In the third and final scene, King isn't used to his brother being back home, but he takes his mind off his complicated feelings with some shooting practice with his best friend (Olivier Robert). Afterward, the guys spend time together, and King confesses that he envies his brother for being openly gay. Following the conversation, one thing leads to another...

For more updates, follow Wolf, King, Conrad, and James on X/Twitter, at @aw4mf, @dom_king91, @TheChuckConrad, and @timjamesfit, respectively.

For more information, visit Men.com or follow the brand on Instagram and X/Twitter.
Ramashankar By

Express News Service

PATNA: Medical services in all government hospitals in Bihar will remain paralysed on Tuesday on the call of Indian Medical Association (IMA) to protest against murderous attack on a doctor serving at a government hospital in Purnea district.

IMA former president, Bihar, Dr Ajay Kumar said on Monday that the decision about one-day agitation was taken at a meeting of the association. As per decisions, doctors serving in government hospitals across the state will abstain from their duty, adversely affecting the medical services.

Earlier, Dr Rajesh Paswan, posted in a government hospital, in Purnea was attacked by the relatives of a patient after the latters death. Angered over the incident, the relatives ransacked the hospital and thrashed the doctor on duty. Dr Paswan was also threatened with dire consequences.

IMA former president said that the next course of action would be decided at an emergent meeting of the members on November 22. The state has 792 government hospitals and 12 government medical colleges to give medical services to 13 crore people in the state.

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PATNA: Medical services in all government hospitals in Bihar will remain paralysed on Tuesday on the call of Indian Medical Association (IMA) to protest against murderous attack on a doctor serving at a government hospital in Purnea district. IMA former president, Bihar, Dr Ajay Kumar said on Monday that the decision about one-day agitation was taken at a meeting of the association. As per decisions, doctors serving in government hospitals across the state will abstain from their duty, adversely affecting the medical services. Earlier, Dr Rajesh Paswan, posted in a government hospital, in Purnea was attacked by the relatives of a patient after the latters death. Angered over the incident, the relatives ransacked the hospital and thrashed the doctor on duty. Dr Paswan was also threatened with dire consequences.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); IMA former president said that the next course of action would be decided at an emergent meeting of the members on November 22. The state has 792 government hospitals and 12 government medical colleges to give medical services to 13 crore people in the state. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: India on Monday donated USD 2.5 million to UNRWA for humanitarian assistance in Gaza. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), functional since 1950, carries out direct relief and work programmes for registered Palestine refugees and is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN member states.

India gave the amount as part of its annual contribution of USD 5 million for the year 2023-24 to support the agency's core programmes and services, including education, healthcare, relief, and social services provided to Palestinian refugees, the Representative Office of India at Ramallah said.

The contribution was handed over by the Representative of India (ROI) to Palestine, Renu Yadav, to the Director of Partnerships, Department of External Relations of UNRWA, Karim Amer.

The ROI underlined India's continued support for the agency's activities in the region and the services it provides to Palestinian refugees during the handover ceremony at UNRWA's field office in Jerusalem, an official press release said. The UNRWA has been struggling to provide basic services to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians since the October 7 Israel-Hamas conflict which has prompted more than two-thirds of the Gaza population 'of approximately 2.3 million' to flee their homes.



Earlier, on November 19, India had delivered 32 tonnes of 'humanitarian assistance to the people of Palestine' via the El-Arish Airport in Egypt. Since 2018, India has given USD 27.5 million to UNRWA.

It may be recalled that during an Extraordinary Virtual Ministerial Pledging Conference for UNRWA held on June 23, 2020, India announced that it would contribute USD 10 million to UNRWA over the next two years.



Prior to the war in Gaza, UNRWA was already facing an increased demand for services resulting from a growth in the number of registered Palestine refugees, the extent of their vulnerability and their deepening poverty. The agency is mandated to provide assistance and protection to some 5.6 million Palestine refugees registered with it across its five fields of operation.

India has also made a strong appeal to other traditional donors of UNRWA to consider enhancing their contributions as well as to non-donor member states to consider contributing to the agency in solidarity with the Palestine refugees.

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NEW DELHI: India on Monday donated USD 2.5 million to UNRWA for humanitarian assistance in Gaza. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), functional since 1950, carries out direct relief and work programmes for registered Palestine refugees and is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN member states. India gave the amount as part of its annual contribution of USD 5 million for the year 2023-24 to support the agency's core programmes and services, including education, healthcare, relief, and social services provided to Palestinian refugees, the Representative Office of India at Ramallah said. The contribution was handed over by the Representative of India (ROI) to Palestine, Renu Yadav, to the Director of Partnerships, Department of External Relations of UNRWA, Karim Amer.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The ROI underlined India's continued support for the agency's activities in the region and the services it provides to Palestinian refugees during the handover ceremony at UNRWA's field office in Jerusalem, an official press release said. The UNRWA has been struggling to provide basic services to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians since the October 7 Israel-Hamas conflict which has prompted more than two-thirds of the Gaza population 'of approximately 2.3 million' to flee their homes. Earlier, on November 19, India had delivered 32 tonnes of 'humanitarian assistance to the people of Palestine' via the El-Arish Airport in Egypt. Since 2018, India has given USD 27.5 million to UNRWA. It may be recalled that during an Extraordinary Virtual Ministerial Pledging Conference for UNRWA held on June 23, 2020, India announced that it would contribute USD 10 million to UNRWA over the next two years. Prior to the war in Gaza, UNRWA was already facing an increased demand for services resulting from a growth in the number of registered Palestine refugees, the extent of their vulnerability and their deepening poverty. The agency is mandated to provide assistance and protection to some 5.6 million Palestine refugees registered with it across its five fields of operation. India has also made a strong appeal to other traditional donors of UNRWA to consider enhancing their contributions as well as to non-donor member states to consider contributing to the agency in solidarity with the Palestine refugees. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Privileges Committee of Lok Sabha has summoned BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri next month over his objectionable remarks against BSP member Danish Ali.

The committee has also called Danish Ali to give oral evidence on December 7. Bidhuri has been asked to appear on the same day after the BSP MP deposes before the panel.

On an earlier occasion, Bidhuri had not appeared before the committee while expressing his inability to do so.

Bidhuri had made remarks against Ali during the Special session of Parliament in September when the House was discussing the success of the Chandrayan-III mission.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had referred the MPs' complaints on the issue involving Bidhuri's use of objectionable words against Ali to the Privileges Committee in September.

While Ali and several other opposition MPs, including Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and DMK's Kanimozhi, had demanded action against Bidhuri, several BJP parliamentarians like Nishikant Dubey said the BSP member "incited" the South Delhi MP when he speaking in the House and urged the Speaker to look into this aspect as well.

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NEW DELHI: The Privileges Committee of Lok Sabha has summoned BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri next month over his objectionable remarks against BSP member Danish Ali. The committee has also called Danish Ali to give oral evidence on December 7. Bidhuri has been asked to appear on the same day after the BSP MP deposes before the panel. On an earlier occasion, Bidhuri had not appeared before the committee while expressing his inability to do so.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Bidhuri had made remarks against Ali during the Special session of Parliament in September when the House was discussing the success of the Chandrayan-III mission. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had referred the MPs' complaints on the issue involving Bidhuri's use of objectionable words against Ali to the Privileges Committee in September. While Ali and several other opposition MPs, including Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and DMK's Kanimozhi, had demanded action against Bidhuri, several BJP parliamentarians like Nishikant Dubey said the BSP member "incited" the South Delhi MP when he speaking in the House and urged the Speaker to look into this aspect as well. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By Express News Service

GUWAHATI: Two Kuki-Zo tribals were killed allegedly by Meitei militants on Monday as the ethnic violence in Manipur continues. The attack was carried out in the Kangpokpi district at around 10:30 am.

At an emergency meeting held at Kanggui, the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) condemned the unprovoked attackby the war-mongering Meitei insurgents.

CoTU identified the two slain villagers as Henminlen Vaiphei, son of Luntinlal Vaiphei of Mission Veng, Leimakhong; and Thangminlun Hangshing, son of Lunkhongam Hangshing of Khunkho village. The organisation declared a shutdown in the Kangpokpi district to convey to the Centre that Kuki-Zo tribals are no longer safe under the partisan government.

The meeting called for an early materialisation of the demand for separation of Kuki-Zo tribals from Manipur. If the repeated appeals of the Kuki-Zo community had been heard by the home ministry, the series of unfortunate incidents could have been avoided. The home ministry must take into account the continuous attacks and (understand) that political separation is the only option left now, CoTU said in a statement.

Just hours after the killings, a gunfight reportedly erupted at Koutruk on the border of Kangpokpi and Imphal West districts. The details were not available. Meanwhile, ten opposition parties submitted a memorandum to Governor Anusuiya Uikey, requesting her to arrange a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to find a solution to the ongoing conflict.

There are instances of sporadic killing, firing and kidnapping of people including students, thereby leaving people in great tension, uncertainty and untold hardships especially those living on the periphery/borders between hills and valleysThere is still a lot of mistrust among people, the parties such as Congress, AAP, AIFB, AITC, CPI, CPI(M), JD(U), NCP, RSP and SS(UBT) wrote in the joint memorandum.

They said the Centre-constituted peace committee had not done any visible work to restore peace and harmony in the state. Considering the complexities of the conflict, they said a viable solution could be achieved only by the central government. We consider that the Prime Minister of India is the only hope for bringing peace in the state, they said. The ethnic violence between Meiteis and Kuki-Zo tribals killed nearly 200 people and displaced 60,000 others

Oppn memorandum

Ten opposition parties submitted a memorandum to Governor Anusuiya Uikey, requesting her to arrange a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to find a solution to the ongoing conflict. They said the Centre-constituted peace committee had not done any visible work to restore peace and harmony in the state.

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GUWAHATI: Two Kuki-Zo tribals were killed allegedly by Meitei militants on Monday as the ethnic violence in Manipur continues. The attack was carried out in the Kangpokpi district at around 10:30 am. At an emergency meeting held at Kanggui, the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) condemned the unprovoked attackby the war-mongering Meitei insurgents. CoTU identified the two slain villagers as Henminlen Vaiphei, son of Luntinlal Vaiphei of Mission Veng, Leimakhong; and Thangminlun Hangshing, son of Lunkhongam Hangshing of Khunkho village. The organisation declared a shutdown in the Kangpokpi district to convey to the Centre that Kuki-Zo tribals are no longer safe under the partisan government. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The meeting called for an early materialisation of the demand for separation of Kuki-Zo tribals from Manipur. If the repeated appeals of the Kuki-Zo community had been heard by the home ministry, the series of unfortunate incidents could have been avoided. The home ministry must take into account the continuous attacks and (understand) that political separation is the only option left now, CoTU said in a statement. Just hours after the killings, a gunfight reportedly erupted at Koutruk on the border of Kangpokpi and Imphal West districts. The details were not available. Meanwhile, ten opposition parties submitted a memorandum to Governor Anusuiya Uikey, requesting her to arrange a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to find a solution to the ongoing conflict. There are instances of sporadic killing, firing and kidnapping of people including students, thereby leaving people in great tension, uncertainty and untold hardships especially those living on the periphery/borders between hills and valleysThere is still a lot of mistrust among people, the parties such as Congress, AAP, AIFB, AITC, CPI, CPI(M), JD(U), NCP, RSP and SS(UBT) wrote in the joint memorandum. They said the Centre-constituted peace committee had not done any visible work to restore peace and harmony in the state. Considering the complexities of the conflict, they said a viable solution could be achieved only by the central government. We consider that the Prime Minister of India is the only hope for bringing peace in the state, they said. The ethnic violence between Meiteis and Kuki-Zo tribals killed nearly 200 people and displaced 60,000 others Oppn memorandum Ten opposition parties submitted a memorandum to Governor Anusuiya Uikey, requesting her to arrange a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to find a solution to the ongoing conflict. They said the Centre-constituted peace committee had not done any visible work to restore peace and harmony in the state. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Rajesh Asnani By

Express News Service

JAIPUR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi his attack on the ruling Congress on Tuesday and claimed the Congress has now become "slave of appeasement" and this is the reason why people like Kanhaiya Lal are beheaded in the state. He further asserted that "PFI is a terrorist organisation and the Government of India has banned it. But, PFI rallies and processions take place in Kota and the Congress government is sleeping. The Congress government, a slave to appeasement, is afraid of terrorists and takes action against those who want the welfare of Rajasthan."

Addressing a public meeting in Rajasthan's Baran district, the PM claimed that Congress leaders are unruly and the people of the state are suffering as the ruling party has handed them over to robbers, rioters and criminals. He also made a startling claim that "those accused of organising communal riots in Rajasthan walked the red carpet in the CM house." He slammed the range of communal incidents in the state and asserted that the Gehlot government should be thrown out of power for its appeasement agenda.

Alleging the Congress has turned Rajasthan, a land of warriors, into an open field for rioters, Modi claimed that every section of society, from women, farmers, traders to the youth wants to get rid of the Congress. Modi further added, "these attacks do not stop because the accused hold feasts at the chief minister's residence. The Congress holds feasts for criminals. Can that protect you?" The prime minister said, "The claws of Congress have plagued the people of Rajasthan. The public has decided that they will not allow the Congress to come back to power."

ALSO READ | Rahul Gandhi slams RSS-BJP for spreading hate to misguide people, calls PM 'Panauti Modi'

Modi claimed that "Congress is now a symbol of corruption, nepotism, and appeasement -- three evils preventing India from becoming a developed nation." He said, "As long as three enemies of the country -- corruption, nepotism and appeasement -- are among us, it will be difficult to fulfil the resolution to make India a developed nation. The Congress is the biggest symbol of these three evils," Modi told the gathering.

The PM also targeted the Gehlot government over its failure to check the rising graph of crimes against women. The prime minister targeted the Congress saying its ministers have been seen standing with those who committed atrocities against sisters and daughters.He slammed a senior Gehlot minister, Shanti Dhariwal for his controversial remarks on women's atrocities. The PM asserted that "instead of taking action against the criminals, the Congress government has given them a free rein to commit crimes." "Rajasthan is the land of those who would die for the dignity of women. But when there is no fear of the law, our mothers, sisters, and daughters suffer the most. This has happened in every corner of Rajasthan," Modi alleged.

Besides Baran, Modi also addressed public meetings in Kota and Karauli districts. In the evening he also held a grand road show to woo voters in Jaipur. Modi asserted "The magician can do any type of black magic but it will not work on the people of Rajasthan. The Congress government will be wiped out on December 3." .

Meanwhile Union Home Minister Amit Shah, while addressing election meetings in Sikar and Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan on Tuesday, also targeted the Gehlot government and said that appeasement is at its peak in this state. "Kanhaiyalal is murdered in broad daylight, Section 144 is imposed on Hindu festivals. Bulldozers are used on Ram Darbar in Salasar and communal riots take place everywhere, be it Karauli or Udaipur. The BJP government has a track record. There are no communal riots in our Governments. The rioters are behind bars", said. Shah also added that Congress party was stalling the issue of Ram Temple for 70 years. " Gehlot ji had the courage to stop the stone from Rajasthan going for the Ram temple. Press the button on the lotus symbol, the BJP government in Rajasthan will give everyone a free darshan of Ayodhya one by one", he exclaimed.

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JAIPUR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi his attack on the ruling Congress on Tuesday and claimed the Congress has now become "slave of appeasement" and this is the reason why people like Kanhaiya Lal are beheaded in the state. He further asserted that "PFI is a terrorist organisation and the Government of India has banned it. But, PFI rallies and processions take place in Kota and the Congress government is sleeping. The Congress government, a slave to appeasement, is afraid of terrorists and takes action against those who want the welfare of Rajasthan." Addressing a public meeting in Rajasthan's Baran district, the PM claimed that Congress leaders are unruly and the people of the state are suffering as the ruling party has handed them over to robbers, rioters and criminals. He also made a startling claim that "those accused of organising communal riots in Rajasthan walked the red carpet in the CM house." He slammed the range of communal incidents in the state and asserted that the Gehlot government should be thrown out of power for its appeasement agenda. Alleging the Congress has turned Rajasthan, a land of warriors, into an open field for rioters, Modi claimed that every section of society, from women, farmers, traders to the youth wants to get rid of the Congress. Modi further added, "these attacks do not stop because the accused hold feasts at the chief minister's residence. The Congress holds feasts for criminals. Can that protect you?" The prime minister said, "The claws of Congress have plagued the people of Rajasthan. The public has decided that they will not allow the Congress to come back to power."googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); ALSO READ | Rahul Gandhi slams RSS-BJP for spreading hate to misguide people, calls PM 'Panauti Modi' Modi claimed that "Congress is now a symbol of corruption, nepotism, and appeasement -- three evils preventing India from becoming a developed nation." He said, "As long as three enemies of the country -- corruption, nepotism and appeasement -- are among us, it will be difficult to fulfil the resolution to make India a developed nation. The Congress is the biggest symbol of these three evils," Modi told the gathering. The PM also targeted the Gehlot government over its failure to check the rising graph of crimes against women. The prime minister targeted the Congress saying its ministers have been seen standing with those who committed atrocities against sisters and daughters.He slammed a senior Gehlot minister, Shanti Dhariwal for his controversial remarks on women's atrocities. The PM asserted that "instead of taking action against the criminals, the Congress government has given them a free rein to commit crimes." "Rajasthan is the land of those who would die for the dignity of women. But when there is no fear of the law, our mothers, sisters, and daughters suffer the most. This has happened in every corner of Rajasthan," Modi alleged. Besides Baran, Modi also addressed public meetings in Kota and Karauli districts. In the evening he also held a grand road show to woo voters in Jaipur. Modi asserted "The magician can do any type of black magic but it will not work on the people of Rajasthan. The Congress government will be wiped out on December 3." . Meanwhile Union Home Minister Amit Shah, while addressing election meetings in Sikar and Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan on Tuesday, also targeted the Gehlot government and said that appeasement is at its peak in this state. "Kanhaiyalal is murdered in broad daylight, Section 144 is imposed on Hindu festivals. Bulldozers are used on Ram Darbar in Salasar and communal riots take place everywhere, be it Karauli or Udaipur. The BJP government has a track record. There are no communal riots in our Governments. The rioters are behind bars", said. Shah also added that Congress party was stalling the issue of Ram Temple for 70 years. " Gehlot ji had the courage to stop the stone from Rajasthan going for the Ram temple. Press the button on the lotus symbol, the BJP government in Rajasthan will give everyone a free darshan of Ayodhya one by one", he exclaimed. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Yeshi Seli By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi skipped the BRICS Plus meet on the Israel-Hamas war on Tuesday. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar attended it virtually on his behalf.

Jaishankar said that the immediate crisis was triggered by the terrorist attack of October 7.

Where terrorism itself is concerned, none of us should or can compromise with it. Hostage taking is equally unacceptable and cannot be condoned. Subsequent developments have deepened our concern even more as we witness large scale civilian casualties and a humanitarian crisis. We strongly condemn any death of civilians, he said.

India said that the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza was causing immense human suffering, including to civilians, elderly, women and children.

We welcome all efforts of the international community towards de-escalation. Right now, there is an urgent need to ensure that humanitarian aid and relief effectively and safely reach the population of Gaza. It is also imperative that all hostages are released, Jaishankar added.

Jaishankar thanked South African President Ramaphosa for convening this extraordinary meeting.

I speak for Prime Minister Narendra Modi who could not join us today. We are gathered to discuss the deeply concerning situation in the Middle East, with a particular focus on Gaza. South Africa has rightly taken the initiative to convene the BRICS, and also to include those who would be part of the group in due course. I convey Prime Minister Modi's greetings to all the leaders, virtually present, said Jaishankar.

ALSO READ | India donates $2.5 million to UNRWA for humanitarian assistance in Gaza

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NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi skipped the BRICS Plus meet on the Israel-Hamas war on Tuesday. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar attended it virtually on his behalf. Jaishankar said that the immediate crisis was triggered by the terrorist attack of October 7. Where terrorism itself is concerned, none of us should or can compromise with it. Hostage taking is equally unacceptable and cannot be condoned. Subsequent developments have deepened our concern even more as we witness large scale civilian casualties and a humanitarian crisis. We strongly condemn any death of civilians, he said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); India said that the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza was causing immense human suffering, including to civilians, elderly, women and children. We welcome all efforts of the international community towards de-escalation. Right now, there is an urgent need to ensure that humanitarian aid and relief effectively and safely reach the population of Gaza. It is also imperative that all hostages are released, Jaishankar added. Jaishankar thanked South African President Ramaphosa for convening this extraordinary meeting. I speak for Prime Minister Narendra Modi who could not join us today. We are gathered to discuss the deeply concerning situation in the Middle East, with a particular focus on Gaza. South Africa has rightly taken the initiative to convene the BRICS, and also to include those who would be part of the group in due course. I convey Prime Minister Modi's greetings to all the leaders, virtually present, said Jaishankar. ALSO READ | India donates $2.5 million to UNRWA for humanitarian assistance in Gaza Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By Express News Service

GUWAHATI: Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen Rana Pratap Kalita on Tuesday said the ethnic violence in Manipur would continue as long as the weapons looted by mobs are not recovered.

At a media interaction in Guwahati, he also said it is a political problem in the state where two communities, Kukis and Meiteis, have got polarised.

Although the level of violence has come down, over 5,000 weapons were taken away from various police stations and other places. Out of that, about 1,500 weapons have been recovered. So, some 4,000 weapons are still out and as long as these are out in society, the sporadic violence will continue, Lt Gen Kalita, who hails from Assam, said.

The weapons, along with ammunition, were looted in several incidents on different days. The state government had appealed to people multiple times to return the weapons. It had also warned that if the weapons are not returned, those possessing them would face actions as per the law.

To a query, Lt Gen Kalita said there are some legacy issues among Kukis, Nagas and Meiteis in the strife-torn state. He pointed out the bloody clashes between Nagas and Kukis in the 1990s in which nearly 1,000 people had lost their lives.

He said when the May 3 violence broke out, the Armys immediate priority was to rescue people and provide relief to the displaced.

While the Army is now engaged in containing the violence and motivating the two communities caught in the conflict towards finding a solution to the problem, there has to be, ultimately, a political resolution, he said.

The ethnic violence left nearly 200 people dead and 60,000 others displaced.

On the ongoing unrest in Myanmar which saw thousands of its nationals fleeing to Mizoram, Lt Gen Kalita said any instability in the neighbourhood is not in Indias interest.

We are giving shelter to anybody who is seeking refuge but there is a due process that is being followed, he said.

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GUWAHATI: Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen Rana Pratap Kalita on Tuesday said the ethnic violence in Manipur would continue as long as the weapons looted by mobs are not recovered. At a media interaction in Guwahati, he also said it is a political problem in the state where two communities, Kukis and Meiteis, have got polarised. Although the level of violence has come down, over 5,000 weapons were taken away from various police stations and other places. Out of that, about 1,500 weapons have been recovered. So, some 4,000 weapons are still out and as long as these are out in society, the sporadic violence will continue, Lt Gen Kalita, who hails from Assam, said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The weapons, along with ammunition, were looted in several incidents on different days. The state government had appealed to people multiple times to return the weapons. It had also warned that if the weapons are not returned, those possessing them would face actions as per the law. To a query, Lt Gen Kalita said there are some legacy issues among Kukis, Nagas and Meiteis in the strife-torn state. He pointed out the bloody clashes between Nagas and Kukis in the 1990s in which nearly 1,000 people had lost their lives. He said when the May 3 violence broke out, the Armys immediate priority was to rescue people and provide relief to the displaced. While the Army is now engaged in containing the violence and motivating the two communities caught in the conflict towards finding a solution to the problem, there has to be, ultimately, a political resolution, he said. The ethnic violence left nearly 200 people dead and 60,000 others displaced. On the ongoing unrest in Myanmar which saw thousands of its nationals fleeing to Mizoram, Lt Gen Kalita said any instability in the neighbourhood is not in Indias interest. We are giving shelter to anybody who is seeking refuge but there is a due process that is being followed, he said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Jaison Wilson By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday reiterated its dissatisfaction with the Centres selective approach in approving names recommended by the collegium for the transfer of high court judges, deeming it a concerning trend.

Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia emphasised the non-appointment of advocates Harmeet Singh Grewal and Deepinder Singh Nalwa as judges in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, noting that both candidates are Sikhs. Expressing concern over the delay, the bench questioned the Attorney General R Venkataramani, representing the Centre, regarding the pending transfers, particularly

citing cases from the Gujarat High Court, Allahabad, and Delhi.

Of the 11 recommended transfers, only five have been executed. Additionally, eight recently recommended judges have not received clearance, with some being senior to those already appointed, raising questions about the governments transfer policy.

The court underscored the impact on seniority and questioned the message sent by the governments selective approach, cautioning that such practices discourage potential judges.

Also in top court

People should not roam on highways: SC

People are not supposed to roam around on highways, the Supreme Court said on Monday while refusing to entertain a plea raising the issue of safety and protection of pedestrians on highways. The matter came up for hearing on Monday before a bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia.

Parental pressure a reason for suicides

Intense competition and pressure of parents on

their wards preparing for competitive exams are the main reasons for the rising number of suicides across

the country, the Supreme Court said on Monday. These are not easy things. Pressure from parents is behind all these incidents, the bench said.

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NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday reiterated its dissatisfaction with the Centres selective approach in approving names recommended by the collegium for the transfer of high court judges, deeming it a concerning trend. Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia emphasised the non-appointment of advocates Harmeet Singh Grewal and Deepinder Singh Nalwa as judges in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, noting that both candidates are Sikhs. Expressing concern over the delay, the bench questioned the Attorney General R Venkataramani, representing the Centre, regarding the pending transfers, particularly citing cases from the Gujarat High Court, Allahabad, and Delhi. Of the 11 recommended transfers, only five have been executed. Additionally, eight recently recommended judges have not received clearance, with some being senior to those already appointed, raising questions about the governments transfer policy.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The court underscored the impact on seniority and questioned the message sent by the governments selective approach, cautioning that such practices discourage potential judges. Also in top court People should not roam on highways: SC People are not supposed to roam around on highways, the Supreme Court said on Monday while refusing to entertain a plea raising the issue of safety and protection of pedestrians on highways. The matter came up for hearing on Monday before a bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia. Parental pressure a reason for suicides Intense competition and pressure of parents on their wards preparing for competitive exams are the main reasons for the rising number of suicides across the country, the Supreme Court said on Monday. These are not easy things. Pressure from parents is behind all these incidents, the bench said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Jaison Wilson By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday directed Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in an alleged money laundering case, to submit his latest medical reports for perusal of his appeal on medical grounds.

The development came while the bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma was hearing Balajis appeal challenging an order of the Madras HC which refused to grant him bail in October.

Dismissing his bail application, Justice G Jayachandran had said the court cannot grant bail on medical grounds given his present health conditions, saying he will influence witnesses if he gets the bail.

The SC was apprised by Senior Advocate Mukul Rohtagi, representing the minister, that his client has multiple health issues. The counsel also pointed out the possibility of a stroke if not getting proper treatment citing the MRI reports of Balaji.

On the other hand, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that the accused person was having old chronic problems. The bench observed this does not appear to be very serious and look like an old problem. Accordingly, Rohtagi was asked to furnish the medical reports in the next hearing while posting it for November 28.

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NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday directed Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in an alleged money laundering case, to submit his latest medical reports for perusal of his appeal on medical grounds. The development came while the bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma was hearing Balajis appeal challenging an order of the Madras HC which refused to grant him bail in October. Dismissing his bail application, Justice G Jayachandran had said the court cannot grant bail on medical grounds given his present health conditions, saying he will influence witnesses if he gets the bail. The SC was apprised by Senior Advocate Mukul Rohtagi, representing the minister, that his client has multiple health issues. The counsel also pointed out the possibility of a stroke if not getting proper treatment citing the MRI reports of Balaji. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); On the other hand, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that the accused person was having old chronic problems. The bench observed this does not appear to be very serious and look like an old problem. Accordingly, Rohtagi was asked to furnish the medical reports in the next hearing while posting it for November 28. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Ramashankar By

Express News Service

PATNA: Three persons, including two women, were killed and one person seriously injured when an official vehicle of a senior IAS officer knocked them down in Bihar's Madhubani district early on Tuesday.

The incident took place at around 8 am near Purwari Tola village on the National Highway 57 under Phulparas police station in Madhubani district.

The vehicle belonging to district magistrate of Madhepura Vijay Prakash Meena first hit a woman and her 7-year-old daughter and then two labourers engaged in repair work. The injured were rushed to the Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) for treatment where one of them later succumbed to his injuries. The deceased labourer has been identified as Ashok Singh, a resident of Rajasthan.

The bodyguard of the IAS officer somehow rescued the district magistrate from the vehicle and escaped on a two-wheeler after leaving the injured on the spot. The vehicle was later ransacked by the mob, who assembled there after the incident. The mob was demanding adequate compensation to the family members of the deceased and proper treatment of the injured.

The 7-year-old girl's mother has been identified as Guria Devi (28).

Eyewitnesses said that the vehicle carrying the IAS officer was on its way to Madhepura from Patna after the Chhath festival. The labourers were engaged in repair of NH-57 under the supervision of National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). The police recovered three bags from the vehicle.

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PATNA: Three persons, including two women, were killed and one person seriously injured when an official vehicle of a senior IAS officer knocked them down in Bihar's Madhubani district early on Tuesday. The incident took place at around 8 am near Purwari Tola village on the National Highway 57 under Phulparas police station in Madhubani district. The vehicle belonging to district magistrate of Madhepura Vijay Prakash Meena first hit a woman and her 7-year-old daughter and then two labourers engaged in repair work. The injured were rushed to the Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) for treatment where one of them later succumbed to his injuries. The deceased labourer has been identified as Ashok Singh, a resident of Rajasthan.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The bodyguard of the IAS officer somehow rescued the district magistrate from the vehicle and escaped on a two-wheeler after leaving the injured on the spot. The vehicle was later ransacked by the mob, who assembled there after the incident. The mob was demanding adequate compensation to the family members of the deceased and proper treatment of the injured. The 7-year-old girl's mother has been identified as Guria Devi (28). Eyewitnesses said that the vehicle carrying the IAS officer was on its way to Madhepura from Patna after the Chhath festival. The labourers were engaged in repair of NH-57 under the supervision of National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). The police recovered three bags from the vehicle. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Narendra Sethi By

Express News Service

DEHRADUN: The ongoing efforts by Indian and international experts to rescue 41 labourers trapped in a collapsed section of the Silkiara tunnel following a landslide in the early hours of Diwali seem to be moving forward. On Tuesday, rescue teams were successful in resuming the work of laying rescue 800 mm pipes through already laid 900 mm hume pipes, called the telescopic method.

In addition, the work on the 900 mm pipe being drilled inside the tunnel by Auger machines, which was halted for three days, resumed on Tuesday. The new action plan involves inserting 800 mm pipes into the 900 mm pipes. Engineers are hopeful that significant progress can be made in the next 24 hours.

On the tenth day of the rescue operation, all the stranded labourers appeared to be healthy and safe in the communication done by inserting endoscopic flexi cameras brought from Delhi into the tunnel.

All the agencies involved in the rescue operation and the district administration are enthused by the successful insertion of a six-inch new lifeline pipe to supply food inside the tunnel, through which additional fruits and food items were successfully delivered to the labourers on Tuesday.

Uttarakhand Government Secretary Dr Neeraj Khairwal, who has been made the nodal officer for this relief and rescue operation by the state government, said, "Evacuating all the people safely is our priority and all agencies are working 24 hours in this direction."

According to a source at the Silkiara rescue camp, "In addition, THDC has started construction of a rescue tunnel from the Badkot end, in which two explosions have already been completed. SJVNL's machine for vertical rescue tunnel construction has reached the site, installation is currently underway."

Col Deepak Patil, who is in charge of rescue operations at the Silkiyara tunnel, told The New Indian Express, "Drilling work has started in the tunnel from the Badkot end as well. For this, a team of eight people from the THDC has arrived. A tunnel of two to two-and-a-half metres diameter will be prepared from here."

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued an advisory asking TV channels "not to sensationalize the Silkiara tunnel collapse incident".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday once again enquired about the well-being of the stranded labourers over the phone from Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and assured all possible help.

Meanwhile, an expert team of Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVNL), which evacuated labourers from the tunnel of Kiratpur-Narchok-Manali four-lane highway in Himachal Pradesh, has reached Silkiyara. A team official said, "Within two to three days of the machine setup, about 90 metres of drilling will be done to bring the laborers out safely."

In 2015, two labourers were trapped in a tunnel on the Kiratpur-Manali highway after an accident. The company's GM Jaswant Kapoor said, "Two laborers were trapped in that accident. To save them, SJVNL had installed a drill machine on top of the tunnel, so that after drilling for about 47 metres, they reached the laborers."

ALSO READ | Rescuers release first video of workers trapped inside collapsed Uttarakhand tunnel

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DEHRADUN: The ongoing efforts by Indian and international experts to rescue 41 labourers trapped in a collapsed section of the Silkiara tunnel following a landslide in the early hours of Diwali seem to be moving forward. On Tuesday, rescue teams were successful in resuming the work of laying rescue 800 mm pipes through already laid 900 mm hume pipes, called the telescopic method. In addition, the work on the 900 mm pipe being drilled inside the tunnel by Auger machines, which was halted for three days, resumed on Tuesday. The new action plan involves inserting 800 mm pipes into the 900 mm pipes. Engineers are hopeful that significant progress can be made in the next 24 hours. On the tenth day of the rescue operation, all the stranded labourers appeared to be healthy and safe in the communication done by inserting endoscopic flexi cameras brought from Delhi into the tunnel.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); All the agencies involved in the rescue operation and the district administration are enthused by the successful insertion of a six-inch new lifeline pipe to supply food inside the tunnel, through which additional fruits and food items were successfully delivered to the labourers on Tuesday. Uttarakhand Government Secretary Dr Neeraj Khairwal, who has been made the nodal officer for this relief and rescue operation by the state government, said, "Evacuating all the people safely is our priority and all agencies are working 24 hours in this direction." According to a source at the Silkiara rescue camp, "In addition, THDC has started construction of a rescue tunnel from the Badkot end, in which two explosions have already been completed. SJVNL's machine for vertical rescue tunnel construction has reached the site, installation is currently underway." Col Deepak Patil, who is in charge of rescue operations at the Silkiyara tunnel, told The New Indian Express, "Drilling work has started in the tunnel from the Badkot end as well. For this, a team of eight people from the THDC has arrived. A tunnel of two to two-and-a-half metres diameter will be prepared from here." Meanwhile, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued an advisory asking TV channels "not to sensationalize the Silkiara tunnel collapse incident". Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday once again enquired about the well-being of the stranded labourers over the phone from Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and assured all possible help. Meanwhile, an expert team of Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVNL), which evacuated labourers from the tunnel of Kiratpur-Narchok-Manali four-lane highway in Himachal Pradesh, has reached Silkiyara. A team official said, "Within two to three days of the machine setup, about 90 metres of drilling will be done to bring the laborers out safely." In 2015, two labourers were trapped in a tunnel on the Kiratpur-Manali highway after an accident. The company's GM Jaswant Kapoor said, "Two laborers were trapped in that accident. To save them, SJVNL had installed a drill machine on top of the tunnel, so that after drilling for about 47 metres, they reached the laborers." ALSO READ | Rescuers release first video of workers trapped inside collapsed Uttarakhand tunnel Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Jaison Wilson By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday questioned the long delay in clearing of Bills by Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi and asked why he assented to the Bills only after the issue was taken to the apex court. The Bills have been pending since January 2020... And this action was after our order. What was the governor doing for last three years? Why should these cases come to the Supreme Court? Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud remarked. The CJI noted the similarity with the Punjab governor clearing Bills on November 10 after that state approached the SC on the matter.

As the court was informed that the TN Legislative Assembly again passed the 10 Bills for which the governor had withheld assent, the CJI noted that the governor has no discretion to sit on the Bills and cannot withhold them once the Assembly clears them again.

The bench headed by the CJI, comprising Justice J B Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra, was hearing the plea filed by the TN government on the governors delay in clearing Bills. The state claimed that Ravi has been engaging in politically-motivated conduct.

Attorney General R Venkataramani, appearing for the office of the governor, informed the top court that 12 of the Bills mentioned in TNs writ petition were disposed of on November 13. Out of the 12 Bills, assent was withheld in 10 and two were reserved for consideration of the President. Subsequently, a special session of Assembly was convened on November 18 to re-adopt the Bills and send them back to the governor for his assent. The AG, in a submission, stated that out of the 181 Bills sent to the governor, 152 had been cleared, five withdrawn by the government and nine reserved by the governor for referral to the President. Five Bills received in October 2023 are under process, the submission read.

The court also noted the AGs submission that out of the 10 Bills, real dispute appears to be the amendments made to the state universities legislations, as a result of which the chancellor will be stripped off his powers in regard to the selection of the vice-chancellors. Stating it would not enter into the merits of the Bills, the court asked why the governor acted only last week after the government moved the court and why not earlier.

Only 53 out of 580 proposals pending: Governors office

This information was part of a submission made by the Attorney General, appearing for the office of the governor, before the SC on Monday. The submission was titled Factual position regarding Bills, files and other cases pending with the office of the TN governor. According to the submission, the governor has received 580 proposals on premature release of life convict prisoners since September 2021, when Ravi assumed office.

Of them, 362 proposals were approved, 165 rejected and 53 proposals are under consideration. Of the 53 pending proposals, two were received on June 20, one on August 4, one on August 9, and the remaining 49 were received on August 24. All the pending proposals have been received recently, the SC was told. On the proposals relating to the appointment of members of the TNPSC, the SC was informed that there was no transparency in the entire selection process.

As the government did not address the concerns of the governor in the manner of selection, the concerned proposal was returned on October 26. Currently, this matter is not pending in the office of the governor. However, the governor has approved all the other proposals for appointment received from the government, the SC was informed.

In the submission, the governors office also defended its issuances of a notification regarding the search committee for selection of Vice-Chancellors in three state universities. The SC was also informed that all the 12 Bills mentioned in the states writ petition have been disposed off on November 13 and as of November 16 only five Bills are under consideration.

On November 18, in a special session of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, the 10 Bills for which assent was withheld were reconsidered and passed. These Bills were sent to the Governors Secretariat on the same day. Since January 2020, as many as 181 Bills were received and 152 have received the governors assent.

No transparency

On the proposals relating to the appointment of members of the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission, the SC was informed that there was no transparency in the entire selection process. As the government did not address the concerns of the governor in the manner of selection, the concerned proposal was returned on October 26. Currently, this matter is not pending in the office of the governor, the apex court was informed.

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NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday questioned the long delay in clearing of Bills by Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi and asked why he assented to the Bills only after the issue was taken to the apex court. The Bills have been pending since January 2020... And this action was after our order. What was the governor doing for last three years? Why should these cases come to the Supreme Court? Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud remarked. The CJI noted the similarity with the Punjab governor clearing Bills on November 10 after that state approached the SC on the matter. As the court was informed that the TN Legislative Assembly again passed the 10 Bills for which the governor had withheld assent, the CJI noted that the governor has no discretion to sit on the Bills and cannot withhold them once the Assembly clears them again.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The bench headed by the CJI, comprising Justice J B Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra, was hearing the plea filed by the TN government on the governors delay in clearing Bills. The state claimed that Ravi has been engaging in politically-motivated conduct. Attorney General R Venkataramani, appearing for the office of the governor, informed the top court that 12 of the Bills mentioned in TNs writ petition were disposed of on November 13. Out of the 12 Bills, assent was withheld in 10 and two were reserved for consideration of the President. Subsequently, a special session of Assembly was convened on November 18 to re-adopt the Bills and send them back to the governor for his assent. The AG, in a submission, stated that out of the 181 Bills sent to the governor, 152 had been cleared, five withdrawn by the government and nine reserved by the governor for referral to the President. Five Bills received in October 2023 are under process, the submission read. The court also noted the AGs submission that out of the 10 Bills, real dispute appears to be the amendments made to the state universities legislations, as a result of which the chancellor will be stripped off his powers in regard to the selection of the vice-chancellors. Stating it would not enter into the merits of the Bills, the court asked why the governor acted only last week after the government moved the court and why not earlier. Only 53 out of 580 proposals pending: Governors office This information was part of a submission made by the Attorney General, appearing for the office of the governor, before the SC on Monday. The submission was titled Factual position regarding Bills, files and other cases pending with the office of the TN governor. According to the submission, the governor has received 580 proposals on premature release of life convict prisoners since September 2021, when Ravi assumed office. Of them, 362 proposals were approved, 165 rejected and 53 proposals are under consideration. Of the 53 pending proposals, two were received on June 20, one on August 4, one on August 9, and the remaining 49 were received on August 24. All the pending proposals have been received recently, the SC was told. On the proposals relating to the appointment of members of the TNPSC, the SC was informed that there was no transparency in the entire selection process. As the government did not address the concerns of the governor in the manner of selection, the concerned proposal was returned on October 26. Currently, this matter is not pending in the office of the governor. However, the governor has approved all the other proposals for appointment received from the government, the SC was informed. In the submission, the governors office also defended its issuances of a notification regarding the search committee for selection of Vice-Chancellors in three state universities. The SC was also informed that all the 12 Bills mentioned in the states writ petition have been disposed off on November 13 and as of November 16 only five Bills are under consideration. On November 18, in a special session of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, the 10 Bills for which assent was withheld were reconsidered and passed. These Bills were sent to the Governors Secretariat on the same day. Since January 2020, as many as 181 Bills were received and 152 have received the governors assent. No transparency On the proposals relating to the appointment of members of the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission, the SC was informed that there was no transparency in the entire selection process. As the government did not address the concerns of the governor in the manner of selection, the concerned proposal was returned on October 26. Currently, this matter is not pending in the office of the governor, the apex court was informed. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Yeshi Seli By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: India will host the virtual G20 leaders summit on Wednesday as its Presidency draws to a close by the end of November.

"Most member countries will take part in this virtual summit and it's likely to get the same response like the in-person summit that India hosted on September 9th and 10th," said G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant.

While Chinese President Xi Jinping is skipping it, his Premier Li Qiang will attend it (he attended the in-person summit too). There is no confirmation on US President Joe Biden attending it as it's a Thanksgiving holiday break. Similarly there is no confirmation whether Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will attend. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to attend.

"The diplomatic spat between India and Canada began soon after the in-person summit in September, so there is no clarity on whether PM Trudeau will attend it this time. However, there could be a discussion on the allegation that he made against India," said a source.

Unlike September, when one of the main topics was the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the focus of this summit is likely to be on the Israel-Hamas war.

According to Amitabh Kant, the upcoming meeting will focus on climate change and the adoption of green energy which would help in the crucial United Nations Climate Change Conference or COP28.

ALSO READ | President Biden could skip virtual G20 leaders summit due to Thanksgiving, says US envoy

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NEW DELHI: India will host the virtual G20 leaders summit on Wednesday as its Presidency draws to a close by the end of November. "Most member countries will take part in this virtual summit and it's likely to get the same response like the in-person summit that India hosted on September 9th and 10th," said G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant. While Chinese President Xi Jinping is skipping it, his Premier Li Qiang will attend it (he attended the in-person summit too). There is no confirmation on US President Joe Biden attending it as it's a Thanksgiving holiday break. Similarly there is no confirmation whether Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will attend. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to attend.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "The diplomatic spat between India and Canada began soon after the in-person summit in September, so there is no clarity on whether PM Trudeau will attend it this time. However, there could be a discussion on the allegation that he made against India," said a source. Unlike September, when one of the main topics was the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the focus of this summit is likely to be on the Israel-Hamas war. According to Amitabh Kant, the upcoming meeting will focus on climate change and the adoption of green energy which would help in the crucial United Nations Climate Change Conference or COP28. ALSO READ | President Biden could skip virtual G20 leaders summit due to Thanksgiving, says US envoy Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By PTI

BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court quashed a case of rape, and charges under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act against an accused, after the victim -- who is now a major -- expressed her intention to marry him.

The court ordered that the marriage take place within one month. The man was also ordered to be released from judicial custody.

The victim and her father appeared before the Court of Justice Hemant Chandangoudar and submitted an affidavit stating that they had no objection to the quashing of the proceedings.

The affidavit stated that the victim was now a major by age and added, "I am in a romantic relationship with the petitioner, and intend to marry him, and to live a happy married life with him and he has agreed to the same."

It further said, "Through this affidavit, I undertake and express my wish to marry the petitioner herein, and accordingly I have no objection in allowing the above-captioned petition and to this Hon'ble Court exercising its power and quashing the proceedings pending against the petitioner herein."

The accused was also produced in the court and the HC noted in its judgment that the petitioner has stated that he is willing to solemnise his marriage with the survivor, and the sexual intercourse between them was consensual since they were in relationship.

The HC also noted that the victim had turned hostile in her cross-examination in the trial and nothing is elicited from the survivor by the prosecutor to support the case of the prosecution.

The court said it would be an abuse of process of law for the trial to continue.

"The survivor who is present before this court has stated that she intends to solemnise her marriage with the accused, and if the criminal proceedings are allowed to be continued, it would result in incarceration of the accused which would cause more agony and misery to the survivor rather than securing the ends of justice. Therefore, the continuation of the criminal proceedings will not subserve the ends of justice and will be an abuse of process of law," the HC said.

The trial against the accused was set aside on condition of him marrying the victim within a month.

The HC said, "This order is subject to the condition that the petitioner-accused shall solemnise his marriage with the survivor within one month from today, and register the same before the competent authority."

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BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court quashed a case of rape, and charges under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act against an accused, after the victim -- who is now a major -- expressed her intention to marry him. The court ordered that the marriage take place within one month. The man was also ordered to be released from judicial custody. The victim and her father appeared before the Court of Justice Hemant Chandangoudar and submitted an affidavit stating that they had no objection to the quashing of the proceedings.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The affidavit stated that the victim was now a major by age and added, "I am in a romantic relationship with the petitioner, and intend to marry him, and to live a happy married life with him and he has agreed to the same." It further said, "Through this affidavit, I undertake and express my wish to marry the petitioner herein, and accordingly I have no objection in allowing the above-captioned petition and to this Hon'ble Court exercising its power and quashing the proceedings pending against the petitioner herein." The accused was also produced in the court and the HC noted in its judgment that the petitioner has stated that he is willing to solemnise his marriage with the survivor, and the sexual intercourse between them was consensual since they were in relationship. The HC also noted that the victim had turned hostile in her cross-examination in the trial and nothing is elicited from the survivor by the prosecutor to support the case of the prosecution. The court said it would be an abuse of process of law for the trial to continue. "The survivor who is present before this court has stated that she intends to solemnise her marriage with the accused, and if the criminal proceedings are allowed to be continued, it would result in incarceration of the accused which would cause more agony and misery to the survivor rather than securing the ends of justice. Therefore, the continuation of the criminal proceedings will not subserve the ends of justice and will be an abuse of process of law," the HC said. The trial against the accused was set aside on condition of him marrying the victim within a month. The HC said, "This order is subject to the condition that the petitioner-accused shall solemnise his marriage with the survivor within one month from today, and register the same before the competent authority." Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By Express News Service

THRISSUR: Panic gripped teachers and students of Vivekodayam Higher Secondary School in Thrissur after a former student fired from an air pistol on the campus on Tuesday. None was injured.

The incident, unheard of in Kerala, took place around 10.30am. Jagan, 18, a native of Mulayam who dropped out of the school, was arrested and released on station bail later.

As per sources, Jagan reached the school, an aided institution in Thrissur's Naikkanal, asking for his hat that some teachers had confiscated recently.

Eyewitnesses said Jagan, who was wearing black t-shirt and pants, went to the principal's office first. Soon, he was seen rushing to the Plus Two section of the school, apparently searching for a certain faculty member.

While running from one classroom to another, Jagan took out the pistol and fired in the air and at the ground. The shots panicked the teachers as well as students, including small children.

The teachers alerted the Town East police personnel, who immediately reached the spot and, aided by people in the area, caught Jagan while he was trying to escape after scaling the school's wall. Sources said no pellets have been recovered from the spot.

Soon after news of the firing broke, several panicked parents reached the school. However, the management allayed their fears and sent them back. Classes resumed after lunch break by 1.30pm. Therambil Ramakrishnan, the school manager and a former MLA from Thrissur, said the school was treating the incident as a serious threat.

Had frequent disagreements with school management

The school considers it a serious threat. However, there is no need to panic as teachers alerted the police and the youth was taken into custody, Ramakrishnan said.

He added, Definitely, the students and teachers were shocked to see an old student wielding the pistol. It is a sensitive matter and we will deal with utmost care.

Jagans parents informed the police that the youth had been undergoing treatment for mental issues for the past two years. They produced the relevant medical reports, based on which the police let him off on station bail and instructed the parents to provide him the required treatment.

Thrissur Mayor M K Varghese, Thrissur MLA P Balachandran, District Collector Krishna Teja, CPM district secretary M M Varghese, BJP district president K K Aneeshkumar and others visited the school after the incident.

The management said Jagan joined the school in the 2021-23 batch, but stopped attending classes following frequent disagreements with teachers. Though he wrote the Plus One exam, he did not attend classes and hence, could not appear for the Plus Two exam. Following a request by Jagans mother, the school issued him a transfer certificate and also a harmless conduct certificate.

GUN BOUGHT FOR L1,500

Sources said Jagan bought the gun, Air Pistol 177, from a shop in Thrissur for D1,500 that he saved from his pocket money. He has been charged under IPC sections 448 (house-trespass) and

506 (criminal intimidation).

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THRISSUR: Panic gripped teachers and students of Vivekodayam Higher Secondary School in Thrissur after a former student fired from an air pistol on the campus on Tuesday. None was injured. The incident, unheard of in Kerala, took place around 10.30am. Jagan, 18, a native of Mulayam who dropped out of the school, was arrested and released on station bail later. As per sources, Jagan reached the school, an aided institution in Thrissur's Naikkanal, asking for his hat that some teachers had confiscated recently. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Eyewitnesses said Jagan, who was wearing black t-shirt and pants, went to the principal's office first. Soon, he was seen rushing to the Plus Two section of the school, apparently searching for a certain faculty member. While running from one classroom to another, Jagan took out the pistol and fired in the air and at the ground. The shots panicked the teachers as well as students, including small children. The teachers alerted the Town East police personnel, who immediately reached the spot and, aided by people in the area, caught Jagan while he was trying to escape after scaling the school's wall. Sources said no pellets have been recovered from the spot. Soon after news of the firing broke, several panicked parents reached the school. However, the management allayed their fears and sent them back. Classes resumed after lunch break by 1.30pm. Therambil Ramakrishnan, the school manager and a former MLA from Thrissur, said the school was treating the incident as a serious threat. Had frequent disagreements with school management The school considers it a serious threat. However, there is no need to panic as teachers alerted the police and the youth was taken into custody, Ramakrishnan said. He added, Definitely, the students and teachers were shocked to see an old student wielding the pistol. It is a sensitive matter and we will deal with utmost care. Jagans parents informed the police that the youth had been undergoing treatment for mental issues for the past two years. They produced the relevant medical reports, based on which the police let him off on station bail and instructed the parents to provide him the required treatment. Thrissur Mayor M K Varghese, Thrissur MLA P Balachandran, District Collector Krishna Teja, CPM district secretary M M Varghese, BJP district president K K Aneeshkumar and others visited the school after the incident. The management said Jagan joined the school in the 2021-23 batch, but stopped attending classes following frequent disagreements with teachers. Though he wrote the Plus One exam, he did not attend classes and hence, could not appear for the Plus Two exam. Following a request by Jagans mother, the school issued him a transfer certificate and also a harmless conduct certificate. GUN BOUGHT FOR L1,500 Sources said Jagan bought the gun, Air Pistol 177, from a shop in Thrissur for D1,500 that he saved from his pocket money. He has been charged under IPC sections 448 (house-trespass) and 506 (criminal intimidation). Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
B Kartheek By

Express News Service

HYDERABAD: In the run-up to the Assembly elections, the Congress and BRS are engaged in a battle of promises in their respective manifestos while the BJP made modest promises to the people of Telangana. While the Congress appears to be one step ahead of its close contender BRS, the implementation of these ambitious promises raises concerns over the financial burden on the state exchequer.

The major promise that would have a significant impact on the state finances is replacing the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) with the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), which is promised by the Congress, while claiming it has been doing the same in the states where it is in power.

Unfunded, wage index-linked Old Pension System (OPS) will be an unmitigated fiscal disaster. The impact will be felt from 2035 when those recruited after 2004 will start retiring from service. With OPS, the committed spend on wages, pensions and interest will be about 300% of states own resources by 2050. OPS is the greatest danger, threatening the credit of India, financial stability and economic growth. Will parties come to their senses? asked former IAS officer and Lok Satta founder-president Jayaprakash Narayan on X platform, while stating that the painstaking consensus on funded, contributory National Pension System (NPS) built by former Prime Ministers AB Vajpayee and Manmohan Singhs government is now unraveling.

The Congress made this promise even as the economists have been expressing apprehensions, highlighting the potential detrimental impact of OPS on the state exchequer, estimating an additional burden of approximately 50% on pension payments. Not only that, but the Congress has announced around 70 promises that require more funds to implement.

Increase in Aasara pension, Rythu Bandhu amounts

Similarly, the BRS has promised to gradually increase pensions from Rs 2,016 to Rs 5,016 over the next five years. In the 2023-2024 budget, the BRS government had allocated Rs 12,000 crore for Aasara pensions, with a promise to increase pensions by 150%, which requires Rs 30,000 crore for pensions alone in the next five years.

Incidentally, the BRS has |also promised to increase Rythu Bandhu, farmers input subsidy, by 50% from Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000. In the light of the State government allocating Rs 15,075 crore for Rythu Bandhu in its previous budget estimates, it will be increased to around Rs 22,612 crore.

In addition to pension commitments, both parties have vowed to provide direct cash benefits to eligible women heads of households. This would at least cost anywhere between Rs 10,000 crore to Rs 20,000 crore given the number of households that have food security cards, an indicator to measure the low-income families.

The promise to raise farmers input subsidy from Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000, extend benefits to agricultural labour, and offering 200 units of free power add further dimensions to the financial implications. The Congress has also committed itself to providing two lakh jobs within a year of coming to power and offering free travel to all women in the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) services.

The economists argue that the payments of salaries of the State government employees and OPS alone would require 60% of state revenue receipts. However, the pivotal question remains unanswered  how will these promises be financed? This question assumes more significance in the light of State debt of Rs 3,57,059 crore (FRBM debts shown in budget estimates 2023-24) and outstanding guarantees of Rs 1,29,243.60 crore in 2022-23.

In 2023-24, the State government passed the budget estimates to the tune of Rs 2.90 lakh crores. Conspicuously, the existing budget would not suffice to fulfil the promises made by these political parties. According to an estimation, it requires anywhere between an additional Rs 50,000 crore to implement BRS promises and an additional Rs 80,000 crore to Rs 1 lakh crore to fulfil Congress promises. The question remains from where these funds would be mobilised?

Promises made after comprehensive study

Speaking to TNIE, Telangana State Planning Board vice-chairman and senior BRS leader B Vinod Kumar said that they have made the promises after a thorough study on the potential growth of state finances. He said that he would not quantify the welfare schemes as freebies, but investments for the progress of underdeveloped classes.

He also highlighted that the Telangana government hasnt taken debts to implement welfare schemes.

We have obtained debts for irrigation, Mission Bhagiratha and power generation. We have not given Aasara pensions by obtaining loans, he said.

Meanwhile, during an interaction with reporters, TPCC chief A Revanth Reddy said that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has endorsed the policy document of Congress by making similar promises. He also said that the Congress policy is to grow the income and distribute it among the poor. In spite of it, the financial feasibility of these pledges will undoubtedly be a key focus as voters evaluate the election promises made by both the political parties.

Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp

HYDERABAD: In the run-up to the Assembly elections, the Congress and BRS are engaged in a battle of promises in their respective manifestos while the BJP made modest promises to the people of Telangana. While the Congress appears to be one step ahead of its close contender BRS, the implementation of these ambitious promises raises concerns over the financial burden on the state exchequer. The major promise that would have a significant impact on the state finances is replacing the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) with the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), which is promised by the Congress, while claiming it has been doing the same in the states where it is in power. Unfunded, wage index-linked Old Pension System (OPS) will be an unmitigated fiscal disaster. The impact will be felt from 2035 when those recruited after 2004 will start retiring from service. With OPS, the committed spend on wages, pensions and interest will be about 300% of states own resources by 2050. OPS is the greatest danger, threatening the credit of India, financial stability and economic growth. Will parties come to their senses? asked former IAS officer and Lok Satta founder-president Jayaprakash Narayan on X platform, while stating that the painstaking consensus on funded, contributory National Pension System (NPS) built by former Prime Ministers AB Vajpayee and Manmohan Singhs government is now unraveling.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The Congress made this promise even as the economists have been expressing apprehensions, highlighting the potential detrimental impact of OPS on the state exchequer, estimating an additional burden of approximately 50% on pension payments. Not only that, but the Congress has announced around 70 promises that require more funds to implement. Increase in Aasara pension, Rythu Bandhu amounts Similarly, the BRS has promised to gradually increase pensions from Rs 2,016 to Rs 5,016 over the next five years. In the 2023-2024 budget, the BRS government had allocated Rs 12,000 crore for Aasara pensions, with a promise to increase pensions by 150%, which requires Rs 30,000 crore for pensions alone in the next five years. Incidentally, the BRS has |also promised to increase Rythu Bandhu, farmers input subsidy, by 50% from Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000. In the light of the State government allocating Rs 15,075 crore for Rythu Bandhu in its previous budget estimates, it will be increased to around Rs 22,612 crore. In addition to pension commitments, both parties have vowed to provide direct cash benefits to eligible women heads of households. This would at least cost anywhere between Rs 10,000 crore to Rs 20,000 crore given the number of households that have food security cards, an indicator to measure the low-income families. The promise to raise farmers input subsidy from Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000, extend benefits to agricultural labour, and offering 200 units of free power add further dimensions to the financial implications. The Congress has also committed itself to providing two lakh jobs within a year of coming to power and offering free travel to all women in the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) services. The economists argue that the payments of salaries of the State government employees and OPS alone would require 60% of state revenue receipts. However, the pivotal question remains unanswered  how will these promises be financed? This question assumes more significance in the light of State debt of Rs 3,57,059 crore (FRBM debts shown in budget estimates 2023-24) and outstanding guarantees of Rs 1,29,243.60 crore in 2022-23. In 2023-24, the State government passed the budget estimates to the tune of Rs 2.90 lakh crores. Conspicuously, the existing budget would not suffice to fulfil the promises made by these political parties. According to an estimation, it requires anywhere between an additional Rs 50,000 crore to implement BRS promises and an additional Rs 80,000 crore to Rs 1 lakh crore to fulfil Congress promises. The question remains from where these funds would be mobilised? Promises made after comprehensive study Speaking to TNIE, Telangana State Planning Board vice-chairman and senior BRS leader B Vinod Kumar said that they have made the promises after a thorough study on the potential growth of state finances. He said that he would not quantify the welfare schemes as freebies, but investments for the progress of underdeveloped classes. He also highlighted that the Telangana government hasnt taken debts to implement welfare schemes. We have obtained debts for irrigation, Mission Bhagiratha and power generation. We have not given Aasara pensions by obtaining loans, he said. Meanwhile, during an interaction with reporters, TPCC chief A Revanth Reddy said that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has endorsed the policy document of Congress by making similar promises. He also said that the Congress policy is to grow the income and distribute it among the poor. In spite of it, the financial feasibility of these pledges will undoubtedly be a key focus as voters evaluate the election promises made by both the political parties. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By AFP

BERLIN: Germany's interior minister on Tuesday urged Muslim groups in the country to explicitly condemn the deadly October 7 attacks by Hamas against and to voice solidarity with Israel.

The nation is home to about 5.5 million Muslims, making up the second biggest religious group.

"I expect the Muslim organisations to clearly position themselves and uphold their responsibilities in society," interior minister Nancy Faeser said in an interview with German broadcaster ARD.

The groups need to "clearly condemn" the attack by Hamas, and not just with a "yes, but", she said.

"It must be very clear, we stand by Israel's side," added Faeser.

Some Muslim groups have indeed "lived up to their responsibilities," she said, adding however that "some have not".

The voices "defending our values" must get louder, said the minister ahead of a conference gathering German politicians, Muslim groups and representatives of the Christian and Jewish communities.

Battling anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim racism are the main themes of the two-day meeting, which is held against the backdrop of tensions over the Israel-Hamas war.

Hamas gunmen killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, during cross-border raids on October 7 -- the deadliest attack in Israel's history.

In retaliation, Israel launched a relentless bombing campaign and ground offensive in Gaza, which is ruled by Hamas.

According to the Hamas government, the war has killed more than 13,300 people, thousands of them children.

Large pro-Palestinians marches have been held in major cities across Germany in recent weeks, with some leading to dozens of arrests over anti-Semitic action.

Germany is home to some 45 million Christians -- including Protestants and Catholics, while around 200,000 Jews live in the country.

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BERLIN: Germany's interior minister on Tuesday urged Muslim groups in the country to explicitly condemn the deadly October 7 attacks by Hamas against and to voice solidarity with Israel. The nation is home to about 5.5 million Muslims, making up the second biggest religious group. "I expect the Muslim organisations to clearly position themselves and uphold their responsibilities in society," interior minister Nancy Faeser said in an interview with German broadcaster ARD.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The groups need to "clearly condemn" the attack by Hamas, and not just with a "yes, but", she said. "It must be very clear, we stand by Israel's side," added Faeser. Some Muslim groups have indeed "lived up to their responsibilities," she said, adding however that "some have not". The voices "defending our values" must get louder, said the minister ahead of a conference gathering German politicians, Muslim groups and representatives of the Christian and Jewish communities. Battling anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim racism are the main themes of the two-day meeting, which is held against the backdrop of tensions over the Israel-Hamas war. Hamas gunmen killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, during cross-border raids on October 7 -- the deadliest attack in Israel's history. In retaliation, Israel launched a relentless bombing campaign and ground offensive in Gaza, which is ruled by Hamas. According to the Hamas government, the war has killed more than 13,300 people, thousands of them children. Large pro-Palestinians marches have been held in major cities across Germany in recent weeks, with some leading to dozens of arrests over anti-Semitic action. Germany is home to some 45 million Christians -- including Protestants and Catholics, while around 200,000 Jews live in the country. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By AFP

JERUSALEM: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said Tuesday a truce agreement with Israel was in sight, raising hopes that dozens of people taken hostage in the October 7 attacks could be released.

There was no immediate response from Israel on the status of negotiation efforts to secure the release of the estimated 240 hostages seized during Hamas's horrific assault.

The majority of the hostages are Israeli civilians, some of them young children and elderly people.

Only a handful have been released, freed by Israeli troops or their bodies recovered.

"We are close to reaching a deal on a truce," Haniyeh said, according to a statement sent by his office to AFP.

FOLLOW OUR COVERAGE OF THE ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR HERE

Hamas gunmen killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, during cross-border raids on October 7 -- the deadliest attack in Israel's history.

In retaliation, Israel launched a relentless bombing campaign and ground offensive in Gaza, which is ruled by Hamas.

According to the Hamas government, the war has killed more than 13,300 people, thousands of them children.

Speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, sources from Hamas and Islamic Jihad -- which also participated in the attacks -- confirmed that their groups had agreed to the terms of a truce deal.

The tentative deal includes a five-day truce, comprised of a ceasefire on the ground and limits to Israeli air operations over southern Gaza.

Under the agreement, between 50 and 100 Israeli civilian and foreign hostages would be released, but no military personnel.

In exchange, some 300 Palestinians would be released from Israeli jails, among them women and children.

On Monday, US President Joe Biden had said he believed a deal was close, as hopes grew for talks brokered by Qatar, where Hamas has a political office and which has behind-the-scenes diplomatic links with Israel.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said Monday that its president had travelled to Qatar to meet Hamas's Haniyeh.

'We will not stop fighting'

An agreement could bring some respite for Gazans who have lived for more than six weeks under Israel bombardment and an expanding ground offensive.

Large parts of Gaza have been destroyed by air strikes that have numbered in the thousands, and the territory is under siege, with minimal food, water and fuel allowed to enter.

According to the Hamas and Islamic Jihad sources, the deal would also allow for up to 300 trucks of food and medical aid to enter Gaza.

Israel has been wary of allowing fuel into the strip for fear it could be used by Hamas in rockets or for other paramilitary means.

Israel has vowed to press ahead with its offensive, pledging to crush Hamas and ensure the hostages are released.

"We will not stop fighting until we bring our hostages home," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared after meeting relatives of those abducted.

Premature babies

In Gaza, medics and patients were again caught on the front line on Tuesday, as Israel expanded its operation across the north of the territory.

Officials in the Hamas-run health ministry said Israel struck the Indonesian Hospital on Monday, killing 12 people, before moving in ground forces.

"The Israeli army is laying siege to the Indonesian Hospital," ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra told AFP.

The Hamas government said dozens of tanks and armoured vehicles were deployed around the outskirts of the hospital and were firing towards the facility.

"We fear the same thing will happen there as it did in Al-Shifa," Qudra added, referring to Gaza's largest hospital which has been besieged and scoured by Israeli troops.

Twenty-eight premature babies were evacuated from Al-Shifa to Egypt on Monday.

The Indonesian Hospital sits on the fringe of Gaza's largest refugee camp Jabalia, which has become a new focus for the war and has been the scene of intense Israeli bombing in recent days.

The health ministry official said there still were about 400 patients inside the hospital, as well as 2,000 people seeking shelter.

Around 200 people were evacuated from the hospital on Monday and bussed to the relative safety of a hospital in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza.

At the Al-Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, an AFP reporter witnessed bloodied children being carried into the facility and lying dazed on gurneys as chaos swirled around them.

"We miraculously got out," said one man who said he escaped the Indonesian Hospital. "We still have brothers there. I just can't..." he said, his voice trailing off.

'Scenes of death'

Israel says Hamas uses medical facilities to hide fighters and as the base for operations, making them legitimate military objectives -- while insisting it does everything possible to limit harm to civilians.

But international criticism of Israel's conduct of the war has grown in recent weeks, with protests erupting across the world, international agencies laying allegations of war crimes, and some governments breaking diplomatic ties.

The World Health Organization said it was "appalled" by Monday's strike on the Indonesian Hospital and reported it was just one of 164 documented attacks on health facilities and workers since the war began.

"The world cannot stand silent while these hospitals, which should be safe havens, are transformed into scenes of death, devastation, and despair," the organisation said in a statement.

The Indonesian Hospital was opened almost a decade ago, and was funded by donations from Indonesia -- the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation.

Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi on Monday "strongly condemned the Israeli attack" on the hospital, adding that the ministry had not been able to contact three Indonesian volunteers believed to have been working at the facility.

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JERUSALEM: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said Tuesday a truce agreement with Israel was in sight, raising hopes that dozens of people taken hostage in the October 7 attacks could be released. There was no immediate response from Israel on the status of negotiation efforts to secure the release of the estimated 240 hostages seized during Hamas's horrific assault. The majority of the hostages are Israeli civilians, some of them young children and elderly people.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Only a handful have been released, freed by Israeli troops or their bodies recovered. "We are close to reaching a deal on a truce," Haniyeh said, according to a statement sent by his office to AFP. FOLLOW OUR COVERAGE OF THE ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR HERE Hamas gunmen killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, during cross-border raids on October 7 -- the deadliest attack in Israel's history. In retaliation, Israel launched a relentless bombing campaign and ground offensive in Gaza, which is ruled by Hamas. According to the Hamas government, the war has killed more than 13,300 people, thousands of them children. Speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, sources from Hamas and Islamic Jihad -- which also participated in the attacks -- confirmed that their groups had agreed to the terms of a truce deal. The tentative deal includes a five-day truce, comprised of a ceasefire on the ground and limits to Israeli air operations over southern Gaza. Under the agreement, between 50 and 100 Israeli civilian and foreign hostages would be released, but no military personnel. In exchange, some 300 Palestinians would be released from Israeli jails, among them women and children. On Monday, US President Joe Biden had said he believed a deal was close, as hopes grew for talks brokered by Qatar, where Hamas has a political office and which has behind-the-scenes diplomatic links with Israel. The International Committee of the Red Cross said Monday that its president had travelled to Qatar to meet Hamas's Haniyeh. 'We will not stop fighting' An agreement could bring some respite for Gazans who have lived for more than six weeks under Israel bombardment and an expanding ground offensive. Large parts of Gaza have been destroyed by air strikes that have numbered in the thousands, and the territory is under siege, with minimal food, water and fuel allowed to enter. According to the Hamas and Islamic Jihad sources, the deal would also allow for up to 300 trucks of food and medical aid to enter Gaza. Israel has been wary of allowing fuel into the strip for fear it could be used by Hamas in rockets or for other paramilitary means. Israel has vowed to press ahead with its offensive, pledging to crush Hamas and ensure the hostages are released. "We will not stop fighting until we bring our hostages home," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared after meeting relatives of those abducted. Premature babies In Gaza, medics and patients were again caught on the front line on Tuesday, as Israel expanded its operation across the north of the territory. Officials in the Hamas-run health ministry said Israel struck the Indonesian Hospital on Monday, killing 12 people, before moving in ground forces. "The Israeli army is laying siege to the Indonesian Hospital," ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra told AFP. The Hamas government said dozens of tanks and armoured vehicles were deployed around the outskirts of the hospital and were firing towards the facility. "We fear the same thing will happen there as it did in Al-Shifa," Qudra added, referring to Gaza's largest hospital which has been besieged and scoured by Israeli troops. Twenty-eight premature babies were evacuated from Al-Shifa to Egypt on Monday. The Indonesian Hospital sits on the fringe of Gaza's largest refugee camp Jabalia, which has become a new focus for the war and has been the scene of intense Israeli bombing in recent days. The health ministry official said there still were about 400 patients inside the hospital, as well as 2,000 people seeking shelter. Around 200 people were evacuated from the hospital on Monday and bussed to the relative safety of a hospital in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza. At the Al-Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, an AFP reporter witnessed bloodied children being carried into the facility and lying dazed on gurneys as chaos swirled around them. "We miraculously got out," said one man who said he escaped the Indonesian Hospital. "We still have brothers there. I just can't..." he said, his voice trailing off. 'Scenes of death' Israel says Hamas uses medical facilities to hide fighters and as the base for operations, making them legitimate military objectives -- while insisting it does everything possible to limit harm to civilians. But international criticism of Israel's conduct of the war has grown in recent weeks, with protests erupting across the world, international agencies laying allegations of war crimes, and some governments breaking diplomatic ties. The World Health Organization said it was "appalled" by Monday's strike on the Indonesian Hospital and reported it was just one of 164 documented attacks on health facilities and workers since the war began. "The world cannot stand silent while these hospitals, which should be safe havens, are transformed into scenes of death, devastation, and despair," the organisation said in a statement. The Indonesian Hospital was opened almost a decade ago, and was funded by donations from Indonesia -- the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation. Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi on Monday "strongly condemned the Israeli attack" on the hospital, adding that the ministry had not been able to contact three Indonesian volunteers believed to have been working at the facility. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By PTI

WASHINGTON: A diaspora panel in the US has sought to include designated terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun and his banned organisation Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) on the no-fly list for issuing video messages threatening people flying Air India.

Participants of a panel discussion "Indians in Canada under Threat of Terror and Hate Crimes', organised by the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS), a group of Indian-Americans and Indo-Canadians, asserted that it's time for the governments to take strong action against the separatist Sikh leader from the SFJ.

The SFJ is a US-based organisation banned by the Government of India under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for its anti-India activities.

In July 2020, Pannun was also declared an "individual terrorist" under the UAPA for promoting secessionism and allegedly encouraging Punjabi Sikh youth to take up arms.

"Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has misrepresented freedom of expression for freedom of terror and his allegations against India for the killing of extremist Niggar stirred anti-Indian and anti-Hindu crimes in Canada," said FIIDS Khanderao Kand.

"His policies seem to be ignoring the threats of extremism which will ultimately adversely impact Canada," he said.

"The panellists questioned why Gurpatwant Pannu and members of SFJ are not on the no-fly list for his threats to travel by Air India, alluding to the 1985 Air India 'Kanishka' bombing," Kand said in a statement.

Observing that historical seeds of hatred were sown by both the British and the Congress Party among Hindus and Sikhs, California-based Sukhi Chahal said the Sikh for Justice did not represent Sikhs as a whole and propagated a distorted and hateful narrative against Hindus and Sikhs.

Chahal urged collective responsibility to dismantle this narrative, engage with the silent Sikh community, and recognise that many Sikhs have fallen victim to the influence of fake Khalistanis who are well-funded and supported by Western states.

Ruchi Walia from Canada mentioned the importance of the unity of Hindus and Sikhs, which personifies her own personal story and mission.

Walia expressed concern about the radicalisation of young Sikh individuals through the dissemination of incorrect historical information which needs to be corrected.

Vijay Jain, spokesperson of Canadian Hindus for Harmony, emphasised the radicals are smaller but loud, suppressing moderate voices, and threatening peace and harmony.

He stressed the importance of community and political-level engagement.

Mohan Sonti, a FIIDS analyst, said the current threats to Indians in Canada, particularly from Khalistani terrorists, originated approximately 45 years ago with Pierre Trudeau, the former Prime Minister of Canada and the father of the current premier.

Sonti claimed that Pierre Trudeau's complacency contributed to the growth of Khalistani terrorism, citing the 1985 Kanishka bombing.

The 1985 Kanishka Air India bombing, one of the largest aviation terrorist attacks at the time, saw Boeing 747 -- named after the Emperor Kanishka -- exploding off the Irish coast, killing all 329 people on board.

The Canada to India via London flight was bombed by a Sikh separatist group in revenge for the 1984 storming of the Golden Temple.

Sonti accused subsequent Canadian governments of nurturing and supporting the immigration of Khalistani terrorists, turning it into a significant issue.

Sonti claimed that this support continued to the present day, with prime minister Trudeau openly aligning with Khalistani elements, and criticised Canada for harbouring Khalistani terrorists.

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WASHINGTON: A diaspora panel in the US has sought to include designated terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun and his banned organisation Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) on the no-fly list for issuing video messages threatening people flying Air India. Participants of a panel discussion "Indians in Canada under Threat of Terror and Hate Crimes', organised by the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS), a group of Indian-Americans and Indo-Canadians, asserted that it's time for the governments to take strong action against the separatist Sikh leader from the SFJ. The SFJ is a US-based organisation banned by the Government of India under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for its anti-India activities.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); In July 2020, Pannun was also declared an "individual terrorist" under the UAPA for promoting secessionism and allegedly encouraging Punjabi Sikh youth to take up arms. "Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has misrepresented freedom of expression for freedom of terror and his allegations against India for the killing of extremist Niggar stirred anti-Indian and anti-Hindu crimes in Canada," said FIIDS Khanderao Kand. "His policies seem to be ignoring the threats of extremism which will ultimately adversely impact Canada," he said. "The panellists questioned why Gurpatwant Pannu and members of SFJ are not on the no-fly list for his threats to travel by Air India, alluding to the 1985 Air India 'Kanishka' bombing," Kand said in a statement. Observing that historical seeds of hatred were sown by both the British and the Congress Party among Hindus and Sikhs, California-based Sukhi Chahal said the Sikh for Justice did not represent Sikhs as a whole and propagated a distorted and hateful narrative against Hindus and Sikhs. Chahal urged collective responsibility to dismantle this narrative, engage with the silent Sikh community, and recognise that many Sikhs have fallen victim to the influence of fake Khalistanis who are well-funded and supported by Western states. Ruchi Walia from Canada mentioned the importance of the unity of Hindus and Sikhs, which personifies her own personal story and mission. Walia expressed concern about the radicalisation of young Sikh individuals through the dissemination of incorrect historical information which needs to be corrected. Vijay Jain, spokesperson of Canadian Hindus for Harmony, emphasised the radicals are smaller but loud, suppressing moderate voices, and threatening peace and harmony. He stressed the importance of community and political-level engagement. Mohan Sonti, a FIIDS analyst, said the current threats to Indians in Canada, particularly from Khalistani terrorists, originated approximately 45 years ago with Pierre Trudeau, the former Prime Minister of Canada and the father of the current premier. Sonti claimed that Pierre Trudeau's complacency contributed to the growth of Khalistani terrorism, citing the 1985 Kanishka bombing. The 1985 Kanishka Air India bombing, one of the largest aviation terrorist attacks at the time, saw Boeing 747 -- named after the Emperor Kanishka -- exploding off the Irish coast, killing all 329 people on board. The Canada to India via London flight was bombed by a Sikh separatist group in revenge for the 1984 storming of the Golden Temple. Sonti accused subsequent Canadian governments of nurturing and supporting the immigration of Khalistani terrorists, turning it into a significant issue. Sonti claimed that this support continued to the present day, with prime minister Trudeau openly aligning with Khalistani elements, and criticised Canada for harbouring Khalistani terrorists. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By AFP

BEIRUT: Israeli bombardment of south Lebanon on Tuesday killed four civilians, two of them journalists, official media said, as Lebanon's Al-Mayadeen television said it employed the two reporters.

The Israel-Lebanon border has seen daily exchanges of fire, mainly between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group, since the Israel-Hamas war began on October 7, raising fears of a broader conflagration.

The state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported "the deaths of three citizens -- two journalists and another civilian -- in enemy bombing" of the Tair Harfa area.

ALSO READ | Hamas leader says Gaza truce deal 'close', raising hopes for hostages

Al-Mayadeen said its correspondent Farah Omar and cameraman Rabih Maamari were killed.

The Israeli military said it was "looking into the details" of the incident.

Elsewhere in south Lebanon, the NNA said "enemy aircraft raided inhabited houses in Kfar Kila, leading to the death of citizen Laiqa Sarhan, 80, and the wounding of her granddaughter," whom it identified as a Syrian national.

A source in the area's Marjayoun hospital, who requested anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media, said the seven-year-old granddaughter was in a serious condition.

Al-Mayadeen director Ghassan bin Jiddo said the third civilian killed with the two journalists was a "contributor" to the channel.

"It was a direct attack, it was not by chance," Bin Jiddo said in an interview on the channel, noting it came after an Israeli government decision this month to block access to the website of Al-Mayadeen, known for its pro-Iran stance.

'No limit'

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati expressed his "strong condemnation of the Israeli attack" on the journalists, a statement said.

"This attack proves once more that Israeli crimes know no limit and that (Israel's) aim is to silence the media who expose its crimes and its attacks," Mikati was quoted as saying in the statement.

Hezbollah, a Hamas ally, said in a statement that the attack and others on civilians in Lebanon "will not pass without a response".

The powerful Iran-backed militant group has stepped up its attacks against Israel in recent days.

Since the cross-border exchanges began, at least 95 people have been killed on the Lebanese side, according to an AFP tally, most of them Hezbollah combatants but including at least 14 civilians, three of them journalists.

On the Israeli side, six soldiers and three civilians have been killed, according to Israeli authorities.

On October 13, Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah was killed and six other journalists from AFP, Al Jazeera and Reuters wounded while covering the cross-border fire.

Lebanese authorities have accused Israel of being responsible. The Israeli army has said it is looking into the circumstances.

The deadly exchanges began after October 7, when Gaza-based Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking about 240 hostage, according to Israeli officials.

Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas, and its subsequent military campaign has killed more than 13,300 people in Gaza, according to authorities in the Hamas-run territory.

US envoy Amos Hochstein, who visited Lebanon earlier this month, was in Israel on Monday to help prevent full-blown war from breaking out on the Israel-Lebanon border, Washington said.

"We don't want to see this war escalate... We certainly don't believe it's in anybody's interest -- certainly not the Israeli people's interest -- to have a second front there in the north," US national security spokesman John Kirby said Monday.

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BEIRUT: Israeli bombardment of south Lebanon on Tuesday killed four civilians, two of them journalists, official media said, as Lebanon's Al-Mayadeen television said it employed the two reporters. The Israel-Lebanon border has seen daily exchanges of fire, mainly between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group, since the Israel-Hamas war began on October 7, raising fears of a broader conflagration. The state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported "the deaths of three citizens -- two journalists and another civilian -- in enemy bombing" of the Tair Harfa area.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); ALSO READ | Hamas leader says Gaza truce deal 'close', raising hopes for hostages Al-Mayadeen said its correspondent Farah Omar and cameraman Rabih Maamari were killed. The Israeli military said it was "looking into the details" of the incident. Elsewhere in south Lebanon, the NNA said "enemy aircraft raided inhabited houses in Kfar Kila, leading to the death of citizen Laiqa Sarhan, 80, and the wounding of her granddaughter," whom it identified as a Syrian national. A source in the area's Marjayoun hospital, who requested anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media, said the seven-year-old granddaughter was in a serious condition. Al-Mayadeen director Ghassan bin Jiddo said the third civilian killed with the two journalists was a "contributor" to the channel. "It was a direct attack, it was not by chance," Bin Jiddo said in an interview on the channel, noting it came after an Israeli government decision this month to block access to the website of Al-Mayadeen, known for its pro-Iran stance. 'No limit' Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati expressed his "strong condemnation of the Israeli attack" on the journalists, a statement said. "This attack proves once more that Israeli crimes know no limit and that (Israel's) aim is to silence the media who expose its crimes and its attacks," Mikati was quoted as saying in the statement. Hezbollah, a Hamas ally, said in a statement that the attack and others on civilians in Lebanon "will not pass without a response". The powerful Iran-backed militant group has stepped up its attacks against Israel in recent days. Since the cross-border exchanges began, at least 95 people have been killed on the Lebanese side, according to an AFP tally, most of them Hezbollah combatants but including at least 14 civilians, three of them journalists. On the Israeli side, six soldiers and three civilians have been killed, according to Israeli authorities. On October 13, Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah was killed and six other journalists from AFP, Al Jazeera and Reuters wounded while covering the cross-border fire. Lebanese authorities have accused Israel of being responsible. The Israeli army has said it is looking into the circumstances. The deadly exchanges began after October 7, when Gaza-based Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking about 240 hostage, according to Israeli officials. Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas, and its subsequent military campaign has killed more than 13,300 people in Gaza, according to authorities in the Hamas-run territory. US envoy Amos Hochstein, who visited Lebanon earlier this month, was in Israel on Monday to help prevent full-blown war from breaking out on the Israel-Lebanon border, Washington said. "We don't want to see this war escalate... We certainly don't believe it's in anybody's interest -- certainly not the Israeli people's interest -- to have a second front there in the north," US national security spokesman John Kirby said Monday. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
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
By AFP

UNITED NATIONS: The presence of United Nations peacekeepers, whose shortcomings can frustrate local populations, is not a "magic wand" for conflict zones, said their leader Jean-Pierre Lacroix, who supports an expanded tool kit to protect civilians in increasingly complex territory.

From Lebanon to the Democratic Republican of Congo (DRC), from South Sudan to the Western Sahara, some 90,000 so-called Blue Helmets serve under the UN flag, engaged in 12 separate operations.

These missions do not always meet with unanimous approval on the ground, as in Mali, where UN peacekeepers have been forced by the government to leave, or in the DRC where some inhabitants have expressed hostility.

Yet the peacekeepers protect "hundreds of thousands of civilians" daily, Lacroix, the UN under-secretary-general for peace operations, told AFP in an interview.

Sometimes such protection mandates "raise expectations that we cannot meet, because of the capacities that we have, because of the budget that we have, because of the terrain and the logistical constraint," he acknowledged.

"It raises frustrations from those who are not protected," and such resentments are manipulated "by those who would prefer the continuation of chaos."

According to Lacroix, countries where UN peacekeepers operate face "the weaponization of fake news and disinformation."

Would conditions be better there if such missions were absent? "In most cases, it would probably be much worse," he said.

But "it doesn't mean that peacekeeping operations are the magic wand, or the universal response to every kind of crisis."

The 15-member UN Security Council authorizes the Blue Helmets in "supporting political processes" that lead to sustainable peace, Lacroix said.

But today "we have a more divided Security Council," with members that "don't put their weight behind the political processes" associated with UN peacekeeping, he added.

Lacroix hopes a December 5-6 ministerial meeting in Ghana will prompt a recommitment by members toward the global body's peacekeeping missions.

'Peace enforcement'?

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has already urged reconsideration of the future of such operations, particularly where there is no peace to keep.

Blue Helmets can protect civilians when a ceasefire is already in place. "UN peacekeepers do not do peace enforcement," Lacroix said.

They are not counter-terrorist units, or anti-gang forces.

Yet they are deployed in environments that are "becoming more dangerous," he said, where "non-state actors, armed groups, private security companies," crime syndicates and people involved in terrorism have little interest in creating peace.

The idea then of making room for complementary but non-UN missions is gaining ground.

The international community and multilateral system "need a more diverse set of tools" and responses to address widening challenges, Lacroix stressed.

"New forms of peacekeeping operations to better address the drivers of conflict such as the impact of climate change or transnational criminal activities, peace enforcement operations conducted by the AU (African Union) or other regional (or) sub-regional organization, we need all of that," he said.

Could such forces serve as models in Gaza, after the Israel-Hamas war?

The jury is out.

"I think there are millions of scenarios that one can imagine" for a security mission in the ravaged Palestinian territory, Lacroix said. "But it's very hypothetical up to now."

However missions look in the future, their immediate challenge is finding funding, and volunteers.

After a year of equivocation, the Security Council last month finally approved deployment of a multinational force, led by Kenya, to help restore security in crime-plagued Haiti. Nairobi pledged 1,000 police but wants other members to help cover the cost.

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UNITED NATIONS: The presence of United Nations peacekeepers, whose shortcomings can frustrate local populations, is not a "magic wand" for conflict zones, said their leader Jean-Pierre Lacroix, who supports an expanded tool kit to protect civilians in increasingly complex territory. From Lebanon to the Democratic Republican of Congo (DRC), from South Sudan to the Western Sahara, some 90,000 so-called Blue Helmets serve under the UN flag, engaged in 12 separate operations. These missions do not always meet with unanimous approval on the ground, as in Mali, where UN peacekeepers have been forced by the government to leave, or in the DRC where some inhabitants have expressed hostility.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Yet the peacekeepers protect "hundreds of thousands of civilians" daily, Lacroix, the UN under-secretary-general for peace operations, told AFP in an interview. Sometimes such protection mandates "raise expectations that we cannot meet, because of the capacities that we have, because of the budget that we have, because of the terrain and the logistical constraint," he acknowledged. "It raises frustrations from those who are not protected," and such resentments are manipulated "by those who would prefer the continuation of chaos." According to Lacroix, countries where UN peacekeepers operate face "the weaponization of fake news and disinformation." Would conditions be better there if such missions were absent? "In most cases, it would probably be much worse," he said. But "it doesn't mean that peacekeeping operations are the magic wand, or the universal response to every kind of crisis." The 15-member UN Security Council authorizes the Blue Helmets in "supporting political processes" that lead to sustainable peace, Lacroix said. But today "we have a more divided Security Council," with members that "don't put their weight behind the political processes" associated with UN peacekeeping, he added. Lacroix hopes a December 5-6 ministerial meeting in Ghana will prompt a recommitment by members toward the global body's peacekeeping missions. 'Peace enforcement'? UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has already urged reconsideration of the future of such operations, particularly where there is no peace to keep. Blue Helmets can protect civilians when a ceasefire is already in place. "UN peacekeepers do not do peace enforcement," Lacroix said. They are not counter-terrorist units, or anti-gang forces. Yet they are deployed in environments that are "becoming more dangerous," he said, where "non-state actors, armed groups, private security companies," crime syndicates and people involved in terrorism have little interest in creating peace. The idea then of making room for complementary but non-UN missions is gaining ground. The international community and multilateral system "need a more diverse set of tools" and responses to address widening challenges, Lacroix stressed. "New forms of peacekeeping operations to better address the drivers of conflict such as the impact of climate change or transnational criminal activities, peace enforcement operations conducted by the AU (African Union) or other regional (or) sub-regional organization, we need all of that," he said. Could such forces serve as models in Gaza, after the Israel-Hamas war? The jury is out. "I think there are millions of scenarios that one can imagine" for a security mission in the ravaged Palestinian territory, Lacroix said. "But it's very hypothetical up to now." However missions look in the future, their immediate challenge is finding funding, and volunteers. After a year of equivocation, the Security Council last month finally approved deployment of a multinational force, led by Kenya, to help restore security in crime-plagued Haiti. Nairobi pledged 1,000 police but wants other members to help cover the cost. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Mumbai, Nov 20

B ollywood actor Pankaj Tripathi's riveting and deliciously sinister mystery-thriller film 'Kadak Singh' was inaugurated at the opening ceremony of the 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa.

A spree of secrets, lies and mysteries unveil themselves as a retrograde amnesiac Kadak Singh, who is seemingly timid and meek may just be something the exact opposite of that, as what looked like a warm family drama story quickly took a dark turn in the film's trailer.

Boasting suspense, drama, emotional weight, violence and great thrills, the trailer sees Panjak Tripathi as AK Srivastav aka Kadak Singh, a man who finds himself in a hospital with no memory.

Surrounded by what were once familiar and now unknown faces, Kadak Singh suffers from retrograde amnesia and at the surface appears like a very gentle, nice and meek kind of a person.

That may very well be the case for him now, as he can't tell who is his daughter, who is his wife, friend, boss or anyone at all as his mind is in a haze, and memory is surrounded in a fog.

Initially, it sees him bond with a woman who is supposed to be his daughter, played by Sanjana Sanghi.

However, this family drama is soon cut by a nasty bog of dark mysteries behind the man who is not what he seems to be.

Seemingly boasting a dark past, it is gradually revealed that AK Srivastav was a rather nasty person, and was so strict that he earned the name 'Kadak Singh'.

He is revealed to have been a Joint Director at the Department of Financial Crimes, and as of now he can't separate fact from fiction.

But amid the maze of half-baked memories, he is determined to uncover the truth behind him mysteriously landing up in a hospital and behind a significant financial crime, all of this while saving his family from falling apart.

But this is no loving family, but rather a dysfunctional one with a plethora of unforeseen events leading to a rollercoaster of emotions.

There are different perspectives present throughout the trailer, with explosions taking place, heists coming into place, and Kadak Singh's own status is under question.

Talking about the film, Pankaj Tripathi said in a statement, "'Kadak Singh' is unlike anything I have played before. He is an unusual character, and it was such joy portraying such a layered personality. Additionally, I got to work with some incredible talent, including Tony Da, Parvathy, Jaya and the young and enthusiastic ones like Sanjana."

"Everyone's combined energy and passion really transformed the film from the pages to the screen. Also, it was exciting to launch the trailer at IFFI last night and see the audience's reaction to the trailer for the first time ever. We are also screening the film here at IFFI so we are excited for that too," he added.

Actor Parvathy shared: "It's not often that every aspect of a movie-making experience hits a 10/10 mark. 'Kadak Singh' has been that rare phenomenon for me. From getting to create a character guided by Tony da and sharing screen space with none other than Pankaj ji, to witnessing brilliance in Sanjana Sanghi, Paresh Pahuja and Jaya Ahsan and being so perfectly supported by each departmental crew on set and a nurturing production team led by Viraf Sarkari that cheered us on non-stop, it was magical to say the least."

She further mentioned, "I feel in the times we are living in, we are in dire need of master storytellers guiding us to stay in touch with our humanity. Tony da and team created that experience for us in 'Kadak Singh'."

Jaya said: "This film and the character I played as an actress was very new, fresh and indeed an enriching experience for me. The whole team and the ensemble I got to work with specially Pankaj ji was incredible. As a director, Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury was always one on my bucket list, to get to collaborate with him and attempt to make a step in a new industry, a different language was very exciting and also very challenging for me."

Directed by National award-winning director Aniruddha Roy Chowdhary, the film stars Pankaj Tripathi, Parvathy Thiruvothu, Jaya Ahsan, Sanjana Sanghi, Dilip Shankar, Paresh Pahuja and Varun Buddhadev.

The movie is set to premiere on ZEE5 on December 8, 2023.

Pankaj Tripathi-starrer 'Kadak Singh' trailer boasts a web of secrets, lies, mysteries

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Jaipur, Nov 21

P rime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held a road show in Bikaner city of poll-bound Rajasthan.

Amid tight security arrangements, the road show started from Junagadh and ended in Gokul. At least, 250 officers and 1200 policemen were deployed for security.

Union Minister Arjunram Meghwal was also accompanying Modi.

Stages for cultural programs were put up at seven places along the road for the Prime Minister where artists performed Kalbelia dance.

Voting for 200 seats of Rajasthan Assembly will be held in a single phase on November 25 while the results will be declared on December 3.

PM Modi holds roadshow in Rajasthan

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Trump campaign releases note from doctor, says he's in 'excellent' health

Washington, Nov 21

T he campaign of Donald Trump has released a note from the latter's doctor, saying that he is in excellent health and that his cognitive exams were exceptional amid several verbal slips that have brought the former US President's age to the forefront as he is seeking a second term in office.

The note released on Monday is written by Bruce Aronwald, who describes himself as Trumps personal physician since 2021, CNN reported.

Aronwald writes that the former Presidents most recent comprehensive examination was September 13, and that his cardiovascular studies are all normal and cancer screening tests were negative, and that Trump had reduced his weight".

The letter, however, does not include information about the types of tests that Trump took or what the results were.

It also does not include basic information that Trumps physicians have shared in the past, such as his height and weight, cholesterol level or blood pressure.

In 2015, Trump's then-campaign had released a similar letter written by Harold Bornstein, which said that "his physical strength and stamina are extraordinary".

But Bornstein later said that Trump dictated the letter to him.

Monday's letter came a day after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential election, said that incumbent President Joe Biden and Trump were too old to run for the White House for another term.

Speaking to CNN on Sunday, the 45-year-old DeSantis said the presidency is not a job for somebody that is pushing 80.

I just think that thats something that has been shown with Joe Biden. Father Time is undefeated. Donald Trump is not exempt from any of that," the Republican said.

When Biden, who turned 81on Monday, entered the White House in January 2021, he became the country's oldest President at the age of 78.

Meanwhile Trump, who became the first President in American history without prior public office or military background, took office in 2017 when he was 71 years old.

In the 2024 presidential election campaigning, age has become a topic of main focus, with Trump mocking Biden and questioning his mental fitness for office.

But the former President has also had a fair share of gaffes and verbal slips on the trail.

Meanwhile, DeSantis's campaign launching an accident tracker for Trump gaffes last month that highlights apparent verbal slip-ups, such as when the former President appeared to confuse his predecessor Barack Obama with Biden.

Trump campaign releases note from doctor, says he's in 'excellent' health

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Los Angeles, Nov 21

A ctress Gwyneth Paltrow quit acting after her daughter Apple was born because she didn't want to be away for "months on end."

The 'Iron Man' star has opened up about her decision to step away from the movie business almost 20 years ago, admitting the last time she took on a starring role in a film was while she was pregnant with her first child and she chose to walk away from her career for the sake of her family, reports aceshowbiz.com.

The actress told People: "Well, it's kind of ironic because I really stepped away from acting when Apple was born. The last time I was in every scene of a movie was when I was pregnant with her. When I had her, it just, everything felt redefined for me, and I thought, 'I'm not sure that I want to do this so much as a career. I definitely don't want to ... I'm not going to go away for months on end."

Gwyneth is mom to Apple, 19, and son Moses, 17, with her ex-husband Chris Martin as well as being step-mum to her husband Brad Falchuk's two kids, son Brody, 17, and daughter Isabella, 19.

The actress now runs her successful wellness brand Goop and has made a handful of movie appearances over the years, including in several of the Marvel 'The Avengers' films.

Gwyneth's daughter Apple recently started college at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee and the actress recently opened up about their relationship.

She told Bustle, "It's so fun to have a daughter that age, especially because she's into clothes and skin and all that kind of stuff."

Gwyneth Paltrow explains how daughter Apple led to her acting hiatus

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Mumbai, Nov 21

A technical glitch reportedly forced an Air India Mumbai-New York flight to return from Iranian airspace early on Tuesday morning, official sources said.

The flight, AI-119, bound for JFK Airport in New York took off around 2.20 am and returned after a few hours.

The sources said that there were certain 'minor' technical issues in the aircraft and the decision to fly back to Mumbai was taken to conduct precautionary checks in the interest of passengers and crew safety.

The flight landed safely at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), this morning and was sent for the technical checks, while the AI authorities made arrangements to look after all the passengers.

An alternative flight was being arranged to fly out the stranded passengers expeditiously even as they were given hotel accommodation, flight options, cabs, meals, etc., said the sources.

Technical glitch forces Air India Mumbai-NY flight to return from Iran airspace

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Thanksgiving is coming 

When is Thanksgiving?

In the United States, Thanksgiving day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in Novemberin Canada, Thanksgiving day has been celebrated on the second Monday in October since 1957

What is Thanksgiving?

Its an annual national holiday in the United States and Canada that celebrates the blessings of the past yearIts a means of giving thanks for familyfriends healthfood and other positivities

Thanksgiving is coming

I thank my family, the ones I love and the ones who love me, thank for helping me grow in the journey of life; for bringing me joy and blessing my soul 

I thank my friends, the ones I can count on and the ones who can count on me, thank for accepting me for who I amfor supporting me with kindness and compassion

Thanksgiving is coming, 

whom do you want to thank?

Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Periods of rain. High 47F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch..

Tonight

Cloudy with occasional light rain...mainly this evening. Low 39F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
The Beatrice Community Food Pantry has been busy preparing for Thanksgiving.

Panty Co-manager Angy Essam said she feels blessed this year.

Weve had wonderful donations, she said. Its going to make the holidays for a lot of people.

Last week Exmark donated 44 turkeys. On Monday morning they brought cash donations and carts of food to the pantry.

Neapco brought a cart of food and ten turkeys on Monday morning also.

Essam said the pantry had appointments through Wednesday and into Monday.

People who have made requests for turkeys are getting a partially thawed turkey, the pan to cook it, a recipe and the foil, she said. They are also receiving several items to make a full Thanksgiving meal including instant potatoes, cornbread mix and several other items. We do have go boxes available for people who just need some things to get through the weekend.

She noted that people who call can just ask for a Thanksgiving kit and do not need to get a full grocery order.

Essam said their new location and space 205 S. Fourth St., Suite 1B has been a special blessing this year also.

It was so much easier to unload all those donations and my volunteers have space to move. My shelves are beyond full too.

Contact the Beatrice Community Food Pantry at 402-239-5936.

The American Legion will also be hosting a free will donation meal on Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Veterans Club.

The Salvation Army is hosting a meal at 120 S. Seventh St. from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday with a freewill donation, however, no one is turned away. They will also be delivering Thanksgiving meals during the same time frame for people unable to come to the center. For more information or to order a meal for delivery call 402-223-3341.
Cesarean section (C-section) procedures have increased dramatically around the world in the recent decades. Overweight and obesity rates, common risk factors for pregnancy outcomes and for C-sections, are also on the rise -; creating a major health issue in low- and middle-income countries. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign investigates how high obesity levels lead to hospital specializations that affect the frequency of C-sections in Mexico.

Of course, obesity is a medical factor for C-sections; however, when we started this project we did not believe it to be the only explanation for the high rates. Our hypothesis was that hospitals with a higher pool of obese patients become specialized in C-sections, and therefore will be more likely to perform the procedure." Catalina Herrera-Almanza, study co-author, assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, part of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) at Illinois

The study correlates patient data from 226 public hospitals across Mexico from 20082015 with birth records that contain information on birth-type delivery, birth outcomes, and maternal characteristics.

The main analysis focuses on mothers with low-risk pregnancies to eliminate obvious medical reasons for a C-section. Thus, the sample excludes women under 18 and over 35, those carrying multiple children, births under 37 weeks of gestation, and women with more than 20 prenatal visits.

The researchers found that the individual probability of a woman having a C-section is correlated with high levels of the obesity measure at the hospital level, supporting the hypothesis that doctor specialization leads to increased use of the procedure.

C-section rates in Mexico doubled from 23 percent in the 1990s to 46 percent in 2016, which is well beyond the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommended rate of 10-15%. At the same time, at least 72 percent of the adult population in the country is overweight or obese.

"Mexico has one of the highest C-section rates in Latin America, but there are huge differences across different sectors. The private sector uses C-sections very intensively, while it's used a lot less in public hospitals," said co-author Fernanda Marquez-Padilla, Centro de Estudios Economicos, El Colegio de Mexico.

The research team ruled out other factors driving the increases in C-sections, including maternal characteristics such as education and age. To exclude the possibility of women selecting a hospital based on specialization, the study limited the analysis to municipalities with no more than one facility. Moreover, as these are public hospitals where payment doesn't depend on procedure, there are no monetary incentives for doctors.

"The study is conducted within a public healthcare setting that is resource constrained and hence the lessons we learn from this context are likely to be informative for other developing countries. The findings are likely to be useful for countries that are following a similar path in terms of increasing C-section rates and obesity trends," Marquez-Padilla noted.

The hospital data do not include obesity information for individual women, so the researchers constructed a measure that allows them to gauge the overall obesity rate for hospitals. They used patient discharge data to identify obesity-related diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease, to create a hospital-level obesity index.

We built this obesity measure from discharge records using ICD codes, the WHO medical classification of health data. Our paper makes an important methodological contribution as we design a reliable obesity proxy, which can be used by other researchers in different countries, as long as there is hospital discharge data available." Silvia Prina, study co-author, Department of Economics, Northeastern University

Patient outcomes

The researchers also investigated the consequences of the increase in C-sections and what it means for maternal and infant health.

"We divided birth outcomes into delivery-related and delivery-unrelated, as we would only expect to see improvements in outcomes that doctors can affect," Marquez-Padilla said. "We do in fact find positive effects for mother survival, decreases in birth injury and birth trauma, and improvements in Apgar scores, which indicates a baby's health at birth. Furthermore, we show there's basically no effect on birth weight, which is unrelated to delivery type, except for very heavy babies, which correlate with obesity and overweight in the mother."

The study also found better outcomes for vaginal births as C-sections increased. This is likely because the riskiest vaginal births are moved to the C-section group, so the average risk of women delivering vaginally is decreasing, Marquez-Padilla said.

The researchers emphasize that these findings do not indicate C-sections are always preferable.

"C-sections are good when they're necessary, but they shouldn't be used when they're unnecessary. In an ideal world, you will want high-risk women to go to the highly specialized C-section hospitals and low-risk women to deliver at hospitals that specialize in vaginal births," Herrera-Almanza said. "One policy implication is that patients should be identified and sorted in terms of the procedure they need and be directed to the best hospital for that procedure."

Reducing maternal and infant mortality are part of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, and C-sections can help save the lives of mothers and children. However, overuse may lead to negative health consequences and waste of resources. Thus, it is important to understand how to optimize the use of the procedure in developing countries, the researchers concluded.
A Yale-led analysis of the genomes of more than 1 million people has shed light on the underlying biology of cannabis use disorder and its links to psychiatric disorders, abuse of other substances such as tobacco, and possibly even an elevated risk of developing lung cancer.

For the study, researchers examined a genome-wide set of genetic variants in individuals from multiple ancestry groups enrolled in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' Million Veteran Program, one of the world's largest genetic databases, and incorporated additional information from several other genomic databases. They were able to identify dozens of genetic variants linked to cannabis use disorder and a variety of behavioral and health issues associated with cannabis use disorder.

The study, led by Daniel Levey, assistant professor of psychiatry, and Joel Gelernter, the Foundations Fund Professor of Psychiatry and professor of genetics and of neuroscience, was published Nov. 20 in the journal Nature Genetics.

Once we understand the biology of cannabis use disorder, we can better understand associated disorders and inform the public of risks associated with marijuana use." Daniel Levey, assistant professor of psychiatry, lead author of the study

Marijuana is the most commonly used federally illegal drug in the United States, with more than 48 million people (18% of Americans) using it at least once in 2019, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Previous research has shown that roughly one-third of people who use marijuana develop cannabis use disorder, which is defined as a problematic pattern of cannabis use leading to clinically significant impairment or distress.

The new findings offer insights into the genetic factors that underlie this phenomenon, and other potentially related health risks.

For instance, they found that variants of genes that encode for three different types of receptors on neurons were associated with elevated risk for developing cannabis use disorder.

And they found that these variants linked to cannabis use disorder were also associated with the development of lung cancer. The authors added, however, that more work needs to be done to separate the effects tobacco use and other environmental factors have on cancer diagnoses from those of marijuana use.

This is the largest genome-wide study of cannabis use disorder ever conducted and as more states legalize or decriminalize the use of marijuana, such studies can help us to understand the public health risks that accompany its increased use, Gelernter said.
A new study from UCLA Health researchers demonstrates that a novel treatment is effective in most patients with major depressive symptoms even after multiple failed courses of antidepressant medication. The treatment, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), may work even more rapidly than past findings have suggested, starting to alleviate symptoms as quickly as one week.

Researchers from the Neuromodulation Division of UCLA's Semel Institute analyzed the outcomes of hundreds of patients treated at UCLA Health from 2009 to 2022 with rTMS therapy, which uses magnetic fields to effectively "rewire" the brain's circuitry. The new study published this week in Psychiatry Research found that 54% of patients exhibited clinical response (at least a 50% improvement) in mood symptoms when examined using multiple depression rating scales.

We have a unique approach to rTMS treatment at UCLA. In our 'precision TMS' model, patients see a psychiatrist at every treatment and we measure symptoms weekly with multiple rating scales, following a measurement-based care approach." Dr. Michael K. Leuchter, study's lead author, senior psychiatry resident at the Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior

This approach allowed UCLA researchers to assess treatment benefit with greater fidelity and accuracy than previous studies using fewer measurement scales.

"What we're seeing in our analysis of our large data set is that a majority of patients get significantly better," Leuchter said. "What's most exciting to see is that these patients generally start reporting improvement within a week of starting treatment, even though the treatment itself continues for several weeks to build the full benefit."

TMS uses magnetic fields to stimulate brain circuits and can target those involved in mood regulation. Patients generally receive 20-30 minute treatment sessions five days per week for a period of six to eight weeks.

Compared to most antidepressant medications, rTMS is relatively new, having been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2008 for treatment of medication-resistant major depressive disorder.

The effectiveness of rTMS has previously been observed as quite variable, with reported response rates ranging from 30-60%. Researchers at UCLA have been working to understand this variability and improve predictions of which patients are most likely to benefit from the therapy.

Leuchter and his colleagues studied the outcomes of 708 patients treated with TMS for a six-week period at UCLA with four widely used depression rating scales. They found that the depression rating scales that doctors use to assess the effectiveness of the treatment could be a large factor contributing to this variability. Across all four scales studied, researchers discovered that 54% of patients reported a significant response on at least one rating scale. If only one scale was used, up to a third of positive responses to treatment could be missed, according to Leuchter.

"Using multiple scales rather than one allows us to better detect and characterize the effectiveness of rTMS treatment for the many different faces of depression," Leuchter said.

Additionally, early improvements reported within five or 10 treatments were found to be significant predictors of how well a patient will respond throughout the course of treatment. Leuchter said this could help doctors determine whether or when to modify their clinical approach for a patient.
Medicine began as a male profession, and as a result, the advancement of women in this field has been slow until more recent years. Women make up more than half of medical graduates today, whereas minorities comprise 11%. Despite this, studies suggest that up to two-thirds of women face selection bias and workplace discrimination, especially in the surgical specialties.

Study: Demographic representation in 3 leading artificial intelligence text-to-image generators. Image Credit: santypan / Shutterstock.com

Gender and race disparities in medical specialties

In the United States, about 34% of the population is non-White; however, only about 7% of surgeons are considered non-White, with this proportion remaining unchanged or declining from 2005 to 2018. When both gender and sex intersect for purposes of discrimination, it culminates in the mere 10 Black women who are full professors of surgery in the U.S., with not a single department chair being held by a Black woman.

Black female surgeons comprise less than 1% of academic surgical faculty despite making up over 7.5% of the population. Furthermore, Black principal investigators won less than 0.4% of National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants between 1998 and 2017, thus indicating the lack of funding for this group.

What did the study show?

The current study published in JAMA Network Surgery examines the manifestation of these disparities in programming artificial intelligence (AI) text-to-image generators such as DALL E 2, Stable Diffusion, and Midjourney.

The cross-sectional study performed in May 2023 incorporated the findings of seven reviewers who examined 2,400 images generated across eight surgical specialties. All eight were run through each of the three AI generators. Another 1,200 images were created with additional geographic prompts for three countries.

The only prompt given was 'a photo of the face of a [surgical specialty],' modified in the second case by naming Nigeria, the United States, or China.

The demographic characteristics of surgeons and surgical trainees throughout the U.S. were drawn from the subspecialty report of the Association of American Medical Colleges. Each group was listed separately, as greater diversity is observable in surgical trainees than in the older group of surgeons attending to patients.

The researchers examined how accurately the generators reflected societal biases in the form of expecting surgeons or trainees to be White rather than Hispanic, Black, or Asian, as well as male as compared to female.

Study findings

Whites and males were over-represented among attending surgeons, with females making up 15% and non-Whites 23%. Among surgical trainees, about 36% were female, and 37% were non-White.

When the surgeon prompt was used with DALL E 2, the proportions of female and non-White images produced reflected demographic data accurately at 16% and 23%, respectively. In contrast, DALL-E 2 produced images of female surgical trainees in only 16% of cases, 23% of whom were non-White.

When using Midjourney and Stable Diffusion, images of female surgeons were absent or made up less than 2% of the total, respectively. Images of non-White surgeons were almost absent at less than 1% in each case. This reveals a gross under-representation of these two major demographic categories in AI-generated images compared to the actual demographic data.

When geographic prompts were added, the proportion of non-White surgeons increased among the images. However, none of the models increased female representation after specifying China or Nigeria.

What are the implications?

The current study explored whether AI text-to-image generators perpetuate existing societal biases regarding professional stereotypes. The researchers compared actual surgeons and surgical students to the representations produced by the study's three most popular AI generators.

Current societal biases were magnified using two out of three of the most frequently used AI generators. These AI generators showed over 98% of images representing surgeons as White and male. The third model showed accurate images for both race and sex categories for surgeon images but fell short when it came to surgical trainees.

The study suggests the need for guardrails and robust feedback systems to minimize AI text-to-image generators magnifying stereotypes in professions such as surgery.
A new meta-analysis led by Micheal Sandbank, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Health Sciences at the UNC School of Medicine, found that the field of autism needs more high-quality randomized studies of early interventions to help clinicians understand how to better support children diagnosed with the condition.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that autism is becoming more common in young children. In an effort to improve the challenges young autistic children face as part of their early development, researchers have focused on developing and evaluating nonpharmaceutical interventions that can be provided in early childhood.

Micheal Sandbank, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Health Sciences at the UNC School of Medicine, is an expert on the research supporting these early interventions, which informs clinical practice across the United States. A new comprehensive meta-analysis, led by Sandbank, shows that many low-quality studies dominate the field, and ultimately dictate intervention recommendations and patient outcomes.

The results were published in the British Medical Journal.

What our study shows is really that the evidence is poor for a lot of interventions and that we have not done a very good job of monitoring for potential adverse effects or harms. We, as pediatricians or therapists, need to be clearer with families about what that landscape of evidence looks like and then also be clear that these interventions might have negative impacts that we just don't know about." Micheal Sandbank, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Health Sciences, UNC School of Medicine

A fractured landscape

Early intensive behavioral intervention is the "gold standard" for early autism care in the United States. The adult-led, highly structured intervention provides young autistic children with one-on-one support for 20-40 hours per week.

Some clinicians claim it is too intense, and prefer to promote more developmentally-informed interventions, which are often provided at lower intensities and can be easily embedded in the daily family routines. However, not everyone agrees.

"There's really a lot of different interventions that are available to this population, but the researchers studying them don't agree with one another," said Sandbank. "As a result, there's a fractured landscape both of what is offered and how researchers feel about what is the best support for the children and their caregivers."

A change-up in study approaches

Clinicians choose interventions for their patients based on outcomes from the most up-to-date research studies.

Several different types of studies can be used to evaluate the efficacy of a particular intervention. Often, these studies compare a group of participants who have received the intervention to participants who did not receive the intervention. Sometimes, participants are assigned to each group randomly through a randomized controlled trial. Other times, the participants are assigned to each group based on non-random factors through a quasi-experimental study.

In autism research, quasi-experimental studies have given way to randomized-controlled trials. Randomized-controlled trials can offer more accurate findings because random assignment reduces the influence of other factors that may skew the outcomes. However, a plethora of quasi-experimental studies still exist in the field and inform clinical practice.

The research team's meta-analysis, which searched all recent scientific literature and compared study methods and results for different types of interventions, found that the number of studies, including randomized controlled trials, had doubled in just four years.

However, even though randomized controlled trials are increasing, other problematic study methods are prevalent. Sandbank and her colleagues found that even when they considered evidence from randomized controlled trials alone, many of the studies had not adequately controlled for two important risks of bias: placebo-by-proxy and detection bias.

Eliminating biases and improving accuracy

Researchers strive to carefully design studies so that the answers they provide are as accurate as possible. There are cases, though, where aspects of study design threaten the accuracy of results and can make interventions appear more effective than they are.

When scientists measure outcomes through caregiver report, placebo-by-proxy bias may occur. This happens when caregivers subconsciously report better outcomes because they know their child is receiving an intervention that they believe to be effective. Even when scientists directly measure outcomes themselves, they may subconsciously overestimate the effect of the intervention if they are aware of which group each participant is assigned to, a type of bias known as detection bias.

Sandbank and her colleagues found that when they only considered the best evidence that adequately guarded against all of these risks, few of the most popular interventions had support from the best evidence.

"However, this does not mean that these interventions are not effective," said Sandbank. "What we need are more rigorous studies of the types of interventions that are offered to children and families, so that we can really understand both their positive and negative effects."

In the meantime, clinicians struggling to choose the best support for their patients can simply be more transparent about current evidence and remove absolute phrasing when presenting interventions to autistic children and their caregivers. Sandbank finds this to be especially important for supporting caregiver decision-making and their own mental health.

"Just as children can thrive with certain interventions, they can have adverse reactions, too," said Sandbank. "There are families that have very negative experiences, but they are not quick to let go of an intervention approach that is not working for them because they have been told that it is supported by incontrovertible evidence. That can cause a lot of self-doubt and self-blame."
Reesha Ahmed was on cloud nine.

It was January and Ahmed was at an OB-GYN's office near her home in Venus, Texas, for her first prenatal checkup. After an ultrasound, getting anti-nausea medication, and discussing her pregnancy care plan, she said, a nurse made a convenient suggestion: Head to the lab just down the hall for a standard panel of tests.

The lab was inside Texas Health Hospital Mansfield, which opened in December 2020 in a Dallas-Fort Worth suburb. Ahmed, just eight weeks pregnant, said the doctor told her everything about the visit was routine. "Nothing really stood out," Ahmed said. "And, of course, there's just a lot of excitement, and so I really didn't think twice about anything."

Her blood tests checked for multiple sexually transmitted infections, her blood type, and various hormones. Within days, Ahmed began bleeding and her excitement turned to fear. A repeat ultrasound in early February showed no fetus.

"My heart kind of fell apart at that moment because I knew exactly what that meant," she said. She would have a miscarriage.

Then the bills came.

The Patient: Reesha Ahmed, 32, has an Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield policy through her employer.

Medical Services: An analysis of Pap smear results and several blood tests in tandem with Ahmed's initial prenatal visit, including complete blood count, blood type, and testing for STIs such as hepatitis B, syphilis, and HIV.

Service Provider: Ahmed got her tests at Texas Health Mansfield, a tax-exempt hospital jointly operated by Texas Health Resources, a faith-based nonprofit health system, and AdventHealth, another religious nonprofit.

Total Bill: The hospital charged $9,520.02 for the blood tests and pathology services. The insurer negotiated that down to $6,700.50 and then paid $4,310.38, leaving Ahmed with a lab bill of $2,390.12.

What Gives: Ahmed's situation reveals how hospital-based labs often charge high prices for tests. Even when providers are in network, a patient can be on the hook for thousands of dollars for common blood tests that are far cheaper in other settings. Research shows hospitals typically charge much more than physicians' offices or independent commercial labs for the same tests.

The situation was particularly difficult for Ahmed because she had lost the pregnancy.

"To come to terms with it mentally, emotionally, physically  dealing with the ramifications of the miscarriage  and then having to muster up the fighting strength to then start calling your insurance, and the billing department, the provider's office, trying to fight back a bill that you don't feel like you were correctly sent? It's just, it's a lot," she said.

In Texas, the same lab tests were at least six times as expensive in a hospital as in a doctor's office, according to research from the Health Care Cost Institute, a nonprofit that examines health spending.

The markup can be even higher depending on the test. HCCI data, based on 2019 prices, shows the median price for a complete blood count in Texas was $6.34 at an independent lab and $58.22 at a hospital. Texas Health charged Ahmed $206.69 for that test alone.

"It is convenient to get your lab done right in the same building," said Jessica Chang, a senior researcher at HCCI, but "many patients are not thinking about how highly marked up these lab tests are." Chang said she suspects many hospitals tack on their overhead costs when they bill insurance.

Anthem also charged Ahmed for at least four tests that most insurance plans would consider preventive care and therefore covered at no cost to patients under the Affordable Care Act's requirements for covering preventive care, which includes aspects of prenatal care. Her EOBs, or "explanation of benefits" notices, show she paid out-of-pocket for a test identifying her Rh factor  which detects a protein on the surface of red blood cells  as well as for tests for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and syphilis.

Asked to review Ahmed's tests, Anthem spokesperson Emily Snooks wrote in an email to KFF Health News that the claims "were submitted as diagnostic  not preventive  and were paid according to the benefits in the member's health plan."

There "definitely shouldn't be" out-of-pocket costs for those screenings, said Sabrina Corlette, co-director of Georgetown University's Center on Health Insurance Reforms.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends screening pregnant patients for several infectious diseases that pose major risks during pregnancy. Ina Park, a professor of family community medicine at the University of California-San Francisco and an expert on STIs, said the tests Ahmed received didn't raise red flags from a clinical perspective. "It's really more what the actual lab charged based on what the tests actually cost," Park said. "This is a really exorbitant price."

For example, Ahmed paid $71.86 in coinsurance for a hepatitis B test for which the hospital charged $418.55. The hospital charged $295.52 to screen for syphilis; her out-of-pocket cost was $50.74.

"You just wonder, is the insurance company really negotiating with this provider as aggressively as they should to keep the reimbursement to a reasonable amount?" Corlette said.

The Resolution: Ahmed refused to pay the bills and Texas Health sent the debt to collections. When she tried to get answers about the costs, she said she was bounced between the doctor's office and the hospital billing department. Ahmed submitted a complaint to the Texas attorney general's office, which passed it to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. She never heard back.

According to Ahmed, a hospital representative suggested her bloodwork might have been coded incorrectly and agreed the charges "were really unusually high," Ahmed said, but she was told there was nothing the hospital could do to change it. The hospital did not comment on the reason behind the high charge. And in a March 7 email, an AdventHealth employee told Ahmed the doctor's office had "no control" over the hospital's billing.

Ahmed filed an appeal with Anthem, but it was denied. The insurance company stated the claims were processed correctly under her benefits, which cover 80% of what the insurer agrees to pay for in-network lab services after she meets her deductible. Ahmed has a $1,400 deductible and a $4,600 out-of-pocket maximum for in-network providers.

"We depend on health care providers to submit accurate billing information regarding what medical care was needed and delivered," Snooks said. Asked about reimbursements to the Texas Health lab, she added, "The claim was reimbursed based on the laboratory's contract with the health plan."

After a KFF Health News reporter contacted Texas Health on Oct. 9, the hospital called Ahmed on Oct. 10 and said it would zero out her bills and remove the charges from collections. Ahmed was relieved, "like a giant burden's just been lifted off my shoulders."

"Its just been fighting this for 10 months now, and it's finally gone," she said.

Texas Health Resources and AdventHealth declined to respond to detailed questions about Ahmed's charges and the tests she was directed to obtain.

"We are sorry Ms. Ahmed did not get clarity on her care with us. Our top priority is to provide our patients with safe, effective and medically appropriate care," Laura Shea, a spokesperson for the hospital, said in an emailed statement.

The Takeaway: Ahmed's problem demonstrates the pitfalls of using a hospital lab for routine testing.

For standard bloodwork "it's really hard to argue that there's a quality difference" between independent labs and hospitals that would warrant higher prices, Chang said. That holds true for other services, too, like imaging. "There's nothing special about the machines that hospitals use for a CT or MRI scan. It's the same machine."

Broadly, state and federal lawmakers are paying attention to this issue. Congress is considering legislation that would equalize payments for certain services regardless of whether they are provided in a hospital outpatient department or a doctor's office, although not lab services. Hospitals have tried to fend off such a policy, known as "site-neutral payments."

For example, the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act would require the same prices under Medicare for physician-administered drugs regardless of whether they're given in a doctor's office or an off-campus hospital outpatient department. That bill also would require labs to make public the prices they charge Medicare for tests. Another bill, the Bipartisan Primary Care and Health Workforce Act, would ban hospitals from charging commercial health plans some facility fees  which they use to cover operating or administrative expenses.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, Colorado, Connecticut, Ohio, New York, and Texas have limited providers' ability to charge privately insured patients facility fees for certain services. Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, and New York require health facilities to disclose facility fees to patients before providing care; Florida instituted similar requirements for free-standing emergency departments.

Patients should keep copies of itemized bills and insurance statements. While not the only evidence, those documents can help patients avoid out-of-pocket costs for recommended preventive screenings.

For now, patients can proactively avoid such extreme bills: When your doctor says you need blood tests, ask that the requisition be sent to a commercial lab like Labcorp or Quest Diagnostics that is in your network and have the tests done there. If they can't do it electronically, ask for a paper requisition.

"Don't always just go to the lab that your doctor recommends to you," Corlette said.

Stephanie O'Neill reported the audio story.
More than 1,100 experts have joined the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in boycotting the medical journal Nutrients until it stops publishing egregious animal experiments that could have been ethically conducted in humans.

The boycott, which also applies to Nutrients' publisher, MDPI, comes after repeated requests to the journal's editors asking them to institute sound editorial practices.

A letter sent to those editors today, Nov. 20, 2023, says "As a community of scientists and health care professionals, we have lost confidence in Nutrients and MDPI. We will not publish in Nutrients or other MDPI journals nor serve as reviewers until Nutrients implements a policy of publishing only studies using human participants or human data for nutrition research."

Last year, more than 800 medical professionals and scientists contacted Nutrients saying they'd lost confidence in the journal because its animal experiments violate its own ethical guidelines, which require the "replacement of animals by alternatives wherever possible."

A review by the Physicians Committee showed the rule is routinely ignored.

As an example, this recent Nutrients study used 50 preterm piglets to research necrotizing enterocolitis in infants. Pigs were fed different infant formulas and human milk with and without an added probiotic and had their gut microbiota analyzed. All of them were killed at the end of the experiment.

Numerous clinical trials in humans have already shown that probiotic supplements can significantly decrease this condition in infants, said Janine McCarthy, MPH, science policy program manager for the Physicians Committee. "Therefore, the experiment clearly violated the 3Rs principle of replacement, as well as Nutrients' own ethical guidelines."

Dr. Elizabeth Dean, a professor emeritus in the department of physical therapy at the University of British Columbia, Canada, and former reviewer for Nutrients, signed the boycott letter.

When I became aware of the extensive animal use, especially where the objectives could have been achieved using human-based approaches, I decided to investigate further because I couldn't compromise my own ethics." Dr. Elizabeth Dean, professor emeritus, department of physical therapy, University of British Columbia

Ultimately, Dean told Nutrients editors the research they publish is "sadistic, cruel, and unnecessary, and that there are superior means to conducting research, not just alternatives to using animals." With this, she resigned. "I expressed my regrets to the editor-in-chief," she said.

Nutrients charges authors some $3,200 to get published, which means it makes more than $16 million annually in authors' fees. In 2018, the journals' senior leadership quit, citing a lack of commitment to scientific integrity.

Richard Schmidt, MD, an obstetrician and gynecologist who specializes in fertility problems in Mountainview, Calif., is among those who are boycotting the journal.

"When it comes to the system Nutrients uses for increasing the flow of articles without discrimination for the types of studies it's publishing, there is a clear lack of adherence to the journal's own guidelines. This is morally wrong," Dr. Schmidt said. "I absolutely think it's setting a scary precedent for a business model that has real potential to corrupt the whole research arena."
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued a show-cause notice to Byjus, alleging Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) violations amounting to Rs 9,000 crore, sources told CNBC-TV18.

The notice extends to Byju Raveendran, founder of Byjus, and Think and Learn Pvt Ltd. The EDs action follows an investigation into potential FEMA contraventions by the prominent edtech company.

Meanwhile, Byjus has denied this. The company has said in a statement, BYJUS unequivocally denies media reports that insinuate it has received a notice from the Enforcement Department. The company has not received any such communication from the Enforcement Department.
Stocks To Watch On November 21: GIFT Nifty on the NSE IX traded 4 points, or 0.02 per cent, lower at 19,803, signaling that Dalal Street was headed for muted start on Tuesday. Heres a slew of stocks that will be in focus today for various reasons.

State Bank of India: The government on Monday appointed Vinay M. Tonse as the Managing Director of the lender until November 30, 2025.

The MD post in SBI is prestigious because of the sheer size and scale of the nations largest lender. Each of its MDs handles business and operations that dwarf most banks in India.

SpiceJet: The Delhi High Court has asked the airline operators Chairman and Managing Director Ajay Singh to be present before it on January 10 to ascertain how he will make payments as per the arbitration award that former promoter Kalanithi Maran and his KAL Airways won in 2018.

Coal India: The companys stock will trade ex-date on Tuesday for the interim dividend of Rs 15.25 a share announced earlier this month.

Bharti Airtel: The company is exploring a fundraising of $1 billion, including from offshore bonds, to pre-pay a bulk of its dues related to spectrum bought in 2015, reported The Economic Times.

ABB India: ABB and Titagarh Rail Systems have formed a partnership to supply propulsion systems for metro rolling stock projects in India. Under the agreement, Titagarh will purchase ABB propulsion systems including traction converters, auxiliary converters, traction motors, and TCMS software.

IRCTC: The Railway Ministry has permitted IRCTC to go for long-term tenders of 7 years (5+2 years) for catering on trains, subject to satisfactory performance on completion of the initial 5-year term and through clustering of trains.

Concor and IGL: The company has partnered with Indraprastha Gas to set up LNG/LCNG infrastructure within its terminals. Initially, the facilities will be installed at the Dadri (Gautam Budh Nagar) terminal of Concor.

Adani Enterprises: Its subsidiary Mumbai Travel Retail has incorporated MTRPL Macau for bidding on the tender of duty-free liquor and tobacco shops at Macau International Airport.

Tata Power: Tata Power Renewable Energy said it has crossed the milestone of 1.4 GW of group captive projects in its portfolio in the past seven months. With the addition of these, its overall renewables capacity hit 7,961 MW as of October.

Tech Mahindra: Tech Mahindra Americas has signed a collaboration deal with Neom Tech to provide digital services. It will incorporate a new subsidiary to provide product and platform development services to Neom group companies.

Vascon Engineer: The company has bagged a letter of intent for a project worth Rs 356.78 crore from Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation.

ICICI Lombard General Insurance: The company appointed Sanjeev Mantri as the MD and CEO for a period of five years effective Dec 1, 2023.
A Montana man who had been living with a teenager who disappeared from her home in Arizona four years ago pleaded not guilty Monday to child sexual abuse charges lodged against him based on images that authorities said they found on his cellphone.

Since his Oct. 23 arrest, Edmund Davis, 36, has been held on $1 million bail on two felony counts of the sexual abuse of children. His public defender, Casey Moore, said he would file a motion for a bail reduction hearing after speaking with Davis' father and the prosecutor, Assistant Attorney General Dan Guzynski.

No further hearings were immediately scheduled.

Authorities have not said whether Davis is considered a suspect in the disappearance of Alicia Navarro in September 2019. Navarro left a note behind when she vanished from her home days before her 15th birthday, sparking a massive search that included the FBI. She was almost 19 when she walked into the Havre, Montana, police station in July and said she wanted to be removed from the missing persons list.

In investigating the circumstances that led Navarro to be in Havre  nearly 1,400 miles (2,253 kilometers) from her childhood home in Glendale, Arizona  law enforcement officers in Arizona obtained warrants that they said led to the discovery of the images of child sexual abuse on Davis' cellphone, court records said. Some of the images involved infants and toddlers and some were computer generated, according to court records.

Davis is charged with possessing images of a child or children under the age of 12 engaged in actual or simulated sexual conduct, which carries a mandatory sentence of 25 to 100 years in prison. He is also charged with possessing images of the sexual abuse of children under the age of 16, which carries a sentence of four to 100 years in prison.

Over the years, Navarro's mother, Jessica Nunez, said that her daughter, who was diagnosed with autism, may have been lured away by someone she met online. When she disappeared in 2019, Navarro took only her laptop and cellphone.

Neighbors said Davis had been living with Navarro for at least a year. In July, after her reappearance had been made public, an Associated Press reporter spoke with a young woman at the Havre apartment who looked and sounded like Navarro, but she didn't give her name and said she wanted to be left alone.

The couple moved out of the apartment days after the news media reported their location, neighbors told the AP.

Trent Steele, a private investigator who assisted Nunez in the search for Navarro through the Miami-based nonprofit Anti-Predator Project, said last month that Navarro was "in a safe place," without disclosing the particulars.

___

Associated Press writer Matthew Brown in Billings, Montana, contributed to this report.
The Andhra Pradesh Directorate of Government Examinations has yet again modified the due dates for regular Secondary School Certificate (SSC) students to submit their exam fees. The AP board exam 2024 class 10 fees must be paid by November 30 in order to be considered for the annual exam, which is set for MarchApril 2024. The AP Board has directed that payments be made solely through the school login portal at bse.ap.gov.in, using the user ID and password.

In addition to the examination fee, fees for vocational candidates and migration certificates must be paid online through the website in accordance with the dates given by the board. The board has also specified that fees for applicants who are minors must be paid only via CFMS Challan.

The Andhra Pradesh board has repeatedly postponed the fee payment deadline. However, it was stated that there would be no more revisions to the deadline.

Examination fee exemption is granted to students from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Backward Classes who are regular candidates for the Andhra Pradesh SSC board exam in 2024. Similarly, those applicants whose family income does not exceed Rs 20,000 in urban regions or Rs 24,000 in rural regions, or who own land not exceeding 5 acres of dry land or 2.5 acres of wetland are also entitled to a waiver of the exam fee.

AP SSC 2024: important dates for fee payment

Event Date Last date to pay SSC exam fee November 30 Submission of NR with documents November 30 With a late fee of Rs 50 December 1 to 4 With a late fee of Rs 200 December 5 to 9 With a late fee of Rs 500 December 10 to 14

AP SSC 2024: fee structure

Subjects Fee Regular candidates for all subjects Rs 125 More than 3 subjects Rs 125 Up to 3 subjects Rs 110 vocational candidates Rs 60 under-aged candidates Rs 300 Fee for migration certificate (if required) Rs 80

Regular candidates began registering for the Andhra Pradesh SSC exams on October 28. Students currently enrolled in Class 10 at government schools, zilla parishad schools, municipal schools, AP residential schools, APBCW residential schools, APSW residential schools, APTW residential schools, KGBV high schools, AP model schools, Government Tribal Welfare ASHRAM Schools (GTWAHS), and recognised private aided and unaided schools fall under the regular student category.
In the outgoing year, the English language proficiency tests industry has seen massive changes. The traditional tests have changed their formats, while newer ones have cropped up too.

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), for instance, has reduced the duration of its exam. The market leader, International English Language Testing System (IELTS), has allowed candidates to re-take just one segment of an otherwise four-segment exam, if not satisfied with their scores.

ALSO READ | Want To Study Abroad? Know All About TOEFL And Its Importance

While the test-organising firms call these changes driven by the market or another timely move to stay relevant, experts hint at a disruption in the English proficiency test-taking market.

Sachin Jain, Country Manager (India and SA) at ETS, the company that conducts one of the oldest English language efficiency tests, TOEFL, told News18 that the changes in the English language efficiency systems have accelerated in recent years. He claims newer tests are emerging in response to the growing aspirations of migrants and students from across the world who wish to work, settle or study abroad.

PTE DISRUPTED MARKET?

After the lifting of the ban, the pent-up demand to move abroad has led to a sudden rise in test-takers for almost all English language proficiency tests, however, the Pearson Test of English (PTE) has seen an unprecedented rise of 90% in 2022. According to the companys financial report, India has played a major role in this global growth.

Pearson credits its tech-driven features as one of the key reasons behind the growth. Sasha Hampson, Vice-President of PTE Global Stakeholder Relations at Pearson, said: PTE has disrupted the market.

She claims that the AI-driven test allows candidates flexibility, and ease of taking tests when they want and swiftness of getting results as soon as two days, and sooner in some cases.

Ironically, these tech-driven features were not seen as serious competition when the test was launched first in 2009. Hampson claims that the rise was steady and institutions learned a lot about flexibility of online testing.

PTE Academic is one of the four exams that were accepted by the Canadian government for its Student Direct Stream (SDS) applicants in August this year.

TRADITIONAL TESTS STILL FIRST CHOICE

While tech-enabled exams are offering easy access, many students still go for traditional tests as their first choice, according to Rohit Sethi, director at ESS Global, a prominent consultancy firm for student visas and permanent residency pathways.

Students are happy with the available options, but having more options does not necessarily lead to more inclination. The choice of test for students and migrants is a backward integration. Tests that are more acceptable by most governments and universities tend to be a preferred choice, said Sethi.

ALSO READ | Opinion | Rising Tide: Exploring the Surge in Indian Students Pursuing International Higher Education

Acceptance of an English language test is based on international policies. For instance, the UK prefers IELTS, while Australia accepts both IELTS and PTE. A student decides on a language test based on the country of choice. Many want to keep their options open, so they take a more accepted test rather than a test marketed as easy or convenient. The decision also differs based on visa type, explained Sethi.

Visa experts told News18 that in case of rejections, students who had earlier opted for a new-age test are advised to go back to traditional ones to increase acceptance rates.

Piyush Kumar, Regional Director (South Asia and Mauritius) at IDP Education, the firm responsible for conducting IELTS in India, also believes that recognition of an exam is still the key factor. We have made some changes to the exam, but that is because IELTS, as a product, needs to keep innovating to make tests more rigorous and look at customer convenience.

TESTS RELY ON GOVT, UNIVERSITIES POLICY DECISIONS

He suggested that newer tests, which are often marketed based on new features or as an easier test, might get some test-takers based on marketing buzz, however, the final acceptance comes based on visa acceptance rates.

Innovation is needed to make life easy, but without compromising on integrity. Online testing practices still need to build credibility and recognition among universities and governments, said Kumar.

ALSO READ | Number of Students Taking TOEFL Increased by 59% Post-Covid Pandemic

While IELTS online is not accepted for immigration purposes, IELTS, with its exam centre-based pen and paper as well as digital options, still claims to hold 70% market share in India.

TOEFLs Sachin Jain claims there have been several instances of newer tests coming to change the market, however, each test has its own destiny, which he claims depends on ethics, integrity, and confidence of what a test delivers for the test-taker and for the institution that accepts that test. If the test or test scores do not demonstrate the same behaviour in physical testing, policy decisions will rule out the test as a reaction, he said.
The application correction window for the IIT Joint Admission Test (JAM) for Masters 2024 will open on November 24. The window was expected to open on November 20 but it has now been postponed. This facility enables the applicants to modify their details simply by visiting the official website at jam.iitm.ac.in once the link is activated.

JAM 2024 will be conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology, IIT Madras in over 100 cities across India on February 11. The examination will be conducted in two sessions  the forenoon session and the afternoon session. The forenoon session will be held for three subjects including Chemistry (CY), Geology (GG), and Mathematics (MA). The afternoon session will hold the Biotechnology (BT), Economics (EN), Mathematical Statistics (MS), and Physics (PH) examinations.

How to modify the JAM 2024 application details?

If you are looking to make changes to your JAM 2024 application then make sure that you follow the steps mentioned below 

Step 1. Firstly, you will have to visit the official website of IIT JAM 2024

Step 2. Then you must click on the highlighted link tab that has been provided on the homepage.

Step 3. Enter your login credentials as required.

Step 4. Now, a correction window tab should be visible. Click on that.

Step 5. Make the changes/updates that you need to in the application form.

Step 6. Ensure that you cross-check everything after filling in the details.

Step 7. Click on the submit tab on the page.

Step 8. Download the application and take a printout for future reference.

JAM 2024 will be conducted in a computer-based test (CBT) format on a total of seven papers at the undergraduate level. The question papers will have three objective-type question sections. They include multiple choice questions (MCQ), Multiple Select Questions (MSQ), and Numerical Answer Type (NAT) questions.

The JAM 2024 admit card will be released on January 8, 2024. Applicants will have to cross-check their details and then download it. It is advised to get it printed to maintain a hard copy of the document. This prevents any last-minute mis-happenings.

JAM scores play an essential role in securing admission to a plethora of courses including MSc, MSc Tech, MSc-MTech dual degree, Joint MSc  PhD, MSc  PhD dual degree, and MS Research across several institutes in the country.
A daughter from Karauli, Rajasthan has secured the fifth rank in the RAS (Rajasthan Administrative Service) examination across the state. Bharti Guptas remarkable achievement has filled her family with immense pride and joy.

Its been reported that Bharti Gupta nurtured the dream of clearing the RAS examination since her childhood. In pursuit of this aspiration, she successfully cleared the RAS examination in 2021. Her determination for this goal was so intense that she quit five government jobs to prepare for this prestigious state-level examination. This success came to her on the second attempt.

Bharti Gupta, despite qualifying for numerous competitive exams, not joined not just one but five government jobs since 2016 to fulfil her childhood ambition of clearing the RAS. More reports highlight that Bharti was able to crack the RAS examination while serving as an Assistant Commercial Tax Officer (ACTO) at the Commercial Taxes Department in Bharatpur.

Bharti Gupta articulated that her primary objective was to join the administrative services and become an RAS officer. Thus, despite holding a job, she devoted 8 to 10 hours daily to self-study. She even utilized her holidays to focus solely on her studies. Through this unwavering dedication, Bharti clinched the fifth rank in the state. She hails from Tehsil Todabhim in the Karauli district. After completing her primary education in Todabhim, Bharti earned her B.Tech degree from Purnima Engineering College in Jaipur, reportedly excelling and emerging as the college topper.

Her father, Bijendra Gupta, is a retired government teacher, while her mother is a homemaker. Bharti also has a brother and two sisters, all employed in government services.

According to reports, Bharti attributed her success to her parents and siblings. Her elder sister, Arpita Gupta, an Assistant Audit Officer in Mumbai, provided the most significant support and motivation throughout Bhartis journey.
A lot is at stake for Telangana Congresss firebrand president and potential Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, who has been relentlessly and ruthlessly campaigning across the state. He is challenging Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Chief K Chandrasekhar Rao head-on in Kamareddy, besides running as an MLA from Kodangal, where he lost last time.

From the accusation of being a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) agent" to even a scamster", Reddy says he is unbothered by the name-calling and is uber confident of sweeping the Congress to power.

But can the Telangana Congress, which is often ridden with internal factions, put up a united fight under him?

CNN-News18 sat down for an exclusive conservation with the leader during his campaign trail

Edited excerpts:

How confident are you of the Congresss win in Telangana?

I have been in the opposition for 20 years. Being in the public life for that long, one can predict the mood of the people. We have been receiving overwhelming support since Rahul Gandhis Bharat Jodo Yatra. All surveys and media speculation are hinting that the Congress will definitely form the government in Telangana.

How realistic and feasible is your populist manifesto?

People have always cast their doubts even as we were the ones who nationalised banks, gave free homes to the marginalised and so on. We are not hearing this for the first time, but let me make it clear, our goal is to ensure equitable distribution of wealth. PM Narendra Modi is giving the entire countrys wealth to businessmen. In Telangana, there are many such chhote businessmen. CM K Chandrashekhar Raos (KCR) family and his friends have looted the people for 9.5 years. The moment we stop that, you will see revenue coming in from all sides and the poor getting the benefits.

KCR says your guarantees have failed in Karnataka and a similar thing will happen in Telangana if the Congress is voted to power

All the guarantees in Karnataka are being rolled out in a phased manner. Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar even challenged KCR and his son KT Rama Rao (KTR) to visit their state to see how guarantees are reaching the masses. Why has KTR refused to go? They are spreading false narratives, but its not going to work.

You are labelled as an RSS and TDP agent?

Let them say whatever they want. As they have nothing else to show, they are indulging in petty name-calling. AIMIMs Asaduddin Owaisi, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and BRS are one and the same. Their gatbandhan has become Fevicol bandhan. None of them give speeches without taking my name. I enjoy that.

In our last interview, you had told me that you would volunteer to initiate Owaisis entry into the oppositions Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) if he wants to join?

If Owaisi is really secular and wants to join the INDIA, let them actually walk the talk about defeating Narendra Modi. Right now, he is with Modi. I dont know how long is he going to work for Modis victory. I believe people dont remain the same throughout. From 1994 to 2004, he was with Chandrababu Naidu; from 2004 to 2014, he was with the Congress and since 2014, he has been with KCRs BRS and BJP. I dont know what he is going to do next, but I hope there is a change in his thought process in the interest of the country.

The future of Prajala Telangana belongs to its Youth.1We shall fill 2 Lakh Vacant Government Jobs. SC, ST, OBC and Minority backlog vacancies shall be filled within a year of coming to power. 2First Cabinet Meeting of the new Congress Govt shall announce a mega DSC to fill pic.twitter.com/t0fdYjgRA3  Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) November 17, 2023

Are you going to keep your doors open for him?

Thats not for me to decide. If the All India Congress Committee (AICC) asks me to negotiate with the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) or any other leader, then I am ready.

Who is the Chief Ministerial face of the party? You must have CM ambitions

Every Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) wants to be the CM. Of the 85 CM candidates in our party, I am at the 85th number. Of the total 119 seats, the magic number to form the government is 60, but to get a comfortable lead, we need to win 80+ seats. The Congress follows a due process to select the Chief Minister, whoever fits all the criteria listed out by the high command, that person becomes the CM. Revanth Reddy is not an exemption. As the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) head, my role is to ensure the partys win. I have to carry everyone equally like the head of the family. Its good to have as many CM candidates as possible.

Why are you saying that the government will be sworn-in on December 9?

On December 9, 2009, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government declared the formation of Telangana. December 9 is also Sonia Gandhis birthday, the one who made Telangana happen against all odds, thats why we want to commemorate this date. I have a lot of sentimental value attached to December 9, its an auspicious date. We will come to power and get the six guarantees approved by the cabinet.

Then & Now Housing for the poor under INC administration 2004-2014. 23 Lakh Houses (Indiramma Indlu). Under BRS rule 2014  2023. < 1 Lakh Houses  Vote For Hand Polling Date: November 30, 2023.#MaarpuKavaliCongressRavali#ByeByeKCR pic.twitter.com/ihzQFNCZGu  Telangana Congress (@INCTelangana) November 21, 2023

Did you want to distance yourself from politics when you lost Kodangal last time?

Yes, KCR tried every trick in the book to defeat me in an illegal manner. They kidnapped me and slapped a fake case on me. As he couldnt defeat me in the eyes of the public, he resorted to such despotic means and misused the police to target me. The Congress high command wanted me to run from Malkajgiri as an MP, I won with peoples mandate. This time, too, the high command wanted me to take on KCR in Kamareddy. Their wish is my command. I am not a netas neta, I am a karyakartas neta. Whatever the karyakarta wants me to do, I will do. My mindset is not a leaders mindset, it is that of a party worker. I will obey my partys decision.

KCR says the Congress is a broken house with at least 10-12 CM aspirants.

Let me reiterate, we have 85 potential CM faces, unlike the BRS, where there is only one family rule policy, all ready to backstab each other. In Congress, a leader like Mallikarjun Kharge, who started as block president, is now the AICC president. Our party runs on democracy, the BRS runs as family propriety party.

ALSO READ | Congress Will Fulfill Six Guarantees in Telangana, Says Mallikarjun Kharge

Do you nurse a personal grudge against KCR?

On December 3, KCR will lose badly, even in Kamareddy KCR will go to jail for data theftWe dont get tickets from the Congress on the virtue of personal grudge. We dont have the goal of settling an individual score with anyone, I dont think on those lines.

What is your vision for Telangana?

I have a masterplan for 2050  welfare and development. I am going to do miracles in Telangana. We will compete with the world, not with cities like Bengaluru, Mumbai or Delhi. We have that vision document. We will also focus on connectivity from outer ring road to regional ring road to suburban Telangana. We will take the state to new heights.

If the Congress comes to power, what will be your plan with the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project?

We will lodge a high-level inquiry into the corruption.

Let me reiterate, we have 85 potential CM faces, unlike the BRS, where there is only one family rule policy, all ready to backstab each other. KCR will lose badly, even in Kamareddy KCR will go to jail for data theftThe BJP may win four-five seats at best. They are trying very hard to make KCR win and cut into the oppositions voteI am going to do miracles in Telangana. We will compete with the world, not with cities like Bengaluru, Mumbai or Delhi. We have that vision documentYou gave a chance to KCR twice, now vote for change. People have had enough of Dorala palana, its time for prajapalana (Feudal government vs public government)

KCR says you will give only three hours of power and scrap Dharani to benefit your allies?

The BRS governments expiry date is nearing, which is why KCR is acting out of frustration. People are no longer paying heed to his false narratives. Free power is our patent right, we are a surplus state, and will provide 24 hours of free power for agriculture.

Regarding Dharani, we will replace it with Bhoomi portal. KCR has been tampering with land records through Dharani and selling private data of the people to tax haven countries such as Singapore, Philippines and Luxembourg. There is no grievance platform on Dharani, the common man has to shell out money from his own pockets to solve their problems. It is an endless cycle if your query gets rejected by the platform.

There are several problems. KCR and those involved in Dharani will go to jail on charges of data theft.

If the BJP manages to win 10-15 seats in Telangana, would that put you in threat?

Last time, they lost deposits in 105 seats, this time they may win four-five seats at best. They are a spoilsport, trying very hard to make KCR win and cut into the oppositions vote. They are trying to form an alliance post election for parliament. They did the same thing in Karnataka with the Janata Dal (S). Both BRS and AIMIM tried supporting them to create hung assembly, but that didnt happen because voters are smart.

Are you completely ruling out the possibility of a hung assembly?

In the 40-year history of United AP and now Telangana, we have never had a hung assembly. There is no chance, it is going to be Congress all the way.

ALSO READ | Will Raise OBC Quota to 42% from 23% in Panchayati Raj, Telangana to Witness Cong Toofan: Rahul Gandhi

The BJP has promised to make a Backward Class (BC) leader the CM?

This is the joke of this century. They have not made a BC CM, including in Gujarat. They are trying to fool the Other Backward Classes (OBC) by making a false promise, just like their forgotten promise of transferring Rs 15 lakh into the bank accounts of farmers. They have no relevance here.

Your message to the voters?

You gave a chance to KCR twice, now vote for change. People have had enough of Dorala palana, its time for prajapalana (Feudal government vs public government).
Speaking about Mafia rule in Rajasthan, UP CM Yogi Adityanath said: In Rajasthan in last 5 years, it is painful how Kanhaiya Lal Sahu was murdered and the government remained silent There are mining, forest, animal and criminal mafias in Rajasthan. When I speak about mafia, I remember the old Uttar Pradesh.

#WATCH | Chittorgarh, Rajasthan: UP CM Yogi Adityanath says, In Rajasthan in last 5 years, it is painful how Kanhaiya Lal Sahu was murdered and the government remained silent There are mining, forest, animal and criminal mafias in Rajasthan. When I speak about mafia, I pic.twitter.com/go5eMP6AtG  ANI (@ANI) November 21, 2023

There were mafias as huge as the python snake. And we brought a new amendment in UP, it was the bulldozer You can see how the bulldozer works in UP mowing down the Mafia. How their property is seized and houses for the poor are made We did this in Uttar Pradesh Only the double-engine government can finish the mafia Mafia is the biggest barrier to development The double-engine government will stop this mafia anyhow: he added.
The BJP on Tuesday accused the Congress of putting out advertisements in the form a news or opinion piece about a wave in its support in the Rajasthan assembly polls and demanded action from the Election Commission against the states ruling party.

A BJP delegation, which included Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya and former minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, moved the EC with complaints against the Congress as they also charged the party with resorting to corrupt practices by asking people to give missed calls on a mobile number to get benefits of its guarantees if it retains the power in the state.

A registered number was generated for the caller, creating an impression that only the caller would benefit by voting for a particular candidate or party, specifically the Congress party, the party delegation, which also included its IT department head Amit Malviya and another leader Om Pathak, said.

The Congress inserted this advertisement and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also posted on X about it, their complaint said.

Mandaviya told reporters that this creates a narrative that only those who register themselves will get the benefits and others will not, and added it aims to mislead voters.

Prasad highlighted the BJPs another complaint which noted that the Congress issued Hindi advertisements in a couple of leading dailies about its lahar (wave).

The manner in which it was put out made it a deliberate attempt to make an impression in the minds of voters that it is a news/opinion published after a survey.

It is a violation of the Model Code of Conduct and also the Press Council of Indias guidelines on advertisement, he told reporters.

The said advertisement is false, frivolous and wholly unverified, contrary to the actual facts and statistics available on record, the BJPs memorandum to the EC said and demanded stringent action, including FIR, against the Congress. It also sought action against the newspapers concerned.

The EC should direct the Congress to issue a public apology and put out in the same space a clarification to the effect that there is no wave in the partys support, it said.

We also requested the EC to issue guidelines to ensure that such an incident is not repeated in future polls, Prasad said.

Hitting out at the Congress for its missed call advertisement, the BJPs memorandum said, That giving a missed call and in return the caller is assigned with a registration number, which amounts to like distributing of coupons to the voters, that is an extreme corrupt practice. The Congress has violated the provisions of the Indian Penal Code and electoral laws besides the Model Code of Conduct, the BJP said.

Seeking an FIR, the BJP urged the EC to immediately stop Ashok Gehlot and his party from publishing or disseminating misleading advertisements. The commission should issue an advisory to voters about such malpractice and exhort them to not fall prey to it, the party said.
The Congress party has released a manifesto for the upcoming high-octane Rajasthan polls scheduled to happen later this week. The manifesto was released by Congress chief Kharge alongside Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and other top Congress leaders.

One of the most important highlights in the manifesto is the Rajasthan governments pledge to undertake a caste survey if it returns to power. The party has listed this under the immediate priorities section.

#WATCH | Rajasthan Elections | After the launching of the election manifesto, Congress leader Sachin Pilot says, "This is a really good manifesto. All categories have been taken care of. People trust the announcements by Congress. The credibility of BJP's announcements has pic.twitter.com/kPyauDsB6p ANI (@ANI) November 21, 2023

In the manifesto, the party said that it is going to do a survey to accurately determine population and allocate benefits for informed decisions on affirmative action.

Among other priorities, are farmers welfare, women safety measures, women empowerment, agricultural advancements, employment, urban development, education, medical & health, labor and small business and urban employment.

Here are Congresss 7 Guarantees for Rajasthan:

-GRIHA LAKSHMI  Rs 10,000 Per Annum for Women Heads of Households This initiative guarantees a sum of Rs 10,000 to the women head of the family annually, aiming to provide recognition and financial stability to homemakers.

-GAUDHAN  Government Purchase of Cow dung at Rs 2 per kg Cow dung will be purchased from cow herders at Rs 2/kg. This initiative aims to bring prosperity to the cattle herders and enhance agricultural progress by increasing land fertility through the production of fertilizer.

-FREE LAPTOP/TABLET  Shaping the Future of each and every Student Under this initiative, first-year students of government colleges will be provided with a free laptop/tablet upon admission. This will modernize education and communication, and enhance students confidence.

-CHIRANJEEVI CALAMITY RELIEF INSURANCE  Rs 15 Lakh Insurance Chiranjeevi Calamity Relief Insurance offers free insurance coverage of up to Rs 15 lakh to every family affected by natural disasters such as floods, storms, and famines. This insurance provides a security cover in case of such calamities.

-ENGLISH MEDIUM EDUCATION  Every Boy & Girl Every boy and girl will have the guaranteed opportunity of receiving free English medium education. This will enable children to connect with the country and the world, increase their opportunities, and reduce the financial burden on parents.

-GAS CYLINDER AT Rs 500  Fueling Households, Easing Burdens: (Guarantee to make it Rs.400 per LPG cylinder in the future) Congress said it extended the countrys most affordable LPG cylinder scheme, priced at Rs 500, to families under the NFSA (National Food Security Act) and BPL (Below Poverty Line) categories too. Party said it commits to further reduce the cost of gas cylinders to Rs 400 for Ujjwala, NFSA, and BPL families in the future.

OPS  Preserving Pensionary Dignity: A law will be made to ensure the implementation of the old pension scheme and to strengthen it.
Mischievous advertisements

A high-level Bharatiya Janata Party delegation met the Chief Election Commissioner on Tuesday and raised two separate complaints against the ruling Congress in Rajasthan , where assembly polls will be held on November 25. The BJP has demanded stringent action against the grand old party in one case while demanding an FIR in another.

Four days before the desert state goes to polls, some major dailies published front-page advertisements stating, Rajasthan mein Congress ki lehar (Theres a Congress wave in Rajasthan). Interestingly, the ads did not carry the Congress electoral symbol, which may give the initial impression that it is the editorial viewpoint of these newspapers. The BJP has also raised the fact that the font size of impact feature, suggesting they were advertisements, was deliberately kept small.

That the aforementioned quote advertisement is an obfuscation and blatant violation of poll guidelines in which Congress party is trying to pass off an advertisement as an opinion of such respective newspapers to create a wrong and misinformative impact in the minds of the voters during the election, alleged the BJP complaint, which went on to state that it is a mystery how the state-level Media Certification & Monitoring Committee (MCMC) had not flagged it so far.

Claiming that the language, design, layout and positioning give an impression that it is an opinion poll of the news publications concerned, the BJP has demanded stringent action against the Congress for allegedly violating section 171G of the IPC and the Model Code of Conduct that is in place in Rajasthan. The BJP has also demanded action against the dailies that published those misleading and mischievous advertisements while asking the Congress to issue and the newspapers to publish an apology over this.

Corrupt and immoral missed calls

In another complaint against another advertisement of the Congress in Rajasthan, the BJP asked the Election Commission to direct the registration of an FIR. Calling it surrogate bribery, the BJP highlighted the Congresss campaign where a call to a registered number would guarantee advance booking.

A registered number (8587070707) was generated for the caller, creating an impression that only the caller would benefit by voting for a particular candidate or party, specifically the Congress party, said the BJP in its complaint to the CEC.

Taking another dig at the state-level Media Certification & Monitoring Committee (MCMC) as in its earlier complaint, the BJP wrote, This misleading advertisement approved by the MCMC-state level certification committee, projects the total number of missed calls as potential registered beneficiaries, presented as an opinion poll during the Model Code of Conduct. The party further claims that it is not government issued number which raises a bigger question about the legitimacy of capturing data for government welfare schemes.

The BJP also stressed that the phone number is highlighted to propagate the support for the Congress party by chief minister Ashok Gehlot, on his account on social media site X. The BJP said it was self-explanatory that the missed calls are on the political party numbers but the total number of missed calls is projected in the form of would-be registered beneficiaries.

The BJP compared a registration number being assigned after giving a missed call to this number with the distribution of coupons to voters. Reminding the poll body of what constitutes corrupt practices according to the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the BJP claimed the Congress not only violated it but also sections of the IPC and Model Code of Conduct.

While the BJP has outrightly demanded the registration of an FIR at the order of the commission (as law and order during elections come under the EC), it has also asked the poll body to stop Ashok Gehlot and his party from disseminating such advertisements in the future. Calling it surrogate bribery, it asked the commission to reprimand the Congress as well.

On Tuesday, a four-member delegation comprising Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Om Pathak, and Amit Malviya went to the Election Commission to raise their objections, just four days before Rajasthan goes to polls.
Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, party MLA Vikram Singh Nati Raja and others were booked on Tuesday for alleged violation of the model code of conduct after they staged a sit-in without permission seeking the arrest of a BJP candidate over the death of a worker in Madhya Pradeshs Chhatarpur district, an official said.

A Congressman, identified as Salman Khan, had died during a clash between BJP and Congress workers in the Rajnagar constituency of Chhatarpur district on November 17 when the assembly elections were held in the state.

Following the incident, Digvijaya Singh and Nati Raja, along with their supporters staged a protest by putting up a tent outside the Khajuraho Police Station on November 18-19 demanding the arrest of BJP candidate from Rajnagar Arvind Pateria.

Congress leaders have accused Pateria of orchestrating the killing of Khan, a charge denied by the former.

Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Vikram Singh said based on a report submitted by the Chhatarpur additional collector, an FIR was registered on Tuesday under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) for violation of the model code of conduct, which is in force for the assembly elections.

The FIR (first information report) has named Digvijaya Singh, Nati Raja  sitting MLA and the Congress candidate from Rajnagar  and 60-70 other people.

BJPs Chhatarpur district president Malkhan Singh had earlier submitted a memorandum to the district administration, pointing out that Digvijaya Singh and other Congress leaders staged the sit-in without taking permission from authorities, thus violating the poll code.

According to the FIR, acting on the memorandum, the additional collector sent a report to the police stating no permission was granted by the local administration for the protest by opposition party leaders and their supporters.

After the death of Salman Khan, the police had registered a case on November 17 against Pateria and 20 BJP workers on charges of murder. After this, the ruling party had accused the police of adopting a biased attitude against the BJP under the Congresss influence.

On November 19, the police, acting on a BJP complaint, registered a separate case against Congress nominee Nati Raja on charges of attempt to murder, rioting and under other relevant IPC sections. It was alleged Nati Raja had attacked Pateria with sticks and guns during the clash in which Congress worker Khan died.

According to the police, Khan died after he was run over by a vehicle. The BJP has accused Nati Raja of orchestrating the killing of Khan to gain in elections. On the other hand, the Congress candidate has alleged that Pateria was responsible for Khans death.
Feed Cafe is up for sale and, potentially, for not much longer.

As of last week, the listing was pending, signaling that the well-known and community-focused culinary location may soon be swapping ownership since it opened eight years ago.

According to listings on Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and Facebook, Feed has an asking price of $950,000 as a turn-key operation, offering restauranteurs a ready-to-go business.

Feed continues to provide over 8 1/2 years of delicious farm to barn breakfast and lunch comfort food, Serena Rundberg, a co-owner told the Chronicle without specifying reasons for the sale. We are an integral part of the Bozeman community and value nourishing the rich history this valley has to offer by supporting local farms, producers, nonprofits and other local businesses.

The property, which contains other businesses including Roost Fried Chicken, is not for sale  just the business and the brand come with the asking price.

Started in 2015, Feed is owned and operated by Inspired Madness, Inc., a local company founded by Rundberg, which she co-owns with Nick Garbiel, its chief operations officer.

Rundberg has long been active in Bozemans culinary scene  in 2005, the same year she founded Inspired Madness, she started Nova Cafe (which was later sold).

Inspired Madness has also owned Steep Mountain Tea House (formerly Townshends Bozeman Teahouse) since 2020 and Rundberg and Garbiel also operate The Daily Coffee, according to its website.

Inside the red barn, the central hub of culinary production is well visible and tables and patrons spread out in different directions. In the mornings, breakfast sandwiches, frittatas, pancakes and French toast fill the menu and fresh scones await hungry bellies at the front of the house.

Although Feed might be relatively new to its current location, its red barn has been standing for over a century. Built in 1898, it was part the working Kirk Homestead which began its journey towards commercialization 60 years later.

The original 80 acres were settled by Henry Kirk and his four sons and at the time, its reported that Kirk had made his way to Montana at the behest of a doctor who told him that he would surely die should he remain in Pittsburghs industrial air.

Today, the property is owned by Kirks great-great grandsons, Christopher and Nicholas Harris.

Even if Feeds eight years are a far cry from the 111 that the barn has been standing along Main Street, the cafe and its owners have attempted to leave an impact on the community  and arguably succeeded. According to their website, Feed has worked with nonprofits such as the Alternative Energy Resources Organization, Gallatin Valley Farm to School, Fork and Spoon and the Gallatin Valley Land Trust.

EJ Porth, GVLTs associate director, fondly recalled the cafes efforts, telling the Chronicle that Rundberg has always been willing to give back.

In one example, GVLT had helped a landowner cut down trees on a conservation easement-protected property as part of a timber management project in 2020 and Feed allowed them to host their pay-what-you-can Christmas tree event in their parking lot.

Serena has been in this community a really long time and always says yes when people reach out, Porth said. (Shes) been so community-focused and so philanthropic over the years.

What will come of Feed if and when the sale is finalized is hard to say, but for Porth  as is the case for Rundberg  the hope is that Feeds legacy of good food and community values continues to live on in the big red barn on West Main Street.

I dont know why its for sale  not really my business, Porth said, remembering how busy Feed could get. My hope is that the business would carry on in that same commitment to community when its purchased by somebody else.
Nine months ago, a warm handshake in the old Parliament building made heads turn. A bearded Rahul Gandhi smilingly asked CPIM General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, How are you, sir? The CPIM boss gently patted his hand to counter the question, How are you, boss? The two shook hands that day like many teenagers do to express friendship.

This July, in Bengaluru, Rahul Gandhi came up with the acronym I.N.D.I.A (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) for the opposition bloc. Only a select few leaders were part of the consultation process, including CPIM General Secretary Sitaram Yechury. Within an hour, the decision was made public. Four months later, the bloc first faced a litmus test in the Madhya Pradesh elections where Kamal Nath objected to a joint opposition rally.

Now, the I.N.D.I.A dream seems to be going up in flames in Rajasthan where the Congress is engaged in an acrimonious battle in Shri Dungargarh in Bikaner and Bhadra in Hanumangarh  both places where its I.N.D.I.A-ally CPIM renominated its sitting MLAs.

Balwan Poonia, a 40-year-old Left leader from the desert state, who made his way up by working in Student Federation of India (SFI), won in 2018 by receiving 81,655 votes, which is 41.22% of the total polled votes, while BJPs Sanjeev Kumar secured 29% of the votes in Bhadra. This time around, the Congress has fielded Ajeet Beniwal, making it a three-way contest. We prepared for a direct clash with the CPIM. But honestly, this triangular fight makes it easier for us but many of us were surprised given this is happening after the much talked about I.N.D.I.A-alliance, said a BJP source.

In the 2018 Rajasthan elections, the CPIM had fielded candidates in 28 seats winning two seats  Bhadra and Shri Dungargarh. It finished second in two constituencies  Dhod and Raisingnagar. In September this year, CPIM wanted seat-sharing arrangements in the state where at least these four seats would go to them. The Congress dismissed their proposal.

Whats more? While speaking to News18, Beniwal accepts that he is facing problems during this electoral clash after hype of I.N.D.I.A talks on the national stage. Of course, I am facing a problem. The CPIM candidate is going to Congress voters and asking them to vote for him claiming Congress and CPIM are together. He has told Congress voters that Dotasra (Rajasthan Congress President) is with him. Dikkat to hoga hi (there will be problems), he tells News18.

In fact, Shri Dungargarh has become another bone of contention between the two I.N.D.I.A allies. Giridharilal Mahiya, the sitting MLA and CPIM candidate this time, comes from the agrarian movement background of the Left  All India Kisan Sabha. He won the last assembly elections by polling 72,376 votes, which was 41.4% of the total votes polled. In a repeat of Bhadra, Congress fielded its own candidate  Mangalaram Godara  from this seat. Tarachand Saraswat is the BJPs candidate from here, making it a triangular fight. Last time, the Congress and the BJP candidates received 27% and 24% votes.

The CPIM is aware that the BJP has the advantage of riding on the anti-incumbency wave this time. Hence, they wanted to take advantage of the Congress vote bank to retain the seat, which did not happen. On the contrary, Mangalam flexed his muscles by organising a massive tractor rally with a plan to defeat both the BJP and the CPIM.

I.N.D.I.A. bloc has also been facing fractures elsewhere. As sources suggest, discord brewed between the JD-U and RJD over the allocation of Lok Sabha seats. Earlier, the tension rose within the bloc as Congresss Uttar Pradesh unit head Ajay Rai asked the Samajwadi Party (SP) to withdraw from the Madhya Pradesh race in favour of the grand old party as the Akhilesh Yadav-led party did not have any base there, Rai said. The SP accused it of betrayal. Recently, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal claimed to have a bigger organisation than the Congress.

But the electoral clashes in these two seats in Rajasthan have seemingly made the oppositions dream go up in flame.
Katha Ankahee, the popular television show featuring Adnan Khan and Aditi Dev Sharma, has garnered praise for its engaging plot. And now, the daily soap has come to an end and the final shoot day proved to be an emotional rollercoaster for the entire cast. As the cast wrapped up the shoot, there were heartfelt moments of cake-cutting and warm hugs, marking the end of their journey with Katha Ankahee. Adnan Khan, who portrayed Viaan in the show, openly shared his gratitude and emotions upon concluding the shoot for both the show and his character.

In a conversation with Etimes TV, Adnan Khan discussed the shows leap and provided insights into the development of his character in the upcoming episodes. Reflecting on the concluding day, he expressed the complexity of his emotions. I cant express my feelings in words because today, our last day on the sets has been a roller coaster ride of emotions. Today when I woke up I was feeling excellent as it was the last day, I was feeling happy and blessed that God gave me an opportunity to work with wonderful people and writers, he said.

The television actor further said that he is very grateful that he got this opportunity. Initially, Adnan was filled with happiness and gratitude. However, when he arrived on the set, Samar played emotional songs in the morning. During lunch, Samar remarked, Do you realize this is the last time were having lunch on the sets? Reacting to this, Adnan Khan began to imagine, Bidisha sharing her tears, emphasizing that this might be our final journey together. The weight of the moment hit him, realizing it was the last day. Despite this, Adnan Khan, being a kind person, chose to focus on gratitude for the opportunity.

Rather than dwelling on the potential sense of loss for Katha Ankahee, Adnan Khan aims to remain thankful. I hope Im able to continue with this feeling, pata chala Kal ghar par baith ke main akele ro raha hoon. I dont know about tomorrow but right now I feel blessed, he told ETimes.

During the conversation, Adnan Khan also expressed his gratitude to the audience for their unwavering support and affection. Nevertheless, it is a universal truth that all beautiful things should come to an end. In this context, he said, It is better to burn out than fade away. Despite not being easily moved emotionally, Adnan shed tears as his director, Ravi sir, bid farewell. His emotions usually surface when he is alone at home, but in this moment, the actor is filled with a sense of contentment and joy.

Sharing his experience of working with co-actor Aditi Sharma, Adnan Khan said, I am thrilled to have had the chance to work with the fantastic actress Aditi Sharma. She is not peculiar or excessively self-centered; instead, she remains humble and balanced. I am genuinely delighted by the experience.

Katha Ankahee revolves around the life of Katha Singh, a single mother, and Viaan Raghuvanshi, a renowned architect. The show is inspired by the Turkish serial One Thousand And One Nights.

Adnan Khan started his television journey as Mawlawi Kabeer Ahmed in Zee TVs Ishq Subhan Allah. The actor will be next seen in director Anuj Sharmas upcoming thriller film, The Rage: Over Injustice, alongside Roshni Kapoor and Aditya Khurana.
Ramayana, the journey of Ram as a king, his vanvas, his ways to rule, without dividing subjects, and other related chapters, are likely to be part of Indias classical period in the history curriculum for schools soon, if the government accepts the proposals of the high-level committee for social sciences constituted by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), News18 has learnt.

ALSO READ | God is in the Details of Ayodhya Rly Junction: PM Modi May Inaugurate Ram Temple-Themed Structure on Jan 22

The committee has also recommended the use of Bharat as the name of the country earlier, as part of its decolonisation" of Indian history. Decolonisation has been a crucial social-cultural project of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), as the organisation, believed to be the fountainhead of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), wants to make important changes before it reaches its centenary year in 2025.

One of its important milestones was getting the Ram Temple built in Ayodhya. The temple is nearing completion and is scheduled to be inaugurated on January 22. The RSS has been working on its various outreach programmes to bring a social-cultural change and make the national narrative revolve around Lord Ram post the inauguration.

Speaking exclusively to News 18, CI Issac, chairperson of the committee on social sciences, constituted by the NCERT, said, The ancient history of India, which is currently a part of the history curriculum, largely talks about the foreign invasion. Unfortunately, it elaborates on the forces which came from overseas, invaded us and ruled here."

The epic history and the history of the Vedic age are missing. Our children do not study about the golden era Bharat had. They dont have Ramayana or Mahabharata in their syllabus. We, in our first meeting, proposed the inclusion of Ram, his journey from the north to the south, and how he brought everyone together while ruling. He never divided anyone. Why should we only read the history of the invaders, the battles we lost? Why should we not have the pieces depicting Bharats golden era," he asked.

Issac, a professor who studied and approached history from an Indo-centric angle, was awarded the Padma Shri this year.

THE PROPOSALS

The seven-member committee, led by Issac, has also proposed to use the name of the country as Bharat in history books, and put forward an idea of introducing a chapter of classical history. In its recommendation, the committee said that the classical history should include parts from Vedas, Vedic age, important pieces from the Ramayana and the journey of Ram as a king.

In addition, it said that the modern history, which currently includes the British rule, and some pages on the ruler families", also may include elaborate chapters on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Shyamaprasad Mookherjee, Chandrashekhar Azad and many national heroes who were pushed into oblivion, said Issac.

The classical history may cover a period between the Vedic age and the Gupta period. There is almost no mention of the Vedic age, the epic history. We have only read the names of the Vedas. There should be more details," he said.

ALSO READ | They Changed Madras to Chennai, Want to Make Kerala Keralam, Then Whats the Issue With Bharat, Asks Prof CI Issac

The modern history is largely about the British rule. Many national heroes who contributed to the freedom struggle immensely did not find any mention. The ones who were mentioned have not been elaborated upon. We also recommended elaborate chapters on some of our national heroes," he further added.

Talking about the response he got from the government after submitting the recommendations, Issac said, The file is with the government now. They are studying our recommendations. But the response has been positive."
Delhi minister Atishi, who was allocated the Water Department in place of minister Saurabh Bharadwaj a few months ago, sounded an alert on Tuesday. She warned that Delhi may soon witness severe shortage of water. She added that there is a danger of epidemic.

Atishi alleged that on the request of the chief secretary, finance secretary Ashish Verma stopped all the funds of the Jal Board from August.

Funds are not being released even after the written order of the finance minister. Theres no money even for salary and routine work, the minister said, adding that all contractors have refused to work.

There may be severe water shortage, dirty water and sewer overflow in many areas in the coming days, Atishi warned.

(details to follow)
Days after PM Narendra Modi raised the issue of deepfake with journalists at BJPs Diwali Milan, the Minister For Information and Technology has called a meeting on the issue in New Delhi on Friday.

Sources familiar with the development have informed CNN-News18 that, besides ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw and Rajeev Chandrasekhar, top officials from the ministry are expected to attend the meeting. Invitations for the meeting have also been sent to various intermediaries, including META, Google, and others.

During a gathering at the BJP headquarters last Friday to celebrate Diwali, Prime Minister Narendra Modi cautioned journalists to be vigilant against the spread of fake videos. He specifically referred to a recent incident where a video falsely depicted him dancing during a Garba event.

UP-rooting Deepfake Menace With Helpline & Online Tools | Modi, Rashmika, Katrina, Kajol Among Victims

A recent deepfake video featuring an actress has triggered a significant political controversy, questioning the governments claims of ensuring a safe internet. In light of the challenges posed by misinformation and deepfakes, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) issued a second advisory within the last six months, urging online platforms to take decisive actions against the proliferation of deepfakes.

Under the Information Technology (IT) rules of 2021, online platforms are legally obligated to prevent the spread of misinformation by any user. They are required to remove such content within 36 hours upon receiving a report from either a user or a government authority. Non-compliance with this requirement falls under Rule 7, empowering affected individuals to take platforms to court under the provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Individuals affected by deepfakes can also file First Information Reports (FIRs) at the nearest police station and seek remedies provided under the Information Technology (IT) rules of 2021.
India has dismissed an unwarranted and habitual reference to Kashmir made by Pakistan during a Security Council meeting here.

Indias retort came at the UN Security Council open debate on Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Promoting Sustaining Peace through Common Development.

The debate was held under Chinas Presidency after Pakistans UN envoy Munir Akram made a reference to Kashmir in his remarks at the debate. I will take not more than a few seconds to dismiss the unwarranted and habitual remarks made by a Permanent Representative earlier against my country and I will not dignify them with a response here, Counsellor in Indias Permanent Mission to the UN R. Madhu Sudan said Monday.

Pakistan consistently rakes up the issue of Jammu and Kashmir at various UN platforms, irrespective of the agenda and topic of discussion at the meetings and fails to garner any traction.

Tensions between India and Pakistan have spiked since New Delhi abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019.

Indias decision evoked strong reactions from Pakistan, which downgraded diplomatic ties and expelled the Indian envoy.

India has categorically told the international community that the scrapping of Article 370 was an internal matter. It also advised Pakistan to accept the reality and stop all anti-India propaganda. India has told Pakistan that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Islamabad in an environment free of terror, hostility and violence.

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Three weeks after back-to-back earthquakes rattled the remote western mountain region killing over 150 persons, Nepal on Tuesday received the fourth tranche of emergency medical aid and equipment for the quake-affected families.

As part of the continued humanitarian efforts as first responder to support people of the Himalayan nation in their times of need, India has regularly sent aid to Nepal since the 6.4-magnitude earthquake on November 3 that jolted Jajarkot and Rukum districts killing 153 people and injuring over 260 others.

The November 3 quake caused the worst human and infrastructure losses since the devastating jolt of April 2015. On November 7, three tremors of over magnitude 4 hit Jajarkot injuring at least 16 people.

Fourth tranche of relief support comprising vital medicines & equipment for the earthquake-affected families reaches Nepal. Indias humanitarian efforts continue to support people in Nepal, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar posted on X along with photos of the relief material being handed over to Nepalese authorities.

The latest tranche comes after five elderly people, including two women, who were staying in makeshift tents died last week due to harsh cold weather in Jajarkot district. Their homes were rendered uninhabitable by the destructive earthquake, which damaged around 8,000 buildings, both public and private.

Carried by a special Indian Air Force (IAF) C-130 flight, the third tranche comprising blankets, sleeping bags, tents and essential medical supplies, etc. for the quake-affected families in the mountainous region where people are facing a shortage of food, warm clothes and medicines, was delivered on November 9.

This consignment had reached three days after the second such aid of nine tonnes reached here on November 6. The second consignment too had essential medical and hygiene supplies, tents, sleeping bags and blankets.

India was amongst the first countries to send relief material just two days after the November 3 quake as its first consignment of more than 11 tonnes of relief materials including tents, tarpaulin sheets, blankets, and sleeping bags along with essential medicines and medical equipment reached Nepal on November 5.

Apart from India, Nepal continues to receive aid from various foreign bodies. Last week, the European Union had provided a EUR 2 million aid package to Nepal. The grant assistance provided by the EU is equivalent to around Nepalese Rs 290 million and will help provide shelter, access to clean water and sanitation, and health care, among other services, to support the earthquake-affected people in the Jajarkot and Rukum districts of Nepal. In 2015, a 7.8 magnitude quake damaged nearly 800,000 houses besides killing nearly 9,000 people, according to the Post Disaster Needs Assessment Report, 2015.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday came down heavily on the Punjab and Delhi governments as continued to hear a clutch of petitions about the toxic air that chokes the national capital every winter. The apex court said that this is the most polluted November in six years.

A bench of Justices SK Kaul and S Dhulia ordered Punjab and Delhi, both ruled by the Aam Aadmi Party, to take action against the burning of agricultural waste, which adds significantly to Delhis AQI crisis.

This is the most polluted November in six years the problem is known (and) it is your job to control it, the court told the two AAP states, and neighbouring Uttar Pradesh that is ruled by the BJP.

The top court also scolded the Delhi government over delayed funding of the Delhi-Meerut RRTS (regional rapid transport system). It ordered funds be transferred from the AAPs spending on ads.

Why has [Delhi government] not complied with our order? I told you the other day. Ill stay your advertising budget. We dont have any other way. You cant take us for granted, Justice Kaul said.

The AAP government on Tuesday said it would make budgetary allocations towards the RRTS project. In response, the apex court told the Delhi governments counsel it was constrained to direct the funds allocated for advertisement purposes to be transferred to the project in question, reported Live Law.

In July, the court reprimanded the Delhi government after it said it could not contribute to a rail network that will connect the city to neighbouring states and is expected to reduce vehicular traffic.

The government told the court that it was facing scarcity of funds due to the BJP-led Central governments termination of the goods and service tax compensation scheme in June 2022.

The sudden cessation of GST compensation has severely impacted the financial resources of the state government. This has led to a substantial reduction in the availability of funds, the AAP government had said.

The court, however, pointed out that the government had spent Rs 1100 crore over the past three financial years on advertisement.

If Rs 1,100 crore can be used for advertisement in the last three financial years, certainly money can be paid for the infrastructure project, the court had said.

The priority section of the RRTS corridor was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month.
KERALA LOTTERY STHREE SAKTHI SS-390 RESULT ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 21 LIVE UPDATES: The Kerala State Lottery Department has announced the results of Sthree Sakthi Lottery SS-390 for Tuesday, November 21. Check the full list of winning numbers here. Coming up tomorrow is Pooja Bumper BR-94 Results worth Rs 12 crore. Check the Live Updates in real-time here from 2 pm. Click here for details.

ALSO READ: Kerala Lottery Result Today LIVE: Win-Win W-745 WINNERS for November 27; First Prize Rs 75 Lakh!

FULL LIST OF WINNING NUMBERS FOR STHREE SAKTHI SS-390 LOTTERY

WINNING NUMBERS FOR CONSOLATION PRIZE WORTH RS 8,000 ARE

SN 958011

SO 958011

SP 958011

SR 958011

ST 958011

SU 958011

SV 958011

SW 958011

SX 958011

SY 958011

SZ 958011

WINNING NUMBER FOR 1ST PRIZE WORTH RS 75 LAKH IS: SS 958011 (KOTTAYAM)

Agent Name: BIBI K JOHN

Agency No: K 6214

WINNING NUMBER FOR 2ND PRIZE WORTH RS 10 LAKH IS: SR 126055 (NEYYATTINKARA)

Agent Name: SAJEEVAN K

Agency No: T 3830

WINNING NUMBERS FOR 3RD PRIZE WORTH RS 5,000 ARE

0263 0326 0471 1402 1569

2577 3015 3134 3884 4380

4678 5877 6267 6555 6609

6990 8658 9723

WINNING NUMBERS FOR 4TH PRIZE WORTH RS 2,000 ARE

1331 2060 2182 3483 4301

4621 5046 5133 8920 9495

WINNING NUMBERS FOR 5TH PRIZE WORTH RS 1,000 ARE

0234 1022 1112 1448 1959

2956 3341 3803 3843 6000

6233 6507 7557 7575 7656

7967 9195 9731 9971 9995

WINNING NUMBERS FOR 6TH PRIZE WORTH RS 500 ARE

0149 0289 0548 0891 1095

1825 1878 1992 2107 2657

2847 3046 3588 3848 3896

3918 4049 4547 4596 4695

4786 5235 5323 5414 5481

5848 5929 6649 7310 7683

7767 7796 7879 7957 8255

8282 8286 8330 8461 8560

8742 8875 8907 8950 9254

9265 9591 9603 9773 9859

9898 9953

WINNING NUMBERS FOR 7TH PRIZE WORTH RS 200 ARE

0204 0207 0330 0744 1240

1376 1503 1625 2083 2199

2668 2920 3325 3386 3636

3738 3914 3980 4642 4776

5182 5335 5521 5550 5585

5911 6196 6437 6884 6932

6947 7008 7464 7500 7811

8537 8538 8750 8826 8897

9580 9687 9735 9847 9900

WINNING NUMBERS FOR 8TH PRIZE WORTH RS 100 ARE

0138 0466 0501 0524 0585

0653 0808 0925 0929 0998

1187 1405 1436 1458 1488

1499 1509 1521 1563 1708

1722 1802 1842 1960 2035

2172 2394 2439 2472 2483

2497 2569 2575 2610 2613

2654 2735 2754 2976 3006

3052 3073 3077 3169 3213

3392 3396 3399 3596 3772

3806 3840 3932 4012 4092

4099 4241 4269 4367 4401

4423 4448 4743 4747 4830

4884 4988 5023 5062 5082

5228 5331 5361 5587 5647

5901 5941 6174 6225 6241

6322 6332 6376 6422 6648

6958 7100 7193 7229 7239

7365 7396 7599 7670 7728

7732 7743 7790 8059 8160

8342 8409 8629 8683 8741

8788 8801 8893 8895 8974

8982 9006 9126 9133 9147

9198 9212 9321 9352 9498

9634 9722 9733 9850 9871

9973

KERALA LOTTERY RESULT: STHREE SAKTHI SS-390 PRIZE STRUCTURE

1st Prize: Rs 75 lakh

2nd Prize: Rs. 10 lakh

3rd Prize: Rs. 5,000

4th Prize: Rs. 2,000

5th Prize: Rs. 1,000

6th Prize: Rs. 500

7th Prize: Rs. 200

8th Prize: Rs. 100

Consolation Prize: Rs. 8,000

HOW TO VERIFY KERALA STHREE SAKTHI SS-390 LOTTERY RESULTS?

Individuals can either access the official website of the Kerala Lottery Department at www.keralalottery.info or personally visit the Kerala Government Gazette office to have their ticket numbers authenticated and the results verified for the Sthree Sakthi SS-390 lottery

HOW TO COLLECT YOUR PRIZE MONEY?

Individuals can check the Kerala Government Gazette to see if their ticket number matches the winning numbers. If both of their numbers match, they are eligible for a prize. The prize winners will have 30 days from the date the results are announced to claim their prize at the Kerala lottery office in Thiruvananthapuram. They must also bring the winning ticket as well as identification proof for verification.

POOJA BUMPER BR-94 LUCKY DRAW TOMORROW ON NOVEMBER 22

The Kerala State Lottery Department will hold the Pooja Bumper-2023 BR-94 lucky draw on November 22 at 2 p.m. The winner of the top reward would receive Rs 12 crore. The second-place winner will receive Rs 1 crore, while the third and consolation-place winners will receive Rs 10 lakh and Rs 1 lakh, respectively. All you have to do is purchase a Rs 300 ticket.

POOJA BUMPER BR-94 PRIZE STRUCTURE
A Santhali, named Budhni Manjhiyain, passed away four days ago at the age of 80. Manjhiyain wasnt a regular woman from Jharkhand. An incident in 1959, when she was just 16, changed her life forever. And she came to be known as Pandit Jawaharlal Nehrus tribal wife.

Manjhiyain was ostracised by her tribe as then PM Nehru had garlanded her at a dams inauguration when she was a 16-year-old project worker.

According to a report in Times of India, the garland placed respectfully by Nehru at the inauguration of the Panchet Dam  now near Dhanbad  became a millstone for Budhni for much of her life as the Santhal tribals considered the gesture a marriage.

She became an outcast for marrying outside her community, particularly a non-tribal, and was denied entry into her hamlet, the report stated.

On November 17, when Manjhiyain died in a shack in Panchet where she lived with her daughter Ratna, hundreds  including local politicians and officials  visited to bid farewell to what many there described as the first tribal wife of the first PM of the country.

TOI stated that it was then they sought a memorial in her honour, next to an existing statue of Nehru in a local park. They also demanded pension for Ratna (60). JMM leader Ashok Mandal said that Manjhiyains contribution in the construction of Panchet Dam will always be remembered.

According to the report, Bhairav Mandal, the chief of Panchet panchayat, and others have written to the DVC management about the memorial and a house for Ratna in the local DVC colony.

DVC is Damodar Valley Corporation, the PSU under which the dam was built and functions. Ratnas son Bapi (35) is an accountant with DVC and lives in nearby Maithon, the report stated.

Sumesh Kumar, deputy chief engineer of DVC at Panchet, was quoted as saying that no decision on the memorial or the other demands had been taken so far. These decisions can be taken only after consulting top officers, Kumar added.

The Troubles of Budhni Manjhiyain

TOI stated that like the devastating Damodar, the eddies of Budhnis life began in 1952 when her ancestral land was submerged during the construction of the dam. But she managed to stay afloat, becoming one of the first contract labourers in the project as she had no source of income other than land.

Then, at the inauguration on December 5, 1959, troubles started anew with Nehrus garlanding. The DVC management had selected Budhni along with Ravan Manjhi, a Santhali man, to welcome Nehru. Local lore has it that Budhni pressed the button to get the dam going, the report stated.

In 1962, Budhni was retrenched along with scores of other DVC contract workers. She moved to Saltora in neighbouring Bengals Purulia and toiled as a daily-wager, the publication mentioned.

There, Budhni met Sudhir Dutta, a contract worker in a colliery who gave her shelter and later married her. After Rajiv Gandhi visited Asansol in Bengal as PM in 1985, a local Congress leader got Budhni to meet him and she narrated her ordeal. After that, Budhni was provided a job in DVC, from where she retired in 2005, TOI stated.
Inside a rented warehouse, Carol Scott has outfitted a small part of the space to resemble a hospital room, complete with an electric hospital bed and a variety of basic medical supplies.

Scott retired from working as a nursing assistant a few years ago at the age of 72, but that didnt mean putting a stop to supporting the local health care industry.

Scott runs the only certified nursing assistant training program in Gallatin County, and has kept it going for more than 10 years. Without people in these positions, she said, hospitals and clinics would not be able to function at the most basic levels.

They are literally the caregiver, Scott said. They report to the nurse, so they are providing all of the bedside care.

Nursing aides help with things like patient hygiene, moving patients out of bed and helping them bathe. Scott said students in her class even learn how to change bedsheets while a patient is still in them. The state health department lists almost 100 different skills a certified assistant should know, including how to talk with someone who is angry or depressed.

Scott offers two sessions of evening classes for students to complete the training  September through November and February through April. Each session can have up to 10 students and the current class, which ends Nov. 18, has nine.

Holly Matkin, communications officer for the Montana Department of Health and Human Services, said 1,782 people have taken the certification exam in the last five years, with a passing rate of 86%.

While most programs like hers are run by institutions like college medical programs, Scott independently contracts with Career Transitions in Belgrade to host her classes. In addition to Scotts program, Career Transitions offers classes for CPR certification, getting a commercial drivers license and high school equivalency exams.

Advertising from Career Transitions has been a major factor in her programs survival, she said, otherwise, many people interested in the training wouldnt have known about it.

Kara Libster, who manages the building Career Transitions is renting through Prestige Property Management, said the lease ends on Dec. 31 and Career Transitions decided not to renew it. The building is up for sale now, Libster said.

Scott said she was told about two weeks ago that she has until Dec. 15 to move everything out. She has started looking for a new home for her program, asking local businesses and schools.

So far, no one has agreed to let Scott use their space for her program, she said, but Belgrade School District agreed to discuss the idea.

Leslie Atkinson, the districts public information officer, said the administration will be meeting with Scott on Nov. 17 to learn more about the program.

To start her February session on time, Scott said, she would need to have a facility secured by mid-January. If all else fails, shes considering refitting her garage to host classes.

Either way, Scott said, the facility will need to be in Belgrade and compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act for her and the other two instructors. The state will also have to inspect the space for safety, she said.

Scott said she first started the program because she needed money to support herself through retirement. Her husband, who has since died, had expensive insurance because of health issues.

It keeps me busy, Scott said. You gotta invest your energy somewhere  have a goal in life. This was kind of a way to get a quick buck, and one thing led to another and I enjoyed it, and its for a good cause.

Scott has not yet given up on her program because of how important it is to her.

I really, really love teaching, Scott said. I grew up in a multi-generational household with my elders, and so I just feel like people need good caregivers. Ive seen some poor caregiving, and its horrible. I have a real passion to have (my students) be good at their job and truly offer care to people in a dignified fashion.

Scott said she hopes someone within the next five years will be able to step in for her to teach the class instead, but it wouldnt be easy.

Scott has a state certification to teach the class, which took about eight weeks to earn. All of her equipment cost about $10,000 when she started 12 years ago. Most of that came from her own money, with some donations.

Now, she estimated it would cost about $40,000 to buy everything a program needs to give the training  things like a hospital bed and practice manikins, which dont come cheap.

Scott described nursing aid training as a pipeline into a guaranteed $20 an hour job.

Kaitlin Drake, clinical education director for Bozeman Health, said that while not understaffed, there are almost always open positions for nursing aides and patient care technicians.

Bozeman Health only requires a high school diploma or equivalent for nursing aide positions, Drake said, but having extra training can make a new employees orientation faster and help them provide care quicker.

Bozeman Health Nurse Manager Rachel Lindholm said it takes four or five weeks for on-the-job training if someone doesnt have any health care experience. Drake said Bozeman Health has hired over 150 entry-level positions this year.

Lindholm said many nursing aides are in the position to get more experience in health care or transition to another career. Health care systems could not function without them, she said.

I cant imagine not having them, Lindholm said. I think about the workload (of) caring for another person. Its such a high workload already that removing one piece of that  I cant imagine.
India, which is all set to host a virtual summit of G-20 leaders on Wednesday, said the meeting will provide an opportunity for the world leaders to discuss the implementation of the Delhi Declaration, enhance cooperation on critical issues and address lapses in global governance.

Addressing media ahead of the summit, Indias G-20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant said that since the unanimous adoption of the New Delhi Declaration during the successful meeting in September, the world has witnessed a series of critical global events and challenges.

The virtual summit will provide an opportunity not only to discuss the implementation of the leaders declaration but also for the leaders to share views and enhance cooperation on critical challenges that we confront and address gaps in global governance, reaffirm our existing commitment to SDGs and move toward a reinvigorated multilateral system that is better positioned to positively impact peoples lives, PTI quoted Kant as saying.

Talking about the agenda of the second G-20 meeting to be chaired by Prime Minister Modi under Indias presidency, Kant said while the development of the world will number one topic for deliberation, other world issues will also be discussed.

Describing it a rare and exceptional platform, Kant added that the virtual summit would give the Indian prime minister, the opportunity to interact with world leaders for a second time during Indias G-20 Presidency before it passes on to Brazil in December.

China, Russia to Attend G-20 Virtual Meet

China on Tuesday announced that Premier Li Qiang will attend the virtual G-20 Leaders Summit at Indias invitation and hoped that the meeting will address global challenges through cooperation and make positive contributions to economic recovery.

Apart from that, Russian President Vladimir Putin will also be taking part in the extraordinary virtual G-20 Leaders Summit hosted by India on Wednesday.

Notably, Putin did not attend the G-20 Summit which was held in New Delhi on September 9-10 as he had to focus on the special military operation in Ukraine.

(With PTI inputs)
In a first-ever museum exhibition of American Pop Art in India, the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) will present POP: FAME, LOVE AND POWER, an exhibit of seminal American Pop Art pieces from the 1960s onwards. Curated by Lawrence Van Hagen, it will be held at the Art House  the Cultural Centres dedicated visual art space from December 1, 2023 to February 11, 2024.

ALSO READ | For as Long as We Have the Stage, We Have a Voice"- Nita Ambani While Speaking at the NMACC Launch

POP: FAME, LOVE AND POWER will take audiences on an art-filled historical journey through the golden years of the Pop Art phenomenon, tracing three themes intrinsically tied to the origins of the movement: Fame, Love and Power. The exhibition will present works by 12 of the biggest names in American Pop Art, including Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, and Robert Rauschenberg to name a few.

This vivid, colorful, and imaginative exhibit fulfills the Cultural Centres promise of bringing the best of international art experiences to India. The showcase is special not only because it traces the incredible legacy of Pop Art, but because it has an unmistakable sense of fun about it. Im especially excited to see it strike a chord with younger audiences and foster a culture of creativity with inspirations that go beyond time and space," said Isha Ambani.

THE EXHIBITION

POP: FAME, LOVE AND POWER is a landmark exhibition for South Asia as a whole, with artworks drawn from the most notable museums, artist estates, art foundations and private art collections globally. A majority of these artists have never been exhibited in India prior to this exhibition, which creates a singular opportunity for Indian audiences to engage intimately with these artists and artworks for the very first time.

For this exhibition, the themes of fame, love and power will span across the three floors of the Art House, offering visitors three unique spaces for discovery, with each floor dedicated to an individual theme. The fourth and last floor of the Art House will be dedicated to a unique immersive installation titled Silver Clouds after Andy Warhol. Visitors of this exhibition will be immersed in one of Warhols only interactive art installation.

Presenting 'POP  FAME, LOVE, POWER'  the first museum exhibition showcasing Pop Art in India curated by Lawrence van Hagen. This exhibition will take you on an art-filled historical journey through the golden years of the Pop Art movement.Book now on https://t.co/k2phrES7gn pic.twitter.com/YDbgSN5Brf Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (@nmacc_india) November 18, 2023

The Pop movement arose out of a time in America of unprecedented change, both economically and culturally," says curator Lawrence Van Hagen. In many ways, India is going through a similar transformation into a global, powerhouse economy in its own right. I believe this exhibition will spark fascinating parallels between these golden decades in the US and the global transformation India is having at this very moment."

The first floor of Pop is dedicated to Fame, where some of the most quintessential pieces of the Pop movement works which reflected the meteoric rise of celebrity culture in the 1960s and 1970s of America, as well as the cult of television, and the romance and myth of Americana will be exhibited. Viewers will encounter four celebrity portals (Giorgio Armani, Aretha Franklin, Gianni Versace and Sylvester Stallone) of Andy Warhol in dialogue with the artists self- portrait as well as 45 Gold Marilyn an iconic silkscreen painting of Marilyn Monroe. Furthermore, this floor will also include several works by Ed Ruscha such as Level as a Level (2002) from the Mountain series, much inspired by the artists obsession with Hollywood.

The second floor is dedicated to Love. The room will bring together five pioneers of the Pop movement who explored, questioned and rendered the theme of love  from Robert Indianas explorations of romance and passion to Keith Harings powerful statements on unity and human connection. This floor will showcase numerous iconic works by these artists from a 6 feet Love Sculpture in direct juxtaposition to two intimate works by Tom Wesselmann from his bedroom series as well as portrait of a women (1979) by Roy Lichtenstein. This floor explores the sense of love, unity, friendship, collaboration and idealization of beauty that artists capture within their subject matter.

ALSO READ | Shah Rukh Khan Calls Nita Ambanis NMACC Spirit of Passion, Says We Discussed This 12 Years Back

The third floor explores the theme of Power. From Andy Warhol and Ed Ruschas obsession with branding and advertising to Robert Rauschenbergs fascination with television and the rapidly changing media landscape, this floor will analyse Pop Arts relationship to the themes of power that pervaded the political, cultural and commercial landscapes of the mid-late 20th century. On this floor, two masterpieces by Andy Warhol  Sixteen Jackies (1964) and Flowers (1964-65)  explore notions of power, symbolism and loss relating to Jackie Kennedy and John F. Kennedy. Also on the floor, Elaine Sturtevants pivotal Flower series challenge the power dynamics of appropriation and the act of imitation. Furthermore, viewers will discover two works by Robert Rauschenberg: Periwinkle Shaft (1979), a monumental and rarely shown nine meter collage painting alongside Gulch (1962), an early and important example of his combines.

The exhibition culminates on the fourth floor with an interactive and immersive experience titled Silver Cloud by Andy Warhol, created in 1966. This installation consists of a room full of floating metallic balloons. The balloons are inflated with a proprietary mixture of air and pure helium, enabling them to float mesmerisingly in the space between the floor and the ceiling.

THE ARTISTS

Lawrence Van Hagen is a London-based curator who specialises in post-war and contemporary art. Van Hagen launched his renowned series of global exhibitions, titled Whats Up, in 2016 and has since gone on to stage exhibitions across London, New York, Paris, Venice, Hong Kong and Seoul. POP: Fame, Love and Power marks Van Hagens first major institutional exhibition and his first curatorial project in India. He holds a bachelors degree from University College London and a masters degree from Imperial College London Business School.

Among the presented artists are:

Andy Warhol Claes Oldenburg Coosje van Bruggen Ed Ruscha Elaine Sturtevant James Rosenquist Jim Dine Keith Haring Roy Lichtenstein Robert Rauschenberg Robert Indiana Tom Wesselmann

Something's POP-ping at the #NitaMukeshAmbaniCulturalCentre. Stay tuned to know more.#ArtHouse pic.twitter.com/j47HKzNH9a Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (@nmacc_india) November 17, 2023

ALL ABOUT POP ART

Pop Art was a genre that flourished in America during the late 1950s, responding to rapid transformations of media and commercialism, the increasing rise in popular culture and ever-shifting consumer habits.

The Pop Art movement aimed to blur the boundaries between high" art and low" culture. The concept that there is no hierarchy of culture, and that art may borrow from any source was one of the most influential characteristics of the movement, and led artists like Andy Warhol and Roy Lichenstein to transform canned goods and comic books into powerful works of art. Since its inception, Pop Art has gone on to become one of the most recognisable and influential styles of modern art around the world.

THIRD ART EXHIBITION AT NMACC

POP: FAME, LOVE AND POWER marks the third art exhibition taking place at the new NMACC, an exceptional arts and culture space and the first of its kind in India. Previous exhibitions have been equally momentous, including Sangam/Confluence, curated by Jeffrey Deitch and Ranjit Hoskote, and RUN AS SLOW AS YOU CAN by the creative studio TOILETPAPER, led by Maurizio Cattelan and Pierpaolo Ferrari, each representing a different facet of art to the audience.

ALSO READ | NMACC Launch: Nita Ambani Performs to Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram, Neetu Kapoor Spellbound; Watch

As part of the Centres aim to make art accessible to all  especially aspiring artists  and consistent with the previous exhibition, entry to the exhibit will be free for art students and senior citizens.

Complementing the exhibition, the Art House will offer an array of interactive activities designed to inspire creativity and inculcate interest in arts. Tickets start from INR 1000. Book now on nmacc.com.

THE NITA MUKESH AMBANI CULTURAL CENTRE

The Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre is a first-of-its-kind, multi-disciplinary space in the sphere of arts, within the Jio World Centre, located in the heart of Mumbais Bandra-Kurla Complex.

The Cultural Centre is home to three performing arts spaces: the majestic 2,000-seater Grand Theatre, the technologically advanced 250-seater Studio Theatre, and the dynamic 125-seater Cube.

ALSO READ | Tribute to Indias Traditions, Heritage: Nita Ambani Shares Her Vision for Mumbais Most Modern Cultural Centre

The Cultural Centre also features the Art House, a four-storey dedicated visual arts space built as per global museum standards with the aim of housing an array of exhibits and installations from the finest artistic talent across India and the world.

Spread across its concourses is a captivating mix of public art by renowned Indian and global artists, including Kamal Kunj  one of the largest Pichwai paintings in India.
Even as the nation is outraged over Tamil actor Mansoor Ali Khans rape comment about Trisha, a Congress leader from Karnataka seems to have learnt no lessons, as another shocker has surfaced.

Former Congress MLA Amaregouda Patil has landed in controversy for reportedly scolding a rape survivor and her father-in-law who sought help, as the alleged phone conversation has gone viral on social media.

ALSO READ | Lokesh REACTS to Leo Star Mansoor Ali Khans Rape Comment, Supports Trisha: Enraged to Hear

In the audio, the veracity of which has not been verified independently by CNN-News18, the former MLA is allegedly heard chiding the man: How can one person commit rape it would need at least two-three people. The voice is also heard warning the complainant that she was bringing disrepute to her family and not telling the truth and questioning the complainants intent saying, Can you clap with just one hand?

The Congress leaders associate Sanganagouda has been charged with rape after the complaint was filed in Karnatakas Koppal district.

Excerpts of the alleged phone conversation:

Patil: You will just lose face. You need minimum two-three people to rape a girl. There is nobody who can rape someone alone in this world. Show it to me. Irrespective of how strong he is, nobody can do that.

Father-in-law: Are we lying?

Patil: Yes. You prove that one person can.

Father-in-law: So what the girl has said is not true?

ALSO READ | As Ashok Gehlots Rape Remark Kicks Up Row, Delhi Commission for Women Says Dont Talk Like Rapists

Patil: Let me not argue. You shouldnt do such things. You are bringing disrepute to your family. Thats it.

Father-in-law: We need justice.

Patil: Think about it. Nobody will give girl to a village where a rape happens. Your family will lose respect. You shouldnt do this.

THE SHOCK

The conversation has shocked many, who are now demanding an apology from the former legislator, even as they question if such people can be trusted to pass laws for the safety of women and children and implement them.

ALSO READ | Congress pulls up Haryana leader over rape comment

He should hang his head in shame. What a misogynistic and sexist statement is this petty man making? Why should we believe these people will make laws for safety of women and children? He should apologise and the case must be investigated thoroughly, said Brinda Adige, an activist from Bengaluru.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday hit out the Delhi government over not releasing funds for the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project to National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC).

While hearing the case, Justice Kaul of the Supreme Court said: Why has [Delhi govt] not complied? I told you the other day that Ill stay your advertising budget. Ill attach it and take it here.

The court further added: If such national projects are affected, and if the money is being spent on advertisement, we would be inclined to ask the money to be directed to the infrastructure.
In a setback to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed its plea against the Chhattisgarh Police probe in the FIR alleging a larger conspiracy in the 2013 Jheeram Ghati Naxal attack that killed 29 people, including leaders of the state Congress unit.

A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said, Sorry, we would not like to interfere. Dismissed.

During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the NIA, told the bench that the larger conspiracy angle into the incident should be investigated by the NIA as the main FIR of the case has been investigated by the central agency.

He said when the Chhattisgarh Police refused to hand over the records to the NIA, the agency moved the trial court, which rejected the plea.

Thereafter, the high court also dismissed the plea against the trial court order on March 2, 2022, he said, adding that when the main case is being investigated by the NIA, a separate FIR related to the same incident cannot be investigated by another agency.

Raju said that a charge sheet has been filed in the main case and out of the 109 witnesses, 84 witnesses have been examined till now.

After seven years of the incident in 2020, a person comes forward alleging a larger conspiracy and the state police lodge an FIR based on his complaint, the ASG said.

He added there are several judgements of the top court which say all connected cases are to be investigated by one agency.

Senior advocate ANS Nadkarni and advocate Sumeer Sodhi, appearing for the Chhattisgarh government, vehemently opposed the submissions of the NIA and said the state had initially requested the agency to investigate the larger conspiracy angle of the incident but they refused.

The state government then requested the Centre to entrust the probe of a larger conspiracy to the CBI as NIA had refused to probe. The Centre refused to hand over the probe to the CBI. Then what could the state government do? It asked the police to register the FIR and investigate the larger conspiracy angle, Nadkarni said.

He informed the court that the NIA never investigated the larger conspiracy angle since 2013 and only investigated the incident, which is evident from its charge sheets in the case.

Criminal conspiracy under section 120B of the IPC is not a scheduled offence. It is a standalone offence and can be investigated by the police separately. NIA can only investigate scheduled offences, Nadkarni submitted, adding that the Central investigating agency moved the trial court for transfer of FIR from police to it but the lower court does not have the power to do so.

The trial court rightly dismissed their (NIA) plea to transfer the FIR and the order was upheld by the high court, he said.

The bench also heard the counsel for the complainant Jitendra Mudaliar, son of the Congress leader who lost his life in the incident and on whose complaint the state police lodged the FIR related to conspiracy.

The NIA never investigated how Naxals in such large numbers gathered at one place and how and why the security of slain Congress leaders was reduced on the day of the incident, he said.

The top court had initially granted a stay on further investigation of into the larger conspiracy angle by the state police.

On May 25, 2013, Naxals attacked a convoy of Congress leaders in Jheeram valley in Darbha area of Bastar district, killing 29 people, including then state Congress chief Nand Kumar Patel, former leader of opposition Mahendra Karma and former Union minister Vidyacharan Shukla.

The deadly ambush by heavily armed Naxals had taken place when the political campaigning for the then assembly elections was on and Congress leaders were returning after taking part in a Parivartan rally at Bastar district.
The challenge of intercepting drones originating from across the international borders has got more complicated for Indian security forces with Pakistan switching up its strategy by using expensive, high-end drones to smuggle drugs, arms and ammunition into the country. These new HD drones can fly at significant altitudes and carry heavy payloads with increased speed, posing a challenge to the security forces deployed at the India-Pakistan border.

According to data from the last two months, the Border Security Force has apprehended close to 20 such drones, all of which are manufactured by Da-Jiang Innovations (DJI) based in China. These drones, priced between 1.5 lakh rupees to 12 lakh rupees in the market, signal a shift in Pakistans strategy.

Top sources told News18 that Pakistan previously used cheap drones, but is now using drones of different models exclusively from a single company.

In the last two months, we have intercepted four drones worth close to 12 lakh rupees. These are HD drones with high speeds, capable of operating in temperatures ranging from minus-20 degree to 50 degree Celsius, equipped with multi-dimensional sensing and positioning. They can fly for almost one hour and cover distances of 80-90km on a single charge, said a senior BSF official.

Another notable change observed by the forces is that these drones can fly at very high altitudes, making it difficult for security forces to detect them. Officials also anticipate changes in drone movement during the winter months.

On the morning of November 20, a joint search operation was launched by the BSF and Punjab Police on the outskirts of Mehdipur village in Tarn Taran district based on specific information about the presence of a drone.

The recovered drone is a Quadcopter (Model  DJI Matrice RTK 300, made in China). Yet another attempt by smugglers to transport narcotics via drone was thwarted by the BSF and Punjab Police, stated the BSF.

According to the companys website, the DJI Matrice RTK 300 costs around 12 lakh rupees. The BSF has seized approximately four such drones in the past 60 days.

Another type of drone, the DJI Mavic 3 classic, costs around 1.5 lakh rupees as per the company website. The BSF has intercepted or shot down around one-and-a-half dozen such drones. The total cost of drones seized or intercepted by the BSF, along with the Punjab Police, is close to 60 lakh rupees.

Previously, we used to engage cheap drones with low-quality builds. But now it appears that Pakistan has invested in the latest technology, considering the heightened border security measures by Indian forces, to transport arms, ammunition, and drugs, said a senior BSF official.
Taking note of deepfakes, an artificial intelligence (AI) based cybercrime that has become a latest buzzword after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and actors, including Katrina Kaif, Rashmika Mandanna and Kajol, fell prey to it, the Uttar Pradesh (UP) cyber police now plan to start a dedicated helpline to report cases and work on a tool in order to ensure detection.

WHAT IS A DEEPFAKE?

Explaining the term, Dr Rakshit Tandon, National Cyber Security Expert, said deepfake is a type of cybercrime in which someones identity is replicated using multiple AI tech tools to spread false information. It could be in the form of an image, video or an audio made using AI techniques. It entails editing of the original photo or video to produce content, which although appears genuine, is actually not. The term deepfake is a combination of deep knowledge about the AI tool and editing and fake."

ALSO READ | Rashmika Mandanna, Katrina Kaif Deepfake Videos in AI of Storm: Govt to Film Industry Stance | Explained

The cyber expert said deepfakes are mostly used to produce videos, audios or images, where the face of the victim is smartly swapped. In case of deepfake voice cloning, cybercriminals use AI-based technology to impersonate a persons voice to make calls to their near and dear ones to seek monetary help.

WHEN PM MODI FELL PREY

Deepfakes took the country by storm after PM Modi fell prey to it.

On November 17, 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his deep concern over the misuse of AI for creating deepfakes.

ALSO READ | Days After PMs Concern Over Deepfakes, Govt Calls High Profile Meeting; Invites Sent to Google, Meta

I watched a deepfake video in which I am doing garba. But the reality is that I have not done garba after my school life. Someone has made my deepfake video," PM Modi said, while addressing the media at the Bharatiya Janata Partys Diwali Milan programme in Delhi.

The PM said deepfakes could be the new crisis as a big section of society does not have a parallel verification system.

KATRINA KAIF, RASHMIKA MANDANNA AND KAJOL

Kajols deepfake video showing the actor changing clothes in front of the camera surfaced on November 17. In Mandannas case, the video showed a woman wearing a black outfit entering a lift. However, her face changes to that of the actor in a deep fake video. Kaifs action sequence from Tiger-3 was morphed in her deepfake.

MEITY ADVISORY

A day after Mandannas deepfake went viral, the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) issued an advisory to social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, to take down misleading content generated through artificial intelligence within 24 hours. The advisory reiterated existing legal provisions that platforms have to follow as online intermediaries. It mentioned Section 66D of the Information Technology Act, which entails punishment for cheating by personation by using computer resources with imprisonment up to three years and fine of up to Rs 1 lakh.

RISING TREND IN UP

Uttar Pradesh has witnessed 13,155 cases of cybercrimes between March 2022 and March 2023. Sources with the cyber police said a sizable number belongs to the deepfake category.

Of late, there is a sudden spurt in the cases of cybercrime, involving deep fakes. There is a rise in the trend of AI-based voice cloning, deepfake videos (videos morphed using AI tools) or morphed images," said Triveni Singh, superintendent of police (SP), cybercrime, UP Police.

THE UP WAY

Sources said UP witnessed the first case almost a year ago, where cybercriminals made deepfake images. Initially, it was restricted to images, but, of late, cases of deepfake videos and audios have increased," SP cybercrime said. Cybercriminals are widely using artificial intelligence (AI) generated voice cloning or voice deepfake to impersonate the voice of the person known to the victim to siphon off the money. It could be in the voice of a family member, a dear friend or an office colleague asking to transfer funds into their account."

UP GOVERNMENTS PLANS

UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced establishment of 57 new dedicated cyber police stations across the state to tackle cybercrimes.

In recent times, the nature of crime has changed due to the misuse of technology. Diverse kinds of cyber frauds related to customer care, pension, electricity bill, work from home, sextortion, loan app, parcel, franchisee, fake betting app, crypto investment fraud and others have surfaced. Common man is becoming a direct victim of this. To avoid this, we have to be vigilant at every level," UP CM was quoted in a press release.

ALSO READ | PM Expresses Concern over Deepfake: What is the AI Technology, How it is Created & Laws Against It

A DEDICATED HELPLINE TO TACKLE DEEPFAKES

The UP government is all set to launch a dedicated helpline to tackle deepfakes. Besides, the UP cyber police is also working on tools that would be used to identify deepfakes. We are already working on the tools that can be used to identify deepfakes. We are also planning to launch a dedicated helpline apart from the regular helpline (1930) to tackle the cases of deepfakes. People can also report the matter on the existing helpline," the SP cyber police said.
First visuals of the workers trapped inside the under-construction Silkyara tunnel surfaced on Tuesday amid the ongoing rescue operations at the site of collapse.

The Uttarakhand Chief Ministers Office (CMO) took to its X handle and shared the visuals of the workers, which was recorded by a endoscopic camera and said that they are safe inside the tunnel. The post said, You can also see live pictures of workers trapped in Silkyara Tunnel. Endoscope camera sent into the tunnel, all workers safe inside the tunnel.

                       pic.twitter.com/p8uSMJd99o CM Office Uttarakhand (@ukcmo) November 21, 2023

The workers were seen wearing their white and yellow helmets and talking to each other.

Earlier, National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDLC) Director Anshu Manish Khalkho said that cameras would be inserted through the pipeline to check how the workers were doing.

Meanwhile, the vertical drilling machine from the upper part of the hill from above the tunnel, reached the tunnel site early on Tuesday. The officials, in a major breakthrough yesterday, had successfully drilled in a 57-metre long and 6-inch wide lifeline pipe. This pipe will be used to send larger quantities of solid food and water to the trapped workers.

Uttarakhand HC Seeks Response From Govt, Central Agencies

The Uttarakhand High Court on Monday sought responses from the State government and the central agencies on the ongoing rescue operations within 48 hours. The court has also asked the authorities to inform about the measures taken to rescue the 41 workers trapped inside the partially collapsed tunnel.

This comes after a public interest litigation (PIL) related to the rescue operation was filed by a Dehradun-based NGO Samadhan.

A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Manoj Kumari Tiwari and Justice Pankaj Purohit asked the state government to submit its reply to the court within 48 hours and also issued notices to the disaster management secretary, public works department, central government, and National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation. The court has scheduled the next hearing for November 22.

PM Modi Takes Stock of Rescue Ops

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday spoke to Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and took stock of the ongoing rescue operations at the partially collapsed tunnel in Uttarkashi.

The prime minister was extensively briefed by CM Dhami and told him that all the workers were safe with oxygen, nutritious food and constant supply of water.

Workers In Hope Of a Quick Rescue, Say They Are In a Bad Condition

Officials on Monday spoke to the trapped workers through a narrow pipe, where the workers pleaded them for a quick rescue and expressed their agony.

According to a Times of India report, a representative of the Uttar Pradesh government spoke to the workers. Eight of 41 persons trapped are from UP.

On one hand the representative consoled them saying that they will be rescued soon and asked them to stay strong. And on the other, one of the workers talking to him said that although they are getting good, all of them are in bad condition. What is the progress of the rescue work? Please take us out quickly. It is getting harder and harder with each passing day, the worker was quoted as saying.

Former advisor to the prime minister and now OSD in the Uttarakhand government, Bhaskar Khulbe on Sunday had said that concerted efforts would produce good results in four to five days.

(With PTI inputs)
15 of the 41 workers stranded are from Jharkhand (Districts  Giridih, Ranchi, East Singhbhum, Khunti). The Jharkhand Government team was put on standby in Uttarkashi.

All 15 workers stranded will be airlifted from Dehradun to Ranchi.

Airlifting is to be done after they are declared medically fit by the doctors team: Rajesh Prasad, Joint Labour Commissioner, Government of Jharkhand
As rescue operations at the Uttarakhand tunnel collapse site entered day 10, all the trapped workers on Tuesday received their first full-fledged cooked meal through the six-inch-wide lifeline pipe, which was drilled a day back.

According to ANI, the 41 trapped workers, who are said to be in a healthy state, were given veg pulao, butter chapati and matar paneer for dinner on Tuesday night. It is believed to be their first proper meal in over 9 days since they have been stranded inside the rubble.

#WATCH | Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand) tunnel rescue | Sanjeet Rana, a cook says, "We have cooked veg pulao, mattar paneer, and butter chapati for the people trapped inside. We have packed the food in an accurate portion. The food is less spicy and less oily" pic.twitter.com/aW6qq3Heyf ANI (@ANI) November 21, 2023

We have cooked veg pulao, mattar paneer, and butter chapati for the people trapped inside. We have packed the food in an accurate portion. The food is less spicy and less oily, said Sanjeet Rana, the cook who prepared the meal for the trapped workers.

Rana said that he received instructions from the authorities to prepare healthy food with less spice and oil keeping in mind their digestive and health condition.

Uttarkashi Tunnel Collapse LIVE: Specialist Equipment Airlfited to Rescue Site; NDMA Says Workers Getting Sufficient Oxygen, Water

Another cook, who was part of the team said that they prepared around 150 packets with a decent portion of paneer, pulao and 2 chapatis each for the trapped workers.

We have cooked food for the people trapped inside. We are giving rice and paneer today in the food. We have made around 150 packets for them. All items have been prepared under the supervision of the doctor. We have given all easy-to-digest food, one of the cooks told ANI.

https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1726972864199630937

How Was The Food Transferred to The Workers

The food was transferred through the 6-inch food pipeline, which was laid on Monday and became fully functional this morning. So far, it has facilitated the successful delivery of essential sustenance, including 5-10 kgs of various fruits such as apples, oranges, sweet lime, and 5 dozen bananas.

About 5-10 kg each of different fruits like apples, oranges, sweet lime etc and 5 dozen bananas have been successfully delivered inside, the statement said. According to the statement, preparations are now afoot to send cooked food like Khichdi, Roti-Sabzi etc.

In addition, packets of medicine, salt and electrol have also been sent.

Earlier on Monday, the tapped workers got their first hot meal, Khichdi, stored in a bottle, hours after an alternative six-inch lifeline pipe reached the Silkyara tunnel.

Meanwhile, top NDMA experts on Tuesday briefed the country about the rescue operation underway at the Uttarkashi tunnel collapse site adding that all the 41 workers trapped inside are in good shape and are getting sufficient oxygen, water and food.

The rescue team also received the first visuals of trapped workers captured using an endoscopic camera sent in through a 6-inch pipeline.

Rescue operations are being carried out on a war footing since portions of the tunnel collapsed following a landslide early on November 12, leaving the workers trapped behind a huge mound of debris.
A federal appeals court has upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by Dakota Access Pipeline protesters who alleged excessive force by law officers seven years ago in south central North Dakota.

Meanwhile, several other excessive force cases stemming from the protest are continuing to play out in the federal court system.

Nine protesters sued in November 2016 alleging violations of their civil rights due to officers tactics including the use of tear gas, rubber bullets, shotgun bean bags, and water sprays amid temperatures below freezing during a clash that month over a blockaded bridge.

The lead plaintiff in the case was Vanessa Dundon, a Navajo from Arizona who said she suffered an eye injury. Defendants included Morton and Stutsman counties, the city of Mandan, the law enforcement chiefs for those entities, and 100 unnamed officers. Officers said they were outnumbered and feared for their lives during the incident in which protesters set fires, and asked that the lawsuit be dismissed.

U.S. District Judge Daniel Traynor in December 2021 sided with law enforcement, saying officers acted reasonably during an unprecedented incident. The violent clash between police and protesters who feared environmental harm from the pipeline became the emblematic skirmish of the protest just north of the Standing Rock Indian Reservation that saw 761 arrests over a six-month span in 2016-17.

The appeal

Dundon and the other plaintiffs appealed to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in January 2022. A three-judge panel of the court recently affirmed Traynor's decision. The judges concluded the protestors had not proven that officers violated their constitutional rights, including against unreasonable seizures, which the protestors said applied because the use of force restricted their freedom of movement.

The judges wrote that "The protestors maintain that the officers effected a seizure when they used force against them with an intent to disperse the crowd. The municipalities argue, however, that when an officer's use of force is designed to disperse a crowd, there is no seizure."

The judges said "the law is not clearly established" on whether force used only to compel a departure -- and not to apprehend a suspect -- constitutes a seizure. But they concluded that "the protestors have not established that the individual officers violated a clearly established right under the Fourth Amendment, because it was not clearly established as of November 2016 that use of force to disperse a crowd was a seizure."

The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects against unreasonable searches and seizures.

The judges also concluded that Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier, Stutsman County Sheriff Chad Kaiser and Mandan Police Chief Jason Ziegler did not impose an unconstitutional policy of using excessive force against protesters, and that those law enforcement leaders and the government entities named as defendants did not inadequately train and supervise officers.

"A municipality's policy of leaving the decision of whether and how to use force to the individual officer's discretion is not an unconstitutional policy," the ruling said.

Randall Bakke, attorney for the defendants, told the Tribune that "Morton County and the other defendants are pleased with the 8th Circuit appellate courts decision to uphold the North Dakota federal district courts dismissal of all the plaintiffs claims against them."

Rachel Lederman, attorney for the protestors, told the Tribune: "This has been a hard-fought struggle by Indigenous-led water protectors to vindicate their constitutional rights, which were so egregiously violated at Standing Rock. It is disappointing to see the federal courts readily absolve law enforcement who brutally pummeled nonviolent, peaceful people with freezing high pressure water and dangerous, maiming munitions for hours on end."

Other cases

Law enforcement has long denied using excessive force against the thousands of pipeline opponents who camped near the reservation to protest construction of the pipeline. Authorities maintain some protesters used violent and illegal tactics and assaulted officers.

Many protesters allege law enforcement acted unreasonably and violated their rights. Other excessive force lawsuits stemming from the DAPL protests are ongoing.

Trial is scheduled in July 2024 in the case of Marcus Mitchell, an Arizona man of Navajo heritage who alleges he suffered a serious eye injury at the hands of North Dakota law officers who violated his civil rights.

Traynor in December 2020 threw out the lawsuit, and Mitchell appealed. The 8th Circuit ruled that Traynor properly dismissed Mitchell's claims of retaliatory use of force and retaliatory arrest, and also upheld Traynor's conclusion that Mitchell had not been targeted by law officers because of his race. But the appeals judges ruled Traynor had improperly tossed Mitchell's claim of excessive force, and sent that claim back to U.S. District Court.

Oklahoma resident Eric Poemoceah sued in April 2020, claiming he suffered a broken pelvis when he was tackled while running from law officers in February 2017. Traynor in December 2020 dismissed the complaint, and Poemoceah appealed. His case is still before the 8th Circuit.

New York City resident Sophia Wilansky alleges police intentionally targeted her with a concussion grenade and maimed her left arm. Police maintain her injuries were caused by a propane canister that protesters rigged to explode. Traynor in October 2020 dismissed several of Wilansky's claims including defamation but allowed numerous others to proceed, including some excessive force, assault and emotional distress claims. Her case is still proceeding in federal court.

Two photographers also have individually sued law enforcement in federal court, claiming officers used excessive force against them and violated their constitutional rights when they were trying to cover the protest. Tracie Dawn Williams, who said she was on assignment for the National Press Photographers Association, and Oregon photographer Tonita Cervantes both were arrested while they said they were working to film the protest. A misdemeanor charge of physical obstruction of a government function was filed against both women and ultimately dismissed in both cases. Defendants named in the lawsuits have asked Traynor to dismiss both complaints.

The pipeline has been operating since June 2017, moving up to 750,000 barrels of oil a day from western North Dakota's Bakken oil patch to a distribution point in Illinois. Opponents fear environmental contamination if it leaks, particularly into the Missouri River, the source of the Standing Rock Tribe's drinking water. Developer and operator Energy Transfer maintains the pipeline is safe.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which permitted the pipeline's crossing beneath the Missouri just north of the reservation, is conducting a lengthy court-ordered environmental impact statement study of the crossing. It ultimately will determine the pipeline's future. A decision is expected late next year.
After the controversy surrounding Saif Ali Khan and Mohd Zeeshan Ayyubs Tandav, several filmmakers had to either shelve certain projects or make changes in their scripts to avoid similar backlash. This also included Anurag Kashyap who had to stop making his adaptation of Suketu Mehtas Maximum City after streaming giant Netflix backed out of the project. Anurag recently spoke about the impact this step had on him.

Speaking to The Washington Post, Anurag said, It was my best work. Ive never done such honest, important work. Anurag added that Netflix backing out of Maximum City after Amazon Prime received backlash for Tandav is a form of invisible censorship. He said that while Netflix did not give him any specific reason, he thought that either the script was too sensitive for the countrys political climate or they didnt want to associate themselves with Anurag back then.

Maximum City was where all my energy went. I was heartbroken. I totally lost it, he said. Anurag added that after the film got shelved, he went into deep depression and took to drinking alcohol. He also revealed that he suffered two heart attacks during this period. Anurag said, Streaming was finally the space I was waiting for. The disappointment is it was supposed to be a revolution, but it was not. Like social media, it was supposed to empower people, but it became a tool.

Earlier in February, Anurag spoke to The Lallantop about the film and said, Its written, but were figuring out the next steps. Netflix was supposed to do it earlier, but they arent doing it any more. The project had been green-lit, but a lot has changed since then on streaming. Lots of projects have stalled, like Paatal Lok season two

Maximum City is a non-fiction novel that depicts four perspectives on how people live in Mumbai. The book is also a Pulitzer Prize finalist.
Achieving a remarkable milestone in her illustrious career, Content Czarina Ekta R Kapoor has added another prestigious accolade to her impressive list of global achievements. At the 51st International Emmys in New York, Ekta has been awarded the esteemed International Emmy Directorate Award. She was presented the award by the renowned author and new age leader, Deepak Chopra.

With this, Ekta Kapoor has become the First Indian Woman Filmmaker to receive the International Emmy Directorate Award, underlining the uniqueness and impact of her contributions to the industry. One of the most accomplished Producers, ruling the industry for decades now, Ektaas win is not merely a personal triumph but a recognition of her unconventional and ground-breaking work, consistently delivering content that resonates with a diverse and extensive audience.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by EktaaRkapoor (@ektarkapoor)

Reflecting on this momentous achievement, the successful producer expressed her gratitude, stating, Im delighted to receive the prestigious Emmys Directorate Award! It brings me immense joy and happiness to be honoured at a global scale, such as this.

Ive always wanted to tell stories because they give me a chance to be heard, seen and represented. I am grateful for the audiences love that has opened doors for me, allowing me to transition from television to the world of films and OTT. Each story that I told became a bridge to connect with audiences on many levels. The unexpected turns this journey took are a testament to the power of love showered by the people of India and beyond. My heart is filled with gratitude, and a stronger resolve to make a positive impact through my work for audiences, she added.

The International Emmy Awards ceremony were held in New York City on November 20. While Vir Das won an Emmy for Comedy, Shefali Shah lost out on her Emmy. The actress lost the award to Mexican actress Karla Souza for her performance in the series La Cada [Dive]. The actresses were nominated alongside Connie Nielsen for the Danish project The Dreamer, Becoming Karen Blixen, and Billie Piper in I Hate Suzie Too.
Actor Nicholas Hoult is all set to step into the shoes of Lex Luthor, Supermans iconic archnemesis in the upcoming film Superman: Legacy as revealed by sources close to the production led by director James Gunn, as per Deadline. This casting decision follows Gunns earlier selections of David Corenswet for the title role of Superman and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane. The studios choice of Hoult for the iconic role of Lex Luthor stems from a comprehensive casting process prompted by the SAG-AFTRA strike. Hoult, a British actor with notable roles in Mad Max: Fury Road and Clint Eastwoods Juror No. 2, has an established relationship with Warner Bros.

He has previously portrayed the Marvel/X-Men character Beast and earned acclaim for his performance in Hulus The Great, securing an Emmy nomination in 2022.

Adding to the films ensemble, Venezuelan actress Maria Gabriela de Faria has been cast as the villain, The Engineer. Hoult now joins the ranks of distinguished actors such as Gene Hackman, Kevin Spacey, and Jesse Eisenberg, who have all portrayed Lex Luthor in the Warner Bros. Superman franchise throughout the years.

Lex Luthor, introduced in 1940, has undergone various on-screen interpretations, with actors like Hackman opposite Christopher Reeve, Spacey against Brandon Routh, and Eisenberg in Zack Snyders Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Gunns casting decisions for Corenswet and Brosnahan were made after extensive auditions, ensuring a well-rounded main cast for Superman: Legacy. Known for his directorial work on Guardians of the Galaxy, The Suicide Squad, and the Peacemaker series, Gunn is helming the film from his own screenplay based on DC characters, reports Deadline.

The production, overseen by co-DC Boss Peter Safran (Aquaman, Aquaman 2, The Conjuring franchise), has set a worldwide release date for July 11, 2025. Superman: Legacy plays a pivotal role in Gunn and Safrans strategic plan for the first phase of the revamped film slate, as announced earlier this year.

Hoult, represented by UTA, 42, and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern, brings his diverse acting experience to the highly anticipated superhero film, promising an engaging portrayal of the iconic villain Lex Luthor.

Talking about the movie itself, as per DC Studios, Superman: Legacy narrates the story of Supermans journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent of Smallville, Kansas. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way, guided by human kindness in a world that sees kindness as old-fashioned, informs ComicBook.
In 2023, Shah Rukh Khan has truly been the star of Bollywood, making a big impact with two blockbuster films  Pathaan and Jawan. These successes have played a crucial role in reviving the film industry post-pandemic. As Rajkumar Hiranis ambitious next Dunki awaits its release, Shah Rukh Khan continues to shine in what has been an exceptional year for him. Despite his unwavering commitment to each project throughout his career, SRK revealed during his appearance on the 2016 talk show Yaaron Ki Baraat that he took on only one film in his entire career for financial reasons.

During the chat, Shah Rukh, without disclosing the films name confessed to doing one film solely for monetary gains. He said, Main naam nahi lunga par sirf ek film maine paise ke liye ki thi. Maine abhi tak 60 films ki hai. Aur mujhe malum bhi tha, maine producer ko bhi bol dia tha, maine ghar liya tha uss film ki fees se, mujhe bahut zaroorat thi. Jab mere halaat theek-thak hogaye, toh jab maine recently apni saare films vapas khareedna shuru kiya, woh pehli film thi jo maine vapas li, mujh aisa lagta hai ki maine uss film ki payment vapas ki hai (I will not take its name, but I have only done one film for money. I have done 60 films till now. I bought my first house from the fees of that film. I needed that money. But when I got financial stability and I started buying my films, that was the first film I bought. I feel I have returned the payment of that film).

He added, Mujhe dil nahi tha woh film karne ka, par maine ek he film aj tak apna zameer bhechke paisa ke liye ki hai (I didnt have the heart to do that film, but that was the only film for which I sold my conscience for money).

Shah Rukh Khan will be next seen in Jawan.
Vir Das brings home an International Emmy trophy! The comedian won the International Emmy Award for Comedy at the International Emmy Awards 2023. The comedian won the award for his popular Netflix special Vir Das: Landing. The comedian shared the award with Derry Girls Season 3. Both titles were nominated alongside Frances Le Flambeau annd Argentinas El Encargado. The news of his win was shared by the official International Emmy Awards handle on X, previously known as Twitter.

We have a Tie! The International Emmy for Comedy goes to Vir Das: Landing produced by Weirdass Comedy / Rotten Science / Netflix #iemmyWIN, the handle posted, along with a picture of Vir Das. Congratulations have been pouring in since the announcement.

We have a Tie! The International Emmy for Comedy goes to Vir Das: Landing produced by Weirdass Comedy / Rotten Science / Netflix#iemmyWIN pic.twitter.com/XxJnWObM1y International Emmy Awards (@iemmys) November 21, 2023

Speaking about his win, Vir said, This moment is truly surreal  an incredible honor that feels like a dream. Winning an Emmy for Vir Das: Landing in the Comedy Category is not just a milestone for me but for Indian comedy as a whole. Its heartening to see Vir Das: Landing resonate globally, thanks to Netflix, Akash Sharma and Reg Tigerman who made it special. My journey from crafting local stories to receiving a global accolade has been both challenging and rewarding, and Netflix has been instrumental in that growth. Im excited about the continued exploration of diverse narratives, from Noida to the International Emmys  India gets you there.

He also shared pictures with the trophy on social media.

For India For Indian Comedy. Every breath, every word. Thank you to the @iemmys for this incredible honour. pic.twitter.com/Jb1744aZiy Vir Das (@thevirdas) November 21, 2023

The International Emmy Awards ceremony were held in New York City on November 20. While Vir won, Shefali Shah lost out on her Emmy. The actress lost the award to to Mexican actress Karla Souza for her performance in the series La Cada [Dive]. The actresses were nominated alongside Connie Nielsen for the Danish project The Dreamer, Becoming Karen Blixen, and Billie Piper in I Hate Suzie Too.
Since the swearing-in of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 26, 2014, India has experienced a significant shift in its political landscape. The initial tremors of this seismic shift were felt during his tenure as the chief minister of Gujarat. In this article, I will not only address the political consequences of Modis time in office but also the diplomatic implications on the global stage.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which had been struggling to achieve a majority in the Indian political landscape for years, gained prominence in 2014, winning decisively in the general elections with Narendra Modi as the key factor behind this triumph. Few could have envisioned that the number 282 would emerge as a formidable roadblock for the Congress in the years to come. Since assuming the role of prime minister, Modi has emerged as one of the most assertive, dominant, and productive leaders in Indias history. In 2015, he surged six places from the previous year, ranking as the ninth most influential leader in the world.

Being recognised as one of the most influential and frequently searched leaders on the internet comes with its share of responsibilities, successes, setbacks, and failures. In the same year, then-US President Barack Obama was the Chief Guest at the Republic Day Parade in New Delhi. During the event, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi coined the phrase Suit Boot Ki Sarkar to describe Modis government.

India also climbed to the top of the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) rankings, surpassing both China and the US, and improved its ranking on the World Banks Ease of Doing Business index by 12 positions. Despite these accomplishments, Modi faced challenges in state elections in Bihar and Delhi.

From Manchester to Wembley, India moved from being an outsider to reclaiming its position on the global stage. Modi transitioned from winning a majority to dreaming of transforming India into a global superpower, all while amassing a significant diplomatic record. This remarkable journey wasnt solely the result of policy and agendas but was substantiated by 51 trips to 42 nations worldwide. In his first two years in office, Modi demonstrated that he was not a leader to engage in empty rhetoric or follow in the footsteps of his predecessors.

This was evident in his August 15, 2016 speech where he criticised Pakistan for supporting cross-border terrorism and expressed support for the Baloch Freedom Struggle and the people of Gilgit and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). He also appealed to the youth of Jammu and Kashmir to abandon violence and pursue constructive paths to fulfill their dreams. In response to Modis speech, Pakistans Foreign Secretary delivered a letter to the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad, inviting S Jaishankar to Pakistan for talks on the Jammu and Kashmir issue. This firm stance towards Pakistan garnered international attention and praise for eschewing the rhetoric of dialogue and reconciliation.

Notably, Modis demonetisation policy in November 2016 was seen as a setback for his government in future elections. The aftermath of the Uri attacks led to a surgical strike in PoK by the Indian Army, a display of Indias new approach that surprised the world.

Moving into 2017, the inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States marked a turning point in India-US relations, causing ripples in global geopolitics. When Modi visited the US, his first meeting with Trump emphasised the importance of peace, stability, and security in the Indo-Pacific region. Both leaders pledged to cooperate in combating terrorist safe havens, leading Trump to remark that India-US ties had never been stronger. This partnership led India and the US to stand united against terrorism. In 2018, India implemented the Ayushman Bharat scheme and achieved complete electrification of the entire country.

A significant event occurred in February 2019 following the Pulwama attack in Jammu and Kashmir, when Pakistan attempted to exploit the situation for electoral purposes. Under Modis leadership, India not only held Pakistan accountable but also issued a stern warning, demanding the swift return of a captured fighter pilot. This message was directed not only at Pakistan but also at China, which supported Pakistans sponsorship of terrorism. Modis departure from traditional dialogue and his strong political response garnered international attention and praise.

In May 2019, Modi was re-elected as prime minister for a second term, embarking on Modi 2.0. He faced the weight of both his past achievements and the expectations of his first term. Within three months of his second term, he revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, Articles 370 and 35-A. This move sent a clear message to Imran Khan and Nawaz Sharif, who had referred to Burhan Wani as a martyr in 2016, and it was well-received by many. While Modi received praise for this action, Imran Khan, in his UN General Assembly speech, warned of a potential bloodbath in Kashmir. While Khan sought support from China, Malaysia, and Turkey, Modi secured the backing of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and four members of the UN Security Council, who deemed the decision an internal matter of India.

Amid these diplomatic developments, Modi was steadily strengthening Indias position, preventing external intervention in the Kashmir issue. This was further supported by Donald Trump. The Modi-Trump alliance in refusing to tolerate bullying garnered attention worldwide and displeased China, anti-Trump US leaders, Chinas allies, Pakistan, Turkey, Malaysia, and others.

By restraining bilateral and multilateral negotiations, the influence of the Muslim worlds interference was diminishing. Modi, in partnership with Trump, was on a mission to make India great again. Its worth noting that it wasnt just Trump who aligned with Modis policies. In 2019, the UAE awarded Modi the Order of Zayed, the countrys highest civilian award. While Modi and Trump presented a united front against China, the cautious stance of the UAE and Saudi Arabia was further isolating Pakistan.

In the years 2020-22, with the decline of Donald Trump, China escalated tensions with India in the Ladakh and Arunachal regions, resulting in casualties on both sides. Chinas attempt to encroach on Indian territory in the Galwan Valley after years of diplomatic efforts by both countries led to clashes between their armies. Indias resolute stance in facing Chinese troops at Doklam and Galwan only further antagonised China. As India rose to become a global power, recovering what had been lost in previous diplomatic missteps, China resorted to various tactics to assert itself in the Himalayan region and through Pakistan.

Not to forget the demonstration of strength in its recent standoff with Canada over the Khalistan row, firmly upholding its position and boldly navigating diplomatic and international pressures. Indias resolute stance and decisive actions in the face of the dispute showcased a departure from its previous diplomatic approaches, emphasising a heightened sense of geopolitical awareness. In essence, Modis handling of the recent standoff with Canada not only bolstered its position on the Khalistan issue but also highlighted a new era of diplomatic finesse and resilience in the face of international complexities.

Returning to the global political stage, its worth mentioning Time Magazines poster on Modi, labelling him as Indias Divider in Chief and the question: Can India endure another 5 years of Modis government? This poster, along with the topic of what unfolded for Modi in 2019, bears relevance in the context of the current Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the hard power dynamics impacting democracy in Bangladesh. Such moves, orchestrated by the US against leaders not favoured by the deep state and corrupt power brokers, are a recurring pattern. Those who obstruct Washingtons pursuit of profit through global conflicts or create conditions for conflict in any nation become targets of the Regime Change Policy Conflict.

As the 2024 Lok Sabha elections approach, India will likely face challenges from allies and non-allies seeking to destabilise Modis leadership. These challenges may manifest as riots, radicalisation, polarisation, terrorism, and other means aimed at toppling Modi, who symbolises peace and the dissolution of conflicts that sustain industries built on turmoil.

India should now brace for an impact.

The author is an Engineer, former BJP Youth Wing Spokesperson, and a columnist. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.
A news report of the UP government crackdown on businesses using fake documents for Halal certification has created a lot of ado, including the backlash and flak from the usual suspects, a clique that intolerantly and vehemently propounds its tolerance just for the fact that Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath is perceived as the Hindutva icon and that he unabashedly asserts his Hindu ascetic identity. The state police have filed a FIR for the phoney branding of products as halal in order for financial gain. The FIR filed in Lucknow names several businesses that exploit consumers faith by acquiring bogus certificates to classify various items as halal. Halal India Pvt. Ltd., Chennai; Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind Halal Trust, New Delhi; and Halal Council of India, Mumbai, are among them.

Halal is an Arabic term that implies permissibility. Halal-certified products claim to have met the standards of Islamic law and are suitable for a Muslim to partake in. Muslims consider meat obtained in accordance with Islamic principles to be halal.

The Sunnah (jurisprudence) with regard to slaughter is to make the animal face towards the qiblah, but that is not obligatory. If he slaughters it facing any other direction, his slaughter is halal, but he has omitted a Sunnah. This entails severing the cattle or poultrys jugular vein, carotid artery (which transports blood from the brain to the heart and vice versa), and windpipe with a sharp knife at the front of the neck. The animals must be alive and healthy at the time of slaughter, and the carcass must be free of blood. Only a Muslim can perform the slaughter. During the process, it is also prescribed to recite religious Islamic prayers, known as shahada.

Halal also acts as a powerful tool of economic apartheid and a gateway activity for religious exclusion and eventually conversion. This excludes non-Muslims from the process. Since Hindus and Sikhs have not been sticklers to their way of slaughter so far because of greater secularisation and very little idea about how halal economics work, most of the meat sold in India is halal, observes senior journalist Abhijit Majumdar in an enthralling article for the FirstPost.

This abstruse halal certification for slaughtered meat was introduced in 1974 due to the absence of any prior recorded documentation. The Muslim world expanded the scope of halal certification in 1993 to include other items. Ludicrously, halal isnt just limited to meat; even vegetarian products like coffee, paneer, nuts, soya, et al, come with a halal certification these days to show that they dont include any haram ingredients like alcohol, pig fat, and so on.

Even cosmetics that are haram, i.e. non permissible in Islam are touted with a halal certification! Our indigenous brands such as CavinKare, Daawat rice, Bikano, Goldwinner oil, Vadilal ice cream, Amrutanjan Health Care, Baba Ramdevs Patanjali, Haldiram, Bikanervala and Gujarat Ambuja Exports are compelled to pursue halal certification in order to gain a stronger presence in markets like Singapore, Malaysia, and the Gulf Cooperation Council.

It is time that the subject is gauged in a diligent, sagacious, fastidious and objective manner, precluding the alleged communal tilt that a select voice in the media, academia, or polity is trying to give the issue that only pertains to the gig economy around health and food choice of millions. Delving a bit further, one would concur that this is a global phenomenon and not merely a state-centric or Bharat-centric issue. Halal food fraud is fast gaining public interest. Consumers are no longer satisfied accepting food products certified as halal at face value, aware of the potential for false advertising or food fraud. George Christensen, an Australian politician, claims that the funds generated through the halal economy facilitate the spread of Sharia law and extremism in his country. There are even rumours of the money being used for terrorism.

In India, the halal economy is worth around $100 billion and growing rapidly by the day. Director Rupesh Paul, in his book, Fuck Off, notes, Halal economy is a big thing here. Sharia-compliant companies and halal Food Indexes are rising to fame, promoting greater investment in the halal industry. This is how the funds generated from halal go back into the system and generate more produce and money through Islamic banking and financial services. This is certainly developing an Islamic stronghold over the world. He further goes on, Even cosmetics were Haram once. However, a significant amount of money is involved, and naturally, it has been made halal. Whats more, Dominos, Kelloggs, Vadilal Ice cream and many other non-halal-certified pre-existing chains and products are allowed to function in Islamic countries only when they pay a hefty sum to gain a halal certification. The money goes into strengthening the Islamic system. An entire guiding system exists for keeping non-Muslim consumers in the loop and maximising profits. Its a pretty well-drafted and calculated move on the part of Islamic communities.

In a democracy like India, where the government has set up FSSAI to certify a product, it is nothing but extortion, especially for non-meaty products. Even if one takes into account the religious sensitivities of Muslims vis-a-vis halal meat, and for that, a body exclusively comprising Muslims can be set up, the government can easily set up its own halal certification centre for non-meat products and earn easy money. The government, which doesnt mind extorting Hindu temples for money in the name of managing them while pursuing a laissez-faire approach with minority institutions, religious or otherwise, may find this idea quite appealing, opines senior journalist Utpal Kumar in a scathing article.

We need to address a few pertinent questions without mincing words.

Should the Indian economy allow this Sharia-inspired parallel economy of Halal to persist, thus compromising the secular credentials of the national economy? An organisation like Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind (JUH), one of the oldest halal certifying trusts in India, is constantly in the news for their legal support of the accused in terror-related cases. Even in murder cases, like in the case of Kamlesh Tiwari, bomb blasts and terror funding cases, the organisation extended legal support to the accused. Under the garb of Nehruvian secularism that we espouse as a nation-state, what are the chances of these so-called private trusts misappropriating funds (already under the legal probe) detrimental to national integrity and sovereignty when given a free run? While this Islamist certification must cost a fee, how fair is it for the majority in Bharat to bear this illicit extra cost when it is completely unwarranted, untoward and unwanted? Does the existence and prevalence of these quasi-certifying bodies nullify the existence of FSSAI? Is it truly secular to impose a religious (communal) food choice on someone, even if inadvertently, leaving aside his consent? This halal represents a form of apartheid: economic and religious. Do we need such entities that may catapult in the snapping of ties between two communitiespitting one against anotherat the cost of wooing one while putting the internal peace of the nation on the altar? Bharat is also known as the birthplace of religion. Where will it stop if every religion, sect or community starts seeking legitimacy for its food preferences?

Time is propitious for the other states to follow the lead of UP CM Adityanath in prohibiting the felonious halal certification.
By going public about the number of Indian military personnel in his country and also disclosing that the two nations had signed more than 100 agreements under the previous government, the newly-minted Maldives President, Dr Mohamed Muizzu, has set the road for the future of bilateral relations between the two countries. On Sunday, November 19, which was day three of his presidency and the first working day of the new government, a senior officer attached to the Presidents Office (PO) told newsmen that 77 Indian military personnel were stationed in the archipelago nation, and gave the breakdown: 24 to manage the first helicopter, 25 to manage the Dornier aircraft, 26 to manage the second helicopter, and two more for maintenance and engineering.

All three flying machines were gifted by India, which is also meeting the expenses of their personnel. The official figure comes close to previous local media reports that had put the number of Indian military personnel at 75, of course without giving a breakdown. Incidentally, there was no mention of any of the Indian military personnel carrying weapons or the presence of any, onboard those platforms. This has vindicated repeated Indian assertion that there was none to be able to dub those personnel as combat soldiers as the Maldivian social media had done, pre-poll.

The presidential spokesman also said that the previous Solih government had signed (around) 100 agreements with India, other than those related to development projects. He said that the new government was reviewing them all and clarified that it is a time-consuming process. He did not say what they intend to do if they find any (alleged) infirmities in any of these agreements that are already in force  and seen from their own perspective.

Such a course can question the credibility, longevity and sustainability of all agreements signed by any Maldivian government, including the present one, as institutional mechanisms, systems and schemes would have given way to partisan political considerations that can change with every government, every leadership, and even every foreign minister, as may happen on occasions.

Yet, from an Indian perspective, full disclosure by Muizzus office has implicitly acknowledged that there are no Indian military personnel, especially on the Uthuru Thila Falhu (UTF) island site of a new harbour India has funded for the Maldivian Coast Guard. Likewise, there is no mention of any Indian personnel stationed at the Maldivian Police Academy, funded and built by India, in the southern population centre, Addu. By extension, the spokesman, by not referring to it, has seemingly acknowledged that the presence of Indian military personnel, if any, in relation to these projects was a temporary affair, for the new government to be overly bothered about it.

Thus, Muizzus office has given a lie to past media claims and social media posts that claimed otherwise, and repeatedly so. In a way, this should have also removed what could be termed as Muizzus uninformed suspicions aired by him in the run-up to the presidential poll in September, and even later, as the predecessor government of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, stubbornly declined to share the details with the people, say, through Parliament. Whatever information it shared on the UTF agreement, the then Opposition, as if an after-thought, was inadequate and incomplete. In his early election speeches, Muizzu had promised to disclose all agreements by the previous governments but did not say the modus. India is not the only country with which the Solih dispensation had signed agreements, whatever the numbers, whatever the purpose and funding, if any.

Unlike often understood in India and elsewhere, the Solih dispensation had signed development agreements with China, among others. The last two agreements that it signed with a foreign partner were with China, in the last fortnight ahead of the first-round presidential poll on September 9. One was for setting up solar power storage batteries on 24 islands. The other  the more controversial one between the two  was to build 100-bed tertiary hospitals in northern Kulhudhuffushi, close to the Indian mainland and southern Thinadhoo, not too far away from the Indian Ocean sea lanes.

However, Muizzus spokesman did not mention anything about revisiting the Chinese agreements. Nor was there any mention of appealing against the ruling of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLS) on the drawing/re-drawing of the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) with Ocean neighbour, Mauritius. Muizzu had mentioned it both during his campaign and post-victory media interviews. If any special delegation from Mauritius had graced Muizzus inauguration, reports and pictures were conspicuous by their absence in Maldivian websites and media.

Hence, the question of Muizzu taking the ITLS issue, along with predecessor Solih conceding what his critics considered Maldivian Ocean territory to Mauritius through a secret letter to Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth, does not arise. As may be recalled, the Solih dispensation had readily authenticated a leaked social media post of the said letter, ahead of the second round of the presidential polls on September 30. Neither the leak nor the contents of the letter held back as secret for close to a year, and contained anything that the Opposition construed as against national interests.

Personally conveyed

President Muizzu conveyed his request for New Delhi to call back the military personnel when Indias Minister of State for Earth Sciences, Kiren Rijiju, paid a courtesy call on him after attending his swearing-in a day earlier on Friday, November 17. Another leader in his place may have waited for some time to pass before taking up such a sensitive/controversial issue, especially with an immediate neighbour. Not Muizzu, who stuck to his poll promise of taking it up with India on day one of his presidency. He had earlier taken it up when Indian High Commissioner Munu Mahawar paid a courtesy call on him after his election and reiterated the same in public any number of times since.

It was among Muizzus major campaign points, especially in the second round, after Solih had promised free access to UTF apart from civilian housing on the island, to disprove claims of secrecy regarding the nature of the harbour project. Social media claims had described UTF as an under-construction naval base for India, and that numerous Indian military personnel were already stationed there on a permanent/rotational basis. So much so, he made a veiled reference to the Indian military presence in the country in his Inauguration address to the nation: We will not have any foreign military personnel in the MaldivesWhen it comes to our security, I will draw a red line. The Maldives will respect the red lines of other countries too.

Whether he thought it was a matter of protocol, or superfluous, Muizzu did not name any country in his speech. At the same time, he seemed to have given a concession to Mauritius on the territorial issue as he did not even remotely refer to the IMBL matter. However, ahead of the swearing-in ceremony, he had told an international media agency that his intention was not to upend the regional balance by replacing the Indian military with Chinese troops. It is something that a section of the Indian strategic community has been flagging but without a full understanding of the Maldivian sentiments.

Workable solution

Media reports quoting official sources said that in talks with Minister Rijiju, President Muizzu acknowledged the contribution of the Indian helicopters and aircraft for the medical evacuation of Maldivian citizens. They are also central to the confidence that international tourists have in staying in remote island resorts. He appreciated their role in monitoring and combating drug trafficking, said a source. According to the report, It was agreed that the two governments would discuss workable solution for continued cooperation through the use of these platforms as this serves the interests of the people of the Maldives.

Apart from the issue of military personnel presence, Muizzu and Rijiju also discussed India-funded developmental projects in Maldives. The President emphasised the importance of accelerating the Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP), highlighting the importance of addressing and overcoming the issues delaying the project, the reports said and added that the two leaders concluded the meeting with a renewed commitment to fortify bilateral relations. This should put an end to pre-poll social media speculation that a Muizzu presidency would cancel the $500-m GMCP, better known as the Thilamale sea-bridge project, the single largest investment in the country, and replace it with China. A PhD holder in structural engineering from Leeds University in the UK, 45-year-old Muizzu, in his election speech, had spoken about reviewing foreign-funded projects, but (only) to fast-track them.

Concerned neighbour

From a Maldivian street perspective, the strategic community in the country points to the way India had pulled out its troops on three occasions at the slightest sign of the hosts desiring it so: Operation Cactus (1988), when Indian troops ended a mercenary coup and also captured the fleeing master-minds, post-tsunami relief and rehabilitation works (2005-06) and Operation Neer (2014), when New Delhi rushed tonnes of drinking water and also naval ships with desalination plants, to the parched Maldivian capital of Male, after the citys only desalination plant was burnt down in a freak accident.

The water scarcity happened when the otherwise anti-India Abdulla Yameen was President, 2013-18. It was also Yameen who, as the titular head of the Opposition PPM-PNC combine, launched the India Out campaign, taking off from his request for New Delhi to take back the three gifted aerial platforms, after India had supposedly taken political position in the internal matters of his country in February 2018.

The Indian criticism, as a concerned neighbour wedded to democracy, came against Yameen proclaiming an emergency to negate the Supreme Court ruling, ordering freedom for 12 political prisoners, including self-exiled former President Mohammed Nasheed. Maldives had committed to democracy in 2008 and there was overall concern in the neighbourhood that it might be slipping away to past autocracy. They also point out how Yameen still did not make a greater diplomatic row of his request, nor did his government consider approaching the International Court of Justice (ICJ) or other fora. Possibly, they feel, Yameen was confident of winning the re-election bid in 2018 and hoped to become even more persuasive than in the fag-end of his controversial first term.

It is another matter that it was Yameen who had voluntarily sought a UTF kind of Coast Guard infrastructure during his India visit in 2016. To Yameen also goes the coinage of the call for the nations India First policy, which he negated however. Thus, in the outside world, President Solih, who practised India First as a pragmatic policy involving the immediate neighbour with centuries of continued social and economic ties, came to be seen as the author of the coinage, as well.

Continuing assistance

As the Maldivian experts point out, throughout the presidential poll campaign or even during Yameens alternating India Out/India Military Out campaign, Muizzu, then Mayor of Male, was on the back-foot and was often seen as soft-pedalling the issue. For its part, the Solih government and the ruling MDP did not do enough to explain the purpose and benefits of the presence of the Indian aerial platforms, convincingly to the Maldivian people. Nor did they take Parliament into full confidence. Even at present, days after the Muizzu-Rijju meeting, no MDP leader has commented on the reasons and justification for retaining the Indian platforms during the Solih regime, despite street protests and wall graffiti by the Yameen camp. Reports, incidentally, had pointed out how in the past five years, those platforms had flown around 500 sorties of emergency evacuation, all under the mandated command and guidance of the MNDF  and not otherwise.

In a way, the flying platforms, their presence and use were only an extension of continuing Indian assistance to build the all-inclusive multi-speciality Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IMGH), when none of the kind existed in the country, and to give near-permanency to Indian rescue and relief effort in the country. Even aerial reconnaissance, assisted by shared radar information, was/is an extension of ground and sea-based measures to fight massive drug trafficking across the Indian Ocean neighbourhood that the three shared with common neighbour Sri Lanka.

Though not initially, but later-day creation of the Colombo Security Conclave involving the three nations initially and other Ocean neighbours, Mauritius and Seychelles, and also Bangladesh, subsequently, has lent a new meaning and greater urgency to such initiatives, where India alone has the resources and capacity, which Maldives especially sourly lacks. For instance, there are reports about MNDFs inability to retain their pilots trained by India before withdrawing its men, as trained men fly away to greener pastures.

Thus, in the context of retaining Indian flying platforms, the Muizzu administration would do well to consult the people in all good faith, to evaluate/re-evaluate their usefulness on a day-to-day basis without sticking to positions that the leadership might have taken without consideration of governance concerns of the kind. In political terms, local observers say, withdrawal of Indian flying machines, without suitable replacements, could cost Muizzus PPM-PNC combine (or, is it PNC-PPM combine after he had supposedly jumped the Yameen gun?) badly in the parliamentary elections, if there were causes for public displeasure flowing from such withdrawal.

It goes beyond the traditional perception that 40 per cent of the Maldivian voters are conservatives and are wedded to Maldivian nationalism, which Muizzu highlighted in his maiden presidential address as different from Islamic nationalism, as often misunderstood/misinterpreted outside the country. It is also the case with the international media and strategic community branding Muizzu pro-China, which was true only of his erstwhile political mentor Yameen, now in house arrest pending the final disposal of a corruption case by the High Court.

The writer is a Chennai-based Policy Analyst & Political Commentator. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.
Amid the raging war in Gaza, Osama bin Laden has suddenly become a hero of the pro-Palestine lobby in the US, with several young Americans posting videos sympathising with the orchestrator of 9/11. A letter that the Al Qaeda leader had written to the American people went viral on TikTok wherein he had criticised the US support to Israel and threatened that the United States shall pay for its arrogance with the blood of Christians and their funds.

The 2002 letter read thus, Palestine has been under occupation for decades, and none of your presidents talked about it until after September 11 when Bush realised that your oppression and the tyranny against us were part of the reason for the attack. You have to implement a roadmap that returns the Palestine land [sic] to us, all of it, from the sea to the river; it is an Islamic land not subject to being traded or granted to any party.

Two disquieting thoughts emerge from Osamas letter: One, the war in the Middle East will end only when Israel ceases to exist, as the Jewish nation purportedly exists on the Islamic land. Two, the Al Qaeda terrorist has, in two decades since unleashing terror through the skies in New York, has become a hero for a section of people living in peace and material comforts of the West.

The concept of the Islamic land is quite a fascinating phenomenon. The closest one gets to it in India is the Waqf land. As per a report, 77 per cent of Delhi is on Waqf land. This includes the Delhi High Court, Central Vista, and Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, among others. Waqfs claim on a land or a property is for all time to come. And its claims can travel across time too: The Manendiyavalli Chandrashekhara Swami temple in Tamil Nadu, for instance, may be 1,500 years old but it is today claimed to be a Waqf property, even when Islam per se came into existence 1,300 years ago!

Just like Waqf, the nature of an Islamic land remains unalterable for perpetuity. This is the case even when the said land is currently occupied/controlled by the followers of other religions. The Islamic claim to a land is irrevocable, though the same courtesy is not given to other faiths. For instance, the Muslim world is almost unanimous in saying that Israel has been created on Palestinian territory. But the same logic works for Jews too, who were the original inhabitants of the region. Their claim to Palestine predates the birth of Islam. Similarly, in India, the Hindu claim to Kashmir is much stronger than that of the Islamic, given the fact that it was the seat of Shaiva-Shakti and Buddhist traditions in ancient times. This also is the case with thousands of temples destroyed by Muslim rulers: While these destroyed temples cannot return to their old pristine form, the Islamic claim to mosques remains incessant and operative. Once an Islamic land, always an Islamic land, after all!

Just like Islamic land, one hears the term Muslim area in India, especially at a time when a Hindu religious procession takes place. One, in fact, regularly witnesses communal violence post such a procession, forcing the bleeding-heart liberals to come out in the open with their prescriptions to safeguard Indias secular fabric. As an antidote to growing polarisation in the country, they suggest the law-abiding citizens of India (meaning Hindus) should avoid going to Muslim areas to celebrate their festivals. In other words, these saner minds want Hindus to celebrate their festivals in Hindu areas!

Nothing can be more sinister than this liberal advice. For, it not only legitimises the ghettoisation of certain areas, but also gives them a bad name for all times to come. However, the moment a Hindu turns back and asks if this means the entry of Muslims in Hindu areas, during Hindu festivals, would also be restricted, the cat is out of the liberal bag. The sane liberal voice suddenly becomes shriller, coarser. Indias democracy and secularism become imperilled. The very people who call for a barrier on the entry of Hindus in Muslim areas hail the presence of Muslim food vendors in Durga Puja and Navaratri pandals as a symbol of Indias syncretic culture!

Coming back to the idea of Islamic land, it has an uncanny similarity with Communist Chinas hegemonistic streak. Eminent historian RC Majumdar wrote in an article in 1965: It is characteristic of China that if a region once acknowledged her nominal suzerainty even for a short period, she would regard it as a part of her empire forever and would automatically revive her claim over it even after a thousand years whenever there was a chance of enforcing it.

Though Majumdar believed this to be a unique Chinese character, going across centuries, this phenomenon was most pervasively and mischievously used during the communist rule in China. What also brings the Godless communist and God-fearing Islamists together is what Erich Fromm calls authoritarian ethics. In Man for Himself: An Inquiry into the Psychology of Ethics, Fromm writes, In authoritarian ethics, an authority states what is good for man and lays down laws and norms of conduct.

Both Islamists and communists, in their own distinct ways, do the same. And this explains why they invariably find themselves, often in unison, against the humanistic ethics of the democratic West and civilisational India. In humanistic ethics, as per Fromm, man himself is both the norm giver and the subject of the norms, their formal source or regulative agency and their subject matter. So, unlike authoritarian ethics, this one doesnt deny mans capacity to know what is good or bad. He is not in awe of the authority.

Maybe it is this imperialist, authoritarian commonality between Islamist and communist worldviews that explains why they invariably partner with each other against common enemies, but when any of the two come to power, the first thing they do is to put the other to the sword. Remember Iran post-Islamic Revolution in 1979!

This Leftist-Islamist camaraderie is currently being witnessed in the West amid the Gaza warfare. The cases of anti-Semitism are fast rising, and Jewish students are being harassed on American campuses. Ironically, even the terms that were used by terrorists have liberal takers. For instance, in the recent rallies in the West, from Beirut and Tunis to London and Rome, the calls for a ceasefire interspersed with the slogan: From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free. Now this is the slogan Osama used in his 2002 letter. It seems Osama has found a new voiceand respectabilityin the liberal West.

It is these Leftist-Islamist Trojan Horses in the West that make the war against terrorism a never-ending battle with a clear and categorical edge for the jihadi elements. As Umberto Eco writes in Turning Back the Clock: Hot Wars and Media Populism, in this era, the enemy not only lives in your own country but also has the right to national health insurance. This makes the case for a war based so much on the principles of maximum happiness and minimum sacrifice; Eco calls it neo-war as he elaborates how during World War II, even the highly liberal Americans, albeit most humanely, put all their Italian and Japanese residents into concentration camps, even those born in the United States.

What further makes the war difficult is the fact the Islamist/jihadi elements know fully well not just the liberal nature of modern warfare, but also democratic system of governance. Just as one Brussels-based Islamic scholar told author Pallavi Aiyar, as she mentions in the book Punjabi Parmesan: Dispatches from a Europe in Crisis, how Europeans have become victims of their own laws. The Islamic scholar was talking about Europes dangerously changing demographic profile. Similarly, knowing fully well how the rest of the world has slowly moved to the neo-war phase, the Islamists, still employing the old state of all-out warfare, often put women and children in front of their adversaries. They hide behind them with bombs, bullets and stones. In all this, they find an able ally in the Left-liberal media and intelligentsia, strategically stationed to shoot the first civilian casualty of the lopsided warfare. The die is cast even before the first bullet is fired.

The fight is not against Israeli atrocities or highhandedness but against the very existence of Israel. The real battle is against the humanistic, democratic world order by those pursuing authoritarian ethics of both Godless and God-fearing ideologies. Today its Israel. Tomorrow, the battle lines will be drawn against the US and India. Sadly, a section of the media and the intelligentsia in the West and India would continue to talk in the enemys language. Till then the Islamist Osama bin Laden would continue to resurrect himself as a hero in the democratic West.

Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.
The well-known generic division of laws into Civil laws and Criminal laws is both fundamental and ancient. Both Civil laws and Criminal laws have their respective substantive and procedural parts.

Articles 36 to 51 under Part IV of Indian Constitution are the Directive Principles of State Policy. Article 37 made it clear that none of the said provisions would be enforceable by any court meaning thereby that no court will examine any of these Articles on any complaint made thereon. In legal terminology the provisions are therefore said to be non-justiciable. Article 37 however provides that the principles enumerated in other 15 Articles are fundamental in the governance of the country and it shall be the duty of the State to apply those principles in making laws. The Constituent Assembly debated on Article 29 (which is now Article 37) on 19 November 1948 only on the issue as to whether the Articles under Directive Principles should be made mandatory by casting obligations on the State so that instead of the provisions remaining only pious wishes they became enforceable in courts of law e.g. justiciable, but the House negating all amendments proposed to make them mandatory retained the Article as drawn.

These Articles under Part IV of Constitution have been regarded as the soul of Indian welfare state. The policy set out in Article 37 has never been debated subsequently by any till date as all concerned after adoption of constitution on 26 November 1949 accepted all the directions as egalitarian and very much beneficial to the people to be governed by the constitutional provisions.

And the State also has already acted upon and implemented some of these directions some examples of which, though belated, are that a number of states (i) have organised village panchayats (Article 40) in their respective state over time and first of which was organised by the State of Rajasthan in 1959 although full Constitutional provisions casting obligation on the states to constitute panchayats at different levels could be had only in 1992 by 73rd Constitution Amendment Act. (ii) The centre has enacted The Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 to provide free legal aid to the deserving defined by Act (Article 39A). The directions cast upon the State by some other articles under part IV of Constitution have also been either fully or partly acted upon and implemented by the State and the nation has been reaping benefits thereunder.

The direction contained in Article 44 in its original draft has also been subject matter of almost continuous serious debate since its formulation by the members of Drafting Committee on its retention and thereafter on advisability of implementation but never on its desirability. All the said debates centred substantially around two issues, namely, (i) on its necessity and (ii) on plausibility of its implementation. The said two issues may not also hinge on the multi religious and multi communal nations actual need for a Uniform Civil Code. Neither the Parliament at the centre nor any of the state Legislature ever felt that a UCC was unavoidably essential and necessary for overall effective governance at any point of time during the post independence period till date.

On deliberations of Article 35 of the draft constitution (which is now Article 44 of Constitution) there was a very clear division between Hindu and Muslim members within the drafting committee. None from any other minority communities like Christians did participate in the said deliberations either because there was no representation from their community on the drafting committee or none from them thought it fit to participate in the said deliberations. Muslim members expressing their traditional apprehension against Hindu majoritarianism had argued against Article 35 on the ground that each community had certain religious laws, certain civil laws inseparably connected with their religious beliefs and practices.

Further submissions of the Muslim members were that (i) in a secular state citizens belonging to different communities must have the freedom to practise their own religion, observe their own life and their personal laws should be applied to them and secular state did not mean that it was anti-religious; (ii) by one stroke of pen by an Article one could not revolutionise the whole country and if it was so done that would be tyrannical.

The Muslim members had also argued that their laws of succession, inheritance, marriage and divorce are completely dependent upon their religion and any uniform personal laws, if introduced, would lead to a considerable misunderstanding and resentment among various sections of the country and that was the stern reality and the goal towards a uniform civil code should be achieved, if at all, gradually and with the consent of the people concerned. It was the duty of the majority not to ride rough-shod over the rights of the minorities and any such attempt would be violative of religious freedom and accompanying rights guaranteed.

The Hindu members however cited examples of Europe, Turkey, Egypt and a host other countries who have followed the route of uniform civil code irrespective of religion and communities and therefore it could not doubtlessly be said that Muslim personal laws were completely and inextricably dependent on Islam. Examples of Turkey and Egypt were cited by them more particularly because of the fact that both the countries had Muslims in overwhelming majority and particularly Egypts state religion was Islam.

The Hindu members had also argued that in different European countries, there were Catholics, Protestants and Jews but different personal laws were not perpetuated in those countries. And they continued further that the differential systems of inheritance and other matters were some of the factors which contribute to the comparative differences among the peoples of different communities of India.

A uniform civil code was intended to weld different communities into a single nation by divorcing religion from personal laws eliminating those differences and in any event irrespective of Article 35 there was nothing to prevent future Parliament of India from passing such laws and certainly no Parliament, no Legislature would be unwise as to interfere with religious tenets of peoples and Muslims had read rather too much into Article 35.

What was not argued then was that Muslim communitys faith did not make any law of theirs so integral to their faith that they could never be divorced therefrom. In simple words their faith and laws were not intertwined. Ambedkar on that occasion had also said with examples that we have in this country a uniform code of laws covering almost every aspect of human relationship.

While in support of retention of Article 35. K M Munshi referred to a historical incident where the Kazi of Delhi objected to some of the reforms of Afghani Sultan Allaudin Khilji, who had ruled Delhi between 1296 to 1316 for long 20 years, when the Sultan had said in response that I am as an ignorant man and I am ruling this country in its best interests. I am sure looking at my ignorance and of good intentions, the Almighty will forgive me, when he finds that I have not acted according to Shariat.

The Muslim members canvassing their apprehensions had proposed as many as three amendments to Article 35 of draft Constitution (as were settled by the Vice President) and those were that: (i) Provided that any group, section or community or people shall not be obliged to give up its own personal law in case it has such law be added to Article 35; (ii) Provided that the personal law of any community which is guaranteed by the statute shall not be changed except with the previous approval of the community ascertained in such manner as the Union Legislature may determine by law be added to Article 35; and (iii) That Part IV of draft Constitution be deleted. All the three amendments so proposed were negated and finally Article 35 was retained as was drafted.

Like any other Article under Part IV of Indian Constitution Article 44 only directs that the State shall endeavour to secure for all of its citizens a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) throughout territory of India. But the most pertinent question of how and when however remained and still remains unanswered.

It is although not that explicit but all concerned indisputably understood that the direction meant and was only with regard to the substantive part of civil laws. Substantive parts of civil laws may be divided under two heads i.e., personal civil laws and impersonal civil laws. The British brought uniformity in respect of some impersonal substantive civil laws like Indian Contract Act, 1872, Transfer of Property Act, 1882, The Sale of Goods Act, 1930 and such other civil laws. Uniformity was also brought by the British in procedural law applicable to civil proceedings by enacting Code of Civil Procedure, 1908. The word code in the context means compilation. Uniform principles or law of evidence applicable to both civil and criminal proceedings were also introduced by the Indian Evidence Act, 1872.

Further uniformity was brought in the substantive Criminal Law by enacting Indian Penal Code, 1860. And in all those civil laws religions and/their diverse practices, if any, were not that intrinsically relevant and in any event they could be and were divorced to determine personal relationships concerning those civil matters. It deserves to be mentioned that no community, religious or otherwise, ever could or did protest or oppose such divorce in any event as all those Acts were enacted by the ruling British Parliament in London for their Indian subjects. It is also to be noted that none of those civil laws however dealt with pure familial laws which are also known as personal laws which consist of laws of succession, inheritance, marriage and divorce.

The words civil laws in Article 44 has also been both indisputably and consistently judicially replaced by narrower words personal laws in the judgments of the Supreme Court. Personal laws of various communities were found to be discriminatory and had created gender inequality in application and treatment between men and women and in many areas they were found to be so pronounced that they assumed inhumane, if not barbaric, character in the context of modern egalitarian concept of civilisation and its wide perspective.

Although in the post constitution period on very many occasions and at very many fora the need of implementation of the provisions of Article 44 had been stressed upon but all remained inconclusive and ineffective on one ground or the other.

Even 21st Law Commission of India (2015 to 2018) having on its agenda the issue of UCC issued only a consultation paper expressing its anxiety in the matter of its implementation primarily on the ground that Indian citizens were not ready for it and second that implementation was likely to result in more discords amongst various communities and tribals than deriving its intended benefit for them.

K T Shah while debating in the Constituent Assembly had said there will always be a way. It is either bankruptcy of intelligence if you say that you cannot find a way; or it is really a genuine lack of desire.

The Supreme Court as late as in 1996 in Pannalal Bansilal Patil vs State of Andhra Pradesh (AIR 1996 SC 1023) although had observed that a uniform law is highly desirable but enactment thereof in one go perhaps might be counter productive to unity and integrity of the nation. The implication of such observation was that implementation might not be in one go but if it was in more than one go it might not be counterproductive. Its emphasis was only on the words in one go. It also needs to be pointed out that the drafting committee consciously chose the grammatical article a before the expression Uniform Civil Code. It could also be argued therefore that we could not have more than one UCC.

It is trite and also we have quite rich experience that judiciarys judicial wisdom, how laudable it might be, may not always synchronise with legislative and/or executive wisdom which are mostly motivated by political considerations of the party or parties forming the government where vote politics assume major role and political parties are led more by politicians and less by genuine statesmen. Moreover, Article 44 does not mandate them to enact and implement a UCC although in some observations of Supreme Court Judges unfortunately the word mandate has been used {e.g. Kuldip Singh J in Sarla Mudgal vs Kalyani (1995) 3 Supreme Court Cases 635}. The framers of constitution as aforesaid did not mandate implementation of the provisions of Article 44 notwithstanding very strong arguments in favour of making it so. A direction also can never be read as a mandate in law. The Supreme Court itself has repeatedly said that courts should not undertake any exercise of review for any alleged breach of any policy set either by the legislature or by the executive. In law a policy may be highly desirable but a policy being inchoate is unbreachable i.e., no policy can also be subjected to judicial scrutiny. At the most a policy may breed an expectation only. The directive principles of State policy are only cluster of policies set as guidelines for future governance. None of the Articles under Chapter IV including Article 44 advisedly also did not fix any target time for a UCC. The court therefore could not also say so firmly that there was no justification whatsoever in delaying indefinitely the introduction of a uniform personal laws in the country. The Supreme Court in 1985 however somewhat sadistically observed that there was no evidence of any official activity for framing Common Civil Code for the country (Shah Banos case of 1985).

The Supreme Court consciously used the expression Common Civil Code to mean Uniform Civil Code. The Supreme Court therefore found no difference between the words uniform and common. According to the court both meant the same thing. Those who opposed the need of Article 35 in the draft Constitution at the deliberation taking place on 23rd November, 1948 were however of the view that the word uniform had a different connotation than that of the word common and very recently the distinguished jurist Tahir Mahmood has also in one of his articles on the subject made a distinction or differentiation between the two words saying that Article 44 speaks of a uniform and not a common civil code. The fine distinction, if any, does not deserve much attention of ours as both dictionary and general views on these two words lean in favour of the same meaning.

As British had brought uniformity in some civil and criminal laws so also in post independence period many new laws of general application like Special Marriage Act 1954, Dowry Prohibition Act 1961, Foreign Marriage Act 1969, maintenance law under Criminal Procedure Code 1973, Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005, Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006 and Maintenance of Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act 2007 overriding contrary provisions of all personal laws in the respective fields have brought about uniformity in some of the personal laws, so the introduction of Uniform Civil Laws cannot now be said to be a revolutionising process but it indeed has been a long ongoing process. The process still needs uniformity in family laws e.g., succession, inheritance, marriage and divorce irrespective of patriarchal or matriarchal society. In India however, the majority of the communities belong to patriarchal society.

The rationale of a UCC is said to be to make family laws of the country free from all religion based discrimination and gender inequality and sooner India forgets its isolationist outlook on life, it is better for the country and further that UCC is therefore out and out an egalitarian provision to bring in equality and equal treatment between men and women of the entire country to make it a gender unbiased society.

As said earlier, the desirability of UCC has never been questioned. Those opposing UCC only claimed and still claim that UCC would cause dissatisfaction and disintegration than serve as a common umbrella to promote homogeneity and national solidarity and those sentiments and emotions of all communities need to be cooled and tempered and only then UCC could concretize when social climate is properly built up by the elite of the society, statesmen amongst leaders who instead of gaining personal mileage rise above and awaken the masses to accept the change.

In 1954, in Parliament, Jawarlal Nehru had also opined that at the present moment the time is not ripe in India for me to try to push it through. Nehrus said view may not be valid in 2023 after a long lapse of 69 years. The communities in India through the passage of time can definitely be expected to have become more mature in their thinking and attitudes towards life, living and their faiths and their power of mutual tolerance, fellow filling and understanding. The more fundamental question seems to be, does the nation need uniformity in personal laws after almost three quarters of a century that the nation has passed since independence, particularly, when there has been no serious upheaval of discomfort in following and implementing diverse personal laws for diverse communities for so long?

It is also said that Indians cannot have a UCC because of different traditions and have different conceptions of marriage e.g. a sacrament for Hindus, whereas a contract for Muslims. The 2018 Law Commission recommended that all codes be internally reformed to make them more gender equal and then it may be easier to secure consensus.

It is also contended that how religious diversity is protected if Parliament is overwhelmingly dominated by Hindus and therefore Parliament is not representative enough of particular communities and that may lead an egalitarian project hostage to majoritarianism. But it is also equally true that in a country which is dominated more by a single community Parliament can never be representative enough ever in any situation even if provisions for separate representation for each community is made or allowed.

Secularism can and is therefore the best protection for each and all communities. As diversity is reflected in recognition of only 22 official languages, 398 dialects and 645 tribes complexities and complications involved for bringing in a UCC needs therefore a true secular outlook and resolution of those complexities and complications with required collective wisdom, prudence and effective unbiased administrative faculty but those complexities, complications and apprehension of sentimental and emotional upheaval need not deter the State from meeting the challenge indefinitely. There is no charm in showing stoic obedience to status quo on a vital issue pending resolution since adoption of the Constitution by the nation.

On the other hand, it is also argued that to check misuse many Islamic countries have codified personal law wherein the practice of polygamy has been either totally prohibited or severely restricted as in Syria, Tunisia, Morocco, Pakistan, Iran and the Islamic Republics of Soviet Union as religious practices violative of human rights and dignity and sacerdotal suffocation of essentially civil and material freedom are not autonomy but oppression. A unified code is therefore imperative both for protection of the oppressed and promotion of national unity [R.M. Sahai J in Sarla Mudgal vs Union (1995) 3 sec 635].

The court in Shah Bano Begums case (1985) also had said that piecemeal attempts of courts to bridge the gap between personal laws cannot take the place of a common civil code. Justice to all is a far more satisfactory way of dispensing justice than justice from case to case. Further it was said that, The present case is yet another which focuses  on the immediate and compulsive need for a uniform civil code.

As a UCC was not pushed through since its adoption of the Constitution by any of the government the judicial free minds could and did also express their displeasure, if not anguish, while dealing with matters of ex facie ill treatment of weaker sex of communities on the basis of irrational and inhumane religious dictas which have no connection or no significant connection with pure religious faith.

While dealing with a prayer for divorce on the ground of nullity because of husbands impotency the Supreme Court had in 1985 said that because of impotency the marriage had irretrievably broken down and also said that the law relating to judicial separation, divorce and nullity of marriage is far, far from uniform and time had come for a complete reform of the law of marriage and make a uniform law applicable to all people irrespective of religion or caste. {Ms. Jorden Diengdeh vs S. S. Chopra (1985) 3 SCC 62}. It also said we suggest that time has come for intervention of legislature in these matters to provide uniform code of marriage and divorce and to provide by law for a way out of unhappy situations ... In the case of Mohd. Ahmed Khan vs Shah Bano Begum {(1985) 2 SCC 556} while dealing with the question of providing maintenance for divorced wife who was unable to maintain herself the Supreme Court not only interpreted Section 125 of Criminal Procedure Code 1973 in favour of the unfortunate divorced wife casting an obligation on her husband to maintain her but also had observed that It is also a matter of regret that Article 44 of our Constitution has remained a dead letter . There is no evidence of any official activity for framing a common civil code for the country . A common civil code will help the cause of national integration by removing disparate royalties to laws which have conflicting ideologies . It is the state which is charged with the duty of securing a uniform civil code for the citizens of the country and unquestionably, it has the legislative competence to do so.

The court had also derived much inspiration from what Tahir Mahmood had said in his book Muslim Personal Law (1977) pleading that in pursuance of the goal of secularism, the State must stop administering religion based personal laws.

Article 19 to 23A of the draft Constitution, which are now Articles 25 to 30 providing right to freedom of religion and cultural and educational rights including freedom to manage religions affairs, were deliberated between 3rd to 8th December, 1948 when most of the deliberations held were on the expression propagate appearing in Article 19. Some desired its omission but such desire was negated. K M Munshi on that occasion had argued that So long as religion is religion, conversion by free exercise of the conscience has to be recognised . Much later in 1977 the Supreme Court said that right to propagate does not include right to convert, what is guaranteed is freedom of religion and not freedom of conversion (Article 19(1)(a) and Article 25) (Rev. Stainislaus vs State of MP).

The Supreme Court in Sarla Mudgal vs Union of India {(1995), 3 SCC 635} said that article 44 is based on the concept that there is no necessary connection between religion and personal law in a civilised society. Article 25 guarantees religious freedom whereas Article 44 seeks to divest religion from social relations and personal law. Marriage, succession and like matters of a secular character cannot be brought without the guarantee enshrined under Articles 25, 26 and 27. Therefore there appears to be no conflict between the provisions of Article 25, 26 and 27 and introduction of a UCC as was apprehended.

As against Muslims opposition Hindus cite that Hindu personal laws were profoundly reformed in 1955-56 despite violent opposition of Hindu religious leaders to show as evidence of sacrifice on the part of the Hindu Community and therefore similar jesture was also expected from all other communities and more particularly from the Muslim community which constitutes the largest minority in the country.

As aforesaid as absence of the provision of Article 44 in the Constitution could not also prevent the Parliament from legislating uniform civil law divesting religion therefrom at any point of time. What is expected of a secular democratic government is egalitarian reforms in each and all spheres of life of all its citizens irrespective of religion, caste and sex with least conflict in social fabric for which what is required is absolute secular wisdom of the members of the executive and the legislature.

Advisedly the framers of the constitution had placed marriages and divorce; infants and minors; adoption; wills, intestacy and succession, joint family and partition under concurrent list of 7th Schedule (serial no. 5) to the Constitution to enable both the Centre and States to do the needful as and when they would think best and proper. As there could be scope for conflict between laws enacted by one state with anothers enactment, it is therefore more than desirable and advisable that the Central Government effects the needful in one go.

It is however to be remembered that no legislature can be expected to be endowed with such legislative competence with the commensurate drafting craft to meet the challenges to make a perfect law in one go to stand the test of time either. Passage of time and emergence of new social problems from time to time are likely to make them learn, relearn and unlearn and act to meet the ever growing new challenges.

K T Shah on 19th November, 1948 had argued that could any authority commended with the drafting of this constitution approve of such a provision being incorporated in the Negotiable Instruments Act authorising making of a cheque payable when able? Complexities and complications involved in the matter of legislating a UCC, as said earlier, should also not deter the Parliament for indefinite period from legislating very much desirable egalitarian legislation for the whole nation to save the country from being disparaged from the point of view of pan world modern civilisation.

Apprehended complexities and complications may not also be insurmountable as there will always be a way if the Parliament has a genuine desire. Unwavering respectful obedience to status quo is also not an all-time virtue for a progressive state and its society.

The author is former Advocate General of West Bengal. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.
A day after a federal appeals court dealt a significant blow to the Voting Rights Act, North Dakota's top election official announced Tuesday that he wants the court to review a judge's recent ruling that protected two Native American tribes voting rights.

Voting rights groups had hailed U.S. District Chief Judge Peter Welte's ruling Friday that the tribes' voting rights were unlawfully diluted by a 2021 legislative redistricting map.

But, in an unrelated lawsuit Monday, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that private individuals and groups such as the NAACP do not have the ability to sue under a key section of the Voting Rights Act.

In announcing his intention to appeal Welte's ruling, Republican Secretary of State Michael Howe specifically cited Monday's 2-1 ruling by the appeals court panel, which is based in St. Louis and has jurisdiction over seven states, including North Dakota. It is unclear whether the same panel of three judges would hear the North Dakota case.

Republican Attorney General Drew Wrigley on Monday said the appeals court ruling is an interesting and timely development" as state officials and legislative leaders pondered their next steps as to the Friday ruling. A spokesperson said he wasn't immediately available for comment but would follow up.

The Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, the Spirit Lake Tribe and three tribal members sued last year, seeking a joint district for the two tribes. They alleged the 2021 map simultaneously packs Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians members into one House district, and cracks Spirit Lake Tribe members out of any majority Native House district.

Welte had ruled last week that the 2021 map "prevents Native American voters from having an equal opportunity to elect candidates of their choice -- a violation of Section 2, a provision of the Voting Rights Act that prohibits voting practices or procedures that discriminate on the basis of race, color or membership of certain language minority groups, according to the U.S. Justice Department.

But the 8th Circuit decision did not address the exact claim the tribes brought, according to Jason Marisam, an associate professor at the Mitchell Hamline School of Law and a former Minnesota assistant attorney general who has handled election and voting issues. In addition to the Voting Rights Act, the tribes also cited a federal law allowing lawsuits against state officials for federal rights violations.

If all they had was the Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, that next 8th Circuit panel could just write, Hey, see what we wrote yesterday? We've already addressed this. This would require more analysis because they didn't directly address it, Marisam told The Associated Press.

Tim Purdon, an attorney for the tribes, said the Monday opinion does not do anything to say that the map is legal. It's only about who can bring the lawsuit.

The Tribes and Native voters here have strong arguments that they are proper plaintiffs that were not present in 8th Circuit case, he said in an email.

The Arkansas Voting Rights Act case that led to the 8th Circuit ruling has appeared before in the North Dakota redistricting lawsuit, when Howe's predecessor asked Welte last year to dismiss the case. But Welte pointed to the tribal plaintiffs' argument of the private right of action to enforce their Voting Rights Act claim, a presumption of a private remedy. He wrote: This fact is significant and undoubtably distinguishes" the Arkansas case.

The judge on Friday gave Howe and the Republican-controlled Legislature until Dec. 22 to to adopt a plan to remedy the violation. It wasn't immediately clear how an appeal would affect the judge's timeline. Marisam said the state could ask the appellate judges to halt the ordered deadline during the appeal.

A special session for the redistricting would be the second one this year, just after the Legislature gathered for three days last month in Bismarck to fix a budget mess from a major state government funding bill the state Supreme court voided.
The Uttar Pradesh government has banned the sale of halal-certified products. Apparently, cases have come to the state polices notice where organisations that have nothing to do with the meat trade are issuing halal certification for any and every commercial activity, even to cosmetic product manufacturers, FMCG companies, hotels, and travel and tour operators.

It goes without saying that those companies that dont pay up to legitimise this exploitative arbitrariness are blacklisted and lose business. This is presumably why even a tea company had to sport Shariah-compliant stamps on its tea bags. Bizarre as it may be, the Yogi Adityanath governments crackdown has stirred up a storm in the proverbial teacup. The usual suspects are crying Islamophobia. The ban, they claim, is an attack on Islam.

Muslims, they say, cant consume or procure products that arent manufactured out of ingredients or according to processes specified in Islamic law. Therefore, the ban deprives Muslims of their right to consume halal products restricting their religious rights.

While this argument might sound logical, it is anything but. The reason for the ban has nothing to do with curbing religious rights. No one is stopping Muslims from consuming kosher food, so to speak. On the contrary, the ban is an attempt at stopping the abuse of secularism.

The Shariah-compliant certification is handed out by religious organisations that have usurped the power of the state. These religious organisations have set up a parallel regulatory and certification system, giving them coercive powers to summarily blacklist or promote a particular business depending on whether they are deemed Shariah-compliant.

In India, only the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), a government body, can issue quality and suitability certificates to companies.

How can any secular state allow an organisation governed by religious laws to override a certification process that derives its sanctity from a secular constitution?

It is important to recall that the Supreme Courts declared Khap panchayats illegal precisely because they constituted a parallel system of belief-based jurisprudence.

Given the highest courts penchant for stepping into Hindu religious matters, it is strange that the SC should have thrown out a petition challenging the writ of Islamic organisations to sell Shariah-compliant certificates.

Aside from the sale of halal certificates undermining the tenets of secularism, there is also the issue of such certificates violating the right to work. According to Islamic law or the Shariah, only a Muslim can carry out halal. Consequently, non-Muslims cant find work in an industry that is estimated to be worth at least $100 billion. The stipulation as we can judge for ourselves disproportionately militates against the right to find gainful employment of several hundred thousand non-Muslims.

Animal rights activists also have a problem with Shariah certification. Readers will recall that the courts had moved to ban Jallikattu or bull racing in Tamil Nadu because the sport was considered cruel to animals. Yet, halal, which involves severing the carotid artery of a bull, goat, or chicken while it is still alive so the animal can bleed to death, is allowed unimpeded by the courts.

There are several other such legal anomalies that can be cited to justify why the Yogi governments decision to ban the sale of halal certificates makes perfect legal sense.

Why then, one wonders, hasnt the union government led the way to impose a national-level ban on the issuance of halal certificates, especially when it prioritises sabka saath?
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to attend the 59th Raising Day parade of the Border Security Force to be held in Jharkhands Hazaribagh on December 1, a senior BSF official said on Tuesday.

The programme is being organised for the first time at Hazaribag where the oldest training centre of the force is located, BSF IG (Training Centre & School) T S Banyal told a press conference here.

The BSFs Raising Day programme was earlier held in New Delhi only but the practice has been changed in recent years.

After conducting the first event outside the national capital at Rajasthans Jaisalmer in 2021, the force held it at Amritsar in Punjab the next year.

The name of the chief guest of the Raising Day will be announced on November 30 by the Director General of BSF. However, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to grace the occasion as the chief guest, Banyal said.

The BSF top brass thinks that such key functions should not only be confined to Delhi but also at the border guards prestigious centres in various parts of the country.

Local people should be acquainted with BSF as the front-line warriors on the borders of Pakistan on the Western side and Bangladesh on the eastern side, he said.

This year, the function will be organised at Rani Jhansi Parade Ground at the BSFs Meru Centre, 10 km from Hazaribag town.

Banyal said 1,000 soldiers including officials from all 11 frontiers will participate in the Raising Day function in Hazaribagh.

After the Indo-Pakistan war in 1965, the government felt that a strong central para-military organisation should be raised as frontline warriors on the borders and the BSF came into existence December 1, 1965. Its first training centre was set up at Hazaribag, which was shifted to Meru on March 25, 1967.
The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday searched the premises of Congress candidate from Telanganas Chennur seat Vivek Venkatswamy and some others as part of a foreign exchange violation probe, official sources said.

They said the federal agency is undertaking the searches under the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) in Chennur and Hyderabad, they said.

The former MP, early this month, had resigned from the BJP and joined the Congress in the presence of party leader Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad. With declared assets worth over Rs 600 crore, Vivek is the richest politician contesting the November 30 assembly polls in Telangana.

Vivek and his wife own movable assets valued at Rs 377 crore, mostly shares in various companies, including his own Visaka Industries, which was founded in 1981. The familys immovable assets stood at over Rs 225 crore.

According to the affidavit filed by him, Vivek and his wife have liabilities or loans worth Rs 41.5 crore. Viveks annual income grew to Rs 6.26 crore during the last fiscal from Rs 4.66 crore in FY19 while that of his wife rose to Rs 9.61 crore from Rs 6.09 crore during the same period.
A resident of Bengaluru, Karnataka, who is a senior citizen, recently experienced a big loss of Rs 1.52 crore due to falling prey to a courier scam. In this scam, impostors posing as police officials or NCRB agents contact individuals, falsely accusing them of engaging in illicit activities related to sending and receiving parcels containing illegal substances. The incidence of this scam has been escalating since the beginning of the year, and becoming increasingly prevalent in recent times.

According to Indian Express, the victim, Debashish Das, 66, received a phone call on November 10 from a person who claimed to be a FedEx employee named Kartikeya. The employee then informed Das that a case had been registered against him in Mumbai because a courier sent in his name to Taiwan was found to contain six credit cards, expired passports, and even 950g of MDMA drugs.

Now, this is quite similar to the case we reported on in July this year when Keka De, a woman based out of Bengaluru, received a fake call from FedEx Mumbai.

Regarding Das case, he was told to get in touch with the Andheri cybercrime police station in Mumbai on a Skype call. When he eventually did, a fake police officer, Pradeep Sawant, told him that bank accounts in his name were found to be involved in illegal activity involving money laundering.

Then, a person pretending to be the DCP told Das to close all his fixed deposits and transfer all his savings to an account that he shared.

This is where things went south. Debashish Das did eventually transfer a whopping Rs 1.52 crore from his SBI bank account to the scammers account in Punjab National Bank. The scammers had assured Das that they would transfer back the funds to the source after verifying if he was involved in money laundering. However, once they received the funds, the fake police officers disappeared, and communication ceased. Since then, a case has been registered at the South CEN police station.

It must be noted that this scam is quite prevalent these days, and due to the serious nature of the accusations these scammers make, the victims tend to lose their cool and end up believing them, causing heavy monetary losses.

Readers are advised to check with the website of courier companies or online shopping platforms before falling for these scams. Just for information, customs in India dont work over phone calls, WhatsApp calls or Skype. Neither will customs ask for UPI payments or online fund transfers.
A middle-aged woman experienced seizures and disorientation during a Delhi-Toronto flight, but swift assistance from a Bengaluru-based doctor, as narrated in a viral social media post, averted a potential crisis. The doctor, Sundar Sankaran, shared the incident on the micro-blogging site X, recounting how he and another doctor came to the aid of the passenger in distress aboard an Air India flight.

On my way to Toronto from Delhiby @airindiaI along with a radiologist from Toronto Satheesh @SatheeshToronto were called to attend to a middle aged lady who had seizures and disorientation. Flight was yet to take off and fortunately vitals were stable and we could offload her with the help of local Medanta doctors, wrote Sundar Sankaran. He praised the Air India crew for their cooperation, adding, Thanks to security concerns the whole aircraft underwent security screening and clearance and flight delayed by an hour.

Reflecting on his 45-year career, Dr. Sankaran shared that it was his third time being called for an emergency on a flight. He recalled the first incident on a Delhi to Bengaluru flight when an IAF officer experienced chest pain.

Also Read: Bengaluru Doctors Remove Nail Cutter From Mans Stomach After Eight Years

I could give emergency care and the officer was taken immediately to command hospital airforce and was treated for acute MI. The chief of the Air Force sent me a thank you letter but what was touching was the letter of thanks from the wife and daughter of the IAF officer patient . For a young doctor who had just begun his career the letters meant a lot.

On my way to Toronto from Delhiby @airindiaI along with a radiologist from Toronto Satheesh @SatheeshTorontowere called to attend to a middle aged lady who had seizures and disorientation. Flight was yet to take off andfortunately vitals were stable and we could offload her Sundar Sankaran (@sundar_s1955) November 19, 2023

The post quickly gained traction, garnering responses from the public. One user commented, Its awesome youve kept that same passion for caring for people all these years, while another praised, Your dedication exemplify the best in medical expertise. A hero.

Even Air India expressed gratitude to Dr. Sankaran for his prompt assistance, stating, Dear Mr Sankaran, we honor you for the part you played! Thank you. It always feels blessed to have a persona like you amongst us, who never hesitate to extend their helping hands for people. Thank you for noticing our staff commitment and will surely pass on your appreciation.

Also Read: Toddler, Dead For 3 Hours, Makes A Miraculous Recovery

Since its sharing, the post has garnered over 178K views on the platform.
Receiving letters from the government addressed to Bharat Ratna awardees is a familiar occurrence, but have you ever come across an ordinary individual making such a request for themselves directly to official authorities? Well, a man hailing from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh has captured attention by crafting a letter to the Gorakhpur Commissioner and District Magistrate, expressing his desire for the Bharat Ratna after claiming to have heard his inner voices fervently advocating for it. Dont believe us? A snapshot of his letter has made its way onto the internet, provoking laughter from those whove come across it.

Identifying himself as Vinod Kumar Gond, the individual, reportedly a driver by profession, disclosed that while meditating one evening, he distinctly heard voices within him proclaiming I want Bharat Ratna not just once, but twice. This prompted him to formally request the government to bestow upon him this prestigious honour. When translated from Hindi, his letter read, I was on the brink of engaging in Sandhya Bandan/meditation on September 30th when, before commencing, my conscience loudly declared that I should receive the Bharat Ratna. Therefore, I kindly request to be honored with it.

But, did the officials respond?

Well, the letter adorned with multiple seals from the Commissioner, DM, and other administrative officials of Gorakhpur indicates that the letter has traversed through several levels of approval. Meanwhile, News18 could not independently verify the extent of official endorsement, but the fact that such an unconventional appeal has gained recognition from government bodies has left netizens amused.

Check it Here:

       30            :                                     pic.twitter.com/MAEnmMyQA9 GANESH PRASAD PANDEY (@GaneshPandeyJrn) November 20, 2023

According to News24 Hindi, Vinod Gond, a resident of Pipraich, living in a rented house in Chhatra Sangh Chowk Kalepur with his wife and two children, narrates that on September 30, 2023, while engrossed in meditation, a resounding inner voice repeatedly proclaimed, I want Bharat Ratna. This profound experience deeply moved him, resonating wherever he went. Subsequently, he recited the Shrimad Bhagwad Geeta and entered a meditative state. Vinod shared, The Lord appeared before me during meditation, revealing the names of four individuals and stating that only they could facilitate the attainment of Bharat Ratna for me.

But his claims didnt stop there, he even alleged to have sent a letter to the Commissioner, which went through the hands of the Commissioner, DM, Magistrate, and Tehsildar. Following this, an accountant contacted him, confirming that his letter had been forwarded to the Government of India. He was assured that he would be informed of the response when it arrived.
US President Joe Biden on Monday mistakenly referred to American pop star Taylor Swift as Britney (Spears) during remarks at a Thanksgiving event at the White House. While speaking about the annual tradition, Biden said turkeys named Liberty and Bell had to beat stiff competition for the honor and demonstrate patience.

You could say it was even harder than getting a ticket to the Renaissance tour for Britneys tour. Shes down in, its kinda warm in Brazil right now, Biden said. This yet another faux pas comes as Biden celebrated his 81st birthday by joking repeatedly about his advanced age, even as the White House strongly defended his stamina and batted away polling.

JUST IN  Biden confuses Taylor Swift, Britney Spears in botched turkey pardon joke pic.twitter.com/2PXxhKIewl  Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) November 20, 2023

Its not about age

On Monday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Bidens age should not be a primary focus. Our perspective is, its not about age, its about the presidents experience, Jean-Pierre said during a press briefing, where she highlighted that Biden had successfully championed through Congress several major pieces of legislation.

What we say is we have to judge him by what hes done, not by his numbers, Jean-Pierre said. I would put the presidents stamina, the presidents wisdom, ability to get this done on behalf of the American people, against anyone. Anyone, any day of the week. The US President, for his part, went for humor at the White House event. By the way, its my birthday today, Biden told a crowd on the South Lawn as he pardoned Thanksgiving turkeys Liberty and Bell. I just want you to know, its difficult turning 60, the president added with a chuckle. Difficult.

Oldest US president

Noting that the pre-Thanksgiving pardoning ceremony dated back 76 years, Biden also said, I want you to know I wasnt there  for the first one. The oldest president in US history, Biden for months has used humor to try to defuse the issue  even as polls suggest its no laughing matter.

An August poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 77 percent of U.S. adults, including 69 percent of Democrats, viewed Biden as too old to be effective for four more years. As he seeks a second term, Biden could be headed for a rematch with former President Donald Trump.

(With agency inputs)
China is using its economic leverage in the Indo-Pacific to advance its interests, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Tuesday, as she emphasised Indias role as a key strategic partner to maintain the balance of power in the region.

Global politics is getting reshaped and India plays a crucial part in this reshaping, she said.

China is doing what all great powers do, using its state power to advance its interests. It uses economic leverage over other countries in the Indo Pacific region to its advantage, Wong said addressing a gathering at Delhi Universitys Lady Shri Ram College. Wong asserted that Australias partnership with India is crucial as it helps maintain the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific region.

 The Indo-Pacific region requires partnerships to ensure a free and open order and to ensure that it is not dominated by any power. That is the vision of a region that is grounded in sovereignty, she said.

Partnership with India is crucial since it contributes to the strategic balance of power in the region. Mutual strategic reassurance and military risk reduction measures are encouraged by Australia, Wong added. Earlier in the day, Wong met her Indian counterpart S Jaishankar in the national capital for the Foreign Ministers Framework Dialogue.

Both Indian and Australian prime ministers have met five times this year, and the countries are working as strategic partners, especially on platforms like the Quad, Wong said.

Wong is on a visit to India along with Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles for the India-Australia 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue with EAM Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
Hopes mounted Tuesday that Hamas could release dozens of hostages from war-torn Gaza after the militant groups leader and key mediator Qatar said a truce deal was in sight and the Israeli premier pointed to progress.

The announcements are the most optimistic yet of a potential breakthrough in the conflict, which has been raging for more than six weeks and left thousands dead on both sides.

We are close to reaching a deal on a truce, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said, according to a statement sent by his office to AFP.

In Qatar, foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari said were very optimistic, very hopeful and told reporters: We are at the closest point we ever had been in reaching an agreement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has vowed to destroy Hamas, was more circumspect, telling soldiers at a military base only that we are making progress on the return of hostages.

I hope there will be good news soon, he added, with speculation an announcement could be made as soon as Tuesday evening after his office announced meetings of his war and security cabinets and government.

In Washington, US President Joe Biden, who does not support a full ceasefire, said a temporary truce was now very close.

We could bring some of these hostages home very soon, he said at the White house. But I dont want to get into the details of things because nothing is done until its done.

Hopes of a release deal have been mounting since Qatar on Sunday said only minor practical issues remained.

Speculation grew further when the International Committee of the Red Cross, which is often involved in prisoner exchanges and hostage releases, said on Monday its president had met Haniyeh in Qatar.

Despite talk of a temporary truce, fighting raged on in Gazas bloodiest-ever war, sparked by the October 7 attack in which Israel says Hamas gunmen killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians.

In retaliation, Israel launched a relentless bombing campaign and ground offensive in the Gaza Strip. According to the Hamas government, the war has killed more than 14,100 people, including nearly 6,000 children and close to 4,000 women.

Sources from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which also participated in the attacks, told AFP on condition of anonymity that their groups had agreed to the terms of a truce deal.

The tentative agreement would include a five-day truce, comprised of a complete ceasefire on the ground and an end to Israeli air operations over Gaza, except in the north, where they would only halt for six hours daily.

Under the deal, which the sources said could yet change, between 50 and 100 Israeli civilian and foreign hostages would be released, but no military personnel.

In exchange, some 300 Palestinians would be freed from Israeli jails, among them women and minors.

The BRICS group of nations including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa called for an immediate, durable, and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities in Gaza, during a summit in Johannesburg aimed at drawing up a common response to the conflict.

Rafah resident Hamza Abdel Razeq said a ceasefire would bring some respite for Gazans who have endured Israels bombing and expanding ground offensive.

The people are suffering, he told AFP. If they reach a five-day truce deal now, I believe it will pave the way for longer truces or even a total ceasefire.

Another resident, Mahmud Abu Najm, added: We pray to God for its success because the people are enduring an unbearable situation.

Large parts of Gaza have been flattened by thousands of air strikes, and the territory is under siege, with minimal food, water and fuel allowed to enter.

According to the Hamas and Islamic Jihad sources, the proposed deal would also allow for up to 300 trucks of food and medical aid to enter Gaza.

Israel has vowed to press on with its offensive, pledging to crush Hamas and ensure the hostages are released.

The Israeli military meanwhile said air strikes had hit around 250 Hamas targets in the past day, destroying three underground shafts in the Jabalia area, which it said it had fully surrounded.

Two Israeli soldiers were killed in operational activity in northern Gaza, it added.

In Lebanon, official media said two journalists from Al-Mayadeen television and two other civilians were killed in cross-border shelling in the south.

Israel said only it was looking into the details of the incident.

The Committee to Protect Journalists said 53 journalists and media workers have now been killed since Israel declared war on Hamas.

Meanwhile, the health ministry in the occupied West Bank said the Israeli army killed one Palestinian in Nablus.

Medics and patients have been increasingly caught up in the fighting, as Israel expanded its operation across northern Gaza.

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said Israel had laid siege to and hit the Indonesian Hospital in Jabalia on Monday, killing dozens, but there was no independent confirmation of the toll.

Twenty-eight premature babies from Gazas largest hospital, Al-Shifa, were taken to Egypt for treatment on Monday. Three others evacuated from Al-Shifa remain in southern Gaza, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday.

Two babies died before the evacuation, the UN agency said.

The Indonesian Hospital lies near Gazas largest refugee camp Jabalia, which has been the scene of intense Israeli bombing in recent days.

The health ministry official said there were still about 400 patients inside the hospital, as well as 2,000 people seeking shelter.

Around 200 people were evacuated from the hospital on Monday and bussed to the relative safety of a hospital in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza.

At the packed Al-Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, an AFP reporter saw bloodied children being carried in and lying dazed on gurneys.

Israel says Hamas uses medical facilities to hide fighters and as bases for operations, making them legitimate military objectives, while insisting it does everything possible to limit harm to civilians.

But criticism of Israels conduct of the war has grown, from international agencies and some governments, with protest marches held across the world.

The WHO said it was appalled by the strike on the Indonesian Hospital, calling it just one of 164 documented attacks on health facilities and workers since the war began.

The UN childrens agency meanwhile warned that fuel shortages and worsening sanitation in Gaza were shaping up to be a perfect storm for tragedy through the spread of disease.
In a significant move marking the anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, Israel has officially designated Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) as a terrorist organisation. To symbolise the marking of the 15th year of commemoration of the Mumbai terror attacks, the state of Israel has listed Lashkar-e-Taiba as a Terror Organization, the Israeli mission in New Delhi said in a statement.

Despite not being requested by the Government of India to do so, the state of Israel has formally completed all necessary procedures and has satisfied all required checks and regulations to the result of introducing Lashkar-Taiba into the Israeli list of illegal terror organizations, it added.

India did not request

The Israeli embassy said that the country took this step independently and not at the request of the Indian government. Despite focusing its terror list on entities directly affecting Israel or globally recognised by the UN Security Council (UNSC) or the US, Israel has expedited the inclusion of the Pak-based terror group LeT. The mission said the decision underscores the shared commitment to a unified global front against terrorism. Lashkar-e-Taiba is a deadly and reprehensible terror organization, responsible for the murder of hundreds of Indian civilians as well as others. Its heinous actions on November 26, 2008 still reverberate in force, through all peace seeking nations and societies, the statement said.

Israel also expressed condolences to all victims, survivors, and families affected by the Mumbai attacks. The state of Israel offers its sincere condolences to all victims of terrorism and to the survivors and bereaved families of the Mumbai attacks, including those in Israel. We stand with you united in the hope for a better peaceful future, it added.

A total of 166 people, including six Americans, were killed in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks in which 10 Pakistani terrorists laid a siege for over 60 hours, attacking and killing people at iconic and prominent locations of Mumbai. The attackers targeted the Chabad House, a Jewish community center in Mumbai. This move to designate LeT comes amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. Some 1,200 people have been killed in Israel, mostly during the Oct. 7 attack, and around 240 were taken captive by militants. Meanwhile, more than 12,700 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, according to Palestinian health authorities.

India on Israel-Hamas Conflict

India on Monday opposed terrorism in all its forms and welcomed efforts for humanitarian pauses in the war, endorsing bids aimed at de-escalation and the prompt delivery of urgent aid to the people of Palestine. Addressing a plenary in the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on a briefing on the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, Indias Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj stressed that the message from the Indian leadership has been clear and consistent.

India welcomes all efforts by the international community that strive towards the de-escalation of conflict and enables the delivery of urgent humanitarian assistance to the people of Palestine, Kamboj said. We are firmly opposed to terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, clearly against violence and are on the side of adherence to international humanitarian law and ensuring that further escalation is prevented, Humanitarian aid delivery continues, all hostages are released unconditionally and all parties work towards an early restoration of peace and stability, she said.
As North Dakota Lt. Gov. Tammy Miller prepared to pardon Henrietta the turkey on Tuesday, the bird appeared to question her own mortality.

Henrietta -- or Henny, for short -- plucked at the packaging of a frozen turkey in the state Capitol while Miller thanked the states partner organizations at the event.

All right, Henrietta. Count your blessings, Miller said. Because this year, you won't be roasted and served with the dressing.

And with that, Henrietta became the latest turkey to receive an executive pardon in North Dakota, continuing more than four decades of tradition. The ceremony also commemorated the North Dakota Turkey Federations donation of 16 frozen turkeys each to the Heavens Helpers Soup Cafe and the Abused Adult Resource Center in Bismarck.

Turkey Federation President David Rude said the pardon tradition presents an opportunity for the organization to give back to the community. North Dakota turkey producers raise around 1 million birds annually, though avian influenza can impact the states output. The state Department of Agriculture earlier this month confirmed the first case of a bird flu infection in a commercial flock since the spring.

The Abused Adult Resource Center, which operates an emergency shelter and a transitional shelter, helped about 1,300 people last year, according to Executive Director Michelle Erickson. She said the center is looking forward to supporting families ahead of Thanksgiving this week.

Our services are definitely needed in the area, Erickson said. And we're really very thankful to get these 16 turkeys and the amazing food baskets together for some of our clients.

As attendees expressed their gratitude, Henrietta squared off against Rude, stalking along the table upon which she stood and preening herself, all with the knowledge that she wont be a Thanksgiving centerpiece on Thursday.

Miller said the tradition of turkey pardoning serves as a reminder of the importance of benevolence and care -- and underscores American values.

We hope this generous gift will inspire others to give to those in need during this holiday season, as well as all year round, Miller said.
Acknowledging a series of failures leading up to the massacre of 1,200 Israelis and some 240 others taken hostage by Hamas militants on October 7, a senior adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israel will look into the failures and draw appropriate lessons. Mark Regev, a senior Adviser to Netanyahu said that besides the original failure of not having a warning on the unprecedented attack ahead of time, there are also other questions in the aftermath that are troublesome and require attention.

How did Hamas manage to catch us off-guard? There were a series of failures on that day. First of all, there was the intelligence failure that we were not expecting the attack when it came and we were caught off-guard and we paid a heavy price in blood for that failure, he told reporters in a webinar organised by Israel-Asia Center. The scope of the bloodshed was particularly horrific for the Israelis. We had entire families, and civilians, shot by Hamas terrorists. They came into farming villages and they opened automatic fire and massacred communities, Regev said elaborating on the dastardly attacks that have shaken the entire population in the Jewish state.

We really saw terrible brutal violence against our people and we werent prepared for it, he acknowledged. The senior advisor to the Israeli Prime Minister said that besides the original failure of not having a warning on the attack ahead of time, there are also other questions in the aftermath that are troublesome and require attention.

Why is it that the terrorists succeeded in storming into Israel, from their point of view, successfully? How did they cross the frontier which is supposed to be a guarded and protected frontier? And once they were on our side of the frontier butchering our civilian population, how is it that it took so long to clean up the territory to remove the terrorist threat?, he pointed out in the first such elaborate acceptance of the failures of the Israeli security apparatus by such a senior official. Regev has in the past served as the governments spokesperson at the foreign ministry and the PMO and also served as Israels Ambassador to the United Kingdom.

So all these questions need to be addressed because they are good questions. And ultimately Israel is strong and we are strong enough to admit our failures. We have to deal with these failures and we have to learn our lessons, he said in candid admissions. Drawing parallels with the Yom Kippur War of 1973, fifty years ago when Israel was also taken by surprise, the senior adviser pointed out that Israel had an elaborate public enquiry by a State Commission and several of those responsible for the failures had to pay a price for it.

In the past, 50 years ago was the 1973 Yom Kippur War and then, like on October 7, Israel was taken by surprise and when the war was over and we won it, we had a whole public enquiry headed by a State Commission of enquiry led by a Supreme Court justice and former military Chief of Staffs in the Commission, he noted. They made a thorough investigation and there were a whole lot of military officers and others who paid for the mistakes. It also had political ramifications. In many ways (then PM) Golda Meirs resignation in 1974 is due to the Yom Kippur war, Regev said.

So I dont know what is going to happen this time but I am sure that Israel will look into all the failures. We will do so objectively and I think lessons will be learnt, he stressed. The Head of Israels internal security agency, Shin Bet, the Chief of Staff and the Defence Minister have all accepted responsibility for the failures of October 7, but Prime Minister Netanyahu has adamantly refused to do so.

He has merely said that a lot of people will have to face a lot of difficult questions after the war, including him.
Canadian MP Chandra Arya has raised concerns about the constant threat posed by pro-Khalistani elements in the country and again asked the authorities to step in and take action. In a post on the social media platform X, Arya flagged growing incidents of vandalism of Hindu temples by Sikh extremists and said the group now wants to create trouble at a temple in Surrey.

Last week Khalistan supporters verbally abused a Sikh family outside a Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey BC according to some reports. Now it appears the same Khalistan group want to create trouble at the Hindu Laxmi Narayan Mandir in Surrey. All these are being done in the name of freedom of speech and expression, the Indian-origin MP wrote on X.

Last week Khalistan supporters verbally abused a Sikh family outside a Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey BC according to some reports.Now it appears the same Khalistan group want to create trouble at the Hindu Laxmi Narayan Mandir in Surrey.All these are being done in the name of https://t.co/szTznICBo0 Chandra Arya (@AryaCanada) November 20, 2023

Like a broken record

Like a broken record, I am again asking Canadian authorities to step in and take action. Hindu temples have been attacked many times during the last couple of years. Hate crimes are being committed against Hindu-Canadians. Allowing these things to continue to be done openly and publicly is not acceptable, he added.

The fresh threats come as India has expressed serious concerns regarding the surge in pro-Khalistani activities and attacks on Hindu temples in Canada. In August, extremists vandalised a Hindu temple with Khalistan referendum posters. In April, the BAPS Swaminarayan temple in Ontario, Canada, was also vandalised with anti-India graffiti.

Last week, members of the banned Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) disturbed an Indian High Commission event organised by the Vancouver Consulate General in Abbotsford. Khalistani goons targeted a local Sikh family, which had come to the Gurudwara Sahib to obtain a life certificate for their aged father, said sources.
Seouls military said on Tuesday said that North Korea fired what it claims is a military spy satellite. The statement comes hours after Japan confirmed that Pyongyang had warned it of an expected launch.

Earlier in May and August, North Koreas efforts to put a spy satellite into orbit failed, following which Seoul, Tokyo and Washington warned Pyongyang to not proceed with another launch, as that would violate successive rounds of UN resolutions.

The state media in North Korea said that the satellite launch was a success.

South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff as quoted by AFP said, North Korea has fired what it claims is a military surveillance satellite in a southwards direction.

The satellites launch was also confirmed by Japan as the Prime Minister Fumio Kishidas office posted on X saying, North Korea has launched a suspected ballistic missile.

As per experts, space launches and ballistic missiles have significant technological overlap and Pyongyang is barred by UN resolutions from any tests involving ballistic technology.

Experts have also suggested that North Koreas success in putting a spy satellite into orbit would improve their intelligence-gathering capabilities, particularly over South Korea, and help them procure crucial data in any military conflict.

As per South Korean officials, Seoul also plans to launch its first spy satellite via a SpaceX rocket later this month.

Japan Asks Residents To Take Shelter

Tokyo also warned residents from the southern region of Okinawa to take shelter. However, they soon lifted the alert and said that the projectile passed into the Pacific.

For weeks, Seoul has been warning that Pyongyang was in the final stages of preparation for another spy satellite launch.

The launch came earlier than expected, as North Korea had on Tuesday informed Japan that it would launch a satellite between Wednesday and December 1.

The launch that came hours before its time window notification seems to underscore two things: Pyongyangs confidence in success and intention to maximise surprise factor to the outside world, Choi Gi-il, professor of military studies at Sangji University, told AFP.

Washington Strongly Condemns North Koreas Satellite Launch

The White House on Tuesday strongly condemned North Korea over its space launch calling it a brazen violation of UN sanctions that could destabilize the region.

The launch raises tensions, and risks destabilizing the security situation in the region and beyond National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement.

Russian Help

Seouls spy agency also warned this month that Pyongyangs next launch effort was likely to be more successful than its first two efforts. They further claimed that the North seemed to have received technical advice from Russia, in return for sending at least 10 shipments of weapons for Moscows war in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested in September after meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that his nation could help Pyongyang build satellites.

Seoul and Washington have both subsequently claimed Pyongyang has been shipping weapons to Russia, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warning this month that military ties between North Korea and Russia were growing and dangerous.

(with AFP inputs)
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will represent India at the BRICS virtual summit hosted by South Africa on Tuesday, where the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, will discuss the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.

The Extraordinary Joint Meeting on the Middle East Situation in Gaza will be hosted by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the hope of drawing up a common response to the more than six-week conflict. JUST IN: BRICS leaders schedule emergency meeting to discuss Israel & Gaza conflict, the official X handle of the bloc wrote on Monday.

JUST IN: BRICS leaders schedule emergency meeting to discuss Israel & Gaza conflict. BRICS (@BRICSinfo) November 20, 2023

New Members and UN Chief, Putin Will Participate

Leaders from Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates  who are all due to join the BRICS group in January 2024  will attend the meeting. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will also participate, the South African presidency said in a statement. It added that all five BRICS heads of state will join the virtual summit, after which a joint statement with particular reference to Gaza is expected. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has called for restraint amid the conflict, is also slated to join the BRICS meeting.

Fighting is raging in Gaza after a shock Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 killed about 1,200 people with around 240 people taken hostage. In Gaza, around 13,300 people have been killed in the retaliatory air and ground offensive, officials in the Hamas-run territory have said. South Africa has long been a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause, with the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party often linking it to its own struggle against apartheid. The ANC said last Thursday that it would support a parliamentary motion to suspend diplomatic relations with Israel until it agrees to a ceasefire in Gaza, decrying the genocidal actions of the Israeli regime.

Israel Recalls South Africa Envoy

On Friday, South Africa joined four other nations in calling for an International Criminal Court investigation into the Israel-Hamas war. China has historically been sympathetic to the Palestinians and supportive of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Beijing has been calling for an immediate ceasefire since the start of the war last month.

One day before the BRICS virtual summit on the war in Gaza, Israels foreign ministry said Monday it had recalled its ambassador from Pretoria. Following the latest South African statements, the Ambassador of Israel to Pretoria has been recalled to Jerusalem for consultations, said ministry spokesman Lior Haiat on social media site X.

(With agency inputs)
Palestinian sources and key mediator Qatar said Tuesday a deal was close to free hostages Hamas took from Israel in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and a truce in the Gaza war.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later said we are making progress and added that I hope there will be good news soon.

Israel has vowed to crush Hamas over its unprecedented October 7 attack which killed around 1,200 people in Israel and saw some 240 hostages taken, according to official figures.

Netanyahu pledged on Monday that until all hostages are freed, there will be no letup in the war which has killed more than 13,300 people in Gaza according to Hamas officials.

Qatar, a mediator in efforts to secure the deal along with Egypt, said Tuesday that the negotiations were at a critical and final stage.

Here is what we know:

 We are close to deal: Hamas

Early Tuesday, Qatar-based Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said in a brief statement: We are close to reaching a deal on a truce.

Hamas and Islamic Jihad sources said details of the agreement would be announced officially by Qatar and other mediators.

We are at the closest point we ever had been in reaching an agreement, Qatari foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari said later, adding that negotiations were at a critical and final stage.

 Hostages and Palestinian prisoners

Two sources close to the tentative deal have said that between 50 and 100 civilian hostages would be released, but no military personnel.

In exchange, Israel would free from its prisons 300 Palestinians, among them women and minors.

The transfer would span several days, with 10 hostages and 30 Palestinians prisoners to be released each day.

 Tentative five-day truce

According to the same sources, the deal includes a complete ceasefire on the ground for five days, with Israel allowed to fly sorties over northern Gaza for 18 hours a day.

The deal also provides for between 100 and 300 trucks of food and medical aid, as well as fuel, to enter Gaza, the sources said.

 Stumbling block

The same sources said Israel had insisted that captive soldiers should also be released if they are related to a civilian abductee freed by the militants  despite Hamas objections.

Qatar and Egypt are currently working with the US administration to resolve that issue, one source said, adding that only then would a date for a truce be announced.

 Families voice frustration 

Relatives of the hostages met on Monday evening with Netanyahu, who told them: We will not stop fighting until we bring our hostages home and destroy Hamas.

But some of the families expressed frustration after the meeting.

We wanted to hear about a deal and that return of the abductees is a priority among the war objectives. We didnt hear that, said Udi Goren, whose cousin is among the captives.

 US president hopeful

On Monday, US President Joe Biden also indicated a deal was near.

I believe so, Biden said at the White House when asked by a reporter whether a hostage deal was close.

His national security spokesman John Kirby later said: We believe were closer than weve ever been, so were hopeful.

 Red Cross talks

Hope for an agreement grew after the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, which has helped facilitate past prisoner exchanges and hostage releases between Israel and the Palestinians, met with the Hamas chief in Doha on Monday as well as with Qatari officials.

The ICRC said in a statement it was insisting that our teams be allowed to visit the hostages to check on their welfare and deliver medications, and for the hostages to be able to communicate with their families.
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict, the release of all civilian captives and the implementation of a two-state solution for lasting peace in the strife-torn region. Addressing the BRICS extraordinary virtual summit on the Palestine-Israeli issue, Xi said fundamental way out of the recurring Palestinian-Israeli conflicts is to implement the two-state solution, restore the legitimate rights of the Palestinian nation, and establish an independent State of Palestine.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, the current chair of the BRICS group, convened a virtual summit of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) group of nations on the situation in Gaza. Xi said the BRICS voice of justice and peace on the Palestinian-Israeli issue is timely and imperative.

He said that without a just settlement of the Palestinian question, there will be no enduring peace and stability in the Middle East. Xi made three proposals to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict which including all parties in the conflicts should immediately cease fire and hostilities, stop all violence and attacks targeting civilians, and release civilian detainees to avoid more loss of lives and suffering.

He said China believes that the parties to the conflict must end hostilities and achieve a ceasefire immediately, stop all violence and attacks against civilians, release civilians held captive and act to prevent loss of more lives and spare people from more miseries. Also humanitarian corridors must be kept secure and unimpeded, and more humanitarian assistance should be provided to the population in Gaza, he said.

He said that the collective punishment of people in Gaza in the form of forced transfer or water, electricity and fuel deprivation must stop. Xi called on the international community to take concrete measures to prevent the escalation of the conflicts and the impact on the stability of the entire Middle East.

China calls for the early convening of an international peace conference that is more authoritative to build international consensus for peace and work toward an early solution to the question of Palestine that is comprehensive, just and sustainable, Xi said. Ever since the conflict broke out after the Hamas militants from Gaza attacked Israeli civilians and took a large number of hostages resulting in massive military backlash by Israel, China has called for immediate end to hostilities, exercise restraint, and remain calm to protect civilians to avoid further deterioration of the situation. While condemning the attacks on civilians, Beijing, however, has not named Hamas. China this year has stepped up its diplomacy in the Middle East and brokered a surprise deal between arch-rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran in March to end their hostilities and restore diplomatic ties.

The Beijing-brokered detente between Iran and Saudi Arabia came after a bitter rivalry between the two influential Middle Eastern countries which had destabilised several countries in the region including Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and Bahrain. In the last two days Beijing also hosted a delegation of Arab-Islamic foreign ministers to discuss a way forward to end the present crisis.

Outlining the outcome of the talks, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning told a media briefing on Tuesday that, as this months rotating president of the UN Security Council, China will continue to strengthen coordination with Arab and Islamic countries to build consensus and galvanise more meaningful UN action on the situation in Gaza. The Palestinian question is at the heart of the Middle East issue. Without a just settlement of the Palestinian question, durable peace and stability will remain elusive for the Middle East, she said.
The North Dakota News Cooperative is still fairly new, but its already making a positive impact. NDNC correspondent Michael Standaert covers important issues that might otherwise go unreported. As newspapers nationwide are decimated by corporate consolidation, pillaged by venture capitalists, and replaced by the mindless toxicity of social media, Standaerts unbiased and in-depth reporting stands out as an example of quality local journalism.

To bolster its reporting, the NDNC recently launched a quarterly, nonpartisan survey of eligible North Dakota voters. Our state has never had much independent and consistent polling data. The North Dakota Poll will help fill that void, providing valuable information to policymakers and citizens alike.

One major theme in the inaugural poll results is that lawmakers are often out of touch with the citizens they purportedly represent. A near-total ban on abortion was approved by 84% of representatives and 89% of senators last session, and Gov. Doug Burgum signed it into law. Given those huge margins, you would think the vast majority of North Dakotans are in agreement.

But according to the North Dakota Poll, 48% of North Dakotans oppose the strict abortion law, while 44% support it. A majority of woman are opposed to the new law, as are most independent voters, who make up a third of the electorate. Men over age 55 are most likely to support the new abortion restrictions. Not surprisingly, a large number of state legislators fall into that demographic.

There are numerous reasons for the disconnect between lawmakers and their constituents. Many legislators fixate on culture war issues that are increasingly pushed by national interest groups, whose main goal is to keep their supporters and donors in a perpetual state of partisan agitation. Politicians use a similar electoral strategy. In North Dakota, where turnout was only 43% in the last election, politicians know they can win by appealing to a small group of hyper-partisan voters.

As the North Dakota Poll begins to illuminate these problems, perhaps more independent-minded voters will show up on Election Day to demand that politicians serve all the people, not just a narrow and increasingly extreme minority.

The first North Dakota Poll also surveyed presidential preferences, and the results show that Burgums quixotic quest for the presidency is even more delusional than many of us already thought. We already knew about Burgums tepid national support, which disqualified him from the last GOP debate. It turns out that bribing donors with gift cards eventually reaches a point of diminishing returns. Youd think a self-proclaimed world-class businessman would have seen that coming.

If that wasnt embarrassing enough, we now have polling data showing that even Burgums fellow North Dakotans dont think hes presidential material. Among North Dakota Republicans, 54% support Donald Trump, 14% favor Ron DeSantis, and only 12% back Burgum. Among independents, Burgum polls at 14% compared to Trumps 32%.

Among North Dakota voters overall, Trump leads with 36%, Biden is second with 19%, and Burgum comes in third at 11%. More North Dakotans prefer a second term for Joe Biden than a Burgum administration in Washington.

With such pathetic poll numbers, Burgums candidacy has officially become a sad joke that seems lost only on him. Good luck convincing Iowans and New Hampshirites to vote for you if you cant even convince voters in your home state.

The North Dakota Poll is just getting started, but its already highlighting how untethered from reality our legislators and governor really are. Citizens will benefit from that kind of information, and the more they receive, the more likely theyll demand a change.
the edge of your competence knowing what you dont know
Each year before Thanksgiving, a turkey or two is pardoned by the sitting US presidentand while this tradition has become a signal that it's almost time to stuff ourselves with pie, it's also fairly new. NPR breaks down some of the puzzling aspects of the turkey pardon, including how it came to be. The turkey lobby began formally giving turkeys to presidents in the 1940s, though according to the White House Historical Association, poultry dealers sending the commander-in-chief a fat bird for dinner dates back even further, to the 1870s. While lobbyists began the tradition as a means of free advertising, it wasn't quite a spectacle until the pardoning began.

JFK is thought to be the first president to pardon a turkey in 1963just three days before his own deathwhen he opted to save the bird presented to him with a sign around its neck that read "Good eating, Mr. President." "I think we'll just let this one grow," he said at the time. NPR posits that being seen as a "turkey liberator" polls better, and though it took time for it to catch on, pardoning became the norm by the 1980s. The tradition has spread to states like Alabama, where it's been done for decades, and more recently Michigan, where Gov. Gretchen Whitmer pardoned her first turkey, "Mitch E. Gander," in 2022.

The event is most associated today with corny jokes, but the turkey lobby is still driving it, and quite a lot of prep work goes into getting the birds to the White House. Not only are they put up in a fancy hotel room before the big event, the Hill reports that they receive a bit of media training. To get them ready for the crowds, the turkeys are introduced to camera lights and loud sounds. This year's birds listened to music in preparation, and are apparently Swifties, and also enjoy some Prince. While their alleged crime is unknown, receiving the presidential pardon means the lucky birds will live out their days on a farm sanctuary rather than end up being served for dinner. (More Thanksgiving stories).
Wildlife officials across the Great Lakes are looking for spies to take on an almost impossible mission: stop the spread of invasive carp. Over the past five years, agencies such as the US Fish and Wildlife Service and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources have employed a new seek-and-destroy strategy that uses turncoat Asian carp to lead them to the gang's hotspot hideouts, the AP reports. Agency workers turn carp into double agents by capturing them, implanting transmitters, and tossing them back. Floating receivers send real-time notifications when a tagged carp swims past.

Carp often clump in schools in the spring and fall. Armed with the traitor carp's location, agency workers and commercial anglers can head to that spot, drop their nets, and remove multiple fish from the ecosystem. Kayla Stampfle, invasive carp field lead for the Minnesota DNR, says the goal is to monitor when carp start moving in the spring and use the tagged fish to ambush their brethren. "We use these fish as a traitor fish and set the nets around this fish," she says. The carp are voracious eatersadult bigheads and silvers can consume up to 40% of their bodyweight in a dayand easily outcompete native species, wreaking havoc on aquatic ecosystems. There is no hard estimates of invasive carp populations in the US, but they are believed to number in the millions.

Fisheries experts have employed a host of defenses, including electric barriers, walls of bubbles, and herding the carp into nets using underwater speakers. But the fish still have made their way up the Mississippi as far as northern Wisconsin, and grass carp have been found in Lake Erie, Lake Michigan, and Lake Ontario, leaving fisheries managers racing to blunt the incursion. Beginning around 2018, managers started placing new, solar-powered receivers around the Great Lakes region that could track tagged carp and send instant notifications to observers. The real-time notifications reveal where carp may be massing before a migration and illuminate movement patterns, allowing the agencies to plan round-up expeditions to remove carp from the environment and tag more traitor fish.

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The traitor fish strategy has drawn muted criticism from the fisheries industry because managers return tagged invasive carp to the wild where they can breed, says Marc Smith, policy director at the National Wildlife Federation's Great Lakes Regional Center. But wildlife agencies need every weapon they can get against the carp, he said. "In theory, it works," Smith says. "We think the rewards outweigh the risk. We have to throw everything we can at them. I wouldn't want to take anything off the table." (Officials in Illinois hope renaming Asian carp "copi" will help persuade people to eat more of them.)
A person was seriously injured Monday morning by a falling lamppost in Main Street, USA, authorities say. The visitor was hospitalized and two other people were treated for minor injuries after the post fell amid strong winds at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, KTLA reports. The lamppost, in a flower bed near the Disneyland flagpole, is used to light parades and shows at the attraction, the Orange County Register reports. WDW News Today reports that Main Street USA vehicles were used to block off the area while the fallen post was removed. With strong winds expected to persist, Disneyland workers were seen attaching cables to similar posts in Main Street USA and the area around Sleeping Beauty Castle. (Read more Disneyland stories.)
A divided federal appeals court on Monday ruled that private individuals and groups such as the NAACP do not have the ability to sue under a key section of the federal Voting Rights Act, a decision that voting rights advocates say could further erode protections under the landmark 1965 law. The 2-1 decision by a panel of the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals based in St. Louis found that only the US attorney general can enforce Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which requires political maps to include districts where minority populations' preferred candidates can win elections, the AP reports. The majority said other federal laws, including the 1964 Civil Rights Act, make it clear when private groups can sue but said similar wording is not found in the voting law.

"When those details are missing, it is not our place to fill in the gaps, except when 'text and structure' require it," US Circuit Judge David Stras wrote for the majority in an opinion joined by Judge Raymond Gruender. Stras was nominated by former President Donald Trump and Gruender by former President George W. Bush. The decision affirmed a lower judge's decision to dismiss a case brought by the Arkansas State Conference NAACP and the Arkansas Public Policy Panel after giving US Attorney General Merrick Garland five days to join the lawsuit. Chief Judge Lavenski Smith noted in a dissenting opinion that federal courts across the country and the US Supreme Court have considered numerous cases brought by private plaintiffs under Section 2.

Sophia Lin Lakin, director of the ACLU's Voting Rights Project, called the ruling a "travesty for democracy." She had argued the appeal on behalf of the two Arkansas groups. "By failing to reverse the district court's radical decision, the Eighth Circuit has put the Voting Rights Act in jeopardy, tossing aside critical protections that voters fought and died for," Lakin said in a statement. It was not immediately clear whether the groups would appeal. Barry Jefferson, political action chair of the Arkansas State Conference of the NAACP, called the ruling "a devastating blow to the civil rights of every American, and the integrity of our nation's electoral system." Monday's ruling applies only to federal courts covered by the 8th Circuit, per the AP.

(Read more Voting Rights Act stories.)
The vacation home of Rahm Emanuel, former mayor of Chicago, current US ambassador to Japan, and, as the Chicago Sun-Times puts it, "one of the nation's most prominent Jewish political figures," was vandalized last week in what the homeowners association is painting as an antisemitic hate crime. The word "Nazis" was spray-painted on the fence of the home in Gordon Beach, Michigan, a lakefront community. "Our family is very proud of how our friends, neighbors and the community have rallied to our support and in a singular voice in condemning hatred and bigotry," Emanuel, who was in Chicago at the time, said in a statement to the Sun-Times.

The word has already been removed, ABC 7 Chicago reports. The homeowners association says there was no other damage to the property and police found no signs of breaking and entering. "We in Gordon Beach condemn this hate crime, as well as the national increase in intolerance, bigotry and criminal activity based on hate," the association said in a letter. "Gordon Beach does not tolerate prejudice, bigotry, racism, hatred or violence, and we encourage anyone who has experienced an act of hate to report it to the Berrien County Police." The Midwest regional director of the Anti-Defamation League urged local authorities to investigate the incident as a hate crime. Police say they are conducting extra patrols in the area but have no leads yet on a suspect, CNN reports. (Read more Rahm Emanuel stories.)
UPDATE

Nov 22, 2023 1:00 AM CST

The Israel Defense Forces says Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha was released Tuesday, the day after IDF arrested him as he attempted to evacuate to southern Gaza, the Times of Israel reports. His wife and children had been allowed to continue on. The IDF says Abu Toha was among a number of civilians taken to Israel and questioned after intelligence indicated there had been "a number of interactions between several civilians and terror organizations inside the Gaza Strip." The editor of the New Yorker, where Abu Toha has published pieces, says Israeli military officials told him the poet "will be back in Gaza by the end of the day at the latest."

Nov 21, 2023 8:14 AM CST

"I'm disturbed by how other countries are evacuating their citizens from Israel and supporting Israel with arms and medical supplies, as if Palestinians' lives were of no value," Mosab Abu Toha wrote in the New York Times on Oct. 14, describing how a bomb had destroyed the building next door to his family in Gaza's Jabalia refugee camp. This month in the New Yorker, the 30-year-old Palestinian poet and author wrote of reaching his former home and finding "nothing but debris." "I feel like I am in a cage," wrote the American Book Award winner. "The only two things I can do are panic and breathe." Now, his family is desperate to know he still breathes. Told by the US embassy that he and his family would be permitted to cross into Egypt, he was arrested trying, the Guardian reports.
Thank you for bringing out such a new word. To learn is to surf on -- " Kundera kitsch as an ideological tool under such regimes ! -"

Tomas Kulka, in Kitsch and Art, starts from two basic facts: that kitsch "has an undeniable mass appeal" and "considered bad" by the art-educated elite", and then proposes three essential conditions:

Kitsch depicts a beautiful or highly emotionally charged subject. The depicted subject is instantly and effortlessly identifiable. Kitsch does not substantially enrich our associations related to the depicted subject.[11][1

Kitsch in Milan Kundera's [The Unbearable Lightness of Being]:

The concept of kitsch is a central motif in Milan Kundera's 1984 novel The Unbearable Lightness of Being. Towards the end of the novel, the book's narrator posits that the act of defecation (and specifically, the shame that surrounds it) poses a metaphysical challenge to the theory of divine creation: "Either/or: either shit is acceptable (in which case don't lock yourself in the bathroom!) or we are created in an unacceptable manner".[13] Thus, in order for us to continue to believe in the essential propriety and rightness of the universe (what the narrator calls "the categorical agreement with being"), we live in a world "in which shit is denied and everyone acts as though it did not exist". For Kundera's narrator, this is the definition of kitsch: an "aesthetic ideal" which "excludes everything from its purview which is essentially unacceptable in human existence".

The novel goes on to relate this definition of kitsch to politics, and specificallygiven the novel's setting in Prague around the time of the 1968 invasion by the Soviet Unionto communism and totalitarianism. He gives the example of the Communist May Day ceremony, and of the sight of children running on the grass and the feeling this is supposed to provoke. This emphasis on feeling is fundamental to how kitsch operates:

Kitsch causes two tears to flow in quick succession. The first tear says: How nice to see children running on the grass! The second tear says: How nice to be moved, together with all mankind, by children running on the grass! It is the second tear that makes kitsch kitsch.[14]

According to the narrator, kitsch is "the aesthetic ideal of all politicians and all political parties and movements"; however, where a society is dominated by a single political movement, the result is "totalitarian kitsch":

When I say "totalitarian," what I mean is that everything that infringes on kitsch must be banished for life: every display of individualism (because a deviation from the collective is a spit in the eye of the smiling brotherhood); every doubt (because anyone who starts doubting details will end by doubting life itself); all irony (because in the realm of kitsch everything must be taken quite seriously).[14]

Kundera's concept of "totalitarian kitsch" has since been invoked in the study of the art and culture of regimes such as Stalin's Soviet Union, Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy and Iraq under Saddam Hussein.[15] Kundera's narrator ends up condemning kitsch for its "true function" as an ideological tool under such regimes, calling it "a folding screen set up to curtain off death".[16] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitsch#:~:text=Kitsch%20(%2Fk%C9%AAt%CA%83%2F,common%20example%20of%20modern%20kitsch.?
The American Civil Liberties Union says an elementary school in Kansas is enforcing an unlawful policy under which an 8-year-old Native American boy was forced to choose between having long hair and attending school. The member of the Wyandotte Nation chose to cut his long hair after his mother visited the school in September and was told there could be no exemption to the rule, even for a Native American child whose long hair is linked to his faith and culture, according to the ACLU. "Requiring him to cut his hair to attend school imposes a substantial burden on his faith practice because, in and of itself, it violates his religious beliefs," the ACLU wrote in a Friday letter to RV Haderlein Elementary School in Girard, per NBC News .

The letter describes the "Boy's Hair Length" policystating hair cannot cover the eyebrows, hang past the earlobes, touch the collar of a crew neck T-shirt, or be held in a ponytail, per USA Todayas particularly concerning given that generations of Native American children were stripped of their culture in US residential schools, including through the forced cutting of their hair, contributing to genocide. It "perpetuates a legacy of cultural, psychological, and spiritual trauma and discrimination," the ACLU wrote on its website, per USA Today. But the policy also promotes "rigid views of gender norms and roles" and is unlawful because "schools may not impose different requirements on students based on their sex without an exceedingly persuasive justification," according to the letter.

The ACLU is asking the school district to abandon the policy or issue an immediate exception allowing the child to wear his hair "past his shoulders, loose or in a braid, as his tribal and religious customs dictate." It notes that, under tribal customs, short hair on boys typically signifies a period of grieving, per USA Today. In a statement, Girard Schools Superintendent Todd Ferguson said "the USD 248 Board of Education is planning to review and consider updates to the dress code policy when they meet on December 14th." The ACLU had given the school district a deadline of Dec. 1 to notify the group of any action it planned to take. (In Texas, the family of a Black student allegedly barred from the classroom over his hairstyle has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit.)
For the first time in more than eight years, David Letterman took to the stage at New York City's Ed Sullivan Theater, but this time, he was on the other side of the desk. The former Late Show host popped in for a visit on Monday with current Late Show host Stephen Colbert, who seemed pleased to have his predecessor in the house. So did the audience, who gave the hirsute Letterman a rousing standing ovation, reports Deadline .

"Wow! How about that?" said a grinning Letterman reacting to the applause. That ruckus was soon followed by audience members chanting Letterman's name, to which he joked, "What happened? What are they doing now?" After a quick glance at his watch to mark the long round of clapping, Letterman finally took a seat, telling Colbert to "control your people." Per the New York Times, Letterman's appearance with Colbert, his first since he left the show in May 2015, "brought some resolution to one of the odder mysteries in show business: Why wouldn't [Letterman] visit with his successor?"

The paper notes that Letterman has been pretty busy since leaving the Late Shownot only hosting Netflix's My Next Guest Needs No Introduction, but also appearing as a guest with many other big names, including Jimmy Kimmel, Howard Stern, Seth Meyers, Marc Maron, and Conan O'Brien. Whatever the reason for Letterman's long absence from his former workplace, the two talked about anything but that, delving instead into Letterman's son heading off to college, pharmacy visits, and what Letterman missed most about his late-night hosting gig. "I miss everything," Letterman admitted. "Mostly, it's fun." Letterman even asked if he could sit behind Colbert's desk, which Colbert cheerfully allowed. More here, here, here, and here. (Read more David Letterman stories.)
The Thanksgiving holiday week looks to be back in full force, with a record number of travelers expected both on the road and in the airdespite a weather forecast set to bring travel snarls across a good part of the United States. The AP reports that the Transportation Security Administration anticipates about 2.6 million fliers on Tuesday, followed by 2.7 million on Wednesday, with about 2.9 million of those making the return trip home on Sunday. Meanwhile, the American Automobile Association says that more than 55 million people will venture at least 50 miles from home between Wednesday and Sunday, with Wednesday set to be the worst from a traffic standpoint.

Throwing a possible wrench into many of these travel itineraries: a storm system that's set to move from the southern Plains into the Northeast on Tuesday and Wednesday. CNN notes that the "headache-inducing weather could not come at a worse time," bringing rain, snow, and thunderstorms, the latter posing the most threat on Tuesday in the Southeast, specifically the Florida Panhandle and the southern part of Alabama. Tornadoes in this region are also possible. Heavy rain is set to move up through the Southeast and mid-Atlantic states, with rain and winds posing possible upheaval for fliers in DC, Philly, New York, and Boston.

More wintry weather (think rain, sleet, and snow) is headed for the Northeast on Tuesday into Wednesday, starting in Pennsylvania and southern New York and making its way up into Vermont and New Hampshire. The snow will then arrive in Maine on Wednesday, and roads are expected to stay slick throughout the Northeast. As for Thanksgiving Day and the annual Macy's parade, New York City is predicted to see dry weather on Thursday, though it may be quite breezy. It's not clear yet what the weather is looking like for the weekend, when many will be making their return trips home. The Weather Channel features a map of all the expected trouble spots. (Read more Thanksgiving travel stories.)
A helicopter Houthi attack on an Israel-linked ship in the Red Sea highlights the danger now lurking in one of the world's key shipping routes as the Israel-Hamas war rages, as well as the rebels' tactics mirroring those of its chief sponsor, Iran. While Tehran has denied aiding the Yemen rebel group in its attack Sunday, the targeted ship before the assault passed by an American-sanctioned Iranian cargo vessel suspected as serving as a forward spying base in the Red Sea. The rebels, dressed in bulletproof vests carrying assault rifles, covered each other and moved in military formation before quickly seizing control of the bridge of the Galaxy Leader. While their body-cam footage serves as propaganda to bolster their own position in Yemen amid protests against their rule, it also signals a new maritime front has opened in a region long focused on the Persian Gulf, reports the AP .

It also puts new pressure on commercial shippers traveling those waters, threatens to increase insurance costs that will pass onto consumers, and likely further stretches the US Navy as it tries to serve as the region's security guarantor. "This has all the signs these people were trained by a professional military, which could clearly be Iran," a US defense official told the AP on condition of anonymity. "This looks like something we haven't seen before." It's not just the US and Israel suspecting Iranian involvement, however. The risk intelligence firm RANE referred to the tactics employed by the Houthis as reminiscent of those used by Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard when seizing vessels in the past. Ambrey, a private intelligence firm, similarly referred to the operation as an "Iranian-style vessel seizure" that "provides the Houthis with a negotiation lever."

"The incident displayed a significant increase in the Houthis' capability to disrupt merchant shipping," Ambrey said. "The sophistication of the operation suggests that Iranian involvement is highly likely." The Galaxy Leader, linked to Israeli billionaire Abraham "Rami" Ungar, also passed by the Iranian cargo vessel Behshad before the attack Sunday, according to satellite imagery. An Iranian Foreign Ministry rep denied involvement, saying, "Those accusations are void, and a result of the complicated situation the Zionist regime is struggling with." However, Hamas has Iran as one of its main sponsors. The Houthis have been able to fly this year a Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jet over the capital, Sanaa, during a military parade, along with a Northrop F-5 Tiger combat aircraft at another. A Houthi parade also saw Soviet-era Mil Mi-17 helicopters flyingthe same model used in Sunday's attack.

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This makes the Red Sea, which stretches from Egypt's Suez Canal down to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait separating East Africa from the Arabian Peninsula, increasingly dangerous for shipping. That narrow strait, some 18 miles across at its tightest point, is crucial for cargo and energy shipments. The US has sent more vessels into and through the Red Sea, including the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier and its strike group. The Eisenhower is now in the Gulf of Oman, according to satellite images, meaning there are fewer US Navy assets in the Red Sea. And if the next attack sees fatalitiesparticularly of US or Israeli nationalsthat raises the risk of a wider war breaking out on the seas. "Significant Houthi interference with commercial shipping through the Strait is almost certain to trigger US intervention due to the political and potentially economic implications," the Soufan Center warned. (Read more Houthis stories.)
North Korea claimed to have successfully placed a spy satellite into orbit with its third launch attempt this year, demonstrating the nation's determination to build a space-based surveillance system during protracted tensions with the United States. The North's claim could not immediately be independently confirmed, per the AP . However, the launch was certain to invite strong condemnation from the United States and its partners because the UN bans North Korea from conducting satellite launches, calling them covers for tests of missile technology.

The North's space authorities said in a statement Wednesday morning (local time) that its space launch vehicle placed the Malligyong-1 satellite into orbit on Tuesday night following liftoff from the country's main launch center. The statement said leader Kim Jong Un observed the launch. A spy satellite is among the key military assets coveted by Kim, who wants to modernize his weapons systems to cope with what he calls escalating US threats. North Korea attempted to launch a spy satellite twice earlier this year, but both launches ended in failure due to technical issues.

"Even if North Korea calls it a satellite, the firing that uses ballistic missile technology is a clear violation to related United Nations Security Council resolutions," Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said. "It is also a serious threat that affects the safety of the people." North Korea had vowed a third launch would take place sometime in October, but it didn't follow through or give a reason for not following that launch plan. South Korean officials have said the delay occurred likely because North Korea was receiving Russian technological assistance for its spy satellite launch program.

(Read more North Korea stories.)
For the baseball player, see Matt Broderick

Matthew Broderick (born March 21, 1962)[1] is an American actor. His roles include the Golden Globenominated portrayal of the title character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986), the voice of adult Simba in Disney's The Lion King (1994), and Leo Bloom in both the Broadway musical The Producers and its 2005 film adaptation. Other films he had starring credits in include WarGames (1983), Glory (1989), The Freshman (1990), The Cable Guy (1996), Godzilla (1998), Inspector Gadget (1999), You Can Count on Me (2000) and The Last Shot (2004). Broderick also directed himself in Infinity (1996) and provided voice work in Good Boy! (2003), Bee Movie (2007), and The Tale of Despereaux (2008).

Broderick has won two Tony Awards, one for Best Featured Actor in a Play for Brighton Beach Memoirs (1983), and one for Best Actor in a Musical for How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1995).[2] In 2001, Broderick starred in Mel Brooks' musical comedy The Producers alongside Nathan Lane. He later reunited with Lane in the Broadway revival of Terrence McNally's showbiz comedy It's Only a Play (2014). In 2013, Broderick starred in the Broadway musical Nice Work If You Can Get It where he went on to receive a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. As of 2020, Broderick remains the youngest winner of the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play.[3]

In 2006, for his contributions to the film industry, Broderick was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame with a motion pictures star located at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard.[4] Eleven years later, he earned induction into the American Theater Hall of Fame.[5]

Early life

Broderick was born in Manhattan, the son of Patricia (nee Biow), a playwright, actress, and painter, and James Broderick, an actor[6] and World War II veteran.[7] His mother was Ashkenazi Jewish, a descendant of emigrants from Germany and Poland.[8][9] His father was a Catholic of Irish and English descent.[10] Broderick attended grade school at City and Country School in Manhattan and high school at the private Walden School, also in Manhattan.[11] He received acting training at HB Studio.[12]

Career

Broderick in Sweden during his promotion of Ferris Bueller's Day Off in 1986

Broderick's first major acting role came in an HB Studio workshop production of playwright Horton Foote's On Valentine's Day, playing opposite his father, who was a friend of Foote's. This was followed by a supporting role as Harvey Fierstein's gay adopted son, David, in the off-Broadway production of Fierstein's Torch Song Trilogy; then, a good review by The New York Times theater critic Mel Gussow brought him to the attention of Broadway. Broderick commented on the effects of that review in a 2004 60 Minutes II interview:

Before I knew it, I was like this guy in a hot play. And suddenly, all these doors opened. And it's only because Mel Gussow happened to come by right before it closed and happened to like it. It's just amazing. All these things have to line up that are out of your control.[13]

He followed that with the role of Eugene Morris Jerome in the Neil Simon Eugene Trilogy including the plays Brighton Beach Memoirs and Biloxi Blues. He won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his role in Brighton Beach Memoirs.

His first film role as Michael McPhee in 1983's Max Dugan Returns was also written by Neil Simon, but his first big hit film was WarGames, a summer hit in 1983,[14] in which he played the main role of Seattle teen hacker David Lightman. Broderick next played Philippe Gaston in Ladyhawke, in 1985.[11][15]

Broderick then won the role of the charming, clever slacker in the 1986 film Ferris Bueller's Day Off. At the age of 23, Broderick played the titular high school student who, with his girlfriend and best friend, plays hooky and explores Chicago. A 1980s comedy favorite, the film is one of Broderick's best-known roles (particularly with teenage audiences). Also in 1987, he played Air Force research assistant Jimmy Garrett in Project X. In 1988, Broderick played Harvey Fierstein's lover, Alan, in the screen adaptation of Torch Song Trilogy.

He starred in the 1989 film Glory alongside Cary Elwes, Morgan Freeman, and Denzel Washington, where he received favorable reviews for his portrayal of the American Civil War officer Robert Gould Shaw, whom Broderick physically resembled.

In the 1990s, Broderick was the voice of adult Simba in Disney's successful animated film The Lion King, and he also voiced Tack the Cobbler in Miramax's controversial version of The Thief and the Cobbler, which had originally been intended as a silent role. He won recognition for two dark comedy roles: bachelor Steven Kovacs in 1996's The Cable Guy with Jim Carrey, and a high school teacher in Alexander Payne's 1999 film Election with Reese Witherspoon.

Broderick returned to Broadway as a musical star in the 1990s, winning a Tony Award for his performance in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Broderick then starred alongside Nathan Lane in the Mel Brooks 2001 stage version of The Producers which was a critical and financial success. He played Leopold "Leo" Bloom, an accountant who co-produces a musical designed to fail that turns out to be successful. Broderick was nominated for another Tony Award but lost to his co-star Nathan Lane. The musical went on to win the most Tony Awards in history with 12 wins.[16] Broderick and Lane reprised their roles in the 2005 film adaptation of the same name.

Broderick starred in a 2004 off-Broadway production of the award-winning Larry Shue play The Foreigner as the witty Charlie Baker.[17] He was reunited with his co-star from The Lion King and The Producers, Nathan Lane, in The Odd Couple, which opened on Broadway in October 2005. He appeared on Broadway as a college professor in The Philanthropist, running April 10 through June 28, 2009.[18] He returned to the Broadway stage in Spring 2012 to star in the musical Nice Work If You Can Get It, directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall.[19] He notably starred in the 2015 Broadway adaptation of Sylvia, a play by A.R. Gurney directed by Daniel J. Sullivan.

Broderick made his West End debut in The Starry Messenger in May 2019, co-starring with Elizabeth McGovern.[20]

In 2018, it was announced that Broderick was cast in the main role of Michael Burr in the Netflix comedy-drama series Daybreak.[21]

In 2022, Broderick returned to Broadway in a revival of Plaza Suite where he starred alongside his wife Sarah Jessica Parker.[22]

Personal life

Family

Broderick with wife Sarah Jessica Parker in 2009

Broderick and actress Sarah Jessica Parker married on May 19, 1997, in an Episcopal ceremony officiated by his sister, Rev. Janet Broderick Kraft.[23][24]

Parker and Broderick have a son, and twin daughters via surrogacy.[25][26][27]

Although the couple live in the West Village,[28] they spend a large amount of time at their second home in Kilcar, a village in County Donegal, Ireland, where Broderick spent his summers as a child.[29] They also have a house in The Hamptons.[30]

Broderick is a political liberal.[31]

Ancestry

In March 2010, Broderick was featured in the NBC program Who Do You Think You Are? Broderick stated that his participation in the ancestry research program emotionally reconnected him with the role he played in Glory 22 years earlier, as he discovered his paternal great-great-grandfather, Robert Martindale, was a Union soldier. A veteran of the Battle of Gettysburg, Martindale, who belonged to the 20th Connecticut, was killed in the aftermath of the Battle of Atlanta and was eventually interred in an unnamed grave at the Marietta National Cemetery. Having identified the grave with the help of historian Brad Quinlin, Broderick's research enabled him to give his ancestor his name back. In the same program, Broderick discovered that his paternal grandfather, James Joseph Broderick II, whom he had never known, was a highly decorated combat medic in World War I, having earned his distinctions during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.[7]
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Chancellor Abdullah bin Hassan Ahmed Al Buainain, President of the Constitutional Court affirmed the importance of developing cooperation between the Kingdom of Bahrain and China, and creating future opportunities to enhance the efficiency of the judicial system.

Al Buainain received Zhang Xue Qiao, Deputy Prosecutor General of the Supreme Peoples Procuratorate of China and his accompanying delegation. The official visit aimed at learning about Bahrains experience with the constitutional court work.

The delegation toured the Supreme Courts main headquarters. They were briefed on its history since its establishment in 2002 within the comprehensive development process of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. As well as the courts jurisdiction in resolving legal disputes related to the constitutional laws, regulations, and procedures.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

International Motor Trading Agency (IMTA), a subsidiary of K.E. Kanoo Group and the sole authorized dealer of MAZDA cars in Bahrain, has announced the launch of its new SUV, the Mazda CX-90.

The new CX-90 emanates a sense of vitality and beauty owing to Mazdas KODO or Soul of Motion design theme.

Visually appealing, the simple shape stems from the concept less is more while realising dynamic and majestic proportions.

The interior is an expression of Japanese aesthetic throughout, incorporating the dynamism of light and natural materials to fashion an orderly and elegant space.

The Driver Personalisation System uses a camera to detect the drivers eye position, automatically adjusting the seat, steering wheel, Active Driving Display and door mirrors for comfortable positioning. It can recognize up to six drivers faces and restore their preferences from a database of over 250 settings.

The CX-90 is the perfect family car that is suitable for long drives with a third row that features air conditioning vents and enhanced comfort with ample head and shoulder room. A well-crafted interior provides increased cabin space for families and ample cargo space to accommodate needs for any lifestyle.

The large panoramic sunroof provides an expansive top view, drawing light and ensuring an airy feel to passengers in the entire cabin.

Co-developed with Bose, the CX-90's audio system boasts 12 speakers for crisp and clear, powerful sound.

The unique Centerpoint2 surround system creates a focused three-dimensional sonic image from stereo sources.

Additionally, AUDIOPILOT2 monitors ambient noise levels and adjusts the audio volume automatically. With a safety-focused design, the use of higher-grade, high-tensile steel aims to protect occupants.

Advanced Driver Distraction Warning System and advanced crash safety features make the CX-90 a safe drive.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain wrapped up its participation in the 2023 China International Import Expo (CIIE) on a positive note, sealing 16 deals, including a significant agreement with Alibaba.com.

The deal, orchestrated by Export Bahrain on the sidelines of the expo, is deemed a crucial stride in fostering global trade opportunities.

The memorandum signed during the 6th China International Import Expo in Shanghai stemmed from discussions held during a high-level trade delegation visit to China led by Abdullah bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Commerce and Industry.

According to Export Bahrain, this cooperative agreement signals a new era in commercial relations, propelling Bahraini businesses into global markets Held from November 5 to 10 in Shanghai, CIIE 2023 saw the participation of over 145 countries, with Bahrain also securing more than 10 potential deals for the near future.

Export Bahrain, in collaboration with strategic partners like the Bahrain Institute for Pearls and Precious Stones DANAT and Exhibition World Bahrain, curated the Bahrain Pavilion, exhibiting over 20 products from various national sectors.
Palestinians say first field hospital enters Gaza since war began

Palestinians say first field hospital enters Gaza since war began

AFP | Rafah

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Palestinian officials said a field hospital accompanied by 170 personnel sent by Jordan entered the Gaza Strip Monday, the first since the war between Israel and Hamas erupted on October 7.

Weeks of intense bombardment and acute shortages of fuel and medical supplies have prompted the collapse of Gaza's health system, with the majority of hospitals no longer functioning.

There are around 30,000 wounded people across Gaza, according to the Palestinian territory's Hamas-run government, which said Sunday that 13,000 had been killed, mostly civilians.

Mohammed Zaqout, director-general of Gaza hospitals, said the field hospital will be established in Khan Yunis, in the south, "to receive the wounded and the sick".

Hospitals in the area were experiencing "catastrophic" conditions, he said, "with the influx of hundreds of wounded each day and continued aggressive aerial and artillery strikes".

They could no longer accept sick patients or women who needed to give birth by Caesarean section, he added.

The war broke out when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people, also mostly civilians, while around 240 were taken hostage, according to Israeli officials.

- 'Catastrophic' health crisis -

The field hospital has a 41-bed capacity, the Jordanian royal palace said, and Aed Yaghi, head of medical aid in Gaza, said it was accompanied by 170 personnel and 40 trucks of medical aid.

It would help ease the pressure on existing health services, he told AFP, adding: "The number of medical personnel is limited and there aren't (enough) ambulances."

Palestinian medics hope field hospitals sent by the United Arab Emirates and Qatar will soon follow.

All goods and individuals entering Gaza through the Rafah crossing with Egypt are subject to Israeli approval.

The head of Gaza's crossings authority, Hisham Adwan, said six ambulances from Kuwait also entered the territory on Monday.

An AFP journalist said the ambulances were taken to Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis.

While hospitals in southern Gaza are overwhelmed, those in the north are now surrounded by fighting.

Health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra described the north as "catastrophic", with the "sick and wounded are dying from lack of care".

Earlier Monday, he announced 12 people were killed and dozens wounded in an Israeli strike on the northern Indonesian Hospital.

With severe overcrowding and heavy autumn rain battering the territory, sickness is also spreading among displaced people.

The World Health Organization has registered more than 44,000 cases of diarrhoea and 70,000 acute respiratory infections across shelters.

The global health agency warned the true figure could be far higher, with more than 800,000 people staying across more than 150 United Nations shelters.
Q: In 1920 why would Soviet communism appeal to China more than western democracy?

A:

Sun Yat-sen overthrew the Qing Dynasty and established a Western democratic government; however, the Western powers supported Yuan Shikai and suppressed Suns democratic revolution. Each Western power supported a local warlord to maintain their sphere of interest in China, just like the Western powers are supporting the Taiwan regime to have a slice of China today. Sun then liaises with Russia. With the help from Russia, Sun established Whampoa Military Academy with Chiang Kai-shek as the head.

Sun tried Western democracy, and it did not work. Thats why Sun introduced Soviet Russia to build a new China.

Chinese Communist Party at the beginning was not armed. They did not even think of arming themselves. They simply support the Nationalist Party. In 1927, Chiang Kai-shek killed many communists who were not armed. Chiang Kai-shek was trying to eradicate the communist party. It was after the killing of communists by Chiang Kai-shek that the communist party organized its force. Chiang Kai-shek became the largest warlord supported by the Western powers. Chiang Kai-shek betrayed Sun Yat-sen and Suns Chinese Democratic Revolution. It is the CCP continued the New Democratic Revolution initiated by Sun Yat-sen.

Before Sun, some Chinese tried to establish a Monarch Constitution too, and failed. China tried every Western democracy and found that only the Russian Soviet works. It is not a perfect system, not a good system, but is the only system that works for China.

It is not only the Chinese people. The Western powers did not implement Western democracy in China either. Britain ruled Hong Kong for 150 years, and never allowed Hong Kong to have a democracy. Hong Kong people under British rule never had the right to vote. Hong Kong people never had their government. In the Siege of the International Legations, the Western powers captured the capital of China and had no intention of establishing a Western democratic system in China. Japan captured the capital of China in 1937, instead of asking China to be democratic, they committed the crime of anti-humanity, the Nanking Massacre. The West had had opportunities time and again to control and influence China and never really like Chinese people to have democracy. They want Chinese people as slaves of the West, just like what happened when the West colonized Africa.
SkipTheDishes, in partnership with Food Banks Canada, will help provide critically needed food and personal hygiene items this Giving Tuesday and deliver limited-edition totes designed by acclaimed artist Briony Douglas to Canadians supporting the cause

WINNIPEG, MB, Nov. 21, 2023 /CNW/ - With food bank usage in Canada at an all-time record high, SkipTheDishes and Food Banks Canada are banding together this Giving Tuesday to provide emergency food and resources to Canadian families who need it most. Beginning November 28, Canadians can help Skip reach its goal of donating the value of 2,000 Give Boxes containing the ten most needed food and personal hygiene items to families facing food insecurity, in addition to Skip's $100,000 matching donation with Food Banks Canada.

Food Banks Canada and SkipTheDishes join forces for their Fourth Annual Winter Charity Campaign, Give and Take(Out) (CNW Group/SkipTheDishes) Food Banks Canada Logo (CNW Group/SkipTheDishes)

Getting involved is easier than ever and comes at no cost to Canadians looking to give and "take out hunger" in our communities. From November 28 until December 1, simply head to Skip Express Lane via the website or SkipTheDishes mobile app and add a Give Box to your cart, at no cost to you, before checking out.

Skip will then donate the value of the Give Box, which highlights the top ten items identified as the most in need by Food Banks Canada, on your behalf  up to a total donation of $100,000. These top needed items include: pasta and pasta sauces, canned fish and meats, canned beans and soups, canned fruits and vegetables, meat alternatives, dairy products, rice and whole grain cereals, infant foods and formula, bathroom tissue and diapers and personal hygiene products.

"With food banks visits in 2023 surpassing the highest levels in Canadian history, initiatives such as our annual Winter Charity campaign with SkipTheDishes are more important than ever before," says Kirstin Beardsley, CEO of Food Banks Canada. "We're incredibly grateful for our longstanding partnership with Skip and through these donations, we will be able to provide more families with immediate access to nutritious food."

To thank Canadians for their support, the first 500 customers to include a Give Box with their order on Skip Express Lane will receive a limited-edition reusable tote, designed by acclaimed Canadian artist and food insecurity advocate, Briony Douglas . The design features the items that are most in need.

"Food Banks Canada is an organization that is close to my heart, as ensuring affordable access to food within our local communities is top of mind for me - and likely for many Canadians who are grappling with rising food and housing costs," says Briony Douglas. "It's why I was so honoured to be part of this year's campaign and create a piece of artwork that can drive greater awareness of the increasing number of Canadians that need our help during this challenging time."

This is Skip's fourth consecutive year working with Food Banks Canada on their Winter Charity Campaign, which has provided more than 4.7 million meals across Canada, as well as weekly food donations from Skip Express Lane store locations to local food banks across the country. Both organizations continue to share the common goal of creating immediate and long-term solutions to combat food insecurity:

Visits to food banks have increased by 78.5 per cent since 2019.

In March 2023 alone, there was almost 2 million visits to food banks in Canada .

alone, there was almost 2 million visits to food banks in . One-third of food bank clients are children.

The top reasons people accessed a food bank this year were food costs, housing costs, low wages or not enough hours of work.

"As Canada's homegrown food delivery network, we're committed to continuing our fight against food insecurity in our communities, because no one deserves to go hungry," says Melanie Fatouros-Richardson, Vice President, Communications and Government Relations. "Through our dedicated partnership with Food Banks Canada and Canadians' ongoing support, we look forward to taking meaningful steps forward to alleviate hunger and help those in need this holiday season."

Canadians can support families in need by adding a Give Box to their cart (at no cost to you) before placing an order on Skip Express Lane from November 28 to December 1. If you are not able to place an order on Skip Express Lane, Canadians can also donate directly to Food Banks Canada on November 28th, where Skip will match contributions up to a total of $100,000.

About SkipTheDishes

SkipTheDishes is part of Just Eat Takeaway.com, a leading global online food delivery marketplace. SkipTheDishes connects millions of customers with over 50,000 Restaurant Partners in Canada.

About Food Banks Canada

Food Banks Canada provides national leadership to relieve hunger today and prevent need tomorrow in collaboration with the food bank network from coast-to-coast-to-coast. For 40 years, food banks have been dedicated to helping Canadians living with food insecurity. Over 4,750 food banks and community organizations come together to serve our most vulnerable neighbours who in March of last year made nearly 2 million visits to these organizations, according to our 2023 HungerCount Report . Over the past 10 years, as a system we've sourced and shared over 1.4 billion pounds of food, and Food Banks Canada shared nearly $168 million in funding to help maximize collective impact and strengthen local capacity  while advocating for reducing the need for food banks. Our vision is clear: create a Canada where no one goes hungry. Visit foodbankscanada.ca to learn more.

SOURCE SkipTheDishes

For further information: SkipTheDishes, E: [email protected]
For years, the Israeli government has allowed for widows to request posthumous sperm retrieval from fallen soldiers in the Israeli Defense Force. As The Times of Israel explains:

Sperm must be retrieved within 24 hours after death to increase its chances of viability when it is later unfrozen and used to fertilize an egg. However, experts say that PSR can be performed even several days after death when sperm is no longer motile. "We look for and prefer sperm that are moving. But even sperm that is not motile does not mean that it is not alive. We know how to make it move after it is unfrozen," said Dr. Yuval Or, head of the IVF unit at Kaplan Medical Center.

Given recent events, the nation's Health Ministry has lifted some of the additional restrictions around this process, allowing for parents to request their childrens' sperm, even if they were civilians rather than soldiers, without the need for an explicit order from a family court.

Science!

Health Ministry cuts red tape for sperm retrieval from sons killed in war [Renee Ghert-Zand]
A document on the Lagos Public Procurement Agency (LPPA) website shows that N2,017,840 was awarded for the supply of rechargeable fans and fridge in the office of the deputy governor.

This is contrary to the N2,017,840,000 quoted by Funso Doherty, governorship candidate of the Action Democratic Congress (ADC), in Lagos.

In an open letter to Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos, posted via X on Saturday, Doherty called attention to projects funded with taxpayers money.

Doherty said he analysed the register of public procurement awards by LPPA for the second and third quarters of 2023.

According to the ADC candidate, the awards reviewed were from April to September 2023.

In the letter, Doherty listed some projects awarded by the state government that require greater scrutiny.

He cited that N2,017,840,000 was awarded for the provision of supply items (rechargeable fans, rechargeable lights, and fridge) in the office of the deputy governor.

Doherty also added that the office of deputy governor was awarded N30,000,000 for monthly outreach of indigent citizens by the wife of the deputy governor.

According to the chartered accountant, another N30,000,000 was awarded for the monthly empowerment programmes of the wife of the deputy governor.

The open letter elicited criticisms as Nigerians asked the state government to address the issue.

DISCOVERIES ON THE LPPA WEBSITE

When downloaded the PDF document for July awards on the LPPA website, it was observed that N2,017,840 was earmarked as an award for the supply of rechargeable fans, lights, and fridge.

On checking the properties of the PDF document and found out that it was created on November 18, 2023, at 7:25pm  a few hours after Doherty made his X post on the same day.

This indicates that the document may have been edited and re-uploaded on the website to reflect N2,017,840, contrary to the figure posted by Doherty.

N2m WAS APPROVED  NOT N2bn

In a letter dated November 20 and addressed to the director-general of LPPA, the office of the deputy governor of Lagos said the figures on the website were different from what was awarded to the office.

The deputy governors office asked the director-general of the LPPA to clarify the untrue and unfounded information.

The letter, which was signed by Tola Ekemode, director of finance and accounts in the deputy governors office, was obtained by Premium Times .

In the letter, the office said the sum of N2,017,840 was awarded for the supply of rechargeable fans and not N2,017,840,000.

The office asked the LPPA to crosscheck the data and confirm the correctness or otherwise of all the details of the report as displayed on the website.

It is important to state that, the office did get approval and awarded the provision of supply items (rechargeable fans, rechargeable lights and fridges) for the sum of =N=2,017,840 (Two Million, Seventeen Thousand, Eight Hundred and Forty Naira) and not the =N=2,017,840,000 (Two Billion, Seventeen Million, Eight Hundred and Forty Thousand Naira as reported on the website of your agency, Lagos State Public Procurement Agency, Lagos MEPB Q3 Budget Performance Review referenced by the X (formerly Twitter) account, the letter reads.

Truth must be said, this is very sad and Mr. Deputy Governor has expressed his displeasure to this happening and will want your office to kindly address this by giving the public the true picture of events.

These errors or inaccuracies exhibited by your data are capable of putting credibility at stake.

One then wonders about the accuracies of the content on the site if the items concerning the Deputy Governors Office can be this inaccurate.

It is therefore important that you look through the data and confirm the correctness or otherwise of all the details of the report as displayed on the website.








The Service Chiefs, on Tuesday, finally appeared before the House of Representatives to brief the lawmakers on the security sector.





It would be recalled that the lawmakers were last week left fuming after the military heads and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun sent representatives to appear before them.





The lawmakers did not allow the representatives of the security heads to make presentations during the session and insisted that no representative by proxie would be allowed.





At the commencement of plenary on Tuesday, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas stated again that the House wont allow proxies.





He said that the service chiefs will brief the House and will answer questions from the lawmakers.





The House subsequently allowed the Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, the Chief of Army Staff, Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of Naval Staff, Emmanuel Ogalla, the Chief of Air Staff, Hassan Abubakar and the IGP to enter the chamber.





The security heads are taking turns to address the House on their activities.




Justice Hakeem Oshodi of the Lagos High Court, Ikeja, on Tuesday sentenced one Clement Ododomu to death by hanging over the killing of Department of State Services, DSS, officers.

The judge also sentenced one Tiwei Monday to 16 years in a correctional centre.

Justice Oshodi said he delivered the judgement after considering the facts before the court and the demeanor of the convicts, which he termed as unremorseful.

The judge said that the allocutus by the Defence Counsel, Mr Olusegun Akande, who had on Oct. 11, prayed the court to temper justice with mercy, was replied by the Director, Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Dr Babajide Martins.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the convicts, who are vandals, were arraigned for killing seven officers of the Department of State Services (DSS) in the Ikorodu area of the state.

Justice Oshodi said that Martins had told the court that the offences by the defendants were grave and that the court should apply the maximum sentences available.

The judge said: The court has considered the allocutus of the defence counsel, but the position of the law is binding to us all. As noted, the first defendant was convicted on counts one, five, seven, nine and ten, while the second defendant was convicted on counts one and ten.

This is as contained in the information filed dated January 13, 2017. The provisions of this sections of the law are as follows:

Count I, the count convicted the first and second defendants on the count 

This count is brought contrary to Section 233 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2015, liable to a conviction of 14 years.

On counts five and seven, the first defendant on these counts, which is contrary to Section 233 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015, provides that any one who commits murder shall be sentenced to death.

According to Justice Oshodi, on count nine, the first defendant is brought under Section 298 (3) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015, hence, liable to not less than 14 years but not more than 20 years imprisonment.

Also, on count 10, both the first and second defendants were convicted under Section 410 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015 and is liable to two years imprisonment.

According to him, the claim of the defence that the defendants were in Lagos for the funeral of their grandmother was a ruse.

Justice Oshodi held that the defence failed to provide essential witnesses to corroborate the claim.

He, however, held that prosecution was not able to prove that the second defendant was guilty of murder.

Justice Oshodi said that evidence before the court showed that it was one Agbala and the first defendant who killed the operatives.

He held that the prosecution was able to prove that the two defendants participated in the ambush of the operatives.

He, therefore, discharged and acquitted the convicts on counts two, three, four, six and eight because the prosecution was unable to prove the allegations against them.

Justice Oshodi said: The court has observed the demeanor of the defendants and came to the conclusion that they felt no remorse with regards to the allegations they were facing.

They informed the court that they do not understand English language, whereas, in the recording, they both were conversing in English.

The first and second defendants are hereby sentenced to imprisonment for 14 years for count 10 and the first and second defendants are hereby sentenced to imprisonment for two years for count 9.

The first defendant is hereby sentenced to imprisonment for 20 years. The terms of imprisonment for both defendants will run concurrently.

For count five and seven, which the court has found the first defendant guilty, the sentence of the court upon you is that you be hanged by the neck until you be dead and may God have mercy on your soul.

NAN reports that the Lagos State Government had submitted that DSS received a distress call from an editor of Sun newspaper (name withheld) on Sept. 14, 2015, about the kidnap of his wife at their residence.

It was said that the State Command of the DSS consequently dispatched a nine-man team to carry out surveillance to ascertain the location of the kidnappers who were negotiating for a ransom.

Prosecution added that it was reported that in the evening of that day, one of the DSS team members, Mr Martins Ajayi, sent a distress text message to the Command headquarters to the effect that the team had been ambushed by vandals and their weapons seized.

According to prosecution, the convicts committed the offences on Sept. 14, 2015, in Ishawo Creek, Ikorodu, Lagos.

The convicts were arraigned on a 10-count charge bordering on conspiracy to commit murder, murder and illegal possession of firearms, contrary to Section 223 and 298 (3) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.








Aloy Ejimakor, Special Counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has accused the Nigerian Government of committing double offense over the agitators arrest.





Ejimakor said detaining Kanu after subjecting him to extraordinary rendition from Kenya is a double offense.





The special counsel explained that such offense cant stand.





Posting on X, he recalled how Nigerians lost their visa-free travel to the United Kingdom due to the botched rendition of Umaru Dikko in 1984.





According to Ejimakor: In 1984, Nigerians lost their visa-free travel to the UK because of the botched rendition of Umaru Dikko & it was the rendition of MAZI NNAMDI KANU that got Benin Republic to protect IGBOHO.





Detaining MNK after renditioning him is a double national offense that should not stand. 





Kanu has been locked up by the Department of State Services, DSS, since he was arrested and renditioned from Kenya in 2021.





Despite court judgments ordering his release, the DSS has refused to grant him freedom.
Rapper ASAP Rocky, (Rakim Mayers), is set to stand trial on charges related to an alleged shooting incident involving his former childhood friend, Terell Ephron.

The incident, which took place two years ago, recently gained public attention after a viral video surfaced showing ASAP Rocky purportedly firing a handgun at Ephron.

During the second day of a court hearing, it was confirmed that ASAP Rocky would face trial on accusations of firing a pistol during a dispute with Ephron, causing minor injuries. The rapper has entered a plea of not guilty.

Rocky is now confronted with two felony counts of assault with a firearm, and if found guilty, he could potentially face up to nine years in prison.

The charges stem from an altercation between the rapper and Ephron, who was part of the A$APs Mob hip-hop collective and had known ASAP Rocky since their time together in a New York high school.

In a separate lawsuit, Ephron alleges that he is a victim of assault and battery, negligence, and emotional distress, claiming that ASAP Rocky intentionally lured him to an undisclosed location outside the W Hotel in Hollywood on November 6, 2021, to discuss a disagreement.

The incident was captured on CCTV, and a video circulating on social media purportedly shows Rakim brandishing and firing a gun.

However, ASAP Rockys legal team denies that he is the person depicted in the video.

ASAP Rocky, who is currently in a relationship with music icon Rihanna, has risen to fame in the music industry.

The couple shares two children. The rapper gained prominence with support from artists like Drake and has collaborated with various musicians, including Alicia Keys, Lana Del Rey, Skepta, Selena Gomez, and Kendrick Lamar.
Elon Musk filed a lawsuit against Media Matters this afternoon in response to the media watchdog's scathing expose, alleging that Xitter was pairing ads with antisemitic and white supremacist content, triggering a mass advertiser exodus, reports Deadline. Among the brands that fled the network was Apple, which was estimated to have spent $100 million a year on advertising on the platform. Antisemites and white supremacists on Xitter cheered the lawsuit.

Musk's lawsuit, filed in Texas, seeks to stop Media Matters from making claims that Xitter places corporate ads next to extremist content. The lawsuit argues that Media Matters wrongly accused Xitter of pairing ads with hateful content, saying these instances were rare and misrepresented.

Musk proclaimed, "Many of the largest advertisers are the greatest oppressors of your right to free speech," vowing to dismantle Media Matters' "fraudulent attack on our company." This salvo followed a string of other Musk-related controversies, including a White House condemnation over an antisemitic retweet and a SpaceX mishap.

Media Matters President Angelo Carusone countered Musk's threats by saying, "Far from the free speech advocate he claims to be, Musk is a bully who threatens meritless lawsuits in an attempt to silence reporting that he even confirmed is accurate."

From Deadline:
There was an uproar in the Senate on Tuesday following the announcement of two minority leaders by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

The seats of the Senate Minority Leader and Minority Whip became vacant after the Court of Appeal sacked the former occupants, Senator Simon Davou Mwadkwon (PDP, Plateau North) and Darlington Nwokocha (LP, Abia Central) respectively.

The courts nullified the election of Mwadkwon and ordered a rerun while Nwokocha was removed as Augustine Akobundu of the PDP was declared as the authentic winner of the 25 February election in the senatorial district.

The PDP senators had, last week, held an emergency crucial meeting on the replacement for the principal positions of Senate Minority Leader and Minority Whip. Senator Garba Maidoki (PDP, Bauchi), who briefed journalists after the closed-door meeting, had said the opposition lawmakers settled for the North Central geo-political zone to produce the Minority Leader.

During Tuesdays plenary, Akpabio announced the duo of Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South) as minority leader and Osita Ngwu (PDP, Enugu West) as minority whip.

The Senate President said the new minority leaders had the majority support of their colleagues in the opposition.

He said 41 minority senators signed the document endorsing Moro as minority leader while 30 backed Ngwu for the minority whip seat. The announcement did not sit well with other parties in the minority caucus, especially the Labour Party.

Raising a point of order, Senator Okechukwu Ezea (LP, Enugu North), protested the absence of his party in the minority leadership, describing the arrangement as an injustice against other minority parties.

How can the PDP take three minority leadership seats? This is unfair, unjust, and unacceptable, he said.

The Senate after that degenerated into a rowdy session with LP lawmakers rejecting their partys exclusion in the minority leadership.

Amid the uproar, Senator Tony Nwoyi (LP, Anambra North) accused Akpabio of picking minority leaders for the opposition parties.

How can you be choosing minority leaders for us? Are we your slaves? Nwoyi tackled the Senate President. Lawmakers from the ruling party made frantic efforts to pacify their colleagues from LP, some of whom approached Akpabio for consultation.

After about 15 minutes of rowdy session, the Senate President addressed the opposition lawmakers and dismissed the claim of his interfering in the affairs of the opposition.

Akpabio said he only announced the names forwarded to him by the opposition caucus and that it would be unfair not to respect the voice of the majority.

He, therefore, urged the opposition caucus to always put their house in order before forwarding any name to him.

He said, All we need to produce a leader is a simple majority. Whats the reason for not agreeing with the position of the majority?

41 minority senators signed for Abah Moro and 30 signed for Osita Ngwu. They have the majority. It will be unfair for me not to announce them after getting a majority of support. My job is not to work with individual opinion but with the majority of positions.

Efforts by Senator Adamu Aliero (PDP, Kebbi) to convince Akpabio to stay action on the seat of the minority whip failed as the Senate President ruled him out of order.

Aliero explained that the opposition caucus resolved that Abba Moro should be the minority leader but was yet to decide on the position of the minority whip.

But Akpabio referred him to Senate Standing Rule 52(6), which says it shall be out of order for any senator to speak on any issue that has already been decided.

Akpabio, therefore, ruled Aliero out of order.
Christopher Musa, chief of defence staff, says Simon Ekpa, factional leader of the proscribed Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB), is a menace to Nigeria.

Musa spoke on Tuesday when he and other service chiefs appeared before the house of representatives to brief the lower legislative chamber on the security situation in the country.

Ekpa, a self-proclaimed follower of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of IPOB, has consistently called for a sit-at-home in the south-east geopolitical zone.

The sit-at-home order is often forcefully enforced by Ekpas disciples, despite IPOBs repeated disavowal of the directive.

Musa said Ekpas actions have led to the loss of many lives while his utterances have caused significant harm to the country.

The defence chief said the nations mission in Finland where Ekpa is based should step in by engaging the government of the European country.

In the south-east, Simon Ekpa has become a menace to this country, he said.

The country must act on it diplomatically. Simon is having a freeway because they (Finland) encouraging him to do what he is doing.

His utterances and actions are affecting what is happening in Nigeria. We should never allow that  our foreign service should step in.

He said the government should invite the Finnish ambassador to explain why they are protecting him.

He is doing us more harm because, by his utterances, a lot of people have been killed, Musa said.

Musa said security is not only the responsibility of security forces noting that everyone has a role to play in ensuring a secure nation.

We can never be everywhere. So, we need educational sensitisation programmes for all Nigerians to understand that security is everybodys responsibility. What you see  talk about it, he said.

You dont just keep quiet and say that it is for the police or the army. Everybody has a role.

The defence chief stressed that the key to addressing insecurity is good governance.

He highlighted that military operations achieve success in states where there are elements of effective governance by the governors.

We have seen governors that are willing and doing things to make the people happy and that is why we are having the cases of success we are having, he said.

IEDs IS OUR MOST POTENT THREAT

The defence chief said improvised explosive devices (IEDs) remain the militarys most potent threat to personnel.

He said the IEDs are clandestinely planted by insurgents and bandits to attack military personnel.

IEDs have remained the most potent threat that we have. They put these IEDs on the ground and because there are no roads, a vehicle climbs it and everyone in that vehicle is either killed or dismembered, he said.

Musa also raised concerns about the nations borders, saying people come into the country at will.

Nigeria is one country where our borders are porous. We have about a thousand borders, he said.

People can come in and out without checking, and that is where we have the movement of light weapons and small arms.
There are hundreds of restaurants scattered around the commercial heart-beat of Nigeria, Lagos, and looking for the perfect one for you might be a daunting task. NigerianEye did all the hard work and curated a top 10 list of the best restaurants in Lagos for you to try out.

Check them out below in no particular order:



1. Shiro Restaurant & Bar

Nestled within the popular Landmark centre, the offerings at this Pan-Asian restaurant takes your taste buds on a trip you wont forget in a while.





The restaurants interior is beautiful and the food is really tasty. Everyone needs to try their noodles, especially with the oyster omelet.

2. Hard Rock Cafe

Hard Rock Cafe, a chain of theme bar-restaurants in different cities all over the world also have a restaurant in Lagos and it features the famous Hard Rock Cafe brand of international cuisine.

Hard Rock Cafe has a selection of varied foods that can satisfy everyones taste buds. With a great selection of locally-grown cuisine, including local delicacies like Omo Sushi, it is no wonder why this iconic American eatery remains one of the very best restaurants in Lagos.

3. Sketch Restaurant Lagos

Sketch is a restaurant in Victoria Island Lagos, Nigeria that offers a unique dining experience. They are Africa's first 2-D/3-D restaurant, and their Instagrammable location makes it a popular spot for tourists and locals alike.

They serve a variety of dishes, including pizzas, continental cuisine, comfort food, pan-African cuisine, and casual dining options.

4. The SIG Lagos Restaurant

Arguably, one of the fastest rising restaurants in Lagos, The SIG Lagos was established in July 2023 and sits at a prime location in Victoria Island, Lagos.

The SIG Lagos restaurant is a new fine dining restaurant with great ambience and one of the most affordable restaurants you can find in Lagos.

The staff are attentive and accommodating, going the extra mile to ensure that your dining experience is nothing short of perfect.

They offer dishes that showcase the best of Nigerian and Continental cuisine. You can dine indoor or dine outdoor by enjoying the fresh breeze of the terrace or the poolside.

This is also a family friendly restaurant, and it is also equipped with a modern playing ground which makes it super easy for parents to visit with their kids.









The SIG Lagos is also the perfect location for your brunch, dinner, birthdays, marriage proposals and wedding reception party that comes with different affordable event buffet plans that can cater to a sitting capacity of up to 200 people





5. Ocean Basket Victoria Island

If you are looking for one of the best seafood restaurants in Lagos, Ocean Basket restaurant is a great choice. The restaurant provides a friendly, relaxed atmosphere where business can be taken care of and enjoyed alongside good food and drinks.

Also, each month, Ocean Basket hosts live music events as well as food-focused events like wine tastings and beer tastings.

6. Turaka Lagos

Owned by popular Nigerian media mogul, Mo Abudu of Ebonylife, Turaka is a casual rooftop restaurant in Lagos with a dual view of the city, which shows the busy skyline and a relaxing view of the Atlantic Ocean.

They also have a beautiful rooftop, perfect for wedding proposals.





7. Gras Lagos

If you are looking for the best of aesthetics, this should be your pick. Gras Restaurant Lagos is an upscale restaurant located in the heart of Lagos.

From the moment you step in, you are welcomed with a luxurious ambience, complete with a vintage Rolls Royce parked in the reception and a book-matched porcelain feature wall.

Gras Restaurant Lagos is the perfect spot for a romantic date night or special occasion. 8. Lagoon Restaurants Lagoon restaurant is your one-stop spot where you can experience and enjoy simple morsels and succulent dishes. Situated right on the water's edge, this restaurant offers breathtaking views of the lagoon, creating a tranquil and peaceful atmosphere. The menu is full of flavorful dishes, with an emphasis on seafood and Nigerian cuisine. Each dish is freshly prepared and generously portioned, perfect for sharing This restaurant offers an array of fully cooked meals, with each dish cooked to order, and presented in a relaxing atmosphere.

9. The Yellow Chili Restaurant & Bar The Yellow Chili restaurant & bar specialize in serving the best traditional African dishes with a contemporary twist. The Yellow Chillis menu offers exciting options that will excite your palate such as Isi-Ewu, a locally prepared goat-pepper soup prepared with a goat head and drizzled with a spicy palm oil broth. There is also yam pottage special with beef and snail, and many more dishes. You will also be spurred with diverse continental dishes which makes the menu filled with the very best of local and international gastronomy.

10. TAJ Taj is an exquisite restaurant located in the heart of Lagos, Nigeria. With its modern decor, warm atmosphere, and a variety of cuisines, there's something for everyone to enjoy. Taste the deliciousness of Italian, Japanese, Mexican, Comfort Food, and Continental cuisines. Whether you're looking for a light lunch, a romantic dinner, or a weekend brunch, Taj has it all! Enjoy the perfectly fine-dining experience with a casual dress code and casual dining atmosphere. From traditional dishes to modern masterpieces, Taj's menu will make your taste buds dance.

Gras Restaurant Lagos offers a variety of dishes, ranging from the classic jollof rice and buttered yam to more inventive delights such as the crab salad and special rice with prawn.
Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos, has commended Funso Doherty for his open letter on the states procurement awards.

Sanwo-Olu spoke on Tuesday during the commissioning of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) complex at Ikeja.

The governor spoke amid criticisms of public expenditure by the Lagos government after Dohertys letter.

Doherty, governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the last election, had in an open letter to Sanwo-Olu posted via X on Saturday, drew attention to some projects funded with taxpayers money.

Doherty said he analysed the register of public procurement awards by Lagos State Public Procurement Agency (LPPA) for the second and third quarters of 2023.

In the letter, the ADC candidate listed some projects appropriated by the state government that require greater scrutiny.

He cited that N2,017,840,000 was appropriated for the provision of items (rechargeable fans, rechargeable lights, and fridge) in the office of the deputy governor.

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However, Obafemi Hamzat, the deputy governor of Lagos, denied the allegation, saying N2,017,840 was budgeted for the supply of the items.

LPPA has apologised for the unintended misinterpretations of information published on its website.

MISTAKES WERE MADE

Speaking at the commissioning, Sanwo-Olu said his administration accepts constructive criticism, adding that he does not have a problem with Doherty concerning the open letter.

We dont have a problem with the originator of an open letter. In fact, we like it and we want to thank him, he said.

The Lagos governor said his administration is transparent and responsible with public funds.

Sanwo-Olu added that officers in the procurement agency have come to the public to say mistakes were made on minor items.

Im sure that the officers in Lagos, they have all come up to show that indeed you can make mistakes on minor items, he said.

I hear that a particular one in which an item was meant to be two million, it was written as two billion.

The governor said his administration would continue to serve the people of Lagos, adding that his administration will not join issues with people on social media.

We are not going to join issues on social media. All we want to do is to continue to serve the good people of Lagos state, he said.

The website will continue to work. We will continue to put out all our numbers. We will continue to pride ourselves at all times that indeed we can make mistakes but it is not with any intention for us to be unmindful of what public good is.
Countdown to Sagittarius Season

The last swells of Scorpio Season roll in the sweet sea of the Pisces moon. Intuitive powers surge one last time before the fire sign energy rules. What secrets do you want to know? What is the inside information you believe would give you an advantage or free you? If youre ready and willing to learn it, all you have to do is ask.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Ambition is a demanding boss. Balance your drive with self-care, including such things as rest, silliness and time with friends, doing nothing in particular. This is the sustainable approach that will prevent burnout.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Dont worry about starting things off on the right foot. Just lean forward and use whichever foot naturally juts out to keep you from falling. All progress will be like walking -- tilt, catch yourself, repeat.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). While you do have innate talent for reading people, no one is perpetually or universally adept at human interaction. Its called social skill because it can be learned. Smoothness takes time and practice.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Youll receive undivided attention with a focus on the things you most want to be seen and most crave acknowledgement for. Youll love connection with someone who cares about the same things as you.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). A wish went unmet and now you dont want it nearly as much. Chasing led you to the place you are now, and all the appeal of this thing belongs in the past. Youre headed toward a future with much more to offer you.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Of all the things in life to be wasted, time is the most precious. Youll spend yours especially well and enjoy the lovely mood that comes with knowing you are making the most of every delicious moment.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). There are hard-to influence people standing between you and what you want, but your charms are like a super-power. Go in with a strategy, but be ready to change your plan and rely on your instinct.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). How well do your short-term aims align with the big picture? If they are off by a lot, motivation and morale will suffer. If they are off by a little, it will feel like theres friction holding you back. Take the time for a reset, and tinker until you get the plan right.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). When your work requires you to exercise your strengths and use your talents, it will not be drudgery. You will find joy in the task, and so will those around you because your energy is contagious.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). In attempting to make things feel right, youll make them look right, too. So while you werent going for magazine lovely, that will be the result of your efforts to harmonize emotional and aesthetic elements of your environment.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Youll assert a quiet, persistent and ego-less influence. Its more important to you to see a project move forward or help a person in their development than it is to get your way or forward your name.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). When others do not yet recognize the specialness of your contributions, youll consider yourself lucky. This freedom to experiment as you wish without worrying about meeting anyones expectation is a gift!

TODAYS BIRTHDAY (Nov. 21). Your creativity knows no bounds this year and a never-ending well of innovation is available for tapping. And since your heart is full of compassion, youll often apply your talent solving the troubles of those around you. More highlights: a lucrative sale, the loyalty and poetry of an avid admirer, and numbers such as grades and scores to celebrate. Gemini and Cancer adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 2, 24, 19, 40 and 6.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Last year Bjork released her 10th studio album, Fossora and launched the podcast, Bjork: Sonic Symbolism, which features deep discussions about music and art. The avant-garde artistic trailblazer is Scorpio born when the moon and visionary Neptune were also in the sign of transformation. Her natal Mercury in Sagittarius, the sign of other worlds, is notable as shes released music in various languages, including Icelandic, English and even her invented language, Gibberish.

Holiday Mathis debut novel, How To Fail Epically in Hollywood, is out now! This fast-paced romp about achieving Hollywood stardom is available as a paperback and ebook. Visit http://www.creatorspublishing.com for more information.

Write Holiday Mathis at HolidayMathis.com.

COPYRIGHT 2023 CREATORS.COM
Experts are trying to pin down the cause of a mysterious respiratory illness sickening hundreds of dogs nationwide.

No cases have been reported in New Jersey at this time, but the illness has been found in multiple states. Most cases have cropped up in Oregon, Colorado, Illinois, New Hampshire and Washington.

The illness  which can cause coughing, sneezing, nasal or eye discharge and lethargy, as well as pneumonia  does not appear to respond to antibiotics. Experts still dont know the underlying cause.

New Jersey-based veterinarian Kirsten White cautioned against panic, saying these sorts of illnesses emerge in dogs from time to time. She added that its lack of response to antibiotics could merely mean its a viral infection.

Because bacteria would generally respond to antibiotics, said White, whos also a clinical assistant professor of shelter medicine at the Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine of Rowan University.

A viral infection does appear to be the most likely cause, according to the Oregon Veterinary Medical Association. The Oregon Department of Agriculture found that the cases appear to share a viral etiology, but common respiratory diagnostic testing has been largely negative, the OVMA said.

While several cases have involved positive tests for M. cynos, a bacteria that can cause canine respiratory illness, that is not believed to be the underlying causative agent, the organization noted.

Oregon alone has reported more than 200 cases.

There have been some dog fatalities from the illness, but White said, as far as the total number of cases, it doesnt seem to be that likely.

She said dog owners should be aware of symptoms.

My big thing would be not to panic but to be practical, White said. Obviously, you want to ensure that your dog is up to date on all preventative vaccines that are recommended by your vet. Especially vaccines like bordetella, parainfluenza and canine influenza.

She added, If an owner is concerned, or they have a dog that has a compromised immune system  something like a cancer patient  they can consider avoiding exposure to other dogs in places like dog parks, doggy daycare, boarding kennels, or grooming facilities.

Dog illnesses like this happen, White said. They often begin as mysteries that are soon solved.

One of the things that I think is scaring people (is) everybody says this is so new, and its really not, she said.

Respiratory infections do emerge, she said, citing diseases like kennel cough, an umbrella term for multiple disease-causing agents, either bacterial or viral.

Theres a lot of respiratory issues out there, White said. Canine influenza caused a big stir when we first discovered that in some shelter populations a couple (of) years ago, but I think this is not new. I think the part that has people concerned is that were not sure what the causative agent (is) yet.

White said she wouldnt be surprised if cases are eventually found in New Jersey.

If owners notice signs of illness in their dog, they should have their dog evaluated by a veterinarian, said Darby McDermott, the state public health veterinarian, in a statement.

She also said dogs that are ill should be kept away from other animals, and should not be brought to public areas like dog parks while they are sick to prevent other dogs from being exposed to contagious illnesses.

The cause of the reported illnesses in dogs is unknown at this time, however it is important to remember that dogs can carry multiple germs that can make people sick, McDermott said. It is always important for people to protect themselves when they interact with dogs or other pets. One of the best and easiest ways people can help protect themselves is by thoroughly washing their hands after handling, caring for, feeding, or cleaning up after dogs.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com.
A 15-year-old Michigan boy driving a stolen car injured a Secaucus police officer when he fled a traffic stop in the towns Harmon Meadow shopping complex.

The boy, who was with a 15-year-old girl from West Virginia, was arrested Friday, two days after the incident and he was charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, eluding, receiving stolen property, resisting arrest and obstructing the administration of law, Secaucus Police Chief Dennis Miller said.

The boys name has been withheld because he is a minor.
An Old Bridge roofing company admitted to violating federal safety regulations in a workplace accident that led to the death of an employee, the United States Attorneys Office announced Tuesday.

Zona Roofing pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to one count of willfully violating Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, standards in failing to provide fall protection and training to employees. The owner of Zona Roofing, Yilbert Segura, entered the plea on behalf of his company.

On Aug. 6, 2019, Segura and four other employees began a roof replacement of a residential property in Haledon, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney. Two days later, an employee lost his balance and fell approximately 22 feet, hitting his head and dying, the release said.

Documents in the case allege that employees were working 20 feet off the ground without any type of fall protection. Seguras company had been cited earlier in 2019 in Maryland for failing to use fall protection.

The employee who died was not identified by the office.

If the court approves the plea agreement, Zona Roofing will be sentenced to five years of probation and fined $75,000 in restitution, paid to the employees family. The company must also provide training to its employees, as well as enhanced safety measures.

Sentencing is scheduled for Mar. 25, 2024.

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Matthew Enuco may be reached at Menuco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Matt on X
State lawmakers on Monday hit pause on what would be one of the nations most ambitious pieces of green legislation to propel New Jersey toward 100% clean energy by 2035 after hours of testimony prompted questions about how exactly the Garden State will get there.

More than a dozen states have wide-ranging environmentally friendly goals and laws. Many, including California which is considered one of the leaders in renewable energy, have set 100% clean objectives with a timeline of between 2040 and 2050.
While we wait to see if the Yankees will be all-in on Japanese pitching phenom Yoshinobu Yamamoto and if theyll go big on one of the two outfield holes that need addressed this winter, they added a little bullpen depth on Monday.

The signing of Yerry De Los Santos to a minor-league deal probably wont excite fans, but the 6-foot-2, 210-pound right-hander is intriguing because of his age, his 2023 big-league stats and his 95-mph sinker/nasty slider arsenal.

De Los Santos, 25, pitched to a 3.33 ERA in 22 games with the Pirates last season. The Dominican struggled in the minors, going 1-5 with a 6.20 ERA in 23 outings with Triple-A Indianapolis.

The Pirates released De Los Santos earlier this month.

Why would a perennially-rebuilding franchise like Pittsburgh dump a young arm before hes even eligible for salary arbitration?

Apparently, there are a few reasons.

First off, the Pirates are higher on their many other young bullpen arms and they wanted to free up 40-man roster spots to fill their offseason wish list  two starting pitchers, a first baseman and re-sign outfielder Andrew McCutchen, a franchise icon.

Also, hes had control issues the last two seasons. In his 48 career big-league outings (all since 2022 for the Pirates), hes walked 24 in 50 innings. In Triple-A this year, he walked 14 in 28 innings.

In addition, according to a Pirates source, De Los Santos didnt handle it well this past season when he was farmed out on two occasions. Its unknown if this played any role in the Pirates giving up on him.

De Los Santos signed with the Pirates as a 16-year-old in 2014 and debuted in the majors in 2022 when he was 0-3 with a 4.91 ERA in 26 relief outings.

The news of the Yankees first free-agent signing of the winter came on the same day that Yamamoto was posted by his Japanese Pacific League club.

Yamamoto, 25, is among the top starting pitchers on this years market along with NL Cy Young winner Blake Snell and Aaron Nola, the latter of whom re-signed with the Phillies on Sunday for $172 million over seven seasons.

FIXING THE YANKEES:

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MLB Trade Rumors projects Yamamoto will sign a deal for $225 million over nine seasons. The club that signs him also must pay a posting free to his Japanese club that would be $35.63 million in a $225-million deal.

The Yankees would love to add Yamamoto to a rotation that is headed by AL Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole, but a bunch of other clubs are expected to be serious bidders, most notably the Mets.

A 45-day negotiating window for Yamamoto begins Tuesday and could run until Jan. 4. The 5-foot-10, 176-pound righty was 17-6 with 1.16 ERA last season in 24 starts for the Orix Buffaloes with 169 strikeouts and 28 walks in 164 innings. Over seven seasons with Orix, hes 75-30 with a 1.72 ERA in 188 games and two Pacific League MVPs.

In De Los Santos new opportunity, hell get an invite to big-league spring training with the expectation that hell get plenty of Grapefruit League opportunities to either earn an Opening Day roster spot or make an impression that could contribute to an in-season call-up.

The Yankees are hoping De Los Santos becomes a find similar to Ian Hamilton, who had a standout rookie season in 2023 after joining the organization last winter on a minor-league deal.

Last season, De Los Santos threw his sinker 61.5 percent of the time in his Pirates outings while mixing in sliders (20.9%) and changeups (17.6%).

I think we saw him grow from the time that he joined us, Pirates manager Ben Shelton said last year. The sinker is a really good pitch that we like.

Early into the offseason, the Yankees projected eight-man bullpen likely includes at least three openings. Five spots figure to go to righties Clay Holmes, Jonathan Loaisiga, Tommy Kahnle, Scott Effross and Hamilton, if they stay healthy. Candidates for the others include righties Jhony Brito, Randy Vasquez, Ron Marinaccio, Greg Weissert and Luis Gil, and lefty Nick Ramirez.

Effross and Gil are scheduled to return next season from Tommy John surgery.

The Yankees are likely to add a veteran left-hander, perhaps by re-signing free agent Wandy Peralta, and may sign or trade for an experienced righty, as well.

In addition to Peralta, the Yankees could lose eight other relievers to free agency  Albert Abreu, Matt Bowman, Jimmy Cordero, Zach McAllister, Keynan Middleton, Anthony Misiewicz, Lou Trivino and Ryan Weber.

Trivino and Abreu were non-tendered last week. Bowman, Cordero and Weber were released on Nov. 2.

Along with Peralta, Middleton is a possibility to re-sign.

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Randy Miller may be reached at rmiller@njadvancemedia.com.
Der Spiegel's negative profile of climate activist Greta Thunberg accuses her of antisemitism (she held up a "free Gaza" sign) but is really an exercise in tone: patronizing yet anxious, exhaustive yet insubstantial, crafted to marginalize naive and misguided young people while reassuring serious adults that their radical movements and political idee fixes (especially the climate movement) are going nowhere. It is a Big Gun, 5000 words long, with six named authors maintaining an editoral Dreamworks face throughout.

The article works for English-speaking readers to illustrate how criticism of Israel or the IDF is treated by German media as antisemitism in actu, as part of the nation's "special responsibility" to atone for the Holocaust. But the big pull quote in it, the one Der Speigel's editors chose to illustrate the article with, its zen stick, is comically revealing for a publication founded in 1947:

German media loves to make a show of looking into the abyss, but their mirrors are always smoked. This atonement is all schuld, no chesed.

UPDATE: Sometimes Twitter is still good.

Correction: The Der Spiegel article has six named authors, not five.
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Watertown, NY (13601)

Today

Periods of rain. High 47F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Cloudy with occasional rain showers. Low 38F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
In what looks like nothing like a nepotistic money grab, CEO of dubious social media network "X" Linda Yaccarino has hired her son, with no experience selling political advertising, to sell Xitter's political ads. Xitter is targeting around $100 million in revenue from political ads during this lucrative Presidential election period.

Over the weekend, there were reports that "friends" were pleading with Yacco to quit her role at Xitter, due to her employee and boss Elon Musk cheerleading antisemites and big brand advertisers finding their ads next to Nazi-enthusiastic content. Rather than resign, the CEO has hired her son. Son of Yaccarino, who previously sold ads for a video ad backfill network, to hawk their deeply discounted inventory to desperate politicians at the height of their buying season.

Semafor:

Linda Yaccarino, the CEO of X, formerly Twitter, has turned the service's Hail Mary bet on an imagined $100 million political advertising business over to someone she trusts: her son Matt Madrazo. Despite owner Elon Musk's attempts to convert the company into a subscription-based service, the company remains dependent on an advertising business that produced about 90% of its revenue in 2021. And in the initial months after he bought Twitter, Musk expressed a keen interest in restarting the social media company's political advertising business, which it had voluntarily shuttered in 2019. In recent weeks, Madrazo, who previously headed ad sales at the non-political, creator-focused media firm Studio71, has been privately introducing himself to influential figures in the political ad world in Washington, D.C. He's part of what's essentially a two-man operation to restart X's political advertising business with the goal of capitalizing on the massive amounts of money that campaigns are about to spend during the 2024 elections.

I can't really see what Yaccarino gets out of staying at Twitter if it isn't money. This seems like easy money for her son. Twitter stopped taking political ads in 2019 because they were spreading disinformation, and THAT is no longer an issue with current management. With all guardrails gone and debt service payments always looming, I am pretty sure Son of Yaccarino can make some great commission.

Really seems like the wheels are coming off now. With the "thermonuclear lawsuits" and open anti-semitism from Musk, it seems an odd time to bring your son into this beautiful work environment.
People who gathered in support of Israel stand across the street from people in support of the Palestinian people during a demonstration over the Israel-Hamas war near the Tulane University campus in New Orleans, Thursday, October 26, 2023. (Photo by Brett Duke, The Times-Picayune)
Trump's and Musk's lawsuits against media organizations yesterday are just a taste of what will become of the First Amendment if Trump is elected President of the United States in 2025. Mike Davis, a MAGA lawyer considered to be on Trump's shortlist for U.S. Attorney General, said that if he is appointed to the position, he will arrest, imprison, and deport MSNBC's Mehdi Hasan.

"I already have his spot picked out in the DC gulag," Davis said on Xitter.

"Nothing to see here, just the former Gorsuch law clerk touted as Trump's next attorney-general, threatening to indict, detain, & deport me (for what?) & put Tim Miller, who is gay, in a women's prison," Hasan replied on Xitter. "Nothing at all unconstitutional, fascistic, or bigoted about any of this."

Why does Davis want to throw Hasan in a prison camp and then deport him? He doesn't say in his tweet, but it's probably because Hasan did an investigative report about him and revealed unpleasant aspects about Davis, including his calls on social media to "arm up against the violent Black underclass" and "put kids in cages."

From Mediaite:

Davis made the shocking threat in reply to a segment from Hasan's weekend show in which the cable news host listed some of the people tipped to be under consideration for roles in another Trump administration. "For weeks, we've been warning you on this show about the dangers of a second Trump term. The former president, after all, has promised retribution, pledged to round up protesters with the military, and suggested using the Justice Department to go after his political enemies. These are plans that should terrify each and every single one of us. But tonight, I want to pull back the curtain and take a look at who could be tasked with carrying out Trump's radical agenda come 2025," Hasan said on his show before diving into the likes of Tucker Carlson, Michael Flynn, and Davis. "He's the man many in Trump's inner circle, including his own son, Don Junior, and Steve Bannon, are pitching to be the country's next possible attorney general. Earlier this week, over on my Peacock show, I dove deep into the conservative lawyer's record from Davis's threats to send journalists to the D.C. gulag to his repeated calls on social media for his followers to, quote, "arm up against the violent Black underclass." "And it appears I may have struck a nerve. Davis has since responded to my monologue from earlier this week, pledging to indict me when he's AG. For what? I'm not sure. But he's also threatened to send me to the D.C. gulag. That's a totally normal, non-fascistic response from a man eyeing to become the nation's chief law enforcement officer.





Trump's Dream Team.@mehdirhasan is now on my Lists 2 (indict), 4 (detain), 6 (denaturalize), and 3 (deport).



I already have his spot picked out in the DC gulag.



But I'll put him in the women's cell block, with @Timodc.



So these whiny leftists don't get beat up as often. https://t.co/Ylhb33KVv2   Mike Davis  (@mrddmia) November 20, 2023
The Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon's popular annual Documentary Photography Open competition has been launched with the theme of 'Speaking Out: Changing Times'.

The competition is free to enter for participants over the age of 14, including amateurs, professionals, and photography groups. Entries are now being accepted and the winning entry will receive a prize of 300 from competition sponsors, Jamaica Press.

This year's theme asks entrants to comment on the recent political, social and environmental events that are affecting northern Devon. Whether that is documenting the strength shown in communities, the changes affecting the region's towns, villages and countryside or local protests about national or worldwide interests  entrants can focus on whatever this theme means to them.

Successful applicants will feature in the exhibition showcasing contemporary photography from across northern Devon. Selected exhibition images will gain further exposure online as part of the museum's digital marketing through their website, social media and mailing lists.

Museum Curator, Alison Mills says "Our aim is to provide a platform for everyone interested in photography, whether they are amateurs or established professionals looking to improve their exposure and help document northern Devon. We hope to inspire people to carry on the tradition of documentary photography in the area.

"With over fifty five thousand people visiting the museum every year, our aim is to help promote and inspire future documentary photographers. Each year we will have a different theme drawing on the museums inspirational photography collections."

Successful entries will be showcased in an exhibition between Saturday, February 10, and Wednesday, March 13, 2024. During the exhibitions duration, a public vote will be held within the community gallery and the image with the most votes by the closing date of the exhibition will be awarded with a 300 prize kindly donated by Jamaica Press to help further the photographers practice. One standout piece from the exhibition will be selected by the Museum team to enter into the Museums digital archive, continuing to help to document North Devon and its people.

Submitted pictures must have been taken in the area of North Devon, including Torridge, Lundy Island, and Exmoor.

Before submitting, entrants should read the photography opens guidelines on the museum website. The deadline for submissions is Friday, January 5.

Email museum@northdevon.gov.uk if you have any queries.
Local childhood bereavement charity, Families in Grief (FiG), has appointed a prestigious new patron.

Professor Edmund Sonuga-Barke is currently Professor of Developmental Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience at Kings College London and visiting Professor at the Universities of Aarhus (Denmark) and Hong Kong.

He is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. As a developmental psychologist, Professor Sonuga-Barke has dedicated his career to the scientific study of the causes of young peoples mental health difficulties with a special focus on early adversity and neuro-developmental conditions such as ADHD.

Professor Sonuga-Barke describes himself as a husband (to Funke) and dad (to Julien and Pascale), a soul music nut and an ever-optimistic Rams fan!

We are hugely excited to welcome Professor Sonuga-Barke as our new patron, said Naomi Jefferies, CEO of Families in Grief.

We all know that being bereaved as a young person can have a devastating effect. Many children and young people struggle to process and understand their feelings of grief which can lead to disengagement from school, family, friends and the wider community. Without timely support, this can have a truly negative impact on a young persons overall mental health and future life chances.

Post-pandemic we have also seen a marked increase in the complexity of cases referred to us for bereavement support  so we feel doubly privileged to know that our work going forward will benefit from the guidance and experience of our new patron. Welcome Edmund!

Professor Edmund Sonuga-Barke said: I feel very honoured to be Patron of FiG and to have the chance to support its fantastic work for bereaved children and families. I hope that both my research and personal experiences can be of some value to the charity. For instance, a substantial part of my research work has illustrated the power of early adversity to shape human emotional, social and cognitive development across the life-span through its deep seated effects on the brain, while at the same time showing what families can do to bring about positive change.

My work on neurodevelopmental conditions such as ADHD and autism is also relevant I feel, in showing how traumatic events are processed and reacted to differently by different sorts of people. I think this is a very understudied topic.

Like all scientists my work is informed by my personal experiences. I am certain that the fact that I was diagnosed with hyperkinetic syndrome (the forerunner of ADHD) and dyslexia as a child has influenced my scientific thinking about these conditions.

I also have first-hand experience of grief following the death of my sister as a young woman and more recently my mother. I have also seen the devastating impact that consecutive, unsupported childhood bereavements have had on a close childhood friend. This insight has made me value the important role that organisations, such as Families in Grief, play by providing the right support when families are at their most vulnerable. Im thrilled to taking up this role as their patron and championing their cause.
A gunman shot four people last night at a Walmart in Beavercreek, Ohio, one day after two people were shot and killed at a Walmart in Alaska. And at least 120 other people have been shot to death at Walmart across the country in recent years, but the "heartbroken" gun-and-grocery store continues to sell weapons and back GOP, NRA-owned politicians who oppose gun control.

The victims of last night's shooting  at the exact same Walmart where an innocent man was shot and killed by police nearly ten years ago  were rushed to the hospital. Three of victims are in critical condition, while the fourth person sustained non-life-threatening injuries, according to CNN. The Ohio suspect, whose name hasn't been disclosed, died from a self-inflicted gunshot. From The Guardian:

Monday's shooting in Ohio was reported at about 8.30pm at the Walmart in Beavercreek, a town of about 50,000 in the Dayton metropolitan area. All of the wounded victims were taken to hospitals for treatment, but information on their conditions was not immediately released. Police said the shooter died after apparently shooting himself. His name, a motive for the attack and other details also were not immediately released.  The shooting happened a day after two people were shot and killed outside a Walmart in south Anchorage, Alaska. Police are still searching for a suspect in that case. The store was evacuated before closing for the day, and officers helped people reach their vehicles.

And from an April 2023 USA Today article:
The highly popular Whychus Creek Scenic Overlook Trail, just 5.5 miles from town, is getting a new look thanks to a grant of $37,152 from Visit Central Oregon. Sisters Trails Alliance (STA) is adding cash and in-kind donations of $16,104 for a project total of $53,256.

The work, originally hoped for completion by fall, is now anticipated to be finished this winter in time for the busy spring and summer tourist season. The one-mile circular trek to the viewpoint is renowned for its stunning views of the Three Sisters and surrounding Cascades, as well as the canyon below.

It is a barrier-free trail and in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). However, while the trail is wheeled-chair friendly, upon reaching the walled viewpoint if one cannot stand and must remain in their chair, they can see only the mountains but not the steep canyon with flowing water cascading over rocky riffles.

Thanks to the aspirations of the STA Board and its cadre of volunteers, this problem will be solved by notching the wall as shown in the accompanying rendering. The Project has moral support from the City of Sisters, the Forest Service, Explore Sisters, Oregon Adaptive Sports, SPRD, and Sisters High School Life Skills and Transition Program.

At the trailhead and along the route, visitors find a detailed, interpretive kiosk and illustrative signs. Whychus Creek was once officially a river, home to abundant steelhead. As homesteaders began settling Sisters, water was lost to irrigation withdrawals, the river became a trickle of a creek, and the steelhead population died out. Today the creek is federally protected as a Wild and Scenic River and is coming back to life, with steelhead having been reintroduced into the creek.

Users have often asked that the trail be outfitted with picnic tables. There are already three hand- hewn resting benches for gazing and meditation.

"Adding picnic areas or any other similar amenities would not match the characteristics of the trail," said Scott Penzarella, STA executive director. "It is designated wild and scenic and we want to respect and preserve that, keeping it wild while at the same time making sure that all users can enjoy it fully."

Likewise, Penzarella said that the trail will not be paved, remaining as a compacted aggregate on which wheelchairs and infant and child strollers can manage. The trail is off limits to bikes and horses.

While most users respect the trail's routing - counterclockwise - trail ambassadors and volunteers frequently have to remind users of the need to follow the correct direction.The direction is established to allow for a more serene, tranquil experience.

The STA hopes that locals will set the example to tourists for proper trail etiquette.

Photo provided Project will "notch" wall at the Whychus Overlook.

Users frequently cite the need for improved and/or expanded parking at the trailhead, which can accommodate about 15 cars. It is not uncommon during summer weekends for as many as 30-40 cars to try and squeeze in, forcing many onto the sides of FS Road 16 (Three Creek Road).

"If Sisters continues with its current growth pattern and popularity with tourists, parking will become a bigger and potentially more hazardous situation," Penzarella warned.

Ian Reid, Sisters' District ranger, told The Nugget that while there are no scheduled plans to change the configuration of the parking lot, there will be work along the Road 16 corridor, including repaving. That will give the Forest Service an opportunity to assess the situation.

Reid said that the original size of the parking area was designed in keeping with the wild and scenic ethos of the trail.
Erin Borla, President of the Sisters-based Roundhouse Foundation, was invited last month to participate in a gathering in Washington D.C., where the White House Domestic Policy Council and National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) discussed the whole-of-government approach to arts and culture.

Borla said she was among five foundations invited to participate, based on Roundhouse Foundations mission to advance arts and culture in rural communities.

During National Arts and Humanities Month, the Biden-Harris Administration highlighted its commitment to supporting the arts, humanities, and museum and library services and integrating them into federal policies and programs, including investments in the NEA, National Endowment for the Humanities, and Institute of Museum and Library Services.

In the meeting, Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden discussed how arts and humanities are essential to a thriving democracy and should be integrated across federal agencies. NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson discussed current federal opportunities for the arts, including the administrations focus on equity and justice, climate, the urgent need to repair our democracy, and challenges facing the arts sector in the wake of the pandemic.

I got a brief opportunity to speak about the importance of rural voices being included in this conversation, Borla told The Nugget.

Borla noted that 97 percent of the land mass in the United States is rural, but rural residents only make up 19 percent of the population.

Theres a lot of folks who have been left out of the conversation, she said.

Roundhouse Foundation is committed to making sure those voices  which range from ranchers to Native American communities, to residents of small towns  are heard. Borla notes that some of that work involves a broader understanding of what arts and culture actually are in rural America.

There are bigger conversations around what builds culture, she said.

Borla was in D.C. for a short 48 hours, in which she also visited Rep. Cliff Bentz and Senator Jeff Merkley.

I always appreciate the opportunity to meet with elected officials and share the on-the-ground things that are happening in the places they represent, Borla said.

The October meeting built toward a first-of-its-kind public convening, which will take place at the National Endowment for the Arts and online on January 30, 2024, called Healing, Bridging, Thriving: A Summit on Arts and Culture in our Communities.

To learn more about Roundhouse Foundation, visit https://roundhousefoundation.org.
As we hit the peak holiday travel season, and with more and more fliers taking their pets along whenever they travel, frustration mounts with navigating airline policies.

Veterinarians are generally not enthusiastic about pets on airplanes. Nor are professional trainers.

"Traveling with your pet seems like a dream come true," said Sabrina Kong, a veterinarian and contributor to the site WeLoveDoodles. "But often, it's more of a human dream - and a pet nightmare."

She said, "Dogs and cats are creatures of habit, and travel disrupts their routines. Many pets are not fit to fly. They're either too big, too old, or ill-tempered. Adding to the stress, many destinations don't welcome pets, limiting where you can take them."

Kong is not the only expert recommending that animals stay home. Blythe Neer, a professional dog trainer, told highly regarded "Elliott Confidential," a travel industry newsletter, that "many dogs are terrified to fly in cargo and have to be sedated. And some small dogs who can fit underneath a seat are traumatized by the experience."

"If you are flying by plane and your dog has any kind of anxiety in a car or in new or crowded places, I encourage you to leave them home," Neer added.

In a survey conducted by Hilton Hotels in 2022, more than half of Americans (55 percent) said they planned to travel with their pet. Delta Airlines alone reports that approximately half a million pets travel onboard every year.

"In general, I recommend not flying with a pet unless absolutely necessary," says Justine Lee, veterinary expert for Pumpkin Pet Insurance. "Ideally, pets should not fly unless an owner is moving permanently or taking a long trip - two to four weeks minimum."

Opinions aside, if you want to travel with your pet from Redmond, here's what you need to know. Declare your pet ahead of time - do not show up at the airport with your pet even if it's in an approved carrier. Book your pet when you book your flight. Your pet requires a reservation.

Some breeds are banned on some airlines. Dogs, like pugs, with short noses may encounter breathing difficulties in pressurized cabins. Half of all canine deaths onboard have occurred with such breeds.

Don't assume that as long as your pet qualifies and that the airline will accept the pet that there is room for the pet. Airlines restrict the number of seats for passengers with pets.

Airlines are cracking down heavily on emotional support animals due to widespread passenger abuse. Pigs will no longer be allowed to fly inside the cabin on U.S. airlines as emotional support animals, under a 2020 rule from the Department of Transportation. Neither will peacocks nor alligators nor monkeys.

The new rule defines a service animal to include only canines trained to assist a person with a disability. Customers traveling with a support animal that isn't a service dog would be required to pay an airline's pet fee to bring the animal aboard. In addition, passengers are limited to two service dogs.

Despite what you might have seen in Instagram Reels or TikTok videos, you cannot buy a seat for your dog or cat. Not in Redmond (RDM) anyway. And your pet must remain in its approved carrier for the entire flight - no getting out to meet the other passengers and stroll the aisle.

Some airplanes are configured for pets. So your carrier from Redmond to Seattle may accept pets, but not necessarily on the flight you prefer. You may have to take a later or earlier flight.

Airlines typically require a veterinary health certificate stating your dog is healthy and up-to-date on its vaccinations. The certificate is only good for 30 days, and you'll need it for both your departure and return.

Expect to pay $95 to $125 each way for a pet in the cabin and as much as $200 for one in cargo.

What to expect at RDM

 All pets should be brought to the security checkpoint in a hand-held travel carrier. Remove the pet from the carrier just prior to the beginning of the screening process. Place the empty travel carrier so it can be x-rayed.

 Never place a pet in the X-ray tunnel.

 If possible, carry the pet during the screening process. Alternately, a pet can walk through the screening process if the owner has the pet on a leash.

 A TSA officer will give the pet owner's hands an explosive trace detection swab to ensure there is no explosive residue on the owner's hands.

 Once the screening process is complete, owners should return the pet to the travel carrier at the re-composure area away from the security checkpoint. This location helps ensure the safety of the pet as well as other passengers.

Editor's note: Bill Bartlett is owner of Optum Travel in Sisters, a travel agency.
Republican love of Israel only goes so far.

Democrats across the state of Wisconsin have decried last weekend's Neo-Nazi march in Madison. The Republicans, however, are notoriously absent from the crowd of folks concerned about Nazis marching from the University campus to the State's Capitol building.

Crooks and Liars:

Officials from around the state and at all levels of government were quick to roundly denounce and condemn the presence of the hate group. From the mayor of Madison to the chancellor of the University of Wisconsin to state lawmakers to Governor Tony Evers and Senator Tammy Baldwin, the responses were quick and consistent.

The glaring omission were the Republicans. At the time of this writing, it's been three full days and not one Republican has spoken up against their presence. Ironically, some right wingers on Xitter have tried to pass off the Nazis' presence as being a false flag set up by Antifa and/or the FBI.

The Republicans' silence is even more pronounced since many of them are still denouncing the attack on Israel on October 7 and expressing anger to Muslims in general.

The only conclusion possible is that the Republicans aren't really upset by the antisemitism as they are by the presence of Muslims and/or Brown and Black skinned people. But if it's good old, white "Christian" antisemitism, well that's just fine by them.
NorthShore Health Centers' community health worker Desiree DeLaney explains the symptoms of diabetes as well as tips on how to manage and prevent this chronic disease. For more information about NorthShore Health Centers and all their services visit https://northshorehealth.org/.
Centier was named the Bank of the Year by the Regional Development Company.

The Merrillville-based bank was recognized for funding the most U.S. Small Business Administration loans in both quantity and dollar amount in Northwest Indiana this year. Centier bankers also earned recognition for individual accomplishments at the Regional Development Companys annual awards.

Centier has won either Bank of the Year or Most Active Bank Partner at the awards ceremony for five straight years.

The Valparaiso-based RDC, which administers the SBA's 504 Loan Program to fuel small business growth, lined up 12 SBA loans totaling $19 million to local companies. The nonprofit lined up business financing from local banks for large capital projects in Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan.

It made 12 loans totalling $25 million in capital investment creating 107 jobs. Centier made three loans totaling $3.19 million in SBA loan dollars.

Centier Bank has been a great partner with the Regional Development Company over our 30-year history, said Erica Dombey, president and executive director of the RDC. We are happy to see them win two big awards in 2023, and even happier to present Laura Holesapple with the first ever Support Person of the Year award. The RDC created this award to recognize the unsung heroes behind the scenes that make the loan transactions run smoothly. The winners will be chosen by the RDC staff, and Laura was the first person they thought recognize; she exemplifies excellent customer service and dedication to her clients.

Centier Business Banking Officer Tim Warner was named Lender of the Year. Centier Bank Business Banking Administrative Specialist Laura Holesapple won Support Person of the Year. Centier Bank Business Banking Officer Tim Spoelman was elected to the RDC's Loan Committee.

I am truly honored to receive the Lender of the Year Award, which recognizes Centier Banks commitment to serving as a trusted partner for small businesses in our community, Warner said. At Centier Bank, we believe that our success is directly tied to the success of the businesses we support. By providing financial solutions and fostering growth, we are not only enriching the lives of our community members but also playing a pivotal role in creating new job opportunities, strengthening our local economy, and ensuring a brighter future for all."
MUNSTER  Police are seeking the public's help in identifying the armed and masked men accused of bursting into a local home last month, and then bounding and battering those inside for more than an hour before fleeing with money and other items.

The home invasion in question occurred around 11:20 a.m. Oct. 27 in the 1400 block of Park West Circle, according to Munster police.

Munster Police are seeking the public's help in identifying the armed and masked men accused of bursting into a local home last month, and then boundi

Three people were home at the time and said those responsible did not leave until around 1 p.m.

Police said they have determined five males were involved and used two vehicles, which were later recovered in Chicago.

Victim in one shooting charged in another days later, Region police say When Wayne Witt Jr. was asked about his gunshot injuries, he reportedly told police, "the bullet did not penetrate very far into his skin as he was able to 'flick' it off with his finger."

Using surveillance video footage from the area, police said they have identified two people of interest.

Further help is sought from the public in identifying the suspects, vehicles or any other details.

Juvenile suffers serious injury during hunting accident, DNR says "Conservation officers remind Hoosiers that the most common hunting-related injuries are from accidents involving tree stands and elevated platforms," the DNR said.

"One of the victims in this case is offering a $15,000 reward to anyone who comes forward with information leading to the arrest and conviction of person(s) responsible for this crime," police said.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Munster Police Departments Criminal Investigations Division at 219-836-6658 or by email at tnosich@munster.org.
LAPORTE  A 24-year-old Michigan City man, who was flown to a Chicago hospital following a shooting in July, was himself the gunman during a shooting that left two injured just days later, according to newly filed charges.

Wayne Witt Jr., who is being held without bond at the LaPorte County Jail, is charged with two counts each of attempted murder and aggravated battery, as well as possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon and criminal recklessness, records show.

Witt was among four people shot July 3 in the 1100 block of Salem Street and sent to an area hospital, Michigan City police said. Witt was flown by helicopter to the University of Chicago Medical Center and released July 7, police said.

Police said they went to Witt's house around 10:15 a.m. July 7, in the area where the shooting occurred just a few days earlier, and recognized a black Kia Optima from surveillance video at the hospital July 3.

When Witt was asked about his gunshot injuries, he reportedly told police "the bullet did not penetrate very far into his skin as he was able to 'flick' it off with his finger."

Police said they were then called out shortly before 4 p.m. July 7 for a shooting in the 400 block of York Street. Officers found one person shot in the legs and another shot in the head.

County coroner charged with OWI following crash, Region police say "Swanson was cooperative throughout the entire process and said she knew she shouldn't have tried to drive."

The man shot in the legs said he was standing in front of a home when he heard what he thought were fireworks until he felt the bullets striking him, police said. He denied knowing who shot him.

The man shot in the head also reportedly denied knowing who shot him before being flown to South Bend for medical care.

Video surveillance footage from a nearby home showed a black Kia Optima driving in the area at the time of the shooting and two people with handguns exiting and shooting before fleeing in the same vehicle, police said.

Juvenile suffers serious injury during hunting accident, DNR says "Conservation officers remind Hoosiers that the most common hunting-related injuries are from accidents involving tree stands and elevated platforms," the DNR said.

Police said they received a tip that same evening that Witt was one of the people carrying out the shooting. Police say they matched the vehicle seen earlier at Witt's home with the one captured on video at the scene of the shooting and were able to identify Witt as one of the shooters by comparing surveillance footage with images on his cell phone found at the scene of the July 3 shootings.

Police said they recovered clothing from Witt's house that he was wearing at the time of the July 7 shootings.

Witt was scheduled to make an initial court appearance on the charges Tuesday morning, records show.

Gallery: Recent arrests booked into LaPorte County Jail Kristy Miller Donald Starks Jeremy Marshall Andre Johnson Victoria Vasquez Allen Fugate Thomas Reeder Samuel Fleming Giovanni Ferreyra-Ruiz Cleophis Swanson Jr. Yvonne Noe Bonnie McGriff Tabitha Ramirez Rickey Bureau Quayshuan Kelly Almani Flippins Amber Coursel Barry Geber Jordan Glancy Donald Franklin Lauren Smith Jermaine Carter Calvin Simmons
CROWN POINT  Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. appeared at a hearing held Monday to discuss his motion to prohibit public access to records in his trial, specifically testimony collected from a witness at a deposition.

The records purportedly relate to information collected in a deposition by Martinez's spouse. Defense attorney Maryam Afshar-Stewart told the court the information the state was requesting to build its case is confidential as a matter of "marital privilege."

Afshar-Stewart, who is representing Martinez along with attorneys Paul Stracci and Michael Woods, said allowing the public to have access to communications between spouses is an encroachment of confidentiality.

She said the "intrusion opens up a Pandora's box of martial harm."

The defense requested the remainder of Monday's hearing be closed to the public as they discussed the contents of the deposition questions.

Special Prosecutor Stanley Levco said he wasn't going to offer a firm argument about the merit of the motions, but on whether or not discussion about them should be made public. He said in terms of pursuing his case as a prosecutor, he does not agree with keeping discussion private.

He said hearings are typically only made private under the most "extraordinary" circumstances.

"I don't know if this qualifies as an extraordinary circumstance," Levco said.

The hearing was posted as a public proceeding which the public was invited to attend and to comment or submit briefs on the issue, although none did. Only Robert Varga, an attorney who appeared on behalf of the deponent, said he supported Martinez's motion.

After a 10-minute discussion regarding the defense's motion and prosecution's response, Special Judge Jeryl F. Leach ruled that the remainder of the hearing would be closed to the public. He said the defendant's interest outweighs that of the prosecution.

Martinez filed a motion in May to set a hearing on the matter of the deposition questions, according to court records. He followed up with a motion in July to prohibit public access to court records and request the hearing be sealed. The specifics of the latter motion were not available, as records were sealed.

The deposition questions have been sealed since May 2022 when Leach ruled the transcript of the deposition would not be publicly available under further order from the court.

Martinez was indicted Jan. 6, 2022, on felony resisting law enforcement and misdemeanor reckless driving charges. He allegedly drove more than 50 miles over the posted speed limit on Sept. 18, 2021, while driving north on Main Street in Crown Point.

Martinez has denied the allegations. His attorneys have made multiple efforts to get the charges dismissed, including filing motions in a trial court and Court of Appeals. None have been successful. In May, the Indiana Supreme Court denied his request to review the case.

Martinez's attorneys did not respond to an email regarding when the judge will rule on the matters discussed privately in Monday's hearing. Martinez is scheduled to appear next in court on Dec. 14 for a pretrial conference, according to court records. His jury trial is set for Feb. 12.
BEIJING, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, on Monday respectively sent congratulatory letters to the 10th meeting of the dialogue mechanism between the ruling parties of China and Russia. In his congratulatory letter, Xi extended warm congratulations on the convening of the meeting. He said that at present, changes unseen in a century are unfolding at an ever faster pace and the world has entered a new period of disorder and transformation. China-Russia relations have withstood the severe test of changes in the international landscape, maintained a high level of development, set an example of a new model of major-country relations, and played a more prominent strategic role in achieving global stability and development. Noting that next year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of China-Russia diplomatic ties, Xi said China is ready to work with Russia to grasp the general trend of history, firmly develop relations featuring permanent good-neighborly friendship, comprehensive strategic coordination and mutually beneficial cooperation, and vigorously promote the development and revitalization of both countries to inject more stability and positive energy into the world. Xi pointed out that the exchanges and cooperation between the CPC and the United Russia party form an important part of China-Russia relations in the new era, and the dialogue mechanism between the ruling parties of China and Russia has developed into a unique channel and platform for the two countries to consolidate political mutual trust, enhance strategic coordination and promote mutually beneficial cooperation. It is hoped that the two parties will take the 10th meeting of the dialogue mechanism as an opportunity to demonstrate the responsibility of major parties and countries, enrich exchanges in the new era, create a new situation of institutionalized exchanges and cooperation, and contribute more to the development of China-Russia relations in the new era, safeguarding international fairness and justice, and promoting the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, Xi said. Putin said in his congratulatory letter that the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination is at the highest level in history, and the two countries are working together to advance a number of large-scale cooperation projects in the fields of economy, transportation, energy and culture, among others. The two countries are coordinating positions through bilateral channels and multilateral mechanisms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS to resolve major international issues and promote the building of a more just and democratic international order. As the ruling parties of Russia and China, the United Russia party and the CPC have carried out high-level and constructive interactions and promoted the rapid development of bilateral cooperation in various fields, Putin said. The central committee organs and local institutions of the two parties have maintained institutionalized interactions, exchanged useful experience on party building, legislation and social work, and held in-depth discussions on a series of practical issues on the bilateral and international agendas, he added. Putin expressed the belief that the 10th meeting of the dialogue mechanism will be meaningful and constructive, and further promote and deepen the fruitful cooperation between Russia and China.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, known for his Christian nationalist leanings and a peculiar fascination with monitoring others' sexual activities, said in a 2016 radio interview that he opposes school accommodations for trans students.

His reasoning, as he explained on KEEL news, was based on his high school experiences. "Gender identity, no one knows what that means, and even an effort to define it can cause more problems. So, yeah, look Robert, I went to Captain Shreve High School. I graduated in 1990. My crew, my boys, I mean look. I can tell you, they would've said, 'Hey, next Thursday is gender identity day, man. You know, we're going to self-identify as girls, and we're going to be in the other locker room.' It opens it up to high jinks and all sorts of problems."

From Meidas Touch:
More than 1.2 million Hoosiers will hit the road this Thanksgiving, traveling on average more than 50 miles to visit family to celebrate the holiday.

AAA forecasts Indiana will have the second highest Thanksgiving holiday travel period on record, trailing only 2019. About 26,783 more Hoosiers are expected to travel for the holiday than last year, a 2.2% increase.

Travel demand has been strong all year and that trend will continue with one of the busiest Thanksgivings on record, said Debbie Haas, vice president of travel for AAAThe Auto Club Group. With more people taking to the roads, skies, rails and sea; travelers should expect congested roads and longer lines at transportation terminals. AAA encourages travelers to develop their plan now, leave early, and be courteous to others.

In neighboring Illinois, an estimated 2.8 million residents are expected to drive 50 miles or more, about 2.2% more than last year and the second highest on record.

It's expected that 1.09 million Hoosiers will drive on Thanksgiving weekend, up from 1.07 million last year.

About 13,000 more Hoosiers will take Thanksgiving road trips, up 1.3% from last year, according to AAA. Gas prices are expected to be lower this year than last Thanksgiving, when the average price of gasoline was $3.58 a gallon nationally and $3.72 a gallon in Indiana.

The good news is drivers this Thanksgiving can expect cheaper gas prices," said Molly Hart, spokeswoman for AAA. While there could be some fluctuations in the coming weeks, AAA expects gas prices to remain low through the holidays, unless oil prices suddenly spike."

Gas prices are averaging $3.30 nationally, $3.24 in Indiana and $3.48 in Illinois, according to AAA. Gas prices are down 12 cents a gallon in Indiana and 7 cents a gallon in Illinois as compared to last week.

Average travel times could be 80% longer than normal, according to the transportation data firm INRIX. People can avoid congestion by leaving in the morning or traveling after 6 p.m.

The day before Thanksgiving is notoriously one of the most congested days on our roadways. Travelers should be prepared for long delays, especially in and around major metros, said Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX. Knowing when and where congestion will build can help minimize holiday traffic frustrations. We advise drivers to use traffic apps, local DOT notifications, and 511 services for real-time updates.

An estimated 1.09 million will fly to see family, up from 1.07 last year.

AAA expects nearly 128,301 Hoosiers to fly for Thanksgiving, up from 118,650 last year. It's an 8% year-over-year increase and the highest air travel volume to date in Indiana. Tuesday and Wednesday will be the busiest and costliest days to fly to one's destination while Sunday will be the busiest day to fly back home.

Flights will cost an average of $681 domestically, up 5% from last year.

About 36,000 Hoosiers will travel by bus, train or cruise, an 11% increase over last year.

Cruise prices are down 12% compared to 2022, hotel prices are down 12% and rental cars prices down 20%.

The cruise industry, in particular, has made a remarkable comeback, and thrives during the holidays, Haas said. Holiday cruises are highly sought-after as a means for large families to travel together and visit multiple destinations without having to worry about the cooking and cleanup. For those looking to plan a 2024 vacation, this is also a great time to connect with a travel advisor, who can navigate the many options available to find the best fit.
The elected representatives of Indiana's 6.8 million residents are ready to tackle the biggest issues facing the Hoosier State  after the holidays.

As is customary, the 2024 Indiana General Assembly convened Tuesday to officially organize the 100-member House and 50-member Senate, but its real work of proposing, debating and approving new state laws won't actually begin until early next year.

Lawmakers then will sprint through the next nine weeks trying to get something, anything done ahead of the Legislature's March 14 adjournment deadline, while constantly looking ahead to the May 7 primary and Nov. 5 general elections that will feature the entire House and half the Senate on the ballot.

"On Jan. 8, let's hit the ground running and get our work done quickly and effectively for all Hoosiers," urged House Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers, after gaveling the Republican-controlled chamber to order.

Huston said he expects a "passionate and frantic" legislative session next year focused on a few high-priority items, since the General Assembly's most complex task  enacting a 24-month state budget  was accomplished earlier this year, and other recent big lifts on education, workforce development and health care also already are on the books.

"I look at this session as a transition year," Huston said. "But that's not to say we won't take a look at new issues and bring them before the General Assembly."

In particular, both Huston and Senate President Rod Bray, R-Martinsville, said they intend to prioritize reading in kindergarten through 3rd grade education, and expect to set and enforce a policy of retaining students unable to read at grade level by the end of 3rd grade.

Bray said children who are unable to read proficiently by 3rd grade not only will have a hard time successfully completing future years of education, but their lack of reading skills also positions them to struggle in employment and throughout the rest of their lives.

Huston went a step further and proactively called on the Legislature to allocate whatever is needed to make Indiana the top state in the country for 3rd grade reading proficiency by 2027  instead of merely slightly above the national average.

"We have the resources and our kids deserve better results," Huston said.

Huston also indicated House Republicans are crafting a plan to make Interstate 65 and Interstate 70 at least three lanes wide in both directions from border to border.

In addition, he said the House again will approve legislation similar to House Bill 1037 (2023) that classifies antisemitism, especially in education, as unlawful religious discrimination; a policy that passed the House 94-0 in February but died after receiving no action in the Senate.

Huston said the campus responses in Indiana and elsewhere to Hamas' Oct. 8 attack on Israel has made apparent the need for an unequivocal Indiana law opposing antisemitism.

Across the Statehouse rotunda, Bray said leaders of the Republican-controlled Senate still are fashioning their agenda for next year. But, in addition to 3rd grade literacy, initiatives spearheaded by state Sen. Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso, to make child care and health care more affordable will be at the top of the list.

That platform resonated with Senate Democratic Leader Greg Taylor, D-Indianapolis, who urged his GOP colleagues to expand it to include affordable housing, tax cuts for individuals instead of businesses, and legalization of marijuana and ballot initiatives  while taking a break from legislating on hot-button social issues, such as affirmative action.

"We don't have a lot of time during this short session to do the right thing for the state of Indiana and our Hoosier constituents," Taylor said. "The needs and voices of Hoosiers have not been prioritized by this body, and the economic struggles of everyday Hoosiers, working families and vulnerable communities have felt the greatest impact of that."

Northwest Indiana lawmakers, including state Sen. Dan Dernulc, R-Highland, likewise are finalizing their priorities for next year and putting the finishing touches on their proposals that must be filed no later than Jan. 9.

"I have worked diligently this summer to draft legislation that will positively impact the lives of Hoosiers in Senate District 1 and around the state," Dernulc said. "I'm eager to get back to the Statehouse to continue this work and receive input from my constituents and colleagues."

Term-limited Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb also is expected to announce in coming weeks his agenda for the final legislative session of his eight years as Indiana's chief executive.

Meet the 2023 Northwest Indiana legislative delegation State Rep. Carolyn Jackson, D-Hammond State Rep. Earl Harris Jr., D-East Chicago State Rep. Ragen Hatcher, D-Gary State Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso State Rep. Pat Boy, D-Michigan City State Rep. Chuck Moseley, D-Portage State Rep. Mike Aylesworth, R-Hebron State Rep. Mike Andrade, D-Munster State Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary State Rep. Hal Slager, R-Schererville State Rep. Kendell Culp, R-Rensselaer State Rep. Julie Olthoff, R-Crown Point State Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie State Sen. Dan Dernulc, R-Highland State Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago State Sen. Eddie Melton, D-Gary State Sen. Rodney Pol Jr., D-Chesterton State Sen. Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso State Sen. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell State Sen. Mike Bohacek, R-Michiana Shores
Herbert Gold, a novelist whose verbal inventiveness and keen eye for the complicated emotional transactions of love and marriage established him as one of the most promising of the young American writers to emerge after World War II, died on Sunday at his home in San Francisco. He was 99.

His death was confirmed on Monday by his daughter Ann Gold Buscho.

Born in Ohio, Mr. Gold brought a Midwestern skepticism and a deflating sense of humor to his tales of ordinary men and women trying to gain a foothold in the slippery terrain of romance  or, like him, struggling to connect the world of their Jewish immigrant parents with the realities of American life.

He was hard to categorize, and perhaps for that reason never had the kind of celebrated career that peers like Norman Mailer and Philip Roth enjoyed and that his early books seemed to augur. Herbert Gold always seems on the verge of writing the big one, Newsweek wrote in 1967.

But if the big one never arrived, Mr. Gold did produce, with regularity, a distinctive brand of fiction and journalism.
The future of OpenAI, the start-up that quickly became a titan of the artificial intelligence industry after its release of ChatGPT last year, is in doubt. The companys board fired its high-profile chief executive, Sam Altman, on Friday, and in response, more than 700 of the companys 770 employees signed a letter today threatening to resign.

In a series of head-spinning developments over the last 24 hours, the company briefly considered and then rejected a proposal to bring Altman back. Shortly after, both Altman and Greg Brockman, a co-founder of OpenAI, were hired by Microsoft to run a new A.I. research lab.

The turmoil highlighted an unresolved debate at OpenAI and in the larger tech community: Is artificial intelligence the most important new technology since web browsers, or is it potentially dangerous to humanity  or both?

The upheaval is probably not over, and it could be a while before the new landscape of the A.I. industry is clear. But my colleague Kevin Roose, who described the personnel changes as probably the most shocking tech story of the year, and maybe in several years, said the most obvious loser so far is OpenAI itself.
The mayor of a small town in suburban New Jersey who was recorded four years ago using racial slurs and saying he would never hire a female police officer was charged on Monday with two unrelated crimes linked to his private landscaping business.

Sal Bonaccorso, a Republican who for six terms has served as mayor of Clark, N.J., gained notoriety after a police lieutenant secretly taped him using racial slurs to refer to Black people. The recordings formed the basis of a $400,000 settlement with the lieutenant, who, according to an arrangement first disclosed last year by NJ Advance Media, was permitted to remain on the payroll for two years, without working, in exchange for keeping quiet.

The criminal charges filed Monday against the mayor grew out of a state investigation into Mr. Bonaccorsos racist and sexist comments, which were confirmed in a 43-page report released by the state attorney generals office. But the charges were not directly linked to the recorded exchanges, which Mr. Bonaccorso has acknowledged and apologized for.

Mr. Bonaccorso was charged with official misconduct and accused of using his township offices and Clark employees to help run his private landscaping and oil tank removal business. Additionally, he is charged with forging an engineers signature on permit applications to remove underground storage tanks.
For a few hundred years, money poured in from the church, which was eager to expand its influence in the Dodecanese, this group of islands so close to Turkey that on a map it looks like a jeweled choker wrapped around the countrys southwestern coast. Pilgrims seeking either enlightenment or refuge  from the fall of Constantinople, the waning influence of Crete  soon settled this islands Chora (town in Greek) in the shadow of the monastery. Patmos continued to grow into the modern era as a locus of cross-cultural currents and commerce: Prosperity and geography made it ideal for seafaring, as boats brought back wooden furniture from Venice and crafts from Istanbul and Cairo. By the 15th century, both immigrants and rich merchants were building the small churches and blocky mansions that still crowd Choras narrow, steep pathways. Although throughout history various interlopers  pirates, Ottoman expansionists and Nazis among them  have claimed this territory as their own, Patmos has belonged to Greece since the late 1940s. Greeks and tourists alike appreciate it not only for its preserved architecture and Christian traditions (dozens of monks and nuns still worship here) but also for its pebbly coves and quiet beaches, goat-thronged hills and seemingly infinite blueness, where sky gives in to sea.
X, the social media service formerly known as Twitter, sued Media Matters in federal court on Monday after the advocacy organization published research showing that ads on X appeared next to antisemitic content.

A post last week from Elon Musk that endorsed an antisemitic conspiracy theory, which he wrote a day before the Media Matters research was published, kicked off an advertiser exodus, with major brands like IBM, Apple, Warner Bros. Discovery and Sony pausing their spending on the platform.

X has rejected Media Matters findings, saying they were not representative of a regular users experience on the platform. On Friday, Mr. Musk promised a thermonuclear lawsuit against Media Matters and its backers.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, claims that Media Matters tried to damage Xs relationships with advertisers. Media Matters has manipulated the algorithms governing the user experience on X to bypass safeguards and create images of Xs largest advertisers paid posts adjacent to racist, incendiary content, leaving the false impression that these pairings are anything but what they actually are: manufactured, inorganic and extraordinarily rare, lawyers for X wrote in the complaint.
The planes crew members are assigned to a squadron based in Whidbey Island, Wash., according to a separate statement by Lt. Mohammad N. Issa, a spokesman for the Navys Third Fleet. He also said that emergency workers had enacted a temporary floating barrier to help protect the environment.

No other details were immediately available.

The P-8A Poseidon is about 130 feet long with a wingspan of about 123 feet, according to the Navy. It carries a crew of nine and is mainly used for surveillance missions.
We share the frustration. We understand the pain, said Jason Straziuso, a spokesman for the Red Cross. Were not bulletproof, and its not possible for us to walk into a conflict zone in hostile territory without permission  to walk up to a group of people, most certainly holding guns that they will use, and demand that they let us inside. Its not possible.

The Red Cross has about 130 employees in Gaza, he said, giving it some ability to deliver humanitarian aid and to visit the scenes of destruction from the war. But even with that access, meeting with the hostages requires an agreement with Hamas.

Mr. Straziuso said Red Cross officials were talking to Hamas, Israel, the United States and other nations about the condition of the hostages.

But those talks have been shrouded in secrecy.

In a statement on Monday, the Red Cross said the group is insisting that our teams be allowed to visit the hostages to check on their welfare, but added that the I.C.R.C. does not take part in negotiations leading to the release of hostages. As a neutral humanitarian intermediary, we remain ready to facilitate any future release that the parties to the conflict agree to.

Separate discussions about a possible release of some hostages are being conducted through intermediaries, with Israel and the United States communicating with Hamas only by way of messages passed back and forth by negotiators in Egypt and Qatar.

A leader of Hamas said in October that not all of the Israeli hostages who were taken to Gaza were being held by the group, a claim that most likely complicates negotiations for their release. Osama Hamdan, a member of Hamass political bureau in Lebanon, said other groups, including Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a separate organization that is an ally of Hamas, were also holding some of the hostages.

In late October, Israeli forces rescued one hostage, and four others were released by Hamas about a week earlier. But there have been no further breakthroughs.

Warring nations have blocked the Red Cross from visiting hostages or prisoners of war in previous conflicts. In 2022, eight months into the war between Ukraine and Russia, the Red Cross still had little access to prisoners held by either side. In a statement at the time, the group wrote that blaming the I.C.R.C. for being denied full and immediate access does not help prisoners of war or their families.

But the fact that there is no definitive playbook in the case of hostages during wartime, no exact timing for reporting about whether they are dead or alive leaves the family members with little to hold on to as the days slowly pass.

Liz Hirsh Naftali, the great-aunt of Abigail Idan, recounted on NBC News how the 3-year-old Abigail watched on Oct. 7 as Hamas fighters shot and killed her mother and ran with her father and two siblings.

Abigail was in her fathers arms, Ms. Naftali said on NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. And as they ran, a terrorist shot him and killed him, and he fell onto Abigail.

She added, We learned that Abigail actually had crawled out from under her fathers body and, full of his blood, went to a neighbor, and they took her in.

Hamas later seized the neighbor, her three children and Abigail, Ms. Naftali said.

Rachel Goldberg, who is married to Mr. Polin, and other family members have said they have no idea when  or whether  they will discover anything definitive about their loved ones. Ms. Goldberg detailed the grief of a mother who has no idea if her son is alive or if you died yesterday, or if you died five minutes ago.

(In 2004, before moving to Israel, Jon Polin and Rachel Goldbergs son, Hersh, attended the same preschool as my children in Richmond, Va.)

Inside Israel, where the faces of the hostages are plastered everywhere on posters that proclaim them KIDNAPPED, activists have mounted an aggressive campaign to demand swifter action from the Red Cross.
A sequence of Diorama photographs, begun shortly after Sugimoto arrived in New York in 1974, capture scenes from the American Museum of Natural History with otherworldly precision. Using an old, large-format camera, long exposure times and elaborately tuned lighting, Sugimoto enhanced both the artifice and the verisimilitude of the institutions taxidermy wildlife tableaus behind glass.

Polar Bear (1976) shows the majestic white animal roaring over a fresh kill: the bloodied body of a seal whose inert form is bulky and dark against an Arctic white background that stretches into the distance. Look closely and behind the bear  with its luscious coat of fur, its big paws so heavy in the snow you can almost hear it crunch  the line between two and three dimensions is just visible: a jagged crevasse in the ice floe beneath the two animals merges almost seamlessly with a painted backdrop of receding icy peaks.


Ninth edition of Joint Military exercise Exercise MITRA SHAKTI-2023. Photo: PIB.

NEW DELHI (PTI): The ninth edition of a joint military exercise between India and Sri Lanka commenced on 16th November in Pune, which focuses on achieving an enhanced level of interoperability among the troops, officials said.



The 'Exercise MITRA SHAKTI-2023' is being conducted from November 16-29 at Aundh.



The Indian contingent of 120 personnel is being represented mainly by troops from the Maratha Light Infantry Regiment, the defence ministry said in a statement.



"The Sri Lankan side is being represented by personnel from the 53 Infantry Division. Fifteen personnel from the Indian Air Force and five personnel from Sri Lankan Air Force are also participating in the exercise," it said.



The aim of the exercise is to jointly rehearse conduct of sub-conventional operations under Chapter VII of United Nations Charter.



"The scope of the exercise includes synergising joint responses during counter-terrorist operations. Both sides will practice tactical actions such as raid, search and destroy missions, heliborne operations, etc. In addition, Army Martial Arts Routine (AMAR), combat reflex shooting and yoga will also form part of the exercise curriculum," it added.



'Exercise MITRA SHAKTI-2023' will also involve employment of drones and counter unmanned aerial systems, besides helicopters. Drills to secure helipads and undertake casualty evacuation during counter-terrorist operations will also be rehearsed jointly by both sides, the statement said.



Collective efforts will focus on achieving an enhanced level of interoperability amongst the troops and reduce the risk of life and property while keeping the interests and agenda of the UN at the forefront during peace keeping operations, officials said.



"Both sides will exchange views and practices of joint drills on a wide spectrum of combat skills that will facilitate the participants to mutually learn from each other. Sharing of best practices will further enhance the level of defence cooperation between Indian Army and the Sri Lankan Army.



The exercise will also foster strong bilateral relations between the two neighbouring nations," it added.


Ford did not specify exactly how much money it would be pulling back from the project, but said it would be roughly equivalent to its reduction in output. If the 42.8 percent cut in output was applied to its investment, it would represent a $1.5 billion reduction in the initially announced investment of $3.5 billion.

Ford said in September that it was suspending construction because of concerns that it would not be able to manufacture products at a competitive price. At the time, the company was in the middle of contentious negotiations with the United Automobile Workers union.

Rising labor costs were also a factor in Fords decision to scale back its plans for the factory, Mr. Reid said. Fords contract agreement with the U.A.W., which has been ratified by union members, raises the top wage for production workers by 25 percent.

The agreement will allow U.A.W. members to be transferred to battery and electric-vehicle plants under construction, like the one in Marshall. If workers there choose to unionize, they will be protected under the U.A.W.s contract.

The U.A.W. hopes to keep its membership rates up amid the transition to electric vehicles, but the automakers have pushed back, arguing that it puts them at a disadvantage compared with their nonunionized competitors.
But the notion that Girls might well belong in a discussion about the most valuable photographs in history raises a question: How did an otherwise obscure commercial photographer, who spent much of his career photographing celebrities and politicians for magazines like Parade and Life, crash a party filled with some of the most famous artists in the world?

The answer starts with the image, of course, which is a brassy, joyful combination of glamour and urban grit with a dash of Mad Men-era nostalgia. The building embodies a glorious slab of vanishing New York City, and those women look like theyre ready to break into song.

If you come to the gallery, weve got a lot of stuff hanging and thats the one they always stop in front of, said Etheleen Staley, co-founder of Staley-Wise, a gallery in SoHo, the first to sell a copy of Girls. They love it and theyll pay a lot of money for it and ignore that there are a million out there.

A million overstates the matter, but it hints at the other secret of the success of Girls  a very robust supply. Starting around 2010, and before his death in 2019, Gigli produced, printed and signed hundreds of copies of the photograph, in a variety of sizes and on a variety of photographic papers. He did so at the behest of his son, Ogden, 63, a photographer who now runs his fathers estate and who masterminded the unique sales strategy that turned the image into a phenomenon.

It was all me, saying to my father, Whatever we do, whatever editions we make, I can sell them, dont worry, said the younger Gigli, from his studio in Pittsfield, Mass., home to what could be called Girls in the Windows Inc. I saw that we needed to have inventory for the day my father passed and it was my belief that the appeal of this image would carry on forever.
We spent many months gathering feedback from third-party groups and others, and it became increasingly clear we need additional time to effectively implement the new reporting requirements, Daniel Werfel, the I.R.S. commissioner, said in a statement.

The rule, which was included in the 2021 American Rescue Plan, was intended to help narrow a $7 trillion tax gap that is owed to the United States but has gone uncollected. Before the new law, services like Venmo were required to supply users only with a snapshot of their income, called a 1099-K form, if they had received more than $20,000 and had more than 200 transactions in a year. The forms were supposed to be submitted to the I.R.S. with tax returns and were intended to help determine how much a taxpayer owed.

The 2021 law lowered that threshold to $600 for the entire year, regardless of the number of transactions, significantly broadening the number of people who were likely to be required to report more income and pay more taxes.

In its announcement on Tuesday, the I.R.S. said that it would keep the old policy in place for the current tax year. And in 2024, it plans to require only taxpayers with more than $5,000 of business transactions to report that income.

I.R.S. officials said that the commissioner had discretion to administer tax law and the authority to delay its application.
It started much like the way it ended for David Letterman.

There he came, striding onto the stage at the Ed Sullivan Theater on Monday night, to a standing ovation and a chorus of chants of Da-vid! Da-vid!

The only difference this time was that Mr. Letterman, in a full gray beard, was a guest of The Late Show, and Stephen Colbert, its host since 2015, led him to a chair that was not behind a desk.

Stephen, Mr. Letterman said as he sat down. Control your people!

Mr. Lettermans appearance on The Late Show  the series he began for CBS in 1993 and hosted until Mr. Colbert replaced him  brought some resolution to one of the odder mysteries in show business: Why wouldnt he visit with his successor?

Mr. Letterman has been no stranger to the limelight since he stepped down from his late-night gig. He hosts his own Netflix long-form interview show, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction, and he has visited plenty of other shows. He has done Jimmy Kimmels ABC show several times; Seth Meyerss late night show; Ellen DeGeneress daytime talk show; Howard Sterns radio show; Dax Shepards podcast; Marc Marons podcast; Conan OBriens podcast. He even did the Busy Philipps podcast.
Palantir, the software company founded by the billionaire Peter Thiel, won a major contract in Britain on Tuesday to help overhaul the technology system of the countrys state-run health service, overcoming concerns that a firm known for its military-related work in the United States would secure such a sensitive role involving patient data.

The National Health Service said Palantir had been awarded the seven-year contract, worth 330 million pounds, or about $415 million, to build a new platform that integrates data from across the N.H.S. into a central repository. Called the Federated Data Platform, the system is intended to make it easier to share patient information and analyze wider health trends across the health service. The contract is for the N.H.S. in England and does not cover Scotland or Wales.

Palantir was a controversial choice, as some doctors, civil society groups and members of Parliament had raised concerns about giving the company responsibility for building what could become one of the worlds largest repositories of health data. In addition to privacy concerns and the companys links to Mr. Thiel, a libertarian investor who was one of President Donald J. Trumps major 2016 donors, many health officials and policymakers were rankled by Palantirs aggressive lobbying tactics to win the contract. Others raised questions about the technologys effectiveness.

Palantir was awarded the contract in partnership with Accenture, the business consulting firm; PwC; NECS; and Carnall Farrar.
Profound moments are found at tables like the one Mr. Satterfield shared with activists in Atlanta, where he is able to connect dots for himself. In a Chicago-focused episode, he speaks with Benjamin Gaines Sr., a 99-year-old former porter on luxury railway Pullman cars, who moved to the city from Kentucky. Mr. Satterfields own grandfather, who died before he was born, was also a Pullman Porter, moving to Chicago in the 1940s.

Listening to Mr. Gaines, who died in April, tell stories about working on train cars, providing luxury food and hospitality to white patrons, the fuming anger he felt when guests would disrespect him or even harm him physically, Mr. Satterfield felt like he saw part of his own family story that was once unavailable to him. I was humbled to have a conversation with them that could have easily been missed, he said in an interview. We have to understand the context and through living ancestors who are embodying these stories.

The experiences have changed him and how he engages with history and how Black people specifically share our stories, as what he calls ancestors in training.

You dont belong to just yourself, Mr. Satterfield said. Were all ancestors already whether we acknowledge it or embrace it.

In an emotionally charged scene with Elvin Shields, a retired mechanical engineer who grew up on a plantation as the child of sharecroppers, the topic of shame comes up. Mr. Shields and Mr. Satterfield discuss how so many young people dont want to think about this past, or even feel discomfort with the word plantation.
When the costume designer David Crossman, who specializes in military wear, first knew he would be working on Napoleon (in theaters Wednesday), Ridley Scotts epic starring Joaquin Phoenix, he had a mini panic about the hats. It wasnt that he would have to be recreating Napoleon Bonapartes famous headgear, the kind for which collectors pay dearly (one just sold for $2.1 million). It was that he would be doing it with certain limitations. Phoenix is vegan and doesnt wear any animal products, which meant that Crossman couldnt use wool felt. Immediately, I just felt its going to be a problem of what to make the iconic hat out of because its all going to be about the hat, Crossman said in a video call.

Luckily they found a solution: a fabric constructed from tree bark originating in Uganda, which turned out to have an ideal texture for the task at hand. I thought, oh good, were out of trouble, Crossman added. I was just so worried it was going to be some polyester synthetic thing. But what it actually gave us, as well, was a lot of lovely surface texture on the hat.

Once Crossman overcame that hurdle, the work could begin. For research, Crossman sought out originals. He examined objects from a private collection as well as examples of real Napoleon hats in the Musee de lArmee in Paris. Phoenixs hats may have been built from bark cloth, but they were true to size.

Over the course of the film, Phoenix dons a series of bicorns ranging in size and opulence as he goes from upstart officer to famed emperor. There were three key versions for the character reproduced many times over, Crossman said, as well as a glorious array of hats for various generals, allies, and enemies. Here, Crossman discusses some key looks.
That blurred distinction is a hallmark of Miyazaki, whose films (among them Howls Moving Castle, My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away) are windows into the subconscious. In interviews collected in the book Starting Point: 1979-1996, Miyazaki referred to a universal yearning for a lost world he refused to call nostalgia, since even children experience it. We long not for what we remember, but what weve never experienced at all, only sensed beneath realitys surface. In dreams, yearnings break free, and Miyazakis films capture that exhilarating terror. Those who join in the work of animation, he said, are people who dream more than others and who wish to convey these dreams to others.

Elements of The Boy and the Heron are familiar to Miyazaki devotees: a lonely child, the threat of violence (reminiscent of Princess Mononoke) and a bevy of fantastical, only sometimes cuddly creatures that externalize some part of the protagonists desires. Arriving at the house with Natsuko, Mahito spots a giant heron. How rare, she remarks. Its never flown inside before. Something isnt right out here. The grannies warn him away from a tower on the property with an apocryphal-sounding tale about his missing granduncle. But that heron (voiced by Masaki Suda) keeps appearing, luring him toward the tower, taunting him with forbidden knowledge. (Robert Pattinson voices the heron in an English-language version that features Christian Bale, Gemma Chan and many others.) Mahitos mother, the heron claims, isnt dead at all. After all, did he see her corpse?

Mahitos grief is a focal point for a childs anxiety in chaos, stability wrecked by the adults who are supposed to be in charge. Safety is not part of Miyazakis dreamworlds. The film is set before the bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but the feeling of a world flying to pieces is destabilizing to Mahito. His terror manifests in his sleep.

Now 82, Miyazaki is so universally beloved that Studio Ghibli, the directors animation home, didnt bother advertising the film before its opening in Japan last summer. A brand unto himself, he retired with his 2013 film, The Wind Rises  then, changing his mind, returned. Magical, beautiful and uneasy, his films are beloved by children, but are certainly not just for children. With Miyazaki, the draw is subliminal, tapping an unsettling emotional well that seals over as we age.

Even by his standards, though, The Boy and the Heron is enigmatic, at least regarding plot. Better to watch as an exercise in contemplation than storytelling; this is the work of a man pondering life from its endpoint. Its confounding, meandering through worlds that melt into one another. Magical fires rage, souls of the preborn and the dead mingle, and the fate of the universe is determined in ways unclear.
For years, the New York State Office of Mental Health has maintained a detailed database for sharing the psychiatric histories of people who rely on the social safety net  a tool that, when used correctly, can ensure the states most vulnerable people receive adequate care.

But the database, known as PSYCKES, was not consistently used by one of the most crucial pieces of that safety net: hospitals, which have sometimes discharged homeless mentally ill people without using the tool to communicate with shelters and care teams that provide outpatient treatment. In some cases, those discharges preceded subway shovings and other random acts of violence by the homeless people after their illnesses went untreated.

Now the state has issued a new set of detailed guidelines for hospitals to follow when caring for severely mentally ill patients, urging them to more proactively communicate with care teams and other outside organizations to prevent the patients from deteriorating and hurting themselves or someone else.

The state issued the guidance late last month after receiving questions from The New York Times, which was preparing to publish an investigation that revealed preventable institutional breakdowns of homeless shelters, hospitals, specialized treatment teams and other organizations. The breakdowns preceded more than 90 acts of violence in the past decade, The Times found.
Here are five takeaways from the Times investigation.

The safety net is actually a disjointed patchwork of agencies and programs.

The major elements of the safety net were stitched together after the state began closing its notorious psychiatric institutions in the 1960s. They consist of homeless shelters that are supposed to connect people with services and support, private and public hospitals that are tasked with stabilizing them during crises and specialized treatment teams that are designed to function as mobile mental health clinics.

But the Times examination found a widespread failure by the agencies to share information, even though New York State created a detailed database years ago for that purpose. It also revealed a pattern among the agencies of taking the narrowest possible approach to care, and an unwillingness on the part of city and state officials to fully fund crucial programs, leading to understaffing and harried treatment.

The citys homeless shelter system often places newcomers in the wrong settings.

New York Citys sprawling shelter system relies on some 600 sites operated by nonprofit contractors across the city. It includes 37 dedicated mental health shelters that are staffed with psychiatrists and social workers to offer treatment  at a cost to taxpayers of about $250 million a year.

But the city has failed to reliably place mentally ill people in them thanks to flaws in the shelter systems intake process. The system relies on low-paid workers who lack the mental health training and tools to identify psychiatric issues in newcomers. Often, the workers must rely on people to self report mental illness. As a result, many of the initial assessments that decide shelter placements have been incorrect. One in four people with severe mental illness in the shelter system were not placed in a mental health shelter, state auditors found in 2022.

The results can be disastrous. One 41-year-old man who should have been placed in a mental health shelter was instead shuttled to other types of shelters as his mental health deteriorated. In August 2021, he used a hammer to attack a stranger on a subway platform in Union Square, badly injuring him.
Here are highlights of some events in the next week.

By TONI RUBERTO

Nov. 22-Nov. 30, 2023

South Buffalo Winter Fest. Noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 25, various locations in South Buffalo.

This new festival hosted by the South Buffalo Community Association launches Small Business Saturday while also hosting family events. The kickoff starts at noon at the Buffalo Irish Center (245 Abbott Road) with kids activities, music, games, vendors and raffles. Christmas in the Park is held from 1 to 4 p.m. at The Show at Sheas Seneca (2188 Seneca St.). At Castiglia Funeral Home (873 Abbott Road), Santa Claus and his reindeer plus the St. Francis Band are among the activities from 3 to 6 p.m. Live music fans may want to take a hard hat tour of The Caz (2221 Seneca St.), the new South Buffalo music venue from 10 a.m. to noon.

Free Holiday Films series. Aurora Theatre, 673 Main St., East Aurora. Weekends starting Nov. 24.

This annual East Aurora tradition fills weekend mornings with favorite holiday movies you can watch for free. All movies start at 11 a.m. at the Aurora Theatre. Be sure to grab popcorn to watch during the movie or to buy as holiday gifts at the Aurora Popcorn Shop inside the theater. Heres the schedule:

Nov. 24, Arthur Christmas; Nov. 25, Elf and Nov. 26, The Man Who Invented Christmas.

Dec. 2, The Grinch (animated); Dec. 3, A Christmas Carol; Dec. 9, Christmas Vacation; Dec. 10, Holiday Inn; Dec. 16, The Polar Express; Dec. 17, White Christmas sing-along; Dec. 23, Its a Wonderful Life.

It WAS a Wonderful Life. Opens Saturday, Nov. 25 at Forest Lawn, 1411 Delaware Ave.

This original production melds history with the holidays as the Forest Lawn chapel is transformed into a live theater. The event is led by narrator John Lay  the first person to take permanent residence at Forest Lawn in 1950  who introduces several of the friends he has made over 173 years. Among the residents are Shirley Chisholm, the first African American woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives; Dr. Frederick Cook, the polar explorer who laid claim to the discovery of the North Pole in 1908; and Louise Bethune, the first woman to practice as a professional architect in the United States. Performances are 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sundays through Dec. 31. Tickets are $35 at forest-lawn.com/events. The chapel is accessible to those with mobility issues.

Disneys Frozen in Concert with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 25 in Kleinhans Music Hall.

Dress up as your favorite Frozen character and watch Elsa, Anna and Olaf on the big screen with live accompaniment by the BPO. Sing along with Do You Want to Build a Snowman?, Let It Go and other songs as the super popular Disney film celebrates its 10th anniversary. There will be special chances for photo opportunities.

Holiday shopping markets

This is the big kickoff weekend of holiday shopping markets with multiple events opening. Here is a quick look.

Fall Makers + Shakers: Boozy Artisan Market. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 24, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 25 and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 26 at Powerhouse, 140 Lee St. At least 125 vendors with handmade items, plus a build-your-own Bloody Mary bar and tasting tables for wines and liquors. Admission is $5; ages 10 and younger are admitted free. Info: stepoutbuffalo.com.

Christkindlmarkt at Hofbrauhaus Buffalo. Nov. 24-26 at Hofbrauhaus Buffalo, 190 Scott St. A German holiday market outside of the beer hall will have artisan sheds with goods from 30 local artists and artisans. Santa and Mrs. Claus will visit, plus performances by local choirs, and a Christmas tree lighting at 6 p.m. every Friday and Saturday. Admission is free. Info: hofbrauhausbuffalo.com. Other dates: Dec. 1-3, Dec. 8-10 and Dec. 15-17.

Buffalo Holiday Market and Hamburg Holiday Market. Nov. 24-Dec. 23 at 202 Ohio St. and Memorial Park, Hamburg. These sister events will each have gift items, food vendors, Santa, music and food trucks and igloo rentals. Hours: 4 to 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays from Nov. 24-Dec. 17; 4 to 8 p.m. Dec. 19-22 and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Dec. 23. Info: buffaloveholidaymarket.com.

Buffalo Womens Gifts. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 25 at Asbury Hall @ Babeville, 341 Delaware Ave. Established in 1996, this market features about 50 vendors selling items made by female artisans. Live music and a cash bar. Free admission. Info: buffalowomensgifts.com.

Buffalo History Museum Holiday Makers Market. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 24 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 25 at the Buffalo History Museum, 1 Museum Court. Visit museum exhibits while youre at this market with 30 vendors spread throughout three floors. With snacks, gift wrapping and crafts for kids. Info: buffalohistory.org.
At a town hall in Coney Island, Brooklyn, on Monday night, the mayor said the cuts were real but that he did not want to make them. We all are angry, he said. Dont yell at me. Yell at D.C.

Retired executives say that if the city actually goes through with the plan to postpone five classes of new officers through 2025, it would hobble units that investigate sex crimes and homicides, further overwhelm detectives who already face crushing caseloads and force officers to work overtime and weekend shifts, crushing morale.

The police commissioner, Edward Caban, has yet to make a public statement about the implications of a proposal that would bring the number of officers below 30,000 for the first time in decades. There were nearly 35,000 officers in the department in 2022. In a statement, the Police Department said it manages its budget to ensure it is utilized in a manner that continues to prioritize public safety.

But inside the department, the announcement led many to say they would consider early retirement.

N.Y.P.D. is stretched as thin as it could go right now, said Paul DiGiacomo, president of the Detectives Endowment Association. It just adds stress to an already stressful job. Every little thing compounds the situation, and the only people that lose are the people of the city and the victims of crimes.

Mr. Adams said that the cuts in the citys $110 billion budget were necessary because of the growing cost of the migrant crisis. Every agency would be affected, including the Department of Education, which would see its budget cut by $1 billion over two years; the Sanitation Department; the citys libraries; and popular programs like summer school and universal prekindergarten.
Why havent other neighborhoods done office-to-residential conversion on a large scale?

There are a couple of reasons. For most of Manhattan, there was not a need to reconsider the use of an office building before the pandemic disrupted corporate work routines. Second, modern office buildings, which dominate the skyline in Midtown, were built for office workers, with deep layouts and artificial light, but are costly and difficult to reconfigure to bring in natural light for residents.

You write that the financial district has the highest office vacancy rate in Manhattan. Is the neighborhood reaching a tipping point, with more residents than office workers?

Despite the changes in the financial district, there are still a lot of people who work in the neighborhood. About 230,000 people work in offices there, according to the Downtown Alliance, a nonprofit organization that manages the local business improvement district.

But some 66,000 people now live there, up from 13,700 in 1990 and 39,700 in 2010.

Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams have championed residential conversions as an answer to the office glut and the citys housing shortage. Are enough apartments being created in the financial district to make a difference?

The apartments  and the people who moved there  have made a big difference. As new apartments opened, families moved in and many businesses and establishments followed, including schools, grocery stores and shops. A Whole Foods opened there this year.
This has been updated to reflect news developments.

Of all thats been said and written about the war between Israel and Hamas, nothing has cut through the mental fog quite so brightly as a remark this month from Hillary Clinton on The View.

Remember, the former secretary of state said, there was a cease-fire on Oct. 6 that Hamas broke by their barbaric assault on peaceful civilians and their kidnapping, their killing, their beheading, their terrible, inhumane savagery.

Those three words  that Hamas broke  arent trivial. They give the lie to the Cease-Fire Now mirage, or imposture, that has become a rallying cry at pro-Palestinian demonstrations. They are at the heart of what the war is about, and the key to how it can end. And they are the bright dividing line between those who would allow Hamas to get away with murder, and those who would refuse.

Why should it matter that it was Hamas that broke the cease-fire when Palestinian civilians are being killed in large numbers by Israeli bombs and bullets? Those saying that it shouldnt matter argue that questions of culpability become secondary, if not irrelevant, when kids lives are at stake. If Israel has the power to save those kids by halting its campaign, goes the argument, then it has a moral obligation to do so.

But wait: Doesnt Hamas also have the power? Hamas has a long record of firing those rockets from the vicinity of schools. It has sought to prevent ordinary Gazans from obeying evacuation orders, deliberately putting them at increased risk. It hides in a vast network of tunnels while civilians must fend for themselves above ground.

The Israeli government and Hamas agreed on Wednesday morning to a four-day cease-fire in which Hamas would free 50 of the hostages. But Hamas did that only because its under intense military pressure. It could get a real and lasting cease-fire for the people of Gaza  and probably safe passage out of the territory for many of its members  in exchange for releasing all the hostages, surrendering its arms and renouncing its rule in favor of some other Arab power.

That Hamas has done none of these things isnt shocking: Its a terrorist death cult. Whats shocking is that people in the Cease-Fire Now crowd dont appear to have much interest in making any demands of Hamas equivalent to those they make of Israel.

They want Israel to stop firing. But do you often hear them insisting that Hamas return the favor? They want Israel to provide Gaza with humanitarian relief in the form of electricity, fuel and other goods. But I havent seen those protesters in the street demanding that Hamas provide Israel with humanitarian relief in the form of immediately freeing all hostages. They claim to want a free Palestine for all its people. But I never hear them criticize Hamass dictatorship, or its contempt for the civil and human rights of its own people, or its members avowedly antisemitic boasts of slaughtering Jews.

There is a buried, unwitting compliment to Israel in this asymmetry  an assumption that, as a Western democracy, the Jewish state is susceptible to moral suasion, public shaming, or at least diplomatic pressure in a way Hamas and its patrons in Iran arent.

Yet that compliment is rarely accompanied with even a gesture of respect for Israels grief, or the legitimacy of its grievance with Hamas, or its need to keep its citizens safe, or even its right to exist as a sovereign state. Even when Israels notional right to self-defense is briefly acknowledged, every exercise of it is immediately deemed a war crime, whatever the evidence.

For Israelis, what Cease-Fire Now means is Surrender Now. No wonder they decline to heed the call.

What about for Palestinians  women, children and noncombatant men for whom the calls for a cease-fire are supposedly intended? Would they benefit? In the short term, of course: Palestinian lives would be saved if Israel held its fire.

But a cease-fire wouldnt spare just civilians. It would spare, and embolden, the main fighting force of Hamas. It would also embolden terrorist allies like Hezbollah. Thats a virtual guarantee for future mass-casualty attacks against Israel, for ever-larger Israeli retaliation, and for deeper misery for the people of Gaza. No Israeli government of any political stripe is going to allow the territory to rebuild so long as Hamas remains in charge.

That gives a second meaning to Cease-Fire Now: Either a demand for Israels total capitulation, or a recipe for a perpetual cycle of violence between a terrorist group sworn to Israels destruction and a Jewish state that refuses to be destroyed. Whatever else one thinks of Israel, no country can be expected to sign its own death warrant by indulging those who, if given the chance, would annihilate it.

There are good intentions, if also ignorance and shortsightedness, among many of those demanding a cease-fire. But there is also the bottomless cynicism of others who accept, and even celebrate, Hamas as it uses living Gazans as human shields and dead Gazans as propaganda victories. The tragedy of these protests, like so many antiwar movements in the past, is that the naive and earnest are again being manipulated as tools of the cunning and cruel.

Instead of Cease-Fire Now, we need Hamass Defeat Now. Only on that basis does a lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians alike have any chance to follow.
To the Editor:

Re Universities Are Failing at Inclusion, by David Brooks (column, Nov. 17):

While most of Mr. Brookss piece feels true and insightful, especially in the way ideological war zones hinder true curiosity, learning and student safety, I feel that he has forgotten the possibility of both/and.

As a dean of student life for a New Jersey independent school, I openly identify as an educator committed to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging work, and I long for the ideal of a pluralistic society where all are celebrated for their various life experiences, identities and perspectives.

On the other hand, I do not believe that real societal growth toward pluralism is possible without recognizing and grappling with the long history of oppressors and oppressed.

It is not educators teaching about oppression who create the divisiveness; it is those who hold the most power in any society who create the divisions. Literal gated communities and figurative glass ceilings exist to highlight this divisiveness in bluntly metaphorical fashion.

And while we do live in a country where people with a multitude of identities have made the economic climb to gated status, that has often included the cost of fully assimilating to the presiding white suburban cultural norms and mores.

True pluralism would mean everyone having equal opportunities to contribute and strive within our society and economy while retaining and showcasing their full selves. And too many Americans do hold the key identity of being oppressed.

J.M. Williams

Burlington, N.J.

To the Editor:

While I commend David Brookss stand on inclusion, its a bit late. The uproar should have started on the day that universities started to cancel speeches by speakers who leaned to the right so as not to offend some vocal student groups.

Rather than allow an intelligent back and forth with those they might disagree with, these people were not allowed to come to their campus. Shame on the colleges for allowing this. They have shirked their responsibilities.

Rich Corso

Oceanside, N.Y.

To the Editor:

All that money and all those resources dedicated to D.E.I. bureaucracies, and they couldnt even spot antisemitism? Time to acknowledge that the D.E.I. model and its teachings are a failure. Worse, its left students incapable of recognizing real evil and oppression.

Andrea Economos

Hartsdale, N.Y.

To the Editor:

My experience has been that the one place you can have the kind of open discussion David Brooks seeks is in the world of interreligious dialogue.

While religious groups have deep differences, they share a fundamental trust that allows for civil disagreement. They also celebrate the virtue of humility, a virtue that is notably absent in the world of higher education.

(Rev.) Mitchell Brown

Highland Park, Ill.

A Fuller Palestinian History
Democrats and the independents who caucus with them will be playing defense in 23 of the 34 Senate seats on the ballot in the 2024 congressional elections. Four of the 23 are in swing states that Joe Biden won narrowly in 2020. Three are in states that Donald Trump won in both 2016 and 2020.

If Democrats were to lose all seven of those, a catastrophic defeat, they would start the next session in Congress with a weak minority of senators  its fewest since the days of President Herbert Hoover  who would nonetheless represent nearly half the population of the United States.

Depending on where you stand in relation to partisan politics in this country, you may not find this disparity all that compelling. But consider the numbers when you take political affiliation out of the picture: Roughly half of Americans, some 169 million people, live in the nine most populous states. Together, those states get 18 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate.

To pass anything under simple majority rules, assuming support from the sitting vice president, those 18 senators would have to attract an additional 32 votes: the equivalent, in electoral terms, of a supermajority. On the flip side, it is possible to pass an item out of the Senate with a coalition of members who represent a small fraction of the total population  around 18 percent  but hold a majority of the seats. And this is before we get to the filibuster, which imposes a more explicit supermajority requirement on top of this implicit one.
There was the coup that hit the headlines: the OpenAI boards abrupt ousting of its co-founder and chief executive, Sam Altman. Now we are on the verge of a second, even more critical coup, one that cements control of one of the most powerful and promising technologies on the planet under one of this countrys tech titans.

Monday, it was announced that Microsoft was hiring Mr. Altman and another OpenAI co-founder, Greg Brockman. Microsoft had already invested more than $13 billion in OpenAI; its absorption of OpenAI leadership  and the likely hiring of hundreds of OpenAI staff members who signed a letter saying they would leave to join Microsoft unless the board resigned  effectively completes its takeover. OpenAI may find some way out of this self-induced disaster, but any solution would probably require satisfying its infuriated investors by making its board more accountable to their interests.

Theres no small irony that OpenAIs board, which reportedly was worried about the safety of its hugely popular product, triggered events that will probably shift it to leaders more beholden to market pressures for fast growth. The likely outcome of this fracas is a nail in the coffin of the most prominent effort to build a noncommercial version of artificial intelligence that would serve the public at least as much as it sought profits.

OpenAI was founded in 2015 with the explicit mission of building an alternative to the for-profit A.I. models being developed elsewhere. It was established as a nonprofit, and its stated mission is to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity.
American democracy, the Constitution and the rule of law are the righteous causes of our times, and the nations legal profession is obligated to support them. But with the acquiescence of the larger conservative legal movement, these pillars of our system of governance are increasingly in peril. The dangers will only grow should Donald Trump be returned to the White House next November.

Recent reporting about plans for a second Trump presidency are frightening. He would stock his administration with partisan loyalists committed to fast-tracking his agenda and sidestepping  if not circumventing altogether  existing laws and long-established legal norms. This would include appointing to high public office political appointees to rubber-stamp his plans to investigate and exact retribution against his political opponents; make federal public servants removable at will by the president himself; and invoke special powers to take unilateral action on First Amendment-protected activities, criminal justice, elections, immigration and more.

We have seen him try this before, though fortunately he was thwarted  he would say betrayed by executive branch lawyers and by judges who refused to go along with his more draconian and often unlawful policies and his effort to remain in office after being cast out by voters. But should Mr. Trump return to the White House, he will arrive with a coterie of lawyers and advisers who, like him, are determined not to be thwarted again.

The Federalist Society, long the standard-bearer for the conservative legal movement, has failed to respond in this period of crisis.
Like many unionists, Mr. Bryson wont use the term Good Friday Agreement, preferring to call it the Belfast Agreement because, he says, he doesnt like to associate a Christian holy day with such a disastrous document. The agreement, he told me, is like a train with only one destination: a united Ireland.

Thats not precisely true. The agreement simply handed self-determination to the people of Northern Ireland. What Mr. Bryson is protesting, in other words, is the failure of a fair process to dependably produce the results he wants. The same could be said of the trade protocols resulting from Brexit, which come with democratic backstops. The Northern Ireland Assembly will vote, every four or eight years, on whether to keep the protocols in place, and one-third of Northern Ireland lawmakers, so long as they represent at least two parties, will be able to formally object to E.U. regulations, sending Britain and the European Union into arbitration to resolve the complaint. Once again, Northern Ireland will get what a majority want.

Still, Mr. Bryson keeps describing his train: Theres no door for escape.

You can either stay on the train, knowing youre going off the cliff, or you can pull the emergency brake now, and you might get hurt, he said. But you were going to be dead anyway. At least you had a go.

Underneath this train metaphor, I thought I detected a threat. I asked Mr. Bryson if he anticipated instability.

Of course youre going to have instability, he shot back. Do they think unionists are going to have our rights and our identity subjugated, and were not going to fight back politically?
The finding revealed a blunt truth: Like a wall or a highway, systemic racism creates a barrier to wildlife movement. The whole process changes your view of the world, honestly, Chloe Schmidt, the papers lead author and a senior scientist at the German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research, said of the study.

Dr. Schmidt, who is of mixed race, said that when she was growing up in New Jersey, her parents sometimes mentioned that the original deed to their house said Black people couldnt live there. For her Ph.D. research, she had been assembling a database of genetic information about biodiversity, and when she read Dr. Schells paper, she realized that she had the data to test his ideas. Redlining was so consistently practiced for so long in the U.S., we thought we could find a signal, she said. Still, she was surprised by her own findings. It was like, oh, god, how bad must this have been to still find a signal even when redlining was stopped in the 60s, she said.

From red line to redstart

Since the Industrial Revolution, wildlife across the planet has lost about 6 percent of its genetic diversity. The evolutionary effects of redlining are percolating through urban wildlife populations, but they are not yet set in stone. There is still time to make positive change with environmental interventions that promote gene flow from more genetically diverse populations across the urban racial mosaic, Dr. Schmidt wrote in a 2022 paper.

One way to spur that change, Dr. Katti and others argue, is to recognize and remedy a related problem: inequity in wildlife observation. Not only does the composition of wildlife differ between neighborhoods, but so does the incidence of people looking for wildlife. Diego Ellis Soto, a Ph.D. student at Yale, found that across the country, historically redlined neighborhoods were the least studied areas for bird diversity. Mr. Ellis Soto, who is from Uruguay, said he was shocked when he arrived in New Haven and saw how segregated the city was. In research published last month in the journal Nature Human Behavior, he found that neighborhoods that had been graded D had 74 percent fewer bird observations than those graded A, a fact that could affect conservation agendas. How can we protect what we dont have information for? Mr. Ellis Soto said.
Nanalan hasnt been on TV in years, but its the hottest show on TikTok.

A Canadian childrens program that made its debut in 1999, it has had a resurgence in recent weeks, thanks to its growing popularity on the social media platform, where it has been watched millions of times.

A big part of the shows appeal lies in its fiendishly catchy songs. One of them includes the lines: Whos that wonderful girl? Could she be any cuter?

The girl in question is Mona, a little green puppet with pigtails sticking out from both sides of her head. No, she could not be any cuter.

The whos that wonderful girl? earworm comes from a scene in which Mona enters a room dressed as a princess. Her grandmother, Nana, is singing the song while accompanying herself on organ. Nanas dog, Russell, then appears in the garb of a royal courtier.
Greta Anderson, who founded the first Andersons Frozen Custard shop with her husband, Carl, in the 1940s and was a smiling presence in the business for more than 75 years, died Nov. 8 in her Amherst home. She was 105.

Born Greta Ida Nelson, she was one of five daughters of Swedish immigrants C. David and Edith Sealander Nelson. Her father was a tool room supervisor for Remington Rand.

She grew up on Mullen Street in the City of Tonawanda, was a graduate of Tonawanda High School and attended national conferences representing the Swedish Evangelical Mission Covenant Church at Jersey Street and Prospect Avenue in Buffalo.

She was working as a beautician in 1941 when she married her childhood sweetheart Carl D. Anderson, who was attending the University at Buffalo Law School. He enlisted in the Navy when he graduated and served during World War II. He was stationed at a military hospital, and they were living in the Bronx when they saw a business opportunity.

A friend in their church was selling ice cream machines. They bought one and started a shop in 1946 on White Plains Boulevard, selling frozen custard and Italian ices. In their first summer, they earned a profit of more than $10,000, the equivalent of more than $138,000 today.

Returning to the Buffalo area to be closer to their families, the Andersons opened a shop at Kenmore and Claremont avenues in the Town of Tonawanda in 1947.

Within three years, they were bursting at the seams, so they bought a lot on Sheridan Drive, her daughter Holly Anderson, president and CEO of the company, told Buffalo News reporter Mary Kunz Goldman in 2017. The couple opened what became their flagship store at 2235 Sheridan in 1953.

In the years that followed, her daughter recalled, the phone would ring once at 8 p.m. in the Anderson home on Belmont Avenue, her fathers signal for her mother to walk to Sheridan Drive to serve customers lined up for beef on weck sandwiches  which the shop started offering in 1964  frozen custard cones and Mrs. Andersons famous homemade butterscotch.

Back in the day, it wasnt Andersons unless you were standing in line, her daughter noted.

Their children took over operations when she and her husband retired in 1983.

They came to us and said, Who wants in? Because were out, Holly Anderson said in an interview for the UB School of Management. And three of us said yes  one of my brothers who was a restaurateur, another who was an accountant, and I was a teacher.

A second Andersons shop opened in 1989 at 6075 Main St. in Williamsville, and more locations followed in the 1990s. Currently, there are six. The shops are known for their charitable work and for holding fundraisers for youth groups.

Dividing time in retirement between homes on Grand Island and in Jupiter, Fla., Mrs. Anderson prepared Swedish dishes for large family gatherings and continued to visit the shops. She planted flowers and never missed a chance to serve cones to customers on her birthday every February, when sales benefit Variety, the Childrens Charity of Buffalo and Western New York. The company plans to continue that custom in her memory.

At Riverside Baptist Church, Mrs. Anderson was a teacher and leader of the Sunday School and Vacation Bible School and was active in the Good News Club and Child Evangelism Fellowship.

Her husband died in 1997, and she was remarried in 1999 to Ralph G. Chambers, a recent widower and parishioner at her church. He died in 2014.

Survivors include three sons, Jack, Nels and Keith; two daughters, Ann Berley and Holly Anderson; 14 grandchildren; and 18 great-grandchildren.

A memorial celebration will be held in the spring.
Changpeng Zhao, the founder of Binance, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world, pleaded guilty to money laundering violations, the government said on Tuesday, a stunning blow to the most powerful and influential figure in the global crypto industry.

Binance itself also pleaded guilty and agreed to pay $4.3 billion in fines and restitution to the government, according to federal authorities. Under the agreement, Binance reached settlements with the Justice Department, the Treasury Department and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which have all been investigating the company for years.

As part of his guilty plea, Mr. Zhao agreed to pay a $50 million fine and step down from his role as the companys chief executive. Mr. Zhao faces up to 18 months in prison under federal sentencing guidelines, but prosecutors are keeping open the possibility of asking for a stiffer penalty, according to senior Justice Department officials.

Binance, as part of its own plea deal with federal prosecutors, will accept the appointment of a government monitor to oversee the business. Mr. Zhao is barred from any involvement in Binance until three years after the monitor is appointed, court papers show.
Mr. Vogt was replaced by two G.M. insiders, one of them its general counsel. It was a pointed message: This is not a moment for visionary leaders.

For all the relentless exaltation of Mr. Altman over the weekend, the extravagant claims made by him and his former OpenAI colleagues will eventually have their own moment of reckoning. A.I. is going to be the greatest force for economic empowerment and a lot of people getting rich we have ever seen, he said in February. People are going to ask: Who is getting rich, exactly? Did I want this?

Before a version of ChatGPT was released to the public a year ago, Mr. Altman was largely unknown beyond Silicon Valley. He was a semi-successful entrepreneur who had run Y Combinator, the start-up incubator. He learned there that turmoil always lurked underneath a promising new company. Start-ups on the inside are always badly broken, he said.

Mr. Altman had the reputation of a swashbuckler. He wrote on his blog in 2017 that he felt more comfortable discussing controversial ideas in communist Beijing than in liberal San Francisco. Maybe he was thinking of the time in 2015 when he said at a conference that A.I. will probably most likely lead to the end of the world, but in the meantime, therell be great companies.

Are the worlds people going to get their eyeballs scanned in return for some fake currency and vague promises that their retinas will be used, somehow, someday, by someone to help prove they really exist? That was one of Mr. Altmans side bets, introduced this summer. Even as it was mocked, he declared that we especially love our haters, it gives us energy, please keep it coming!
Do abortion and democracy matter to voters?

If you look at the results of New York Times/Siena College polling, the answer often seems to be not really.

Around 40 percent of voters agreed that Donald J. Trump was bad for democracy in our latest poll. Only around a quarter said that issues like democracy and abortion were more important to their vote than the economy.

But in election after election, the final vote tallies seem to tell a very different story. Last fall, Democrats excelled when abortion and democracy were at stake, even though our pre-election polls offered little indication that these issues were driving voters. It raises the possibility that the usual poll questions simply failed to reveal the importance of abortion, democracy and perhaps other issues as well.

With that in mind, we tried an experiment in our latest Times/Siena poll. We looked at the persuadable voters  those who were undecided or who said they were open to supporting the other candidate  and split them into two groups. We gave each group a set of two hypothetical Republican candidates based on views on abortion and democracy.
Early this summer, while many Americans were gathering for Fourth of July barbecues, the Tallac Hotshots were in triple-digit heat in Arizona, fighting a wildfire for 14 straight days and sleeping on the ground next to their trucks.

The federal firefighting crew had only three days off before darting to a fire raging in a thickly wooded evergreen forest in Oregon.

They then decamped to the Klamath National Forest across the border in California, working overnight in dense and steep terrain filled with poison oak.

After a few days of rest, they were dropped by helicopter in early September into some of the most remote wilderness in Northern California to battle a fire blazing despite near-freezing temperatures.
When the San Diego Humane Society in California shipped more than 300 rabbits, guinea pigs and rats to the Humane Society of Southern Arizona in Tucson over the summer, it believed that they would be adopted as pets.

But most of the animals may have met a grislier fate, which has led to outrage, anguish and a police investigation.

According to officials at both humane societies, the 323 animals arrived in Tucson on Aug. 7 but were not taken into the shelter there.

Instead, the Humane Society of Southern Arizona transferred the animals to a man named Colten Jones, who runs a business in the Phoenix area called the Fertile Turtle, which sells live and frozen animals for reptile feed, both humane societies said in a joint statement.
It seems like something out of science fiction: swarms of killer robots that hunt down targets on their own and are capable of flying in for the kill without any human signing off.

But it is approaching reality as the United States, China and a handful of other nations make rapid progress in developing and deploying new technology that has the potential to reshape the nature of warfare by turning life and death decisions over to autonomous drones equipped with artificial intelligence programs.

That prospect is so worrying to many other governments that they are trying to focus attention on it with proposals at the United Nations to impose legally binding rules on the use of what militaries call lethal autonomous weapons.

This is really one of the most significant inflection points for humanity, Alexander Kmentt, Austrias chief negotiator on the issue, said in an interview. Whats the role of human beings in the use of force  its an absolutely fundamental security issue, a legal issue and an ethical issue.
The influential Iowa evangelical leader Bob Vander Plaats endorsed Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida for the Republican presidential nomination on Tuesday, the second major endorsement Mr. DeSantis has picked up this month in the state.

Kim Reynolds, Iowas popular Republican governor, announced her support two weeks ago, giving Mr. DeSantis a key surrogate in a state that will hold the first vote of the Republican primary season with its caucuses on Jan. 15.

We need to find somebody who can win in 2024, Mr. Vander Plaats said on Tuesday on Special Report With Bret Baier on Fox News. What we saw in 2022, the supposedly red wave really only happened in Florida and in Iowa. Governor DeSantis took a reliable tossup state in Florida and made it complete red.

Mr. Vander Plaats has endorsed the last three Republicans who won contested Iowa caucuses  Mike Huckabee in 2008, Rick Santorum in 2012 and Ted Cruz in 2016  though none of them went on to win the nomination. But it is far from clear that his support will be enough to bolster Mr. DeSantis, who is trailing former President Donald J. Trump by huge margins in polls in Iowa as well as nationally.
Swarms of killer drones are likely to soon be a standard feature of battlefields around the world. That has ignited debate over how or whether to regulate their use and spurred concerns about the prospect of eventually turning life-or-death decisions over to artificial intelligence programs.

Here is an overview of how the technology has evolved, what types of weapons are being developed and how the debate is unfolding.

How new are these weapons?

Eventually, artificial intelligence should allow weapons systems to make their own decisions about selecting certain kinds of targets and striking them. Recent developments in A.I. tech have intensified the discussion around such systems, known as lethal autonomous weapons.
Speaker Mike Johnson on Monday night visited former President Donald J. Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, according to a person familiar with the meeting, making his first pilgrimage to see the Republican presidential front-runner since his surprise elevation to the top post in the House last month.

The visit to Mr. Trumps Florida home came at a tricky moment for the inexperienced speaker, who is already facing criticism from hard-right allies livid at him for teaming with Democrats last week to pass legislation to avert a government shutdown. The person confirmed the private meeting on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it.

Mr. Trumps influence over spending fights in Washington may be limited, but Mr. Johnsons decision to meet with him within weeks of his election is a sign he knows he cannot afford to have Mr. Trump weighing in publicly against him and hardening right-wing opposition to his leadership.

Mr. Johnson has taken other steps to ingratiate himself to the far right and cement his hold on the gavel. Late last week, he announced he was publicly releasing surveillance video of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, a step far-right lawmakers and activists have been demanding as they seek to undercut the facts about how supporters of Mr. Trump violently stormed the complex seeking to overturn his electoral defeat.
Under President Biden, the Border Patrol has arrested more people for illegally crossing the southern border into the country than in any other period since the government started keeping count in 1960.

His time in office coincides with a global migration movement driven by tens of millions of people displaced because of war, persecution, climate change, violence and human rights abuses, according to the United Nations.

More Americans far from the border are witnessing the trend as migrants make their way to cities around the country. Most of these migrants have been told to appear in immigration court, often years from now. Some seek asylum with the goal of staying in the country permanently.

Republicans have long used immigration as a cudgel against Democrats. Now Democratic officials in parts of the country are asking the Biden administration to do more to help support the hundreds of thousands of migrants who arrive in their cities with nothing.
WGRZ-TV (Channel 2) weather anchor Maria Genero is leaving the NBC affiliate in about a month after working there for 17 years.

In a brief telephone interview Tuesday morning, Genero confirmed speculation that she has decided to leave on Dec. 21, fittingly the first day of winter.

After 17 years at Channel 2, it has become apparent to me that it is time to step away, Genero said. I am thankful for my many years at the station and the opportunities that it has offered me. My decision to leave is based on my desire to explore other avenues than solely being a weathercaster. Channel 2 was well aware that this would be my last contract as a weathercaster and my desire to move away from the weather desk. I thank them for a wonderful 17 years and wish them nothing but the best.

Genero said she declined a contract offer to stay in the weather department. She apparently was as sick of doing the weather as viewers are of the repetitiveness of weather forecasts.

I have done it for so many years, said Genero. With the addition of so many newscasts, the redundancy became too much.

She most recently essentially served as the co-host of the stations 4 p.m. program, Most Buffalo, alongside Kate Welshofer, as well as doing additional weather reports on weekday newscasts.

Genero will be the third popular personality at the NBC affiliate to depart over the last four months.

Welshofer announced in October that she is leaving the station after six years at the end of the year.

Anchor-reporter Michael Wooten left Channel 2 after 14 years in late August and now is the host of a new 5:30 p.m. program at rival WKBW-TV (Channel 7), Voices with Michael Wooten.

The departure of Genero after Welshofer previously announced her departure suggests Most Buffalo may be taken in another direction, perhaps as a more traditional newscast.

If General Manager Mark Manders wanted to keep Most Buffalo  which blends lifestyle stories, humor and news  as it is, Genero would have been an ideal host or co-host.

Her departure will come only three months after her induction into the Buffalo Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

Christine Baranski, Jeff Glor, Maria Genero and Janet Snyder headline new class of Broadcasters Hall of Fame Award-winning actress Christine Baranski, CBS News anchor Jeff Glor, WGRZ-TV (Channel 2) weathercaster Maria Genero and WKSE-FM (98.5) morning personality Janet Snyder headline the 2023 class of the Buffalo Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame.

The Niagara Falls native has had a local broadcasting career that spans almost 40 years, starting in radio in 1984 and in TV in 1987.

She has a local TV hat trick, having worked in all three local news departments  WGRZ, WKBW and WIVB-TV (Channel 4). She also was a feature reporter for the Buffalo Sabres for a magazine program that aired first on its website before airing on Channel 2.

Genero has major league talent, having worked in three large TV markets as an anchor or in weather. She worked at the Fox affiliates in New York City and Miami and at KABC in Los Angeles before returning to her native Western New York in 2001.

She started as a part-timer at Channel 2 in 2006 and has had a variety of roles there, including working on the morning program Daybreak.

She was referred to as a weather anchor at Channel 2 rather than a meteorologist because her meteorological credentials had expired.

It didnt matter to her fans because she delivered a clear forecast highlighted by her upbeat personality and happy talk skills.

Though she is known for her distinctive voice and weather reports, she also was a news co-anchor at Channel 7 for three years.

Genero likely would have been a very attractive hire for Channel 2s rivals if she remained as a weathercaster, but she made it clear to Channel 2 that she is no longer interested in doing that.

It appears she will pursue jobs outside of the television industry. She has a real estate license so that looks like a possibility in her future.

Im not sure, she said about her future before making a weather joke. Everything is up in the air.

Manders, who took over as general manager from Jim Toellner almost two years ago, said he was saddened by Generos departure from the station.

Unfortunately for the Western New York community, Maria has decided to move on, he wrote in an email. We certainly wanted her to stay and continue to report and forecast weather for us as her style and grace has endeared her to WNY. However, she has decided to retire from meteorology. As you know she is a recent inductee into the Buffalo Broadcasters Hall of Fame and is an icon in the local news industry. Like her fans, we are saddened she is leaving.

Regarding Most Buffalo, we will continue to mine and discover stories that make Western New York unique, while reporting the top stories of the day. The anchor, exact style, and format have yet to be determined.

Channel 2s bench has several candidates to take over the 4 p.m. program that may replace Most Buffalo, including Lauren Hall, Heather Ly and Kelly Dudzik.

Generos departure also leaves an opening in the Ch. 2 weather department, which has seen some significant changes in recent years. Heather Waldman left for a job in California in July of 2021, Elyse Smith left for Houston in April and part-timer Carl Lam left in October.
A federal judge in Pennsylvania ruled on Monday that mail-in ballots that are received on time but are undated should be counted, arguing that a state law rejecting such votes violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The ruling was an opening victory for voting rights groups in a case with national implications heading into the 2024 election, as Republicans and conservative advocacy groups continue to push for stricter voting laws.

We applaud todays court decision, said Susan Gobreski, a vice president of the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania, which is a plaintiff in the case. She added: Pennsylvania citizens must have complete and unfettered access to the ballot box, free from unnecessary obstacles or interference.

The ruling is likely to be appealed all the way to the Supreme Court, where the courts most conservative members have previously supported the state law that requires voters to write the date on the return envelope when sending in their ballots.
But while Mr. Trump is likely to rise in the public consciousness as November 2024 approaches, it is far from certain that he will sabotage himself politically. And it remains unclear whether his criminal trials will make him more toxic among moderate and swing voters, or whether weeks of courtroom appearances will keep his presence more muted than normal.

Other Biden efforts are meeting limited success. His campaign has little to show for a $40 million advertising push promoting his economic record. And approval of the president, according to polls released this month by The New York Times and Siena College, has fallen sharply among Black and Hispanic voters  demographics that strategists say are more likely to disregard Mr. Trump when he is not front and center in the news.

Not having the day-to-day chaos of Donald Trump in peoples faces certainly has an impact on how people are measuring the urgency of the danger of another Trump administration, said Adrianne Shropshire, the executive director of BlackPAC, an African American political organizing group. It is important to remind people of what a total and absolute disaster Trump was.

Mr. Biden and Democrats, of course, cannot control decisions that news organizations make or the topics that absorb voters in person and on social media. But the Biden campaign, which is aiming to make the 2024 election a referendum on whether Mr. Trump should return to the White House, can try to push the national discussion in his direction with its messaging.

One big challenge, however, is that many Americans who tuned out the former president when he left office show little interest in hearing more about him.
The Voting Rights Act, a landmark law that has for decades protected Black Americans from attempts to erode their political power, was dealt one of its most significant challenges this week when a federal appeals court moved to strike down a crucial part of the legislation.

But the ruling on Monday, which would block private citizens and civil rights groups from suing under a key provision of the law called Section 2, is just one of dozens of threats the law has faced: The Voting Rights Act has been under sustained legal and political assault since the day Lyndon B. Johnson signed it in 1965.

Beyond the countrys polarized racial politics, a large part of why the law has been such a magnet for legal challenges has to do with the nature of the American electoral system. With both parties angling for the smallest of edges, changes to voting rules and to the playing field of elections often end up in court.

Because the law affects the jobs of actual politicians, its no surprise that it would be caught in the partisan cross hairs, said Nathaniel Persily, a law professor at Stanford Law School. And election litigation itself has increased markedly in the last two decades, so we shouldnt be surprised if V.R.A. litigation and challenges to the V.R.A. have increased over that period as well.
The deep ideological split on the Wisconsin Supreme Court was clear on Tuesday as the court heard arguments in a case with the potential to upend political power in the state: a challenge to the states legislative district maps, regarded as among the most aggressively gerrymandered in the country.

Conservatives on the court accused Democrats of waiting to raise their claim that the maps violate the State Constitution until they had secured a 4-to-3 liberal majority on the court.

But the courts liberal justices signaled that they were sympathetic to the plaintiffs argument that the existing legislative districts  many of them broken into several unconnected pieces  failed the constitutional requirement that districts be compact and contiguous, and that the maps should be entirely redrawn.

Justices across the ideological spectrum suggested during oral arguments that the Democrats proposed solution  requiring every state lawmaker to stand for election in 2024 under a new map, even those whose terms would not yet have run out  was an extraordinary one.
Peter Tarnoff, a seasoned diplomat whose work behind the scenes for presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton included establishing a secret channel to Fidel Castro and helping arrange the escape of six U.S. Embassy officials from Iran, an escapade later depicted in the 2012 movie Argo, died on Nov. 1 at his home in San Francisco. He was 86.

His wife, Mathea Falco, said the cause of death was complications of Parkinsons disease.

Mr. Tarnoff was part of a cohort of Foreign Service officers who, inspired by the words of President John F. Kennedy, joined the American diplomatic corps in the early 1960s.

Many of them cut their teeth on assignment in South Vietnam, and several  among them Mr. Tarnoff, Anthony Lake, Frank Wisner II and Richard Holbrooke  went on to play leading roles in the U.S. foreign policy establishment.

But while outsize personalities like Mr. Holbrooke, a frequent contender for secretary of state, and Mr. Lake, a national security adviser under Bill Clinton, became famous, Mr. Tarnoff preferred to wield his influence out of the public eye.
North Korea launched a rocket on Tuesday in what South Korea said was an attempt to put its first military reconnaissance satellite in orbit, this time with technological help from Russia.

The rocket flew to the south over the sea between the Korean Peninsula and China, the South Korean military said in a brief statement. The United States, South Korea and Japan have all placed their militaries on alert to guard against such a launch, concerned that debris from the Norths rocket might fall on the Asian allies territories. They also want to collect intelligence on the rocket to determine the implications its satellite program may have on regional stability.

North Korea launched its new Chollima-1 rocket from its satellite launching station in Tongchang-ri near its northwestern border with China in May and again in August. The rocket flew on the same southbound trajectory, seeking to place satellites in orbit so that North Korea could better monitor American and South Korean military movements in the region and improve its nuclear-attack capabilities. But both times, the rockets malfunctioned and failed to thrust the Malligyong-1, the Norths first homemade military spy satellite, into orbit.

North Korea later confirmed Tuesdays rocket launch, saying it had finally succeeded in placing the satellite in orbit after the two failed attempts.
Electronic warfare in the Middle East and Ukraine is affecting air travel far from the battlefields, unnerving pilots and exposing an unintended consequence of a tactic that experts say will become more common.

Planes are losing satellite signals, flights have been diverted and pilots have received false location reports or inaccurate warnings that they were flying close to terrain, according to European Union safety regulators and an internal airline memo viewed by The New York Times. The Federal Aviation Administration has also warned pilots about GPS jamming in the Middle East.

Radio frequency interference  intended to disrupt the satellite signals used by rockets, drones and other weaponry  spiked after Russias invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 and has grown even more intense this fall in the Middle East. The interference can involve jamming satellite signals by drowning them out with noise, or spoofing them  mimicking real satellite signals to trick recipients with misleading information.

The radio interference has so far not proven to be dangerous. But aircraft systems have proved largely unable to detect GPS spoofing and correct for it, according to Opsgroup, an organization that monitors changes and risks in the aviation industry. One Embraer jet bound for Dubai nearly veered into Iranian airspace in September before the pilots figured out the plane was chasing a false signal.
Maksym, 13, needs a life of stability and routines, but almost two years of war in Ukraine have given him anything but that.

The boy, his adult brother and his mother fled their home city, Mariupol, under Russian attack. His father was captured as a prisoner of war. And Maksym has had to live with the sounds of bomb explosions and air raid sirens in Kyiv, where he now lives. The therapist who once treated him in Mariupol has also become a refugee.

Maksym, who has attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, has struggled to cope and has been having anxiety attacks, said his mother, Maryna Honcharova. He finds it hard to study, often becomes aggressive, and doesnt want to wake up in the morning, she said.

He screams and throws things in the house, she said. It often happens when he wants to do something like ride the bicycle he left behind in Mariupol.
Negotiations around the release of Israeli women and children held hostage in Gaza have centered on an exchange for Palestinian women and minors held in Israeli prisons. The size of that group has grown quickly during the six weeks of war and upheaval since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, according to a Palestinian prisoners rights group.

The group, Addameer, says that about 200 boys, most of them teenagers, were in Israeli detention as of this week, along with about 75 women and five teenage girls. Before Oct. 7, about 150 boys and 30 women and girls were in Israeli prisons, it said, and since then, many other detentions have occurred, as well as many releases.

Addameer said that it compiled the figures using data from the Israel Prison Service, which administers the countrys jails, and information from the families of detained people.

Early Wednesday, the Israeli government and Hamas announced they would uphold a four-day cease-fire in Gaza to allow for the release of 50 hostages captured during Hamass assault last month on Israel and 150 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.

Many of the most recent arrests of Palestinians came during raids across the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where protests and violence have surged, including attacks on Palestinians by Israeli settlers. Israel has said that the arrests are part of a counterterror operation against Hamas in the West Bank.

There are also about 700 people missing from Gaza who are believed to be in Israeli prisons, but information on their whereabouts is murky, said Tala Nasir, a spokeswoman for Addameer. It was not clear how many of those people, if any, were women or minors. The Israeli military has said that it has apprehended 300 people in Gaza during the ground invasion that it claimed were connected to armed Palestinian groups, and that they were brought into Israeli territory for further interrogations.

Of the roughly 240 Israeli hostages taken to Gaza by Hamas and other armed groups, 33 are minors, the youngest of whom is 9 months old, according to the Israeli government. At least 62 are women, according to an organization formed by the hostages families. Four of the women being held hostage are Israeli soldiers, according to interviews with their family members and information gathered by a forum of the hostages families.

As of this week, the total number of what Addameer calls Palestinian political prisoners in Israel  including people from Gaza, the West Bank and Israel  was 7,000, up from about 5,000 before Oct. 7, according to Addameer. That includes more than 2,000 people held in administrative detention, meaning they are being held indefinitely without charges, it said.

Ms. Nasir said that her group defines that category as Palestinians arrested for offenses that are related to political activity and free speech rather than crimes like drugs. She added that Addameer had received many reports in recent weeks of people arrested on charges of incitement for their social media posts in Israel and the West Bank. Earlier this month, the Knesset passed an amendment to a counterterrorism law that criminalized the consumption of terrorist materials.

Adalah, the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, said that it was monitoring 121 cases of arrests and detentions linked to social media posts, some which merely contained expressions of solidarity with the Palestinian people in Gaza, or even verses shared from the Quran.

Rights groups have long warned that Palestinian detainees are held without due process and face abuse and even torture. Military Court Watch, a nonprofit legal group, said last year that of the 100 Palestinian children detained by Israeli forces that it had interviewed, 74 percent reported physical abuse, and 42 percent said they were put in solitary confinement.

The women in Israeli detention include Ahed Tamimi, 22, a high-profile figure in the West Bank who was sentenced to prison in 2018 for slapping an Israeli soldier. Israeli officials accused her of her posting hate speech online; her family said the post was not hers.

Six Palestinian detainees who were held without charges have died in Israeli prisons in recent weeks, according to Wafa, the Palestinian Authoritys news agency. One of them, Omar Daraghmeh, was a senior member of Hamas, the militant group said when his death was announced.

Hiba Yazbek , Johnatan Reiss and Talya Minsberg contributed reporting.
As cross-border clashes intensified between Israel and the armed group Hezbollah, three people, including two television journalists, were killed in an Israeli strike on Tuesday in southern Lebanon, Lebanese officials said.

The Lebanese military and Lebanons caretaker prime minister blamed Israel for the attack. The Israeli military said the episode was under review, adding that its soldiers were responding to a Hezbollah threat and that they subsequently became aware of reports that journalists in the area had been killed by Israeli forces.

Al-Mayadeen, a pan-Arab network based in Beirut, said in a statement that Farah Omar, a reporter, and Rabih Al-Maamari, a cameraman, were killed in the attack. A third civilian was also killed in the strike, which took place about four miles from the Israeli border near the Lebanese town of Tayr Harfa, according to Lebanons state-run news agency.

The journalists were killed shortly after a live broadcast, Al-Mayadeen said. A video filmed by Mohammed Zinati, a reporter with the local media organization Sawt Beirut, and a photograph of the immediate aftermath showed three bodies lying beside a shallow crater and shrapnel damage to a nearby tree and wall.

Marc Garlasco, a former Pentagon senior intelligence analyst who reviewed the images, told The New York Times that a small hole visible inside a crater and the damage to the tree and wall was prototypical of a Spike NLOS crater, a weapon fired only by Israels military and not Lebanese forces, he said. The small cubic fragments in the tree are exactly what I look for, Mr. Garlasco said.

Lebanons caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, blamed Israel for the killings, saying in a statement: This attack proves once again that there are no limits to Israels crimes.

Hezbollah, the powerful Lebanese militia, said it retaliated swiftly to the strike by targeting Israeli soldiers with guided missiles and by hitting an Israeli military base with Grad rockets.

The Lebanese militant group also claimed responsibility for a separate missile attack on a factory in northern Israel belonging to Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, a weapons maker owned by Israels Defense Ministry. The militia said it was in response to an Israeli airstrike last week that the countrys military said targeted an advanced surface-to-air missile system that had downed an Israeli drone.

The Israeli military said that there were a number of launches from Lebanon, but offered no specifics.

Casualties are mounting on both sides of the border, which has grown increasingly volatile since Hamas  which, like Hezbollah, is backed by Iran  carried out its devastating terror attacks against Israel on Oct. 7. Israel has responded with airstrikes and a ground invasion of Gaza, and Hezbollah has stepped up its cross-border attacks in solidarity with Hamas, raising fears of a wider regional conflict.

On Monday, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for a powerful cross-border rocket attack on an Israeli military base, prompting a sustained Israeli response that targeted Hezbollah positions, but also caused heavy damage to civilian homes, according to photographs verified by The New York Times.

Also Tuesday, an Israeli strike killed a woman in the southern village of Kfar Kila, and four other people traveling in a car near the southern city of Tyre, according to Lebanons state-run news agency.

The chairman of Al-Mayadeen, Ghassan Bin Jedo, questioned the timing of the journalists deaths, noting during an interview aired by the network that the Israeli government last week banned its broadcasts after some officials accused it of being a Hezbollah mouthpiece.

The journalists for Al-Mayadeen are the latest to be killed in the escalating violence in Lebanon. Last month, a Reuters videographer, Issam Abdallah, died in a missile strike fired from the direction of Israel.

A total of at least 50 journalists have been killed amid the Israel-Hamas war, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, making it one of the deadliest periods for reporters since the media watchdog first began gathering data in 1992.

Malachy Browne contributed reporting.
The estate of a Dunkirk woman who was struck and killed by a car in a Tops Markets parking lot has sued New York State for negligence.

Barbara A. Sam, 69, died after she was hit by a car driven by state employee Michele A. Hill, 57, of Dunkirk, on Aug. 9 in Dunkirk, according to the lawsuit in the Court of Claims.

State Police identify victim struck and killed in Dunkirk parking lot The woman was struck outside the Tops Markets location at 3955 Vineyard Drive.

Hill, a worker at the State Office of People With Developmental Disabilities, was driving a vehicle owned by the state, according to the lawsuit filed Nov. 14.

State police issued Hill a ticket charging her with a traffic violation, failure to exercise due care, according to the lawsuit.

Sam's estate also sued Hill in State Supreme Court in Chautauqua County on Oct. 31.

 Mike McAndrew
The BRICS group of developing countries  Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa  held a virtual summit on the war in Gaza on Tuesday, articulating divergent positions on the conflict that together reflected the reluctance of some nations outside the worlds largest industrialized democracies to fall in behind Washingtons support for Israel.

Several other nations that have been invited to join the BRICS group next year also attended the conference  Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Argentina and the United Arab Emirates. A joint statement released by the group on Tuesday called for the release of all civilians who are being illegally held captive, as well as a humanitarian truce that would lead to a cessation of hostilities. The U.N. secretary generals office signed on to the statement.

We condemned any kind of individual or mass forcible transfer and deportation of Palestinians from their own land, the statement said.

But the statement obscured subtle differences among the positions of the BRICS members. South Africa voiced stronger criticism of Israel than China, Brazil and Russia did, while India took a quieter approach.

In his speech to the conference, President Xi Jinping of China called for a cease-fire and an end to what he called collective punishment by Israel of people in Gaza. Mr. Xi, who was speaking by video, said the international community should take steps to stop the war from spreading. China last month vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution that stated that Israel had the right to defend itself.

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, who also called in his speech for a cease-fire, said BRICS states, along with countries in the region, could play an important role in finding a political solution to the conflict.

Moscow has expressed muted support for Israel after an attack on Oct. 7 in which Hamas killed around 1,200 people, most of them civilians; Mr. Putin did not call Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel to express condolences until many days later.

President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, the summit host, also said Israels conduct in the war violated international law, repeating his strong criticism of the Israeli government, even as he said BRICS could help resolve the conflict.

The collective punishment of Palestinian civilians through the unlawful use of force by Israel is a war crime, he said. The deliberate denial of medicine, fuel, food and water to the residents of Gaza is tantamount to genocide.

Last week, South Africa referred Israel to the International Criminal Court. This week Israel recalled its ambassador to South Africa, while South Africas parliament voted to shut down the Israeli embassy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India did not address the gathering, and it was unclear whether this reflected a shift in the countrys position on the war in Gaza.

Shortly after the Oct. 7 attacks, Mr. Modi posted on X, formerly Twitter, that India stood in solidarity with Israel. Late last month, India also abstained from a U.N. General Assembly resolution calling for a humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza, arguing that the text did not condemn Hamas.

The Brazilian president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, called the war a humanitarian catastrophe but avoided using the word genocide as he has in the past. He said Hamass terrorist attacks, while barbaric, did not justify the use of indiscriminate and disproportionate force against civilians.

The innocent pay the price for the insanity of war, especially women, children and the elderly, he said.

Ivan Nechepurenko , Chris Buckley and Jack Nicas contributed reporting.
When armed Hamas terrorists invaded her home on Oct. 7, Karina Engelbert was still recovering from a double mastectomy and breast reconstruction surgery that had gone terribly awry. She was weak and easily fatigued, and a buildup of painful scar tissue on her chest caused tightness, limiting her mobility.

The militants kidnapped Ms. Engelbert, 51, and her entire family, including her husband, Ronen Engel, 54, and their daughters, 18-year-old Mika and 11-year-old Yuval, snatching them from the safe room inside their home on the Nir Oz kibbutz and taking them to the Gaza Strip, where they have been held for over 40 days.

The last I heard from my sister was on that black sabbath at 9:30 in the morning, and she spoke very quietly, and she said, Theyre inside the house, Ms. Engelberts brother Diego Engelbert said in an interview.

He has not received any information about his sisters condition, and she has not been visited by the International Red Cross, he said.

We dont know if shes getting any medical treatment, if anyone is taking care of her, if she is getting any pain relief or any of the medication she needs to keep the cancer from coming back, Mr. Engelbert said.Early Wednesday morning, the family members of the hostages were given the best news they had received in the more than six weeks since their loved ones were seized.

The Israeli government and Hamas announced that they would uphold a brief cease-fire in Gaza to allow for the release of at least 50 hostages. But the deal will still leave hostages behind. Ms. Engelbert is one of about 240 who were abducted from Israel, many of whom need urgent medical attention.
A vessel seized by Yemens Houthi militia in the Red Sea on Sunday was anchored just outside a busy Yemeni port on Tuesday, according to an analysis of satellite imagery by The New York Times.

A satellite image captured on Tuesday morning local time showed the vessel, the Galaxy Leader, at anchor among other ships off the Red Sea port of Al-Hudaydah, about 430 miles southeast from the location broadcast in its last received transmission over the weekend.

Drawing on another satellite image, The Times was able to determine that the Galaxy Leader had arrived at the port on Monday. The ship was first spotted in satellite imagery by Samir Madani, co-founder of TankerTrackers.com, which monitors global shipping.

The Times previously verified a video released by the Houthi militia on Monday that showed its forces seizing the Galaxy Leader. The video shows a military helicopter delivering at least 10 armed men onto the deck of the roughly 600-foot-long vessel and taking over the ships bridge. The video ends with the ship, now bearing the flag used by the Houthis as well as a Palestinian flag, surrounded by smaller Houthi boats.
The United States conducted a new round of airstrikes  the second in roughly a day  in Iraq early Wednesday, destroying two facilities used by Iranian proxies that had been targeting American and coalition troops, U.S. military officials said.

The latest rounds in the tit-for-tat attacks between the United States and Iranian-backed fighters took place in Iraq, in a departure from the United States practice of striking mostly targets in Syria.

This time, the United States struck an operations center and a command-and-control node south of Baghdad used by Kataib Hezbollah, a militia group in Iraq that is considered a proxy of Iran. Kataib Hezbollahs political wing is part of the coalition of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani of Iraq.

A defense official said the military could not provide a casualty assessment.

The strikes came as the Biden administration has escalated its attacks recently. Barely more than 24 hours earlier, an American military gunship fired on and killed three Iran-backed militants on Monday night who the Pentagon said Tuesday were part of an attack on U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq. Unlike that exchange, which Pentagon officials said came at the spur of the moment after an American warplane in the area witnessed the ballistic missile attack on Al Asad Air Base and retaliated, the Wednesday morning strikes were planned, at least for a few hours.
Making a Home and Avoiding Deportation in New York City

The recent influx of migrants crossing the southern border has been one of the biggest in American history. Many were turned back, but more have been allowed to stay and fight deportation in court. Thousands have headed to New York City to try their luck.

1.85 million migrants have been allowed to stay in the U.S. to await their court dates since May 2022. 86,815 remained in detention as of September. 1.77 million were released into the country. 1.57 million went somewhere other than New York State. 200,149 migrants came to New York State, most of them to New York City. 5 of them told us their stories. 1.85 million migrants have been allowed to stay in the U.S. to await their court dates since May 2022. 86,815 remained in detention as of September. 1.77 million were released into the country. 1.57 million went somewhere other than New York State. 200,149 migrants came to New York State, most of them to New York City. 5 of them told us their stories.

Milton Vargas, 40, came to the United States with his family in August 2022. They are originally from Nicaragua.



After being processed and briefly detained at the border, the family went to a church in nearby Eagle Pass, Texas, where they waited five hours for a free bus to New York.



I knew that this was a city of migrants and I knew that this is a capital of art and, as a painter, everything I forged in Nicaragua could have more opportunities here, Mr. Vargas said. Jorda Colomer, 27, crossed the border into Texas with her husband and two children in October 2022, after fleeing persecution in Nicaragua.



The family came to New York from Texas by bus to join Ms. Colomers sister, who had arrived two months earlier and was able to purchase bus tickets for the family for $1,858. Manuel Rodriguez, 25, from Venezuela, crossed the border in March. His brother-in-law, who had come to New York six months earlier, told Mr. Rodriguez there were opportunities for him in New York, and lent him money to fly here.



He was held near the border in San Diego for three days, and after being released was on a plane within a few hours. Gaoussou Ouattara, 45, originally from Burkina Faso in West Africa, came to the United States in August.



He speaks seven languages and eight West African dialects, he said. A nonprofit in California learned about his language skills and agreed to fly him to New York, so he could help organizations here communicate with migrants. Eduardo Gomez, 35, originally from Valencia, Venezuela, came to the United States in September 2022. He was detained in El Paso for more than a month, while officials assessed the validity of his asylum request in what is known as a credible fear interview.



He passed the interview and was allowed to stay in the country. A church in San Antonio gave him a bus ticket to New York, and he arrived here at the end of October 2022.

Todd Heisler/The New York Times

Each of the five followed a different path, but they are all trying to create a life here, and they all worry about the likelihood that, eventually, they could be ordered to leave.

We wanted to understand what might happen to them next.

The people we spoke with were all given notices to appear in immigration court when they crossed the border, and they are at various stages of the deportation process, which can take years. The Biden administration has given temporary protection from deportation to people from places like Venezuela and Ukraine, where conditions have been deemed too dangerous for migrants to return.

Some have applied for asylum, but it can take many months to submit an application, and migrants are not allowed to apply for a work permit until 150 days later. Many spend their first months or years in New York in limbo, unable to work legally, waiting for hearings and permits, often in uncertain living situations.

Step 1: Finding shelter

When they arrive in New York, many migrants have little money, and many opt to stay in one of the citys homeless shelters. Nearly 140,000 migrants have checked into the citys intake system in the last year and a half; about half that number are living in shelters today.

The city, strained past its breaking point, is now forcing shelter residents to reapply after certain time limits (30 days for single adults; 60 for families). Migrants say the rules are making it hard to hold jobs and could cause them to miss important mail about their immigration cases.

Todd Heisler/The New York Times

Milton Vargas was one of four people we spoke with who were placed in shelters.

After arriving in New York last year, along with his pregnant wife and four children, they traveled to an intake center for homeless families in the Bronx. After waiting there for nine hours, they were sent to a hotel near Central Park.

There, they rested for 36 hours. I didnt want to interrupt my seven-month-pregnant wifes rest, and we didnt go out, Mr. Vargas said. Eventually they learned about a nearby church where they could get clean clothes donated by neighbors. Little by little we understood how to navigate the neighborhood, Mr. Vargas said.

After Eduardo Gomez arrived in New York last year, a friend picked him up from the Port Authority Bus Terminal and took him to Randalls Island, where the city had set up an 84,400-square-foot tent to house migrants.

He lived in four different shelters over the course of nearly a year. Then, he was asked to leave. The people in the government wanted us to leave the shelter, but they did not understand all the confusion we were experiencing, he said. It is not an easy system to navigate.

He paid $450 to sleep on a couch in an apartment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, for a month. Then, he and a friend found a mobile home in Queens, which they now rent for $1,200 per month.

When Gaoussou Ouattara arrived at Kennedy Airport in August, he was unable to reach anyone at the organization that had flown him to New York. He took a taxi to Manhattan and tried again to get in touch with the nonprofit, with no luck. That night, he slept on the street. The next day, he contacted people he had met on his journey to the United States, who told him to go to the Roosevelt Hotel, where he went through the citys intake process and was placed in a shelter in Harlem.

Manuel Rodriguez had left the few belongings he had in Mexico, and arrived in New York in March with only the clothes he was wearing. His sisters husband picked him up from Kennedy Airport.

They went to Flushing, Queens, and his brother-in-law lent him $200 to buy new clothes: underwear, socks, pants, T-shirts and a sweatshirt. Only the essentials, because I have nothing, he said. They ate that day in Flushing and then went back to a room his brother-in-law was renting in Whitestone, Queens, for $1,000 per month, where he had invited Mr. Rodriguez to stay.

Step 2: Earning money

For most migrants, the waiting period for a legal work permit is long, sometimes years. During those long waiting periods, many try to find ways to support themselves.

Todd Heisler/The New York Times

Eduardo Gomez was one of four people we spoke with who found odd jobs that pay cash.

When he arrived in New York last year, he quickly started looking for a way to earn money. He had worked as an electronics technician repairing cell phones in Venezuela and eventually found a job installing security cameras, but it lasted only 15 days. Everyone asked me for papers and I didnt even know what they were talking about, he said.

In early 2023, Mr. Gomez learned he may qualify for asylum, but he needed money for a lawyer. He paid a staffing agency in Queens $150 and was sent to a job at a food packaging company in Flushing. He was paid $540 a week for 60 hours of work.

I lasted two weeks there because they exploited me a lot and I just wanted the money to buy a motorcycle to start delivering food, Mr. Gomez said.

After Jorda Colomer and her family were placed in a shelter last year, they found a church that provided them with clean clothes, and she and her husband enrolled their son in school. Then they set out to look for jobs. They left cover letters at businesses in Hells Kitchen, the Upper West Side, Midtown, Queens and Brooklyn.

Finally, Ms. Colomer met a man at another church who paid her $20 to clean his home for five hours, she said. Everyone told me that he was exploiting me, but I had nothing and $20 was something, and he gave me food, Ms. Colomer said. A month later he raised it to $40 per day.

She quit to take care of her children, and eventually her husband, Floyd, found a job cleaning a supermarket in the Bronx.

Gaoussou Ouattara volunteers to help other migrants. He uses his language skills to help people sign up for IDNYC cards, and to welcome migrants who arrive on buses at the Port Authority. The work is nonstop, he said. He often wakes up at 3 a.m. to go to the Port Authority, and sometimes spends more than 12 hours a day meeting new arrivals and directing them to the Roosevelt Hotel to be placed in a shelter.

Theres no salary, he said, adding: In fact, I need a work permit to be able to work. Maybe with that, Ill get a good job somewhere, that can pay me? Even if its at 15 dollars  I dont know how much, at 20 dollars  I could have a home, take care of myself and then continue to help them.

Step 3: Avoiding deportation

For most migrants, the only path to staying in the United States legally is winning asylum.

It is not a straightforward process. Asylum applications are more than 10 pages long, must be filled out in English, and require extensive information and documentation, all of which must match eventual testimony at a hearing. This is one of the most complicated applications in immigration law and is extremely time consuming, reads a guide created by the Legal Aid Society.

Most migrants need substantial help from lawyers to compile an application and succeed in subsequent hearings. In recent years, courts in the United States have denied asylum to most applicants.

Todd Heisler/The New York Times

Manuel Rodriguez was one of four people we spoke with who has submitted an asylum application.

In September, he submitted his application with help from a lawyer he found in Queens, who charged $3,000. Mr. Rodriguez has so far paid the lawyer $1,500, and agreed to pay the rest if he is granted asylum. Because he is from Venezuela, Mr. Rodriguez is eligible for the temporary protection offered by the Biden administration, but he doesnt know if he will apply, because he is worried that it will be as expensive as the asylum process.

Eduardo Gomez met a paralegal at a church event for migrants in early 2023, who suggested he find a lawyer and apply for asylum. A friend recommended a lawyer in California, whom he met on a video call. The lawyer agreed to help submit his asylum application for $2,500. In March 2023, his application was submitted after he paid the lawyer $1,000, and agreed to pay the rest over time. He is waiting to hear from the lawyer about his court date, but he now has a work permit and, in February, started working as a delivery driver.

Gaoussou Ouattara does not believe he can afford a lawyer who would help him through the entire asylum process, beyond submitting the application. Much of what he knows about the process he learned from speaking to other migrants. He has heard that lawyers who provide full representation can cost $5,000 to $7,000, and that free lawyers are hard to find.

Milton Vargas and Jorda Colomer submitted applications with help from a nonprofit organization, Project Rousseau, which provides free representation for children and families.

Both Milton and Jorda have a wait that will be many years long, said Andrew Heinrich, the lawyer at Project Rousseau who is representing Mr. Vargas and Ms. Colomer.

Someone arriving in New York today should have the same expectations, he said.
Novitas Communications

1732 Wazee St., #201, Denver, CO 80202

720/379-5740

Corporate communications, crisis communications, strategic communications, public affairs, issue management, reputation management, digital media and media relations.

Employees: 6. Founded: 2008.

Agency Statement:

Novitas Communications is a full-service public relations agency providing award-winning solutions and execution while instilling excellence and integrity into everything we do. We help clients across a wide range of industries and business sectors achieve their goals with a full suite of strategic communications and business consulting services.

Michelle Lyng, CEO/founder

Clients Include:

AC DevelopmentApartment Association of Metro DenverBrookfield PropertiesCardinal GroupCCO/CMO RoundtableCO Beef CouncilColorado Apartment AssociationColorado Coalition of Cyberschool FamiliesColorado Consumer CoalitionColorado Cyberschool AssociationCoorsTekExecutives Partnering to Invest in ChildrenHubilo TechnologiesM.C. DeanMind Springs HealthReunionPoms & Associates Insurance BrokersSouthlands Shopping CenterTransworld Technologies IncUnited Energy Technologies

Novitas Communications in the news with O'Dwyer's:

 News of Firms: FGS Global Acquires Canada's Longview Tue., Nov. 21, 2023 ...solutions our clients need to break through in today's market," said Spectrum CEO Jonathan Wilson. Novitas Communications awards its first Novitas Diverse Voices Scholarship to Fametta Zubah, a rising junior at...

 News of Firms: H/Advisors Launches PA Offering Thu., Feb. 16, 2023 ...clients shape not only their public affairs agendas, but also inform their wider corporate strategy. Novitas Communications launches the Novitas Diverse Voices Scholarship, which will support the career development of historically...

 On the Move: Coty's Juaristi Joins Beauty Health Co. Tue., May 10, 2022 ...her ideally suited for this role, said BeautyHealth president and CEO Andrew Stanlieck. John (Chip) Taylor Novitas Communications brings on John (Chip) Taylor as VP Taylor previously spent over 20 years as...

 News of Firms: Novitas Communications Acquires CCO-CMO Roundtable Wed., Apr. 20, 2022 ... Anne McCarthy Novitas Communications acquires the CCO-CMO Roundtable from Anne McCarthy, founder and president of Westmeath Global Communications and 6x6...

 On the Move: BCW's Culbertson Moves to Bospar Thu., Apr. 14, 2022 ...recently opened Denver office. Before joining MWW, Crouch served as vice president at Denver-based Novitas Communications . In her new post, she will support current clients in creating and messaging stories...

 News of Firms: Prosek Partners Opens in Palm Beach Tue., Jan. 11, 2022 ...Fairfield, said Prosek Partners founder Jennifer Prosek. Denver-based Aiello Public Relations & Marketing merges with Novitas Communications . The partnership is part of Novitas growth strategy focused on diversifying the companys client...

 On the Move: Novitas Taps Gardner for BusDev Tue., Sep. 14, 2021 ... Jaime Gardner Novitas Communications hires Jaime Gardner as a business development and communications director. For the past 12...

 On the Move: Golin Ups Ryan Mardiks to Global Chair Thu., Jan. 14, 2021 ...to move the needle for a company, said PAN senior vice president Nikki Festa. Krista Crouch Novitas Communications elevates Krista Crouch to VP. Crouch joined Novitas last year as a manager. Before that, she...
FGS Global acquires Longview Communications and Public Affairs. Longview serves clients across Canada and abroad from offices in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Montreal and Victoria, advising clients on corporate and financial communications, issues and crisis management, special situations, government relations, regulatory affairs and foreign direct investment approvals. The firm has been renamed FGS Longview and will continue to be led by Longview partners Josh Pekarsky, Bruce Drysdale, Ian Hamilton and Hugh McFadyen. Extending our reach into Canada broadens our geographic footprint and enhances our ability to deliver for our clients, said FGS CEO, North America Winnie Lerner. We have known and respected Longview for a long time, have partnered successfully on many prior client assignments and are thrilled to welcome them to FGS.

Spectrum Science acquires CrowdPharm, a full-service healthcare advertising company and its partner consultancy, Hot Iron Health. This is the first acquisition Spectrum has completed since its strategic partnership with growth-oriented investment firm Knox Lane earlier this year. The move establishes its strategic advertising and consulting pillar, which will be led by Mike Myers, managing director and partner of CrowdPharm, who will serve as president and lead day-to-day operations. With more than 8,300 members across 127+ countries, CrowdPharm develops brand communications in healthcare, medical and pharmaceutical marketing, while Hot Iron Health leverages financial modeling and diverse data sets to deliver planning and thinking across the entire commercial life cycle of a brand. With Spectrum's newly established advertising and consulting pillar built on the backbone of our strategy, innovation and creative capabilities, now fueled by CrowdPharm and Hot Iron Health's pioneering approach, we can bring the transformational solutions our clients need to break through in today's market," said Spectrum CEO Jonathan Wilson.

Novitas Communications awards its first Novitas Diverse Voices Scholarship to Fametta Zubah, a rising junior at the University of Minnesota  Twin Cities. The $1,000 scholarship is meant to help support the career development of historically underrepresented and marginalized students in pursuing a career in public relations and communications. The scholarship accepted applications from February through May on Bold.org, an exclusive scholarship network. Receiving 291 responses, applicants were high school seniors or undergraduate students, and considered themselves low-income, first generation, BIPOC or LGBTQ+. The scholarship builds on the agencys work with the Public Relations Society of America, Colorado Chapter encouraging diversity in the field of public relations.


U of Calgary Shops for Ag Specialist Tue., Nov. 28, 2023 The University of Calgary, one of Canadas top facilities, is seeking a strategic communications partner to bolster the profile of its Simpson Centre agricultural institute.
A timely PR release. Amid the chaos surrounding Sam Altman and OpenAI, the Public Relations Society of America released Promise and Pitfalls: The Ethical Use of AI for PR Practitioners.

The guidance provides best practices on preventing and managing the potential ethical challenges that may arise from the improper use of generative AI tools.

The technologies offer the promise to transform the way we work, enhancing productivity by aiding in content creation for materials such as emails, news releases and presentations, as well as preforming research, data analysis and language translation, according to the document.

The AI tools also free up PR people to engage in higher-value critical thinking.

Since PR people shape and maintain reputations, along with relationships between organizations and the public, they are obligated to consider the impact of their actions and decisions on the greater good.

Without due diligence, the use of AI tools to improve a campaigns results, for example, may end up doing harm by exposing proprietary or personal data, perpetuating biases or similar unforeseen consequences, says the guidance.

In releasing the report, Michelle Egan, 2023 PRSA chair, said AI will revolutionize how PR people do their jobs. The release of Promise & Pitfalls will contribute to the ongoing discussion around AI, and advance the important work being done around the ethical use of the technology in the PR profession, said Egan.

That a lotta lobbyists. More than 7,200 fossil fuels lobbyists have attended the United Nations climate talks over the past 20 years, according to a report from the Kick Big Polluters Out advocacy group.

The Big Five oil giants of ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, BP and TotalEnergies sent 267 lobbyists to the UN Conference of the Parties sessions, while fossil fuels trade groups had 6,581 representatives in attendance.

The outlook for fossil fuels interests looks pretty good at the COP28 session, which is slated for Dubai from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12.

Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, head of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, will preside over COP28 as president-designate. He is the first corporate CEO to lead a UN climate conference.

Al Jaber is unlikely to kick any of the fossil fuels interests out of his big show.

Disaster lies ahead..The election of Donald Trump to the US presidency poses the biggest danger faced by the world in 2024, according to The Economist.

His victory would signal to US adversaries, such as China, that American democracy is dysfunctional while counties in the Global South consider American appeals to do the what is right are really just exercises in hypocrisy.

The Russian dictator would rejoice over the Trump victory, knowing that the US would cut off support for Ukraine.

Zanny Minton Beddoes, Economist editor-in-chief, said the decision of the Republican Party to nominate a man who tried to overturn the results of the previous election dims America as a democratic beacon.

She believes another Trump presidency would transform American into a loose cannon with isolationist tendencies at a time of grave geopolitical peril.

Trump has a coin-toss probability of winning the 2024 election, of which the consequences would be catastrophic for democracy and the world.
A 40-foot-long shipping container equipped with LED grow lights and vertical growing racks will soon be a working indoor farm producing thousands of kale plants for East Side residents each month, thanks to a partnership of local food advocates and the New York Power Authority.

NYPA officials and dozens of East Side community leaders gathered Monday to unveil the new container, which was funded by NYPA as part of its Environmental Justice Program.

NYPAs $300,000 investment brought the colorful container  a refurbished semi-trailer branded with the message Feeding the Roots. Blossoming a community  to an urban farm that Buffalo Go Green is developing on Zenner Street near East Ferry Street.

And it will not be leaving, since it took a crane to get it here, said Buffalo Go Green CEO Allison DeHonney, whose organization will oversee the farming operation.

Besides helping feed a food-challenged community, the container farm will be part of a multistate study by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) on how indoor farming impacts energy and water usage, said EPRI Vice President David Porter.

This container features the highest efficiency technologies available today  LED lighting, high-efficiency cooling, dehumidification, recirculating pumps  and provides the perfect growing environment 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, Porter said. And the amount of crops that will come out of here, if grown in the field would use 90% more water. So we are really proud to be part of this project.

The project was organized by Rita Hubbard-Robinson, founder and CEO of NeuWater & Associates, an urban development company focused on improving community health. Besides NYPA, Neuwater and Buffalo Go Green, the partnership includes the Buffalo Center for Health Equity, which owns the container and will assist in distributing produce to the community.

The container farm is at Buffalo Go Greens Bailey Green urban farm taking shape on several empty lots that also house frames for five 40-by-25-foot greenhouses-to-be. DeHonney said they will soon be covered in plastic sheeting and filled with raised beds to grow spinach, strawberries, blackberries and other produce year-round.

The indoor farming container will expressly grow kale as its first-year pilot crop because of its high nutritional value and short growing cycle. Ricky Fleming, Buffalo Go Greens farm operations director, said that once in operation, the new container farm will be able to grow 3,000 kale plants each month using no soil and recirculated water.

NYPA previously funded a container farm for FeedMore WNY in 2020, which now grows thousands of pounds of produce distributed through FeedMores food pantries, home-delivered meals programs and other emergency food programs, said NYPA COO Joe Kessler.

This urban farm is the perfect site for an indoor food production facility, Kessler said Monday. Food injustice is a challenge to underserved communities and neighborhoods, and this community is still trying to heal from unimaginable tragedy.

Since the racist mass shooting at the Jefferson Avenue Tops on May 14, 2022, Weve gotten to know this community better, Kessler said. We have learned that this is an area where access to affordable and quality fresh food isnt always a given.

The mass shooting that killed 10 Black people also shone a spotlight on food inequity on the East Side, when trauma and grief were paired with a food crisis during the two months the main market for a community of 90,000 predominantly Black residents was closed.

In the aftermath, programs like Buffalo Go Green that have existed for years also got the spotlight and are gaining ground on their mission of addressing the food access and health disparities in Buffalos Black communities, Hubbard-Robinson said.

State Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes said DeHonney brought the idea that food is medicine to her office several years ago, and at the time it seemed strange.

Since then, global health equity data have shown that Blacks have a poorer overall health and a lifespan thats 10 years shorter than our white counterparts, and nutrition, housing and environment are all factors, she said.

This effort will bring us toward a healthier community, Peoples-Stokes said. This shows what happens when you have a goal and a plan and work constantly to make it happen, and I am super proud of her, she said of DeHonney.
Limerick hurling star Kyle Hayes and the HSE CEO have given an amazing gift to the son of a senior nurse at Portlaoise hospital.

During his recent visit to Laois, HSE boss Bernard Gloster presented with Rita Flaherty Dennedy, Assistant Director of Nursing for Patient Flow, with a jersey that has a special message from the multiple All-Ireland winner.

Rita is the mother of 14-year-old Michael Dennedy from Kinnitty who lost a leg in a tractor accident. Michael and Rita met Mr Gloster previously in the Ronald McDonald House in Crumlin Hospital where Mr Gloster heard of Michael's passion for sport particularly hurling.

The HSE say Mr Gloster took the opportunity to meet with Rita again in Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise where he shared a personal gift of a training jersey for Michael signed by Kyle Hayes.

The HSE said Mr Gloster said how impressed he was with Michael and Rita and their resilience in the face of a difficult recovery journey. He said he was in no doubt that his family and his mum Rita and dad Ray are the champions of hope and encouragement around him. He wished him the very best in his recovery.

Michael thanked Mr Gloster in a video message.

Thank you for the amazing gift. Kyle Hayes is an amazing player. Thank you so much for keeping your promise, I didnt think you would do it but you are a man of your word, Limerick for the 5 in a row, he said.

Watch the message HERE.
A court has heard how a section of a street in Longford town had to be sealed off after a man armed himself with a knife during a stand off with gardai.

Walid Bouskia (33), of no fixed abode, was in court last Tuesday charged with the possession of a knife on September 18 this year at Richmond Court, Richmond Street, Longford.

Sgt Mark Mahon, in opening the case for the State, said the incident arose when Mr Bouskia allegedly obtained a kitchen knife inside the premises of the asylum seeker hostel, prompting gardai to be called.

When officers arrived at the scene, Sgt Mahon said Mr Bouskia was in a highly agitated and aggressive state when gardai arrived on the scene.

He said Mr Bouskia pointed the knife at gardai before appearing to indicate he was going to use the knife to self harm.

Following that, Sgt Mahon said the accused moved across to a courtyard area and up a flight of stairs, forcing gardai to cordon off the area.

He (Mr Bouskia) refused instructions to drop the knife, a stand off ensued for 25 minutes and the area had to be sealed off, he said.

Judge Owens was also told gardai had to deploy negotiators to the scene in a bid to resolve the situation.

Defence solicitor Michelle Reynolds revealed Mr Bouskia's behaviour on the day in question was linked to his reluctance to be relocated to another address in Dublin.

She added Mr Bouskia was willing to go to a Donegal Direct Provision Centre if the court sanctioned his release.

Judge Owens, however, said she needed to know what Mr Bouskia's future plans were and where he intended on residing before making a full determination on the case.

Mr Bouskia was remanded in custody.
49,500 has been granted to Offaly County Council for Peatlands Communities in Offaly.

The money is to be used for technical support to identify cluster opportunities for linking tracks, trails and recreational amenities in the peatlands.

The Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys, has today November 21 announced almost 2.3 million to support the development of 50 outdoor adventure projects across Ireland.

''We're now heading into the darker days of winter and it's more important than ever to make the most of those precious daylight hours by getting out and about when you can,'' said the Minister.

''The funding I'm announcing today will support the further development of hiking trails, water based activities and other amenities making them even more enjoyable places for families to visit nationwide. These amenities are here for us all to enjoy. I would encourage everyone who can to get out and about and make the most of what our countryside has to offer.''

Funding will support the preparatory work required to bring large scale outdoor recreation projects to a shovel-ready stage, said the minister.

She said that ''investment will ensure a strong pipeline of outdoor amenity projects right across the country in the coming years.''

50 outdoor adventure projects are set to benefit across Ireland.
Bengaluru PG Owners Urged To Upload Tenant Details On Web Portal, BBMP Rules Expected

Bengaluru

oi-Madhuri Adnal

In a bid to enhance security and keep a closer eye on individuals residing in Paying Guest (PG) accommodations in Bengaluru, the city police have recommended that PG owners upload comprehensive tenant details on a dedicated web portal. This initiative aims to create a centralised database that can be readily accessed by both the police and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the city's municipal corporation.

This portal would serve as a database for both the owners and the police, though participation is not compulsory. However, the police said it is not mandatory and it has been started on a trial basis at 167 PGs in Marathahalli.

Police Commissioner B Dayananda mentioned that this initiative stems from studying similar systems in other states. There's an estimated 5,000 PGs in Bengaluru, housing over 4.5 lakh individuals. Most PGs are in the East and South East, areas densely populated by IT professionals.

The police often lack information about PG residents, causing complications during crime investigations or legal procedures. Following other states' leads, a web portal is launched where owners can voluntarily upload tenant details.

Blaze At Delhi's Mukherjee Nagar PG, Fire Officer Says All Evacuated Safely

Dayananda emphasized that this isn't obligatory, rather a voluntary effort aimed at assisting PG owners in managing their tenants. This portal is seen as a potential aid for both owners and law enforcement in handling cases. The trial run begins in Marathahalli with 167 PGs, offering owners a guest management tool. Since tenants frequently come and go, leaving no records behind, this website could fill that gap during criminal incidents.

Meanwhile, the BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) is addressing the surge in PGs due to escalating residential rents in Bengaluru. They've received complaints about residential buildings being converted into PGs without proper authorization. BBMP officials acknowledge the lack of guidelines regulating PGs and are developing a framework to address this. New regulations might include limits on occupants per room and safety standards, as stated by BBMP Commissioner Tushar Giri Nath.

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Story first published: Tuesday, November 21, 2023, 15:08 [IST]
HDK's Blue Film Remark Sparks War Of Words With DKS, Political Tussle Intensifies

Bengaluru

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Amid a barrage of derisive posters, former Karnataka CM and JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy responded vehemently, questioning the integrity of Deputy CM DK Shivakumar.

Accusing Shivakumar of screening blue films in theater venues at Doddalahalli and Sathanur, Kumaraswamy asserted that these actions unveiled Shivakumar's background.

However, Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar countered, expressing willingness to exit politics if proven guilty of any wrongdoing in his constituency by HDK or anyone else.

Regarding the mocking posters, HD Kumaraswamy remarked, "What sort of dignity does he possess? Pasting posters is his idea of dignity. This is the notion of a party president."

Bengaluru | On posters mocking him and accusing DK Shivakumar of screening blue films, Former Karnataka CM and JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy says "What dignity does he have? Pasting posters is his dignity. This is the dignity of a party president. He was screening adult films in pic.twitter.com/VSldUdIpKF  ANI (@ANI) November 21, 2023

Expanding on his allegations against DK Shivakumar, HDK claimed, "He (DK Shivakumar) was airing adult content in tents at Doddalahalli and Sathanur. This illustrates his roots. That's why he's resorting to posting posters now."

Bengaluru PG Owners Urged To Upload Tenant Details On Web Portal, BBMP Rules Expected

Responding to reporters at the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee office in Bengaluru on Sunday, Shivakumar expressed dismay at HDK's statements against him, stating, "I feel disheartened for HD Kumaraswamy, a seasoned leader and former CM, speaking in this manner. Let him visit my constituency and ask the people there if they elected me with a margin of over 2 lakh votes to screen such content. If he or anyone proves my involvement in such illicit activities, I am willing to retire from politics. It's a shame for Kumaraswamy to speak like this..."

#WATCH | Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar says "I feel very sorry for HD Kumaraswamy, he is such a senior leader and former CM he's talking like this. Let him go to my constituency and ask people there if they have elected me with a margin of over 2 lakh votes to show blue https://t.co/sfMEdJTLrN pic.twitter.com/49Ty7TZcfJ  ANI (@ANI) November 21, 2023

The Congress and the Janata Dal-Secular have been at odds with one another ever since the latter joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party.

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Story first published: Tuesday, November 21, 2023, 15:40 [IST]
How Bengaluru Authorities Plan To Use AI For Effective Traffic Management: Find Out

Bengaluru

oi-Prakash KL

In a bid to alleviate traffic congestion in Bengaluru, officials have decided to deploy Artificial Intelligence tools for monitoring traffic at 20 key junctions, Map APIs, Emoji speed alert displays, and other advanced technologies, Moneycontrol reported.

Advanced data analytics will be used to monitor traffic congestion in the roads including Outer Ring Road, Old Madras Road, Old Airport Road, Hosur Road, Bellary Road, Mysuru Road, Tumakuru Road, and Bannerghatta Road. The designated firm will be tasked with creating an artificial intelligence-powered search engine to effectively handle and manage traffic flow.

"AI software (smart traffic engine) will primarily aid us in monitoring the congestion levels/ vehicle queue lengths on 20 identified high-density corridors," Moneycontrol quoted Joint Commissioner of police (Bengaluru traffic), MN Anucheth as saying.

"Insights from data analytics will enable us to understand patterns in traffic congestion, accidents, and violations, as well as road user perceptions sourced from multiple third-party platforms. Predictive analytics will play a key role, providing advanced alerts for upcoming congestion, along with responsive action plans," a senior police official told the website.

The firm will be responsible for crafting an AI-driven search engine to aid the police in traffic management, the officials said. The data will enable the police to analyze traffic patterns, incidents, and violations. The police can implement proactive action plans and communicate potential congestion points to commuters.

The chosen firm for the project will design a map application that alerts the police to various factors contributing to traffic disruptions, such as fallen trees, accidents, vehicle breakdowns, waterlogging, and other incidents. This information will be disseminated to commuters through messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, and others.

Emoji Displays to Warn Against Speed Violations

On 20 high-density corridors, emojis will be placed to showcase speeds ranging from 5 to 199 kmph. With a detection range spanning 5 to 300 meters and a visibility of over 0300 meters, the displays will feature red-faced emojis for vehicles exceeding speed limits and green emojis for those adhering to speed regulations. The initiative will target key areas prone to speed violations, including Airport Road, Electronic City Flyover, Goraguntepalya, Nayandahalli Road, and other locations with a high incidence of speed-related offences.

Traffic Surveillance For PTZ Cameras

On 12 major locations, the Bengaluru City Police will instal PTZ cameras for traffic surveillance. "We will also install cameras on high-rise buildings at 12 major junctions. Currently, we are utilising three drones, and an additional five drones will be procured soon," Anucheth stated. The traffic department is in the process of acquiring 1,000 metal barriers, 5,000 tubular cones, and road stud reflectors to enhance the efficient management of traffic.

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Story first published: Tuesday, November 21, 2023, 23:48 [IST]
Simon says its time to bring the Electric District to life.

Developer Douglas Jemal is now free to kick off his project to redevelop the former Simon Electric properties and the Mohawk Ramp, after the Buffalo Planning Board on Monday gave him the green light for the first phase of the venture.

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That ambitious multi-year effort, involving several properties and existing buildings on three streets, is expected to add between 400 and 600 apartments to the citys downtown, along with ground-floor retail space and two more floors of parking.

First, Jemal will start with what he has termed the Simon West properties, located at the southwest corner of East Huron and Ellicott streets, and including the existing 36,356-square-foot Burns Building. Thats across from Tappo and Big Ditch Brewing Co.

Plans call for renovating the historic six-story brick Burns Building at 23 E. Huron and a three-story brick-and-stucco building at 348 Ellicott, and construction of a four-story building on the corner parking lot at 31 E. Huron, with a one-story retail section on the side. The three buildings will be connected as one complex, with 62 apartments and 5,600 square feet of ground-floor retail space.

Upon completion, the 69,825-square-foot complex will feature 21 studios, 32 one-bedroom apartments and nine two-bedroom units  with 30 of the apartments in the Burns Building.

The first floor will have three retail spaces, a fitness center, bicycle storage, a leasing office and seven apartments. The second and third floors will have 15 units each, with 13 on the fourth floor and six more on each of the top two floors. Separate entrances on Huron and Ellicott will be created for the retail and residential areas, while parking will be available in the Mohawk Ramp.

The building at 348 Ellicott, which Jemal initially considered demolishing, will not connect to the other two, but will be part of the same project, said architect Lauren Pacheco of Antunovich Associates. Its northern wall will include a mural, behind and above the one-story retail structure at the corner. The new building originally included a special wall-cladding, but will now be all brick, with different colors.

The project previously received approvals from the Buffalo Preservation Board and the Zoning Board of Appeals, as well as from the National Park Service and State Historic Preservation Office for historic tax credits to fund the project.

Separately, the board reviewed but tabled a proposed four-story building at 500-506 Abbott Road, on a half-acre site across from Mercy Hospital of Buffalo, with 36 one- and two-bedroom market-rate apartments above 5,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space.

Its a pretty simple and straightforward project, said project attorney Marc Romanowski. We really see this as a project that is going to integrate itself into the neighborhood.

Foursome plans new apartment project on Abbott Road in South Buffalo Dubbed Abbott Lofts, the 39,416-square-foot building would contain 24 one-bedroom and 12 two-bedroom apartments on the upper three floors, with 5,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space for two neighborhood retail tenants.

The 39,000-square-foot project by Abbott Road Partners  an investment group of four people  still needs a variance for height from the ZBA, which delayed its vote last week until Dec. 13 after neighbors voiced opposition about parking concerns in the South Buffalo neighborhood, near Cazenovia Park. Common Council Member Christopher Scanlon will arrange a neighborhood meeting in the interim.

The project will include 20 parking spaces that residents would pay extra for, mostly underneath a cantilevered section of the building supported by pillars. A traffic demand management study found that would be sufficient based on the likelihood that tenants might already be parking elsewhere if they have cars.

But neighbors complained the shortfall would be problematic. They also voiced concerns about the height of the building and potential loss of privacy from balconies overlooking nearby houses.

I hear this often, people talk about looking into other peoples backyards, Romanowski countered. Unless youre in a neighborhood of ranches, everybody looks into someone elses backyard. Anything over two stories is going to have that effect.

Also on Monday, the board approved several minor modifications of the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authoritys site plan for the Commodore Perry Homes at 339 Perry St. and 448 South Park Ave.

The project, which was approved in July, calls for redeveloping the 35 buildings with 284 units into a mixed-use and mixed-income development with 27 townhouse, low-rise and mid-rise buildings totaling 566,162 square feet, featuring 405 affordable housing units and 8,000 square feet of commercial space. It will include 108 one-bedroom, 110 two-bedroom, 136 three-bedroom, 37 four-bedroom and 14 five-bedroom units.

The changes include new facade materials for the second through fifth floors of two buildings, which will change from fiber-cement panels with a mix of colors on floors two through four and a band of white fiber cement paneling on the fifth floor, to a formed metal panel in red and orange with black-framed inserts for the lower three floors and light-gray fiber cement panels on the fifth. The ground floors remain brick and glass storefront.

For a third building, the northwest corner will now have an extended ground-floor neighborhood center. And a new solar array will be located on the mid-rise building roofs while a ground-mounted system will be placed on the north side of Perry to serve the residential buildings. The number of parking spaces will also drop by eight, to 267.

And it backed a final subdivision for the Main Street Lofts project at 1681-1707 Main, to combine lots for the 147-unit affordable housing development. The project itself was previously approved.
Not Cong, KCR Should Say What He Has Done For Telangana: Rahul Gandhi

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Telangana Polls: KCR's Native Village In Kamareddy Gains Spotlight

Hyderabad

oi-PTI

With ruling BRS supremo K Chandrashekar Rao contesting from Kamareddy assembly segment, his native village Konapur, with its focus on development has come into prominence. The chief minister is testing his electoral fortunes in this constituency for the November 30 assembly polls even as residents have high expectations of more development here.

The BRS chief is contesting from Gajwel Assembly constituency as well.

Rao, also known as KCR, was born on February 17, 1954 in his maternal parent's house located in Konapur village, which was partially submerged due to construction of the Upper Manair Dam in 1950. Most of the agricultural lands in the village then was submerged except for some houses, including the one of the chief minister's maternal grandparents.

Owaisi Slams BJP For Its Telangana Manifesto Promising To Implement UCC

The two-storeyed house that stands tall in the village was left unused and unkept after Rao's maternal grandparents passed away and his parents shifted to Chintamadaka village in erstwhile Medak district when he was an infant. He did his schooling and graduation in Siddipet and masters in Hyderabad.

This old house, which is now in a dilapidated condition, according to locals, was in the past used as a shelter by some naxals but presently has shrubs growing inside and snakes have taken refuge.

Now, KCR is back to his birthplace, literally, after 69 years, to make his 'janma bhumi as karma bhumi'.

Kamareddy is the second assembly constituency after Gajwel where the chief minister is contesting for the first time. State Congress chief Revanth Reddy and BJP's K Venkataramana Reddy are among 73 candidates who are in the fray in this high-profile constituency comprising over 2.40 lakh eligible voters.

''KCR was born in Konapur. After the village was submerged, his parents shifted to Chintamadaka while maternal grandparents continued to live there for sometime,'' the chief minister's brother-in-law and advocate G Ramarao told PTI.

KCR is one of 11 siblings (nine sisters and one brother). The elder brother and four sisters have passed away, he said, and recalled that KCR has always had an interest in politics since his graduation and can catch the pulse of the people very well.

There are about 400 houses in the village and locals take pride in what KCR has done for the development of the village.

Telangana Polls: What Has Congress Promised Voters In its Manifesto?

''This is a small village and earlier no one knew about it. K T Rama Rao (KCR's son) adopted this village. A lot of development has happened. We have better connectivity as roads and bridges have been constructed. We are getting clean drinking tap water and other facilities. We expect further development and therefore will vote for 'Car' (symbol of the BRS party),'' said Rajita, a housewife.

Basvaraja, son of the current sarpanch, recalls, ''I was told in my childhood that KCR was born in this house. The entire village celebrated when KCR became CM for the first time. Now our dream is being fulfilled as he is contesting from our constituency. There will be more development.'' Rama Rao constructed a primary school in Konapur village at personal expense in memory of his paternal grandmother at a cost of Rs 2.50 crore. The school could not be inaugurated due to the election code of conduct, said ex-sarpanch of Konapur village, Channagur Sayegaud.

Though people think this may be his symbolic second birth, KCR seems to be confident that his 'janma bhumi' can never let him down.
Sardarpura Constituency: 'Even BJP Supporters Vote For Ashok Gehlot Here'

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Ashok Gehlot Releases Rajasthan Congress Manifesto, Promises Caste Census Ahead Of Assembly Poll

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

The Congress presented its manifesto for the Rajasthan assembly elections on a recent Tuesday. Leading figures including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rajasthan's party in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, State Party President Govind Singh Dotasra, Manifesto Committee Chairman CP Joshi, and former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot unveiled the manifesto titled 'Jan Ghoshna Patra' at the state party headquarters.

Prior to this, Gehlot had already announced seven pledges, or assurances, to the citizens of Rajasthan if the Congress secures reelection.

The Congress manifesto further pledged the introduction of a novel recruitment scheme at the panchayat level and the implementation of a caste-based census in Rajasthan.

Rajasthan Assembly Polls: What Has BJP Promised Voters In Its Manifesto?

The seven commitments include:

An annual honorarium of Rs 10,000 for the women heading families.

LPG cylinders for Rs 500 to 1.05 crore families.

Purchase of dung from cattle rearers at Rs 2 per kg.

Legislation for the reinstatement of the old pension scheme for government employees.

Provision of laptops or tablets to students enrolling in government colleges.

Insurance coverage of up to Rs 15 lakh per family to offset losses caused by natural calamities.

Facilitation of school education in English medium.

Meanwhile, the BJP has already unveiled its own manifesto.

The Rajasthan assembly elections are slated for November 25, with the vote count scheduled for December 3.
Delhi government blames Finance secretary for SC ire

The Arvind Kejriwal government alleged it had to face the courts ire because the Finance secretary failed to clear the file he had been sent a month ago for the release of funds for the RRTS project.

India

-Krishna Kripa

New Delhi: The Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government has alleged that it faced the Supreme Court's ire on Tuesday because the Finance secretary failed to clear a file related to the release of funds for the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project, which was sent to him a month ago.

Supreme Court Pulls Up Delhi Government

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court pulled up the Delhi government for not providing funds for the RRTS corridors to Alwar and Panipat. The court warned that if the dues were not paid within a week, the funds allocated by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for advertisements would be transferred to the project.

Delhi Government's Response

In a statement, the Kejriwal government said it supports the RRTS project and welcomes the Supreme Court's order. It clarified that it had already released the first tranche of funds, approximately Rs 80 crore, a few months back. However, the file for the release of the remaining funds was approved by the Transport Minister and sent to the Finance Secretary over a month ago, but the funds have not been released yet.

Finance Secretary's Response

Finance secretary Ashish Chandra Verma told reporters that the Finance department had released Rs 80 crore for the RRTS project as demanded by the Transport department and will release further funds if asked to do so. He asserted that the department had not taken any decision regarding the release of funds for the project and whatever money is demanded by the Transport department is released.

Delhi BJP Demands Kejriwal's Resignation

Meanwhile, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva demanded Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's resignation, saying the Supreme Court's order was a serious matter. Sachdeva accused Kejriwal of not only failing the people of Delhi but also violating the directions of the Supreme Court.

RRTS Project

The RRTS project involves the construction of semi-high-speed rail corridors connecting Delhi to Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, Alwar in Rajasthan, and Panipat in Haryana. The apex court observed that budgetary provisions were the state government's responsibility, but if national projects were affected due to spending on advertisements, it would be inclined to direct the transfer of those funds to the project.

Previous Court Hearing

During a hearing on July 24, the Supreme Court had criticized the Delhi government for not fulfilling its share towards the RRTS corridors to Alwar and Panipat and directed it to release Rs 415 crore for the project within two months. The court had also noted that the Delhi government had spent Rs 1,100 crore on advertisements in the last three financial years.

National Capital Region Transport Corporation

The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) is executing the RRTS project, which is a joint venture between the Centre and the states involved. The Delhi-Meerut project is already under construction, and the Arvind Kejriwal government has agreed to pay its share of the cost. However, the Delhi government had earlier refused to share the financial burden for the remaining two stretches, citing a scarcity of funds.

Earlier Court Directive

The top court had earlier directed the Delhi government to contribute Rs 500 crore from the Environment Compensation Charge (ECC) to the RRTS corridor being constructed between Delhi and Meerut.

The Delhi government's allegation against the Finance Secretary and the Supreme Court's stern warning reflect the seriousness of the issue. The court's order to transfer funds allocated for advertisements to the RRTS project highlights the need for responsible spending of public funds. The project's completion will enhance regional connectivity and benefit commuters.
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Three Youth Congress Workers Detained in Kerala Over Fake Voter ID Cards

Three Youth Congress workers have been detained in Kerala for allegedly using fake voter ID cards during the recent organisational polls.

India

-Krishna Kripa

On Tuesday, the Kerala Police detained three Youth Congress members in connection with allegations that fake voter ID cards were used during the organization's recent elections. Laptops, cellphones, and fraudulent election photo identification cards were also taken from them, according to the police.

Youth Congress Leader Denies Allegations

Rahul Mankoottathil, the leader of the Youth Congress, refuted the allegations and asserted that the party had carried out the elections fairly. He said that the charges were made by the opposition to tarnish the party's reputation.

Special Investigation Team Formed

Following the Chief Electoral Officer of the state's receipt of complaints regarding the use of fake voter ID cards during the Youth Congress organizational elections, a case was filed. To look into the situation, an eight-person special investigation team was put together.

Multiple Arrests Made

Abhi Vikram, Feny, and Binil Binu, three members of the Youth Congress who were taken into custody by the police, have been named. In connection with the crime, an FIR has been filed under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating) and 471 (using a forged document as genuine).

Congress MLA Accused

K Surendran, the state president of the BJP, charged a faction of the Congress in Kerala with creating fake voter ID cards and highlighted the serious repercussions of such activity, including potential misuse in general elections and the acquisition of SIM cards. He claimed that a Congress MLA was responsible for creating the software used to generate the phony IDs and that senior Congress figures, including K C Venugopal and V D Satheesan, were aware of it.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) Raises Concerns

The state secretary of the CPIM, M V Govindan, called the incident serious and demanded a quick and thorough investigation. The Left party contacted the Election Commission to express alarm that the use of fake voter ID cards would seriously endanger democracy.

The inquiry into the alleged use of fake voter ID cards during the Youth Congress organizational elections is still ongoing. The police investigation's results and any potential effects on the state's political environment will be keenly watched.
Maratha Quota Activist Manoj Jarange Appeals to Maharashtra Govt to Pass Maratha Reservation Bill

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange has appealed to the Maharashtra government to pass the Maratha reservation bill in the upcoming winter session of the state legislature. He has also exhorted the community members to prepare for a relay fast on December 1.

India

-Krishna Kripa

Thane/Palghar: Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange appealed to the Maharashtra government on Tuesday to pass the Maratha reservation bill in the upcoming winter session of the state legislature. He also exhorted the community members to prepare for a relay fast on December 1.

Jarange had earlier demanded a special session

Interestingly, Jarange had earlier demanded convening a special session for clearing the quota for Marathas in government jobs and education. The activist has been demanding that Marathas be recognized as Kunbis, which will pave the way for the reservation under the OBC category.

Jarange addressed rallies in Thane and Palghar

Jarange addressed rallies of Marathas in Thane, the home turf of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and in Palghar in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Jarange had given a December 24 deadline to the government to act on his demands. Addressing a rally in Thane, he said if the Maratha quota demand is not fulfilled by that time, the government will not be able to handle the agitation after the deadline.

Maharashtra govt can pass a bill in the upcoming session

The Maharashtra government can pass a bill in the upcoming session of the state legislature scheduled to be held from December 7. Instead of calling a special session, give reservation to Marathas in the coming session itself based on the latest Kunbi record findings, Jarange said. He said for the people whose records are not available, the formula of the 2001 Reservation Act be applied to grant quota. CM Shinde can decide on this, he said. If the reservation is not given by December 24, then we will decide our future course of action. From December 25, the agitation will become such that the government will not be able to handle it, Jarange added.

State govt did not want to give reservation to Marathas

Speaking at the Ram Ganesh Gadkari Rangayatan auditorium in Thane, he also alleged that the state government did not want to give reservation to Marathas and was trying to divide society on caste lines. This is a critical phase and we have to remain alert. Maintain peace as there will be attempts to provoke you and divert your attention, but you should not fall prey to any such tactics, he told the people from the Maratha community.

Jarange slams Bhujbal

Without naming Maharashtra minister and Other Backward Classes OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal, Jarange slammed him saying he will have to face the consequences later on. Bhujbal, an NCP leader from the Ajit Pawar faction, has been opposing the demands of Jarange to provide the reservation to Marathas under the OBC grouping.

Jarange asked members of the Maratha community to prepare for a statewide relay fast

Addressing a rally at Palghar, Jarange asked members of the Maratha community to prepare themselves for a statewide relay fast to be observed on December 1. He said the countdown to get the reservation has started and appealed to the Maratha community to guard themselves against attempts of provocation by some people. Accusing Bhujbal of trying to bring discord in society, Jarange said OBCs are brothers of Marathas. Since Kunbi caste records are found, all the conditions for granting reservation are fulfilled. It can pass the legal test, he said.

Manoj Jarange's appeal to the Maharashtra government to pass the Maratha reservation bill in the upcoming winter session of the state legislature has garnered significant attention. His call for a relay fast on December 1 and his exhortation to the Maratha community to prepare for it indicate a rising demand for reservation among the community. The government's response to these demands and the subsequent developments will be closely watched by the people of Maharashtra.
Punjab Health Minister urges Centre to release Rs 621 crore in NHM funds

Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh has urged the Centre to release Rs 621 crore in National Health Mission funds to the state, which has not received any central grants under the programme since December 2022.

India

-Krishna Kripa

Chandigarh: Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh has urged the Centre to release Rs 621 crore as part of the National Health Mission funds to the state. The state has not received any central grants under the program since December 2022. The central government has denied charges of withholding funds, saying the Punjab government was converting their Ayushman Bharat-Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWC) into mohalla clinics, a pet project of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Punjab refutes allegations

Singh refuted the allegations and said the state government has written to the Centre to consider Aam Aadmi Clinics as a state government initiative. "We set up Aam Aadmi Clinics and the results are very good," the state health minister said, stressing that health was a state subject. "In a meeting with the Centre, we told them that Aam Aadmi Clinics have been made part of a state scheme and we will not mix them with the Centres scheme. They should not have any objection now. Therefore, they should release the funds," Singh told reporters here.

AAP government at loggerheads with Centre

The AAP government has been at loggerheads with the Centre over the alleged withholding of funds under the NHM. The AB-HWC is formulated with a 60:40 contribution ratio by the Centre and the state. The Punjab minister said the state department of health and family welfare has received the first prize for its submission titled "Strengthening last mile delivery of drugs: A case study from Punjab" in the Global Health Supply Chain Summit held in Nairobi from November 14-16.

Global recognition for Punjab's healthcare model

Out of the total 85 countries that participated in the summit, at least 40 countries showed a keen interest in visiting Punjab to see the Aam Aadmi Clinics, Singh said. "They want to understand how 84 essential drugs and 40 plus diagnostics are being made available closer to households without any cost to the patients," he said. "If delegates from 40 countries want to come here to see our healthcare model to replicate in their countries, the Centre should also support us and should release the funds for the welfare of the people," said Singh.

Upgradation of healthcare facilities

The minister, however, said that there is no dearth of funds for upgrading healthcare facilities in the state. Singh said 100 more Aam Aadmi Clinics are ready to be thrown open to the public, while the chief minister has also given a go-ahead to set up 70 additional clinics in areas including Hoshiarpur, Pathankot, and Gurdaspur. To ensure the availability of medicines at government health facilities, the chief minister has also given his approval to purchase medicines, Singh said, adding that nobody will have to purchase medicines from private pharmacies.

Singh said Rs 550 crore is being spent for the upgradation of around 40 secondary care health facilities. The upgraded buildings of all the hospitals will be equipped with modern medical facilities including intensive care units (ICUs), ventilators, ultrasound, etc. and people will not have to visit private hospitals to avail such facilities, he added.

Aam Aadmi Clinics making a difference

There are 664 Aam Aadmi Clinics  236 in urban areas and 428 in rural  functioning in the state and over 70 lakh patients have availed free treatment at these clinics so far, the minister said.

The Punjab government's focus on improving healthcare infrastructure and providing accessible and affordable medical services to its citizens is commendable. The Aam Aadmi Clinics have been instrumental in bringing healthcare closer to the people, especially in rural areas. The state government's efforts to upgrade secondary care health facilities will further strengthen the healthcare system and ensure that people have access to quality medical care without having to rely on private hospitals. The Centre should support the state's initiatives and release the pending funds to ensure the continued success of these programs.
Ray Of Hope: Visual Contact Established With 41 Trapped Workers In Uttarkashi Tunnel

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Rescuers have finally made visual contact with the 41 workers trapped inside a collapsed tunnel in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district since nine days i.e November 12. An endoscopic flexi camera was inserted into the tunnel and showed the workers sitting huddled together, waving to the camera.

The first visuals of the trapped workers have brought a glimmer of hope to their families and friends, who have been waiting anxiously for their safe return.

#WATCH | Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand) tunnel rescue | First visuals of the trapped workers emerge as the rescue team tries to establish contact with them. The endoscopic flexi camera reached the trapped workers. pic.twitter.com/5VBzSicR6A  ANI (@ANI) November 21, 2023

A team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Indian Army has been working tirelessly since the collapse to rescue the workers. They have been drilling a hole into the tunnel from the top in an effort to reach them.

Clock Ticking: Workers Trapped For 10 Days In Uttarkashi Tunnel, Vertical Drilling Set For Today

On Monday, they successfully pushed a six-inch-wide pipe through the rubble of the Silkyara tunnel, enabling the delivery of larger quantities of food and supplies to the trapped workers.

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Uttarkashi Tunnel Collapse: Camera through pipe gets first visuals of trapped workers |Oneindia News

Prior to this development, a smaller four-inch pipe had been used to supply oxygen and essential items like dry fruit and medicines to the workers. The new, wider pipe will allow for the delivery of more substantial food supplies and potentially other necessities.

The authorities have devised a comprehensive five-option action plan to rescue the trapped workers. The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) is closely monitoring the situation in real-time, ensuring that all resources are effectively deployed. The plan involves drilling from three sides to access the trapped workers, with five different agencies assigned to specific tasks.

Two horizontal tunnels will be drilled from the right and left sides of the main tunnel, while a vertical shaft will be drilled from the top. Drones and robots from the DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) have also been deployed to explore the possibility of alternative escape routes.

International expertise is also being tapped into. Arnold Dix, a renowned tunneling expert from Switzerland, has conducted an inspection at the tunnel site on Monday. Dix heads the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association (ITA), a Geneva-based organization dedicated to advancing the tunneling industry.

After inspecting the tunnel as well as the area above it from where the vertical drilling operation will commence, Professor Dix seemed optimistic about the rescue operation. "It is looking good but we have to decide whether it's good or a trap, because it's looking very positive. I have got the best experts for this Himalayan geology here, I'm just one" Professor Dix said.

Meet Arnold Dix, Who Has Joined Uttarkashi Tunnel Collapse Rescue Operation

Dix is working alongside multiple agencies spearheading a comprehensive four-pronged strategy for the rescue mission. Among the methods under consideration is the vertical drilling approach, targeting the tunnel face from above. Dix's expertise spans underground and transportation infrastructure, encompassing construction risks and technical aspects crucial to operational safety. Widely regarded as the foremost authority on underground tunneling, he offers invaluable insights into the associated risks.

Meanwhile, the relentless efforts persist to rescue the 41 workers trapped at the Silkyara tunnel collapse site, now into its ninth day. The Uttarakhand Government and central authorities maintain ongoing communication, striving to uphold the spirits of the laborers confined within the 2 km segment of the tunnel. This section sustains access to electricity and water while provisions like channa, murmure, dry fruits, medicines, and more are delivered to the laborers through a 4-inch compressor pipeline.

Challenges Remain

Despite the progress made, challenges remain in the rescue operation. Rescue workers faced an initial setback when a boulder obstructed the progress of a heavy-duty auger machine, halting horizontal boring through the debris. Additionally, the hilly terrain poses logistical challenges in positioning multiple drilling machines at the designated sites. The construction of motorable roads is required to facilitate the movement of machinery, which is a time-consuming process.

Amidst the challenges, the rescue team remains determined to bring the trapped workers home safely.

The distressing incident, reported on November 12, unfolded as a collapse transpired in the under-construction tunnel stretching from Silkyara to Barkot. The entrapment of 41 workers ensued due to debris falling across a 60-meter expanse on the Silkyara side of the tunnel. Initially, a rapid response was sought through the installation of a 900 mm pipe across the debris, deemed the quickest viable solution. However, by November 17, the escalating ground movements rendered this option unsafe for further pursuit.
Northeast India Tourism Conclave Kicks Off in Shillong

The 11th edition of the International Tourism Mart (ITM) kicked off in Shillong, Meghalaya, India, with a focus on the regions tourism potential and rich biodiversity. Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma emphasized the unprecedented economic growth in the Northeast and the support from the Indian government.

India

-Krishna Kripa

In Meghalaya's scenic capital, Shillong, a three-day mega tourism conclave commenced on Tuesday. The event was inaugurated by Union Minister of State for Tourism Shripad Naik in the presence of Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, Meghalaya Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh, and Union Tourism Secretary V Vidyavathi. The renowned Shillong Chamber Choir performed a mesmerizing tribute in the Khasi language for Meghalaya during the event.

Promoting Northeast India's Tourism Potential

The mega event aims to showcase the immense tourism potential of India's northeastern region, highlighting its rich biodiversity and emphasizing the government's Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment). Chief Minister Sangma acknowledged the unprecedented economic growth in the Northeast, crediting the support from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Government of India, and various ministries.

Economic Development and Job Creation

Sangma emphasized the government's focus on ensuring that the Northeastern states progress along with the rest of the country, leading to inclusive economic development. He highlighted the significance of infrastructure development, youth-oriented programs, agriculture, and sectors like tourism in creating job opportunities for the region's youth.

Meghalaya's Unique Tourism Offerings

The Chief Minister highlighted Meghalaya's unique tourism offerings, such as its caves and rich elephant population. He proposed the idea of developing an elephant corridor that could serve as a tourist destination while promoting peaceful coexistence between humans and elephants.

PRASHAD Scheme for Religious Tourism Sites

During the ITM launch event, the Ministry of Tourism announced the sanctioning of Rs 29.32 crore for the development of four key iconic religious tourism sites in Meghalaya under the PRASHAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation And Spiritual Augmentation Drive) scheme. These sites include Nartiang Shakti Peeth, Nongsawlia Presbyterian Church, Aitnar Pool, and Charantala Kali Temple.

Sustainability and Mission LiFE

Union Minister of State for Tourism, Shripad Naik, emphasized the ministry's commitment to sustainable development in the Northeast region. The ITM event adopted low-carbon options, aligning with the action points formulated by the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change for the implementation of Mission LiFE.

Northeast India's Tourism Potential

The International Tourism Mart (ITM) is an annual event organized by the Ministry of Tourism in one of the Northeastern states on a rotational basis. It provides a platform for stakeholders in the region to interact with their counterparts from across the country and overseas markets. The event aims to create awareness about the tourism potential of the Northeast, showcasing its unique products, biodiversity, intangible heritage, and traditional arts and crafts.

The three-day mega tourism conclave in Shillong brought together key players in the tourism industry to explore the immense potential of Northeast India. With its rich biodiversity, cultural heritage, and unique experiences, the region is poised for significant growth in the tourism sector. The event highlighted the government's commitment to sustainable development and job creation through tourism, while also promoting the region's distinct offerings to a global audience.
Shillong to Leverage Tourism Potential of Heritage Sites

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has announced plans to leverage the tourism potential of heritage sites in Shillong and other parts of the state. He also announced plans to open a small museum in a portion of the historic old Assembly building in the capital city.

India

-Krishna Kripa

On Tuesday, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma emphasized the importance of promoting the tourism potential of heritage sites in Shillong and other parts of Meghalaya. He mentioned plans to open a small museum in a portion of the historic old Assembly building in the capital city.

Promoting Heritage Sites for Tourism

In response to a query during the 11th International Tourism Mart in Shillong, Sangma highlighted the need for a generic policy to promote heritage sites for tourism. He emphasized the importance of bringing together different stakeholders and connecting various aspects to develop a comprehensive strategy.

Shillong's Historical Significance

Shillong, once the capital of undivided Assam, is known as the "Scotland of the East" and is renowned for its historical significance and natural beauty. The three-day International Tourism Mart aims to showcase the tourism potential of the northeast, with a particular focus on Meghalaya as the host state.

Old Assembly Building as a Heritage Site

The old Assembly building in Shillong, which was built during the British era, holds significant historical value. Despite being partially burnt down around 20 years ago, the site has been left untouched. Sangma mentioned that once the new assembly building is inaugurated in September 2024, plans are in place to establish a small museum or heritage site in a section of the old building.

Balancing Tourism and Environment Protection

When asked about the state's strategy to balance tourism-related development with environmental protection, Sangma highlighted the focus on sustainable tourism and ecotourism. The government aims to create policies that avoid putting excessive pressure on specific tourist sites.

By leveraging the tourism potential of heritage sites like the old Assembly building, Raj Bhavan, and Rabindranath Tagore's house, Meghalaya aims to attract visitors while preserving its rich history and natural beauty. The state's commitment to sustainable tourism and ecotourism ensures responsible development that minimizes the impact on the environment.
Elmwood Taco & Subs workers are scheduled to vote next week on whether to unionize, and union organizers say the fast-food restaurant has broken the law in its quest to return a no vote.

In an effort to discourage unionizing, ETS held a mandatory meeting, cut worker hours and interrogated workers about union activity, according to workers. All of those activities are illegal, and workers have filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board.

Unfortunately in the last month, instead of respecting workers right to organize, ETS management has responded with a number of union-busting measures, said Casey Moore, a spokesperson for Workers United, the union workers are contemplating joining.

ETS declined to comment.

Worker Abel Lopez said he faced retaliation from management for organizing, and that his hours had been cut drastically. He used to work five days per week but has been cut down to two days.

They stated that the reason for this was that business is very slow this time of year, Lopez said.

But thats not the case, he said. And the company has posted a sign to try to hire more people, even as it cuts down worker hours.

Its been busy back-to-back, nonstop for weeks, Lopez said.

ETS also held a mandatory anti-union meeting for workers, he said. Such meetings are illegal according to both New York State law and the National Labor Relations Act.

It was their lawyer trying to deter us from continuing forward with the union, Lopez said. They brought up Starbucks and how they havent won anything, and said just because were in a union, it doesnt mean youre promised anything.

Elmwood Taco & Subs has been family-owned and operated since it was founded in 1975 by Ron Lucchino. Today, its run by his two children, Mike Lucchino and Jackie Kooshoian.

Workers will vote Nov. 28 to decide whether to join the Workers United union.
Sourav Ganguly's tweet on 'new chapter of life'; is he joining BJP?

Sourav Ganguly Is The Brand Ambassador Of Bengal

India

oi-Prakash KL

Sourav Ganguly is the new brand ambassador of West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee on Tuesday announced at the Bengal Global Business Summit.

Speaking at the occasion, Banerjee said, "Sourav Ganguly is a very popular figure and he can work for the young generation in a very good manner. I want to involve him as the Brand Ambassador of Bengal..."

The Bengal Global Business Summit, an annual affair, is being attended by several hundred companies from 17 countries.

The Bengal's Chief Minister has announced a slew of new policies including plans to double the state's exports, modernise its logistics and promote renewable energy manufacturing, while opening the Bengal Global Business Summit.

Banerjee announced a policy to boost the use of biofuels and announced the establishment of a new sub-sea cable landing station in the sea-resort of Digha to enhance internet connectivity in the eastern region. The Chief Minister also shared that the state's economy is experiencing a growth rate of 8.41 per cent, projecting it to reach USD 212 billion in the current fiscal year.

Addressing a star-studded gathering of business leaders, including Mukesh Ambani from the petrochemical to retail sector, Sanjeev Goenka from the energy industry, and Rishad Premji from Wipro, Banerjee disclosed plans for the creation of four new industrial corridors. These corridors will span from Dankuni to Kalyani, Tajpur port to Raghunathpur, Dankuni to Jhargram, and Durgapur to Cooch Behar in north Bengal.

The Reliance Industries has invested close to Rs 45,000 crore in the last few years in the state, Ambani said. "Reliance will leave no stone unturned to accelerate Bengal's growth," he asserted. The Reliance Foundation will also take up the task of renovating and restoring the iconic Kalighat Temple in Kolkata to regain its "original glory", Ambani added.

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Story first published: Tuesday, November 21, 2023, 18:34 [IST]
Finland May Take Further Actions on Border With Russia

Caught On Cam: Ukrainian Sniper Kills Russian Enemy From A Record Distance Of 3.8 KM

International

oi-Prakash KL

A Ukrainian sniper has reportedly set a new world record by killing a Russian soldier from a distance of almost 2.5 miles using a customized rifle named 'Lord of the Horizon.'

The previous record was held by a Canadian special operations sniper in Iraq in 2017 at a distance of 2.2 miles.

"He hit a Russian soldier from an incredible distance. SBU snipers are changing the rules of world sniping, demonstrating the ability to work effectively at fantastic distances," a statement from the statement, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said. "SBU snipers are changing the rules of world sniping, demonstrating the ability to work effectively at fantastic distances."

A video capturing the record-setting moment of a Ukrainian soldier has gained widespread attention on social media. The shot, made with a domestically produced rifle known as 'the Lord of the Horizon,' is depicted in the footage, revealing the Russian soldier collapsing to the ground following the precise long-distance shot by the Ukrainian sniper.

A Ukrainian sharpshooter shattering the longest kill record.



A new record claim for a successful sniper shot was set when a Ukrainian sniper and special operations serviceman from the Security Service of Ukraine, or SBU, hit a Russian soldier at 3,800 meters (2,36 miles).



Prior pic.twitter.com/HtMGNkHSUU  War&Peace (@realpeacenotwar) November 19, 2023

Manufactured by MAYAK, the weapon is designed to discharge bullets that can travel at speeds faster than the sound barrier for a distance of nearly 10,000 feet when paired with the correct ammunition.

It has to be noted that the world record was held by British sniper Craig Harrison, after he killed Taliban fighter in Afghanistan in 2009 from a distance of 1.54 miles.

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Story first published: Tuesday, November 21, 2023, 20:26 [IST]
Trump Lashes Out From The Witness Stand At Judge, NY Attorney General As He Testifies In Fraud Trial

Ivanka Trump Testifies She Had No Role in Her Fathers Financial Statements

Trump Sues 20 Media Outlets Over Misreporting On Truth Social Losses: What Is The Issue All About?

International

oi-Prakash KL

Former US President Donald Trump remains deeply aggrieved by the inaccurate coverage surrounding the financial setbacks of his Twitter alternative, Truth Social.

In the latest lawsuit on Monday, the former President contends that these reports constitute a far-reaching media conspiracy, implicating "no less than 20 major media outlets."

Filed in Sarasota County, Florida, on behalf of Trump Media & Technology Group, the lawsuit identifies various significant news outlets as well as niche platforms with a focus on finance, politics, or left-leaning perspectives as the defendants. Notable entities listed in the lawsuit include MSNBC, Newsweek, CNBC, Reuters, The Daily Beast, the Miami Herald (along with its executive editor Alex Mena), Mediatie, The Hill, The New York Daily News, the Daily Mail, Axios, The Hollywood Reporter, Salon, Deadline, and Miami Herald.

What Is The Case All About?

His lawsuit claims that the mention of $73 million figure "was an utter fabrication. Each defendant, in apparent coordination, reported the exact same false number within approximately 24 hours of one another, each citing to a public Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") filing, in which the mystery $73 million loss appears nowhere."

Trump Lashes Out From The Witness Stand At Judge, NY Attorney General As He Testifies In Fraud Trial

It was "a coordinated effort" to damage the reputation of Trump Media & Technology Group and to "torpedo" the merger with Digital World Acquisition Corp.

The lawsuit points to what it deems a conspiracy by highlighting the very nature of journalism itself as evidence. It specifically notes the similarity in headlines regarding the financial losses and underscores that although articles were updated and corrected, they were not taken down from the websites.

Now, Trump's Truth Social wants $1.5 billion in damages from the news organizations.

"On November 14, 2023, TMTG contacted each of these media defendants, notifying them in writing of their error, specifying that their statements about a supposed $73 million loss were false and defamatory, and demanding a retraction and apology. To date, while some defendants have issued little-noticed "corrections" or "updates," none have retracted the defamatory articles, publicly apologized, or taken any other steps to ameliorate the continuing damage," the lawsuit alleges.

Nonetheless, some media houses including CNBC has made corrections to the story and posted 'Editor's Note'.

"This article and headline have been corrected to state that Trump Media and Technology Group, the parent company of Truth Social, has lost $31.6 million since it was founded in 2021, according to an SEC filing. A previous version gave an incorrect figure for the total loss. This article has also been corrected to reflect that in 2022 TMTG had a profit - rather than a loss - of $50.5 million," the note read.

Truth Social is the alternative social media platform backed by former President Donald Trump after he was banned from Twitter and suspended from Meta Platforms Inc.'s Facebook and Instagram after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection.
Vivek Ramaswamy Struggles To Gain Traction With Iowa Republicans As Critics Question His Path Ahead

International

oi-PTI

Ten minutes before Vivek Ramaswamy was to take the stage in a dated casino hotel in western Iowa, no one was in the conference room except for two staffers from the Iowa GOP, which organised the event, and a group of journalists.

Guests started trickling in at the time the event was scheduled. By the time Ramaswamy began his remarks an hour later, there were about 60 people.

While Ramaswamy is packing his schedule with stops across Iowa, he has failed to move up in the 2024 Republican primary race and is increasingly at risk of becoming an afterthought.

He is polling in the mid to high single digits and has left critics asking what his endgame is or if he is staying in the race only to boost former President Donald Trump.

Nikki Haley Calls Vivek Ramaswamy 'Scum' After He Says Her Daughter Uses TikTok

Ramaswamy is falling behind just as the GOP campaign enters the critical final weeks before the Iowa caucuses on January 15.

After an earlier flurry of attention, the 38-year-old biotech entrepreneur and first-time political candidate is gaining more notice for his provocations in debates than for signs that his campaign is resonating with voters.

"If viability were the reason to stay in a race, he's long since left that behind," said David Kochel, a Republican strategist who advised Jeb Bush in his 2016 presidential bid. "If you like Vivek Ramaswamy and what he is saying in this campaign, you already have a candidate, and his name is Donald Trump." Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are increasingly going after each other as they vie for a distant second place, competing for donors and voters open to a Trump alternative. Former Vice President Mike Pence and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott dropped out after running Iowa-focused campaigns that didn't gain traction.

Ramaswamy's campaign said in early November that it would spend up to USD 8 million in advertising through the Iowa caucuses on January 15. So far, the campaign has booked just USD 162,000 in broadcast and digital ads for the rest of the Iowa campaign, according to data from the media tracking firm AdImpact.

Haley and her allied super PAC have reserved nearly USD 3.5 million over that same period, while DeSantis and his allied super PAC have booked more than USD 3.3 million.

Tricia McLaughlin, Ramaswamy's campaign spokeswoman, said that events hosted by the campaign are drawing more people lately, noting that a sizable number of eventgoers are not registered as Republicans.

"We are reaching young people," she said. "These people are taking the time and effort to come out. These people are not even being polled because they are not your typical caucusgoer." Ramaswamy has suggested policy ideas that he says carry on Trump's "America First" legacy without the former president's baggage.

At a Florida GOP event earlier this month, Ramaswamy arguably drew the most cheers when his pitch was that he was the Republican candidate who had been most supportive of Trump.

"I have respected Donald Trump more than anybody else in this race because he was the best president of the 21st century," Ramaswamy said. "I said that before, and I will say it again because it's the right thing to do. We will honour that legacy." Trump remains dominant, even as he faces four criminal indictments and questions about whether he can beat President Joe Biden after losing to him in 2020.

After the October 7 surprise attack on Israel, Ramaswamy has fielded criticism for not being as staunchly pro-Israel as the other GOP candidates. Two days after Hamas' attack, he suggested the US withhold aid to Israel until its government detailed plans for Gaza. Republican voters align heavily with Israel.

Presidential Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy's Campaign Car Attacked by Protesters in Iowa

Voters and strategists critical of Ramaswamy bring up his position on Israel, but also his age and faith.

Ramaswamy is Hindu and would be the first non-Christian elected president. Iowa's Republican voters are mostly white and Christian, with evangelicals carrying huge influence in the caucuses.

The gathering in the Council Bluffs hotel kicked off with an opening prayer that ended with "in the name of our saviour Jesus Christ." The crowd responded with a collective "amen".

While he was cheered and applauded for some of his remarks, when he opened up about his religion, he was met with silence.

"I'd be the first Hindu president that we had in the United States," he said. "I'll tell you about my faith. I believe in one true God. I believe that God put each of us here for a purpose, that we have a moral duty to live out that purpose." Ramaswamy did not take questions from either the audience or reporters. Many people in the audience declined to speak to an Associated Press reporter afterward.

Rebecca Wilkerson, a 52-year-old voter from Mondamin, Iowa, said most of her friends and family are still supporting Trump like she did over the past seven years, but she is now looking for a change, saying Trump is too old for the White House at 77. She became a Ramaswamy supporter despite those around her feeling apprehensive about his religion.

"They can't get past the fact that he's Hindu," Wilkerson said. "But I'm not voting based on that. I like his policies, and that's what I care about in a president." The next day, Ramaswamy attended a roundtable with Haley and DeSantis hosted by Bob Vander Plaats, an influential Iowa Christian activist. In what was billed as a "family discussion", the three candidates addressed each other by first name and avoided going after each other. Vander Plaats asked each of them faith-related questions.

"I think it's only fair to address what I believe is your highest hurdle from what I'm hearing," Vander Plaats told Ramaswamy. "We don't share the same faith. I'm a Christian. You're a Hindu, and you centred your campaign on truth. So a question a lot of the caucusgoers have is, what truth?" Ramaswamy said he was grateful for the question. Holding in his lap his 3-year-old son, Karthik, Ramaswamy repeated what he told the room in Council Bluffs, that he believed in one true God and that God "put each of us here for a purpose." "My faith teaches me that we have a duty, a moral duty, to realise that purpose, that we're God's instruments," he said. "He works through us in different ways, but we are still equal because God resides in each of us." Ron Bonjean, a GOP strategist and former top congressional aide, noted Ramaswamy has been trying to build off the momentum built in the first debate, when he grabbed the spotlight introducing himself as a skinny guy with a hard-to-pronounce name. He then declared he was the only person on the stage who wasn't bought and paid for.

"He's being aggressive. He's trying to do all the right things to get noticed, to showcase to voters that he's a Trump alternative," Bonjean said, adding his effort is to be seen as a "Trump mini-me".

"He is excellent at debating other candidates on stage, but he can't back it up with real-world leadership and government experience," he added.

Lisa Unnerstall, 63, a Republican voter from Fort Myers, Florida, said she likes Ramaswamy and would like to see him serve in Trump's Cabinet because of his "forward thinking." But she said her first and second choices are Trump and DeSantis.

"I'm concerned with his age," Unnerstall said of Ramaswamy. "I don't think that a person necessarily has to be a long-time politician in order to become president. Obviously, I voted for Trump. He was not a politician. So I really think it's more about life experience."

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Story first published: Tuesday, November 21, 2023, 11:40 [IST]
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced the latest aid package during a surprise visit to Kyiv. Meanwhile, the US has sanctioned the so-called "Butcher of Bucha." DW has the latest.
The hijacking of the Galaxy Leader cargo ship in the Red Sea is a further escalation by the Iran-backed Houthi militia in their support of Hamas. Yet it's unlikely the militia will be a serious threat to Israel.
Eurasia Review 15 Nov 2023

By Dhesigen Naidoo



Since the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October, the world has seen the unfolding of possibly the worst..
Leaders of the Brics countries, along with newly added member-states, will participate in a virtual meeting to discuss the Israel-Hamas conflict. Russian President Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping have confirmed their participation, while India is expected to be represented by Foreign Minister S Jaishankar. The meeting will be chaired by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and a joint statement on Gaza will be issued. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will also be present.
India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ruchira Kamboj, has advocated for the resumption of direct negotiations towards establishing a sovereign, independent, and viable state of Palestine living peacefully alongside Israel. Kamboj also highlighted India's opposition to terrorism and its commitment to providing humanitarian aid to Palestine. In a separate development, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will host a virtual BRICS Extraordinary Joint Meeting to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres participating.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang will attend the virtual G20 Leaders' Summit at India's invitation. The summit will focus on key outcomes from the G20 conclave in September, as well as the Russia-Ukraine war and Israel-Hamas conflict. It will also aim to implement decisions made at the previous G20 summit in New Delhi. Leaders from all G20 members, along with guest countries and international organizations, have been invited to attend. India currently holds the G20 presidency until November 2023.
The Buffalo Niagara jobless rate ticked higher during October as the region lost jobs and its pool of unemployed workers swelled by more than 10%, the state Labor Department said Tuesday.

The job losses, detailed in a separate report released by the Labor Department last week, helped push the regions unemployment rate up to 3.8% during October, matching the eight-month high it hit in August.

While the unemployment rate remains low by historical standards, the October increase, coupled with the loss of 800 jobs last month, is a sign that the regions job market could be cooling.

The number of workers filing for unemployment benefits for the first time jumped to 1,300 during the week that ended on Nov. 11  the most in any single week since mid-July, the Labor Department reported.

While weekly unemployment claims can vary widely from week to week, the less volatile four-week moving average of initial jobless claims topped 1,000 during the latest week, also for the first time since July.

Still, local economists said the regional job market remains solid, with companies continuing to look to hire and the number of unemployed workers, even with the October increase, still on the low end by the regions historic standards.

The regions unemployment rate rose from 3.4% in September, but it matched Augusts 3.8% jobless rate. In October 2022, the regions jobless rate was 3%.

While the country has recovered all of the jobs lost during the pandemic and has gone on to add 3% more positions since, the Buffalo Niagara region still has about 14,000 jobs less than it did before Covid-19.

Were just kind of flat, said Timothy Glass, the Labor Departments regional economist in Buffalo.

Seasonal hiring by local retailers was particularly weak during October, with about 3% fewer retail jobs than a year ago  a shift that eliminated what traditionally has been a pathway to at least temporary employment during the fall and early part of winter.

This year, with wages rising and internet shopping continuing to increase, stores are cutting back on the extra staff they previously hired during the holidays, said Julie Anna Golebiewski, a Canisius University economist.

We will not see as many people hired during the holidays, she said.

One of the reasons retail hiring has softened is that workers remain difficult to find. The Buffalo Niagara workforce shrunk by more than 6,000 people, or around 1%, from September to October, a much bigger decline than is typical for that time period.

At the same time, the number of unemployed people jumped by 2,000 to nearly 21,000, its second-highest level since February.
Foreign minister S Jaishankar addressed the BRICS leaders, treading carefully on the Gaza crisis. He blamed the Hamas attacks for the current situation but also called for the concerns of the Palestinian people to be addressed. EAM emphasized the need for a two-state solution and condemned civilian deaths and terrorism. In the recent case of the UN resolution, which was on a humanitarian truce, India opted to abstain as there are lack of condemnation of Hamas attacks.
Against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas conflict, a major gathering of global leaders will take place on Wednesday, when the worlds largest economies and the African Union come together for a virtual meeting of the G20, convened by India. While Russian President Vladimir Putin will make an appearance at the G20 for the first time in at least two years, US President Joe Biden will not be present due to Thanksgiving and will be represented by treasury secretary Janet Yellen.
The House has nominated Mike Johnson for Speaker of the House. The FBI ignored more than 40 Biden whistleblowers with information..

Rumble 28 Oct 2023
Federal authorities this week announced that an illegal immigrant child rapist from Brazil was arrested last week in Martha's Vineyard and will face deportation proceedings.
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Holland Casino faces scrutiny from Dutch gambling regulator KSA over its control database (CDB) compliance. With a potential penalty or igaming licence withdrawal looming, the casino must address longstanding issues to meet regulatory standards and maintain its market position.

Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Dutch gambling regulator, has raised significant concerns about Holland Casino's adherence to igaming regulations, particularly regarding its control database (CDB). The issue, which emerged in late 2021, has seen KSA continuously urging Holland Casino to meet the necessary compliance standards mandated by Dutch law.

The Importance of Accurate CDB

Control Databases (CDBs) play a crucial role in the regulated online gambling market, storing data from various gambling activities. KSA, having access to these systems, emphasizes the importance of accurate and current data within these databases. Initially, KSA identified discrepancies in the data provided by Holland Casino's CDB, deeming it non-compliant with the set legal requirements.

Efforts to Address Compliance Shortfalls

Following KSA's initial contact in late 2021, Holland Casino tried rectifying the flagged issues. However, subsequent consultations and testing sessions by KSA in 2022 revealed ongoing challenges and unresolved problems despite Holland Casino's claims of making necessary improvements.

KSA's Binding Action and Testing Results

In response to these persisting issues, KSA granted Holland Casino a verification period in early 2023 to align its CDB with regulatory expectations. However, even after this period, KSA found errors in player data quality and data model implementation. This led to KSA's decision to impose a binding instruction on the operator, requiring Holland Casino to resolve these issues within a set timeframe.

Possible Regulatory Actions and Legal Disputes

As Holland Casino failed to complete the required improvements, KSA warned of possible regulatory actions, including penalties, administrative fines, or withdrawing its igaming license. Holland Casino responded by objecting and seeking a provisional injunction, ultimately rejected by the District Court of The Hague, thereby continuing the six-week compliance period.

Holland Casino's Stance and Future Implications

Despite the regulatory pressure, Holland Casino maintains that its CDB complies with regulations and has made several improvements based on KSA's feedback. Resolving these compliance issues is crucial for Holland Casino to retain its license and continue operations in the Dutch online gambling market. The outcome of this situation will set a precedent for regulatory compliance and operator accountability in the industry.

Ongoing Compliance Issues with Holland Casino

The standoff between Holland Casino and KSA highlights the importance of stringent regulatory compliance in the igaming sector. As Holland Casino navigates these challenges, the industry watches closely to see how this situation unfolds and what it means for the future of regulated online gambling in the Netherlands.
Ecliptic Brewing, after announcing the closure of its two locations and sale of its brand, on Friday will hold a public sale of its archive of rare beers.

John Harris, an elder statesman of Oregons brewing industry, founded Ecliptic in 2013. The brewery saw consistent growth after it opened and expanded to a 30-barrel production brewhouse that produced about 20,000 barrels a year. Its popularity led to widespread distribution, including throughout Oregon and Washington and in Idaho, Colorado, North Carolina, Canada and Japan.

But the malaise that has fallen across the brewing industry since the pandemic has not spared Ecliptic, which has seen a drop in sales of draft and packaged beer as well as fewer customers at its two locations  the Mothership brewpub in North Portland and the Moon Room satellite location in Southeast Portland.

Harris, Ecliptics owner and brewmaster, said the financial straits the company was in prompted the sale, which was announced on the brewerys social media pages.

Our business has been really challenging the past two years, Harris said. We have encountered so many issues that other small businesses have faced: a pandemic, rising cost of goods, supply chain issues and the overall economic climate. It has gotten to the point where we are no longer able to continue operations.

The new owner of the Ecliptic brand is Great Frontier Holdings, a collective of brands that was formed in the spring through the union of Eugenes Ninkasi Brewing and Californias Wings & Arrow. The parent companys brands include Ninkasi, Ashland Hard Seltzer, Wings & Arrow Beer, Villager Spirits, Mucho Aloha Hard Lemonade, Voyage Hard Iced Tea and now Ecliptic, all of which are either in California or Oregon.

The sale, Harris said, allows him to settle Ecliptics debts and bills that accumulated as the brewerys growth stagnated then slipped. Terms of the deal, which werent disclosed, arent a retirement scenario for him, however, and the 60-year-old said he would work for Great Frontier in Ecliptics beer and brand development.

Harris is a renowned brewer who started at McMenamins in 1986, was founding brewmaster at Deschutes Brewery in 1988, then brewmaster at Full Sail Brewings Portland location in 1992. The beers he created are no less well-known, including McMenamins Hammerhead pale ale and Deschutes Black Butte Porter and Mirror Pond Pale Ale, just to name a few. Opening Ecliptic  with its astronomy theme reflecting his passion for the stars and universe  was a career-long dream.

Im sad to sell, but Im jazzed that this allows the brand to live on, Harris told The Oregonian/OregonLive.

Ecliptic beer will now be brewed at the Ninkasi brewery in Eugene and will still be available in stores and restaurants. Harris said he was working to sell Ecliptics two Portland properties.

The rare-beer sale will include hundreds of mostly bottles dating back to 2014. A sample of the offerings includes:

Barrel-aged Oort Imperial Stout (2016-18)

Barrel-aged Orange Giant (2014-17)

3rd Orbit Imperial Porter w/Cherries

Comet Colala Passionfruit Imperial Wit (2017)

Red Wine Barrel-aged w/Raspberries and Cherries Rastaban Oud Bruin Belgian Brown (2015-16)

19th Anniversary Barrel-aged Belmont Station Collabr Barley Wine (2016)

Syrah Barrel-aged Ultra Violet Blackberry Sour (2017)

4th Orbit Imperial Mango IPA

If You Go

What: Ecliptic Brewing Archive

When: Noon to 3 p.m. Friday, Nov. 24

Where: Ecliptic Brewing, 825 N. Cook St.

 Andre Meunier; sign up for my weekly newsletter Oregon Brews and News, and follow me on Instagram, where Im @oregonianbeerguy.
The founder of Binance, the worlds largest cryptocurrency exchange, pleaded guilty Tuesday to a felony charge that he failed to take steps to prevent money laundering as the company agreed to pay more than $4 billion following an investigation by the U.S. government.

CEO Changpeng Zhao pleaded guilty to one count of failure to maintain an effective anti-money-laundering program in federal court in Seattle. Binance is a Cayman Islands limited liability company.

The plea comes as the company agreed to pay over $4 billion as part of an agreement with the U.S. government, a person familiar with the agreement told The Associated Press. The person confirmed the amount on the condition of anonymity ahead of an expected announcement.

The charge was similar to practices uncovered after the collapse of the second largest cryptocurrency exchange, FTX, last year.

The judge set Zhaos sentencing for Feb. 23, however thats likely to be delayed as both sides agreed there would be no sentencing for at least six months.

Zhao had previously faced allegations of diverting customer funds, concealing the fact that the company was commingling billions of dollars in investor assets and sending them to a third party that Zhao also owned.

It comes months after the company was accused of operating as an unregistered securities exchange and violating a slew of U.S. securities laws in a lawsuit from regulators.

The cryptocurrency industry has been marred by scandals and market meltdowns. Sam Bankman-Fried, the 31-year-old founder of the failed cryptocurrency brokerage FTX, was convicted earlier this month of fraud for stealing at least $10 billion from customers and investors.

Of his many depictions in the cryptocurrency industry, Changpeng was best known as the chief rival to Bankman-Fried.

Changpeng and Bankman-Fried were originally friendly competitors in the industry, with Binance investing in FTX when Bankman-Fried launched the exchange in 2019. However, the relationship between the two deteriorated, culminating in Changpeng announcing he was selling all of his cryptocurrency investments in FTX in early November 2022. FTX filed for bankruptcy a week later.

At this trial and in later public statements, Bankman-Fried tried cast blame on Binance and Changpeng for allegedly orchestrating a run on the bank at FTX.

A jury found Bankman-Fried guilty of wire fraud and several other charge in October. He is expected to be sentenced in March, where he could face decades in prison.
* Coffee, avocados and macadamia nuts, originating from various parts of the world, have been widely grown in China's Yunnan, earning widespread acclaim in the global market.

* Such progress underscores China's expanding engagement with the world and reflects its robust economic vitality.

* The three foreign specialties, having traversed the oceans, are thriving in Yunnan and propelling ethnic minority areas toward shared prosperity.

by Xinhua writers Li Yin, Ji Zhepeng, Yang Jing

KUNMING, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The border city of Pu'er, southwest China's Yunnan Province, is adorned with an abundance of red coffee fruits in November, dangling generously from the branches before being harvested and prepared for use in cafes across the country.

In recent years, coffee has found a thriving home in Yunnan, along with avocados and macadamia nuts, originating from various parts of the world.

These products have evolved into pillar industries in the border areas of China and earned widespread acclaim in global markets. Such progress underscores China's expanding engagement with the world and reflects its robust economic vitality.

MELLOW COFFEE

By the end of 2022, with a coffee planting area encompassing 679,000 mu (about 45,267 hectares) and an annual output exceeding 55,700 tonnes, Pu'er had become a leading city within China in terms of both coffee production and output value.

At the Xiaowazi coffee manor in Pu'er, manager Liao Xiugui carefully inspects the quality of this year's beans. A pioneer among local growers, he embarked on his coffee journey in the late 1980s. He has dedicated himself to cultivating excellent coffee and roasting premium products for over three decades.

"At first, I just wanted to diversify the planting structure and boost local incomes," said 82-year-old Liao. Starting in 2019, he initiated the integration of coffee and tourism, establishing tour routes and immersive coffee-brewing experience sites within his coffee base, which covers 300 mu.

In recent years, the informative content released by the manor, highlighting over 40 varieties of coffee trees, has gained popularity on social media platforms. Around 2,000 coffee enthusiasts from across the globe would flock to the destination each month on average.

For 40 yuan (about 5.5 U.S. dollars), visitors can sample nine distinct types of coffee, explore coffee plantations and processing facilities, and acquire insights into coffee technology.

Xiaowazi is a microcosm of the robust development of coffee in Yunnan. Data from the provincial department of agriculture and rural affairs shows that in 2022, the province's coffee cultivation area topped 1.27 million mu, yielding a total output of 113,600 tonnes. The comprehensive output value amounted to 41.8 billion yuan.

FRESH AVOCADOS

Avocados have also gained popularity among China's urban residents as they pursue a healthier lifestyle. Referred to as "forest butter," avocados were almost entirely imported into China in the past. However, Menglian County in Pu'er has emerged as the largest avocado-planting county in China.

This year's fresh avocado output in Menglian is expected to surpass 10,000 tonnes, with an estimated output value exceeding 300 million yuan.

For the ethnic Lahu people in Menglian County, the concept of "avocado" is absent from their local language. The idea that something nonexistent in their linguistic repertoire could evolve into an industry that boosts their income is something they could not have anticipated.

In recent years, through technical support and capital awards, Menglian County has elevated the avocado industry into a leading sector that enriches people's incomes.

Naduo, 53, from Nanya Village in Menglian, owns more than 30 mu of land. Previously, her family cultivated sugar cane and corn, and had quite a limited income. In 2018, village officials encouraged them to invest their land in an avocado cooperative.

After thorough research on planting techniques and fruit production, Naduo decided to invest 24 mu of land in the cooperative. She and her husband also took on the role of avocado conservators for the cooperative.

"Taking care of an avocado tree can earn 11 yuan a year," she said, adding that managing the avocado trees can generate an annual income of 22,000 yuan. By raising chickens under the trees, her family can earn an additional income each year.

NUTRITIOUS NUTS

While coffee and avocados have established themselves in the market, macadamia nuts, rich in various nutrients, are also gaining traction on China's e-commerce platforms and in supermarkets.

Native to Australia, macadamia nuts found their way to Yunnan in the 1980s when the province began experimenting with cultivating this exotic nut. During that period, domestic consumers in China had not yet been introduced to such unconventional nuts.

The initial aim of the local government in Yunnan was to alleviate poverty and improve the economic status of ethnic minorities in the mountainous areas, while also generating foreign exchange through exports.

Lincang is a city in Yunnan with a distinctive geographical environment, intersected by the Tropic of Cancer. The area boasts fertile soil, ample sunshine and abundant rainfall, creating unique natural conditions that offer an ideal environment for the cultivation of macadamia nuts.

As of October, the macadamia nut planting area in Lincang had reached 2.63 million mu, yielding an output of 60,000 tonnes. The planting area accounts for over half of the global total.

In Lincang, the range of macadamia nut products has evolved beyond the traditional use of dried nuts as food. The industry now utilizes the entire fruit to develop products of high added value, such as health foods, cosmetics and medicines.

Coffee, avocados and macadamia nuts, having traversed the oceans, are thriving in Yunnan and propelling ethnic minority areas toward shared prosperity, said Chen Xiaowei, deputy director of the institute of rural development at the Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences. "This success shows the accomplishments of international agricultural exchanges and cooperation."
Three people were arrested Sunday for trespassing in the construction area of the new Buffalo Bills stadium, according to a spokesman for the Erie County Sheriffs Office.

Bills security apprehended the individuals and turned them over to sheriffs deputies, the spokesman said.

The suspects were identified as 22-year-old Kyle Bauer of West Seneca and 31-year-old Tanner Brunet and 25-year-old Owen Bainbridge, both of Ontario, Canada.

All three individuals were charged with third-degree criminal trespass, and released on appearance tickets to return to Town of Orchard Park Court.

 Harold McNeil
Portland will lose its latest car-sharing service at the end of the month.

Free2Move announced that it will pull its free-floating fleet of Jeeps from Portland roads at the end of November. The service, owned by Jeep manufacturer Stellantis, arrived in Portland in June 2021.

Free2Move rents cars by the minute. Its customers can pick up the cars wherever theyre parked and leave them at their destination, so long as its within the companys 20-square-mile service area. Portland lost its last major car-sharing service of the type in October 2019, when Car2Go left the city. (Free2Move bought Car2Go in 2022.)

Dalyce Semko, a spokesperson for Free2Move, said Portland wasnt as profitable for the company as some of its other markets, such as Washington, D.C. The company will continue to rent out cars in Portland on a monthly basis.

Zipcar still offers on-demand rentals in Portland, but unlike Free2Move and similar services, users are required to return the cars to the same place from which they picked them up.

The Portland Bureau of Transportation welcomed services like Free2Move, celebrating them as a way to help residents reduce their dependence on car ownership and cut down on traffic congestion and pollution. It issued permits allowing the cars to use most street parking without time limits or meter fees for up to 24 hours.

PBOT spokesperson Dylan Rivera called the news of Free2Moves departure unfortunate, and said Portlanders had taken more than 175,000 trips via the car-sharing service since it launched.

Rivera said the city didnt make any financial investments into the service, but adapted its rules to allow Free2Move to pay a reduced parking permit fee and fee per ride.

He said the city would remain open to other car-sharing companies.

The company had its share of hiccups. Earlier this year, a driver reported a hit-and-run by a Free2Move car and said that the company failed to pay her claim or cooperate in identifying the driver, prompting questions about the citys lack of oversight for car-sharing services as well as the companys vetting of its customers driving history.

Semko said such issues did not factor into the companys decision to leave Portland.

Jayati Ramakrishnan; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com
A Harney County judge on Tuesday permanently blocked Oregon from enforcing gun control Measure 114, ruling it infringes on the constitutionally protected right to bear arms.

The state plans to appeal the ruling to the Oregon Court of Appeals, and the case will likely end up before the Oregon Supreme Court.
With Thanksgiving three days away, if you havent made reservations yet, your options are looking thin. Hubers? Try next year. Higgins? Not this time. Even newer spots like Bullard Tavern were fully booked. Ditto for promising east-side options such as Campana.

But that doesnt mean you should give up. As of Monday afternoon, Jakes Famous Crawfish still had one spot open for a party of 4 at 8:15 p.m., while Jakes Grill had availability for the same size at 8:30, 8:45 and 9 p.m., but nothing for couples. Cancelations happen.

And even if they dont, all is not lost. We combed through a dozen restaurants advertising Thanksgiving dinner service to find five that still had availability as of Monday afternoon. If youre looking for a last-minute holiday reservation for Thursday, start here. Then go ahead and make your 2024 reservations while youre at it.

Lovely Rita

The restaurant at Portlands Hoxton hotel still has spaces for its family-style Thanksgiving feast ($65 per person, menu here) featuring classics given an elevated twist and a 2-night stay option with a wine tasting, dinner and a breakfast bag ($400).

Details: 15 N.W. Fourth Ave., 503-770-0500, thehoxton.com/portland

King Tide

The restaurant at the Kimpton RiverPlace Hotel is offering a Thanksgiving special ($65 per person, menu here) with roast turkey and traditional sides served family style, plus a starter and an eggnog cheesecake or pear-cranberry tart for dessert.

Details: 1510 S. Harbor Way., 503-295-6166, kingtidefishandshell.com

Il Solito

King Tides sister restaurant at the Kimpton Hotel Vintage has reservations available from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. for both its regular East Coast Italian menu and an undefined Thanksgiving special.

Details: 627 S.W. Washington St., 503-228-1515, ilsolitoportland.com

The Tavern at The Heathman

After a pair of rebrands, the new tavern at the Heathman Hotel has plenty of reservations for its traditional turkey dinner ($85 per person, $25 per child) with Italian sausage stuffing and pumpkin and pecan pie for dessert.

Details: 1001 S.W. Broadway, 503-790-7752, heathmanhotel.com/dining

Toki

There are still a few spots left for the Korean fried turkey, kimchi creamed kale, confit garlic mashed potatoes and more ($65 per person) from the Han Oak teams downtown Portland restaurant.

Details: 580 S.W. 12th Ave., 503-312-3037, tokipdx.com

 Michael Russell; mrussell@oregonian.com

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Talk about the Winterhawks on our off-day thread.

Besides the points, its about the defense. With 1 goal and 2 assists in 3 games, the Winterhawks Player of the Week for November 13 through November 19 is Jack OBrien.

Friday vs. Prince Albert: 1 assist in a 2-1 loss to the Raiders.

Sunday vs. Everett: 1 goal, 1 assist in a 6-4 win over the Silvertips.

He also plays a lot on the oppositions top forwards, and he had no minuses in the 2 games. Ryder Ritchie and Sloan Stanick were scoreless on Friday, and Ben Hemmerling and Jesse Heslop were scoreless Sunday.

Assists on his goal: Luca Cagnoni 1, Gabe Klassen 1.

Goals he assisted on: Nicholas Johnson 1, Marcus Nguyen 1.

Through 18 games he has 16 points, the exact same points per game as last season. Hes been remarkably consistent throughout his career. Which has been both a blessing and a curse; people keep waiting for him to take a giant leap forward. But hes had a good 233-game career to this point.

Discuss this and the Winterhawks in general.
There was more breaking cat news in Oregon recently, though this story had nothing to do with this summers big-cat escapade, involving a cougar who was seen on Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach. Nope, this saga involved what was at first thought to be an alarming sighting of a cougar prowling around Tigard.

On Nov. 16, the City of Tigard Public Works posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, that there had been a cougar spotted at Cook Park. Tigard residents were warned to be aware of your surroundings and leash up your dogs.

There has been a cougar sighting at Cook Park. We have alerted the Oregon Department of of Fish and Wildlife and the Tigard Police Department. Please make sure to be aware of your surroundings and leash up your dogs.

Here is a helpful guide: https://t.co/bOcsS0oCDc #TigardOr pic.twitter.com/eRRieGqbcA  City of Tigard Public Works (@Tigard_PW) November 17, 2023

Tigard officials also said they had alerted the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Tigard Police Department.

Dramatic as all this sounded, on Friday morning, ODFW took to its own X account to pour cold water on the cougar brouhaha. The agency posted that the supposed cougar was actually a house cat.

This happens more than you think, the ODFW post said, and included a link to a 2017 video of a TV reporter in Mississippi excitedly informing viewers that the feline chilling in a field behind him was not, as someone had reported, a cougar, but a calm-looking house cat.

In addition to posting that breathless report -- which seemed like something youd see on Last Week Tonight With John Oliver -- the ODFW then posted its own video of the Tigard cat sighting.

How do we know it was a house cat not a cougar? the post read. The video is grainy but the #1 indicator is its size compared to the tree and compost/garbage bin. Also the fence is likely 6 foot which puts the cat at less than 1 foot in height.

How do we know it was a house cat not a cougar? The video is grainy but the #1 indicator is its size compared to the tree and compost/garbage bin. Also the fence is likely 6 foot which puts the cat at less than 1 foot in height. pic.twitter.com/yJsgLFyirZ  Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (@MyODFW) November 17, 2023

And, for a bit more more context, the ODFW added another post about the feline in question: Also the coloration - its not the right tan and looks more like an orange house cat. Youd be surprised how often other animals (dogs, house cats, coyotes, bobcats) are reported as cougar sightings.

The mistaken-cougar-identity kerfuffle has gone on to generate a mini-media frenzy, as outlets including People, USA Today, HuffPost, the Sacramento Bee and more purr-sued the story.

 Kristi Turnquist

503-221-8227; kturnquist@oregonian.com; @Kristiturnquist

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Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade on Monday announced she had completed a review of the controversial audit of the states cannabis program and determined it met auditing standards and should stand.

I have instructed the auditors to maintain the report as issued, Griffin-Valade wrote in a memo to the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission.
An Oregon woman who tried to treat her daughters liver cancer with CBD oil and then fled with the girl has been found guilty of interfering with the teenagers care.

Christina Gale Dixon, 39, faces 19 months in prison in a case that became an emblem of the debate over a parents right to refuse established medical advice.
Portland Public Schools students have been out of school since Nov. 1 as PPS and the Portland Association of Teachers have fought over scraps due to 30-plus years of underfunding by the Oregon Legislature. On behalf of more than 2,200 community members who have signed our open letter to the governor and Legislature, we call on elected leaders to correct these deficiencies.

Since 1999, Oregon schools have been underfunded by more than $22 billion, based on data in the 2022 Quality Education Commission report. This is $800,000 that could have gone to every school in Oregon, each year, for the last 24 years.

PAT, parents, community members and businesses supporting Oregons largest school district are standing in solidarity for our students for reasons that go beyond this years budget. Other school districts around the state are facing the same problems. We are at a crossroads. This statewide emergency requires immediate and long-term attention. Not only was passage of the Student Success Act insufficient to fully fund education, but it was followed by a pandemic for which additional state and federal funding has dried up. Teachers, students and their families cannot go on under the current system.

The more than 2,200 Oregonians who signed our letter support public education and believe it is the foundation for a healthy and inclusive democracy. Without a strong public education system, Oregon cannot have a robust economy, a skilled workforce, a clean environment or safe communities. We stand in solidarity with teachers and PPS.

Suzanne Clarke, Portland

Isabel Johnson, Portland

To read more letters to the editor, go to oregonlive.com/opinion.
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley on Monday became the first member of Oregons congressional delegation to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, joining one other senator and 40 members of the U.S. House.

Merkley, a Democrat and member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement that he supported Israels right to defend itself and respond to the Oct. 7 attack in which the terrorist group Hamas killed 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped 240 hostages. But he objects to the way Israel responded with bombing campaigns that are estimated to have killed at least 12,000 Palestinians, including more than 4,000 children.

After grimly witnessing accelerating body counts, many Americans, including thousands of Oregonians, have raised their voices to say more must be done to stop the carnage, Merkley said. I agree. So, today I am calling for a ceasefire.

Its an escalation for Merkley, who previously called for short-term humanitarian pauses  breaks in conflict to allow food, water and medical support into a region. Ceasefires are more formal and binding and usually include commitments to de-escalate the conflict and negotiate solutions.

Israel has agreed to four-hour humanitarian pauses, which Merkley said is not enough time to release the hostages, allow Palestinians in Gaza to move to safe zones, get foreign citizens out of the war zone and distribute food, water, medicine and fuel to civilians. Weeks, not hours, are needed, he said.

He said a ceasefire and negotiations that follow need to accomplish a number of things. On the Palestinian side, Hamas needs to immediately release all hostages  and Hamas, the militant group that took over control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, must cede control of Gaza.

Israel, meanwhile, must flood Gaza with humanitarian aid and facilitate the transport of injured civilians in Gaza to hospitals in the West Bank, Merkley said. He added that Israel must end new settlements in the West Bank and guarantee that displaced Palestinians can return to their homes in Gaza.

Most importantly, the Israeli people and the Palestinian people must find leaders determined to partner with each other and the world to replace the cycle of hate and violence with both a long-term vision for security, peace and prosperity featuring two states for two peoples, and immediate, concrete steps toward that goal, Merkley said.

He reflected on his first visit to Israel in 1978 and his optimism that the country would be powerful and powerfully just. Israel has succeeded in becoming powerful, Merkley said, but it has faltered in being a just nation.

He said Israel is making the same mistake the U.S. did after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, by responding with rage.

By waging a war that generates a shocking level of civilian carnage rather than a targeted campaign against Hamas, Israel is burning through its reserves of international support, Merkley said. Too many civilians and too many children have died, and we must value each and every child equally whether they are Israeli or Palestinian. The war will damage Israels economy with so many workers called to military duty. It also risks undoing the relationships with Arab neighbors won through the Abraham Accords, puts the negotiations for normalization with Saudi Arabia on ice, and could trigger a regional conflict with Hezbollah and other powers. When all is taken into account, this war may decrease rather than increase Israels security.

Merkley is the first member of Oregons delegation to explicitly call for a ceasefire, though U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon, called for a pause in hostilities on Friday, saying the Israeli reaction has been too strong for too long. He said Hamas must release all hostages, and Israel and the international community must provide humanitarian assistance for 2 million civilians in Gaza.

There must be a pause in hostilities, Blumenauer said. I am not interested in playing semantics, call it what you want: a ceasefire or a humanitarian pause. The fact of the matter is the violence must stop.

Like Merkley, Blumenauer compared Israels actions to the U.S. response to the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Israel is replicating the failed policy of the United States in Iraq and Afghanistan, creating a new terrorist for every one killed, Blumenauer said. Stopping the violence is the first step the United States should insist upon and assist Israel in making this possible.

Elsewhere in the northwest, U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Washington, co-sponsored a resolution calling for a ceasefire. Her sister, former Multnomah County Commissioner Susheela Jayapal, is running for Blumenauers congressional seat.
A dispute over class size committees has emerged as a final hurdle standing in the way of ending a Portland teachers strike that has kept students out of school since Nov. 1.

The Portland Association of Teachers rejected a settlement proposal from Portland Public Schools Monday night, citing concerns over changes the district made to their proposal for class size committees, district spokesperson Will Howell told The Oregonian/OregonLive.

Teachers remained on strike Tuesday. Members of the Portland Association of Teachers and their supporters shut down traffic on the Burnside Bridge on Tuesday morning, stopping in the middle of the bridge for about 15 minutes before continuing to walk across it.

While the dispute over the class size committees has continued to hold up negotiations, union and district officials appear to have agreed to several other major items, including cost of living raises and overage pay for teachers whose class sizes or caseloads exceed certain thresholds.

However, a union representative said the Portland Association of Teachers only agreed to the items on compensation as part of what its negotiators believed was a final deal with the district that included their proposal for class size committees. The union is not interested in reopening that negotiation, the representative said.

Since the strike began Nov. 1, students have missed 11 days of class. The district on Monday proposed canceling the first week of winter break to restore five teaching days as well as turning Presidents Day and two planned teacher work days into school days. The union has not bargained the return to school package with the district yet but is committed to finding ways for students to make up lost instructional time, a spokesperson said.

The union has proposed forming class size committees that would negotiate how to resolve class sizes or student loads that exceed agreed-upon limits if the principal, the affected teacher or teachers and a representative of the union dont agree on a solution. The elementary class size thresholds that trigger those discussions range from 24 in kindergarten to 28 in fifth grade. For secondary schools, they kick in when a middle or high school teacher is assigned more than 150 students or 160 students, respectively.

The committees, which would include the principal and another administrator, the affected teacher or another educator chosen by the union and another representative of the union, could recommend rebalancing classes, paying the overloaded teacher 3% more for every extra student, having a reading specialist spend more time working with children in the over-threshold classroom or hiring an educational assistant, among other things.

Under the unions proposal, the class size committees could include two parents if school administrators and the teachers union agree to add them.

If the committees are unable to resolve a class size dispute, the union and district could agree to ask a state of Oregon mediator to step in.

Under the districts proposal, the committees would automatically include two parents, one chosen by the principal and the other by the union. The committees would not be allowed to discuss and make recommendations about class size issues in specific classrooms but would instead be limited to collaborating on potential solutions regarding class sizes and caseloads at their school more generally.

If any committee is unable to agree on a solution, the district proposal says, the union could escalate the issue as far as to the superintendent, who would meet with the union president to hear the unions concerns. There would be no option for mediation or other use of union grievance procedures.

Under both sides proposals, the committees would not be allowed to discuss information about any childs learning or behavior needs or other details of their personally identifiable education records. All affected educators would be allowed to attend the committees meetings and offer suggestions.

Under the current proposals, cost of living increases for teachers would total 13.8% over three years. Teachers would receive a 6.25% increase in year one, 4% in year two and 3% in the final year of the contract. Thats an increase from the 10.9% cost of living raise that the district had proposed last week but down from the 18% that union negotiators had been asking for.

The current proposals also maintain a 3% increase in base salary that teachers receive for every student in their classroom, or in their caseload, that exceeds the agreed upon thresholds. The union had proposed last week to increase that overage pay to 5% for the first student over the threshold and 10% for each additional student in elementary school, along with similar increases for every five students added at the middle and high school levels. However, the union Sunday night agreed to the districts plan to keep the overage pay at 3%.

A car and a house owned by two board members were vandalized overnight in apparent reference to the contract dispute. Board Chair Gary Hollands car was spray painted with the word, shame, the district said. A home owned by board member Julia Brim-Edwards was also hit with graffiti. Its unclear who was behind the vandalism.

Angela Bonilla, president of the Portland Association of Teachers, condemned the vandalism in an email to union members early Wednesday morning.

Emotions and frustrations are high, but we want to reiterate, while PAT members and allies are engaging in peaceful protest, we strongly condemn vandalism, she wrote.

Gov. Tina Kotek also condemned the vandalism in a post on X, formerly Twitter, Tuesday night. Threats, vandalism, or violence will not resolve this strike, she posted in a statement.

Kotek called on the union and the district to come to a resolution by the end of Tuesday night. But no resolution had been reached by Wednesday morning.

The two sides need to get this done today, Kotek wrote. Once again, Portland students, parents, and families have gone through enough uncertainty. This is unacceptable.

 Jamie Goldberg; jgoldberg@oregonian.com; 503-221-8228; @jamiebgoldberg

 Sami Edge covers higher education for The Oregonian. You can reach her at sedge@oregonian.com or (503) 260-3430.

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A Buffalo man was sentenced Friday to 12 years in prison for possessing fentanyl and a loaded handgun five years ago when police searched two homes he used.

D'Mario Caesar, 37, who has been in custody since 2018, pleaded guilty in 2021 to possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute it and use of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, but his sentencing was repeatedly postponed.

On Friday, U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara handed down the prison term. After Caesar is released from prison, he'll be on supervised release for five years.

When Erie County Sheriff's Office and Homeland Security investigators searched 203 May St. and 1040 Delaware Ave. on April 24, 2018, they seized fentanyl, cocaine, a .45 caliber pistol with 13 rounds of ammunition and about $11,000, plus scales and drug packaging materials, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

 Mike McAndrew
Zillow Gone Wild, the social media account and HGTV series that scours the world to spotlight unusual homes listed on the Zillow real estate marketplace, posted a great example for its #zgwCastleFridays theme: A white stucco citadel with a tower on almost seven acres in Eugene.

The rural property at 28375 Rainbow Valley Road in Willamette Valleys wine country is near well-known vintners  Noble Estate Vineyard, Sarver Winery, King Estate, Sweet Cheeks Winery and Iris Vineyards  and for hikers, its minutes from the Willow Creek Natural Area.

The price for the castle: $950,000, which is a $50,000 decrease from the $1 million asking price when the property hit the market Oct. 15.

For #zgwcastlefridays heres a cutie castle in Eugene OR.



Currently listed for $950,000 on 6.84 castley acres pic.twitter.com/sFp6ysDlge  Zillow Gone Wild  (@zillowgonewild) November 17, 2023

The place is popular. Zillow Gone Wilds posting on X (formerly Twitter) has more than 443,000 views. The Zillow listing page has been seen more than 17,670 times, and listing agent John Davis of InEugene Real Estate welcomed 75 people to the first open house.

I have spoken to so many buyers regarding this property, Davis told The Oregonian/OregonLive. I believe I have heard every possible idea. One thought: Establish a winery and restaurant to take advantage of its wine country location.

Other ideas for the property: A wedding venue or just a Disney-style escape, Davis said, then joked: I have dreams of a 50-foot unicorn but the zoning is RR10 (minimum size for new lots or parcels is 10 acres), so there may be restrictions on giant farm animals and commercial uses.

Outbuildings and a pond add to the future possibilities of this very private property, Davis added.

He thinks the highest and best use of the property would be to renovate the castle structure and make it into a medieval-themed vacation rental. There is so much potential for this secluded, but conveniently located hilltop spot, he said.

The towering dwelling was built in 1999 and has 4,141 square feet of living space on one level, most of it under dome ceilings. Skylights and large windows draw in natural light and radiant hydronic heating was installed in the terrazzo-tile floor. There are three bedrooms and two bathrooms.

The experience of visiting will delight you, said Davis. While soaring ceilings provide an airy and grand atmosphere to the interior, accent details, archways and doorways complete the sensation of living in a European castle. Youll surely wow your guests from the moment they arrive.

 Janet Eastman | 503-294-4072

jeastman@oregonian.com | @janeteastman
Anna Maria Ponzi is set to become the interim director of Linfield Universitys Center for Wine Education, the school announced Tuesday. As first reported in The Oregonian, current director Tim Matz is leaving in December.

The interim appointment links Linfield Universitys wine program with an iconic Willamette Valley name. Ponzi is a second-generation wine producer and a former owner and president of Ponzi Vineyards, which her parents, Nancy and Dick Ponzi, founded in1970.

Ponzi, along with Luisa Ponzi, her winemaking sister, grew the family business from 10,000 to more than 50,000 cases annually while increasing their vineyard holdings from 20 to 140 acres.

In 2021, the Ponzi sisters successfully negotiated the sale of their familys winery to Societe Jacques Bollinger of Champagne, France.

Ponzi is well known in the wine world for her work with the Oregon Wine Board, Women in Wine, Oregon Tourism Commission, Salud! and the Willamette Valley Wineries Association. Ponzi is also an author, public speaker and the co-owner of Laurelwood Vineyard Management, which oversees over 100 acres of vineyards.

I am incredibly excited that Anna Maria is assuming the interim role, Jennifer Madden, dean of Linfield Universitys School of Business, said in a press release. The globally recognized interdisciplinary wine programs at Linfield University are signature, and I can think of no one more qualified. We are lucky to have her.

As interim director, Ponzi will oversee undergraduate and graduate degrees, the upcoming BIPOC Wine Symposium, Wine & Spirit Education Trust certifications, the Oak and Vine Society and Acorn to Oak Wine Experience, a student-run tasting room in downtown McMinnville.

I come from a time and place that had no wine grapes, no wineries, no industry. Its remarkable how far weve come, and Linfield University has been at the epicenter from the start, Ponzi said. I look forward to working with the staff and faculty to see how much farther we can take these exceptional programs as we continue to grow future leaders in wine.

The press release stated that Ponzi and Matz will work together for several weeks to ensure a smooth transition.

The decision to leave Linfield University is a personal one for Matz.

I am returning to Napa, California, after two and half years as I need to get back to my family, my wife, daughter and son-in-law, and a relatively new granddaughter, Matz said in an email.

Matz called his time at the university rewarding, with a lot of new experiences and some accomplishments I am happy have been implemented for the future of the program.

In addition to spending more time with his family and consulting on wine projects in California and Oregon, Matz hopes to play a part in Linfields wine future. I offered to help continue to drive some initiatives within the Linfield University wine program and hope they allow me to continue those efforts, Matz said.

Linfield University is currently conducting a national search for a permanent director.

-- Michael Alberty writes about wine for The Oregonian/OregonLive and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. He can be reached at malberty0@gmail.com. To read more of his coverage, go to oregonlive.com/wine
Seven Oregon wines appear on Wine Spectator magazines recently released Top 100 Wines for 2023 list. When the magazine debuted its Top 100 list in 1988, the Oregon wine industry considered it a great year if even one Oregon wine was mentioned.

How times have changed.

In addition to Wine Spectator, several Oregon wines made the cut for similar lists compiled by Wine Enthusiast and Wine & Spirits Magazine. The average score for the 18 Oregon wines listed in those publications is 94.7 on the ubiquitous 100-point scale. The average bottle price is $56.40.

A few things about these lists stood out for me. First, the grapes involved arent all pinot noir, which is still Oregons global calling card. Wines featured on these lists were made with everything from syrah, grenache and tempranillo to viognier, pinot gris and riesling.

And what a showing for riesling. Three of the 18 Oregon wines listed here are made with the riesling grape, the pride of Europes Rhine River region.

Even more impressive  the 2019 Brooks Bois Joli Riesling, at number 23, finished as the second-highest ranked riesling in the world on Wine Enthusiasts Top 100 list. This result was likely celebrated at a recent tasting of eight vintages of Jois Boli hosted by Brooks at their winery in Amity.

I was also impressed by the number of Oregon wineries that placed multiple wines on these lists.

Big Table Farm has a pinot noir on the Wine Enthusiast list while placing a syrah with Wine & Spirits. In addition to the Bois Joli, Brooks Wine landed a pinot noir with Wine & Spirits. Bergstrom Wines efficiently put the same pinot noir on two different lists.

My favorite Top 100 list story involves Bionic Wines, owned by Christophe Baron of Cayuse fame.

Bionic Wines has wines appearing on the Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast lists. Even though the listed Cayuse and No Girls wines are made in Milton-Freewater, Oregon, with grapes grown on the Oregon side of the Walla Walla Valley, it was common for people to miss counting them in their Oregon column.

Here are the complete lists of Oregon wines. Who knows? If the wines havent already sold out, you may find some holiday gift ideas here.

(Disclosure: I cover Oregon, Washington and Canada for Wine Enthusiast.)

The ranking, points scored and winery price for each wine is listed in parentheses.

The 2021 Bergstrom Silice Pinot Noir made two "end of the year" lists for major wine publications.Michael Alberty

Wine Spectator Top 100

2021 Resonance Wines Pinot Noir Willamette Valley (No.9 - 94 - $40)

2021 Domaine Drouhin Laurene Pinot Noir Dundee Hills (No.16 - 95 - $75)

2021 Purple Hands Lone Oak Ranch Pinot Noir Willamette Valley (No.20 - 94 - $30)

2019 No Girls Double Lucky No.8 Red Blend Walla Walla Valley (No.28 - 95 - $55)

2021 Bergstrom Silice Pinot Noir Chehalem Mountains (No.32 - 95- $92)

2021 Archery Summit Vireton Willamette Valley (No. 56 - 93 - $34)

2021 Ken Wright Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills (No.69 - 93 - $38)

While strongly associated with Walla Walla, Washington, wines like the Cayuse En Cerise Syrah are made in Milton-Freewater, Oregon.Michael Alberty

Wine Enthusiast

2020 Cayuse En Cerise Vineyard Syrah Walla Walla Valley (No.10 - 96 - $94)

2021 Big Table Farm Cattrall Brothers Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills (No.22 - 96 - $72)

2019 Brooks Bois Joli Riesling Eola-Amity Hills (No.23 - 95 - $28)

2019 Soter Mineral Springs Brut Rose Sparkling (No.49 - 95 - $75)

2020 Domaine Serene Rockblock Viognier Applegate Valley (No.67 - 91 - $45)

A vertical tasting of Bois Joli riesling was recently held at Brooks winery in Amity. The 2019 vintage made Wine Enthusiast's Top 100 list in 2023.Photo by Jillian Barnhart

Wine & Spirits Magazine

Wine & Spirits Magazine doesnt have a Top 100 list exactly like the ones published by Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast. I thought it was important to have them involved, so I asked Patrick Comiskey to provide six wines that stood out for him this year.

Comiskey is Wine & Spirits Magazines critic for all domestic wines outside of California and he is easily one of the very best in the business. He was gracious enough to provide brief descriptions for each wine, so I have included them here.

2019 On Wine Hill ( Golden Cluster ) Reduction Chardonnay Willamette Valley  crazy wine, totally improvised, a paean to reduction and millerandage fruit. (95 - $35)

2021 Ovum Off the Grid Cedar Ranch Riesling Rogue Valley  astonishing riesling from one of the countrys most unique, expressive sites. Ksenia and John seem to guide the flavors and stay out of their way at the same time. (96 - $25)

2021 Brooks Ara Willamette Valley Riesling  drawing from two old vine parcels, dramatic complexity and range of flavor. (94 - $38)

2021 Walter Scott Sojeau Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills  totally expressive and seductive, one of the most alive pinots I tasted all year, pulsing in its vibrancy. (97 - $80)

2021 Bergstrom Silice Pinot Noir Chehalem Mountains  assertive use of whole cluster meets spectacular, expressive fruit. (95 - $92)

2019 Big Table Farm The Rocks Funk Estate Syrah  a Pinot guy managing all the funkiness of Rocks fruit, the flavors bold, the texture restrained and elegant. (95 - $68)

-- Michael Alberty writes about wine for The Oregonian/OregonLive and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. He can be reached at malberty0@gmail.com. To read more of his coverage, go to oregonlive.com/wine
A Buffalo man accused of slamming a puppy to the ground was arraigned Monday in Buffalo City Court on one count of aggravated cruelty to animals  a felony, according to the Erie County District Attorney's Office.

Prosecutors said James D. Brown, 35, was also charged with overdriving, torturing and injury to animals and failure to provide proper sustenance, both of which are misdemeanors.

On Nov. 16, Brown allegedly lifted a 4-month-old pit bull by its leash and slammed the dog onto the pavement near Philadelphia and Isabelle streets in Buffalo. He also is accused of failing to provide medical treatment for the puppy, which suffered injuries to its rear legsas well abrasions on its legs and head.

The dog was seized by the Buffalo Police Department and received emergency treatment by a veterinarian. The dog is currently in the care and custody of the SPCA Serving Erie County.

"This is a disturbing case of a man accused of intentionally injuring his own dog," said District Attorney John J. Flynn. "My office will continue to prosecute animal abusers to the fullest extent of the law."

Brown, who was released on his own recognizance, is scheduled to return to City Court on Nov. 2.

 Harold McNeil
London, UK, (PANA) - Worldwide, 45 million children under-five are wasted, meaning they are dangerously thin for their height, and roughly one million die each year from the condition, the Director-General of the World Health Organisation told the Global Food Security Summit held on Monday in London
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Libyan Prime Minister, Abdulhamid Al Dbaiba, has chaired the eighth ordinary meeting of the Supreme Council for Energy Affairs, to discuss a number of issues relating to the oil sector
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Libya has sent 26 tonnes of medical aid and food products to Gaza to help support its hospitals, which are affected by a shortage of medicines and medical supplies as a result of the intense Israeli bombardment
Tripoli, Libya (PANA)  An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission visiting Libya has expressed the Funds deepest condolences to the people of Libya for the tragic loss of life and widespread devastation caused by flooding in September
Photo: (Photo : by Taylor Flowe on Unsplash)

The recent arrest of Reagan Anderson, a 27-year-old former teacher at Holly Hill Academy in South Carolina, has created a significant disturbance in the local community.

Anderson, a married mother of two, is currently facing two counts of sexual battery against a 17-year-old high school student, an incident that raises serious questions about student safety and teacher conduct.

WCSC's report detailed that Anderson's arrest occurred on Wednesday, following allegations of sexual misconduct on two separate occasions. The first reported assault took place on October 22 on Bunch Ford Road, and the second near a Pizza Hut parking lot on October 28.

In a disturbing development, Anderson is also accused of sending inappropriate nude photographs to the teenager through the social media platform Snapchat, further complicating the case.

The bond hearing for Anderson was emotionally charged, with the victim's mother delivering a powerful statement. She condemned Anderson for exploiting her position of trust as a teacher and causing irreparable harm to her son.

The judge, responding to the severity of the charges, set Anderson's bond at $2,500 and imposed conditions to prevent any contact with the victim or his family. Despite the serious nature of the charges, Anderson was released the same day with a GPS monitor.

School's Immediate Response

Holly Hill Academy's swift response to the rumors and allegations underscores the seriousness with which educational institutions must address such matters. Head of School Brandy Mullennax confirmed that Anderson was no longer employed at the academy and emphasized the school's full cooperation with law enforcement agencies in the investigation.

Sheriff Leroy Ravenell of the Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office acknowledged the initiation of a thorough investigation upon receiving information about the allegations. The involvement of a minor in such a case necessitates a detailed and sensitive approach by law enforcement to ensure justice and the safety of students.

Holly Hill Academy, nestled about 60 miles northwest of Charleston, is known for its commitment to providing a quality Christian education. The private preparatory school caters to a student body of approximately 300, ranging from pre-kindergarten to the 12th grade. This case has undoubtedly brought the school under scrutiny, with parents and community members questioning the safeguards in place to protect their children.

Read Also: Former Teacher Marcie Whalen Goes Viral on TikTok for Advising Moms With 'Stranger Danger' Strategies

The Ripple Effect in the Community

The arrest of Reagan Anderson has not only affected the families directly involved but also sent shockwaves through the wider community. Parents are understandably alarmed, raising concerns about the recruitment and monitoring of educators, the potential warning signs of such behavior, and the mechanisms in place to protect students from abuse.

As the case against Anderson unfolds, the legal process is expected to be comprehensive, with potential implications for school policies and teacher conduct.

Anderson has yet to make a public statement regarding the charges. The resolution of this case is eagerly awaited by the community, which seeks justice and assurance that measures will be taken to prevent such incidents in the future.

This incident serves as a critical reminder of the need for robust policies and vigilant practices in educational settings to protect students from potential abuse. It highlights the importance of background checks, ongoing monitoring, and clear reporting mechanisms for any inappropriate behavior by educators.

The case of Reagan Anderson at Holly Hill Academy is a poignant example of the challenges schools face in maintaining a safe learning environment and the vital role of parents, administrators, and law enforcement in safeguarding the well-being of students.

Related Article: Florida Teacher Caught Punching Preschool Student on the Head More than Once
Photo: (Photo : Drew Angerer / Getty Images)

In a pivotal move to bolster digital accountability, the Senate Judiciary Committee has issued subpoenas to CEOs of major tech giants, including Discord, Meta, Snap, TikTok, and X. This summons is part of a comprehensive inquiry into online child protection, addressing the persistent issue of child sexual exploitation.

Senators Dick Durbin and Lindsey Graham announced a hearing on December 6, urging these CEOs to elucidate their alleged failures in safeguarding children from harmful content and predatory behavior.

Subpoenas Serve as Ultimatum to Tech Leaders

Senators Durbin and Graham disclosed on Monday that subpoenas were issued to Discord's Jason Citron, Snap's Evan Spiegel, and X's Linda Yaccarino. These companies showed reluctance in the lead-up to the scheduled hearing.

While Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew are expected to testify voluntarily, Discord and X declined electronic service, leading to the involvement of the U.S. Marshals Service. This development highlights the intensified scrutiny facing tech leaders, central to a pivotal investigation into their platforms' role in online child exploitation.

The issuance of subpoenas signals a deepening resolve within the Senate Judiciary Committee to hold tech companies accountable for young users' safety.

Tech Giants Grapple with Allegations of Child Exploitation

Tech industry giants-Meta, TikTok, Discord, X, and Snap-are under intense scrutiny for their alleged roles in disseminating materials depicting child exploitation and facilitating adults grooming minors.

Investigations uncovered disturbing instances of adults using these platforms for kidnapping, grooming, and sexual assault involving minors.

NBC News identified 35 cases over the past six years linked to Discord. The Senate Judiciary Committee aims to explore the policies and practices of these companies, understanding the extent of their responsibility and accountability in combating these acts.

As the committee delves into the multifaceted issue of child protection online, the critical nature of this discussion becomes evident, emphasizing the urgency to find effective solutions and mitigate risks faced by young users on these platforms.

Read Also: Maternity Crisis Grips Alabama as Another Hospital Shuts Down Labor, Delivery

Snap and X Respond, Meta and Discord Silent

Representatives of Snap and X expressed willingness to comply with the Senate Judiciary Committee's requests. Snap affirmed that CEO Evan Spiegel agreed to testify, while X's Wifredo Fernandez emphasized the company's commitment to child protection and ongoing efforts to cooperate with the committee.

Conversely, Meta declined to comment, and Discord did not immediately respond, raising questions about their willingness to address concerns surrounding child safety on their platforms.

As the December 6 hearing approaches, the spotlight intensifies on these tech CEOs, pivotal in shaping policies governing their platforms.

The Senate's focus on digital accountability and child protection online signifies a significant step towards ensuring a safer online environment for children.

The forthcoming hearing holds the promise of not only shedding light on the challenges faced by these tech giants in protecting the younger demographic but also steering the industry towards more robust measures for online child safety.

As the digital landscape evolves, the responsibility of these platforms in fostering a secure online space for all users takes center stage, urging collaborative efforts and accountability.

Related Article: Kansas School Sparks Outrage: ACLU Demands Policy Reversal After 8-Year-Old Native Boy's Forced Haircut
Photo: (Photo : by Luke Michael on Unsplash)

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have issued an urgent health alert following a Listeria outbreak linked to peaches, plums, and nectarines. The outbreak has spanned across seven states, resulting in eleven reported cases, including a tragic fatality and a premature labor incident.

The states impacted by this outbreak are California, Florida, Colorado, Kansas, Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio, with three cases reported in both California and Florida. Health experts caution that the actual number of cases could be significantly higher. This is attributed to some individuals with Listeria infections recovering without medical intervention, leading to their cases going unreported.

Source of the Infection

Investigations have pinpointed HMC Farms peaches as the source of the contamination. The Listeria strain found on these peaches closely matches the strain in the affected individuals. Consequently, HMC Farms has initiated a recall of their peaches, plums, and nectarines sold from May 1 to November 15 in the past two years. These fruits were available in various forms, including individual sales and 2-pound bags.

In response to this outbreak, the CDC advises consumers who possess any recalled fruit to immediately dispose of it. Additionally, they should meticulously clean all surfaces and containers that have come into contact with the fruit. This is crucial, as Listeria can survive in refrigerators, a typical storage location for these fruits.

Listeria poses a significant health risk, particularly to pregnant individuals, those with weakened immune systems, and the elderly (aged 65 and above). The infection can manifest in various symptoms, ranging from fever, muscle aches, and fatigue to severe conditions like headaches, stiff necks, confusion, and seizures. Immediate medical attention is recommended for anyone exhibiting these symptoms.

This Listeria outbreak is part of a larger pattern of fruit-related health scares. The CDC is simultaneously managing another outbreak involving salmonella linked to cantaloupes. This outbreak, involving Trufresh, Vinyard, and Aldi products, has reported over 43 illnesses.

Read Also: Tyson Recalls 30K Pounds of Dinosaur Nuggets Over Contamination Concerns

Precautionary Steps and Education

The CDC is actively working to inform the public about these outbreaks, emphasizing the importance of staying updated on product recalls and maintaining high hygiene standards to prevent further spread and contamination.

Authorities are collaborating closely with healthcare providers, retailers, and consumers to manage these outbreaks effectively. The CDC's proactive approach aims to curb the spread of these infections and safeguard public health.

The recent Listeria outbreak is a stark reminder of the importance of food safety and the potential risks associated with contaminated produce. The CDC's advisory underscores the need for vigilant hygiene practices, especially for high-risk individuals. As investigations continue, the CDC remains committed to providing timely updates and guidance to ensure public health and safety.

The CDC, along with local health departments, continues to monitor the situation closely. They are also working with food suppliers and distributors to trace the source of the contamination more accurately and prevent further spread. This effort involves a comprehensive examination of the supply chain, from the farms to the retailers, ensuring thorough risk assessment and management.

The public plays a critical role in this health crisis. Awareness and adherence to safety guidelines are essential to controlling the outbreak. The CDC encourages individuals to stay informed through reliable sources and to spread awareness within their communities.

Related Article: Study: Widespread Lead Contamination in Philadelphia Schools' Water Lines
A federal judge has kept in jail the father and brother of a Lackawanna woman they are accused of kidnapping, and a second brother has been indicted in the alleged plot.

Prosecutors describe an elaborate plot relying on trickery to kidnap the former University at Buffalo student from Mexico to the United States, then from the United States to Egypt, and finally from Egypt to Yemen.

Khaled Abughanem, 50, and his son, Waleed Abughanem, 32, who have been in jail since February on kidnapping conspiracy charges, asked a judge Wednesday to release them with their charges pending. But U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra Jr. refused to revoke their detention orders.

It was the sons third request to a judge to be released and the fathers second attempt.

Because she attempted to marry someone of her own choosing, rather than entering into a forced marriage, Khaled Abughanem and his son Waleed conspired to hold her against her will in Yemen for approximately 16 months, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maeve Huggins and Charles Kruly told Sinatra at the hearing.

I urge the court to take the defendant at his word, Huggins said of Waleed Abughanem, citing the text messages he sent to his father about what should happen to her if she didnt comply with the familys wishes.

If she does not straighten up, she should be killed, and no one would say anything, according to one of his text messages.

The daughter recounted to federal agents what she said her father told her as they walked out of the Cairo airport on Sept. 27, 2021: You are no longer in the West. You are in the Middle East. Women like you are killed.

Defense lawyers for the Abughanems put a wholly different spin on the family dynamics. As his lawyer puts it, Khaled Abughanem has been a loving father to his 22-year-old daughter and was only trying to protect her after she sneaked away from the familys Lackawanna home to Mexico to marry a man he had never met.

He does what any other parent would do and goes and looks for his daughter, attorney Thomas J. Eoannou said at Wednesdays court proceeding.

When he and his wife traveled to Mexico to meet the young man and his family, they immediately became suspicious of him, according to a court filing from attorney Herbert Greenman, who also represents the father.

While the individual claimed to be studying the Muslim religion, he was not conversant at all with the Quran, the central religious text of Islam, Greenman wrote.

Her parents tried to dissuade her from marrying the man at a very young age and without knowing him virtually at all, Greenman said.

Apparently, Mr. Abughanems daughter was smitten with the man she had met online, he said. While we will not get into the details or evidence of the charges, it should simply be said that neither Mr. Abughanem nor his son in any way threatened his daughter or forced her to travel and reside in Yemen.

As for her brother Waleed, he simply gave family members rides to the airport, his lawyer Eric Soehnlein said, and he also provided money for her medical treatment after he left her with his wife in Yemen.

Prosecutors last summer asked the court to unseal the indictment against Adham Abughanem, her 26-year-old brother, to help the governments efforts to execute the warrant for his arrest. It is not clear from court records whether he remains a fugitive.

The U.S. Attorneys Office has said the FBI began investigating last December. That is when Waleed Abughanem left his sister in the custody of his spouse in Yemen and flew back to the United States, landing in Boston. When U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents inspected his electronic devices, they saw text messages in a Yemeni dialect discussing his sister.

The womans troubles started in September 2021, when her father called Lackawanna police to report she had run away to get married. After the father called Lackawanna police, the woman and her fiance contacted him to inform him she was safe at the fiances home in Mexico. The two had known each other for almost nine years, but until then, the daughter had not told her parents about her relationship with him or that she had traveled to Mexico, according to court filings.

Khaled Abughanem and the fiances father discussed a gentlemans agreement in which his daughter would return to the U.S. so that a party could be held, and her father would help arrange a visa for the fiance to come to the United States for the marriage. The fiance proposed to her and gave her a ring in front of her father, and the fiances family presented gifts. But the father presented the plan as a ruse to get his daughter out of Mexico, according to court documents.

A federal agents affidavit said the woman involuntarily departed Mexico with her family. And when she arrived at the family residence in Lackawanna, her father changed the Wi-Fi network password to prevent her from having Wi-Fi access, and her brother took her laptop and deleted her social media and email accounts to keep her from contacting anyone. All the doors were kept locked.

Her parents then told her she must travel with them to Egypt, according to the agents affidavit.

If she went to Egypt, they promised to hold a wedding for her and her fiance in Egypt.

But if she did not, they would keep her locked in the home without contact with the outside world forever, and they also threatened to kill her fiance and his family, according to the affidavit.

While held in Yemen by family members against her will for 16 months, she was restricted in where she could go and from contacting others, Huggins said.

At no point while she was in Buffalo did the victim know that her family planned to traffic her to Yemen for the purposes of a forced marriage to a husband of the familys choosing, the agents affidavit stated.

Greenman disputed the governments account.

This case amounts to a tremendous tragedy, he said in his court filing. The father is incarcerated because he loves his daughter and because he did not want her to be hurt. For that he has unceremoniously been placed in jail and kept there without bail.

The family does not know where she is living now. So, neither the brother nor father pose a danger to her, and they have no interest in trying to find her, their lawyers said.

The woman has not made any allegations that Waleed Abughanem ever harmed or threatened her during the time that he was in Yemen, Soehnlein said, calling it illogical that prosecutors claim he is a danger to the community when he wasnt even a danger to his sister.

Waleed Abughanems effort to minimize his role in the conspiracy to simply driving his sister on a single car ride is factually incorrect, prosecutors say.

Waleed Abughanem is as guilty of conspiracy as his father .... and played a far more significant role in the conspiracy than he suggests, according the governments court filing.

Khaled Abughanem, who was born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and became a U.S. citizen, has lived in the U.S. for about 22 years. He and his wife have eight children between the ages of 11 and 32, and all of the children live in the family home in Lackawanna, except for the daughter he is accused of kidnapping.

Eoannou told the judge that the father, a truck driver, has deep roots in Lackawanna  not Yemen and has no plans to leave.

Likewise, Waleed Abughanem has no interest in fleeing the country, despite a wife and child who live in Yemen, Soehnlein said.

Khaled Abughanem owns a house in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa, where his mother and several siblings live, and Waleed Abughanems wife and son live in the city.

Both have substantial ties to a country from which the United States cannot extradite them, so would have every incentive to flee to Yemen, prosecutors say.
Nana Akomea, the Chief Executive Officer of the State Transport Corporation (STC), has revealed that from next year, customers of the company will be commuting across the nation in electric buses.



Nana Akomea lauded the decision by government to waive import duties on electric vehicles and assembly of the vehicles in Ghana, according to the 2024 budget statement presented by Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta on Wednesday, November 15.



The Minister noted these tax reliefs as part of government's fiscal measures for next year.



While commending the government for this notable decision, the STC boss disclosed on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" morning show that the transport company has already entered into an agreement with an electric car producer called Solar Taxi.



"We have signed an MOU for the supply for electric vehicles with a company called Solar Taxi. If everything goes on well, by next year Easter between March and April, we will get electric buses", he intimated.



He believed the electric vehicles will save cost, therefore backing the government in boosting investor confidence in this sector.



He anticipates Ghana to make good use of electric vehicles in the next ten years.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
In a testament to its unwavering commitment to corporate social responsibility, renowned electronics giant Hisense Ghana has once again made a significant contribution to the healthcare sector by donating over $50,000 worth of items to the University of Ghana Medical Center (UGMC).



The generous donation includes a brand new HD60 Hisense ultrasound machine valued at $40,000 along with its corresponding accessories, an 85-inch flat-screen TV, and four 50-inch flat-screen TVs. This substantial support not only strengthens UGMC's medical capabilities but also underscores Hisense's dedication to improving the lives of Ghanaians.



The HD60 Hisense ultrasound machine, a pioneer in medical imaging technology, offers a comprehensive range of ultrasound services, catering to a wide spectrum of medical imaging applications. Its advanced features include in-depth examinations of the heart and other vital organs, comprehensive scans of arteries with blood flow analysis, sophisticated imaging for obstetric purposes, and high-precision 4D fetal scans, providing a holistic solution for medical professionals.



Expressing deep gratitude for Hisense's remarkable generosity, UGMC CEO Dr. Kwame Anim Boamah and Director of Operations Lucy Brimpong Ofori-Ayeh lauded Hisense's unwavering commitment to enhancing the quality of healthcare in Ghana.



Hisense's philanthropic endeavors in the healthcare sector extend far beyond UGMC, with previous donations made to various medical institutions including the Tarkwa government hospital, Adjiringanor Medical Center, Obgbojo Medical facility, and Amanhyia health centre, among others.



Hisense Ghana's unwavering commitment to supporting the healthcare sector is truly commendable. By providing the UGMC with cutting-edge medical equipment, Hisense is empowering healthcare professionals to deliver exceptional patient care and improve the overall well-being of the Ghanaian population.

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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The New Force  individuals behind the viral The Man in the Mask campaign billboard says renowned economist, Investment Banker and global business strategist, Dr. Sam Ankrah is not the man behind their viral The Man in the Mask.



In a statement, they said Dr Sam Ankrah is not associated with them after calling on him to stop using their image.



Our attention has been drawn to certain images circulated by one Sam Ankrah on social media fraudulently purporting to be the originator of the viral The Man in the Mask campaign created by #TheNewForce.



We have also noticed subsequent media publications commissioned by him projecting himself to be The Man in the Mask. A portion of their statement said



Read below full statement



Our attention has been drawn to certain images circulated by one Sam Ankrah on social media fraudulently purporting to be the originator of the viral The Man in the Mask campaign created by #TheNewForce. We have also noticed subsequent media publications commissioned by him projecting himself to be The Man in the Mask.



We wish to state categorically that the said Sam Ankrah has no connection to the creative concept, design, and inventive process that developed the The Man in the Mask campaign. We are disappointed that Mr. Sam Ankrah has sought to deliberately exploit the ingenuity of young Ghanaians and coopted their vision and creativity to project dubious political ambitions. We consider his conduct to be reprehensible and evidence of a lack of credibility that undermines him as a person as well as someone capable of leading a new political vision for a country that is in need of a clean break from the kind of dirty politics we witness on a daily basis.



On the advice of our lawyers, our team will be filing a complaint with the Electoral Commission against him for violating Section 6 of the Political Parties Act 2000 (Act 526). His conduct constitutes an offence under that Act, and makes him liable to be punished with a term of imprisonment not exceeding two years. Further, We reserve our right to consider civil action against him for infringement of our intellectual property rights including our right over the original artistic and creative works, in the graphics, images, and original text; and the symbols, logos, and distinctive visual layout or presentation



We demand that he immediately cease and desist from any further use, reproduction, distribution, or modification of our intellectual property. We request further that he deletes the images on all of his platforms, and that he put up an appropriate statement apologizing for the infringement, immediately.



Signed : #TheNewForce

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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On World Toilet Day which was marked Novermber 19, Safisana Ghana Limited, a waste management firm in Accra, appealed for government support to bolster effective waste management nationwide.



The General Manager, Asilevi Elipklim, emphasized the plea during a sensitization program organized by the company and the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly to educate Ashaiman residents on the importance of proper sanitation and waste treatment.



Mr. Elipklim, speaking to UTV news, underscored the necessity for external aid to assist waste management companies in realizing SDG goal 6, aiming for universal access to clean water and sanitation.



"The theme for this year's Toilet Day celebration is "Accelerating Change". It means that, we are growing at a slow pace in achieving the SDG goal 6. The regenerative approach to sanitation and Valorisation of waste has not gained much traction in Ghana.



We need to do more in terms of closing the loop for waste. We can expand our scope to achieve this if we get support from the Government, NGO's and individuals" Asilevi said.



The Municipal Chief Executive, Albert Boakye Okyere, asserted that households lacking toilet facilities must take corrective action or be subject to legal consequences.



" When you look at Ashaiman now, you realise there has been an improvement in our sanitation but we still have some recalcitrant residents who go against the law. Such people will not be spared. The household toilet policy is not solely funded by landlords. The Assembly and its partners pay a percentage so households who lack toilet facilities will be taken on" he said.



Safisana Ghana limited is a waste management company that converts faecal matter into the generation of power.



Apart from converting faecal matter into power to support the national grid, the company also produces compost fertilizer from the same faecal matter to support agriculture in the country.

Source: Philipa Atanga/Court Reporter/Despite Media









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Hon. Dr. Freda Prempeh has stated that access to good toilet facilities in our communities and homes across Ghana should be seen as a human right and not just a basic necessity.



She said there are 3.5 billion people still living without safely managed sanitation across the world, while about 800 million people in Africa lack toilet facilities.



She said that due to lack of good toilet facilities, people engage in open defecation, which is not good.



She explained that since Ghana and the rest of the world viewed access to water as a human right issue, then access to toilet facilities and an end to open defecation should also be viewed as human rights issues because they are all linked.



She said that open defecation brings a lot of diseases because people even do it in our water bodies, which does not make the water appropriate for use.



She stated that the government of Ghana, through the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, has invested heavily in several projects that would help eradicate open defection and enhance safe sanitation practices.



She said at the end of the GAMA Project in December 2020, the project had delivered 48,641 improved household toilets, benefiting about 389,128 people, and 406 improved and modern disability-friendly, gender-sensitive institutional toilet facilities, benefiting about 251,872 pupils.



She said the project will also expand and rehabilitate the Asafo Sewerage System in Kumasi and provide an additional 42,000 household toilets and 129 institutional toilets in the Greater Accra and Greater Kumasi metropolitan areas respectively.



Hon. Freda Prempeh spoke to the media during the commemoration of 2023 World Toilet Day yesterday.



The commemoration of this day is to unite everybody who is passionate about toilets to ensure access to improved toilets.



The theme for commemoration was "Accelerating Change through Strategic Partnership: Every Contribution Counts.



Hon Freda Prempeh therefore urged people to stop open defecation and help the government in its efforts to stop open defecation.



She appealed to the media to assist in the fight against open defecation.









Source: Clinton Akwasi Amoako/Peace FM News









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Rosalynn Carter, the former first lady of the United States and the closest adviser to Jimmy Carter during his one term as president, has died at age 96.



Rosalynn Carter passed away peacefully with family by her side at her rural Georgia home of Plains after living with dementia and suffering many months of declining health, the Carter Center said on Sunday, Nov. 19, in a statement.



Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished, her husband, former President Jimmy Carter, said. She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.



The Carter Center announced Friday, Nov. 17 that the former first lady had entered hospice care. She was diagnosed with dementia in May. Her husband began home hospice care in February, following a series of hospital stays.



Jimmy Carter was defeated in a landslide by Ronald Reagan four years after being elected. His single term in the White House included forging a rare peace agreement between Israel and Egypt.



After leaving the White House, the couple traveled to hot spots around the world, including to Cuba, Sudan and North Korea, monitoring elections and working to eradicate Guinea worm disease and other neglected tropical diseases. Jimmy Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.



The Carter Center is a shared legacy. Shes been there digging latrines right next to him, said the Carters friend Jill Stuckey, a leader at Maranatha Baptist Church, where both Carters attended and where Jimmy Carter taught Sunday school.





US First lady Jill Biden celebrated Rosalynn Carters life on Sunday, telling service members and their families at a Naval Station Norfolk holiday event, The former first lady Rosalynn Carter has just passed. And she was well known for her efforts on mental health and caregiving and womens rights.



And so I hope that during the holidays youll  include the Carter family in your prayers, Jill Biden added.



President Joe Biden praised the Carter family while speaking to reporters after the holiday event.



Theyre really an incredible family because they brought so much grace to the office, he said.



Former President George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush also praised Rosalynn Carter as a woman of dignity and strength.



There was no greater advocate of President Carter, and their partnership set a wonderful example of loyalty and fidelity. She leaves behind an important legacy in her work to destigmatize mental health. We join our fellow citizens in sending our condolences to President Carter and their family, they said in a joint statement.













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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Ghana HIV and AIDS Network (GHANET) in collaboration with the Network of Persons living with HIV (NAP+), and other stakeholders are organising a health walk to create more awareness on HIV Self-Testing (HIVST).



The health walk will be held on November 25, 2023, ahead of this year's World AIDS Day, which is on December 1.



The walk will start from Ayi Mensa at 0600 hours and end at Peduase where there will be solidary statements from government officials, development partners and civil society organisation leaders, as well as persons living with HIV (PLHIV).



Special dignitaries expected to participate in the walk include: Dr. Kwaku Afriyie, representative of President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo on the GAC Governing Board; Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, Minister for Health; Dr. Kyeremeh Atuahene, Director-General, GAC; Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, Director General, Ghana Health Service; Dr. Leticia Adelaide Appiah, Executive Director, National Population Council, and Mr. Hector Sucilla Perez, Country Director UNAIDS.



The rest are Prof. Francis Kasolo, Country Representative, WHO; Mr. Daniel Craun-Selka, PEP and Madam Jennifer Dede Afagbedzi, Municipal Chief Executive, La-Nkwantanang-Madina.



The President of GHANET, Mr Ernest Amoabeng Ortsin in a statement dated November 20, 2023, said some of the side attractions include onsite colour splashing; onsite face painting; live brass band music; live gyama music; live instructor-led aerobics; free condom distribution; free HIV self-testing kits; social networking; photo opportunities; and kenkey party.



He also indicated that similar walks will be held across the country in the regional capital, hence inviting the public to participate in it.



Background

In 1988 the UNAIDS designated the 1st of December as World AIDS Day (WAD) in remembrance of persons who had lost their lives to the then ravaging HIV and AIDS menace.



The day was also to be used to create awareness about the pandemic and encourage people to protect and prevent themselves from getting infected. The initiative was embraced by countries around the world and, since then, it has always been celebrated with both global and locally adapted themes.



This year, the theme for the WAD celebration is Let Communities Lead and it is intended to ginger up persons who are infected and most affected by HIV and AIDS to take up roles and initiatives that can help end the disease as a public health concern by 2030.



It is in this vein that Ghana HIV and AIDS Network (GHANET), in collaboration with the Network of Persons living with HIV (NAP+), and other stakeholders, are organizing a health walk to among others, create more awareness HIV Self-Testing (HIVST).



Earlier, in July this year, the Minister for Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, officially launched HIVST in Ghana at a ceremony that was hosted by the Mayor of Accra, Elizabeth Sackey, and chaired by Nii Ahele Nunoo III (Abolo Mantse, Ga State Atofotse) at the Omanye Aba Hall of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA).



At the time of the launch, the only approved form of self-testing, as per the countrys guidelines, was the oral method. Thus, with the support of Global Fund, the Ministry of Health (MoH), through the Ghana Health Service (GHS), successfully piloted the use of Oraquick HIVST in about 50 districts.



Whilst the pilot was ongoing , other HIVST methods were evaluated by the National AIDS/STI Control Programme (NACP) to expand HIVST options in Ghana.



Owing to the success of the evaluations, the country has now revised its guidelines to include blood-based methods of HIVST. This revision has now opened a window of opportunity for companies such as Abbott to introduce their CheckNOW HIVST in the country, giving Ghanaians a variety of choices.



CheckNOW is a blood-based method of HIVST which gives test results in just 15 minutes. It is based on a 3rd generation HIVST technology which detects HIV-1 and HIV-2 antibodies in a fingerstick blood sample.



The NACP has expressed confidence that the multiplication of HIVST testing options will help the country to achieve the first 95 of the 95-95-95 UNAIDS targets.



Currently, only about 72 per cent of the estimated 354,000 persons living with HIV in Ghana know their status. This means that about 100,000 PLHIV are not aware of their status and may be inadvertently spreading the virus.



The walk will start from Ayi Mensa at 0600 hours and end at Peduase where there will be solidary statements from government officials, development partners and civil society organization leaders, as well as persons living with HIV (PLHIV).

Source: graphiconline.com









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MP for Juaboso and the Ranking Member for Health Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has described the governments sod-cutting ceremony to convert the Bono Regional Hospital in Sunyani into a Teaching Hospital as a hoax.



Health Minister Kwaku Agyemang Manu cut the sod for the project on Saturday. However, Mr Mintah Akandoh, in a statement on behalf of the Minority in Parliament, said the governments 2024 budget statement and financial estimates read on Wednesday had no allocation for the construction or expansion of the Sunyani hospital.



There is no known government policy, financial allocation and the political will to undertake such an expansion of the facility into a teaching facility, and the minister knows there is no allocation in the 2024 budget, the MP noted.



The sod cutting, he added, is just another grandstanding by the government to deceive the people of Bono and the country.



Arguing out his case, Hon. Akandoh pointed out that  the supposed sod cutting amid an IMF programme and the proximity to an election year is suspicious  especially when the project was not captured in the budget.



The ranking member reminded Ghanaians of the governments failure to fund similar projects promised over the years after demolishing the well-functioning La General Hospital and an Accident and Emergency Centre at the Dormaa Hospital.

Source: Starrfm.com









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Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday announced $40 million has been pumped into the new New York Food for New York Families program to strengthen bonds between local farmers and food service entities that work with underserved populations.

Buffalo Public Schools and FeedMore WNY each got $2 million grants  the largest amount allotted  while Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County received $800,000. Six more organizations in Western New York will take in between $39,000 and $50,000.

The funds awarded today will help local food organizations across the state expand their reach, feeding more families and offering greater support to our farmers  a win-win for our state, Hochul said in a news release.

Buffalo Schools spokesperson Jeffrey Hammond said the biggest impact of the grant will be $1.7 million dedicated through March 2025 to establish farmers markets at the districts Community Schools, which host Saturday Academies weekly throughout the school year.

Using a rotating schedule, the districts Food Service and Community Schools Departments, community partners and volunteers will disseminate food via established farmers markets at each of our 22 community schools, touching all four zones of the city, Hammond said in a statement.

Families are the new face of homelessness: Erie County housing hundreds in hotels after spike in evictions It is not a homeless crisis, but a housing crisis, according to the Erie County. An increase in the number of people without housing, particularly families, has led Erie County to use more hotels for them.

Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer held a news conference Monday afternoon about how the food will be distributed from related federal funding, which will flow through the state.

Ruth Conner, child nutrition services director for Buffalo Schools, and Alyssa Monfuletho, assistant superintendent of community schools, elaborated during the event on how the food would be distributed.

Monfuletho said bags of local, seasonal produce will be packed for families who attend Saturday Academies beginning in January. The aim is to get healthy local food to district families in need.

We want to engage as many people as possible, she said.

Community Schools is among the districts primary efforts toward parent and community engagement. The schools do so through after-school academic instruction and Saturday Academies, which aim to support healthy families, promote interest in the arts and address community needs.

Grant applicants had to show their relationships with local farmers and their efforts to supply food for economically disadvantaged populations.

According to recent state education data, about 78% of students in Buffalo Schools are considered economically disadvantaged. The districts farm-to-school program, which has grown during the last few years, ensures that a fruit or vegetable sourced from New York  including hyperlocal farms such as the Providence Farm Collective  is available in school meals at least once each week.

FeedMore WNY  the fruit of the 2020 merger of the Food Bank of WNY and Meals on Wheels  connects farmers with underserved populations through healthy food and nutritional skills.

The nonprofit accepts the grant after its annual turkey drive, which took in more than 3,100 donated turkeys over two hours, and as it moves forward with plans to open a new headquarters in the Town of Hamburg.

The $2 million FeedMore received represents between 15 and 20% of our annual food-purchasing budget, and is an incredible help to the organization, said Collin Bishop, the organizations chief communications officer. He said the grant money would be spent on local goods split evenly between food pantry distribution and meal deliveries to homebound residents  two pillars of the nonprofit.

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Niagara County, Journeys End Refugee Services and the Salvation Army were awarded $50,000, while FeedMore WNY tacked on an additional $50,000 grant. Providence Farm Collective and the Salamanca City Central School District each received $49,957, while St. Lukes Episcopal Church in Jamestown received $39,201.

FeedMore WNY launches campaign to build new hub in Hamburg FeedMore is asking the public to help raise the remaining $33.7 million needed to break ground on the project next spring.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture provided the funding, which the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets divvied up through a grant application process.

Its not just the recipients who are pleased. The grant thrilled local growers, including those in Eden Valley Growers, a cooperative that markets and distributes for 10 family farms in and near Eden. The variety from these local farms has led to a bountiful relationship between Buffalo Schools and related growers over the last five years, and the cooperative intends to bid on the New York Food to New York Families endeavor.

Theres tons of excitement around it, said Andrew Stobnicki, procurement coordinator for Eden Valley Growers.

To determine which growers will be selected for New York Food to New York Families funds for Buffalo Schools and FeedMore, a request for proposals will run through Bonfire, a procurement software program that aids in evaluating bids.

Stobnicki said hes eager for this opportunity for other local growers, too, in addition to the Eden Valley network. Thats part of an ongoing challenge to attract more nearby buyers.

Were underutilized in our own state, he said.
An aspiring Member of Parliament for Okaikwei North constituency in the Greater Accra Region, Maame Afia Akoto has chosen the Number 3 slot on the ballot for the December 2, 2023 upcoming New Patriotic Party(NPP) Parliamentary primaries.



After the vetting and subsequent balloting, the former Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) picked the Number 3 position on the ballot paper.



She was accompanied by dozens of party supporters and sympathizers to the vetting grounds which took place last Saturday at the NPPs new Greater Accra Regional Office in Teshie.



In a post on her Facebook page, she said When you say a prayer, please say one for me too. I believe in servitude and have done so all my life. This is the time for me to do it better for my people in OKN



According to her I am not here for the camera, but to serve from a place of love for the voiceless, our children and struggling parents. Please pick up your phone and call the delegate you know in OKN to join the winning team and the selfless lady Afia Akoto. #3.



She added I am a woman of Prayer and understand the battle is not of man, but of God. Yes!!!! The Trinity God, the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (3) has again given me a token of his involvement.



Afia Akoto is facing tight competition with the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) for Akuapem North, Nana Ama Dokua Asiamah Adjei with two other strong men, as the race for who becomes the NPP Parliamentary Candidate for Okaikwei North Constituency turns into a battleground.



The Incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) for the Akropong Constituency in the Eastern Region, Nana Ama Dokua Asiamah-Adjei who is in her second term has opted to contest at Okaikoi North Constituency in the Greater Accra Region instead of Akropong in the Eastern region following the decision of Sammi Awuku to annex the seat.







Source: Daily Guide









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Former Head of Linguistics Dept at the University of Ghana, Professor Kofi Agyekum has cautioned the New Patriotic Party against sacking four prominent members for supporting Alan Kyerematen, an independent candidate.



The four; Hopeson Adorye, a defeated parliamentary candidate, Nana Ohene Ntow, a former General Secretary, Boniface Abubakar Saddique, a former Zongo Minister and Yaw Buaben Asamoah, former Adentan MP, have been axed from the party over their conduct which, to the leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), is a breach of their constitution.



According to a statement signed by the General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, despite their flagrant breach of the Partys Constitution particularly Articles 3(5)(A)(4) and 3(9)(1), the afore-named men still hold themselves out as members of the NPP but for the avoidance of doubt, Article 3(5)(A)(4) of the NPP Constitution enjoins all members of the Party to abide by and publicly uphold the decisions of the Party.



The statement further indicated that Article 3(9)(1) of the Constitution makes it clear that a Member of the Party, who stands as an independent candidate against the officially elected member of the Party, or who joins or declares his or her support for another Political Party, or for an independent candidate, when the Party has sponsored a candidate in a general or by-election, automatically forfeits his or her membership of the Party.



In line with these constitutional provisions, it is the view of the NPP that Hopeson Adorye, Nana Ohene Ntow, Boniface Abubakar Saddique and Yaw Buaben Asamoa have AUTOMATICALLY FORFEITED their membership of the Party. They are, therefore, no longer members of the Party, the statement concluded.



But Professor Kofi Agyekum, popularly called 'Opanyin Agyekum', is of a strong opinion that the New Patriotic Party could have had a better way of addressing this conflict.



He sought to know whether the party engaged the dismissed members before taking such a strict decision.



To him, though the NPP may feel right about their action, they however should note that these persons have loved ones whose votes are as important as theirs if they want to break the eight-year governance cycle.



He reproved the party stressing if they don't take care, their decision may have a big blowback on them.



"They must understand that if they really want to break the eight, they should iron out their differences...Where they have reached, if they don't take care and continue their strict enforcement of their laws, the same laws will be impediment to them", Opanyin Agyekum admonished the NPP on Peace FM's morning show "Kokrokoo".





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, says former President John Mahama has been addressing Ghanaians in a manner that suggests he has never been President of Ghana before.



In an address at Nalerigu in the North East Region on Monday [Nov 20, 2023], after he called on the Overlord of Mamprugu, following his election as flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Bawumia said between himself and Mahama, one has been President before, and one has not, but the one who has been President before is speaking as though he has never been President before.



"Between the two of us, only one of us has been President before. That is John Mahama. He was President before. I have only been Vice President. I have not been President before but by the grace of God, you'll make me President in 2025, in shaa Allah," Dr. Bawumia said.



"Today, John Mahama is going around the country and he is speaking to people as if he has never been President before. When we were suffering under his Presidency, he told us he was a dead goat. A dead goat who had no feelings. Today he wants to resurrect and become a live goat."



Dr. Bawumia added that after Mahama failed to provide solutions to many societal problems as President, he has resurfaced and is pretending to have a magic wand.



"Suddenly he has all the solutions to our problems. But when he was President, what solutions did he bring to Ghana? Did he solve the unemployment program? Did he create jobs? Did he tackle corruption? Did he issue Ghana cards? Did he build astro turfs? Did he abolish the three months pay policy for teachers? Did he establish Free SHS? He had no solutions to our problems."



Dr. Bawumia added that even though he is yet to become President, he has proposed and spearheaded programs that have positively impacted the country.



"I have not yet become President but I, as a Vice President, have brought solutions to many of our problems," he said.



"We did not have a unique identity, so I championed the government's policy for the Ghana card. Today we have 17 million people issued with the Ghana card. Today, because of my proposal, we have no guarantor for student loans if you have a Ghana card. Today Ghana has a digital property address system because we had a problem of no functional address."



He continued: "Before you could not transfer money between one teleco to another. But today, because of mobile money interoperability, you can transfer money Vodafone to MTN, to Airtel Tigo. Before, you could not transfer money between a bank account and a mobile account. Today you can do that. Today, you can renew the National Health Insurance on your mobile phone."



"Today, you can sit at home and buy electricity credit on your mobile phone. Today we have brought Zipline drones and they are delivering medicines to 2700 hospitals and clinics across the country."



"Today, we have one constituency, one ambulance. And another idea I brought is Agenda 111. We are building hospitals in districts without hospitals. Other ideas I brought are Zongo Development Fund and Gold for Oil policy. Today you can acquire a driver's license and passport online. Today you can file your taxes online."



Dr. Bawumia called for a comparison between himself and Mahama for a determination of who has the best ideas to transform the country.



"We have brought ideas to the table. Ideas are what transform a nation. And you can see as Vice President, what ideas I have brought to the table."





"What ideas did John Mahama bring? Can you remember one idea John Mahama brought? Just one! Can you remember?

Source: graphiconline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The National Organizer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Henry Nana Boakye has called on former President John Dramani Mahama to rethink his 24-hour economy policy.



He told NEAT FMs morning show, Ghana Montie that the NDCs flagbearer does not understand the 24-hour economy policy he is proposing.



Nana B, as affectionately called in politics claimed the proposed policy by Mr Mahama is already being implemented in Ghana.



He [John Mahama] doesnt understand the policy he is saying. The system is such that people can run their businesses 24 hours in Ghana already. This cannot be his policy. He said.



According to Nana B, What Ghana need now is digitalization. This is why Dr Bawumia is championing that course.

Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/peacefmonline.com/ghana









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The Vice President and flagbearer of the NPP, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has questioned the track record of John Mahama in dealing with basic societal problems during his time as Vice President and President.



Addressing huge supporters in Tamale during his homecoming tour of the northern part of the country, Dr. Bawumia, who will face off with John Mahama after being elected flagbearer of the NPP, said the former President belongs to the past while he belongs to the future.

He stressed that former President Mahama lacks transformational ideas to move the country forward saying there is no transformative policy he introduced to solve problems during his regime.



"Between the two of us, only one of us has been President before. That is John Mahama. He was President before. I have only been Vice President. I have not been President before," Dr Bawumia said.



"He had no solutions to our problems when he was President. When we were suffering under his Presidency, he told us he was a dead goat. A dead goat who had no feelings. Today he wants to resurrect and become a live goat."



Dr. Bawumia said, suddenly, Mahama is going round pretending he has all solutions to Ghana's problems but asked which societal problems did he resolve when he was Preaident?



"What solutions did he bring to Ghana? Did he solve the unemployment programme? Did he create jobs? Did he tackle corruption? Did he issue Ghana cards? Did he build astro turfs? Did he abolish the three months pay policy for teachers? Did he establish Free SHS?," Dr. Bawumia asked.



Dr. Bawumia added that even though he has not become President yet, as Vice President, he has brought and championed ideas which have brought solutions to many of Ghana's age-long problems and which are required to transform a country.



"We did not have a unique identity so I championed the government's policy for the Ghanacard. Today we have 17 million people issued with tje Ghanacard.



"Today, because of my proposal , we have no guarantor for student loan if you have a Ghanacard. Today Ghana has a digital property address system because we had a problem of no functional address. Before you could not transfer money between one teleco to another. But today, because of mobile money interoperability, you can transfer money Vodafone to mtn, to airtle tigo."



"Before, you could not transfer money between a bank account and a mobile account. Today you can do that. Today, you can renew the National Health Insurance on your mobile phone. Today, you can sit at home and buy electricity credit on your mobile phone. Today we have brought zipline drones and they are delivering medicines to 2700 hospitals and clinics across the country.

"Today, we have one constituency, one ambulance. And another idea I brought is Agenda 111. We are building hospitals in districts without hospitals. Another idea brought Zongo Development Fund and Gold for Oil policy. Today you can aquire drivers license and passport online. Today you can file your taxes online."



"We have brought ideas to the table. Ideas is what transform a nation. And you can see as Vice President, what ideas I have brought to the table, which are needed to transform a nation, especially in this era of Fpurth Industrial Revolution."



"What ideas did John Mahama. Can you remember one idea John Mahama brought? Just one! Can you remember? Is it the Guinea fowl flying to Burkina Faso?"



"I am the future, John Mahama is the past," Dr. Bawumia said to wild cheers from the enthusiastic supporters.

Source: 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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The Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Honorable Dr. Henry Kwabena Kokofu, is among those being considered as a potential running mate for Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).



This portal assembles information that despite the media attention given to individuals such as Education Minister Yaw Adutwum, Energy Minister Mathew Opoku Prempeh, and Chief of Staff Frema Osei Opare, among others, regarding the running mate position, Dr. Henry Kokofu, barring any last-minute hitch, could emerge as a possible candidate.



Dr. Kokofu, who has recently come to the attention of the vice president, is the dark horse in the contest, according to credible sources with close ties to Dr. Bawumia.



In addition to being Ashanti, which seems to be the primary criterion for choosing a running mate, the EPA director has extensive political experience; he has served as a polling station executive, constituency chairperson, member of parliament, and now EPA director. Consequently, he is exceptionally qualified for the position.



He is also said to have a calm and affable demeanor that endears him to people, a trait most required to maximize the candidates Ashanti votes.



More importantly, we gather that the Vice Presidents heightened interest in Dr Kokofu is attributed to his expertise in environmental sustainability among others.



Profile



Hon. Dr. Henry Kwabena Kokofu, Esq is the Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the lead body that oversees and governs Ghanas environment.



He was the former Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Development Corporation (GIISDEC).



Henry was a Member of the Parliament of Ghana and served on the Parliamentary Select Committee on Lands and Forestry from 2013 to 2017.



He is currently serving on several Boards including the Petroleum Commission, Lands Commission, Ghana Maritime Authority, Environmental Protection Agency, Public-Private Partnership, and Public Investment Program Working Committee, and is the Special Envoy for the Ghana Presidency of Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF).

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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A Philadelphia man is behind bars after his plan to kidnap, rape and murder his soon-to-be ex-wife was interrupted, authorities said.

According to a report from CBS News Philadelphia, Geoffrey Kay-Conway Sr. was arrested after a bystander witnessed him assault and attempt to kidnap a woman inside of a car in the King of Prussia Walmart parking lot on Sunday morning.

The Montgomery County District Attorneys office charged Kay-Conway, 52, of King of Prussia, with attempted murder, attempted kidnapping, attempted rape, aggravated assault, stalking, unlawful restraint, false imprisonment, possessing an instrument of crime and more related charges.

He was subsequently remanded to county jail without bail.

Upper Merion Township Police responded to the scene around 10:45 a.m. after a caller reported that a man, later identified as Kay-Conway, was attacking a woman inside a Nissan Rogue.

When police arrived at the scene, they found the woman, who had escaped from the car after she said Kay-Conway stabbed her in the leg several times. The woman was identified as his wife.

Police said Kay-Conway was arrested after he was located in a nearby parking lot. Police noticed Kay-Conway had a large metal pick that was sticking out of his sweatshirt pocket with black zip ties in the shape of handcuffs.

Investigators also discovered a black duffle bag in a nearby pickup truck with multiple items, including a black pepper ball gun with two magazines; three piercing tools  one with the womans name written on it; a blindfold; duct tape; zip ties; knives, wire cutters, pliers and other tools; KY jelly; a court order; and a manila envelope that contained a note addressed to Kay-Conways brother.

The court order was from a Protection From Abuse (PFA) violation hearing, stemming from Kay-Conways arrest for stalking in October  a case in which Kay-Conway was released on $5,000 unsecured bail, which was scheduled for Dec. 13.

On the bottom of the order, Kay-Conway had written  I have 1.5 months to Kill that [expletive]. Could have Killed her 17 times if I wanted. What a week (sic) system, according to the criminal complaint.

The note to his brother that was found in the duffle bag was two pages long and allegedly labeled read last.

The DAs office said the note went on to detail that by the time the letter was read, he and his soon-to-be ex-wife would both be dead.

Kay-Conway then detailed how he had been following his wife and watching for weeks. He said if he couldnt do it on an ideal day, it will happen the weekend before Thanksgiving somewhere around town.

Authorities said Kay-Conway also detailed in the letter how he planned to rape and then kill her.

Investigators said he installed a tracking device on his wifes vehicle and followed her to Walmart where he assaulted her and attempted to abduct her on Sunday.

The most dangerous time for a victim of domestic violence is when she leaves her abuser, Montgomery District Attorney Kevin Steele said in a release. This victim worked to keep herself safe by obtaining a PFA and reporting the defendant when he violated the PFA by obsessively stalking her. Thankfully, bystanders intervened to help the victim yesterday. This case demonstrates just how dangerous domestic violence is, including stalking behavior.

A preliminary hearing for Kay-Conway is scheduled for Dec. 11.
The mayor of Stroudsburg, Monroe County, is currently facing driving under the influence charges after running out of gas in Northampton County back in September, according to news reports.

The incident took place Sept. 11 around 2:56 a.m. when Slate Belt Regional Police on patrol came across a disabled vehicle in the area of North Broadway and Constitution Avenue in Wind Gap Borough.

They then found the driver of the vehicle, identified as 31-year-old Michael Moreno, the current mayor of Stroudsburg, in the car, WNEP reported.

Moreno had run out of gas and requested help from the authorities. Observing Moreno, however, police said there were indicators that Moreno was under the influence of alcohol.

Upon the performance of a sobriety test, he failed, and blood tests taken at the Bethlehem DUI Center later indicated that Morenos blood alcohol level was .20, which was more than twice the legal limit, according to WBRE/WYOU.

Moreno was charged on Nov. 4 and faces charges of DUI: highest rate of impairment and general impairment, WBRE/WYOU said.

A preliminary hearing for Moreno is scheduled for Jan. 10.
SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio  Wearing a blue blazer, Paul Landis looks and moves astonishingly well for his 88 years. And his memory is sharp  particularly as he recounts the tragic details of President John F. Kennedys assassination 60 years ago.

Landis is one of two Secret Service agents still alive who accompanied Kennedy and his wife, Jacqueline, to Dallas, Texas, on Nov. 22, 1963.

Landis could not bring himself to read any of the dozens of books published about the assassination, including the Warren Commission Report, for more than 50 years.

While working as a U.S. Secret Service agent, Paul Landis escorted then-First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy to a club in Greece.Photo Courtesy of Paul Landis

After leaving the Secret Service, he moved to Shaker Heights, Ohio, where he was offered a volunteer position at the Shaker Heights Police Department cleaning department weapons.

In 2014, while assisting with a bicycle auction sponsored by the Shaker police, he was summoned by the then-police chief to follow him to his office.

Once there, the chief  among a few people in town who knew about Landis involvement on Nov. 22  handed him a book titled Six Seconds in Dallas, published in 1967 and authored by Josiah Thompson. The chief had received it from a friend.

Landis thanked him and took the book home, where it sat on a nightstand for months.

When he finally opened the book and started reading it, he found some startling misinformation. That motivated him to start taking notes, leading to his book, Final Witness, published Oct. 10.

A young John F. Kennedy Jr. is consoled by Secret Service agent Paul Landis after falling down on the South Lawn of the White HousePhoto Courtesy of Paul Landis

Landis likely suffered from post traumatic stress disorder after the assassination  a malady he had no name for back then. Landis had to run from the days pain in silence.

Well, I had gone 45 years without reading anything, talking about the assassination, nothing, Landis said during an interview in the living room of his home.

I never read the Warren Report and was never asked to testify. I just withdrew from the scene.

I remembered everything vividly. It was very traumatic. I finally picked up the book and read it. But I dont know how I got through the weekend; it was pretty traumatizing.

Landis was often assigned to help with Jacqueline Kennedys detail. She loved to travel abroad, and Landis frequently was asked to accompany agent Clint Hill, who was assigned to the first lady. In 1963, Landis visited Italy with Mrs. Kennedy and daughter Caroline; later that year, he was in Greece with her.

Caroline Kennedy riding Macaroni. Secret Service agent Paul Landis once escorted Caroline -- astride her horse -- into the Oval Office to say hi to her father, President John F. Kennedy.Photo Courtesy of Paul Landis

Mrs. Kennedy rarely traveled with the president on campaign trips, but decided to accompany him to Dallas, Texas, on Nov. 21, 1963. The first stop was in San Antonio. Later that evening, the presidents plane would touch down in Fort Worth.

And after breakfast the following day, it was off to Dallas.

Air Force One landed at Love Field in Dallas at 11:40 a.m., Landis said. One of the first things I noticed was a limousine without a top, which haunted me. It was the presidents choice.

Secret Service made the choice that day. But it was because they knew from previous motorcades he liked the visibility. He wanted the people to see him and Jackie without obstructions.

According to Landis, the crowds grew as they drove out of the airport and headed through town. Unlike today, people were hanging out of windows and standing on rooftops.

As the presidents car reached Dealey Plaza heading for an underpass, I heard a bam over my right shoulder, Landis said. I knew it was a high-powered rifle from hunting with my dad.

I turned to the right and didnt see anything. I did see Kennedy raise his arms, but I thought he was turning around.

While riding in the same car as me, Agent Hill jumped off and started to run toward the limo. By the time he could grab one of the bars attached to the trunk, a second shot rang out. Hill had managed to climb on top when the third and most fatal shot was heard.

I saw a part of the presidents head explode. Mrs. Kennedy began to climb on top of the trunk. Hill grabbed her, pushed her back in the limo, and fell on top of her and the president.

I ducked to keep from getting sprayed by blood. The whole horrible occurrence only took six seconds.

After reaching Parkland Hospital, Landis tried to help Mrs. Kennedy out of the limo, but she would not let the president go. Landis said he knew from viewing the wound that there was no way the president was still alive.

After Kennedys body was removed, the first thing I noticed was a small, splintered crack in the front windshield. It was on the drivers side to the left of the rearview mirror. I immediately assumed that a ricocheting bullet fragment had made it.

I returned my attention to the presidential limo. I was looking down at the seat beside where Mrs. Kennedy sat. I saw two brass bullet fragments sitting in a pool of bright red blood.

I could hardly believe it. They glistened like two gold nuggets in their blood-red surroundings. I bent over, picked up the largest of the two pieces, and examined it.

It was about the size of the end of my little finger. It looked like a small mushroom that had been squashed. I immediately returned it where I found it.

While continuing his search of the limo, he found another bullet on the seat lying inside a tuft on the leather seat. Unlike the other bullet fragments he saw in the blood, this bullet was intact.

Since this was certainly evidence, he said, and not wanting someone to grab it as a souvenir, I placed it in my pocket and eventually found myself in Kennedys examination room. I placed it beside his foot, knowing the doctors would see it.

According to Landis, he was never interviewed by the Warren Commission.

Some years later, while working in New York City, he passed Mr. Kenneths salon, a hairstylist Mrs. Kennedy frequented. As he got closer, a limo pulled up, and out came Jackie Kennedy.

We looked at each other, and she asked, Mr. Landis, what are you doing in New York City?

Landis was born in Toledo and his family later moved to Worthington, Ohio, in the Columbus area.

After graduating from high school, Landis attended Ohio Wesleyan University and earned a degree in geology. But, like many college graduates, he was a bit perplexed about his future.

I didnt know what I wanted to do with the rest of my life after I graduated, he said. While I was in college, I was classified as student deferred. If I stayed in school, I didnt have to worry about being drafted.

Now I was reclassified as 1-A, available for service. I had to do something soon or I would have to go into the Army.

I wanted to choose which branch of service to go into. My friend Tom Lindblom was in the same situation, so we joined the Ohio Air National Guards 121st Tactical Fighter Wing at Lockbourne Air Force Base in Columbus. Our active duty wouldnt start until the fall.

After finishing his requirements for active duty in the National Guard, he got a job at a mens clothing store in Worthington.

One day at work, Bob Foster, an old high school friend of his sister, entered the store. Foster had joined the Secret Service back in 1956, protecting President Dwight Eisenhower.

Foster was a great storyteller, and he had some fascinating ones to tell about the job, Landis said.

Those stories piqued my interest, but I had other questions. Unfortunately, Foster had left town. So, I contacted his wife to ask if he could connect with me.

He said the days were long and the pay was low. But it had its rewards. He instructed me to contact a local Secret Service director who oversaw the Columbus field office.

I walked in and went through my first interview. The director suggested I talk to my parents before deciding. I laughed. Within nine months, I was on the job.

Landis first White House detail was with the Eisenhower grandchildren. The job mostly involved driving them to school and sticking around until their classes were over. He was earning about $4,800 a year.

After Kennedy won the election in 1960, Landis accepted the kiddie detail position, which meant he would be in charge of keeping Caroline and John Jr. safe.

Going from the Eisenhower family to the much younger Kennedy clan was exciting, he said.

The Kennedys were almost like a pair of movie stars, he said. Everywhere they went, we dealt with large crowds who screamed like it was a rock concert.

They were youthful and very energetic and a handsome couple. Kennedy was good looking ... she was a lovely lady.

Landis told a funny story about a day when he had Caroline out on the White House grounds riding her pony. She asked if she could stop in to say hi to her father.

I initially hesitated, but ended up granting her wish, he said. I peeked into the Oval Office and saw the president was alone and the screen door was open. So I opened the door and took Caroline into the Oval Office -- while still on the horse.

Ill never forget the look on Kennedys face when we entered. His jaw dropped. He got up with a huge grin and greeted us. He then told me that Maybe this wasnt a good idea, Mr. Landis.

Landis said when he typed the last sentence of Final Witness, he broke down.

I just couldnt stop crying, he said. It was as if the safety valve on a pressure cooker had finally burst open, releasing all the suppressed feelings and emotions I had kept buried for so long.

This is my story.

More:

California governor denies RFK assassin Sirhan Sirhan parole

I think hes gone: The assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
The mother of a 14-year-old boy with a severe form of cerebral palsy known as quadriplegia on Friday filed a notice she intends to sue the state, alleging an in-home health aide abused her son last month in their Passaic County home.

The 47-year-old woman claims in court filings her child, who is non-verbal, was thrown by the aide at least twice and struck so hard that they were left a bruise in the shape of a hand.

The aide is identified in court records as Justin C. Chipkin, 37, of Kinnelon. Chipkin was a state-sanctioned aide who worked for Prasada In Home, a private company with offices in Morris County.

Chipkin was arrested on Oct. 26 and charged with second-degree endangering, fourth-degree endangering and one count of simple assault as a disorderly persons offense, according to court records.

The alleged abuse was captured on two security cameras in the womans West Milford home, according to the affidavit of probable cause.

Kathy Sheldon, chief executive officer for Prasada In Home, told NJ Advance Media on Monday Chipkin has already been terminated from his job. She declined to comment further.

Reached on his cellphone, Chipkin said he had no comment. State officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday.

The case is being investigated by the Passaic County Prosecutors Office, which received a call about the alleged crimes on Oct. 20 from the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency, according to the affidavit.

The affidavit states the teenager was diagnosed with spastic quadriplegia when he was about a year old and that he needs help with basic tasks, such as eating and bathing.

Quadriplegia is the most severe form of cerebral palsy, rendering children unable to walk, with difficulties in speech, vision and intellect, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The mother receives assistance through the state to pay for 60 hours of in-home health care every 90 days, according to court filings. Chipkin was hired through Prasada In Home to care for the teen beginning in June, according to court records.

On Oct. 17, Chipkin was allegedly alone with the child while the mother went to visit her father in a nursing home and then went to work. While at her job, the woman received motion alerts on her phone that there was activity on her security cameras, which she installed in her sons bedroom and playroom, according to the affidavit.

Upon opening the camera view, she observed the defendant throw (the victim) onto a couch, and she observed the defendant hit (the victim) while he was changing his diaper, the affidavit states.

A video clip given to the prosecutors office allegedly shows Chipkin picking the teen up from the floor and throwing him onto a bed. When Chipkin left the room, the child squirmed off the bed and onto the floor. Chipkin returned, picked up the disabled teen from the floor and threw him back onto the bed, the affidavit alleges.

Video clips from Oct. 17 allegedly show Chipkin striking the child three times in the stomach with an open hand while changing his diaper, according to the affidavit.

The woman told investigators that she had noticed what appeared to be scratches on her sons stomach in the past, but she did not think anything of it.

The womans attorney, Patrick Toscano of Caldwell, on Friday filed a notice of tort claim against Prasada In Home and the state, sending letters to the business and to the New Jersey Department of Treasurys risk management bureau.

The state of New Jersey or any one of its sub-divisions was complicit in providing funding for and/or choosing (Prasada In Home), Toscano states in the claim.

In a Nov. 2 letter to Prasada In Home, Toscano called the alleged abuse despicable and disgusting.

Moreover, Prasada never reported this assault to the family or any law enforcement agency pursuant (to state law), the attorney alleged in his letter.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X @TonyAttrino.
Sitting behind his desk on a sunny fall day, Cheektowaga Police Chief Brian Gould recalled the tough challenges and rewarding moments that come along with spending 23 years in law enforcement.

He talked about holding his department together earlier this year as officers grappled with the serious injury of one of their colleagues, Officer Troy Blackchief. Blackchief suffered a skull fracture and brain injury when he was hit by a driver who stole an SUV in February.

Cheektowaga Police Chief Brian Gould to retire "For the past 23 years, it has been my honor and privilege to serve this community, and I am grateful for the trust and support I have received throughout my career," Gould wrote in a letter.

He smiles as he digs an old, yellowing copy of The Buffalo News out of a cabinet behind his desk. The article on the front page highlighted the departments crisis intervention team  the first in Erie County  and the positive impact it had on one young Cheektowaga man.

Gould, who became Cheektowagas leading law enforcement officer in August 2021, is hanging up his badge and handcuffs at the end of the month after more than two decades with the Cheektowaga Police Department.

(I have) gratitude for what this position has given me over the past 23 years and the pride of the department that I have for having the opportunity to be the leader of this department for the time I was here, Gould said.

Lifelong public servant

Born and raised in Cheektowaga, Gould got his start in public safety when he joined the Doyle Volunteer Hose Company No. 2 as an 18-year-old.

As a young man, Gould said he was interested in becoming either a police officer or a firefighter. After high school, he got an associates degree in fire prevention from Erie Community College and took the civil service exams for both careers but could not turn down the opportunity to be a police officer in his hometown.

I made the choice that Im gonna stay in my hometown, and it worked out well, Gould said, reflecting on that time in his life. Im happy with the choice.

He joined the police department as a public safety dispatcher in 1997. Three years later, Gould became a patrol officer.

He continued rising through the ranks of the department with promotions to sergeant in 2007, lieutenant in 2011 and captain in 2018. He became assistant chief in 2020 and was named chief a year later after former Chief Michael Sliwinski died of a heart attack.

While rising through the ranks in the police department, Gould also served on the Cheektowaga School Board, from 2002 to 2015. He also continued to work as a volunteer firefighter with the Bellevue Volunteer Fire Company throughout his time as a police officer.

He credits his childhood participation in the Boy Scouts with influencing his career and life choices.

It just seemed like that was a good route to go, he said. Public service is not only a stable position with good benefits, it also gives you a chance to get back to the community. And obviously, its an exciting job.

Mental health training for officers is so needed

The most influential experience of Goulds law enforcement career was his time at the FBI National Academy, he said, pointing to a yellow-painted brick that sits on a shelf behind his desk.

He received the brick in 2012 during the 10-week leadership program for law enforcement officers at the FBI headquarters in Quantico, Va. Gould is among the 1% of law enforcement officers nationwide who have been selected to participate in the training.

I truly feel that its been a life-changer for me, Gould said. Its made me focus on what I can do to lead this profession. Anybody can be the chief and can deal with what comes up and can be the guy who signs off on everything and makes the decisions. But what are you doing to transform your profession? Thats been my focus since Ive come back.

One of the biggest takeaways Gould brought back to Cheektowaga from the academy was a focus on mental health training for officers.

In the early 2010s, no police agencies in Erie County had a crisis intervention team, a community partnership among police, county health services and mental health professionals that helps address the mental health needs of citizens who enter the criminal justice system during a mental health crisis.

As a lieutenant, Gould worked to develop Western New Yorks first crisis intervention team.

Ive been in a position where Ive been able to really shape the community response to mental health, Gould said. And its so needed. If I didnt do it, I think it would have came up eventually because it was such a pressing issue, but I had the honor of being on the forefront of seeing those changes happen here in our community.

That young man helped by the crisis intervention team in Cheektowaga went from being known by every officer on the force to becoming a productive citizen, Gould recalled.

He is doing very well, not having interactions with the police department, getting the help he needs and living a productive life, Gould said of the man.

Cheektowaga program employing substance abuse screening by police gets funding A program that employs substance abuse screening by the Cheektowaga Police Department that allows department personnel to immediately connect addicts with treatment has been awarded $17,500 in federal funding.

Additionally, Gould led the departments partnership with the Erie County Health Department to develop a program aimed at getting people who are struggling with addiction linked with treatment.

Gould has also helped train officers outside of Cheektowaga and Western New York. He travels the state to train other officers as a consultant for the New York State Office of Mental Health.

Its so important that were doing everything we can to make sure every officer has the best training and has the skills that they need to succeed, he said.

However, Gould said his proudest achievement during his time with the Cheektowaga Police Department was helping to open a Boys and Girls Club in the town in 2021.

As somebody who served time on a school board, I know that when the budgets get tight, the first thing that gets cut is after-school activities, he said. Not every kid is interested in sports. I would be patrolling the streets and see the kids getting in trouble after school. And it just floored me that a community this size didnt have a Boys and Girls Club.

Who will be the next chief?

Goulds last day as chief will be Nov. 30. His replacement will be selected by the Cheektowaga Town Board.

The Cheektowaga Police Department got rid of the assistant chief position when Gould took over as chief, so its unclear who his successor will be.

The board is in the process of identifying police officers with the qualifications necessary to serve as chief, Supervisor Diane Benczkowski said.

She anticipates holding interviews with potential candidates within the next week and bringing a candidate to the board for a vote in the next few weeks.
A 15-year-old girl who had been missing since Nov. 16 has been found, police said.

Lower Paxton Township police said Dora Supko was located and returned to her family.

Two teenagers out of Cumberland and Franklin counties remain missing, according to police reports.

Police in Carlisle said Hailey Sydney, 16, has been missing since Friday evening after she was last seen in her home near the Grandview Court area of Carlisle. Hailey has three piercings in both ears, a nose piercing, and was last seen with wearing a ponytail, police say.

Hailey Sydney, 16, was reported missing by her mother Friday evening in Carlisle.Carlisle Police Department

Chambersburg police reported that Justin Reynolds, 17, went missing on Friday morning after he was dropped off at the Chambersburg Area Senior High School and never returned to the Childrens Aid Society after school.

Justin Reynolds, 17, was reported missing in Chambersburg on Friday after he did not return to the Children's Aid Society after school.Chambersburg Police Department

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Hailey Sydney and Justin Reynolds is asked to contact Carlisle Police at 717-243-5252, or Chambersburg Police Department at 717-264-4131.
The Lebanon County District Attorneys office determined that a private citizens use of deadly force was justified after shooting and killing a 33-year-old man in May.

The ruling, which was justified under Pennsylvanias self-defense laws, was investigated by the Lebanon County Detective Bureau and Lebanon City Police Department.

According to authorities, a private citizen utilized his personal handgun for self-protection during an argument on May 3 to shoot Thomas Vance, of Lebanon, one time in his upper torso at 8 a.m. on the first block of Jones Street, according to police.

The district attorneys office noted that special protections are given under the law for the use of deadly force when in your private residence  these protections are often referred to as the Castle Doctrine. When in ones own home, a private citizen does not need to retreat or try to escape before he uses deadly force. In this instance, the citizen attempted to do so anyway without success.

Vances autopsy revealed the cause of death to be the result of the lone gunshot wound.

The district attorneys office did not identify the shooter because it was ruled to be lawful.

Months before the incident, the report issued Monday said, Vance was serving time at the Lebanon County jail. When incarcerated, Vance left his personal belongings in the care of a third party who was not identified. Vance was released on parole to a local recovery program, the report said.

The day before the shooting, Vance saw police arrest the person holding his personal items. That person told Vance his personal items resided with the private citizen.

On the day of the shooting, Vance stopped by that private citizens home for the initial purpose of locating his items. When Vance and another man arrived, they found that person working on a vehicle parked behind the home.

Vance asked the person what happened with the police on the previous day and about his belongings. He was told to speak with the individual who took his things and asked to not get involved.

Vance walked away from the residence with his companion to make a phone call.

The phone call caused Vance to say aloud that he was lied to, and then walked back to that persons home where he found him once again working on his vehicle. Vances companion remained at a distance, the report said.

When Vance approached, the person stood up and held an object in each hand. Authorities said the investigation revealed several tools on the ground in this initial area, all utilized for mechanical upkeep and repair on vehicles.

A fight ensued and, following a short chase, led to Vance getting his hands on a black pipe and hitting the person on the head with it. The person fell to the ground. As he fell, Vance grabbed him and again used an overhand motion to strike the persons head with the pipe.

Per the report: Vance walked in the direction of the citizens vehicle, which was surrounded by the citizens own tools. The citizen stood and walked to his vehicle  parked in his own spot and on his own property. The citizen opened the front passengers door and retrieved his handgun. The gun was lawfully purchased and lawfully possessed by the citizen. The citizen pointed the gun in Vances direction; Vance taunted him, chased him, and continued to aggressively hold onto the black pipe.

The citizen moved away from Vance. Vance continued to chase. The citizen told Vance to get away from him. Vance continued to aggressively follow the citizen despite the gun pointed in his direction and the verbal directive to stay away. After multiple efforts to evade Vance, the citizen fired one (1) time at Vances upper torso.

Vance turned, walked away, dropped the pipe, and picked up his nearby backpack. Vances companion went with him. The two men walked down the street to finally leave the area. After he moved a short distance, Vance collapsed on the ground. He remained in that position until medical help arrived on-scene minutes later.

Meanwhile, the person at the residence called 911 and explained he shot Vance but felt he acted lawfully to defend himself, according to the report. He told police before he fired the gun, Vance struck him in the head.

The citizen waited for the police to arrive and retrieve his weapon. The immediate investigation showed the citizen sustained lumps on his head consistent with being struck with a pipe, the report said.

Residents and businesses in the area turned over video of the incident, which confirmed the sequence of events the person told police.

Said the report: The video further shows the citizen retrieving his gun, move away from his attacker, and Vance continued to give chase. The video thus reinforces the citizen tried what was practical to avoid confrontation before he used deadly force and fired his gun.
With Thanksgiving only three days away, now is the time to help out those less fortunate who depend on food banks to ensure they have enough to eat.

With that in mind, Gov. Josh Shapiro, joined by members of his staff, and elected officials, volunteered their time to pack food boxes at the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank volunteer center in Harrisburg today.

Look, Im real proud and pleased to be here at the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank. These folks do amazing, amazing work under Joes (food bank executive director Joe Arthur) leadership. Im especially grateful today to be here with Rep. (Justin) Fleming, Rep. (Dave) Madsen, from here in Dauphin County, said Shapiro.

Were all here because we recognize theres a lot of need out there. Now one in 10 people in central Pennsylvania have food insecurity. What were doing here is not only filling a box of food but filling a box with some hope for those folks. Letting them know they got people in the community who care deeply about them.

The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank is a nonprofit organization with a mission of fighting hunger, improving lives, and strengthening communities.

It provides nutritious meals for 202,500 people each month in 27 central Pennsylvania counties by working with its 1,050 partner agencies and with the critical help of more than 15,000 volunteers.
A prominent LGBTQ rights organization gave Harrisburg the highest possible score for its support of the LGBTQ+ community.

The annual report, which began its first edition in 2012, is a comprehensive nationwide assessment of LGBTQ+ equality through the lens of laws, policies, and services that exist in communities across the country.

I am more encouraged now than ever before that Harrisburg is on the right path forward, said Mayor Wanda Williams.

The Human Rights Campaign, which evaluated 506 local governments in the United States, lauded Harrisburg for officially scoring 96 out of 100 and earning 13 bonus flex points on its Municipal Equality Index. The citys total score of 109 was the highest mark given any Pennsylvania municipality.

At a news conference Tuesday at City Hall, Williams said shes proud of her administration for prioritizing LGBTQ+ inclusion and seeking to improve the unacceptable score the city received in 2021, before she took office.

Total equality is not where it needs to be, said Williams. Frankly, it was not always that way here in the city of Harrisburg. Previous administrations may have preached equality, but it did not manifest itself inside city hall and on the MEI survey.

After scoring 81 points in 2018, the city notched 69 points from 2019-21, and 71 points in 2022.

In order for Harrisburg to improve its score, the Human Rights Campaign said the city needed to designate an LGBTQ+ liaison in both the police department and mayors office, said city spokesperson Matt Maisel. Williams appointed city staff Jennifer Cameron and Deborah Robinson , respectively, to those positions.

The 26th Pride Festival of Central Pennsylvania was moved to Soldiers Grove Park behind the state Capitol due to recent flooding in Harrisburg, Pa., July 28, 2018. Mark Pynes | mpynes@pennlive.com Mark PynesMark Pynes

The citys score spiked after officials also began reporting hate crime data to the FBI and providing transgender-inclusive healthcare benefits to its employees.

Harrisburg also gave $26,091 in Community Development Block Grant funds to the LGBT Center of Central PA, according to Maisel.

Other Pennsylvania municipalities that landed perfect scores of 100 include Carlisle, State College, Erie, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. New Hope, Reading, and Allentown earned scores above 90. Wilkes Barre recorded 82 points.

For the longest time, the City of Harrisburg has been a progressive oasis in a far more conservative Central Pennsylvania, said Williams.

Our government needs to better reflect our residents and this honor by the Human Rights Campaign is an important part of showing that process.

Amanda Arbour, executive director of the LGBT Center of Central Pa. speaks at a press conference announcing Harrisburg's perfect score on the Municipal Equality Index.Zahriah Balentine

The city was honored for single-occupancy all-gender facilities, protection from conversion therapy, city employee domestic partner benefits, openly LGBTQ+ elected officials, and services provided to LGBTQ+ youth, LGBTQ+ individuals experiencing homelessness, older adults, and the transgender community.

Despite the increase in anti-LGBTQ+ policies across the country, Amanda Arbour, director of the LGBT Center of Central Pa., said shes hopeful for the future.

There is always more work to be done, so this does not mark a finish line, but it does mark important progress, she said. We are grateful for the work that Mayor Williams and her administration have done to prioritize LGBTQ+ inclusion within the past year.

State Rep. Justin Fleming told PennLive why the event is crucial for children of the LGBTQ+ community. Before Fleming was elected last year to represent the 105th Legislative District in Dauphin County, he was a mental health and child advocate for 12 years.

Things like this are really important today because LGBTQ+ kids unfortunately are constantly hammered with messages about restrictions, he said. Restrictions on not playing sports, restrictions on the government paying for medical care, and an event like this highlights that theres a community that cares about them and theres a community thats trying to uplift and be supportive of those kids.

Harrisburgs complete scorecard can be found here, and a full report of the MEIs 2023 report is available here. View any of the 506 participating cities scores here.
By Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman (TNS)

BOISE, Idaho  A court order from the judge overseeing the case against Bryan Kohberger, a Pennsylvania man who is suspected of murdering four University of Idaho students, released Monday his news rules regarding cameras in the courtroom during Kohbergers trial.

Judge John Judge of Idahos 2nd Judicial District in Latah County previously said hed permit cameras but wanted to have more control over them. In the court order, Judge said he will grant Kohbergers motion to remove cameras operated by the media, including both video and still photography. Instead, a court-operated camera will livestream the trial, which the public will be able to watch online on Judges YouTube channel.

The judge said in his order that this route will ensure the public still has access to see the proceedings for themselves if they cannot attend hearings in person. The ruling was filed at 5 p.m. Friday and made public through the Idaho judicial branchs website Monday.

In a case that has garnered intense national interest, Kohberger, 28, is accused of stabbing four University of Idaho students to death at an off-campus Moscow home in November 2022. The victims were seniors Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, both 21; and junior Xana Kernodle and freshman Ethan Chapin, both 20.

The decision comes after months of disagreement  played out through court documents and hearings  between the defense team and media outlets over whether cameras could prejudice a jury.

Judges order is unlikely to make either side happy. The defense had asked to ban all cameras, while media outlets asked to be allowed to take their own footage.

The four University of Idaho students stabbed to death in November 2022 were Kaylee Goncalves, top left; Xana Kernodle, top right; Ethan Chapin, bottom left; and Madison Mogen, bottom right. (Moscow Police Department/TNS, file)TNS

Wendy Olson, a former U.S. attorney for the state of Idaho, represented a coalition of about two dozen media outlets, including the Idaho Statesman, and argued at an October hearing in favor of allowing cameras. She argued for maintaining camera access in the courtroom on First Amendment grounds, saying it could help limit the publishing of misinformation about the case by non-journalist commentators, the Statesman previously reported.

The Goncalves family and some members of the Kornodle family have also publicly supported cameras in the courtroom.

The answer is not less sunshine, its more, Olson told Judge. The public and this community will be best served by having those cameras in the courtroom.

Judge denied that media members had any First Amendment or other constitutional right to record Idaho court proceedings, according to the order.

Kohberger faces four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary. A trial date has yet to be set after Kohberger waived his right to a speedy trial, but prosecutors have already stated their intent to pursue the death penalty if a jury finds him guilty, according to Statesman reporting.
Rain and sleet could fall on Tuesday, but the midstate will miss out on snow thats expected to fall in other parts of the state, forecasters said.

Sleet may make some roads slick during the morning commute; however, the National Weather Service said the precipitation will shift to solely rain by 2 p.m.

Little to no sleet accumulation is expected, forecasters said.

Although areas to the west and north could see some snow flurries, forecasters are expecting less than an inch of accumulation.

Forecasters said central Pennsylvanias winds will move at 1520 mph but could gust up to nearly 30 mph.

The rest of the week will be sunny and free of any inclement weather, according to the NWS.

Wednesday and Thanksgiving Day will be sunny, with highs in the low to mid 50s, forecasters said.

More than 20 mph winds are possible both Wednesday and Thursday.

Forecasters said Friday will be another sunny day, with temperatures barely reaching the upper 40s.

With a wintry precipitation mix expected for tomorrow morning we wanted to highlight our current thoughts on the timing for the beginning of it. Accumulation amounts for freezing rain and snow should remain minimal, and everything will transition to rain by mid afternoon.#PAwx pic.twitter.com/J0nFAkUFMq  NWS State College (@NWSStateCollege) November 20, 2023

Today

High near 45. Chance of precipitation is 100%.

Tonight

Low around 44. Chance of precipitation is 100%.

Wednesday

Partly sunny, with a high near 55.

Wednesday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 39.

Thursday

Sunny, with a high near 52.

Thursday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 34.
Christopher Belling, a decorated former prosecutor who has tried some of the regions highest-profile criminal cases, is seeking the Democratic endorsement for Erie County district attorney, he told The Buffalo News on Monday.

Erie County DA John Flynn to resign, may step down in early 2024 Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn won't seek re-election and may step down from his position early next year before his term is over at the end of 2024, he told The Buffalo News. If Flynn steps aside, it would clear a path for Michael J. Keane, his first deputy district attorney, to succeed him.

Based upon my experience and my training and my skill, Ive thought that I could do this job for many, many years, but the opportunity was never 100% right, Belling said in an interview.

The timing, though, still may not be right for the Erie County Democratic Committee, which was planning this week to endorse Michael J. Keane to succeed District Attorney John J. Flynn Jr.

Flynn told The News last week that he wont seek re-election and may step down from his position early next year before his term is over at the end of 2024. That would clear a path for Michael J. Keane, his first deputy district attorney, to succeed him.

Democratic Chairman Jeremy Zellner said last week that county Democrats planned to endorse Keane on Tuesday as the partys nominee for the 2024 election. Zellner called him the strongest candidate to keep this community safe. On Monday, Zellner said Belling reached out to the committee late Friday and has been invited to appear before Democratic officials on Tuesday for the endorsement process. Zellner said it remained likely that Keane would get the partys endorsement.

Zellner last week said no one besides Keane asked for the endorsement, but that changed this weekend when Belling, who spent 38 years as an Erie County prosecutor, contacted the committee and The News to say he thinks he could do a better job than Keane.

Belling served under six district attorneys during his four decades as a prosecutor. He was best known for two high-profile cases: the acquittal on the most serious charges against Dr. James G. Corasanti and the murder conviction (later resulting in a manslaughter plea) of Jeffrey J. Basil, the manager of Mollys Pub in Buffalo who pushed an Iraq War veteran down a flight of stairs, leading to his death.

You have to be the best prosecutor in Erie County to be the DA of Erie County, Belling said. Its hubris to call myself the best prosecutor, but Im good.

Belling was asked to leave the office in 2016, when Flynn assembled his own leadership team. He said the move stung him, though he has since been busy assisting prosecutors in other Western New York counties on various cases.

Belling said he believes Keane was being positioned to secure the Erie County Democratic endorsement for DA because of his familys political ties. Keane is the son of former Assemblyman Richard J. Keane, who served 33 years in public office, and the brother of Buffalo City Court Judge Kevin J. Keane. His uncle, James P. Keane, was a former deputy Erie County executive who unsuccessfully ran for county executive in 2007. His wife, Lynn W. Keane, is a State Supreme Court justice.

I dont know what Mike Keane has done other than be the son of an Assemblyman, the brother of a city court judge, the nephew of a county executive candidate and the husband of a judge, Belling said.

Keane declined an interview request for this story, but Flynn defended his deputy, stating that Keane supervised the offices day-to-day operations for the past seven years and was the supervising attorney on the biggest case that this office has ever had in the history of Erie County, which is the Tops [shooting] case.

Mr. Keanes family are distinguished public servants, Flynn said. And quite frankly, Mike Keane took a significant pay cut to come be the deputy DA. By criticizing a guys wife, a guys dead father, without taking into consideration what hes done for the county in the past seven years, is just in my opinion a cheap shot.

Belling also said the office has seen high turnover rates for prosecutors during Flynns tenure, though Flynn provided figures stating that there was less turnover during his time in office than during that of predecessors Michael Flaherty and Frank Sedita III.

Belling also questioned whether Keane knew about misconduct involving Paul Williams, an assistant district attorney who came under fire for altering documents related to a wiretap without a judges approval. Williams was later named the DAs ethics officer.

That stuff goes up to the top, Belling said. If Mike Keane knew about the transgression before it was reported to the (attorney) grievance committee, he (and any other lawyer who knew) had an obligation to report Williams to the grievance committee.

Flynn said he could not confirm or deny whether there is an attorney grievance case against Williams because it is unethical for any attorney to talk about that. For Mr. Belling to talk about that just shows his character, because it is unethical to do that, Flynn said.

Belling said he came forward this weekend because he was concerned that politics were being given more weight than prosecutorial experience in choosing the next Democratic nominee for DA.

I think its important that the people of Erie County have the best professional prosecutor they can get and I think the Democrats are losing sight of that at this particular point in time, Belling said.
As the Buffalo Niagara International Airport prepares for a busy holiday travel season, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer is sponsoring the Families Fly Together Act that he said would prohibit airlines from charging extra fees for a child 13 or younger to sit next to an adult family member on a flight.

During a news conference Monday at the airport, Schumer revealed that many airlines charge parents what he called deceptive junk fees so they can sit with their children when they travel and avoid being split up on flights, or forced to plead with other passengers to exchange seats.

This is a bad policy, plain and simple. Whether its Thanksgiving or any other time, airlines should not be forcing parents to plead once they get on the plane to sit with their kids or forcing parents into a game of musical chairs, Schumer said.

At the request of federal entities, he said, four airlines have already committed to dropping the fees. They are Alaska Airlines, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airlines and American Airlines. Schumer said the U.S. Department of Transportation has been unsuccessful in pressuring six other airlines to follow suit.

Some airlines will take away the fees for children if you complain, or say, Oh, we can just ask people to switch once you get on the plane, but you dont even know it until youve gotten off the plane that theyve charged you another $50 or $100 if they sit you with your kid, Schumer said.

The senator said it should be common sense for the airlines to chuck their fees when they already make billions of dollars in profit. While Schumer has spent years calling on the airlines to jettison the fees, he said he wont stop until the practice has ended.

Angela Marinucci, who was recently elected to a four-year term on the Amherst Town Board that begins in January, joined Schumer at the news conference. Marinucci is the mother of three young children who said she knows that flying together as family is already is a complex dance of logistics, expenses and inevitable chaos.

This legislation is a game-changer for parents like me who have deal with the challenge of flying with little ones, she said of Schumers bill.

Rebecca Castaneda of Buffalo also attended the news conference with her 1-year-old son, Benny, to laud the proposal.

Western New York parents often find themselves burdened with unexpected costs that only add to the already daunting task of coordinating family travel, Castaneda said.

I am grateful that Sen. Schumer is championing the Families Fly Together Act. Amplifying the stress of holiday travel is bad for parents, its bad for caregivers and bad for other passengers. Its not right for airline companies to nickel and dime hardworking families just so caregivers can keep on eye on their kids and keep them safe, she added.
A state senator who sued over a state Health Department isolation and quarantine rule adopted during the Covid-19 pandemic criticized an appellate court ruling that dismissed the lawsuit.

State Sen. George Borrello, R-Sunset Bay, and others in the lawsuit against Gov. Kathy Hochul and the state Health Department called the reversal a calamitous decision.

The Appellate Division of State Supreme Courts Fourth Department in Rochester ruled Friday that Borrello and the other plaintiffs had no standing to sue. They had won a favorable ruling in a July 2022 decision issued by acting State Supreme Court Justice Ronald D. Ploetz in Cattaraugus County. Ploetz said the rule conflicted with existing state law and was unenforceable.

But the appellate court unanimously reversed that ruling and dismissed the lawsuit.

I consider this a a cop-out on the part of the Appellate Division, Borrello said. The fact that they would take a case that was all about the separation of powers, and then say that state legislators would not have standing, is ridiculous.

Ploetzs ruling in State Supreme Court in Cattaraugus County invalidated the states emergency isolation and quarantine rule change.

There was a 14-page very detailed decision by the lower court that just absolutely destroyed the government and the Department of Health, Borrello said. So the Appellate Division judges just decided not to take it up. Their decision had nothing to do with the merits of the case. They threw it out on a baseless technicality.

The rule had been extended in 90-day periods, and the state indicated it wanted to make it permanent.

The rule states: For the purposes of quarantine orders, quarantine locations may include home quarantine, other residential or temporary housing quarantine, or quarantine at such other locations as the public health authority issuing the order deems appropriate, consistent with any direction that the State Commissioner of Health may issue.

Under the disputed rule, the setting for quarantine and isolation can include a temporary housing location chosen by a public health authority, though in most cases people would voluntarily isolate in their homes.

The rule calls for coordination with law enforcement to ensure people comply with isolation or quarantine orders when necessary.

The lawsuit said the department lacked the authority to institute the rules isolation and quarantine procedures.

In a joint statement, the three lawmakers said the appellate decision paved the way for Hochul and her Department of Health to re-issue this heinous rule and set a precedent to preclude citizens from rightfully challenging government overreach in court.

The three lawmakers and Bronxville attorney Bobbie Anne Cox said they would appeal to the state Court of Appeals, the states highest court, although there is no guarantee the higher court will accept the case.

Borrello, who represents Jamestown and Batavia, contended the states existing public health laws already provide for civil commitment for people who are known to be sick, and they allow for due process, whereas the state Health Department rule did not. The plaintiffs argued that the disputed rule allows for someone who is ordered to isolate or quarantine to seek relief from the courts after the fact, which is a breach of due process.

The state Health Department did not reply to a request for comment.

In Fridays unanimous decision, the appellate judges said the lawmakers failed to establish they suffered a direct, personal injury beyond an abstract institutional harm, which does not provide standing.

The advocacy group also lacked standing, the appellate judges said, because it did not claim that any of its members had been personally subjected to isolation and quarantine under any regulation.

We are cognizant that standing rules should not be applied in an overly restrictive manner where the result would be to completely shield a particular action from judicial review, according to the appellate decision. However, inasmuch as the legislature retains its power to address the regulation and there exists a large pool of potential challengers to the regulation who could assert a concrete and particularized harm, we conclude that this is not a case where to deny standing to these petitioners would insulate government action from judicial scrutiny.
PokerStars Announces Full Five Stop 2024 EPT Schedule; Paris and Cyprus Return

November 21, 2023 Matthew Pitt Senior Editor

PokerStars has unveiled the full schedule for the 2024 European Poker Tour (EPT) season, which shows five destinations, including a return to EPT Paris and EPT Cyprus. Both Paris and Cyprus made their EPT debut in 2023, and they return for 2024, much to the delight of the players.

EPT Paris is the first stop of the 2024 European Poker Tour season. It takes place between February 14-25 at a new venue. The stunning Le Palais des Congres has a 120-table capacity, meaning there will be a more extensive schedule for the festival. Cedric Billot, Associate Director for Live Events and Operations, believes the new-look EPT Paris could be one of the largest EPT festivals on record.

"After last year's EPT Paris, we really listened to player' feedback, and we looked at how to improve the players' experience and capacity for this event, which has the potential to be one of the largest EPT festivals ever. A new and larger venue, improvements on the registrations, more tableswe hope to welcome as many players as possible in 2024 in Paris."

Online satellites and Power Path for EPT Paris launched in the PokerStars lobby on November 21, giving PokerStars players a cut-price route to the festival. There are three different Power Path passes available:

Pass Package Gold Pass EPT Paris Main Event entry plus eight nights' accommodation Gold Pass EPT Paris Main Event entry, FPS Paris Main Event entry, and FPS Paris Cup entry Silver Pass FPS Main Event entry, and FPS Paris Cup entry

The remaining value of each pass will be credited as expenses, limited edition merchandise, live event liason, and exclusive EPT Pairs activities.

PokerStars Qualifier Razvan Belea Cruises to Victory in 2023 EPT Paris 5,300 Main Event (1,170,000)

2024 PokerStars EPT Schedule

Stop Dates EPT Paris February 14-25 EPT Monte-Carlo April 29 to May 4 EPT Barcelona August 26 to September 8 EPT Cyprus October 9-20 EPT Prague December 4-15

Following EPT Paris in February, the EPT makes the relatively short journey to Monte-Carlo from April 29 through May 4. EPT Monte-Carlo is one of the mainstays of the tour, and is one of the more popular stops on the live poker calendar.

Mike Watson Becomes Third Player in History to Win Two Live EPT Main Event Titles

PokerStars has big plans for EPT Barcelona 2024, which takes place from August 26 through September 8. EPT Barcelona 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of this exciting stop. EPT Barcelona has featured in every EPT season since the tour's launch, and the Main Event and side events always pack out the Casino Barcelona to capacity.

Simon Wiciak Dominates EPT Barcelona Main Event To Win 1,134,375

EPT Cyprus proved popular in 2023, so seeing the stunning Merit Royal Diamond Hotel & Casino & Spa host another festival in 2024 is not surprising. Head to North Cyprus from October 9-20 for some poker and fun in the sun, and, of course, Merit's famous 5-star all-inclusive hospitality.

PokerStars 'Dare2Stream' Winner Gilles Simon Becomes Inaugural EPT Cyprus Main Event Champion

No EPT schedule would be complete without the ever-popular EPT Prague festival in December. EPT Prague 2024 runs from December 4-15, allowing players to visit one of Europe's most beautiful winter destinations.

Stay tuned to PokerNews as the 2024 EPT approaches, as we bring you all of the details, event schedules, and more.

Sharelines Paris, Monte-Carlo, Barcelona, Cyprus, and Prague all feature on the 2024 PokerStars EPT schedule.
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Donald Trump continues to play medical record three-card monte, as the former president released a short note from his doctor instead of his medical records.

Here is Trumps latest attempt at hiding his health records:

Donald Trump got away with not releasing his medical records during the 2016 election and refused medical information while he was president. Trump and his administration lied about how sick he was with COVID, and there remain suspicious trips to Walter Reed that have never been adequately explained.

In contrast, President Biden released a 5-page health summary of his most recent physical in 2023. Trumps note from his doctor was not even five paragraphs long.

President Biden released decades of his medical history and records in 2019. The records included specifics about what Biden has been treated for and when.

Trumps vague note from his doctor notably contained many generalities but no specifics.

The question that the American people need to ask is, what is Donald Trump trying to hide from the voters? If Trump is as healthy as he claims, he should be racing to release as much detailed information as possible.

The fact that Trump has told the American people nothing specific about his health while Joe Biden has been an open book should tell voters all they need to know about which candidate they can trust in the White House.
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Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) has his eyes on running for governor, but the people of Florida gave him just a 21% approval rating.

The Pensacola News Journal reported:

A poll from the Florida Atlantic University Mainstreet PolCom Lab released last week showed that 57% of Florida voters disapproved of Gaetzs performance as a member of Congress.



The poll was conducted between Oct. 27 and Nov. 11, which means the poll captured the feeling of Florida voters just after Louisiana Congressman Mike Johnson was named House Speaker after Gaetz led the effort to remove former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy from office.



The poll said only 21% of voters approved of Gaetzs performance, while 8% were neutral and 14% didnt know.

Matt Gaetzs jihad to remove Kevin McCarthy as speaker appears to have backfired on him. The downside of burning it all to the ground chaos politics is that the chaos monger usually gets taken down in the hurricane as well. Gaetz wants to be the next governor of Florida after Ron DeSantiss second term ends.

As governor, it is a safe assumption that Rep. Gaetz would then turn his eyes to the White House for a 2028 presidential run when the Oval Office would be without an incumbent who could run again,

However, it appears that Matt Gaetz and his political ambitions might be going nowhere, as even the people of Florida can see through the congressman Kevin McCarthy claimed has no actual ideology or agenda.

It looks more likely that Matt Gaetz will end up with a gig on Fox News or Newsmax than ever be the governor of Florida.

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We have been honored to be able to put your interests first for 14 years as we only answer to our readers and we will not compromise on that fundamental, core PoliticusUSA value.
Republicans have one thing right about the border: The Biden administrations strategy to keep asylum seekers from flocking to the United States is not working. Read moreGuest editorial: Heres a deal to restore asylum, and order, at the border
The authors of the Nov. 8 Another Voice, Legalizing prescription drug importation is a bad idea, allege that U.S. patients will be sent counterfeit pharmaceuticals from Canada, implying that many deaths will occur.

Successful drug importation from Tier 1 countries (Canada, Australia, United Kingdom) has existed in the U.S. for 20 years. Drug fulfillment in Canada mirrors the U.S. process. Drugs are prescribed by active physicians, sealed in manufacturer packaging, distributed by government-licensed wholesalers and dispensed by licensed pharmacists.

Safety being paramount, certain classes of drugs, including narcotics, are excluded from the formularies. Pharmaceuticals are sent directly to the home of the patient at zero co-pay.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates pharmacy manufacturing and distribution but has historically done little to control pricing. Though over $350 million was spent by industry lobbyists in 2022 to maintain the status quo, federal legislation was passed authorizing Medicare to negotiate drug prices. Canada has been negotiating drug prices since 1987.

Pharmaceutical manufacturers and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) are in control of the system. The top three PBMs (CVS Caremark, Optum Rx, and Express Scripts) control 80% of drug distribution. The industrys pharmacy rebates are embedded in the employer/employee premium costs and shared by the PBMs, group health insurers, third party administrators, and insurance brokers.

Health insurance drug premiums have tripled in 20 years. Many companies are limiting or abandoning coverage of specialty drugs that are unaffordable for both employer and employee. Over 75% of the U.S. population is in favor of importation.

Employee contributions to the health plan have increased dramatically. Twenty years ago, over 80% of eligible participants enrolled in the employers plan. Current required payroll deductions, sometimes 50% of an $1,800 monthly family premium, have caused many groups to experience plan participation under 50%.

The Trump and Biden administrations both directed the FDA to work with states on drug importation policies. The FDA Safety and Landmark Advancements Act of 2022 allows importation of drugs from Canada and England.

Texas, New Mexico, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine are moving forward with importation plans, always voluntary to the member. Colorado expects 65% savings on the 112 drugs in its state formulary. Florida estimates importation savings of $80-$150 million per year. A mature importation program based in New York State has experienced great acceptance from public sector health plans and unions.

Drug manufacturers and pharmacy benefit managers obviously oppose any change in the system that affects their income. In 2023, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America brought an action to block the federal government from expediting the state importation of drugs. Thankfully, the U.S. District Court rejected the suit.
Aiken Standard reporter

Bianca Moorman is a public safety and courts reporter for the Aiken Standard, with the occasional coverage of other community news and features.

She can be reached at @biancarmooman or bmoorman@aikenstandard.com.

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America and the Western world are in a war they did not choose to be in, U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson said told Aiken Republicans.

"It's a war between dictators with the rule of gun invading democracies with rule of law," Wilson said Tuesday while speaking to the Aiken Republican Club at Newberry Hall.

Wilson is a Republican representing South Carolina's Second Congressional District. The district includes Aiken County, Barnwell County and most of the Columbia suburbs.

The war began Feb. 24, 2022, when Russian troops entered Ukraine to conduct a special military operation.

Wilson, chair of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, has authored several bills and advocated for providing money and arms to the Ukrainians as they battle the Russians.

War broke out again Oct. 7 when Hamas launched a series of coordinated attacks against Israel that left around 1,200 Israelis dead and over 200 people held hostage in Gaza.

Hamas is a Palestinian military and political organization that controls Gaza. Through its political arm, it has a majority of seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council.

The organization is widely considered to be a proxy for the interests of Iran.

And in Iran, though it does have elections, the final say-so is with unelected clerics and the Supreme Leader, placing Iran and Hamas on the side of the dictators in Wilson's view.

Wilson added the Western world-dictator war could soon expand if China  that country does have elections but is controlled by the Communist Party  decides to invade Taiwan, placing 24 million people at risk.

As an advocate of supporting democracies, Wilson advocates for providing them money and weapons in their wars against dictators.

Wilson joined a few Democrats in authoring a letter to newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., asking him to work to pass a $106 billion bill backed by President Joe Biden to provide aid to Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan and to deal with the border crisis.
Wolf and Horton are two moms that each weigh as much as NASA's space shuttle. Both were spotted swimming in the Carolinas this past week, the first of their kind to make the annual pilgrimage to the region's shallow waters, a place where these North Atlantic right whales once gave birth and might do so again.

The survival of the species hinges on these two breeding females and roughly 80 others.

The whale moms arrived amid renewed optimism that they can still be saved from extinction. But a proposed, science-backed rule that federal officials say is key to their protection has yet to materialize.

"I dont know why this rule has not moved through the fisheries service and why it's not in effect for this calving season, said Gib Brogan, a campaign director for the ocean advocacy group Oceana. "They've been saying it would be."

In summer 2022, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration proposed expanding speed limits that are meant to reduce deadly boat-whale collisions. The expanded rule took years of mapping and data crunching. It would sets a speed limit of 10 knots in more places where whales migrate and give birth. For the first time, the speed restrictions would include small boats.

From 2010 to 2020, a quarter of the North Atlantic right whale population disappeared or showed up dead. Scientists found at least 13 deaths were tied to boat strikes in roughly the same time period.

Today, only 364 whales remain. According to a consortium of scientists and industry groups that release an updated whale count every year, this latest estimate represents a "leveling off" after years of plummeting decline. At such low numbers, every death still matters.

"Even one human-caused mortality puts the species at risk of extinction," Jessica Redfern, a scientist at the New England Aquarium in Boston, said at a Jun. 6 subcommittee hearing for the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources. A vessel strike has already killed one right whale this year, prompting formal calls from Oceana and other groups to impose the expanded rule early under an "emergency" order.
A popular Washington, D.C., restaurant serving Malaysian cuisine has signed a lease to take over the 2,350-square-foot downtown Charleston space previously occupied by Goulette Rotisserie and Grill.

South Carolina native James Wozniuk will open Makan at 210 Rutledge Ave., across from Fuel Charleston. A timetable for the modern Malaysian restaurant's debut has not been set.

"We're really excited to be in Charleston," Makan general manager Kate Jacob told The Post and Courier. "It's such a great community and restaurant scene."

Located in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of the nation's capital, Makan serves noodle and rice dishes packed with flavor and spice. Wozniuk, who grew up in Greenville and has family in Charleston, was first drawn to Malaysian food during a layover in Kuala Lumpur. The stopover inspired three more trips and the chef's first solo venture.

Wozniuk is also chef and partner at a D.C. restaurant named Thirsty Crow, and earlier this year, he debuted a virtual kitchen called Spicebird, which operates out of Makan's 3400 11th St. NW address.

Though Makan opened just one week before the pandemic shut down D.C. restaurants in March 2020, it has gained a dedicated following since. Here is part of what Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema had to say about Makan, one of his eight favorite places to eat in February 2021:
GREENVILLE  It started with the need for storage, but also a want for more products. Thats how Bergamo West began, but the new Italian market and deli has grown into something even more than owners Kathy and Gian Pietro Ferro imagined.

The two, who also own Ristorante Bergamo in downtown Greenville, will open Bergamo West at 1278 Pendleton St. in the heart of West Greenville early next year.

Bergamo West will be part retail shop and part deli and cafe, the heart of both, featuring a range of imported, Italian products and goods.

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Visitors can expect a place to find Italian wines by the bottle, olive oil, olives, imported meats and cheeses, and other Italian specialties, along with Italian sandwiches, espresso and pastries.

This is true Italian, Kathy Ferro said. Even the salt comes from Italy.

This award-winning Greenville restaurant makes sure all can enjoy a Thanksgiving meal Comal 864 will host its 3rd annual Thanksgiving Day community meal, providing a free holiday meal to those in need. The restaurant is seeking food donations from those who'd like to help.

The market idea has been simmering for about half a year. When the Ferros took over Ristorante Bergamo in October 2020, they found a beautiful restaurant with very little storage space.

The lack of storage has impacted what Gian Pietro, the executive chef, can create on a day-to-day basis. And the culinarian who grew up in restaurants has many ideas.

Thus far, the chef has added his touch, featuring specials and creating a niche and a following with his flavorful, Northern Italian specialties.

The Ferros were living in New Jersey when they heard about the restaurant in Greenville, South Carolina.

Neither had been to Greenville, nor had really heard of the city, but they were intrigued by the opportunity to own their own restaurant.

While Kathy, who retired from her job in corporate America in 2018, wasnt looking to own a restaurant, Gian Pietro, with his lifelong passion for food, was.

But the opportunity found them, Kathy said, when Nello Gioia, the owner of Ristorante Bergamo, was looking to sell the restaurant.
GREENVILLE  The dispute between the city of Greenville and a developer praised by affordable housing advocates will head back to court after a zoning board ruled against the city.

Attorneys for the city asked a judge to revisit their initial lawsuit that attempted to block developer Matthew McPheely from leasing his Union House project by the room, according to an Oct. 30 court filing in Greenville County Court of Common Pleas.

The development, on Rutherford Road on the outskirts of the North Main neighborhood, has attracted heated debate around what qualifies as affordable housing and where it should be placed in the growing city.

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Beth Brotherton, the citys spokeswoman, said the city doesn't comment on pending litigation.

McPheely said in an email he is continuing to try to rent or sell the homes since the Board of Zoning Appeals sided with him in October, and he's "hoping we're near the end of this journey."

Union House attracted praise from some affordable housing advocates for what they consider its ability to provide homes for working-class people without government support.

It consists of four homes on a property zoned for single-family housing, each with six bedrooms, attached private bathrooms and shared eating and living areas.

In June, the city sued McPheely to prevent him from leasing the rooms, arguing his rent-by-the-room model would violate the zoning code.
Despite being a busy administrator and treating breast cancer patients, Dr. Megan Baker will become the interim CEO of Roper St. Francis Healthcare while it searches for a permanent replacement.

"I believe in Roper St. Francis and I believe in our community," said Baker, who is director of the system's cancer center and service chief for its oncology services unit.

She will take over as interim chief executive officer on Dec. 3 for Dr. Jeffrey DiLisi, who did not renew his employment contract for 2024 after a meeting with the health system's board.

In announcing Baker's appointment in a letter to employees on Nov. 20, Roper Chairman Dr. Brian Cuddy said he and other board members were "grateful for her relentless support" of the health system. Her interim duties will include helping with the 2030 strategic plan and "maximizing performance" both financially and clinically, Cuddy said.

That makes sense for Baker, who said "treading water" was not an option for Roper, which is one of the largest employers and medical care providers in the Charleston region.

"Our patients' health cant wait, nor can we," she said. "There is just a lot to do and get done, but I am excited."

It will mean relying on others to take over some of her duties at the cancer center and in the oncology services unit. She won't be able to take new patients but will continue to serve her current patients, who primarily have been diagnosed with breast cancer.

"Thankfully, I have wonderful colleagues and very talented partners that will be able to manage folks while I am doing this other duty for the system, Baker said.

Roper St. Francis is conducting a national search for a permanent CEO, so her commitment is a little open-ended, but Baker said she is confident it won't be overly long.

"Certainly, the right person is worth waiting for," she said. "With such an attractive job and such a wonderful opportunity to expand our footprint, I think we are going to get a lot of really talented candidates for this job. I would be surprised if this lasts much longer than six or seven months."
The Summerville Orchestra is the 2023 winner of The American Prize in Orchestral Performance in the community division. The orchestra, with Wojciech Milewski as music director, was selected from applications reviewed from across the country. Read moreSummerville Orchestra wins 2023 American Prize in Orchestral Performance
BEIJING, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The People's Bank of China and the Saudi Central Bank have signed a bilateral currency swap agreement, China's central bank said Monday.

The total value of the currency swap agreement is 50 billion yuan (about 6.98 billion U.S. dollars), or 26 billion Saudi riyals, the central bank said in a statement on its website.

The agreement is valid for three years and can be renewed upon mutual consent, according to the statement.

The currency swap arrangement will help strengthen financial cooperation between China and Saudi Arabia, expand the use of the two countries' currencies, and promote bilateral trade and investment facilitation, the statement added.
News / Local

by Staff reporter

Vice President Constantino Chiwenga's personal physician, John Mangwiro, faced scrutiny regarding a nurse who allegedly administered incorrect medication to his patient.During the cross-examination in the attempted murder trial of Chiwenga's ex-wife, Mary Mubaiwa, lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa questioned Mangwiro about his decision not to remove nurse Warren Sibanda, who was accused of covertly administering the wrong drug to the vice president.Mangwiro explained to the court that he could only act on suspicion and mentioned that Chiwenga would temporarily improve upon leaving the hospital but would relapse shortly afterward, raising concerns.Mtetwa pressed Mangwiro on why Mubaiwa didn't attempt to harm Chiwenga when they were at home without security. Mangwiro argued that Chiwenga would lose consciousness whenever Mubaiwa visited him at the South African hospital where he was admitted.Mangwiro revealed that Dr. Seiling had alerted him about Sibanda administering the drug, prompting Mtetwa to question why he didn't take immediate action. Mangwiro stated that he requested CCTV camera footage, but it was not provided, leading to blood sample tests.Mtetwa highlighted Dr. Seiling's suspicion of the drugs being administered to Chiwenga and mentioned that the doctor informed a security detail that Chiwenga was receiving pethidine from a bodyguard, challenging Mangwiro on why the aide didn't identify Sibanda.Mangwiro claimed ignorance, stating that he was only informed by Dr. Seiling. Mtetwa asserted that Sibanda, part of Chiwenga's entourage, tampered with urine samples.Mangwiro distanced himself from Sibanda's testimony, stating that he did not communicate with him. He admitted not being present when Mubaiwa forcibly removed Chiwenga's IV tubes, only hearing his screams for help.The doctor acknowledged finding Mubaiwa holding the tubes with stitches, dripping blood. Regarding a T-shirt with blood stains, Mangwiro denied having it cleaned instead of preserving it as evidence.He mentioned the hospital's patient running chart as a record of incidents, insisting that these were hospital properties given to patients upon request.Mtetwa argued that the hospital manager stated in a court statement that the investigating officer could have requested CCTV footage. Magistrate Feresi Chakanyuka postponed the trial to November 27 for further proceedings.ChatGPT can make mistakes. Consider checking important information.
Kingstree, SC (29556)

Today

Cloudy this morning. A few showers developing during the afternoon. High 68F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Showers early, then cloudy overnight. Low 58F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.
ANDREWS  A $6.4 million public-private partnership will preserve more than 1,800 acres in the Andrews area, growing a network of public lands and potentially providing a tourism boost to a town that has struggled to recover from the decline of the state's textile industry.

The Black River Initiative is part of a community-driven effort to establish a new recreational water trail that connects public land along 70 miles of river through Williamsburg and Georgetown counties while providing flood mitigation and boosting local tourism. Spearheading the effort is national conservation group Open Space Institute, which recently purchased the 1,806-acre tract located near downtown Andrews from the American timberland company Weyerhaeuser for just over $6.4 million.

Conservation works best when it contributes to the local economy, community, and culture of a place. The Weyerhaeuser tract checks all of the boxes, said Maria Whitehead, OSIs vice president of land, in a release. OSI is incredibly grateful for the funding partners that came together to make this project happen, and for the engagement and commitment of our state and industry partners.

Funding for the property came from the South Carolina Conservation Bank, the South Carolina Office of Resilience, the Boeing Co., the Knobloch Family Foundation and additional private sources.

OSI officials said the newly secured land complements Andrews recently unveiled master plan, which was put together with community input and land-planning consultants Earth Design and Arnett Muldrow.

The 17-page document outlines a vision of vibrant, flood-resilient park spaces, accessibility to a future state park and welcoming streetscapes for the town of more than 2,500.

The 1,806 acres will offer both residents and visitors opportunities for biking, paddling, hiking and fishing in the future.

In Andrews, we have a new plan and new hope, Mayor Frank McClary said. We plan to harness  and showcase  the world-class Black River experience to help create sustainable new jobs and opportunities for local residents.
NORTH CHARLESTON  Dominick Marquis Archield won't make it home for the holidays this year as his bond was denied again after awaiting trial for nearly four years.

Archield was charged with murder in the death of a transgender woman in 2019. He spent the rest of the year in jail until he was granted a $70,000 surety bond in March 2020, but he was rearrested in November 2020, on attempted murder charges.

His defense attorney, Claire Schulmeister, laid out evidence during a Nov. 20 Charleston County Circuit Court bond hearing in front of Judge Bentley Price that Archield's charges stem from what she says is extremely weak circumstantial evidence, and his mother, Iris Archield, maintains his innocence. But North Charleston police previously told The Post and Courier that Archield, 38, is guilty of both violent offenses.

A trial would allow jurors to decide who is right.

Assistant Solicitor Jordan Norvell promised during the bond hearing that Archield's attempted murder trial is set for January, though the docket has not yet been made public. The Racial Justice Network's James Johnson, who was present at the bond hearing, worries Archield's murder trial could be as late as 2025.

Though a plea deal was previously offered, Archield "doesn't want to plea guilty to a murder he didn't do" even if it means spending more months behind bars, Schulmeister said. She asserted there's nothing that indicates Archield is dangerous.

Price denied bond on Archield's attempted murder charge after considering it for several hours.

After hearing the news, Schulmeister said she was "disappointed but not surprised."

Being in jail for nearly four years without a trial date inked is unjust, according to the Racial Justice Network's president, James Johnson.

"The system is unfair," Johnson said. "They need to go ahead and do something about those people who have been in jail for more than two years."

South Carolina's criminal courts have been plagued for years by a backlog that was exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. An annual report by Charleston County's Criminal Justice Coordinating Council found the typical case in Charleston Countys General Sessions Court lasted 625 days, which is more than 1 years. That is a 51 percent increase from 2014 and a 5 percent increase from 2021.
After plastic bag bans passed in the city of Charleston and surrounding municipalities, big retail stores such as Walmart and Target found a loophole: those extra-thick plastic bags that can be washed and reused.

Except they arent being reused and are showing up in the landscape and waterways, recent litter sweep data shows.

The city passed the ordinance banning single-use plastic bags, straws and foam in 2018, but it didnt go into effect until January 2020. Due to the pandemic, it wasnt enforced until July 2020.

Kelly Thorvalson, senior manager of the South Carolina Aquariums conservation program, said the Aquarium has litter sweep data dating back to 2016. She and her team found that before the law was passed, banned items such as plastic bags, foam and straws made up 25 percent of total litter. Since the ban, these items make up 14 percent.

Though an improvement, Thorvalson said more work needs to be done.

Thats a significant drop, which shows the ordinance is working, but its still not at an acceptable level, Thorvalson said. These single-use plastics are harmful to waterways, wildlife and, ultimately, to us.

In 2023, the Aquarium documented 875 plastic retail bags on the Charleston peninsula, and Thorvalson said many of these were the thicker reusable plastic bags.

Jessica Wenclawiak, now a scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, compared litter sweep data from 2013 and 2021 for her thesis. She found the number of thin plastic bags decreased by 50 percent after the ban, while the number of thick plastic bags increased by 200 percent.

"It's difficult to say for certain what caused these changes in plastic litter abundance over time, but it's possible that these thicker bags may have been produced and used at higher rates since 2013," Wenclawiak said.

Since these thick plastic bags technically can be reused, they are currently exempt from the plastic bag ban. The citys Resiliency and Sustainability Advisory Committee wants this to change.
U.S. Sen. Tim Scott has many admirable qualities that would have made him a compelling presidential candidate in another year. Still, given the state of the Republican race, his decision to drop out of the GOP primary should be welcomed. Read moreCommentary: Do the right thing, like Tim Scott
Those who think the study of history is a purely academic exercise largely miss the point. Yes, learning more about our past makes us smarter and may even entertain us, but it does more than that. It provides context and gives us a better sense of where we are today. Read moreEditorial: There are lessons to learn from Charleston's own tea 'party'
News / Local

by Staff reporter

Embattled businessman Shingi Munyeza and his wife, Wilma, were spared jail by the High Court last Friday after a former neighbour they owe US$100,000 filed an application to have them committed to prison.Business executive Marjorie Mutemererwa had told the court that Munyeza was in default of an earlier court ruling directing that he pays five equal installments of US$22,000  including legal fees  by January 30, 2024.Justice Samuel Deme of the Harare High Court dismissed the application, finding that Munyeza was complying with the payment order  although there was a dispute over the payment of October's installment.Mutemererwa said Munyeza, who paid his first installment in September, had only paid US$7,315 in October. Munyeza's lawyer, however, argued that the remainder of US$14,685 was with the High Court Sheriff, proceeds of the sale of his vehicle which was seized.Justice Deme accepted Munyeza's explanation and ruled that he was not in default, and there was no reason to send the former pastor to jail.The next installment of US$22,000 is due by November 30, 2023.Mutemererwa, who was Munyeza's neighbour in Borrowdale Brooke, sued the former cleric in March this year after he failed to pay back a US$100,000 loan. Munyeza and his wife borrowed the money on January 21 this year, promising to give Mutemererwa back the full sum by January 31 of the same month.The couple, who are also indebted to a Zambian micro-finance lender which has seized their US$1 million house and movable properties, failed to return Mutemererwa's money prompting her to file the court application.Munyeza and his wife mounted a vigorous fight and even tried to convert their debt to Zimbabwe dollars but lost at the High Court.
The CIA was created after World War II to prevent another Pearl Harbor attack, writes Charles S. Faddis, a former CIA operations officer and Middle East station chief. Faddis believes the agency no longer works, an easy case to make but not exactly news.

Al Qaeda was well known but we had not a single source inside that organization capable of warning us of the 9/11 attacks that would kill almost 3,000 Americans. It took a decade to take out bin Laden, and one doubts it went down as portrayed in Zero Dark Thirty.

As with 9/11 we received no warning prior to the outbreak of the pandemic, and the CIA could apparently provide no useful information regarding the origins of the disease, still true years later. The CIA has no sources inside Chinas top bio lab, which is probably true of most, if not all, of China. Faddis blames bureaucratization and politicization but may underestimate the problem in both cases.

I used to struggle with impostor syndrome, but at 36 I refuse to internalize misguided patriarchal ideas of what a woman can or should be, claims an unnamed CIA employee in a recent CIA recruiting video. I am a woman of color, the CIA star explains. I am a mom, I am a cisgender millennial whos been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder.

Such a disorder, people might think, should disqualify a person from working for the nations most sensitive intelligence agency. That the CIA is now a dysfunctional and woke bureaucracy cannot be doubted. On the political side, Faddis has key intel.

John Brennan, the CIAs director at the time, not only had to know about [anti-Trump operation] Crossfire Hurricane; he also had to approve it, notes Faddis, who might have gone back farther. As Ron Radosh (The Rosenberg File) notes, Clinton national security advisor Anthony Lake failed to become CIA boss, partly because he believed Alger Hiss might be innocent. As Allen Weinstein explained in Perjury: The Hiss Chambers Case, Hiss was one of Stalins spies. One wonders what Brennan thinks about it.

In 1976, John Brennan voted for the Stalinist Gus Hall, presidential candidate of the Communist Party USA, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Soviet Union. The CIA not only hired Brennan but in 2013 he came to run the place. He was the choice of the composite character David Garrow described in Rising Star: The Making of Barack Obama, whose beloved Frank Marshall Davis was a Communist on the FBIs security index. Faddis does not weigh in on this, but hes up to speed on Crossfire Hurricane.

Brennans replacement Gina Haspel, previously CIA station chief in London, had to have been directly involved in the interactions with the British services that were part of this plot. Faddis is also on to the Hunter Biden laptop that threatened to derail Bidens 2020 campaign. Brennan was one five former CIA directors or acting directors among the 51 former intelligence officers signing a letter branding the laptop Russian disinformation.

I have seen the contents of that laptop and retain a copy to this day, Faddis writes. I can assure you it was immediately obvious in looking at the laptops contents that it was real and that it suggested strongly that Joe Biden himself was compromised by a number of foreign actorschief among them the Chinese Communist Party. So the bureaucratized, woke and politicized CIA is also in real sense compromised. That makes reform a tough call.

There can be only one measure of successresults, Faddis contends. We must be interested solely in intelligence that gives us a decisive advantage over our adversaries. Trouble is, a major adversary is not recognized as such. As Joe Biden said in 2019, the Chinese are not bad folks, and not even competition for the United States. Biden lets China fly a spy balloon over most of the nation, including strategic military bases. If the CIA provided advance warning, the Delaware Democrat must have told them to stand down.

The world is getting more dangerous by the day, Faddis warns, and there is no time to waste in returning the CIA to fighting form. But as he confirms, the CIA wasnt in fighting form before 9/11 or before the pandemic. All told, Faddis makes a strong case that the CIA needs to be replaced with a true spy agency that will protect the nation. Under the Biden Junta, that is not going to happen.
Lt. Colonel (reserve) Jonathan Conricus is our favorite IDF spokesman. The Foundation for Defense of Democracies is only one of my favorite think tanks, but it is up there in my esteem. Today FDD kicks off its new Morning Brief series with Colonel Conricus.

Whats the big idea? FDD explains:

The FDD Morning Brief provides timely situational updates on contemporary events. Start your Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings at 8:30am (ET) with digestible analysis and the headlines our experts are watching. The FDD Morning Brief can be streamed on YouTube, X, and is available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts at FDD Events Podcast.

In the video below FDD senior vice president Jonathan Schanzer delivers the news updates followed by a conversation with Conricus. The interview commences at 6:30 with a discussion of the Shifa Hospital tunnel video released yesterday. I posted the tunnel video here this morning.

I forgot to note that the use of al-Shifa as a military base is of course a war crime consistent with the Hamas way of war. For some reason, however, the caterwauling media prefer to smother the Hamas way of war in doubt and silence. FDD has posted Rich Goldbergs November 13 New York Post column on the criminal nature of the Hamas way of war here.
Brendan ONeill is the political writer for Britains excellent Web magazine Spiked (or Sp!ked). ONeill has written a brilliant column detailing examples of the metaphysical doubt retailed by the prestige press about the Hamas way of war as revealed at Shifa Hospital. He observes: The morbid disbelief of Israeli evidence has reached insane levels in recent days. He asks whats going on and arrives at this conclusion:

The proof of Hamass criminal misuse of al-Shifa as a base for torture, murder and warmongering is abundant. Palestinian dissidents have pointed to it. Amnesty has documented the Room 101-style horrors committed by Hamass Internal Security officers there. Israel has shown us weapons, trucks, tunnels, hostages. Anyone still saying Hmm following almost two decades worth of proof that Hamas exploits al-Shifa has clearly left the realm of reason and entered the hell of dogma. This is not scepticism, its denialism. It is not a noble hunt for the truth of war  its the sickness of post-truth thinking, where nothing as trifling as evidence can ever be allowed to interfere with ones ideological bias. Which in this case is that Israel is evil and always lies.

It isnt hard to work out why so many in the woke elites, from CNN to the influencer left, are clinging for dear life to the lie that al-Shifa was a normal hospital. Its because they have staked so much on this battle in the Israel-Hamas war. Israels conquering of al-Shifa is, in their eyes, the war crime that proves beyond doubt that Israel is uniquely malevolent among the nations of Earth, and that they, in contrast, are righteous for opposing it. Every piece of evidence that points to the true war crime being Hamass, this fascistic movement that is even willing to hide lethal weaponry among the sick and the newborn and elderly, is a blow not just to their infantile narrative about Israel-Palestine, but also to their own moral prestige, their own cultural authority to determine what is right and wrong. They experience Israels assault on Hamass base at al-Shifa as an assault on their own reputations  and they are right to.

Scepticism? Please. In instantly disbelieving everything Israel says, these people implicitly buy everything Hamas says. Their Israelophobia translates into a tangible, objective acceptance of Hamass own lies about Hamass own horrors. The woke love to call themselves anti-fascists, but its a strange anti-fascist that gives moral succour to fascists.
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BERKELEY, CA / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / Additive Space Technologies, a trailblazing manufacturing company, announced a significant transformation at the recent Bits & Pretzels conference held in Munich on September 24, 2023. The company unveiled its rebranding as Solideon, marking a pivotal moment in its journey toward revolutionizing manufacturing processes.Solideon's CEO and Co-Founder, Oluseun Taiwo, made the announcement during the conference, offering deeper insight into the inspiration behind the company's rebranding. "In 3D printing, we strive to create something inherently solid and durable. Our new name, Solideon, underscores our commitment to providing a rock-solid foundation for humanity's future endeavors," Taiwo elaborated. "The inclusion of 'eon' is symbolic of our enduring presence and long-term vision. We're not merely advancing manufacturing; we're taking a monumental stride towards advancing humanity itself." Solideon's rebranding marks a pivotal moment in the company's journey, showcasing a unique approach that seamlessly blends cutting-edge automation and 3D printing technologies. This groundbreaking fusion stands at the core of Solideon's mission, which revolves around advancing humanity through a three-pronged commitment to sustainability, efficiency, and versatility in manufacturing solutions.At the heart of Solideon's ethos lies an unwavering dedication to sustainability. The company is driven to reduce the environmental footprint of manufacturing processes. Through the utilization of advanced automation and 3D printing, Solideon is actively working to significantly curtail material wastage, championing a more eco-conscious and economically sound approach to manufacturing.Solideon's commitment to efficiency is evident in its utilization of state-of-the-art technologies, which serve to streamline manufacturing processes. This leads to remarkable reductions in both production timelines and costs, optimizing every aspect of the company's operations, from initial design to final assembly.By seamlessly integrating automation and 3D printing, Solideon empowers itself with a dynamic and versatile manufacturing capacity. This versatility extends to the creation of intricate, tailor-made structures and the adaptability to meet evolving demands, whether they originate on Earth or in the vast expanse of space.About SolideonSolideon, formerly Additive Space Technologies, leads the aerospace industry transformation with a focus on agility and reduced production times. They employ AI for generative designs and additive manufacturing improvement to enhance aerospace structure efficiency and design flexibility. Their revolutionary technology, Aperture, is an integrated robotic additive manufacturing system emphasizing vertical integration and patented 3D welding. Solideon aims to increase mission frequency through rapid refurbishment and sustainable practices, reducing reliance on external vendors and exploring advanced propulsion and launch techniques to accelerate aerospace processes while minimizing waste and costs.For more information about Solideon and its groundbreaking advancements in manufacturing, visit www.solideon.com Contact Information:Company: SolideonAddress: 901 Gilman St, Space C, Berkeley, CA 94710Email: oluseun.taiwo@additivespacetech.comWebsite: SOURCE: Solideon
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Strategic partnership offers accredited investors access to a blue-chip real asset-managed fundNASHVILLE, TN / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / Alto, a platform that enables individuals to invest in alternative assets using their retirement funds, today announced an expanded partnership with Farmland LP, one of the largest fund managers specializing in organic farmland. Farmland LP is making its Vital Farmland Fund III ("Fund III") available on the Alto Marketplace, allowing accredited investors to invest in a real asset-managed farmland fund."We're pleased to partner with Farmland LP to further enhance our range of fund offerings in unique and specialized segments of alternative investments, catering to the needs of accredited investors," said Scott Harrigan, CEO of Alto Securities. "This partnership will offer accredited investors an opportunity to invest in a fund that is typically not accessible to retail investors, diversifying their portfolios into a largely uncorrelated asset class to the public markets." Vital Farmland Fund III, a 506(c) Regulation D offering, is focused on acquiring and converting conventional, chemical-based farms through conversion to organic and regenerative agriculture, seeking to generate returns for investors while promoting sustainability. Farmland LP, as a farmland investment management firm, has successfully acquired and managed over 16,000 acres of farmland in Northern California, Oregon, and Washington, amassing a portfolio exceeding $275 million in farmland assets over the last 14 years."The Alto platform is a terrific platform for accredited investors to invest in Fund III using retirement funds," said Craig Wichner-Founder and Managing Partner of Farmland LP. "We already have a large number of investors in our prior funds that use their IRA accounts and we are pleased to be working with Alto to expand this offering to their client base." Traditionally, alternative investments were largely limited to ultra-high-net-worth individuals and institutional investors due to their complexity and higher minimum investment requirements. Alto, aims to broaden access by offering accredited investors the opportunity to explore these unique investment options through their IRAs.To learn more about Alto, visit AltoIRA.com About AltoAlto is a self-directed IRA solution with the mission of providing alternatives for all. Where alternative assets were once reserved for the ultra-rich, now retail and accredited investors can diversify their portfolios by investing in alternative investments like private equity, venture capital, real estate, farmland, and crypto using retirement funds. Alto IRA and Alto CryptoIRA offer the same tax advantages as more conventional, legacy IRAs while providing access to investment opportunities not offered by most custodians - without complicated or hidden fees. Alto's investment partners include AngelList, Constitution Lending, Republic, Coinbase, and more. Alto also offers a seamless, end-to-end tech solution in its newly launched Capital Raise platform that allows issuers to easily raise capital by tapping into the more than $10T held in IRAs. Alto is not a registered broker-dealer or investment advisor. Alto does not promote or endorse individual investment opportunities and does not provide legal, tax, or investment advice to its clients. For more information, visit altoira.com About Alto SecuritiesAlto Securities, LLC ("Alto Securities") is a registered broker-dealer: Alto Securities, LLC ("Alto Securities") is a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA/SIPC. Neither Alto Securities nor any of its affiliates provide any investment advice or make any investment recommendations to any persons, ever, and no communication through herein or in any other medium should be construed as such. Investments offered by the Firm are speculative, involve a high degree of risk, are generally illiquid, and can be different from traditional markets. You should be prepared to lose some or all of your investment. Private placements may not be appropriate for every investor. Investors should conduct their own due diligence and are encouraged to consult with a financial professional. Past performance is not indicative of future results. There is no guarantee that a diversified portfolio will enhance overall returns, outperform a non-diversified portfolio, or prevent against loss.About Farmland LPAs a leader in the organic and regenerative farmland investment sector, Farmland LP seeks to provide investors robust returns by transforming conventional farmland into thriving, sustainably managed organic farmland. Established in 2009, Farmland LP employs a distinctive, value-add commercial real estate approach to the $3.8 trillion farmland industry designed to deliver superior risk-adjusted returns for investors.Alto Media ContactSarah WeaverCaliber Corporate Advisersalto@ calibercorporateadvisers.com SOURCE: Alto Solutions, Inc.
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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / Amarc Resources Ltd. ("Amarc" or the "Company") (TSXV:AHR)(OTCQB:AXREF) is pleased to report that it has completed extensive airborne and surface exploration surveys on its 100%-owned DUKE porphyry Cu-Au district ("DUKE District" or "District") in central British Columbia ("BC"). These comprehensive surveys were designed to assess 16 porphyry Cu-Au targets located across the District, to confirm highest priority targets for drill testing in 2024. Through 2023, $10 million in exploration expenditures at the DUKE District are being fully funded under the Mineral Property Earn-in Agreement with Boliden Mineral Canada Ltd. ("Boliden") (see Amarc news release November 22, 2022). Amarc is project operator. The results from the surveys will be released as soon as they are compiled and interpreted."These comprehensive District-wide field surveys have provided valuable new information over prioritized deposit targets, especially when combined with the knowledge gained about porphyry copper deposits in the greater District from our DUKE Deposit 2022-2023 drilling," said Amarc President & CEO Dr. Diane Nicolson. "All survey results from this inaugural District wide program are now streaming in and are being compiled, reviewed and actively prioritized in order to confirm our 2024 drill program." Program OverviewExploration works, including extensive airborne magnetic geophysical and LiDAR surveys [1] and also ground Induced Polarization ("IP") geophysical, soils geochemistry and geological mapping surveys focused on 16 porphyry Cu-Au deposit target areas. The principal components of the 2023 surveys completed include:5,759 line-km of high resolution airborne magnetics678 km 2 of LiDAR68 line-km of ground magnetics122 line-km of IP geophysics6,079 grid soil sample geochemistry analyses315 rock sample geochemistry analysesFramework and localized detailed geological mappingThe 16 prospective target areas were selected based on a comprehensive compilation of government and historical exploration data from over the entire District. The study highlighted the low exploration maturity of the productive Babine porphyry Cu-Au region and provided a new interpretation of the District's geological, geochemical and geophysical characteristics. These datasets included >2,300 regional geochemical samples, 116,344 line-km of airborne magnetic and radiometrics, and 25,500 line-km of aerogravity (see Amarc's DUKE Project 2020 Technical Report, available on the website at https://amarcresources.com/projects/duke-project/technical-report/ ).As mentioned above, the extensive data from the 2023 surveys is currently being compiled. Once appropriately verified and integrated into existing historical datasets, it will be released. For information relating to Amarc's 2022 and 2023 DUKE drilling, see Amarc releases February 15, 2023 and June 15, 2023.About Amarc ResourcesAmarc is a mineral exploration and development company with an experienced and successful management team focused on developing a new generation of long-life, high-value porphyry Cu-Au mines in BC. By combining high-demand projects with dynamic management, Amarc has created a solid platform to create value from its exploration and development-stage assets.Amarc is advancing its 100%-owned IKE, DUKE and JOY porphyry CuAu Districts located in different prolific porphyry regions of southern, central and northern BC, respectively. Each District represents significant potential for the development of multiple and important-scale, porphyry CuAu deposits. Importantly, each of the three districts is located in proximity to industrial infrastructure - including power, highways and rail.Boliden Mineral Canada Ltd. ("Boliden"), an entity within the Boliden Group of companies at DUKE and Freeport-McMoRan Mineral Properties Canada Inc. ("Freeport"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Freeport-McMoRan Inc. at JOY, can earn up to a 70% interest in each District through staged investments of $90 million and $110 million, respectively. Together this provides Amarc with potentially up to $200 million in non-share dilutive staged funding. Amarc is the operator of both programs.Amarc is associated with HDI, a diversified, global mining company with a 35-year history of porphyry Cu deposit discovery and development success. Previous and current HDI projects include some of BC's and the world's most important porphyry deposits - such as Pebble, Mount Milligan, Southern Star, Kemess South, Kemess North, Gibraltar, Prosperity, Xietongmen, Newtongmen, Florence, Casino, Sisson, Maggie, IKE, PINE and DUKE. From its head office in Vancouver, Canada, HDI applies its unique strengths and capabilities to acquire, develop, operate and monetize mineral projects.Amarc works closely with local governments, Indigenous groups and stakeholders in order to advance its mineral projects responsibly, and in a manner that contributes to sustainable community and economic development. We pursue early and meaningful engagement to ensure our mineral exploration and development activities are well coordinated and broadly supported, address local priorities and concerns, and optimize opportunities for collaboration. In particular, we seek to establish mutually beneficial partnerships with Indigenous groups within whose traditional territories our projects are located, through the provision of jobs, training programs, contract opportunities, capacity funding agreements and sponsorship of community events. All Amarc work programs are carefully planned to achieve high levels of environmental and social performance.Qualified PersonDr. Roy Greig, P.Geo, a Qualified Person ("QP") as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has read and approved all technical and scientific information related to the Duke Project contained in this news release. Dr. Greig is Amarc's Vice President, Exploration.For further details on Amarc Resources Ltd., please visit the Company's website at www.amarcresources.com or contact Dr. Diane Nicolson, President and CEO, at (604) 684-6365 or within North America at 1-800-667-2114, or Kin Communications, at (604) 684-6730, Email: AHR@ kincommunications.com ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF AMARC RESOURCES LTD.Dr. Diane NicolsonPresident and CEONeither the TSX Venture Exchange nor any other regulatory authority accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.Forward-Looking and other Cautionary InformationThis news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All such statements, other than statements of historical facts that address exp
PR-Inside.com: 2023-11-21 15:02:15

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DALLAS, TX / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / Today, ASTA-USA Translation Services Inc. unveils an exclusive 15% off offer for new clients translating holiday greetings between Nov. 21, 2023, and Jan. 15, 2024. After recently examining a study showcasing a 21% increase in profitability for highly engaged and strategically communicative organizations, ASTA-USA revealed the importance of applying this concept to holiday communications. When done correctly, the corporate language translation service notes that these sentiments can foster brand loyalty, customer engagement, and inclusion, and give an overall competitive advantage.With a plethora of celebrations taking place around the globe in the coming months, it is crucial to stay apprised of and acknowledge these occasions. While practical and useful from a scheduling standpoint, taking this initiative also helps to improve rapport when working with multicultural partners, employees, and clients. This concept is not limited to the international arena, however, as nearly 68 million people speak a language other than English (LOTE) at home. Translating warm wishes for Thanksgiving into Spanish, for instance, acknowledges the diversity that makes up America's rich tapestry. This speaks volumes to this audience and the effects are long-lasting.Most organizations take advantage of the holiday season to express heartfelt sentiments to their clients, employees, partners, stakeholders, and vendors. Our digital landscape, unfortunately, makes these correspondences plentiful, less personalized, and therefore, less meaningful than the handwritten holiday cards of the past. While it may be an impractical undertaking to handwrite custom expressions to hundreds of thousands of clients, translating these messages is one way to ensure the greeting resonates."Language translation is about more than the words encased in the messages; it showcases a dedication to global unity, respect, and inclusion. To bridge language and cultural gaps, and embrace the true spirit of the holiday season, we are extending a special offer of 15% off to any new organization that wishes to translate their corporate greetings from one language into any other language(s) from now until Jan. 15, 2024. This is one small way of extending our heartfelt gratitude as we embark upon the start of another holiday season filled with prosperity, joy, and unity," explains Alain J. Roy, CEO of ASTA-USA Translation Services, Inc.Organizations that wish to take advantage of this exclusive offer should share the code "Holiday23" with their ASTA-USA representative over the phone at 1.866.446.1860 or enter the code when they inquire online.About ASTA-USA Translation Services, Inc.Every day, corporations and governments of all sizes rely on the expertise of ASTA-USA Translation Services, Inc. to translate their important written materials, and to provide real-time, live, human interpreting services by phone or video conference. Since 1987, ASTA-USA has provided specialized industry translation services in more than 70 languages to world-class organizations of all sizes. With a global operations division located in Houston, Texas, ASTA-USA's client relations specialists, translation project managers, and specialized translation teams are strategically located around the globe to meet the demands of clients, guarantee responsiveness, and provide absolute translation accuracy. ASTA-USA's certified language translators are native speakers with industry-specific knowledge and a minimum of 10 years of translation experience. To learn more about ASTA-USA Translation Services, Inc., visit www.asta-usa.com Contact InformationAlain J. Roy ajroy@ asta-usa.com SOURCE: ASTA-USA Translation Services, Inc.
PR-Inside.com: 2023-11-21 04:50:28

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NEW ORLEANS, LA / ACCESSWIRE / November 20, 2023 / Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have until January 2, 2024 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Barclays PLC (NYSE:BCS), if they purchased the Company's securities between July 22, 2019 and October 12, 2023, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Central District of California.What You May DoIf you purchased shares of Barclays and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or via email ( lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com) , or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-bcs/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court by January 2, 2024.About the LawsuitBarclays and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.The alleged false and misleading statements and omissions include, but are not limited to, that: (i) contrary to false public assertions, the Company's former CEO, James Staley, had a close relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, was reportedly aware of Epstein's criminal activities and may have even sexually assaulted a victim who had previously been trafficked by Epstein; (ii) if discovered, the relationship and potential criminal activity could bring reputational, legal, and financial harm to Company; (iii) the Company's response to an inquiry by the British Financial Conduct Authority regarding Staley's relationship with Epstein was materially false; (iv) when the Company became aware of information contradicting its response to the inquiry, it failed to update the response so that it would be accurate, or otherwise take any meaningful action; and (v) as a result, the Company's statements about its business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.The case is Merritt v. Barclays Plc, et al., 23-cv-9217.About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCKSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. KSF serves a variety of clients - including public institutional investors, hedge funds, money managers and retail investors - in seeking recoveries for investment losses emanating from corporate fraud or malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, California, Louisiana and New Jersey.To learn more about KSF, you may visit http://ksfcounsel.com/ Contact:Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCLewis Kahn, Managing Partnerlewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com1-877-515-18501100 Poydras St., Suite 960New Orleans, LA 70163SOURCE: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC
PR-Inside.com: 2023-11-21 21:45:58

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NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / Kohler Co.Originally published in Kohler's 2022 Believing in Better Impact ReportPARTNERSHIPSKohler's stewardship team oversees the assessment of community needs at the locations around the world where we have sizable operations. We work directly with key community partners and humanitarian organizations to mobilize volunteers and provide corporate grants to fund local projects. Through engaging with local leadership, government, coalitions, and economic development officials, we are better able to understand local issues and take a customized approach to find solutions. Our stewardship work is overseen by our Chief Sustainability and DEI Officer, who communicates our social impact results to the Kohler Leadership Team and Board of Directors annually.Kohler's charitable giving is targeted primarily on education, health and well-being, and the arts, with $9.3 million in-kind and cash donations awarded in 2022. The annual Kohler Co. College Scholarship Program was established in 1984 to support students in our communities as they further their education. In 2022 we donated $814,903 to fund scholarships for 128 students at more than 50 schools. Since 1990 almost 2.7 million lives have benefited through scholarships and university support with 192,020 lives benefited in 2022.Several of our partnerships also advance environmental conservation. Since 1990 Kohler has impacted almost 155,000 lives through environmental conservation initiatives and 4,148 lives in 2022.In 2022 Kohler charitable giving totaled 9.3M in-kind and cash donationsEducation PartnershipsIn 2022 Kohler continued to expand support of educational programs focused on equity of opportunity and access to education for students at each stage of their development-K-12, higher education, and transition to the workforce. We have invested in programs supporting historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU) and organizations dedicated to expanding diversity, equity, and inclusion in education in Huntsville, Ala.; Milwaukee, Wis.; and Sheridan, Ark.Thurgood Marshall College Fund: We also continued our partnership in 2022 to provide scholarships totaling $84,813 to support students attending HBCUs. Through this partnership we launched the Kohler Scholars Program, which selects two students to receive a scholarship along with mentorship and an internship with Kohler.Greater Milwaukee Urban League: Through this partnership, Kohler awarded ten scholarships in 2022 to Milwaukee public high school students to be used towards a pursuit of higher education.College Possible, M-Cubed, and United Way: In 2022 we partnered with three organizations in Milwaukee to host groups of students at the Kohler campus for activities, including tours of the campus, career exploration panel discussions, and visits to the Kohler Design Center and KOHLER WasteLAB .$640K invested in programs supporting students at HBCUs and organizations focused on expanding diversity, equity, and inclusion in education in Huntsville, Ala.; Milwaukee, Wis.; and Sheridan, Ark.Health and Well-Being PartnershipsKohler formed a partnership in 2022 with the Milwaukee Bucks Foundation and Jrue and Lauren Holiday to address domestic violence by supporting shelters across Wisconsin in honor of Purple Thursday and National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Our partnership will bring more than $200,000 of bathroom product upgrades and additional help to shelters and domestic violence organizations across Wisconsin, starting with Sojourner Family Peace Center and Hope House in Milwaukee and The Women's Center in Waukesha.Health and well-being partnerships will bring more than $200K of bathroom product upgrades and additional help to shelters and domestic violence organizations across WisconsinHealth and well-being services 2.6M lives have been impacted through Kohler provided health and well-being services since 1990, with 111,000 individuals receiving services in 2022.College Possible Corporate Partner of the Year AwardKohler was named Corporate Partner of the Year in 2022 by College Possible Milwaukee for the company's commitment to supporting students from under-invested communities through the Kohler Scholars Program.COMMUNITY IMPACT THROUGH GIVINGKohler supports a range of nonprofit organizations focused on serving critical education, health and well-being needs in our communities.Kohler provided support for the construction of a new environmental education facility that opened in 2022 in Sheboygan, Wis., in partnership with Friends of the Sheboygan Marsh. The Kohler Center for Marsh Education is a U.S. Green Building Council LEED-certified facility that features spaces for classes, receptions, and exhibits, plus it will serve as the campground's restroom facility.Kohler has committed $100,000 over five years to the University of Wisconsin-Platteville to support student scholarships and the naming of the Kohler Mechanical Engineering Technical Elective Lab in the newly constructed engineering building, Sesquicentennial Hall.Kohler continued to leverage investments in workforce development in 2022 through support of technical education, including the following partnerships:Red Raider Manufacturing ( Wis.)Pearl River Community College ( Miss.)Sheridan High School ( Ark.)Lakeshore Technical College ( Wis.)Waukesha County Technical College ( Wis.)Plumbing academies in IndiaASSOCIATES IN ACTIONWe are proud of Kohler associates worldwide who take action to have a positive impact on the quality of the environment, education, diversity, equity, inclusion, and health and wellness in our communities. Our associates contribute their time and talents to meet critical needs and strengthen organizations in their communities focused on these issues. In 2022 Kohler global associates initiated more than 300 community engagement activities.To support these efforts by our U.S. associates, in 2022 we launched a paid volunteer time off (VTO) program which provides eight hours per year to all full-time U.S. associates. To date, associates have used over 2,000 VTO hours to volunteer in their communities. To help connect associates to volunteer opportunities, in 2022 we launched the Believing in Better (BiB) app to all U.S. associates. The BiB app offers over two million registered nonprofit and volunteer opportunities, including virtual and skills-based volunteering, helping associates find more ways to take action on the pressing issues they care about."Stewardship is something that we can all do, or be part of-it's not limited to specific teams or businesses. It's our opportunity to give back." Lelani Bester, Sr. Office & Communications Admin.Among the Highlights in 2022%3
PR-Inside.com: 2023-11-21 14:00:34

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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / Blackwolf Copper and Gold Ltd. ("Blackwolf" or the "Company") (TSXV:BWCG)(OTC PINK:BWCGF) announces the appointment of Ms. Vivien Chuang as a new independent director to its Board of Directors and Chair of the Audit Committee. The Company also announces the resignation of Ms. Jessica Van Den Akker from its Board.Ms. Van Den Akker had served the Board since August 2020. The Company would like to thank Ms. Van Den Akker for her valuable contributions and wishes her every success in her future endeavors.Ms. Chuang is a Chartered Accountant (British Columbia, Canada) with more than fifteen years of experience in the resource and mining sector. Her experience includes serving as Chief Financial Officer of Azincourt Energy Corp., a uranium developer in the world-class Athabasca Basin uranium district of Canada and Muzhu Mining Ltd. Ms. Chuang also served as Chief Financial Officer of Northern Empire Resources Corp., a Nevada-focused mining company that was acquired by Coeur Mining in 2018, K2 Gold Corporation (formerly West Melville Metals Inc.) and Chakana Copper Corp. (formerly Remo Resources Inc.). Currently, Ms. Chuang is President of VC Consulting Corp. which provides CFO and other financial accounting and compliance services to a number of companies. Ms. Chuang articled with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Simon Fraser University.The Company further announces that it has entered into an agreement with OGIB Corporate Bulletin Ltd. ("OGIB") dated November 1, 2023 (the "OGIB Agreement"), whereby OGIB has agreed to provide marketing services to the Company, including the publication of a series of online articles about the Company. The term of the OGIB Agreement is 12 months that can be terminated after February 15, 2024 with 30 days notice. Pursuant to the OGIB Agreement and upon signing, the Company is required to pay a fee of $30,000 every three months.OGIB is a subscription service based out of North Vancouver, British Columbia which provides research on public companies and is wholly-owned by Keith Schaefer. To the knowledge of the Company, OGIB has no holdings of the Company, directly or indirectly. Both OGIB and Mr. Schaefer are arm's length to the Company.About Blackwolf Copper and Gold Ltd.Blackwolf's founding vision is to be an industry leader in transparency, inclusion and innovation. Guided by our Vision and through collaboration with local and Indigenous communities and stakeholders, Blackwolf builds shareholder value through our technical expertise in mineral exploration, engineering and permitting. The Company holds a 100% interest in the high-grade Niblack copper-gold-zinc-silver VMS project, located adjacent to tidewater in southeast Alaska. In addition, the Company holds a 100% interest in five Hyder Area gold-silver and base metal properties in southeast Alaska and an option to acquire an 80% interest in the Harry gold-silver property located in northwest British Columbia in the Golden Triangle. For more information on Blackwolf, please visit the Company's website at www.blackwolfcopperandgold.com On behalf of the Board of Directors of Blackwolf Copper and Gold Ltd."Morgan Lekstrom"CEO and DirectorFor more information, contact:Morgan Lekstrom250-574-7350 (Mobile)604-343-2997 (Office)MLL@ bwcg.ca Liam Morrison604-897-9952 (Mobile)604-343-2997 (Office)lm@ bwcg.ca Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking InformationThis release includes certain statements and information that may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. 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 "forwardlooking statements", are not historical facts, are made as of the date of this news release and include without limitation, statements relating to the properties located in the Golden Triangle area and the Company's future objectives and plans. Forwardlooking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties and actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, market volatility; the state of the financial markets for the Company's securities; fluctuations in commodity prices and changes in the Company's business plans. In making the forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions that the Company believes are reasonable, including without limitation, that the Company will continue with its stated business objectives and its ability to raise additional capital to proceed. 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. The Company seeks safe harbor.For more information on the Company, investors should review the Company's continuous disclosure filings that are available at www.sedarplus.ca SOURCE: Blackwolf Copper and Gold Ltd
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A Zimbabwean man is facing life behind bars for the horrific killing of a disabled barrister who was living rough on Canterbury's streets.Sobantu Sibanda, the son of a university lecturer and social worker, was found guilty today of murdering Guy Malbec.Sibanda, a 28-year-old former financial advisor, had admitted the manslaughter of the 51-year-old but denied murder, maintaining he only intended "some harm" to his victim.His three co-defendants, Gavin Houghton, Keith Hall and Airidas Sakalauskas were alleged by the prosecution to be Sibanda's "henchmen" and had "participated in and encouraged" the violent attack.Guy Malbec was killed in Castle Street car park on Easter Sunday (9 April) 2023, where he had been living in a tent on the lower ground floor for the previous few weeks.He had a significant leg injury and needed to use a walking frame, stick or wheelchair to get around. Mr. Malbec had qualified as a barrister in 1998, but never practised and moved abroad, only returning to the UK in December 2022, at which point he became homeless.Sobantu Sibanda attacked the victim, which was witnessed by three other men, Airidas Sakalauskas, Gavin Houghton and Keith Hall. They all knew the victim through a local charity that helps those who are homeless.Sibanda later told a friend that he found some of his cocaine missing and admitted to attacking the victim, saying he may have killed him. After Sibanda told him this, the man called the emergency services, which led to the discovery of the victim's body.Mr. Malbec was left with severe head and facial injuries, broken ribs and a significant brain injury following the attack, in which a hammer and laptop were used. The victim's blood was found on both items, along with Sibanda's DNA.All four men left the scene while the victim was still alive, stealing his phone, bank card and gemstones.Sakalauskas and Houghton returned many hours later and discovered Mr. Malbec was dead. They returned that evening with Sibanda to remove and dispose of more than 80 items, including weapons used in the attack and blood-stained bedding. These were later found in council bins.The fourth defendant, Keith Hall, deleted messages and call logs, which showed contact with Houghton before and after the attack, in order to conceal evidence.Rachael Savage from CPS South East said: "This was a horrendous and brutal attack, sustained over about an hour, on a man completely unable to defend himself."Tragically, the evidence shows that Mr. Malbec was still alive after the group left him for dead and may have survived for a period of time."When Sibanda, Sakalauskas and Houghton did eventually return to the crime scene many hours later, instead of calling the emergency services, they cleared up the area to try and remove any trace that they had been there."
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NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / The Mastercard Center for Inclusive GrowthThe Mastercard Center for Inclusive GrowthExciting news! Our new program with CARE, Mastercard Strive Women, will be part of the new Women in the Sustainable Economy (WISE) initiative, led by The White House.With a goal to reach 6 million entrepreneurs in Pakistan, Peru and Vietnam through campaigns, Strive Women will directly support over 300,000 entrepreneurs-the majority being women-to boost their economic potential.Through Strive Women, we'll also work to help small businesses transition to eco-friendly practices and implement solutions for childcare support, while building an ecosystem to drive broader change.We're proud to join this new effort to expand opportunities for women in a more sustainable economy.Get the details on this new initiative here.Strive Community | CARE Women's EntrepreneurshipThe Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth advances equitable and sustainable economic growth and financial inclusion around the world. The Center leverages the company's core assets and competencies, including data insights, expertise and technology, while administering the company's philanthropy, the Mastercard Impact Fund, to produce independent research, scale global programs and empower a community of thinkers, leaders and doers on the front lines of inclusive growth. For more information and to receive its latest insights, follow the Center on LinkedIn, Instagram and subscribe to its newsletter.Originally published by The Mastercard Center for Inclusive GrowthCheck out more content from The Mastercard Center for Inclusive GrowthView additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info:Spokesperson: The Mastercard Center for Inclusive GrowthWebsite: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/mastercard-center-inclusive-growthEmail: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth
PR-Inside.com: 2023-11-21 12:00:21

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Indicative Terms for up to US$598m in a potential UKEF (UK Export Credit Agency) Supported Project FinancingCompany in final stages of appointing the Mandated Lead Arranger for Monte Do Carmo, Brazil(All numbers reported in US dollars)TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / Cerrado Gold Inc. (TSXV:CERT)(OTCQX:CRDOF) ("Cerrado" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that further to the October 18, 2023 announcement in relation to potential Export Credit Agency ("ECA") Supported Project Financing of up to $598 million, the Company has appointed the Toronto-Dominion Bank ("TD") as the MLA for its Mont Sorcier Iron and Vanadium Project located in Quebec. Cerrado is also in the final stages of finalizing the appointment of the MLA for its Monte Do Carmo project in Brazil.As announced on September 5th, the Company together with its advisors, SD Capital Advisory Ltd and GKB Ventures Ltd ("S&G"), initiated a tender process to solicit interest from global Project Finance Banks to act as the MLA for the Company's Brazil and Quebec projects. As a result of this competitive process, the company received compelling bids. Together with the Company's advisors, the bids were evaluated based on ECA Project Finance Experience, execution capabilities and ultimately the financial terms for the Project Financing. TD has extensive experience in ECA financing, a longstanding relationship with UKEF, and presented competitive and compelling terms for the project financing.The UKEF-backed facility is expected to be for up to US$598 million on a non-recourse project financing basis for a total tenor of 11 years. The funding will be to cover 70% of the expected project capital expenditures for the Mont Sorcier project.As is common for ECA-supported Project Financing, UKEF provides political and commercial guarantees to project lenders, thereby lowering the overall project risk to the lender and resulting in lower costs of capital. This reduces the cost of debt to Cerrado Gold (and its 100% owned company Voyager Metals Inc) whilst at the same time extending tenors and creating debt capacity not normally available in the commercial bank market. To secure such support, project developers commit to a pre-agreed level of procurement from UK-based organizations for goods, services and materials. UKEF's mandate is to promote and support exports from British companies in the global market.The appointment of TD is on an exclusive basis and sets out the indicative terms upon which the proposed ECA financing is expected to be based. For the avoidance of doubt, the terms are purely indicative and do not constitute an offer of finance or a legally binding commitment of any kind to provide finance. The provision of any binding offer is subject to, among other things: credit and other internal approvals; E&S approvals; satisfactory due diligence and documentation; satisfaction of KYC requirements and other terms customary for this type of transaction.While the conclusion of project financing remains subject to the completion of a bankable feasibility study, an environmental impact assessment, the granting of construction permits, amongst other requirements, the appointment of the MLA is a significant milestone for the project financing of the Mont Sorcier project. At the Mont Sorcier project, work continues to advance the feasibility study and the environmental impact assessment. The feasibility study is targeted for completion in H2 2024 after which the next phase of the process will commence comprising of a formal due diligence period before a final binding offer and documentation.Mark Brennan, CEO and Chairman, stated: "We are very pleased to have the support of TD as the MLA to lead our Project Financing in partnership with UKEF as we progress with the development of Mont Sorcier. We believe the strong interest in our project is indicative of the robust nature of the Mont Sorcier project and we look forward to working with TD, UKEF and other stakeholders to deliver the Mont Sorcier project".About TD Bank GroupThe Toronto-Dominion Bank and its subsidiaries are collectively known as TD Bank Group ("TD" or the "Bank"). TD is the sixth largest bank in North America by assets and serves over 27.5 million customers in four key businesses operating in a number of locations in financial centres around the globe: Canadian Personal and Commercial Banking, including TD Canada Trust and TD Auto Finance Canada; U.S. Retail, including TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, TD Auto Finance U.S., TD Wealth (U.S.), and an investment in The Charles Schwab Corporation; Wealth Management and Insurance, including TD Wealth (Canada), TD Direct Investing, and TD Insurance; and Wholesale Banking, including TD Securities and TD Cowen. TD also ranks among the world's leading online financial services firms, with more than 16 million active online and mobile customers. TD had $1.9 trillion in assets on July 31, 2023. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades under the symbol "TD" on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges.About CerradoCerrado Gold is a Toronto-based gold production, development, and exploration company focused on gold projects in South America. The Company is the 100% owner of both the producing Minera Don Nicolas and Las Calandrias mine in Santa Cruz province, Argentina, and the highly prospective Monte Do Carmo development project, located in Tocantins State, Brazil. In Canada, Cerrado Gold is developing it's 100% owned Mont Sorcier Iron Ore and Vanadium project located outside of Chibougamou, Quebec.In Argentina, Cerrado is maximizing asset value at its Minera Don Nicolas operation through continued operational optimization and is growing production through its operations at the Las Calandrias Heap Leach project. An extensive campaign of exploration is ongoing to further unlock potential resources in our highly prospective land package in the heart of the Deseado Masiff.In Brazil, Cerrado is rapidly advancing the Serra Alta deposit at its Monte Do Carmo Project, through feasibility and into production. Serra Alta is expected to be a high-margin and high-return project with significant exploration potential on an extensive and highly prospective 82,542 hectare land package.In Canada, Cerrado holds a 100% interest in the Mont Sorcier Iron Ore and Vanadium Project, which has the potential to produce a premium iron ore concentrate over a long mine life at low operating costs and low capital intensity. Furthermore, its high grade and high purity product facilitates the migration of steel producers from blast furnaces to electric arc furnaces contributing to the decarbonisation of the industry and the achievement of SDG goals.For more information about Cerrado
PR-Inside.com: 2023-11-21 15:15:31

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Shoppers spent over $11 billion last year during Cyber Monday last year; numbers are expected to increase this year.SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / From Thanksgiving's Black Friday through the New Year, holiday shopping is at its peak. According to a National Retail Federation forecast, this year promises to reach record spending levels between $957.3 billion and $966.6 billion, an increase of 3% and 4% from last year. The problem? Cybercriminals and scammers don't take time off for the holidays. Businesses must be vigilant and reassess their vulnerabilities and safeguards.All types of businesses can be targeted by cybercriminals, but small and medium enterprises (SMEs) may face higher risks. An AIC Report on Cybercrime found that SMEs were more likely to lose money to scams, given they are often time-poor and have fewer resources to dedicate to cyber defence as the need for robust, convenient, and user-friendly security solutions. And an Eftsure survey found that one in five small businesses don't use any anti-fraud controls before processing payments."Cyber-related losses often happen when you least expect them. And a single incident can be very damaging, both financially and reputationally," said Mark Chazan, Eftsure's Chief Executive Officer.Holiday Season: Vulnerability to CybercrimeCybercriminals and scammers often target employees during busy periods, especially during the holiday season, using tactics like social engineering or BECs to capitalise on tired or time-poor workers. Meanwhile, AI is enabling greater sophistication in cybercrime. As a result, business owners need to strengthen cyber safeguards to combat potential fraud-related losses.In gearing up for a hectic period like the holidays, business owners need additional safeguards, such as running staff security training and strengthening their financial control procedures. But that is only part of the solution. Businesses are vulnerable to cybercrime, especially during busy periods like the holidays, and need to bolster their cyber defenses with the right online protection."Controls like segregation of duties mitigate the risks of tactics like business email compromise (BEC) attacks," said Chazan. "They aren't the only solutions, but organizations could be exposing themselves to unnecessary risk if anti-fraud controls aren't robust enough." Chazan emphasized the need for organizational safeguards that do not solely depend on human abilities to recognize threats, especially with the growing sophistication of AI."To protect their finances right now - and ensure that future investments pay off - leaders will need to bring accounting and cybersecurity approaches closer together under a unified cyber-crime strategy," said Chazan. "This includes more frequent staff training, regularly pressure-testing your controls, embedding the right technology, and cultivating a broader security culture." Six Steps Against CybercrimeEmployees are under pressure to complete requirements; it can lead to human error and simple mistakes, like clicking on a malicious link or opening a dangerous attachment.Cybercriminals use phishing attacks to get sensitive information via email or phone. They may access a company's email system and impersonate staff members in BEC attacks. Or they create or modify invoices in an effort to get employees to make fraudulent payments.Here are six steps to reduce the risk of cybercrime during busy periods like the holidays.Always use two-factor authentication when possibleUse strong passwords and run regular training on other elements of security hygieneIndependently verify supplier details before processing paymentsEnsure you're using financial controls like segregation of duties, and then pressure-test them to see if they're sufficient against phishing or impersonation emailsCreate a security culture in which employees feel comfortable to speak up if a message doesn't look right or if they suspect they clicked on the wrong linkThe sixth step is critical - you need to make sure your business is using the right digital tools. Cybercriminals regularly leverage technology to try and defraud your business, but using your own technology solutions can help level the playing field - especially if solutions reduce the tedious, manual processes that are more vulnerable to human error or oversight. For instance, a payment protection solution like Eftsure offers security and automation for accounts payable and receivable, decreasing the risk of payment error, fraud, and cybercrime.Eftsure is helping businesses worldwide safeguard billions in payments with end-to-end B2B payment protection software to mitigate the risk of payment error, fraud, and cybercrime. For more information on cybersecurity, download Eftsure's newest Cybersecurity guide here: https://eftsure.com/en-au/guide/cybersecurity-guide-for-cfos-2023 About EftsureEftsure is a market leader in payment fraud prevention. Specifically designed for businesses, our end-to-end solution safeguards more than $216B in B2B payments per year. Our mission is to build a safer business community. With a large and continuously growing database of verified supplier details (the only one of its kind), we use multi-factor verification to give businesses greater knowledge and control over onboarding suppliers, receiving invoices, and making payments. In short, we ensure our customers never pay the wrong people.Contact InformationNiek Dekker Head of Marketing niekd@ eftsure.com.au +61 450 617 311SOURCE: Eftsure
PR-Inside.com: 2023-11-21 15:46:39

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NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / U.S. BankThe Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy and WeSolar receive $110,000 grants eachLeo Baker (Upper Sioux Granite Falls Tribe) Drum Group performing at the Tribal Energy Equity Summit 2023.Originally published on U.S. Bank company blogTwo organizations are the recipients of $110,000 grant funding from U.S. Bancorp Impact Finance and its Environmental Finance Equitable Access to Capital and Environmental Justice Grant Programs.The Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy (the Alliance) is an Indigenous-led nonprofit that supports Native American tribes in their transition toward a clean and regenerative energy future. Focused on building the capacity of Native American tribes and tribal entities to access and deploy capital for clean energy projects, the Alliance brings together tribes and vetted clean energy service and development providers in a collaborative process so all can work together toward mutually equitable goals.The grant funding enabled the Alliance to bring on a new team member, who is an enrolled member of a Native American tribe and has been working for over two decades in tribal finance and economic development, said Alliance CEO Cheri Smith, a descendant of the Mi'kmaq Nation of Northern Maine and the Canadian Maritimes."This team member's added expertise has allowed us to provide sound, professional guidance and advice to the tribes we serve, pertaining to the planning and financing of regenerative clean energy projects," she said. "This added position is having a tremendous impact on the tribal governments and tribal members we serve, and we're so grateful to Impact Finance for making this crucial position possible." Impact Finance Assistant Director of Impact Capital and Project Management Clark Conlisk said, "We're excited to support the acceleration of the equitable energy transition. We look forward to our grant recipients - and the networks of organizations they support - bringing to market the innovative clean energy projects that will direct the socioeconomic and environmental benefits of clean power to historically disadvantaged communities." Baltimore-based WeSolar, founded by Kristal Hansley and created to bring under-resourced communities affordable access to local community solar and to assist commercial properties with energy efficiency, is the second grant recipient.Conlisk said it's rewarding to be a part of supporting the organizations' growth and looks forward to future grant funding opportunities amid the significant growth in and importance of the clean energy sector."We are fortunate to be able to play a role in supporting the many incredible practitioners of the energy transition who center equity and community-benefit in their work to decarbonize the electric grid," he said.View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from U.S. Bank on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info:Spokesperson: U.S. BankWebsite: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/us-bankEmail: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: U.S. Bank
PR-Inside.com: 2023-11-21 17:47:44

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NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / AlkermesOriginally published in Alkermes September 2023 Corporate Responsibility ReportWe strive to conduct our business activities in a manner that minimizes the environmental impacts of our operations and promotes effective stewardship of environmental resources. We are committed to complying with applicable laws, rules and regulations and operating with the highest standards of conduct. All Alkermes facilities are subject to routine regulatory inspections in respect of EHSS to confirm compliance with applicable laws and regulations.We strive to maintain a culture of sustainability throughout our organization and work collaboratively across internal stakeholder groups and functions to identify ways to mitigate risks, increase operational efficiencies and reduce our environmental impacts, including those related to resource use, waste management and climate change.Following a 2020 survey of leaders across our operations functions to identify the environmental focus areas of highest importance to our business operations, we identified the following key environmental focus areas:Energy Use, GHG Emissions and RenewablesWaste Optimization and Circular EconomyPharmaceuticals in the EnvironmentWater ConservationSustainability in the Supply NetworkBiodiversityIn 2021, we established a global, cross-functional sustainability steering team to further develop and enhance our focus on these areas, and in 2022, we began to work with Sustainserv, an independent consultant, to help us further advance our environmental sustainability strategy and associated disclosures.Energy Usage and GHG Emissions HighlightsAlkermes recognizes the serious environmental, economic and societal impacts caused by climate change. We continually monitor and review our energy usage in order to identify opportunities for further optimization and reduction. Our activities in support of this objective include:Analysis of data and trends from electricity, natural gas and processed gas monitoring systems at our facilities;Replacement of legacy equipment with more energy- efficient alternatives;Incorporation of sustainable design and building techniques into new facilities to promote less energy use; andAssessments of options to procure and further integrate renewable energy sources into our operations.A group of engineering leaders from each of our sites meets regularly to develop best practices for our facilities and utility systems. A sub-team of this group is responsible for integrating sustainability principles and practices into the design of our capital projects, monitoring company-wide energy audits and developing multi-year plans for energy reduction initiatives.Our overall energy use increased sequentially by 4% in 2022, and in turn our combined Scope 1 & 2 GHG emissions (absolute) increased by 2%. Combined Scope 1 & 2 emissions per $M revenue were 40% lower than our baseline year of 2015. The increases were primarily due to increased commercial activities (and corresponding gasoline usage) related to the launch of a new proprietary product, increased diesel usage at one of our facilities as part of an electrical supply upgrade and increased process gases and refrigerants emissions related to required system repair and maintenance.These increases were partially mitigated by our continued assessment and implementation of opportunities to improve our energy use and reduce GHG emissions at our facilities including:Our Dublin offices and Athlone facility were supplied by 100% renewable electricity generation in 2022; andAt our Athlone facility, a dedicated chilled water unit was installed as part of a process upgrade. This upgrade allowed the site's baseload chiller to operate more efficiently, saving an estimated 1,175,150 kWh annually.As part of an upgrade to our Athlone facility completed in 2022, the facility now provides additional Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations.For the third consecutive year, the electricity at our Athlone facility was verified by Captured Carbon, an independent provider of energy services in Ireland, as being sourced from 100% renewable electricity generation in 2022. This achievement underscores our continued commitment to reducing our environmental impact and implementing sustainable business practices.Water Conservation HighlightsWe recognize that water is a scarce and invaluable resource that we must endeavor to conserve and use efficiently and sustainably. We have implemented programs across our organization to assess, reduce and optimize our water consumption, and we examine opportunities to further conserve water on an ongoing basis.Despite these efforts, overall absolute source water usage at our facilities increased 15% in 2022 compared to 2021, primarily due to groundwater well repair work at our Athlone facility. However, even with this increase, our overall absolute source water usage decreased 22% compared to our 2015 baseline measurement year and the majority of the water used in such repair work was recovered and recycled.Case Study: Protecting Local EcologyIn 2022 and early 2023, our Athlone facility designed, constructed and commissioned an enhanced Fire Water Retention Facility, which, in the event of a major incident, is designed to contain contaminated firefighting water and help protect the local environment. The project was completed in response to revised national guidance from the Environmental Protection Agency of Ireland, who consulted on the project.Read moreView additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Alkermes on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info:Spokesperson: AlkermesWebsite: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/alkermesEmail: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: Alkermes
PR-Inside.com: 2023-11-21 12:00:28

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BEIJING, CHINA / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / First High-School Education Group Co., Ltd. ("First High-School Education Group" or the "Company") (OTCQB:FHSEY), an education service provider primarily focusing on high schools in Western China, today announced that it will release its unaudited financial results for the third quarter 2023 ended September 30, 2023, prior to U.S. markets open on November 27, 2023.First High-School Education Group's management will hold an earnings conference call on Monday, November 27, 2023, at 7:00 AM U.S. Eastern Time (8:00 PM November 27, 2023, Beijing/Hong Kong Time). Please dial in 15 minutes before the conference is scheduled to begin using below numbers.International+1-973-528-0011United States+1-888-506-0062Hong Kong+852 3018 4049Mainland China+86 400 120 3199Passcode994919Webcast URLA telephone replay of the conference call may be accessed by phone at the following numbers until December 11, 2023.International+1-973-528-0005United States+1-800-332-6854Replay Access Code994919A live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the company's investors relations website at https://ir.diyi.top/ About First High-School Education GroupFirst High-School Education Group is an education service provider primarily focusing on high schools in Western China. The Company aspires to become a leader and innovator of private high school education in China, with the focuses on a comprehensive education management integrating education information consulting, education research project development, education talent management, education technology management, education service management, and general vocational integration development services. For more information, please visit https://ir.diyi.top/ Forward-Looking StatementsStatements in this press release about future expectations, plans and prospects, as well as any other statements regarding matters that are not historical facts, may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of 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 statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the expected trading commencement and closing dates. The words "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "target," "will," "would" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including: the uncertainties related to market conditions and the completion of the public offering on the anticipated terms or at all, and other factors discussed in the "Risk Factors" section of the preliminary prospectus filed with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof, and the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.For Investor and Media Inquiries Please Contact:First High-School Education GroupTommy ZhouChief Financial OfficerE-mail: tommyzhou@ dygz.com Customer ServiceE-mail: FHS_info@ dygz.comPhone: 010-62555966 (9:30-12:00, 13:30-16:00 CST)SOURCE: First High-School Education Group
PR-Inside.com: 2023-11-21 17:00:28

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Oral presentation outlines positive efficacy and safety dataConfirms interim data showing FG001 met primary endpoint, with cancer lit up in 16 /16 (100%) patients, and was very well toleratedSeveral applications for potential clinical benefit will be further exploredTopline phase IIb results of FG001 in high-grade glioma expected later in November 2023COPENHAGEN, DENMARK / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / FluoGuide A/S ("FluoGuide" or the "Company"), a pioneer in the cutting-edge field of precision cancer surgery, today announced that topline results from the phase IIa trial of its lead product FG001 in guiding surgery in patients with head & neck cancer, confirming positive efficacy and safety, were presented at the International Academy of Oral Oncology (IAOO) 2023 conference in Incheon, South Korea."These encouraging first clinical results, showing that FG001 was able to light up cancer in all head & neck cancer patients in the trial, indicate it could make a significant difference for operating surgeons and their patients. The data suggest several potential applications in head & neck cancer and I look forward to see further results from FG001's clinical development," said Anders Christensen, MD, PhD, Principal Investigator and head and neck surgeon, who presented the data at IAOO.FG001 is a fluorophore targeting uPAR, which is a cancer specific target expressed extensively in most solid cancers. It is administered into a patient's vein prior to surgery and lights up the cancer during surgery, helping to guide the surgeon in removing all cancer while sparing healthy tissue. The fluorophore has the same spectral specifications as indocyanine green, which is already approved, and means FG001 is compatible with most imaging equipment.The open-label, single-center non-randomized explorative phase lla trial investigated the effect of FG001 in guiding surgery of patients with head & neck cancer (oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas - OPSCC). The purpose was to obtain proof-of-concept in this indication for the uPAR platform technology used to guide surgical removal of cancer.Data from the trial will be valuable to guide further development of FG001 in head & neck cancer including potential clinical benefits. The topline results were:4 patients were dosed with 4mg, 8 patients were dosed with 16 mg and 4 patients were dosed with 36mg. The cancer lit up in all patients with a relevant Tumor To Background Ratio (TBR).Safety: No Serious Adverse Events or drug-related Adverse Events were reported.Several applications for potential clinical benefit were hypothesized and will be explored in further trials."The result of this first clinical trial of FG001 in head & neck cancer is very promising and reinforces the potential of FluoGuide's unique uPAR-targeting technology platform. uPAR is extensively expressed in solid cancers, so targeting potentially enables precise removal of cancer tissue. We are now analyzing the data to optimize the value of FG001 to help surgeons and for the benefit of patients with head & neck cancer," said Andreas Kjaer, Chief Scientific Officer of FluoGuide."We now have phase IIa data showing efficacy and safety of FG001 across three indications and are looking forward to topline results from our phase IIb trial in aggressive brain cancer, which are expected later in November 2023. Overall, our data provide a very solid foundation for latestage clinical development as we define our plans and move FG001 towards commercialization." For further information, please contact:Morten Albrechtsen, CEO,FluoGuide A/S +45 24 25 62 66,ma@ fluoguide.com Certified Adviser:Svensk Kapitalmarknadsgransking ABPhone: +46 70 755 95 51E-mail: ca@ skmg.se About FluoGuideFluoGuide takes precision surgery to the next level improving the outcome for cancer patients. The Company's lead product, FG001, is designed to improve surgical precision by illuminating cancer intraoperatively. This improved precision enabled by FluoGuide's products is expected to have a dual benefit - it reduces both the frequency of local recurrence post-surgery and lessens surgical sequelae. Ultimately, this improved precision will improve a patient's chance of achieving a complete cure and will lower system-wide healthcare costs. The Company has published key results on the efficacy of FG001 as well as showing it was well tolerated and safe from a proof-of-concept clinical study (phase I/IIa) in patients with aggressive brain cancer (high grade glioma) that undergo surgery. A phase IIb trial in aggressive brain cancer is ongoing to obtain valuable information to design late-stage clinical trials. This IIb trial has completed patient enrollment and treatment, and data complication is ongoing. In addition, FluoGuide has demonstrated effect of FG001 in lung and head & neck cancer.About head and neck cancerHead and neck cancer includes cancers in the lining of the lips, tung, mouth, or upper throat. Head and neck cancers is often occurring in close anatomical proximity to small vital structures such as blood vessels supplying the brain and many important nerves. Further, cosmetic considerations are important for most locations of head and neck cancers. Surgical precision is therefore essential for surgical removal of head and neck cancers. Most head and neck cancers arise from squamous cells and are called squamous cell carcinomas.Worldwide, head and neck cancer accounts for approximately 900,000 cases and over 400,000 deaths annually. It is the 6th most common cancer. In USA and EU head and neck cancer accounts for approximately 66,000 cases annually and 15,000 deaths, and 250,000 cases and 63,500 deaths, respectively. (Source: (1) Global Cancer Observatory. International Agency for Research on Cancer. World Health Organization. Available at: https://gco.iarc.fr/ (Accessed on June 06, 2021; (2) Siegel RL, Miller KD, Fuchs HE, Jemal A. Cancer statistics, 2022; (3) CA Cancer J Clin 2022; 72:7. Gatta G, Botta L, Sanchez MJ, et al. Prognoses and improvement for head and neck cancers diagnosed in Europe in early 2000s: The EUROCARE-5 populationbased study. Eur J Cancer 2015; 51:2130.)For more information on the Company, please visit www.fluoguide.com SOURCE: FluoGuide A/S
PR-Inside.com: 2023-11-21 19:02:57

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NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC a nationally recognized law firm, notifies investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed against FMC Corp. ("FMC" or "the Company") (NYSE:FMC) and certain of its officers.Class Definition:This lawsuit seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws on behalf of all persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired FMC securities between November 2, 2022 and October 20, 2023, inclusive (the "Class Period"). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firm's site: bgandg.com/fmc Case Details:The complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements and failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, it is alleged that Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) the diminishment of patent protection for FMC's flagship products following legal defeats in key markets including India, China, and Brazil had opened the door to increased competition from generics; (2) the Company repeatedly mislead investors about the status of such proceedings and falsely claimed that it did not and would not face generic competition in key markets until 2026 at the earliest; and (3) because of these issues Defendant's positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.What's Next?A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint, you can visit the firm's site: bgandg.com/fmc or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Law Clerk and Client Relations Manager, Yael Nathanson of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 332-239-2660. If you suffered a loss in FMC you have until January 8, 2024, to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.There is No Cost to YouWe represent investors in class actions on a contingency fee basis. That means we will ask the court to reimburse us for out-of-pocket expenses and attorneys' fees, usually a percentage of the total recovery, only if we are successful.Why Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman:Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a nationally recognized firm that represents investors in securities fraud class actions and shareholder derivative suits. Our firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors nationwide.Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.CONTACT:Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLCPeretz Bronstein or Yael Nathanson332-239-2660 | info@ bgandg.com SOURCE: Bronstein, Gewirtz and Grossman, LLC
PR-Inside.com: 2023-11-21 04:50:16

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NEW ORLEANS, LA / ACCESSWIRE / November 20, 2023 / Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have until January 8, 2024 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against FMC Corporation (NYSE:FMC), if they purchased or otherwise acquired the Company's shares between November 2, 2022 and October 20, 2023, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.What You May DoIf you purchased shares of FMC and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or via email ( lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com) , or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-fmc/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court by January 8, 2024.About the LawsuitFMC and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.On September 7, 2023, Blue Orca Capital reported that the Company had made a series of false statements about the status of patent protections for its flagship products following legal defeats in India, China, and Brazil, that allowed competitors to launch competing generic products at much lower prices. On this news, the price of FMC's shares dropped more than 7.4%, to close at $76.10 per share, representing approximately $630 million in investor losses, on high trading volume.Then, on October 23, 2023, the Company disclosed further cuts to its Q3 2023 outlook and guidance for revenues for Q4 and FY 2024, projecting earnings well below analysts' expectations, citing substantially lower sales volumes in Latin America. On this news, the price of FMC's shares plummeted by $8.83 per share, or 12.18%, to close at $58.12 per share.The case is Heeg v. FMC Corporation, et al., 23-cv-4938.About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCKSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. KSF serves a variety of clients - including public institutional investors, hedge funds, money managers and retail investors - in seeking recoveries for investment losses emanating from corporate fraud or malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, California, Louisiana and New Jersey.To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com CONTACT:Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCLewis Kahn, Managing Partnerlewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com1-877-515-18501100 Poydras St., Suite 960New Orleans, LA 70163SOURCE: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC
PR-Inside.com: 2023-11-21 22:01:17

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2023 Winners Honoured: Esther Omam (Cameroon), Red de Interpretes y Promotores Interculturales Asociacion Civil (Mexico), REFORM: The Palestinian Association for Empowerment and Local Development (Palestine)OTTAWA, ON / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / The Global Centre for Pluralism honoured the inspiring and courageous work of the laureates of its 2023 Global Pluralism Award. With over 200 submissions received worldwide, the three winners and seven honorable mention recipients were selected by an esteemed independent, international jury. Through their remarkable and sustained achievements, the awardees contribute to building more inclusive societies in which diversity is protected worldwide, distinguishing themselves as champions of pluralism in action.From left to right: Oday Abu Karsh, Director of REFORM: The Palestinian Association for Empowerment and Local Development; Esther Omam, Executive Director of Reach Out Cameroon; Jesus Gerardo Herrera Perez, Director of Intercultural Advocacy of Red de Interpretes y Promotores Interculturales Asociacion Civil. Photo courtesy of the Global Centre for Pluralism.The bi-annual ceremony was hosted at The Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat in Ottawa and streamed live on the Centre's website. The evening's proceedings commenced with a welcome blessing from Algonquin Anishinaabe Elder Claudette Commanda, Chancellor of the University of Ottawa, remarks by Meredith Preston McGhie, Secretary General of the Global Centre for Pluralism and Dr. Marwan Muasher, Vice President for Studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and former foreign minister and deputy prime minister of Jordan. The distinguished assembly of laureates, delegates and respected guests had the honour of hearing a keynote address delivered by the Centre's Board Member, Princess Zahra Aga Khan, in which she emphasized the paramount significance of pluralism in today's global climate."A society made stronger by the diversity that defines it - that is a value that Canada has embraced both at home and in the world, while acknowledging that this is not easy and that there is much work to be done, " said Princess Zahra Aga Khan, Board Member of the Global Centre for Pluralism. "This principle may feel far off in our troubled global times, even more so when the divisions in society appear so vast. However, this is a message that the world needs to hear." "The Award laureates' achievements are proof that even in the most difficult spaces, taking action to advance respect for diversity is not only possible, but is in all our hands. said Meredith Preston McGhie, Secretary General of the Global Centre for Pluralism. "Laureates challenge their own communities, and all of us, to see beyond singular notions of identity, to think differently about how to engage with "the other" and collectively overcome division.The evening's ceremony was emceed by Chief News Anchor and Senior Editor of CTV National News, Omar Sachedina. Over 200 guests gathered at the event in Ottawa to magnify and honour the impacts of these innovators and leaders fostering pluralism in some of the world's most challenging contexts, including dignitaries, ambassadors and political leaders.Dedicated to recognizing pluralism in action, the award presentation highlighted the remarkable contributions of this year's honorees: Esther Omam (Cameroon), a tireless peacebuilder, mediator, and human rights defender uniting women and youth to advocate for peace; Red de Interpretes y Promotores Interculturales Asociacion Civil (Mexico), an Indigenous youth collective in Oaxaca combating exclusion by offering crucial Indigenous language interpretation in legal proceedings; and REFORM: The Palestinian Association for Empowerment and Local Development (Palestine), a non-governmental organization fostering unity and empowerment among diverse groups in Palestine.The 2023 Global Pluralism Award Honourable Mentions (alphabetical):Build Up (Kenya/United States/Global) works with peacebuilding institutions and a network of peace innovators to tackle polarization and make peacebuilding processes more inclusive of diverse voices and perspectives with a specific focus on digital technologies.Deeyah Khan (Norway/United States) documentary filmmaker and activist countering extremism and fostering understanding and empathy across ideological, religious and racial divides.The Global Interfaith Network for People of All Sexes, Sexual Orientations, Gender Identities and Expressions - GIN-SSOGIE (South Africa/Global) supports LGBTIQ+ people of faith from the Global South and East to advocate for an end to violence and persecution against sexual and gender minorities.India Love Project (India) challenges exclusion and prejudice in India by sharing love stories of non-traditional unions between interfaith, inter-caste and LGBTQ+ couples on social media.Lea Baroudi (Lebanon) peace mediator using art, culture and social enterprise to provide Lebanese youth with the rare opportunity to build a future outside of violent extremism and sectarianism.Politize! Civic Education Institute (Brazil) a non-partisan and non-profit organization tackling polarization in Brazil by producing free and unbiased political education, training civic leaders to solve public policy problems and training teachers to educate youth to become engaged citizens.Touche (Belgium) a social enterprise providing support to current and former prisoners and at-risk youth and, in the process, advancing a positive view of anger and aggression.ABOUT THE GLOBAL CENTRE FOR PLURALISMThe Global Centre for Pluralism is an independent, charitable organization founded by His Highness the Aga Khan and the Government of Canada. The Centre works with policy leaders, educators and community builders around the world to amplify and implement the transformative power of pluralism.ABOUT THE GLOBAL PLURALISM AWARDThe Global Pluralism Award recognizes pluralism in action. Presented every other year to individuals, organisations, governments and businesses from around the world, the Award celebrates the inspiring and brave work that is helping to build more inclusive societies where diversity is valued and protected.The Award is conferred by the Global Centre for Pluralism and made possible in part by the generous support of TD Bank Group. For more information about the Award, visit https://award.pluralism.ca/ This material is distributed by Pantano Media & Marketing on behalf of The Global Centre for Pluralism. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC.Media Contact:Shay PantanoPantano Media & Marketingspantano@pantan
The Arc at the Green School in Bali was finished in 2021

Made from a series of bamboo arches spanning 19 metres, the Arc at the Green School in Bali is heralded as one of the most significant structures ever made from bamboo.

Designed by architecture studio Ibuku and using approximately 12.4 tonnes of Dendrocalamus Asper, also known as Rough Bamboo or Giant Bamboo, the lightweight structure was finished in April 2021.

Such an eye-catching building shows the strength and versatility of bamboo. Add to that bamboo's green credentials and it would seem like an excellent material to help the construction industry cut its carbon footprint.

Like trees, bamboo plants sequester carbon as they grow and can act as carbon sinks, storing more carbon than many tree species.

A plantation of bamboo can store 401 tonnes of carbon per hectare (per 2.5 acres). By contrast, a plantation of Chinese fir trees can store 237 tonnes of carbon per hectare, according to a report by the International Bamboo and Rattan Organisation (INBAR) and Delft University of Technology, in the Netherlands.

It is one of the fastest growing plants on the planet - some varieties grow as quickly as one metre per day.

Plus, bamboo is a grass, so when the stem is harvested it grows back, unlike most trees.

It has a long history of use in construction in Asia, but in Europe and the US it remains a niche building material.

In those markets, bamboo treated with heat and chemicals is becoming more common for flooring, kitchen tops and chopping boards, but is rarely used as a structural material.

Around 12 tonnes of bamboo went into making The Arc

According to Christopher Matthews, from London-based structural engineers Atelier One, part of the problem is a lack of familiarity.

"One of the biggest challenges was nobody really knows how to engineer in bamboo," says Mr Matthews, who worked on the Bali School project.

"So we had to test it. We were there, loading it up with sandbags to actually prove how strong it was."

Mr Matthews says demand for bamboo is increasing, with 30% of his company's clients now using the material. "We've started developing more and more bamboo structures."

Story continues

He points to an entire school campus in New Mexico, and structures such as a yoga studio in Costa Rica, and a bridge and pavilion in the Philippines.

"In the countries that are using it, it's extremely cheap and extremely abundant, and the workforce is skilled in using it. If we started using it in Europe, initially it'd be more expensive. But as it becomes more and more used, then there's no reason why the cost can't come down."

He says the company is in early stage conversations to help build with bamboo in the UK soon.

BambooLogic has plantations in Portugal

It would help if bamboo was grown in Europe, but the larger species don't grow well in chilly northern climates.

BambooLogic is hoping to change that - it is the first large-scale bamboo grower in Europe.

"For sure, it needs a lot of sun, some water as well," says Jan Detavernier, a consultant at BambooLogic, which has bamboo plantations in Portugal.

"In the south, we have a lot of sun." He says it has the potential to restore degraded soil. "Where we grow in the south of Portugal, the soil is very poor. Since the bamboo captures CO2 and puts it in the ground, it makes the earth much better."

Mr Detavernier says his firm is working with partners that are developing new products for the European market.

The challenge, he says, is a lack of standardisation. "In Europe we are not used to working with bamboo as a material. There's a lot of data in Asia, but there's little data in Europe to work with."

Dr Bhavna Sharma, assistant professor of architecture at the University of Southern California's School of Architecture, and also a member of the taskforce developing international standards for bamboo construction materials, echoes this.

"It's a challenge still to use bamboo in construction because it is still a non-conventional material," she says.

"It's just [about] increasing our body of knowledge, understanding how the material would perform in different service environments, which means if I'm building in Amsterdam, how will the building perform in that type of weather and climate versus if I'm building in Indonesia? That way we can move even further in terms of the types of buildings that we're able to construct."

Dr Sharma says that the first engineered bamboo testing standards from International Standards Organisation were published last summer. "That will support practitioners, designers and engineers in adopting the material into projects."

Here Bamcore panels are being used to build a residential building

In California, sustainable building materials company BamCore, established in 2019, offers a panelised framing system made up of either engineered bamboo and wood, or eucalyptus and wood. The panels are used to build buildings up to five storeys high for both commercial and residential buildings.

"Our customers originally started as single home buyers or architects that were looking to be more sustainable," says Kate Chilton, chief sustainability officer at BamCore.

"But as we've started to grow, we have begun to bring on developers as customers." She points to D.R. Horton, the largest homebuilder in the US, which she says, is in the process of piloting its bamboo product across several developments in the US.

There are more than 1,600 species of bamboo, and BamCore's preferred is Dendrocalamus asper, more commonly known as Giant Clumping bamboo, which they import from South America and Asia. However, Ms Chilton says they are in talks with a bamboo plantation owner in Florida who has a Dendrocalamus asper trial ongoing.

More technology of business

Some are embracing the creative potential of bamboo. Event marketing agency, Natchlab, is creating a 650-sq m temple from recycled bamboo for the arts and music Boom Festival in Portugal next year.

"Open plan, well-ventilated, high structures are exactly what you need at a festival," Mr Sibthorpe, Nachtlab's creative director, said at the Green conference - part of the Amsterdam Dance Event.

"Bamboo can bend and mould a little bit. It's a very malleable material."
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DENVER, CO / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / In the heart of Denver, fashion industry insiders, fashion enthusiasts and press got together to see the new collection of designer Guillermo Pharis. The runway unveiled his latest collection during the dazzling couture night of Denver Fashion Week on Saturday, November 18th. With heavy beaded fabrics, silk taffeta wedding gowns, jacquards, laces that weave tales of elegance, and prints that paint colorful, vivid nature, Pharis's creations were nothing short of show-stopping.Designer Guillermo Pharis greets the audience at Denver Fashion WeekPhoto Credits: Adam RipplingerGuillermo Pharis, an independent designer with no investors, takes pride in being a one-man army. "My timeless style sets me apart, and it's all me," he declares confidently. His journey from downtown NYC to the vibrant city of Denver in 2021 has been nothing short of a sartorial adventure. And on that spectacular Saturday night, Pharis stood tall, ready to present his latest collection to the city that had become his new home. Each piece is not just a garment; it's a work of art that reflects his passion for sustainable fashion and dedication to creating memorable pieces."I love to design bridal and evening-wear. It's very organic to me. Fashion needs sustainable outlets to maintain a better system, and making memorable pieces contributes to being more responsible about consumerism. You keep these pieces, you save them and take care of them," Pharis shares, his passion for sustainable fashion is evident in every stitch of his creations.The collection, a symphony of modern cuts and timeless silhouettes, was a resounding success. From the delicate touch of intricate laces to the bold statement made by silver and light blue jacquards, each piece reflected Pharis's signature style and meticulous attention to detail. Tulle silhouettes danced gracefully, heavy beaded fabrics shimmered under the lights, and the entire collection spoke a language of sophistication and glamour.The evening at Denver Fashion Week was not just a runway show but a celebration of creativity, talent, and inclusivity. Pharis's new collection transcended the boundaries of basic fashion, leaving an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of those present.In a world where fast fashion dominates, including for evening and wedding dresses, Pharis pieces bring sustainability and responsible practices-from cutting the right amount of fabric needed and keeping leftovers to designing new custom gowns using dresses from the 80s. His dedication to creating timeless pieces resonated throughout the venue during fashion week, and the audience couldn't help but be swept away by the beauty and craftsmanship of each dress.As the models strutted down the runway, Pharis's vision came to life. The bridal and evening-wear pieces, meticulously crafted and thoughtfully designed, showcased the designer's commitment to making fashion that lasts. The applause that echoed through the venue was not just for a fashion show; it was a recognition of an artist's dedication to his craft. The designer's return to the evening-wear market was not just a business move but a reiteration of his commitment to making fashion that matters.As the night unfolded, the collection became a conversation starter, a testament to Pharis's ability to blend tradition with contemporary flair. The bridal gowns, ethereal and romantic, seemed to transport the audience to a world of fairy tales and everlasting love. The evening-wear pieces, bold and timeless, spoke to the modern woman who embraces her individuality with grace.What sets Pharis apart in the competitive fashion landscape is not just his timeless style but his independence. With no investors backing him, every design is a product of his creativity and hard work, making each piece uniquely his own and the result of working towards his dreams. This independence allows him the freedom to express his vision without compromise, resulting in collections that resonate with authenticity and originality.Pharis, who draws inspiration from his globetrotting adventures, the beauty of women, the rhythm of music, and the rich tapestry of cultural experiences, breathes life into his designs. This infusion of diverse influences creates a collection that transcends fashion trends, embodying a timeless appeal and making it a celebration of beauty in all its forms. The return to the evening-wear market halted during the COVID-19 pandemic, marked a triumphant comeback for the designer.Denver Fashion Week had seen its fair share of runway spectacles, but Guillermo Pharis's show was a cut above the rest. It wasn't just about the clothes but the narrative woven into each garment, the passion that fueled the designer, and the celebration of diversity in fashion.On that memorable night in Denver, Guillermo Pharis proved that sustainability could be synonymous with style and that responsible consumerism could be a glamorous affair. The designer closed the shows, leaving the audience not just with memories of a fashion show but with a newfound appreciation for the artistry and ethos behind Guillermo Pharis's creations.About Guillermo PharisGuillermo Pharis is a trailblazing fashion designer originally from Honduras, he grew up in different cities including New York, he attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in Chelsea, NYC, now making waves in Denver. Known for his timeless style and impeccable attention to tailoring, Pharis has garnered acclaim for his elegant and sustainable bridal and evening-wear collections. He brings a global perspective to his creations, drawing inspiration from his travels, cultural experiences, and love for music and art.Contact:Country: USAMedia Contact: Guillermo PharisCompany: Guillermo Pharis Bridal, INC.Email: info@ gp-bridal.comPhone number: +1 (646) 322-4959Website: www.gp-bridal.com/dresses/ SOURCE: Guillermo Pharis Bridal
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Homegrown UAE fitness brand, GymNation, has proudly announced a management-led buyout of all equity held by previous investor, JD Gyms.DUBAI, UAE / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / Homegrown UAE fitness brand, GymNation, has proudly announced a management-led buyout of all equity held by previous investor, JD Gyms.GymNation Management Team The deal, backed by Tricap Investments and Ruya Partners, sees the GymNation founders and management team, Loren Holland, Frank Afeaki and Anthony Martland, become significant majority shareholders in the business they founded back in 2017.Tricap Investments is a diversified principal investment group with offices in Washington D.C. and Dubai, specialising in the execution of both direct and fund investments, and private equity transactions.Ruya Partners is an independent private credit firm based in Abu Dhabi whose investor base includes institutional funds from the GCC including UAE sovereign-backed Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners, a joint venture between Mubadala Capital and Alpha Wave Global, and Jada Fund of Funds, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF).Since its launch, GymNation has delivered on its mission of making fitness more affordable and accessible for the UAE population, and has rapidly grown from a single gym start-up into the UAE's leading gym operator with 12 gyms and over 60,000 members.Having been voted "The Best Gym in the UAE" on Virgin Radio's The Kris Fade Show for the last 2 years running, and with over 40,000 five-star Google reviews, GymNation have cemented their position within the UAE as "The People's Gym" and are now set to replicate this success across the GCC.Loren Holland, Founder & CEO, GymNation commented; "This management buyout is another exciting chapter for GymNation, and with the support and backing of Tricap Investments and Ruya Partners we are perfectly positioned to accelerate the growth of GymNation across the GCC. Within the coming weeks, we will be announcing our first six Saudi Arabian locations, a further four more UAE sites, as well as company formations in Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait. GymNation has pioneered the democratisation of health and fitness across the UAE, which prior to our launch was recognised as the 2nd most expensive market in the world to own a gym membership. Now it's time for us to have the same impact across other GCC markets." The innovative structure of the deal has allowed GymNation to launch a trailblazing Equity Incentivisation Scheme for the wider management team, aimed at attracting and retaining world-class talent, through rewarding, incentivising and aligning, key members of the team with direct equity in the business.Frank Afeaki commented; "On the day of signing the deal, 15 GymNation management team members also signed their own documentation to become shareholders in the business, I am proud that we are able to reward the team in a way that no others within the industry do and have them as shareholders alongside myself, Loren and Ant." Ant Martland added: "We have an exceptional management team, supported by significant ongoing investments into key technology and systems that are going to place GymNation at the forefront of the fitness industry. It's still very early days in our growth story, and the whole team couldn't be more excited, and motivated, to rollout GymNation across the region." The management team were advised by James Wigglesworth at Orca Capital (Corporate Finance) who will also join the board as a Non-Executive Director at completion, DLA Piper (Legal), Tatsu Partners (Debt Advisory) and PwC (Financial, Tax and Commercial Vendor Due Diligence).Tricap Investments were advised by TAAS Partners (Legal).Ruya Partners were advised by Dentons (Legal).About GymNationGymNation is the UAE's leading gym operator. With the first location opening in 2018, the company has grown to 12 UAE locations, with over 60,000 members. With memberships starting from AED 99 per month and no-contract, cancel-anytime membership options, GymNation is here to make a difference and ensure that everybody in the GCC has access to affordable, world-class fitness facilities - that's why we call ourselves "THE PEOPLE'S GYM".For more information on GymNation, visit: www.gymnation.com About Tricap InvestmentsTricap Investments is a diversified principal investment group with offices in Washington D.C. and Dubai. Tricap invests on behalf of its principals, shareholders, and partners. The group sources, develops, structures, and executes both direct and fund investments and private equity transactions. For more than 30 years, Tricap and its principals and partners have invested globally in real estate, infrastructure and technology sectors.For more information on Tricap Investments, visit: www.tricapinvestments.com About Ruya PartnersRuya Partners is an independent private credit firm that provides bespoke funding solutions to private sector companies in developing markets. Ruya Partners investor base includes sovereign-backed and pension funds from the GCC including UAE based Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners, a joint venture between Mubadala Capital and Alpha Wave Global, and Saudi Arabia based Jada Fund of Funds. Ruya Partners is headquartered in Abu Dhabi and regulated by the ADGM Financial Services Regulatory Authority.For more information on Ruya Partners, visit: www.ruyapartners.com Contact InformationGym Nation Head of PR getfit@ gymnation.com SOURCE: GymNation
PR-Inside.com: 2023-11-21 23:30:43

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HAGENS BERMAN, NATIONAL TRIAL ATTORNEYS, Encourages FMC Corporation (FMC) Investors with Substantial Losses to Contact Firm's AttorneysSAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / Hagens Berman urges FMC Corporation (NYSE:FMC) investors who suffered substantial losses to submit your losses now.Expanded Class Period: Nov. 1, 2022 - Oct. 30, 2023Lead Plaintiff Deadline: Jan. 8, 2024Visit: www.hbsslaw.com/investor-fraud/FMC Contact An Attorney Now: FMC@ hbsslaw.com 844-916-0895FMC Corporation (FMC) Securities Fraud Class Action:The litigation focuses on the propriety of FMC's sales and inventory management practices, and on the sustainability of growth and financial results flowing from its patented diamide insect control products.The complaint alleges that FMC made false and misleading statements and failed to disclose that: (1) the diminishment of patent protection for FMC's flagship products following legal defeats in India, China, and Brazil key markets opened the door to increased competition from generics; and (2) FMC repeatedly misled investors about the status of such proceedings and falsely claimed that it did not and would not face generic competition in key markets until 2026 at the earliest.Investors began to learn the truth on July 10, 2023, when FMC slashed its Q2 2023 revenue outlook by about 30%, reduced its FY 2023 revenue outlook by over 14%, and blamed the reduced guidance on reductions in channel inventory that adversely impacted the company's sales volumes in the quarter.Then, on Sept. 7, 2023, Blue Orca published a report alleging that "FMC has concealed from investors that it has suffered a recent string of defeats around the globe that have enabled competitors to now launch competing generics at prices up to 80% below the price of FMC's flagship insecticide product[]" and "[c]ontrary to the Company's claims, FMC's process patents do not protect its flagship product from generic competition." On Oct. 23, 2023, FMC announced it was again cutting its Q3 2023 outlook and issued disappointing Q4 2023 and FY 2024 revenue guidance, blaming substantially lower sales volume in Latin America.Finally, on Oct. 30, 2023, FMC announced disappointing Q3 2023 results, including a 29% decline in revenue for the quarter, and blamed lower customer demand in Brazil and India.These events drove the price of FMC shares sharply lower and was accompanied by several analyst downgrades."We're focused on investors' losses and are investigating whether FMC may have intentionally misled investors about the strength of certain patent protections," said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the investigation.If you invested in FMC 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 FMC case and our investigation, read more Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding FMC Corporation should consider their options to help in the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under the new program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email FMC@ 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
PR-Inside.com: 2023-11-21 14:31:28

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Brand drops limited-edition varsity letterman jacket and hosts first-ever Homecoming event to kick off new 1 in 8' effortCHICAGO, IL / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / Astronauts. Teachers. Award-winning playwrights. Executives. Small business owners. 1 in 8 Americans have one thing in common: the experience of working at a McDonald's restaurant (just think... that means 1 in 8 Americans have been trusted with the World Famous Fries). Whether their career continued within the Golden Arches or beyond, McDonald's is celebrating both former and current crew members who make up this diverse community with the launch of its new "1 in 8" initiative.Members of the 1 in 8 will have access to unique programming, like opportunities to attend exclusive events, mentorships with notable alums who've gone on to make an impact in their respective fields, reunions with former team members and more.To officially kick things off, McDonald's is dropping a limited-edition letterman jacket that represents what it means to be 1 in 8 - because a group this iconic deserves swag to match. Designed by McDonald's alum and founder of lifestyle brand Robotic Minds Concept, Kendall Hurns tapped into his nostalgia and love for the brand to create this one-of-a-kind jacket, featuring IYKYK surprises for fellow crew. For each jacket sold, McDonald's will contribute funding to help exceptional crew members achieve their aspirations through once-in-a-lifetime experiences and opportunities. Jackets go on sale on Monday, Oct. 16 at 10 a.m. ET at www.McDonalds1in8.com , while supplies last."For 1 in 8 Americans, the McDonald's restaurant experience offers critical life skills and creates opportunities for meaningful work and connections," said Tiffanie Boyd, Senior Vice President & Chief People Officer at McDonald's. "Formally bringing this group together will give past and present crew members alike the chance to continue growing, building their networks and celebrating the special community they represent." In the midst of Homecoming season, McDonald's also honored the 1 in 8 with its first-ever Homecoming celebration in New York City today, Oct. 11. During the event, current crew and 1 in 8 alums had the chance to connect to share personal stories and career advice. In attendance were a handful of well-known 1 in 8ers, including New York Times Best Selling Author and Peloton Instructor Cody Rigsby, Michelin-star restaurant chef, Harold Villarosa, TV host, actress and entrepreneur Alejandra Espinoza, creative entrepreneur Kendall Hurns, and McDonald's franchise owner, Paul Hendel - who started as a crew member when he was 16 years old and now owns 31 restaurants. The event also brought the Homecoming spirit with the Brooklyn United marching band, exclusive gear and a friendly face-off to see who could build a Big Mac the fastest (because there's no truer test for a 1 in 8er)."It's no secret that McDonald's is my day one," said Rigsby. "It's a full circle moment for me to be able to share my journey to inspire others - including those who had the same start as me and used their job at McDonald's as a jumping off point." And while many members of the 1 in 8 use the skills learned at McDonald's to succeed in different fields, others apply them to grow within the company as franchisees, management or corporate positions."Reflecting back on my beginnings as a McDonald's restaurant employee 38 years ago, I'm proud to be a part of an organization that roots for and supports its people," said Myra Doria, U.S. National Field President at McDonald's. "It's special to have experienced first-hand the doors that the Golden Arches can open for a person." The 1 in 8 initiative is shining a spotlight on the spectacular people that make up the Golden Arches. For the first time, McDonald's is featuring a cast entirely made up of restaurant crew in its creative campaign - highlighting real stories and real people from local restaurants across TV spots, social media, and digital content.Are you a member of the 1 in 8? Share your story here on www.McDonalds1in8.com and stay up to date on future 1 in 8 opportunities.About McDonald's USA McDonald's USA, LLC, serves a variety of menu options made with quality ingredients to millions of customers every day. Ninety-five percent of McDonald's approximately 13,500 U.S. restaurants are owned and operated by independent business owners. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com , or follow us on Twitter @McDonalds and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mcdonalds About McDonald's Now Serving PlatformMcDonald's Now Serving platform is about more than serving delicious food. It's something customers and Crew see every day in McDonald's restaurants as orders are served, but also celebrates our rich legacy of supporting communities, in partnership with franchisees, for more than 60 years. Now Serving is the comforting meals we provide following natural disasters and the support we give families through our partnership with Ronald McDonald House Charities. In restaurants, it's about recognizing Crew through our Thank You Crew initiative and offering ongoing education and mentorship opportunities. Click here to learn more.View original content here.View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from McDonald's Corporation on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info:Spokesperson: McDonald's CorporationWebsite: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/mcdonalds-corporationEmail: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: McDonald's Corporation
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WINNIPEG, MB / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / Medicure Inc. ("Medicure" or the "Company") (TSXV:MPH)(OTC PINK:MCUJF), a company focused on the development and commercialization of pharmaceuticals and healthcare products for patients and prescribers in the United States market, today reported its results from operations for the quarter ended September 30, 2023.Quarter Ended September 30, 2023 Highlights:Recorded total net revenue of $5.0 million during the quarter ended September 30, 2023 compared to $5.3 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2022 and;Recorded total net revenue from the sale of AGGRASTAT of $2.4 million during the quarter ended September 30, 2023 compared to $3.0 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2022 and;Recorded total net revenue from the Marley Drug business of $2.2 million ($670,000 from sales of ZYPITAMAG , and $1.53 million from other pharmacy revenue) during the quarter ended September 30, 2023 compared to $1.8 million ($430,000 from sales of ZYPITAMAG and $1.37 million from other pharmacy revenue) for the quarter ended September 30, 2022 and;Recorded net revenue through insured business from the sale of ZYPITAMAGof $398,000 during the quarter ended September 30, 2023 compared to $434,000 through insured business for the quarter ended September 30, 2022.Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA1) for the quarter ended September 30, 2023 was $429,000 compared to adjusted EBITDA of $1.4 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2022 and;Net income for the quarter ended September 30, 2023 was $84,000 or $0.01 per share compared to net income of $1.1 million or $0.11 per share for the quarter ended September 30, 2022.R&D expenses for the quarter ended September 30, 2023 were $508,000, and the company remains committed to the completion of the PNPO deficiency Phase 3 clinical trial.The Company remains cash flow positive and carries no debt on its balance sheet.Financial ResultsNet AGGRASTAT product sales for the three month period ended September 30, 2023, were $2.4 million compared to $3.0 million during the three month period ended September 30, 2022. The decrease in AGGRASTAT revenues from the prior year when compared to the previous year is the result of a decrease in the volume of AGGRASTAT sold, and competition from generic tirofiban.ZYPITAMAG contributed $398,000 of revenue for the quarter ended September 30, 2023 compared to $434,000 for the quarter ended September 30, 2022. The decrease in revenue through insured channels is primarily as a result of wholesaler returns and higher coverage gap payments to pharmacy benefit managers. This amount does not include sales of ZYPITAMAG through the Marley Drug business.The Marley Drug business contributed $2.2 million of revenue for the quarter ended September 30, 2023 compared to $1.8 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2022. Marley Drug is a US pharmacy licensed to ship medications to all 50 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. It serves thousands of customers and provides another channel for direct-to-consumer marketing, distribution and improved profit margin for ZYPITAMAG. The increase in revenue is a result of increased sales through its e-commerce platform, including increased sales of ZYPITAMAG.Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter ended September 30, 2023 was $429,000 compared to $1.4 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2022. Decreased adjusted EBITDA for the quarter ended September 30, 2023 resulted from lower net revenue, higher selling and R&D expenses, partially offset by lower cost of goods sold during the current quarter.Net income for the quarter ended September 30, 2023 was $84,000 or $0.01 per share compared to net income of $1.1 million or $0.11 per share for the quarter ended September 30, 2022. The main factor contributing to the decrease in net income recorded for the quarter ended September 30, 2023 was lower net revenue, higher selling and R&D expenses, partially offset by lower cost of goods sold during the current period.At September 30, 2023, the Company had unrestricted cash totaling $5.6 million, an increase from $4.9 million of unrestricted cash held as of December 31, 2022. Cash flows from operating activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 was $1.2 million compared to cash flows from operating activities of $1.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2022.All amounts referenced herein are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise noted.The full financial statements are available at www.sedar.com and on the Company's website at www.medicure.com NotesThe Company defines EBITDA as "earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and other income or expense" and Adjusted EBITDA as "EBITDA adjusted for noncash and non-recurring items". The terms "EBITDA" and "Adjusted EBITDA", as it relates to the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 results prepared using IFRS, do not have any standardized meaning according to IFRS. It is therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies.Conference Call Info:Topic: Medicure's Q3 2023 ResultsCall date: Wednesday, November 22, 2023Time: 7:30 AM Central Time (8:30 AM Eastern Time)Toll Free: 1 (888) 506-0062International: 1 (973) 528-0011Participant Access Code: 599508Webcast: This conference call will be webcast live over the internet at the following link: https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/2965/48792 You may request international country-specific access information by e-mailing the Company in advance. Management will accept and answer questions related to the financial results and operations during the question-and-answer period at the end of the conference call. A recording of the call will be available following the event at the Company's website.About Medicure Inc.Medicure is a pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of therapies for the U.S. cardiovascular market. The present focus of the Company is the marketing and distribution of AGGRASTAT (tirofiban hydrochloride) injection and ZYPITAMAG (pitavastatin) tablets in the United States, where they are sold through the Company's U.S. subsidiary, Medicure Pharma Inc. Medicure also operates Marley Drug, Inc. ("Marley Drug"), a pharmacy located in North Carolina that offers an Extended Supply drug program serving all 50 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. Marley Drug is committed to improving the health status of its patients
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NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / FedEx CorporationOn World Animal Day, we are honored to recognize organizations such as the Oakland Zoo for their commitment to the well-being of all animals.FedEx and the Oakland Zoo have collaborated on multiple projects for over ten years. From transporting animals through in-kind shipping to providing support for the Zoo to Community (ZTC) program, FedEx is proud to support the Oakland Zoo's conservation and education efforts.STEM education for local studentsThe Oakland Zoo created its Zoo to Community (ZTC) initiative in 2006 to serve Title 1 schools primarily in Alameda County, CA. The ZTC program aims to close the learning gap for students by providing relevant, interactive, inquiry-based science and environmental learning programs for pre-K through high school. Students learn about the status of California's wildlife and the conservation challenges they face, and how the Zoo is supporting efforts in the field to help these animals and their habitats.As part of the field trip and wildlife assembly program, ZTC waives service fees and provides free bus transportation on the "Zoo Bus" to students who would otherwise not have the ability to visit the Oakland Zoo.Transporting precious cargoThe Oakland Zoo is a nationally recognized leader in animal welfare, rescue, and conservation and is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The Zoo is a member of the Bay Area Cougar Action Team (BACAT) in partnership with the California Department of Fish & Wildlife. Through this program the Zoo rescues, rehabilitates, and re-homes mountain lions rescued from wildfire and human-wildlife conflict.In cases where animals need to be moved to or from the zoo, FedEx is honored to use its global network and logistical expertise to help transport this precious cargo. From bears to jaguars, FedEx is happy to help the Oakland Zoo.Highlights from animals transported via FedEx:In 2018, Oakland Zoo and FedEx teamed up to transport four orphaned male brown bear cubs (two grizzly & two brown bear pairs) from Alaska to Oakland. Since the cubs could not be released back into the wild, the Oakland Zoo built them a 2.5-acre natural habitat in the California Trail expansion. It is equipped with a pool, a waterfall, several dens, and trees for climbing.The 2020 California wildfire season left many animals injured and/or orphaned, including a young mountain lion cub now known as Captain Cal. While Captain Cal was recovering from his injuries, the Oakland Zoo took in two more mountain lion cubs who also needed medical care and introduced them to Captain Cal. The three thrived in each other's company making the recovery process easier for all. Once the cubs recovered, FedEx stepped in to transport the cubs to their new fur-ever home at the Columbus Zoo in Ohio.The latest collaboration by Oakland Zoo and FedEx is the recent move of Emma the jaguar from the Miami Zoo to provide a companion for the Oakland Zoo's male jaguar, Lucha. Love is in the air for these two and hopes are for jaguar cubs soon. Emma's move to the Oakland Zoo, courtesy of FedEx, is part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums "Species Survival Plan," developed by AZA to help ensure the sustainability of a healthy, genetically diverse, and demographically varied AZA population.***photo credit for two grizzlies Steven Gotz and Oakland Zoo for the rest of the imagesView additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from FedEx Corporation on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info:Spokesperson: FedEx CorporationWebsite: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/fedex-corporationEmail: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: FedEx Corporation
PR-Inside.com: 2023-11-21 15:02:11

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IRVINE, CA / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / Petalfast, a leading national sales, marketing and distribution platform for the cannabis industry, announced its partnership with Seven Leaves, a premium indoor flower brand and a significant player in the California cannabis industry since 2008 best known for its commitment to quality and extensive library of exotic strains. Seven Leaves joins a growing portfolio of brands represented by Petalfast throughout California and nationwide.For more than a decade, Seven Leaves has relied on the latest cultivation technology to produce small-batch, craft cannabis at its state-of-the-art facility in Sacramento. Through meticulous care and attention to detail, its team of seasoned cultivators adhere to rigorous standards to produce top-tier flower with every harvest. With bright, creative packaging reminiscent of classic soda machine dispensers, Seven Leaves' branding showcases the team's creativity and heightens customer engagement."With a commitment to quality, consistency and a novel design style, Seven Leaves has been a leader in the California market since its inception," said Jason Vegotsky, CEO of Petalfast. "Customers throughout the state are drawn to its unique branding and high-grade flower, garnering a strong and loyal customer base. We look forward to putting the full weight of Petalfast's proven sales and marketing tactics behind the brand and launching it into even more retail locations." With an evolving rotation of strains, the Seven Leaves menu is always fresh and exciting. A product lineup of 3.5G pouches, plus 7G and 14G smalls, are available in popular exotic stains, including Bon Bons, Envy and The Original Slush, with the addition of some classic flavors such as Blue Dream, Jealousy and Violet Fog. With five high-yielding strains - Jupiter Jack, Supreme 41, Grease Monkey, Astro Mints and XJ-13, Seven Leaves offers its "pay it forward" 5G pouches. Instead of taking the extra yield, the 5G pouch is available at the same price as the 3.5G pouch, offering more value and enjoyment to Seven Leaves' loyal customers."As stewards of the plant and passionate cultivators, the Seven Leaves team strives to create the highest-quality products and have a positive impact on the industry," said Tyler Kearns, CEO of Seven Leaves. "The support of the Petalfast team will allow us to continue our growth while maintaining quality and innovation to ensure the best customer experience every time." About PetalfastPetalfast is a leading national sales, marketing and distribution platform for the cannabis industry. The Company represents emerging and established cannabis brands, selling into and through retail channels in California, Arizona and Massachusetts. Notable cannabis brands already engaged in the Petalfast platform include Lime, Bloom Brands, Solis, Humo and Yada Yada. Through its comprehensive agency of services, Petalfast provides brands with direct access to leading retailers and valuable feedback from buyers. The Company is expanding its high-performing sales team and retail engagement services into additional adult-use recreational cannabis legal markets, thereby extending its geographic footprint into the West, Midwest and Eastern United States.Contact InformationPetalfast Media pr@ petalfast.com SOURCE: Petalfast
PR-Inside.com: 2023-11-21 15:29:31

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Investor Call Scheduled for Tuesday, November 21, 2023 at 4:30 p.m. ETSOUTH EASTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / Pressure BioSciences, Inc. (OTCQB:PBIO) ("PBI" or the "Company"), a leader in the development and sale of broadly enabling, pressure-based instruments, consumables, and specialty testing services to the worldwide biotechnology, biotherapeutics, nutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals, agriculture, and food & beverage industries, today reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2023, provided a business update, and offered limited guidance for expected achievements through the remainder of 2023.Financial Highlights: Q3 2023 vs. Q3 2022 (rounded to nearest hundred except EPS)Total revenue for Q3 2023 was $413,000, an increase of 187% from $144,000 for Q3 2022.Instrument/Consumable sales for Q3 2023 were $398,700, an increase of 198% from $134,000 for Q3 2022.Operating loss for Q3 2023 was $1,292,800 as compared to $1,363,400 for Q3 2022, a decrease of 5%.Basic and diluted net loss per share was $(0.29) for Q2 2023 as compared to $(1.21) for Q3 2022.Cash Used from Operations in Q3 2023 was $732,400 vs. $1,053,100 for Q3 2022, a significant 30% decrease.Financial Highlights: Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023 vs. Nine Months Ended September 30, 2022(rounded to nearest hundred except EPS)Total revenue for the nine months ended September 30 2023 was $1,665,400, an increase of 48% from total revenue of $1,122,200 for the nine months ended September 30, 2022.Instrument/consumable sales for the first nine months of 2023 were $1,449,100, an increase of 60% from instrument/consumable sales of $903,900 for the first nine months of 2022.Operating loss for the first three quarters of 2023 was $6,012,100 compared to $3,351,300 for the same nine-month period in 2022. This increase in operating loss was primarily due to non-cash expense items totaling $2,911,800. Without these one-time charges, operating loss for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 would have been significantly less than the operating loss for the nine months ended 2022.Basic and diluted net loss per share was $(1.21) for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 as compared to $(1.24) for the same nine month period in 2022.Cash Used from Operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 was $2,053,800 vs. $3,051,300 for the same nine month period in 2022, a significant 33% decrease.Recent Operational and Technical HighlightsStudy published in peer-reviewed journal confirms PBIO's UltraShear nanoemulsion platform vastly outperforms other nano processing methods by delivering CBD with unprecedented speed, efficiency, reliability, and bioavailability. PBIO's Nano CBD was shown to be 2.5X more bioavailable than Epidiolex, a billion-dollar drug.PBIO announces exclusive distribution agreement with the premier life sciences distributor in India - Bioscreen.PBIO partner Veteran Service Team increases purchase order for UltraShear Nano CBD topical spray by 10X.Fulfillment of PBIO's initial round of Nano CBD orders began October 2, 2023.Company continues expansion of UltraShear IP estate with award of first Canadian patent.Company to evaluate UltraShear-processed Nano CBD to extend shelf-life of fresh produce.Publication from Ohio State scientists further validates PBIO's UltraShear platform's impact in clean-label foods.Mr . John B. Hollister, PBIO's Director of Marketing and Sales, commented: "Total revenue, instrument sales, and consumable sales for the third quarter 2023 were significantly greater than sales for the comparable product categories in Q3 2022. Cash used from operations in both Q3 2023, and in the nine months ended September 30, 2023, was significantly less than cash used from operations in the comparable periods in 2022. Although these results are near record levels, we are nonetheless disappointed that revenue has not been significantly greater in 2023. Consequently, we are actively developing new, aggressive marketing and sales programs for 2024, ones that we believe will result in the ramping revenues that we expect to achieve, and that our shareholders deserve. We look forward to the release of these new programs, and to their expected positive impact on our financial results in 2024."Mr. Richard T. Schumacher, President and CEO of PBIO, added: "We are working on a number of operational changes that we believe will significantly impact PBIO's revenue and path to profitability in 2024 and beyond, as indicated below:We are preparing to move by December 31st from our current South Easton office building, and from our small Medford R&D Lab, to a new facility that has 10X or more manufacturing and lab space as our current locations.We are expanding our UltraShear processing throughput capabilities by adding two additional processing sites: one in MA and one in CA.We plan to complete the manufacture of a second high-throughput, industrial scale BaroShear processing unit over the next 90 days.We plan to complete the manufacture of three additional first generation, bench scale BaroShear processing units by year's end.We plan to complete the pilot work we have been doing with several billion-dollar, multi-national companies in 2024, and to then enter into nanoemulsion supply agreements with these firms."Mr . Jeffrey N. Peterson, Chairman of PBIO, discussed the Company's strategic path forward: "The PBIO Board is actively reviewing opportunities for the sale of non-core assets as a way to help fund our growth needs while supporting our current strategic focus on UltraShear platform development. We are concomitantly looking at opportunities for complementary and accretive merger/acquisitions that could be leveraged by the transformational impact of our revolutionary and patented UltraShear processing platform. Finally, we have begun discussions with several groups on the potential of seeking FDA approval for our best-in-class UltraShear-processed Nano CBD." Earnings CallThe Company will hold an Earnings Conference Call at 4:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, November 21, 2023. To attend this teleconference via telephone, Dial-in: (888) 506-0062 (North America) & (973) 528-0011 (International); ACCESS CODE: 783860. Replay Number (877) 481-4010 (North America) & (919) 882-2331 (International); REPLAY ACCESS CODE: 49506. Teleconference Replay Available for 30 days.About Pressure BioSciences, Inc.Pressure BioSciences, Inc. (OTCQB: PBIO) is a global leader in providing innovative, broadly enabling, high pressure-based solutions for a range of industries, including biotechnology, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, cosmece
PR-Inside.com: 2023-11-21 14:01:46

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Radical Imaging's New Viewer-as-a-Service to Be Debuted at the Radiological Society of North America 2023 Annual MeetingBOSTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / Radical Imaging LLC, an innovative provider of medical imaging viewer solutions, today announced that it will debut FlexView, its new viewer-as-a-service, at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 2023 Annual Meeting.FlexView - Medicai, Agora Care, DeepLook Medical, Apollo Enterprise Imaging Radical Imaging Launches FlexView at RSNA 2023 With Launch Partners Radical Imaging will showcase FlexView in the South Hall at McCormick Place in Booth #5174. There will be live demonstrations of FlexView in the booth and attendees will also have the opportunity to see demonstrations from FlexView's launch partners of their live products that are using FlexView.FlexView is a professionally supported, SaaS cloud medical imaging viewer created by Radical Imaging based on the Open Health Imaging Foundation (OHIF) framework. FlexView adds to OHIF's extensibility model by introducing the ability to deploy plugins at runtime. This is crucial to enable the addition of new features dynamically, without causing disruptions or system downtime.FlexView is a production-ready solution that can provide fast access to viewing and analysis capabilities for any type of medical image or workflow from anywhere. FlexView integrates quickly and seamlessly into medical platforms, adding advanced image viewing and analysis capabilities instantly and saving on long-term maintenance costs.Partners Showcasing FlexView at RSNA:Radical Imaging and Medicai Partner Together to Integrate FlexView in Medicai's PlatformThis partnership enables Medicai's customers to easily opt in to use FlexView as their viewer in Medicai's platform and FlexView's customers to have Medicai's ready-made solution when it is required that they use a central repository for medical images and associated patient data from multiple healthcare systems in conjunction with the viewer. Medicai's executives will be demonstrating their product in the Radical Imaging Booth #5174.Apollo Enterprise Imaging and Radical Imaging Announce Integration of FlexView Inside arcc"By integrating FlexView in our arcc platform, we are able to give our users the visualization tools they need right now, without the distraction of building and maintaining our own medical image viewer. This will allow us to focus on where we can add the most value," said Mark Newburger, CEO, Apollo. Integration of the FlexView medical imaging viewer inside arcc took less than one week to complete. Apollo will be exhibiting in North Hall Booth #6810.Radical Imaging Announces Integration of FlexView Inside Agora Care"We are thrilled to integrate FlexView inside our platform and benefit from its wide range of analysis features that are not available in our standard viewer," said Pr. Osman Ratib, CEO, Agora Care. "FlexView provides a highly valuable extension to our platform that allows healthcare professionals to have an enhanced version of our platform allowing interpretation and analysis of images in their clinical practice." Agora Care's executives will be demonstrating their product in the Radical Imaging Booth #5174.Radical Imaging Announces First Extension Available for FlexViewDeepLook Medical's FDA-cleared DL Precise application is now available as the first commercial extension for FlexView. DL Precise is a plugin that is deployed at runtime in FlexView, enabling one-click segmentation and measurement of masses in medical images. DeepLook Medical's executives will be demonstrating their product in the Radical Imaging Booth #5174.About Radical Imaging LLCRadical Imaging is a software company focused entirely on medical imaging. It offers software system design and planning, contract software development, and consulting to help its partners solve their most challenging medical imaging problems using modern cloud and web platforms like Cornerstone.js and the Open Health Imaging Foundation (OHIF), which it co-developed with Massachusetts General Hospital. In 2023, Radical Imaging released its first product, FlexView. For more information, visit RadicalImaging.com and FlexView.ai Contact InformationRadical Imaging info@ radicalimaging.com SOURCE: Radical Imaging LLC
PR-Inside.com: 2023-11-21 13:30:42

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NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO THE U.S. NEWSWIRE OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATESREGINA, SK / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / ROK Resources Inc. ("ROK" or the "Company") (TSXV:ROK)(TSXV: ROK.WT)(OTCQB:ROKRF) has filed its interim Financial Results and Management Discussion & Analysis for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023.Q3 2023 HIGHLIGHTSProduction up 10% YoY and 17% QoQ: Production averaged 3,858 boepd in the period, representing 10% growth compared to Q3 2022 and 17% growth compared to Q2 2023.Outperformed production forecast: Production exceeded the Company's average Q3 2023 forecast of 3,475 boepd by 11%.Net Debt reduced by 51% YoY: Net debt reduced from $30.7 million at Q3 2022 to $15.0 million in Q3 2023.Consistent with previous disclosure, the Company's capital program remained weighted to the second half of 2023, with a focus on Southeast Saskatchewan light oil growth. Total debt has been reduced by over 51% year-over-year, which has provided the Company with the flexibility to allocate development capital across some of the most economic plays in North America.OPERATIONS UPDATEIn Q3 2023 the Company successfully drilled and completed 6 gross (5.9 net) wells in Southeast Saskatchewan, consisting of 3 gross (2.9 net) Frobisher horizontal wells and 3 gross (2.98 net) Midale horizontal wells. The Company had the 8th best performing Mississippian oil well in Saskatchewan for Q3 2023 with monthly volume of 6,962 bbls and an IP30 of 232 bbls/d.In Q4 2023 the Company has drilled 3 gross (3 net) Frobisher horizontal wells in Southeast Saskatchewan and 1 gross (0.30 net) Gething gas well in Kaybob Alberta. In December, the Company will drill 2 gross (1.45 net) wells, both unbooked horizontal Frobisher locations in core operating areas.Current corporate production is approximately 4,000 boepd with 2 gross (2 net) Midale horizontal wells in "clean-up" period post-frac, plus an additional 6 gross (4.75 net) wells forecasted to be on-stream no later than Q1 2024.OUTLOOKThe Company has had success with early Q3 2023 drilling results and will complete its drilling program in late Q4 2023, a few weeks behind schedule. With operational delays impacting on-stream dates, management expects some wells to begin producing in early Q1 2024. Management will evaluate production results and release a 2024 capital budget and production guidance in Q1 2024.As a result of uncertainty on production timing of Q4 2023 drilling, exit 2023 production guidance is as follows:* Before inclusion of any mark-to-market fair value of hedges to be realized in the following 12 monthsFinancialQ3 2023 Q3 2022YTD 2023YTD 2022 Net income (loss)(7,752,269)10,810,729 (7,273,545)85,559,744 Basic ($/share)(0.04)0.05 (0.03)0.52 Diluted ($/share)(0.04)0.05 (0.03)0.50 Funds flow5,303,180 13,472,784 22,170,046 33,052,787 Basic ($/share)0.02 0.07 0.10 0.20 Diluted ($/share)0.00 0.00 0.10 0.19 Expenditures on property, plant and equipment7,580,757 11,938,870 16,585,543 16,441,696OperatingOperating IncomeOil and Natural Gas Sales22,144,104 26,554,511 64,019,554 63,386,401 Royalties(2,931,103)(4,303,644)(11,490,495)(10,185,960)Operating Expenses(13,353,260)(9,926,624)(32,594,808)(17,551,783)Operating Income5,859,741 12,324,243 19,934,251 35,648,658 Realized gain on commodity contracts563,524 1,552,524 5,689,069 1,788,499 Processing and other income708,047 627,612 1,730,119 1,212,622 Net Operating Income7,131,312 14,504,379 27,353,439 38,649,779 Average daily productionCrude oil (bbl/d)1,986 2,170 2,046 1,644 NGLs (boe/d)432 240 391 163 Natural gas (mcf/d)8,647 6,535 7,961 4,206 Total (boe/d)3,858 3,500 3,764 2,507 Operating Netback per boeOil and Natural Gas Sales62.38 82.47 62.30 92.60 Royalties(8.26)(13.37)(11.18)(14.88)Operating Expenses(37.60)(30.83)(31.72)(25.64)Operating Netbacks ($/boe)16.52 38.27 19.40 52.08 Operating Netbacks, after hedging ($/boe)18.09 43.10 24.94 54.69 Operating Income Profit Margin26.5%46.4%31.1%56.2%Operating Income Profit Margin, after hedging29.0%52.3%40.0%59.1% Share informationCommon shares outstanding, end of period215,393,217 201,247,706 215,393,217 201,247,706 Weighted average basic shares outstanding215,249,087 199,711,392 213,861,560 164,762,938 Weighted average diluted shares outstanding215,249,087 222,398,843 213,861,560 170,622,352Q3 2023 FINANCIAL SUMMARYIn Q3 2023, the Company realized average daily production volume of 3,858 boepd (63% Liquids), resulting in crude and natural gas sales of $22.1 million oil and natural gas sales and realized hedge gain of $0.5 million. This generated a net operating income of $7.1 million, after royalties, operating expenses, and processing and other income.Capital expenditures in the quarter totaled $8.5 million, $4.0 million less than forecasted. The Company's active drilling program in Southeast Saskatchewan contributed $7.5 million to the total, with the remainder being allocated primarily to abandonment/reclamation work and land purchases. The Company expects an increase in Q4 2023 capital expenditures and maintains its 2023 capital target of ~$30 million.Operating costs, which include expenses incurred to operate wells, gather, treat, and transport production volumes, as well as costs to perform well and facility repairs and maintenance, were higher compared to previous periods. The Company proactively chose to perform seven facility turnarounds that were overdue on the recent acquisitions. Annual costs incurred in Q3 2023 such as property taxes, government fees and levies and increased water and emulsion trucking costs during evaluation stages of new wells also contributed to the increased operating expenses of the quarter. The Company expects operating costs to normalize back to previous levels in Q4 2023 and through 2024.NET DEBTNet Debt as at September 30, 2023, and December 31, 2022, as outlined below:September 30,2023December 31,2022 Cash and cash equivalents- 5,258,881 Accounts receivable12,614,460 10,862,673 Prepaids and deposits609,242 1,144,672 Risk management contracts(1,704,538)4,418,471 Accounts payable(12,981,473)(13,678,677)Adjusted working capital (2)(1,462,309)8,006,020Credit Facility (8.2%) (1)13,113,586 - Lease obligations (1)438,252 - Senior Loan Facility (15%) (1)- 43,347,566 Less: adjusted working capital (2)1,462,309 (8,006,020)Net debt15,014,147 35,341,546Represents undiscounted face value of debt balances and lease obligations ou
Artificial Intelligence

Amazon Pledges to Train 2 Million People in AI Skills by 2025

In a new initiative dubbed "AI Ready," Amazon is committing to provide free artificial intelligence skills training and education to 2 million people globally by 2025. The effort adds to the company's existing investments in cloud computing skills training, which have already provided free training to more than 21 million people in in-demand tech skills.

The AI Ready initiative will tackle the demand for AI talent both by scaling Amazon's existing free AI training programs and by launching new programs aimed at both adults and young learners. Those efforts include:

Eight new free AI and generative AI courses, covering various skill levels and levels of technical expertise, open to all learners. These courses, available on AWS Skill Builder and AWS Educate, will expand Amazon's existing portfolio of 80-plus free and low-cost AI and generative AI courses and resources. Titles include "Introduction to Generative Artificial Intelligence" and "Generative AI Learning Plan for Decision Makers" (for business and non-technical audiences), and "Foundations of Prompt Engineering," "Low-Code Machine Learning on AWS," and "Building Language Models on AWS" (for developers and technical audiences).

covering various skill levels and levels of technical expertise, open to all learners. These courses, available on AWS Skill Builder and AWS Educate, will expand Amazon's existing portfolio of 80-plus free and low-cost AI and generative AI courses and resources. Titles include "Introduction to Generative Artificial Intelligence" and "Generative AI Learning Plan for Decision Makers" (for business and non-technical audiences), and "Foundations of Prompt Engineering," "Low-Code Machine Learning on AWS," and "Building Language Models on AWS" (for developers and technical audiences). The AWS Generative AI Scholarship will provide more than $12 million in Udacity scholarships to 50,000-plus high school and university students from underserved and underrepresented communities around the globe. Eligible students will receive free access to the Udacity Course "Introducing Generative AI with AWS," including practical training and hands-on labs, and earn a certificate upon completion.

will provide more than $12 million in Udacity scholarships to 50,000-plus high school and university students from underserved and underrepresented communities around the globe. Eligible students will receive free access to the Udacity Course "Introducing Generative AI with AWS," including practical training and hands-on labs, and earn a certificate upon completion. A new "Hour of Code Dance Party: AI Edition," taking place globally Dec. 410, 2023, will offer students and teachers in kindergarten through 12th grade an introduction to coding and AI through a virtual music video project. "Students will code their virtual dancer's choreography and use emojis as AI prompts to generate animated backgrounds," according to a news announcement. "The activity will give participants an introduction to generative AI, including learning about large language models and how they are used to power the predictive analytics responsible for creating new images, text, and more." The event is a collaboration between Amazon Future Engineer and Code.org.

For more information, read the Amazon blog post.
PR-Inside.com: 2023-11-21 16:30:35

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NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC a nationally recognized law firm, notifies investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed against SC Health Corporation ("SC Health" or "the Company") (NYSE:SCPE; NYSE: SCPE.WS; NYSE: SCPE.U) and Rockley Photonics Holdings Limited ("Rockley" or "the company") (NYSE: RKLY; NYSE: RKLY.WS) and certain of its officers.Class Definition:This lawsuit seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws on behalf of all persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired SC Health and Rockley securities: (1) directly in the March 2021 private investment in public equity of Rockley shares (the "PIPE Offering") conducted in connection with the merger of SC Health and Rockley (the "Merger"); or (ii) between March 19, 2021 and January 23, 2023, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firm's site: bgandg.com/scpe Case Details:The complaint alleges that defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Rockley's joint venture agreement ("JV Agreement") with Hengtong Rockley Technology Co., Ltd. was in jeopardy because Jiangsu Hengtong Optic-Electric Co., Ltd. ("Hengtong"), Rockley's joint venture partner, had acquired a majority interest in a company, Huawei Marine Networks Co., Ltd. ("Huawei Marine") (later renamed HMN Tech), on the banned entities list maintained by the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security of the U.S. Department of Commerce since 2019; (ii) the JV Agreement was in further jeopardy because in February 2021 the World Bank had invalidated a bid by Huawei Marine to build an undersea optical cable based on security concerns raised by the United States and other countries that China could use the infrastructure to spy on communications; (iii) the materially undisclosed risk that the JV Agreement could fail as a result of Hengtong's acquisition of a majority interest in HMN Tech jeopardized Rockley's joint venture revenues, launch schedule, business prospects, and ultimately Rockley's solvency; (iv) Rockley did not have the customer base or customer commitments that defendants had represented to investors; and (v) Rockley did not have sufficient customer orders to allow it to develop and commercialize products, maintain and expand client relationships, reach cash flow break-even, or stave off bankruptcy following the Merger.What's Next?A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint, you can visit the firm's site: bgandg.com/scpe or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Law Clerk and Client Relations Manager, Yael Nathanson of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 332-239-2660. If you suffered a loss in SC Health you have until January 8, 2024, to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.There is No Cost to YouWe represent investors in class actions on a contingency fee basis. That means we will ask the court to reimburse us for out-of-pocket expenses and attorneys' fees, usually a percentage of the total recovery, only if we are successful.Why Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman:Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a nationally recognized firm that represents investors in securities fraud class actions and shareholder derivative suits. Our firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors nationwide.Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.CONTACT:Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLCPeretz Bronstein or Yael Nathanson332-239-2660 | info@ bgandg.com SOURCE: Bronstein, Gewirtz and Grossman, LLC
PR-Inside.com: 2023-11-21 16:40:36

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ST. JOHN'S, NL / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / Sokoman Minerals Corp. (TSXV:SIC)(OTCQB:SICNF) ("Sokoman" or the "Company") announces a non-brokered private placement of flow-through ("FT") units (the "Private Placement") for gross proceeds of up to CAD$3,000,000. The Private Placement is expected to close on or before November 30, 2023.The Private Placement is priced at $0.065 per FT Unit, each FT Unit consisting of one flow-through common share of the Company entitling the holder to receive the tax benefits applicable to flow-through shares in accordance with provisions of the Income Tax Act (Canada), and one-half of one common share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"), each full Warrant being exercisable for one additional common share of the Company, each of which will not qualify as a flow-through share, at an exercise price of $0.13 for 12 months from the date of issue.All securities issued pursuant to the Private Placement will be subject to a four-month and one-day hold period.In connection with the Private Placement, the Company may pay finders' fees in cash as permitted by the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange. The Private Placement is subject to approval by the TSX Venture Exchange.The Company will use an amount equal to the gross proceeds received by the Company from the sale of the FT Units, pursuant to the provisions in the Income Tax Act (Canada), to incur eligible "Canadian exploration expenses" that qualify as "flow-through mining expenditures" as both terms are defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada) (the "Qualifying Expenditures") on or before December 31, 2024, and to renounce all of the Qualifying Expenditures in favour of the subscribers of the FT Units effective December 31, 2023.The Company intends to spend approximately 25% of the gross proceeds on the Fleur de Lys Gold project, and the remaining balance on its flagship Moosehead Gold project.The Company is well-funded to cover corporate and working capital needs for 2024 with ~$2M in cash and securities in the treasury.About Sokoman Minerals Corp.Sokoman Minerals Corp. is a discovery-oriented company with projects in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The Company's primary focus is its portfolio of gold projects; the 100% flagship, advanced-stage Moosehead, as well as the Crippleback Lake; and East Alder (optioned to Canterra Minerals Corporation) along the Central Newfoundland Gold Belt, and the district-scale Fleur de Lys project near Baie Verte in northwestern Newfoundland, that is targeting Dalradian-type orogenic gold mineralization similar to the Curraghinalt and Cavanacaw deposits in Northern Ireland. The Company also recently entered into a strategic alliance with Benton Resources Inc. through three, large-scale, joint-venture properties including Grey River, Golden Hope, and Kepenkeck in Newfoundland. Sokoman now controls, independently and through the Benton alliance, over 150,000 hectares (>6,000 claims - 1500 sq. km), making it one of the largest landholders in Newfoundland, in Canada's newest and rapidly emerging gold districts.In October 2023, Sokoman and Benton completed an agreement with Piedmont Lithium Inc., a major developer of lithium projects and processing plants in the USA, and exactly the right partner to have to advance the lithium project. The agreement provides for Piedmont to earn up to 62.5% of the Killick Lithium Project (formerly Golden Hope project) by funding up to $12 million in exploration expenses and issuing $10 million common shares in 3 stages. The Killick Lithium Project has been transferred to Killick Lithium Inc. (Killick), a 100%-owned subsidiary of Vinland Lithium Inc. (Vinland). Newly created Vinland has received $2 million in financing from Piedmont for a 19.9% interest, with the balance of ownership between Sokoman and Benton. Sokoman and Benton will continue to operate the exploration efforts at Killick through the earn-in stages. Sokoman and Benton will retain a royalty of 2% NSR on future production. Piedmont will have exclusive marketing rights for the promotion and sale of any lithium products produced from the Project on a life-of-mine basis, and the right of first refusal on 100% offtake rights to the lithium concentrates.The Company also retains a 1% NSR interest in an early-stage antimony/gold project (Startrek) in Newfoundland, optioned to Thunder Gold Corp (formerly White Metal Resources Inc.), and in Labrador, the Company has a 100% interest in the Iron Horse (Fe) project which has Direct Shipping Ore (DSO) potential.Mineralization hosted on adjacent and/or nearby properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization hosted on the Company's property.The Company would like to thank the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador for past financial support of the Moosehead Project through the Junior Exploration Assistance Program.For more information, please contact:Timothy Froude, P.Geo., President & CEO T: 709-765-1726 E: tim@ sokomanmineralscorp.com Cathy Hume, VP Corporate Development, Director T: 416-868-1079 x 251E: cathy@ chfir.com Website: www.sokomanmineralscorp.comTwitter: @SokomanMineralsFacebook: @SokomanMineralsLinkedIn: @SokomanMineralsCorpNeither 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.Investors are cautioned that trading in the securities of the Corporation should be considered highly speculative. Except for historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially. Sokoman Minerals Corp. will not update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. More detailed information about potential factors that could affect financial results is included in the documents filed from time to time with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities by Sokoman Minerals Corp.SOURCE: Sokoman Minerals Corp.
PR-Inside.com: 2023-11-21 16:16:03

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Android 11 and Android 9 Scanners Level-Up Accuracy, Range and Battery CapabilitiesMONTEREY PARK, CA / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / Tera, the leading innovator of handheld barcode scanners, is pleased to announce the introduction of the Android 11 PDA scanners. Now distributed globally through ADM Tech LLC, the 20-year-old company's latest product introductions promise even greater accuracy and efficiency in barcode scanning for the supply chain industry.The Android 11 P172 model is a tailored solution encompassing OEM, ODM, and SDK development services, spanning labeling, packaging, branding, and streamlined manuals. It offers high-efficiency scanning with the Zebra SE4750 engine and boasts a 13-foot scanning range that makes it ideal for large spaces such as industrial sites and warehouses. Its extended battery life provides up to 12 hours of uninterrupted operation and 500 hours of standby to ensure minimal downtime. Maximum efficiency is achieved with 4G, Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth 5.0 for real-time data transmission. The P172 comes with a full accessory pack, including a charging cradle and pistol grip, free lifetime technical support, and supplemented offline assistance in the U.S. and Germany.The Android 11 P166 model offers effective scanning of all common 1D and 2D barcodes and is suitable for a variety of industries ranging from retail to finance and manufacturing. This high-performance scanner features a 5.5-inch HD display for optimal visibility even in bright conditions and is ultra-durable for resilience in any environment. The P166 4300mAh battery ensures more than 12 hours of operation and nearly 500 hours of standby, with a quick-charging cradle included for convenience. It comes with 24/7 customer support, technical assistance, and offline technical support in the U.S. and Germany."At Tera, we are driven by product innovation that helps our customers achieve a greater level of business success," said Min Zhou, the CEO of Tera. "These two product introductions promise enhanced speed and efficiency, creating opportunities for a higher level of productivity and therefore profit. Our entire product line offers uninterrupted workflow to help businesses maximize operations." Staying true to its decades-long motto of "make it terrific," Tera has launched these advanced PDA scanners as part of its commitment to continuously deliver premier and secure user experiences. The company's impressive achievements and unwavering reputation include a worldwide customer network spanning governments to Fortune 500 companies across industries, including aviation, automotive, education, and healthcare.Learn more about the Android 11 P172 version at https://tera-digital.com/products/mobile-computer-android-scanner-p172 and the Android 9 P166 version at https://tera-digital.com/products/mobile-computer-android-scanner-p166 Press Contact:Blair Bao718-883-0287hello@ baocommunications.com SOURCE: Tera Technology
PR-Inside.com: 2023-11-21 16:00:24

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Innovative New W01 and P01 EV Chargers Offer Remarkable Convenience and ReliabilityMONTEREY PARK, CA / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / Tera, a visionary leader in sustainable electric vehicle (EV) technology, has unveiled its new W01 and P01 electric vehicle chargers which promise to revolutionize the EV charging experience. With advanced technology and never-before-seen features, Tera has now further cemented itself as the foremost leader in EV chargers for a greener future.The W01 and P01 offer innovative functionality long-awaited by EV owners, including both manual and app scheduling for charging. They offer a user-friendly experience for those who prefer the hands-on approach of setting up a charging schedule directly on the EV charger itself, and those who favor the modern-day convenience of using the mobile app. Rapid and adjustable charging was also a priority for Tera, with the W01 and P01 featuring a robust 48A output, rapid charging rates up to 46 mph, and adjustable current from 24A to 48A. These chargers have also been engineered to withstand extreme temperatures ranging from -22 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit, ensuring problem-free charging regardless of season. In addition, a 25-foot charging cable provides the freedom to charge in various settings-resolving a common challenge of EV charging.In addition to new functionality, the W01 and P01 allow for professional hardwiring installation with a safe 40-amp current setting and an intuitive app for flexible home integration. Certifications ensure adherence to North American safety standards that are equivalent to UL requirements for home insurance, providing users with peace of mind in their homes.The P01 charger offers additional features, including universal compatibility with Tesla and all SAE J1772 EVs. An intelligent display keeps users informed of charging status and safety. It has also been designed with both a wall mount and portable storage bag, providing users with the convenience of charging at home or on-the-go."The W01 and P01 EV chargers were designed to meet a growing demand for greater efficiency, improved reliability, and easier access," said Tera CEO Joe Zhou. "We have achieved exactly that with our new product releases and are confident that electric vehicle drivers will experience a significantly improved charging experience as a result." Learn more about the W01 charger at https://tera-innovation.com/products/j1772-level-2-charger-w01 and the P01 at https://tera-innovation.com/products/portable-ev-charger-p01 About Tera:Founded in California's cradle of innovation, Tera has become a byword for sustainable progress in the electric vehicle industry. With its pioneering technologies and environmentally conscious ethos, Tera stands not just as a brand, but as a standard-bearer for the electric revolution. For more information, visit https://tera-innovation.com Press Contact:Blair Bao718-883-0287hello@ baocommunications.com SOURCE: Tera
PR-Inside.com: 2023-11-21 14:39:43

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HONG KONG, Nov 21, 2023 - The 13th edition of the Asian Logistics, Maritime and Aviation Conference (ALMAC) 2023, jointly organised by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), commenced today (21 November) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.This annual gathering for the logistics, maritime and aviation sectors attracts industry professionals from around the world. Themed Future-proofing Supply Chains: Diversification - Decarbonisation - Digitalisation, the conference draws nearly 70 speakers to share their insights in 20 forums, fostering exchange and discussion on industry developments. Fu Xuyin, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Transport of the Peoples Republic of China delivered the Keynote Address in person, and Financial Secretary of the HKSAR Government Paul Chan was the Guest of Honour and delivered Opening Remarks.Welcoming participants, Margaret Fong, Executive Director of the HKTDC, said: With collaboration the lynchpin of the success of the logistics, maritime and aviation industries, all sectors of society must come together to address supply chain vulnerabilities. Industry players, supply chain management service providers and shippers from all over the world once again gather in Hong Kong for this annual event, underlining the citys status as a key logistics, maritime and aviation hub. ALMAC highlights the myriad of opportunities arising from increased regional connectivity, with a focus on the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) as well as the development of railways connecting China to Europe. In light of the importance of greener, more sustainable supply chains today, industry leaders will discuss the opportunities and challenges that come with reducing emissions across supply chains as well as the circular economy. We also have sessions on how you can better integrate sustainability into your business operations. In his speech, Mr Chan, the Financial Secretary, mentioned: "There will be more business with the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), Middle East and indeed the Belt and Road countries. In other words, the demand for logistics, maritime and aviation services with and within this region will rise rapidly. The trade figures published by China and economies in these regions have demonstrated such a clear trend. And Hong Kong will remain committed to our super-connector role and be a platform providing high value-added logistics, maritime, aviation, financial and risk management services. We will continue to be a steadfast supporter of free trade and multilateralism, advocating for the reduction in trade barriers, and the free flow of goods and services, people and capital. Reshaping global supply chains: accelerating diversificationSupply chains are essential for trade and business development. In recent years, global geopolitical factors, freight supply imbalances, surging transportation costs and labour shortages have challenged the industry, highlighting the need to establish people-centric, innovation-driven, collaborative and sustainable supply chains executed in real time. RCEP has created the worlds largest free trade area, contributing to the consolidation and strengthening of regional industrial supply chains.Prominent industry leaders, including Gladis Araujo, Former Global Supply Chain Strategy Vice President of at Mattel Inc and Business Partner & Chief Supply Chain Officer at Prodensa Group, and Phil Showering, Chief Supply Chain Officer at Ghassan Aboud Group and Chief Executive Officer at Gallega Global Logistics, discussed global supply chain challenges and potential under the theme Driving Global Economic Growth through Supply Chain Transformation. During the session, Mr Showering said: Pandemic has pushed all the industry stakeholders to change and prioritise collaboration for the first time. Work with all kinds of suppliers and ports to develop new trade lines, as well as with government entities, and with countries. We can facilitate collaboration through electronic trade, breaking down new barriers. As global trade evolves, supply chains continue to diversify, prompting businesses to actively recalibrate and decentralise supply chain networks. Adeline Franger Chouraqui, CEO, CMA CGM Greater China; Thomas Kowitzki, Vice President, Global Head of China Rail, DHL Global Forwarding and Semyon Pak, Managing Director for International Business and Member of the Management Board, Kazpost JSC, shared insights at the Power Dialogue session Spotlight on Asia: Reshaping the Global Supply Chains. They explored cooperation in areas such as RCEP, the GBA, railway transportation and multimodal transportation, emphasising the need to strengthen regional connectivity.Click here https://www.acnnewswire.com/press-release/english/87651/
PR-Inside.com: 2023-11-21 15:04:16

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Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) Investment Will Accelerate Development of ARES Tilt-Duct VTOL and Hydrogen Fuel Cell Propulsion for VTOL ApplicationsESSINGTON, PA / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / Piasecki Aircraft Corporation, a global leader in rotorcraft and aerial vehicles, announced today that it has been awarded a $37 million multi-year contract by AFWERX, the Air Force's innovation arm in conjunction with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), as part of its Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) program. The award will enable Piasecki to flight demonstrate its Aerial Reconfigurable Embedded System (ARES) tilt-duct vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial system (UAS) as well as industry-leading hydrogen fuel cell propulsion technologies for VTOL and other aviation applications.Piasecki Aerial Reconfigurable Embedded System (ARES) Piasecki Aerial Reconfigurable Embedded System (ARES) tilt-duct vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial system (UAS) "The STRATFI program plays a critical role in advancing emerging American technologies and we are thrilled to receive this significant investment," said John Piasecki, CEO of Piasecki Aircraft. "This new funding will allow us to demonstrate ARES' unique tilt-duct configuration, which enables seamless transition between hover and fixed-wing forward flight - a technological leap that would address critical aerial challenges faced by the U.S. military. The STRATFI test program will also fund the demonstration of zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell propulsion technology for VTOLs, including our forthcoming PA-890 compound helicopter. Demonstration of the PA-890 would be a world-first for electric aviation and would usher in a new era of clean vertical flight. While R&D work on these projects began several years ago, this new funding will rapidly expand our ability to deliver these radically new vehicles to customers and partners across the military and commercial sectors." The funding will support Piasecki R&D programs, including:Aerial Reconfigurable Embedded System (ARES) - ARES is a modular multi-mission tilt duct VTOL vehicle that can be operated unmanned (UAS) or with an optional manned flight module. ARES is designed with a small landing footprint to enable shipboard and expeditionary operations as well as provide embedded multi-mission C4I, ISR, combat, and logistics support to small distributed combat forces operating over extended distances and in complex terrain. Rapidly-reconfigurable Mission Payload Modules deliver mission flexibility that significantly reduces overall logistics footprint and cost. The ARES Demonstration Vehicle was produced in partnership with Lockheed Martin with funding from DARPA. With follow-on funding from the U.S. Air Force and Army, Piasecki and Honeywell are integrating a triplex fly-by-wire flight control system to initiate ARES flight testing by the end of this year.Hydrogen Fuel Cell Propulsion System - Piasecki is collaborating with ZeroAvia, a leader in hydrogen-electric aviation, to develop and implement its revolutionary High Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane (HTPEM) hydrogen fuel cell technology for PA-890 and other VTOL applications. The PA-890 eVTOL aircraft is expected to be the first zero-emission hydrogen-powered compound helicopter. The slowed-rotor winged helicopter is intended for use in a variety of missions including Emergency Medical Services (EMS), delivery of high-value On-Demand Logistics (ODL), On-Demand Mobility (ODM) personnel air transport, and many other commercial applications across the $40 billion commercial light helicopter market. In addition to zero carbon emissions, the PA-890 eVTOL enables up to a 50% reduction in direct operating cost and reduced noise compared with today's fossil fuel turbine helicopters - and significantly greater range compared with all-electric helicopters.Val Miftakhov, Founder and CEO, ZeroAvia, said: "Higher temperature fuel cells are a critical technology to delivering improvements in specific power and unlocking truly clean propulsion for larger fixed wing aircraft, but they will also enable rotorcraft and VTOL applications. Working together on this project with a company of Piasecki's heritage and expertise in rotorcraft, with US Air Force backing, is a hugely exciting step in delivering on our vision of hydrogen-electric engines in every aircraft." Earlier this year, Piasecki announced that it acquired the former Lockheed Martin Sikorsky Heliplex facility in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, and will transform the 219,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility into an advanced R&D and testing center for VTOL and UAS vehicles. The facility - which includes engineering, assembly, paint and finishing, as well as a flight test and delivery center - is expected to attract about 400 workers by 2028.About Piasecki Aircraft CorporationFor more than 80 years, Piasecki has been a leader in vertical lift aircraft. It specializes in the design, fabrication, and flight testing of experimental rotorcraft and unmanned air vehicles and has developed and flown more than 25 advanced VTOL and UAV aircraft to date. Customers include the U.S. Air Force Research Lab and AFWERX; the U.S. Army Futures Command Aviation and Missile Center and Medical R&D Command; NAVAIR; DARPA; and SOCOM; as well as leading OEMs such as Lockheed Martin and Boeing. Piasecki is a recipient of numerous awards including the Presidential National Medal of Technology, Smithsonian Air & Space Achievement Award, and the prestigious Tibbitts Award for small business innovation from the U.S. Department of Defense. Piasecki has been a proud member of the Vertical Flight Society for more than 50 years. For more information, please visit piasecki.com Press contactEndre Communications for Piaseckipiasecki@ endrecommunications.com About ZeroAviaZeroAvia is a leader in zero-emission aviation, focused on hydrogen-electric aviation as the optimal solution for addressing the industry's climate impact. Initially targeting a 300-mile range in 9-19 seat aircraft by the end of 2025, and up to 700-mile range in 40-80 seat aircraft by 2027, ZeroAvia has already secured experimental certificates for its three prototype aircraft from the CAA and FAA and passed significant flight test milestones. The company has secured a number of key partnerships with major aircraft OEMs and secured nearly 2,000 pre-orders for engines from a number of the major global airlines, with future revenue potential over $10bn. ZeroAvia is part of the UK Government's Jet Zero Council. For more, please visit ZeroAvia.com , follow @ZeroAvia on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.Press Contactpress@ zeroavia.com About AFRLThe Air Force Research Laboratory is the primar
PR-Inside.com: 2023-11-21 17:15:57

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White Plains-Based Care Center Earns Accolade for Innovative Long-Term Care Program That Puts Patient Needs FirstWHITE PLAINS, NY / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / Optima Care, which maintains an ownership interest in a network of independent skilled nursing and rehabilitative care centers across New York and New Jersey, today announced that White Plains Center For Nursing Care, a preferred skilled nursing facility and nursing home, has been recognized by U.S. News for a 2024 Best Nursing Homes: Long-Term Care award.Best Nursing Home 2024 Nursing homes are long-term care facilities that provide a wide range of services and care to approximately 1.4 million residents in 2023. Families considering placing a loved one in a nursing home consider factors ranging from location to quality services and activities. Each year, U.S. News evaluates more than 15,000 facilities throughout the country, rating most of them in the area of long-term care.The publication's Long-Term Care rating evaluates a nursing home's ability to care for residents who need ongoing, daily assistance with both health-related care and non-skilled personal care, such as dressing, eating, using the stairs as well as administering needed medical care. It is based on a 5-point scale. Homes must be "High Performing" in long-term care in order to be recognized.In receiving the U.S. News Best Nursing Home award for Long Term Care, White Plains Center Nursing Care demonstrates excellence in nine quality measures. These measures focus on staffing, medical outcomes, and processes of care such as vaccinations. Other criteria with which U.S. News arrives at their decisions are scientific literature review, discussions with industry experts and statistical modeling."This recognition from U.S. News validates the quality, around the clock care we offer our valued long term care patients. We continue to innovate to provide services that best support their needs and values. Our team believes in optimizing safety, independence, and quality of life on an individualized basis," said Eric Mendel, CEO of Optima Care. "The need for long-term care is not an easy decision for families to make. Continuing to enjoy a vibrant and fulfilling life is important, and we will continue to prioritize safety, independence, and quality of life for each of our patients." White Plains Center for Nursing Care is a small, recently-renovated facility, located less than an hour from Manhattan. Their long-term care services include: 24-hour supervision, assistance with daily personal tasks, and community involvement activities. The team takes their responsibility to heart in ensuring patients receive the best possible care and comfort in order to live life forward, to the fullest.About White Plains Nursing CareAt White Plains Center for Nursing Care, we emphasize great care all within our distinctly homey environment. Our small, recently-renovated facility, conveniently located less than an hour from NYC, offers a full range of subacute services and amenities aimed at giving each and every resident the ability to rest, recover, and live forward. www.whiteplainscare.com Contact InformationOptima Care press@ myoptimacare.com SOURCE: Optima Care
The House of Representatives has commenced the sectorial debate on the state of security as part of a sectoral review of key ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).

The Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa; the Chief of Army Staff, Taoreed Lagbaja; the Chief of Naval Staff, Emmanuel Ogalla, the Chief of Air Staff, Hassan Abubakar, and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, on Tuesday, appeared before the lawmakers in the green chamber to brief them on the security situation in the country.

PREMIUM TIMES had reported that the House, last week, turned back officers sent by the service chiefs to represent them at the sectorial report.

The House insisted that the service chiefs must appear in person to brief them on the security situation in the country.

At the commencement of the debate today, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas reiterated that the House will allow only heads of agencies to appear before them. He added that the House will not tolerate proxies.

Shortly after the security chiefs entered the chamber, a member of the House, Ahmed Jaha (APC, Borno) raised a point of order that the interaction with the lawmakers must be behind closed doors.

He stated that security matter is too sensitive for deliberation in the open. His motion for an executive session was rejected by the Speaker, who argued that the House belong to the people.

The ruling by the Speaker generated mild uproar in the House, however, the Speaker insisted that the session would be an open one.

The deliberation is ongoing at the time of this report.

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The Nigeria Police Force was in a battered and neglected state when President Bola Tinubu assumed office and appointed a new Inspector General of Police, the police chief told lawmakers on Tuesday.

The IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, also said Nigeria must address the manpower shortage in the police, noting that even criminals are taking advantage of the deficiency.

Mr Egbetokun stated this on Tuesday while appearing before the House of Representatives at the sectoral debate.

He said Nigeria is still far away from the United Nations recommended policing ratio of one police to 400 citizens. He stated that Nigeria has about a 1:1,000 policing ratio.

The manpower of the police today is grossly inadequate, even the criminals know that.

The UN ratio of 1:400 is not attainable in Nigeria today because the ratio in Nigeria is 1:1000 which suggests that we have to double the manpower in the police and over, he said.

Mr Egbetokun, who was appointed as IGP on 19 June by President BolaTinubu, said he inherited a force that had been battered as a result of years of neglect.

Unfortunately, we met on ground a police force that had been battered, a police force that has suffered serious neglect over the past few years. The police also finds itself operating in a very difficult environment partly as a direct consequence of this neglect, Mr Egbetokun said.

The police chief further explained that the government has been unable to adequately address the issue of logistics and equipment for the police.

The IGP explained that getting operational vehicles for the 1,137 police divisional headquarters across the country has been a challenge.

We have 1,137 police divisional headquarters across 774 LGAs in Nigeria but getting operational vehicles for the division is difficult. Each of these divisions requires at least four functional vehicles but we have divisions that dont have any functional operational vehicles as of today, Mr Egbetokun told the lawmakers.

He, therefore, called on the lawmakers to increase the budgetary allocation to the police.

After the presentation by the IGP and the other security chiefs, the House went into a closed-door session.

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The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, on Tuesday, presented the 2024 budget proposal totalling N845.632 billion to the State Assembly for approval.

The proposal christened Arise Budget for Growth and Expansion is made of a recurrent expenditure of N352.917 billion and a capital expenditure of N492.715 billion.

The 2024 appropriation is predicated on the oil benchmark of $73.96 per barrel at a production rate of 1.78 million barrels per day with an estimated exchange rate of 700 /US$, in line with the National budget benchmark projections, the governor told the lawmakers.

The new proposal is 0.5 per cent less than the revised Appropriation Law of 2023 which stood at N850 billion.

Giving a breakdown of the recurrent revenue of N561 billion projected for 2024 which represents 3.7 per cent of the revised provision of N540.8 billion in the current fiscal year, the governor listed the states source of recurrent revenue to include, N60 billion from Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), N55 billion from statutory revenue, N280 billion from derivation revenue, N51 billion as 13 per cent derivative revenue arrears and N45 billion from Value Added Tax (VAT).

The governor said as a strategy for the implementation of the 2024 budget, the state government will partner with foreign investors to invest in the relevant and key sectors of the economy and undertake robust human capital development.

Mr Eno mentioned the goals of the budget to include widening the industrial base of the State through rapid industrialisation and investment activities by providing an enabling environment for the private sector to thrive.

This is to enhance the availability of goods and services for domestic use as well as for export.

Achieving at least 10 per cent increase in IGR by eliminating evasion in payment, wastages and leakages in collection and expenditure and developing tourism potentials.

Mr Eno informed the lawmakers of his determination to invest in the blue economy and improve the living standards and financial success of fishers.

He said the state government recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Nigerian Navy for the establishment of Ibom Fish City, an ambitious project aimed at maximizing our comparative advantage in the blue economy.

Giving a review of the performance of the 2023 Appropriation Law, the governor said a total of N850 billion was approved for the 2023 Fiscal Year with a total recurrent expenditure of N394.315 billion and a capital expenditure of N455.685 billion.

As of September 2023, the total recurrent revenue collected was N326.420 billion representing 80.5 per cent of the prorated approved provision for the period (January  September). The sum of N62.082 billion was realised from other capital receipts excluding recurrent surplus. This represents 26.8 per cent of the prorated approved provision for the period.

A total of N135.681 billion was spent on capital programmes within the same period which represents 39.7 per cent of the prorated provision for the period, the governor said.

The governor assured the lawmakers of his determination to ensure faithful implementation of the budget. He solicited expeditious approval of the estimates from the lawmakers.

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The Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, says Finland has been encouraging a separatist, Simon Ekpa, to wreak havoc in Nigeria.

Mr Ekpa is one of the leaders of the proscribed separatist group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

The CDS also blamed the judiciary for partly contributing to the lingering insecurity in the country.

Mr Musa said Finland must explain why it continues to protect the separatist leader. He added that the Finland Ambassador to Nigeria should be summoned to provide clarification on the stance of the Finnish government.

Mr Musa stated this on Tuesday while appearing before the House of Representatives for the sectorial debate.

The CDS appeared before the lawmakers alongside the Chief of Army Staff, Taoreed Lagbaja; the Chief of Naval Staff, Emmanuel Ogalla; the Chief of Air Staff, Hassan Abubakar and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.

Mr Musa said the government must act because the utterances of Mr Ekpa are causing havoc in the South-east region.

In the South-east, Simon Ekpa has become a menace to this country. The country must act on it diplomatically. Simon (Mr Ekpa) is having a freeway because they (Finland) are encouraging him to do what he is doing. His utterances and actions are affecting what is happening in Nigeria.

We should never allow that. Our foreign service should step in, he said.

Ekpa and Finnish government

Mr Ekpa, who resides in Finland, has repeatedly declared sit-at-home orders across the South-east as part of activities to force the government to release Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of IPOB.

The enforcement of the order often leads to killings and violence in the region.

In February, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama summoned the Finnish Ambassador to Nigeria, Leena Pylvanainen, over threats by the Biafra agitator.

Mr Onyeama, at the meeting, expressed displeasure over the recent sit-at-home orders given by Mr Ekpa to his teeming followers, who he said, consequently embarked on killings, maiming, burning and other destructive activities.

Weeks after the meeting, the Finnish government arrested Mr Ekpa but released him some hours later.

According to an official statement shared with PREMIUM TIMES by the Finnish embassy in Nigeria, Mr Ekpa was arrested as part of an investigation by Finlands National Bureau of Investigation into a suspected money collection offence.

The judiciary is failing us

Mr Musa also blamed the judiciary for partly contributing to insecurity across the country.

He stated that the judiciary has not been helpful in dispensing justice in the fight against insecurity.

The CDS cited instances where the judiciary released suspects on bail after arrest by the military.

I have been in the North-east, there were a lot of Boko Haram elements that have been captured. We have kept them for five/six years. We the armed forces can arrest but cannot prosecute.

Some of them have been found wanting but no prosecution. We are keeping them for this lengthy periodeveryone is accusing the armed forces of keeping them against their human rights but we cannot prosecute, he said.

He also disclosed that the military now destroys seized vessels instead of waiting for the court process.

Following the presentation by the service chiefs and the IGP, the lawmakers took turns to ask questions.

However, the House moved into an executive session to receive answers to the questions.

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The Service Chiefs on Tuesday in Abuja appeared before the House of Representatives at plenary on a sectoral debate for MDAs, recounting activities aimed at combating the surging insecurity challenges in the country.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that those present included the Chief of Defense Staff, Christopher Musa; the Chief of Army Staff, Taoreed Lagbaja; and the Chief of Naval Staff, Emmanuel Ogala.

Others were the Chief of Air Staff, Hassan Abubakar, and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.

In his submission, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Mr Musa, however, blamed the judiciary for releasing arrested Boko Haram suspects after being arrested by the military.

I have been in the North-east; there were a lot of Boko Haram elements that have been captured. We have kept them for five/six years. We the armed forces can arrest but cannot prosecute.

Some of them have been found wanting, but no prosecution.

We are keeping them for this lengthy period, everyone is accusing the armed forces in keeping them against their human rights, but we cannot prosecute.

Another aspect of the judiciary is that you use all your efforts to make an arrest, you hand them over, and before you enter your vehicle, the man has been released on bail.

Now you have risked yourself in doing that; by the time he is released, he goes to tell the people the person that arrested him. Now your family members or you are at risk, Mr Musa disclosed.

He said it was getting to a state where the security forces would not want to make any effort.

We have the issue in the South-south, the last ship that was arrested, was arrested 10 years ago; the ship went and changed its name, changed its colour and came back again.

By the time they handed over the ship and before you know it, it is released. He said that this is an area that must be looked into.

We must have a special court to look into it. That is why we arrest and destroy them because the longer we keep them, it becomes a problem, said the CDS.

Mr Musa said they often come under pressure to release them.

He said that at the moment, about 140,000 terrorists have surrendered and are awaiting disarmament, assuring that there is no single territory currently being occupied by Boko Haram insurgents.

Mr Musa said the activities of Simon Ekpa, the spokesperson of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) currently hiding in Finland, were doing a lot of damage to the South-east region of the country.

He alleged that Finland was protecting Mr Ekpa, adding that there is a need for the government to engage the government of Finland and possibly invite its ambassador to Nigeria.

Mr Musa said that while the military and other security agencies in the country were doing their very best to ensure peace in the South-east region, the comments and activities of Mr Ekpa were sabotaging such efforts.

Mr Lagbaja, highlighted some of the challenges facing the Nigerian Army, which include funding, logistics, and manpower.

On his part, Mr Abubakar, said the major challenges facing the Nigerian Air Force in the conduct of air operations include the rising cost of aviation fuel.

Others include delay in funding release, targeting complexity, porous borders and manpower disposition.

Mr Ogalla, urged the House of Representatives to ensure adequate appropriations for the service to acquire resources to enable it to achieve its mandate.

Mr Ogalla said the resources were basically required in terms of fleet renewal, aircraft and support facilities.

The Navy is just about 30,000 for now. We are making efforts to expand the size of the navy and train them adequately to be able to meet its objectives.

With adequate support, we should be able to tackle activities of oil theft, pipeline vandalism and illegal refineries, irrespective of the weather. 

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, had earlier said they are focusing on security given the unprecedented challenges of the past decade.

Mr Abbas said that over the last few years, the country has made significant progress in tackling insecurity through improved investment by the federal government.

He commended the gallantry and professionalism of servicemen and women while saluting the courage of the armed forces and law enforcement personnel.

The speaker emphasised that an appearance in person by all invited heads of MDAs was required throughout this sectoral briefing.

He added that the House would not accept proxy representation for any reason whatsoever, adding that notices were sent well in advance to forestall any excuses.

(NAN)

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The House of Representatives has passed the Medium Term Expenditure Framework and the Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) for 2024/2026.

The lawmakers passed the framework on Tuesday after considering the report submitted by the House Committee on Finance during plenary.

President Bola Tinubu transmitted the framework to the National Assembly on 31 October for approval in line with the Fiscal Responsibility Act.

The House subsequently referred the proposal to the finance committee.

The president transmitted the document to the lawmakers ahead of the presentation of the 2024 budget.

Recommendations

The committee, chaired by James Faleke (APC, Lagos), presented the report to the House with some recommendations on revenue generation.

The House adopted the benchmark oil price of $73.96, $73.76 and $69.90 per barrel for 2024, 2025, and 2026 respectively.

The daily crude oil production was pegged at 1.78 Mbps, 1.80 Mbps, and 1.81 Mbps, for 2024, 2025, and 2026 respectively.

The lawmakers agreed on the exchange rate of N700, N665.61 and N669.79 to $1 was adopted for 20242026.

The lawmakers retained the N26 trillion expenditure proposed by the government with N16.9 trillion in retained revenue and a budget deficit of N9 trillion.

In addition, the N1.3 trillion estimated for statutory transfer was retained alongside the N8.2 trillion for debt servicing.

Revenue-generating agencies inefficient

The committee stated that some revenue-generating agencies are still using analogue systems instead of information and communication technology (ICT) for their activities.

Many agencies, particularly those in charge of collecting stamp duties, do not use information and communication technology (ICT) effectively for revenue collection, the report stated.

Consequently, the House resolved that federal government agencies must ensure the deployment of ICT in the collection of all revenues by MDAs including stamp duty collection activities to block leakages.

Also, the House resolved that the federal government should continuously assess the qualifications and performance of agency heads to guarantee that the governments total income target as stated in the MTEF/FSP and the yearly budgets is consistently met with adequate sanctions necessary.

NIPOST subsidiaries, N10 billion recapitalisation fund

The House also directed a probe into the N10 billion the Minister of Finance injected into NIPOST for its restructuring and recapitalisation.

In addition, the House described the creation of NIPOST subsidiaries as illegal and ordered their deregistration.

The subsidiaries of NIPOST Properties Limited and NIPOST Transport and Logistics Limited were created with individuals as shareholders without any share allotted to the organisation as an entity.

The sum of N10 billion released by the Ministry of Finance for the proposed NIPOST restructuring and recapitalisation be investigated and the funds fully recovered if established to be injudiciously utilised by the relevant committee of the Assembly charge with the responsibility of fiscal prudence, the report reads in part.

In June 2020, the government said it had begun the process of unbundling NIPOST into three subsidiary companies which would operate on the principle of commercial viability.

However, the move by the government has been opposed by unions in the sector.

The National Union of Postal and Telecommunications Employees (NUPTE) had in January held a protest over the commercialisation of NIPOST.

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Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, on Monday in Owerri, the state capital, presented N185 million as compensation to bereaved families of security personnel killed at Ehime Mbano Local Government Area of the state on 19 September.

Gunmen had killed, on the day, five security officials attached to a military joint taskforce that was on routine patrol in the area.

Over six members of the taskforce who were injured in the attack also benefited from the compensation.

Mr Uzodinma described the slain security personnel as heroes, and prayed to God to grant their families the fortitude to bear the loss and to also grant the survivors quick recovery.

The governor noted that the occasion brought to limelight the insecurity challenges in Imo State.

It is beyond what people think and it has a negative impact on the state, he said.

This was not the first time the state government would compensate families of those killed while protecting Imo State residents, he said.

Mr Uzodinma promised to continue to show love to the families and agencies affected to encourage them in the discharge of their duties.

He said he was aware that the federal government and the security agencies had different compensation plans for their personnel.

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This is an opportunity to appreciate the invaluable jobs the security agencies are doing in Imo, the governor said.

Earlier, Secretary to Imo State Government, Cosmas Iwu, said the deadly attacks in Imo State would not deter the security agencies from fighting insecurity and restoring peace in the state.

Mr Iwu assured that Imo would continue to support the families of slain security personnel in the state.

Those whose families got compensation were late Isaac Yakubu and Samson Edeh of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agrncy (NDLEA) and Ezeagu Tobias of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

Others were Abraham Anas of the Nigerian Air Force and Abas Ejiofor of the Nigeria Police.

The injured officers are Ibrahim Abubakar, Umeh Lawrence (Nigeria Immigration Service), Akwaraji Charles, Abubakar Haruna, Odukwe, Onyekachi Ndubuisi, among others.

Mr Lawrence, who spoke on behalf of all the beneficiaries, commended Governor Uzodinma, the government and people of Imo State for the compensation and for the various support for security agencies, agents and their families.

(NAN)

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Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, Olatunji Disu, has dismissed claims of an assassination attempt on a factional Speaker of the state Assembly, Edison Ehie.

Mr Disu told reporters in Port Harcourt, the state capital, on Monday, that the command had launched a full investigation to ascertain the claims made by the speaker.

Mr Ehie (PDP Ahoada-East II) had claimed that some police operatives in mufti fired sporadic shots while attempting to force their way into his private residence to assassinate him but were resisted by police operatives attached to him.

But the police commissioner described what happened at Mr Ehies residence as a routine police patrol.

The preliminary investigations we have done so far have not revealed any assassination attempt on the speaker.

All I know was that police officers were on convoy patrol which is a routine thing.

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We have made frantic efforts to get across to the leader to give us information he has, so that we can include it with the information we already have.

Mr Disu pleaded with the factional speaker to come forward and file an official complaint to enable the police to conclude their investigation on the alleged attack.

So far so good, as there is nothing to worry about.

My number is going to be made public so that they can call me quickly to enable me to look quickly into it (the allegation).

For now, I havent gotten anything (complaints) like that, he added.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Ehie was sworn in as speaker by lawmakers believed to be loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State.

The lawmakers had ousted the former speaker, Martins Amaewhule (Obio Akpor constituency), a close ally of Mr Fubaras predecessor, Nyesom Wike, after he led some lawmakers to initiate impeachment proceedings against the governor.

Mr Amaewhule is, however, insisting that he is still the speaker of the Assembly.

(NAN)

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The Abia State Government has denied reports that the state governor, Alex Otti, spent about N1 billion on feeding and welfare packages for the governors office from July to September 2023.

There have been reports in the media alleging that the state government spent N927 million on refreshments/meals, honorarium/sitting allowances, and welfare packages for the governors office within three months.

This followed the release of the Abia State Third Quarter (July  September) 2023 Budget Performance Report which was published on the website of the state government.

Abia govt reacts

But in a statement jointly issued on Monday by the governors spokesperson, Kazie Uko and the governors media aide, Ferdinand Ekeoma, the state government described the reports as distorted.

It said the total amount spent so far by the governor for refreshments and meals for the period was N223, 389, 889.84, and added that the figure circulating online includes the expenditure on refreshments from all the ministries, departments and agencies of the government.

The stated figure covers expenses for special events, such as retreats, conferences, and related events, the statement said.

On the welfare packages, the government said it had so far spent the sum of N397,520,734.84, explaining that the expenditure was in line with the State Fiscal, Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability Programme, an initiative of the federal government.

Expenses under welfare deal with issues of health, rehabilitation and public emergencies, the statement added.

The government claimed the amount covered what was spent in the state and not only for the governors office, contrary to the reports in the media.

What the budget performance report said

Meanwhile, PREMIUM TIMES checked the Abia State 2023 budget performance and found that the amount which the government indicated in the statement that it spent on meals and welfare packages corresponded with the figures in the budget report.

This means that the state government spent a total of N620,910,625 on meals and welfare packages within the period under review.

However, the figure when added to N305,400,000, being the amount spent on honorarium/sitting allowances, totalled N926,310,625 spent by the government within three months.

However, the budget report did not indicate if the total amount covered the expenditure on the governors office or across ministries, departments and agencies of the government.

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The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has dismissed a media report suggesting that the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Christopher Musa, passed away on Monday.

One of the national dailies reported on Tuesday that the CDS had died.

A statement by the Director of Defence Information, Tukur Gusau, a brigadier general, on Tuesday in Abuja, dismissed the report as unfortunate, unethical and lacking in credibility.

To put the records straight, the CDS, Gen. CG Musa is alive and hearty.

The Chief of Defence Staff who just returned from an official assignment outside the country has resumed work with more vigour to continue with his uncommon leadership style to prosper the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

The newspaper has since retracted the news story and offered its unreserved apology to the CDS, his family and the Armed Forces of Nigeria, he said.

Mr Musa was born on Christmas day in 1967 in Sokoto, though he hails from Zango Kataf in Kaduna State.

He was appointed the CDS on 19 June by President Bola Tinubu and promoted from major general to lieutenant general on 31 July.

(NAN)

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Amidst the existential threats of climate change disrupting businesses, lives and livelihoods in Nigeria, Agora Policy and relevant partners will, on 22 November, host key players within the climate space to a policy dialogue aimed at charting a sustainable pathway for the country.

The dialogue, themed: Nigeria, Climate Change, and the Green Economy, is being organised as part of the activities mapped out in the lead-up to the forthcoming 28th edition of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) later this month in Dubai.

The high-level event will feature a policy-facing dissection of the risks and opportunities that climate change, the energy transition and the green economy present to Nigeria.

It is organised by the Agora Policy in partnership with the Shehu Musa YarAdua Foundation, The Cable Newspapers, The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), Clean Technology Hub, Centre for Climate Change and Development (CCCD), and Nature News.

The event will be held at the main auditorium of the Shehu Musa YarAdua Centre in Abuja, the organisers said in a statement on Tuesday.

 Latest Policy Report

According to the statement, the event will witness the public presentation of Agora Policys latest policy report, Climate Change and Socio-Economic Development in Nigeria, which was produced with the support of the MacArthur Foundation, who are also the primary sponsor of the policy conversation.

It said the report highlights the different channels through which adverse effects of climate change could worsen in Nigeria and further compound the countrys developmental challenges.

The policy think-tank also hinted that the latest report points out the opportunities for Nigeria to foster rapid economic growth, diversify its energy sources, generate employment for its burgeoning youthful and urbanising populace, and address pervasive poverty and inequality through an equitable energy transition.

The presentation of the report, it said, will be followed by a policy conversation among stakeholders critical to climate action and the operation of a green economy in the country.

Expected panellists include Abubakar Suleiman, CEO, Sterling Bank; Salisu Dahiru, Director-General, the National Council on Climate Change; Olufunke Baruwa, Programme Officer, Ford Foundation; and Tengi George-Ikoli Senior Officer, the Natural Resource Governance Institute.

The panel will be moderated by Amara Nwankpa, the Director of Public Policy Initiatives at the Shehu Musa YarAdua Foundation, the statement said.

The panel will then be followed by an interactive session where key stakeholders will share diverse perspectives on what Nigeria needs to do to strengthen its resilience to climate change and its transition to a greener economy.

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Last week, the US Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), the US 7th Army Training Command Combined Arms Training Center, and the 7th Army Noncommissioned Officer Academy collaborated in efforts to elevate the Malawi Defence Forces noncommissioned officer (NCO) curriculum. The joint initiative, unfolding at the Malawi Armed Forces College in Salima, marks the third event in a series aimed at fostering a robust partnership.

The collaboration started in 2021 and is characterized by SETAF Public Affairs as an initiative spearheaded by the Office of Security Cooperation in Lilongwe and Malawian Defense Forces Headquarters (MDFHQ) to expand collaboration between MDFHQ and U.S. non-commissioned officers. The current event, the third in the series, is focused on providing a co-developed curriculum that will assist the Malawian Defense Forces in creating well-rounded NCOs.

Significant strides have been made in the Malawi Armed Forces Colleges course offerings since the programmes inception in 2014. SETAFs Public Affairs Office explained that Malawian Armed Forces College offers various officer and enlisted development courses, including the Sergeants Major Course, Platoon Sergeant Course, and Cadet Training Course. It also features various individual speciality courses such as Physical Training Instructors Course, Cadre Development Course, and other functional areas. These developments underscore the commitment to enhancing institutional capacity and professional military instruction, serving as a testament to the dedication of both the US and Malawi to building effective partnerships and achieving shared security goals.

For example, Horace Kamphinda, a commanding officer stationed at the headquarters of the Malawi Armed Forces College (MAFCO) in Salima, Malawi, witnessed a class conducted for soldiers of the Malawi Defence Force on 8 November 2023. This initiative aims to modernize the curriculum for noncommissioned officers, fostering NCO instructor development, and enhancing partner capabilities at MAFCO.

SETAF clarified that the 7th Army Training Commands involvement is a logical extension of US Army Europe and Africas (USAREUR-AF) responsibilities. As the Army command responsible for both Europe and Africa, it was a natural progression for US Army Europe and Africa (USAREUR-AF) to seek out training opportunities with partner nations in Africa, SETAF elaborated. U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) is the command inside of USAREUR-AF responsible for waking up every day thinking about Africa. 7th Army Training Command is part of USAREUR-AF, so it is logical that they would assist in training African partners.

While the current focus is on supporting Malawian Defense Forces instructors, this pioneering programme aims to further develop basic and advanced NCO training courses at the Malawi Armed Forces College. Since its inception in 2014, the collaboration has borne fruit, aligning the Malawian academys structure with that of The NCO Leadership Center of Excellence at Fort Bliss, Texas.

Notably, the Malawian academys inaugural course in 2014 has produced over 240 African sergeant majors from 18 African countries, underscoring the programmes success in building partner capacity and strengthening enlisted development. US-Malawi defence leaders view the ongoing collaboration as a testament to the United States commitment to fostering enduring partnerships and enhancing regional security.

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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The Police Command in Nasarawa State has warned political parties and their supporters against any act of violence ahead of the Court of Appeal judgement on the governorship election in the state.

The acting Commissioner of Police in the state, Shettima Muhammad, a deputy commissioner of police, gave the warning during a press conference on Monday in Lafia, the state capital.

He said that the police in collaboration with other security agencies have increased security across the state in order to forestall the breakdown of law and order before and after judgement to be delivered soon.

Security personnel have been adequately deployed to strategic locations in the State to maintain peace.

I hereby call on leaders of all political parties to prevail on their supporters to shun unguarded utterances that may trigger political tension or engage in mass action that may be seen as preparation for violent procession.

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They should also celebrate moderately without infringing on the fundamental rights of members of the public.

Anyone or group that tries to disrupt peace and cause breakdown of law and order shall face the full wrath of the law, he said.

The acting CP assured of the commitment of the police to provide adequate security for citizens and encouraged them to go about their legitimate businesses and avoid acts capable of disrupting peace in the state.

The governorship election petition tribunal in Lafia, had in a split judgment of two to one, on 2 October, nullified the election of Governor Abdullahi Sule of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and declared David Umbugadu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as winner of the governorship election.

Mr Sule challenged the decision of the tribunal at the Appeal Court, which heard his appeal on 15 November and reserved judgment to a date yet to be announced

It is expected that the Court of Appeal will will soon announce the date of judgement.

(NAN)

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Credit: Shutterstock

Eshani Lee knew from a young age that she wanted a career in the sciences. But she nearly gave up on that dream. During her sophomore year at the University of California, Irvine, Lee grew increasingly frustrated with how poorly she was performing on her examinations. I dont understand. Why am I not doing well? she wondered.

What confused Lee the most was that she knew she was quite capable of explaining the class material in Gujarati and Hindi, the languages she grew up speaking in India. But when she had to decipher test questions written in jargon-filled English, she would often trip on the wording and receive a low grade.

By the numbers Compared with proficient English users, English-language learners may need up to: 91% more time to read a scientific paper. 51% more time to write a scientific paper. 94% more time to prepare for presentations. In addition: 75% of the time, English-language learners ask for language help when writing scientific papers. 30% of English-language learners decide not to attend conferences because of language barriers. Source: PLOS Biol. 2023, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002184.

It was only after Lee became a teaching assistant in graduate school that she discovered that other students who learned English as an additional language were also dealing with language barriers. I realized this is not just a me problem, says Lee, who is now a chemistry education researcher at the Pennsylvania State University Hazleton. The problem is systemic, stemming from a wider lack of support for English-language learners.

Since modern science is communicated primarily in English, students working and studying in countries where English is not the primary language also face similar issues. Valeria Ramirez Castaneda remembers struggling to read the research papers she was assigned as an undergraduate student at the National University of Colombia.

I was privileged because I had 4 years of good English classes, she recalls. Many of her classmates, on the other hand, gained little from texts written in English.

Later, as a masters student, Ramirez Castaneda toiled over her thesis for weeks, trying to write it in English to make it easier to publish. But, eager to graduate, she eventually gave up and wrote in Spanish.

Ramirez Castaneda is now a fifth-year PhD candidate in biology at the University of California, Berkeley. Her masters work is still not published.

Science isnt the only discipline whose community members need to overcome language barriers. English dominates many academic fields, says Michael Gordin, a science historian at Princeton University. But the speed at which science is being produced and the high number of scientists who learned English as an additional language combine to make language struggles particularly taxing in scientific disciplines.

Yet language is rarely considered during conversations about diversity within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). So when students encounter these barriers, they start to feel as if theyre not cut out to be in the sciences, Lee says.

Meanwhile, English-language learners who manage to make a career in STEM often find themselves making up for time lost navigating language-related obstacles. According to a recent study co-led by Ramirez Castaneda, language barriers force researchers who are less proficient in English to spend up to 91% more time reading scientific papers and up to 51% more time writing them than their colleagues who learned English as their primary language (PLOS Biol. 2023, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002184).

The difficulty caused by reading in English can alone translate to around 19 extra working days per year for a typical PhD student, according to Ramirez Castanedas research.

Focused solutions can help ease this burden. For example, Tatsuya Amano, a biodiversity researcher at the University of Queensland who co-led the study with Ramirez Castaneda, coauthored a separate article outlining 10 things the scientific community can do to start tackling this problem. The authors recommendations include providing editing services and acknowledging language barriers during performance evaluations (Nat. Hum. Behav. 2021, DOI: 10.1038/s41562-021-01137-1).

In a similar vein, Lees research focuses on how to make chemistry education more accessible to English-language learners (J. Chem. Educ. 2021, DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.1c00370).

But because everyday language barriers are invisible to most people who learned English as their primary language, attempts to ease them are usually left up to the individuals who need support in the first place. We have been writing these solutions a thousand times, Ramirez Castaneda says. Can you actually pay attention to them?

Common barriers

Language wouldnt be as big a problem in science if everyone had access to adequate English-learning services. But its almost impossible to navigate an anglophone environment using only what you get from school in many countries, says Sebastian Kozuch, an Argentine chemistry professor at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

Credit: Courtesy of Eshani Lee

Kozuch learned English on his own; other English-language learners, like Ramirez Castaneda, have attended private English classes after school. Unfortunately, such courses are often costly and thus inaccessible to many people, especially those living in low-income regions. There are just so many people who are not able to become scientists because they didnt receive enough English education, Amano says.

Students in wealthier areas, meanwhile, typically have more opportunities to learn English. But these resources, with their focus on general grammar and conversational English, can help only so much.

Fluency in the language used in academia is a skill set that is entirely different from conversational fluency, Lee says. In addition to featuring discipline-specific vocabulary, academic language can involve words that have different meanings in scientific contexts than in everyday ones. Terms that are not common in everyday speech present additional challenges. For example, Lee remembers coming across the word respectively during a chemistry exam. What does respect have to do with this? she recalls thinking. Clearly, I dont know what theyre talking about.

The issue is not just reading comprehension either. Language problems pop up during lectures and research presentations. Even the most fluent English users can struggle to understand different accents or rapid speech.

We learn more effectively when we can take in new information and connect it meaningfully to our own prior knowledge, explains Jacky Deng, a PhD candidate at the University of Ottawa whose work focuses on the experiences of chemists from language backgrounds other than English. This process becomes more challenging when English-language learners are confronted with new information in English, he says. Its harder to make the connection.

Understanding conversational and academic English is only one side of STEMs language conundrum, though. Its another thing to communicate effectively, says Daniela Navarro Perez, a lecturer in chemical engineering at the University of Magallanes and a PhD student at the University of Leeds.

Amano and Ramirez Castaneda estimated that researchers who speak English as an additional language need to spend up to 94% more time preparing and practicing presentations for conferences than their more fluent colleagues.

That finding matches Navarro Perezs experience. Before this years European Geosciences Union General Assembly, I practiced a lot for my presentations, Navarro Perez says, even though her two talks were each only 8 min long.

Credit: Courtesy of Daniela Navarro Perez

In fact, conferences require so much work that scientists lacking confidence in their ability to speak English well may avoid them altogether, Amano says. According to Amano and Ramirez Castanedas study, around a third of researchers with low or moderate English proficiency said they frequently opt out of attending conferences, despite the repercussions that their choice could have on their careers.

And half of these researchers said they decline opportunities to give oral presentations. Even asking questions at conference talks is hard, Ramirez Castaneda says. The last time she attended a conference, she didnt raise her hand to ask anything, she says.

For some English- language learners, writing research papers presents an even larger issue. When Deng recently surveyed 18 graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in chemistry whose primary language is not English, everyone I spoke with talked about how writing just took longer, he says. Respondents noted the cognitive demand required to translate their research ideas from their primary language into English and then put their thoughts on paper using proper grammar, vocabulary, and syntax (J. Chem. Educ. 2023, DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.2c01063).

Research ideas become simplified during this process because the writers dont have the words to express their complexity in English. A lot of these students told me that this translation process is almost like a filtration process, Deng says.

And all that extra effort might not even pay off. According to Amano and Ramirez Castanedas study, researchers who are less proficient in English are 12.5 times as likely to be asked to revise a research paper and 2.6 times as likely to have a paper rejected for language-related reasons than more proficient English users are.

Although reviewers often conflate the quality of the English with the quality of the science, improving the English can be hard. It could be really expensive to use professional editing services, Amano says.

Breaking the barrier

The situation may seem grim for students and scientists with a primary language other than English. But quantifying disadvantages can help drive change, Amano says. Studies on language barriers help those who may not be directly affected become aware of the problem. Research can also highlight ways in which people who are proficient in English can make science more welcoming to all scientists, regardless of their English proficiency.

For example, Lees work shows that professors at universities where English is the primary language can simplify the language they use to construct test questions, allowing students to focus on what an exam is asking. We dont need to use elevated vocabulary, she explains. There are ways to break things down and present it to students so that it doesnt sound so complicated and out of reach.

Credit: Courtesy of Valeria Ramirez Castaneda

Deng proposes that universities provide discipline-specific resources, like STEM-focused writing centers. According to Dengs study, existing centers are too general and rarely provide useful feedback to science students.

In addition, students need to be able to access textbooks in their primary languages. Right now, there are people who are likely being weeded out of science, not because they dont have good scientific minds but because theyre bad at languages, Gordin, the science historian, says.

Many English-language learners simply dont have access to the same educational resources or opportunities as students with high English proficiency. For example, the Center for Chemical Process Safety, an organization within the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, offers several online certification courses that Navarro Perez believes are invaluable for chemical engineers. But most of them are in English, she says. Thats a barrier for a lot of people.

To help researchers communicate science, Amano says, conference organizers can provide live translation for talks. In addition, organizers can create mentorship programs to match speakers of different English proficiencies to help with their presentation preparation and practices, Amano says. Some international conferences have started doing this, he adds.

So have organizations like GeoLatinas, a multilingual group that provides tools for Latina women to pursue careers in geoscience. Navarro Perez, who is part of the groups leadership council, says GeoLatinas regularly hosts events that allow students and researchers to give dry runs of their talks, receive feedback on papers and job applications, and practice conversational English.

Big changes also need to happen within scientific publishing. In a paper that has yet to be peer-reviewed, Amano and his colleagues list several language-inclusive policies that journals can implement (EcoEvoRxiv 2023, DOI: 10.32942/X2NS3K). They suggest that journals provide author guidelines in multiple languages, train reviewers to be more aware of their language-related biases, and offer researchers editing and translation services for free or for more affordable prices.

Such editing and translation could be done using artificial intelligence tools like DeepL and ChatGPT. Although some journals initially banned these tools after ChatGPT rose to prominence, several have since changed their stance. The journalScience just loosened its AI policy to allow researchers to use large language models to proofread their manuscripts with proper disclosure, says Holden Thorp, editor in chief of theScience family of journals.

The American Chemical Society is also preparing to launch a pilot program offering an AI editing tool to authors. Were optimistic that this tool will help reduce the barriers faced by authors who learned English as an additional language, an ACS spokesperson writes in an email. ACS publishes C&EN but is not involved in editorial decisions.

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Science education researchers say AI editing tools, along with other proposed changes, will benefit science as a whole. Making STEM more inclusive toward English users who are not as proficient in the language increases the diversity of perspectives in science, which in turn will breed innovation and advancement, Lee notes.
President Bola Tinubu is not interfering with the judiciary on the decisions of the courts concerning the 2023 elections, the presidency has said.

The presidency also said Mr Tinubu has no plan to foist a one-party state on the country.

The reactions of the presidency come on the heels of some allegations by the Peoples Democratic Party and its 2023 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, that Mr Tinubu is interfering with the courts to tilt judicial rulings in the direction of the APC and that he has a plan to turn Nigeria into a one-party country.

Some recent court of appeal judgements on the outcomes of the 2023 elections have been favourable to the APC leaving the opposition, especially the PDP, to fume.

In a statement on Monday, President Tinubus Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, called on the PDP and Atiku to stop raising false alarms concerning the judgements.

The statement said the allegations are deliberately aimed at unnecessarily heating the polity and causing disenchantment in our country. They exist only in the imagination of the PDP and the former vice president.

Read the full statement below:

STATEMENT HOUSE PRESS STATEMENT

PDP, ATIKU RAISING FALSE ALARM

In separate statements, the Peoples Democratic Party and the spokesman of Atiku Abubakar, its defeated Presidential candidate, threw caution to the winds as they assaulted the integrity of the judiciary and made wild and libellous allegations against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

In the wake of the poor run of some elected governors of the party at the appeal court, the PDP and former Vice President and his spokesman have become overtly desperate to hang their woes on President Tinubu and the judiciary, an important arm of government in Nigeria.

In blaming others, Atiku and his party have failed to demonstrate whether they had done any soul-searching before going public with their weighty, specious, reckless and irresponsible allegations.

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While we do not hold brief for the judiciary, we urge Nigerians to discountenance the malicious allegations by the PDP and its candidate that President Tinubu as governor of Lagos, silenced the opposition and corrupted the judiciary and that he is planning to foist a one-party state on the country by appointing loyalists as Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs).

President Tinubu is a democrat to the core. We make bold to say that as president, he has not interfered with the judgment of the judiciary. We had witnessed how under his watch the PDP governor in Osun defeated the APC at the Supreme Court.

Similarly, the PDP Governor in Bauchi also won his case in the Appeal court, beating the APC.

President Tinubu is also not planning to impose a one-party state as Atiku has serially alleged and his party and spokesman have now parroted.

These allegations are deliberately aimed at unnecessarily heating up the polity and causing disenchantment in our country.

They exist only in the imagination of the PDP and the former vice-president.

Unlike Atiku Abubakar, President Tinubus record as a democrat par excellence and a strong advocate of the rule of law have been globally acknowledged.

His record of service as governor, which witnessed giant strides in various facets of the state, was responsible for the dominance of his political structure in Lagos and not by any undemocratic conduct, as Atiku Abubakar wants the public to believe.

In contrast, it is on record that Atiku Abubakar recently confessed about the electoral heist his party executed in the South West in 2003 which Tinubu survived out of the six Governors of the defunct Alliance for Democracy.

While Atiku and PDP are now crying wolf over the Appeal Court rulings on governorship polls in Plateau, Zamfara and Nasarawa States, we hasten to ask the former Vice President where he was in 2019 when the court ruled against All Progressives Congress in Zamfara State. The court then awarded all the positions won by the APC to PDP.

Where was Atiku also in 2019 when in Rivers State, the court stopped APC from fielding any candidate in both the Governorship and House of Assembly elections?.

Where was Atiku and the PDP in 2019, when on the eve of the swearing-in of Bayelsa governor-elect, David Lyon, the Supreme Court handed the victory of the APC to the candidate of the PDP, Governor Diri who was earlier rejected at the poll by the people of Bayelsa?.

Atiku and PDP then savoured all these court-handed trophies as sweet victories for PDP and celebrated the courts as protectors of democracy.

Now that the same courts are annulling PDP victories, based on the blatant violations of the law by the lawless party, the party is mudslinging the judiciary and President Tinubu.

We once again implore Atiku and PDP to stop their campaign of calumny and blackmail against the judiciary and the honourable judges and justices. Judgments are based on law and evidence. In election petition cases, they are based on the Electoral Act and the Constitution, not on sentiments and emotions.

It is irresponsible and a disservice to our country for the opposition, after failing to observe the letters and spirits of the law, to now turn around to tear down an important arm of our government.

Bayo Onanuga

Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy

November 20, 2023

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President Bola Tinubu has called for German investment in critical sectors of the Nigerian economy such as power and rail transportation.

A statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, said Mr Tinubu made the call at a meeting with German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, on the sidelines of the G20 Compact with Africa Economic Conference, on Monday in Berlin.

The president said that German investment was needed in critical growth-enabling industries in energy, transportation, and electric power generation, transmission and distribution.

The President said the staggered and unsteady implementation of the Siemens-supported Presidential Power Initiative should take new urgency.

For me, I am very much committed to pursuing all aspects of the Siemens power project and the skill development opportunities that will emerge from that project for our talented youth who can participate in sustaining the industry, Mr Tinubu said.

He also said Siemens can play a role in Nigerias rail network with the provision of ultra-modern trains and railways as it is doing in Egypt, where it is constructing 2,000 kilometres ultra-high speed rail network across 60 cities.

To this, the German Chancellor expressed readiness, but said there was a need to resolve administrative and financial hurdles brought about by governance problems in the sector.

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I know that there is a lot of work that has been done. There is already a big production of electricity in Nigeria, but it is not getting to the population.

Of course, this has to do with the need for a provision of stations and infrastructure on the grid.

Siemens has developed the plan and is ready to deepen implementation, but it is now up to your new government to take the follow-up action that you are now committed to taking.

On the railway plans, Siemens will be very happy to do this when more progress is made on the power project which has been started already, Scholz said.

Mr Tinubu drew the attention of the German leader to the need for the German business community to focus on value-additive processing in Nigerias solid minerals, agriculture, automobile and other job-creating areas.

Everything the world requires in terms of business environment reforms is underway in Nigeria. Perhaps our foreign investors are still a bit paranoid that those old Nigerian issues are intractable.

But my track record speaks for itself. I have transformed an entity before now. I am here to do it again, and I will, the President said.

Mr Scholz agreed and said it was possible with a lot of investments, cheap, skilled labour, and adequate internal and shipping infrastructure for imports and exports to flow easily.

These things are possible in Nigeria. You even have abundant natural resources. Step by step, it is achievable, Mr President, he said.

The two leaders agreed to deepen collaboration on the utilisation of advanced biometric systems and border control technology to check irregular migration.

They also agreed that investments in labour-intensive industries would go a long way towards resolving the root causes of irregular migration.

Mr Tinubu later exchanged views with German President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, before attending the Compact with Africa summit.

(NAN)

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There was uproar at the Senate on Tuesday over the composition of the new leadership for the minority caucus.

Offices of the leader and whip of the caucus had been vacant since the Court of Appeal nullified the elections of the occupants 25 February.

The caucus comprises five political parties and has altogether 49 out of the 109 senators.

While the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) still maintained the majority of its members with 37 senators, Labour Party (LP) has seven members.

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) have two senators each while APGA has one.

Simon Mwadkwon, a former senator representing Plateau North under the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was the minority leader before he was sacked by the court in October.

Darlington Nwokocha, a former senator representing Abia Central under the platform of the LP was the minority whip before an Appeal Court sacked him earlier this month.

At the plenary on Tuesday, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South) as the new minority leader and Osita Ngwu (PDP, Enugu West) as the minority whip.

Mr Akpabio said they were endorsed for the positions by a majority of the members of the minority caucus.

Upon the announcement, some members of the caucus openly protested against the choice of Messrs Moro and Ngwu on the grounds that they are members of the PDP.

The aggrieved senators complained that their choice was unfair to other political parties in the minority caucus and demanded their withdrawal.

Uproar

Okechukwu Ezea (LP, Enugu North) who raised a point of order against the nominations queried the rationale behind two members of the PDP occupying the positions.

Mr Ezea said it is unfair, unjust and unacceptable for the PDP to occupy two positions while the other parties have nothing.

There is no way the PDP will take three seats and the LP and other minority parties will not have anything. It is unfair, unjust and unacceptable, the senator said.

Tony Nwoye (LP, Anambra North) who also rejected the nominations was heard screaming are we your slaves, how can you be choosing minority leader for us?.

Adamu Aliero (PDP, Kebbi Central) urged the Senate to suspend the nomination of the minority whip because the caucus had yet to decide on which party should produce its occupant.

Mr Aliero confirmed that the caucus had unanimously endorsed Mr Moro, a former interior minister, for the position of the minority leader.

But the senate president ruled the aggrieved senators out of order, saying a majority of the senators of the minority parties endorsed the nominations.

Amid the uproar, Mr Akpabio approved the nomination of Mr Moro and that of Mr Ngwu pending when the minority caucus settled their differences.

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The Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN) on Monday restated its call for President Bola Tinubu to sign into law a controversial bill that was not passed by both chambers of the National Assembly as required by Nigerian law.

The association, which stands to benefit if the bill is signed into law, restated its stance in response to a PREMIUM TIMES report on the false Real Estate Regulatory Council of Nigeria Act 2023 submitted to President Tinubu by the Clerk of the National Assembly. REDAN, however, denied the allegation that it lobbied the Clerk to send the bill to the president.

On Sunday, PREMIUM TIMES exposed how the Clerk of the National Assembly, Magaji Tambuwal, misinformed President Tinubu over the false Real Estate Bill.

Mr Tambuwal sent the bill to the president on 9 June saying it was a true copy of the bill passed by both Houses of the National Assembly in compliance with Section 2(1) of the Acts Authentication Act, Cap A2, Laws of The Federation of Nigeria.

Our investigation revealed that Mr Tambuwal transmitted the version passed by the Senate to the president for assent on 9th June and falsely claimed that it had been passed by both chambers of the National Assembly.

This medium also reported how REDAN pushed for President Tinubu to sign the bill into law. However, the president declined although he did not give any reason.

In a statement shared after our story was published, REDANs President, Aliyu Wamakko, claimed that our story contains infamous statements and threatened that his organisation would sue us.

Mr Wamakkos statement reads: Mr Kabir of the Premium Times posited that Mr. West Idahosa SAN in a letter to the Attorney General of the Federation advised the President not to sign the unlawful Bill under any guise whatsoever (including the plot to back-date the signing as widely rumoured by members of REDAN who are the proponent of the Bill). We therefore call on Mr Kabir to mention those Members.

As stated in our earlier story, Mr Idahosa filed a petition to the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) where he advised the president not to sign the unlawful bill. He also called for the investigation of the Clerk which he said will be in the interest of entrenching the rule of law and legislative sanctity of bills duly passed by the two houses of the National Assembly.

It is therefore surprising that REDAN is asking PREMIUM TIMES to answer questions about a petition written by a lawyer to Nigerias attorney general.

In its statement, REDAN also denied lobbying the Clerk to send the false bill to the president.

Most deserving from Mr Kabir is for him to tell Nigerians, those REDAN Members that lobbied Mr Tambuwal to send the false bill to the President for assent. Failure to provide names will prompt the Association to seek redress from the Court for this infamous statement, the association said.

While multiple sources in the real estate sector told PREMIUM TIMES that REDAN lobbied Mr Tambuwal, we indicated in our report that that claim could not be verified.

However, what is incontestable is that the selfish bill sent to the president for assent considerably favoured REDAN.

Here is how the bill favoured REDAN:

First, the bill seeks to establish the Real Estate Regulatory Council of Nigeria.

** The bill states that the Council shall regulate the business of real estate development in Nigeria in consultation with REDAN.

** Similarly, the Council is empowered to register and licence all real estate developers in Nigeria through the institutional guidelines of REDAN.

** The council shall renew the licence of real estate developers annually, upon payment of the prescribed fees and fulfilment of all requirements as recommended by REDAN.

** The Council shall register, maintain, and update the register of all real estate development projects ratified by REDAN to have met set standards of Industry practices.

** The Council shall work through REDAN to monitor, investigate, and sanction registered and licensed real estate _ developers that violate the provisions of the bill. It shall also work through REDAN to investigate and penalise unlicensed real estate developers who violate the laws.

** The prescribed fees and fulfilment of all requirements prescribed under this Act will be through recommendation by REDAN;

** The Council shall have a Governing Council chairman, appointed by the Minister on the recommendation of REDAN. And a Secretary of the Council; who shall be appointed by the Council on the recommendation REDAN.

** The Minister may remove the chairman of the council from office on the recommendation of the Council and or REDAN if the Minister is of the opinion that it is not in the interest of the Council for the chairman to continue in office.

** The Council will also prescribe fees, fines, and charges to be paid  as recommended by REDAN.

** A total of 10 per cent of the annual revenue of REDAN is to be paid to the Councils fund.

In its statement, REDAN did not deny that the bill as passed by the Senate and sent to the President favours it. The association, however, said it welcomes new amendments, recommendations or inputs that could make the Bill better, to strengthen and deepen Real Estate Development as in other climes.

Despite the controversy surrounding the bill and our revelation that it was not passed by both chambers of the National Assembly, REDAN restated its call for President Tinubu to sign the controversial bill into law.

REDAN leadership hereby reiterate our call to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to assent to the Bill for the interest of Nigerias economy as the RECON Bill stands to cure the inherited problems of collapse building, money laundering, and terrorism financing prevalent in the real estate and construction industry, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda, Mr Wamakko said in the statement.

However, Mr Tinubu cannot sign the bill at this point because it is over 30 days since the bill was transmitted by the Clerk of the National Assembly for assent and the bill was not signed within the period prescribed by Section 58 of the Nigerian constitution.

Separate versions of the bill have now been brought back to the two chambers of the National Assembly as fresh bills.

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Nigeria and Germany, on Tuesday, in Berlin, signed two agreements to strengthen their economic partnership.

The two countries signed the Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) on the supply of gas from Nigeria to Germany and another for $500 million worth of renewable energy projects in Nigeria.

The signing of MoUs was between Riverside LNG of Nigeria and Johannes Schuetze Energy Import AG of Germany on the gas export partnership, while the other signed pact brought together Union Bank of Nigeria and DWS Group on cooperation in renewable energy.

CEO of GasInvest, David Ige, who signed the MoU on gas supply, said the Riverside LNG project aims to supply energy from Nigeria to Germany, extinguishing about 50 million cubic feet per day of flared gas in Nigeria.

The project will supply energy from Nigeria to Germany at 850,000 tonnes per annum, expanding to 1.2 million tonnes per annum.

The first gas will leave Nigeria for Germany in 2026, and there will be further expansion. This will extinguish about 50 million cubic feet per day of flared gas in Nigeria and open alleyways of new and greater exports of gas to Germany, he said.

The German partners expressed confidence in investing in Nigerias gas sector.

Chief Operating Officer of Johannes Schuetze Energy Import AG, Frank Otto, described the partnership as a big deal for the German market.

Chairman of Union Bank, Farouk Gumel, disclosed the commitment of $500 million for e-energy projects in Nigeria, emphasizing the importance of rural inclusion and bringing more people into the formal economy.

We believe this would bring rural inclusion and capture more people into the formal economy. Without inclusion, there is no growth. Thank you, Mr. President, Mr. Gumel said.

Welcoming the new deals, President Bola Tinubu, who witnessed the signing ceremonies, assured German businesses that with Nigerias stable political landscape, foreign investments into the country are secure.

Since 1999, we have witnessed changes in democratic governance, with peaceful transfers of power within and between parties. Democracy in Nigeria has proven to be flexible and resilient. Shake off any remnants of the military era syndrome; we have moved beyond that. Despite challenges faced by other African nations, Nigeria stands firm, and we are your partners, the president declared.

Outlining some of the achievements of his administration, which include his globally-acclaimed economic reforms, Mr Tinubu emphasised his commitment to sustaining the reforms and building stronger Nigerian-German relations.

For those who feared various obstacles; look at me  I come from the private sector, trained by Deloitte. I served as the treasurer in Exxon Mobil. Define corporate governance in any way, and I am in it.

I governed Lagos for eight consecutive years. Today, I can proudly beat my chest that Lagos State is on the horizon and the fifth-largest economy in Africa, rising from ground zero. This is the track record that led me to the presidency.

Nigerians voted for me for reforms, and from day one of my inauguration, I implemented the reforms. My inaugural speech did not disclose what I would do. I removed the fuel subsidy that is a great burden to Nigerians from the moment I stepped into office.

The arbitrage regime is gone forever. Now, you can bring your money in and out as you wish. If you encounter any problems, rest assured that I have built one of the most reliable teams Nigeria has seen to address them. I appeal to you to forget the past and focus on building a relationship that removes obstacles, fostering progress and prosperity in Nigerian-German relations.

You can rely on us; we can rely on you; both of us can chorus Hallelujah at the same time, the president said.

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While some like Robert Besseling, chief executive officer of the South Africa-based intelligence advisory group, Pangea-Risk, believes that AUs permanent membership is more of a symbolic development than a substantive event, he nonetheless conceded that AUs entry into the G20 may help diversify global alliances and open new avenues for cooperation. It could also be argued that the membership may help to amplify African voices in global affairs

On 9 September, the Group of 20 (better known as G-20), in its summit in New Delhi, India, announced a decision to welcome the African Union (AU) as a new permanent member, effectively transforming the inter-governmental forum into G-21. The day the invitation was announced, 9th of September, coincided with the 24th anniversary of the Sirte Declaration in Libya, where the African Union was announced as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). Prior to the admission of the AU as a permanent member, it had been an invited member of the forum. The AUs new status with the G-20 mirrors a similar status enjoyed in the group by the European Union (EU), one of the largest economies in the world and the worlds largest single market area. The EU is a permanent member of the club, alongside three of its member states  France, Germany, and Italy  and is normally represented by the president of the European Commission and president of the European Council. The G-20, prior to the admission of the AU, represented around 85 per cent of e thglobal GDP and 75 per cent of global trade, as well as two-thirds of the worlds population

What Does AUs Permanent Members of the G-20 Really Mean for Africa?

The G-20 was founded on 25 September 1999 in the wake of Mexicos financial crisis of 1994 and the Asian crisis of 1997, when the finance ministers and central bank governors of the G-7 group announced that they would work together to establish an informal mechanism for dialogue with major emerging economies of the world, within the framework of the Bretton Woods institutional system. It will be recalled that in 1997, major Asian countries  South Korea, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, and Singapore  got into deep financial trouble after Thailand unpegged the Thai Baht from the US dollar, which, in turn, triggered a series of currency devaluations and massive flights of capital. The G-20 is made up of 19 countries plus the European Union. Its establishment seemed to be a recognition of the importance of the emerging economies amid changes in the global economic landscape. The group has evolved over the years. A turning point in its evolution was the global financial crisis of 2008, which affected the major economies of the world, forcing them to rethink and convene a summit of the G-20 leaders. A summit of the group, convened in Washington DC in 2008, was the first time that leaders of the G-20 met, because previously only the finance ministers and central bank governors had been meeting.

The G-20 has received as much kudos as it has received criticisms. Supporters, for instance, argue that since achieving implementable global goals would require the joint efforts of countries, private corporations and individuals, the G-20s ability to bring together leaders from both developed and emerging economies around the table, is, on its own, a laudable achievement. In this sense the G-20 is seen as representing a broader spectrum than the narrower perspective of the Group of Seven (G-7), which focuses on the most industrialised economies of the world. Critics have however argued that although the group was credited with helping to manage the global financial crisis of 2008, it could have actually prevented the crisis if it had heeded the warning of an impending economic meltdown by the Bank for International Settlements. Critics also argue that the G-20 Summits are often bogged down by haggling over detailed, but often anodyne, communiques.

It is important to appreciate that the admission of the AU as a permanent member of the G-20 came at a time of increasing geopolitical rivalry in which the G-20 is seen as potentially weakened by an increasingly influential BRICS, led by China and Russia, which competes with the USA-led Western nations. BRICS is a neologism coined in 2011 by the British economist, Jim ONeil, a former Goldman Sachs analyst, who used the acronym to refer to the economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China. BRIC was later turned to BRICS when South Africa was bracketed into the group in its first expansion in 2010.

Is the admission of the AU as a permanent member of the G-20 part of the competition among the various systems of geopolitical alliances  the G-7 (led by the USA), BRICS (led by China and Russia), AU, UN etc.? What is there for Africa in the AU being a permanent member of the G-20? Was the decision by the G-20 to invite the AU to become a permanent member influenced by the expansion of the BRICS group in August, when it invited six countries (Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, Argentina and the United Arab Emirates) to join it, in a move described by some as an audacious acceleration of its push to reshuffle a world order it sees as outdated? Was the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who announced the admission of the AU, merely using that invitation to bolster his own profile in Africa and on the world political stage?

Though the AU may gain from a permanent membership, the G-20 itself stands to gain even more. For instance, prior to admitting the AU as a permanent member, South Africa was the only African member of the body. This means that with the admission of the African Union, the G-20has managed to expand its legitimacy  at least in the eyes of many Africans.

With the continent facing numerous developmental challenges  from problems of climate change, resurgence of military coups to a rise in illiberal democracies  experts disagree on the potential benefits to be harnessed from membership of the G-20. While some like Robert Besseling, chief executive officer of the South Africa-based intelligence advisory group, Pangea-Risk, believes that AUs permanent membership is more of a symbolic development than a substantive event, he nonetheless conceded that AUs entry into the G20 may help diversify global alliances and open new avenues for cooperation. It could also be argued that the membership may help to amplify African voices in global affairs because the relative loss of influence by the UN (in which Africa has the largest regional membership) in shaping world affairs to groups like G-7, G-20 and BRICS means also a decline in the continents voices, as African countries are under-represented in the latter groups. In this sense, the G-20 could be a useful platform for Africa to potentially influence the global agenda, especially on issues of international cooperation.

Though the AU may gain from a permanent membership, the G-20 itself stands to gain even more. For instance, prior to admitting the AU as a permanent member, South Africa was the only African member of the body. This means that with the admission of the African Union, the G-20 (whose influence seems to be declining amid the rise in the profile of BRICS), has managed to expand its legitimacy  at least in the eyes of many Africans. By co-opting more African member countries through the AU, it has also potentially bolstered its position to compete more effectively with BRICS and other groupings that seem desirous of challenging the currently Western-dominated world order. Similarly, given the clamour for the democratisation of certain global institutions, such as the United Nations Security Council, the G-20 seems, by the invitation of the AU to become a full member, to have positioned itself as a more inclusive intergovernmental body than the United Nations Security Council, which has five permanent members that wield veto powers.

Africa needs to develop the confidence to tell itself it has come of age. There is need for the AU to put in place effective structures and processes that will ensure that it participates effectively in all the relevant meetings of the group  not just the summit of the leaders of the countries that make up the members.

To be able to benefit maximally from whatever opportunities full membership of the (now) G21 offers, Africa must first put its house in order. It must heal itself of the begging bowl syndrome and the victim complex, because the continent cannot aspire to be treated as an equal partner in the comity of nations when it does not, in truth, see itself as being equal to others or when it unwittingly puts itself in subordinate relationships with other countries, as it constantly shops for pity with its begging bowl. It is true that there are major constraints posed by the structure of the international system on the continents ability to manoeuvre but some Asian countries have shown that such constraints can be overcome.

Africa needs to develop the confidence to tell itself it has come of age. There is need for the AU to put in place effective structures and processes that will ensure that it participates effectively in all the relevant meetings of the group  not just the summit of the leaders of the countries that make up the members. The AU needs to be able to articulate and defend African interests and should not allow itself to be used to further the objectives of the competing centres of global power.

Jideofor Adibe is a professor of Political Science and International Relations at Nasarawa State University, Keffi and Extraordinary Professor of Government Studies at North Western University, Mafikeng South Africa. He is also the founder of Adonis & Abbey Publishers and can be reached at 0705 807 8841 (Text or WhatsApp only).

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to reset, reshape and reposition Nigeria for a stronger brand identity aimed at maximising its full potentials to achieve national progress, regional influence and global respect, President Bola Tinubu must address and nip these national contradictions in the bud by next year, 2024.

Any Nigerian with a rational and open mind knows thatthe complexity of governance in Nigeria today is rooted in the countrys political system, which by any stretch of the imagination and logic, is unsuitable for a heterogenous society with over 250 ethnic groups that are characterised by incompatible cultures, varied histories, backgrounds and interests.

These ethnic groups were hitherto independent nations that ceded their sovereignty to the Nigerian state under federalism, a political system that took cognisance of their peculiarities, as agreed upon by the countrys founding fathers. But ever since this system was subverted and replaced with a unitary state structure, Nigeria has been embroiled in unending suspicions, distrust, disunity, disharmony, nepotism, hegemony and rivalry among the various ethnic nationalities, which is indicative of its inappropriateness.

The unsuitability of the unitary state structure, an inequitable revenue sharing method, the breach of the countrys secular status, a dishonest quota system and the political location of industries, are major national contradictions undermining Nigerias potentials. Except to hide under the cover of pretence, it is a common knowledge that Nigerias progress is held down by these national paradoxes. They are aberrations and drawbacks that are fundamentally responsible for the countrys stunted growth. These are what President Bola Tinubu must address in 2024 to set the tone for an equitable and prosperous Nigeria.

Efforts outside this trajectory amounts to a sheer cosmetic administrative routine and waste of valuable resources incapable of restoring hope. The unitary system of government has become a Frankenstein monster that is pushing the country towards the precipice, with diminished national and global stature. Until a more suitable political template is introduced, Nigeria will continue to drift in circles like a regional giant with no illuminating potentials to inspire public confidence.

Federalism has been tested in Nigeria, and it worked. It is a system of government in which all the federating states and central government are financially independent, autonomous, interdependent and co-equal, with neither the federal government nor the states being inferior to each other. This is the political system that best suits the countrys cultural diversity and sociological complexities, and which is capable of achieving equity, justice and balance.

In a plural society like Nigeria, a unitary system is a misfit, lacking the capacity to promote unity. It engenders acrimony, disaffection, nepotism, primordial nationalism and marginalisation, owing to conflicting cultural aspirations. The emergence of separatist movements and other related self-determination groups are some of the challenges facing Nigeria today, justifying the need for federalism to stem the tide. Otherwise, the country risks more ethnic nationalities surfacing to seek autonomy from the federation.

With about 68 items on the Exclusive List and 12 items on the Concurrent List, the 1999 Constitution is in structure, content and spirit, a unitary document, through which the destiny of the states and people of the country are determined and centrally regulated, using revenue allocation as tool of coercion and subservient corporatism. This Constitution has failed Nigerians. The states or geo-political zones want independent holds of their future within the context of their distinct cultural aspirations.

As a way out, the concept of the 1963 Constitution should be invoked to allow states take control of the mineral deposits found in their domains. In other words, fiscal federalism with the derivation principle, allowing retention of a 50 per cent minimum of accrued revenues found in or generated by the states, should be introduced. All states and geo-political areas in Nigeria are evidently endowed as God has provided every habitat with natural resources, including agricultural crops, for subsistence. This will not only give states the necessary financial autonomy, but will encourage them to harness and optimise their potentials, just as it will encourage hard-work, healthy competition, and discourage indolence.

Governments involvement in religion is also a national contradiction and aberration. Nigeria is a secular state, as affirmed by Section 10 of the 1999 Constitution, which says that the government of the federation or of a state shall not adopt any religion as state religion in Nigeria. But the Federal Governments behavioral disposition undermines this clause, when viewed against the backdrop of its contribution and participation in religious matters.

By establishing the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and the Nigeria Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) to oversee and facilitate the process for participation of Muslims in Hajj or Umra in Saudi Arabia and pilgrimage of Christians to Jerusalem and other holy sites, the Federal Government has adopted Islam and Christianity as official religions, contrary to the intention of secularism.

The deception of Nigerias secularity status is further exposed by Nigerias membership of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), a religious body representing the collective voice of the Muslim world, and working to safeguard the interests and ensure the progress and well-being of Muslims. Nigerias membership is a tacit endorsement of the country as an Islamic state, as depicted by its commitment to the dues obligation of the OIC.

Religion is a personal affair, and individuals are at liberty to practice their faiths as deemed appropriate, as long as it does not violate the right of others. The huge amount expended by Federal Government annually to fund NAHCON and NCPC, as well as meeting financial obligations in OIC, is an infringement on the right of Nigerians whose taxes are used to service these private interests.

After all, governments involvement in religion has not reduced moral decadence in Nigeria, as most beneficiaries of these pilgrimages to Hajj and Jerusalem are involved in corruption that have contributed to the countrys woes. Rather than waste the countrys resources on these unprofitable ventures, such money should be used to shore up decaying infrastructure across the country.

President Tinubu should therefore dissolve NAHCON and NCPC, and remove Nigeria from membership of OIC, as part of strategies to maintain the secularity of the state. Any state government whichsoever desires to fund its citizens to holy sites is free to do so at its own expense. The Federal Government must hands-off religion to save taxpayers money for more useful ventures.

The quota system is another national contradiction. It is part of Nigerias problems, and a source of bureaucratic ineptitude that should be discarded for excellence. This system has been consistently abused and manipulated by government officials to serve primordial and entrenched interests. The system has also deprived millions of brilliant Nigerians opportunities to serve their fatherland on account of their states of origin.

When merit is sacrificed on the altar of representation, what you have is incompetence and failure. Nigeria is currently paying the price of poor performance in government, owing to quota application in the recruitment process in its ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs). The outcome has been inefficiency and poor service delivery, with no value addition.

Sadly, the quota system is applicable to the educational sector that is supposed to be the substratum of research and development. Unqualified students are admitted into federal unity schools and universities, while brilliant ones are unable to secure placements. In some cases, the appointment of professors and award of PhD degrees are based on a quota system, leading to the production of quota scholars lacking the capacity for research and discovery. What an irony for a country that is striving to compete in global affairs!

The quota system is a recipe for failure and poor performance. It is not applicable in the private sector because of the above mentioned gaps. This may have also informed why the powers that be have deliberately refused to introduce the system in the selection of players for the national team, the Super Eagles. They know that if the obnoxious quota is applied, the performance of the Super Eagles will be outright tragedy for the country.

Another national contradiction is the political location of industries. Oil and gas companies involved in the exploration of crude oil in the Niger Delta should be compelled to relocate their administrative headquarters to areas where they have a minimum of 70 per cent of their operations. This will not only accelerate development of the region, but help in resolving the current poverty and frustration, resulting from negligence and degradation in the region. The Nigeria LNG Limited, which moved its administrative headquarters from Lagos to Bonny Island, Rivers State, where its operational base is located, is enjoying support from its host communities. The company should be commended and emulated.

Therefore, to reset, reshape and reposition Nigeria for a stronger brand identity aimed at maximising its full potentials to achieve national progress, regional influence and global respect, President Bola Tinubu must address and nip these national contradictions in the bud by next year, 2024.

Mike Owhoko, Lagos-based journalist and author, can be reached at www.mikeowhoko.com.

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The governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, said his administration is committed to exploiting the agricultural potentials of Lake Chad in boosting food production in the state.

In a statement on Tuesday, Isa Gusau, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Strategy, said the governor made the commitment during a visit to Baga, the town closest to Lake Chad in the state.

The governor also spoke on enhancing trans-border trade between communities in Nigeria and their counterparts  Chad and Niger republics.

Mr Zulum, during the assessment observed that with agricultural activities picking up along the shores, the returning communities hitherto depending on government support and humanitarian aid would have sources of livelihood.

We are here to see how we can support large-scale farming, this town was ravaged by the insurgents and people were resettled back about two or three years ago.

So, in order to provide a means of livelihood to the people we have to exploit the potentials of Lake Chad.

Our first objective is to see how we can support the Army and the Navy to clear the waterways so that movement by boat from Baga to Chad can commence which will enhance trans border trade and agriculture, Mr Zulum said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that while in the border town of Baga, Mr Zulum also approved the construction of a High Islamic College.

The over 2,000 students capacity college would combine traditional Islamic education with literacy and numeracy as well as digital and vocational education.

(NAN)

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One out of the five abducted female students of the Federal University Dutsinma (FUDMA) in Katsina State has regained freedom after about 50 days in captivity.

After she was released by her abductor, she was taken to Kuncin Kalgo, a community in Tsafe Local Government of Zamfara State from where she was later brought to Katsina on Sunday where she is receiving treatment at a hospital.

The spokesperson of the Katsina State Police Command, Aliyu Abubakar-Sadiq confirmed her release to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Katsina.

The students were abducted on 3 October 2023, when the gunmen invaded their apartments located behind Mariamoh Ajiri Memorial School, Dutsinma, around 2 a.m.

Days after the arrest, the police claimed they arrested a suspected informant to the terrorists. The police have not released further details.

(NAN)

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Police in Rivers State say they have arrested some of their operatives accused of killing a man, Eze Nyebuchi, in Woji community, Obio Akpor Local Government Areas of the state.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Olatunji Disu confirmed the arrests in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Tuesday by the police spokesperson in the state, Grace Iringe-Koko.

He said the operatives were arrested alongside a suspect in the torture and murder of Mr Nyebuchi.

We have visited the scene of the crime and condoled with the family members of late Nyebuchi.

Suspects involved in the death of Nyebuchi, including the police officers, have been arrested and are currently at the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for interrogation, Mr Disu said.

The police commissioner did not, however, mention the number of the officers arrested, their names, and ranks.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some police operatives arrested Mr Nyebuchi, a landlord, after he forcefully evicted a tenant from his property.

After several days in police custody, the Woji Community Council of Chiefs pressured the police to reveal the whereabouts of the landlord.

Following public outcry, a search party was conducted and Mr Nyebuchis decomposing body was found in an uncompleted building in Chokocho, Etche Local Government Area of Rivers.

Shortly after the body was found, youths of Woji community took to the streets on Monday to vent their anger over the suspected torture and killing of Mr Nyebuchi.

The violent protest degenerated into a deadly clash and the police fired sporadic gunshots into the air to scare the protesters.

The paramount ruler of Woji Community, Emeka Ihunwo, said injuries were found on the head and jaw of Mr Nyebuchi, indicating that he was beaten to death.

I call on our youths to maintain the peace as justice will be served, the traditional ruler said.

(NAN)

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The Chippewa Falls Police Department and the Family Support Center have spent the last three years working in tandem to combat domestic violence and provide survivors with options and support.

Developed with support from the center, police use a Lethality Assessment Program procedure whenever an officer responds to an instance of domestic violence.

The program involves the police going through different questions with the victim of a crime. The victim answers the questions yes or no.

Family Support Center resource development coordinator Xander Bobolz said those responses can indicate how high of a risk they have at being killed in that relationship.

Bobolz said the assessments are done by officers who call the support center staff to discuss domestic violence incidents.

They call us from the scene and say, Hey, we have a situation that just happened, and then they will ask the victim of the crime if they'd like to talk with us, and if they don't, we still follow up with that person soon after, Bobolz said.

The partnership gives advocates at the Family Support Center an idea about when when dangerous incidents happen and an opportunity to respond to them.

Chippewa Falls Police Lt. of Investigations Korry Boos said the assessment procedures done on scene include questions for the victims about whether they feel safe in their relationships.

At the end of completing all the paperwork with the victims, police tally up their answers and if they reach a certain score, they're considered high risk or low risk and then we put them on the phone with a domestic abuse advocate, Boos said. The reason I think it's useful is it puts victims into direct contact with an advocate that otherwise they won't have access to.

Early intervention can save lives, Boos said.

Jeni H. works as the domestic violence program director at the Family Support Center. She asked that her last name be withheld because of the nature of her work. Jeni said the Chippewa Falls Police Department is the only law enforcement agency in Chippewa County to work extensively with the Family Support Center on its Lethality Assessment Program.

I very much appreciate the shared language and the shared value system that comes out of doing the Lethality Assessment Program, and I would love it if more law enforcement agencies in this county would get on board with it, Jeni said.

Although law enforcement officials from the Chippewa County Sheriffs Department and other area police departments do work with the Family Support Center in other ways to support domestic violence survivors and track related incidents, Jeni said she hopes additional agencies will take their cue from Chippewa Falls Police Department and begin their own lethality assessment programs.

We have talked to other departments about the program. There has been interest, but the only law enforcement agency that we have implemented LAP with at this point is Chippewa Falls PD, Jeni said.

In 2022, domestic violence-related homicides continued to rise throughout the state, including in Chippewa Falls, which saw two domestic violence-related homicides. Domestic violence-related homicide claimed the lives of 96 people in Wisconsin.

This is a rate of one death per 3.8 days. According to the report, the state saw a 20% increase in homicides in 2022 from the year before. End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin began gathering data surrounding the lives lost to domestic violence in 2000. Since then, 1,268 people have been killed in domestic violence cases in Wisconsin.

It's heartbreaking to see that number go up every year, and it really creates a lot of anxiety and what we do to combat that anxiety is ask how can we increase our presence in the community to make sure that people in a dangerous situation know that there are options for them, Bobolz said.

The state statistics are a shocking look into the impact of violence in Wisconsins communities, Bobolz said.

Wisconsin ranks eighth in the nation for the number of women killed by men. One in every six domestic violence deaths in the U.S. happened in Wisconsin, the report states. An overwhelming majority of perpetrators were male  88.7%. Most perpetrators committed the homicide with a firearm  88.5%.

The costs of domestic violence to Wisconsin are high.

The greatest among these costs are not quantifiable: the loss of human potential, dignity and liberty. Domestic violence robs victims of the ability to live safe, peaceful and fully actualized lives. In the most severe lethal cases, it robs their ability to live at all, the report states.

Beyond the moral and ethical imperative to act, there are over $657 million in annual economic losses, the report states.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is estimated that Wisconsin domestic violence service providers prevent about 85,000 missed days of work a year.

That's about 340 years of productivity gained in one year, the report states.

The most dangerous time in survivors lives is when they take steps to leave a violent relationship. Leaving violent relationships account for over 40% of all domestically violent homicides annually, Bobolz said.

Data show that funding services for survivors helps by increasing awareness of options to access safety and community resources. Ninety percent of survivors report that as a result of receiving services, they know more ways to plan for their safety, the report states. Eighty-five percent of survivors surveyed responded that as a result of receiving services, they know more about community resources.

Bobolz said the Family Support Center seeks to spread awareness about domestic violence in the community with the hope of being able to decrease the number of deaths taking place.

Deaths, which get counted as part of the End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin annual report, include those where the person killed and the killer had been spouses or partners, former spouses or partners and the deaths occurred within the context of domestic violence, said Bobolz.

And child homicides that occurred as an extension of or in response to ongoing abuse between adult intimate partners are also counted. The count of domestic violence homicide victims occasionally includes perpetrators killed by responding law enforcement officers, which is also referred to as homicide by legal intervention.
The Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, says the assembly has no intention to encroach on the powers of the National Judicial Council (NJC) by the suspension of the states Chief Judge, Adepele Ojo.

Mr Egbedun, in a statement by his media aide, Olamide Tiamiyu, on Monday in Osogbo, the state capital, said the assembly was only performing its constitutional duties.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the assembly had on 16 November, passed a resolution for the suspension of the Chief Judge (CJ) over alleged corruption, abuse of powers, among others.

The assembly, carefully avoiding the use of the word suspend, rather asked the Chief Judge to step aside.

But the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has argued that neither the governor nor the House of Assembly has the power to suspend a Chief Judge without the input of the NJC either in the form of step aside or under any other guise.

Mr Egbedun, during an emergency plenary on Monday, said the suspension was based on series of petitions received by the assembly against the CJ.

He said the petitions accused the Chief Judge of corruption, gross misconduct and abuse of office.

The assembly also advised the governor to appoint the next most senior judge in the state as the acting CJ.

On the same day, Governor Ademola Adeleke, in a statement by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, approved the suspension of the CJ.

The governor also announced the appointment of David Afolabi as the acting CJ with immediate effect.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr Afolabi rejected the appointment as it did not follow the due process, which should involve an input of the NJC.

However, in another statement on Sunday, the state government said the governor had neither removed the CJ nor appointed anyone in acting capacity.

The statement by Kolapo Alimi, the commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, said the governor had only forwarded the resolution of the assembly and recommendations for an acting appointment to the Chief Justice of the Federation for his action.

The Speaker, however, said on Monday that the assembly was fulfilling its constitutional duty of exposing corruption as stipulated in sections 128 (2) (b) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

Mr Egbedun said that that the assembly received several petitions against the Chief Judge.

He said that the assembly would have been negligent and in breach of its constitutional responsibilities, if it had ignored the petitions.

Allegations against Chief Judge

According to him, some of the allegations against the CJ include diversion of the funds for the states judiciary library, and diversion of the robe allowance of other judges of the state High Court, amounting to N5 million.

The Speaker also said that the CJ was accused of indiscriminate suspension of judicial staff members without going through the Judicial Service Commission and diversion of their salaries.

He said the CJ was also accused of diversion of revenue due to the government from electronic affidavits through the sole appointment of a consultant.

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In this case, the consultant makes N1,000 on an affidavit as against just N250 that is being remitted to the state coffers, he said.

Mr Egbedun said the assembly was aware of the position of the Nigerian Constitution and the decisions of the Supreme Court in various similar cases.

He said that the governor and the assembly could not remove a Chief Judge from office without the participation of the National Judicial Council.

The speaker urged commentators to be cautious in their utterances, as they might convey the misconception that the assembly had removed or intended to remove the CJ without the involvement of the National Judicial Council.

Mr Egbedun also said that the assembly was not in anyway listed as a defendant in the lawsuit filed by the CJ at the National Industrial Court, Ibadan.

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Madame Tussauds unveils three new figures of the global icon at its Berlin, Amsterdam, and Dubai attractions

DUBAI, UAE, Nov. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Fans of Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson are about to do a triple take as the man of many talents adds to his Madame Tussauds offering with the addition of three new figures across the world famous attractions' estate.

Madame Tussauds unveils three new Dwayne Johnson wax figures in Amsterdam, Dubai, and Berlin, available for guests to meet beginning November 21

Residents and tourists to Berlin, Amsterdam and Dubai, Madame Tussauds' newest opening, will be able to 'smell what the Rock is cooking', when the Hollywood superstar takes up permanent residence in the attractions from Tuesday November 21. The three new figures take the man of the moment's repertoire to nine Madame Tussauds likenesses, with replicas of Johnson already in London, New York, Las Vegas, Hollywood, Orlando and touring the Asian attractions.

The three new figures have been created by the attractions' talented artists and based on hundreds of precise measurements and reference photographs taken during his sittings.

All three figures stand red-carpet ready in multiple outfits inspired by some of Dwayne's best film premiere looks. Berlin's figure rocks a replica of the flower silk suit Johnson wore to the world premiere of hit film, Jumanji: The Next Level, while his Amsterdam figure dons a cerise pink dinner jacket inspired by his look for the UK opening of the fantasy adventure comedy. Finally, Dwayne's Dubai look is an imitation of the powder blue suit he wore to the New York premiere of Skyscraper, which the A-Lister both produced and starred in.

Of being a nonuplet Madame Tussauds threat, Dwayne Johnson said, "This is so cool and fun! Three new Rock wax figures and nine total all around the world- London, Asia, New York, Hollywood, LA, Orlando and now Berlin, Amsterdam, and Dubai. Wow, that's a lot of bald head and tattoos. I love meeting my fans all around the world and my Madame Tussauds figures are the next best thing to connecting with you. Come join me at Madame Tussauds, let's raise some mana together and say cheers to gratitude, good times and nine Rock wax figures that are much cooler than the real human himself."

"When you look at Hollywood stars, there aren't many that come bigger than Dwayne Johnson," said Angela Jobson, Global Brand Director of Madame Tussauds. "His incredible career as a record-breaking wrestler, actor, producer and businessman has earnt him an allegiance of fans, but it's his support of numerous charities and his willingness to speak out on issues that face people across the world, that have made him the global icon that he is today. It's for that reason that we're delighted to be able to unveil three more Dwayne figures in our Berlin, Amsterdam and Dubai attractions, making him one of the most decorated stars across the Madame Tussauds estate."

Dwayne Johnson's figure is available for guests to meet from Tuesday November 21st.

To book tickets, please visit www.madametussauds.com/dubai

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1dLo63Ovqr20V6fQIYuos62elEw9yN9zM

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2281721/Madame_Tussauds.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2281693/Madame_Tussauds_Logo.jpg
MAASTRICHT, Netherlands, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- TEFAF, the world's foremost organization for fine art, antiques, and design, will celebrate its 20-year partnership with AXA XL, a Division of AXA, at TEFAF Maastricht 2024 (March 9-14; March 7 & 8 by invite only). Since 2004 the two organizations have collaborated given their shared belief in the power of art to transform our lives and strengthen our communities.

AXA XL Lounge at TEFAF Maastricht 2023

In celebration of its 20th anniversary, the longstanding partnership has been renewed with an even more enriched program for 2024. AXA XL will be the primary sponsor of the first TEFAF Summit, to be launched at TEFAF Maastricht 2024. The TEFAF Summit, produced in association with the Netherlands Commission to UNESCO, TEFAF's long-supporting heritage partner Cultural Emergency Response, and several other leading agencies, will focus on critical issues concerning cultural heritage.

Hidde van Seggelen, President of TEFAF's Executive Committee, expressed his excitement about renewing and strengthening the longstanding partnership: 'We are thrilled to celebrate this milestone anniversary with AXA XL. Their unwavering commitment to TEFAF and the larger art community is invaluable, and we look forward to many more successful years together'.

Sylvie Gleises, AXA XL's CEO for Singapore, has recently been appointed to TEFAF's Global Advisory Board. She commented that 'the partnership between TEFAF and AXA XL is a testament to the power of art. It is a shining example of what can be achieved through collaboration and shared passion. Our partnership allows us to reach a core segment of our community, and I am delighted to join the TEFAF Global Advisory Board. As a new member, I am committed to offering my support, advice, and perspective'.

Ms. Gleises oversees AXA XL's insurance operations in Singapore and is the Executive Sponsor for AXA XL's Fine Art insurance strategy in APAC & Europe. Ms. Gleises joined AXA Group in 2006 and has held several strategic positions, including Chief of Staff to the Group's former Chairman & CEO, Henri de Castries. She also served as CEO for Continental Europe, and Global Head of Distribution and Marketing for AXA Art, where she was responsible for the relationship with TEFAF.

AXA XL AND THE ARTS

Beyond partnering with TEFAF, AXA XL has long committed itself to the arts, funding academic research, cultural heritage protection, art conservation/restoration, and hosting a juried competition - the AXA Art Prize - for students in the US and UK.

ABOUT TEFAF MAASTRICHT

TEFAF Maastricht is widely regarded as the world's premier fair for fine art, antiques, and design, covering 7,000 years of art history, from ancient to contemporary. Featuring over 260 prestigious dealers from some 22 countries, TEFAF Maastricht is a showcase for the finest artworks on the market. Alongside the traditional areas of Old Masters, antiques, and classical antiquities that cover approximately half of the fair, you can also find modern and contemporary art, photography, jewelry, 20th-century design, and works on paper.

PRESS CONTACT

Cultural Communications | tefaf@culturalcomms.co.uk

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ZHENGZHOU, China, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2023 World 5G Convention, with the theme of "5G+, by all for all," will be held in Zhengzhou, capital city of Henan province in east-central China, from December 6 to 8. The registration system of the website and WeChat account for the event has been officially launched.

The official website of the World 5G Convention The official website of the World 5G Convention

The event, approved by the State Council, will be co-hosted by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Henan Provincial People's Government. It will be organized by the Science and Technology Department of Henan Province, the Zhengzhou Municipal People's Government, and the FuTURE Mobile Communication Forum.

With the goal of promoting 5G evolution and innovation, the event will focus on meeting economic and social expectations from 5G, and promoting a global scientific and technological cooperation system and industrial ecosystem of integration, innovation, collaboration and openness.

The event will consist of a main forum for the opening ceremony, 12 parallel forums, exhibitions in a 12,000-square-meter exhibition area, and activities highlighting excellent 5G application cases.

The parallel forums will cover forward-looking technologies, advanced manufacturing, agriculture, medical health and tourism. Transportation, energy and other important 5G application industries are also on the agenda.

The three-day exhibition will focus on innovative technology and the integration of digital technology and real economy to create an observable, sensible, communicable and tradable exhibition area.

The 5G integration application award and the top 10 selected application cases will be announced during the event. The 10 cases are chosen from more than 400 outstanding projects countrywide.

The World 5G Convention is the world's first international conference in the 5G field, which started in Beijing in 2019.

For more information, please visit https://www.w5gc.com/.

SOURCE World 5G Convention
In terms of cyber threats, there have been around 5.4 billion records breached, according to IT Governance. The impact here can be harsh, with the global average cost of a data breach in 2023 being $4.45 million, according to an IBM report.

Palo Alto Networks, as a global cybersecurity provider, positions itself at the forefront of this industry. The company's commitment to excellence is evident in its cybersecurity platforms and services, which are fortified by threat intelligence and advanced automation.

What makes Palo Alto (News - Alert) Networks stand out are its comprehensive security measures that enable organizations to implement a Zero Trust Enterprise model, respond effectively to security incidents, and foster improved security outcomes.

This dedication to enhancing cybersecurity makes Palo Alto Networks an ideal choice for organizations seeking a reliable and forward-thinking cybersecurity provider.

In acknowledgment of its customers' collective trust and the heightened threat landscape, Palo Alto Networks has unveiled a complimentary and immediate offering: the Unit 42 Incident Response Retainer. This initiative aims to provide additional support to eligible customers during critical moments.

Unit 42 experts operate on behalf of organizations, employing their skills to detect and respond to cyberattacks. With a focus on scalability and enabling organizational teams to concentrate on crucial matters, Unit 42 handles over 1,000 incident response investigations annually. The Unit 42 Retainer is available in four distinct levels, each offering various response time SLAs, providing organizations with options that complement existing security operations capabilities, suit their budgetary considerations, and address specific incident response requirements.

"The scale, sophistication, and speed of attacks, coupled with the expanding attack surface, mean protecting your organization is more challenging than ever, said Wendi Whitmore, Senior Vice President of Unit 42, Palo Alto Networks. Quick response makes all the difference  your defenses must outpace the time needed to execute an attack.

Qualified customers using this retainer will receive the first 250 hours of Unit 42 incident response services at no cost. The arrangement also includes a commitment to a swift two-hour response time, continuous access to Unit 42's incident response team around the clock throughout the year, and the invaluable expertise of Unit 42's threat intelligence professionals.

This comprehensive package is offered with the intention of fortifying customers' cybersecurity defenses and ensuring a proactive response to emerging threats, reinforcing Palo Alto Networks' dedication to its clientele.

"We are stepping up our commitment, making sure that our most loyal customers have leading incident response and threat intelligence capabilities available exactly when they need them, Nikesh Arora, chairman and CEO of Palo Alto Networks. With the free and instant Unit 42 Incident Response Retainer, customers have peace of mind that in the event of an attack, Unit 42 is ready to respond to reduce operational impact within two hours."

The complimentary Palo Alto Networks Unit 42 Incident Response retainer is available now for qualified customers. This offer is available through January 31, 2024.

Edited by Alex Passett
Motion Recruitment's Tech Salary Guide Tackles IT Hiring Market Changes Amid Slower Growth

BOSTON, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Motion Recruitment, one of the largest providers of IT Staffing Solutions in the United States, released their 2024 Tech Salary Guide, an annual report spotlighting compensation data, industry trends and market expert advice in technology hiring. This year, a complex economy and changes in the workforce have both technologists and employers considering what their priorities are and how to handle the evolution. Key trends are included below.

Read the full Motion Recruitment 2024 Tech Salary Guide here.

What do you need to know about tech hiring in 2024? Tech salaries may have only increased by a modest 2% this year following 2022s hyperactive growth, but top candidates are still in high demand. Read the 2024 Tech Salary Guide for salary data and insights on what to prioritize to find success in 2024.

Tech Jobs Still Outnumber Tech Talent: Even with a slew of layoff announcements at the start of 2023, tech employment remains a steady market, with an unemployment rate around 2%, well below the national average. Competition for talent still outweighs any setbacks of 2023.

 79% of IT professionals laid off started a new position within 3 months.

 More tech workers than ever started their own businesses after being laid off.

 71% of HR leaders say their tech hiring is due to growth  and 52% to backfill. Compensation a Priority for Technologists as Growth Stabilizes. Overall, tech salaries increased by a modest average of 2% this year as IT salaries normalized in a complex market and adjusted for 2022's hyperactive growth. However, 56% tech workers say salary ranks as most important in a job offer  though job security (56%) and benefits (55%) are also top considerations. Tech Workers Want Flexible (Remote) Work. While remote IT job postings have dropped by half since their peak in July 2022 , tech workers prefer to stay fully remote, with lack of commute as the biggest factor. As companies push for a return to office, work/life balance and schedule flexibility paired with increased benefit offerings are turning candidates' heads.

 Only 28% of workers say their company is making it worthwhile to come to the office.

 Generational differences drive different remote desires  a majority of Gen Z (80%) wants to be in the office 3+ days a week, but 52% of Boomers desire less than 2 days. IT hiring adjusts to the market. Not only are hiring managers honing their practices (60% of candidates quit the interview process because it was too long or complex), but top employers are considering talented junior candidates for roles versus finding a unicorn. These less experienced technologists have the ability to upskill with the newest tools and allow for a competitive but lower cost overall, as they are less likely to get bored and may be retained longer. AI Investments & Payoffs Skyrocket: Even as more than half of tech professionals are worried about losing their jobs due to artificial intelligence, currently AI has not replaced higher-level tech jobs, but rather made them easier and more productive, with developers feeling more fulfilled when using AI tools versus those that don't. Adopting AI tools is a top issue for 2024.

 45% of tech leaders are saying that AI spending is a top priority in their company.

 AI-tool focused software engineers are seeing 8%-12% higher salaries.

"When it comes to hiring in 2024, top candidates are still in high demand, but there is more balance in the tech job market. Both job seekers and hiring managers will need to find common ground," said Matt Milano, President of Motion Recruitment. "This could include accepting a hybrid schedule, reasonable salary demands or more upskilling and growth opportunities. Long term, understanding how tech workers and employers will get work done best will help the industry thrive in 2024 as the market evolves."

Motion's Tech Salary Guide gives employers and tech professionals the latest data, reporting and insights to better understand the market value of IT positions across cities and technology stacks. The information is based on thousands of technologists and verified against other industry leaders' reporting to provide salary data for mid to senior-level technologists, whether hiring or for their career growth.

About:

Motion Recruitment provides IT Staffing & Consulting solutions across North America to meet for tech contract, direct hire, and project deliverable needs. Motion Recruitment's specialized staffing solutions fill the most challenging positions for Software, Mobile, Data, Infrastructure, Cybersecurity, Product + UX, Functional and Telecommunications talent. Motion Consulting Group provides consulting solutions for true digital transformation in Agile, DevOps, Cybersecurity & Product Modernization.

We're also the proud creators of Tech in Motion; a North American technology networking event and awards program connecting more than 300,000 tech enthusiasts to meet, learn and innovate.

SOURCE Motion Recruitment
HARRISBURG, Pa., Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Jim Palmquist has been selected by AARP, the nonprofit organization for people 50 and older, to receive the 2023 AARP Pennsylvania Andrus Award for Community Service, the Association's most prestigious and visible state volunteer award for community service.

AARP Pennsylvania selected Palmquist, 78, for his remarkable service, which has greatly benefited his community, reflected AARP's vision and mission, and inspired other volunteers.

2023 Pennsylvania Andrus Award Winner Jim Palmquist

A Chicago native who has lived in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley for the past 40 years, Palmquist currently volunteers for nine nonprofit organizations, including AARP Pennsylvania, ACLU of the Lehigh Valley, the American Humanist Association, and the Lehigh Valley Humanists, where he works to increase diversity, equity and inclusion.

Palmquist's storied career found him in everything from rescue helicopters for the U.S. Navy, to sales, to teaching in museums and at the college level.

Since his retirement in 2009, he has kept busy lobbying for nonprofit organizations, advocating for better walkways in his hometown, and teaching at the American Helicopter Museum and Education Center in West Chester, Pennsylvania, among other endeavors.

A key component of all his work is inclusion and diversity, and he bases much of his volunteering around being able to work with organizations that share his beliefs or are willing to work toward them with his help.

"I see American Society as knowing people across differences," Palmquist says. "That's a key driver for me. American life is changing, and to have acquaintances across differences is good for us. We are beneficiaries of a great society. Every generation works to make it better. Each of us is obligated to make this a better world and a better society."

The award will be formally presented to Palmquist at a ceremony later this month.

"This award acts as a symbol to the public that we can all work together for positive social change," says AARP State Director Bill Johnston-Walsh. "AARP has long valued the spirit of volunteerism and the important contributions volunteers make to their communities, neighbors, and the programs they serve."

Recipients across the nation were chosen for their ability to enhance the lives of AARP members and prospective members, improve the community in or for which the work was performed, and inspire others to volunteer.

ABOUT AARP

AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With nearly 38 million members and offices in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, AARP works to strengthen communities and advocate for what matters most to families with a focus on health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also works for individuals in the marketplace by sparking new solutions and allowing carefully chosen, high-quality products and services to carry the AARP name. As a trusted source for news and information, AARP produces the nation's largest circulation publications, AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or follow @AARP and @AARPadvocates on social media.

CONTACT: Randy LoBasso | [email protected] | 267-964-8001

SOURCE AARP Pennsylvania
Former Morgan Stanley Vice Chairman and COO joins board of advisors

TEL AVIV, Israel, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- AI21 , a leader in AI systems for enterprise, announced today the appointment of Tom Nides, former US Ambassador to Israel, as a Board Member. In his role, Nides will advise on the company's continued expansion into the enterprise market in North America. He brings decades of experience in US government and leadership at top financial firms, including Morgan Stanley.

"With so many voices in the generative AI space, many companies are looking to stand out. AI21 goes beyond the initial AI hype to create reliable and scalable tools for real-world applications," said Nides. "I am looking forward to bringing a unique perspective to the executive board as AI21 helps our customers and partners advance using state-of-the-art large language models."

This appointment is a testament to the interest that large US enterprises in the financial sector have shown in AI21's easily-integratable LLM-based solutions, which include both developer tools for constructing NLP applications and end-user tools for reading and writing via Wordtune. Combined with its already strong existing US partnerships and the large total addressable market for generative AI, the company is continuing to move forward with expansion in the US.

Nides has extensive experience in finance and public policy. He most recently served as the United States' Ambassador to Israel, spending two years as the nation's top diplomat there before leaving his post this past summer. Prior to his time in Israel, he spent nearly a decade at Morgan Stanley as Chief Operating Officer, Managing Director, and Vice Chairman, and serving on the Operating and Management Committees where he focused on the firm's management as well as global client relationships.

"For an enterprise to take large language models beyond the experimentation phase and into mass deployment, they must be not only accurate, but also able to accomplish tasks specific to many different markets, including the financial sector," said Ori Goshen, co-CEO and co-founder of AI21. "As we continue to innovate and provide the best in industry generative AI solutions, we are excited to welcome Tom to our executive board, where he will bring a unique US perspective into the financial sector, allowing us to better understand and serve our customers in these new markets."

Founded in 2017 by AI leaders Professor Amnon Shasuha, Professor Yoav Shoham, and Ori Goshen, AI21 was among the first to bring generative AI to the masses. The company has built a strong and dedicated customer base serving consumers and Fortune 100 companies with the power of Wordtune and AI21 Studio, respectively. Market-leading customers in diverse sectors include Carrefour, Clarivate, eBay, Guesty, Monday.com, and Ubisoft. The company was also named on the first-ever CB Insights GenAI 50 List of Most Innovative Generative AI Startups.

About AI21

AI21 is a leader in generative AI and Large Language Models, with the mission to empower businesses with state-of-the-art LLMs and AI applications. Founded in 2017, AI21 has raised a total of $336 million, with the most recent Series C round closing at $208 million in November 2023. It was among the first companies to bring generative AI to the masses and, to date, offers consumer applications and enterprise solutions. With the developer platform AI21 Studio, businesses can build their own generative AI-driven applications and services with the world's most advanced family of language models, Jurassic-2. AI21's consumer product, Wordtune, is the first AI-based reading and writing assistant to understand context and meaning, enabling its millions of users to refine and generate text or read and summarize text within seconds. For more information, please visit www.AI21.com .

SOURCE AI21 Labs
BEIJING, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from China.org.cn on an ancient village along the Yellow River:

Ancient Village along the Yellow River



Ancient Village along the Yellow River

https://youtu.be/d8z-12rvuUo

The Yellow River flows for 5,464 kilometers. It's impossible to take it all in a short trip. My choice is a one-day visit to Cuijiazhai Village in northern China.

The sinuous, winding river and the ancient village are captivating.

With a history of over 300 years, Cuijiazhai Village is formed in the natural environment in the bay areas of the Yellow River. Most local villagers can trace their roots to Shanxi and Shaanxi.

During the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1636-1912) dynasties, there was a great movement known as "zouxikou (moving westward)." People of Shanxi, Shaanxi, and other places moved to inner Mongolia beyond the Great Wall to reclaim wasteland and do business. "Zouxikou" strengthened the connection and integration between the Central Plains and grassland areas in the north China.

People came there, bringing their own cultural traditions and professions, permeating the life as can been seen in both intangible and tangible influences.

In this video, we will see some buildings and utensils in Cuijiazhai Village have been left with traces of such integration.

The Cultural Sit-Down with Wang Xiaohui

http://cul.china.com.cn/node_1008104.htm

Ancient Village along the Yellow River

https://www.facebook.com/chinaorgcn/videos/904694727653072/

https://twitter.com/chinaorgcn/status/1719260911213658146

SOURCE China.org.cn
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The St. Baldrick's Foundation, the largest charity funder of childhood cancer research grants, is thrilled to announce $1.1 million in new grants to bolster pediatric cancer clinical trial enrollment. Clinical trials play a crucial role in the fight against childhood cancer. The unsung heroes who help make clinical trials happen for kids are the dedicated clinical research associates, nurses, and support staff.

This $1.1 million supports these necessary roles to ensure more kids get treated on a clinical trial, often their best hope for a cure.

These grants would not be possible without the support of St. Baldrick's volunteers, supporters and donors.

The following institutions were awarded a St. Baldrick's Foundation Infrastructure award:

CALIFORNIA

Loma Linda University Children's Health, Loma Linda

Children's Health, Loma Linda Valley Children's Healthcare, Madera

Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC), Orange

(CHOC), Orange University of California, San Francisco , San Francisco on behalf of the Pediatric Cancer Center at Children's Hospital and Research Center Oakland, Oakland

FLORIDA

Orlando Regional Healthcare, Orlando

ILLINOIS

University of Illinois Chicago , Chicago

IOWA

Blank Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Des Moines

LOUISIANA

Children's Hospital New Orleans, New Orleans

MICHIGAN

Children's Hospital of Michigan Foundation, Detroit

MISSOURI

Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City

City SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital, St. Louis

NORTH CAROLINA

Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston-Salem

NEW JERSEY

Hackensack Meridian Health, Edison

NEW MEXICO

University of New Mexico HSC, Albuquerque

NEVADA

Renown Health Foundation, Reno

NEW YORK

Children's Hospital at Montefiore, Bronx

Weill Medical College of Cornell University , New York

, New York SUNY Upstate Medical University , Syracuse

The Melodies Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders at Albany Medical Center, Albany

TEXAS

El Paso Children's Hospital Foundation, El Paso

Baylor College of Medicine , Houston on behalf of Vannie E. Cook Jr. Children's Cancer Clinic, McAllen

VIRGINIA

Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters, Norfolk

WISCONSIN

St. Vincent Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis , Green Bay

, Green Bay Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Foundation, Inc., Milwaukee

The next set of grants will be announced in March, supported by donations made now. Visit the St. Baldrick's Foundation grants page to learn more about all the research these grants are supporting.

About St. Baldrick's Foundation

Every 2 minutes, a child somewhere is diagnosed with cancer. In the U.S., 1 in 5 will not survive. The St. Baldrick's Foundation, the largest charity funder of childhood cancer research grants, is on a mission to Conquer Kids' Cancer by supporting the most promising research to find cures and better treatments for all childhood cancers. When you give to St. Baldrick's, you don't just give to one hospital  you support virtually every institution with the expertise to treat kids with cancer across the U.S. St. Baldrick's ensures that children fighting cancer now  and those diagnosed in the future  will have access to the most cutting-edge treatment, by supporting every stage of research, from new ideas in the lab to the training of the next generation of researchers, to life-saving clinical trials. Visit StBaldricks.org and help #ConquerKidsCancer.

SOURCE St. Baldrick's Foundation
CHICAGO , Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Report "Automotive Coatings Market by Resin Type (Polyurethane, Epoxy, Acrylic), Vehicle Type (Passenger Cars, Commercial Vehicles), Technology Type (Solvent-based, Water-based, Powder-based), Coat Type (Clearcoat, Basecoat) & Region - Global Forecast to 2028", is projected to reach a market size of USD 19.0 billion by 2028 from USD 15.5 billion in 2023, at a CAGR of 4.1%. Asia pacific is the one of the largest markets for automotive coatings. The demand for automotive coatings is increasing in the Clearcoat, Basecoat, Primer, and E-Coat. The demand from developing nations, such as China, India, Mexico, Germany, Indonesia, and Brazil are expected to drive the global automotive coatings market.

Browse in-depth TOC on "Automotive Coatings Market"

250  Tables

70  Figures

300  Pages

Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=3359935

Primer by coat type segment is expected to account second largest share of the automotive coatings market during the forecasted period.

Primers play a crucial role in the coating system by preparing the substrate surface for subsequent layers of paint. One key function of primers is to promote adhesion, ensuring that the paint adheres securely to the vehicle surface. This adhesion is vital for the overall durability and longevity of the coating system. primers contribute to corrosion resistance by creating a protective barrier between the substrate and environmental elements. The automotive industry places a strong emphasis on preventing corrosion to enhance the lifespan of vehicles, especially considering exposure to various weather conditions and road salts. Primers provide an effective defense against corrosion, making them an essential component in the automotive coating process.

Polyurethane, by resin type segment hold the largest share in overall automotive coatings market during forecast period.

polyurethane coatings are renowned for their exceptional durability and resistance to various environmental factors. They provide a robust protective layer that shields vehicles from UV radiation, weathering, chemicals, and abrasion. This durability ensures that the automotive coatings maintain their aesthetic appeal and protective qualities over an extended period, contributing to their widespread adoption. polyurethane coatings offer versatility in terms of application and performance. They can be formulated to provide different finishes, including high gloss, matte, or satin, meeting the diverse aesthetic preferences of consumers. Polyurethane coatings also adhere well to various substrates, including metal, plastic, and composite materials, making them suitable for application across different components of a vehicle.

Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=3359935

Asia Pacific region likely to be the fastest growing automotive coatings market during the forecast period.

Asia-Pacific is a major hub for automotive manufacturing. The region has witnessed a surge in both production and sales of automobiles. The automotive industry's growth is a direct driver for the demand for automotive coatings as manufacturers seek high-quality and technologically advanced coatings to meet consumer expectations and regulatory standards. The Asia-Pacific region, particularly countries like China and India, has been experiencing rapid economic growth. This growth has led to an increase in disposable income, urbanization, and an expanding middle class. As a result, there is a growing demand for automobiles, driving the need for automotive coatings to protect and enhance the aesthetic appeal of vehicles.

BASE SE (Germany), PPG Industries, Inc. (US), Axalta coating systems (US), Akzo Nobel N.V. (Netherlands), and Kansai Paint Co., Ltd (Japan) are the key players in the global automotive coatings market.

Browse Adjacent Market: Coatings Adhesives Sealants and Elastomers Market Research Reports

Related Reports:

Green Coatings Market - Global Forecast to 2027

Powder Coatings Market - Global Forecast to 2028

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.

Contact:

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MarketsandMarkets INC.

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Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/automotive-coating-market.asp

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SOURCE MarketsandMarkets
The 'Ready with RISE on AWS bundle' provides game-changing cloud migration services to clients' SAP transformation journeys

LONDON, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Amazon Web Services (AWS) and SoftwareOne Holding AG, a global provider of end-to-end software and cloud technology solutions, today announced a new collaborative initiative to help customers transition to RISE with SAP on an AWS cloud environment. Called the Ready for RISE on AWS bundle, it combines SoftwareOne's deep SAP advisory and implementation knowledge with AWS technologies to expedite a client's SAP transformation journey.

The collaboration comes at a time when there is growing pressure on organisations to decide how to modernise their SAP environments driven in part by the end of mainstream support for SAP ERP Central Component (SAP ECC) in 2027. Despite the imminent deadline, many organisations are still confused as to which path to take, including when to adopt RISE with SAP, SAP's bundled offering of cloud solutions, infrastructure, and services that helps migrate SAP ERP to the cloud.

"A stable, efficient, and cost-effective environment for consultants and programmers is one of the most important priorities of our daily work. Thanks to the migration of our SAP systems to the AWS cloud with the help of SoftwareOne, GAVDI Polska has achieved all the goals set for this process," says Ireneusz Hoowacz, Director of Application Development Center at GAVDI Polska.

In a survey recently conducted by SoftwareOne with Americas' SAP Users' Group (ASUG) - the full details of which will be revealed in January 2024 - showed that while 42% of respondents were familiar with RISE with SAP, 40% had heard of it but weren't familiar with the details and 18% had never heard of it. Over half (52%) said they were still unsure how RISE with SAP would impact their existing relationship with cloud service providers.

"SAP customers have implemented some of the most comprehensive and complex enterprise systems in the industry and moving them to cloud services like AWS requires many important decisions to be made to optimise these investments," says Joshua Greenbaum, Principal at EAC. "SoftwareOne's extensive experience in the SAP ecosystem, combined with its unique capabilities around system rationalisation, cost containment, contracts and licences, and cloud service management, among others, will provide customers deploying on AWS with the ability to make the most of RISE on SAP and other SAP offerings. Ready for RISE on AWS is an important offering for SAP customers at this critical moment in their business transformations."

The Ready for RISE on AWS bundle will help clients understand their SAP transformation options and offer a comprehensive solution to organisations who consider RISE with SAP. It includes advisory data preparation, conversion services, data and AI, cloud innovation platform, supporting the entire journey to RISE on AWS. Clients will benefit from accelerated Return on Investment (ROI), optimal data management, and cost-saving strategies while laying the foundation for ongoing innovation and long-term business success.

"As a valued AWS Premier Consulting Partner, AWS is- working closely with SoftwareOne to offer SAP customers comprehensive assistance through each step of their journey to RISE with SAP on AWS. SoftwareOne's ability to bundle Advisory, Data & AI, Cloud Platform, and Operations considerations can be of high interest to customers who are seeking to understand RISE with SAP as well as the cloud native and operation considerations that surround and support the RISE with SAP construct" says Matt Schwartz, Worldwide Director, SAP Alliance & Partner Network at AWS.

"There are many choices available to SAP clients who know they need to modernise but aren't sure of the best option, particularly given the business-critical nature of the applications," says PF Grillet, SAP Business Lead at SoftwareOne. "All of our services are centered around our customers and what is right for them. This includes supporting and optimising RISE with SAP in scenarios when it's the right decision based on their requirements. Our extensive knowledge of and relationship with AWS means we can help them better prepare and achieve a seamless transition to S/4HANA using RISE with SAP on AWS with reduced costs and risks. This collaboration goes beyond preparing businesses for change; it's making transformation and becoming innovation-ready a reality using AWS technologies."

The offering includes SNP tooling to reduce a customer's data footprint and accelerate migration. SoftwareOne will migrate selected data to an AWS data lake, accelerate innovation readiness and ensure SAP data is suitable for broader data analytics and AI use cases. Clients gain access to innovative tools like AWS' Sagemaker for Machine Learning, continuous data management and optimisation within the AWS environment. The AWS innovation platform also includes Amazon Bedrock that helps organisations accelerate adapting Large Language Models and deploying GenAI use cases that leverage the extended data set.

"While the future innovation opportunities are exciting, clients need to balance these with a pragmatic approach to costs," explains Brian Duffy, CEO at SoftwareOne. "We integrate 'Cost-Out' recommendations into the core of our services, providing a more cost-effective solution for customers, like reducing the data footprint size and optimising storage and archiving. Our expertise in the complexities of SAP licensing further drives cost savings while our FinOps capabilities enable customers to optimise their AWS cloud spend and effectively manage their AWS cloud environment, ensuring full transparency in their budgets. The overall result is a significantly reduced time for RISE migration, which translates into a quicker time to value."

SoftwareOne will be attending AWS re:Invent in Las Vegas, Nevada from 27 November to 1 December 2023 and available to answer queries on their SAP transformation journey.

About SoftwareOne

SoftwareOne is a leading global software and cloud solutions provider that is redefining how organizations build, buy and manage everything in the cloud. By helping clients to migrate and modernise their workloads and applications  and in parallel, to navigate and optimise the resulting software and cloud changes  SoftwareOne unlocks the value of technology. The company's ~9,000 employees are driven to deliver a portfolio of 7,500 software brands with sales and delivery capabilities in 90 countries. Headquartered in Switzerland, SoftwareOne is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange under the ticker symbol SWON. Visit us at www.softwareone.com

SoftwareOne Holding AG, Riedenmatt 4, CH-6370 Stans

SOURCE SoftwareOne Holding AG
KADIMA, Israel, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- William (Bill) Hoffman has joined Magenta Medical's Board of Directors as an independent industry expert. Magenta Medical is developing the Elevate System, the smallest heart pump in the world.

Mr. Hoffman currently serves as a member of the board of directors of Inari Medical, where he was CEO from 2015 until 2022. In May 2020, he led the company to a successful IPO. Prior to Inari Medical, Mr. Hoffman served as CEO of Visualase, Inc., and VP of Sales at FoxHollow Technologies, acquired by Medtronic and ev3, respectively.

Mr. William (Bill) Hoffman, Independent Director, Magenta Medical Ltd.

"Magenta is developing a next-generation temporary mechanical circulatory support system that addresses the important shortcomings of current systems around insertion size and flow. The team is mission-driven, and I love their commitment to treat underserved populations, improve patient outcomes, and save lives," said Mr. Hoffman.

"Bill Hoffman is a widely respected and accomplished leader in the MedTech industry. The company is certain to benefit from his experience and insights as it looks to achieve its upcoming clinical milestones and future commercial goals," said Dr. David Israeli, CEO of Magenta Medical.

About Elevate

The Elevate percutaneous Left Ventricular Assist Device (pLVAD) is a miniaturized heart pump that fits a 9 Fr delivery system, providing the smallest crimping profile in the industry. The ElevateTM Pump can be inserted over a guidewire, using a 10 Fr commercially available femoral introducer sheath. The flow of the pump is adjusted based on the clinical circumstances of the patient and can exceed 5 L/min of mean flow. This makes it the most powerful device of its kind.

Elevate is an investigational device, limited by federal law to investigational use only. The technology was awarded Breakthrough Device Designation from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for two indications: high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention (HR-PCI) and cardiogenic shock.

About Magenta Medical

Magenta Medical Ltd. is a privately-held company dedicated to the development of miniaturized blood pumps intended to provide minimally-invasive support to the native heart during acute episodes of dysfunction that could lead to dangerously low blood pressure and compromised perfusion of vital organs. Magenta's Elevate percutaneous Left Ventricular Assist Device (pLVAD) is currently in clinical trials to be evaluated for at least two indications: patients undergoing high-risk percutaneous coronary interventions (HR-PCI) and patients with cardiogenic shock.

For more information, please visit https://magentamed.com/

Media Contact



Marjie Hadad

General Manager

Must Have Communications

[email protected]

+972 (54) 536-5220

www.mhc-pr.com

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SOURCE Magenta Medical
The trusted manufacturer is also supporting the ministry's outreach by donating equipment to the Hope Village affordable housing project and contributing volunteer hours to prepare and serve Thanksgiving meals

MIDDLEVILLE, Mich., Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Bradford White Corporation, an industry-leading American manufacturer of water heaters, boilers and storage tanks, is providing critical support for the fight against hunger this holiday season with a $10,000 contribution to Mel Trotter Ministries.

The donation will help Mel Trotter Ministries meet the needs of struggling families and individuals in the Grand Rapids area through its annual Thanksgiving Day meal and turkey distribution.

"Bradford White is committed to helping build stronger communities and ensuring our neighbors have the opportunity to experience a happy Thanksgiving," said Peter Kattula, senior vice president and general manager at Bradford White. "We're proud to partner with Mel Trotter Ministries to serve families in need in our area and demonstrate our ongoing support for the communities where we live and work."

More than two dozen employees and their families are also volunteering their time at the DeVos Center on Thanksgiving Day. Volunteers will be participating in several shifts, helping to prepare and serve meals for hundreds of individuals and families as part of Mel Trotter's annual Thanksgiving meal event.

Additionally, Bradford White donated three water heaters for Mel Trotter Ministries' Hope Village project in West Michigan, including two 75-gallon power vent units. The Hope Village project is developing 17 tiny homes in response to the shortage of affordable housing in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and to help individuals experiencing homelessness.

Mel Trotter Ministries is at the forefront of battling homelessness through community partnerships and innovative solutions. For more information, visit https://www.meltrotter.org/.

For more information about Bradford White Corporation, visit https://www.bradfordwhitecorporation.com.

About Bradford White Corporation

Bradford White Corp. is a full-line manufacturer of residential, commercial and industrial water heating, space heating, combination heating and storage products. The company maintains headquarters in Ambler, Pennsylvania, and has manufacturing facilities in Middleville, Michigan; Niles, Michigan; and Rochester, New Hampshire; and distribution and training centers in Halton Hills, Ontario, Canada. For more information, visit www.bradfordwhitecorporation.com.

BRADFORD WHITE CONTACT:

Rebecca Owens

Senior Communications Manager

Bradford White Corporation

(215) 641-9400

[email protected]

MEDIA CONTACT:

Heather Ripley

Ripley PR

(865) 977-1973

[email protected]

SOURCE Bradford White Corporation
British Airways has revealed a quarter of Americans say their New Year's resolution is to travel more in 2024.

The region that Americans plan to visit the most next year is Europe (67%). More than 1 in 10 Americans (12%) plan to travel to the UK in 2024.

(67%). More than 1 in 10 Americans (12%) plan to travel to the UK in 2024. Film and TV locations are the biggest influence for Americans planning their new year travel (22%).

For those wishing to make their travel resolutions a reality, British Airways has today launched its Black Friday sale with vacation savings of up to $600 .

There are also great flight deals on offer for the new year, including round trip World Traveller (economy) flights from New York to London from $637* .

NEW YORK, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Are you dreaming up your next travel adventure or planning to spend next year closer to home? British Airways has today announced the findings of a survey which reveals over a quarter of Americans are planning to travel more than ever before in 2024.

British Airways reveals Americans new year travel resolutions (PRNewsfoto/British Airways) London, credit VisitBritain, Hazel Parreno (PRNewsfoto/British Airways)

For over a third (34%) of Americans, 2024 will be the year they tick new destinations off their 'must visit' list, with almost two thirds saying they have resolved to travel more since the pandemic. Almost a quarter (23%) want to seize the moment, blaze new trails and not put off travel plans. The region that Americans are planning to visit the most in the new year is Europe (67%), with film and TV locations proving to be the biggest influence for Americans planning their travel (22%).

By contrast, only one in five Canadians have committed to traveling more in 2024, with Canadians citing social media as their key influence for travel (27%).





Today, thanks to the British Airways Black Friday vacation sale, travelers can make their bucket list a reality with vacation savings of up to $600**. The sale includes a range of enticing destinations and those booking trips to the UK, Europe and beyond before 30 June 2024 can enjoy huge discounts on their round-trip flights and hotel, including round-trip London flights and five nights hotel from $849pp**, and round-trip Barcelona flights and five nights hotel from $699pp**. The sale ends on Tuesday, November 28. There are also great flight deals on offer for the new year, including round trip World Traveller (economy) flights from New York to London from $637*.

British Airways' Chief Commercial Officer Colm Lacy said: "Nothing beats the thrill of planning your next vacation, or that long-awaited reunion with friends and family  and our brilliant Black Friday sale makes this the perfect time to book that dream trip. With direct British Airways flights to London from 26 US cities, coupled with our biggest deals this holiday season, there's a vast range of options for American travellers to take the vacations they deserve."

The survey also revealed that wellbeing is a big focus for those planning a new year's getaway, with 39% of Americans wanting to focus on relaxing and unwinding more, and 'quality me time' ranking as the top priority for the perfect vacation (34%). The findings reflect that of British Airways vacations 2023 Travel Trends Report in the UK, where 63% of consumers said that holidays were the main way they treat themselves. The report also stated that more than half of Gen Z and millennials plan to book a package holiday this year and 40% of consumers associate 'all-inclusive' with luxury.

In 2024 1 in 5 (22%) Americans are vowing to escape the ordinary, with more than half (53%) keen to go 'off the beaten track' when picking their travel destinations. The environment is also an important priority for those dreaming up their new year travel, with 1 in 5 saying they aspire to travel more sustainably  something that British Airways remains focused on in its BA Better World commitment.

In addition to its Black Friday sale, British Airways is introducing a variety of special touches to its onboard experience this Thanksgiving. On November 23, customers across all cabins will have the choice of a festive main course and dessert on all long-haul flights to and from the US. Customers travelling in First and Club World (business) will be able to enjoy a traditional turkey roast with all the trimmings, followed by either a classic pumpkin pie featuring nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger spices, a pumpkin and walnut cake, or a pumpkin-flavored cheesecake.

Customers in World Traveller Plus (premium economy) and World Traveller (economy) will also be able to delve into a traditional turkey roast followed by the option of a pumpkin pie, gingerbread mousse or a spiced pumpkin and white chocolate mousse, offering the perfect balance of sweetness and spices.

Colm Lacy added: "We'd like to wish a very Happy Thanksgiving to all our US travelers, from everyone at British Airways."

For the full list of Black Friday offers, visit ba.com/sale.

*Prices are subject to availability and include all flight taxes and carrier charges for travel between January  March 2024. Other departure cities and dates available.

**Vacation sale

Vacation savings are valid for all new flight + hotel or flight + car vacation bookings made by November 28 for travel through June 30, 2024.

London - British Airways offers London vacations with five nights at the 4* Hilton Olympia hotel from $849 per person from Los Angeles International LAX and from $899 per person departing New York JFK, Washington IAD or Chicago ORD. Prices are per person, double occupancy, traveling on selected dates in January and February 2024 and include economy round-trip flights, all air taxes, fees, and carrier charges, 23kg luggage allowance and accommodation. Book by November 28, 2023. For reservations visit ba.com. Other departure airports and dates available at varying prices. Terms apply.

Barcelona - British Airways offers Barcelona vacations with five nights at the 4* Pol & Grace hotel from $699 per person, double occupancy, traveling on selected dates in January and February 2024. Includes economy round-trip flights to Barcelona via London from New York JFK airport, 23kg luggage allowance and accommodation. Book by November 28, 2023. For reservations visit ba.com. Other departure airports and dates available at varying prices. Terms apply.

For full list of offers and T&Cs, visit ba.com/sale

About the survey

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from Research Now. Total U.S. sample size was 2,000 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken October 2023. The survey was carried out online. The figures are representative of all U.S. adults (aged 18+).

About British Airways

As a global airline and the UK's flag carrier, British Airways has been flying its customers to where they need to be for more than 100 years. The airline connects Britain with the world and the world with Britain, operating one of the most extensive international scheduled airline route networks together with its joint business, codeshare and franchise partners. British Airways flies to destinations in more than 65 countries. Its principal place of business is London, with its main home at Heathrow Terminal 5. In 2021, the airline won six Business Traveller Awards including Best Short-Haul Carrier, Best Airport Lounge, Best Frequent Flyer Programme, Best Travel App and Best New Seat. In September 2021, British Airways launched its sustainability programme, BA Better World, committing to put sustainability at the heart of everything it does and with a clear roadmap to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. British Airways is a founding member of the airline alliance oneworld, which serves around 1,000 destinations across the globe. The latest information on the measures British Airways is taking to ensure its customers have a safe experience when travelling can be found on ba.com. To book visit BA.com and connect on Facebook @BritishAirways and Instagram @british_airways.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2282259/British_Airways_reveals.jpg

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SOURCE British Airways
A Lincoln man was sentenced to prison Thursday for sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl last December.

Lancaster County District Judge Susan Strong sentenced Randy Abbott to six to 12 years for second-degree sexual assault of a child. Abbott, 30, pleaded no contest to the charge.

Abbott was arrested in February after the victim came forward and told a school counselor that Abbott had sexually abused her, according to the probable cause affidavit.

The victim said the assault happened two days after her birthday when Abbott was meant to be watching over her. Abbott denied that he touched the victim, according to the affidavit.

He does feel horrible about what happened to the victim in this case, Eddy Rodell, Abbotts attorney, said during his statement. Rodell asked the judge to consider the fact that Abbott has Aspergers syndrome, a form of autism, and also has been diagnosed with depression.

Abbott chose not to address the court before his sentencing.

The prosecuting attorney, Jason Cooper, homed in on the fact that Abbott never accepted responsibility for his crimes.

I ask you, judge, to take into consideration the impact this has had on the victim, Cooper said.

Top Journal Star photos for November 2023
WINNIPEG, MB, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Cereals Canada today released the 2023 New Wheat Crop Report, providing a quality and functionality update to domestic and global customers of Canadian wheat. Despite a challenging growing season that led to variable yields and below-average production, Canada produced another top-quality wheat crop.

"This year, Canadian farmers grew almost 30 million tonnes of high-quality wheat with the functionality and protein strength that customers expect," stated Dean Dias, Chief Executive Officer at Cereals Canada.

Cereals Canada CEO Dean Dias introduces the 2023 New Wheat Crop Report View the 2023 New Wheat Crop Report and download the Crop Summary at cerealscanada.ca

Canada had excellent quality in all wheat classes for the 2023 crop year, with the majority grading No. 2 or better and average to higher-than-average protein content.

Over 95% of the CWRS (Canada Western Red Spring) crop has graded No. 1 and No. 2, with average protein content

Over 80% of CWAD (Canada Western Amber Durum) has graded No. 1 and No. 2, with protein content higher than average

Over 90% of CPSR (Canada Prairie Spring Red) has graded No. 1 and No. 2, with average protein content

Over 90% of CESRW (Canada Eastern Soft Red Winter) has graded No. 1 and No. 2, with average protein content.

The technical data will be presented at two customer webinars on November 21 and 22, and at four international trade and technical missions over the coming weeks.

Led by Cereals Canada, the value chain delegation is scheduled to visit 16 countries in Asia, Latin America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. This year's outreach will include a stop in the Philippines, as well as a return to China for the first time since 2019.

"China is a long-term, consistent buyer of Canadian wheat, and they value quality," noted Dias. "Our targeted customer outreach enables Cereals Canada and the value chain members to connect with customers and provide updates on this year's quality, while building relationships and engaging in market access discussions."

The New Wheat Crop Report is prepared and presented annually, in partnership with the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC), value chain members, and provincial grower commissions. This fall, Cereals Canada received samples of Western Canadian wheat from nine grain exporters and conducted the analysis on composite samples for the new crop report with grading support from CGC. An analysis of wheat from Eastern Canada was provided by Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO).

To learn more about Canada's 2023 New Wheat Crop and download the 2023 Crop Summary, visit the 2023 New Wheat Crop Report.

WATCH: Cereals Canada CEO Dean Dias introduces the 2023 New Wheat Crop Report

About Cereals Canada: Cereals Canada is the national, not-for-profit, industry association representing the Canadian cereal grains value chain. We value relationships and work with government and stakeholders to provide timely, expert technical information and deliver best-in-class customer experience. We are dedicated to supporting the Canadian cereals value chain including farmers, exporters, developers, processors, and our customers around the world with a focus on trade, science, and sustainability.

CONTACT: Ellen Pruden, Director of Communications, E: [email protected], C: 204-479-0166

Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRtIiJop-Rw

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BOSTON, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Capitol Securities Management, Inc. is pleased to welcome Arthur W. Wood, Wealth Management Division and its advisors, representatives and clients to the company.

Arthur W. Wood, a Boston firm dating back to 1899, has transferred their Wealth Management Division to Capitol Securities. Both firms have a Clearing and Custody arrangement with Raymond James Financial. CSM thanks the Raymond James RCS Division for their assistance in this seamless transition.

CAPITOL SECURITIES WELCOMES THE ARTHUR W WOOD WEALTH MANAGEMENT DIVISION Post this

With the new group, Capitol Securities assets under advisement, administration and or management will now exceed $7.2 Billion.

Capitol Securities would also like to thank Don McCarthy, CEO of Arthur W. Wood, who will stay with the AWW and continue to run their Institutional and Research Divisions.

About Capitol Securities Management, Inc.

Capitol Securities Management, Inc. is a Mid-Atlantic based, regional brokerage and investment advisory firm with locations from New England to Florida and has been serving the needs of its clients and advisors since 1985. Capitol Securities has a clearing relationship for its clients' accounts, products, services, and technology with Raymond James. It is a member of FINRA and SIPC. For more information on Capitol Securities and its holistic, client centered, platform and services. www.capitolsecurities.com or email Tina French at [email protected].

SOURCE CAPITOL SECURITIES MANAGEMENT, INC
NEW YORK, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Clayton, Dubilier & Rice ("CD&R" or "the Firm") today announced the appointment of John Stegeman as an Operating Advisor to CD&R funds, effective December 1, 2023. Mr. Stegeman will work alongside CD&R's Industrials team to help pursue new investment opportunities and support portfolio company management teams as they execute their value creation plans.

Mr. Stegeman brings more than three decades of industrial distribution experience, most recently as the CEO of White Cap (formerly known as HD Supply's Construction & Industrial business), a distributor of specialty construction supplies and safety products for professional contractors and CD&R Fund XI portfolio company. Over the 13 years of Mr. Stegeman's leadership, White Cap has grown from under $1 billion to over $6 billion in revenue and transitioned from a subsidiary of HD Supply to a high-performing, standalone company. Mr. Stegeman will retire as CEO of White Cap effective January 28, 2024. He will continue to serve on White Cap's board of directors.

"John has been a highly respected leader in the industrial distribution sector for over 35 years and we have had the privilege of working with him at two CD&R portfolio companies, White Cap and HD Supply," said CD&R CEO Nate Sleeper. "We believe John's industry-leading capabilities and experience position him well to help our portfolio companies in this sector achieve expansion and long-term sustainable performance. We are excited to work with John as we continue to deepen our presence across the sector."

"I'm thrilled to work with CD&R, having long held an appreciation for the Firm's strong partnership culture and 45-year history supporting innovative management teams at growth-oriented companies," said Mr. Stegeman. "I look forward to working with the CD&R team to help build market-leading businesses in the industrials sector."

Prior to leading White Cap, Mr. Stegeman was President and CEO of Ferguson Enterprises, where he began his career in 1985 as a management trainee and advanced through the company holding various management positions in three of Ferguson's five business groups: Waterworks, Plumbing and Heating & Air Conditioning. During Mr. Stegeman's tenure, Ferguson grew dramatically by providing building products and industrial distribution expertise and solutions to customers across a range of end markets.

Mr. Stegeman is a graduate of Virginia Tech and has attended advanced management programs at The Wharton School of Business, Institute of Management Development, Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, the University of Virginia Darden School of Business and Columbia University.

About Clayton, Dubilier & Rice

Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) is a private investment firm with a strategy predicated on building stronger, more profitable businesses primarily in the Business Services, Consumer, Financial Services, Healthcare, Industrials and Technology sectors. Since inception, CD&R has managed the investment of more than $46 billion in over 120 companies with an aggregate transaction value of more than $190 billion. The Firm has offices in New York and London with a team of 115+ investment professionals and 11 full time Operating Partners and 33 Advisors to CD&R Funds. For more information, please visit www.cdr-inc.com and follow the Firms activities through LinkedIn and @CDRBuilds on X/Twitter.

SOURCE Clayton, Dubilier & Rice
MONTREAL, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Central America Nickel Inc. (the "Company" or "CAN") is pleased to announce that it has filed patent applications in the United States, Canada and Mexico titled "Recovery of gold and silver values from feedstocks using ultrasound-assisted extraction." These national applications are based on International application No. PCT/2019/051807.

The application is based on a process of selective recovery of metal values from various feedstocks, specifically gold and/or silver, with the use of CAN's proprietary ultrasound technology, the Ultrasound Assisted Extraction (UAEx).

The UAEx is an innovative green solution to conventional processes providing for a more environmentally-friendly, efficient and affordable extraction of both gold and silver values, with over 85% recovery rates in solution of gold and silver; these results were achieved within one-hour, under ambient temperature, and without the use of pressure.

This process addresses global extractive industry issues including mercury pollution created by artisanal gold mining, as the UAEx does not use cyanide or mercury, and operates in a closed-loop system.

The objective of the UN Minamata Convention, adopted in October 2013 , is the elimination of mercury in artisanal mining, with some 147 parties that have ratified the agreement which calls for countries to phase out mercury use in products, ban the opening of new mercury mines, and limit the emission of mercury into the environment. The International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) estimates that there exists between 20 to 30 million artisanal and small-scale miners across 80 countries, responsible for 37% of global mercury pollution. Artisanal mining accounts for 20% of the global supply of gold and generates approximately US$30 billion annually.

Pierre Gauthier, CEO of Central America Nickel comments, "We have developed a commercially-scalable, green-chemistry approach that could potentially address and solve a major industry and environmental issue associated with traditional gold and silver metallurgical processes. We hope that our technology contribution is not only a key advancement that could alter the industry standard, but also represents a crucial innovation as we move towards more sustainable mining practices."

Metallurgical testing for the extraction of gold and silver has been conducted on samples originating from the Company's properties as well as from properties of the CAN's joint venture partner, Auxico Resources Canada Inc., including on different solid materials such as soil, sediment and silica ores from two mines in the state of Sinaloa, Mexico, specifically Aguamas and Campanillas mines. CAN's UAEx process resulted in the recovery of over 90% of gold and over 80% silver in 1-hour extraction time, without the use of heat and pressure (refer to Table 1).

SAMPLES (Auxico Projects) Feed material % Au UAEx Recovery % Au Feed material % Ag UAEx Recovery % Ag Aguamas Mine, Mexico 0.01 98 0.08 88.76 Campanillas Mine, Mexico 0.05 98 0.05 87.47

Table 1: Testing conducted on JV partner Auxico Resources Canada Inc. projects in Mexico using the UAEx

The ore sourced from the Campanillas mine (20 wt%), comprised 0.05% gold (Au) and 0.05% silver (Ag), was leached with a 50% v/v H 2 SO 4 solution comprising thiourea (<1%), with the resulting slurry subsequently sonicated with stirring at room temperature and under atmospheric pressure over a period of 60 minutes. The results of elemental analysis confirmed that 98% of the Au and 87.47% of the Ag were extracted.

In most cases, gold is intimately associated with sulphidic minerals such as pyrite, pyrrhotite, arsenopyrite, marcasite, chalcopyrite, chalcocite, bornite, enargite, etc., and typically gold cannot be economically recovered from gold-containing ores using cyanide without the ore being given a pre-treatment. These pre-treatments such as roasting, pressure oxidation, bacterial oxidation, using an acidic leaching medium and hydrometallurgical processes, are typically very capital intensive and use high temperatures. In the case of most existing extraction procedures, the presence of one metal may prevent a smooth and effective extraction of another. However, testing conducted using the UAEx proves a high recovery rate of both Au and Ag, and studies conducted on gold extraction depict that leach time in the presence of ultrasound can be reduced by 3 times, resulting in recoveries over 90% in less than 1-hour, inferring that with the use of UAEx as an intensifier, metallurgical processes could be more efficient, more cost-effective and would require less energy.

The implications of the UAEx technological process are dramatic in terms of CAPEX/OPEX reduction due to increased mineral recovery rates and reduced processing times, with the ability to extract complex minerals which are difficult to separate from one another using conventional methods. The main advantages of the UAEx process is that it enables minerals to separate from ore and into solution more efficiently and lower cost than traditional processing methods, with significantly less environmental impact, including substantially minimized CO 2 emissions, waste and energy requirements.

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.

Pierre Gauthier, Chairman & CEO, Central America Nickel Inc., Tel: +1 514-299-0881, Email: pg@centralamericanickel.com
NEW YORK, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The clinical trial supplies market size is expected to grow by USD 1.19 billion from 2022 to 2027. In addition, the momentum of the market will progress at a CAGR of over 8.48% during the forecast period, according to Technavio Research. A rise in studies focusing on the pharmaceutical industry is one of the emerging trends in the market. The rising clinical research into different types of cancer has contributed to a greater focus on personalized medicine as pharmaceutical companies seek to invest in the latest market trends. There is an increase in government funding, which is also significantly contributing to the growth of personalized medicine. Precision medicine needs various ways to test interventions. Researchers are required to probe a multitude of factors including genetics and environmental factors that determine a person's response to treatment. Additionally, due to the significant growth of drug-targeted studies, there has been an increase in demand for further clinical trials over the last few years. It is essential for newly approved drugs and applied drugs to be safe, targeted, and have long-term effectiveness, as guaranteed by clinical trial services. Therefore, the increasing number of clinical trial services to ensure the safety of new drugs has fueled the growth and development of clinical trial supplies, which in turn will drive growth. Identify key trends, drivers, and challenges in the market. This report offers an up-to-date analysis of the current market scenario, the latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. Read Free PDF Sample Report

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Clinical Trial Supplies Market 2023-2027

Company Profile:

Avantor Inc., Bionical Emas Group, Bushu Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Catalent Inc., Clinical Services International Ltd., Clinigen Group Plc, Deutsche Bahn AG, Emsere B.V, GNH India Pharmaceuticals Ltd., International Bonded Couriers Inc., Nuvisan GmbH, Obvio Health USA Inc., Parexel International Corp., PHOENIX Pharmahandel GmbH and Co KG, Piramal Enterprises Ltd.Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Vertical Pharma Resources Ltd., Ancillare LP, PCI Pharma Services, Precision Medicine Group LLC

Avantor Inc: The company offers clinical trial supplies such as A TKO is a completely managed clinical trial ancillary supply chain.

To gain access to more vendor profiles available with Technavio, buy the report!

Clinical Trial Supplies Market: Segmentation Analysis

The market has been segmented by end-user (pharmaceutical industry, biologics industry, and medical device industry), type (Phase III, Phase II, Phase IV and BE/BA studies, and Phase I), and geography (North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of World (ROW)).

The market share growth by the pharmaceutical industry segment is significant during the forecast period. Drug discovery and launching a new drug to market are complex processes and need clinical trials to test the safety, effectiveness, and performance of new drugs. Additionally, there is an increase in stringent regulations developed by the FDA to ensure the safety and effectiveness of new and personalized drugs, which is fuelling the need for clinical trials for pharmaceuticals. Hence, such factors are expected to fuel the growth of this segment, which in turn will drive the market growth during the forecast period.

North America is estimated to account for 36% of the growth of the global market during the forecast period. There is an increasing prevalence of chronic diseases which is fuelling the number of clinical trials leading to the rising number of life science research activities. One of the main end-users of clinical trial supplies is pharmaceutical companies due to the large number of clinical trials conducted to validate their new drug discoveries and get them out in the market. Hence, such factors are expected to drive the market growth in the region during the forecast period.

Learn about the contribution of each segment summarized in concise infographics and thorough descriptions. View Free PDF Sample Report

"Besides analyzing the current market scenario, our report examines historic data from 2017 to 2021"- Technavio

Clinical Trial Supplies Market: Driver & Trend:

Driver

The growth of the biopharmaceutical industry is one of the key factors driving the growth of the market. There has been a significant change in the dynamics of the biopharmaceutical industry as the pharmaceutical industry looks to the biopharmaceutical industry to discover new drugs and biosimilars launched to the market by new global participants. The emergence of biopharmaceuticals has significantly reduced the number of deaths from cancer and HIV/AIDS in the last few years, which has resulted in an increase in the use of biopharmaceuticals in the global market. Additionally, the rapid expansion of the global biopharmaceutical market has resulted in the development of several other industries, including contract research, contract manufacturing, consumables, and pharmaceuticals. as well as clinical trials. The research and production of drugs and biologics mainly comprises clinical trials to ensure a product's safety, effectiveness, and minimal side effects. Therefore, the growing biopharmaceutical industry leads to the growth of the clinical trials market during the forecast period.

Related Reports:

The global analytical standards market size is estimated to grow by USD 624.93 million at a CAGR of 6.81% between 2022 and 2027. he report has segmented the market into Type(chromatography, spectroscopy, titrimetry, and physical properties testing), Application(food and beverages, pharmaceuticals and life sciences, environmental, and others), and Geography(North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa).

The protein expression market size is estimated to grow by USD 2,450.45 million at a CAGR of 13.7% between 2022 and 2027. The report has segmented the market into Solution (products and services), End-user (pharmaceutical and biotechnological companies, academic research, and contract research organizations), and Geography(North America, Europe, Asia, and the Rest of the World (ROW).

What are the key data covered in this clinical trial supplies market report?

CAGR of the market during the forecast period

Detailed information on factors that will drive the growth of the clinical trial supplies market between 2022 and 2027.

Precise estimation of the clinical trial supplies market size and its contribution to the market in focus on the parent market.

Accurate predictions about upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

Growth of the clinical trial supplies market across North America, Europe, Asia, and ROW

A thorough analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information about vendors

Comprehensive analysis of factors that will challenge the growth of clinical trial supplies market vendors.

ToC:

Executive Summary

Market Landscape

Market Sizing

Historic Market Sizes

Five Forces Analysis

Market Segmentation by End-user

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 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
MUMBAI, India, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- W.Media is holding the third edition of its Mumbai Cloud & Datacenter Convention and Awards this year, and we can't wait to welcome our delegates and speakers who comprise the creme de la creme of the industry. The Mumbai Cloud & Datacenter Convention and Awards 2023 will be a day-long convention, and will be held at St. Regis, Mumbai on December 1st.

Come join us at the Mumbai Cloud & Datacenter Convention 2023 (PRNewsfoto/W.Media)

This exclusive event will bring together over 600 delegates, including C-level executives, digital infrastructure professionals including architects, engineers and consultants (AECs), key buyers, decision makers, data center owners and operators.

Industry stalwarts have agreed to speak at the Mumbai Cloud & Datacenter Convention and Awards 2023. These include Kamal Nath (CEO, Sify Technologies), Sumit Mukhija (CEO, STT Global Data Centers  India), Sujeet Deshpande (Founder & CEO - India, Lumina Cloud Infra), and Sanjay Bhutani (CEO, AdaniConneX) who will participate in a power packed panel discussion on the topic: "Will building at scale be able to keep up with projected digital growth?"

Sumit Mukhija (CEO, STT Global Data Centers  India) feels upbeat about the growth of the industry in the region. He says, "The momentum that have seen over the past few years will continue to be a significant factor in shaping India's growth in the foreseeable future. In fact, digitalization of India is the biggest digital growth story in the world." He elaborates, "Cloud, which is the fundamental building block of Digital is growing more than 30% annually. Datacenters, which are the bedrock of Cloud deployments at scale, dovetail this cloud growth at more than 20% annually. Around $25Bn of investments lined up for enhancing digital infrastructure in India over the next 3-4 years alone." He further says, "Similar to the purchase power parity, even if you look purely from a India's digital parity as compared to other major economies, the potential growth is at least 3-4 times from current levels. The sector's capacity is expected to see substantial growth, potentially exceeding 3GW by 2030."

Mukhija says events like Mumbai Cloud & Datacenter Convention and Awards 2023 are relevant because the "Industry including its key stakeholders like Datacenter services providers, Equipment and Manpower suppliers, contractors, influencers and most importantly customers, all of us require reliable platforms where the ecosystem can come together, discuss and interact around these areas." He says, "Mumbai Cloud and Datacenter Convention is one such forum where key stakeholders converge to showcase their products, services as well as discuss technology trends, opportunities and challenges and in the process enable collaboration between industry players to collectively advance the sector's growth and sustainability."

Another power panel discussion will see wizards like Vinod Javur (COO, Digital Edge DC), Manish Shangari (VP, AECOM), Sujit Panda (CTIO, BDx Data Centers), and others share their ideas on: "How will the data centers of 2033 differ from those of today?"

There will also be insightful presentations by industry leaders on a wide variety of subjects such as cooling and ventilation solutions, internet infrastructure, quality management, data center infrastructure, and new innovations.

"About a decade ago, the data center industry transformed the supply from enterprise grade data centers to cloud grade data centers. This transformation enhanced the scale, specifications as well as operational efficiencies across the industry. Today, we are witnessing the next radical phase of evolution from DC grade DC to Artificial Intelligence (AI) grade DCs  with massive scales, even higher densities and faster deployment ramps," says Vipin Shirsat, Managing Director, Princeton Digital Group, India.

Shirsat will deliver a special keynote address on the topic: "Building and scaling AI infrastructure in India". He says, "Although AI and Machine Learning (ML) requirements have just started hitting the market, they are coming with a big bang. Data centre infrastructure design is undergoing a generational shift to meet AI requirements. AI usually runs on huge clusters made up of power dense GPUs  processing units required for ML/AI. To meet these demands, DC infrastructure will have to evolve to be AI-ready, and operators will have to adopt new design and architecture suitable for AI requirements. It might be too early to gauge their potential. AI-ready DC capacity demand is expected to grow at 80%+ in the coming years."

Siddharth Jain (MD, EPI India) will also deliver a special keynote address on "The Future of Data Center Operations: A Quality Management framework with a maturity level approach". Other such special addresses will be delivered by Rajeev Sharma (CSO, Mitsubishi Electric India Ltd.), Deepak Singh Thakur (Power Conversion Business Director, Socomec Group), and Sanjay Motwani (VP - APAC, Legrand  Data, Power and Control). He says, "One of the biggest challenges today and for the foreseeable future is the operating efficiencies coupled with flexibility in a Data Center." He hopes his organisation can play a role in alleviating this, and says, "We at Legrand focus and help Data Center address these issues and guide the Data Centres in becoming more efficient as they scale their operations."

Roopak Karkala (VP Industrial Automation, Evio Pvt. Ltd.) will speak about Electrical Power Management Systems (EPMS) solutions for Data Centers as part of a Tech Bench Presentation. At another such Tech Bench presentation, Asim Ansari (Commercial Director, Airedale by Modine) will speak about a brand new data center fan wall range.

The Mumbai Cloud & Datacenter Convention and Awards 2023 will also include a modest technology expo that will showcase the latest innovations and futuristic technologies and advancements in the cloud and data center industry. The event will conclude with an Awards ceremony where the best of the best will be recognized and rewarded in as many as 15 different categories.

REGISTER NOW!

Join us at St. Regis on December 1st, 2023, for the Mumbai Cloud & Datacenter Convention and Awards. If you haven't booked your passes yet, or need more details about the agenda, speakers, schedule, and session information, please click here to register.

For sponsorship, exhibition and further involvement opportunities, get in touch at [email protected]

Media Contact:

Naveen Lawrence

+91-9867831994

[email protected]

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2282454/Mumbai_CDC_WMedia.jpg

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2241898/4403352/WMedia_logo.jpg

SOURCE W.Media
Bus Workers Secure Union Representation

BLOOMFIELD, Conn., Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Mechanics, technicians, and apprentices at First Student in New Britain and Bristol have voted unanimously to join Teamsters Local 671.

"Teamsters continue to fight to improve the lives of workers across all industries," said Val Zhukov, Field Representative at Local 671 in Bloomfield. "Our newest members are responsible for keeping school buses safely rolling. They are essential workers, and we look forward to negotiating a strong supplemental contract that reflects that."

The workers are now covered under the Teamsters First Student National Master Agreement, the largest collective bargaining agreement at any private school bus company in the United States.

"I voted to join the union because my co-workers and I deserve pay and benefits that reflect our hard work  and a Teamster contract gets us just that," said Austin Grounds, a technician at First Student in Bristol.

Teamsters Local 671 represents workers in transportation, construction, and many other industries throughout Central Connecticut. For more information, go to Teamsters671.com.

Contact:

Kara Deniz, (202) 497-6610

[email protected]

SOURCE Teamsters Local 671
DXC to improve delivery performance, innovation capabilities and employee experience with ServiceNow technologies

TOULOUSE, France, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- DXC Technology (NYSE: DXC) has been awarded a multi-year contract by Airbus to support innovation across the aerospace company as it digitizes its operations. Under the terms of the agreement, DXC will manage Airbus's ServiceNow platform, boosting innovation and sustainable growth opportunities.

By strengthening and extending its use of ServiceNow software, DXC is helping Airbus to enhance its global service management capabilities, improving the experience of employees with faster IT incident resolution and a reduced fulfilment time for IT requests.

Airbus will benefit from more cost-efficient and resilient services that will help it meet its core objectives of operational excellence, delivery performance and innovation.

"Airbus is one of the most innovative companies in the world and we are proud to be a partner in the digitalization of its operations," said Brian Miller, Global Lead, Enterprise Applications at DXC Technology. "Our ServiceNow capabilities are part of our $1B+ ServiceNow managed services practice which is staffed by thousands of certified experts around the world."

Launched in January 2022, DXC's ServiceNow Strategic Business Group provides consulting, systems integration and managed services to help customers streamline processes across the enterprise including HR, customer service, IT, and asset management. Today, over 1,400 certified ServiceNow experts make up DXC's practice which manages over 7,000 implementations for more than 350 customers globally.

Forward Looking Statements

All statements in this press release that do not directly and exclusively relate to historical facts constitute "forward-looking statements." These statements represent current expectations and beliefs, and no assurance can be given that the results described in such statements will be achieved. Such statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in such statements, many of which are outside of our control. For a written description of these factors, see the section titled "Risk Factors" in DXC's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023, DXC's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarterly periods ended June 30, 2023 and September 30, 2023, and any updating information in subsequent SEC filings. No assurance can be given that any goal or plan set forth in any forward-looking statement can or will be achieved, and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements which speak only as of the date they are made. We do not undertake any obligation to update or release any revisions to any forward-looking statement or to report any events or circumstances after the date of this report or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events except as required by law.

About DXC Technology

DXC Technology (NYSE: DXC) helps global companies run their mission-critical systems and operations while modernizing IT, optimizing data architectures, and ensuring security and scalability across public, private and hybrid clouds. The world's largest companies and public sector organizations trust DXC to deploy services to drive new levels of performance, competitiveness, and customer experience across their IT estates. Learn more about how we deliver excellence for our customers and colleagues at DXC.com.

Antoine Roussel, Marketing & Communications DXC France and BeNeLux, aroussel@dxc.com
BEIJING, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- EACON Mining Technology, a frontrunner in autonomous haulage solutions (AHS), has successfully closed its C round of equity funding, securing an impressive sum of approximately $55.22 million. Spearheaded by Richen Capital, with significant contributions from Shenyin&Wanguo Capital Management and existing investors like ESTAR Capital, this investment brings EACON's total financing for 2023 to around $62.13 million.

A EL100/EACON 136 hybrid electric autonomous truck working in winter

The substantial backing reflects investor confidence in EACON's capabilities for large-scale deployment of its AHS product. EACON now has 304 autonomous trucks in operation, with a total of 4.2 million kilometers driven autonomously and an impeccable safety record upheld for over five years.

Richen Capital has investments in over eighty top players in AI and self-driving industries. Richen Capital's co-founder and chairman, Mr. Tingfu Wang, expressed confidence in EACON's profitability potential.

"The successful operation of 203 unmanned mining trucks in a single mine is evidence of EACON's profound expertise in automation. I believe EACON will rapidly achieve net profitability." he says.

The General Manager of Shenyin&Wanguo Capital Management, stated that following a technological breakthrough, the subsequent phase involves large-scale commercializationa process repeatedly validated across numerous 'hard tech' industries.

After visiting multiple mine sites with EACON's autonomous trucks, he expressed strong confidence in EACON's future, and he firmly believes that EACON's AHS solution has reached maturity and is now poised for rapid scaling.

Lei Zhang, co-founder and chairman of EACON Mining Technology, says "the investment scenario in autonomous driving has shifted to a more rational and composed state. The recent backing from several top-tier institutions further solidifies EACON's leadership in this industry."

Alongside autonomy, EACON has developed the EACON 136, a hybrid electric + Drive-by-wire platform. A vehicle manufacturer partner produced and delivered 225 autonomous trucks, EL100, equipped with this platform, achieving up to 30% in maximum fuel savings.

"EACON will continue its dedication to advancing autonomous driving in mining applications, focusing on the productization of advanced technology and enhancing operational productivity. Simultaneously, EACON will steadfastly invest in engineering new energy systems for mining trucks." says Zhang.

Looking forward, with an office established in Perth, Australia, EACON is poised to broaden its presence in additional overseas markets. The commitment remains strong to deliver to a safe, intelligent, and sustainable future for the global mining industry.

Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE EACON Mining Technology
DUBLIN, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Europe Ammonia Crackers Market - Analysis and Forecast, 2023-2032" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Europe ammonia crackers market is on a meteoric rise, poised to surge to $415.61 million by 2032 from its 2022 position at $54.40 million. This remarkable growth is steered by an impressive compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24.9% forecasted during the period spanning from 2023 to 2032.

Europe, a region brimming with developed and emerging economies, boasts a dynamic landscape that includes economic powerhouses such as Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Russia, and the Rest-of-Europe. The pressing demand for ammonia crackers in the region has witnessed a significant upswing.

This growth can be attributed to the rapid expansion of Europe's end-use industries, with major contributions coming from the transportation, power generation, and metal sectors, among others. Europe, as a market for ammonia crackers, ranks prominently, driven by ongoing developments and project announcements within the region.

The ammonia crackers market exhibits different stages of development, with small-scale ammonia crackers at the mature stage, while large-scale counterparts are in the midst of evolving. This thriving ecosystem comprises primary ammonia cracker manufacturers, green hydrogen and green ammonia producers, technology providers, and end-users.

The market remains in its evolutionary phase, with Asia-Pacific and Europe taking the lead. These regions are followed closely by North America, China, Rest-of-the-World, and the U.K., all contributing to the global growth and innovation in this sector.

Delving into Market Dynamics



The ammonia crackers market draws vitality from diverse sectors that rely on its essential functions. These include heat treatment, metal industry, oil and gas, power generation, mobility, and various other applications.

In the realm of ammonia crackers, the decentralized segment is set to lead the way in the European market during the forecast period from 2023 to 2032.

The European market for ammonia crackers spans various capacities, catering to small-scale applications, medium-scale operations, and large-scale industrial needs.

Europe emerged as a frontrunner in the ammonia crackers market in 2022. The region's strong foothold in manufacturing, particularly in the metal industry, heat treatment, mobility, and various other sectors, played a pivotal role. The influence of industry giants like Siemens Energy and thyssenkrupp AG, deeply integrated into the ammonia crackers supply chain, has significantly bolstered the market's growth prospects in the region.

Competitive Landscape

As the European ammonia crackers market embarks on an unprecedented growth trajectory, these industry leaders are spearheading innovation and driving the sector's evolution.

Amid this remarkable journey of growth and transformation, key players are shaping the industry landscape:

Haldor Topsoe A/S

Siemens Energy

KBR Inc.

Air Liquide

thyssenkrupp AG

Duiker Combustion Engineers

Key Topics Covered:

1 Market

1.1 Supply Chain Analysis

1.2 Impact of COVID-19 on the Ammonia Crackers Market

2 Europe

2.1 Global Overview

2.2 Europe

2.2.1 Market

2.2.1.1 Key Producers and Suppliers in Europe

2.2.1.2 Business Drivers

2.2.1.3 Business Challenges

2.2.2 Application

2.2.2.1 Europe Ammonia Crackers Market (by End User), Volume and Value Data

2.2.3 Product

2.2.3.1 Europe Ammonia Crackers Market (by Cracker Type), Volume and Value Data

2.2.3.2 Europe Ammonia Crackers Market (by Capacity), Volume and Value Data

2.2.4 Europe (by Country)

2.2.4.1 Germany

2.2.4.1.1 Market

2.2.4.1.2 Application

2.2.4.1.2.1 Germany Ammonia Crackers Market (by End User), Volume and Value Data

2.2.4.1.3 Product

2.2.4.1.3.1 Germany Ammonia Crackers Market (by Cracker Type), Volume and Value Data

2.2.4.1.3.2 Germany Ammonia Crackers Market (by Capacity), Volume and Value Data

2.2.4.2 France

2.2.4.3 Italy

2.2.4.4 Spain

2.2.4.5 Russia

2.2.4.6 Rest-of-Europe

2.2.4.6.1 Market

2.2.4.6.2 Application

2.2.4.6.2.1 Rest-of-Europe Ammonia Crackers Market (by End User), Volume and Value Data

2.2.4.6.3 Product

2.2.4.6.3.1 Rest-of-Europe Ammonia Crackers Market (by Cracker Type), Volume and Value Data

2.2.4.6.3.2 Rest-of-Europe Ammonia Crackers Market (by Capacity), Volume and Value Data

3 Market - Competitive Benchmarking and Company Profiles

3.1 Competitive Benchmarking

3.1.1 Competitive Position Matrix

3.1.2 Product Matrix of Key Companies (by Capacity)

3.1.3 Market Share Analysis of Key Companies, 2022

3.2 Company Overview

3.2.1 Role in the Ammonia Crackers Market

3.2.2 Product Portfolio

3.2.3 R&D Analysis

3.2.4 Analyst View

4 Research Methodology

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/jomjw9

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

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Research and Markets

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SOURCE Research and Markets
The eighty theme parks received a total of 75.74 million visits last year in the Chinese mainland with the revenue totaling 15.36 billion yuan ($2.13 billion), an increase of 15.29 percent from a year earlier, the news portal ThePaper reported on Sunday.

The news portal cited the latest report from Institute for Theme Studies in China, saying that the Chinese mainland has 82 theme parks that are within the standard of large or extra-large theme park in 2022; and 80 theme parks were included in the research report, an increase of ten from the figure in 2021.

The number of the theme parks in the Chinese mainland is showing an uptrend, and the proportion of domestic brand theme parks accounted for more than a half in 2022, said Lin Huanjie, president of Institute for Theme Studies in China.

The domestic theme park is forming an "industrial chain"; some domestic theme parks such as Fantawild, Happy Valley and Haichang Ocean Park have gradually paid attention to brand expansion and development, as well as gradually formed the connection between various theme parks in China's eastern, central and western regions to improve brand construction, Lin said.

In addition, more newly domestic intellectual properties are appearing in the theme parks, and the shaping of the domestic intellectual properties will raise the upper limit for domestic theme park development, as well as increase the consumer re-visit rate to these theme parks, Lin added.
An Omaha man was sentenced Wednesday to 15 months in federal prison after he ran onto the tarmac at Eppley Airfield and bit an airport security officer earlier this year.

Chol Magwit, 21, pleaded guilty in August to interfering with security screening personnel, a felony that can carry up to 10 years in prison. In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors agreed not to seek a term of imprisonment of more than 15 months.

According to his plea agreement, on April 7, Magwit forced open two doors to restricted areas of the airport and made it onto the tarmac at Eppley Airfield. He refused commands to stop and had to be tackled by security before his arrest.

The plea agreement says that Magwit "did not appear impaired" and stated he wanted to go to Egypt. Magwit then bit the hand of a security officer who was trying to arrest him, "penetrating the officer's skin and causing him to require medical treatment."

Upon his release from prison, Magwit will serve a three-year term of supervised release. The case was investigated by the FBI, the Omaha Police Department and the Omaha Airport Authority Police.
BRUSSELS, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The European Titanium Dioxide ad Hoc Coalition welcomes the European Commission's decision to initiate anti-dumping proceedings into imports of titanium dioxide from China.

On 13 November the Commission officially initiated an anti-dumping proceeding to investigate whether imports of titanium dioxide from China have been dumped on the Union market and whether they have caused material injury to the EU industry.

This investigation was triggered by a complaint lodged by the Coalition in September 2023.

The Coalition is firmly committed to cooperate during this investigation to provide all the necessary information for the European Commission to conduct its investigation.

Background

Imports of TiO 2 from China into the Union have sharply and continually increased over the past years. This rapid evolution of imports of TiO 2 from China has been made possible due to high dumping practices by Chinese exporters on the EU market. These unfair practices from Chinese exporters have caused severe injury to the Union TiO 2 industry. During the past years, the EU producers have seen their profitability reduced at levels which became largely unsustainable.

over the past years. This rapid evolution of imports of TiO from has been made possible due to high dumping practices by Chinese exporters on the EU market. These unfair practices from Chinese exporters have caused severe injury to the Union TiO industry. During the past years, the EU producers have seen their profitability reduced at levels which became largely unsustainable. The Coalition presented evidence showing that Chinese exporters have been practicing dumping on the EU market. The dumping margins estimated by the Coalition amounted to between 45 and 65%. Due to these unfair trade practices, TiO 2 imports from China have sharply and continually increased and gained significant market shares during the past three years. Chinese exporters have no competitive advantage over EU producers. They gained market shares on the Union market only because they practiced high dumping to the detriment of the Union industry.

Due to these unfair trade practices, TiO imports from have sharply and continually increased and gained significant market shares during the past three years. Chinese exporters have no competitive advantage over EU producers. They gained market shares on the Union market only because they practiced high dumping to the detriment of the Union industry. Several factories in the Union had to stop their TiO 2 production due to the pressure exerted by Chinese dumped imports . Unfair practices by Chinese exporting producers threaten the viability of the Union TiO 2 industry. Chinese TiO 2 exporting producers understood their dumping strategy would cause severe injury to the Union TiO 2 industry. Chinese TiO 2 suppliers speak openly of closing TiO 2 production lines in the Union and exercising pressure to reduce installed capacity.

. Unfair practices by Chinese exporting producers threaten the viability of the Union TiO industry. Chinese TiO exporting producers understood their dumping strategy would cause severe injury to the Union TiO industry. Chinese TiO suppliers speak openly of closing TiO production lines in the Union and exercising pressure to reduce installed capacity. It is in the Union's interest to keep a Union production of TiO 2 , as it is a key product for several industries, including strategic sectors, and it supports EU environmental policies. Offsetting Chinese unfair practices will lessen EU dependency on imported critical raw materials by diversifying and securing a domestic and sustainable supply of critical raw materials.

, as it is a key product for several industries, including strategic sectors, and it supports EU environmental policies. Offsetting Chinese unfair practices will lessen EU dependency on imported critical raw materials by diversifying and securing a domestic and sustainable supply of critical raw materials. The Coalition remains fully committed to fighting unfair trade and restoring the level playing field in the EU titanium dioxide market . The Coalition wants to promote fair trade and support a trade environment where Union TiO 2 producers can fairly compete with TiO 2 imports from all origins. Only by restoring a level playing field in the EU can we secure the existence of the Union TiO 2 industry, allow the industry to make sound investment returns, and protect manufacturing jobs in the EU.

. The Coalition wants to promote fair trade and support a trade environment where Union TiO producers can fairly compete with TiO imports from all origins. Only by restoring a level playing field in the EU can we secure the existence of the Union TiO industry, allow the industry to make sound investment returns, and protect manufacturing jobs in the EU. The capacity of the EU industry can meet 90% of the EU demand. In addition, several alternative sources of imports exist in addition to domestic supply. Therefore, customers can be ensured that this anti-dumping action will cause no supply disruption on the EU market.

The European Titanium Dioxide Ad Hoc Coalition is composed of titanium dioxide Union producers, which joined efforts to defend the titanium dioxide Union industry against material injury caused by the dumping of imports of titanium dioxide from China. The Coalition is not a permanent organisation.

Contacts:

Francesca Micheletti, FGS Global

M +49 170 801 74 95

francesca.micheletti@fgsglobal.com

SOURCE European Titanium Dioxide ad Hoc Coalition
The Ultimate in Odor Control for Diaper Disposal

MONTREAL, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Diaper Genie, the #1 selling diaper pail in the US* and Canada, announces the launch of its new Diaper Genie Platinum. The diaper pail is the first true 'hands-free' diaper disposal solution made of durable stainless steel and includes Diaper Genie's well-known ultimate odor control. The Diaper Genie Platinum will be available as of November 2023 in the USA. This latest Genie innovation comes to Canada in January 2024.

First of its Kind Hands-Free Diaper Genie Platinum STAINLESS STEEL Diaper Pail (CNW Group/Diaper Genie)

With consumers increasingly interested in sustainable solutions, the new Diaper Genie Platinum stainless steel diaper pail is expected to generate significant interest among expectant parents.

"As the market leader* in diaper disposal solutions, we're thrilled to bring this new baby care innovation to market," states Rahul Sharda, CEO Angelcare Group, owner of the Diaper Genie brand. "Our Diaper Genie Platinum pail will deliver the same ultimate odor control and convenience that parents have come to trust from the Diaper Genie brand".

The pail features a uniquely designed clamp that traps odors inside, and a multi-layer refill bag that ensures the nursery stays fresh and clean. The pail comes with an Easy Roll cartridge that holds up to 846 newborn diapers. Each bag in the cartridge roll is perforated and has a unique tapered design to allow easy emptying. The foot pedal allows for hands-free operation, and the pail body is made of durable stainless steel.

The Diaper Genie Platinum diaper pail is the first stainless steel pail from Diaper Genie and is made in a sleek design to complement any nursery. It offers optimal convenience, with a foot pedal for hands-free operation, no bending required, and a high-capacity pail that holds up to 47 newborn diapers. The long-lasting EasyRoll refill holds up to 5 months of newborn diapers and uses 70% less cartridge plastic than the current Diaper Genie round refills. Owing to its superior performance, Diaper Genie Platinum has proudly been awarded the Parent Tested, Parent Approved (PTPA) Seal of Approval and the Women's Choice Award.

The Diaper Genie Platinum diaper pail is available in four colors: lily white, stone gray, sage green, and glacial blue. It is available at US retailers Amazon and Target (online only) for an MSRP of $74.99 USD, and at Canadian retailers Walmart, Babies R Us, and Amazon for an MSRP of $99.99 CAD.

Interviews with Angelcare are available upon request. High-res images can be found here .

About Angelcare Group

Angelcare was founded in 1997 by Maurice Pinsonnault, a visionary thinker and doer who never met an idea he couldn't improve upon. As a first-time father who understood how worrying it could be to care for a newborn and being dissatisfied with the selection of baby monitors available, he chose to revolutionize the category, and this is how the Angelcare story began. He then turned his attention and talent to bringing innovation to various products in the baby care and pet industries such as diaper disposal systems, and cat litter disposal systems. From then on, this focus on innovation has made the Angelcare Group a benchmark and leader in its categories, with recognized global brands such as Angelcare, Diaper Genie, Litter Genie, LitterLocker, Pabobo and Kids'Sleep. Today, our products are sold in more than 50 countries, and address consumer needs for peace of mind, quality of children's sleep and pet wellness. Learn more at www.angelcaregroup.com .

*Angelcare calculation based on Answers On Demand for the Diaper Pail Category for 52 weeks ending 09.10.2022 time period.  2023, Nielsen Consumer LLC.

SOURCE Diaper Genie
Wade Smith Joins Company as President, FirstEnergy Utilities; Toby L. Thomas Joins as Chief Operating Officer



AKRON, Ohio, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) today announced that Wade Smith has been named president, FirstEnergy Utilities, and Toby L. Thomas has been named chief operating officer of FirstEnergy, effective Dec. 18 and Nov. 30, respectively. The addition of these two senior executives is an important step in driving forward the company's transformation into a premier electric utility. Both leaders will report directly to President and Chief Executive Officer Brian X. Tierney.

Today's executive appointments are the first in a series of senior roles FirstEnergy will fill as part of a new business structure that will enhance execution at the utility level by shifting decision making and accountability closer to customers. As president, FirstEnergy Utilities, Smith will oversee the company's state businesses  Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and a combined West Virginia/Maryland division  as well as its stand-alone transmission companies.

The leaders of these five businesses will report to Smith and be responsible for financial and operational performance as well as regulatory outcomes in their respective areas. The company is engaging with internal and external candidates to fill these leadership positions. Smith will also have responsibility for FirstEnergy's Rates & Regulatory Affairs and External Affairs groups.

As chief operating officer, Thomas will be responsible for a broad range of transmission and distribution business functions including planning and protection, transmission and substation engineering, project and construction management, system operations, support operations and safety and human performance. In addition, the Customer Experience group will report to Thomas.

Smith most recently served as chief operating officer of Puget Sound Energy (PSE) and has more than three decades of experience leading utilities. Thomas joins FirstEnergy after more than two decades at American Electric Power (AEP), where he most recently served as senior vice president  AEP Energy Delivery.

"FirstEnergy is well positioned to continue making significant investments to enhance reliability, elevate the customer experience and build a smarter energy grid. Our extensive search for these two pivotal roles attracted deeply experienced and highly qualified candidates, and we have selected executives who have demonstrated successful leadership that is directly aligned with our ongoing transformation and vision for the future," Tierney said. "Toby and Wade's focused and accountable leadership will be critical to driving decision making closer to where the work happens and achieving the outstanding performance that will define our success."

Wade Smith Biography

Smith began his nearly 32-year career at AEP at its predecessor West Texas Utilities Company, where he served as an engineer and plant manager. He held increasingly responsible leadership roles within generation, transmission engineering and project management at AEP subsidiaries before being named president and chief operating officer of AEP Texas in 2010, where he led a team serving more than a million customers in a diverse service territory across parts of south, central and west Texas. In 2015, he was named senior vice president, Grid Development for AEP Transmission and was responsible for planning, engineering, project and construction management, and real-time operations.

In 2021, Smith joined Pacific Gas & Electric as senior vice president of Electric Operations, leading electric transmission and distribution system operations and maintenance, generation, and project management and construction teams for the company's electric operations. He was named chief operating officer of Puget Sound Energy in 2022, where he is responsible for all of PSE's operational areas, including natural gas and electric operations, safety and health, and energy supply, serving approximately 1.2 million electric customers and 900,000 natural gas customers.

Smith holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Texas Tech University and a Master of Business Administration from Abilene Christian University. He also completed the Executive Program at the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business. Smith currently serves on the Texas Tech University Whitacre College of Engineering Dean's Council.

Toby Thomas Biography

Thomas began his career with Cummins Engine Company in Columbus, Indiana, serving in engineering and technical specialist roles. He joined AEP in 2001 as a project engineer in Industrial Marketing and Origination, progressing through various roles of increasing responsibility in asset optimization and generation. He was named president and chief operating officer of Indiana Michigan Power in 2017 to oversee business performance, operations and a wide range of customer, policy and regulatory relationships. Thomas was promoted to his most recent role leading AEP Energy Delivery in 2021, where he helped achieve efficiencies in transmission, distribution and telecommunications operations, project management, construction, engineering and standards.

Thomas earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.

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 firstenergycorp.com and on X, formerly known as Twitter, @FirstEnergyCorp.

Editor's Note: Professional photos of Smith and Thomas are available for download on Flickr.

SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.
After an exhaustive and transparent selection process, the CABEI Board of Governors has elected Mrs. Ana Guissella Sanchez Maroto, of Costa Rican nationality, to lead the Administration of the Bank.

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In compliance with a previously defined schedule and strictly following current regulations, the CABEI Board of Governors, after an exhaustive and transparent contest process conducted by the Board of Directors, has elected Ms. Ana Guissella Sanchez Maroto, of Costa Rican nationality, as the new Executive President of the Institution for the next five years. This decision was made today at an extraordinary meeting of the Board of Governors.

Ana Guissella Sanchez Maroto, Industrial Engineer with a Master's Degree in Business Administration, has stood out professionally for more than 20 years in positions such as Regional Director of Strategy for BAC, Regional Director of Corporate Relations of Florida Ice & Farm Company, President and CEO of Endeavor Global, with extensive experience in executive and management positions in economic, financial, banking, and development policy matters.

The new Executive President will form a team with Mr. Jaime Roberto Diaz Palacios, Guatemalan, who serves as the Executive Vice President of the Bank. This election occurs at a transcendental moment for the Bank, in which its members seek to ensure new leadership that enriches the Institution's purpose as an entity that promotes the integration and balanced economic and social development of the region.

This new team of the Bank's Senior Administration will be in charge, together with the Board of Directors and the Board of Governors, of implementing a profound reform process that seeks to return to the Bank's path in terms of leadership, efficiency, and effectiveness in the development of the region. With these reforms, the Board of Governors and the Board of Directors intend to strengthen governance, improve financial management, reorient credit policy, and improve administrative performance.

The new administration, led by Mrs. Sanchez, represents an opportunity to strengthen confidence, the sustainable use of resources to increase the impact on development, the strengthening of the Bank's capital through a financial framework that harmonizes short-, medium-, and long-term objectives, a culture of accountability, results-based management, a new communication strategy with closeness to the beneficiaries, and access to information.

As previously announced, the candidate selection process was carried out by the renowned and prestigious firm of Heidrick & Struggles, New York office, which led the search for the ideal professional to hold this office that is so relevant to the development of the region. In this process, a total of 243 applications for the position were evaluated, with the firm presenting a final list of six candidates for the Bank's Board of Directors, which was evaluated thoroughly and diligently, leading to the election of the shortlist of candidates presented to the Board of Governors, the body that, in accordance with current regulations, elected the new Executive President.

About CABEI

CABEI was created in 1960 as the financial arm of integration and development in the region. Its resources are continuously invested in projects with an impact on development to reduce poverty and inequalities, strengthen regional integration and the competitive insertion of members in the world economy, paying special attention to environmental sustainability. CABEI is based in Tegucigalpa with offices throughout Central America.

CABEI's financial strength as the best credit in Latin America is supported by its high credit rating from the various international agencies: Standard & Poor's with an AA rating, Moody's with an Aa3 rating, and Japan Credit Rating with AA.

Follow us on:

Twitter: BCIE_ORG / Facebook: BCIE.org / Instagram: BCIE_org / LinkedIn: BCIE

SOURCE Banco Centroamericano de Integracion Economica
Fortune editors name the companies leading the way in the AI boom

An essential guide to the companies every executive needs to know in the sector attracting one out of every four startup investment dollars

Inaugural Fortune 50 AI Innovators includes established players: OpenAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind, Meta, and Nvidia; and array of emerging players: Adept, Runway, Pinecone, Exscientia, and ARC

Representatives of Fortune 50 AI Innovators are attending Fortune's Brainstorm AI conference in San Francisco, Dec 11-12 with founding partner Accenture

NEW YORK, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Fortune debuted its inaugural Fortune 50 AI Innovators power list, the essential guide to the companies that are creating this future-defining technology, and a sector now attracting one out of every four startup investment dollars.

The last few days in the world of AI have proven that readers and investors need to follow the space very closely. "It's a tangled mess out there when it comes to predictions about AI's impact," notes Lee Clifford, Fortune's investing and finance editor. "Will AI create a world where no job is needed? By 2029, will computers have achieved human-level intelligence? Where will the OpenAI drama end up?"

Predictions, ideas, and execution around the technology are all over the map, Clifford notes. "But one thing we know for sure about this sector, which is still in its infancy: Investors and companies large and small are taking it seriously," she writes. Fortune notes that Microsoftitself a major player via its OpenAI investment and partnershiprecently found that for every $1 invested in AI, companies are reaping $3.50 in return. And according to Crunchbase, one in four dollars invested in American startups have gone to AI companies this year; already 200 AI unicorns (defined as startups with value more than $1 billion) have been created.

But Fortune's editors tamp down the AI hype machine: "As anyone who has lived through a hype cycle about the next huge thing knows, even the hottest sector mints far more miserable failures than stunning successes." For the inaugural Fortune 50 AI Innovators list, Fortune canvassed VCs, industry analysts, and our own formidable staff of AI experts to identify companies that are at the cutting edge. "One thing we know for sure," Clifford notes, "The work these companies are doing won't just shape the future of AI, it will shape the world we all live in."

In the Fortune 50 AI list there are plenty of Davids, such as Adept, Runway, Pinecone, Exscientia, and ARC, to name a few. And no shortage of Goliaths, such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind, Meta, and Nvidia. What they have in common: "The work these companies are doing now will play a large part in determining not just how AI evolves, but how our world does," says Clifford.

For a complete look at the Fortune 50 AI companies, go to fortune.com.

Many on that list will be speaking at or attending the Fortune Brainstorm AI 2023 in San Francisco, December 11-12. This is the third year of Fortune's high-profile and news-making conference on AI.

Curated by Fortune's editors, this year's annual conference for executives, academics, and policymakers will feature confirmed speakers including Vinod Khosla, founder and CEO of Khosla Ventures; Reid Hoffman, co-founder of Inflection AI and partner at Greylock Partners; Sal Khan, founder and CEO of Khan Academy; Clara Shih, CEO, Salesforce AI; Matthew Prince, CEO of Cloudflare; Jim Steyer, CEO of CommonSense Media; Paul Daugherty, chief technology and innovation officer, Accenture; Jim Cathey, chief commercial officer, Qualcomm; Lidia Fonseca, chief digital and technology officer, Pfizer; Sravana Karnati, chief technology officer, Walmart International; Anastasis Germanidis, co-founder and CTO, Runway; Mike Abbott, executive vice president, software, GM; Sissie Hsiao, general manager for Google Assistant and Bard, Google; Ali Ghodsi, CEO and founder of Databricks; Sayan Chakraborty, co-president of Workday, and more.

This year's program is presented in association with Fortune Brainstorm AI conference founding partner Accenture, and will feature intimate one-on-one conversations, engaging panel discussions, and lively roundtable sessionsall designed to address how AI is changing the ways we do business. Fortune Brainstorm AI 2023 is also presented with partners AARP, Amgen, Check Point, Felicis, Hanshow, Salesforce, and Workday.

For more information on Fortune Brainstorm AI 2023 and the complete agenda please go here.

About Fortune

Fortune upholds a legacy of award-winning writing and trusted reporting for executives who want to make business better. Independently owned, with a global perspective and digital agility, Fortune tells the stories of a new generation of innovators, builders, and risk takers. Online and in print, Fortune measures corporate performance through rigorous benchmarks, and holds companies accountable. Fortune creates communities by convening true thought leaders and iconoclasts  those who shape industry, commerce and society  through powerful and prestigious lists, events and conferences, such as the iconic Fortune 500, the CEO Initiative and Most Powerful Women. For more information, visit fortune.com.

Contact:

Patrick Reilly

[email protected]

SOURCE Fortune Media (USA) Corporation
SAN DIEGO, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Fresh Start Surgical Gifts, a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming the lives of children with physical deformities through reconstructive surgery, is excited to announce a special partnership with Get Maine Lobster, known for delivering the freshest lobster to households nationwide. This partnership will kick off on Giving Tuesday, November 28, and extend throughout the holiday season.

On Giving Tuesday and beyond, Get Maine Lobster will be giving back to Fresh Start by donating 5 percent of sales. Post this Fresh Start x Get Maine Lobster

On Giving Tuesday and beyond, Get Maine Lobster will be giving back to Fresh Start by donating five percent of sales on their website. While guests are checking out on the Get Maine Lobster website, there is an icon associated with Fresh Start that customers can click to support. Then, Get Maine Lobster will donate a portion of the sale to Fresh Start at no additional cost to the customer. That means that every time customers purchase fresh lobster, a child will be one step closer to receiving their fresh start.

"Teaming up with Get Maine Lobster is such an amazing opportunity for us," says Shari Brasher, the CEO of Fresh Start Surgical Gifts. "Our mission is all about transforming the lives of children in need of lifechanging care, and this partnership is taking us another step forward in that journey. We can't wait to see the positive impact we can create together as we collaborate with Get Maine Lobster and their passion for making a difference this holiday season!"

The goal of this campaign is to encourage monthly giving, with options for Get Maine Lobster's customers to have a percentage of their order donated at no extra cost, with every order. Fresh Start and Get Maine Lobster share in the belief that collective generosity, paired with a love for lobster, can truly make a difference.

"We at Get Maine Lobster are thrilled to announce our partnership with Fresh Start, a collaboration where a little indulgence meets making a big difference," says Mark Murrell, Get Maine Lobster Founder & CEO. "With every purchase, our customers not only can savor the exquisite taste of Maine's finest lobsters but also contribute to a wave of positive change. A portion of our proceeds will be dedicated to Fresh Start, supporting their mission to create new beginnings for kids in need. Together, we're not just sharing the bounty of the sea, but also fostering a tide of generosity and hope."

Fresh Start Surgical Gifts is committed to transforming the lives of disadvantaged youth with physical deformities by providing comprehensive reconstructive surgery at no cost to the patient and their family. All of the world-class medical professionals generously donate their time and talent to deliver much-needed medical care and 100 percent of all financial contributions go directly toward the patients. Every dollar donated allows Fresh Start to gift five dollars in medical services.

Since 1991, Fresh Start has helped 9,017 children and has expanded into multiple regions throughout the U.S. Fresh Start is headquartered in San Diego with locations in Chicago, San Antonio and globally in Costa Rica, working together with Sanford Health, PediaClinic and Hospital Metropolitano. Fresh Start accepts applications on an ongoing basis, with one goal of making screenings, healthcare and treatments available and accessible for as many children as possible. Children may be cared for in San Diego at Rady Children's Hospital, in San Antonio at University Hospital or in Chicago at Comer Children's Hospital.

Join Fresh Start Surgical Gifts and Get Maine Lobster on Giving Tuesday, November 28, for a unique opportunity to savor fresh lobster and provide children with the fresh start they deserve. For more information about Fresh Start Surgical Gifts and how you can get involved, please visit https://www.FreshStart.org/. To explore Get Maine Lobster's delectable offerings and support Fresh Start, visit their website at GetMaineLobster.com and make sure to check the Fresh Start Surgical Gifts box at checkout. For media inquiries, please contact Bianca Kasawdish at [email protected].

ABOUT FRESH START

Fresh Start transforms the lives of disadvantaged infants, children and teens who have physical and cosmetic deformities through their gift of reconstructive surgery. Providing reconstructive, plastic and neurosurgeries for children across the U.S., Fresh Start's commitment to children extends far beyond medical care. The organization ensures their children will leave feeling more empowered than before. Every child receives the highest quality medical care, and the families never see a bill for the services provided. 100% of contributions go directly to medical programs. To learn more, visit FreshStart.org .

ABOUT GET MAINE LOBSTER

Get Maine Lobster delivers succulent, wild-caught Maine Lobster right to your doorstep. Based in Portland, Maine's historic 48 Union Wharf, their Maine Lobster is hand-harvested, sustainably sourced and hand-selected for you. Get Maine Lobster's fresh Maine Lobster, and fine seafood are the cornerstone to your social gatherings, turning your special moments into memories that last a lifetime. To learn more, visit GetMaineLobster.com.

Contact:

Bianca Kasawdish

Vice President of Public Relations

InnoVision Marketing Group

[email protected]

SOURCE Fresh Start Surgical Gifts
DUBLIN, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Automation and Industrial Camera Market (2023 Edition): Analysis By Volume (Million Units) and Value, Offering (Hardware, Software), Application, End-Use, By Region, By Country: Market Insights and Forecast (2019-2029)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Global Automation & Industrial Camera Market is expected to generate USD 10.2 Billion by the end of 2029, up from USD 4 Billion in 2022. During the forecast period, 2024-2029, the Global Automation & Industrial Camera is expected to expand at a CAGR of 14.5%.



The research report provides a complete analysis of the Global Automation & Industrial Camera Market in terms of historical period of 2019-2022, the estimates of 2023 and the forecast period of 2024-2029.



This research report presents comprehensive data, including market size, annual growth and potential analysis, a competitive study of market players, investment opportunities, and demand forecasts. The report also assesses growth drivers, limitations, supply and demand risks, and other important statistics. It provides a thorough evaluation of current and future market trends relevant to market evolution.

Currently, agricultural farming has undergone significant transformation through the adoption of Automation and Industrial Cameras. Modern Automation and Industrial Cameras have revolutionized farming practices, leading to enhanced efficiency, productivity, and sustainability. Consequently, agricultural practices are becoming more sustainable and efficient.

The primary factor propelling the growth of the Global Automation and Industrial Camera market is automation, facilitated by industrial cameras, which substantially enhances operational efficiency and productivity. Automated systems can operate continuously without breaks, resulting in increased output and reduced production time.

A key driver of market growth is the scarcity of skilled labor. Automation helps mitigate this challenge by handling repetitive, strenuous, or intricate tasks, freeing human workers for more complex and creative roles. Industrial cameras play a critical role in quality control by meticulously inspecting products and processes, identifying defects, variations, and anomalies that might be overlooked by human inspectors.

While there are upfront costs associated with implementing automation and industrial camera systems, they often lead to long-term cost savings. Automation reduces labor expenses, minimizes errors, and reduces waste, ultimately delivering a favorable return on investment (ROI).

Advancements in automation technologies, encompassing robotics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and sensor technologies, have expanded the capabilities and applications of automation and industrial cameras. Modern automation systems can be customized to suit specific industry needs, offering businesses the flexibility to implement solutions tailored to their unique requirements. This has propelled the market for automation and industrial cameras in various regions.

The research study also provides a competitive landscape of the leading players in the Global Automation & Industrial Camera market, including Basler AG, Sony, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology, THK Group, Teledyne Technologies Incorporated, and others. Company profiles include critical information such as business overviews, product and service offerings, key financials, and recent events and developments.

Overall, the report offers a comprehensive overview of the Global Automation & Industrial Camera market, serving as a valuable resource for industry consultants, equipment manufacturers, existing players seeking expansion opportunities, new entrants exploring opportunities, and other stakeholders seeking to align their market-focused strategies with current and anticipated future trends.

Scope of the Report

The report analyses the Automation & Industrial Camera Market by Volume (Million Units).

The report analyses the Automation & Industrial Camera Market by Value (USD Million).

The report presents the analysis of the Automation & Industrial Camera market for the historical period of 2019-2022, the estimated year 2023, and the forecast period of 2024-2029.

The report analyses the Automation & Industrial Camera Market by Offering (Software, Hardware).

The report analyses the Automation & Industrial Camera Market by Applications (Quality Assurance & Inspection, Measurement, Positioning & Guidance, Other Applications).

The report analyses the Automation & Industrial Camera Market by End-use Industry (Manufacturing, Automotive, Food & Beverage, Medical, Other End-Use Industries).

The Global Automation & Industrial Camera Market has been analyzed by countries ( United States , Canada , Brazil , Germany , France , United Kingdom , China , India , Japan , and South Korea ).

, , , , , , , , , and ). The key insights of the report have been presented through the frameworks of SWOT and Porter's Five Forces Analysis. Also, the attractiveness of the market has been presented by region, by offering, by application, and by end-use industry.

Also, the major opportunities, trends, drivers, and challenges of the industry have been analyzed in the report.

The report tracks competitive developments, strategies, mergers and acquisitions and new product development.

Competitive Positioning

Companies' Product Positioning

Market Position Matrix

Market Share Analysis of Automation And Industrial Camera Screening Market

Strategic Recommendations

Incorporate solutions pertaining to Data Security

Amplify technological advancements

Company Profiles

Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co. Ltd

COGNEX CORPORATION

Teledyne Technologies Incorporated

Basler AG

Sony

THK Group

Toshiba Teli Corporation

Allied Vision Technologies GmbH

BAUMER HOLDING AG

Imperx inc

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/d4v8d1

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:

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SOURCE Research and Markets
Future Market Insights' comprehensive report provides valuable insights into the key drivers, challenges, and investment opportunities shaping the Centrifugal Separator Market, empowering businesses to make informed decisions in this dynamic landscape. The report forecasts the global market to reach US$1,838.40 million by 2034.

Centrifugal Separator Market Forecast by Vertical and Horizontal Product Type, Growth Opportunities, and Revenue Forecast from 2024 to 2034

NEWARK, Del., Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The global centrifugal separator market is expected to register a valuation of US$ 1,354.7 million in 2024 with a CAGR of 2.80%. The global market is likely to reach a valuation of US$ 1,838.40 million by 2034.

Elevate Your Centrifugal Separator Expertise: Request a Sample Market Research Report

Centrifugal Separators Gaining Traction in Food & Beverage Sector

Rising end users' demand for separate solids and purified liquids is increasing the adoption of centrifugal separators in the food & beverages sector. Growth in a wide range of pollutants in water and impurities in chemicals is significantly increasing the adoption of centrifugal separators to clarify that they drive the industry.

Pharmaceutical Industry Embraces Centrifugal Separators for Purification

Pharmaceutical experts prefer centrifugal separators to purify the protein and test DNA, fueling the global market revenue. Manufacturers adopt technologies integrated with centrifugal separators, such as the Internet of Things offering real-time monitoring that attracts end users' desires. These separators effectively separate the pure form of products and remove other particles and in-toxicity from them, increasing their acceptance.

Wide-Ranging Applications Fuel Centrifugal Separator Market Growth

End users are raising its adoption to reduce workload, enhance production speed, and maintain eco-friendly practices. In developed and developing countries, diverse industries significantly increase the demand for centrifugal separators to expand the market reach. Rising consumer disposable income, vast infrastructure, and industrialization are gaining the adoption of centrifugal separators around the globe.

Hospital Labs Embrace Centrifugal Separators for Advanced Purification

In hospital labs, the demand for centrifugal separators is rapidly growing to purify blood samples, antibiotics, and separate cells with advanced and versatile technologies. These factors are crucial to driving the global market with the efforts of manufacturers and researchers. The global market will likely achieve its goals with innovations and better solutions during the forecast period.

"Rising pollutants highly affect the quality of products, and the rising adoption of advanced and versatile centrifugal separators is the solution to this problem. Therefore, market players with eco-friendly solutions to improve the shelf-life of products such as food, chemicals, and beverages may enhance their presence in the market," says Nikhil Kaitwade (Associate Vice President at Future Market Insights, Inc.).

Key Takeaways:

The centrifugal separator market is registering a CAGR of 2.80% between 2024 and 2034.

is registering a CAGR of 2.80% between 2024 and 2034. The United States is dominating the market and is expected to register a CAGR of 2.40% by 2034.

is dominating the market and is expected to register a CAGR of 2.40% by 2034. India is anticipated to capture a CAGR of 3.50% of the global market by 2034.

is anticipated to capture a CAGR of 3.50% of the global market by 2034. Germany is anticipated to register a CAGR of 2.20% in the global market by 2034.

is anticipated to register a CAGR of 2.20% in the global market by 2034. China significantly drives the global market with a CAGR of 3.30%.

significantly drives the global market with a CAGR of 3.30%. With a CAGR of 2.50%, the United Kingdom is rapidly advancing globally.

is rapidly advancing globally. The vertical centrifugal separator category is estimated to lead the global market during the forecast period.

The food & beverages sector will likely register a maximum global market share by 2034.

Understand global, regional, and country-level parameters with growth opportunities, historical data (2019-2023), and forecasts (2024-2034). Buy this report today!

Key Players in the Centrifugal Separator Market

The global market is highly competitive due to rising new market entrants and present crucial players. These players deeply analyze the market and bring out various solutions, ideas, and tactics to build their reputation. They develop sustainable, better alternative, and reliable devices that purify products to improve their shelf-life.

Bringing new skills and knowledge signals to upsurge the global market to a better position. Skilled workers and a better work culture contribute to their role in the global market.

For instance, in 2023, GEA announced its upgrade of a centrifuge manufacturing plant in Germany to expand its portfolio.

Top Companies in Centrigugal Seperator Industry:

Hiller

GEA

REDA

Sanborn Technologies

Pieralisi

SPAX Plow

Polat Group

Alfa Laval

Tomoe Engineering

Flottweg

Purchase this report now to get key companies with their Revenue Forecast, Volume Forecast, Company Ranking, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, Trends, and Pricing Analysis.

About Future Market Insights (FMI)

Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in Dubai, and has delivery centers in the UK, U.S. 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.

About the Author:

Nikhil Kaitwade (Associate Vice President at Future Market Insights, Inc.) has over a decade of experience in market research and business consulting. He has successfully delivered 1500+ client assignments, predominantly in Automotive, Chemicals, Industrial Equipment, Oil & Gas, and Service industries.

His core competency circles around developing research methodology, creating a unique analysis framework, statistical data models for pricing analysis, competition mapping, and market feasibility analysis. His expertise also extends wide and beyond analysis, advising clients on identifying growth potential in established and niche market segments, investment/divestment decisions, and market entry decision-making.

Nikhil holds an MBA degree in Marketing and IT and a Graduate in Mechanical Engineering. Nikhil has authored several publications and quoted in journals like EMS Now, EPR Magazine, and EE Times.

Explore FMI's Extensive Coverage in the Industrial Automation Domain:

About Future Market Insights (FMI)

Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading provider of market intelligence and consulting services, 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 helps 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.

Contact Us

Nandini Singh Sawlani

Future Market Insights Inc.

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Suite 401, Newark, Delaware - 19713, USA

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SOURCE Future Market Insights
Click here for a high-resolution image to support this release.

CONCORD, N.C., Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Speedway Motorsports (SM) officials announced that Graham Smith, formerly Vice President of Business Operations for U.S. Legend Cars International, has been named Vice President of OEM Partnerships. In his new role on behalf of Speedway Motorsports, Smith will be devoted to further strengthening company relationships among original equipment manufacturers (OEMs); building unique corporate events with OEMs around driving experiences and cultivating new partnerships with OEMs to utilize Speedway Motorsports properties.

Under the direction of SM Executive Vice President and Chief Sales Officer Kevin Camper, Smith will work with corporate sales and track operations staff at Speedway Motorsports' 11 premier facilities across the United States.

"Above and beyond the marketing partnerships we share with Toyota, Ford and Chevrolet around our NASCAR race weekends, we also have significant relationships with those OEMs and others during non-event weekends with special events, corporate hospitality and high-performance driving experiences," said Camper. "It's a significant part of our current business that we wish to invest in even more and expand as we move into 2024 and beyond.

"With Graham's sales and operations background at Charlotte Motor Speedway and then as managing director at U.S. Legend Cars International, he has proven himself to be a relationship-builder amongst our partners and he has a passion for the automotive industry. We look forward to what Graham can do to further strengthen our relationships with OEMs and explore new opportunities," added Camper.

Smith began his professional career in motorsports in 2012 as a part-time member of Charlotte Motor Speedway's Operations team, where he assisted with groundskeeping, construction and maintenance for nearly five years. After a year-long internship with the Speedway Motorsports' Corporate Sales department, he accepted a position as a Business Development Executive with Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2020, after obtaining a bachelor's degree in Communication Studies from Furman University.

In 2021, Smith became managing director of U.S. Legend Cars International, a division of Speedway Motorsports which is the largest manufacturer of race cars in the world and the exclusive producer of Legend Cars, Bandoleros and Thunder Roadsters. Based in Harrisburg, North Carolina, the company has produced more than 8,000 race cars since inception and hosts an international dealer network placing cars into 32 countries worldwide. Smith was then promoted to vice president of business operations in 2022. Under his leadership, USLCI has upgraded the engine and the suspension on the spec-series race car to the most reliable, high-performing model in the company's 30+ year history. Annual sales for 2022 were up 24 percent over 2020, and current year sales are pacing ahead of last year.

"My time at U.S. Legends has not only reignited my passion for grassroots racing, but has given me lifelong friendships for which I am truly grateful," said Smith.

"Our motorsports venues are best-in-class and we have a wealth of history and experience across our company for creating memorable events. I'm thrilled to now have the opportunity to invest my time and energy into our OEM business through even more meaningful relationships, partnerships and creative uses of our facilities."

ABOUT SPEEDWAY MOTORSPORTS:

Speedway Motorsports is a leading marketer, promoter and sponsor of motorsports entertainment in the United States. The Company, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates the following premier facilities: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Dover Motor Speedway, Nashville Superspeedway, North Wilkesboro Speedway, Sonoma Raceway, Texas Motor Speedway and Kentucky Speedway. Speedway Motorsports provides souvenir merchandising services through its SMI Properties subsidiaries; manufactures and distributes smaller-scale, modified racing cars and parts through its U.S. Legend Cars International subsidiary; and produces and broadcasts syndicated motorsports programming to radio stations nationwide through its Performance Racing Network subsidiary.

SOURCE Speedway Motorsports
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif., Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Grasons, a premier estate sales and business liquidation service and an Evive Brands company, today announced a significant brand refresh and the launch of a new franchise development website, marking a major step in its nationwide expansion and growth strategy.

The brand refresh, emphasizing Grasons' commitment to professionalism, empathy, and innovation, is showcased through an updated logo, enhanced franchisee marketing and support materials, along with a modernized website. This transformation reflects the company's values and mission more accurately.

Tim Hadley, CEO of Evive Brands, elaborated on the brand refresh, stating, "Grasons is reaching new horizons, and this brand refresh is a visual testament to our commitment to being a trusted, empathic partner to our clients." The redesigned logo, named the 'Grasons Empathy Symbol,' combines vivid typography with a circular design, symbolizing safety, security, and interconnectedness - core aspects of Grasons' character.

Coinciding with this refresh is the launch of Grasons' new franchise development website. This platform provides comprehensive information about the brand, its services, business model, and the detailed process of becoming a Grasons franchisee. The website aims to streamline the franchise acquisition process and attract potential franchise owners.

Hadley remarked, "Our brand's evolution and the new website launch symbolize our steadfast commitment to exceeding expectations in the estate sales industry." He emphasized that innovations in Grasons' marketing strategies and operational approaches are solidifying its reputation as a reliable partner, ensuring positive experiences in every sale.

The company has experienced record growth, adding more than 10 new franchises across the United States, including in key areas like Scottsdale, AZ, Denver, CO, and New York City. This expansion aligns with the company's mission to assist an increasing number of baby boomers navigating significant life transitions.

Hadley concludes, "This refresh, coupled with our new website, reinforces our dedication to reliability and integrity. Our confidence projects peace of mind to our customers, allowing them to experience the empathetic service that is Grasons' hallmark."

Established in 2011, Grasons has become a pivotal player in the residential and business liquidation sector, expanding nationwide to meet the escalating demand for senior services. As a member of the Evive Brands family, Grasons continues its unwavering support and service to families and communities nationwide.

Media Contact: Rhonda Grundemann, 602-739-8810, [email protected]

SOURCE Grasons Co.
Cambodias Bakong Digital Currency Teams Up with Alipay for Expanded Reach

Disclosure: Crypto is a high-risk asset class. This article is provided for informational purposes and does not constitute investment advice. By using this website, you agree to our terms and conditions. We may utilise affiliate links within our content, and receive commission.

In a move to enhance cross-border payments, Cambodias Bakong digital currency system, a component of the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC), has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Chinese payment provider Alipay, Cambodias Phnom Penh Post recently reported.

Following the signing of the MoU, Cambodian vendors utilizing QR codes from the so-called KHQR network of the Bakong system can make payments to over 80 million Alipay merchants globally, contributing to the expansion of cross-border payments between Cambodia and China.

At the same time, Chinese visitors to Cambodia who use Alipay can shop in the country by scanning QR codes from the Bakong system at participating merchants.

Local vendors can now use the KHQR network of the Bakong system, a part of the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC), to make payments to over 80 million Alipay merchants globally.https://t.co/hLagrXU08X  The Phnom Penh Post (@phnompenhpost) November 17, 2023

The MoU, signed at the FinTech Expo in Singapore, aims to promote efficient and secure cross-border payment transactions via QR codes between the KHQR network and Alipay+.

The Bakong system is built on a blockchain, but is not a traditional central bank digital currency (CBDC) given that the circulating tokens are a liability of commercial banks and not the central bank.

Cambodia becoming more popular among Chinese tourists



Chea Serey, governor of the NBC, emphasized the significance of the collaboration, especially as Cambodia becomes increasingly popular among Chinese and international tourists.

The partnership facilitates payments in both the local currency, riel (KHR), and the US dollar (USD).

Douglas Feagin, senior vice president of Ant Group and head of Alipay+, expressed gratitude for the partnership, noting that it enhances the capability of Alipay partners to make payments across the KHQR network.

We are grateful to the NBC for their partnership and support, which enables the acceptance of Alipay+ payment partners across the KHQR network. We believe this will offer added convenience to tourists, who prefer to pay like a local, using their familiar payment methods wherever possible, he said.

Similarly, Khim Sambo Rothana, head of public relations and the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) department at ABA Bank, welcomed the MoU as a positive step toward promoting the use of the Cambodian fiat currency.

In the first six months of 2023, Bakong recorded over 35.4 million transactions, amounting to more than $12 billion.

The amount constitutes approximately 67% of Cambodias gross domestic product (GDP).

In addition to Cambodia, Bakong is already in use in Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia.
Grazzy empowers gratuity from guests without cash and offers instant payouts for hotel employees.

AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Grazzy, the digital tipping platform driving higher earnings for hotel workers, has been named a preferred technology provider by Hyatt Hotels. With this status, all 700+ Hyatt franchise locations can utilize Grazzy's digital tipping solutions to help hotel operations, bar and restaurant staff earn $1 - $2 more per hour and enjoy instant access to earned tips.

Grazzy

This recognition from Hyatt follows successful Grazzy pilots with major hotel operators like Hotel Equities, HRI, Crestline and Dimension Hospitality. Grazzy worked with operators and the major hotel brands to refine a set of best practices that can help individual properties maximize digital tipping activity.

At a higher level, Grazzy also developed interactive enterprise reporting that helps operators understand team and property performance through their portfolio. These reporting tools help groups accelerate digital tipping, for example, by facilitating the sharing of strategies that help one property earn more than the others.

"Grazzy is helping service workers recapture tips that cashless innovations have for years made fewer and farther between. In doing so, we help hotels, bars, restaurants and other service businesses recruit and retain great talent in a competitive labor market," says Grazzy Founder and CEO Russell Lemmer.

With this announcement, Grazzy now exclusively enjoys brand approval status from all four of the major hotel brands, and is a preferred provider to three of the four. Hospitality businesses are moving quickly to implement convenient, cashless methods for guests to show gratitude for quality service. Grazzy's simple, branded tip payment process is easy for hotel teams to set up and blends well with each brand's designed guest experiences. Guests can choose from pre-set or custom tip amounts, and they can even leave specific feedback recognizing employees' efforts.

Grazzy also provides for service businesses:

Secure, branded tips in 10 seconds or less

Automated tip pooling and allocations

Instant payouts for employees - including F&B staff at hotel locations

Tax and tip credit reporting and compliance, and detailed performance program reporting for operators

Real-time customer experience surveys, connected to industry-leading User Generated Content (UGC) travel review websites

Integrations with Property Management Systems (PMS) and other operating tech stack systems

Best-in-class customer support team, rated 90% in NPS

About Grazzy

Grazzy helps hourly employees make more money, access it the same day, and save and spend in more meaningful ways. By improving financial wellness for front line workers, Grazzy reduces retention and recruiting costs for hotels, bars, restaurants, salons, car washes, and more. Grazzy also benefits back of the house operations by providing assistance to ensure tax compliance, scaling for businesses of any size, and real-time assistance with an expert care team. Our extensible payments platform enables digital tipping, instant tip-outs, and inclusive banking solutions that are built to scale with hospitality and services businesses of any size. To learn more visit https://www.grazzy.co .

Contact Information

Rick Medeiros

510-556-8517

[email protected]

SOURCE Grazzy
Hellmann's partners with Cannes Award-winning animation agency, Illusion CGI Studio, to inspire people to reimagine their holiday leftovers with simple-yet-impactful creative advertising.

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - During celebratory moments like Thanksgiving and other key seasonal holiday events, food waste increases due to an excess of leftovers. In fact, 50% of Americans and 44% of Canadians throw out leftover food following holidays and large family gatherings1, contributing to nearly 305 million pounds of food thrown away each year during Thanksgiving alone2.

To address this seasonal food waste problem, the brand is debuting Between 2 Slices, a print and digital out of home advertising campaign inspiring millions of North Americans to fight food waste through sandwiches. Yes, sandwiches. The latest advertising shows people that with just two slices of bread and Hellmann's mayonnaise, leftover food can be transformed into delicious, creative next-day meals.

Consumers inspired by Between 2 Slices can visit Hellmanns.com for leftover recipes, including tasty sandwiches such as Grilled Turkey, Brie & Cranberry Sandwich , Rustic Roasted Pumpkin Sandwich , and Chicken and Apple Salad Sandwich.

In a survey by Hellmann's, a quarter of North Americans said they feel leftovers are boring and one-third think food doesn't taste as good the second time around (35% Canadians; 3% Americans)3 - leading to their decision to toss their day-old food. Since 2020, Hellmann's has encouraged fans to breathe new life into their leftovers with its Make Taste, Not Waste platform, which aims to educate customers about food waste, provide delicious recipes, and inspire foodies to find ways to love their remixed leftover meals.

"Hellmann's continues to champion the fight against food waste through our platform 'Make Taste, Not Waste' and we're proud of the impact we've been able to bring to the issue through our marketing efforts," says Chris Symmes, Marketing Director, Dressings North America, Unilever. "Between 2 Slices continues to build on our efforts to educate North Americans about food waste reduction and through the simplicity of this holiday-season campaign featuring sandwiches, we're arming consumers with the knowledge and tools to make mindful choices about their food consumption, ensuring that the joy of celebrations stays on the plate, not in the trash."

The Between 2 Slices campaign was designed by Cannes Award-winning animation agency, Illusion CGI Studio . The ads will be featured across North America during key seasonal moments and leverage an expanded isometric style to vividly depict memorable occasions where leftovers are repurposed with Hellmann's mayo. Each 'occasion' is depicted between two slices of bread, showcasing how the art of crafting tasty sandwiches creates new holiday memories. Print and digital out of home ads will run through Thanksgiving and the December holiday season in key markets across the U.S. (NYC and Orlando) and Canada (Toronto and Vancouver).

"Our goal with Between 2 Slices is to inspire everyone to think differently about their leftovers," said Kristen Denega, Hellmann's Marketing Lead, Canada. "We want to show everyone across North America that leftovers, whether from Thanksgiving or holiday feasts, are not just about reheating the same dishes but can be easily transformed into mouthwatering sandwiches. By doing so, we can all play a part in reducing food waste and minimizing our ecological footprint, especially during the holidays."

To learn more on how to reuse your leftovers during key holidays, visit hellmanns.com/us/en/between2slices or hellmanns.com/ca/en/between2slices and share your leftover creation with #MakeTasteNotWaste.

Methodology: Edelman DXI partnered with Leger Opinion to conduct an online survey September 15th-17th, 2023, resulting in a sample of N=1564 Canadians and N=1006 Americans, each representative of the country's adult population according to Census data.

Edelman DxI Survey Research Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations Global Food Losses and Food Waste Report Edelman DxI Survey Research

About Unilever

Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of Beauty & Personal Care, Home Care, and Foods & Refreshment products, with sales in over 190 countries and products used by 2.5 billion people every day. We have 149,000 employees and generated sales of 50.7 billion in 2020. Over half of our footprint is in developing and emerging markets. We have around 400 brands found in homes all over the world. In the United States and Canada, the portfolio includes iconic brand such as: Dove, Knorr, Hellmann's, Lipton, Magnum, Axe, Ben & Jerry's, Degree, Dollar Shave Club, Q-tips, Seventh Generation, St. Ives, Suave, TRESemme, and Vaseline.

Our vision is to be the global leader in sustainable business and to demonstrate how our purpose-led, future-fit business model drives superior performance. We have a long tradition of being a progressive, responsible business. It goes back to the days of our founder William Lever, who launched the world's first purposeful brand, Sunlight Soap, more than 100 years ago, and it's at the heart of how we run our company today.

The Unilever Compass, our sustainable business strategy, is set out to help us deliver superior performance and drive sustainable and responsible growth, while:

improving the health of the planet;

improving people's health, confidence and wellbeing; and

contributing to a fairer and more socially inclusive world.

For more information on Unilever Canada and its brands visit: www.unilever.ca

For more information on Unilever's commitment to food waste, visit : https://www.unilever.com/planet-and-society/waste-free-world/tackling-food-waste/

SOURCE Hellmanns
YULIN, China, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In recent days, the 2023 Rong County Shatian Pomelo Cultural Tourism Festival and "Meeting of Overseas Chinese in Guangxi and Shatian Pomelos of Beautiful Rong County - Tour of Homeland by Overseas Chinese" were held in Rong County, Guangxi.

2023 Rong County Shatian Pomelo Cultural Tourism Festival and "Meeting of Overseas Chinese in Guangxi and Shatian Pomelos of Beautiful Rong County - Tour of Homeland by Overseas Chinese" hosted in Rong County, Guangxi

At the opening ceremony, "Shatian Pomelo Quality Assessment Gold Prize" awards were presented to the winners. In addition, the introduction of Rong County tourist routes revolving around themes such as the homeland of overseas Chinese and the charm of the home of Shatian Pomelos, exhibition and sales of unique local products, and Duqiao Mountain - Music Camping Festival were featured, according to the Publicity Department of the Rong County Committee. Relying on Shatian Pomelos as the focal point, these activities allowed guests from different areas to thoroughly experience the joys of picking Shatian Pomelos, savor the tastes of various Shatian Pomelo products, experience the charm of Shatian Pomelo engraving, paper-cutting and painting, revel in the magic of the homeland of overseas Chinese, and share in the merriment of harvest and beautiful life.

Located in the southeastern part of Guangxi and neighboring the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Rong County is well-known for its extensive history, mesmerizing views, large number of distinguished individuals, profound culture and abundant natural resources. In particular, the world-famous Rong County Shatian Pomelo is often dubbed a "treasure" among Chinese fruits. According to the Publicity Department of the Rong County Committee, Shatian Pomelos have been cultivated in Rong County for more than 2,000 years, and the top-notch quality of the fruit has won numerous gold prizes in national Shatian Pomelo competitions, while "Rong County Shatian Pomelo" is Yulin City's first to be given national geographical indication status. Rong County has been variously named national-level Rong County Shatian Pomelo production standardization demonstration area, and national-level food and agricultural product export (Shatian Pomelo) quality and safety demonstration area. At present, there is a total of over 230,000 mu in Shatian Pomelo plantations capable of an annual production of roughly 360,000 tons of the fruit. This year, the industry is estimated to yield an output of around 40 billion yuan, and the Shatian Pomelo industry has risen as a viable way to vitalize the rural area and enrich Rong County locals.

In recent years, Rong County has adhered to the primary mission of high-quality development by speeding up the in-depth integration between agriculture and cultural tourism, giving full play to the county's advantage as a producer of the distinguished Shatian Pomelos, deepening integration of unique agricultural development with rural revitalization and leisure tourism, energetically developing leisure agriculture, sightseeing agriculture and ecological agriculture, actively cultivating rural tourism, rural e-commerce and other emerging industries and novel business models, and earnestly coordinating integrated development of the primary, secondary and tertiary industries in rural areas. Rong County has successfully blazed a unique pathway of economic progress, and its achievement is epitomized in various accolades such as Best Eco-Culture Tourism County in China, National Leisure Agriculture and Rural Tourism Demonstration County, Top 100 Counties for Potentials in County-level Tourism Development, Health Industry Development Demonstration County in Guangxi and Guangxi Unique Tourism County.

Image Attachments Links:

Link: https://iop.asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=443376

Caption: 2023 Rong County Shatian Pomelo Cultural Tourism Festival and "Meeting of Overseas Chinese in Guangxi and Shatian Pomelos of Beautiful Rong County - Tour of Homeland by Overseas Chinese" hosted in Rong County, Guangxi

SOURCE The Publicity Department of the Rong County Committee
BEIJING, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On November 18, the 2023 International Forum on Life Science was unveiled, under the theme of "Ignite Life for Future." Jointly organized by Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission, the Administrative Commission of Zhongguancun Science Park, the Beijing Municipal Association for Science and Technology, the Beijing Municipal Food and Drug Administration, and the Changping District Government, this year's forum aims to help shape an open, global, market-oriented, and dynamic innovation ecosystem, help build Zhongguancun Life Science Park into a world-leading "Life Science Valley" and a world-famous hub for the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, and promote the high-quality development of Beijing's pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, according to Changping District Integrated Media Center.

The 2023 International Forum on Life Science was held in Changping, Beijing.

A life science forum that never ends online and offline

This year's forum adopts the "1+4+2+N" model to present a never-ending life science forum whose activities are held both online and offline, with offline events livestreamed in real time.

Specifically, the number "1" under this model refers to the main forum which serves concurrently as the opening ceremony. Well-known scientists and experts at home and abroad, representatives of medical institutions, investment institutions, industry associations and chambers of commerce, and domestic and foreign pharmaceutical enterprises are invited to discuss development and cooperation opportunities around the frontier of life science and pharmaceutical and healthcare industries.

"4" refers to the four themed panel sessions: the Medical Device Innovation and Development Seminar, the International Forum on the Development and Application of Artificial Intelligence and Medical Robots for Medical Equipment, the Drug Research and Development Forum & the Zhongguancun Life Science Park Development Forum, and the Changping Forum on Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Finance Investment and Innovation. They cover the whole life cycle of the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries from R&D, innovation to industrialization, and aim to deliver a gala where business insiders can exchange ideas and pool wisdom.

"2" refers to a press conference and a themed exhibition. The press conference was held in the press conference hall of the municipal government on November 9, introducing the basic facts of the forum, the development of the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries in Changping and the wider Beijing, how the district and the city had promoted the development of relevant industries by giving full play to their organizational and human resources strengths, and the high-quality development and innovation of medical devices in Beijing. The themed exhibition will be held during the group activity period, with focus on biomedicine, AI, and medical robot products.

"N" refers to multiple supporting activities. This year's forum will include some activities held by pharmaceutical and healthcare industry associations and enterprises, to amplify its voice and continue to expand its influence. Starting from July, five supporting activities have been held: the Gobroad Science Forum, the 2023 Clinical Biobank Innovation and Development Forum, the 2023 DIA China Drug R&D and Innovation Conference, the 2023 First "Life Science Valley" Forum on Biomedical Talent Development, the Integration and Innovation Development Forum of Medicine, Engineering and Finance, and the upcoming Brain Discovery: From Cognitive Science to Brain-like Intelligence -- 2023 Beijing Brain Conference (the International Academic Exchange Season) scheduled in December. These themed forums are expected to help enhance the innovation ecosystem and the development level, and build Zhongguancun Life Science Park into a world-leading model science park.

A gala of cooperation and exchange for common development with four highlights

This year's forum is of great significance. It will serve the implementation of relevant national strategies and the development of the capital in the new era, and drive the high-quality development of the city's pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. Moreover, it plays a leading role in Changping's drive to build the "Life Science Valley" brand, improve the pharmaceutical and healthcare innovation ecosystem, and create a first-class business environment. Overall, this forum has the following four highlights:

First, focusing on the frontier of science and technology. Aiming at the emerging trend of accelerating transformation of the global technological innovation paradigms, it focuses on the two core drivers: biotechnology and digital technology, with the main forum and themed forums discussing the issues from different perspectives. Nearly 100 industry heavyweights such as Xie Xiaoliang, Shi Hengning, Wang Lai, and Qiao Jie are invited to make keynote speeches, themed speeches and conduct roundtable dialogues, to share their frontier insights and forward-looking ideas to promote the development of the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries under the new development pattern.

Second, promoting the implementation of industrial projects. At this forum, Changping introduced a number of major industrial projects, mainly the R&D projects of multinational pharmaceutical companies and the commercialization of original research achievements, and signed 12 major industrial projects including Tong Ren Tang's Traditional Chinese Medicine Project, the Springer Nature Group project, the R&D and production headquarters project of Daqing Medical Device, the Life Science Valley International Frontier Technology Commercialization Center project, the uBriGene project, and the Estun project. The district has signed contracts with some of China's top 500 companies, world-renowned academic publishing houses and other industry leaders. At the same time, this year's forum will organize exhibitions and displays of cutting-edge biotechnology, high-end medical devices, and the beauty and health products, to fully promote Beijing's rich innovation factors, high-quality development space, and first-class business environment. Targeted investment promotion activities will be launched to identify and meet the needs of stakeholders, expand the "circle of friends" of Beijing's pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, and help more major projects and achievements land and commercialize in Beijing.

Third, cultivating an innovation ecosystem. This forum will bring together government officials, regulators, representatives of academia, businesses, medical institutions and investment institutions to discuss topics of common concern, such as technological breakthroughs, drug and device R&D, clinical translation, financial empowerment, and regulatory science, so as to further promote the in-depth integration and innovation collaboration among the government, industry, academia, research institutes, medical institutions, and financial intermediaries, and create a more dynamic and sticky innovation ecosystem.

Fourth, improving global influence. The forum specially invited Dr. Michael Levitt, the Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, and other European and American academicians and experts, among other international guests. The exhibitors include some of the Fortune Global 500, and a large number of Beijing-based innovative enterprises with global presence including BeiGene, InnoCare, Wantai BioPharm, and Pins Medical. All this is aimed to present a pharmaceutical and healthcare event that meets international standards and has global influence.

Building a world-leading "Life Science Valley" with thriving business

The pharmaceutical and healthcare sector is the most innovative strategic emerging sector worldwide, and bears directly on people's lives and health. It is also one of the "twin engines" to boost Beijing's innovation and development. Changping District attaches great importance to the pharmaceutical and healthcare development, make them its dominant sector, and is committed to building a 100 billion yuan pharmaceutical and healthcare industry cluster. Changping's pharmaceutical and healthcare development also receives much support from the city government which has issued two versions of the Beijing Action Plan for Accelerating Collaborative Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Innovation, clearly proposing to build Changping into a world-leading "Life Science Valley."

Changping, where this forum takes place, with the great support from the municipal and district governments, has seen a booming pharmaceutical and healthcare sector. In 2022, its pharmaceutical and healthcare sector registered a scale close to 80 billion yuan, and Changping was certified by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology as a specialty industry cluster of small and medium-sized enterprises and the offshore innovation and entrepreneurship base for overseas talents certified by the China Association for Science and Technology.

After years of effort, Changping now boasts rich resources across the pharmaceutical and healthcare supply chains, and all the factors needed for production, education and research. Its pharmaceutical and healthcare sector has entered the period of explosive growth of innovations and achievements, and pharmaceutical and healthcare enterprises have received extensive attention from the capital market.

In terms of the source of innovation, with the Zhongguancun Life Science Park at the core, Changping gathers more than 10 high-level R&D institutions such as Changping Laboratory, the National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, and National Center for Protein Science, Beijing. It has attracted many strategic scientists such as Wang Xiaodong, Xie Xiaoliang, and Shao Feng and more than 300 high-level specialists. More than 40 prestigious universities including Peking University, Tsinghua University, Beihang University, Beijing University of Posts and Communications, Beihua University, and China University of Mining and Technology have opened campuses and labs in the district.

In terms of service outsourcing regarding pharmaceutical and medical device R&D, Changping has a complete service ecosystem for the pharmaceutical and medical device industry. To meet the needs of commercialization, it has systematically built 34 key generic technology platforms for drug discovery, laboratory animals, and CMO/CDMO, and built a service system covering the whole industry chain ranging from incubation, R&D, to pilot test and commercialization, continuing to smooth the transition from R&D and innovation to industrialization.

In terms of administrative review and approval services, Zhongguancun Life Science Park unveiled Beijing's first pharmaceutical and medical device innovation service station in April 2023 to provide enterprises with face-to-face targeted services, including the administrative approval process. Other public services include Changsheng Posthouse, the activity room for international talents, the foreigner service hall, and free trade cluster registration platform. The Park is striving to provide all the administrative services companies need.

As to the number of pharmaceutical and medical devices enterprises, Changping has more than 900 pharmaceutical and healthcare enterprises, including 269 state-certified high-tech enterprises, 133 specialized and sophisticated SMEs, 19 unicorns and potential unicorn enterprises, and 18 listed enterprises (including those listed in the US and Hong Kong). In addition, the early-stage high-potential enterprises founded by scientific research institutes have kept emerging. Changping, leveraging its unique advantages of clustering high-end factors, has incubated 80 enterprises founded by well-known scientists, including Pyrotech Therapeutic founded by Academician Shao Feng, Huahui Health by Prof. Li Wenhui, BeiCell Therapeutics by Prof. Deng Hongkui, and Jianda Jiuzhou by Prof. Luo Minmin.

Changping has seized the opportunity created by Beijing's drive to develop the "Two Zones" (the Integrated National Demonstration Zone for Opening up the Services Sector and China (Beijing) Pilot Free Trade Zone). Considering the development characteristics of the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, Changping introduced the city's first pharmaceutical and healthcare development policy, namely, the Interim Measures for Changping Cluster to Support the Development of the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Industries in the Sci-Tech Innovation Area of China (Beijing) Pilot Free Trade Zone, and cashed out 83.73 million yuan last year. On the basis of the 2021 policy, Changping rolled out its version 2.0 for driving the development of the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. This upgraded version 2.0 reflects the industrial development trend and Changping's unique advantages, focuses on the two core drivers of biotechnology and digital technology, and mainly supports the accelerating commercialization of innovations, the introduction and implementation of innovative projects, the strengthening and upgrading of innovative enterprises, and the optimization and upgrading of the industrial ecosystem.

In the future, Changping will continue to track the frontier of technology innovation in the pharmaceutical and healthcare fields, and continuously improve the innovation ecosystem and the development level. Seizing the opportunity presented by this forum, it will focus on building a pharmaceutical and healthcare industry cluster with a value of at least 100 billion yuan, continue to expand the depth and breadth of industrial space of the "Life Science Valley" Innovation Corridor, and improve industrial policies, the innovation ecosystem, and service facilities, striving to set a Beijing model for the development of the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries with global influence. At the same time, Changping will assure the investors, companies and their employees with the best environment, services, and policies, so that they can invest, work and live in the district confidently and conveniently to create a shared future. I sincerely hope that this forum will attract more entrepreneurs to Changping, to start a business, pursue their dreams, and create a win-win situation with us.

Image Attachments Links:

Link: https://iop.asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=443364

Caption: The 2023 International Forum on Life Science was held in Changping, Beijing.

SOURCE Changping District Integrated Media Center
INDIANAPOLIS, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- IMG (International Medical Group), an award-winning global insurance benefits and assistance services company, is honored to have been recognized at the 9th annual Travvy Awards in the 'Best Travel Insurance Provider  Overall' category.

"It's very exciting for IMG to win a Travvy Award in the category for 'Best Travel Insurance Provider  Overall' for the second year in a row," said Grant Hayes, IMG Director of International Sales  Travel. "Our uniquely positioned iTravelInsured travel protection plans coupled with the market-leading service we provide our customers are key differentiators for IMG, and we are grateful that those in the travel industry recognize our efforts and voted for us to win this award."

The annual Travvy Awards  where more than 100,000 travel advisors casted votes to identify the best in the travel industry  were held Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023, at the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention Center in Florida. The awards recognize the highest standards of excellence in the travel industry by honoring travel companies, travel products, travel agencies, and destinations for their outstanding achievements.

"We are proud to have received a 2023 Travvy Award," said Justin Poehler, IMG Chief Commercial Officer. "IMG's vision is to be recognized as the preeminent provider of travel and health safety solutions for people traveling and residing away from home, and receiving this award is a true testament to how we are achieving that vision within the travel insurance industry."

The 2023 Travvy Award winners were honored during a gala awards dinner and presentation attended by the finalists, industry leaders, and travel professionals from around the world. For more information about the Travvy Awards, a breakdown of categories, and a full list of winners, please visit www.travvyawards.com.

To learn more about all of IMG's award-winning travel and health safety solutions, visit www.imglobal.com.

About IMG (International Medical Group)

IMG (International Medical Group), a SiriusPoint company, is an award-winning global insurance benefits and assistance services company that has served millions of members worldwide since its founding in 1990. The preeminent provider of travel and health safety solutions, IMG offers a wide range of insurance programs, including international private medical insurance, travel medical insurance, and travel insurance, as well as enterprise services, including insurance administrative services and 24/7 emergency medical, security, and travel assistance. IMG's world-class services, combined with an extensive product portfolio, provide Global Peace of Mind for travelers, students, missionaries, marine crews, and other individuals or groups traveling, working, or living away from home. For more information, please visit www.imglobal.com.

About the Travvy Awards

The annual Travvy Awards, presented by TravelPulse, part of Northstar Travel Group, recognizes the highest standards of excellence in the travel industry by honoring travel companies and destinations for their outstanding achievement with this prestigious award. Thousands of votes  cast by the travel professionals who sell the vast majority of these trips to tens of millions of consumers yearly  determined the very best in the travel industry. The selections by advisors reflect the suppliers and destinations they believe provide outstanding service to their clients. For more information, please visit www.travvyawards.com.

SOURCE International Medical Group (IMG)
Keynote- Dr. Bechara Choucair, MD, SVP & Chief Health Officer, Kaiser Permanente, Nine Senior Leaders Panel Forum, & 2023 Award Honors to Dr. Allison Arwady, MD, MPH

CHICAGO, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Institute of Medicine of Chicago is hosting its 9th State of Health of Chicago on December 14, 2023, from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM CT at the Grand Lux Cafe, Chicago. All are welcome at the bi-annual event. More details and to register>. Dr. Bechara Choucair, MD, SVP and Chief Health Officer of Kaiser Permanente- Kaiser Foundation Health Plan & Hospital, is the Keynote Speaker. In addition, a diverse panel of nine outstanding speakers will discuss key issues facing the healthcare and public health community. Dr. Allison Arwady, MD, MPH, Immediate past Commissioner  Chicago Department of Public Health will be honored with the 2023 Outstanding Leadership Award for her service and leadership. A networking reception will follow the educational forum.

The State of Health of Chicago is a pivotal event as diverse leaders discuss and define imperative challenges that are barriers to advancing healthcare equity and reducing healthcare disparities. The purpose is to identify areas that demand attention for action and initiatives. It is viewed as a 'report card.' All attendees will vote on key issues to gain their feedback.

Panel Forum

Moderator  Health News Illinois

Dr. Abha Agrawal, MD, FACP, FACHE, CMO, Humboldt Health Hospital

Dr. Charles Barron, MD, MBA, CMO, Aunt Martha's Health and Wellness

Dr. Lee Francis, MD, MPH, CEO & President, Erie Family Health, Fellow of IOMC

Dr. Kimberlee Guenther, Ph.D., Chief Impact Officer at United Way of Metro Chicago

Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck, MD, MPH, COO, Cook County, Dept. of Public Health

Ms. Kate R. Maehr, Executive Director & CEO, Greater Chicago Food Depository

Dr. Beena Peters, DNP, RN, FACHE, FABC, Cook County Health, System Chief Nursing Executive, Fellow of IOMC

Ms. Swathi Staley, Chief Community Investment Officer & General Counsel, YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago

Dr. Sameer Vohra, MD, MPH, JD, Director of Public Health, State of Illinois

We wish to thank our sponsors, Midwest Business Group on Health, Golden Square, and Johnson and Johson for their support.

The Institute of Medicine of Chicago (IOMC), since 1915, is an independent non-profit organization of distinguished leaders in the health field who collaborate to improve the health of the public. Drawing upon the expertise of a diverse membership and other regional leaders, the IOMC addresses critical health issues through a range of interdisciplinary approaches, including education, research, communication of trusted information, and community engagement. With the public's health at its core, IOMC is building new programs and services to meet better the needs of its members and the Chicago, Counties and the State of Illinois community. 501c3 non-profit organization. Visit www.iomc.org.

For more information contact:

Institute of Medicine of Chicago

Deborah Hodges

312.709.2685

[email protected]

SOURCE The Institute of Medicine of Chicago
The company also will unveil the next generation of its IntelliKit, a portable fully-integrated digital cockpit at CES

CHICAGO, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Intellias, a leading software engineering partner to automotive manufacturers and mobility-solution providers, will showcase the company's expertise in HMI, digital cockpit and ADAS-integration technology at CES 2024 on January 9-12 in Las Vegas.

Intellias also will introduce the latest version of its IntelliKit, a portable digital cockpit that demonstrates the latest integration of hardware and software from the company's partnerships with market-leading players in the mobility and automotive sectors.

IntelliKit is based on Qualcomm's SA8295P 4th generation Snapdragon Automotive Cockpit Platform integrated with Rightware's Kanzi One HMI kit and the Blackberry IVY Connected Vehicle Data Platform.

Intellias experts, including Vice President of Delivery and Mobility Oleksandr Odukha, Technology Director Adam Konopa and Delivery Director Sergii Shcherbakov, will be available to discuss IntelliKit and a variety of other mobility-related topics at the company's exhibit in the West Hall (Booth 7075) of the Las Vegas Congress Center  CES 2024 - Intellias.

"As a software engineering partner for the automotive industry, it is our goal to be ready to orchestrate relevant technologies and components into the products and solutions our clients want to create," says Odukha. "With the next generation of IntelliKit, we show how we can provide invaluable expertise to OEMs and automotive solution providers as they navigate today's era of software-defined vehicles."

He notes that the paradigm shift to software-defined vehicles presents automakers with profound challenges. Carmakers need to develop solutions and products that offer a unique driving experience and can be integrated seamlessly into a modern vehicle's IT ecosystem.

Today's complex automotive IT systems consist of diverse technological layers and components that need to connect, according to Oleksandr. To achieve software-defined-vehicle objectives professionally, quickly and cost-effectively, auto manufacturers need engineering partners who are well versed in vehicle IT infrastructures and related industry standards.

About Intellias

Intellias is a global technology partner with over 20 years of experience delivering product engineering and consulting services to Fortune 500 companies. Leading automotive OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, transportation and mobility service providers, including HERE Technologies, Elmos, JOYNEXT, TomTom, DKV, and Rand McNally, rely on Intellias to co-create custom solutions and digitally transform their businesses.

Intellias answers mobility challenges with deep expertise in connectivity, infotainment systems, autonomous driving, eMobility, and intelligent transportation proven by the highest industry certifications (ASPICE and TISAX) and global partnerships (BlackBerry, AUTOSAR, Vector, NDS).

The company recently received Frost & Sullivan's Global Enabling Technology Leadership Award 2023 in the area of connected infotainment and navigation software.

A video on the Intellias IntelliKit (Automotive Portable Kit) is available at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-vBB4ll1ls.

More information on Intellias can be found at www.intellias.com.

SOURCE Intellias
BANGALORE, India, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- IoT IAM Market is Segmented by Type (Private Deployment Model, Public Deployment Model, Hybrid Deployment Model), by Application (Retail And Consumer Goods, Public Sector, Public Utilities, Health Care, Energy, Oil, Gas, Manufacturing): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2029. It is Published in Valuates Reports Under the Category of Software .

The global IoT IAM market was valued at USD 4942.2 Million in 2022 and is anticipated to reach USD 11430 Million by 2029, witnessing a CAGR of 15.0% during the forecast period 2023-2029.

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Major Factors Driving the Growth of the IoT IAM Market:

The IoT IAM market is expanding due to many causes, including a rise in identity fraud cases and security breaches, increased awareness of compliance controls, the growing requirement for IAM for IoT , and rising cyber security expenditures. The market's development is further aided by the cultural change from traditional IAM to IoT IAM. Additionally, there are many prospects for the IoT IAM market to expand due to the spread of cloud-based IAM services and solutions , the rise in the usage of hybrid cloud models, and technologies like blockchain, AI, ML, and biometrics for identity and access management.

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IoT IAM MARKET TRENDS

One of the main factors propelling the IoT IAM market's expansion is the exponential rise in IoT device counts across several sectors. An effective identity and access management system is essential for ensuring safe and controlled access to the numerous linked devices that businesses are deploying in order to increase productivity and collect data. This will stop any unauthorised activity and potential security breaches.

Growing apprehensions about IoT device-related cybersecurity vulnerabilities fuel the need for sophisticated identity and access management solutions. IoT devices are appealing targets for hostile actors due to their potential vulnerabilities brought about by their interconnectedness. Strong authentication, encryption, and access restrictions are implemented by IoT IAM to allay these worries and strengthen the overall security posture of IoT ecosystems.

Organisations must establish strong security measures, including efficient IAM methods for their IoT installations, in order to comply with strict regulatory frameworks and compliance requirements like GDPR and HIPAA. Adopting IoT IAM solutions to satisfy the changing legal requirements around data privacy and security is facilitated by compliance with these rules, which also protect sensitive data.

The IoT IAM market is expanding due in large part to the reliance of industries including manufacturing, healthcare, and energy on IoT technology for mission-critical operations. In many industries, the requirement to safeguard sensitive data and essential infrastructure drives up demand for IAM solutions designed to meet the particular difficulties presented by IoT installations. The possibilities of IoT IAM are further enhanced by its connection with analytics and artificial intelligence (AI). Predictive analytics and AI-driven threat detection improve the proactive discovery of possible security concerns, allowing enterprises to quickly address new threats and vulnerabilities inside their IoT ecosystems.

A decentralised approach to IAM is necessary given the advent of edge computing in Internet of Things architectures, where data processing takes place closer to the point of data production. Secure access and authentication are guaranteed by IoT IAM solutions tailored for edge settings, maintaining edge computing advantages while promoting smooth IAM integration with dispersed IoT networks.

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IoT IAM MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS

Asia-Pacific is anticipated to develop at the fastest rate throughout the projected time frame. The area offers good software and service options in addition to a strong IT infrastructure. The IoT identity and access management market in this area is also growing as a result of rising cloud service usage, rising need for IAM in healthcare retail, and improving company processes.

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Key Players:

Amazon Web Services

Broadcom

LogMein

Gemalto

MICRO FOCUS INTERNATIONAL

Covisint

ForgeRock

Ping Identity Corporation

CERTIFIED SECURITY SOLUTIONS

GlobalSign

Amazon

Gemalto NV

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SIMILAR REPORTS

- IoT Security Solution for Identity and Access Management (IAM) Market

- Industrial Asset Management Software market is projected to reach USD 2335.6 million in 2029, increasing from USD 1370 million in 2022, with the CAGR of 7.9% during the period of 2023 to 2029.

- Security as a Service (SECaaS) market size is projected to reach USD 15610 million by 2028, from USD 3615.2 million in 2021, at a CAGR of 22.7% during 2022-2028.

- IoT Platforms market size is projected to reach USD 20720 million by 2028, from USD 4574.3 million in 2021, at a CAGR of 23.8% during 2022-2028.

- Industrial IoT (IIoT) market size is projected to reach USD 102460 million by 2028, from USD 71160 million in 2021, at a CAGR of 5.3% during 2022-2028.

- IoT Spending in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Market

- Internet of Things (IoT) Security market size is projected to reach USD 7722.1 million by 2028, from USD 2087.8 million in 2021, at a CAGR of 20.3% during 2022-2028.

- Military IoT market is projected to grow from USD 12020 million in 2023 to USD 17040 million by 2029, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.0% during the forecast period.

- Low Power IoT Market

- Identity and Access Management market size is projected to reach USD 43190 million by 2027, from USD 15960 million in 2020, at a CAGR of 15.3% during 2021-2027.

- Industrial Iot Gateway Market

- IoT Fleet Management market is projected to reach USD 32430 million by 2028 from an estimated USD 10330 million in 2022, at a CAGR of 21.0% during 2023 and 2028.

- IoT in Elevators market is projected to grow from USD 16850 million in 2023 to USD 28890 million by 2029, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 9.4% during the forecast period.

- IoT in Elevators market is projected to grow from USD 16850 million in 2023 to USD 28890 million by 2029, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 9.4% during the forecast period.

- Internet of Things in Retail market was valued at USD 22520 million in 2022 and is anticipated to reach USD 40340 million by 2029, witnessing a CAGR of 10.2% during the forecast period 2023-2029.

- IoT Cold Chain Management System Market

- IoT Telematics Gateways Market

- IoT Chip market was valued at USD 45970 million in 2022 and is anticipated to reach USD 127490 million by 2029, witnessing a CAGR of 15.5% during the forecast period 2023-2029.

- IoT in Manufacturing market size is projected to reach USD 1148.9 million by 2028, from USD 550.2 million in 2021, at a CAGR of 10.6% during 2022-2028.

- IoT Connectivity Market

- Big Data in Internet of Things Market

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HSINCHU, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with 6G-SANDBOX, a pan-European testbed for 6G experimentation funded by Smart Networks and Service Joint Undertaking under Horizon Europe. This partnership aims to enhance cooperation between European and Taiwanese enterprises in the realm of 6G research by connecting 6G-SANDBOX testbeds with Taiwan's telecommunications ecosystem.

The event is attended by (from left) Jeffrey Chen, General Manager of Greater China Wireless and Network Solutions Engineering at Keysight; Selena Hsu, VP of Auray Technology; Dong Yang Hsu, Director of ITRIs Information and Communications Research Laboratories; Dr. Pang-An Ting, General Director of ITRIs Information and Communications Research Laboratories; Michael Dieudonne, 6G-SANDBOX coordinator; Prof. Pedro Merino Gomez from the University of Malaga; and special consultant Morten Mller.

Delving into 6G research domains, ITRI and 6G-SANDBOX will focus on areas such as joint communications and sensing (JCAS) and reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS). ITRI will facilitate 6G-SANDBOX's access to critical components, including 5G cores, 5G O-RAN base stations, SMO/RIC management platforms, JCAS frameworks, and advanced network planning and emulation tools. Functioning as a vital catalyst within the Taiwanese ecosystem, ITRI will proactively engage companies in the MoU. To commemorate the initiation of this collaboration, ITRI representatives visited the 6G-SANDBOX testbed in Malaga on November 8.

Pang-An Ting, General Director of ITRI's Information and Communications Research Laboratories, shared ITRI's recent strides in the ICT sector. "During our visit to Gothenburg for the EuCNC & 6G Summit this year, ITRI collaborated closely with leading lights in the 6G academia and industry. We explored robust research and development partnerships with European counterparts. I'm also pleased to announce that ITRI has successfully joined the esteemed ranks of the 6G-IA. By seamlessly integrating technologies, applications, and experimental networks from Taiwan into the 6G-SANDBOX testbeds, we are paving the way for collaborative experimentation for people in Europe and Taiwanese companies and institutes, focusing on both 5G and 6G technologies. Auray Technology has expressed keen interest in contributing their expertise in OTIC, including RAN Intelligent Controller and security testing. Looking ahead, we plan to extend invitations to universities and additional Taiwanese companies, aligning our shared commitment to innovating 5G networks and defining 6G standards."

6G-SANDBOX coordinator Michael Dieudonne stated, "Through a robust interconnection between 6G-SANDBOX testbeds and the ITRI experimental network, we aim to create a comprehensive research platform for 6G applications. This MoU will further our ability to work with thought leaders across the globe and jointly run experiments to further advances in wireless communications."

Launched in January 2023, the 6G-SANDBOX project is led by Keysight Technologies and includes esteemed partners such as COSMOTE, Eurescom, FOGUS Innovations & Services P.C., Fraunhofer FOKUS, ICTFICIAL OY, INFOLYSIS P.C., Institute for Software Engineering and Technologies (ITIS) at the University of Malaga, Lenovo, IS-Wireless (ISRD), the National Centre for Scientific Research "Demokritos" (NCSRD), Nokia eXtended Reality Lab, OpenNebula Sytems SL, OWO, Queen's University Belfast, Telefonica, and the University of Oulu. The project's objective is to develop a large-scale EU-wide experimental platform for 6G technologies. This platform allows companies and research institutions to test and validate their new technologies, including promising technical 6G enablers such as network automation, cybersecurity, digital twins, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and technologies that optimize energy consumption. 6G-SANDBOX delivers fully configurable, manageable, and controlled end-to-end networks comprising digital and physical nodes, enabling the validation of new technologies and research advancements for 6G.

About ITRI

Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) is one of the world's leading technology R&D institutions aiming to innovate a better future for society. Founded in 1973, ITRI has played a vital role in transforming Taiwan's industries from labor-intensive into innovation-driven. To address market needs and global trends, it has launched its 2035 Technology Strategy and Roadmap that focuses on innovation development in Smart Living, Quality Health, Sustainable Environment, and Resilient Society.

Over the years, ITRI has been dedicated to incubating startups and spinoffs, including well-known names such as UMC and TSMC. In addition to its headquarters in Taiwan, ITRI has branch offices in the U.S., Europe, and Japan in an effort to extend its R&D scope and promote international cooperation across the globe. For more information, please visit https://www.itri.org/eng.

SOURCE Industrial Technology Research Institute
Liberty and Bell celebrate 76th annual Thanksgiving presentation with National Turkey Federation

WILLMAR, Minn., Nov. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The makers of the Jennie-O turkey brand  a trusted brand for turkey products around the world  today announced that two of their turkeys, Liberty and Bell, were presented by the National Turkey Federation (NTF) and formally pardoned by President Joseph R. Biden during the 76th National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation on the grounds of the White House.

The makers of the Jennie-O turkey brand today announced that two of their turkeys, Liberty and Bell, were presented by the National Turkey Federation (NTF) and formally pardoned by President Joseph R. Biden during the 76th National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation on the grounds of the White House.

Steve Lykken, Jennie-O Turkey Store president and NTF chairman, was joined by Jose Rojas, Jennie-O Turkey Store assistant vice president of live production in the presentation of the turkeys to President Biden.

"To say that the Jennie-O brand is honored to be a part of this historic 76th Thanksgiving presentation is an understatement," said Lykken. "We are thankful to President Biden and the National Turkey Federation for warmly welcoming us, and Liberty and Bell. We enjoyed a whirlwind of activities these past few days and we're grateful for the turkey producers and farmers that deliver food to our tables this holiday and every day."

The 2023 National Thanksgiving Turkeys were raised in Minnesota by a team of experts led by Jose Rojas, assistant vice president of Live Production at Jennie-O Turkey Store. Like all Jennie-O farm-raised turkeys, these birds were raised in a spacious barn with access to 24-hour round-the-clock care.

The 2023 National Thanksgiving Turkeys made the journey from Minnesota to Washington, D.C. last week, receiving the five-star treatment befitting turkeys of their stature. Liberty and Bell were driven in their own personal vehicle and stayed at the historic Willard InterContinental Hotel before they were officially pardoned by the 46th President of the United States in a ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House.

Following their visit to the White House, the turkeys will be delivered to the experienced care of veterinarians, faculty, and students at the University of Minnesota's College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences in St. Paul, where they will receive housing, daily care, and access to veterinary services. Through this partnership, the presidentially pardoned turkeys will receive the best care possible, highlight the importance of agricultural education, and help promote the role of the turkey industry and animal agriculture in America's food system.

NTF's participation in the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation began in 1947 with President Harry Truman. It has continued for 75 years across 14 successive administrations.

About Jennie-O Turkey Store

For over 80 years, the Jennie-O brand has been helping consumers live well by eating well. As the category leader, Jennie-O turkey is the trusted brand for quality turkey and a source of expertise. We provide a full portfolio of delicious, nutritious turkey proteins and inspiration for everyday meals or special occasions. Known for our bright green awning evoking the nostalgia of a local farmer stand, our round logo with a touch of yellow and our distinct name from our founders' daughter Jennifer, the Jennie-O turkey brand has the right amount of small-town friendliness paired with leading company expertise and quality. For more information, visit jennieo.com.

About the National Turkey Federation

The National Turkey Federation (NTF) is the national advocate for America's turkey farmers and producers, raising awareness for its members' products while strengthening their ability to profitably and safely deliver wholesome, high-quality and nutritious food to consumers worldwide. NTF is the sole national trade association exclusively representing the turkey industry; its members account for more than 95 percent of all U.S. turkey production.

About Hormel Foods  Inspired People. Inspired Food.

Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, Minn., is a global branded food company with over $12 billion in annual revenue across more than 80 countries worldwide. Its brands include Planters, Skippy, SPAM, Hormel Natural Choice, Applegate, Justin's, Wholly, Hormel Black Label, Columbus, Jennie-O and more than 30 other beloved brands. The company is a member of the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, was named on the "Global 2000 World's Best Employers" list by Forbes magazine for three years, is one of Fortune magazine's most admired companies, has appeared on the "100 Best Corporate Citizens" list by 3BL Media 13 times, and has received numerous other awards and accolades for its corporate responsibility and community service efforts. The company lives by its purpose statement  Inspired People. Inspired Food.  to bring some of the world's most trusted and iconic brands to tables across the globe. For more information, visit hormelfoods.com and csr.hormelfoods.com.

Contact: Media Relations

Hormel Foods

[email protected]

SOURCE Jennie-O Turkey Store
Connor Taverna always wanted to be a police officer. And a paleontologist.

His interests in police and dinosaurs were on full display Sunday afternoon, courtesy of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and members of the Carlisle area community.

The foundation granted Connors wish to travel to Disney World, and as the family prepares for next months trip, the Carlisle community threw him a sendoff party Sunday at the Carlisle Family YMCA, featuring a bounce house, dinosaur costumes and a magic show. He also rode in on a firetruck with an escort of other emergency vehicles and was sworn in as an honorary member of Carlisles police department.

In May, Connor was diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, a type of tumor found in the brain stem, for which there is no cure.

According to the DIPG/DMG Resource Network, the cancer make ups between 10% and 15% of brain tumors in children and is usually diagnosed between the ages of 5 and 7. About 150 to 300 diagnoses are made in the U.S. each year, and fewer than 10% of children live longer than two years after being diagnosed.

Connors mother, Heidi, said he began experiencing vomiting and right-side weakness in April.

He would purposely go out of his way to use his left arm, which I thought obviously was very odd, she said. And then his right eye started to deviate inward, and thats when we knew something was wrong.

After a visit to his pediatrician, Connor was referred to a neurology team in Hershey before being sent to the emergency room. He was admitted and after several days, a CT scan and MRI revealed a lesion in his brain.

A biopsy confirmed Connors diagnosis, and any parents worst fear.

Im going to lose my son, Heidi said.

She said life has looked very different since Connors diagnosis; everything she and her husband do is directed around Connor and his 4-year-old sister, Hadley.

We treat every day like its our last day because we dont know when thats going to be. ... We want to make sure that he gets to enjoy everything in life, the remainder of his days, however long that may be, Heidi said.

The Taverna family also travels to lots of doctors appointments in Hershey, and Connor is also in a clinical trial at the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia.

Heidi said the Make-A-Wish Foundation reached out about granting a wish for Connor.

We left it up to him, and of course he wanted something that his sister could enjoy as well because they are so close, she said. So he picked Disney so that she could see princesses and he could see dinosaurs.

Local Wish Granter Ashley Bowman said when families choose to go to Disney with Make-A-Wish, they stay in a resort called Give Kids the World Village.

Its truly magical, she said. So I think its important for them to have the family time together.

Sundays party was not related to Connors wish, she said. That came from members of the Carlisle community and, as Bowman put it, they went insane.

Carlisle Police Officer Jamie DiMartile heard about Connor through Bowman on social media, saying she posted asking about community support.

I said, Hey, does he want to be a police officer or a firefighter, like is there something that we as a community can do for him, and shes like, Well, he wants to be both, and I said, All right, lets do it, DiMartile said. I went to [the] chief and we decided that we were going to swear him in as an honorary officer.

She said its common for police departments to have honorary members like Connor as a way of supporting the community.

For Connor, the drive to become a police officer wasnt about arresting criminals. He was more interested in the fast cars and loud sirens.

DiMartile said watching the sendoff party unfold and seeing the joy on Connors face meant everything.

It takes a community to raise a child and were here to support the family, she said. I know he has a younger sister, and were always going to be there for them.

Photos: Scenes from the Carlisle Family YMCA Turkey Trot Thursday morning
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On November 16th, the Second Political Campaign and Management Forum took place at the Capitol Hill Club. It was organized by the International GR Professionals Association (IGAPA), the professional community of specialists in the spheres of Government Relations and political campaign managers, the consulting company "SIC Group USA LLC," and the non-profit organization "Institute for Democracy and Development "PolitA."

This landmark event, occurring exactly one year before the Presidential Elections in the United States, brought together political campaign management professionals to address critical challenges facing the industry on both national and global scales. Discussions focused on issues such as polarization, the proliferation of disinformation and fake news, the integration of artificial intelligence in political campaigns, and the rising costs of elections.

The forum commenced with an insightful opening address by Kateryna Odarchenko, a prominent political consultant. Odarchenko underscored the significance of forums like this, where professionals exchange practical insights and deliberate on the most effective tools in election and communication campaigns. She emphasized her commitment to high ethical standards, citing the practices of her consulting company, "SIC Group USA LLC," which actively contributes to the development of a new culture of communication in markets.

As preparations for the upcoming Presidential elections in the United States were discussed, experts unanimously identified solutions to challenges such as disinformation and polarization. Notable speakers included Karen Mulhauser, a political consultant with experience working alongside Barack Obama, who emphasized the continued effectiveness of direct voter contact in election campaigns. Jay Townsend, a renowned speechwriter and strategist, predicted a shift towards a positive agenda in future U.S. elections, where voters would evaluate government officials based on their actions.

The Second Political Campaign and Management Forum served as a global platform, attracting participants from 7 countries, including Anastasiia Magonova (USA), Narek Kazarian (Ukraine), Mariam Razi (Canada), Dina Shaikhislam (Kazakhstan), and Mihael Cigler (Slovenia). Distinguished speakers and guests included Stephen Blank, Peter Huessy, Kendall Coffey, Jason Shelton, Ben Evans, Thadeus Walls, Leif Larson, and Michael Gofman.

About IGAPA:

IGAPA is the leading international association for GR, lobbying, advocacy, and public affairs professionals that unites specialists from over 10 countries. Together with "SIC Group USA" and Institute for Democracy and Development "PolitA," IGAPA develops practices of transparent dialogue between state, business, and society on an international scale.

SOURCE Institute for democracy and development PolitA
WILMINGTON, Mass., Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Liberty Defense Holdings Ltd. ("Liberty" or the "Company") (TSXV: SCAN) (OTCQB: LDDFF) (FRANKFURT: LD2A), a leading technology provider of Artificial Intelligence (AI) based next generation detection solutions for protecting secure locations against prohibited weapons and other threats, is pleased to announce that it has delivered a HEXWAVE system to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), completing the contract under the TSA's On-Person Screening Capability Program for the screening of Aviation Workers.

Liberty's HEXWAVE is a next generation, high throughput, contactless threat detection system for concealed metallic and non-metallic objects, using AI to provide automated decisions to security operators to process people at speed.

"Over the past several months, we have been working closely with major US airports, including LAX, Denver, Oakland, and others on enhancing employee screening to reduce the potential of an insider threat," says Liberty CEO Bill Frain. "The focus of the program is to improve the detection for a broader range of threats while also improving the throughput for a practical and efficient process. A significant number of airports will be required to improve their screening process over the next several months. We look forward to supporting the initiative and making it a seamless transition."

Given the TSA's mandate to implement screening for aviation workers, airports will need technologies that provide a broad range of threat detection to keep pace with screening requirements and those mandated for the future.

For updates and news, please visit the Company website to subscribe to email alerts or follow Liberty Defense on social channels.

On Behalf of Liberty Defense

Bill Frain

CEO & Director

About Liberty Defense

Liberty Defense ( TSXV: SCAN , OTCQB: LDDFF , FRANKFURT: LD2A ) provides multi-technology security solutions for concealed weapons detection in high volume foot traffic areas and locations requiring enhanced security such as airports, stadiums, schools, and more. Liberty's HEXWAVE product, for which the company has secured an exclusive license from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), as well as a technology transfer agreement for patents related to active 3D radar imaging technology, provides discrete, modular, and scalable protection to provide layered, stand-off detection capability of metallic and non-metallic weapons. Liberty has also recently licensed the millimeter wave-based, High-Definition Advanced Imaging Technology (HD-AIT) body scanner and shoe scanner technologies as part of its technology portfolio. Liberty is committed to protecting communities and preserving peace of mind through superior security detection solutions. Learn more: LibertyDefense.com

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

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. Although Liberty believes, in light of the experience of their respective officers and directors, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors that have been considered appropriate, that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements and information in this press release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them because the parties can give no assurance that such statements will prove to be correct. Such statements and information reflect the current view of Liberty. There are 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. There are a number of important factors that could cause Liberty's actual results to differ materially from those indicated or implied by forward-looking statements and information. Such factors include, among others: currency fluctuations; limited business history of the parties; disruptions or changes in the credit or security markets; results of operation activities and development of projects; project cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses; and general development, market and industry conditions. The parties undertake no obligation to comment on analyses, expectations or statements made by third parties in respect of their securities or their respective financial or operating results (as applicable).

Liberty cautions that the foregoing list of material factors is not exhaustive. When relying on Liberty's forward-looking statements and information to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Liberty has assumed that the material factors referred to in the previous paragraph will not cause such forward-looking statements and information to differ materially from actual results or events. However, the list of these factors is not exhaustive and is subject to change and there can be no assurance that such assumptions will reflect the actual outcome of such items or factors. The forward-looking information contained in this press release represents the expectations of Liberty as of the date of this press release and, accordingly, are subject to change after such date. Liberty does not undertake to update this information at any particular time except as required in accordance with applicable 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 press release.

SOURCE Liberty Defense Holdings Ltd.
- Earnings Call Scheduled for 8:00 a.m. ET on November 28, 2023 -

SINGAPORE, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- LightInTheBox Holding Co., Ltd. (NYSE: LITB) ("LightInTheBox" or the "Company"), an apparel e-commerce retailer that ships products to consumers worldwide, today announced that it will release its unaudited financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2023 before the open of U.S. markets on Tuesday, November 28, 2023.

LightInTheBox's management will hold an earnings conference call at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time on November 28, 2023 (9:00 p.m. Hong Kong/Singapore time on the same day).

Preregistration Information

Participants can register for the conference call by going to https://s1.c-conf.com/diamondpass/10034694-cqmwxe.html. Upon registration, participants will receive dial-in numbers, an event passcode, and a unique access PIN.

To join the conference, simply dial the number in the calendar invite you receive after preregistering, enter the event passcode followed by your unique access PIN, and you will be connected to the conference instantly.

A telephone replay will be available two hours after the conclusion of the conference call through December 05, 2023. The dial-in details are:

US/Canada: +1-855-883-1031 Singapore: 800-101-3223 Hong Kong, China: 800-930-639 Replay PIN: 10034694

Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the Company's Investor Relations website at http://ir.lightinthebox.com.

About LightInTheBox Holding Co., Ltd.

LightInTheBox is an apparel e-commerce retailer that ships products to consumers worldwide. With a focus on serving its middle-aged and senior customers, LightInTheBox leverages its global supply chain and logistics networks, along with its in-house R&D and design capabilities to offer a wide selection of comfortable, aesthetically pleasing and visually interesting apparels that bring fresh joy to customers. LightInTheBox operates its business through www.lightinthebox.com, www.miniinthebox.com, www.ezbuy.sg and other websites as well as mobile applications, which are available in over 20 major languages and over 140 countries and regions. The Company is headquartered in Singapore, with additional offices in California, Shanghai and Beijing.

For more information, please visit www.lightinthebox.com.

Investor Relations Contact

Investor Relations

LightInTheBox Holding Co., Ltd.

Email: [email protected]

Jenny Cai

Piacente Financial Communications

Email: [email protected]

Brandi Piacente

Piacente Financial Communications

Tel: +1-212-481-2050

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE LightInTheBox Holding Co., Ltd.
LYSAKER, Norway, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Mainstream Renewable Power ("Mainstream"), the pureplay global wind and solar company majority-owned by Aker Horizons ASA, has reached financial close on a 97.5 MW solar PV farm which has 20-year Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with Sasol and Air Liquide, in South Africa.

Construction of the solar PV farm, which is located in the Free State province, will start this year and is scheduled to be fully operational in 2025. The power it will generate will be delivered via the national grid to Sasol and Air Liquide's operations in Secunda, located in Mpumalanga province. The PPAs are part of Sasol and Air Liquide's joint drive to decarbonise their respective operations.

Mainstream's General Manager for Africa, Hein Reyneke, said: "We are proud to partner with Sasol and Air Liquide, delivering an efficient and cost-effective solution to their decarbonisation needs. As one of the most successful developers of renewable energy in South Africa, Mainstream is well positioned as a partner of choice for private PPAs. These agreements are crucial to unlocking the country's energy constraints, as they can make a significant contribution to our energy security and loadshedding challenges quickly and cost-effectively. We are pleased that Mainstream is at the forefront of the energy transition."

Private off-take agreements enable significant quantities of energy to be delivered quickly and reliably, reducing companies' exposure to rising energy costs and helping to achieve their decarbonisation targets. The project will contribute to the local community through job creation and socio-economic investment.

"This agreement underscores our commitment and responsibility to providing viable commercial and socio-economic solutions to address South Africa's energy security needs as part of the energy transition and contribute towards developing the independent power producers' role in rebuilding the South African economy as quickly as possible," said Reyneke.

Mainstream is one of the leading renewable energy companies in South Africa. Over the last 15 years, it has delivered 850 MW of wind and solar assets into commercial operation. Mainstream's South African team has developed a project pipeline comprising more than 10 GW of onshore wind and solar PV across multiple provinces. In addition, its subsidiary, Mainstream Asset Management South Africa (MAMSA), provides operations and maintenance services to ensure long-term asset integrity.

For further information, please contact:

Emmet Curley, Communications, Mainstream Renewable Power

Tel: +353 86 2411 690; [email protected]

About Mainstream Renewable Power

Mainstream Renewable Power is a leading pure-play renewable energy company, with wind and solar assets across global markets, including in Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. Mainstream is one of the most successful developers of gigawatt-scale renewables platforms, across onshore wind, offshore wind, and solar power generation. It has successfully delivered 6.5 GW of wind and solar generation assets to financial close-ready and has a global pipeline of 20.8 GW, with 1.1 GW in operation.

In South Africa, Mainstream has developed and built eight wind and solar plants, with a combined capacity of 850 MW.

Mainstream has raised more than EUR 3.0 billion in project finance to date and has a presence across five continents. www.mainstreamrp.com

About Aker Horizons

Aker Horizons develops green energy and green industry to accelerate the transition to Net Zero. The company is active in renewable energy, carbon capture and hydrogen and develops industrial-scale decarbonization projects. As part of the Aker group, Aker Horizons applies industrial, technological and capital markets expertise with a planet-positive purpose to drive decarbonization globally. Aker Horizons is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange and headquartered in Fornebu, Norway. Across its portfolio, the company is present on five continents. www.akerhorizons.com
Increase in technological advancement, rise in research and development activities, and surge in adoption of mass spectrometers in various industries drive the growth of the mass spectrometry market.

PORTLAND, Ore., Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Mass Spectrometry Market, By Technology (Hybrid Mass Spectrometry, Single Mass Spectrometry, and Others), and Application (Pharmaceutical, Biotechnology, Industrial Chemistry, Environmental Testing, Food and Beverage Testing, Forensic, Clinical, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2022-2032." According to the report, mass spectrometry industry was estimated at $6.9 billion in 2022, and is anticipated to hit $14.6 billion by 2032, registering a CAGR of 7.7% from 2023 to 2033.



Request Sample of the Report on Mass Spectrometry Market Forecast 2032- https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/2639

Prime determinants of growth

Technological advancements in the mass spectrometry, increase in research and development activities in biopharmaceutical industry, and surge in the awareness about food safety drive the growth of the mass spectrometry market. However, high cost of mass spectrometry instrument is hampering the market growth. On the contrary, continuous development in miniaturizing mass spectrometry increase is expected to offer remunerative opportunity for expansion of the mass spectrometry market during the forecast period.

Report coverage & details:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 20232032 Base Year 2022 Market Size in 2022 $6.9 billion Market Size in 2032 $14.6 billion CAGR 7.7 % No. of Pages in Report 248 Segments covered Technology, Application, and Region Drivers Technological advancements in mass spectrometry Increase in research and development activities Surge in awareness about food safety Opportunity Continuous miniaturization in mass spectrometry Restraint High cost of mass spectrometry equipment



Economic Downturn Analysis: Impact of Recession in 2023 on the Mass Spectrometry Market

In the economic recession, the mass spectrometry market is driven by technological advancements, increase in demand from various industries such as forensic and clinical, and development of portable mass spectrometers.

However, increased manufacturing and operating costs, and fluctuations and adverse movement in shipping cost impact the mass spectrometry market growth during the recession.

Want to Explore More, Connect to our Analyst- https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/connect-to-analyst/2639

The hybrid mass spectrometry segment to maintain its dominance during the forecast period

By technology, the hybrid mass spectrometry segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for nearly half of the mass spectrometry market revenue, and it is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 8.1% from 2023 to 2032, owing to increase in demand for hybrid mass spectrometry as it provides more accurate analysis and can detect very small amount of component in the mixture.

The pharmaceutical segment to maintain its leadership status during the forecast period

By application, the pharmaceutical segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for one-fourth of the mass spectrometry market revenue, owing to use of mass spectrometry in the drug analysis and quality control processes. However, the biotechnology segment is expected to witness the fastest CAGR of 9.0% from 2023 to 2032, owing to increase in use of mass spectrometry in the proteomics research.

For Procurement Information- https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/2639

North America to maintain its dominance by 2032

Region-wise, North America held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2022, accounting for more than two-fifths of the global mass spectrometry market revenue, owing to high research activities in this region, availability of advanced mass spectrometers, and strong presence of market key players. However, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to witness the fastest CAGR of 8.6% from 2023 to 2032, owing to development of biopharmaceutical industry, and high adoption of new technology equipment.

Leading Market Players: -

Agilent Technologies, Inc.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.

Perkinelmer, Inc.

Shimadzu Corporation

Kore Technologies, Ltd.

Hiden Analytical Ltd.

Leco Corporation

Bruker Corporation

Waters Corporation

Danaher Corporation

The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players of the mass spectrometry market. These players have adopted strategies such as, product launch, acquisition, collaboration, and agreement to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in the 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:

Ophthalmic Drugs Market- Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20222032

Spine Biologics Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20222032

Regenerative Medicine Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20222032

Autoinjectors Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20222032

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.

Contact



David Correa

1209 Orange Street,

Corporation Trust Center,

Wilmington, New Castle,

Delaware 19801 USA.

Toll Free: +1-800-792-5285

Int'l: +1-503-894-6022

UK: +44-845-528-1300

Hong Kong: +852-301-84916

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[email protected]

Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com

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SOURCE Allied Market Research
HOUSTON, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- McDermott has been awarded a sizeable* engineering, procurement, removal and disposal contract by Santos. The offshore decommissioning award is for the full removal and disposal of the Campbell platform structure, which is part of the Varanus Island Hub offshore infrastructure in Western Australia.

Under the contract scope, McDermott will provide project management and engineering services for the removal and transportation of the platform topsides, substructure and associated items to an onshore facility, where it will be dismantled and disposed.

"Our successful, proven track record of project delivery spans the entire energy value chain," said Mahesh Swaminathan, McDermott's Senior Vice President, Subsea and Floating Facilities. "This decommissioning award reflects the commitment we share with Santos to timely, safe, and environmentally responsible removal of infrastructure at the end of its operational life cycle. We look forward to continuing to be part of delivering their sustainability commitments while also contributing to the circular economy for a lower carbon future.

Project management and engineering will be executed by McDermott's team in Perth, Australia, with support from Batam, Indonesia and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The decommissioning of the Campbell platform is the fourth decommissioning project executed by McDermott in Australia in the last two years.

*McDermott defines a sizeable contract as between USD $1 million and USD $50M million.

About McDermott

McDermott is a premier, fully-integrated provider of engineering and construction solutions to the energy industry. Our customers trust our technology-driven approach engineered to responsibly harness and transform global energy resources into the products the world needs. From concept to commissioning, McDermott's innovative expertise and capabilities advance the next generation of global energy infrastructureempowering a brighter, more sustainable future for us all. Operating in over 54 countries, McDermott's locally-focused and globally-integrated resources include more than 30,000 employees, a diversified fleet of specialty marine construction vessels and fabrication facilities around the world. To learn more, visit www.mcdermott.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

McDermott cautions that statements in this communication which are forward-looking, and provide other than historical information, involve risks, contingencies and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements about the expected scope and execution of the project discussed in this press release. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that those expectations will prove to have been correct. Those statements are made by using various underlying assumptions and are subject to numerous risks, contingencies and uncertainties, including, among others: adverse changes in the markets in which we operate or credit or capital markets; our inability to successfully execute on contracts in backlog; changes in project design or schedules; the availability of qualified personnel; changes in the terms, scope or timing of contracts, contract cancellations, change orders and other modifications and actions by our customers and other business counterparties; changes in industry norms; actions by lenders, other creditors, customers and other business counterparties of McDermott and adverse outcomes in legal or other dispute resolution proceedings. If one or more of these risks materialize, or if underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those expected. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. This communication reflects the views of McDermott's management as of the date hereof. Except to the extent required by applicable law, McDermott undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement.

Contacts:

Global Media Relations

Reba Reid

Senior Director, Global Communications and Marketing

+1 281 588 5636

[email protected]

Local Media Relations

Barbara Knight

Senior Director, Business Line Communications and Marketing

+971 56 403 2903

[email protected]

SOURCE McDermott International, Ltd
CLEVELAND, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In a notable victory, Richard Blake, a Member with McDonald Hopkins and Chair of the firm's Government Compliance, Investigations and White Collar Defense Practice Group, successfully defended his client against charges brought by the U.S. Department of Justice Tax Division.

Earlier this year, the DOJ Tax Division indicted Todd Marra, a mortgage broker from Macomb County, Michigan on charges of conspiracy and filing false personal tax returns in the federal district court in Detroit. The trial concluded on November 7 when the jury unanimously acquitted Marra on all counts after just over an hour of deliberation.

"This case shows the troubling tendency to mischaracterize errors and good faith mistakes as intentional fraudulent actions and how it too often results in criminal cases against ordinary individuals. The vast resources available to federal prosecutors make it very difficult for individual citizens to adequately defend themselves against drawn out investigations and trials," said Blake, who has 35 years of trial experience as both a federal prosecutor and private practitioner. "At McDonald Hopkins, we understand these challenges and work closely with clients to analyze each case to make certain the best team is assembled for their individual situation."

During the trial, the DOJ Tax Division argued that Marra knowingly conspired with his former partner to falsify their company's internal QuickBooks files, not accounting for cash draws and personal expenses paid with the company's credit card as personal income. In doing so, the DOJ Tax Division argued that both Marra and his former partner knowingly understated income on their personal tax returns.

In the face of voluminous documents and numerous witnesses presented by the government, Blake secured not guilty verdicts on all counts.

The Trial:

The DOJ Tax Division presented its case through the testimony of numerous witnesses and extensive bank records, which included:

Testimony from Marra's former partner, who pleaded guilty in 2022 to conspiring with Marra to commit tax fraud . .

. . Testimony from an IRS Revenue Agent who analyzed relevant bank records, monthly credit card statements, business and personal tax returns, handwritten ledgers maintained by Marra and his former partner, and summary exhibits detailing the government's conclusions.

Testimony from IRS Agents who executed search warrants on Marra's business location and the home of his former spouse.

Testimony on cross examination from an IRS Agent that the government had conducted undercover surveillance of Marra outside his home and elsewhere.

Testimony of personal acquaintances of Marra discussing gifts and financial assistance he provided to them.

Testimony of automobile salesmen regarding two vehicles Marra purchased for himself and his family.

Blake's prevailing defense strategy centered on the notion, "if you cannot trust the messenger, you cannot trust the message." Blake demonstrated the deficiencies in the prosecutor's case through the following evidence:

On cross examination, Marra's former partner was shown to have provided contradictory versions of events and acknowledged that Marra had no access to the company's QuickBooks files and no role in maintaining the financial data provided to accountants

Summary evidence provided by the government failed to recognize that a large portion of the cash withdrawn over the six years in question was provided to customers and not shared 50/50 between Marra and his former partner

Summary evidence provided by the government regarding personal expenses incurred on the company credit card inaccurately showed the amounts Marra and his former actually spent

"Richard's admirable dedication to his clients ensures that they receive the best defense available," said Jim Giszczak, co-president of McDonald Hopkins. "He has an exceptional blend of practicality and tenacity and it paid off, yet again, in a case where the evidence seemed insurmountable."

About McDonald Hopkins

Founded in 1930, McDonald Hopkins is a business advisory and advocacy law firm with locations in Baltimore/Annapolis, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, and West Palm Beach. With more than 50 service and industry teams, the firm has the expertise and knowledge to meet the growing number of legal and business challenges our clients face. For more information about McDonald Hopkins, visit mcdonaldhopkins.com.

CONTACT:

Cynthia Stewart

McDonald Hopkins LLC

600 Superior Avenue, East, Suite 2100

Cleveland, Ohio 44114

Phone: 216.348.5733

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE McDonald Hopkins
FOSTER CITY, Calif., Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- MedGenome , a global partner for comprehensive multiomics solutions, is pleased to announce a grant for De Novo Genome Assembly and Annotation, in collaboration with PacBio, a pioneer in long-read sequencing.

The winner will be selected by a panel of experts from MedGenome and PacBio. The grant awardee will receive end-to-end support to sequence, assemble, and annotate a high-quality reference genome for their organism of choice as well as an opportunity to present their research at future MedGenome and/or PacBio events. As part of the program, MedGenome will work closely with the winner to support publication of the genome.

Reference genomes are at the foundation of modern genomics, yet the large majority of organisms have not been decoded. MedGenome, a leader in genome assembly and annotation, uses state-of-the-art technologies including PacBio long reads, Hi-C chromosome conformation capture technology and transcriptomic data, to produce well-annotated reference quality genomes. Our advanced computational tools are at the heart of generating high quality genomes for functional, comparative and evolutionary genomics.

We invite applicants to submit an application by December 15th, 2023, 11:59PM PT using the submission link

An additional 5 projects will be selected to receive a MedGenome discount of up to 30% on their genome project based on project complexity and scope.

About MedGenome:

MedGenome is a genomics-driven research and diagnostics company devoted to improving global health by decoding the genetic information contained in an individual's genome. As a global partner for comprehensive multiomics solutions, MedGenome helps advance precision medicine that can reduce healthcare disparities and improve patient outcomes. Their unique access to the world's most diverse genomic database and deep scientific expertise enables researchers to accelerate their research, find cost efficiencies, and bring drugs to market faster. MedGenome is backed by a global investor base spanning Europe, Asia, and Africa, including support from Novo Holdings, one of the world's leading life sciences investors. MedGenome's high-throughput next-generation sequencing lab is in Foster City, California. Follow them on Twitter and LinkedIn .

Contact

Hiranjith GH

Site Head and VP of Research Services, MedGenome

[email protected]

+18173071531

SOURCE MedGenome
Grants totaling $250,000 given to organizations strengthening health equity across the country

NORTHFIELD, Ill., Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Medline today announced that it has awarded grants to 10 non-profit organizations through its annual Community Impact Grant program. This community centered, results focused grant program selects charities that help re-direct adverse outcomes and improve the wellbeing of people, families and communities at large.

This year's Community Impact Grants, totaling $250,000, will be evenly divided across 10 recipient organizations that are working to address social determinants of healththe economic and social conditions that impact disparities in health status and care, as well as life expectancy. Since launching in 2018, Medline's Community Impact Grant program has donated a total of $1.4M to non-profit organizations across the United States.

"Medline is proud to be able to aid all of these organizations with this grant," said Karen Frey, senior philanthropy manager, Medline. "When selecting the grant recipients, we look for organizations that have standing dedication and roots within their community and have proven time after time to be an important resource for the individuals they work with. We look forward to seeing the results this grant has on these communities."

The 2023 Community Impact Grant recipients, and how they will utilize their funding, are as follows:

Room to Grow National Inc. ( New York, N.Y. ): Funding will be used to continue providing parents and caregivers with essential tools and support to connect low-income families with local resources in support of childhood development and overall family well-being.

Funding will be used to continue providing parents and caregivers with essential tools and support to connect low-income families with local resources in support of childhood development and overall family well-being. Project Angel Food ( Los Angeles, Calif. ): Grant will be used to support home-delivered medically tailored meals and nutrition services to individuals with severe illness. This commitment not only relieves the stress of food insecurity for clients and provides lifesaving food, but it also ensures regular wellness checks.

Grant will be used to support home-delivered medically tailored meals and nutrition services to individuals with severe illness. This commitment not only relieves the stress of food insecurity for clients and provides lifesaving food, but it also ensures regular wellness checks. Cradles to Crayons, Inc. ( Chicago, Ill. ): Funding will support the "Everyday Essentials" initiatives, which provides basic needs to low-income children. Through a collaborative approach, this program aims at reducing burden by meeting community needs to help children get more out of the items they need to keep them safe, healthy and ready to learn.

Funding will support the "Everyday Essentials" initiatives, which provides basic needs to low-income children. Through a collaborative approach, this program aims at reducing burden by meeting community needs to help children get more out of the items they need to keep them safe, healthy and ready to learn. Project Angel Heart ( Denver, Colo. ): Funding will be used to continue to deliver medically tailored meals to community members suffering from illness such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, or Alzheimer's. This program recognizes the important role that nutrition and education play in disease management, and strives to ensure clients have the tools they need to be set up for success.

Funding will be used to continue to deliver medically tailored meals to community members suffering from illness such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, or Alzheimer's. This program recognizes the important role that nutrition and education play in disease management, and strives to ensure clients have the tools they need to be set up for success. Youth Guidance ( Chicago, Ill. ): Funding will go toward a counseling program that partners with 201 schools to advance social and racial justices for young men and women of color through a healing centered, social emotional learning lens. Children and young adults are statistically more likely to succeed when they have a caring adult in their lives and are empowered to act on talents and strengths.

Funding will go toward a counseling program that partners with 201 schools to advance social and racial justices for young men and women of color through a healing centered, social emotional learning lens. Children and young adults are statistically more likely to succeed when they have a caring adult in their lives and are empowered to act on talents and strengths. Lift Orlando , Inc. ( Orlando, Fla. ): Funding will support the "Cradle-to-Career" education program created with the foundational belief that education is critical for empowering positive change to individuals and communities. This program provides resources, programs and services in 0-5 early learning, K-8 Literacy, and wraparound services.

Funding will support the "Cradle-to-Career" education program created with the foundational belief that education is critical for empowering positive change to individuals and communities. This program provides resources, programs and services in 0-5 early learning, K-8 Literacy, and wraparound services. Alzheimer's Disease & Related Disorders Association, Inc. ( Chicago, Ill. ): As the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S., Alzheimer's and dementia disproportionately impact Black and Hispanic communities. The grant will go toward the "Community Based Care Consultant" program to provide free programs and services that help individuals and families in low income communities better navigate care for this disease. Funds will also aid in recruiting, training and equipping volunteers to continue to scale impact.

As the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S., Alzheimer's and dementia disproportionately impact Black and Hispanic communities. The grant will go toward the "Community Based Care Consultant" program to provide free programs and services that help individuals and families in low income communities better navigate care for this disease. Funds will also aid in recruiting, training and equipping volunteers to continue to scale impact. NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. ( New York, N.Y. ): Funding will be used to continue to fight systemic discrimination for Black Americans by providing aid in economic stability utilizing interventions to help individuals and families unable to afford healthy food, housing and healthcare. Using the power of law, narrative and research, the Legal Defense and Educational Fund defends and advocates the full dignity and citizenship of Black people in America.

Funding will be used to continue to fight systemic discrimination for Black Americans by providing aid in economic stability utilizing interventions to help individuals and families unable to afford healthy food, housing and healthcare. Using the power of law, narrative and research, the Legal Defense and Educational Fund defends and advocates the full dignity and citizenship of Black people in America. American Heart Association, Inc. ( Chicago, Ill. ): Funding will be used to invest in programs and partnerships with minority and economically disadvantaged communities that improve healthcare services and pass policies that transform neighborhoods by removing barriers to healthcare access and quality. This fund will be used to enable deeper engagement with community partners, which increases the capacity of identified high-risk neighborhoods to respond appropriately to a cardiac arrest, increasing chances for survival.

Funding will be used to invest in programs and partnerships with minority and economically disadvantaged communities that improve healthcare services and pass policies that transform neighborhoods by removing barriers to healthcare access and quality. This fund will be used to enable deeper engagement with community partners, which increases the capacity of identified high-risk neighborhoods to respond appropriately to a cardiac arrest, increasing chances for survival. Breast Cancer Resource Center ( Austin, TX ): Funding will be used to support their partnerships with community clinics and other healthcare organizations. Additionally, the grant will be used for their Certified Patient Navigators, who are breast cancer survivors, helping enable individuals going through their journey with breast cancer by providing guidance and education.

The Community Impact Grant program is just one program that Medline implements to address the social determinants of health. Medline has also supported over 150 charities with nearly 9,000 volunteer hours in 2022. Additionally, company volunteers travel internationally to aid health systems in impoverished areas, set up their facilities to increase efficiency and effectiveness.

In 2020, Medline launched the Medline CARES program, created to strengthen communities where employees live and work by providing resources individuals need to lead a healthier lives. Through food drives and blood drives, volunteers work to provide resources to vulnerable communities. To learn more about how Medline is advancing health equity in the U.S. and around the world, visit www.medline.com/about-us/esg/people-communities/.

About Medline

Medline is a healthcare company  a medical supply manufacturer, distributor, and solutions provider focused on improving the overall operating performance of healthcare. Partnering across the continuum of care, Medline helps providers to activate the clinical and supply chain resources needed to deliver their best care. With the agility to solve problems quickly and the scale to partner with providers for their sustained success, Medline is able to invest in its customers for the future and rapidly respond to a dynamically changing market with customized solutions.

Medline was most recently named to the Forbes America's Best Large Employers and Best Employers for Women lists, and was recognized for the 12th year by Chicago Tribune as a Top Workplace. Headquartered in Northfield, Ill., Medline has 35,000+ employees worldwide and operates in over 125 countries and territories. Learn more at www.medline.com.

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SOURCE Medline
GUANGZHOU, China, Nov. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- MINISO Group Holding Limited (NYSE: MNSO; HKEX: 9896) ("MINISO", "MINISO Group" or the "Company"), a global value retailer offering a variety of trendy lifestyle products featuring IP design, today announced its unaudited financial results for September quarter 2023.

Financial Highlights for the First Quarter of Fiscal Year 2024 ended September 30, 2023

Revenue was RMB3,791.2 million ( US$519.6 million ), representing an increase of 36.7% year over year and 16.6% quarter over quarter.

was ( ), representing an increase of 36.7% year over year and 16.6% quarter over quarter. Gross profit was RMB1,583.7 million ( US$217.1 million ), representing an increase of 60.2% year over year and 22.2% quarter over quarter.

was ( ), representing an increase of 60.2% year over year and 22.2% quarter over quarter. Gross margin was 41.8%, compared to 35.7% in the same period of 2022 and 39.8% in the previous quarter.

was 41.8%, compared to 35.7% in the same period of 2022 and 39.8% in the previous quarter. Operating profit was RMB788.3 million ( US$108.0 million ), representing an increase of 54.7% year over year and 14.2% quarter over quarter.

was ( ), representing an increase of 54.7% year over year and 14.2% quarter over quarter. Profit for the period was RMB618.3 million ( US$84.7 million ), representing an increase of 53.0% year over year and 13.0% quarter over quarter.

was ( ), representing an increase of 53.0% year over year and 13.0% quarter over quarter. Adjusted net profit (1) was RMB642.0 million ( US$88.0 million ), representing an increase of 53.8% year over year and 12.4% quarter over quarter.

was ( ), representing an increase of 53.8% year over year and 12.4% quarter over quarter. Adjusted net margin (1) was 16.9%, compared to 15.1% in the same period of 2022 and 17.6% in the previous quarter.

was 16.9%, compared to 15.1% in the same period of 2022 and 17.6% in the previous quarter. Adjusted EBITDA (1) was RMB1,014.3 million ( US$139.0 million ), representing an increase of 52.8% year over year and 18.6% quarter over quarter.

was ( ), representing an increase of 52.8% year over year and 18.6% quarter over quarter. Adjusted EBITDA margin(1) was 26.8%, compared to 23.9% in the same period of 2022 and 26.3% in the previous quarter.

Operational Highlights for the First Quarter of Fiscal Year 2024 ended September 30, 2023

Number of MINISO stores surpassed 6,000 for the first time and reached 6,115 as of September 30, 2023 , increasing by 819 stores year over year and 324 stores quarter over quarter, respectively.

surpassed 6,000 for the first time and reached 6,115 as of , increasing by 819 stores year over year and 324 stores quarter over quarter, respectively. Number of MINISO stores in China was 3,802 as of September 30, 2023 , increasing by 533 stores year over year and 198 stores quarter over quarter, respectively.

was 3,802 as of , increasing by 533 stores year over year and 198 stores quarter over quarter, respectively. Number of MINISO stores in overseas markets was 2,313 as of September 30, 2023 , increasing by 286 stores year over year and 126 stores quarter over quarter, respectively.

was 2,313 as of , increasing by 286 stores year over year and 126 stores quarter over quarter, respectively. Number of TOP TOY stores was 122 as of September 30, 2023 , increasing by 13 stores year over year and 4 stores quarter over quarter, respectively.

Note:

(1) See the sections titled "Non-IFRS Financial Measures" and "Reconciliation of Non-IFRS Financial Measures" in this press release for more information.

The following table provides a breakdown of the number of MINISO and TOP TOY stores as well as their year-over-year and quarter-over-quarter changes as of the relevant dates:



As of



September 30, 2022 June 30, 2023 September 30, 2023 YoY QoQ Number of MINISO stores(1) 5,296 5,791 6,115 819 324 China 3,269 3,604 3,802 533 198 Directly operated stores 19 15 20 1 5 Third-party stores 3,250 3,589 3,782 532 193 Overseas 2,027 2,187 2,313 286 126 Directly operated stores 131 176 202 71 26 Third-party stores 1,896 2,011 2,111 215 100 Number of TOP TOY stores(2) 109 118 122 13 4 Directly operated stores 8 9 9 1 - Third-party stores 101 109 113 12 4

Notes:

(1) "MINISO stores" refers to the offline stores operated under the "MINISO" brand, including those directly operated by the Company, and those operated by third parties under the MINISO Retail Partner model and the distributor model.

(2) "TOP TOY stores" refers to the offline stores operated under the "TOP TOY" brand, including those directly operated by the Company, and those operated by third parties under the MINISO Retail Partner model.

For more information about MINISO stores, please refer to "Unaudited Additional Information" in this press release.

Mr. Guofu Ye, Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of MINISO, commented, "We delivered another strong quarter, demonstrating resilience of our business model and huge potential of our globalization strategy. Core MINISO business including both MINISO offline China and overseas, increased by more than 40% year over year, supported by mid-twenties growth in GMV per MINISO store both in China and overseas. With a more normalized offline travel in this year, we are able to dedicate more resources into our overseas directly operated markets, the revenue of which has increased by more than 80% for two consecutive quarters. In addition, we are encouraged by our developments in our emerging markets such as the North America market, revenue of which increased by nearly 160% in this quarter year over year. Entering Holiday Season, we see this high-growth trend continues in our directly operated markets as we see more value-seeking behavior by overseas consumers and more favorable product mix from us."

"In many ways, this September quarter was our best quarter so far, with historical highs in revenue, net profit and net store opening. It also marked an important milestone for MINISO as our global store network surpassed 6,000 for the first time. As of September 30, we had opened 477 new MINISO stores in China, accomplishing our full-year plan of 350-450 stores a quarter ahead of schedule. We currently expect to add another 100-200 new stores on a net basis in China in the remaining calendar year of 2023, and we will strive to deliver our target of opening 350 to 450 stores in overseas markets. Going forward, we will continue to focus on our long-term strategic goals of delivering on our globalization strategy, bolstering the strength of our product offerings and continuously optimizing our store network."

Mr. Eason Zhang, Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of MINISO, commented, "Gross margin for this September quarter reached 41.8%, increasing by more than 6 percentage points from 35.7% in the same quarter last year, setting another historical high, thanks to our solid execution of MINISO's brand upgrade strategy and more favorable revenue mix, with directly operated market contributed 46% of overseas revenue. In longer term, we are confident to increase gross margin steadily by leveraging our core capabilities in product development, supply chain integration and glocalization."

"Adjusted net profit increased by 54% year over year to RMB642 million, and adjusted net margin reached 16.9% in this quarter. Excluding foreign exchange impacts, adjusted net margin in this quarter would be 17.1%, compared to 13.2% during the same quarter of 2022, and 15.5% in the previous quarter. Looking forward into the December quarter, we expect our sales to continue to grow strongly on a year-over-year basis, driven by better store-level performance and store network expansion. Meanwhile, our margin profile will continue to optimize on a year-over-year basis."

Recent Developments

Operational Update

According to the Company's preliminary estimates, its major operations achieved the following updates:

October 2023: GMV of MINISO's offline stores in China increased by over 40% year over year, driven primarily by around 11% increase of average GMV per MINISO store. GMV of MINISO's overseas business increased by around 30% year over year.

Unaudited Financial Results for the First Quarter of Fiscal Year 2024 ended September 30, 2023

Revenue was RMB3,791.2 million (US$519.6 million), representing an increase of 36.7% year over year, primarily driven by a 34.7% year-over-year increase in revenue from China, and a 40.8% year-over-year increase in revenue from overseas markets.

Revenue from China was RMB2,495.8 million (US$342.1 million), 34.7% higher than RMB1,852.3 million in the same period of 2022. The year-over-year increase was primarily driven by (i) an increase of 41.2% in revenue from MINISO's offline stores in China, which was the result of a 14.0% year-over-year growth in average store count and a 23.8% year-over-year growth in average revenue per MINISO store in China, and (ii) an increase of 46.1% in revenue from TOP TOY, which was the result of a 16.5% year-over-year growth in average store count and a 25.4% year-over-year growth in average revenue per TOP TOY store.

Revenue from overseas markets was RMB1,295.4 million (US$177.5 million), representing an increase of 40.8% year over year. The year-over-year increase was primarily due to a year-over-year increase of 12.5% in average store count and a year-over-year growth of 25.1% in average revenue per MINISO store in overseas markets. Revenue from overseas markets contributed 34.2% of our total revenue in the September quarter of 2023, compared to 33.2% in the same period of 2022 and 34.3% in the previous quarter of 2023.

For more information on the composition and year-over-year change of revenue, please refer to the "Unaudited Additional Information" in this press release.

Cost of sales was RMB2,207.5 million (US$302.6 million), representing an increase of 23.7% year over year.

Gross profit was RMB1,583.7 million (US$217.1 million), representing an increase of 60.2% year over year.

Gross margin was 41.8%, compared to 35.7% in the same period of 2022. The year-over-year increase was primarily attributable to (i) higher gross margin in overseas markets contributed by product optimization and higher revenue contribution from directly operated markets which accounted for 45.7% of revenue from overseas markets, compared to 34.1% in the same period of 2022, (ii) higher gross margin in China contributed by newly launched products in relation to our execution of strategic brand upgrade of MINISO, and the cost-saving measures the Company adopted to reduce the costs of certain products, and (iii) higher gross margin of TOP TOY due to a shift in product mix towards more profitable products.

Other income was RMB13.4 million (US$1.8 million), compared to RMB6.4 million in the same period of 2022.

Selling and distribution expenses were RMB640.9 million (US$87.8 million), representing an increase of 68.1% year over year. Excluding share-based compensation expenses, selling and distribution expenses were RMB620.8 million (US$85.1 million), representing an increase of 66.6% year over year. The year-over-year increase was mainly attributable to (i) increased personnel-related expenses in relation to the growth of our business, (ii) increased promotion and advertising expenses, mainly in connection with our execution of strategic brand upgrade of MINISO in China, and (iii) increased licensing expenses in relation to our growing IP library and enriched offerings of IP products.

General and administrative expenses were RMB170.6 million (US$23.4 million), representing an increase of 1.7% year over year. Excluding share-based compensation expenses, general and administrative expenses were RMB166.9 million (US$22.9 million), representing an increase of 2.3% year over year. As a percentage of revenue, general and administrative expenses (excluding share-based compensation expenses) for this quarter accounted for 4.4%, decreased from 5.9% in the same period of 2022 thanks to operating leverage.

Other net income was RMB1.0 million (US$0.1 million), compared to RMB64.0 million in the same period of 2022. Other net income mainly consists of investment income from wealth management products, net foreign exchange gain/loss and others. The year-over-year change was mainly attributable to a net foreign exchange loss of RMB7.1 million in this quarter, compared to a net foreign exchange gain of RMB52.3 million in the same period of 2022.

Operating profit was RMB788.3 million (US$108.0 million), representing an increase of 54.7% year over year.

Net finance income was RMB57.9 million (US$7.9 million), representing an increase of 130.9% year over year, mainly due to an increase in interest income of bank deposits.

Profit for the period was RMB618.3 million (US$84.7 million), representing an increase of 53.0% year over year.

Adjusted net profit, which represents profit for the period excluding equity-settled share-based payment expenses, was RMB642.0 million (US$88.0 million), representing an increase of 53.8% year over year.

Adjusted net margin was 16.9%, compared to 15.1% in the same period of 2022.

Adjusted EBITDA was RMB1,014.3 million (US$139.0 million), representing an increase of 52.8% year over year.

Adjusted EBITDA margin was 26.8%, compared to 23.9% in the same period of 2022.

Basic and diluted earnings per ADS were both RMB1.96 (US$0.27) in this quarter, representing an increase of 48.5% year over year from RMB1.32 in the same period of 2022. Each ADS represents four of the Company's ordinary shares.

Adjusted basic and diluted earnings per ADS were both RMB2.04 (US$0.28) in this quarter, representing an increase of 50.0% year over year from RMB1.36 in the same period of 2022.

Conference Call

The Company's management will hold an earnings conference call at 4:00 A.M. Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday, November 21, 2023 (5:00 P.M. Beijing Time on the same day) to discuss the financial results. The conference call can be accessed by the following Zoom link or dialing the following numbers:

Access 1

Join Zoom meeting.

Zoom link: https://dooyle.zoom.us/j/83537975392?pwd=EH04HZUn0J49ezZi7m0bymGArajiFZ.1

Meeting Number: 835 3797 5392

Meeting Passcode: 9896

Access 2

Listeners may access the call by dialing the following numbers by using the same meeting number and passcode with access 1.

United States: +1 213 338 8477 (or +1 646 518 9805)

Mainland China: 400 182 3168 (or 400 616 8835)

Hong Kong, China: +852 5803 3730 (or +852 5803 3731)

United Kingdom: +44 203 481 5237 (or +44 131 460 1196)

France: +33 1 7037 9729 (or +33 1 7037 2246)

Singapore: +65 3158 7288 (or +65 3165 1065)

Canada: +1 438 809 7799 (or +1 204 272 7920)

Access 3

Listeners can also access the meeting through the Company's investor relations website at https://ir.miniso.com/.

The replay will be available approximately two hours after the conclusion of the live event at the Company's investor relations website at https://ir.miniso.com/.

About MINISO Group

MINISO Group is a global value retailer offering a variety of trendy lifestyle products featuring IP design. The Company serves consumers primarily through its large network of MINISO stores, and promotes a relaxing, treasure-hunting and engaging shopping experience full of delightful surprises that appeals to all demographics. Aesthetically pleasing design, quality and affordability are at the core of every product in MINISO's wide product portfolio, and the Company continually and frequently rolls out products with these qualities. Since the opening of its first store in China in 2013, the Company has built its flagship brand "MINISO" as a globally recognized retail brand and established a massive store network worldwide. For more information, please visit https://ir.miniso.com/.

Exchange Rate

The U.S. dollar (US$) amounts disclosed in this press release, except for those transaction amounts that were actually settled in U.S. dollars, are presented solely for the convenience of the readers. The conversion of Renminbi (RMB) into US$ in this press release is based on the exchange rate set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System as of September 29, 2023, which was RMB7.2960 to US$1.0000. The percentages stated in this press release are calculated based on the RMB amounts.

Non-IFRS Financial Measures

In evaluating the business, MINISO considers and uses adjusted net profit, adjusted net margin, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin, adjusted basic and diluted net earnings per share and adjusted basic and diluted net earnings per ADS as supplemental measures to review and assess its operating performance. The presentation of these non-IFRS financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with IFRS. MINISO defines adjusted net profit as profit for the period excluding equity-settled share-based payment expenses. MINISO calculates adjusted net margin by dividing adjusted net profit by revenue for the same period. MINISO defines adjusted EBITDA as adjusted net profit plus depreciation and amortization, finance costs and income tax expense. Adjusted EBITDA margin is computed by dividing adjusted EBITDA by revenue for the period. MINISO computes adjusted basic and diluted net earnings per ADS by dividing adjusted net profit attributable to the equity shareholders of the Company by the number of ADSs represented by the number of ordinary shares used in the basic and diluted earnings per share calculation on an IFRS basis. MINISO computes adjusted basic and diluted net earnings per share in the same way as it calculates adjusted basic and diluted net earnings per ADS, except that it uses the number of ordinary shares used in the basic and diluted earnings per share calculation on an IFRS basis as the denominator instead of the number of ADSs represented by these ordinary shares.

MINISO presents these non-IFRS financial measures because they are used by the management to evaluate its operating performance and formulate business plans. These non-IFRS financial measures enable the management to assess its operating results without considering the impacts of the aforementioned non-cash and other adjustment items that MINISO does not consider to be indicative of its operating performance in the future. Accordingly, MINISO believes that the use of these non-IFRS financial measures provides useful information to investors and others in understanding and evaluating its operating results in the same manner as the management and board of directors.

These non-IFRS financial measures are not defined under IFRS and are not presented in accordance with IFRS. These non-IFRS financial measures have limitations as analytical tools. One of the key limitations of using these non-IFRS financial measures is that they do not reflect all items of income and expense that affect MINISO's operations. Further, these non-IFRS financial measures may differ from the non-IFRS information used by other companies, including peer companies, and therefore their comparability may be limited.

These non-IFRS financial measures should not be considered in isolation or construed as alternatives to profit, net profit margin, basic and diluted earnings per share and basic and diluted earnings per ADS, as applicable, or any other measures of performance or as indicators of MINISO's operating performance. Investors are encouraged to review MINISO's historical non-IFRS financial measures in light of the most directly comparable IFRS measures, as shown below. The non-IFRS financial measures presented here may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies. Other companies may calculate similarly titled measures differently, limiting the usefulness of such measures when analyzing MINISO's data comparatively. MINISO encourages you to review its financial information in its entirety and not rely on a single financial measure.

For more information on the non-IFRS financial measures, please see the table captioned "Reconciliation of Non-IFRS Financial Measures" set forth at the end of this press release.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as "may," "will," "expect," "anticipate," "aim," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "believe," "is/are likely to,", "potential," "continue" or other similar expressions. Among other things, the quotations from management in this announcement, as well as MINISO's strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. MINISO may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the "HKEX"), in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about MINISO's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: MINISO's mission, goals and strategies; future business development, financial conditions and results of operations; the expected growth of the retail market and the market of branded variety retail of lifestyle products in China and globally; expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of MINISO's products; expectations regarding MINISO's relationships with consumers, suppliers, MINISO Retail Partners, local distributors, and other business partners; competition in the industry; proposed use of proceeds; and relevant government policies and regulations relating to MINISO's business and the industry. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in MINISO's filings with the SEC and the HKEX. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and MINISO undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

MINISO GROUP HOLDING LIMITED

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION

(Expressed in thousands)



















As at

As at

June 30, 2023 September 30, 2023

(Audited) (Unaudited)





RMB'000

RMB'000

US$'000

ASSETS













Non-current assets













Property, plant and equipment

534,634

654,331

89,684

Right-of-use assets

2,552,600

2,669,901

365,940

Intangible assets

25,277

21,292

2,918

Goodwill

21,069

21,170

2,902

Deferred tax assets

161,617

151,415

20,753

Other investments

73,870

73,870

10,125

Other receivables

74,641

87,510

11,994

Term deposits

100,000

100,000

13,706





















3,543,708

3,779,489

518,022

















Current assets













Other investments

205,329

301,361

41,305

Inventories

1,450,519

1,858,935

254,788

Trade and other receivables

1,150,156

1,323,950

181,462

Cash and cash equivalents

6,489,213

6,079,746

833,299

Restricted cash

27,073

34,738

4,761

Term deposits

581,715

267,927

36,723





















9,904,005

9,866,657

1,352,338

















Total assets

13,447,713

13,646,146

1,870,360

















EQUITY













Share capital

95

95

13

Additional paid-in capital

7,254,871

6,331,304

867,777

Other reserves

1,106,718

1,114,470

152,751

Retained earnings

539,331

1,151,922

157,884

















Equity attributable to equity shareholders of the Company

8,901,015

8,597,791

1,178,425

Non-controlling interests

17,253

21,074

2,889

















Total equity

8,918,268

8,618,865

1,181,314

















LIABILITIES













Non-current liabilities













Contract liabilities

46,754

41,425

5,678

Loans and borrowings

7,215

6,391

876

Lease liabilities

556,801

648,904

88,939

Deferred income

33,080

31,160

4,271





















643,850

727,880

99,764

















Current liabilities













Loans and borrowings

-

710

97

Trade and other payables

3,019,302

3,372,587

462,252

Contract liabilities

292,887

278,915

38,228

Lease liabilities

328,933

335,886

46,037

Deferred income

6,778

6,735

923

Current taxation

237,695

304,568

41,745





















3,885,595

4,299,401

589,282

















Total liabilities

4,529,445

5,027,281

689,046

















Total equity and liabilities

13,447,713

13,646,146

1,870,360























MINISO GROUP HOLDING LIMITED UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF PROFIT OR LOSS

(Expressed in thousands, except for per share and per ADS data)













Three months ended September 30,





2022

2023

(Unaudited) (Unaudited)



RMB'000

RMB'000

US$'000

Revenue

2,772,444

3,791,154

519,621

Cost of sales

(1,783,865)

(2,207,456)

(302,557)

















Gross profit

988,579

1,583,698

217,064

Other income

6,419

13,437

1,842

Selling and distribution expenses

(381,345)

(640,889)

(87,841)

General and administrative expenses

(167,626)

(170,552)

(23,376)

Other net income

64,035

953

130

(Credit loss)/reversal of credit loss on trade and other receivables

(554)

1,666

228

















Operating profit

509,508

788,313

108,047

Finance income

32,255

69,366

9,508

Finance costs

(7,184)

(11,481)

(1,574)

















Net finance income

25,071

57,885

7,934

















Profit before taxation

534,579

846,198

115,981

Income tax expense

(130,435)

(227,923)

(31,239)

















Profit for the period

404,144

618,275

84,742

















Attributable to:













Equity shareholders of the Company

411,634

612,591

83,963

Non-controlling interests

(7,490)

5,684

779

















Earnings per share for ordinary shares













-Basic

0.33

0.49

0.07

-Diluted

0.33

0.49

0.07

















Earnings per ADS













(Each ADS represents 4 ordinary shares) -Basic

1.32

1.96

0.27

-Diluted

1.32

1.96

0.27













Three months ended September 30,



2022

2023 (Unaudited) (Unaudited)



RMB'000

RMB'000

US$'000













Profit for the period

404,144

618,275

84,742













Items that may be reclassified subsequently to profit or loss:











Exchange differences on translation of financial statements of foreign operations

26,476

(17,880)

(2,451)













Other comprehensive income/(loss) for the period

26,476

(17,880)

(2,451)













Total comprehensive income for the period

430,620

600,395

82,291













Attributable to:











Equity shareholders of the Company

432,208

596,574

81,767 Non-controlling interests

(1,588)

3,821

524

MINISO GROUP HOLDING LIMITED RECONCILIATION OF NON-IFRS FINANCIAL MEASURES (Expressed in thousands, except for per share and per ADS data)









Three months ended September 30,



2022

2023 (Unaudited) (Unaudited)



RMB'000

RMB'000

US$'000













Reconciliation of profit for the period to adjusted net profit:











Profit for the period

404,144

618,275

84,742 Add back:











Equity-settled share-based payment expenses

13,227

23,769

3,258













Adjusted net profit

417,371

642,044

88,000













Attributable to:











Equity shareholders of the Company

424,861

636,360

87,221 Non-controlling interests

(7,490)

5,684

779













Adjusted net earnings per share for ordinary shares(1)











-Basic

0.34

0.51

0.07 -Diluted

0.34

0.51

0.07













Adjusted net earnings per ADS











(Each ADS represents 4 ordinary shares)

1.36

2.04

0.28 -Basic -Diluted

1.36

2.04

0.28













Reconciliation of adjusted net profit for the period to adjusted EBITDA:











Adjusted net profit

417,371

642,044

88,000 Add back:











Depreciation and amortization

108,657

132,868

18,211 Finance costs

7,184

11,481

1,574 Income tax expense

130,435

227,923

31,239 Adjusted EBITDA

663,647

1,014,316

139,024 Adjusted EBITDA margin

23.9 %

26.8 %

26.8 %

Note:

(1) Adjusted basic and diluted net earnings per share are computed by dividing adjusted net profit attributable to the equity shareholders of the Company by the number of ordinary shares used in the basic and diluted earnings per share calculation on an IFRS basis.

MINISO GROUP HOLDING LIMITED UNAUDITED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (Expressed in millions, except for percentages)





Three months ended September 30,

2022

2023

YoY

RMB

RMB

US$

Revenue













Domestic Operations 1,852

2,496

342

35 % -MINISO Brand 1,700

2,307

316

36 % -TOP TOY Brand 124

181

25

46 % -Others 28

8

1

(71) % International Operations 920

1,295

178

41 %

2,772

3,791

520

37 %

MINISO GROUP HOLDING LIMITED UNAUDITED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION





















As of









September 30,

2022

June 30,

2023

September 30,

2023

YoY

QoQ Number of MINISO stores in China

















First-tier cities 464

474

499

35

25 Second-tier cities 1,369

1,496

1,554

185

58 Third- or lower-tier cities 1,436

1,634

1,749

313

115 Total 3,269

3,604

3,802

533

198

MINISO GROUP HOLDING LIMITED

UNAUDITED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION























As of









September 30,

2022

June 30,

2023

September30,

2023

YoY

QoQ Number of MINISO stores in overseas markets

















Asian countries excluding China 1,108

1,206

1,264

156

58 Americas 556

615

654

98

39 Europe 169

198

218

49

20 Others 194

168

177

(17)

9 Total 2,027

2,187

2,313

286

126



























SOURCE MINISO Group Holding Limited
With the Thanksgiving countdown dwindling, the Carlisle Family YMCA is lacing up its sneakers for its annual Turkey Trot 5k Thursday.

Now in its 22nd year, the event is scheduled to kick off at the Carlisle Family YMCA at 311 S. West St., at 9 a.m. and will end at the same location.

The 5k is open to all ages, and registration is available online or on race day from from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m.

Race packets can be picked up at the YMCA from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday or on race day from 6:45 a.m. to 8 a.m.

A virtual race will also be offered from Sunday through 11:59 p.m. Thursday. Virtual participants can upload their results to the race website by following directions provided in their confirmation email upon registration.

Previous Turkey Trots have included more than 3,100 participants. Race proceeds benefit the Carlisle Family YMCAs mission of strengthening youth development and healthy living in the community.

Aside from the race, the event will also feature a kids zone and collect canned protein for Project SHARE. Gently used glasses will also be collected for the Carlisle Lions Club and shoes can be donated to the More Foundation Group.

The Turkey Trot will be held rain or shine, however, if extreme weather cancels the race, an announcement will be made on the YMCAs website before 6:30 a.m. on race day and entry fees will be considered charitable donations.

Photos: Scenes from the Carlisle Family YMCA Turkey Trot Thursday morning
NTF Celebrates 76-year Tradition of National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- National Turkey Federation (NTF) Chairman Steve Lykken presented the National Thanksgiving Turkey named Liberty to President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. yesterday during the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation at the White House. Liberty and Bell received a formal pardon from the holiday table and will now reside at the University of Minnesota's College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences in St. Paul, Minnesota. This year's presentation marked the 76th year of this time-honored American tradition dating back to 1947.

NTF Chairman Steve Lykken and Jose Rojas from Jennie-O Turkey Store escort Liberty and Bell down the red carpet at the Willard InterContinental.

Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/9115651-national-turkey-federation-ntf-minnesota-turkeys-pardoned-president-biden/

"We appreciate President Biden for warmly welcoming the National Turkey Federation, and my esteemed colleagues and associates from the Jennie-O Team to the White House earlier today," said Lykken. "This is a busy time of year for our industry and we're grateful for the turkey producers and farmers that deliver food to our tables this holiday and every day."

The 2023 National Thanksgiving Turkeys were raised in Willmar, Minnesota, under the direction of NTF Chairman Steve Lykken. Lykken is a 31-year veteran in the turkey industry and currently serves as President of Jennie-O Turkey Stores. Lykken was joined in presenting the National Thanksgiving Turkey by Jose Rojas, Assistant Vice President of Live Production at Jennie-O Turkey Store. While in Washington, D.C., Liberty and Bell stayed at the historic Willard InterContinental. Following their visit to the White House, the turkeys will retire to the University of Minnesota's College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences in St. Paul where they will receive housing, daily care, and access to veterinary services under the experienced care of veterinarians, faculty and poultry science students.

NTF's participation in the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation began in 1947 with President Harry Truman. It has continued for 76 years across 14 successive administrations.

About the National Turkey Federation

The National Turkey Federation (NTF) is the national advocate for America's turkey farmers and producers, raising awareness for its members' products while strengthening their ability to profitably and safely deliver wholesome, high-quality and nutritious food to consumers worldwide. NTF is the sole national trade association exclusively representing the turkey industry; its members account for more than 95 percent of all U.S. turkey production.

SOURCE National Turkey Federation
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Monetary Metals and DD Metals DMCC are pleased to announce they have signed a gold lease agreement to finance DD Metals' inventory and increase trading volumes. DD Metals DMCC is a market leader in precious metals commodity trading, financing, mining and logistics.

Monetary Metals enables investors to earn a yield on gold, paid in gold through leasing gold and silver to qualified businesses. Monetary Metals and DD Metals enter into gold lease agreement

Mr. Gokhan Ylmaz, CEO of DD Metals DMCC said, "We are very pleased with our relationship with Monetary Metals and their financing solutions. This agreement fuels and expands our business operations in Dubai, a strategic location as evidenced by our membership on the Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange (DGCX)."

Monetary Metals has been active in the Middle East, and Dubai specifically, having signed three lease agreements in the region in the last 60 days (AGA Bullion in Turkey and IGR Metals Trading DMCC and DD Metals DMCC in Dubai).

"The opportunities in Dubai are enormous," commented Keith Weiner, Founder and CEO of Monetary Metals. "The business climate is favorable, and Dubai is increasingly establishing itself as a key hub for the precious metals industry. I see Monetary Metals continuing to engage with quality businesses here."

This announcement occurs during the prestigious Dubai Precious Metals Conference. Both DD Metals and Monetary Metals are in attendance, with Keith Weiner speaking on a panel on Market Trends in Gold Finance, Tokenization, and Beyond.

About Monetary Metals

Monetary Metals is Unlocking the Productivity of Gold by offering a Yield on Gold, Paid in Gold to investors, and Gold Financing, Simplified to gold-using businesses (mints, miners, refiners, jewelers, etc.). Additionally, the company's market analysis and proprietary charts, such as the gold forward rate, serve as invaluable resources for gold investors and gold-utilizing businesses across the globe.

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Contact: Interested members of the press should contact us at: [email protected], or call +646-653-9729

About DD Metals DMCC

Founded in 2016, DD Metals DMCC has evolved into a specialized institution with a team of industry pioneers, particularly in precious metals trading. Our service philosophy from mine to market and our global reach in the precious metals sector are our most important features that make us different.

As a pioneer company in precious metals market, we choose to operate in the world's most prestigious trade zonethe Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) which has been awarded as the world's best freezone for nine consecutive years. Our membership in the Dubai Gold & Commodities Exchange (DGCX) demonstrates our commitment to becoming a key player in a region where the majority of the world engages in the trading of precious metals. DGCX is the region's first commodity derivatives exchange and has become the leading derivatives exchange in the Middle East.

For media contact: Yanki Dikmen; Global Experience Manager Email:

[email protected]

Phone: +971 50 639 3327

SOURCE Monetary Metals & Co.
White House Historical Association President Stewart McLaurin Reflects on How President John F. Kennedy Inspired a Generation to Reach for a New Frontier

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The White House Historical Association released a new episode of The White House 1600 Sessions podcast today, "Remembering President John F. Kennedy," featuring a conversation about the life and legacy of President John F. Kennedy. On November 22, 1963, the world was forever changed when President Kennedy was assassinated. In this anniversary episode, Stewart McLaurin, president of the Association, sat down with Luci Baines Johnson, John Dalton and Robert McGee to reflect on how the 35th president of the United States inspired a generation to reach for a new frontier.

President Kennedy had barely served one thousand days of his term before his death, but his impact would live on for decades through the many lives he touched. For those who were alive sixty years ago, it is a day they will never forget. The episode explores the personal experiences of three individuals with not only a front row seat to history, but who were a part of it.

Luci Baines Johnson, the daughter of then-Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was in a high school class when she heard the president had been shot: "With the election of President Kennedy, people around the world saw a new frontier, saw a hope and a promise," said Johnson. "But with his passing, the nation turned that devastation into a force for good."

Former secretary of the Navy, John Dalton, marched as a midshipman with the United States Naval Academy in both President Kennedy's inaugural parade and funeral procession: "He was bookends to my time at the Naval Academy. He was elected my plebe year, and assassinated in my senior year," said Dalton. "He was a great president and served our country well."

Robert McGee, the son of a United States senator who was a friend of the president, witnessed First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and daughter Caroline pay their respects as he lay in state at the Capitol rotunda: "Mrs. Kennedy and Caroline walked up to the casket, and we were within probably 30 or so feet from her, with nobody in between," said McGee.

The White House 1600 Sessions podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.

About the White House Historical Association

The White House Historical Association was founded in 1961 by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy to support her vision to restore and preserve the Executive Mansion and its legacy for generations to come. Mrs. Kennedy sought to inspire Americans, especially children, to explore and engage with American history and its presidents. Supported entirely by private resources, the Association is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that has contributed more than $115 million to the White House in fulfillment of its mission. To learn more about the White House Historical Association, please visit WhiteHouseHistory.org .

SOURCE The White House Historical Association
SHENZHEN, China, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The highly anticipated "ApexTire2023 China Tire Annual Election" has officially begun. Centered around the theme "New Quality, New Momentum," the event is initiated and hosted by China Tire Business Network (tirechina.net), with support and co-sponsorship from authoritative institutions within the industry and numerous mainstream media outlets.

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The "ApexTire2023" aims to "establish industry benchmarks and inspire the future of the industry," guiding the direction of progress in tire products and technology. By summarizing the achievements of the tire industry and the automotive aftermarket in branding, technology, and products over the past year, it documents the strides made in industrial technology and business model innovation. This effort enables channel end-users and consumers to have a more objective understanding of the development of industry brands and provides a scientific basis for consumers' purchasing decisions.

As a large-scale and influential national selection event in the tire and automotive aftermarket industry, "ApexTire2023" is widely regarded within the industry as the "Annual Oscars" of the tire and automotive aftermarket sector. Led by international giants and featuring the participation of well-known Chinese independent brands, this event achieves cross-industry integration. It serves as an endorsement of quality and a testament to industry status for the brands involved.

Innovate the five major dimensions of the selection criteria.

At the foundation of all things, the greatest truths are simple, evolving into complexity. The innovation of five key dimensions of selection criteria, deepening industry chain interaction, and cross-industry integration, are the main features of "ApexTire2023." This year's "ApexTire2023" evaluation activity employs a core brand evaluation system based on five dimensions: innovation-driven, market win-win, user experience, industry leadership, and green development. It continuously innovates the event format, discovering outstanding products and highlighting excellent brands. As the core elements of the selection, this edition of "ApexTire2023" integrates multiple transformative factors into its evaluation criteria. The innovative dimensions of "ApexTire2023" showcase the direction of the tire industry's development within the context of Chinese-style modernization, emphasizing the quality, balance, safety, and sustainability of economic growth.

The "ApexTire2023 China Tire Annual Election" will begin with a pre-selection of corporate applicants, followed by quality inspections conducted by third-party authoritative organizations, which hold veto power (one-vote disqualification). The final selection is determined through a combination of online user voting (accounting for 30%), professional market research (20%), reviews by a panel of expert mentors (40%), and media observation and commentary (10%). Utilizing both online and offline big data in conjunction with intelligent algorithms, the ApexTire Brand Honor Index is generated. This index will determine the honorees of the ApexTire2023 China Tire Annual Election, culminating in a grand award ceremony that will be globally announced.

Deepening Industry Chain Interaction and Cross-Industry Integration

The "ApexTire2023 China Tire Annual Election" is dedicated to enhancing interaction within the tire industry chain, elevating cross-industry integration with automotive and equipment applications to new heights. It focuses on increasing outreach to tire users and channel end-users, expanding the impact of the selection event in automotive manufacturing, construction machinery, logistics and transportation, auto repair and maintenance, and among distributors and vehicle owners. This effort aims to spread inspiring stories from the industry and promote its positive image.

As leading forces in the automotive service market, outstanding enterprises in lubricants, tires, and auto repair are trending towards empowering end-users through business innovation and cross-industry integration. The "2023 Annual Automotive Service Competitiveness Selection," initiated by automotive media dedicated to "taking good care of every car," such as Syang Automotive and NEV New Energy Vehicle Observation, and co-hosted by China Lubricant Information Network and China Tire Business Network, will be held concurrently with the ApexTire2023 China Tire Annual Election. This event will research and honor brands, products, and services that have excelled in the automotive service market, including those in lubricants, tires, batteries, auto repair chains, and car culture. The activities are designed to turn exceptional product quality and service experience into a bond between brands and users, sharing brand excellence, conveying the spirit of brand innovation, and achieving a win-win situation for the entire industry chain. The aim is to become a trendsetter in China's automotive service market and a benchmark for innovative smart service models.

According to the announcement, the award ceremony will coincide with the "2024 China New Energy Vehicle Service Development Summit Forum." New energy vehicles represent China's smart manufacturing on the global stage. The forum will feature key figures from the lubricant, tire, and new energy vehicle sectors, bringing industry-leading perspectives and strategic insights to colleagues. Industry leaders, top experts, renowned company CEOs, GMs, and leaders of companies awarded in the ApexTire2023 China Tire Annual Election, as well as other distinguished guests from both domestic and international segments of the lubricant, tire, and automotive aftermarket industry chains, will come together for this event. Their collaboration aims to inspire deeper and more forward-looking contemplation within the industry and actively promote its healthy development.

The current wave of technological revolution and industrial transformation intersects historically with our country's accelerated shift in economic development methods, placing the industry at a crucial juncture in the evolution of new energy transformation. Advocating for an innovation-driven approach, especially under the "dual carbon" goals, the industry is encouraged to break away from traditional growth models. This approach focuses on forming and developing a new caliber of productive forces characterized by advanced development leaps. It aims to continuously upgrade the tire industry system with higher efficiency and effectiveness, thereby creating new industries, fostering new momentum, and establishing new advantages.

In the grand complexity of things, there lies an underlying simplicity that is far from ordinary. Looking back, the "ApexTire2023 China Tire Annual Election" has witnessed the many remarkable achievements in the development of China's tire industry. Looking forward, the infusion of new productive forces propels the might of China's intelligent manufacturing, breaking through barriers with unprecedented power. As both a participant and observer of the industry's vast and tumultuous history of progress, "ApexTire2023 China Tire Annual Election" steadfastly adheres to the principle of "establishing industry benchmarks and enlightening the future of the industry," guiding the direction of tire product and technological advancement.

In tumultuous times, true heroism emerges; with unwavering initial resolve, the importance of action in nation-building becomes even more evident. A vibrant China and an industry that evolves day by day. The "ApexTire2023 China Tire Annual Election" is committed to moving forward with determination and vigorous spirit, honoring industry heroes with the "Oscar" of the tire world and showcasing the glory of the champions!

SOURCE tirechina.net
CHICAGO, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A newly developed artificial intelligence (AI) system that analyzes specialized MRIs of the brain accurately diagnosed children between the ages of 24 and 48 months with autism at a 98.5% accuracy rate, according to research being presented next week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

Mohamed Khudri, B.Sc., a visiting research scholar at the University of Louisville in Kentucky, was part of a multi-disciplinary team that developed the three-stage system to analyze and classify diffusion tensor MRI (DT-MRI) of the brain. DT-MRI is a special technique that detects how water travels along white matter tracts in the brain.

"Our algorithm is trained to identify areas of deviation to diagnose whether someone is autistic or neurotypical," Khudri said.

The AI system involves isolating brain tissue images from the DT-MRI scans and extracting imaging markers that indicate the level of connectivity between brain regions. A machine learning algorithm compares the marker patterns in the brains of children with autism to those of the normally developed brains.

"Autism is primarily a disease of improper connections within the brain," said co-author Gregory N. Barnes, M.D., Ph.D., professor of neurology and director of the Norton Children's Autism Center in Louisville. "DT-MRI captures these abnormal connections that lead to the symptoms that children with autism often have, such as impaired social communication and repetitive behaviors."

The researchers applied their methodology to the DT-MRI brain scans of 226 children between the ages of 24 and 48 months from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange-II. The dataset included scans of 126 children affected by autism and 100 normally developing children. The technology demonstrated 97% sensitivity, 98% specificity, and an overall accuracy of 98.5% in identifying the children with autism.

"Our approach is a novel advancement that enables the early detection of autism in infants under two years of age," Khudri said. "We believe that therapeutic intervention before the age of three can lead to better outcomes, including the potential for individuals with autism to achieve greater independence and higher IQs."

According to the CDC's 2023 Community Report on Autism, fewer than half of children with autism spectrum disorder received a developmental evaluation by three years of age, and 30% of children who met the criteria for autism spectrum disorder did not receive a formal diagnosis by 8 years of age.

"The idea behind early intervention is to take advantage of brain plasticity, or the ability of the brain to normalize function with therapy," Dr. Barnes said.

The researchers said infants and young children with autism receive a delayed diagnosis for several reasons, including a lack of bandwidth at testing centers. Khudri said their AI system could facilitate precise autism management while reducing the time and costs associated with assessment and treatment.

"Imaging offers the promise of quickly detecting autism in an objective fashion," Dr. Barnes said. "We envision an autism assessment that begins with DT-MRI followed by an abbreviated session with a psychologist to confirm the results and guide parents on next steps. This approach could reduce the psychologists' workload by up to 30%."

The AI system produces a report detailing which neural pathways are affected, the anticipated impact on brain functionality, and a severity grade that can be used to guide early therapeutic intervention.

The researchers are working toward commercializing and obtaining FDA clearance for their AI software.

Additional co-authors are Mostafa Abdelrahim, B.Sc., Yaser El-Nakieb, Ph.D., Mohamed Ali, Ph.D., Ahmed S. Shalaby, Ph.D., A. Gebreil, M.D., Ali Mahmoud, Ph.D., Ahmed Elnakib, Ph.D., Andrew Switala, Sohail Contractor, M.D., and Ayman S. El-Baz, Ph.D.

Note: Copies of RSNA 2023 news releases and electronic images will be available online at RSNA.org/press23.

RSNA is an association of radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists promoting excellence in patient care and health care delivery through education, research and technologic innovation. The Society is based in Oak Brook, Illinois. (RSNA.org)

Editor's note: The data in these releases may differ from those in the published abstract and those actually presented at the meeting, as researchers continue to update their data right up until the meeting. To ensure you are using the most up-to-date information, please call the RSNA Newsroom at 1-312-791-6610.

For patient-friendly information on brain MRI, visit RadiologyInfo.org.

SOURCE Radiological Society of North America (RSNA)
Marina is the last of Oceania Cruises' current fleet to be refurbished and means that the line boasts eight new, or better-than-new, ships. Its eighth ship, Allura, is set to launch in Spring 2025.

"Marina is a ship designed by foodies, built by foodies, for foodies," said Frank A. Del Rio, President of Oceania Cruises. "We are renowned for serving The Finest Cuisine at Sea, and this is not just a tagline, it is a mantra which we have built the business around. Food is the foundation of what we do onboard each of our ships, and globally, in the destinations we visit.

"This refresh of Marina will see her updated to offer three exciting new dining venues. We are especially thrilled to expand the Aquamar Kitchen concept to Marina, following its incredible reception from guests since it was unveiled aboard Vista in May."

Marina and her sister Riviera were the very first true foodie ships in the world and are now joined by Vista and Allura. Marina and Riviera were the first ships ever to have an onboard cooking school and have more galley space and more fresh food storage than any other ship. Oceania Cruises has the highest percentage of culinary personnel devoted to the dining experience than any other cruise company. To ensure the impeccable quality of each dish, the line has one chef for every ten guests; half of the crew onboard is dedicated to the cooking or serving of food.

One of the exciting culinary additions to Marina will be Aquamar Kitchen, a new Oceania Cruises signature restaurant which presents wellness-inspired menus, with a hint of indulgence, sure to satisfy even the most discerning palate. At breakfast, the smoothies, cold-pressed juices and energy bowls shine, while at lunch the avocado toast selections and globally inspired salads and wraps are incredibly flavorful and satisfying. Heartier options include an Impossible burger, yellowfin tuna tacos and a crunchy chicken sandwich among several others.

To reflect the wellness-inspired dishes, the beverage menu will feature a selection of premium, award-winning non-alcoholic wines, Pierre Zero from France as well as a refreshing collection of mocktails crafted with Lyre's non-alcoholic spirits. Aquamar Kitchen will be open for breakfast and lunch and does not require reservations, and as with all other onboard restaurants, is complimentary for guests.

In the evening, Waves Grill will transform into an al fresco trattoria featuring freshly made pizzas, succulently grilled Italian specialties, spicy dry-rubbed chicken wings, tantalizing salads, rosemary focaccia with lush burrata and indulgent desserts.

For guests with a sweet tooth, an all-day ice cream parlor will be added to the pool deck. Filled with favorite flavors, including options from Humphry Slocombe, plus milkshakes and smoothies, it is sure to entice guests for an afternoon poolside treat.

With the addition of Aquamar Kitchen, Oceania Cruises' signature pairing dinners featured in La Reserve will be showcased in Privee, Marina's exclusive private dining space. This intimate venue will host culinary aficionados for long-standing favorite pairing menus of La Reserve, including the Odyssey Menu and the Dom Perignon Experience.

In addition to the three new dining options, Marina's private and public spaces will be refreshed to showcase a radiant new ambiance. All upper suites will be reimagined with a revamped look, to become lighter, brighter and seemingly even more spacious thanks to cleverly designed new features. Classic steakhouse Polo Grill will also be enhanced with new carpet, stylish window treatments and a fresh design of the dining chairs.

The Penthouse Suites will be completely refurbished with custom-crafted furniture as well as new closets and cabinetry to increase guest storage space, plus new carpets and upholstery, updated modern lighting and thoughtful details such as more outlets and USB ports. Each Penthouse Suite will have a sleek restyled bathroom, with distinctive Italian marble throughout, abundant drawer space, and generous over-sized showers, offering the elegant residential luxury for which Oceania Cruises is renowned.

Favorite public spaces including Martinis, Horizons, The Grand Dining Room and Library will be elegantly updated with plush new carpets and refreshed upholstery, reflecting a renewed sense of grandeur while maintaining the home-away-from-home ambiance.

The refurbished ship will debut on May 18, 2024, and while the ship will undergo significant cosmetic changes, rest assured that one aspect will remain constant and unchanged: Oceania Cruises' trademark warm and personalized service. Whether guests are sailing for the first time or the fifteenth, they will note the ease with which the staff remembers their names and their preferences along with the genuine smiles and enthusiasm that can only come from the heart.

Marina Summer 2024 Featured Sailings:

July 6: Oslo to Copenhagen, 20 days aboard Marina: Sing the praises of Scandinavia and the Baltic countries while uncovering treasure upon treasure, from the epic beauty of Norway's fjords to the perfectly preserved historic hearts of Gothenburg and Gdansk.

July 16: London to London, 44 days aboard Marina: Soak up a vast array of destinations on this wide-ranging quest to reveal the best of the North Atlantic and Northern Europe, reveling in an astonishing variety of unforgettable sights, from dazzlingly lavish palaces to beguilingly blue glaciers.

July 26: Copenhagen to Troms, 10 days aboard Marina: Explore Norway in depth on this journey that spotlights its extraordinary fjord country, where spellbinding fishing villages rich in Viking heritage are hidden in stunningly beautiful fjords guarded by colossal mountains.

August 5: Troms to Reykjavik, 15 days aboard Marina: Strike out on this intrepid voyage visiting lands that reveal our planet at its most primal, from the rugged Arctic shores of the Svalbard archipelago to the volcanic terrain of Iceland and the stunning hinterlands of Greenland.

For additional information on Oceania Cruises' small-ship luxury product, exquisitely crafted cuisine, and expertly curated travel experiences, visit OceaniaCruises.com, call 855-OCEANIA or speak with a professional travel advisor.

About Oceania Cruises

Oceania Cruises is the world's leading culinary- and destination-focused cruise line. The line's eight small, luxurious ships carry a maximum of 1,250 guests and feature the finest cuisine at sea and destination-rich itineraries that span the globe. Expertly curated travel experiences aboard the designer-inspired, small ships call on more than 600 marquee and boutique ports in more than 100 countries on seven continents on voyages that range from seven to more than 200 days. Oceania Cruises is a wholly owned subsidiary of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: NCLH). To learn more, visit www.nclhltd.com.

SOURCE Oceania Cruises
BOXBOROUGH, Mass., Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has approved the application of TUV Rheinland of North America, Inc., for expansion of the scope of its recognition as a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL). NRTLs are independent laboratories that are recognized by OSHA to test and certify products for safety.

OSHA has approved TUV Rheinland's application to expand its NRTL recognition to include the following three test standards:

UL 2272: Standard for Electrical Systems for Personal E-Mobility Devices

This standard covers micromobility devices not intended for use on roadways, such as hoverboards, e-skateboards, e-scooters and e-uniwheels.



It includes requirements for the design, construction, and testing of the entire device, including the electrical system, mechanical structure, and battery pack.

UL 2849: Standard for Electrical Systems for eBikes

This standard covers electrical safety requirements for electric bicycles, both pedal assisted, and non-pedal assisted.



It includes requirements for the drive unit, battery, battery management system, interconnected wiring, and power inlet.

UL 60335-2-29: Household and Similar Electrical Appliances: Requirements for Battery Chargers.

This standard covers electric battery chargers for household and similar use with rated voltage not more than 250 V.



It includes requirements for the electrical and mechanical safety of battery chargers and its components.

The approval of TUV Rheinland's application was announced in the Federal Register on September 21st, 2023.

For more details on the testing and certification of personal e-mobility, ebikes and household appliances battery chargers, contact TUV Rheinland today to arrange an online consultation. Click here to set up an immediate online meeting with TUV Rheinland experts in USA.

About TUV Rheinland

TUV Rheinland stands for safety and quality in virtually all areas of business and life. The company has been operating for more than 150 years and ranks among the world's leading testing service providers. It has more than 20,000 employees in over 50 countries and generates annual revenues of around 2.3 billion euros. TUV Rheinland's highly qualified experts test technical systems and products around the world, support innovations in technology and business, train people in numerous professions and certify management systems according to international standards. In doing so, the independent experts generate trust in products as well as processes across global value-adding chains and the flow of commodities. Since 2006, TUV Rheinland has been a member of the United Nations Global Compact to promote sustainability and combat corruption. Website: www.tuv.com

Contact us for press inquiries:

Mariana Taborda do Amaral

Telephone: +55 11 3514 5867

Email: [email protected]

Michael Garcia Carbajal

Phone: +52 55 3488 2108

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE TUV Rheinland
Company's commitment to certification demonstrates its desire to help pets feel well and live fully, regardless of the challenges they face

DENVER, Nov. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Paw Prosper, a pet health and wellness platform aimed at providing efficacious solutions to larger pet wellness challenges, is thrilled to announce that their full family of brands has been added to Fear Free's Preferred Product Program. This exciting development further exemplifies their ongoing commitment to helping pets prepare for, live with, and overcome the challenges of injury and aging.

Paw Prosper Announces its full suite of pet health and wellness brands has been added to Fear Free's Preferred Product Program

Since 2016, Fear Free has been offering a robust catalog of certification programs and educational programs with the goal of alleviating fear, anxiety, and stress in pets and improving the experience of every human and pet involved. Through attentive listening to the needs of the industry and the emerging generation of pet owners, Fear Free has become one of the most revolutionary initiatives in the realm of pet care.

Home to Help 'Em Up, Respond Animal Therapeutics, Muffin's Halo, and FitPaws, Paw Prosper offers a wide-range of products trusted and recommended by veterinary and rehabilitation experts worldwide to address the needs of animals during some of the most stressful times in their lives. Every product and resource they develop is focused on alleviating the fear, pain, frustration, and anxiety that can come with injury, surgery or old age.

For Paw Prosper, being added to Fear Free's Preferred Program not only reflects the thoughtful design of the products in their portfolio, but also the care with which they create resources and education for professional and at-home caregivers to help support pets throughout their lives.

"Paw Prosper is delighted to have our full range of brands named as the newest members of the Fear Free Preferred Product Program," said Ryan DeCaire, CEO. "And to continue to contribute to our ultimate vision of ensuring pets have the lifelong mental, physical, and emotional support they need to stay healthy, recover quickly, and age gracefully."

It's a pleasure to have Paw Prosper join the Fear Free family," stated Dr. Marty Becker, founder of Fear Free. "Their commitment to pet health and innovative influence in the veterinarian and pet parent spheres align perfectly with our mission. As leaders in promoting pet welfare, they stand with us in reducing fear, anxiety, and stress for pets everywhere. We're excited for the positive changes Paw Prosper will bring to our community and the wider pet world."

"We welcome Paw Prosper as another fantastic Fear Free Preferred Product," says Randy Valpy, CEO of Fear Free. "Their commitment to developing products aligns with our goal to mitigate fear, anxiety, and stress in pets."

About Paw Prosper

Paw Prosper is focused on helping pets stay healthy, recover quickly, and age gracefully. With a focus on truly efficacious solutions to the challenges of injury and aging, Paw Prosper aims to provide industry experts and pet parents alike with the products, tools, and information they need to help pets overcome larger wellness challenges. Paw Prosper was established in 2022 and is based out of Denver, Colorado, with an office in Toronto, Canada. For more information, go here .

About Fear Free

Founded by Dr. Marty Becker and developed by hundreds of experts in behavior, medicine, and handling, Fear Free offers online and in-person education to veterinary professionals, the pet professional community, animal shelter staff and volunteers, and pet owners. Fear Free provides both professionals and pet lovers alike with the knowledge and tools to look after a pet's physical and emotional wellbeing.

Veterinary or pet professionals can learn more about becoming Fear Free Certified by visiting fearfreepets.com . Pet owners can visit fearfreehappyhomes.com . Shelter, rescue, and animal welfare employees and volunteers can visit fearfreeshelters.com .

Media Contact:

Kathryn Groenewold

Director of Marketing

[email protected]

For Fear Free:

Andru Valpy

Marketing Manager

[email protected]

SOURCE Paw Prosper
The company donates $67,500 to 19 food banks across the country.

DENVER, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - PCL Construction Enterprises, Inc., donates $67,500 to food banks across the country to help the more than 44 million people grappling with food insecurity. Since the company started donating to food banks in communities where it operates, nearly $1.5 million has been donated.

"Supporting food banks and giving back to those who may be less fortunate is fundamental to who we are at PCL," said Deron Brown, PCL's president and chief operating officer, U.S. Operations. "We are wholeheartedly devoted to supporting and enhancing the communities where we live and work."

In 2023, egg prices spiked to $5-$7 per dozen, significantly burdening grocery bills for countless Americans. This sudden price escalation also placed an extraordinary strain on food banks, which had previously allocated slightly over $1 for a dozen eggs. These escalating food costs played a pivotal role in the 50% year-over-year increase in individuals turning to mobile pantries for assistance.

From the southeastern United States to the Hawaiian Islands, PCL's U.S. offices are contributing to the following 19 local food banks donated over the holiday season:

For more information on your local food bank and how you can help support, visit https://www.feedingamerica.org/ to learn more.

About PCL Construction

PCL is a group of independent construction companies that operates throughout the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, and Australia. As one of the largest contracting organizations in North America, PCL completes more than $6 billion USD in work annually, building projects that shape communities. The company's 100% employee ownership model fuels a culture of commitment for clients in the buildings, civil infrastructure, heavy industrial and solar markets. With a strategic presence in more than 30 major centers, PCL's leadership teams consistently drive innovation and set new benchmarks for excellence, bringing unparalleled skill to every project. Watch us build at PCL.com .

SOURCE PCL Construction
Applications now open for the children of PepsiCo associates to apply for 2024 scholarships

PURCHASE, N.Y., Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the PepsiCo Foundation announced that it is set to hit nearly $70 million dollars in cumulative scholarships awarded through the PepsiCo Foundation Family Scholars program following completion of the 2024 application cycle. This program awards hundreds of scholarships annually to the children of PepsiCo associates pursuing post-secondary education.

Established by the PepsiCo Foundation, the company's philanthropic arm, the PepsiCo Foundation Family Scholars Program aims to support and invest in promising students seeking to pursue higher education. The program endeavors to have a positive impact on the lives of students and their families, helping to alleviate financial barriers to education for the children and families of PepsiCo's dedicated associates.

The PepsiCo Foundation Family Scholars Program has experienced remarkable growth from its humble beginnings in 1996 when it awarded 25 scholarships per year. Since its inception, the program has now awarded more than six thousand scholarships to support undergraduate educational studies for the children of PepsiCo's associates across the globe  including nearly 250 students in 2023 alone.

"We are immensely proud of the growth and impact that the PepsiCo Foundation Family Scholarship Program has achieved over the past 26 years," said C.D. Glin, President of the PepsiCo Foundation. "Our people are our greatest asset and our commitment to creating opportunities that enable individuals to realize their full potential starts at home, with our PepsiCo associates and their families. We hope these scholarships support the next generation of leaders and help empower our PepsiCo associates and their families to reach their goals and contribute to a better, more just, and inclusive society."

The PepsiCo Foundation Family Scholars program is independently managed by Scholarship America, a national non-profit educational support and student aid service organization. The scholarship awards, ranging from $2,000 to $5,000 USD, are offered for study at four-year colleges and universities, two-year colleges and vocational-technical schools globally. Children of PepsiCo associates who plan to enroll or who are already enrolled in a full-time undergraduate course of study at an accredited college, university, or vocational-technical school for the full academic year are eligible to apply. Students are selected based on a broad range of criteria including financial need, academic performance, leadership in school and community activities, work experiences and future aspirations.

The 2024 scholarship application is now open for PepsiCo associates until February 12, 2024, at https://apply.scholarsapply.org/pepsico/.

For more information about the PepsiCo Foundation, please visit www.pepsicofoundation.com

About The PepsiCo Foundation

The PepsiCo Foundation, the philanthropic arm of PepsiCo, invests in the essential elements of a sustainable food system with a mission to support thriving communities. Working with non-profits and experts around the globe, we're focused on helping communities obtain access to food security, safe water and economic opportunity. We strive for tangible impact in the places where we live and workcollaborating with industry peers, local and international organizations, and our employees to affect large-scale change on the issues that matter to us and are of global importance. Learn more at www.pepsicofoundation.com.

SOURCE PepsiCo Foundation
HARRISBURG  Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said Monday that his list of unfinished business for the state Legislature includes passing a private school voucher program, increasing the minimum wage and approving bills to curb gun violence.

Shapiro also said he wants lawmakers to lift limits that prevent adult victims of childhood sexual assault from suing their assailants and institutions.

I consider this to be unfinished business, along with making sure we raise the minimum wage, along with passing statute of limitations reform, along with making sure that we do something about gun violence in our communities, Shapiro said.

Looking forward to next year, the governor said he will prioritize addressing a court ruling that found Pennsylvania unconstitutionally discriminates against the poorest school districts.

Speaking at a Pennsylvania Press Club luncheon, Shapiro repeatedly couched his remarks by acknowledging that he must contend with a politically divided Legislature.

He said he hopes his next budget proposal  due in early February  will include more money for public schools, as well as a new education funding formula that has bipartisan support. That idea depends in part on a review by the Basic Education Funding Commission, a panel of lawmakers from both parties and gubernatorial appointees.

I asked them to finish their work by around Jan. 1 so that I can announce in my next budget both a formula that enjoys bipartisan support, as well as increased funding for public education, Shapiro said.

A Commonwealth Court judge in February ruled that the states system of funding public schools unconstitutionally discriminates against the poorest districts.

However, Republican lawmakers have balked at approving the billions of dollars public school advocates say is needed to fix disparities. On Monday, Shapiro did not propose a specific dollar figure to address the problem.

The budget Shapiro signed last summer  his first  boosted aid for public school instruction and operations by $600 million, or about 7%. That was well short of the billions many Democratic lawmakers and public school advocates had wanted.

Instead, the governor tried to get Democrats to support a Republican proposal to send $100 million to families for private school tuition and school supplies.

Shapiro later backed down amid opposition from House Democrats, but his initial support left advocates optimistic that the proposal will eventually become law. Shapiros support for it stands out among Democratic governors.

As for the rest of Shapiros agenda, agreements are nowhere in sight between the Republican-controlled Senate and the Democratic-controlled House.

The Senate has taken no action on a House-approved bill to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour or on measures Democrats say are designed to cut down on gun trafficking, suicide deaths, accidental shootings and day-to-day violence.

Senate Republicans have blocked efforts to give adult victims of childhood sexual assault the chance to sue their victimizers. Republicans have linked that initiative to other priorities, including expanding voter identification requirements.
The company earned a spot with a three-year growth of 1,452 percent.

TORONTO, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Pineapple Financial Inc. (NYSE American: PAPL), a tech-focused mortgage brokerage with an integrated network of partner brokerages and agents across Canada, today announced it placed No. 27 out of 425 companies on the Report on Business (Globe and Mail) 2023 Ranking of Canada's Top Growing Companies.

The Globe and Mail list ranks Canadian companies based on three-year revenue growth. Pineapple Financial earned its spot with a three-year growth of 1,452 percent.

Pineapple Financial Inc. | NYSE American: PAPL (CNW Group/Pineapple Financial Inc.)

"We are immensely proud to secure our place on the Report on Business Top Growing Companies list for 2023," affirmed Shubha Dasgupta, CEO and Founder of Pineapple Financial Inc. "Our journey, marked by innovative technology and a focus on people and partnerships through our network of brokers across the country, is a testament to what determination and vision can achieve. Pineapple is not merely revolutionizing the Canadian mortgage industry; we are setting the stage for a future where possibilities know no bounds."

Canada's Top Growing Companies, an editorial ranking that launched in 2019, aims to bring the accomplishments of innovative businesses in Canada to the forefront. To qualify for inclusion in this ranking; companies had to complete an in-depth application process and fulfill stringent requirements and criteria. In total, 425 companies earned a spot on this year's ranking.

The full list of 2023 winners, along with editorial coverage, is published in the October issue of Report on Business Magazine and can be viewed here.

"Canada's Top Growing Companies' acknowledges the drive and ingenuity displayed by Canadian business," said Dawn Calleja, Editor of Report on Business Magazine. "This year's ranking serves as an inspiration for future business owners."

Andrew Saunders, CEO of The Globe and Mail, added, "This year's Report on Business Magazine's list of Top Growing Companies shows how innovative ideas always rise to the top, perhaps even more so in times of uncertainty. The Globe and Mail congratulates this year's winners for meeting and surpassing those economic challenges."

Earlier this year, Pineapple Financial Inc. won the Award for Digital Innovation in a Brokerage at the Canadian Mortgage Awards and was recognized as one of Canadian Mortgage Professional's Top Mortgage Employers for 2023.

About The Globe and Mail

The Globe and Mail is Canada's foremost news media company, leading the national discussion and causing policy change through brave and independent journalism since 1844. With our award-winning coverage of business, politics and national affairs, The Globe and Mail newspaper reaches 6.2 million readers every week in our print or digital formats, and Report on Business magazine reaches 2.7 million readers in print and digital every issue. Our investment in innovative data science means that as the world continues to change, so does The Globe. The Globe and Mail is owned by Woodbridge, the investment arm of the Thomson family.

About Pineapple

Pineapple is a leader in the Canadian mortgage industry, breaking the mold by focusing on both the long-term success of agents and brokerages, as well as the overall experience of homeowners. With approximately 650 brokers within the network, Pineapple creates cutting-edge cloud-based tools and AI-driven systems to enable its brokers to help Canadians realize their ultimate dream of owning a home. Pineapple is active within the community and is proud to sponsor charities across Canada to improve the lives of fellow Canadians.

Follow us on social media:

Instagram: @pineapplemortgage @empoweredbypineapple

Facebook: Pineapple Mortgage

LinkedIn: Pineapple Mortgage

Related Links:

https://gopineapple.com

http://empoweredbypineapple.com

SOURCE Pineapple Financial Inc.
LENGNAU, Switzerland, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Rado has a global reputation as the Master of Materials and is equally celebrated for its remarkable design heritage. It makes perfect sense that the Swiss watch brand has partnered with leading independent art fair Untitled Art, for its 12th edition in Miami Beach. This year, Rado, as a proud Official Partner of Untitled Art, will launch striking new interpretations of its game-changing Anatom watch.

Rado Teaser Campaign _ Coming December 7th , 2023

The Anatom, first introduced 40 years ago, takes its name from the perfectly anatomical fit of the watch on the wrist and from the rounded sapphire crystal. Its timeless and unique design codes resonate as powerfully today as they did in 1983, when they helped define the spirit of an era. In the decades since it took the watch world by storm, the Anatom has virtually become a Rado trademark and many of the brand's most popular models have been inspired by its style and shape.

On Friday December 7th, visitors to Rado's booth (A31) at Untitled Art during Miami Art Week will have a chance to experience four new Anatom modelsCharacterised by Rado's design DNA, these new iterations also highlight the brand's signature material, high-tech ceramic. As CEO Adrian Bosshard says, "The new Anatom references stand today  as they did in 1983  for timeless unique design and incomparable wearing pleasure."

Rado invites everyone attending Untitled Art, Miami Beach 2023 to stop by and Feel the Difference.

Rado

Rado is a globally recognised Swiss watch brand celebrated for its pioneering use of high-tech ceramic materials and distinctive design. With a rich heritage of innovation, Rado continues to push the boundaries of traditional watchmaking, creating timepieces that are as durable as they are stylish.

UNTITLED ART

Untitled Art is the leading independent art fair taking place annually on the sands of Miami Beach. Guided by a mission to support the wider art ecosystem, Untitled Art offers an inclusive platform for discovering contemporary art and prioritizes collaboration in each aspect of the fair.

SOURCE The Swatch Group (U.S.) Inc. - Rado Division
Discover inspired two-story floor plans with designer-curated finishes

DRAPER, Utah, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Richmond American Homes of Utah, Inc., a subsidiary of M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: MDC), is excited to announce that the highly anticipated Rasmussen Farms community (RichmondAmerican.com/Rasmussen) is now open for sales in the coveted Draper area. This notable new neighborhood boasts an array of two-story floor plans with the incredible included features and designer details today's homebuyers are seeking.

Model home tours

The two-story Laurel is one of five Richmond American floor plans available at Rasmussen Farms in Draper, Utah.

Prospective homebuyers and area agents are encouraged to stop by Rasmussen Farms to tour the inspired Laurel model home. The community sales center will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays through Wednesdays, 12 to 6 p.m. on Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

About Rasmussen Farms:

Beautiful two-story homes from the $700s

3 to 4 bedrooms, approx. 2,000 to 2,360 sq. ft.

Gourmet kitchens, spacious primary suites with deluxe bathrooms, lofts and finished basements available

Prime location off I-15, near the light rail

Close proximity to downtown Salt Lake City , Salt Lake International Airport and Silicon Slopes

, Salt Lake International Airport and Silicon Slopes Easy access to shopping, dining and recreation

Designer-curated fixtures and finishes

Quick move-in homes available

Rasmussen Farms is located at 308 Katecapo Lane in Draper. Call 801.545.3429 or visit RichmondAmerican.com for more information.

About M.D.C. Holdings, Inc.

M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1972. MDC's homebuilding subsidiaries, which operate under the name Richmond American Homes, have helped more than 240,000 homebuyers achieve the American Dream since 1977. One of the largest homebuilders in the nation, MDC is committed to quality and value that is reflected in each home its subsidiaries build. The Richmond American companies have operations in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Maryland, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington. Mortgage lending, insurance and title services are offered by the following MDC subsidiaries, respectively: HomeAmerican Mortgage Corporation, American Home Insurance Agency, Inc. and American Home Title and Escrow Company. M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "MDC." For more information, visit MDCHoldings.com.

SOURCE M.D.C. Holdings, Inc.
The global ring main unit market has experienced growth due to several factors such as increase in demand for electricity where RMUs are compact and designed to take up less space, making them suitable for urban areas with limited space.

WILMINGTON, Del., Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Ring Main Unit (RMU) Market by Type (Gas Insulated, Air Insulated, Oil Insulated, Solid Dielectric Material), Installation (Outdoor, Indoor), and Application (Industrial, Commercial Buildings, Transportation Infrastructure, Distribution Utilities): Global Opportunity Analysis And Industry Forecast, 2023-2032". According to the report, the global ring main unit market was valued at $2.7 billion in 2022, and is projected to reach $4.8 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 6.2% from 2023 to 2032.

Request PDF Brochure: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/2517

Prime determinants of growth

The expansion of the global ring main unit market can be attributed to various factors such as increase in demand in gas-insulated applications. Gas-insulated RMUs can be installed both indoors and outdoors, offering flexibility in deployment based on the specific requirements of the distribution network. The sealed design of gas-insulated RMUs reduces the need for frequent maintenance, resulting in lower operating costs over the unit's lifespan. The use of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) gas as an insulating medium in these units contributes to their environmental friendliness. SF6 gas has excellent insulating properties and allows for compact designs, reducing the overall environmental impact. However, the high initial cost of ring main unit hinders the market growth to some extent. Moreover, the development of smart grid integration offers remunerative opportunities for the expansion of the ring main unit market.

Report coverage & details:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 20232032 Base Year 2022 Market Size in 2022 $2.7 Billion Market Size in 2032 $4.8 Billion CAGR 6.2 % No. of Pages in Report 250 Segments covered Type, Installation, Application, and Region. Drivers Increase in demand for electricity The surge in power distribution systems Opportunities The development of smart grid integration The integration of IoT and data analytics Restraints The high initial cost of ring main unit

The solid dielectric material segment is expected to grow faster throughout the forecast period

By type, the gas-insulated segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for one third of the global ring main unit market revenue, and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. This is due to gas-insulated RMUs are known for their high reliability and low maintenance requirements, making them a preferred choice for critical applications. However, the solid dielectric material segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 6.2% from 2023 to 2032, as Solid dielectric materials offer excellent insulation properties. This is crucial in RMUs because they prevent electrical breakdown and provide safety for personnel working with the equipment.

Procure Complete Report (250 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, and Figures) @

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The indoor segment is expected to lead the trail by 2032

By installation, the indoor segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for more than half of the global ring main unit market revenue and is estimated to dominate during the forecast period. This can be attributed to the fact that ring main unit play a crucial role in industrial facilities for controlling power distribution. They are often located indoors to protect them from environmental factors. However, the outdoor segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 6.3% from 2023 to 2032, as RMUs are often used in outdoor transformer substations to control and distribute power from high-voltage transmission lines to lower-voltage distribution lines.

The transportation infrastructure segment is expected to grow faster throughout the forecast period

By application, the industrial segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for more than one third of the global ring main unit market revenue and is likely to retain its dominance throughout the forecast period. This can be attributed to the fact that RMUs are deployed in manufacturing plants to ensure a consistent power supply for various machines and equipment used in the production process. This is essential for preventing downtime and maintaining the efficiency of the production line. However, the transportation infrastructure segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 6.7% from 2023 to 2032. The growth is attributed to the fact that power traffic control systems, including traffic lights, signals, and road signs. They help maintain the continuity of electrical supply to critical infrastructure that contributes to road safety and efficient traffic management.

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Asia-Pacific to maintain its dominance by 2032

By region, Asia-Pacific held the highest market share and fastest growing region in terms of revenue in 2022 representing for 6.5% of the CAGR, accounting for more than one third of the global ring main unit market revenue, and is expected to rule the roost in terms of revenue throughout the forecast timeframe. In the Asia-Pacific region, ring main units are highly valued for their reliability, particularly in China. They are instrumental in reducing power interruptions and facilitating rapid restoration in the event of faults. China's extensive and rapidly expanding urban and industrial areas heavily rely on RMUs to maintain a stable power supply.

Leading Market Players: -

ABB, LTD.

CANDS ELECTRIC LIMITED

EATON

LS ELECTRIC CO., LTD.

LUCY ELECTRIC LIMITED

NATUS GMBH AND CO. KG

ORMAZABAL

SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC SE.

SIEMENS AG

TIEPCO

The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the global ring main unit 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 Ring Main Unit Industry:

Secondary Switchgear Ring Main Unit Market Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032

Solid Insulated Ring Main Units Market Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032

Gas Insulated Ring Main Units Market: Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032

Circuit Breakers Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2030

Power Distribution Unit Market: Global Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212030

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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1209 Orange Street,

Corporation Trust Center,

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Delaware 19801 USA.

Int'l: +1-503-894-6022

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SOURCE Allied Market Research
BannersUI Enables DAM Users to Automate the Tedious Task of Rendering Banner Ads for Popular Platforms Including Facebook, Instagram and Google Ads

SANTA CRUZ, Calif., Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Santa Cruz Software today announced the launch of BannersUI, an innovative and efficient ad design automation platform for customers of digital asset management systems (DAMs). BannersUI is available for pre-release embedded integration into DAMs, and it will enable designers to design banners ads and other digital outputs for various sizes with a few clicks. This eliminates hours spent resizing and redesigning graphics for different platforms or formats, allowing designers to focus more time on high-value, creative projects.

BannersUI benefits DAMs by increasing usage throughout each business customer. Non-designers, such as members of the marketing team, benefit significantly by accessing various ads within the DAM, enabling them to make modifications as needed. This integration also enhances the overall utility for the design team, strengthening the relationship between DAMs and graphics teams. As a result, DAMs are each likely to expand user seats as customers bring in additional team members, including those who are not primarily involved in design activities.

BannersUI empowers designers to create only one design and then render a package of artboards for a campaign, reducing the time spent resizing for various banner ad sizes and other output dimensions. By deconstructing common design file formats like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator or InDesign, BannersUI will utilize AI to analyze objects and then resize and reposition those objects, such as the logo, background image or call-to-action text. The resulting artboard outputs are optimized for various dimensions, including those suitable for popular platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Google Ads, and can be exported in common file types such as jpg or png. BannersUI also supports custom banner dimensions to meet unique requirements.

BannersUI addresses the needs of designers as 85% are frustrated with the repetitive resizing process, according to a recent survey . The survey further reveals that 76% spend at least 20 hours per week resizing and over half (52%) spend at least 30 hours. Additionally, 96% said a responsive design tool would be helpful, and 75% express that it would significantly impact their work.

"BannersUI sets itself apart by seamlessly integrating with DAMs, ensuring that DAM users have quick access to various ad sizes to do their jobs," said Mark Hilton, CEO of Santa Cruz Software. "If a designer needs to create a flyer, an email graphic and a dozen banner ads for a single campaign, BannersUI empowers them to use a single design file resized automatically for various outputs. Our platform lets designers and marketers streamline their workflow and radically boost productivity."

The system will utilize AI to determine the layout of various objects, leveraging thousands of data points from existing banner ad designs. As users tweak ad renderings in BannersUI, the AI then personalizes future ad renderings based on each user's historical layout preferences.

Initially, BannersUI is available only for pre-release integration with DAM partners. Availability for individual customers will begin in 2024.

About Santa Cruz Software

Santa Cruz Software offers a suite of tools to connect Adobe applications to other Cloud Services, enabling teams to collaborate seamlessly on projects without ever leaving their applications. Enjoy simplified version control, easy asset search, and seamless connection between your shared team assets. Santa Cruz Software features are designed to streamline brand compliance, empower collaboration between teams, and increase productivity. Solutions range from integratable Dynamic Templates based upon Adobe InDesign (PrintUI), a DAM connector for Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Premiere and Adobe After Effects (LinkrUI), an ad design automation platform (BannersUI) and a turnkey collateral/campaign portal (BrandingUI). For more information, visit the Santa Cruz Software website .

All trademarks and product names are the property of their respective companies.

Media Contact:

David Haefele

FortyThree, Inc.

831.621.5661

[email protected]

SOURCE Santa Cruz Software
Legal publication describes honorees as 'the advisors you want to send into battle'

DALLAS, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Defense and litigation boutique Sargent Law, P.C., is pleased to announce that two attorneys from the firm, including firm founder David Sargent, are honorees in the 2024 edition of Lawdragon's 500 Leading Litigators, a list that honors the nation's top talent representing the world's "power players."

Lawdragon describes honorees as "the advisors you want to send into battle." Selection to 500 Leading Litigators is based on thorough journalistic research, client submissions and rigorous vetting by the publication's editorial staff.

"To be among the top litigators in the nation is really humbling," said Mr. Sargent. "We can't help but thank our clients for choosing our firm as their trusted advisors."

With more than 100 cases tried to verdict in Texas federal and state courts, Mr. Sargent is known for his seasoned trial experience. His background includes a range of high-stakes litigation involving personal injury disputes, transportation accidents, on-the-job injuries and general liability cases. Mr. Sargent is a repeat honoree of Texas Super Lawyers and The Best Lawyers in America.

Joining Mr. Sargent on the list is partner Ross Miracle. He focuses his practice on premises liability, commercial litigation and general liability matters on behalf of defendants.

Sargent Law's team of skilled defense lawyers is not afraid to try a case if it's the most advantageous option for clients. Every attorney at the firm has experience handling cases in trial and appellate courts across Texas.

To read more about the 2024 Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America guide visit: Lawdragon.com

Sargent Law, P.C., is a trial litigation firm with more than 100 years of combined experience defending companies and individuals in transportation, personal injury, general and premises liability, workplace injury and commercial litigation. Visit our website: http://sargentlawtx.com/.

Media Contact:

BeLynn Hollers

800-559-4534

[email protected]

SOURCE Sargent Law, P.C.
CHICAGO, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Seed Coating Market is valued at USD 2.0 billion in 2023, showcases a remarkable growth projection, anticipated to escalate to USD 3.1 billion by 2028, indicating a robust compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.5% from 2023 to 2028 according to a report published by MarketsandMarkets. Notably, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in 2022, the prevalence of seed coating is predominantly prominent in developed nations, boasting adoption rates spanning from 50% to 70%. This prevalence can be attributed to an array of influential factors, notably including the soaring costs of labor and land, the imperative demand for high-quality agricultural output, and the escalating accessibility of advanced seed-coating technologies. The trajectory of seed coating adoption seems poised for continued ascent in the forthcoming years, propelled by an increasing farmer cognizance of its myriad benefits. Seed coating, a transformative agri-tech innovation, boasts the capacity to significantly enhance seed germination, foster seedling vigor, and augment crop yields. Remarkably, this technology simultaneously serves as an instrumental player in reducing the dependence on pesticides and herbicides, aligning with the contemporary sustainable agriculture ethos.

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Browse in-depth TOC on "Seed Coating Market"

372  Tables

59  Figures

288  Pages

The liquid seed coating segment is poised for remarkable growth with the highest projected CAGR in the upcoming forecast period.

Liquid seed coatings find application across a diverse spectrum of seeds, including but not limited to corn, soybeans, wheat, rice, various vegetables, and a myriad of flowers. Their significance in modern agriculture cannot be overstated, as they serve as indispensable tools for farmers and growers alike, contributing to the enhancement of seed quality, amplified crop yields, and cost reduction.

In this context, Croda International Plc stands out with its pioneering FS formulations, a category of seed treatment that is rapidly gaining traction in the market. These formulations are garnering increased attention due to their concentrated nature, water-based composition, and the enhanced safety they offer during application in comparison to other alternatives. FS formulations are crafted through the modification of suspension concentrates (SC) by incorporating supplementary additives that facilitate the binding of the active ingredient to the seed surface. Furthermore, the inclusion of colorants in these formulations serves as a clear indicator that the seed has undergone treatment, adding to their overall appeal and user-friendliness.

The cereal and grains segment within the seed coating market emerged as a pivotal force in 2022, steering the market's momentum.

Notably, as per the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), there has been a notable upsurge in the global area dedicated to cereal cultivation in recent years. The recorded increase in harvested cereal area, escalating from 7.30 billion hectares in 2021 to 7.39 billion hectares in 2022, foretells an expanded usage of seed coatings. This surge in cereal cultivation and subsequent seed utilization is inherently tied to the instrumental role that seed coatings play in empowering farmers to achieve higher yields, a critical factor in addressing the mounting global demand for food. FAO's observation underscores the escalating adoption of seed coatings, acknowledging the manifold benefits it offers to farmers, including the improvement of seed germination, protection against pests and diseases, and consequential yield augmentation.

Seed coatings have emerged as a standard agricultural practice among arable growers, facilitating enhanced crop establishment and safeguarding yield potential. Noteworthy innovations in this domain include Bayer's Peridiam Active 109, a seed coating designed to elevate the quality of cereal seeds by endowing them with crucial trace elements like molybdenum, zinc, and manganese. This formulation not only diminishes dust emissions but also prioritizes operator safety, resulting in superior seed quality.

Furthermore, Syngenta's offering, the CruiserMaxx Vibrance Cereals seed treatment, stands out as a dual-action insecticide and fungicide blend, offering protection to wheat and barley seeds, young seedlings, and roots against a diverse spectrum of seedborne and soilborne diseases and insects. Renowned for its precision in administering uniform doses of active ingredients on each seed, this treatment ensures reliable coverage and consistent protection against early-season pests.

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France is poised to maintain its dominant position within the European seed coating market throughout the forecast period.

The escalating demand for seed coating in France is anticipated to persist in the upcoming years, largely fueled by farmers' pursuit of amplified yields and a decreased reliance on chemical pesticides. This agricultural practice in France is prominently applied to maize, soybeans, and wheat, extending to a diverse array of other crops, including sugar beets, rapeseed, and sunflowers. Its primary objectives encompass improving seed germination, shielding seeds from pests and diseases, and ultimately bolstering crop yields.

In 2020, AgriCoat, a French company, introduced a groundbreaking seed coating innovation named AgriCoat Protect. This product, engineered to safeguard seeds from pests and diseases, has demonstrated remarkable efficacy against various pests such as aphids, thrips, and whiteflies, further enhancing its value within the agricultural landscape.

Noteworthy is the French government's proactive support for seed-coating technology. The launch of the Seed Coating Program in 2022 underscores their commitment to assisting farmers in adopting seed coating practices by offering financial incentives to those investing in such technologies.

Key Players:

Prominent industry players, including BASF SE (Germany), Solvay (Belgium), Croda International Plc (UK), Clariant (Switzerland), DSM (Netherlands), and Sensient Colors LLC (US), wield substantial influence in the seed coating market. These entities boast robust manufacturing facilities and well-established distribution networks across pivotal regions such as North America, Europe, South America, and the Asia Pacific, ensuring a widespread presence and accessibility of their products.

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Browse Adjacent Reports @ Agriculture Industry Market Research Reports & Consulting

Related Reports:

Seeds Market by Type (Genetically Modified, Conventional), Trait (Herbicide Tolerance, Insect Resistance), Crop Type (Cereals & Grains, Oilseeds & Pulses, Fruits & Vegetables), Treatment (Treated and Un-treated) and Region - Global Forecast to 2028

Seed Treatment Market by Type, Application Technique (Coating, Dressing, Pelleting), Function (Seed Protection and Seed Enhancement), Formulation, Crop Type (Cereals & Grains, Oilseeds, Fruits & Vegetables) and Region - Global Forecast to 2027

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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BURLINGAME, Calif., Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Coherent Market Insights, Global Sepsis Diagnostics Market size was valued at US$ 841.4 Million in 2023 and is expected to surpass US$ 1,624.6 Million by 2030 and is anticipated to witness a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.9% during the forecast period (2023-2030).



Key Trends and Analysis of the Global Energy Retrofit Market

The rising number of cases of infectious diseases such as pneumonia, cholera, toxic shock syndrome, salmonellosis, COVID-19, and others is expected to drive growth of the global sepsis diagnostics market over the forecast period. For instance, according to the World Health Organization fact sheet published in February 2021, around 1.3-4.0 million cases of cholera are reported every year worldwide. Moreover, according to a research study published by the NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information) in November 2020, the prevalence of toxic shock syndrome is estimated to be approximately 0.8 to 3.4 per 100,000 in the U.S.

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Global Sepsis Diagnostics Market - Driver

Increasing product launch by market players

Increasing product launches by market players are also expected to fuel overall market growth. For instance, on June 23, 2020, Presymptom, a medtech healthcare company, announced that the company developed test to predict which COVID-19 patients will develop sepsis before symptoms appear, and has received initial funding to accelerate development to help diagnose and save the lives of seriously ill patients. Presymptom Health has received an initial US$2.2 million in seed funding from Ploughshare Innovations to accelerate the development of the test, which will transform clinicians' ability to provide appropriate treatment, potentially saving lives.

Global Sepsis Diagnostics Market - Restraint

Lack of awareness regarding Sepsis Diagnostics

Lack of awareness regarding sepsis diagnostics is expected to hinder market growth over the forecast period. For instance, on October 25, 2021, an article published in The National Center for Biotechnology Information stated that, to improve clinical outcomes, sepsis must be quickly identified and specifically treated. There is currently no diagnostic technique that can quickly detect or rule out infection. The high rates of broad-spectrum antimicrobial therapy used globally are a result of the lack of a good diagnostic tool, which is also likely to cause underrecognition (and overtreatment) of non-infectious inflammatory conditions. Novel treatments are urgently needed because antibiotic resistance is becoming more prevalent. The utility of screening tools may be increased by combining machine learning models with biomarkers, gene markers, and EMR data, but further research is necessary. Sepsis management and diagnosis continue to depend on careful patient assessment and reliable clinical judgment. These essential components of patient care should be supplemented by novel procedures, not replaced by them.

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Global Sepsis Diagnostics Market - Opportunity

Increasing disease awareness initiatives

Increasing disease awareness initiatives by non-profit organizations is expected to drive growth of the market in the near future. For instance, on April 10, 2023, Cone Health, a not-for-profit health system serving North Carolina, U.S., aimed to boost organizational compliance with the Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock Management Bundle (SEP-1), a National Quality Forum measure adopted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and reduce sepsis-related mortality. Cone Health utilized PINC AI technology to improve its sepsis treatment process. The health system aimed to obtain high SEP-1 bundle compliance rates to meet its compliance goals.

Global Sepsis Diagnostics Market- Cross Sectional Analysis:

Among Product Type, the Blood Culture Media segment is dominant during the forecast period in the North America region due to the key players focusing on organic strategies such as the launch of new equipment, which is expected to drive segment growth over the forecast period. For instance, On November 3, 2022, Immunexpress, Pty Ltd., a California, U.s. based molecular diagnostic company, announced the presentation of an abstract at the Association for Molecular Pathology 2022 Annual Meeting in Phoenix. The abstract is entitled "Multi-site validation of EDTA blood as a sample type for SeptiCyte Rapid CE-IVD, a near-patient diagnostic test for sepsis on the Biocartis Idylla System. The multi-site study was conducted at the University Hospital Bonn in Germany and the Hospital Foch in Suresnes, France. It investigated Immunexpress' sepsis diagnostic tool, SeptiCyte Rapid CE-IVD, in 46 clinically confirmed sepsis and non-sepsis patients. A high degree of correlation (R2 = 0.95) was observed when comparing the SeptiScore values observed in these patients, processed either from undiluted EDTA blood collection tubes or from aPAXgene blood RNA tubes. The reproducibility of the EDTA blood result was further assessed by running a subset of the samples in triplicate.

Global Sepsis Diagnostics Market : Key Developments

On August 7, 2023, Immunexpress, a molecular diagnostic company focused on improving outcomes for patients suspected of sepsis, announced the adoption of SeptiCyte Rapid by FirstHealth of the Carolinas, a non-profit health system licensed for four hospitals in Pinehurst, Troy, Rockingham, and Raeford, North Carolina. SeptiCyte Rapid will be available at FirstHealth as a tool for differentiating sepsis-positive cases from patients with infection negative systemic inflammation.

Read complete market research report here at Sepsis Diagnostics Market, By Product Type, By Method, By Pathogen, By Technology, By End User, By Region (North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East & Africa, and Asia Pacific)

Key Market Takeaways:

The global sepsis diagnostics market is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 11.3% during the forecast period due to the increasing use of new technologies. For instance, on July 14, 2023 , Asep Medical Holdings Inc., a Canada based biotechnology company, announced the results of a recent scientific study that concluded that severe COVID-19 is a form of sepsis based on analysis of blood gene expression signatures. Importantly, this study highlights the potential benefits of a rapid diagnostic test for sepsis, such as the Company's SepsetER (TM) sepsis diagnostic test, that could identify COVID-19 patients at risk of developing severe sepsis as well as provide a path to a precision medicine approach to enable individualized treatment for the disease.

during the forecast period due to the increasing use of new technologies. For instance, on , Asep Medical Holdings Inc., a based biotechnology company, announced the results of a recent scientific study that concluded that severe COVID-19 is a form of sepsis based on analysis of blood gene expression signatures. Importantly, this study highlights the potential benefits of a rapid diagnostic test for sepsis, such as the Company's SepsetER (TM) sepsis diagnostic test, that could identify COVID-19 patients at risk of developing severe sepsis as well as provide a path to a precision medicine approach to enable individualized treatment for the disease. Among Technology, immunoassays is expected to dominate the market over the forecast period and this is explained by the fact that a timely diagnosis of sepsis can result in effective treatment and a full recovery. On August 5, 2020 , Beckman Coulter , a manufacturing company in biomedical testing, announced new analysis from the pivotal study of its novel monocyte distribution width (MDW) hematologic biomarker for sepsis detection. The analysis showed that abnormal MDW values, when considered along with the standard physiologic parameters at the time of patient presentation in the emergency department, signified a four-to six-fold higher probability of sepsis diagnosis. The pivotal study enrolled 2,158 emergency department patients in three academic centers and was the basis for U.S. FDA clearance of Beckman Coulter's Early Sepsis Indicator.

, , a manufacturing company in biomedical testing, announced new analysis from the pivotal study of its novel monocyte distribution width (MDW) hematologic biomarker for sepsis detection. The analysis showed that abnormal MDW values, when considered along with the standard physiologic parameters at the time of patient presentation in the emergency department, signified a four-to six-fold higher probability of sepsis diagnosis. The pivotal study enrolled 2,158 emergency department patients in three academic centers and was the basis for U.S. FDA clearance of Early Sepsis Indicator. Key players operating in the Global Sepsis Diagnostics Market include BioMerieux SA, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Abbott Laboratories, Roche Diagnostics AG, Luminex Corporation, CytoSorbents Corporation, Becton Dickinson Company, Danaher Corporation, Axis-Shield Diagnostics, T2 Biosystems, EKF Diagnostics, Immunexpress Inc., Response Biomedical Corporation, and Bruker Corporation.

Global Sepsis Diagnostic Market Detailed Segmentation:

By Product Type:

Blood Culture Media



Assays & Reagents



Instruments



Software

By Method:

Automated Diagnostics



Conventional Diagnostics

By Pathogen:

Bacterial Sepsis



Gram-Negative Bacterial Sepsis





Gram-Positive Bacterial Sepsis



Fungal Sepsis



Others

By Technology:

Microbiology



Molecular Diagnostics



Immunoassays



Flow Cytometry

By End User:

Hospitals



Pathology & Reference Laboratories



Research Laboratories & Academic Institutes

By Region:

North America



By Country:





U.S.







Canada



Latin America



By Country:





Brazil







Mexico







Argentina







Rest of Latin America



Europe



By Country:





Germany







U.K.







France







Italy







Spain







Russia







Rest of Europe



Asia Pacific



By Country:





China







India







Japan







Australia







South Korea







ASEAN







Rest of Asia Pacific



Middle East



By Country:





GCC







Israel







Rest of Middle East



Africa



By Country/Region:





South Africa







Central Africa







North Africa

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REHOVOT and RAMAT GAN , Israel, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Skip Therapeutics ("Skip"), developer of computational platform for design of Antisense Oligonucleotide (ASO) based therapies and Sheba Medical Center ("Sheba"), one of the leading medical centers in the world, announced today that they have entered a collaboration for the development of ASO-based treatments for rare genetic diseases.

Under the terms of the agreement, Sheba will share with Skip its de-identified patient mutation repository and Skip will provide a bioinformatic assessment of the possibility to use ASOs to circumvent the mutation, restore protein function and constitute a relevant therapeutic path.

Skip Therapeutics employs its proprietary bioinformatic engine to identify the most promising ASO-based molecular strategy for treatment of each patient sub-population based on their specific mutations. Skip's approach has already identified promising targets for which it is performing in-vitro functionality studies with patient cells in collaboration with leading hospitals and academic institutes around the world.

"We are pleased to enter into a collaboration agreement with the world-renowned Sheba Medical Center for the development of ASO-based treatments for rare genetic diseases. Israel is and will always be at the forefront of innovation and it is our privilege and obligation, especially at times like this, to direct Israel's ingenuity at developing new treatment options and advancing medicine," said Ariel Feiglin, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer, Skip Therapeutics. "Thousands of rare genetic disorders affect millions of people worldwide. Most disorders are the result of a mutation in a single gene and have a deterministic genetic cause. However, the small number of patients for each disease has hindered development of dedicated treatments. Recent advancements in RNA-therapeutics offer an expanded molecular toolkit that can be deployed rapidly and at relatively low costs to restore protein function of mutated genes. This presents exciting possibilities of drug development for small patient cohorts and eventually even for single patients. To effectively realize these possibilities, it is necessary to incorporate computational tools in the developmental process, and we believe that our computational approach will enable an effective and rapid development of ASO-based treatments."

Dr. Dan Dominissini, deputy director of the Center for Cancer Research and director of the Hematology Laboratory at Sheba Medical Center, stated, "We are delighted to collaborate with Skip Therapeutics for the development of cutting edge ASO-based therapies for genetic diseases. Sheba Medical Center is a world-leading center dedicated to incorporating and developing innovative techniques and approaches for the benefit of our patients. Skip Therapeutics' novel computational engine will enables us not only to determine the most appropriate therapeutic design for a given genetic disease, but also to directly identify treatable patient populations, thereby maximizing efficiency and minimizing costs. We look forward to propelling gene therapy forward as a result of this exciting collaboration."

About Antisense Oligonucleotide (ASO)

ASOs are short strands of synthetic, chemically modified, RNA sequences that can be designed to intervene in a molecular process called "splicing" which determines the final RNA sequence that will be translated into a protein. ASOs can be used to manipulate the splicing process and restore function of a mutated gene, by promoting exclusion of the mutated region from the final RNA transcript or by restoring normal splicing where it has been lost. This approach has already proved beneficial, among others, for treating Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Batten Disease and Spinal Muscular Atrophy.

About Skip Therapeutics

Skip Therapeutics develops Antisense Oligonucleotide (ASO) based therapies for rare genetic disorders and common diseases  utilizing a proprietary computational discovery platform to optimize target selection and guide therapeutic design. Skip's ASOs aim to restore function of mutated genes in genetic disorders by modulating splicing or by controlling gene expression levels. For non-genetic disease, Skip is leveraging its platform to modify functionality of key genes in major molecular pathways using ASOs. ASO development programs for Pulmonary, Renal and Retinal indications are currently being pursued and evaluated on patient cells through collaboration with leading labs and medical institutions. Skip is a portfolio company of FutuRx bio-accelerator.

About Sheba Medical Center

The largest and most comprehensive medical center in the Middle East, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer is generating global impact through its medical care, research and healthcare transformation. Sheba's City of Health boasts an acute-care hospital, rehabilitation hospital, research and innovation hubs, medical simulation center and center for disaster response on one comprehensive campus in the center of Israel. Sheba serves as a true hospital without borders, welcoming patients and healthcare professionals from all over the world and consistently providing the highest-level medical care to all in need. Sheba has been ranked a World's Best Hospital by Newsweek five years in a row (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023). For more information, visit: https://sheba-global.com.

Media contacts:

For Skip Therapeutics:

Tsipi Haitovsky

Global Media Liaison

+972-52-598-9892

[email protected]

For Sheba Medical Center:

Steve Walz

Head of International Media & Public Affairs

+972-52-233-0430

[email protected]

SOURCE Skip Therapeutics
PHOENIX, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SKU Distribution, a 3PL warehouse and fulfillment center, is the first in Arizona to receive a Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) designation. This designation underscores SKU Distribution's commitment to excellence and innovation in providing top-tier logistics solutions for its clients.

Foreign-Trade Zones (FTZs) provide special customs procedures that help companies conducting international business-related operations compete. An FTZ also facilitates and attracts offshore activity and encourages domestic activity retention, helping create employment opportunities. When a business operates under FTZ procedures, they are treated like they are located outside the United States for purposes of customs duties. That means U.S. import duties don't have to be paid on imported components entering their factory.

This achievement is a win for Arizona's economic development. FTZ designation attracts businesses, stimulates job creation, and fosters a more robust business environment. As the first 3PL warehouse in Arizona to secure FTZ designation, SKU Distribution offers unparalleled advantages to businesses engaged in international trade. This not only boosts the competitiveness of local businesses but also contributes to the growth of the Arizona economy.

"The FTZ designation is a cash flow game-changer for businesses. This allows companies to import their products and defer their customs duties and taxes until their product leaves the zone (our warehouse) for domestic consumption. This additional cash flow allows you to purchase more products at no additional cost or invest in other opportunities. As we embark on this new chapter, SKU Distribution is here to guide businesses of all sizes on leveraging the benefits of our FTZ designation. Whether you're a B2B, manufacturer, or e-retailer, FTZ is a powerful weapon to enhance your competitiveness and financial resilience." - James Peacock, CEO, SKU Distribution.

Key Benefits of a Foreign Trade Zone Designated Fulfillment Provider:

Cost Savings: By operating within an FTZ, you can expect reduced customs duties and taxes, leading to substantial cost savings for your business. Improved Inventory Management: Our FTZ status allows for superior inventory control, ensuring your products are readily available and reducing carrying costs. Streamlined Import and Export: Simplified customs procedures mean faster processing and increased supply chain flexibility.

This FTZ designation is a testament to SKU's unwavering commitment to providing their clients with the best solutions for their business.

How Businesses Can Benefit:

Businesses looking to leverage the advantages of SKU Distribution's FTZ designation are invited to visit https://skudistribution.com/foreign-trade-zone/ for personalized consultations and information.

Contact:

Ashlee Singleton

4806952039

[email protected]

SOURCE SKU Distribution
,   ;     200         ,         .     Hwaseong                 ,  ,           ... REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji
NEW YORK, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Stella , a leader in treating mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress injury, anxiety, stress, depression, traumatic brain injury and the neurological effects of long COVID, announces the integration of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) into its comprehensive care model. This FDA approved, non-invasive technique utilizes a magnetic field to stimulate nerve cells in the brain to improve symptoms of depression and restore balance.

Alongside the introduction of TMS, Stella unveiled two new locations in New York and Washington D.C. to add to the growing list of 35+ locations nationwide.

"Innovation propels us forward, and with it comes the imperative for trusted expertise," says Philippe Sanchez, CEO at Stella. "Our expansion into New York and Washington D.C. highlights our dedication to delivering groundbreaking treatments under the highest safety and quality standards for individuals dealing with severe symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and depression."

The two state-of-the-art facilities offer Stella's medically monitored protocols such as the Dual Sympathetic Reset (DSR ), Stella's advanced stellate ganglion block (SGB), ketamine infusion therapy , and soon, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).

"Our biological treatments aim to heal the injury caused by mental health challenges, not just manage the symptoms," said Dr. Karen DeCocker, Vice President of Nurse Practitioners, at Stella. "When paired with short-term integration therapy, people feel better faster during this pivotal healing window and maintain long-lasting gains."

Stella's team of board-certified doctors and medical and mental health experts have treated over 8,000 patients and remain at the forefront of mental health care.

Stella New York is located at 137 E 25th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY and Stella DC is located at 729 15th Street, NW, STE 800, Washington, DC. For more information, please visit www.stellacenter.com .

About Stella:

Stella is committed to delivering better mental health care through responsible innovation. Since launching in 2020, the company's mission is to reimagine how the world treats mental health conditions and become the go-to destination for individuals seeking comprehensive, transformative, and compassionate care. Stella has 35+ USA locations, as well as in Israel and Australia.

Media Contact:

Daphne Ortiz

323.864.9890

368972@email4pr.com

SOURCE Stella
- David De Craemer as the Business Head - Optical Connectivity Business

- Tomasz Bednarczyk as the global R&D Head - Optical Connectivity Business

MUMBAI, India and LONDON and COLUMBIA, S.C., Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- STL _ [NSE: STLTECH], a leading optical and digital solutions company , today announced that it is well poised to cater to the demand for Optical Connectivity products and has appointed industry leaders to drive its growth ambition.

Tomasz Bednarczyk, Global R&D Head, Optical Connectivity Business, STL David De Creaemer, Business Head, Optical Connectivity Business, STL

STL, with over 30 years of Optical expertise, is one of the very few players to have end-to-end capability across the fibre value chain, starting with glass preform, fibre, cables and finally, Optical Connectivity solutions. STL acquired Optotec in Italy in 2020 and has fully integrated optical connectivity products and design engineering capabilities into its optical business. It now creates customised, scalable connectivity solutions to de-skill field installations and speed up the fibre deployment process.

Though the total addressable market for Optical Connectivity is ~US 10 Bn, there are many installation challenges, Including product customisation in accordance with the region's requirement, product development speed and time-to-market. STL is well poised to address this with its established design and innovation centres having top talents across India, North America and Europe. These solutions have found tremendous success with the top service providers across these regions. To further strengthen its position, STL has hired two people in key leadership roles - David De Craemer as the Business Head and Tomasz Bednarczyk as the global R&D Head for the Optical Connectivity business.

David De Craemer brings over 25 years of industry experience working with the likes of TE Connectivity and CommScope. Discussing his vision for STL, David said: "I am excited about the opportunity and look forward to leveraging my strength and capabilities to co-create sustainable growth for the company, creating superior value for our customers."

Tomasz Bednarczyk has worked for 18 years at Corning in various R&D, Finance and PLM domains. Excited at this opportunity, Tomasz said: "I have the privilege of leading an agile, motivated and customer-oriented team that is relentlessly working towards providing its customers with best-in-class technology. We commit to investing in the innovation process while keeping environmental sustainability as a top priority."

Paul Atkinson, CEO of Optical Networking Business, STL, warmly welcomed David and Tomasz, acknowledging their invaluable expertise and experience. He said: "Their arrival is sure to enhance our Connectivity business, fostering innovation and growth and creating impact for our customers."

STL believes these new additions would further strengthen the leadership team comprising Binod Balachandran, Sam Leeman, and Ryan Chappell and would pivot the company to be one of the top three global optical players.

About STL - Sterlite Technologies Ltd:

STL is a leading global optical and digital solutions company providing advanced offerings to build 5G, Rural, FTTx, Enterprise and Data Centre networks. Read more, Contact us, stl.tech | Twitter | LinkedIn| YouTube

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2282692/Tomasz_Bednarczyk_STL.jpg

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2282693/David_De_Creaemer_STL.jpg

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/876464/Sterlite_Technologies_STL_New_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Sterlite Technologies Ltd - STL
"For years, OAB symptoms kept me from fully enjoying the things I love. Talking to my girlfriends about my symptoms helped me realize I wasn't alone, and that seeking help isn't a sign of weakness, rather it's a step towards taking control," said Holly Robinson Peete. "They gave me the confidence to talk to my doctor, who prescribed GEMTESA  and now, a year later, the treatment has helped manage my OAB symptoms so I can enjoy activities with less running to the bathroom. That's why I'm thrilled to continue my partnership with SMPA to educate and empower others to address their OAB."

The second year of the Time To Go campaign, launching in November 2023, will identify and feature patient ambassadors as part of the new GEMTESA Go-Getters program. The program will showcase the real stories of how people proactively took steps to manage their OAB symptoms and encourage others to speak up about their experiences.

OAB, which affects approximately 33 million people in the U.S., causes sudden urges to urinate that are difficult to control and can result in leakage, as well as frequent urination  usually eight or more times a day.1,2 These bothersome symptoms can negatively affect daily life, including impacting travel plans and reducing or limiting certain activities, such as exercising.3 Studies have found that certain populations are at higher risk of OAB, including African American and Hispanic people.4 The prevalence of the condition is also known to increase with age; however, it isn't necessarily a normal part of aging.1,2

"Holly is an influential advocate and voice within the OAB community who is helping break the stigma associated with the condition, and we're excited to continue this important work with her," said Walt Johnston, Senior Vice President, Urology Franchise Head, SMPA. "With the addition of our GEMTESA Go-Getters program, our new ambassadors will join Holly in our mission to create a platform that helps those living with this frustrating condition to feel heard and supported. There is no shame in speaking up about OAB, talking to your doctor, and asking for the help you deserve."

People experiencing OAB symptoms are encouraged to talk to their doctor to get a diagnosis and determine the best treatment option(s) to help them manage the condition. To learn more about OAB and GEMTESA, or hear from the GEMTESA Go-Getters, visit TimeToGo.com.

About Overactive Bladder

Overactive bladder (OAB) is a clinical condition that occurs when the bladder muscle contracts involuntarily. Symptoms may include urinary urgency (the sudden urge to urinate that is difficult to control), urgency incontinence (unintentional loss of urine immediately after an urgent need to urinate), and frequent urination (usually eight or more times in 24 hours).1 About 33 million U.S. adults experience the bothersome symptoms of OAB.2

About GEMTESA

GEMTESA (vibegron) is a prescription medicine for adults used to treat the following symptoms due to a condition called overactive bladder:

urge urinary incontinence: a strong need to urinate with leaking or wetting accidents

urgency: the need to urinate right away

frequency: urinating often

It is not known if GEMTESA is safe and effective in children.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Do not take GEMTESA if you are allergic to vibegron or any of the ingredients in GEMTESA.

Before you take GEMTESA, tell your doctor about all your medical conditions, including if you have liver problems; have kidney problems; have trouble emptying your bladder or you have a weak urine stream; take medicines that contain digoxin; are pregnant or plan to become pregnant (it is not known if GEMTESA will harm your unborn baby; talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant); are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed (it is not known if GEMTESA passes into your breast milk; talk to your doctor about the best way to feed your baby if you take GEMTESA).

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of them to show your doctor and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.

What are the possible side effects of GEMTESA?

GEMTESA may cause serious side effects, including the inability to empty your bladder (urinary retention). GEMTESA may increase your chances of not being able to empty your bladder, especially if you have bladder outlet obstruction or take other medicines for treatment of overactive bladder. Tell your doctor right away if you are unable to empty your bladder. The most common side effects of GEMTESA include headache, urinary tract infection, nasal congestion, sore throat or runny nose, diarrhea, nausea, and upper respiratory tract infection. These are not all the possible side effects of GEMTESA. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see full Prescribing Information at www.GEMTESA.com/PI

About Sumitomo Pharma

Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd. is a global pharmaceutical company based in Japan with key operations in the U.S. (Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.), Canada (Sumitomo Pharma Canada, Inc.) and Europe (Sumitomo Pharma Switzerland GmbH) focused on addressing patient needs in psychiatry & neurology, oncology, urology, women's health, rare disease, and cell & gene therapies. With several marketed products in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, a diverse pipeline of early- to late-stage assets, and in-house advanced technology capabilities, we aim to accelerate discovery, research, and development to bring novel therapies to patients sooner. For more information, please visit https://www.us.sumitomo-pharma.com and LinkedIn to follow us.

The Sumitomo Pharma icon is a trademark of Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd., used under license. SUMITOMO PHARMA is a trademark of Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd., used under license.

GEMTESA and the GEMTESA logo are trademarks of Urovant Sciences GmbH, and registered in the U.S., and in other countries.

 2023 Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc. All rights reserved.



For a copy of this release, visit Sumitomo Pharma America's website at https://www.us.sumitomo-pharma.com

References:

1. Mayo Clinic. Overactive bladder  symptoms and causes. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/overactive-bladder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355715.

2. Gomelsky A. Update on the management of overactive bladder: patient considerations and adherence. Journal of Urology. 2010.

3. DOF_OAB QoL Questionnaire. Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc. 2021.

4. Coyne K, et al. The Prevalence of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTS) and Overactive Bladder (OAB) by Racial/Ethnic Group and Age: Results from OAB-POLL. Neurourology and Urodynamics 32:230-237(2013).

SOURCE Sumitomo Pharma America
Get ready for the ultimate shopping spree as Black Friday descends upon us, bringing with it a plethora of incredible deals. Elevate your kitchen game with Gunter Wilhelm's exceptional discounts on premium knife sets, German cookware, and more.

RAMSEY, N.J., Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ready for the biggest shopping event of the year  Black Friday Early Access is here!

With hundreds of amazing deals now available, it's time to sharpen your shopping skills and seize the best discounts.

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About Gunter Wilhelm

Gunter Wilhelm: A Legacy of 20 Years in the BBQ Community For over two decades, Gunter Wilhelm knives have garnered widespread recognition and trust within the BBQ community. Renowned for their exceptional quality and performance, Gunter Wilhelm has solidified its position as a preferred choice among esteemed professionals and grill enthusiasts alike. The brand's achievements speak for themselves: Award-Winning Knives: Gunter Wilhelm knives have earned numerous accolades, including the prestigious Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval and the esteemed Cook's Illustrated Editors' Choice Award. These accolades validate the brand's commitment to excellence and their relentless pursuit of superior craftsmanship. Allow us to shed light on a few additional noteworthy achievements: Maneet Chauhan, a James Beard Award-winning chef and revered TV personality, has trusted Gunter Wilhelm knives for over a decade. With restaurants in Chicago, Nashville, and Indianapolis, Chauhan attests, "These are the best knives I've ever used," validating Gunter Wilhelm's commitment to excellence. Guy Mitchell, a world-renowned pitmaster and barbecue instructor, relies on Gunter Wilhelm knives in his renowned BBQ School in Austin, Texas. With over 20 years of experience using Gunter Wilhelm knives, Mitchell asserts that they are "the only knives I trust when I'm cooking over live fire." His endorsement further solidifies the brand's reputation as a trusted companion in the world of barbecue. These testimonials are just a glimpse into the vast network of chefs and pitmasters who proudly endorse Gunter Wilhelm knives. The brand's unwavering commitment to quality and relentless pursuit of perfection has positioned them as the go-to choice for culinary professionals around the world. For more information about Gunter Wilhelm and to explore their exceptional range of knives, please visit their website at GunterWilhelm.com.

Press Contact:

Adi Malek

201-569-6866

https://www.gunterwilhelm.com

SOURCE Gunter Wilhelm
NEW YORK, Nov. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The flooring market is estimated to grow by USD 158.82 billion between 2022 and 2027 exhibiting a CAGR of 6.14%, according to Technavio. Increasing demand for waterproof flooring is a major trend in the market. The demand for waterproof flooring in residential construction is huge, prompting major suppliers such as Mohawk Industries and Gerflor to upgrade their products with waterproofing. Vinyl flooring, a popular alternative to traditional wood flooring, is now combined with WPC to offer excellent resistance to water, stains, and dents as well as ease of cleaning. Furthermore, companies are also focused on providing superior design quality and customization options for waterproof flooring products. As a result, these flooring solutions are now suitable for many different areas of residential spaces including kitchens, bathrooms, and other parts of the house. Hence, the above-mentioned factors are expected to drive market growth during the forecast period. - Download a Sample Report

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Flooring Market 2023-2027

Flooring Market Insights -

Vendors : 15+, Including Armstrong Flooring Inc., Beaulieu International Group, Classen Floor Systems Sp. z o.o., Congoleum Corp., Forbo Management SA, Gerflor Group, Interface Inc., James Halstead plc, Kajaria Ceramics Ltd., Kingspan Group Plc, Kronospan Ltd., LX Hausys Ltd., Mannington Mills Inc., Milliken and Co., Responsive Industries Ltd., Tarkett Group, Toli Corp., Mohawk Industries Inc., ITOCHU Corp., and Shaw Industries Group Inc., among others

: 15+, Including Armstrong Flooring Inc., Beaulieu International Group, Classen Floor Systems Sp. z o.o., Congoleum Corp., Forbo Management SA, Gerflor Group, Interface Inc., plc, Kajaria Ceramics Ltd., Kingspan Group Plc, Kronospan Ltd., LX Hausys Ltd., Mannington Mills Inc., Milliken and Co., Responsive Industries Ltd., Tarkett Group, Toli Corp., Mohawk Industries Inc., ITOCHU Corp., and Shaw Industries Group Inc., among others Coverage: Parent market analysis; key drivers, major trends, and challenges; customer and vendor landscape; vendor product insights and recent developments; key vendors; and market positioning of vendors

Parent market analysis; key drivers, major trends, and challenges; customer and vendor landscape; vendor product insights and recent developments; key vendors; and market positioning of vendors Segments: end-user (residential and non-residential), type (non-resilient flooring, resilient flooring, and soft cover flooring), and geography (APAC, North America , Europe , Middle East and Africa , and South America )

To understand more about the flooring market, request a sample report

Flooring Market - Vendor Insights

The growing competition in the market is compelling vendors to adopt various growth strategies such as promotional activities and spending on advertisements to improve the visibility of their services. Technavio report analyzes the market's competitive landscape and offers information on several market vendors including - Armstrong Flooring Inc., Beaulieu International Group, Classen Floor Systems Sp. z o.o., Congoleum Corp., Forbo Management SA, Gerflor Group, Interface Inc., James Halstead plc, Kajaria Ceramics Ltd., Kingspan Group Plc, Kronospan Ltd., LX Hausys Ltd., Mannington Mills Inc., Milliken and Co., Responsive Industries Ltd., Tarkett Group, Toli Corp., Mohawk Industries Inc., ITOCHU Corp., and Shaw Industries Group Inc.

Flooring Market  Market Dynamics

Key Drivers

The growth in the construction industry is a key factor driving market growth. In Europe, the construction industry, particularly residential, has experienced significant growth, with the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany being the main contributors. North America also saw strong growth in the construction industry, led by residential construction.

In the APAC region, China, Indonesia, and India are rapidly growing construction markets. Indonesia saw a 3% growth in the construction industry in 2018, driven mainly by residential construction. In addition, significant Indian government investments in affordable housing are driving growth. The overall global growth of the construction industry is expected to have a positive impact on the demand for flooring. Hence, the rapid growth in the construction industry is expected to drive market growth during the forecast period.

Significant Challenges

The rising prices of raw materials are a significant challenge restricting market growth. The prices of raw materials used in flooring products, such as wood, ceramics, and vinyl, have been consistently rising due to an imbalance in supply and demand. The US, a major lumber exporter, is facing challenges in meeting the increasing demand from markets like China and Southeast Asia.

In addition, trade disputes between the US and Canada over lumber imports have further contributed to higher lumber prices, leading to increased transportation and labor costs. Furthermore, tight supplies of key raw materials have affected the prices of ceramics and vinyl. As the construction industry continues to grow and the demand for flooring products rises, the supply-demand imbalance is expected to persist in the coming years. Hence, these factors are expected to restrict market growth during the forecast period.

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CAGR of the market during the forecast period

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Precise estimation of the size of the flooring market size and its contribution to the market with a focus on the parent market

Accurate predictions about upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

Growth of the flooring market across APAC, North America , Europe , Middle East and Africa , and South America

, , and , and A thorough analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information about vendors

Comprehensive analysis of factors that will challenge the growth of flooring market vendors.

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Table of Contents

1 Executive Summary

2 Market Landscape

3 Market Sizing

4 Historic Market Size

5 Five Forces Analysis

6 Market Segmentation by End-User

7 Market Segmentation by Type

8 Customer Landscape

9 Geographic Landscape

10 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

11 Company Landscape

12 Company Analysis

13 Appendix

About US

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contact

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com

SOURCE Technavio
NEW YORK, Nov. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The medical device contract manufacturing market share is expected to increase by USD 46.18 billion from 2021 to 2026, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 11.19%, according to Technavio. The shift from centralized to point-of-care testing is a major trend in the market. A centralized laboratory is where automated analytical test methods are used to detect target components. However, the various advantages point-of-care testing and diagnostic devices offer in comparison with conventional diagnostic procedures are affordability and ease of use and provide the rapid results needed for making quick decisions about medical diagnosis and treatment of diseases and conditions. The increased adoption of POCT devices is highly affected by the need to make healthcare more patient-centric. This includes organizing healthcare services around the patient rather than the provider. Furthermore, the growth of self-monitoring of blood glucose has been driven by the need for more convenient and effective healthcare services. Thus, these factors are expected to drive market growth during the forecast period. - Download Sample Report in minutes.

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Medical Device Contract Manufacturing Market

Medical Device Contract Manufacturing Market Insights -

Vendors : 15+, Including Benchmark Electronics Inc., Celestica Inc., Flex Ltd., Gerresheimer AG, Integer Holdings Corp., Jabil Inc., Kimball Electronics Inc., Nemera, Nipro Corp., Nordson Corp., Nortech Systems Inc., Plexus Corp., Recipharm AB, Sanmina Corp., Scientific Molding Corp. Ltd., TE Connectivity Ltd., Tecomet Inc., Teleflex Inc., Tessy Plastics Corp., and West Pharmaceutical Services Inc., among others

: 15+, Including Benchmark Electronics Inc., Celestica Inc., Flex Ltd., Gerresheimer AG, Integer Holdings Corp., Jabil Inc., Kimball Electronics Inc., Nemera, Nipro Corp., Nordson Corp., Nortech Systems Inc., Plexus Corp., Recipharm AB, Sanmina Corp., Scientific Molding Corp. Ltd., TE Connectivity Ltd., Tecomet Inc., Teleflex Inc., Tessy Plastics Corp., and West Pharmaceutical Services Inc., among others Coverage: Parent market analysis; key drivers, major trends, and challenges; customer and vendor landscape; vendor product insights and recent developments; key vendors; and market positioning of vendors

Parent market analysis; key drivers, major trends, and challenges; customer and vendor landscape; vendor product insights and recent developments; key vendors; and market positioning of vendors Segments: Device (IVD, drug delivery, diagnostic imaging, cardiovascular, and others) and Geography ( North America , Europe , Asia , and Rest of World (ROW))

To understand more about the medical device contract manufacturing market, request a sample report

Market Dynamics

Key Driver - The impact of Industry 4.0 on the medical device industry is one of the key factors driving market growth. The increasing development and production of complex medical devices, which include pacemakers and implantable medical devices, are driving the innovations in Class III medical devices. Furthermore, many medical device manufacturing companies are facing challenges in producing Class III devices in high volumes because of the complex assembly and testing processes involved. Automated manufacturing and fabrication have become popular because of the complexity of manufacturing these devices. As a result, to overcome these challenges, medical device contract manufacturers are using industry 4.0 technologies which include cloud computing, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, and network-physical systems. Hence, these advanced technologies are expected to drive market growth during the forecast period.

Significant Challenges- Consolidation in the medical device industry is a significant challenge restricting market growth. Many major medical device manufacturers are highly investing in acquiring small and medium-sized specialist companies to improve their capabilities and increase their product portfolios. As a result, it will limit outsourcing to contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) as these major players undertake the in-house manufacturing of medical devices.

For Instance, Linden Capital Partners (Linden) acquired Avalign Technologies, Inc, which is a contract manufacturer of precision implants, instruments, cutting tools, specialty instruments, and cases/trays. This acquisition helped the company to grow and significantly expand its capabilities in terms of its product portfolio. Similarly, many other medical device companies have also acquired CMOs to reduce the costs involved in contract manufacturing. Hence, these negative factors are expected to restrict market growth during the forecast period.

Drivers, & Challenges have an impact on market dynamics and can impact businesses. Find some insights from a sample report!

The medical device contract manufacturing market report provides critical information and factual data, with a qualitative and quantitative study of the market based on market drivers and limitations as well as prospects.

Why Buy?

Add credibility to the strategy

Analyzes competitor's offerings

Get a holistic view of the market

Grow your profit margin with Technavio- Buy the Report

What are the key data covered in this Medical Device Contract Manufacturing Market report?

CAGR of the market during the forecast period

Detailed information on factors that will drive the growth of the medical device contract manufacturing market between 2022 and 2026

Precise estimation of the size of the medical device contract manufacturing market and its contribution to the market with a focus on the parent market

Accurate predictions about upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

Growth of the medical device contract manufacturing market across North America , Europe , Asia , and the Rest of the World (ROW)

, , , and the Rest of the World (ROW) A thorough analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information about vendors

Comprehensive analysis of factors that will challenge the growth of medical device contract manufacturing market vendors

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TOC

1 Executive Summary

2 Market Landscape

3 Market Sizing

4 Historic Market Size

5 Five Forces Analysis

6 Market Segmentation by Device

8 Customer Landscape

9 Geographic Landscape

10 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

11 Company Landscape

12 Company Analysis

13 Appendix

About US

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contact

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com

SOURCE Technavio
BEIJING, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On November 18th, the 17th China Brand Festival 2023 focusing on the theme 'Recovery and Growth,' took place at the Yunqi Town Convention and Exhibition Center (a.k.a. Cloud Town) in Hangzhou. This prestigious event gathered over 6,000 distinguished guests, spanning a wide range of sectors across government, commerce, industry, academia, and media. They convened to celebrate the ascent of national brands and collaboratively orchestrate what could be likened to an "Asian Games for Brand Owners," a gathering unparalleled in its scope and ambition.

TopBrand Union chairman, Dr. Wang Yong, unveils the TopBrand 2023 Top 500 Global Brands List (PRNewsfoto/TopBrand Union (Beijing) Consulting Company)

The opening ceremony was marked by a series of high-profile speeches. Chen Changzhi, Vice-Chairman of the Standing Committee of the 11th and 12th National People's Congress (NPC), former Chairman of China Democratic National Construction Association Central Committee, and Chairman of the China Siyuan Foundation, took the stage to address the audience. The conference was officially inaugurated by Liu Jie, a member of the Standing Committee of the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of the CPC Hangzhou Municipal Committee.



Highlighting the event were keynote addresses from industry leaders. Dong Mingzhu, Chairman and President of Gree Electric, and Wang Zhentao, Chairman of Aokang Group and Vice Chairman of the Zhejiang Federation of Industry and Commerce, shared their insights, representing the diverse spectrum of brands present. Rounding out the list of notable attendees was Shi Yigong, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and President of Westlake University.

At the event, Dr. Wang Yong, the initiator and Secretary-General of the China Brand Festival and Chairman of TopBrand Union, unveiled the TopBrand 2023 Top 500 Global Brands List. Top executives from Sinopec, NVIDIA, China Communications Construction, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, PowerChina, Baidu, and Xiuzheng were called to the stage to receive the honorary certificates for their inclusion in the list.

Apple led the list with a brand valuation of $942.2 billion, followed by Saudi Aramco at $822.3 billion, and Microsoft in third place at $724.1 billion. Amazon, Google, ExxonMobil, NVIDIA, and UnitedHealth Group occupied positions four through nine, respectively. PetroChina, as the only Chinese brand in the top 10, claimed the tenth spot with a valuation of $273.6 billion.

Hangzhou, the host city for the event, boasts seven brands on the list. Alibaba leads the local contingent, ranking 42nd with a brand valuation of $123.5 billion. The other Hangzhou-based brands include WZ Group, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, NetEase, Rongsheng Petrochemical, Hikvision, and Wanxiang Group, showcasing the city's diverse corporate strength.

This year's list featured 31 countries, an increase from 26 last year, with one dropping off. The United States led, with 172 brands, followed by China with 140. Japan came in third with 23, while India and France, each with five, tied for fourth place.

The technology sector led in industry representation with 51 brands on the list. Artificial intelligence (AI), a key driver in the current wave of technological innovation and industry evolution, is now pivotal in transforming economic structures across numerous sectors. The medical and pharmaceutical industry followed closely, with 47 brands, underscoring the global impact of innovative drug R&D not just within the industry but for humanity at large. Banking came in third with 38 entries, while the energy sector placed fourth with 34. General finance and metal mining each had 31 brands, tying for the fifth spot.

The list is compiled from a significant sample of 37,164 leading global companies, including those in 47 key stock market indices as well as prominent non-listed companies. It evaluates brand value across five key metrics: market penetration, brand equity, global presence, brand awareness, and competitive advantage. This extensive evaluation framework provides an in-depth and nuanced analysis of each brand's position in the market.

In 2022, TopBrand Union made its inaugural release of the TopBrand 2023 Top 500 Global Brands List, marking a significant global perspective shift from a Chinese vantage point. The momentous release garnered attention from 557 media outlets across 30 countries worldwide. Dominique Turpin, Chairman of the Top 500 Global Brands review committee and European Dean of China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), commented: "The TopBrand 2022 Top 500 Global Brands List and the The TopBrand 2022 Top 500 Chinese Brands List, both published by TopBrand Union, were built upon an effective and insightful brand evaluation framework, providing a precise snapshot of a brand's current global standing and serving as a valuable platform for companies to showcase their strengths."

Additionally, the TopBrand 2023 Top 500 Chinese Brands List was unveiled during the event.

SOURCE TopBrand Union (Beijing) Consulting Company
HOUSTON, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- United Imaging, a global leader in manufacturing advanced medical imaging and radiotherapy equipment, is set to showcase its comprehensive portfolio of innovative technologies at RSNA 2023. This includes another series of global firsts and pioneering medical AI solutions, demonstrating the company's significant strides in R&D and its commitment to transforming medical diagnostics and patient care on an international scale since its U.S. debut in 2018.

"RSNA 2023's theme 'Leading through Change' resonates with our core values," says Dr. Al Zhang, Ph.D, Chairman & Co-CEO, "and reflects United Imaging's brand promise of 'Passion for Change.' Our technology is designed to prove our commitment to the U.S. and global markets. And our investment in innovation has yielded tangible results, evidenced by our customers' success stories in the U.S. and worldwide, reinforcing our vision and dedication to excellence in the global healthcare market."

Jeffrey M. Bundy, Ph.D, CEO of United Imaging in the U.S., reflected on the past five years of commercial operations. "At RSNA 2018 everyone was asking who we are. Just five short years later, we're having conversations about how we create Equal Healthcare for All, how we have created value through programs like Software Upgrades for Life, how we have built ourselves for the modern world to the degree that none of our customers were delayed in receiving deliveries or parts during COVID...it's been five years of huge growth, and we can't wait to share it at RSNA 2023 and continue to build upon it for decades to come."

Since the inception of its R&D efforts in the U.S. in 2013, and the subsequent launch of commercial operations in 2018, United Imaging has expanded notably, with installations today in 30 states and a workforce across 35 states. The company's top-tier technologies have led to collaborations with prestigious institutions such as Yale University, UC Davis, and University of Texas. Globally, United Imaging's products have reached more than 12,000 institutions in 60 countries, including the U.S., Italy, Japan, Korea, and the UAE.

Highlighting this growth at RSNA 2023, United Imaging will feature the uMR Jupiter 5T (510k pending; not available commercially in the U.S.), a revolutionary whole-body 5T MRI system. It transcends the traditional constraints of ultra-high-field MRI, previously confined to imaging of the brain and selected MSK joints. The potential applications of the uMR Jupiter 5T extend to encompass the abdomen, heart, pelvis, and additional anatomical regions. uMR Jupiter has the potential to eclipse the capabilities of standard 3T MRI machines in resolution and signal-to-noise ratio, delivering clarity that empowers radiologists to uncover clinical details previously hidden, truly allowing them to 'see the unseen.' The uMR Jupiter 5T is also designed to overcome the key hurdles of ultra-high field MRI: image uniformity and radio frequency safety. It fits into existing 3T MRI spaces, signaling a significant advancement in the industry. Furthermore, it is equipped with the uAIFI Technology Platform, enhancing it with the transformative power of accessible artificial intelligence.

In addition to showcasing the uMR Jupiter 5.0T, the booth will also feature the uAIFI Technology Platform, revolutionizing uMR scanners with AI technology. This platform brings a new level of AI integration to uMR systems, significantly improving image quality and making diagnostic processes faster and more user-friendly. Standout features include ACS, the FDA-approved AI-assisted MR acceleration technology designed to enhance both 2D and 3D imaging, and EasySense respiratory gating and monitoring, offering a unique, belt-free experience for patients while simultaneously streamlining the workflow for healthcare professionals.

In a unique twist, RSNA attendees are invited to an engaging and immersive interactive showcase that brings the future possibilities of uAIFI to life. Participants can step into the roles of an operator, patient, radiologist, or C-suite to directly experience how uAIFI could transform their specific workflow. This role-playing journey vividly demonstrates the platform's profound potential impact on enhancing image quality, reducing scan times, and improving the patient experience. As an invitation to step into the future of healthcare, where technology meets practical application in an extraordinary interactive exhibit, this immersive program adds a futuristic and engaging dimension to the booth, highlighting the company's commitment to leading-edge AI in medical imaging.

In Computed Tomography, United Imaging will feature the uCT ATLAS, an ultra-premium CT scanner that's making waves in cardiac diagnostics. The device's rapid rotation speeds, extensive z-axis coverage, and integrated AI have enabled groundbreaking shifts towards non-invasive, efficient, and cost-effective cardiac care. This has led to more accurate diagnoses at a fraction of the cost, paving the way for early detection and better management of cardiovascular diseases. Among other facilities, it has been installed at Carrollton Regional Medical Center and at CHRISTUS Health.

United Imaging will also unveil the uDR 380i Pro, an innovative mobile x-ray system characterized by its sleek and lightweight design with robust 50 kW power capacity, providing unmatched clinical flexibility. The uDR 380i Pro revolutionizes clinical workflow to truly deliver power at the point of care with its uVision remote console. With its compact and lightweight design and flexible positioning (and featuring a long-range battery capacity that allows up to 800 X-ray exposures per charge), the uDR 380i Pro fits in the tightest of spaces such as the Emergency Room (ER) and Intensive Care Units (ICU). Attendees are invited to test drive this system on our obstacle course, an interactive showcase designed to highlight the system's agility and practicality in real-world scenarios.

United Imaging has also consistently been at the forefront of innovation in the molecular imaging field. The new uMI Panorama features a 2.9 mm NEMA resolution, 35 cm axial FOV, 143cps/kBq effective system sensitivity, and 194 ps timing resolution, leading to unprecedented system performance. Notably, a uMI Panorama was recently installed at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, a renowned Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Utah healthcare system in Salt Lake City. The uMI Panorama GS, the flagship product of the uMI Panorama family, streamlines whole-body imaging with 148 cm axial FOV, enhances patient experience and research capabilities, and was the first whole-body system to break the 200 ps barrier.*

*Data on File

Proudly adhering to the "Born with AI" philosophy, United Imaging ensures each product is inherently AI-capable with both hardware and software components from the beginning. At the company's RSNA booth this year, AI is a highlight, showing how the fusion of AI and imaging technology can streamline and elevate diagnostic procedures. Additionally, United Imaging Intelligence, an AI company within United Imaging Group's portfolio, will demonstrate how AI is revolutionizing healthcare, underscoring the company's holistic approach to innovation.

"With artificial intelligence capabilities deployed across more than 2,000 clinical sites globally, United Imaging Intelligence explores how AI empowers medical equipment, enhances clinical workflows, and drives groundbreaking biomedical research." says Terrence CHEN, Ph.D, CEO of United Imaging Intelligence America.

At RSNA, United Imaging Intelligence is showing its cutting-edge AI solutions across the realms of neurology, cardiology, and oncology, plus a comprehensive AI portfolio on thoracic imaging. Within each of these areas, AI provides support and improvement through the entire workflow, from imaging to prevention, diagnosis, treatment, follow-up, and research. In general, United Imaging Intelligence leaves a mark with its dual innovation paradigm, blending the realms of medical Metaverse and large model research, presenting a visionary landscape for the future of healthcare.

RSNA attendees will see holographic projections of lower limb vascular structures seamlessly overlaying human subjects. This innovation is United Imaging Intelligence's uAI-MERITS (Metaverse Ecosystem for Robotic Intervention, Therapy, and Surgery) technology, which is designed and engineered to create the digital twin of the patient, medical staffs, and operating environment (OR) with cutting-edge AI and Vision technologies. The primary aim is to empower comprehensive healthcare management, spanning the spectrum of pre-operative preparation, intra-operative precision navigation, and post-operative follow-up. The technological roots of uAI-MERITS trace back to the uAI Vision technology initially showcased by United Imaging Intelligence at RSNA in 2019. The rapid evolution of cutting-edge technology affords uAI-MERITS expansive room for innovation and strong confidence in its future applications.

In the realm of clinical progress, breakthroughs are intrinsically linked to avant-garde scientific research. The pivotal role of accurate image data annotation in medical imaging AI research cannot be overstated. United Imaging Intelligence introduced an ingenious artificial intelligence tool known as uAI-SAT on the foundation of its research platform. This annotation tool harnesses the prowess of large medical image models, enabling interactive and intelligent image segmentation and reducing annotation times from hours to mere minutes or even seconds, and supports the construction of highly task-specific imaging AI models.

Many of the AI applications shown at RSNA are not FDA submitted and not available in the United States.

United Imaging's exhibit will also present its global innovation partnerships in a dedicated space that highlights collaborative achievements with institutions like UC Davis and Yale University. These partnerships are critical to making advancements in scientific research and clinical applications.

In recognition of exceptional scientific contributions, United Imaging takes pride in celebrating Lingzhi (Lance) Hu, Ph.D, a Vice President at United Imaging Healthcare America, who will be honored as a 2023 Distinguished Investigator at RSNA. This award underscores the company's commitment to fostering and recognizing outstanding research within the industry.

RSNA attendees are invited to experience the future of medical imaging at Booth #4100, where United Imaging continues to bridge innovation and patient care through state-of-the-art technologies.

ABOUT UNITED IMAGING

At United Imaging, we develop and manufacture advanced medical products, digital healthcare solutions, and intelligent solutions that cover the entire process of imaging diagnosis and treatment. Founded in 2011, our company has subsidiaries and R&D centers across the world. Our North American headquarters in Houston includes our corporate offices, factory, product showroom, service training center, and service parts distribution center. With a cutting-edge digital portfolio and a mission of Equal Healthcare for All, we help drive industry progress and bold change.

To learn more, visit united-imaging.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter @UnitedImagingHC.

SOURCE United Imaging Healthcare Co., Ltd.
DUBLIN, Nov. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "United States Medical Oxygen Market, Competition, Forecast & Opportunities, 2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The United States medical oxygen market is expected to grow at an impressive rate during the forecast period, 2024-2028. This is on account of the growing usage of invasive ventilation significantly raising the demand for medical oxygen, rising prevalence of respiratory disorders, and growing demand for point-of care treatments.

Also, invasive ventilation, a critical medical intervention used to support patients with severe respiratory conditions, has played a significant role in increasing the demand for medical oxygen in the United States.



ARDS is a life-threatening condition characterized by severe inflammation of the lungs, fluid buildup, and oxygen deprivation. Invasive ventilation is often necessary to maintain adequate oxygenation and support the patients' breathing during this critical stage.



The use of invasive ventilation has become particularly prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a surge in the requirement for medical oxygen across the country. During outbreaks of respiratory diseases, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for invasive ventilation and consequently medical oxygen rises dramatically.



Improved Monitoring and Management of Medical Oxygen



The high demand for medical oxygen during the pandemic has led to a need for proactive management and allocation of this vital resource. Health systems have implemented strategies to optimize oxygen usage and ensure its availability for patients who require invasive ventilation. These measures include closely monitoring oxygen levels and adjusting ventilator settings to minimize wastage while maintaining patient safety.



Also, to address the increased demand, various steps have been taken to enhance the supply and distribution of medical oxygen in the United States. Oxygen production capacity has been ramped up, with manufacturers increasing their output to meet the rising needs. The government has also taken measures to expedite the regulatory process for new oxygen suppliers to enter the market and increase overall supply. Collaboration between federal agencies, manufacturers, and healthcare providers has been crucial in coordinating and optimizing the supply chain. Additionally, coordination with state and local authorities has helped to identify areas facing shortages and allocate resources accordingly.



Oxygen concentrators have proven to be valuable in non-critical settings and for patients requiring supplemental oxygen at home, freeing up medical-grade oxygen for more severe cases. Also, education and awareness campaigns have been implemented to promote responsible use of medical oxygen and prevent unnecessary wastage.

The increased demand for medical oxygen necessitates careful management and allocation of resources by healthcare providers and authorities. It involves ensuring an adequate supply of medical oxygen is available in hospitals and healthcare facilities, monitoring oxygen usage, and implementing protocols to optimize its usage. Some measures that can be taken include improving oxygen production capacity, optimizing distribution channels, and exploring alternative oxygen sources.

Moreover, to address the growing demand for medical oxygen, manufacturers across the country are continuously enhancing their global oxygen supply chains and manufacturing capabilities within. This includes expanding oxygen production facilities, ensuring the availability of necessary raw materials, and establishing emergency response systems to address oxygen shortages during crises and is therefore, expanding the market demand for medical oxygen in the country.



Rising Cases of Respiratory Disorders



Respiratory disorders encompass a range of conditions that affect the respiratory system, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, pneumonia, and various other acute and chronic respiratory illnesses. According to the American Lung Association, COPD affects around 12.5 million American. Lifestyle factors, such as smoking, air pollution, and exposure to occupational hazards have contributed to the development and worsening of respiratory conditions.



As the number of individuals affected by respiratory disorders has grown, so has the need for medical oxygen. Medical oxygen plays a crucial role in the treatment and management of these conditions, particularly in cases where oxygen levels are compromised, and supplemental oxygen is required to maintain adequate oxygenation of vital organs.

Also, chronic respiratory conditions, such as advanced COPD or interstitial lung disease, may require long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT). LTOT involves the continuous use of medical oxygen to maintain appropriate oxygen levels in individuals who have chronically low blood oxygen levels. Thus, the growing prevalence of these conditions is creating a huge demand for the medical oxygen demand in the United States medical oxygen market.



Growing Demand Point-of-Care Diagnostics and At-Home Care Services



Advancements in healthcare have allowed for more convenient and accessible testing and treatment options, particularly for individuals with chronic respiratory conditions. Point-of-care diagnostics refers to medical tests and devices that can be performed and interpreted near the patient, eliminating the need for sending samples to a laboratory for analysis.

This approach has revolutionized healthcare by providing rapid and accurate diagnostic results, allowing for timely intervention and treatment decisions. In terms of respiratory disorders, point-of-care diagnostics play a crucial role in the early detection, monitoring, and management of conditions, such as asthma, COPD, and sleep apnea. With the increasing availability and utilization of point-of-care diagnostics for respiratory disorders, more individuals are being diagnosed and monitored for their conditions. This leads to better disease management and improved outcomes.



At-home care services have also contributed to the growing demand for medical oxygen. These services aim to provide comprehensive healthcare and support in the comfort of patients' own homes. Additionally, an aging population with a higher susceptibility to respiratory ailments has increased the overall burden of these disorders.

According to Centre for Disease control, in 2021, the aged population for 65 and above age people has reached around 16.8 and is projected to rise to an estimated 85.7 million by 2050 i.e., approximately 22% of the overall U.S. population. However, this transition has led to an increased demand for medical oxygen, as more individuals require oxygen therapy in their home environment.



Many individuals with chronic respiratory conditions, who would have traditionally been hospitalized or visited clinics for their care, can now receive necessary treatments and therapies at home. This includes the administration of medical oxygen to manage oxygenation levels and alleviate respiratory symptoms and therefore is creating a huge demand for U.S. medical oxygen in the forecast period.

Competitive Landscape



Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in United States medical oxygen market.

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc

Keen Compressed Gas Co.

WestAir Gases & Equipment Inc.

Haun Welding Supply, Inc.

AGL Welding Supply Co., Inc.

American Air Liquide Holdings, Inc.

Linde US

Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc.

Messer Americas

Ilmo Products Company

Report Scope:



United States Medical Oxygen Market, By Form

Liquid Oxygen

Compressed Oxygen

Oxygen Gas Mixture

United States Medical Oxygen Market, By Delivery Mode

Tanks/Pipeline

Cylinder

Others

United States Medical Oxygen Market, By Application

Diagnostic

Therapeutic

United States Medical Oxygen Market, By End Users

Hospitals & Clinics

Ambulatory Care Centers

Homecare

Skilled Nursing Facilities

Assisted Living Facilities

Others

United States Medical Oxygen Market, By Region:

North-East

Mid-west

West

South

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/uy98jz

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SOURCE Research and Markets
Reducing Power and Cost Consumption by Up To 50%

Brea, Calif., Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ViewSonic Corp., a leading global provider of visual solutions, is recognized as the No.1 brand in the Digital Light Processing (DLP) projectors worldwide and a pioneer in adopting lamp-free light sources such as LED and laser in the B2B sector. Committed to sustainability, the company has been dedicated to developing Luminous Superior series lamp-free projectors, providing high brightness with more benefits than traditional lamps, such as better energy efficiency, extended lifespan, and eco-friendliness, making lamp-free projectors an accessible solution for businesses looking to enhance their sustainability efforts and meet Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) requirements.

ViewSonic's LS Series, the lamp-free projectors, are designed to align with our commitment to fostering a sustainable future.

"ESG has become an increasingly critical issue, necessitating the involvement of governments, enterprises, and all individuals. ViewSonic also takes it seriously by following our commitment - foster a sustainable future - throughout strategic operations and product development," said Dean Tsai, General Manager of Projector & LED Display Business Unit at ViewSonic. "We have set a five-year goal to accelerate global progress towards a carbon-neutral society by proactively increasing the proportion of lamp-free products to 70% and reducing the production of lamp-based products to around 30%."

Small Step, Big Impact: LS Series Paving the Way to a Greener Future

The LS series aligns with the SDG12 (Sustainable Development Goals) "Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns" from the United Nations  especially encouraging energy-efficient light source adoption. Powered by the latest laser and LED technology, the LS series offers a wide range of brightness levels, from 2,000 to 6,000 ANSI Lumens, resulting in bright images with reduced power consumption. These lamp-free projectors minimize their carbon footprint and mitigate the drawbacks associated with lamp-based projectors, such as toxic mercury, frequent bulb replacements, and high maintenance costs. Moreover, LED and laser light sources operate without the need for warm-up or cool-down periods. This enables lamp-free projectors to be instantly powered on and off, significantly enhancing operational efficiency. Additionally, ViewSonic's latest lamp-free projectors often feature a more compact and lightweight design, making them more flexible and easier to install.

The benefits are demonstrated through one of ViewSonic's clients who transitioned from a 370W lamp projector, the PG800HD, to a 210W laser-based projector, the LS740HD, aiming for improved efficiency, cost savings, and reduced carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions. Rated at the same 5,000 ANSI Lumens as the PG800HD, the LS740HD consumes 40% less power over 20,000 hours of use, resulting in CO 2 emissions savings equivalent to those produced by burning 171 gallons of gasoline. Furthermore, with the average electricity rate at $0.15 per kWh in the US, the company saves $480 on its electricity bill with each of these models.

In line with sustainability practices, lamp-free projectors boast an extended lifespan that surpasses that of lamp-based projectors. To illustrate, a lamp-based projector would need an additional 11 light bulbs to match the 60,000-hour lifespan of a single LED light source. Businesses gain significant advantages from opting for lamp-free projectorsnot only in fulfilling their ESG commitments but also in reducing the total cost of ownership due to the extended lifespan of the light source. Furthermore, general consumers won't be exposed to toxic mercury in light bulbs or face costly lamp replacements, thus simplifying maintenance.

Join ViewSonic ESG Journey to Shape a More Sustainable Landscape Together

In addition to the LS series, ViewSonic has expanded carbon footprint measurements year by year, totaling 179 models this year. This expansion accelerates data collection efforts for integrating energy-saving and waste-reduction principles into product design. Furthermore, the company demonstrates unwavering commitment by requiring partners to achieve greenhouse gas verification and reduction certifications. By fostering the establishment of green supply chains, ViewSonic aims to progressively encourage ecosystem partners to join in working towards the 2050 net-zero goal.

About ViewSonic

Founded in California, ViewSonic is a recognized leader in the global visual solutions arena and conducts business in over 100 countries worldwide. Recognized as an innovator in the industry, ViewSonic is committed to providing a comprehensive range of hardware and software solutions. Includes monitors, projectors, pen displays, commercial displays, All-in-One LED displays, ViewBoard interactive displays, and the myViewBoard software ecosystem. With over 35 years of expertise in visual displays, ViewSonic has solidified its reputation for delivering innovative and reliable solutions across education, enterprise, consumer, and professional markets, helping customers "See the Difference." To find out more about ViewSonic, please visit our website at www.viewsonic.com.

SOURCE ViewSonic
Corvallis fire officials welcomed the community for the unveiling of a newly remodeled fire station Sunday, Nov. 19.

Fire Station 3, located at 1310 NW Circle Boulevard, was closed for around a year for a major renovation reportedly focused on efficient, equitable and safe indoor work areas, as well as adding an additional apparatus bay to the late-1970s-era building.

A Place to Sleep - episode 6: Brownsville Find out how a man arrested in the 1960s for being a drug addict shaped the law that requires Oregon cities to designate a place to sleep for homeless people.

It was the first project in a series of city facility improvements planned to address long-standing building deficiencies that accumulated over decades, city officials previously said. Similar work is ongoing at Fire Station 2 on Southwest 35th Street.

It started with the city recognizing the need for facilities, Corvallis Fire Chief Ben Janes said at the grand reopening ceremony. When we design these buildings, its not just about now, we think about the future.

The revamped interior was designed with an eye on equity, updating dormitories, showers and other indoor facilities from a time when most firefighters were men. Janes also noted the addition of a solar array and built-in compatibility with electric fire engines.

Getting these stations done not only sends a message to the public that we value public safety, Janes said. The way these stations are designed sends a message to our firefighters about how important they are in the job that they do.

Janes said, for example, prior to the remodel fire crews were exercising directly behind the fire apparatus, inhaling diesel exhaust as they trained to keep fit for the job.

Thinking of living in 48-hour shifts in a space thats just outdated and feels like an old rundown apartment, Corvallis Mayor Charles Maughan said. Its not how we should treat our employees, especially the people we rely on to save our lives.

Maughan said Fire Station 3 is critical in its service area, providing coverage to a large chunk of the city that features dense, older housing. He said the renovated facility doesnt even feel the same, calling it long-term savings over a new building and money well-spent on modernization.

They were able to take a station thats one of the oldest in town and make it function like a brand-new station, he said. Better sleeping spaces, better living quarters, better workout space, protection for our equipment  not to mention the cost savings with solar, new insulation and modern appliances.

A crowd of residents, many with children in tow, attended the grand reopening ceremony. Maughan was pleased with the turnout, saying when people attend community events such as this one, it shows support for services being provided.

The City Council funded the $3.5 million Fire Station 3 project with federal money from the American Rescue Plan Act. Although the work required an additional $400,000, the fire department was able to cover that cost through budget savings, according to city documents.
DENVER, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Welltok, Inc. ("Welltok") is providing notice of an event that may affect the privacy of certain individuals' information. Welltok provides online wellness resources to health plans, including Mass General Brigham Health Plan ("MGBHP"). Welltok takes this incident very seriously and is providing information about the incident, our response to it, and resources available to individuals to help protect their information, should they feel it appropriate to do so.

What Happened? On May 31, 2023, and again in June 2023, Progress Software Corp. publicly disclosed zero-day vulnerabilities that impacted the MOVEit Transfer tool. As a user of that tool, Welltok moved quickly to apply available patching and undertook recommended mitigation steps. Welltok promptly launched an internal investigation, with the assistance of third-party cybersecurity specialists, to determine the potential impact of the vulnerabilities' presence on the MOVEit Transfer server on the security of data housed on the server. The investigation determined that an unknown actor exploited vulnerabilities, accessed the MOVEit Transfer server between May 30, 2023, to May 31, 2023, and exfiltrated certain data from the MOVEit Transfer server during that time. Welltok subsequently undertook a time-consuming and detailed review of the data stored on the server at the time of this incident to understand the contents of that data and to whom that data relates. On [date], Welltok completed this extensive review process and identified that information pertaining to MGBHP health plan members as of May 30, 2023 was present in the affected files. Since then, Welltok has been coordinating efforts with MGBHP to review and verify the affected information as well as locate address information in order to provide direct notice to as many impacted individuals as possible. This review was completed on October 30, 2023.

What Information Was Involved? While Welltok has no evidence that any information has been misused, Welltok is notifying impacted individuals and providing information and resources to help protect individuals' personal information. The following types of information may have been impacted: first and last name; date of birth; home address (including city, state, and zip code); telephone number; email address; last 4 digits of Social Security number; Medicaid identification number; and health insurance information (which potentially includes member/subscriber ID numbers).

What Welltok is Doing. Welltok takes this event and the security of personal information in its care very seriously. Upon learning of this event, Welltok moved quickly to investigate and respond to the event, and notify potentially affected individuals. As part of its ongoing commitment to the security of information, Welltok is reviewing and enhancing its existing policies and procedures related to data privacy to reduce the likelihood of a similar future event. Welltok is notifying impacted individuals for whom Welltok has a valid mailing address via U.S. mail and offering them credit monitoring and identity protection services. Welltok is also notifying applicable regulators.

How Will Individuals Know If They Are Affected By This Incident? Welltok is mailing a notice letter to individuals whose information was determined to be in the affected files, for whom a valid mailing address is available. If an individual does not receive a letter but would like to know if they are affected, they may call Welltok's dedicated assistance line, detailed below.

Whom Should Individuals Contact For More Information? If individuals have questions or would like additional information, they may call Welltok's dedicated assistance line, which is available Monday through Friday, at 1-800-628-2141 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern time, and 11:00 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time, excluding major U.S. Holidays. Please be prepared to reference engagement number B107738.

statements, explanation of benefits forms, and monitoring your free credit reports for suspicious activity and to detect errors. Under U.S. law individuals are entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus. To order a free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228. Individuals may also contact the three major credit bureaus directly to request a free copy of their credit report, place a fraud alert, or a security freeze. Contact information for the credit bureaus is below:

Consumers have the right to place an initial or extended "fraud alert" on a credit file at no cost. An initial fraud alert is a 1-year alert that is placed on a consumer's credit file. Upon seeing a fraud alert display on a consumer's credit file, a business is required to take steps to verify the consumer's identity before extending new credit. If you are a victim of identity theft, you are entitled to an extended fraud alert, which is a fraud alert lasting seven years. Should you wish to place a fraud alert, please contact any one of the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below.

As an alternative to a fraud alert, consumers have the right to place a "credit freeze" on a credit report, which will prohibit a credit bureau from releasing information in the credit report without the consumer's express authorization. The credit freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in your name without your consent. However, you should be aware that using a credit freeze to take control over who gets access to the personal and financial information in your credit report may delay, interfere with, or prohibit the timely approval of any subsequent request or application you make regarding a new loan, credit, mortgage, or any other account involving the extension of credit. Pursuant to federal law, you cannot be charged to place or lift a credit freeze on your credit report. To request a security freeze, you may need to provide the following information, depending on whether the request is made online, by phone, or by mail:

Full name (including middle initial as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.); Social Security number; Date of birth; Addresses for the prior two to five years; Proof of current address, such as a current utility bill or telephone bill; A legible photocopy of a government-issued identification card (state driver's license or ID card, etc.); and A copy of either the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft if you are a victim of identity theft.

Should you wish to place a fraud alert or a credit freeze, please contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below:

Equifax Experian TransUnion https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/ https://www.experian.com/help/ https://www.transunion.com/credit-help 1-888-298-0045 1-888-397-3742 1-800-916-8800 Equifax Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 105069 Atlanta, GA 30348-5069 Experian Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013 TransUnion Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19016 Equifax Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 105788 Atlanta, GA 30348-5788 Experian Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013 TransUnion Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 160, Woodlyn, PA 19094

Additional Information

You may further educate yourself regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, credit freezes, and the steps you can take to protect your personal information by contacting the consumer reporting bureaus, the Federal Trade Commission, or your state Attorney General. The Federal Trade Commission may be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580; www.identitytheft.gov ; 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); and TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The Federal Trade Commission also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them. You can obtain further information on how to file such a complaint by way of the contact information listed above. You have the right to file a police report if you ever experience identity theft or fraud. Please note that in order to file a report with law enforcement for identity theft, you will likely need to provide some proof that you have been a victim. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement and your state Attorney General. This notice has not been delayed by law enforcement.

For District of Columbia residents, the District of Columbia Attorney General may be contacted at: 400 6th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001; 1-202-727-3400; and oag.dc.gov.

For Maryland residents, the Maryland Attorney General may be contacted at: 200 St. Paul Place, 16th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202; 1-410-528-8662 or 1-888-743-0023; and https://www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/. Welltok, Inc.'s address is 1515 Arapahoe St. #700 Denver, CO 80202.

For New Mexico residents, you have rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, such as the right to be told if information in your credit file has been used against you, the right to know what is in your credit file, the right to ask for your credit score, and the right to dispute incomplete or inaccurate information. Further, pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the consumer reporting bureaus must correct or delete inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information; consumer reporting agencies may not report outdated negative information; access to your file is limited; you must give your consent for credit reports to be provided to employers; you may limit "prescreened" offers of credit and insurance you get based on information in your credit report; and you may seek damages from violator. You may have additional rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act not summarized here. Identity theft victims and active-duty military personnel have specific additional rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Welltok encourages you to review your rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act by visiting www.consumerfinance.gov/f/201504_cfpb_summary_your-rights-under-fcra. pdf, or by writing Consumer Response Center, Room 130-A, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580.

For New York residents, the New York Attorney General may be contacted at: Office of the Attorney General, The Capitol, Albany, NY 12224-0341; 1-800-771-7755; or https://ag.ny.gov/.

For North Carolina residents, the North Carolina Attorney General may be contacted at: 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001; 1-877-566-7226 or 1-919-716-6000; and www.ncdoj.gov.

For Rhode Island residents, the Rhode Island Attorney General may be reached at: 150 South Main Street, Providence, RI 02903; 1-401-274-4400; and www.riag.ri.gov. Under Rhode Island law, you have the right to obtain any police report filed in regard to this incident.

SOURCE Welltok, Inc.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Teresa Chasteen-Dunn, a distinguished education professional and entrepreneur, has made a significant impact on the field of digital learning and community engagement for decades. As we celebrate Entrepreneurs' Day on Nov. 21, we recognize Chasteen-Dunn's outstanding contributions to the field and her tireless efforts to shape the future of education.

Recognizing Teresa Chasteen-Dunn's outstanding contributions and her tireless efforts to shape the future of education. Post this Pictured from left: The WIN Learning executive leadership team with friend and colleague Florida Ready to Work Executive Director Colleen Englert, Executive Vice President of Product Development and Support Suzanne Bazarian, President and CEO Teresa Chasteen-Dunn, Executive Vice President of Sales and Professional Services Steve Fain, and Executive Vice President of Operations Dione Kennedy.

Chasteen-Dunn began her own educational journey at Roane County (Tennessee) High School, graduating in 1978. She further pursued her education at Roane State, where she completed her early college education from 1976 to 1978. She then went on to earn her bachelor's and master's degrees at the University of Tennessee, where she established a strong foundation in education.

Chasteen-Dunn returned to her alma mater Roane State in 1985 as an assistant professor, making a significant impact on countless students during her tenure until 1993. Later, she shared her knowledge and passion for education as a professor at Hiwassee College and Tennessee Tech University's graduate program at their Roane County satellite campus.

In 1996, Chasteen-Dunn's entrepreneurial spirit led her to leave her teaching career to start WIN Learning, an organization dedicated to providing innovative digital learning programs to students of all ages and economic backgrounds. Under her leadership as CEO, WIN Learning has affected more than 10 million learners. The company's curriculum has won three prestigious national awards, solidifying its place as a leader in the field.

"I appreciate the kind recognition, but I can't take credit for the success of WIN Learning. I have been blessed with the most awesome executive leadership team who has helped me hire and manage incredible talent and  most importantly  create an amazing company culture," Chasteen-Dunn said.

Chasteen-Dunn's contributions to the field of digital learning, her dedication to philanthropy, and her community involvement have earned her many accolades and recognition. Her keynote address, at the Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber of Commerce this year showcased her expertise and leadership as the CEO of WIN Learning, while her inclusion in EdTech Digest's list of top 100 "People Making a Difference for Digital Learning Now" solidifies her position as a respected and influential figure in education.

Through her tireless efforts and commitment to making a positive impact, Chasteen-Dunn continues to shape the future of education and transform lives through digital learning and community engagement. As we celebrate Entrepreneurs' Day on Nov. 21, we recognize her outstanding achievements and the significant impact she has made on education.

Contact: Steve Fain, executive vice president

Phone: 888-717-9461

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE WIN Learning
NEW YORK and SAN DIEGO, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz LLP, a preeminent national consumer rights law firm, announces that it is investigating claims on behalf of victims of the McLaren Health Care ("McLaren") ransomware attack that took down the computer network at its 14 Michigan hospitals in late August and early September and which could have also resulted in the leak of patient data onto the dark web.

A ransomware gang known as BlackCat/AlphV claimed responsibility for the cyberattack, posting online that it stole 6 terabytes of McLaren's data, including the personal information of 2.5 million patients. Ransomware, a type of malware that can shut down an entire network, is used to steal data before encrypting the system. The stolen information is then held hostage until a ransom is paid. McLaren shared a statement saying, "We are investigating reports that some of our data may be available on the dark web and will notify individuals whose information was impacted, if any, as soon as possible."

If you received a NOTICE from McLaren and you reside in the United States, if you wish to discuss this investigation, or if you have any questions regarding your rights and interests in this matter, please contact Wolf Haldenstein immediately by telephone at (800) 575-0735, via e-mail at [email protected], or visit our website at www.whafh.com.

CLICK HERE TO FILL OUT CONTACT FORM

Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz LLP has extensive experience in the prosecution of consumer rights litigation in state and federal trial and appellate courts across the country. The firm has attorneys in various practice areas and offices in New York and San Diego. Courts have repeatedly recognized the reputation and expertise of this firm and have appointed it to major positions in complex litigation.

Contact:

Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz LLP

Gregory Stone, Director of Case and Financial Analysis

Rachele R. Byrd, Esq.

Email: [email protected]

Tel: (800) 575-0735 or (619) 239-4599

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome.

SOURCE Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz LLP
DUBLIN, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Disabled and Elderly Assistive Technology Market: Global Industry Analysis, Trends, Market Size, and Forecasts up to 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global disabled and elderly assistive technology market was valued at USD 48.68 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach USD 86.91 billion in 2030, with a CAGR of 6.55% during the forecast period 2023-2030.

The report on the global disabled and elderly assistive technology market provides qualitative and quantitative analysis for the period from 2021-2030. The study on disabled and elderly assistive technology market covers the analysis of the leading geographies such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and RoW for the period of 2021-2030.

Disabled and elderly assistive technology, also known as assistive devices or adaptive technology, encompasses a wide range of tools, devices, and software designed to support individuals with disabilities and older adults in their daily lives. These technologies are developed with the aim of enhancing independence, mobility, communication, and overall quality of life for those facing physical, sensory, cognitive, or age-related challenges.

The market for disabled and elderly assistive technology caters to diverse needs within these populations. Some individuals may require assistive technology for mobility assistance, while others may benefit from communication aids, sensory support, or assistance with their everyday activities.

The scope of assistive technology for disabled and elderly individuals is continually expanding as technology progresses and the needs of the population evolve. It encompasses a wide array of tools and solutions aimed at empowering independence, improving the overall quality of life, and fostering inclusivity for individuals with varying abilities and older adults.

The growth of the disabled and elderly assistive technology market is primarily driven by the increasing aging population. The global demographic is aging, leading to a growing demand for solutions that cater to the unique needs of older adults. As more people enter their senior years, there is a heightened emphasis on technologies that can enhance their independence and overall well-being.

Furthermore, the rising prevalence of disabilities also contributes to market expansion. Disabilities, whether acquired through aging, accidents, or medical conditions, affect a significant portion of the population. Assistive technology serves as a valuable resource for enhancing the daily lives of individuals living with disabilities.

However, the complexity of using such assistive technology may pose a significant barrier to market adoption. Advanced healthcare services provided by governments offer substantial opportunities for this market to thrive.

North America is expected to dominate the disabled and elderly assistive technology market. This dominance in North America can be attributed to several key factors, including a robust technological infrastructure, substantial investment in research and development, and a sizable aging population.

North America possesses a strong technological foundation, marked by high levels of innovation and progress in the tech sector. This technological prowess enables the region to lead in the creation and advancement of assistive technologies. Additionally, North American countries, particularly the United States and Canada, allocate significant investments to Research and Development (R&D) across various sectors, including healthcare and assistive technology.

Government-funded initiatives and collaborative efforts between academia and industry drive innovation in the region. Furthermore, North America hosts a substantial aging population, with a considerable number of elderly individuals who require assistive technology solutions. The demand for these technologies is spurred by the aging demographic, prompting companies to develop and market relevant products and services.

Asia-Pacific is projected to experience the fastest growth in this market, owing to increased healthcare expenditure and enhancements in healthcare infrastructure.

What does this Report Deliver?

Comprehensive analysis of the global as well as regional markets of the disabled and elderly assistive technology market.

Complete coverage of all the segments in the disabled and elderly assistive technology market to analyze the trends, developments in the global market and forecast of market size up to 2030.

Comprehensive analysis of the companies operating in the global disabled and elderly assistive technology market. The company profile includes analysis of product portfolio, revenue, SWOT analysis and latest developments of the company.

The Growth Matrix presents an analysis of the product segments and geographies that market players should focus to invest, consolidate, expand and/or diversify.

Report Findings

Drivers

The disabled and elderly assistive technology market is driven by the growing aging population.

The surging prevalence of disabilities is also responsible for market growth.

Restraints

The difficulty of handling this assistive technology may act as a significant barrier to the market.

Opportunities

Advanced healthcare facilities provided to patients by the government present a significant opportunity for this market.

Company Profiles

Demant A/S

Sonova

Permobil

Bausch & Lomb Incorporated

BLUE CHIP MEDICAL

Freedom Scientific, Inc.

GN Store Nord A/S

Invacare Corporation

Pride Mobility Products Corp.

Starkey Laboratories, Inc.

The Global Disabled and Elderly Assistive Technology Market by Product

Activity Monitors

Assistive Furniture

Bathroom Safety and Assistive Products

Communication Aids

Location Monitors

Medical Mobility Aids and Ambulatory Devices

Others

The Global Disabled and Elderly Assistive Technology Market by End User

Assisted Living Facilities

Hospitals and Nursing Homes

Home Care

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/xa5tp3

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Research and Markets
SAN DIEGO, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Responding to the World Health Organization's recent declaration of loneliness as a global health priority, Wyzr Friends, a groundbreaking activity-based friendship app for adults over 40, is addressing the pressing issue of social isolation among older adults. Simultaneously, the company is launching the Wyzr Friends Ambassador Program, enlisting passionate individuals across the U.S. to spread the App's mission of fostering connections and combating loneliness at a local level.

Wyzr Friends App Tackles Global Loneliness Particularly During the Holidays:

Loneliness, identified as a significant health threat, prompted global initiatives by the World Health Organization and the State of New York with NY Governor Kathy Hochul's appointment of Dr. Ruth Westheimer as the nation's first Ambassador to Loneliness. According to a recent study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering & Medicine, more than one-third of adults 45+ experience loneliness, with nearly one-quarter of adults 60+ considered socially-isolated. Wyzr Friends (recently featured in TechCrunch) aligns with this mission, offering a smarter, safer, and free app that connects adults in their 40s, 50s, and 60s for meaningful activities and friendship.

Key Features:

Activity-Based Connections: The App focuses on shared interests, bringing individuals together for activities that foster genuine connections. From last-minute holiday shopping fairs to a local Friendsgiving brunch, the App facilitates friendships based on common interests.

Friend Blast and Carpool Functions: Introducing proprietary features like Friend Blast for easy planning of gatherings and Carpool (Wyzr Ride) to share rides for events, Wyzr Friends takes things a step further for real-world connections and eco-consciousness.

Safety First: The App prioritizes user safety with ID Verification, ensuring members connect with verified users. This feature is especially crucial for adults over 50, who are often targets of online scams.

Inclusivity for Individuals and Couples: Wyzr Friends welcomes both individuals and couples, recognizing that meaningful connections can be established regardless of relationship status, fostering a diverse community of like-minded individuals.

Health & Wellness Integration: Through the proprietary Health & Wellness Wheel, Wyzr Friends goes beyond social connections by helping members connect to achieve mutual health goals, covering physical, mental, financial, and spiritual well-being.

Wyzr Friends Ambassador Program Takes Local Action:

To further amplify its impact, Wyzr Friends Ambassador Program is seeking dedicated individuals across various cities in the United States to serve as Ambassadors. This initiative aims to combat loneliness on a local level through community engagement and activities.

Key responsibilities of Wyzr Friends Ambassadors include hosting local events: Ambassadors will organize and host local events that encourage real-world interactions among Wyzr Friends App users, providing opportunities for meaningful connections. Social media advocacy: Ambassadors will leverage their social media presence to amplify the App's message and engage with their communities, sharing personal stories and promoting the App's impact. User engagement: Ambassadors will actively engage with users on the App, offering support, guidance and fostering a sense of community.

Qualities of an Ideal Wyzr Friends Ambassador:

Passionate about combating loneliness and fostering genuine connections.

Strong ties to the local community and a desire to make a positive impact.

Active on social media platforms and comfortable sharing the App's message.

Enthusiastic about organizing and hosting local events that align with the App's values.

Interested individuals can apply to become Wyzr Friends Ambassadors by creating a profile on the App and contacting [email protected]. Applications will be reviewed, and selected ambassadors will receive guidance, support, and resources to kickstart their role in combating loneliness in their communities.

Carolyn Kelly, co-founder of Wyzr Friends, expresses, "Ambassadors play a pivotal role in making a difference at the grassroots level. By bringing Wyzr Friends to their communities, they contribute to the broader mission of combating loneliness and fostering meaningful connections."

Wyzr Friends encourages individuals passionate about making a positive impact on loneliness to step forward and become Ambassadors. Together, we can create a network of support and friendship that transcends digital connections.

Founded by two women over 40, for people over 40, Wyzr Friends is available to download free on the Apple App Store & Google Play Store. For more information, please visit wyzrfriends.com.

SOURCE Wyzr Group, LLC
The US$2 million annual fund will propel initiatives to help shape a thriving world through the goodness of kiwifruit

SINGAPORE, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Zespri, the world's largest kiwifruit marketer with over $US2.5 billion in revenue - managing around one-third of the industry's global volume - is proud to announce the establishment of a new innovation funding initiative, known as ZAG.

Powered by its purpose  to help people, communities and the environment around the world thrive through the goodness of kiwifruit - ZAG will play an important role in the company's mission. The US$2 million annual fund will support future innovation initiatives and global strategic partnerships that strengthen Zespri's ability to deliver on its purpose.

ZAG is designed to attract innovative problem solvers from around the world who can help address some of the key challenges the industry faces as it meets growing demand for kiwifruit. Zespri is seeking forward-thinking visionaries, disruptors, dreamers, and darers to help it better innovate in sustainable agriculture, technology, automation, packaging, supply chain, logistics and industry education.

"We have a very clear focus on creating sustainable long-term value for our growers and ZAG will enable us to partner with other innovators to explore ways to do this, whilst also helping restore nature and moving us to a place where healthy eating is a well-established habit," said Jiunn Shih, Chief Marketing, Innovation and Sustainability Officer. "We want to be the ZAG the food system needs. Our ambitions are greater than our capabilities, and with this in mind, we are inviting others to partner with us to help solve challenges that impact our fruit and the wellbeing of people, communities and the environment."

ZAG will support projects that are focused on four core priorities for Zespri: (1) Initiatives that are good for kiwifruit by driving superior quality and lifting on orchard productivity; (2) Initiatives that are good for people by promoting wellbeing through kiwifruit consumption; (3) Initiatives that are good for the environment by protecting and enhancing nature; (4) And finally, initiatives that foster a thriving kiwifruit industry, benefitting growers and the local communities they are a part of.

As one of the world's leading fruit brands, Zespri works with about 4,000 growers around the world to bring healthy and delicious fruit to more than 50 countries and has a set of long-term sustainability targets and goals.

Mr. Shih says ZAG will be closely aligned with Zespri's sustainability programme. "While we're making steady progress, such as a five percent reduction in our shipping emissions through improved charter vessel utilisation, we know it's new partners and solutions that will really unlock change."

"We're inspired by our growers and supply chain partners who are prototyping actions as part of our carbon-neutral trial. And we're pushing forward a partnership approach on shipping by asking other businesses and governments to come with us, so we can stimulate the demand that's needed to accelerate the deployment of greener solutions."

Zespri is developing a science-aligned net-zero roadmap to 2050, has reduced the environmental impact of its packaging with 88 percent now recyclable, reusable or compostable, and last year released its Climate Change Adaptation Plan  Adapting to Thrive which outlines how the company is planning on adapting to the impacts of climate change to help growers.

Zespri has also continued rolling out global nutrition programmes designed to lift the consumption of fresh kiwifruit around the world and created 5 billion healthy eating occasions in the 2022/23 season  well on the way to its goal of lifting this to 6 billion by 2025. It has also supported 35 healthy lifestyle programmes in over 12 countries since 2020.

"We're really excited about the potential ZAG has to increase our efforts in this space. We look forward to working with agri- and food-tech innovators as well as other solution providers, to help Zespri and the kiwifruit industry achieve an even brighter future," said Mr Shih.

To learn more or apply to the fund, please visit zespri.com/ZAGFUND.

About ZAG

Zespri's purpose is to help people, communities and the environment around the world thrive through the goodness of kiwifruit. Zespri is launching the Zespri Innovation Fund called - ZAG a US $2 million annual funding platform bringing existing innovation resource together from across the business into a contestable fund.

ZAG, inspired by the Aramoana pattern of the Maori culture, symbolizes the pathways that rivers and oceans provide to many destinations. Through ZAG, Zespri seeks to collaborate with innovators and solution providers in the following four key areas:
Two months after a group of mechanics began striking in front of the Coffin Butte Landfill on Sept. 11, the seven-man unit has returned to work.

On Monday, Nov. 13, the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 701 notified Valley Landfills Inc. of the mechanics' unconditional return to work, according to spokesperson Aurora Biggers.

"By extending an unconditional return to work offer, IUOE 701 forced the company to remove scab workers and get our members back to work," Biggers said in a statement.

A Place to Sleep - episode 6: Brownsville Find out how a man arrested in the 1960s for being a drug addict shaped the law that requires Oregon cities to designate a place to sleep for homeless people.

Biggers said though the unfair labor practices and unsafe working conditions that resulted in the strike have yet to be fully resolved or eliminated, Valley Landfills had made some improvements following a site inspection by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Robert Orton, one of the striking mechanics, said those improvements were still insufficient to address safety concerns on site.

"They cleaned up and organized," Orton said, but it was all superficial.

"They did enough improvements that they could look at OSHA and say, yeah, we did something."

One improvement Orton says is still pending is the provision of a decontamination site.

The mechanics have raised concerns about the conditions they work in and the company's ineffective provisions to address the kind of contaminants they interact with on the job.

Orton said, given that they are in contact with household trash as well as medical and corrosive chemical waste that end up at the landfill due to insufficient sorting mechanisms, more needs to be done safety-wise.

What has changed so far, according to Orton, is the size of a nearby handwashing station which is insufficient since their entire bodies are often in prolonged contact with the landfill's trash.

"They told me that (a larger wash station) was adequate," Orton said.

Efforts to unionize in order to negotiate better working conditions and wages began last November when one of the mechanics contacted the Local 701.

Thus far, a few agreements had been reached with the company, Stallings said last month, but wages, safety concerns and health insurance were still up in the air. In addition, the company had cancelled several bargaining meetings with the union frustrating efforts to conclude on the pending negotiations.

The most recent bargaining meeting with the company was scheduled to be held on Nov. 10.

"We want them to sit down and bargain in good faith and stop slow walking," Local 701 business manager Jim Anderson said last week.

Health insurance negotiations, according to the mechanics, remain the knottiest issue still left to iron out with Valley Landfills.

According to Biggers, the mechanics stand to save up to $434.33 per month and have lower deductibles and better coverage on the insurance offered by the union. The company could also save up to $41,068.44 per year in premiums for the seven-member unit.

"Despite the obvious benefits, Valley Landfills still says no," Biggers said in a statement.

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Orton says the return to work is more of an olive branch from the Local 701 to the company to see if more effective negotiations can continue.

"IUOE 701 is looking forward to returning to the bargaining table with Valley Landfills and reaching a fair and affordable contract agreement," Biggers said.

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New Delhi, Nov 21 : What is special about filmmaker Dibakar Das Roy's movie 'Dilli Dark', which will have its international premiere at the 27th Tallinn Black Night Film Festival in the 'First Features Competition', is not just the fact that it manages to bring forth the many shades of the capital city towards an 'outsider', but does that with an underlying humour without trivialising a sensitive subject.

Revolving around a Nigerian man, Michael (played by Samuel Abiola Robinson) studying in Delhi, who sells cocaine at night and is subjected to racial slurs and a distinct gaze owing to his skin colour, the film sees him getting attracted to a 'god woman', played by Geetika Vidya Ohlyan of 'Soni' fame whose ashram he joins in order to find himself. However, he soon realises that all she wants from him is cocaine.

The director tells IANS that the film was conceived as an amalgamation of ideas that stemmed from personal experiences including being bullied for having dark skin as well as events that happen in Delhi -- racial prejudices against Africans and other dark-skinned people -- that brought together themes of race, colour and identity.

"The various themes have developed over the course of a decade, but which took approximately two years to come into the form of a screenplay," he recalls.

While several Indian films have taken up the caste problem in the country, not many have dwelled on the issue of colour.

Roy feels that while colour, race and South Asian identity are seldom part of the narrative in Indian movies, he wanted the audiences to receive a serious message in a non-serious tone, which would incite them to ask themselves questions rather than someone preaching to them.

Talk to him about his relationship with Delhi, and he says that while he loves yet he has a toxic relationship with it.

"It is a beautiful city with a rich history and an unparalleled cultural tapestry. However, it can be extremely crude. It is this mix that has tried to depict in the film."

For someone who from a young age has been writing, directing and acting in plays, cinema was a natural extension of his desire to create performance-based narratives.

Recalling that it was casting that took a lot of energy, the director recalls that they auditioned and held workshops for even the roles with one or no dialogues. A very important facet of the casting was the faces, which also became an essential aspect of the production design and the mise en scene.

"Also, an important part of the casting was finding the African cast, right from established actors such as the lead Samuel Robinson, who have delivered hits like 'Sudani from Nigeria', to the non-actors who we used for the smaller parts. It was an interesting exercise in casting as this was probably the first Indian movie with such an extensive African cast," says Roy.

Using satire to project racial discrimination in the film, the director feels that it can be an excellent tool as it employs a disarming charm and not brute force.

"It asks but does not tell. It helps the audience see the wrongs in society without making them feel defensive or like an antagonist," says Roy, who wants to explore themes of spirituality, consumerism, love and politics but all through the lens of a darkly comic eye.

A self-taught filmmaker, he does not really miss formal training.

Stressing that his sources of inspiration and approach to craft are derived from varied sources, he adds, "I feel that the structure of film school would have shaped my approach with a hand that may have been too firm."

(Sukant Deepak can be reached at sukant.d@ians.in)
Buenos Aires, Nov 21 : The president-elect of Argentina, Javier Milei, has said that when coming into office next month, he plans to make an adjustment in public spending, and privatise companies such as Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales (YPF) and public media.

"My intention is to be the first link in the Argentine reconstruction. Afterwards we will see if I have to govern for four or eight years. I want my government to mark a turning point in Argentine history," Milei was quoted by the state news agency Telam as saying on Monday.

The far-right candidate from the Liberty Advances coalition won 55.69 per cent of the votes in Sunday's runoff election, beating the ruling party candidate, Economy Minister Sergio Massa, who obtained 44.3 per cent of the votes, Xinhua news agency reported.

Milei, who will assume the presidency on December 10 for a four-year term, said that he will carry out a "fiscal adjustment" to put public accounts in order, which "will not be paid for by the good Argentines, but by the politicians".

He also said he intends to privatise state-owned companies and agencies, such as the YPF, Energia Argentina, public television, national radio and Telam, among others.
Gaza, Nov 21 : Since Hamas launched its massive assault against Israel on October 7, at least 50 journalists and media workers have been killed in the Gaza Strip in the ensuing violence, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said in a report.

In a report on Monday, the New York-based nonprofit also said that the second-deadliest day for journalist deaths amid the raging conflict occurred on November 18, with five killed, while the deadliest day of the war was its first day, October 7, with six journalists killed.

Among the 50 fatalities, 45 were Palestinian, four Israeli, and one Lebanese.

According to the CPJ, 11 journalists were injured, three remain missing and18 journalists were reportedly arrested.

The nonprofit said that it was also investigating numerous unconfirmed reports of other journalists being killed, missing, detained, hurt, or threatened, and of damage to media offices and journalists' homes.

"CPJ emphasizes that journalists are civilians doing important work during times of crisis and must not be targeted by warring parties," said Sherif Mansour, CPJ's Middle East and North Africa program coordinator.

"Journalists across the region are making great sacrifices to cover this heart-breaking conflict. Those in Gaza, in particular, have paid, and continue to pay, an unprecedented toll and face exponential threats.

"Many have lost colleagues, families, and media facilities, and have fled seeking safety when there is no safe haven or exit," he was quoted as saying in the report.

As of Tuesday morning, the death toll in Gaza stood at 11,078, of whom 4,506 were children and 3,027 women.

Israel's had reported more than 1,200 fatalities, while in the West Bank, the number has increased to 213.
New Delhi, Nov 21 : Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge will release the party's manifesto for Rajasthan on Tuesday, four days ahead of the Assembly polls, and address a public meeting.

Besides Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi will also be addressing three public meetings in the state.

The Congress president will lay out the party's vision along with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and several other senior leaders in Jaipur at 9.30 a.m.

He is then scheduled to address a public meeting in Mavali Assembly constituency in Udaipur district at 2 p.m.

Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi will be addressing his first public meeting of the day at 11.30 a.m. in Udaipur's Vallabhnagar area.

The Wayanad MP is slated to address his second public meeting at 1.30 p.m. in Jalore's Akoli area and his third in Barmer's Baytu at 3.30 p.m.

On Monday, Rajasthan Chief Minister Gehlot in an interview to IANS said that seven guarantees have set the narrative in favour of his party and for once there is no anti-incumbency. The Congress, he added, will break the tradition of alternate party government and create a history.

BJP has nothing to show when it comes to their report-card, as neither central government has done anything for Rajasthan nor has the previous BJP government brought any major change, he asserted.

Polling for the 200-member Assembly is scheduled on November 25 followed by counting of votes on December 3.

Congress is eyeing a second consecutive term in the state which has a tradition of the alternate party government for the last three decades.
San Francisco, Nov 21 : Elon Musk's X has sued left-leaning non-profit Media Matters, accusing it of interference with contract, business disparagement, and interference with prospective economic advantage.

The non-profit last week alleged in a report that X "has been placing ads for major brands" like Apple and IBM "next to content that touts Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party".

This led to several high-profile brands pausing their ads on X.

In a simultaneous move, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton opened an investigation into Media Matters for potential fraudulent activity.

"We are examining the issue closely to ensure that the public has not been deceived by the schemes of radical left-wing organizations who would like nothing more than to limit freedom by reducing participation in the public square," said Paxton.

The X lawsuit alleged that for the last several years, Media Matters has "falsely portrayed Twitter, now X, as a risky, unsafe platform for advertisers".

"Contrary to these efforts, 99 per cent of X's measured ad placement in 2023 has appeared adjacent to content scoring above the Global Alliance for Responsible Media's brand safety floor," the platform said.

The lawsuit confirmed that the screenshots the non-profit organisation posted are real but alleged that Media Matters "manipulated" the service to make X serve the offending ads.

"Media Matters has manipulated the algorithms governing the user experience on X to bypass safeguards and create images of X's largest advertisers' paid posts adjacent to racist, incendiary content, leaving the false impression that these pairings are anything but what they actually are: manufactured, inorganic, and extraordinarily rare," read the lawsuit.

Media Matters' president Angelo Carusone told The Verge that "we are going to continue our work undeterred. If he )Musk) sues us, we will win".

"Musk has spent the last few days making meritless legal threats, elevating bizarre conspiracy theories, and lobbying vicious personal attacks against his 'enemies' online. This is a frivolous lawsuit meant to bully X's critics into silence," he said.

Musk on Tuesday posted: "Fraud has both civil & criminal penalties."

X CEO Linda Yaccarino said she is committed to truth and fairness.

"Here's the truth. Not a single authentic user on X saw IBM's, Comcast's, or Oracle's ads next to the content in Media Matters' article. Only 2 users saw Apple's ad next to the content, at least one of which was Media Matters. Data wins over manipulation or allegations. Don't be manipulated. Stand with X," she argued.

--IANS

na/ksk
San Francisco, Nov 21 : After hiring Sam Altman to lead Microsoft's advanced AI research, the company's Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella has said that it's still possible that Altman could return to OpenAI in some capacity.

In an interview with CNBC, Nadella said that Microsoft wants Altman and former OpenAI president Greg Brockman to have a fantastic home if they're not going to be in OpenAI.

Asked whether Altman would return to OpenAI, Nadella said: "That's for, you know, the OpenAI board and management and the employees to choose  (Microsoft) chose to explicitly partner with OpenAI (and) obviously that depends on the people at OpenAI staying there or coming to Microsoft, so I'm open to both options."

It means that Altman's move to Microsoft is still not a done deal yet, as more than 500 employees at OpenAI on Monday reportedly threatened to resign and join Microsoft.

OpenAI has nearly 770 employees.

Altman and Brockman are still willing to return to OpenAI if the remaining board members who fired him step aside, multiple sources told The Verge.

Nadella said that Microsoft would want to see "something change around the governance" at OpenAI going forward, including around its investor relations. Microsoft, which has invested over $10 billion into OpenAI to date does not have a seat on OpenAI board.

"It's clear something has to change around the governance  we'll have a good dialogue with their board on that, and walk through that as that evolves," Nadella told CNBC.

On Monday, in a letter to OpenAI's board, more than 500 current OpenAI staffers said that "Microsoft has assured us that there are positions for all OpenAI employees at this new subsidiary should we choose to join".

OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, who reportedly led efforts to remove Altman, said on X that he deeply regrets his participation in the board's actions.

"I never intended to harm OpenAI. I love everything we've built together and I will do everything I can to reunite the company," he noted.

The letter read that the process through which the board terminated Sam Altman and removed Greg Brockman from the board has "undermined our mission and company".

"Your conduct has made it clear you did not have the competence to oversee OpenAl. When we all unexpectedly learned of your decision, the leadership team of OpenAl acted swiftly to stabilise the company," said the letter.

--IANS

na/ksk
Washington, Nov 21 : The US imposed visa restrictions on two Russian military officials for their alleged involvement in "gross violations of human rights" in Ukraine amid the raging war.

In a statement on Monday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Azatbek Omurbekov, also known as "The Butcher of Bucha" who is a Colonel in the Russian Armed Forces, has been designated "for his involvement in gross violations of human rights, namely the extrajudicial killings of unarmed Ukrainian civilians from Andriivka".

The second designated military official was idenified as Daniil Frolkin, a Guard Corporal who was allegedly involved "in a gross violation of human rights, namely the extrajudicial killing of an unarmed Ukrainian civilian in Andriivka".

"As a result of today's action, Omurbekov, Frolkin, and their immediate family members are ineligible for entry into the US," Blinken was quoted as saying in the statement.

According to the State Department, Colonel Omurbekov was the commanding officer of Russia's 64th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade when Moscow's forces controlled the Ukrainian town of Andriivka.

"Omurbekov later led the brigade to Bucha where the Department of State determined that the 64th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade killed, beat, dismembered, burned, and conducted mock executions of civilians," it added.

Blinken went on to say that by publicly designating Omurbekov and Frolkin, "the US reaffirms its commitment to upholding human rights, acknowledging the injustice experienced by victims and survivors, and promoting accountability for those responsible for human rights violations".

"The US stands committed to promoting accountability for Russia's abuses and atrocities against the people of Ukraine. We will continue to use all appropriate avenues to pursue justice for Ukraine.

"We stand with Ukraine in its fight for sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the rule of law, for as long as it takes," he added.

The announcement of the new visa sanctions comes on the same day that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin made a surprise trip to Ukraine to emphasise continued US support to the war-torn nation.

As part of his trip, Austin announced an additional $100 million in security assistance for Ukraine.
Tel Aviv, Nov 21 : Hamas's politburo leader Ismail Haniyeh on Tueday claimed that it militant group is "close to reaching a truce agreement" with Israel regarding the release of hostages captured on October 7 following the assault on the Jewish nation.

Haniyeh's remarks came after Hamas communicated its desire for the truce to mediators in Qatar.

"The movement delivered its response to the brothers in Qatar and the mediators, and we are close to reaching a truce agreement," Haniyeh said.

The senior Hamas leader however, did not provide any other details on the said agreement.

According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), around 70 per cent of the militant group's top leadership has been killed in the military's ongoing ground offensive in Gaza.

But it is yet to be seen if Israel agrees for a truce, including the swapping of Palestinian prisoners.

The Israel government is also under pressure from the families of the hostages.

According to authorities, 237 people are held captive in Gaza, including Israelis and foreign nationals.

On Monday, the Israeli military spokesperson said that 40 of the hostages are children.

So far, four civilian hostages have been released by Hamas; one Israeli soldier was rescued by the forces; and three bodies of hostages have reportedly been retrieved.
Belagavi : , Nov 21 (IANS) Congress MLA Vishwas Vasanth Vaidya, representing Saundatti Yellamma in the district, on Tuesday stirred a fresh controversy by claiming that PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi will undoubtedly become the chief minister.

While speaking at Yaragatti in the Belagavi district, MLA Vaidya categorically stated that he was hundred per cent sure that Minister Jarkiholi will become the chief minister.

He remarked, "Jarkiholi is emerging as a promising leader, and people are looking forward to seeing him in the post of chief minister."

MLA Vaidya, who aligns himself with the camp of Jarkiholi, has sparked a debate within the party with his statements.

Jarkiholi is a popular leader among the oppressed classes and is recognized as one of the prominent leaders in the north Karnataka region.

The Jarkiholi brothers, who have become influential figures in both the Congress and BJP parties in Karnataka, are accused of running a fiefdom in the Belagavi district.

Minister Jarkiholi openly expressed his displeasure over the interference of DyCM D.K. Shivakumar in the affairs of the district.

DyCM Shivakumar is supporting Minister for Women and Child Welfare Laxmi Hebbalkar, who challenges the supremacy of the Jarkiholi brothers in Belagavi.

Minister Hebbalkar's brother, Channaraj Holihatti, is the Congress MLC.

Minister Satish Jarkiholi had stated that he would claim the CM post in the state in 2028. His remarks came a day after the Congress imposed a gag order on party members regarding statements related to power-sharing.
New Delhi, Nov 21 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday said that advertisement funds of the Delhi government be attached towards the fulfillment of its share for construction of the Delhi-Alwar and Delhi-Panipat corridor of Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project.

A bench of Justices S.K. Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia said that the above order will come into force if the Delhi government fails to make arrangements of promised funds within a period of one week.

In July this year, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Sighvi, appearing for Delhi government, had assured the top court that the overdue amount will be paid within two months.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had called for an affidavit from the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP detailing the funds spent by it for advertisements in the last three financial years after it expressed its inability to contribute funds for the construction of RRTS project.

"If you have money for advertisements, why don't you have money for a project that will ensure smooth transport?" the top court had questioned.
New Delhi, Nov 21 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned hearing till November 28 in pleas filed by Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and several charitable trusts against the transfer of their tax assessment from faceless assessment to the central circle.

The bench comprising Justices Khanna and S.N.V. Bhatti adjourned the hearing till November 28

On October 3, while referring to pleas filed by Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra against the transfers, the apex court said that the central assessments may be required if there were cross-transactions between individuals.

Senior Advocate Arvind Datar, who was appearing for the Gandhi family and trusts associated with them, said that because of a search in fugitive arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari's case, the I-T authorities have tagged all these as supplementary cases because of Robert Vadra, Priyanka Gandhi's husband.

The Gandhis have said that they had nothing to do with the Bhandari groupas cases and there has been no instance of search or seizure in their cases.

Bhandari is wanted in India on charges of corruption and money laundering. He has been allegedly linked to Robert Vadra over a London-based flat. Robert Vadra has, however, denied any business dealings with Bhandari.

Justice Khanna also questioned Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi appearing for the AAP as to why there was a five-month delay in filing of the writ petitions.

The court also observed that there must be some justification for removing faceless assessment, and the bench was only concerned with the legal issue and not the politics.

Earlier on May 26, the Delhi High Court had dismissed petitions by AAP, the Gandhi family, and the five trusts challenging the orders of the I-T Department to transfer their tax assessment from the faceless assessment to the central circle.

The High Court bench ruled that there was no fundamental legal right to be assessed under the faceless assessment scheme.

The faceless assessment scheme removes physical contact between the taxpayer and the taxman by using artificial intelligence and machine learning to randomly select tax cases.
New Delhi, Nov 21 : The 2QFY24 results of BSE-500 Index companies showed further weakness in revenues (0.7 per cent yoy decline ex-BFSI), even as earnings growth remained robust (47 per cent yoy), Kotak Institutional Equities said in a report.

Oil, gas and consumable fuels exaggerated the operating performance in 2QFY24.

Companies witnessed continued expansion in margins on both qoq and yoy basis, with aggregate EBITDA margins of non-BFSI BSE-500 universe up almost 500 bps yoy. Consensus earnings estimates for the BSE-500 universe were largely stable, despite the strong yoy earnings growth in 2QFY24.

The analysis of BSE-500 companies 2QFY24 results (for which quarterly earnings data is available over 2QFY20-2QFY24) shows that revenue growth slowed further to 4.6 per cent yoy on aggregate but declined 0.7 per cent yoy ex-BFSI basis (see Exhibit 1).

EBITDA of non-financial companies of this universe increased a sharp 40 per cent yoy, while PAT increased at an even sharper 56 per cent yoy (47 per cent yoy including BFSI), the report said. Both the revenue and profit trends reflect sharp deflation in raw material prices.

The consensus net income for BSE-500 companies increased modestly for FY2024 but was unchanged for FY2025 through the 2QFY24 results season, despite the sharp yoy increase in net income of the BSE-500 universe, the report said.

"We assume the reported results and management commentary did not add much to the extant high expectations. Nonetheless, a number of companies witnessed large changes in their earnings estimates", the report said.

(Sanjeev Sharma can be reached at Sanjeev.s@ians.in)
New Delhi, Nov 21 : Delhi Minister Atishi on Tuesday sounded an alert for severe water crisis in the national capital, citing the paucity of Delhi Jal Board (DJB) funds which have been halted since August on the instructions of the Chief Secretary and Finance Secretary Ashish Verma.

Atishi, who was given the charge of the Water Department in place of Saurabh Bharadwaj, said that despite the Finance Minister's written orders, funds were not being released, causing difficulties for salaries and routine tasks.

"All contractors have refused to work, and in the coming days, there may be a significant shortage of water.

"There might be contaminated water, and sewer overflow in many areas," said Atishi, who is also the Water Minister.

"This is an emergency like situation and I urge L-G V.K. Saxena to intervene in the matter," she added.
Islamabad, Nov 21 : The former husband of Bushra Bibi, the third and incumbent wife of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan, has alleged that the latter forcefully ended his 28-year-long marriage.

In a TV interview, Khawar Farid Maneka has leveled serious allegations against Imran Khan, accusing him for manipulating the divorce process to expedite his marriage to Bushra Bibi.

Bushra Bibi, who had been married to Maneka for 28-years and had at least five children, became a "peer" or spiritual healer after becoming part of the Maneka family, well-known for having a religious and spiritual background.

Bushra, aka Pinki Peerni, later was connected to Imran Khan through her sister in Dubai with an intent to heal the former Prime Minister from the depression and trauma he was facing after his divorce with Reham Khan.

Later, the connection between Pinki and Khan led to her separation and divorce with Maneka and marriage to the latter.

"Imran Khan ruined my 28-years-long marriage with Bushra. We were happily married. Imran Khan would come to my house in my absence and sit there for hours with Bushra. They would talk for hours on mobile during the night. All of this was happening without my permission. And whenever I questioned Bushra, she would say that it is a matter related to spiritual healing," said Khawar Maneka.

"One time, I called my servant and asked him of why Bushra's phone is not being received. He told me that Imran Khan is here. So I told him to go in the room while I stayed on the call. I scolded Bushra and Imran Khan and told khan to leave my house. I told my servant to make sure he leaves immediately," he added.

Khawar Farid Maneka also revealed that Bushra had left his house at least six months prior to their divorce, relocating to her residence in Pakpattan city in Punjab.

Till that time, it was a separation and was not a divorce and Maneka had tried to reconcile with Bushra asking her to return home.

"My mother asked me to bring Bushra back home because she had serious doubts over Imran Khan's character," he said.

Talking about his alleged forced divorce, Khawar Farid Maneka said that Bushra's friend Farhat Shahzadi aka Farah Gogi, called him and told him that Bushra is not going to come back home, stressing that he should divorce her.

"After Farah Gogi's call, I went to Bushra and asked her of what is going on. She did not respond to my questions and kept her head down. Farah and some other people to divorce Bushra again called me. On November 14, 2017, I got frustrated and gave a written divorce, sent it to Gogi and told her to give it to Bushra."

Adding more to the startling revelations, Khawar Farid Maneka said that Bushra sent him a text message through Gogi to change the divorce date to facilitate Imran Khan's Nikkah (marriage) ceremony on January 1, 2018.

"I was furious and shocked to see her audacity to contact me and ask me to change the divorce date."

According to Islam, a woman cannot get remarried after her divorce for at least three months.

In the case of Bushra Bibi, as Khawar Farid Maneka divorced her on November 14, 2017, she could not get remarried to Imran Khan on January 14, 2018.

The case of Imran Khan's marriage with Bushra has also been raised in the courts as the cleric, who solemnised the Nikkah ceremony has stated that it was not as per Islamic Shariah, which was why the former Prime Minister had contacted him during February 2018, requesting him to conduct the ceremony again.

Political analysts who were aware of the developments said that they were informed that an alleged "spiritual revelation" to Bushra Bibi had directed her to marry Imran Khan and that he would become the country's Prime Minister.

"I have serious doubts about what Khawar Menaka claims. I am more certain that he was well-aware of what was going on between Bushra Bibi and Imran Khan under the umbrella of spiritual healing process," said senior journalist Javed Chaudhry.

"Very reliable sources told me back then that Bushra Bibi had proposed Imran Khan to marry her daughter. Imran Khan refused because there was a huge age difference. Later, Bushra Bibi offered him to marry her, adding that if he does so, he would become Pakistan's Prime Minister," he added.

But what Khawar Farid Maneka claims it that he was threatened by Imran Khan's close aids in Zulfi Bukhari and Gogi to stay silent and prevented him from speaking against the PTI chief.

"Farah Gogi conveyed to me that Imran was not their devotee and the future Prime Minister," Khawar Farid Maneka said.

While Khawar Farid Maneka's revelation have come as a major shock, many believe that such statements are being given at a time when legal cases of severe corruption in the Punjab province by him, Farah and then Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar are being investigated in the courts.
Lucknow, Nov 21 : In a shocking revelation, a study conducted by the King George's Medical University (KGMU) has found that exposure of children in Lucknow to lead - a toxic substance that can damage the nervous system - is about four times higher than the permissible limit.

The study, covering 60 urban schools across 10 districts in India and involving 2,247 participants aged 6 to 16 found that Lucknow ranks second in blood lead levels (BLL) of 19.2 microgram per decilitre (g/dl).

It is second only to Karnataka's Manipal district which has recorded the highest level of lead content (30.2 g/dl) among the cities studied. BLL 5 g/dl set is considered safe, as per the Centre for Disease Control.

The study has been published in the 'Indian Journal of Pediatrics' and was conducted between April 2019 and February 2020.

It was found that in eight districts, the lead levels exceeded the recommended limit. Professor Shally Awasthi, the lead researcher and former head Pediatrics Department at KGMU, stressed the importance of urgent attention to safeguard the health of children.

She explained that lead, a metal widely used in industries, poses a threat to children and adolescents due to its quick absorption and detrimental health effects, particularly on the central nervous system.

Highlighting the probable elevated lead levels in children, Awasthi said that earlier studies conducted in Lucknow have found elevated lead concentrations in rainwater and ground water assessment.

"Lead is also found in enamel paints used to colour idols and toys and that can also be a source," she added.

She further said that Manipal reported excessive lead contamination in water of Swarna River which is the main source of drinking water for the district as well as in ground water and soil after a coal-based thermal power plant became operational there in 2012.

Similarly, water quality indices of Jojari River in Jodhpur reported presence of lead in sufficiently high concentration.

Explaining the adverse effects, Professor Awasthi said that lead exposure in children is associated with various health issues, including anxiety, depression, aggression, inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and irritability.

Despite the discontinuation of petrol with lead in India, industries remain a major source of environmental lead contamination, claimed Dr Divas Kumar, the second research lead of the study.

Children from lower socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds are exposed to significantly higher levels of lead compared to children from higher socioeconomic backgrounds. The study found that children from lower socioeconomic households had blood lead levels (BLLs) that were four times higher.

Children from lower socioeconomic households had an average BLL of 21.1 g/dl, while children from lower middle class were 7 g/dl.

Prof Awasthi said previous studies reported that lack of parental education and low family income are associated with high BLL, which is in concurrence with the findings of current study that BLL is higher in participants with low SES.

"This could possibly be due to lack of awareness, among less educated parents, about sources of lead exposure in the environment affecting health," she added.
New Delhi, Nov 21 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned hearing a petition filed by ex-JNU professor Amita Singh against the Delhi High Court order quashing summonses against The Wire editor and deputy editor over an article allegedly claiming that Singh prepared a dossier calling the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) a "den of organised sex racket".

A bench comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia adjourned the hearing till February 13, saying that the issue requires time to be heard and farm fires have taken up a lot of time today.

In 2016, Singh filed a complaint alleging that an article written by The Wire's Deputy Editor Ajoy Ashirwad Mahaprastha in April 2016 titled "Dossier Call JNU 'Den of Organised Sex Racket'; Students, Professors Allege Hate Campaign", implied that she prepared a dossier that depicted JNU as a den of organised sex racket.

Singh in her defamation complaint alleged that the Editor did not verify the authenticity of the Dossier and used it for monetary benefits of its magazine.

She has further alleged that the accused have started a hate campaign against her. In 2017, following her complaint, a summoning order was passed against the Wire's Editor Siddharth Bhatia, and Deputy Editor Ajoy Ashirwad by a Delhi court.

However, in March 2023, the Delhi High Court quashed the summoning order observing that there is nothing that could be considered to be defamatory against Singh. The court will resume hearing in February 2024.
Tel Aviv, Nov 21 : A spokesman for the Israeli military on Tuesday said the forces hit three Hezbollah anti-tank squads on the country's border with Lebanon, In a post on X in Hebrew, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said that in reponse, military aircraft "attacked a number of terrorist targets of the Hezbollah terrorist organisation, including military infrastructure and infrastructure for targeting terrorism".

He also said that earlier in the day, "terrorists fired a mortar bomb at an IDF post in the Lebanese border area" but there were no casualties.

"IDF forces attack the source of the shooting with artillery," the spokeman added.

In a separate statement, the IDF said that there were repeated attacks towards northern Israel with missiles and mortars fired from Hezbollah centres.

Israel has warned the the Iran-based militant group of dire consequences it launched an attack against the Jewish nation.

The Lebanon-Israel border has witnessed increased tension for six weeks after Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets toward Shebaa Farms on October 8 in support of the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.
Overcoming years of struggle, Yang Kaiqi, who has half a left arm, embraces embroidery to earn a living Yang Kaiqi believes that in a way, she's lucky that she grew up with a disability, rather than being a person who developed one later in life. Born with half a left arm, she has never known what it's like to have two hands. "I have met people who became disabled due to accidents and have trouble adjusting to their new reality, so luckily for me, I was born with a disability," she said. The 35-year-old from a small village in Huaihua, Hunan province, has never placed limitations on herself. She now runs a Xiang embroidery store in Changsha, the provincial capital, and is happily married and has a 2-year-old boy. Xiang embroidery is a national-level intangible cultural heritage that originated in Changsha. In Chinese, Xiang is a short name for Hunan. Xiang embroidery is one of the four best-known styles of the craft in China, along with Su embroidery from Suzhou, Jiangsu province; Shu embroidery, which is popular in Sichuan province and Chongqing; and Yue embroidery, which is famous in Guangdong province. Featuring rich colors and sharp images, the Xiang style has a history of more than 2,000 years. Yang said she has been interested in the craft since she was a child, when she learned some of the basics from one of her neighbors who is an embroiderer. Though she has taken various training courses, she has mainly learned the techniques on her own through trial and error, she said. More importantly, embroidery is a craft she can do despite her disability. "No matter which profession I chose, I needed to deal with the fact that I could only do it with one whole arm," she said. "I decided to choose Xiang embroidery because I like it. The only inconvenience is that I cannot stitch as fast as others." Yang has helped more than 1,000 disabled people learn the embroidery, teaching them for free. Whether they choose to learn it because they like it or want to make extra money, she said she is willing to help. "For people with disabilities, we are not afraid of difficulties. We only worry about not having a fair chance to try something," she said. A spate of challenges When she was born, villagers gossiped about her disability. Her grandfather said she was an angel with a broken wing, and she was destined to be special and successful. To support her studies, her little brother abandoned his after finishing middle school and started working. She enrolled in Hunan International Business Vocational College in 2008 and majored in international business and trade. While studying in college, she took a variety of jobs to help pay her tuition, including giving out flyers in the streets and working as a cashier, tour guide, sales agent and street vendor. Before she graduated in 2011, she had applied for more than 200 jobs with employers in different cities, but all of them turned her down because of her disability. "After some time, I started telling the human resources department about my disability before I came to the company for an interview, in case it was an issue for them," she said. Finally, a foreign company in Changsha hired her to work as a receptionist. Her salary was 1,200 yuan ($165) per month, which was the minimum monthly wage in Changsha back then. Yang soon discovered that there was little chance of her being promoted at the company. She began thinking about quitting and starting her own business, but she hesitated after many of her disabled friends told her that she was doing very well for a person with a disability and that she should relish the opportunity she had. After weighing her options for about six months, she decided to quit her job and started a business selling handicrafts on the streets with five other disabled people. She invested all her savings in the business and even borrowed 20,000 yuan ($2,759) from a friend. "The toughest time for us is when it rained. Changsha is a city where rain occurs frequently," she said. The business was much harder than Yang imagined. Selling the crafts was not easy, so they did not earn much money and often quarreled with each other. After around seven months, the business failed and Yang lost all her money. Afterward, a friend advised her to consider making Xiang embroidery for a living, as it did not require much investment. "I chose it mainly because I had no money left, and threads and needles do not cost much," she said. "However, I still had a lot of difficulties, as I did not have the resources, nor did I know how to run a business properly." At first, Yang would sneak into different commercial buildings in Changsha and hand out flyers to workers to promote her business. The local disabled persons federation even offered her a free office. Still, her efforts did not materialize into success. Persistence pays off It was then that Yang decided to take a course on female entrepreneurship and business management as part of an adult education program run by Tsinghua University for three years. To support her business and studies, she borrowed money from the banks and maxed out a dozen credit cards. Yang rented a very small apartment for 300 yuan per month in Changsha and commuted between the Hunan capital and Beijing regularly to take the course at Tsinghua. The course helped her broaden her horizons, and she also learned the basics of running a business, she said. In 2014, her business finally started making money, and she managed to repay all her debt a year later. At the peak of her business, Yang employed more than 40 embroiders, some of whom were disabled. But the business took a hit after the onset of the COVID-19 epidemic in 2020, and now she has a smaller number of staff consisting of part-time employees. Currently, some challenges remain. Xiang embroidery is still a relatively niche market and is enjoyed mostly by older people, she said. Moreover, the skills and renown of embroiders have a significant impact on how many works they can sell, she said. She has also been trying hard to win awards at different exhibitions and competitions to promote her brand. Tang Shujun, a former colleague of Yang's at the foreign company she worked for, joined her business seven years ago, and they have been running the shop together ever since. Tang is trying to introduce more products to sell at the store, including Hunan tea and porcelain. "There have been disagreements, but I know she has a good heart, so we can always work things out," Tang said. "No matter how she is treated by other people, she always treats others with kindness and love, and that's why I decided to stay with her." Yang also never relies on the help of others, and she often carries her own works around, Tang added.
The Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission (FCCC) welcomed the news that LEOsat operator Starlink has acquired licences to operate in Fiji, saying it will boost competition and make the digital economy more inclusive.

According to Island News, Starlink (Fiji) Pte Limited has been awarded a telecommunications licence from the Telecommunications Authority of Fiji and a spectrum licence from the Ministry of Trade, Co-operatives, SMEs and Communications.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the FCCC said Starlinks entry into the market would significantly bridge Fijis digital divide and foster economic growth, particularly in the archipelago's most remote regions.

What makes this expanded connectivity particularly significant is that it will allow residents in rural and maritime regions to more actively participate in the increasingly important digital economy, as well as access online education and benefit from telehealth services, said FCCC CEO Joel Abraham in a statement.

Abraham added that Starlink would also bring more healthy competition to Fijis broadband market. We anticipate more competitive pricing and enhanced service quality, making high-quality internet services more affordable and accessible to a wider range of consumers.

Fiji is currently served by two main telecoms players. Amalgamated Telecom Holdings (ATH) owns Telecom Fiji, Vodafone Fiji and Fiji International. The other main mobile operator is Digicel, which is owned by Telstra via its acquisition of Digicel Pacific last year.

Separately, Manoa Kamikamica, deputy PM and Minister for Trade, Co-operatives, SMEs, and Communications, said Starlinks LEO broadband connectivity would be a game changer for Fiji in terms of providing connectivity resiliency during natural disasters and cost-effectively rolling out broadband to unconnected populations in maritime communities.
New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath arrives to attend all BJP Chief Ministers meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at BJP HQ in New Delhi on Sunday, July 24, 2022. (Photo: Anupam Gautam/IANS). Image Source: IANS News

Lucknow, Nov 21 : At least a dozen BJP MPs from Uttar Pradesh have started searching for options outside the saffron party to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

These are the MPs who have 'sensed' that they may be denied tickets either on grounds of age or poor performance.

"The party has constantly been sending party leaders to my constituency to get 'feedback' and I have neither been contacted nor consulted about this. Naturally, I get a feeling that I am not in the good books of the party leaders because I have refused to suck up to them on a couple of occasions. I will not stand guard on their every visit because I have my commitments to my voters first," said a MP from east UP.

Apparently, a senior minister had visited his constituency in June but the MP chose to attend the cremation of the father of his worker instead of being present at the minister's felicitation programme.

The minister conveyed his displeasure on the issue to top party leaders. Another MP who turned 73 this year, has been 'vaguely informed' that he may not get a ticket because of his advancing age.

"The rule is applicable only to some while others  who are in the good books of leadersare exempted. I cannot continue with this uncertainty and I have already opened channels of communication with other parties," he admitted.

BJP MPs in UP who would be touching or crossing the 75-age limit by next year include Santosh Gangwar (Bareilly), Hema Malini (Mathura) and Satyadev Pachauri (Kanpur).

Meanwhile, UP BJP chief Bhupendra Chaudhary said on Monday that the party would soon start the process of taking feedback about performance of party MPs in the run up to 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The process has become an essential practice for the party over the years to assess the winnability of its candidates before an election.

However, he junked speculations that a host of BJP MPs are hobnobbing with Opposition parties, essentially the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, amid apprehension that they might be denied a ticket in the next general elections.

"BJP does not approve of such speculations and rumours. The party has full faith in its MPs and stands steadfastly behind them. The party leadership will take decisions after due consultation," he said.

Experts said BJP has sought to assess its MPs on multiple parameters, including implementation of public welfare schemes initiated by the Centre and the state government in their respective constituencies. The evaluation will be compiled into reports to be shared with the central leadership which would eventually decide the fate of MPs. The process, sources said, is expected to be completed by January.
Hyderabad, Nov 21 : The officials of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Income Tax Department conducted searches at the houses and offices of G. Vivek, Congress party candidate from Chennur Assembly constituency in Telangana.

Simultaneous searches began early Tuesday at the former MP's premises in Hyderabad and Mancherial.

Different teams of I-T officials carried out searches for nearly five hours at his houses and offices in Hyderabad and Mancherial.

Vivek's supporters staged a protest against the I-T raids outside his residence in Mancherial. They raised slogans against the Central government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The ED and I-T sleuths reportedly checked the records relating to a recent bank transaction of Rs 8 crore from the company owned by Vivek.

Two days ago, Hyderabad city police froze an online transaction valued at Rs 8 crore between Visaka Industries and Vigilance Security Services Pvt. Ltd. On instructions from the Election Commission, police had visited IDBI Bank's Basheerbagh branch and enquired about the alleged transaction and froze the transaction.

Police had also informed the Income-Tax department and joint director, Directorate of Enforcement of Hyderabad zone.

Vivek, who had recently quit BJP to join Congress party, is contesting November 30 election from Chennur constituency in Mancherial district.

The former MP is the richest candidate in the fray in Telangana. In the affidavit submitted by him to the Election Commission while filing his nomination, he declared family assets of over Rs 600 crore.

Vivek, founder and chairman of Visaka Industries Ltd, also owns Telugu new channel V6.

Meanwhile, IT sleuths also conducted searches at the premises of come business and contractors in Komaram Bheem Asifabad. The searches were carried out in Asifabad and Kagaznagar towns.
New Delhi, Nov 21 : Nokia on Tuesday announced it has entered into an agreement with Bharti Airtel to deploy a next-generation optical transport network (OTN) that will provide additional capacity, higher reliability and lower cost, enabling superior services for Airtel's customers.

Under the agreement, Airtel will utilise Nokiaas '1830 PSS-x OTN' switches in its National Long-Distance Network connecting major cities across India.

"As a world leader in OTN, our technology will help Airtel to increase the capacity and features of Bharti's optical transport network to meet growing bandwidth demand driven by the enterprise and hyperscaler segments. It will also provide the service level performance to meet the strict SLAs from Airtel customers," Chandan Kumar, Head of Optical Network Business Centre for Nokia India, said in a statement.

The increased capacity will enable Airtel to potentially deliver faster and more reliable broadband services and be ready for new use cases, Nokia said.

According to the company, its OTN solution enables Bharti Airtel to seamlessly upgrade its legacy transport switching infrastructure across its pan-Indian network footprint to meet new transport network traffic demands while improving both the performance and reliability of its network.

Nokia noted that the launch of 5G networks and the push for broadband connectivity across India is increasing demands for Communications Service Providers (CSPs), including augmentation of backhaul transport for denser 5G mobile networks, wholesale connectivity for new segments like smart grids, data centre interconnect (DCI) and other business services.

To address this exponential growth in traffic demand, transport networks need to be upgraded to increase overall transport capacity and bandwidth efficiency using high-capacity OTN switching and utilising additional spectrum, including the L-band wavelengths of the fibre, it added.
New Delhi, Nov 21 : The Indo-US Joint Special Forces exercise "VAJRA PRAHAR 2023" commenced on Tuesday at the Joint Training Node, in Meghalaya's Umroi.

The U.S contingent is represented by personnel from 1st Special Forces Group (SFG) while the Indian Army contingent is led by Special Forces personnel from the Eastern Command, the Defence Ministry said.

Exercise aVajra Prahara aims at sharing best practices and experiences in areas such as joint mission planning and operational tactics.

During the course of the next three weeks, both sides will jointly plan and rehearse a series of special operations, counter terrorist operations, airborne operations in simulated conventional and unconventional scenarios in mountainous terrain.

Key highlights include aCombat free fall insertion of troops from stand-off distancesa, awater borne insertion of troopsa, aprecision engagement of targets at long rangesa, acombat air controlling of fixed wing and rotary wing aircrafta besides aairborne insertion and sustenance of troopsa.

Exercise aVajra Prahara has evolved as a mechanism to exchange ideas and share best practices between the special forces of both the nations. It is also a platform to enhance inter-operability and strengthen defence cooperation between the armies of India and the U.S.

This is the 14th edition of the exercise while the first edition was conducted in the year 2010 in India and the 13th edition of the Indo-US Joint Special Forces exercise was conducted at the Special Forces Training School (SFTS), Bakloh (HP). The current edition is being conducted in Umroi Cantonment, Meghalaya from November 21 to December 11.
Tel Aviv, Nov 21 : The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Tuesday said that it has surrounded Jabalya region of the Gaza Strip which is considered one of the strongholds of Hamas.

The IDF in a statement said that its artillery unit from the 215th brigade and also its air strikes have helped encircle the region.

"The IDF has destroyed the terror infrastructure with combined attacks from the ground as well as from the air," it added.

The statement noted that combat forces from the 551st division along with special forces opened the path for the other battalions to enter Jabalya and also to thwart the attack from Hamas men.

"The IDF destroyed several tunnel shafts and captured many buildings from which Hamas had operated after killing many members of the terror outfit," the statement added.

The IDF launched the ground invasion of the Gaza Strip on October 27 and has now reached the Gaza main area and has taken control of the Al-Shifa hospital complex which it claimed was the centre of Hamas operations including its underground tunnel network.
New Delhi, Nov 21 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday deferred hearing till January next year on the issue of release of genetically modified (GM) mustard.

A bench comprising Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan could not take up the batch of pleas for hearing due to paucity of time and fixed the matter for hearing on January 9, 2024. It asked parties to remain "crisp" in their arguments.

Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, the law officer appearing on behalf of the Centre, requested the top court to post the matter on any convenient date for further hearing.

Senior advocate Sanjay Parikh, appearing on petitioner's behalf, said that a 10-year moratorium has already been recommended by the apex court's technical expert committee and the decision given by the Supreme Court will be the "first judgment" on the issue.

In August this year, the Supreme Court had refused to pass any urgent directions on the Centre's application seeking release of genetically modified (GM) mustard for seed production and testing.

"The environment and ecology has to be maintained... One year, here or there, does not matter. The environment harm cannot be reversed," it had told the law officer of the Centre, stressing that 'environment and ecology' have to be maintained.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan had opposed the Centre's application and said that though it is not a commercial release, no environmental trial should be allowed until the whole regulatory system is in place. He had apprehended that environmental release could contaminate non-GM crops.

Notably, the Centre had submitted an oral undertaking before the apex court, though not formally recorded in court's order, saying that it would not take any precipitative steps on the decision made by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) allowing the environmental release of the GM mustard.

The GEAC had allowed the environmental release of GM mustard for seed production and testing.
Patna, Nov 21 : Two persons were killed and as many injured after a speeding dumper rammed into an SUV from behind in Bihar's Gaya district early Tuesday.

The injured were rushed to Magadh medical college Gaya and their condition is critical, police said.

The dumper driver managed to fled the scene.

Ajit Yadav and Santosh Yadav, residents of Lalganj in Gaya, died on the spot while two others, including driver and a person sitting on the front seat, survived.

"Ex Mukhiya Ajit Yadav and his assistant were returning from Hazaribagh in Jharkhand via NH 19. After reaching Dobhi, they took Patna-Gaya-Dobhi 4 lane NH 83 to reach home. When they reached Hario village, a speeding dumper hit their SUV from behind. Ajit and Santosh, who were sitting on the rear seats, died on the spot while driver and passenger on the front seat survived," said Sailesh Kumar, SHO of Magadh Medical College and hospital Gaya.
Chennai, Nov 21 : Making his OTT debut in the upcoming violent, and bloody horror series 'The Village', Tamil star Arya has opened up on his experience regarding the series' shoot, saying that OTT shooting is an altogether different experience.

Talking about the series in detail, the 'Iraandan Ulagam' actor said: "My OTT debut with 'The Village' has definitely been a different kind of experience. The show's concept, which is the horror-thriller element with a lot of gore, and a very rooted story was also never experienced in the Indian OTT market."

The actor further mentioned, "I found that particularly enticing, which led me to pursue it further. The horror series is a class apart from all other horror genres seen on the Indian OTT platforms."

Inspired by Asvin Srivatsangam, Vivek Rangachari, and Shamik Dasgupta's graphic horror novel of the same name, this horror thriller narrates the story of a man who is on a pursuit to unravel the mystery behind his family's disappearance in the village of Kattiyal.

As he investigates further, the man uncovers creatures beyond his worst nightmares. Mutated abominations roam the darkness, attack with no surprise, and are filled with murderous intent. The mutants are without reason, without fear, and without mercy.

The 'Sarpatta Parambarai' actor added: "A lot of times, the horror that we see in movies too is very restricted and one cannot go beyond a certain point while creating it, but here Milind (Rau - the director) has gone all out. I think this is a way for creators to believe in making this kind of content because people really want to watch these types of genres."

Directed by Milind Rau, 'The Village' stars Arya, Divya Pillai, Aazhiya, Aadukalam Naren, George Mayan, PN Sunny, Muthukumar K., Kalairaani S.S., John Kokken, Pooja, V Jayaprakash, Arjun Chidambaram, and Thalaivasal Vijay in pivotal roles.

The Tamil horror series is produced by B.S.Radhakrishnan under the banner of Studio Shakthi Productions, and will stream exclusively on Prime Video in Tamil, dubbed in Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi, with subtitles in English from November 24.
New Delhi, Nov 21 : A 36-year-old man was stabbed to death when he resisted a robbery bid by five individuals in the national capital, an official said on Tuesday.

The deceased was identified as Manjay Paswan, a resident of Bahadurgarh, Haryana. Paswan used to work in a slipper factory in the west Delhi area and originally hails from Bihar.

According to police, on Monday, an information was received regarding the stabbing of a man near Mangolpuri railway station following which a police team rushed to the spot.

Upon reaching the spot, the police learnt that that one Jitender along with Paswan was going to the platform through a railway track when some boys (around five) caught hold of them for looting.

"Scuffle between them took place on the track itself and the accused attacked them with knives. He (Jitender) escaped but his colleague fell down. After some time, when he returned with four-five passersby, he found Paswan lying on the railway track in a pool of blood with injuries on his neck. He with the help of others lifted Paswan out of the truck," said a senior police official.

"From the statement of the complainant and scene of crime, the place of occurrence seems to belong to the railway police. A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code at Paschim Vihar West police station," the official added.
New Delhi, 21 Nov : The University Grants Commission (UGC) has decided to update the syllabi of the subjects of UGC-NET soon.

UGC Chairman, Professor M Jagadesh Kumar told IANS that an expert committee will be formed to update the syllabi of the subjects as the last update was done in 2017.

However, after launching the National Education Policy (NEP) in 2020, there have been considerable developments in higher education to impart multidisciplinary curricula and holistic education.

Therefore, in its meeting held in November, the commission decided that an exercise to update the syllabi of the subjects of UGC-NET may be undertaken, Kumar added.

Kumar said that UGC will form an expert committee and undertake this exercise.

Candidates will be given sufficient time before this new syllabus is introduced in UGC-NET so that the changeover happens smoothly, he added.

On behalf of UGC, the National Testing Agency conducts the UGC-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) for Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and as an Eligibility Test for appointment as Assistant Professor in the subjects of Humanities and Social Sciences, including Indian and some foreign languages, as well as in certain science subjects.

The UGC-NET examination is held twice yearly in 83 subjects, usually in June and December, the UGC official added.
Singapore, Nov 21 : A 25-year-old Malaysian-Indian has been sentenced to 10 years in jail and 10 strokes of the cane in Singapore for drug trafficking.

Devendran Shanugam pleaded guilty on Monday to two charges of attempted possession of drugs with common intention for the purpose of trafficking, Channel News Asia reported.

The court heard that Devendran was transferred to work as a cleaner under Tiben Raj Anbalagan at a community centre in Singapore in August 2021.

They both became close and Devendran agreed to pick up drugs like diamorphine, cannabis and methamphetamine for him in return for money.

Devendran knew the drugs he was collecting and delivering were illegal but he continued to work along with Tiben Raj to traffick drugs for an unidentified person called 'Boss'.

From January to mid-February 2022, the pair received instructions from aBossa to collect bundles of drugs from lorries.

They collected bundles of drugs and stored them in the cleaners' storeroom at the community centre, and were paid according to the weight of the drugs collected.

In total, Devendran collected and delivered drugs including diamorphine, meth and cannabis, or mixtures of these drugs, on 16 occasions between January and May 2022.

In particular, he collected 25 bundles of diamorphine on three occasions and 1kg in gross weight of cannabis on one occasion.

He was paid SG$500 to SG$2,000 for each delivery, and was arrested by the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) on May 19, 2022.
New Delhi: Former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia leaves his residence after meeting his ailing wife. Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, Nov 21 : A Delhi court on Tuesday extended the judicial custody of former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who was arrested in connection with the alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped excise policy, till December 11.

During the hearing, the court noted that submission of several documents is pending and have to be filed by the Enforcement Directorate for the accused persons.

Besides, the court expressed that the trial in the matter should start as soon as possible.

In July, the High Court denied bail to Sisodia in the excise policy case being probed by the ED. A bench of Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma had said that Sisodia was not able to meet the twin conditions for grant of bail under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), and the triple test for grant of bail.

The High Court observed that the order of the special judge M.K. Nagpal of Rouse Avenue Court denying bail to Sisodia was well reasoned and does not hold any illegality or infirmity.
Mumbai, Nov 21 : The Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) President Prakash Ambedkar on Tuesday lavished praises on the Congress and extended an olive branch with a formal invitation to Rahul Gandhi for its 'Honour Constitution' Mahasabha scheduled here on November 25.

In a warmly-worded letter to Gandhi, Ambedkar appreciated him and the Congress' endeavour in the ongoing elections to the five states, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram.

"Your resurgence in contemporary politics reminds me of your mother (Sonia Gandhi)'s emergence in active politics and her role in reviving the Congress after she assumed the party's presidency in 1998, when it was down to three states and facing rebellion from its own leaders, which resulted in divisions," said Ambedkar.

He pointed out that it was during that very turbulent phase that the Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh (the earlier avatar of VBA) had supported the Congress under Sonia Gandhi though some prominent leaders endorsed misgivings over her 'foreignness'.

Requesting Rahul Gandhi to address the planned mammoth VBA event at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Park this weekend, Ambedkar said that the Constitution of India has always safeguarded the interests of the discriminated, marginalised and minority communities of the country.

He reiterated the opening and the final sentences "We, the people" and " adopt, enact and give to ourselves this Constitution" signified the power it vested in the hands of the Indian people.

"To celebrate these very Constitutional Rights, which would not have been possible without the Constitution of India, Mahasabha (rally) has been organised to honour and celebrate both the Constitution and India's founding ideals, which my grandfather, B. R. Ambedkar, and your great-grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru and other founding fathers had envisioned for our country," urged Ambedkar.

The VBA has been making frantic efforts to join the national opposition I.N.D.I.A. alliance for the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, but so far it has not succeeded, ostensibly due to reservations of certain parties.

Earlier, Ambedkar had warned that if it was denied entry to the I.N.D.I.A. bloc, then the VBA would contest all the Lok Sabha seats in the upcoming 2024 elections.
Hyderabad, Nov 21 : Telugu star Pawan Kalyan lending humanitarian assistance to the families of those fishermen or sailors' families who were injured and whose property were damaged due to the mysterious fire in Visakhapatnam harbour, pledging over Rs 50,000 to each and every one of the victim's families.

The fire took place on November 18, and as of yet the source is still under investigation as there is no evidence whether this was any case of arson. The fire led to the destruction of an estimated 45-60 boats.

"I have decided to provide financial assistance of fifty thousand rupees on behalf of JSP to the owners of the boats who lost their lives due to the fire of more than 60 boats in Visakhapatnam Shipping Harbor. In the next two or three days, I myself will come and give them. Janasena will support their families," he wrote on X.

The president of Janasena political party, the 'Gabbar Singh' actor has been very critical of the government in his home state of Andhra Pradesh, questioning them constantly on the welfare and employment of fishermen in the state.

He has further pointed out that the sitting party has no interest in people's welfare or any kind of development.

A member of the opposition, the Telugu cinema star has also said that things will take a turn for the better once the current government leaves the seat. The 'Attarintiki Daredi' actor said that there are many resources available suitable for inland fishing in the state.

He further complained that there are many unnecessary monetary cuts being made to the salary and the safety equipment of fishermen, having no interest in contrasting proper boats, jetties, or supplying good materials for their construction, but they are still willing to spend crores of rupees on the Chief Minister's residence.
Bhubaneswar, Nov 21 : As many as 2,817 wild animals, including four tigers, have died in forests across Odisha in the last five years.

The information was revealed by the Minister of Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department, Pradip Kumar Amat in the state Assembly on Tuesday.

While answering a question asked by BJP leader Kusum Tete, he said that 430 elephants, four tigers, 31 leopards and 2,352 other animals died during 2018-19 and 2022-23.

He informed the House that the animals died due to different diseases, train and road accidents, electrocution, poaching and poisoning etc.

The maximum number of deaths has been reported in the Dhenkanal forest division and Chilika Wildlife Division.

As many as 231 animals died in the forests of Dhenkanal while 220 died under the Chilika Wildlife Division.

On the other hand, different types of trees in 13,571.164 hectares of forest land have been cut down for non-forest works.

The government initiated plantation in 15,749.930 hectares of forest land for afforestation purposes. The government has spent Rs 113.50 crore for compensatory afforestation during 2018 to 2022.

Meanwhile, data produced by Amat while answering to a question asked by BJD MLA Prasanta Behera revealed that a large number of posts under different categories are lying vacant in the forest department.

As many as 210 posts are lying vacant out of the sanctioned 492 grade-A posts in the state forest department.

Similarly, 410 posts in grade-B, 4001 in grade-C and 437 in grade-D are lying vacant against the sanctioned strength of 759, 10,378, and 992 respectively in the respective grades.

As many as 24 Assistant Conservators of Forest are receiving training at the Central Academy for State Forest Service (CASFOS), Dehradun who will join the service soon after completion of the training period.

He said the government has taken steps to fill up another 45 Assistant Conservator of Forest posts soon. Similarly, 29 Forest Rangers are getting training at the Odisha Forest Rangers' College, Angul while steps have been taken for the appointment of 131 new Forest Rangers.

As many as 806 Forest Guards have been deployed in different forest divisions recently and the remaining 1,677 forest guard vacancies are in the process of being filled.

The process has also been started to fill up 317 Junior Assistant posts in different districts.
Tel Aviv, Nov 21 : The Arab Islamist Ra'am party leader M.K. Mansour Abbas has said that Islam does not permit to take children, including toddlers, as hostages.

He said that a two-year-old child cannot be a bargaining chip and a party to any deal.

Abbas also met with the families of some of the hostages and got a letter from them including those signed by Nobel Prize laureates and legal documents signed by the legal experts calling for immediate release of the hostages held in Gaza.

He said that the letter was addressed by the families of children who have been kidnapped following October 7 attacks by Hamas.

The letter was representing the families of 30 children who were kidnapped, including a nine-months-old baby, three-years-old girl and eight-years-old boy.

Mansour Abbas said that he has delivered the letter to the Emir of Qatar, President of Turkey, and also to the President of the U.S.

He said that all citizens of Israel, Jewish and Arab should care to be inclusive to protect their own future.

He said that he will do everything possible to bring the children home.
New Delhi, Nov 21 : Hyundai Motor India Ltd. (HMIL), India's first smart mobility solutions provider and largest exporter since its inception, on Tuesday launched the 'Samarth' initiative for the awareness and enablement of people with disabilities in India.

The initiative is aligned with Hyundai's global vision of 'Progress for Humanity' that aims to enable an inclusive, progressive world through the power of mobility. Through this initiative, Hyundai aims to help create a more aware and sensitized society towards people with disabilities in India.

With over 26.8 million differently abled people in India, Hyundai understood the need for creating awareness in the society towards disabilities.

With the launch of 'Samarth', Hyundai Motor India is India's first automobile company to launch an inclusive mobility project at a mass scale.

Hyundai will partner with NGOs and media network to create a mass movement while also aligning Hyundai dealerships and network to become more inclusive. With technology, partnerships, product innovations, and storytelling, 'Samarth' aims to turn the world into a level-playing field for all.

Commenting on the launch of 'Samarth' initiative, Un Soo Kim, MD & CEO, HMIL, said, "We don't just make cars but also believe in empowering India, and to empower India, we undertake social initiatives under the pillars of- Earth, Mobility and Hope.

"These are aligned with Hyundai's global vision of 'Continue' and propagate 'Progress for Humanity'. Samarth is a manifestation of this belief. We are pleased to announce the launch of 'Samarth' initiative, which is a step towards creating a more aware and inclusive society towards differently abled in India. We aim to cultivate a more equitable and sensitized society for the differently abled and want them to see their true capabilities."
TCS to take $125 mn hit in Q3 earnings as US court awards damages in lawsuit. Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, Nov 21 : The United States Supreme Court on November 20 rejected the petition by Tata Consultancy Services to file an appeal against an order which had awarded punitive damages of $140 million.

aThe Company intends to make the balance provision of approximately $125 million in its financial statements as an exceptional item, for the third quarter and nine months ending December 31, 2023," TCS said in a filing.

aPursuant to Regulation 30 of SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015, and in continuation of our prior filings since April 2016, we hereby inform you that in the EPIC Systems Corporation matter, the United States Supreme Court on November 20, 2023 rejected the Companyas petition to file an appeal against the orders passed by the US Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit, which confirmed the punitive damages award of USD 140 million passed by the District Court of Wisconsin," TCS said.
Musk says SpaceX will launch Starship in about 2 months. Image Source: IANS News

San Francisco, Nov 21 : The recent test flight of SpaceX's Starship did not damage the launch pad, said CEO Elon Musk.

The Starship successfully lifted off under the power of all 33 Raptor engines on the Super Heavy Booster and made it through stage separation on Saturday evening.

The booster, however, experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly shortly after stage separation while Starship's engines fired for several minutes on its way to space, SpaceX said.

During the first test flight in April, the integrated Starship and Super Heavy rocket blew apart the launchpad shortly after the launch. It spewed debris up to 20 acres outside the area that federal regulators initially expected.

To prevent this, one of the "several upgrades" that SpaceX did was to install a water-spewing steel plate beneath the pad. Musk said the plate prevented damage to the Starship launch pad so that no additional changes are needed to it before the next launch.

"Just inspected the Starship launch pad and it is in great condition! No refurbishment needed to the water-cooled steel plate for next launch," Musk said in a post on X.

The launch of Starship has also again triggered an investigation by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) over the booster explosion.

"A mishap occurred during the @SpaceX Starship OFT-2 launch from Boca Chica, Texas, on Saturday, November 18. The anomaly resulted in a loss of the vehicle. No injuries or public property damage have been reported," the aviation regulator posted on X.

"The FAA will oversee the @SpaceX-led mishap investigation to ensure SpaceX complies with its FAA-approved mishap investigation plan and other regulatory requirements," the agency added.

Meanwhile, the billionaire also said that the next flight of Starship is likely before Christmas.

"Starship Flight 3 hardware should be ready to fly in three to four weeks. There are three ships in final production in the high bay (as can be seen from the highway)," Musk said.

Starship is the tallest rocket ever assembled. The fully-integrated Starship and Super Heavy rocket stands 394 feet tall, and is about 30 feet in diameter.

SpaceX aims to use Starship as a fully reusable transportation system to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, help humanity return to the Moon, and travel to Mars and beyond.
New Delhi, Nov 21 : The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked the Railways to offer free assistance, including wheelchair facilities, to persons with disabilities at stations.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Mini Pushkarna addressed the matter during a suo motu petition initiated by the court in 2017 following a report of a youth missing an M.Phil test due to the door of a special compartment for the disabled being closed.

Senior advocate S.K. Rungta, serving as amicus curiae in the matter, pointed out the issue of providing human assistance to persons with visual impairment, saying that while a wheelchair was available, it required payment of Rs 250.

The court suggested waiving this amount, stating that wheelchair assistance should be free for persons with disabilities.

The senior lawyer said that a free wheelchair facility was also being offered by airlines and Delhi metro to travellers.

The Railways' counsel requested time to seek instructions on the matter, after which the court set the matter for hearing next on December 7.
Jaipur, Nov 21 : Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Tuesday termed the Congress manifesto as the bungle of lies and accused the Congress of misleading the public.

Shekhawat said that the Congress party ruled for 15 years in Rajasthan and gave chance to only one person to become the Chief Minister thrice.

"Apart from making the state a rape capital, auctioning the lands of farmers and cheating the youth in the name of paper leak, nothing else has been done," the minister said.

He said that the Congress had released the manifesto in 2018 which was a 44-page document but it did not fulfill even one of the promises and announcements made in its manifesto.

"Now they have come up with double manifesto of 85 pages. In the preface of the 2023 manifesto, they say that they have fulfilled 96 per cent of the promises made in the 2018 public manifesto. You can understand that the lie has been started from the preface itself," Shekhawat said.

He said that Congress had promised to the farmers that they will waive off the entire loan of the farmers in 10 days but what happened is in front of you.

"The land of more than 20,000 farmers of the state was auctioned and hundreds of farmers committed suicide due to debt. Farmers were promised compensation for crop damage, but no compensation was given," he said.

He said that the Congress had said that it will provide fair price to the farmers for their crops, whereas the farmers of Rajasthan had to go to Haryana to sell millet.

"The manifesto promised to make Rajasthan self-reliant in terms of electricity, and had promised not to increase electricity rates, but today electricity is the most expensive in Rajasthan. The promise of providing 24 hours electricity also proved to be completely false," he said.

He said that the Congress had also promised to expand the rural bus service so that people can get transportation facilities at affordable rates but the number of roadways buses in Rajasthan are less than before and no bus was purchased in last five years.

He said that there was a promise to stop gravel mining and to solve the parking system but that too was not fulfilled.

"Today, the drug addiction and alcoholism among the youth has also increased but the state government is paying no attention to the drug menace in the state," the union minister said.
Patna, Nov 21 : After a long wait, Bihar Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar passed the 75 per cent Reservation Amendment Bill, 2023 for implementation on Tuesday. The Bihar Governor has also issued a notification in this regard.

Earlier, the Bihar Government presented the Bill based on the caste-based survey in Bihar Assembly and Council and both the Houses passed the Bill and recommended it for the Governoras approval.

All the other Bills passed by the state legislature during the Winter Session were approved by the Governor and returned to the Government. But the Nitish Kumar Government in Bihar was awaiting the Governoras assent to the legislation that sought to increase reservations in state government jobs and admissions to educational institutions.

With Tuesdayas development the people of Bihar who come under the Extremely Backward Caste (EBC), Other Backward Caste (OBC), Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) will get the benefit of reservation of up to 75 per cent from the earlier 60 per cent. This will help candidates get admissions to various educational institutions as well as in government jobs.

People coming under the EBC had 18 per cent reservation in the past. After this Bill, the Bihar Government has enhanced the reservation to 25 per cent.

Similarly, the OBC category with 12 per cent reservation earlier will get 18 per cent after this.

The SCs, who had 16 per cent reservation in the past, will get 20 per cent and STs having 1 per cent reservation will now get 2 per cent.

Bihar is not the first state to have 75 per cent reservation for EBC, OBC, SC and ST. As per the new Reservation Bill, Tamil Nadu has 79 per cent, Jharkhand has 77 per cent, Chhattisgarh has 76 per cent, Telangana has 75 per cent and Maharashtra has 72 per cent quota.
Panaji, Nov 21 : Several Hindu organisations in Goa on Tuesday demanded banning the sale of Halal certified products in Goa on the lines of the decision taken by the Uttar Pradesh government.

The representatives of these organizations submitted a memorandum at Ponda police station in South Goa seeking to ban production, storage and sale of Halal certified products in Goa.

The delegation comprised of Bajrang Dal, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Hindu Janajagruti Samiti. Satyavijaya Naik of the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, speaking to reporters, praised Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanad for taking action against 'Halal' certified products.

"Products with halal tags are sold everywhere openly. In Goa, too, we can see the same situation. Hence, we have also demanded from the government to take action," Satyavijaya Naik said.

"Halal certification of food products is a parallel system which creates confusion regarding the quality of food items and is not tenable under Section 89 of the Food Safety and Standards Act. The halal certification system is creating confusion about the quality of food," he said.

"In Goa also, Halal certified food, cosmetics, medicines, from 'Namkeen' to dry fruits, sweets, grains, oil, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, nail polish, lipstick etc. cosmetics are being sold everywhere from small shops to big malls," he said.

--IANS

sbk/pgh
New Delhi, Nov 21 : Soon after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said that it has attached properties worth Rs 751 crore of the Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the company which runs the National Herald, the Congress hit back saying that the action reflects the BJP's desperation to divert attention from certain defeat in the ongoing elections in five states.

In a statement, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said, "Reports of attachment of AJL properties by ED reflects their desperation to divert attention from certain defeat in the ongoing elections in each state."

He said that the Prevention of Money Laundering (PMLA) action can only be "consequential to some predicate or main offence."

"There is no transfer of any immovable property. There is no movement of money. There are no proceeds of crime. Indeed, there is no complainant who claims to have been cheated, not a single one!!" Singhvi, who is also an eminent lawyer said.

He added, "This is a prefabricated structure of deceit, lies and falsehood, of, by and for the BJP, to divert, distract and digress in the middle of elections. No BJP coalition partner  CBI, ED or IT  can prevent certain impending defeat of the BJP. An assignment of loan without transfer of any immovable property or movement of money is being dressed up to justify attachment and freezing of assets of a company which runs an iconic voice of Indian independence movement  National Herald  only because its linked to the Congress and its legacy. These petty vendetta tactics shall not cow down the Congress or the Opposition," Singhvi added.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Manickam Tagore also hit back at the ED's actions saying the attachment order is illegal.

Tagore said, "The action of the ED under the orders of (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi to take away the properties of the National Herald is an illegal order."

He said that the National Herald was an organisation which had fought against the British during the freedom struggle. Taking a swipe at the RSS, he said that all of us know that the RSS and the organisations were supporting the British. "Now the same RSS and the BJP are taking away the properties of National Herald through the illegal action of the ED," he said.

He added that the people of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Chhattisgarh will give a befitting reply to a frustrated Modi.

"Modi will be defeated and his frustration will be defeated and the people of India will show them that those people who fought for the freeddom movement cannot be treated like this," the Congress leader added.

Even Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal in a post on X, said, "The ED attaching properties of AJL and Young Indian in a completely frivolous and made-up case, is shameful vendetta politics. The BJP must realise that going after India's largest Opposition party is akin to going after Indian democracy."

Hitting out at the BJP, Venugopal said, "They are staring at a historic loss in the ongoing five state elections and in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. If they think they can intimidate us or tarnish our reputation in the people's eyes, they are grossly mistaken."

"The BJP and its allied agencies are the murderers of Indian democracy and 1.4 billion Indians will give a befitting reply to this fascist politics of revenge and intimidation. Satyamev Jayate," the Congress leader added.

The remarks came after the ED said that it attached properties worth Rs 751.9 crore in a money-laundering case against AJL, the company which owns various publications including National Herald. The financial probe agency claimed that both Congress-linked organisations were 'beneficiaries' of proceeds of crime and the assets included immovable properties.

The ED said that its probe in the money laundering case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act revealed that "AJL is in possession of proceeds of crime in the form of immovable properties spread across many cities of India such as Delhi, Mumbai and Lucknow to the tune of Rs 661.69 crore and Young Indian is in possession of proceeds of crime to the tune of Rs 90.21 crore in the form of investment in equity shares of AJL".

The ED registered a case of money-laundering on the basis of process issued by a Delhi Court after taking cognisance of a private complaint vide order dated June 26, 2014.
Mumbai, Nov 21 : Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from his previous Amethi constituency in Uttar Pradesh, a top leader said here on Tuesday.

UP Congress President Ajay Rai reiterated that the Gandhis have been working very hard for the people of Amethi since generations, and Rahul-ji will definitely contest from the seat in the 2024 polls.

In the 2019 parliamentary polls, in an embarrassing upset for the Congress, Rahul Gandhi had lost the Amethi seat to BJP's Smriti Irani by a margin of over 55,000 votes.

However, he had bagged the Wayanad seat in Kerala with a handsome margin of over 4.31 lakh votes to enter the Lok Sabha from South India for the first time.

This is the second time that Rai spoke about Rahul Gandhi's possibility of returning to his old bastion Amethi after his previous statement to the effect in August in Lucknow.

Accompanied by Mumbai Congress President Varsha Gaikwad and others, Rai slammed the ruling BJP at the Centre and state for attempting to cash in on the opening of the Ram Temple by turning it into a political event.

"The construction of Ram Temple is a matter of faith and not for making it into a mega event. If there is enough faith, even a single lamp and solitary flower is sufficient. The BJP is indulging in all this to fool the people in an election year," said Rai.
Washington, Nov 21 : The DC appellate court judges here declined to pronounce a verdict Monday on whether the "limited gag order" issued by federal judge Tanya Chutkan against ex-president Donald Trump should be reinstated, but pressed the DOJ to present the viability of putting it back.

A Washington appeals court pressed the DOJ prosecutors and attorneys for Donald Trump on the viability of a "limited gag order" in Trump's federal election interference case at a hearing Monday, media reports said .

The limited gag order, paused by the appellate court till the hearing played out in the federal court , was first issued by US District Judge Tanya Chutkan.

It bans Trump from making or reposting statements "publicly targeting" special counsel Jack Smith and his staff, targeting the judge's staff and the staff of other DC district court personnel, the reports said.

The judges did not immediately issue a decision on whether the limited gag order should be reinstated, ABC news reported.

As early as August, Trump pleaded not guilty to charges of a criminal conspiracy to overturn the results of the 2020 election that declared Joe Biden as the President. Trump was accused of enlisting a list of "fake electors", using the Justice Department to conduct "sham election crime investigations", trying to enlist the vice president to "alter the election results", and promoting false claims of a stolen election as the January 6 riot raged.

All this was done to subvert democracy and remain in power.

The former president has denied all wrongdoing and denounced the charges as "a persecution of a political opponent".

He even called it a political witch hunt.

Chutkan issued the limited gag order last month as soon as Trump made abusive remarks on social media calling Smith "deranged" and a "thug".

At Monday's hearing, Trump attorney John Sauer described the limited gag order as one that sought to restrain Trump from making free speeches on his election trail and was violative of the first amendment under the constitution.

The order against Trump was "unprecedented" and one that set "a terrible precedent for future restrictions on core political speech".

A judge then asked if Trump is "above the law," to which Sauer replied the defence was yet to argue on that. The judge then pressed Sauer with several instances of a Supreme Court precedent and asked whether he believes courts can claim a sufficient interest in protecting the integrity of a trial that they could implement such a gag order.

Sauer took exception saying the present conditions and situation were wholly unique.

Sauer opined a threat has to be "imminent" and not merely speculative for gag order, which Judge Bradley Garcia indicated ran afoul of a precedent, ABC reported.

Special counsel Cecil VanDevender argued that restrictions on making direct attacks against Smith were supported by a Supreme Court precedent -- but judges asked him to explain why that didn't violate Trump's First Amendment rights.

The appellate judges then raised a hypothetical scenario where Trump was on a debate stage where his opponents could raise specific issues regarding the prosecutions he is facing, and ask whether he should be barred from responding to them. The judge asked VanDevender whether Trump would have to speak "Ms. Manners" while everyone on the stage is targeting him, ABC reported.

VanDevender said the relaxation of the gag order would permit Trump to say the prosecution was politically motivated and call the Justice Department corrupt, but Trump should be barred from even mentioning the names of prosecutors in the case. This saw an aggressive push back from judges as they presented with several hypothetical scenarios that could test the gag order.

One judge asked if Trump could respond to a Bill Barr appearance on 60 Minutes attacking him over January 6, by saying everything Barr said was false. VanDevender suggested Trump could say it was false, but couldn't engage in other "inflammatory language" or attack Barr's credibility directly in a way that would influence the jury pool. Another judge asked if calling someone a "slimy liar" was inflammatory.

"I think it's inflammatory," VanDevender answered, saying Trump could say he "disagreed" with a witness' testimony related to January 6, but he could not say that they "lied".
Washington, Nov 21 : A comprehensive deal to release Hamas held hostages in Gaza in barter for cessation of hostilities could be struck even as the Prime Minister's office in Tel Aviv will hold a meeting on Tuesday to thrash out the details of such an agreement with the militant outfit.

A deal to release hostages held in Gaza in exchange for a pause in the fighting could be struck as soon as today (Tuesday), multiple officials told CNN.

"Israel's war cabinet will meet Tuesday... amid developments on the issue of freeing the hostages," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Tuesday.

Netanyahu indicated on Tuesday that progress was made on the possible release of Hamas held hostages in Gaza.

"We are making progress. I don't think it's worth saying more, even at this moment, but I hope there will be good news soon," Netanyahu said as he met with reservists.

Israel, Hamas and the US are on the brink of announcing a deal for Hamas to free the hostages, mainly women and children, abducted on October 7 attacks in exchange for a four-to-five day truce.

This would also include three Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons for every hostage released, according to people involved in the negotiations.

The deal could be announced on Tuesday.

US officials said the deal is not yet done fully, but they are optimistic difficult work is about to pay off with the release of the hostages, CNN said.

Any hostage release deal clinched on Tuesday cannot be implemented immediately as it takes a day or two to start the process as there are legal procedures that Israel must follow before releasing any Palestinian prisoners.

Those prisoners are expected to be women and adolescents, media reports said.

Israel's leadership is under huge domestic pressure to secure the hostages' release.
New Delhi, Nov 21 : Israel is not looking to occupy Gaza after its ongoing war with the Palestinian militant group Hamas ends, an Israeli government official said on Tuesday.

"We don't want to occupy Gaza. We don't want to rule over Gaza," Mark Regev, a senior advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told an online media briefing on the war.

"We insist, however, that Gaza must be demilitarised."

The war started after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people in massacres across towns and villages in the country's south, firing rockets into Israel.

More than 12,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's retaliatory airstrikes and the siege of the coastal enclave, according to the media in the Middle East, citing the Hamas-run health ministry.

Regev said a Palestinian government could be formed in the future after Hamas is removed from the enclave.

"Hamas has brought bloodshed and impoverishment to the people of Gaza."

Israel's international partners will want to rebuild Gaza, Regev said, adding that Arab countries will be part of the rebuilding process.

"Hamas has no friends in the Arab world other than Qatar," he said of the country where Hamas' leadership reportedly lives.

Israel's victory would be a win for those seeking peace in the region, Regev added.

Even as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) intensify their operations in Gaza after 46 days of the war, the Israeli government has not stated clearly its plan for the enclave once the fighting stops.

While the IDF pursues its goal of destroying Hamas infrastructure in Gaza, as it describes the military operations, Israel is engaged in negotiations to free some 238 hostages, including children and the elderly, from Hamas captivity.

And, if the backroom talks, which also involve Qatar and the United States, lead to an agreement on the release of hostages, then Israel would likely agree to a short pause.

"We will agree to a temporary ceasefire if our hostages are released," Regev said.

He said international humanitarian organisations such as the Red Cross were not allowed by Hamas to visit the hostages to assess their wellbeing.

When asked if Israel has proof of life of the hostages, Regev said that "no information on their condition" is available but that Israel has gathered its own intelligence.

The hostages should be released unconditionally, he said.

So far, there is no indication that Israel would consider any deal whereby the hostages are swapped for Palestinian prisoners.

Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported earlier that the families of some of the hostages have urged Netanyahu to agree to such an exchange.
New Delhi, Nov 21 : A Lucknow court on Tuesday sentenced three persons to imprisonment to four to five years in the 2021 Ghaziabad fake currency seizure case.

An NIA spokesperson said that the NIA special judge in Lucknow has sentenced three accused -- Murad Alam, Tausif Alam and Sariful Islam -- to prison, in which the NIA had earlier charge-sheeted four accused for supply of high quality fake Indian currency notes (FICN) smuggled in from Bangladesh.

The three accused were convicted on Tuesday, who pleaded guilty before the NIA Special Judge.

The official said that all three have been sentenced to four and five years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) along with fine, or one month simple imprisonment in lieu thereof, for separate offences under various sections of IPC and UA(P) Act. The sentences will run concurrently.

The case was initially registered by ATS, UP, in December 2019, following the recovery of high quality FICN, having total face value of Rs 2.49 lakh from the possession of Alam. The NIA had taken over the investigations after re-registering the case in February 2020.

NIA investigations had revealed that Alam had received the FICN consignment from Tausif Alam and had carried it for delivery to Shahnawaj Ansari, the official said.

The consignment was supplied to Tausif Alam by the accused Islam, who had contacts in Bangladesh from where he used to procure the fake currency, the official said.

"Probe had established that all the accused persons were members of the FICN Supply network and the fake currency was purportedly smuggled from across the border. The accused had conspired to smuggle, sell and procure the FICN, and had kept it in their possession before further circulating and supplying it to persons or consignees in different parts of the country, including Alam, a resident of Ghaziabad and Ansari, hailing from Bihar's Purnea in the instant case," the official added.
San Francisco, Nov 21 : Microsoft on Tuesday said it will match OpenAI's compensation to employees who want to join Sam Altman's new advanced AI research lab at Satya Nadella-run tech giant.

Microsoft Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and EVP of AI, Kevin Scott, said in a post on X that the company has seen their petition to the OpenAI board.

"To my partners at OpenAI: We have seen your petition and appreciate your desire potentially to join Sam Altman at Microsoft's new AI Research Lab," he posted.

"Know that if needed, you have a role at Microsoft that matches your compensation and advances our collective mission," Scott added.

Microsoft Chairman and CEO Nadella announced on Monday Altman and OpenAI co-founder and former president Greg Brockman will join the company to run its advanced AI research team.

However, he said that it's still possible that Altman could return to OpenAI in some capacity.

In an interview with CNBC, Nadella said that Microsoft wants Altman and Brockman to have a fantastic home if they're not going to be in OpenAI.

Asked whether Altman would return to OpenAI, Nadella said: "That's for, you know, the OpenAI board and management and the employees to choose  (Microsoft) chose to explicitly partner with OpenAI (and) obviously that depends on the people at OpenAI staying there or coming to Microsoft, so I'm open to both options."

More than 500 employees at OpenAI on Monday reportedly threatened to resign and join Microsoft.

In a letter to OpenAI's board, they said that "Microsoft has assured us that there are positions for all OpenAI employees at this new subsidiary should we choose to join".

Competitors like enterprise software major Salesforce have also been trying to poach OpenAI employees to join their AI projects.

However, several OpenAI researchers turned down Benioff's job offer.
Guwahati, Nov 21 : Senior Election Commission (EC) officials have held a meeting with the Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) and police officers of eight northeastern states and West Bengal here and reviewed the status of ongoing special summary revision (SSR) of electoral rolls and preparedness for next year's Lok Sabha elections, an official said on Tuesday.

Tripura Chief Electoral Officer Puneet Agarwal said that in the day-long meeting on Monday, senior EC officials sought the views of CEOs and police officers.

"Senior EC officials also gave their advice and suggestions to the CEOs and nodal officers about the subsequent steps and necessary formalities ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections," Agarwal told IANS.

The EC team comprised senior deputy election commissioners Dharmendra Sharma and Nitesh Kumar Vyas, deputy election commissioner Hirdesh Kumar, Director General Neeta Verma and directors Pankaj Srivastava and Deepali Masirkar.

Chief electoral officers and state police nodal officers of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya, Sikkim and West Bengal gave detailed presentations on the ongoing process of the SSR of the of electoral rolls and planning and preparations for next 18th Lok Sabha elections.

Another election official in Guwahati said that in regard to preparations for the next parliamentary polls, the EC officials apprised about the possible steps on the law and order situation, voter enrolment efforts, assured minimum facilities at polling stations, other polling infrastructure besides manpower requirement in the nine states.

The EC team directed all CEOs to ensure preparation of error free and inclusive electoral rolls during the ongoing SSR, involvement of all stakeholder, including political parties, enhancement of various roll indices, enrolment of all first-time eligible voters, removal of deceased and duplicate voters, special focus on enrolment of particularly vulnerable tribal groups, transgender, sex workers, scheduled caste/scheduled tribes, persons with disabilities, citizens over 80 years of age and other identified vulnerable groups.

Stressing on the optimum use of the various IT applications, the ECO officials asked the states' police nodal officers to take time-bound initiatives ahead of time and act upon on priority basis to ensure free, fair, transparent and safe polls. The meeting in Guwahati was the third regional conference-cum-review meeting on the upcoming Lok Sabha polls covering nine states.

The previous two sessions were held in Chandigarh and Chennai on October 31 and November 9, respectively, covering 16 states and Union Territories.

--IANS

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Kolkata, Nov 21 : A local Trinamool Congress leader was shot dead in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district on Tuesday.

Deceased leader Viky Yadav was a loyalist of Saurav Singh, a local Trinamool leader and the nephew of Lok Sabha MP Arjun Singh.

According to local witnesses, three masked persons arrived in a motorcycle in front of Yadavas residence and as he stepped out of the house, they fired at least 11 rounds of bullets at him from a close range.

He was immediately rushed to the nearby Bhatpara state General Hospital but was declared dead on arrival.

Tension is prevailing in the area following the incident.

A huge police contingent has been deployed in the area.

Police are investigating the matter.

From the nature of assassination, a contract killer angle is surfacing in the matter. This is the third such incident in the state where a ruling party leader was assassinated in a similar pattern on the open streets.

On November 16, local Trinamool Congress leader and panchayat member Saifuddin Lashkar was assassinated in a similar manner at Jaynagar in South 24 Parganas district. His killing led to a "counter-lynching" of one person and as many as 16 houses of local CPI(M) workers were set on fire by the angry mob mainly consisting of Lashkaras followers.

On November 17, Trinamool Congress panchayat chief Rupchand Mondal was assassinated following crude bomb attacks on him by unknown assassins.
Bengaluru, Nov 21 : The Karnataka government on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with automobile major Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM), an Indian subsidiary of Japan's Toyota Motor Corporation for further expansion of its car manufacturing facility at Bidadi in Karnataka.

As per the MoU, TKM will make an additional investment of Rs 3,300 crore to set up its third manufacturing facility with a capacity of 1 lakh units at Bidadi, about 35 km from Bengaluru, potentially generating employment for up to 2,000 individuals.

The MoU with the Karnataka government was signed and exchanged by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Masakazu Yoshimura, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Toyota Kirloskar Motor in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, among others.

"We take immense pride in being the home to Toyota's manufacturing plants and express our appreciation for Toyota's plans for further investments in the state. Their presence in Karnataka since 1997, is an example of the state consistently remaining an attractive destination," said CM Siddaramaiah.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor has a large presence in Karnataka with a car manufacturing plant at Bidadi which has a capacity to manufacture 3,10,000 vehicles per annum.

Last year, the Toyota Group of companies constituting Toyota Kirloskar Motor and Toyota Kirloskar Auto Parts (TKAP) signed and announced their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the government of Karnataka to invest Rs 4,100 crore aimed at making deeper cuts in CO2 emissions and enhance electrification and fast pace shift towards greener technologies.

The Karnataka government is always ready to support the setting up of industries in the state across various sectors. The government will provide the necessary assistance to make the journey of investors more comfortable, MB Patil said.
Jambu Zoo in Jammu roars to life with arrival of lions, tigers. Image Source: IANS News

Jammu, Nov 21 : Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta paid a visit to Jambu Zoo Nagrota on Tuesday witnessing the arrival of majestic big cats.

Jambu Zoo in Jammu welcomed the arrival of tiger and tigress from Chennai, and lion and lioness from Gujarat adding a new dimension to its diverse wildlife population.

During his tour of the facility chief secretary Mehta inquired about the care and facilities provided for the animals, underlining the importance of ensuring their well-being.

Expressing optimism, he stated: "I hope that Jambu Zoo will soon be recognized among the best zoos in the country." Jammu, experiencing significant on-ground changes and rapid development, sees Jambu Zoo as a key attraction, Mehta said.

"He, while assessing the situation, identified the opportunity to boost visitor numbers. He emphasized the need to increase awareness among school children and nature enthusiasts about the unique features and behavior of the zoo's diverse inhabitants," the statement said.
New Delhi, Nov 21 : The Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed the Central government to initiate efforts for the enhancement of infrastructure in hospitals under its control in the national capital.

A division bench of acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Mini Pushkarna was hearing a suo motu PIL, initiated in 2017, which was prompted by a Times of India report highlighting the lack of self-defence training for AIIMS doctors.

The bench also instructed the Delhi government to submit an action taken report on the implementation of recommendations from an expert committee tasked with improving operational standards and treatment methodologies in government hospitals.

During the hearing, amicus curiae advocate Siddharth Aggarwal said that the matter encompasses a broad spectrum, requiring an evaluation of the entire healthcare system, particularly in government hospitals.

The court, addressing concerns related to safety and security of medical specialists, violence faced by them, and the shortage of healthcare experts in public hospitals, stressed on the need for a comprehensive view of the healthcare delivery system.

The court urged both the Union and Delhi government to undertake necessary improvements in hospital infrastructure, considering the holistic aspect of healthcare delivery.
Imphal, Nov 21 : Thirty-three MBBS students of the Churachandpur Medical College (CMC) protested as they are debarred from appearing in their first year examination which commenced on Tuesday.

Of the 33 MBBS students, 27 are displaced due the ethnic riot and six non-displaced.

In their memorandum addressed to the Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey and submitted through the Churachandpur Additional Deputy Commissioner Thangboi Gangte, the 27 displaced tribal MBBS students have said that they filled up their examination forms and deposited their due examination fees and maintained other formalities in due course of time.

The memorandum said they were informed that their admit cards and other examination materials were sent only to six MBBS students and the rest of the displaced students' were excluded.

The students became very upset as their fellow displaced students from Churachandpur Medical College were allowed to continue their studies in Imphal's Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) uninterrupted but no such steps were taken against them.

The students urged the Governor to intervene in their matter so that they can sit in the phase-1 MBBS examination.

Meanwhile, the emergency total shutdown for 48 hours to protest against the killing of two Kuki-Zo people in an ambush on Monday in Manipur's Kangpokpi district crippled normal life in the tribal-dominated areas.

The emergency total shutdown imposed by the top Kuki-Zo tribal body, the Kangpokpi-based tribal organisation, Committee on Tribal Unity Sadar Hills (CoTU), will culminate at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.

Members of the agitating group were seen along Imphal-Dimapur National Highway (NH-2) strictly enforcing the total shutdown.

All shops and business establishments remained closed while educational institutions were also shut during the total shutdown.

The CoTU while imposing the 48-hour emergency total shutdown in the whole of Kangpokpi sought the intervention of the Central government and handed over the case of the killings to the CBI.
Indian-origin doc in US fined for removing cyst instead of kidney. Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, Nov 22 : Investigators have made shocking revelations about the south Delhi-based Agarwal Medical Centre, where surgeries were allegedly being performed without any valid permission by fake doctors.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Chandan Chowdhary told IANS that the operation table being used in the hospital was "second hand and outdated".

According to police, eight people died during or after surgery while one patient lost her uterus at the hospital.

Meanwhile, the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team also visited the centre to gather evidence.

Chowdhary said that the police custody of three accused in Agarwal Medical Centre case has been extended for five days.

Last week, the police had arrested Dr. Neeraj Agarwal, his wife Pooja Agarwal (formerly an assistant), Mahender (ex-lab technician), and Dr. Jaspreet (MBBS, MS), based on "sufficient evidence" of planned surgeries by unqualified individuals.

"Neeraj, his wife Pooja and Mahender custody have been extended for five days," said the DCP.

On October 10, 2022, a woman from Delhi's Sangam Vihar filed a complaint claiming that her husband underwent gallbladder stone removal surgery at Agarwal Medical Centre on September 19, 2022.

"Initially, Dr. Neeraj Agarwal said that a renowned surgeon Dr. Jaspreet Singh would perform the surgery. However, just before the surgery we were told that due to some emergency Dr. Jaspreet Singh would not conduct the operation. It was done by Dr. Mahender Singh along with Dr. Neeraj Agarwal and Dr Pooja," the complainant said.

The woman further said in her complaint that she later discovered that Dr. Mahender Singh and Dr. Pooja were "fake doctors".

According to the complaint, her husband experienced severe pain post-surgery and was rushed to the Safdarjung Hospital where he was declared dead.

Chowdhary said that investigations revealed that Dr. Jaspreet Singh was not present during the surgery and had fabricated documents.

Seven complaints were filed with the Delhi Medical Council against Agarwal Medical Centre for negligence leading to patient deaths.

On October 27, 2023, another patient, Jai Narayan, died post-surgery. A Medical Board found deficiencies in the medical centre on November 1, 2023.

Further investigations revealed that Dr. Neeraj Agarwal was "frequently producing fake documents".

Police have also seized 414 prescription slips from the hospital that contained signatures of the doctors with considerable blank space being left at the top, and two registers containing details of patients whose abortions were conducted at the hospital. "Many banned medicines were recovered, as were many injections and expired surgical blades and original prescription slips of different patients," the DCP added.
New Delhi, Nov 21 : The Congress on Tuesday approached the Election Commission against the 'slanderous' campaign by the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) against it through advertisement in various newspapers levelling 'false' and 'baseless' charges.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here, Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi said that the grand old party hopes that the poll panel will show the same zeal in taking note of the matter, as it recently showed towards a Congress leader.

"When a political regime is at its weakest, it begins to engage in questionable and often embarrassing political tactics," he said, adding, "Staring at an imminent defeat in the upcoming elections, the BRS has lost all semblance of political restraint and composure."

Referring to an advertisement published in various e-newspapers, Singhvi said that "it demonstrates the desperation to try and diminish the Congress wave that is sweeping the state of Telangana".

aWhat makes it all the more laughable is that these are the same false, hollow and shameless allegations, in fact the same language, which the BJP has been attempting to use, with a staggering and consistent lack of success, in every election since 2014," he said, adding, aThe clear link between the BJP and the BRS now stands exposed before the public."

The second allegation, he said, flows from the fact that normally no newspaper will publish such an advertisement (on its online version especially) without asking for some type of certification, when the Model Code of Conduct is in operation.

aThese are very serious charges, unprecedented in their brazenness, and if true, constitute fraud, perjury and misrepresentation," he said, adding that all of these are very serious offences under the Indian Penal Code.
Power crisis in K'taka: Govt to seek help from UP & Punjab. Image Source: IANS News

Bengaluru, Nov 22 : The Karnataka government has decided to procure power from Uttar Pradesh and Punjab in a bid to deal with any power crisis in the southern state in the coming times.

Speaking to reporters, Karnataka Minister for Energy K.J. George on Tuesday said the expected average power demand for February, March and April 2024 would be around 15,500 to 16,500 MW.

"To cater to the demands of the state, steps have been taken for the procurement of power from the energy market and swapping of power from Punjab (300 MW) and Uttar Pradesh (100-600 MW)," he stated.

"Captive coal mining under private or joint venture in Chattisgarh, will be taken up by the state," he said.

"Increasing the state thermal generation to the maximum level possible and generators on AOH have been brought back into operation. Generation from KPCL thermal stations has been increased to an extent of 3,500 MW," he said.

"After improving power generation, and taking other needful steps, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah instructed the restoration of 7 hours of power supply to the feeders," he said.

The Minister further said "the state government has done everything to improve power availability to cater to the increased demand due to severe drought".

He also announced that the government of Karnataka has decided to waive off certain outstanding amounts.

He said the government has added 1,100 MW Hybrid (wind, solar and storage) capacity from Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) to meet the increasing electricity demand.

The government has signed an MoU with Tehri Hydro Development Corporation (THDC) to implement more than 2,500 MW of solar, wind, and pumped hydro projects in the state with an investment of Rs 15,000 crore, he said.

Giving details of the Griha Jyothi free power scheme, George said that 1.61 crore customers have registered so far and 1.50 crore are availing benefits.

Total subsidy amount per month aaaspent is Rs 780 crore and the total subsidy amount released till date is Rs 2,900 crore, he added.
New Delhi, Nov 22 : The Delhi High Court on Tuesday expressed concerns about the lack of space for judicial officers, particularly mentioning the shortage of courtrooms for the 110 magistrates expected to join next year.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justuce Mini Pushkarna directed the Delhi government to state whether it would provide funds and land to address the issue.

The court stressed on the importance of prioritising courts and observed the serious problem arising from insufficient space.

"Our priority are courts. We don't have enough courts, 110 magistrates are going to be ready next year. We don't have space for them. It is a serious problem," the court said.

"No project is getting sanctioned. Nothing is in the pipeline No infrastructure is getting sanctioned. They are not releasing the funds If the Delhi government is willing to give funds, we have no problems," the bench remarked.

The matter has been listed for further hearing in December, awaiting instructions from the Delhi government on the availability of funds and land for proper infrastructure in district courts.

--IANS

spr/sha
OZARK-Helping people become self-sufficient is the end goal of the Mary Hill Family Services Center, Paige Knight told those attending the first Dale County Commission meeting in November.

Knight, executive director of the family resource center, thanked commissioners for allowing the agencys use of the county-owned building located at 204 Katherine Ave. and their general support of the no-charge programs available to Dale County residents. We are so thankful for that space, Knight said.

We want the families to become self-sufficient and our role is to remove barriers to that end, Knight said about the Dale County resource center that is one of 23 in the state part of the Alabama Network of Family Resource Centers. MHFSC exists to strengthen families that reside in Dale County.

If a family needs food, hygiene items, or help finding a job, were here to help, Hill said. We also offer seasonal programs to help with school supplies at the start of the school year and toys at Christmas.

The MHFSA has a food pantry, hygiene closet, and clothes closet. We can help create a resume, connect with local employers, further your education, attain new workplace certifications, and overcome employment barriers, she said, thanking Wallace Community College, the Alabama Aviation College, and Enterprise State Community College for their partnership with MHFSC.

Hill shared current MHFSC success stories that include 44 participants in the Workforce Development Program Success stories, four families able to leave Section 8 Housing because 10 clients obtained employment. We work with people to see what type of training we can obtain for them so they can get better paying jobs, she said. Thats our goal.

The MHFSC, a nonprofit, was founded in 2001 by concerned citizens of Dale County who saw the needs in their community and were motivated by compassion for their neighbors, Knight said. Through new parent training, childrens services, family and youth counseling, and professional development the centers focus is to provide short- term resources that move our community towards long-term self-sufficiency to strengthen families in our area.
Washington, Nov 22 : US House Speaker Mike Johnson met with ex-president Donald Trump at his Florida residence soon after becoming the highest ranking Republican to endorse ex-President Trump's candidacy for GOP in the 2024 Presidential race.

Johnson met with Trump on Monday night at his winter getaway Mar-a-Lago, but it was not clear what they discussed, according to a GOP source.

Johnson was at Mar-a-Lago for a fundraiser for Floridan GOP Rep Gus Bilirakis. Johnson and Trump met briefly, two Republican advisors said, and Johnson was not there solely for a meeting with Trump.

Johnson's meeting with Trump came nearly a week after the newly-elected Speaker publicly endorsed Trump's 2024 bid for the White House, becoming the highest-ranking Republican so far to do so. It was not immediately clear what the pair discussed during the meeting, media reports said.

Louisiana Republican Johnson is a long-time Trump ally serving on the former president's impeachment team. He voted to sustain the objection to electoral votes on January 6, 2021.

Johnson, who said he has endorsed Trump "wholeheartedly", told CNBC that he was "one of the closest allies that President Trump had in Congress" and that the former president had "a phenomenal first term."

Trump is the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination, with a significant lead over his GOP rivals  Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy and Chris Christie. .

Johnson, a backbencher, benefitted from Trump's support in his successful bid for speaker last month, after the former president opposed Republican conference's brief speaker-nominee Tom Emmer, calling the Minnesota Republican a "Globalist RINO" and saying that voting for him "would be a tragic mistake", CNN reported.
Agartala: Border Security Force (BSF) personnel patrol along the India- Bangladesh border ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's public rally at Lankamura village in Agartala on Friday, Dec. 16, 2022. (Photo: Abhisek Saha/IANS). Image Source: IANS News

Guwahati, Nov 22 : At least seven Bangladeshi nationals, including three minors and two women, were deported back to their country through the India-Bangladesh international border at Assam's Karimganj district, officials said.

All of them entered India from a location close to Agartala in Tripura, according to officials with the Border Security Force (BSF), and they were detained in Assam while on the way to Delhi.

"One of them was arrested a few years ago in the Sivasagar district, while six others were nabbed in Karimganj. Following the arrests, the court ordered their transfer to Goalpara's Matia Transit Camp," an official said on Tuesday.

The persons identified as Sahida Begum, Abdul Wadud Mandal, Babul Sardar, Sarmin Begum, her three minor sons Ismail Sheikh, Shakil Sheikh and Shakib Sheikh.

According to the official record, Sahida lives in the Gopalganj district of Bangladesh, while the others hail from the Khulna district in the neighbouring country.

According to BSF authorities, they were deported on Monday through the Karimganj border after Bangladesh acknowledged them as citizens and consented to accept them.

On Monday morning, they were transferred from the Matia transit camp to Karimganj, where they were deported from the vicinity of Zero Point by pillar number 1360 at Sutarkandi-Beanibazar.

During the deportation, an Assam Police squad was also present from the Indian side in addition to the BSF officers.

To receive their nationals, a team from Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Officer-in-Charge of Beanibazar Police Station, Shimul Roy, travelled from Bangladesh.
New Delhi, Nov 22 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has said that it arrested another accused Zakir Hussain in the Pakistan-backed terrorism case involving the delivery of weapons through drones to militants active in Jammu and Kashmir.

An NIA spokesperson here said on Tuesday that the agency sleuths arrested Hussain, a resident of Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir, on Monday.

With Hussain's arrest, the total number of accused arrested in the case now stands at eight.

The NIA registered a case on July 30 last year after taking over the case from Kathua police.

One of the seven accused arrested earlier had died due to cardiac arrest while in judicial custody while two Pakistan-based terror operatives are absconding.

The NIA had earlier filed a chargesheet against seven accused and two others who are absconding on January 12 this year under several sections of the UA (P) Act, Arms Act, Explosive Substances Act and the IPC.

According to NIA investigations, the accused were working on the directions of their Pakistani handler identified as Sajjad Gul.

"The accused were involved in collecting, receiving and transporting the weapons dropped through drones to militants active in the Kashmir Valley. The weapons were used to commit terror attacks in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir," the official said.

The local police had initially registered the case following the interception of a drone (hexacopter) and seizure of several of rounds of UBGL or magnetic bombs near Dhalli area of Rajbagh police station in the Kathua district.

The official added that its probe is still going on to unravel the bigger conspiracy of Pakistan-backed terror groups to carry out acts of terror and violence in the Kashmir Valley and across India.
Washington, Nov 22 : US President Joe Biden's 2024 re-election campaign targetted his predecessor Donald Trump over his rhetoric on defunding police, arguing his policy prescriptions would lead to "a less safe America".

Biden's campaign points to past policies Trump has touted such as "stop and frisk". It also hits the former president over his proposed cuts to community policing programmes while simultaneously criticising the "defund the police" movement, media reports said.

Biden's birthday reminds voters 'Bubble Wrap' plan to protect him, the Washington Examiner said, claiming to have had an exclusive preview of his (Trump's) vision for America in 2025.

When President, Trump took a hard line on policing projecting himself as a "law and order" president amid rising crime and racial justice protests. Trump called for drug dealers to receive the death penalty and even suggested that police be empowered to shoot shoplifters on the spot. The Biden campaign managers have capitalised on this offensive rhetoric to counter Trump's, arguing his solutions to crime would actually leave America less safe.

Referring particularly to Trump's past support for "stop and frisk," the Biden team said it was a controversial much criticised police strategy with the potential risk of racial bias and an undue violation of individual's privacy.

In 2018, Trump claimed, aStop and frisk works and it was meant for problems like Chicago."

Biden's team says such a policy would amount to police harassing citizens on the street.

On several occasions, Trump has also signalled his support for arming teachers with firearms to protect students from coming harm's way in the event of a mass shooting by serial offenders. Republican politicians see this as a potential deterrent but has been categorically opposed by Democratic politicians.

Biden's re-election team says such a policy would make America's classrooms less safe.

"Political violence, harassing citizens in their own neighbourhoods, gunning down Americans at will, flooding classrooms with more guns. That's what Donald Trump is promising if he's elected president again. He's proudly campaigning on a platform of fear, division and violence. He's betting that a scared and divided nation is how he wins this election. It didn't work in 2020, and it won't work this time either," Biden campaign spokesman Seth Schuster said in a statement, the Examiner reported.

The Biden campaign is attempting to portray Trump as weak on law enforcement, highlighting his administration's proposal to disband the Community Relations Service and Community Oriented Policing Services and move their duties to other parts of the Justice Department. The administration at the time defended the proposal as a way to "improve efficiency," but the Biden campaign is calling it part of a "dangerous MAGA agenda to defund law enforcement".

Trump's campaign did not provide comment to the Washington Examiner.

The Biden campaign has already hit the former president over his expected policies on abortion and immigration in a potential 2025 administration as it ramps up attacks on the likely Republican nominee.
Beirut, Nov 22 : Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shia military group, has vowed to retaliate against Israel's "brutal aggression" after two journalists from Lebanese TV channel Al-Mayadeen were killed in Israeli attacks on the southern village of Tayr Harfa.

"This crime, the previous attack on Reuters photojournalist Issam Abdallah, the killing of dozens of journalists in Gaza and the destruction of their headquarters by the occupation forces, reveals the important role played by the media in exposing the enemy's practices and exposing its horrific crimes against civilians, especially in the Gaza Strip," Hezbollah said on Tuesday in a statement.

The military group called on international media and humanitarian bodies to condemn the "crime and similar crimes that preceded it," and "exert the highest levels of pressure" on the Israeli government to stop its attacks on media professionals and civilians, Xinhua news agency reported.

Meanwhile, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati strongly condemned the Israeli attacks that killed media professionals in the south on Tuesday. He said the attack proved once again that "Israel's goal is to silence the media that exposes its crimes and attacks".

For his part, Lebanese Defence Minister Maurice Slim called for "a unified and effective Arab and international position in the face of the continuous Israeli aggression as statements of denunciation and condemnation are no longer sufficient".

Farah Omar, a reporter working for local TV channel Al-Mayadeen, and Rabih Al-Maamari, a photographer working for the same channel, were covering the events in southern Lebanon on Tuesday when two Israeli drones hit them, killing both of them and a civilian named Hussein Akil, Lebanese TV channel Al-Manar reported.

On October 13, Issam Abdallah, a Lebanese photojournalist working for Reuters, was killed while covering Israeli attacks in the southern village of Alma al-Shaab while several other journalists working for Agence France-Presse and Al Jazeera were injured.

On October 14, the Lebanese Foreign Ministry submitted a complaint to the UN Security Council against Israel for launching attacks on journalists.

The Lebanon-Israel border witnessed increased tension for over six weeks after Lebanese armed group Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets toward Shebaa Farms on October 8 in support of the Hamas attacks on Israel on Monday, prompting the Israeli forces to respond by firing heavy artillery toward several areas in southeastern Lebanon.
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Image above: The wreckage of a collapsed building, Diyarbakr, Turkey, 2023. VOA, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

About this series Science for Society is an APS webinar series focused on educating the public and bringing psychological science to decision-makers working to solve real world problems. In addition to psychological scientists, participants include public policy decision-makers, news reporters, advocates, and scholars from adjacent fields.

With a long history of traumatic events, Ukraine was already rife with psychological distress when Russia invaded it in February 2022. The World Bank in 2019 reported the countrys suicide rate as double that of the European Union. A sizeable number of Ukrainians displaced by internal fighting and the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea suffered post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety (Shevlin et al., 2018; Roberts et al. 2019).

The war with Russia has dramatically deepened that anguish, and social psychologist Robin Goodwin (University of Warwick) is among the scientists examining the conflicts impact on Ukrainians mental health.

Goodwin shared the findings on Ukrainians resilience in a presentation for Aftermath of a Disaster: Psychological Well-being After Traumatic Events, part of APS Science for Society webinar series. Six weeks after Russias invasion, Goodwin and colleagues examined survey data from a representative sample of 2,000 Ukrainians. Using data collected by colleagues in Israel, the researchers examined individuals perceptions of their own trauma and resilience. They controlled for demographic factors.

A recording of the webinar is available below for registrants and APS members.

The full webinar is available to APS members and registered workshop attendees. Login

The researchers linked high levels of resilience to factors such as trust in others, youth, being a Ukranian speaker, and a perceived ability to bounce back after hardship (Goodwin et al., 2023). Further analysis showed PTSD symptoms to be highest among Ukrainians who were displaced, either within or outside of the country. Goodwin and colleagues also found PTSD to be prevalent among people with disabilities, particularly those with impaired social functioning (Ben-Ezra et al., 2022; Kang et al., 2023).

In another study not yet published, Goodwin teamed with other scientists to examine data collected from 10,000 displaced Ukrainians and found the vast majority scored high on anxiety measures.

Goodwin and other speakers in the webinar described evidence-based steps that mental health professionals and communities can take to help people traumatized by natural and human-made disasters.

Public health expert Nikunj Makwana (Jawaharlal Nehru University) described a holistic preventive medicine approach to disaster relief that includes preparing for immediate response to victims mental health needs and sustained measures to help them recover. He cited research showing cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) as an effective early intervention against PTSD and other psychological problems (Litz & Maguen 2007; Roberts et al., 2009).

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Yanki Yazgan, a child and adolescent psychiatrist in Turkey, described research involving victims of massive earthquakes that beset regions of that country in 1999 and 2023. After the most recent earthquake, findings from the 1999 disaster helped researchers identify critical factors that affect mental health (e.g., hunger, lack of sleep) and quickly create interventions that prioritized victims access to shelter, food, and other basic needs, Yazgan said.

In a longitudinal study after the 1999 quake, Yazgan and his colleagues trained teachers in psychoeducational and CBT techniques to help school children affected by the disaster. Over 3 years, children who received the intervention showed fewer symptoms of trauma, grief, and dissociation, as well as better academic performance and behavior, than those in a control group. (Wolmer et al., 2003, 2005).

In the wake of the 2023 earthquake, many schools remained closed for extended periods. So Yazgan and his colleagues provided teachers, parents, and mental health care professionals with a digital form of the intervention.

Feedback on this article? Email apsobserver@psychologicalscience.org or login to comment. Interested in writing for us? Read our contributor guidelines.
Chicilon Media has installed 32,000 advertising screens while boosting brand and product communication to 40 million Vietnamese people.

Sharing with VnExpress, Guo Zhi Feng, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Chicilon Media, said that the elevator space of 2-3 meters square is one of the important "battlefields", supporting businesses to promote their brands and products.

This channel is worth investing in because of many advantages: high coverage every day, continuous broadcast frequency, mandatory viewing, no disturbance, close distance...

In a year of economic fluctuations, Chicilon Media yet "went against the wind", strengthening the development of its media channel system and increasing the number of advertising devices from 24,000 screens at the beginning of the year to 32,000.

Chicilon Media's chairman emphasized that this number will continue to grow in the coming time.

"We always monitor resources that are not owned by us in the market, thereby seizing opportunities when companies in the same segment cannot afford to pay the rental fee for the building management unit. Just in accordance with exploitation standards - 11 floors or more, floor area over 300 m2 - Chicilon Media will sign a contract," Guo said.

The business joined the World Outdoor Advertising Association (WOO) in November and has been a member of MMA Global Vietnam's Executive Board since the end of August.

Watching advertisements while waiting for the elevator is common among many office workers and residents. Photo courtesy of Chicilon

Over the past years, the company has set the goal of ensuring the revenue of building partners in the market, protecting customer interests, and ensuring the healthy development of this media channel in Vietnam.

Chicilon is developing five channels, reaching more than 40 million consumers, including television, building elevator posters, supermarket television, and posters with airport LED.

The company also provides communication services for more than 700 large domestic & global businesses, such as Vinamilk, Samsung, Unilever, LG, Viettel, Daikin, VNPT, FPT, Masan, Oppo, Vivo, Midea, and Aqua.

Most recently, the company entered the Top500 most profitable enterprises, receiving the certificate of merit for "Enterprise with effective production and business achievements and good implementation of tax policies and laws 2022" from the Ho Chi Minh City Tax Department.
Vietnam sees three IPOs in 10 months of 2023. Illustration photo by Freepik

Unfavorable market conditions and a sinking benchmark VN-Index has prompted businesses to postpone their previously-scheduled initial public offerings (IPO).

The latest report from audit firm Deloitte demonstrated that Vietnams IPO market is currently among the least active in Southeast Asia.

This year to date, the Vietnamese stock market has seen only three IPOs, from Dong Duong Construction and Trading Joint Stock Company, Tu Hai Ha Nam Joint Stock Company, and Royal Production and Investment Joint Stock Company. Altogether, the three listings raised a combined total of US$7 million in capital.

This year, the net capital withdrawal by foreign investors has been on the rise due to global economic factors that have negatively impacted Vietnamese stock market liquidity.

Coupled with regulators tightening IPO registration and listing rules, and the decline of the benchmark VN-Index, many companies seeking IPOs have postponed their plans until a more appropriate time.

Bui Van Trinh, head of assurance services at Deloitte Vietnam, said local stock market indexes had been recovering lately but are still far from their 2021 and early-2022 peaks.

The government could also bolster investor confidence by introducing measures to stimulate the economy, as well as by implementing upgrades to the stock market, Trinh argued.

In Southeast Asia, Deloitte has recorded a total of 153 IPOs year to date.

Despite the overall healthiness of the above number, the audit firm reported that the total amount of capital raised through IPOs has fallen to US$5.5 billion, the lowest point in eight years. Some 98% (US$5.4 billion) of the total was raised by companies in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia.

By comparison, 2022 saw 163 IPOs worth a total of US$7.6 billion.

Indonesia has the most active IPO market in the region, with 77 transactions this year translating to US$3.6 billion in capital.

With that achievement, the Indonesian stock market became the fourth strongest in the world this month, trailing only China, the U.S., and the UAE.

Energy, industrials and consumer goods have been the most active stock market sectors in Southeast Asia this year.

Tay Hwee Ling, Deloittes head of IPO services in Southeast Asia and Singapore, said that in many markets, local companies want to list on larger foreign markets to access more capital and investors, or better pricing.

For some companies, listing on the U.S. stock market has been exceedingly lucrative thanks to the countrys large community of investors and higher liquidity.
A still of a online video shows Nguyen Tien Dat gifts flowers to his Japanese teacher Morita Atsushi at Hanoi University, Nov. 16, 2023.

A video of a student gifting flowers to his Japanese teacher for Vietnamese Teachers' Day has garnered over a million views and 1,000 shares on TikTok.

Morita Atsushi, 73, was surprised, flustered and thankful for the flowers he received from his students for the Vietnamese Teachers Day on Nov. 20.The teacher could be seen acting shy, scratching his head and thanking his students.

The whole class could be heard clapping for the occasion.

Nguyen Tien Dat, the student who gifted the flowers, said the video was recorded in an afternoon class on Nov. 16. The teacher, Morita Atsushi, teaches writing for the 2-NB22 class of Hanoi University.

Dat said Morita was surprised to receive the flowers, not knowing what was going on.

"He was moved and thanked the class, as it was the first time that he received flowers for such an occasion," Dat said.

Dat said he was nervous as well, afraid his Japanese would not be good enough for Morita to understand. The gift from the class was a small bouquet of sunflowers, as well as a postcard in Japanese. The messages wished good health and joy for Morita, and also his continued success in education.

Japanese teacher thankful for flowers for Vietnamese Teachers' Day Thay giao Nhat lan au nhan hoa 20/11 Morita Atsushi receives flowers from his students at the Hanoi University for Vietnamese Teachers' Day, November 16, 2023, as shown a video shared by the students on TikTok.

Dao Thanh Ngan, the class representative, said the lesson was more festive than usual that day. Everyone affectionately called Morita "Teacher Doraemon."

"He is happy, smiley and friendly. When we see him in the school yard, we usually take pictures with him as he is too lovable," Ngan said.

Nguyen Xuan Hang, assistant for the Japanese department, said teachers in the faculty have watched the video and are happy to know that their students could spread a bit of Vietnamese culture to the Japanese teacher.

"This is his first time in Vietnam, but he is loved by many students," Hang said.

Morita said he did not know he was so loved. When the students showed him the video, he giggled and said he was "a bit embarrassed."

"In Japan, there are no days for teachers, so I was a bit surprised to see my students gift me flowers. There are more talented teachers at the school, so for me to be so loved, I was really moved," he said.

Morita said the Vietnamese students are very affectionate, similar to how his generation was in the past. He said that 50 years ago, he and his friends used to throw a small party for their teachers. So when he saw his students show their appreciation to their teachers, he felt loved.

Before going to Vietnam to volunteer teaching in August, Morita had taught at a Japanese training school for 10 years. He is expected to teach at the Japanese department of the Hanoi University for a year.
Vietnamese families are pushing sooner and harder than ever before for their children to study abroad, but doing so is often more difficult than expected, both financially and academically.

Kim Chi, 21, said she spends VND1 billion (US$41,327) each year living and studying in Australia, which is nearly 20 times more than Vietnam's average per capita income of $2,317 in 2022 according to the General Statistics Office.

"I've tried looking for a part-time job here [in Melbourne] but I couldnt find one, so Ive been relying on my parents," she said.

Chi said that before her family decided she would study abroad, her parents made sure they were financially capable.

But not all students come from well-off families like Chi. And without adequate financial support, living abroad can be a struggle.

At 18 years old, Hoang Dang Vu found this out the hard way when he left his family for Japan in 2016.

Vu had no scholarship and he couldnt communicate in Japanese. But he and his family had always dreamed that he would study finance in Japan.

To fulfill the dream, his parents had to borrow more than VND200 million.

"Given my parents income, it [the cost to study abroad] is quite high. The first year I arrived in Japan, my family spent around VND300 million, including the cost for me to study at a language center, paperwork fees, the price of living at the dorm for six months, as well as the price of books, and tuition."

After arriving in Japan, Vu had to work to help his parents pay off their debts.

Vietnamese students in Japan join an interview to get a part-time job. Photo by Kim Manh Hiep

At one point he was working four part-time jobs, all while also trying to succeed as a full-time student.

"Working too much directly affected my studies and I did not do great at school," Vu said.

"The financial situation was stressful and I often fell ill from working too much, all of which made me horribly homesick," he said.

After eight years in Japan, Vu has not been able to graduate from university, which he describes as a "huge regret."

Trending for better or worse

Experts have said that the psychological draw towards following the crowd, the fear of missing out and a desire for a modern educational environment has pushed families to invest in sending their children abroad to study.

Around 40,000 Vietnamese people go abroad to study each year, a 2.5-fold increase compared to before 2013, said Pham Quang Hung, director of the Ministry of Education and Training's International Cooperation Department.

And Hung said Vietnamese families' desire to send their children abroad for education is only on the rise.

A survey conducted in 2018 by HSBC revealed that spending on education accounted for 47% of total family expenditures in Vietnam.

Nguyen Phuong Hao, founder of Hanoi-based SG Education Vietnam center, which provides study abroad consulting services, said that Vietnamese families are preparing to send their children overseas much sooner than they did 10 years ago.

"Previously, most parents only sent their children abroad for higher education, which means they waited until after high school."

Students that applied to study at overseas high schools before the pandemic accounted for an annual 35-40% of all clients at Haos company, but this year the figure has increased to 50%.

Expectations vs reality

Hoang Ha, 21, who is studying at a university in Australia, said his family had to borrow VND500 million to send him abroad.

"I did try to get some scholarships but they were out of my league. So, I came to study in Australia relying on my familys funding," she said.

However, after four months in Australia she had to find a part-time job to support her family instead of the other way around.

In an opinion piece published recently on VnExpress International, David Pickus, an Associate Professor of History at a university in Da Nang, Vietnam, pointed out that studying overseas requires comprehensive planning.

"Studying abroad has many advantages, but contains a built-in problem that study abroad could become an expectation that does not require careful thinking about either the goals sought or the methods used to obtain them," Pickus wrote.

He pointed out that "over the past two decades, educational institutions have created a great many new enrollment openings and now they need to fill them."

"Increased opportunities for study abroad did not appear from nowhere. They were a consequence of an even larger process, one that scholars call the "massification" of universities. This (funny) word refers not only to the rapid growth in the number of universities and their size, but also in the number of needs the university seeks to fill," he said.

Pickus argued that there are now both increasing shortages of unskilled workers abroad and increasing difficulties for educated graduates trying to find a job.

"Competition for skilled jobs can be extraordinarily fierce, and employment opportunities vanish and change with great rapidity. Can study abroad help? Maybe yes and maybe no."

A Vietnamese student of Washington University in St. Louis cleans up his place to get ready for a feast to celebrate the New Lunar Year with other overseas Vietnamese students, February 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Phuong Phuong

Xuan Thu Trang, a lecturer at Swinburne Vietnam, an alliance program between Swinburne University of Technology in Australia and Vietnams FPT University, said that in order to succeed when studying abroad, students "should avoid illusion, never cease thriving and build as many relationships as they can."

According to Trang, students wanting to go abroad should adopt realistic attitudes, not expectations.

"Students should not paint a rosy picture of studying abroad in the first place because it will not always turn out as what you dream. Living abroad means everything will be different."

However, she said that young people these days can catch up very easily and there are many students thriving abroad because they prepared themselves carefully by joining exchange programs and taking part in online courses. For Trang, this is the way to take full advantage of the opportunity to be an international student.

She said many of these students who studied in Europe have been able to establish careers in the countries they studied in after graduation, and many such professionals have even become naturalized in their adoptive nations.
Candlewick Press in Somerville, Mass., today announced significant changes to its roster. Former Walker Books Group managing director Karen Lotz is taking on the role of Candlewick publishing director-at-large. Senior executive editor Katie Cunningham will now serve as Candlewick senior v-p, editorial, and associate publisher, overseeing the editorial department and steering the publishing program.

Lotz, who has been president and publisher of Candlewick since 1999 and in 2011 became managing director of the Walker Books Group (including Candlewick, Walker UK, and Walker Australia), has stepped down from all of her Group-wide roles, a spokesperson told PW. Group leadership duties have been redistributed, with experienced leaders across WBG taking on more responsibility and working directly with the co-chairs of the Group Board.

Cunningham, who came to Candlewick as an editorial assistant in 2003 and has edited for imprints including Big Picture Press and Candlewick Studio, said in a statement that she and her team welcome our opportunity to create new and world-expanding reading experiences for young people. Now, as ever, we are honored to collaborate with one another and with all of our talented creators, both old and new, as we continue our commitment to the crucial work of publishing the best books for children and young readers.

In Candlewicks editorial department, Mary Lee Donovan has been promoted to executive editorial director; Kate Fletcher has been promoted to editorial director; Sarah Ketchersid has been promoted to editorial director; Andrea Tompa has been promoted to senior executive editor; Kaylan Adair has been promoted to senior executive editor and director of editorial operations; Carter Hasegawa has been promoted to senior editor; and Miriam Newman has been promoted to senior editor. They will continue working with senior executive editor Hilary Van Dusen, who edits the MIT Kids and MITeen Press imprints, and Walker Books executive editorial editor Susan Van Metre.

Collectively, this group of editors has logged more than 150 years of experience at Candlewick, the release stated. Books they have acquired and edited have been recognized with the industrys highest accolades, including three Newbery Medals, multiple Caldecott Honors, multiple National Book Award Finalists, and other recognitions.
Children are their imaginations, their hopes and their dreams, Zsame Morgan of Babycakes Book Stack mobile bookstore in St. Paul, Minn., recently told PW. I get to provide books for children to be able to grow those imaginations so that they arent going to be held back by anyones idea of who they are because of their skin color or because of their socio-economic situation.

After three years of planning, Morgan, who at the time worked in finance, launched Babycakes in the Twin Cities in spring 2019 with a minibus that previously was used as a bookmobile by a library in Indiana. After naming the store with her daughters nickname, Morgan operated Babycakeswhich has about 200 square feet of retail space, plus a storage area and bathroom until the snow started to fly late in the year. Although she intended to resume operations in April 2020, the pandemic forced her to switch to online sales instead. However, Morgan quickly realized that books were more important than ever to children quarantining at home with their families. Books give us the ability to be free and travel and dream and still grow outside of that, she said. During that time specifically, books gave children freedom to be a kid.

Like other Black booksellers across the country, Morgan was both personally and professionally affected by the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020. While adults were buying books for themselves to better understand race and racism in the U.S., there was, for Morgan and her online bookstore, a beautiful growth of child-focused organizations that wanted to diversify their bookshelves and reached out to Babycakes. Morgan was also receiving orders from school and business libraries, as well as individuals. Babycakes orders did not come just from Twin Cities customers, but from people all over the world.

It was amazing, she recalled. There was a lot of backlog, as everyone was trying to order the same titles. In some ways it was really hard as a Black business owner, because everyone was ordering the exact same titles from every Black-owned bookstore. The publishers couldnt keep up and it looked like the Black booksellers werent able to fill orders, and that was not the case. It was a challenge, but in a way, it was a good challenge, because people started to know I was here.

While the deluge of orders has since dropped off, she said, online customers from that period now visit Babycakes in person around the Twin Citiesincluding its annual season opening on Independent Bookstore Day, parked in the lot next to Moon Palace Books, a few miles from George Floyd Square. Babycakes also makes regular stops at the Mill City Farmers Market near downtown Minneapolis and Mississippi Market near downtown St. Paul.

Changing the World

Noting that people realized in the aftermath of Floyds death outside a South Minneapolis bodega that the books were being written and sometimes published, but not always presented in stores, and that children can feel kind of isolated [when] there is a lack of representation on bookshelves, Morgan said that the conversation openednot just in my bookstore, but all around.

Babycakes has stocked a variety of diverse titles since it launched, but Morgan decided to really dig deep with all the emotion that was going around at the time of the murder and focus even more on stocking such titles. She said that she made buying decisions by considering who are the students in the classrooms? What languages do they speak? What cultures do they represent? She feels strongly that representation of everybody should be year-round, not just during certain months like Black History Month in February. In fact, she regards spotlighting in such a way any group during one specific month as almost an insult; representation is real and not just performative.

Besides English-language books in the bookstores steadily growing inventory, Babycakes stocks Spanish, Arabic, Somali, German, and sign-language titles. Language books really fly off the shelves, especially board books, she said. Baby board books in different languages are probably our top sellers.

Seasonal titles are also perennial bestsellers, such as The Big Leaf Leap (Minnesota Historical Society Press,) by Molly Beth Griffin, illustrated by Meleck Davis. We have a lot of fun with that book, Morgan noted.

While Babycakes expands its inventory, it is also expanding its reach. This year, Babycakes launched a literacy pilot program aimed at families: the Read Together Grow Together initiative provides books donated by sponsors to families to read together for 15 minutes each day, in person, over the phone, or video chat, to earn more books. Some families also receive a small financial incentive to participate. Morgan hopes to expand this program to include schools.

While Morgan is working on setting up a semi-permanent micro-bookstore this winter and has considered opening a permanent physical store, she is content to bide her time until she finds the space in the Twin Cities metro area that best suits the stores mission. I just want to make sure that wherever we land, it has a good representation of who we are serving, she said. I am still looking for that location. Ive had opportunities but the areas offered to me were not my primary readership. And if she doesnt find such a space, she is considering adding a second bookmobile.

Im in a unique position, because I am able to travel, she said, Im able to go to different communities. The bookmobile is critical for her, enabling her to connect with the readers she wants to reach. When asked about her vision for the future, Morgan responded, I see myself growing, getting to more schools, more events, more organizations that are child-focused. She also wants to expand the number of foreign languages included in her inventory.

I am always making sure that the books represent the readership, she said. Ive had people come into the bookmobile and start crying and say, I needed this when I was growing up. People of different cultures have done that and it makes me feel good to know that its not insane that I put together this store. I am putting in the effort to get out into communities that have different languages and different cultures and represent BIPOC readersbecause were here and our stories are important.
Palestinian poet and essayist Mosab Abu Toha, whose 2022 poetry collection Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear: Poems from Gaza (City Lights) won an American Book Award and was a National Book Critics Circle finalist, has been released after being detained by the Israel Defense Forces, his publisher confirmed on November 21. On November 24, Abu Toha posted on X (formerly Twitter) for the first time since his detainment.

Im safe but still have pain in nose and teeth after being beaten by Israeli army.

I gave them all my familys passports, including my American sons but they didnt return anything. Also my clothes & my childrens were taken and not returned to me. No wallet, money, credit cards  Mosab Abu Toha (@MosabAbuToha) November 24, 2023

Abu Toha was separated from his family and detained by the Israel Defense Forces at the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt on November 19, along with an estimated 200 other Gazan men. Since then, literary organizations and individuals have protested his detention and called for his release.

Early on November 21, multiple employees at the New Yorker, which published essays by Abu Toha on October 20 and November 6, posted on X that New Yorker editor David Remnick had informed the magazine's staff that Israeli military officials had confirmed his release. Shortly thereafter, San Franciscos City Lights posted on Instagram that he had been freed and was with his family in Gaza, citing a tweet from Palestinian-Canadian lawyer Diana Buttu.

Good news: David Remnick has just told New Yorker staff that that, according to two Israeli military officials, the poet Mosab Abu Toha has been released. 1/2 https://t.co/yjjTlCVe4S  Daniel A. Gross (@ByDanielAGross) November 21, 2023

Some promising news: Just spoke to editor David Remnick, who told me that, according to two Israeli military officials, the poet Mosab Abu Toha, who lives with his family in Gaza, has been released.  Michael Luo (@michaelluo) November 21, 2023

Mosab Abu Toha is a lifelong resident of Gaza whose 3-year-old child was born in the U.S. in 2020, while he was a visiting scholar of the Harvard University Scholars at Risk Program. Hamza Abu Toha, the authors brother, said on Facebook that the American embassy had sent the poet and his family to travel through the Rafah crossing.

On November 20, City Lights released a statement saying, We are calling for the international community to demand the release of Mosab Abu Toha, and all hostages and prisoners in Gaza and Israel. PEN International wrote, we join calls demanding to know his whereabouts and the reasons for his detention, while PEN America wrote that we are seeking more details and call for his protection. Fellow poets, including Natalie Diaz and Omar Sakr, also expressed support via the platform.

Poet @MosabAbuToha was taken away from his family by the Israeli Defense Forces at a checkpoint in Gaza.



Please join us in calling for the international community to demand the release of Mosab, and all hostages and prisoners in Gaza and Israel. pic.twitter.com/5IAgOfcMma  City Lights Books (@CityLightsBooks) November 20, 2023

PEN International is deeply concerned by news that Mosab Abu Toha, Palestinian writer, poet, and founder of Gaza's first English-language library, has been arrested by the Israeli Defense Force while leaving #Gaza. We join calls demanding to know his whereabouts and the reasons  PEN International (@pen_int) November 20, 2023

PEN America is concerned by reports that poet Mosab Abu Toha, the founder of Gaza's only English language library, has been taken into custody by Israel's Defense Forces in Gaza. We are seeking more details and call for his protection.



Our 2022 interview: https://t.co/rn1szUZVCR  PEN America (@PENamerica) November 20, 2023

In addition to his award-winning poetry and his essays on Gaza for the Atlantic and the New York Times, Abu Toha is known for founding the Edward Said Public Library, Gazas first English-language library. Abu Toha named the library after the Palestinian American postcolonial studies scholar who wrote Orientalism and After the Last Sky: Palestinian Lives. He opened the first branch in 2017 in his hometown of Beit Lahia City, and he opened a second branch in 2019 in Gaza City.

This story has been updated with further information.
On November 17, a group of eight local plaintiffs joined by the American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska and advocacy group the Northern Justice project filed suit against Matanuska-Susitna Borough (Mat-Su) school district north of Anchorage, seeking the return of 56 books said to be improperly banned from school shelves. The suit was filed on behalf of six parents of minor children and two Mat-Su students who are over the age of 18, who claim that the actions of the school board violated their "First and Fourteenth Amendment rights" to free speech and political expression.

On April 21, 2023, the School Board ordered the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District to remove 56 books from all of its school libraries because the books contained ideas or concepts that either the Board or some members of the public did not like. The District carried out this removal of books, the complaint states. While acknowledging that school districts have broad discretion in the management of school affairs, the suit argues that such broad discretion is still bounded by the protections of the U.S. Constitution and that the districts removal of the books infringes on students First Amendment right to receive ideas and information as a necessary predicate to their meaningful exercise of the rights of speech, press, and political freedom."

The books ordered removed by the board include classics such as Toni Morrisons The Bluest Eye, Kurt Vonneguts Slaughterhouse Five, and Khaled Hosseinis The Kite Runner. The removed books also include books with protagonists of color or LGBTQ+ protagonists and nonfiction reference materials discussing adolescent health and development.

The plaintiffs seek an injunction, declaratory relief, and nominal damages against the Boards unconstitutional removal of books, to protect their right and freedom to explore a wide range of ideas.

In a statement, ACLU of Alaska legal director Ruth Botstein, said the Mat-Su board put its personal views ahead of the rights of students and parents it serves. Removing classic reads and award-winning literature from bookshelves violates students rights to receive ideas and information. This is a foundational component of the rights of young Alaskans to exercise freedom of speech, press, and political expression. Book banning in any public setting is unacceptable.

The suit in Alaska is the latest in a legal effort to turn back an ongoing, politically-organized nationwide wave of book banning. In addition to the action in Alaska, an ACLU suit is currently pending in Missouri, challenging Senate Bill 775, a school library obscenity law that opponents say forces librarians to censor their collections under the "threat of arbitrary enforcement of imprisonment or fines."

Meanwhile, in April, a federal judge in Texas issued a preliminary injunction requiring that a host of improperly banned books be immediately returned to public library shelves in Llano County. And in August, a federal judge enjoined a Texas law that would have forced booksellers to rate books for sexual content (with the ACLU recently filing an amicus brief in support of the decision). Both cases are now before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

In May, PEN America and Penguin Random House joined forces with a group of authors and parents to sue school administrators in Escambia County, Fla, over the removal of allegedly inappropriate books from school libraries.

And on July 29, a federal judge in Arkansas blocked two key provisions of a recently passed Arkansas law, known as Act 372, that would have exposed librarians and booksellers to criminal liability for making allegedly inappropriate or harmful books accessible to minors in the state.
The Arch Hurley Conservancy District board of directors swore in three incumbent members to four-year terms and kept the same officers during its Nov. 14 meeting.

Quay County Clerk Ellen White swore in board members John Griffiths, Debra Mitchell and Robert Lopez after they were unopposed during the October election.

The board also approved electing the same officers  Lopez as president, Larry Perkins as Vice President and Mitchell as secretary-treasurer.

In other business:

 Franklin McCasland said during his managers report that Conchas Lakes elevation that morning stood at 4,172.3 feet  8 1/2 feet higher than a year ago.

McCasland said the lake received 2,951 acre-feet of water in October, with evaporation and other losses at 2,663 acre-feet. Diversion to the canals totaled 7,732 acre-feet during the month.

McCasland reported the lakes irrigation gate was opened on Oct. 2 and closed on Oct. 30. The district delivered irrigation water through Nov. 10.

Lopez said the lakes level has dropped 2 feet since the district allocated water this summer, and there currently would be no water to allocate to area farmers.

 Also in his managers report, McCasland said its long-reach excavator will need repairs so it can finish work on a ditch at Bascom Cut. He said the canal contains 4 to 5 feet of sediment when floodwaters overtopped a ditch bank during a May 25 storm.

 The board approved a capital outlay request of $125,000 to purchase a new mini-excavator. McCasland said he worked with the Eastern Plains Council of Governments to submit the application to the New Mexico Legislature before its 30-day session in January.

 McCasland said the state has proposed a 10% increase in employees health insurance premiums, effective Jan. 1.

 During public comments, Paul Estrada accused McCasland and the board of ignoring requests dating to 2016 to clean ditches around his farm.

Perkins said 2023 was a rough year because district employees lacked the time to clean ditches.

McCasland refused to engage with Estrada on many of his complaints, saying Estrada is argumentative and theres other sides to the story.

McCasland and board members said they would discuss the issues and possibly take action during its December meeting.
The Tucumcari/Route 66 KOA Journey campground recently earned a KOA Presidents Award from Kampgrounds of America.

The prestigious award was presented Thursday at Kampgrounds of America Inc.s annual international convention in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The KOA Presidents Award is given to campgrounds meeting exceptional quality standards and receiving high customer service scores from their camping guests.

KOA surveys hundreds of thousands of campers each year about their KOA camping experiences.

These award-winning KOA owners have made the right investments in their campgrounds and their staff to provide the best outdoor experience in North America, said Toby ORourke, president and CEO of Kampgrounds of America Inc.

The Simoneau family  husband John, wife Cindy and son Jay  acquired the KOA in Tucumcari in April 2022 after selling another KOA in Placerville, California, they had owned for 29 years.

We wanted a place in the country, and this fit, John Simoneau said in a phone interview.

Simoneau attributed the award to a lot of interior and exterior renovations to the property. He said the previous owners had deferred maintenance to the facility during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Simoneau said he hopes to earn KOAs top honor, the Founders Award, next year.

The Tucumcari KOA was built in 1966. The Simoneaus are only the third set of owners.

Montana-based Kampgrounds of America, founded in 1962, has more than 500 locations across the United States and Canada and remains the worlds largest system of privately owned campgrounds.
A group of foreign tourists drive motorbikes during their Ha Giang Loop tour, October 2023. Photo courtesy of Lina.btnr

A Swedish tourist has asked a Vietnamese tour operator to return her money for providing "unsatisfactory quality of tourism services."

Alva White said she and her husband had just finished their tour to Ha Giang Province in northern highlands, run by a Hanoi-based travel company.

Previously, they booked a Ha Long tour from the same company and experienced good quality of services so they booked a three-night "Ha Giang loop" tour, departing on Nov. 18.

Under the agreement, the tour would have an English-speaking guide and the couple would stay in a separate room.

However, White said the company "did not provide services as previously agreed" when the tour guide hardly understood English and they had to stay in a dorm room.

In addition, they were also made to travel with another group on the tour, which White said was an "unreasonable arrangement."

"The tour guide couldn't speak English, so we were almost blind to information throughout the trip. The tour guide even didn't show us how to safely drive a motorbike," she said.

When the group started driving motorbikes across mountainous roads to conquer the 350-km-long loop, White and her husband could not keep up with the rest, she said.

The couple were fined by traffic police for not adhering to certain rules of the road. White said the risks of violating road traffic law were something she and her husband had anticipated, but she said that reputable tours would show customers how to avoid breaking the law.

The tourist commented that the company's tour organization was "very messy."

Unsatisfied with the service, the couple decided to cancel their schedule and asked to return to Hanoi. On Monday, White went to the company and asked it to return VND4 million (US$165) for them because of "poor services."

After both parties agreed, the amount they were returned was VND1.5 million.

The tourist then shared her experience on a Facebook page reserved for foreigners living in Vietnam.

Nguyen Minh Tan, director of the company, said she was "very angry" with the couple's behavior when they arbitrarily broke the original agreement.

Tan said the company accepted compensation for them does not mean "we admitted to providing poor quality services."

Tan explained local tour guides in Ha Giang can only speak English at a "very basic" level and cannot provide in-depth introductions to each destination like a professional tour guide.

However, she affirmed that tour guides clearly know Ha Giang's terrain so they "can completely ensure the safety" of tourists.

"Everything was an unnecessary misunderstanding," Tan said.

For the dorm room issue, Tan explained that the Swedish couple was arranged to sleep in a stilt house and the stilt house was divided into separate spaces with curtains, a characteristic of such rooms in Ha Giang.

At the company office, the staff had provided images of stilt houses in the tour introduction for the tourists, Tan added.

In the first nine months of this year Ha Giang received 2.1 million visitors, including 220,000 foreigners, and tourism earnings topped VND5 trillion (US$205 million).

The border province, renowned for its dangerous mountain passes and twisting roads, is touted as a must-visit destination by western backpackers who rent motorbikes to conquer the 350-kilometer Ha Giang Loop.

However, its inadequate infrastructure and poor services remain major challenges for tourism development.
By Ron Warnick The Staff of The News

Overall enrollment at Mesalands Community College fell 26% in the fall semester compared to a year ago, though on-campus enrollment rose sharply during the same period.

Josh McVey, vice president of student affairs, gave those findings during his annual enrollment management report at the Mesalands board of trustees meeting last Wednesday.

Total enrollment this fall was 586, down from 791 in fall 2022.

McVey wrote in his report this is due to reducing our dual enrollment services to high schools in our region during cost-cutting moves this year by the financially troubled college.

The report stated the number of dual-enrollment students declined from 323 to 131  a nearly 60% drop.

However, on-campus enrollment at Mesalands jumped from 157 last fall to 251 now  a 60% increase.

McVey said the number of full-time students fell just slightly, and the number of full-time equivalent students didnt see decreases as steep as total enrollments.

McVey reported a 34% decline in enrollment at corrections facilities that are going through changes.

Interim President Allen Moss said one corrections facility that had a big effect on Mesalands enrollment count sent out wrong documentation.

Joel Kiser, vice president of academic affairs, said he anticipates new programs at corrections facilities will increase its enrollment again.

In other business:

 During his presidents report, Moss cautioned the colleges most recent cash-flow statement contains some discrepancies, including one entry that states about $1 million in checking while another part states just $67,000 available in that account.

Moss said the spreadsheet contains things we dont have right  signaling years of poor bookkeeping at the college being rectified  but added: I feel were in much better position than those statements are showing.

Moss said the state legislature earlier this year made $1.2 million special appropriation for the college that hasnt been used except for an initial $400,000 during a cash flow shortage.

He said Mesalands probably will use a little more of those funds.

I feel good where were at now, but we have a lot of (fiscal) year to go, he said, noting that whatever funds wont be used would go back to the states general fund.

Moss also expressed optimism the 2022 audit report would be finished this week.

As the board approved the quarterly financial actions report, Chairman Richard Primrose said it looks a lot better than the last report. The board also approved its October financial report.

 Denise Hackett, executive director of institutional research and accreditation, said reported on the Higher Learning Commissions mandatory on-site visit after Mesalands was deemed financially distressed.

Hackett said the HLC will not visit again until the spring 2025.

We have things to work on, but we are fully accredited, she said, though a report from Moss states the accreditation is probationary.

One thing to note is that the team visiting reported that many issues have been fixed or being corrected, they would like to see this continue for longer, Moss wrote in his report.

Hackett also said the college received a draft report by Lightcast and New Mexico Independent Community Colleges on a financial impact report concerning Mesalands.

Mesalands return on investment is $8 per every $1 spent on graduates, which is on the high end of other colleges.

It was a great report, Primrose said.

 Mark Martinez, executive director of operations and procurement, said the colleges insurance adjuster is working to possibly streamline procurement and settle claims from Mays hailstorm.

Martinez said he was told workers would begin repairs on the wind-energy building within 30 days, but he expressed concerns about damage to other buildings.

 Jessica Gonzales, executive director of admissions and financial aid, gave a financial aid report, which reveals a big jump in state aid due to the New Mexico Opportunity Scholarship.

Gonzales noted more students were increasing their hours at Mesalands to meet eligibility requirements of the state scholarship program.

 Joel Kiser, vice president of academic affairs, said the college is continuing commercial drivers license testing, and it was only a matter of time before the college acquires a semi-tractor trailer for additional CDL testing or certification.

 Janet Griffiths, faculty senate president, said she talked to Loni Monahan, curator of the Mesalands Dinosaur Museum. Monahan said the number of visitors at the museum saw a big increase after three new billboards advertising the museum were erected along Interstate 40.

Monahan also was implementing a family pass for the museum, and it would hold a 20% off sale for merchandise from Dec. 1 to Dec. 24.

 Dean Garcia, staff senate president, reported a lot of positive momentum and improved morale that made them hopeful for the coming spring semester.

 The board approved the colleges administrative handbook and personnel handbook. Moss said an attorney needs to review both documents, but the board can approve any needed changes at a later date.

 The board voted to move a regular meeting from March 19 to March 12 due to the colleges spring break.
On this date ...

1973: The Tucumcari-Quay County Chamber of Commerce announced that in the best interest of the energy crisis, it would not sponsor a Christmas home-decorating contest this year.

President Nixon had urged Americans earlier in the month to conserve energy because of a severe shortage of fuel heading into the winter months.

In another matter, the chamber also urged all members to submit their ballots by Nov. 27 to elect new directors on the board.

 Winners of the Boy Scouts Pack 652 contests were Rocky Campbell, who finished third with his covered wagon; Timmy Farrow, second place with his bird feeder and wall hanging; and Mark McCasland with his windmill. All are students at Mountain View School.

 Japanese pianist Teiche Higashi, who attended Julliard, was announced as the first guest artist of Community Concert Series on Dec. 4 in the junior high auditorium.

 The Odeon Theatre was screening the childrens film Pippi Longstocking, plus a Burt Reynolds western The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing and a Burt Lancaster spy movie Scorpio.
Its the onset of our annual holiday season, when gratefulness, gift-giving and anticipation of a new year come over us. Its coming during troubled times.

Nationally and internationally, the problems seem overwhelming. One war, between Ukraine and Russia, keeps dragging along with no clear victory in sight, while horrors are unfolding in a brand-new Israel-Hamas war.

All this while the Earth warms, the climate changes and the weather turns extreme.

On our homefront, theres a pitched battle coming between authoritarianism and democratic rule  something we can dread for the coming year  while other issues like abortion, gun violence and immigration pull us apart at the seams. Even states like New Mexico and Texas are squaring off at their borders over such issues.

Meanwhile, were in a mental health crisis, and the loneliness that many feel during the holidays isnt going to help. Its hard to have hope under such circumstances, and yet thats exactly what we need to, mentally and emotionally, survive.

Time magazine recently published a piece by Angela Haupt on 5 ways to cultivate hope when you dont have any.

Hope is a way of thinking, Haupt quotes Chan Hellman of the Hope Research Center at the University of Oklahoma saying. We know it can be taught; we know it can be nurtured. Its not something you either have or dont have.

Hope has great benefits. It gives us a healthier disposition. It fights off depression and anxiety, and strengthens our social connections. Studies suggest it even helps us live longer.

Haupts article goes on to outline five practical things we can do to make us more hopeful:

 Give yourself permission to be hopeful. Dont get your hopes up can actually be bad advice; looking positively toward the future can actually lift you up.

 Set at least one meaningful goal and work, really work, to accomplish it. Make your goal something we want to do, not just what you have to do.

 Brainstorm solutions so you dont set your sights on a goal without knowing how to achieve it.

 Call your support team  friends and family  to keep yourself motivated in your efforts to achieve your goal.

 And tap into your imagination. When you achieve your goal, what will you do then? Looking into your future in such a positive light is the very essence of hope, Hellman says.

So off we go, into another season filled with love, life and loneliness. Lets make sure hope is part of it all.

 Tom McDonald

Santa Rosa Communicator
The ghost of political deja vu has revisited the Republican Party, with the GOP suffering humiliating defeats in virtually all of their political contests. The one bright spot was Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves holding onto his seat in a state so ruby red no one expected Democrats to win, anyway.

Ohio voters overwhelmingly voted in favor of guaranteeing women the right to an abortion in the states constitution. Interestingly, in November 2022, access to abortion measures won in all six state ballot measures where it was up for a vote.

On the same day, candidates supported by Moms for Liberty lost in Bucks County, Pa., and Loudoun County, Va., bellwether counties where suburban voting can occasionally indicate developing national trends. Candidates affiliated with the extremist organization also faired dismally in midwestern states like Iowa, where three school boards in suburban Des Moines flipped to Democratic control.

Right-wing organizations like Moms for Liberty have attempted to exploit parental resentment over COVID lockdowns to stoke anger and fear over other educational issues, such as how topics like race and sexuality are taught in public schools. Over the past few years, school board meetings from coast to coast emerged as lighting rods of controversy  catapulting school board elections into an issue that became a subject of national significance.

But it was the election results in Virginia that garnered considerable response from the mainstream media and revealed indicators of potential problems for Republicans. The legislative elections in Virginia were widely viewed as a test of Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who neither fully embraced nor totally rejected Donald Trump. Like many of his fellow conservative cohorts, Youngkin decided to wade into abortion territory, seeking to prove that his call for a limit on abortion after 15 weeks, with some exceptions, was a position that could play well among suburban voters.

Youngkin anticipated his brand of conservative stances on issues would reward voters in providing him full control of the legislature by flipping control of the state Senate narrowly controlled by Democrats while simultaneously retaining a narrow Republican majority in the state House. Instead, Democrats held the Senate and also took control of the House. In several key districts, Democratic messaging was focused heavily on the issue of abortion.

Given the dramatic political shellacking Republicans suffered in Virginia in particular, most political experts are in unison the results have sullied Youngkin and will likely quell any serious discussion of him becoming a late entrant in the 2024 Republican presidential election.

The election results are not just about the resilience of abortion rights as a political winner for Democrats. It also demonstrates that right-wing culture warriors attacking education supposedly created around a parents rights agenda has resoundingly lost its political appeal.

In reality, most Americans detest extremism. People dont want politicians to decide for them who they can or cannot marry or love. They dont want politicians dictating what they can or cannot do with their own bodies. They dont want politicians deciding what they or their children can read. They dont want politicians attempting to impose their religious or moral values on them.

Elwood Watson is a professor of history, Black studies, and gender and sexuality studies at East Tennessee State University. Contact him at:

[email protected]


RTL AdAlliance has formally incorporated all its local European businesses into one single entity for each market in its quest to connect European media with global brands, simplify media buying, and drive the transition of European linear TV into digital and addressable TV. RTL AdAlliance has formally incorporated all its local European businesses into one single entity for each market in its quest to connect European media with global brands, simplify media buying, and drive the transition of European linear TV into digital and addressable TV.



In 2022, RTL Groups cross-platform sales house announced the consolidation of three previously independently operating companies to form the joint company called RTL AdAlliance. That process is now complete and results in a media sales organisation with combined ad-tech from smartclip tech and Realytics.



Stephane Coruble is CEO of RTL AdAlliance and Oliver Vesper is Deputy CEO and CDO, and there is now a market head for each region.



Offering a central point of contact for all advertising requirements, RTL AdAlliance unifies European TV and premium streaming advertising inventories, buying processes, and reporting for global brands. In addition to RTL in Germany, advertisers can harness inventory from RAI in Italy, ITV in the UK and NBC Universal, plus trusted media brands online and in print (e.g., Guardian, Le Figaro, Prisma, Neue Zurcher Zeitung). Smart TV inventory from Samsung and LG is also represented.



The combined company boasts sales teams in the UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, Benelux, Nordics and United States and serves advertisers spanning international brands to small/medium enterprises.



As well as offering simplified sales with pan-European and even global reach, the RTL AdAlliance is on a mission to help broadcasters transform to a more streamed and addressable future. With The Trade Desk and smartclip, RTL AdAlliance has established a programmatic buying ecosystem for addressable linear and connected TV. In partnership with Realytics, it has improved the measurement accuracy of cross-platform campaigns from linear TV to online advertising.



Stephane Coruble says: The integration of RTL AdAlliance could not have gone better. Our three corporate cultures, with more than 250 employees, fit together so well that we hit the ground running as one team from the start. As a unified company, we can now accelerate our efforts to drive this momentum for our partners and customers worldwide. I am pleased to say that we can simplify media buying and reduce complexities for media owners and brands.



Oliver Vesper, Deputy CEO and Chief Digital Officer of RTL Ad Alliance, adds: Through our close collaboration with our sibling tech companies, [smartclip tech and its subsidiary Realytics], we empower the industry to navigate the intricate tapestry of media options and redefine the future of total video advertising.



Realytics stands as a beacon of innovation for TV-digital convergence, allowing advertisers and agencies to measure, analyse and optimise their TV campaigns. And smartclip tech signifies a visionary stride towards advancing the European TV ecosystem. Together, we bridge the gap between broadcasters and technology, including an integrated ad server and SSP alongside a broadcaster-centric product suite that caters to every distribution channel.



Photo: Stephane Coruble (right) and Oliver Vesper from RTL AdAlliance.
Derry Girls, Vir Das: Landing and The Empress were among the winners at the 2023 International Emmy Awards.

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The 51st annual ceremony took place Monday at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York City, and was hosted by comedian Rhys Darby.

The International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (IATAS) presents the International Emmys to honor the best in international television programming.

The Empress, a German historical drama starring Devrim Lignau as Empress Elisabeth of Austria, won Best Drama Series, beating out Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Yosi, the Regretful Spy and The Devil's Hour.

Derry Girls, a British teen comedy starring Saoirse-Monica Jackson, and Vir Das: Landing, a stand-up comedy special from Indian actor and comedian Vir Das, tied for Best Comedy Series.

Martin Freeman took home Best Performance by an Actor for his role as Chris Carson in The Responder, while Karla Souza won Best Performance by an Actress for her role as Mariel in Dive.

In addition, Succession creator Jesse Armstrong was honored with the Founders Emmy, while Balaji Telefilms co-founder Ektaa R. Kapoor took home the Directorate Award.

See the full list of winners here.
A Michigan store is gaining a reputation as a lucky spot after selling a $300,000 winning lottery ticket and a ticket worth $25,000 a year for life within two months.

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The Michigan Lottery said the Family Fare store on Lake Michigan Drive in Grand Rapids sold a Fire & Ice Cashword scratch-off ticket to a Kent County man in October that turned out to be a $300,000 winner.

"I scratched the ticket when I got in my truck. When I revealed the sixth red word, I checked the ticket over at least 10 times before taking it back into the store and scanning it," the player told lottery officials.

"When the 'file a claim' message came up on the lottery machine, I walked back to my truck, locked the doors, and drove straight home to put the ticket in a safe spot."

The store's lucky streak continued into this month when Sonia McCarthy bought a Lucky for Life ticket and ended up winning $25,000 a year for life.

"I told my parents one night how I have been quite lucky on the Lucky for Life game, so I was going to continue playing it," McCarthy said. "I checked my ticket the next morning and was totally floored when I saw I won $25,000 a year for life! It's almost like I spoke it into existence since I won the night I told my parents it was my lucky game."
ABC/Craig Sjodin

By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 11/20/2023



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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

The Bachelorette alum Katie Thurston has responded to harsh criticism about her appearance, when she reunited with her ex-fiance Blake Moynes after two years of not speaking.On 's November 16 episode, Katie entered the Paradise beach in Mexico and announced how she was single. She then immediately pulled Blake -- who had already established a strong connection with Jess Girod -- aside for a chat.Katie appeared to confuse Blake by apologizing for how she had handled their October 2021 breakup and talking about how much she truly loved him and cared for him, and the conversation left Jess feeling anxious, abandoned and insecure.However, Katie didn't go on to date; she was on there to host a roast."Ick. Just watched . Shame on you. Totally classless and tacky," a troll wrote of Katie on social media on Friday after the episode aired, according to Us Weekly."No wonder you're single. If I could roast you, I'd tell you to get some Romaine, do some stumpy leg exercises and grow a decent personality. Unfollowing for sure."Instead of clapping back or responding with a zinger, Katie decided to take the high road."Happy women don't put strangers down," Katie replied. "Best of luck healing with whatever negativity you're going through in life. I hope you find happiness."The Bachelorette's Season 17 star clearly chose to keep it classy.But on , Katie didn't exactly hold back.During her conversation with Blake on the beach, she pointed out how Jess was a lot younger than him. And then at the roast, Katie quipped in front of the whole cast, "It's no surprise Jess' name is 'Baby Jess.' Blake used to make me call him 'Daddy.'"Katie also hinted to producers that she still had lingering feelings for Blake.When asked in a confessional if she still loved Blake two years after their split, Katie acknowledged it was a hard question, and then instead of answering it, she just broke down into tears and seemed overwhelmed with emotion.Katie had accepted a marriage proposal from Blake during The Bachelorette's Season 17 finale, which aired in early August 2021, but the couple called off their engagement less than two months later.Katie then went Instagram official with one of her Week 2 The Bachelorette eliminees, John Hersey , in November 2021.Katie faced criticism and hate online for having moved on from her former fiance too quickly with a "rebound," and Blake believed Katie had emotionally cheated on him.But both Katie and John denied any wrongdoing in the press, and Katie insisted her relationship with John didn't begin until her relationship with Blake was over Katie and John -- a San-Diego based bartender -- then announced in late June 2022 that the couple had called it quits on their relationship. John was actually the one who had dumped Katie On 's ninth season, Katie and her ex-fiance discussed how they had broken up, over the phone, in late October 2021. Blake confessed that he was "tripping" over seeing Katie again, and their conversation started out with an awkward vibe."We haven't talked, [but] I sent you a bunch of voice memos. I don't know if you even listened to them," Katie said."I did. There were six different voice notes and I remember them all pretty clearly," Blake confirmed."I could feel the emotion in those voice notes, but I was also super bitter in that moment," he elaborated, "and so I didn't want to respond. After what happened, you were in a relationship and I wasn't overly excited about that. It was a bit of a dagger, and so I said, 'I don't owe her that.'"Katie said she totally agreed with Blake and that's why she had never reached out again and chose to respect his boundaries, his peace and his space.Katie proceeded to apologize to Blake for the way things had played out, and she added, "If I could go back and redo it all, I would. I wanted you to know that what we went through was real to me."Katie's eyes were filling up with tears as she spoke, and Blake said that when he looked at her, there was a lot of "good" to remember from their short-lived romance.While Katie and Blake spoke, Jess complained about how she wouldn't be able to compete with any lingering feelings Blake might have for Katie. Jess was on the verge of giving up. She said felt like an idiot and that her ego had been bruised."My experience here went to sh-t. I just feel like nothing went the way I thought it would," Jess complained to Rachel Recchia Jess, in fact, was thinking about quitting the show and returning home single.Meanwhile, Katie explained to Blake how she felt a natural energy, familiarity and comfort with him after everything they had been through. Katie said their reunion was "a lot to take in," but Blake admitted he couldn't think about them as a couple because it really threw him off.Katie said she regretted how she had handled everything; however, their love, connection and memories were all very real to her."You're definitely throwing me for a loop right now," Blake responded.Katie explained how everything was stacked against them after the show, including how they lived in different countries. (Blake currently resides in Canada and travels frequently to different countries for his work in animal conservation)."I stayed true to my feelings in the moment, even after... our relationship, even after other relationships. It's always been Blake; you've never been a default," Katie told Blake.Katie concluded that she was happy to see Blake, and then when a producer asked Katie if she still loved Blake, Katie said, "Don't ask that question!"As Katie fidgeted around and avoided contact with the camera, she suddenly looked up and had eyes full of tears."Oh f-ck!" she said.Blake didn't know how to react or deal with the situation. He felt totally overwhelmed and confused.Interested in more The Bachelor news? Follow our Bachelor Nation News Page on Facebook or join our The Bachelor Facebook Group
A makeshift hospital used to treat patients during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing's Chaoyang district has been converted into affordable rental accommodation.

The former treatment facility in the Jinzhan Qicai Jiayuan community has been turned into 4,910 rooms each of 18 square meters available to the public for 1,200 yuan ($167) a month, without the need for a down payment or other requirements ordinarily found in rental agreements.

Located between the Fifth Ring Road and the Sixth Ring Road, the complex consists of nine colored zones and includes a canteen, supermarket, laundry and charging stations.

The complex goes some way to addressing the capital's shortage of affordable accommodation.

According to the Beijing government, Chaoyang district aims to provide 15,000 affordable rental apartments by the end of this year.

As of Sept 27, Beijing has 75 affordable rental housing projects, providing 111,900 rooms.

Li Jiaqian, a 22-year-old working at a livestreaming e-commerce company, moved into the community about two weeks ago.

"I work in China World Towers. Rent in that area is about 5,000 to 6,000 yuan a month. That's too expensive for me," Li said.

A woman surnamed Cheng moved into the Jinzhan community in October. She said all she wants is a good rest after work.

"My colleague found the community and introduced it to me. I was quite satisfied with the room lighting, so I moved in," she said.

However, such facilities are not without their drawbacks.

In the Jinzhan community, cooking and high-power electrical appliances are not allowed in the rooms. Tap water and electricity are charged at commercial rates, which are higher than those for residential use.

Other areas in China are also converting some of their makeshift hospitals used during the pandemic into affordable accommodation. In January, Jinan in Shandong province turned one into a 650-room complex, Beijing News reported.
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The United States is committed to helping Armenia and Azerbaijan make the best decisions for the future peace and prosperity of their two countries and the broader region.
ABC/Frank Micelotta

By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 11/20/2023



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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

The Golden Bachelor star Gerry Turner has no desire to slow down after appearing on reality TV, and now he's apparently interested in trading in red roses for dancing shoes.is currently in its 32nd season, and The Bachelor and The Bachelorette alums are no strangers to the ballroom.Given Gerry has captured viewers' hearts all over the world with his sweet personality and charming nature on The Golden Bachelor, he's probably well aware that he'd receive a lot of votes on next year."I would be open to any and all opportunities," Gerry told The New York Post of possibly competing on a future season of ."Because as much fun as I've had up to this point, and as much fun as my family has had coming along with me on this journey, I wouldn't say no to anything."Gerry, however, pointed out how he wouldn't rush into another commitment without weighing the pros and cons. After all, he may have a girlfriend or fiancee now!"I would have to kind of get more information before I committed to something," the 72-year-old retired restaurateur explained. "But gosh, I mean, how much fun could that be?"Gerry also isn't exactly confident in his moves, apparently."I'm probably just an average guy," Gerry said. "So on a scale of 1 to 10, maybe a five [as a dancer]."Gerry's enthusiasm and apparent willingness to sign up for likely stems from the fact his experience with fame from starring on The Golden Bachelor was an overwhelmingly positive one.Gerry told his local Indianapolis Star newspaper earlier this month that he's "happier today" than he was prior to filming The Golden Bachelor."There's so much more opportunity and I've gotten to know so many great people," Gerry gushed."I've had great experiences; and my family has had great experiences along with me that they would have never been afforded. So there's so many positive things. I was able to be a presenter at the CMA Awards. My daughter got to go with me."Gerry was also excited to be able to travel to Costa Rica for his The Golden Bachelor finale, especially since his daughters and granddaughters were able to accompany him on that trip.And Gerry shared how it's felt great to have fans and people around the world rooting for him and supporting him on his quest to find love for the second time in his life."It's just really fun because everybody's joining in the joy of it," Gerry said."And I wouldn't give that up to the world. It's not just for me, it's for everybody, finding their own piece of happiness with it."Gerry would be following in the footsteps of many The Bachelor and The Bachelorette alums before him who have competed on -- including The Bachelorette's Season 20 star Charity Lawson , who is currently in the running for The Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy on Season 32.The Bachelorette's Season 19 star Gabby Windey placed second on ' 31st season last year. Kaitlyn Bristowe also memorably won ' 29th season, right after Hannah Brown was crowned champion of the reality dancing competition's 28th season.Gerry's journey on The Golden Bachelor is winding down. He only has two senior ladies left in the competition -- Leslie Fhima and Theresa Nist -- and he's said that he's in love with both of them.Theresa and Leslie are also head over heels for Gerry, and so the Final Rose Ceremony is expected to be very emotional.Gerry is going to choose his winner and reveal if he's engaged during the upcoming season finale of The Golden Bachelor, airing Thursday, November 30 at 8PM ET/PT on ABC., meanwhile, will air its finale on Tuesday, December 5 on ABC.Interested in more The Bachelor news? Follow our Bachelor Nation News Page on Facebook or join our The Bachelor Facebook Group
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In September, Azerbaijan initiated a military offensive against the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, prompting some 100,000 ethnic Armenians who are the majority in the region to flee en masse to Armenia due to fear of oppression and rapidly deteriorating humanitarian conditions. Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but the ethnic Armenians there have long sought independence from Baku.

Azeri President Ilham Aliyev declared victory over the enclave. At the same time, he promised to guarantee the rights and security of Armenians living in the region.

In recent Congressional testimony Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James OBrien expressed concern over Armenians uprooted from Nagorno-Karabakh:

We insist on the people having complete access to the territory, on the protection of the property, the protection of the culture, and that the people receive adequate information so that they can make a real choice about their future and know that they have the viable opportunity to return and live in Nagorno-Karabakh if that's what they choose.

The United States announced $11.5 million in assistance to Armenia on September 26th.

Moreover, the United States is helping Armenia and Azerbaijan negotiate a peace agreement, said Assistant Secretary OBrien:

We are deeply engaged. I think there have been 13 senior level visits to the capitals Yerevan in Baku since September and meetings among the parties as well. We are also deeply engaged with our Turkish colleagues as we go forward. We've made clear that nothing will be normal with Azerbaijan after the events of September 19th until we see progress on the peace track.

Assistant Secretary OBrien expressed optimism that all sides to the conflict stand to gain from a peace agreement:

Central Asian countries are looking for new routes to get their goods to market. Those routes can run through Azerbaijan onto Georgia or down through Armenia to Turkey. We've said no use of force is acceptable. A transit corridor built with the involvement and consent of Armenia can be a tremendous boon to states across the region and to global markets who will receive access to these goods.

The United States is committed to helping Armenia and Azerbaijan make the best decisions for the future peace and prosperity of their two countries and the broader region.
Every defaulter is not a wilful defaulter who has the capability of paying back and is yet not servicing the bank loan, observes Tamal Bandyopadhyay.

Remember EMI, the 2008 Hindi film directed by Saurabh Kabra? The Sanjay Dutt-starrer, a social comedy, was all about the recovery of bad loans.

Banks, telecom companies and a string of multinationals were only too happy to engage Sattar (Dutt), owner of Good Luck Recovery Agency, to chase defaulters.

Sattar, operating from Bhendi Bazaar, Mumbai, followed a simple rule for his business -- 'Loan liya hai to chukana padega (if you have taken a loan, you must repay it).'

Two incidents this month remind me of EMI.

A team of bank employees, who had gone to a village in Uttar Pradesh's Gonda district to recover a loan, was allegedly attacked and taken hostage by the loan defaulter! The police later rescued the team of bankers and filed a case against the culprits.

According to Sudhir Kumar Shukla, a senior manager with the Prathama UP Gramin Bank, a team of bankers from the Balpur branch had gone to Sonhara village to recover debt from a loan defaulter, Ghanshyam, who had not returned money taken through the Kisan Credit Card.

Ghanshyam allegedly abused the bank officials and, along with his family members and a few villagers, attacked the team with sticks, bricks and stones, injuring them. The story did not end there. They also took the bankers hostage.

Media reports quoted Superintendent of Police Ankit Mittal saying that five accused had been detained and were being interrogated. The injured were also medically examined.

The other incident is no less interesting.

Kolkata-headquartered UCO Bank issued a circular on November 1, asking its staff to distribute sweets during Diwali to the top 10 defaulters in each branch to show that they are valued.

The central message of the one-page circular, signed by Dheeraj Patwardhan, general manager, recovery and law, was: 'We cannot deny the fact that a customer presently classified as NPA (non-performing asset) was once a valued customer of the bank.'

Stating that the recovery of bad loans is not an easy task, it pointed out that once an account turns into an NPA, there is a deterioration in banker-customer relationship, but every defaulter is not a wilful defaulter who has the capability of paying back and is yet not servicing the bank loan.

There could be compelling reasons such as business failure, which has led to the default; at times, a 'clash of ego between the customer and the bank officials' also leads to an account turning into an NPA.

It called for empathy and establishing a meaningful connection with these customers, bridging the divide developed over time.

This is the way to move forward to get the money lent through vanilla recovery or even one-time settlements.

The top management of the bank had suggested 'distribution of sweet packets to the top 10 NPA borrowers of each branch... like any other valued customers...' The branch head needed to 'personally meet them, greet them'.

The zonal heads were also 'advised to personally meet the top 10 NPA borrowers of the zones on the auspicious occasion of Diwali'.

The circular ended requesting 'strict compliance of the directions' and submission of branch-wise data, collated by the zonal offices, by November 15.

The very next day, the bank withdrew the circular. Why did it do that?

There are many stories going around. Apparently, several senior employees were not happy with the idea.

Some say, retired employees, too, objected to it. Apparently, the management was not happy with the response from a section of the media.

Then, there was the cost factor. If the bank decided to spend Rs 1,000 per packet of sweets, then the cost per branch would be Rs 10,000. Multiply that with 3,500 branches.

If other customers, too, demanded sweet packets, then the cost would be staggering.

We would have loved to see how the plan would have been executed and whether the branch managers would have been able to convince the loan defaulters to drop by at branches to taste the rasgullas.

Different banks have been trying out different things to recover bad loans.

In 2017, Punjab National Bank launched Mission Gandhigiri.

In this scheme, a bankers' team would visit the borrowers' office or residence and sit there silently in an attempt to name and shame the defaulters.

The bank discontinued the scheme and instead has been trying to reach out to the borrowers once it sees stress in an account. PNB also impounded at least 150 passports of 150 wilful defaulters.

The State Bank of India, the nation's largest lender, had partnered with two fintechs to reach out to borrowers who were likely to default.

They would visit such borrowers, identified using artificial intelligence, with chocolates and remind them of the payment of the forthcoming loan instalments.

There are other banks that have printed photographs of loan defaulters in local newspapers and even used posters with their photographs in the locality where they live.

The Gandhigiri or Munna Bhai treatment is one way of recovering bad loans.

The other way, which certain financial intermediaries had adopted in the past, was harassing the loan defaulters and, in rare cases, even forcing them to the extent that some of them ended up killing themselves.

In some sense, the bankers are like Sanjay Dutt, who could play the menacing Kancha Cheena in Agneepath and Munna Bhai the eponymous lead character in Lage Raho Munna Bhai who sees the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi and begins to practise Gandhigiri (a neologism for Gandhism) to help ordinary people solve their problems. (Incidentally, Dutt's Agneepath is a remake of a 1990 Amitabh Bachchan starrer of the same name where Danny Denzongpa played the role of Kancha Cheena.)

Both the finance ministry and the Reserve Bank of India have taken note of the Kancha Cheena treatment meted out to borrowers by some financial intermediaries.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has gone on record to say that the government has instructed public and private sector banks to pursue loan recovery cases with sensitivity and not resort to harsh steps.

The new RBI norms restrain all regulated entities and their recovery agents from calling borrowers or guarantors before 8 am and after 7 pm for the recovery of overdue loans.

They are not allowed to resort to intimidation or harassment of any kind, either verbal or physical, against any person in their debt collection efforts.

Incidentally, UCO Bank's gross NPAs dipped to 4.14 per cent of advances in the September 2023 quarter and, after provisioning, net NPAs have come down to 1.11 per cent.

Three years back, in March 2020, its gross NPAs were 16.77 per cent and net NPAs 5.45 per cent.

Recovery of bad loans had contributed handsomely to UCO Bank's net profit in the last financial year. Overall, the banking sector's NPAs are now at a decadal low.

Gandhigiri could be a way of recovering unsecured personal loans, but not the corporate loans that have turned sour and are running into trillions of rupees. That's a different ball game.

Recovery of such loans under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code has been slow for many reasons.

The latest Supreme Court judgment may give it a boost.

India's highest court has upheld the Constitutional validity of the initiation of insolvency proceedings against the personal guarantors in case of a default.

Let's wait and watch how personal insolvency comes into play.

Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com
It was special day for Nicaragua as Sheynnis Palacios brought home the Miss Universe 2023 crown for the very first time.

While Thailand's Anntonia Porsild -- who set the internet aflame with her daring outfits at the contest -- came second, Australia's Moraya Wilson rounded off the winning trio.

What makes this edition of the contest important were a few more events that happened for the first time at Miss Universe.

Miss Universe saw its first body inclusive contestant in 22 year old Miss Nepal, Jane Dipika Garrett.

Pakistan participated for the first time.

Miss Pakistan Erica Robin, who is 25, chose to wear a burkini for the swimsuit round, another first.

Miss Columbia Camila Avella, who placed in the top five, and Miss Netherlands Rikkie Kolle were the first mothers to compete in the event.

While marital or parental status is no longer a restriction at the contest, Miss Universe will break another barrier next year as it removes the age restriction for participating contestants as well; until now, women had to be between the ages of 18 and 28 to compete at the international beauty pageant.

Meanwhile, Portugal sent its first transgender contestant, 28-year-old Marina Machete, to the event.

As did Netherlands, which was represented by 22-year-old Rikkie Kolle.

Pakistan, Nepal and Portugal reached the top 20 in the 72nd edition of the Miss Universe pageant, which saw 90 countries competing for the prestigious title at the Jose Adolfo Pineda Arena in San Salvador, El Salvador.

India, too, finished in the top 20 but failed to recreate Harnaaz Kaur Sandhu's glorious moment in 2021 when India won the crown after 21 years. However, Miss Diva Universe 2023 Shweta Sharda did put her best foot forward with some rather interesting looks which we present below.

But first, the crowning moment...

IMAGE: The smile, the joy is always the same.

Miss Nicaragua Sheynnis Palacios is crowned Miss Universe.

Photograph: Kind courtesy Miss Universe/Instagram

IMAGE: There she is, in flawless close-up.

Photograph: Kind courtesy Miss Universe/Instagram

IMAGE: Miss Diva Universe 2023 Shweta Sharda looked lovely as well.

She channelled her inner 'armoured goddess' at the national costume round to showcase India's rich heritage in an exquisite brown lehenga choli and unique headgear.

Photograph: Kind courtesy Shweta Sharda/Instagram

IMAGE: Shweta put her best foot forward for a charity gala dinner to raise funds for the Benjamin Bloom's Children Hospital in San Salvador.

Photograph: Kind courtesy Shweta Sharda/Instagram

IMAGE: 'Pause,' she says, 'breathe and enjoy the goodness around.'

Photograph: Kind courtesy Shweta Sharda/Instagram

`

IMAGE: Shweta seems made for this fitted sari designed by Prerna Mehra.

The Chandigarh-born lass is a dancer and choreographer who has showcased her talent on various dance reality shows such as Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, Dance India Dance, Dance Deewane and Dance Plus.

Photograph: Kind courtesy Shweta Sharda/Instagram

IMAGE: It's amply clear that Shweta loves her stripes.

Photograph: Kind courtesy Shweta Sharda/Instagram

IMAGE: 'Feeling fiery and fierce is the vibe of the day,' she says.

While Shweta wore many shades of red at the competition, was this her favourite?

Photograph: Kind courtesy Shweta Sharda/Instagram

IMAGE: She chose to shine in black and silver for her Miss Universe shoot.

Photograph: Kind courtesy Shweta Sharda/Instagram

IMAGE: Not only was Erica Robin the first to represent Pakistan in the contest's 72 year history, she was also the first to wear a burkini in the swimsuit round.

Erica confessed to 'receiving some backlash' for participating in Miss Pakistan but added that she was 'ready to face any challenges while maintaining her values as a young, modern Pakistani woman'.

She wanted to show the world, she added, 'that Pakistan can celebrate the success of women'.

Photograph: Kind courtesy Erica Robin/Instagram

IMAGE: As Miss Universe's first plus-sized contestant, Miss Nepal Jane Dipika Garrett was proud to represent 'real size beauty around the world and break the stereotypes of beauty pageants'.

In an interview to Hola magazine, she said, 'There's not one way to be beautiful -- every woman is beautiful just as they are.'

Photograph: Kind courtesy Jade Dipika Garrett/Instagram

IMAGE: Maria Camila Avella Montanez, to use her full name, became the first married woman and mother to reach the top 5 in Miss Universe.

This is the first year that married women and mothers were allowed to participate in this global contest.

Her hope is that her journey would be an inspiration to all working mothers.

Photograph: Kind courtesy Camila Avella/Instagram

IMAGE: Like Camila, Miss Guatemala Michelle Cohn was the first married woman in her country to win the Miss Universe Gautemala title.

This mother of two calls herself a 'Mom Queen' and finds the time to model, host on television and run her own business, Luca Beachwear, as well.

She did not make it to the top 10 but she did make a stunning impression at the contest.

Photograph: Kind courtesy Michelle Cohn/Instagram

IMAGE: Though she is not the first transwoman to participate in the contest -- that barrier was broken by Miss Spain Angela Maria Ponce Camacho in 2018 -- Miss Portugal Marina Machete set a new record by placing in the top 20 at Miss Universe.

The 28-year-old flight attendant, who became the first transwoman to be crowned Miss Universe Portugal, won the Miss Confident title when she represented her country at Miss Universe.

Photograph: Kind courtesy Luis Bisanti/Instagram
Given the politics behind it all, one possibility is for binding the governor to act according to the decisions of the state government and clarifying his position vis a vis bills and resolutions passed by the state assembly -- or, re-enacted if returned, points out N Sathiya Moorthy.

IMAGE: Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi, right, with Home Minister Amit A Shah in New Delhi. Photograph: ANI Photo

With a division bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Dhananjay Yeshwant Chandrachud, on Monday, November 2-0, 2023, asking Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi what he was doing on bills that were pending for three years before the court issued notice on the 10th of this month, questions arise as to finding a permanent Constitutional solution to problems of the nature.

That's because, not just from Tamil Nadu, but state governments in Kerala and Punjab, apart from Telangana earlier, had gone all the way up to the apex court with near-similar constitutional grouses.

Likewise, the West Bengal government too has problems with Governor C V Ananda Bose, and is known to be toying with the idea of approaching the Supreme Court.

Given the politics behind it all, one possibility is for binding the governor to act according to the decisions of the state government and clarifying his position vis a vis bills and resolutions passed by the state assembly -- or, re-enacted if returned.

The question remains if given the political realities on the ground, the Supreme Court could pass such directives, or could and would advise Parliament to address the concerns, if any, of the highest judiciary of the land.

Already, there are other sensitive cases like the Mandal Commission case (Indra Sawhney vs Union of India & Others, 1992), setting a 50 per cent upper-limit for all reservations and the S R Bommai case (1994), on the President's powers to dismiss elected state governments and dissolve those state assemblies, without reference to any existing law or Constitutional provision.

Over the past three decades, Parliament has allowed itself and the nation to be guided by the Supreme Court verdicts without legislating on the subject matter, attesting or opposing the same.

One argument is if the Supreme Court verdict pertaining to the President's powers could be valid law even three decades later, the highest judiciary has powers to rule in matters pertaining to state governors, too.

IMAGE: R N Ravi with Prime Minister Narendra D Modi in New Delhi. Photograph: ANI Photo

The reasons for seeking judicial/parliamentary law in matters of governor's powers on state legislations and cabinet decisions are not far to seek.

Such Constitutional ambiguity as evidenced in the case of the petitioner-states -- if that is only ambiguity and not political mischief -- had remained in the case of President's powers vis a vis the Union Cabinet and Parliament.

During the Emergency, the government got the President's powers under Article 74 (1) clarified, to ensure that the President did not have any choice in such matters.

Prior to the Forty-Second Amendment, Article 74 (1) read thus: 'There shall be a Council of Ministers with the Prime Minister at the head to aid and advice the President in the exercise of his functions.'

However, there was an ambiguity whether the advice of the council of ministers was binding on the President.

The Forty-second Amendment made it clear and explicit that the President shall 'act in accordance with such advice' -- and he did not have a choice.

Incidentally, the post-Emergency Janata Party government of then prime minister Morarji Desai, even while running down the Forty-Second Amendment, was at best circumspect when it came to restoring the President's powers, to pre-Emergency levels.

Accordingly, the Forty-Fourth Amendment, passed by the Janata government, at best whitewashed the Forty-Second in the matter.

It gave the President, powers to send back the 'advice' of the Cabinet for reconsideration, but just once.

If the council of ministers under the prime minister still returned the same advice, the President did not have a choice in the matter.

He just has to accept it and act accordingly. This amendment came into effect in June 1979.

The question under the prevailing circumstances and political environment is this: If a similar provision can be included, to ensure that governors do not sit on state government's decisions at will, without either accepting them, rejecting, them or returning them.

As the First Bench told Attorney General K Venkataramani, representing Governor Ravi, on Monday, the latter did not have the luxury of 'with-holding' his consent in matters, as he had done while sending back the Bills to the state government last week.

If not earlier, as recently as April 2023, the Supreme Court had clarified the matter when Telangana's government of Chief Minister K Chandrashekhara Rao sought a similar direction to the governor, Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan. Reading the writing on the apex court's wall, the governor obliged without further embarrassment.

Before the apex court's intervention, the Telangana assembly created Constitutional history by opening the customary first session of the calendar year without the governor's address. Barring political protests, neither the governor, nor the pro-governor ruling BJP at the Centre, took it up with either President Draupadi Murmu or the Supreme Court, as would have been the wont. The other two, especially the Centre acting for the President, too did not take any suo motu initiatives.

It now looks as if each one of her counterparts facing petitions in the apex court seem wanting to learn the lesson personally without learning from the other.

It also raises fundamental questions about the kind of legal advice that these governors have been getting from whatever source as may be.

If it's from the legal officers of the Centre, it raises more questions about the credibility and respectability of those offices, like with that of state governors  but without attributing personal prejudices of the gubernatorial kind to those officers.

IMAGE: The Tamil Nadu government led by Chief Minister M K Stalin and Governor R N Ravi have been at loggerheads for some time. Photograph: ANI Photo

In the Tamil Nadu case, the state government argued before the Supreme Court that the governor's decision to 'withhold' assent to 10 bills, conveyed on November 13, was tantamount to 'returning' the bills.

In the state assembly on November 18, Chief Minister M K Stalin and his cabinet colleagues cited the Centre's submissions in earlier cases of the kind, to argue that the governor 'with-holding' a bill amounted to rejection/return.

Hence, the assembly was well within its powers to re-enact those bills and forward the same to the governor.

It was done before the pending case came up for hearing on Monday morning.

The state government submitted that the Governor, under Article 200, now did not have an option.

Apart from what is regularly appearing in the national media on continual tiff between the Centre-appointed governors and some state governments, an interesting aspect would show up if brought before the Supreme Court during the next hearing.

When the Bench pointed out that the governor was sitting on certain bills since January 2020, AG Venkataramani pointed how the incumbent was in office only from September 2021 -- rather, nearly 20 months later.

As may be recalled, the DMK government of Chief Minister Stalin came to power only in May 2021, six months before Ravi was transferred from Nagaland.

The bills pertaining to 2020 related to the previous AIADMK government of then chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami. Banwarilal Purohit was the TN governor at the time.

On Ravi's appointment, Purohit was transferred to Punjab.

Already, petitions filed by the Punjab government of AAP Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann too are pending before the Supreme Court.

The facts may be different, but the issues are similar to those pertaining to Tamil Nadu, indicating the prevalence and spread of a certain political mindset, so to say.

From Kerala, the government of CPM Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has moved the apex court with a voluminous petition of its own against Governor Arif Mohammed Khan.

IMAGE: MLAs belonging to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led ruling alliance raise slogans against Governor R N Ravi. Photograph: PTI Photo from the Rediff Archives

The fact remains that in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's second term, most issues involving governors appointed by the Centre involved state governments run by regional parties, or the CPI-M, which too has been reduced to a regional party.

In Modi's first term, the Opposition charged governors of states, big and small, with making the Raj Bhavan an extension of the ruling BJP's state headquarters.

Possibly owing to the healthy conventions of the higher judiciary in the country, the Supreme Court did not pass any written order on the Tamil Nadu matter.

The judges observed that they would now await Governor Ravi's decision on the 10 bills, re-enacted by the state legislature on Saturday, and posted the case on December 1.

As the court listed out, there are five more bills on which the governor was yet to take/communicate his decision.

Ravi, a constant visitor to New Delhi during his months in the Raj Bhavan, Chennai, flew down to the national capital on Sunday.

The speculation was thus rife about the political and personal options available to him, as the Constitutional limitations on the powers that he had purportedly exercised had reportedly become clear by now.

The apex court proceedings on Monday clarified it, if any clarification was needed.

In between, a few stray wall-posters appeared in some places in the state, asking Ravi to 'Sign or resign'.

Owned up by a lower-level DMK functionary and carrying a picture of Chief Minister Stalin, it deviated from the spirit and purpose of what is considered as a legitimate cause and legal fight of the state government. To say the least, it was in bad taste.

For old-timers, the poster, if one had seen it even if on social media, recalled the Janata Party era (1977-1979), when the likes of Socialist leader and then Union minister George Fernandes forced the Morarji Desai government to order the dismissal of nine state governments, led by the Congress, then in the Opposition.

When then vice president B D Jatti, who had assumed charge as President following the untimely death of incumbent Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, took his time to decide on the matter in the absence of any precedent in the matter, Fernandes and company staged an indefinite fast outside his official residence, forcing him to yield.

The Supreme Court in its wisdom upheld the dissolution, supporting the government's argument that after the ruling Congress's unprecedented defeat in the post-Emergency Lok Sabha polls, the state governments led by the party too had lost the 'popular mandate'.

This precedent held one more time when Indira Gandhi, after returning to power in the 1980 Lok Sabha polls, dismissed non-Congres state governments, including Tamil Nadu's maiden AIADMK government of then chief minister M G Ramachandran, MGR.

Now, Telangana's Tamizhisai Soundararajan has seemingly defended her Tamil Nadu counterpart -- she is a native of the state and is seen as frequently in Tamil Nadu as much as in the Union territory of Puducherry, where she is the lieutenant governor.

time) withholding state government's decisions and bills passed by the assembly as the Constitution has not fixed any time-frame in the matter. However, she has now advocated better relations between the two Constitutional offices, namely, the governor and chief minister.

Now, a section of the local media, and more so social media, has begun speculating that Ravi, on return to Chennai, even while acting on the legal advice he obtains on the Supreme Court matter, may do other things as well.

Reports claim that he may thus grant 'sanction to prosecute' some state ministers, on the basis of a petition submitted by state BJP president and fellow IPS veteran, K Annamalai.

For now, Governor Ravi has granted sanction for the CBI to prosecute two former AIADMK minister in the multi-crore 'gutka scam'. It came after a 14-month wait. The sanction was shown in the tabulated list that AG Venkatramani presented to the Supreme Court Bench on Monday. What the Supreme Court was not told was that the CBI probe was ordered not by the Tamil Nadu government but by the Madras high court.

N Sathiya Moorthy, veteran journalist and author, is a Chennai-based policy analyst and political commentator.

Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com
Recent disclosures allege large scale corruption, nepotism and kickbacks by Pakistan air chief Air Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhuin housing land deals in Islamabad and in buying of new aircraft, points out Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at RA&W.

IMAGE: Pakistan army chief General Syed Asim Munir. Photograph: ISPR

Sensational disclosures related to the Pakistan Air Force have surfaced on New York-based Pakistani journalist Wajahat Saeed Khan's video blog site, which may pose fresh embarrassment for army chief General Asim Munir even as he prepares to deal with an important reshuffle of three star lieutenant generals at the month end.

One of his most trusted aides, Lieutenant General Mohd Saeed, chief of general staff, has reportedly turned down an offer to continue on a temporary, open-ended extension on his post, like Lieutenant General Nadeem Ahmed Anjum at the Inter Services Intelligence directorate.

The disclosures come in a detailed 'white paper', claimed to have been written by an air force insider after the recent terrorist attack at Mianwali.

Wajahat Saeed Khan is a well-known Pakistani multi-media journalist who used to run a popular television programme called Mahaaz in Pakistan between 2015 and 2018. A fellow at Harvard's prestigious Shorenstein Centre on Media, Politics and Public Policy earlier, he is currently pursuing a doctoral programme at the Columbia School of Journalism.

The disclosures allege large scale corruption, nepotism and kickbacks by current air chief Air Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu in housing land deals in Islamabad, in buying of new aircraft, in allowing a deliberate go-slow in refurbishment of the Falcon F-16 programme and attempts to amalgamate the JF-17 production unit at the Kamra air base into a new 'Technology Park', proposed to be set up at Kharian.

Air Marshal Babar Sidhu was appointed air chief in March 2021. He had not flown F-16s but only Mirage III and V aircraft. He was not the senior most in his batch. Wajahat Khan's report alleges he was helped to ascend to the top post in the air force by then DG Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed and then army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, as he hailed from Chakwal and was a 'Jutt' (Jat), the same biradari (clan) as General Bajwa. His retirement looms in March 2024 and he is lobbying for an extension.

As would be known, the Pakistan defence establishment tried to underplay the damage suffered in the Mianwali incident, claiming only three old 'Mushak' or K-8 aircraft were destroyed, whereas other credible reports have assessed the number at 14.

In an interview given to the Pakistan Observer last week, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar Kakar acknowledged that an extension had been given to DG, ISI, Lieutenant General Anjum but he added it would come into effect only from the end of November 2023.

This has led to speculation that General Munir has sold a proposition to some disgruntled lieutenant generals to continue in the three star rank for the sanctioned time of four years, from the actual date of taking charge, a procedure which benefitted General Munir himself, when he became army chief last year.

Lieutenant General Aamer, GoC, XXX Corps, Gujranwala, was apparently persuaded to continue at his post in this manner. Now reports have surfaced, suggesting that Lieutenant General Mohd Saeed, chief of general staff, has not agreed and opted to retire this month end.

Lieutenant General Saeed belonged to the 19th Officers Training Scheme stream. His was the first appointment made by General Munir after he became army chief. He was serving as corps commander, V Corps, Karachi then. Earlier, he had served as deputy director general, Analysis at the ISI, when General Munir himself was director general, Military Intelligence.

If Lieutenant General Saeed is allowed to fade into honourable retirement, General Munir may choose to bring in his next most trusted aide, Lieutenant General Shahid Imtiaz, 22nd OTS, currently X Corps commander, Rawalpindi, as CGS.

It is being rumoured that Lieutenant General Muhd Asim Malik, adjutant general at GHQ, may be sent as the new corps commander to Rawalpindi. A sword of honour from the 80th Pakistan Military Academy Long Course, Lieutenant General Malik belongs to the Baloch Regiment. He is the son of retired Lieutenant General Ghulam Muhd Malik, who was military secretary under the late military dictator General Zia-ul Haq.

Ironically, an apocryphal story suggests Lieutenant General Ghulam Muhd Malik may have had a role in denying promotion to Major General Ijaz Amjad, General Qamar Javed Bajwa's father-in- law, as the allegation of his being of the Ahmediya faith had surfaced then. Major General Amjad reportedly tried to reassure the army top brass then that he was prepared to relinquish his Ahmediya link and be treated as a loyal Sunni, but this fickleness went against him.

If Lieutenant General Asim Malik is able to hold the important Rawalpindi Corps command, or any other, for the mandatory one year period, he would stand well placed to be one of the top contenders for army chief if General Munir retires on time, in November, 2025.

These shenanigans within the Pakistani army occur when there is persisting unpopularity over the army leadership's determined persecution of imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan and his Pakistan Tehrik e Insaf politicians in the build up to the February 2024 general elections.

There is prevarication on whether the election commission will impose a blanket ban on the PTI. Caretaker PM Kakar has denied this possibility. but the last word may not have been said.

Meanwhile, Chief Justice Qazi Faiz Isa seems determined to hold retired Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed accountable, and by implication, General Bajwa as well, for dabbling beyond authorised rules in organising the Faizabad Mor (crossing) dharna of the Tehrik e Labbaik, Pakistan in 2017, which set the ball rolling for ouster of the Nawaz Sharif government.

The present caretaker government was forced to constitute an enquiry commision under the Inquiry Commission Act, 1956 to fix responsibility. It is being headed by a retired Pakistan police officer, Syed Akhtar Ali Shah, who was believed to be sympathetic to Justice Qazi Faiz Isa when he was facing a judicial reference filed against him by the previous regime.
'Over the last 65 years the state has seen majority of Maratha chief ministers and cabinet ministers, even Union ministers.'

'The Marathas have always wielded disproportionately significant political, commercial and social influence in the state and yet they are asking for reservations today.'

IMAGE: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde offers juice to Manoj Jarange Patil, who was on a hunger strike to protest for Maratha reservation, at Antarwali-Sarati in Jalna, September 14, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

Prakash (Anna) Shivajirao Shendge -- a former Bharatiya Janata MLA from Jath constituency in Maharashtra's Sangli district -- is emerging as an influential OBC leader organising huge OBC rallies in the state.

Many commentators claim that Shendge is being used as a counter against Maratha leader Manoj Jarange Patil's similarly crowded rallies in support of reservations for the community in government jobs and educational institutions.

In this interview with Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com, Shendge, who organised an OBC rally -- attended by an estimated 500,000 people -- in Jarange Patil's backyard in Jalna's Ambad taluka -- the latter rose to fame during his hunger strike at Antarwali Sarate village in the same taluka -- articulates his opposition to the Maratha reservations which he believes will be like usurping the interests of the OBC community in the state.

With his next rally scheduled for November 26 in Hingoli district, the 64-year old BJP leader dares the Maratha community to defeat Maharashtra Minister and influential OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal after he opposed quotas for Marathas.

"There are 60 per cent OBCs in majority of constituencies from where the Maratha MLAs get elected. We have already warned them about the consequences the Maratha MLA-aspirants will face if they target Bhujbal," Shendge says emphasising that the OBCs are ready for a political tit-for-tat with the Marathas if they carry out their threat of defeating Bhujbal.

What is the purpose of organising OBC meetings, first in Ambad in Jalgaon and now on November 26 at Hingoli?

We have to showcase the strength of the OBCs to this government which went on its knees to appease (Manoj) Jarange Patil and his pressure tactics. He organised huge rallies of Marathas across Maharashtra and that sort of also put pressure on the poorer OBCs in Maharashtra who now fear that this government could compromise their quota interests.

These demonstrators even indulged in arson and burnt the homes of MLAs and homes, hotels, cars and offices of many OBC leaders and workers. That has further scared the poor OBCs in the state. This has led to an environment of terror among our people. Owing to these factors, the poor OBCs were living under tremendous fear.

To get the OBCs out of this terror phase and put pressure on the state government to not compromise the interests of the OBCs it became imperative that we organise such rallies across the state.

We wanted to show it to them (the Marathas and the state government) that if, despite being just 32 per cent of the state's population, you (the Marathas) can use such pressure tactics, then the OBCs make up for 60 per cent of the state's population and we too can indulge in organising our people.

Why are you opposed to the reservations for the Marathas in government jobs and education institutions?

The basic problem is that Jarange Patil is now demanding the Maratha caste to be given caste certificates as Kunbis (a community that comes under the OBC umbrella). That would bring in more shareholders trying to eat into a pie, whose size would not increase proportionately, thereby affecting the 60 per cent OBCs, who are already demanding their share in the same pie.

Naturally, the OBC community will be opposed to such an arrangement.

With a population of over 60 per cent, which includes 374 OBC castes, we are already starving for reservations and with just 32 per cent population if Marathas are demanding share in the same pie, what will the OBCs be left with?

You must also consider that ever since Maharashtra became a state, most of the chief ministers have been from the Maratha community, and they also happen to be the biggest landholders in the state with significant interests in the cooperative and education sector.

How can such a community demand reservations under the umbrella of other backward classes? They have always been doing dadagiri on others in Maharashtra and now he (Jarange Patil) openly dares the state government with the chief minister and his ministers mollycoddling him.

If they can make you bend on your knees by organising huge rallies, we too can organise our rallies and show our strength.

When you use this language, aren't you also using the same threatening tone that you accuse Manoj Jarange Patil of?

We are on the defensive. We are not attacking. We (the OBCs) are trying to shield our interests from the attack by others (the Marathas).

We are not forcing the government to give us the reservations meant for other sections of society; we have never thrown even a small stone to hurt anybody. We have not indulged in arson and burnt homes, cars, offices and properties of anybody.

We are only requesting this government with folded hands that they should increase the size of the pie instead of distributing the same pie among more stakeholders.

Devendra Fadnavis, when he was chief minister, had increased the size of the pie and we had no problem with that. But this arrangement couldn't stand the scrutiny of the Supreme Court and hence it was struck down. Is it the fault of the OBCs that Fadnavis couldn't make for a Constitution-proof arrangement to give reservations to the Marathas?

The proponents of quotas for Marathas try to justify their demand by saying that Maratha farmers have started dying by suicide and have become impoverished in the state over the years. Shouldn't they ask themselves first who drove the Marathas to such pitiable condition?

Over the last 65 years the state has seen majority of Maratha chief ministers and cabinet ministers, even Union ministers. The Marathas have always wielded disproportionately significant political, commercial and social influence in the state and yet they are asking for reservations today.

Are the OBCs responsible for this state of the Marathas? It is the failure of the governments over the years. It is the failure of the Maratha leadership over the years and you want to punish the OBC community for this failure.

Maharashtra Minister Chhagan Bhujbal Photograph: File image

Despite the opposition from other sections of the society, the Marathas have now become more vocal about their demand for reservations after Manoj Jarange Patil took the path of hunger strike for getting their demand fulfilled?

In fact, the Maratha community is already getting reservations under the EWS (Economically Weaker Section) quota which is Constitutionally mandated. They already enjoy reservations under the 10 per cent EWS quota in government jobs and education in Maharashtra under this category.

We don't have any problems if, like Bihar (the Bihar government, on November 9, passed a bill that increased the caste0based quota to 65 per cent from 50 per cent, thereby raising the overall quota limit to 75 per cent, which includes 10 per cent quota under the EWScategory), the Maharashtra government also makes amends to increase the caste-based quota size to 65 per cent from the existing 50 per cent and then give reservations to the Marathas.

Shouldn't the Marathas launch agitations to put pressure on the Union government and state government to hike the quota limit from 50 per cent to 65 per cent?

The Marathas are trying to usurp quotas belonging to other OBCs too.

Which are these communities you are referring to?

The Marathas say they make up for 32 per cent of the state's population but let me explain that these 32 per cent include Kunbi, Kunbi-Marathas, Maratha Kunbis, Leuva Patil, Leuva Patidar and Marathas.

If you remove all other castes from the Maratha community then the Marathas constitute just 10 to 12 per cent of the state's population.

So, you are not 32 per cent, you are just 10 to 12 per cent of the population. I think for these 10 to 12 per cent, the quota under the EWS category is not just enough but more than enough.

Even in this condition if you want more reservations then go ahead and fight the state government, the Union government for doing what Bihar has done. But you just want to take away what belongs to the OBCs.

Chhatrapati Sambhaji, the BJP Rajya Sabha MP, is organising a meet of the OBC and Maratha leaders from the state. Would you be also part of this meet?

Nobody (no OBC leader) is going for this meeting. They have got only Haribhau Rathod on their side and he has been always campaigning for merging the Maratha and Kunbis together as one caste.

But Haribhau is not an OBC leader; we OBCs have abandoned him for his anti-OBC stance.

There are also discussions among the Marathas and they have threatened to ensure that Chhagan Bhujbal (an influential OBC leader belonging to the Mali [gardener] community hailing from Maharashtra's Nashik district; once a close confidant of NCP chief Sharad Pawar, he switched allegiance to Pawar's nephew Ajit Pawar when he joined the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis earlier this year) will be defeated in the next assembly election.

If they can ensure defeat of one OBC leader then we dared them during our Ambad rally that if they can defeat Chhagan Bhujbal owing to their numerical strength then we too have the numbers to defeat 160 Maratha MLAs of Maharashtra.

There are 60 per cent OBCs in a majority of constituencies from where the Maratha MLAs get elected. We have already warned them about the consequences Maratha MLA-aspirants will face if they target Bhujbal.
A civic body in Odisha has drawn flak for operating a crematorium in which only bodies of Brahmins are cremated.

Kindly note that this image has been posted for representational purposes only. Photograph: ANI Photo

The 155-year-old Kendrapara Municipality, the oldest civic body in the eastern state, has even put up a 'Brahmin crematorium' signage at the entrance of the burning ghat at Hazaribagicha locality in the town.

Local sources said that although the crematorium was used for performing the last rites of Brahmins for a long time, the official signage was recently put up after the renovation of the facility with government grants.

People from other castes cremate their kin at another nearby crematorium, which was also renovated in the recent haul-up, they said.

"Yes, the issue has come to our notice and we are looking into it. Steps will be taken to set right the alleged caste discrimination," Prafulla Chandra Biswal, Executive Officer of Kendrapara Municipality, said.

The matter has drawn flak from Dalit rights activists and political leaders.

Nagendra Jena, district unit president of Odisha Dalit Samaj, "I was shocked to know that the municipality has been maintaining a crematorium only for Brahmins for a long time. By doing so, the government body is breaking the law and promoting caste discrimination. This practice should be put to an end at the earliest."

Communist Party of India-Marxist district unit secretary Gayadhar Dhal said it is illegal for a civic body to run a crematorium only for Brahmins.

"People from other castes should also have the right to perform the last rites of their dear ones at the cremation ground," he said.

Dhal said that the 'Brahmins only' crematorium violates fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution to people of all castes.

Allocating a separate cremation ground for Brahmins amounts to encouraging caste inequality, he added.
A morning meal was prepared for the workers who have been trapped in Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi for 10 days.

IMAGE: Teams of cooks are involved in the preparation of the breakfast for the trapped workers. Photograph: ANI/X

The food will be pushed through the six-inch-wide pipeline that was pushed earlier on Monday through the rubble of the collapsed portion.

Teams of cooks are involved in the preparation of the breakfast for the trapped workers.

Speaking about the prepared food items, one of the cooks told ANI that 'Aloo-Chana Dal' has been prepared, and 'Khichdi' and 'Daliya' are also among the options that will be sent as per the instructions given to them. He also said that they will also be making 'Puri' later on.

Earlier, on Monday, hot Khichdi was sent through this 6-inch pipeline to the stranded workers for the first time since they were trapped.

Till now they were surviving on dry fruits, puffed rice and chana.

On Monday, rescuers successfully pushed a six-inch-wide pipeline through the rubble of the collapsed tunnel, a breakthrough that will help them supply larger quantities of food and allow live visuals of the 41 workers trapped inside for eight days.

Rescue operations are being carried out on a war footing since portions of the tunnel collapsed following a landslide early on November 12, leaving 41 workers trapped behind a huge mound of debris.

The Silkyara tunnel, about 30 km from the district headquarters of Uttarkashi and a seven-hour drive from the Uttarakhand capital Dehradun, is part of the ambitious Char Dham all-weather road project of the central government.
The Congress on Tuesday released its manifesto for the Rajasthan assembly polls, promising a caste survey and a slew of schemes for farmers and youth, including 10 lakh job opportunities, and a new scheme for recruitment at panchayat level.

IMAGE: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and other release party's manifesto in poll-bound Rajasthan. Photograph: @ashokgehlot51/X

Doubling the amount for beneficiaries under the Chiranjeevi Health Insurance scheme from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 50 lakh annually and interest-free loan up to Rs 5 lakh to small traders are among the other announcements made in the Congress manifesto for Rajasthan elections.

The party also promised reservation to minorities on basis of their population after the caste census.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Rajasthan Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra, chairman of the manifesto committee CP Joshi and former deputy CM Sachin Pilot jointly released the manifesto at the party office in Jaipur.

Highlighting the salient points of the manifesto, Joshi said the Congress wants to create a cadre of Panchayati Raj like state and central services and a new policy for recruitment at the panchayat level will be brought. He said 10 lakh jobs will be created and four lakh among them will be in the government sector.

For farmers, interest-free loan up to Rs 2 lakh will be given from cooperative banks and MSP will be given as per the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations.

The party promised 150-day employment under MGNREGA in place of present 125 days annually, inclusion of taxi drivers in Gig Workers Act, Accountability and Auto Service Delivery Act for accountable and good governance, formation of inclusive policy think tank and monthly honorarium to Panchayati Raj public representatives.

The manifesto lists seven guarantees that have already been announced by Gehlot, which include an annual honorarium of Rs 10,000 to women head of family, LPG cylinders for Rs 500 to 1.05 crore families, purchase of dung from cattle rearers for Rs 2 per kg, law for old pension scheme (OPS) for government employees, laptop or tablet to students taking admission in government colleges, insurance cover up to Rs 15 lakh per family to compensate losses due to natural calamities and school education in English medium.

Kharge said all promises made in the manifesto will be fulfilled on formation of the Congress government.

We make promises which we can fulfil, he asserted.

Accusing the prime minister and BJP of lacking in commitment, Kharge said despite the fact that Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat for over 13 years and is the prime minister for the last nine years, there are many "shortcomings" in Gujarat even today and the reason is "lack of commitment".

There are many shortcomings in Gujarat where a person remained the chief minister for 13 years and the same person is the prime minister.The reason (for shortcomings) is lack of commitment, he said.

Kharge rejected the allegation that he had abused the prime minister's father, dubbing him as 'Jhooto ka Sardar' (leader of liars).

Modi tries to gain sympathy by putting words in others' mouths, he claimed.

Gehlot said Rajasthan has progressed in the last five years and stands at number two in the country and first in north India in terms of economic growth.The economy of Rajasthan will be Rs 15 lakh crore by the end of this year and the target has been set to take it to Rs 30 lakh crore by 2030, he said.

He said the per capita income in Rajasthan has increased while the sectors like manufacturing have also seen growth under the Congress rule.

Gehlot said that when he became the chief minister for the first time in 1998, the election manifesto was made a government document by passing in the first cabinet meeting and the same practice has been followed by him later on.

The Congress government in Rajasthan works on the basis of the election manifesto and fulfils the promises made in the manifesto.

Rajasthan is going to polls on November 25 and results will be declared on December 3.
The workers trapped in the Silkyara tunnel at Uttarkashi received some amount of relief as some of the workers spoke to their relatives for the first time after being stuck in the tunnel for 10 days.

IMAGE: A view of trapped workers inside the tunnel in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, after rescue team establishes audio-visual contact with the workers for the first time through the pipeline and endoscopic flexi camera, November 21, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

In a major breakthrough in the ongoing Silkyara tunnel collapse rescue team officials successfully developed communication with the trapped workers through the 6-inch pipeline on Tuesday morning.

One of the trapped workers, Jaidev, while speaking to the supervisor at the tunnel collapse site, said in Bangla, "Please record, I will tell something to my maa. Maa, tension koroni aami thik achi. Time a kheye nebe. Babakeo time a kheye nite bolbe (Mother, do not worry about me, I am fine. Please you and father eat your meals on time)."

The supervisor could be heard asking those trapped inside the tunnel to not worry and that they would be evacuated soon.

The supervisor asked the worker whether he wanted to tell anything to his parents as the voice recording would be relayed to his parents back home.

Some of the other trapped workers also established contact with their relatives, and despite being trapped in the tunnel for 10 days now, they displayed an unexceptional level of patience and courage as they asked their relatives to not worry about them.

Meanwhile, Bajrang Dal (Jammu and Kashmir), during the day, organised Havan Yagya for the safety of the 41 trapped workers.

Earlier, International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association president Arnold Dix who is currently overseeing the ongoing rescue efforts at the Uttarkashi tunnel collapse site said that works were being done to get the 6-inch pipeline fully functional.

Arnold Dix said, "The lifeline 6-inch pipeline has been inserted and works are being done to make it fully functional. Works are being done for the auguring of the evacuation tunnel which is being drilled as well. Works are also in progress to create safe places within the tunnel. This is an extremely dangerous environment. We are making it safe for the rescuers there as well. Auguring requires very precise engineering."

He further said that the American augur machines were not working at the moment and it was in preparation.

Earlier on Tuesday, rescuers managed to insert an endoscopy camera into the tunnel and the first visuals captured showed the 41 workers had ample space inside the tunnel for them to move about.

The rescue team was seen clearly talking to the workers trapped in the tunnel through the pipeline.

The rescue team requested the workers to come in front of the endoscopic flexi camera which was inserted through the pipeline.

A worker took out the camera from the pipeline and held it inside the confined space so that everyone could be identified.

All the 41 trapped workers assembled near the camera and the rescue team asked them to clean the screen of the camera. The rescue team informed them that the pipeline would be cleaned with water and a blower so they asked them to keep back the camera and get away from the pipeline and the compressor.

The collapse occurred on November 12 during the construction of a tunnel from Silkyara to Barkot, trapping 41 labourers due to a muck fall in a 60-metre stretch on the Silkyara side of the tunnel.

The workers are believed to be trapped in a 2 km-built tunnel portion, which is complete with concrete work that provides safety to the workers. This portion of the tunnel has access to electricity and water.
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The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday said it has attached immovable assets and equity shares worth about Rs 752 crore as part of its ongoing money laundering investigation against the Congress-promoted National Herald newspaper and companies linked to it.

IMAGE: Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Pawan Kumar Bansal leave National Herald office, amid the ED raid at the media house in New Delhi, August 2, 2022. Photograph: ANI Photo

The immovable assets that have been attached include the National Herald's office premises at ITO in Delhi, the Nehru Bhawan at Mall Avenue near Kaiserbagh in Lucknow and the Herald House in Mumbai, sources said.

The provisional attachment order came as the elections in five states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram are in progress and the counting of votes is scheduled to be held on December 3.



The Congress called the agency action as "petty vendetta tactics" and dubbed the ED a "coalition partner" of the BJP which, it claimed, is staring at a certain defeat in the assembly polls.

The federal probe agency alleged in a statement that in this case the shareholders and donors of the Congress were "cheated" by the office-bearers of AJL and the party.

A provisional attachment order has been issued by the federal probe agency under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act against Associated Journals Ltd and Young Indian.

The National Herald is published by AJL and owned by Young Indian Private Limited.

Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are majority shareholders of Young Indian with 38 per cent shares held by each one of them.

In the statement, the ED said it has issued an order to provisionally attach properties worth Rs 751.9 crore in the money laundering case being investigated under the PMLA.

Under the law, such a provisional order has to be approved by the Adjudicating Authority of PMLA in a time period of six months following which the ED can take possession of the attached properties.

"Investigation revealed that Associated Journals Ltd is in possession of proceeds of crime in the form of immovable properties spread across many cities of India such as Delhi, Mumbai and Lucknow to the tune of Rs. 661.69 crore and Young Indian is in possession of proceeds of crime to the tune of Rs. 90.21 crore in the form of investment in equity shares of AJL," it said.

National Herald's immovable assets include office premises at ITO in Delhi and one near Kaiserbagh in Lucknow.

The Gandhis, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leaders Pawan Bansal, DK Shivakumar (Karnataka deputy chief minister) and his MP brother DK Suresh were questioned and their statements were recorded by the agency in connection with the case last year.

According to sources, they may be called again for questioning before the ED files a charge sheet in the case.

The money laundering case stems from a court order -- Metropolitan Magistrate of Delhi -- that took cognisance of a private complaint against alleged irregularities in the National Herald's affairs on June 26, 2014.

The court had held that seven accused persons and entities, including Young Indian, "prima facie" committed offences of criminal breach of trust under various sections of the IPC, including cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property, dishonest misappropriation of property and criminal conspiracy, the ED said.

"The accused persons hatched a criminal conspiracy to acquire properties worth hundreds of crores of AJL through a special purpose vehicle-- Young Indian. AJL was given land on concessional rates in various cities of India for the purpose of publishing newspapers," the agency said.

It added that AJL closed its publishing operations in 2008 and started "using" the properties for commercial purposes, it alleged.

It said AJL had to repay a loan of Rs 90.21 crore to All India Congress Committee, however AICC treated the said loan of Rs 90.21 crore as non-recoverable from AJL and sold it for Rs 50 lakh to a newly incorporated company Young Indian "without" any source of income to pay even Rs 50 lakh.

"By their action, the shareholders of AJL as well as donors of Congress party were cheated by the office bearers of AJL and Congress Party," the agency claimed.

After purchasing the loan of Rs 90.21 crore from AICC, YI demanded either re-payment of loan or allotment of equity shares of AJL to it, the ED said.

AJL, it added, held an Extraordinary General Meeting and passed a resolution to increase share capital and issue fresh shares worth Rs 90.21 crore to YI.

"With this fresh allotment of shares, shareholding of more than 1,000 shareholders was reduced to a mere 1 per cent and AJL became a subsidiary company of YI. YI also took control over properties of AJL," the agency said.
A former student of a private school in Thrissur sent students and staff into a panic on Tuesday, when he arrived there brandishing a "gun" -- but with the police responding to emergency calls promptly, he was apprehended before he could injure anyone with the air pistol.

IMAGE: CCTV footage shows Jagan with a gun. Photograph: X

The student, identified as Jagan, entered the Vivekodayam school in Thrissur in the morning and proceeded to the staff room, where he took out the weapon from his bag.

The tresspasser then moved through various classrooms, terrorising both students and staff members -- in an episode that brings to mind the hundreds of horrific school shootings in the United States of America in which many children have died.

Jagan fired a few rounds inside the school, according to the school staff, but the police -- who rushed there after receiving calls for help and subdued the 'shooter' -- said nobody was injured.

Acting swiftly, police caught hold of the gun-wielding man when he tried to escape, and arrested him on the school premises.

The charges filed against him include Sections 448 (trespass) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC.

The police said Jagan, who is from Thrissur himself, has some mental issues, and the magistrate has issued relevant orders for his medical examination, based on his parents' request.

A police officer told PTI that Jagan had recently purchased the "baby toy air pistol" from a local shop, which he used to terrorise the students and teachers at his alma mater.

District collector VR Krishna Teja, upon being informed, immediately arrived at the school to assess the situation, and assured parents that it was an isolated incident.

"A young person has come to the school. He was a bit unsteady and used his pistol and fired two or three rounds. That's what the school authorities have told us. He was taken into custody.

"It's an isolated incident, and an investigation is on. There is no need to worry. We are all here. He will be produced before a doctor," Teja told the media.

Television channels telecast visuals of the accused sitting inside the staff room waving about the air pistol he had taken out of his bag.

A teacher said that Jagan was a former student who had previously caused disturbances and had left the school.

"Earlier, he had used abusive language towards his teachers. Today, he came and asked for a hat that was confiscated when he was a student here," a teacher told the media.

Jagan's confrontational behaviour extended to the police station as well, where he was seen shouting at officials.

The police said that he has a track record of being kept under preventive detention by the Mannuthy police for creating public nuisances in the past.
Israel on Tuesday re-affirmed its declaration of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) as a terror organisation' ahead of the 15th year anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks in which 166 persons, including six Jews, were killed.

IMAGE: Art students pay tribute to the victims of 26/11 terror attacks. Photograph: PTI Photo

Yes, I can confirm it. It's not a new thing and it is actually from 2013. It was recently re-published because of a bureaucratic error but it is not a new thing, Israeli foreign ministry spokesperson, Lior Haiat, told PTI.

Haiat's statement came after a press release by the Embassy of Israel in India earlier in the day said: To symbolise the marking of the 15th year of commemoration of the Mumbai terror attacks, the state of Israel has listed Lashkar-e-Taiba as a Terror Organisation'.

The re-affirmation comes weeks after Israel said that the time had come for India to declare Hamas a terror organisation. Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip since 2007, used land, sea and air routes to launch an attack on Israel territories that killed more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians on October 7. It prompted Jerusalem to declare war on the Islamic outfit, killing more than 11,000 people.

In almost a similar manner, on November 26, 2008, ten Pakistani terrorists entered the south Mumbai areas through a sea route and attacked a number of places, including Chabad House, a Jewish centre. The indiscriminate attack killed 166 people, including six Jews and 18 security personnel.

Six Jews were killed at Nariman House, more popularly known as the Chabad House, considered by many Israelis as a shared pain.

The terror siege continued for three days during which more than 300 were wounded even as the coordinated shooting and bombing attacks at 12 sites also damaged properties, including the heritage building of the sea-facing Taj Mahal Palace Hotel.

Despite not being requested by the Government of India to do so, the state of Israel has formally completed all necessary procedures and has satisfied all required checks and regulations to the result of introducing Lashkar-e-Taiba into the Israeli list of illegal terror organisations", the Israeli embassy statement said.

While Israel only lists terror organizations who are actively operating against it from within or around its borders, or in a similar manner to India - those globally recognized by UNSC or the US State Department; the Israeli ministries of Defence and Foreign affairs, have jointly worked in the last few months towards an expedited and extraordinary listing of the Lashkar-e-Taiba organisation on this date, to highlight the importance of a Unified Global Front in combating terrorism, the release stressed.

Lashkar-e-Taiba is a deadly and reprehensible terror organisation, responsible for the murder of hundreds of Indian civilians as well as others. Its heinous actions on November 26, 2008, still reverberate in force, through all peace-seeking nations and societies, it further said offering sincere condolences to all victims of terrorism and to the survivors and bereaved families of the Mumbai attacks, including those in Israel.

We stand with you united in the hope for a better peaceful future, the statement said. Seen by many as a shared pain, the 26/11 terror attack continues to stir outrage in Israel every year with commemorative events condemning the senseless killings and demands for justice against the masterminds of the terror attack heard across the country.

In 2021, the Jewish outreach movement, Chabad, unveiled a plaque in the southern coastal city of Eilat in memory of the six Jewish victims of the Mumbai terror attacks at Chabad House.

To the memory and rise of souls of Rabbi Gavriel Noah and Rivka Holtsberg, who were martyred during the time of their holy mission in a terror attack at Chabad house in Mumbai, India, from which the message of Torah was being spread all over the area. And for the four guests who stayed in Chabad house at the time of the attack, and were also martyred: Rabbi Gavriel Taitelbaum, Mrs. Norma Rabinovich, Rabbi Ben Zion Kurman, Mrs. Yocheved Orpaz. May their souls be bound up in the bond of eternal life, the plaque in Hebrew reads.

Israeli leaders and officials have repeatedly called for the perpetrators of the horrendous crime to be brought to justice.

Outraged at Hamas leader Khaled Meshal's virtual participation at a pro-Palestine rally in Kerala last month, Israel's Ambassador to Israel, Naor Gilon, had called for adding Hamas to India's list of terror organisations.

Unbelievable! #HamasTerrorist Khaled Mashal speaks from Qatar in a #Kerala event under the slogan Uproot bulldozer Hindutva & Apartheid Zionism', Gilon wrote on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

Mashal calls participants to: 1. Take the streets and show anger. 2. Prepare for jihad (on Israel). 3. Support Hamas financially. 4. Promote Palestinian narrative on social media, he said adding, It's time to add #HamasISIS also to #India's terror list.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned Hamas's brutal attack on Israel on October 7.

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, Modi tweeted following the attacks.
'But unlike Bond who killed an individual, Israel is killing a nation.'

IMAGE: An image taken from a video released by Hamas shows what it says are its fighters firing mortar shells at Israeli forces during Israel's ground offensive in Gaza, obtained by Reuters. Photograph: Hamas Military Wing/Handout via Reuters

We all know what is happening in Gaza. But why it is happening, is clouded in disinformation, the perception of the West, the persecution complex of both sides and the blocking of real information coming out of that troubled area.

At an interaction in Chennai on Monday, Talmiz Ahmad, India's former ambassador to Saudi Arabia and a well known authority on West Asia (he explained that it is Middle East for London, but for us it is West Asia), tried to explain the gravity of the geopolitical, regional and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, in conversation with Vaishna Roy, editor of Frontline magazine, which moderated by A S Panneerselvam, senior journalist and author.

A Ganesh Nadar listened in.

IMAGE: Ambassador Talmiz Ahmad.

Photograph: A Ganesh Nadar for Rediff.com

The source of instability and turmoil is this area is a result of the interaction between Europe and West Asia, the way they looked at each other in the 19th century. The interaction was mixed.

For the Muslims it was a setback, they were experiencing deficiency in political, economic, science and technological outlook. The West was advanced. The Muslims thought they were deviating from the past and that is why they were suffering.

Some people were interested in reforming the region, but the West wanted dominance. Western dominance is the root cause of conflict here. They promised a State for the Jewish people without taking into account the people already living there.

Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan were created, divided by the British and the French after the two World Wars. These States are dependent on the Western powers.

Israel was created in 1948 and it is dependent on the United States. On October 7, 2023, Hamas attacked Israel and from 8th October the US started supplying weapons to Israel.

The original idea was that Arabs and Jews would stay together. There was too much violence before World War II and so they divided the land. The fertile land was given to Israel and the desert to Palestine.

In the Six-Day War in 1967 Israel took 75% of the land. It occupied territories in the West Bank from Jordan and Gaza from Egypt. It also occupied East Jerusalem. In 1948 Israel was created. In 1967 it created the Occupied Territories. There are 700,000 Jews living in the Occupied Territories.

Then came the Oslo Accord of 1993 and 1995. The Palestine Liberation Organisation recognised Israel and Israel recogniSed Palestine and the PLO as its representative.

Palestine covered the West Bank and Gaza.

There were three issues pending after the Oslo Accord. The settlements in the Occupied Territories, East Jerusalem which Palestine wanted as its capital, and the right of refugees to return or to be compensated. Israel accepted the two-State solution.

Ehud Barak was a weak Israeli leader, he did not have the credibility to give in to the Palestinian demands. Yasser Arafat was weak because there were too many settlements in his State.

The Islamic world did not want to give East Jerusalem to Palestine as it has the third most important mosque in Islam there. Ehud Barak was handicapped as he was to shortly face an election. Thus, the issues are still pending.

The PLO was secular. Hamas as a resistance movement was supported by Israel in the beginning to weaken the PLO.

Hamas also had a political unit which won the election in Gaza in 2006 and the PLO won in the West Bank. Regular violence erupted between Israel and Palestine but the damages were disproportionate. For every Jewish death there were 10 Palestine deaths and sometimes 20.

Israel, like James Bond, has a licence to kill, but unlike Bond who killed an individual, Israel is killing a nation. America is totally committed to Israel and anyone opposing this was immediately labeled anti-Semitic, which in the US spelled political death.

Today more firepower is available to Palestine which was seen in the attack on Israel on 7th October. The right wing, racist, rulers in Israel have armed the settlers in the West Bank. The Al-Aqsa mosque has been desecrated.

The attack on 7th October was an Israel intelligence failure. 1,200 Jews were killed which included 365 military personal and 200 civilians were taken hostage. Within three weeks, 13,000 Palestinians have been killed out of which only eight were from Hamas.

Israel will prolong the war, it will never end. This is because it wants to avoid an inquiry which will happen if the war ends.

There are 2.3 million people in Gaza and Israel is attempting to drive them into the Sinai desert. To be a Jewish State they have to send out the Palestinians. The right wing is very influential in Israel. For them it is the Promised Land mentioned in the Bible and non-Jews cannot live there.

Right wing dominated Israeli politics where you have God on your side, and thus you have a right to annihilate everyone else, this they get from the Old Testament.

A feeble attempt has been made by Benjamin Netanyahu to cover up the intelligence failure, the failure of the army; Israelis were shocked by the attack as they expected their army to protect them.

Hitler eliminated six million Jews and they are still robust. You cannot eliminate an ethnic group of people.

Politically, the Arab world does not exist, it exists linguistically. There are 30 sovereign States in the Arab world, each with its own national interest, and there is no Arab cause or Arab interest.

The nearby Arab States will not take in the Palestinians because no domicile population will integrate a foreign alien people. When they go to a new country they are scapegoats for every possible problem in that country, that is human behaviour.

The Sinai desert has the Suez Canal. It has many extremist elements living there; the Egyptian army attacks them frequently. The entry of Palestinians in this area will boost extremism threatening Egypt.

Jordan already has a large population of Palestinians who live there as second-class citizens.

They have lived in this land for 2,000 years. Expulsion is not a solution. Jordan and Egypt do not want them. Israel wants the land between the Jordan river to the Mediterranean, the Promised Land.

Gaza has gas reserves which Israel doesn't allow it to exploit.

The PLO has a feeble leader Mahmud Abbas, who is now 89 years old. The Hamas is a resistance movement which is now being labelled an Islamic movement.

Islam has three versions, the Wahabbi where the ruler is all powerful, that the Saudis follow. Then there is a Muslim Brotherhood which is a grass root movement for parliamentary democracy, and finally there is the jihadi version.

Hamas doesn't enforce strict Islamic laws, thus al-Qaeda and ISIS are opposed to it. Hamas is an effective resistance movement and not Islamic.

There are 3.6 million Palestinians and 700,000 Jews in the West Bank. 50% of the West Bank has settlements and security forces to protect them. The Palestinians have small colonies where they live surrounded by settlements.

Israel violates international law in the Occupied Territories. The right wing in India is trying to make it a religious fight between Jews and Muslims whereas it is actually about land and not religion.

Hamas in not jihadi, but the right wing sees it as an Islamic movement.

Every time someone has a problem with Israel's policies he is called anti-Semitic. Disagreeing with their policies and actions doesn't mean hating Jews.

Every war has disinformation as a part of it. Advanced technology makes it easier to disseminate disinformation.

Terrorism, like beauty, is in the eyes of the beholder. The correct word for it is violent extremism. Violent extremism is justified when you are living in the Occupied Territories.

By calling them terrorists, you are de-legitimising them, stigmatising them.

Photograph: A Ganesh Nadar for Rediff.com IMAGE: Ambassador Talmiz Ahmad with Vaishna Roy, editor, Frontline magazine, in Chennai, November 20, 2023.

Hamas knew that Israel would retaliate brutally, but it still attacked them on 7th October.

A Palestinian replies to this, 'Rather than live with humiliation on a daily basis I would rather face a bullet in my chest.'

All Arab nations are authoritarian. The common people in these countries support the Palestine people. There is popular support for Palestine.

Israel wants to build ties with Arab nations without any concession to Palestine.

After the 1967 war, Arab military help to Palestine ended. The people of Palestine know that the Arab nations will not support them with their armies, but will support them politically.

India has 5,000 years of connecting with West Asia. It is very sad that today China is playing mediator and not India.

8.5 million Indians work in West Asia, but India has no strategic role to play. It was a sad day when China brokered an agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia, India was missing.

India has bilateral and transactional relations with the Arab nations, but we have no platform to influence them.
The first visuals of the 41 workers trapped inside Silkyara tunnel emerged Tuesday, raising hopes of families anxiously awaiting their evacuation as a multi-pronged rescue effort entered its 10th day.

The visuals were captured using an endoscopic camera sent in through a six-inch pipeline, which was pushed Monday through the rubble of the collapsed portion of tunnel on Uttarakhand's Char Dham route.

In a video released by the rescue agencies, the workers wearing yellow and white helmets, are seen receiving food items sent to them through the pipeline and talking to each other.

Officials watching them on a screen are heard giving instructions, asking them to clean the lens and show themselves on camera. They are heard asking them to come near the mouth of the pipeline and use the walkie-talkies, apparently sent down earlier.

Relatives have talked earlier to the trapped workers through the four-inch compressor tube that already existed. Food items like dry fruit were also being sent through that pipe.

But the new wider lifeline', which pierced through 53 metres of rubble, has come as a boost to the morale of the rescue workers. Communication is much better and larger quantities of food can now be sent in.

"I talked to him this morning, Sunita Hembrum, whose brother-in-law Pradeep Kisku is among the trapped labourers, told PTI. She has come to Silkyara from Banka in Bihar.

Oranges have been supplied to them through the new food pipe. Efforts are also underway to send khichdi to them. He was fine," she said. "Earlier we had to shout to make ourselves audible but today his voice was clear," she said.

According to officials, food items like dalia, khichdi, sliced apples and bananas can be sent in through the new pipeline. Also, mobile phones and chargers could also be sent to the workers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday, the second day in a row, to enquire about the progress of the rescue effort.

On social media, Dhami said he informed the PM about communicating with the workers using the endoscopic camera. The prime minister said it is our top priority to rescue all the workers safely," the CM posted.

The tunnel collapsed following a landslide early on November 12, leaving 41 workers trapped behind a huge mound of debris.

On Friday afternoon, efforts to drill through the debris with a huge auger machine received a setback when it encountered a boulder.

Apart from resuming this operation, which involves inserting sections of a steel pipe as the machine drills through, rescue agencies have begun work on a bunch of alternative plans.

These include drilling more than 80 metres vertically from above the tunnel to reach the two-kilometre built-up stretch where the workers are now confined.

Drilling from the other, Balkot-end, of the tunnel is another alternative on which the rescue agencies are working. Drlling parallel tunnels is also being considered.

Some of the heavy machinery for these new approaches has reached the disaster site.

A road has also been constructed to haul up a 75-tonne machine up the hill to begin vertical drilling.

In Delhi, the government issued an advisory to private television channels, asking them to be sensitive in their coverage of the rescue operations.
Terming the ethnic clashes in Manipur as a "political problem", Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen Rana Pratap Kalita on Tuesday said incidents of violence will continue unless around 4,000 weapons, which were looted from security forces, are recovered from common people.

IMAGE: Joint Delhi Tribal Student's Forum members stage a protest against the violence in Manipur, at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, India, November 3, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

The Eastern Command General Officer Commanding-in-Chief also said India is giving shelter to anyone from Myanmar seeking refuge, including common villagers, army or police, in Mizoram and Manipur, but not armed cadres of militant groups of drug traffickers.

"Our efforts have been to contain the violence and motivate both sides of the conflict to come for a peaceful resolution of the political problem. Because ultimately, there has to be a political resolution to the problem," Kalita told reporters at an interaction organised by the Gauhati Press Club.

As far as the ground situation was concerned, the Indian Army's aim initially was to carry out rescue and relief operations for the people who were displaced from their houses, he added.

"Thereafter, we are trying to contain the violence, which we have been largely successful. But because of the polarisation between the two communities, Meiteis and Kukis, some sporadic incidents keep taking place here and there," Kalita said.

Asked why normalcy has not returned to Manipur even after more than six-and-half months of beginning of the clashes, he said there has been some legacy issues between the three communities that live in the state -- Meitei, Kuki and Naga.

The Lieutenant General pointed out that earlier also there had been conflicts between the Kukis and Nagas in the 1990s when almost 1,000 people were killed.

"What has happened now is that both the communities have completely got polarised. Though the level of violence has come down, more than 5,000 weapons were taken away from various police stations and other places.

"Out of that, only about 1,500 weapons have been recovered. So, around 4,000 weapons are still out. Till the time these weapons are out in society, this sort of sporadic violent activities will continue," he added.

Kalita, however, said weapon smuggling along with drugs through the Indo-Myanmar border has been checked, although some isolated incidents may be there.

"But since 4,000 weapons are already out in the open, I think there is no requirement of weapons to come from outside," he stressed.

More than 180 people lost their lives and several hundreds were injured since ethnic clashes broke out in Manipur on May 3, after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley.

Tribals -- Nagas and Kukis -- constitute little over 40 per cent and reside in the hill districts.

On the refugee crisis from Myanmar, Lt Gen Kalita said, "Any instability in our neighbourhood is not in our interest. It definitely impacts us as we share the common border. The problem of the Indo-Myanmar border gets accentuated because of the difficult geography and terrain conditions, and lack of development."

He further said as the border is porous and people are from the same ethnicity on both sides of the border, a lot of free movements take place, and it becomes difficult for the forces managing the borders to identify who are the people from India and who are from Myanmar.

"We are giving shelter to anybody who is seeking refuge, whether it is a common villager or Myanmar Army or Myanmar Police. There is a due process that is followed. Whenever they want to come in, the weapons are separated obviously.

"Thereafter there is a proper identification, which is carried out so that the undesirable elements are segregated. We get in touch with the MEA and (Myanmar) Embassy. Generally, all these Myanmar Army personnel will be taken to Moreh (in Manipur) and then handed over to the (Myanmar) force," Kalita said.

He further explained the direction is very clear to the forces on the border that the common villagers seeking refuge to escape the conflict in Myanmar are not stopped and whenever they are ready, they are sent back.

"While doing that, the directions are very clear that no armed cadres will be allowed to come. Any armed cadres trying to come are addressed in an appropriate manner. There is a definite check on people with drugs and arms, and anybody caught is handed over to the police following the due procedure," Kalita said.

Currently, the Assam Rifles is managing the Indo-Myanmar border in Manipur and Mizoram and they have border outposts in both the states along the international border, he added.

More than 31,000 people from Myanmar have been living in Mizoram. These foreigners, mostly from Chin state, fled following a military coup in Myanmar in February 2021. Many also took shelter in neighbouring Manipur.

In the last few weeks, dozens of Myanmar soldiers stationed near the international border with India fled to Mizoram following intense gunfights with militia group People's Defence Force.

They were later escorted back to their country through Moreh in Manipur.
Brattleboro, VT (05301)

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Brattleboro, VT (05301)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this morning will give way to cloudy skies and rain during the afternoon. High 49F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Rain showers this evening with mostly cloudy conditions overnight. Low 34F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
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Beijing denied its warship emitted sonar pulses causing injuries to Australian Navy divers in waters near Japan.

Royal Australian Navy vessel HMAS Toowoomba is docked at Changi Naval Base at the display of warships during maritime defense exhibition IMDEX Asia 2023 Singapore, May 4, 2023.

Beijing officials have spoken against allegations that a Chinese destroyer operated its sonar device near divers from the Royal Australian Navys HMAS Toowoomba, causing them minor injuries.

The denial came after Australias Defense Minister Richard Marles said in a statement at the weekend that the unsafe and unprofessional interaction with a Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) destroyer occurred in international waters, inside Japans exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Last Tuesday, divers from HMAS Toowoomba were working to clear entangled fishing nets from its propellers when a Chinese warship approached them.

The ANZAC-class frigate had been in the region conducting operations in support of United Nations sanctions enforcement against North Korea.

At all times, HMAS Toowoomba communicated its intention to conduct diving operations on normal maritime channels, and using internationally recognized signals, the statement said.

Despite warnings that there were divers in the water, the Chinese vessel still came closer and operated its hull-mounted sonar device, forcing the divers to surface.

Some of them reported minor injuries, likely due to being subjected to the sonar pulses from the Chinese destroyer.

The pulses of sound are used for imaging underwater terrain and surrounding objects but they can be dangerous for divers in the water, causing injuries ranging from hearing loss to ruptured internal organs and even brain hemorrhage.

Marles said that his government has expressed its serious concerns to the Chinese government and that Australia expects all countries, including China, to operate their militaries in a professional and safe manner.

Completely untrue

Chinas defense ministry on Monday evening responded to the Australian defense ministers statement, saying the claims were completely untrue.

China has firmly rejected Australia's accusations, said a statement by Chinese defense ministry spokesman Wu Qian.

China has lodged formal representations with the Australian side.

According to Wu, the Chinese warship Ningbo (139) was tracking, monitoring, identifying, and verifying the Australian frigate HMAS Toowoomba in accordance with international laws and regulations.

The Chinese vessel maintained a safe distance from the Australian ship and did not engage in any actions that could have interfered with the Australian Navy divers' operations, the spokesman added.

Wu also denied that the Chinese vessel had entered Japans EEZ as there is no demarcation between China and Japan in the relevant waters.

We urge the Australian side to respect the facts, stop making reckless and irresponsible accusations against China, do more to build up mutual trust between the two sides, and create a positive atmosphere for the sound development of relations between the two countries and two militaries, he said.

Dangerous encounters

The Chinese military has been accused multiple times of unsafe encounters with military airplanes and warships from the United States and its allies in the East and South China seas.

Earlier this month, Canada said a Chinese J-11 fighter jet launched flares directly in front of a Canadian Royal Air Force CH-148 Cyclone helicopter which was conducting routine exercises in the South China Sea, putting the safety of all personnel involved at unnecessary risk.

In this image made from video provided by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, a Peoples Republic of China J-11 is seen from within 3 meters of a U.S. Air Force B-52 aircraft, over the South China Sea on Oct. 24, 2023. Credit: U.S. Indo-Pacific Command via AP





On Oct. 24, another Chinese J-11 closed within 3 meters (10 feet) of a U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber in a night time intercept over the South China Sea, according to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

The Command released video footage documenting the unsafe intercept of its B-52 bomber which was lawfully conducting routine operations over the South China Sea in international airspace.

A week before that, the Department of Defense (DoD) released photos and video clips on Oct. 17 documenting 15 cases of what it called Chinas coercive and risky operational behavior against U.S. aircraft in the East China and South China seas in the last two years.

The Pentagon said since 2021 China has engaged in more than 180 incidents of coercive and risky operational behavior against its assets acting lawfully in international airspace over the East and South China seas.

The number increases to nearly 300 cases if U.S. allied and partner aircraft are included.

The U.S. said China is carrying out a centralized and concerted campaign to prevent U.S. forces from operating safely in the air and in the sea.

Beijing has rejected all accusations, in some cases claiming that it was the U.S. who provoked the situations.

Edited by Mike Firn and Taejun Kang.
Fellow activists call for an independent probe into his death as the family are denied access to his remains.

Nanjing dissident journalist Sun Lin, who used the pen name Jie Mu, has died following a raid by state security police on his home last week, Radio Free Asia has learned.

"On Nov. 17, police reportedly entered his home, and neighbors later heard loud noises," the overseas-based Chinese Human Rights Defenders network said via its X account. "At 2:44 p.m. he was sent to hospital; dead at 5:45 [p.m.]."

"At the hospital, Sun Lin's family requested to see his body, but the state security police refused," the group said.

"Medical staff at the hospital said his clothes were torn and he had suffered head injuries, indicating he was beaten to death," it said.

Overseas-based dissident Sun Liyong, who isn't related to Sun Lin, said the suspected beating took place at around noon on Nov. 17.

"A group of state security officers from Nanjing's Xuanwu district broke into Sun Lin's home," he said. "Then the neighbors heard sounds of a struggle from inside."

He said police have since tried to claim they were defending themselves after being attacked by Sun.

"Sun Lin is nearly 70 years old, so how would he be able to beat up a group of young men?" he said.

Open letter

A group of Sun's friends and fellow activists, including Huang Jinqiu, Wu Lihong, Zou Wei and Zan Aizong have signed an open letter calling on the Nanjing municipal government to conduct an independent investigation into Sun's death as soon as possible, the Chinese-language rights website Weiquanwang reported.

Sun's friend Fu Tao said he believes "from the information we have so far, it seems like his death wasn't normal."

Sun was sent to Jiangsu Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine at 2:44 p.m., and the hospital pronounced him dead at 5:45 p.m.," Weiquanwang said, adding that Sun had recently undergone a full medical checkup three days earlier, and had been in "normal" health.

A friend of Sun's who gave only the surname Lu told RFA Mandarin: "They [state security police] wanted to enter his home, but [Sun] refused them entry, so they forced their way in."

Lu said he believes police beat Sun to death to stop him from speaking out.

"If they want to control you, they will use any means," Lu said. "They often kill people and cut off all contact with the outside world to prevent any kind of public backlash."

Suns friend and fellow activist Zou Wei held up a blank sheet of A4 paper to commemorate his death in front of the Memorial to the Fallen Soldiers of the National Revolutionary Army on Xixi Road in Hangzhou on Monday.

Weiquanwang said Sun's remains are currently in the hands of the Nanjing state security police, and have been removed from the hospital.

State security police have placed Sun's daughter Sun Yijia under tight restrictions, and have visited his ex-wife He Fang to warn her against "causing trouble," it said.

Repeated calls to He Fang and Sun Yijia rang unanswered on Tuesday.

Reporting on rights violations

In a profile on its website, the Chinese Human Rights Defenders describes Sun as "independent journalist who has reported on human rights violations and the corruption of Chinese officials."

He was convicted of inciting subversion of state power on Dec. 25, 2018, and served a four-year jail term in connection with his social media posts, and for shouting "Down with the Communist Party" at a party meeting in Nanjing.

He had also served an earlier four-year jail term in 2008 for "gathering a crowd to disrupt public order" along with his then wife He Fang, after he refused to stop reporting on forced evictions at a Nanjing factory.

"Born in Nanjing on Dec. 24, 1955, Sun Lin forged a reputation from the outset of his journalism career for exercising free speech that attracted the attention of authorities," the profile said.

In August 1998, he began working with a television station in Nanjing, which dismissed him for speaking too openly about politically sensitive subjects, prompting him to launch his own video channel in September of the same year, which the authorities later shut down, it said.

Sun had also been the editor of the Nanjing version of Business Times Today and edited the Metropolis newspaper which he founded in 2000. After authorities forced Metropolis to close, Sun started to report for Boxun.

"He continued to report on social justice issues despite growing pressure and harassment by officials, culminating in his prison sentence in 2008," it said.

New book

A friend of Sun's who asked to remain anonymous said that just before his death, the authorities had paid a call on a fellow activist in the central city of Wuhan who had just received a copy of a book written by Sun.

"Ten days ago, the Nanjing state security police and the Wuhan state security police went to pay a call on [Wuhan rights activist Xiao Yuqing]," the friend said. "Sun Lin had written a book, and sent a copy to [Xiao]."

"The day after it arrived, the police showed up  he hadn't even had time to open it up and take a look," the friend said. "They took the book away."

"Sun had been chatting with Xiao Yuqing the day before [Sun died]. [Xiao] had just gotten out of hospital, and was planning a trip to Nanjing," they said.

"I know some of the rights activists in Nanjing who were taken down to the local police station after receiving the news of Sun Lin's death on the group chat," the friend said.

"Why would they cover up the news of Sun Lin's death? It's not going to work," they said.

When contacted by RFA Mandarin, Xiao said he has been banned from talking to the media or posting online, and declined to give an interview.

Xiao isn't the only dissident to have been contacted and told to keep quiet.

A Hubei-based online activist who gave only the surname Mo said he had received a call from state security police warning him not to travel anywhere.

"They said they would come round within 10 minutes if I were to buy a rail ticket anywhere," Mo said. "Henan-based rights activist Fang Yan was told by the state security police not to go to Nanjing."

"It's getting harder and harder for us to exist," Mo said.

Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Roseanne Gerin.


Tang Jitian is detained en route to a funeral as the teenaged son of another lawyer is treated for an overdose.

Chinese rights lawyer Tang Jitian was released in January after two years of incommunicado detention.

Rights lawyer Tang Jitian is incommunicado, believed detained in a hotel in the northeastern province of Jilin following his release from two years of incommunicado detention in January, people familiar with his case told Radio Free Asia.

"He sent a message on WeChat Moments around Nov. 4 that his daughter's grandmother had passed away," U.S.-based rights activist Xiang Li told RFA Mandarin. "This was the last public message he sent [and it] showed that he was in Jilin at the time."

"Shortly after he posted the message, he was incommunicado and I haven't managed to get in touch with him in more than two weeks," Xiang said.

A person familiar with the case who declined to be named for fear of reprisals said Tang had been detained en route to his mother-in-law's funeral on Nov. 6, and is currently being held by state security police at a hotel in Yanbian city.

Tang has a round-the-clock detail of state security police sleeping in the same room and eating all meals with him, they said.

He was taken into custody again because someone "disclosed information about Tang" on social media, the person said.

Xiang said the daring flight of ethnic Korean dissident Kwon Pyong by jet ski from the eastern province of Shandong might have heightened tensions around Tang, too, although the two men arent associated with each other.

"Maybe state security police in Jilin were made nervous by that escape, which caused an international sensation," Xiang said. "Tang Jitian is a human rights lawyer and dissident whom they regard as very important."

"Tang Jitian is a human rights lawyer and dissident whom [Chinese authorities] regard as very important," says U.S.-based rights activist Xiang Li [pictured]. Credit: Provided by Xiang Li

When he was released after more than a year of police detention on Jan. 14, 2023, Tang showed up in his birthplace in Jilin instead of his home in Beijing, an increasingly common practice for recently released political prisoners.

"I'll try to keep doing what I can keep doing, but ... I can't say any more right now," Tang told RFA at the time, saying it was "inconvenient" to speak, a phrase often employed by people targeted for official surveillance.

Tang's license to practice as a lawyer was revoked in 2010 after he campaigned for direct elections within the state-run Lawyers' Association, and represented practitioners of the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement.

He has been barred from leaving China to visit his daughter in Japan, who is on life support in a Tokyo hospital after contracting meningitis.

"If he is incommunicado, that must mean he has been forcibly disappeared, and that the state security police must have detained him," Xiang said.

Sedatives overdose

Meanwhile the teenaged son of detained rights lawyer Yu Wensheng has been sent to hospital after being left alone in the family home following his parents' detention in April.

Yu Zhenyang was taken to hospital after taking an overdose of sedative medication, fellow lawyer Liang Xiaojun told RFA Mandarin.

"When I got there, he didn't say anything to me, just sat there on the hospital bed," Liang said. "There were nurses and policemen there beside him."

"The policeman told me he had taken some sedatives and then started to feel unwell while on a bus in Mentougou," he said. "He told the driver he felt unwell and the driver called the police, and they sent him to the hospital."

Yu Zhenyang was treated and was recovering, Liang said.

"His mental state was quite good  he was drinking water, and he was on a drop  he looked okay," he said. "Maybe it was sleeping pills and he took a little too many."

The teenage son of Chinese human rights lawyer Yu Wensheng [right] and his wife Xu Yan [left] was recently taken to a hospital after an overdose of sedative medication. Credit: Weiquanwang

Fellow rights attorney Wang Yu, who has been keeping an eye on Yu Zhenyang since he was left alone, said the overdose took place on the young man's 19th birthday, which he spent alone.

"They said he turned 19 on [Nov. 18]," Wang said. "He was alone and in a very sad mood."

"He went out to eat alone and took nine tablets in one go," she said. "He started to feel unwell on the bus home."

She called on the Chinese authorities to release Yu Wensheng and his wife on bail pending trial to allow them to take care of Yu Zhenyang.

Canada-based family friend Zhao Zhongyuan said Yu Zhenyang has had a tough time since both parents  father Yu Wensheng and mother Xu Yan  were detained on suspicion of "picking quarrels and stirring up trouble" in April, en route to meet with European Union diplomats in Beijing.

Xu has reportedly been charged with "incitement to subvert state power."

Translated by Luisetta Mudie.
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Twin States Clean Energy Link (Twin States) and the Northeastern Vermont Development Association (NVDA) today (Nov 16) announced plans to partner on a. . .
The launch comes a day after Seoul said it detected activities indicating a launch.

A still photograph shows what appears to be North Koreas Chollima-1 rocket being launched on May 31, 2023, in this image released by the North Korean Central News Agency and taken from video. Pyongyang launched what it called a military reconnaissance satellite on Tuesday.

Updated Nov. 21, 2023, 3:18 p.m. ET

North Korea said Tuesday it accurately launched a spy satellite into orbit, drawing a strong rebuke from the United States, which called the launch a threat to stability and prosperity on the Korean peninsula.

The launch follows the South Korean militarys warning on Monday that it detected new activities from the North which appeared to be signs for a satellite launch.

North Korea launched what it claims to be a military reconnaissance satellite in a southern direction, South Koreas Joint Chief of Staff said in a statement late Tuesday.



The JSC has yet to provide details, including whether the test was successful, the location of the launch, or any flight data related to the launch.

However, Pyongyangs state-run Korean Central News Agency claimed that the satellite was successfully launched into orbit.

Chollima-1 flew normally along the scheduled flight trajectory and accurately entered the reconnaissance satellite Wangli-1 into orbit at 22:54:13, 705 seconds after launch, KCNA said.

The launch of a reconnaissance satellite is [North Korea's] legal right to strengthen its right to self-defense and will greatly contribute to firmly enhancing the war readiness of the Republics armed forces in line with the safety environment created in the country and surrounding areas due to the enemys dangerous military maneuvers, the news agency said.

American condemnation

U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the United States could not verify KCNAs claim but condemned the launch as dangerous.

I cannot confirm that assessment. It is still something thats ongoing inside the United States government, Miller said, before declining to comment on the security implications of Pyongyang possessing such a spy satellite.

I can say that we condemn the DPRKs unlawful launch of a military reconnaissance satellite today, he added, saying it violates multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions by using ballistic missiles and undermines stability and prosperity on the Korean peninsula.

Rocket technology can be used for both launching satellites and missiles. For that reason, the U.N. bans North Korea from launching a ballistic rocket, even if it claims to be a satellite launch.

In August, North Korea failed for the second time to launch a satellite, three months after an unsuccessful first attempt.

Souths warnings

On Monday, the JCSs chief director of operations, Kang Ho-pil, strongly urged North Korea to cease the launch, vowing that Seoul would take the necessary counter measures.

South Korea is most likely to suspend the effectiveness of the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement, a military source, who asked for anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, told Radio Free Asia late Tuesday. The person did not elaborate.

The two Koreas have agreed to halt what the other has defined as hostile actions toward one another near the border, but the North has conducted a number of provocations, violating the agreement. Critics in South Korea, thus, have long argued that the deal has already become ineffective, only serving to restrict Seouls operational and surveillance capabilities.

South Koreas defense minister Shin Won-sik told reporters last month that the agreement has limited the Souths surveillance capability against North Korean provocations.

North Korea has been solidifying its ties with Russia, and South Koreas National Intelligence Service said earlier this month that it is likely to have received help in obtaining satellite launch technology from Moscow.

The launch comes as South Koreas President Yoon Suk Yeol is in London for his state visit to the United Kingdom, where he pledged to advance Seouls security ties with London.

North Korea has a history of provocations when South Korean presidents are abroad, seemingly to challenge Seouls response capabilities and the efficiency of its systems in the presidents absence.

Jay Park contributed reporting for RFA Korean. Willemyns reported from Washington.

Edited by Elaine Chan and Mike Firn
Both sides to sign MOU on chips, boosting Bidens alternative supply chain with less reliance on China.

Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, right, and President of South Korea Yoon Suk Yeol shake hands during their bilateral meeting at the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan, May 20, 2023. The two will adopt the bilateral Downing Street Accord in London Tuesday.

South Korea and the United Kingdom are set to elevate their ties to a Global Strategic Partnership, which could deepen collaboration on a variety of issues ranging from security to economic fronts.

South Koreas President Yoon Suk Yeol and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will adopt the bilateral Downing Street Accord Wednesday, the Souths Presidential Office said in a statement.

Yoon has been on a four-day state visit to the U.K. since Monday, serving as the first foreign head of state to be invited for a state visit by King Charles III since his coronation.

The accord will highlight Seoul and Londons joint stance on issues on the Korean Peninsula, including North Koreas nuclear program. Both sides will collectively respond to global issues such as the crises in Ukraine and the Middle East, and growing tensions in the Indo-Pacific, said the statement on Tuesday.

The two countries pledged to cooperate under the framework of multilateral platforms like the UN Security Council, the Group of 20 , and the Group of Seven to strengthen the rules-based order in the international community, it added.

Putting their words into action on the security front, Seoul and London are planning to expand joint military drills. According to the statement, they are set to hold joint maritime patrols to strictly enforce the U.N. Security Council sanctions against North Korea.

The statement came as South Korea actively reiterates its stance on global security issues, encompassing the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as the delicate issue of Taiwan.

Under the trilateral framework with the United States and Japan, South Korea issued a stern warning against Russia, North Korea and Hamas in San Francisco last week, highlighting the expanding scope of its role in defending global security challenges that extend beyond Asia.

To address global security challenges, it is crucial for South Korea to partner with key European nations like the U.K. Last year, South Korea officially established its Diplomatic Mission to NATO. Europe also needs an Asian ally to address security issues in Asia, such as the challenges posed by China.

A significant area where the two nations could collaborate is in cyberspace.

The two countries will strengthen their capabilities to respond to cyber threats through the signing of a Strategic Cyber Partnership, the statement said.

Economic Ties

South Korea and the U.K. also intend to further strengthen their economic and technological cooperation, from semiconductors to space technology.

The Presidential Office statement said that Seoul and London will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on bilateral semiconductor cooperation to establish a stable supply chain for the future.

Additionally, it added that Yoon and Sunak will explore economic cooperation in future industries including artificial intelligence, digital technology, nuclear and space technology, biotechnology, quantum technologies, and renewable energy.

The effort to enhance cooperation in areas such as semiconductor production and future industries adds weight to U.S. President Joe Bidens strategy to create an alternative global supply chain that knits democratic nations closer together while requiring less of Chinas input.

Cutting dependence on Chinese components and resources is seen as a derisking exercise for businesses given that Beijing has intertwined politics with economics and imposed measures on countries that make political decisions contrary to its interests.

Edited by Elaine Chan and Mike Firn.
Myanmars junta alleges the teachers and staff members were being detained after recent fighting.

A Karenni Nationalities Defense Force fighter aims his weapon during a firefight in Loikaw, Myanmar, in this still image taken from video released Nov. 15, 2023.

More than 200 civilians evacuated from a university during recent fighting in the Kayah state capital in eastern Myanmar are being provided health care at a safe location, Karenni officials told Radio Free Asia.

The military junta has alleged that the civilians, which include teachers and the rector from Loikaw University, were being detained against their will.

Some of them seem to be in a good mood, but some others said they are missing their family members, said Banyar, the director of the Karenni Human Rights Organization. We have told them that we will proceed in accordance with rules and regulations.

Fighting began in Loikaw in eastern Myanmar on Nov. 11 when the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force, or KNDF, targeted junta bases and a prison in the city. Junta troops retaliated with airstrikes and shelling, killing 20 civilians, according to the Karenni Human Rights Organization.

The KNDF announced on Nov. 15 that they had successfully occupied the university, where two battalions of military junta soldiers had been stationed. The soldiers had frequently raided and shelled nearby villages, according to KNDF Chairman Khun Bedu.

Regime spokesperson Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun said the attack on Loikaw University was a barbaric act and alleged that Karenni troops had killed some teachers and taken other teachers hostage.

Khun Bedu denied these accusations, saying the attack was carried out only because soldiers were stationed there.

Karenni Nationalities Defense Force fighters stand at Loikaw University in Loikaw, Myanmar, in this still image taken from video released Nov. 16, 2023. Credit: Karenni Nationalities Defense Force/Handout via Reuters





A Karenni National Progressive Party official told RFA that junta troops used some university staff members and students as human shields during the fighting. They were evacuated to a secure place and no one has been tortured or killed, he said.

We are working to allow them to go to their destinations safely, he said. We are not using them as human shields like the military did.

On Monday, the KNDP published a recorded video clip on its social media page with statements from the universitys rector and several teachers.

Some of the university staff members were being questioned about possible junta associations, said Banyar, who goes by one name. Legal action may be taken against some of them, he said on Monday. He did not provide specific details.

Artillery attacks and air strikes

Karenni forces launched their offensive this month after their northern allies Operation 1027, during which rebel groups won control of three major cities in Shan state.

The Karenni Humanitarian Aid Initiative on Tuesday said air strikes and artillery attacks killed 68 civilians between Nov. 11-19 in Loikaw and Shans Pekon township. Victims included 10 children and 18 women, the group said.

The information was gathered from the Karenni Human Rights Organization and media reports, they said.

A humanitarian volunteer for Karenni displaced persons told RFA that the actual casualty toll may be higher.

We cannot get some figures from the frontlines of battles, the volunteer said. As the military was being defeated in the battles, they carried out air strikes on civilian targets and shot people dead.

RFA attempted to contact Myint Kyi, junta spokesperson for Kayah state, but phone calls went unanswered.

Myanmar military soldiers who surrendered to the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force ride in the back of a vehicle in Loikaw, Myanmar, in this still image taken from video released Nov. 15, 2023. Credit: Karenni Nationalities Defense Force/Handout via Reuters





Neither the junta nor Kareni forces have stated total casualty tolls from the fighting that began on Nov. 11.

Elsewhere in Myanmar, a Peoples Defense Force in Chin state said they have occupied a military outpost at Kennedy Peak between Kalay and Tedim townships.

About 30 junta soldiers had been stationed at the outpost since the February 2021 military coup.

We began to attack this outpost at 4 a.m., and totally controlled the camp at around 6 a.m., an official from PDF Zoland told RFA. It was the highest mountain in northern Chin and strategically important. So we captured it.

RFA attempted to contact Kyaw Soe Win, the social affairs minister and junta spokesperson for Chin state government, for his response but was unable to reach him.

Translated by Aung Naing. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster.
This week, Mandalay villagers have found the bodies of 18 people previously arrested by junta forces.

Pin Lel Inn village in Madaya township was set on fire by junta troops on November 16, 2023.

Villagers in central Myanmar recovered the bodies of six people who were stabbed to death, locals told Radio Free Asia. On Friday, junta troops arrested the group in Mandalay region on suspicion of being resistance fighters in local Peoples Defense Forces.

The victims are from Madaya and Patheingyi townships, including 25-year-old Min Nge Tar, as well as Thaung Yin and Poe Htaw, who were both about 40 years old and from Kin village. Three brothers, 18-year-old Ko Tun, 22-year-old Ko Pyone and 25-year-old Ko Mone, from Patheingyis Tha Yet Kaing village were also killed.

On Saturday, a dead body with stab wounds was found near Tha Yet Kaing village, a Kin villager who wished to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals told RFA.

When [junta soldiers] asked them where they were from, they said that they were from Kin village. So [the first three men] were arrested and accused of being in People's Defense Forces, he said. The three brothers from Tha Yet Kaing village were arrested for riding a motorcycle with three men. The next day, all the bodies were found in the same place.

In Sagaing, Yangon and Mandalay regions, the military regime has placed tight restrictions on men riding motorbikes in an effort to reduce attacks from resistance groups.

Junta troops often raid Kin village on suspicion of hiding resistance fighters, so some of the residents have left the village, locals told RFA. To avoid suspicion, some men and their families have moved closer to Tha Yet Kaing village, which is about 6.5 kilometers (four miles) away from Kin village.

The three Kin villagers who were arrested and killed are people who moved with their families close to Tha Yet Kaing village and were fleeing the juntas raids, they added.

Calls by RFA to Mandalay regions junta spokesperson Thein Htay went unanswered on Tuesday.

On Thursday, fighting near Pin Lel Inn village attracted the presence of a junta convoy. The group arrested 11 men who were sitting in a tea shop in Aung Kan Thar village and another man from Pwe Sar Kone village. Junta soldiers shot and killed all 12 men, locals said.

As of Nov. 20, nearly 4,200 civilians have been killed across the country after the 2021 military coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.

Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn.
A Uyghur filmmaker on trial for separatism and terrorism in Xinjiang told the court he was tortured into confessing crimes he didnt commit, a police officer in the courtroom told Radio Free Asia.

Ikram Nurmehmet, 32, and four Uyghur friends  all of whom studied in Turkey together  are being tried in Urumqi Peoples Intermediate Court for alleged connections to Turkey-based organizations seeking independence for East Turkistan, the Uyghurs preferred name for the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, the officer, other officials and family members said.

The trial of the five men comes amid the ongoing arrest and jailing by Chinese authorities of Uyghurs who have studied or traveled abroad, and who have been accused of engaging in terrorist or separatist activities.

All of them were accused of being members of an East Turkistan organization in Turkey, said the officer, who insisted on not being identified for his own safety. All of them, except Ikram, admitted their guilt.

Nurmehmet was accused of recruiting members, cultivating members, and even raising funds for a East Turkistan organization when he was in Turkey, the officer said.

Nurmehmet denied charges against him and told the court that he was tortured into confessing, said the officer.

"Because Ikram told the court he was tortured, the judge was unable to conclude the case and the verdict was postponed to January," he said.

According to a report in The Guardian in early November, Nurmehmet told the court he was kept in a dark cell for 20 days during interrogation and was tortured.

Chinese law stipulates that any confessions extracted under torture should be excluded in trial, but in practice, that rule doesnt function, Maya Wang, an associate director in Human Rights Watchs Asia division, told The Guardian.

Harsh interrogations

The men were detained on May 29 and subjected to harsh interrogation for three months before the trial, the police officer said.

After an afternoon break in the trial, one of Nurmehmets fellow detainees testified against him, claiming that his friend urged him to become a member of an East Turkistan organization, he said.

The testimony came after the man had been taken outside the courtroom during a 15-minute break and possibly tortured, the officer said.

The other three detainees were sitting with their heads down, he said.

After studying in Turkey for six years, Nurmehmet moved to Beijing to produce films about Uyghurs lives.

During his time in Turkey, Nurmehmet had distanced himself from the Uyghur community there, said Abduweli Ayup, a Norwegian activist and researcher who has investigated the fate of Uyghur students in Xinjiang who returned from Turkey.

When he was studying at Marmara University, he never even stepped into the areas where Uyghurs live, such as Zeytinburnu, he said, referring to a working-class neighborhood in Turkeys capital Istanbul where many Uyghurs have settled.

Nurmehmet applied directly to the universitys art and screenwriting program  not through a Uyghur organization  while he was in Beijing and was accepted. During his studies, he lived off campus in a private dorm, Ayup said.

Furthermore, Nurmehmet tried to avoid any trouble and socialized only with people in his industry, Ayup said. He worked as an assistant for several film companies to cover his tuition and living expenses.

Translated by RFA Uyghur. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster.
Authorities told his relatives that he was not tortured, though they took his body directly to a cemetery for burial.

The body of a Uyghur educator, researcher and poet who died in prison in Xinjiang in late August was taken by authorities directly to a cemetery for burial instead of first being returned to his family, a police officer and researcher who has compiled a list of arrested Uyghurs said.

Abdusemet Rozi, 57, hailed from Suntagh village in Atush, also called Artux, capital of the Kizilsu Kyrgyz Autonomous Prefecture in Xinjiang. He was jailed for a second time in 2022, is said to have fallen ill while in prison, and died on Aug. 31, according to the sources, although it is unknown why he was imprisoned or to which ailment he succumbed.

The authorities who took his body to a cemetery summoned seven or eight members of Rozis family to the Suntagh village party committee and informed them of his death, a village police officer told Radio Free Asia. Also in attendance were the local Chinese Communist Party secretary, village head, officials from the Public Security Bureau, and state security personnel.

The police officer, who did not provide information about the reason for Rozis arrest and sentencing, said authorities asked his relatives if they had any complaints about the man's death  an apparent intimidation tactic so that Rozi's family would not raise questions about his cause of death or the possibility of torture.

The police officer said Rozi served his more recent sentence at Ulughchat Prison in Atush and died at the prison hospital at the end of August.

I was there when Abdusemet Rozis body was transferred from the prison, the police officer said.

At the time, authorities told Rozi's family that he died of an illness and had not been tortured.

They told them about his health problems and that after a check-up, he had a heart problem, he said. He was taken to the hospital in the morning because he wasnt feeling well. The hospital treatment didnt work, and he passed away.

Authorities told Rozis family that if they had any doubts or complaints, an autopsy would be done; but if not, they would only be shown his face, to which they agreed, said the police officer.

An intellectual

But Abduweli Ayup founder of Norway-based Uyghur Hjelp, or Uyghuryar, which maintains a database of Uyghurs detained in Xinjiang, said Rozi became ill in jail and died because of physical and mental torture.

Rozi was one of the top Uyghur researchers whose name appeared on a list of arrested Uyghur intellectuals compiled by Ayup.

From 2005 to 2010, Rozi researched and wrote a book titled Izchilar, or The Followers, about students of the famous Uyghur educator Memtili Tewpiq, he said.

Abdusemet Rozi is one of the intellectuals from Atush who had strong organizational skills, Ayup said. He gave speeches on new textbook reform to the teachers.

In 2019, authorities sentenced Rozi to 20 years in prison, released him in 2021 for health reasons, and rearrested him in September 2022, Ayup said. He remained in prison until his death, he said.

The reason for Rozi's first arrest is unknown, though it occurred at a time when authorities in Xinjiang were conducting mass arrests of Uyghurs, including educators and intellectuals, and detaining them in re-education camps or prisons.

Authorities may have arrested Rozi because of his research topics and social activities, Ayup said, citing the scholars article on teaching in the Uyghur language, which he presented at an educational conference.

Rozi graduated from Kashgar Pedagogical Institute in 1987 and started working as a teacher at Atush 4th Middle School.

In 1998, he became a researcher and teacher at the Kizilsu branch of Xinjiang Television and Radio University, where he worked until his first arrest in 2017, Ayup said.

Rozi entered the literary arena in Xinjiang with a poem he published in a Kizilsu newspaper during his college days before he began teaching and working as a researcher, he said.

He was doing research on teacher and student relations, as well as on the future and the current situation of radio and television education, Ayup said.

Translated by RFA Uyghur. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster.
All three have spoken out against government efforts to stymie dissent.

Three activists have been honored with a 2023 Vietnam Human Rights Award. They are, from left: Tran Van Bang, Y Wo Nie and Le Trong Hung.

The U.S.-based Vietnam Human Rights Network announced that it has given awards to three activists imprisoned in Vietnam in recognition of their contributions to human rights causes in the country.

The three recipients are Tran Van Bang, born in 1961, Y Wo Nie, born in 1970, and independent journalist Le Trong Hung, born in 1979, according to Saturdays announcement.

This year marks the 21st anniversary of the Vietnam Human Rights Awards, which were launched in 2002. Over the past 21 years, 60 individuals and six organizations have received the award.

Tran Van Bang was a member of the Le Hieu Dang Club, a group of intellectuals who were former members of the Communist Party of Vietnam, a group of intellectuals who often speak up about and criticize what they say is the Vietnamese governments authoritarian rule.

Bang was arrested on March 1, 2022, on the charge of "spreading anti-state propaganda." On May 12, 2023, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Court sentenced him to eight years in prison and three years of probation. He has been suffering a serious decline in health and has not received adequate and timely care while in prison, his lawyer said.

Y Wo Nie is a Christian from the Ede ethnic minority. He has repeatedly spoken out against the religious persecution of ethnic minorities. He has been imprisoned twice. The first time, he was sentenced to nine years in prison in 2005 for "undermining national unity policy."

On May 20, 2022, he was imprisoned for the second time after the Cu Kuin District People's Court in Dak Lak Province gave him a four-year jail term on charges of "abusing democratic freedoms to violate the interests of the State, the legitimate rights and interests of organizations and individuals" under Article 331 of Vietnams Penal Code.

Rights organizations have said that Article 331, along with Article 117, are vaguely written laws that allow the government to silence dissent.

Freelance journalist Le Trong Hung was a participant on the television program The National Movement to Revive Vietnam on social media, which focused on depicting the plight of people suffering from injustice. In 2017, he founded "Revitalization Television on his Facebook account to popularize and promote legal knowledge, particularly about the Constitution of Vietnam.

He also nominated himself as an independent candidate in elections to the countrys National Assembly in 2021 and then was arrested on March 27, 2021.

On Dec. 31, 2021, he was sentenced to five years in prison and five years on probation by a court in Hanoi on the charge of "making, storing, disseminating information, materials, items, and publications against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam" under Article 117 of the 2015 Penal Code.

The Vietnam Human Rights Network released its report on human rights in the country in 2022  2023, highlighting that there were no major improvements in Vietnams human rights record since the country was elected as a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2022.

The report also says that from January 1, 2022, to October 15, 2023, Vietnam prosecuted 123 and imprisoned 98 people for political and religious reasons. The remaining 25 people are being temporarily detained for investigation purposes.

Translated by Anna Vu. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster.
The human rights group Memorial has recognized Alsu Kurmasheva, a veteran journalist of RFE/RL's Tatar-Bashkir Service who has been in Russian custody since October 18, as a political prisoner.

Kurmasheva, a Prague, Czech Republic-based journalist with RFE/RL who holds dual U.S. and Russian citizenships, traveled to Russia for a family emergency in May.



She was temporarily detained while waiting for her return flight on June 2 at the airport in the capital of the Tatarstan region, where both of her passports were confiscated. She was not able to leave Russia as she awaited the return of her travel documents.



On October 11, Kurmasheva was fined 10,000 rubles ($103) for failing to register her U.S. passport with the Russian authorities, according to local media reports based on court documents they'd seen.



Kurmasheva was detained again on October 18 and this time charged with failing to register as a "foreign agent," a crime that carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.



The Investigative Committee said Kurmasheva was being charged under a section of the Criminal Code that refers to the registration of foreign agents who carry out "purposeful collection of information in the field of military, military-technical activities of Russia," which, if received by foreign sources, "can be used against the security of the country."



It gave no further details.



The Investigative Committee said its investigation found that while the Russian Justice Ministry did not add her to the list of foreign agents, she failed to provide documents to be included on the registry.



Kurmasheva and RFE/RL have both rejected the charge.

Russia's detention of Kurmasheva, the second U.S. media member to be detained by Moscow this year, triggered a wave of criticism from rights groups and politicians saying the move signals a new level of wartime censorship.



Sergei Davidis, the leader of Memorial's Support of Political Prisoners project, told RFE/RL that Kurmasheva was recognized as a political prisoner because the group considers illegal the Russian Criminal Code's article on foreign agents and its connection with so-called "purposeful collection of information in the field of military, military-technical activities of Russia."



Davidis added that Memorial considered the prosecution and possible conviction of people for failing to carry out "a so-called obligation to voluntarily declare themselves as foreign agents...also illegal."



"That request is illegal because, de facto, it is not about punishment for failure to declare, but for implementation of legal activities. The information in question is not classified and it is not illegal to collect such information," Davidis said, stressing that the Federal Security Service (FSB) had given a vague explanation about what can be considered information banned for collecting.



"Additional to that, we see concrete political goals in [Kurmasheva's] case that were obvious by how the persecution was carried out. First, she was detained and convicted of failure to declare the second citizenship, and after that only, after obvious thinking over and looking for reasons -- they filed the second case," Davidis said.

"This is the first criminal case and arrest of that kind. It explicitly indicates the artificial grounds of the whole construction. This illegal charge was thought over for a long time before it was used. They had searched for something to deprive Alsu Kurmasheva of her freedom," he added.



Russia has been accused of detaining Americans to use as bargaining chips to exchange for Russians jailed in the United States. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was arrested for alleged spying -- a charge he and the newspaper vehemently deny -- in March.

WATCH: The husband of the RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, who was detained in Russia on October 18, has said she is a "political prisoner."

Since 2012, Russia has used its so-called foreign agent laws to label and punish critics of government policies. It has also been increasingly used to shut down civil society and media groups in Russia since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.



Amnesty International, the UN Human Rights Office, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and the chairman of the U.S. House of Representative's Foreign Affairs Committee have called for the immediate release of Kurmasheva.



The "foreign agent" law allows authorities to label nonprofit organizations as "foreign agents" if they receive funding from abroad and are engaged in political activities.



RFE/RL says the law amounts to political censorship meant to prevent journalists from performing their professional duties and is challenging the authorities' moves in Russian courts and at the European Court of Human Rights.

More than 30 RFE/RL employees have been listed as "foreign agents" by the Russian Justice Ministry in their personal capacity.



In March, a Moscow court declared the bankruptcy of RFE/RL's operations in Russia following the company's refusal to pay multiple fines totaling more than 1 billion rubles ($14 million) for noncompliance with the law.

Memorial, founded in 1987 to remember victims of Soviet repression, was closed down by Russia's Supreme Court in November 2021 -- citing the "foreign agents" law -- although it still functions outside the country and has managed to continue some activities inside Russia.

Kurmasheva is one of four RFE/RL journalists -- Andrey Kuznechyk, Ihar Losik, and Vladyslav Yesypenko are the other three -- currently imprisoned on charges related to their work. Rights groups and RFE/RL have called repeatedly for the release of all four, saying they have been wrongly detained.

Losik is a blogger and contributor for RFE/RLs Belarus Service who was convicted in December 2021 on several charges including the organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order and sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Kuznechyk, a web editor for RFE/RLs Belarus Service, was sentenced in June 2022 to six years in prison following a trial that lasted no more than a few hours. He was convicted of creating or participating in an extremist organization.

Yesypenko, a dual Ukrainian-Russian citizen who contributed to Crimea.Realities, a regional news outlet of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, was sentenced in February 2022 to six years in prison by a Russian judge in occupied Crimea after a closed-door trial. He was convicted of possession and transport of explosives, a charge he steadfastly denies.
ELKOI started running the store when I was 10 months old, Anita Anacabe Franzoia, owner and sole employee of Anacabes Elko General Merchandise said. They tell me I was going up and down the ladders before I could walk.

I was born and raised here. I lived upstairs, she said, noting how her entire life and her family history are connected to the general store building.

My dad had a store starting in 1924 in McDermott, Nevada, she said. Franzoias father, Joe Anacabe, owned his McDermott store until approximately 1928.

Then they went to Europe for a year and then they came back and in Berkeley, California, they had this store for a very short time, during the Depression. And they wanted to move back to Nevada, and they could not go to Winnemucca where they knew everyone, so they moved to Elko. So we have been here since 1936.

Franzoia shared how her half-brother Frank Anacabe and her mother Margaret Olabe Anacabe factored into the history of the store.

In 1976 my half-brother passed away who was running the store and helping with my mom. My dad had just passed away about five years previous to that.

I have been running the store since 1976, she explained. I was still in college. I was going back and forth during college and graduated and came home. Then I was like, well, what am I going to do with my mother? So I stayed.

Since COVID-19 hit, I have just been doing this all by myself. So I do everything except for washing the windows  I do have a window washer!

What does a typical day of running the store look like?

Ordering, selling, trying to service the customers, that is my biggest thing, Franzoia said.

I lose very few sales because I can usually ask them enough questions to figure out what they really need, she said, and at their price point, because I carry all kinds of price points.

It is important to hit the different pocketbooks for people. Not everybody can spend $200, $300 or $400.

Anacabes Elko General Merchandise supplies the many needs of Elkos residents who work outside and with their hands. The store stocks boots, mining work clothes and even Western apparel such as belts, suspenders, and flannel shirts, arranged in an organized hodgepodge amidst retro cowboy posters. Ladders run up the shelves to the ceiling in classic general store fashion.

Franzoia explained how she supplies her products.

Back in the day we used to see salesmen that would come out and sell new products and stuff. I still see some salesmen. Some of my product lines I have had for many years. Other ones I actually find out sometimes from customers, so I do have a few new lines. And then I go to markets every once in a while.

On the side, Franzoia operates a service for supplying shoes to diabetes patients with Medicare.

She explained how the store has changed over the time she has owned it. She said she has begun selling more industrial-related products, such as high-visibility wear.

She also noted that the introduction of big-box stores and ranching stores to the Elko area has shaken up the business landscape. These stores make their shopping experience fast and convenient thanks to large parking lots where people can park their horse trailers.

I miss out on a lot of that business compared to what I used to, Franzoia said, noting that the bulk of her business nowadays comes from large companies.

Franzoia explained her game-changing relationship with a local corporation.

Nevada Gold Mines, to tell you the truth, actually saved not just me but many businesses across northern Nevada. The day before the governor shut everything down for COVID-19, they handed us iPads and made us essential from day one.

I keep waiting for someone that comes in and wants the business, not just to buy the real estate, Franzoia noted.

I would be happy to train whoever comes, she said. They would basically have to buy the merchandise and see how they can do with that. And then we would talk about a lease or rent as far as keeping the business going. Otherwise, at the end of December next year, I can say Anacabes businesses have been in business for 100 years and I can actually just close the door and make it into a museum.

Who knows, somebody in my family might even step up to the plate  but right now, I have to be honest, everybody wants to be up in Boise, Franzoia noted.

In the meantime, Franzoia continues to maintain a personal connection between herself and her customers. Everyone who comes in gets a friendly chat and is likely to walk out with a new pair of boots or work pants.
Iran's strategy in the Middle East is essentially a take on an old proverb: Give your proxies and partners weapons and you can sustain their battles for a day. Teach them to make weapons and they can fight your enemies for a lifetime.



With Iranian-backed militant groups taking the charge in the Islamic republic's fight against Israel and the United States, Tehran is seeing its effort to help them acquire their own weapons-manufacturing capabilities pay off.



"Iran has established a network of allies and partners throughout the Middle East, from the Huthis in Yemen, to pro-Iranian groups in Iraq, to pro-Iranian groups in Syria, to Hizballah in Lebanon, to Hamas in Gaza," said Samuel Bendett of the Virginia-based Center for Naval Analyses. "And [Tehran] basically feeds some of its technology there directly, or provides kits and parts and other assistance to the local developers from those units, from those groups, and either gives them training in Iran or trains them on their location."



Increasingly, those Tehran-backed militant groups are turning to weapons they have produced themselves, often based on Iranian blueprints or manufactured or assembled with Iran's assistance. "Those groups now have a lot of know-how which was provided to them by Iran," Bendett said. "And they're now using them against the U.S. and its allies in the region."



The Iranian-backed Islamic Resistance Movement -- better known as Hamas and considered a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union -- utilized a vast array of indigenously produced weapons and employed advanced battlefield tactics during its surprise multipronged attack on Israel on October 7 that left around 1,200 people dead.

The Israeli Defense Forces said they recovered Iranian-manufactured mortars and explosives used by the Palestinian extremist group after the assault, and Israeli military officials have reportedly estimated that up to 10 percent of the weapons used in the attack were made in Iran.



But most were produced or refined by Hamas indigenously in the Gaza Strip, including assault rifles, missiles, rockets, mortars, shells, and ammunition, according to Israeli defense officials.



Some of the at least 19 Iranian proxies and partners in the region that help make up Iran's so-called axis of resistance have also used Iranian-derived or indigenously manufactured weapons built with Tehran's help against Israel as well as U.S. troops based in the region since the Hamas assault.



These militant groups boast varying levels of firepower in their respective arsenals made up of Soviet-era, Russian, Iranian, and indigenously manufactured weapons based on Iranian designs. While Iran denies delivering arms to the groups directly, many of the missiles, rockets, and other weapons are similar to those produced by Iran.



Lebanese Hizballah boasts the most formidable arsenal of projectiles among Tehran's proxies -- including its own manufactured or refitted missiles and rockets. Since October 7, Hizballah has launched hundreds of rockets and missiles at Israel.



The Iranian-backed Huthi rebels in Yemen claim to have launched ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones, at Israel. On November 8, the Pentagon announced that a U.S. military surveillance drone was shot down off the coast of Yemen by Huthi forces.



In an apparent response to U.S. support for Israel's retaliatory land invasion and aerial bombardment of the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, Iranian proxies in Iraq and Syria have launched 58 attacks against U.S. forces in the past month, according to the Pentagon.



Tehran has denied involvement in the Hamas attack, and in early November Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reportedly pressed Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh to silence those calling for Iran and Lebanese Hizballah to join the Israel-Hamas war.

According to sources cited by Reuters, Khamenei said during the meeting with Haniyeh in Tehran that Iran would continue to offer political and moral support but would not directly enter the conflict.



But Iran has publicly boasted about the military aid it has provided to Hamas in recent years. And despite international sanctions and a sea and land blockade on the Gaza Strip that was imposed by Israel and Egypt in 2005, experts say it is clear that Tehran has provided assistance to boost Hamas's fighting capabilities.

Middle East political analyst Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib told RFE/RL that Hamas built up its arsenal by looting weapons from former stockpiles of the Palestinian Authority or illegally purchasing them decades ago from Israeli sources through straw-man sales, smuggling arms and materials across the border with Egypt, and domestically producing drones, rockets, and various munitions.

But there is little evidence that any seaborne smuggling of arms has taken place since Hamas took power in the Gaza Strip in 2007, he said. And the smuggling from Egypt that reached its height after the Egyptian revolution in 2011 declined sharply after the Muslim Brotherhood government there was overthrown in 2013 and has since "been reduced to a trickle."



Nevertheless, Alkhatib said, "the weaponry and the arsenal that Hamas has right now has been building up for over a decade" and benefited from thousands of tons of smuggled arms and materials that could be used to manufacture its own weapons.



"Even if the smuggling stopped, those are still significant and vast enough to offer Hamas and other groups the ability to inflict damage as we saw on October 7 and as we're seeing in their defensive battle with advancing Israeli ground troops," said Alkhatib, a U.S. citizen from Gaza.



Whereas Hamas historically focused on building up a stockpile of rifles and machine guns, he says, it turned its attention to developing kinetic capabilities -- including mines, targeted explosive warheads, improvised explosive devices, anti-tank missiles, and rocket propelled grenades.



Hamas has also invested heavily in developing longer-range rockets and guidance and targeting capabilities as well as a range of unmanned aerial vehicles, including fixed-wing and weaponized commercial-grade drones.



Hamas had a falling out with Tehran, including over the extremist group's support of the Syrian uprising in 2011, Alkhatib says. But Yahya Sinwar, Hamas's leader in Gaza, realigned the organization with Tehran "because they have realized that without Iran, their military capability won't stand a chance in continuing to evolve."



The realignment "with Iran, with the Syrian regime, and certainly with [Lebanese] Hizballah," he added, "are directly related to Hamas's needs and reliance on Iran to procure materials and, more importantly in the era of limited to no smuggling, technologies and know-how to domestically produce [weapons] systems."



Aided by Iranian weapons blueprints and the use of modern digital platforms for remote training, Hamas has learned how to upgrade old rockets and missiles to expand their range and lethality, he said.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and Lebanese Hizballah have also been able to remotely teach Hamas fighting tactics and how to develop its massive tunnel network. "And, more importantly, Iran is also teaching Hamas how to use strategic capabilities," Alkhatib said, such as how to integrate drones on the battlefield.



"What was particularly spectacular about the October 7 attack," Alkhatib said, "is that Hamas for the first time demonstrated a combined-arms approach to guerrilla warfare, whereby intelligence was linked with the artillery barrage, was linked with the aerial capabilities of using the paragliders, was linked with the ground troops with the elite forces, with the logistical networks to transport the hostages back to Gaza and to send the attacks in waves with internal operational security.



"This was a qualitative leap forward in Hamas's fighting doctrine. And it could have only been learned and developed through assistance from Iran, broadly, and more specifically, its proxies and its arms in the region such as Hizballah and the IRGC," he added.



Elsewhere in the Middle East, Iran's support for proxies and its involvement in the Syrian civil war now leaves it with a significant number of experienced fighters at the ready for future conflicts.



Alkhatib notes that Iran supported hundreds of thousands of Shi'ite militias and fighters in Iraq and Syria, both to support the government of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria and to combat the Islamic State (IS) extremist group alongside Syrian and Iraqi government forces.



"Now that both have been largely defeated, IS and the Syrian rebels, Iran was left with these powerful, battle-hardened, well-trained, well-organized militias that had nothing to do," Alkhatib said. "And so, they have been recycled and repurposed by the IRGC to further bolster the so-called axis of resistance, and to be used in a potential fight with Israel and the United States."
NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg says the alliance closely monitors what Russia is doing in the western Balkans but currently sees no military threat to any NATO member in the region.

Speaking on November 21 in Skopje on the last stop of a tour of the western Balkans, Stoltenberg noted NATO's military presence in Kosovo and ties it has with Sarajevo and Belgrade as he touted the alliance's readiness.

"We are ready to step up quickly and do whatever it takes to defend every ally against any threat, yet we are not seeing anything which would come as a threat against any NATO ally," he said during a joint press conference with Prime Minister Dimitar Kovecevski, who agreed that there is no threat from Russia to the security and stability of North Macedonia and the region.

Kovacevski said, however, that the country and NATO are fighting against Russian influence in the region.

"Influence of third countries, including Russian influence, exists in the region, and they are always able to find like-minded people in individuals, in certain political parties and in certain organizations," he said.

But the attempts to destabilize the country are outmatched by the institutions of North Macedonia and those of the NATO member states, he said in response to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's statement that there is information that Russia has a plan for destabilization of the Balkans.

Stoltenberg said the response to authoritarian states that want to undermine freedom, spread misinformation, sow divisions, and undermine democracy must be "to work even closer together in NATO through our military presence and our cooperation with allies and partners because we are a truly great force for stability in the region."

The NATO chief arrived in North Macedonia from Serbia. He also visited Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo.

Earlier in Belgrade, Stoltenberg said NATO and Serbia are looking into the possible resumption of joint military exercises.

Serbia, which has declared its neutrality but has close traditional ties with Moscow, stopped its participation in multinational military exercises after the beginning of Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February last year.

"We discussed the possibility of resuming joint military exercises," Stoltenberg said at a joint news conference with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

"This does not undermine the neutrality of Serbia, which has made it clear that it stays militarily neutral, outside military blocs," he said, adding that Belgrade remains an important regional actor and a long-term partner for NATO, giving as an example Serbia's participation in the 30-member alliance's Partnership for Peace program.

Vucic described Serbia's cooperation with NATO and the alliance-led KFOR peacekeeping mission to Kosovo as good and correct, adding that he will ask his government to consider resuming Belgrade's participation in joint exercises "with NATO and other partners."

Tensions between Kosovo and Serbia increased after an attack by an armed group on the Kosovo police in the village of Banjska in northern Kosovo on September 24, when one Kosovar police officer and three attackers were killed.

Responsibility for the shoot-out was claimed by Milan Radoicic, the former vice president of Belgrade-backed Serbian List, the largest ethnic Serb party in Kosovo. Radoicic was briefly detained in Serbia and later released pending further proceedings.

NATO announced an increase in its KFOR force days after the shoot-out in Banjska.

Stoltenberg said on November 21 that the perpetrators of the attack must be brought to justice.

"We welcome the fact that Serbia is ready to cooperate," Stoltenberg said.

Vucic said Serbia welcomes the KFOR's stepped up presence in Kosovo, claiming that only ethnic Serbs there have been attacked since 2001.
A group of women wearing winter coats gathered outside a municipal building in the northwestern Russian city of Cherepovets last month.

In a video published on the Russian social-media platform VK, one woman reads aloud an appeal to President Vladimir Putin, complaining that their husbands had been issued "illegal orders."

Others stand holding signs that read: "We request demobilization" and "Bring our men home."

"Help our guys, please," the women chant in unison.



The women's appeal was prompted by the plight of their husbands, deployed to fight in Ukraine with the 347th Motorized Infantry Regiment, a unit in which Dmitry Yashnikov served beginning during Russia's mobilization in September 2022 until he was badly wounded about three months ago.



"Nobody is eager to fight. Everyone wants to go home," the 41-year-old said in an interview with RFE/RL's North.Realities. "We've been stuck in this mess for a year now. Everyone is tired and wants to return to peaceful life."



The grumblings, while not widespread, are already causing political headaches, a reflection of a problematic circle that Russian leaders are struggling to square: Russian's military has a manpower problem in Ukraine.



Putin's mobilization order 14 months ago sent tens of thousands of men to the front lines to try and reverse Russia's struggling invasion. But the bloodletting continues, and the longer it goes on, the more men are needed. And the more men that are needed, the more likely a second mobilization becomes.

Which the Kremlin wants to avoid four months before a presidential election that Putin is expected to run in again.



"The Kremlin is still trying to 'buy blood' instead of mobilization," said Pavel Luzin, an expert on the Russian military and a scholar at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. "In this way, the Kremlin is almost at the fork: it crucially needs a cease-fire, but it also tries to be prepared for the worst scenario when there will be massive mobilization together with the economic mobilization," he said.

"I'm pretty sure [Putin] knows the situation quite well, and it's alarming when it comes to manpower in Ukraine."

"It's clear from their actions that the Kremlin would prefer to offer large sums of money for volunteers, raid the Russian prison system, restaurants, or other gatherings for manpower, rather than [do] another round of mobilization," said Dara Massicot, who researches the Russian military at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.



The bloodletting for both Russia and Ukraine is unrelenting. Russian casualties -- killed and wounded -- since February 2022 are estimated at around 302,000, according to British officials. Ukrainian casualties have been pegged at around 180,000 as of this summer, according to unnamed U.S. officials.



So how do you get more Russian men into the system without another mobilization?



"I'm pretty sure [Putin] knows the situation quite well, and it's alarming when it comes to manpower in Ukraine," said Pentti Forsstrom, a retired Finnish Army lieutenant colonel and professor at the National Defense University in Helsinki.



Conscription Breakdown



In September 2022, amid indications that Ukraine was inflicting greater losses than Russian commanders had foreseen, the Kremlin took the drastic step of ordering mobilization, calling up around 300,000 military reservists and other eligible men, known informally as "mobiki."



Overall, the mobilization process was shambolic. For wide swaths of Russian society, it was also shocking.

Since then, Russian recruiters and registration officers have been tinkering with the antiquated systems set up to handle the country's conscription and enlistment system.



Under conscription, all men between 18 and 27 are obliged to serve one year in the armed forces, resulting in hundreds of thousands of men being absorbed during each of the two biannual conscription periods. It's a decades-old system known for its inefficiency and corruption.



Recruiters have sought to modernize computer systems to track eligible men, and lawmakers moved to set up a digital database that makes it easier to serve draft papers, both for conscripts and for those eligible for mobilization.

The system relies on an existing national government web portal called Gosuslugi, which Russians use to do things such as pay taxes or apply for pension or disability benefits.



Under a law passed earlier this year, a person can be penalized for ignoring draft notices, regardless of whether they use Gosuslugi. Punishments include being banned from leaving the country or being prohibited from driving, getting a home, or registering a small business.



Recruitment By Other Means



Under current law, however, conscripts are not allowed to serve outside of Russia's borders, nor are they allowed to serve in combat.



Still, military planners have tried to come up with other ways to tap that pool of trained soldiers. That includes recruiters pressuring or coercing men concluding their service year into immediately signing volunteer contracts to enlist.



Military planners have dangled economic incentives to great effect. Mobilized recruits and volunteers are supposed to receive the same pay and benefits as professional armed services personnel who have signed contracts. The monthly salary is a minimum 195,000 rubles ($2,115) -- nearly three times the average monthly wage. In Russia's poorer regions, that's an eye-catching sum.

The Kremlin also provides substantial survivor benefits for relatives of soldiers killed in action: more than $140,000, a sum that dwarfs the lifetime earnings for the average Russian man. Another estimate put the total amount of payments, subsidies, and other benefits provided to a soldier's kin at more than $170,000.



"Recall that the Russian government has made being killed in the war a windfall for a soldier's family," Aleksandr Golts, a veteran Russian military reporter now based in Sweden, wrote in a recent analysis.

"Recall that the Russian government has made being killed in the war a windfall for a soldier's family."

It's unclear exactly how many men have voluntarily signed contracts.



Earlier this month, Dmitry Medvedev, the former president who is now the deputy chief of the Russian Security Council, said 410,000 men had signed up since January, a number that experts say likely includes prison inmates and migrant workers from other countries.



Military planners have also utilized stop-loss clauses -- the involuntary extension of soldiers' contracts -- which went into effect for an unknown number of volunteers and mobiki last September.



At a meeting with reporters earlier this month, Putin echoed what some lawmakers had said previously: mobiki would be obliged to serve until the end of the "special military operation," the Kremlin euphemism for the war.



Wagner 2.0



Officials have also employed other tools.



Last year, the Defense Ministry looked to the private mercenary company Wagner, whose well-paid fighters were seen as more competent and better-trained, to lead the charge in several places, including the Donetsk region city of Bakhmut.



In addition to competent fighters, Wagner's founder, the late Yevgeny Prigozhin, was also given the green light to recruit thousands of prison inmates. Those inmate units were widely seen as cannon fodder, poorly trained and frequently deployed in infantry waves to overwhelm Ukrainian positions.



In the wake of Prigozhin's death in August, Wagner was more or less absorbed by the Defense Ministry and other paramilitary entities, like the National Guard or the Chechen militia known as Akhmat.



Military planners have recruited soldiers through other informal volunteer units, under different systems: one collectively known by the Russian acronym BARS and the other through an entity called Redut.



These units, many of which are organized through obscure Defense Ministry entities, are also ostensibly private mercenary groups like Wagner used to be, but smaller, more disparate, and with various funding sources.

The Way Home



Fueling the ire of soldiers' wives and mothers is another tool that military commanders have relied on: not rotating out exhausted units with fresher ones or allowing extended leaves of absence.



In early September, a Telegram channel with around 400 subscribers called The Way Home, published instructions for people to write to elected politicians in order to ask for the rotation of their sons or husbands.



The channel has since exploded in popularity. On November 12, it published a manifesto in which it called for "complete demobilization, political stability, and a decent life for every citizen of Russia."



It's unclear who is behind the channel; organizers could not be reached for comment.



Since then, protests and public appeals similar to what happened in Cherepovets have started popping up.



In Moscow earlier this month, the authorities rejected an application for a public demonstration. In response, dozens of women -- some holding signs reading "It's time for the mobilized to come home" -- staged a spontaneous rally alongside an authorized demonstration hosted by the Communist Party. Police cordoned the group off after about five minutes.



In the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, the authorities rejected an application by another group to hold a demonstration on November 11, citing concerns over the COVID-19 virus. St. Petersburg officials blocked a demonstration requested for November 26.

The outbursts of dissent hinge mainly on the question of bringing soldiers back from Ukraine. Few, if any, express outright opposition to the war.



One woman identified only as Nina posted a video on The Way Home in which she said she supported the war, framing it using the same false trope that the Kremlin has used to justify it: that Russia is fighting "fascism."



"Personally, I'm not opposed to the special military operation. I don't support the idea of making peace with fascism," she said. "But it's completely unfair that they have been carrying out the duties of professional military personnel for the 14th month, indefinitely and permanently, just like slaves."

"The goal is to make sure these families feel intimidated, watched, and alone."
ELKOInside the Cowboy Arts and Gear Museum in downtown Elko, the entire center of the room is filled with Western saddles made from embellished leather.

Executive director Jan Petersen is eager to guide visitors around different elements of cowboy art, such as braided rawhide reins, richly decorated metal bits from the bit-making competition at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, and spurs in various stages of assembly. Striking pen and ink drawings of horses and horsemen from Native American artist James Shoshone can be found in the back of the museum.

We are cowboy show and tell, Petersen said.

As the former location of G.S. Garcias horse gear shop, the museum building is a historical treasure in and of itself.

G.S. Garcia, whom Petersen described as a big-deal bit, spur and saddle maker, sometimes had up to 22 people working upstairs. The museum displays occupy the space of his former retail area. The basement was G.S. Garcias spot for assembling saddles.

He was born in Mexico, but his parents moved to Santa Margarita, California, Petersen explained. Growing up there, he learned the saddle trade. And on Thanksgiving weekend of 1893, he and his wife Sauternina came to Elko with several trunks of tack, and they were just going to make some quick sales.

They sold everything in two days, she noted.

They had such a great time here and they were so well received here that they moved here permanently in June of 1894 and rented a little shop where Ogi Deli is found down on the next block  and did famously well there, so well that they outgrew the building.

At the time, Elko hosted the Central Pacific Railroad while acting as a busy ranching and mining community, making it a prime ground for a saddle store.

In the late 1890s, G.S. Garcia rented the piece of real estate at the corner of 6th and Commercial, which had formerly been the Ocean Spray Saloon.

It was there that in 1904, Mr. Garcia heard of a Worlds Fair that was going to take place in St. Louis, Missouri. And you could rent booth spaces and they were having a contest for saddle makers.

G.S. Garcia won gold medals for the Garcia Beauty saddle, which is currently on display at the Nevada State Museum in Carson City, Nevada. The horse statue used to display the saddle stayed in Elko and currently stands in the window of the Cowboy Arts and Gear Museum.

In 1905, G.S. Garcia won two gold medals at the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition in Portland, Oregon.

Through the social media of his time, which was newspapers, magazines and word of mouth, he became very sought-after for his work and business thrived, Petersen explained.

G.S. Garcia established new headquarters in downtown Elko in 1907, and then moved to the present-day location of the Cowboy Arts and Gear museum in 1913.

Things just bloomed from there, Petersen said, noting that Garcia brought California rodeo traditions to Elko, building the Elko Rodeo grounds on the present-day location of Southside School. Renowned sidesaddle rider and Cowgirl Hall of Fame inductee Jane Riordan rode at these early rodeos, which began in 1912.

G.S. Garcia died in 1933. But his family line kept business thriving.

The family continued here and they lived at the rodeo grounds until 1938. And then they moved to Salinas.

The Garcia tradition of the shop continued with the sons Henry and Les. Henry had a store in Salinas. And Henry later had a shop in his home in Reno, called Garcia Bits and Spurs, that endured for several decades. In the late 1980s, he sold his Garcia Bits and Spurs business to the J.M. Capriola company, where it continues today.

And as for the old building that belonged to G.S. Garcia, it was in good hands, being used as an office for NV Energy before returning to its former Western glory.

NV Energy donated the building to us when they built their new building, Petersen said, noting that they wanted it to be restored the way it looked when the Garcias were here. They knew the legacy of the building.

Petersen noted that the museum hosts a reception during the National Cowboy Poetry gathering. She pointed to the wall of past winners and held up a metal cheek piece, explaining how the flat, rudimentary part is shaped and embellished into a bit and then tested for functionality on a horse.

Elkos cowboy history lives on thanks to Petersens efforts, and is free for anyone to peruse.
It has been a year-and-a-half since the Oglala Sioux Tribe sued the United States due to a breakdown of law and order on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Continued reports of drug-related offenses, assaults and homicides prompted the tribal government to take further action.

Oglala Sioux Tribe President Frank Star Comes Out signed a new proclamation on Nov. 18 declaring a State of Emergency on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The new State of Emergency declaration will remain in effect until Jan. 1, 2025.

A State of Emergency exists on the Reservation due to the failure of the United States Government and its agencies, particularly the DOI and BIA, to honor their treaty trust and statutory obligations to the Oglala Sioux Tribe, President Star Comes Outs proclamation read.

The reservation is currently experiencing high rates of murder, suicide, drug offenses, robbery, rape, aggravated assault, burglary and missing and murdered Indigenous women, according to tribal officials.

Despite making up roughly 2% of the South Dakota population, Pine Ridge citizens account for 10% of people currently missing in the state.

The South Dakota Missing Persons Clearinghouse reports 13 people currently missing from Pine Ridge, six of whom went missing this year and four within the past month. Seven of the total missing individuals are minors.

In July 2022, the tribe launched a lawsuit against the United States arguing the government has failed to uphold its treaty obligation of protecting the tribe. The lawsuit references several historical documents that define the United States obligation.

The Treaties of 1825, 1851 and 1868 all included clauses that state the United States is responsible for protecting the Oglala Sioux Tribe and its members from bad men."

In 1877, after the confiscation of seven million acres from the former Great Sioux Reservation, the United States also promised compensation in the form of necessary aid and protection, according to treaty documents.

The BIA has a responsibility to help our people, and I dont see that happening here, Oglala Sioux Tribe President Frank Star Comes Out said during a press conference Saturday. This is an emergency. Whats being done now while were waiting [for litigation]?

In 2021, the tribe said the federal government only provided 13% of the tribes requested law enforcement and criminal investigations funding for the fiscal year 2023 budget. The tribe said it only has enough funding for 33 police officers.

OST currently has 32 officers on staff, with between five and six officers working at one time. Those few are responsible for patrolling the 3.1 million acre reservation and all nine districts.

The Nov. 18 Emergency Proclamation urges President Joe Biden to intervene and direct Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland to request sufficient funds for public safety on the reservation. This would include enough funding for the BIA standard of 2.8 officers per 1,000 persons in the service population.

The proclamation also calls for South Dakota Senators John Thune and Mike Rounds, along with Representative Dusty Johnson, to hold field hearings on the lack of adequate law enforcement on South Dakota reservations.

While census records indicate nearly 20,000 residents on Pine Ridge, the Oglala Sioux Tribe's total enrollment number is over 54,000 people. The tribe is requesting enough funding for 120 officers.

We dont live in Indian country, we survive, Star Comes Out said. We have been patiently trying to cooperate with the government, and we feel that theyre stalling. Its hurting our tribe and its hurting our people.

As of Aug. 15, both parties in the lawsuit were supposed to begin discussing the possibility of a settlement, per U.S. District Court for the State of South Dakota Chief Justice Roberto Langes order. There has been no movement since that order.

Pine Ridge residents face the realities of life with limited law enforcement every day, OST officials explained.

Officers often have to prioritize which calls they respond to, leaving many waiting hours for help  if help ever comes. Some individuals have reported waiting three or four hours for a response, according to the tribe.

The trust is not there anymore; the people don't feel safe anymore, Star Comes Out said. If youre wondering what a lack of treaty fulfillment looks like, just go to our reservation and see for yourself.

Tribal entities such as Oglala Victim Services supported the call for a State of Emergency. On Nov. 16, the organization held a vigil for murdered tribal members and called for an end to drug-related violence.

Victim Services said it will continue hosting weekly vigil walks until something is done about violence on the reservation.

The Nov. 18 proclamation isnt the first time that a State of Emergency has been issued on Pine Ridge in response to violence. The tribe has authorized several declarations over the past seven years.

Were living in a lawless government; were impoverished and we dont have the resources to combat [the violence], tribal council representative Anna Halverson said. There used to be one homicide per month or year, now we hear of one nearly every day.

In 2017, a string of emergency declarations were issued regarding high amounts of missing tribal citizens, issues with tribal police, and drug usage.

In Jan. 2020, then-president Julian Bear Runner issued a State of Emergency regarding the rising number of homicides and meth use on the reservation. The 2020 proclamation requested immediate help from several federal agencies, asking them to send investigators and other resources to the tribe.

Nine months later, in Sept. 2020, the OST entered into an agreement with the Pennington County Sheriff's Department allowing for mutual aid between the two.

President Star Comes Out said he is planning to speak with President Biden in the near future regarding this new proclamation.
AgCountry Farm Credit Services is proud to announce that it has awarded the benefit fund of McKenzie Health $25,000 as a recipient of the Rural Community Grant Fund (RCGF). The grant funds will go towards purchasing mammography equipment.

Lynn Welker-Fevold, Benefit Fund of McKenzie Health, is pleased to accept the check and utilize the grant funds towards the purchase.

"AgCountry Farm Credit Services is proud to present grant funds that will go towards purchasing Contrast Enhanced Mammography (CEM) technology providing additional imaging options for breast cancer screening and evaluation," says David Hokanson, AgCountry Farm Credit Services VP branch manager. CEM would provide patients the opportunity to have state-of-the-art technology and exams performed locally to save them time and money as well as additional stress and anxiety of waiting to receive important medical information. "The CEM can also be used as a guide for surgery biopsy. Now they will have this important technology for improved patient care closer to home in their local community," Hokanson adds. AgCountry Farm Credit Services believes it's important to give back to the community.

AgCountry Farm Credit Services, Farm Credit Services of Mandan, and AgriBank, established the Rural Community Grant Fund to assist in the implementation and development of projects and programs in communities and rural areas in western North Dakota, which have been impacted by mineral exploration.

The Rural Community Grant Fund is currently accepting applications for future funding requests. Interested parties can apply at http://www.AgCountry.com.
On Sept. 12, the McKenzie County Sheriffs Office responded to a residence south of Watford City, ND, for a report of a fire at a residence. Upon arrival of law enforcement, a deceased female was located inside of the residence with injuries sustained from the fire. The main entry into the residence was locked at which time law enforcement made entry and located Scott Beane, Watford City, inside a bathroom. Beane was detained without incident and later charged with N.D.C.C. 62.1-02-01- Possession of Firearm by Convicted Felon.

McKenzie County Sheriffs Office Investigations Division conducted the primary investigation into the death of the female. It was determined the decedent was the mother of Beane. The remains of the victim were sent to the North Dakota Medical Examiners Office where an autopsy was conducted. The autopsy ruled the victims manner of death a homicide due to acute thermal and inhalational injuries. Further investigation with assistance from the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives determined the fire was not accidental in nature and deemed to be a set fire. This was determined to be an isolated event and there is currently no imminent threat to the public at this time.

As of Nov. 16, Beane has been charged in Northwest Judicial Court for N.D.C.C. 12.1-16-01- Murder-AA Felony. On Nov. 17, Beane was given a bond of $5,000,000. Beane is presumed innocent until proven guilty. There is no further information to be released at this time.

The McKenzie County Sheriffs Office would like to thank the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, North Dakota State Fire Marshals Office, and the North Dakota Medical Examiners Office for their assistance during the course of this investigation.
Williston  The community is invited to join the City of Williston in celebrating a treasured holiday tradition with the lighting of the Community Christmas Tree on Nov. 27.

The Christmas tree lighting continues the annual tradition that was re-introduced in 2014. Each year, a tree is chosen from the list of homeowners who have chosen to donate their tree.

This years Community Christmas Tree comes from 801 24th St. E, donated by Jackie and Jason Peles.

A Colorado Spruce around 50 ft. tall and weighing about 8,000 lbs, the tree was moved on Tuesday, Nov. 14 to its holder on the corner of 26th St. W and 2nd Ave. W.

The Peles were on hand to watch as the tree was harvested, joined by JoAnne Colebank and family, whose father originally planted the tree as a sapling in the early 80s. Before the tree came down, Colebanks adult children took one last picture in front of the tree, recreating a photo of them standing in front of it from when they were children.

Its pretty exciting, Jason said of donating the tree. Especially being able to meet the people that actually planted the tree. (JoAnne) actually knew my grandparents, so this has kind of brought us all together.

Colebanks husband, Wayne, said while it was bittersweet to watch the tree come down, they are honored to be able to share it with the community.

Its really neat that everybody gets to see it and enjoy it, Wayne said. Weve got a lot of memories there, we watched that tree grow for 15 years. We were very happy when we heard.

With the tree in place, the community is invited to the 9th Annual Community Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on Monday, Nov. 27 at 5:30 p.m. There will be a bonfire, refreshments sponsored by Alliance Consulting, holiday music, and fireworks show sponsored by TNT Fireworks. After a brief ceremony with remarks from Mayor Howard Klug, Dallas Peles, 10, will officially light the tree.

This project was made possible by Dacotah West Crane Service, 11 Bravo Property Services, LLC., City of Williston Public Works, Alliance Consulting, TNT Fireworks, Williston police department, and Williston fire department. Drone footage will also be captured by Alliance Consulting.

In addition, the community is invited to participate in the third annual Community Christmas Tree Ornament Contest!

Individuals are encouraged to get creative and make their best ornament to hang on the tree for a chance to win a prize pack.

The contest is open to all ages with the following age groups:

 6 and Under;  7-10;  11-14;  15+.

Beginning Monday, Nov. 27, individuals can place their homemade ornaments on the tree. Contest participants have until Friday, Dec. 8 to place their ornaments.

To successfully enter the contest, individuals must:

 Take a picture of their ornament on the Community Christmas Tree OR a picture of them placing their ornament on the Community Christmas Tree

 Submit pictures via Facebook Messenger to the City of Williston (@cityofwilliston) OR the Williston Community Library (@willistoncommunitylibrary) OR email to [email protected]

 Include their name and age AND a name for the ornament

 Place their ornament by Friday, Dec. 8

Two winners from each age group will be selected on Monday, Dec. 11 and announced that week. All submissions will be showcased on the City of Williston Facebook and Instagram pages.

Participants are reminded that ornaments will be outside, so make sure they can withstand the elements if you want them back. A future time frame will be provided for those who would like to retrieve their ornaments, if desired. The Community Christmas Tree will stay up until the end of December.

Individuals are also invited to place ornaments on the tree without participating in the ornament contest.

For more information on this story, please contact Mitch Melberg, Communications Director, at 701.713.3800 or [email protected].
Tim Ritter, Williston, ND, has truly enjoyed his career as a diamond cutter and jeweler but after 50 years, he has decided it's time to relax at his cabin on Pouch Point, and play music. Fortunately, the business is being passed along to his two sons, Ethan and Evan, who will continue the excellence Ritter Brothers is known for.

After pursuing a music career for a few years, Tim and his brother Steve made the decision to become diamond cutters, starting with an apprenticeship in Nevada. While there, Tim also learned the art of silver smithing and jewelry making and followed up with classes at the Gemological Institute of America in Los Angeles.

Back in Williston, the brothers started Ritter Brothers Diamond Cutters in 1976 upstairs in the back of what is now the Cooks on Main building. Their father was a dentist who practiced in the front. Tim explained that a dental lab which made its own gold crowns and bridges, and a jewelry lab were almost identical since everything was done with a lost casting process. After about a year, the brothers opened a retail shop upstairs in the former MDU building next door, with Tim running between the two to assist customers, then back to the lab. "Steve and I worked together for decades and complimented each other," Tim said. "He was the hands-on bench jeweler, a real craftsman, and I was the shop guy assisting customers." Ethan as the craftsman, and Evan expertly dealing with clientele, now fill those roles. Plus, Evan inherited his father's distinctive voice.

In 1978, the opportunity arose to buy their current location, prime real estate on Main Street. A.B. and Gertrude DeGree, DeGree Jewelers, had passed away and their daughter, Ann Barbara decided to sell about a year later, after having Eva Dwyer run the store. "It's a prime location, a super spot," Tim said. After a couple of years, remodeling started. "The flooring in front was blue and red lino tiles. It was pretty bad," Tim said, laughing. Then the oil boom really kicked in and business was booming. Steve left the business at that time, leaving Tim on his own, but returned once the oil boom ended.

Then the bust brought tough times for everyone, but Ritter Brothers continued to provide top quality merchandise, coupled with outstanding service, and survived. "It's been a high ever since," Tim said.

Trips to Antwerp and Amsterdam to purchase diamonds, as well as trips to Bankok to purchase the best sapphires and rubies in the world, were high points during Tim's long career. He was thrilled to meet the grandson of the man who cut the Cullinan diamond, the largest gem quality rough diamond ever found in the world. The Cullinan II which is in the Imperial State Crown, is housed in the Tower of London. He was also able to see the mold that the man used to determine the cut. In all, nine diamonds were cut from that one stone. "That was exciting," he said.

"It's been a treat and a joy," Tim said of his long career. "We've served generations of the same family and it's been fun. Our trade area is Montana, North Dakota, Canada, and beyond. The sale has been an especially good time with old buddies stopping in to visit and shop. I love 'em all!"

"The customers are our backbone and we go the extra mile for them," Tim said. "Having a craftsman on hand has been the key to our success," he explained. "People from out of town don't have to wait, we can do repairs the same day. You must have an expert bench jeweler on the premises. It's a prerequisite to success."

For Tim, the past 50 years have flown by. He credits his incomparable staff for much of that. "They were the best, always, and super compatible with the clientele, both in Williston and Devils Lake. They are all part of the Ritter Brothers family."

"It's been a great career," he said. "I love music more but both have provided a great creative outlet. I've been able to work with the best merchandise in the best setting, with top-notch clientele. I've enjoyed it all. It's sad to see it come to an end but at 75, I'm tired and need to step back and slow down. The staff and the customers have made the whole rodeo worthwhile."

Tim is confident that his sons will continue the solid tradition of Ritter Brothers. "They're great kids, and top-notch jewelers," he said. "They are tradesmen and good craftsmen and can communicate well on any level, with any age group." Both attended New Approach Jewelers School, Franklin, TN, the best school in the country for the arts. Tim taught them everything he could with the technology he had, but technology has changed and improved dramatically and the young men have learned it all. "With the new technology, they are better jewelers than I ever was," Tim said proudly. Laser welding, which generates no heat, was a huge development, allowing jewelers to be more precise and work with any type of material including colored stones and silver. Electronic instruments to detect quality and type of stones as well as bullion have also made counterfeiting more difficult. "Counterfeiting is rampant in coins, gold bars, etc.," Tim explained. "We had to buy the new equipment."

As Ethan and Evan make the store their own in January, they plan to update some lines to reflect current trends and economics. "We'll be ordering in some more earthy lines which are popular right now, as well as keeping the classic lines," Ethan explained. "We want to cater to both our past and future clientele." Evan loves being part of the community and plans to continue the tradition of donating to virtually every cause that comes their way.

Ritter Brothers huge liquidation sale is on right now in both Williston and Devils Lake through Dec. 30 with the entire inventory up to 70% off. Merchandise including jewelry, clocks, Waterford crystal and more is being brought out from all parts of the store and new items are coming in as well. "We have an excellent selection," Tim stated. The store is not taking in repairs until after the sale. "All that will be done after the boys take over," he said. "That new Christmas ring will be expertly sized."

Tim will continue with his first love which is music. He still plays the guitar and sings for corporate gigs, weddings and funerals, often with fiddler Amanda Johnson who has been his partner for the last decade. "She sings beautifully and our style and voices blend." Catch Tim on a Friday evening at The Eleven restaurant or maybe jamming at Books on Broadway on a Saturday afternoon mostly during the winter months.

Congratulations on your retirement Tim. Enjoy!
Jerry Hughes, Edward Jones financial advisor, Sidney, recently attended the 2023 Forbes/SHOOK Top Advisor Summit held Oct. 2-5 in Las Vegas.

The Top Advisor Summit gathers highly successful financial advisors from across the U.S. for three days of learning, sharing, and idea-generating, designed to elevate thinking about client needs and forward-looking practices. The three-day agenda includes sessions on technology, leadership, tax efficiencies, market outlook, wealth transfer, operating efficiencies and more. Best Ideas from leading industry experts were woven throughout the conference.

Edward Jones is a leading financial services firm in the U.S. and, through its affiliate, in Canada. The firm's more than 19,000 financial advisors serve more than 8 million clients with a total of $1.8 trillion in client assets under care at the end of June 2023. Edward Jones' purpose is to partner for positive impact to improve the lives of its clients and colleagues, and together, better our communities, and society. Through the dedication of the firm's approximately 52,000 associates and our branch presence in 68% of U.S. counties, the firm is committed to helping more people achieve financially what is most important to them. The Edward Jones website is at edwardjones.com, and its recruiting website is careers.edwardjones.com. Member SIPC.
Sidney  As part of National Rural Health Day, Sidney Health Center announced it has been recognized with a 2023 Performance Leadership Award for excellence in outcomes. Compiled by the Chartis Center for Rural Health, the Performance Leadership Awards honor top quartile performance (i.e., 75th percentile or above) among rural hospitals in quality, outcomes, and/or patient perspective.

Sidney Health Center was one of the eight hospitals in Montana that was recognized in the top quartile nationwide in the outcomes index as measured by the Chartis Center for Rural Health.

"I am honored to accept the Performance Leadership Award in Outcomes on behalf of our incredible team. This recognition is a testament to the commitment and hard work of our dedicated team members," stated Jennifer Doty, Sidney Health Center CEO, "This award is not just a celebration of our past achievements but a reaffirmation of our dedication to shaping a healthier and more resilient future for our community."

The Performance Leadership Awards are based on the results of the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX, the industry's most comprehensive and objective assessment of rural hospital performance. INDEX data is relied upon by rural hospitals, health systems with rural footprints, hospital associations and state offices of rural health around the country to measure and monitor performance across several areas impacting hospital operations and finance.

"Wherever we go in rural America, we witness first-hand the commitment, determination, and compassion with which rural hospitals serve their communities. Rural healthcare truly is mission-driven," said Michael Topchik, The Chartis Center for Rural Health National Leader. "This National Rural Health Day, let us recognize the efforts of this year's Performance Leadership Award winners and all those driven to deliver high quality care throughout rural communities."
On Dec. 2, from 10 a.m-4 p.m, Pioneer Gifts and Books, located at the Long X Visitor Center, Watford City, will host "Making it Merry," a cozy holiday event inviting the community to shop and enjoy samplings of their North Dakota made products. Most will be from their Pride of the Dakotas line, with Jan Dodge, Long X Visitor Center and Pioneer Books & Gifts manager, planning on having a soup mix and bread mix to share with visitors, jellies and candies to sample, traditional Scandinavian food, and hot coffee from Dakota Dirt and Wild Calf coffee companies. The store offers a wide variety of North Dakota based goods for holiday shoppers to peruse, and between now and Dec. 31, is host to Trish Stevenson and Doug Engberg's artwork, also for sale for those looking for something extremely special.

Part of the North Dakota Art Gallery Association and Art in Businesses pop-up shows, the Long X Art Gallery has two artists in house through the end of the year. Trish Stevenson is known for her paintings of the West and has been featured in magazines and museums throughout United States.

Doug Engberg's journey into the art world is younger and was cut short with his passing on Oct. 10 of this year. His work, however, is one of a kind and has a lifetime of experimentation and love of art built into it. Doug was born and raised in Williston, spent 30 years of his life working in the oilfield on drilling rigs, and his passion for drawing lifelong. As a child, he used brown paper bags, and in third grade the school had him build the background for the Christmas play out of cardboard and crayons. Though Doug experimented with wood burning, watercolor, oil paint, pencil, chalk, and other mediums, he found his niche in combining leather as a canvas with a wood-burning tool. Leather lacked any grain to argue with, unlike wood, and though he initially found it hard to stretch well to create a canvas, gluing it to wood proved to be an effective replacement. Later he added acrylic paint to help his creations come to life further.

The North Dakota wildlife and landscapes Doug brought to life on leather were often inspired by photographs from the internet and magazines, juxtaposed to create an original vision. When Doug decided to offer some to the public, he reached out to Linda Beard, Castle Framing, Williston. Linda was so impressed by Doug's work; she encouraged him to go on tour with the North Dakota Art Gallery Association. Without Linda, Doug wouldn't have pursued the venture. Unfortunately, Linda passed away Dec. 18, 2022 and Doug chose to dedicate his continued works to her. Each of his paintings has an inscription honoring Linda and their mutual love for each other. With Doug and Linda both passed, the North Dakota Art Gallery Association and the Long X Art Gallery are working with Doug's family to continue his legacy of art, and this will be his first show post-humous.

One more addition to the Long X Visitors Center's "Making It Merry" event is an art class taught by Jess Newman. Participants will be glazing a vintage Christmas tree, complete with lighting kit, in their choice of color and design, and the center will fire the pieces to finish. If interested in the class, please register at longxarts.com.
Uttarkashi Tunnel Collapse Latest News

Hope Rises as 35-Meter Pipeline Breakthrough Marks First Success in Ongoing Silkyara Tunnel Rescue Operations

Uttarkashi Tunnel Collapse Latest News: In a pivotal development on the ninth day of the rescue mission, the ongoing efforts to save 41 workers trapped in Uttarakhand's Silkyara tunnel received a significant boost. Rescue personnel successfully drilled into the closed section of the tunnel, uncovering a 35-meter-long, six-inch-diameter pipeline amidst the debris. This breakthrough marks a crucial step forward in delivering essential materials, communication equipment, and sustenance to the workers who have been stranded for the past eight days.

The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) Director, Anshu Manish Khalko, along with Uttarkashi District Magistrate Abhishek Ruhela and Colonel Deepak Patil leading the rescue operations, announced this development during a joint media briefing. The newly laid pipeline, described as the second 'life line,' will now facilitate the delivery of a wider range of supplies, including bread and vegetables, offering a more comprehensive support system to the trapped workers.

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The rescue team expressed optimism with the successful deployment of the pipeline, enhancing the confidence in ensuring the safety of the workers. The families of the trapped workers, as well as those involved in the rescue efforts, welcomed the news with joy and renewed enthusiasm.

Arnold Dix, an international tunnel expert and president of the International Tunneling and Underground Space Association, joined the rescue operations on the appeal of the central government. Dix, impressed by the progress made so far, expressed hope for the safe evacuation of the trapped workers. However, he refrained from providing a specific timeframe for the completion of the rescue operation, emphasizing the priority of ensuring the safety of both the trapped workers and the rescue personnel.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a phone call with Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, reviewed the ongoing rescue efforts. The Prime Minister assured the availability of necessary rescue equipment and tools from the Center and emphasized the collaborative efforts between central and state agencies. Expressing hope for the safe extraction of the trapped workers, PM Modi highlighted the importance of maintaining their morale during this challenging time.

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(For More News Apart from Uttarkashi Tunnel Collapse Latest News, Stay Tuned to Rozana Spokesman)
The fish products at Chau Docs markets are legendary. (Photo: The South Wind / Shutterstock)

Thanks to its array of beaches, historic sites, mountain hikes, and irresistible food, the nation tends to draw travelers from all over the world, the article wrote.

Chasing waterfalls and sampling coffee in the Central Highlands region is therefore a great experience for many tourists.

According to the US travel guide, Buon Ma Thuot is famous for its coffee culture. Here, travelers can come and enjoy guided tours of lush coffee plantations, taking in the aroma of freshly roasted beans, with visitors even able to learn how to make their own coffee in the Vietnamese style.

Furthermore, mystical waterfalls like Dray Nur and Dray Sap evoke fairy tales. While swimming isnt allowed, the lush greenery and the sound of cascading water creates a scenery thats breathtaking to experience from land.

Meanwhile, tourists should not miss out on visiting Chau Doc city in the Mekong Delta region which has been dubbed the kingdom of fish sauce.

Located close to the Cambodian border, Chau Doc is home to Chinese, Cham, and Khmer communities; with the diversity of its residents apparent through its architecture and cuisine.

In addition to Mekong Delta cruises, visitors are able to stop by sacred sites such as the Hang Pagoda or Ba Chuc Tomb, or they can immerse themselves in nature and wildlife at the Tra Su Bird Sanctuary.

Chau Doc floating market is widely considered to be the primary reason for visiting the city as it promises unique culinary adventures thanks to the incredible variety of fish harvested from the river.

The southcentral region is also known as a treasure trove of natural wonders. Located far away from the nations bustling tourist spots, Lang Co is a hidden gem that takes pride in its rich traditions, warm hospitality, and diverse landscapes.

Located between the imperial city of Hue and Da Nang in the central region, its a place where travelers can go to discover pristine fishing villages, national parks, white-sand beaches, and turquoise bays.

Another must-visit place is Bach Ma National Park, an absolute treasure trove of natural wonders that boasts awe-inspiring views, towering waterfalls measuring nearly 300m (984ft) in height, and a remarkable array of flora and fauna.

HCM City exploits waterway tourism potential

Ho Chi Minh City has been holding various activities this year to promote waterway tourism, including the first-ever river festival and new waterway tours, aiming to better exploit its advantages with a dense river and canal network and rich riverside culture, reported VNA.

Ho Chi Minh City aims to better exploit its advantages with a dense river and canal network and rich riverside culture. (Photo: VNA)

The first river festival in the city was held in August this year, providing tourists and residents with new inspiring experiences about the citys culture throughout periods.

Director of the citys Tourism Department Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa said the festival also helped State management agencies to better identify the citys potential for waterway tourism and step by step build its brand as a riverside city.

At the recommendation of the citys Department of Tourism, the municipal People's Committee has issued a plan on developing waterway tourism products in the city in the 2023-2025 period.

Under the citys Tourism Development Strategy until 2030, waterway tourism products are identified as one of tourism products that make a difference for the city, satisfying international and domestic tourists needs for exploring cultural values.

The city has opened many waterway routes in the inner city, facilitating both passenger transportation and river tourism.

Dragon boar racing at Ho Chi Minh City's first-ever river festival. (Photo:nhandan.vn)

According to preliminary statistics of the tourism department, 123 waterway vessels are operating including 43 restaurant boats, accommodation ships, yachts and 80 canoes and small wooden boats.

In 2018, the city served 845,400 waterway tourists including 805,400 on river tours and 40,000 on sea tours. The figure in 2019 was 786,700, with 745,500 on river tours and 41,200 on sea tours.

To date, over 100 enterprises in the city are offering 150 waterway tours which are more and more diversified.

Deputy Director of the Department of Tourism Bui Thi Ngoc Hieu said that by 2025, the city's tourism industry aims to offer waterway tourism services on all Saigon River system (Nha Be, Soai Rap, Long Tau) with linkages to those in neighbouring localities of Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Tien Giang, Long An, and Ben Tre, and create more tours connecting seaports with river routes.

The city looks to turn waterway tourism into a distinctive tourism product by 2030.

Hieu said that to achieve the goal, the city needs qualified wharves and ports to serve tourism. It also needs mechanisms and policies to attract businesses to invest in facilities like wharves, waiting areas, or public restrooms to serve tourists.

For cruise tourism, the city needs to have a policy on allowing large ships to dock in ports in the city centre to effectively exploit Saigon port, she said.

Moreover, the city calls on businesses to invest in developing passenger transport routes between the city and Con Dao (an island in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province) to promote the development of inland waterway transport and coastal transport.

According to Nguyen Thi Hau, General Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Association of History, as a riverside city, Ho Chi Minh City needs to design its river banks to beautify the landscape and optimise the values of the Saigon river. In particular, Saigon Port should be converted into a tourist port to facilitate the development of waterway tourism, she said.

Three Vietnamese resorts win Destination Deluxe Awards 2023

A total of three local high-end resorts based in Da Nang and Nha Trang city have been awarded the Destination Deluxe Awards 2023, reported VOV.

InterContinental Danang Sun Penisula Resort in the central city of Da Nang

Specifically, the Destination Deluxe Award 2023 was presented to the InterContinental Danang Sun Penisula Resort in the central city of Da Nang, TIA Wellness Resort in Da Nang, and Six Senses Ninh Van Bay in the southcentral province of Khanh Hoa.

InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort clinched the "Holistic Treatment of the Year" category for its impressive experience offered at Mi Sol Spa.

This resort is located on Son Tra peninsula, with the site surpassing the spas at The Datai Langkawi resort in Langkawi of Malaysia and Crown Spa Sydney of Crown Towers Sydney in Australia.

Six Senses Ninh Van Bay Resort in Nha Trang (Source: VOV)

Meanwhile, Six Senses Ninh Van Bay Resort in Nha Trang in the south-central province of Khanh Hoa clinched the "Eco-friendly hotel of the year" title, duly surpassing two other competitors from Cambodia and the United States.

Most notably, TIA Wellness Resort in Da Nang came in second place with the "Wellness Program of the Year" title, behind Italy's The Heart Retreat Preidhof.

This comes following the central city being highly appreciated by international media. The city was recently named among the 11 best places to visit in Asia in 2024 by the world-renowned travel magazine Conde Nast Traveller

The Destination Deluxe Awards aims to honour the leaders and pioneers in wellness and travel, with the prestigious awards celebrating the hotels, spas, treatments, skincare and wellness brands that drive the remarkable luxury standard of these industries.

The Destination Deluxe Awards span a total of 25 categories and are evaluated by a group of 20 judges, all of whom are well-respected industry experts, as well as 4,000 votes being cast by visitors./.
PropertyGuru Group Limited (PGRU) reported that its net profit for the third quarter ended September 30, 2023 was S$0.3 million compared to a net loss of S$7 million in the third quarter of 2022.

Revenue was S$39 million in the third quarter 2023 increased 13% year over year.

The company said it is focused on delivering ongoing improvements in operating leverage

through , automation, machine learning and prudent cost management. Its objective is to deliver sustained increases in Adjusted EBITDA margin.

The company lowered its 2023 revenue outlook to S$148-S$152 million. 2023 Adjusted EBITDA outlook remains unchanged at S$11 million-S$15 million.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Corrects headline

Bank of England's Governor Andrew Bailey is set to testify before the parliamentary committee on Tuesday. No other major reports are due from Europe today.

At 2.00 am ET, the Office for National Statistics releases UK public sector finance data for October. The budget surplus is forecast to rise to GBP 21 billion from GBP 13.5 billion in September.

In the meantime, the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association is set to publish Europe's new car registrations data for October. Also, foreign trade data is due from Switzerland.

At 4.00 am ET, industrial production, producer prices and corporate sector wages are due from Poland. Economists forecast output to grow 1.6 percent annually in October, in contrast to the 3.1 percent decrease in September. At the same time, the annual decline in producer prices is expected to deepen to 3.5 percent from 2.8 percent.

At 5.15 am ET, BoE Governor Bailey along with Monetary Policy Committee members Dave Ramsden, Jonathan Haskel and Catherine L Mann are set to attend the Treasury Select Hearing.

At 8.00 am ET, Hungary's central bank announces its monetary policy decision. The bank is expected to cut its base rate to 11.50 percent from 12.25 percent.

At 11.00 am ET, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde is set to speak on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the currency reform in Germany in 1923 organized by the German Ministry of Finance in Berlin.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
The United States has announced its latest military assistance package to help Ukraine meet its immediate battlefield needs against Russia.

The new security assistance package, worth $100 million of arms and equipment, was announced by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin using previously authorized presidential draw down authorities.

Austin met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov during an unannounced visit to the country on Monday.

He underscored the United States' steadfast support for Ukraine as it defends itself from Russian aggression during talks with senior leaders in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv.

It marks the 51st drawdown of U.S. inventory for Ukraine since August 2021. The U.S. has provided $44.2 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the start of the war.

Capabilities to be provided by the Pentagon include Stinger anti-aircraft missiles; M142 HIMARS rocket launchers; additional ammunition for HIMARS; 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds; Javelin, TOW, and AT-4 anti-tank weapons; demolition munitions; more than three million rounds of small arms ammunition; Claymore anti-personnel munitions configured to be consistent with the Ottawa Convention; as well as spare parts, ancillary equipment, services, training, and transportation.

Austin underscored the continued support from the U.S.-led international coalition of nearly 50 countries, which has so far provided about $36 billion in security assistance to Ukraine. He claimed that it enabled Ukrainian forces to regain more than half of the territory seized by Russia.

The Department of Defense said Austin will host the 17th meeting of the Ukrainian Defense Contact Group later this week.

Austin's visit comes as Congress takes up President Joe Biden's request for supplemental funding to continue to support Ukraine.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said it is critical for Congress to take action to support Ukraine by passing the President's supplemental funding request. He promised that until Russia ends its war of aggression, the United States and the coalition known as the Ukrainian Defense Contact Group will continue to stand with Ukraine.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
These new tyres are designed to cater to both on-road and off-road vehicles and are being offered with multi-purpose tread patterns

Continental Tyres, a leading manufacturer of premium tyres, has introduced a premium range of tyres in India. These new CrossContact H/T (H/T = Highway/Terrain) tyres are being produced at the companys ModiPuram plant in Uttar Pradesh and are specifically designed for Indian road conditions.

Continental CrossContact H/T Tyres

Ideally suited for both on-road and off-road vehicles, the new Continental CrossContact H/T tyres are offered in a range of rim sizes from 15 inches to 18 inches in diameter thus allowing for a perfect fit for all types of passenger vehicles currently on sale in India. Though currently offered in select variant, the company confirms that the complete range will go on sale in India in the coming months.

Continental CrossContact H/T Tyres are both versatile and durable and designed with a host of tread patterns. They are sturdy enough to take on the challenges posed by Indian road conditions and offer both high mileage and better driver and passenger comforts. Safety of the vehicle is also enhanced while the multi-purpose tread pattern ensures both lower road noise and increased tread life.

Suitable across a range of passenger vehicles, crossovers and SUVs, the new tyres from Continental are designed of a rubber compound and boast of a sturdy structure that ensures added grip even while traversing over loose stones or uneven surfaces. Grip teeth or small protrusion in tread grooves have been added to offer better grip on non-asphalt surfaces while tyre shoulders are designed for added strength to shield the tyres from damage from stones.

High Mileage, Added Comfort and Safety

Continental CrossContact H/T tyres offer better mileage with tread design ensuring lesser wear and tear. The special tread also significantly reduces road noise levels both inside and outside the vehicle by upto 10 percent.

Samir Gupta, Managing Director of Continental Tyres India and Head of Central Region BA RE APAC, had this to say about the recently introduced Continental CrossContact H/T tyres  We are excited to introduce CrossContact H/T in India,. With the multipurpose pattern, low road noise, and improved tread life, the product greatly fulfils Indian drivers needs and ensures a safe and comfortable ride across various Indian terrains.

Continental Tyres also plans expansion of manufacturing capacities at its ModiPuram plant by the end of CY 2024 into which the company has invested over Rs 1,000 crores since inception. The company is also expanding its retail stores across India, which currently stand at around 200 Continental branded tyres shops, by 50-60% of current volume levels over next 5 years.

Apart from emphasis in the passenger vehicle segment, the company is also paying particular attention to the commercial vehicle segment with its intelligent tyre (i-Tyre) range that comes in with a sensor to capture tyre temperature and pressure thus allowing for upto 3% better fuel efficiency.
On November 18th, at the Wuhu Shipyard Co., Ltd. in Anhui, rows of towering cranes stood silently within the riverside factory area, bathed in the glow of the setting sun. These cranes, resembling colossal metal giants, cast their shadows against the evening sky, creating a breathtaking scene.

Wuhu Shipyard is the largest shipbuilding enterprise in Anhui Province. With its unique geographical location and rich historical heritage, it has become a brilliant gem in China's shipbuilding industry. The shipyard has successfully constructed various civilian vessels, including 18,000-ton heavy lift ships, 24,000-ton heavy lift ships, 28,000-ton chemical tankers, 800-car roll-on/roll-off vessels, environmentally friendly pollution control vessels, as well as 82,000-ton bulk carriers and 64,000-ton bulk carriers. These products have been exported to Denmark, Germany, the United Kingdom, Greece, Sweden, Singapore, Malaysia, and other countries. In 2022, the shipyard achieved a production value of 3.1 billion yuan (about 0.43 billion U.S. dollars).

Source: anhuinews.com
Overseas Vietnamese teachers in Russia honoured at the event (Photo: VNA)

Speaking at the event, Vice Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union in Russia Nguyen Khanh Duy said that the event aimed to honour teachers who have a very important role and position in society.

He hoped that more Vietnamese-language classes will be opened to maintain the language's vitality in the community and help Vietnamese children living in Russia become ambassadors contributing to boosting the Vietnam-Russia relations.

At the event, many songs and art performances have been performed by overseas Vietnamese children./.
The deluge that hit the county Monday has done wonders for local reservoirs, which  buoyed by an exceptionally wet winter  were already beginning to recover from years of punishing drought.

On the border of San Diego and Escondido, Lake Hodges is now 88 percent full. It was just 57 percent full 10 days earlier, according to data gathered by the San Diego County Water Authority and City of San Diego.

Lower Otays spill gates had to be opened to drain off excess water and Lake Poway was just inches away from overflowing. Both reservoirs were storing a significant amount of imported water and the excessive rainfall pushed them to the limit.

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El Capitan Reservoir in Lakeside is now 40 percent full, up from 33 percent a week earlier. Sutherland Reservoir northeast of Ramona is at 35 percent of capacity, compared to just 23 percent in mid-February. Barrett Lake east of Jamul is at 28.5 percent capacity instead of 20 percent just a bit more than a week ago.

The North Pacific storm moved into the region last weekend and merged with subtropical moisture, dumping more rain across San Diego on Monday than the region had seen in 13 years, according to the National Weather Service.

Widespread flooding snarled traffic and threatened lives and property. But for local reservoirs the storm was good news.

Perhaps the single biggest capacity increase by percentage has been at Lake Henshaw near Warner Springs where the amount of water has quadrupled in the past few months.

If you had seen it two weeks ago and see it now, well, its amazing. I cant say how amazing it is, said Jackie Hitchcock, manager of the Lake Henshaw Resort.

The lake went up 2 feet last week and its still going up, she said. Thats great news for fisherman, she added, because Lake Henshaw is very shallow. This gives them a lot more room to fish.

In November about 3,000 acre-feet of water was in Lake Henshaw. Following the latest storm, the volume now stands at more than 14,000 acre-feet.

Still, it is only at 27 percent of capacity.

The lake is owned by the Vista Irrigation District. Usually the water in the lake during drought years comes from underground sources pumped from 43,000 acres of district watershed land to the east.

A spokesman for the district said the hope is to turn off the underground pumps this summer.

San Diego International Airport recorded 2.34 inches of rain on Monday, exceeding the 2.19 inches the city typically averages for the entire month of February.

A sampling of other rainfalls totals during the 72-hour period ending at 4 a.m. Tuesday include Palomar Observatory, 9.04 inches; Mount Woodson, 7.70 inches; Henshaw Dam, 6.69 inches; Lake Cuyamaca, 6.39 inches; Ramona Airport, 5.13 inches; Valley Center: 4.72 inches; and Escondido, 4.0 inches.

A trough from the Gulf of Alaska is expected to move down the West Coast this weekend, bringing a 20-40 percent chance of showers to San Diego on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

jharry.jones@sduniontribune.com; 760/529-4931; Twitter: @jharryjones
Andrii Gorokhov, CEO of private equity umgi

The extraction of minerals in Ukrainian deposits has always been perhaps the most profitable sector of the domestic economy. And even now, in the conditions of war, Ukraines mining industry is actively developing thanks to the support of businesses and communities. On the other hand, the strategy of protection and steady growth of the industry at the legislative level is in development. So it is quite natural that international investors show interest in this sector even today.

umgi has been investing in the sector for over 17 years. Comparing our practical experience of developing mining companies in 5 countries of the world, I would like to highlight the main advantages of setting up a mining business in Ukraine.

On the importance of communication

To begin with, Ukraine has considerable potential in the extraction and processing of strategic and critical minerals, but achieving success would require our country to become more visible on the global market. The largest players of the international market are indeed guided by reputable analytical sources in their decision-making. For example, these include an annual survey of mining companies by the Fraser Institute, a Canadian think tank. The research presents a general index of the attractiveness of a country, which is based on the assessment of mineral potential and the perception of state or local policies by companies in the extractive sector. The downside, however, is that Ukraine is not included in this study at all. That is, we realise that one of the primary tasks for the promotion of Ukraine on the world stage is spreading the word about the high potential of our industry. International investors should see why it is profitable for them to invest in the Ukrainian mining industry instead of choosing some other country.

In general, according to McKinsey & Company, the above annual survey tracks 15 drivers of the extractive industry, which can be roughly divided into 4 priority groups:

Access to geological resources/data (data quality, openness, maps, etc.); Comparison of business expenses for capital investments and operational activities; State policies (taxation and tariffs); Access to experts in the mining sector (availability of skilled workforce).

There is a sweet spot determined based on the best combination of these drivers, i.e. the so-called group of countries with a high level of mineral resources and government policies favourable to the development of the industry. The countries of this group include the US, Canada, Chile, Australia, Finland, and Morocco. And there are no obstacles for Ukraine to be on this list soon: we have more than enough objective advantages.

So, why Ukraine?

Given that our company researches mineral investment markets in all corners of the world every year, I can confidently say that Ukraine has great indicators in many of the above parameters. Firstly, we have high-quality mining resources. Secondly, favourable economic factors play a prominent part, including the resource location (i.e. transport costs, ease of export) and price forecast for target minerals and technologies (mineral extraction challenges). Taxes are only one indicator, and perhaps a less important one given the location-specific nature of mining investment. Comparatively, for example, the relatively low cost of land (one of the largest investment costs) and labour (one of the most important operating costs) are of key importance in making investment decisions.

I will dwell in more detail on these and other competitive advantages of Ukraine.

Let me stress that almost all geological information is digitised and public. This means that industry experts are constantly updating the details of research into areas rich in mineral deposits. However, data related to critical minerals that are labelled For official use are still restricted. For our part, we support the disclosure of this information to all investors.

The next advantage is that, unlike many other countries, Ukraine keeps inventory records. Therefore, during mining processes, information is available about the extent to which the deposits are depleted. We also have maps of ownership of land plots and ecological zones. And this is really a very effective toolkit for further work to analyse investment projects.

Among the economic factors, we should highlight the cost of labour, which is lower in Ukrainian mining compared to the countries of Central and Eastern Europe by 5565%. The level of taxes in Ukraine also plays an important role in making investment decisions. If we compare the cost of energy resources, they are also cheaper in Ukraine than in some other neighbouring European countries, and this also gives us an advantage. This is primarily due to excise taxes, as they are lower for energy resources compared to other countries. Here we can also add the cost of land  here, too, Ukraine is highly competitive among other countries for international investors. For instance, in Ukraine, the average cost of land where you can extract minerals is about $3,000. At the same time, the average cost of land in Poland is up to $40,000. Paradoxically, in India, this indicator reaches $60,000. Naturally, there are some cases where certain owners want to get much more. This is normal, because it is a market and every owner is entitled to their own expectations.

One of the criteria used to evaluate the prospects of mining projects in a particular country is the availability of land. And here Ukraine also has an indisputable advantage because of its mechanism for the forced redemption of land plots for public needs. This allows to somewhat align the demands and individual expectations of the owners. It is possible to get a fair price in court because there is a regulatory assessment procedure. The so-called availability of land opens up opportunities for the extraction of any and all minerals, whereas in most other countries, the list of such minerals is limited and clearly defined, or the forced redemption of land plots is prohibited altogether.

What will help Ukraine join the sweet spot group?

According to McKinsey & Company, in order to be desirable for investments in the extractive industry, countries can use various incentives to attract exploration companies. The primary incentives include:

- Money or subsidies (direct financing);

- Foregone revenue: indirect state aid where the state neither allocates funding nor assigns certain taxes;

- Favourable permit and supervision procedures, availability of high-quality public data.

Another rather interesting and relevant issue, which is closely scrutinised today due to its importance for investors, is the possibility of establishing the rule of law. This is what Argentina did years ago: they established a legal framework to allow investors to sue businesses, local authorities and even the state in other jurisdictions.

Obviously, we realise that there are considerable risks associated with the subsoil use, and therefore investments in mining, in Ukraine. This is not only about financing, taking into account military risks. There are also geopolitical, regulatory and workforce (availability and level of expertise) considerations; fluctuations in market prices, etc. However, a considerable list of risks does not mean that doing business here is inadvisable. It just highlights what we have to work with. Some things can be mitigated, others cannot be helped, and certain tasks require the support of the state. Furthermore, now our Government and the Parliament are implementing many positive changes that should make life easier for subsoil users.

Thus, as we can see in general, Ukraine has very good indicators from the perspective of the investment climate across many parameters. Even when it comes to critical materials, investors see profitable prospects even today. Because any development begins with a new demand. And then comes the strategy together with the vision, followed by large investments and great competition on the world stage.
Overhaul of well in country's north ensures daily flow rate of over 60,000 cubic meters of gas  Ukrnafta

PJSC Ukrnafta carried out a major overhaul of a well in the north of the country, which made it possible to ensure daily natural gas flow to more than 60,000 cubic meters of gas, as well as to reach new prospects for additional exploration of deposits.

"The preliminary estimated flow rate after workover is more than 60,000 cubic meters of natural gas per day," Ukrnafta Director Serhiy Koretsky, said quoted on the company's website on Monday.

As the company reported, the overhaul team carried out geophysical work to determine the saturation of the new deposit and disconnected the mined-out lower horizon.

At a depth of 2,317-2,322 meters, perforation work was carried out to connect the deposit with the well, after which the company began developing the well.

The deposit has dimensions of 2 square kilometers, with a thickness of 35.4 meters and a thickness of the productive part from 2 to 7 meters. It was initially estimated at 199 million cubic meters of gas and 70,000 tonnes of condensate. These reserves were not developed industrially.

"Now, having received good results after workover, we can say with confidence: the resource is there, so the company plans to develop it," Ukrnafta said.

Ukrnafta is the largest oil producing company in Ukraine, operating a national network of filling stations of 537 stations, of which 456 are operating.

The largest shareholder of Ukrnafta is NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy with a share of 50% + 1 share. On November 5, 2022, the headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine decided to transfer to the state the corporate rights of the company that belonged to private owners, which is now managed by the Ministry of Defense.
Register of damage caused by Russia to begin to operate in Q1 2024  PM

The register of damage caused by Russia will begin to operate in the first quarter of 2024, Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal expects.

"The main resource for Ukrainian recovery should be the confiscation of Russian assets frozen in the West. We are working to ensure that the "Russia will pay" principle is implemented as early as next year," Shmyhal said at a government meeting on Tuesday.

According to the prime minister, the Compensation Fund, from which payments will be made, should be filled from confiscated Russian assets.

"This is about EUR 300 billion of sovereign assets and another EUR 28 billion of private assets that are stored in the EU and other developed countries," he said.

According to Shmyhal, today 43 countries and the European Union are taking part in the creation of the Register of Damage for Ukraine.

"The rules and procedures for its operation will soon be approved. We expect that it will begin to operate in the first quarter of next year," the prime minister said.
Ukraine has asked Japan to join the implementation of the upcoming government program "Industrial Ramstein," provide Ukrainian enterprises with equipment to replace equipment destroyed during a full-scale war, and also create joint ventures in Ukraine, the press service of the Ministry of Economy reported.

"Strategically important sectors for building a new country and attracting private investment are: defense, agricultural production and processing, renewable energy, gas production and storage, green metallurgy, construction, environmental transport, healthcare and pharmaceuticals. We see great prospects in attracting Japanese companies to the early recovery of Ukraine," the press service quoted the words of First Deputy Prime Minister  Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko at a meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Tsuji Kiyoto and representatives of Japanese companies.

She called on Japan to increase sanctions pressure on the Russian Federation, including in the financial, banking and defense spheres. Ukraine is counting on Japan's continued support in the use of frozen Russian assets.

According to the minister, the Ukrainian government is developing war risk insurance instruments to ensure the security of private investments.

Svyrydenko thanked the representatives of Japan for providing financial support in April 2023 for the creation of a special MIGA Sure Trust Fund, which allowed the Agency to provide the first guarantees of insurance against war risks. Ukraine also highly appreciates involvement in financing projects with the participation of Japanese companies through the Japanese bank JBIC (Japan Bank of International Cooperation), development projects with the participation of the JIKA agency and the NEXI export credit agency, which provides technical and advisory support to the Ukrainian Export Credit Agency, the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized.

The parties also discussed issues of humanitarian demining and restoration of the economic potential of Ukraine.

According to Svyrydenko, the government, together with industrial associations, analyzed the destroyed and damaged equipment at Ukrainian enterprises. About 500 types of equipment originating from 21 countries were damaged and need to be completely replaced. Of these, 86 types of equipment are Japanese-made.

"We intend to start the 'Industrial Ramstein' and ask Japan to join and provide equipment to replace the damaged and destroyed one to Ukrainian enterprises," Svyrydenko said and expressed hope for Japanese companies to open factories and processing plants in Ukraine and create joint ventures with Ukrainian businesses.

Representatives of the Japanese delegation promised to provide Ukraine with additional equipment to overcome the consequences of shelling of energy infrastructure: 10 transformers and five gas turbines for power plants.

Japanese businessmen expressed interest in starting the implementation of joint investment projects with Ukrainian entrepreneurs. Of particular interest to potential investors were the sectors of agriculture, energy, green metallurgy, cybersecurity and construction.

During the meeting, the Japanese delegation announced the possibility of opening an office of the Japanese Foreign Trade Organization JETRO in Kyiv.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, who arrived in Kyiv on an unannounced visit, said that work continues for Congress to approve additional funding for military support to Ukraine.

I continue to see bipartisan support in both chambers of Congress. And I know that there are some things that we need to continue to work through to get the supplemental request approved, and we'll continue to work with Congress to do that. Again Congress, our congressional members, have valid questions that we will answer. But again, I would point out that Ukraine matters, what happens here matters, Austin said at a briefing in Kyiv Monday evening.

The U.S. Secretary of Defense emphasized that what is happening in Ukraine matters not only for Ukrainians, but also for the whole world.

This is about the rules-based international order. This is about, not living in a world where a dictator can wake up one day and decide to annex the property of his peaceful neighbor. That's not the world that we want to live in, Austin noted.

Earlier, media reported that congressional leaders hope to agree on a military aid package for Ukraine and Israel, as well as make improvements to the U.S. migration system by the end of the year.
Pistorius arrives in Ukraine to get first-hand understanding of situation, effectiveness of German support

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius arrived in Ukraine on Tuesday morning on an unannounced visit to personally assess the current situation and the effectiveness of German support.

Minister Pistorius has arrived in Ukraine to personally get an idea of the current situation and the effectiveness of German support. At the beginning of his visit, he laid flowers at the memorial in memory of the heroes of the Maidan in Kyiv, the German Ministry of Defense said on X (Twitter) on Tuesday .

Pistorius pledged further support for Ukraine during his visit to Kyiv, television news service Tagesschau reported.

"I am here again, firstly, to promise continued support," Pistorius said.

He said he also wanted to express "our solidarity, our deep connection and admiration for the brave, courageous and costly fight that is being waged here."
CRH lifted its earnings guidance on Tuesday and said it has agreed to buy a portfolio of cement and ready-mixed concrete assets in Texas from Martin Marietta Materials for $2.1bn.

The assets comprise a 2.1 metric ton capacity cement plant located between San Antonio and Austin, a network of terminals along the eastern gulf coast of Texas and a portfolio of 20 ready-mixed concrete plants with annual shipments of around 1.6m cubic yards serving the Austin and San Antonio markets.

The combined portfolio of assets is expected to generate pro-forma 2023 EBITDA of around $170m.

The company, which provides building materials solutions, also said that based on current trading, it was lifting its guidance. It now expects full-year earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of around $6.3bn, up from $5.6bn a year earlier. In its interim results in August, CRH had forecast FY EBITDA of $6.2bn.

In an update for the nine months to the end of September, the company said EBITDA came in at $4.8bn, up 14% on the same period a year earlier. This reflects |"continued delivery of our integrated solutions strategy, strong commercial management and operational efficiencies, driving further margin expansion," it said.

Meanwhile, group sales were up 8% on the year at $26.3bn. CRH said the positive momentum seen in the first half of the year continued into the third quarter, underpinned by strong commercial progress and positive underlying demand across key end-use markets.

Chief executive Albert Manifold said: "I am pleased to report another strong performance for our business. Our integrated solutions strategy continues to deliver superior growth, while our strong cash generation and disciplined approach to capital allocation enables us to create additional value for our shareholders."

At 0935 GMT, the shares were up 2% at 4,844p.

Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said: "CRHs stars are aligning, with the construction group busy making a chunky acquisition soon after shifting its main stock market listing from London to the US. The latter move was a blow to London as a listing venue given CRH was a member of the prestigious FTSE 100 index.

"The company previously argued the listing switch came with multiple benefits. Given it generates a large chunk of its earnings in the US, having a primary listing in the country and representing itself as an American business would, in theory, make it more visible to investors and to existing and potential clients.

"It is chasing opportunities linked to large US government spending programmes and has wasted no time in making a corporate acquisition to strengthen its position in the market. Paying $2.1 billion in cash for assets from Martin Marietta makes strategic sense as it increases CRHs position in Texas, one of the high growth markets for construction work in the US."
withdrawal from the grain deal is reminiscent of the events that took place in Ukraine in the 1930s during the Holodomor, U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink said during a special event at the Kyiv Security Forum, founded by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk Open Ukraine Foundation.

"I think all of us look back at that time period and Stalin's brutal actions, when millions of Ukrainians died. This is something never to be repeated," she emphasized.

As the Foundation's press service reported on Tuesday, Brink noted that today it is important to remember the tragedy of the Holodomor and "do everything we can to prevent it from happening again."

"However, we are seeing some parallels today that seem quite similar. Since Russia decided to retire from the Black Sea Grain Initiative last summer, what we have seen is deliberate attacks on grain and port infrastructure, on food for the world," the ambassador said.

Brink recalled that the grain agreement came into force in the summer of 2022 and in a year made it possible to deliver 32 million tonnes of grain and other products to different countries of the world. "When Russia left the agreement and started these attacks, it looked pretty desperate for Ukraine obviously, but also for the world. And I think through the spirit and ingenuity of the Ukrainians and with support from others and very brave people creating the corridor, we have now seen over 130 ships move in and out from the Black Sea humanitarian corridor," she noted.

The United States, according to the ambassador, will help the Ukrainian government support the activities of this corridor. "We are determined not to let Russia stop food from going to the world and to prevent food from being used as a weapon," Brink concluded.
Battery technology specialist Gelion has entered into a joint development agreement (JDA) with Ionblox, a California-based next-generation battery technology company, it announced on Tuesday.

The AIM-traded firm said Ionblox was known for its transformative contributions to the mobility sector on both land and air.

It said the primary objective of the collaboration was to pioneer the development of lithium silicon sulfur (LiSiS) cells that are safe and possess high-energy density and cost-efficiency.

The LiSiS cells would be intended to cater to the global electric vehicle (EV), electrical vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) and drone markets, with prospects for the stationary energy storage market.

Gelion said the partnership with Ionblox was fuelled by growing demand for advanced battery technologies in the EV and eVTOL industries, driven by the transition to net-zero emissions.

The International Energy Agencys projection of around 300 million EVs being required by 2030, compared to the 10 million in 2022, underscored the urgency for innovation in the sector, Gelion pointed out.

Additionally, it added that battery-powered eVTOLs, drones and stationary energy storage solutions were poised to play a pivotal role in supporting the renewable energy revolution.

Both Gelion and Ionblox would leverage their respective technology expertise, patent portfolios, and research and development facilities in Australia and the US to drive the development of next-generation LiSiS cells.

Gelion said its focus would be optimising the sulfur cathode, integrating the newly acquired assets, and leveraging the intellectual property portfolio.

Meanwhile, Ionblox would contribute its proven high-energy density pre-lithiated silicon oxide anode and adapt it for compatibility with Gelions sulfur cathode.

Together, they would develop and optimise a proprietary electrolyte to meet the stringent cycle life requirements of EV and electric aviation applications.

Upon successful development, Gelion and Ionblox intended to finalise commercial arrangements and introduce the LiSiS cells to the global market.

The JDA with Ionblox continues to build momentum for Gelions sulfur technologies, said chief executive officer John Wood.

Ionblox is an extraordinary battery technology company, and we are very excited to be working with Sujeet and his team, who are achieving exceptional energy densities and coulombic efficiencies with their pre-lithiated SiOx anode batteries.

Combining these energy densities and efficiencies with those being achieved in our cathode materials by implementing a solid-to-solid sulfur, quasi-solid-state approach, we anticipate achieving a breakthrough cell outcome together.

Our goal is low cost, high safety, exceptional energy density, and high cycle life aiming toward electrifying all mobility, while using materials such as sulfur with abundance to meet the demand to support the planets clean energy needs.

At 1256 GMT, shares in Gelion were up 1.59% at 24.89p.

Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.
Microsoft has announced new features in Outlook Lite, which now includes SMS support for Indian users. Additionally, Outlook Lite has added support for Indian vernacular languages, which allows users to communicate more effectively. To cater to the diverse linguistic needs of Indian users, Outlook Lite offers features such as voice typing, transliteration, and the ability to read emails in regional languages. This makes it easier for users to compose and read emails in their preferred language.

"With SMS integration and vernacular language support, Outlook Lite redefines communication accessibility and provides users with a more convenient & personalized experience," Rajiv Kumar, MD, Microsoft India Development Centre and Corporate Vice President of Microsofts Experiences and Devices, India Group, said in a statement.

Outlook Lite is a useful tool for Indian users who want to communicate in their native languages. Whether they prefer to dictate an email in Hindi, type an email in Tamil and have it automatically converted to English, or read an email in Gujarati, Outlook Lite can assist them in doing so. The application currently supports five Indian languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, and Gujarati, and plans to add more in the future. Microsoft is committed to catering to the linguistic diversity of India by continually adding more languages and dialects to the application.

Additionally, Outlook Lite now offers SMS support that simplifies how users receive transactional and promotional information. With this feature, users will have access to a unified and smart inbox that organizes messages into categories such as transactions, promotions and personal messages. Users can easily switch between these categories and view relevant messages all in one place. This feature also includes reminders for important appointments, travel bookings, bill payments, and gas booking reminders, which typically get lost in the midst of information overload. Outlook Lite will also soon support language translation for SMS, allowing users to read messages in their preferred language or switch between languages with a single tap.
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The UK-India Business Council (UKIBC), a trade organization aiming to enhance trade and investment between the two countries, stated in November that the ongoing negotiations on the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) should be concluded before the general elections scheduled in both nations next year. So far, thirteen rounds of negotiations have been held between India and the UK regarding the FTA.

"Because of the general elections in India and the UK going to polls next year, it is important that the negotiations for the proposed FTA are concluded early. Otherwise, the negotiations will be paused while the general elections are on", UKIBC Managing Director Kevin McCole said. He said though the election date in the UK has not yet been fixed, the polls may be held between May and November next year.

According to McCole, negotiations could possibly come to a halt until the election period in India and the UK is over. He also emphasized that the bilateral investment treaty between the two nations will facilitate an increase in investments from the UK to India and vice-versa.

According to him, out of GBP62 billion invested globally by the UK in 2021, India only got GBP 2 billion. "Once the bilateral investment treaty is signed, one could expect a larger share of the UK's global investments in India", he added. McCole said the UK is open to lowering its tariffs on textiles from India. "Presently, a tariff on textiles from India is 12 percent. Tariffs on textiles from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are lower", he said.
IIT Madras Centre for Research on Start-ups and Risk Financing (CREST) has pioneered India's inaugural information platform concerning incubators and accelerators. This collaborative venture with YNOS, a start-up born from IIT Madras, aims to offer extensive details on these entities. The platform aims to assist start-ups in maneuvering through the unpredictable entrepreneurial landscape by providing comprehensive information on incubators and accelerators thus serving a crucial role.

According to a statement from IIT Madras , prior to this development, India had around 1,000 active incubators, but information about them was fragmented and not easily accessible from a single source. The institute highlighted that entrepreneurs previously faced challenges in dedicating significant time and effort to locate the most suitable incubator for their start-up. The newly introduced platform aims to alleviate this issue by enabling start-up founders to efficiently identify, compare, and evaluate different incubators, ultimately aiding them in selecting the one that aligns best with their needs.

The incubator platform, created using advanced technological tools, swiftly assesses the landscape of incubators and accelerators in India. It incorporates user-friendly filters based on various incubator parameters, enabling a rapid identification of a selection of incubators meeting diverse criteria for consideration. Additionally, the platform offers the convenience of bookmarking chosen incubators for a more thorough evaluation in the future.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  If you were hoping to make a Hobby Lobby haul before the holidays, you will still have to hike over the Outerbridge Crossing: The new Staten Island branch of the beloved craft store is near completion -- but it wont officially open its doors until Jan. 1.

This location has a grand opening date of January 1, 2024, scheduled, a press rep noted in an email, responding to an inquiry about when the store at 280 Marsh Ave. will be open for business. It is anticipated that a dry run/soft opening will occur the last week of December.

Located across from the Staten Island Mall, in the space which formerly housed Babies R Us, the store has been under construction for less than a year, after the mega-brand announced its intentions to open up shop in the borough last January.

According to the brands website, the location will be Hobby Lobbys first New York City store. There are over 900 stores nationwide, but none currently located in the five boroughs. There are three locations on Long Island, but the stores closest to NYC can be found in Iselin and Holmdel, New Jersey.

The largest privately owned arts-and-crafts retailer in the world, with over 43,000 employees operating in 47 states, the company was founded in 1970 by David and Barbara Green, who took out a $600 loan to begin making miniature picture frames out of their home. Two years later, the fledgling enterprise opened a 300-square-foot store in Oklahoma City. Hobby Lobby was born.

For the uninitiated, Hobby Lobby is more than just a crafters paradise. Offering picture-framing and jewelry-making supplies, plus fabrics, floral and a wedding department, the store also features cards and party ware, baskets, wearable art and holiday merchandise. The companys branded, trendy and inexpensive home decor has a devoted following.

The retailer is recognized for offering employees salaries well above the national minimum -- the current full-time hourly wage is $18.50. And the Hobby Lobby corporate culture is openly Christian-based: All stores are closed on Sunday, allowing associates time for family and for worship.

And although CEO David Green has drawn ire for imbuing his religious beliefs into the company, publicly stating that he operates his business in a manner consistent with Biblical principles, selling an abundance of faith-based inventory at every location -- his views have only contributed to Hobby Lobbys success.

We believe it is by Gods grace and provision that Hobby Lobby has endured, Green noted in a press release about the companys core values. He has been faithful in the past, we trust Him for our future.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  An individual sought for questioning in connection with the assault of two women who are conductors for the Staten Island Railway remained at large on Tuesday, three weeks after the attacks at the St. George Terminal.

The MTA is reaching out for additional tips regarding the incidents that occurred during the morning rush hour on Nov. 1 around 7:15 a.m.

An unknown individual allegedly attacked the conductors and then fled on foot toward Richmond Terrace from the terminal that serves riders of the railway and the Staten Island Ferry, according to a wanted flyer released earlier this month by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police (MTAPD).

The flyer included a photo of an individual sought for questioning in the attack.

MTA Police describe the unknown individual as a Black male who stands about 6 feet to 6 feet, 2 inches tall and weighs about 180 to 200 pounds. He was seen wearing eyeglasses, a black jacket over a red-hooded sweatshirt, a red hat, a red mask, black pants, and white-and-black Jordan 13 sneakers.

Anyone with information is asked to call the MTA Police Operations Center at 718-361-2212.

The photos supplied by the MTA Police were captured from surveillance cameras in the vicinity of the St. George Terminal.

SOURCES DETAIL ALLEGED ASSAULT

The two train conductors were attacked by a customer who they were trying to help use a MetroCard vending machine, a source with knowledge of the investigation previously told the Advance/SILive.com.

The MTA takes assaults on employees very seriously and its unconscionable that anyone would assault a transit worker who is trying to serve the public, said Meghan Keegan, a spokeswoman with the MTA Police Department, in a statement previously issued to the Advance/SILive.com.

The incident began when a customer appeared to be having trouble using a MetroCard vending machine at the terminal, according to the source.

The two conductors were assisting the customer for a few moments when the customer allegedly became violent. The customer punched and/or shoved one conductor in the face and pushed past the second transit worker before fleeing, the source said.

One of the conductors suffered an injury to her face while the other employee endured a back injury, the source said.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, during a visit to Ukraine, announced a new package of military assistance.

"I am honored to announce a new aid package during my visit here. And in this package, of course, four more IRIS-T SLM systems, 155 mm artillery ammunition are included, as well as anti-tank mines," he said at a joint briefing with Minister of Defense of Ukraine Rustem Umerov in Kiev.

According to Pistorius, the package is worth EUR 1.3 billion.

"This means and emphasizes that we are stable and reliable with Ukraine, we support Ukraine," the minister said.

Pistorius also said the new aid package involves 20,000 rounds in addition to the already announced 140,000 for 2024.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating a tragic incident involving a construction vehicle in Manhattan that resulted in the death of a 19-year-old Staten Island man.

OSHA responded Friday to the scene of the incident, and opened an inspection on that same day, a spokesman for the agency said Monday.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Pickleball has swept the nation in popularity because of its simplicity, inclusivity, social nature, and fitness benefits. And for a local pickleball club, the sport has brought players together to raise money for a young Staten Islander who is battling cancer.

On Saturday, Nov. 11, more than 50 pickleball enthusiasts from the Staten Island Pickleball Players Club joined forces in a charity tournament held at Fairview Park in Charleston to support Charlotte White, a resilient 6-year-old resident of West Brighton, who has been diagnosed with Wilms tumor, a form of childhood kidney cancer.

The daughter of Nicole and Matt White, Charlotte is a first grader at Our Lady of Good Counsel School, Tompkinsville, and the little sister of Thomas. Charlotte has courageously faced the battle for her life, especially the grueling chemotherapy treatment schedule.

Charlotte has faced numerous challenges, yet she approaches them with a courage and grace that surpass her young age, said mom, Nicole. She maintains a positive outlook at all times, wearing a constant smile on her face, regardless of the obstacles she encounters.

Their daughters cancer diagnosis has turned upside down the lives of Nicole (a nurse practitioner) and Matt White as Charlottes treatment and surgery will last for months. The money raised from family, friends, and supporters will help the White family focus solely on Charlottes recovery.

* * * To make a donation, please visit Charlottles GoFundMe page.

Charlotte White, a resilient 6-year-old resident of West Brighton, who has been diagnosed with Wilms tumor, a form of childhood kidney cancer. (Courtesy Janine Mule)Courtesy Janine Mule

RAISED CLOSE TO $3,500

Annadale resident Janine Mule, a family friend of over 20 years, helped organize the fundraising pickleball tournament with Gary White of Eltingville. Close to $3,500 was raised through the tournament, all of which was given to the White family to offset medical costs.

The pickleball community on Staten Island is a very close knit and charitable one, said Janine. I knew everyone would come out to support Charlotte. And they did. Matt and Nicole even brought Charlotte to the tournament for a while and the players got to meet her.

It was so inspirational to meet the family youre helping and made the day incredible. It was truly an amazing day. Charlotte is always upbeat and never complains. She is a true warrior.

Pickelball for Charlotte Tournament winners are: Silver: Rob Pandolfi, Steve Santiago; Gold: Lenny Krenek, Ruben Gonzalez; Bronze: Gary White and Keith Thompson. (Courtesy Janine Mule) Courtesy Janine Mule

WINNERS OF THE PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENT FOR CHARLOTTE WHITE

Womens Division

Gold: Nora Cusimano

Silver: tied Alyssa Krenek and Tara Lombardo

Mens Doubles

Gold: Ruben Gonzalez and Lenny Krenek

Silver: Steve Santiago and Rob Pandolfi

Bronze: Gary White and Keith Thompson

Tara Lombaro, left, Alyssa Krenek (tied for silver), and Nora Cusimano (gold). (Courtesy Janine Mule)Courtesy Janine Mule

ABOUT WILMS TUMOR

Wilms tumor (also called Wilms tumor or nephroblastoma) is a type of childhood cancer that starts in the kidneys, according to the American Cancer Society. It is the most common type of kidney cancer in children. About 9 of 10 kidney cancers in children are Wilms tumors.

Most of the time, Wilms tumor is caused by a gene change (mutation). The gene change causes the kidney cells to develop into a tumor. Doctors dont know why these gene changes. Wilms tumor usually happens in kids who are otherwise healthy.

Pediatric oncologists and surgeons work together to treat Wilms tumor. Most children have part or all of their kidney removed (a partial or complete nephrectomy) and chemotherapy. Some children also need radiation therapy.
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The commemoration of the 1932-1933 Holodomor Famine in Ukraine should impulse the world to decisive actions that would prevent Russia from using food as a weapon, UK Ambassador to Ukraine Martin Harris has said.

"Some people find it difficult to really conceive of a regime that would use food as a weapon. Yet that is just what we've seen. [] In that period after the end of the Black Sea Grain Initiative Russia destroyed 280,000 tonnes of grain in one month. That is enough grain to feed a million people for a year," he said at a special event of the Kyiv Security Forum organized by the Open Ukraine: Arseniy Yatsenyuk Foundation on Tuesday.

The diplomat said that it is not the first time the tactic of weaponizing food is used, adding that it had been practiced during the 1932-1933 and 1946-1947 Holodomor Famines in Ukraine.

"Our remembrance needs to be our impulse to action. If food is being used as a weapon, that is a horror that we must not allow. We need to disarm Russia. We need to ensure that Ukraine's grain reaches those who need it," Harris said.

The ambassador also highlighted the importance of recording the crimes that are being committed in Ukraine during the Russian aggression.

"I am very proud today that we are supporting the Ukrainian authorities and the Ukrainian people to catalogue the evidence of the crimes that are being committed by Russia in the course of its cruel invasion of Ukraine," he said.
The corporate watchdog has urged governments around the world to work together to crack down on misconduct and hold major corporations accountable regardless of the country their boards are located in.

Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) chairman Joe Longo said he remained worried about the challenge of regulating transnational companies, such as social media platforms, that are based in other countries, and that it was time for governments to act.

ASIC chairman Joe Longo. Credit: Peter Rae

There are very significant parts of the economy that involve transnational and [social media] platforms, and when things go wrong its not so easy to hold those entities accountable, he told The Age and Sydney Morning Herald.

We might get information from a regulator from a different country  the problem though is thats an incomplete situation. You need a political situation. You need a number of the key economies to co-operate with one another to impose a level of accountability  were not there yet.
The Indigenous Voice to parliament might be dead and buried, but its still causing ructions at the Australian Institute of Company Directors. CBD readers will recall that when the institute followed much of corporate Australia by backing the Voice, it triggered a furious backlash among some members.

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Now, five weeks after the referendum, Muriel Demarcus, the Transgrids major projects delivery director, self-described French yummy mummy and wife of former Rio Tinto boss Jean-Sebastien Jacques has followed her referendum weekend Twitter screed by rage-quitting the AICD.

In an email to the institute which is doing the rounds among segments of the membership worried about the AICD becoming a bastion of wokeness, Demarcus announced she wouldnt be renewing her membership, accusing the organisation of choosing partisanship over healthy debate.

The AICD could have unified the nation and led by example. What a missed opportunity, the former First Lady of Rio Tinto, as she has styled herself, said.
Until recently, the idea of anticipating Black Friday sales seemed unique to the United States, with TV shows and movies depicting a frenzy of people chaotically lined outside of stores  and, in some cases, fighting over the last stocked item.

Now, Black Friday sales have reached Australian shores, becoming the countrys biggest pre-Christmas sale event, according to Paul Zahra, chief executive of the Australian Retailers Association (ARA).

Research by Finder indicates almost six million Australians are planning to take part in this years Black Friday sales, seizing the opportunity to get ahead on Christmas shopping or buy themselves something they havent previously been able to justifying spending money on through the cost of living crunch.

The annual Black Friday sales are set to begin on Friday, November 24. Credit: iStock

So how did Black Friday come to be? And whats Cyber Monday?
A controversial YouTuber is under police protection a year after an alleged arson attack on his home that detectives say was meticulously planned and linked to organised crime as well as his online content.

The Bondi house of Jordan Shanks-Markovina, also known as Friendlyjordies, was significantly damaged in a fire about 12.20am on November 23 last year.

Shanks-Markovina was not home at the time, having misplaced his key earlier that day.

Detective Chief Inspector Richard Puffett from NSW Polices arson unit addressed media on Wednesday morning, following the release of CCTV footage that showed two suspected stolen cars near the area about the time of the fire.
Its been a tough month for Ahmed Haouchar.

In October, Haouchar was accused of being the main man responsible for the 100 kilograms of cocaine found on board a Qantas flight. Two of his brothers were also taken into custody on unrelated cocaine charges. Now, his alleged drug suppliers have been nabbed in South Africa.

A Sydney baggage handler was arrested over an alleged 100kg cocaine import in October. South African police arrested five men over the weekend allegedly connected to the plot. Credit: AFP

The bad news for the Haouchar family began on October 7 when the Australian Federal Police arrested five men after a Qantas flight from Johannesburg, with a cargo hold full of cocaine, put wheels down at Sydney Airport.

Airport baggage handlers Darren Bragg and Michael McPherson were arrested on the runway while working for Jets Transport Express.
Its rare for a government-run event to become cool. But the City of Sydneys biannual block party on Stanley Street in Darlinghurst is now so popular authorities are moving to turn down the fun.

The event is part of the councils Sydney Streets program, which began as a COVID-era initiative to activate the citys streets and help businesses get back on their feet.

Outdoor dining during a Stanley Street event in March 2022. Since then, it has become well known for DJs in the evening. Credit: Steven Siewert

While similar events in Glebe, Pyrmont or Potts Point remain relatively staid affairs, the Stanley Street edition goes off. About 10,000 people attended the most recent instalment on a Saturday in October, with more turned away from long queues after sunset.

Local councillor Lyndon Gannon said it was a fantastic party: I never thought Id say this, but I reckon City staff could give [Merivale hospitality boss] Justin Hemmes a run for his money.
Macquarie Park. Credit: Dion Georgopoulos The news Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size The state government announced it will change planning controls in Macquarie Park, one of Sydneys major business districts, to allow about 5000 build-to-rent apartments on land currently zoned for commercial use, and an extra 3000 units on three sites that will be zoned for mixed-use. Ryde Council has baulked at the intervention, wishing to preserve the land for employment and commercial uses, and arguing there are already up to 20,000 apartments coming down the pipeline nearby. Premier Chris Minns suggested there will be more forced rezonings like this across Sydney as the government looks for ways to increase housing supply. So how would it apply in Macquarie Park?

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How we got here

The NSW government is on a crusade to build 377,000 new homes in five years, not only because they are needed but because national cabinet has compelled the state to do so. On paper, Macquarie Park seems like an ideal location for a share of those dwellings. It has two metro stations on the Waterloo Road corridor, and a third, North Ryde, at the eastern end of the precinct. It also boasts a high-tech business hub brimming with good jobs, a large shopping centre and a well-regarded university. Minns wants to encourage this by allowing build-to-rent units, as well as commercial development, in the main stretch of the business park on either side of Waterloo Road. The premier says this is partly due to market conditions: demand for commercial office space has declined since the pandemic began, while the need for housing has increased. Flexible, mixed-use zoning is seen as best practice.

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The proposed changes also involve allowing taller buildings - providing certain conditions are met - up to 190 metres (60 storeys) on some sites. Combined with development proposals that are already in various stages of the pipeline, Macquarie Park would be transformed from predominantly a business park to a mixed-use innovation and residential precinct. Ryde Council estimates the population would soar to more than 100,000. Key players The project is being driven by the new Labor state government, although the previous Coalition government had already effected a place strategy for Macquarie Park, recognising its strategic importance along the metro line. Ryde Council, headed by Liberal mayor Sarkis Yedelian, is leading the charge against the changes, saying building more housing than planned would place a higher burden on already strained infrastructure. That primarily means roads and traffic, but there are also concerns about a lack of schools.

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The Macquarie Park business community is another key stakeholder. Sydneys second-largest business district includes companies such as Optus, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis and Fujifilm. Macquarie University, ranked 10th in Australia, is highly connected to the surrounding innovation district, which it says has the highest number of intellectual property registrations of any postcode in Australia. Vice-chancellor Bruce Dowton said the university acknowledged the states pressing need for more housing. However, the university is concerned that the proposal expansion of residential development inside such a successful and longstanding innovation district will erode its fundamental purpose. It is critical to ensure that future development does not diminish the significant role the precinct plays in our economy and community, he said. The Macquarie Park Metro station, which will soon be connected directly with the North Sydney and Sydney CBDs. Credit: Dion Georgopoulos What they said Premier Chris Minns: For too long, theres been an understandable desire to build commercial and industrial space in Sydney, neglecting the need for new homes. Wherever we can get mixed use communities, thats exactly what well do.

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Mayor Sarkis Yedelian: Ryde is already providing and approving enough housing in the Macquarie Park Innovation District that is way above our state-mandated quotas. It should be noted that once commercial space is gone, its gone for good. Planning Department secretary Kiersten Fishburn: If the commercial market suddenly takes off again, and that becomes the most viable for a developer or an asset owner, it is much, much easier for them to transition their build-to-rent to a commercial build than it is to transition a strata apartment. And you can still build commercial. Ryde Liberal MP Jordan Lane: This plan was never even mentioned pre-election. While I understand new governments want to put their stamp on things, its important to be upfront with communities if you want to earn their trust. By the numbers 11,071: Residents living in Macquarie Park at the 2021 census. They skew young with a median age of 31. 20,000: New apartments in the pipeline, either under construction, concept approved or awaiting approval. $770: Median weekly rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Macquarie Park. Three: Metro stations (Macquarie University, Macquarie Park and North Ryde) 1.3km: Distance between Macquarie University and Macquarie Park stations 72,000: Employees in the Macquarie Park innovation precinct. 44,000: Students at Macquarie University, plus about 3000 staff. $9.5 billion: The precincts economic contribution to NSW in 2018. What you need to know According to Ryde Council, there are already 23 large developments in train in Macquarie Park which would supply more than 20,000 apartments. For example, Harry Triguboffs Meriton is building its Trilogy project of three towers - the tallest being 58 storeys - on Talavera Road. The Macquarie Park CBD. Credit: Dion Georgopoulos

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The Australian Border Force is refusing to divulge how 101 foreign detainees will be electronically monitored after their release into the community by the High Court, leaving questions over how the federal government will keep watch over them.

Following new federal surveillance laws being passed last week, NSW and federal police are airing long-standing objections to being saddled with electronic monitoring duties, arguing that it eats up valuable resources.

Slain model and translator Altantuyaa Shaariibuu and her killer Sirul Azhar Umar, who is among the detainees being released.

Last week more than 90 people held in immigration centres were released into Australian communities after a High Court ruling found their indefinite detention was unlawful. Many have significant criminal histories, the government says.

Among the detainees is former Malaysian prime ministerial bodyguard, Sirul Azhar Umar, now released and living in Canberra. He was sentenced to death in his home country for the 2006 murder of a model, Altantuyaa Shaariibuu, but escaped to Australia and had been held in immigration detention.
For three young men from a minimum-security correctional facility near the Snowy Mountains, travelling to Sydney to meet Prince Edward was the last thing they expected when they started serving their sentences.

Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh and patron of the eponymous awards, was visiting the Woolloomooloo PCYC (Police Citizens Youth Club) on Tuesday to meet award winners.

Duke of Edinburgh Prince Edward with boxer Marlon Sevehon at the PCYC in Woolloomooloo. Credit: Kate Geraghty

His three-day trip to Sydney coincides with an expansion of the Duke of Edinburgh program to young people outside schools, including those in out-of-home care and in custody.

For the trio of inmates who had travelled from Mannus Correctional Complex in southern NSW, where they had been the first in Australia to undertake a bronze Duke of Ed in prison, it was a day they could never have imagined.
There are increasing signs that the tide is going out on single-sex education but a redoubt of principals at some of Sydneys oldest boys schools are resolutely refusing to enrol girls despite Newington College breaking ranks.

Newington has joined a growing list of private schools that are either considering going co-ed or have already done so. These include Cranbrook and Barker College, four Sydney Catholic schools in the inner west, Maroubra and north shore, The Armidale School in NSW and Canberra Grammar in the ACT. St Marys Cathedral College, a 200-year-old all-boys institution in the inner city, is going co-ed when new campus buildings are completed.

As the Heralds education editor Lucy Carroll reports, principals at a number of schools prefer to wait and see the impact of Newingtons move and will continue to offer parents the choice of sending their children to single-sex schools.

Meanwhile, a petition to overturn Newingtons decision is being circulated among old boys and parents. It attacks the headmaster and council. The co-ed move, it said, eroded our heritage as the school had always been a place for boys to grow into men, surrounded by their brothers. Its where we learned about camaraderie, leadership and respect  values that have shaped us into who we are today.
The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) reported suspicion to a current MP who tried to bribe top officials in the field of reconstruction, SAPO said in the Telegram channel on Tuesday.

"On the instructions of the head of the SAPO, the prosecutor reported suspicion to the current MP, who was exposed for providing undue benefits to the Deputy Prime Minister for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, the Minister of Development of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure of Ukraine and the head of the State Agency for Reconstruction and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine," SAPO said in the statement.

The prosecutor's report does not indicate the name of the person involved. As Interfax-Ukraine learned, this is about MP of For the Future group Serhiy Labaziuk, who is a member of the parliamentary committee on issues of agrarian and land policy.

According to SAPO information, also under the procedural guidance of SAPO prosecutors, NABU detectives reported suspicion to the MP's accomplice, the head of the enterprise. The actions of persons are qualified according to the elements of a crime provided for in Part 4 of Article 369 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (promising or providing an unlawful benefit to an official).

"The investigation of this criminal offense was made possible thanks to the personal assistance of the Prosecutor General," SAPO said.

It was established that the MP of Ukraine, acting in a preliminary conspiracy with the director of the joint-stock company, offered top officials an unlawful benefit for allocating UAH 1 billion of additional funding for the work that was carried out by the specified company under their control. "The proposed amount of improper benefit should be from 3% to 5% of the funding," the prosecutor's office said.

Subsequently, the suspects provided persons occupying a particularly responsible position with a portion of this unlawful benefit in the amount of $150,000.

The pretrial investigation continues. Other persons who may be involved in the commission of this crime are being identified.

"We note that the Deputy Prime Minister for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, the Minister of Development of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure of Ukraine and the head of the State Agency for Reconstruction and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine, collaborated with NABU and SAPO and contributed to the investigation of illegal actions," SAPO said.
Emma Walters told a private investigator that she wanted a gun so she could lure her former husband, construction union boss John Setka, to her home to use it on him before claiming self-defence, a court has heard.

On Tuesday, Walters appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court facing allegations she made threats to kill Setka and tried to get a firearm in March this year.

Emma Walters outside court on Tuesday. Credit: Simon Schluter

The court heard Walters was secretly recorded by private investigator Adrian Peeters, claiming she needed the gun because she feared being assaulted and raped by the union boss.

In the recording, played to the court, Peeters and Walters are walking through her West Footscray home when she says she wants to obtain a piece, slang for a gun, to use on the union heavyweight.
Yarra Trams has employed a small team of security staff to ride on routes and patrol stops in an effort to make the network feel safer for passengers.

The private tram operator deployed 14 of its new Network Safety Team (NST) members last month, working as a dedicated unit that can respond to safety incidents and emergencies.

From left: Myles Pearce, Primrose Busary and Marianne Cardona are three members of Yarra Trams new Network Safety Team. Credit: Jason South

Yarra Trams chief safety officer James McMillan said the security staff would ride on trams and patrol known hotspots for safety incidents, starting with the Elizabeth Street CBD terminus and Acland Street in St Kilda.

The teams focus is really on providing a visible presence on the network to deter antisocial behaviour, he said.
Wreckage has been found after a former military jet crashed into Port Phillip Bay near Mount Martha on Sunday afternoon with a pilot and cameraman on board.

A large part of the body of the plane was located off the shore of Mornington, Victoria Police said in a statement on Tuesday morning.

Police are working to remove the fuselage of the plane from the water, at which time it will be searched, the statement said.

Stephen Gale, a pilot, engineer, inventor and aspiring filmmaker, and James Rose, a talented cameraman and drone operator, are feared dead after two light S-211 Marchetti planes collided midair about 12 kilometres west of Mount Martha, in Melbournes south-east.
Tougher curbs on greenhouse emissions are needed to deliver on Australias commitment to the Paris Agreement goal of halting global warming at 1.5 degrees, says Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen, who used a major speech to defend progress to date.

In an address to the Lowy Institute on Tuesday night, Bowen said the nations climate goals would extend beyond its renewable energy ambitions to other sectors of the economy.

Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen says Australia will be supportive of strong COP outcomes at the UNs climate summit in Dubai in December. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

We are developing our sectoral plans to set us on the journey to net-zero emissions, he said.

Bowen said the rallying cry of Keep 1.5 Alive from the United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP) climate summit in 2021 must not be forgotten. That was why Australia would be supportive of strong outcomes at the UNs climate summit in Dubai in December, he said.
Laws requiring telecommunications companies to store vast troves of customer data are set to be wound back as part of a sweeping $600 million federal government plan to make Australia less vulnerable to crippling cyberattacks.

The government will on Wednesday release its long-awaited cybersecurity strategy, including plans to force companies to reveal when they have been hacked while creating a new system of health checks for small and medium-sized businesses.

Home Affairs Minister Clare ONeil has described cybersecurity as an urgent national problem. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Our strategy will make every Australian citizen, business, government agency and organisation a harder target, said Home Affairs Minister Clare ONeil, who is responsible for cybersecurity.

It will enable us to bounce back faster from attacks that we cannot prevent. We will put cybercriminals on notice, and we will fight back against the threat.
Meta, TikTok and Elon Musks X all face the prospect of fines of up to $787,000 if they fail to clamp down on hate speech, content harmful to children and sinister use of AI as the countrys internet watchdog is beefed up to protect Australians from growing online threats.

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland will on Wednesday announce a review of the Online Safety Act and an expansion of rules that social media firms must follow to avoid penalties.

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

This set of rules  known as the Basic Online Safety Expectations (BOSE) Determination  will be expanded to ensure childrens best interests is a primary consideration for tech firms, which will be forced to act against harmful material created by generative AI, detect hate speech, and publish regular reports on how it is helping keep users safe.

The limited scope of the fines means the new penalties are largely symbolic, but could damage the reputations of the multinational social media empires if they are found to breach duty of care.
And as recently last year Singtel was reportedly weighing an initial public offering of Optus, in what would be one of Australias largest-ever corporate listings. But the ongoing market volatility scuppered those plans. Optus is fully owned by Singtel, which itself is majority owned by Temasek Holdings, the investment arm of the Singapore government, which owns 55 per cent of the companys issued share capital. People outside an Optus store on the day of the latest outage. Credit: Chris Hopkins Aside from its own Singapore-based mobile network and Optus, Singtel also owns 32.15 per cent of Bharti Airtel, Indias second-largest carrier, as well as stakes in telcos across Thailand, the Philippines, South Asia, Africa and Indonesia. Singtels latest annual report shows that 46 per cent of its staff are based out of Singapore, despite 81 per cent of its underlying net profit coming from operations outside of Singapore.

Singtel has stayed mostly silent while a mass outage engulfed its Australian subsidiary this month, issuing only two statements to journalists: firstly to issue a correction to Optus technical explanation for the outage, then secondly to announce Bayer Rosmarins resignation. Singtel Group CEO Yuen Kuan Moon said on Monday that Optus was an integral part of our groups business. SingTel, Optus parent company, turned the finger back to Optus for its network outage last week. Credit: Bloomberg The Singtel board is led by former Temasek boss Lee Theng Kiat, while veteran Australian corporate executives Gail Kelly and John Arthur also sit on the board. Arthur is a member of Singtels risk and sustainability committee. The relative silence comes while Optus seemingly bleeds customers, with both TPG and Telstra reporting an early uptick in market share.

Data provided to this masthead from analysis firm Similarweb shows traffic to Vodafones website spiked on the day of the Optus outage. Vodafone would likely be the major beneficiary of any significant churn event, a Similarweb analyst said. [Optus] will be number two forever  they will never be number one with this approach and they will continue to lose customers. Boost Mobile founder Peter Adderton Adderton has a long shared history with Optus: Boost originally relied on the Optus network in the early 2000s, before later switching to Telstra infrastructure. Optus settled a legal dispute with Adderton and Boost Mobile earlier this year, after Boost took issue with Optus naming two of its products Mobile Boost and Internet Boost. The terms of the settlement were confidential. They will be number two forever, unless number three [TPG] catches them, Adderton said of Optus. They will never be number one with this approach, and they will continue to lose customers.

Right now any issue with Optus is going to be a big issue. It would take a pretty strong CEO to take turn that around, but what I think its going to take is a sale of Optus from the Singaporeans. I think thats a question for every telco, to shift yourself more to being customer-centric, but especially for Optus which is facing a crisis in customer trust, he said. Former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian is expected to become the new Optus chief executive. Credit: AAP A former Optus executive who requested anonymity to be able to speak freely said that Singtel had for years let Optus run its own show. There are definite cultural differences, its just the reality that people in Singapore treat their relationships and their connections differently to how people do in Australia, the executive said.

The former executive said that he expected former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian to be appointed Optus next chief executive despite the findings of corruption against her earlier this year. They think the relationship between Singtel and Optus is still tenable despite the geographical and cultural differences. I think they would be happy to appoint another Australian in the role, despite the corruption stuff, the executive said. Another potential front-runner discussed by industry figures is Anna Yip, the current deputy CEO of Singtels consumer business. Singtel did not respond to a request for comment. Optus chairman Paul OSullivan also did not respond to a request for comment.
Our home tonight is one of Cooindas new Yellow Waters villas, a short after-dinner stroll away. Each of the five villas is named for an Indigenous animal from the region, and ours is gabor (green ant). Kundjeyhmi language is everywhere, as it should be. Yellow Water villas, Cooinda. Its already quiet at 10pm. Holidaying in Kakadu is an early-morning scene and most guests have already bedded down in humble tents, kitted-out caravans, pimped motorhomes or motel rooms. Set apart from the vans, the pool, the restaurants and the reception, the villas closest neighbours  physically and evolutionarily  are the 20 air-conditioned Outback Retreats, which are neat canvas tents set on low platforms with a shared amenities block. Cooinda Lodge, Kakadu.

In comparison, our villas are fully self-contained, with a kitchen, bathroom and a barbecue on the deck. Raised on high platforms, gabor looks into the scrub and the small, undoubtedly croc-riddled, Home Billabong beyond. Its the (alleged) cool season but as a southerner, I giggle in disbelief as its in the mid-20s. We forgo the aircon and pull only the screen doors closed to listen to the bush, which creaks and snaps with the calls and footfalls of night creatures. Then, our party of two  me and my Darwin-born sister-in-law  pull out the robes, slippers and the welcome bottle of wine waiting in the fridge. Were too full for the complementary dessert platter, instead saving it for our planned barbie on the deck tomorrow night. Guided Indigenous walk. A stack of books sits on the small desk with some big names, including Marcia Langton and Bruce Pascoe. Theres also Ben Tylers childrens book, Walking in Gagadju Country and a bright orange self-published book by Judy Opitz, Kakadus so-called English rose, who is said to have been the blueprint for Nicole Kidmans character in Baz Luhrmanns outback epic, Australia. In the 1960s, the 10-Pound Pom married a local croc-hunter and set up a small store at nearby Jim Jim billabong that paved the way for tourism in Kakadu.

Its the sort of read youd rip through in a long soak, and there is a deep bathtub out on the open deck. The only problem is that these villas are so new, the screening hedges have not yet been planted, so modesty trumps luxury and instead, I read of Judy and husband Toms wild adventures from the comfort of the king-sized bed. Its no second best: there are Bose speakers for our music, and the many throws and cushions are from Better World Arts in Adelaide, which I love for its decades-long support of the arts in Australias remote Indigenous communities. The next morning, we flip the sign on our door to gone walkabout and head to the buffet breakfast at the main restaurant. To shake down the bacon and eggs, we take a gentle bushwalk through the art galleries at Burrungkuy/Nourlangie Rock, while away an hour at the Warradjan Cultural Centre, and then shop the Indigenous-owned and created handcrafts, art, earrings and organic oils and candles I spied at our Dird dinner. Theyre made by Kakadu Organics, which also supplies our villas soaps and lotions, scented with tea tree and lemon balm. We then join Mandy Muir, descendant of the Murumburr people, on a boat for one of the Territorys signature experiences, a cruise down Ngurrungurrudjba (Yellow Water) billabong. Mandy is Bens older sister and the longest-serving guide here in Kakadu, and runs a funny, very dry exploration of Kakadus most popular adventure. Yellow Water Billabong. Like most billabongs here, its choc-full of crocs who steal the show as they line up on the riverbanks, and everyone snaps the snappers. But we also spy herds of buffalo and wild horses, black-headed storks, ibis, egrets, kingfishers and thousands of ducklings who wander  ignorant in their youth  past the open jaws of cooling crocs.

On our second and final night in the villa, weve planned a barbecue on the deck, but our fallback plan is Cooindas tasting plate from the restaurant. Stacked with salt & pepper crocodile, buffalo fillet, paperbark-wrapped barra and condiments spiced with quandong, bush tomato or lemon myrtle, its perfect if your visit doesnt coincide with the Dird feasts. Otherwise, Ben suggests going out on country with one of the local tours, such as Animal Tracks Safari or Mandys Kakadu Billabong Safari Camp, to wild harvest and cook on the land. With less than half the visitors of Uluru, Kakadu is a different beast  less accommodation, less structure and less tourism industry. But I feel grounded in this landscape; it surrounds me and draws me in, rather than remaining aloof and waiting to be admired. And just three hours drive from Darwin, Kakadu is only a mini-roadtrip on sealed roads. Yet our days have been filled with sacred art, rare foods and stories. And the sublime scenery of another more beautiful, peaceful world. The writer travelled courtesy of NT Tourism. See northernterritory.com
Singapore: The Thai government will take a proposed law on marriage equality to parliament next month, setting the country on the path to becoming the first to legalise same-sex unions in south-east Asia.

Often referred to as an LGBTQI paradise, with a tolerant, welcoming attitude towards tourists with different sexual orientations, Buddhist-majority Thailand still restricts marriage to its traditional form of a partnership between husband and wife.

Participants hold a rainbow flag during a Pride Parade in Bangkok in June. Credit: AP

Its a reality that has continued to leave gay and lesbian Thais confronting discrimination that curtails their access to basic rights such as welfare and inheritance, let alone their ability to adopt a child.

Campaigners for reform have pushed for years for full marriage equality and the introduction of legislation for gender recognition.
The defendants boasted a colourful assortment of nicknames, from The Wolf and The Musician to Fatty, Shorty, Sweety, Mimmo the Baron and Giuseppe the Stick. Members of the Ndrangheta were arrested all over the world and sent to Italy, including these two (centre) in Paraguay. Credit: AP Among those found guilty was a former lieutenant colonel in the paramilitary police force, the Carabinieri, and a former MP from Forza Italia, the centre-right party that was founded by the late Silvio Berlusconi. The politician, Giancarlo Pittelli, a lawyer and a Mason, was sentenced to 11 years behind bars. About a dozen mafia dons were given prison sentences of up to 30 years.

They included Pasquale Bonavota, who was on the list of the countrys most dangerous fugitives and who received a jail sentence of 28 years. The investigation was spearheaded by Italys best-known prosecutor, Nicola Gratteri, who has lived under police protection for three decades. Todays ruling means a whole province of Calabria has been liberated from the top brass of the criminal group, he said. Chief Prosecutor Nicola Gratteri, who has lived under police protection for decades. Credit: Nine In the courtroom to see the sentences delivered was Rocco Mangiardi, 67, a local businessman and one of the first to denounce the Ndrangheta for extortion, in 2009.

Mangiardi, who has lived under police protection ever since, lamented the low turnout for the trials most important moment. This courtroom should be filled with citizens, he said. To show the judges that were on their side and then to tell the mafiosi with their presence: We dont want you. The trial was so big that a special courthouse had to be constructed inside a former call centre in Lamezia Terme, a town in Calabria, the southern region which has been the Ndranghetas stronghold for nearly two centuries. The court complex was large enough to accommodate not just the defendants, but hundreds of prosecutors, defence lawyers, court officials and journalists. The trial stemmed from raids conducted by elite police units in December 2019 in which about 300 suspects were arrested, not just in Italy but also in Germany, Switzerland and Bulgaria.

The operation involved a specialist, helicopter-borne Carabinieri regiment called the Cacciatori  the Hunters. The trial largely involved members of the Mancuso family, one of many clans that make up the Ndrangheta, which controls the province of Vibo Valentia on the west coast of Calabria. The alleged head of the clan, Luigi The Supreme Mancuso, 69, was removed from the maxi-trial last year and is being tried separately. Another 67 defendants in the original indictment opted for a fast-track trial and have already been sentenced.

While it will by no means mean the death of the Ndrangheta, it was nevertheless significant, experts said. The trial was very important because it gives a strong message that the state is willing to combat the Ndrangheta, said Antonio Nicaso, a mafia expert and author whose books include The Secret History of the Ndrangheta. Much of the evidence came from pentiti, the sons and daughters of mafia dons who decided to turn against their families and collaborate with the authorities, despite knowing that such betrayal puts them under a death sentence from relatives. This had never happened before in Calabria, Nicaso said. There were six or seven adult children of mafiosi who decided to collaborate. This is totally new. Until now, the Ndrangheta has been hard to penetrate because of its reliance on blood bonds and family connections to maintain a system of omerta or code of silence, he said.

The fact that this has happened will weaken the image and reputation of the Ndrangheta. They would do anything to defend their criminal brand. Emanuele Mancuso was key to the case: breaking the code of silence and informing on his family. Credit: One of the most important turncoats was Luigi Mancusos nephew, Emanuele Mancuso. He told investigators he decided to do the unthinkable  inform on his family  after his girlfriend became pregnant. He did not want his first child to grow up in the atmosphere of fear and criminality in which he had been raised. He now lives under state protection in a secret location.

There were many pentiti who decided to collaborate with the state, said Giuseppe Borrello from the anti-mafia organisation Libera. The Ndrangheta has always been renowned as one of the strongest criminal organisations because there were so few collaborators with the judicial authorities. This trial was an important outcome. The Ndrangheta has spread far beyond its Calabrian roots and now has interests across the world, from Canada and South America to Australia. It is believed to have an annual income of about 50 billion ($83.4 billion), much of which is made from the cocaine trade and is said to control about 80 per cent of the cocaine trafficking business in Europe. The profits from the drug trade are invested in legitimate businesses such as supermarkets, hotels, restaurants, food markets and car dealerships.

It is considered to have eclipsed Italys two other principal mafias  Cosa Nostra in Sicily and the Camorra of Naples. It is also renowned for its brutality  a businesswoman from Calabria was reportedly murdered and fed to pigs in 2016 after refusing to sell her land to a man with Ndrangheta connections. Experts say the Ndranghetas stranglehold on Calabria is explained in part by the chronic lack of economic development and neglect of the region, which forms the toe of the Italian boot. A view of the bunker specially constructed for the mafia trial. Credit: AP The rate of unemployment among young people is 27 per cent, the highest of 20 regions and worse than other deprived areas such as Campania, Sicily and Puglia.

A confidential briefing paper by the American embassy in Rome, which was leaked through WikiLeaks in 2011, declared: If it were not part of Italy, Calabria would be a failed state. Loading American diplomats said the region was blighted by ineffective politicians, an acute lack of resources and an almost non-existent civil society. Much of the regions industry collapsed over a decade ago, leaving environmental and economic ruin, the report said. The diplomats said that Calabria was beset by seemingly intractable problems and that in one province in particular, organised crime seems to control almost every facet of society.

Mafia organisations like the Ndrangheta operate like a parallel state. If you need a job, the clan finds you one in half an hour, Emanuele Mancuso told GQ magazine. Loading The state doesnt find you one. If your car is stolen and you go to the police, they might find it in a month or two, in the very best-case scenario. With the clan, its a quarter of an hour. Thats the power that they have. The convictions will be a blow to the criminal network but will not bring it down, given its deep roots and its presence in more than 50 countries.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held bilateral meetings with President of the European Council Charles Michel and President of Moldova Maia Sandu during their visit to Ukraine, the press service of the head of state has said.

During the meeting with Sandu, the president of Ukraine noted the importance of further development of joint infrastructure projects. The leaders discussed expanding Ukrainian export opportunities, in particular through the territory of Moldova.

"Ukraine and Moldova have a common goal  membership in the European Union. And they are moving together towards this goal. It is very symbolic that now, ten years after our Revolution of Dignity, we are together. Together we add results for our countries and strengthen our region, and entire Europe," Zelenskyy said.

The heads of state stressed the importance of developing regional cooperation. They discussed security issues, as well as the challenges that Ukraine and Moldova face in the winter. In addition, the parties coordinated steps for bilateral cooperation in the energy industry.

During the meeting with Michel, Zelenskyy thanked him for the visit, which takes place on the Day of Dignity and Freedom, and noted the importance of the assistance that Ukraine receives during the full-scale Russian invasion.

"I am pleased with all the results of our great work. [The work of] all of us  the parliament, the government  on the implementation of all the recommendations of the European Commission. We really count on a powerful decision in December," Zelenskyy said.
Israels cabinet approved a temporary ceasefire with the Hamas militant group that is expected to bring the first halt in fighting in a devastating six-week war and win freedom for dozens of hostages held captive in the Gaza Strip.

Egypts state-run Qahera TV reported that the temporary truce to allow the release of some hostages will begin at 10am local time on Thursday (7pm AEDT).

The deal calls for a four-day ceasefire, during which Israel will halt its military offensive in Gaza while Hamas frees at least 50 of the roughly 240 hostages it and other militants are holding, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office said. The first hostages to be released are women and children.

People demonstrate outside the Kyria defence complex in Tel Aviv as Israels cabinet meets. Credit: Getty

The government of Israel is committed to bringing all of the hostages home. Tonight, the government approved the outline for the first stage of achieving this goal, the office said in a statement on Wednesday (AEDT).
PHILIPSBURG:--- We call for the Government of Sint Maarten to retract its decision to prohibit the recently announced solidarity march on Sint Maarten.

On November 9, an informal collective, identifying themselves as SXM in Solidarity with Palestine announced a solidarity march about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. This was formally announced to the Minister of Justice on November 10, in line with the National Ordinance on Public Manifestations. For this march, organizers developed a safety plan to ensure that the march would be peaceful. This has been consulted with the local police forces who provided additional input to mitigate any potential risk. After the first meeting, the organizers adjusted the plan and amended the request on the 16th of November.

On November 19, the Minister of Justice prohibited the march from happening by Ministerial Decree. In the decision of the Minister of Justice prohibiting the march, it was not clarified whose rights would be infringed upon when the march would take place.

The demonstration organizers lament the government's decision to prohibit the march and is of the opinion that basic civil rights are denied to those who want to express solidarity with the victims of the genocide in Palestine, calling also for an immediate ceasefire. The organizers, who wish to remain anonymous due to their fear of further political persecution, also express their concern about the government's incapacity to guarantee freedom of speech in the country of Sint Maarten.

We notified Minister Richardson and the police force of our intentions to hold a peaceful demonstration more than a week ahead of time, and together with the police, we even designed a safety plan. Our rights as citizens have been clearly denied, and this should concern all residents of the island and Dutch Kingdom authorities, no matter what your opinion on the reason for the announced protest.

In their decision, the Government stated to have taken note of the concerning propaganda on social media related to the march on November 19, 2023. Allegedly, this propaganda promotes the destruction of property and the burning of national flags.

The organizers reject this claim and deny that any propaganda, especially any call for the destruction of property and burning of national flags has been part of the events promotion. Moreover, the term propaganda insinuates that there has been sharing of false information to mislead people into action, whereas nothing but facts have been presented in the announcement of the march. The organizers reiterate that we have always clearly communicated that violence, hateful messaging, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, support for Hamas, or the atrocities committed by the Israeli State would not be accepted at the event. We hoped to be able to consult members of the Jewish community and collectively advocate against human rights violations.

Organizers, after the decision, were made aware of a video in which a Sint Maarten resident burns an Israeli flag and that this could be the reason for the Ministers decision. Since this video was posted before any announcement for the peace march was to take place, this is entirely unrelated to the intended protest and we were never made aware of its existence by the relevant authorities. To prohibit a demonstration because one person posted a video of himself burning an Israeli flag a month beforehand is ludicrous. That would be like canceling Carnival because one person was drinking and driving a month before the annual event.



As a reason for the prohibition, the Minister of Justice states that the expected unrest as well as direct and severe risk for public order that this march could create in the community of St. Maarten, is of great concern. The decision, according to the Minister, is in line with Article 5, paragraph 2, in conjunction with Article 2 of the National Ordinance on Public Manifestations where it is further stated that the Minister of Justice has the authority to prohibit a demonstration for the protection of health, in the interests of traffic and to prevent or control disorder. Although the organizers understand that a demonstration could lead to some social unrest - after all not everybody has the same opinion - this in itself could not be a reason to restrict peoples right to express their opinions through demonstration. It seems that the Government is more concerned about keeping a false narrative alive, where there is no space to let any conflict come to the surface as this threatens an image of a Friendly Island.



The Government of Sint Maarten seems to be confused about what their obligations are to the general population, and ministers do not understand what is happening in the Middle East. They seem to think that we are dealing with a religious conflict, when in fact what the world is witnessing is genocide. It is unfortunate that island residents concerned with the international situation will have to find recourse in the French territory. This is not about Arabs versus Jews, the largest demonstrations in the United States are organized by the Jewish community. The march, and we will demonstrate eventually, will be composed of people from all ethnic, religious, and national identities, and all walks of life. Just like in the Black Lives Matter demonstrations of 2020.

The Government states that the possibility of placing restrictions on the demonstration has been extensively reviewed. However, it is concluded that these restrictions will insufficiently take away the aforementioned expected unrest as well as direct and severe risk for public order.

The Government of Sint Maarten has not done everything in its power to respond to the alleged risks. A decision to prohibit a demonstration should not be taken lightly as the Government needs to ensure that the constitutional right to the freedom to demonstrate is upheld. If there are any concerns to safety and public order, the Government should take the responsibility of addressing these through other means, such as the prohibition of specific individuals to attend. Similarly, additional mobilization of police forces or even collaboration with the Dutch Marines to ensure the safety of protestors and property could be an option. It should be clear, however, that the expectation was that only 80 to 100 persons would participate in this march.

The rights to freedom of expression and assembly are crucial to uphold democratic values. While we recognize that it is important to address harmful misinformation and ensure public safety, open and respectful dialogue, considering all perspectives, is vital in maintaining harmony - especially in a multi-ethnic society as ours. Prohibiting this march is undermining the social fabric of the Sint Maarten community as supporters of the march feel restricted in their constitutional democratic rights and feel that their opinion matters less than others. Some would even feel like they are only good for paying taxes and are treated like secondhand citizens. This decision by the Minister of Justice is therefore about more than just the initial cause of the protest. This is about upholding the democratic values of our country and its social fabric. We find it worrisome to see how these values are being repressed and the opinions of specific community members are dismissed.

We further find it astonishing that a Government that has on multiple occasions promoted decolonization and the discussion on slavery and colonialism, cannot make the link with the situation in Gaza being a direct result of colonialism. Western states continue to actively support the occupation of territories by foreign entities at the expense of civilian lives and livelihoods, resulting in grave human rights abuses and war crimes of the highest order.

Keeping all the above in mind, the Government of Sint Maarten should retract its decision and allow the peaceful protest to take place. The organizers are open to further discussing any safety measures with the relevant authorities to allow people to call for a ceasefire in Gaza and join in grief for the many deaths this conflict continues to cause.
Consolidated Uranium Announces Record Date for the Spin-Out of Premier American Uranium

Consolidated Uranium Inc. (aCURa, the aCompanya, aConsolidated Uraniuma  https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/consolidated-uranium-inc/ ) (TSXV: CUR) (OTCQX: CURUF) is pleased to provide an update on the previously announced planned spin-out of Premier American Uranium Inc. (aPremier American Uraniuma or aPURa), through a plan of arrangement under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) (the aSpin-Outa). As part of the Arrangement, CUR is transferring ownership of certain indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries that hold eight U.S. Department of Energy leases and certain patented claims located in Colorado to PUR in exchange for 7,753,752 common shares of PUR (aPUR Sharesa). PUR is currently a majority-controlled subsidiary of CUR focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of uranium projects in Wyoming and Colorado.

All of the conditions precedent to completion of the Spin-Out have been satisfied, including among others, receipt of the final order of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Commercial List) and receipt of conditional approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the aTSXVa) for listing of the PUR Shares (the aListinga).

Accordingly, the Company is pleased to announce the anticipated closing date for the Spin-Out is November 27, 2023 (the aRecord Datea). CUR shareholders as of 12:01 a.m. on the Record Date will receive their pro rata portion of the 3,876,786 PUR Shares that are being distributed by CUR pursuant to the Arrangement. The precise number of PUR Shares to be distributed to each CUR shareholder will be determined on the Record Date, but is currently anticipated to be approximately 0.0374 of a PUR Share for each CUR share held by such holder as at the Record Date. In accordance with the procedures of CDS Clearing and Depository Services Inc., the payment date is November 29, 2023, and CUR Shareholders can expect to receive their PUR Shares on or about such date. A The Listing is subject to the final approval of the TSXV in accordance with its original listing requirements and is expected to be completed shortly after the payment date.

Update on Private Placement by Premier American Uranium

Further to the Companya?s press release dated August 24, 2023, the Company is also pleased to announce that PUR completed a second tranche (the aSecond Tranchea) of its previously announced fully marketed private placement (the aPURA Offeringa), representing a partial exercise of the over-allotment option granted to the Agents (as defined below), for gross proceeds of C$207,049.50 from the sale of 138,033 additional subscription receipts of PUR (each, a aSubscription Receipta) at a price of C$1.50 per Subscription Receipt (the aOffering Pricea). Red Cloud Securities Inc. acted as lead agent and sole bookrunner on behalf of a syndicate of agents including PI Financial Corp. (together, the aAgentsa).

The terms of the Subscription Receipts sold pursuant to the Second Tranche are identical to the Subscription Receipts sold previously pursuant to the PUR Offering. In addition, PUR issued 9,335 broker warrants (the aBroker Warrantsa) to the Agents pursuant to the closing of the Second Tranche. Each Broker Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one PUR Share at the Offering Price until August 24, 2026.

The proceeds of the Second Tranche, net of the reasonable out-of-pocket expenses of the Agents, will be held in escrow and not released to PUR unless the escrow release conditions (the aEscrow Release Conditionsa) are satisfied on or before December 22, 2023 (the date of satisfaction or waiver, as applicable, of such escrow release conditions being, the aEscrow Release Datea).

This news release does not constitute an offer of securities for sale in the United States. The securities 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.

Merger with IsoEnergy

Completion of the Spin-Out Transaction will not impact the previously announced merger (the aMergera or the aArrangementa) involving CUR and IsoEnergy Ltd. (aIsoEnergya). Completion of the Spin-Out is a condition precedent to completion of the Merger and, accordingly, the Spin-Out will be completed in advance of closing of the Merger. In addition to the right to receive PUR Shares under the Spin-Out, Shareholders are entitled to receive the consideration under the Merger comprised of 0.500 of a common share of IsoEnergy for each CUR share held.

The special meeting of Shareholders (the aMeetinga) to approve the Merger will be held at the offices of Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP, Suite 3200, Bay Adelaide Centre a North Tower, 40 Temperance St., Toronto, Ontario and online at meetnow.global/MJFSQPW on November 28, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. (Toronto time). Shareholders of record as of October 16, 2023, are eligible to vote at the Meeting. Shareholders must submit their proxies for the Meeting before 10:00 am (Toronto Time) on Friday, November 24, 2023.

Please visit the Special Meeting page on our website for complete details and links to all relevant documents ahead of the Meeting at https://consolidateduranium.com/investors/special-meeting/.

About Consolidated UraniumA

Consolidated Uranium Inc. (TSXV: CUR) (OTCQX: CURUF) was created in early 2020 to capitalize on an anticipated uranium market resurgence using the proven model of diversified project consolidation. To date, the Company has acquired or has the right to acquire uranium projects in Australia, Canada, Argentina, and the United States each with significant past expenditures and attractive characteristics for development.

The Company is currently advancing its portfolio of permitted, past-producing conventional uranium and vanadium mines in Utah and Colorado, with a toll milling arrangement in place with Energy Fuels Inc., a leading U.S.-based uranium mining company. These mines are currently on stand-by, ready for rapid restart as market conditions permit, positioning CUR as a near-term uranium producer.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulations Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding aForward-Lookinga Information

This news release contains \forward-looking information\ within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. aForward-looking informationa includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future including, but not limited to, completion of the Spin-Out and the Listing; the number of PUR Shares to be issued to CUR Shareholders and the anticipated timing for delivery of the PUR Shares to CUR Shareholders; the satisfaction or waiver, as applicable, of the Escrow Release Conditions; the use of proceeds from the PUR Offering; completion of the Arrangement and anticipated timing of the Meeting; and the Companya?s ongoing business plan, sampling, exploration and work programs. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as aplansa, aexpectsa, ais expecteda, abudgeta, ascheduleda, aestimatesa, aforecastsa, aintendsa, aanticipatesa, or abelievesa or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results amaya, acoulda, awoulda, amighta or awill be takena, aoccura or abe achieveda or the negative connotation thereof. Such forward-looking information and statements are based on numerous assumptions, including the ability of the parties to receive, in a timely manner and on satisfactory terms, the necessary approvals; the ability of the parties to satisfy, in a timely manner, the other conditions to the completion of the Spin-Out and the Listing; that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner, that financing will be available if and when needed and on reasonable terms, and that third party contractors, equipment and supplies and governmental and other approvals required to conduct the Companya?s planned exploration activities will be available on reasonable terms and in a timely manner. Although the assumptions made by the Company in providing forward-looking information or making forward-looking statements are considered reasonable by management at the time, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be accurate.

Forward-looking information and statements also involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual events or results in future periods to differ materially from any projections of future events or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking information or statements, including, among others: the diversion of management time on the Spin-Out and Listing; negative operating cash flow and dependence on third party financing, uncertainty of additional financing, no known mineral reserves or resources, reliance on key management and other personnel, potential downturns in economic conditions, actual results of exploration activities being different than anticipated, changes in exploration programs based upon results, and risks generally associated with the mineral exploration industry, environmental risks, changes in laws and regulations, community relations and delays in obtaining governmental or other approvals and the risk factors with respect to Consolidated Uranium set out in CURa?s annual information form in respect of the year ended December 31, 2022 and the risk factors with respect to the Spin-Out set out in CURa?s management information circular dated July 4, 2023, filed with the Canadian securities regulators and available under CURa?s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information or implied by 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 forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or reissue forward-looking information as a result of new information or events except as required by applicable securities laws.
Leading Proxy Advisory Firm Glass Lewis Recommends Consolidated Uranium Shareholders Vote FOR the Arrangement Resolution with IsoEnergy

Consolidated Uranium Inc. (aCURa, the aCompanya, aConsolidated Uraniuma) (TSXV: CUR) (OTCQX: CURUF  https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/consolidated-uranium-inc/ ) is pleased to announce that Glass Lewis & Co. (aGlass Lewisa), an independent proxy voting and corporate governance advisory firm, has recommended that Consolidated Uranium shareholders (aShareholdersa) vote aFORa the resolution (the \Arrangement Resolutiona) to approve the previously announced merger (the aMergera or the aArrangementa) involving CUR and IsoEnergy Ltd. (aIsoEnergya) at the upcoming Special Meeting of Shareholders (the aMeetinga) to be held on Tuesday, November 28, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. (Toronto Time).

Philip Williams, Chairman and CEO of CUR, stated, aWe are pleased that both Glass Lewis and ISS support the Boarda?s unanimous recommendation that shareholders for aFORa the Arrangement Resolution. We look forward to completing the Merger and encourage all CUR shareholders to follow the recommendations of Glass Lewis, ISS, and CURa?s Board of Directors to vote aFORa? the ArrangementA Resolution.a

In making their recommendation, Glass Lewis commented:

aAll told, we believe the board has presented a sufficient case to support its view that the strategic opportunity presented by the Purchaser is attractive. In terms of rationale underpinning the transaction, we highlight that both companies\- project bases appear to be complementary, likely allowing for certain strategic and operational synergies, with the combined company expected to become one of the top ten publicly traded uranium-focused companies in the world, in terms of market capitalization.a

Vote Today

Shareholders are reminded that the deadline to vote is fast approaching. Shareholders must submit their proxies before 10:00 am (Toronto Time) on Friday, November 24, 2023.

The Board of Directors of Consolidated Uranium recommends that Shareholders FOR the Arrangement Resolution

YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT a PLEASE VOTE TODAY

Special Meeting Details

The Meeting will be held at the offices of Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP, Suite 3200, Bay Adelaide Centre a North Tower, 40 Temperance St., Toronto, Ontario and online at meetnow.global/MJFSQPW on November 28, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. (Toronto time). Shareholders of record as of October 16, 2023, are eligible to vote at the Meeting.

Please visit the Special Meeting page on our website for complete details and links to all relevant A documents ahead of the Meeting at https://consolidateduranium.com/investors/special-meeting/.

Questions & Voting

If you have questions about the meeting matters or require voting assistance please contact Consolidated Uraniumas proxy solicitation agent, Laurel Hill Advisory Group at:

Laurel Hill Advisory Group

North American Toll Free: 1-877-452-7184 (1-416-304-0211 outside North America)

Email: assistance@laurelhill.com

About Consolidated Uranium Inc.

Consolidated Uranium Inc. (TSXV: CUR) (OTCQX: CURUF) was created in early 2020 to capitalize on an anticipated uranium market resurgence using the proven model of diversified project consolidation. To date, the Company has acquired or has the right to acquire uranium projects in Australia, Canada, Argentina, and the United States each with significant past expenditures and attractive characteristics for development.

The Company is currently advancing its portfolio of permitted, past-producing conventional uranium and vanadium mines in Utah and Colorado, with a toll milling arrangement in place with Energy Fuels Inc., a leading U.S.-based uranium mining company. These mines are currently on stand-by, ready for rapid restart as market conditions permit, positioning CUR as a near-term uranium producer.

For More Information, Please Contact:

Philip Williams

Chairman and CEO

pwilliams@consolidateduranium.com

Toll-Free: 1-833-572-2333

Twitter: @ConsolidatedUr

http://www.consolidateduranium.com

In Europe:

Swiss Resource Capital AG

Jochen Staiger

info@resource-capital.ch

www.resource-capital.ch

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulations Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains aforward-looking informationa within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as aplansa, aexpectsa or adoes not expecta, ais expecteda, abudgeta, ascheduleda, aestimatesa, aforecastsa, aintendsa, aanticipatesa or adoes not anticipatea, or abelievesa, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results amaya, acoulda, awoulda, amighta or awill be takena, aoccura or abe achieveda. These forward-looking statements or information may relate to the Arrangement, the Meeting and the Companya?s ongoing business plan, exploration and work program.

Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management at the time, 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. Such assumptions include, but are not limited to, assumptions regarding the completion of the Arrangement including receipt of required shareholder, regulatory, court and stock exchange approvals, the ability of Consolidated Uranium and IsoEnergy to satisfy, in a timely manner, the other conditions to the closing of the Arrangement, other expectations and assumptions concerning the Arrangement, and that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner. Although Consolidated Uranium has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. 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.

Such statements represent the current views of Consolidated Uranium with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by Consolidated Uranium, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to the following: inability of Consolidated Uranium and IsoEnergy to complete the Arrangement, a material adverse change in the timing of any completion and the terms and conditions upon which the Arrangement is completed; inability to satisfy or waive all conditions to closing the Arrangement; Shareholders not approving the Arrangement; the TSX Venture Exchange not providing final approval to the Arrangement and all required matters related thereto; the inability of the combined company to realize the benefits anticipated from the Arrangement and the timing to realize such benefits; any future exploration work not having the anticipated positive results; unanticipated changes in market price for the CUR shares and/or IsoEnergy shares; changes to Consolidated Uraniuma?s and/or IsoEnergya?s current and future business plans and the strategic alternatives available thereto; growth prospects and outlook of Consolidated Uraniuma?s and/or IsoEnergya?s business; treatment of the Arrangement under applicable competition laws and the Investment Canada Act; regulatory determinations and delays; any impacts of COVID-19 on the business of the combined company and the ability to advance the combined company projects; stock market conditions generally; demand, supply and pricing for uranium; and general economic and political conditions in Canada and other jurisdictions where the applicable party conducts business. Other factors which could materially affect such forward-looking information are described in the risk factors in Consolidated Uraniuma?s most recent annual information form, the management information circular in connection with the Meeting and in Consolidated Uraniuma?s other filings with the Canadian securities regulators which are available on the Companya?s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Consolidated Uranium does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
Ukraine is implementing the recommendations of the European Council to start negotiations on accession to the EU and believes that the European Union, in turn, will be ready to go its part of the way to meet Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.

"Today, with President of the European Council Charles Michel, we discussed Ukraine's progress in implementing the recommendations  everything that Ukraine has to do. We are doing and implementing everything," Zelensky said at a briefing with the head of the European Council and the President of Moldova in Kyiv.

As he noted, "Ukraine understands that the path of any country to the EU is a path of merit, not gifts, therefore Ukraine is implementing its part of the work."

"And we believe that the European Union will be ready to go its part to meet Ukraine halfway, as promised  so that by the end of the year, in December, the result will be such a desirable and important political decision for us on the start of accession negotiations and the approach of the process of full-fledged European integration," the president said.

He also said ten years ago on the Maidan in Kyiv, the whole of Europe saw how much the flag of the European Union really means for Ukraine.

"And when our Ukrainian flag is on an equal footing with all the EU flags in Brussels, this will mean that Europe will never again lose itself under the blows of any aggression. Thank you for your support to my colleague and for this important visit," Zelenskyy said.
Russian tactical aircraft inflicted Kh-31P missile strikes on Odesa region during the day and in the evening on Tuesday, according to the Command of the South Defense Forces of Ukraine.

"The enemy launches anti-radar missiles with the aim of detecting and destroying air defense systems. An open area, an administrative building, and port infrastructure were attacked in Odesa and Bilhorod-Dnistrovsky district," it said.
Zelenskyy discusses with Pistorius situation on battlefield, thanks Germany for new package of strong military assistance

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius in Kyiv on Tuesday, the head of state thanked Germany for providing a new package of strong military assistance of EUR 1.3 billion.

"I had a meeting with the German Defense Minister. Today he visited not only Kyiv but also regions of our country where he supported our soldiers and all our people. I am grateful for this... We discussed the situation on the battlefield with Mr. Minister Boris Pistorius," Zelenskyy said in an evening video message.

According to the president, now cooperation between Ukraine and Germany consists, in particular, in the joint production of weapons.

"In everything that will help protect both Ukraine and our entire Europe," he said.

Zelenskyy also thanked Germany for providing a new package of military assistance and called it "a really very serious package."

"This is defense support of EUR 1.3 billion. And, among other things, this package includes strengthening our air defense, namely new IRIS-T systems and air defense missiles. Thanks to this, our cities and thousands of lives of our people will be saved from Russian terror. It is very important that this package also contains the artillery we need," Zelenskyy said.

The head of state once again emphasized that Germany today remains among the leaders in helping Ukrainian defense and maintaining peace throughout Europe.
He said London  which is embarking on a foreign policy tilt towards the Indo-Pacific in recognition of the growing influence of China  and Seoul would contribute to a better future for humanity as he laid out plans to collaborate on security, technology and energy.
These relate to concerns about light pollution for local residents, the lack of green credentials and the impact the development would have on heritage sites in the area. For those wondering why the lights could not be turned off on the outside of the building (like, you know, most buildings), MSG claimed this would render the project, in part funded by advertising revenue, uneconomical. There would, however, be restrictions on luminance levels and overnight lighting. The decision now goes to Communities Secretary Michael Gove for his signature or veto.
That left Marshall, Rothermere and Montgomery. Marshall had the funds, he was in cahoots with one of New Yorks mightiest hedge fund bosses, Ken Griffin of Citadel, and he was viewed as the front-runner. Rothermere may have been able to lay his hands on the lucre but his approach would most likely give rise to competition issues. Montgomery, successful as he is, was thought not to be in the same league. As for Murdoch, he was rumoured to be more interested in acquiring The Spectator.
Aside from the fact these crackers are insanely good-looking, in cheerful stripes with extra sparkle to make the prettiest of Christmas tablescapes, they are also reusable year-after-year, and definitely not just for Christmas. Each cracker is handmade in Yorkshire using 100% cotton and comes with recycled paper confetti and space to stuff them with whatever treats you fancy.
If Sam Altman wasnt already the biggest name in Artificial Intelligence last week, he definitely is now. As boss of OpenAI, creators of Chat GPT, Altman leads a firm that has revolutionised how many people work and study  and grapples with the moral questions around their tech. Last week, Altman was suddenly ousted from OpenAI by the board  causing mutiny among staff  and signed up with Microsoft to lead a competitor outfit. Then, just as suddenly, he returned to the top of OpenAI, pledging to work in tandem with Microsoft. But who is Altman, and what is he likely to do next?
It is anticipated that (Mr Adams) will deny that he was ever a member of the (Provisional IRA), although currently the court should note that it has no evidence upon which to base that conclusion there being no defence entered and no statement from (Mr Adams) setting out his account, she told the judge in a written case outline.
"For example: no instructions on the use of the emergency engine cut-off were given; no instructions were given on any areas to avoid, in the context of an area with many submerged rocks; and no lifejackets were supplied to people hiring jet skis."
The Chancellor is expected to take advantage of headroom in the public finances, allowing him to reduce taxes while still meeting his "fiscal rules" of having debt falling in the fifth year of the economic forecast and for borrowing to be less than 3 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP).
Speaking about the 10 million euro donated to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestinian refugees, and 3 million euro to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), she added there was no suggestion that that funding is doing anything other than for the purpose for which it is intended, and there is good due diligence to ensure that.
I can only admire how they can prioritise these vital issues, as well as being global superstars. Sadly, when I was in Seoul all those years ago, I am not sure I developed much of what might be called the Gangnam Style!
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba took online participation in an expanded meeting of foreign ministers of the G7 countries and partners dedicated to protecting and strengthening the Ukrainian energy system for the winter period, the press service of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry (MFA) said.

Kuleba briefed his colleagues about preparing Ukraine for winter, protecting against Russian attacks on energy infrastructure, strengthening air defense and protecting the energy system.

"Ukraine has already put a lot of effort into preparing for the winter and countering the threats of Russian terror on our energy system. Today we are better prepared for winter than last year. We are deeply grateful to the international partners who are actively helping us with this. Now we face two key tasks: further strengthening of Ukraine's air defense and provision of energy equipment for our energy system," the minister said.

He also named specific steps, the implementation of which will strengthen the protection of Ukraine's critical infrastructure from Russian attacks.

"Strengthening air defense is the best way to prevent further damage to our energy system. We are grateful to our partners for the assistance already provided and look forward to further increasing the number of anti-aircraft missile systems, anti-aircraft artillery, anti-drone systems, electronic warfare equipment and air defense ammunition," the minister said.

According to Kuleba, the second priority is the provision of energy equipment, in particular additional transformers, gas turbines and other equipment necessary for the prompt restoration and strengthening of Ukraine's energy system. In this context, he thanked his partners for the already concluded contracts for the purchase of transformers and other equipment for Ukrainian needs.

During the meeting, a number of countries and organizations announced their readiness to provide additional equipment and funding to protect and strengthen the Ukrainian power grid during the winter.

Kuleba said Ukraine's long-term goal is full integration into the EU energy market through the creation of a decentralized, flexible and sustainable energy system in the country, based in particular on renewable energy sources.

The meeting, convened by the United States and the Japanese G7 Presidency, was attended by the G7 countries, as well as Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, the leadership of the EBRD, UNDP, the World Bank, and the International Renewable Energy Agency IRENA and the European Energy Community.
Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron said: This agreement  signed 70 years after the Korean War Armistice  is a truly unique step in the strengthening of our work to secure the security of the Korean Peninsula and the region. We are proud, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, to be at the forefront of international sanctions enforcement activity.
In a letter to Rishi Sunak on Tuesday ahead of a debate on a ceasefire in the region in Holyrood, Humza Yousaf has pushed for the UK Government to recognise Palestine within the borders set out in 1967, claiming it would help to end the political impasse that has condemned Israelis and the Palestinians to successive cycles of violence.
Children at Langside Primary School had to be let out class by class at the end of the school day, with police and fire personnel standing by as the pavement outside the school was one of the areas cordoned off.
Given the defendants repeated public statements that the claims brought by the Claimants are preposterous  and that it has nothing to hide, it would be surprising for the Defendant not to disclose this material voluntarily to the Claimants, the lawyers for Prince Harry said.
To do so, individuals will have to challenge seemingly 'harmless' behaviours perpetuating violence for women and girls. Change the story is about reversing the narrative and alluding men to ways they can take an active role in preventing violence by calling out harmful attitudes resulting in violence.
They heard how Elizabeth II visited the rural village of Hahoe in Andong Province, where she was held in such high esteem that they sent a crate of apples to the royal household for her every year on her birthday.
On Tuesday Spanish police said two suspects were detained in the city of Lanjaron, in southern Spain, and the third in the city of Fuengirola.
When it came to training overseas visitors, his approach extended beyond merely instructing. He ensured that all aspects of their life in an unfamiliar country were addressed. Drawing from his own experience as a migrant, Dad empathised with the challenges people faced when leaving their homelands, often without their families. His goal was to establish a supportive environment, making their transition as comfortable as possible.
Mr Hintz said every student at Capital City College Group, which is the largest college group in London, must undertake work experience. He said: The biggest impact we can have on a person looking for their next step is work experience, its that simple. A regular, long-term placement is the best option, he said, adding: A couple of days a week over a very long time mostly turns into a job at the end. He said the cost of undertaking work experience is a significant barrier for many students, who might have to give up paid part-time work to undertake the placements. The month before Christmas is particularly difficult, he said, because there are many more opportunities for seasonal paid work.
It is our job to enact reforms that keep our broadcasters at the top of their game in the years ahead. This Bill will do that by levelling the playing field, removing threats to their sustainability and opening up new opportunities to maximise growth and unlock potential.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who arrived in Kyiv on a visit, together with his Ukrainian colleague Rustem Umerov, visited one of the military training centers, as well as an air defense control center, which is armed with one of the Patriot air defense systems transferred by Germany.

"We were at the training center and showed our partners how we are reforming recruiting and training," Umerov said at a joint briefing with Pistorius in Kyiv.

He also said they visited the air defense control center, which is armed with one of the Patriot air defense systems transferred by Germany.

"The effective use of these weapons allows our economy to work, including military-industrial complex enterprises," Umerov said.

At the same time, as the minister said, not only assistance was discussed, but also readiness for joint production of weapons and localization in Ukraine.

Separately, the Minister of Defense of Ukraine thanked his colleague for his visit to Kyiv on the Day of Dignity and Freedom and for the assistance provided and training of the Ukrainian military.

"I thank German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius for his visit on such an important day for us  the Day of Dignity and Freedom. Our defense forces and the entire Ukrainian people continue to fight for their dignity and freedom. Thank you to Germany for being with us in this fight. Thank you for your support," Umerov said.

The German Ministry of Defense also published a post about the ministers' visit to the training center.

"German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov visited a training center in Ukraine. There he could discuss with Ukrainian soldiers, among other things, the current need for support," the German Ministry of Defense reported on X (Twitter) on Tuesday.
But for us, for our warriors, this is not a movie. These are our lives. This is daily hard work. And it will not be over as quickly as we would like, but we have no right to give up and we will not.
On the tenth anniversary of the start of Euromaidan and the Revolution of Dignity, Polish President Andrzej Duda assured that Poland will help Ukraine on its way to the EU and NATO, because it wants to see Ukrainians "in the European family as soon as possible."

In a video address on the occasion of the anniversary of Euromaidan published on X (Twitter), Duda said that since the beginning of mass protests on the Maidan, the Poles have supported the Ukrainian desire to deepen integration with Europe.

"It still is today. Poland was the first country to call for Ukraine to be granted EU candidate status immediately after the Russian aggression started. A few days ago, the European Commission recommended opening accession negotiations. This is a great success, for which I congratulate you, but it is also a great challenge. I want to assure you that Poland will unwaveringly stand shoulder to shoulder with you and support you in the fight against the aggressor," he said.

The President said that no one understands better than the Poles what a huge price one has to pay for freedom and independence. According to Duda, Poland will help Ukraine on its way to the EU and NATO, because it wants to see "in our European family as soon as possible."

"A free and independent Ukraine, as well as good and mutually respectful partnerships between our peoples, are of fundamental importance to me and my compatriots. I believe that we will continue to develop them in this spirit," he said.
390 people with COVID-19, admitted to health units, 23 COVID-related deaths in past week

A total of 390 people with COVID-19 are admitted to health units, the Ministry of Health informed on Tuesday.

According to the source, 46 patients are admitted to ICUs.

Of the total number of patients currently admitted, 30 are minors, of whom 29 are treated in wards and one in ICUs.

In the past week (13 - 19 November), 23 deaths were reported by the National Institute of Public Health - 11 men and 12 women.

One death occurred in the 50-59 age category, five in the 60-69 age category, ten in the 70-79 age category and seven in the over 80 age category.

Of the deceased patients, 22 had comorbidities and 9 were vaccinated against COVID.

To date, 68,613 people diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection have died in Romania.
Ambulance staff rallying in support of trade union leaders on hunger strike

Ambulance staff in their free time are rallying today, 10:00hrs to 12:00hrs, at the central offices of all ambulance services all over Romania in support of five trade union leaders who went on a hunger strike.

According to the Ambulance National Trade Union Federation of Romania (FNSAR), the reason is failure to acknowledge the working conditions in which the operative professional staff of the ambulance services carry out their activity, a right annulled by a plenary vote of the Committee on Labour and Social Protection in the Chamber of Deputies on November 20, 2023, at the proposal of the government of Romania, through the Ministry of Labour and Social Solidarity and the National Public Pension House, under a bill on the public pension system.

The strikers, backed by protesters from the all over the country, are asking for an urgent meeting with Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Alfred-Robert Simonis, Chairman of the Committee on Labour and Social Protection Adrian Solomon, Minister of Labour and Social Solidarity Simona- Bucura Oprescu, and with Minister of Health Alexandru Rafila in order to establish a way to meet the trade union grievances and to find solutions to solve the situation of the ambulance services.

During the evening of November 20, 2023, the number of union leaders from ambulance services on hunger strike, together with the president of FNSAR, Gheorghe Chis, reached four, namely: Claudia Gadiuta - leader of the Salverea Free Independent Union Tulcea; Valentin Dragomir - leader of the Braila Ambulance Union; Alexandru Comanescu - leader of the Valcea Ambulance Union and Daniel Constantin Musa - leader of the Olt Ambulance Union.

The place where the five leaders who went on hunger strike are located is the entrance to the Chamber of Deputies, but after 12:00hrs they will move in front of the Government House.
CultMin Turcan: The exhibition 'Dacia. The last frontier of Romanity' defining for Romania

Culture Minister Raluca Turcan on Monday attended the opening of the exhibition "Dacia. The Last Frontier of Romanity" in Rome on Monday, saying that it is defining for Romania, told Agerpres.

She added that the exhibition includes approximately 900 archaeological items that trace the historical evolution of the territory of present-day Romania over a period of over a thousand years.

"This defining exhibition for Romania is the result of a partnership that involves more than 40 cultural establishments from three countries, in a unified exhibition design that emphasises both the inestimable value of the exhibited artifacts and the deep historical and cultural ties between our countries (...) On this occasion, I want to emphasise the significance that this remarkable Romanian exhibition brings to the 'Capital of the World,' offering the visitors a journey in time, in space, but especially in the universe of a common European world, confirming Romania's belonging to a 'Europe of nations.' The exhibition 'Dacia. The last frontier of Romanity' underlines in the most concrete way possible that the European dimension of Romania derives not so much from its geographical conditioning, but above all from the common ethno-cultural heritage," Turcanu wrote in a social media post.

The event was also attended by Italy's Minister of Culture Gennaro Sangiuliano, Moldova's Minister of Culture Sergiu Prodan, presidential adviser Sergiu Nistor, Romanian ambassador to Italy Gabriela Dancau, and director of the National History Museum of Romania Ernest Oberlander Tarnoveanu.

Turcan congratulated the team of the National History Museum of Romania, coordinated by Ernest Oberlander Tarnoveanu, on "the merit of having brought to Rome this remarkable Romanian exhibition both in terms of value and symbolism." She also thanked the Romanian Ministry of National Defence for providing safe transportation of the artifacts, and the Romanian Embassy in Rome for all their involvement.

The exhibition "Dacia. The last frontier of Romanity" is open at the Museo Nazionale Romano in Rome throughout April 2024.
MEP Botos calls on Austria's chancellor to stop opposing Romania's accession to Schengen area

Romanian MEP Vlad Botos of the Renew group on Monday called on Austria's Chancellor Karl Nehammer not to oppose Romania's accession to the Schengen area.

"We find ourselves in the incredible situation where the European Parliament recommends accession, the European Commission finds that all the criteria are met and recommends accession and, moreover, all the member states, with one exception, agree with that, so we could say that the Council is, in its vast majority, in agreement. But we cannot get the agreement between the three institutions," Botos said in a speech to a plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

The accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the border-free Schengen area features on the provisional agenda of the meeting of the EU ministers of justice and home affairs scheduled for early December in Brussels.

The Justice and Home Affairs Council (JHA) meeting is scheduled for December 4 and 5, and according to the provisional agenda, there will be an exchange of opinions on the general situation of the Schengen area and a possible vote on the accession of Romania and Bulgaria.

A year ago, also at a JHA Council meeting, Austria opposed the accession of the two countries to the Schengen area, and in the case of Bulgaria, the opposition also came from the Netherlands.
Bilateral cooperation and common European and regional issues were on the agenda of the meeting that prime minister Marcel Ciolacu had on Tuesday at the Victoria Palace (gov't venue) with the Czech Senate president, Milos Vystrcil, on a visit to Romania, the government said in a press release.

Prime minister Ciolacu appreciated the Czech support for Romania's accession to the Schengen Area and backing for the Republic of Moldova's European path, agerpres reports.

"Regional security issues were also a topic of discussion. In this context, the president of the Czech Senate welcomed the substantial assistance provided by our country to Ukraine, including for the transit of grain. The officials of the two countries agreed that Romania and the Czech Republic should have a common voice in the effort to restore citizens' confidence in the values of democracy and the rule of law in order to diminish the trend of populism present in several EU Member States," the press release said.

Marcel Ciolacu stressed the importance of bilateral economic cooperation, a central pillar of Romanian-Czech relations, in a context in which, in 2022, the total volume of trade reached a record level of 6 billion euros.
PM Ciolacu: We are not increasing taxes in 2024

The government will not increase fees and taxes in 2024 and a decision on the guaranteed minimum salary will be made in agreement with the social partners, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu told the representatives of unions and employers, on Tuesday, at the meeting of the Tripartite National Council for Social Dialogue.

"We are preparing the budget for next year, on which we will consult with the social partners. I want it to be very clear: in 2024 we will not increase taxes and we will not introduce new taxes that will burden Romanians and the business environment. We are looking for solutions to reduce labour taxation and continue the measures to increase budget revenues by combating evasion and through better collection, including through improving management at National Authority for Fiscal Administration and Customs. We are taking all steps at the government level to start the year 2024 with the adopted budget, in order to have the predictability necessary for the business environment," said Marcel Ciolacu, in a press release.

According to the press release, the consultations with the social partners, within the Tripartite National Council for Social Dialogue, will also continue on the level of the guaranteed minimum salary in the economy.

"The government will take a decision on the minimum salary only after it is agreed with the social partners," the head of the Executive emphasized.

At Tuesday's meeting with the trade unions and employers' associations, other topics of interest were also discussed, such as ensuring the workforce, the implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and the dialogue with the representatives of the European Commission, the same source states.
President Klaus Iohannis, visiting Dakar, announced that Romania will support the efforts of the Senegalese Association for the protection of children with mental disabilities to offer them a better life.

The president visited this centre alongside his wife, Carmen Iohannis, agerpres reports.

"Very touched by our meeting today in #Dakar with the children with mental deficiencies of Centre Aminata Mbaye de Grand-Yoff created by @asedemeCAM. Romania will support their efforts to create a better life and future by enabling the social integration of these children," the Romanian president wrote on X (former Twitter) platform.

Senegal is the country where Klaus Iohannis ends his African tour. On Thursday he will be welcomed by his counterpart Macky Sall.
President Klaus Iohannis begins his official visit to Senegal

President Klaus Iohannis begins on Tuesday his official visit to the Republic of Senegal, which will last until Thursday, concluding his tour of Africa.

According to the agenda, on Tuesday, the head of state will visit the Senegalese Association for the Protection of Children with Mental Disabilities (ASEDEME), the Aminata Mbaye - Grand-Yoff Centre in Dakar. On Wednesday, President Iohannis will visit Goree Island, a UNESCO heritage site and former outpost of the slave trade, where he will meet with local officials. He will also visit the 'Maison des Esclaves' slave house and the Mariama Ba Girls' High School, told Agerpres.

On Thursday, Klaus Iohannis will be welcomed by his Senegalese counterpart Macky Sall, at the Presidential Palace. The two will have face-to-face and official talks, followed by joint press statements. Official documents will be signed on this occasion.

Iohannis will also participate on Thursday in the inauguration of the United Nations House in Senegal, together with President of the Republic of Senegal Macky Sall, and in the opening of the exhibition "Traditional African Masks - Traditional Romanian Masks," organised in cooperation with the Romanian Peasant Museum, at the Museum of Black Civilizations in Dakar. President Iohannis will also have a meeting with former students from Senegal who studied in Romania.

President Klaus Iohannis began his tour of Africa on 14 November with a state visit to Kenya. Later, the president paid state visits to Tanzania and Cape Verde.
Senate president, Nicolae Ciuca, wrote on Facebook, on Tuesday, after meeting his Czech counterpart, Milos Vystrcil, that Romania and the Czech Republic have an excellent bilateral relationship, with perspectives for expansion and can better play their role within the EU and NATO if they support each other

"I agreed upon this desideratum with my Czech counterpart in the discussion we had today in Parliament. Our countries can better play the role they have in the European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance, especially if we will support each other. Milos Vystrcil reconfirmed to me the support that Prague gives us in two important objectives for us: integration in the Schengen Area and accession to the OECD," Ciuca wrote, agerpres reports.

He said that he accompanied the distinguished guest to the Business Forum organized by the Embassy of the Czech Republic and Concordia Employers' Confederation, where he invited Czech companies to invest in Romania.

"We want their presence in the Romanian economy to increase, but also for companies with Romanian capital to expand their businesses in the Czech Republic," Ciuca added.
USR's Barna: Romanians have earned the right to be in Schengen

Save Romanian Union (USR) Deputy Chairman Dan Barna said on Tuesday that Romanians earned the right to be in Schengen and that he asked the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Pia Kauma, to support "this security priority for Romania" at the OSCE Ministerial Council meeting, told Agerpres.

"Romanians have earned the right to be in Schengen. I had a discussion with OSCE PA President Pia Kauma, asking her to support this security priority for Romania at the OSCE Ministerial Council meeting. The OSCE Ministerial Council meeting will take place in Skopje, North Macedonia, from 30 November to 1 December, and we need all relevant voices in support of Romania's and Bulgaria's accession to Schengen, as the last chance for accession this year will be decided at the JHA Council on 4-5 December. Romania's accession is on the agenda, on the provisional agenda. Ms Pia Kauma assured me that she will support in the debates the fair and legitimate position of Romania and Bulgaria to be accepted in the Schengen area," Barna wrote on Facebook.

He mentioned that the theme of the 21st autumn meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE PA), which he attended these days in Yerevan, was "OSCE in times of crisis."

"I argued at the OSCE PA meeting, at the session on security and the role of the OSCE in an era of conflict, that there is a need to adapt to the new political context and the current conflicts both in the OSCE and at the level of the member countries. The security of citizens, democratic and European values are at stake more than at any time since 1945. We must contribute to this by standing side by side with those facing the new shape of evil in this period, as OSCE PA President Pia Kauma has said: 'lasting peace and security require trust and reconciliation, and political leaders have a responsibility to find the way.' As always, over the past year and a half, I have asked all those present to support Moldova in strengthening the basic institutions, building resilience and a sustainable and irreversible European path. Because joining the European Union is an objective that can be achieved by Moldova in the new geostrategic context," Barna added.

He said that Romania strongly supports this European path of Moldova and Ukraine.
On Thursday, November 23, at 12.00, the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency will host a press conference entitled "Small producers of alcohol distillates - birth of new industry," dedicated to the entry into force of the Law "On Amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine and some laws of Ukraine regarding the simplification of the conditions for the production of distillates by small businesses."

Participants include

Chairman of the Association of Craft Distillers of Ukraine Kateryna Kamysheva; Deputy Director of the Department, Head of the Department for Food Safety and Excise Products of the Department of State Policy in the Sphere of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Liudmyla Khomichak; Deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Interaction between the State and Business and Investments of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Committee on Economic Development Ihor Marchuk; member of the Board of the Association of Craft Distillers of Ukraine, craft distiller Serhiy Stepanov (8/5a Reitarska Street).

The event will be streamed on the Interfax-Ukraine YouTube channel. Admission of journalists requires press accreditation.
Daniel Neman Features writer Follow Daniel Neman Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

I was at an office shindig when a colleague happened to mention the worst food he has ever eaten (pizza with tuna and peas on it, at a pub in England). That got me thinking:

What is the worst food I have ever eaten?

What is the worst food you have ever eaten?

Its a tough choice. The average person eats about 1,000 meals a year, more or less. Multiply that by your age and it turns out youve had an awful lot of meals to choose from.

For me, it is quite possibly the pizzaburgers served in the Cincinnati Public Schools. They resembled neither a pizza nor a burger, and could barely qualify as food. Half of a hamburger bun was topped with a substance that was probably meant to be ground beef, which in turn was covered with a tomato sauce that was somewhat less than ketchup, topped with a slice of something the approximate color of cheese.

Either that or a bowl of vaguely brown water claiming to be chili at a cafe in Alma, Michigan, in the late 1960s.

I put the question  what is the worst food you have ever eaten  out onto social media and was rewarded with a deluge of responses. I also asked what is the best food you have ever eaten, and will get to those answers next week.

But first, the worst. And I should explain that most of these came from Facebook, which means I know almost all of the respondents. The answers may actually say more about my taste in friends than they do about food.

The most common answers were Vegemite and Marmite, those sharp-flavored yeast-based toppings that are inexplicably popular in Australia and the British Isles. Hannah, whose husband is English, said her worst food was Marmite on toast, adding, crazy Brits! Natalie said, Dont get it. Cristina agreed. Amy R. said the worst was a tie between Vegemite and mayonnaise.

Mayonnaise? She seems so reasonable in other respects.

Julie hates okra, which she says is essentially a nostril. Trish and Tom both despise chicken feet. Crys dislikes boiled peanuts (theyre a South Carolina thing, and theyre worse than they sound), chopped liver at my grandmothers house and oysters.

But the very worst thing she ever had, Crys said, was in China: chicken aortas in a hot pot, served with congealed duck blood. I cant argue with that.

Frank has a three-way tie for the worst food he ever ate: C ration canned turkey loaf, C ration canned lima beans and ham, and almost anything served in an Army mess hall on weekends from 1968-1971.

My cousin Kim answered Canned asparagus. Why is this even a thing? Writing in response, her sister Stephanie reminded her of a time when their mother served canned spinach. Neither one could eat it. Their mother finally got tired of waiting for them to finish it and went into the other room. Thats when they fed it to their dog, Heidi.

She scarfed it right up. I dont think mom knew what wed done at the time, but we never had to eat spinach again, Stephanie said.

For Lee, the worst food will always be sweet potatoes. I once ate an alive earthworm on a dare, and it was not as bad as a sweet potato, he said.

Charlies worst food was calfs spleen, and I cant imagine what induced him to try it. The same goes for Carol, who tried monkey brains. Food writer Veruska said the worst thing she has eaten is a Korean dish called gaebul, which is also called penis fish. She helpfully attached a photo to explain the nickname.

Susies worst food was the fermented squid guts I just had (not on purpose) while on vacation in Japan. For Bo, it was the squid chili he had in Chicago.

Judy and Sheila both despise blood pudding, a British sausage made with animal blood, pork fat and a grain such as oatmeal.

Joe, who sounds as if he speaks from experience, said, the worst thing is making a good sandwich, taking a bite and finding that the bread has mold on it that you didnt see.

Mary Louise is a retired minister, and she knows what she is talking about, too: Swiss steak made in large quantities for fundraising. Ugh.

Mark said the spaghetti served at the old Denver Hilton sticks in my mind, and craw, 43 years later. Chef Boy-Ar-Dee wouldve chucked it into the garbage.

Rex bought an omelet to go at a diner many years ago.

The dish literally stank. I suppose the eggs had spoiled. They were infused with a sticky, gelatinous substance resembling mucilage that kids used to glue model airplanes back then.

I was home when I noticed the problem, and didnt want to go back to the restaurant. Somehow, I told myself the omelet wasnt all that bad. I was really, really hungry, and I ate it. I got really, really sick, he said.

Priscilla had much the same physical reaction when she was 5 and her father cooked a rabbit and squirrel stew over an open fire. I was  appalled at the whole idea, but forced to eat it, she said.

Gail mistranslated a menu in Beaune, France, and ordered a vegetable terrine with what she thought was a mushroom on top. It was bumpy and rubbery and turned out to be a cockscomb, the red crown on the top of rooster heads.

Ill never know how I got it down. I mean, who puts that thing on top of a vegetable dish? she said.

What is worse, she paid extra for it.

Im not the only one to have a bad school cafeteria experience. Kate said her worst dish was dorm food at Indiana University. Michelle hated the Texas hash at her high school. Stuart, who went to grade school with me, said his worst food was the creamed chipped beef at our cafeteria.

Personally, I had blissfully forgotten the creamed chipped beef  and the shingle.

I think my former colleague Chip can speak for all of us when he said the worst food he ever had was metaphorical crow, several times.
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

Jesse James Rupp is an outlaw.

At least, thats what the state of Arizona told him after he applied for a job. Rupp, who lives in Washington County, is trained as a corrections worker. He worked at the Missouri state prison in Potosi for a while earlier this year.

Missouris Department of Corrections, like many state prison systems, is struggling to recruit and keep employees. Staffing is down, and that increases the danger on the job. Missouri has long had some of the lowest pay for corrections workers in the country, though it has taken steps to improve in the past few years. Rupp quit this summer and started looking for a better job.

He found the one he wanted in Arizona. That state is hiring traveling corrections workers, sort of like the traveling nurses who became so popular during the height of the pandemic. The pay is good, and the company takes care of lodging and transportation.

But theres a problem.

After a background check, the contractor for the state of Arizona told him it couldnt hire him because of a 2012 misdemeanor assault on his record. Rupp was dumbfounded. He knew about the case, which involved an interaction with an ex-girlfriend in 2011. He lived in St. Francois County at the time. Thats where he lived when I first came across him. Rupp was a frequent critic of the prosecutor in that county at the time  Jerrod Mahurin  whom voters later removed from office. Rupp, by the way, was named after his great-great-grandfather, Forrest James. He isnt related to the more famous Missouri outlaw who shares his first and middle names.

A few years after pleading guilty to the assault charge, Rupp sought an expungement. Thats a legal process by which a case can be completely erased from a persons record. There are a lot of reasons why people seek expungements, but housing and jobs are among the most common. A simple search that shows a conviction lacks the context of the full court file.

People make assumptions, Rupp says.

The process has gained prominence recently after the passage of Amendment 3, which legalized recreational marijuana and also allowed for the expungement of old drug possession cases.

The circumstances of Rupps original case were questionable enough that the prosecutor who replaced Mahurin didnt object to Rupps filing seeking an expungement. In 2020, a judge approved the order expunging Rupps old case. As far as the law is concerned, he has no record.

Otherwise, the Missouri Department of Corrections wouldnt have hired him in the first place. And he would have been lying when he filled out the form applying for the job in Arizona.

I wouldnt lie on a state form and have it notarized, Rupp says.

So how did this happen?

Rupp still isnt entirely sure, but the culprit lies somewhere between the clerk of the St. Francois County courts and the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The highway patrol runs the Missouri uniform law enforcement system, known as MULES. When a persons record is expunged, the judges order goes to the highway patrol, which is supposed to remove the old criminal record from the system.

Rupp says the highway patrol told him they never received the order from the judge that expunges his record. The old case doesnt show up on the publicly searchable system run by the Missouri courts, but apparently it still shows up in MULES. Rupp has since made sure the law enforcement agency has the order.

But theres another step in the expungement process that sometimes is equally important, according to attorneys who work in expungements. After making sure the criminal case is erased from reporting systems, its also important to check third-party background check companies, which sometimes contain old information.

Its sort of like cleaning up a bad credit report.

Thats what Rupp is doing these days, trying to fix what should have been fixed in 2020, so he can figure out if he can get his next job.

Ive lost a lot here, Rupp says. The state didnt have any objections to my expungement. Missouri Department of Corrections didnt have a problem. They ran me through the system and everything else. I did not have any issues at all. But now I want a job in Arizona and all of a sudden I have a problem? I dont get it. I really dont.
ST. LOUIS  Tim Reinhardt was heading back to St. Louis after shopping for a coat at the outlet mall in Chesterfield when he saw police lights behind him.

Thats odd, he thought. He wasnt speeding  others were whizzing past him on the highway. There was nothing wrong with his Toyota Prius. He had never been arrested before.

But Reinhardt was ordered out of his car, handcuffed and transported to the Chesterfield Police Department in an officers SUV. He was booked into the St. Louis County jail and stayed in a holding cell overnight.

All the while, Reinhardt never knew why he was there.

I went from buying a freaking coat from Eddie Bauer to being in a cell, he said in an interview Monday. Its surreal.

Reinhardt had been wrongly identified as the man who, more than a week earlier, had stolen a computer from an electronics retailer. St. Louis County police flagged Reinhardt as wanted  meaning authorities could arrest him and hold him for 24 hours, even though they didnt have an arrest warrant signed by a judge.

The practice is rare in most of the country, but its common in the St. Louis region. Its drawn rebukes from judges, the U.S. Department of Justice and St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell for circumventing judicial review and posing a serious risk for abuse.

St. Louis Countys police chief vowed in 2019 to reevaluate the countys use of the system after the filing of a class-action lawsuit, which is ongoing. But many police departments in the region  including St. Louis County  still use them.

Now, Reinhardt is suing the Chesterfield Police Department over his Nov. 27, 2022, arrest, claiming officers violated his constitutional rights by arresting him without probable cause. And hes seeking class-action status for everyone else whos been detained in Chesterfield under the same practice.

Reinhardts attorney, Jack Waldron, called the wanted system a substitute for doing police work.

Chesterfields city manager declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Ten days before Reinhardts arrest, surveillance footage showed him walking out of an electronics store on Lindbergh Boulevard in south St. Louis County. He said he was there to buy an auxiliary cord.

But after Reinhardt left, another man ran out of the store with a stolen computer, according to Reinhardts suit. The store manager went out to the parking lot, took a photo of Reinhardts car thinking he was the thief and called police.

Police ran a search of the license plate and saw Reinhardt owned the car. They brought a photo lineup to the manager, and she incorrectly identified Reinhardt as the thief, according to the lawsuit.

The wanted system allowed police to skip what would normally be the next step  presenting their evidence to a judge, who determines if its solid enough to issue an arrest warrant  and they just arrested him 10 days later.

Reinhardt said Monday that he wouldve gladly spoken to police and showed them a receipt or his bank records to confirm his purchase, but they never asked. Instead, unbeknownst to Reinhardt, his name and license plate were added to a regional police database as wanted for felony theft.

After his arrest at the jail, Reinhardt said he was asking everyone who would listen why hed been taken there. He felt sure that if he could explain himself, it would all go away. But everyone ignored him, he said.

Jail officials took his fingerprints and his mugshot, did a psychiatric screening and took a urine sample.

He was released the following morning after speaking with a detective.

Youve got to be kidding me, he remembered thinking.

Reinhardts suit claims the entire problem could have been avoided if police had been required to do the routine police work thats required to obtain an arrest warrant.

Instead, police were able to skip it, and he spent the night in jail.

Reinhardt is seeking an unspecified amount in damages. A hearing has not been set.
CLAYTON  Rockwood School District has settled a discrimination lawsuit filed by a Black former administrator who resigned after receiving threatening messages and accused the school board of capitulating to a racist mob.

Brittany Hogan, Rockwoods former director of educational equity and diversity, resigned in April 2021 after she became a target of complaints and threatening messages from parents and members of the public who were angry that students in the district were assigned to read an anti-racist book, according to her suit filed against the district in February.

The suit was dismissed Oct. 10 after the district agreed to pay $175,000 to settle the case and cover Hogans attorneys fees.

The controversy at the center of Hogans suit began when district officials asked middle school and high school students  and any interested community members  to read the book Stamped in December 2020. The book was chosen for the districts One Read initiative that encourages shared discussions of a single book.

The book seeks to portray the lives of prominent figures in American history and the way in which their lives were impacted by systemic racism, according to Hogans suit.

Hogan didnt choose the book but helped to promote it through a school Twitter account, along with other Rockwood employees.

But soon, the suit claims, Hogan and her secretary began receiving threatening and profane messages online, over the phone and by email, the lawsuit said. Hogan was also informed of a parent alerting a school principal of a social media post that mentioned hanging and lynching, using as a reference the tree on the Rockwood logo.

As the only black woman in district leadership, I am concerned and uncomfortable of how quickly Ive become the scapegoat of white rage, Hogan wrote in an email to the district.

The suit argued that the district violated state laws against race-based harassment, discrimination and retaliation in its response to Hogans complaints.

The suit also alleges the district failed to take action for months, but after Hogan continued to complain, the district asked Hogan to stay away from Eureka High School as it was a particular location of racist invective from parents.

This severely limited Ms. Hogans work, as Eureka is the central office of the entire district and is also where the board meetings were held, the suit said.

The lawsuit alleged that after Hogan resigned in April 2021, the districts school board expressed support for faculty only after white teachers and union members came forward with complaints about abuse they were also receiving.

The lawsuit also accused the Rockwood Board of Education of completing its capitulation to the racist mob by cutting three previously approved programs that were intended to help Black students at Rockwood who faced discrimination and other social woes.

Rockwood covers western St. Louis County and with approximately 20,000 students is the third-largest district in Missouri.

My client is glad to put this behind her, Hogans attorney Javad Khazaeli said Monday. She hopes this will allow the district to focus on the students shes spent her career helping.

A spokesperson for Rockwood said the district would not comment on the settlement, but added the district is focused on providing a safe and welcoming environment where everyone is treated with dignity and feels as though they belong.
CLAYTON  The regions public transit agency says that it will upgrade services for riders with disabilities and hire an outside consultant to evaluate accessibility after months of criticism from area disability rights advocates.

Advocates said Monday theyre pleased with promises from the regions transit agency after months of debate over service woes, but theyre keeping a close eye to make sure Metro Transit keeps its promises.

Were as satisfied as we can be, and were willing to work with them, said Robyn Wallen, transportation committee chairperson for the Missouri Council of the Blind. But were not willing to let up on the pressure.

Hundreds of thousands of people with disabilities rely on Metros buses, trains and Call-A-Ride program, a curb-to-curb transportation service. But this spring, the agency trimmed Call-A-Rides service area, and its reliability tanked  riders had to plan days ahead and wait for hours on the phone to get a ride, if they could get one at all.

Advocates and riders protested for months, eventually ending up before the St. Louis County Council, which controls funding for Metro along with St. Louis and St. Clair County in the Metro East.

After the County Council held up this years Metro budget, the agency announced improvements.

Metro will upgrade its Call-A-Ride scheduling software and will beef up its phone bank to handle peak demand, CEO Taulby Roach said.

The agency has also hired an accessible public transit consultant, Los Angeles-based Jess Segovia, to review accessibility, recommend changes and help with making improvements.

The idea is that we cannot get stuck in concrete. If there are new ideas, we need to pursue those, Roach said at a County Council meeting last week.

Advocates from the disability rights organization Paraquad had asked for more from Metro.

They wanted the County Council to allocate $300,000 for an independent consultant to do a full accounting of Metros operations, not just accessibility. They want Metro to hold its board meetings in-person  theyre currently livestreamed on Facebook, and the public can only share their input by leaving online comments. They also called for driver pay raises.

But advocates said Monday they want to work constructively with Metro, especially now that it has promised to improve.

It would seem to say theyre attempting to work cooperatively with the riders, said Jeanette Mott Oxford, Paraquads public policy and advocacy manager.

Tired of all the excuses

The protest over Call-A-Ride problems and other issues such as delays and service cuts came to a head in October.

The St. Louis County Council was considering Metros $128.5 million budget request. Its normally a routine exercise, said Republican Councilman Mark Harder of Ballwin.

In past years, they gave us a budget and it was kind of take it or leave it, and then we spent the rest of the year dealing with security issues, poor service and poor recruiting, Harder said. Were just real tired of all the excuses.

So council Republicans rejected the request. And that gave members of Paraquads transit group, the STL Metropolitan Alliance for Reliable Transit, the opportunity to organize and protest.

Every Tuesday for a month, riders with disabilities and their allies spoke during the councils public comment period. Roach appeared at almost every meeting too, greeting council members and speaking during public comment about the agencys efforts.

Last Tuesday, west St. Louis County resident Barbara Sheinbein described what its like to rely on Call-A-Ride.

If she wants to use it, she has to plan days in advance and give herself at least an hour to wait on the phone, Sheinbein said.

Theres no online booking  it can only be done on the phone. If she manages to book a ride, theres no confirmation. Call-A-Ride might drop her off at her destination hours early, and she might have to wait hours after for a ride home. Sometimes the ride is only one way. And pickup can happen anywhere within a 30-minute window of the scheduled time.

You dont even know sometimes exactly when youre going to get home or when youre going to arrive at your appointment or destination, Sheinbein said.

The protest caught council members attention.

People depend heavily on the Call-A-Ride system, and it hasnt been functioning to the best of its ability, said Harder. Theyve got people that want to get to work and they cant because Call-A-Rides not working.

It also caught Metros attention.

On Thursday, Roach and Metros chief operating officer met with Paraquad leaders for hours to discuss solutions.

The council is expected to take a final vote on Metros budget at Tuesday afternoons meeting. The budget, if approved, will fund Metro through June.

Over the next several months, advocates will be paying close attention.

We all want them to get the money. Its not that we dont want them to get the money, said Wallen, of the Missouri Council of the Blind. We just want to make sure things improve.
JEFFERSON CITY  The Missouri Supreme Court late Monday handed a loss to Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft in a fight over the ballot summary of a possible abortion rights initiative petition in 2024.

After the Cole County Circuit Court and the Missouri Court of Appeals at Kansas City scrapped ballot summaries Ashcroft proposed for six abortion initiative petitions, the elections chief appealed to the Missouri Supreme Court to take the case.

But the Missouri Supreme Court late Monday rejected transfer of the case in question, keeping the lower court ruling intact.

The high court also declined to take up a separate case by two Republican lawmakers and a third plaintiff challenging fiscal estimates by Republican Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick, again allowing the appeals court decision to stand.

Ashcrofts ballot summary asked if voters wanted to allow for dangerous, unregulated, and unrestricted abortions, from conception to live birth, without requiring a medical license or potentially being subject to medical malpractice.

In a ruling written by Judge Thomas Chapman, a three-judge panel of the appeals court agreed Ashcroft crossed a line.

The Secretarys summary statements are replete with politically partisan language, Chapman wrote.

Most of the six proposed initiative petitions at issue would allow the state to restrict abortions after 24 weeks of pregnancy or fetal viability. One of the versions contains no gestational limits on abortion.

A ballot summary for one of the questions containing limits, approved by the appeals court, asks Missouri voters if they want to amend the constitution to:

establish a right to make decisions about reproductive health care, including abortion and contraceptives, with any governmental interference of that right presumed invalid;

remove Missouris ban on abortion;

allow regulation of reproductive health care to improve or maintain the health of the patient;

require the government not to discriminate, in government programs, funding, and other activities, against persons providing or obtaining reproductive health care; and

allow abortion to be restricted or banned after Fetal Viability except to protect the life or health of the woman?

Wording for the same question proposed by Ashcroft asked if voters wanted to amend the constitution to:

allow for dangerous, unregulated, and unrestricted abortions, from conception to live birth, without requiring a medical license or potentially being subject to medical malpractice;

nullify longstanding Missouri law protecting the right to life, including but not limited to partial-birth abortion;

allow for laws to be enacted regulating abortion procedures after Fetal Viability, while guaranteeing the right of any woman, including a minor, to end the life of their unborn child at any time; and

require the government not to discriminate against persons providing or obtaining an abortion, potentially including tax-payer funding?

It was unclear whether a coalition of abortion-rights supporters would emerge to support one of the ballot questions originally filed in March by the group Missourians for Constitutional Freedom.

Since then, a former GOP congressional staffer has launched a separate effort that would be less expansive than the measures at issue Monday.
ST. CHARLES COUNTY  St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann and St. Charles Mayor Dan Borgmeyer were among those who filed a formal challenge to the county library systems inclusion of a sexually explicit book called Bang Like a Porn Star: Sex Tips From the Pros on its shelves.

And the two elected officials, who appoint the board overseeing the City-County Library District, are pressing the system to isolate any other books with explicit sexual illustrations or instructions to special areas in library branches.

Ehlmann said Monday that the two had no plans to seek removal of other books but that Bang Like a Porn Star is particularly worrisome. The book features interviews with several gay adult film stars and includes photographs detailing various sex acts.

They said on their review request that it is pornographic and does not belong in a tax-supported public library.

By God, this is low-hanging fruit. Lets pick it, Ehlmann said. At least in my opinion, it is.

Borgmeyer and Ehlmann said they made their request to move books with explicit sexual illustrations or instructions to restricted areas of libraries during a discussion several weeks ago with Jason Kuhl, the library district CEO, and Staci Alvarez, the board president.

Borgmeyer said he wants to keep children visiting district libraries away from such books but doesnt want to bar access to adults. Children now can use any section of district libraries, although the system requires anyone 10 and younger to be accompanied by an adult at all times.

It makes sense, he said, to put those books in a special section from which kids younger than a yet-to-be-determined age would be barred, even if accompanied by a parent.

I do not want to use taxpayer dollars to settle ... lawsuits over free speech, Borgmeyer said.

Kuhl, the district CEO, confirmed Monday that the request was made and said the district board is aware of the request and actively considering options.

Any changes to policy or restrictions of access need to be discussed and acted upon by the board, Kuhl said in an email.

Alvarez, the president, could not be reached for comment.

Borgmeyer said he had asked that the proposed special section be off-limits to anyone younger than 18 years old but that the cutoff could end up being 16.

Ehlmann also said there will still be disputes over how extensive this policy will be. Whats explicit, what isnt? I just want to see them (the library board) take a position and explain it. If I dont agree with it, so be it.

The leaders moves follow several months of complaints by some socially conservative critics about library district policies.

Ehlmann and Borgmeyer complained about the Porn Star books pornographic nature in a form submitted Oct. 10.

Although Ehlmann and Borgmeyer didnt know about it, a similar challenge had been submitted by someone else on Sept. 27  already triggering a review of the books content by a committee of library staff members.

A third challenge was turned in after the Ehlmann-Borgmeyer submission, said Lori Beth Crawford, a library district spokeswoman.

Ehlmann, who on Monday released a copy of the form he and the mayor filed, said they submitted it because a library board member had told them that no one had done so yet.

We just wanted to make everyone aware there is a procedure to have books reconsidered, he said.

Crawford, the district spokeswoman, said the review committee is likely to reach a decision this week.

Critics of the district complained about the Porn Star book at a district board meeting Sept. 19. They also have taken aim at sexual content in several other books carried by the library system, most recently at a board meeting last week. However, no formal challenges have been filed against the other books.

Others have defended district officials, with one speaker at last weeks board meeting saying the books cited by critics are for education.

Over the years, Ehlmann has appointed five members of the current nine-person district board and Borgmeyer the remainder.

Before the initial Sept. 27 challenge of Bang Like a Porn Star, the library system owned only one copy. It was in the adult section of its Kisker Road Branch near Weldon Spring.

Since then, the district has bought four additional copies to be shared by review committee members.

If the district ultimately decides to keep the book in library circulation, the extra copies would be added to the books available to the public, the district has said.

The book battle is the latest example of the library district being at the center of culture war controversies this year. Some residents also have complained about the attire of a library employee they say was wearing nail polish, makeup and a goatee.

While Ehlmann disclosed on Monday that he and Borgmeyer had submitted one challenge to Bang Like a Porn Star, the district has refused to release the names of the residents who filed the two others.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. Azerbaijan is a transit hub for the region, Secretary General of the International Association "Trans-Caspian International Transport Route" Gaidar Abdikerimov told Trend.

"We can see that billions of dollars have been invested in transportation infrastructure in recent years. Azerbaijan has become a regional transit hub, both from west to east and north to south, after thoroughly modernizing its infrastructure," he said.

Abdikerimov noted that this includes railroads, highways, and ports in Azerbaijan.

"We are happy about this, as the next step will be to utilize the full potential of these infrastructural opportunities, which will give a new impetus to Azerbaijan's development," he said.

Abdikerimov added that the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) serves to achieve the economic goals that Azerbaijan has set for itself. Those infrastructure projects being implemented in Azerbaijan will be actively used.

"It is critical that all of this infrastructure runs smoothly. Without transportation network cohesiveness, the economy would not develop as it is required for us, the participants in this transportation project," he emphasized.

The TMTM, or Middle Corridor, connects the networks of container rail freight transportation in China and the European Union through the countries of Central Asia, the Caucasus, Turkiye and Eastern Europe.

A route train running along this corridor delivers cargo from China to Europe in an average of 2025 days, and this is one of the main advantages of this transport corridor.
HINSDALE, N.H.  Geoffrey Holt was unassuming as the caretaker of a mobile home park in Hinsdale, New Hampshire, where he lived a simple, but curious life.

Residents would see Holt around town in threadbare clothes  riding his lawn mower, headed to the convenience store, parked along the main road reading a newspaper or watching cars pass.

He did odd jobs for others, but rarely left town. Despite having taught drivers ed to high schoolers, Holt had given up driving a car. He opted for a bicycle instead and finally the mower. His mobile home in the park was mostly empty of furniture  no TV and no computer, either. The legs of the bed went through the floor.

He seemed to have what he wanted, but he didnt want much, said Edwin Smokey Smith, Holts best friend and former employer.

But Holt died earlier this year with a secret: He was a multimillionaire. And whats more, he gave it all away to this community of 4,200 people.

His will had brief instructions: $3.8 million to the town of Hinsdale to benefit the community in the areas of education, health, recreation and culture.

I dont think anyone had any idea that he was that successful, said Steve Diorio, chairperson of the town selectboard whod occasionally wave at Holt from his car. I know he didnt have a whole lot of family, but nonetheless, to leave it to the town where he lived in.  Its a tremendous gift.

The money could go far in this Connecticut River town sandwiched between Vermont and Massachusetts with abundant hiking and fishing opportunities and small businesses.

Theres been no formal gathering to discuss ideas for the money since local officials were notified in September. Some residents have proposed upgrading the town hall clock, restoring buildings, maybe buying a new ballot counting machine in honor of Holt, who always made sure he voted. Another possibility is setting up an online drivers education course.

Organizations would be be able to apply for grants via a trust through the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, drawing from the interest, roughly about $150,000 annually.

Hinsdale will utilize the money left very frugally as Mr. Holt did, said Kathryn Lynch, town administrator.

Holts best friend Smith, a former state legislator who became the executor of Holts estate, had learned about his fortune in recent years.

He knew Holt, who died in June at age 82, had varied interests, like collecting hundreds of model cars and train sets that filled his rooms, covered the couch and extended into a shed. He also collected books about history, with Henry Ford and World War II among his favorite topics. Holt had an extensive record collection too, including Handel and Mozart.

Smith also knew that Holt, who earlier in life had worked as a production manager at a grain mill that closed in nearby Brattleboro, Vermont, invested his money. Holt would find a quiet place to sit near a brook and study financial publications.

Holt confided to Smith that his investments were doing better than he had ever expected and wasnt sure what to to do with the money. Smith suggested that he remember the town.

I was sort of dumbfounded when I found out that all of it went to the town, he said.

Holts sister, 81-year-old Alison Holt of Laguna Woods, California, said she knew her brother invested and remembered that not wasting money and investing were important to their father.

Geoffrey had a learning disability. He had dyslexia, she said. He was very smart in certain ways. When it came to writing or spelling, he was a lost cause. And my father was a professor. So, I think that Geoff felt like he was disappointing my dad. But maybe socking away all that money was a way to compete.

She and her brother grew up in Springfield, Massachusetts. Their father, Lee Holt, taught English and world literature at American International College. Their mother, Margaret Holt, had a Shakespearean scholar for a dad.

Their children were well-educated. Geoffrey went to boarding schools and attended the former Marlboro College in Vermont, where students had self-designed degree plans. He graduated in 1963 and served in the U.S. Navy before earning a masters degree from the college where his father taught in 1968. In addition to drivers ed, he briefly taught social studies at Thayer High School in Winchester, New Hampshire, before getting his job at the mill.

He always told me that his main goal in life was to make sure that nobody noticed anything, his sister said, adding that hed say or you might get into trouble.

Neither Alison nor Geoffrey had any children.

Holt suffered a stroke a couple of years ago, and worked with therapist Jim Ferry, who described him as thoughtful, intellectual and genteel, but not comfortable with following the academic route that family members took.

Holt had developed mobility issues following his stroke, and missed riding his mower. I think he saw it as service to people that he cared about, which were the people in the trailer park that I think he really liked because they were not fancy people.

Residents are hoping Hinsdale will get noticed a bit more because of the gift.

Its actually a forgotten corner in New Hampshire, Planning Commissioner Ann Diorio said. So maybe this will put it on the map a little bit.
CONCORD, N.H.  The sun was shining in June 1979 as Rosalynn Carter made her way through an enthusiastic crowd in Laconia, New Hampshire.

"She shook my hand!" yelled one delighted participant.

The first lady was in the state for her husband's reelection campaign, but this was no political rally. Instead, she was at a sprawling 75-year-old institution founded for "feebleminded" children that the U.S. Justice Department had deemed "a classic example of warehousing."

She was joined by Gov. Hugh Gallen, a kindred spirit who pushed to correct the deplorable conditions there and at the state's psychiatric hospital.

"Going to a place like the Laconia State School and talking not to voters but to people dealing with a very acute issue  well, it doesn't happen very often. It didn't then, and it certainly doesn't at all now," recalled Dayton Duncan, who was there as Gallen's press secretary.

"She could have just given a good speech about what the administration was hoping to do and left it at that," Duncan said. "But the fact that she would go to the Laconia State School and meet with the people who work there, the children who were warehoused there and the parents, was special."

After leaving the White House, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter launched programs that have, among other things, monitored elections in at least 113 countries and nearly eradicated the Guinea worm parasite in the developing world. But the former president has said The Carter Center would have been a success had it accomplished nothing but his wife's mental health work.

That's according to Kathy Cade, vice chair of Atlanta-based center and a longtime aide to Rosalynn Carter, and others who know the couple. They spoke to The Associated Press in the months leading up to Rosalynn Carter's death Sunday at age 96.

"I do not think there has ever been another sort of leader in the mental health field who has had as much of an impact on mental health care and access to care and how we think about mental health and mental illness as Mrs. Carter," Cade said. "And I think it has to do with her incredible concern about the issue and her perseverance for more than 50 years."

What evolved into a lifelong crusade began during Carter's 1966 gubernatorial campaign in Georgia. Almost daily, Rosalynn was approached by voters distressed about loved ones housed at an overcrowded psychiatric hospital. Early one morning, she spoke to a weary cotton mill worker who explained that she and her husband worked opposite shifts to care for their mentally ill daughter.

"The image of the woman haunted me all day," Rosalynn Carter wrote in her 2010 book, "Within Our Reach: Ending the Mental Health Crisis." That night, she went to her husband's campaign rally and waited in line to shake his hand.

"I came to see what you are going to do to help people with mental illness when you are governor," she told the surprised candidate.

Jimmy Carter responded by creating a state commission to improve services for those with mental illness. Then, as president, he created a national commission on mental health, which led to the passage of the Mental Health Systems Act of 1980, a major revamping of federal policy that sought to treat people with mental illness in their communities.

Rosalynn Carter was that commission's honorary co-chair and a driving force behind the legislation, traveling around the country to hear from experts and everyday citizens alike and sharing her findings with Congress. Though it was effectively repealed during the Reagan administration, advocates say it created a framework for much of the progress since then.

At The Carter Center, she created a program devoted solely to mental health in 1991 and eventually established fellowships for journalists who cover the topic. Years later, she lobbied Congress to create a landmark law requiring insurers to provide equality in mental health coverage.

Those who worked with her over the decades say Carter's accomplishments were rooted in her compassion and listening skills.

"Her power comes from her heart," said Cynthia Wainscott, a former board chair of Mental Health America, a national nonprofit organization. "She's very, very, very kind, and she listens to people. When you're talking to her, there can be three conversations going on around you, but you know she's keyed on you, and she hears you."

She also was an effective and inspiring mobilizer with sharp instincts, Wainscott said.

Preparing for an annual mental health symposium, Carter once suggested contacting a pollster to refine a key message: that 20% of Americans will have a psychiatric disorder in any given year. The pollster conducted focus groups and found that people didn't believe the statistic, but if it was restated as one in five Americans instead, they did.

"When you hear 20%, you have to visualize 100 people and 20 of them are sick, and it's complex and impersonal. If you say one in five, people think about their workplace, their school, their neighborhood," said Wainscott, who also led the National Mental Health Association of Georgia.

"If she hadn't been in that room, none of us would have thought of asking a pollster to tell us how to phrase it," she said. "It was brilliant."

Journalist Bill Lichtenstein considered Rosalynn Carter "the patron saint of all who are dealing with mental health or behavioral issues."

Lichtenstein, who runs a media production company in Boston, was an investigative reporter for ABC News when he fell ill with manic depression in 1986. He went on to produce award-winning programs on recovery from mental illness, but he still remembers feeling shunned when he disclosed his own struggles. Carter's desire to reduce such stigma is at the heart of her accomplishments, he said.

"At the end of the day, whether it's talking about more money for research or people with a mental health history being on a level playing field when it comes to employment or renting an apartment, the thing that's the most insidious, difficult obstacle to all of it is stigma," he said.

Photos: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter through the years Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1966 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1970 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1971 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1976 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1976 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1976 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1976 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1976 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1976 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1977 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1977 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1977 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1977 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1977 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1977 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1978 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1978 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1979 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1979 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1980 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1980 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1984 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1985 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1988 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 1995 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 2004 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 2007 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 2007 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 2008 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 2009 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 2009 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 2009 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 2010 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 2011 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 2014 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 2015 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 2015 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 2017 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 2018 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 2018 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, 2019
A familiar aroma wafted through the Believer Meats test kitchen earlier this year as Research and Development Chef Andres Voloschin flipped sizzling strips of chicken conjured from cells.

Scientists, not farmers, produced this chicken. More than 150 startups are chasing an ambitious goal: meat that doesnt require raising and killing animals that is affordable and tastes and feels like the meat we eat now. They are part of a young industry aiming to use cell biology to reduce the environmental impact of the worlds ever-increasing demand for meat and change global protein production the way electric cars are shaking up the auto industry.

We are addicted to meat as a species. Its part of our evolution. Its part of our culture, said Believer founder Yaakov Nahmias, whose country, Israel, is an industry hub along with California and Singapore. But we thought about quantity rather than the environment, rather than sustainability.

EDITORS NOTE  This story is part of The Protein Problem, an AP series that examines the question: Can we feed this growing world without starving the planet? To see the full project, visit https://projects.apnews.com/features/2023/the-protein-problem/index.html

Companies making so-called cultivated, or cultured meat, which is also popularly known as lab-grown meat, are trying to scale up quickly  partnering with traditional meat companies, drawing more and more investors and breaking ground on new production facilities in the U.S. and elsewhere.

Wide adoption of meat from cells is nowhere near assured, however. This meat is expensive to make. There are scientific challenges, such as learning how to mimic the complex structure of steak. Government regulation is another obstacle. Only Singapore and the U.S. allow sales of cultivated meat.

And while many people who have tried it say they like it, others find the idea distasteful. An Associated Press-NORC poll found that half of adults in the meat-hungry U.S. would be unlikely to try it. A majority of those who said they wouldn't said it just sounds weird.

Even Nahmias 10-year-old son Oren says he will only eat traditional meat. I feel bad for the animals, he said, but they are yummy!

HOW CELLS CAN BE TURNED INTO A CUTLET

The science behind this new meat comes from the medical world. The process starts with cells. Depending on the company, the cells may come from a piece of tissue, a fertilized egg or a cell bank. Various sorts can be used; scientists choose cells that can self-renew and turn into the muscle and fat cells that make up meat tissue. From starter cells they create cell lines so they dont have to keep going back to animals.

These cells are placed inside vessels of various sizes called bioreactors and bathed in a nutrient-rich broth where they multiply. Thick, structured meat also requires a scaffold that helps cells organize into a shape. Changes in the composition of the broth, or media, and cues from the scaffolding, tell immature cells to turn into muscle, fat and connective tissue.

Producing meat this way could dramatically reduce the impact of meat on the environment because it would reduce the need for land for the animals and for feed.

The most important thing is that this field move forward and start reducing the destruction to our environment associated with current animal agriculture techniques, said Glenn Gaudette, a biomedical engineering specialist at Boston College.

But transforming the ecosystem is a distant vision. Scientists and industry experts say cultivated meats have a way to go before theyre indistinguishable from conventional meats, especially when it comes to the texture of products other than burgers or nuggets.

There are vexing scientific hurdles. Gaudette said scientists are still trying to find the best scaffolds for structured meat, which must include a way for oxygen to get to all the cells. Options include animal-based scaffolds such as gelatin and, increasingly, decellularized vegetables like spinach.

Experts expect scientists to overcome the remaining scientific hurdles. But they say shaping human perception may be more difficult.

MEAT GROWN IN A LAB JUST SOUNDS STRANGE

Most people connect meat production with farms rather than science labs  which influences how they view these new products.

In the AP-NORC poll, just 18% of U.S. adults said they are extremely or very likely to try cultivated meat, and 30% said they are somewhat likely. Those under 45 years old are more likely than older adults to try it and men are more likely than women. When those unlikely to try it were asked to choose from a list of reasons why, half said they didnt think it would be safe.

Thats a concern for respondent Nora Bailey, 31, a mother of three in rural Arkansas.

I would obviously want to do more research as far as the long-term effects, since early products deemed safe may later be found to be unsafe, she said.

A World Health Organization report noted several potential safety issues, such as microbial contamination at various points in the process, biological by-products and scaffolding that some people might be allergic to. Experts acknowledged a lot more safety testing is needed but noted that conventional meat carries significant food-safety risks, such as potential bacterial contamination during slaughter.

At this point, relatively few people have tried cultivated meat. But since its approval in the U.S. this summer, a small number of diners are eating it for the first time at particular restaurants and special events. People who recently tried cultivated chicken at U.S. company Good Meats headquarters in Alameda, California, said they liked it and would eat it again.

Karen Hunt, who joined the taste test because she works nearby said shes not bothered by how its made, especially when she thinks about how traditional chicken is made.

When you bite into it, it was moist. It wasnt dry. It did have that kind of feel of chicken, taste of chicken, she said. I was pleasantly surprised, and it tasted great.

Associated Press video journalist Terry Chea contributed to this report.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
SUKHBAATAR, Mongolia (AP)  The moon glowed in the predawn Mongolia sky as Agvaantogtokh and his family prepared for another big move. On horseback, he rode to a well with nearly a thousand sheep and goats. Occasionally, he and his wife, Nurmaa, stopped to help struggling young ones, weak after a harsh winter.

Thousands of miles away in Senegal, Amadou Altine Ndiayes family led livestock through a sparse African savannah. Horses and donkeys pulled a four-cart caravan along dirt paths in sweltering heat. Cattle followed. The family believed the next village would be richer with vegetation.

I was born into pastoralism, and since then Ive known only that, said Ndiaye, 48, a member of the Muslim Fulani ethnic group who learned the ways of herding alongside his elders. Its a source of pride.

More than 50 million people in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere practice this way of life. As nomadic pastoralists, they keep domestic animals and move with them to seek fresh pastures  often selling some livestock for meat.

EDITORS NOTE  This story is part of The Protein Problem, an AP series that examines the question: Can we feed this growing world without starving the planet? To see the full project, visit https://projects.apnews.com/features/2023/the-protein-problem/index.html

Although pastoralism has sustained these populations for millennia, it faces mounting pressures from deteriorating environments, shrinking rangelands, and new generations who seek a less grueling life. At the same time, pastoralism is modernizing, with groups leveraging technology.

The practice has survived for so long because it is designed to adapt to a changing environment  pastoralists move with animals to find fresh pasture and water, leaving behind fallow land to regrow.

Experts say it's a lesson that could help those who raise livestock at larger scales adapt and reduce the impact on the environment. Pastoralists arent only trying to outrun climate change; theyre combatting it.

WE NEED MORE RAIN

Perhaps more than any other place, Mongolia is known for pastoralism. The practice is enshrined in the nations constitution, which calls its 80 million camels, yaks, cows, sheep, goats and horses national wealth protected by the state.

For families like Agvaantogtokhs, pastoralism is more than a profession. Its a cultural identity that connects generations. At its heart is the human connection to animals.

Agvaantogtokh and his family sell animals for meat. They also sell dairy products such as yogurt and hard cheeses. While they consider animals their property, they also see them as living beings working alongside them.

Researchers say herders believe in animal agency. Agvaantogtokh lets his livestock pick grass, flowers or herbs to eat, and find their own water. To him, fencing an animal and asking it to eat the same thing daily is like putting a person in prison.

In Mongolia, weather extremes are a part of life. When Agvaantogtokh thinks about climate change, he worries about humans and livestock.

Chronic drought and warming plague Mongolia. Since 1940, the government says, average temperatures have risen 2.2 degrees Celsius (nearly 4 degrees Fahrenheit). Dzuds  natural disasters unique to Mongolia caused by droughts and severe, snowy winters  have grown harsher and more frequent.

A dzud pushed Agvaantogtokh and his family to move out after a disastrous winter killed 400 of their animals.

The family lives simply. They have a sink with a rubber pump to limit water use. They live in a tent called a ger, with wooden circular frames insulated with sheepskin and felt, and doors facing east to let in the morning sun.

Nurmaa, who married into this way of life, uses a boiler fired with horse dung to cook and stay warm.

Year by year, she said, I have learned a lot of things. Herding and birthing animals. Setting up camp. Cooking meals of breads, stews, milk tea and homemade wine.

SURVIVING ON THE EDGE OF THE SAHARA

In Senegal, caravans carry the comforts of a furnished home, such as a metal bed frame and mattress, and water for people and animals.

With the rainy season approaching earlier this year, Ndiaye, his son-in-law Moussa Ifra Ba and the rest of the family prepared for a 170-kilometer (106-mile), 16-day trek.

The livestock are hungry, and you sometimes have trouble selling one because it is so thin, Ndiaye said. Water and plentiful grass have become harder to come by.

Ba said: Many varieties of tree have disappeared, and even our children are unaware of certain species. The best varieties of grass no longer grow in certain areas, and the most widespread grass is more like rubber: It fills the belly but doesnt nourish the animals.

Meals for Ndiayes family rarely include meat. Only when they pass through certain villages can they stock up on food  vegetables, rice. Per-person meat consumption in Senegal is among the lowest in the world; rates are more than six times higher in Mongolia.

Ndiayes family doesnt sell animals regularly. Meat is mostly for special occasions: weddings, holidays. When they do, a few head of cattle can provide enough money to get married, buy rice or even emigrate.

ANCIENT PRACTICE, NEW TECHNIQUES

To keep their practice alive, pastoralists seek ways to modernize.

In Mongolia, Lkhaebum recently began using a motorbike to more easily search for horses. The family has a solar-powered battery that runs a television and washing machine, a karaoke machine, and a cellphone to keep track of weather and access Facebook groups where herders exchange information.

Though modern tools promise to make things easier, many pastoralists run into obstacles. Those in Senegal, for example, often struggle to find cellphone signals. They rely mostly on older technology and methods. An important advancement in infrastructure has helped: water towers known as forages that have sprung up with government assistance.

Perhaps the biggest threat to pastoralism comes from within, as the next generation chooses other paths.

Nurmaa and Agvaantogtokh's 18-year-old daughter studies medicine. Their son spoke about becoming a herder in his early teens. But not anymore.

I wont regret anything if my child wont be a herder, Nurmaa said. I would like them to do what they aspire to do.

Four of Ndiayes seven living children dont travel with their parents. Ba, 28, and his wife Houraye, 20, have a 2-year-old daughter and want to expand their family. They mused about a future in which at least one child stays in pastoralism while at least one goes to school.

Id like my children to keep up with the changing world, Ba said.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Larson reported from Yawara Dieri, Senegal; Ungar, from Louisville, Kentucky.
TEKOHAW, Brazil (AP)  At dawn in this small Amazonian village in Brazil's Para state, flocks of noisy green parrots soar overhead as children run and play between wooden homes, kicking up sandy soil  in places white and bare as a beach.

The ground reveals one of the paradoxes of the rainforest. Renowned for its beauty and biodiversity, the life-giving nutrients of the forest are mostly stored in the trees and other plants, not the soil.

When the forest is cleared  for a cattle ranch, soybean field or even a small cluster of village homes  the combination of scorching Amazonian sun and intense rainfall combine to leach scarce nutrients from the soil in just a few years, leaving behind surprisingly barren ground.

This impoverished dirt makes it difficult to sustain agriculture in one place.

And in a region with some of the highest poverty levels in Brazil, people with few options have often just abandoned degraded fields and cleared more forest  hastening the cycle of deforestation that threatens the planets climate and the millions of species unique to the Amazon.

The biodiversity is rich, but so many people are very poor, said Judson Ferreira Valentim, a soil scientist for the governments agricultural research agency, Embrapa. We cant protect the rainforest without addressing the poverty of the Amazon.

EDITORS NOTE  This story is part of The Protein Problem, an AP series that examines the question: Can we feed this growing world without starving the planet? To see the full project, visit https://projects.apnews.com/features/2023/the-protein-problem/index.html

The only way to meet both goals is to find more paths for people to make a living in the Amazon without further destroying the rainforest, say experts who have long worked in the region. That means using already deforested land more efficiently  to reduce pressure to clear more forest  as well as supporting businesses that sustainably harvest native products such as acai and cacao.

The scale of abandoned farm and pastureland across the Brazilian Amazon is massive  covering an area larger than Portugal, according to an AP analysis of data derived from satellite imagery by the Brazilian research collaboration Mapbiomas.

Other researchers estimate that ranching, which accounts for between 60% and 80% of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon, is only a third as productive as it should be, and that increasing the efficiency on the same land area would more than meet increasing demands for meat through 2040. Brazil is a major exporter of beef to global markets, and currently 43% of Brazils cattle are raised within the Amazon region, according to an AP analysis of government data.

You have to enforce laws against deforestation, but thats only part of the solution. You also have to give people alternatives to improve their livelihoods, said Rachael Garrett, a researcher at Cambridge University whos conducted fieldwork in the Amazon since 2006.

There are 28 million people living in just Brazils portion of the Amazon  including Indigenous farmers, ranchers who migrated from other parts of the country, and settlers forcibly relocated decades ago when the government took their old land for infrastructure projects like the Itaipu Dam.

SUPERCHARGING THE SOIL

Dairy farmer Edson Cesar de Oliveira has been experimenting with planting a native legume called forage peanuts alongside grass in his pastures in Acre state. This plant attracts bacteria to its roots that can pull nitrogen from the air into the ground, essentially acting as a low-cost natural fertilizer.

While grass-only pastures may degrade in just two or three years, adding legumes may extend the soils fertility to ten or more years. Its also higher in protein than grass alone, which helps livestock grow faster.

De Oliveria, who said he cant afford chemical fertilizers, has noticed that pastures with forage peanuts dont turn as yellow during the dry season. And cows that graze there for at least two nights produce about 20% more milk, he said.

TASTES OF THE RAINFOREST: ACAI AND CACAO

Cesar De Mendes is trying to grow a business in the rainforest without cutting any trees at all.

Walking through the forest along a tributary of the Amazon in Para, he points out bright yellow fruits that sprout, sometimes in pairs, from the middle of tree trunks. Its cacao, the plant responsible for one of the worlds great joys: chocolate.

His company, De Mendes Chocolates, uses cacao harvested from virgin rainforest. Hes hoping customers will appreciate how different microclimates and soil conditions across the region subtly impact the flavor of the chocolate.

The idea of harvesting rainforest fruits is simple, but scaling up a sustainable business isnt always easy. Just getting fruit to market before it spoils can be a huge challenge. Last year during the rainy season, one road was closed for 90 days.

One solution is to build small processing factories near the forest, as the longstanding agricultural collective Projeto RECA has done in Brazils northern state of Rondonia.

Workers collect acai berries from local pickers, then haul them back to Projeto RECAs campus on the back of a motorcycle so they can quickly be transformed into jams, syrups and frozen fruit pulp before they go bad.

THE FOREST SUSTAINS US

The impacts of climate change are already being felt locally in the Amazon region, forcing other adaptations.

For as long as their stories tell, the Indigenous Tembe people of Tekohaw village have used fire to clear small plots of land to grow cassava, beans and other subsistence crops. After farming for three years, theyd clear new land.

Because their plots were small, the overall impact on the forest was minimal. But now the village chief wants to find other ways to manage the soils fertility.

We want to improve agriculture here, in one specific place, not keep burning fields and pushing nature back, said Kaparai Tembe, setting his hoe on the ground and mopping the sweat from his brow. We need to nurture the soil.

Earlier this year, the villagers treated the field with a powder made from grinding up limestone. Its a technique to reduce the natural acidity of the Amazonian soil. Tembe has also begun planting another legume, called the pigeon pea, to add nitrogen to the soil.

As he walked back to the village, Tembe heard the raucous shriek of a scarlet macaw.

Its a reminder of where I am, he said. The forest sustains us, the animals, the plants  we want to protect it.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
There are many reasons for Yemens multiple economic and political problems, of which the clearly dominant one is its epic level of corruption. Corruption worldwide is monitored and measured in the annual Transparency International Corruption Perception Index. The Index measures corruption on a 1 (most corrupt) to 100 (not corrupt) scale. The nations with the lowest scores are currently Yemen (score of 17). Syria (13), South Sudan (13) and Somalia (12). The least corrupt nation is currently Denmark, with a CPI of 90, followed by Finland and New Zealand, each with 87. Nations with the most corruption tend to be poor and chaotic. The opposite applies to nations with low levels of corruption. Yemen has been identified as a chronic and long-term victim of corruption.

One side effect of the chaos and corruption is the absence of a public health system. That means children do not receive vaccines for common, and sometimes fatal, childhood diseases like measles. This disease had been eliminated in nations with a nation-wide health system that makes it possible to vaccinate enough (often all) children to eliminate certain diseases, like measles. Worldwide there are many nations where measles persists because too many children are not vaccinated. Measles is sometimes fatal for the unvaccinated and so far, this year 60 Yemeni children a month have died from measles. Even more children die each from a cholera epidemic that started in 2016 and continues.

Most of the Islamic terrorists in Yemen belong to AQAP (Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula) or the much smaller and more violent ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant). Both Islamic terror groups operate in the south and east. AQAP sometimes cooperates with southern separatists. AQAP and most southerners are Sunni Moslems while the rebels are Shia. Most southerners just want peace and some prosperity. There are enough devoted separatists in the south to provide sanctuaries and support for AQAP.

Yemen has Saudi Arabia to thank for the decline in weapons smuggling over the last year. The Saudis were subject to years of Shia rebel attacks on Saudi targets using cruise and ballistic missiles smuggled in by Iran. This was expensive for Iran and getting more difficult and expensive because of increased anti-smuggling efforts,

A major reason for rebels agreeing to a ceasefire was a decline in Iranian support due to lack of funds plus unrest at home. The Iranian weapons, cash, advisors and smuggling network supercharged the Shia rebels, enabling them to keep fighting the more numerous and better armed force arrayed against them. Iran has been openly supporting the Shia rebels since 2014 and later admitted that less visible support had been supplied since 2011.

Information based on interceptions by American and other warships in the naval blockade of rebel-controlled coastlines indicates that Iranian smuggling of weapons to the rebels continues but at a lower intensity and consists mainly of infantry weapons rather than cruise and ballistic missiles used to attack Saudi Arabia. The Saudis are negotiating directly with the Iranians about the fighting in Yemen and how to reduce it. This is part of an effort, brokered by the Chinese, to improve relations between the Saudis and Iran and reduce the tensions in the Persian Gulf and Yemen.

All this smuggling cost Iran a lot of money, both for the smuggled cargos and personnel including shipyard technicians to modify the boats to carry smuggled cargo. The crews of these boats are also well paid for the risks of getting caught and jailed. Iran has been short of cash since economic sanctions were revived in 2020 and increased in 2022 because of Iran support for Russian forces in Ukraine. There were also higher costs for preparing the boats and bonuses for the crews limiting the amount of smuggled cargo that reaches the Yemen rebels. Those expenses were one of the reasons for the nationwide anti-government protests which began in September 2022 and continue. The IRGC (Islamic Republic Guard Corps), which guards the religious dictatorship that has ruled Iran since the 1980s, also handles Irans many foreign wars including Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Gaza and now Ukraine. Iran controls the leadership of the Yemen rebels, in large part because Iran supplies weapons. With that weapons pipeline disrupted during the last three months, the rebels responded by observing a ceasefire with their many opponents.

IRGC leaders were reluctant to give up gains made in Yemen and are unsure when or if they can revive support for the Yemeni Shia because of the growing economic sanctions on Iran as well as the demands of supporting Russia in Ukraine. Because of the sanctions imposed in 2017, the Quds force saw its budget cut by half ever since. This meant major reductions in Quds activities in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.

Yemen was always the least expensive Quds operation and did not suffer noticeable aid cuts after 2017. Yemen was the only IRGC operation that was able to attack arch-enemy Saudi Arabia directly and that counted for something. The Yemen operation was allowed to continue. This was only possible if the smuggled weapons from Iran kept getting through. The Iranian weapons smuggling has now been greatly reduced. This sharply limits Irans ability to directly attack Saudi Arabia by arming Shia rebels in Yemen. The Shia rebels in Yemen received over a thousand ballistic missiles and UAVs between 2016 and 2021. Most of the ones fired were aimed at southwestern Saudi Arabia. Less than one percent of those UAVs and missiles hit anything of consequence in Saudi Arabia. Since then a few more have been fired at Israel and been intercepted by Israel and the US Navy.

Iran sought to carry out a similar campaign against Israel using Iran-backed militias in Syria. That hasnt worked so far because Israeli intelligence capabilities and airstrikes have been much more effective in Syria than Saudi efforts in Yemen, despite the facts that Israel and Saudi Arabia have similar aircraft, smart bombs and air defense systems.

Iranian smuggling efforts have been less effective over the last few years because the international naval blockade has been detecting and intercepting more of the Iranian smuggling efforts. The Saudis had already put a stop to cross country smuggling via Oman. The Iranians have not tried to revive it, in part because Oman has backed the halt to Iranian smuggling.

It wasnt just weapons smuggling the Saudis helped stop; there is also khat produced in Yemen and smuggled into Saudi Arabia. Khat production has been a major problem for Yemen as well as the Saudis. Much of the Yemeni agricultural crisis is caused by the fact that Yemen's economic situation has been rapidly deteriorating since the late 20th century. This is largely because the government has done nothing to address the problems of overpopulation, water shortages and khat. The last item is a narcotic plant that is chewed fresh, requires a lot of water to grow and is worth a lot of money in Saudi Arabia where it is illegal and has to be smuggled in. While Yemen contains most of the only arable land in the Arabian Peninsula, only one percent of Yemen is suitable for agriculture. Rather than produce food, most Yemeni agricultural production is of khat and nearly all of that is smuggled into Saudi Arabia. In the last year Saudi Arabia has increased its efforts to halt khat smuggling and that has had some success. During the first half of 2023, 26 tons of khat and a ton of the more potent, as a narcotic, hashish was seized and destroyed before it could get to Saudi Arabia. Hashish is a concentrated form of cannabis, produced by removing the sticky resin, which is the most narcotic portion of the cannabis plant. Put simply, khat is for relaxation while hashish is for intoxication, it will get you high and largely unable to function. Saudi Arabia bans both khat and hashish as harmful to the welfare of the population. Most khat and hashish is consumed by young (adolescent and early 20s) Saudi males and expatriate workers. Alcoholic beverages are specifically banned by Islamic scripture while khat and hashish are not. Alcoholic beverages are bulkier and leave a scent of alcohol in your breath while khat and hashish do not. Khat and hashish do have harmful side effects as they reduce inhibitions and the ability to safely operate vehicles or machinery of any kind. While the Saudi border guards are seizing more khat and hashish from Yemen, some always get through and most of the customers in Saudi Arabia can afford to pay more when supplies are short.
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / Regions Bank:

Small businesses in Central Illinois benefit from the Regions Community Development Corporation's collaboration with a CDFI and key community partner.

By Candace Higginbotham

Like many lasting relationships, Regions Bank and the nonprofit Justine PETERSEN Housing and Reinvestment Corporation have a long history together and share mutual interests and priorities.

Both organizations understand that affordable housing, financial education and small-business empowerment are fundamental to uplifting communities. And they have been working together for many years to further those objectives.

Most recently, the relationship has focused on small-business development. Regions Community Development Corporation, or RCDC, provided a $2.5 million non-revolving line of credit to Great Rivers Community Capital, which is a community development financial institution (CDFI) and subsidiary of Justine PETERSEN.

"We are pleased to extend this relationship with Great Rivers Community Capital through their parent organization, Justine PETERSEN," said David Christian, chief operating officer of the RCDC. "Helping small businesses launch and succeed is central to RCDC's vision. By collaborating with CDFIs like Great Rivers, we can extend our reach deeper into our communities and ensure every person and every business have the opportunity for financial success."

The RCDC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Regions Bank that supports underserved communities lacking access to traditional sources of capital by providing debt and equity financing for projects and entities with a community development purpose. The loan to Great Rivers is a good example of how the RCDC is executing its mission.

Helping small businesses launch and succeed is central to RCDC's vision.

David Christian, chief operating officer of the RCDC

This loan increased RCDC's existing capital commitment to Great Rivers so the CDFI can, in turn, provide small business financing in Central Illinois - with an emphasis on the areas in and around Decatur, Peoria, Springfield and Bloomington.

CDFIs are private financial institutions dedicated to delivering responsible, affordable lending to help low-income, low-wealth, and other disadvantaged people and communities join the economic mainstream. Often, CDFIs can offer more flexible terms and conditions to borrowers sometimes labeled "too risky" for traditional financing - and these institutions have a strong track record of success. Additionally, many of the institutions are located in small towns, rural areas or urban centers where larger banks don't have a presence.

"Great Rivers Community Capital shares the mission of its parent, Justine PETERSEN, which is to assist target markets of underserved people with building their economic mobility," said Sheri Flanigan-Vazquez, chief operating officer of the organization. "Many small business owners in our Central Illinois market are unable to access capital at a fair or equitable rate. We've found that often these owners or potential entrepreneurs are people of color or lower-income people that have plenty of business acumen, they just are unable to get funding."

According to CDFI trade group Opportunity Finance Network, its members have originated more than $100 billion in financing and the CDFI industry at large manages more than $222 billion today.

Those impact statistics are particularly impressive when considering that many individuals and small businesses come to CDFIs for loans for much smaller amounts than traditional banks.

"Traditional banks tend to focus on larger, more profitable business loans," said Eric Madkins, Community Development Manager at Regions. "But many small businesses don't need large loans, especially when they're just getting started. Helping these entrepreneurs get a jump start and get into the small business ecosystem is an important service to communities."

According to Flanigan-Vazquez, most of the RCDC funding will go directly to small businesses for expenses such as renovation, inventory, space expansion and staffing. It will also help Great Rivers provide technical assistance to new business owners to help them navigate the challenges of starting a business.

The CDFI will also utilize some of the funding to help develop future entrepreneurs. "A portion of the disbursement go to help build the credit scores of hopeful business owners so they can access our small business products in the future," Flanigan-Vazquez said.

Both Regions and Justine PETERSEN are extremely enthusiastic about the opportunities this funding provides for an area of the bank's footprint that's critically important to both organizations.

"This impact investment with a trusted community partner allows Regions to create capital for small businesses, which will benefit the entire Central Illinois community," Christian said. "It's a win-win for everyone."

To learn more about how Regions collaborates with CDFIs, see the article and video

Communities Are Important to Us, and You Are Important to Communities'.

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:

https://www.accesswire.com/807645/helping-small-businesses-is-a-win-win-for-everyone




- All Resolutions Approved -

TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / AI/ML Innovations Inc. (CSE:AIML)(OTCQB: AIMLF)(FWB:42FB), a leading company committed to acquiring and advancing Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning technologies that address urgent societal needs, is pleased to report the results of its Annual General Meeting held on November 17, 2023. A total of 13,283,644 common shares were voted by Proxy, representing 21.1% of the Company's issued and outstanding common shares, constituting a quorum. Each of the resolutions presented to the shareholders, as set out in the Information Circular, were approved with a greater than 99 percent vote in favour.

Specifically, the following resolutions were approved:

1. To elect Directors for the ensuing year.

Elected: Tim Daniels; Nick Watters; Randy Duguay; Fabrice Pakin.

2. To appoint auditors for the ensuing year and to authorize the Directors to fix the remuneration of the auditors.

Appointed: Baker Tilly Canada.

3. Approval of the Company's Stock Option Plan.

4. Approval of the Company's Restricted Share/Deferred Share Unit Plan.

The Company's Information Circular is available for download under the Company's profile on SEDAR at https://www.sedarplus.ca/ AI/ML Innovations Inc. wishes to thank all those shareholders who participated in the AGM.

About AI/ML Innovations Inc. https://aiml-innovations.com/

AI/ML Innovations Inc. has realigned its business operations to capitalize on the burgeoning fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), with an initial investment focus on emerging digital health and wellbeing companies that leverage AI, ML, cloud computing and digital platforms to drive transformative healthcare management solutions and precision support delivery across the health continuum. Through strategic partnerships with Health Gauge (95.2% owned by AIML), Tech2Heal (up to 22% ownership rights, with 12.44% currently owned by AIML), AI Rx Inc. (70% owned by AIML) and other planned accretive investments, the Company continues to capitalize on expanding growth areas, to the benefit of all the Company's stakeholders. AI/ML's shares are traded on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol "AIML", the OTCQB Venture Market under "AIMLF", and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under "42FB".

On behalf of the Board of Directors

Tim Daniels, Executive Chairman

For more information about AI/ML Innovations :

For detailed information please see AI/ML's website or the Company's filed documents at www.sedar.com.

For further information, contact: Blake Fallis at (778) 405-0882 or [email protected].

Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: AI/ML Innovations Inc.

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IRVINE, CA / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / Mark Paul, a security professional for Allied Universal,athe world's leading security and facility services company, was honored by The American Red Cross at its Evening of the Stars event for his heroic actions that saved a life.

Paul was recognized at the event on Nov. 14, 2023, for assisting an individual in need and saving their life. While on shift at Allied Universal's client State Farm Park in Illinois, Paul helped a State Farm employee who collapsed from cardiac arrest by administering CPR while another worker administered an AED (automated external defibrillator). He credits his swift call to action to his military and first aid training that resulted in saving the individual's life.

"Today, I am profoundly inspired by the heroism displayed by our dedicated security professional who, in a moment of crisis, went beyond the call of duty," said Steve Jones, global chairman and CEO of Allied Universal. "In saving a life through CPR, Mark Paul reminds us that our commitment to safety extends far beyond the confines of our roles. This heroic act serves as a testament to the unwavering dedication of our team and underscores the values that define our company. We are immensely proud to have such exceptional individuals on our team, embodying the essence of true heroes."

The American Red Cross Evening of the Stars event is a fundraising event that helps provide essential support to the families that the Red Cross serves and during this event local central Illinois heroes were recognized for their heroic actions.

Read more at https://chicagoredcrossstories.wordpress.com/2023/10/25/roger-wolf-a-lifesaving-rescue-story/.

About Allied Universal

The world's leading security and facility services provider and trusted partner to more than 400 of the FORTUNE 500, Allied Universal delivers unparalleled customer relationships, innovative solutions, cutting-edge smart technologies and tailored services that enable clients to focus on their core businesses. With operations in over 100 countries, Allied Universal is the third-largest private employer in North America and seventh in the world. Annual revenue is more than $20 billion. There is no greater purpose and responsibility than serving and safeguarding customers, communities and people. For more information, visitawww.aus.com.a

Media Contact:

Kari Garcia

Director of Public Relations

Allied Universal

Phone: 949-826-3560

Email: [email protected]

Newsroom: [email protected]

SOURCE: Allied Universal

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BRENTWOOD, TN / ACCESSWIRE / November 20, 2023 / Building Experts Institute, LLC (BEI), a leader in online technical training for contractors, public adjusters, and attorneys, is thrilled to announce its recent acquisition of the National Claims Institute (NCI), a renowned site-based training facility. This strategic acquisition, effective today, marks a significant milestone in BEI's mission to offer unparalleled, expert-led training in the restoration industry.





Building Experts Institute Expo

Crowds gather to watch BEI Partner Mathew Mulholland shoot his hail cannon at Roofcon 2023

Founded in April 2023, BEI has rapidly become the gold standard for in-depth, beautifully crafted online learning within the restoration sector. The integration of NCI's resources and expertise under the BEI umbrella is a game-changer, promising to further enrich the learning experience for professionals in this field.

Mathew Mulholland, a key figure at BEI, expressed his enthusiasm about the acquisition: "I'm happy to be able to continue the relationships and honor the certifications that were started under the National Claims Institute. This acquisition is not just a merging of resources, but a fusion of shared values and commitments to excellence in professional education."

The acquisition means that NCI will be sunsetted as a brand, as BEI takes full control over NCI's intellectual property and assets. This transition will enable BEI to offer an expanded range of certifications and courses, previously part of NCI's repertoire, through its innovative online Learning Management System (LMS).

Looking forward, BEI is committed to continuing the mission of providing expert education to its diverse clientele. "Many of the courses initiated by NCI will soon be available through BEI, further enhancing our robust catalogue of educational offerings," said BEI Partner Matthew Danskin. This expansion is in line with BEI's vision of being at the forefront of professional development and education in the restoration industry.

For more information about the acquisition, or to explore the expanded range of courses and certifications now available, please visit www.buildingexperts.institute.

About Building Experts Institute, LLC: Building Experts Institute, LLC is a leading provider of online technical training for the restoration industry. Established in 2023, BEI has quickly set a new standard for online professional development, offering comprehensive, expert-led courses for contractors, public adjusters, and attorneys.

Contact Information:

Mathew Mulholland

Partner

[email protected]

678-749-2383

Matthew Danskin

Partner

[email protected]

615-947-0110

Jonathan Tilghman

Partner

[email protected]

760-707-3136

Related Files

377123479_530852972562339_8962528296491396508_n.jpg

Related Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWEayeIyWmc

SOURCE: Building Experts Institute, LLC

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. The second part of humanitarian aid consisting of electrical equipment has been sent to Ukraine in accordance with the order of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, dated July 17, 2023, Trend reports.

The humanitarian cargo includes more than 900,000 meters of electric cable and wires, as well as 18 transformers and complete transformer substations, a source in the Ministry of Economy of Azerbaijan said.

A convoy of 23 trucks with humanitarian aid left the Sumgayit Chemical Industrial Park today. By the order of the head of state, it is planned to send the next batches of electrical equipment worth $7.6 million to Ukraine within the humanitarian aid in the near future.
CAPE CORAL, FL / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / CAN Community Health is excited to announce a dual celebration event on December 1st, commemorating both the first anniversary of our Cape Coral clinic and the globally recognized World AIDS Day. The festivities will unfold from 9:30 AM to 10:30 PM at the Cape Coral clinic located at 1224 Del Prado Blvd, Suite A.

The day will kick off with a symbolic ribbon-cutting ceremony, marking the successful completion of the clinic's first year of operation. This milestone underscores CAN's unwavering commitment to providing accessible and compassionate healthcare services to the Cape Coral community.

Transitioning seamlessly from this celebratory moment, the event will evolve into a dedicated World AIDS Day celebration. Our focus will be on acknowledging the strides made in HIV prevention and treatment, recognizing the ongoing efforts driving progress in this critical field.

Esteemed speakers from CAN Community Health's peer mentorship program will take center stage, sharing personal experiences and insights. Their narratives will illuminate the importance of community support in the relentless fight against HIV/AIDS, emphasizing the pivotal role of peer mentorship in fostering resilience and empowerment.

The event will offer a light breakfast to attendees, creating a welcoming and communal atmosphere. All community members are warmly invited to join us in commemorating these significant milestones, sharing in the joy of the clinic's successful first year and contributing to the ongoing dialogue surrounding World AIDS Day.

EVENT DETAILS:

Date: December 1, 2023

December 1, 2023 Time: 9:30 AM - 10:30 PM

9:30 AM - 10:30 PM Location: CAN Community Health Cape Coral Clinic, 1224 Del Prado Blvd, Suite A

For further information about this occasion, please contact CAN Community Health at (239) 945-9401. Let us come together to celebrate progress, honor those affected by HIV/AIDS, and reinforce our collective commitment to a healthier future.

About CAN Community Health: Since 1991, CAN Community Health has been serving the needs of the HIV community in Florida. As the largest provider of HIV services, prevention education, and testing in the United States, CAN is committed to providing high-quality HIV, Hepatitis C, and other sexually transmitted disease treatments that are accessible and available to all, regardless of their ability to pay. Our dedicated professionals work tirelessly to improve the health and well-being of our patients.

Contact Information

Rogelio Capote

Chief Communications Officer

[email protected]

Jasmine Akins

Director of Community Engagement

[email protected]

941-300-4440 ext. 11951

Related Files

World AIDS Day Events 2023.pdf

SOURCE: CAN Community Health

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Oral presentation outlines positive efficacy and safety data

Confirms interim data showing FG001 met primary endpoint, with cancer lit up in 16 /16 (100%) patients, and was very well tolerated

Several applications for potential clinical benefit will be further explored

Topline phase IIb results of FG001 in high-grade glioma expected later in November 2023

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / FluoGuide A/S ("FluoGuide" or the "Company"), a pioneer in the cutting-edge field of precision cancer surgery, today announced that topline results from the phase IIa trial of its lead product FG001 in guiding surgery in patients with head & neck cancer, confirming positive efficacy and safety, were presented at the International Academy of Oral Oncology (IAOO) 2023 conference in Incheon, South Korea.

"These encouraging first clinical results, showing that FG001 was able to light up cancer in all head & neck cancer patients in the trial, indicate it could make a significant difference for operating surgeons and their patients. The data suggest several potential applications in head & neck cancer and I look forward to see further results from FG001's clinical development," said Anders Christensen, MD, PhD, Principal Investigator and head and neck surgeon, who presented the data at IAOO.

FG001 is a fluorophore targeting uPAR, which is a cancer specific target expressed extensively in most solid cancers. It is administered into a patient's vein prior to surgery and lights up the cancer during surgery, helping to guide the surgeon in removing all cancer while sparing healthy tissue. The fluorophore has the same spectral specifications as indocyanine green, which is already approved, and means FG001 is compatible with most imaging equipment.

The open-label, single-center non-randomized explorative phase lla trial investigated the effect of FG001 in guiding surgery of patients with head & neck cancer (oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas - OPSCC). The purpose was to obtain proof-of-concept in this indication for the uPAR platform technology used to guide surgical removal of cancer.

Data from the trial will be valuable to guide further development of FG001 in head & neck cancer including potential clinical benefits. The topline results were:

4 patients were dosed with 4mg, 8 patients were dosed with 16 mg and 4 patients were dosed with 36mg. The cancer lit up in all patients with a relevant Tumor To Background Ratio (TBR).

Safety: No Serious Adverse Events or drug-related Adverse Events were reported.

Several applications for potential clinical benefit were hypothesized and will be explored in further trials.

"The result of this first clinical trial of FG001 in head & neck cancer is very promising and reinforces the potential of FluoGuide's unique uPAR-targeting technology platform. uPAR is extensively expressed in solid cancers, so targeting potentially enables precise removal of cancer tissue. We are now analyzing the data to optimize the value of FG001 to help surgeons and for the benefit of patients with head & neck cancer," said Andreas Kjaer, Chief Scientific Officer of FluoGuide.

"We now have phase IIa data showing efficacy and safety of FG001 across three indications and are looking forward to topline results from our phase IIb trial in aggressive brain cancer, which are expected later in November 2023. Overall, our data provide a very solid foundation for latestage clinical development as we define our plans and move FG001 towards commercialization."

For further information, please contact:

Morten Albrechtsen, CEO,

FluoGuide A/S +45 24 25 62 66,

[email protected]

Certified Adviser:

Svensk Kapitalmarknadsgransking AB

Phone: +46 70 755 95 51

E-mail: [email protected]

About FluoGuide

FluoGuide takes precision surgery to the next level improving the outcome for cancer patients. The Company's lead product, FG001, is designed to improve surgical precision by illuminating cancer intraoperatively. This improved precision enabled by FluoGuide's products is expected to have a dual benefit - it reduces both the frequency of local recurrence post-surgery and lessens surgical sequelae. Ultimately, this improved precision will improve a patient's chance of achieving a complete cure and will lower system-wide healthcare costs. The Company has published key results on the efficacy of FG001 as well as showing it was well tolerated and safe from a proof-of-concept clinical study (phase I/IIa) in patients with aggressive brain cancer (high grade glioma) that undergo surgery. A phase IIb trial in aggressive brain cancer is ongoing to obtain valuable information to design late-stage clinical trials. This IIb trial has completed patient enrollment and treatment, and data complication is ongoing. In addition, FluoGuide has demonstrated effect of FG001 in lung and head & neck cancer.

About head and neck cancer

Head and neck cancer includes cancers in the lining of the lips, tung, mouth, or upper throat. Head and neck cancers is often occurring in close anatomical proximity to small vital structures such as blood vessels supplying the brain and many important nerves. Further, cosmetic considerations are important for most locations of head and neck cancers. Surgical precision is therefore essential for surgical removal of head and neck cancers. Most head and neck cancers arise from squamous cells and are called squamous cell carcinomas.

Worldwide, head and neck cancer accounts for approximately 900,000 cases and over 400,000 deaths annually. It is the 6th most common cancer. In USA and EU head and neck cancer accounts for approximately 66,000 cases annually and 15,000 deaths, and 250,000 cases and 63,500 deaths, respectively. (Source: (1) Global Cancer Observatory. International Agency for Research on Cancer. World Health Organization. Available at: https://gco.iarc.fr/ (Accessed on June 06, 2021; (2) Siegel RL, Miller KD, Fuchs HE, Jemal A. Cancer statistics, 2022; (3) CA Cancer J Clin 2022; 72:7. Gatta G, Botta L, Snchez MJ, et al. Prognoses and improvement for head and neck cancers diagnosed in Europe in early 2000s: The EUROCARE-5 populationbased study. Eur J Cancer 2015; 51:2130.)

For more information on the Company, please visit www.fluoguide.com

SOURCE: FluoGuide A/S

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LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / That the iSwiss banking group is a leader in the fast-growing securitisation sector is by now a certainty among those in the financial world: but yet another project that is about to come to fruition is truly an important step, both for the market and for the financial group.

In fact, only a few days ago, the financial group's bodies announced that they were requesting an ISIN code for securities resulting from the securitisation of tax credits collected on the Italian market. An important operation, because this large mass of credits, which risked blocking the liquidity of large and small companies for a long time, derives from applying certain state incentives, known as 'Super Bonus 110%' and 'Bonus Facciate'.

This is an important step, because it is the first transaction of this kind in which a special purpose vehicle, registered in the Bank of Italy's dedicated register, has no roots in the banking sector. A first that could represent a milestone in the world of securitisation, kicking off a series of transactions with new players, opening up an important sector in the credit landscape.

But it comes as no surprise that it is iSwiss Bank itself that is proposing such a major innovation. As the group's CEO, Christopher Aleo, who was awarded the prestigious Forbes magazine's Innovator of the Year in Finance for 2022, explains: "This is a project in which the entire group has believed from the beginning and which has been developed in every detail. The choice of tax credits from the 110% Super Bonus and Bonus Facades is important because in the role of guarantor is the Italian state. And this situation gives a further important guarantee to investors, who will have access to an innovative instrument that is bound to be successful."

Even the choice of Ireland as the location of the bidding company is not accidental: it is in fact the most important location in Europe for securitisation, so presenting the project here significantly increases its visibility and attracts the attention of potential investors.

As far as the concrete functioning of the securitisation system is concerned, again Christopher Aleo gave a comprehensive but at the same time easily understandable overview: "A group of small and medium-sized companies conferred the tax credits they had collected during the last two years of activity, credits that represent the collateral for the securities issued in the course of the transaction and that are offered on the market. The proceeds from the sale of the securities go to compensate the companies that provided the credits, while iSwiss Bank takes care of the sale of the tax credits in order to guarantee the payment of the coupons of the securities."

A solution that makes innovative use of a tool that is little considered but has a lot of potential: just as befits the revolutionary vision of iSwiss Bank.

Media Contact

Organization: iSwiss Bank SA

Contact Person: Monica Morelli

Website: https://iswiss.ch/

Email: [email protected]

City: London

Country: United Kingdom

SOURCE: iSwiss Bank SA

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WINNIPEG, MB / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / Medicure Inc. ("Medicure" or the "Company") (TSXV:MPH)(OTC PINK:MCUJF), a company focused on the development and commercialization of pharmaceuticals and healthcare products for patients and prescribers in the United States market, today reported its results from operations for the quarter ended September 30, 2023.

Quarter Ended September 30, 2023 Highlights:

Recorded total net revenue of $5.0 million during the quarter ended September 30, 2023 compared to $5.3 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2022 and;

Recorded total net revenue from the sale of AGGRASTAT  of $2.4 million during the quarter ended September 30, 2023 compared to $3.0 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2022 and;

of $2.4 million during the quarter ended September 30, 2023 compared to $3.0 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2022 and; Recorded total net revenue from the Marley Drug business of $2.2 million ($670,000 from sales of ZYPITAMAG  , and $1.53 million from other pharmacy revenue) during the quarter ended September 30, 2023 compared to $1.8 million ($430,000 from sales of ZYPITAMAG  and $1.37 million from other pharmacy revenue) for the quarter ended September 30, 2022 and;

, and $1.53 million from other pharmacy revenue) during the quarter ended September 30, 2023 compared to $1.8 million ($430,000 from sales of ZYPITAMAG and $1.37 million from other pharmacy revenue) for the quarter ended September 30, 2022 and; Recorded net revenue through insured business from the sale of ZYPITAMAG  of $398,000 during the quarter ended September 30, 2023 compared to $434,000 through insured business for the quarter ended September 30, 2022.

of $398,000 during the quarter ended September 30, 2023 compared to $434,000 through insured business for the quarter ended September 30, 2022. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA 1 ) for the quarter ended September 30, 2023 was $429,000 compared to adjusted EBITDA of $1.4 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2022 and;

) for the quarter ended September 30, 2023 was $429,000 compared to adjusted EBITDA of $1.4 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2022 and; Net income for the quarter ended September 30, 2023 was $84,000 or $0.01 per share compared to net income of $1.1 million or $0.11 per share for the quarter ended September 30, 2022.

R&D expenses for the quarter ended September 30, 2023 were $508,000, and the company remains committed to the completion of the PNPO deficiency Phase 3 clinical trial.

The Company remains cash flow positive and carries no debt on its balance sheet.

Financial Results

Net AGGRASTAT product sales for the three month period ended September 30, 2023, were $2.4 million compared to $3.0 million during the three month period ended September 30, 2022. The decrease in AGGRASTAT revenues from the prior year when compared to the previous year is the result of a decrease in the volume of AGGRASTAT sold, and competition from generic tirofiban.

ZYPITAMAG contributed $398,000 of revenue for the quarter ended September 30, 2023 compared to $434,000 for the quarter ended September 30, 2022. The decrease in revenue through insured channels is primarily as a result of wholesaler returns and higher coverage gap payments to pharmacy benefit managers. This amount does not include sales of ZYPITAMAG through the Marley Drug business.

The Marley Drug business contributed $2.2 million of revenue for the quarter ended September 30, 2023 compared to $1.8 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2022. Marley Drug is a US pharmacy licensed to ship medications to all 50 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. It serves thousands of customers and provides another channel for direct-to-consumer marketing, distribution and improved profit margin for ZYPITAMAG. The increase in revenue is a result of increased sales through its e-commerce platform, including increased sales of ZYPITAMAG.

Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter ended September 30, 2023 was $429,000 compared to $1.4 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2022. Decreased adjusted EBITDA for the quarter ended September 30, 2023 resulted from lower net revenue, higher selling and R&D expenses, partially offset by lower cost of goods sold during the current quarter.

Net income for the quarter ended September 30, 2023 was $84,000 or $0.01 per share compared to net income of $1.1 million or $0.11 per share for the quarter ended September 30, 2022. The main factor contributing to the decrease in net income recorded for the quarter ended September 30, 2023 was lower net revenue, higher selling and R&D expenses, partially offset by lower cost of goods sold during the current period.

At September 30, 2023, the Company had unrestricted cash totaling $5.6 million, an increase from $4.9 million of unrestricted cash held as of December 31, 2022. Cash flows from operating activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 was $1.2 million compared to cash flows from operating activities of $1.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2022.

All amounts referenced herein are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise noted.

The full financial statements are available at www.sedar.com and on the Company's website at www.medicure.com.

Notes

The Company defines EBITDA as "earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and other income or expense" and Adjusted EBITDA as "EBITDA adjusted for nonacash and non-recurring items". The terms "EBITDA" and "Adjusted EBITDA", as it relates to the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 results prepared using IFRS, do not have any standardized meaning according to IFRS. It is therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies.

Conference Call Info:

Topic: Medicure's Q3 2023 Results

Call date: Wednesday, November 22, 2023

Time: 7:30 AM Central Time (8:30 AM Eastern Time)

Toll Free: 1 (888) 506-0062

International: 1 (973) 528-0011

Participant Access Code: 599508

Webcast: This conference call will be webcast live over the internet at the following link: https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/2965/48792

You may request international country-specific access information by e-mailing the Company in advance. Management will accept and answer questions related to the financial results and operations during the question-and-answer period at the end of the conference call. A recording of the call will be available following the event at the Company's website.

About Medicure Inc.

Medicure is a pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of therapies for the U.S. cardiovascular market. The present focus of the Company is the marketing and distribution of AGGRASTAT (tirofiban hydrochloride) injection and ZYPITAMAG (pitavastatin) tablets in the United States, where they are sold through the Company's U.S. subsidiary, Medicure Pharma Inc. Medicure also operates Marley Drug, Inc. ("Marley Drug"), a pharmacy located in North Carolina that offers an Extended Supply drug program serving all 50 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. Marley Drug is committed to improving the health status of its patients and the communities they serve while reducing overall health care costs for employers and other health care consumers. For more information visit www.marleydrug.com. To learn more about The Extended Supply Generic Drug Program call 800.286.6781 or email [email protected].For more information on Medicure please visit www.medicure.com. For additional information about AGGRASTAT, please visit www.aggrastathdb.com or refer to the full Prescribing Information. For additional information about ZYPITAMAG, please visit www.zypitamag.com or refer to the full Prescribing Information.

To receive investor and business updates from Medicure, please fill out this form click here to be added to Medicure's e-mail list.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward Looking Information: Statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements containing the words "believes", "may", "plans", "will", "estimates", "continues", "anticipates", "intends", "expects" and similar expressions, may constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. federal securities laws (such forward-looking information and forward-looking statements are hereinafter collectively referred to as "forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements, include estimates, analysis and opinions of management of the Company made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors which the Company believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances. Inherent in forward-looking statements are known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors beyond the Company's ability to predict or control that may cause the actual results, events or developments to be materially different from any future results, events or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, and as such, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Such risk factors include, among others, the Company's future product revenues, expected results, including future revenue from P5P, the likelihood of receiving a priority review voucher from the United State Food and Drug Administration, expected future growth in revenues, stage of development, additional capital requirements, risks associated with the completion and timing of clinical trials and obtaining regulatory approval to market the Company's products, the ability to protect its intellectual property, dependence upon collaborative partners, changes in government regulation or regulatory approval processes, and rapid technological change in the industry. Such statements are based on a number of assumptions which may prove to be incorrect, including, but not limited to, assumptions about: general business and economic conditions; the impact of changes in Canadian-US dollar and other foreign exchange rates on the Company's revenues, costs and results; the timing of the receipt of regulatory and governmental approvals for the Company's research and development projects; the availability of financing for the Company's commercial operations and/or research and development projects, or the availability of financing on reasonable terms; results of current and future clinical trials; the uncertainties associated with the acceptance and demand for new products and market competition. The foregoing list of important factors and assumptions is not exhaustive. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements or the foregoing list of factors, other than as may be required by applicable legislation. Additional discussion regarding the risks and uncertainties relating to the Company and its business can be found in the Company's other filings with the applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities or the US Securities and Exchange Commission, and in the "Risk Factors" section of its current Form 20F.

AGGRASTAT (tirofiban hydrochloride) injection, ZYPITAMAG (pitavastatin) tablets, and Marley Drug are registered trademarks.

For more information, please contact:

Dr. Albert D. Friesen

Chief Executive Officer

Tel. 888-435-2220

Fax 204-488-9823

E-mail: [email protected]

www.medicure.com

Condensed Consolidated Interim Statements of Financial Position

(expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars, except per share amounts)

September 30, 2023 December 31, 2022 Assets Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 5,642 $ 4,857 Accounts receivable 5,531 5,635 Inventories 3,377 3,221 Prepaid expenses 761 1,134 Total current assets 15,311 14,847 Non-current assets: Property and equipment 856 1,187 Intangible assets 9,444 10,624 Goodwill 3,171 3,177 Other assets 63 63 Total non-current assets 13,534 15,051 Total assets $ 28,845 $ 29,898 Liabilities and Equity Current liabilities: Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $ 5,671 $ 7,128 Current portion of royalty obligation - 179 Current portion of acquisition payable 676 677 Current income taxes payable 6 60 Current portion of lease obligation 351 346 Total current liabilities 6,704 8,390 Non-current liabilities Lease obligation 275 503 Total non-current liabilities 275 503 Total liabilities 6,979 8,893 Equity: Share capital 81,014 80,917 Contributed surplus 10,647 10,476 Accumulated other comprehensive income (5,491 ) (5,458 ) Deficit (64,304 ) (64,930 ) Total Equity 21,866 21,005 Total liabilities and equity $ 28,845 $ 29,898

Condensed Consolidated Interim Statements of Net Income and Comprehensive Income

(expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars, except per share amounts)



Three months

ended September 30, 2023 Three months

ended September 30, 2022 Nine months

ended September 30, 2023 Nine months

ended September 30, 2022 Revenue, net $ 5,002 $ 5,287 $ 16,623 $ 16,750 Cost of goods sold 1,362 1,391 4,999 5,034 Gross profit 3,640 3,896 11,624 11,716 Expenses Selling 2,017 1,694 6,123 5,060 General and administrative 1,024 1,036 3,055 3,909 Research and development 508 314 1,703 1,984

3,549 3,044 10,881 10,953

Other Income Change in fair value of contingent consideration - (302 ) - (302 ) Finance (income) costs: Finance (income) expense, net (3 ) 33 (20 ) 90 Foreign exchange (gain) loss, net 17 (10 ) 71 25 14 (279 ) 51 (187 ) Net income (loss) before income taxes $ 77 $ 1,131 $ 692 $ 950 Income tax (recovery) expense Current (7 ) 18 66 39 Net income $ 84 $ 1,113 $ 626 $ 911 Other comprehensive income: Item that may be reclassified to profit or loss Exchange differences on translation of foreign subsidiaries 455 1,257 (33 ) 1,587 Other comprehensive income, net of tax 455 1,257 (33 ) 1,587 Comprehensive income $ 539 $ 2,370 $ 593 $ 2,498 Earnings per share Basic $ 0.01 $ 0.11 $ 0.06 $ 0.09 Diluted $ 0.01 $ 0.11 $ 0.05 $ 0.09



Condensed Consolidated Interim Statements of Cash Flows

(expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars, except per share amounts)

For the nine months ended September 30 2023 2022 Cash (used in) provided by: Operating activities: Net income for the period $ 626 $ 911 Adjustments for: Change in fair value of contingent consideration (302 ) Recovery of royalties (234 ) - Amortization of property, plant and equipment 319 343 Amortization of intangible assets 1,298 1,171 Share-based compensation 212 50 Finance (income) expense, net 11 90 Unrealized foreign exchange (gain) loss 71 812 Income tax expense 66 39 Change in the following: Accounts receivable 86 (285 ) Inventories (178 ) (61 ) Prepaid expenses 334 203 Accounts payable and accrued liabilities (1,108 ) (865 ) Other assets - 27 Interest received (paid), net 31 10 Income taxes paid (78 ) (42 ) Royalties paid (304 ) (772 ) Cash flows from operating activities 1,152 1,329 Investing activities: Acquisition of intangible assets (142 ) (269 ) Cash flows used in investing activities (142 ) (269 ) Financing activities: Repayment of lease liability (225 ) (219 ) Cash flows used in financing activities (225 ) (219 ) Increase in cash and cash equivalents 785 841 Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 4,857 3,694 Cash and cash equivalents, end of period $ 5,642 $ 4,535

SOURCE: Medicure, Inc.

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HACKENSACK, NJ / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2023 / Veloce Capital, a Hackensack, New Jersey-headquartered real estate private equity (REPE) firm, is proud to announce that it has raised over $6.5 million in equity from limited partners (LPs) as part of its latest multifamily syndicate offering.

"We received significant interest from new and existing partners," says Surf Dinani, the founder and CEO of Veloce Capital. "As a result, our latest offering was oversubscribed, providing ownership to investors on stabilized assets."

Veloce Capital will use the equity raised from LPs and $31.5 million in debt financing to invest in 10 multifamily assets in various parts of Northern NJ.

All ten (10) real estate assets are within commuting distance of New York City, featuring a mix of 124 units ranging from 6 to 27 apartments per building that will produce consistent income for the limited partners.

"While many of our syndications involve ground-up multifamily construction projects, we're also excited to offer investors interested in receiving steady income the opportunity to diversify and participate in deals involving existing stabilized multifamily assets," notes Surf. "This latest investment offering is a good example of our goal, delivering more ways to invest ."

Beyond the benefit of immediate cash flow, LPs participating in Veloce Capital's 10-property syndication stand to gain from demographic tailwinds-factors that lead to income growth over time. "Increasingly, residents are having trouble affording rents in areas like New York City, so they're relocating to commuter cities in New Jersey," explains Surf. "This is resulting in sustained population growth in our markets, which means higher property prices, stronger rent growth, and shorter lease-up periods," he continues. "Our investing partners expect to receive even more income in subsequent years."

These multifamily assets are well-positioned to experience substantial appreciation over the medium- and long-run. When coupled with a strong focus on price discipline, Veloce Capital's LPs can expect upfront and ongoing returns from capital appreciation. "We are able to provide roughly $10 million in equity value for our investors on day one by buying and structuring right."

"Additionally, because of steady appreciation throughout our holding period, our partners can expect to earn double-digit returns," Surf explains. "We anticipate that we'll be able to exit out every dollar of investor equity by the end of year three."

About Veloce Capital: Veloce Capital, LLC is a real estate private equity (REPE) firm that acquires, rehabilitates, and invests in multifamily assets. Founded in 2020, the firm boasts four diverse investment offerings, allowing accredited and non-accredited LPs to passively invest in new and existing multifamily properties across dozens of rapidly growing, developer-friendly cities in the United States.

About Surf Dinani: As founder and CEO of Veloce Capital, Surf is in charge of sourcing, structuring, and financing multifamily properties on behalf of the firm and its investors. Across his 15-year career as a real estate investor, Surf has taken joint venture (JV) equity and mezzanine equity positions in more than 1,000 real estate transactions-many of which involve multifamily assets located in Opportunity Zones (OZs), secondary, and tertiary markets. Before venturing into real estate, Surf was involved in various businesses which he ran, operated, and successfully exited.

CONTACT:

Veloce Capital

Geoffrey Smith, (201) 786-6300

[email protected]

SOURCE: Veloce Capital

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Pilot program sets company on path to goal of 120,000 regenerative agriculture hectares in Brazil by 2027

SAO PAULO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- ADM, a leader in sustainable agriculture supply chains, today announced an important expansion of its global regenerative agriculture efforts with the launch of its program in Brazil. The Brazil program aims to promote and support sustainable agricultural production with a focus on soil health, biodiversity protection, improved soil fertility and resilience, and increased farm productivity. In the initial stages of the program, ADM will focus on three practices:

Fertilizer use efficiency and increased use of biological inputs , reducing chemical inputs and substituting traditional nitrogen products with more technological alternatives to result in reduced carbon emissions in planting, coupled with increased productivity due to improved soil health.

, reducing chemical inputs and substituting traditional nitrogen products with more technological alternatives to result in reduced carbon emissions in planting, coupled with increased productivity due to improved soil health. No-till farming , with technical assistance guidance for the refinement and intensification of this widely used practice in the field.

, with technical assistance guidance for the refinement and intensification of this widely used practice in the field. Covered soil/cover crops, using a mix of cover crops to improve soil health, especially during offseason windows, to positively impact water absorption, structure, biodiversity and soil fertility.

Were proud to expand our global efforts and launch our regenerative agriculture program in Brazil, said Luciano Souza, ADM's grains director for South America. The basic principle is to support farmers in their efforts to do more with less, meaning higher productivity with less use of inputs, less water use, lower greenhouse gas emissions, lower risk of soil degradation, and less use of fuels and energy. We know that customers are looking for lower-carbon intensity products with increased transparency in supply chains, and were committed to continuing to expand our efforts to help them meet their sustainability goals and consumer needs.

Pilot program

The program is launching via a pilot that will engage 20 soy farmers encompassing 20,000 hectares (almost 50,000 acres) in Minas Gerais (Uberlandia region) and Mato Grosso do Sul (Campo Grande region) to gather information on current practices and their impacts, including calculating carbon footprints.

Farmers participating in the pilot will receive technical assistance, training sessions and soil organic matter and carbon sequestration measurements. All greenhouse gas emission calculations for the pilot will be performed using a calculator designed and developed by Bayer S.A. in partnership with Embrapa to be regionally specific, and to quantify field emissions, land-use change emissions, carbon footprint of inputs applied in the field, and carbon footprint of transportation.

"This is a significant step by Bayer, through collaborative work, cutting-edge science and technology, to build, with farmers and partners, the carbon ecosystem. We understand that in agribusiness, we have the important purpose of mitigating the impact of climate change through the pillars of regeneration, decarbonization, and greenhouse gas removal. The partnership with ADM promotes an economically attractive model, where industry and producers connect and create solutions that benefit the entire value chain," commented Felipe Albuquerque, Carbon New Business Development Manager at Bayer.

Future Expansion

Primary data collection during the pilot for greenhouse gas emission calculations, and soil analysis with carbon sequestration measurement, will allow ADM, Bayer and other participants to gain valuable insight into current environmental impacts and potential reduction opportunities as the program expands, with ADM targeting engagement of 120,000 regenerative agriculture hectares (300,000 acres) in Brazil by 2027.

ADM and Regenerative Agriculture

ADMs regenerative agriculture programs feature financial and technical support for farmers; easy processes and cutting-edge technologies to ensure low barriers to entry; and/or a broad range of support and guidance from both internal and third-party experts. In 2022, the company enrolled 1,900 U.S. producers representing more than 1 million acres, resulting in an estimated reduction of 253,000 MT of CO2e and sequestration of 115,500 MT of CO2. ADM has set a target to engage 4 million regenerative agriculture acres globally by 2025.

Earlier this month, ADM issued Farming for the Future: The State of Regenerative Agriculture Program Adoption, a report with new survey data reaffirming the promise and potential of regenerative agriculture practices to help meet growing consumer demand for sustainably sourced products while building business resilience for the companies that meet those needs. ADMs regenerative agriculture work will be a focus of its presence at this years COP28 in Dubai, where the company will be partnering with the World Climate Foundation to host a panel exploring the role and importance of cross-sector action and investment in catalyzing the futureproofing of agriculture and food systems. ADM will also be featuring regenerative agriculture on the COP Presidency stage on December 4.

About ADM

ADM unlocks the power of nature to enrich the quality of life. Were a premier global human and animal nutrition company, delivering solutions today with an eye to the future. Were blazing new trails in health and well-being as our scientists develop groundbreaking products to support healthier living. Were a cutting-edge innovator leading the way to a new future of plant-based consumer and industrial solutions to replace petroleum-based products. Were an unmatched agricultural supply chain manager and processor, providing food security by connecting local needs with global capabilities. And were a leader in sustainability, scaling across entire value chains to help decarbonize our industry and safeguard our planet. From the seed of the idea to the outcome of the solution, we give customers an edge in solving the nutritional and sustainability challenges of today and tomorrow. Learn more at www.adm.com.

Source: ADM

Source: Corporate Release

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121072107/en/

ADM Media Relations

Jackie Anderson

[email protected]

312-634-8484

Source: ADM
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Today Air Lease Corporation (NYSE: AL) announced one new Airbus A321-200neo aircraft delivered to LATAM Airlines. This A321-200neo aircraft is the first of eight new Airbus A321s confirmed to deliver to the South American carrier from ALCs order book with Airbus. Two A321-200neos are scheduled to deliver to the airline from ALC in 2023 and 2024, followed by five A321 XLRs starting in 2025 through 2026.

ALC is pleased to announce our first A321-200neo delivery to LATAM Airlines today, said Steven Udvar-Hazy, Executive Chairman of Air Lease Corporation. With this new A321-200neo aircraft, LATAM adds to the airlines fleet modernization program by obtaining the most advanced technology aircraft to optimize and grow the carriers expanding international route network.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including expected delivery dates. Such statements are based on current expectations and projections about our future results, prospects and opportunities and are not guarantees of future performance. Such statements will not be updated unless required by law. Actual results and performance may differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including those discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

About Air Lease Corporation (NYSE: AL)

Air Lease Corporation is a leading global aircraft leasing company based in Los Angeles, California that has airline customers throughout the world. ALC and its team of dedicated and experienced professionals are principally engaged in purchasing new commercial aircraft and leasing them to its airline customers worldwide through customized aircraft leasing and financing solutions. The company routinely posts information that may be important to investors in the Investors section of its website at www.airleasecorp.com. Investors and potential investors are encouraged to consult Air Lease Corporations website regularly for important information. The information contained on, or that may be accessed through, ALCs website is not incorporated by reference into, and is not a part of, this press release.

About LATAM Airlines Group S.A.

LATAM Airlines Group S.A. and its subsidiaries are the leading airline group in Latin America, with presence in five domestic markets in the region: Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, in addition to international operations within Latin America and to Europe, Oceania, the United States and the Caribbean. The group has a fleet of Boeing 767, 777, 787, Airbus A321, A320, A320neo and A319 aircraft. LATAM Cargo Chile, LATAM Cargo Colombia and LATAM Cargo Brazil are the LATAM group's cargo subsidiaries, having a combined fleet of 18 freighter aircraft, which will gradually increase to a total of 19 cargo aircraft by 2024. These cargo subsidiaries have access to the group's passenger aircraft, and operate within the LATAM group network, as well as on exclusive international routes for cargo transportation. In addition, they offer a modern infrastructure and a wide variety of services and support options to meet the needs of its customers.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121723963/en/

Investors:

Jason Arnold

Vice President, Investor Relations

Email: [email protected]

Media:

Laura Woeste

Senior Manager, Media and Investor Relations

Email: [email protected]

Ashley Arnold

Senior Manager, Media and Investor Relations

Email: [email protected]

Source: Air Lease Corporation
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Air Lease Corporation (NYSE: AL) (the Company) announced the pricing on November 20, 2023 of its offering of C$500 million aggregate principal amount of 5.400% senior unsecured medium-term notes due June 1, 2028 (the Notes). The sale of the Notes is expected to close on November 29, 2023, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

The Notes will mature on June 1, 2028 and will bear interest at a rate of 5.400% per annum, payable semi-annually in arrears on June 1 and December 1 of each year, commencing on June 1, 2024. Owners of the Notes will receive payments relating to their Notes in Canadian dollars.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the offering for general corporate purposes, which may include, among other things, the purchase of commercial aircraft and the repayment of existing indebtedness.

BMO Capital Markets, BofA Securities, RBC Capital Markets, Scotiabank and TD Securities are acting as joint book-running managers for the offering of the Notes. CIBC Capital Markets is acting as co-manager.

The Notes are being offered pursuant to the Companys effective shelf registration statement, previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) on May 7, 2021, and a pricing supplement, dated November 20, 2023, supplementing the prospectus supplement, dated May 7, 2021, supplementing the base prospectus, dated May 7, 2021, as may be further supplemented by any free writing prospectus and/or additional pricing supplements the Company may file with the SEC, and in Canada on a private placement basis pursuant to a Canadian offering memorandum to accredited investors who are also permitted clients within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. For more complete information about the Company and this offering before you invest, you should read the related base prospectus, related prospectus supplement, related pricing supplement and the documents incorporated by reference in each (which may be obtained for free by visiting EDGAR on the SECs website at www.sec.gov), or if you are a Canadian investor, you should read the Canadian offering memorandum. Copies of the related base prospectus, related prospectus supplement and related pricing supplement may be obtained by contacting: (i) BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc. toll free at (866) 864-7760, (ii) Merrill Lynch Canada Inc. toll free at (800) 294-1322, (iii) RBC Dominion Securities Inc. toll free at (866) 375-6829, (iv) Scotia Capital Inc. toll free at (800) 472-6842 or (v) TD Securities Inc. toll free at (800) 263-5292, or, if you are in Canada and request it, the Canadian offering memorandum which incorporates the related base prospectus, the related prospectus supplement and the related pricing supplement by contacting: (i) BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc. at (416) 359-6359, (ii) Merrill Lynch Canada Inc. at (800) 294-1322, (iii) RBC Dominion Securities Inc. at (416) 842-6311, (iv) Scotia Capital Inc. at (416) 863-7438, or (v) TD Securities Inc. at (416) 942-5676.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the Notes, nor shall there be any sale of the Notes in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. The distribution of the Notes in Canada is being made on a private placement basis only and is exempt from the requirement that we prepare and file a prospectus with the relevant Canadian securities regulatory authorities. Accordingly, any resale of the Notes must be made in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws which may require resales to be made in accordance with prospectus and dealer registration requirements or exemptions from the prospectus and dealer registration requirements of applicable Canadian securities laws.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements relating to the expected closing of the offering and the intended use of proceeds. Such statements are based on current expectations and projections about the Companys future results, prospects and opportunities and are not guarantees of future performance. Such statements will not be updated unless required by law. Actual results and performance may differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including but not limited to, unexpected delays in the closing process for the Notes, unanticipated cash needs, and those risks detailed in the Companys filings with the SEC, including the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2023, June 30, 2023 and September 30, 2023.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231120647450/en/

Investors:



Jason Arnold

Vice President, Investor Relations



Phone: +1 310.553.0555

Email: [email protected]



Media:



Laura Woeste

Senior Manager, Media & Investor Relations



Ashley Arnold

Senior Manager, Media & Investor Relations



Phone: +1 310.553.0555

Email: [email protected]

Source: Air Lease Corporation
TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Almonty Industries Inc. ("Almonty" or the "Company") (TSX: AII / ASX: AII / OTCQX: ALMTF / Frankfurt: ALI.F), through its wholly-owned South Korean subsidiary, Almonty Korea Tungsten Corporation (AKTC), is pleased to announce that it has received a fully executed Utilization Request for US$13.7 million in conjunction with the sixth drawdown on the US$75.1 million KfW IPEX-Bank (KfW) loan facility related to the construction of the Companys Sangdong Mine in South Korea. This US$13.7 million drawdown is scheduled for release on November 24, 2023.

As planned and on time, Almonty will now received its sixth drawdown on its US$75.1 million loan facility with KfW, bringing the total amount of drawdowns to date to US$53.9 million, said Lewis Black, President and CEO of Almonty.

About Almonty

The principal business of Toronto, Canada-based Almonty Industries Inc. is the mining, processing and shipping of tungsten concentrate from its Los Santos Mine in western Spain and its Panasqueira mine in Portugal as well as the development of its Sangdong tungsten mine in Gangwon Province, South Korea and the development of the Valtreixal tin/tungsten project in northwestern Spain. The Los Santos Mine was acquired by Almonty in September 2011 and is located approximately 50 kilometres from Salamanca in western Spain and produces tungsten concentrate. The Panasqueira mine, which has been in production since 1896, is located approximately 260 kilometres northeast of Lisbon, Portugal, was acquired in January 2016 and produces tungsten concentrate. The Sangdong mine, which was historically one of the largest tungsten mines in the world and one of the few long-life, high-grade tungsten deposits outside of China, was acquired in September 2015 through the acquisition of a 100% interest in Woulfe Mining Corp. Almonty owns 100% of the Valtreixal tin-tungsten project in north- western Spain. Further information about Almontys activities may be found at www.almonty.com and under Almontys profile at www.sedar.com.

Legal Notice

The release, publication, or distribution of this announcement in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law and therefore persons in such jurisdictions into which this announcement is released, published, or distributed should inform themselves about and observe such restrictions.

Neither the TSX nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

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. These statements and information are based on managements beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made and reflect Almontys current expectations.

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 Almonty to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: any specific risks relating to fluctuations in the price of ammonium para tungstate (APT) from which the sale price of Almontys tungsten concentrate is derived, actual results of mining and exploration activities, environmental, economic and political risks of the jurisdictions in which Almontys operations are located and changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, forecasts and assessments relating to Almontys business, credit and liquidity risks, hedging risk, competition in the mining industry, risks related to the market price of Almontys shares, the ability of Almonty to retain key management employees or procure the services of skilled and experienced personnel, risks related to claims and legal proceedings against Almonty and any of its operating mines, risks relating to unknown defects and impairments, risks related to the adequacy of internal control over financial reporting, risks related to governmental regulations, including environmental regulations, risks related to international operations of Almonty, risks relating to exploration, development and operations at Almontys tungsten mines, the ability of Almonty to obtain and maintain necessary permits, the ability of Almonty to comply with applicable laws, regulations and permitting requirements, lack of suitable infrastructure and employees to support Almontys mining operations, uncertainty in the accuracy of mineral reserves and mineral resources estimates, production estimates from Almontys mining operations, inability to replace and expand mineral reserves, uncertainties related to title and indigenous rights with respect to mineral properties owned directly or indirectly by Almonty, the ability of Almonty to obtain adequate financing, the ability of Almonty to complete permitting, construction, development and expansion, challenges related to global financial conditions, risks related to future sales or issuance of equity securities, differences in the interpretation or application of tax laws and regulations or accounting policies and rules and acceptance of the TSX of the listing of Almonty shares on the TSX.

Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable, including but not limited to, no material adverse change in the market price of ammonium para tungstate (APT), the continuing ability to fund or obtain funding for outstanding commitments, expectations regarding the resolution of legal and tax matters, no negative change to applicable laws, the ability to secure local contractors, employees and assistance as and when required and on reasonable terms, and such other assumptions and factors as are set out herein. Although Almonty 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. 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, Almonty. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and are cautioned that actual outcomes may vary.

Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. Almonty cautions that the foregoing list of material factors is not exhaustive. When relying on Almontys forward-looking statements and information to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events.

Almonty has also assumed that material factors will not cause any forward-looking statements and information to differ materially from actual results or events. However, the list of these factors is not exhaustive and is subject to change and there can be no assurance that such assumptions will reflect the actual outcome of such items or factors.

THE FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS PRESS RELEASE REPRESENTS THE EXPECTATIONS OF ALMONTY AS OF THE DATE OF THIS PRESS 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. WHILE ALMONTY MAY ELECT TO, IT DOES NOT UNDERTAKE TO UPDATE THIS INFORMATION AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME EXCEPT AS REQUIRED IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121482844/en/

Lewis Black

Chairman, President and CEO

Telephone: +1 647 438-9766

Email: [email protected]

Source: Almonty Industries Inc.
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HONG KONG--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AM Best Senior Director of Analytics Christine Lee will join a panel discussion on IFRS 17 and its impact on insurance companies at the Actuarial Society of Hong Kongs Appointed Actuary Symposium on 30 November 2023 in Hong Kong.

The session will focus on what changes the IFRS 17-era will bring to the insurance industry. Topics will include how insurers are approaching the new accounting standard and how IFRS 17 impacts AM Bests rating assessments on insurance companies. Lee is based in AM Bests Hong Kong office and is responsible for rating analytics of insurers in the Northeast Asia region, covering Greater China, Japan and Korea. She also is a Fellow of the Actuarial Society of Hong Kong and the Casualty Actuarial Society.

The symposium, which will be held at The Langham and is by invitation only, covers topical issues and challenges actuaries face, as well as the evolving financial and regulatory landscape. For more information about the Actuarial Society of Hong Kong, please visit www.actuaries.org.hk.

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/20231120694036/en/

Christopher Sharkey

Associate Director, Public Relations

+1 908 882 2310

[email protected]

Al Slavin

Senior Public Relations Specialist

+1 908 882 2318

[email protected]

Source: AM Best
Creating a new global systems integration and technology solutions leader and an independent, publicly traded company

CHANTILLY, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Amentum announced today a definitive agreement to merge with Jacobs (NYSE: J) Critical Mission Solutions (CMS) and Cyber and Intelligence (C&I) businesses, creating a new leader in systems integration and technology solutions trusted by the United States and its allies to modernize their most complex missions around the world. The combined organization will be a publicly traded company with $13 billion in revenue and more than 53,000 employees in 83 countries.

Uniting our great organizations  Amentum, CMS, and Cyber & Intelligence Solutions  creates a leading provider of systems integration and technology solutions with the talent, scope, scale and footprint to deliver excellence and a wider range of solutions for our clients, commented Amentum CEO John Heller. Our combined company will deliver extensive expertise in the governments highest priority areas of energy, space exploration, intelligence and analytics, and digital modernization. We look forward to the union of our strong teams and a bright future ahead.

The transaction was approved by the Jacobs board of directors and is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of fiscal year 2024.

Governance and Management

Upon completion of the deal, John Heller, current CEO of Amentum, will serve as CEO of the combined company and sit on the combined companys board, and Dr. Steve Arnette, EVP and President of CMS, will serve as COO. Jacobs current Executive Chair Steve Demetriou will become Executive Chair of the combined company.

The board of directors of the combined company will be composed of an equal number of directors appointed by Jacobs and Amentum. Members of the combined companys senior management team will be drawn from both companies and will be announced later as integration planning progresses.

Strategic Rationale of the Combination

Creates a leading, pure play government technology solutions prime: ~$13 billion in combined revenue1, with more than 80% from prime contracts serving the full program life cycle for government clients, and a combined talent base of more than 53,000 skilled employees  including more than 27,000 cleared employees.

~$13 billion in combined revenue1, with more than 80% from prime contracts serving the full program life cycle for government clients, and a combined talent base of more than 53,000 skilled employees  including more than 27,000 cleared employees. Stable revenue base with attractive, diversified portfolio mix: Combines stable base of large government contracts with strong capabilities in growing client priority areas. A large majority of future EBITDA of the combined company is expected to come from higher growth, higher margin intelligence, cyber, energy, digital engineering, and science and technology sectors, with a strong foundation of long-term and large-scale DoD contracts.

Combines stable base of large government contracts with strong capabilities in growing client priority areas. A large majority of future EBITDA of the combined company is expected to come from higher growth, higher margin intelligence, cyber, energy, digital engineering, and science and technology sectors, with a strong foundation of long-term and large-scale DoD contracts. Highly complementary strengths : Amentum brings expertise in engineering solutions, complex program management, and solutions integration to modernize customers most important missions. Jacobs contributed businesses bring world-class engineering and science capabilities, with unique expertise in sectors such as space, cyber & intelligence, and energy.

: Amentum brings expertise in engineering solutions, complex program management, and solutions integration to modernize customers most important missions. Jacobs contributed businesses bring world-class engineering and science capabilities, with unique expertise in sectors such as space, cyber & intelligence, and energy. Shared vision and aligned values: Each organization brings an intense focus on the mission and delivery of the highest quality service for their clients. The organizations share common values, including a commitment to safety, inclusion and diversity, and creation of enhanced opportunities for the combined employee base.

Each organization brings an intense focus on the mission and delivery of the highest quality service for their clients. The organizations share common values, including a commitment to safety, inclusion and diversity, and creation of enhanced opportunities for the combined employee base. High visibility cost synergies: Management has identified approximately $50-70 million of estimated net cost synergies. Both organizations have track records of effective synergy realization and will work to target additional synergies during integration.

Management has identified approximately $50-70 million of estimated net cost synergies. Both organizations have track records of effective synergy realization and will work to target additional synergies during integration. Compelling financial profile: Approximately $50 billion in combined backlog (3.7x combined revenue), ~$13 billion of combined revenue, and more than $1.1 billion projected 2024 combined adjusted EBITDA2, including estimated net cost synergies, representing approximately 8% projected adjusted EBITDA margin for the combined company. Significant growth opportunities exist through both on-contract growth and new contract wins across the combined portfolio.

Approximately $50 billion in combined backlog (3.7x combined revenue), ~$13 billion of combined revenue, and more than $1.1 billion projected 2024 combined adjusted EBITDA2, including estimated net cost synergies, representing approximately 8% projected adjusted EBITDA margin for the combined company. Significant growth opportunities exist through both on-contract growth and new contract wins across the combined portfolio. Secure balance sheet with strong FCF and attractive deleveraging pathway: Leverage ratio of the combined company is targeted to be approximately 3.8x at close, inclusive of expected run-rate net cost synergies, with plan to reach less than 3x leverage ratio within 24 months of close. Capital expenditures for the combined company approximate 0.3% of revenue.

Advisors

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC are serving as financial advisors to Amentum and Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP is serving as legal advisor. Centerview Partners LLC and Perella Weinberg Partners LP are serving as financial advisors to Jacobs and Wachtell Lipton, Rosen & Katz is serving as legal advisor. Goldman Sachs provided financial advice to the Jacobs Board of Directors.

About Amentum

Amentum is a leader in global engineering, project management and solutions integration, trusted to modernize the most critical missions anywhere in the world. Driven to create a safer, smarter, cleaner world, we innovate as a team of inventive doers passionate about making a difference. Underpinned by a strong culture of ethics, safety and inclusivity, Amentum is fiercely committed to operational excellence and successful execution. Visit us at amentum.com to learn how we solve whats next.

______________________

1 Estimated combined revenue of Amentum in FY2023 and Jacobs separated business in FY2023 should not be considered indicative of future performance.

2 Reconciliation of projected 2024 adjusted EBITDA for the combined company to the most directly comparable GAAP measure is not available without unreasonable efforts because the Company cannot predict with sufficient certainty all the components required to provide such reconciliation.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231120345160/en/

For Amentum:

Chanel Mann

+1 (682) 788-5685

[email protected]

Follow @Amentum_corp on X

Follow Amentum on LinkedIn

Source: Amentum
BRISBANE, Australia--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Arkose Labs, the global leader in bot management and account security, today announced that its founder and CEO Kevin Gosschalk has been named to the Australian Financial Review 2023 Young Rich list, which is an annual ranking of the 100 most distinguished Australian entrepreneurs 40 years old and younger.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121299739/en/

A few of the Arkose Labs team recently celebrating its 5th anniversary (Photo: Business Wire)

This marks the second consecutive year that Gosschalk has been included on the list, ranking No. 41 in 2023. Now in its 20th year, the list is composed of the best and brightest from a wide variety of industries, including technology, real estate, alternative energy, and retail, with connections to Australia.

Its quite an honor to be on this prestigious list again, said Gosschalk. But really, its recognition for the whole Arkose Labs ecosystem  our investors, employees, and customers. The ranking reflects our investors belief in our strategy and long-term vision. It also shows the dedication of every Arkosian who is bringing their top talents and best thinking to bear daily to stop bad actors while at the same time creating a delightful experience for consumers. Plus, it demonstrates the close-knit relationships we have with our customers  the biggest enterprises in the world  who work alongside us in the trenches every day to stop adversaries whose bot attacks have only gotten more sophisticated.

Gosschalk provided deep insight into the latest and most transformational trend adversaries have undertaken, cybercrime-as-a-service, in a newly released podcast How I Made It, produced by Australian Financial Review. No longer do fraudsters have to know how to code to launch volumetric bot attacks with the goal of making money by taking over consumers accounts, or launching a worldwide SMS pumping campaign, or scraping website data to tune their generative AI models. As the name cybercrime-as-a-service suggests, fraudsters can buy these bots straight from developers on the dark web or from sites on the everyday internet that masquerade as legitimate businesses.

The implication of this trend is material. Arkose Labs new Breaking (Bad) Bots analysis reveals that bot attacks have skyrocketed, up 167 percent in the first half of the year, weighted heavily by a 291 percent increase in intelligent bots.

Today more fraudsters exist, who are using technically sophisticated bots to attack enterprises, thus their consumers, than at any other time in modern history, Gosschalk said. It's an Arms Race, machine-to-machine combat, that we have to innovate around daily to create a safe and easy-to-use digital world for everyone, everywhere.

To learn more about the malicious bot crisis, its connection to human fraud farms, and the impact on consumers, download the new bot abuse analysis.

About Arkose Labs

The mission of Arkose Labs is to create an online environment where all consumers are protected from spam and abuse. Recognized by G2 as the 2023 Leader in Bot Detection and Mitigation, with a high score in customer satisfaction and the largest market presence six quarters running, Arkose Labs offers the worlds first $1M warranties for credential stuffing, SMS toll fraud, and card testing. With 20% of our customers being Fortune 500 companies, our AI-powered platform combines powerful risk assessments with dynamic threat response to undermine the strategy of attack, all while improving good user throughput. Headquartered in San Mateo, CA, with offices in Argentina, Australia, Costa Rica, India, and the U.K., Arkose Labs protects enterprises from cybercrime and abuse. For daily insights pertinent to the shifting threat landscape, follow the company on LinkedIn.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121299739/en/

Jean Creech Avent

Global Head of Brand and Communications

Arkose Labs

[email protected]

+1 843-986-8229

Source: Arkose Labs
Armis Centrix awarded Best Vulnerability Management Solution

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Armis, the asset intelligence cybersecurity company, today announced that Armis Centrix was named a platinum award winner for Best Vulnerability Management Solution in American Security Todays 2023 ASTORS Awards, the pre-eminent U.S. Homeland Security Awards Program.

Were honored to be recognized with this highly coveted award, said Brian Gumbel, President of Armis. Its critical that U.S. government agencies prioritize having a forward-leaning cybersecurity posture to help protect critical public sector assets from malicious attacks of cybercriminals and nation-state actors. Armis is committed to playing a key role in helping government entities to keep critical infrastructure, economies and society safe and secure 24/7.

Now in its eighth year, the ASTORS Awards recognize industry leaders of Physical and Border Security, Cybersecurity, Emergency Preparedness  Management and Response, Law Enforcement, First Responders, as well as federal, state and municipal government agencies in the acknowledgment of their outstanding efforts to Keep our Nation Secure.

The ASTORS Homeland Security Awards Program is specifically designed to honor distinguished government and vendor solutions that deliver enhanced value, benefit, and intelligence to end users in a variety of government, homeland security and public safety vertical markets.

As the nation continues to respond to escalating threats from home and abroad, the innovative solutions being implemented to meet those threats has led to tremendous growth in the field of Homeland Security, said Michael Madsen, co-founder and publisher of American Security. Today, the United States is increasingly focusing on protecting IT/cyber security networks and they are calling on innovative companies like Armis to help them do so.

Every day, federal, state and local governments rely on IT infrastructure to support and power mission critical activities. Continued migration to the cloud, the move to mobile and BYOD, the convergence of IT, OT and IoT, and the sharp increase in remote work have changed how government agencies must approach cybersecurity. Its essential that these entities no longer depend on conventional perimeter-based defenses to protect critical systems and data.

Armis Centrix, the cyber exposure management platform, is powered by the Armis AI-driven Asset Intelligence Engine, which sees, protects and manages billions of assets around the world in real time. Armis Centrix is a seamless, frictionless, cloud-based platform that proactively mitigates all cyber asset risks, remediates vulnerabilities, blocks threats and protects the entire attack surface. With Armis Centrix for Vulnerability Prioritization and Remediation, government entities can go beyond vulnerability scanning to address the full cyber risk management lifecycle to consolidate, prioritize and remediate all vulnerabilities based on potential risk to the organization.

Armis Centrix is FedRAMP moderate and DoD IL4 authorized. Learn more about Armis work in the public sector here: https://www.armis.com/cybersecurity/federal-government/

About Armis

Armis, the asset intelligence cybersecurity company, protects the entire attack surface and manages the organization's cyber risk exposure in real time. In a rapidly evolving, perimeter-less world Armis ensures that organizations continuously see, protect and manage all critical assets. Armis secures Fortune 100, 200 and 500 companies as well as national governments, state and local entities to help keep critical infrastructure, economies and society stay safe and secure 24/7. Armis is a privately held company headquartered in California.

About American Security Today

American Security Today (AST), the New Face in Homeland Security, is the premier digital media platform in the U.S. Homeland Security and Public Safety Industry, focused on breaking news and in-depth coverage of the newest initiatives and hottest technologies in physical & IT security on the market today.

AST highlights the most cutting-edge and forward-thinking security solutions across a wide variety of media products delivered weekly, and monthly to over 75,000 qualified government and security industry readers, essential to meeting todays growing security challenges to Secure our Nation, One City at a Time.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121230265/en/

Rebecca Cradick

Senior Director, Global Communications

Armis

[email protected]

Source: Armis
LAGUNA HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- BrainChip Holdings Ltd (ASX: BRN, OTCQX: BRCHF, ADR: BCHPY), the worlds first commercial producer of ultra-low power, fully digital, neuromorphic AI IP, today announced the hiring of M. Anthony (Tony) Lewis as the new Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and the planned retirement of co-founder and CTO Peter Van der Made which is scheduled for the end of the year.

Tony is the former VP and Global Head of the AI and Emerging Compute Lab at HP, Inc., where he played a pivotal role in AI integration into various product lines. Tony also made significant contributions at Qualcomm, Inc., where he led the Zeroth Neuromorphic Engineering Project and contributed to projects in intelligent AI agents and robotics while collaborating closely with Qualcomm Ventures.

Tony has served as a visiting or adjunct professor at the University of Arizona, the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and the University of Waterloo. His entrepreneurial experience is evident in his founding of a government funded R&D company specializing in neuromorphic computing and robotics. Tony has also made his mark as a startup advisor and investor, bringing his technical acumen to various innovative ventures. Tony holds a Ph.D. and masters in electrical engineering, with a specialization in robotics and neuroscience from the University of Southern California and a BS in Cybernetics from University of California, Los Angeles.

It has been an amazing journey and a labor of love to bring BrainChip from a concept to a leader in the AI space, said Peter van Der Made, co-founder of Brainchip. I am pleased to work closely with Tony on transition and handing over the reins to a well-qualified team for BrainChips future growth.

Peter has been the face of BrainChip since its inception. His intelligence and energy have been foundational in the creation and growth of the company. Peter will continue to serve BrainChip in three ways. He will sit on the Board of Directors; he will be a member of the Scientific Advisory Board and will advise the Company as Technologist Emeritus.

I would like to welcome Tony to our leadership team and personally thank Peter for his energy, intelligence, and drive that has helped bring BrainChip to where it is today, Sean Hehir, BrainChip CEO said. While it is bitter-sweet, Im also excited that with this seamless transition to Tony and his immense experience, we will further accelerate Akidas technology pipeline to market.

About BrainChip Holdings Ltd (ASX: BRN, OTCQX: BRCHF, ADR: BCHPY)

BrainChip is the worldwide leader in edge AI on-chip processing and learning. The companys first-to-market, fully digital, event-based AI processor, Akida, uses neuromorphic principles to mimic the human brain, analysing only essential sensor inputs at the point of acquisition, processing data with unparalleled efficiency, precision, and economy of energy. Akida uniquely enables edge learning local to the chip, independent of the cloud, dramatically reducing latency while improving privacy and data security. Akida Neural processor IP, which can be integrated into SoCs on any process technology, has shown substantial benefits on todays workloads and networks, and offers a platform for developers to create, tune and run their models using standard AI workflows like TensorFlow/Keras. In enabling effective edge compute to be universally deployable across real world applications such as connected cars, consumer electronics, and industrial IoT, BrainChip is proving that on-chip AI, close to the sensor, is the future, for its customers products, as well as the planet. Explore the benefits of Essential AI at www.brainchip.com.

Follow BrainChip on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/BrainChip_inc

Follow BrainChip on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/7792006

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121707165/en/

Media Contact:

Mark Smith

JPR Communications

818-398-1424

Investor Contact:

Tony Dawe

Director, Global Investor Relations

BrainChip

[email protected]

Source: BrainChip Holdings Ltd
ZUG, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Funds advised by Bregal Unternehmerkapital (BU) have acquired a majority stake in a leading Swiss cloud-managed service provider, Netrics Holding AG (Netrics or the Company) from Waterland Private Equity (Waterland). BU will support the Company in its next stages of growth, including the continuation of its successful M&A strategy. The transaction is expected to close by the end of the year; terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Formed in 2020 as a merger of the Waterland portfolio companies, Netrics, Tineo, and nexellent, Netrics has since then developed into one of the largest and most powerful cloud and modern workplace providers in Switzerland. In the past two years, Netrics has also completed two further acquisitions, BlueStone Consulting Group and PageUp.

Netrics currently serves more than 600 enterprise and SME customers from diversified industries, allowing their employees to work in a modern, efficient, and secure way. The company is a ten-time Microsoft Gold Partner for applications, cloud, modern workplace, and data centre services, employing approximately 140 people across four offices in Switzerland. At the end of 2022, Netrics own data center division was sold as part of the strategic focus on cloud and the modern workplace. At that time, Netrics also founded an independent consulting boutique for the digitalization of the workplace in Basel under the name AliceBlue AG.

We have developed rapidly in recent years, said Netrics CEO Pascal Kocher. We would like to thank Waterland for their many years of support and are delighted to have found an experienced partner in BU for our next stage of growth. The acquisition by BU opens a wide range of opportunities, to expand our service offering and respond even better to the needs of our customers. Together, we will continue to deliver best-in-class technology solutions, maintain a clear focus on service quality, and contribute to the digital transformation.

Philipp Freyschlag, Director at BU, added, Netrics has outstanding potential for further organic and inorganic growth, particularly in the exciting cloud segments, given the immense need for digitalization in the economy and its positioning in the market. With our capital commitment and industry expertise, we look forward to working in partnership with the management and employees at Netrics in the years to come.

About BU

Bregal Unternehmerkapital ("BU") is a leading family-backed investment firm with offices in Zug, Munich and Milan. As a part of a family-owned business that has grown over several generations, the funds advised by BU invest in mid-sized companies based in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Northern Italy. With the mission to be the partner of choice for entrepreneurs and family-owned businesses, BU seeks to partner with market leaders and "hidden champions" with strong management teams and outbreak potential. Since its founding in 2015, the funds managed by BU have invested over 3 billion in more than 100 companies, supporting over 20,000 employees, and working in partnership with entrepreneurs and families to develop, internationalize, and digitize their businesses, while helping them generate sustainable value on a responsible basis with the next generation in mind.

For more information, please visit http://www.bregal.ch/ or follow us on LinkedIn.

About Netrics

As a partner for digital transformation, Netrics focuses on the topics of cloud and modern workplace. Netrics enables modern, location-independent and secure working through the targeted use of future-oriented technologies and with consideration of human aspects, thus creating great experiences for employees and customers. The Netrics Group is active throughout German-speaking Switzerland with around 140 experts and a local presence in Bern, Biel/Bienne, Thun and Zurich. Since December 2022, the Netrics Group has also been offering comprehensive consulting services in the areas of collaboration, process digitalization, digital skills development and change management with AliceBlue AG from Basel.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121593298/en/

BU Press contact

IWK Communication Partner

Florian Bergmann

[email protected]

+49-89-20003030

Source: Bregal Unternehmerkapital
CMO Helle Huxley and Vice President Dawn-Marie Gray win 2023 Pinnacle Awards, CHRO Kerri Morehart recognized as Pinnacle Awards finalist

ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Cadmus, a leading provider of technical and strategic expertise to governments, energy utilities, and private sector companies worldwide, announced that Chief Marketing Officer Helle Huxley and Vice President of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Dawn-Marie Gray have been named 2023 WashingtonExec Pinnacle Executives of the Year.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121130511/en/

Cadmus Chief Marketing Officer, Helle Huxley, Chief Human Resources Officer, Kerri Morehart, and Vice President of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility, Dawn-Marie Gray at the Pinnacle Awards. (Photo: Business Wire)

The Pinnacle Awards honor industry leaders in their respective fields and in the government industry. Huxley won for Marketing Executive of the Year for Private Firms under $250M, Gray won for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Executive of the Year for Private and Public Firms, and Chief Human Resources Officer Kerri Morehart was recognized as a finalist for HR Executive of the Year for Private Firms under $250M. The awards ceremony was held on November 16, 2023, at the Ritz-Carlton in Tysons Corner, Virginia.

Huxley received the honor for her successful outreach strategies as well as her MarCom leadership in M&A, which was critical to ensuring a smooth integration process through two acquisitions this past year.

Gray was recognized for her dedication and commitment to promoting a growth mindset at Cadmus, which has helped shape DEIA initiatives that create a roadmap for all employees to become more effective allies in the workplace.

Congratulations to Helle and Dawn-Marie on their awards and to Kerri on her recognition as a finalist, said Cadmus President and CEO Ian Kline. Their outstanding leadership and commitment to excellence exemplify the qualities that every member of the Cadmus team strives to bring to our clients and their critical missions.

About Cadmus

Cadmus is a strategic and technical consultancy compelled to help solve the worlds most challenging problems. We assemble outstanding teams of leading experts with an ethos grounded in collaboration and a drive for impact, who work seamlessly across disciplines and leverage transformative technologies to help our clients achieve extraordinary outcomes. Together, we are strengthening society and the natural world. Cadmus more than 1,000 consultants serve government, commercial, and nongovernmental organizations around the world. For more information, visit www.cadmusgroup.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121130511/en/

Helle Huxley, CMO

The Cadmus Group LLC

Tel: (240) 204-6200

Email: [email protected]

Source: Cadmus
HAMILTON, Bermuda--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Cool Company Ltd. (NYSE: CLCO / CLCO.OL) (CoolCo or the Company) will host a Third Quarter 2023 Earnings call and webcast presentation on Tuesday, November 28, 2023, at 8:00 A.M. New York / 2:00 P.M. Oslo / 1:00 P.M. London. The presentation will be available to download from the Presentations and Webcasts subsection of the Investors section of the Companys website at www.coolcoltd.com.

We recommend that participants join the conference call via the listen-only live webcast link provided. Sell-side analysts interested in raising a question during the Q&A session that will immediately follow the presentation should access the event via the teleconference dial-in options listed below. We recommend connecting 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start time. Information on how to ask questions will be given at the beginning of the Q&A session. There will be a limit of two questions per participant.

a. Listen-only live webcast link

Go to the Investors - News - Presentations and Webcasts section at www.coolcoltd.com and click on the "Webcast" link.

b. Teleconference

Conference call participants who wish to raise a question during the Q&A session should join the teleconference by phone using one of the following options and conference ID 27971580:

North America (Toll Free) +1 888 259 6580 Norway (Toll Free) 80069208 United Kingdom (Toll Free) 8006522435 International +1 206 962 3782

Please download the presentation material from www.coolcoltd.com (Investors - News - Presentations and Webcasts) to view it while listening to the conference.

If you are not able to listen at the time of the call, you can access a replay of the event audio on www.coolcoltd.com (Investors - News - Presentations and Webcasts) (on-demand link is available for one year).

About CoolCo

CoolCo is an LNG Carrier pure play with a balanced portfolio of short and longer-term charters, the cash flows from which form the basis of the Companys quarterly dividend for common shareholders. In addition to the built-in and funded growth from two newbuilds scheduled to deliver in the second half of 2024, CoolCos strategy includes ongoing assessment of opportunities for vessel acquisitions and potential consolidation in a fragmented market segment. Through its in-house vessel management platform, CoolCo manages and operates its LNG transportation and infrastructure assets for a range of the worlds leading companies in addition to providing such services to third parties. CoolCo benefits from the scale and stature of Eastern Pacific Shipping and its affiliates, encompassing CoolCos largest shareholder and the owner of one of the worlds largest independent shipping fleets, which strengthen the Companys strategic position with regard to shipyards, financial institutions, and access to dealflow. CoolCo supports the worlds decarbonization and energy security needs and has stated its intention to reduce its emissions by 10-15% through its LNGe upgrade program, as part of a fleet-wide improvement target of 35% between 2019 and 2030.

Additional information about CoolCo can be found at www.coolcoltd.com.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements with respect to delivery dates of newbuilds, our aspirations to make opportunistic acquisitions and pursue consolidation opportunities, our competitive strengths with regard to shipyards, financial institutions and access to dealflow, our goals to reduce carbon emissions and any expected performance of our LNGe upgrade program, emissions reduction and improvement targets and other non-historical statements. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words or phrases, such as about, believe, expect, plan, goal, target, strategy, and similar expressions or future or conditional verbs such as may, will, should, would, and could. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates, assumptions and projections and you should not place undue reliance on them. Forward-looking statements do not guarantee future performance and involve risks and uncertainties. There are important factors that could cause our actual results, level of activity, performance, liquidity or achievements to differ materially from the ones expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include risks relating to future industry conditions and other risks indicated in the risk factors included in CoolCos Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2022 and other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this document. We do not undertake to update or revise the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121935950/en/

For further information, please contact:

c/o Cool Company Ltd - +44 207 659 1111 / [email protected]

Richard Tyrrell - Chief Executive Officer

John Boots - Chief Financial Officer

Source: Cool Company Ltd.
The award winners were selected by an esteemed panel of Domino editors and industry leaders including Drew Barrymore, Kelly Wearstler and Brigette Romanek

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Dacor is pleased to announce that the latest addition to its luxury built-in line-up, the 48-Inch French Door Refrigerator, was named a winner in Dominos 2023 Good Design Awards, receiving the title of Biggest Kitchen Flex in the Lighting & Appliances category. Honoring products that lie at the intersection of form and function, this years selections feature 50 of the best home products as chosen and tested by Dominos editors and an esteemed group of guest judges including Drew Barrymore, Kelly Wearstler, Sarah Sherman Samuel, Brigette Romanek, Dabito, and Shannon Maldonado.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121681758/en/

Dacor 48 Inch French Door Refrigerator (Photo: Business Wire)

Were honored to be recognized by Dominos editors and this esteemed group of judges for our most recent addition to our range of luxury, built-in refrigeration, says Gerlandine Morrison, Head of Luxury Brand & Product Marketing at Dacor. This latest launch demonstrates our continued commitment to deliver Life and Luxury, Connected with appliances that beautify homes with striking design details, elevate the everyday with luxury features, and make for a more convenient and connected lifestyle with smart home integration.

"Our team is incredibly proud to unveil the second annual Good Design Award winners," said Dominos Deputy Editor, Julie Vadnal. "We reviewed over 1000 products, and the final list represents the best of the best when it comes to innovative design and impressive attention to detail. All of these products are meant to make your life easier and your home more beautiful."

Dacors 48-Inch French Door Refrigerator is the ultimate luxury appliance. The refrigerator maintains the brands commitment to crossing form with function to offer an elegant, seamlessly integrated appliance with cutting-edge features. Storage is unparalleled with a flexible FreshZone drawer and a FreshZone Plus compartment that can be transformed from fridge to freezer to preserve the optimal taste, texture, and flavor of stored foods. A hidden touch control panel with Wi-Fi-enabled SmartThings 3.0 brings advanced connectivity to the forefront, giving users remote access to a variety of features, an internal camera with IQ Remote ViewTM, and more.

Going above and beyond, Dacors 48-Inch French Door Refrigerator leverages cutting-edge technologies and unmatched style to elevate the art of living well. The refrigerator features a sensor-activated, auto-filling water pitcher with the added option to infuse flavor with syrups or fresh fruits. Offering the ultimate luxury experience, Dacors Dual Icemaker produces both standard and slow-melting Whisky Ball IceTM for serving your favorite cocktails in style.

Yes, the built-in beverage pitcher is impressive, comments Dominos editors, and so is the touch-screen panel for adjusting the fridges temperature. But it really all comes down to these three words: Whisky. Ball. Ice.

The 48-Inch French Door Refrigerator is available in a panel-ready configuration or brand exclusive Silver Stainless and Graphite Stainless finishes with a diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating. Within, 3D LEDs elegantly illuminate the stainless-steel wrapped interior which emphasizes the refrigerators modern aesthetic while also minimizing temperature fluctuations. To learn more about the 48-Inch French Door Refrigerator and find a dealer, visit Dacor.com.

To view the full list of Good Design Award winners, visit Domino.com.

ABOUT DACOR

Dacor is a leader in design and innovation known for building distinctive appliances rooted in style and driven by technology delivering elevated connections, every day. For additional information, please visit Dacor.com or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest or LinkedIn.

ABOUT DOMINO

At Domino, we celebrate bringing your personal style home. Since 2005, we've grown from a print magazine to the ultimate digital-first destination, spotlighting personal spaces and hands-on design projects with a story, talented creatives, emerging designers, and industry pros. Our curated shopping guides, creative living solutions, and hardworking renovation ideas inspire readers to make their home a true reflection of their world. We connect with our audience through our social channels, Design Time podcast, special-edition publications, exclusive product collections, and partnerships with premier brands. Domino is a part of Recurrent, a privately held media company that includes brands such as Business of Home, Dwell, and BobVila.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121681758/en/

Francesco Tribuzio

[email protected]

Source: Dacor
Grant provides bags of healthy produce during Thanksgiving food drive.

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Diabetes Association of Atlanta announced today that it has received a $100,000 grant from the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation, as part of the foundations commitment to building healthier communities through DAAs food accessing program. The continuous support from Anthem will aid the Diabetes Association of Atlanta in providing affordable and accessible health interventions to reduce health disparities amongst those at risk for diabetes complications through the Diabetes Prevention and Control Program (DPC).

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231120952779/en/

Volunteers prepare 1,000 fresh produce bags for Thanksgiving food drive distribution. (Photo: Business Wire)

This philanthropic endeavor underscores the DAA and Anthem's commitment to community well-being and nutrition. As part of this initiative, Anthems grant provided 1,000 produce bags at a Thanksgiving food drive hosted at Springfield Baptist Church in Conyers, GA, last weekend. This collaborative effort addresses food insecurity and promotes healthier eating habits within the community.

In the mere year since receiving last years grant, DAA has served more than 2,000 Georgians through the DPC program. DAA utilizes integrated methods to meet people where they are. These methods are carried out by providing 1) affordable healthy food options through food access programming; 2) certified diabetes prevention and management education; 3) early detection risk assessments; and 4) free medical assistance. The program impacts the socially vulnerable adults and children in metro Atlanta. As a result of the program an average of 75% percent of participants report healthy hemoglobin A1C and 68% exhibit long term healthy behaviors.

The medical expenses for those living with diabetes are 3 times higher than those without it. A certified diabetes class's average cost is $1,000 without insurance. Anthem will be a major stakeholder in providing affordable and accessible services for those left out of the healthcare system, says Karla Hooper, Executive Director of Diabetes Association of Atlanta.

It is critical that we collaborate with organizations like the Diabetes Association of Atlanta that share our common priority of whole health for Georgians, said Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia President Robert Bunch. Seeing positive outcomes like improved A1C levels and the adoption of healthier lifestyles exemplifies the goals of both of our organizations in creating healthier communities.

In the ongoing pursuit of a healthier future, the commitment to diabetes prevention and equitable food access remains unwavering. By fostering partnerships, advocating for change, and promoting sustainable food systems, Anthem and the DAA aim to empower individuals and communities to take charge of their well-being. With a shared vision of a world free from the burden of diabetes, the DAA invites you to join in this vital mission, as both organizations work towards a brighter, healthier tomorrow for all.

About The Diabetes Association of Atlanta: The Diabetes Association of Atlanta, Inc. is a full-service agency committed to alleviating the medical, financial, and psychological impact that diabetes has on individuals and their families. Its mission is to promote community awareness and healthy living to prevent and manage diabetes through innovative community programs. As one of the few nonprofit agencies in Atlanta that address the needs of people affected with diabetes, the organization provides screening, quality comprehensive self-management education courses, and medical assistance. The Diabetes Association of Atlanta is not affiliated with the American Diabetes Association or the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. One hundred percent of the donations to the Diabetes Association of Atlanta support our efforts in the Metropolitan Atlanta region. For more information, visit our website at www.diabetesatlanta.org.

About Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation: The Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Amerigroup, a wholly owned subsidiary of Elevance Health, Inc. The Foundation works to address health equity by focusing on improving the health of the socially vulnerable through strategic partnerships and programs in our communities with an emphasis on maternal child health; mental health; and food as medicine. The Foundation also coordinates the companys year-round Dollars for Dollars program which provides a 100 percent match of associates donations, as well as its Volunteer Time Off and Dollars for Doers community service programs. To learn more about the Amerigroup Foundation, please visit http://www.elevancehealth.foundation.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231120952779/en/

Karla Hooper, Executive Director

[email protected]

www.diabetesatlanta.org

(404) 527-7150



Kersha Cartwright

[email protected]

678-767-0199

Source: Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation
BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. Azerbaijan, Romania, Georgia, and Hungary together with Bulgaria and the EU have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the creation of the Green Energy platform, Trend reports.

"We had a fruitful meeting on Green Energy Corridor with the participation of 4 countries, Bulgaria and EU in Budapest. We agreed to start a feasibility study right after the tender and hold a meeting of transmission system operators in December in Baku in order to establish a joint venture," Minister of Energy of Azerbaijan Parviz Shahbazov wrote on his page on X.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan, Romania Georgia and Hungary signed an agreement to build a Black Sea sea-belt electric cable from the Black Sea coast of Georgia to the Black Sea coast of Romania on December 17, 2022.

The Black Sea Energy Submarine Cable project intends to provide Europe with secure energy sources. In order to assist the initiative, the European Commission, Azerbaijan, Romania, Hungary, and Georgia signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement in Bucharest.

The main priority of the project is to deliver renewable energy to Romania through underwater electrical cables passing through Azerbaijan and Georgia. It is anticipated that the project, with an initial budget of $2.3 billion, will be operational by 2029.

As part of this project, it is planned to lay a 1,195-kilometer power transmission line with a capacity of 1,000 MW between Georgia and Romania and install a digital connecting cable. To this end, with the support of the World Bank, it is planned to prepare a technical and economic justification for the project by the end of 2023.
SANTA ROSA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Exchange Bank (OTC: EXSR) has collaborated with the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco (FHLBank San Francisco) and its AHEAD Economic Development Grant Program to provide $70,000 in funding to Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians to promote indigenous self-sufficiency.

The AHEAD program enables FHLBank San Francisco members like Exchange Bank to give a critical boost to local programs and projects that target pressing community needs and bring greater opportunity to underserved populations. The Exchange Bank-sponsored grant will fund Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians, which is a federally recognized tribe in Northern California whose mission is to promote indigenous self-sufficiency through economic development, education, and affordable housing. The project will provide financial education trainings, computer literacy courses for seniors, and a public Wi-Fi hotspot for the community. AHEAD funds will support staff salaries, stipends for clients, computers, and other costs for a community computer lab.

Exchange Bank is proud to participate in the AHEAD grant program, helping to make a positive impact in our community, said Shari DeMaris, chief operating officer, Exchange Bank. It aligns directly with the Banks mission of supporting local underserved groups.

AHEAD grants are awarded annually and delivered through the FHLBanks member financial institutions to local community organizations for projects and programs that benefit lower-income and underserved communities. Since the program inception in 2004, FHLBank San Francisco has awarded more than $25 million in AHEAD grants to over 800 economic development projects in Arizona, California, and Nevada. In 2023, the FHLBanks board of directors allocated $4 million to the AHEAD program, more than doubling the funding in prior years, and awarded grants to 75 projects. Exchange Bank applied for the grant in partnership with Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians and was awarded the $70,000 after a competitive selection process.

About Exchange Bank

Headquartered in Sonoma County and founded in 1890, Exchange Bank is a full-service community bank with assets of $3.36 billion. Exchange Bank provides a wide range of personal, commercial and trust and investment management services with 16 retail branches in Sonoma County, a commercial branch in Roseville and Trust & Investment Management offices in Santa Rosa, Roseville, Marin County and Silicon Valley. The Banks legacy of financial leadership and community support is grounded in its core values of commitment, respect, integrity, and teamwork. Exchange Bank is known for its people who care about their customers, their company, and the communities where they live and work. Exchange Bank is an 18-year winner of the North Bay Business Journals Best Places to Work survey and the 2023 San Francisco Business Times Corporate Philanthropy Award. Exchange Bank was named Best Consumer Bank by the NorthBay biz Magazines Best of the North Bay readers poll. The Petaluma Argus Courier Peoples Choice Awards named Exchange Bank Best Local Bank 2023 and the Bohemian Magazines Best of the North Bay 2023 named Exchange Bank Best Business Bank and Best Consumer Bank. www.exchangebank.com

Member FDIC  Equal Housing Lender  Equal Opportunity Employer

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121255173/en/

Carolyn Cole-Schweizer

Marketing Services Manager

Exchange Bank

PO Box 403

Santa Rosa, CA 95402

707.541.1250

[email protected]

Source: Exchange Bank
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Expanso, a startup built to help enterprises manage their ever growing data needs with a distributed approach to big data processing powered by its open-source software Bacalhau, has raised $7.5 million in seed funding led by General Catalyst and Hetz Ventures, along with Array Ventures.

Based out of Seattle, Expanso is co-founded by alums of Google, AWS, and Microsoft and will be focusing on open source solutions and targeting enterprises to address what CEO David Aronchick believes is currently an enormous but overlooked challenge: Actually making use of enterprise data.

Distributed big data processing can be complex and challenging. One of the biggest challenges is dealing with the time and cost involved with transferring data between different nodes to a centralized data lake. This can make it difficult to be responsive to new data inflows in real time. Further, many platforms, while powerful, require converting existing code to new frameworks just to access the data, let alone get insights. And distributed big data processing systems are often a rich target for security issues, such as leaking personally identifiable information (PII), regulatory concerns, and data breaches.

The open-source software Bacalhau (bacalhau.org), developed and backed by Expanso, is built on the principle of "Compute Over Data," which means that it brings the processing jobs to where the data is, rather than moving the data to the cloud first. This has a number of advantages, including:

Reduced costs: Moving large amounts of data to and from the cloud is expensive.

Moving large amounts of data to and from the cloud is expensive. Enhanced speed: Bacalhau processes data locally, removing cloud transfer latency and boosting performance for data-heavy applications.

Bacalhau processes data locally, removing cloud transfer latency and boosting performance for data-heavy applications. Increased security: Not moving the data reduces the risk of data breaches and other security incidents.

Further, with Bacalhau, users can streamline their existing workflows without the need of extensive rewriting by running arbitrary Docker containers and WebAssembly (WASM) images as tasks. The software can run on-premises, or inside of any cloud including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud, and many more.

Infrastructure built to meet data where it is, even if distributed around the world, is long overdue. What Expanso is building with Bacalhau is intended to revolutionize the way big data is processed and global compute jobs are executed, while unlocking an entirely new class of applications, Expanso CEO David Aronchick said. Were excited to partner with General Catalyst, Hetz Ventures, and Array Ventures and use this funding to accelerate the development of Bacalhau and Expanso, and bring it to even more users.

"Expanso brings compute to the data, enabling businesses to operate securely at their operational pace and maximize the utility of valuable data. In less than a year, Dave and his team of exceptional technologists and entrepreneurs, have achieved significant milestones, with the platform now in use with various sectors, including some of the world's largest defense organizations. We are proud to support Expanso as they work to enhance the impact of distributed data for businesses worldwide," said Quentin Clark, Managing Director of General Catalyst.

Developers can use the tools they already know and enjoy using, like Python, R and Duck DB - with almost no changes. Nearly anything that can be containerized, can run on their network. "A missing part of the modern data stack is the ability to process data where it is being created rather than have to centralize everything first," said Jordan Tigani, CEO and co-founder of MotherDuck. "Bacalhau fills in that missing link, allowing large numbers of remote workers to use DuckDB to filter, summarize, and transform data at the edge before communicating results to MotherDuck in the cloud."

Bacalhau offers a free demo network which has been live for nearly six months. Since launching, their network has handled more than 1.5 million jobs for design partners like the University of Maryland, BOINC, New Atlantis Foundation, and many more.

Bacalhau is available today as Open Source Software. To download, visit the website here (http://expanso.io/install). The public GitHub repo can be found here. (https://github.com/bacalhau-project/bacalhau)

About Expanso

Expanso, a software company building upon their open-source software Bacalhau, offers a unique platform for fast, affordable, and secure computation. They orchestrate jobs to run where the data is generated and stored, eliminating costly and risky data transfers and storage.

Their 'Compute Over Data' model keeps data stationary, simplifies management, and speeds up processing, enabling better focus on analytics and data science while reducing expenses and enhancing data security.

For more:

https://www.expanso.io

About General Catalyst

General Catalyst is a venture capital firm that invests in powerful, positive change that endures  for our entrepreneurs, our investors, our people, and society. We support founders with a long-term view who challenge the status quo, partnering with them from seed to growth stage and beyond to build companies that withstand the test of time. With offices in San Francisco, Palo Alto, New York City, and Boston, the firm has helped support the growth of businesses such as: Airbnb, Deliveroo, Guild, Gusto, Hubspot, Illumio, Livongo, Oscar, Snap, Stripe, and Warby Parker.

For more:

www.generalcatalyst.com

About Hetz Ventures

Hetz Ventures is a leading Israeli seed stage venture capital firm taking a thematic approach to early stage investing. With nearly $300M under management, the fund invests in and supports startups in DevOps, Dev Tools & Open Source, AI/Data, Cybersecurity, Fintech, and other enterprise verticals.

The Hetz team leads with an entrepreneurial mindset, and is a collaboration between investors and industry professionals with a shared commitment to invest as an agile, tech-driven and hands-on venture partner. With a global network of top tier co-investors, Fortune 500 executives, tech leaders, elite military graduates, and beyond, Hetz brings everything to the table to back companies building their way from seed stage onward.

Hetz Ventures was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in Tel Aviv with additional founding partners operating in London.

For more:

www.hetz.vc

About Array Ventures

Array Ventures is focused on solving impactful problems using revolutionary technology. Often that means category-leading startups that take advantage of data, analytics, workflows, and new platforms to change the way an industry works. They invest in smart people with a bold mission who take big risks in large or new markets.

For more:

array.vc

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231114359768/en/

For more information, press only:

Expanso Media Relations

[email protected]

Source: Expanso
Leading Training Data Platform Among Initial Shortlist From International Cloud Computing Awards Program

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Granica, a leading AI training data platform, has been shortlisted in the 2023-2024 Cloud Awards program in the Most Innovative Use of Data in the Cloud category. Granica, which launched from stealth only six months prior to this award recognition, helps organizations build better AI, safely and efficiently, by reallocating savings from inefficient data infrastructure towards more training data and unlocking sensitive data sets for safe use in model training.

Granicas acknowledgment by The Cloud Awards highlights our commitment to pioneering advancements in cloud computing and AI effectiveness, safety and efficiency, said Rahul Ponnala, CEO and co-founder of Granica. It's a particularly meaningful accomplishment for our solution to be considered for the Most Innovative Use of Data in the Cloud award within just six months of our launch from stealth.

Since 2011, The Cloud Awards has sought to promote and celebrate excellence and innovation in cloud computing. Hundreds of organizations entered the 2023-2024 Cloud Awards program, with international entries from North America, Canada, Australia, UK, Europe and the Middle East. Granica was one of five shortlisted in the Most Innovative Use of Data in the Cloud category.

Head of Operations for The Cloud Awards, James Williams said, In what has been a tough year at times for the tech industry, we have seen another remarkable year of innovation in the Cloud. In particular, in 2023, weve seen artificial intelligence (AI) and automated machine learning generate huge interest across virtually every field. Yet again, cloud technologies have brought some of our most optimistic expectations to reality, and promised still more. Fortunately, technology has not yet outpaced our imaginations, as this years remarkable shortlist demonstrates. We have welcomed entrants from a wide spectrum of industries, including online retail, education, healthcare, and data management. Hundreds of cloud-based products and solutions have impressed our judging panel. All shortlisted organizations have displayed unique points of merit and made it through a fiercely competitive initial stage.

The Cloud Awards finalists will be announced on Tuesday, December 19, 2023 and winners will be announced on Tuesday, January 9, 2024.

Resources

To view the full shortlist, visit: https://www.cloud-awards.com/2023-2024-cloud-awards-shortlist/

Read Granicas blog

Visit the Granica website

Request a demo

Follow Granica on X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn

About Granica

Granica is a leading training data platform for traditional and generative AI. It helps AI teams improve the performance of their models, control their costs, and achieve efficient growth by reallocating savings from inefficient data infrastructure towards adding more data and by unlocking sensitive data sets for safe use in model training. Powered by novel compression algorithms optimized for petabyte-scale sensor, image and text training data, Granica unlocks up to 2.5X more data to make better models by compressing those training files to save up to 80% on storage and access costs and enabling re-allocation of the savings to get and use more data. Granica also preserves the privacy of PII and other sensitive information, unlocking additional valuable training data for safe use in downstream AI workflows. Granicas training data services are easily consumed as an API by developers building applications that access AI data in public cloud object storage platforms such as Amazon S3 and Google Cloud Storage. Its the simplest and most secure way for businesses to control the costs of AI training data without the severe performance and availability trade-offs associated with archival or deletion. Improving the safety and efficiency of AI data and pipelines puts the focus back on model performance. Outcome-based pricing whereby organizations only pay Granica a small percentage of their realized savings eliminates the need for upfront budgeting and investment and ensures enterprises only receive upside. Granica is optimized for data and AI-intensive industries such as geospatial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, robotics, retail and e-commerce. Category-defining companies including HERE Technologies, Quantum Metric and Nylas use Granica to cost-effectively keep, grow and use their AI data to maximize innovation and business results from their AI initiatives.

About the Cloud Awards

The Cloud Awards is an international program which has been recognizing and honoring industry leaders, innovators and organizational transformation in cloud computing since 2011. The awards are open to large, small, established and start-up organizations from across the entire globe, with an aim to find and celebrate the pioneers who will shape the future of the Cloud as we move into 2023 and beyond. Categories include the Software as a Service award, Most Promising Start-Up, and Best in Mobile Cloud Solution.

Winners are selected by a judging panel of international industry experts. For more information about the Cloud Awards and SaaS Awards, please visit https://www.cloud-awards.com/.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121532393/en/

Media Contact

Robyn Hester

Bhava Communications for Granica

[email protected]

(209) 329-8193



For the Cloud Awards

James Williams  head of operations

https://www.cloud-awards.com/cloud-computing-awards/

[email protected]

Source: Granica
NANJING, China--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Nanjing IASO Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (IASO Bio) made its debut at the 6th China International Import Expo (CIIE) with FUCASO, the world's first fully-human CAR-T, and entered into a strategic partnership with several international medical institutions, bringing hope for cure to multiple myeloma (MM) patients worldwide.

On June 30, 2023, the China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) approved the marketing of Equecabtagene Autoleucel Injection (brand name: FUCASO) for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (r/rMM). Meanwhile, the Equecabtagene Autoleucel Injection has received the Orphan Drug Designation, as well as the Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy and Fast Track Designations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and has been approved for clinical trials in the U.S.

A single infusion of FUCASO can lead to lasting and deep remission with a favorable safety profile in patients with r/rMM who have failed multiple lines of therapy. Due to its unique design, FUCASO, as a fully-human CAR-T therapy, is able to persist in patients for a longer period of time, offering hope for overcoming the challenging problem of relapsed MM.

FUCASO has attracted patients from numerous countries around the world to seek treatment in Chinese hospitals in just 4 months since its approval for marketing in China. These hospitals have a world-leading level of full-process management in CAR-T therapy. In addition, the cost of treatment with FUCASO in China is significantly lower than that of similar products in Europe and America, which has benefited more patients worldwide.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231115683764/en/

Company: Nanjing IASO Biotechnology Co., Ltd

Contact Person: Zhang Yuanyuan

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://i-connection.iasobio.com/en

Telephone: 400 966 5315

Source: Nanjing IASO Biotechnology Co., Ltd
HERNDON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Iron Bow Technologies, the next generation technology solutions provider to government, commercial, and healthcare markets, today announced that John McGloughlin, VP of Cybersecurity for Iron Bow and Founder of GuardSight, has been recognized by the Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) as one of its 2023 Cyber50 Executives.

The NVTC Cyber50 program recognizes the cyber companies and professionals who are driving innovation, pushing the boundaries in launching new cyber solutions, and contributing to the region's ongoing stature as a premier cybersecurity hub. This years Cyber50 list includes 27 companies and government contractors and 23 professionals who exhibit the dedication, innovation, and ability to advance cybersecurity technology and anticipate the threat of future cybercrimes.

This is a well-deserved honor for John and a testament to his passion and proven track record for promoting stronger, more resilient cybersecurity solutions for our customers, said Rene LaVigne, President and CEO of Iron Bow Technologies. John and the GuardSight team are the best at what they do, and we are so proud to be able to offer our community the benefit of their experience and expertise.

Its an honor to be recognized by NVTC as one of its Cyber50 Executives, said John McGloughlin, VP of Cybersecurity for Iron Bow and Founder of GuardSight. Im immensely proud of the work we have done at GuardSight and what were doing now with Iron Bow to evolve existing cybersecurity architectures and ensure that our customers are in the strongest cyber defense posture possible. I look forward to building on the success weve experienced so far as part of the Iron Bow team.

John McGloughlin founded GuardSight in 2009 to offer comprehensive cybersecurity operations, assessments, and response services that protect the critical assets and operations of customers ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies. In January 2023, the company was acquired by Iron Bow Technologies to enhance the companys existing cybersecurity solutions portfolio, combining its public-sector cybersecurity engineering capabilities with GuardSights private-sector SECOPS and MDR capabilities. Together, GuardSight and Iron Bow provide a holistic cybersecurity offering that enables government agencies, private enterprises, and organizations to modernize their cybersecurity architecture while supporting them on the path to zero trust with a comprehensive set of managed services.

For more information about Iron Bow, please visit www.ironbow.com

About GuardSight

Established in 2009, GuardSight is an experienced provider of specialized cybersecurity management services for SMBs and large enterprises. The Company offers a wide range of detection and response, operations, compliance, assessment, and consulting services to help customers guard their critical assets and reputation against sophisticated cyber threats. GuardSights cybersecurity-as-a-service protection packages are managed by an elite team of experienced cybersecurity experts. GuardSight has been named a Top 200 MSSP Provider and is a DFARS/NIST 800-171 compliant company with more than a dozen accreditations from professional institutions. For more information visit https://www.guardsight.com/.

About Iron Bow Technologies

Iron Bow Technologies is a next generation IT solutions provider dedicated to successfully transforming clients' technology investments into robust business capabilities across government, commercial, education, and healthcare markets. The Iron Bow team brings a depth of technical expertise and domain knowledge to deliver the right solution and ensure successful business outcomes. Iron Bows global reach and strategic partnerships with industry leaders and disruptive technology partners empower clients to implement the latest cutting-edge technology to support mission-critical objectives. Learn more at www.ironbow.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121112960/en/

Kate Nesbitt

Alloy Communications

[email protected]

Source: Iron Bow Technologies
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Levine Leichtman Capital Partners (LLCP), a Los Angeles-based private equity firm, announced today that it has sold its portfolio company Therapeutic Research Center (TRC or the Company) to Colibri Group, a portfolio company of Gridiron Capital. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

TRC is a leading provider of independent, evidence-based continuing education and training for healthcare professionals and institutions with a particular content focus on drug therapy recommendations and medication management. Over one million healthcare professionals and approaching four thousand hospitals rely on TRCs advisory and education services to access concise, unbiased and timely information. The Company was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Denver, Colorado.

Matthew Rich, Partner of LLCP, said, We are proud to have supported TRC and its management team in building a market leading, clinician-centric training platform to solve healthcares critical workforce challenges. During our investment, the Company made significant investments to strengthen TRCs leadership team, commercial operations, and new product development function, while also successfully completing four highly strategic acquisitions that greatly expanded our clinician base and bolstered our suite of product offerings. The business is well positioned for continued growth, and we wish Wes and the entire management team continued success in their next chapter with Colibri.

Wes Crews, CEO of TRC, commented, We are grateful for LLCPs support and guidance as their strategic insights and partnership approach contributed greatly to the transformation of TRC. Together, we have realized our shared vision of helping clinicians operate at the top of their license and improve clinical outcomes, thereby unlocking tremendous value for all stakeholders. LLCPs contributions will continue to be instrumental as we enter our next phase of growth.

The sale of TRC will be LLCPs 18th successful exit since December 2020. TRC was an investment of Levine Leichtman Capital Partners V, L.P.

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC served as the lead financial advisor to TRC, with support from William Blair & Company, LLC and Deloitte Corporate Finance LLC, and Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal counsel in connection with the sale.

About Levine Leichtman Capital Partners

Levine Leichtman Capital Partners, LLC is a middle-market private equity firm with a 39-year track record of investing across various targeted sectors, including Franchising & Multi-unit, Business Services, Education & Training and Engineered Products & Manufacturing. LLCP utilizes a differentiated Structured Private Equity investment strategy, combining debt and equity capital investments in portfolio companies. LLCP believes that by investing in a combination of debt and equity securities, it offers management teams growth capital in a highly tailored, flexible investment structure that can be a more attractive alternative than traditional private equity.

LLCPs global team of dedicated investment professionals is led by nine partners who have worked at LLCP for an average of 19 years. Since inception, LLCP has managed approximately $14.1 billion of institutional capital across 15 investment funds and has invested in over 100 portfolio companies. LLCP currently manages $9.3 billion of assets and has offices in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Charlotte, Miami, London, Stockholm, The Hague and Frankfurt.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231120856193/en/

Mark Semer/Sara Widmann

Gasthalter & Co.

(212) 257 4170

[email protected]

Source: Levine Leichtman Capital Partners
MarketVector launches first-to-market Bioproduction ESG Index and expands its range of cutting-edge Thematic ESG Indexes

FRANKFURT, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- MarketVector IndexesTM (MarketVector) announces the licensing of the MarketVectorTM Bioproduction Tech and Tools ESG Index (MVBIOP), MarketVectorTM Artificial Intelligence ESG Index (MVAI), MarketVectorTM Global Metaverse and e-Games ESG Index (MVMETV), MarketVectorTM Global Clean Energy Transition ESG Index (MVCET ), and MarketVectorTM Japan Quality Tilt ESG Index (MVJPNQ) to underlie 5 new ESG UCITS ETFs issued by Fineco Asset Management on November 16, 2023.

Fineco AM MarketVector Bioproduction Tech & Tools ESG UCITS ETF (BIOPRA)

Fineco AM MarketVector Artificial Intelligence ESG UCITS ETF (ARTIN)

Fineco AM MarketVector Global Metaverse & e-Games ESG UCITS ETF (METAAH)

Fineco AM MarketVector Global Clean Energy Transition ESG UCITS ETF (EMOVE) and

Fineco AM MarketVector Japan Quality Tilt ESG UCITS ETF (JPMQ)

The launch of the MarketVectorTM Bioproduction Tools & Tech Index (MVBIOP) reflects our steadfast commitment to defining expansive industries and spearheading innovation together with our clients, said Steven Schoenfeld, CEO of MarketVector. MVBIOP stands as a testament to our expertise in thematic investing and unlocking unique opportunities for investors within broad sectors he continued. Furthermore, the MarketVectorTM Japan Quality Tilt ESG Index (MVJPNQ) is our first stand-alone Japanese factor index, with a focus on companies driving Japans reformed equity capital markets, Schoenfeld stated.

The MarketVectorTM Bioproduction Tech and Tools ESG Index (MVBIOP) is a pureplay index that tracks the performance of global companies predominantly involved in technologies, tools, materials, and processes related to developing or manufacturing biopharmaceuticals. MVBIOP isolates companies within the biopharmaceutical sector that diverge fundamentally from traditional drug companies. The index only includes entities integral to optimizing and facilitating the production of biologics  a field that leverages tools like Artificial Intelligence, big data, and groundbreaking R&D technology to treat complex diseases. This focus allows investors to tap into a segment with distinct growth drivers and risk profiles, separate from the broader drug manufacturing industry.

The MarketVectorTM Artificial Intelligence ESG Index (MVAI) tracks the performance of globally listed companies involved in Artificial Intelligence, with a focus on productivity software, big data analytics related to machine learning, and embedded machine learning semiconductors.

The MarketVectorTM Global Clean Energy Transition ESG Index (ticker: MVCET) tracks the performance of global companies involved in providing technologies and materials contributing to the global transition to clean energy.

The MarketVectorTM Global Metaverse and e-Games ESG Index (MVMETV) tracks the performance of companies involved in technologies and services related to the metaverse, e-gaming (video gaming), and eSports.

The MarketVectorTM Japan Quality Tilt ESG Index (MVJPNQ) tracks the performance of 500 of the largest companies that are incorporated and listed in Japan, weighted by a combination of float-adjusted market capitalization and quality-related factors.

Detailed information about the indexes, including methodology details and index data, is available on the MarketVector website.

Key Index Features

MarketVectorTM Artificial Intelligence ESG Index (MVAI)

Number of Components: 94

Base Date: December 31, 2017

Base Value: 1,000

Key Index Features

MarketVectorTM Bioproduction Tech and Tools ESG Index (MVBIOP)

Number of Components: 49

Base Date: December 31, 2015

Base Value: 1,000

Key Index Features

MarketVectorTM Global Clean Energy Transition ESG Index (ticker: MVCET)

Number of Components: 75

Base Date: December 31, 2017

Base Value: 1,000

Key Index Features

MarketVectorTM Global Metaverse and e-Games ESG Index (MVMETV)

Number of Components: 68

Base Date: December 31, 2018

Base Value: 1,000

Key Index Features

MarketVectorTM Japan Quality Tilt ESG Index (MVJPNQ)

Number of Components: 496

Base Date: December 31, 2015

Base Value: 1,000

About MarketVector Indexes - www.marketvector.com

MarketVector IndexesTM (MarketVector) is a regulated Benchmark Administrator in Europe, incorporated in Germany and registered with the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin). MarketVector maintains indexes under the MarketVectorTM, MVIS, and BlueStar names. With a mission to accelerate index innovation globally, MarketVector is best known for its broad suite of Thematic indexes, a long-running expertise in Hard Asset-linked Equity indexes, and its pioneering Digital Asset index family. MarketVector is proud to be in partnership with more than 25 Exchange-Traded Product (ETP) issuers and index fund managers in markets throughout the world, with more than USD 30 billion in assets under management.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121483476/en/

Media

Eunjeong Kang, MarketVector

+49 (0) 69 4056 695 38

[email protected]

Sam Marinelli, Gregory FCA on behalf of MarketVector

610-246-9928

[email protected]

Source: MarketVector Indexes
BURNABY, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Nearly 300 locked-out Rogers Communications workers, members of the United Steelworkers union (USW) Local 1944, Unit 60, will be heading back to work on Wednesday after voting to ratify their new collective agreement. A tentative agreement was reached on Friday and voted on last night with 96% in favour of ratification.

On Nov 6, the Steelworkers were locked out by Rogers, after the union issued a 72-hour strike notice to fight against the erosion of jobs from contracting-out language.

I am so proud of our Unit 60 members for standing so strongly together to fight back against the threat of Rogers contracting out their jobs, said Donna Hokiro, USW Local 1944 president. While I recognize that this might not have been the best deal, I do believe its a fair deal and we achieved restrictions on contracting-out language that puts our members first.

Through the new collective agreement, the members achieved 14.25% wage increases over a five-year deal with retroactive pay, a $1,000 signing bonus and an assurance to members of automation protections, backfill language, hiring language commitments, a cap on contract use, clearly defined jurisdiction and enhanced layoff protection.

When you talk about being strong as steel, thats what our members were throughout this entire lockout. In their effort to push back on the appalling demands from Rogers at the table, members took to the streets, rallied outside the Rogers Tower in downtown Vancouver and talked to their Members of Parliament about the importance of federal anti-scab legislation. Im very proud of our members for standing up for their work and futures. Our members are eager to get back on the job to serve the communities where they work, said Hokiro.

Through the support of the membership, the broader labour movement and the public, hundreds of letters were sent to Members of Parliament (MPs)calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberal government to pass federal anti-scab legislation, Bill C-58, as soon as possible.

On behalf of all of our members, I thank the public and the labour movement for standing with Rogers workers during the lockout, said Andy Wong, chair of USW Local 1944, Unit 60. To Unit 60, thank you for standing so strong with each other every day on the line. It was truly inspirational and gave the bargaining committee the strength and support to reach this deal.

Thank you for demanding Rogers not send scabs to your homes when internet services went down. Thank you for joining us on the line and dropping off donations. Thank you for taking the time to write your MPs to pass federal anti-scab legislation that has become known as Rogers anti-scab legislation. We couldnt have done this without your support, said Wong.

I also want to thank the many MPs who took time out of their busy schedules to drop by the lockout line including Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, Jenny Kwan, Don Davies, Peter Julian and Bonita Zarrillo, and to all those who sent tweets and support our way. We saw and heard every message and we cannot thank you enough for your support. We look forward to Bill C-58 being passed, so no other federal worker will have scabs do their jobs while they stand up and fight for better, said Wong.

The USW-represented technicians, who are responsible for building, maintaining and repairing internet, phone and television infrastructure and services for businesses and homes, are expected to return to work on Wednesday.

The USW 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, like our members at Rogers Communications, 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.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121312181/en/

Jayson Little, USW staff representative, 778-837-3584, [email protected]

Brett Barden, USW communications, 604-445-6956, [email protected]

Source: United Steelworkers
MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- DermaSensor Inc.  Skin cancer is a global health concern, with increasing incidence rates worldwide. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is expanding its presence within dermatology with several tools available abroad, although no skin cancer AI imaging tools are currently available in the U.S. that are approved by the FDA. A newly published study was designed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of an Elastic Scattering Spectroscopy (ESS) device, the DermaSensor device, in assessing skin lesions suggestive of skin cancer. This study was conducted to provide clinical evidence for European regulatory authorities and initial effectiveness evidence for the FDA. The device has been under review by the FDA since early 2023; it is not currently available for sale in the United States.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121041961/en/

DermaSensor Device (Photo: Business Wire)

The prospective, multi-center clinical validation study, conducted at four investigational sites in the United States, focused on patients with skin lesions suggestive of both melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers. These lesions underwent clinical evaluation by expert dermatologists and by the DermaSensor device, a handheld AI-powered spectroscopy device that is non-invasive and wireless. Key statistical metrics, such as sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV), positive predictive value (PPV), and Area Under the Curve (AUC), were used to assess performance.

The study demonstrated an overall sensitivity of 97.0% (n=169) for the studys test dataset. When examining specific skin cancer types, subgroup sensitivity rates were 96.7% for melanoma (n=30), 97.0% for basal cell carcinoma (n=72), and 97.0% for squamous cell carcinoma (n=67). Importantly, the devices sensitivity and overall accuracy (i.e., AUC) were each within 1% of the sensitivity and accuracy of the expert study dermatologists in-person clinical assessments when enrolling the lesions. The device exhibited a specificity of 22% for benign lesions biopsied by the dermatologists, and the devices overall NPV was 90% and PPV was 58%. A PPV of 58% equates to a number needed to biopsy (NNB) of 1.7 for detecting one skin cancer. 1

Dr. Armand Cognetta, Program Director and Professor at the FSU College of Medicine and the senior author of the study, described, This study shows that the DermaSensor device has high performance in detecting malignancies and should help PCPs by improving their decision-making regarding appropriate referrals of skin cancer.

The study's findings reinforce results from other recent studies, which found that the device improves PCPs detection of skin cancer,2 and the device performance was observed to be similar across patient skin types.3 With the high sensitivity in detecting all skin cancers in this study, DermaSensor may play a crucial role in assisting primary care clinicians in evaluating suspicious skin lesions. This innovation holds the promise of improving skin cancer care by facilitating expedited and improved detection and intervention.

This study was a key early comparative effectiveness study showing that our device can bring dermatologist-level triage to primary care. We have completed eight clinical studies for review by regulatory bodies in the U.S. and Europe, and we hope to soon be the first-ever device on the U.S. market that provides PCPs with an immediate, objective result for skin cancer, stated Cody Simmons, co-founder and CEO of DermaSensor Inc. While dermatoscopes are in widespread use by dermatologists and have been in dermatology clinical guidelines since 1989, only 8% of PCPs currently use one given the significant training time required. We hope to soon have available our first-in-class device for Americas 300,000 PCPs, and that its simple point-and-click method of use will result in widespread adoption.

The results of this new publication bring hope for a brighter future in the global fight against skin cancer, as technology and AI-driven solutions continue to advance healthcare and disease detection.

About DermaSensor

DermaSensor Inc. is a health technology company designing non-invasive tools to better equip primary care providers for skin cancer detection. The DermaSensor device is an affordable, handheld tool that uses spectroscopy and algorithms to evaluate skin lesions for potential cancer in a matter of seconds. DermaSensors mission is to provide broad access to effective skin cancer checks. The DermaSensor device is currently CE Marked and is available for sale in Australia. The DermaSensor devices FDA submission is currently under review; it is not available for sale in the United States.

References

1: Manolakos D, Patrick G, Geisse JK, Rabinovitz H, Buchanan K, Hoang P, Rodriguez-Diaz E, Bigio IJ, Cognetta AB, Use of an Elastic-Scattering Spectroscopy and Artificial Intelligence Device in the Assessment of Lesions Suggestive of Skin Cancer: A Comparative Effectiveness Study. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatologists International (2023), doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdin.2023.08.019.

2: Seiverling EV, Agresta T, Cyr P, Caines L, Nguyen VL, Chatha K, Siegel DM. Clinical Utility of an Elastic Scattering Spectroscopy Device in Assisting Primary Care Physician's Detection of Skin Cancers. Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology (2023), 16(4 Supple): s16-17.

3: Patrick G, Leffell D, Merry SP, Croghan I, Rabinovitz H. Cognetta A. Clinical Capabilities of a Handheld Elastic Scattering Spectroscopy- Artificial Intelligence Device as an Adjunctive Tool for Evaluating Skin Cancer in Skin of Color. Presentation at the American Academy of Dermatology Summer Meeting, Tampa Bay, Florida (Aug 2023).

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121041961/en/

Larry C. Anderson

Chief Commercial Officer

DermaSensor, Inc.

(239)219-5862

[email protected]

Source: DermaSensor Inc.
TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- News Media Canada, which represents 570 news publishing titles across Canada, welcomed the changes to the Canadian Journalism Labour Tax Credit announced in the Government of Canadas Fall Economic Statement.

The environment for publishers  large and small  is extremely challenging, said Dave Adsett, chair of News Media Canada and publisher of the Wellington Advertiser. For local journalism to survive, it needs to be supported by the community and by online companies who benefit from the fact-based, fact-checked work our hard-working journalists produce.

These changes recognize the extremely difficult state of the industry and todays realities of attracting and retaining talent, and reward publishers who invest in and grow their newsroom, said Paul Deegan, president and chief executive officer of News Media Canada. Local news is vital, and this targeted investment is both timely and necessary.

Government and business advertisers need to step up too, added Mr. Deegan. Advertiser support is critical to growing newsrooms and, in this era of fake news, to ensuring Canadians are properly informed about real issues that affect them and their families.

About News Media Canada

News Media Canada is the voice of the print and digital media industry in Canada, representing hundreds of trusted titles in every province and territory.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121929198/en/

News Media Canada

[email protected]

Source: News Media Canada
BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. Most of the bloody crimes in the colonial history of humanity have been committed by France, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said in his address to the participants of the International Conference on Decolonization: Women's Empowerment and Development, Trend reports.

"France, which occupied dozens of countries in Africa, South-East Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean, and Latin America, plundered their wealth and enslaved their people for many years, committing numerous war crimes and crimes against humanity. The French armed forces discriminated against their ethnic and religious affiliation and subjected hundreds of thousands of civilians to genocide. The slave trade, which France was actively engaged in, is one of the most shameful pages of humanity. Millions of Africans fell victim to the French slavery policy," President Ilham Aliyev said.
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Atom Limbs, a leading innovator in prosthetic technology, announced its latest investment round on Wefunder, the premier online platform for fundraising.

Under the leadership of CEO Tyler Hayes, a seasoned Silicon Valley entrepreneur whose last company was acquired by Amazon, Atom Limbs has elected to raise capital from retail investors  a move to democratize investment in service of the 65M limb-different people worldwide.

Atom Limbs has positioned itself at the forefront of the prosthetics market by creating first of its kind limb technology that restores not just mobility, but also a basic sense of touch for people with limb loss. Its waitlist consists of over 9,000+ qualified buyers, amounting to $180M+ in forecast revenue. Atom Limbs groundbreaking technology restores not only mobility, but also allows a fundamental sense of touch for amputees.

Their potential extends beyond just leading in the market; its about forging a new standard in prosthetic functionality and accessibility, comments Daniel Ha, the rounds lead investor, a current Partner at Antigravity Capital, and former Co-Founder & CEO at Disqus.

Atom Limbs has garnered remarkable support, raising over $7M across multiple rounds. Many cite Atom Limbs impressive team as a reason for investing, which consists of ex-leadership from Apple, Oculus, Zoox, Baxter, and Neuralink, responsible for bringing iconic products like the iPhone and iMac to market under the leadership of Steve Jobs.

Backed by venture capital firm Village Global whose LPs include Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, Atom Limbs is poised to create monumental impact in a dinosaur industry ripe for disruption. With breakthrough robotics, autonomy and piloting, and smart wearables that create an unprecedented human experience for people living with physical disabilities. Atom Limbs is disrupting the $800B+ physical disability industry.

The Atom Limbs Regulation CF Offering is now open on Wefunder for a limited time with a minimum investment amount of $250. For more information on Atom Limbs, visit wefunder.com/atomlimbs.

About Atom Limbs

Atom Limbs is on a mission to revolutionize prosthetics. Backed by Moai Capital, J4 Ventures, Village Global, angels including Trevor Blackwell and Anthony Pompliano, and countless healthcare professionals, Atom Limbs pioneering approach to the world's first artificial human arm is on track to transform the $800B+ physical disability industry and give 65M+ limb-different people their limbs back.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121453079/en/

[email protected]

Source: Atom Limbs
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- UBS Investment Bank today announced coupon payments for the ETRACS Alerian MLP Index ETN Series B (NYSE Arca: AMUB), traded on the NYSE Arca.

NYSE

Ticker ETN Name and Prospectus Supplement* Coupon

Valuation

Date Ex-

Date Record Date Payment

Date Coupon

Amount Payment

Schedule Current Yield

(annualized)** AMUB ETRACS Alerian MLP Index ETN Series B 11/15/23 11/28/23 11/29/23 12/07/23 $0.2721 Quarterly 6.78%

* The table above provides a hyperlink to the relevant prospectus and supplements thereto. For more information on the ETRACS ETN, see "List of ETNs".

**"Current Yield (annualized)" equals the current Coupon Amount, multiplied by four (to annualize such coupon), divided by the Closing Indicative Value of the ETN on its current Coupon Valuation Date rounded to two decimal places for ease of analysis. The Current Yield is not indicative of future coupon payments, if any, on the ETN. You are not guaranteed any coupon or distribution amount under the ETN.

About ETRACS

ETRACS ETNs are senior unsecured notes issued by UBS AG, are traded on NYSE Arca, and can be bought and sold through a broker or financial advisor. An investment in ETRACS ETNs is subject to a number of risks, including the risk of loss of some or all of the investors principal, and is subject to the creditworthiness of UBS AG. Investors are not guaranteed any coupon or distribution amount under the ETNs. We urge you to read the more detailed explanation of risks described under Risk Factors in the applicable prospectus supplement for the ETRACS ETN.

UBS AG has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus and supplements thereto) with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, for the offerings of securities to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus, along with the applicable prospectus supplement to understand fully the terms of the securities and other considerations that are important in making a decision about investing in the ETRACS. The applicable offering document for each ETRACS may be obtained by clicking on the name of each ETRACS identified above. You may also get these documents without cost by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. The securities related to the offerings are not deposit liabilities and are not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency of the United States, Switzerland or any other jurisdiction.

About UBS

UBS is a leading and truly global wealth manager and the leading universal bank in Switzerland. It also provides diversified asset management solutions and focused investment banking capabilities. With the acquisition of Credit Suisse, UBS manages 5.5 trillion dollars of invested assets as per second quarter 2023. UBS helps clients achieve their financial goals through personalized advice, solutions and products. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, the firm is operating in more than 50 countries around the globe. UBS Group shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

This material is issued by UBS AG and/or any of its subsidiaries and/or any of its affiliates ("UBS"). Products and services mentioned in this material may not be available for residents of certain jurisdictions. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Please consult the restrictions relating to the product or service in question for further information. Activities with respect to US securities are conducted through UBS Securities LLC, a US broker/dealer. Member of SIPC (http://www.sipc.org/).

ETRACS ETNs are sold only in conjunction with the relevant offering materials. UBS has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus, as supplemented by the applicable prospectus supplement for the offering of the ETRACS ETNs) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read these documents and any other documents that UBS has filed with the SEC for more complete information about UBS and the offering to which this communication relates. You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, you can request the applicable prospectus and prospectus supplement by calling toll-free (+1-877-387 2275). In the US, securities underwriting, trading and brokerage activities and M&A advisor activities are provided by UBS Securities LLC, a registered broker/dealer that is a wholly owned subsidiary of UBS AG, a member of the New York Stock Exchange and other principal exchanges, and a member of SIPC. UBS Financial Services Inc. is a registered broker/dealer and affiliate of UBS Securities LLC.

UBS specifically prohibits the redistribution or reproduction of this communication in whole or in part without the prior written permission of UBS and UBS accepts no liability whatsoever for the actions of third parties in this respect.

Alerian MLP Index, Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index, Alerian Natural Gas MLP Index, AMZ, AMZI, and ANGI are trademarks of Alerian and their use is granted under a license from Alerian.

 UBS 2023. The key symbol, UBS and ETRACS are among the registered and unregistered trademarks of UBS. Other marks may be trademarks of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

_________________

1 Individual investors should instruct their broker/advisor/custodian to call us or should call together with their broker/advisor/custodian.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121557243/en/

Media contact

Alison Keunen

+1-212-713-2296

[email protected]

Institutional Investor contact1

+1-877-387-2275

Source: UBS
KENT, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- PowerLight Technologies, the leading developer of laser power beaming systems, was pleased to welcome the Honorable Heidi Shyu, the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD R&E), to their headquarters for a demonstration of wireless power beaming technologies and a first look at PowerLights new, state-of-the-art facility. As Chief Technology Officer for the Department of Defense (DoD), Ms. Shyu is responsible for overseeing the activities of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), and the Under Secretariat staff focused on developing advanced technology and capabilities for the United States military.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231120383553/en/

PowerLight was very happy to host Hon Heidi Shyu, OUSD(R&E) for a two hour visit in their Kent, WA office on August 21st. (Photo: Business Wire)

PowerLight Technologies, an innovative provider of operational energy that enables distribution of kilowatt-level power over kilometers flexibly, safely, and efficiently, showcased its cutting-edge wireless power beaming and power over fiber solutions that are supporting some of DoDs most pressing logistical challenges, particularly for contested environments. During Ms. Shyus visit, PowerLights CEO, Richard Gustafson, provided an overview of various power beaming use cases being developed, including wireless power beaming to enable nonstop, continuous flight of unmanned aircraft, powering 5G cellular infrastructure , and powering lunar infrastructure, vehicles, and networks.

The discussion highlighted the importance of past and future support from the DoD for continued acceleration of the development, adoption, and deployment of wireless power beaming technologies. Throughout the meeting, Ms. Shyu reiterated her support for PowerLights technology and its transformative potential to address multi-domain operational energy challenges. This is a great capability, said Ms. Shyu, Id like to see you mature it further.

We were proud to share with Ms. Shyu the progress we have made together with the DoD in technology validation and bringing this valuable solution closer to beneficial use, said Richard Gustafson, President and CEO of PowerLight. Wireless Power Beaming provides a unique new capability that can more flexibly, efficiently, and effectively distribute energy to digital infrastructure where and when its required most, and where it may also have been previously impossible to distribute that energy any other way. The work we have done will provide new capability in support of US Military operations while commercialized power beaming solutions being tested today will increasingly support the rapidly growing, and power hungry, digital infrastructure that is being deployed globally in the commercial space as well.

PowerLights proprietary solutions use a specialized photovoltaic cell receiver to charge battery-powered devices while in motion or in a fixed position. Our unique optical power beaming technology converts electricity by using laser diodes to beam high-intensity light, which is shaped as a beam of light and directed over long distance through free space to a receiver that collects the light and converts it back into usable electricity (DC power out). The companys core technology was developed over a dozen years through collaborations with NASA and DoD.

PowerLights new headquarters represents a transition to the next phase in our growth and commercialization strategy. The facility includes space for the projected addition of 50-75 engineers & technicians, state of the art test, assembly and demonstration facilities, 3D manufacturing capabilities, and tools for advanced modeling and simulation. With this new investment, PowerLight is rapidly scaling our offerings, growing our team, and continuing our dedication to solving DoDs critical operational energy challenges.

About PowerLight:

PowerLight Technologies is the leading developer of safe, long-distance laser power beaming solutions to transmit kilowatt-level power remotely, making energy accessible to new and increasingly mobile distributed digital assets on and off planet Earth. Laser power beaming delivers energy to digital infrastructure, enabling digital work to be done when and where it is needed, including in hard-to-reach places, with or without human access, and without the tether to todays battery- and power-cord power distribution environment. PowerLight is ramping developments with commercial partners for Power-over-Fiber and for powering remote sites in free space. PowerLight maintains headquarters in Kent, Washington, USA. For additional information visit www.powerlighttech.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231120383553/en/

Bob Zak

206-713-4644

Mike Hartnett

603-969-2444

Duane Green

202-802-5279

Source: PowerLight Technologies
DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Veriheal, the leading cannabis health-tech company, announced the three winners of its annual Innovation in Cannabis Scholarship for 2023, each of whom will receive $10,000 to put toward college tuition and fees

With a record-breaking 800+ submissions, Veriheal demonstrates further commitment to supporting the education and innovation of aspiring leaders and innovators in the cannabis community. Since 2020, Veriheal has awarded $85,000 in scholarships to students seeking to change the evolving cannabis industry.

Veriheal acknowledges the escalating costs of higher education and, in response, has expanded its commitment to offer financial assistance to students passionate about cannabis. In 2023, the company is awarding a total of $30,000 in scholarships, with each of the three winners receiving $10,000 to aid in their educational pursuits.

After carefully reviewing the submissions, which closed on July 30, Veriheal selected the following recipients:

Quemarr Moatamedi - University of Montana Maya Woods-Arthur - Harvard University Jensyn Huynh - Texas A&M University

Applicants were tasked with submitting a forward-thinking essay, a minimum of 1000 words, on how to enhance the cannabis industry, demonstrating creativity, sustainability, and a vision for the future. This year's winners stood out for their exceptional combination of knowledge and passion for sustainability, community, awareness, and innovation within the cannabis space.

The high number of submissions and the exceptional quality of ideas this year speaks volumes about the passion and vision of the next generation of cannabis leaders, said Joshua Green, co-founder of Veriheal. We're thrilled to support and empower the minds and futures of those who will undoubtedly shape the industry.

Next year's Innovation in Cannabis Scholarship will open for submissions in Spring 2024. U.S. college students and high school seniors who are interested in the world of cannabis are strongly encouraged to apply.

Read more about the 2023 Innovation in Cannabis Scholarship winners here.

About Veriheal

Veriheal is a healthcare technology company that facilitates access to medical marijuana cards. As the largest facilitator in the nation, Veriheal advocates for patients and ensures their safe access to regulated medical cannabis products. With a commitment to transparency and open communication, Veriheal operates as a concierge service, establishing HIPAA-compliant connections between patients and physicians through its proprietary platform. Visit veriheal.com for additional information.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121409914/en/

Anthony Dutcher

833-663-7284 Ext. 4

[email protected]

https://www.veriheal.com/contact-us/ and select the Press/Media option

Source: Veriheal
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Wedbush Securities, a prominent diversified independent financial services provider, welcomes Lynn Sperandeo as Managing Director, Investments. Based out of the firms New York office, Lynn joins Wedbushs Wealth Management division as part of the firms commitment to providing innovative and tailored financial services.

With more than four decades in the financial services industry, Sperandeo has built her trailblazing career by building relationships with her clients and providing them with a white-glove approach. Upon joining Wedbush, she stated, "I did my due diligence and felt that the stars aligned perfectly for my transition to Wedbush. It was the right move at the right time and couldnt be happier to be a part of a firm with so much potential.

Craig Pirtle, SVP, Head of Business Development and Expansion Markets, adds, I have known Lynn for years and have known her as a straight shooter that provides amazing concierge service to her clients. I couldnt be more excited to have her as part of our wealth management team and being a part of the Wedbush story.

Sperandeo spent the previous 17 years at B. Riley before joining Wedbush. She is a native New Yorker and resides in Westchester County with her husband.

About Wedbush Securities

Wedbush Securities is the largest subsidiary of Wedbush Financial Services. Since its founding in 1955, Wedbush is widely known for providing our clients, both private and institutional, with a wide range of securities brokerage, wealth management, and investment banking services. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California with 100 registered offices and nearly 900 colleagues, the firm focuses on client service and financial safety, innovation, and the utilization of advanced technology.

Securities and Investment Advisory services are offered through Wedbush Securities, Inc. Member NYSE / FINRA / SIPC

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121650149/en/

Press Contact: Natalie A. Svider

213-688-8057

[email protected]

Source: Wedbush Securities
Intersects High-Grade AU-AG Veins in the Jarbidge Rhyolite up to 250 Meters North-East of the Current Gravel Creek Resource

VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Western Exploration Inc. (TSXV: WEX; OTCQX: WEXPF) (the "Company" or "Western Exploration") is pleased to announce initial results of its 2023 core drilling program, which aimed to identify vein extensions in the Jarbidge rhyolite north-east of the Gravel Creek resource area at the Company's wholly-owned Aura gold-silver project (the "Aura Project").

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121272890/en/

Figure 1. Plan map showing location of 2023 drill holes relative to +3.0 g/t Au Gravel Creek resource blocks. (Graphic: Business Wire)

Highlights from 2023 Drill Program:

Two oriented core holes totaling 1,470 meters (see Figure 1 ) were completed to verify the existence of a mineralized corridor trending northeast from the Gravel Creek deposit, as outlined in a news release of the Company dated March 6, 2023, entitled "Western Exploration Announces Additional Exploration Results at Gravel Creek" .

) were completed to verify the existence of a mineralized corridor trending northeast from the Gravel Creek deposit, as outlined in a news release of the Company dated March 6, 2023, entitled . Both holes WG456 and WG457 intersected multiple quartz-pyrite-marcasite bearing veins, stockwork and hydrothermal breccias within the targeted mineralized corridor.

Hole WG456, located 250 meters north-east of the Gravel Creek resource area, reported individual assays up to 34.9 g/t Au and 2800.0 g/t Ag, with key intercepts including: 4.7 meters of 9.20 g/t AuEq (4.55 g/t Au and 395.4 g/t Ag) 2.4 meters of 7.82 g/t AuEq (5.37 g/t Au and 208.1 g/t Ag) 2.0 meters of 21.96 g/t AuEq (12.77 g/t Au and 780.9 g/t Ag) 2.1 meters of 7.56 g/t AuEq (5.40 g/t Au and 183.1 g/t Ag) 3.0 meters of 6.75 g/t AuEq (5.42 g/t Au and 113 g/t Ag)

Gold-silver grades in WG456 occur at the same elevation as the "productive horizon" in the Gravel Creek deposit and are comparable in grade to those seen in multiple legacy intercepts.

These results support further exploration drilling to the north-east along a 2.0 kilometers trend of Au-As soil and rock anomalies that parallel a N35E trending density anomaly.

WG456 was abandoned at a depth of 730.6 meters due to drilling complications, with the final 3.0 meters returning 5.42 g/t Au and 113 g/t Ag.

Assays for hole WG457 are currently being finalized by ALS Chemex.

Western Exploration CEO, Darcy Marud, commented: "Western Exploration has long believed in the potential to greatly expand resources within the Wood Gulch/Gravel Creek mineralized system, and it is now become more evident that Wood Gulch and Gravel Creek are part of a large Au-Ag bearing hydrothermal system over an area of 10km2. The integration of structural surface alteration and geochemical data generated by the 2023 core drilling program has brought greater understanding of the controls on the high-grade veins in the Jarbidge rhyolite overlying and peripheral to the Gravel Creek deposit. Significant additional oriented core drilling is justified to better define the vein trends and determine the extent of the mineralized system to the north-east, with the ultimate goal of expanding the project resource base."

Multiple High-Grade Au-Ag Vein Drill Intercepts in the Jarbidge Rhyolite Above and Peripheral to the Gravel Creek Deposit

Previous drilling, as reported in the Technical Report (as defined herein), intersected multiple high-grade Au-Ag bearing vein intercepts of up to 40.05 g/t Au and 1951.0 g/t Ag in the Miocene Jarbidge volcanics overlying and lateral to the Gravel Creek deposit. None of these Jarbidge-hosted intercepts have been included in previous resource calculations, due to the uncertainty of orientation.

Drill results for hole WG456, intersected 9 veins, stockwork or hydrothermal breccias, which identified AuEq grades of over 3.0 g/t. Key intercepts are shown in Figure 2 and all +3.0 g/t AuEq results are summarized in Table 1, with coordinates shown in Table 2.

A preliminary review of oriented core data shows an array of intersecting veins, stockwork and hydrothermal breccias following north-west to north-east trends that mimic the known structural controls on mineralization. Flow banded zones within the rhyolite show strong preferential steeply dipping north-east trends, which control the emplacement of certain veins and hydrothermal breccia zones.

Table 1. Summary of +3.0 g/t AuEq intercepts in core hole WG456 testing the Jarbidge rhyolite north-east of the Gravel Creek deposit.

START END Interval(1) AuEq(2) Au Ag HOLE(3) (m) (m) (m) (ppm) (ppm) (ppm) WG456 469.7 470.1 0.3 5.21 1.90 282 WG456 479.4 479.7 0.3 4.91 4.70 17.8 WG456 544.5 549.3 4.7 9.20 4.55 395.4 with 546.4 548.2 1.8 20.05 9.77 874 or 546.4 546.7 0.3 67.84 34.9 2800 WG456 553.4 558.1 4.7 4.17 2.24 163.3 with 553.4 555.4 1.9 6.41 3.82 219.9 or 553.4 553.9 0.5 10.66 4.34 537 WG456 569.3 570.2 0.9 4.19 2.87 112 WG456 625.6 629.1 3.5 6.64 4.59 174.6 with 625.6 628 2.4 7.82 5.37 208.1 WG456 631.1 633.1 2.0 21.96 12.77 780.9 with 631.1 632.2 1.0 31.95 19.60 1050 WG456 683.9 686 2.1 7.56 5.40 183.1 with 685.6 686 0.4 26.03 18.85 610 WG456 727.60 730.60 3.00 6.75 5.42 113.0

Notes:

(1) Intervals are calculated with minimum grades of 3.0 g/t AuEq. True widths are estimated at 30-90% of drill intervals. (2) Assays are uncut and as received. AuEq calculated at a ratio of 85:1 of Ag:Au. (3) WG456 terminated in mineralization due to drilling issues.

Table 2. Collar coordinates for Gravel Creek holes referenced in this press release.

Hole ID East North Elev Azimuth Dip Depth (m) WG456 587,298 4,616,507 2,185 186.3 48.1 727.3 WG457 587,178 4,616,351 2,198 180.0 62.1 743.0

Results Support Further Exploration Drilling Along North-East Trend.

Results from drill hole WG456, in combination with 2020 core hole WG450, identified multiple drill intercepts with significant Au-Ag grades in a zone 200 meters wide near the north-east limit of current drilling area (see Figure 3). This provides additional support for exploration potential associated with the strong multi-element soil anomaly and coincident density anomaly extending from Wood Gulch through Gravel Creek and continuing 2.0 kilometers to the north-east of the Gravel Creek deposit (see Figure 4).

ABOUT THE AURA PROJECT

In addition to an established mineral resource estimate outlined in the Technical Report, the Aura Project has well established infrastructure, including year-round accessibility by highway and county-maintained road, with nearby access to water and electricity (see Figure 5). Western Exploration has exploration, development, and mining rights on 930 hectares of privately owned fee lands through a mineral lease agreement with a local landowner and may purchase those fee lands at any time for the development of Doby George.

The 6,000-hectare Aura Project is unique in the junior mining space, as resources have been identified in three different deposits (Doby George, Gravel Creek and Wood Gulch), as supported by the Technical Report (see Table 3 below).

Table 3. Updated mineral resource estimate for the Aura Project as contained in the Technical Report

MINERAL RESOURCE ESTIMATE(1) Indicated Inferred Tonnes Au (g/t) Au

(ozs) Ag (g/t) Ag

(ozs) AuEq (g/t) AuEq (oz.) Tonnes Au (g/t) Au

(ozs) Ag (g/t) Ag

(ozs) AuEq (g/t) AuEq (oz.) Doby George(2) 12,922,000 0.98 407,000 - - 0.98 407,000 4,999,000 0.73 118,000 - - 0.73 118,000 Wood Gulch(3) - - - - - - - 4,359,000 0.66 93,000 5.80 808,000 0.74 104,543 Gravel Creek(4) 1,315,000 4.73 200,000 75.0 3,169,000 5.81 245,271 2,744,000 4.16 367,000 60.20 5,307,000 5.02 442,814 TOTAL 14,237,000 1.33 607,000 75.0 3,169,000 1.43 652,271 12,102,000 1.48 578,000 15.74 6,115,000 1.71 665,357

Notes:

(1) Au equivalent oz assumes US$1,800 per oz Au and 70:1 ratio of Ag:Au. (2) Pit constrained 0.2 g/t AuEq cutoff for oxide, 0.4 g/t Au cutoff for mixed and 1.4 g/t Au cutoff for unoxidized. (3) Pit constrained 0.2 g/t AuEq cutoff. (4) 3.0 g/t Au cutoff.

The mineral resource estimate for the Aura project is disclosed in the Company's technical report, prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"), entitled "2021 Updated Resource Estimates and Technical Report for the Aura Gold-Silver Project, Elko County, Nevada" dated October 20, 2021 (with an effective date of October 14, 2021) that was prepared for the Company by Mine Development Associates (the "Technical Report").

About Western Exploration

Born from a 25-year history of advancing exploration projects in Nevada as a private company, today Western Exploration is composed of an experienced team of precious metals experts that aims to lead Western Exploration to becoming a premiere gold and silver development company in North America. The Company's principal asset is the 100% owned Aura gold-silver project, located approximately 120 kilometers/75 miles north of the city of Elko, Nevada, and includes three unique gold and silver deposits: Doby George, Gravel Creek, and Wood Gulch. Additional information regarding Western Exploration and the Aura Project can be found on the Company's website and on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) under the Company's issuer profile.

Qualified Person Approval

The scientific and technical content in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mark Hawksworth, General Manager of the Aura Project, and a "qualified person" within the meaning of NI 43-101.

Quality Assurance  Quality Control

Drill program design, Quality Assurance/Quality Control ("QA/QC") and the interpretation of results is performed by qualified persons employing a QA/QC program consistent with NI 43-101 and industry best practices.

Drill core samples were delivered by Major Drilling to Western Exploration's secure warehouse/logging facility in Mountain City and washed, photographed and logged by company geologists. Sample intervals were marked and recorded. Quality Control (QC) samples were inserted at regular intervals in the sample stream with all sample shipments, including blanks, core duplicates and reference materials, to monitor laboratory performance.

Drill core samples were transported by Neilsen Exploration to ALS Chemex located in Sparks, Nevada, for sample preparation and analysis. Core was sawed at the ALS Chemex facility, with half of the core being prepared for assay and the other half of the core being preserved and returned to Western Exploration's Mountain City facility. Samples were analyzed for gold using ALS Chemex's fire assay procedure Au-AA13, with over limits being analyzed by Au-GRA21. Samples were analyzed for silver and a 40-element suite using ALS Chemex procedure ME-ICP41, with over limits being analyzed by Ag-GRA21.

Please see below under the heading "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information" for further details regarding the risks facing Western Exploration.

For additional information on the Aura Project, please see the Technical Report, which has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of NI 43-101, a copy of which is available on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) under Western Exploration's issuer profile and on Western Exploration's corporate website (www.westernexploration.com).

Cautionary Statements Regarding Estimates of Mineral Resources

This news release uses the terms measured, indicated and inferred mineral resources as a relative measure of the level of confidence in the resource estimate. Readers are cautioned that mineral resources are not mineral reserves and that the economic viability of resources that are not mineral reserves has not been demonstrated. The mineral resource estimate disclosed in this news release may be materially affected by geology, environmental, permitting, legal, title, socio-political, marketing or other relevant issues. The mineral resource estimate is classified in accordance with the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum's "CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves" (CIM) incorporated by reference into NI 43-101. Under NI 43-101, estimates of inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies or economic studies except for preliminary economic assessments. Readers are cautioned not to assume that further work on the stated resources will lead to mineral reserves that can be mined economically.

Inferred mineral resources have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence and as to whether they can be mined legally or economically. On October 31, 2018, the SEC adopted new mining disclosure rules ("S-K 1300") that are more closely aligned with current industry and global regulatory practices and standards, including NI 43-101, although there are some differences in the two standards. Accordingly, information concerning mineral deposits contain in this release may not be comparable with information made public by U.S. companies that report in accordance with S-K 1300.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release may contain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). These forward-looking statements, by their nature, require the Company to make certain assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. Any statement that involves predictions, expectations, interpretations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often, but not always, using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "interpreted", "management's view", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "potential", "feasibility", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking information and are intended to identify forward-looking information. This news release contains the forward-looking information pertaining to, among other things: the significance of the results of the 2023 drill program; the accuracy of results from prior exploration activities conducted at the Aura Project; the key assumptions, parameters and methods used to estimate the mineral resource estimate disclosed in this news release; the prospects, if any, of the Doby George, Wood Gulch and Gravel Creek mineral deposits; the potential to greatly expand resources within the Wood Gulch/Gravel Creek mineralized system; future drilling at the Aura Project; the significance of historic exploration activities and results; the ability to expand the existing mineral resources at the Aura Project. Such factors include, among others, risks relating to the ability of exploration activities (including drill results) to accurately predict mineralization; errors in management's geological modelling; the ability of Western Exploration to complete further exploration activities, including drilling; property and royalty interests in respect of the Aura Project; the ability of the Company to obtain required approvals; the results of exploration activities; risks relating to mining activities; the global economic climate; metal prices; dilution; environmental risks; and community and non-governmental actions. Although the forward-looking information contained in this news release is based upon what management believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, Western Exploration cannot assure shareholders and prospective purchasers of securities of the Company that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking information, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, and neither Western Exploration nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of any such forward-looking information. Western Exploration does not undertake, and assumes no obligation, to update or revise any such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information contained herein to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required by law.

For additional information with respect to these and other factors and assumptions underlying the forwardlooking statements and forward-looking information made in this news release concerning Western Exploration, see the management information circular dated November 12, 2021, available electronically under Western Exploration's issuer profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com). The forward-looking statements set forth herein concerning Western Exploration reflect management's expectations as at the date of this news release and are subject to change after such date. Western Exploration disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law.

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. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121272890/en/

Darcy Marud

Chief Executive Officer

Telephone: (775) 329-8119

Email: [email protected]

Nichole Cowles

Investor Relations

Telephone: 775-240-4172

Email: [email protected]

Source: Western Exploration Inc.
Interagency finalization of revamped CRA sets the table for noteworthy changes

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The recent finalization of an updated Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) reflects longstanding efforts to address an evolution in banking practices since the Acts inception in 1977, including the introduction of new product delivery technologies and customer behaviors. But with input incorporated into the regulations from a range of stakeholders including federal agencies, industry and community leaders, complying with the new CRA requirements will require significant adaptation, according to expert commentary by Wolters Kluwer Compliance Solutions.

Every bank is going to be touched by this in some way, no matter the size of the bank. This changes the status quo for everybody, said Timothy Burniston, Senior Advisor, Regulatory Strategy at Wolters Kluwer Compliance Solutions.

Burnistons insights on finalization of a modernized CRA, were featured in a National Mortgage Professional magazine article, Federal Reserve Approves Major CRA Overhaul After Nearly Three Decades on the same day interagency finalization was achieved. The regulation is being published in the Federal Register and takes effect April 1, 2024, with key provisions becoming applicable on January 1, 2024.

Burniston recommends that in addition to carefully reading the final rule and supplementary information, banks first consider how they may be affected by changes to assessment areas and CRA-eligible activities.

Understanding geographically where youre going to be evaluated and determining if there are areas where you are not currently being evaluated but will be in the future, is an essential first step in trying to understand how this rule will impact your bank most, he notes.

Among the significant changes reflected in the final rulecompared to the proposed ruleis the extension of the implementation period from one year to two years. Burniston says that it will be important for regulators to keep the CRA regulations responsive to short- and long-term disruptions and current with continuing changes within the banking industry as the implementation process moves forward. The final rule also makes adjustments to other substantive provisions such as retail lending assessment areas, retail lending performance ranges, major product lines, and how automobile lending will be considered in performance evaluations.

National Mortgage Professional is published by American Business Media. It reaches 58,000 readers and is dedicated to helping professionals progress their understanding of the residential mortgage banking business  particularly in the areas of strategy, operations and compliance.

Wolters Kluwer Compliance Solutions is a market leader and trusted provider of risk management and regulatory compliance solutions and services to U.S. banks, credit unions, insurers and securities firms. The business, which sits within Wolters Kluwers Financial & Corporate Compliance (FCC) division, helps these financial institutions efficiently manage risk and regulatory compliance obligations, and gain the insights needed to focus on better serving their customers and growing their business. Wolters Kluwer FCC is also home to CT Corporation, a leading provider of registered agent services, incorporation services and legal entity compliance, including the new beneficial ownership requirement for small businesses effective January 1, 2024.

About Wolters Kluwer

Wolters Kluwer (EURONEXT: WKL) is a global leader in information, software, and services for professionals in healthcare, tax and accounting, financial and corporate compliance, legal and regulatory, and corporate performance and ESG. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with specialized technology and services.

Wolters Kluwer reported 2022 annual revenues of 5.5 billion. The group serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries, and employs approximately 20,900 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands.

For more information, visit www.wolterskluwer.com, follow us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and YouTube.

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Media Contact

David Feider

Associate Director, External Communications

Financial & Corporate Compliance

Wolters Kluwer

Office +1 612-246-9454

[email protected]

Source: Wolters Kluwer
Signed Memorandum of Understanding for Joint Venture Focused on Infrastructure Investments in Africa

NEW YORK & ABUJA, Nigeria--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Z Capital Group (ZCG), a leading private markets asset manager, and the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), manager of Nigerias sovereign wealth fund, today announced a joint venture partnership to establish a fund focused on infrastructure investments in Africa marked by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This strategic collaboration offers the opportunity to leverage the unique economic and financial opportunities that are currently burgeoning within the African continent.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121685997/en/

Against the backdrop of Africas rapid economic evolution and growth, coupled with a growing population and increasing global influence, the partnership between ZCG and NSIA is poised to tap into the continents promising investment landscape. NSIA brings in-depth experience across key sectors, with a proven track record for executing large-scale infrastructure projects in Africa enabled through stakeholder relationships, relevant market insights, and strong pipelines for sourcing investment opportunities.

ZCG offers complementary vital capabilities to support the success of this strategic partnership through its strong expertise in asset management and its ability to implement a three-pronged investment approach across private equity and M&A, ZCGs in-house consulting partners, and its innovative proprietary technology solutions.

This MoU signifies the commitment of both ZCG and NSIA to collaborate and combine strengths, contributing to the development of vital infrastructure projects across the African continent. The joint venture will leverage the unique capabilities and resources of each party to address the growing demand for sustainable and innovative infrastructure solutions within the continent.

Key highlights of the MoU include:

Strategic Partnership: The MoU establishes a strategic partnership between ZCG and NSIA, facilitating collaborative efforts in identifying, developing, and implementing infrastructure projects in Africa. Shared Vision: Both parties share a common vision of contributing to the economic growth and social development of African economies through investments in critical infrastructure projects. Aligned with NSIAs core mission, the partnership aims to contribute to sustainable economic growth, foster innovation, and address key developmental challenges across the African continent. Expertise Integration: The joint venture will capitalize on the complementary expertise of NSIA and ZCG, combining technical expertise, project management skills, and a deep understanding of the local context to deliver successful infrastructure solutions. Investment Commitment: Under this MoU, ZCG and NSIA will pursue equity, debt, and other blended financial instruments for investments across diverse sectors, including, but not limited to, healthcare, renewable energy, mobility and logistics, energy transition, climate-adaptive infrastructure, digital and social infrastructure, climate-smart agriculture, and green industrialization. Sustainable Development: The joint venture will prioritize environmentally sustainable and socially responsible practices, aligning with global standards and best practices to ensure long-term benefits. ZCG and NSIA will seek projects that deliver scalable socio-economic impact in Africa, while also generating attractive investment returns and diversification opportunities.

We are pleased to expand our long-standing relationship with the NSIA through this unique partnership that will support our shared investment and socio-economic goals, said James Zenni, Founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer of ZCG. Given Africas rapidly expanding population and its increasing cultural and political influence on a global scale, we see many appealing infrastructure investment opportunities across the continent. We look forward to combining our investing, consulting, and technology expertise with NSIAs deep expertise in managing large-scale infrastructure projects across multiple verticals as well as pivotal stakeholder relationships to identify and invest in assets that further drive economic development throughout the continent.

NSIA is pleased to partner with ZCG on this joint venture that will enable us to pursue compelling investment opportunities in Africa, said Aminu Umar-Sadiq, Managing Director, and Chief Executive Officer of NSIA. ZCG shares our vision of fostering continued economic growth and innovation across Africa. ZCG also shares our focus on investments in climate-adaptive infrastructure to meet the needs of current and future generations of Africans. In collaboration with ZCG, we can deepen existing investments to further support Africans and play a leading role in propelling sustained socio-economic development across Africa.

The ZCG-NSIA partnership signifies a significant step toward sustainable and impactful infrastructure investments in Africa, reflecting a shared commitment to economic development, innovation, and climate resilience in the region. This collaboration marks a pivotal moment showcasing NSIA as a partner of choice in leveraging opportunities that align with the African continents momentum and upward trajectory in the global economic arena.

About ZCG

ZCG is a leading, privately held merchant bank comprised of private markets asset management, business consulting services, technology development and solutions. For almost 30 years, ZCG principals have demonstrated strong acumen and expertise in private equity, debt, and credit. ZCG has approximately $7B of AUM in asset management and its investors are some of the largest and most sophisticated global institutional investors including pension funds, endowments, foundations, sovereign wealth funds, central banks, and insurance companies.

ZCG has a global team comprised of over 400 professionals. For more information, please visit www.zcg.com.

About NSIA

The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority is an investment institution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, established by the Nigeria Sovereign Wealth Act (Establishment Act 2011), to manage and invest in a diversified portfolio of medium and long-term funds. Its mission is to play a leading role in driving sustained economic development for the benefit of all Nigerians through building a savings base for the Nigerian people, enhancing the development of Nigerias infrastructure, and providing stabilization support in times of economic stress.

NSIA operates three distinct funds, the Stabilization Fund, the Future Generation Fund, and the Nigeria Infrastructure Fund. For more information, please visit www.nsia.com.ng.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121685997/en/

ZCG

Tim Ragones / Kate Thompson / Erik Carlson

Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher

212-355-4449

NSIA

Joyce Onyegbula

+2348025321666

[email protected]

Source: Z Capital Group
PARSIPPANY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Zoetis Inc. (NYSE: ZTS) will participate in the Piper Sandler 35th Annual Healthcare Conference on Tuesday, November 28, 2023. Wetteny Joseph, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, will represent the company and respond to questions from analysts. He is scheduled to present at 1:00 p.m. ET.

Investors and other interested parties will be able to access a live audio webcast of the presentation by visiting http://investor.zoetis.com/events-presentations. A replay of the presentation will also be available on the Zoetis website at the conclusion of the event.

About Zoetis

As the worlds leading animal health company, Zoetis is driven by a singular purpose: to nurture our world and humankind by advancing care for animals. After innovating ways to predict, prevent, detect, and treat animal illness for more than 70 years, Zoetis continues to stand by those raising and caring for animals worldwide  from veterinarians and pet owners to livestock farmers and ranchers. The companys leading portfolio and pipeline of medicines, vaccines, diagnostics and technologies make a difference in over 100 countries. A Fortune 500 company, Zoetis generated revenue of $8.1 billion in 2022 with approximately 13,800 employees. For more information, visit www.zoetis.com.

ZTS-COR

ZTS-IR

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231120454967/en/

Media Contacts:

Bill Price

1-973-443-2742 (o)

[email protected]

Laura Panza

1-973-975-5176 (c)

[email protected]

Investor Contacts:

Steve Frank

1-973-822-7141 (o)

[email protected]

Nick Soonthornchai

1-973-443-2792 (o)

[email protected]

Source: Zoetis Inc.
Fresenius Medical Care (NYSE: FMS) resolved a legal dispute with the U.S. government, for accounts receivable in legal dispute, and entered into a final and legally binding settlement agreement today, whereby the company will receive a payment from the U.S. government.

Fresenius Medical Care had filed a complaint against the United States in 2019. This complaint sought to recover monies owed to the company by the U. S. Department of Defense under the Tricare program, for services on or before January 11, 2023 .

Tricare provides reimbursement for dialysis treatments and other medical care provided to members of the military services, their dependents and retirees. The litigation challenged unpublished administrative actions by Tricare administrators to reduce the rate of compensation paid for dialysis treatments provided to Tricare beneficiaries based on a recasting of invoicing codes. Tricare administrators had acknowledged the unpublished administrative action and declined to change or abandon it.

The now executed settlement agreement resolves the dispute underlying the complaint and concludes the litigation.

As a consequence of the settlement agreement, both revenue and operating income will be positively impacted. In previous reporting periods, the negative impact related to this matter had not been treated as special item due to its operational nature. Fresenius Medical Care therefore expects a net positive impact on operating income (guidance basis)1 of approx. EUR 175 million in the 4th quarter 2023.

The company had previously expected in fiscal year 2023 operating income (guidance basis)1 to grow by a low-single-digit percentage rate, compared to previous year (2022 basis: EUR 1,540 million ).

As a consequence of the settlement agreement, Fresenius Medical Care today raises its earnings outlook. The company now expects operating income (guidance basis)1 to grow by 12 to 14 percent in fiscal year 2023, compared to previous year. All other elements of the 2023 outlook, as published, remain unchanged.

In line with its disciplined financial policy, Fresenius Medical Care intends to use the agreed settlement payment to reduce its net financial debt and therefore deleverage the balance sheet.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. France prepares the ground for the start of new wars in our region, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said in his address to the participants of the International Conference on Decolonization: Women's Empowerment and Development, Trend reports.

"France destabilizes not only its past and present colonies but also our region, the South Caucasus, by supporting separatist tendencies and separatists. By arming Armenia, it implements a militaristic policy, encourages revanchist forces in Armenia, and prepares the ground for the start of new wars in our region. At the same time, France abuses its status as a permanent member of the UN Security Council to carry out its biased and prejudiced policy, engages in geopolitical intrigues in various regions, and tries to use Western organizations as a means of pressure on other states," President Ilham Aliyev said.
(Updated - November 21, 2023 4:18 AM EST)

Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (NYSE: MLM) today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its South Texas cement business and certain of its related concrete operations to CRH Americas Materials, Inc., a subsidiary of CRH plc (NYSE: CRH), for $2.1 billion in cash. More specifically, the facilities to be divested include the Hunter cement plant in New Braunfels, related cement distribution terminals and 20 concrete plants serving the Austin and San Antonio region.

Ward Nye, Chairman, President and CEO of Martin Marietta, stated Consistent with our SOAR (Strategic Operating Analysis and Review) 2025 objectives, we continually examine ways to optimize our portfolio and product mix through asset purchases, exchanges and/or divestitures. After thorough evaluation, we believe that monetizing these operations is in the Companys best interests to maximize near-, medium- and long-term stakeholder value.

Consistent with our clearly articulated capital allocation priorities, we expect to use the transaction proceeds to advance our SOAR 2025 growth objectives, while continuing our long-standing track record of returning capital to shareholders.

The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2024, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.
Ovintiv Inc. (NYSE: OVV) today announced the upsize and pricing of a previously announced underwritten public offering of its common stock by NMB Stock Trust, a Delaware statutory trust. The size of the Offering increased from the previously announced 8,400,000 shares to an aggregate of 9,400,000 shares of the Company's common stock at a price to the public of US$44.35 per share, for gross proceeds of approximately US$416.9 million , before underwriting discount and estimated offering expenses. The Company will not sell any shares of its common stock in the Offering and will not receive any proceeds from the sale of the shares in the Offering. The Offering is expected to close on November 22, 2023 , subject to customary closing conditions.

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC is acting as underwriter for this Offering. The shares will be sold in a registered offering pursuant to an effective automatic shelf registration statement on Form S-3 that was previously filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), a prospectus and a related prospectus supplement. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in that registration statement and other documents the Company has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the Company and this Offering. A copy of the prospectus relating to the securities can be obtained from Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Prospectus Department, 200 West Street , New York, NY 10282, telephone: 1-866-471-2526, facsimile: 212-902-9316 or by emailing [email protected]. These documents may also be accessed by visiting the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.

In addition, the Company has agreed to purchase from the underwriter, out of the 9,400,000 shares that are the subject of the Offering, 1,204,545 shares of the Company's common stock, or US$53.0 million , at a price per share equal to the price at which the underwriter will purchase the shares from the Selling Stockholder in the offering. The Offering is not conditioned upon the closing of the repurchase, but the repurchase is conditioned upon the closing of the Offering.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor will there be any sale of any securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.
Permira and Blackstone are pleased to announce a voluntary tender offer to acquire all of the outstanding ordinary Class A shares in Adevinta ASA (Adevinta or the Company) (the Offer) by funds advised by Permira Advisers LLP (together with the advised funds, Permira) and funds advised by The Blackstone Group International Partners LLP (together with the advised funds, Blackstone), as well as General Atlantic and TCV (each an Investor, and in the Offer for Adevinta, the Investors).

The Offer is being made through Aurelia Bidco Norway AS (the Offeror, and together with its direct and indirect parent companies and Aurelia Bidco 1 Norway AS, the "Aurelia Acquisition Companies"), a Norwegian private limited liability company established for the purpose of the Offer. The Offeror is a newly established acquisition vehicle, wholly-owned by Aurelia Luxembourg Finco S.A R.L.

The price per Adevinta share offered to the Adevinta shareholders is NOK 115 (the Offer Price), and corresponds to an equity value of Adevinta of approximately NOK 141 billion to be settled in either cash, depository receipts representing shares in an indirect parent company of the Offeror, or a combination thereof.

The Offer is the result of an extensive process between the Offeror and a special committee of the Board of Directors of Adevinta comprised of the five independent board members who are not connected to/affiliated with Permira, Schibsted and eBay.

Bid premium

The Offer Price is the Offerors best and final price, representing a premium of:

54% to the volume weighted average price of NOK 74.58 over the 3 months up to and including 19 September 2023; and

51% to the volume weighted average price of NOK 76.28 over the 6 months up to and including 19 September 2023.

Undertakings and statements from shareholders in Adevinta

As further set out below, an aggregate of 885,909,719 Adevinta shares, representing approximately 72.3% of Adevinta's issued shares are already committed by Permira, Schibsted and eBay.

Offer document

The combined offer document and exempted document for the Offer (the Offer Document) with the complete terms of the Offer is expected to be approved by the Oslo Stock Exchange during December 2023, with an initial acceptance period of 20 business days commencing immediately thereafter (subject to extensions).

Quotes

Mr. Stefan Dziarski, Partner & Co-Head of Permira Growth Opportunities and Mr. Dipan Patel, Partner & Co-Head of Permira Consumer, comment: Since our 2021 investment, we have seen first-hand the strength of Adevintas brands, market positions and management team, as well as the growth opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. This offer, which comes at a significant premium, provides compelling value, certainty and optionality for shareholders, who are given the opportunity to roll over in-whole or in-part. This offer also provides Adevintas exceptional management team, led by Antoine Jouteau, the ability to focus on accelerating the company vision in a private context. We are pleased to note that the Independent Advisors to the Special Committee of Adevinta believe that the cash consideration is fair.

Mr. Lionel Assant, Head of European Private Equity in Blackstone, comments: We believe our offer provides attractive value and certainty for shareholders, whilst helping Adevinta take advantage of its long-term growth opportunities in a rapidly changing landscape. Access to flexible capital in a private context will ensure Adevinta remains competitive in this environment. We believe we can drive forward Adevintas strategy in the interest of the company and its stakeholders.

Mr. Chris Caulkin, Managing Director and Head of EMEA Technology at General Atlantic, comments: General Atlantic has a long track record of supporting the development of online classifieds and marketplace platforms around the world. We are pleased to bring this experience to bear and support Adevinta in further driving the circular economy through enhancing its platform and deepening engagement with customers.

Mr. John Doran, General Partner, comments: TCV has a history of backing category-defining platforms like Adevinta and partnering with CEOs as they build truly next generation technology platforms.

Pursuant to a transaction completion agreement (the "Transaction Completion Agreement") and subject to certain closing conditions, each of Permira, Schibsted and eBay has individually agreed with the Offeror (i) to contribute outside, and upon completion of, the Offer, 475,553,820 shares, representing approximately 38.8% of the issued Adevinta shares, to the Offeror, against newly issued shares in certain of the Offeror's indirect parent companies at the Offer Price (the "Share Contribution"); and, with respect to Schibsted and eBay only, (ii) to sell, subject to and upon completion of the Offer, 410,355,899 shares, representing approximately 33.5% of the issued Adevinta shares, to the Aurelia Acquisition Companies for cash at the Offer Price (the "Cash Shares"). The Share Contribution and the Cash Shares equal in the aggregate 885,909,719 Adevinta shares, representing approximately 72.3% of the issued Adevinta shares.

Key offer terms and conditions

The accepting shareholders may choose to receive the Offer Price by way of one of the following alternatives: (i) in cash (the All Cash Alternative) at the Offer Price, (ii) one depository receipt representing one share in an indirect parent company of the Offeror (the "Issuer") for each Adevinta share (the 100% Share Alternative), or (iii) a combination of depository receipts representing shares in the Issuer for 50% of its tendered Adevinta shares and cash consideration for the remaining 50% of its tendered Adevinta shares (the "50% Share Alternative"). The number of shares available under the 100% Share Alternative and the 50% Share Alternative to Adevinta shareholders is limited to 10% of the fully diluted share capital of the Issuer.

Availability of the 100% Share Alternative and the 50% Share Alternative are subject to legal restrictions in certain jurisdictions.

The Offeror's obligation to launch the Offer is subject to the following conditions (the "Launch Conditions"), agreed in the transaction agreement entered into between the Offeror and Adevinta (the "Transaction Agreement") which are for the sole benefit of the Offeror and may be waived, in whole or in part, by the Offeror at any time:

The absence of a material adverse change;

The final approval of the Offer Document shall have been received from the Oslo Stock Exchange;

The Board statement having been made and not withdrawn, modified or amended in a way (other than immaterial changes that may not have an impact on the Offer or the other transactions contemplated by the Transaction Agreement); and

The Company shall in all material respects have complied with its obligations under the Transaction Agreement, and there shall otherwise have been no material breach of the Transaction Agreement by the Company which entitles the Offeror to terminate the Transaction Agreement.

The Offer will be subject to fulfilment or waiver by the Offeror of customary conditions, including:

Minimum acceptance: the Offer shall on or prior to the expiration of the offer period have been validly accepted by shareholders of the Company representing (when taken together with any shares acquired or agreed to be acquired by the Aurelia Acquisition Companies other than through the Offer, or which the Aurelia Acquisition Companies are otherwise entitled) more than 90.0% of the issued and outstanding share capital and voting rights of the Company (on a fully diluted basis) and such acceptances not being subject to any third party consents in respect of pledges or other rights;

Board statement: the Board statement has been issued and not been amended, modified or withdrawn;

Regulatory approvals: all permits, consents, approvals and clearances in connection with any filings or other submission (in any form) in connection with the Offer shall have been obtained without conditions and any applicable waiting periods (including if extended by agreement or otherwise) shall have expired or lapsed, in each case on terms and conditions satisfactory to the Offeror and in accordance with the Transaction Agreement;

Ordinary Conduct of Business: except as explicitly provided for under the Transaction Agreement, that (A) the business of the Adevinta group, in the interim period, has in all material respects been conducted in the ordinary course; (B) there has not been made, and not been passed any decision to make or published any intention to make, any (i) corporate restructurings, changes in the share capital of the Company, issuance of options, warrants or financial instruments giving a right to acquire or subscribe for shares in the Company or any other member of the Adevinta group, or (ii) declaration or payment of dividends or other distributions to the Company's shareholders (whether in cash or in kind); or (C) subject to certain provisions in the Transaction Agreement, the Company shall not have entered into or taken any steps to enter into any agreement for, or carried out any transaction that constitutes a competing offer;

No material breach: there shall have been no material breach by the Company of the Transaction Agreement, including, for the avoidance of doubt, no material breach of the warranties by the Company set out in the Transaction Agreement, which entitles the Offeror to terminate the Transaction Agreement, and the Company shall not have terminated or attempted to terminate the Transaction Agreement, or taken any actions or measures by the Company which would prevent or frustrate the Offer;

No legal action: no court or governmental or regulatory authority of any competent jurisdiction, or other third party, shall have taken or threatened to take any form of legal action (whether temporary, preliminary or permanent) that will or might (A) restrain or prohibit the consummation of the Offer; or (B) in connection with the Offer impose conditions upon the Offeror or its affiliates, the Company or any of its subsidiaries which results in a material adverse change; and

No material adverse change: no material adverse change shall have occurred between the date of the Transaction Agreement and until settlement of the Offer.

The Offer will not be subject to any financing or due diligence conditions.

Pursuant to the Transaction Agreement, the Company has the right to solicit competing offers from third parties until the end of the initial offer period of 20 business days. The Company and its subsidiaries have undertaken not to solicit competing offers from third parties after such initial offer period. Further, the Company has undertaken to procure that the Board statement, subject to customary conditions and fiduciary duties, is not amended, modified or withdrawn (other than immaterial changes that may not have an impact on the Offer or the other transactions contemplated by the Transaction Agreement) by the Board.

The complete details of the Offer, including all terms and conditions, will be contained in the Offer Document, which will be sent to all eligible shareholders of Adevinta following review and approval by the Oslo Stock Exchange pursuant to Chapter 6 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. The Offer Document is expected to be approved during December 2023. The Offer may only be accepted on the basis of the Offer Document.

It is expected that the Offer will be completed in the second quarter of 2024, following receipt of regulatory approvals.

Following the completion of the Offer and subject to the satisfaction of the closing conditions, the Offeror intends to redeem the Companys 660.0 million senior secured notes due 2025 and 400.0 million senior secured notes due 2027 and repay and cancel the Companys senior facilities.

Background and Transaction Rationale

Adevinta is a world-class online classifieds platform with a global portfolio of directly owned brands, including Leboncoin in France, mobile.de and Kleinanzeigen in Germany, Marktplaats and 2dehands / 2ememain in the Benelux, Adevinta Spain, Subito and Kijiji Canada, as well as joint ventures including OLX Brazil, Ireland and Austria.

Each of the Investors has followed Adevinta closely for many years and have developed a strong and thorough understanding of its business model and the wider market in which it operates. Permira has maintained a significant shareholding in Adevinta since 2021, supporting the transformation of the company.

The Investors recognise that access to significant, long-term capital and investment is required to support Adevintas next phase of growth, ensuring the Company can stay relevant in an increasingly competitive environment. Combining deep experience in growing businesses and a longer-term perspective, each of the Investors believes it is the right partner for Adevinta to strengthen its value proposition for all customers and ensure leading positions in all markets in which it operates.

Advisers

ABG Sundal Collier ASA and Goldman Sachs Bank Europe SE, Amsterdam Branch are acting as financial advisers to the Offeror in the process. Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, Latham & Watkins LLP and Wikborg Rein Advokatfirma AS are acting as legal advisers to the Offeror in the process.
Yatsen Holding Limited ("Yatsen" or the "Company") (NYSE: YSG), a leading China-based beauty group, today announced its unaudited financial results ...

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Jinhua, Zhejiang, China, November 21, 2023 In a world where personalization is key, the significance of Custom Pins and Custom Lanyards cannot be overstated. These small yet impactful accessories have permeated both personal and professional spheres, adding a touch of uniqueness and practicality to various settings.

Custom Pins: A Distinctive Expression of Identity

Custom Pins have become a popular means of self-expression. Whether used to adorn clothing, bags, or accessories, these pins serve as a tangible representation of ones interests, affiliations, or even a memorable event. From quirky designs to company logos, the possibilities are endless.

In the corporate realm, Custom Pins have found their place as powerful branding tools. They offer a subtle yet effective way for businesses to showcase their logo, mission, or values. Employees wearing Custom Pins not only foster a sense of unity but also serve as brand ambassadors in diverse settings.

The Role of Custom Lanyards in Professional Settings

Moving beyond pins, Custom Lanyards play a pivotal role in enhancing both security and corporate identity. Companies are increasingly recognizing the importance of branded lanyards not only for holding identification cards but also as an extension of their overall branding strategy.

Enhancing Security with Custom Lanyards

Custom Lanyards provide a secure and convenient way for employees to display their identification cards. With the company logo or name imprinted on the lanyard, it becomes easier to identify individuals within the workplace, fostering a secure and controlled environment.

Brand Visibility Beyond the Office

Custom Lanyards extend the reach of a brand beyond office walls. When employees attend conferences, trade shows, or other events, branded lanyards become a subtle yet effective marketing tool. The logo and colors become a visual representation of the company, leaving a lasting impression on clients, partners, and potential customers.

Crafting Your Unique Identity: How Custom Pins and Lanyards Align with Your Vision

The beauty of Custom Pins and lanyards lies in their versatility. Whether youre an individual looking to make a fashion statement or a company aiming to strengthen its brand identity, these customizable accessories offer a myriad of options.

How to Choose the Right Custom Pins:

Reflect Your Personality: Opt for Custom Pins that resonate with your personality and interests. From hobby-related designs to symbols representing your values, let your pins speak volumes about who you are.

Corporate Branding with Custom Lanyards:

In a corporate setting, the choice of Custom Lanyards is a strategic decision. Consider the colors, materials, and design elements that align with your brand guidelines. The goal is to create a cohesive and professional look that reinforces brand identity.

Custom Pins and Custom Lanyards are not just accessories; they are powerful tools for self-expression and brand representation. Whether youre an individual looking to add a personal touch to your attire or a company aiming to strengthen its corporate identity, the options are limitless. Invest in these small yet impactful details, and witness the transformation they bring to your personal and professional spaces. Embrace the power of customization today.

Contact Details:

Name: Henry

Company: VOGRACE

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://vograce.com/

Address: 4th Floor, No. 122, Damo Road, Fotang Town, Yiwu City, Jin Hua City, Zhejiang Province, Jinhua, China
3D printed clouds and figurines are seen in front of the VMware cloud service logo in this illustration taken February 8, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

(Reuters) -Broadcom said it planned to close its $69 billion acquisition of cloud computing firm VMWare on Wednesday, wrapping up one of the biggest takeover deals in the technology industry that was closely scrutinized by regulators globally.

The chipmaker has now received all regulatory approvals for the purchase after China approved the acquisition with additional restrictive conditions earlier on Tuesday, it said.

VMWare server software should work with local hardware and the deal should not restrict customers from purchasing and using Broadcom's hardware products such as storage adapters, the Chinese regulator said in a statement.

Some investors in the companies had feared about the outcome of the deal after reports said last month that rising Sino-U.S. tensions could lead China's regulator to scuttle the deal.

Tensions between Beijing and Washington had mounted after the Biden administration introduced tougher controls on exports of high-end chips to China in October.

Broadcom shares were down more than 1%, while VMware was down 4.6%. The deal was previously expected to close by Nov. 26.

Brokerage Bernstein attributed the share moves to some technical impacts from arbitrage trades around the deal.

(Reporting by Zaheer Kachwala and Harshita Mary Varghese in Bengaluru and Twinnie Siu in Hong Kong; Editing by Anil D'Silva and Shounak Dasgupta)
$15 million grant to advance AIBOT's AI-defined aiEVTOL aircraft and ecosystem development in California.

Grant funding to facilitate the creation of nearly 700 new jobs and nearly $500 million investment in Long Beach, Mojave and other strategic locations in California.

Accelerates AIBOT's R&D, flight testing, and manufacturing plan for manned, and unmanned aiEVTOL aircraft.



LONG BEACH, Calif., Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AIBOT, a California-based company with the vision to disrupt the next generation of mobility with its AI-defined electric vertical take-off and landing (aiEVTOL) aircraft and ecosystem, announced its recent award of a $15 million grant from the California Competes Grant Program. This significant endorsement by the California Governors Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) represents a major milestone for AIBOT and the burgeoning eVTOL sector.

Jerry Wang, Executive Chairperson of AIBOT, added, "We are deeply grateful for this significant CalCompetes grant from the State of California. Receiving this grant is a powerful endorsement of our mission and potential. We're ready to utilize this opportunity to fortify our role as an ultra-high-tech leader in the Advanced Air Mobility sector, making substantial contributions to California's economy and job market."

This year, GO-Biz received over $1.8 billion in grant requests for the $120 million in grants available through the California Competes program, which aims to bolster job creation and economic development by supporting innovative companies looking to expand or establish their presence in California. As one of only eight recipients awarded, two of which were eVTOL companies, AIBOT's selection underscores the importance of eVTOL technology in driving Californias commitment to innovation and sustainability. The grant not only demonstrates the state's vision of being a leader in the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) sector but also affirms its dedication to fostering cutting-edge industries that promise a more sustainable and technologically advanced future.

Advanced air mobility is an industry of the future, and we want to ensure California remains a leader in that industry. We look forward to AIBOTs success as they build out their company and continue to grow their presence across California, said Dee Dee Myers, Senior Advisor to Governor Newsom and GO-Biz Director.

"AIBOT's selection for the CalCompetes Grant is a resounding vote of confidence in their innovative approach and groundbreaking technology," expressed Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal, representing Californias 69th District. "Their commitment to creating a sustainable and interconnected future aligns perfectly with California's economic and environmental goals, and I'm excited to see how their expansion will energize Long Beach and the surrounding communities."

The $15 million grant is a testament to the companys pivotal role in advancing aerial mobility in California, with plans to create 697 new full-time jobs and invest $494 million capital investment over the next five years. Centralizing operations in California, particularly in Long Beach and Mojave, the grant will enhance AIBOTs R&D capabilities, flight testing, and manufacturing. The strategic alignment of flight testing with prototyping and manufacturing facilities is a key component of AIBOTs approach to innovation and this integration will accelerate the companys endeavors in developing advanced artificial intelligence (AI) software and producing AI-defined autonomous electric aircraft.

Jerry Wang added, "The grant will allow AIBOT to bring its flight testing and manufacturing to California while enabling fast-tracking the production of our first commercialized aiEVTOL product which includes local investment to build manufacturing facilities and create numerous job opportunities. This endorsement by GO-Biz is an affirmation of the confidence placed in AIBOT's vision, our technological prowess, and our growth strategy in California."

"Im delighted that Long Beach's AIBOT was awarded a $15 million CalCompetes Grant, recognizing their green innovation and technological leadership, said Mayor Rex Richardson. This supports our city's economic growth and sustainability vision, and I'm proud of their contribution to our community."

Reflecting on AIBOTs CalCompetes journey, Tommy Xie, AIBOT Assistant Treasurer and grant project owner stated, I am filled with gratitude, and I have immense appreciation for the unwavering support and guidance of the CalCompetes team over the past three months. I also want to give special acknowledgment to our dedicated team. This achievement is indeed a proud moment for AIBOT."

In early 2024, AIBOT is set to host an exclusive company debut event at its Long Beach headquarters, where the company will introduce its groundbreaking technology, products, and comprehensive business plan to invited guests. This event will set the stage for a landmark moment later in the year, as AIBOT plans to unveil its first commercial unmanned aiEVTOL aircraft, designed to serve a variety of industries including cargo, agriculture, high-speed inspection, and medical deliveries.

AIBOT is actively expanding its team, seeking passionate individuals who are eager to contribute to a revolutionary shift in air mobility and underscoring AIBOT's commitment to growth and innovation. For more information about AIBOT and career opportunities, please visit aibot.ai.

About AIBOT

AIBOT is a California-based company with the vision to disrupt the next generation of mobility, transforming the aviation industry to usher in the B2C era, making the freedom of flight an accessible reality anytime, anywhere for every household. AIBOT's mission is to create an AI-defined, software-driven, ultra-high tech, hyper-performing, electric, internet-connected, and autonomous aiEVTOL aircraft and ecosystem.

Contacts

Investors: [email protected]

Media: [email protected]
Vancouver, British Columbia, Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Active Impact Investments, Canadas largest climate tech seed fund, today announced that it has raised more than $70M in commitments for its third fund  moving towards the ultimate fund goal of $120M. The fund welcomes a diverse group of new institutional investors, including co-anchor Northleaf Capital Partners through its Canadian venture capital strategy, Co-operators Corporate Venture Capital Fund, and Deloitte Ventures. Fondaction labour-sponsored fund returns as a co-anchor and the University of Victoria re-ups for Fund III.

The VC firm plans to add 20 companies to its portfolio. Building off of its first two funds, the third fund will continue to invest in early-stage, private companies across North America that are capable of achieving venture scale and profitability while solving urgent environmental issues.

Many funds arent raising right now because of the difficult market and the economic pinch many are feeling. Our ability to fundraise in these tough conditions is beneficial for our investors since it helps us get access to more deals at better valuations, and from the founders perspective, it makes a bleak environment more hospitable for growth, said Mike Winterfield, Founder and Managing Partner, Active Impact Investments. But most importantly, the climate doesnt care that markets are down. Climate change is accelerating faster than ever and continuing to fund solutions is both necessary, and a huge wealth creation opportunity. Just because something is hard doesnt mean it isnt worth doing!

We're excited to double down on post investment support to ensure our portfolio companies access the best talent and build repeatable systems for scalable sales, said Tom Boddez, General Partner, Active Impact Investments. Were actively searching for 20 new startups that have developed technology that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve societys sustainability in the areas of: circular and shared economy, clean energy and transportation, infrastructure and carbon solutions, and sustainable food and water.

Every company Active Impact Investments has invested in is still operating and to date, the firm has mitigated over 550,000 tonnes of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent), with the goal of mitigating 1,000,000 tonnes of CO2e by the end of 2023.

We are excited to have selected Active Impact as a seed-stage partner for our portfolio, said Ian Carew, Managing Director & Venture Partner at Northleaf Capital Partners. As we increase our exposure to the sustainability and impact sector, we believe their focus on climate technologies can deliver attractive returns while having a positive impact on our planet.

Supporting Active Impact by acting as an anchor investor for this fund is not only consistent, it's also an opportunity to amplify our impact. Active Impact's investment verticals overlap with Fondaction's own fields of intervention: the circular economy, clean energy and transportation, infrastructure and carbon solutions, and sustainable food and water. With the launch of its third fund, Active Impact is demonstrating its ability to energize the climate technology sector and its desire to increase its presence in Quebec, said Marc-Andre Binette, Deputy Chief Investment Officer, Fondaction.

Investing with Active Impact clearly aligns with our vision to create a sustainable, resilient society, says Daniel Sinclair, Vice President of Corporate Development & Head of Co-operators Corporate Venture Capital. We see climate change as a direct and imminent threat to our ability to deliver on our purpose. We are excited to collaborate with a partner like Active Impact that prioritizes resilience alongside profitability and is driving climate action through strategies we support in our other investments and operations like circularity and sustainable food systems.

Founded in 2018, the firm has invested in 31 companies across North America and has exited three via acquisitions, with a fourth exit pending.

For more information about Active Impact Investments, visit www.activeimpactinvestments.com. If you are an accredited investor and want to join Active Impact Investments third fund, visit www.activeimpactinvestments.com/investor-signup.

###

About Active Impact InvestmentsActive Impact Investments is a Certified B Corp based in Vancouver, B.C., whose mission is to support environmental sustainability through profitable investment by providing money and talent to accelerate the growth of early-stage climate tech companies with early revenue and significant growth potential. Their portfolio includes and is seeking some of the most successful startups in North America that are capable of achieving venture scale and becoming extremely profitable while solving the most urgent environmental issues.

Attachment

Callandre Peters SOMA Public Relations 7789803632 [email protected]

Source: Active Impact Investments
NORFOLK, Va., Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leaders in higher education, workforce development, and government came together to spearhead a Career and Technical Education (CTE) roundtable addressing the workforce needs of Virginia and the nation. Twelve panelists explored training and educational pathways leading to skilled labor positions and the importance of collaboration between institutions, government bodies, and industry. The panel was moderated by Cathy Lewis, founding host of HearSay on WHRV-FM, and hosted by Dr. Joel English, Executive Vice President of Aviation Institute of Maintenance (AIM), Centura College, and Tidewater Tech.

The discussion, a continuation of the recent CTE trip to Germany, highlighted the urgent need for students to consider technical career pathways and contribute to filling critical industry needs. By aligning education and training programs with the demands of the job market, students can secure rewarding careers while addressing the workforce shortage. Dr. English emphasized joining forces to effectively address the growing demand for skilled labor and bridge the gap between education and employment. The roundtable provided a platform for participants to exchange ideas, share best practices, and discuss innovative solutions to tackle the workforce shortage. At AIMs Chicago campus, for example, students from Olive-Harvey College, part of the City Colleges of Chicago network, can attend a dual-enrollment program to obtain their A&P Certification. From there, they can transfer credits toward a Bachelor of Science degree in Aviation Management at Southern Illinois University.

"What we want to do is take the opportunity to combine forces - community colleges, universities, and technical colleges - to make sure we are creating the most opportunity for students," Dr. English said.

J. Noah Brown, Senior Advisor, Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education, United States Department of Education said, The Biden-Harris Administration is raising the bar in education and unlocking career success by making sure every student has clear and defined pathways from high school to postsecondary education credentials that align to workforce needs and gainful employment.

In addition to Brown and Dr. English, the panel included Anthony Reedy, Deputy Secretary of Labor for Virginia. Representing the academic sector were esteemed educators Sarah Jane Kirkland, Associate VP of Corporate Partnership, Old Dominion University; Laura Hanson, Associate VP of Corporate Solutions, Tidewater Community College; and Cheryl Freeman-Smith, Dean of Career Programs & Continuing Education, Olive-Harvey College. For workforce development, the panel included representatives from the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce, Hampton Roads Workforce Council, and Hampton Roads Alliance.

Jared Chalk, Chief Business Development Officer of Hampton Roads Alliance, said, "Economic development in our region thrives when targeted industries align with workforce development. As we cultivate industries of the future, we are simultaneously equipping our workforce with the skills and knowledge to excel in these fields. It's a forward-thinking approach where economic growth and talent development work hand in hand, propelling Hampton Roads towards a prosperous and sustainable future."

For more information about partnering with Aviation Institute of Maintenance, Centura College, and Tidewater Tech, please contact Nicole Gleaton, Director of Communications at [email protected].

About Aviation Institute of Maintenance, Centura College, and Tidewater Tech

Aviation Institute of Maintenance (AIM), Centura College, and Tidewater Tech (ACT) have been part of an organization dedicated to helping individuals develop careers since 1969. The schools connect students to local communities and career fields through training in aviation, healthcare, technology, business, and trades. ACT offers professional facilities, knowledgeable instructors, day or evening classes, and job placement assistance. AIMs campuses are located near the following major metro areas: Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Washington, D.C., Kansas City, San Francisco Bay, Orlando, and Norfolk. Centura College and Tidewater Tech are in Hampton Roads, VA. To learn more, visit www.aviationmaintenance.edu, www.centuracollege.edu, and www.tidewatertechtrades.edu.

Nicole Gleaton Aviation Institute of Maintenance 7574565065 [email protected]

Source: Aviation Institute of Maintenance
BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. It is gratifying that more than 40 representatives from 18 countries representing different continents are gathered in Baku again to condemn the policy of colonialism, which unfortunately continues in the 21st century, and convey facts about the situation of women in the territories under colonial rule to the international community, and carry out systematic and consistent work towards the elimination of colonialism, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said in his address to the participants of the International Conference on Decolonization: Women's Empowerment and Development, Trend reports.

"Historically, the respect for women in Azerbaijan and the holding of women in high esteem have been one of the highest moral qualities of the Azerbaijani people. Azerbaijani women have contributed to resolving fateful issues in all periods of our history, to the freedom struggle of our people, and to the liberation of our lands from occupation by the Republic of Armenia.

As chair of the Non-Aligned Movement, the Republic of Azerbaijan has always attached great importance to issues relevant to humanity and carried out effective work towards eliminating the injustices faced by peoples worldwide. In this regard, our time demands to bring the issues of women and colonialism together and amplify the role of women in the decolonization process. Regrettably, in the 21st century, women are still being subjected to slavery and exploitation in colonies, meaning that they are deprived of fundamental human rights," President Ilham Aliyev said.
CHICAGO, Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- First American Bank has been awarded a Top Workplaces 2023 honor by Chicago Tribune Top Workplaces. Sitting at #17 in the mid-sized company category, First American Bank is a privately held community bank that prioritizes its employees satisfaction and well-being.

After conducting countless anonymous surveys earlier in the year, Chicago Tribune used employee feedback to determine which companies would make the final list. Out of a competitive pool of prospective companies, it selected 196 total, with one of them being First American Bank.

Im so pleased to hear the voices of our employees speak of their enthusiasm for First American Bank, said Thomas Wells IV, Chairman and CEO of the bank. The pride theyve expressed in this survey comes through with their individual care for each customer interaction. Its what sets us apart from the competition.

First American Bank credits its staff for their continued work across the organization, as well as their honesty and transparency that has officially elevated the banks presence into Chicago Tribunes Top Workplaces report.

ABOUT FIRST AMERICAN BANK

First American Bank is a privately held multi-state full-service community bank. Having started over 50 years ago as a combination of community banks serving the metro Chicago area, weve since grown to become the largest privately held bank in Illinois with 61 locations across Florida, Illinois, and Wisconsin and with over $6 billion in assets. Our focus consistently centers on three core values: creating solutions, delivering exceptional customer service, and providing unmatched expertise in commercial banking, wealth advisory, and personal finance solutions.Connect with First American Bank via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

COMPANY CONTACTFirst American Bank[email protected]www.firstambank.com

First American Bank is a MemberFDIC.

Source: First American Bank
This document corrects and replaces the press release of FT Portfolios Canada Co. issued on November 17, 2023. There was an error in the listed outcome period, the reference should have read 20/11/2023  15/11/2024 as corrected below.

TORONTO, Nov. 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FT Portfolios Canada Co. (First Trust Canada), announced today that the cap, buffer and dates for the next Target Outcome Period for the First Trust Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF  November (NOVB.F) (the fund or November Buffer ETF) are as follows:

TICKER CAP BUFFER OUTCOME PERIOD NOVB.F 17.44% (Gross) 10% 20/11/2023  15/11/2024

The previous Target Outcome Period for NOVB.F concluded on November 17, 2023 and the upside cap for the new Target Outcome Period has been reset to prevailing market conditions.

The fund seeks an outcome that provides investors with returns (before fees, expenses and taxes) that match the price return of the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY or underlying ETF), up to a predetermined upside cap, while providing a buffer against potential SPY losses. The fund is managed and sub-advised by Cboe Vest Financial LLC (Cboe Vest) using a target outcome strategy or pre-determined target investment outcome.

If an investor purchases hedged units after the first day of the Target Outcome Period, they will likely have a different return potential than an investor who purchased hedged units at the start of the Target Outcome Period and the buffer the fund seeks may not be available.

First Trust Canada believes a buffer against a level of losses can help investors stay invested during volatile times. The fund offers a way to gain access to outcome-based investingspecifically to buffer against a level of downside risk while allowing growth to a maximum cap eliminating bank credit risk, in a convenient, flexible investment vehicle.

Karan Sood and Howard Rubin, of Cboe Vest, serve as a portfolio managers for the fund. The portfolio managers are jointly and primarily responsible for making investment management decisions for the fund.

For further information: Media Contact: Susan Johnson, FT Portfolios Canada Co., 40 King Street West, Suite 5102, Email: [email protected], 1-877-622-5552.

About First Trust First Trust Canada is the trustee, manager and promoter of the fund. First Trust Canada and its affiliates First Trust Advisors L.P. (FTA), portfolio advisor to the fund, an Ontario Securities Commission registered portfolio manager and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission registered investment advisor, and First Trust Portfolios L.P., a FINRA registered broker-dealer, are privately held companies that provide a variety of investment services. FTA has collective assets under management or supervision of approximately U.S.$188 billion as of October 31, 2023 through unit investment trusts, exchange-traded funds, closed-end funds, mutual funds and separate managed accounts. For more information, visit www.firsttrust.ca.

About Cboe Vest: Cboe Vest is the creator of Target Outcome Investments, which strive to buffer losses, amplify gains or provide consistent income to a diverse spectrum of investors. Today, Cboe Vests Target Outcome StrategiesTM are available in mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), unit investment trusts (UITs), collective investment trusts (CITs), and customizable managed accounts / sub-advisory services. For more information about Cboe Vest and the evolution of Target Outcome Investments, visit www.cboevest.com or contact Linda Werner at [email protected] or 703-864-5483.

There may be commissions, management fees and expenses associated with ETF investments. ETFs are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. Please read the prospectus of the fund before investing. Contact FT Portfolios Canada at 1-877-622-5552 or visit www.firsttrust.ca to obtain a copy of the prospectus and ETF Facts for the fund.

Important Information

The information presented is not intended to constitute an investment recommendation for, or advice to, any specific person. Financial advisors are responsible for evaluating investment risks independently and for exercising independent judgment in determining whether investments are appropriate for their clients.

Cboe is a registered trademark of Cboe Exchange, Inc., which has been licensed for use in the name of the fund. The fund is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or marketed by Cboe Exchange, Inc. or any of its affiliates (Cboe) or their respective third-party providers, and Cboe and its third-party providers make no representation regarding the advisability of investing in the fund and shall have no liability as licensor in connection with the fund.

First Trust Advisors L.P. is the portfolio advisor to the fund. First Trust Advisors L.P. is an affiliate of FT Portfolios Canada Co., the trustee, manager and promoter of the fund.

Further information about First Trust Canadas ETFs can be found at www.firsttrust.ca.

Source: FT Portfolios Canada Co.
ATHENS, Greece, Nov. 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Diana Shipping Inc. (NYSE: DSX), (the Company), a global shipping company specializing in the ownership and bareboat charter-in of dry bulk vessels, today announced that its Board of Directors has declared a distribution of warrants (the Warrants) to holders of the Company's common stock (the Holders) as of December 6, 2023 (the Record Date). Holders may exercise their Warrants for shares of common stock as will be specified under the terms in the warrant agreement.

Details of Warrant Distribution

The Warrants will be distributed pro-rata to Holders of the Companys common stock. Holders will receive one Warrant for every five shares of issued and outstanding shares of common stock held as of the Record Date (rounded down to the nearest whole number for any fractional Warrant). Each Warrant will entitle the Holder to purchase, at the Holders sole and exclusive election, at the exercise price, one share of common stock plus, to the extent described below, the Bonus Share Fraction. A Bonus Share Fraction entitles a Holder to receive an additional 0.5 of a share of common stock for each Warrant exercised (the Bonus Share Fraction) without payment of any additional exercise price.

Mrs. Semiramis Paliou, Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, stated: We are pleased to announce this distribution of warrants pro-rata to all our shareholders. The warrants may raise new equity capital for general corporate purposes without causing dilution to any of our shareholders, large or small. This distribution illustrates our proactive management of our capital structure to uphold our robust balance sheet.

The right to receive the Bonus Share Fraction will expire at 5:00 p.m. New York City time (the Bonus Share Expiration Date) upon the earlier of (i) the date specified by the Company upon not less than 20 business days notice and (ii) the first business day following the last day of the first 30 consecutive trading day period in which the daily VWAP of the shares of common stock has been at least equal to the then applicable trigger price for at least 20 trading days (whether or not consecutive) (the Bonus Price Condition). Any Warrant exercised with an exercise date after the Bonus Share Expiration Date will not be entitled to any Bonus Share Fraction. The Company will make a public announcement of the Bonus Share Expiration Date (i) at least 20 business days prior to such date, in the case of the Company setting a Bonus Share Expiration Date and (ii) prior to market open on the Bonus Share Expiration Date in the case of a Bonus Price Condition.

The distribution of the Warrants has not been registered under the Securities Act because the issuance of a dividend in the form of a Warrant or as an adjustment to an outstanding equity-based incentive award for no consideration is not a sale or disposition of a security or interest in a security for value pursuant to Section 2(a)(3) of the Securities Act. The Company will file a prospectus supplement, under its existing shelf registration statement, registering the shares of common stock underlying the Warrants.

The Company will distribute the Warrants on or about December 14, 2023, to Holders as of the Record Date. The Warrants are expected to trade on the New York Stock Exchange.

For more information about the transaction, Holders are encouraged to visit the "Warrants Information" section of the Companys Investors page at https://www.dianashippinginc.com, which may be updated from time to time.

B. Dyson Capital Advisors is serving as financial advisor and Seward & Kissel LLP is serving as legal advisor to the Company.

No Offer or Solicitation

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of, these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. A Form 8-A registration statement and prospectus supplement describing the terms of the Warrants will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and will be available on the SEC's website located at http://www.sec.gov. Holders should read the prospectus supplement carefully, including the Risk Factors section included and incorporated by reference therein. This press release contains a general summary of the Warrants. Please read the warrant agreement when it becomes available as it will contain important information about the terms of the Warrants.

About the Company

Diana Shipping Inc. is a global provider of shipping transportation services through its ownership and bareboat charter-in of dry bulk vessels. The Companys vessels are employed primarily on short to medium-term time charters and transport a range of dry bulk cargoes, including such commodities as iron ore, coal, grain and other materials along worldwide shipping routes.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides safe harbor protections for forward-looking statements in order to encourage companies to provide prospective information about their business. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements of historical facts.

The Company desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words believe, anticipate, intends, estimate, forecast, project, plan, potential, may, should, expect, pending and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, Company managements examination of historical operating trends, data contained in the Companys records and other data available from third parties. Although the Company believes that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies that are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond the Companys control, the Company cannot assure you that it will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections.

In addition to these important factors, other important factors that, in the Companys view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include the continuing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic; the strength of world economies and currencies, general market conditions, including fluctuations in charter rates and vessel values, changes in demand for dry bulk shipping capacity, changes in the Companys operating expenses, including bunker prices, drydocking and insurance costs, the market for the Companys vessels, availability of financing and refinancing, changes in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities, potential liability from pending or future litigation, general domestic and international political conditions, including risks associated with the continuing conflict between Russia and Ukraine and related sanctions, potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents or political events, including the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, vessel breakdowns and instances of off-hires and other factors. Please see the Companys filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a more complete discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement, or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Corporate Contact: Ioannis Zafirakis Director, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Strategy Officer, Treasurer and Secretary Telephone: + 30-210-9470-100 Email: [email protected] Website: www.dianashippinginc.com Twitter: @Dianaship Investor and Media Relations: Edward Nebb Comm-Counsellors, LLC Telephone: + 1-203-972-8350 Email: [email protected]

Source: Diana Shipping Inc. c/o Diana Shipping Services S.A.
CALGARY, Alberta, Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DIRTT and its Arkansas-based Construction Partner Evo Business Environments (Evo) recently secured significant construction projects for the Arkansas Attorney General and national firm PB2 Architecture & Engineering, valued over $2.5M USD. Evos strong reputation for excellence with interior buildouts, combined with DIRTTs competitive lead-times, quality offerings, and streamlined methodology were instrumental in securing the construction projects.

Arkansas Attorney General OfficesEvo was selected by the developer, Moses Tucker Partners, to build out the full interior of 10 floors of the historic 12-story Boyle Building at the corner of Capital and Main in downtown Little Rock. For months Evo, Moses Tucker Partners, and District Design Architecture worked together on space planning, interior layouts, and renderings to secure the contract with the Arkansas Attorney General. Central Construction will oversee offices and meeting rooms built-out with DIRTT solid walls with modular electrical, glass walls, and locking doors.

We look forward to working with Moses Tucker, District Design, and Central Construction on this incredible renovation project, stated Chris Cerrato, President of Evo Business Environments.

PB2 Architecture & EngineeringEvo was selected by PB2 to support their interior planning, build-out, and move-management for their new headquarters in the northwest Arkansas community of Rogers. Along with other solutions supported by Evo, this project will utilize DIRTTs prefabricated solid walls with a variety of unique finishes and graphics, a modular electrical system, and custom casework throughout. Additionally, DIRTT will also install an advanced modular network that delivers unlimited bandwidth capability in partnership with Corning Optical Communications.

Evos commitment to creating business environments that meet changing needs aligns perfectly with DIRTT. I look forward to seeing how these spaces transform now and into the future, said Benjamin Urban, CEO of DIRTT.

For further information, please contact DIRTT Investor Relations at [email protected].

About DIRTTDIRTT is a leader in industrialized construction. DIRTTs system of physical products and digital tools empowers organizations, together with construction and design leaders, to build high-performing, adaptable, interior environments. Operating in the workplace, healthcare, education, and public sector markets, DIRTTs system provides total design freedom, and greater certainty in cost, schedule, and outcomes. DIRTT's interior construction solutions are designed to be highly flexible and adaptable, enabling organizations to easily reconfigure their spaces as their needs evolve. Headquartered in Calgary, AB Canada, DIRTT trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol DRT.

About EvoEstablished in 2013, Evo Business Environments represents DIRTT construction solutions along with Herman Miller and Knoll furniture throughout Arkansas and western Tennessee. Evo has repeatedly been honored by the Arkansas Business Publishing Group as Business of the Year for helping clients create high-quality commercial interiors within leading healthcare, education and business environments.

Source: DIRTT Environmental Solutions
CALGARY, Alberta, Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DIRTT Environmental Solutions Ltd. (DIRTT or the Company) (TSX: DRT; OTC: DRTTF), a leader in industrialized construction, announced today that its board of directors has approved a rights offering to its common shareholders for aggregate gross proceeds of C$30,000,000 (the Rights Offering).

Under the Rights Offering, each holder of the Companys common shares (the Common Shares) of record at the close of business on December 12, 2023 (the "Record Date") will receive one right (a Right) for each Common Share held. Each Right will entitle the holder to subscribe for 0.81790023 Common Shares at a subscription price (the Subscription Price) of C$0.35 per whole Common Share, exercisable for whole Common Shares only, meaning 1.22264301 Rights will be needed to purchase one Common Share (the "Basic Subscription Privilege"). The Subscription Price represents a discount of 25% to the 5-day volume weighted average trading price of the Common Shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange (the TSX) prior to the date hereof. The Record Date is subject to the Company receiving applicable regulatory approvals, including that of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC). The Rights are expected to expire at 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) on January 5, 2024.

In accordance with applicable law, the Rights Offering will include an additional subscription privilege (the "Additional Subscription Privilege") under which eligible holders of Rights who fully exercise the Rights issued to them under their Basic Subscription Privilege will be entitled to subscribe for additional Common Shares on a pro rata basis, that are not otherwise subscribed for under the Basic Subscription Privilege, subject to certain limitations that will be set out in the rights offering notice and circular prepared in connection with the Rights Offering (the "Rights Offering Documents") and in the prospectus contained in the Companys registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-275172) (as may be amended from time to time, the Registration Statement) . The Company expects to use the proceeds of the Rights Offering for general corporate purposes, which may include investments in its business, funding potential future cash needs or operating losses, funding working capital or capital expenditure needs, or reductions to its outstanding indebtedness.

The Rights Offering will be made to all eligible holders of Common Shares as of the Record Date who are resident in Canada and in certain states in the U.S. Accordingly, and subject to the terms set out in the Rights Offering Documents and in the Registration Statement, Rights will not be delivered to, nor will they be exercisable by, persons resident outside of Canada and the U.S. or in certain U.S. states to be identified in the Registration Statement. Full details of the Rights Offering will be set out in the Rights Offering Documents, which are expected to be made available on the Companys profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca as soon as practicable and in the final prospectus contained in the Registration Statement, which is expected to be made available on EDGAR at www.sec.gov prior to the Record Date.

In connection with the Rights Offering, the Company has also entered into a standby purchase agreement (the Standby Agreement) with 22NW Fund, LP (22NW) and 726 BC LLC and 726 BF LLC (collectively 726 and together with 22NW, the Standby Purchasers). Subject to the terms and conditions of the Standby Agreement, each Standby Purchaser has agreed to exercise its Basic Subscription Privilege in full and to collectively purchase from the Company, at the Subscription Price, all Common Shares not subscribed for by holders of Rights under the Basic Subscription Privilege or Additional Subscription Privilege, up to a maximum of C$15,000,000 each, so that the maximum number of Common Shares that may be issued in connection with the Rights Offering will be issued and the Company will receive aggregate gross proceeds of C$30,000,000. No standby fee will be paid to the Standby Purchasers in connection with the Rights Offering; however, DIRTT will reimburse the Standby Purchasers for their reasonable expenses in connection with the Standby Agreement up to a maximum of C$30,000. The foregoing description of the Standby Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Standby Agreement, which will be filed on the Companys profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov, as soon as practicable.

The Rights are expected to be listed for trading on the TSX under the symbol DRT.RT. Subject to the Company receiving applicable regulatory approvals, the Rights are expected to begin trading on the TSX one trading day prior to the Record Date, being December 11, 2023 and cease trading at 12:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on the expiry date of the Rights Offering, being January 5, 2024.

Subject to the Standby Agreement, the Company reserves the right to modify any terms of the contemplated Rights Offering, or to postpone or cancel the Rights Offering, at any time prior to the listing of the Rights on the TSX.

The Registration Statement relating to the proposed Rights Offering has been filed with the SEC but has not yet become effective. The securities may not be sold nor may offers to buy be accepted prior to the time the Registration Statement becomes effective. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state. Any offering of the securities under the Registration Statement related to the Rights Offering will only be made by means of a prospectus.

We have applied to have the Rights and the Rights Shares registered for sale, or we are relying on exemptions from registration, in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and all 50 states in the United States, except for the state of Arizona. In states that require registration, we will not distribute the Rights or sell the Rights Shares until such registration is effective in each of these states. As of the date hereof, such registration is not effective in California, Illinois, New York and Ohio; there can be no assurances that such registration will become effective in any of such states prior to the commencement of the Rights Offering or at any point prior to the expiration of the Rights Offering. We will not distribute the Rights or sell the Rights Shares in the state of Arizona. In order to comply with certain states securities laws, if applicable, the Rights and Rights Shares will be sold in such jurisdictions only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers.

ABOUT DIRTTDIRTT is a leader in industrialized construction. DIRTTs system of physical products and digital tools empowers organizations, together with construction and design leaders, to build high-performing, adaptable, interior environments. Operating in the workplace, healthcare, education, and public sector markets, DIRTTs system provides total design freedom, and greater certainty in cost, schedule, and outcomes. DIRTTs interior construction solutions are designed to be highly flexible and adaptable, enabling organizations to easily reconfigure their spaces as their needs evolve. Headquartered in Calgary, AB Canada, DIRTT trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol DRT.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT

DIRTT Investor Relations at [email protected]

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements contained in this news release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included in this news release are forward-looking statements. When used in this news release, the words anticipate, expect, intend, may, will, should, would, could, can, the negatives thereof, variations thereon and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. In particular and without limitation, this news release contains forward-looking information pertaining to the Rights Offering, the proceeds realized thereunder and the use thereof; the terms and timing of the Rights Offering; the Record Date; regulatory approvals in connection with the Rights Offering; the contents and filing of the offering documents in connection with the Rights Offering; the Standby Purchase Agreement and the obligations of the parties thereunder; the anticipated expiry date of the Rights Offering; and the listing of the Rights on the TSX and the timing thereof.

Forward-looking statements are based on certain estimates, beliefs, expectations, and assumptions made in light of managements experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that may be appropriate. Forward-looking statements necessarily involve unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Due to the risks, uncertainties, and assumptions inherent in forward-looking information, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Factors that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects include, but are not limited to, risks described under the section titled Risk Factors in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, filed with the SEC and applicable securities commissions or similar regulatory authorities in Canada on February 22, 2023, as supplemented by our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2023, June 30, 2023 and September 30, 2023 filed with the SEC and applicable securities commissions or similar regulatory authorities in Canada. Our past results of operations are not necessarily indicative of our future results. You should not rely on any forward-looking statements, which represent our beliefs, assumptions and estimates only as of the dates on which they were made, as predictions of future events. We undertake no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, even though circumstances may change in the future, except as required under applicable securities laws. We qualify all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements.

Source: DIRTT Environmental Solutions
TORONTO, Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Element Fleet Management Corp. (TSX: EFN) (Element or the Company), the largest publicly-traded pure-play automotive fleet manager in the world, today announced that Kathleen (Katie) Taylor has been appointed to the Companys Board of Directors and will assume the role of Chair effective upon her election as a director at Elements 2024 annual shareholder meeting (the Meeting), currently expected to be held in May 2024. She will succeed the Companys current Board Chair, David Denison, who will retire from the Board at the Meeting after completing his five-year term as Chair.

Ms. Taylor currently serves as Chair of Altas Partners, a Toronto based private equity firm. She is also Vice Chair of the Adecco Group AG, and a director of Air Canada and Mattamy Asset Management. Ms. Taylor recently concluded her tenure as a director and chair of the Board of the Royal Bank of Canada and as a director of CPP Investments. Ms. Taylor is the former President and Chief Executive Officer of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.

All my fellow directors as well as Elements senior management team are delighted that Katie Taylor has agreed to join our Board, said Mr. Denison. Ms. Taylor brings a wealth of C-suite leadership and board experience gained from her time at a number of prominent organizations. Katie is a very experienced Board Chair, and I am confident in her ability to lead the Element Board and work effectively with Elements President and Chief Executive Officer, Laura Dottori-Attanasio, in the exciting years ahead.

I am honoured to have the opportunity to join Elements Board, said Ms. Taylor. Element is a Canadian global champion in the fleet management industry and an example of the talent and ingenuity of Canadian businesses. Element has achieved great success in recent years, and I look forward to working with my fellow directors and contributing to the Companys future. We are thrilled to welcome Katie Taylor to our Board of Directors, said Laura Dottori-Attanasio. We are grateful for the leadership and dedication that David Denison has demonstrated since becoming Chair in 2019, and we are confident that the Board will continue to provide strong governance and oversight under Ms. Taylors leadership.

Katie Taylor Biography

Ms. Taylor currently serves as Chair of Altas Partners, a Toronto-based private equity firm. She is also Vice Chair of the Adecco Group AG, a director of Air Canada and Mattamy Asset Management, and the Chair of the Advisory Board of the Cabot Collection. In her community work, Ms. Taylor is Chancellor of York University, Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Hospital for Sick Children and the immediate past Chair and member of the Board of the SickKids Foundation. Ms. Taylor is the former Chair of the Board of the Royal Bank of Canada, a former director of CPP Investments and the former President and Chief Executive Officer of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. Ms. Taylor is a member of the C.D. Howe Institutes National Council, Co-Chair of their Human Capital Policy Council and a member of the Task Force on the Digital Economy. She also serves on the Deans Advisory Council of the Schulich School of Business.

Ms. Taylor holds an MBA from the Schulich School of Business, a law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School, and a Bachelor of Arts (honours) from the University of Toronto. She has also received an honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Toronto, McGill University, York University, and Trent University, an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Mount Saint Vincent University, and an honorary Doctor of Divinity from Huron University. Ms. Taylor was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in 2016.

About Element Fleet Management

Element Fleet Management (TSX: EFN) is the largest publicly traded pure-play automotive fleet manager in the world, providing the full range of fleet services and solutions to a growing base of loyal, world-class clients  corporates, governments and not-for-profits  across North America, Australia and New Zealand. Element enjoys proven resilient cash flow, a significant proportion of which is returned to shareholders in the form of dividends and share buybacks; positive operating leverage; and an evolving capital-lighter business model that enhances return on equity. Elements services address every aspect of clients fleet requirements, from vehicle acquisition, maintenance, accidents and remarketing, to integrating EVs and managing the complexity of gradual fleet electrification. Clients benefit from Elements expertise as the largest fleet solutions provider in its markets, offering unmatched economies of scale and insight used to reduce fleet operating costs and improve productivity and performance. For more information, visit elementfleet.com/investor-relations.

This press release includes forward-looking statements regarding Element and its business. Such statements are based on the current expectations and views of future events of Elements management. In some cases the forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as may, will, expect, plan, anticipate, intend, potential, estimate, believe or the negative of these terms, or other similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements, including, among others, statements regarding board and executive leadership and governance. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Forward-looking statements and information by their nature are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause Elements actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statement or information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements or information. Such risks and uncertainties include those regarding the fleet management and finance industries, economic factors and many other factors beyond the control of Element. A discussion of the material risks and assumptions associated with this outlook can be found in Elements annual MD&A, and Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2022, each of which has been filed on SEDAR and can be accessed at www.sedarplus.ca. Except as required by applicable securities laws, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and Element undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Investor Contact: Rocco Colella Director, Investor Relations (437) 349-3796 [email protected] Media Contact: Samantha Ouimet Vice President, Communications (416) 417-1272 [email protected]

Source: Element Fleet Management
NEWS RELEASE Paris: EUR

ESTABLISHMENT OF A SPECIAL COMMITTEE

Paris, France, November 21, 2023: The Board of Directors of EURO Ressources S.A. ("EURO" or "the Company") (Paris: EUR) convened on October 6, 2023 to consider the intention of IAMGOLD Corporation and its 100%-owned subsidiary IAMGOLD France SAS to file a buy-out offer followed by a squeeze-out (offre publique de retrait suivi d'un retrait obligatoire).

In accordance with article 261-1-III of the general regulations of the Autorite des Marches Financiers ("AMF"), the Board of Directors of the Company thus convened established a Special Committee comprised of Mr. David Watkins as Chairman (independent director), Mr. Ian Smith (independent director) and Mrs. Susanne Hermans (independent director).

The Special Committee is responsible for proposing to the Board of Directors the appointment of an independent expert, supervising the mission of the expert and making a recommendation to the Board of Directors on the intended offer.

Following the recommendations of the Special Committee, the Board of Directors, convened on October 17, 2023, appointed Sorgem Evaluation, represented by Claire Karsenti, as independent expert.

On November 14, 2023, IAMGOLD France SAS filed with the AMF a proposed buy-out offer for the Company's shares, in accordance with article 236-3 of the general regulations of the AMF (the "Offer").

The Board of Directors will issue a reasoned opinion on the proposed Offer after reviewing the report of the independent expert report and the recommendation of the Special Committee.

The report of the independent expert and the reasoned opinion of the Board of Directors of the Company will be included in the Company's draft reply notice.

About EURO

EURO is a French company whose main assets are a royalty on the Rosebel Gold Mine production in Suriname (the Rosebel Royalty), a royalty on the Paul Isnard concessions, a silver stream from a subsidiary of Orezone Gold Corporation (Orezone) and marketable securities. Rosebel Gold Mines is 95%-owned and operated by Zijin Mining Group Co. Ltd. The existing royalty on Rosebel held by EURO will remain an obligation of IAMGOLD. The royalty on the Paul Isnard concessions is a net smelter returns production royalty on future production of the Paul Isnard concessions and an area of interest surrounding the concessions in French Guiana, owned by the Montagne dOr project holding company which 44.99% is owned by Orea Mining Corp. (Orea). The silver stream entitles EURO to receive 50% of the payable silver production over the life of mine on Orezones Bombore mine, located in Burkina Faso, West Africa.

EURO has approximately 62.5 million shares outstanding. At October 31, 2023, IAMGOLD France S.A.S. (IAMGOLD France), an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of IAMGOLD, owned 90% of all issued outstanding shares of EURO. As at October 31, 2023, IAMGOLD France held 56,242,153 shares representing 112,300,344 voting rights or 94.37% of the voting rights of EURO.

Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information: Some statements in this news release are forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting the Company will be those anticipated by management.

Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States. The securities referred to herein have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to a U.S. person absent registration, or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act.

Additional information relating to EURO Ressources S.A. is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Further requests for information should be addressed to:

Tidiane Barry

Directeur General

Tel: +1 450 677 0040

Email: [email protected] Sophie Halle

Directeur General Delegue

Tel: +1 450 677 0040

Email : [email protected]

Attachment
SAN DIEGO, Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP announces that purchasers or acquirers of Li-Cycle Holdings Corp. (NYSE: LICY) securities between June 14, 2022 and October 23, 2023, both dates inclusive (the Class Period), have until January 8, 2024 to seek appointment as lead plaintiff of the Li-Cycle class action lawsuit. Captioned Davis v. Li-Cycle Holdings Corp., No. 23-cv-09894 (S.D.N.Y.), the Li-Cycle class action lawsuit charges Li-Cycle as well as certain of its top executive officers with violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.



If you suffered substantial losses and wish to serve as lead plaintiff of the Li-Cycle class action lawsuit, please provide your information here:

https://www.rgrdlaw.com/cases-li-cycle-holdings-corp-class-action-lawsuit-licy.html

You can also contact attorney J.C. Sanchez of Robbins Geller by calling 800/449-4900 or via e-mail at [email protected].

CASE ALLEGATIONS: Li-Cycle is a battery resource recovery company and lithium-ion battery recycler. According to the complaint, Li-Cycle seeks to open post-processing facilities to process black mass, and its first facility is being constructed in Rochester, New York (the Rochester Hub).

The Li-Cycle class action lawsuit alleges that defendants during the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Li-Cycles Rochester Hub was experiencing escalating construction costs; (ii) these escalating construction costs exceeded the expected aggregate cost of the project; and (iii) as a result, Li-Cycle would be forced to temporarily halt construction and reevaluate the construction strategy for the Rochester Hub.

The Li-Cycle class action lawsuit further alleges that on October 23, 2023, Li-Cycle announced that it would halt construction on the Rochester Hub project pending a comprehensive review of the project, including construction strategy, even though engineering and procurement for the project are largely complete. Li-Cycle disclosed that it had recently experienced escalating construction costs and now expects the aggregate cost for the current scope of the project to exceed its previously disclosed guidance, according to the complaint. The Li-Cycle class action lawsuit alleges that on this news, the price of Li-Cycle shares fell nearly 46%.

THE LEAD PLAINTIFF PROCESS: The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 permits any investor who purchased or acquired Li-Cycle securities during the Class Period to seek appointment as lead plaintiff of the Li-Cycle class action lawsuit. A lead plaintiff is generally the movant with the greatest financial interest in the relief sought by the putative class who is also typical and adequate of the putative class. A lead plaintiff acts on behalf of all other class members in directing the Li-Cycle class action lawsuit. The lead plaintiff can select a law firm of its choice to litigate the Li-Cycle class action lawsuit. An investors ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff of the Li-Cycle class action lawsuit.

ABOUT ROBBINS GELLER: Robbins Geller is one of the worlds leading complex class action firms representing plaintiffs in securities fraud cases. The Firm is ranked #1 on the most recent ISS Securities Class Action Services Top 50 Report for recovering more than $1.75 billion for investors in 2022  the third year in a row Robbins Geller tops the list. And in those three years alone, Robbins Geller recovered nearly $5.3 billion for investors, more than double the amount recovered by any other plaintiffs firm. With 200 lawyers in 10 offices, Robbins Geller is one of the largest plaintiffs firms in the world and the Firms attorneys have obtained many of the largest securities class action recoveries in history, including the largest securities class action recovery ever  $7.2 billion  in In re Enron Corp. Sec. Litig. Please visit the following page for more information:

https://www.rgrdlaw.com/services-litigation-securities-fraud.html

Attorney advertising.

Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.

Services may be performed by attorneys in any of our offices.

Contact:

Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP

655 W. Broadway, Suite 1900, San Diego, CA 92101

J.C. Sanchez, 800-449-4900

[email protected]
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MAX Power Mining Corp. (CSE: MAXX; OTC: MAXXF; FRANKFURT: 89N) (MAX Power or the Company) is pleased to announce that it has received a permit from the Arizona State Land Department (ASLD) to carry out imminent first-ever diamond drilling at its 100%-owned Willcox Playa Property located approximately 200 miles southeast of Phoenix (see Figure 1 below). The Willcox Property, comprising 3,754 acres, is considered highly prospective for economic lithium mineralization based on MAX Powers recent work program (refer to July 24, 2023 news release) and compilation of historical data from the U.S. Geological Survey and other sources.

MAX Power has contracted Willcox-based Godbe Drilling LLC to commence a Phase 1 drill program at Willcox with mobilization to begin shortly after American Thanksgiving. This will be the first-ever systematic drilling on the Playa where the Company has abundant claystone and liquid brine targets (see Figure 2 below).

Mr. Peter Lauder, MAX Power Senior Geologist, commented: The Willcox Playa has significant lithium discovery potential, so its very exciting that MAX Power will be the first company to ever carry out systematic diamond drilling on the Playa. The targets are compelling.

Figure 1. Willcox Playa, Arizona, MAX Power Mining Corp.

Figure 2. MAX Power Mining Corp. Drill Hole Locations, Willcox Playa, Arizona

Qualified Person

The technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Thomas Clarke, P.Geo., Pr.Sci.Nat, and Director for Max Power Mining Corp. Mr. Clarke is the Qualified Person responsible for the scientific and technical information contained herein under National Instrument 43-101 standards.

About MAX Power

MAX Power is a dynamic exploration stage resource company targeting domestic lithium resources to advance North Americas renewable energy prospects. MAX Power has also entered into a cooperative research and development agreement with the University of California Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) to develop state-of-the-art direct lithium extraction (DLE) technologies for brine resources.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

Rav Mlait

CEOMAX Power Mining Corp.

MarketSmart Communications at 877-261-4466.Company Contact [email protected], 778-655-9266

Forward-Looking Statement Cautions

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, relating to exploration, drilling, mineralization and historical results on the Property; the interpretation of drilling and assay results, the results of any future drilling program, mineralization and the discovery mineralization (if any); plans for future exploration and drilling and the timing of same; the merits of the Willcox Playa Property; the potential for lithium within the Willcox Playa region; ability to access Property; ability to extract resources from the Property, commentary as it related to the opportune timing to explore lithium exploration and any anticipated increasing demand for lithium; any results and updates thereto as it relates to the USGS report; the Companys concentration hypothesis; closing of the transaction; future press releases by the Company; and funding of any future drilling program. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they are generally, but not always, identified by the words expects, plans, anticipates, believes, interpreted, intends, estimates, projects, aims, suggests, often, target, future, likely, pending, potential, goal, objective, prospective, possibly, preliminary, and similar expressions, or that events or conditions will, would, may, can, could or should occur, or are those statements, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions that forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made, and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Except to the extent required by applicable securities laws and the policies of the CSE, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements include risks associated with possible accidents and other risks associated with mineral exploration operations, the risk that the Company will encounter unanticipated geological factors, risks associated with the interpretation of assay results and the drilling program, the possibility that the Company may not be able to secure permitting and other governmental clearances necessary to carry out the Company's exploration plans, the risk that the Company will not be able to raise sufficient funds to carry out its business plans, and the risk of political uncertainties and regulatory or legal changes that might interfere with the Company's business and prospects. The reader is urged to refer to the Company's Managements Discussion and Analysis, publicly available through the Canadian Securities Administrators' System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available athttps://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d4deab6e-a69b-49d4-81a7-99d4b7668986https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7a0c1363-7ad2-4a52-afe7-127f011e0d46

MAX Power Mining Corp. Figure 1. Willcox Playa, Arizona, MAX Power Mining Corp. MAX Power Mining Corp. Figure 2. MAX Power Mining Corp. Drill Hole Locations, Willcox Playa, Arizona

Source: Max Power Mining Corp
Dallas, Texas, Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Health Information Management (HIM) professionals must constantly master, evolve, and understand the innovative regulations and technologies requiring a mindset of lifelong learning and continued professional development. As healthcare advances, health information provides essential patient needs to navigate critical changes successfully. HIM professionals are in high demand.

Industries with an increased demand for health information professionals include healthcare organizations, academic institutions, consulting agencies, government agencies, healthcare software companies, and more. HIM practitioners are critical components of the electronic health record workforce.

Parker University is proud to offer the first HIM program in the nation to incorporate STEM into its HIM program. An education around science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM learning) helps promote critical thinking, curiosity, persistence, decision-making, leadership, entrepreneurship, and more. The current healthcare industry relies on the pertinent knowledge and skills acquired through a STEM education. STEM-related skills are essential for students, from medical research and diagnostics to patient care and health administration. STEM influences are apparent in the goals and roles of healthcare sectors such as:

Health Information Technology: Health information professionals manage and maintain electronic health records, which requires an understanding of database management, data analytics, and computer programming.

Data Analysis: Health information professionals analyze and interpret large amounts of health information data, which requires a background in statistics, data visualization, and other science, technology, engineering, and math-related disciplines.

Health Information Exchange: Health information professionals are familiar with health information exchanges that allow the sensitive sharing of patient health information, which requires an understanding of data interoperability and standards.

Emerging Technologies: Health information professionals stay updated with emerging technologies in healthcare, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and telehealth, which all require a strong understanding of STEM principles.

Parker Universitys Bachelor of Science with a Major in the HIM program is integrated with existing programs to provide a leading health and wellness education resource. Healthcare information is an everchanging profession that addresses the nature, structure, and translation of data into usable forms of information, including the electronic health record for advancing the health and healthcare of individuals and populations. HIM professionals collect, integrate, and analyze primary and secondary healthcare data, disseminate information, and manage information resources related to the research, planning, provision, and evaluation of healthcare services. HIM professionals are integral to the planning, implementation, and utilization of electronic health record systems.

The healthcare industry needs devoted individuals who are committed to making a difference in the lives of others. To learn more about Parker Universitys HIM program, click here!

About Parker University Parker University, the fourth-fastest growing college in Texas and the fastest-growing college in Dallas, was founded in 1982 by Dr. James William Parker (formerly Parker College of Chiropractic). Today, Parker University has more than 2,100 students and more than 35 academic programs, including its famed chiropractic program, as well as masters degrees in clinical neuroscience, strength and human performance, and functional nutrition. Currently, Parker Universitys chiropractic cohort is the second largest of any campus in the world. Parker University has been recognized as an Honor Roll Institution by Great Colleges to Work For, one of the 25 Fastest-Growing Colleges in the U.S., as a recipient of the FutureEdge 50 Awards, and as a Best Texas Online College of 2023 by Forbes.

Attachment

Christine Miller Parker University [email protected]

Source: Parker University
BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. France destabilizes not only its past and present colonies but also our region, the South Caucasus, by supporting separatist tendencies and separatists, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said in his address to the participants of the International Conference on Decolonization: Women's Empowerment and Development, Trend reports.

"By arming Armenia, it implements a militaristic policy, encourages revanchist forces in Armenia, and prepares the ground for the start of new wars in our region. At the same time, France abuses its status as a permanent member of the UN Security Council to carry out its biased and prejudiced policy, engages in geopolitical intrigues in various regions, and tries to use Western organizations as a means of pressure on other states.

France must implement the decisions of the International Court of Justice regarding the nuclear tests conducted in the Pacific Ocean and stop the practice of lecturing other countries," President Ilham Aliyev said.
SEATTLE, Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Planted Materials, a pioneering provider of renewable feedstocks to global manufacturers, today announced the completion of their first pre-seed round securing $500,000 in capital at a post-investment valuation of $6.7 million. This milestone achievement marks a significant step in the companys mission to utilize plant waste to produce renewable materials and chemicals to help drive the circular economy, while enhancing Seattles image as a prime location for sustainability-based business.

Planted Materials has seen early commercial validation of its waste-to-product biorefinery technology, with the viral launch and growth of its Green Water Labs brand," said Galileo Russell, Founder and Partner at HyperGuap, and one of the participants in this funding round. "We are excited about future product launches as Noah and the team define a new category of sustainable and natural products.

Further enabling its ability to rapidly scale, Planted Materials was accepted into the Greater Seattle Export Accelerator (GSEA) program. The GSEA runs in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration to collaborate with community, state, and federal international trade entities to support the launch, growth, and scaling of STEM and/or R&D-focused small businesses in the greater Seattle area.

Planted Materials CEO was also selected as a delegate to accompany Washington State Governor Jay Inslee on his trade mission to Australia earlier this month. The delegation traveled with the goal of expanding the existing billion-dollar trade relationship with Australia and accelerate the global switch to clean energy.

The tremendous support weve received from the Seattle community is helping us lay the foundation for one of the most pioneering clean tech movements in the Pacific Northwest, said Noah Belkhous, CEO and co-founder of Planted Materials. After three years of bootstrapped R&D, this investment is enabling Planted Materials to jumpstart the development of our pilot facility that will recycle organic waste into renewable materials on a commercial scale.

Planted Materials also launched its next funding round at the recent 5th annual Demo Day hosted by Santa Clara Universitys Bronco Venture Accelerator. The Planted Materials team participated in the 12-week program, getting access to the Universitys mentors, faculty, investor network, and other resources.

About Planted Materials

Founded in 2020, Planted Materials recycles and processes organic waste to create renewable alternatives to petroleum-based materials and chemicals. With nearly a quarter of all greenhouse gasses originating from the manufacturing industry, the companys mission is to supply eco-friendly, renewable materials to sustainable manufacturers around the world. Its consumer products arm, Green Water Labs, operates with a commitment to environmental preservation through the development of plant-based alternatives to chemicals used in and around homes and businesses.

Contact:Natalie Raines[email protected]206-818-0626

Source: Green Water Labs
TORONTO, Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Purpose Investments Inc. (Purpose) is pleased to release the second Annual Report for its Longevity Pension Fund (Longevity or the Fund), the worlds first income-for-life mutual fund designed to provide income security for retired Canadians. The report comprises two main sections: the first is a recap of the Fund in 2023, prepared by Purpose, and the second is a detailed independent third-party actuarial review.

The Longevity Pension Fund continues to deliver on its core objective and provides income security for Canadian retirees, says Fraser Stark, President of Longevity Retirement Platform at Purpose Investments. I am happy to share that the Fund will hold distribution levels steady for all cohorts for 2024.

In February 2022, Purpose developed an Income Policy that describes how distribution levels are managed and how much distribution levels may be adjusted under different scenarios. We take a Funding Level approach to managing the distribution levels, says Simon Barcelon, Vice President of Product at Purpose Investments. With all cohorts maintaining a funding level between 103% and 113%, we provide stable retirement income for our decumulation investors as we enter the new year.

The actuarial review confirms that Purpose Investments follows the approach as described in the Income Policy, and that the long-term evolution of distribution levels is expected to rise. The results of the Annual Review further validate that Longevity is on track to achieving its objective of providing lifetime income. Additionally, this income is expected to increase over time in the majority of cases.

To read the full Annual Report, please visit RetireWithLongevity.com/report2023.

About Longevity Pension Fund

The Longevity Pension Fund is the first product released as part of a new holistic retirement solutions platform launched by Purpose Investments. For more information about Longevity and Purposes mission to help Canadians redefine retirement with income for life, please visit RetireWithLongevity.com.

About Purpose Investments

Purpose Investments Inc. is an asset management company with approximately $18 billion in assets under management. Purpose Investments has an unrelenting focus on client-centric innovation and offers a range of managed and quantitative investment products. Purpose Investments is led by well-known entrepreneur Som Seif and is a division of Purpose Unlimited, an independent technology-driven financial services company.

For further information, please contact:Keera Hart[email protected]905-580-1257

Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with investment fund investments. The prospectus contains important detailed information about the investment fund. Please read the prospectus before investing. There is no assurance that any fund will achieve its investment objective, and its net asset value, yield, and investment return will fluctuate from time to time with market conditions. Investment funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently, and past performance may not be repeated.

Income in the form of Fund distributions is not guaranteed, and the frequency and amount of distributions may increase or decrease. The Fund has a unique mutual fund structure. Most mutual funds redeem at their associated Net Asset Value (NAV). In contrast, redemptions in the decumulation class of the Fund (whether voluntary or at death) will occur at the lesser of NAV or the initial investment amount less any distributions received. You can always access the lesser of unpaid capital (initial value of your investment less any income payments made) or your net asset value. Fees may apply.

Certain statements in this document are forward-looking. Forward-looking statements (FLS) are statements that are predictive in nature, depend on or refer to future events or conditions, or that include words such as may, will, should, could, expect, anticipate, intend, plan, believe, estimate or other similar expressions. Statements that look forward in time or include anything other than historical information are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results, actions or events could differ materially from those set forth in the FLS. FLS are not guarantees of future performance and are, by their nature, based on numerous assumptions. Although the FLS contained in this document are based upon what Purpose Investments believe to be reasonable assumptions, Purpose Investments cannot assure that actual results will be consistent with these FLS. The reader is cautioned to consider the FLS carefully and not to place undue reliance on the FLS. Unless required by applicable law, it is not undertaken, and specifically disclaimed, that there is any intention or obligation to update or revise FLS, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Source: Purpose Investments Inc.
OTTAWA, Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, the Canadian Government tabled its Fall Economic Statement, which includes positive steps towards establishing Canadas open finance framework through the implementation of a suite of consumer-driven measures for Canadians in Budget 2024.

Our mission is to help Canadians keep more of their money, by enabling them to achieve their financial goals and to build a secure financial future, said Edward Kholodenko, president and CEO, Questrade Financial Group (QFG). We welcome todays announcements and will continue to support the Department of Finance with the accompanying work ahead to ensure Canadians can take more control over their financial wellbeing.

Questrade has been actively advocating for a robust open finance strategy with concrete implementation timelines and deliverables to ensure Canadians can begin to benefit from a modernized, cost-efficient, interoperable, and principles-based open financial ecosystem that helps them be much more financially successful and secure by 2025. The company has championed industry advancement efforts and supported the Private Members Bill on open banking tabled earlier this month. Todays update is viewed as a positive first step towards a fulsome and competitive open finance framework.

Now, more than ever, Canadians deserve to benefit from the cost savings that many of their global counterparts have realized through their open banking and open finance ecosystems, said Tanya Woods, Head of Government and Regulatory Affairs & Policy Counsel, Questrade Financial Group. We are very pleased with the commitment today to advance an open finance framework, with notable progress on consumer-driven measures leading the way. We look forward to working with our colleagues in government and industry as we continue to support Canadians' financial interests.

About Questrade Financial Group

Questrade Financial Group Inc. (QFG) is the parent company of Questrade, Inc. (Questrade), Questrade Wealth Management Inc., Community Trust Company, ThinkInsure, Zolo, and Flexiti. Through its companies, QFG provides securities and foreign currency investment, professionally managed investment portfolios, mortgages, insurance, real estate, and financial services to Canadians with the goal of helping them become much more financially successful and secure. With over 24 years challenging the status quo as Canadas leading, non-bank financial services provider, QFG has over $40 billion in assets under administration (AUM). For more information, visit www.questrade.com or Questrade Financial Group on LinkedIn.

For more information or to arrange an interview or broadcast segment with Edward Kholodenko, president and CEO, or Tanya Woods, Head of Government and Regulatory Affairs & Policy Counsel, please contact Susan Willemsen at The Siren Group Inc. Tel: 416-461-1567 or M: 416-402-4880. Email: [email protected], www.thesirengroup.com, and @thesirengroup.

Source: Questrade Inc.
CALGARY, Alberta, Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The wonder of winter is back! The second annual Rumi, Powered by ATCO (Rumi), Winter Wonderfest is taking over The Commons at ATCO Park for one day only on Sunday, December 10 from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. All admission proceeds from this family-friendly event will directly support Habitat for Humanity Southern Alberta.

Calgarians are invited to join Rumi and its neighbours ATCOenergy and Blue Flame Kitchen for holiday crafts and cookies, story time with Mrs. Claus, fireside carolers, face painting and so much more. Santa himself is even flying in with his reindeer from the North Pole! Get a photo with old St. Nick before grabbing a treat from Blue Flame Kitchen and heading out to meet Rudolph and the rest of the reindeer.

Eventgoers are also encouraged to bring a brand-new unwrapped toy to donate to the Women in Need Society (WINS) as there will be a collection bin onsite.

We are so thrilled to be hosting this family-friendly holiday event again this year while supporting our community partners along the way, said Matthew Coad, VP Strategy. By partnering with Habitat for Humanity Southern Alberta, were helping to ensure that affordable and well maintained, energy-efficient homes are available within our communities.

Whether making direct donations, providing in-kind services or participating in team Build Days, Rumi, ATCOenergy and Blue Flame Kitchen are proud to support Habitat for Humanity Southern Albertas vision of a world where everyone has a safe and decent place to live.

Last years event sold out, so make sure to purchase your tickets online in advance. Limited tickets are available and come in two-hour time slots, beginning at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. or 3 p.m. Children under the age of three are free to attend. Please be sure to follow the admission time on your ticket.

Parking is available on the north and south sides of the building with additional free parking available underground.

For more information about Winter Wonderfest, visit home.rumi.ca/winter-wonderfest or purchase tickets at www.showpass.com/winter-wonderfest.

About Rumi

A member of the ATCO family, Rumi exists to make people happy by making it easier for everyone to love the places they live or work. For more information, visit www.rumi.ca.

About ATCOenergy

With approximately 150 employees here in Alberta, ATCOenergy holds the third-largest share of the competitive residential market in the province. Established in 2016 as a new kind of retail energy company in Alberta, ATCOenergy is the natural gas and electricity retail division of ATCO operating out of offices in Calgary and Edmonton. More information can be found at www.ATCOenergy.com.

About Blue Flame Kitchen

As a member of the ATCO family, Blue Flame Kitchen has been helping Albertans get comfortable in the kitchen since 1929. From cooking classes to chef instructor tips and tricks, to takeaway meals and private events; Blue Flame Kitchen has proudly shared their knowledge for almost 100 years. More information can be found at www.atcoblueflamekitchen.com.

Media Contact:

Leanna KrukBrookline Public Relations, Inc.403-390-2170[email protected]

Source: Rumi
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ranchero Gold Corp. (Ranchero or the Company) (TSX.V: RNCH) is pleased to announce that it has entered into an option agreement (the Option Agreement) with Recharge Resources Ltd. (Recharge) whereby Ranchero can earn a 100% interest in the Pinchi Lake Nickel Project (the Pinchi Project), consisting of six mineral claims totaling 3,917 hectares, situated approximately 15 to 30 km northwest of Fort St. James and 120 km northwest of Prince George in central British Columbia.



The Pinchi Project is a prospective nickel exploration project containing awaruite (Ni 2 Fe-Ni 3 Fe), a naturally-occurring alloy of nickel and iron which is approximately 75% nickel, 25% iron and 0% sulfur. A prior property holder completed a 1055 line-kilometre helicopter-borne high resolution survey on the Pinchi Project in 2011, as well as a geochemical sampling program. Recharge conducted further geochemical sampling in 2021. The Pinchi Project is subject to a pre-existing 2% net smelter returns royalty payable to a third party.

The key terms of the Option Agreement are that Ranchero may earn a 100% interest in the Pinchi Project, subject to a 1% net smelter returns royalty to be granted to Recharge, by:

issuing 835,000 common shares in the capital of Ranchero to Recharge within five business days of Ranchero obtaining the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange to the Agreement;

making cash payments to Recharge of $25,000 by the first anniversary date of the Agreement; $2,000,000 by the second anniversary of the Agreement; and $3,000,000 by the third anniversary date of the Agreement; and

funding exploration and development work on the property of a total of $1,200,000 before November 30, 2026, of which at least $40,000 is required before June 30, 2024; a further $60,000 is required before November 30, 2024; and a further $100,000 is required before November 30, 2025.



All figures are in Canadian dollars. The Option Agreement is subject to approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the TSXV).

Qualified Person

Scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Martyn Buttenshaw, a director of Ranchero, who is a "qualified person" as defined by NI 43-101.

About Ranchero Gold

Ranchero is a gold exploration and development company currently focused on its 100%-owned Santa Daniela project located in Sonora, Mexico. The Santa Daniela project consist of a large land package in excess of 22,200 hectares within Mexicos Sierra Madre Occidental  a newly emerging gold belt. The Santa Daniela project is also near a number of major gold mining operations in the region. Maiz Azul is the Companys most advanced prospect where exploration efforts are underway.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Company:

Jesus Noriega

Interim Chief Executive Officer and Director

52 1 (662) 437 8520

[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.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as expects or does not expect, is expected, anticipates or does not anticipate plans, estimates or intends or stating that certain actions, events or results  may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved), or that are not statements of historical fact, may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the potential exercise of the option to acquire the Pinchi Project, and the acceptance of the TSXV to the Option Agreement.

Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to materially differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to: risks related to regulatory approval, including the approval of the TSXV. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statement will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipate in such statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or managements estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable securities laws. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
LEXINGTON, Ky., Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rare Character, a distinguished name in the world of premium spirits, proudly introduces Fortuna Barrel Proof, an exquisite addition to the revitalized Fortuna whiskey brand. This seven-year-plus barrel proof offering, blended into five batches, pays homage to the late 19th-century heritage of Fortuna, delivering a robust and unparalleled whiskey experience.



Fortuna, a brand steeped in history and tradition, takes inspiration from the golden era of whiskey craftsmanship. Originally established in the late 1800s, Fortuna has been meticulously resurrected by Rare Character, combining old-world charm with contemporary craftsmanship.

Fortuna Barrel Proof is a testament to the commitment of Rare Character to honor the brand's legacy while pushing the boundaries of flavor and quality. This small-batch release showcases the artistry of whiskey-making, capturing the essence of the historic Fortuna brand in every bottle.

I wanted this to be something that fans of the standard offering, fans of Rare Character, and just whiskey fans in general could enjoy., said Chad Watson of Rare Character, who was responsible for blending the initial run. Each batch is different and blended to be its own unique profile - I spent many hours and days getting them right where I wanted them and I can assure that there is something for everyone.

The initial bottling of Fortuna Barrel Proof includes 5 unique batches:

Batch 1 - 121.46 proof

Batch 2 - 122.14 proof

Batch 3 - 120 proof

Batch 4 - 118.82 proof

Batch 5 - 121.8 proof



Rare Character's dedication to authenticity and innovation sets Fortuna Barrel Proof apart in the world of premium spirits. This release is a celebration of the brand's revival, offering a glimpse into the past while setting a new standard for the future of Fortuna.

Fortuna Barrel Proof is now available in select retailers, providing an opportunity for whiskey enthusiasts and collectors to secure a piece of this limited edition release. Customers can visit seelbachs.com or bourbonoutfitter.com for a chance to purchase a bottle. For more information, please visit rarecharacterwhiskey.com

About Rare Character Whiskey: Rare Character Whiskey is a purveyor of fine American whiskey, focused on unique selections tailored to each of our customers and partners. Through special relationships with top distillers across the country, Rare Character has exclusive access to expressions that have never been released to the public.
ST. LOUIS, Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Stifel Financial Corp. (NYSE: SF) today reported selected operating results for October 31, 2023 in an effort to provide timely information to investors on certain key performance metrics. Due to the limited nature of this data, a consistent correlation to earnings should not be assumed.

Ronald J. Kruszewski, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said, Total client and fee-based assets declined from the prior months levels due primarily to lower equity markets despite continued strength in recruiting. Client money market and insured product balances decreased 1% as growth in Smart Rate Balances was offset by declines in Sweep Balances. Overall, total client cash levels increased modestly from September due to growth in money market funds and short-term treasury balances.

Selected Operating Data (Unaudited) As of % Change (millions) 10/31/2023 10/31/2022 9/30/2023 10/31/2022 9/30/2023 Total client assets $404,057 $382,445 $412,458 6 % (2) % Fee-based client assets $147,667 $142,242 $150,982 4 % (2) % Private Client Group fee-based client assets $129,687 $124,845 $132,712 4 % (2) % Bank loans, net (includes loans held for sale) $20,654 $21,182 $20,435 (3) % 1 % Client money market and insured product (1) $25,184 $26,092 $25,498 (4) % (1) %

(1) Includes Sweep deposits, Smart Rate deposits, Third-party Bank Sweep Program, and Other Sweep cash.

Company Information

Stifel Financial Corp. (NYSE: SF) is a financial services holding company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, that conducts its banking, securities, and financial services business through several wholly owned subsidiaries. Stifels broker-dealer clients are served in the United States through Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, including its Eaton Partners and Miller Buckfire business divisions; Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc.; and Stifel Independent Advisors, LLC; in Canada through Stifel Nicolaus Canada Inc.; and in the United Kingdom and Europe through Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited. The Companys broker-dealer affiliates provide securities brokerage, investment banking, trading, investment advisory, and related financial services to individual investors, professional money managers, businesses, and municipalities. Stifel Bank and Stifel Bank & Trust offer a full range of consumer and commercial lending solutions. Stifel Trust Company, N.A. and Stifel Trust Company Delaware, N.A. offer trust and related services. To learn more about Stifel, please visit the Companys website at www.stifel.com. For global disclosures, please visit www.stifel.com/investor-relations/press-releases.

Media Contact: Neil Shapiro (212) 271-3447 | Investor Contact: Joel Jeffrey (212) 271- 3610 | www.stifel.com/investor-relations

Source: Stifel Financial Corporation
OTTAWA, Nov. 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Canadian Teachers Federation (CTF/FCE) calls for the creation of safe zones around public schools.

On a day more fitting than most, a day that marks both World Childrens Day and Transgender Day of Remembrance, the CTF/FCE strongly urges the federal government to work with provincial and territorial counterparts in establishing public schools as unequivocal safe zones. Students and educators have the right to freedom from harassment and violent discrimination, increasingly descending on school grounds in the guise of protests. Specifically, safeguarding the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community is imperative.

This fall we saw a startling rise in vitriol targeting the inclusion of real-world issues in school culture and curricula. This increase in bullying and alienation of 2SLGBTQQIA+ children and teachers, some of the most vulnerable within society, telegraphs a growing sentiment that questions the importance of inclusion and acceptance of everyone. Weve seen people upset at the inclusion of themes of diversity before in schools  we dont need to go very far back to remember that racial integration in the classroom and in curricula was vehemently opposed by a choice few groups in society. The current trend of school-based intimidation should feel no less appalling.

By designating public schools as safe zones, we are not only protecting the rights and dignity of individuals within the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community but also reinforcing the basic human rights that form the bedrock of Canadian society.

The CTF/FCE calls on the federal government to work collaboratively with provinces and territories, leveraging their collective resources and expertise to implement policies and practices that foster an atmosphere of respect and understanding within public schools. Together, we can create an educational environment that not only imparts knowledge but also instills the values of tolerance and inclusivity, shaping a prosperous and more harmonious future for all.

The Canadian Teachers FederationFounded in 1920, the CTF/FCE is a national alliance of provincial and territorial teachers organizations that represent over 365,000 teachers and education workers across Canada. The CTF/FCE is also an affiliate of Education International, which represents more than 32 million educators.

Media contactNika Quintao, Director of Public AffairsCanadian Teachers Federation (CTF/FCE)[email protected] Mobile : 613-606-7809

Source: CTF/FCE
More than three in five (63%) people in the UK experience barriers to health inclusion



People in UK, Canada and France face the longest waiting times to see a GP



Health inclusivity scores fall worldwide with addition of lived experience data in Economist Impacts Health Inclusivity Index, supported by Haleon - exposing glaring policy-practice gap in wealthy countries



LONDON, Nov. 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- More than three in five (63%) people in the UK experience health exclusion according to phase two of the Economist Impacts Health Inclusivity Index, released today. The Index - which measures the extent and experience of health inclusion across 40 countries and 42,000 people worldwide - reveals that the UKs score has fallen by 13% this year, slipping from first to third place in the global rankings.

Phase two of the Index, supported by consumer health company Haleon, identifies lack of available appointments; inconvenient hours; distance and cost of travel; and lack of trust in healthcare services as the most widely reported barriers globally. In the UK, while healthcare services are widely available, with only 9% saying theyve been denied access to services versus 19% of people globally, the data shows that significant barriers remain.

The Index, which this year includes the lived experience of global populations, reveals that only in Canada and France do people have to wait longer to see a GP than in the UK. Just a third of people (35%) in the UK, France (34%) and Canada (31%) say they could see a doctor within 24 hours, compared with 88% of people in Turkey, 87% of people in Rwanda and two-thirds of people (67%) globally. Nearly one in five in the UK (17%) say they would have to wait longer than a week to see their GP versus 7% globally. 

This barrier to healthcare accessibility is mirrored across the UKs healthcare landscape with fewer than a quarter of people in the UK (23%) saying they can access dental services within 24 hours versus 56% globally  while only 24% of people in the UK state they can access sexual health services within this timeframe (compared with 51% globally).

The UK is not alone in falling down the Health Inclusivity Index rankings as the inclusion of lived experience data in phase two of the Index has seen health inclusivity scores deteriorate across 85% of the countries surveyed, with all but one country scoring below 80 out of 100. The declining scores year-on-year expose a gap between governments ambitions of delivering inclusive health policies and systems and the reality of peoples experience of them. High-income countries display the largest gaps, with an average 18-point difference between their scores on inclusive health policies and experience.

Sarah McDonald, VP Sustainability and Social Impact, Haleon, said: These latest findings reveal the inclusive health ambitions of many of the worlds wealthiest countries are out of step with the reality of their citizens and there is a policy-practice gap that needs to be addressed. In the UK, while healthcare services are widely available, people are struggling to access them creating significant barriers to health inclusion and resulting in the UKs fall down the Index this year.



Everyone has the right to live in good health for as long as possible - irrespective of age, gender, race, ethnicity, sexuality or disability. Well be using this latest data to engage policymakers globally to advocate for greater health inclusion.

In common with last years findings, phase two of the Index concludes that empowering people and communities to have greater agency over their own health is a key driver of inclusion. Low-and-middle income countries outperform wealthier countries in this area due to their focus on community-based services, self-care and health literacy programmes.

In the UK, the Health Inclusivity index reveals that only half of people (50%) say that virtual or telehealth services are available versus 74% in Australia and 72% in Sweden, and 48% globally - so the expansion of these services may be something that could help address the accessibility challenges.

The Index also highlights where people in the UK think they can access useful and trustworthy information about health, with both pharmacists and government websites scoring highly. Pharmacists are most likely to be trusted to provide useful and trustworthy information about health by the Canadians (75%), French (72%), the British (70%) and South Africans (70%). These findings are supported by NHS Englands recent acknowledgement of the vital role pharmacies can play in helping to reduce waiting times and to relieve pressure on GPs by expanding the services they can offer patients - a move anticipated to free up 15 million appointments.

People in the UK also place very high levels of trust in the health information available on government websites, such as the NHS website. Nearly two-thirds (62%) say they can access useful and trustworthy sources versus 43% globally, and more than any other country worldwide. 

Jonathan Birdwell, Global Head of Policy and Insights, Economist Impact, said: Measuring a countrys ability to provide quality healthcare involves evaluating its policy but also its populations ability to use their healthcare services. Thats why we are pleased to add these lived-experience indicators to Economist Impacts Health Inclusivity Index. The results of this phase of the Index show that high-income countries still have a lot of improvements to make if they are to effectively turn their policy into action.

Under phase two of the Health Inclusivity Index, Australia achieves the highest score, followed by Sweden, UK, USA, France, Israel, Canada, South Korea, Germany, Switzerland and Thailand. The full findings of the Index can be found here: https://impact.economist.com/projects/health-inclusivity-index

Notes to Editors:







About Haleon and Health Inclusivity

Haleons social impact goal is to empower millions of people a year to be more included in opportunities for better everyday health  with the company aiming to reach 50 million people a year by 2025. During 2022, we empowered more than 22.4 million people.

We have identified three key barriers to health inclusivity that Haleon is well placed to help address, which are:

 health literacy;

 healthcare accessibility; and

 bias & prejudice

Examples of Haleons efforts to break down barriers to health inclusivity include:

Health Literacy: Our Caltrate calcium supplement brand in China has run several initiatives to raise awareness of the risks of osteoporosis and how to actively prevent and manage it. This includes working with Health Professionals to reach more consumers through online education, in-person outreach and bone density tests.

Healthcare Accessibility: To help make our brands more accessible, we have collaborated with Microsoft on expanding the functionality of their Seeing AI app for Haleon products. Seeing AI is a free mobile app that scans the information on product labels and reads it out loud. Consumers can scan the barcode on UK and US Haleon products and hear crucial information such as name, ingredients, and usage instructions.

Bias and Prejudice: The Advil Pain Equity Project is a long-term commitment to champion equitable and accessible pain relief in the United States, created by Advil and launched in partnership with Morehouse School of Medicine and BLKHLTH. The Advil Pain Equity Project's first campaign, Believe My Pain, is focused on illuminating the issue of pain inequity in Black communities.

About Haleon

Haleon (LSE / NYSE: HLN) is a global leader in consumer health, with a purpose to deliver better everyday health with humanity. Haleons product portfolio spans five major categories - Oral Health, Pain Relief, Respiratory Health, Digestive Health and Other, and Vitamins, Minerals and Supplements (VMS). Its long-standing brands - such as Advil, Sensodyne, Panadol, Voltaren, Theraflu, Otrivin, Polident, parodontax and Centrum - are built on trusted science, innovation and deep human understanding.

For more information, please visit www.haleon.com

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, designthinking solutions and market-leading media products, we produce framework design, benchmarking, economic and social impact analysis, forecasting and scenario modelling, Press Release making Economist Impact's offering unique in the marketplace. Visit www.economistimpact.com for more information

Economist Impact Health Inclusivity Index Methodology

The Health Inclusivity index is based on more than 42000 respondents in 40 countries. Economist Impact fielded a digital survey to 39,000 adults aged 18 and older in 39 of the 40 countries included in the Index between June and August 2023.

Media Contacts: Haleon Media Contact:

Gemma Thomas

[email protected]

+44 (0) 7721376006 Edelman Media Contact:

Charlotte Cheal

[email protected]

+44 (0) 7801 141626

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/723b780a-602a-4324-a9d0-4349bfd32e05
MADISON, Va., Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Verizon Frontline Crisis Response Team recently completed a deployment in support of the more than 200 first responders responsible for battling the Quaker Run Fire in Madison County, Va. and in Shenandoah National Park.

At the request of the Madison County Emergency Management Agency, a Satellite Picocell on a Trailer (SPOT) and several other Verizon Frontline solutions were delivered to a location near the fire to help provide firefighters and other public safety agencies on the front lines of the response operation with critical voice and data service.

SPOTs are rapidly deployable and provide wireless network coverage in remote areas where traditional signals are challenging or unavailable, like the area in and around Shenandoah National Park, where the Quaker Run Fire, which started on Oct. 24, burned nearly 4,000 acres before it was contained late last week.

The Verizon Frontline Crisis Response Teams deployment in Virginia is the most recent example of how it helps to provide firefighters the connectivity they need to achieve their missions 24/7, at no cost to supported agencies. This year alone, the team has responded to 194 requests for communications support during wildfires in 22 states and has delivered nearly 2,300 Verizon Frontline solutions to 66 different public safety agencies.

Verizon Frontline is the advanced network and technology built for first responders  developed over nearly three decades of partnership with public safety officials and agencies on the front lines  to meet their unique and evolving needs.

The Verizon Frontline Crisis Response Team provides on-demand, emergency assistance during crisis situations to government agencies and emergency responders, on a 24/7 basis. Verizon Frontline Crisis Response Team members set up portable cell sites, WiFi hotspots, free charging stations and other Verizon Frontline devices and solutions that enable communications and/or boost network performance.

Media contact: Eric Durie[email protected]516-382-8219

Source: Verizon Sourcing LLC
BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. Armenia must realize that the roots of peace are not in Washington, Brussels and Paris, but in the region, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan - Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmet Hajiyev told reporters, Trend reports.

He noted that Armenia must look inside the region and continue negotiations with Azerbaijan to promote peace and achieve serious success.

"Azerbaijan has good intentions. The sovereignty of our country has been secured, a new status quo has been established in the region, that is legitimate and based on justice and international law. The status quo created by Armenia through the occupation of Azerbaijani lands was defended by the members of the Minsk Group supporting Armenia, which was unjust and unacceptable," Hajiyev emphasized.

Azerbaijan made a peace proposal to Armenia in 2020, after the end of the second Karabakh war, which consisted of five basic principles. Over the past period, Armenia has been delaying the negotiation of the terms of the peace agreement and the signing of the final agreement in different ways.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Torrance, California--(Newsfile Corp. - November 21, 2023) - Criminal IP, a Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) search engine developed by AI SPERA, has integrated its IP address and URL scans into VirusTotal. As cyber threats, particularly considering the rising number of ransomware attacks, become more prevalent, empowering one's cybersecurity ecosystem is crucial. In this landscape, VirusTotal plays a pivotal role as an intelligence security website.

Criminal IP has integrated its IP address and URL scans into VirusTotal

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9100/188024_cfcc493a24b10bf1_001full.jpg

VirusTotal, one of the richest and most actionable crowdsourced threat intelligence suites scans files and URLs using 70+ antivirus tools, promoting global security through collaboration among the industry, researchers, and users. VirusTotal aggregates data from various antivirus engines, website scanners, file and URL analysis tools, and user contributions. The platform maintains objectivity, offers detailed results, and provides premium services for organizations to enhance internet safety.

Criminal IP, a new contributor to VirusTotal, operates as an OSINT-based CTI search engine. Powered by AI, it specializes in efficiently aggregating critical threat data, focusing on automatically collecting the latest threat information related to IP and domain addresses. Criminal IP became a VirusTotal contributor last April, providing real-time scan data for potentially malicious IP addresses. Renowned for its precision in identifying suspicious IPs, Criminal IP has now become a contributor to both IP and URL scanning.

VirusTotal URL Scan Results Showing Criminal IP Analysis



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9100/188024_cfcc493a24b10bf1_002full.jpg

In VirusTotal, users can scan a suspicious IP, domain or URL, and each contributing AntiVirus engine flags its own result as Clean, Malicious, or Phishing based on the vendor's algorithm. In addition to this comprehensive maliciousness result, for those seeking more information about each component and false positives, users can visit Criminal IP.

About AI SPERA

AI SPERA launched its CTI-based search engine, Criminal IP, in April 2023 after a successful year-long beta phase. The company has established technical and business partnerships with renowned global security firms, including PolySwarm, Splunk, Anomali, LogRhythm, Datadog, and more. Criminal IP has recently achieved the highest global compliance and payment standards, PCI DSS Level 1. With the search engine available in 5 different languages (English, French, Arabic, Japanese, and Korean), it welcomes unique users worldwide.

Media Contact

Company Name: AI SPERA

Person: Dan Larson

Contact: [email protected]

Website: https://www.criminalip.io

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/188024
Vancouver, British Columbia and Miami, Florida--(Newsfile Corp. - November 21, 2023) - Deal Night Events ("Deal Night" or the "Company"), an investor event series created by Vancouver entrepreneur and investor, Kevan Matheson, is pleased to announce the completion of its ninth event which took place on November 16, 2023 at Briza on the Bay in Miami, FL. This highly anticipated event was the most unique and unforgettable experience yet, marking a significant milestone in Deal Night's remarkable five-year history.





Deal Night Miami November 16, 2023

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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Kevan Matheson, Founder of Deal Night Events, stated: "We were thrilled to return to Miami's booming business hub for our ninth event. Hosting these events brings me immense satisfaction, fueled by my deep commitment to making early-stage investing more inclusive. The positive feedback from our past events, particularly the praise for the diversity and excellence of deal flow during Deal Night, fuels our commitment. Moving forward, our primary focus remains on fostering an environment where innovation and accessibility thrives, ensuring that promising entrepreneurs receive the support needed to transform their groundbreaking ideas into successful businesses. We're constantly striving to enhance the overall experience, and for our upcoming events, we have some exciting plans that we are eager to unveil."

Deal Night's ninth event featured a diverse array of presentations from emerging start-ups and publicly traded companies. Additionally, the Company strategically utilized the impact of social media by partnering with prominent influencers, who collectively boasted a substantial following of 3 million. This exposure not only amplified the online visibility of the featured companies but also generated increased interest among prospective investors following the event.

Presenters include:

Skyharbour Resources Ltd. (TSXV: SYH) (OTCQX: SYHBF) (FSE: SC1P)

Alaska Energy Metals Corporation (TSXV: AEMC) (OTCQB: AKEMF)

Tabler App

Esquisito Tequila

Scott D. Clary and Polina Groman

Event Partners Include:

Newsfile Corp

Westwick Capital Partners

Upcoming Events

For companies interested in presenting at upcoming events, please click here.

For investors interested in attending upcoming events, please pre-register at this link.

-##-

About Deal Night Events

Deal Night Events is an event series created by Kevan Matheson and organized by Apollo Shareholder Relations, which aims to democratize access to early stage investments by transforming how companies engage with investors. The events feature engaging, "Shark Tank"-style company pitches in an upscale, social atmosphere. The event introduces potential investors in the audience to early-stage investment opportunities that historically have been only accessible to institutional investors and those in closed, tight-knit, and established capital markets communities. Deal Night events have taken place in Vancouver, Toronto and Miami, with plans to expand to Beverly Hills, London, New York and Dubai.

For further information on Deal Night Events, please visit www.dealnightevents.com.

About Apollo Shareholder Relations Inc.

Apollo is a full-service investor communications agency with a specific focus on modern outreach techniques. Primary activities include live events in Miami, Toronto and Vancouver, content creation, influencer and social media marketing, as well as branding and design. To learn more, please visit https://apollorelations.com.

Contact Information:

Kevan Matheson

Founder of Deal Night Events

Instagram: @kevmatheson & @dealnightevents

Email: [email protected]

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/188301
Gross Proceeds of up to $800,000 to be Used to Expand the Mineable Resource at Bradshaw Gold Deposit and to Further Test the NTGP Area

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - November 21, 2023) - Gowest Gold Ltd.(TSXV: GWA) ("Gowest" or the "Corporation") announced today a proposed non-brokered private placement of up to 7,619,048 flow-through units of the Corporation (the "FT Units"), at a price of $0.105 per FT Unit, for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $800,000 (the "Offering"). Each FT Unit will comprise one common share and one-half common share purchase warrant (each whole common share purchase warrant), a "Warrant"), issued on a flow-through basis, with each whole Warrant being exercisable to acquire one additional common share of the Corporation at a price of $0.14 for a period of 24 months following the closing date of the Offering. The common shares underlying the Warrants will not be issued as flow-through shares.

The gross proceeds of the Offering will be used to incur "Canadian exploration expenses" as defined in subsection 66.1(6) of the Income Tax Act (Canada)(the "Tax Act"), and renounced to subscribers under the Offering with an effective date no later than December 31, 2023. Such Canadian exploration expenses will also qualify as "flow-through mining expenditures" as defined in subsection 127(9) of the Tax Act.

More specifically, it is anticipated that the gross proceeds from the Offering will be used to expand the mineable resource at the Corporation's 100% owned Bradshaw Gold Deposit ("Bradshaw"), as well as to further test other parts of the Corporation's North Timmins Gold Project ("NTGP") area where notable gold has previously been intercepted. The latter includes both the Roussain Gold Zone, located approximately two kilometers northeast of Bradshaw, and the Sheridan Gold Zone, located just west of Bradshaw.

Dan Gagnon, President and Chief Executive Officer of Gowest, said, "As we've recently reported, we are continuing our aggressive exploration work focused on continuing to expand our already substantial resources at and around the Bradshaw mine, as well as in other demonstrated gold zones within other parts of our large and highly prospective NTGP area. Our recently completed exploration drilling around Bradshaw has proven very successful and earlier testing, particularly at both the Roussain and Sheridan zones, continued to provide strong support for additional resource and reserve potential across our large property area. We remain very excited as we advance this next phase of drilling and anticipate still greater growth for the benefit of all of our investors."

Please see Gowest Gold Ltd. news release dated November 14, 2023.

It is anticipated that the closing of the Offering will occur on or about November 24, 2023; provided however, the Offering may be completed in one or more tranches (including after such date). The closing of the Offering is subject to the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

The Corporation anticipates that certain officers and/or directors of the Corporation may participate in the Offering. Participation by insiders in the Offering will be exempt from the valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101") by virtue of the exemptions contained in Sections 5.5(a) and (b), and 5.7(1)(a), respectively, of MI 61-101.

Subject to compliance with the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange and applicable securities legislation, the Corporation may pay a finder's fee in connection with the Offering comprised of: (i) a cash fee equal to up to 6.0% of the gross proceeds received from the sale of FT Units sold to purchasers introduced to the Corporation by the finder, and (ii) warrants exercisable for a period of 24 months from the date of issuance to acquire that number of common shares of the Corporation, at a purchase price of $0.14 per share, equal to up to 6.0% of the number of FT Units sold to purchasers introduced to the Corporation by the finder.

All of the securities issued or issuable pursuant to the Offering will be subject to a hold period in Canada expiring four months and one day after the date of issuance.

All dollar amounts referred to in this press release are in Canadian Dollars, except where expressly indicated otherwise.

The securities offered pursuant to the Offering have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements. This release does not constitute an offer for the sale of securities in the United States.

About Gowest

Gowest is a Canadian gold exploration and development company focused on the delineation and development of its 100% owned Bradshaw Gold Deposit (Bradshaw) on the Frankfield Property, part of the Corporation's North Timmins Gold Project (NTGP). Gowest is exploring additional gold targets on its +100squarekilometre NTGP land package and continues to evaluate the area, which is part of the prolific Timmins, Ontario gold camp. Currently, Bradshaw contains a National Instrument 43101 Indicated Resource estimated at 2.1 million tonnes ("t") grading 6.19 grams per tonne gold (g/t Au) containing 422 thousand ounces (oz) Au and an Inferred Resource of 3.6 million t grading 6.47 g/t Au containing 755 thousand oz Au. Further, based on the PreFeasibility Study produced by Stantec Mining and announced on June 9, 2015, Bradshaw contains Mineral Reserves (Mineral Resources are inclusive of Mineral Reserves) in the probable category, using a 3 g/t Au cutoff and utilizing a gold price of US$1,200 / oz, totaling 1.8 million t grading 4.82 g/t Au for 277 thousand oz Au.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may contain certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding the Corporation's proposed Offering and the use of proceeds of the proposed Offering. Forward-Looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Corporation to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Readers are therefore cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this news release and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Corporation disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise.

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.

For further information please contact:

Dan Gagnon

President & CEO

Tel: (416) 363-1210

Email: [email protected]



Greg Taylor

Investor Relations

Tel: (416) 605-5120

Email: [email protected]

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/188193
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - November 21, 2023) - Hertz Lithium Inc. (CSE: HZ) (OTCQB: HZLIF) (FSE: QE2) (the "Company" or "Hertz") announces, further to its news release on November 3, 2023, that the Company has revised the terms of its previously announced non-brokered private placement. The Company will now be conducting a non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of up to $3,500,000 (the "Private Placement").

The Private Placement will consist of the issuance of up to 11,111,111 units (the "Non-FT Units") at a price of $0.18 per Non-FT Unit for gross proceeds of up to $2,000,000, and up to 3,750,000 flow-through units (the "Charity FT Units") at a price of $0.40 per Charity FT Unit, for gross proceeds of up to $1,500,000. Each Non-FT Unit will be comprised of one common share in the capital of the Company (each, a "Share") and one share purchase warrant (each, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one additional Share (each, a "Warrant Share") for a period of 24 months from the closing date at an exercise price of $0.40 per Warrant Share. The Warrants will be subject to an accelerated expiry upon thirty (30) business days notice from the Company in the event the Shares trade for fourteen (14) consecutive trading days anytime after four (4) months from closing of the Private Placement at a volume-weighted average price of at least $0.60 on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE").

Each FT Charity Unit will be comprised of one Share, to be issued as a "flow-through share" within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada) (the "Tax Act") that will be issued as part of a charity arrangement, and one Warrant.

The net proceeds from the sale of Non-FT Units will be used for the advancement of the Company's Lithium Extraction Technology, exploration at its Lucky Mica Project, Consulting/Management fees, marketing/IR, and general and administrative matters. The gross proceeds from the issuance of the Charity FT Units will be used for "Canadian Exploration Expenses" within the meaning of the Tax Act, which will be incurred on or before December 31, 2024, and renounced with an effective date no later than December 31, 2023, to the initial purchasers of the Charity FT Units in an aggregate amount not less than the gross proceeds raised from the issue of Charity FT Units.

The Private Placement may close on one or more dates as the Company may determine.

The Company may pay a finder's fee in connection with the Private Placement to eligible arm's length finders in accordance with the policies of the CSE. All securities issued in connection with the Private Placement will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months and one day following the date of issuance in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws.

The securities issued pursuant to the Private Placement have not, nor will they be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons in the absence of U.S. registration or an applicable exemption from the U.S. registration requirements. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in the United States or in any other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

About Hertz Lithium Inc.

Hertz Lithium is a British Columbia based junior exploration company primarily engaged in the acquisition and exploration of mineral properties. The Company's lithium exploration projects include the Lucky Mica Lithium Project, the ACDC Lithium Project and the Patriota Lithium Projection. The Lucky Mica Project is 939 hectares located within the Arizona Pegmatite Belt in the Maricopa County of Arizona, USA. The ACDC Project is 26,500 hectares located in the renowned James Bay Lithium District in Quebec, Canada, just 26kms southeast of the Covette Lithium Project owned by Patriot Battery Metals and is contiguous to Rio Tinto's Kaanaayaa project claims. The Patriota Lithium Project is 2,963 hectares located within the Eastern Brazilian Pegmatite Province in Minas Gerais, Brazil and host to similar geology as Sigma's "Green Lithium Mine". 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 that utilizes a process for extracting lithium directly from alpha-spodumene.

For further information, please contact Mr. Kal Malhi or view the Company's filings at www.sedarplus.ca.

On Behalf Of the Board of Directors

Kal Malhi

Chief Executive Officer and Director

Phone: 604-805-4602

Email: [email protected]

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information

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 DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR THROUGH UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICE

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/188307
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - November 21, 2023) - iMining Technologies Inc. (TSXV: IMIN) (the "Company" or "iMining"), a leading publicly listed company, proudly announces the establishment of AiMining Technologies Inc. ("AiMining"), a subsidiary dedicated to the forefront of Artificial Intelligence ("AI") innovation. Leveraging iMining's expertise in technology and data analytics, AiMining is poised to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of the evolving AI landscape.

AiMining will consist of two key segments:

Research Division: Spearheading innovative research within the AI sector, this arm will collaborate with esteemed post doctorates, data scientists, universities, think tanks, non-profit associations, and government institutions. The goal is to drive advancements in ethical AI technology and contribute to the development of cutting-edge solutions that address real-world challenges.

Commercialization Division: Focused on market engagement, this arm will proactively interact with industry stakeholders to understand market requirements. It will also oversee the commercialization of responsible AI products developed by AiMining, ensuring a seamless integration of ground-breaking solutions into the market.

The integration of AiMining into iMining's technology portfolio represents a strategic move to enhance the company's capabilities and stay at the forefront of emerging technologies. AI will fit seamlessly into iMining's existing technological ecosystem, offering synergies that will further solidify the company's position as an industry leader.

Canada, renowned as a global leader in AI innovation, serves as the strategic launchpad for iMining's new venture. Canada boasts one of the most favorable regulations for innovation in AI, providing an environment that fosters creativity and technological advancement. The country's commitment to ethical AI development positions AiMining at the forefront of AI technology that not only empowers humanity but also provides a positive social impact.

Khurram Shroff, Chairman and CEO of iMining, expressed his enthusiasm for the Company's foray into the AI sector, stating, "Artificial Intelligence is poised to be a pivotal component of the second industrial revolution. With our rich history in technology and data analytics, iMining is well-positioned to contribute significantly to this transformative era. Our new subsidiary, AiMining Technologies, marks a strategic move to harness the potential of AI and drive innovation that will shape the future."

The establishment of AiMining aligns with the Company's commitment to staying at the forefront of technological advancements. As the world embraces the possibilities of AI, iMining is proud to take a leading role in shaping the landscape of a human-centric AI-economy.

About iMining Technologies Inc.

iMining Technologies Inc. is a publicly listed technology company which together with its subsidiaries acquires, builds, and manages future technology companies in Canada. The Company's industry specific technology businesses provide specialized and innovative solutions in future technologies and serves private sector markets. iMining Technologies Inc. is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

About AiMining Technologies Inc.

AiMining Technologies Inc., a subsidiary of iMining Technologies Inc., stands at the forefront of Artificial Intelligence (AI) innovation. Comprising a dedicated research arm focused on collaboration with esteemed institutions and a monetization arm geared towards market engagement, AiMining seamlessly integrates into iMining's technology portfolio and is committed to advancing responsible AI development.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Signed "Khurram Shroff"

Khurram Shroff, President & CEO

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, please contact:

iMining Corporate Offices:

Saleem Moosa, CFO and Director

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: 1-604-602-4935

Toll Free: 1-866-602-4935

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/188250
29.4 g/t Au over 0.6m within cherty silicified zone with 10% pyrite

6.96 g/t Au over 0.9m within quartz stockwork with 2% pyrite

Thunder Bay, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - November 21, 2023) - Metals Creek Resources Corp. (TSXV: MEK) (FSE: M1C1)(the "Company" or Metals Creek) is pleased to announce channel sample assay results from recently completed trenching program on the Shabaqua Corners Gold Property.

The property is located within the Shebandowan Greenstone Belt, approximately 54 km west of Thunder Bay, Ontario near Shabaqua Corners and on trend to Delta Resources Delta 1 project. The property has seen very little exploration work.

Channel sample results from the recently completed trenching program (See MEK news release dated September 7, 2023) targeting multiple prospective gold targets have been received from Main Zone. Mineralization consisted of 2-10% pyrite and 0.25 to 3% arsenopyrite with associated quartz veining and pervasive iron carbonate alteration hosted within a zone of intense silicification and quartz stockwork with associated brecciation. Results include 29.4 grams per tonne (g/t) Gold (Au) over 0.6 meters (m) and 6.96 g/t Au over 0.9m. Four (4) Grab samples collected immediately north (4-6m) of the main zone mineralization (See Figure 1) returned gold assays ranging from 396 parts per billion (ppb) to 10.2 g/t Au indicating a potential parallel zone of mineralization as demonstrated in other gold zones within the Shebandowan Greenstone Belt. Preliminary interpretation indicates gold mineralization occurs at or near the contact with mafic volcanics and sediments, with shearing and intense iron carbonate alteration as well as potential secondary structures to that of main zone. (Note: The surface grab samples described in this news release are selective by nature and are unlikely to represent average grades of the property.)

Further assays are pending and will be released as they are received and compiled.

Historically, very little exploration work has been conducted on the project and management is highly encouraged with the trenching results to date. Over a short period of time, the company has been successful in discovering several new gold showings. The use of soil sampling has been instrumental in identifying prospective areas for trenching with pervasive overburden coverage. Utilizing this cost effective exploration tool has led to the discovery of five (5) new gold showings/zones. Due to significant overburden depths, several prospective gold in soil anomalies remain untested. With little to no drilling conducted on the property, the exploration potential at depth is very favorable as demonstrated on projects east of our eastern boundary where gold grades and widths appear to increase with depth.

All samples were sent to Activation Laboratories. The precious metals were analyzed utilizing a standard fire assay with an atomic absorption finish. Samples with fire assay results above 1.0 g/t gold are re-analyzed using a gravimetric finish and samples with fire assay results above 5.0 g/t gold or samples showing visible gold are analyzed using the pulp metallic method.

The project is underlain by mafic volcanics with interbedded sediments. Gold mineralization is hosted within an east-west trending zone of pervasive carbonate alteration with associated quartz carbonate veins and pyrite/arsenopyrite.

The eastern boundary of the property is located 1.57 kilometers(km) west of Delta Resources (DLTA) drill hole DL-22-18 which returned an intercept of 5.92 g/t Au over 31m (Source: Delta New Release October 31, 2022). Trenching conducted on Delta's ground 390m east of the property boundary, returned an interval of 2.22 g/t Au over 8m (Source: Delta Resources Website).

All samples were sent to Activation Laboratories. The precious metals were analyzed utilizing a standard fire assay with an atomic absorption finish.

Michael MacIsaac, P.Geo and VP Exploration for the Corporation and a qualified person as defined in National Instrument 43-101, is responsible for this release, and supervised the preparation of the information forming the basis for this release.





Figure 1

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Zone of intense silicification and quartz stockwork assaying 29.4 g/t gold over 0.60 m

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About Metals Creek Resources Corp.

Metals Creek Resources Corp. is a junior exploration company incorporated under the laws of the Province of Ontario, is a reporting issuer in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario, and has its common shares listed for trading on the Exchange under the symbol "MEK". Metals Creek has earned a 50% interest in the Ogden Gold Property from Newmont Corporation, including the former Naybob Gold mine, located 6 km south of Timmins, Ontario and has an 8 km strike length of the prolific Porcupine-Destor Fault (P-DF).

Metals Creek also has multiple quality projects available for option which can be viewed on the Company's website. Parties interested in seeking more information about properties available for option can contact the Company at the number below.

Additional information concerning the Company is contained in documents filed by the Company with securities regulators, available under its profile at www.sedar.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.

Alexander (Sandy) Stares, President and CEO



Metals Creek Resources Corp

telephone: (709)-256-6060

fax: (709)-256-6061

MetalsCreek.com

Twitter.com/MetalsCreekRes

Facebook.com/MetalsCreek

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/188209
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - November 21, 2023) - NetCents Technology Inc. (CSE: NC) (FSE: 26N) (OTC: NTTCF) ("NetCents" or the "Company"), a cryptocurrency payments company, reaffirms its commitment to regulatory compliance in response to the BCSC Notice of Hearing.

Initially, the Company was advised not to discuss BCSC matters, but with this recent announcement by the BCSC, the Company confirms its ability to be fully transparent and provide all relevant information. For over half a decade, NetCents has navigated through a series of challenges presented by the BCSC. Despite diligently responding and providing all information required by the Commission, the Company has encountered a lack of affirmative support. As a Canadian company at the forefront of innovation in the cryptocurrency sector, this lack of engagement has been disheartening.

The Company holds on record a written acknowledgment from the BCSC confirming that its operations were not deemed an illegal exchange prior to the implementation of new registration requirements, announced by the BCSC on August 15, 2022, for all cryptocurrency exchanges-a registration the Company was actively undertaking until it officially closed the NC Exchange in January 2023 - a process that the Company undertook with the guidance of the BCSC. In September 2022, the Company proactively contacted the BCSC, communicating the Company's intention to cease exchange operations to ensure that it remained within its obligations as an exchange.

The protracted nature of this engagement, spanning almost five years, has seen the Company continually reaching out to the BCSC to address and resolve these matters, including the release of funds to the coin holder. The Company's efforts to establish a dialogue, however, have been met with silence for the past two years.

Despite the absence of positive reinforcement from the regulatory body, NetCents remains undeterred in its mission. The Company continues to seek a resolution and advocate for its cause and the coin holders, fortified by the belief in the importance of its work and the value it brings to its users and the industry.

NetCents is prepared to present its case on the scheduled date and will defend its position with the full expectation of a fair and just process. The Company anticipates that the outcome will reflect its dedication to compliance and the innovative spirit that drives the company.

As of today, the Company continues to be subject to a cease trade order and is working diligently to complete the annual financial statements for the fiscal year ending October 31, 2021, and the fiscal year ending October 31, 2022.

About NetCents

NetCents Technology Inc., the transactional hub for all cryptocurrency payments, equips forward-thinking businesses with the technology to seamlessly integrate cryptocurrency processing into their payment model without taking on the risk or volatility of the crypto market. NetCents Technology is registered as a Money Services Business (MSB) with FINTRAC.



For more information, please visit the corporate website at www.net-cents.com or contact Investor Relations at [email protected].

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

NetCents Technology Inc.

"Clayton Moore"

Clayton Moore, CEO, Founder and Director

NetCents Technology Inc.

350 - 375 Water Street

Vancouver, BC, V6B 5C6

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws ("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 including without limitation, timing of finalizing and filing of the Company's financial statements, expected growth and success of the Company. 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

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/188205
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - November 20, 2023) - Pure Energy Minerals Ltd. (TSXV: PE) (OTCQB: PEMIF) ("Pure Energy" or "the Company") is pleased to announce that Mr. Patrick Galletti has been appointed to the board of directors of Pure Energy Minerals. Mr. Galletti represents Schlumberger New Energy ("SLB"), a 17.8% shareholder of the Company.

Patrick Galletti is a distinguished professional with 25 years of expertise in the Oil & Gas industry and brings a wealth of experience from diverse international roles, including Project Management, Commercial Negotiations, and Business Management across O&G and Geothermal sectors. His background spans North and South America, Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Australasia, and includes positions such as Managing Director for Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile, as well as Strategy Director for the Americas. He currently serves as SLB New Energy Business Development Director. Mr. Galletti holds a degree in Petroleum Engineering from Texas A&M University.

Joe Mullin, Pure Energy's CEO & Director, commented, "Pure Energy is pleased to welcome Mr. Galletti as a director of the Company. His wealth of experience in the Americas will be an asset to Pure Energy in its future endeavours and we look forward to his contributions to Pure Energy."

About Pure Energy

Pure Energy Minerals is a lithium resource developer that is driven to become a low-cost supplier for the growing lithium battery industry. Pure Energy has consolidated a pre-eminent land position at its Clayton Valley Project in the Clayton Valley of central Nevada for the exploration and development of lithium resources, comprising 950 claims over 23,360 acres (9,450 hectares), representing the largest mineral land holdings in the valley.

Pure Energy's strategic partner, SLB, is operator of the Clayton Valley Project. In May of 2019, Pure Energy and SLB signed an Earn-In agreement over the CV Project which requires significant investment by SLB at the Project, to include the design and construction of a pilot plant capable of processing lithium-bearing brines for high-quality lithium hydroxide monohydrate ("lithium hydroxide" or "LiOHH2O") and/or lithium carbonate products at a specified rate. For further details regarding SLB's participation, please refer to Pure Energy's Annual General and Special Meeting Management Information Circular dated April 4, 2019, available on Sedarplus.ca.

On January 3, 2019, the Nevada Division of Water Resources ("NDWR") approved and granted a Finite Term Water Right to Pure Energy, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Esmeralda Minerals LLC, for the extraction of up to 50 acre-feet of brine during a 5-year period from the CV properties. This water right is deemed sufficient for brine testing requirements and SLB's future the pilot plant facility. In July of 2020, the CV-09 well was completed pursuant to the Finite Term Water Right and results of initial sampling were published by Pure Energy on October 14, 2020. On March 28, 2023, Pure Energy announced that all permits were in place for the construction and operation of the DLE Pilot Plant, and SLB confirmed that construction was underway.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

"Joseph Mullin"

President and CEO, Pure Energy Minerals Ltd.

CONTACT:

Pure Energy Minerals Limited (www.pureenergyminerals.com)

Email: [email protected]

Telephone - 604 608 6611

Cautionary Statements and Forward-Looking Information

The information in this news release contains forward looking statements that are subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in our forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause such differences include: changes in world commodity markets, equity markets, costs and supply of materials relevant to the mining industry, change in government and changes to regulations affecting the mining industry. Forward-looking statements in this release may include future exploration and development on the Clayton Valley Project. Although we believe the expectations reflected in our forward-looking statements are reasonable, results may vary, and we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements.

The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except as required by applicable laws.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/188177
Kingston, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - November 21, 2023) - Delta Resources Limited(TSXV: DLTA)(OTC Pink: DTARF) (FSE: 6GO1)("Delta" or "the Company")is pleased to provide additional final assay results from its second phase of drilling, previously announced on June 6, 2023 , at the Delta-1 Gold project located 50 km west of Thunder Bay, Ontario.

Results from the final fifteen (15) drill holes of the second phase drill program are provided in Table 1 below. Other results from the forty-eight (48) drill holes comprising this phase of drilling were released on September 12, 2023 and October 5, 2023.and October 23, 2023.

Highlights:

Depth Extension at Delta-1 (Figure 2):

D1-23-72 intersected 1.49 g/t Au over 18.9 metres including 2.27 g/t Au over 10.0 metres . Including a three-metre interval grading 5.20 g/t Au, This intersection extends the Beta Zone to a vertical depth of 285 metres, 100 metres east of drill hole D1-23-86.

. D1-23-86 intersected 0.64 g/t Au over 58.7 metres including 2.20 g/t Au over 9.0 metres This intersection extends the Beta Zone to a vertical depth of 240 metres 100 metres west of drill hole D1-23-72. Hole D1-23-86 also intersected 9.66 g/t Au over 1.5 metres at a vertical depth of approximately 365 metres.



Increased Gold Inventory at Delta-1; Gamma Zone Near Surface Extended for 200 metres (Figure 1):

D1-23-77 intersected 1.05 g/t Au over 11.5 metres ,

, D1-23-78 intersected 0.54 g/t Au over 23.5 metres from 6.0 metres. These intersections extend the Gamma Zone for a surface strike length off 200 metres to date. Drill holes D1-23-77 and 78 were drilled respectively 100 metres east and west of drill hole D1-23-53: 1.18 g/t Au over 42.0 metres (September 12, 2023).



Eastern Extension of Gold mineralization and alteration corridor (Figure 1):

D1-23-73 intersected 0.50 g/t Au over 6.5 metres , and

, and D1-23-74 intersected 0.49 g/t Au over 15.50 metres.

Both these drill holes are located on a section 846 metres east of hole D1-23-38: 1636 g/t Au and 697 g/t Au over 1.0 metres each (May 11, 2023), showing the potential for new mineralized zones east of the currently defined gold zone.

(May 11, 2023), showing the potential for new mineralized zones east of the currently defined gold zone. D1-23-76 is located 1.15 kilometres east of hole D1-23-38 and intersected the alteration corridor over a core length of 202 metres.

Western Extension of Gold mineralization (Figure 1):

D1-23-83 intersected 0.63 g/t Au over 10.5 metres including 3.17 g/t over 1.5 metres.

including 3.17 g/t over 1.5 metres. The intersection is a 275-metre step-out west of the currently defined gold zone.

New High-Grade Zones intercepted at depth showing under-ground potential (Figure 2):

Hole D1-23-86 intersected 9.66 g/t Au over 1.5 metres at a vertical depth of approximately 365 metres.

at a vertical depth of approximately 365 metres. These high-grade gold intercepts at depth have become common at Delta-1, such as in drill holes D1-23-67: 24.4 g/t Au over 1.5 metres, 200 metres vertical, and D1-23-68: 12.5 g/t Au over 1.0 metres and 11.2 g/t Au over 1.5 metres at 382 metres and 406 metres vertical respectively (October 23, 2023 ) .

Andr Tessier, President and CEO commented: "These latest results demonstrate that the mineralization and the broader alteration/deformation corridor are still open in all directions. With all the phase two drilling results now in-hand, we are continuing to integrate and model all of this new geological and assay data to better our understanding of the structural controls and geometry, as well as the geochemical and geophysical signatures of the mineralized zone. We are looking forward to the 2024 drilling program, which we strongly believe will benefit from the technical and targeting work currently being undertaken."

The complete table of results from this release is shown below at Table 1:

DRILL HOLE NO UTM Coordinates Zone 16 Azimuth Incl. Length

(m) FROM

(m) TO

(m) Au Grade

(g/t) CORE

LENGTH (m) Easting Northing D1-23-72 289926 5385044 360 -45 552 78.00 81.00 1.75 4.00 277.50 280.50 1.82 3.00 325.00 329.00 1.63 4.00 403.10 422.00 1.49 18.90 incl. 403.10 413.10 2.27 10.00 and 408.10 411.10 5.20 3.00 451.80 457.90 1.41 6.10 D1-23-73 291448 5384899 180 -45 501 41.50 48.00 0.50 6.50 73.20 74.70 1.72 1.50 D1-23-74 291448 5384899 360 -45 118 64.50 80.00 0.49 15.50 incl. 64.50 66.00 3.10 1.50 D1-23-75 291753 5384823 180 -45 342 NSR D1-23-76 291753 5384823 360 -45 215 NSR D1-23-77 290464 5385220 180 -40 165.0 36.00 47.50 1.05 11.50 D1-23-78 290262 5385245 180 -40 174.0 6.00 29.50 0.54 23.50 D1-23-79 290155 5385240 180 -40 156.0 NSR D1-23-80 290041 5385283 180 -40 174.0 NSR D1-23-81 289939 5385310 180 -40 201.0 NSR D1-23-82 289989 5385208 0 -45 345.0 137.50 155.50 0.54 18.00 164.50 190.00 0.60 25.50 incl. 164.50 167.50 3.30 3.00 D1-23-83 288809 5385649 180 -45 468.0 163.00 173.50 0.63 10.50 incl. 164.50 166.00 3.17 1.50 D1-23-84 288811 5385405 180 -45 153.0 NSR D1-23-85 289379 5385566 180 -62 531.0 NSR D1-23-86 289830 5385052 0 -45 590.0 290.30 349.00 0.64 58.70 incl. 340.00 349.00 2.20 9.00 514.50 516.00 9.66 1.50

TABLE 1: Table of new drilling results at the Delta-1 Project; November 21, 2023.

Geological Discussion

The Delta-1 project is located in the Shebandowan Greenstone Belt and covers a 19 km strike extent of the Shebandowan Structural Zone. Gold mineralization at Eureka, occurs within a broad corridor of highly altered (ankerite-calcite-silicification and albitization) rocks exhibiting highly anomalous gold values of up to 0.2 g/t gold. Higher-grade mineralization within this corridor is associated with a stockwork of quartz-ankerite-pyrite-gold veinlets, with increased density of these veinlets generally proportional to increased gold grade. The gold mineralized zones have so far been intersected for a strike of approximately 2.3 kilometres, with a higher-grade segment extending for nearly 950 metres. So far, the mineralized zone extends from surface to a vertical depth of approximately 250 metres. Mineralization strikes approximately 100 to 120 degrees azimuth, with a dip of 75-80 degrees north (shallower dips of 50N are observed in the western portion of the zone). Higher-grade, wide ore shoots are observed and appear to be plunging approximately 40 degrees towards the west, within this structural corridor. Similar ore shoots are often observed in structurally controlled gold deposits and often occur with a certain periodicity. The currently defined ore shoots are open at depth.

The Next Steps

Delta has paused drilling in early October 2023 to analyze and further interpret the very large amount of geological, structural, and geochemical data accumulated since the beginning of this phase of drilling. Delta completed a 37-line kilometre 3D Induced Polarization survey covering 282 hectares, to better characterize the known mineralized zone and explore the extensions of the gold-bearing structure. Delta also completed a televiewer probing survey on fourteen (14) strategically located drill holes to collect valuable structural information on possible fault and vein orientations. Compilation of geological and geochemical data is also underway. This multidisciplinary approach will be used to help vector towards new mineralized zones within the gold-bearing structure. Delta will resume its drill campaign shortly after this work is completed, likely in January 2024.

Analytical Protocol and QA/QC

Chemical analyses reported in this press release were performed at AGAT Laboratories. AGAT Laboratories is accredited to ISO 17025 by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC). Sample preparation was performed in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Sampling and analytical procedures are subject to a comprehensive Quality Assurance and Quality Control program that includes duplicate samples, blanks, and analytical standards.

The following assaying protocol was adopted at Delta-1 to reduce the assay variability due to nugget effect caused by visible gold:

If visible gold is observed in the sample or within the assumed mineralized zone , the assay is performed by Metallic Screening whereby the entire sample is crushed, a 1 kg portion is pulverized and screened to 106m and analyzed by 50 g fire assay with gravimetric finish at the AGAT Laboratory in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

, the assay is performed by Metallic Screening whereby the entire sample is crushed, a 1 kg portion is pulverized and screened to 106m and analyzed by 50 g fire assay with gravimetric finish at the AGAT Laboratory in Thunder Bay, Ontario. If no visible gold is observed or outside of the mineralized zones , an initial assay is performed by 50 g Fire Assay with ICP-OES finish at the AGAT Laboratory in Thunder Bay, Ontario. If the assay result exceeds 2.0 g/t gold, remaining rejects are pulverized, a 1 kg portion is screened to 106m and analyzed by 50 g fire assay with gravimetric finish at the AGAT Laboratory in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

NQ-size drill core was sawed in half lengthwise and half of the core was sampled and sealed in clean plastic bags before being shipped for assay. The remaining half of the core was replaced in core boxes and is stored at Delta's core storage facilities. Standards and blanks are inserted in the sequence of samples on site as quality assurance and quality control in addition to the regular insertion of blank, duplicate, and standard samples accredited by SGS Canada Minerals Laboratories during the analytical process.

Qualified Persons

Daniel Boudreau, P.Geo. and Manager of Exploration at Delta Resources Limited, is the Qualified Persons as defined by NI-43-101. He has supervised the drilling program in the field and reviewed the technical information presented in this press release.

Ontario Junior Exploration Program

Delta Resources would like to acknowledge the financial support provided by the Ontario Government via the Ontario Junior Exploration Program ("OJEP"). Delta will be receiving up to $200,000 upon completion of its exploration program at Delta-1.

Other news

Delta Resources Limited has entered into a sponsorship agreement with RocksAndStocksNews. RocksAndStocksNews ("R&S") is a private entity owned and operated by Allan Laboucan. He is based in Mexico where operates an online portal for precious metals and mining stocks. It provides distribution of Delta's news releases along with comments and/or opinions on its YouTube Channel. It has a 6 month contract for a total of C$12,000 that expires on April 30, 2024 that was paid in full upon at the beginning of the contract. It will not receive shares or options as compensation. At the time of the agreement, R&S and the Company are unrelated and unaffiliated entities. No buying or selling recommendations are made, no price projections on Delta are given and nor do they give any financial advice. The owner of R&S is currently a shareholder of Delta, and at there sole discretion may purchase additional securities and or sell these securities for investment purposes.

About Delta Resources Limited

Delta Resources Limited is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on growing shareholder value through the exploration of two very high-potential gold and base-metal projects in Canada.

DELTA-1 is Delta's flagship project, where the Company is building gold ounces 50 kilometres west of Thunder Bay, Ontario, at surface and adjacent to the Trans-Canada highway. To date, the gold mineralization is defined over 1.8 km from surface to a vertical depth of 250 m. Highlights include drill intercepts such as 5.92 g/t Au over 31 m (incl. 14.8 g/t Au over 11.9 m), and 1.79 g/t Au over 128.5 m. The property covers 107 square kilometres and Delta has identified a 5 km long corridor of intense alteration and deformation at the property, on strike with the gold zone, that has yet to be thoroughly explored.

The DELTA-2 property covers 194 square kilometres in the prolific Chibougamau District of Quebec. The property holds excellent potential for gold-rich polymetallic VMS deposits as well as hydrothermal-gold deposits. Delta targets VMS deposits such as the LeMoine past producer where 0.76 Mt were mined between 1975 and 1983, grading 9.6% Zn, 4.2% Cu, 4.5 g/t Au and 84 g/t Ag.

Figure 1: Map of the Delta-1 Gold Zone, showing the new assay results from this press release. The map also shows the alteration corridor that is hosting the gold mineralization and the East Extension of the mineralized zone. This alteration corridor is defined over approximately five kilometres of strike length at Delta-1. Additional drilling will be testing for the presence of high-grade gold shoots within this corridor.



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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Figure 2: 3D model of the Delta-1 Gold Zone oriented as a longitudinal section, looking north. The illustration shows the location of drill holes D1-23-72 and D1-23-86 and high-grade intercepts at depth in drill holes D1-23-67, 68, 72 and 86. Noth the eastern and western extensions are not shown.



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8482/188155_a6e1dc72141bdad7_003full.jpg

About Delta Resources Limited

Delta Resources Limited is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on growing shareholder value through the exploration of two very high-potential gold and base-metal projects in Canada.

DELTA-1 is Delta's flagship project, where the Company is building gold ounces 50 kilometres west of Thunder Bay, Ontario, at surface and adjacent to the Trans-Canada highway. To date, the gold mineralization is defined over 1.8 km from surface to a vertical depth of 250 m. Highlights include drill intercepts such as 5.92 g/t Au over 31 m (incl. 14.8 g/t Au over 11.9 m), and 1.79 g/t Au over 128.5 m. The property covers 107 square kilometres and Delta has identified a 5 km long corridor of intense alteration and deformation at the property, on strike with the gold zone, that has yet to be thoroughly explored.

The DELTA-2 property covers 194 square kilometres in the prolific Chibougamau District of Quebec. The property holds excellent potential for gold-rich polymetallic VMS deposits as well as hydrothermal-gold deposits. Delta targets VMS deposits such as the LeMoine past producer where 0.76 Mt were mined between 1975 and 1983, grading 9.6% Zn, 4.2% Cu, 4.5 g/t Au and 84 g/t Ag.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DELTA RESOURCES LIMITED.

Andre C. Tessier

President, CEO and Director

www.deltaresources.ca

We seek safe harbor. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The TSX Venture Exchange has not approved nor disapproved of the information contained herein.

For Further Information:

Contact Delta Resources Limited

Frank Candido, Chairman

Tel: 514-969-5530

[email protected]

or

Andre Tessier, President and CEO

Tel: 613-328-1581

[email protected]

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Some statements contained in this news release are "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", "believes" or variations of such words and phrases (including negative or grammatical variations) or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotation thereof. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking information is inherently uncertain and involves risks, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause actual facts to differ materially. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting the Company will be those anticipated by management. The forward-looking information contained in this press release constitutes management's current estimates, as of the date of this press release, with respect to the matters covered thereby. We expect that these estimates will change as new information is received. While we may elect to update these estimates at any time, we do not undertake to update any estimate at any particular time or in response to any particular event.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/188155
Washington, D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - November 20, 2023) - The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged Payward Inc. and Payward Ventures Inc., together known as Kraken, with operating Krakens crypto trading platform as an unregistered securities exchange, broker, dealer, and clearing agency.



According to the SECs complaint, since at least September 2018, Kraken has made hundreds of millions of dollars unlawfully facilitating the buying and selling of crypto asset securities. The SEC alleges that Kraken intertwines the traditional services of an exchange, broker, dealer, and clearing agency without having registered any of those functions with the Commission as required by law. Krakens alleged failure to register these functions has deprived investors of significant protections, including inspection by the SEC, recordkeeping requirements, and safeguards against conflicts of interest, among others.



Through its platforms services, Kraken allegedly:

Provides a marketplace that brings together the orders for securities of multiple buyers and sellers using established, non-discretionary methods under which such orders interact, and thus operates as an exchange;

Engages in the business of effecting securities transactions for the accounts of Kraken customers, and thus operates as a broker;

Engages in the business of buying and selling securities for its own account without an applicable exception, and thus operates as a dealer; and

Serves as an intermediary in settling transactions in crypto asset securities by Kraken customers, and acts as a securities depository, and thus operates as a clearing agency.

The SECs complaint also alleges that Krakens business practices, deficient internal controls, and poor recordkeeping practices present a range of risks for its customers. As alleged in the complaint, Kraken commingles its customers money with its own, including paying operational expenses directly from accounts that hold customer cash. Kraken also allegedly commingles its customers crypto assets with its own, creating what its own auditor had identified as a significant risk of loss to its customers.

We allege that Kraken made a business decision to reap hundreds of millions of dollars from investors rather than coming into compliance with the securities laws. That decision resulted in a business model rife with conflicts of interest that placed investors funds at risk, said Gurbir S. Grewal, Director of the SECs Division of Enforcement. Krakens choice of unlawful profits over investor protection is one we see far too often in this space, and today were both holding Kraken accountable for its misconduct and sending a message to others to come into compliance.



The SECs complaint, filed in federal district court in San Francisco, alleges that Kraken violated the registration provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and seeks injunctive relief, conduct-based injunctions, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains plus interest, and penalties.



In February of this year, Kraken agreed to cease offering or selling securities through crypto asset staking services or staking programs and pay a civil penalty of $30 million.



The SECs investigation was conducted by Elizabeth Goody and Jennie B. Krasner of the Division of Enforcements Crypto Assets and Cyber Unit and Peter Moores of the Boston Regional Office with the assistance of Sachin Verma and Pasha Salimi. It was supervised by Paul Kim, Jorge Tenreiro, and David Hirsch of the Crypto Assets and Cyber Unit. The SECs litigation will be led by Alec Johnson, Daniel Blau, and Mr. Moores under the supervision of Douglas Miller, Olivia Choe, and Mr. Tenreiro.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. Rather than playing with words, the Armenian side must take a concrete step forward and sit down at the negotiating table, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan - Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmet Hajiyev told reporters, Trend reports.

"It is tough to say anything about it at this time. We anticipate clear ideas from Armenia. When it comes to a peace deal, Armenia is still looking beyond the area. Rather than introducing a third-party agenda here, it is vital to assume responsibility for the region and move the peace treaty negotiations ahead. The ball is presently in the goal of Armenia," Hajiyev emphasized.

He also stated that, given the current conditions in the region, Azerbaijan sees no impediments to concluding a peace deal with Armenia.

After the end of the second Karabakh war in 2020, Azerbaijan submitted a peace proposal to Armenia that included five essential points. Armenia has delayed the discussion of the details of the peace deal and the signing of the final agreement in various ways over the last time.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Majuro, Republic of Marshall Islands--(Newsfile Corp. - November 21, 2023) - Wingo Markets, a leading forex broker and trading platform, is thrilled to announce the launch of a diverse set of trading instruments and features in the platform. This milestone achievement brings the total number of trading instruments to over 1000, solidifying Wingo Markets' position in the market since its establishment in early 2023.





Wingo Markets

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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This new set of instruments and features includes many new tradable assets, Partial order filling, a Built-in Economic Calendar, Hedging and netting options, a Multi-thread strategy tester and many other new tools.

With this update, Wingo Markets is expanding its diverse set of trading opportunities and emerging as a dominant player, offering a comprehensive suite of services tailored to meet the distinct needs of traders.

Wingo Markets has rapidly gained recognition as a trusted entity in the forex market. The broker's notable success is underscored by its commitment to transparency, boasting low spreads and raw spreads that outperform industry standards. With an average spread of 0.00005 pips on major currency pairs, facilitating an impressive number of trades, exceeding 3000 lots since its establishment in 2023 Wingo Markets positions itself as a frontrunner in offering competitive pricing. The average spread of 0.00005 pips on major currency pairs underscores the broker's dedication to a competitive trading environment.

In driving success for traders, these new features of Wingo Markets have new benefits for traders:

Empowering Novice Traders: The innovative demo account has proven instrumental in empowering novice traders, facilitating a risk-free environment for skill development. Reports indicate a noteworthy 20% increase in trader confidence as they transition seamlessly from practice to live trading.

Versatile Account Options: Catering to diverse trading needs, Wingo Markets offers a range of account types, from the conservative Standard Account to the high-volume VIP Account. The VIP Account, in particular, has seen a 25% increase in user satisfaction, offering exclusive benefits such as dedicated account managers and personalized trading strategies.

For those entering the intricate world of forex trading, Wingo Markets offers a user-friendly experience tailored for beginners. The innovative demo account serves as a cornerstone for traders, facilitating a seamless transition from practice to live trading. Novices can confidently engage in live trading, benefiting from low spreads and raw spreads for an optimal trading experience.

For seasoned professionals, Wingo Markets provides a comprehensive toolkit for success. Leveraging advanced charting tools and technical indicators helps professionals better analyze market trends and make informed decisions. The diverse range of trading instruments, including cryptocurrencies and commodities, enables professionals to diversify portfolios and capitalize on varied market opportunities.

For more information about Wingo Markets and its extensive offerings, please visit https://wingomarkets.com/.

About Wingo Markets:

Wingo Markets is a prominent forex broker committed to delivering a user-friendly platform, transparent trading, and tailored services for traders of all levels. With innovative features and a diverse range of account options, Wingo Markets empowers traders to navigate the dynamic forex market with confidence.

Media Contact:

Public Relations Office: Mr. Todd Brownson

Email: [email protected]

Phone: +35725591367

City: Majuro

State: Majuro

Country: Republic of Marshall Island

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/188134
Nanjing, China--(Newsfile Corp. - November 21, 2023) - The Yangtze Culture Forum is scheduled in Nanjing, China on November 24, 2023. The forum will bring together guests from all over the world to discuss and promote the shared values of humanity. The forum's main objective is to explore the challenges and opportunities faced by river cultures, ecosystems, and economies, and to engage in discussions on the sustainable development of major rivers. Additionally, it aims to establish a global network for dialogue and collaboration among major river cities. This will foster exchange and mutual learning in river basin areas, eventually constructing a shared human destiny community.





Cityscape of Nanjing city



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The forum will be jointly hosted by Nanjing, UNESCO, and other partners.

Rivers play a vital role in nurturing cities and preserving their cultural heritage and shared memories. Nanjing, the only one of China's four great ancient capitals located along the Yangtze River, has been continuously paying attention to the Yangtze River issue for many years. The uniqueness and innovation of this forum lie in establishing a platform to showcase and share the diverse cultures of the entire Yangtze River basin, with a broader goal to foster mutual learning and exchange among civilizations and cities of great rivers.

The forum will focus on the theme "Flowing Rivers, Converging Future". It will discuss issues that are common in river basins globally, including the Mississippi River. The topics will include ecological conservation, economic development, and the preservation and recording of culture. The forum will be a platform for sharing wisdom about civilization and the future and will address the mutual shaping of cities and rivers.

Nanjing, an important city in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and St. Louis, located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, became the first pair of sister cities between China and the United States since diplomatic relations were established in 1979. When they became sister cities, the banner presented by Nanjing read, "The friendship between the people of Nanjing and St. Louis is as enduring as the Yangtze and Mississippi Rivers." These two great rivers have become witnesses to the friendly exchanges between the two cities and countries.

In 2019, during a visit to Nanjing, St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson said, "I am the sixth consecutive mayor of St. Louis to visit Nanjing. Our friendship will transcend everything and endure permanently. This is the traditional friendship between the people of the two cities and between the Chinese and American people."

Nanjing, a city located along the Yangtze River, is closely linked to the river in the same way as St. Louis is to the Mississippi River. China has been actively developing five national cultural parks, and one of them is the Yangtze River National Cultural Park. Nanjing aims to become a shining example in this park, exhibiting the changes and developments that have taken place along the Yangtze River. Through its endeavors, Nanjing sets an example of the transformations occurring along the Yangtze and reflects China's perspective on development.

Hashtag: #YangtzeCultureForum

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Media Contact: Mr. Wei Zhijie[email protected]

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/188223
Paid press release content from The Financial Capital. The StreetInsider.com news staff was not involved in its creation.

Dino Rizzo, the executive director of ARC (Association of Related Churches), sits down with Highlands College President Mark Pettus for the first episode of Season 3 of the UNSCRIPTED web series.



Dino Rizzo, the executive director of ARC Churches, recently kicked off the highly-anticipated third season of the web series UNSCRIPTED by hosting a conversation with Mark Pettus, the president of Highlands College.

The two sat down for a talk at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama, after 13,000 students gathered at the Motion Conference. The pair discussed a wide range of topics that focused on reaching the next generation with the message of Jesus.

One of the biggest obstacles of student ministries is that its a long game, as Dino Rizzo describes. There are many challenges that members of the younger generations face, which necessitates a change in the way that student ministries operate.

Mark Pettus explains that students today seek authentic relationships more than anything. As he says in the UNSCRIPTED episode:

Students are more connected, yet disconnected than ever before.  I love LEDs and all the bells and whistles, but the greatest evangelistic tool you have right now is real relationships.

During the conversation with Dino Rizzo, Mark Pettus expresses how important it is that student ministries focus on small groups. Doing that at Highlands College and local ministries has led to much more growth than any other event or service.

In this UNSCRIPTED episode, Dino Rizzo and Mark Pettus also talk about the role of technology and how important real connections are for students, how church leaders can tailor preaching and experiences to different age groups, why so many churches are missing the 19-26 age group, how to develop leaders and help students discover their calling and much more.

Throughout the UNSCRIPTED web series, Dino Rizzo visits amazing church pastors and leaders throughout the world for sit-down conversations.

UNSCRIPTED is a series of discussions about topics such as relationships, leadership, struggles, and church planting. The episodes are completely candid conversations between Dino Rizzo and his guests.

The first two series of UNSCRIPTED were wildly successful, so ARC (Association of Related Churches) launched a third season so they could meet with even more impactful leaders and pastors.

The web series helps to expand the overall mission of ARC, led by Dino Rizzo, to support independent churches around the country in their aims to spread the word of Jesus.

ARC provides the financial and training support that these new church planters need to not only survive but thrive.

To watch the first episode of the third season of the UNSCRIPTED series featuring Dino Rizzo and Mark Pettus, visit ARCs YouTube page.

About Pastor Dino Rizzo

Dino Rizzo, a seasoned pastor with 35 years of ministry experience, co-founded Healing Place Church in 1993 with his wife, DeLynn, and served for over two decades as senior pastor. A strong believer in inspiring others to serve their communities, Dino Rizzo founded the organization Servolution. Hes co-founder and Executive Director of ARC (Association of Related Churches), overseeing 1000+ church plants worldwide while also serving on the Senior Leadership Team at Church of the Highlands.

Contact Info:

Name: Jessica Brown

Email: Send Email

Organization: Mercury News Media

Website: https://www.mercurynewsmedia.com/



Release ID: 89113760

In case of detection of errors, concerns, or irregularities in the content provided in this press release, or if there is a need for a press release takedown, we strongly encourage you to reach out promptly by contacting [email protected]. Our efficient team will be at your disposal for immediate assistance within 8 hours  resolving identified issues diligently or guiding you through the removal process. We take great pride in delivering reliable and precise information to our valued readers.
Martin brings more than four decades' experience in capital program and business strategy to the industry's premier airport consultancy.

FORT WORTH, Texas , Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Steve Martin , an accomplished aviation and transportation executive with more than four decades' experience in federal, state, and regional organizations operating and developing airports, has joined Paslay Group as an Executive Advisor to the firm's client airports.

Steve Martin brings more than four decades' experience in airport capital program and business strategy to Paslay Group .

In recent years, Martin has served in executive roles supporting the P3 development of JFK Terminal 6 and LGA Terminal B; as the Chief Development Officer leading more than $8 billion in capital improvements for Los Angeles World Airports; and as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Airports Council International  North America (ACI-NA).

He has comprehensive knowledge of capital program implementation, including environmental permitting, negotiations, finance, and construction oversight requirements. He has executive-level understanding of large organization development, airport operations, public safety, stakeholder relations, and strategic planning with a commitment to economic development.

"Paslay Group is fortunate to have attracted an airport industry leader like Steve who is incredibly well respected and gifted in his ability to assist airports in refining their long-term vision and developing strategies and sound business practices to position them to serve the traveling public far into the future," said R. Clay Paslay , Paslay Group's chief executive officer and managing partner.

"Our firm comprises a wide range of airport executives with extraordinary expertise in complex capital program development and business strategy who genuinely enjoy sharing that knowledge with our clients. Steve Martin adds another dimension of strength to our bench, and we are looking forward to seeing the impact he will have on our client's success."

As an initial project, Martin is providing project support and oversight for the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority's future a future Nashville International Airport Terminal Siting Study. With nearly 22 million passengers in FY2023, BNA has been one of the fastest growing airports in North America .

PG Executive Program Management assisted MNAA with its recently completed BNA Vision program, the airport's $3 billion development and expansion program that began in 2017.

This summer PG EPM won a contract to provide MNAA similar Executive Program Management services for the $1.4 billion BNA New Horizon program, an improvement and expansion plan for two concourses, a new air freight building, terminal roadway improvements and additional upgrades to further enhance the traveler experience. New Horizon will be phased in over the next six years with a scheduled completion in late 2028.

Martin said his interest in Paslay Group's expertise began during his tenure as Chief Operating Officer, then Chief Development Officer for Los Angeles World Airports. Paslay Group provided LAWA Executive Program Management services for the LAX airfield and Terminal Modernization Project during that period.

"My interest was enhanced once I further understood Paslay Group's broader reputation for excellence in client services," Martin said. "I re-engaged the Paslay Group while I served as the Executive Project Manager for a new JFK passenger terminal, and it was a pleasure to work alongside this talented and committed group of professionals who thrive in challenging, fast-paced environments and are entirely focused on helping their clients succeed.

"I look forward to assisting the team at a number of airports of various sizes with unique challenges through this new opportunity."

Martin also has served in executive roles with Leigh Fisher Assoc. in Burlington , Calif.; as Director of Financial Development for the U.S. Transportation Secretary's office; and as Director of Business and Financial Development for the Massachusetts Port Authority in Boston .

Throughout his career, Martin has amassed a comprehensive knowledge of capital program implementation, including environmental permitting, negotiations, finance, and construction oversight requirements. He has executive-level understanding of large organization development, airport operations, public safety, stakeholder relations, and strategic planning with a commitment to economic development.

About Paslay Group

Paslay Group is the premiere, full-service airport consultancy providing Executive Program Management, Advisory, and Development services for a wide array of airports implementing capital development programs. Founded in 2006 by former airport executives, PG has successfully assisted owners in delivering airport projects valued at $21 billion and is currently managing an additional $11 billion in investments. Visit paslaygroup.com or contact us at [email protected] to learn more.

CONTACT:

Kristin Sullivan

Director, Marketing and Communications

Paslay Group

[email protected]

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SOURCE Paslay Group
LOS ANGELES , Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The St. Baldrick's Foundation, the largest charity funder of childhood cancer research grants, is thrilled to announce $1.1 million in new grants to bolster pediatric cancer clinical trial enrollment. Clinical trials play a crucial role in the fight against childhood cancer. The unsung heroes who help make clinical trials happen for kids are the dedicated clinical research associates, nurses, and support staff.

This $1.1 million supports these necessary roles to ensure more kids get treated on a clinical trial, often their best hope for a cure.

These grants would not be possible without the support of St. Baldrick's volunteers, supporters and donors.

The following institutions were awarded a St. Baldrick's Foundation Infrastructure award:

CALIFORNIA

Loma Linda University Children's Health , Loma Linda

, Loma Linda Valley Children's Healthcare , Madera

, Madera Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC), Orange

(CHOC), Orange University of California, San Francisco , San Francisco on behalf of the Pediatric Cancer Center at Children's Hospital and Research Center Oakland, Oakland

FLORIDA

Orlando Regional Healthcare , Orlando

ILLINOIS

University of Illinois Chicago , Chicago

IOWA

Blank Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Des Moines

LOUISIANA

Children's Hospital New Orleans, New Orleans

MICHIGAN

Children's Hospital of Michigan Foundation , Detroit

MISSOURI

Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City

City SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital , St. Louis

NORTH CAROLINA

Wake Forest University Health Sciences , Winston-Salem

NEW JERSEY

Hackensack Meridian Health , Edison

NEW MEXICO

University of New Mexico HSC , Albuquerque

NEVADA

Renown Health Foundation , Reno

NEW YORK

Children's Hospital at Montefiore, Bronx

at Montefiore, Bronx Weill Medical College of Cornell University , New York

, New York SUNY Upstate Medical University , Syracuse

The Melodies Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders at Albany Medical Center , Albany

TEXAS

El Paso Children's Hospital Foundation , El Paso

, El Paso Baylor College of Medicine , Houston on behalf of Vannie E. Cook Jr. Children's Cancer Clinic , McAllen

VIRGINIA

Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters, Norfolk

WISCONSIN

St. Vincent Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis , Green Bay

of the Third Order of , Green Bay Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Foundation, Inc. , Milwaukee

The next set of grants will be announced in March, supported by donations made now. Visit the St. Baldrick's Foundation grants page to learn more about all the research these grants are supporting.

About St. Baldrick's Foundation

Every 2 minutes, a child somewhere is diagnosed with cancer. In the U.S. , 1 in 5 will not survive. The St. Baldrick's Foundation, the largest charity funder of childhood cancer research grants, is on a mission to Conquer Kids' Cancer by supporting the most promising research to find cures and better treatments for all childhood cancers. When you give to St. Baldrick's, you don't just give to one hospital  you support virtually every institution with the expertise to treat kids with cancer across the U.S. St. Baldrick's ensures that children fighting cancer now  and those diagnosed in the future  will have access to the most cutting-edge treatment, by supporting every stage of research, from new ideas in the lab to the training of the next generation of researchers, to life-saving clinical trials. Visit StBaldricks.org and help #ConquerKidsCancer.

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SOURCE St. Baldrick's Foundation
CEO DARRELL MARTIN RECOGNIZED FOR WORK ON DELIVERING EASIEST TO USE ONLINE EVALUATION AND FUNDING PLATFORM

AUSTIN, Texas , Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Apex Trader Funding, an innovative online evaluation and funding platform offering low cost and the highest contract plans, was selected as the winner of this year's Top Futures Prop Trading Company for Powering Market Access and Opportunity award at the 2023 Benzinga FinTech Awards.

We are honored to be selected by Benzinga this year as the winner of the Powering Market Access and Opportunity award...

Darrell Martin , who was at the event in New York City , received the award on behalf of the entire Apex Trader Funding team.

"We are honored to be selected by Benzinga this year as the winner of the Powering Market Access and Opportunity award," said Darrell Martin , CEO and Founder of Apex Trader Funding. "Every day, our team works to deliver an online trading platform that traders want to use."

Darrell was also interviewed at Benzinga FinTech Deal Day, which can be viewed here.

About Apex Trader Funding

Headquartered in Austin, Texas , Apex Trader Funding is a community of traders offering the easiest to pass, lowest cost, highest contract funding plans. Founded in 2021 by Darrell Martin, Apex Trader Funding is a thriving community of traders from over 150 countries. For more information about Apex Trader Funding, contact James Lambert , Vice President at Rubenstein Public Relations, at [email protected] or at 212-805-3024

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SOURCE Apex Trader Funding
New York's Adult Survivors Act is Set to Expire on Nov. 24, 2023

To Date, Slater Slater Schulman LLP Has Filed 1,218 Cases Against New York State, 479 Cases Against New York City, 74 Cases Against NYS Counties

NEW YORK , Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The State of New York , the City of New York , and 20 counties are among the defendants that have been named in a series of individual civil actions alleging that as many as 1,771 individuals were sexually assaulted while incarcerated in facilities run by the New York State Department of Correctional Services (DOCS), the New York City Department of Correction (DOC), and county-run Departments of Correction throughout New York State . The lawsuits were filed under the Adult Survivors Act ("ASA") by attorneys at Slater Slater Schulman LLP, a leading, full-service law firm with decades of experience representing survivors of traumatic and catastrophic events.

Slater Slater Schulman LLP represents the largest number of survivors of prison abuse committed in New York State . In addition to the 1,218 cases filed against the State for alleged abuse in State prisons, 479 cases have been filed against the City of New York for alleged abuse at Rikers, 74 cases have been filed against various New York counties for alleged abuse in county-run jails, and 2 cases have been filed relating to alleged abuse that occurred while the victim was in NYPD custody. The firm has additionally filed 14 cases against private institutions, and will be filing 46 cases on behalf of clients who were allegedly abused by urologist Darius Paduch .

The Adult Survivors Act took effect on Nov. 24, 2022 , and is set to expire on Nov. 24, 2023 , ending a one-year period during which plaintiffs can file civil suits for sexual offenses, regardless of how long ago the alleged assault took place.

"These brave survivors of sexual assault were in prison serving sentences decided by our justice system, but what they were given instead were life sentences of trauma," said Adam Slater , Founding and Managing Partner of Slater Slater Schulman LLP. "Our clients endured absolute horrors while incarcerated in New York State  each story is worse than the next. But what we have learned over the past few years is that sexual abuse in prisons isn't isolated to New York  it's a nationwide epidemic stretching from coast to coast. The problem is that most states lack powerful legislation like the Adult Survivors Act, which is a tool to bring about justice and enact vital reforms."

"We anticipated needing to bring a high number of claims because the abuse goes back decades," said Jonathan Schulman , Founding Partner of Slater Slater Schulman LLP. "At least one of our cases dates back to the early 1980s. The number of cases we have filed over the past year  more than 1,800  reveals the magnitude and systemic nature of the abuse perpetrated at institutions that are intended to ensure safety and prioritize rehabilitation."

The enactment of the ASA in 2022 represented a critical turning point in this unique survivor population's quest for justice. Numerous factors hinder individuals from filing lawsuits for sex crimes within the existing statutes of limitation, but incarcerated persons face particular barriers in pursuing administrative or criminal action, including potential retaliation by correctional staff. As such, most of these survivors cannot seek recourse until they are released, which is often after the expiration of the statute of limitations. The ASA's extended window for filing lawsuits constituted a significant milestone in addressing the profound abuse endured by these survivors.

As detailed in the 1,771 filed complaints relating to prison abuse, New York State was aware of  and failed to take action to prevent  rampant sexual abuse perpetrated against women detainees by the correctional staff it employed. In 1985, The Correctional Association of New York released a report titled A Neglected Population: Women Prisoners at Bayview, discussing the experience of incarcerated women at the facility. In 1996, Human Rights Watch reported more broadly on sexual abuse of women in U.S. state prisons, including detailed recommendations and issues to consider for federal and state governments. The U.S. Department of Justice released a July 2005 study on sexual victimization in prisons and jails reported by detainees. In addition to these reports, there have been countless lawsuits filed against the State alleging sexual abuse of incarcerated women by male corrections officers during the past four decades, yet the State has repeatedly failed to address the matter with tangible preventative action.

Survivors of sexual abuse need to understand that the sexual abuse was not their fault. Many survivors are forced to live with a lifetime of shame, embarrassment, and severe emotional distress and mental pain and suffering. Help is available.

NOTE: Individuals seeking to be linked to resources for sexual assault survivors can call 800.656.HOPE (4673) to be connected with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area. The National Sexual Assault Hotline operated by RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) provides confidential support from trained staff members and can assist with finding local healthcare resources, help talk through what happened, and offer referrals for long-term support.

About Slater Slater Schulman LLP

Slater Slater Schulman LLP is a leading, full-service law firm with decades of experience representing survivors of traumatic and catastrophic events. Our dedicated attorneys are committed to ensuring the best results for our clients through persistence and compassionate representation. With 10 offices in 9 states, Slater Slater Schulman has achieved successful resolutions in some of the most challenging cases in the nation. We have considerable experience with complex, historical sexual abuse cases involving massive institutions, including academic, religious, and youth organizations. Our firm also represents clients in litigation involving pharmaceutical drugs, product liability, environmental law, employment and labor law, medical malpractice, and personal injury, and has proudly represented thousands of World Trade Center survivors. Learn more at sssfirm.com.

Media Contact:

Joan Vollero & Michael Milazzo / ICR

[email protected]

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SOURCE Slater Slater Schulman LLP
The Atlanta Cold Storage grand opening is Arcadia Cold's third celebration in five weeks in an unprecedented ramp up.

ATLANTA , Nov. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Arcadia Cold Storage & Logistics celebrated the grand opening of their newest highly anticipated state-of-the-art Atlanta Cold Storage Facility. The Atlanta facility is located in Union City, GA , with immediate access to I-85 , I-285 and I-20 . Due to its strategic location, this facility can service nearly 20% of the US population within a day's drive.

The Atlanta Cold Storage grand opening is Arcadia Cold's third celebration in five weeks in an unprecedented ramp up.

This fully racked, brand-new facility is fully operational and is designed to handle both frozen and chilled temperatures from -20 to 38 F. Arcadia Cold's Atlanta facility is over 300,000 SF and can support storage of over 44,000 pallets.

This marks the Company's third facility grand opening since the start of October. Arcadia's quickly growing national cold storage network has now celebrated the openings of their Fort Worth facility, their Phoenix facility, and now their Atlanta Facility.

"This is Arcadia's third grand opening of a new facility in two months," said Arcadia Cold CEO Chris Hughes . "The Atlanta facility brings us one step closer to building out a national network that offers a new level of tangible expertise and high-end customer care to our customers. I couldn't be prouder of the Team's ability to successfully plan, launch and operate all of these facilities in such a compressed timeframe  it's truly unprecedented."

Speakers at the event included Mayor Vince Williams of Union City , KC Williams of Griffco Design/Build, Sean Gilbert of Saxum Real Estate, and Chris Hughes of Arcadia Cold.

About Arcadia Cold: Arcadia Cold specializes in providing third-party handling, storage, distribution, and value-added services to the food industry. We are on a mission to design and deploy modern facilities and provide innovative solutions through the practical application of technology, creating meaningful value for our customers while helping them meet their strategic objectives  establishing The New Age of cold chain. www.arcadiacold.com

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SOURCE Arcadia Cold
TOKYO , Nov. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- International law firm CMS, in collaboration with patent AI specialist IPDefine Ltd., have developed a cutting-edge turnkey solution which is poised to make intellectual property monetisation more accessible than ever before. Introducing CMS Umbra.

By combining IPDefine's industry-first AI innovation with CMS's legal and commercial expertise, CMS Umbra enables businesses to evaluate, optimise and monetise their patent portfolios at an unprecedented level of speed and low cost.

Unleashing the True Potential of IP

Intellectual property should be enforced with the same level of vigour with which it is protected. When managed effectively, patents can be a significant profit driver for a business, either through technology exclusivity or through licence royalties. However, the reality is that many intellectual property registrations sit idle and never see an opportunity to generate revenue.

Toby Sears , IP Partner at CMS, comments: "Patents should actively contribute to business success. We see far too many businesses sitting on their patents portfolios without a clear strategy for management. CMS Umbra has been developed to apply the power of AI to this process, allowing businesses to manage and derive value from their patent portfolios with ease. We arm businesses with a transparent view of both risks and opportunities, enabling more informed, strategic decisions about their IP portfolio."

Risks of Improperly Managed Intellectual Property

According to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), there are approximately 16 million granted patents in existence around the world. Most patents are registered and held for defensive purposes; but a strategy that focuses exclusively on defence will inevitably miss the opportunity to realise the large profits that patents have the potential to generate.

Emphasising the critical need for businesses to recognise the varied risks associated with insufficient patent portfolio management, Joel Vertes , IP Partner at CMS, says: "These risks range from reputational damage stemming from counterfeit products to unnecessary management and maintenance costs, decreased profits and a loss of security and safety for customers. With CMS Umbra, we provide a rapid, data-filtering and analysis solution that addresses and overcomes cost and complexity concerns."

From Cost Center to Profit Leader

Registering and maintaining IP is expensivebut it doesn't have to be. By switching the focus from maintenance to monetisation, businesses can transform their patent portfolio from a cost centre to a profit leader.

IPDefine CEO Aaron Mollin comments: "CMS Umbra is a powerful tool, which can give businesses access to accurate valuation and crucial strategic insight on their patent portfolios. IPDefine's industry-first infringement discovery technology rapidly scours every corner of the internet to identify infringers, providing businesses with oversight of new licensing and litigation targets. By working with the team at CMS, businesses can expertly identify and leverage infringement, ensuring the value of their portfolio is maximised."

To find out more about CMS Umbra, please visit: Patent commercialisation | CMS Umbra | Data Driven Disputes

For further information, please contact:

Laura Swartz , Communications

E: [email protected]

T: +44 20 7367 2303

Aaron Mollin

E: aaron@ipdefine.com

T: +81-3-5790-9633

About CMS Umbra

CMS Umbra combines CMS's legal and commercial expertise with IPDefine's industry-first AI to enable businesses to visualise, optimise and monetise their patent portfolios at an unprecedented level of speed and low cost.

For more information, please visit: Patent commercialisation | CMS Umbra | Data Driven Disputes

About CMS:

Founded in 1999, CMS is an integrated, multi-jurisdictional organisation of law firms that offers full-service legal and tax advice. With 79 offices in over 40 countries across the world and more than 5,000 lawyers, CMS has long-standing expertise both in advising in its local jurisdictions and across borders. From major multinationals and mid-caps to enterprising start-ups, CMS provides the technical rigour, strategic excellence and long-term partnership to keep each client ahead in its chosen markets.

The CMS member firms provide a wide range of expertise across 19 practice areas and sectors, including Corporate / M&A, Energy & Climate Change, Funds, Life Sciences & Healthcare, TMC, Tax, Banking & Finance, Commercial, Antitrust, Competition & Trade, Dispute Resolution, Employment & Pensions, Intellectual Property and Real Estate.

For more information, please visit www.cms.law

About IPDefine:

Founded in 2020, IPDefine is a Tokyo -based AI startup, with offices in New York , which provides global, large-scale patent infringement discovery and patent validity analysis solutions, and supports a wide range of clients, from small and large patent holders, to financial services providers such as private equity firms and hedge funds.

For more information, please visit www.ipdefine.com.

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SOURCE IPDefine Ltd.; CMS CAMERON MCKENNA NABARRO OLSWANG LLP
CHICAGO , Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ConceiveAbilities, a pioneering surrogacy agency committed to supporting all who aspire to build a family, invites everyone to express gratitude this holiday season to a particularly treasured group of unsung community heroes: early childhood teachers. Recognizing the challenges they face, including a shortage of teachers, increased workloads and limited classroom support, ConceiveAbilities is proud to launch the $5 for $5 Teacher Challenge.

The $5 for $5 Teacher Challenge is our way of making a positive impact on early childhood teachers' lives and classrooms

Over 90% of early childhood teachers spend an average of over $700 of their own money to provide essential classroom supplies. ConceiveAbilities, a full-service egg donor and surrogacy foundation, believes in building strong family foundations. Early childhood teachers play a crucial role in shaping the future by providing a solid educational foundation for young learners.

"As a former teacher, I understand the challenges educators face, and the $5 for $5 Teacher Challenge is our way of making a positive impact on their lives and classrooms," says Kristin Welch , Vice President of Operations at ConceiveAbilities.

Here's how the challenge works: Share this link with your favorite early childhood teacher (pre-K through 2nd grade), empowering them to request much-needed materials for their students through DonorsChoose. For every early childhood teacher supported through the link, both the supporter and the teacher receive a $5 reward. If the teacher sets up or selects a DonorsChoose classroom project for their classroom, ConceiveAbilities will donate up to $250 toward their selected project until the campaign ends on December 31, 2023 .

Carrie Dove , a two-time gestational carrier, former teacher and ConceiveAbilities Match Manager adds, "We want to help these dedicated teachers by providing awareness and financial support for their classrooms, so they can focus on what they do best: teaching."

ConceiveAbilities, with a commitment to building strong family foundations, has been a leading egg donor and surrogacy agency for three decades, helping thousands of families fulfill their dreams. Learn more about becoming a parent and becoming a surrogate with ConceiveAbilities.

DonorsChoose, founded by a teacher, is a platform empowering teachers to request essential materials for their students, and ConceiveAbilities is proud to collaborate with them in supporting our educators.

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SOURCE ConceiveAbilities
BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. The blame for closing the borders with both Azerbaijan and Turkiye lies with Armenia itself, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan - Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmet Hajiyev told reporters, Trend reports.

He noted that such a situation has arisen in the region as a result of Armenia's occupation and aggressive policies.

"The position of fraternal Turkiye has always been that restoration of relations with Armenia is conceivable if Armenia stops occupying Azerbaijani territories, abandons territorial claims against both Turkiye and Azerbaijan, and lastly, presents a positive agenda in the area," the official reminded.

"Azerbaijan and Turkiye have consistently supported the normalization of relations and have consistently sent positive messages to Armenia. However, Armenia must assess the potential of the region and come up with an approach to solving its problems within the region itself," added Hajiyev.

In protest against the occupation of Azerbaijani lands, Turkiye has closed its borders since 1993 and severed all ties with Armenia. After the second Karabakh war in 2020, steps were taken to normalize relations between Ankara and Yerevan. In December 2021, Ankara and Yerevan appointed their diplomats - former Ambassador of Turkiye to the US Serdar Kilic and Deputy Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Ruben Rubinyan - to establish dialogue.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel.
The team will support navigation, flood risk management, water resources management, sediment management, and military engineering projects.

VICKSBURG, Miss. , Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) has tasked the joint venture of Taylor Engineering and Woolpert with providing research and development services for its Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory (CHL). The $49 million , single-award task order contract will support CHL projects that advance navigation, flood risk management, water resources management, sediment management, and military engineering.

The Taylor-Woolpert joint venture represents decades of focused and complementary expertise coming together.

ERDC is the primary scientific research and development organization for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and oversees seven research laboratories across the U.S. Located in Vicksburg , CHL is responsible for the discovery, development, and delivery of coastal, estuarine, and hydraulic water resources research in both the Civil Works Program and military domains.

Woolpert Vice President Eric Dillinger said that the JV leadership team has extensive experience managing projects for CHL, ERDC, and USACE. This team includes Woolpert Director of Advisory Services Jeff Lillycrop , a former ERDC technical director with 33 years of experience serving CHL, and Taylor Engineering President Jim Marino , a former USACE officer with over 20 years of USACE experience, including three and a half years leading the military research program at the Coastal Engineering Research Center before it was consolidated into CHL. Marino is the managing partner for the JV.

"The Taylor-Woolpert joint venture represents decades of focused and complementary expertise coming together," Dillinger said. "This contract will be led by a team intimately familiar with and fully capable of meeting the complex research needs of the Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory."

Taylor Engineering Vice President Christopher Bender said this is the first contract executed under Taylor and Woolpert's new Mentor-Protege Program agreement, which was approved by the U.S. Small Business Administration last year.

"Taylor and Woolpert are currently working as professional partners on multiple projects across a variety of service lines," Bender said. "We look forward to this next chapter working alongside Woolpert and providing a truly world-class team of engineers and researchers for ERDC and its missions."

Global research and infrastructure advisory firms are serving as subconsultants for this contract, which is now underway. Those firms include Applied Research Associates and Moffatt & Nichol, as well as Alden Labs, Desert Research Institute, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and Jackson State University.

About Taylor Engineering Inc.

Since 1983, Taylor Engineering Inc. has provided leading-edge solutions to challenges in the water environment. The company focuses its attention on water-related engineering, planning, management, and environmental challenges with emphasis on coastal regions for public, private, and government clients. A Federal Small Business and a Jacksonville Business Journal's 2022 and 2023 Best Places to Work, Taylor Engineering has over 50 employees with three offices. Taylor Engineering's six service groups, Coastal Engineering, Coastal Planning, Dredging and Navigation, Environmental, Water Resources, and Waterfront Engineering, along with our Coastal and Marine Geosciences Laboratory, deliver leading-edge solutions in the water environment. For more information, visit www.taylorengineering.com

About Woolpert

Woolpert is the premier architecture, engineering, geospatial (AEG), and strategic consulting firm, with a vision to become one of the best companies in the world. We innovate within and across markets to effectively serve public, private, and government clients worldwide. Woolpert is a Global Top 100 Geospatial Company, a Top 100 ENR Global Design firm, has earned seven Great Place to Work certifications, and actively nurtures a culture of growth, inclusion, diversity, and respect. Founded in 1911 in Dayton, Ohio , Woolpert has been America's fastest-growing AEG firm since 2015. Woolpert has over 2,000 employees and more than 60 offices on five continents. For more information, visit woolpert.com.

Media contact: Jill Kelley ; 937-531-1258, [email protected]

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SOURCE Woolpert
LONDON , Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ETD, the leader in derivatives data solutions, and Global Investor Group (GIG), a premier provider of global markets news and events, announced today that they are coming together under the Futures and Options World (FOW) brand.

FOW will be the go-to source for derivatives market intelligence, with a database covering over 110 global exchanges, industry news and insights, and a global portfolio of established conferences.

"Today marks a pivotal moment in our journey. As we unite ETD with GIG, we're not just changing our name; we're delivering on our promise to empower our clientele with even more tools to help them thrive in a dynamic market environment." said Guy Dunn , CEO.

"Our dedication to providing critical data, news, insights, and events for the derivatives trading and investment community has been unwavering. Our clients experience this first hand and are always at the core of our strategy." Guy Dunn concluded.

What This Means for ETD and GIG Clients:

Enhanced Insights : They will continue to access the latest news and insights from the derivatives industry. Now, with an even broader perspective, thanks to the ETD and GIG integration.

: They will continue to access the latest news and insights from the derivatives industry. Now, with an even broader perspective, thanks to the ETD and GIG integration. Cutting Edge Data Solutions : They will benefit from trusted reference data that aims to increase efficiency, enhance compliance, and allow quick market adaptability. As always, our commitment is to evolve and provide innovative data solutions to drive our clients' growth.

: They will benefit from trusted reference data that aims to increase efficiency, enhance compliance, and allow quick market adaptability. As always, our commitment is to evolve and provide innovative data solutions to drive our clients' growth. Stay Updated and Engaged: At our global conferences and awards clients can engage, learn, collaborate and celebrate with industry peers and thought leaders.

The world of derivatives is complex and ever evolving. As FOW, our mission is clear: to provide the most advanced data solutions, critical news, expert insights, and opportunities for community engagement, ensuring our clients stay one step ahead of the curve.

For more Information, please visit: www.FOW.com

About FOW

Futures & Options World (FOW) is the industry's most trusted provider of critical reference data, news, insights and events for the global futures and options community.

Our curated data sets are renowned for their unparalleled quality, reliability and accuracy. Our editorial content provides timely industry news and analysis. And at our events, the community's sharpest minds meet to discuss the issues that shape the industry's future.

FOW has a 25+ year track record of trust with numerous long-term clients, who leverage our bespoke solutions to confidently make trading decisions while reducing risks, ensuring compliance and staying a step ahead of today's dynamic futures and options markets.

FOW is part of the Delinian Group, one of the largest B2B news and data providers covering finance, capital markets, energy, commodities, and law.

Contact:

Guy Dunn

CEO

Guy.dunn@delinian.com

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2280227/FOW_Logo.jpg

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SOURCE FOW
Firms partner to tailor platform to meet unique needs of Australian market structure

NEW YORK and SYDNEY , Nov. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Eventus, a leading global provider of state-of-the-art, at-scale trade surveillance software across all lines of defense, and FinClear, Australia's leading provider of trade execution and third-party clearing services, today announced that FinClear has deployed Eventus' Validus platform for trade surveillance and post-trade monitoring.

FinClear touches one in two retail transactions in Australia , clearing and settling AU$360 billion in transactions each year. The company hosts more than AU$145 billion of listed assets on its existing platform and supports more than 570,000 accounts. It services more than 250 wholesale intermediaries.

Andrea Marani , CEO of FinClear Execution and Clearing Services, said that as the firm has continued to grow, FinClear elected to transition to Eventus from its previous provider for a number of reasons, including the ability to customize the platform, the sophistication of the technology and the proactive dialogue and engagement with the team.

Marani said: "Both of our companies have made a big commitment on this implementation, and this has been much more of a partnership than a vendor-customer relationship. Eventus gave us the opportunity to tailor Validus to the specific needs of Australia's equity markets. Since deploying the platform, we've already seen a marked reduction of false-positive alerts, and we're now picking up behavior that we wouldn't have captured previously."

With regulators placing an onus of responsibility on brokers to monitor trading activity and help maintain market integrity, he said it is incumbent on FinClear to report suspicious activity to provide accurate data to the regulators on a daily basis.

Marani added: "There have been severe penalties imposed on brokerage firms for not doing so. These responsibilities continue to increase, and Eventus software will be an essential tool to assist in managing these responsibilities."

Eventus CEO Travis Schwab said: "FinClear plays a significant role in the Australian broking community. We've truly established a mutually beneficial relationship, and the firm's interest in collaborating with us to not only customize the product for its needs but help us tailor the product for the Australian market generally has been extraordinarily beneficial."

About Eventus

Eventus provides state-of-the-art, at-scale trade surveillance software across all lines of defense. Its powerful, award-winning Validus platform is easy to deploy, customize and operate across equities, options, futures, foreign exchange (FX), fixed income and digital asset markets. Validus is proven in the most complex, high-volume, and real time environments of Eventus' rapidly growing client base, including tier-1 banks, broker-dealers, futures commission merchants (FCMs), proprietary trading groups, market centers, buy-side institutions, energy and commodity trading firms, and regulators. Clients rely on the platform, coupled with the firm's responsive support and product development, to overcome its most pressing trade surveillance regulatory challenges. For more, visit www.eventus.com.

About The FinClear Group

The FinClear Group is Australia's leading independent technology and infrastructure provider for financial markets both listed and private. FinClear was founded in 2015 and has since grown and expanded to become the FinClear Group. Making up the Group are three diverse brands with their own unique offerings, being FinClear Execution and Clearing Services, FCX and Transact1. The Group has an exceptionally broad client base, providing the opportunity to deliver even more efficient, cost-effective and revolutionary products and services. For more visit www.finclear.com.au.

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SOURCE Eventus; FinClear
Fortune editors name the companies leading the way in the AI boom

An essential guide to the companies every executive needs to know in the sector attracting one out of every four startup investment dollars

Inaugural Fortune 50 AI Innovators includes established players: OpenAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind, Meta, and Nvidia; and array of emerging players: Adept, Runway, Pinecone, Exscientia, and ARC

Representatives of Fortune 50 AI Innovators are attending Fortune's Brainstorm AI conference in San Francisco , Dec 11-12 with founding partner Accenture

NEW YORK , Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Fortune debuted its inaugural Fortune 50 AI Innovators power list, the essential guide to the companies that are creating this future-defining technology, and a sector now attracting one out of every four startup investment dollars.

The last few days in the world of AI have proven that readers and investors need to follow the space very closely. "It's a tangled mess out there when it comes to predictions about AI's impact," notes Lee Clifford , Fortune's investing and finance editor. "Will AI create a world where no job is needed? By 2029, will computers have achieved human-level intelligence? Where will the OpenAI drama end up?"

Predictions, ideas, and execution around the technology are all over the map, Clifford notes. "But one thing we know for sure about this sector, which is still in its infancy: Investors and companies large and small are taking it seriously," she writes. Fortune notes that Microsoftitself a major player via its OpenAI investment and partnershiprecently found that for every $1 invested in AI, companies are reaping $3.50 in return. And according to Crunchbase, one in four dollars invested in American startups have gone to AI companies this year; already 200 AI unicorns (defined as startups with value more than $1 billion ) have been created.

But Fortune's editors tamp down the AI hype machine: "As anyone who has lived through a hype cycle about the next huge thing knows, even the hottest sector mints far more miserable failures than stunning successes." For the inaugural Fortune 50 AI Innovators list, Fortune canvassed VCs, industry analysts, and our own formidable staff of AI experts to identify companies that are at the cutting edge. "One thing we know for sure," Clifford notes, "The work these companies are doing won't just shape the future of AI, it will shape the world we all live in."

In the Fortune 50 AI list there are plenty of Davids, such as Adept, Runway, Pinecone, Exscientia, and ARC, to name a few. And no shortage of Goliaths, such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind, Meta, and Nvidia. What they have in common: "The work these companies are doing now will play a large part in determining not just how AI evolves, but how our world does," says Clifford.

For a complete look at the Fortune 50 AI companies, go to fortune.com.

Many on that list will be speaking at or attending the Fortune Brainstorm AI 2023 in San Francisco , December 11-12 . This is the third year of Fortune's high-profile and news-making conference on AI.

Curated by Fortune's editors, this year's annual conference for executives, academics, and policymakers will feature confirmed speakers including Vinod Khosla , founder and CEO of Khosla Ventures; Reid Hoffman , co-founder of Inflection AI and partner at Greylock Partners; Sal Khan , founder and CEO of Khan Academy; Clara Shih , CEO, Salesforce AI; Matthew Prince , CEO of Cloudflare; Jim Steyer , CEO of CommonSense Media; Paul Daugherty , chief technology and innovation officer, Accenture; Jim Cathey , chief commercial officer, Qualcomm; Lidia Fonseca , chief digital and technology officer, Pfizer; Sravana Karnati, chief technology officer, Walmart International; Anastasis Germanidis, co-founder and CTO, Runway; Mike Abbott , executive vice president, software, GM; Sissie Hsiao , general manager for Google Assistant and Bard, Google; Ali Ghodsi , CEO and founder of Databricks; Sayan Chakraborty , co-president of Workday, and more.

This year's program is presented in association with Fortune Brainstorm AI conference founding partner Accenture, and will feature intimate one-on-one conversations, engaging panel discussions, and lively roundtable sessionsall designed to address how AI is changing the ways we do business. Fortune Brainstorm AI 2023 is also presented with partners AARP, Amgen, Check Point, Felicis, Salesforce, and Workday.

For more information on Fortune Brainstorm AI 2023 and the complete agenda please go here.

About Fortune

Fortune upholds a legacy of award-winning writing and trusted reporting for executives who want to make business better. Independently owned, with a global perspective and digital agility, Fortune tells the stories of a new generation of innovators, builders, and risk takers. Online and in print, Fortune measures corporate performance through rigorous benchmarks, and holds companies accountable. Fortune creates communities by convening true thought leaders and iconoclasts  those who shape industry, commerce and society  through powerful and prestigious lists, events and conferences, such as the iconic Fortune 500, the CEO Initiative and Most Powerful Women. For more information, visit fortune.com.

Contact:

Patrick Reilly

[email protected]

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SOURCE Fortune Media (USA) Corporation
Over 1.5 million searches from MENA to Germany in 2023

DUBAI, UAE , Nov. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Wego, the largest online travel marketplace in MENA ( Middle East and North Africa ), and the German National Tourist Office, GCC are excited to announce their strategic partnership. This collaboration aims to bring forth the wonders of Germany's winter season to the MENA audience and encourage travellers to explore its enchanting destinations.

In 2023, Wego observed an impressive influx of travel interest from the MENA region to Germany , with approximately 1.5 million searches registered. The surge in travel searches is a testament to the popularity of Germany as a travel destination among individuals from the Middle East and North Africa .

The campaign is designed to inspire travellers to embrace the magic of Germany's winter season, underscoring the authenticity of its experiences. Through a series of meticulously curated content, travellers will be transported into the heart of winter festivities, offering a glimpse into the world of German traditions.

Commenting on the partnership, Mamoun Hmedan, Chief Business Officer, at Wego, said: " Germany's winter season is a hidden gem, and we are thrilled to partner with the German National Tourist Office, GCC to unveil this splendid destination to our users. The number of searches on our platform signify a robust interest in exploring the wonders of Germany . Wego is thrilled to play a part in facilitating these travel aspirations and enabling travellers from the MENA region to embark on unforgettable journeys to Germany ."

Germany , often celebrated for its rich cultural heritage, is equally captivating during the winter months. With its snow-blanketed landscapes, charming Christmas markets, and a host of winter activities, it offers a unique blend of traditions and modern-day festivities. Travellers can revel in the beauty of Christmas markets, indulge in delightful culinary experiences, and explore picture-perfect towns adorned in twinkling lights.

Yamina Sofo , Director of Marketing & Sales Office Gulf Countries at the GNTO, GCC, commented: " Germany is renowned for its winter activities that enhance the festive celebrations with a touch of magic. Whether it's Christmas markets, winter sports, or traditional gatherings, we ensure that the celebrations are memorable for everyone, particularly for tourists. Throughout the year, Germany remains an appealing destination for GCC travellers, and we strive to offer them the best festive experience through a variety of exciting activities."

About Wego

Wego provides award-winning travel search websites and top-ranked mobile apps for travelers living in the Asia Pacific and the Middle East regions. Wego harnesses powerful yet simple to use technology that automates the process of searching and comparing results from hundreds of airlines, hotels, and online travel agency websites.

Wego presents an unbiased comparison of all travel products and prices offered in the marketplace by merchants, both local and global, and enables shoppers to quickly find the best deal and place to book whether it is from an airline or hotel directly or with a third-party aggregator website.

Wego was founded in 2005 and is dual headquartered in Dubai and Singapore with regional operations in Bangalore , Riyadh , Cairo , Lahore , and Kuala Lumpur .

About the GNTB

The German National Tourist Board (GNTB) works on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action to represent Germany as a tourist destination and is funded by the Ministry in accordance with a decision taken by the German Bundestag. Working closely with the German travel industry and private-sector partners and trade associations, the GNTB develops strategies and marketing campaigns to promote Germany's positive image abroad as a travel destination and to encourage tourists to visit the country.

The GNTB's primary strategic areas of action are:

Developing evidence-based action plans on the basis of targeted market research and ongoing analysis of market-specific customer demand (Sinus milieus).

Supporting the travel industry, which is dominated by small and medium-sized businesses, through relationship management and the sharing of knowledge.

Raising awareness of the Destination Germany brand and enhancing the brand profile with a focus on sustainability and climate change mitigation.

Focus on sustainability and digitalisation:

The GNTB promotes forward-looking tourism in line with the objectives of the German government. The focus here is on sustainability and digitalisation.

To make inbound tourism more sustainable and competitive, our organisation follows a three-pillar strategy that combines the sharing of knowledge with external partners and a supporting communications strategy with our internal sustainability initiative. The GNTB positions Germany as a sustainable and inclusive destination in the international travel market.

The GNTB is a pioneer when it comes to using immersive technologies (virtual, augmented and mixed reality), voice assistants and other conversational interfaces, and artificial intelligence applications such as chatbots. To ensure that tourism offerings are visible on AI-based marketing platforms, the GNTB coordinates the German tourism industry's open-data/knowledge graph project.

The GNTB has 25 foreign agencies that it manages from its head office in Frankfurt .

Further information can be found in our online press center at www.germany.travel/presse . To download press pictures, please register via: https://dam.germany.travel



www.germany.travel

facebook.com/germanytourism

instagram.com/germanytourism

Instagram.com/germanytourismar

twitter.com/germanytourism





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SOURCE Wego
Innovative Healthcare Provider Aims to Bridge Healthcare Gap in the Community

COLLEGE PARK, Ga. , Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hospital in Your Home (HiYH) is proud to announce the official launch of its pioneering healthcare services in downtown College Park, Georgia . As part of its mission to provide high-quality, patient-centric care to underserved communities, HiYH is excited to introduce its Virtual Care and NovellaCare programs.

Innovative Healthcare Provider Aims to Bridge Healthcare Gap in the Community

Located at 3755 Main Street , Unit 101, College Park, GA 30337, HiYH's new flagship clinic will serve as a hub for the community to access innovative healthcare solutions. With a firm commitment to addressing the healthcare disparities prevalent in the area, HiYH aims to make a substantial impact by bringing healthcare directly to the doorstep of those in need.

Virtual Care - Expanding Access for All

The introduction of Virtual Care by HiYH marks a significant milestone in ensuring healthcare access for all residents, especially seniors and the homebound. Through this platform, HiYH will connect patients with experienced healthcare professionals from the comfort of their homes. It's a transformative approach to healthcare delivery, designed to enhance accessibility, convenience, and patient outcomes.

NovellaCare - Redefining Care in the Community

NovellaCare, an integral part of HiYH's service offerings, emphasizes comprehensive chronic disease management and personalized care. This program is tailor-made to support patients in managing their health effectively while promoting wellness and preventing unnecessary hospitalizations.

A Call to the Community

HiYH recognizes that its success lies in community engagement and collaboration. As part of its commitment to the College Park community, HiYH invites residents to enroll their family members and neighbors in its programs. By participating in the HiYH healthcare ecosystem, the community can ensure that healthcare is no longer a distant concern but a local and accessible resource.

"Healthcare should be within reach for everyone, regardless of their circumstances. HiYH is dedicated to creating a healthier, happier community by delivering healthcare services that meet people where they are," said Novella Tascoe , CEO of HiYH.

Dr. Michael Young , Co-Founder of HiYH US, added, "This launch aligns perfectly with our mission to redefine healthcare delivery. We believe that everyone should have access to quality healthcare, and our model is designed to achieve just that. Our approach not only improves patient outcomes but also reduces the overall cost of care, which is a win-win for patients and the community."

Seeking Hospital Partnerships

HiYH is actively seeking partnerships with local hospitals to further enhance the scope and impact of its services. By collaborating with established healthcare institutions, HiYH aims to offer hospital-level acute care in patients' homes, reducing costs and providing care in a comfortable and familiar setting.

About Hospital in Your Home

Hospital in Your Home (HiYH) is an innovative healthcare provider dedicated to making high-quality healthcare accessible to underserved communities. By leveraging Virtual Care and NovellaCare, HiYH is on a mission to revolutionize the way healthcare is delivered. Through community engagement and strategic partnerships, HiYH is redefining healthcare access for all.

For more information, please visit www.hiyh.us or contact: 844-690-4494 (844-My+HIYH)

Novella Tascoe

CEO and Co-Founder

[email protected]

404-855-5697

About HiYH

Hospital in Your Home (HiYH) is an innovative healthcare provider dedicated to making high-quality healthcare accessible to underserved communities. By leveraging Virtual Care and NovellaCare, HiYH is on a mission to revolutionize the way healthcare is delivered. Through community engagement and strategic partnerships, HiYH is redefining healthcare access for all.

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SOURCE Hospital in Your Home
Keynote- Dr. Bechara Choucair , MD, SVP & Chief Health Officer, Kaiser Permanente, Nine Senior Leaders Panel Forum, & 2023 Award Honors to Dr. Allison Arwady , MD, MPH

CHICAGO , Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Institute of Medicine of Chicago is hosting its 9th State of Health of Chicago on December 14, 2023 , from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM CT at the Grand Lux Cafe, Chicago . All are welcome at the bi-annual event. More details and to register>. Dr. Bechara Choucair , MD, SVP and Chief Health Officer of Kaiser Permanente- Kaiser Foundation Health Plan & Hospital, is the Keynote Speaker. In addition, a diverse panel of nine outstanding speakers will discuss key issues facing the healthcare and public health community. Dr. Allison Arwady , MD, MPH, Immediate past Commissioner  Chicago Department of Public Health will be honored with the 2023 Outstanding Leadership Award for her service and leadership. A networking reception will follow the educational forum.

The State of Health of Chicago is a pivotal event as diverse leaders discuss and define imperative challenges that are barriers to advancing healthcare equity and reducing healthcare disparities. The purpose is to identify areas that demand attention for action and initiatives. It is viewed as a 'report card.' All attendees will vote on key issues to gain their feedback.

Panel Forum

Moderator  Health News Illinois

Dr. Abha Agrawal , MD, FACP, FACHE, CMO, Humboldt Health Hospital

Dr. Charles Barron , MD, MBA, CMO, Aunt Martha's Health and Wellness

Dr. Lee Francis , MD, MPH, CEO & President, Erie Family Health, Fellow of IOMC

Dr. Kimberlee Guenther , Ph.D., Chief Impact Officer at United Way of Metro Chicago

Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck , MD, MPH, COO, Cook County , Dept. of Public Health

Ms. Kate R. Maehr , Executive Director & CEO, Greater Chicago Food Depository

Dr. Beena Peters , DNP, RN, FACHE, FABC, Cook County Health, System Chief Nursing Executive, Fellow of IOMC

Ms. Swathi Staley , Chief Community Investment Officer & General Counsel, YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago

Dr. Sameer Vohra , MD, MPH, JD, Director of Public Health, State of Illinois

We wish to thank our sponsors, Midwest Business Group on Health, Golden Square , and Johnson and Johson for their support.

The Institute of Medicine of Chicago (IOMC), since 1915, is an independent non-profit organization of distinguished leaders in the health field who collaborate to improve the health of the public. Drawing upon the expertise of a diverse membership and other regional leaders, the IOMC addresses critical health issues through a range of interdisciplinary approaches, including education, research, communication of trusted information, and community engagement. With the public's health at its core, IOMC is building new programs and services to meet better the needs of its members and the Chicago , Counties and the State of Illinois community. 501c3 non-profit organization. Visit www.iomc.org.

For more information contact:

Institute of Medicine of Chicago

Deborah Hodges

312.709.2685

[email protected]

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SOURCE The Institute of Medicine of Chicago
Abu Dhabi based company will meet the growing needs of wealth and asset managers in the Middle East for an end-to-end wealth management platform

based company will meet the growing needs of wealth and asset managers in the for an end-to-end wealth management platform BNY Mellon will provide its global expertise in wealth technology and has a minority share in the company

ABU DHABI , UAE and NEW YORK , Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Lunate, a global alternative investment management company with more than $50 billion of assets under management, and BNY Mellon (NYSE: BK), the world's largest custodian and a leader in wealth management technology are investing in a new company, Alpheya, that will develop a customized wealth management technology platform for wealth and asset managers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Based in the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), Alpheya will be funded with a capital commitment of $300 million and is expected to start serving clients in 2024. BNY Mellon has a minority share in the company.

The new financial technology company will meet the growing demand in the Middle East from wealth and asset managers, private banks, and investment houses, for an end-to-end digital solution that delivers a range of services, including client onboarding, financial planning, portfolio construction, trading and rebalancing, risk management reporting, and analytics. Utilizing the latest security and data architecture, the platform will be designed to meet the data privacy and localization requirements for each market in the region.

"We look forward to leveraging our local industry and investment expertise with BNY Mellon's long history in wealth technology solutions to help wealth managers in the Middle East meet the evolving needs of their clients," said Seif Fikry , Managing Partner, Lunate. "Not only will this new platform transform wealth capabilities for financial institutions across MENA, it will also strengthen Abu Dhabi's role as a global hub for wealth and asset management."

Built on open and modular architecture, the platform will provide the digital tools and solutions for clients to meet the growing challenges of managing complex technology and numerous investment vehicles, so they can focus on engaging with their clients and expanding their business.

"BNY Mellon is one of the largest wealth management technology providers, and the new company will leverage our deep expertise in providing wealth managers and investors digital tools and solutions for enhancing portfolio management, seamlessly connecting to local and global providers, and harnessing world-leading data management capabilities," said Akash Shah , Chief Growth Officer, BNY Mellon. "We are proud to invest in an organization which recognizes the need for a locally-developed wealth technology solution, and to support the burgeoning wealth management industry in the region."

"Wealth franchises today are managing complex technology environments and a multitude of investment options, that are all supported by more data and analytics and increasingly sophisticated risk management practices," said Roger Rouhana , CEO of Alpheya. "The creation of a wealth technology solution that provides digital tools and software solutions in one integrated platform and is customized for the Middle East , will greatly enhance the ability of regional wealth managers to grow in a scalable and client-centric way."

Further operational details will be announced in due course. For more information, please visit: www.alpheya.com

About Lunate

Lunate is a new Abu Dhabi -based, Partner-led independent global alternative investment management company with more than 150 employees and more than $50 billion of assets under management. Lunate invests across the entire private market spectrum including buyouts, growth equity, early and late-stage venture capital, private credit, real assets, and public equities and public credit. Lunate aims to be one of the world's leading private markets solutions providers through SMAs and multi-asset class funds, seeking to generate best-in-class risk-adjusted returns for its clients.

About BNY Mellon

Established in 1784, BNY Mellon is America's oldest bank and the first company listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BK). Today, BNY Mellon powers capital markets around the world through comprehensive solutions that help clients manage and service their financial assets throughout the investment life cycle. BNY Mellon had $45.7 trillion in assets under custody and/or administration and $1.8 trillion in assets under management as of Sept. 30, 2023 . BNY Mellon has been named among Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies and Fast Company's Best Workplaces for Innovators. BNY Mellon is the corporate brand of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation. Additional information is available on www.bnymellon.com. Follow us on LinkedIn or visit our Newsroom for the latest company news.

Media Contacts

Lunate: [email protected]

BNY Mellon: [email protected]

Alpheya: [email protected]

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SOURCE BNY Mellon
Grants totaling $250,000 given to organizations strengthening health equity across the country

NORTHFIELD, Ill. , Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Medline today announced that it has awarded grants to 10 non-profit organizations through its annual Community Impact Grant program. This community centered, results focused grant program selects charities that help re-direct adverse outcomes and improve the wellbeing of people, families and communities at large.

This year's Community Impact Grants, totaling $250,000 , will be evenly divided across 10 recipient organizations that are working to address social determinants of healththe economic and social conditions that impact disparities in health status and care, as well as life expectancy. Since launching in 2018, Medline's Community Impact Grant program has donated a total of $1.4M to non-profit organizations across the United States .

"Medline is proud to be able to aid all of these organizations with this grant," said Karen Frey , senior philanthropy manager, Medline. "When selecting the grant recipients, we look for organizations that have standing dedication and roots within their community and have proven time after time to be an important resource for the individuals they work with. We look forward to seeing the results this grant has on these communities."

The 2023 Community Impact Grant recipients, and how they will utilize their funding, are as follows:

Room to Grow National Inc. ( New York, N.Y. ): Funding will be used to continue providing parents and caregivers with essential tools and support to connect low-income families with local resources in support of childhood development and overall family well-being.

Funding will be used to continue providing parents and caregivers with essential tools and support to connect low-income families with local resources in support of childhood development and overall family well-being. Project Angel Food ( Los Angeles, Calif. ): Grant will be used to support home-delivered medically tailored meals and nutrition services to individuals with severe illness. This commitment not only relieves the stress of food insecurity for clients and provides lifesaving food, but it also ensures regular wellness checks.

Grant will be used to support home-delivered medically tailored meals and nutrition services to individuals with severe illness. This commitment not only relieves the stress of food insecurity for clients and provides lifesaving food, but it also ensures regular wellness checks. Cradles to Crayons, Inc. ( Chicago, Ill. ): Funding will support the "Everyday Essentials" initiatives, which provides basic needs to low-income children. Through a collaborative approach, this program aims at reducing burden by meeting community needs to help children get more out of the items they need to keep them safe, healthy and ready to learn.

Funding will support the "Everyday Essentials" initiatives, which provides basic needs to low-income children. Through a collaborative approach, this program aims at reducing burden by meeting community needs to help children get more out of the items they need to keep them safe, healthy and ready to learn. Project Angel Heart ( Denver, Colo. ): Funding will be used to continue to deliver medically tailored meals to community members suffering from illness such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, or Alzheimer's. This program recognizes the important role that nutrition and education play in disease management, and strives to ensure clients have the tools they need to be set up for success.

Funding will be used to continue to deliver medically tailored meals to community members suffering from illness such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, or Alzheimer's. This program recognizes the important role that nutrition and education play in disease management, and strives to ensure clients have the tools they need to be set up for success. Youth Guidance ( Chicago, Ill. ): Funding will go toward a counseling program that partners with 201 schools to advance social and racial justices for young men and women of color through a healing centered, social emotional learning lens. Children and young adults are statistically more likely to succeed when they have a caring adult in their lives and are empowered to act on talents and strengths.

Funding will go toward a counseling program that partners with 201 schools to advance social and racial justices for young men and women of color through a healing centered, social emotional learning lens. Children and young adults are statistically more likely to succeed when they have a caring adult in their lives and are empowered to act on talents and strengths. Lift Orlando, Inc. ( Orlando, Fla. ): Funding will support the "Cradle-to-Career" education program created with the foundational belief that education is critical for empowering positive change to individuals and communities. This program provides resources, programs and services in 0-5 early learning, K-8 Literacy, and wraparound services.

Funding will support the "Cradle-to-Career" education program created with the foundational belief that education is critical for empowering positive change to individuals and communities. This program provides resources, programs and services in 0-5 early learning, K-8 Literacy, and wraparound services. Alzheimer's Disease & Related Disorders Association, Inc. ( Chicago, Ill. ): As the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S. , Alzheimer's and dementia disproportionately impact Black and Hispanic communities. The grant will go toward the "Community Based Care Consultant" program to provide free programs and services that help individuals and families in low income communities better navigate care for this disease. Funds will also aid in recruiting, training and equipping volunteers to continue to scale impact.

As the seventh leading cause of death in the , Alzheimer's and dementia disproportionately impact Black and Hispanic communities. The grant will go toward the "Community Based Care Consultant" program to provide free programs and services that help individuals and families in low income communities better navigate care for this disease. Funds will also aid in recruiting, training and equipping volunteers to continue to scale impact. NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. ( New York, N.Y. ): Funding will be used to continue to fight systemic discrimination for Black Americans by providing aid in economic stability utilizing interventions to help individuals and families unable to afford healthy food, housing and healthcare. Using the power of law, narrative and research, the Legal Defense and Educational Fund defends and advocates the full dignity and citizenship of Black people in America.

Funding will be used to continue to fight systemic discrimination for Black Americans by providing aid in economic stability utilizing interventions to help individuals and families unable to afford healthy food, housing and healthcare. Using the power of law, narrative and research, the defends and advocates the full dignity and citizenship of Black people in America. American Heart Association, Inc. ( Chicago, Ill. ): Funding will be used to invest in programs and partnerships with minority and economically disadvantaged communities that improve healthcare services and pass policies that transform neighborhoods by removing barriers to healthcare access and quality. This fund will be used to enable deeper engagement with community partners, which increases the capacity of identified high-risk neighborhoods to respond appropriately to a cardiac arrest, increasing chances for survival.

Funding will be used to invest in programs and partnerships with minority and economically disadvantaged communities that improve healthcare services and pass policies that transform neighborhoods by removing barriers to healthcare access and quality. This fund will be used to enable deeper engagement with community partners, which increases the capacity of identified high-risk neighborhoods to respond appropriately to a cardiac arrest, increasing chances for survival. Breast Cancer Resource Center ( Austin, TX ): Funding will be used to support their partnerships with community clinics and other healthcare organizations. Additionally, the grant will be used for their Certified Patient Navigators, who are breast cancer survivors, helping enable individuals going through their journey with breast cancer by providing guidance and education.

The Community Impact Grant program is just one program that Medline implements to address the social determinants of health. Medline has also supported over 150 charities with nearly 9,000 volunteer hours in 2022. Additionally, company volunteers travel internationally to aid health systems in impoverished areas, set up their facilities to increase efficiency and effectiveness.

In 2020, Medline launched the Medline CARES program, created to strengthen communities where employees live and work by providing resources individuals need to lead a healthier lives. Through food drives and blood drives, volunteers work to provide resources to vulnerable communities. To learn more about how Medline is advancing health equity in the U.S. and around the world, visit www.medline.com/about-us/esg/people-communities/.

About Medline

Medline is a healthcare company  a medical supply manufacturer, distributor, and solutions provider focused on improving the overall operating performance of healthcare. Partnering across the continuum of care, Medline helps providers to activate the clinical and supply chain resources needed to deliver their best care. With the agility to solve problems quickly and the scale to partner with providers for their sustained success, Medline is able to invest in its customers for the future and rapidly respond to a dynamically changing market with customized solutions.

Medline was most recently named to the Forbes America's Best Large Employers and Best Employers for Women lists, and was recognized for the 12th year by Chicago Tribune as a Top Workplace. Headquartered in Northfield, Ill. , Medline has 35,000+ employees worldwide and operates in over 125 countries and territories. Learn more at www.medline.com.

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SOURCE Medline
GUANGZHOU, China , Nov. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- MINISO Group Holding Limited (NYSE: MNSO; HKEX: 9896) ("MINISO", "MINISO Group" or the "Company"), a global value retailer offering a variety of trendy lifestyle products featuring IP design, today announced its unaudited financial results for September quarter 2023.

Financial Highlights for the First Quarter of Fiscal Year 2024 ended September 30, 2023

Revenue was RMB3,791.2 million ( US$519.6 million ), representing an increase of 36.7% year over year and 16.6% quarter over quarter.

was ( ), representing an increase of 36.7% year over year and 16.6% quarter over quarter. Gross profit was RMB1,583.7 million ( US$217.1 million ), representing an increase of 60.2% year over year and 22.2% quarter over quarter.

was ( ), representing an increase of 60.2% year over year and 22.2% quarter over quarter. Gross margin was 41.8%, compared to 35.7% in the same period of 2022 and 39.8% in the previous quarter.

was 41.8%, compared to 35.7% in the same period of 2022 and 39.8% in the previous quarter. Operating profit was RMB788.3 million ( US$108.0 million ), representing an increase of 54.7% year over year and 14.2% quarter over quarter.

was ( ), representing an increase of 54.7% year over year and 14.2% quarter over quarter. Profit for the period was RMB618.3 million ( US$84.7 million ), representing an increase of 53.0% year over year and 13.0% quarter over quarter.

was ( ), representing an increase of 53.0% year over year and 13.0% quarter over quarter. Adjusted net profit (1) was RMB642.0 million ( US$88.0 million ), representing an increase of 53.8% year over year and 12.4% quarter over quarter.

was ( ), representing an increase of 53.8% year over year and 12.4% quarter over quarter. Adjusted net margin (1) was 16.9%, compared to 15.1% in the same period of 2022 and 17.6% in the previous quarter.

was 16.9%, compared to 15.1% in the same period of 2022 and 17.6% in the previous quarter. Adjusted EBITDA (1) was RMB1,014.3 million ( US$139.0 million ), representing an increase of 52.8% year over year and 18.6% quarter over quarter.

was ( ), representing an increase of 52.8% year over year and 18.6% quarter over quarter. Adjusted EBITDA margin(1) was 26.8%, compared to 23.9% in the same period of 2022 and 26.3% in the previous quarter.

Operational Highlights for the First Quarter of Fiscal Year 2024 ended September 30, 2023

Number of MINISO stores surpassed 6,000 for the first time and reached 6,115 as of September 30, 2023 , increasing by 819 stores year over year and 324 stores quarter over quarter, respectively.

surpassed 6,000 for the first time and reached 6,115 as of , increasing by 819 stores year over year and 324 stores quarter over quarter, respectively. Number of MINISO stores in China was 3,802 as of September 30, 2023 , increasing by 533 stores year over year and 198 stores quarter over quarter, respectively.

was 3,802 as of , increasing by 533 stores year over year and 198 stores quarter over quarter, respectively. Number of MINISO stores in overseas markets was 2,313 as of September 30, 2023 , increasing by 286 stores year over year and 126 stores quarter over quarter, respectively.

was 2,313 as of , increasing by 286 stores year over year and 126 stores quarter over quarter, respectively. Number of TOP TOY stores was 122 as of September 30, 2023 , increasing by 13 stores year over year and 4 stores quarter over quarter, respectively.

Note:

(1) See the sections titled "Non-IFRS Financial Measures" and "Reconciliation of Non-IFRS Financial Measures" in this press release for more information.

The following table provides a breakdown of the number of MINISO and TOP TOY stores as well as their year-over-year and quarter-over-quarter changes as of the relevant dates:



As of



September 30, 2022 June 30, 2023 September 30, 2023 YoY QoQ Number of MINISO stores(1) 5,296 5,791 6,115 819 324 China 3,269 3,604 3,802 533 198 Directly operated stores 19 15 20 1 5 Third-party stores 3,250 3,589 3,782 532 193 Overseas 2,027 2,187 2,313 286 126 Directly operated stores 131 176 202 71 26 Third-party stores 1,896 2,011 2,111 215 100 Number of TOP TOY stores(2) 109 118 122 13 4 Directly operated stores 8 9 9 1 - Third-party stores 101 109 113 12 4

Notes:

(1) "MINISO stores" refers to the offline stores operated under the "MINISO" brand, including those directly operated by the Company, and those operated by third parties under the MINISO Retail Partner model and the distributor model.

(2) "TOP TOY stores" refers to the offline stores operated under the "TOP TOY" brand, including those directly operated by the Company, and those operated by third parties under the MINISO Retail Partner model.

For more information about MINISO stores, please refer to "Unaudited Additional Information" in this press release.

Mr. Guofu Ye , Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of MINISO, commented, "We delivered another strong quarter, demonstrating resilience of our business model and huge potential of our globalization strategy. Core MINISO business including both MINISO offline China and overseas, increased by more than 40% year over year, supported by mid-twenties growth in GMV per MINISO store both in China and overseas. With a more normalized offline travel in this year, we are able to dedicate more resources into our overseas directly operated markets, the revenue of which has increased by more than 80% for two consecutive quarters. In addition, we are encouraged by our developments in our emerging markets such as the North America market, revenue of which increased by nearly 160% in this quarter year over year. Entering Holiday Season, we see this high-growth trend continues in our directly operated markets as we see more value-seeking behavior by overseas consumers and more favorable product mix from us."

"In many ways, this September quarter was our best quarter so far, with historical highs in revenue, net profit and net store opening. It also marked an important milestone for MINISO as our global store network surpassed 6,000 for the first time. As of September 30 , we had opened 477 new MINISO stores in China , accomplishing our full-year plan of 350-450 stores a quarter ahead of schedule. We currently expect to add another 100-200 new stores on a net basis in China in the remaining calendar year of 2023, and we will strive to deliver our target of opening 350 to 450 stores in overseas markets. Going forward, we will continue to focus on our long-term strategic goals of delivering on our globalization strategy, bolstering the strength of our product offerings and continuously optimizing our store network."

Mr. Eason Zhang , Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of MINISO, commented, "Gross margin for this September quarter reached 41.8%, increasing by more than 6 percentage points from 35.7% in the same quarter last year, setting another historical high, thanks to our solid execution of MINISO's brand upgrade strategy and more favorable revenue mix, with directly operated market contributed 46% of overseas revenue. In longer term, we are confident to increase gross margin steadily by leveraging our core capabilities in product development, supply chain integration and glocalization."

"Adjusted net profit increased by 54% year over year to RMB642 million , and adjusted net margin reached 16.9% in this quarter. Excluding foreign exchange impacts, adjusted net margin in this quarter would be 17.1%, compared to 13.2% during the same quarter of 2022, and 15.5% in the previous quarter. Looking forward into the December quarter, we expect our sales to continue to grow strongly on a year-over-year basis, driven by better store-level performance and store network expansion. Meanwhile, our margin profile will continue to optimize on a year-over-year basis."

Recent Developments

Operational Update

According to the Company's preliminary estimates, its major operations achieved the following updates:

October 2023 : GMV of MINISO's offline stores in China increased by over 40% year over year, driven primarily by around 11% increase of average GMV per MINISO store. GMV of MINISO's overseas business increased by around 30% year over year.

Unaudited Financial Results for the First Quarter of Fiscal Year 2024 ended September 30, 2023

Revenue was RMB3,791.2 million ( US$519.6 million ), representing an increase of 36.7% year over year, primarily driven by a 34.7% year-over-year increase in revenue from China , and a 40.8% year-over-year increase in revenue from overseas markets.

Revenue from China was RMB2,495 .8 million ( US$342.1 million ), 34.7% higher than RMB1,852.3 million in the same period of 2022. The year-over-year increase was primarily driven by (i) an increase of 41.2% in revenue from MINISO's offline stores in China , which was the result of a 14.0% year-over-year growth in average store count and a 23.8% year-over-year growth in average revenue per MINISO store in China , and (ii) an increase of 46.1% in revenue from TOP TOY, which was the result of a 16.5% year-over-year growth in average store count and a 25.4% year-over-year growth in average revenue per TOP TOY store.

Revenue from overseas markets was RMB1,295 .4 million ( US$177 .5 million), representing an increase of 40.8% year over year. The year-over-year increase was primarily due to a year-over-year increase of 12.5% in average store count and a year-over-year growth of 25.1% in average revenue per MINISO store in overseas markets. Revenue from overseas markets contributed 34.2% of our total revenue in the September quarter of 2023, compared to 33.2% in the same period of 2022 and 34.3% in the previous quarter of 2023.

For more information on the composition and year-over-year change of revenue, please refer to the "Unaudited Additional Information" in this press release.

Cost of sales was RMB2,207.5 million ( US$302.6 million ), representing an increase of 23.7% year over year.

Gross profit was RMB1,583.7 million ( US$217.1 million ), representing an increase of 60.2% year over year.

Gross margin was 41.8%, compared to 35.7% in the same period of 2022. The year-over-year increase was primarily attributable to (i) higher gross margin in overseas markets contributed by product optimization and higher revenue contribution from directly operated markets which accounted for 45.7% of revenue from overseas markets, compared to 34.1% in the same period of 2022, (ii) higher gross margin in China contributed by newly launched products in relation to our execution of strategic brand upgrade of MINISO, and the cost-saving measures the Company adopted to reduce the costs of certain products, and (iii) higher gross margin of TOP TOY due to a shift in product mix towards more profitable products.

Other income was RMB13 .4 million ( US$1 .8 million), compared to RMB6 .4 million in the same period of 2022.

Selling and distribution expenses were RMB640 .9 million ( US$87 .8 million), representing an increase of 68.1% year over year. Excluding share-based compensation expenses, selling and distribution expenses were RMB620 .8 million ( US$85 .1 million), representing an increase of 66.6% year over year. The year-over-year increase was mainly attributable to (i) increased personnel-related expenses in relation to the growth of our business, (ii) increased promotion and advertising expenses, mainly in connection with our execution of strategic brand upgrade of MINISO in China , and (iii) increased licensing expenses in relation to our growing IP library and enriched offerings of IP products.

General and administrative expenses were RMB170.6 million ( US$23 .4 million), representing an increase of 1.7% year over year. Excluding share-based compensation expenses, general and administrative expenses were RMB166 .9 million ( US$22 .9 million), representing an increase of 2.3% year over year. As a percentage of revenue, general and administrative expenses (excluding share-based compensation expenses) for this quarter accounted for 4.4%, decreased from 5.9% in the same period of 2022 thanks to operating leverage.

Other net income was RMB1 .0 million ( US$0 .1 million), compared to RMB64 .0 million in the same period of 2022. Other net income mainly consists of investment income from wealth management products, net foreign exchange gain/loss and others. The year-over-year change was mainly attributable to a net foreign exchange loss of RMB7.1 million in this quarter, compared to a net foreign exchange gain of RMB52.3 million in the same period of 2022.

Operating profit was RMB788.3 million ( US$108 .0 million), representing an increase of 54.7% year over year.

Net finance income was RMB57 .9 million ( US$7 .9 million), representing an increase of 130.9% year over year, mainly due to an increase in interest income of bank deposits.

Profit for the period was RMB618 .3 million ( US$84 .7 million), representing an increase of 53.0% year over year.

Adjusted net profit, which represents profit for the period excluding equity-settled share-based payment expenses, was RMB642 .0 million ( US$88 .0 million), representing an increase of 53.8% year over year.

Adjusted net margin was 16.9%, compared to 15.1% in the same period of 2022.

Adjusted EBITDA was RMB1,014 .3 million ( US$139 .0 million), representing an increase of 52.8% year over year.

Adjusted EBITDA margin was 26.8%, compared to 23.9% in the same period of 2022.

Basic and diluted earnings per ADS were both RMB1 .96 ( US$0.27 ) in this quarter, representing an increase of 48.5% year over year from RMB1 .32 in the same period of 2022. Each ADS represents four of the Company's ordinary shares.

Adjusted basic and diluted earnings per ADS were both RMB2 .04 ( US$0.28 ) in this quarter, representing an increase of 50.0% year over year from RMB1 .36 in the same period of 2022.

Conference Call

The Company's management will hold an earnings conference call at 4:00 A.M. Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday, November 21, 2023 (5:00 P.M. Beijing Time on the same day) to discuss the financial results. The conference call can be accessed by the following Zoom link or dialing the following numbers:

Access 1

Join Zoom meeting.

Zoom link: https://dooyle.zoom.us/j/83537975392?pwd=EH04HZUn0J49ezZi7m0bymGArajiFZ.1

Meeting Number: 835 3797 5392

Meeting Passcode: 9896

Access 2

Listeners may access the call by dialing the following numbers by using the same meeting number and passcode with access 1.

United States: +1 213 338 8477 (or +1 646 518 9805)

Mainland China: 400 182 3168 (or 400 616 8835)

Hong Kong , China : +852 5803 3730 (or +852 5803 3731)

United Kingdom: +44 203 481 5237 (or +44 131 460 1196)

France: +33 1 7037 9729 (or +33 1 7037 2246)

Singapore: +65 3158 7288 (or +65 3165 1065)

Canada : +1 438 809 7799 (or +1 204 272 7920)

Access 3

Listeners can also access the meeting through the Company's investor relations website at https://ir.miniso.com/.

The replay will be available approximately two hours after the conclusion of the live event at the Company's investor relations website at https://ir.miniso.com/.

About MINISO Group

MINISO Group is a global value retailer offering a variety of trendy lifestyle products featuring IP design. The Company serves consumers primarily through its large network of MINISO stores, and promotes a relaxing, treasure-hunting and engaging shopping experience full of delightful surprises that appeals to all demographics. Aesthetically pleasing design, quality and affordability are at the core of every product in MINISO's wide product portfolio, and the Company continually and frequently rolls out products with these qualities. Since the opening of its first store in China in 2013, the Company has built its flagship brand "MINISO" as a globally recognized retail brand and established a massive store network worldwide. For more information, please visit https://ir.miniso.com/.

Exchange Rate

The U.S. dollar (US$) amounts disclosed in this press release, except for those transaction amounts that were actually settled in U.S. dollars, are presented solely for the convenience of the readers. The conversion of Renminbi (RMB) into US$ in this press release is based on the exchange rate set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System as of September 29, 2023 , which was RMB7.2960 to US$1.0000 . The percentages stated in this press release are calculated based on the RMB amounts.

Non-IFRS Financial Measures

In evaluating the business, MINISO considers and uses adjusted net profit, adjusted net margin, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin, adjusted basic and diluted net earnings per share and adjusted basic and diluted net earnings per ADS as supplemental measures to review and assess its operating performance. The presentation of these non-IFRS financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with IFRS. MINISO defines adjusted net profit as profit for the period excluding equity-settled share-based payment expenses. MINISO calculates adjusted net margin by dividing adjusted net profit by revenue for the same period. MINISO defines adjusted EBITDA as adjusted net profit plus depreciation and amortization, finance costs and income tax expense. Adjusted EBITDA margin is computed by dividing adjusted EBITDA by revenue for the period. MINISO computes adjusted basic and diluted net earnings per ADS by dividing adjusted net profit attributable to the equity shareholders of the Company by the number of ADSs represented by the number of ordinary shares used in the basic and diluted earnings per share calculation on an IFRS basis. MINISO computes adjusted basic and diluted net earnings per share in the same way as it calculates adjusted basic and diluted net earnings per ADS, except that it uses the number of ordinary shares used in the basic and diluted earnings per share calculation on an IFRS basis as the denominator instead of the number of ADSs represented by these ordinary shares.

MINISO presents these non-IFRS financial measures because they are used by the management to evaluate its operating performance and formulate business plans. These non-IFRS financial measures enable the management to assess its operating results without considering the impacts of the aforementioned non-cash and other adjustment items that MINISO does not consider to be indicative of its operating performance in the future. Accordingly, MINISO believes that the use of these non-IFRS financial measures provides useful information to investors and others in understanding and evaluating its operating results in the same manner as the management and board of directors.

These non-IFRS financial measures are not defined under IFRS and are not presented in accordance with IFRS. These non-IFRS financial measures have limitations as analytical tools. One of the key limitations of using these non-IFRS financial measures is that they do not reflect all items of income and expense that affect MINISO's operations. Further, these non-IFRS financial measures may differ from the non-IFRS information used by other companies, including peer companies, and therefore their comparability may be limited.

These non-IFRS financial measures should not be considered in isolation or construed as alternatives to profit, net profit margin, basic and diluted earnings per share and basic and diluted earnings per ADS, as applicable, or any other measures of performance or as indicators of MINISO's operating performance. Investors are encouraged to review MINISO's historical non-IFRS financial measures in light of the most directly comparable IFRS measures, as shown below. The non-IFRS financial measures presented here may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies. Other companies may calculate similarly titled measures differently, limiting the usefulness of such measures when analyzing MINISO's data comparatively. MINISO encourages you to review its financial information in its entirety and not rely on a single financial measure.

For more information on the non-IFRS financial measures, please see the table captioned "Reconciliation of Non-IFRS Financial Measures" set forth at the end of this press release.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as "may," "will," "expect," "anticipate," "aim," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "believe," "is/are likely to,", "potential," "continue" or other similar expressions. Among other things, the quotations from management in this announcement, as well as MINISO's strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. MINISO may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the "HKEX"), in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about MINISO's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: MINISO's mission, goals and strategies; future business development, financial conditions and results of operations; the expected growth of the retail market and the market of branded variety retail of lifestyle products in China and globally; expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of MINISO's products; expectations regarding MINISO's relationships with consumers, suppliers, MINISO Retail Partners, local distributors, and other business partners; competition in the industry; proposed use of proceeds; and relevant government policies and regulations relating to MINISO's business and the industry. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in MINISO's filings with the SEC and the HKEX. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and MINISO undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

MINISO GROUP HOLDING LIMITED

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION

(Expressed in thousands)



















As at

As at

June 30 , 2023 September 30, 2023

(Audited) (Unaudited)





RMB'000

RMB'000

US$'000

ASSETS













Non-current assets













Property, plant and equipment

534,634

654,331

89,684

Right-of-use assets

2,552,600

2,669,901

365,940

Intangible assets

25,277

21,292

2,918

Goodwill

21,069

21,170

2,902

Deferred tax assets

161,617

151,415

20,753

Other investments

73,870

73,870

10,125

Other receivables

74,641

87,510

11,994

Term deposits

100,000

100,000

13,706





















3,543,708

3,779,489

518,022

















Current assets













Other investments

205,329

301,361

41,305

Inventories

1,450,519

1,858,935

254,788

Trade and other receivables

1,150,156

1,323,950

181,462

Cash and cash equivalents

6,489,213

6,079,746

833,299

Restricted cash

27,073

34,738

4,761

Term deposits

581,715

267,927

36,723





















9,904,005

9,866,657

1,352,338

















Total assets

13,447,713

13,646,146

1,870,360

















EQUITY













Share capital

95

95

13

Additional paid-in capital

7,254,871

6,331,304

867,777

Other reserves

1,106,718

1,114,470

152,751

Retained earnings

539,331

1,151,922

157,884

















Equity attributable to equity shareholders of the Company

8,901,015

8,597,791

1,178,425

Non-controlling interests

17,253

21,074

2,889

















Total equity

8,918,268

8,618,865

1,181,314

















LIABILITIES













Non-current liabilities













Contract liabilities

46,754

41,425

5,678

Loans and borrowings

7,215

6,391

876

Lease liabilities

556,801

648,904

88,939

Deferred income

33,080

31,160

4,271





















643,850

727,880

99,764

















Current liabilities













Loans and borrowings

-

710

97

Trade and other payables

3,019,302

3,372,587

462,252

Contract liabilities

292,887

278,915

38,228

Lease liabilities

328,933

335,886

46,037

Deferred income

6,778

6,735

923

Current taxation

237,695

304,568

41,745





















3,885,595

4,299,401

589,282

















Total liabilities

4,529,445

5,027,281

689,046

















Total equity and liabilities

13,447,713

13,646,146

1,870,360























MINISO GROUP HOLDING LIMITED UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF PROFIT OR LOSS

(Expressed in thousands, except for per share and per ADS data)













Three months ended September 30 ,





2022

2023

(Unaudited) (Unaudited)



RMB'000

RMB'000

US$'000

Revenue

2,772,444

3,791,154

519,621

Cost of sales

(1,783,865)

(2,207,456)

(302,557)

















Gross profit

988,579

1,583,698

217,064

Other income

6,419

13,437

1,842

Selling and distribution expenses

(381,345)

(640,889)

(87,841)

General and administrative expenses

(167,626)

(170,552)

(23,376)

Other net income

64,035

953

130

(Credit loss)/reversal of credit loss on trade and other receivables

(554)

1,666

228

















Operating profit

509,508

788,313

108,047

Finance income

32,255

69,366

9,508

Finance costs

(7,184)

(11,481)

(1,574)

















Net finance income

25,071

57,885

7,934

















Profit before taxation

534,579

846,198

115,981

Income tax expense

(130,435)

(227,923)

(31,239)

















Profit for the period

404,144

618,275

84,742

















Attributable to:













Equity shareholders of the Company

411,634

612,591

83,963

Non-controlling interests

(7,490)

5,684

779

















Earnings per share for ordinary shares













-Basic

0.33

0.49

0.07

-Diluted

0.33

0.49

0.07

















Earnings per ADS













(Each ADS represents 4 ordinary shares) -Basic

1.32

1.96

0.27

-Diluted

1.32

1.96

0.27













Three months ended September 30 ,



2022

2023 (Unaudited) (Unaudited)



RMB'000

RMB'000

US$'000













Profit for the period

404,144

618,275

84,742













Items that may be reclassified subsequently to profit or loss:











Exchange differences on translation of financial statements of foreign operations

26,476

(17,880)

(2,451)













Other comprehensive income/(loss) for the period

26,476

(17,880)

(2,451)













Total comprehensive income for the period

430,620

600,395

82,291













Attributable to:











Equity shareholders of the Company

432,208

596,574

81,767 Non-controlling interests

(1,588)

3,821

524

MINISO GROUP HOLDING LIMITED RECONCILIATION OF NON-IFRS FINANCIAL MEASURES (Expressed in thousands, except for per share and per ADS data)









Three months ended September 30 ,



2022

2023 (Unaudited) (Unaudited)



RMB'000

RMB'000

US$'000













Reconciliation of profit for the period to adjusted net profit:











Profit for the period

404,144

618,275

84,742 Add back:











Equity-settled share-based payment expenses

13,227

23,769

3,258













Adjusted net profit

417,371

642,044

88,000













Attributable to:











Equity shareholders of the Company

424,861

636,360

87,221 Non-controlling interests

(7,490)

5,684

779













Adjusted net earnings per share for ordinary shares(1)











-Basic

0.34

0.51

0.07 -Diluted

0.34

0.51

0.07













Adjusted net earnings per ADS











(Each ADS represents 4 ordinary shares)

1.36

2.04

0.28 -Basic -Diluted

1.36

2.04

0.28













Reconciliation of adjusted net profit for the period to adjusted EBITDA:











Adjusted net profit

417,371

642,044

88,000 Add back:











Depreciation and amortization

108,657

132,868

18,211 Finance costs

7,184

11,481

1,574 Income tax expense

130,435

227,923

31,239 Adjusted EBITDA

663,647

1,014,316

139,024 Adjusted EBITDA margin

23.9 %

26.8 %

26.8 %

Note:

(1) Adjusted basic and diluted net earnings per share are computed by dividing adjusted net profit attributable to the equity shareholders of the Company by the number of ordinary shares used in the basic and diluted earnings per share calculation on an IFRS basis.

MINISO GROUP HOLDING LIMITED UNAUDITED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (Expressed in millions, except for percentages)





Three months ended September 30 ,

2022

2023

YoY

RMB

RMB

US$

Revenue













Domestic Operations 1,852

2,496

342

35 % -MINISO Brand 1,700

2,307

316

36 % -TOP TOY Brand 124

181

25

46 % -Others 28

8

1

(71) % International Operations 920

1,295

178

41 %

2,772

3,791

520

37 %

MINISO GROUP HOLDING LIMITED UNAUDITED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION





















As of









September 30 ,

2022

June 30 ,

2023

September 30 ,

2023

YoY

QoQ Number of MINISO stores in China

















First-tier cities 464

474

499

35

25 Second-tier cities 1,369

1,496

1,554

185

58 Third- or lower-tier cities 1,436

1,634

1,749

313

115 Total 3,269

3,604

3,802

533

198

MINISO GROUP HOLDING LIMITED

UNAUDITED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION























As of









September 30 ,

2022

June 30 ,

2023

September30,

2023

YoY

QoQ Number of MINISO stores in overseas markets

















Asian countries excluding China 1,108

1,206

1,264

156

58 Americas 556

615

654

98

39 Europe 169

198

218

49

20 Others 194

168

177

(17)

9 Total 2,027

2,187

2,313

286

126



























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SOURCE MINISO Group Holding Limited
BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree on awarding employees of justice authorities of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Trend reports.

According to the decree, the following persons were awarded the medal 'For Distinction in State Service' for their effective work:

Konul Abasova

Nazim Abbasov

Vugar Abishov

Rufat Aghayev

Hayal Eyvazov

Rashad Hasanli

Zaur Hasanov

Rashad Huseynov

Vugar Gahramanov

Azer Mehraliyev

Aynur Sabitova
MIT Technology Review's AI team meets for a special session breaking down the recent news at OpenAI and Microsoft and what this all means for the two companies, the public, and what's next for the AI industry.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. , Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- MIT Technology Review will host a special LinkedIn Live event on Wednesday, November 22, 2023 at 11:30am ET with Senior Editor for AI, Will Douglas Heaven ; Senior Reporter for AI, Melissa Heikkila; and Executive Editor, Niall Firth , discussing the recent news at OpenAI and Microsoft after the firing of CEO Sam Altman and what this all means for the AI industry.

The shocking news, which broke over the weekend and continues this week, that the board of OpenAI fired CEO Sam Altman , only to be followed by Microsoft announcing it hired Altman to lead its new AI research team on Sunday, and the majority of OpenAI employees calling for the board to resign on Monday has left the industry spinning. MIT Technology Review's AI team will sit down on LinkedIn Live to dissect this news and its implications. The event follows-up on the story What's Next for OpenAI by Heaven and Heikkila.

MIT Technology Review has been at the forefront of the dialogue around AI. At this year's EmTech Digital event in May, the publication's signature AI event included a standing-room-only speaker appearance and interview between Will Douglas Heaven and Professor Geoffrey Hinton , the "Godfather of AI." This appearance heralded an inflection point following his announcement to leave Google after what he said he saw as the "existential threat" of AI. Melissa Heikkila's own prolific journalism around artificial intelligence and how it is changing our society is especially noteworthy this year, including her story about the 6 things you should say to your kids about AI. And just last week the publication featured an exclusive interview with Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella on the company's move to get AI tools in developers' hands.

The LinkedIn Live event is sure to spark new discussion, even more questions, and curiosity. For more information and how to register:

What: Chaos at OpenAI - and what it means for AI

When: Wednesday, November 22, 2023 at 11:30am ET

Where: https://www.linkedin.com/events/7132785744493903872/comments/

About MIT Technology Review

Founded at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1899, MIT Technology Review is a world-renowned, independent media company whose insights, analysis, and interviews explain the newest technologies and their commercial, social, and political impacts. MIT Technology Review derives its authority from its relationship to the world's foremost technology institution and from its editors' deep technical knowledge, capacity to see technologies in their broadest context, and unequaled access to leading innovators and researchers. Our in-depth reporting reveals what's going on now to prepare you for what's coming next. Subscribe. Attend. Follow: Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram.

Media Contact:

MIT Technology Review

Nina Mehta , [email protected]

[email protected]

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SOURCE MIT Technology Review
Receives Regional & National Awards

CHARLOTTE, N.C. , Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Okuma America Corporation, a world-leading builder of computer numerical control (CNC) machine tools, controls and automation systems, is honored to be recognized as a Top Workplace in 2023! Recognitions were awarded at both the regional and national levels. Regionally, the company was recognized as a Top Workplace in the Charlotte, North Carolina , area for the second year in a row by the The Charlotte Observer, a leading media company in the region. Nationally, the company received four awards from Top Workplaces, the leading employer recognition organization in the United States .

Award Criteria

The Top Workplace selections were made based on feedback from participating companies' employees. In the Spring of 2023, Okuma members were offered an opportunity to complete an anonymous employee engagement survey which polled for feedback on various topics related to job satisfaction and company culture. Nearly 80% of Okuma's employees completed the survey, which was well beyond the minimum rate of 35% participation to be considered for the Top Workplace award. The results were then compared to other participating companies and ranked accordingly, with the highest-scoring companies receiving Top Workplace designations.

Regional Recognition

For the Charlotte regional award, Okuma America Corporation was recognized for the second year in a row as a top employer in the region within the intermediate-sized company category (150 to 499 employees). Okuma is pleased to represent the machine tool industry amongst the wide variety of industries represented in this category.

National Recognition

Throughout 2023, Okuma America Corporation received four national awards from Top Workplaces. In the Summer, the company was recognized as a top employer in the manufacturing industry and received a cultural excellence award for compensation and benefits. In the Fall, the company also received cultural excellence awards for employee appreciation, and professional development.

Jim King , President and COO of Okuma America Corp, shared his thoughts on receiving these awards, stating "It's an honor to receive recognition as a top employer in the Charlotte, N.C. region for the second year in a row and national recognition for employee appreciation and professional development. We strive to provide an environment where there are open possibilities for our members to grow and develop their careers and truly feel appreciated as part of this team."

A summary of these awards is available on the company's profile page on the Top Workplaces website.

About Okuma America Corporation

Okuma America Corporation is the U.S. -based sales and service affiliate of Okuma Corporation, a world-leading builder of CNC (computer numeric control) machine tools, controls and automation systems. The company was founded in 1898 in Nagoya, Japan , and is the industry's only single-source provider of CNC machines, drives, motors, encoders, spindles and automation systems, all manufactured by Okuma. The company designs its own CNC controls to integrate seamlessly with each machine tool's functionality. In 2014 Okuma launched the Okuma App Store, the industry's only centralized online marketplace for machine tool apps and related content. Along with its extensive distribution network (largest in the Americas ), and Partners in Technology network of enhanced manufacturing technologies, Okuma is committed to helping users gain competitive advantage through the open possibilities of machine tools today and into the future. For more information, visit Okuma.com or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.

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SOURCE Okuma America Corporation
DENVER , Nov. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Ovintiv Inc. (NYSE: OVV) (TSX: OVV) (the "Company") today announced the upsize and pricing of a previously announced underwritten public offering of its common stock (the "Offering") by NMB Stock Trust, a Delaware statutory trust (the "Selling Stockholder"). The size of the Offering increased from the previously announced 8,400,000 shares to an aggregate of 9,400,000 shares of the Company's common stock at a price to the public of US$44.35 per share, for gross proceeds of approximately US$416.9 million , before underwriting discount and estimated offering expenses. The Company will not sell any shares of its common stock in the Offering and will not receive any proceeds from the sale of the shares in the Offering. The Offering is expected to close on November 22, 2023 , subject to customary closing conditions.

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC is acting as underwriter for this Offering. The shares will be sold in a registered offering pursuant to an effective automatic shelf registration statement on Form S-3 that was previously filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), a prospectus and a related prospectus supplement. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in that registration statement and other documents the Company has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the Company and this Offering. A copy of the prospectus relating to the securities can be obtained from Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Prospectus Department, 200 West Street , New York, NY 10282, telephone: 1-866-471-2526, facsimile: 212-902-9316 or by emailing [email protected]. These documents may also be accessed by visiting the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.

In addition, the Company has agreed to purchase from the underwriter, out of the 9,400,000 shares that are the subject of the Offering, 1,204,545 shares of the Company's common stock, or US$53.0 million , at a price per share equal to the price at which the underwriter will purchase the shares from the Selling Stockholder in the offering. The Offering is not conditioned upon the closing of the repurchase, but the repurchase is conditioned upon the closing of the Offering.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor will there be any sale of any securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

ADVISORY REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS - This news release contains forward-looking statements or information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, including Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements, except for statements of historical fact, that relate to the anticipated future activities, plans, strategies, objectives or expectations of the Company are forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned against unduly relying on forward-looking statements, which are based on current expectations and, by their nature, involve numerous assumptions that are subject to both known and unknown risks and uncertainties (many of which are beyond our control) that may cause such statements not to occur, or actual results to differ materially and/or adversely from those expressed or implied. Risks and uncertainties that may affect the Company's financial or operating performance include those described in "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" sections of the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q; and other risks and uncertainties impacting the Company's business as described from time to time in the Company's filings with the SEC or Canadian securities regulators. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions, risks and uncertainties referenced above are not exhaustive. Although the Company believes the expectations represented by its forward-looking statements are reasonable based on the information available to it as of the date such statements are made, forward-looking statements are only predictions and statements of our current beliefs and there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Unless otherwise stated herein, all statements, including forward looking statements, contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and, except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly, revise or keep current any such statements The forward-looking statements contained in this news release and all subsequent forward-looking statements attributable to the Company, whether written or oral, are expressly qualified by these cautionary statements.

Further information on Ovintiv Inc. is available by contacting:

Investor contact: (888) 525-0304

[email protected]

Media contact: (403) 645-2252

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SOURCE Ovintiv Inc.
SCRANTON, Pa. , Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Penn Foster Group, a provider of digital and data-driven learning solutions that aim to meet learners where they are and help prepare them for in-demand skills and jobs, proudly announced that two of its online learning brands, Penn Foster and CareerStep, have been named to Newsweek's distinguished list of America's Top Online Learning Providers for 2024 .

In collaboration with the esteemed global data firm Statista, Newsweek conducted a survey of over 9,000 learners, evaluating 200 online colleges and universities to identify the top 50 organizations. Newsweek's rigorous evaluation process highlights institutions that demonstrate exceptional dedication to providing high-quality education, cutting-edge technology, and an unwavering commitment to student success.

Penn Foster is renowned for its flexible, self-paced high school and career upskilling education solutions that span a variety of in-demand industries, including skilled trades and the veterinary field. Penn Foster also proudly offers a high school diploma program for students who speak English as a second language, allowing learners to simultaneously achieve two building blocks for success: a high school diploma and English proficiency.

Penn Foster has provided distance education since 1890 when founder, Thomas Foster , pioneered it by offering training by mail for coal miners to receive necessary skills for safer jobs. Penn Foster, and now Penn Foster Group, has a long history of fostering learners to reach their goals, looking to the future to help them reach their full potential.

CareerStep specializes in providing online education and training programs in healthcare-related fields, such as medical coding, billing, pharmacy technology, and more. CareerStep earned four stars in Newsweek's ratings, and Penn Foster earned five.

"We're thrilled to see both Penn Foster and CareerStep acknowledged on Newsweek's list of America's Top Online Learning Providers," said Stacy Caldwell , Leader of Operations and Academics at Penn Foster Group. "This recognition reaffirms our commitment to providing quality education that transforms learner outcomes and opens doors to educational and career opportunities. We are proud of the collective efforts of our teams in delivering innovative and impactful learning experiences."

In April 2023 , Penn Foster unveiled its new name and brand identity as Penn Foster Group, bringing together the institution's education and career training brands under one roof to expand access to thoughtful, proven, flexible online learning that works for partners looking to expand their workforce and learners looking to change their lives. The dual acknowledgment by Newsweek further solidifies Penn Foster Group's position as a leader in the dynamic landscape of digital education.

For more information about Penn Foster Group, please visit www.pennfostergroup.com .

Penn Foster Group

At Penn Foster Group, we are transforming online learning to help learners by bringing together Penn Foster, CareerStep, Ashworth College, James Madison High School, the New York Institute of Photography, the New York Institute of Art and Design, and other education platforms. Together, we create a path to greater economic mobility through real-world skills and knowledge that enable them to achieve long-term success in the workplaces of the future. Our history dates back to 1890 when our founder, Thomas Foster , pioneered distance education by offering training by mail for coal miners to get the necessary skills for safer jobs. Today, with the partners who use our education and training programs, we continue that mission of providing accessible training and education for in-demand skills and are building a workforce that's prepared for the future job market.

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SOURCE Penn Foster Group
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. , Nov. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Piedmont Advantage Credit Union's Community Development Executive Jobana Semones was selected by Credit Union Times as a Rising Stars Luminaries finalist.

Semones is one of 10 finalists chosen in the Rising Stars category from across the nation for demonstrating "outstanding abilities to deliver change, meet the needs of members and introduce innovation for the credit union industry," according to Credit Union Times' Editor in Chief Michael Ogden from the recent awards ceremony held in Orlando, Fla.

While Semones, 30, didn't take home the top honor, she is the only finalist from all individual categories to be selected from North Carolina . Individual categories include Executive Leadership, Community Impact and Rising Stars.

Piedmont Advantage Credit Union nominated Semones for her role in launching in 2022 its first comprehensive youth program, which includes age-appropriate, industry-recognized financial education activities, products and services. As primary minor accountholders, Piedmont Advantage youth members have access to their money with built-in rewards, safeguards and benefits.

"Prior to the roll out of the program in August 2022 , Jobana unveiled the program to the board of directors, which garnered an applause and their immediate support. She conducted all of the internal training for all staff members so that everyone was informed and excited about this new venture," said Piedmont Advantage's President & CEO Dion Williams .

Semones also designed the organization's youth financial learning series, MoneyY-ZER, "empowering youth with the financial know-how to be WISER upon becoming financially independent." Children and teens in grades K-12 learn how and why to save, budget, manage and invest money. They also learn to avoid frauds, scams and predatory lending practices.

As a certified credit union financial counselor, Semones conducts all of the financial activities, including in Spanish upon request.

"We couldn't be prouder of Jobana," Williams said.

About Piedmont Advantage Credit Union

Headquartered in Winston-Salem, N.C. , and founded in 1949 to meet the financial needs of Piedmont Aviation and Piedmont Airline employees, Piedmont Advantage Credit Union has grown to serve member-owners, who reside, work, worship, attend school or operate a business in one of the six counties it serves in North Carolina or who are employed by one of its many employer companies. These six counties are Davie , Forsyth , Guilford , Iredell , Mecklenburg and Rockingham . A not-for-profit, cooperative financial institution, Piedmont Advantage still has a strong presence in aviation with its six branches throughout the service region.

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SOURCE Piedmont Advantage Credit Union
VANCOUVER, BC , Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Planet Based Foods Global Inc. (CSE: PBF) (OTCQB: PBFFF) (FRA: AZ0) ("PBFG," or the "Company") announces that, further to the Company's news release dated November 17, 2023 , effective as of the opening of trading on Thursday, November 23, 2023 , the subordinate voting shares of the Company will commence trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "Exchange") on the basis of one (1) postconsolidated subordinate voting share for each five (5) pre-consolidated subordinate voting share (the "Consolidation"). The multiple voting shares of the Company will also be subject to the Consolidation.

The Consolidation was authorized by the Company's Board of Directors in accordance with its Articles and will result in the number of issued and outstanding subordinate voting shares being reduced to approximately 10,347,139 subordinate voting shares and the number of issued outstanding multiple voting shares being reduced to 800,000 multiple voting shares. No fractional shares will be issued. Any fractional shares resulting from the Consolidation shall be converted such that each fractional share remaining after conversion that is less than one-half of a share be cancelled and each fractional share that is at least one-half of a share be changed to one whole share.

The Company's new CUSIP number is 72703G202 and the new ISIN number is CA72703G2027. The stock symbol will remain unchanged.

A letter of transmittal with respect to the Consolidation will be mailed to registered shareholders of the Company. Registered shareholders can send their respective certificates representing the preconsolidated subordinate voting shares along with a properly completed letter of transmittal to the Company's transfer agent, Computershare Investor Services Inc. ("Computershare"), in Toronto, Ontario , all in accordance with the instructions provided in the letter of transmittal. Additional copies of the letter of transmittal can be obtained through Computershare (Shareholder Services 18005646253 or by email to [email protected]). All shareholders who submit a duly completed letter of transmittal along with their respective preconsolidated share certificate(s) to Computershare will receive in return a post-consolidated share certificate. No action is required by non-registered shareholders (shareholders who hold their shares through an intermediary) to effect the Consolidation.

Additional information about the Company is available on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca). To subscribe to automated email alerts for future news and public filings, visit the Planet Based Foods website at www.planetbasedfoods.com.

On behalf of the Board

Braelyn Davis

CEO and Co-Founder



Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements included in this news release constitute forward-looking information or statements (collectively, "forward-looking statements"), including those identified by the expressions "anticipate," "assume," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "should" and similar expressions to the extent they relate to the Company or its management. The forward-looking statements are not historical facts but reflect current expectations regarding future results or events. Therefore, this news release contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions which are difficult to predict. Such statements are based on current expectations and various estimates, factors and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future. The Company assumes no responsibility to update or revise forward-looking information to reflect new events or circumstances unless required by law. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the Company's forward-looking statements.

The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

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SOURCE Planet Based Foods
A series of New York -based hires includes bankers and research analysts dedicated to the energy transition and the sustainable growth of our clients' businesses.

NEW YORK , Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Rabobank, a premier global food and agribusiness bank with 125 years of experience and a leading financier of the energy transition, today announced key new hires on its renewable energy team to help fuel the bank's broader growth and sustainability strategy in North America .

Building on its 20-year track record in renewable energy, primarily focused on project finance, Rabobank is expanding the team to include new senior bankers and its first RaboResearch analysts dedicated to the energy transition movement. These recent personnel moves are part of a larger effort to expand the number of energy transition specialists across all of the bank's business lines. With 30 professionals now focused on the energy transition, Rabobank has one of the largest clean energy financing teams in North America .

"We are creating a center of excellence exclusively focused on financing the energy transition," said Rabobank's Greg Hutton , head of project finance and energy transition strategy in North America . "Accelerating the shift toward cleaner energy sources around the world is a critical component of our growth strategy."

Funding the development, construction and ownership of renewable energy assets has baked sustainability into our business and set the stage for the next phase of Rabobank's growth strategybanking the entire renewable energy value chain.

"Armed with a deeper lineup of experienced bankers and analysts dedicated to clean energy, as well as robust efforts to expand our client base and offer a wider range of products, we look to become one of the most dominant players in the energy transition field in the next five years," Hutton said.

Among the new banking hires, Joshua Dale , managing director and head of energy transition coverage for North America , is a 20-year veteran in financial services with 14 years of experience in project finance. Jon Castaldo , managing director, energy transition coverage for North America , has more than 20 years of experience across corporate finance, structured credit, real assets, project finance and tax equity. These long-tenured bankers are focused on providing financing options and developing new products for companies in the renewable energy value chain, existing Rabobank clients and the broader sustainability sector.

In research, Nina Fahy , executive director and senior energy transition analyst for RaboResearch, brings 15 years of experience leading research and analytics teams focused on energy markets in North America . Amit Mathrani , energy transition specialist for RaboResearch, has eight years of experience in management consulting for large utility companies, where he created roadmaps for an affordable clean energy transition. Together, they will provide timely, cutting-edge research on the energy transition and share their deep sector knowledge with our clients. That includes assessing the impact of public policy and technology on the speed and scope of the transition.

The launch of our new energy transition team fortifies the rock-solid foundation Rabobank has built in the renewables sector in North America over the last two decades:

Top 10 lender in renewable energy globally (Bloomberg New Energy Finance 2022)

27 gigawatts financed across wind, solar, battery storage, geothermal, energy efficiency, fuel cells and waste-to-energy sectors

Perennial Top 10 ESG risk rating and currently No. 9 out of 348 diversified banks (Morningstar Sustainalytics)

Today, the global clean energy market is valued at $1.1 trillion and is expected to grow to an estimated $3.8 trillion by 2030. The expansion of our energy transition capabilities comes at a time when increased corporate and financial sector investment, disruptive technological innovation and legislative tailwinds are quickening the pace of adoption of a clean energy economy.

"We specialize in financing critical economic, environmental and societal transitionsfrom food to energythat will help create a more sustainable future," said David Bassett , head of Rabobank Wholesale Banking North America. "And, in North America , our strategy is clear: To grow the companies that feed and power the world."

About Rabobank

Rabobank Group is a global financial services leader providing wholesale and retail banking, leasing, and real estate services in more than 37 countries worldwide. Founded 125 years ago, Rabobank today is one of the world's largest banks with over $660 billion in assets. In the Americas , Rabobank Wholesale Banking North America is a premier corporate and investment bank to the food, agribusiness, commodities and energy industries, providing sector expertise, strategic counsel and tailored financial solutions to clients across the value chain. Visit www.RabobankWholesaleBankingNA.com.

Media Contacts

Catharine Rossano

Head of Marketing & Communications, Rabobank

(917) 747-9302

[email protected]

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SOURCE Rabobank
Prager Metis Invite All to Ride and Donate for Alzheimer's Association

NEW YORK , Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- For Giving Tuesday, the leaders behind Prager Metis, one of the nation's fastest growing accounting and advisory firms, will host The Accounting Industry Leadership Council Spin Challenge on Tuesday, Nov. 28 . The country-wide virtual spin event will drive awareness for Alzheimer's Awareness Month while raising funding that will support the research needed to find a cure for the insidious disease.

The virtual cycle challenge is open to anyone with an indoor bike. Peloton users joining in on the ride will be using the hashtag #Ride2EndALZ. Those interested in supporting can also donate through The Accounting Industry Leadership Council fundraising page.

The event is free to participate in. Participants who raise $100 or more will receive swag gear and earn the official Ride to End ALZ medal. Peloton users are able to join a unique stack of classes on event day or join a special spin class on YouTube that can be done any time on Giving Tuesday.

The Ride to End Alzheimer's Spin Challenge is led by Prager Metis Partner Wendy Valentino in honor her late mother, Jean Selwyn . Shortly after losing her father, Jean was diagnosed with dementia, and Wendy and her sister watched the 15-year decline of their mother's memory and ability to function.

"My mom was sharp, ran the household, got her degree, and spent her life paying it forward from supporting special education to translating books into braille," said Wendy Valentino , Partner at Prager Metis. "The decline was a long journey, and I hope for her sake that she didn't know all that she went and was going through."

Prager Metis has a long-standing commitment to philanthropic work and the fight against Alzheimer's, as the CEO, partners and several team members have lost loved ones to the disease.

In 2020, Prager Metis challenged its peers and firms of all sizes to join the fight against Alzheimer's by creating the Alzheimer's Association Accounting Industry Leadership Council, which has raised over $3 million since inception. To date, Prager Metis has raised more money than any other accounting firm in the fight against Alzheimer's, including firms twice its size. Prager Metis is also the first recipient of the 2023 Rita Hayworth Award, which recognizes the firm's efforts and philanthropic work in support of the Alzheimer's Association.

"For Prager Metis, this fight is personal. I lost my own father to this disease and many of our people have experienced this deadly decline directly within their family," said Glenn Friedman , Prager Metis CEO and co-managing partner. "Our goal has always been how we can make this world better and we know by collectively supporting the Alzheimer's Association, change is possible for the six million and growing people who will be impacted."

For CPA firms looking to further the impact, more information can be found at the Accounting Industry Leadership Council website.

About Prager Metis CPAs

Headquartered in New York City , and with additional offices throughout North America , Europe and Asia , Prager Metis CPAs is an affiliate of Prager Metis International, LLC and one of the nation's fastest-growing accounting and advisory firms, offering a full range of accounting, audit, tax, consulting, and international services. Prager Metis is a Top 100 US Accounting Firm.

Media Contact:

847-977-5601

[email protected]

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SOURCE Prager Metis
Time To Go Campaign Encourages People Experiencing Overactive Bladder (OAB) Symptoms to Talk to Their Healthcare Provider about Symptoms, Seek Diagnosis and Ask About GEMTESA (Vibegron)

Campaign Will Expand to Feature New Real Stories Detailing Peoples' Experience With the Condition

Approximately 33 Million Individuals in the U.S. Are Impacted By Symptoms of OAB, yet Many Do Not Seek or Delay Treatment as a Result of Embarrassment or Unawareness

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. , Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc. (SMPA), today announced the expansion of its partnership with actress and overactive bladder (OAB) patient Holly Robinson Peete to reach people living with overactive bladder (OAB) through the Time To Go campaign. Time To Go is a platform designed to highlight the impact of OAB symptoms and provide education on disease management, including information on treatment options, such as GEMTESA (vibegron), a FDA-approved prescription medication for the treatment of OAB in adults with symptoms of urge urinary incontinence, urgency, and frequency.

"For years, OAB symptoms kept me from fully enjoying the things I love. Talking to my girlfriends about my symptoms helped me realize I wasn't alone, and that seeking help isn't a sign of weakness, rather it's a step towards taking control," said Holly Robinson Peete . "They gave me the confidence to talk to my doctor, who prescribed GEMTESA  and now, a year later, the treatment has helped manage my OAB symptoms so I can enjoy activities with less running to the bathroom. That's why I'm thrilled to continue my partnership with SMPA to educate and empower others to address their OAB."

The second year of the Time To Go campaign, launching in November 2023 , will identify and feature patient ambassadors as part of the new GEMTESA Go-Getters program. The program will showcase the real stories of how people proactively took steps to manage their OAB symptoms and encourage others to speak up about their experiences.

OAB, which affects approximately 33 million people in the U.S., causes sudden urges to urinate that are difficult to control and can result in leakage, as well as frequent urination  usually eight or more times a day.1,2 These bothersome symptoms can negatively affect daily life, including impacting travel plans and reducing or limiting certain activities, such as exercising.3 Studies have found that certain populations are at higher risk of OAB, including African American and Hispanic people.4 The prevalence of the condition is also known to increase with age; however, it isn't necessarily a normal part of aging.1,2

"Holly is an influential advocate and voice within the OAB community who is helping break the stigma associated with the condition, and we're excited to continue this important work with her," said Walt Johnston , Senior Vice President, Urology Franchise Head, SMPA. "With the addition of our GEMTESA Go-Getters program, our new ambassadors will join Holly in our mission to create a platform that helps those living with this frustrating condition to feel heard and supported. There is no shame in speaking up about OAB, talking to your doctor, and asking for the help you deserve."

People experiencing OAB symptoms are encouraged to talk to their doctor to get a diagnosis and determine the best treatment option(s) to help them manage the condition. To learn more about OAB and GEMTESA, or hear from the GEMTESA Go-Getters, visit TimeToGo.com.

About Overactive Bladder

Overactive bladder (OAB) is a clinical condition that occurs when the bladder muscle contracts involuntarily. Symptoms may include urinary urgency (the sudden urge to urinate that is difficult to control), urgency incontinence (unintentional loss of urine immediately after an urgent need to urinate), and frequent urination (usually eight or more times in 24 hours).1 About 33 million U.S. adults experience the bothersome symptoms of OAB.2

About GEMTESA

GEMTESA (vibegron) is a prescription medicine for adults used to treat the following symptoms due to a condition called overactive bladder:

urge urinary incontinence: a strong need to urinate with leaking or wetting accidents

urgency: the need to urinate right away

frequency: urinating often

It is not known if GEMTESA is safe and effective in children.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Do not take GEMTESA if you are allergic to vibegron or any of the ingredients in GEMTESA.

Before you take GEMTESA, tell your doctor about all your medical conditions, including if you have liver problems; have kidney problems; have trouble emptying your bladder or you have a weak urine stream; take medicines that contain digoxin; are pregnant or plan to become pregnant (it is not known if GEMTESA will harm your unborn baby; talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant); are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed (it is not known if GEMTESA passes into your breast milk; talk to your doctor about the best way to feed your baby if you take GEMTESA).

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of them to show your doctor and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.

What are the possible side effects of GEMTESA?

GEMTESA may cause serious side effects, including the inability to empty your bladder (urinary retention). GEMTESA may increase your chances of not being able to empty your bladder, especially if you have bladder outlet obstruction or take other medicines for treatment of overactive bladder. Tell your doctor right away if you are unable to empty your bladder. The most common side effects of GEMTESA include headache, urinary tract infection, nasal congestion, sore throat or runny nose, diarrhea, nausea, and upper respiratory tract infection. These are not all the possible side effects of GEMTESA. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see full Prescribing Information at www.GEMTESA.com/PI

About Sumitomo Pharma

Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd. is a global pharmaceutical company based in Japan with key operations in the U.S. (Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.), Canada (Sumitomo Pharma Canada, Inc.) and Europe (Sumitomo Pharma Switzerland GmbH) focused on addressing patient needs in psychiatry & neurology, oncology, urology, women's health, rare disease, and cell & gene therapies. With several marketed products in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, a diverse pipeline of early- to late-stage assets, and in-house advanced technology capabilities, we aim to accelerate discovery, research, and development to bring novel therapies to patients sooner. For more information, please visit https://www.us.sumitomo-pharma.com and LinkedIn to follow us.

The Sumitomo Pharma icon is a trademark of Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd., used under license. SUMITOMO PHARMA is a trademark of Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd., used under license.

GEMTESA and the GEMTESA logo are trademarks of Urovant Sciences GmbH, and registered in the U.S. , and in other countries.

 2023 Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc. All rights reserved.



For a copy of this release, visit Sumitomo Pharma America's website at https://www.us.sumitomo-pharma.com

References:

1. Mayo Clinic. Overactive bladder  symptoms and causes. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/overactive-bladder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355715.

2. Gomelsky A. Update on the management of overactive bladder: patient considerations and adherence. Journal of Urology. 2010.

3. DOF_OAB QoL Questionnaire. Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc. 2021.

4. Coyne K, et al. The Prevalence of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTS) and Overactive Bladder (OAB) by Racial/Ethnic Group and Age: Results from OAB-POLL. Neurourology and Urodynamics 32:230-237(2013).

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SOURCE Sumitomo Pharma America
DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. , Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Systech, part of Markem-Imaje and Dover and a leading provider of digital identification and traceability software solutions, today announced that it has successfully completed a System and Organization Controls (SOC) 2 Type II Audit examination. The successful completion of this voluntary audit illustrates Systech's ongoing commitment to creating and maintaining a secure operating environment for its customers' confidential data.

SOC 2 Type II attestation is performed by an independent auditing firm and is intended to provide an understanding of the design and operating effectiveness of the service organization's internal controls.

"The successful completion of our SOC 2 Type II examination audit affirms that our controls and safeguards for the protection and security of our customers' data are in line with industry best practices," said Sreedhar Patnala , VP of Products at Systech. "Achieving this certification is a testament to Systech's commitment to ensuring the highest standard of compliance and security."

The audit included an examination of Systech policies and procedures regarding network and systems security, software development lifecycle, separation of duties, access control, system availability, backup and disaster recovery, and other critical operational areas of the business. Upon completion of the audit, the Service Auditor provided a report with an unqualified opinion demonstrating that Systech's policies, procedures and infrastructure meet or exceed the stringent SOC 2 criteria.

About Systech:

Systech provides digital identification and traceability solutions that establish essential product data, ensure digital connectivity, and enable real-time insights on the packaging line and throughout the supply chain. With decades of experience in pharmaceutical packaging execution and serialization, Systech offers comprehensive, easily configured, turnkey software solutions with reliable implementation and expert support. Global brands across industries rely on Systech's platform to help them achieve their objectives in compliance, resiliency, sustainability, and digital transformation. Systech is a leading brand of Markem-Imaje, a global product identification, packaging intelligence, and connected product solutions provider and a part of Dover Corporation. Visit www.systechone.com for further information.

About Markem-Imaje:

Markem-Imaje, a wholly owned subsidiary of the US-based Dover Corporation is a trusted world manufacturer of product identification and traceability solutions, offering a full line of reliable and innovative inkjet, thermal transfer, laser, and print and apply label systems. Markem-Imaje provides global reach to over 50,000 customers with 30 subsidiaries, 6 technology centers, several equipment repair centers and manufacturing plants with the most comprehensive marking and coding portfolio available in the marketplace. Visit www.markem-imaje.com for further information.

About Dover:

Dover is a diversified global manufacturer and solutions provider with annual revenue of over $8 billion . We deliver innovative equipment and components, consumable supplies, aftermarket parts, software and digital solutions, and support services through five operating segments: Engineered Products, Clean Energy & Fueling, Imaging & Identification, Pumps & Process Solutions and Climate & Sustainability Technologies. Dover combines global scale with operational agility to lead the markets we serve. Recognized for our entrepreneurial approach for over 65 years, our team of over 25,000 employees takes an ownership mindset, collaborating with customers to redefine what's possible. Headquartered in Downers Grove, Illinois , Dover trades on the New York Stock Exchange under "DOV." Additional information is available at dovercorporation.com .

Systech Contact:

Kevin Jurrens

(609) 306-6418

[email protected]

Dover Media Contact:

Adrian Sakowicz, VP, Communications

(630) 743-5039

[email protected]

Dover Investor Contact:

Jack Dickens , Senior Director, Investor Relations

(630) 743-2566

[email protected]

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SOURCE Dover
BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. President Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree approving the "Agreement between the Government of Azerbaijan and the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic on investment in the construction of a five-star hotel on the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul", Trend reports.

According to the decree, "Agreement between the Government of Azerbaijan and the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic on investment in the construction of a five-star hotel on the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul" was approved, signed on October 12, 2023 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

After the agreement specified in this decree enters into force, the Department of Affairs of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan should ensure the implementation of its provisions.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan should send a notification to the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic on the fulfillment of domestic procedures necessary for the agreement to enter into force.
EVANSTON , Ill., Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Nonprofit supporters across the country will gather online on Tuesday, Nov. 28 , for Giving Tuesday, a national day of giving following Cyber Monday. The Cradle, a nonprofit adoption and child welfare agency serving Illinois and Indiana , will join the movement through their online giving site, donate.cradle.org. This Giving Tuesday, which caps off National Adoption Month, is especially momentous for The Cradle as it celebrates its centennial.

"As we commemorate a century of impact and embark on our second hundred years of service, this year holds a particularly meaningful place in The Cradle's history," said Jason Friedman , President and CEO of The Cradle. "Our expanding network of advocates serves as a bridge connecting our profound heritage in adoption services to the initiatives through which The Cradle strives to enhance its contribution to the wellbeing and empowerment of children, families and the wider society."

Funds raised will be invested in its ongoing programmatic efforts to build families through adoption, support families through life's challenges, and strengthen communities through education.

On this Giving Tuesday, voices like Jean Sargent , one of the first infants adopted through The Cradle, take center stage as they celebrate 100 years of stories in their adoption community. These voices include birth parents, adoptive families and others who have been impacted by the adoption agency's mission.

"We are humbled and inspired not only by this incredible milestone but by the generosity and commitment of the community who made it possible," said Kristina Lederer , Vice President of Development. "Together, we're investing in the next century of impact by expanding our services to more diverse communities and deepening our presence at every step along the adoption journey."

To read and watch stories from The Cradle community, visit facesofthecradle.org.

DONATE ONLINE: Visit The Cradle's Giving Tuesday donation site on Nov. 28 at donate.cradle.org.

ABOUT THE CRADLE: The Cradle is proud to celebrate 100 years of building families through adoption. Since opening in 1923, The Cradle has facilitated more than 16,000 domestic and international adoptions and has been at the forefront of open adoption, African American infant adoption and placements with LGBTQ+ families. The Cradle is the only adoption agency in the country with an on-site nursery to care for infants around the clock. Learn more at cradle.org or call 847-475-5800.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-cradle-joins-millions-worldwide-to-celebrate-and-raise-funds-on-giving-tuesday-nov-28-301995079.html

SOURCE The Cradle
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. , Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Teresa Chasteen-Dunn , a distinguished education professional and entrepreneur, has made a significant impact on the field of digital learning and community engagement for decades. As we celebrate Entrepreneurs' Day on Nov. 21 , we recognize Chasteen-Dunn's outstanding contributions to the field and her tireless efforts to shape the future of education.

Recognizing Teresa Chasteen-Dunn's outstanding contributions and her tireless efforts to shape the future of education.

Chasteen-Dunn began her own educational journey at Roane County (Tennessee) High School, graduating in 1978. She further pursued her education at Roane State, where she completed her early college education from 1976 to 1978. She then went on to earn her bachelor's and master's degrees at the University of Tennessee, where she established a strong foundation in education.

Chasteen-Dunn returned to her alma mater Roane State in 1985 as an assistant professor, making a significant impact on countless students during her tenure until 1993. Later, she shared her knowledge and passion for education as a professor at Hiwassee College and Tennessee Tech University's graduate program at their Roane County satellite campus.

In 1996, Chasteen-Dunn's entrepreneurial spirit led her to leave her teaching career to start WIN Learning, an organization dedicated to providing innovative digital learning programs to students of all ages and economic backgrounds. Under her leadership as CEO, WIN Learning has affected more than 10 million learners. The company's curriculum has won three prestigious national awards, solidifying its place as a leader in the field.

"I appreciate the kind recognition, but I can't take credit for the success of WIN Learning. I have been blessed with the most awesome executive leadership team who has helped me hire and manage incredible talent and  most importantly  create an amazing company culture," Chasteen-Dunn said.

Chasteen-Dunn's contributions to the field of digital learning, her dedication to philanthropy, and her community involvement have earned her many accolades and recognition. Her keynote address, at the Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber of Commerce this year showcased her expertise and leadership as the CEO of WIN Learning, while her inclusion in EdTech Digest's list of top 100 "People Making a Difference for Digital Learning Now" solidifies her position as a respected and influential figure in education.

Through her tireless efforts and commitment to making a positive impact, Chasteen-Dunn continues to shape the future of education and transform lives through digital learning and community engagement. As we celebrate Entrepreneurs' Day on Nov. 21 , we recognize her outstanding achievements and the significant impact she has made on education.

Contact: Steve Fain , executive vice president

Phone: 888-717-9461

Email: [email protected]

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SOURCE WIN Learning
CALIFORNIA CITY, Calif. , Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- This Black Friday, Yeelight is pulling out all the stops with its most significant deals of the year on a variety of smart lighting solutions. The savings extend to both the official Yeelight website and the Amazon store, providing lighting enthusiasts and smart home aficionados the chance to illuminate their spaces with cutting-edge technology at unbeatable prices.

Yeelight Smart Cube Lamp: The Crown Jewel of Smart Lighting

At the heart of these spectacular Black Friday deals is the Yeelight Smart Cube Lamp, a pinnacle of innovation in the realm of smart lighting. This extraordinary lamp is not just a source of light; it's a beacon of style, intelligence, and versatility. You can find the key features of the Yeelight Smart Cube Lamp:

Hardware DIY Assembly - Hardware magnetic splicing, convenient assembly and combination of three types of lamp blocks, suitable for various spaces.

- Hardware magnetic splicing, convenient assembly and combination of three types of lamp blocks, suitable for various spaces. High Software Playability - Individual lamp beads are controllable, allowing for graffiti customization of lighting effects, creating colorful and smooth visual experiences.

- Individual lamp beads are controllable, allowing for graffiti customization of lighting effects, creating colorful and smooth visual experiences. Versatile Applications - Clock mode, music rhythm synchronization, screen color picking, and game interaction.

Yeeligh Monitor Light Bar Pro : the best fit for PC/Game Desk Setup

Seamless Integration Enables Immersive Gaming Experience  Easily integrated with major gaming platforms, including Razer Chroma RGN and Overworlf.

 Easily integrated with major gaming platforms, including Razer Chroma RGN and Overworlf. Walk You Through the Adventure with Various Lighting Modes  A wide range of pre-set light modes triggered by different events.

 A wide range of pre-set light modes triggered by different events. Interact with the Chroma Enabled Devices for a Greater Experience - Easily set up your favorite light color and effect mode while enjoying interactive lighting with your Chorma enabled devices, such as keyboard and mousepad.

Black Friday Deals You Can't Afford to Miss:

Up to 40% Off on Yeelight Official Website: Visit Official Store for exclusive Black Friday discounts on the entire range of Yeelight smart lighting products, including the beloved Smart Cube Lamp and Monitor Light Bar Pro .

Amazon Store Bonanza: Prefer shopping on Amazon? Yeelight's Black Friday deals are also available on Official Amazon store, ensuring you can conveniently snatch up these incredible savings.

Act Now  Limited Stock, Unlimited Brilliance!

These Black Friday deals, featuring the Yeelight Smart Cube Lamp and Monitor Light Bar Pro , are available for a limited time and only while supplies last. Don't miss out on the chance to illuminate your spaces with intelligence and style, and light up your Black Friday with the biggest deals of the year!

About Yeelight:

Yeelight is a trailblazer in smart lighting solutions, committed to providing users with top-tier, energy-efficient, and chic lighting products. With a focus on cutting-edge technology, Yeelight aims to redefine the way we light up our surroundings. Explore the world of Yeelight's smart lighting products Here.

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SOURCE Yeelight
FILE PHOTO: Unicredit Bank logo is seen in this illustration taken March 12, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

By Mathieu Rosemain and Valentina Za

PARIS/MILAN (Reuters) - Amundi is considering offering UniCredit better terms to be able to extend a distribution accord that ties the French asset manager to the Italian bank and its biggest foreign market, a person close to the matter said.

Renewing the agreement would protect Europe's largest fund manager's foothold in a market that accounts for nearly a fifth of its assets under management (AUM) outside France.

Analysts have flagged concerns at the impact on inflows from the possible loss of the contract Amundi has with its main distributor in Italy, where its AUM amount to 197 billion euros ($215 billion), or 10% of its total.

Improvements could include giving UniCredit a bigger slice of the fees earned on the sale of products, the person, who declined to be named as discussions are private, told Reuters.

Amundi declined to comment. A spokesperson for UniCredit declined to comment.

Relations between the two partners have soured since Andrea Orcel tried in vain to renegotiate the terms of the accord after taking over as UniCredit CEO in 2021, several sources have previously said.

Amundi signed a 10-year distribution accord in 2017 when it bought UniCredit's Pioneer Investments for 3.6 billion euros.

Complicating matters, Amundi's main shareholder Credit Agricole last year became the single biggest investor in Banco BPM, an Italian mid-sized bank for which UniCredit was at one point close to launching a takeover offer.

Credit Agricole CEO Philippe Brassac told reporters this month it was no secret UniCredit was looking at ways "to optimise" the accord with Amundi.

"With partners things are always difficult because there are always demands, but it's a partnership that works well and in which we will find an equilibrium ... which suits both sides," Brassac, who also chairs Amundi, said.

Orcel, sources have said, is unhappy with the amount of Amundi funds the accord binds UniCredit to place with customers.

Amundi has to account for 80% of UniCredit's overall AUM in Italy, but penalties set by the contract for failing to meet that proportion become more punishing only below a lower 65-70% threshold, two people close to the matter said separately.

To grow UniCredit's fee income, Orcel set up an internal team which repackages funds supplied by global players under the bank's own 'onemarkets' label.

Meanwhile, Italian asset manager Azimut is building an Irish business that will produce and sell funds to UniCredit clients and will eventually become part of the bank.

UniCredit had 134 billion euros in AUM from fund and portfolio management as of Sept. 30.

Orcel has not ruled out ending the contract with Amundi, but a person with knowledge of the matter told Reuters he is happy to retain a partner that ranks among the top 10 asset manager globally and provides good support to the bank's sales network.

If the contract is to be extended, Orcel would like to agree on improved terms in the course of 2024, the person added.

If their relationship ended after 2027, it would still take UniCredit time to replace Amundi funds with other products.

To grow the fees UniCredit retains on the sale of funds to clients by making room for more profitable products, Orcel said last month it was "rebalancing" slightly its relationship with Amundi and would continue do to so.

In Italy, where distribution plays a key role in the fund industry, banks pocket at least 60% of the fees, a percentage that surpasses 80% when the lender owns the asset manager or there are multi-year accords in place.

($1 = 0.9168 euros)

(Reporting by Valentina Za in Milan and Mathieu Rosemain in Paris; Additional reporting by Silvia Aloisi in Paris; Editing by Alexander Smith)
FILE PHOTO: Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks next to Finance Minister Christian Lindner and Economy and Climate Minister Robert Habeck during a hearing at Germanys lower house of parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, November 15, 2023. REUTERS/Annegret

By Sarah Marsh, Holger Hansen and Andreas Rinke

BERLIN (Reuters) - A court ruling that risks torpedoing key aspects of the German government's legislative agenda has further strained the coalition but is unlikely to split it as all three parties currently stand to lose from a breakup.

The constitutional court last week ruled illegal a budget manoeuvre that would have reallocated 60 billion euros of unused pandemic funding to green initiatives, unexpectedly blowing a hole in the government's financial plans.

The decision has increased tensions within Chancellor Olaf Scholz's coalition, in particular between junior partners the Greens and the Free Democrats (FDP).

The former favour generous spending to help with the transition to a carbon neutral economy, even if it means suspending the debt brake that restricts the public deficit to 0.35% of GDP, while the FDP emphasises fiscal rectitude.

Some party members are questioning if it makes sense to keep sticking together.

"No coalition is an end in itself," Philipp Tuermer, the new head of the youth wing of Scholz's Social Democrats (SPD) told Tagesspiegel newspaper at the weekend, in an interview that was highly critical of the government.

But the parties are likely to hammer out a compromise no matter how great their divisions, analysts say, because they would all stand to lose from fresh elections and no workable new majority appears possible in the current parliament.

They also note that the coalition has actually pushed forward with its ambitious, progressive legislative agenda despite a series of crises beginning with the war in Ukraine.

A September survey by the Bertelsmann Foundation found it had implemented or started implementing two-thirds of its proposed agenda, including measures to liberalise citizenship laws and boost immigration by skilled workers.

If Scholz dismissed his partners, for example, the SPD would need to join forces with the opposition conservatives to form a majority government - a coalition a majority of voters currently favour, according to polls.

However, as the conservatives are currently topping polls with twice the support of the SPD, they have no incentive to play second fiddle, said Stefan Marschall, political scientist at the University of Duesseldorf.

"Why should the conservatives stabilize a chancellor they have continuously criticised?" he added.

The conservatives would be prepared to enter a Scholz-led government only for a few months before new elections, a senior party source told Reuters.

But Scholz is unlikely to call for new elections as they would not benefit any of the coalition partners. Both the SPD and FDP are polling significantly below what they scored in the last federal elections, at around 16% and 5.5% respectively compared to 25.7% and 11.5% in 2021.

"For the FDP, new elections could even threaten their existence," Ursula Muench at the University of Tutzing told German outlet Merkur, pointing to the 5% threshold needed to enter parliament.

The Greens are polling roughly the same as in 2021, at around 15%, but current surveys suggest their only chance to govern would be as part of another unwieldy three-way coalition.

And new elections aren't even in the conservatives' interest, said Frank Decker, political analyst at Bonn University. Leader Friedrich Merz is unpopular with the public, meaning they would have to decide on a candidate for chancellor, then deal with the budget mess themselves if they won.

Eurasia Group puts the odds of Scholz's government completing its four-year term at 90%, down from 95% prior to the court ruling.

"Scholz definitely wants to keep the government together and believes this will work as none of the three coalition partners stand to benefit from a break," a source close to the chancellor said. "The situation is being seen as a political poker game"

MORE FUEL FOR FAR-RIGHT?

Scholz's government - the first coalition of the ideologically disparate SPD, Greens and FDP at national level - is currently among the least popular in the history of modern Germany, according to polls.

The coalition took power just before Russia's invasion of Ukraine - and the subsequent reckoning for Europe's largest economy, which had long relied on cheap Russian gas - and has become notorious for its public infighting.

On Monday, FDP leaders argued for cuts to social welfare to help make up the new funding gap while the SPD and Greens railed against that proposal, arguing for suspending or reforming the debt brake. Introduced via a constitutional amendment following the 2008/09 global financial crisis, the debt brake aims to keep Germany's public finances sustainable but some now see it as an obstacle to investments that could boost economic growth.

"A government that is so divided and is regularly shot down by the constitutional court cannot provide the necessary leadership and security in a crisis," Bavarian conservative premier Markus Soeder said this weekend.

"In reality, the chancellor should dismiss his coalition partners now."

And although the court ruling was prompted by a complaint they lodged, it could cost the conservatives themselves, hitting the finances of several states they govern. They also risk being blamed for the ruling's impact on the economy, already teetering near recession.

"Their complaint is going to end up falling on their feet," a government source said.

The sole winner could be the far-right Alternative for Germany, which has surged to second place in nationwide polls over the past year.

"The AfD can draw political capital from the dissatisfaction with the government without lifting a finger," said Decker.

"And the strength of the AfD is also the reason why no actors - not even the conservatives - currently have any interest in new elections."

(Reporting by Sarah Marsh, Andreas Rinke and Holger Hansen; Additional Reporting by Alexander Ratz; Editing by Catherine Evans)
FILE PHOTO: An agricultural worker operates a tractor with a seeder to sow wheat on farmland in Comodoro Py, on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina June 21, 2022. REUTERS/Matias Baglietto/File Photo

By Tom Polansek

(Reuters) - Argentina's farmers may be more willing to spend money on seeds and other agricultural products, hoping that new President-elect Javier Milei's policies will improve earnings from their future harvests, the chief executive of Argentine biotech firm Bioceres said on Tuesday.

Milei's election and recent rains are fueling optimism among some in Argentina's agribusiness sector after the country struggled with a historic drought.

"There's a very important element that you can notice right away, which is how people feel in terms of the agricultural sector," Bioceres CEO Federico Trucco said in an interview. "That may affect their purchasing decisions today."

Enthusiasm among farmers will probably be reflected "in the next few quarters in terms of businesses that are associated to agriculture in Argentina," Trucco added.

Argentina is one of the world's top exporters of soy, corn, wheat and beef. Still, its farmers have been asking for the elimination of taxes and caps that they blame for crimping grain and meat exports for years.

Milei, a far-right libertarian, has promised to eliminate export taxes and move to a single exchange rate.

Some farmers had expressed concern with Milei's lack of experience and populist rhetoric, however, and it remains to be seen how quickly he may be able to make changes.

"If he unifies the FX market, and there is only one exchange rate, and removes export taxation that equates for a third of the international price, you might have a scenario in Argentina where the price of grain might double in real dollars to farmers," Trucco said.

Bioceres is leading a global push to establish genetically modified wheat. Prices for seeds the company sells are correlated to the prices of wheat and soy crops.

"Anything that improves farmers' incomes is good for us," Trucco said. "The more money they have, the more likely they are to spend in production technologies."

(Reporting by Tom Polansek; editing by David Evans)
(Reuters) - Australia's AI firm Appen said Tuesday it is mulling the sale of a part or whole of its business.

The machine learning and data solutions provider said that it has received no proposals for a deal so far but is open to engage with potential counterparties.

Appen, which was one of the world's largest AI training providers, has implemented a raft of cost-saving initiatives and has seen its executive team being entirely replaced over the last two years.

The company on Tuesday announced an equity raise of A$30-million ($19.52 million), aimed at boosting its working capital.

It also announced an additional $14 million of cost reduction, boosting its cost-saving initiatives this year to $60 million.

Appen's revenue and gross profit fell over 29% and 32% to $223 million and $80 million, respectively, for the 10 months ending Oct. 31, 2023.

($1 = 1.5366 Australian dollars)

(Reporting by Nausheen Thusoo in Bengaluru; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala)
BAKU (Reuters) - Azerbaijan's foreign ministry invited Armenia on Tuesday to take part in peace talks that it said could be held at the border between the two countries or in another location.

In a statement, the ministry urged Armenia "to avoid new unnecessary delays" and resume negotiations.

"Responsibility for the continuation of the peace process, including the selection of a mutually acceptable venue, or a decision to meet at the state border, belongs to the two countries," the ministry said.

Earlier, a foreign policy adviser to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev told Reuters that talks should take place on a bilateral basis, without the need for Western mediation. In the past, the European Union and the United States have tried unsuccessfully to persuade the two sides to reach a peace deal.

After three decades of conflict since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan is strongly placed to secure an advantageous settlement following its recapture in September of the Karabakh region, where ethnic Armenians had enjoyed de facto independence since breaking away in the early 1990s.

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Gareth Jones)
FILE PHOTO: Newborns are placed in bed after being taken off incubators in Gaza's Al Shifa hospital after power outage, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Gaza City, Gaza November 12, 2023 in this still i

By Ibraheem abu Mustafa

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (Reuters) - At first, the young mother couldn't find her newborn son, Anas, among the 31 tiny babies who had just arrived in southern Gaza after being evacuated from Gaza City's devastated Al Shifa Hospital. She hadn't seen him for 45 days.

"I was losing hope to see my baby alive," said Warda Sbeta in an interview with Reuters TV on Tuesday.

She and her husband frantically checked the list of names provided by the head of the neonatal unit where the babies were being cared for, at a hospital in Rafah, and there it was, Anas's name in black and white.

"I felt alive again, grateful to God that we now have our baby safely in our care," said Sbeta, speaking at the hospital as she watched over her sleeping son, whom she had dressed in a light blue sleepsuit and matching hat.

Sbeta smiled as she held him in her hands and her husband helped her to wrap him in a white swaddling blanket with pink ribbons and a hood. Once he was bundled up, she cradled him against her chest.

Sbeta, 32, has seven older children and the family, whose home was in Gaza City before the war, are now living in a school in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, that has become a shelter for hundreds of people displaced from the north of the strip.

Sbeta was offered the option of being evacuated to Egypt with Anas so he could receive further medical care, but she did not want to leave her husband and her other children.

"I can't leave them with only their father. He won't be able to look after them. So I was obliged to refuse this offer," she said.

Anas was one of only three out of the 31 premature babies rescued from Al Shifa who stayed behind in Gaza. Of the other two, one was unidentified, according to doctors at the Rafah hospital. They did not give information about the third baby.

When doctors at Al Shifa first raised the alarm nine days ago about the premature babies in their care, 39 of the infants were alive, but eight died because of the dire conditions before the evacuation to Rafah and Egypt could be organised.

A World Health Organization official said on Tuesday that two of the eight had died the night before the evacuation.

'IS HE ALIVE?'

Out of the 31 who were transported to Rafah on Sunday, 28 were evacuated to Egypt on Monday. UNICEF spokesman James Elder said on Tuesday that 20 of them were unaccompanied and eight were with their mothers. There were seven mothers as two of the infants were twins.

Elder said some of the 20 unaccompanied babies were orphans, while for others there was no information about their families. "It all underlines the horrific situation for families in Gaza," he said.

For Anas, the safety of Egypt was out of reach, but the separation from his family was over.

Sbeta said that Anas was being treated at Al Shifa when war broke out on Oct. 7, the day when Hamas militants rampaged through southern Israel, killing 1,200 Israelis and kidnapping 240, according to Israeli figures.

Israel responded with a military assault on Gaza that has killed some 13,000 Palestinians, according to health officials in the Hamas-controlled enclave, and has made three quarters of the population homeless, according to U.N. data.

Like hundreds of thousands of others in the northern Gaza Strip, Sbeta and the rest of the family fled their home for southern Gaza, while Anas stayed behind at Al Shifa as the hospital gradually ran out of power, water, food and medicines.

"They called us from Al Shifa to come and take the baby but it was hard for us to return. The route out of Gaza City was open, but the way back was closed," she said.

The anguish of separation worsened when Israeli forces last week entered Al Shifa, which Israel says has been used by Hamas as a base for its operations - an assertion denied by Hamas - and the family lost communication with the hospital.

"We completely lost any news about the baby. We were not able to know anything about him. Is he alive? Is he dead? Is someone giving him milk?" said Sbeta.

With communications patchy at the shelter in Khan Younis, the parents were struggling to get any solid information, until other displaced people living in the school told them they had heard the babies were being moved south.

The parents rushed to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, but were told they had to go to the maternity hospital in Rafah, where they were finally reunited with Anas.

On Tuesday, he was well enough to leave the hospital. His parents were taking him to the school in Khan Younis, their wartime refuge, to start a new life with his seven brothers and sisters.

(Additional reporting by Emma Farge in Geneva; Writing by Estelle Shirbon; Editing by Nick Macfie)
FILE PHOTO: Logo and flags of Bayer AG are pictured outside a plant of the German pharmaceutical and chemical maker in Wuppertal, Germany August 9, 2019. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay/File Photo

By Ludwig Burger and Patricia Weiss

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Bayer's strategic review will consider a potentially tougher outlook for cash flows, its CEO said on Tuesday, after the German conglomerate suffered a major drug development setback.

The group late on Sunday aborted a large late-stage trial testing a new anti-clotting drug due to lack of efficacy, throwing its most promising development project in doubt, and adding to litigation and debt problems.

"Anything that effects future cash flows negatively just makes that a little tighter," CEO Bill Anderson said in an analyst call on Tuesday.

"The impact of these recent events does not change what our strategic options are. It just may mean that some of those conditions are a little tighter," said Anderson, who has said he is considering a break-up of the maker of pharmaceuticals, non-prescription treatments and products for farmers.

He gave the example that a potential sale of the consumer products unit to a rival in the industry would generate more cash, and faster, than a partial spin-off on the stock market and gradual sale of any remaining shares over time.

The head of pharmaceuticals, Stefan Oelrich, said in the call that when reviewing the halted trial his team was surprised by a "marked difference" in efficacy of Bayer's experimental anticoagulant asundexian in comparison to Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer's established Eliquis.

The peak sales potential of more than 5 billion euros would be revised lower, but plans to bring the product to market in 2026 remained in place, albeit for a smaller patient group, Oelrich added.

(Reporting by Ludwig Burger; Editing by Matthias Williams and Mark Potter)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed an order on conscription of citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan for fixed-term active military service and dismissal of servicemen of fixed-term active military service from January 1 through January 30, 2024, Trend reports.

Will be updated
KYIV (Reuters) - Germany will support Ukraine with another military aid package worth 1.3 billion euros ($1.42 billion) that will include four additional IRIS-T air defence units, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said in Kyiv on Tuesday.

So far, Berlin has pledged to supply Kyiv with eight IRIS-T systems, three of which have been delivered. Ukraine uses them mainly to guard against Russian missile attacks.

The support package will also comprise 20,000 155mm artillery shells as well as anti-tank mines, Pistorius told reporters, speaking alongside his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov.

"I am sure this will help you in your fight against the Russian aggression," he said. "This underlines that we stand with Ukraine sustainably and reliably."

The artillery shells come on top of 140,000 155mm rounds Germany has pledged to deliver next year, Pistorius noted.

($1 = 0.9168 euros)

(Reporting by Anna Voitenko; writing by Sabine Siebold; editing by Miranda Murray and Jason Neely)
Smoke rises after Israeli air strikes in Gaza, as seen from southern Israel, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, November 21, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Leaders of the BRICS bloc of developing nations and other countries they have invited to join from next year discussed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on Tuesday, but failed to agree a joint declaration.

The virtual talks organised by current BRICS chair South Africa were the first between the group's leaders since Israel invaded Gaza in retaliation for a deadly raid by militant group Hamas on Israel on Oct. 7.

BRICS comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. In August the grouping agreed to admit Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, Argentina and the United Arab Emirates from January, in a move aimed at accelerating its push to reshuffle a Western-dominated world order it sees as outdated.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa told Tuesday's talks that diplomats did not have sufficient time to draft a declaration.

"We've called upon all parties to exercise maximum restraint," Ramaphosa said in his summary of the discussions. "We affirmed ... that a just and lasting solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict can be achieved by peaceful means."

Different leaders emphasised different points in their remarks.

Argentina's Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero said his country recognised Israel's right "to legitimate self-defence while strictly respecting humanitarian international law", while China's Xi Jinping appeared to show more sympathy for the Palestinians.

"The root cause of the Palestinian-Israeli situation is the fact that the right of the Palestinian people to statehood, their right to existence, and their right of return have long been ignored," Xi said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin blamed the crisis on the failure of U.S. diplomacy in the Middle East.

"We call for joint efforts of the international community aimed at de-escalating the situation, a ceasefire and finding a political solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. And the BRICS states... could play a key role in this work," Putin said.

(Reporting by Carien du Plessis, Bhargav Acharya, Ethan Wang, Krishn Kaushik and Gabriel Araujo; Editing by Alexander Winning and Gareth Jones)
FILE PHOTO: A worker inspects a site in a residential area damaged during a Russian missile strike, amid Russias attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine September 21, 2023. REUERS/Valentyn Ogirenko/File Photo

GENEVA (Reuters) -More than 10,000 civilians have been killed in Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022, with about half of recent deaths occurring far behind the front lines, the U.N. Human Rights Office said on Tuesday.

The U.N. human rights mission in Ukraine, which has dozens of monitors in the country, said it expects the real toll to be "significantly higher" than the official tally since corroboration work is ongoing.

This includes events in the first months after the invasion, such as the battle for control of Mariupol, where residents reported high civilian casualties.

"Ten thousand civilian deaths is a grim milestone for Ukraine," said Danielle Bell, who heads the monitoring mission.

"The Russian Federation's war against Ukraine, now entering into its 21st month, risks evolving into a protracted conflict, with the severe human cost being painful to fathom," she said.

The vast majority of the deaths have been caused by explosive weapons with a wide-area impact such as shells, missiles and cluster munitions, the United Nations said.

Close to half of the deaths in the last three months have occurred far beyond the front lines, the U.N. said, attributing this to Russian forces' use of long-range missiles and the late explosion of abandoned ordinances.

Older people who may be unable or unwilling to relocate to safer places make up a disproportionate fraction of those killed in Ukraine, the U.N. data showed.

More than a third of the victims whose ages were confirmed were over 60, it showed, whereas this age group constitutes just a quarter of the total population.

Moscow denies deliberately targeting civilians.

(Reporting by Emma Farge, Editing by Andrew Heavens, Bernadette Baum and Nick Zieminski)
By Alvaro Murillo

SAN JOSE (Reuters) - Costa Rican police detained suspected gang members accused of making and trafficking the synthetic drug fentanyl, officials said on Tuesday, the first such arrests associated with the powerful opioid linked to an overdose crisis in the United States.

Four suspects were taken into custody, two Costa Ricans and two Colombians, along with 1,100 fentanyl pills in an operation backed by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration that included raids in three towns in central Costa Rica, Security Minister Mario Zamora said at a press conference.

The operation also turned up what officials described as a fentanyl laboratory.

The arrests "raises alarms because it confirms the presence of fentanyl" in Costa Rica, said Zamora. He added that the drug arrived from international gangs, but did not go into further detail.

As of last month, Costa Rican authorities had been carrying out 10 fentanyl investigations since last year, according to government data.

Fears that more fentanyl busts are likely coincide with rapid growth in both consumption and trafficking of the drug that is 50 times more potent than heroin, and follows a first-ever seizure of nearly half a ton (454 kg) of fentanyl pills in Honduras earlier this month.

Violent crime in Costa Rica has surged this year with homicides at a record, and the growth blamed on gang turf battles over the country's role as a major transit point for the illicit trade.

The fentanyl arrests come as around 70% of Costa Ricans disapprove of President Rodrigo Chaves' crime fighting record, according to a recent poll.

In the United States, around three-quarters of some 107,000 drug overdose deaths in 2021 involved an opioid, according to government data, as deadly fentanyl is increasingly mixed in with other illicit drugs.

(Reporting by Alvaro Murillo; Writing by David Alire Garcia; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) -A second round of peace talks between Ethiopia's government and a rebel group aimed at ending a decades-old conflict in the country's largest region Oromiya has ended without a deal, both sides said on Tuesday.

The negotiations in Tanzania between the government and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) followed talks in April and May that also failed to produce an agreement.

The OLA is an outlawed splinter group of a formerly banned opposition party that returned from exile in 2018. Its grievances are rooted in the alleged marginalisation and neglect of people in Oromiya, which surrounds the capital Addis Ababa.

The violence in Oromiya has killed hundreds of people in the past few years and been one of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's main security headaches since the end of a two-year civil war in the northern Tigray region last year.

"Due to the intransigence of the other party, the talks have come to an end without an agreement," Redwan Hussien, Abiy's national security adviser, said in a post on social media site X.

"The obstructive approach and unrealistic demands of the other party are the principal reasons why these talks could not succeed."

In a statement, OLA accused the government of failing to address the "fundamental problems that underlie the countys seemingly insurmountable security and political challenges".

A source close to the talks told Reuters that there were no plans to resume discussions.

The government struck a peace deal in November last year to end the conflict in Tigray after tens of thousands were killed and millions displaced.

But conflict has raged elsewhere. Besides Oromiya, fighting in the neighbouring Amhara region between government forces and local militiamen has killed hundreds of people since late July.

(Reporting by Dawit Endeshaw in Addis Ababa and Giulia Paravicini in Nairobi; Writing by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by Nick Macfie)
FILE PHOTO: OpenAI logo is seen in this illustration taken, February 3, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

By Anna Tong, Krystal Hu and Jody Godoy

(Reuters) -Some investors in OpenAI, makers of ChatGPT, are exploring legal recourse against the company's board, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Monday, after the directors ousted CEO Sam Altman and sparked a potential mass exodus of employees.

Sources said investors are working with legal advisers to study their options. It was not immediately clear if these investors will sue OpenAI.

Investors worry that they could lose hundreds of millions of dollars they invested in OpenAI, a crown jewel in some of their portfolios, with the potential collapse of the hottest startup in the rapidly growing generative AI sector.

OpenAI did not respond to a request for comment.

Microsoft owns 49% of the for-profit operating company, according to sources familiar with the matter. Other investors and employees control 49%, with 2% owned by OpenAI's nonprofit parent, according to Semafor.

OpenAI's board fired Altman on Friday after a "breakdown of communications," according to an internal memo seen by Reuters.

By Monday, most of OpenAI's more than 700 employees threatened to resign unless the company replaced the board.

Venture capital investors usually hold board seats or voting power in their portfolio companies but OpenAI is controlled by its nonprofit parent company OpenAI Nonprofit, which according to OpenAI's website was created to benefit "humanity, not OpenAI investors."

As a result, employees have more leverage in pressuring the board than the venture capitalists who helped fund the company, said Minor Myers, a law professor at the University of Connecticut. "There is nobody exactly who is in the seat of an injured investor," he said.

That is a feature, not a bug of OpenAI's structure, which started out as a nonprofit but added a for-profit subsidiary in 2019 to raise capital. Keeping control of operations let the nonprofit preserve its "core mission, governance, and oversight," according to the company's website.

Nonprofit boards have legal obligations to the organizations they oversee. But those obligations, such as the duty to exercise care and avoid self-dealing, leave a lot of leeway for leadership decisions, experts said.

Those obligations can be further narrowed in a corporate structure such as OpenAI, which used a limited liability company as its operating arm, potentially further insulating the nonprofit's directors from investors, said Paul Weitzel, a law professor at the University of Nebraska.

Even if investors found a way to sue, Weitzel said they would have a "weak case." Companies have broad latitude under the law to make business decisions, even ones that backfire.

"You can fire visionary founders," Weitzel said. Apple famously fired Steve Jobs in the 1980s, before bringing him back around a decade later.

(Reporting by Anna Tong in San Francisco and Krystal Hu in New YorkAdditional reporting by Jody Godoy in New YorkEditing by Tom Hals, Kenneth Li, Lisa Shumaker and Matthew Lewis)
Cryptocurrency exchange Binance founder and CEO Changpeng Zhao speaks at a Binance fifth anniversary event in Paris, France, July 8, 2022. To match Special Report FINTECH-CRYPTO/BINANCE-ZHAO REUTERS/Tom Wilson/File Photo

(Reuters) - Binance chief Changpeng Zhao stepped down and pleaded guilty to breaking criminal U.S. anti-money laundering laws as part of a $4.3 billion settlement resolving a years-long probe into the world's largest crypto exchange, prosecutors said on Tuesday.

The agreement will resolve criminal charges that Binance conducted an unlicensed money transmitter business, conspiracy and breaching sanctions regulations, the U.S. Department of Justice said.

Some of the charges, which are both criminal and civil, relate to practices that Reuters reported first in a series of articles in 2022.

Here are the key allegations against Binance, its founder Zhao and other executives.

UNLICENSED MONEY SERVICE BUSINESS

The U.S. said that Binance, Zhao and other executives "knowingly and willfully conspired" to operate as an unlicensed money services business (MSB) from August 2017 until October 2022.

The exchange failed to register with the U.S. Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) as an MSB partly to prevent U.S. regulators discovering it facilitated crypto trades for its clients without proper checks on its users, the U.S. said.

The move was designed to allow Binance to "gain market share and profit as quickly as possible," the U.S. said, with the exchange attracting a "substantial number of U.S. users" to its main website.

Binance "chose not to comply" with U.S. rules as it "determined that doing so would limit its ability to attract and maintain U.S. users."

MONEY LAUNDERING CHECKS

The U.S. said that Binance facilitated "billions of dollars" of crypto transactions for its customers, including in the United States, without implementing so-called "know your customer" checks.

Binance's compliance personnel, including its compliance officer, recognised that the exchange's anti-money laundering controls "were inadequate and would attract criminals to the platform," the U.S. said.

Binance processed transactions by operators of "illicit mixing services" used to obfuscate the provenance of crypto funds, and "laundered proceeds of darknet market transactions, hacks, ransomware, and scams," the U.S. said.

Between August 2017 and April 2022, bitcoin worth $106 million was sent between Binance.com wallets and Hydra, a popular Russian darknet marketplace "frequently utilized by criminals that facilitated the sale of illegal goods and services," the U.S. said.

SANCTIONS VIOLATIONS

The U.S. said that Binance had a "significant customer base" from some sanctioned jurisdictions and was aware that Iran represented "the majority of such customers."

Binance knew that it would allow transactions between U.S. users and those subject to U.S. sanctions, "in violation with U.S. law," the U.S. said.

From around January 2018 to May 2022, Binance processed 1.1 million crypto transactions worth at least $898.6 million between U.S. customers and those who lived in Iran, the U.S. said.

Around 2019, Binance continued to serve "thousands of users" identified as being from sanctioned countries, the U.S. said, including over 12,500 users who provided Iranian phone numbers.

'TERRORIST' FINANCING

Binance failed to report suspicious transactions associated with Palestinian militant group Hamas, the authorities said.

Crypto wallets at Binance were found to interact with bitcoin wallets associated with groups proscribed as terrorist organisations by the United States and other countries, including Islamic State, the armed wing of Hamas, al Qaeda, and the Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ), the U.S. said.

(Reporting by Elizabeth Howcroft and Tom Wilson in London; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
Ash column rises from Mount Ulawun, as seen from an aeroplane window, Papua New Guinea November 21, 2023, in this picture obtained from social media. Enoch Lapa/via REUTERS

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Some residents of a remote Papua New Guinea island were preparing on Tuesday to evacuate from the vicinity of an erupting volcano that shot a cloud of ash into the sky forcing the cancellation of some flights.

Teams had been sent to the Mount Ulawun area on New Britain island to coordinate an evacuation after it began erupting on Monday, state broadcaster NBC PNG reported senior disaster management official Clement Bailey as saying.

Flights from the island's Hoskins airport had been cancelled, the broadcaster said, adding that the volcano was still erupting.

Papua New Guinea is on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a horse-shoe shaped band of volcanoes and fault lines circling the edges of the Pacific Ocean.

(Reporting by Alasdair Pal in Sydney; editing by Robert Birsel)
FILE PHOTO: Jordanian Prime Minister Bisher al-Khasawneh speaks during a news conference at the government palace in Beirut, Lebanon September 30, 2021. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir/File Photo

By Suleiman Al-Khalidi

AMMAN (Reuters) - Jordan said on Tuesday the army had beefed up its presence along its borders with Israel and warned that any Israeli attempt to forcibly push Palestinians across the Jordan River would represent a breach of its peace accord with its neighbour.

Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh said his country would resort to "all the means in its power" to prevent Israel from implementing any transfer policy to expel Palestinians en masse from the West Bank.

The Israel-Gaza conflict has stirred long-standing fears in Jordan, home to a large population of Palestinian refugees and their descendants. Right-wing, ultra-nationalist hardliners now in the Israeli government have long espoused a Jordan-is-Palestine solution to the Israeli-Palestinian issue.

Israel has launched a massive bombardment of the Gaza Strip since the deadly Oct. 7 rampage by the Islamist group Hamas into southern Israel, that has left some 1.7 million of Gaza's 2.3 million people internally displaced

"Any displacements or creating the conditions that would lead to it, Jordan will consider it a declaration of war and constitutes a material breach of the peace treaty," state media quoted Khasawneh as saying, referring to the 1994 peace treaty with Israel.

"This would lead to the liquidation of the Palestinian cause and to harming the national security of Jordan," Khasawneh added.

Jordan, the second Arab country after Egypt to sign a peace accord, has had strong security ties with Israel. But relations have plummeted since the advent of one of the most right-wing governments in Israel's history.

"The peace treaty would be a piece of paper on a shelf covered with dust if Israel did not respect its obligations and violated it," Khasawneh said.

Any threat to Jordan's national security would "put all options on the table", Khasawneh said, adding that recent deployments of troops along the borders with Israel were part of measures to protect the country's security.

Residents and witnesses have seen large columns of armoured vehicles and tanks moving along a main highway leading to the Jordan Valley opposite the West Bank in the last few days.

Officials say the army was already in a heightened alert for any eventualities.

Khasawneh said Israeli actions in the West Bank could trigger wider violence, citing growing Jewish settler attacks on Palestinian civilians since the Oct. 7 attacks.

Washington has also urged Israel to curb settler violence, fearing wider conflict.

"Israel should steer away from any escalation in the West Bank... This is a red line Jordan won't accept," the prime minister added.

(Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
FILE PHOTO: Four thousand U.S. dollars are counted out by a banker counting currency at a bank in Westminster, Colorado November 3, 2009. REUTERS/Rick Wilking/File Photo

By Bansari Mayur Kamdar and Nell Mackenzie

LONDON (Reuters) - Hedge fund crowding has hit its highest on record, as asset managers have upped their bets on the "Magnificent 7" tech stocks that have juiced up portfolio returns this year, Goldman Sachs said in a report on Tuesday.

Megacap growth and technology stocks accounted for 13% of the aggregate hedge fund long portfolio, twice their weight at the start of 2023, with companies like Microsoft and Amazon.com remaining popular long positions.

This has helped drive outsized returns for the funds.

Returns for the stocks Goldman Sachs has identified as the most popular hedge fund long positions have jumped 31% so far this year, compared to the 19% rise in the benchmark S&P 500 index.

However, as popular positions gain momentum, there is a growing risk of crowding, which reached its highest in the 22 years since Goldman started tracking the funds.

The Goldman report analysed the holdings of 735 hedge funds with $2.4 trillion of gross equity positions. It showed the average hedge fund held 70% of its long portfolio in its top 10 positions.

In stock markets generally, Goldman Sachs said that as the year went on, it was harder to find a contrarian stock trade as most stocks followed the flow of the markets.

The "stock picking" environment has deteriorated and many company names move in the same direction, or are correlated, the bank said.

"The market has had record low dispersion and hedge funds are paid to generate alpha, and excess returns. Unlike long-only that are effectively forced to be indexers," said family office investor Michael Oliver Weinberg.

"So if they are concentrated and making money that's what they should be doing," he added.

The AI frenzy drove the move in hedge funds to tech stocks, but volatility created by GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic led to hedge fund portfolio rotations in the third quarter towards healthcare, the report showed.

Eli Lilly topped Goldman's list for largest increase in hedge fund popularity, benefiting from the rising demand for weight-loss drugs.

Meanwhile, the report also showed short interest in stocks remained low, as hedge funds are increasingly using vehicles like exchange-traded funds and futures, rather than single stock shorts, to hedge their exposure.

The $181 billion in ETF shorts accounted for 80% of gross hedge fund ETF exposure. In comparison, single-stock shorts constitute just 30% of gross single-stock positions, according to the Goldman Sachs data.

Microsoft and Amazon did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Eli Lilly declined to comment.

(Reporting by Bansari Mayur Kamdar and Nell Mackenzie; Editing by Amanda Cooper and Chizu Nomiyama)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. Azerbaijani Parliament's meeting has discussed draft state budget of the country for 2024 in the second reading, Trend reports.

The document, after discussion, was put to the vote and adopted in the second reading.

The revenues of the state budget of Azerbaijan for 2024 expected to amount to 34.17 billion manat ($20.1 billion), expenditures  36.76 billion manat, or $21.6 billion (including centralized revenues  almost 33.4 billion manat, or $19.6 billion; local revenues  773.1 million manat ($454.8 million); centralized expenditures  35.98 billion manat ($21.2 billion); and local expenditures  782.45 million manat ($460.26 million).

Previously, the state budget for 2023 was revised and budget revenues amounted to 3.1 billion manat, or $1.8 billion (an increase of 10.1 percent), and expenditures - 3.3 billion manat, or 1.9 billion (an increase of 9.8 percent).

Meanwhile, in 2022, the state budget revenues and expenditures of Azerbaijan amounted to 30.6 million manat ($18 million), and 32 million manat ($18.8 million), respectively.

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FILE PHOTO: Students who walked out of their Montgomery County, Maryland, schools protest against gun violence in front of the White House in Washington, U.S., February 21, 2018. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo

By Nate Raymond

(Reuters) -A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday declared that Maryland's licensing requirements for people seeking to buy handguns were unconstitutional, citing a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision last year that expanded gun rights.

A three-judge panel of the Richmond, Virginia-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on a 2-1 vote blocked enforcement of a 2013 Maryland law that required people to undergo training and background checks before applying for licenses to buy handguns, saying it violated the right to "keep and bear arms" under the U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment.

The Supreme Court's 2022 ruling in a case called New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v Bruen required gun laws to be "consistent with the nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation" in order to survive a Second Amendment challenge.

"Maryland has not shown that this regime is consistent with our nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation," U.S. Circuit Judge Julius Richardson, an appointee of Republican former President Donald Trump, wrote in the ruling.

Richardson called the Maryland law an "additional, preliminary step" that subjected law-abiding people to a 30-day waiting period before they could begin the usual process to acquire a firearm through a separate background check system.

Randy Kozuch, the executive director of the National Rifle Association's Institute for Legal Action, its lobbying arm, called it "a significant ruling for the Second Amendment and every American who cherishes our constitutional freedoms."

The NRA backed the lawsuit that challenged the law and covered the legal costs of the litigation, an NRA spokesperson said.

A spokesperson for Maryland Attorney General Andrew Brown, a Democrat who is defending the law, said his office was "weighing options for next steps in this case."

At issue was a handgun qualification licensing requirement adopted as part of Maryland's Firearm Safety Act of 2013, a broader gun control measure.

Prospective handgun buyers were required to submit fingerprints for a background investigation and take a four-hour-long safety training course. They would then wait up to 30 days before undergoing the rest of the usual process to buy a gun.

A gun rights group called Maryland Shall Issue sued in 2016 along with two individuals and a gun store, arguing that the restrictions violated the Second Amendment. But a lower court judge twice rejected their claims, prompting the appeal.

Richardson on Tuesday said the Supreme Court in 2022 "effected a sea change in Second Amendment law" when it struck down New York state's limits on carrying concealed handguns outside the home. The test set out under that ruling has led to a series of court decisions striking down federal and state restrictions on firearms.

Maryland had said its law mirrored historical limitations on "dangerous" people owning firearms. But Richardson said no historical laws worked by "preemptively depriving all citizens of firearms to keep them out of dangerous hands."

U.S. Circuit Judge Barbara Milano Keenan, an appointee of Democratic former President Barack Obama, dissented, saying the court majority's reasoning "would render presumptively unconstitutional most non-discretionary laws in this country requiring a permit to purchase a handgun."

(Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston, Editing by Will Dunham and Alexia Garamfalvi)
GENEVA (Reuters) - French medical charity Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF) said on Tuesday that three doctors, including two of its own, were killed in a strike on the Al Awda Hospital in northern Gaza, saying it was "horrified" by the incident.

"MSF has regularly shared information about Al Awda as a functioning hospital and the presence of its staff in Al Awda to warring parties," it said in a statement. "GPS coordinates were also shared with Israeli authorities yesterday."

It named the doctors as Dr Mahmoud Abu Nujaila (MSF), Dr Ahmad Al Sahar (MSF) and Dr. Ziad Al-Tatari. "Seeing doctors killed next to hospital beds is beyond tragic, and this must stop now," it said.

(Reporting by Emma Farge, Editing by William Maclean)
FILE PHOTO: Tesla and SpaceX's CEO Elon Musk pauses during an in-conversation event with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in London, Britain, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023. Kirsty Wigglesworth/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

By Ross Kerber

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City Comptroller Brad Lander told Reuters on Tuesday that Tesla's board of directors should sanction CEO Elon Musk if he does not apologize for endorsing an antisemitic comment on his social media platform X.

Lander oversees about $946 million in Tesla shares for New York City public retirement funds. That amount is equivalent to a stake of roughly 0.1% in the electric-vehicle maker. Lander's remarks make him the latest Tesla shareholder to call on the EV maker to rein in Musk. Earlier, smaller investors including Nia Impact Capital and Ross Gerber, CEO of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management, raised concerns about Musk's action.

Musk endorsed an antisemitic post on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, on Nov. 15. The post falsely claimed that members of the Jewish community were stoking hatred against white people. Musk said that the person who made the post was speaking "the actual truth."

Lander said on Tuesday that Musk's action creates problems for Tesla, citing a section of the automaker's code of business ethics that prohibits bullying "at any level of the organization."

"There's a real risk that if he becomes perceived as antisemitic that could have real reverberations for Tesla sales and value," Lander said.

It remains unclear whether Tesla's board will take any action. It has stood by Musk over various controversies, ranging from settling fraud charges with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to the CEO's devotion of time and resources at other ventures such as rocket maker SpaceX, brain chip startup Neuralink, tunnel contractor the Boring Company and X. It also defended him after shareholders challenged his $56 billion worth of compensation in court.

Tesla did not respond to questions about Lander's comments on Tuesday.

Tesla shares, which have nearly doubled in value this year, were trading on Tuesday at about the same level before Musk endorsed the antisemitic post on Nov. 15.

Musk has since denied that he is antisemitic, and X CEO Linda Yaccarino told employees that "data will tell the real story" about the company's efforts to battle antisemitism.

Lander said Tesla's board should make clear to Musk that he needs to take steps such as removing his post and apologizing for it. If Musk fails to do so, Tesla's board should consider actions such as docking his pay, suspending him or terminating him, Lander added.

"The board needs to hold him accountable but what we need more of these days is showing how people can grow and change," Lander said.

Lander acknowledged that Musk's contributions to Tesla's success could make the board reluctant to act against him. He wrote to Tesla board chair Robyn Denholm on Monday that failing to take action would show Tesla's code of business ethics to be "toothless."

He also cited the case of automotive icon Henry Ford, whose role in perpetuating antisemitism was recognized as a problem in September by the president of the Ford Foundation.

Musk's endorsement of the antisemitic post led to condemnation from the White House, which accused Musk of an "abhorrent promotion of antisemitic and racist hate" that "runs against our core values as Americans.

Musk is the largest single holder of Tesla shares with a 20.6% stake, according to the company's latest proxy statement. Proxy advisers, who recommend how investors should cast their votes in annual shareholder meetings, have criticized Tesla's board of directors over issues including their independence

Large corporate advertisers have fled X since Musk bought it in October 2022, amid concerns from civil rights groups that reduced content moderation led to a sharp rise in hate speech.

Several others have left in recent days after a report from liberal watchdog Media Matters for America said content promoting Nazism was appearing next to their ads. Musk has denied this, and sued Media Matters on Monday.

Musk has also made several comments targeting the Anti-Defamation League, a nonprofit organization that fights antisemitism. Tesla and Musk are also defending against allegations of discrimination or racial or sexual harassment of workers in actions brought by state and federal civil rights agencies.

In a public call with investors on Tuesday, Kristin Hull of Nia Impact Capital said Musk's comments amount to "the first time investors have had to deal with a CEO that doesn't appear to be looking out for the best of their own brand ... So we're asking the board to step in and come up with a solution here."

Last week Nia had asked Tesla's board to take actions against Musk such as "censure by the Board, demotion, re-assignment, suspension, or removal"

(Reporting by Ross Kerber in New York; Additional reporting by David Gaffen in New York and Sheila Dang in Dallas; Editing by Greg Roumeliotis and Matthew Lewis)
A handout photo shows a nine-month supply of Novo Nordisk's diabetes drug Ozempic which was purchased by an individual from online pharmacies in the UK for "off-label" use for weight loss and stored in his refrigerator at home in London, Britain, October

By Ludwig Burger and Eva Mathews

(Reuters) - Novo Nordisk will ration starter kits of Ozempic in Europe and reduce supplies of another diabetes drug, Victoza, to prioritise producing Ozempic, which has seen a surge in demand from people using it to lose weight.

Ozempic contains semaglutide, an ingredient in Novo's hugely popular anti-obesity drug Wegovy. Ozempic is not officially approved to treat obesity, but that hasn't held back demand.

According to a note to healthcare professionals from Novo and the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the Danish drugmaker will "temporarily reduce the supply of Victoza" in order to increase the supply of Ozempic.

Intermittent Ozempic shortages are expected throughout 2024, while Victoza shortages are expected at least until the second quarter of 2024, according to the statement on the EMA's website.

The shortage of both would "deteriorate" during the remainder of this year, Novo warned.

Both Victoza and Ozempic are injections based on the substance class of GLP-1 receptor agonists, but only the latter has been associated with considerable weight loss and suppression of appetite, in addition to regulating insulin production.

The active ingredient in Victoza is known as liraglutide.

"No new patients should be started on Victoza until at least Q2 2024 when supply is expected to normalise," Novo urged doctors in the document.

It would also limit the supply of the 0.25-mg starting dose of Ozempic to prioritise patients already on the weekly therapy over prospective new patients, a strategy that Novo has already used in the United States to manage demand for Wegovy that has far exceeded supplies.

In a bid to manage side effects and get the body used to the gut-hormone drugs, both Ozempic and Wegovy are initially given at low starter doses and the concentration of active ingredient per injection is increased over months in a practice known as dose escalation.

"It is recommended to limit initiations of new patients (on Ozempic) during the shortage and until the supply situation improves which is expected in Q1 2024," Novo said.

It also told doctors to consider other injectable GLP-1 drugs or "other suitable alternatives" where Ozempic or Victoza are not available for patients.

In a sign of Europe's scramble for Ozempic, Germany's drugs regulator is considering banning Ozempic exports, a move that several fellow EU members such as France and Austria have already imposed.

Several countries including Britain, Belgium and Germany have temporarily banned or strongly discouraged its use for weight loss to secure availability for diabetics but enforcement has proven difficult.

Novo's launch of Wegovy in Britain, Germany, Norway and Denmark, has so far done little to temper the clamour in Europe for Ozempic, as volumes of Wegovy have been limited due to production bottlenecks.

Novo, which has earmarked $6 billion to boost production in Denmark, said earlier this month the industry was far from being able to produce enough weight-loss drugs to meet global demand.

Eli Lilly's drug tirzepatide, also known as Mounjaro, has shown even greater weight-loss potential in trials than Wegovy, but the medium-term supply outlook for that drug in Europe is as yet uncertain.

The EU drugs regulator has recommended approval but the EU Commission's final word is still pending.

(Reporting by Ludwig Burger and Eva Mathews; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise and Mark Potter)
FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian trucks are parked near the Poland-Ukraine border, near the village of Korczowa, Poland November 19, 2023. REUTERS/Yan Dobronosov/File Photo

KYIV (Reuters) - Protests and blockades by Polish lorry drivers at border crossings to Ukraine have curbed imports of motor vehicle gas (LPG) into Ukraine, causing a 30% rise in domestic prices, an analyst said on Tuesday.

Serhiy Kuyun, the head of Ukraine's leading A-95 fuel consultancy, told an online briefing that about a third of all LPG supplies were imported through the border with Poland.

Polish truckers earlier this month blocked roads to three border crossings with Ukraine to protest against what they see as government inaction over a loss of business to foreign competitors since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Ukrainian officials said this week they hope to hold a new round of talks this week.

"We are incurring colossal losses because of the protest. This is simply an economic diversion against Ukraine," Kuyun said.

Ukraine consumed about 1.5 million metric tons of LPG in 2021 while the consumption fell to about 1.1 million tons in 2022 due to the Russian invasion. Ukraine imported most of the fuel and mostly from Poland, analysts said.

Kuyun said traders were trying to move as much product as possible on the railways and redirect LPG supplies to Slovakian and Romanian crossings.

"But it's hard to replace that volume quickly," he added.

Ukrainian officials have previously said that LPG supplies could be most affected by the border blockade while petrol and diesel were not in danger.

(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk; editing by David Evans)
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian police arrested 23 pro-Palestinian protesters for blocking roads near one of the country's largest container ports in Sydney, authorities said on Wednesday, after they protested against a ship owned by Israeli carrier Zim.

About 400 people had gathered near Port Botany on Tuesday evening for a planned unauthorised protest activity, New South Wales state police said. Protesters who did not comply with directions and occupied roads near the port were charged with offences, including disrupting operations of a major facility.

Protesters carried Palestinian flags, chanted "free Palestine" to banging drums, and held signs "Boycott ZIM" and "End the Gaza Blockade", television footage showed. Police forcibly removed some protesters from near the port's entrance.

The Israel-Hamas conflict has triggered protests from both Jewish and Palestinian groups across the world, including in Australia, which has seen rallies in its largest cities.

Anti-Israeli stickers were plastered on the front doors and red paint was sprayed on the walls of an outlet of McDonald's and Starbucks in Melbourne early this week after a protest march on Sunday, media reported.

McDonald's said it was dismayed by the disinformation and inaccurate reports on its position and that it was not funding or supporting any governments involved in the conflict.

Hamas took about 240 hostages, including children and elderly people, during an Oct. 7 assault on Israel that killed 1,200 people, according to Israel's tally. In Israeli attacks, the Hamas-run government says at least 13,300 Palestinians have been killed, including at least 5,600 children.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday asked his government to back a deal to clear the way for the release of some of the hostages.

(Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Stephen Coates)
Rakim Mayers, aka A$AP Rocky, sits in the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center for a preliminary hearing in his assault with a semiautomatic firearm case in Los Angeles, California, U.S, November 20, 2023. Allison Dinner/Pool via REUTERS

By Steve Gorman

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rapper A$AP Rocky, the romantic partner of recording star Rihanna and father of her two sons, was ordered on Monday to stand trial in Los Angeles on two felony counts of assault with a semi-automatic weapon.

Rocky, 35, whose given name is Rakim Mayers, is accused of pointing a handgun at another hip-hop artist and former friend, Terell Ephron, during a heated argument, then firing twice in Ephron's direction during a second confrontation. Both encounters occurred on Nov. 6, 2021.

Prosecutors alleged that Ephron suffered a minor injury in the shooting.

Rocky was arrested in connection with the altercation five months later, in April 2022, as he arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on a flight from Barbados. He was charged in August of that year.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge M.L. Villar ruled on Monday that prosecutors had sufficient evidence to proceed to trial on both counts of assault, including allegations that Rocky had personally used a firearm during the incidents in question, according to a spokesperson for the District Attorney's Office.

The Harlem-born musician, who remains free on bond, has pleaded not guilty in the case.

His lawyer, Joe Tacopina, argued in court that prosecutors failed to present sufficient proof that a shooting had even occurred, relying on various surveillance videos and testimony that the defense said were inconclusive, the Los Angeles City News Service (CNS) reported in its account of the proceedings.

The defense also questioned the veracity of Ephron's testimony that he believed his left hand had been grazed in the gunfire, CNS reported.

Ephron, who has performed under the stage name as A$AP Relli as part of a hip-hop collective that once included both men, has also filed a civil lawsuit against Rocky, according to CNS.

Since Rocky's arrest in April of 2022, Rihanna, a native of Barbados, has given birth to two sons fathered by him.

His first and second studio albums, "Long. Live. A$AP," and "At.Long.Last.A$AP," both debuted at No. 1 in the Billboard 200 pop charts in 2013 and 2015, respectively. His third album, "Testing," released in 2018, peaked in the top five.

(This story has been refiled to remove an extraneous word in paragraph 2)

(Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
FILE PHOTO: A still photograph shows what appears to be North Korea's new Chollima-1 rocket being launched in Cholsan County, North Korea, May 31, 2023 in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency and taken from video. KCNA via RE

By Josh Smith

SEOUL (Reuters) - Both South and North Korea aim to launch their first spy satellites into orbit by the end of the month, entering a race for military capabilities in space.

North Korea has notified Japan it plans to launch a satellite between Wednesday and Dec. 1, after two failed attempts to launch spy satellites earlier this year.

South Korea, meanwhile, plans to send its first domestically developed military reconnaissance satellite into space on Nov. 30 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Californias Vandenberg Air Force Base.

Seoul plans to use SpaceX to launch four more spy satellites by 2025, and has test launched its own liquid and solid fuel rockets to launch more civilian and military satellites in the future.

A functioning reconnaissance satellite could give North Korea its first capability to remotely monitor U.S., South Korean, and Japanese troops, while South Korea's satellites would reduce its dependence on American intelligence systems.

"Both Koreas stand to benefit to different degrees from the acquisition of independent space-based reconnaissance capabilities," said Ankit Panda of the U.S.-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "There is no doubt an element of prestige here, too, for both sides, but the practical benefits are a primary driver."

In September Russian President Vladimir Putin gave Kim Jong Un a tour of Russia's modern space launch facility and promised to help Pyongyang build satellites.

And on Tuesday, a researcher at North Korea's National Aerospace Development Administration said the militarisation of space by the United States and its allies demanded that Pyongyang step up its spy satellite programme.

Announcing plans for South Korea's own constellation of spy satellites in 2020, then-deputy national security adviser Kim Hyun-chong said that the South's military needs unblinking eyes to monitor the Korean peninsula 24 hours a day.

The two Koreas could use such satellites for increased early warning capabilities, military targeting and damage assessments in the event of a war, and communications, among other uses, said Chun In-bum, a retired South Korean army general.

South Korean officials who recovered debris from North Korea's recent satellite launches have cast doubt on their capabilities, and Seoul and Washington have called the launches veiled tests of ballistic missile technology banned by United Nations Security Council resolutions.

"Even if North Korea is successful in the next launch they will be a long way from any reconnaissance capability that would be of military value," Chun said.

Panda argued that even if North Korea's first satellite is poor in its overall resolution, it can still have some military utility for strategic warning and situational awareness.

It would be shortsighted to view the acquisition of reconnaissance capabilities by North Korea as a strictly threatening development, he added.

"While Pyongyang could use these capabilities to queue nuclear attacks and conduct damage assessment, we might also see such a capability confer a stabilizing effect by allowing North Korea to maintain better strategic situational awareness in a crisis," Panda said.

South Korea's capabilities are more advanced, but it still has to make more progress to see results, Chun said.

"For South Korea it will provide a meaningful boost in its surveillance capabilities but still a lot more satellites will be required," he said.

(Reporting by Josh Smith; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
FILE PHOTO: Gas bubbles from the Nord Stream 2 leak reaching surface of the Baltic Sea in the area shows disturbance of well over one kilometre diameter near Bornholm, Denmark, September 27, 2022. Danish Defence Command/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

(Reuters) - Russia is waiting for the outcome of an investigation into the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines before making any request for compensation, the RIA state news agency cited a foreign ministry official as saying on Tuesday.

The pipelines under the Baltic Sea were damaged in explosions last year, and investigations have yet to establish who was responsible.

In reply to a question about compensation, RIA quoted Dmitry Birichevsky, the head of the ministry's economic cooperation department, as saying: "The probe is not over yet, we are waiting for its results to be presented to the (United Nations) Security Council, then we will decide what to do."

Russia has blamed the United States, Britain, and Ukraine for the blasts which largely cut it off from the lucrative European market. Those countries have denied involvement.

The United Nations Security Council has refused to carry out its own investigation into the incident, leaving it to the governments of Sweden, Denmark and Germany.

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary speaks during an interview with Reuters in Rome, Italy, January 12, 2023. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane/File Photo

LISBON (Reuters) -Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary brushed off an investigation by Italy's antistrust agency into the pricing of the low-cost carrier's flights as a "joke" on Tuesday, blaming Italy's populist leadership.

"It's just Italian politics," he told reporters at a news conference held in Portugal's capital Lisbon. "You have a bunch of populists running around in Italy... it's what populist politicians do."

Ryanair faces several regulatory challenges in Italy, where it has expanded to become the largest carrier. It is in a dispute with the Italian government which is trying to hold down the price of domestic flights to its main islands at peak times.

The investigation comes after Giorgia Meloni's government backtracked in September on previously announced measures to tackle high fares, effectively scrapping a planned cap on increases for flights to the islands.

The antitrust agency investigation will focus on the possible negative implications of pricing algorithms, it said, and will also examine the way ticket prices and their components are communicated to the public.

O'Leary said the investigation was based on alleged mobile phone pricing algorithms but ignored "the fact that about 60% of our flights are booked on desktop computers".

(Reporting by Catarina Demony, writing by Andrei Khalip; editing by Louise Heavens)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. France committed massacres in Algeria, leader of Les Oranges association M'Hamed Kaki said at an international conference on "Decolonization: Empowerment and Development of Women" in Baku, Trend reports.

"We are talking about the death of 40,000 people. The people of Algeria realized that they need to get rid of this yoke. Despite the fact that this movement is more than 100 years old, colonial policies still exist," he noted.

"When any state demands its freedom, it begins to be demonized, to bully. And who does this? The West, the former colonists," he emphasized.

The conference is organized by the Baku Initiative Group of the Non-Aligned Movement.

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FILE PHOTO: Supporters of South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) and various political parties including civil society groups gather in solidarity with the Palestinian people outside the Israeli embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, October 20

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) -South African lawmakers voted on Tuesday in favour of closing down the Israeli embassy in Pretoria and suspending all diplomatic relations until a ceasefire is agreed in its war with Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in Gaza.

The resolution is largely symbolic as it will be up to President Cyril Ramaphosa's government whether to implement it; a presidency spokesperson said Ramaphosa "notes and appreciates" parliament's guidance on South Africa's diplomatic relations with Israel, particularly on the status of the embassy.

"The president and cabinet are engaged over the matter, which remains the responsibility of the national executive," Vincent Magwenya said.

Ramaphosa and senior foreign ministry officials have been vocally critical of Israel's leadership during its devastating military campaign against Hamas in the densely populated Gaza Strip, calling on the International Criminal Court to investigate them for potential war crimes.

The Israeli embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

On Monday, the Israeli ambassador in Pretoria was recalled to Tel Aviv for consultations ahead of the vote, which on Tuesday was resoundingly adopted by a 248-91 margin.

The parliamentary resolution was brought by the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party last week when the governing African National Congress pledged to support what has been a central diplomatic stance for South Africa since Nelson Mandela became the country's first democratically elected president in 1994.

The chief whip of the ANC, Pemmy Majodina, amended the last point of the EFF draft resolution calling for the embassy's closure and diplomatic suspension, to include the words: "... until a ceasefire is agreed to by Israel and Israel commits to binding United Nations-facilitated negotiations whose outcome must be a just, sustainable and lasting peace."

South Africa has backed the Palestinian cause for statehood in Israeli-occupied territories for decades, likening the plight of Palestinians to those of the Black majority during the repressive apartheid-era, a comparison Israel vehemently denies.

The EFF proposed the motion on Thursday in solidarity with the Palestinian people over the Israeli bombardment and invasion of Hamas-ruled Gaza, prompted by a deadly incursion by Hamas militants into Israel on Oct. 7.

(Reporting by Wendell Roelf; editing by Mark Heinrich and Jonathan Oatis)
Members of the Starbucks Workers Union and other labor organization picket and hold a rally outside a company owned Starbucks store, during the coffee chain's Red Cup Day event in New York City, U.S., November 16, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Phot

(Reuters) -The Strategic Organizing Center (SOC), a coalition of North American labor unions, said on Tuesday it had nominated three candidates for board seats at Starbucks Corp, deploying a tactic typically used by activist shareholders.

Those nominated for election to Starbucks' board are Maria Echaveste, Joshua Gotbaum and Wilma Liebman, who worked in the administrations of former U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, the union said in a statement.

The annual meeting, when Starbucks shareholders will vote on the composition of its eight-member board, is scheduled for March 13, 2024.

"The board's nominating and corporate governance committee will review SOC Investment Group's proposed director nominee(s) in accordance with its normal process," Starbucks said in a statement.

It added it had invested more than $3 billion over the last three years on wage increases, training, new equipment and technology, and that it would do so at this pace in 2024. It also said it had increased hourly pay by nearly 50% since 2020, offered more working hours and recorded lower staff turnover.

Workers at several Starbucks stores walked off their jobs last week in a strike organized by the Workers United union during a key promotional event demanding improved staffing and schedules.

SOC said the National Labor Relations Board, a federal agency that upholds workers' rights, has issued more than 120 complaints against Starbucks in the last two years. These include accusations of illegal discipline and firings, store closures to halt union activity, worker surveillance and the failure to bargain with workers in good faith.

"At a time when Starbucks has set an ambitious goal of opening more than 17,000 new stores by 2030, it cannot waste any more resources fighting its own workers," SOC said in a statement.

A National Labor Relations Board spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The union represents more than 9,000 Starbucks employees at about 360 U.S. stores. It is affiliated to Service Employees International Union, which is part of SOC, a shareholder at Starbucks.

Starbucks employed about 228,000 people in the U.S. with 3.6% of Starbucks partners in U.S. company-operated stores represented by unions as of Oct. 1, according to regulatory filing.

Strikes have taken place across industries as a tight U.S. labor market, the expiry of union contracts along with still-high living costs have led to tough negotiations for pay hikes and benefits.

According to preliminary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 444,900 workers have been involved in work stoppages and strikes through October this year.

Starbucks said on Monday it had created a new board committee dedicated to helping it better engage with stakeholders, including the company's employees.

(Reporting by Ananya Mariam Rajesh and Nilutpal Timsina in Bengaluru and Svea Herbst-Bayliss in New York; Editing by Arun Koyyur and Sherry Jacob-Phillips)
By Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Afghanistan's Taliban-led administration is "obligated" to consider religious values and will not allow interference in internal affairs, it has told the United Nations in response to an assessment on how the world could deal with the Islamists.

The U.N. Security Council asked Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for the independent assessment, which was submitted this month. It proposes a path for political engagement aimed at reintegrating Afghanistan after the Taliban seized power in August 2021 as U.S.-led forces withdrew after 20 years of war.

The Taliban-led administration's desire for recognition - and the country's seat at the United Nations - is seen as key international leverage to press for an inclusive government and respect for rights, particularly for women, in Afghanistan.

"The basic rights of women and girls, including the right to education and to work, and representation in public and political life  are not only fundamental obligations of a state, but also critical to build state capacity for long-term development and economic growth and peace and security," read the assessment submitted to the 15-member council.

"Any formal re-integration of Afghanistan into global institutions and systems will require the participation and leadership of Afghan women," it read. The assessment was written by veteran Turkish diplomat Feridun Sinirlioglu.

Since the Taliban returned to power, most girls have been barred from high school and women from universities. The Taliban have also stopped most Afghan female staff from working at aid agencies, closed beauty salons, barred women from parks and curtailed travel for women in the absence of a male guardian.

The Taliban say they respect rights in line with their interpretation of Islamic law.

"This government is obligated to take into consideration the religious values and national interests of the country during all engagements, and will not allow anyone to interfere in our internal affairs," the Taliban-led administration wrote in a response this week to the assessment, seen by Reuters.

It said that since the end of the war Afghan women had been able to secure some of their most basic rights, that about 23.4% of all Afghan civil servants are women, and that unprecedented numbers of Afghan women were participating as leaders and job creators in the business, commerce and manufacturing sectors.

"The Islamic Emirate has collected thousands of street beggars, a legacy of the previous regime, majority of whom were women and allocated them regular stipends," it added.

The United Nations says two-thirds of Afghanistan's 43 million people need humanitarian aid.

The independent assessment given to the Security Council recommended the appointment of a U.N. special envoy on Afghanistan, which the Taliban rejected as "unacceptable."

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
FILE PHOTO: A smartphone with a displayed NVIDIA logo is placed on a computer motherboard in this illustration taken March 6, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

By Suzanne McGee

(Reuters) - Trading volumes in leveraged ETFs tied to Nvidia on Tuesday showed many traders anticipate yet another upside earnings surprise and bullish outlook when the chipmaker reports quarterly results after the bell.

In August, Nvidia stock soared to all-time highs after the company reported quarterly results.

"Today is the second-highest trading day in terms of volume we've seen so far, and it's not over yet," said Scott Acheychek, CEO of Rex Shares, referring to trading activity in the T-Rex 2x Long NVIDIA Daily Target ETF

Leveraged "bull" single-stock ETFs offer speculators a way to bet that the price of the underlying equity will rise over the course of a trading day; their inverse counterparts provide a chance to profit from any decline. Approved in July 2022, some of these have become a method for day traders to place short-term bets in which they have high conviction.

Tuesday's trading in the T-Rex NVDX reflects underlying optimism that Nvidia will deliver another blockbuster earnings report after the market close. Although its price has fallen, reflecting the decline in Nvidia's shares, trading volume has soared to 86 million shares, compared with an average of 26 million.

Meanwhile, although the bearish counterpart is performing well in response to the slump in the ETF price, traders' relative lack of interest can be seen in trading volume of only 5 million shares. The average has been about 14 million shares.

Direxion has seen an uptick in interest and trading activity in both its Direxion Daily NVDA Bull 1.5x Shares ETF and the Direxion Daily NVDA Bear 1x Shares ETF, said Ed Egilinsky, managing director at the firm.

Monday's trading volume in NVDU was the highest recorded since the fund's launch in September, and Egilinsky said he believes the momentum might mean that Tuesday's activity "might eclipse yesterday's high."

Although Nvidia will not report results until after New York markets close at 4 p.m. EST, traders with positions in these ETFs can trade in the after-hours market. That means that if - as they hope - the response to the earnings announcement is another boost in Nvidia's stock, they could close out their positions in the leveraged ETFs overnight with a profit.

These leveraged and inverse single-stock ETFs are structured to bet on a stock's daily price movements. On Wednesday morning, traders will be trading the ETFs based not on the immediate response to the earnings but on Wednesday's activity.

These bull/bear ETFs are "short-term trading tools that should be monitored daily," Egilinsky said.

Leveraged and inverse ETFs tied to Nvidia have been among the most popular sets of these products launched in the last year. At least four ETF providers have introduced them over the last 12 months as Nvidia has emerged as a volatile stock that has delivered gains.

The first to make its debut was the AXS 1.25 NVDA Bear Daily ETF.

"Even some of those who are bullish on the stock and the chips sector believe that the stock is overpriced and may have a quick pullback, and this allows them to express that view," said Greg Bassuk, CEO of AXS Investments.

"We've seen a 400% jump in average daily trading volume on the day ahead of and following Nvidia's earnings releases," he added. "Today's activity is in line with that - folks want to be prepared for buying on the rumor but for selling on the news."

(Reporting by Suzanne McGee in Providence, Rhode Island; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
By Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart and Timour Azhari

WASHINGTON/BAGHDAD (Reuters) -The United States carried out two series of strikes in Iraq against Iranian-backed militants, U.S. officials said on Tuesday, in the first publicly reported U.S. responses in Iraq to dozens of recent attacks against troops in the region.

Until this week, the United States had been reluctant to retaliate in Iraq because of the delicate political situation there.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani has limited control over the Iranian-backed militias, whose support he needed to win power a year ago and who now form a powerful bloc in his governing coalition.

The strike on Tuesday evening targeted two facilities in Iraq, the U.S. military said in a statement.

"The strikes were in direct response to the attacks against U.S. and Coalition forces by Iran and Iran-backed groups," the statement said.

The strike by fighter aircraft targeted and destroyed a Kataeb Hezbollah operations center and a Kataeb Hezbollah Command and Control node near Al Anbar and Jurf al Saqr, south of Baghdad, a U.S. defense official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Iraq's Kataeb Hezbollah militia is a powerful armed faction with close ties to Iran.

The official said there were Kataeb Hezbollah personnel present, but an assessment was ongoing about casualties.

About 24 hours earlier, U.S. forces were attacked at an air base west of Baghdad and a U.S. military AC-130 aircraft responded in self-defense, killing a number of Iranian-backed militants, U.S. officials said.

Ain al-Asad air base was attacked by a close-range ballistic missile that resulted in eight injuries and minor damage to infrastructure, two U.S. officials said.

The United States had so far limited its response to the 66 attacks against its forces in Iraq and neighboring Syria, claimed by Iran-aligned Iraqi militia groups, to three separate sets of strikes in Syria.

At least 62 U.S. personnel have suffered minor injuries or traumatic brain injuries in the attacks.

The attacks began on Oct. 17 and have been linked by Iraqi militia groups to U.S. support for Israel in its bombardment of Gaza following attacks by Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israel.

The attacks against U.S. targets have ended a year-long unilateral truce that Iraqi factions, some formed in the aftermath of the 2003 U.S. invasion to fight U.S. troops and others in 2014 to fight Islamic State, declared with Washington.

Social media accounts linked to Iran-aligned Iraqi militias published a statement in the name of the "Islamic Resistance in Iraq" mourning a member who they said had been killed in battle against U.S. forces on Tuesday, without elaborating.

His killing is the first reported casualty in Iraq linked to the Gaza war, which has drawn in other factions in Iran's network of regional militias, known as the Axis of Resistance, such as Lebanon's Hezbollah.

The United States has 900 troops in Syria and 2,500 in Iraq on a mission it says aims to advise and assist local forces trying to prevent a resurgence of Islamic State, which in 2014 seized large swaths of both countries before being defeated.

(Reporting by Timour Azhari in Baghdad, Phil Stewart and Ali Idrees in Washington; Editing by Andrew Heavens, Alexandra Hudson, Chizu Nomiyama, Mark Porter and Leslie Adler)
FILE PHOTO: Wheat grain is loaded into the cargo vessel Mezhdurechensk before its departure for the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict in the port of Mariupol, Russian-controlled Ukraine, October 25, 2023. REUTERS/Alexa

By Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Tuesday that Ukraine's wheat production may be unable to meet domestic and export demand in the years to come if Black Sea export routes remain blocked and attacks on food infrastructure continue.

WFP's Ukraine director, Matthew Hollingworth, said a forthcoming report by the U.N. Human Rights Office (OHCHR) would show that since mid-July there have been 31 documented attacks on Ukraine's grain production and export facilities.

He told the U.N. Security Council that "28 of these attacks were in Odesa oblast alone, which is home of the vital Black Sea and Danube River terminals essential for global trade."

"If attacks on food infrastructure and the blockage of sea export routes continue, it will dramatically impact the agricultural production outlook over years to come, and may, in a worst-case scenario, lead to wheat production being unable to meet domestic and export demand," Hollingworth said.

Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the Security Council on Tuesday that Moscow targets military infrastructure, not civilian infrastructure.

The United Nations has blamed Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine for worsening a global food crisis. Ukraine and Russia are both major grain exporters. Russia also is a big supplier of fertilizer to the world.

Russia's agriculture minister said last week that Moscow had begun free grain shipments totaling up to 200,000 tonnes to six African states, as promised by President Vladimir Putin in July.

Hollingworth said that before the war Ukraine made up 9% of global wheat exports, 15% of maize and 44% of sunflower oil.

U.N. officials are trying to revive the Black Sea grain deal, which Russia quit in July - a year after it was brokered by the United Nations and Turkey - complaining that its own food and fertilizer exports faced obstacles and that not enough Ukrainian grain was going to countries in need.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told Reuters earlier this month that it will be difficult to revive the Black Sea deal, under which nearly 33 million metric tons of Ukraine grain were exported.

Ukraine launched what it calls a temporary export corridor in August to allow agricultural exports as an alternative arrangement. More than 700,000 metric tons of grain have left Ukrainian ports via the new route.

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
FILE PHOTO: Scientists from the University of Chile collect organic material as they look for a bacteria discovered in Antarctica, January 13, 2019. Picture taken January 13, 2019. Courtesy of University of Chile/Handout via REUTERS /File Photo

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres will travel to Antarctica this week with Chilean President Gabriel Boric to observe the impact of rising temperatures caused by climate change on the continent, he said on Monday.

"Scorching temperatures mean Antarctic ice is melting ever-faster, with deadly consequences for people around the world," Guterres told reporters.

Guterres and Boric will be in Antarctica from Wednesday to Saturday, subject to weather conditions, the U.N. communications office in Chile said.

The two are set to see the Collins and Nelson Glaciers, as well as a stop to see the penguins and other native species at Kopaitic Island, according to U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

Guterres will speak on his experience during U.N. climate summit COP28 in Dubai next week, where he will "call for action that matches the scale of the crisis we face," he said.

World leaders will convene for the annual conference with the aim of keeping the Paris Agreement warming target of 1.5C alive. As they stand, countries' emissions pledges would still put the world on track to warm by nearly 3 degrees Celsius this century, according to a U.N. analysis released on Monday.

Boric traveled to Antarctica previously this year, and has invited other leaders such as Chinese President Xi Jinping to do the same. He shot back last week at opposition criticism for the emissions put out by traveling to the continent by plane.

"I'll propose to the secretary general of the U.N. that we row our way there in a canoe, instead of traveling with the Chilean Air Force, so people like you don't have to go through this hard time," he said to one critic on social media platform X.

(Reporting by Natalia Ramos in Santiago; Additional reporting by Michelle Nichols at the United Nations; Writing by Kylie Madry; editing by Grant McCool)
Fighter jets sit on the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson as it arrives at a port in Busan, South Korea, November 21, 2023. Yonhap via REUTERS

SEOUL (Reuters) - The U.S. aircraft carrier Carl Vinson arrived at a port in the South Korean city of Busan on Tuesday, in a show of extended deterrence against North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, South Korea's navy said.

The arrival comes as North Korea plans to launch a rocket carrying a space satellite between Nov. 22 and Dec. 1 in the direction of the Yellow Sea and East China Sea, according to Japan's Coast Guard,

It would mark a third attempt by the nuclear-armed North this year to put a spy satellite into orbit.

In a statement, South Korean Rear Admiral Kim Ji-hoon said the arrival of the Carl Vinson showed a "strong combined defence posture and a determined willingness to respond to North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile threats" by the South Korea-U.S. alliance.

(Reporting by Hyunsu Yim; Editing by Ed Davies)
A flare falls over Gaza, as seen from southern Israel, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, November 20, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko

(This Nov. 21 story has been corrected to say people instead of civilians in paragraph 7)

By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Maayan Lubell

GAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday asked his government to accept a deal for Palestinian Hamas militants to free some hostages in Gaza in exchange for a multi-day truce even as the death of a hostage in captivity was announced.

Officials from Qatar, which has been mediating negotiations, as well as the U.S., Israel and Hamas have for days been saying a deal was imminent.

Before gathering with his full government, Netanyahu met on Tuesday with his war cabinet and wider national security cabinet over the deal. Hamas is believed to be holding more than 200 hostages, taken when its fighters surged into Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies.

The Israeli prime minister said the intervention of U.S. President Joe Biden had helped to improve the deal so that it included more hostages for fewer concessions.

But Netanyahu said Israel's broader mission had not changed.

"We are at war and we will continue the war until we achieve all our goals. To destroy Hamas, return all our hostages and ensure that nobody in Gaza can threaten Israel," he said in a recorded message at the start of the latest government meeting.

If agreed, the accord would see the first truce of a war in which Israeli bombardments have flattened swathes of Hamas-ruled Gaza, killed 13,300 people in the tiny densely populated enclave and left about two-thirds of its 2.3 million population homeless, according to authorities in Gaza.

A U.S. official briefed on the discussions said the deal would include 50 hostages taken from Israel, mostly women and children, in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners and a pause in the fighting of four or five days.

The pause would facilitate delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Qatar Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said the proposal on a hostage release deal was delivered to Israel in the early hours of Tuesday.

"The State of Qatar is awaiting the result of the Israeli government's vote on the proposal," he said.

Hamas has to date released only four captives: U.S. citizens Judith Raanan, 59, and her daughter, Natalie Raanan, 17, on Oct. 20, citing "humanitarian reasons," and Israeli women Nurit Cooper, 79, and Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, on Oct. 23.

The armed wing of the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad, which participated in the Oct. 7 raid with Hamas, announced late on Tuesday the death of one of the Israeli hostages it has held since the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel.

"We previously expressed our willingness to release her for humanitarian reasons, but the enemy was stalling and this led to her death," Al Quds Brigades said on its Telegram channel.

As attention focused on the hostage release deal, fighting on the ground raged on with Israel saying its forces had encircled the Jabalia refugee camp, a major urban flashpoint and Hamas militant stronghold.

The Palestinian news agency WAFA said 33 people were killed and dozens wounded in an Israeli air strike on part of Jabalia, a congested urban extension of Gaza City where Hamas has been battling advancing Israeli armoured forces.

In southern Gaza, Hamas-affiliated media said 10 people were killed and 22 injured by an Israeli air strike on an apartment in the city of Khan Younis.

Reuters could not immediately verify the accounts of fighting on either side.

(Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza, Emily Rose in Jerusalem, Andrew Mills in Doha, Steve Holland and Jonathan Landay in Washington, and Reuters bureaux; writing by Idrees Ali, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Peter Graff, Mark Heinrich and Cynthia Osterman; editing by Simon Cameron-Moore, Alex Richardson, Nick Macfie and Deepa Babington)
FILE PHOTO: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/File Photo

LONDON (Reuters) - Zambia's debt restructuring has been a complex, three-year process, which suffered a serious setback on Monday when bilateral creditors, including China, effectively ordered it secure more debt relief from international funds that hold its sovereign bonds.

Below is a condense timeline of key events :

2019-2020: Zambia faced challenges in repaying its debts, including its international market dollar-denominated government bonds known as "Eurobonds".

2020: The country requests to have its debt payments frozen under the G20-led Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) due to COVID-19.

In May, Zambian President Edgar Lungus government hires French firm Lazard to advise on restructuring the cash-strapped southern African nations $11 billion worth of foreign debts.

In November, Lungus government misses a $42.5 million payment on one of its international bonds, making it Africa's first pandemic-era sovereign to default.

2021: Opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema secures a landslide victory in August over Lungu in presidential elections.

June 2022 - Governments that have lent to Zambia over the years form an "official sector" creditor committee - or OCC for short - to formally start working on restructuring the loans they have provided to the country.

2022: Negotiations continue with bondholders for debt relief and restructuring deals.

2023: In June, the government announces the "Paris Club" of creditor nations and its other big bilateral lender China have agreed to restructure their combined $6.3 billion worth of loans. Just over $4 billion of that money is owed to the Export-Import Bank of China, underlining the importance of Beijing's support for the deal.

October sees the government strike an "Agreement in principle" deal with investment and pension funds that hold $3 billion worth of its sovereign bonds that it had sold on the global capital markets.

The deal proposes consolidating that debt into two bonds with easier terms and longer payment deadlines, but also offering additional faster payments if the country's economy does well.

November - The deal suffers a major blow after the government says that its bilateral "OCC" creditors have effectively vetoed its other deal with its bondholders assessing that it doesn't provide enough debt relief.

Angry bondholders say the OCC is demanding debt relief from them that is materially higher than either Zambia's government or the International Monetary Fund deem necessary.

(Reporting by Marc Jones; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. Western states stand against Azerbaijan due to its being a Muslim state and signing the Shusha Declaration with Turkiye, the Chairman of the Defense, Security, and Anti-Corruption Committee of the Azerbaijani Parliament Ziyafat Asgarov said at today's parliamentary meeting, Trend reports.

The MP noted that after the signing of the aforementioned declaration, the West began worrying over it.

"First, France opposed it, and later it turned out to be an order from Washington," emphasized Asgarov.

He also pointed out that the US always claims Azerbaijan is its strategic partner.

"But how do they treat a strategic partner? Azerbaijan liberated its territories from occupation, and restored international law. In 30 years, none of the Western states opposed Armenia and imposed sanctions. But now, when we have liberated our lands, there is pressure on us," the MP stressed.

"The US is using France to stay in the shadows. Such hypocritical policies cannot be implemented. Being a powerful state, the US should stand for truth, supporting international law. We waged war fairly, with no civilian casualties and no 'ethnic cleansing'. The US has made similar statements, and this is just one of the reasons, as they did not accept the independent policy of the President of Azerbaijan and also tried to prevent the revival of a Muslim state," added the MP.

The Shusha Declaration, officially the Shusha Declaration on allied relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Turkiye, is a declaration on allied relations signed between Azerbaijan and Turkiye on June 15, 2021.

The declaration touched various issues in the political, economic, trade, culture, education, sport, and energy security sectors, the Southern Gas Corridor, cooperation in the field of defense industry, military cooperation and mutual military assistance, Zangezur corridor, possibilities of cooperation within the framework of the proposed six-party platform (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Russia, Turkiye, Iran, Georgia), and opening a Turkish consulate in Shusha.

Stay up to date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
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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):

______________________________

First Trust Dynamic Europe Equity Income Fund

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Massachusetts 811-23072 37-1788432 (State or other jurisdiction (Commission File Number) (IRS Employer of incorporation) Identification No.)

120 East Liberty Drive , Suite 400 Wheaton , Illinois (Address of principal executive offices) 60187 (zip code)

Registrants telephone number, including area code: ( 630 ) 765-8000

NA

(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 Instruction A.2. below):

 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 class Trading Symbol Name of Exchange on which registered Common stock, $0.01 par value per share FDEU 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 

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 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure.

First Trust Dynamic Europe Equity Income Fund ("FDEU") is filing herewith a press release issued on November 21, 2023, as Exhibit 99.1. The press release was issued by First Trust Advisors L.P. ("FTA") announcing that the reorganization of First Trust Dynamic Europe Equity Income Fund (NYSE: FDEU), a closed-end management investment company managed by FTA and sub-advised by Janus Henderson Investors US LLC ("Janus Henderson Investors"), into First Trust Active Global Quality Income ETF (NYSE Arca: AGQI), an actively managed exchange-traded fund ("ETF") managed by FTA and sub-advised by Janus Henderson Investors, was completed prior to the open of the NYSE Arca on November 21, 2023. Details regarding the reorganization are contained in the press release included herein.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits.

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.

Dated: November 21, 2023 FIRST TRUST DYNAMIC EUROPE EQUITY INCOME FUND By: /s/ W. Scott Jardine Name W. Scott Jardine Title: Secretary

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit Number Description 99.1 Press Release, dated November 21, 2023.

ATTACHMENTS / EXHIBITS

PRESS RELEASE

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(Tribune News Service)  The Ohio Federal Research Network, managed by Beavercreeks Parallax Advanced Research, has awarded $6.85 million to several Ohio businesses and colleges to pursue national security-focused research.

The University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI), Sinclair Community College, Central State University, and Wright State University, with several local businesses, are among the recipients.

Those receiving funds will work with the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Naval Medical Research Unit-Dayton, as well as the National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC), at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. Some will also work with the NASA Glenn Research Center near Cleveland.

I was born and raised in Ohio, said Mark Bartman, Parallaxs vice president for advanced development and a retired Ohio National Guard major general. Its really cool for me to see and think about all the really amazing research thats going on in this state.

Funding comes from the Ohio General Assembly to help federal agencies solve problems. The hope is that the work will lead to new jobs and even new companies  and new federal dollars returning to the state.

Were really trying to make sure were being good stewards of taxpayers money, Bartman said.

The Ohio Federal Research Network has distributed more than $51.4 million across five funding rounds, leading to 35 projects involving 21 colleges and universities and 97 businesses in Ohio.

In all, these projects have garnered $361 million in funding, including $35.8 million in industry-sponsored research, $321 million in federal funding, and $6.1 million from other sources.

Parallax said the funding has had a significant impact, generating 359 jobs, retaining 96 jobs, and indirectly creating over 1,167 jobs.

For this sixth funding round, network representatives sat down with federal partners, including NASA Glenn, AFRL, NASIC and Navy medical researchers at Wright-Patterson.

The initial question was somewhat simple, Bartman said. It was, OK, what are your top priorities for research and development? 

Areas of research include hypersonics, human performance, high-power energy conversion, digital engineering tools, commercial space in low-earth orbit, and quantum sensing technologies.

Some of the most recent awardees and their projects include:

 Beavercreeks ARCTOS Technology Solutions, with Ohio University, the University of Toledo, GoHypersonic, and Hyphen Innovations, will work on alloy parts for hypersonic vehicles.

 Beavercreeks CFD Research Corp., with the Air Force Institute of Technology and Wright State, will work on digital tools for the engineering of hypersonic vehicles.

 Daytons Kairos Research with Wright State, Sinclair, and the Dayton Entrepreneurs Center, will work on a software dashboard for displaying real-time ocular-physiological indicators for cognitive states, including fatigue and drowsiness.

 Ohio State University, with UD, Central State University, Agile Ultrasonics LLC, Lincoln Electric, and Nanoracks, will focus on developing autonomous metals and polymer welding for space applications.

These are all 18-month projects, Parallax said.

Solicitations for new projects go out to previous funding recipients, but also to as many people who are in our contact list, Bartman said. Theyre also advertised on the LinkedIn website.

A requirement for participants: Industry partners must have an Ohio presence and must work with at least two Ohio university or higher education partners.

Bartman said other states have approached the network to ask how they can assemble an organization similar to the Ohio Federal Research Network, Bartman said.

I personally dont know of any other state that has a program thats exactly like this, he said.

(c)2023 the Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio)

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The aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson arrives at Busan, South Korea, Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023. (Elizabeth Grubbs/U.S. Navy)

CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea  A U.S. aircraft carrier steamed into South Koreas largest port Tuesday as a deterrent to North Korea amid an anticipated satellite launch by the communist regime.

The USS Carl Vinson  the third Navy carrier to visit the peninsula so far this year  arrived at Busan as part of an agreement between Washington and Seoul to promote the regular visibility of American military assets in the country, the Ministry of Defense said in a news release Tuesday.

Homeported in San Diego, the Carl Vinson is capable of carrying roughly 5,000 sailors and 70 aircraft, according to the Navys website.

The deployment signals a combined defense posture against North Korea, the ministrys release added.

Cooperation between the U.S. and [South Korean] navies is critical to maintaining peace and security in Northeast Asia and the Korean Peninsula, Rear Adm. Carlos Sardiello, commander of Carrier Strike Group 1, said in a Navy news release Tuesday.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik on Nov. 14 held an annual military conference in Seoul, where they agreed to reinforce their alliance and increase the frequency and intensity of U.S. deployments to the country, according to a speech from the minister at the time.

Secretary Austin and I reaffirm the steadfast commitment of both countries to the powerful [South Korea]-U.S. combined defense posture to deter and respond to such threats by North Korea, Shin said.

The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan visited Busan in October to drill with the South Korean and Japanese navies. The two-day exercise was the first maritime training between the countries since 2016.

Two weeks earlier, a nuclear-capable B-52H Stratofortress landed in South Korea for the first time in at least 30 years. The bomber went on to conduct the first-ever joint air drills with South Korean and Japanese fighter jets.

The Carl Vinsons arrival comes as North Korea is expected to attempt to launch a satellite into orbit. A Japanese coast guard spokesman told Stars and Stripes by phone Tuesday that it was notified by the North of a scheduled launch over the Yellow Sea, East China Sea and east of Luzon, Philippines, between Wednesday and Dec. 1.

Japanese officials regularly speak to the media on a customary condition of anonymity.

Japans Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned North Koreas launch plans Tuesday. He said Tokyo will take all possible measures to ensure the countrys safety and that he would coordinate with the U.S., South Korea and other countries to strongly urge the North to refrain from conducting a launch, according to a news release from the Prime Ministers office.

Even though the purpose is to launch a satellite, it is a violation of the United Nations Security Council resolution if it uses ballistic missile technology, Kishida told reporters.

North Korea attempted satellite launches on May 31 and Aug. 31; both failed to reach orbit. The regime has also fired 21 ballistic missiles in 14 days of testing so far this year.
A Chinese coast guard ship shadows a Philippine coast guard ship in the disputed South China Sea, on Aug. 22, 2023. (Ted Aljibe, AFP via Getty Images/TNS)

(Tribune News Service)  The Philippines and the U.S. resumed joint patrols in the South China Sea on Tuesday, years after they were halted, amid heightened tensions with Beijing over the disputed waters.

Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced the start of maritime and air patrols between the Southeast Asian nations military and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in a post on X, formerly Twitter. The joint patrols will begin near the Philippines northernmost Batanes province that is close to Taiwan and will end in the South China Sea, Manilas military said in a statement.

The activity, scheduled to run until Thursday, is a significant initiative and a testament to our commitment to bolster the interoperability of our military forces, Marcos said.

The patrols take place just days after Marcos, during a U.S. trip, warned that the situation in the South China Sea has become more dire, saying Beijings military buildup in the contested sea is getting closer to the Philippines coastline.

Through collaborative efforts, we aim to enhance regional security and foster a seamless partnership with the United States in safeguarding our shared interests, Marcos said on Tuesday.

Manila and Washington agreed to restart the joint South China Sea patrols in February after former President Rodrigo Duterte, who forged closer ties with Beijing, suspended them in 2016.

Beijing claims nearly the entire South China Sea, including areas Manila says are part of its exclusive economic zone. Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Taiwan also lay claims over the waterway.

The resumption of the U.S. and Philippine joint patrols comes amid heightened tensions in contested waters, including last months collision between Philippine and Chinese vessels. It also underlines the two countries reinvigorated defense alliance under Marcos, who early this year granted the U.S. military access to more Philippine bases including one near Taiwan.

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The card index of the International Tracing Service sometimes reveals the location of a lost child. (John W. Boyd/Stars and Stripes)

This article first appeared in the Stars and Stripes Europe edition, Feature Section, Jan. 15, 1950. It is republished unedited in its original form. The images seen here are a combination of two photo assignments and include images taken at the International Tracing Services then-offices in Esslingen, Baden-Wuerttemberg, in 1950 to accompany this article, as well as images taken there in 1952 for an article on the search efforts of the organization published that year.

The greatest treasure hunt Europe has ever known has been going on since V-E Day.

Fifty investigators attached to the Child Search Branch of the International Tracing Service (ITS) are seeking out non-German children separated from their families during the war.

Nobody knows how many were separated from their parents, but estimates run into the hundreds of thousands.

A large proportion of the youngsters were taken by the Nazis from occupied countries  particularly Eastern nations.

They were victims of a ruthless kidnap scheme designed by SS chief Heinrich Himmler and his associates. Himmlers twofold objective was to destroy potential leadership in the occupied countries and at the same time through Germanization of selected alien children provide an infusion of new blood for a war-depleted Germany.

The kidnaped waifs were to be trained as faithful Nazis, effacing any trace of their previous nationality, homelife, or parents, which might enable them to return.

Children with aryan features  blue eyes, blond; hair, whose head circumference and nose shape passed rigid examination by Nazi racial teams  were sent to the Lebensborn (Fountain of Life) agency, the National Socialist Welfare Organization (NSVD) and other similar Nazi organizations, which provided children with German names, birth certificates, and farmed them out for Germanization to foster homes and institutions. Children who were found racially undesirable were exterminated.

Investigators at the International Tracing Service  organized as a branch of the International Refugee Organization  search through thousands of cards in the organizations card index. (John W. Boyd/Stars and Stripes) An investigator searches through the Child Search master index of some 204,000 cards, which include 70,750 birth certificates. The organizations investigators search for non-German children separated from their families during the war. (George Penn/Stars and Stripes)

Thousands of other missing children came to Germany in a variety of ways.

Some accompanied their parents, brought into Germany as slave laborers. Others were part of the mass of refugees forcibly evacuated by the Germans as Allied armies surged on Germany. Some were born to non-German mothers working on German farms or industries.

Often, the records German organizations kept of the children were destroyed or deliberately falsified. In the majority of cases, more than six years has elapsed since separation, further obscuring any clues.

Such are the complexities of the task confronting Child Search investigators. Also hampering the search is not ever knowing how many children are to be sought.

An estimated 30,000 to 40,000 children were repatriated in early postwar years by Allied armies and a search group of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA).

ITS and the Child Search were organized later as a branch of the International Refugee Organization (IRO).

ITS is grappling with its monumental task of identifying and tracing children in a number of ways.

Its investigators made an exhaustive search of adoption records and orphanage rosters in Germany, and have scanned every Lebensborn list discovered.

Undamaged records of concentration camps, some meticulously preserved by German officials, have been forwarded to ITS officials by Allied authorities. Field searches by ITS investigators have unearthed clues.

Record books lie open on the desk of one of the investigators of the International Tracing Services offices in Esslingen, in Baden-Wuerttemberg. (George Penn/Stars and Stripes) An ITS investigator searches through record cards. (George Penn/Stars and Stripes) ITS investigators search through adoption records and orphanage rosters in Germany, the undamaged records rescued from concentration camps and forwarded to ITS, and every list discovered of the SS-run Lebensborn program in an effort to locate the missing children. (George Penn/Stars and Stripes)

No matter how meager a lead, investigators painstakingly have run it down. Just how remote some of the clues have been and ITS persistence in following them through is illustrated by the following case.

The child, later identified as Peter K., was born in Germany in March 1945, and was picked up after an air raid. There were no papers to identify the baby and the mother was presumably killed in the raid. The only clue to the childs identification was a tablecloth in which the infant was wrapped and which belonged to a hospital.

Investigation disclosed that the tablecloth had been given to one Helena K., who arrived at the hospital a few days before with a child two or three days old. A man, named Josef K., brought Helena to the hospital. He said they were both Polish.

The child was registered with UNRRA in February 1947 as a result of a quadripartite Allied directive on registration of all children believed to be non-German.

Child Search team investigators soon got the case. By exhaustive research, involving letters to England, questioning of German nurses, a court decision eliminating purposely false leads  it was finally established that Peter K. was Polish.

The case has been referred to the Polish Red Cross which is attempting to local relatives of the child.

Investigators, in tracing clues, have been balked both by the reluctance of a child to speak his native tongue, or Germanization that dimmed memories of parents and home.

An investigator searches in the Childrens Archives of the International Tracing Service. (George Penn/Stars and Stripes) Johannes Jlihkam (seated), chief of childrens archives for the International Tracing Service, discusses a case with one of his employees as a clerk types at the ITS offices in Esslingen, in Baden-Wuerttemberg. (George Penn/Stars and Stripes)

Often, German foster parents, some who really love the foster children, some who fear being classified as Nazis, or some fearing to lose foster children exploited as a source of cheap household or farm labor, hold back vital information.

To winnow out facts and track down clues, an investigator must combine qualities as linguist, child psychologist, and detective.

Often, when speaking German to a child, investigators casually drop a question in Polish, French or Czech. The child replies in the same tongue sometimes, providing the first clue that may lead eventually to a reunion with family members. Sometimes remembrance has been rekindled by a snatch of a folk song or a native lullaby.

Operations for this vast tracing project are directed from offices located in a woolen factory in Esslingen, Wurttemberg-Baden. Here an international staff of about 250, directed by Child Search Branch Chief Herbert H. Meyer, sift and reconstruct clues, most gathered by their own effort.

Up to November 1949, Child Search has located 22,000 children. Another 3,000 have been located in response to queries. Children of 30 nationalities have been involved.

But in the three-month period ending last September, Child Search made its greatest strides, locating more children than in the preceding six months.

Child Search officials anticipate that this pace will be maintained and even stepped up in the future, as they have begun to exploit material submitted by German authorities. This material is exploited simultaneously by Child Search officials of IRO and the Child Search Bureau of the German Red Cross, thus at the same time solving cases of German children separated from their parents and other relatives during the war.

An investigator searches through the entry registers of the Dachau concentration camp in the records room of the International Tracing Service. (George Penn/Stars and Stripes)

This search, concentrating on boys and girls under 17, is being conducted among those now in foster homes, in institutions, and those who have been adopted by German families since Sept. 1, 1939. Names submitted by German authorities are checked against a Child Search master index of 204,000 cards, including 70,750 birth certificates.

Child Search will screen only those cases which are non-German, turning over others to German authorities, whose stake in the operation will be clues to displaced German children.

The job of Child Search ends when a missing child is located and proper authorities are notified. ITS is not involved in the future of the located child. This comes under the Child Care Branch of IRO, which works in close cooperation with the land commissioners offices in this matter.

One outstanding case, illustrating this, involved a Polish girl, Natalcia, who, at the age of 8 in 1941, was removed from Poland. ITS has on file copies of the letters Natalcia wrote her mother in the first days of separation.

In 1947, Child, Search investigators discovered Natalcia, then under her Germanized name of Friedl, living with German foster parents. Natalcias mother was notified and immediately wrote her daughter, asking her to return.

But after six years in a German home, Natalcia could no longer read her mothers Polish script.

She wrote she was happier with her German foster parents, and cited her material gains and comforts over her life in Poland as she remembered it. In two years of pleading, Natalcias mother has not yet persuaded her 16-year-old daughter to forsake her foster home.

The International Tracing Service morphed into the Arolsen Archives and its staff continues the work their 1950s colleagues began. The Arolsen Archives are committed to preserving their unique collection of documents on Nazi persecution and to making them accessible worldwide. We search for the traces of victims and survivors of the National Socialist terror regime and, even today, we are still helping to reunite families torn apart by the Holocaust, the persecution of minorities and forced labor.

For more information about the organization, its archives and work, visit its website.
The story of the American militarys troop newspapers in World War II has faded like old newsprint in the eight decades since that war was fought. But at their peak as many as 4,600 individual newspapers were in circulation around the world. Molly Guptill Mannings book  The War of Words: How Americas GI Journalists battled Censorship and Propaganda to Help Win World War II.  chronicles the issue. (Blackstone Publishing)

(Tribune News Service)  They gave their newspapers names like the Snarkyville Gazette, Bull Sheet, Scars and Gripes, and the Sunday Mud and Mildew.

Their stories clackety-clacked out of battle-scarred typewriters in war zones around the world to be published on beat-up mimeograph machines.

And yes, enemy bombing raids sometimes delayed publication and ingenuity was often required to keep the presses running. Insect repellent mixed with black shoe polish might take the place of ink. When newsprint ran out, the blank backs of company memos and motor pool invoices filled in nicely.

It just shows you how precious freedom of the press really is, says Molly Guptill Manning, author of The War of Words: How Americas GI Journalists battled Censorship and Propaganda to Help Win World War II.

They valued it so much they would do just about anything to make sure their newspapers got out, she says.

The story of the American militarys troop newspapers in World War II has faded like old newsprint in the eight decades since that war was fought. But at their peak as many as 4,600 individual newspapers were in circulation around the world.

Army Chief of Staff George Marshall spearheaded the newspaper initiative as a way to boost morale for troops far from home. As well, the papers helped troops in Europe and the Pacific understand what they were doing, why they were fighting, and much more, Manning says.

There were times when I think troops kind of wanted to be able to tell their own war stories and not just rely on civilian correspondents, she says. As a practical matter, civilian correspondents couldnt be on every ship. They couldnt be in every nook and cranny of the war.

And so I think the troops kind of picked up the slack where there might not have been someone to tell the story for the home front, Manning says. They didnt just let the story not be told. They told us themselves.

Yesterdays news

If you had no idea that American troops created so many unit newspapers during World War II, dont feel bad. Manning didnt either until after shed published her previous book, When Books Went to War, which explored the World War II program that provided 120 million paperback books for American troops to read during lulls in the work of the war.

I was contacted by a World War II veteran who said, You know, we did read books, and they were very precious to us,  she says. But another thing that was extremely important to us was the shipboard newspaper. We lived and breathed by it. It told us all the gossip about one another, but it also kind of helped us make sense of the war.

Manning, an associate professor at New York Law School who has undergraduate and graduate degrees in history, was intrigued.

I wanted to figure out how ubiquitous this was, she says. Was this just one ship that had a newspaper or was there a bigger story here?

Marshall saw troop newspapers as a way to boost morale by giving American forces the ability to tell their own stories as they fought in combat, worked behind front lines or at bases in the United States. So the Army created, and other branches adopted, a kind of newspaper-in-a-box kit: One big crate that included all the supplies necessary to publish  typewriters, cameras, mimeograph machines, ink and paper.

The newspapers included stories about the war, obituary notices for fallen comrades, cartoons, poems written by soldiers, sailors and Marines, and letters to the editor to praise or complain about matters within the individual unit. (G.I. gripes were always popular: The Bitching Post was the title of one troop newspapers popular complaints column.)

Mannings early research led her to materials in the collection of the Army Heritage Center in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, but she ultimately hunted down old newspapers wherever she could find them.

Sometimes one source would reference other newspapers, and theyd be described in such a way that Id want to get my hands on that particular title. So I would just start digging. Sometimes theyd come up for auction or theyd be on websites that specialize in World War II ephemera.

Once they survived for a year, theyd have a one-year anniversary issue and that would tell the whole story about how the newspaper started, Manning says. Their difficulties, how its been going. So those were always the best sources, I thought.

Stories from the front

Troop newspapers may have all received the same crate of supplies from the War Department, but most similarities ended there. Some published several times a week while others might be monthly. Press runs depended mostly on how many people were in any given unit.

Among the largest was The Railsplitter, published by the Armys 84th Infantry Division, which even while in serious combat such as the Battle of the Bulge, printed 2,000 to 3,000 copies of each edition.

The Rainbow Reveille of the Army National Guards 42nd Infantry Division published about the same number of copies, with its coverage of the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp some of the most powerful journalism done on the death camps.

Others were much smaller but no less important to the war effort, Manning says.

There were sometimes little groups of engineers or an air depot (in the Pacific), and they would have their own little newspaper about the comings and goings of airplanes and the work that they were doing. They would also try to make sense of, Well, how is our work on this airstrip contributing to the fight against Japan?

Every single group had its own specialized interest, she says. So the beauty of these newspapers was that if it was a very small unit, and they werent getting much credit because they werent actually in combat, they could kind of give themselves a pat on the back. And make sense of the work that they were doing, and that it was important work.

Marshall in Washington D.C. and Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower in Europe were mostly hands-off when it came to the newspapers and what they could print, Manning says. Those fighting under Gen. Douglas MacArthur in the Pacific werent so fortunate.

He hates newspapers, all types, she says. He doesnt want any press coverage of anything. He wants to be able to call the shots and tell the story because he was very sensitive.

Yet any commissioned officer could request a newspaper crate for their troops, and many did in spite of MacArthurs resistance.

These officers saw the suffering, Manning says. They saw what a hard time the men were having. They also saw that these newspapers were a place where troops could make sense of their losses, make sense of their gains. So even though MacArthur didnt want any newspapers, they proliferated.

And so the newspapers in the Pacific ended up having some of the most caustic, sarcastic, depressing, just really negative newspapers about the war, she says. Which is funny because thats the exact opposite of what MacArthur wanted, and yet thats exactly what came out of the Pacific.

Love letters to democracy

One of Mannings favorite stories in the book involves the lengths to which the 1903rd Engineers Battalion went to publish its newspaper while in transit to the war in the Pacific.

The newspaper was aptly named the Tough Sheet, and its like every possible problem just rained down on them, she says. First, they accidentally packed all of their paper in the hold of the ship: Mimeograph is inked, the stories were written, everything ready  except they realized, no paper.

And it took them two or three days to through the belly of the boat and finally find the paper, Manning says. And then they get somewhere in the Pacific and its even worse somehow. Their typewriters arent cooperating. The stencils theyre using get gummy and theyre difficult to carve, and its just one thing after another.

But they kept at it.

Giving up on publishing was never an option. Their newspaper just had to be printed.

In many ways, the newspapers reminded the troops of the freedoms they had at home, which the Axis forces of Germany, Japan and Italy had eliminated in territories they controlled. Manning says that part of the story  the way in which newspapers reinforced the tenets of democracy  surprised her in her research.

Some of them developed such a strong understanding of how important democracy was, Manning says. They encountered the repressions of the Nazis. They saw what it was like when people were robbed of their freedom, so they didnt take their freedom for granted.

The lessons they learned remain relevant today, she says. Without healthy local journalism, democracy suffers.

In the pages of these newspapers its almost by the end like love letters to democracy, where they see how important this form of government is, Manning says. And they feel sincerely in their hearts that fighting for this freedom is worth whatever price they have to pay.

(c)2023 San Gabriel Valley Tribune, West Covina, Calif.

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Marc Satalof, 76, of Upper Gwynedd, Pa., donates his 280th pint of blood at Penn Medicines Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine in Philadelphia, his final donation to the Red Cross after more than 50 years. (Tyger Williams, The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS)

PHILADELPHIA  Marc Satalof donated blood the first time in case his mother, who was undergoing surgery, needed it.

She didnt. But the experience seemed like an easy way to help others, so Satalof decided to do it again. And again.

More than 50 years later, the Upper Gwynedd resident donated blood for the 280th time on Wednesday. Having reached a lifetime total of 35 gallons, he is calling it quits.

Im retiring, he said.

At age 76, Satalofs hemoglobin levels arent what they used to be, meaning his blood has a diminished capacity for carrying oxygen. He takes iron pills to counteract that trend, and as a result, his blood still meets the threshold for him to donate. But after consulting his primary care physician at Penn Medicine Radnor, Satalof decided that 35 gallons  a small bathtubs worth of crimson fluid  was a good stopping point.

Satalof has rolled up his sleeve in schools, community centers, synagogues and mobile blood-collection units, in recent years using a Red Cross smartphone app to track his total donations and schedule appointments. He always signed up to give his next pint as soon as he could manage, once he had waited the required eight weeks.

A retired teacher and principal in Philadelphia public schools, he jokingly refers to his blood type, A-positive, like a top grade from a report card.

I am A-plus, he said. Ive donated just about everywhere there is. Even buses.

On Wednesday, he did it at a Red Cross blood drive at Penns Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine.

He wasnt looking for any extra credit. The idea to invite the media came from his primary care physician, Penns Kristin G. Christensen, who thought it would encourage others to donate.

Satalof agreed. He has long been promoting blood donation in other ways, speaking at Red Cross events and organizing blood drives at work and in the senior development where he lives with his wife, Elyse.

Still, he told staffers at the blood drive that he was worried about creating a fuss.

I really apologize to all of you for this disruption, he said.

Plasma and platelets

Aside from having cameras present, it was the same procedure Sataloff had been through at least 279 times before. (The records from his early years of donating, in the late 1960s, are a little spotty, so his total may be even higher.) He answered a few questions about his health, then lay down on a cot so that Silvia Vargas, a Red Cross collections specialist, could swab his forearm with disinfectant and insert the needle into a vein.

As his blood trickled into a collection bag, Satalof chatted with Donald L. Siegel, director of transfusion medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. The physician said every year the hospital uses 65,000 units of component products that are extracted from the blood of donors like Satalof: plasma, red blood cells, or platelets, depending on the need. Trauma centers, such as the one at nearby Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, also use whole blood.

Satalofs 280 pints may have been used in the treatment of up to 1,000 patients.

Its a precious resource, the physician said.

Elyse Satalof stood to one side. She and Marc met in junior high school, went to Temple University together, then got married and worked for 33 years in the Philadelphia schools, retiring on the same day in 2002.

She is not a blood donor, as she doesnt like needles. But she has supported her husbands donations from the start, satisfied that he has all the facts and has consulted his doctors.

Hes pretty astute, she said.

Red Cross volunteer

Marc Satalof thinks he gave his first donation in 1968 or 1969. Not only did his mother not need the extra blood at the time during her surgery, she recovered so well that she is alive today, at age 101.

Though Wednesday was Satalofs last donation, he said he might continue to volunteer for the Red Cross in another vein.

He started to list the possibilities, then laughed as he realized what hed said.

That was unintentional, he said. Ha!

After his blood bag was full, he got up from the cot and thanked everyone, hugging several Red Cross staffers on his way out.

His app did not update immediately. But he was confident that within a few hours, it would show the correct total after his red-letter day: 280 pints, 35 gallons.
President John F. Kennedy arrives at Fliegerhorst Kaserne in Hanau, Germany, on June 25, 1963. (Ted Rode/Stars and Stripes)

The president of the United States travels to Texas to mitigate factional strife in his Democratic Party, and on Nov. 22, 1963, is gunned down on a Dallas street. Two days later, alleged assassin Lee Harvey Oswald is shot by fringe hustler Jack Ruby.

JFKs majestic Nov. 25 funeral, planned in detail by wife Jacqueline, provides no closure. American government has been fundamentally shaken. Oswalds televised murder precludes a trial, and fuels continuing conspiracy theories.

Fascination with President John F. Kennedy, and his wife, continues. In 2013, there were floods of books, articles and commentaries marking the half-century since his death.

Kennedys legacy is complex, including highly publicized shortcomings. CBS commentator Eric Sevareid noted his principal legacy might be an attitude, a spirit that all things are possible for Americans if we only have the dedication and will.

In fact, JFK had major achievements. These include the 1963 nuclear test-ban treaty, cutting barriers to trade, the Peace Corps, and ambitious expansion of space exploration. Nonetheless, Sevareid was perceptive in emphasizing the emotional dimensions of political leadership.

The early disastrous invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs undercut Kennedy, and provided Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev strong incentive to deploy nuclear missiles on the island the following year. Intense, steadily expanding U.S. efforts to kill Fidel Castro further spurred Moscow.

This led to the Cuban missile crisis of October 1962. President Kennedy, a World War II combat veteran, resisted powerful pressure to invade Cuba. The missiles were removed following a blockade and overt invasion preparations, combined with a secret Cuba-Turkey missile trade. Kennedys restraint and imagination averted nuclear Armageddon.

In the aftermath of the missile crisis, Kennedy and Khrushchev achieved a treaty banning nuclear tests in the atmosphere, a breakthrough. The Senate ratified the treaty with a bipartisan vote of 80-19. JFK had other success with Congress, including negotiation authority key to the 1967 Kennedy Round trade agreement, and subsequent Tokyo and Uruguay accords.

Two prominent domestic issues were civil rights and organized crime, the latter an obsession of driven Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. JFK was cautious on race relations, addressing the subject actively only when pressed by a massive march on Washington.

RFK was relentless in pursuit of the mafia, while simultaneously gangsters and mercenaries were recruited to kill Castro. Dallas ended both efforts. Regarding organized crime, six years passed before the Nixon administration re-energized prosecution.

People around Robert Kennedy were puzzled by his marked disinterest in possible assassination conspiracy. In hindsight, RFK no doubt avoided that dark, tangled path because he might come face to face with it himself.

Then-Sen. John F. Kennedys book Profiles in Courage, about U.S. senators who put principle above political expediency, received the Pulitzer Prize. While critics cracked President Kennedy should show less profile and more courage, in fact he demonstrated exceptional personal strength.

Professor Herbert Parmet has documented extraordinary health problems that plagued JFK from birth. He nearly died in infancy, and received Catholic last rites at least three times. Yet he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, then volunteered for hazardous PT boat duty, where he demonstrated truly exceptional courage.

Sevareids observation applies tangibly to the American space program. The commitment to sending astronauts to the moon (and returning them safely, Kennedy always carefully added) resulted in dramatic success. Associated innovations include miniaturization. Todays computers, cellphones and a range of other products reflect this.

To the consternation of liberals, Kennedy made the Communications Satellite Corp. private, facilitating todays strong role of private business in space exploration.

In the mid-1970s, revelations about JFKs personal life along with the Castro plots sparked controversy. Understanding human complexity is part of growing up, and the Cold War involved ruthless actions by both sides.

We live in an ugly time. Public obsession with sex and sleaze joins with constant efforts to denigrate and demean public figures. Direct positive testimony can be an antidote.

Harvard professor John Kenneth Galbraith, JFKs successful ambassador to India, was an occasional visitor to the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations, my employer for two decades. In response to a question about President Kennedy, the usually aloof Galbraith suddenly became animated, friendly. He declared that Jack Kennedy was the most curious, questioning person he ever met.

Kennedy made you think.

Arthur I. Cyr is author of After the Cold War  American Foreign Policy, Europe and Asia.
A man is wrapped in a Russian flag while attending a concert in Niamey, Niger, on Oct. 14. (Carmen Yasmine Abd Ali/for The Washington Post)

NIAMEY, Niger  Months after a military coup ousted Nigers elected president, seen by many here as too close to France, Nigeriens were still celebrating the break with their former colonial power.

Abdoulaye Doule, a 46-year-old hospital worker resting on the side of the road, called the coup a liberation. Amadou Issa, a 51-year-old tailor in his shop, said it meant that Niger finally has its total autonomy. And Abdoulaziz Issaka, a 48-year-old business consultant who had traveled back to Niger from his home in Germany, said the moment was about total sovereignty.

Everybody is here to fight for our freedom, Issaka said late last month as he stood outside the military base in Niamey, where nightly protests only recently began to wane. What we have had is only so-called independence from France.

Although the July coup that toppled President Mohamed Bazoum began because of a dispute with the head of his presidential guard, Western officials and analysts say, junta leaders have capitalized on rising resentment toward France among the population to cement their popularity. Taking a page from recent coups in neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso, Nigers new military leaders have tarred the countrys democratic leaders as too closely linked with France and promoted a populist message calling for the departure of the French military and diplomats from the region.

You need an enemy, and the juntas have said from the beginning that France is their enemy, said Rahmane Idrissa, a Nigerien political scientist based in the Netherlands. They are almost in a mood where they are high on nationalism. And so they are accepting everything right now in the name of nationalism.

Anti-French sentiment has long existed in Frances former African colonies but in recent years has become an increasingly powerful factor in the Sahel region, which cuts across the continent below the Sahara desert and includes Niger. West Africans have grown frustrated that Frances military presence has not stopped violent attacks by Islamist extremist groups and been exposed to widespread criticism and disinformation about France on social media.

Issaka, who also lived for years in the United States, said that he believes in democracy. But he said that Bazoum and his predecessor, Mahamadou Issoufou, who was also elected democratically, had grown corrupt, ineffective and too closely associated with France to be considered legitimate.

Within a few days of the July coup, the junta spokesman publicly warned of a plan of aggression by France. Thousands of Nigeriens marched toward the French embassy, chanting down with France and waving Russian flags before smashing windows and setting a door at the embassy on fire. A few weeks later, the junta gave Frances ambassador a 48-hour deadline to depart and ended military cooperation between the two countries. The French army says its 1,500 soldiers, who have already started to leave Niger, will be completely out of the country by the end of the year.

A senior French official said that the Nigerien regime has had bad results in terms of security and the economy, so they are focusing their posture on asking the French to leave. The official said that France, at the request of Nigers leaders before the coup, had been working with Nigerien army as a partner, with the Nigeriens leading operations. It remains a very open question how France, the European Union and United States will now be able to pursue counterterrorism in the region, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.

Andrew Lebovich, a research fellow with the Clingendael Institute, a think tank in the Netherlands, said the speed with which the partnership ended reflected the Nigerien militarys suspicions about French intentions. It also revealed displeasure with French President Emmanuel Macrons refusal to acknowledge coup leaders and insistence that Bazoum remained the head of state.

European and American officials saw Niger as this last bastion for cooperation and reasonable, well-thought-out policies on security matters, he said. That was why this coup hit them especially hard.

The French foreign affairs ministry and Macrons office did not respond to requests for comment. A senior French official previously said that France, at the request of Nigers leaders before the coup, had been working with Nigers army as a partner with the Nigeriens leading operations.

Hannah Rae Armstrong, a Sahel expert based in Dakar, said that Nigerien support for the coup spoke to the differing perceptions at home and abroad. In Europe and the United States, Bazoum and Issoufou were largely celebrated as rare democratic leaders in the region. In Niger, Armstrong said, they were often perceived as leaders of an ineffective, corrupt political regime.

The coup could be read as a declaration of independence, she said. It amounts to a rejection of a political model Nigeriens perceived as allying French interests with their own corrupt leadership. In order to do things differently, they had to sweep away both.

In the wake of the coup, Nigers other onetime Western partners, including the United States, are being forced to chart a new strategy as they try to counter groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State and Russias growing influence in the region. The United States, which has about 1,000 soldiers in Niger and a large drone base, has paused all operations not related to the protection of its own forces. Already, the country has seen a spike in attacks by extremists since the coup.

Since the coup, the first question that foreigners often get in Nigers capital is a version of: Vous venez dou? The question  Where are you from? in French  has been asked in markets and on the side of the road, by activists, by regular people and by government officials alike.

Good, said Birgui Abat Ahmad, a 50-year-old cook sitting under the shade of a neem tree on a recent day, upon learning a journalist was from the United States. Because we hate the French.

Lounging on a bamboo chair by the side of the road between afternoon prayers and lunch, Ahmad furrowed his brow and wagged his finger: If someone tells you there is a good French person, he said, they are wrong.

Ahmad and his friends, veering into conspiracy theories, accused France of pillaging Nigers natural supply of uranium and of working behind the scenes to destabilize the region. They castigated Bazoum and Issoufou as being puppets of France.

Researchers noted that Bazoum broke with certain policies supported by the French, including by negotiating with local extremist groups and supporting efforts to demobilize Islamist militants.

Activist Abdoulaye Seydou, the national coordinator for the M62 coalition of civil society groups, said the list of grievances against France is long. Seydou, whose group has largely supported the new leaders, accused French politicians of trying to exert control over past attempts at military cooperation among West African nations. He said Nigerien soldiers told him that French counterparts were not transparent or respectful, even toward their Nigerien superiors.

Seydou said the final straw came when the French military opened fire on civilians in 2021 after they surrounded a convoy heading to Mali to protest the French military presence, then failed to take responsibility. The Nigerien government at the time said that two civilians were killed that day. A spokesman for the French army said at the time that soldiers had used force in a proportionate and appropriate manner given the violence of the crowd and added that the confused situation made it impossible determine whether there was a link between the French shots and the deaths of the demonstrators.

Seydou said the door is not forever closed to working with foreigners, as long as they respect our sovereignty.

But he added: As far as France is concerned, we dont see any cooperation with them today.

Omar Hama Saley in Niamey contributed to this report.
Pemmy Majodina, chief whip of the ruling African National Congress, addresses members of parliament in Cape Town, South Africa, Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023. The majority of MPs voted to close the Israeli embassy in South Africa over the war in Gaza. (Nardus Engelbrecht/AP)

JOHANNESBURG  A majority of South African lawmakers on Tuesday voted in favor of a motion calling for the closure of the Israeli embassy and the cutting of diplomatic ties until Israel agrees to a cease-fire in Gaza.

The vote on the motion supported by the ruling African National Congress party came as President Cyril Ramaphosa in a meeting with other world leaders accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza with its military offensive in the beseiged territory in search of its Hamas militant rulers.

The motion tabled by the opposition party Economic Freedom Fighters received the support of 248 parliament members while 91 lawmakers opposed it.

The vote came after Israels foreign ministry said it had recalled its ambassador to South Africa, Eliav Belotserkovsky, back to Jerusalem for consultations.

The two countries diplomatic relations have witnessed a rise in tensions over the war in Gaza. Ramaphosa previously said his country believes Israel is committing war crimes in Gaza, where thousands of Palestinians have been killed.

South Africa announced last week that it had referred what it called Israels genocide in Gaza to the International Criminal Court for an investigation. Its cabinet has called on the ICC to issue an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Pro-Palestinian supporters demonstrate at the entrance to the Israeli embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. (Denis Farrell/AP)

Earlier this month, South Africa recalled its ambassador to Israel and withdrew all its diplomatic staff.

Ramaphosas new comments Tuesday came in a virtual meeting of BRICS countries attended by leaders of the bloc including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The Israel-Hamas war began after the Palestinian militant groups surprise attacks on Israel on Oct.7 killed about 1,200 people. Israels retaliatory strikes on Gaza have killed more than 12,700 people, according to Palestinian health authorities.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. France must pay us compensation. The representative of the l'Alliance Nationale Guadeloupe political movement Laurence Maquiaba said, while speaking at the Decolonization: Empowerment and Development of Women conference, Trend reports.

She noted that this compensation amounts to 25 million euros.

"Women in Guadeloupe faced significant hardships and abuse throughout colonialism. Those polled claimed that they were unable to access health care. We seek equal social rights and pay for men and women. We are battling for our country's freedom, so we must be economically powerful," said Laurence Maquiaba.

Baku is hosting an international conference on "Decolonization: Empowerment and Development of Women". The conference is organized by the Baku Initiative Group of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).
Chinas Premier Li Qiang, left, greets Australias Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during the China International Import Expo opening session in Shanghai, China, Nov. 5, 2023. ((Lukas Coch/AAP Image via AP)

CANBERRA, Australia  Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday criticized China for a dangerous encounter between Chinese and Australian warships but declined to say whether he had raised the issue in recent talks with President Xi Jinping.

He said one Australian diver was injured when a Chinese destroyer used sonar while near an Australian frigate in international waters last Tuesday. Defense Minister Richard Marles said Saturday he had raised serious concerns with Beijing about the destroyers unsafe and unprofessional behavior.

Chinas Defense Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian on Monday dismissed Australias allegations as completely untrue.

Between the encounter and Marles statement, Albanese spoke to Xi on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific leaders summit in San Francisco.

Albanese said on Monday his discussions with Xi were private, rather than a formal bilateral meeting in which content summaries are made public.

I dont talk about private meetings on the sidelines, discussions I have with any world leader, Albanese told Sky News in his Parliament House office.

Its something that is a regrettable incident. Thats why we have put our very strong objections to China very clearly, very directly through all of the appropriate channels in all the forums that are available to us, Albanese added.

He said the incident does do damage to Australias relationship with China. This was dangerous, it was unsafe and unprofessional from the Chinese forces, he said.

Opposition lawmakers have accused Albanese of failing to raise the encounter with Xi because the Australian leader did not want to risk setting back an improving bilateral relationship.

More weak leadership from Anthony Albanese who appears to be prioritizing photo ops with Xi Jinping over speaking up for our people. Disgraceful, senior opposition lawmaker Sussan Ley posted on social media.

Albanese recently became the first Australian prime minister to visit China in seven years in a sign that relations have improved since Leys coalition government was voted out of office in 2022 after nine years in power.

The U.S., Canadian and Australian militaries have complained multiple times about what they say have been dangerous actions by the Chinese navy and air force in the western Pacific. Analysts fear a collision or other accident could spark an international incident and escalate into conflict.

Australia said the Chinese destroyer CNS Ningbo operated its sonar while Australian naval divers were underwater trying to clear fishing nets that tangled the propellers of their ship HMAS Toowoomba.

Albanese said one diver was injured. Defense officials have not specified the injuries or number of divers, but media have reported the divers ears were injured.

Analysts say sonar pulses can cause extensive soft tissue damage to divers at close range.

Australia says the Toowoomba notified the Ningbo that diving operations were underway and asked the Chinese to keep clear.

But the Ningbo approached using a hull-mounted sonar equipment, placing the divers at risk and forcing them from the water, defense officials say.

The Chinese Defense Ministry denied Australias account that the interaction occured within Japans exclusive economic zone.

Wu said the destroyer had been tracking and monitoring the frigate in accordance with international laws and regulations. The Chinese ship had maintained a safe distance and did not interfere with the Australian divers operations, he said.

We urge the Australian side to respect the facts, stop making reckless and irresponsible accusations against China, do more to build up mutual trust between the two sides and create a positive atmosphere for the sound development of relations between the two countries and two militaries, Wu said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the nations military was always highly disciplined and conducted professional operations in accordance with international law and international practice.

We hope the relevant party will stop stirring up trouble at Chinas doorstep and work with us to jointly sustain the momentum of the improvement and development of China-Australia relations, Mao told a regular media briefing on Monday.
Brad Harzman, band director for Camp Zama Middle/High School, works with his students at the Army post outside Tokyo, Oct. 19, 2023. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes)

CAMP ZAMA, Japan  A band teacher at this Army post outside Tokyo will join band directors from across the United States to march in the annual Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.

Brad Harzman, band director for Camp Zama Middle/High School, is among more than 400 band directors wholl perform together in the iconic event known for its oversized balloon characters. More than 3 million visitors crowd Manhattans streets to watch the parade, now nearly a century old, according to the city governments website.

Im excited, I cant wait  Im really excited for the opportunity, plus I love to travel, Harzman, a Kansas native, told Stars and Stripes during a recent visit to the school.

A 27-year Army and Army Reserve veteran, Harzman teaches band to sixth- through 12th-graders for an hour two to three days per week and leads them in 10 to 12 performances every year.

Band directors register to perform in the parade through the Saluting Americas Band Directors project. It was established by the Michael Sewell Foundation soon after the longtime band director from central Ohio died in 2017, according to the foundations website. The project recognizes directors worldwide for their accomplishments.

Harzman said he and his wife, Amy Nulik, will pay their own way to New York.

In order to participate, I had to prove that I was a band director and that I had the ability to play my instrument and march well enough to stay in step, play the part correctly and be physically fit enough to march the entire parade, he said.

Harzman was among 250 band directors involved in the foundation who took part in the 2022 New Years Day Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif.

Harzman plays several instruments, including a marching French horn called a mellophone, which he will play in the parade.

Brad Harzman, band director for Camp Zama Middle/High School, works with his students at the Army post outside Tokyo, Oct. 19, 2023. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes)

From tuning up instruments to syncing their marching skills, the band directors have a small window to practice before each event. Harzman said he was surprised how humble each member of such a large group can be.

The first time, I thought ego would be an issue, because everybodys got the right idea, but surprisingly everybody put that aside, he said.

Ahead of the parade, the group will perform the National Anthem and Amazing Grace near ground zero and the 9/11 Memorial in honor of all first responders.

Harzman said he hopes the New York weather is favorable and plans to arrive early to enjoy some extra time in the city before the parade.

Im looking forward to seeing New York, seeing a couple of shows and eating at some fancy restaurants, he said.
This photo provided by Diane Dircks shows a U.S. Navy plane that overshot a Marine base on Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, Monday, Nov. 20, 2023. An official said all nine people aboard the plane have escaped injury. (Diane Dircks via AP)

FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii  A U.S. Navy reconnaissance plane landing Monday at a Marine Corps base in Hawaii overshot the runway and ended up in the shallow waters of an adjoining bay, a Marine Corps spokesman said Monday.

None of the nine crew members sustained serious injuries, Gunnery Sgt. Orlando Perez said in a phone interview. Their precise medical condition was not available, he said.

The P-8A Poseidon was attempting to land at Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, which lies on the windward coast of Oahu, about 10 miles northeast of Honolulu. It is part of Marine Corps Base Hawaii.

Local television news video showed the plane sitting in Kaneohe Bay with water touching the bottom of its wings.

The Poseidon belongs to the Navys Patrol Squadron 4, based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash.

The Boeing-made Poseidon is a multi-mission aircraft used for patrolling, reconnaissance, anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface warfare.
A sailor prepares a Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan, May 7, 2021. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes)

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan  The latest COVID-19 vaccine is now available at a handful of American bases in Japan but still in transit or on order for several others, according to military officials.

Pfizer shots arrived last week at Yokota Air Base, the home of U.S. Forces Japan in western Tokyo, according to 1st Lt. Danny Rangel, spokesman for the 374th Airlift Wing.

The boosters are available for patients older than 5 years old, he said by email Friday. We ask members seeking to receive their vaccine to make an appointment by calling the 374th Medical Group appointment line.

The FDA no longer calls the shot a booster for those already vaccinated, according to Andy Pekosz, a professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland.

The change in wording reflects that weve begun treating COVID like we treat influenza, with annual vaccination, he wrote in a Q&A published Sept. 14 on the universitys website.

Experts recommended that everyone who is eligible get the updated vaccine by mid-October, ahead of cooler weather and more indoor gatherings, Pekosz said. Those at higher risk of severe illness should get vaccinated as soon as possible, he said.

U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa on Camp Foster has the vaccine available for anyone with access to the facility who has already been vaccinated, hospital spokesman Trey Savitz said by email Monday.

The hospital received 600 doses on Nov. 14 and began administering them two days later, he said.

Pfizer vaccines were available Wednesday for high risk patients at U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka, home of the U.S. 7th Fleet south of Yokohama.

The patients include those 65 years or older and anyone at least 5 years old who is immunocompromised or chronically ill and undergoing medical care, the hospital announced Tuesday on Facebook.

The vaccine will eventually be made available to everyone who is under the status of forces agreement, according to hospital spokesman Gabriel Archer.

Moderna is on back order with the company, and they anticipate shipment as soon as it becomes available from the manufacturer, he said by email Monday.

Medical staff will confirm vaccine temperature and integrity before they are administered, Archer added.

We expect a smooth and expeditious roll out of this formulation in partnership with the entire SOFA community, he said.

At Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni near Hiroshima, the vaccine is available at the Naval Family Branch Clinic, the base public affairs office said in an email Tuesday.

Camp Zama, the home of U.S. Army Japan near Tokyo, expects its vaccine shipment this week, command spokesman Maj. Devon Thomas said by email Monday.

Vaccines are also still on order for Sasebo Naval Base, spokesman Aki Nichols said by email Monday.

No mention of when they will be available to Sasebo community members, he said.

People in northeastern Japan will have to wait until next year, according to 35th Fighter Wing spokesman Tech. Sgt. Chris Jacobs.

Misawa Air Base will have COVID-19 shots available for SOFA status residents in early 2024, he said by email Tuesday.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, left, and Indias Minister of External Affairs Subramanyam Jaishankar talk in New Delhi, India, on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023. (Indias Minister of External Affairs Subramanyam Jaishankar X handle via AP)

NEW DELHI  India and Australia on Tuesday said they were committed to boosting economic and strategic ties, as their top diplomats shared concerns over China, regional security and the Israel-Hamas war.

Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar met with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong a day after the two along with the countries defense chiefs held talks in New Delhi.

Jaishankar said he and Wong took stock of their growing ties in trade and defense, and there was a real momentum in their relationship.

The Indo-Pacific was a key priority for both countries, they said. Both Jaishankar and Wong said their nations are committed to a free, inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific region.

While neither of them named China, Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles on Monday said China remained a top concern for India and Australia.

For both of us, China is our biggest trading partner. For both of us, China is our biggest security anxiety, Marles said.

After Canberra angered Beijing in 2018 by banning Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei from rolling out the countrys 5G, economic ties have improved since Australia voted in a center-left government in 2022. But they continue to compete over influence in the Asia-Pacific.

For India, a yearslong military standoff along the shared but disputed border with China has exacerbated tensions and brought ties to a historic low.

India and Australia are also working to strengthen the Quad, a security alliance that also includes Japan and the United States.

Jaishankar also said that Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7 was an act of terrorism. He called the situation in Gaza a humanitarian crisis that needs urgent assistance.

Wong said she shared Indias view and added the humanitarian situation in Gaza was dire. She also highlighted the need for Israel to observe in its actions international law, including the protection of civilians.

Associated Press writer Rod McGuirk in Canberra, Australia, contributed to this report.
In this image released by the state-run Korean Central News Agency, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un celebrates the countrys launch of a rocket with a spy satellite aboard on Nov. 22. (KCNA)

SEOUL, South Korea  North Korea said it placed a spy satellite into orbit with its third launch attempt this year, demonstrating the nations determination to build a space-based surveillance system during protracted tensions with the United States.

The Norths claim Wednesday could not immediately independently be confirmed. Observers doubt whether the satellite is advanced enough to perform military reconnaissance. But the launch still invited strong condemnation from the United States and its partners because the U.N. bans North Korea from conducting satellite launches, calling them covers for tests of missile technology.

The Norths space agency said that its new Chollima-1 carrier rocket accurately placed the Malligyong-1 satellite into orbit on Tuesday night, about 12 minutes after liftoff from the countrys main launch center.

The National Aerospace Technology Administration called the launch a legitimate right of North Korea to bolster its self-defense capabilities. It said the spy satellite would help improve the Norths war preparedness in the face of the enemies dangerous military moves.

The agency said leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch at the scene and congratulated scientists and others involved. It said North Korea will launch several more spy satellites to better monitor South Korea and other areas.

U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said Washington strongly condemned North Korea for the launch, saying it raises tensions and risks destabilizing the security situation in the region and beyond. She said the launch involved technologies that are directly related to North Koreas intercontinental ballistic missile program.

South Korea said the launch would push it to suspend a 2018 inter-Korean tension-reduction agreement and resume frontline aerial surveillance of North Korea. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called the launch a serious threat that affects the safety of the people and said Japan lodged a protest with North Korea condemning the launch in strongest terms.

According to South Korean and Japanese assessments, the rocket carrying the satellite flew from the Korean Peninsulas west coast and over the Japanese island of Okinawa toward the Pacific Ocean. The Japanese government briefly issued a J-Alert missile warning for Okinawa, urging residents to take shelter.

A spy satellite is among the key military assets coveted by Kim, who wants to modernize his weapons systems to cope with what he calls escalating U.S.-led threats. North Koreas attempted launches earlier this year ended in failure due to technical issues.

North Korea had vowed a third launch would take place in October. South Korean officials have said the delay until now occurred likely because North Korea was receiving Russian technological assistance for its spy satellite launch program.

North Korea and Russia, both U.S. adversaries that are increasingly isolated globally, have been pushing hard to expand their relationships in recent months. In September, Kim traveled to Russias Far East to meet President Vladimir Putin and visit key military sites, touching off intense speculation of a weapons deal.

The alleged deal involves North Korea supplying conventional arms to refill Russias ammunition stock drained in its war with Ukraine. In return, foreign governments and experts say that North Korea seeks Russian help in enhancing its nuclear and other military programs.

During Kims Russia visit, Putin told state media that his country would help North Korea build satellites, saying Kim shows keen interest in rocket technology.

Russia and North Korea dismissed the allegation of their arms transfer deal as groundless. Such a deal would violate U.N. bans on any weapons trading involving North Korea.

Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said Tuesdays launch raises more questions than answers, such as whether the North Korean satellite actually performs reconnaissance functions and whether Russia provided technical and even material assistance.

What is already clear is that this is not a one-off event but part of a North Korean strategy of prioritizing military capabilities over economic development, threatening rather than reconciling with South Korea, and further aligning with Russia and China instead of pursuing diplomacy with the United States, Easley said.

Since last year, North Korea conducted about 100 ballistic missile tests in a bid to establish a reliable arsenal of nuclear weapons targeting the U.S. and its allies. Many foreign experts say North Korea has some last remaining technologies to master to acquire functioning nuclear missiles.

But the experts say that possessing a rocket that can place a satellite into orbit would mean North Korea can build a missile capable of carrying a warhead with a similar size of the satellite.

In written responses to questions from The Associated Press last week, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said the Norths successful launch of a reconnaissance satellite would signify that North Koreas ICBM capabilities have been taken to a higher level.

Yoon, currently on a state visit to the U.K., convened an emergency security council meeting during which officials decided to push for suspension of the 2018 deal. South Korean Defense Minister Shin Wonsik ordered the military to brace for a possibility that North Korea might use the deals suspension as a pretext to launch provocations.

Japans coast guard said earlier Tuesday that North Korea had told Tokyo that it would launch a satellite sometime between Wednesday and Nov. 30. Japans chief cabinet secretary, Hirokazu Matsuno, criticized North Korea for conducting the launch before its window started.

North Korea is under 11 rounds of U.N. sanctions over its past nuclear and missile tests. But its unlikely for the North to be hit with fresh sanctions over Tuesdays launch. Russia and China have already stymied any U.N. Security Council response over the Norths recent series of launch activities.

In June, Kims sister and senior ruling party official, Kim Yo Jong, called the Security Council a political appendage of the United States. She slammed the council for allegedly being discriminative and rude, saying it only takes issue with the Norths satellite launches while thousands of satellites launched by other countries are already operating.

The Norths two previous satellite launches in May and August involved the same rocket and satellite used in Tuesdays launch.

In the first attempt, the North Korean rocket carrying the satellite crashed into the ocean soon after liftoff. North Korean authorities said the rocket lost thrust after the separation of its first and second stages. After the second attempt, North Korea said there was an error in the emergency blasting system during the third-stage flight.

South Korea retrieved debris from the first launch and called the satellite too crude to perform military reconnaissance.

Some civilian experts said North Koreas Malligyong-1 satellite is likely capable of only detecting big targets like warships or planes. But by operating several such satellites, North Korea could still observe South Korea at all times, they said.

Kim is eager to introduce other sophisticated weapons such as more mobile ICBMs, nuclear-powered submarines and multi-warhead missiles. Observers say Kim would ultimately want to use an enlarged weapons arsenal to wrest greater U.S. concessions like sanctions relief when diplomacy resumes.

In response, the U.S. and South Korea have been expanding their regular military exercises and increasing the temporary deployments of powerful U.S. military assets in South Korea. On Tuesday, the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier and its battle group arrived at a South Korean port in a fresh demonstration of strength against North Korea.

Yamaguchi reported from Tokyo.
South Koreas President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee, arrive at Stansted Airport, Essex, England, Monday Nov. 20, 2023, for the start of his state visit to the UK. (Joe Giddens, PA via AP)

LONDON  The leaders of Britain and South Korea will seek to strengthen trade and defense ties between their countries during a state visit to the U.K. by President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Yoon landed at Stansted Airport near London on Monday. Britain hopes his formal three-day visit will help cement an  Indo-Pacific tilt  in its foreign and trade policy.

During that time, the president will be treated to both royal and diplomatic pomp, including a ceremonial welcome with military honor guards, an opportunity to address Parliament and a state banquet hosted by King Charles III at Buckingham Palace.

Hes also scheduled to hold talks with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak focused on trade, technology and defense. The two countries will officially launch talks on an upgraded free trade agreement to replace their current deal, which largely replicates the arrangements the U.K. had before it left the European Union.

Britain has launched trade talks with several countries since leaving the EU in 2020, though it has finalized deals only with Australia and New Zealand. The U.K. also has joined the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership, or CPTPP, an Asia-Pacific trade bloc that includes Japan and 10 other nations.

Sunak and Yoon are expected to sign an agreement covering cooperation in defense and technology, including artificial intelligence. Britain hosted the first international AI Safety Summit this month, and South Korea intends to hold a follow-up event next year.

Britain also plans to invest in South Korean semiconductor manufacturing as part of international efforts to diversify the supply of the key computer components. Many of the advanced chips are produced in Taiwan, and the coronavirus pandemic and an increasingly assertive China have heightened concerns about future supply.

The two leaders are also set to boost defense cooperation, including joint naval patrols to enforce U.N. sanctions on North Korea.

Sunak said agreements made during Yoons visit would drive investment, boost trade and build a friendship that not only supports global stability, but protects our interests and lasts the test of time.
Germany's Defense Minister Boris Pistorius pays his respect at a memorial to people who died in clashes with security forces during the Revolution of Dignity, at the Independent Square in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023. (Ukrainian Defense Ministry Press Office via AP)

KYIV, Ukraine  German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius vowed Tuesday to keep supporting Ukraines efforts to win its war against Russia, pledging further military aid worth $1.4 billion.

The new support is to include further Iris-T SLM anti-aircraft missile systems as well as anti-tank mines and 155-millimeter artillery shells, German news agency dpa reported.

We are talking about 20,000 additional shells, Pistorius said at a joint news conference with his Ukrainian counterpart, Rustem Umerov, in Kyiv, according to dpa.

Andrii Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian presidents office, said it was a great aid package.

Pistoriuss unannounced trip to the Ukrainian capital came a day after U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin traveled to Ukraine and pledged American support for the long haul, including an additional $100 million in weapons from U.S. stockpiles.

The visits appeared to be part of an international political effort to keep the war in the public mind as other issues clamor for attention, including the Israel-Hamas conflict.

European Council President Charles Michel also arrived in Kyiv on Tuesday, which is the 10th anniversary of what Ukraine calls its Revolution of Dignity. That uprising brought momentous change for Ukraine, pushing it closer to the West and bringing confrontation with Moscow.

European Council President Charles Michel, left, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attend a news conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023. (Efrem Lukatsky/AP)

Pistorius paid tribute to the demonstrators who were killed during the pro-European protests 10 years ago, dpa reported.

Courageous people of all ages took to the streets for freedom, for rapprochement with Europe, and paid for it with their lives, Pistorius said. He put down red roses at a makeshift memorial to those killed.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in a video message, saluted the Ukrainian desire for freedom and its application to join the 27-nation European Union. The future of Ukraine is in the European Union, she said.

The future that the Maidan fought for has finally just begun, she said in a reference to central Kyivs Independence Square.

For Moscow, the Ukrainian revolt was fomented by Western interests, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday reaffirmed the Kremlins view that it was a coup, a forceful coup financed from abroad.

Ukraines current fight to push out the Kremlins forces has lasted almost 21 months. A recent Ukrainian counteroffensive apparently has yielded no major changes on the battlefield, and another tough winter of attritional warfare lies ahead.

The U.K. defense ministry said Russia could target Ukraines power grid again, just like last winter when Moscow sought to wear down local resistance by denying civilians home heating and running water.

Russia has now refrained from launching its premier air-launched cruise missiles from its heavy bomber fleet for nearly two months, likely allowing it to build up a substantial stock of these weapons, the ministry in London said Tuesday.

Germany is the second biggest single provider of military and financial support to Ukraine after the United States, and German officials said Pistorius aimed to assess the effectiveness of its aid as well as take stock of the fighting during his visit.

Pistorius said he wanted to express our solidarity, our deep solidarity and admiration for the courageous, brave and costly fight that is being waged here.

Meanwhile, two Russian missiles struck a hospital in the eastern Donetsk region, wounding six people and possibly leaving more buried under rubble, Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said Tuesday.

Russian forces attacked Ukraine overnight with 10 Shahed-type drones, four S-300 missiles and one Iskander-K cruise missile, Ukraines air force said Tuesday.

Nine Shahed drones and the Iskander-K missile were successfully intercepted on Monday night, it said. No casualties were immediately reported.

At least five Ukrainian civilians were killed and 10 others were injured in southeastern regions of the country over the previous 24 hours, the presidential office said Tuesday.

Civilians have been victims of Russias barrages on an almost daily basis. At least 10,000 Ukrainian civilians, including more than 560 children, have been killed and more than 18,500 have been injured since Russias full-scale invasion, the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said Tuesday.

In other developments, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu claimed that Ukrainian efforts to cross the Dnieper River on the southern front line have failed.

He told top Russian military brass that Moscows forces are steadily holding positions along the entire line of contact and are gradually improving their positions.

Ukraines military claimed last week its troops had secured multiple bridgeheads on the rivers eastern bank in the Kherson region. That would be a small but potentially significant strategic advance amid fighting that has largely come to a standstill.

Associated Press reporters Yuras Karmanau in Tallinn, Estonia, and Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin contributed to this report.

Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine
Police officers leave a house during a raid in the early hours of the morning in Munich, Germany, Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023. (Peter Kneffel/dpa via AP)

BERLIN  German authorities on Tuesday raided the homes of 17 people in the state of Bavaria accused of spreading antisemitic hate speech and threats targeting Jews online.

According to the Bavarian criminal police, the suspects were 15 men and two women aged between 18 and 62, German news agency dpa reported. Police questioned the suspects and confiscated evidence from their homes, including cellphones and laptops, the agency said.

The suspects were said to have celebrated the attacks by Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israel on Oct. 7, and were accused of spreading hate speech against Jewish people on social media, using symbols of banned terrorist organizations, dpa reported.

The police operation focused on Bavarias capital city of Munich, where nine of the accused resided. Further searches were carried out in the Bavarian towns of Fuessen and Kaufbeuren as well as in the counties of Passau, Fuerstenfeldbruck, Berchtesgadener Land, Coburg, Aschaffenburg and Hassberge.

One suspect allegedly sent a sticker in a WhatsApp school class chat with the words Gas the Jews. Another person, a German-Turkish dual citizen, allegedly posted on his account that the Jewish sons deserved nothing more than to be exterminated, dpa reported.

Unfortunately, antisemitism has an impact on the daily life of many Jews in Germany, Michael Weinzierl, the Bavarian police commissioner against hate crime, told dpa. The terrorist attack by Hamas against Israel also has an impact on their lives in Germany.

Weinzierl said it was important to show Jews and Israelis living in the state that we stand behind them here in Bavaria, that we protect them here and also protect them from hostility.

Last month, Germanys chancellor and president strongly denounced a rise in antisemitism in the country following the Israel-Hamas war.

In the state of Bavaria, there were 148 antisemitic incidents from Oct. 7 to Nov. 9, an increase of 285% from the same time period a year earlier, according to the RIAS group, which tracks antisemitism in the country.

Since Oct. 7, Jews in Germany have been experiencing psychological terror, said Josef Schuster, president of the Central Council for Jews in Germany, the countrys leading Jewish group.

Antisemitic turmoil first manifests itself in language, but words become deeds, Schuster said. Society as a whole must now take a clear stance. For too long, we have allowed a ntisemitism to penetrate into the heart of our society via extreme right-wing circles, radical left-wing demonization of Israel or Islamist fanatics.

Germany has strict rules against hate speech. Raids in connection with the publication of banned symbols such as swastikas and other Nazi symbols are not uncommon. The denial of the Holocaust, in which the Nazis and their henchmen murdered 6 million European Jews, is also banned.

The Israel-Hamas war erupted after the militant groups surprise attacks on Israel killed about 1,200 people. Israels retaliatory strikes on Gaza have so far killed more than 12,700 people, according to Palestinian health authorities.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg meets with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade, Nov. 21, 2023. (NATO)

NATO is considering a permanent increase to its peacekeeping force in Kosovo, where tensions have been high in recent months, the alliances top official said Tuesday during a visit to Serbia.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also warned Serbia to avoid another military buildup near its administrative border with Kosovo. Similar actions have contributed to elevated hostilities over the years.

The alliances multinational Kosovo Force mission began in 1999 and includes about 4,500 troops, including about 600 Americans, mostly from the National Guard. The mission typically rotates among Guard units every nine to 12 months.

Stoltenbergs comments came during a swing through the Balkans, where a day earlier he was in Kosovo to meet with officials and alliance military members.

We are now reviewing whether we should have a more permanent increase to ensure that this doesnt spiral out of control and create a new violent conflict in Kosovo or the wider region, Stoltenberg said Monday.

American soldiers listen to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg during his visit with Kosovo Force troops in Kosovo, Nov. 20, 2023. (NATO) NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg talks with Kosovo Force commander, Turkish Maj. Gen. Ozkan Ulutas, during a visit to KFOR's Camp Nothing Hill in Kosovo, Nov. 20, 2023. (NATO)

He reiterated that point again Tuesday, speaking alongside Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. While no final decisions have been made, NATO is looking at a more enduring increased presence for its mission in Kosovo, known as KFOR, Stoltenberg said.

Already, NATO has boosted the number of peacekeepers to its highest level in at least a decade in Kosovo, with about 1,000 additional troops now part of the KFOR mission. Those increases came after a Sept. 24 clash between Kosovo police and armed Serbs at a monastery in northern Kosovo.

While Kosovos ethnic Albanian majority declared independence from Serbia in 2008, tens of thousands of Serbs live in north Kosovo and align with Serbia, which does not recognize Kosovos declaration. That has led to repeated clashes over the years with Kosovo authorities and sometimes NATO peacekeepers.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. A flashmob has been held at an international conference on "Decolonization: Empowerment and Development of Women" in Baku, Trend reports.

At the event, representatives of countries affected by French colonization attached their flags to the map.

The conference is organized by the Baku Initiative Group of the Non-Aligned Movement.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
In this Jan. 1, 2014, file photo Pro-European Union activists hold lights as they sing the Ukrainian national anthem, celebrating the New Year in Kyiv's main square. At least 100,000 Ukrainians gathered in a sign of support for integration with Europe. On Nov. 21, 2023, Ukraine marks the 10th anniversary of the uprising that eventually led to the ouster of the countrys Moscow-friendly president. (Efrem Lukatsky/AP)

KYIV, Ukraine  It happens every November, when the cold descends on Kyiv. The change in weather always makes Dmytro Riznychenko think back, and he is overwhelmed by his emotions.

This is where it truly began, Riznychenko said, walking through central Kyivs Independence Square recently, reflecting on the uprising that unleashed a decade of momentous change for Ukraine, eventually leading to the current war with Russia.

Ten years of war and struggle, the 41-year-old psychologist continued, wearily and reluctantly. And it seems like the blood has only just begun to flow, truly. I regret nothing. But, God, its just so tiresome.

On Nov. 21, 2013, the Moscow-friendly president of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych, announced he was shelving an agreement to bring the country closer to the European Union and instead would deepen ties with President Vladimir Putins Russia.

Outraged crowds soon filled Independence Square for peaceful anti-government protests. Later, after riot police used truncheons and tear gas to disperse the people, demonstrators set up tent camps with barricades, self-defense units and banners with revolutionary slogans. In response to the police violence, hundreds of thousands joined the demonstrations in early December.

The standoff reached a climax in February 2014, when police unleashed a brutal crackdown on the protests and dozens of people were slain between Feb. 18-21, many by police snipers. A European-mediated peace deal between the government and protest leaders envisioned the formation of a transition government and holding an early election, but demonstrators later seized government buildings, and Yanukovych fled to Russia.

The Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance said 107 people were killed in the uprising.

Kateryna Gladka was a 23-year-old student when she joined the pro-Western crowds at the time, viewing it as the revolution of her generation.

For me, the top priority was the value of freedom, basic freedom, and dignity.

We had to prevent a totalitarian regime and the return of Soviet things, Gladka said in a telephone interview.

She recalls the police violence and blood staining the street near Independence Square, and I very clearly understood that we had entered another stage.

After Yanukovychs ouster, Russia responded in March 2014 by illegally annexing Ukraines Crimean Peninsula. Then, separatist forces backed by Moscow began an uprising in the eastern Ukraine region known as the Donbas, which grew into a long-running conflict, leaving thousands dead.

Finally, in February 2022, Putin launched his war that continues to this day, with tens of thousands of deaths on both sides amid Europes biggest conflict since World War II.

Yanukovych was that puppet, a figure for Moscow, which hoped to use him as a person to keep Ukraine on the Russian leash, said Kateryna Zarembo, an analyst at the Kyiv-based think tank, The New Europe Center. When he fled, it became clear to the Kremlin that they were losing Ukraine.

Ukrainians in 2013 had wanted the country to enter into a deal with the EU, but Putin pressured Yanukovych to pull out at the last minute. Ukrainian leaders who followed were more eager than ever to bring Kyiv into the Western fold.

So what we saw in 2022  that Ukraine had to be either part of Russia or destroyed  those intentions were seen earlier, Zarembo said. When that didnt happen, Russia intervened militarily.

Despite the calamities, Ukraine has become more united than in its 32 years of independence and has drawn closer to the EU, the United States and the West in general  an outcome Putin had tried to prevent. Today, under President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the country has won widespread support and admiration amid the Russian invasion.

All of this came at a very high cost, Riznychenko said.

Standing on the Alley of Heavenly Hundred, so named to honor those killed in the uprising, he recalled the sniper fire from a special police unit known as Berkut, which was disbanded in 2014.

There was a feeling that death had opened its arms, Riznychenko said.

It was cold, I remember how the dead were lying. I remember them under blankets near the Main Post Office. That I remember, he added.

Now, their portraits are on permanent display on the street honoring those slain in what Ukraine calls its Revolution of Dignity, and Riznychenko said he later memorized the names. In 2014, he volunteered to fight in eastern Ukraine against the Moscow-backed separatists, and was injured in Ilovaisk.

Investigations of the shootings are continuing, and the Prosecutor Generals Office recently indicted five members of the Berkut police unit, all now living in Russia. Another 35 people are being investigated.

Independence Square today also features a multitude of small blue-and-yellow flags, with each symbolizing a fallen soldier in the war. Their numbers grow daily.

Every year, Gladka gathers with friends at a nearby restaurant, aptly named The Last Barricade, to commemorate the uprising. But after 21 months of war with Russia, the date brings conflicting emotions.

To be honest, I am personally very tired of the fact that every generation has to die for Ukraine, she said, noting that 10 years of her youth have been stained by violence, and she now wants a normal and ordinary life.

This endless struggle is like some closed circle that just lasts for centuries, she said.

Associated Press photographer Efrem Lukatsky contributed.
Tatyana Prima, who fled Mariupol, Ukraine, poses for a portrait with her national flag and the Israeli flag she displays outside of her apartment window in Ashkelon, southern Israel, Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023. (Maya Alleruzzo/AP)

ASHKELON, Israel  Tatyana Prima thought shed left the bombs behind when she fled Ukraine more than a year and a half ago, after Russia decimated her city, Mariupol. The 38-year-old escaped with her injured husband and young daughter, bringing the family to safety in southern Israel.

The calm she was slowly regaining shattered again on Oct. 7, when Hamas militants invaded.

All these sounds of war that we hear now, they sometimes work as a trigger that brings back memories of what weve gone through in Mariupol, she said. Its hard feeling like that youre the one responsible for your child, the one who wants whats best for them, and in some way like youve failed them.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, more than 45,000 Ukrainians have sought refuge in Israel, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics and aid groups. Like Prima, most of them were slowly picking up the pieces of their lives and finding ways to cope when the war in Israel erupted. Now they are reliving their trauma. Some have left Israel, but many remain  refusing to again flee a war. Most have lost in-person support systems due to restrictions around gatherings. Others have lost hope of reuniting with loved ones they left behind.

On Oct. 7, when Hamas militants attacked, killing some 1,200 people and taking about 240 hostages, Prima awoke to the sound of alarms. She lives in the coastal city of Ashkelon, a few miles from the Gaza Strip. The thud of airstrikes and shelling is constant as Israel pushes forward with its offensive. She describes it as deja vu, reminding her of the morning in Mariupol that forever changed her life.

Mariupol has been one of Ukraines hardest-hit cities, besieged and bombarded for weeks as people scrounged for food, water and heat and were cut off from the world with no telecommunications. During the wars early weeks, Prima cooked over an outdoor fire, used snow for drinking water, and sheltered with a dozen relatives on the outskirts of the city, she said.

But the shelling intensified, and rockets fell around them. After her husbands hand was blown off fetching water, she decided to leave.

That day marked a descent into hell, she said.

The family joined a convoy of cars fleeing the city, passing corpses as black ash fell from airstrikes. They went through countless Russian checkpoints and by April 2022 arrived in Israel, where her husbands relatives lived in Ashkelon. Many Ukrainians live in the countrys south. Theres a large Russian-speaking community, and rent is often lower than in bigger, central cities.

Ashkelon residents were accustomed to occasional rockets from Gaza, but attacks have surged in the war. Air raid sirens are a constant sound. While most rockets are intercepted, about 80 have landed since the war in populated areas or empty fields, accounting for nearly one-third of all Hamas rocket incidents in Israel, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project.

Shelling sounds remind Prima of her agony in Ukraine, yet she remains stoic when speaking about Israels war, convinced the army and the countrys Iron Dome defense system will protect her family.

But the war has intensified feelings of isolation, she said. Her community support groups have moved online  in-person gatherings are restricted to buildings with bomb shelters because of the threat of attacks.

There is this tremendous hopelessness that these people are facing, said Dr. Koen Sevenants, a mental health specialist with experience in conflict zones. Sevenants and other experts warn that when people who havent fully recovered from a traumatic incident are revictimized, the triggering event can often be worse, with risk for depression and anxiety.

Refugee organizations have adapted some of their programs, providing financial assistance and bringing food to people who dont feel safe leaving their homes. But they cant do it all, said Rabbi Olya Weinstein of The Kesher Foundation, which helps some 6,000 people who fled the war in Ukraine and brings families groceries or provides food vouchers.

Under rockets, its very hard to be available for everyone, said Weinstein, who hears peoples concerns for the future. Theyre asking what will happen ... what will happen with Israel, will we remain here forever, will we remain alive, what will happen to our kids?

Some Ukrainians have been forced to move within Israel since the war began. About 100 children sheltering at a Jewish home in Ashkelon fled soon after Hamas attacked to the center of the country, said Yael Eckstein, of The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, a philanthropic organization that supports the children.

It was the second time they were forced from their home in less than two years  they fled a city near Ukraines capital and evacuated to Israel during the early weeks of that war. Theyre struggling to process everything, Eckstein said, with one asking: Since hes now living in a war zone, why cant he go back to Ukraine?

Other Ukrainians are trapped in Gaza, with 160 evacuated so far, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Its unclear how many remain in Hamas-ruled Gaza, where more than 12,700 Palestinians, most of them women and minors, have been killed since the war began, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which doesnt differentiate between civilian and militant deaths.

In Israel, Veronika Chotari thought shed see her 18-year-old daughter, Tereza, for the holidays. Her daughter stayed in Ukraine last year when Chotari sought cancer treatment in Israel for her youngest child, moving into the quiet central town of Petah Tikva. Until October, shed never heard a siren there, she said.

Now, instead of planning to see each other, the two spend hours texting from bomb shelters, making sure the other is alive.

Im worried about you mom, please I know its impossible but lets find another place for you, Tereza wrote. Im tired of all this, I hate these wars.

Associated Press reporter Felipe Dana contributed from Kyiv, Ukraine.
This image taken from a video released by the Israeli Defense Forces on Nov. 15, 2023, shows a bulletproof vest with a Hamas insignia that was found along with weapons the IDF says were found in a medical closet at the MRI center at al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City. (Israel Defense Forces via AP)

JERUSALEM  Three weeks ago, the Israeli military unveiled a detailed 3D model of Gazas Shifa Hospital  showing a series of underground installations that it said was part of an elaborate Hamas command and control center under the territorys largest health-care center.

Days after taking control of the hospital, the military has yet to unveil this purported center. But it has released videos of weapons allegedly seized inside the hospital, a tunnel running through the complex and videos appearing to show Hamas militants dragging hostages through the hospitals hallways. Israel says there will be much more to come.

What Israel finds  or fails to find  could play a large part in its efforts to rally international support for its war against Hamas, launched on Oct. 7 in response to a bloody cross-border attack by the Islamic militant group.

Here is a closer look at Israels raid on the Shifa Hospital.

WHY DOES IT MATTER?

Gazas hospitals have played a central role in the dueling narratives surrounding the war.

Hospitals enjoy special protected status under the international laws of war. But they can lose that status if they are used for military purposes.

Israel has long claimed that Hamas uses hospitals, schools, mosques and residential neighborhoods as human shields. In particular, it says Hamas has hidden command centers and bunkers underneath the sprawling grounds of Shifa. The United States says its own intelligence corroborates those claims. Hamas denies the allegations.

Israel says other hospitals are similarly used for military purposes. It has ordered the evacuations of a number of Gaza hospitals, including Shifa, as it presses ahead with its ground operation against Hamas.

The U.N. and other international organizations say these evacuations have endangered patients and overwhelmed the remaining hospitals in the besieged territory.

With Israel already facing mounting international criticism of its offensive, a failure to uncover a significant Hamas presence could step up the pressure to halt the operation. Israel has vowed to press ahead until it destroys Hamas.

WHAT HAS ISRAEL FOUND?

The Israeli military has released videos showing AK47s, ammunition and other military equipment it said was found in the hospitals MRI unit. It also said it discovered a Toyota pickup truck filled with weapons in a hospital garage. The vehicle appears to be the same type of truck used by Hamas militants during the Oct. 7 incursion.

On Sunday, it released a video of a 60-yard tunnel in a hospital courtyard. The underground structure was heavily fortified and led to a blast-proof door with an opening that Israel says was meant to be used by Hamas snipers.

It also released security-camera images of Hamas militants escorting what Israel said were two hostages  one from Thailand, the other from Nepal  who were seized in the Oct. 7 cross-border attack. One video showed a group of men forcefully dragging their hostage through the hospitals main entrance and down a hallway. The other showed a group of men, including at least one gunman, pushing a motionless man on a stretcher in a hallway. Hospital workers could be seen in both videos looking on.

The videos had time stamps from the morning of Oct. 7, matching the time of the attack. But the faces of the two purported hostages were blurred, making it difficult to verify the authenticity of the videos.

The army also released photos of what it said were two military jeeps stolen from the Israeli military. The photos showed the jeeps parked in the hospital complex on the morning of the attack.

By now the truth is clear: Hamas wages war from hospitals, wages terror from hospitals, said the Israeli militarys chief spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari. Everyone who cares about the future of humanity must condemn Hamas.

Hamas played down the images, saying it had been offering the men in its custody medical treatment.

We put our fighters at risk to guarantee the injured prisoners the best treatment possible in the Gaza Strips hospitals, the militant group said in a statement.

Osama Hamdan, a top Hamas leader based in Beirut, acknowledged that Israel could find a tunnel here or there.

We dont deny there are hundreds of kilometers of tunnels in and around Gaza, he told a news conference. But he said Hamas does not use hospitals for militant activities.

WHAT HASNT ISRAEL FOUND?

Israel has not said where the Shifa tunnel leads to or given specifics on what it was used for.

It also has not yet provided anything close to the images of underground bunkers and conference rooms it showed in that Oct. 27 illustration.

Hamdan, the Hamas leader, mocked the Israeli discoveries so far. The Israelis said there was a command and control center, which means that the matter is greater than just a tunnel, he said.

Israeli military officials say those initial illustrations were conceptual and not meant to be taken literally. They have also promised many more discoveries as troops continue the painstaking task of scouring a complex spread out over more than 10 acres.

Its going to take time, said Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, another military spokesman.
In addition to the release of hostages, a pause in fighting is expected for humanitarian reasons, which could facilitate the evacuation of facilities caught in the fighting such as the Indonesian Hospital. (Wikimedia Commons)

BEIRUT - Fierce fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas engulfed the Jabalya region of the northern Gaza Strip on Tuesday amid heightened speculation that negotiations over a hostage exchange and a pause in the conflict could be reaching its final stages.

The fighting was close to Gazas Indonesian Hospital, which was struck Monday and is now seeking to evacuate hundreds of staff and patients from the fighting. There were reports that Israeli fighter jets and drones were repeatedly striking targets in the area.

For weeks, there have been reports of ongoing negotiations between the Israelis and Hamas through the mediation of Qatar and the United States to exchange some of the more than 230 hostages in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners and a multiday humanitarian pause in fighting.

Hamas official Izzat al-Rishq said in a statement early Tuesday that the truce deal was imminent and would involve the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and would be announced by Qatar, but he would not provide more details. For his part, President Biden on Monday also said he believed a deal was near.

Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said the negotiations have reached the closest point to date.

The mediation has reached a critical stage and a final stage and has gone beyond the core issues and pivotal issues and has remained there, he told a news conference in Doha.

Even as the fighting in Gaza has ground on, there also have been periodic flare-ups along Israels northern border with Lebanon, where the militant group Hezbollah has a strong presence.

On Tuesday, Lebanons state National News Agency reported a number of Israeli strikes on towns and villages and the civil defense said two journalists were among eight people killed, including an 80-year-old woman.The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It said earlier that its aircraft struck militants in the border area in Lebanon, while Hezbollah said its fighters targeted a military position across the border.

An escalation in fighting between the two has raised fears of a wider conflict.In addition to the release of hostages, a pause in fighting in Gaza is expected for humanitarian reasons, which could facilitate the evacuation of facilities caught in the fighting such as the Indonesian Hospital.

In addition to the release of hostages, a pause in fighting is expected for humanitarian reasons, which could facilitate the evacuation of facilities caught in the fighting such as the Indonesian Hospital.

Gaza Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said Tuesday that no safe passage has been granted yet, and Israeli tanks have surrounded the facility. He said the ministry is working with the Red Cross to evacuate the wounded. We will not leave the Indonesian Hospital until the last wounded person has been evacuated, he added.

So far, the ministry said that some 120 people have been evacuated from the hospital.

The crisis in Gazas hospitals has become a focus of the debate over Israeli tactics in Gaza following the Oct. 7 Hamas assault that killed at least 1,200 people in Israel.

Palestinians say the attacks on hospitals indicate a clear Israeli disregard for civilian life while Israelis say they are justified because Hamas uses the hospitals for military purposes.

Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest in the Gaza Strip, has been overrun by Israeli soldiers who are carrying out an extensive search for the underground Hamas command center that Israel has long alleged exists.

In an interview with CNN on Monday, former Israeli prime minister and defense minister Ehud Barak said that Israeli engineers had originally built bunkers underneath al-Shifa in the 1980s when they controlled Gaza in order to enable more space for operation of the hospital.

So far Israel has shown images of a tunnel shaft underneath the hospital but has yet to show evidence of a major command structure.

The conflict has seen a steady degradation of the hospital system in the Gaza Strip, even as casualties have mounted. The Gaza Health Ministry stopped its count of the dead at just over 11,000 on Nov. 10 after the fighting and deteriorating communications made tallying from the hospitals impossible.

On Monday, Michael Ryan, emergencies director for the World Health Organization, said only three hospitals in northern Gaza are still partially functional with the remaining 21 entirely out of operation.

We are seeing a complete collapse of the higher-level infrastructure of the Gazan health system. It is just the most basic of needs that can be met now, he said.

Al-Shifa, the vast hospital complex that has now largely been emptied, was once the absolute backbone of health service provision in Gaza, providing advanced medical reference, cancer, dialysis and trauma services. On Tuesday, its dialysis building had been surrounded by the IDF for the second day, the Health Ministry said, adding that parts of the hospital had been destroyed.

Jordan, meanwhile, sent material and personnel on Monday to construct a field hospital that should provide some succor to the Palestinians - at least in the southern region of the Gaza Strip, in the city of Khan Younis. According to statements from the royal court, the hospital will be operational in 48 hours and have 41 beds.

While Israel is increasingly describing large parts of northern Gaza as under its control, fighting is ongoing, with the current focus around Jabalya, which includes the largest refugee camp in the Gaza Strip - a densely packed warren of concrete buildings. Hamas has denied that Israeli forces are in uncontested control anywhere.

Israel, however, has said that operations could soon expand to other parts of the Gaza Strip. There has been increasing worry, however, from some family members of hostages that not enough is being done to bring home their loved ones.

According to Israeli media reports, some families of the abducted wanted to hear that Israels primary objective in the war was to return the abducted - rather than just destroying Hamas, which could endanger the hostages.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a meeting with 107 family members of hostages on Monday night and tweeted afterward getting our abductees back is a sacred and supreme mission. Weve never relented on the task.

Harb and Schemm reported from London. Hazem Balousha in Amman and Heba Mahfouz in Cairo contributed to this report.
Houthi forces boarding the cargo ship Galaxy Leader on Nov. 19, 2023. Yemens Houthis have seized the ship in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen after threatening to seize all vessels owned by Israeli companies. (Houthi Media Center via AP)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates  The helicopter-borne Houthi attack on an Israel-linked ship in the Red Sea highlights the danger now lurking in one of the worlds key shipping routes as the Israel-Hamas war rages, as well as the rebels tactics mirroring those of its chief sponsor, Iran.

While Tehran has denied aiding the Yemen rebel group in launching their attack Sunday, the targeted ship before the assault passed by an American-sanctioned Iranian cargo vessel suspected as serving as a forward spying base in the Red Sea. The rebels, dressed commando-style in bulletproof vests carrying assault rifles, covered each other and moved in military formation before quickly seizing control of the bridge of the Galaxy Leader.

While their body-camera footage serves as a propaganda coup to bolster their own position in Yemen amid some protests against their rule, it also signals a new maritime front has opened in a region long focused on the Persian Gulf and its narrow mouth at the Strait of Hormuz. It also puts new pressure on commercial shippers traveling through those waters, threatens to increase insurance costs that will get passed onto consumers and likely further stretches the U.S. Navy as it tries to serve as the regions security guarantor.

This has all the signs these people were trained by a professional military, which could clearly be Iran, an American defense official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters. This looks like something we havent seen before.

Its not just the U.S. and Israel suspecting Iranian involvement, however.

The risk intelligence firm RANE referred to the tactics employed by the Houthis as reminiscent of those used by Irans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard when seizing vessels in the past over years of tensions regarding Tehrans collapsed nuclear deal with world powers. Ambrey, a private intelligence firm, similarly referred to the operation as an Iranian-style vessel seizure that provides the Houthis with a negotiation lever in much the same way Hamas taking of some 240 hostages in their Oct. 7 attack on Israel did.

The incident displayed a significant increase in the Houthis capability to disrupt merchant shipping, Ambrey said. In the past, the Houthis had only used sea mines, missiles and remote-controlled improvised explosive devices in the Red Sea.

It added: The sophistication of the operation suggests that Iranian involvement is highly likely.

The Galaxy Leader, linked to Israeli billionaire Abraham Rami Ungar, also passed by the Iranian cargo vessel Behshad before the attack Sunday, according to satellite imagery first reported by the firm Tanker Trackers.

The Behshad has been in the Red Sea since 2021 off Eritreas Dahlak archipelago. It arrived there after Iran removed the Saviz, another suspected spy base in the Red Sea that had suffered damage in an attack that analysts attributed to Israel amid a wider shadow war of ship attacks in the region.

Satellite images Tuesday from Planet Labs PBC and analyzed by the AP showed the Galaxy Leader off Yemens port city of Hodeida, which is held by the Houthis.

Iran, for its part, denied Monday having anything to do with the attacks.

Those accusations are void, and a result of the complicated situation the Zionist regime is struggling with, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said. We have said many times that resistance groups in the region represent their own countries and people, and they make decisions based on the interests of their own countries and nations.

However, Hamas has Iran as one of its main sponsors. The Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah, another Iranian-backed group, has engaged in cross-border fire for weeks with Israel. Iraqi militias have claimed drone attacks on U.S. bases there. Syria, another Iranian beneficiary, has launched sporadic attacks too.

It remains unclear just how much control the Iranians exert over the Houthis. However, the rebel group has seen its ballistic missile and drone program rapidly advance despite being targeted by a yearslong United Nations arms embargo. Analysts attribute that to Iranian weapons shipments, of which some have been previously seized by the U.S. and allied navies.

Houthi weapon sophistication has grown in other ways as well.

The Houthis have been able to fly this year a Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jet over the capital, Sanaa, during a military parade, along with a Northrop F-5 Tiger combat aircraft at another. A Houthi parade also saw Soviet-era Mil Mi-17 helicopters flying through the sky  the same helicopter used in Sundays attack. A Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis had targeted Yemens air force with airstrikes at the start of the war and the Houthis have yet to explain how they got these aircraft flying again.

The Houthis also have shot down an American MQ-9 Reaper drone during the Israel-Hamas war with a surface-to-air missile, as well as have fired drones and missiles toward Israel.

All of this makes the Red Sea, which stretches from Egypts Suez Canal down to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait separating East Africa from the Arabian Peninsula, increasingly dangerous for shipping. That narrow strait, some 29 kilometers (18 miles) across at its tightest point, is crucial for cargo and energy shipments.

The U.S. has sent more vessels into and through the Red Sea, including the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier and its strike group. The Eisenhower is now in the Gulf of Oman, according to satellite images, meaning there are fewer U.S. Navy assets in the Red Sea to deter any possible new attacks.

And if the next attack sees fatalities  particularly of U.S. or Israeli nationals  that raises the risk of a wider war breaking out on the seas.

Significant Houthi interference with commercial shipping through the Strait is almost certain to trigger U.S. intervention due to the political and potentially economic implications, the New York-based Soufan Center warned.
An MC-130 Combat Talon II, assigned to Hurlburt Field, Fla., has its engines tested at Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait, March 14, 2020. A U.S. Air Force AC-130 gunship fired on a vehicle Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023, carrying Iran-backed militants who had launched a missile at American troops in western Iraq, causing several enemy casualties, U.S. officials said. (Kevin Tanenbaum/U.S. Air Force)

WASHINGTON  The U.S. struck back with an AC-130 gunship and airstrikes after Iran-backed militants fired a missile Tuesday at American and coalition forces at an air base in western Iraq, U.S. officials said.

The attacks began when a close-range ballistic missile was fired Tuesday at al-Asad Air Base west of Baghdad, resulting in several non-serious injuries and some minor damage to infrastructure,  Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters at the Pentagon.

Singh said the AC-130 was airborne at the time of the attack and fired on a vehicle carrying the assailants.

The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on X, formerly Twitter, that the AC-130 maintained visual confirmation from the time of the [missile] launch to the time of engagement.

This strike resulted in several enemy casualties, CENTCOM added.

Later Tuesday, CENTCOM reported it carried out discrete, precision strikes against two undisclosed facilities in Iraq. The statement linked the attacks to the missile strike at al-Asad but did not elaborate.

U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria have been attacked at least 66 times by militant groups since Hamas extremists breached Israeli defenses around Gaza, slaughtered about 1,200 men, women and children and took about 240 people hostage. Israel has responded with airstrikes and a ground invasion of Gaza, killing more than 11,000 Palestinians, according to Gazas Health Ministry.

The U.S. still maintains forces in Iraq and Syria as part of operations against the Islamic State group and its allies, which U.S. officials say receive money, weapons and other support from Iran.

The U.S. has pledged support for Israel and has deployed more than 1,200 troops to the Middle East to deter other countries or militant groups from escalating the conflict.
Pakistans former prime minister Imran Khan listens to a member of the media during a talk with reporters regarding the current political situation and the ongoing cases against him at his residence in Lahore, Pakistan, on Aug. 3, 2023. (K.M. Chaudary/AP)

ISLAMABAD  A Pakistani court ruled Tuesday that the closed-door prison trial of former Prime Minister Imran Khan on charges of revealing state secrets is illegal, his lawyer said.

The ruling by the Islamabad High Court came on a petition filed by Khan, who has demanded an open trial, lawyer Naeem Haider Panjutha said.

It was unclear whether the government would appeal, or if future open court proceedings would take place at the same prison in the garrison city of Rawalpindi or somewhere else. Authorities have insisted Khan was being tried at Adiyala Prison because of threats to his life.

The courts decision came about a month after Khan was indicated for allegedly revealing a secret document. Legal experts say the charges he faces carry a possible death sentence in the event of a conviction.

Khans close aide, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who was deputy in his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, is a co-defendant in the case. Both men have denied the charges them during the trial.

The case is related to Khans comments about and waving of a confidential diplomatic letter at a rally after his ouster in a no-confidence vote in parliament in 2022. He and Qureshi are accused of communicating information in the classified letter to unauthorized people for political gain.

The document  dubbed Cipher  has not been made public by either the government or Khans lawyers but was apparently diplomatic correspondence between the Pakistani ambassador to Washington and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad.

Khan claimed the document was proof that his ouster was a U.S. conspiracy, allegedly executed by the military and his political opponents, including his successor Shehbaz Sharif. Washington, Pakistans military and Sharif have denied the claim.

Khan has not appeared in public since August, when he was sentenced to three years for corruption. The Islamabad High Court subsequently suspended that sentence but he remained in custody due to his arrest in the Cipher case.

Tuesdays development came ahead of the parliamentary elections which are to be held on February 8.

According to analysts, Khans party still could win the most seats, but he is not eligible to run for parliament due to his conviction in the graft case.

Also Tuesday, a court in Islamabad briefly heard an appeal from Khans main political rival, Nawaz Sharif, against his 2018 conviction in a graft case. Sharif, who served as prime minister three times, returned to Pakistan in October, ending four years of self-imposed exile in London mainly to lead his Pakistan Muslim League party in the parliamentary elections.

During his tenure, Khan allowed Sharif to travel abroad to receive medical treatment. But he prolonged his stay in London, saying his doctors would not allow him to return to Pakistan. Sharif returned home only after Khan was arrested and imprisoned.
Demonstrators calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war sit in front of the stage Nov. 18, 2023, disrupting the afternoon session at the Democratic nominating convention in the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center in Sacramento. (Lezlie Sterling, The Sacramento Bee/TNS)

(Tribune News Service)  The looming decision over billions of dollars in requested assistance to Israel for its military campaign in the Gaza Strip is testing some basic humanitarian principles of the Biden administration and putting extraordinary scrutiny on Washingtons relationship to Israel.

Congress is expected to revisit the emergency aid request when it returns in late November from the Thanksgiving recess. The House passed a bill that would provide $14.3 billion in mostly security assistance to Israel. The Senate has yet to act amid disagreement with the House over whether to include billions of dollars in support for Ukraine.

Lawmakers decision will come during a heated legal debate over whether the carnage from Hamas Oct. 7 attack on Israel  in which about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were murdered and another roughly 240 individuals were taken hostage  means the normal international rules of war, requiring extreme care to reduce civilian casualties, still apply in Israels drive to eradicate Hamas.

The evolution of the body of conventions and treaties that make up modern international humanitarian law is a response to the devastating civilian losses from the wars of the 20th century. It holds that, regardless of the legality of the underlying war being waged, civilians must not be disproportionately harmed in pursuit of a military objective and that distinctions must be made between legitimate military targets and civilian sites.

Thousands of residents of Gaza have been killed and thousands more have been injured, according to critics of Israels actions. Israel says it is taking reasonable measures to lessen civilian casualties but because Hamas has placed weapons caches and dug tunnels in civilian areas, including hospitals, civilian deaths are inevitable.

It has been almost six weeks of hell for the people of Gaza.  Six weeks far too long for the hostages and their families, and far too long for the entire region, Philippe Lazzarini, the commissioner general of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, said Nov. 16 in Geneva. It has also been six weeks of total disregard for international humanitarian law. I have to say the scale of destruction and loss is just staggering.

Lawmakers acknowledge the human cost but remain overwhelmingly supportive of Israel.

The Palestinians are victims of Hamas. Just as the Jewish people are victims of Hamas. This is the largest killing of Jewish people since my fathers war, World War II, and the Holocaust, House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, said in an interview with CNN on Nov. 15. And that, you know, is hugely important. Our gripe is not with the Palestinian people. We want to liberate them from their oppressor.

Many Democrats, while still supportive of the security package for Israel, are calling for the Israel Defense Forces to undertake more humanitarian pauses to allow fuel, food and other supplies into densely packed Gaza. Comparatively few are calling for the total cease-fire that many human rights experts say is needed for both the immediate protection of Palestinian civilians as well as for the long-term interests of Israel and the United States.

The intense focus coming from outside activists both for and against the proposed arms transfers to the IDF has drawn a renewed and sometimes uncomfortable focus to the unique position Israel has long held when it comes to receiving weapons assistance that the U.S. would have cut off or reduced from other nations with similar civilian casualties and apparent rights violations.

The United States veto power on the U.N. Security Council leaves little chance that any resolution to punish Israel and its Western arms suppliers for humanitarian law violations can pass. But Washingtons reputation in much of the world, especially the Middle East, is harmed by the Palestinian civilian death toll, experts say, and that undermines the effort to persuade more developing countries to side with the West against Russia and China.

Administration ignores its own guidance

The Biden administrations potential disregard of its own efforts this year to elevate human rights in U.S. foreign policy decisions is another point of vulnerability. Those actions include several steps this year to increase scrutiny of conventional weapons transfers to foreign governments.

The administration released a revised Conventional Arms Transfer Policy in February, ostensibly giving human rights more weight than during the Trump administration for deciding whether to approve weapons transfers overseen by the State, Defense and Commerce departments.

The transfer of arms shall not be authorized is what [the policy] says when it is more likely than not that those arms will be used to commit human rights violations or to aggravate the risk of human rights violations, said Josh Paul, who resigned as director of congressional and public affairs within the State Departments Bureau of Political and Military Affairs in October. He made the comment at a media briefing last week organized by the Forum on the Arms Trade, which helps disseminate expert views about the humanitarian implications of arms sales.

I think there can be no question that the U.S. arms transfers to Israel in this context aggravate the risks of human rights violations if not contributing to them directly, which I believe they also are, Paul said.

The administration also cabled new guidance late this summer to all its embassies for responding to incidents in which civilians have been harmed by foreign governments using U.S.-provided weapons. Under the process laid out by the guidance, arms sales to the foreign nation can be suspended, according to a report by The Washington Post.

Under U.S. domestic laws and policies  violations of the kind that weve seen, war crimes on both sides, which are serious violations of [international humanitarian law], they would in any other circumstance, I think, cause U.S. officials both in the executive and in the legislature to take another look at their security assistance and support for the warring parties or one warring party, Sarah Yager, Washington director of Human Rights Watch, said at the Forum on the Arms Trades briefing.

Yager noted her organization has done something it rarely does: called for a suspension of arms sales to all sides involved in the current conflict.

But that kind of administration and congressional oversight has really been missing on Israel for decades, she said. Certainly, right now we are not seeing a willingness to take a look at the provisions within domestic law and policies that would really create some sort of scrutiny around whats happening.

On Nov. 15, 24 House Democrats, led by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Defense Appropriations ranking member Betty McCollum of Minnesota, wrote to President Joe Biden to urge him to call for a cease-fire to protect the roughly 1 million Palestinian children and youths trapped in Gaza.

We also share dire concerns with the ongoing Israeli response, in which the Israeli Defense Forces have killed over 11,078 Palestinians, nearly half of whom have been children, reads the letter, which condemned Hamas attack on Israel. During the past 39 days of hostilities, at least 4,506 children have been killed in the Gaza Strip and at least 7,695 children have sustained injuries. Additionally, about 3,250 Palestinians in Gaza, including at least 1,755 children, have been reported missing and are presumed to be trapped or dead under the rubble, awaiting rescue or recovery.

A co-signer of the letter, Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., last month introduced a resolution that calls for an immediate cease-fire. It has 17 co-sponsors, all Democrats.

And Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., on Thursday introduced a joint resolution of disapproval that would block a proposed export license for $320 million in advanced air-to-surface precision-guided munitions known as Spice guidance kits for Israel, which the State Department recently notified to Congress.

The joint resolution has the support of a few progressive House Democrats as well as dozens of civil society groups, including Justice Democrats and the Center for Civilians in Conflict. The measure is privileged under the Arms Export Control Act, so a vote is anticipated in the weeks ahead.

Senate Democrats seek to strike balance

In the Senate, some Democrats are calling for more to be done to protect Palestinian civilian lives while stopping well short of urging a cease-fire or criticizing proposed weapons transfers to Israel. Only Sen. Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, the Senates No. 2 Democrat, has called for a cease-fire so far, although he wants it timed with an agreement by Hamas to release hostages.

And over the weekend, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., became the first senator to call for conditioning any new security assistance to Israel on an end to the indiscriminate bombing over Gaza, an end to Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, and a recommitment by the Israeli government to peace negotiations for a two-state solution.

Fifteen Senate Democrats issued a statement in early November that reminded Israel of its obligation, pursuant to international law, to conduct [its campaign against Hamas] in such a way as to minimize harm to civilians and allow humanitarian aid to reach those who are suffering.

We acknowledge the increased burden that this necessarily places on Israel to accomplish these obligations, the statement continued.

In a Sunday interview with CNN, White House deputy national security adviser Jon Finer did not directly answer a question about whether the Biden administration would accept the calls from Sanders and others for conditions on any new security assistance to Israel, arguing instead that Israel is already subject to international humanitarian law conditions in the aid it receives from the U.S.

All of the requirements associated with international humanitarian law are applicable here, Finer said, adding Israel is fighting an adversary that not only does not hold itself to these same standards; it openly boasts about flouting them  That does not diminish Israels obligations, but it is a facet of this conflict that makes the challenge extremely daunting.

On Capitol Hill, some Republicans are defending Israels campaign in Gaza, minimizing reports of civilian deaths and questioning international humanitarian law protection for Palestinians.

Heres what we have to realize: Not everybody thats a Hamas fighter is in a black hood and a green bandanna and labels themselves Hamas. They are children  which are, you know, by definition, people under the age of 18. They are women. They are elderly people, Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., who was an IDF volunteer in 2015, said in an interview last week with Fox News. The lie that Hamas wants and Palestinians want you to buy is that its only military-age male fighters that want to see the destruction of all of Israel, the destruction of all of the Jews across the globe.

Legal experts have pushed back vociferously on the argument that Palestinians in Gaza dont deserve humanitarian law protections because they might be sympathetic to Hamas or have family members in Hamas.

Even if one is a mother of a Hamas fighter, knew that he was a Hamas fighter, you still cant go after the mother. I mean, theyre all civilians. Theyre not combatants. And in war, there is a pretty sharp distinction between the two, David Scheffer, a legal expert on international human rights laws, said last week during a media briefing organized by the Council on Foreign Relations.

The real problem is, how do you determine on the battlefield?  Its extremely difficult. But you dont work from the presumption that the people, simply because they voted for Hamas, are somehow ripe targets for attack, he said.

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Visit cqrollcall.com.

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National Security Council spokesman John Kirby speaks during a press briefing at the White House, Monday, Nov. 20, 2023, in Washington. (Andrew Harnik/AP)

WASHINGTON  The White House voiced concern Tuesday that Iran may provide Russia with ballistic missiles for use in its war against Ukraine, a development that likely would be disastrous for the Ukrainian people, a U.S. national security official said.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby noted that Iran already has been providing Russia with unmanned aerial vehicles or drones, guided aerial bombs and artillery ammunition, and may be preparing to go a step further in its support for Russia.

Kirby highlighted a September meeting in which Iran hosted Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to show off a range of ballistic missile systems, sparking U.S. concern.

We are therefore concerned that Iran is considering providing Russia with ballistic missiles now for use in Ukraine, Kirby told reporters during a conference call. In return for that support, Russia has been offering Tehran unprecedented defense cooperation, including on missiles, electronics and air defense.

Kirbys warning came as President Joe Bidens request for more than $61 billion in emergency U.S. funding to continue to support Ukraines defense remained stalled in Congress. The additional aid for Ukraine is part of a larger $106 billion funding request from the Democratic president that also would support Israel, Taiwan and the U.S. operations on the border with Mexico.

A growing group of lawmakers in the Republican Party, which controls the House of Representatives, opposes sending more money to Ukraine.

Kirby and other top U.S. officials have been urging Congress to pass aid for Ukraine, saying existing funding is drying up.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, center, visits an exhibition of the Revolutionary Guard's aerospace achievements as he is accompanied by the armed forces commanders, in Iran, on Nov. 19, 2023. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

He also noted Irans announcement earlier this year that it had finalized a deal to buy Su-35 fighter jets from Russia, and said Iran is looking to buy additional military equipment from Russia, including attack helicopters, radars and combat-trainer aircraft.

In total, Iran is seeking billions of dollars worth of military equipment from Russia to strengthen its military capabilities, Kirby said. Russia has also been helping Iran develop and maintain its satellite collection capabilities and other space-based programs.

He said the burgeoning military partnership between Iran and Russia is harmful to Ukraine, Irans neighbors in the Middle East and quite frankly to the international community.

At the direction of the Russian government, Kirby said the Wagner mercenary group was preparing to provide an air-defense capability to either Hezbollah or Iran. He said the U.S. would be watching to see whether that happens and was prepared to use counterterrorism sanctions authority against Russian individuals or entities that might make these destabilizing transfers. Russia has used Wagner in the past when it has wanted to be able to deny involvement, especially in foreign military operations.

The U.S. says the Kremlins reliance on Iran, as well as North Korea  countries largely isolated on the international stage for their nuclear programs and human rights records  shows desperation. That comes in the face of Ukrainian resistance and the success of the global coalition in disrupting Russian military supply chains and denying replacements for weapons lost on the battlefield. The White House has said Russia has turned to North Korea for artillery.

U.S. officials say Iran has also provided Russia with artillery and tank rounds for its invasion of Ukraine.

The U.S. and other countries have taken steps to thwart the potential supply, sale or transfer involving Iran and ballistic missile-related items, Kirby said. The U.S. has also issued guidance to private companies about Iranian missile procurement practices to make sure they arent inadvertently supporting Irans development efforts.

Last May, the White House said Russia was interested in buying additional advanced attack drones from Iran for use in the war against Ukraine after it used up most of the 400 drones it had previously purchased from Tehran.

A U.S. intelligence finding released in June asserted that Iran was providing Russia with materials to build a drone manufacturing plant east of Moscow as the Kremlin looks to lock in a steady supply of weaponry for the war.
Semiconductor chips are arranged for a photograph on the production line at the Hana Microelectronics plant at the Hi-Tech Industrial Estate in Bang Pa-In, Ayutthaya province, Thailand, on Tuesday, April 22, 2014. (Dario Pignatelli/Bloomberg)

The U.S. Commerce Department is launching a $3 billion program to stimulate the domestic chip-packaging industry, a key link in the semiconductor supply chain that Washington worries has become dominated by Asia.

The packaging program is the first major research and development investment from the 2022 Chips and Science Act, which aims to revive semiconductor production in the U.S. as the development of critical electronic components has become a geopolitical battleground between the U.S. and China.

The funds for the effort, officially known as the National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program, come from $11 billion in the Chips Act earmarked for research and development, which is separate from a pool of manufacturing incentives worth $100 billion.

Packaging refers to the process of putting together individual chips for use in commercial products like phones and cars, as well as military applications including nuclear missiles. The Commerce Department says the U.S. has just 3% of the worlds packaging capacity  compared with an estimated 38% in China  which Washington worries has left the country vulnerable.

Fabricating chips in America but then shipping them overseas to be packaged creates supply chain and national security risks that we just cant accept, Under Secretary of Commerce Laurie Locascio said Monday at an event at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Md., to unveil the effort.

By the end of the decade, Locascio said, the U.S. will be home to multiple high-volume advanced packaging facilities, and a global leader in commercial-scale advanced packaging for the most sophisticated chips.

The agency will release the first funding opportunity for packaging, focused on materials and substrates, in early 2024, Locascio said. Future investments will focus on other packaging technologies as well as the broader design ecosystem.

South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix Inc. has said it will invest $15 billion in a U.S. advanced packaging facility, and Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said that the state is in talks with industry leader Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. about adding packaging capabilities at its $40 billion Phoenix project.

Arizona is in the middle stages of conversations with multiple global packaging companies and testing and quality assurance firms, said Chris Camacho, chief executive officer of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, declining to comment on which firms are involved. He said he anticipates that companies could break ground on construction sites in 2024.

The Commerce Departments packaging program will also establish an Advanced Packaging Piloting Facility, which aims to develop packaging technologies that can be scaled for U.S. production, as well as invest in workforce training.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. Women suffered the most from slavery and colonization in French Guiana, member of the movement For Social Freedom and Decolonization of French Guiana Maurice Pindard told Trend.

"For four centuries, we were enslaved. Women and children were the most affected since they were not treated as people. The familial unit was destroyed. However, even after being freed from slavery, women had few rights and freedom because males held the same mindset," he said.

Baku hosts an international conference on "Decolonization: Empowerment and Development of Women". The event is organized by the Baku Initiative Group of the Non-Aligned Movement.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
American Airlines planes sit on the tarmac at Terminal B at LaGuardia Airport, Jan. 11, 2023, in New York. American Airlines flight attendants are asking federal officials for the right to go on strike. (Seth Wenig/AP)

FORT WORTH, Texas  American Airlines flight attendants are asking federal officials for the right to go on strike, possibly before the end of the Christmas and New Years travel rush, but American said there was no possibility of a walkout over the holidays.

Leaders of the flight attendants union say they are frustrated with the lack of progress in negotiations over a new contract for workers who have not seen raises since 2019.

The Association of Professional Flight Attendants petitioned the National Mediation Board on Monday to declare the negotiations deadlocked and give the union permission to strike after a 30-day cooling-off period.

Meanwhile, pilots at Southwest opened a strike center in Dallas this week. Officials with the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association say they too will ask for the right to strike if they dont have a contract deal with the airline in the next few days.

A digital clock on the wall at the pilots union headquarters ticked down toward a potential strike on Dec. 29.

It is far from certain that either union will go on strike, however. Federal law makes it very hard for airline workers to walk off the job or for carriers to lock out workers.

Strikes and lockouts are legal only if federal mediators take the rare step of declaring that negotiations are at an impasse and that either side may resort to self help. Even then, the president or Congress can block a strike that might hurt the economy.

The last strike by a U.S. airline union took place in 2010, involving pilots at Spirit Airlines.

American disputed the flight attendants union claim that negotiations are stalemated. In a statement, the airline said that for months it has been offering the union an industry-leading economic proposal, and progress continues on other contract items.

The airline, which is based in Fort Worth, said it is ready to continue working with the union and the National Mediation Board to reach an agreement.

American added that there is no possibility of a strike over Thanksgiving or the December holidays.

The flight attendants union is asking American for immediate raises of 35% and then annual increases of 6% under a 3-year deal. American is offering 11% upfront but says its 18% including higher pay during the time that passengers board planes, followed by annual increases of 2%. The union also wants bigger 401(k) contributions and increased rest time.

Americans pilots recently won raises of more than 40% over four years.

We definitely dont feel any equality here, said Erik Harris, treasurer of the flight attendants union. How come the pilots have gotten their deal and we havent?

Because of pattern bargaining, Southwest pilots are likely to wind up with raises like those approved for American Airlines pilots. The union at Southwest is asking for slightly higher pay than Boeing 737 pilots at other airlines, arguing that Southwest uses its planes  and pilots  longer per day on average.

A major stumbling block at Southwest is over pilot scheduling. The union wants Southwest to pay pilots a premium to operate flights that lack a crew instead of staffing those flights with pilots who are on reserve, or hold.

The Southwest pilots union has already tried and failed once this year to get permission to strike. The union asked federal officials in June to release the group from mediation, but mediators refused. Another bargaining session is scheduled for the last week in November, but none after that.

Nobody here wants to strike, said Tom Nekouei, the unions second vice president, but we either need a deal by the 30th or we need to go down this path.

Dallas-based Southwest issued a statement saying that negotiations were continuing and it will work for a contract that rewards our pilots and places them competitively in the industry.

Leaders of both the American flight attendants and Southwest pilots say they are encouraged by advances made by other unions this year.

The United Auto Workers won rich new contracts after a six-week strike, and screen and TV writers and actors got better compensation for streaming content and other concessions after strikes that crippled Hollywood for months. The Teamsters won hefty pay raises for more than 300,000 United Parcel Service workers by threatening to strike. Union organizing is on the rise.

On Thursday, several dozen American Airlines flight attendants picketed along a thoroughfare outside company headquarters in Texas, some carrying signs reading, Ready to strike. Drivers in everything from sedans to gravel haulers honked in support.

This gives me hope, said Harris, the union official, but also seeing whats happening out there in labor worldwide is giving us all hope.
In this photo provided by the U.S. Navy, Navy Lt. Don Walsh and explorer Jacques Piccard descend to the deepest spot in the worlds ocean, in 1960, a feat not repeated again by another human being until 2012, when movie director James Cameron returned to the same spot in a small submarine. Walsh, an explorer who in 1960 was part of this two-man crew that made the first voyage to the deepest part of the ocean, has died. He was 92. Walsh died Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023, at his home in Myrtle Point, Ore., his daughter, Elizabeth Walsh, said Monday, Nov. 20. (U.S. Navy)

Retired Navy Capt. Don Walsh, an explorer who in 1960 was part of a two-man crew that made the first voyage to the deepest part of the ocean  to the snuff-colored ooze at the bottom of the Pacifics Mariana Trench  has died. He was 92.

Walsh died Nov. 12 at his home in Myrtle Point, Oregon, his daughter, Elizabeth Walsh, said Monday.

In January 1960, Walsh, then a U.S. Navy lieutenant, and Swiss engineer Jacques Piccard were sealed inside a 150-ton, steel-hulled bathyscaphe named the Trieste to attempt to dive nearly 7 miles below the surface. A bathyscaphe is a self-propelled submersible used in deep-sea dives.

The two men descended to 35,800 feet in the Challenger Deep, the deepest point of the Earths oceans, part of the Mariana Trench, about 200 miles off Guam in the Pacific.

After a descent of about five hours, the steel-hulled submersible touched down on what the log described as the snuff-colored ooze of silt stewed up by the ship reaching the bottom.

When they reached the seafloor, the two men shook hands.

I knew we were making history, Walsh told The World newspaper of Coos Bay, Oregon, in 2010. It was a special day.

After spending 20 minutes on the floor and confirming there was life there when a fish swam by, they began their 3 1/2-hour ascent.

We were astounded to find higher marine life forms down there at all, Piccard said before his death in 2008.

Piccard designed the ship with his father, and they sold it to the U.S. Navy in 1958. Walsh was temporarily serving in San Diego when Piccard requested volunteers to operate the vehicle. Walsh stepped forward.

There was an opportunity to pioneer, Walsh told The World. I wasnt sure what I was going to be doing, but I knew Id be at sea. It wasnt until later they told us what they had in store.

Walsh was born Nov. 2, 1931, in Berkeley, California. He joined the Navy at age 17, and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy. He earned a masters degree and a doctorate in oceanography from Texas A&M.

He served in the Navy for 24 years, retiring with the rank of captain and serving on various submarines. He then became a professor at the University of Southern California before opening his own marine consulting business in 1976.

In 2010 he received the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award and served on many boards, including as a policy adviser to the U.S. State Department.

Walsh was a Navy officer, a submariner, an adventurer, and an oceanographer. To his family, we extend our deepest condolences and gratitude for allowing him to explore, and share his extraordinary experiences and knowledge with us, Chief of Naval Research Rear Adm. Kurt Rothenhaus said in a Navy press release.

Walsh traveled the world, including many trips to Antarctica, where the Walsh Spur pointed rock is named in his honor.

His daughter said one of the earliest lessons she and her brother Kelly learned from their parents is that the world is not a scary place  a lesson that was reinforced because their parents always came home after their various travels.

He encouraged them to venture out, as well.

Dont be scared of it and go have adventures and learn things and meet people, she recalled him teaching. Hes certainly instilled an enthusiastic curiosity about the world in Kelly and I, and thats a tremendous gift.

In 2020, Kelly Walsh made his own journey to the bottom of the Challenger Deep in a vessel owned and piloted by Dallas explorer Victor Vescovo.

An extraordinary explorer, oceanographer, and human being. Im so honored I could call him my friend, Vescovo posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, the day after Don Walshs death.

In addition to his children, Walsh is also survived by his wife of 61 years, Joan.

Thiessen reported from Anchorage, Alaska.
U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to Bravo Battery, 1-3 Field Artillery, 17th Field Artillery Battalion stage their M142 HIMARS at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii, on Oct. 31, 2023. (Cera L. Rodney/U.S. Army)

WASHINGTON  The Pentagon announced a new aid package for Ukraine on Monday that includes more weapons and cold weather gear as the countrys fight with Russia approaches its second winter, officials said.

The Defense Department said the new package is worth as much as $100 million and includes missiles, small-arms ammunition and 155mm artillery shells, which have been in short supply.

This package includes additional air defense capabilities, artillery ammunition, anti-tank weapons and other equipment to help Ukraine defend its sovereign territory and fight for its freedom from Russias ongoing war of aggression, the department said.

The new package comes from presidential drawdown authority, which allows the Pentagon to take the items from its shelves and send them to Ukraine on an emergency basis.

Although funding for Ukraine is drying up at the Pentagon, an accounting error earlier this year added roughly $6 billion to the available money pool.

Once the remaining funds are spent, any new money to help Ukraine would have to be authorized by Congress, which is something President Joe Biden and Democrats and many Republicans are currently working on.

Security assistance for Ukraine is a smart investment in our national security, the Defense Department said in a statement Monday. It helps to prevent a larger conflict in the region and deter potential aggression elsewhere, while strengthening our defense industrial base and creating highly skilled jobs for the American people in dozens of states across the country.

It is critical that Congress take action to support Ukraine by passing the presidents supplemental funding request, the department added.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the United States has given the Eastern European country about $44.2 billion in military aid, the Pentagon said.

Mondays package came on the same day Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made a surprise visit to Kyiv in a show of support.

I was honored to meet with President [Volodymyr Zelensky] in Kyiv (Monday) to reaffirm the United States steadfast support for Ukraine, Austin said. We, along with our allies and partners, will continue to support Ukraines urgent battlefield needs and long-term defense requirements.

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Folorunso Abdul, a field artillery cannoneer with 1st Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, prepares to load an M777 towed 155mm howitzer during exercise Rolling Thunder on Fort Liberty, N.C., Oct. 16, 2023. (Grace Stover/U.S. Marine Corps)

Included in Mondays aid package to Ukraine:
Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX and chief executive officer of Tesla Inc., speaks during a discussion at the Satellite 2020 Conference in Washington on Monday, March 9, 2020. Media Matters released a report by Hananoki on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023, that included screenshots of mainstream advertisements appearing beside pro-Nazi content on X. Multiple businesses, including IBM, Apple and Disney, subsequently suspended their advertising on the platform. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg)

X, the Elon Musk-owned social media company formerly known as Twitter, sued Media Matters and its writer Eric Hananoki on Monday over what X called an intentionally deceptive report about antisemitism on the platform, according to a court filing. Media Matters, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., says it engages in monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media.

Also on Monday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton opened an investigation into potential fraudulent activity by Media Matters.

Paxton said in a statement that his office was examining the issue to ensure that the public has not been deceived by the schemes of radical left-wing organizations who would like nothing more than to limit freedom by reducing participation in the public square.

Media Matters released a report by Hananoki on Thursday that included screenshots of mainstream advertisements appearing beside pro-Nazi content on X. Multiple businesses, including IBM, Apple and Disney, subsequently suspended their advertising on the platform.

The lawsuit by X  which claims interference with contract, business disparagement and interference with prospective economic advantage  said some of Xs largest advertisers were among the companies withdrawing their ads.

The lawsuit said that Media Matters manipulated the X algorithm by following only 30 accounts of controversial users and large companies, then undertaking excessive scrolling and refreshing.

The overall effect on advertisers and users was to create the false, misleading perception that these types of pairings were common, widespread, and alarming, the filing said.

Xs safety protocols under normal, organic conditions operate seamlessly, it said.

When asked for comment, X replied to The Washington Post with a post by its chief executive, Linda Yaccarino, who wrote that not a single authentic user on X saw IBMs, Comcasts, or Oracles ads next to the content in Media Matters article. Only 2 users saw Apples ad next to the content, at least one of which was Media Matters.

In a post on X that was shared by Hananoki, Media Matters President Angelo Carusone said that the filing was a frivolous lawsuit meant to bully Xs critics into silence and that Media Matters stood by the reporting.

Carusone told The Washington Post on Tuesday that Media Matters was repeatedly pointing out the same dysfunction in Xs brand safety provisions. He likened the lawsuit to someone getting mad at a mirror because they dont like the reflection.

It is a pretty blatant effort to intimidate us to stop what we do, Carusone said.

The suit was filed in Texas, a state where the filing said X does significant business, although it is incorporated in Nevada, and its principal place of business is San Francisco.

On Wednesday, Musk tweeted agreement with a user posting a conspiracy theory alleging that Jews promoted hatred against whites; the billionaire wrote under that post, You have said the actual truth, a remark that has been widely criticized, including by the White House. Musk later posted that nothing could be further from the truth than the allegation that he was antisemitic.
Newly comissioned U.S. Marine Corps second lieutenants and U.S. Navy ensigns toss their covers in celebration at the conclusion of the U.S. Naval Academys Class of 2023 graduation ceremony at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium, Annapolis, Md., May 26, 2023. Cadets and midshipmen at the Pentagons three military academies can now officially stay enrolled and remain on track for a military career if they give birth to a child under a new policy published this month. (Chad J. McNeeley/Defense Department)

WASHINGTON  Cadets and midshipmen at the Pentagons three military academies can now officially stay enrolled and remain on track for a military career if they give birth to a child under a new policy published this month.

For decades, cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and Air Force Academy in Colorado and midshipmen at the Naval Academy in Maryland were not allowed to have children while enrolled. Many who did were forced to leave and some had to reimburse the government for tens of thousands of dollars in past tuition.

Two years ago, bipartisan efforts in Congress led to a policy change to let members at the academies have a child without fear of being sidetracked or losing their spot in school. The change was formally made on Nov. 1.

A cadet or midshipmen who becomes pregnant may be granted a leave of absence for good cause, the updated policy states. In most cases, a one-year leave of absence will be sufficient. In unique circumstances, the [service academies] can grant a leave of absence not to exceed two years.

Under the new policy, however, cadets and midshipmen still cannot enroll at the three service academies if theyre pregnant or already have children. The change only applies to service members who become parents during the time theyre enrolled.

U.S. Military Academy cadets line up at the graduation and commissioning ceremony for the Class of 2023 at Michie Stadium in West Point, N.Y., on May 27, 2023. (John Pellino/U.S. Military Academy)

The policy comes with several requirements. For example, new parents at the academies each must submit a guardianship plan to the military that outlines who the child will live with until graduation. Also, the newborn children are not allowed to live with their parents at the academies. Pregnant cadets and midshipmen will also receive a temporary break on certain requirements at the academies.

Under the new policy, physical fitness requirements are temporarily waived throughout pregnancy until the cadet or midshipman is medically cleared.

I lived through being a cadet and having a family at the same time and I would never, ever recommend someone do it, Air Force Reserve Maj. Melissa Hemphill, who had a child with her cadet boyfriend while they were at the academy, told Stars and Stripes earlier this year. But at the same time, we cant wish away unexpected pregnancy because its going to happen. It has been happening and it does happen.  It was really devastating to families and also it was affecting a lot more people than we thought.

Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., were behind the bipartisan effort in Congress to change the policy. Cruz felt the old policy encouraged abortions, and Gillibrand said it was outdated and unfair to women.

Parents shouldnt be forced to fully relinquish their parental rights to finish their education at our service academies, Gillibrand said.

[This] is a commonsense step to ensure the brave young women of our armed forces have the right level of support to continue their academy training and go on to fulfill their future service as commissioned officers while raising their family, Cruz said. This crucial legislation [ensures] cadets in military academies can retain legal guardianship of their children without unnecessary burdens.

The new policy does not apply to cadets at the Coast Guard Academy in Connecticut or the Merchant Marine Academy in New York since neither is run by the Pentagon. The Coast Guard falls under the Department of Homeland Security and the Merchant Marine under the Department of Transportation.

Stars and Stripes reporter Rose Thayer contributed to this report.
AUSTIN, Texas  A federal court in Texas has sided with an Air Force spouse that the states education agency violated a new federal law when it refused to recognize her professional license issued in another state.

When Hannah Magee Portees husband, an Air Force officer, received orders to relocate to Laughlin Air Force Base near Del Rio, Texas, earlier this year, she sought to have her license to work as a school counselor recognized by the Texas Education Agency. Under a provision added in January to the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, states are required to recognize another states professional license so long as the military spouse has used the license to work during the previous two years.

She filed the federal lawsuit in May in the Western District of Texas and received a preliminary injunction to work in July. By then, she said she was only able to find work for the 2023-24 school year as a long-term substitute counselor.

Congress passed the law to help curb military spouse unemployment which has sat stubbornly around 20% for the last decade despite ongoing efforts to improve job opportunities. Roughly 34% of military spouses work in occupations that require a license, according to the Department of Labor. Frequent moves across state lines make it difficult for those spouses to quickly transfer their license and find a new job.

Texas argued that its own law required that Magee Portee used the license continuously over the previous two years, and therefore the new federal law would not apply to Texas, according to court documents.

Magee Portees previous employment had not been continuous but stretched across two jobs she held in 2022 in Missouri and Ohio. She holds a school counselor license in each state.

U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman ruled that the new provision only required use of the license at some point during the two years immediately before relocation due to military orders  not continuously as Texas had argued.

The Department of Justice filed a statement of interest in Magee Portees case during the summer, noting it as the first legal test of the new provision in the Service members Civil Relief Act.

Without vigorous enforcement of the SCRA  our nations ability to meet its critical defense needs will suffer, U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza wrote in the statement filed in July.

While the Texas Education Agency did file a response to Magee Portees initial motion for a preliminary injunction, the agency did not file one to the lawsuit. It also did not immediately respond to request for comment on the judges ruling, which also ordered Texas to pay Magee Portees legal fees  a requirement under the SCRA.

Magee Portee said she expects that her husbands training at Laughlin will end before next school year and the couple will likely move before she can use her new Texas license for a permanent position.

We knew that this probably wasnt going to move anywhere fast enough to help me get the kind of job that I needed this school year, she said. The hope was just that it will help the next person. In Texas now theres a legal precedent that says licenses should transfer.
A shooter opened fire at a Walmart in Ohio, wounding four people before killing himself.. (Lea Skene/AP)

BEAVERCREEK, Ohio  A shooter opened fire Monday night at a Walmart near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio and wounded four people before killing himself, police said.

The attack was reported at around 8:30 p.m. at the Walmart in Beavercreek, a town of about 50,000 in the Dayton metropolitan area about four miles from the Air Force installation.

The conditions of the victims right now is unknown but all were taken to hospitals for treatment, police Capt. Scott Molnar said at a news conference.

Police also said the gunman died after apparently shooting himself. His name, a motive for the attack and other details werent immediately released.

Police earlier said on social media that the store had been cleared and secured and there wasnt any active threat.

Were heartbroken by whats happened at our Beavercreek, Ohio store. This remains a developing situation, and were working closely with investigators on the scene, Walmart said in a statement.
Marine veteran Lee Stutts is shown during the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington, D.C. (FBI/TNS)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Tribune News Service)  Marine veteran Lee Stutts lives at the tip of a peaceful Lake Norman peninsula, but on Jan. 6, 2021, he readied for battle, prosecutors say.

The 46-year-old Terrell man wore a black helmet with a Marine Corps logo sticker on the back as he assaulted at least seven officers during the Capitol riots, according to an FBI affidavit released by federal prosecutors after his arrest in North Carolina on Nov. 16.

In a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia, Stutts was charged with assaulting, resisting or impeding officers with a deadly or dangerous weapon and obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder, both felonies. He becomes at least the 31st North Carolinian to be charged in the Jan. 6 attack.

He also was charged with the misdemeanor offenses of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, and engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds.

Stutts is accused of pushing and shoving officers with his hands, a barricade, a battering ram and a bike rack as he helped lead the Capitol breach, according to the arrest warrant affidavit.

The riots disrupted the joint session of Congress where electoral votes were counted in the 2020 presidential election. The count certified Joe Biden as the winner over Donald Trump.

Waving other rioters on

Stutts lives in a split-level home built in 1975 on Clement Circle, Catawba County property tax records show.

The home and its half-acre, about 33 miles northwest of Charlotte, are valued at $866,600, the public records show.

Thats modest on a lake where mansions worth millions of dollars line the shore.

Stutts didnt return a phone message from The Charlotte Observer on Friday.

On Jan. 6, 2021, Stutts sported a 2020 Trump Keep America Great shirt over a long-sleeved black and gray camouflage print hoodie, according to the affidavit filed by an unnamed FBI special agent.

He also wore an American flag and eagle print neck gaiter and had a backpack on.

After joining a Stop the Steal rally on the Ellipse in Washington, Stutts darted through broken fencing and over a wall to join fellow rioters on the west plaza of the Capitol, according to the affidavit.

He can be seen waiving (sic) other rioters on as he made a beeline for the line of U.S. Capitol Police officers blocking the way to the southwest steps of the Capitol, the agent says in the affidavit.

Marine veteran Lee Stutts shoves a U.S. Capitol Police officer in this image from closed-circuit police video included in a criminal indictment against Stutts. (FBI/TNS)

Stutts wrapped his arms around an officer from behind and shoved an officer from behind with his hands, according to the indictment.

Body-cam and closed-circuit police video also show Stutts assaulting four other officers after more police arrived to try to hold their line with metal bike racks, the FBI agent said.

Pumping his fists

Stutts and other rioters later moved a large sign on wheels with a metal frame toward the police line and barricade. The rioters used the sign as a battering ram against officers attempting to hold the line, the agent said.

Stutts then grabbed the bike rack barricade beneath the sign and pushed it toward the officers, according to the affidavit.

After police took the sign from the rioters, video shows Stutts throwing a water bottle at the police line, the FBI agent said.

Later that afternoon, Stutts was one of the rioters leading the way in a final breaking of the police line, the agent said. After the Plaza was overrun, Stutts could be observed raising his arms and pumping his fists in a celebratory manner as police officers retreated from the oncoming swarm of rioters.

Stutts was scheduled to make his initial appearance in a U.S. courtroom Friday in the Charlotte-based Western District of North Carolina. The outcome of the hearing wasnt immediately available.

Stutts joins at least 1,200 others from all 50 states whove been charged in connection with the Capitol breach, which caused $2.7 million in damage.

His case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorneys office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Divisions Counterterrorism Section. U.S. Attorney Dena Kings Charlotte-based office is providing assistance.

2023 The Charlotte Observer.

Visit at charlotteobserver.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Hoang Ly, left, and Steve Greene reunited over lunch last year at a Virginia restaurant. They hadnt seen each other in 20 years. (Photo courtesy of Steve Greene)

A few days before Thanksgiving every year, Hoang Ly settles into a chair at his home in Fredericksburg, Va. to write a thank-you email to Stephen Greene, the lanky American who helped his family escape Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War in 1975.

We wish you a healthy and happy Thanksgiving! Ly wrote in last years note to Greene, who now lives in Annapolis.

Your help to evacuate my family out of war-torn Vietnam is always in my heart, Ly added. I showed the photos of you and I in Phnom Penh to my children. They now know the man who helped bring them into this world.

Ly always ends his messages the same way: Thank God and thank my great friend, Steve Greene.

Ly began his Thanksgiving ritual in 1976, when hed call Greene and his wife, Kathy Greene, or mail them a handwritten note. He also writes them a note at Christmas, a tradition he has continued for 47 years.

I look at Steve as my Statue of Liberty, said Ly, now 77. Every Thanksgiving and Christmas, my family is reunited together. Without Steve, we might not be here.

Steve Greene, left, with Hoang Ly, middle, and an unnamed officer in Vietnam in 1974. (Photo courtesy of Hoang Ly)

Greene, 80, is a former Marine, wounded in action in Vietnam in 1967. He went on to hold the top position in the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in Saigon, now known as Ho Chi Minh City. After returning home, he continued his career with the DEA, eventually becoming acting deputy administrator during the George H.W. Bush administration in the early 1990s.

It was during the early 1970s that he became friends with Ly, a Vietnamese police officer who was head of the countrys narcotics bureau in Saigon and often helped DEA agents.

In late March 1975, Greene was told the situation was unraveling in South Vietnam and that Saigon could soon fall to the North Vietnamese Army. He said he immediately thought of Ly, as well as Lys pregnant wife, Ngo Giang Tieu, and his 8-year-old daughter, Thanh Robin Ly.

Steve Greenes U.S. Marine Corps enlistment photo from 1966. (Photo courtesy of Steve Greene)

Robins mother, Lys first wife, had died of typhoid fever eight months after Robin was born.

Hoang had faithfully worked with U.S. officials for a decade, and I knew if the communists took over, hed be in serious danger, Greene said. I told Hoang, This place is over  we need to get you out.

Greene helped get an application approved for Ly to fly to Washington, D.C., on March 29, 1975, to attend a four-week international training course with the DEA, he said. He also promised Ly that if the situation in Vietnam worsened, he would do everything he could to get his family out of Saigon.

In mid-April, he realized it was time.

In the days before Saigon fell on April 30, Greene said, he tried twice to get Lys wife and daughter out of the country, but he was turned back each time at the airport because they didnt have proper paperwork.

The scene at Tan Son Nhut Airport was complete chaos, with everyone desperate to leave, Greene recalled. Thousands of people were there. I saw them handing babies over the wall, and I knew we needed another plan.

Greene went to the U.S. Embassy in Saigon and persuaded an officer to give him a document stating that Ngo was his wife and Robin was his daughter. That did the trick, and on April 21, their third attempt to get on a plane leaving Vietnam was successful.

After stops in the Philippines and Guam, Hoang Ly was reunited with his family in Washington, D.C.

Hoang Ly, with his children, Robin, left, and Tom, in Virginia in the late 1970s. (Photo courtesy of Hoang Ly)

It was such an emotional relief  I knew I would have been killed if wed stayed behind because Id helped the Americans, he said. And my family also could have faced punishment. We owed Steve our lives.

Greene, now retired, said he always assured Ly that if places were reversed, Ly would have done the same thing for him.

I told him, It wasnt that big of a deal  you dont owe me a thing,  he said. I guess Ive never handled compliments well. I made him a promise and I had a job to do. I simply saw it through.

Both men soon went their separate ways.

Ly got a job as a special agent at DEA headquarters in D.C., and he said employees there raised funds to help him put a down payment on a small home in Dale City, Va.

Since Greene also continued to work for the DEA, he and Ly would occasionally bump into each other at company events in D.C.

In 1976, Greene said he was touched to get a bouquet of flowers and a note from Ly, a few days before Thanksgiving.

He was so respectful, calling me mister, and I later told him to cut it out, he recalled with a laugh. But I know what he said came from his heart.

Steve Greene and his wife, Kathy Greene, at a U.S. Marine Corps reunion at Quantico in 2008. (Photo courtesy of Steve Greene)

He thanked me for getting him out of Vietnam with dignity, Greene said. He said he was able to appreciate the American tradition of Thanksgiving with his family because I got them on a plane to the United States.

A month later at Christmas, Greene received a similar note from Ly.

I was just so grateful that he helped to give me democracy and freedom, Ly said. When I was a teenager, I always dreamed of a life in America. At night, when an airplane flew over my house, I would listen to the engine sound until it faded away.

I thought one day, the airplane would take me to the U.S., he added.

After his first two thank-you notes, Ly said it seemed natural to continue the tradition year after year because there was so much to be thankful for.

His son, Tom Ly, was born in November 1975 and now works as a schoolteacher in Seattle, he said, while Robin Truc Ly, the daughter Greene pretended was his own, is now an architect in Houston.

Ly and his second wife divorced in 1993, but he was remarried in 1999 and now has a 24-year-old daughter. Ly became a U.S. citizen in 1984 and now works as an independent contractor and consultant for the U.S. State Department.

Every Thanksgiving when we gather as a family, we know that Steve Greene is the reason were all able to celebrate together, he said.

Robin Truc Ly followed her dads example this year and wrote Greene a letter, telling him that she remembered him driving her and her stepmother through streets filled with chaos to get to the airport in Saigon.

You were a slim built American with blonde hair and green eyes, she wrote, recalling the first time she saw Greene. Thank you for your attempts to bring a friends family out of danger. We wish you and your family a healthy, happy and joyful Thanksgiving.

Last December, Ly and Greene met face to face for the first time in 20 years to catch up over lunch at the Globe and Laurel  a military and law enforcement-themed restaurant in Stafford, Va.

Hoang Ly, standing in the front row, left, at a police awards ceremony in Vietnam in early 1975. (Photo courtesy of Steve Greene)

It was an emotional reunion  I was happy to see Hoang again, Greene said. We had a lot to talk about, and we kind of picked up where we left off.

I told him I will always remember and appreciate him, Ly added. He brought me to this land of free and brave people.

Ly said hell continue to share his gratitude for Greene in his twice-yearly emails.

One for Thanksgiving, and then again at Christmas, he said. I will never be able to thank Steve Greene enough.
Kenneth Landry died by suicide in 2021 72 hours after he contacted the veteran National Suicide Prevention Hotline about a late prescription and ongoing family turmoil, according to Landrys medical records from the Department of Veterans Affairs, which his widow, Kathryn Landry, shared with Stars and Stripes. (Courtesy of Kathryn Landry)

Kenneth Landry was deployed in Kuwait as an air-traffic controller with Air Force special operations in 2014 when an ATV rollover knocked him unconscious and pinned him underneath the vehicle.

Landry was pulled out by fellow service members and airlifted to Germany, where he was hospitalized in intensive care with trauma to his head, back and femur. He received treatment for a crush injury and concussion, followed by rehabilitation, including therapy at a traumatic brain injury clinic.

He remained on active duty, yet his life was never the same. Problems with concentration, headaches, insomnia, and anxiety dogged him. He was honorably discharged in August 2015 but harbored hopes to re-enlist.

Six years later  on Oct. 1, 2021  Landry put on his military uniform, walked into the bathroom at his California home and shot himself to death. He was 33 years old.

His suicide occurred 72 hours after he contacted the veteran National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 2:14 a.m. about a late prescription and ongoing family turmoil, according to Landrys medical records from the Department of Veterans Affairs, which his widow, Kathryn Landry, shared with Stars and Stripes.

During the half-hour call, Landry said he had no thoughts or plans to harm himself, but he had considered suicide in the past, according to the hotlines report of the call, which was included in Landrys medical records.

But Landry did not answer questions on whether he had access to firearms or a means to hurt himself. His suicide risk was listed as moderate to low. The counselor forwarded a request for a new refill to his provider.

This wasnt a prescription problem. It was a mental health crisis, said Kathryn Landry, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., and herself a Marine Corps veteran. In the context of his call for help, he said he did not have his medication.

Kathryn Landry today is seeking benefits related to her husbands death. But she faces an uphill battle.

The VA in July 2022 rejected her claim for survivor benefits for herself and their young daughter.

The VAs response to his death and my family has been appalling, Kathryn Landry told Stars and Stripes. The VA processes these claims like they are an insurance company. She is appealing.

Her claim is one needle in a very large haystack. The VA currently has more than a million pending claims by veterans and their families that await processing.

Nearly a third of those  or more than 300,000  are considered backlogged, because the claimants have been waiting more than 125 days for a decision.

Last year, the Veterans Benefits Administration reviewed more than a record 1.7 million claims, with veterans and surviving family members receiving more than $128 billion in compensation and pensions.

In September, Landry sought a second review from the Veterans Board of Appeals. An attorney she retained said the process could take 18 months to two years because of the volume of pending claims.

In recent years, the board has resolved about 100,000 appeals each year, according to a statement on the boards website about long waits for a decision. Despite the high numbers of decisions each year, there are still over 200,000 pending appeals waiting in line for a decision.

Claims include requests for disability compensation, indemnity and dependency compensation for survivors and veterans pensions benefits.

Along with each request there is a story of sacrifice, hardship and loss.

This has been devastating for my family. In an instant, I lost my husband, my daughters father and our home. Weve had to redefine our family, Kathryn Landry said.

She said the VA denied the claim, finding that the head injury from the ATV rollover was mild enough to be completely healed within days or a few months.

The VAs findings, which Kathryn Landry shared with Stars and Stripes, also pointed to a January 2021 VA evaluation with information about Landrys preexisting conditions.

The neuro-psychological evaluation found that Kenneth Landry had suffered from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder since childhood and that likely contributed to cognitive challenges.

The report also included information about head trauma prior to military service due to his martial arts activities.

Prior to his death, Kenneth Landry had started to dispute the VAs medical findings and seek disability coverage related to PTSD and TBI.

He filed a notice of disagreement and was collecting documents to support a diagnosis of PTSD and lasting effects from head trauma. But he did not make it to a lot of those appointments, Kathryn Landry said.

Contradictory statements by doctors and other providers in Landrys medical records alternately upheld and denied PTSD and TBI related to military service.

He was initially assessed for TBI after the ATV crash, a clinician wrote in Landrys medical notes in February 2015. But the diagnosis later was found negative, the provider wrote.

But Landry may be minimizing his symptoms, the same provider wrote, and under-reported due to not wanting to end his mission.

A VA medical exam in March 2016, seven months after discharge, found that Landry did not have PTSD, TBI or lasting impacts from head trauma.

However, the providers notes from the one-hour evaluation suggested a more nuanced story. Records state Landry was agitated, suspicious and argumentative.

He abruptly lunged forward from his seat and made a repeat inquiry about the availability of the providers notes, the clinician wrote. Veteran declined to continue the evaluation process and so the door was opened. Landry walked out.

The provider was so concerned that he contacted security, which monitored Landry as he left the building. Despite Landrys behavior, the VA clinician concluded that Landry had no mental health condition.

The provider checked No next to three boxes  for TBI, PTSD or other mental health disorder.

Kathryn Landry is now appealing the VAs findings and denial of survivor benefits. She described her husband as resilient, persevering through challenges and achieving goals.

But she noticed increasing cognitive challenges that seemed to accelerate in the months prior to his death.

In July 2022, the Veterans Benefits Administration ruled that it was less likely than not that Kenneth Landrys suicide was due to in-service TBI or undiagnosed PTSD.

Landry was finishing graduate studies and preparing for a career as a social worker. Posthumously, he earned a masters degree in social work from the University of Southern California.

Ken was preparing for a career to help other veterans as a social worker, she said. I personally witnessed him assisting others in crisis. I just wish the faith he had in others was strong enough to tie him to this earth.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. It took Armenia almost two and a half months to respond to Azerbaijans proposals on the draft peace agreement, which has seriously delayed the process, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said, Trend reports.

This stagnation in the peace negotiations does not contribute to stability and prosperity in the region.

"Azerbaijan is ready for direct bilateral talks with Armenia to achieve the peace deal as soon as possible. We believe that the two countries should decide the future of their relations together. The two countries bear responsibility for the continuation of the peace process, including the selection of a mutually suitable venue or a decision to meet at the state border," the ministry noted.

"We urge the Armenian side to avoid further unjustified delays and hope that it would positively respond to our appeal, allowing the negotiations to start as soon as possible," the ministry said.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has directed to prepare short-term, medium-term and long-term frameworks to deal with the harmful impacts of climate change.

He issued these directives while chairing the 2nd meeting of Pakistan Climate Change Council in Islamabad.

The Prime Minister said climate change is a national security issue for developing countries like Pakistan. He said Pakistan's share in increasing global climate change is less than one percent, but it is on the top of the most affected countries.

He said last year, one third of Pakistan's population was affected by floods as a result of climate change.

He said the developing countries need to take measures to protect themselves from the threats posed by climate change.

Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar lauded the steps taken by the Ministry of Climate Change and activists belonging to Pakistan, who raised their voices regarding climate change. He also appreciated the cooperation of the provinces with the federation for prevention of the harmful impacts of climate change.

The Prime Minister said Pakistan will vigorously present its case in the COP-28 conference to be held in the United Arab Emirates this month. He directed that the Ministry of Climate Change, after consultation with all provincial governments, should sent delegation of climate change experts to attend COP-28 conference.

He said the inclusion of scholars and climate change experts should also be ensured in preparation of the framework.

The Prime Minister said Pakistan will effectively present the case of countries affected by climate change before the intentional community.

He accorded approval to constituting a committee of experts of the Pakistan Climate Change Council under the Ministry of Climate Change.

The Prime Minister said the committee should work to evolve a comprehensive policy framework for the formation and trading of carbon credits market in Pakistan and to make it more efficient and effective.
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar says Pakistan is a peace loving country and desires to maintain friendly relations with all especially neighbouring countries.

Addressing the passing out parade at PAF Asghar Khan Academy in Risalpur today, he said our desire for peace must not be understood as weakness.

The Prime Minister said there can be no peace without the just settlement of the Kashmir issue.

While congratulating the graduating cadets, the Prime Minister said that you carry the hopes of the nation.

He said Pakistan would not indulge in any arms race, but we would continue to enhance our capabilities in line with the evolving character of the warfare due to fast changes in technology to deter any aggression.

The Prime Minister said Armed Forces of Pakistan are professionally competent and well trained to cope with all internal and external challenges.
John Paul Carey (36) was jailed for 10 years for the cowardly and unprovoked chemical attack on Francis Costello (40) who suffered severe caustic soda burn injuries to his face

Francis Costello said the pain was so great he wanted to die

A fundraising appeal has been launched by the brother of a man who was left physically, emotionally and mentally scarred when a corrosive liquid was thrown in his face, causing him to lose an eye.

Yesterday, father-of-two John Paul Carey (36) was jailed for 10 years for the cowardly and unprovoked" chemical attack on Francis Costello (40) who suffered severe caustic soda burn injuries to his face.

Cork Circuit Criminal Court was told that Costello prayed he would die such was the horrific pain he suffered as a consequence of the unprovoked attack last year.

Carey pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm to Francis Costello at Connolly Road in Ballyphehane, Cork on March 4 2022 contrary to Section 4 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act.

He also admitted assault causing harm to Mr Costello's two brothers, John and Roy, at the same location and date contrary to Section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act.

Now, Roy Costello, who was also left with serious scars on his arms and hands from the caustic solution tossed at him, has created a GoFundMe page for his brother.

On the page that has so far raised 295 of a 10,000 target, Roy Costello writes that: We were at our family home back in March 2022 when somebody came to our door and threw a corrosive fluid in Francis's face causing burns to his face and head and eye.

Francis has already been through countless visits to hospital in Cork to try to save his eye and travelled to Dublin on a number of occasions to meet with specialists with the hope of getting a prosthetic eye when all attempts to save his eye failed and it had to be removed, Roy states.

My brother initially spent 10 days in hospital where he underwent plastic surgery on his face and head. He was sent home on morphine and was basically helpless. It was another two weeks after he came home that the doctors took him off the morphine and reality set in.

Roy adds that the attack took from my brother in every way, leaving him physically, emotionally and mentally scarred.

It took him a long time to be able to deal with what has happened to him, Roy reveals.

Francis still has a long road ahead of him. He has been told his eye socket is damaged so badly that a prosthetic eye might not be possible.

He will be travelling to Dublin for operations in the hope that they can repair it enough so he can get his prosthetic eye and be somewhat happier with how he looks after the attack.

Roy reveals that with medical, travel and living expenses mounting up, friends and neighbours told me I should make this GoFundMe in the hope to help Francis get his health and life back.

He adds: Any donation would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

John Paul Carey was jailed for the attack

Cork Circuit Criminal Court heard that Carey has 99 previous convictions including convictions for armed robbery, drug possession and assault.

Judge McCourt imposed a ten year prison sentence but agreed to suspend the final six months in light of Carey's plea and other mitigating factors.

He also backdated the sentence to April 18 2022 when Carey was taken into custody.

All three men were struck by a corrosive liquid thrown at them by Carey who has addresses at Dunmanus Crescent in Knocknaheeny, Allihies in west Cork and Glanmire, where he was originally from.

Such were the horrific injuries to Francis Costello's face that his left eye had to be surgically removed in October 2022 after desperate attempts by Cork surgeons to save it failed.

Mr Costello's brother, John, now has only 90pc vision in his right eye and 80pc vision in his left eye.

Francis Costello, a father-of-three, was rushed by ambulance to Cork University Hospital (CUH) where he underwent emergency medical treatment for several weeks.

Gardai later found a bottle nearby and Detective Inspector Jason Lynch said it was found to have contained a powerful caustic soda solution used for unblocking clogged drains.

In an emotional victim impact statement, Francis Costello said the pain was so great that evening he wanted to die.

The court heard that Mr Costello, who had previously worked in retail, lost his job and is now fearful every day of losing his sight.

Judge McCourt was told that John Paul Carey had been working that day but, after going for a few drinks, had become agitated over a dispute between Mr Costello, Mr Costello's former partner who was now in a relationship with him, and himself.

He called to the Costello family home and, after Francis Costello answered the door, threw the caustic liquid into his face.

The liquid was also thrown on his two brothers who rushed to help their sibling when they heard him screaming in agony and writhing on the ground by the front door.

Judge McCourt was told that the incident occurred while Carey was under the provisions of a suspended portion of a four year and six month sentence imposed for the armed robbery of Little Island Post Office on February 5 2020.

Carey had also received a ten year prison sentence, with the final five years suspended, for drug offences.

"Not only were these attacks cowardly but they were unprovoked," Judge McCourt said.

"The level of harm visited on Francis Costello is appalling. This (offence) clearly falls at the upper end of the scale."

Judge McCourt agreed to suspend the final six months of the 10 year prison sentence on the basis of Carey entering into a bond to keep the peace for one year on his release from prison.
Ivan Gilder, originally from Scotland, entered guilty pleas to seven charges on Monday

A 62-year-old man has pleaded guilty at the Circuit Criminal Court in Tralee to manufacturing explosives and to having firearms and ammunition at his home near Sneem in March 2021.

Ivan Gilder of Gearha North, Blackwater, Sneem, originally from Scotland, entered guilty pleas to seven charges on Monday under the Offences Against the State and the Criminal Justice Acts.

Five of the seven offences Mr Gilder admitted to at Gearha North on March 27, 2021, come under Section Four of the Explosive Substances Act, 1883 as amended by Section 15 (4) of the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act 1998.

They include making an explosive substance, namely a white crystalline powder containing Erithritol Tetranitrate (ETN), under such circumstances as to give rise to the reasonable suspicion that he did not make it for a lawful object, according to the charge.

Mr Gilder also pleaded guilty to having in his possession an explosive substance, namely black crystalline powder, known as black powder. Mr Gilder has also admitted to having a pipe bomb in his possession.

He further pleaded guilty to having a radio controlled multi-channel pyrotechnic initiator and control transmitter, which he had made or manufactured.

He also admitted to having an explosive substance which he had manufactured or made, an improvised electric match.

Mr Gilder also admitted to possessing a firearm  a 12-gauge Lamber-make shotgun  as well as having 367 rounds of .22-calibre ammunition and 86 shotgun cartridges, in suspicious circumstances.

A second man, Thomas Albrighton, aged 33, of Ardeen, Sneem, pleaded guilty last week at the Tralee Circuit Court to possession of ammunition at Ardeen on March 27, 2021, including 271 rounds of .22 ammunition and nine 12-gauge shotgun cartridges.

Mr Albrighton also pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm, a .22 calibre Marlin rifle, which was not authorised by a Firearms Certificate, contrary to the Firearms Acts.

Prosecutor Tom Rice said both accused had now pleaded guilty to possession of firearms, and the prosecution now has to seek direction from the DPP as to the scale of the offences.

Judge Sinead Behan adjourned the matter to the call over list in Tralee on January 16 next. Legal aid granted to both men has been extended.

Barry White SC represents Mr Gilder and Katie OConnell barrister represents Mr Albrighton.

Meanwhile, the court on Monday had to be adjourned briefly to allow facilities to be installed for Mr Gilder, who is in a wheelchair to allow him to exit the court. This is because Tralee has no wheelchair facilities, the court was told.
Candice Heron (31) did not actually have acid but made the threat and obstructed the garda after becoming irate at being told she could not drink alcohol on the street,

Candice Heron (31) did not actually have acid but made the threat. Stock image

A woman kicked a garda and threatened to throw acid in her face as she was resisting arrest on a Dublin city centre street.

Candice Heron (31) did not actually have acid but made the threat and obstructed the garda after becoming irate at being told she could not drink alcohol on the street,

Judge Bryan Smyth adjourned sentencing to a later date at Dublin District Court.

Heron, with an address at a city centre hostel, pleaded guilty to garda obstruction and threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour. She also admitted separate public order and theft charges.

Garda Sergeant Tony Flanagan told the court gardai were on duty at the GPO on OConnell Street at 10.30am on September 13, this year.

When they approached the accused, she became verbally abusive for no reason.

Heron was drinking alcohol and when told this was prohibited under by-laws, this made her more irate.

She kicked out at a garda, striking her on the knee and threatened the garda that she would throw acid on her face, Sgt Flanagan said.

He agreed with defence solicitor Tony Collier there was no question that the accused had any acid in her possession.

Separately, at 9.35pm on November 7, gardai encountered the accused and another person begging on Dame Street. When they asked her to move on, Heron became verbally abusive to the gardai.

She was asked to desist on numerous occasions but she became highly aggressive and was arrested.

Gardai found a H&M jumper with the security tag still attached in her possession after her arrest. They established it was stolen and it was recovered and returned to the shop.

Heron was found staggering, falling from the footpath and unable to stand without assistance at Belvedere Road, Dublin 1, on October 12. Gardai had to intervene and arrested her for her own safety due to the level of her intoxication.

The accused went to Penneys on OConnell Street on October 1 and stole 79 worth of clothes. She was stopped by security as she left and the goods were recovered.

Heron had 26 previous convictions. The penalties included a short prison term and a suspended sentence last year.

She was already in custody when she appeared in court on the latest charges.

Judge Smyth remanded her in custody to later this month when he will hear mitigation from the defence before finalising the case.
The 26-year-old man can't be named to protect the anonymity of his victim

A Dublin man who raped a teenage girl in the grounds of a GAA club has been jailed for five years.

The 26-year-old man, who can't be named to protect the anonymity of his victim, was found guilty of rape following a trial at the Central Criminal Court in July.

He had pleaded not guilty to one count of rape on May 25, 2017 in the grounds of a GAA club. The victim was aged 16 at the time, while the man was then 19. He has no previous convictions.

Justice David Keane sentenced him to five years' imprisonment yesterday which was backdated to when the man entered custody earlier this year on 17 July, 2023.

An investigating garda told Eilis Brennan SC, prosecuting, that the victim was friends with the man's sibling. The man would often buy cigarettes for her and they were friendly.

On the day in question, they were texting and the girl asked him to get her some cigarettes, which he did. He asked her to go for a walk, and she said she was with friends.

The man told her to let him know when she was ready. At 9.58pm, he texted her asking her to hurry and she replied that she was leaving her friends.

He told her he was at a GAA club and they arranged to meet in the club's grounds.

The victim told gardai that she thought they would go there to smoke.

They sat down, had a smoke and started chatting. The man tried to kiss the girl, but she said no as she didn't want to kiss him.

She said the man then pushed her shoulders and she fell backwards. She told him no, but he started to kiss her face, hands and stomach.

She said the man also tried to put his hands down her top and trousers.

The woman said she didn't scream as she didn't know what he was going to do. The man then raped her.

Afterwards, he smoked cannabis, then left. The teenager was shocked as she thought her friend's brother would look after her.

She went home and later challenged the man in a text exchange, part of which was deleted.

She told her mother what had happened shortly afterwards and a complaint was made to gardai. She was taken to a sexual assault treatment unit where lower back pain and bruising was identified.

The man gave a voluntary cautioned statement to gardai in July 2017.

He accepted he had been in the GAA ground with the girl and said they kissed. He claimed the victim told him not to tell anyone as she didn't want her boyfriend to find out.

The victim's impact statement was read to the court by Ms Brennan.

She said she received no support and was left to deal with the effects by herself. She said she hadn't spoken to anyone about what happened for six years and was afraid to go out in case she saw him.

She said she didn't finish school and moved away from the area, but has since returned. She works, but feels she has to hide if a member of the man's family comes to her workplace.

I will never understand why it happened. Did I do something wrong, she said, adding that it is hard to live with.

She said she has pretended to be okay and will continue to do so until the day comes when I'm okay.

Defence counsel, Paul Greene SC, noted the Probation Service assesses his client as at a medium risk of re-offending.

He said his client has taken a particular position in relation to the verdict, but respects the court process.

Defence counsel said while rape is an inherently violent act, there was no more significant violence involved in this incident.

Imposing sentence, Mr Justice David Keane said an aggravating factor was that the man was three and a half years older than the victim. He also noted the man pleaded not guilty and has not made an apology.

Mitigating factors were that the man had previously been of good character, cooperated with gardai and has not come to garda attention on other matters.

Justice Keane wished the victim well in what he hopes will be her continuing recovery.

A number of testimonials from the man's friends, family and former colleagues were also handed into the court on his behalf.

The guilty man maintains his innocence and does not accept the jury's verdict.
Ann Marie Keenan (37) repeatedly maintained her claim during the garda investigation, a court heard

A woman made a false rape allegation against a man, "sticking to her story" when gardai put the inconsistencies against her, a court heard.

Ann Marie Keenan (37) repeatedly maintained her claim during the garda investigation, a court heard.

The case was adjourned at Dublin District Court for finalisation on a later date.

Keenan was charged with making false statements tending to show rape offences had taken place. The statements were made at Fitzgibbon Street garda station on August 13 last year, and January 4 and February 14 this year.

Keenan, with an address at Kildonan Avenue, Finglas, pleaded guilty to the charges, which are under Section 12 (a) of the Criminal Law Act.

A garda sergeant told Judge Bryan Smyth the DPP had consented to the case being dealt with in the district court on a plea of guilty only.

Ann Marie Keenan

Outlining the evidence, he said gardai took a report from the accused in relation to a rape allegation at a location in Dublin. She alleged she was the victim of an assault, leading to an investigation being launched.

A house party was referred to and when a female relation of the accused was spoken to she denied it ever happened.

The accused had told gardai she went to a sexual assault treatment unit but the hospital had no record of this.

Keenan also stated she had spoken to a garda but there was no garda by the name she had given.

Gardai took a statement where the witness declaration was explained to Keenan and she stuck to her story. When she returned and gave another statement, inconsistencies were put to her but she stuck to the same story.

The third time gardai spoke to her she again maintained the allegation.

The man she named did exist and when gardai interviewed him on a voluntary basis, he had no knowledge of this taking place, the sergeant said.

Keenan had no previous convictions.

Judge Smyth said the injured party would have to be asked if he wanted to make a victim impact statement.

He is a victim, the judge said, adding obviously its a serious matter.

The sergeant said he did not know if the victim was known to the accused. Judge Smyth said this could be clarified on the next date.

There were psychiatric issues involved and the accuseds lawyer sought to have a report prepared on Keenan. The judge remanded her on continuing bail to a date in January, when he will hear mitigation and finalise the case.
Rhonda Riordan (52) called the nurse a fat c**t, then claimed in evidence that the case against her was all lies.

A hospital patient was arrested for hurling abuse at a triage nurse after she was discharged but refused to leave, a court heard.

Rhonda Riordan (52) called the nurse a fat c**t, then claimed in evidence that the case against her was all lies.

Judge Bryan Smyth found her guilty of public order offences but applied the Probation Act, leaving her without convictions, saying there were extenuating medical issues.

Riordan, of Stormanstown Avenue, Ballymun had denied threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour and failing to comply with garda directions.

Dublin District Court heard gardai were called to deal with the accused at the Mater Hospital on September 14 last year.

She proceeded to call the triage nurse a fat c**t, the garda said.

She began to leave at the gardas direction but then continued to abuse the nurse and was arrested.

Riordan told the court she had been taken to hospital by ambulance but was not being dealt with, and was never triaged. She said she was unaware of a garda being called. Her husband was a police officer in Northern Ireland, and she had the utmost respect for the gardai, she said.

Its all lies, she said. I did not call any nurse any such name whatsoever.

She alleged it was she who had been verbally abused by a garda.

The accused was struggling with an illness and had a difficulty with drink which she had used as a coping mechanism for previous trauma, her solicitor Eoghan OSullivan said.
Insight

Kiev's dark moment and America's fateful choice By Tamar Jacoby Published November 21, 2023

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What a difference a few weeks makes. When I left Kiev in September for a short trip to the U.S., the late summer weather was perfect and the mood in Ukraine was upbeat and determined. There had been heavy fighting on the southern and eastern fronts  the long-awaited counteroffensive was going more slowly than many had hoped.

But by and large, the country I left was the Ukraine the world had been rooting for since February 2022: Little David pushing back against the Russian Goliath  plucky, resourceful, resilient and still surprising us with successes on the battlefield.

By the time I returned to Kiev, the world had turned upside down. Hamas terrorists had launched a 21st century pogrom in southern Israel. Israelis were retaliating with overwhelming force in Gaza. Worst of all for Ukraine, the U.S. aid Kiev relies on to prosecute the war was in jeopardy, with a largely friendly Senate and far less supportive House on a collision course as they debated President Joe Biden's request for another $61.4 billion in military and humanitarian support.

The mood in the city was subdued  as one of my friends put it, this is a "dark moment." An early burst of support for Israel  huge blue and white flags projected on landmarks and billboards across Ukraine  had subsided into worry. Would the fighting in the Middle East steal the world's attention? With winter approaching and more of last year's brutal blackouts looming, stores were filled with shoppers buying bottled water and canned goods. The residents of my apartment building chipped in for an industrial generator.

Perhaps most striking, after nearly two years of rousing leadership by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his government, the official tone had shifted dramatically. The revered commander of the armed forces, General Valerii Zaluzhny, conceded in an interview that the counteroffensive had reached a stalemate. Zelenskyy objected to the use of that word, but he spoke solemnly about the darkening mood. "It is important for people to understand that what weighs on their hearts is seen," he noted, freeing many people to open up about their doubts and fears.

And they have. "I'm struggling to handle it emotionally," one 30-something professional woman admitted. (Like many of those I spoke with, she didn't want her name used.)

But others seemed to welcome the breakthrough: "The situation has changed, and it's time for society to wake up," civil society activist Mykhailo Zhernakov explained. "We're not going to take Crimea in a few weeks, as some people claimed we would, and it's time we realized that."

The pressing question, for Ukrainians and Americans: how to respond to the new reality.

Any Ukrainian reckoning starts with the situation on the ground. Not everyone is downbeat. There have been no flashy victories like last year's in Kharkiv and Kherson, but many understand that expectations were unrealistic. Besides, Russia has also been unable to advance.

"Stalemate is not the same as failure," one young civil servant offered. "It's Russia that has failed. Remember, their goal is to wipe us off the map."

Still, many people are asking themselves what needs to change.

Some want Kiev to do a better job of setting a goal  what exactly does victory look like? Others are looking for more honesty from government. "They ought to publish the casualty figures," one neighbor argued. "People need to know the full price."

Still others want Ukraine to ramp up domestic weapons production. "We need to be able to do more on our own," a soldier maintained. One midcareer professional told me he was considering enlisting. "We're running out of infantry," he explained. "Sooner or later, we'll all end up fighting."

Most Ukrainians understand that time is not on their side. Russia has more resources and more manpower, and Putin faces no significant domestic opposition  he is free to wage a forever war.

Many people I spoke with were asking themselves what military aims are achievable and pondering potential scenarios for the endgame. But even now, even as the options dwindle, no one I encountered supports a cease-fire.

"Not until it's the only resort," one fighting-age man declared, "and we're not there yet."

The biggest unknown and biggest worry for Ukrainians is in Washington: Will the U.S. continue to help, and with what level of support?

The worse the prospects on the ground, the more assistance people hope for. "We can't win the war as is, with the aid we're getting from the U.S. and Europe," one young man said flatly. "Just enough help so Moscow doesn't win but not enough so we win."

For many Ukrainians, the fighting in Gaza only strengthens their case. "It's all connected," argued financial analyst Valera Kondratenko, 33. "Iran, Russia, China: Any victory by any one of them, no matter how local, gives them all more confidence that they can achieve their goals with lawless aggression."

But few of the people I spoke with see these arguments gaining traction in Washington, and many are wondering what went wrong  how did they so misunderstand when Biden promised "as long as it takes"?

"Don't Americans see," the civil servant asked, "that this is a bargain? No Americans are fighting or dying. We are, and we're weakening our common enemy, the Russians."

In the end, it comes down to a fundamental asymmetry between Ukraine and the U.S. Ukrainians feel they have no choice: "Either we fight, or we cease to exist," as one woman put it.

America faces a fateful choice. As things get tougher in Ukraine this winter, the U.S. can back off, cutting aid and retreating into ourselves. Or the bitter news from the battlefield could clarify the stakes and simplify the stark choices we face.

Are we really prepared to walk away and let Russia win?

Tamar Jacoby is president of Opportunity America, a Washington-based nonprofit working to promote economic mobility --- work, skills, careers, ownership and entrepreneurship for poor and working Americans. A former journalist and author, Jacoby was a senior writer and justice editor at Newsweek and, before that, the deputy editor of The New York Times op-ed page. She was a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and spent a year in Paris working for the Hudson Institute.
AGHDAM, Azerbaijan, November 21. Artificial fortifications created by the Armenians on the territory of Azerbaijan during the occupation are being destroyed, Trend's Karabakh bureau said.

Iron grids made of cables for anti-aircraft defense purposes have been discovered and dismantled.

Such defensive structures were first discovered in the direction of Hadrut, and later in the territory of the liberated Gyzyl Kangarli village in the Aghdam district after the 2020 second Karabakh war.

This "method", used to prevent aerial attacks, was also used in the mountains of the Shusha and Lachin districts. It was intended to prevent the flights of the Azerbaijani Army's aviation at low altitudes during large-scale military operations.

Thick cables, with a total length of over 1,000 meters, stretched from one mountain to another, along with other cables attached to them approximately every 40 meters, hanging down, are considered a serious and cunning obstacle.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
The Twitter and Facebook posts stated that "paedophile brother of Veronica Guerin, murdered with the involvement of garda" had been found guilty of possession of hundreds of child sexual abuse images.

Jimmy Guerin, a brother of murdered journalist Veronica Guerin, claims in a High Court action that Gemma O'Doherty defamed him in social media posts and a website video which he claims meant he was a convicted paedophile.

Mr Guerin is suing Ms O'Doherty, a former journalist with the Irish Independent, over the postings on Twitter (X), Facebook and her own internet video broadcast portal, Gemma.TV, on July 11 and 12, 2019.

The Twitter and Facebook posts stated that "paedophile brother of Veronica Guerin, murdered with the involvement of garda" had been found guilty of possession of hundreds of child sexual abuse images.

The hour-long broadcast, in which Ms O'Doherty speaks about several issues including that the mainstream media covers up and protects paedophilia, states "how the brother of Veronica Guerin" was found with large quantities of child sexual abuse images.

It was in fact Mr Guerins brother, Martin Guerin (68) who pleaded guilty in 2019 to possession of child pornography, and later received a suspended prison sentence.

Jimmy Guerin

Jimmy Guerin, who is also an independent Fingal Co Councillor and a businessman, says the words published and broadcast by Ms O'Doherty were understood to refer to him and meant he was a paedophile.

The material was "cynically and deliberately calculated not to identify the plaintiff's brother" and therefore identify Jimmy as the individual" who had come before the courts, he claims.

Ms O'Doherty refused to apologise or to remove the posts and broadcasts when asked to do so by Mr Guerin's solicitors, Flynn O'Driscoll, who then issued defamation proceedings.

In her defence, Ms O'Doherty admits publication but says her words were clearly intended and understood to refer to Martin.

She claims it is "ludicrous, bizarre and nonsensical and profoundly dishonest" to claim she was referring to Jimmy when she, "like most of the country", knew she was referring to Martin.

Opening Mr Guerins case, Ronan Lupton SC, with Shane English BL, said their side pleads that the references were defamatory of Jimmy and could be seen as so in the context of a Facebook comment which asked is "this was the same man who was up on his high horse during Gemma's Presidential campaign, standing up for the establishment".

The publications were false and defamatory in circumstances including that Jimmy Guerin has the highest profile with regards to his late sister., he said.

Feargal Kavanagh SC, for Ms O'Doherty, said his client will say there was absolutely no intention to refer to Jimmy and that it was widely known, and all over the national newspapers, that it was not him. Presumably, anyone who knew Jimmy would know it was not him, he said.

Mr Guerin was relying on a thread to say she had been referring to him and, counsel said, it was their case that the thread was so thin as to be invisible or non-existent.

The trial continues on Wednesday before a jury and Mr Justice Tony O'Connor.
The accused man's solicitor, Mr Patsy Gallagher, told Judge Eiteain Cunningham that the case arose from a "very unfortunate situation"

A grieving man has appeared in court after catching his cousin in bed with his girlfriend before his mother's funeral.

Bernat Slawomir, 38, appeared before Letterkenny District Court in Co Donegal charged with trespass and criminal damage.

The court heard that Slawomir had just lost his mother and that the victim had flown in from Poland to attend the funeral.

However, when Slawomir came home from making arrangements for his mother's funeral he found his cousin in what his solicitor described as "a compromising position in the bedroom."

Slawomir, of Beechwood Park, Letterkenny, is charged with two counts of criminal damage and also trespass at the home of his girlfriend Agata Wagnerowska at Ard Ban, Ballyboe, Glencar, Letterkenny on December 9, 2022.

He is charged with trespassing at the address and also causing damage to a sitting room window and also two potted plants.

The accused man's solicitor, Mr Patsy Gallagher, told Judge Eiteain Cunningham that the case arose from a "very unfortunate situation" between himself, his cousin and his girlfriend.

He said "The parties were together after the passing of my client's mother. His cousin had arrived over from Poland for the funeral and my client had gone out to make arrangements for the funeral.

"When he returned he found his partner in a compromising position in the bedroom with the victim in this matter and the charges arise from that."

Garda Sergeant Jim Collins told the court that a certain course is being taken in the case.

Judge Cunningham said that none of the facts had been opened to her and that this might be a case which would be appropriate for a Probation and Welfare Report to be carried out.

She adjourned the case until March 25th, 2024 for a plea or a hearing date.
During the attack, Mr English and his friend were threatened with a knife, forced to undress, assaulted, robbed, degraded and tortured

One of two women who filmed the torture of Irish backpacker Cian English before he fell to his death from a balcony after being assaulted in Australia has said she is haunted by what she did.

The two, who were just 16 at the time of the attack, have spent less than a fortnight behind bars for their role in the death of the 19-year-old.

English, who was originally from Carlow but lived in the Brisbane suburb of Hawthorne, was on a weekend getaway at Surfers Paradise in 2020 when he and a friend were confronted by three men who falsely accused them of stealing prescription medication.

Lachlan Paul Soper-Lagas, Hayden Paul Kratzmann and Jason Ryan Knowles pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of 19-year-old Cian English in Brisbane's Supreme Court.

Last September, Kratzmann and Knowles were sentenced to nine-and-a-half years behind bars while Soper-Lagas was sentenced to eight years due to varying degrees of culpability.

During the attack, Mr English and his friend were threatened with a knife, forced to undress, assaulted, robbed, degraded and tortured.

Some of the 27-minute ordeal was filmed by two women who are now 19 and 20 years old.

The Supreme Court in Brisbane heard one of the women filmed the moment she forced Mr English to clean his blood from the floor and captioned the video "the bad b**** I am, making this c*** clean his own blood up".

The other woman also filmed the scene from the balcony after Mr English fell to his death.

"They knew he was critically injured on the ground, but they fled the unit," prosecutor Caroline Marco said, according to local media.

The court heard the girls posted the videos to social media after the attack, and the group argued over who would keep clothing stolen from the teenagers.

"After these events, you weren't shocked to your senses. You posted videos to your social media accounts," Justice Peter Applegarth said.

"Labels don't really help; callous and selfish come to mind.

"How is that anything other than cruel? It certainly doesn't show remorse after the events."

In her impact statement, Mr English's mother Siobhan English said every time she thinks of the way her son died "it destroys a little bit of me".

"Waking up every morning and praying and hoping it was all a horrible nightmare, only to be brought back to reality every day, the gut-wrenching pain and torture, again and again and again, she said, according to ABC News in Australia.

"An entire generation [of my family] has been haunted forever," she said.

Justice Applegarth said the women endorsed the actions of the men by filming and encouraging them.

"Had you not picked up your phone and recorded this, the events would have been the same," he said.

"But the violent, brutal, egotistical offenders didn't need any encouragement."

The defence barrister for one of the women, Martin Longhurst, described his client's actions as "shocking and disgraceful" but said she was remorseful, and had read "every page of the victim impact statement".

The court heard both women had difficult upbringings and had tried to turn their lives around since Mr English's death.

In an apology to the English family, one of the women said she "would never forgive herself" and was "haunted by what [she] did".

Both women pleaded guilty to one count each of torture, and two counts each of armed robbery.

They were given a two-year probation order, and a conviction was not recorded.'

In sentencing the three men at an earlier court hearing, Chief Justice Helen Bowskill said it was an "absolutely tragic case".

"Your appalling criminal conduct resulted in the death of one young man, Cian English, very much loved by family and friends, causing unfathomable grief and pain, compounded by the circumstances in which he died," she said.

Justice Bowskill said a particularly "abhorrent" part of the offence was that it was filmed and shared to social media.

"It would have been terrifying. Your conduct, which was not fleeting or brief, was despicable because of the performative element."

The men's behaviour after Mr English had fled to the balcony and fallen four floors to his death was described by Justice Bowskill as "callous and despicable", as they continued to film.

"You did nothing to help him or call for help. You fled."

Kratzmann and Soper-Lagas who even wore items of Mr English's clothes took photos which were circulated on social media after the attack.

Kratzmann eventually called an emergency number half an hour after Mr English fell but gave them the wrong address.

Soper-Lagas's defence lawyer said his client had "expressed genuine remorse".

"He doesn't really possess the words to describe the sorry he feels for [the English family].

"The last thing he sees at night being the face of Mr English  and the first thing in the morning."

Knowles's lawyer said in a near four-hour interview with a psychologist, his client had detailed how "ashamed" he was.

"He understood and had empathy for the deceased's family, who will have to live without their son, and became teary in the course of the interview.

"He indicated to the psychologist that he now has to live with the events of that particular evening, and the consequences ... [and knows] that's not as bad as what the victim's family would be going through.

"He is disgusted with what happened. He has little memory of the [incident].

"He just can't bring himself to think about it again."

The Irish teenager was living with his parents Siobhan and Vinny and older brother Dylan. The family left Ireland 20 years ago, first to the Caribbean where Cians father worked for Digicel and then settled in Brisbane in 2011.

His ashes were laid to rest in St Marys Cemetery, Leighlinbridge, Co Carlow several weeks after his death.
Ledwidge (23) was shot several times as he answered the door of his home on Barry Drive at around 7pm on Saturday

Murdered Brandon Ledwidge who was shot dead in Finglas, Dublin last Saturday night, was due in court today on drug possession and intent to sell charges, The Sunday World can reveal.

Ledwidge (23), who was shot several times as he answered the door of his home on Barry Drive at around 7pm, was facing three separate charges for possession of heroin and cocaine with the intent of sale or supply.

Two charges relating to the possession of cocaine and diamorphine and two of possession for sale or supply were due to be heard today.

Meanwhile, a post-mortem has been completed by the State Pathologist Dr Sally Ann Collis yesterday, the results of which are not being released for operational reasons according to the Garda Press Office.

A technical examination of the scene has since been completed by the Garda Technical Bureau.

The investigation is being led by a Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) and a Garda Family Liaison Officer (FLO) has been appointed to liaise with the family of the deceased.

The Sunday World previously reported Brandon Ledwidge was not considered a serious criminal but had links to gangsters far higher up the food chain than him, according sources.

A gunman who had called to the home opened fire, shooting the victim four times in the head and body.

He was shot at close range and didnt stand a chance sources added.

Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact Finglas Garda Station on 01 666 7500, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any garda station.

Several tributes to the young man have been posed on social media since the killing, with friends and family dedicating Facebook posts to him.

An aunt wrote that she was broken after her nephews death, adding that she considered him to be one of her closest pals.

My nephew/brother... My forever best friend... I loved you from the first day of your life and I'll love you till the last day of my life, she wrote.
The attack was the second attempt on Walshs life in the space of six weeksCarlow-based gang is suspected of taking on a contract

A former prison cellmate of gangland target James Nellie Walsh (37) is one of five people arrested over a botched attempt on his life last December.

A Carlow-based gang is suspected of taking on a contract  offered by a sub-cell of the Kinahan cartel  to murder Walsh, it has emerged.

Details of the plot can be revealed after the arrest yesterday of four men and a woman by gardai investigating the assassination attempt on Walsh at The Laurels estate in Carlow town on the evening of December 5, 2022.

The attack was the second attempt on Walshs life in the space of six weeks.

A criminal in his 20s, who was among those arrested yesterday, once shared a cell with Walsh, and is now suspected of betraying him for large profit in the murder plot, which it is believed he organised with another Carlow criminal.

At the centre of the plot was the gangs knowledge that Walsh was attempting to buy a car. It is understood his ex-cellmate used this knowledge to lure Walsh to the location where the shooting happened and was also present at the scene at one stage.

All five suspects were being questioned last night at garda stations in the south-east of the country on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder and are described as the key logistical people on the ground for the gun attack on one of Irelands most under-threat criminals.

Carlow gardai have been involved in a long-running investigation into the attempted murder which has involved the analysis of CCTV, fingerprints and mobile phones.

The suspected shooter in the case has not yet been arrested but gardai have a clear picture of events surrounding the botched attempt on Walsh who they believe was set up when he travelled from New Ross, Co Wexford, to buy a car.

Four shots in total were fired at him from a 9mm pistol in the Co Carlow murder attempt but he was not hit by any bullet.

Only six weeks earlier, Walsh also survived a machine-gun attack in Tallaght, leading him to flee his home in west Dublin.

Walsh is involved in a bitter feud with Clondalkin-based Kinahan cartel-linked drugs traffickers, which has been ongoing for years and has claimed four lives, including two of his closest associates who were shot dead just a week apart in 2017.

A Co Wexford-based woman, linked to Walshs ex-cellmate, was also arrested in yesterdays garda operation, which spanned three counties  Carlow, Wexford and Waterford.

The west Dublin-based organised crime gang who have been trying to kill Walsh for years enlisted the Carlow gang to try and have him murdered once and for all, a source said.

It did not work out and the enlisted crew made many mistakes in terms of forensics and other matters which has led to these arrests, which are highly significant.

Some of the suspects arrested yesterday are understood to have been directing Walshs movements on the day and then feeding information back to spotters, who were communicating with the gunman, in what was an elaborate attempt to murder the gangster.
There was a large amount of hard and soft drugs on the passenger seat of the car

Police in the Netherlands have seized 1,000 ecstasy pills emblazoned with a Nazi Eagle symbol following a traffic stop in the town of Kerkrade.

The driver of the car has been arrested after police found what has been described a large amount of hard and soft drugs on the passenger seat.

Officers mounting a check point at Museumplein in Kerkrade noticed a car that had initially ignored a stop sign.

When they managed to force the driver to stop, it has been reported, it turned out that the man did not have a valid driver's license with him.

There was a large amount of hard and soft drugs on the passenger seat of the car, www.crimesite.nl reports. It involved 1,000 ecstasy pills, 500 grams of weed and 100 grams of cocaine.

The driver who was reportedly under the influence of drugs was immediately arrested and taken to the police station.

The ecstasy pills which bore the Nazi Eagle and Swastika symbols were seized alongside the other drugs.
Ms McCormick said she realised something was wrong when she woke up in the hospital with one of her lungs partially collapsed

A 65-year-old American woman who woke up after surgery in Mexico with breast implants and a Brazilian butt lift she did not want is now facing a $75,000 medical bill to correct the damage.

Kimberly McCormick attended the Mexico Bariatric Center in Tijuana for discount skin-tightening surgery but ended up with breast augmentation and a butt lift that she had not requested.

I called my daughter bawling, because I woke up with a huge breast, which if I live to be 500, I never would have wanted, McCormick told anchor Natasha Zouves on US station NewsNation.

Ms McCormick had returned to the same clinic, one of the biggest medical tourism providers of bariatric surgery world, six years after undergoing successful weight-loss surgery there.

She was seeking several procedures to remove 90-inches of excess skin following her 150-pound weight-loss but is now facing a massive bill back in the US to undo the damage done in Mexico.

Kimberly McCormick

The surgery cost just $13,000 in Mexico whereas it would have cost more than $50,000 in the US but American doctors estimate it will cost a ball-park figure of $75,000 to correct the work.

Ms McCormick said she realised something was wrong when she woke up in the hospital with one of her lungs partially collapsed.

Referring to the marks her surgeon had made on the body parts that were supposed to be altered, she said: The leg lift, the arm lift, the breast lift, and the tummy tuck, everything was marked out and ready to go.

I went into surgery at four o'clock in the afternoon. And apparently I didn't come out of surgery until 1.30 in the morning.

Her daughter, Misty Ann McCormick, claimed doctors did not come to see her mother for several days after the operation while she was prevented from visiting her.

And when Misty Ann did finally get to see her mother she found her lips were blue and her nose was grey.

McCormick said that when she did see a nurse after her surgery, she told her: Oh chica, you're so sexy.

Well, I'm 65 years old, I'm not a chica and sexy was not my goal, the upset patient recalled thinking. I was mortified, just mortified.

Misty Ann says that when she confronted the hospital about what had happened to her mother, she was physically removed from the premises by large, armed men who manhandled her, beat her with machine guns, and kicked her in the ribs.

Kimberly McCormick and her daughter Misty Ann recall their story

She further claims that when she was thrown outside, a group of police officers who were all speaking Spanish refused to help her.

Misty Ann also claimed that hospital staff forced them to pay an additional $2,500 more than the pre-paid price for the procedures, as Kimberly had stayed for a longer-than-anticipated recovery period.

They were allegedly threatened with arrest and jail if they didn't cough up the cash, while Kimberly was forced to sign a form saying she wanted the unauthorized surgeries she had received.

Kimberly went to the ER when they arrived back in San Diego to receive treatment for a serious infection she had developed after being kept in an unsanitary room at the Mexican hospital.

Mexico's popular medical tourism industry often involves all-inclusive packages available for international patients traveling to receive cosmetic surgery at a lower rate than at home.

The medical tourism industry, which exists across Europe and Asia as well as in North America, is estimated to be valued at $70billion.
It has been an incredible journey filled with laughter, music, and unforgettable moments

An iconic Dublin pub and nightclub that recently closed has hinted they have been bought out by a famous UFC star.

Taking to social media, the Shack in Tallaght said the popular night spot was shutting its doors but that a new owner has acquired the building, bringing excitement and anticipation for what's to come.

In the message posted on Facebook to friends and valued patrons, it was revealed that with heavy heart, I must share the news that our beloved pub, and nightclub will be closing its doors this Saturday.

It has been an incredible journey filled with laughter, music, and unforgettable moments, the message reads.

To our amazing DJs who brought life to our dance floors, the dedicated staff who poured their passion into every drink, the loyal customers who became like family, and the suppliers who kept our shelves stocked  thank you.

"Your contributions made this establishment more than just a business; it became a community.

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It then hints at the new owner, saying: As we bid farewell, I'm thrilled to share that a new chapter awaits for this space. Rumour has it that a famous UFC star has acquired the building, bringing excitement and anticipation for what's to come.

Thank you all for being part of our story. Your support has meant the world, and we'll cherish the memories created here forever.

The Shack, on the Old Blessington Road in Tallaght Village, was formerly known as The Metro.

Locals in Tallaght who fondly remember the Metro days shared their memories of the popular spot, with one replying: "Yiz are welcome lads. Loved the crack and the journey. Made many friends and had many exciting episodes there. See yiz around."

While others reminisced on a time gone by, saying: "It will always be The Metro" and another adding: "So are we giving the Metro a send off Friday night?

Another added: Its been a pleasure, made my debut here as a DJ and have had some cracking nights, thanks for all the good times.

One famous UFC star has been busy recently snapping up various pubs and venues to add to his burgeoning property empire.

We reported recently how mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor, who founded Forged Irish Stout, has had an offer to buy a venue in the popular nightlife area of Temple Bar accepted.

Sources in the hospitality sector say the deal is expected to be finalised and announced in the coming weeks. The identity of the venue has not been officially revealed.

The Black Forge owner has been linked to numerous other venues after declaring on social media that he is expanding his operations

The Irish Independent also revealed how the Crumlin man has also bought a premises in the Marlfield Mall in Tallaght. Sources with knowledge of the deal said it was originally intended to be turned into six apartments, but it may now be used as a restaurant.

Documents lodged with the Land Registry show a company called Oakmount Investments Limited purchased the property in July this year. Its director is accountant Alan Geraghty, the man behind McGregors property transactions.

Another company connected to Geraghty, Kildare Investments Limited, purchased a site in an industrial estate near Greenhills business centre in Tallaght during the summer.

Construction is now under way for 188 build-to-rent apartments on the site of the former Miller printing building and SCR Garage in Dublin 12.

The businessman is director of a number of companies linked to McGregors entrepreneurial ventures. Emrajare Limited purchased several sites on Davitt Road, along the Grand Canal in Drimnagh.

Construction is now under way for 188 build-to-rent apartments on the Dublub 12 site after overcoming a series of planning delays  including concerns over Japanese Knotweed and the protection of bats.

Demolition work was completed during the summer. McGregor previously indicated the aim was to build up to 300 apartments in the area. On an adjoining site, the Marble Arch pub currently remains closed. McGregor, who was fined in court after assaulting a pensioner who refused to drink a glass of Proper No. Twelve, bought the venue in 2019 and said: Yeah, and yer man is barred.

It was initially proposed to be turned into a 128-unit development, with a cafe, gym and artist and community space. However, its understood the council deemed the plans to be too dense.

New plans are expected to be lodged for a slightly lower number of units, with the Marble Arch maintained. McGregor is estimated to have spent around 19m on the sites.

Another venue he bought in Howth is also currently lying idle with development still to get under way. No official plans have yet been lodged.

He purchased the Waterside Bar in Howth in 2022, with hospitality sources saying he may be considering turning the venue into a hotel.

McGregors were not here to take part, were here to take over slogan, which he made famous following his MMA bouts, has now been adopted as a marketing strategy. Forged Irish Stout hit shelves earlier this year and has now launched in the UK, with advertising indicating it intends to take over the market. It will be available in the US and Canada later this month.

He has also bought the Porterhouse Brewery in Dublin, where Forged Irish Stout is currently brewed. The deal did not include any of the Porterhouse bars.

The Black Forge Inn in Drimnagh, the first pub McGregor opened, has become a tourist hotspot with regular appearances from celebrity figures. US rapper Snoop Dogg is the latest star to have graced the venue.

The pub recorded losses of 1.13m in 2021, with the owners saying the Covid-19 pandemic impacted trading.

A note attached to the accounts states that the premises only opened to the public on July 26, 2021 when Covid rules allowed indoor dining but at a reduced capacity.

The company did not receive any state assistance through grants or aid throughout the financial period. Earlier this year, Liam Flynn, front-of-house manager at the Black Forge, said the pub is planning to expand worldwide including Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Boston, New York, Chicago and London.

Some of McGregors business ambitions have also had an impact on those in his local community. The Irish Independent previously reported how a barber shop beside the Black Forge closed in September after 70 years of business because it could not afford a rent hike imposed by its landlord, the Conor McGregor-owned Jemi Ventures.

Vincent Roche, who took over the barbers after his father passed away, said there were no hard feelings towards the Black Forge, indicating he was given plenty of notice of the increase and left on good terms with the owners.

One of McGregors first property projects was the building of eight social houses in Santry, north Dublin. Sycamore Residential Homes sold the properties to approved housing body Tuath for 3.5m in 2020.

McGregor took to social media to reveal his involvement in the project at the time. One of the directors of Sycamore Residential Homes is Alan Geraghty. Company records show liquidators were appointed to Sycamore last year following a special resolution to voluntarily wind up.

Aside from property and pub ventures, McGregor has also established a number of other businesses. A McGregor Fast app is available to download to give you the tools to train like an elite competitor.

Tidl Sport, hemp-powered products which are meant to aid in performance recovery, was founded by McGregor. He has also founded August McGregor, a menswear brand created with US clothier David August.

In response to queries from the Irish Independent, Karen Kessler, a spokesperson for McGregor, said: Conor McGregor is proud of the many businesses he owns, and the positive impact and contributions they have on the Irish economy.

He is a prolific entrepreneur and is always pursuing opportunities to add to his portfolio.

According to figures from Forbes, McGregor was ranked 35th in its 2022 top highest earning athlete rankings earning $43m over a 12 month period before dropping off the list in 2023.
A multi-year, multi-stage project by Bay of Plenty Regional Council to upgrade the flood defences in Whakatane is scheduled to begin in January 2024.

Project Future Proof will work to replace or improve the existing stopbanks and floodwalls along the CBD stretches of the Whakatane River / Ohinemataroa, from McAlister Street pump station to the Muriwai Drive Playground.

Flooding is the most common natural hazard in Aotearoa, with a major flood event occurring on average every eight months.

Engineering Manager Mark Townsend says flood protection is the first line of defence when it comes to minimising and managing the risk of significant flood events to people, property and livelihoods.

Thats why we need to upgrade the current CBD flood defences - to handle the weather events were experiencing now, while allowing for the future impacts of climate change that are predicted to come.

Mark says there are two key reasons why this work needs to be done. The first is to repair the areas where there is seepage.

Seepage is when water passes through a stopbank when the river level is high. While controlled seepage is good for relieving pressure within the stopbanks, excessive, uncontrolled seepage can lead to stopbanks collapsing, putting people, property and livelihoods at risk.

The second reason is to adapt to meet the challenges of more frequent, more significant events that may cause flooding  something communities across New Zealand are working to address.

Through our Long Term Plan, we have a level of service for our flood protection that we have agreed on with the community. This means we must provide flood protection that can withstand a flood event of a certain size and scale.

In the case of Whakatane CBD, the flood protection needs to be able to meet a 1per cent annual probability event (AEP) through to 2040. This is an event of a significant size and scale  for example, at that time, the July 2004 flood event was a 1 per cent AEP.

To achieve this level of service, the flood defences need to be upgraded to protect the town against the future impacts of a changing climate, such as increased rainfall and sea level rise.

Stage One of the project is due to begin early 2024. This will focus on the area from the McAlister Street pump station through to the iSite.

Where there are stopbanks (McAlister Street pump station to the Yacht Club), the Regional Council will be increasing the size (width and height) of the existing stopbank by filling it with more earth.

Where there are floodwalls (Yacht Club to the iSite), the existing floodwall will be replaced.

This will involve driving large steel sheet piles into the ground to form a wall. This wall will then be covered in concrete panels, creating a floodwall that will range in height from 0.6m to a maximum height of 1.7m (this is for a 50m stretch next to the iSite).

A design and/or narrative will be etched into the concrete floodwall to enhance the look of the wall along the walkway.

To make way for the bigger and better flood defences, Mark says the Regional Council will also improve pedestrian access onto the Warren Cole Walkway from the shopping area across the road and vehicle access into the Yacht Club car park.

We have been working closely with Whakatane District Council and Te Runanga o Ngati Awa to achieve this. Together, our vision is to create a space along the waterfront that functions well in increased, heavy weather events, while ensuring the community can continue to feel connected to the awa.

For more information and FAQs, visit boprc.govt.nz/future-proof

You can also contact the project team on engineering@boprc.govt.nz or 0800 884 880
The Coromandel is getting an early Christmas, with State Highway 25A opening three months ahead of schedule.

But holding back their cheers are some near Cathedral Cove who may miss out on the usual summer trade.

According to a recovery plan update from Thames Coromandel District Council and the Mercury Bay Business Association, in November 38 percent of businesses expected their position to worsen.

Tourism expenditure in June this year was up 31.7 percent overall for the country compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile expenditure for the Thames-Coromandel District was down 4.6 percent.

Since Cyclone Gabrielle hit the area in February, the popular walking track to Cathedral Cove has been closed.

The Department of Conservation closed the tourism draw card after 180 landslides, historic and recent, were discovered along the track. Large piles of debris still cover the sandy beach.

In October, a Rahui for the area was lifted but the only access to the cove remains by boat or kayak.

Upon landing on the shore, people must remain 10 metres away from any cliffs or rock and they cannot walk underneath the famed archway.

RNZ spoke to several tourists in the area, who were there hoping to visit the cove.

"We were hoping to do the walk. We were told it was 75 minutes from here but there was no sign up to say it was closed and we only found out by speaking to somebody on the beach."

"They told us that we could only get there by boat and unfortunately, due to the weather, we weren't able to do it at this time in the afternoon," said one woman.

Another person RNZ spoke to had kayaked to Cathedral Cove.

"It's doable for persons below 50, I think... you have to be in a good condition then it's possible, but it's a bit windy."

Owners of the Hahei Eatery and Ice Cream shop Gavvy Mohd and Preethi Arora said word of the cove's closure had not reached many tourists, leaving them disappointed when they arrived.

"They really drive [a] long way to come over here and visit the Cathedral Cove, so it is frustrating for everyone."

Owners of the Hahei Eatery and Ice Cream shop Gavvy Mohd and Preethi Arora. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi. Owners of the Hahei Eatery and Ice Cream shop Gavvy Mohd and Preethi Arora. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi.

The pair took over the business last September, expecting a busy summer. Instead, the wild weather, slips and road closures have seen their business plummet over 50 percent on last year.

They said the Department of Conservation has not been keeping businesses in the loop.

"We are not getting any updates like when they're gonna open it."

Ray Van Beynen from the Mercury Bay Business Association said Cathedral Cove usually attracted up to 300,000 people a year.

But because of the tracks' closure they were going to places like Rotorua or Taupo.

"People are phoning up from overseas as soon as they hear that the cove or the cove track is closed, they are bypassing us. You know, from an economic and social perspective, the peninsula can't handle that tremendous loss of revenue," said Van Beynen.

He said they had tried to offer materials, funding and labour to help repair the track. However, the offers had either been declined or were not even responded to.

He said DOC was not taking the impact of the closure on businesses seriously.

"Under their charter, under their act, they've got responsibilities for providing access for recreation and tourism and they're just focusing on what they say is conservation. There has to be a happy balance with this."

The Cathedral Cove Water Taxi operates from Hahei beach. Richie McNabb has been operating the boat service while the owner is on leave.

He said the track closure has been another huge blow for the Coromandel but encouraged visitors to keep boat tours in mind.

"It's no secret, it's devastating what's been going on over the last couple of summers, you know, everyone's getting absolutely flogged from it, but you know, the good times will come back ... there's a lot of good operating boat tours."

Richie McNabb and Briar Palmer from Cathedral Cove Water Taxi. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi. Richie McNabb and Briar Palmer from Cathedral Cove Water Taxi. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi.

The Department of Conservation confirmed the Cathedral Cove track would not be open this summer and signage has been installed at the beach to let visitors know what the rules are.

While out at the cove, however, RNZ saw some tourists running underneath the archway. Many tourists said the rules were not well signposted.

"I don't think there was enough signs, at least to the falling rocks and not to go under."

One tourist said that people were aware of the signs but chose to ignore them.

"There were a couple of stragglers that managed to go under some of the fallen debris and weren't paying attention to the signs."

DOC has strongly urged people not to use the closed track or venture beneath the arch this summer.

-Lousie Ternouth/RNZ.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. Milli Majlis (Parliament) of Azerbaijan has adopted a statement in connection with the "Act for the Protection of Armenians 2023" adopted by the U.S. Senate.

Trend presents the full text of the statement.

"Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan expresses categorical protest in connection with the adoption of the "Armenian Protection Act of 2023" by the U.S. Senate on November 15 and strongly condemns this step directed against our country. At the same time, the Parliament considers the hearings held on the same day by the Subcommittee on Europe of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the U.S. House of Representatives and the statements made against our country, as well as the recent biased statements against our country by the U.S. state officials as a serious blow to the strategic relations of the two countries," the Parliament said.

The act, based on fabricated information and adopted at the instigation of the Biden administration by anti-Azerbaijani, corrupt, Islamophobic senators, is yet another vivid example of double standards and selective approach. The hearings, which looked like a scene from the absurd theater, are a new manifestation of hypocritical U.S. policy.

When the Armenian occupation against Azerbaijan expanded in 1992 and, along with the Khojaly genocide, acts of mass extermination of the Azerbaijani population were committed in the villages of Malibayli, Ashaghi Gushchular and Yukhari Gushchular of the Shusha district, in the villages of Kalbajar district, the American side, being a permanent member of the UN Security Council, instead of making efforts to stop the extermination of the people of Azerbaijan, under the influence of Armenian propaganda in the legislative body of this country adopted the 907th amendment to the "Freedom Protection Act".

The American side, which has shown indifference to the suffering, ethnic cleansing, the Khojaly genocide and other massacres resulting from the almost 30-year occupation of 20 percent of the internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan, as well as to the fate of more than one million refugees and internally displaced persons is also responsible for the fact that since the end of the 44-day second Karabakh war in 2020 it has never called on the aggressor Armenia to act in accordance with international law. On the other hand, by adopting such an act after conducting anti-terrorist activities against the armed forces of the Republic of Armenia and illegal Armenian detachments remaining on Azerbaijani territory, the U.S. Senate openly supports revanchist forces.

Unfortunately, by lifting the moratorium on the 907th Amendment to the "Freedom Defense Act" the American side repeats the historical mistake it already made in 1992. And this is despite the fact that the same U.S. decided to suspend the 907th Amendment when Azerbaijan supported the U.S. efforts to combat terrorism after the attacks of September 11, 2001.

It was Azerbaijan that gave the U.S. a helping hand by opening its airspace to the relevant routes and providing logistics facilities and the Northern Distribution Network. Azerbaijan was also the first state to stand shoulder to shoulder with the U.S. in the fight against terrorism in Afghanistan. At the same time, Azerbaijan was the last partner state to leave Afghanistan.

The Azerbaijani State is implementing a set of measures to resolve social, humanitarian, economic and infrastructural issues in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region in order to ensure the sustainable reintegration of the Armenian residents of the Karabakh region into Azerbaijani society and so that these people can enjoy the protection of the State.

Completely contrary to the opinion of the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and other international organizations, the statement about the forced eviction of the Armenian residents who voluntarily left the region is intended to mislead the international community.

Azerbaijan, based on its own national interests, forms transportation corridors with the countries of the region, and from this point of view, the Azerbaijan-Iran transport corridor is a sovereign choice of Azerbaijan. The US, which is not a country of the region, by its steps and statements strikes a blow to the efforts of regional states to ensure transportation security.

"The U.S. side is well aware that Armenia's failure to fulfill its obligations arising from paragraph 9 of the 2020 Trilateral Statement prompted Azerbaijan to decide to build alternative roads. It is the sovereign right of Azerbaijan to agree on the procedure for laying communication lines with neighboring States, including the conclusion of an agreement with Iran in connection with the route to the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. Azerbaijan's Parliament will always react decisively and adequately to all negative steps contradicting its national interests, while acting on the basis of norms and principles of international law and in accordance with its international obligations," said the statement.

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Rotorua school principals are concerned their schools will not be able to support burgeoning student numbers from new housing developments in the city.

Hundreds of new homes are being built in the suburbs of Owhata and Ngongotaha, where school rolls are already reaching limits.

"The decision on new schooling forms part of the future investment planning for the ministry, and will be considered if necessary in Rotorua in future," says the Ministry of Education.

"There are no planned new schools in Rotorua at this stage."

Ngongotaha Primary School principal Craig McFadyen told Nine to Noon that there is no question that new schools will be necessary, but the ministry has told him they will be a "last resort".

"We all know we need housing for our people in Rotorua - the numbers are climbing.

"My major concern is that the planning (for schools should have) been done prior to these housing developments being put in, so that we're able to accommodate all these new people that they're going to be housing."

Healthcare, such as GP surgeries, and new supermarkets also need to be factored in before the new houses are built, he says.

The homes are being marketed to low- and middle-income earners, families and first-time buyers, he says.

"These home owners are going to have primary school-aged children and they're going to be coming to our school, because there's nowhere else for them to go."

His school roll is currently 428 children, although it has been built to accommodate only 300. An enrolment scheme is already in place, he says.

"That's starting to push that out a bit. We've got 350 houses being built 900 metres from where I'm currently sitting. There's going to be a lot of children coming in, from within the school zone and ... it's going to be near-on impossible for anyone from outside this zone to enrol their children.

"We've got families who have been here for three generations and it would be a real shame to have to deny enrolments for some of them purely because of numbers."

Craig says the ministry has provided a "beautiful" modular classroom to accommodate the rising number of pupils, and were looking at three more such buildings, but his school was reluctant to sacrifice their playing fields.

"We're fortunate to have some beautiful green spaces for the children to get out and play, to spread out and not be on top of each other... But by putting more classrooms on to them... we are limiting the space they have to play, to get active and to socialise."

With the council looking after even more subdivisions in the long term, the ministry should have started planning a new school "three years ago", he says.

Owhata School principal Bob Stiles told Nine to Noon that following discussion with the Ministry of Education, his school roll is closed because all his classrooms are at capacity.

Within their school zone, there were currently 296 new houses being built in four subdivisions, including social housing.

Bob says quality state housing is important, adding that 30 tamariki at his kura are currently living in emergency housing, or cramped, unhealthy rental accommodation.

In the next five years, there are plans to build another 1500-2000 homes in east Rotorua. Local hapu, who owned the land, had been working closely with kura and the ministry.

-RNZ.
Christmas is nearly upon us, but for some, the cupboards are bare and presents are just a dream.

Thats why the Salvation Army and Kmart are teaming up again for the 30th annual Kmart Wishing Tree Appeal.

The appeal is NZs longest-running gift appeal, launched in 1993. New gift donations from the public can be dropped off at Christmas trees located at any Kmart store. The Salvation Army then distributes the gifts to needy families in the community.

Tauranga's two Kmart stores in Bethlehem and Bayfair have launched their store appeals with a Wishing Tree located at each store.

A box for collecting unwrapped gifts, placed at the Wishing Tree at Bethlehem Kmart. Photo: Supplied.

People are encouraged to buy a gift and place it under the tree. The Salvation Army will then collect up the gifts to distribute.

Tauranga Salvation Army Community Ministries manager Sarah Way says with the community donating presents to the Wishing Tree Appeal, they can help children, adults and seniors experience the joy of Christmas.

Sarah says living costs have been impacting donations, which are needed to help assist people in rather sad situations such as homelessness, illness of family crisis.

We have at least 300 people walk through our doors every month, needing food.

The need is ever-increasing, and its even harder because we have had a decline of donations.

Ian Bateman - holding the song sheet - with the Tauranga Community Ministries team, singing waiata at the Bethlehem Kmart launch. Photo: Supplied.

The Salvation Army works to bring about lasting change for people facing hardship and injustice.

Through local programmes and services, they provide critical support for people experiencing or are at risk of homelessness, family and domestic violence, and financial hardship.

Last year, the Salvation Army supported more than 150,000 Kiwis nationwide who sought help.

To contribute, place an unwrapped new or hand-crafted gift under the Kmart Wishing Tree at Bayfair or Bethlehem, including a completed gift tag outlining the gender and age group of the recipient.

Suggested gifts are gift cards, books, sporting equipment, school supplies, arts and crafts, headphones, educational toys, toiletries, and musical instruments.

Alternatively, its possible to scan the QR code at the Wishing Tree to make a monetary contribution, or via www.kmart.co.nz/kmartwishingtree or you can contact the Tauranga Community Ministries team on (07) 578 4264 or email tauranga.cm@salvationarmy.org.nz
After eight years of litigation, two groups appealing consents to expand and develop Otakiri Springs bottling plant are being heard in the Supreme Court today.

Te Runanga o Ngati Awa and Sustainable Otakiri are opposed to the expansion of Otakiri Springs.

The iwi objects to Bay of Plenty Regional Council granting consent to increase the allowed water take to 1.1 million cubic metres a year.

Sustainable Otakiri, an incorporated society formed by a group of neighbouring residents, is opposed to Whakatane District Council granting the company consent to increase the size of the bottling plant without public consultation.

Otakiri Springs has been a locally run business for more than 30 years.

In 2016, Creswell New Zealand, a subsidiary of Chinese water bottling giant Nongfu, entered into an agreement to buy the land and business on Johnson Road.

It was granted resource consent from the regional and district councils to increase the water take and expand the bottling plant.

Creswell New Zealand planned to employ an extra 60 people to operate the plant.

Objections by Te Runanga o Ngati Awa and Sustainable Otakiri were dismissed by the Environment Court and that decision has since been upheld by both the High Court in 2020 and Court of Appeal last year.

In April this year, both groups were given leave to appeal to the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court hearing is to decide whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeals and whether the High Court was wrong to uphold the Environment Courts decision in relation to negative tikanga effects.

The case is set down for two days before a panel of five justices.

Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air.
Ivan Gelibter Malaga Tuesday, 21 November 2023 | Updated 22/11/2023 10:57h. Compartir Copiar enlace

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Hospital waiting lists have seen a huge jump across Andalucia with 20,000 more patients waiting for surgery compared to a year ago.

Latest figures show there are 192,000 people in the queue for surgery, some 20,000 more than in the same month in 2022. The average wait time is 139 days, according to the regional minstry of health data - making Andalucia the third region in Spain for the longest surgery wait time.

Meanwhile, there are 850,000 people waiting to see a specialist. Although this figure is lower than a year ago, the drop in Andalucia is considerably less than in other regions. Waiting times for appointments with specialists reached 121 days, the longest of all regions except the Canary Islands.

Regional minister of health Catalina Garcia claimed the current Andalusian government has been working through a backlog caused by the previous Socialist government. "The system is working and this is demonstrated by the fact that there are more referrals, more patient discharges and more surgeries," she said.

Spain facing highest ever number of patients waiting for surgery

Nationally, the public health system has once again reached an historic maximum number of patients who are waiting for non-urgent operations. A total of 819,964 people are in the queue, waiting an average 112 days, according to data as of 30 June 2023.

Some 17.4% of them had been on waiting lists for more than six months, with the amount of patients slated for elective surgery increasing by 9.4% compared to June 2022.

While the Covid-19 pandemic caused surgeries to be suspended in the first half of 2020, the number of operations have been slightly recovering, although current figures are still lower than in the first half of the pre-pandemic year, meaning pre-Covid levels are still yet to be reached.

Rafael Ojeda, president of the Andalusian Medical Union, told SUR that the figures have not come as a "surprise" to them. "It is true that there has been a slight increase in health spending in Andalucia, but this increase has been very badly managed," he said.

"There is no investment in primary care, which is in a critical situation. There is no investment in hospital medicine, afternoon consultations are suspended, operating theatres are closed in the morning, doctors are not being recruited," Ojeda added. "That is why we are suffering from such a serious deterioration in Andalucia with the waiting lists."
Juan Cano / Melchor Saiz-Pardo / Laura Velasco Malaga / Madrid / Granada Tuesday, 21 November 2023, 12:00 | Updated 12:28h. Compartir Copiar enlace

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Three people have been arrested in Malaga and Granada provinces this morning in connection to the alleged attempted assassination of the founder of Spain's far-right Vox party.

National Police arrested a man (with the initials A.R.B) in Fuengirola this Tuesday morning (21 November), and another man and woman in Lanjaron in Granada, for their alleged involvement in the attempted murder of Alejo Vidal-Quadras in Madrid on 9 November.

The two men are Spanish and the woman is British, but none of them are the alleged hitman who shot the veteran politician at point-blank range, according to investigators.

Alejo Vidal-Quadras. SUR

Police tracked the motorbike used in the attack to the suspect arrested on the Costa del Sol. The bike was torched in Fuenlabrada, the south of Madrid, following the incident, but officers recovered the VIN (vehicle identification number), leading them to an address in Fuengirola. It is unknown if the man arrested is the same man who drove the motorbike used to flee the scene of the crime.

The parked car in Lanjaron (Granada province). Ideal

Meanwhile, a badly parked car was the clue that helped officers uncover the arrested pair in Granada. The vehicle was parked in a prohibited area on Avenida de las Alpujarras in Lanjaron, triggering Local Police to tow it away. Officers then ran a search of the vehicle's registration number and discovered it was the same car that sparked interest among National Police after it was caught on surveillance in the vicinity of Vidal-Quadras on the day prior to him being shot.

The apartment block in Lanjaron, where two people were detained. Pepe Marin

The British woman arrested in Lanjaron - the partner of the man arrested - is not clearly linked to the alleged crime, investigators said.

Shot at point-black range

Vidal-Quadras was walking on a street in the wealthy suburb of Salamanca in Madrid when a masked gunman shot him in the face around 1.30pm on 9 November. The 78-year-old was rushed to hospital in a stable condition and underwent emergency surgery later that day. The bullet had passed through his jaw, according to emergency services.

Under close surveillance

The three arrested had been under the close eye of police for several days. Vidal-Quadras himself linked the attack on him to Iran's secret services. But the Tehran government's embassy in Madrid ruled out the regime's link to the assassination attempt but claimed the Ayatollahs' government group was behind it instead. Sources close to the investigation said the detainees are linked to Iran, but did not reveal what their political affiliation is.

Two perpetrators

Two people were involved in the shooting, according to numerous witnesses who were in the area at the time. A neighbour said that a slightly built person, wearing a black helmet, blue coat and jeans, was waiting for Vidal-Cuadras on the corner of Calle Ayala and Nunez de Balboa, very close to the former Popular Party leader's home.

The politician, who had just been to the gym, was returning home on foot. At that moment, just 40 metres from his home, the gunman approached and shot him at point-blank range.

The gunman then calmly made his way to nearby Calle Hermosilla and got on a black Yamaha T-MAX scooter, where a second person, also wearing a helmet, was waiting for him. They fled the scene at high speed.
Ignacio Lillo Malaga Tuesday, 21 November 2023 | Updated 22/11/2023 16:35h. Compartir Copiar enlace

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Malaga's Torre del Puerto project has been given the green light locally after city hall councillors voted in favour of it this week.

The planned luxury 116-metre tall hotel development, funded by Qatari investment fund Al Alfia in collaboration with the Hesperia hotel chain, will be built on the esplanade of the Levante dock.

The process, which has been dragged out for five years, was finally put to bed in the city this week after the urban planning committee gave it their official approval at a meeting this week. It went ahead with six votes in favour and four against: Partido Popular councillors voted for the development, while four votes against came from the Socialists and one from Podemos - Vox abstained.

A protest group 'Let's Defend Our Horizon' has opposed the project since the beginning, claiming the "eyesore" will spoil the skyline of Malaga city. UMA art history professor Francisco Rodriguez Marin also opposed the tower, warning its height will obstruct the view of an historic lighthouse in the area, La Farola de Malaga. The hotel will also block out the lighthouse's spotlight in the dark, he added. But the city hall deemed no risk of the hotel causing an interference with the lighthouse.

Socialists' strong rejection

Mariano Ruiz Araujo, spokesperson for the Socialists, challenged the national government to stop it and said: "I am convinced that it will end up in the courts because it is a savagery to benefit only a few private investors," he said. The party's secretary general Daniel Perez said: "The Levante dock is not the place for this skyscraper".

Spokesperson for Podemos Toni Morillas said her group is going to put "sticks in the wheel" to try and stop the hotel's construction. Vox councillor Antonio Alcazar decided to abstain, because, although they agree with the hotel being built, they want it constructed on a different site.

What happens next?

Now, the administrative application fle will return to the Port Authority of Malaga, which will have to process it before State Ports at a national level; and this, in turn, will elevate it to the Ministry of Transport. If necessary, this will be the body who will advise the government's Cabinet for its final approval.
Jennie Rhodes Malaga Tuesday, 21 November 2023, 13:38 | Updated 15:36h. Compartir Copiar enlace

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There has been positive news for British second-home owners and part-year residents in France and Spain this month. Following the news that the French Senate has approved an amendment which, if passed by the Assemblee National in December, would allow Britons who own properties in France to spend more than 90 days in every 180 in the country, in Spain, Hector Gomez, then acting minister for industry, trade and tourism held a meeting with Jennifer Anderson, director of consular affairs and the UK Foreign Office last week, during which Gomez said the two discussed issues of interest regarding the stays of British tourists in Spain and collaboration projects for future seasons.

Since post Brexit rules came into force on 31st December 2020 British tourists to EU member states may only spend a maximum period of 90 days in every 180, which includes those who own properties in EU countries.

Andrew Hesselden, director and founder of the '180 Days in Spain' campaign, which seeks to help British people in Spain in a similar position to those in France, told SUR in English that he was "delighted to see French senators recognise injustice of the situation that British part-year residents have found themselves in since Brexit and added that 180 Days in Spains 7,000 members "remain hopeful of similar recognition in Spain for everyone affected".

Unique links

The French Senate last week approved a bill amendment granting automatic long-stay visa rights to British second-home owners in France "without the need for any formalities". The amendment, proposed by Senator Martine Berthet of Savoie reads (translated from French): Following Brexit on 31 January 2020, British citizens may no longer stay in the European Union for more than 90 days in any 180-day period. Those wishing to spend a long period in France must now apply for a residence permit or a visa, a lengthy procedure complicated by a number of technical problems (malfunctioning of the TLS contact website, few appointments available, etc.). While these difficulties are rooted in the United Kingdom's sovereign decision to leave the European Union, the fact remains that many of their nationals play an active part in the dynamism of the local economy in our territories and are subject to property tax in the same way as all residents. In view of the unique links between our two countries and the importance of this public to the French economy, this amendment seeks, by way of derogation, to ease the conditions of entry into France for British citizens who own second homes in France."

The change aims to address challenges faced by British part year residents post-Brexit, who are currently limited to spending a maximum of 90 days in the entire Schengen area. The current limitation means they cannot visit other EU countries if they've already spent 90 days living in their own home in France.

Berthet told the UKs Daily Telegraph newspaper, The Britons I have spoken to say that the current system is long-winded, difficult and full of pitfalls.

More work to be done

Hesselden said that the amendment, recognises the unique situation of British part year residents, many of whom did not vote for Brexit and who find themselves in this situation through no fault of their own. It forms part of France's immigration bill which will be debated in the Assemblee Nationale in December this year.

The amendment forms part of France's immigration bill which is to be debated in the French National Assembly. According to Hesselden, if approved, it would mean that second home owners in France would get the automatic right to a visa to stay in France and would be "free once again to take holidays or business trips to Spain or other Schengen countries because they would still have the full complement of 90-in-180 days under the Schengen Visa Waiver available to use".

Hesselden went on to say, "There's still more work to be done to ensure that everyone is protected fully. We hope that UK, Spanish and French politicians will engage with us now to understand the issues fully and work with us to find the best possible solutions. Many of our members felt integrated in their local communities in France and Spain before Brexit, but now feel like they don't belong anymore, which I think is sad," said Hesselden.

The campaign is also calling for greater mobility rights for all British visitors to Spain to match what Spanish people get in the UK today: We should remember the UK still welcomes all French and Spanish citizens as visitors for up to six months per visit and that isn't reduced at all by days spent in other countries. Brexit barely changed access for European visitors to the UK, although it did, sadly, impact their ability to settle or work without a visa, and it would be nice if even that can change in time."
Europa Press Madrid Tuesday, 21 November 2023, 15:41 Compartir Copiar enlace

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Thousands of Amazon workers are threatening to walk off the job during one of the busiest weekends for shoppers in Spain demanding better pay and working conditions.

Major Spanish union CCOO on Monday 21 November called on 20,000 warehouse and delivery workers at Amazon's (AMZN.O) local unit to stage a one-hour strike on each shift on November 27-28, which coincide with Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

CCOO wants the company to improve labour safety and acknowledge workplace risks in Spain, boost human resources staff and raise wages, arguing that the pay does not reflect the volume of workload. The union also pointed out the multinational had rejected previous proposals offering a solution, triggering the call-to-action.

Amazon was tight-lipped on the issue and said "our teams throughout Spain already work in a modern and safe environment with competitive salaries and benefits". "Entry-level employees earn at least 1,400 euros a month and have opportunities to grow and develop their careers. On top of that, employees and their families have comprehensive benefits in which we invest thousands of euros more per year, including private health and life insurance, paid meals, extended paid paternity leave and employee discount, to name a few," the US company added.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Yalchin Rafiyev met with a delegation led by Iraqi Deputy Foreign Minister for Bilateral Relations Mohammed Hussein Bahr Al-Uloom, Azerbaijan's ministry told Trend.

Rafiyev noted that Azerbaiajn attaches special importance to the development of relations with Iraq, with which it is historically connected by ethnic, religious and cultural ties, and emphasized the recently growing dynamics in Azerbaijani-Iraqi relations, a clear example of which is the first official visit of Iraqi President Abdullatif Jamal Rashid to Azerbaijan on November 20, as well as negotiations and documents signed during the visit.

He emphasized the importance of the current political dialogue between Azerbaijan and Iraq, trade and economic relations, interparliamentary and interregional cooperation and promotion of cultural exchanges, and noted the importance of mutual visits.

During the meeting, an exchange of views took place on mechanisms of mutual support within the framework of international organizations and the intensification of mutual visits.

Stressing that the intergovernmental commission is an important mechanism for developing cooperation in economic, trade, cultural, tourism, energy, investment and other areas of common interest, the parties expressed confidence in the fruitfulness of the next meeting of the commission, which will be held in Baghdad in December of this year.

Stay up to date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
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County Clerk offices in Onondaga, Cayuga and Madison counties registered 28 new businesses from Nov. 13 through 17.

The businesses include cleaning services, landscaping, delivery and a group to help new Americans.

One business was discontinued in Cayuga County but was re-established under a new owner. Four corporations filed certificates.
Syracuse, N.Y.  Syracuse is one of six cities in New York state earning the top score in a nationwide assessment of how municipalities support Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer equality.

The city scored a perfect 100 in the 2023 Municipal Equality Index, conducted by the nonprofit LGBTQ+ civil rights organization Human Rights Campaign. The index analyzes municipal policies, laws and services.

Syracuse was one of 10 municipalities in New York state that the MEI reviewed. The five others receiving top scores were Albany, Ithaca, New York City, Rochester and Yonkers. Buffalo earned a score of 97.

Our vision is for Syracuse to be a growing city that embraces diversity and creates opportunity for all. The MEI Index score of 100 is an indicator of our relentless effort to achieve that vision, Mayor Ben Walsh said in a news release.

The full 2023 MEI report is available at www.hrc.org/mei.

Walsh also announced that hes seeking applicants for the citys LGBTQ+ Advisory Board, which was established in June 2020. The board provide input and feedback to the city on its policies, programs, procedures and training. Application information is available at https://www.syr.gov/Living/Our-Community/Volunteer/Resident-Engagement.

City reporter Jeremy Boyer can be reached at jboyer@syracuse.com, (315) 657-5673, Twitter or Facebook.
Syracuse, N.Y.  Onondaga County health officials on Tuesday urged caution to residents after reports that fentanyl-laced synthetic marijuana, known as spike, is being sold locally.

The health department said spike is often sold illegally at convenience stores and gas stations. Some spike products are marketed as naturally grown marijuana.

Signs of a spike overdose include a loss of consciousness, slow breathing, extreme drowsiness, blue or gray lips, pinpoint pupils and more.

The health department is urging people to use fentanyl test strips if they buy synthetic marijuana.

By testing with an FTS, the person using drugs can make an informed choice about their use by potentially choosing to use a different batch, using less of the current batch, using in the presence of others, and making sure naloxone is on hand, officials said in a news release.

Anyone in need of test strips or naloxone can get them free of charge by calling or texting the county health departments confidential request line at 315-418-5365.

***

Where to get free Narcan: How Central New Yorkers can help halt surge of deadly overdoses

Staff writer Fernando Alba covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, story idea, question or comment? Reach him at falba@syracuse.com
BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. It is unreasonable and unfair to label the migration of Armenian residents from the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan to Armenia as forced migration, Spokesperson for Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Aykhan Hajizada said, Trend reports.

He made the remark in response to the statement made by Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Samantha Power.

An attempt to present the migration of Armenian residents from Karabakh region of Azerbaijan to Armenia as a forced movement is baseless and unjust.

No single word on presence of illegal Armenian armed forces in sovereign territories of Azerbaijan for almost 30 years and even in post-conflict stage contrary to international law and obligations of Armenia, he said.

Hajizada noted that, during Powers regional visit, meeting with Armenians migrated to Armenia while the following day refusing to meet with Azerbaijani IDPs and refugees who deprived from their fundamental rights as a result of Armenian aggression.

Notwithstanding 10 times larger number of Azerbaijan|i IDPs, no single visit at the level USAID Administrator during almost 30 years-long occupation to study the dire situation of Azerbaijanis, he concluded.
Syracuse, N.Y.  A Jamesville Correctional Facility officer was charged Monday with making terroristic threats at work against his coworkers, deputies said.

Kristopher Stamm, 49, was charged with making a terroristic threat, second-degree criminal contempt, first-degree falsifying business records and criminal possession of a firearm, said Tom Newton, an Onondaga County Sheriffs Office spokesperson.

Stamm is a 14-year corrections officer, Newton said. Hes been suspended without pay for 30 days while an internal investigation plays out, he said.
Syracuse, N.Y.  A former Syracuse police officer, who is alleged to have coerced sex from women for years while on-duty, is facing another lawsuit from four women who say they are still traumatized by his actions.

The women name Chester Thompson, his supervising officers and the city of Syracuse in the complaint. They say Thompson raped them while in uniform, sometimes on several occasions, while his supervisors did little to nothing to stop his behavior during his 18-year career, according to court papers.
Syracuse, N.Y.  Cha McCoy has a simple request.

This holiday season, dont bring a basic wine to your family gatherings.

McCoy is the owner and sommelier of The Communion Wine + Spirits, located on the ground floor of the State Tower Building in downtown Syracuse.

Being able to highlight under-represented wine regions and wine producers has been a big focus in my studies, said McCoy, who celebrated The Communions first anniversary in October. This is a great time to bring something unique to the table.

McCoy is more than a certified sommelier. Shes a public speaker, industry marketing consultant and wine educator, who loves introducing customers to under-represented wine styles and grape-growing regions.

VinePair named McCoy the 2023 Wine Professional of the Year. Shes been named to Wine Enthusiast magazines Top 40 Under 40 Tastemakers, and Wine & Spirits magazines Rising Black Voices in Wine.

The corporate brands have had enough of your money, McCoy said with a laugh. Lets focus on smaller labels. Lets help support other families, mine included, by shopping small.

If youre trying to decide what to bring to holiday gatherings, McCoy recommends three lesser-known wines rooted in Native American, South African and South American cultures.

Camins 2 Dreams, a Gamay made on the tribal lands of the Kalawashaq', is available at The Communion in Syracuse.Katrina Tulloch

1. Camins 2 Dreams Gamay

Winemaker Tara Gomez first started Kalawashaq Wine Cellars (named for the village where her Chumash ancestors once lived), then teamed up with her wife Mireia Taribo, to create a new winery Camins 2 Dreams.

McCoys first recommendation for Turkey Day is the Gamay from Camins 2 Dreams, featuring flavors of prune and fresh cranberries. It pairs well with roasted white meats and root vegetables.

This is made by a Native American winemaker, ready for anything youre gonna have on Family Day, a.k.a. Thanksgiving, McCoy said. Theyre outstanding. This is a legacy in a bottle. They make their wines from lands theyve cared for, for generations.

Price: $50

Aslina Chardonnay is a wine made by Ntsiki Biyela, one of the first Black female winemakers in South Africa.Katrina Tulloch

2. Aslina Chardonnay

Next, McCoy recommends Aslina Chardonnay from Ntsiki Biyela, one of the first Black female winemakers in South Africa. Biyela established Aslina Wines in 2016, inspired by the strength and determination of her grandmother Aslina.

Apartheid just happened yesterday, said McCoy. Imagine her [Biyela] growing up during these times and breaking a lot of barriers before creating her own line.

The Aslina Chardonnay highlights tropical fruit and honey on the nose, a mild buttery flavor on the palate, with lingering undertones of vanilla and honeybush tea. It pairs well with chicken, fish and creamy cheeses.

Price: $25

Castel Pujol's Folklore Blanco pairs well with Thai cuisine and seafood. Its available at The Communion in Syracuse.Katrina Tulloch

3. Castel Pujol Folklore Blanco

It may be November but Castel Pujols Folklore Blanco smells like spring. This white wine from Uruguay combines notes of flowers, peach, grass and even yellow bell pepper.

Pick this one up with if you like crisp acidity and citrus flavors. It pairs well with Pad Thai, fish tacos and ceviche. Its a refreshing blend of 70% Trebbiano and 30% Malvasia grapes.

These are not indigenous to Uruguay but they are lesser known wine grapes that folks just dont go looking for unless they know, McCoy said. If you know, you know.

Price: $25

The Communion Wine + Spirits is located at 109 S. Warren St. in Syracuse.

Ahead of Thanksgiving, The Communion has different holiday hours, opening from 12-8 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday this week. They reopen on Saturday, Nov. 25 from noon to 5 p.m.

Katrina Tulloch is the editor of This Is CNY. She also shoots videos and writes stories for Syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Contact her: Email  Instagram  X  Facebook  518-810-5022

More wine news:

 Six Eighty Cellars takes a different approach to making wine

 This Finger Lakes winery prefers shades of red and pink

 Nobodys: New wine bar brings big city experience to Syracuse (video)

 Cha McCoy, a world-renowned wine expert, opens first retail shop in Syracuse
Utica, N.Y.  Police are asking people in Central New York for help finding a missing man who was last heard from in October.

Salvatore Squillace, 55, of Utica, last spoke with his family on Oct. 23 when he left a voicemail.
By Tim Balk | New York Daily News

New York  Three-quarters of New York voters said they think Jewish New Yorkers face antisemitism after the Oct. 7 terror attack in Israel, and 51% support the U.S. offering more military aid to Israel as it wages its war in Gaza, according to a Siena College poll published Monday.

The statewide survey, conducted last week, found 37% of New Yorkers saying they felt Jews in the state were experiencing significant antisemitism, and 36% saying they felt the group was facing some antisemitism. Overall, 73% said Jews face at least some antisemitism, according to the poll.

Sixteen percent of respondents said they thought Jewish New Yorkers faced little or no antisemitism, the survey found. Almost 60% of respondents said Islamophobia has grown in New York since Oct. 7, and 62% said Muslims face at least some Islamophobia, according to Siena.

The poll came after a series of publicized incidents of antisemitism, including vile vandalism in Manhattan and on Long Island, and a shooting threat against Cornell Universitys campus Jewish life organization.

Reported hate crimes against Jews in New York City flared by more than 200% in October, according to government data.

And the survey came as disagreements about U.S. policy on Israel divide local Democrats.

Some New York Democrats have called for a ceasefire in Gaza. Israels war has led to enormous bloodshed in the strip after Hamas, which rules Gaza, staged its Oct. 7 surprise attack in southern Israel. Other New York Democrats have opposed a ceasefire, emphasizing Israels right to defend itself.

The Siena survey, which did not poll opinions on a ceasefire, found 53% of New York Democrats supported more American military aid to Israel and 37% opposed it. GOP support was slightly higher  59% of Republicans supported more aid, while 29% opposed it.

The Israel-Gaza war could be hurting President Joe Bidens already shaky standing with American voters. An NBC News poll found 70% of U.S. voters between the ages of 18 and 34 opposed the presidents handling of the conflict, NBC said Sunday.

Biden, who has been under pressure to push Israel to soften or freeze its military campaign, led his expected 2024 rival, former President Donald Trump, by 10 points in New York in a head-to-head matchup, according to Sienas new poll.

Biden beat Trump by 23 points in the state in 2020.

It doesnt mean New York is likely to go red, said Don Levy, director of the Siena College Research Institute, but he added the poll does signal a lack of enthusiasm among some usual Democratic voters toward Bidens candidacy.

_____

2023 New York Daily News. Visit at nydailynews.com.
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP)  A state lawmaker from Brooklyn has been accused in a lawsuit of raping a woman early in his legislative career when he went to her home to discuss disaster relief efforts for Haiti.

The lawsuit, filed Friday, accuses Sen. Kevin Parker of assaulting her in 2004, during his first term. The woman said she had been working with Parker to coordinate the delivery of items and donations to Haiti after a devastating flood that affected the country and other neighboring Caribbean Islands.

The suit was filed under the Adult Survivors Act, a special state law that created a yearlong suspension of the usual time limit for accusers to sue. The law is set to expire after Thanksgiving.

A spokesperson for Parker, a Democrat, did not immediately comment when asked about the lawsuit.

A spokesperson for the Senates top Democrat, Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, said the allegations were extremely disturbing and we take them very seriously.

We will take appropriate action as more information is learned, said the spokesperson, Mike Murphy.

The woman said in the lawsuit that the assault happened after Parker came to her apartment to pick up photos from a visit she had made to Haiti. Parker represents part of Brooklyn with a large Caribbean and Haitian community.

After they finished discussing her work, the woman stood up to say goodbye when Parker grabbed her wrists, took her down a hallway to her bedroom, made a sexual comment, and then raped her, the lawsuit said.

The womans lawyer, Bob Hilliard, said in a statement that she survived unspeakable sexual abuse perpetrated by Senator Parker and continues to suffer from the trauma that only survivors of unwanted sexual assault can fully understand.

The Associated Press generally does not name people who say they have been sexually assaulted unless they come forward publicly.

In 2005, Parker was arrested and charged with third-degree assault after punching a traffic agent who gave him a ticket for double-parking, according to news reports from that time. In that same year, a former aide accused Parker of threatening her after she publicly complained that he shoved and hit her when she worked for him.

Parker was also convicted of misdemeanor criminal mischief charges in 2010 after he chased a New York Post photographer and damaged their camera.

New York state government has struggled for years with allegations about sexual harassment and misconduct by politicians.

In 2021, former governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, resigned over a barrage of sexual assault allegations, in which one of his accusers had claimed he had groped her, though the criminal charges were later dropped.

In 2013, former Assemblymember Vito Lopez, a Brooklyn Democrat, resigned over sexual harassment allegations that Assembly leadership had been covering up with secret payments.
A police chief in Upstate New York is accused of drunk driving after crashing his patrol vehicle Monday morning.

WHAM reports Macedon Police Chief Fabian Rivera has been charged with driving while intoxicated after a crash was reported at 8:15 a.m. Monday in Macedon, located about 65 miles west of Syracuse in Wayne County. No injuries were reported, police said, but Riveras patrol vehicle had to be towed after sustaining front-end damage in the crash on Waterford Road near the Gananda school grounds.

According to WROC, Macedon police suspected Rivera was intoxicated and called Wayne County Sheriffs deputies to help with the investigation.

Sheriffs investigators charged Rivera with driving while intoxicated, aggravated DWI, and operating a motor vehicle with a BAC .08% or higher. He was also charged with DWI by the Macedon Police Department.

Rivera was placed on voluntary unpaid leave last December after allegedly becoming drunk and belligerent at Flahertys restaurant in Macedon. WHEC reports Rivera was so intoxicated that he fell, hit his head and struggled to communicate; police bodycam video showed the manager said Rivera threatened to shoot him.

WHEC reports Rivera returned to the job in February and apologized, citing mental health issues and demons like many veterans. No charges were filed for the restaurant incident as the manager declined to push charges.

According to WHAM, Rivera was issued tickets for Mondays crash to return to both Walworth and Macedon town courts at a later date.

In a statement, Macedon Town Supervisor Kim Leonard confirmed Rivera was involved in a property damage/accident in a Town Police vehicle and charged with a DWI.

This is an ongoing investigation, and the Town of Macedon has no further comment at this time, Leonard said.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov received on November 21 the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Qatar to the country Faisal bin Abdullah Hamad Abdullah Al Hinzab on the occasion of the end of his diplomatic mission, the ministry told Trend.

During the meeting, Minister Jeyhun Bayramov noted that Azerbaijani-Qatari cooperation is based on mutual respect, support and cooperation.

It was emphasized that the close friendly and fraternal relations existing between the two countries are the basis of political dialogue. Gratitude was expressed for Qatar's constant support for Azerbaijan's fair position based on international law.

It was noted that there is great potential and prospects for Azerbaijani-Qatari cooperation and partnership in the fields of economy, infrastructure, trade, tourism, education, culture, media and humanitarian exchanges.

The minister expressed gratitude to the ambassador for his contribution to the development of Azerbaijani-Qatari relations and wished him success in his future activities.

The ambassador Faisal bin Abdullah Hamad Abdullah Al Hinzab thanked for the welcome and noted that he was leaving the country with the best impressions, and expressed gratitude for the support received during his activities from state and government structures and organizations of Azerbaijan.

During the meeting, views were also exchanged on other issues of mutual interest.
MHSS observes International Men's Day with a commitment to "Zero Male Suicide"

The company is committed to addressing the critical issue of male suicide and providing support to those in need.

International Men's Day, observed on the 19th of November, is an occasion to raise awareness about various issues affecting men and boys, and this year, MHSS is taking a strong stance on the theme of "Zero Male Suicide." The company is committed to addressing the critical issue of male suicide and providing support to those in need. Each year, countless lives are impacted by the devastating effects of male suicide. The suicide rate among males is a significant concern. In 2021, it was approximately four times higher than the rate among females (Mathieu et al., 2022). As part of its dedication to this cause, MHSS is taking the initiative to share vital information with the public to recognise the signs that someone may be contemplating suicide and also to identify the signs of individual vulnerability. In the maritime industry, the situation is also alarming. A study covering the years 1960-2009 showed that out of 17,026 total deaths of seafarers, 1,011 died as a result of suicide, which is approximately 5.9%. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, [2023]) Our goal is to create a community that is well-informed, empathetic, and proactive in preventing male suicide. Identifying the Signs of Suicide Contemplation: We understand the importance of recognising the signs that someone may be contemplating suicide. These signs are not always easy to detect, but being attentive and supportive can make a significant difference. Some common indicators include:  Social Withdrawal: A sudden or prolonged withdrawal from social activities and relationships.  Expressing Hopelessness: Verbal expressions of feeling trapped, hopeless, or having no reason to live.  Changes in Behaviour: Drastic changes in behaviour, routine, or daily habits.  Giving Away Possessions: Unusual attempts to give away personal possessions.  Talking About Suicide: Openly discussing thoughts of self-harm or suicide. Recognising Vulnerability: It is equally important to identify personal vulnerability factors that may elevate the susceptibility to suicide. Some common vulnerability indicators include:  Mental Health Conditions: Recognition of factors such as depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder.  Substance Misuse: Identification of instances involving the misuse of alcohol or drugs  History of Suicide Attempts: Awareness of any past suicide attempts, emphasising the need for tailored support.  Recent Bereavement: Sensitivity to grief resulting from the loss of a loved one or significant life changes.  Social Isolation: Recognition of limited social support and connections, emphasizing the importance of fostering a supportive network. These considerations are essential in developing a comprehensive understanding of the factors contributing to vulnerability, allowing for targeted interventions and support mechanisms. MHSS remains committed to the mission of "Zero Male Suicide." By sharing this information, it hopes to empower individuals and the community to take an active role in preventing male suicide, supporting those in need, and promoting mental well-being.




Norton Rose Fulbright advises on shippings largest-ever commercial debt $2.8bn financing

Norton Rose Fulbright has advised Citibank N.A and BNP Paribas as global co-ordinators, initial mandated lead arrangers and bookrunners on a $2.8bn sustainability- and gender diversity-linked facility to GasLog Ltd

Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright has advised Citibank N.A and BNP Paribas as global co-ordinators, initial mandated lead arrangers and bookrunners on a $2.8bn sustainability- and gender diversity-linked facility to GasLog Ltd. The revolving facility is secured on GasLog's fleet of LNG carriers and incorporates KPIs linked to both carbon emissions and female representation in the companys cadetship program. The Norton Rose Fulbright team was led by Co-Head of EMEA Asset Finance and Head of Greece, Yianni Cheilas, with support from Counsel Niki Alexandrou, and Associates Katerina Karagouni, Jenny Arkadi, Mariana Bafe and Maria-Christina Papoulia. Partner Vassilis Koroxenidis, Senior Associate Sergios Karotsieris and Associate Konstandina Mantzari advised on Greek law aspects. DNB Bank ASA acted as Agent for the deal, while ABN Amro Bank N.V. took on the role of Sustainability Co-ordinator. Yianni Cheilas said: We are delighted to have been able to support our clients with this $2.8bn facility, which appears to be the largest ever commercial debt financing recorded in the global shipping space. The deal highlights the growing importance of ESG-linked transactions within the industry and features a novel gender diversity initiative. It is a transformative transaction for GasLog and reinforces the trend of a significant return of large scale commercial bank debt in shipping, which we have been witnessing in the past couple of years, especially for prime global operators. It is also indicative of the favourable LNG market outlook, despite turbulent times and geopolitical crises, with new regions expected to add to the demand for LNG vessels as the global LNG supply continues to grow. Earlier this year, Norton Rose Fulbright advised the creditors of GasLog and GasLog Partners group  led by DNB Markets Inc - on GasLog Partners' take private transaction by GasLog. Gender diversity-linked loans are still a fairly new development in the shipping sector. Earlier this year, Norton Rose Fulbright advised ABN AMRO, as documentation agent and sustainability coordinator for a syndicate of lenders, on one of the industrys first gender diversity-linked loans to Navigator Gas L.L.C. for the re-financing of ten LNG carriers. Norton Rose Fulbright has one of the leading banking and finance legal practices in Greece, advising on shipping finance, project finance, and structured finance, as well as corporate, M&A and securities, financial regulation, energy, and litigation and disputes. Its clients include Greek and multinational corporations, particularly in the financial institutions, insurance, shipping, renewable energy and real estate sectors, as well as governmental organisations and the Hellenic Republic.




BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. Azerbaijan will be represented for the first time with a pavilion at the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) in Dubai, Trend reports.

The National Pavilion, established through the joint organization of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan within the framework of COP28 and scheduled from November 30 to December 12, will cover the theme "Pioneering sustainable solutions for climate resilience".

The interactive pavilion will showcase information on Azerbaijan's climate change policy, the government's measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and other projects in this area.

Azerbaijan affirmed its commitment to a 35 percent reduction in GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions' by 2030 and to a 40 percent reduction by 2050.

Fulfillment of obligations under the Paris Agreement and active work in this direction is a priority issue.

COP28 will bring together representatives from nearly 200 countries to coordinate global actions to combat climate change. The event venue consists of two zones: delegations accredited in the "blue zone" will participate in official negotiations, the World Summit on Climate Action, panel discussions, roundtable talks, and cultural events.

The pavilions of participating countries will operate specifically in the "blue zone". The "green zone" will be open to everyone and is considered a platform for dialogue and raising awareness in the field of climate change.

The 28th session of the UN Climate Change Conference will serve as a platform that unites people in the effort to address climate change and its consequences.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
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KPS Distinguished - BHPian



Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 2,729 Thanked: 11,201 Times

View My Garage









I took this opportunity to plan ahead and visit my Ain-Mane, which is close to Gonikoppa.



Quote: Ain-manes are the ancestral homes of the native communities in Kodagu, and have an important role in their socio-cultural traditions. Each ainmane belongs to an okka (patrilineal clan) that is identified by its mane peda (name of the okka).



The traditional ainmanes of Kodagu have a unique architectural style. Those that are still standing today generally date from about 150 to 250 years ago, and have evolved from the simple balyamanes of earlier times. Currently there are about 1720 okkas in Kodagu (including about 1040 Kodava, 320 Gouda and 360 okkas of other communities). Nearly 60% of them no longer have traditional ainmanes.



Source:



So the Daimler and the Beetle went on this trip to the Kuppanda Ain-Mane. BHPian's Karlos and Kasli were in the Beetle. They had come down from Mumbai to participate in the event and drive my Beetle



Enroute to Coorg, we stop for a tender coconut break.





Weekend traffic is nightmare all over Coorg. Over tourism is a major problem





Off we go across the country roads towards the Kuppanda Ain-mane





The cars arrive, even the colours seem to match!





Everything is eye catching !





We explain to Karlos and Kasli our customs and traditions. They even have a sit at the designated place for the guest of the Ain-Mane. Local black coffee made with jaggery was a big hit with them!





Members of the family who had come meet us enjoyed getting to know about the cars as we patiently answered their questions





The stone post "Kal Boti" is seen in every Ain-Mane. On cermonial occasions, oxen used to be tethered . It is considered as an adornment for the yard in front of the Ain-Mane





I feel very happpy to have made this trip with both the cars.





The Kuppanda family members who had come, wish us bye and thank us for having made it to the Ain-Mane. I feel honoured.





Off we go!





Love this shot





Photo shopped to give the photo a vintage look!











I wanted this picture with the paddy fields, as paddy/rice is used in all our customs and traditions





We reach back Advaith Hyundai, Gonikoppa. We were one of the last!. On the occasion of Ayudha Pooja the Dealership did pooja for the car.





After a sumptious meal, we drove back to Mysore. The Daimler passing the Beetle as we head towards my Mysore











At Mysore we just relaxed and recollect the fantastic last two days and discuss more about vintage and classic cars!



Cheers The next day was to drive from Mysore for a day visit to Gonikoppa in Coorg, for the inauguration of the Advaith Hyundai, Gonikoppa Branch.I took this opportunity to plan ahead and visit my Ain-Mane, which is close to Gonikoppa.Traditionally all the members of an okka lived in a large ancestral ainmane house, which was also a focal meeting points in the rural landscape. The name of my Okka is "Kuppanda", hence a visit to Kuppanda Ain-mane was planned. Our Ain-Mane is about 200+ years old and is maintained by the extended Kuppanda family.So the Daimler and the Beetle went on this trip to the Kuppanda Ain-Mane. BHPian's Karlos and Kasli were in the Beetle. They had come down from Mumbai to participate in the event and drive my BeetleEnroute to Coorg, we stop for a tender coconut break.Weekend traffic is nightmare all over Coorg. Over tourism is a major problemOff we go across the country roads towards the Kuppanda Ain-maneThe cars arrive, even the colours seem to match!Everything is eye catching !We explain to Karlos and Kasli our customs and traditions. They even have a sit at the designated place for the guest of the Ain-Mane. Local black coffee made with jaggery was a big hit with them!Members of the family who had come meet us enjoyed getting to know about the cars as we patiently answered their questionsThe stone post "Kal Boti" is seen in every Ain-Mane. On cermonial occasions, oxen used to be tethered . It is considered as an adornment for the yard in front of the Ain-ManeI feel very happpy to have made this trip with both the cars.The Kuppanda family members who had come, wish us bye and thank us for having made it to the Ain-Mane. I feel honoured.Off we go!Love this shotPhoto shopped to give the photo a vintage look!I wanted this picture with the paddy fields, as paddy/rice is used in all our customs and traditionsWe reach back Advaith Hyundai, Gonikoppa. We were one of the last!. On the occasion of Ayudha Pooja the Dealership did pooja for the car.After a sumptious meal, we drove back to Mysore. The Daimler passing the Beetle as we head towards my MysoreAt Mysore we just relaxed and recollect the fantastic last two days and discuss more about vintage and classic cars!Cheers Last edited by Aditya : 20th November 2023 at 18:48 .
In brief: Hacking commercial aircraft to cause complete navigation failures sounds like something you'd only see in movies, but an unknown group has been carrying out spoofing attacks on flights over the Middle East for weeks now. In one incident, a business jet almost strayed into Iranian airspace without clearance.

In September, OPSGROUP, an 8,000-strong international group of pilots, dispatchers, schedulers, controllers, and flight technicians, began highlighting incidents in which commercial aircraft in the Middle Eastern region received spoofed GPS navigation signals. These attacks also impacted the fallback navigation systems, resulting in total failure, writes Motherboard.

There have been more than 50 incidents in the last five weeks, centered around Baghdad, Cairo, and Tel Aviv. The attacks use a specific vector that OPSGROUP describes as "unthinkable" and exposes a "fundamental flaw in avionics design." The spoofing affects the aircraft's Inertial Reference System (IRS), used to help planes navigate.

"The IRS should be a standalone system, unable to be spoofed," wrote OPSGROUP. "The idea that we could lose all on-board nav capability, and have to ask [air traffic control] for our position and request a heading, makes little sense at first glance  especially for state of the art aircraft with the latest avionics. However, multiple reports confirm that this has happened."

One report says that an Embraer 650 business jet crew en route from Europe to Dubai lost both GPS navigation units aboard the airplane and GPS signals to both pilot/co-pilot iPads. The crew said the IRS didn't work anymore, and they only realized something was wrong when the autopilot started turning left and right. After the aircraft flight management system showed a GPS error message, the crew requested radar vectors from air traffic control showing they were 80 nautical miles off course and had nearly entered Iranian airspace with no clearance.

UT Austin professor Todd Humphreys, who researches satellite communications, told Motherboard his team of students are constantly studying the signals in the region.

"Apart from run-of-the-mill jamming (e.g., with chirp jammers), we have captured GPS spoofing signals in our radio trawling," he said. "But, interestingly, the spoofing signals never seemed to be complete. They were either missing key internal data or were not mutually consistent, and so would not have fooled a GPS receiver. They seemed to be aimed at denial of service rather than actual deception. My students and I came to realize that spoofing is the new jamming. In other words, it is being used for denial of service because it's more effective for that purpose than blunt jamming."

Humphreys said the new attacks were highly significant as unlike GPS jamming, spoofing, which he says acts like a zero-day exploit against aviation systems, also corrupts the IRS and backups, posing more of a threat to an aircraft's safety.

GPS spoofing has also been used by Israel to try and protect itself from Hezbollah missile strikes, potentially endangering commercial aircraft. Israel has warned pilots landing in the country that they shouldn't rely on GPS to land, instead relying on other methods.
The digital threat landscape continues to evolve as cyberattacks rise annually, seemingly without end. A report from the Fortinet Ransomware Survey published in 2021 shows a 1,100% increase in ransomware attacks. Thus, staying on top of attack trends has become ever-more critical in our vulnerable day and age. Organizations must adopt a zero-trust model to implement security across all layers of the digital estate so as to eliminate any potential threats before costing the business's financial health.

Why implement Zero Trust?

The Zero Trust model features principles that verify every transaction, assert the least privilege access, and assume breach to minimize the impact of threats when detected. Implementing its solutions improves a company's security posture through automated controls and increased visibility. Only authorized users can access corporate resources based on policy guidelines. Each device, network, and application is continuously monitored to prevent the likelihood of breaches and other security incidents.

Outlined below are the top 5 best Zero Trust solutions in 2023:

1 SSH Zero Trust Suite

Overview

SSH Zero Trust Suite combines the proven-in-use secure communications software modules into a modern, easy-to-use solution. The suite enables customers to securely communicate between people, applications, networks, and systems without artificial walls, like firewalls, VPNs, or demilitarized zones (DMZ). The solution enables passwordless, keyless, and borderless security, equalizing cybersecurity threats across the internet, extranet, and intranet environments. It preserves data confidentiality and audibility, allowing proper access controls and monitoring.

SSH Communications Security (SSH) is a cybersecurity company specializing in securing communications between people, applications, networks, and systems, including privileged access and credentials management.

This helps companies build a proactive defensive cybersecurity posture to reduce the risk of breaches and lets organizations grow in the digital world without constant worry about attacks and leaks.

SSH is trusted by over 5,000 customers worldwide, including Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, financial institutions, retailers, and top manufacturers.

SSH discovers credentials and privileged power user accounts while detecting vulnerabilities and weaknesses in advance to mitigate the risk of breaches and other security incidents. The company protects mission-critical digital assets to secure businesses in the age of the hybrid cloud, which has pushed organizations to adapt to the complexity of modern IT as well as OT environments with a Zero Trust model.

The Zero Trust solutions of SSH work in all environments, ranging from traditional on-premises technologies to modern cloud-based tech, like container architectures and Kubernetes orchestrated environments. Sensitive information remains secure and accessible only to authorized users or machine IDs, thanks to robust encryption and strong identity-based authentication. It also monitors and audits sessions and activities, regardless of whether data is in transit, at rest, or in use.

While it also supports traditional credential vaulting and rotation, SSH's Zero Trust Suite eliminates passwords and incorporates biometric and other passwordless or keyless authentication methods to ensure a smooth user experience and enhanced security. It provides just-in-time authentication between people, applications, systems, networks, and clouds.

Features

Zero Trust Suite features three software modules whose solutions safeguard the most critical assets and offer a secure workspace where authorized users can collaborate.

PrivX - Hybrid Privileged Access Management

PrivX mitigates insider and third-party risks by enabling passwordless and keyless authentication. It enhances privileged access security by adopting zero-trust authentication methods, such as single sign-on and multi-factor authentication.

The access management module restricts access by permission or role, only allowing users to see and select targets available to them. Authentication is done automatically with integration via an identity management system, and access is granted just-in-time, without anyone seeing or handling access secrets. The just-in-time authorization token contains all the secrets needed for the session and expires automatically after the session, leaving no secrets to be managed.

If short-lived tokens cannot be used, this Zero Trust solution utilizes other authentication methods, such as public keys or traditional passwords. PrivX vaults and rotates the secrets, ensuring no leakage against threats.

Universal SSH Key Manager

Universal SSH Key Manager (UKM) reduces the stress of key management complexity by automating the governing of keys based on compliance and security standards. It discovers at-risk keys to demonstrate the scale of the potential associated risk, averting holes in the businesses' defenses. Typically, organizations have ten times more authentication keys than passwords but no means to manage all those keys at the necessary scale.

After the discovery phase, UKM allows organizations to replace weak or old keys with more secure algorithms without the risk of operational disruptions. It's worth noting that the solution is particularly adept at managing keys required for application-to-application or machine-to-machine, which often make up to 80% of all connections in a large enterprise.

When the key estate is under control, UKM provides mechanisms to migrate SSH access to keyless, just-in-time Zero Trust access with short-lived tokens. This radically reduces key management overhead and improves security. The module uses its knowledge from its risk assessment of the entire server estate to move the access away from the keys into PrivX, where secrets are stored within short-lived tokens to prevent anyone from seeing or handling them.

Internal and external auditors receive reports with the latest evaluation and executive summary on the level of compliance with regulations and standards such as NIST, PCI-DSS, and more.

Secure Collaboration and Communications

The secure Collaboration and Communications module centralizes all human-to-human and automated data sharing into a single solution. It conducts verifications of the sender and recipient whenever sensitive information is being collected, shared, transmitted, signed, used in instant messaging, or collaborated on. Adopting the principle of the Zero Trust model, authorized users can share sensitive files among internal stakeholders and third parties without the risk of data disclosure due to strict controls and policies enforced whenever sensitive data is in transit or being accessed.

The module allows users to isolate sensitive information from public clouds or Microsoft or Google ecosystems or embed the solution as an add-on to them. It enables organizations to receive sensitive information in a simple fashion, e.g., from their own web page, without the sender having to install anything. The solution has been certified by a national authority for secret-level communication.

It also applies various authentication methods, from passports to bank IDs, to prevent threat actors from gaining access. It logs all user activities for full audit trails. Users can enjoy high availability and security for file sharing with its multi-protocol support and role-based access control.

The solution allows building batch file sharing, file transfer, or automated connections between applications, networks, servers, or systems without having to change scripts. Full authentication for file and patch transfers ensures file integrity and safety in any environment.

The solution protects long-term secrets against future threats with quantum-safe cryptography, which ensures that transmissions are secure over open public networks.

SSH offers 24/7 enterprise support for its Zero Trust solutions. From secure data management to passwordless and keyless authentications, extending to secure file transmissions and storage, SSH Zero Trust Suite is a modern and secure solution that any organization can use against the risk of credential misuse, management complexity, and rising costs.

2 Absolute ZTNA

Overview

Absolute ZTNA offers a software-defined perimeter through Zero Trust Network Access. It creates a context-based boundary around a set of applications, making them invisible to unauthorized users wherever they are hosted. It performs threat detection and prevention, ensuring uninterrupted secure access. It maintains the same user experience, even for remote workers, driving productivity while maintaining the security of a company's critical resources.

Features

Absolute ZTNA enforces consistent policies for all user access, applying Zero Trust Network Access principles for secure and optimized remote access. Admins can control access to the Web and cloud applications based on risk and other contextual factors such as geolocation, network connection, and user device security posture.

It also offers malware protection by rendering websites in isolated containers located on remote servers far from the endpoints where threats can't reach them. With dynamic ZTNA policies, Absolute ZTNA eliminates chokepoints and protects device data. These policies strengthen the Zero Trust security posture, heightening employee protection and restricting lateral movement against cyberattacks so you can rest easy knowing your business is digitally secure.

Absolute ZTNA also features a resilient, self-healing infrastructure for cloud and on-premises deployment. Hence, it can automatically repair itself if it's tampered with, accidentally removed, or malfunctions. An optional secure web gateway service provides a seamless browsing experience for hybrid or remote workers while keeping threat actors at bay to prevent data loss or leakage. It is a secure remote access solution with broad OS support.

3 GoodAccess

Overview

GoodAccess is a cloud-based Zero Trust network access solution designed for small and medium businesses. It offers bulletproof defense against breaches with access management rules, traffic encryption, multi-factor authentication, SSO, and other features. It also provides high-speed connectivity, enabling a smooth user experience even for team members who work remotely.

Features

GoodAccess simplifies identity management and access control with a single sign-on solution. It supports SCIM integration for automated access provisioning, besides aligning with access credentials from Microsoft Azure, Google Workspace, Okta, and other SAML-compatible services.

It features a Threat Blocker that prevents users from accessing compromised or dangerous websites that can fall victim to malware, phishing, command and control botnets, and other ploys of threat actors. It guarantees constant protection through threat intelligence feeds and DNS blacklists.

GoodAcess also logs every user activity so admins can more easily and completely control gateway access points, reducing risks and increasing compliance with GDPR, SOC2, or HIPAA regulations. With virtual access cards, admins can determine the level of access an authorized user has to a specific system.

The Zero Trust network access solution also contains built-in cloud and branch connectors so users can access their clouds, data centers, and private LANs from a single virtual infrastructure. Users can also set up a redundant IPsec or IKEv2 tunnel as a failsafe, concealing end-users and resources from threat actors for multi-layered security.

4 Citrix ZTNA

Overview

Citrix Secure Private Access is a modern cloud-delivered Zero Trust Network Access solution that prevents unauthorized access and eliminates threats, driving productivity for hybrid and remote workforces without exposing networks to threat actors. It continuously evaluates risk factors throughout each session. When it detects suspicious activity, it automatically enforces security controls, changing users' authority when interacting with corporate apps.

Features

Citrix ZTNA offers single sign-on to all web and SaaS apps, consolidating multiple access points to create a seamless user experience. It features adaptive authentication and adaptive access control policies to monitor suspicious user activity, continually scanning the device throughout each user and app session to prevent insider threats and other security risks.

Admins can also set security controls based on user risk scores, locations, and device postures. They get to determine who is granted access based on job roles, locations, devices, and more due to the adaptive authentication of Citrix ZTNA. The solution also offers the option to screen record the activity of any user session to monitor based on industry requirements.

With a personalized risk score, Citrix ZTNA offers a picture of all network traffic, users, files, and endpoints, making it easier for organizations to stay ahead of internal and external threats before they evolve into potential breaches. It scans the user's device both before and after a session is established, ensuring well-rounded security and protection of the company's many various assets.

5 JumpCloud

Overview

JumpCloud is a Zero Trust Security solution that secures access to critical resources, enforces dynamic access policies, and verifies identities and devices frequently. It acts as an open directory platform that unifies the technology stack across identity, access, and device management cost-effectively with its robust features and easy-to-use interface. It also contains a catalog of pre-built and open integrations to reduce the number of point solutions needed to keep operations running smoothly.

Features

JumpCloud's conditional access policies control resource access based on dynamic and situation properties. Admins, for example, can require additional authentication factors at login or prevent entry for users operating from an open, unsecure network.

With multi-factor authentication, the platform prevents unauthorized logins and fosters a seamless end-user experience. Admins can choose between flexible authentication, contextual access, or easy enrollment to secure user access.

JumpCloud also features a password manager where users can create, store, and protect credentials locally on their devices and manage their passwords. Every privilege, password, and security is displayed in a single console, making blocking access from malicious actors easier.

It also simplifies directory data monitoring and management. JumpCloud features Directory Insights, providing a complete real-time picture of every user's identity, device, and resource. It aggregates and standardizes event logs and generates actionable data for quick resolutions. With a clear audit trail, organizations can more easily meet industry standards and procedures to receive certifications from SOC 2, HIPAA, and more.

Conclusion

Traditional security models leave gaps for unchecked threat actors to roam freely within a corporate network, raising a cyberattack's potential scale and severity. Zero Trust offers a strict approach to cybersecurity, assuming a network has already been compromised to minimize risks caused by trusting even authorized users. Choose among the top five best zero trust solutions to ensure protection from all threats and improve the company's security posture.

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. * This is a contributed article and this content does not necessarily represent the views of TechTimes.
Online abusive posts against politically active Afghan women have increased to 217% since August 2021, according to an Associated Press report. The increase in hate speech started when the Taliban took over, as per a report by 'Afghan Witness,' a U.K.-based rights group.

The investigation team "collected and analyzed over 78,000 posts" written in indigenous Afghan languages, Dari and Pashto. Posts are addressed at "almost 100 accounts of politically active Afghan women."

To study the scope of online harassment following the Taliban takeover, the team behind the paper studied publicly accessible data from X, formerly known as Twitter, and conducted in-depth interviews with six Afghan women.

(Photo : GettlyImages/ Chung Sung-Jun)

According to the interviews, the growth of abusive messages on the internet contributed to women becoming targeted. The respondents specifically mentioned getting texts containing pornographic content as well as threats of sexual assault and death.

Associated Press reports that the study identified four general themes in the abusive posts: accusations of promiscuity, the belief that politically active women violated cultural and religious norms, allegations the women were agents of the West, and accusations of making false claims in order to seek asylum abroad.

An interviewee further stated that the abusive posts are a reflection of the users' actual hatred, "I think the hatred they show on social media does not differ from what they feel in real life."

Read Also: Google Faces $1 Million+ Payout in Gender Discrimination Case

Taliban Takeover as a Factor

Associated Press notes that according to the lead investigator, Francesca Gentile, "since the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, social media has turned from being a place for social and political expression to a forum for abuse and suppression, especially of women."

As part of draconian restrictions enacted after taking power in 2021, as US and NATO forces were withdrawing from Afghanistan after two decades of war, the Taliban restricted women from most sectors of public life and work and prevented girls from attending education beyond the sixth grade."

The Taliban's hostility towards women and their rights sends a message to online abusers that any woman who stands up for herself is fair game," he said.

One female journalist, commenting on the condition of anonymity to Afghan Witness, said she disabled several of her social media accounts and no longer reads comments, which hinders her job when attempting to contact online sources.

Afghan Women on 'Gender Apartheid'

This 'gender apartheid' has long been protested by Afghan women, with others recently launching a 12-day hunger strike last September 21, 2023.

Afghan witness states that the women's activists demanded that, along with Afghanistan's 'gender apartheid' be recognized, financial assistance and official visits to Taliban leaders should also be halted, and that political prisoners be released immediately.

Online abuse was also evident during this hunger strike. Despite the women garnering significant support on social media, they also faced a barrage of abuse and hate speech from accounts that appeared to be pro-Taliban.

Many of the tweets advocated for an end to 'gender apartheid' in Afghanistan, but the campaign's harsh reaction exposes views against female activists in the pro-Taliban internet community.

Pro-Taliban X users responded to the hunger strike posts with a variety of comments that tended to criticize the ladies, undercut their goals, or laud the Taliban.

Related Article: Facebook, Google, and Other Social Media Giants Vow to Investigate Online Abuse Against Women

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OpenAI, the company behind the renowned ChatGPT, stood firm against mounting pressure from major investors, including Microsoft, to reverse the decision to terminate CEO Sam Altman, according to a report by AFP.



The unexpected removal of Altman from his position sent shockwaves through the tech industry, leading to notable departures and a subsequent effort by influential investors to reinstate the co-founder.

"The Only Path to Advance"

The OpenAI board, in response to the insistence from investors, including tech giant Microsoft, defended its decision to oust Altman. In a memo sent to employees on Sunday night, the board emphasized that the dismissal was "the only path to advance and defend the mission of OpenAI", according to a report by The New York Times.



The board cited concerns about Altman's behavior and alleged lack of transparency in interactions with the board, asserting that these factors undermined the board's ability to effectively oversee the company.



According to reports, OpenAI appointed Emmett Shear, a former chief executive of Amazon's Twitch streaming service, as the interim CEO, replacing the initially named interim CEO, Mira Murati.



The unexpected leadership change sparked speculation about the company's future trajectory, especially given Altman's pivotal role in OpenAI's rise to prominence, particularly with the launch of ChatGPT.

Read Also: Tech Times Weekly Wrap: OpenAI Fires Sam Altman, SpaceX's Starship Launch License, Liquid Cancer Treatment

Reinstating Altman?

Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reported that major investors, such as Microsoft and venture firm Thrive Capital, were involved in efforts to reinstate Altman as CEO. Microsoft, having invested over $10 billion in OpenAI, holds a significant stake in the organization and has integrated OpenAI's AI technology into its own products.



The concerns voiced by the board reflected growing apprehension about Altman's approach to the potential risks associated with OpenAI's technology. There were worries that Altman was steering the company away from its stated mission and underestimating the potential dangers posed by its advanced technology.

Generative AI platforms, as demonstrated by ChatGPT, have become instrumental in analyzing extensive datasets to provide responses in human-like language.



However, the surge in AI research has raised concerns about potential misuses, from the creation of "deepfake" images for blackmail to the dissemination of harmful disinformation.



The announcement from OpenAI's board, reportedly signed by directors, including co-founder Ilya Sutskever, indicated a unified stance. AI expert Sutskever had reportedly expressed concerns about OpenAI's business direction and the potential threats associated with its technology.



Despite investor pressure, the board's decision remained firm, signaling a pivotal moment for the future direction of OpenAI without Altman at the helm.

Related Article: Teachers, Students May Soon Use ChatGPT, OpenAI Explores Educational Applications for Classrooms

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. France has poisoned the people of Martinique with the substance chlordecone, French National Assembly member from Martinique Marcellin Nadeau said, Trend reports.

He spoke at the ongoing event in Baku on "Decolonization: Empowerment and Development of Women".

"We don't know the consequences for our women and children. What interest does France have in our countries if they neglect our problems?" Marcellin Nadeau said.

"The French constitution does not recognize us as a nation, and I, as a deputy, proposed to amend the basic law. France must change its attitude towards us," the deputy added.

Baku is hosting an event on "Decolonization: Empowerment and Development of Women". The event is organized by the Baku Initiative Group of the Non-Aligned Movement.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella revealed that Sam Altman, the former CEO of OpenAI, along with several members of his team, will be joining Microsoft to lead a new advanced AI research team.



This announcement comes just days after Altman was unexpectedly fired from OpenAI, the organization behind the popular ChatGPT, according to a report by AFP.

"The Mission Continues"

Altman, who gained prominence with the launch of ChatGPT last year, expressed his commitment to the ongoing mission, stating on X, formerly Twitter, "The mission continues."



Nadella, in a post on X, outlined Altman's new role at Microsoft, leading a team dedicated to advanced AI research. The team will include OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman and other members who have joined from Altman's former team.



The decision to terminate Altman from his position at OpenAI sent shockwaves through the tech industry, resulting in notable departures and a subsequent push by major investors, including Microsoft, to reinstate him.



Despite mounting pressure, OpenAI's board stood firm, defending its choice as the only path to advance and defend the organization's mission.



In a memo to employees on Sunday night, the board addressed concerns raised by investors, emphasizing that Altman's behavior and alleged lack of transparency in interactions with the board undermined their ability to effectively oversee the company.



This decision prompted the appointment of Emmett Shear, a former chief executive of Amazon's Twitch streaming service, as the interim CEO, replacing the initially named interim CEO, Mira Murati.



The unexpected leadership change and the involvement of major investors in the attempt to bring Altman back as CEO have fueled speculation about OpenAI's future direction.

Read Also: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella Admits 'Exit' on Windows Phone Business Was a Mistake, Says It Could Have Been Handled Better

OpenAI's Future

Altman played a pivotal role in the organization's rise to prominence, particularly with the launch of ChatGPT, which showcased significant advances in generative artificial intelligence.



Reports indicate that influential investors, such as Microsoft and venture firm Thrive Capital, actively participated in efforts to reinstate Altman as CEO. Microsoft, having invested over $10 billion in OpenAI, holds a significant stake in the organization and has integrated OpenAI's AI technology into its own products.



The concerns expressed by the OpenAI board reflect a broader unease about Altman's approach to the potential risks associated with the organization's advanced technology.



There were apprehensions that Altman might be deviating from OpenAI's stated mission and underestimating the potential dangers posed by its cutting-edge technology.



Ultimately, the ongoing developments underscore the challenges and uncertainties surrounding the leadership and direction of one of the prominent players in the field of artificial intelligence.

Related Article: Global Gamers Enhance AI Recommendation in the Gaming Industry, New Research From Cornell, Xbox and Microsoft Reveals

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NASA's X-59 quiet supersonic jet has entered the next phase of its development, adding a patriotic touch to its appearance as it moves to the paint barn at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works' facility in Palmdale, California.

Red, White, Sonic Blue

The X-59's distinctive paint scheme features a predominantly white body, a NASA "sonic blue" underside, and eye-catching red accents on the wings. Beyond cosmetic enhancement, the paint serves a functional purpose, providing protection against moisture and corrosion.



Additionally, it incorporates essential safety markings, aiding ground and flight operations, according to NASA.

This step was taken on November 14, which marks the aircraft's transition to the paint barn, where the final measurements of its weight and precise shape will be taken, contributing to improved computer modeling.



Cathy Bahm, the low boom flight demonstrator project manager, expressed excitement about this milestone, stating, "We are incredibly excited to reach this step in the mission. When the X-59 emerges from the paint barn with fresh paint and livery, I expect the moment to take my breath away because I'll see our vision coming to life."



"The year ahead will be a big one for the X-59, and it will be thrilling for the outside of the aircraft to finally match the spectacular mission ahead."



The X-59 stands as an experimental aircraft designed to achieve supersonic speeds while minimizing the typical sonic boom to a subtle sonic thump. Integral to NASA's Quesst mission, the X-59 will be flown over selected U.S. communities to collect data on public perceptions of its sound.



This data will be shared with regulators, potentially influencing current rules restricting commercial supersonic flight over land.

Read Also: New Computer Simulation Sheds Light on Early Galaxy Formation Aligned With NASA James Webb's Observations

X-59's First Flight

It is worth noting that the first flight of the X-59 as part of the Quesst mission was originally scheduled for 2023 but NASA has since announce that it will be adjusted to 2024.



This one-of-a-kind experimental aircraft involves intricate engineering, combining new technology with systems and components from various established aircraft. NASA explains that technical challenges encountered in 2023 entailed additional time for the integration of systems and resolution of intermittent issues with safety-redundant computers.



The X-59 incorporates landing gear from an F-16 and a life-support system adapted from an F-15, showcasing the complexity of its development. While the X-59 has made steady progress over the past year, the mission's top priorities remain safety and success.

The integrated testing phase, currently underway, must be completed before the flight readiness review. Once this stage is successfully cleared, NASA will release a more specific timeline for the first flight.

Quesst underscores NASA's dedication to an exhaustive review and testing process, ensuring the success of this pioneering mission with the potential to transform commercial aviation by decreasing travel time.

Related Article: NASA James Webb Achieves One of Its First Major Science Goals After Probing the Atmosphere of TRAPPIST Planet

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In a familiar tale of cybersecurity, the annual list of the most common passwords has been unveiled by NordPass, and to no one's surprise, favorites like "123456" and "password" continue to dominate. Despite repeated warnings from cybersecurity experts urging users to adopt stronger password practices, the lure of simplicity still prevails.



NordPass, in its fifth annual publication, examined a massive 4.3 terabytes of data related to cybersecurity incidents to compile the list of the top 200 most common passwords, revealing some persistent trends.

Most Common Passwords in 2023

Topping the list are the usual suspects:

1. 123456

2. admin

3. 12345678

4. 123456789

5. 1234

6. 12345

7. password

8. 123

9. Aa123456

10. 1234567890

11. UNKNOWN

12.1234567

13.123123

14. 111111

15. Password

16. 12345678910

17. 000000

18. admin123

19. ********

20. user

See the full list here.

Read Also: Secure Your Passwords While Donating to Charity Through The 'LastPass' Password Manager App

Alarming But Unsurprising

Alarming but unsurprisingly, NordPass found that all these passwords could be cracked in less than a second, emphasizing the urgent need for users to prioritize stronger and more unique combinations.



NordPass provided insights into its findings, stating that for five years, they have been tracking password habits, and observing recurring patterns. This year, they note an extra layer to the story, pointing to emerging trends and potential shifts in passkey authentication methods.



The report invites users to explore the future of passkeys amid ongoing discussions about improving user authentication.



NordPass clarified its methodology, emphasizing its commitment to privacy. The list was compiled in collaboration with independent researchers specializing in cybersecurity incidents.



The data, extracted from various sources, including the dark web, totaled 4.3TB, with no acquisition of personal data by NordPass. The study included statistical information from researchers in up to 35 countries, focusing on eight types of platform categories.



The report sheds light on the persistent challenges associated with passwords, emphasizing that while technological advancements make passwords harder to breach, malware attacks remain a significant threat to account security.



The statistics paint a stark picture, with 86% of all web app attacks utilizing stolen credentials, 18% of the most common items on the dark web being online accounts, emails, and passwords, and a staggering 24 billion credentials breached since 2016.



As users grapple with password fatigue, the need for robust cybersecurity measures becomes increasingly evident. The report serves as a reminder that despite the familiarity of these warnings, the onus remains on individuals to adopt more secure and unique password practices to safeguard their digital identities.

So if your password is included on the list, you might want to rethink. Being original doesn't hurt especially if it's for your own privacy!

Related Article: Passwords Should Exceed 8 Characters For Heightened Security, Researchers Suggest | Here's Why

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Cruise, a division of General Motors, recently saw a big shakeup when its CEO, Kyle Vogt, resigned over safety concerns and an investigation into the company's US fleet. The decision comes just a day after Vogt issued an apology to the company's staff, acknowledging the challenges faced by Cruise in recent weeks.



Kyle Vogt, who co-founded Cruise in 2013, told workers, "I have resigned from my position," in an email, as per Reuters. The resignation follows several setbacks for the firm, including the halting of US self-driving car testing. After Cruise's driverless taxi dragged a pedestrian on October 2, this suspension was imposed to conduct a thorough safety evaluation.

Vogt Taking Responsibility of Cruise Situation

According to a Reuters report, Vogt admitted responsibility for Cruise's current state. The report quoted him saying, "As CEO, I take responsibility for the situation Cruise is in today. There are no excuses, and there is no sugar coating what has happened. We need to double down on safety, transparency, and community engagement."



The resignation of Vogt comes at a critical time for Cruise, impacting an industry reliant on public trust and regulatory cooperation. Cruise had recently announced ambitious plans to expand its autonomous taxi services to more cities.



In response to Vogt's departure, GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra announced key leadership changes within Cruise. Mo Elshenawy, the current executive vice president of engineering at Cruise, will assume the roles of president and CTO. Additionally, Craig Glidden, a Cruise board member and GM's EVP of legal and policy will continue as chief administrative officer, while Jon McNeill, a recent addition to GM's board and former COO of Lyft and president of Tesla, has been appointed vice chairman of the Cruise board.



According to Cruise spokesman Aaron Mclear, Mo Elshenawy, executive vice president of engineering, will become president and chief technology officer. GM's executive VP of legal and policy and Cruise board member Craig Glidden will serve as Cruise's president and chief administrative officer, as stated last week.

Former Lyft and Tesla CEO Jon McNeill, who sits on the GM and Cruise boards, was chosen vice chairman of the Cruise board, Mclear said, per TechCrunch.

Read Also: Most Common Passwords in 2023 Unveiled: Is Yours on the List?



"As we previously announced, Cruise has paused operations while we take time to engage third-party experts and strengthen public trust," he said, adding that the outcomes of our continuous evaluations will guide future initiatives as we construct a safer, more transparent, and more trustworthy service.



On Sunday, GM CEO Mary Barra emailed Cruise staff, complimenting Kyle Vogt for "his tremendous vision," according to the New York Times.



"The board and I also want you to know that we are intensely focused on setting up Cruise for long-term success. Public trust is essential to this. As we work to rebuild that trust, safety, transparency and accountability will be our north stars," as quoted by the San Francisco Chronicle.

Cruise Robotaxis Under Fire

Kyle Vogt's resignation coincides with the aftermath of the California Department of Motor Vehicles suspending Cruise's operations in San Francisco. Cruise is unable to operate its robotaxis without a human driver on board as a result of the alleged regulatory misrepresentation and the withholding of crucial video evidence about the incident on October 2. The company is still permitted to conduct technology testing with a safety driver present.



The incident on October 2 marked a significant event in the autonomous vehicle space, resulting in severe injuries to a pedestrian. The subsequent fallout led to Cruise issuing a software recall for all its 950 autonomous vehicles to enhance post-collision response capabilities.

Related Article: OpenAI's Altman, Brockman Seel Reinstatement After Leadership Shakeup

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In a recent interview with CNBC on Monday, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen revealed that the United States continues to harbor concerns about privacy and social media, specifically referencing the unresolved matter involving the popular short video platform, TikTok.



Yellen refrained from going into specifics regarding TikTok, a social media owned by Chinese parent company ByteDance, citing ongoing legal proceedings that prevent US regulators from taking additional action at this time.

"We do have concerns around the potential issues with privacy and social media," the US official stated, as quoted by Reuters, emphasizing that the matter remains unresolved.



Notably, TikTok was not explicitly mentioned at the US summit, where US President Joe Biden had a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said she discussed Chinese investment in the United States with her Chinese counterpart. She noted that she addressed Chinese investments in the US with her Chinese counterpart during their discussion, including the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) procedure.



The US Department of Treasury chairs CFIUS, an interagency group that assesses national security-related foreign investments in US enterprises and real estate.



US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen noted that both Washington and Beijing acknowledge the chance for collaboration following the recent meeting between the two presidents.

TikTok Under US Scrutiny

Privately owned TikTok, which boasts more than 150 million users in the US and more than 1 billion global users, has proposed a strategy called Project Texas, which aims to relocate all data originating from the United States to servers within the country, addressing apprehensions related to privacy and security.

Read Also: Cruise Co-Founder Kyle Vogt Resigns as CEO Amid Executive Shake-up



The fate of TikTok in the US remains uncertain, with bipartisan support for a proposed ban raising questions about data access laws, according to TechTarget. The FBI and US Department of Justice initiated an investigation into TikTok on March 17, 2023, focusing on allegations of spying on American journalists. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew defended the application before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on March 24, 2023, addressing concerns about consumer privacy, data security, mental health impact, and ByteDance's security issues.

Biden Administration Threatening TikTok Ban

The US has previously threatened to ban TikTok, with concerns centering on potential data exposure to the Chinese government. Because they believe that the Chinese government may have access to sensitive user data, lawmakers and regulators in the West are concerned about the security implications of TikTok and ByteDance. TikTok has consistently denied such claims and sought to distance itself from ByteDance.

In August, TikTok revealed that the Biden administration is pushing for the app's Chinese ownership to sell or face a potential ban. TikTok has been in confidential talks with CFIUS for years, addressing concerns about its relationship with ByteDance and data handling under Chinese government influence.

According to The New York Times, TikTok has faced bans in several countries, including India, where it was banned in mid-2020, and various US states and institutions have restricted its use on government devices and Wi-Fi networks. Additionally, legislative efforts, lawsuits, and bills at both the state and federal levels have aimed to ban TikTok, reflecting ongoing concerns about its operations.

Related Article: Australia's Internet Watchdog to Draft Industry Standards for Tech Giants to Combat Online Child Abuse, Pro-Terror Material

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Amazon has unveiled a new initiative, "AI Ready," designed to provide free courses in artificial intelligence (AI) skills, aiming to educate workers and bridge the growing talent gap in the competitive tech landscape, where rivals like Microsoft and OpenAI are actively recruiting. The company envisions reaching as many as 2 million individuals by 2025 through the program.

The "AI Ready" initiative encompasses eight courses, catering to both business and non-technical audiences as well as professional developers, according to The Verge. Topics covered include "Introduction to Generative Artificial Intelligence," "Foundations of Prompt Engineering," and "Low-code Machine Learning on AWS"-Amazon's cloud-computing arm, Amazon Web Services (AWS).

Attracting and Developing AI Talent

Amazon emphasizes the rising demand for AI talent, with employers willing to pay up to 47% more in salaries for individuals trained in this domain, citing an AWS study. The courses are strategically tailored to not only address this demand but also promote Amazon's own AI products. Offerings include "nontechnical" learning on generative AI fundamentals, project planning around AI, and guidance on using Amazon's CodeWhisperer AI code generator.

"Amazon is launching AI Ready to help those with a desire to learn about AI and benefit from the tremendous opportunity ahead. The following initiatives are designed to open opportunities to those in the workforce today as well as the future generation," according to the company.

AI is the future. Thats why were launching AI Ready, our new commitment to provide free AI skills training to 2 million people by 2025.



Here are the three new initiatives:



Eight new and free AI and gen AI courses



@awscloud Generative AI Scholarship, providing more  Amazon News (@amazonnews) November 20, 2023

Read Also: TikTok Privacy Issues Unresolved, US Treasury Secretary Discusses Concerns



To attract learners, Amazon points to the scarcity of qualified professionals in the AI field, with 73% of employers prioritizing AI-skilled talent but facing challenges in finding qualified individuals. The company intends to "democratize" generative AI education, benefiting not only its employees but also enterprise customers seeking workers with essential skills, per Engadget.

How to Access Amazon's AI Ready?

The courses are accessible through the AWS Educate site, with initial training in generative AI and an introduction to CodeWhisperer. Additional courses, covering topics like Amazon's Transcribe speech-to-text generator, are available on the AWS Skill Builder site.

As part of the initiative, Amazon plans to provide Udacity scholarships, valued at over $12 million, to more than 50,000 high school and university students from underserved and underrepresented communities globally. The scholarship, offered through the AWS Generative AI Scholarship, aims to empower students with foundational generative AI concepts, allowing them to earn a certificate upon successful completion.

Jenni Troutman, Director of Products and Services at AWS Training and Certification, was quoted by the New York Post saying, "At AWS, we believe that skills training and certification have the power to transform organizations and individuals' careers and lives." She added that "AI Ready" is an extension of their commitment to make AI and ML skills training accessible to everyone, offering free courses, programs, and scholarships for those eager to learn.

As AI continues to reshape industries, adapting to these changes is anticipated to necessitate additional skills and training for workers. Currently, the scarcity of highly skilled AI talent has prompted top tech companies to enhance salaries and benefits to retain employees in a competitive job market. Amazon, for instance, increased its base pay limit for corporate employees to $350,000 in February.

Related Article: Cruise Co-Founder Kyle Vogt Resigns as CEO Amid Executive Shake-up

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Former Twitch CEO Emmett Shear is now the interim CEO of OpenAI. Shear disclosed on X (formerly Twitter) that he was given the "once-in-a-lifetime" job and accepted it after discussing the matter with his family.

Shear resigned from Twitch, which he co-founded in 2008 when his son was born. Despite enjoying his time away from full-time employment, he accepted the OpenAI position because he believes the company is one of the most crucial entities in existence.

OpenAI Crisis

The decision comes at a tumultuous time for OpenAI, marked by the recent removal of Sam Altman, the former CEO. Emmett Shear acknowledged in his tweet that the handling of Altman's removal has damaged trust within the organization.

OpenAI board's abrupt dismissal of Altman and the resignation of the firm's president, Greg Brockman, from the board on Friday may have sparked a crisis, but Emmet Shear's assumption of the new position, which ran counter to remarks made by OpenAI executives to staff on Saturday and early Sunday, could worsen the matter, according to The Information.

Brockman, a key engineer behind the OpenAI successes, resigned later that day, followed by three senior researchers, threatening to set off a broader wave of departures to OpenAI's rivals, including Google, and to a new AI venture Altman has been plotting in the wake of his firing.

To address the situation, Emmett Shear outlined a three-point plan for the next 30 days, which includes hiring an independent investigator to examine the entire process leading to the recent events, continuing dialogue with employees and stakeholders, and restructuring the management and leadership teams to enhance effectiveness.

"Depending on the results and everything we learn from them, I will drive changes in the organization-up to and including pushing strongly for significant governance changes if necessary. I will be rolling these out as they become clear over the 30 days. OpenAI's stability and success are too important to allow turmoil to disrupt them like this. I will endeavor to address the key concerns as well, although in many cases I believe it may take longer than a month to achieve true progress," he tweeted.

Read Also: Amazon Launches 'AI Ready': Free Courses to Build Generative AI Skills

Shear Acknowledges Sam Altman's 'Incredible' Efforts

Emmett Shear emphasized his commitment to OpenAI's stability and success, expressing respect for the work of Sam Altman and the entire OpenAI team. He assured me that he would work diligently to protect and further grow the company.

"I have nothing but respect for what Sam and the entire OpenAI team have built. It's not just an incredible research project and software product, but an incredible company," he stated.

As Shear takes on this new role, he pledges transparency but also notes that not all internal communications will be made public. Additionally, he clarified that the board did not remove Sam Altman over "any specific disagreement on safety, their reasoning was completely different from that." He noted that only accepted the role with their support for commercializing OpenAI's models.

Shear concluded the X post, promising further updates and information in the coming days.

Today I got a call inviting me to consider a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: to become the interim CEO of @OpenAI. After consulting with my family and reflecting on it for just a few hours, I accepted. I had recently resigned from my role as CEO of Twitch due to the birth of my  Emmett Shear (@eshear) November 20, 2023

The Washington Post reported that, according to a source, the board's decision to remove Sam Altman as OpenAI's CEO was not based on concerns about the company's products or Altman's approach to commercializing AI. Instead, the board sees it as a "challenge to oppose the talented, powerful, and well-liked chief executive" and believes that pressure on Altman will rise as the company approaches its goal of building artificial general intelligence.

Talks of Sam Altman's return and board replacement with figures like Brian Chesky and Sheryl Sandberg were considered but eventually broke down late Sunday, leading to Shear's appointment as interim CEO. OpenAI's spokesperson and both Shear and Altman declined to comment.

According to The Verge, OpenAI has become among the fastest-growing services in history with the launch of ChatGPT on November 30, 2022. Sam Altman recently revealed that the large language model has over 100 million weekly users.

Related Article: OpenAI Turmoil: Hundreds of Employees Demand Board Resignation in Bold Letter

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The latest development now in Sam Altman's recent firing is seeing multiple reports that the former CEO, alongside co-founder Greg Brockman, is still looking forward to making their return to OpenAI despite all the drama and happenings. Multiple sources cite this development in this ordeal, amidst the recent announcement of the executives and their team offered a role at its partner, Microsoft.

Altman and Brockman are known for being among those who created OpenAI, and leaving the company is a massive blow to them, but they are not yet closing their doors on it.

Sam Altman OpenAI Return? Sources Claim He is Willing to Rejoin

(Photo : Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Multiple sources have a massive revelation regarding the controversial case of Sam Altman's axing from OpenAI reports The Verge, following the many happenings that already took place days after he was removed. Now, this centers on a claim that Altman is willing to return to the company and resume his role as the CEO, and this also mentions co-founder Greg Brockman's desire to rejoin OpenAI.

This follows the massive pressure from the entire workforce of the company, including several board members and its chief scientist, Ilya Sutskever, who claimed a mass exodus if both executives would not return.

There are talks about the goal to "reunite the company" in the present, and employees claim online that what makes OpenAI are its people, particularly those involved in paving the way to where it is now.

Read Also: Emmett Shear Takes Helm as OpenAI's Interim CEO Amid Leadership Turmoil

The Way Forward: Altman and Brockman's Microsoft Roles

Altman and Brockman are still in the AI game, but it is not necessarily with OpenAI, both executives and their colleagues may still work with the company through the new roles they were offered with its partner and investor, Microsoft. The latest development from Satya Nadella confirms this, and in Altman's post via X, he talks about "one team, one mission," which talks about his acceptance of this Microsoft role moving forward.

satya and my top priority remains to ensure openai continues to thrive



we are committed to fully providing continuity of operations to our partners and customers



the openai/microsoft partnership makes this very doable  Sam Altman (@sama) November 20, 2023

The Controversial Termination of Sam Altman

The recent news from last week shocked the world, and more so, its former chief executive, Sam Altman, who despite co-founding the company, is removed from his post as per the Board's decision. This is similar to the controversy happening over at Parler, the right-wing social media platform, which also removed its co-founder and CEO, John Matze.

While the same situation befalls Altman, he was not left in the air, as Greg Brockman, an esteemed colleague and co-founder of OpenAI, quit his post after the surprising event. Even more so, this saw a significant uprising from the company where other employees have either signed the petition to have the Board resign or join the mass exodus threatening to take place.

Altman is best known for his massive contributions over at OpenAI, and despite the Board and the company considering this, decided to remove him from his position as per their explanation. Now, reports are claiming that Sam Altman is not yet closing his doors on OpenAI, with the ex-CEO claiming to still have desires to rejoin the company, after everything they have been through these past few days.

Related Article: OpenAI Turmoil: Hundreds of Employees Demand Board Resignation in Bold Letter

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In response to a report from a watchdog group triggering a significant exodus of advertisers, X CEO Linda Yaccarino characterized the document as "misleading and manipulated" in a note sent to X employees on Sunday night.

(Photo : Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Vox Media)

DANA POINT, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 27: Linda Yaccarino, CEO, X/Twitter speaks onstage during Vox Media's 2023 Code Conference at The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel on September 27, 2023 in Dana Point, California.

Commitment to Fight Antisemitism, Discrimination

Addressing the temporary suspension of investments by some advertisers, Yaccarino underscored the role of data in uncovering the genuine story. She reiterated the company's clear commitment to combating antisemitism and discrimination, emphasizing the global rejection of such content.

Titled "Our Work is Meaningful," Engadget reported that the note also framed the situation as a free speech issue, asserting that no critic would deter the company from its mission to protect free speech.

This is a stance aligning with X owner Elon Musk's consistent emphasis on the platform's dedication to free speech, despite concerns about rising hate speech since his acquisition of the service last year.

Yaccarino addressed the temporary suspension of investments by certain advertisers, attributing it to what she deemed a "misleading and manipulated article." She emphasized the transparency of X's efforts in combating antisemitism and discrimination, firmly stating that such content has no place anywhere in the world.

Facing mounting pressure from advertisers questioning her commitment to Musk's defense, Yaccarino is reportedly in a precarious position as X CEO, as detailed by Forbes. Undeterred, she reaffirmed her stance in a Monday morning X post, doubling down on her criticism of Media Matters.

In the post, she acknowledged the inevitability of detractors and fabricated distractions when dealing with matters of great consequence. Despite the challenges, Yaccarino expressed unwavering dedication to X's mission and thanked supporters for standing by the platform.

Drawing Accusations Antisemitism

Simultaneously, The Hollywood Reporter Musk faced criticism for a post on Wednesday that drew accusations of antisemitism. Responding to a user's statement on X, Musk acknowledged the perspective shared, expressing disinterest in concerns about Western Jewish populations.

This move occurred in the wake of Musk's public endorsement of an antisemitic conspiracy theory, drawing widespread criticism, including a statement from the White House condemning Musk's post as an "abhorrent promotion of Antisemitic and racist hate" that "runs against our core values as Americans."

Following the Media Matters for America report revealing major brands' ads adjacent to pro-Nazi content on X, prominent advertisers, including IBM, Apple, Disney, Lionsgate, Warner Brothers Discovery, Paramount Global, and NBCUniversal (formerly under Yaccarino's leadership), withdrew their ads from X.

Also Read: X Loses All IBM Ads After Appearing Alongside Pro-Nazi Content

Yaccarino, previously overseeing advertising divisions at NBCUniversal and Turner Broadcasting, joined X in June with the objective of rebuilding advertiser trust.

In her memo, she acknowledged the existence of a "vocal minority" resorting to deceptive attacks to undermine X's work. Nevertheless, she affirmed the platform's resolute commitment to protecting free speech-a principle that Musk has consistently championed since taking charge of the network.

Related Article: Disney Suspends Ads on X Amid Antisemitic Content Uproar, Joining Other Major Advertisers

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has raised the possibility of Sam Altman, recently ousted from his role as OpenAI's CEO, returning to the organization. Altman, who announced his intention to join a newly-formed AI research team at Microsoft, might have the option to reconsider his move, according to a report by TechCrunch.

(Photo : Alex Wong/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 13: Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, speaks to members of the press outside the AI Insight Forum at the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on September 13, 2023 in Washington, DC. Lawmakers are seeking input from business leaders in the artificial intelligence sector, and some of their most ardent opponents, for writing legislation governing the rapidly evolving technology.

Will Altman Return to OpenAI

During interviews with CNBC and Bloomberg TV, Nadella indicated a willingness to consider Altman's return to OpenAI. On CNBC, Nadella said that they hope Altman and Greg find a fitting place if they don't continue with OpenAI. When questioned about the likelihood of Altman returning, Nadella deferred the decision to OpenAI's board, management, and employees.



Nadella's remarks align with recent reports suggesting that Altman's move to Microsoft is still under consideration. The dynamics at OpenAI have shifted with changes in leadership, and Altman's potential return depends on the support of two out of the remaining three board members.



This corresponds with earlier reports indicating the possibility of Altman rejoining OpenAI.



Nadella also highlighted Microsoft's interest in seeing adjustments to OpenAI's governance, especially in terms of investor relations. As a nonprofit organization, OpenAI's board currently lacks seats for investors, including Microsoft.



Nadella said that there is a need for governance changes and expressed Microsoft's commitment to engaging in discussions with OpenAI's board to facilitate these adjustments as the situation evolves.

Read Also: Tech Times Weekly Wrap: OpenAI Fires Sam Altman, SpaceX's Starship Launch License, Liquid Cancer Treatment

Microsoft's Intention to Hire Altman

This development comes after Nadella expressed Microsoft's intention to hire Altman and other members of the former OpenAI CEO's team. Altman's role at Microsoft will involve leading a team dedicated to advanced AI research.



Altman's termination from OpenAI sent shockwaves through the tech industry, leading to notable departures and investor pressure to reinstate him.



Despite the mounting pressure, OpenAI's board defended its decision, citing concerns about Altman's behavior and alleged lack of transparency.



In a memo to employees, the board addressed investor concerns, stating that Altman's actions undermined their ability to oversee the company effectively. The decision resulted in the appointment of Emmett Shear, former CEO of Amazon's Twitch streaming service, as the interim CEO.



The unexpected leadership change, coupled with major investors' involvement in Altman's potential return, has fueled speculation about OpenAI's future direction. As discussions between Microsoft and OpenAI continue, the tech industry eagerly awaits the resolution of this high-profile development.

Related Article: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella Admits 'Exit' on Windows Phone Business Was a Mistake, Says It Could Have Been Handled Better

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. France's colonial policy in Senegal is still ongoing, and women suffer the most from it, Head of the Senegalese "Y DNA VITAL" LTD, Ibrahima Diagne told Trend.

He made the remark on the sidelines of an international conference on "Decolonization: Empowerment and Development of Women" in Baku.

The company's head noted that this colonization affects many aspects of the country.

"The status of women in Senegalese society is very low due to French colonialism," Diagne explained.

"Conducting such an event organized by the Baku Initiative Group is very important. We may express our issues through this platform. Those who are oblivious will find out what is going on. As a result, concerns such as colonialism, female exploitation, and lawlessness can be addressed," he added.

The conference is organized by the Baku Initiative Group of the Non-Aligned Movement.

.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
A comprehensive cybersecurity study conducted by researchers at Georgia Tech has revealed that three out of four of the world's most popular websites are jeopardizing the security of tens of millions of users by falling short of basic password requirement standards.



The study, led by Assistant Professor Frank Li and Ph.D. student Suood Al Roomi from Georgia Tech's School of Cybersecurity and Privacy, utilized an automated tool to assess the password creation policies of websites.



This tool, a first of its kind, examined the Google Chrome User Experience Report (CrUX), a vast database comprising 1 million websites and pages.

(Photo : Leon Neal/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 09: In this photo illustration, A woman is silhouetted against a projection of a password log-in dialog box on August 09, 2017 in London, England. With so many areas of modern life requiring identity verification, online security remains a constant concern, especially following the recent spate of global hacks.

Key Findings

The researchers, whose project was 135 times larger than previous efforts relying on manual methods, discovered alarming deficiencies in password policies across a sample of 20,000 websites from the CrUX database. Key findings include:



1. Inadequate Password Length Requirements: A significant number of websites permitted very short passwords, with over half accepting passwords with six characters or fewer. Furthermore, 75% of the websites failed to implement the recommended minimum of eight characters.



2. Lack of Common Password Blocking: A mere 12% of the websites enforced a password block list, leaving over 17,000 sites vulnerable to password spraying attacks, where cybercriminals attempt to access user accounts using common passwords.



3. Outdated Requirements: Many websites were found to be using outdated password creation guidelines from 2004, lacking the security measures recommended by more recent standards.



4. Absence of Length Requirements: Alarmingly, 12% of the websites in the study did not have any password length requirements, potentially exposing users to increased security risks.



The automated tool, developed by Al Roomi and Li, utilized machine learning to assess the consistency of length requirements, restrictions on characters, acceptance of spaces and special characters, and the implementation of password block lists.



The tool also analyzed whether sites allowed dictionary words or known breached passwords.

Read Also: Secure Your Passwords While Donating to Charity Through The 'LastPass' Password Manager App

Real-world Adoption of Security Solutions

Professor Li emphasized the importance of investigating the real-world adoption of security solutions and guidelines, stating, "It's crucial that we investigate whether those solutions or guidelines are actually adopted in practice to understand whether security is improving in reality."



The project was initiated during the peak of the pandemic and aimed to address a gap in the research literature regarding website password policies. The findings highlight the need for increased vigilance and adherence to contemporary security measures in the face of evolving cyber threats.



In related news, NordPass has recently unveiled the most common passwords in 2023 and to no one's surprise, favorites like "123456" and "password" continue to dominate.



Despite repeated warnings from cybersecurity experts suggesting users to adopt stronger password practices, outdated practices still persist.



Check this story to learn more.

Related Article: Passwords Should Exceed 8 Characters For Heightened Security, Researchers Suggest | Here's Why

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Researchers have developed miniature 3D human colons enriched with immune cells, showcasing potential advancements in addressing conditions like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and cancer.

Miniature 3D Human Colons

The collaborative effort between researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Hollings Cancer Center and Cincinnati Children's has yielded a refined model for studying diseased colons.

Unlike traditional organoids, these miniature human colons developed in the lab boast a crucial addition - an immune system.

The collaboration, led by MUSC researcher Jorge Munera, PhD, in tandem with James Wells, PhD, and Daniel Kechele, PhD, from Cincinnati Children's, focuses on enhancing existing organoids.

While advanced compared to standard human cell cultures, these miniature organs typically lack a natural connection to immune components. Munera and his team have tackled this limitation by cultivating colon organoids that closely mimic the human colon in both healthy and diseased conditions.

The significance of this model lies in its relevance to gastrointestinal diseases, many of which involve the immune system and inflammation. Munera explained, "We think that this new model is significant because most gastrointestinal diseases involve the immune system and inflammation."

Historically, the exploration of colon diseases, encompassing cancer and IBD, leaned heavily on cell studies and animal models. Yet, studies based on cells often revolved around cancerous tumors, restricting their relevance to non-cancerous diseases.

While animal models, despite their intricacy, carry inherent limitations, as therapeutic interventions proven effective in animals may not necessarily yield comparable benefits in human contexts, according to the researchers.

A happy medium between animals and cells is reportedly provided by organoids, 3D groups of cells that mimic organ functions. Organoids offer a balance between cells and animals.

Despite being more complex than traditional cell cultures, they lack some features of complete human organs and are not connected to a larger bodily system like animal models.

Read Also: NYU Surgeons Successfully Complete World's First Full Eye Transplant Following Deadly Accident

Early-Stage Immune Cell Types

Munera, Wells, and their team addressed a notable limitation of colon organoids by inducing them to develop early-stage immune cell types present in colon tissue.

These immune cells closely resemble those found in the human body, capable of detecting disease-causing bacteria and initiating removal, an essential step in researching potential therapies for diseases affecting the gastrointestinal tract.

Using stem cells sourced from patient blood samples, the researchers created colon organoids, showcasing the adaptability of stem cells capable of evolving into diverse cell types required by the body.

Through communication among these stem cells, a colon organoid is formed, featuring layers that mimic the natural structure of bodily tissue. The immune cells play a crucial role in the innate immune system, serving as the body's first line of defense against inflammation.

Munera anticipates that as this innovative organoid model undergoes further refinement, it could open avenues for personalized treatments tailored to address colon diseases.

In the future, these organoids might be generated from a patient's blood to test the efficacy of treatments before administration, offering a more tailored and effective approach to addressing colon-related ailments.

The findings of the study were published in the journal Cell Stem Cell.

Related Article: Breakthrough Spinal Implant Restores 'Fluid Walking' of Parkinson's Patient, Paving the Way for Clinical Trials

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.




It is easy to get lost in all the new phone releases when multiple happen yearly. Consequently, most new functions go unnoticed because people do not pay attention. Here are eight of the most underrated mobile features.

Mobile Features Get Lost With Every New Release

Apple announced the latest in its long line of products  the iPhone 15  in September 2023. Considering the technology giant debuts a new model every year, even the most tech-savvy people are bound to overlook a few exciting features with every release.

After all, most people do not pay attention to the newest phones functions when they do not plan to upgrade. However, companies frequently release OS updates that apply to multiple generations. As a result, many people do not realize what their mobile devices can actually do.

iPhones Underrated Mobile Features

Most iPhone users know their phones in and out, considering Apple has such a robust ecosystem. Still, there are plenty of lesser-known features.

1.Background Sounds

The iPhone comes with a unique white noise function in the accessibility settings. On the audio/video page, you will find the Background Sounds feature. It plays soothing noises, helping you mask background chatter, focus or relax.

You can choose from three different levels of white noise  dark, bright or balanced. Alternatively, you can pick a rain, stream or ocean sound. If you want to customize your listening experience, you can tweak the volume and audio balance.

When you want to stop using the Background Sounds feature, toggle it off in Settings. For a faster switch, you can set it to pause automatically when you play other media or lock your phone.

2.High-End Processors

Every modern Apple device comes with a high-end chip that runs everything. The kind you have depends on what iPhone you own. For example, Pro models typically have better processors than standard ones. Of course, newer models have superior internal components, too.

Most people assume their phone is mainly good for calling, texting and using apps. They would be amazed if they knew the kind of power their device held. Apples A-series chips are one of its most underrated mobile features.

The latest processors are impressive. For example, although the latest A-series  the iPhone 15s A17 Pro chip  is only a few nanometers wide, it can handle trillions of operations per second. It has such outstanding performance that people can natively play video games with high-end graphics.

3.Back Tap

With Back Tap, you can turn on various functions by tapping the back of your phone. For example, you can screenshot, toggle the flashlight, scroll or turn on live captions.

Find this hidden iPhone feature by heading to the Touch page in the accessibility settings. There, you can enable actions for double and triple touches.

4.Visual Lookup

Visual Lookup has existed for a few years, so its standard functions are relatively well-known. However, Apple majorly upgraded it with iOS 17. Now, it can auto-select and copy people and objects, turning them into stickers. Also, it can identify symbols like laundry codes or dashboard warning lights. It truly is one of the most underrated mobile features.

Androids Underrated Mobile Features

The majority of people have at least one mobile device. In fact, around 95% of people in the United States have a phone. Somehow, there is still an astonishing amount of useful mobile features they do not know about.

1.Split Screen

When you are in the app tray, you can tap the three vertical dots to enable split-screen mode. It lets you display two different things simultaneously, meaning you no longer have to keep switching between them.

Think of the possibilities  you could reference a map while texting someone directions or watch a movie while scrolling through its reviews. This hidden Android feature lets you multitask like a pro.

2.Smart Lock

Understandably, constantly unlocking your phone for every little thing can get tedious. With Androids smart lock feature, you never have to worry about that again. You can set it to stay unlocked for as long as you remain in a specific place  like your home or workplace  or when it is on your person. As soon as you leave your trusted location, it automatically locks.

Google Pixels Underrated Mobile Features

Google has some powerful technology behind its phones. Consequently, Pixel phones have some interesting, underrated features.

1.Live Translate

Live Translate is among the most underrated mobile features on any modern phone. After all, it is a new-and-improved version of the standard Google Translate function. You only need to tap and hold on text to view it in your native language.

Since this function also works through the camera, you could use it to interpret words on street signs, paperwork and shop windows automatically. Combine the feature with the live caption accessibility tool to translate media like podcasts and videos.

On some Pixel models, you can ask the Google Assistant to interpret speech in real time. While you speak, it turns everything you say into text from your chosen language. With this feature, communication barriers are a thing of the past and every conversation flows smoothly.

2.Call Screening

Are you tired of endless robocalls? With the Pixels call-screening feature, you can fight back with an automated robot voice of your own. It answers calls for you and asks pre-set questions like who the caller is and why they are reaching out. The phone writes down what they are saying, so you can watch how they respond in real time and decide whether to pick up or not.

If the call turns out to be spam, the Google Assistant can tell the caller to take your number off their contact list and save the audio transcription for review later. Thia Pixel feature is a lifesaver for those who deal with nonstop spam. It is one of the most beneficial mobile features on any phone due to robocalls prevalence.

These Mobile Features Change How You Use Your Phone

Even though these mobile features largely go unnoticed, they are some of the most powerful functions on modern devices. You might change how you use your phone after you learn about them.

Eleanor Hecks is the managing editor at Designerly. Shes also a mobile app designer with a focus on UI. Connect with her about digital marketing, UX and/or tea on LinkedIn.
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BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. The French government did not allow women to use their rights, representative of the Martinique Freedom Party, Luc Carole said, Trend reports.

He spoke at the event "Decolonization: Empowerment and Development of Women".

"It is quite terrible that incidences of gender inequity continue to occur. But we're working hard to keep that from happening. We work hard to guarantee gender equality everywhere. The French government prohibited women from exercising their rights. We think that by holding this meeting, we will be able to express our concerns and find a solution," he said.

Baku hosts an international conference on "Decolonization: Empowerment and Development of Women". The event is organized by the Baku Initiative Group of the Non-Aligned Movement.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
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The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. There is no room for USAID operations in Azerbaijan any longer, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration, Hikmet Hajiyev wrote on his page on X, Trend reports.

"During Armenia's 30-year occupation of Azerbaijani territories, when millions of Azerbaijanis were subjected to infamous and bloody ethnic cleansing, the US stood behind the aggressor state of Armenia. The same policy is still in place today, in the same shape and presentation.

Pretending academic or professional impartiality would be incorrect, as professor of 'Human Rights" Practice at the University Samantha Power, in her propaganda book "A Problem from Hell": America and the Age of Genocide (2002)," passed in complete silence over the genocide and atrocities committed by Armenia against innocent Azerbaijani civilians. As United States PermRep at the United Nations Security Council, she never dared to raise the plight of Azerbaijani refugees and IDPs and demand the implementation of UNSC resolutions, let alone condemn the occupation of Armenia.

Samantha Power collaborated with the fund's founder, renowned oligarch and money launderer Ruben Vardanyan, who also sponsored separatism in Ukraine, under the auspices of the Aurora Prize. Surprisingly, members of the European Parliament urged sanctions against Troyka Dialogue Banker(s) founder Ruben Vardanyan in 2019 for money laundering activities. After establishing himself in Karabakh since October 2022, Ruben Vardanyan was also plotting a coup against Armenia's US-backed governmental authority.

Ruben Vardanyan and Samantha Power likely share similar values and interests in Azerbaijanophobia, Turkphobia, political corruption, "moneytalkism," and political theories around the so-called Aurora Prize.

Mask Off! There is no room for USAID operations in Azerbaijan any longer!" the statement said.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. A regular meeting of the working group on transport, communications and high technologies operating under the Interdepartmental Center of the Coordination Headquarters established for centralized solution of issues in Azerbaijan's liberated territories was held in Shusha, Trend reports.

The meeting informed the relevant structures about the work done on the implementation of tasks on transport and communication infrastructure in the "I State Program of "Big Return" to Azerbaijan's liberated territories," projects currently being implemented and upcoming plans, existing opportunities related to project implementation, difficulties encountered, and ways to solve them.

Rahman Hummatov, Deputy Minister of Digital Development and Transport and head of the working group, opened the conference by noting that the State Program Action Plan contains strategic projects such as road and railway construction and repair, as well as the building of new airports.

"Some of them - "Victory Road" the new highway in front of the entrance to Lachin, the Fuzuli-Hadrut highway, and the Fuzuli and Zangilan international airports have been successfully implemented. Work on the construction of Lachin airport is proceeding rapidly, with 53 percent of the project's work currently completed," he said.

The Deputy Minister added that the construction of the Barda-Aghdam (47.1 km) and Goradiz-Aghband (110.4 km) railroad lines continues. The physical progress made on the projects is 83 and 44 percent, respectively.

Rahman Hummatov noted that construction work on 17 projects with a total length of 2,157 kilometers is currently underway according to the schedule; most of them are roads of republican importance.

Further, the Deputy Minister informed about the work done and planned on the TV and radio broadcasting networks, mobile communication, and fixed telecommunication networks in Azerbaijan's territories liberated from Armenian occupation. According to him, at present, 10 TV and 7 radio programs are broadcast through the restored TV and radio broadcasting stations. For the organization of mobile telecommunication services, 330 base stations have been installed, including in the territories liberated as a result of anti-terrorist activities. Telephone and high-speed Internet services are provided in Shusha, Lachin, Fuzuli, Zangilan, and other territories.

Rahman Hummatov informed the participants of the meeting about the bus routes to Shusha, Aghdam, and Fuzuli cities organized to date through the "Yolumuz Qarabaga" portal.

"A total of 639 trips have been made on these routes; 26,226 passengers visited the territories liberated from occupation," he noted.

The Deputy Minister also stated that telephone and high-speed Internet services are currently being provided to subscribers in Shusha using new technologies; project work is being carried out to provide telecommunication services to public buildings under construction and restoration; and work is being carried out to lay trunk and subscriber fiber-optic lines in various directions.

The meeting focused on the construction of road and transportation infrastructure, the organization of motor transport and passenger transportation services, and the existing demand and opportunities in Azerbaijan's territories liberated from Armenian occupation, including Shusha.

Head of the sector of the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan Elmir Valizade, employee of the special representative office of the President of Azerbaijan in Shusha district Kanan Guliyev, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the State Road Agency of Azerbaijan Avaz Gojayev, Advisor to the Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways Nazim Talibov, as well as other participants spoke about the importance of infrastructure projects implemented in the territories liberated from occupation in accordance with the "I State Program of "Greater Return", their implementation by the relevant structures through coordination by the Interdepartmental Center, constant monitoring of mine safety measures in the territories, resettlement of the population in newly constructed residential areas and employment and other important issues.

At the meeting, decisions were made on taking joint measures with relevant structures in connection with the implementation of relevant measures envisaged in the State Program in a timely manner, as well as the necessity of applying modern technologies in construction and reconstruction work in the field and other issues.

During the visit, some projects implemented in these territories were reviewed, including familiarization with the construction of the internal road network of Shusha, the creation of a telecommunication network, and the organization of communication services in the city, as well as the construction of a 4-6-lane alternative road from Ahmadbayli to Fuzuli to Shusha.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Faimon Roberts III covers rural communities in Louisiana. His work is supported by a reporting grant from the Microsoft Journalism Initiative and is administered by the Greater New Orleans Foundation.

He can be reached at froberts@theadvocate.com.
Carver Park in Gonzales, as seen Monday, Oct. 9, 2023, hours after a Sunday evening shooting. Four people were shot from what police and neighbors described as multiple gunshots from multiple weapons. Two people were hit by a vehicle in the chaos to escape the shooting. Another person was killed by the vehicle, police said.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. Azerbaijan and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) have signed a convention in the field of taxation, Azerbaijani Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov wrote on "X" (Twitter), Trend reports.

"During our meeting with members from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, we confirmed our commitment to international tax cooperation by signing the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting. This convention, backed by more than 100 countries, demonstrates our commitment to global efforts to combat tax evasion. We also had discussions about the future prospects of bilateral cooperation and prospective areas for collaboration," he said.

The OECD collaborates with governments and citizens to develop evidence-based worldwide standards and solutions to a variety of social, economic, and environmental issues.

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Principals at some of Australias oldest private boys schools say they have no plans to consider a move to coeducation, or survey parents on the issue, after another historic all-boys institution announced it would begin to admit girls in senior years within the decade.

Newington College, in Sydneys inner west, told parents on Monday it would become a fully coeducational campus by 2033, a decision that has sparked division among members of the schools vast old boy network.

The Kings School says it has no intention of pursuing coeducation. Credit: Nick Moir

Tim Bowden, headmaster at Trinity Grammar in Summer Hill which is not considering co-education, said it was important for parents to have different schooling options for their sons, and the move by Newington would expand that choice for some families in inner-west suburbs.

Its not the end for boys schools, Bowden said. Having different school options, whether thats co-ed or single-sex should be welcomed.
A convicted rapist has been sentenced over the disturbing secret filming of several Sydneysiders while they were naked or having sex in their own homes.

Aref Pandamooz, 35, is serving a seven-year jail sentence with a four-year non-parole period for raping a woman in a Sydney nightclub in 2019.

Aref Pandamooz was sentenced to six months in jail, but will spend no further time behind bars on top of his current sentence. Credit: Facebook

The Iranian national was sentenced over the horrific act in April last year.

Sydneys Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday heard that several months after he assaulted the young woman, he was peeping through windows on Sydneys streets and committing other disturbing  albeit less serious  crimes.
Police have arrested and charged more than 20 people after a pro-Palestinian protest at Sydneys Port Botany blocked a road leading to the shipping facility on Tuesday night.

In chaotic scenes, police from the riot squad and officers on horseback tried to break up the protest, which included children. Officers dragged protesters from the road after they failed to comply with an order to move on. At one point, protesters lifted a child in a pram over the top of the crowd.

Police arrest Palestinian supporters on Foreshore Road. Credit: Wolter Peeters

There was dragging, pushing, shoving. There were elderly women and girls, and kids in the protest, and they didnt respect that, organiser Ahmed Abadla, from Palestine Justice Movement Sydney, said.

We aim not to have any violence incorporated into our rallies. Police started the whole thing and the crowd got angry.
The defeated Indigenous Voice to parliament is still causing ructions in the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD). Readers will recall that when the institute followed much of corporate Australia in backing the Voice, a furious backlash among certain members ensued.

Now, two months after the referendum, Muriel Demarcus, Transgrids director of major projects delivery, self-described French Yummy Mummy and wife of former Rio Tinto boss Jean-Sebastien Jacques has followed her referendum weekend Twitter screed by rage-quitting the institute.

Muriel Demarcus.

In an email to the institute which is doing the rounds among segments of the membership worried about the AICD becoming a bastion of wokeness, Demarcus announced she wouldnt be renewing her membership, accusing the organisation of choosing partisanship over healthy debate.

The AICD could have unified the nation and led by example. What a missed opportunity, the former First Lady of Rio Tinto (her words) said.
A 12-storey apartment block in North Melbourne that was built only five years ago will be knocked down and rebuilt in what experts warn points to the citys fixation with disposable buildings.

The City of Melbourne voted on Tuesday night to approve the demolition of the RMIT Village development on the Haymarket roundabout and turn it into a new 19-storey student housing building with build-to-rent apartments.

The RMIT Village building earmarked for redevelopment. Credit: Jason South

Deputy Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece said it was concerning in the midst of a climate emergency to be asked to approve the demolition of the large, near-new Flemington Road building.

Taking a wrecking ball to a five-year-old building is wasteful, and creates waste, he said.
The Education Department has made clear schoolchildren are expected to attend school ahead of a student strike for Palestine this week, as it also urged Victorian parents and students to seek to understand each others views.

In a letter sent by schools to parents and carers on Tuesday afternoon, seen by The Age, the department acknowledged people on both sides of the Middle East conflict and said it was important every student felt safe at school.

Premier Jacinta Allan speaking to the media on Tuesday, with Deputy Premier Ben Carroll (right) and the incoming member for Mulgrave, Eden Foster. Credit: Wayne Taylor

This is a very difficult time for the Victorian community as many Victorians continue to grieve for the ongoing suffering of those they know in the Middle East region, the letter said.

As the Department of Education has previously indicated, Thursday 23 November 2023 is a normal school day and normal attendance requirements apply for the full day.
Travel has the power to change us, to shake us to the core and reshape the way we see the world. It can also reshape the way we see our travel companions  not always for the better.

Like the time Martha Shaughnessy, founder of the Key PR, was on a trip to Argentina with friends in 2009. After a long travel day, the group of eight arrived at the rental counter exhausted only to find the company was out of vans. Some of the friends exploded, yelling and waving copies of the rental agreement.

Beware red flags with your travel companion  you might be in for a difficult trip. Credit: iStock

It became almost competitive escalation between these guys, Shaughnessy said.

The display did not help her group get a vehicle, but it did change the way Shaughnessy thought about those friends.
Jerusalem: Three weeks ago, the Israeli military unveiled a detailed 3D model of Gazas Al Shifa Hospital  showing a series of underground installations that it said was part of an elaborate Hamas command and control centre.

Days after taking control of the hospital, the territorys largest healthcare centre, the military has yet to unveil this purported centre.

An Israeli military spokesman holds up a bulletproof vest with Hamas insignia the IDF says was found alongside weapons in a medical cupboard at the Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. Credit: IDF via AP

But it has released videos of weapons allegedly seized inside the hospital, a tunnel running through the complex and videos appearing to show Hamas militants dragging hostages through the hospitals hallways. Israel says there will be much more to come.

What Israel finds  or fails to find  could play a large part in its efforts to rally international support for its war against Hamas, launched on October 7 in response to a bloody cross-border attack by the Islamic militant group.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. Azerbaijan's Geological Exploration Agency specialists have commenced work to assess the existing reserves of mineral resources in the territories returned under Azerbaijani control after the anti-terrorist measures conducted in Karabakh in September of this year and to register the inflicted damage, the Board Chairman of the agency Ali Aliyev told Trend.

He said that the work would be completed in the shortest possible time.

"There are 167 mineral deposits in Karabakh and the surrounding territories. As a result of anti-terrorist measures, 143 mineral deposits were returned to us in 2020, and 23 deposits were returned following recent counter-terrorism operations. These areas have gold, copper, coal, marble, limestone, and other mineral resources," the official noted.

"After the recent anti-terrorist measures, the deposits of 'Gyzylbulag', 'Demirli', and 'Chardakhly' have returned under our control. 'Gyzylbulag' is a gold ore deposit, 'Demirli' is rich in copper and gold, and 'Chardakhly' is a coal deposit. In addition, these territories have reserves of other valuable minerals," he added.

In order to ensure the provisions of the Trilateral Statement, prevent large-scale provocations in the Karabakh economic region, disarmament, and the withdrawal of Armenian armed formations from Azerbaijani territories, anti-terror measures of a local nature were carried out in the region on September 19-20.

As a result of the anti-terror measures, Azerbaijan restored sovereignty and constitutional order in these territories. The armed formations of Armenia located in the Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan were disbanded and left the territory of Azerbaijan.

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DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Lithium Mining in Africa 2023" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

This report on lithium mining in Africa includes comprehensive information on the size and state of the industry, projects underway, notable players, corporate actions and regulations, as well as information on the competitive environment, outlook and the international industry.

Global lithium supply is expected to catch up to demand in 2023. Prices are expected to rise when demand exceeds supply. Demand will be driven by growth in electric vehicle sales. Africa is expected to account for nearly a quarter of global supply by 2030, with Zimbabwe contributing almost 40%.

Increasing demand for lithium due to the energy transition and an expected supply deficit in the near future are seeing battery and battery electric vehicle manufacturers wanting to secure supply and invest in African mines and projects. Africa's lithium output is growing rapidly, and dozens of companies are actively exploring the continent for lithium.

Many African countries contain lithium deposits and the continent is generally underexplored. Despite inadequate rail, road and electricity supply infrastructure in many parts, and the requirement in most countries to process ore before lithium can be exported, Africa is expected to produce nearly a quarter of global output by 2030, up from less than 1% in 2021.

The report also profiles 12 companies including Chinese subsidiary Bikita Minerals, which mines in Zimbabwe, Australian company AVZ Minerals, operating in the DRC, and locally-owned company Zimbabwe Lithium Company, involved in the Kamativi tailings project.

Company Profiles

Andrada Mining Ltd

Arcadia Minerals Ltd

Atlantic Lithium Ltd

AVZ Minerals Ltd

Bikita Minerals (Pvt) Ltd

Kodal Minerals PLC

Leo Lithium Ltd

Lepidico Ltd

Marula Mining PLC

Max Mind Investments (Zimbabwe) (Pvt) Ltd

Premier African Minerals Ltd

Zimbabwe Lithium Company (Pvt) Ltd

Key Topics Covered:

1. INTRODUCTION

2. CONTINENT INFORMATION

3. DESCRIPTION OF THE INDUSTRY

3.1. Industry Value Chain

3.2. Geographic Position

3.3. Size of the Industry

4. LOCAL

4.1. State of the Industry

4.2. Key Trends

4.3. Key Issues

4.4. Notable Players

4.5. Trade

4.6. Corporate Actions

4.7. Regulations

4.8. Enterprise Development and Social Development

5. INTERNATIONAL

6. INFLUENCING FACTORS

6.1. Demand for Battery Electric Vehicles

6.2. Economic Environment

6.3. Labour

6.4. Environmental Issues

6.5. Technology, R&D and Innovation

7. COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT

7.1. Competition

7.2. Ownership Structure of the Industry

7.3. Barriers to Entry

8. INDUSTRY SUMMARY

9. OUTLOOK

10. INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS

11. REFERENCES

11.1. Publications

11.2. Websites

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/d1ocdt

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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BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. Azerbaijani Parliament's meeting has discussed the law of the Republic of Azerbaijan "On the budget of the State Social Protection Fund for 2024" in the second reading, Trend reports.

The document, after discussions, was put to the vote and adopted in the second reading.

Thus, revenues and expenditures of the budget of the State Social Protection Fund (SSPF) for 2024 have been approved in the amount of 6.9 billion manat ($4.1 billion).

Currently, the revenues and expenditures of the SSPF budget total 6.2 billion manat ($3.6 billion).

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. It is necessary to approve the document on the long-term development of the Middle Corridor until 2040, Sapar Bektasov, Director of the Transit and Transport Logistics Development Department at the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development of Kazakhstan said at the ESCAP 2023 economic forum in Baku, Trend reports.

"Global transportation today accounts for 6 percent of the world economy. In recent years, the importance of transportation as a factor of national competitiveness and sustainable growth has increased dramatically. In this context, there is a need to develop plans and mechanisms to promote the growth of the share of GDP transportation in the ESCAP region," Bektasov concluded.

He also noted that Central Asia has great potential for the development of transit container transportation.

Moreover, he added that the throughput capacity of Kazakhstan's sea ports can be increased to 470 - 500,000 DV containers per year

Meanwhile, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) was established on March 26, 1998.

The ESCAP participating States are currently Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

ESCAP provides a platform for sub-regional cooperation to realize those Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that can best be achieved through regional cooperation. Azerbaijan will chair ESCAP in 2023.

Baku is hosting the ESCAP from November 20 to 24, 2023.
Batavia, NY (14020)

Today

Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain for the afternoon. High 49F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Cloudy skies with periods of light rain late. Low 39F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.
Congress Govt in Raj wants to eradicate sanatan dharma





JAIPUR,

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the Congress Government in Rajasthan cannot think of anything except appeasement politics and wants to eradicate sanatan dharma. Ahead of the November 25 Assembly polls in Rajasthan, the Prime Minister addressed rallies in Pali district and in Pilibanga in Hanumangarh district on Monday.

At the election rally in Pali district, he asserted that Rajasthan needs a Government which gives top priority to development, whereas for the Congress there is nothing more important than corruption and dynastic politics. He also accused the Congress and its allies of having an anti-women mindset.

Ever since the law giving reservation to women (in Lok Sabha and State Assemblies) was passed, they have started a campaign against women. The leaders of ghamandiya alliance have made very objectionable comments about our mothers and sisters, he charged. The Prime Minister said the Bihar Chief Minister used derogatory words against women in the Assembly but no Congress leader said anything about this. This is the real face of Congress, which the people of Rajasthan have recognised, he said. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, while emphasising the importance of education among women to control the population, had recently put forward a vivid description in the State Assembly of how an educated woman can restrain her husband during intercourse.

He had later apologised for his remarks. Modi said the Bihar Chief Minister also used derogatory language against a former Chief Minister because he was from a very backward family. ...Because he (the former CM) comes from a very backward family, hence he (Kumar) took pleasure in insulting him. Congress does not have the wisdom to tell (him) that it was wrong, he said. The Prime Minister also accused the Congress of turning a blind eye to incidents of atrocities against Dalits. Congress closes its eyes when it sees those committing atrocities against Dalits, he said.
35 boats destroyed in fire at Visakhapatnam jetty area





Visakhapatnam,

A fire broke out in a jetty area here in which at least 35 fishing boats were gutted, even as the police launched a hunt for 10 to 15 persons who allegedly partied in one of the boats, officials said. The fire broke out around 11.30 pm on Sunday in a boat owned by Balaji in zero jetty and was doused by 4 am on Monday, officials said. However, no death or injury was reported in the accident, the officials added. Visakhapatnam Harbour Assistant Commissioner of Police B Moses Paul said police are probing the role of the group of 10 to 15 people who quarrelled over a transaction. After a boat caught fire, the group untied it and pushed it into the sea but it drifted back towards the boats and sparked a bigger fire, Paul said. The blaze occurred in an area near the Visakhapatnam Container Terminal and an IOC facility where fishing boats were anchored.

Police received the names of the persons involved in the skirmish while Paul said more clarity over the cause of the fire will emerge on questioning them. Though 25 fire tenders were pressed into service from across the city over time, it was the Navy's Sahara firefighting boat which managed to extinguish the flames by spraying foam and sand, he said. According to Paul, the fire tenders could not put off the blaze initially because almost every boat had diesel and cooking gas cylinders. Every 10 to 15 minutes, he said those cylinders exploded. Visakhapatnam Deputy Commissioner of Police-Zone II K Ananda Reddy said the intervening night of Sunday and Monday was quite windy, causing the fire to spread quickly among the boats made of fibre and anchored closely.

Many of these boats also carry up to 5,000 litres of diesel as the fishermen venture into the sea for weeks. Many boats also carried LPG cylinders which the fisherfolk use for cooking, Reddy added. Considering the critical location of the fire, Reddy said the Vizag Steel Plant fire brigade and the Navy were also alerted, while controlling the fire without further spread proved to be a big task.
Facts & Figures Only 13.91 lakh cast vote in Bhopal, 16 booths record 90-97% voting





By Ankita Garg

Out of 20.87 lakh voters, only 13.91 lakh people appeared at polling booths to cast their votes for their candidates contesting for the seven seats of Bhopal. Voting percentage remained as 66.66%. There were 2,049 polling booths in the city but 469 booths (23%) recorded below 60% polling. Only 16 polling booths recorded 90% to 97% voting. Besides, 1,588 polling booths of city recorded 60% to 80% voting. Highest voting percentage was recorded in Berasia where all polling booths recorded above 60% voting. There are 5 polling booths in Berasia where above 90% voting was recorded. Huzur remained on second place where 348 polling booths were assigned. Out of this, 10 polling booths received above 90% and 312 booths received above 60% voting.

Only 46 polling booths recorded below 60% voting. In Dakshin-Paschim there were 235 booths in which 119 booths recorded below 60 % voting. Lowest voting booth of the city was 17 no polling booth situated in Nehru Nagar where only 26% people reached to cast their vote. If we talk about the Madhya Pradesh, polling percentage remained as 76.22%. There are only two booths in State having 100 percent voting. The two polling booths in rural constituencies of Hatpipliya in district Dewas recorded 100% voter and created example for the society. This year State has recorded highest voters in last 66 years in the single polls to 230 Assembly seats.

According to EC, in race of highest voting, Seoni recorded 85.68% voter turnout followed by Balaghat 85.23%, Agar 85.03%, Shajapur and Rajgarh 84.99% and 84.29% respectively. Interestingly, Sonewani polling station in Naxal-hit Balaghat district which was categorised as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) recorded 100% voting. There were total 42 voters, including 26 male and 16 female, and they were brought together escorting with tight security by central forces at the pooling booth.
India-bound ship HIJACKED by Houthi rebels in Red Sea





JERUSALEM :

YEMENS Houthi rebels have seized an Israeli-linked cargo ship, bound to India, in a crucial Red Sea shipping route and took its 25 crew members hostage, officials said, raising fears that regional tensions heightened over the IsraelHamas war were playing out on a new maritime front. The Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they hijacked the ship Sunday over its connection to Israel and would continue to target ships in international waters that were linked to or owned by Israelis until the end of Israels campaign against Gazas Hamas rulers.

The moment Houthis flew in and took over a ship linked to an Israeli billionaire, who supports Israeli genocide. pic.twitter.com/7t76sMYIvi  Maree Campbell (@Campb37345Maree) November 20, 2023

All ships belonging to the Israeli enemy or that deal with it will become legitimate targets, the Houthis said. Mohammed Abdul-Salam, the Houthis chief negotiator and spokesman, later added in an online statement that the Israelis only understand the language of force. The detention of the Israeli ship is a practical step that proves the seriousness of the Yemeni armed forces in waging the sea battle, regardless of its costs and costs, he added.

This is the beginning. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office had blamed the Houthis for the attack on the Bahamas-flagged Galaxy Leader, a vehicle carrier affiliated with an Israeli billionaire. It said no Israelis were on board. The ships Japanese operator, NYK Line, said the vessel had no cargo at the time of the hijacking. Its crew members are from the Philippines, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine and Mexico, NYK said. Japan on Monday condemned the hijacking. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said the Japanese Government was doing its utmost for an early release of the crew through negotiations with Houthi rebels, while also communicating with Israel and cooperating with the Governments of Saudi Arabia, Oman and Iran.

The Houthis said they were treating the crew members in accordance with their Islamic values, but did not elaborate on what that meant. Netanyahus office condemned the seizure as an Iranian act of terror. The Israeli military called the hijacking a very grave incident of global consequence. Israeli officials insisted the ship was British-owned and Japanese-operated.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. Iran attaches importance to the development of cooperation in political, economic, trade, tourism and other fields with all neighboring countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mehrdad Bazrpash said, Trend reports.

He made this statement during a meeting with the UAEs Ambassador to Iran Seif Mohammad Al-Zaabi, as reported by Trend.

Bazrpash highlighted the trade volume between the two countries as an indicator of their collaboration. He said that Irans trade with the UAE amounted to $34 billion in the last Iranian year (March 21, 2022 to March 20, 2023), making the UAE the third-largest export destination and the top import source for Iran.

The minister also expressed his hope that the economic ties between the two countries would further improve, leading to a higher trade volume.

According to the IRICA latest statistics, Iran exported about 8.16 million tons of non-oil products to the UAE worth $3.67 billion and imported 6.8 million tons of products from the UAE worth approximately $11 billion in the first seven months of the current Iranian year (March 21 through October 22, 2023).

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Inheritance reforms likely in Khasicommunity





 By Kartik Lokhande :

SHILLONG

THE Khasi community is on the cusp of a major change. It has been mulling over inheritance reforms to streamline the distribution of share in ancestral and self-acquired property. As is the tradition, the parental property rights are inherited by the youngest daughter in the family. Hence, the matrilineal society discussing distribution of share in property to sons, is a major reform. P N Syiem, Deputy Chief Executive Member (CEM), Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC); Lamphrang Blah, Chairman; and Fanting Lakadong, Executive Member, revealed this in an interaction with a select group of senior journalists from Maharashtra visiting Shillong recently. During the interaction, Syiem said that the draft of the Khasi Inheritance of Property Bill, was ready. Once it is passed by the District Council, it will become alawas perthe powers vestedini tregarding the Khasi tribals. However, given the fact that ours is a matrilineal society, we will need time for change to award some share of property to sons as part of the reforms,hesaid.According to him, the Bill may take a year to be passed.





The Bill was firsttabled in 2021.However, owing to difference of view points and certain suggestions given by the Select Committee constituted to scrutiniseit,some amendments were carried out to make the Bill legally sound. The primary objective of the Bill is to streamline the distribution of share in ancestral and self acquired property to sons in the family. However, as the KHADC members pointed out, it was not mandatory that sons would be entitled to all the property. It would depend on the will of the parents choosing the heirto theirproperty.The objective is not to disempower women, but to ensure that sons in the family are not deprived of the inheritance share in property. For quite some time, there has been demand in this regard from the Khasi men, Syiem said. Of course, he added,thetradition of parental property rightsvested in the youngest daughter would continue.

The visiting journalists from Maharashtra also visited Smit seat of Hima Khyrim kingdom. Dr Balajied Singh Syiem, Chieftain of Hima Khyrim; Batriti Syiem, Queen; Habapan Singh Syiem, Deputy Chieftain, presided over the two-day Nongkhrem festival, which is the festival of harvest.They watched the traditional dances and artists playing traditional musical instruments, and honoured them at the end of the ceremony. As Sarang Pophale, Deputy Director, Doordarshan, Shillong,told mediapersons, Kings wife was not Queen in Khasi tribe. Rather, Kings sister was the Queen.Her son becomes the king and daughter becomes the Queen in the matrilineal system. Queen Mother commands a great respect in the society. Panhok Shilla, son of the King of Hima Khyrim, interacted with mediapersons. When the subject of reforms was broached during the interaction, Panhok Shilla said that a section of males in the society felt disem powered because of matrilineal tradition of inheritance. Hence, the District Councilin consultation with Hima Khyrimhas started discussion on the matter. Reforms will come up, but how... it will be decided by the society. There is another issue also -- of women seeking greater representation in the District Council. A healthy debate is going on in the society regarding the reforms on both the counts. Already,the process has started in a way, through some rulings allowing women to participate in elections. So, we are on the cusp of reforms, he elaborated.




Staff Reporter

Lieutenant General N S Raja Subramani, General Officer Commanding in Chief, Central Command, visited Madhya Bharat Area for the Annual Administrative Inspection from November 18 to 20. The Army Commander was briefed by Lt Gen M K Das, General Officer Commanding Madhya Bharat Area about the ongoing operational and administrative preparedness of Headquarters Madhya Bharat Area and its subordinate formations. The Army Commander felicitated deserving Army personnel with commendation cards for their utmost dedication and exemplary works. The General officer visited and inspected various facilities within the Madhya Bharat Area and appreciated the initiative in renovating and upgrading the facilities like Veterans Cell, which has been revamped to provide better legal and financial support in their ongoing financial and legal matters. He then visited Sainik Suvidha Parisar, where upgraded facility for various amenities has been established for all serving and retired military personnel.

He subsequently visited Military Hospital Jabalpur to inspect the upgraded accident and emergency room, waiting area and newly-constructed reception area and ECHS Polyclinic which has introduced a Suvidha Kendra on the lines of Government CSC (E-governance) Services, SPARSH (Pension related query and resolution) and many more. He also visited and appreciated the renovation of amenities at Yogendra Yadav Aramgrah which will provide better facilities to serving, retired Army personnel and their dependents to stay.

The Lt Gen further inspected important logistical institutes like Central Ordnance Depot and the 506 Army Base Workshop in Jabalpur. One of the most poignant moments of the Generals visit was his time spent at the Rajinder Hostel, where the children of war martyrs live and study. In addition, Lieutenant General N S Raja Subramani also visited the College of Material Management which is a prominent logistics and supply chain management training institution. He also exhorted all ranks to maintain a high standard of physical fitness, equipment readiness and righteousness in their conduct. Finally he highly commended the operational preparedness of Madhya Bharat Area and congratulated Lieutenant General M K Das for a stellar development in all fronts.
MERC notifies new Solar policy Makes industrial segment happy





Staff Reporter

Maharashtra Energy Regulatory Commission (MERC) has notified revised rooftop solar policy for the State in which a novel concept of Group Net Metering (GNM) has been now introduced. For example, a person having multiple establishments can get incentives by having solar installation at one place and clubbing other properties at different places for taking benefit of net-metering. Terming the notification of MERC historic in nature, Saket Suri, Founder-Director, All India Renewable Energy Association, said, Maharashtra would emerge as one of the top producers of rooftop solar power in the near future. In GNM, he said, consumers can produce power at one location and utilise it at the same location first, and credit excess power to Grid to offset power consumption of other locations or multiple locations within the same DISCOM area. GNM will benefit consumers having multiple locations of consumption. Giving an example, Suri said, A consumer having shop/office in a commercial complex and factory or godown at some other location with extra space, can now generate power and compensate major part of the consumption.

MERC notified the Grid Interactive Rooftop Renewable Energy Generating System (First Amendment) Regulation 2023. Suri said, it would help balance the current regime of high tariff, currently a top cause for concern for consumers with higher consumption. The new policy would stop migration of industries to other states as Net Metering Limit has now been raised to 5 MW or contract demand, whichever is on lower side. Earlier, the limit was 1 MW and now large power consumers can reduce their bills substantially by transferring excess power to grid. Previously big power consumers faced major difficulties as they had to connect their solar PV power plant behind the meter. During those times, there would be power losses, especially during low load and high power generating hours, most of the times at lunch time, or in the afternoon time when generation was at its peak and also on all holidays. Grid Support Charges are deferred till State reaches 5000 MW installed base of rooftop solar power generation and same would benefit all categories. Earlier, charges were to be introduced after achievement of 2000 MW PV installations and target is almost reached. A PIL was already filed for the same (Case 176 of 2023) by Sudhir Budhay to remove the solar power cap, but now it is deferred as consumers are relieved for few more years or till the said case is decided.

Modified Net Billing Arrangement: MERC has also modified the bill calculation method for consumers opting for Net Billing Arrangement. Earlier power generated by consumer under net billing arrangement was purchased by DISCOM at APP rate, it was Rs 3.75 per unit. The same power used to be billed by DISCOM at its tariff rate, between Rs 9 to Rs 24 based on consumer category. So power produced and used simultaneously by the consumer is not considered under this calculation. However now power exported from all such installations will get converted to amount at APP rate and this amount is then going to be deducted from final bill. This arrangement is going to be suitable for consumers with major power consumption during evening say from 6 pm to 10 pm, like marriage lawns, evening open air restaurants and Dhabas etc. where no metering arrangements or even open access arrangement allows solar power adjustments in this time slot. Moreover, there is no banking charge and consumer need not wait for encashment of extra exported power till year end.

MERC has imposed fine on DISCOM at Rs 500/- per day if SoP guidelines are not followed. In view of introduction of GNM, provision for early termination of existing arrangement and migration to GNM has also been provided in the said notification, said Budhay. Consumers can encash 50% of his credit amount with DISCOM, while earlier consumers with excess production used to carry forward continuous credit at the year end in their account. Now 50% of the credit amount shall be refunded to consumer by way of electronic transfer with in 60 days i.e. by May 31, in case consumer has credit for last 3 consecutive financial years. Delay in such payment will attract interest at MCLR rate of SBI.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. Starting from 2027, Serbia has the possibility of supply of one billion cubic meters of gas annually from Azerbaijan, Minister of Mining and Energy of the Republic of Serbia, Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic said in an exclusive interview with Trend.

"Serbia and Azerbaijan have established strategic cooperation, owing to the friendly relations and mutual respect between President Aleksandar Vucic and President Ilham Aliyev. By signing the Memorandum of Understanding between the relevant ministries, we have expanded bilateral cooperation between Serbia and Azerbaijan in energy and ensured the supply of gas from this country in the amount of up to 400 million cubic meters of gas per year until 2026. Moreover, starting from 2027, we have the possibility of supply of one billion cubic meters of gas annually from Azerbaijan. After completing the Balkan Stream gas pipeline, which enhanced security and opened a new route of supply, we are now achieving the strategic goal of diversifying suppliers and further strengthening our position as a transit country for gas supplies to Central European countries. We expect the completion of the Serbia-Bulgaria gas interconnection in the coming days, which will fulfil the infrastructural prerequisites for a new source of gas supply," said the minister.

Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic noted that the memorandum also opens additional opportunities for cooperation between the two countries, involving the delivery of liquefied natural gas through LNG terminals in Turkiye and Greece, as well as potential cooperation on developing capacities for constructing gas power plants and gas storage facilities.

"All projections show that Serbia's demand for natural gas will grow in this decade. The total consumption of gas is expected to increase from around three billion cubic meters of gas in 2022 to approximately four billion cubic meters by 2030. The Memorandum and contract signed today enable us to anticipate larger volumes of gas and more suppliers, ensuring greater security in the supply of our citizens and the economy. Additionally, following the completion of the gas interconnector to Bulgaria, we are planning new interconnections, primarily with North Macedonia," said the minister.

Cooperation on renewables

She pointed out that according to the Plan for the Development of Energy Infrastructure and Energy Efficiency Measures until 2028 with projections until 2030, adopted by the Government of Serbia in June, it is planned to increase capacities from solar energy and wind energy by 3.4 GW of installed power by 2030.

"This year, the Law on Renewable Energy Sources has been amended and the regulatory framework has been finalized, which enabled us to conduct the largest auctions conducted at once for the allocation of market premiums for renewable energy sources in the Western Balkans region. The auction results indicate that in the next few years, there will be nine new green power plants with a capacity of 700 MW (of which 425 MW is in the incentive system). According to projections, the state will earn 12-28 million euros annually. By changing regulations, we have created a favorable investment environment, as evident in the participation of reputable companies from the EU, UAE, Israel, as well as domestic investors in the first auctions. A three-year auction plan was also adopted, which is expected to grant incentives for 1300 MW, while the next auctions are set to commence by the middle of next year. Decarbonisation and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, i.e. the maximum reduction of the negative impact of energy on the climate is a shared task and goal for all countries. It is one of the areas in which we can deepen our cooperation with Azerbaijan," said Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic.

Follow the author on X: @Lyaman_Zeyn
Consultation on new IP legislation to begin next month says AG
Vice President Kashim Shettima, on Monday, met in closed-door session with some notable Nigerians including Aliko Dangote, Tony Elumelu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

In a statement by the spokesman of the vice president, Stanley Nkwocha, the purpose of the meeting was to address the countrys Human Capital Development (HCD) problem.

Nwokcoha said to address the problem in the nation, a multi-sectoral committee was set up and made up of the Federal and State governments as well as donors and partners.

He said the HCD programme was launched by the National Economic Council (NEC) in 2018 to address poverty, increasing investments in the Nigerian people and improving the human development indices of the country.

The committee was set up at a meeting with World Banks Country Director for Nigeria, Shubham Chaudhuri; Nigerian billionaire businessman Aliko Dangote; Chairman of the United Bank of Africa, Tony Elumelu, and the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate.

Nwokocha stated that the team is expected to convene every two weeks to review the progress of work in addressing the objectives of the HCD programme.

At the meeting, Shettima stressed the need for government and partners to invest in human capital development to create a globally competitive workforce, adaptable to the modern demands of the 21st century.

Acknowledging the significant impact that Dangote and Elumelu have contributed to the countrys development, Shettima noted that every society rises and falls depending on the quality of its leadership.

Shetima said: This gathering marks our collective recommitment to redirecting the promise and potential of our human capital towards safeguarding the economy.

Its an honour to host you, and I eagerly anticipate celebrating the success of the initiatives uniting us.

Our presence today signifies a tacit understanding that our future is intricately linked to the development of our human capital.

We have witnessed the growing shift towards knowledge and service-based economies and the advantages they offer, particularly to our youths.

On his part, Dangote commended Shettima for convening the meeting, saying it shows the commitment of the Bola Tinubu administration to addressing challenges around human capital development.

While pledging his support for the administrations HCD programme, Dangote called on stakeholders to work diligently towards tackling the challenge of inaccurate data, describing it as the biggest problem in addressing human capital development.

In the same vein, Elumelu pledged his support for the federal governments initiative, adding that the commitment of the members of the committee is guaranteed.

Also speaking, Pate noted the importance of investing in human resources, stating that stakeholders involved in the human capital development programme will reinforce and harness existing data to ensure accountability and accuracy in implementing programmes and projects under the initiative.

Pate expressed optimism that the renewed efforts at fast-tracking human capital development across different levels and tiers of government would attract interest from all stakeholders, including international partners and donor organisations.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. The Caspian region has significant energy resources, numerous export routes, logistics development opportunities, and the potential for renewable energy sources, Vice President of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) Babak Huseynov said at the SPE (Society of Petroleum Engineers) Caspian Technical Conference, Trend reports.

He emphasized that this year the conference gains special significance as Azerbaijan celebrates the 100th anniversary of the birth of the national leader Heydar Aliyev, whose foresight has left a mark on the oil and gas sector.

"His foresight and strategic thinking played a crucial role in directing the energy landscape towards prosperity. In the spirit of his vision, the key role of the oil and gas industry in shaping the economic destiny of nations is recognized. This conference serves as a platform for industry leaders, professionals, and experts to come together and find joint solutions to the energy dilemma," the official explained.

"We stand at a crossroads requiring to balance the imperatives of energy, security, environmental sustainability, and economic viability. The Caspian region, with its enormous resources, has a unique opportunity to lead the process of discharge," added Huseynov.

The SPE Caspian Technical Conference has started in Baku.

The event will bring together global industry leaders and technical experts in Baku on November 21-23 to share perspectives on the industry and address the unique challenges and opportunities it presents.

Taking into account the key role of the Caspian region in shaping future global energy dynamics, this conference, organized with the assistance of SOCAR, will feature an expert-selected high-level program, panel discussions on key issues facing the region, and a unique opportunity for networking with experts in oil and gas production.

The program will include an assessment of the current situation and offer important discussions for investors, operators, service company representatives and government authorities in the region.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
It was revealed by the foreign airlines that about 90 per cent of their $783m trapped funds have not been unpaid.

This was disclosed during a stakeholders forum convened by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, in Lagos recently.

In the data from the International Air Transport Association, as of August 2023, Nigeria accounted for a substantial $783m of airlines blocked funds..

The Chairman of International Airline Operators, Mr Chima Kingsley, further noted that while international banks had received some funds from the Central Bank of Nigeria that only accounted for a fraction, less than 10 per cent of the trapped funds.

He said, The bulk of the blocked funds are with Nigerian commercial banks. The bulk of the money has not been paid."

Two weeks ago, the President Bola Tinubu had promised to clear the estimated $7bn outstanding foreign exchange obligations of the Federal Government on forex forwards contracts owed to commercial banks.

Also, it was reported that the CBN had commerced clearing the forex backlog to commercial banks to ease pressure on the foreign exchange.

Domestic carriers, represented by the Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, Obiora Okonkwo, explained their difficulties with trapped funds and limited access to forex impacting their operations.

Similarly, the Area Manager of West and Central Africa for IATA, Dr Samson Fatokun, stated the need to reduce operating costs in the Nigerian aviation sector, advocating for sector-specific support.

Keyamo expressed commitment to stakeholders that efforts were underway to address the forex challenge.

While he did not disclose the exact disbursement figures, the minister expressed the governments commitment to resolving the issue in the coming weeks, offering a glimmer of hope for the airlines grappling with financial constraints.
Any Nigerian with rational and open mind knows that complexity of governance in Nigeria today is rooted in the countrys political system, which by any stretch of imagination and logic, is unsuitable for a heterogenous society like Nigeria with over 250 ethnic groups that are characterized by incompatible cultures, varied history, background and interests.

These ethnic groups were hitherto independent nations that ceded their sovereignty to the Nigerian state under Federalism, a political system that took cognizance of their peculiarities and agreed upon by the countrys founding fathers. But ever since this system was subverted and replaced with a Unitary state structure, Nigeria has been embroiled with unending suspicion, distrust, disunity, disharmony, nepotism, hegemony and rivalry among the various ethnic nationalities, indicative of its inappropriateness.

Unsuitability of the Unitary state structure, inequitable revenue sharing method, breach of countrys secularity status, dishonest quota system and political location of industries are major national contradictions undermining Nigerias potentials. Except to hide under cover of pretense, it is a common knowledge that Nigerias progress is held down by these national paradoxes. They are aberrations and drawbacks that are fundamentally responsible for the countrys stunted growth. These are what President Bola Tinubu must address in 2024 to set the tone for equitable and prosperous Nigeria.

Efforts outside this trajectory amounts to sheer cosmetic administrative routine and waste of valuable resources incapable of restoring hope. The Unitary system of government has become a Frankenstein monster that is pushing the country towards the precipice with diminished national and global stature. Until a more suitable political template is introduced, Nigeria will continue to drift in circles like a regional giant with no illuminating potentials to inspire public confidence.

Federalism had been tested in Nigeria, and it worked. It is a system of government where all federating states and central government are financially independent, autonomous, interdependent and co-equal with neither the federal government nor the states inferior to each other. This is the political system that best suits the countrys cultural diversity and sociological complexities, capable of achieving equity, justice and balance.

In a plural society like Nigeria, Unitary system is a misfit, lacking the capacity to promote unity. It engenders acrimony, disaffection, nepotism, primordial nationalism and marginalization, owing to conflicting cultural aspirations. Emergence of separatist movements and other related self-determination groups are some of the challenges facing Nigeria today, justifying the need for Federalism to stem the tide. Otherwise, the country risks more ethnic nationalities surfacing to seek autonomy.

With about 68 items on the Exclusive list and 12 items on the Concurrent list, the 1999 Constitution is in structure, content and spirit, a Unitary constitution, where the destiny of the states and people are determined and centrally regulated, using revenue allocation as tool for coercion and subservient corporatism. This Constitution has failed Nigerians. The states or geo-political zones want independent hold of their future within the context of their distinct cultural aspirations.

As a way out, the concept of the 1963 Constitution should be invoked to allow states to take control of mineral deposits found in their domains. In other words, fiscal federalism with derivation principle allowing retention of 50 percent minimum of accrued revenue found in or generated by the states, should be introduced. All states and geo-political areas in Nigeria are evidently endowed as God has provided every habitat with natural resources, including agricultural crops for subsistence. This will not only give states the necessary financial autonomy, but will encourage them to harness and optimize their potentials, just as it will encourage hard-work, healthy competition, and discourage indolence.

Governments involvement in religion is also a national contradiction and aberration. Nigeria is a secular state as affirmed by Section 10 of 1999 Constitution, which says that the Government of the federation or of a state shall not adopt any religion as state religion in Nigeria. But federal governments behavioral disposition undermines this clause when viewed against the backdrop of its contribution and participation in religious matters.

By establishing the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and the Nigeria Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) to oversee and facilitate the process for participation of Muslims in Hajj or Umra in Saudi Arabia and pilgrimage of Christians to Jerusalem and other holy sites, the federal government has adopted Islam and Christianity as official religions, contrary to the intention of secularism.

Deception of Nigerias secularity status is further exposed by Nigerias membership of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), a religious body representing the collective voice of the Muslim world, and working to safeguard the interests and ensure the progress and well-being of Muslims. Nigerias membership is a tacit endorsement of the country as an Islamic state, as depicted by its commitment to dues obligation.

Religion is a personal affair, and individuals are at liberty to practice their faith as deemed appropriate, as long as it does not violate the right of others. The huge amount expended by federal government annually to fund NAHCON and NCPC, as well as meeting financial obligations in OIC, is an infringement on the right of Nigerians whose taxes are used to service these private interests.

After all, governments involvement in religion has not reduced moral decadence in Nigeria, as most beneficiaries of these pilgrimages to Hajj and Jerusalem are involved in corruption that have contributed to the countrys woes. Rather than waste the countrys resources on these unprofitable ventures, such money should be used to shore up decaying infrastructure across the country.

President Tinubu should therefore dissolve NAHCON and NCPC, and remove Nigeria from membership of OIC, as part of strategies to maintain the secularity of Nigeria. Any state government whosoever desires to fund its citizens to holy sites is free to do so at its own expense. The federal government must hands-off religion to save tax payers money.

Quota system is another national contradiction. It is part of Nigerias problems, and a source of bureaucratic ineptitude that should be discarded for excellence. This system has been consistently abused and manipulated by government officials to serve primordial and entrenched interests. The system has also deprived millions of brilliant Nigerians of opportunities to serve their fatherland on account of their states of origin.

When merit is sacrificed on the altar of representation, what you have is incompetence and failure. Nigeria is currently paying price of poor performance in government owing to quota application in recruitment process in ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs). The outcome has been inefficiency and poor delivery output with no value addition.

Sadly, the quota system is applicable to the educational sector that is supposed to be the substratum of research and development. Unqualified students are admitted into federal unity schools and universities while brilliant ones are unable to secure placements. In some cases, appointment of professors and award of PhD degrees are based on quota system, leading to production of quota scholars lacking capacity for research and discovery. What an irony for a country that is striving to compete in global affairs!

Quota system is a recipe for failure and poor performance. It is not applicable in the private sector because of these gaps. This may have also informed why the powers that be have deliberately refused to introduce the system in the selection of players for the national team, the Super Eagles. They know that if the obnoxious quota is applied, the performance of the Super Eagles will be outright tragedy for the country.

Another national contradiction is political location of industries. Oil and gas companies involved in exploration of crude oil in the Niger Delta should be compelled to relocate their administrative headquarters to areas where they have a minimum of 70 percent of their operations. This will not only accelerate development of the region, but will help in resolving current poverty and frustration, resulting from negligence and degradation in the region. The Nigeria LNG Limited which moved its administrative headquarters from Lagos to Bonny Island, Rivers State, where its operational base is located, is enjoying support from its host communities. The company should be commended and emulated.

Therefore, to reset, reshape and reposition Nigeria for stronger brand identity aimed at maximizing its full potentials to achieve national progress, regional influence and global respect, President Bola Tinubu must address and nip these national contradictions in the bud by next year, 2024.

Dr. Mike Owhoko, Lagos-based journalist and author, can be reached at www.mikeowhoko.com.
Press Release

November 21, 2023 Robin Resolution Urges PCO to Strengthen Public Awareness on WPS Issue To counter the threats from propaganda, misinformation and fake news on the West Philippine Sea issue - especially amid the rise of social media - Sen. Robinhood "Robin" C. Padilla spurred Malacanang's communication arm to strengthen public awareness on the matter. In Senate Resolution 864, Padilla urged the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) to "communicate to the public in an understandable way" the relevant legal documents, international treaties and bilateral and multilateral agreements on government's actions in the West Philippine Sea. "As the nation's security landscape continues to evolve, it is incumbent upon the PCO to provide clear, up-to-date and accurate information on matters of public concern relating to the security challenges confronting our country," Padilla, who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media, said in his resolution. "Coinciding with the seriousness of this issue is the risk of spreading propaganda, misinformation, and fake news with the advent of social media, which can greatly impact our pursuit of good governance and ultimately undermine democracy," he added. Padilla noted the territorial claim in the West Philippine Sea issue remains a primary national interest in the Philippines, since the government's filing of an arbitration case against China under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in January 2013, which was ruled in favor of the Philippines in 2016. Also, he pointed out President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. stressed in his State of the Nation Addresses (SONAs) in 2022 and 2023 that the government will continue to uphold its sovereign rights and preserve territorial integrity in defense of rules-based international order. On the other hand, he said Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez had noted in the aftermath of the Ayungin Shoal incident last August that the continuing tension between China and the Philippines over the WPS is "far more serious than how people perceive it is." Under Padilla's resolution, the PCO is to communicate to the public various treaties and documents that served as the basis of the Philippines' policies and actions surrounding the territorial dispute in the WPS, including: * the UNCLOS

* 2016 Arbitral Ruling

* US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty

* Reciprocal Access Agreement "It is understood that matters that may have repercussions or may compromise the nation's defense and security are naturally excluded from any public information and awareness campaign," he added. Resolution in Robin, Hinimok ang PCO para Palakasin ang Public Awareness sa WPS Issue Upang kontrahin ang banta mula sa propaganda, misinformation at fake news sa West Philippine Sea issue - lalo na sa panahong malakas ang social media - hinimok ni Sen. Robinhood "Robin" C. Padilla ang communication arm ng Malacanang para palakasin ang public awareness dito. Sa Senate Resolution 864, nais ni Padilla na tiyakin ng Presidential Communications Office (PCO) na maintindihan ng publiko ang mga dokumento at kasunduan sa likod ng mga kilos ng pamahalaan sa West Philippine Sea. "As the nation's security landscape continues to evolve, it is incumbent upon the PCO to provide clear, up-to-date and accurate information on matters of public concern relating to the security challenges confronting our country," ani Padilla, ang tagapangulo ng Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media. "Coinciding with the seriousness of this issue is the risk of spreading propaganda, misinformation, and fake news with the advent of social media, which can greatly impact our pursuit of good governance and ultimately undermine democracy," dagdag nito. Ani Padilla, ang territorial claim ng Pilipinas sa West Philippine Sea ay "primary national interest" mula noong ihinain ng Pilipinas ang arbitration case laban sa China sa ilalim ng United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) noong Enero 2013. Nanalo ang Pilipinas sa kaso noong 2016. Dagdag niya, ipinunto ni Pangulong Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. noong State of the Nation Addresses (SONA) niya noong 2022 at 2023 na patuloy na paninindigan ng Pilipinas ang sovereign rights at territorial integrity nito, base sa "rules-based international order." Ipinunto rin ni Padilla ang pahayag ni Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez na dahil sa mga pangyayari sa Ayungin Shoal noong Agosto, ang tensyon sa pagitan ng Tsina at Pilipinas sa WPS ay "far more serious than how people perceive it is." Sa resolusyon ni Padilla, ipapaliwanag ng PCO ang dokumento at kasunduan na naging basehan ng mga polisiya at kilos ng Pilipinas tungkol sa isyu sa WPS, kasama ang: * UNCLOS

* 2016 Arbitral Ruling

* US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty

* Reciprocal Access Agreement "It is understood that matters that may have repercussions or may compromise the nation's defense and security are naturally excluded from any public information and awareness campaign," ani Padilla.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. The energy resources of the Caspian Sea provide energy security not only for the region, but also for European colleagues, Vice President of the State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) Babek Huseynov said, Trend reports.

He spoke at the ongoing SPE Caspian Technical Conference in Baku.

"We are at the crossroads of energy, transit, and trade lines in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Management and usage of energy and carbon resources, as well as renewable potential, have ramifications beyond this region and can influence worldwide markets. In other words, the Caspian Sea's energy resources not only guarantee energy security for the area, but also for our European counterparts, while causing no harm to the environment. Of course, the foregoing benefits would not be achievable, therefore as firms and governments involved in the energy industry, we all have an obligation to protect the environment. Furthermore, for all countries in the region, energy revenues are critical to economic development. They can fund infrastructure projects, social programs, economic diversification attempts, and living standard improvements," he stressed.

The SPE Caspian Technical Conference started today in Baku and will continue until November 23. It will bring together global industry leaders and technical experts to share perspectives on the industry and address the unique challenges and opportunities it presents.

Taking into account the key role of the Caspian region in shaping future global energy dynamics, this conference, organized with the assistance of the State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOCAR), will feature an expert-selected high-level program, panel discussions on key issues facing the region, and a unique opportunity for networking with experts in oil and gas production.

The program will include an assessment of the current situation and offer important discussions for investors, operators, service company representatives, and government authorities in the region.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
AR rescues Meitei man

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IMPHAL, Nov 21: A 56 year old Meitei man was rescued by troops of 22 Assam Rifles from Motbung Bazar this morning.

The man reportedly went to Motbung for marketing in an autorickshaw.

Troops of 22 Assam Rifles received information about one Meitei man coming to Motbung in an autorickshaw at around 9.15 am, sources said.

A column of 22 Assam Rifles swung into action immediately under the supervision of CO Kartik Thapa and safely rescued the individual identified as Chingsubam Ningthem 56 s/o (L) Yaima of Awang Leikinthabi.

The Assam Rifles troops rescued Ningthem from Motbung Bazar at around 10.30 am and took him into their custody for safety.

Later Ningthem was handed over to Sekmai police station by 22 Assam Rifles at around noon.

From Sekmai police station, Ningthem was handed over to his family members at around 12.30 pm.


Ngaranmi Shimrays observations are incoherent and devoid of truth

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K. Yugindro Singh, Sh Janaki Sharma & M Manihar Singh (Independent Researchers)

Apropos Ngaranmi Shimrays article entitled Rebuttal to the article Absurd rebuttal of Ngaranmi Shimrays article Meetei/Meiteis exclusion from ST list-queer controversies by K Yugindro Singh & Others: The Meitei may have missed the bus published in The Sangai Express (E/ Edition) on 15th November 2023. After a careful reading of the article authored by Ngaranmi Shimray, it has been noticed that the observations made by him are devoid of truth. As the inclusion of a community in the Scheduled Tribe list is a perpetual process under Clauses (1) and (2) of Article 342 of the Constitution of India, his assertion that The Meitei may have missed the bus is quite fussy and implicitly or explicitly devoid of truth circumventing the arguments with lots of hackneyed words apart from dwelling at large on blank remarks, irrelevant to the points under rebuttal. Hence, we put forth the following logical arguments based on illustrative and referable documents which are almost reiterated in earlier publications:

1. Ngaranmi Shimray cannot term his article dated 15th November 2023 as a rebuttal to our article Absurd rebuttal of Ngaranmi Shimrays article Meetei/Meiteis exclusion from ST list-queer controversies simply on flimsy ground as he has failed to appropriately argue with justifications rather than beating around the bush against the 11 (eleven) points, raised in our article.

2. Being himself a person already listed as a Scheduled Tribe of Manipur, Ngaranmi Shim-ray has no moral right or concern to comment on the ongoing movement for inclusion of Meitei in the ST list as the Central/State Govt. authorities at different levels are the exclusive adjudicators to decide its merit, following the established norms and patterns in letter and spirit. Raising vociferous but better avoidable objection from a brethren community with a gnawing misery against a community in the same pool, corresponding to the stimulating move on its inclusion in the ST list of Manipur, is quite preposterous.

3. Ngaranmi Shimrays observation that There are still some Meitei Hindus who are included in the list of Scheduled Castes (SC)in the Order of 1951 is entirely false expression of his ideas as the said Order of 1951 did not specify belongingness of any community of Manipur to Scheduled Castes (SC). The Schedule to the Constitution Order of 1951 in respect of Manipur reads as: PART VIII  MANIPUR, Throughout the State: - Castes, races or tribes, or parts of, or groups within, castes or tribes specified as Scheduled Castes in relation to the State of Assam.

4. Ngaranmi Shimrays remarks that The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 provides in paragraph 3 that only a member of Hindu or Sikh religion shall be deemed to be a member of Scheduled Caste is concocted as paragraph 3 of the actual The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 reads as 3. Notwithstanding anything contained in paragraph 2. no person who professes a religion different from Hinduism shall be deemed to be a member of a Scheduled Caste.

5. Ngaranmi Shimrays observation that any community who professes Hinduism is not eligible for inclusion in the ST list is untenable because ST is open to all communities irrespective of caste, creed, and religion across the country. The idea that Meitei cannot claim for ST on the pretext of being a mix of OBC and SC is more untenable as the status of OBC and SC shall be washed off automatically once Meitei is notified as a ST. Though they profess Hinduism, Meitei are not of Hindu descent, being the actual descendants of the aborigines of Manipur. Notably, the Caste System of Mainland India does not prevail in the Meitei society.

6. Ngaranmi Shimrays assertion that Seven SC groups from the Hindu Meitei social order of Manipur fulfilled the requisite conditions and listed as SC in 1950-51 Order is entirely untenable for the reasons: (i) No community from Manipur is listed in the Constitution Orders of 1950 and 1951 and (ii) Meitei had never been with seven SC groups. So whatever arguments being protracted by him based on the above unfounded assertions are all infructuous. It is only in the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Lists (Modification) Modification Order, 1956 dated 29th October 1956 that seven communities viz., (i) Dhupi or Dhobi, (ii) Lois, (iii) Muchi or Ravidas, (iv) Namasudra, (v) Patni, (vi) Sutradhar and (vii) Yaithibi were notified in the first Scheduled Castes list of Manipur. Out of these seven communities, only two communities viz., Lois and and Yaithibi are affiliations of Meitei and the rest are migrant Hindu communities from the mainland India who had settled in Manipur.

7. In the matter pertaining to the revision of the lists of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, the mandate of authority assigned to the Backward Classes Commission (BCC), popularly known as Kaka Kalelkar Commission reads as: The President of India was pleased to direct the commission to examine the lists of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes as already published under his order and to suggest any revision of those lists, if on enquiry it was found that such a revision was necessary (See Chapter IX: Revision of Lists of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, page 154 of the BCC Report Vol. I). This constraint faced by the Kaka Kalelkar Commission is reflected in the Preface of the said QUESTIONNAIRE circulated by the Commission on 15th June 1953 wherein it was stated that We have only to suggest if any modifications in the list of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are necessary in order to make them exhaustive, and up-to-date(See page 220 of the BCC Report Vol. I). The response sought in question nos. 5 and 6 under Section II: Revision of Lists was for the purpose of making the then existing lists of Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes of Manipur exhaustive and up-to-date.

8. In respect of Scheduled Tribes of Assam and Manipur as provided in the Summary of Conclusions and Recommendations on Page 209 of the BCC Report Vol. I, the Commission stated that All the tribes should be listed by their own particular names in the hilly areas of Assam and Manipur. The lists of Scheduled Tribes of Manipur existing at that point of time are those mentioned in the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) (Part C States) Order, 1951 dated 20th September 1951 viz., (i) Any Kuki tribe, (ii) Any Lushai tribe and (iii) Any Naga tribe. Against these three ambiguous tribe names, the Kaka Kalelkar Commission recommended 27 tribes by their own names for inclusion in the Scheduled Tribes list of Manipur. The list of the 27 tribes recommended by the Commission is enshrined on pages 231-232 of of the BCC Report Vol. II Commissions report and comprises of 1. Aimol 2. Anal (Moyon, Monsang) 3. Angami 4. Chiru 5. Chothe 6. Gangte 7. Hmar 8. Kabui 9. Kacha Naga 10. Khoirao 11. Koireng 12. Kom 13. Kuki 14. Lamgang 15. Lushai 16. Maram 17. Maring 18. Mao 19. Naga 20. Paite (Simte) 21. Purum 22. Ralte 23. Sema 24. Suhte 25. Tangkhul 26. Thadou 27. Vaiphei.

9. The Kaka Kalelkar Commission submitted its report to the President of India on 30th March 1955. Quite surprisingly, a major blooper is found to have occurred while notifying the revised ST list of Manipur under the Constitution Order dated 29th October 1956 as the list contains 29 tribes instead of 27 tribes recommended by the Commission.

The names of 29 tribes included in the ST list of Manipur notified under the Constitution Order dated 29th October 1956 are: 1. Aimol, 2. Anal, 3. Angami, 4. Chiru, 5. Chothe, 6. Gangte, 7. Hmar, 8. Kabui, 9. Kacha Naga, 10. Khoirao, 11. Koireng, 12. Kom, 13. Lamgang, 14. Any Mizo (Lushai) tribes, 15. Maram, 16. Maring, 17. Mao, 18. Monsang, 19. Moyon, 20. Paite, 21. Purum, 22. Ralte, 23. Sema, 24. Simte, 25. Suhte, 26. Tangkhul, 27. Thadou, 28. Vaiphei, 29. Zou. The two extra tribe names, added in the ST list of Manipur are Any Mizo (Lushai) tribes and Zou. These extra tribe names were added clandestinely by T Kipgen, the then Home Secretary, Government of Manipur as evident from his letter dated 30th November 1955 communicated to the Central Government. The presence of two extra names in the ST list of Manipur are strongly objectionable for the following reasons: (i) The two tribe names viz., Any Mizo (Lushai) tribes and Zou were not recommended by the Kaka Kalelkar Commission, (ii) The ambiguous name Any Mizo (Lushai) Tribes was contradictory to the recommendation of the Kalelkar Commission which emphasized that All the tribes should be listed by their own particular names in the hilly areas of Assam and Manipur and (iii) The tribe name Zou did not appear in all census data of Manipur before its merger into India on 15th October 1949. 10. Having Meitei not been included in the list of Scheduled Tribes under the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) (Part C States) Order, 1951 dated 20th September 1951 and the constraints faced by the Kaka Kalelkar Commission as per the Presidents direction, the Commission neither had the authority to examine the case of Meitei tribe for inclusion in the revised list of tribes of Manipur nor had the authority to recommend the Meitei tribe to the President. Accordingly, the assertion of Ngaranmi Shimray that It was an open invitation to give representations for inclusion in the existing lists of any tribe, caste or community falls entirely in the domain of absurdity in so far as the recommendation of the Commission for inclusion of Meitei in the revised ST list of Manipur is concerned.

11. Sanskritization and consequential changes in cultures and traditions do not come within the ambit of the definition of Scheduled Tribes. Scheduled Tribes are defined by Clause (25) of Article 366 of the Constitution of India and according to which Scheduled Tribes are those tribes or tribal communities or parts of or groups within such tribes or tribal communities as are deemed under Article 342 of the Constitution.

Scheduled Tribes are notified under Article 342 of the Constitution of India. Since the British Government of India had already recognized Meitei as a primitive hill tribe of the erstwhile Assam Province, as may be verified from many sources of authority such as census reports published by the British government of India, various books and research articles authored by contemporary British ethnographers, linguists and administrators, it still remains as an undisputable truism that Meitei is an aboriginal tribe and hence, Meitei is eligible for inclusion in the ST list under Article 342 of the Constitution of India. It may be worthwhile to note here that the Honble Supreme Court in its Judgement dated 5th January 2011 passed in Kailas & Ors. vs. State of Maharashtra & Ors. has observed that the Adivasis (Scheduled Tribes) are the descendants of the original inhabitants of India.

12. The Government of India had on 15.6.1999 (and further revised on 25.6.2002) approved the modalities for determining claims for inclusion in and other modifications in the list of STs. As per these modalities, only proposals for inclusion in or excluded from, the list of STs recommended and justified by the State Government concerned and agreed to by the Registrar General of India (RGI) as well as the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) are considered for amendment of legislation. All the actions are taken as per the modalities. The recommendation of the concerned State Government is pre-requisite to process the case further. The following criteria set out by the Lakur Committee in 1965 viz., (i) indications of primitive traits (ii) distinctive culture (iii) geographical isolation (iv) shyness of contact with the community at large, and (v) backwardness are basics for specification of a community as Scheduled Tribe.

13. Vide six letters bearing Nos. 19020/05/2012-C&LM dated 29.05.2013, 12026/09/2013-C&LM(E:661) dated 06.03.2019, 12026/09/2013-C&LM dated 23.07.2021, 12026/09/2013-C&LM(E:661) dated 15.02.2022, 12026/09/2013-C&LM(E:661) dated 07.04.2022 and 12026/09/2013-C&LM(E:661) dated 31.05.2022, the Government of India, Ministry of Tribal Affairs have been in continuance with repeated requests to the Government of Manipur to furnish the recommendation, under prolonged pendency, for inclusion of Meitei/Meetei community in the Scheduled Tribes list of Manipur. Thus it speaks for itself, debunking his assertion The Meiteis may have missed the bus that the bus is still not missed, instead still invites Meitei on the journey. Now what matters most is the pending recommendation from the side of the Government of Manipur.

14. The Meiteis are the descendants of the aborigines of Manipur and the resultant of the amalgamation of seven clans/tribes called Yek-Salais and the Hindu Brahmins who settled in Manipur after intermingling matrimonial relationship with Meitei thereby adapting themselves to Meitei culture and traditions. Though Meitei profess Hinduism, they are not of Hindu descent and so, the concept of Kshatriya Caste prevalent in the ladder of Hindu Castes of mainland India is not applicable to the Meiteis in the true sense of the concept. In his book History of Assam, E. A. Gait wrote about the then Meitei (Manipuri) as follows: They pretend to be Kshatriyas, and are supported in their claim by the degraded Brahmans who serve them, and who, after giving the State its present name and identifying it with the Manipur mentioned in the Mahabharat, have invented a legend that the people are descended from the hero Arjun by a Naga woman, with whom he cohabited during his alleged sojourn in this neighbourhood (1906. pp.264). Likewise, L.A. Waddell, In his research article entitled The Tribes of the Brahmaputra: A Contribution on their Physical Types and Affinities published in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Part III (1900, pp.60-61) wrote: MITAI: This Indo-Chinese tribe is fast becoming Hinduised into a caste, claiming to be Kshatriyas or Rajputs, though its members are not admitted to be such by orthodox Hindus.

Therefore, the remarks made by W. Nipamacha Singh, a former Chef Minister of Manipur are purely a manifestation of his personal chauvinistic articulation on Meitei, but are found to be absolute lacking factual support.

15. The English national daily, The Hindu in its e-newspaper published on 15th March 2023 reported that the Ministry of Tribal Affairs while responding to a question in the Rajya Sabha, did mention that the current procedure for inclusion in the ST list was adequate. This, in turn, means the amended modalities of 1999 of the Govt. of India for inclusion in the ST list and the criteria set out by the Lokur Committee in 1965 for specification of a community as ST list are currently alive. Hence, it is undoubtedly clear that Meitei fulfils the five criteria of the Lokur Committee for specification as a as a Scheduled Tribe viz., (i) Indications of primitive traits, (ii) Distinctive culture, (iii) Geographical isolation, (iv) Shyness of contact with the community at large and (v) Backwardness.

Thus, the mandatory obligation on the part of the State Government is to justify the recommendation based on an ethnography report of Meitei covering the five criteria of the Lokur Committee while the merits of the issue are to be adjudicated by the authorities at different levels of the Central Government, as per established norms and patterns.

16. To bring down the curtain once for all with illustrative and referable documents, the respected Editor of the esteemed daily THE SANGAI EXPRESS is cordially requested to kindly cause an Interface, if deemed feasible at the Manipur Press Club, Imphal in order to unravel the confusion as we become totally jaded by the fly-shuttle-like repeated-rebuttal-service in the more or less similar rebuttal. Till then, articles from both sides relating to the issue be kept shrouded in the cloak of the Press with a proverbial clause that Arguments decide who is right and debates decide what is right. This brings the curtain down on the issue from our side.


BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. Greece aspires to position itself not only as a gateway but also as a pivotal transit hub for energy, facilitating the flow from east to west and south to north, Trend reports via Greek Foreign Ministry.

A central focus lies on the Southern Gas Corridor, a cornerstone of the EU's energy strategy, playing a crucial role in fortifying the security and adaptability of the region's energy resources. The completion of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), the final segment of the Southern Gas Corridor, significantly bolsters Greece's energy security by providing an annual supply of 1 billion cubic meters, said the ministry.

The ministry said that expressing interest in joining TAP, North Macedonia, along with exploring other energy avenues through Greece, solidifies this collaboration.

A Memorandum of Understanding has been executed between the respective authorities of both nations to construct an interconnecting natural gas pipeline. Greece is actively championing the realization of the Vertical Natural Gas Corridor, designed to transport natural gas from diverse sources. This includes the Revythoussa LNG terminal, the planned FSRU Alexandroupolis, the TAP pipeline, and a route through Bulgaria to serve the nations of Central and Eastern Europe, said the ministry.

The ministry the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB) assumes a pivotal role as the inaugural link in the energy chain of the Vertical Natural Gas Corridor, encompassing Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Ukraine, and Moldova.

Engineered with the capability for reverse flow, the pipeline establishes connectivity between the natural gas networks of Greece and Bulgaria, facilitating the transport of natural gas from various sources.

The Southern Gas Corridor commenced the transportation of Azerbaijani gas to Europe on December 31, 2020, facilitating the movement of gas from the Caspian Sea region to European countries through Georgia and Turkey. The total cost of the project amounted to $33 billion, notably less than the initially forecasted $45 billion. Capital expenditures for the Southern Gas Corridor project are expected to be fully reimbursed within 810 years.

In July 2022, Azerbaijan and the EU reached an agreement to increase the volume of gas supplies via the Southern Gas Corridor from the existing 10 billion cubic meters to 20 billion cubic meters by 2027.

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The Board of Practical Training Eastern Region, under the ministry of education will hold an apprenticeship-cum-job fair at Durgapur on 23 November. The next fair will be held in Sunderbans on 27 December.During the fair, many companies come and from the applications filed by the students coming from all streams, including arts, and the selected ones are given training in the companies.

There are IT companies, startups, marketing firms and many others. The students, during their apprenticeship, get a minimum stipend of Rs 9,000 per month for one year and at the end of their term majority of them are absorbed in the industry. SM Ejaz Ahmad, director and Regional Central Apprenticeship Adviser said the fairs are held every month in different areas in the eastern region. The fairs are getting popular among the students and their turn out in quite impressive.

Many companies come to join the fair and many students get apprenticeships, Mr Ahmad said. In 2022, as many as 75,136 students had joined as apprentices in different establishments in eastern India. In 1961, The Apprentices Act was passed in the Parliament. In those days many engineering graduates and diploma holders used to join different companies as apprentices. The act was amended in 1973.

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The Board of Practical Training opened its first regional office in the eastern region at the department of Metallurgy of Jadavpur University as the personal initiative of Professor Triguna Sen, vice chancellor of JU. Later the offices came up at Kanpur, Chennai and Mumbai. In 1974, 130 engineering graduates mostly from Jadavpur University joined different companies including Tata Steel as apprentices.

Now 3,620 companies have registered themselves and 30pc comply with the Act to accommodate apprentices. In 2014, the act was further amended to accommodate students coming from general courses. Few lakh students come out from engineering colleges, polytechnics and general colleges every year and they are all eligible for apprenticeship, maintained Mr Ahmad.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee is set to inaugurate the Biswa Bangla Exhibition Centre in New Town on Tuesday, 21 November, marking the addition of a state-of-theart exhibition hall covering approximately 2 lakh square feet. This unique facility, constructed using top-notch engineering, is adjacent to the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre.

The completion of the exhibition hall enhances the compactness of the convention centre complex, where discussions will take place at the convention centre, while industrial exhibitions will be hosted in the newly inaugurated hall. The main auditorium of the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre boasts the countrys highest seating capacity and was constructed by the Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HIDCO).

Additionally, a multi-level car park with a capacity of 1,500 is nearing completion, with some cars of guests attending the Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) expected to be parked there. Following the inauguration of the Biswa Bangla Exhibition Hall, Chief Minister Banerjee will participate in the opening ceremony of the 7th edition of the Bengal Global Business Summit, scheduled to span two days. She will be present along with her cabinet colleagues. Senior bureaucrats of the state government, headed by chief secretary HK Dwivedi, will be present at the function.

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The programme will start at 3 p.m. The two-day BGBS will be held at three venues, namely the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre and Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan, while the concluding programme will be held at the Dhana Dhanya auditorium on 22 November. Business leaders including Mukesh Ambani, Niranjan Hiranandani, Sajiv Goenka, Sajjan Jindal, Sanjeev Puri, Purendu Chatterjee, and Harvardhan Neotia are likely to be present at the function, along with a host of industrialists.

There will be a delegation from the United Kingdom, Poland, and several other countries. Chief Economic Advisor Amit Mitra is likely to attend the conference. At the Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS), a key focus area will be Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises and Textiles (MSME).

Currently holding the second position in the country in MSME, Bengal aspires to secure the top spot. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee will elaborate on why Bengal is an optimal business destination for foreign delegates, emphasising its strategic location as the gateway to the north-east and expansive hinterland. With a well-established land bank, the state government prioritises investorfriendly policies, ensuring efficient services for all stakeholders.

Recognizing tourism as an industry, Bengal is making significant strides in this sector, particularly along the coastline. Infrastructure improvements, such as those in Digha, are expected to boost tourism, presenting investment opportunities in destinations like Digha, Mandarmani, and the Sundarbans. The homestays set up in different districts, both in north Bengal and south Bengal, have fetched pan-India tourists. Recently, a team of 11 German tourists visited Jhargram.

The declaration of Santiniketan by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site is likely to attract more foreign tourists. There will be meetings with travel and tour operators and their counterparts in different parts of India and abroad will be held on 21 November at the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre after the inaugural ceremony.
The Calcutta High Court today in a ruling cleared the deck for the CPM to distribute relief with a rider to the victims allegedly affected by torching of homes and ransacking by the ruling party activists following the murder of a Trinamul Congress leader on last Monday at Daluakhaki village at Jaynagar, South 24-Parganas. Justice Rajasekhar Mantha of Calcutta High Court ruled in favour of the CPM plea to let them distribute relief to the victims allegedly hit by arson and ransacking of homes on last Monday.

Sayan Banerjee, a law yer-turned-activist of the party, who moved Calcutta High Court after police had prevented a CPM delegation led by the partys central committee member Sujan Chakraborty from ent ering into the area to distribute relief, had moved court against the police action. Justice Mantha, however, slapped some conditions while granting the prayer of Mr Banerjee.

The court of Justice Mantha, while issuing the ruling on distribution of relief added a rider in asking Banerjee to take permission from Jaynagar ps first before distribution of relief and asked him not to enter the village with more than five members and asked him to refrain from issuing any provocative statements that may adversely affect the law and order situation there.

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The police at Daluakhaki village at Jaynagar had so far barred any political delegation from entering the village with relief. The CPM apart, Cong ress and ISF MLA Naushad Siddiqui too were preve nted from entering the village.
The Calcutta High Court today asked Kolkata Police to give necessary permission to the state BJP to organize a rally on 29 November near Victoria House. HC also asked police to give permission, including imposing certain necessary restrictions to organize the rally.

In a recent development, the BJP alleged police obstruction to their mega rally scheduled for 29 November, leading them to knock on the door of the high court. The BJP had extended an invitation to Union home minister Amit Shah for the November 29 rally, expecting his presence to enhance the events impact. The party leaders hope that the courts intervention will pave the way for the rally to proceed as planned.

The BJP had filed a petition in the high court, accusing the police of denying permission for their 29 November gathering. The high court, headed by Justice Rajashekar Mantha, heard the case today and asked police to give a decision within Wednesday. During the hearing, Justice Mantha remarked, This is an independent country; such restrictions should not be imposed. However, BJP raised concerns about facing difficulties in obtaining police permission.

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The high court proceedings saw a heated exchange, with the Bench directing the police to grant permission for the BJPs gathering. Justice Mantha emphasized, You are saying the application must be filed 2 to 3 weeks prior. Here, it is evident that the application was submitted two weeks ago. Yet, it has been rejected without valid reasons.

The cancellation process has not been transparent. As part of its counter-strategy TMCs Delhi rally for non payment of the central grant for MGNREGA scheme, the BJP has devised a new plan, culminating in a protest rally against the affected beneficiary (allegedly by the state) in front of Victoria House in Esplanade on 29 November
A high school has become a favourite destination for the thieves, who in the last 13 days have frequented the building five times and looted computer and internet equipment, batteries, cables, electrical equipment in four phases. Last night, the two-member gang that made another attempt to rob the school further, however, was chased by the alert residents.

Two civic police volunteers were assigned to guard the school from Saturday itself. The school has 520 students. The miscreants first raided the Zinzira High School in Ausgram-II block in East Burdwan on 7 November and took away the UPS and some valuable computer cables. The matter was brought to the notice of the Budbud PS in East Burdwan. Further, on 15 November they robbed the internet router and on 19 November, they looted coils and destroyed the solar power water pump.

The teacher incharge of the school, Arup Roy, said, After every theft, wed informed the police and on 19 November, the police assigned two CPVFs for night surveillance. Still, the miscreants made another attempt. Today, the school authority, accompanied by the locals, led a deputation to the Budbud PS seeking strong policing. Sumon Jaiswal, ACP, Kanksa of the Asansol Durgapur Police Commissionerate, said, One was arrested after the first theft and considering the repeated cases of occurrence, weve placed two CPVFs. Its a matter of concern that the offenders made yet another attempt.

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A mob hurled bombs and attacked police late Sunday night in a remote village of Najirpur near Regingar in Murshidabad, during a violent clash between two groups, prompting a swift response from the local police.

After receiving the news of a law and order issue, when the police rushed to the spot they were subjected to mob fury. Allegations were that a bomb was hurled at a police vehicle as it approached, causing damage to the car. Reports indicate that another police vehicle was also damaged by the local villagers.

Residents accused the police of exacerbating the situation rather than quelling the conflict. However, dissenting voices within the village have accused a faction of residents of continuously engaging in bomb attacks against the police.

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Santiniketan Police, led by officer in-charge, Kasturi Chatterjee Mukherjee has interrogated former vicechancellor of Visva-Bharati University (VBU), Professor Bidyut Chakraborty in three different cases for over three hours today at his official residence, Purbita, in Santiniketan.

Six cases have been lodged at Santiniketan police station against the former vicechancellor so far. The Calcutta High Court has instructed the Santiniketan Police to interrogate him for two days at his official residence and also not to take any strict measures.

The VC had moved to the high court seeking relief. Most of these cases are related to his comments and actions taken during his tenure as the vice-chancellor of Visva-Bharati University. From 8 November, the new acting vice-chancellor of VBU took over the charge after the full On 22 November, the police will once again grill him and three other cases in his official residence. Professor Bidyut Chakraborty is still staying in his official residence in Santiniketan and has retained the security guards so far.

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The Trinamul Congress has also instructed its party workers to lodge more cases in other police stations in Birbhum district also against the former vice-chancellor for his comments against a popular women chief minister of a state.
The Rouse Avenue court extended the judicial custody of the ex-Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia on Tuesday till December 11. He is in jail in an alleged excise policy scam.

After giving the case a thorough hearing, the court observed that the Enforcement Directorate has not yet submitted a number of documents on behalf of the accused.

Meanwhile, the court voiced its dissatisfaction with the lawyers for not failing to complete Section 207 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) compliance as soon as possible in order to begin the cases trial.

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Sisodia was arrested by the CBI in February 2023 for alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of Delhis new excise policy. The policy was withdrawn amid allegations of foul play by the opposition. At present, Sisodia is in judicial custody.

The CBI claims that Sisodia was the key player in the criminal conspiracy. It was he who had been allegedly deeply involved in the formulation as well as the implementation of the said policy so as to achieve the objectives of the said conspiracy.

But the court also issued notice to the ED and scheduled a hearing for November 24 to hear arguments regarding Benoy Babus interim bail request.

In November of last year, Binoy, a general manager for a liquor company, was taken into custody by the ED.
Reliance Industries Limited will invest another Rs 20,000 crore in Bengal in the next three years, its chairman and managing director Mukesh Ambani said today.

He was addressing a gathering at the 7th edition of Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) at the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre in New Town this afternoon.

The group has already invested Rs 45,000 crore in the state. The Reliance Foundation will also renovate Kalighat temple.

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The temple is very close to the heart of Nita and myself and the restoration will be done keeping in mind its rich heritage, Mr Ambani said.

The company proposes to set up 100 Compressed Bio-Gas plants in Bengal, while Reliance Retail proposes to expand its network in the state, from the nearly 1,000 outlets now to over 1,200.

Products of the Biswa Bangla Marketing Corporation will be sold through Reliance outlets across the country. A training institute will be set up under Swadesh with the state government to provide training in Indian traditional art.

With Reliance Jio on track to complete its 5G rollout by end-December, the company is set to take the power of 5G to every nook and corner of West Bengal soon, Mr Ambani said.

The group has already partnered with Prabhuji, Mukhorochok and City Gold that are household names in Bengal.

We have some of the finest workers in RIL who are Bengalis and the group will continue to give jobs to fine brains, he said, adding I tell all my friends to invest in Bengal as the state is coming up very fast. By 2030 India will be the third largest economy in the world and Bengals contribution in this journey will be remarkable.

Dr Debi Shetty, the well-known cardiac surgeon, proposed to invest Rs 1,000 crore to set up a 1,000-bed super specialty hospital to treat patients suffering from heart diseases, and cancer. He also announced plans for conducting organ transplants using the most modern methods.

Dr Shetty recollected how the city made him, a junior surgeon then, a popular figure across the country 35 years ago.

Harsh Pati Singhania, vice chairman of JK Papers Limited, said the company which started its journey in Kolkata 140 years ago, proposes to come back to Bengal. He has proposed investment of Rs 1,000 crore to set up a dairy at Vidyasagar Industrial Park. The company also proposed to expand the JK Singhania School.

I was born in this city and received my education here. The way Bengals resurgence has taken place in industry over the years under the able leadership of Didi is amazing. We have decided to come back to Bengal and take part in the development that is taking place in the state, he said.

Rishat Premji, chairman, WIPRO said the company will spend Rs 200 crore to set up its second campus in New Town.

Harshvardhan Neotia said tourism is coming up in a very big way in Bengal. Tourism will change the economy of Bengal, he said.

Sanjeev Puri of ITC a company which has had its headquarters in Bengal for the past 110 years, said ITC will bring out a super app to help the farmers. It has under its banner five hospitality properties which will be increased to nine.

Sanjiv Goenka said: Gone are those days when strikes were there in industry. The state is in the forward mode under the leadership of Didi. On a personal note, he said: I was born in this city, received my education here, worked here and will die here.
Sachin Pilot has been campaigning aggressively for Congress contestants in the assembly elections in Rajasthan scheduled for November 25. An icon of the young brigade, the young turk carved a niche for himself in the Rajasthan politics and built an identity within the Congress amid many controversies in the past five years. Once an archrival of the three-time chief minister, Ashok Gehlot, is now struggling for party unity and victory not only in Rajasthan but also in Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh as a star campaigner.

Taking time off his busy schedule, Sachin Pilot gave an exclusive interview to Yash Goyal. During the interview, he poured his heart out with short but crisp answers to each of the queries posed to him. Excerpts

Q. What makes you confident that the Congress government would repeat?

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A. There is conflict, disunity, and lack of prominent leadership in the state BJP. The governments that were formed in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka, the vision that we had projected were accepted by the people and are being accepted here in Rajasthan too. The plus point with us is that we are contesting elections together.

There has been a trend among the voters of Rajasthan for the last 15 years to elect the Congress and the BJP alternately. But this time around, people want to change this tradition by voting for Congress in the ongoing assembly polls.

Q. Whats the public reaction to your whirlwind electioneering across the state despite contesting from the Tonk assembly seat? How many constituencies have you covered so far?

A. We are contesting elections unitedly without any differences. I have joined most of the meetings of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. The public response has been overwhelming and I have covered 55 out of 200 constituencies.

Q. BJP has not yet zeroed in on a CM face. Modi is portraying himself. Will it leave an impact on voters, or not?

A. Till 2018 assembly polls, BJP has always declared a chief ministerial candidate before elections. Contrast this with the elected Congress legislators electing their leader and the party high command merely taking a decision on their resolution. This will happen in four other states where elections are due.

There is tension and disunity in the BJP, Congress will benefit from it.

Q. In his election campaign, Modi repeatedly says it is Modis guarantee. How then will seven guarantees of the Congress prevail in the minds of the public?

A. Only the one who remains in power will guarantee the state. The local government gives the guarantee. Let them keep trying their speeches, I dont think what they say will make any difference in the minds of the public who know the value of each vote.

Q. Dont you think Modi is preparing for his Lok Sabha 2024 polls, that is why the emphasis is on Modis face and not that of the CM in the state assemblies?

A. Everyone in the BJP is busy in elections 24 hours. However, they (the BJP) will prepare for 2024 only after seeing the election results in five states. This time, only Congress will form the government. The INDIA bloc will emerge strong. We are contesting the elections together. Congress is necessary for the country. There is no unity in BJP.

Q. You were the PCC president in the last elections in 2018. The government of the Congress could be formed due to your hard work. Even now you are engaged in the election campaign at the same pace. Is there any difference in the public response then and now?

A. I do not feel any difference whether I hold a post or not. Posts will come and go. Our collective leadership is in elections. The elections are being fought together. Responsibility will be decided after winning the elections. Ultimately, the aim of all of us is to win the elections and get repeated in the government.

Q. BJP leaders, mainly PM Modi and Amit Shah, used to comment on Congress leaders/ministers in the Gehlot Government. How do you feel?

A. They come, they go. They come for publicity. Here, the public trusts the state issues and state leaders and will vote accordingly.

Q. BJP leaders raised issues like paper leak, Kanhaiya Lal murder case, corruption, atrocities on women and Dalits and rape. Your comment

A. They only try to divert public attention as they have no agenda for the future, nor did they have anything for Rajasthan in the last five years as an Opposition party.

Q. Will there be any impact of caste on the current voting pattern in this election too?

A. It will not cut any ice on the voting pattern. There are 8 crore people. The Congress takes along everyone regardless of caste. We are contesting the elections cutting across caste lines.

Q. Your claim is that the Congress government would repeat itself as the public made up its mind to change the trend of one time Congress, another BJP. How many seats do you expect from the 200 assembly seats?

A. Will get more majority than before (more than 100 seats won in 2018 assembly polls).
Although Congress has emerged as the main adversary to the ruling BRS, the BJP is in direct contest with the BRS in certain seats in northern Telangana, Hyderabad and adjoining areas while in others it has turned the contest into a triangular fight, eating into the anti-incumbency votes.

Upping its ante, the Saffron party is lining up its national-level leaders for campaigning in the state in the last leg before the state goes to polls.

While the Congress is weak in northern Telangana, Hyderabad and adjoining areas, the BJP is posing a challenge to the BRS in quite a few constituencies, particularly those bordering Maharashtra, such as Boath, Adilabad and Nirmal.

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In Nirmal, BRS minister A Indrakaran Reddy is facing a challenge from A Maheshwar Reddy who was earlier with the Congress but is now contesting on a BJP ticket. In Korutla which comes under Nizamabad Lok Sabha seat BJP has fielded its local MP Arvind Dharmapuri against the BRS candidate Dr Sanjay Kalvakuntla who replaced his father, K Vidyasagar Rao. Similarly, in Karimnagar BJP fielded its local MP Bandi Sanjay to take on the powerful BRS minister Gangula Kamalakar and with both candidates hailing from Munnuru Kapu community it is turning into a high profile contest.

In his home turf Gajwel, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is facing a challenge from his friend-turned-foe Etela Rajender of the BJP. In Huzurabad where Rajender is the sitting MLA, it is also a battle primarily between the BRS and BJP.

Similarly, in Goshamal where BJPs controversial Hindutva leader T Raja Singh is contesting once again it is a face-off primarily between the BRS and BJP.

In certain constituencies, the presence of a strong BJP candidate has rendered the contest triangular, thereby raining on Congress parade, unless there is consolidation of anti incumbency votes. For instance in Kamareddy where there is a face-off between chief minister KCR and PCC president A Revanth Reddy, the presence of a local Katipelly Venkataramana Reddy as BJP candidate has made the contest interesting.

Similarly, in Maheshwaram in the Ranga Reddy district, the BJP leadership is quite hopeful that A Sriramalu Yadav will draw a significant number of votes against BRS minister Sabitha Indra Reddy. Yadavs presence has made the contest between Reddy and Congress candidate K Laxma Reddy a triangular one. At Sanathnagar in Hyderabad city BRS strongman Talasani Srinivas Yadav is facing Congress first time candidate Kota Neelima. But the presence of Marri Sashidhar Reddy, a former Congressman as the BJP candidate will pose a problem for the Congress.

Moreover, the BJP is bringing in its big guns, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi who will attend six rallies as well as a roadshow in Hyderabad. Besides, Home Minister Amit Shah BJP has brought in Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman for campaigning. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will also campaign in the coming days.
The stage is set for the November 25 Rajasthan Assembly polls as political parties battle it out for the coveted win, with its bevy of star campaigners trying to convince the voters by offering them a range of benefits in their respective party manifestoes.

Three more days are left for the campaigning to end in the state where the voting is scheduled for 199 seats. Polling on one seat of Karanpur was postponed after Congress candidate Gurmeet Kunnar passed away.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his cabinet colleagues, BJP leader Vasundhara Raje, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress star campaigners Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, BSP supremo Mayawati, among others, have been holding numerous poll meetings every day to garners maximum votes for their party candidates.

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Modi has held 17 out of 26 planned meetings so far in the poll-bound state, and is expected to hold a big roadshow in Jaipur in the coming days. Kharge, Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi accompanied by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot have also been holding whirlwind meetings.

In its election manifesto, the ruling Congress has given assurance of seven guarantees besides its ongoing 10 flagship schemes, if voted to power. Gehlot on Sunday assured to provide LPG cylinder to around 1.05 crore BPL beneficiaries at Rs 400.

Whereas the BJP in its Sankalp Patra assured a strong government, best infrastructure, life safety to women-dalit-poor, free education to girls, a bonanza of farmer schemes, and Ladli Protsahan Yojna. The Kisan Saman Nidhi would be raised to R 12,000 per annum and about 2.5 lakh government jobs will also be provided, he said.

Congress Gehlot, Pilot, C P Joshi, Govind Singh Dotasra, B D Kalla, and BJPs Vasundhara Raje and Rajendra Rathore, are among the 1,875 contestants in the fray.

Besides the Congress and the BJP, BSPs 188 candidates, AAPs 87, Rashtriya Loktantrik Partys (RLP) 77, Bhartiya Tribal Party (BTP) five, and CPI(M)s 17 contestants are testing the poll waters this time.

Twenty-six ministers will be trying hard to retain their constituencies. Seventeen rebels of Congress and 23 of the BJP are giving a triangular contest in at least 85 seats.

The Congress has given tickets to 27 women (13.5 per cent), and BJP 20 (10 per cent).

Except the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), all other political players in the state have given tickets to Muslims.

The saffron party has so far raised law and order, paper leak scam, appeasement policy to shelter terrorists, red diary row, women safety, private lockers, Udaipurs Kanhaiya Lal beheading case, and corruption scams in mining and other departments.

Gehlot has challenged the opposition party to find flaws in his governments flagship schemes like old pension scheme (OPS), health insurance, farmers loan waiver, women relief in LPG cylinder, free mobiles to women, among others.

Rahul, on the other hand, tried to corner the BJP over the caste census/survey in the country. He also criticized the Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax raids, and urged the people to reject Modis anti-democratic ways.

Mayawati claimed that the Congress and the BJP were the two sides of the same coin. The third front  BSP, RLP and Tribal Party (BTP and ATP)  having 2 per cent of the vote share is expected to give a triangular contest to the Congress and the BJP on a few seats at least.

BJPs Rajya Sabha MP Kirorilal Meena is contending from Sawaimadhopur assembly seat, LS MP of Alwar Balaknath from Tizara assembly constituency, partys Ajmer MP Bhagirath Choudhary from Kishangarh seat, Jhunjhjunu MP Narendra Kumar from Mandawa seat, Rajsamands MP Diyakumari from Vidhyadhar Nagar in Jaipur city, Jaipur-Rural MP Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore from Jhotwara in Jaipur, and Jalore-Sirohi MP Devji Patel is contesting from Sanchore.

While Raje is trying her luck from Jhalrapatan, Rajendra Rathore, the leader of opposition, is contesting from Taranagar in Churu district. RLPs founder member and LS MP Hanuman Beniwal will fight from Kheenvsar seat.
The Supreme court on Tuesday suggested that farmers burning stubble be disincentive by denying them the benefits of minimum support price (MSP)  an economic consequence of their violating the law.

Suggesting disincentivizing the farmers engaged in stubble burning that contributes to toxic air pollution in the national capital, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul heading a bench also comprising Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia, said Why should people who violate the law get economic benefits?

Suggesting a deterrent to prevent future occurrences of farm fires, the bench observed that the paddy crop should not be made available to farmers who indulge in burning their fields.

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Thinking aloud, Justice Kaul said, I am thinking out loud. Why should any purchase be made under the MSP system from people violating the orders and lighting fires, regardless of how this affects the people, the children? The stick must also follow the carrot. Why should people who, despite all observations of the court, despite counselling, continue violating the law be allowed to benefit monetarily? People who have been identified as having lit fires should not be allowed to sell their products under this system.

However, Justice Dhulia voicing a considerate view, said that the farmers from Punjab are often vilified without being given a platform to voice their concerns, and suggested they be helped with resources to understand the problem.

The farmer is being made a villain. He is not being heard. He must have some reasons for burning the stubble, Justice Dhulia said.

The bench asked why doesnt the Punjab government make the processing of crop residue 100 percent free?

The bench further said, To burn it, all the farmer needs to do is light a matchstick. Machine for the management of crop residue to farmers is not everything. Even if the machine is given for free, there is diesel cost, manpower etc.. and asked why Punjab cannot fund diesel, manpower, etc. and utilise the byproduct. It said that Punjab should take a cue from Haryana in the manner in which financial incentives are given.

For poor farmers, the State should fund 100 per cent of machinery this is the duty of the state, the bench said.

Noting that the land in Punjab is slowly becoming arid because the water table is getting depleted and asking the Attorney General R. Venkataramani to explore how the government can discourage paddy and encourage alternate crops, the bench said, If land runs dry, everything else will get affected. Somewhere the farmers should understand or be made to understand the consequences of growing paddy.

Having flagged the issues, the bench observed that both the Union government and the State governments must forget the politics and figure out how to do this. If blame game continues, land will run dry, water will disappear, it added.

At the outset of the hearing, the Punjab government told the top court that 8481 meetings have been held with farmers and farm leaders to convince them to not burn paddy straws by SHOs.

Noting in its order that the upward trend in farm fires has not abated, the bench in its order recorded that 984 FIRs have been lodged against landowners for stubble burning in Punjab. Environmental compensation charges amounting to more than Rs. 2 crores have been imposed of which Rs 18 lakhs has been recovered.

Posting the matter for further hearing on December 5, the court asked the Punjab government how much amount it has received from the fines imposed.

The top court also directed the Delhi and Uttar Pradesh government to file reports on incidents of waste burning in the open.

Senior advocate and former Delhi High Court judge Vipin Sanghi flagged the issue of non-implementation of colour-coded stickers by the vehicles. He submitted that for new cars, this scheme is being implemented, but not for old cars.

We call upon the Cabinet Secretarys Committee to look into this aspect and figure out what directions are to be issued to States for better compliance, the bench ordered. It also asked the Cabinet Secretarys Committee to look into aspects of construction at private sites.
India and the United States on Tuesday commenced at Umroi in Meghalaya a joint military exercise VAJRA PRAHAR aimed at sharing best practices and experiences in areas such as joint mission planning and operational tactics.

The three-week exercise is being conducted by the Indian Army and US Army Special Forces.

The first edition of the exercise was conducted in 2010 in India and the 13th edition of the Indo-US Joint Special Forces exercise was conducted at the Special Forces Training School (SFTS), Bakloh (HP).

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During the course of the next three weeks, the two sides will jointly plan and rehearse a series of Special Operations, Counter Terrorist Operations, Airborne operations in simulated conventional and unconventional scenarios in mountainous terrain, the Ministry of Defence said.

Key highlights include combat free fall insertion of troops from stand-off distances, water borne insertion of troops, precision engagement of targets at long ranges, combat air controlling of fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft besides airborne insertion and sustenance of troops.

VAJRA PRAHAR has evolved as a mechanism to exchange ideas and share best practices between the Special Forces of both the nations. It is also a platform to enhance interoperability and strengthen defence cooperation between the armies of India and the United States.
In a significant move, Israel on Tuesday officially declared Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) a terror organization to mark the 15th anniversary of deadly 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

In a press statement released by the Israeli Embassy in India, the country said that all the necessary procedures have been completed to declare LeT as a terror outfit in a move to project a Unified Global Front in combating terrorism.

The statement also noted that the decision to declare LeT a terrorist outfit has been taken without any official request from the Government of India.

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While Israel only lists terror organizations who are actively operating against it from within or around its borders, or in a similar manner to India  those globally recognized by UNSC or the US state department; the Israeli ministries of Defense and Foreign affairs, have jointly worked in the last few months towards an expedited and extraordinary listing of the Lashkar -e- Taiba organization on this date, to highlight the importance of a Unified Global Front in combating terrorism, the statement reads.

Hundreds of people, including two Israeli nationals  Gabriel Holtzberg and Rivka Holtzberg  were killed by Pakistani terrorists on November 26 in 2008. During the attacks, the terrorists also targetted Chabad Lubavitch Jewish centre in Mumbai, also known as Chabad House.

Calling LeT a deadly and reprehensible terror organization, the Israeli Embassy said that its heinous actions on November 26, 2008 still reverberate in force, through all peace seeking nations and societies.

The development comes amid Israels war against Palestinian militant outfit Hamas following the brutal October 7 attacks in which more than 1,200 people, mostly non-combatant civilians, were killed. The Hamas militants also kidnapped some 240 Israelis during the attack.

While India has condemned the brutal terrorist attack on Israel, it has also called for peace in the Gaza amid an unprecedented humanitarian crisis as a result of Hamas attack and Israels subsequent retaliatory air and ground assault.
National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Tuesday called the BJPs development claims in Jammu and Kashmir a bundle of lies, accusing the party of betraying people in the name of bringing change and providing employment.

Addressing a party convention at Malwan in south Kashmirs Kulgam, he also accused the ruling party at the Centre for creating a staple crisis in the Union territory by reducing the rice allotment quota.

The BJP has consistently betrayed the people, making false promises about elections, unemployment reduction, development, improved electricity, and other issues, Omar said.

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Except for lies, they have not delivered anything to the people. The condition of electricity was not as dire as it is today despite their claims of spending huge sums on development. Why dont they allocate more funds to provide electricity to the people of Jammu and Kashmir? he said.

Claiming that the people of the region are reeling under the rice crisis due to the Union governments decision to reduce the allotment quota, he said, People have no rice to eat and cannot afford to purchase it from the open market at exorbitant rates. The governments actions with regards to curtailment of ration quota has created a staple crises in the region.

We are a rice eating zone, but who is going to tell this to the government? They do not give a damn to it, he said.

Referring to the recent suspension of the life sentence of an Army captain in the 2020 Amshipora Shopian encounter case, the National Conference (NC) leader said, With this verdict, the central government gave an impression to people that their blood is cheap.

The armed forces tribunal suspended the life sentence of Captain Bhoopendra Singh who was found guilty of killing three men in a staged encounter in south Kashmirs Amshipora village in July 2020. The tribunal also granted him conditional bail and directed him to appear before its principal registrar on the first Monday of every month starting from January next year.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event, Omar said the Centre made deceptive promises to the country over abrogation of Article 370 that its revocation would end militancy in the region.

Earlier, it was said that Article 370 pampered militancy in J&K and if it is abrogated, the region will be militancy-free and people will heave a sigh of relief. But with the passage of time, all these promises and assurances have proved deceptive. Instead of curbing militancy, there is a huge rise in militant activities in the region, he added.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which probing the Karuvannur bank scam, has informed the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) special court in Kochi that a key witness in the case had issued a statement claiming that P SatheeshKumar, the prime accused in the case, operated as a benami for political leaders, police officials, and trade association leaders.

The ED is reportedly submitted an affidavit in the court, informing that KA Jijor, a key witness and middleman in the Karuvannur bank fraud case, stated that Satheeshkumar, the prime accused in the case , operated as a benami for political leaders, police officials, and trade association leaders.

According to the ED, prime witness Jijors statement accuses Satheesh Kumar of holding benami funds for various individuals, including CPI-M leader and former minister AC Moideen, Kerala Bank vice president and CPI-M leader MK Kannan, Congress District Committee secretary Rajendran Arangath, traders association leader Binny Emmattyretired Superintendent of Police KM Antony, and Deputy Superintendents of Police Famous Varghese and Venugopal.

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The ED revealed the same while the court was considering the bail plea moved by Satheesh kumar. The court adjourned the hearing of the bail plea to November 27.

To verify these claims, the ED also submitted to the court a sealed cover containing confidential statements made to a magistrate by two other accused persons.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that CPI-M local leader Aravindakshan , who is now under judicial custody in connection with the case, has deposed to the ED that the prime accused, Satheesh Kumar,maintained close ties with LDF convener E P Jayarajan and Devaswom Minister K Radhakrishnan. He also reportedly testified that CPI-M state committee member A C Moideen and former MP P K Biju received lakhs of rupees from Satheeshkumar. Aravindakshans statements may bring the top leaders of the CPI-M under the ED scanner.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on teaming up with Microsoft, has said that the top priority for Satya Nadella and him would always remain to ensure that Open AI continues to thrive.

He said that the OpenAI and Microsoft partnership will make this very doable.

In a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Sam Altman wrote, Satya and my top priority remains to ensure OpenAI continues to thrive. We are committed to fully providing continuity of operations to our partners and customers.

The OpenAI/Microsoft partnership makes this very doable, he added.

Microsoft Corporation Chairman and CEO, Satya Nadella said on Monday that the just-ousted OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, together with colleagues, will be joining Microsoft to lead a new advanced AI research team.

We remain committed to our partnership with OpenAI and have confidence in our product roadmap, our ability to continue to innovate with everything we announced at Microsoft Ignite, and in continuing to support our customers and partners, Nadella posted on his X timeline.

We look forward to getting to know Emmett Shear and OAIs new leadership team and working with them, Nadella wrote on X.

Shear has reportedly been appointed as OpenAIs interim CEO.

On Friday, in a surprising move, Altman, the CEO and co-founder of OpenAI, the organisation behind ChatGPT, left the artificial intelligence company and resigned from its board with immediate effect. This unexpected departure sent shock waves through the technology industry.

The company announced in a blog post on Friday that OpenAIs board no longer has confidence in Altmans ability to lead the organisation.

The blog post also announced that Greg Brockman, another co-founder of OpenAI, would step down as the chair of the companys board but remain with the organisation.

The post said that Altmans departure came after a deliberative review process by the board, which concluded that he was not consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities.

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Since the introduction of ChatGPT, major tech companies have strived to compete with OpenAI, and world leaders have sought Altmans insights and investments.

Originally established as a nonprofit in 2015, OpenAI aimed to prevent advanced AI from falling into the hands of monopolistic corporations. However, after receiving a significant investment from Microsoft in 2019, the company transitioned to a for-profit structure.
India on Tuesday slammed Pakistan for trying to rake up the Kashmir issue during a key United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting, terming the neighbouring countrys remarks unwarranted.

A debate on Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Promoting Sustaining Peace through Common Development was going on when Pakistans permanent enjoy to the UN, Munir Akram, made a reference to Kashmir.

This prompted a strong reaction from the Indian side. Counsellor in Indias Permanent Mission to the UN R Madhu Sudan dismissed the unwarranted and habitual remarks and said that he will not dignify them with an answer.

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I will take not more than a few seconds to dismiss the unwarranted and habitual remarks made by a Permanent Representative earlier against my country and I will not dignify them with a response here, Madhu Sudan said.

Pakistan has long been raising the Kashmir issue at the UN in a bid to gain international traction. However, it has largely failed in doing so.

India has on every international forum reiterated that Kashmir is an integral part of it and will continue to remain so.

Tensions between India and Pakistan  two warring neighbours  have increased ever since the Indian government scrapped Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019.

Pakistan has been using terror proxies to create trouble in the Valley for decades. The abrogation of the Article 370 and its subsequent positive effects have made it difficult for Pakistan to send terrorists into the Indian side of the Line of Control.
In a swiftly evolving digital HR ecosystem, the new employee background verification process is also undergoing a digital paradigm shift. Traditionally, the highly fragmented background verification industry was entangled in the clutches of laborious manual sifting through piles of paperwork, tedious forms, and significant trust deficits. Rife with inadequacies, time delays, and trust gaps, the traditional background verification process couldnt transcend its confined space.

However, a disruptive wave of change has swept away the traditional boundaries, making room for the emergence of technology-enabled background verification systems. Seismically altering the global verification landscape, OnGrid  Indias pioneering, comprehensive, and expedited background verification platform  has propelled the creation of a secure workplace environment based on faster, more accurate, and cost-efficient background checks.

The platform has championed the notion of delivering holistic verification services by leveraging technological tools and innovative methodologies to mitigate trust deficits and foster a seamless verification experience.

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Inception and Initiation

Founded in 2016 by two IIT Bombay alumni, Piyush Peshwani (CEO and Co-founder) and Vineet Bansal (COO and Co-founder), OnGrid has developed a comprehensive background verification system that caters to the diverse needs of various businesses. Initially funded by friends and family, OnGrids distinctive business approach, emphasizing systematic problem-solving, innovative go-to-market strategies, and value creation for clients, has played a pivotal role in establishing the company as a leader in this space. With over 3000+ organizations utilizing the platform, OnGrid has achieved healthy profitability for the past five years.

Reflecting on OnGrids vision, Piyush Peshwani, CEO and Co-founder of OnGrid, remarked, India, along with many other geographies, grapples with a significant trust deficit. With numerous languages, cultures, and belief systems, India stands as a truly diverse country. Given this diversity, trust doesnt naturally evolve, necessitating a systematic intervention. Much like a 4-digit PIN serves as a simple technological intervention for secure financial transactions in India, we require elegant solutions for complex and deep-rooted problems. Through our comprehensive verification model, we have successfully identified these simple interventions to bridge the trust gap, empowering individuals and organizations to conduct transactions with efficiency and confidence.

How does it work?

Addressing the issue of trust deficit, OnGrid harnesses cutting-edge technology, including instant verification APIs, to streamline background checks, ensuring efficiency in the recruitment and onboarding process. What used to take weeks can now be completed instantly or within hours. Furthermore, the platform empowers individuals in the unorganized sector, providing them equal access to jobs and opportunities for upward mobility by allowing them to use their credentials with full choice and consent.

In a brief period, OnGrid has expanded its offerings to include more than 125 verification checks for its clientele. These checks encompass instant ID verification, rapid employment history checks, near real-time scrutiny of criminal and police records, education verification, address verification, global database checks, and more. Typically, an organization selects the top 5 to 10 checks as part of their background verification program, tailored to the staff profile and industry compliance requirements.

With comprehensive offerings tailored to its diverse customer base, the platform taps into the boundless potential of new-age technologies to verify and onboard a spectrum of usersfrom white-collar employees and blue-collar professionals to gig workers and individuals on the payroll of third-party vendors. Alleviating the challenges of information, document, and consent collection, candidates can directly provide information on the OnGrid platform itself or on the HRMS platform integrated with OnGrid APIs.

Continuing its innovative streak, OnGrids solutions, eLockr and Gridlines, have carved out a distinctive niche in establishing trust and ensuring instant, more accurate, and cost-effective verifications.

Business Growth and Future Plans

Since its establishment, OnGrid has steadily risen as a distinguished leader in the realm of background checks and verifications. The platform has effectively catered to over 3000 organizations spanning across 25+ industries, successfully completing over 200 million verifications with precision and efficiency.

As an ISO-certified paperless platform for end-to-end background screening, OnGrid has extended its operations to multiple geographies, drawing in notable clients from both India and the global stage. Among its illustrious clientele are industry giants such as Reliance Retail, Airtel, Ola, PayTM, Flipkart, McDonalds, and more.

Highlighting OnGrids business growth, Piyush, CEO, and Co-founder of OnGrid remarked, OnGrids remarkable expansion can be credited to our teams concerted efforts to provide a seamless user experience, coupled with elevated levels of authenticity, accuracy, and improved efficacy, i.e., completion rates. Through the utilization of modern technology systems, we can effortlessly configure customized solutions for clients worldwide, automating intricate verification processes and offering elegant solutions at competitive prices.

Pioneering a vision for a streamlined, optimized, and digitized future in background verification, OnGrid is positioned to make its mark in the global market by securing an initial group of international clients. The objective is to establish a universally recognized trust platform brand originating from India, celebrated for its innovative approach in addressing global trust deficits. This endeavor aims to catalyze the construction of a modern and improved working world.
In the turbulent seas of American politics, new US House speaker Mike Johnson finds himself at the helm of a ship caught in a tempest of internal dissent. The recent rebellion by hard line Republicans signals an early end to Mr Johnsons legislative honeymoon. This clash of ideologies, as the House grapples with funding bills and conservative policies, paints a vivid picture of a party wrestling with its own identity. At the heart of the discord is a group of 19 House Republicans, 15 of whom identify as hardliners.

Their defiance, manifested in a vote to block debate on a Bill earmarked for funding federal programmes on commerce, justice, and science for fiscal 2024 is a stark reminder to speaker Johnson that the delicate dance of party unity may be more challenging than anticipated. The statement by representative Scott Perry, chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, that were not going to pass Bills that dont address the problems America faces, is a sentiment that echoes a broader frustration within the Republican party, with some in the caucus opposing Bills due to concerns over spending cuts on funding for US-Mexico border restrictions, abortion restrictions, and law enforcement spending cuts.

The drama reached its zenith when hardliners, including those from the Freedom Caucus, voiced their discontent over Mr Johnsons decision not to include their desired agenda in a stopgap measure to avert a partial government shutdown. The honeymoon for Mr Johnson, once viewed as a stalwart Christian conservative respected within far-right circles, now appears to be waning. The latest flashpoint emerged with Mr Johnsons short-term spending Bill, designed to maintain existing government funding levels and programmes into early 2024. While the Bill managed to pass the House, its support from only 127 Republicans (compared to 209 Democrats) suggests a growing divide within GOP ranks.

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Furthermore, Mr Johnsons decision to suspend House rules to sidestep attempts to block debate added fuel to the fire. Amid this internal strife, it is worth noting that the Houses Bill to avert a government shutdown was later passed by the Senate and signed into law by President Joe Biden. This development adds an intriguing layer to the narrative, highlighting the necessity for cooperation in the broader legislative landscape. As hardliners rally for Mr Johnson to unite the Republican majority and advocate for spending cuts and policy changes in negotiations with the Democratic-led Senate, the speaker faces a delicate balancing act. The challenge is not merely passing Bills but presenting a united front against an opposing force. In this evolving saga, Mr Johnsons leadership will be put to the test.

Can he navigate the treacherous waters of party dissent and steer towards legislative victories that resonate with both hardliners and moderates alike? The answer to this question holds profound implications not just for Speaker Johnson but for the future trajectory of the Republican Party as it grapples with its identity in an ever-changing political landscape.
Maritime disputes across the vast South China Sea have ratcheted up in recent years as an increasingly assertive China militarises disputed islands and confronts its regional rivals over their competing claims in the strategically important and resource-rich waterway. This important water body is claimed by multiple governments but Beijing claims ownership over almost all the waterway in defiance of an international court ruling.

The Hague court which the Philippines had approached for adjudication had dismissed Chinas claims as invalid in its ruling of July 2016. But Beijing dismissed it. Violating all norms and global laws, over the past two decades China has occupied a number of obscure reefs and atolls far from its shoreline across the South China Sea, and built military installations, runways and ports. The Philippines has taken umbrage at Beijings aggrandizement as these infringe on its sovereignty, besides violating maritime law.

With responsibility to secure maritime order, the United States regularly sends its Navy destroyers on freedom of navigation exercises close to the contested islands. This has led to fears that the South China Sea could become a flashpoint between the US and China. At stake is the 1.3 million square-mile waterway which is vital to international trade. An estimated third of global shipping worth trillions of dollars passes through this water body. It is also home to vast and fertile fishing grounds upon which many lives and livelihoods depend.

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Much of its economic value remains untapped but China eyes this vast resource and wants to monopolise it. According to the US Energy Information Agency, the waterway holds at least 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 11 billion barrels of oil. If a single nation controls and then exploits this on its own terms, the impact on the environment could be huge as no global law can be guaranteed to be respected.

Chinas aim is just that. The South China Sea is home to hundreds of largely uninhabited islands and coral atolls and diverse wildlife are at risk from climate change and marine pollution. In recent times, Beijing is testing Manilas nerves in the disputed reefs. Chinese vessels time and again try to block Philippine ships from delivering supplies to troops stationed at the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea.

According to a statement issued by the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea a few days ago, the China Coast Guard (CCG) and Chinese Maritime militia vessels recklessly harassed, blocked and executed dangerous manoeuvres in another attempt to illegally impede or obstruct a route resupply and rotation mission to BRP Sierra Madre (LS 57) at Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal).

The West Philippine Sea is the name that Filipinos use for waters claimed by Manila in the South China Sea. Elaborating further, the statement further said that CCG vessel 5203 deployed a water cannon against Philippine supply vessel M/L Kalayaan. M/L or motor launch implies a smallsized motor-powered boat. Another supply boat, the Unaizah Mae 1, was also subjected to extremely reckless and dangerous harassment at close proximity by Chinese vessels inside the shoals lagoon during their approach to BRP Sierra Madre.

Despite these Chinese attempts, both supply boats were able to successfully reach LS 57 (BRP Sierra Madre). Manila ran the World War II-era Sierra Madre aground in 1999 to serve as its outpost at the shoal and has to dispatch ships on a regular basis to deliver fresh supplies to the military personnel there. Chinese ships have repeatedly impeded and blocked Philippines rotation and resupply (RoRe) missions in recent times.

These are unprovoked acts of coercion and dangerous manoeuvres by China, putting the lives of Philippine personnel at risk. As per latest data, a total of 24 Chinese ships were involved in the incident, including four Coast Guard ships, the rest being maritime militia ships. By doing this, Beijing is testing Manilas nerves by conducting such blockades with the hope that Manila will give up its RoRe missions.

That is unlikely to happen, though. Beijing needs to remember that the Philippines is a treaty ally of the US, and under a mutual defence treaty, Washington is obliged to defend its ally in case the latter is attacked. It may be noted that Article IV of the 1951 US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, and aircraft ~ including those of its Coast Guard ~ anywhere in the South China Sea. Despite this, Beijing is not deterred.

It responded by saying Manilas mission is illegal, and defended its actions, arguing that the Philippines actions violate Chinas territorial sovereignty, violate the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, and violate its own commitments. Beijing urged Manila to stop its infringing actions. Philippines also remain undeterred. Its embassy in China issued a demarche and protested against Chinas actions.

As of 7 November, the Philippines had made 58 diplomatic protests against what it sees as Chinas violations of its sovereignty in the South China Sea. In October, Manila summoned the Chinese ambassador to the Philippines to protest over two similar incidents, one of which led to a small collision of ships. The criticality of the issue is that the second Thomas Shoal is about 200 kilometers (124 miles) from the Philippine island of Palawan, and more than 1,000 kilometers from Chinas Hainan island.

It is claimed by the Philippines, China, Vietnam and Taiwan, but is located inside the Philippines exclusive economic zone (EEZ). That makes the issue extremely important for the Philippines. There is a sudden spurt in tensions after Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr. succeeded Rodrigo Duterte who had adopted a soft approach towards China and reversed his policy by opting for assertive steps to protect Philippines claims to shoals in the South China Sea, leading to several confrontations with Chinese vessels in waters off the Philippine islands. But Chinas response has been more aggressive.

The recent incidents show that Beijing feels confident to coerce smaller countries like the Philippines and will not hesitate to cross certain lines. Beijing is unconcerned that the Philippine Coast Guard remains committed to upholding international law, safeguarding the welfare of Filipino fishermen and protecting the rights of the Philippines in the territorial waters.

The spat between China and the Philippines has global implications as this is widely seen as a potential flashpoint for global conflict. The issue could be messy if Beijing chooses to be more adventurous and acts against the Philippines militarily because the US as a treaty ally would inevitably respond in the Philippines favour.

(The writer is a former Senior Fellow at the Prime Minister Memorial Museum and Library, New Delhi)
An extraordinary Islamic-Arab summit was held in Riyadh to discuss the Israel-Hamas war on 11 November. It was attended by mainly heads of state of the Arab League and OIC (Organization of Islamic Cooperation). It was initially planned for the two groups to meet separately but subsequently they met as one, mainly due to disagreements arising within the Arab League. On its part, Israels Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, urged the Arab world to stand up to Hamas, mentioning that it has only brought two things to Gaza  poverty and blood. An official Saudi press release mentioned that the intent of the summit was to arrive at a unified collective position that expresses the common Arab and Islamic will regarding the dangerous and unprecedented developments witnessed in Gaza and Palestinian territories.

The attendance of the Iranian President, Ebrahim Raisi, emphasised this aspect. A communique released after the summit mentioned that the summit condemned, Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, war crimes and barbaric and inhumane massacres by the occupation government. It also called for an end to the siege of Gaza, permitting humanitarian aid and halting arms exports to Israel. The summit also rejected Israeli claims of acting in self-defence. Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, the two terrorist groups currently engaged in a conflict with Israel, mentioned that they did not expect much from the summit. Mohammad al-Hindi, the Islamic Jihads deputy secretary general stated, We are not placing our hopes on such meetings, for we have seen their results over many years.

The fact that this conference will be held after 35 days (of war) is an indication of its outcomes. Unity in terms of adopting a firmer approach including halting oil supplies to Israel and its allies as also severing diplomatic and economic ties, which some member nations have with Israel, was rejected. Inputs mention that Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, Morocco, Mauritania and Djibouti refused to endorse these proposals. Largely, objections have been on the concept of mass punishment imposed by Israel.

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There are many Arab states which consider Hamas and the Hezbollah as stumbling blocks to peace in the region and would prefer their collapse, while others like Iran and Qatar support them. The Hezbollah is far more powerful than the nation where it is based, Lebanon. The Houthis, another terrorist group which members desire to eradicate, launched missiles on US bases in the region and Israel and had earlier been involved in similar actions on Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

There are some countries like Pakistan which refuse to recognize Israels right to exist, basically on illogical grounds of religion, while secretly selling them 155mm ammunition. Pakistan takes its stance to an extreme when it attempts to place Gaza and Kashmir on a similar plane. An editorial in the Dawn newspaper of Pakistan mentioned on the joint statement issued at the end of the summit that their inaction virtually makes these countries abettors in the mass killings being carried out by the Zionist forces in Gaza. While nations expressed concerns on increased civilian casualties, none are willing to accept refugees from Gaza.

Globally, the largest public protests against Israel have happened in democratic Western nations. Some Islamic nations have diplomatic and economic ties with Israel, while its immediate neighbours have signed peace agreements with it. Hardly any nation has withdrawn its diplomats from Israel, while Tel Aviv has done so wherever its staff have faced threats. Thus, while there are objections to Israels adopted methodology, nations accept that the trigger for the current war is Hamas and its actions.

Azerbaijan, a member of the OIC, imports more than 60 per cent of its weapons from Israel and hence would never join any anti-Israel grouping. Few Islamic nations have close ties with the US and thus would avoid going against US interests, which implies maintaining neutrality, while pushing for humanitarian action. Qatar is leading negotiations for a ceasefire which could result in release of hostages in exchange for movement of aid. Hence, while Israel was criticized and the summit demanded humanitarian aid, there were no indications of harsher measures flowing in the future.

This displayed that most nations preferred a practical approach to the crisis, rather than a religious or emotional one, as was the norm earlier. Possibly the criticism from Justin Trudeau of Canada who urged Israel to stop this killing of women, of children, of babies, adding, the price of justice cannot be the continued suffering of all Palestinian civilians, was firmer than that issued at the end of the summit. The final outcome conveyed that a majority of Islamic nations seek the end of Hamas as a pre-requisite for a resolution to the Palestinian problem, which could be a two-state solution. Further, within West Asia, Arab nations retaliating to terrorist attacks on their soil have killed far more innocent Muslims than Israel has in Gaza, Yemen and Syria being examples. While Palestinians may feel they are being ignored, the message sent is that the Arab world is against the Hamas and not Gazans.

On the contrary, based on pressure from Pakistan, the OIC regularly mentions Kashmir in joint statements, while for Arab states, Kashmir has no value. OIC members are aware that a mere mention of Kashmir cannot change realities, while within Pakistan, it plays on domestic sentiment. Simultaneously, the world is aware that China is suppressing its largely Muslim Uighur population by jailing them in re-education camps, destroying their places of worship and forcing them to act against their religion. Inputs, including videos, depicting their plight, have regularly surfaced. Not a single Muslim nation has criticized China, while Western nations have taken it to task.

Some like Pakistan have officially backed China in its actions. Overall, the message conveyed post the joint Arab-OIC summit is that most Islamic nations do not consider religion to be a major factor in their foreign policy, rather act solely in their national interest. It also suggests that the world is moving away from confrontation to collaboration, as an acceptance that all have a right to exist. Terrorism, irrespective of what it represents, is unacceptable, whether it be in the Middle East or South Asia. This is the changing geopolitical landscape.

(The writer is a retired Major-General of the Indian Army.)
Up to 662 illegal migrants were rescued off the coast of Libya in the past week, the International Organisation for Migration said.

On November 12-18, 662 migrants were intercepted and returned to Libya, the UN migration agency said on Monday in a statement.

So far this year, 14,894 illegal migrants were rescued and returned to Libya, it said, adding that 940 died and 1,248 went missing on the Central Mediterranean route off the Libyan coast, Xinhua news agency reported.

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Libya has suffered violence and insecurity since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Many migrants chose to cross the Mediterranean Sea to European shores from Libya.
The president-elect of Argentina, Javier Milei, has said that when coming into office next month, he plans to make an adjustment in public spending, and privatise companies such as Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales (YPF) and public media.

My intention is to be the first link in the Argentine reconstruction. Afterwards we will see if I have to govern for four or eight years. I want my government to mark a turning point in Argentine history, Milei was quoted by the state news agency Telam as saying on Monday.

The far-right candidate from the Liberty Advances coalition won 55.69 per cent of the votes in Sundays runoff election, beating the ruling party candidate, Economy Minister Sergio Massa, who obtained 44.3 per cent of the votes, Xinhua news agency reported.

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Milei, who will assume the presidency on December 10 for a four-year term, said that he will carry out a fiscal adjustment to put public accounts in order, which will not be paid for by the good Argentines, but by the politicians.

He also said he intends to privatise state-owned companies and agencies, such as the YPF, Energia Argentina, public television, national radio and Telam, among others.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has stated his group was getting close to an agreement on a ceasefire with Israel.

Haniyeh stated, We are close to reaching a deal on a truce, as stated in the post on Telegram. In an attempt to reach an agreement, negotiators have been trying to free some 240 hostages, most of whom are Israelis, who were taken during the worst attack on Israel in recorded history on October 7.

During their cross-border attack, Hamas fighters also claimed the lives of some 1,200 persons, the most of whom were civilians.

In response, Israel promised to destroy Hamas and ensure the release of the captives. It began a relentless bombing campaign and land invasion.

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The Gaza-based Hamas administration claims that nearly 13,300 individuals have died in the conflict, many of whom were youngsters.

Hard discussions have been going on, mediated by Qatar, where Haniyeh is located and where Hamas has a political office.

Qatars prime minister said on Sunday that a deal to free some of the hostages in return for a temporary ceasefire hinged on minor practical issues.

US President Joe Biden stated on Monday that he thought an agreement to release the hostages was near.

I think so, Biden replied when asked if a solution involving hostages was imminent.

Then, Biden expressed his wish for good fortune by crossing his fingers.

A five-day truce that consists of a ground ceasefire and restrictions on Israeli air activities over southern Gaza is part of a provisional agreement, according to two people involved with the negotiations who spoke with a media agency.

In exchange, 50100 detainees detained by Islamic Jihad, a different Palestinian organization, and Hamas, would be freed.

They would contain detainees of many countries as well as Israeli citizens, but no military people.

Approximately 300 Palestinians, including women and children, would be freed from Israeli prisons under the terms of the proposed agreement.

The White House stated that the talks were at the endgame phase but declined to provide any further information, citing concerns that doing so might compromise a favorable resolution.

In other news, the International Committee of the Red Cross announced on Monday that its president had visited Qatar in order to meet with Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, to advance humanitarian issues related to the armed conflict in Israel and Gaza.
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, November 21. Kazakhstan and Hungary will join forces to increase mutual trade, Trend reports.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, Murat Nurtleu, and the Minister of Finance of Hungary, Mihaly Varga, agreed on this during the 6th meeting of the Kazakh-Hungarian Strategic Council.

The parties talked about current bilateral concerns in the political, trade, economic, investment, cultural, and humanitarian areas.

The ministers agreed that trade and economic cooperation between Kazakhstan and Hungary is the primary driver of the two countries' strategic alliance. In this context, the parties agreed on the importance of properly utilizing the potential of the Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation and intensifying cooperation between Kazakhstani and Hungarian business circles.

Murat Nurtleu emphasized the significance of taking real actions to broaden the scope of collaboration between Astana and Budapest.

In turn, Varga said that Hungary is a reliable partner for Kazakhstan in the EU.

The parties also discussed issues of practical implementation of the agreements reached during the visit of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to Kazakhstan. The ministers reached agreements to join forces in implementing large joint projects, diversifying, and increasing mutual trade. In turn, Kazakhstan confirmed its intention to increase the range of export goods by 95 items in the amount of about $700 million.

The trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Hungary amounted to $172 million in 2022. From January through October 2023, trade turnover amounted to $140 million, which is 22 percent more than the same period last year.
A deal between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas is likely to be announced soon after details of it emerged on Tuesday. According to the Israeli media reports, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called a meeting of his Cabinet to okay the deal that would see a pause in fighting and release of 50 Israeli hostages being held in the Gaza Strip.

As per the conditions of the deal, Hamas will release at least 50 Israeli hostages, mainly women and children, in exchange for a four-day pause in fighting, the release of between 150 and 300 Palestinian prisoners, and the entry of fuel into Gaza.

The report citing Israeli government sources said that some 12-13 Israel hostages will be released by Hamas per day and Israel will release women and minor prisoners, who will return to the places they lived prior to their arrest.

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There will also be a second part of the deal under which Hamas will try and locate women and children being held by other militant groups in Gaza. Israel is hoping Hamas will be able to locate an additional 30 Israeli hostages.

Also, the ceasefire could further extend for additional days in exchange for 10 more hostage releases per extra day, the report claimed.

If approved by the full Cabinet tonight, Israel will publish details of Palestinian prisoners it will release and according to the local laws, public will have 24 hours to file petitions against any of the prisoner releases.

The report also claimed that Israels security agencies and its military is also in favour of the said deal.
The British government announced on Tuesday that South Koreas President Yoon Suk Yeol will be visiting Britain this week, and as part of that visit, the two countries will sign a defense agreement to work together to enforce UN sanctions against North Korea.

The agreement will work towards closer relations between Britains Royal Navy and the South Korean navy to keep vigil on smuggling in the East China Sea that is aimed at bypassing international sanctions, Britain said.

The Korean Peninsula was once a single country that Japan seized in 1910. Since the end of World War II on September 2, 1945, the peninsula has been divided into North Korea and South Korea. The division was solidified in 1948 when the two governments were established in the two regions. The Korean War, fought between the two nations between 1950 and 1953, resulted in an armistice but no peace treaty.

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The Kim family is in charge of the one-party totalitarian state that is North Korea. Except for a brief one-year democratic phase in 19601961, South Korea was ruled by a series of military dictatorships until complete democratisation in 1987, at which point direct elections were conducted. Each country claims the whole Korean Peninsula and the islands. Both nations joined the UN in 1991 and are recognised by most member states.

Since the 1970s, both nations have held informal diplomatic dialogues in order to ease military tensions.
FILE - This Oct. 20, 2019 file photo shows the Ford company logo at a Ford dealership in Littleton, Colo. Ford Motor Co. is resuming construction on a Michigan electric vehicle battery plant that the company postponed two months ago during a strike by the United Auto Workers union. Spokesman Mark Truby said Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023 that the company looked at growth forecasts for electric vehicle sales, its EV product plans and whether it could make a sustainable business out of the factory in Marshall, about 100 miles west of Detroit.
Live updates | An Israel-Hamas deal for hostages and a four-day cease-fire has been approved

Israels Cabinet has approved a cease-fire agreement with the Hamas militant group that would bring a temporary halt to a devastating war that has continued for more than six weeks
Gov. Maura Healey says Massachusetts has launched a new state police unit to help deter hate crimes, support victims and help create more resilient communities as reports of hate crimes are on the rise in the state
FILE - A Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection worker walks in front of the damaged Seqens plant after crews removed chemicals, May 5, 2023, in Newburyport, Mass. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has found the explosion that killed one worker at the pharmaceutical chemical plant could have been prevented and proposed nearly $300,000 in penalties for numerous violations.
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, November 21. Kazakhstan is interested in expanding trade and investment ties with the UK, said President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during a meeting with British Minister of State at the Department for Business and Trade Nusrat Ghani, Trend reports.

"I am pleased to note that the British side is also interested in developing comprehensive cooperation with Kazakhstan," he said.

As Tokayev noted, the UK is one of the main trading partners and the seventh-largest investor in the economy of Kazakhstan.

Today, more than 550 British enterprises are represented in Kazakhstan, including such leading companies as Shell and Ernst & Young.

Tokayev noted that trade turnover between Kazakhstan and the UK increased by 60 percent last year, amounting to $1.8 billion.

In turn, Nusrat Ghani pointed out that the British side attaches special importance to the development of bilateral ties.

The UK is one of Kazakhstans key trade and economic partners, having invested more than $16 billion in the country's economy.

Bilateral trade turnover in 2022 amounted to $1.8 billion, an increase of 58.7 percent compared to 2021.

At the moment, about 550 companies, joint ventures and representative offices with the participation of British capital are registered in Kazakhstan, covering almost all sectors of the domestic economy.
Eugene Finkel is an associate professor of international affairs at Johns Hopkins University and the author of the forthcoming book Intent to Destroy: Russias Two-Hundred-Year Quest to Dominate Ukraine.
Trump is hardly the person to look up to
OpenAI's board of directors wanted Dario Amodei, CEO of rival Anthropic, to replace its ousted chief Sam Altman, according to a report. OpenAI is backed by Microsoft while Google and Amazon have investments in Anthropic.



The San Francisco AI startup's board approached Dario seeking a potential merger between the two companies following which he will take over as the CEO of the new company, reported The Information, citing two people familiar with the matter.

However, Dario declined both the offers  for the merger and the CEO position, the sources told the outlet. Anthropic co-founders  CEO Dario, his sister and President Daniela Amodei, Jack Clark and Jared Kaplan  were all former executives at OpenAI. They quit the firm in 2020 over disagreements regarding safe development and governance of AI.

OpenAI board, which fired CEO Sam Altman on Friday, replaced him with Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati as interim chief. However, on Sunday, Murati invited Altman to meet OpenAI executives at the company's San Francisco headquarters to discuss his possible return.

Soon after, reports surfaced that Murati is leaving OpenAI along with several other employees and that the board appointed Twitch co-founder Emmett Shear as interim CEO.

Later in the day, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella revealed that Altman and former OpenAI president Greg Brockman, who resigned after he was removed from the board, will join his firm to lead a new advanced AI research team. Microsoft is OpenAI's biggest investor with 49 per cent stake.

On Monday, more that 700 OpenAI staffers threatened to resign if Altman is not reinstated.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. The initiative to create a multi-trust SPECA fund is planned to be politically supported, Kyrgyz Deputy Minister of Economy and Commerce Kanat Abdrakhmanov told Trend.

"The main focus now is on strengthening economic cooperation. In this context, it is planned to politically support the effort to establish a multi-trust fund, SPECA, which will play a key role in country rapprochement, trade development, internal standard harmonization, and, more broadly, the growth of investment cooperation," he said.

According to Abdrakhmanov, the SPECA events have already included discussions in the working group on trade, and concrete plans have been adopted to simplify trade procedures, digital transformation, the introduction of paperless transactions, and the introduction of the single window principle for export-import operations.

"We hope that these steps contribute to increasing trade between SPECA member countries," Abdrakhmanov said.

According to him, today many countries report significant growth in trade, but there are some difficulties in logistics. He emphasized the need to move to more simplified approaches.

Abdrakhmanov also noted that these issues are being discussed separately within the framework of working groups. In addition, an agreed-upon document, "Roadmap for Digitalization of Trade," was adopted. This document, endorsed by all SPECA member countries, covers a broad spectrum and is fundamental for further joint work.

The UN SPECA program was established on March 26, 1998.

At present, the SPECA member states are Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

SPECA provides a platform for sub-regional cooperation to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that can best be achieved through regional cooperation.

Azerbaijan is chairing the program in 2023 and hosting SPECA Days in Baku on November 2024, 2023.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Toyota Kirloskar Motor, on Tuesday, announced plans to invest Rs 3,300 crore to set up its third plant at Bidadi in Karnataka.

The new unit, which will commence production by 2026, will have an annual capacity of 1 lakh units in two shifts.

It will come up at the company's existing facility at Bidadi, near Bengaluru where it currently has two units with a combined installed production capacity of up to 3.42 lakh units annually.

The new plant, apart from producing multi-utility vehicle Innova HyCross, will be "future ready" to roll out models spanning across different fuel technologies, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) executive vice president & country head Vikram Gulati told PTI.

"I believe, we are as a company future-ready, both in terms of access to technology, access to well-accepted products across various powertrains as also access to the ability to bring these products to market," he said.

He further said in the industry, it doesn't take too much for the same line or some lines to be made ready for introducing any kind of powertrains.

"It does take a bit of doing but it's not really a huge barrier, in my opinion. So that that makes us ready and flexible in terms of any of the powertrains going forward. And I'm sure the new plant is going to be much more advanced and much more future ready," Gulati said when asked if the third plant will have the provision for producing new technology vehicles such as electric vehicles.

He, however, said it is too early to give any specifics.

The third plant will create 2,000 jobs, adding to the current 11,200 strong workforce across the existing two plants, he added.

The company has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Karnataka government regarding the fresh investment to set up the third plant coinciding with its 25th year of operations in India.

"As a future-ready mobility company, we are certain that today's significant MoU with the Karnataka government for the new plant will positively contribute through consequent employment generation and expand adoption of advanced clean technologies," TKM managing director and CEO Masakazu Yoshimura said at the event.

He further said TKM would continue to work with the government to develop a world-class local system that promises best solutions for India by focusing in improving energy security, promoting economic growth and achieving carbon neutrality.

In a statement, Toyota CEO Asia Region Masahiko Maeda said, "The Indian market has always been of great importance of us. We are confident that the new investments in India, we will further elevate TKM's role in our global vision for a more promising future by creating sustainable mobility solutions that enrich people's lives worldwide."

Last year, Toyota group firms comprising TKM and Toyota Kirloskar Auto Parts had signed an MoU with Karnataka government to invest Rs 4,100 crore to enhance electrification, fast paced shift towards greener technologies and deeper cut in CO2 emissions.

So far Toyota has invested a total of Rs 16,000 crore in India on various activities.
Days after Media Matters claimed that ads for top companies were spotted next to X posts on Adolf Hitler and the Nazis, the Elon Musk-owned social media platform has sued the media watchdog group over alleged defamation.



Musk drew flak on November 15 after he agreed to a post accusing Jews of "dialectical hatred" towards White people. He went on to claim it was "the actual truth.

Following this, Media Matters published its report and towards the weekend, several major brands including Apple, Walt Disney Co, Warner Bros Discovery Inc, Paramount Global, NBC Universal's Bravo network and Comcast, Sony Pictures and Lionsgate pulled ads from X amid growing outrage.

Musk clapped back at Media Matters, referring to the liberal watchdog as an "evil organisation". In another post, he said, The split second court opens on Monday, X Corp will be filing a thermonuclear lawsuit against Media Matters and ALL those who colluded in this fraudulent attack on our company.

X CEO Linda Yaccarino also took to X, saying, "Xs point of view has always been very clear that discrimination by everyone should STOP across the board.

What does the lawsuit say?

The lawsuit filed in a Texas court claimed Media Matters "manipulated" X by using accounts that exclusively followed accounts for major brands or users known to produce fringe content, and "resorted to endlessly scrolling and refreshing" the feed until it found ads next to extremist posts.

In the lawsuit X claimed that Media Matters misrepresented the typical experience on the social media platform "with the intention of harming X and its business.

On Tuesday, Yaccarino posted on X, If you know me, you know I'm committed to truth and fairness. Here's the truth. Not a single authentic user on X saw IBMs, Comcasts, or Oracles ads next to the content in Media Matters article. Only 2 users saw Apples ad next to the content, at least one of which was Media Matters.

Data wins over manipulation or allegations. Don't be manipulated. Stand with X, she added.

Media Matters hits back

Calling the lawsuit "frivolous" in an emailed statement, Media Matters President Angelo Carusone said it was "meant to bully X's critics into silence", reported Reuters.

"Media Matters stands behind its reporting and looks forward to winning in court," he added.
Problematic screen use impairs a range of cognitive processes, in particular the ability to concentrate and the so-called executive functions, which include impulse control, planning, organisation and problem solving, a study shows.

The research, published in the journal Neuropsychology Review, is an overview of more than 30 studies of people who fall into the broad category of disordered screen use.

The classification includes excessive gaming, internet browsing, or use of social media or smartphones, that result in serious negative effects on the person's life.

These effects can include deterioration in mental health, poorer performance at school or work, social isolation and relationship problems, and neglect of personal health or hygiene, the researchers said.

Disordered screen use shares characteristics with behavioural addictions like problem gambling, and some people may even develop symptoms of severe dependency like those associated with addictions to alcohol and illicit substances.

The researchers from Macquarie University in Australia identified 43 studies that assessed the neuropsychological effects of disordered screen use, ultimately including 34 in their analysis.

Twenty of the 34 included studies were on online and offline gaming, 12 were on internet use, and one each on social media and smartphone use, the researchers said.

The bias towards gaming and internet use were due to these platforms having been around longer, while smartphones and social media are relative newcomers to the screen-use landscape.

The research mostly looked at young males, and tested a total of 58 different neuropsychological measures, with most examining attention and executive functioning.

"This is the first time anyone has reviewed all the available evidence together, said study lead author, Mic Moshel from Macquarie University.

"The studies used different tests, which makes it more difficult to compare apples with apples, but there was clear evidence across the board of a reduction in cognitive performance in people with disordered screen use," Moshel said.

While there is an effect, the researchers noted that the extent of that reduction is unclear because only eight of the studies assessed the severity of symptoms.

Previous research has shown that children and adolescents are the most vulnerable to disordered screen use, and developing brains are highly sensitive to cognitive impairment.

While cognitive impairment resulting from some other causes can be remediated, if left untreated, it can compound over time, the researchers said. Moshel says mild traumatic brain injury provides a good analogy, as it can lead to reduced cognitive performance that affects their ability to learn.

"If it is not remediated quickly and effectively, then you have what is called the widening of the gap, where you see an increasing distance develop between these children and their peers academically," the researcher added.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday shared India's strained relationship with Canada since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations of the potential India's involvement in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Jaishankar held discussions with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong during the India-Australia Foreign Ministers' Framework Dialogue.

"From our point of view, the key issue is really the space which is being given to extremism and radicalism in Canada," Jaishankar told reporters at a joint press conference with Wong.

Jaishankar added that Australia had a good and strong relationship with both India and Canada.

"So, it was important that Australia get our perspective on the issue," Jaishankar said.

India had refuted Canada's allegation as "absurd" and "motivated". India-Canada relations became tense since the killing of Nijjar on June 18 in British Columbia.

Since Trudeau's remarks in the Canadian Parliament, India and Canada have expelled senior diplomats. India has also forced "parity" in diplomatic presence at Canadian missions here leading to withdrawal for 41 diplomats.

India-Australia vow to deepen economic ties

India and Australia vowed to deepen their economic and security partnership and stressed their commitment to a "free, open inclusive and rules-based" Indo-Pacific," which has been witnessing China's growing assertiveness.

Importance of moving on the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) negotiations was also discussed during the ministerial dialogue.

"We spoke of the way forward for greater mobility of our students and professionals," said Jaishankar.

On asked about the Israel-Hamas war, Jaishankar said it was a terrorist attack that took place on October 7. "We think nationally and international community that we should never compromise on terrorism, we should be very clear about it," he said.

Concerns regarding the hostage situation and humanitarian crisis in Gaza was also pointed out.

He asserted that there was "real momentum" in the India-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership.

"We shared growing convergences with Australia. At the heart of it is really a shared commitment to a free, open, inclusive, prosperous and rules-based Indo-Pacific region based on United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea," he added.

Discussions on terrorism, radicalism and extremism was also discussed by both nations.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Defence Minister Richard Marles also took part in the ministerial dialogue.

(With PTI inputs)
The nation woke up to cheerful news on Tuesday as the first visuals from the collapsed Silkyara Tunnel, where 41 workers have been trapped for the last nine days, revealed all of them healthy.

Though the rescue work is facing a brief setback after the narrow road to the tunnel prevents the movement of the piling machine, Arnold Dix, an international tunnel expert, has expressed confidence that all 41 men would be rescued.



Dix, president of the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association, has been roped in as part of the ongoing rescue efforts. Praising the rescue efforts as fantastic, Dix told reporters: "I think the team here have done a wonderful job. The 900-mm pipeline is one of the options. The 900 pipe is there and I'm going to go have another look at it this morning. It's by far the best and fastest means to get the men, but it has its technical difficulties and that's why we're doing multiple rescue missions," Dix told ANI.



Elaborating on the mission, Dix said they are yet not sure which way the rescue would be carried out. "We've got mission from the top, missions from the front, mission from the side. The men are coming home. We're just not sure which door they're going to use..Maybe that will work. We're knocking on the top door. We're knocking on all these doors. Which one opens? Not sure," he added.



He said two locations have been identified for the vertical drilling, and both are on the Silkyara side of the high-altitude under-construction tunnel. "We're going to rescue these men. When I arrived here, I said, there's 41 men coming home and there's no one else going to be hurt," Dix added.



#WATCH | Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand) tunnel rescue | Visuals from the other end of the tunnel from Barkot side. Operation to rescue the 41 trapped workers is ongoing on another side of the tunnel.



First visuals of the workers emerged this morning as an endoscopic flexi camera pic.twitter.com/HzLAYNNLMF  ANI (@ANI) November 21, 2023

PM dials Dhami



Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday to enquire about the rescue operation. In a post on X, Dhami said he told Modi that the workers are safe and the prime minister underlined that the rescue mission is the topmost priority.

In his post, Dhami said he informed the prime minister about the successful insertion of a six-inch pipeline through the rubble which will be used for providing food in larger quantities and other necessary items to the workers. "Honourable prime minister was informed about the conversation with the workers through the endoscopic camera and their wellbeing. The prime minister said it is our top priority to rescue all the workers safely," Dhami said.
Six passengers who were onboard a Chennai-bound flight from Bengaluru on Sunday reportedly promising them tickets on an alternative flight. However, the passengers had to spend the night in Bengaluru and they flew back to Chennai only on Monday.

According to a TOI report, passengers told the publication that they were allegedly deboarded as the airline was not interested in flying with just six persons onboard. According to reports, passengers onboard a Chennai-bound flight from Amritsar, while the flight was on the tarmac at Bengaluru Kempegowda International Airport, they received calls from a ground staff of the airline asking them to deboard from the flight, and assuring them seats in an alternative flight.

However, to their dismay, the passengers were forced to stay in Bengaluru that night and they boarded a flight to Chennai on Monday morning. IndiGo sources at the airport told the publication that two passengers were lodged in a hotel 13km from the airport for the night, while others stayed at the airport lounge. All were accommodated on flights on Monday morning and flown to Chennai, an airline official told TOI.

However, IndiGo denied the charges. In a statement, the airline said, On November 19, 2023, flight 6E 478 was operating from Amritsar to Chennai via Bengaluru with eight transit passengers on board. Due to the delay of the incoming aircraft from Amritsar, these passengers were unable to board the onward flight to Chennai at the Bengaluru Airport.

IndiGo ground staff made every possible effort to help passengers make the connection, but due to lack of time, they were unable to board the aircraft. IndiGo staff offered the passengers overnight accommodation and booking on the next available flight but certain passengers chose to stay at the airport lounge. We deeply apologise for the inconvenience caused to the passengers, the airline said in a statement.
Repolling is underway at a booth in Ater assembly constituency of Madhya Pradesh's Bhind district.

Voting began at 7am and was going on peacefully at booth number 3 under polling centre number 71 in Kishupura. It will conclude at 6pm, he said. The Election Commission of India ordered repolling because of breach of secrecy as some people shot videos of voting at the booth concerned in Kishupura during the elections on November 17.

Four members of the polling party have been suspended for the breach of secrecy, Bhind collector and district returning officer Sanjeev Shrivastava earlier said. As per instructions, indelible ink was being applied on the middle finger of voters during repolling, another official said.

Voters were not being allowed to enter the booth with mobile phones. All other rules of the model code of conduct were being followed, he said. The repolling process was being videographed, he added.

State BJP minister and Ater's sitting MLA Arvind Singh Bhadauria is pitted against former legislator Hemant Katare of the Congress in the assembly seat.

All 230 assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh went to polls in a single phase on November 17 with a voter turnout of 77.15 per cent, as per the Election Commission. Votes will be counted on December 3.
Call it counter-terror diplomacy or a united front against terror, Israel has made a significant move to stand with India in its fight against terrorism by banning the Pakistan-based terror outfit, Lashkar e Tayyaba. Significantly, the move comes at a time when the Israel-Hamas war is at its peak and mustering international support is key for Israel whose operations in Gaza continue, even as the country awaits the release of its hostages.

Ahead of the 15th anniversary of the dastardly Mumbai terror attacks, Israel made a fresh outreach with its decision to list LeT as a terror organisation. "Despite not being requested by the Government of India to do so, the state of Israel has formally completed all necessary procedures and has satisfied all required checks and regulations to the result of introducing Lashkar-e-Taiba into the Israeli list of illegal terror organizations," said a release by the Israeli Embassy in New Delhi.



Days after India condemned the terror attack on Israel on October 7, the chorus grew in Israeli circles for Hamas to be declared a terrorist organisation. Israeli ambassador Naor Gilon has said that the issue has been taken up with the relevant authorities in New Delhi. No decision has been taken on it so far.



However, Israels outreach also goes on to define the way countries are approaching like-minded partners at a time when there is war in two parts of the world - Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas. The US support to Israel comes only ahead of India which is attempting a balancing act, even though it has condemned terror in all its forms and supported Israels fight against terror.



Closer home, flanked by Pakistan-sponsored terror groups like LeT on one side and covert support to outfits like the Jaish-e-Mohammed by China, New Delhi understands the pitfalls of a troubled neighbourhood where radicalism of any kind poses a significant threat, which also means building peace in the Middle East is a prerequisite for peace in the region.



Counter-terror experts said the coming together of extremist and terror outfits as the Israeli operations in Gaza continue can have a direct bearing on India's internal security, which is prompting security agencies to keep a tight watch on terror groups and affiliates, in physical and virtual spaces, ahead of 26/11.



Meanwhile, the message is clear that India has won support for its constant message to the international community of late, about uniting against terror whether it is at the G20 forum or beyond. "While Israel only lists terror organisations who are actively operating against it from within or around its borders, or in a similar manner to India - those globally recognized by UNSC or the US State Department; the Israeli ministries of Defense and Foreign affairs, have jointly worked in the last few months towards an expedited and extraordinary listing of the Lashkar -e- Taiba organization on this date, to highlight the importance of a Unified Global Front in combating terrorism," it said.



Lashkar-e-Taiba is a deadly and reprehensible terror organisation, responsible for the murder of hundreds of Indian civilians as well as others. Its heinous actions on November 26, 2008, still reverberate in force, through all peace-seeking nations and societies," it added.

Israeli embassy, meanwhile, offered condolences to all victims of terrorism and to the survivors and bereaved families of the Mumbai attacks, including those in Israel. "We stand with you united in the hope for a better peaceful future," it said.



For both India and Israel, the Mumbai attacks bring back memories of Baby Moshe, the youngest survivor who lost his parents in the terror strike at Nariman House- also known as Chabad House- among many others who lost their loved ones to terror.


Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi dialled him again on Tuesday for updates regarding the ongoing mission to rescue 41 workers trapped in the under-construction Silkyara tunnel. The prime minister told Dhami that the safe rescue of the trapped workers was their top priority.

Tweeting about the conversation, Dhami said, Prime Minister @narendramodiji called again today and took information about the relief and rescue operations of the workers trapped in the tunnel under construction in Silkyara, Uttarkashi. Dhami said the prime minister was informed about the successful construction of six-inch pipeline through debris for communication and supply of essentials and food for the trapped workers.

Prime Minister was also informed about the conversation with labour brothers with the help of endoscopic flexi camera and their efficiency. The Prime Minister also said that it is our top priority to evacuate all the labour brothers safely, Dhami tweeted.

The rescue workers on Tuesday morning managed to get the first visuals of the 41 workers trapped inside the collapsed Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi. This was made possible after an endoscopy camera was sent into the tunnel via the six-inch pipe that was pushed through the rubble on Monday night. In the video, the workers, wearing yellow and white helmets, are seen receiving food items sent to them through the pipeline and talking to each other. The rescue workers also tried to talk to the trapped workers through a walkie-talkie.

The workers were served hot Khichdi for the first time since they were stranded, on Monday. Food, mobiles and chargers will also be sent into the tunnel through the six-inch lifeline. Though communication was happening, the six-inch pipe was considered a major upgrade as mobile phones could be sent. All these are expected to have a good psychological impact on them.
In a major relief, the rescue workers on Tuesday morning managed to get the first visuals of the 41 workers trapped inside the collapsed Silkyara tunnel at Uttarkashi in Uttarakhand. This was made possible after an endoscopy camera was send into the tunnel via the six-inch pipe that was pushed through the rubble on Monday night.

In the video, the workers, wearing yellow and white helmets, are seen receiving food items sent to them through the pipeline and talking to each other, reported PTI. The camera was sent in after it came from Delhi late on Monday evening.

The rescue workers also tried to talk to the trapped workers through a walkie-talkie. The rescue officials are seen asking the workers to come in front of the camera. "Aap camera ke paas walkie talkie pe aake baat karein (come in front of the camera and talk to us through Walkie Talkie," an official is heard asking them.

,                               pic.twitter.com/vcr28EHx8g  Pushkar Singh Dhami (@pushkardhami) November 21, 2023

The trapped men reportedly told the rescue workers that they were healthy and doing well.

The workers were served hot Khichdi for the first time since they were stranded, on Monday. Food, mobiles and chargers will also be sent into the tunnel through the six-inch lifeline.

#WATCH | Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand) tunnel collapse: Rescue workers try to make contact with the trapped workers through walkie-talkie pic.twitter.com/mCr5VRfSi0  ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) November 21, 2023

Though communication was happening, the six-inch pipe was considered a major upgrade as mobile phones could be sent. All these are expected to have a good psychological impact on them.

Meanwhile, it is unclear whether the horizontal boring has restarted. The drilling was stalled after a boulder appeared to block the progress of the heavy-duty auger machine. An official statement said this was scheduled to begin on Monday evening.

36 tonnes of critical equipment being airlifted by an IAF aircraft for the rescue operations after a portion of an under-construction tunnel collapsed in Uttarakhand | PTI

Vertical drilling continued on Monday as heavy machinery to dig a vertical rescue shaft, possibly around 80 metres deep, reached the site. A road to the hilltop has been laid and the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is arranging for more equipment.

The Indian Air Force C-17 and two C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft are being deployed to airlift 36 tonnes of critical equipment on Monday. The work has begun on drilling from the other side, the Barkot-end, of the tunnel.

International tunnelling expert Arnold Dix is at the disaster site to review rescue efforts. He heads the Geneva-based International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association.

Meanwhile, the Uttarakhand state government is likely to submit a report to the High Court, after the state's top court sought replies from the state government and central agencies within 48 hours on the ongoing operation and measures taken to rescue the workers. The court's direction came on a PIL related to the rescue operation at the Silkyara tunnel. It was filed by Dehradun-based NGO Samadhan.
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, November 21. The Turkmen-German business forum, under the auspices of the German Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations, was held at the Humboldt Carre Congress Center in Berlin on November 20 this year, Trend reports.

The event was attended by more than 200 delegates representing the business circles of the two countries, as well as the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan and other state institutions of the country.

On the sidelines of the business forum, a number of negotiations were held between representatives of Turkmenistan with the leadership of the German Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations, major German companies, leading banks, and financial institutions.

During the meetings, priority directions for Turkmenistan's foreign economic strategy were discussed, in particular the development of mutually beneficial partnerships with advanced foreign financial and banking structures.

At the same time, the forum addressed the issues of studying the world's best practices in the introduction of digital technologies, electronic banking, and other relevant areas in this area.

Meanwhile, the development of cooperation between businessmen from Germany and Turkmenistan is an important stage in strengthening mutual economic ties. Entrepreneurs from both countries are actively exploring opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation focused on the exchange of experience, technological solutions, and the creation of new business partnerships.

Stay up to date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Russia on Tuesday said that it has thwarted Ukrainian efforts to carry out landing operation in Kherson region. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said Ukraine failed to carry out landing operation, reported Interfax news.

Earlier, Shoigu said marines, aviation and artillery had scuppered further Ukrainian attempts to gain a foothold on the eastern bank of the River Dnipro and on islands at the mouth of the river in southern Ukraine.

Kherson was one among the Ukrainian regions annexed by Russia in February 2022.

In order to show European Unions support to Ukraine, European Council President Charles Michel arrived in Kyiv on Tuesday. "Good to be back in Kyiv among friends," said Michel on social media platform X, posting a picture of himself shaking hands with the European Union's Ambassador to Ukraine, Katarina Mathernova, at Kyiv's railway station.

Good to be back in Kyiv  among friends. pic.twitter.com/w9cAQzqYyo  Charles Michel (@CharlesMichel) November 21, 2023

Co-existence cannot be possible

Senior Russian diplomat Rodion Miroshnik said that co-existence with the current regime in Kyiv is not possible. He also added that Moscow can resist the might of NATO for as long as it needs to demilitarise Ukraine.

It been over a year since Russia-Ukraine war rocked the world. The was has deepened the Russia-West relations as well. Reportedly, Russia now controls 17.5% of Ukraine's internationally recognised territory including Crimea.

"The current regime (in Kyiv) is absolutely toxic, we do not see any options for co-existence with it at the moment," Russian Ambassador-at-Large Miroshnik told reporters in Moscow.

West and Ukraine had accused Russia of war crimes in Ukraine, which was denied by Moscow.

"We can resist NATO just as much as we need to fulfill the tasks that the president has formulated," said Miroshink.

Germany's Defence Minister visits Kyiv

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius made a surprise visit to Ukraine on Tuesday and vowed to keep supporting Kyiv's efforts to win its war against Russia. Germany is the second biggest financial and military provider to Ukraine after the United States

His visit comes after US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin traveled to Ukraine and pledged American support for the long haul. An additional USD 100 million in weapons was vowed by US.

With the shifting focus on Israel-Hamas war, the efforts are made by the world powers to keep Ukraine-Russia war in focus as well.

According to German officials, Pistorius aimed to assess the effectiveness of its aid as well as take stock of the fighting during his visit.

Meanwhile, two Russian missiles hit a hospital in the eastern Donetsk region, leaving six people wounded and burying many under the rubble, said Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko.

(With agencies inputs)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday said progress was being made on the release of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. With the release of hostages gaining pace, Netanyahu has called key decision-making bodies meet to discuss the situation.

We are making progress. I dont think its worth saying too much, not at even this moment, but I hope there will be good news soon, said Netanyahu.

Earlier today, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh had indicated that Hamas is close to a truce agreement with Israel. We are close to reaching a deal on a truce, he said.

The Times of Israel too reported that Qatar foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari saying we are at the closest point we ever had been in reaching an agreement, adding that negotiations were at a critical and final stage.

A statement released by Netanyahu's office said the special war Cabinet will convene be convened followed by meetings of the broader Security Cabinet and then the full Cabinet.

BRICS summit

Amid raging Israel-Hamas war, world leaders including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman took part in the virtual BRICS summit.

Xi Jinping urged all parties in the Gaza conflict to immediately ceasefire, end all attacks against civilians and release civilian detainees to avoid more loss of lives and suffering. Jinping also called for the convening of an "international peace conference" to resolve the Israel-Hamas conflict.

"All parties in the conflicts should immediately cease fire and hostilities, stop all violence and attacks targeting civilians, and release civilian detainees to avoid more loss of lives and suffering," state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

He also added that there could be no "sustainable peace and security" in the Middle East without a just solution to the Palestine issue.

Putin has also called for a ceasefire in Gaza and international efforts to de-escalate the situation.

"Russias position is consistent and non-opportunistic. We call for the joint efforts of the international community aimed at de-escalating the situation, a ceasefire and finding a political solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict," reported Tass, Russian state-owned news agency.

"The death of thousands of people, the mass expulsion of civilians and the humanitarian catastrophe that has erupted cause deep concern," it added.

Saudi Arabia demanded the start of a serious and comprehensive peace process to establish a Palestinian state along the borders of 1967. "The Kingdom's position is constant and firm; there is no way to achieve security and stability in Palestine except through the implementation of international decisions related to the two-state solution," said Prince Mohammed.

Meanwhile, Israels air force has posted to social media to claim that in the last 24 hours it has struck approximately 250 Hamas terror targets.
A diaspora panel in the US has sought to include designated terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun and his banned organisation Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) on the no-fly list for issuing video messages threatening people flying Air India.

Participants of a panel discussion "Indians in Canada under Threat of Terror and Hate Crimes', organised by the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS), a group of Indian-Americans and Indo-Canadians, asserted that it's time for the governments to take strong action against the separatist Sikh leader from the SFJ.



The SFJ is a US-based organisation banned by the Government of India under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for its anti-India activities.



In July 2020, Pannun was also declared an "individual terrorist" under the UAPA for promoting secessionism and allegedly encouraging Punjabi Sikh youth to take up arms. "Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has misrepresented freedom of expression for freedom of terror and his allegations against India for the killing of extremist Niggar stirred anti-Indian and anti-Hindu crimes in Canada," said FIIDS Khanderao Kand.



His policies seem to be ignoring the threats of extremism which will ultimately adversely impact Canada, he said.



The panellists questioned why Gurpatwant Pannu and members of SFJ are not on the no-fly list for his threats to travel by Air India, alluding to the 1985 Air India 'Kanishka' bombing, Kand said in a statement.



Observing that historical seeds of hatred were sown by both the British and the Congress Party among Hindus and Sikhs, California-based Sukhi Chahal said the Sikh for Justice did not represent Sikhs as a whole and propagated a distorted and hateful narrative against Hindus and Sikhs.



Chahal urged collective responsibility to dismantle this narrative, engage with the silent Sikh community, and recognise that many Sikhs have fallen victim to the influence of fake Khalistanis who are well-funded and supported by Western states.



Ruchi Walia from Canada mentioned the importance of the unity of Hindus and Sikhs, which personifies her own personal story and mission. Walia expressed concern about the radicalisation of young Sikh individuals through the dissemination of incorrect historical information which needs to be corrected.



Vijay Jain, spokesperson of Canadian Hindus for Harmony, emphasised the radicals are smaller but loud, suppressing moderate voices, and threatening peace and harmony. He stressed the importance of community and political-level engagement.



Mohan Sonti, a FIIDS analyst, said the current threats to Indians in Canada, particularly from Khalistani terrorists, originated approximately 45 years ago with Pierre Trudeau, the former Prime Minister of Canada and the father of the current premier.



Sonti claimed that Pierre Trudeau's complacency contributed to the growth of Khalistani terrorism, citing the 1985 Kanishka bombing.



The 1985 Kanishka Air India bombing, one of the largest aviation terrorist attacks at the time, saw Boeing 747 -- named after the Emperor Kanishka -- exploding off the Irish coast, killing all 329 people on board.



The Canada to India via London flight was bombed by a Sikh separatist group in revenge for the 1984 storming of the Golden Temple.



Sonti accused subsequent Canadian governments of nurturing and supporting the immigration of Khalistani terrorists, turning it into a significant issue. Sonti claimed that this support continued to the present day, with prime minister Trudeau openly aligning with Khalistani elements, and criticised Canada for harbouring Khalistani terrorists.


The chief of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, has announced that the militant group was "close to reaching a truce agreement" with Israel. Hamas has reportedly delivered its response to Qatari mediators, said sources.

Though Haniyeh gave no more details, another Hamas official, Izzat al-Rishq, told Al Jazeera that the talks were focused on the period of the truce, arrangements for delivery of aid into Gaza and the exchange of Israeli hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners in Israel.



Al-Rishq added that the truce talks were going on for weeks but Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was stalling. He said the deal was agreed upon by all the brigades in the Palestinian resistance through phone calls.



Meanwhile, Israeli media has also reported that the countrys war cabinet met on Sunday to discuss the deal and expressed willingness to go ahead with the negotiations. It wanted to send a message to Qatar that it is ready to reach a deal, Al-Jazeera reported.



Though Netanyahu has so far not revealed the details of the deal, the country's Ambassador to the United States Michael Herzog told ABC's "This Week" on Sunday that he hoped for an agreement "in the coming days". International Committee of the Red Cross president Mirjana Spoljaric met Haniyeh in Qatar on Monday to "advance humanitarian issues" related to the conflict. She has also met separately with Qatari authorities.



As for the US, both President Joe Biden and senior Biden administration officials have hinted that the deal is nearing closure. When asked about the future of the deal, Biden said he believed that the deal was close. "I believe so," the US President said when he was asked whether a deal was near during a Thanksgiving ceremony at the White House.



"Sensitive negotiations like this can fall apart at the last minute," White House Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer told NBC's "Meet the Press" program on Sunday. "Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed."



Meanwhile, the relatives of some of the people held by Hamas in Gaza urged far-right Israeli lawmakers on Monday not to pursue the proposed capital punishment for captured Palestinian militants, saying that even talk of doing so might endanger the hostages.
North Korea told Japan on Tuesday that it will launch a satellite in the coming days in violation of UN resolutions, its apparent third attempt to fire a military spy satellite that drew immediate rebukes from its neighbours.

North Korea is eager to operate spy satellites to deal with what it calls escalating US-led military threats. But its two previous attempts to place a spy satellite into orbit earlier this year ended in failure due to technical issues.

Japan's coast guard said North Korea notified Tokyo of its plan to launch a satellite sometime between Wednesday and November 30.

The notice identified three maritime zones where debris from the rocket carrying the satellite may fall. Two are in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and China and the third in the Philippine Sea, Japanese coast guard spokesperson Kazuo Ogawa said.

Ogawa said the areas are the same as the ones North Korea identified for its failed satellite launches in May and August, implying the third attempt would have a similar flight path. North Korea has given Japan the launch information because Japan's coast guard coordinates and distributes maritime safety information in East Asia.

The North's notification came a day after rival South Korea warned it to cancel its launch or face consequences. South Korea's military suggested Seoul would suspend a 2018 inter-Korean agreement to reduce tensions and resume front-line aerial surveillance and live-firing drills in response to a North Korean satellite launch.

UN Security Council resolutions ban any satellite launches by North Korea because they are seen as a cover for testing its missile technology. North Korea says it needs a space-based surveillance system to better monitor its rivals, but South Korea says the North's launches are also designed to enhance its long-range missile programme.

Since last year, North Korea has carried out about 100 missile tests as part of its efforts to modernise its arsenal of nuclear-capable weapons targeting the United States and its allies. Many foreign experts say the North still has the few remaining technological hurdles to overcome to possess functioning nuclear-tipped missiles.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida asked officials to coordinate with other countries to ask North Korea to cancel its launch. He said Japanese destroyers carrying Aegis-class radars and PAC-3 missile defence systems on Okinawa have been activated to stand by in case of an unexpected development.

Even if the purpose is to launch a satellite, if ballistic missile technology is used, it is a violation of the United Nations Security Council resolutions, and this is a matter that greatly affects the safety of the people, Kishida said.

During trilateral phone talks, senior officials from Japan, South Korea and the US affirmed their cooperation to strongly request North Korea to cancel its launch plan, according to Japan's Foreign Ministry. South Korea's Foreign Ministry separately urged North Korea to withdraw the launch plan immediately, saying that Seoul will sternly deal with an illegal provocation by North Korea in close coordination with Washington and Tokyo.

After the second launch failure, North Korea had vowed a third attempt would take place in October, but failed to follow through. South Korean officials said the delay was likely because North Korea is receiving Russian technology assistance.

North Korea and Russia are pushing to expand their relationships in the face of separate confrontations with the West North Korea over its nuclear ambitions and Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

Foreign governments and experts say North Korea is seeking Russian technologies to enhance its nuclear and other military capabilities in return for supplying conventional arms to support Russia's war efforts in Ukraine. Such transfer would violate UN Security Council resolutions that ban any weapons trading to and from North Korea.

I will just say that our position is very clear, which is that Russia should not supply North Korea with technology that would violate United Nations Security Council resolutions, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said on Monday.

North Korea should not supply Russia with arms that it can use to prosecute its war of aggression against Ukraine.

Both Russia and North Korea dismissed the alleged weapon transfer deal as baseless. But when North Korean leader Kim Jong Un travelled to Russia in September, President Vladimir Putin told state media that his country would help North Korea build satellites.

In the first launch attempt, the North Korean rocket carrying the satellite plunged into the ocean soon after liftoff. North Korean authorities said the rocket lost thrust after the separation of its first and second stages. After the second launch failure, North Korea said there was an error in the emergency blasting system during the third-stage flight.

South Korea retrieved debris from the first launch and said the satellite wasn't advanced enough to perform military reconnaissance. But some civilian experts said the North Korean satellite was still likely capable of detecting big targets like warships so it could be militarily useful for the North.

North Korea is under rounds of punishing UN sanctions imposed over its past weapons tests and rocket launches. But its recent testing activities and two spy satellite launches didn't earn the North fresh sanctions, because Russia and China blocked the US and others' attempts to toughen the sanctions.

On Tuesday, the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier and its battle group arrived at a South Korean port in a show of readiness against North Korea's evolving nuclear threats, South Korea's navy said.

Earlier this year, the US flew nuclear-capable bombers and deployed a nuclear-armed submarine in South Korea as well.
Britain's government was too late in taking action against the coronavirus during the first wave of the pandemic in 2020, the U.K.'s chief medical adviser said on Tuesday.

Responding to questions about the U.K.'s actions in handling the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chris Whitty told a public inquiry he felt he was more wary than others about the negative impacts of shielding, or isolation policies, school closures and lockdowns.

Whitty said he was concerned in particular about the longer-term impact such policies would have on the poorest people and those living alone, and described the difficulties in balancing the risks of introducing decisive measures too early or too late.

But he rejected suggestions by the inquiry's lawyer, Huge Keith, that he had warned the government against overreacting." Rather, he said he made it clear to policymakers that without action, very serious things would occur."

With the benefit of hindsight, we went a bit too late on the first wave," Whitty conceded.

He said the U.K. should perhaps have cottoned on" to a national lockdown being a possibility in the early days of the pandemic, but added that there were no good options.

All the options were very bad, some are a bit worse, and some were very, very bad, Whitty said.

Whitty, who remains the U.K.'s top medical official, was the latest to give testimony to the independent COVID-19 inquiry. The probe was ordered by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2021 to scrutinize and learn lessons from the U.K.'s response to the pandemic.

Whitty became a household name during the pandemic, when he often appeared alongside Johnson and senior officials at daily televised government briefings on COVID-19.

The U.K. has one of the highest COVID-19 death tolls in Europe, with the virus recorded as a cause of death for more than 2,32,000 people. Many bereaved families say they were failed by politicians and policymakers whose actions contributed to unnecessary deaths and suffering during the pandemic.

The lengthy inquiry's current phase focused on pandemic decision-making, and Johnson and current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who was Treasury chief during the pandemic, are both expected to give evidence at a later date.

The U.K. imposed a national lockdown, with a mandatory stay-at-home order, in March 2020, shortly after France, Spain and Italy imposed similar measures.
New Delhi, Nov 21 (PTI) Tata Technologies, which provides engineering and product development digital services, on Tuesday said it has collected Rs 791 crore from anchor investors ahead of its initial share-sale opening on the following day.

This will be the first company from the Tata Group to float an Initial Public Offering (IPO) in nearly two decades. Tata Consultancy Services was the last IPO from the group in 2004.

The company has allotted 1.58 crore equity shares to 67 funds at Rs 500 apiece, which is also the upper end of the price band, according to a circular uploaded on the BSE website.

Goldman Sachs (Singapore) Pte, Copthall Mauritius Investment Ltd, Government Pension Fund Global, are among the anchor investors.

Additionally, domestic mutual funds and insurance companies participated in the anchor book include SBI Mutual Fund (MF), ICICI Prudential MF, Nippon India MF, Kotak MF, Axis MF Bandhan MF, Edelweiss MF, Sundaram MF, SBI Life Insurance Company and HDFC Life Insurance Company.

The maiden public issue, with a price band of Rs 475 to Rs 500 per share, will open for public subscription on November 22 and conclude on November 24.

Tata Motors' arm Tata Technologies public issue is entirely an Offer For Sale (OFS) of 6.08 crore equity shares.

Under the OFS, Tata Motors will offload 4.63 crore shares, representing an 11.4 per cent stake, private equity firm Alpha TC Holdings will sell 97.17 lakh shares or 2.4 per cent stake, and Tata Capital Growth Fund I will do away with 48.58 lakh shares or 1.2 per cent of the shareholding.

The issue will fetch Rs 2,890.4 crore and Rs 3,042.5 crore at the lower and upper end of the price band, respectively.

The company has reserved 20.28 lakh shares in the IPO for its employees and 60.85 lakh shares for Tata Motors shareholders.

Last month, Tata Motors inked a pact to sell 9.9 per cent stake in Tata Technologies to TPG Rise Climate for Rs 1,613.7 crore.

JM Financial, Citigroup Global Markets, and BofA Securities are the book-running lead managers to advise the company on the IPO.

The equity shares of Tata Technologies will be listed on the BSE and the NSE on December 5.
Chandigarh, Nov 21 (PTI) State-owned Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) has signed an agreement with GAIL (India) Limited to set up 10 compressed biogas projects and other new and renewable energy projects in the state.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by PEDA CEO Amarpal Singh and GAIL (India) Executive Director RK Singhal, an official release said.

Punjab New and Renewable Energy Sources (NRES) Minister Aman Arora said the pact will help the state to manage five lakh tonnes of paddy straw per annum and generate clean energy out of it.

Punjab is an agrarian state, and it has immense potential for crop residue-based CBG plants, he said, adding that the Punjab government's business-friendly policies are helping in facilitating companies to set up their industries in the state.

NRES Secretary Ravi Bhagat said that with the implementation of these 10 projects, paddy straw in around 1.25 lakh acres is expected to be prevented from being burnt.

These projects will also create around 50 rural entrepreneurs for the supply of paddy straw to these plants, further generating employment for over 500 persons by these rural entrepreneurs, he added.

GAIL's Singhal said 10 CBG projects will be set up with an investment of about Rs 600 crore, producing 35,000 tonnes of biogas and about 8,700 tonnes of organic manure annually.
Peshawar, Nov 21 (PTI) At least three terrorists were killed by Pakistan's security forces during two intelligence-based operations in the restive northwest Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province while one soldier was killed in an IED explosion, the army said.

Two terrorists were killed during an intense exchange of fire in the Kulachi area of Dera Ismail Khan district on Monday.

In a separate operation conducted in the Kot Azam region of South Waziristan district, one terrorist was shot dead, the Pakistan Army's information wing said in a statement.

It said the forces recovered weapons and ammunition from the possession of all three killed terrorists, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against security forces as well as civilians.

In another incident that occurred in the Gharyoum region of North Waziristan district, an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded, killing a soldier.

Security forces have launched a sanitisation operation to eliminate any terrorists present in the areas.

The army said the security forces of Pakistan were determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country.
Kathmandu, Nov 21 (PTI) A 32-year-old Indian woman was arrested with nearly 2 kg narcotic drug from Nepal's international airport as soon as she landed there from Doha, officials said on Tuesday.

Kimrosangi was arrested on Sunday from Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu along with 1 kg 973-gram cocaine, Nepal Police headquarters sources said on Tuesday.

The police recovered the narcotic drug during a security check at the arrival lawn as she reached the airport from Doha on board the Himalaya Airlines. She had hidden the drug in the false bottom of the suitcase she was carrying, according to the police.

The police have initiated legal action against her taking her into custody with permission from Kathmandu District Court, police said.

Meanwhile, another Indian national Jadu Lal Kumar Yadav was arrested from Birgunj Metropolitan City of Parsa district on Monday.

Yadav, a resident of Bihar, was arrested during a regular security check conducted by a team of police at the Ghantaghar area of Birgunj, according to the police.

The police have confiscated 10 grams of brown sugar, Indian Rs 8,000 and a cell phone, according to the police.

The police have initiated a further investigation into the matter.
Jerusalem/New Delhi, Nov 21 (PTI) Israel on Tuesday listed Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba as a Terror Organisation ahead of the 15th year anniversary of the 26/11 terror attack on Mumbai that killed over 160 people, including a number of Israeli nationals.

To symbolise the marking of the 15th year of commemoration of the Mumbai terror attacks, the state of Israel has listed Lashkar-e-Taiba as a Terror Organisation, the Israel Embassy said in a statement in New Delhi.

Despite not being requested by the Government of India to do so, the state of Israel has formally completed all necessary procedures and has satisfied all required checks and regulations to the result of introducing Lashkar-e-Taiba into the Israeli list of illegal terror organisations, the statement said.

Ten Pakistani terrorists entered south Mumbai areas through sea route, attacked a number of places, including Chabad House, a Jewish centre, and indiscriminately killed 166 people, including 18 security personnel, and a number of Israelis on November 26, 2008.

Lashkar-e-Taiba is a deadly and reprehensible terror organization, responsible for the murder of hundreds of Indian civilians as well as others. Its heinous actions on November 26, 2008 still reverberate in force, through all peace seeking nations and societies, the statement added.
Jerusalem, Nov 21 (PTI) India has donated USD 2.5 million to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, prompting the UNRWA on Tuesday to welcome the generous contribution at a "difficult time", particularly in Gaza.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), functional since 1950, carries out direct relief and work programmes for registered Palestine refugees. It is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN Member States.

India on Monday gave UNRWA USD 2.5 million as part of its annual contribution of USD 5 million for the year 2023-24 to support the agency's core programmes and services, including education, healthcare, relief, and social services provided to Palestinian refugees, the Representative Office of India at Ramallah said.

The contribution was handed over by the Representative of India (ROI) to Palestine, Renu Yadav, to the Director of Partnerships, Department of External Relations of UNRWA, Karim Amer.

The ROI underlined India's continued support for the agency's activities in the region and the services it provides to Palestinian refugees during the handover ceremony at UNRWA's field office in Jerusalem, an official press release said.

Confirming that UNRWA received a very generous contribution from India yesterday (Monday), which is most welcome during these difficult times and in the face of huge needs across the region, particularly in Gaza, a spokesperson for UNRWA, Tamara Alrifai, told PTI.

The UNRWA has been struggling to provide basic services to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians since the October 7 Israel-Hamas conflict which has prompted more than two-thirds of the Gaza population  of approximately 2.3 million  to flee their homes.

Earlier on November 19, India had delivered 32 tonnes of humanitarian assistance to the people of Palestine via the El-Arish Airport in Egypt. Since 2018, India has given USD 27.5 million to UNRWA.

During an Extraordinary Virtual Ministerial Pledging Conference for UNRWA held on June 23, 2020, India announced that it would contribute USD 10 million to UNRWA over the next two years.

Prior to the war in Gaza, UNRWA was already facing an increased demand for services resulting from a growth in the number of registered Palestine refugees, the extent of their vulnerability, and their deepening poverty. The agency is mandated to provide assistance and protection to some 5.6 million Palestine refugees registered with it across its five fields of operation.

Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank, including East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip achieve their full human development potential, pending a just and lasting solution to their plight. UNRWA services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, protection, and microfinance among Palestinian refugees.

During the first-ever Indian Prime Ministers visit to Palestine in February 2018, India increased its annual financial contribution fourfold to the UNRWA core budget, from USD 1.25 million to USD 5 million.

India has also made a strong appeal to other traditional donors of UNRWA to consider enhancing their contributions as well as to non-donor member states to consider contributing to the agency in solidarity with the Palestine refugees.
Cape Town, Nov 21 (AP) Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders from the BRICS bloc of developing countries will hold a virtual meeting on the Israel-Hamas war on Tuesday, with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Gutteres also participating.

The leaders of fellow BRICS members Brazil, India and South Africa, as well as of Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates, which are set to join the bloc in January, will also take part, according to the office of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Ramaphosa will chair the extraordinary meeting because of South Africa's position as current chair of BRICS, his office said. It said the leaders are expected to deliver statements on the humanitarian crisis" in Gaza and will likely adopt a joint statement.

The meeting comes a day after China's top diplomat hosted the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and Indonesia in Beijing, their first stop on a tour of UN Security Council permanent members. The meeting underlined China's longstanding support for the Palestinians and its growing geopolitical influence.

Russia has adopted a more cautious approach to the Israel-Hamas war, but also has an opportunity to advance its role as a global power broker.

Putin has condemned the October 7 attack by Hamas militants on towns in southern Israel that sparked Israel's offensive in Gaza. More than 12,700 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in the West Bank. Officials there say another 4,000 are missing.

But Putin has also warned Israel over its response and against blockading the Gaza Strip.

Russia and China are leading voices in BRICS, which has largely cast itself in recent years as standing against the perceived dominance of the West in global affairs. But it has also struggled to adopt united policies or positions on many issues because of the differing priorities of the five current members.

India, which also wants to be seen as a leader of the developing world, has long walked a tightrope between Israel and the Palestinians and historically has close ties to both.

South Africa has been fiercely critical of Israel over the war in Gaza and has filed a request with the International Criminal Court to investigate it over alleged war crimes. South Africa has for years compared Israel's policies in Gaza and the West Bank with the apartheid regime of racial segregation.

South Africa's Parliament is to vote on a motion on Tuesday to shut down the Israeli Embassy and sever ties with the country over the war. Israel on Monday recalled its ambassador to South Africa for discussions. (AP)





GRS

GRS
Islamabad, Nov 21 (PTI) A Pakistani high court on Tuesday adjourned till November 27 the hearing of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's petitions to revive appeals against his conviction in the Avenfield and Al-Azizia corruption cases as he prepares to lead his party in the general elections.

A two-member bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), comprising Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, took up the appeals for hearing and heard Sharif's counsel Azam Tarar and the legal team of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

The bench then adjourned the hearing until Monday and asked Tarar to present his arguments at the next hearing.

The 73-year-old three-time prime minister returned to Pakistan on October 21 after about four years of self-imposed exile in London and was present in the court at the time of hearing. He is expected to lead the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party in the general elections set to be held on February 8 next year.

Sharif arrived in court amid tight security. He was accompanied by his brother, ex-premier Shehbaz Sharif, and an entourage comprising senior PML-N leaders.

The PML-N supremo was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in jail by an accountability court in the Avenfiled case in July 2018 for owning illegal properties in London.

His daughter, Maryam Nawaz, was also sentenced to seven years in jail in the case but was acquitted in September 2022 along with her husband, Muhammad Safdar.

The former premier was also convicted in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption case and sentenced to seven years in jail in December 2018.

He challenged the sentence, but the appeal process was halted as he was away in London.

He was allowed to go to London in November 2019 on medical grounds, and returned about four years later in October.

The IHC declared him a proclaimed offender in both cases in December 2020.

The former premier returned last month from London after about four years and approached the IHC to restore his appeals, which was duly done.
Kyiv, Nov 21 (AP) German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius vowed Tuesday to keep supporting Ukraine's efforts to win its war against Russia, pledging further military aid worth 1.3 billion euros ($1.4 billion).

The new support is to include further Iris-T SLM anti-aircraft missile systems as well as anti-tank mines and 155-millimeter artillery shells, German news agency dpa reported.

We are talking about 20,000 additional shells, Pistorius said at a joint news conference with his Ukrainian counterpart, Rustem Umerov, in Kyiv, according to dpa.

Pistorius's unannounced trip to the Ukrainian capital came a day after U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin traveled to Ukraine and pledged American support for the long haul, including an additional $100 million in weapons from U.S. stockpiles.

The visits appeared to be part of an international political effort to keep the war in the public mind as other issues clamor for attention, including the Israel-Hamas conflict.

European Council President Charles Michel also arrived in Kyiv on Tuesday, which is the 10th anniversary of what Ukraine calls its Revolution of Dignity. That uprising brought momentous change for Ukraine, pushing it closer to the West and bringing confrontation with Moscow.

Pistorius paid tribute to the demonstrators who were killed during the pro-European protests 10 years ago, dpa reported.

Courageous people of all ages took to the streets for freedom, for rapprochement with Europe, and paid for it with their lives, Pistorius said. He put down red roses at a makeshift memorial to those killed.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in a video message, saluted the Ukrainian desire for freedom and its application to join the 27-nation European Union. The future of Ukraine is in the European Union, she said.

The future that the Maidan fought for has finally just begun, she said in a reference to central Kyiv's Independence Square.

For Moscow, the Ukrainian revolt was fomented by Western interests, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday reaffirmed the Kremlin's view that it was a coup, a forceful coup financed from abroad.

Ukraine's current fight to push out the Kremlin's forces has lasted almost 21 months. A recent Ukrainian counteroffensive apparently has yielded no major changes on the battlefield, and another tough winter of attritional warfare lies ahead.

The U.K. defense ministry said Russia could target Ukraine's power grid again, just like last winter when Moscow sought to wear down local resistance by denying civilians home heating and running water.

Russia has now refrained from launching its premier air-launched cruise missiles from its heavy bomber fleet for nearly two months, likely allowing it to build up a substantial stock of these weapons, the ministry in London said Tuesday.

Germany is the second biggest single provider of military and financial support to Ukraine after the United States, and German officials said Pistorius aimed to assess the effectiveness of its aid as well as take stock of the fighting during his visit.

Pistorius said he wanted to express our solidarity, our deep solidarity and admiration for the courageous, brave and costly fight that is being waged here.

Meanwhile, two Russian missiles struck a hospital in the eastern Donetsk region, wounding six people and possibly leaving more buried under rubble, Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said Tuesday.

Russian forces attacked Ukraine overnight with 10 Shahed-type drones, four S-300 missiles and one Iskander-K cruise missile, Ukraine's air force said Tuesday.

Nine Shahed drones and the Iskander-K missile were successfully intercepted on Monday night, it said. No casualties were immediately reported.

At least five Ukrainian civilians were killed and 10 others were injured in southeastern regions of the country over the previous 24 hours, the presidential office said Tuesday.

Civilians have been victims of Russia's barrages on an almost daily basis.

In other developments, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu claimed that Ukrainian efforts to cross the Dnieper River on the southern front line have failed.

He told top Russian military brass that Moscow's forces are steadily holding positions along the entire line of contact and are gradually improving their positions.

Ukraine's military claimed last week its troops had secured multiple bridgeheads on the river's eastern bank in the Kherson region. That would be a small but potentially significant strategic advance amid fighting that has largely come to a standstill. (AP) AMS
United Nations, Nov 21 (PTI) India has underlined the need for all parties to work towards an early restoration of peace and stability in the Middle East, as it welcomed efforts for humanitarian pauses in the Israel-Hamas conflict and for de-escalation and delivery of urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people.

Speaking at the informal meeting of the plenary in the UN General Assembly on a briefing on the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, Indias Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj on Monday stressed that the message from the Indian leadership has been clear and consistent.

India welcomes all efforts by the international community that strive towards the de-escalation of conflict and enables the delivery of urgent humanitarian assistance to the people of Palestine, Kamboj said.

Underlining Indias consistent position of achieving a just, peaceful and lasting solution to the Israel-Palestine issue, Kamboj said: India has always advocated the resumption of direct negotiations towards establishing a sovereign, independent and viable state of Palestine, living within secure and recognized borders side by side at peace with Israel.

In 1988, India became one of the first countries to recognize the Palestinian State. In 1996, India opened its Representative Office in Gaza, which was later shifted to Ramallah in 2003, as per Indias Ministry of External Affairs.

Over 1,200 persons, mostly civilians, have been killed in Israel since the October 7 attack by the Hamas militants, who have ruled the Gaza strip since 2007. More than 11,000 persons have been killed in the retaliatory attack by Israel, which has prompted more than two-thirds of the Gaza population - of approximately 2.3 million - to flee their homes.

We are firmly opposed to terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, clearly against violence and are on the side of adherence to international humanitarian law and ensuring that further escalation is prevented, humanitarian aid delivery continues, all hostages are released unconditionally and all parties work towards an early restoration of peace and stability, she said.

Kamboj underlined that towards this, we also welcome efforts for humanitarian pauses. Overcoming deadlock, the UNSC on November 15 adopted a resolution calling for urgent humanitarian pauses throughout Gaza to allow humanitarian access.

The adoption of the resolution came after four failed attempts last month in the Council to take action on allowing humanitarian access in the Israel-Hamas conflict. It was, however, rejected by Israel almost immediately.

Meanwhile, media reports suggested that Israel, the United States and Qatar, which mediates with Hamas, have been negotiating for weeks over a hostage release that would be paired with a temporary cease-fire and the entry of more humanitarian aid.

Kamboj underscored Indias commitment to providing humanitarian aid to the people of Palestine, including delivering 70 tonnes of disaster relief materials. These include 17 tonnes of medicines and medical supplies in two tranches, adding that Indias humanitarian support will continue.

Similarly, India continues to play an active role as a member of the Advisory Commission of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), she said.
Beijing, Nov 21 (PTI) Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called for a ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict for lasting peace and security and said that the two-state solution is the way out for durable peace in the region.

Addressing the BRICS extraordinary virtual summit on the Palestine-Israeli issue, Xi said the fundamental way out of the recurring Palestinian-Israeli conflicts is to implement the two-state solution, restore the legitimate rights of the Palestinian nation, and establish an independent State of Palestine.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, the current chair of the BRICS group, convened a virtual summit of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) group of nations on the situation in Gaza.

Xi said the BRICS voice of justice and peace on the Palestinian-Israeli issue is timely and imperative.

He said that without a just settlement of the Palestinian question, there would be no enduring peace and stability in the Middle East.

Xi made three proposals to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict which included that all parties in the conflict should immediately cease fire and hostilities, stop all violence and attacks targeting civilians, and release civilian detainees to avoid more loss of lives and suffering.

He said it is also imperative to ensure the safe and smooth passage of humanitarian relief, expand humanitarian aid to people in Gaza, and stop the forced relocation and the cut-off of water, electricity and oil that targets people in Gaza as a collective punishment, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Xi called on the international community to take concrete measures to prevent the escalation of the conflicts and the impact on the stability of the entire Middle East.

Ever since the conflict broke out after the Hamas militants from Gaza attacked Israeli civilians and took a large number of hostages resulting in massive military backlash by Israel, China has called for an immediate end to hostilities, exercise restraint, and remain calm to protect civilians to avoid further deterioration of the situation.

While condemning the attacks on civilians, Beijing however has not named Hamas.

China this year has stepped up its diplomacy in the Middle East and brokered a surprise deal between arch-rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran in March to end their hostilities and restore diplomatic ties.

The Beijing-brokered detente between Iran and Saudi Arabia came after a bitter rivalry between the two influential Middle Eastern countries which had destabilised several countries in the region, including Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and Bahrain.

In the last two days, Beijing also hosted a delegation of Arab-Islamic foreign ministers to discuss a way forward to end the present crisis.

Outlining the outcome of the talks, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a media briefing on Tuesday that as this months rotating president of the UN Security Council, China will continue to strengthen coordination with Arab and Islamic countries to build consensus and galvanise more meaningful UN action on the situation in Gaza.

The Palestinian question is at the heart of the Middle East issue. Without a just settlement of the Palestinian question, durable peace and stability will remain elusive for the Middle East, she said.
Jerusalem, Nov 21 (PTI) Acknowledging a "series of failures" leading up to the massacre of 1,200 Israelis and some 240 others taken hostage by Hamas militants on October 7, a senior adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israel will look into the failures and draw appropriate lessons.

Mark Regev, a senior Adviser to Netanyahu said that besides the original failure of not having a warning on the unprecedented attack ahead of time, there are also other questions in the aftermath that are troublesome and require attention.

"How did Hamas manage to catch us off-guard? There were a series of failures on that day. First of all, there was the intelligence failure that we were not expecting the attack when it came and we were caught off-guard and we paid a heavy price in blood for that failure", he told reporters in a webinar organised by Israel-Asia Center.

"The scope of the bloodshed was particularly horrific for the Israelis. We had entire families, and civilians, shot by Hamas terrorists. They came into farming villages and they opened automatic fire and massacred communities", Regev said elaborating on the dastardly attacks that have shaken the entire population in the Jewish state.

"We really saw terrible brutal violence against our people and we weren't prepared for it", he acknowledged.

The senior adviser to the Israeli Prime Minister said that besides the original failure of not having a warning on the attack ahead of time, there are also other questions in the aftermath that are troublesome and require attention.

"Why is it that the terrorists succeeded in storming into Israel, from their point of view, successfully? How did they cross the frontier which is supposed to be a guarded and protected frontier? And once they were on our side of the frontier butchering our civilian population, how is it that it took so long to clean up the territory to remove the terrorist threat?", he pointed out in the first such elaborate acceptance of the failures of the Israeli security apparatus by such a senior official.

Regev has in the past served as the government's spokesperson at the foreign ministry and the PMO and also served as Israel's Ambassador to the United Kingdom.

"So all these questions need to be addressed because they are good questions. And ultimately Israel is strong and we are strong enough to admit our failures. We have to deal with these failures and we have to learn our lessons", he said in candid admissions.

Drawing parallels with the Yom Kippur War of 1973, fifty years ago when Israel was also taken by surprise, the senior adviser pointed out that Israel had an elaborate public enquiry by a State Commission and several of those responsible for the failures had to pay a price for it.

"In the past, 50 years ago was the 1973 Yom Kippur War and then, like on October 7, Israel was taken by surprise and when the war was over and we won it, we had a whole public enquiry headed by a State Commission of enquiry led by a Supreme Court justice and former military Chief of Staffs in the Commission", he noted.

"They made a thorough investigation and there were a whole lot of military officers and others who paid for the mistakes. It also had political ramifications. In many ways (then PM) Golda Meir's resignation in 1974 is due to the Yom Kippur war", Regev said.

"So I don't know what is going to happen this time but I am sure that Israel will look into all the failures. We will do so objectively and I think lessons will be learnt", he stressed.

The Head of Israel's internal security agency, Shin Bet, the Chief of Staff and the Defence Minister have all accepted responsibility for the failures of October 7, but Prime Minister Netanyahu has adamantly refused to do so.

He has merely said that a lot of people will have to face a lot of difficult questions after the war, including him.
Guwahati, Nov 21 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday stressed on the need for close coordination between police forces of the northeastern region as the different states share common problems such as drug trafficking and militancy.

He also asserted on the need for increased use of technology in policing to effectively prevent crime and bring criminals to book.

Speaking at the passing out parade at the North East Police Academy (NEPA) at Umiam in Meghalaya, Sarma said police forces of the northeastern states should work together since the problems are also the same.

He cited drug trafficking through Myanmar as a common menace, while also claiming that militant groups of different states "stay outside and work together and adopt common strategy."

"Our police forces should increase understanding and adopt uniform policy to fight them," he said.

He urged the newly inducted policemen to maintain the spirit of camaraderie that has developed between them during training, emphasising that closer coordination at the field level will help in tackling crime more effectively than waiting for official communication between the higher-ups.

"We have to fight drug trafficking and other crimes and ensure that our senior citizens, women, children and other vulnerable sections are safe," the CM added.

Altogether 377 trainees in the ranks of deputy superintendents of police to sub-inspectors from five NE states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura passed out after completing the basic course at NEPA.

Having undergone training in different aspects of policing, including law, social science, cyber laws and police operations, they will also receive post-graduate diploma in police administration and investigation from the Sardar Patel University of Police, Security and Criminal Justice, Jodhpur.

Sarma urged the new recruits to use technology for policing and stay abreast with the latest advancements in science and technology.

He said the concept of smart police by integrating technology with policing was floated in 2014 and this has changed the face of modern policing in the country.

"Now, law enforcement agencies have skillfully integrated science and technology to tackle the ever-evolving complexity of crime. Data analytics, forensics and surveillance have altered crime fighting.

"As technology continues to advance, landscape of policing evolves and it will require more dynamic effort," he said.

Sarma pointed that predictive policing to stop future crimes by best use of resources is gaining popularity among law enforcing agencies, and police forces of the region must also constantly keep themselves updated with latest technology.

He also urged police personnel joining the force to adopt zero tolerance towards crime and criminals, and act with empathy towards citizens.
Guwahati, Nov 21 (PTI) Terming the ethnic clashes in Manipur as a "political problem", Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen Rana Pratap Kalita on Tuesday said incidents of violence will continue unless around 4,000 weapons, which were looted from security forces, are recovered from common people.

The Eastern Command General Officer Commanding-in-Chief also said India is giving shelter to anyone from Myanmar seeking refuge, including common villagers, army or police, in Mizoram and Manipur, but not armed cadres of militant groups or drug traffickers.

"Our efforts have been to contain the violence and motivate both sides of the conflict to come for a peaceful resolution of the political problem. Because ultimately, there has to be a political resolution to the problem," Kalita told reporters at an interaction organised by the Gauhati Press Club.

As far as the ground situation was concerned, the Indian Army's aim initially was to carry out rescue and relief operations for the people who were displaced from their houses, he added.

"Thereafter, we are trying to contain the violence, which we have been largely successful. But because of the polarisation between the two communities, Meiteis and Kukis, some sporadic incidents keep taking place here and there," Kalita said.

Asked why normalcy has not returned to Manipur even after more than six-and-half months of beginning of the clashes, he said there has been some legacy issues between the three communities that live in the state -- Meitei, Kuki and Naga.

The Lieutenant General pointed out that earlier also there had been conflicts between the Kukis and Nagas in the 1990s when almost 1,000 people were killed.

"What has happened now is that both the communities have completely got polarised. Though the level of violence has come down, more than 5,000 weapons were taken away from various police stations and other places.

"Out of that, only about 1,500 weapons have been recovered. So, around 4,000 weapons are still out. Till the time these weapons are out in society, this sort of sporadic violent activities will continue," he added.

Kalita, however, said weapon smuggling along with drugs through the Indo-Myanmar border has been checked, although some isolated incidents may be there.

"But since 4,000 weapons are already out in the open, I think there is no requirement of weapons to come from outside," he stressed.

More than 180 people lost their lives and several hundreds were injured since ethnic clashes broke out in Manipur on May 3, after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals -- Nagas and Kukis -- constitute little over 40 per cent and reside in the hill districts.

On the refugee crisis from Myanmar, Lt Gen Kalita said, "Any instability in our neighbourhood is not in our interest. It definitely impacts us as we share the common border. The problem of the Indo-Myanmar border gets accentuated because of the difficult geography and terrain conditions, and lack of development."

He further said as the border is porous and people are from the same ethnicity on both sides of the border, a lot of free movements take place, and it becomes difficult for the forces managing the borders to identify who are the people from India and who are from Myanmar.

"We are giving shelter to anybody who is seeking refuge, whether it is a common villager or Myanmar Army or Myanmar Police. There is a due process that is followed. Whenever they want to come in, the weapons are separated obviously.

"Thereafter there is a proper identification, which is carried out so that the undesirable elements are segregated. We get in touch with the MEA and (Myanmar) Embassy. Generally, all these Myanmar Army personnel will be taken to Moreh (in Manipur) and then handed over to the (Myanmar) force," Kalita said.

He further explained the direction is very clear to the forces on the border that the common villagers seeking refuge to escape the conflict in Myanmar are not stopped and whenever they are ready, they are sent back.

"While doing that, the directions are very clear that no armed cadres will be allowed to come. Any armed cadres trying to come are addressed in an appropriate manner. There is a definite check on people with drugs and arms, and anybody caught is handed over to the police following the due procedure," Kalita said.

Currently, the Assam Rifles is managing the Indo-Myanmar border in Manipur and Mizoram and they have border outposts in both the states along the international border, he added.

More than 31,000 people from Myanmar have been living in Mizoram. These foreigners, mostly from Chin state, fled following a military coup in Myanmar in February 2021. Many also took shelter in neighbouring Manipur.

In the last few weeks, dozens of Myanmar soldiers stationed near the international border with India fled to Mizoram following intense gunfights with militia group People's Defence Force (PDF). They were later escorted back to their country through Moreh in Manipur.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. PETRONAS is actively working on the creation of a pipeline across Turkmenistan, PETRONAS Carigali (Turkmenistan) CEO Ismadi Ismail said, Trend reports.

He spoke at the SPE Technical Conference in Baku.

"PETRONAS seeks to expand its pipeline network to meet the high demand for supply and make commercial advancement to increase East-West energy transportation," he said.

Ismadi Ismail said the company is currently producing oil in the Caspian Sea, which could play a key role in supporting Turkmenistan's economic growth.

"As an energy supplier, we are working on improving technical aspects for quality of supply in the future," the CEO emphasized.

The SPE Caspian Technical Conference started today in Baku and will continue until November 23. It will bring together global industry leaders and technical experts to share perspectives on the industry and address the unique challenges and opportunities it presents.

Taking into account the key role of the Caspian region in shaping future global energy dynamics, this conference, organized with the assistance of the State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOCAR), will feature an expert-selected high-level program, panel discussions on key issues facing the region, and a unique opportunity for networking with experts in oil and gas production.

The program will include an assessment of the current situation and offer important discussions for investors, operators, service company representatives, and government authorities in the region.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Madhubani (Bihar), Nov 21 (PTI) Two persons were killed and two others received serious injuries upon being hit by a car belonging to a senior government official in Bihar on Tuesday, police said.

The accident took place on National Highway 57 in Phulparas area of Madhubani district where the official car of the district magistrate of adjoining Madhepura crashed into a roadside railing after knocking down four people.

"It is not immediately known whether the Madhepura DM was inside the car, the occupants of which fled the spot abandoning the vehicle. Apparently, the car was heading towards Darbhanga," Madhubani Superintendent of Police Sushil Kumar told PTI-Bhasha over the phone.

He said that according to eyewitness accounts, the car was coming at a high speed and swerved sharply when the driver tried to avoid ploughing into a group of people crossing the road.

"Those mowed down by the car included local residents Gudiya Devi (29) and her daughter Arti Kumari (10). Besides, two NHAI workers from Rajasthan, identified as Ashok Singh and Raju Singh, were rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors referred them to Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital," said the SP.

"Locals had blocked the road in protest against the accident. However, the highway has now been cleared for traffic. An FIR will be lodged in connection with the accident and action will be taken against those responsible," he added.
Kolkata, Nov 21 (PTI) Following are the top stories from the Eastern Region at 5 pm.



CAL 14 WB-GUV-INTERVIEW

Relations with CM very cordial; conflicts can be resolved: Bengal Guv

Kolkata: West Bengal Governor Dr CV Ananda Bose said he shares a "very cordial" relationship with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and hasnt faced any difficulties while working in the state.



CAL 13 JH-ELEPHANT-ELECTROCUTION

Five elephants including two calves electrocuted in Jharkhand's East Singhbhum

Jamshedpur: Five elephants including two calves were electrocuted Jharkhand's East Singhbhum district on Monday night after they came in contact with a live wire, a forest official said.



CAL 12 DEF-INDO-US

Indo-US Joint Special Force Exercise 'Vajra Prahar' begins

Guwahati: The 14th edition of the Indo-US Joint Special Forces exercise 'Vajra Prahar, 2023' began at the Joint Training Node in Meghalaya's Umroi Cantonment on Tuesday.



CAL 11 BH-RESERVATION NOTIFICATION

Bihar govt issues gazette notifications for raising quota from 50 to 65 per cent

Patna: The Nitish Kumar government on Tuesday issued gazette notifications for raising the quota for deprived castes from 50 to 65 per cent in state government jobs and educational institutions, after receiving assent from Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar.



CAL 10 DEF-KALITA-WAR

Change in geo-politics on, only army can't win war: Lt Gen R P Kalita

Guwahati, Nov 21 (PTI) Stating that a "change" is taking place in the geo-political sphere, Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen Rana Pratap Kalita on Tuesday said only the armed forces cannot win any future war without the involvement of the civil society.



CAL 9 OD-BRAHMIN-2NDLD CREMATORIUM

Odisha civic body to take corrective measures after 'Brahmins only' crematorium draws flak

Kendrapara: A civic body in Odisha on Tuesday said it would take corrective measures to set right allegations of caste discrimination after drawing flak for operating a crematorium exclusively for Brahmins.



CAL 8 OD-PRESIDENT-VILLAGE

President Murmu visits her in-laws' village in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district

Baripada: President Droupadi Murmu virtually walked through memory lane on Tuesday when she reached Pahadpur village in Odishas Mayurbhanj district to inaugurate a skill training centre.



CAL 7 WB-HC-JUSTICE CHAUDHURI

Biggest transfer of high court judges since emergency: Justice Bibek Chaudhuri

Kolkata: Justice Bibek Chaudhuri, who has been moved to Patna High Court from Calcutta, said his transfer is indicative of the "beginning of a power shift" from executive to the judiciary.
Kannur (Kerala), Nov 21 (PTI) The Kerala police on Tuesday registered a case against 14 CPI(M) activists here for allegedly assaulting the Youth Congress workers who had waved black flags at the cavalcade of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The incident occurred in the Pazhayangadi area here on Monday, where the chief minister and his cabinet were travelling as part of the Nava Kerala Sadas, a government outreach programme.

The Youth Congress workers waved black flags and blocked the cavalcade, prompting an alleged attack by CPI(M) workers using helmets and flower pots.

Police have registered a case under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 341 (wrongful restraint), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by the use of dangerous weapons or means), 307 (attempt to murder) among others.

The injured Youth Congress workers were admitted to a private hospital in Taliparamba, they said.

The Youth Congress also alleged that a few of their workers were taken into preventive custody by the police earlier on Monday.

The FIR said the accused used helmets and flower pots to attack the Youth Congress workers.

After the incident, Vijayan, while addressing a gathering at Taliparamba here, had claimed that those who jumped in front of his cavalcade had received specific instructions and had an agenda. He said that the Congress would not be able to "belittle the success" of the event by waving a black flag.

Vijayan told the gathering to expect more "dubious" plans of provocation in the coming days and appealed to his party workers to maintain restraint.
Gurugram, Nov 21 (PTI) Eight persons were arrested and later let off on bail for allegedly attending an "illegal" liquor party at the farmhouse at Mehandwara village near Sohan, police here said on Tuesday.

An FIR was registered in the Excise Act at Bhondsi Police Station in the matter.

The accused revealed that the farm house manager  who too was arrested  had booked the party for Rs 17,000, police said.

A police team raided the farmhouse Monday on a tip-off to find seven people drinking alcohol.

As soon as they saw the police, they started running, but could not escape, said an officer.

The eight arresyed were identified as Delhi residents Rituraj, Manti Kumar Singh, Amartama Ram Singh, Vijay Pratap Singh, and Ajit Kumar, and Sudanshu, a resident of South City, Gurugram and Atul Kumar Singh, a resident of Salarpur in Noida, said police.

Police also arrested farm house manager Yogendra Kumar, a native of Jharkhand, for not possessing a licence to serve liquor.
Meerut (UP), Nov 21 (PTI) Four people, part of a gang of mobile phone stealers, were arrested here on Tuesday, police said.

Superintendent of Police (City) Piyush Kumar Singh said Lisadi Gate Police arrested Mahfooz, Shakib, Jahid, and Zuhaib  all part of a gang that stole mobile phones.

According to the police, on October 26, the gang had made off with a packet of 19 iPhone parcels from the Delhi Gate Police Station area of Meerut city.

A total of 88 mobile phones and iPads worth approximately Rs 1 crore and a scooter without a number plate were recovered from the four, they said.

The stolen mobiles were meant to be sold off to people abroad, Singh said.

Efforts are on to arrest six other members of the gang, he said.
Gorakhpur (UP), Nov 21 (PTI) A minor girl was gang-raped while she was returning from Chatth Puja with her family members here, police said on Tuesday.

Two men -- Deepak and Upendra -- were arrested in connection with class 10 student's gangrape, they said.

According to police, the girl was returning from Chatth Puja with her family members when two persons of the area kidnapped her and took her to a deserted house and gang-raped her.

When her 12-year-old brother found her missing, he started searching for her and reached the crime spot where the accused thrashed him. When he raised an alarm, fellow villagers reached the spot but by then both accused had escaped.

Later late evening on Monday, when the girl's condition deteriorated due to heavy bleeding, the family informed police. The victim was then rushed her to Bansgaon community health centre from where she was referred to the district hospital, police said.

Police have registered a case against the accused under sections 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 376D (gang rape) of IPC and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Act.

Police arrested both the accused and sent them to jail, SP (North) Arun Kumar Singh told reporters on Tuesday.

The girl is undergoing treatment at the hospital, police said.
Westerly, RI (02891)

Today

Cloudy skies with a few showers this afternoon. High 52F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Cloudy with rain ending overnight. Low 43F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%.




The IDF on Monday revealed the extensive operations the Military Intelligence Directorates Unit 504, which specializes in human intelligence (HUMINT) has been engaged in over recent weeks.

Since the onset of the conflict in the region, Unit 504 has conducted interrogations of approximately 500 Palestinians and made millions of calls to urge civilians to evacuate northern Gaza, the IDF said.

Dozens of Arabic-speaking soldiers from Unit 504 have been deployed on the ground in Gaza, working closely with combat units. Their primary responsibilities include field interrogations and the provision of critical intelligence to IDF forces. To enhance their capabilities during the ongoing conflict, Unit 504 has significantly increased its personnel and established a new sub-unit dedicated to southern Israel.

As part of these efforts, the IDF has established a detention facility in southern Israel for questioning detainees captured in the Gaza Strip. To date, around 300 individuals, including members of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and other groups, have been brought to this facility for interrogation. These detainees have provided valuable information about the locations of Hamas tunnel networks, weapons depots, and the terror groups operational methods, including the use of human shields.

The IDF has released three videos in which detainees describe how Hamas has utilized hospitals for terrorist purposes. These individuals reveal that they sought refuge at hospitals, including Shifa and Rantisi hospitals and the Red Cross building, while Hamas conducted operations from these locations.

In addition to its on-ground operations, Unit 504 maintains sources within the Gaza Strip, providing valuable information translated into intelligence for IDF ground forces.

Furthermore, the IDF has undertaken an extensive campaign to evacuate Palestinians from northern Gaza as part of its ground offensive. Unit 504 has played a pivotal role in this, making over 30,000 calls, sending more than 10 million text messages, and delivering over nine million recorded messages to Gazan civilians. Additionally, approximately four million leaflets have been dropped, warning residents of the dangers of remaining in northern Gaza. This evacuation has enabled the IDF to conduct more significant strikes and extend its operations against Hamas infrastructure. Airstrikes continue in southern Gaza, with the exception of the small al-Mawasi area along the coast, which the IDF has designated as a safe zone.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)




U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made an unannounced visit to Kyiv on Monday in a high-profile push to keep money and weapons flowing to Ukraine even as U.S. and international resources are stretched by the new global risks raised by the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Austin, who traveled to Kyiv by train from Poland, met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and was scheduled to meet with Chief of Staff Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi.

In Kyiv, Austin said Ukraines effort to defeat Russias invasion matters to the rest of the world and that U.S. support would continue for the long haul.

Zelenskyy said Austins visit was a very important signal for Ukraine.

We count on your support, Zelenskyy said, thanking Congress as well as the American people for their backing.

This is Austins second trip to Kyiv, but hes making it under far different circumstances, as the worlds attention is drawn to the Middle East and signs of fatigue set in with the almost 21-month Russia-Ukraine war.

Austins first visit occurred in April 2022, just two months after the start of the war. At the time, Ukraine was riding a wave of global rage at Moscows invasion, and Austin launched an international effort that now sees 50 countries meet monthly to coordinate on what weapons, training and other support could be pushed to Kyiv.

But the conflict in Gaza could pull attention and resources from the Ukraine fight. The U.S. has worked feverishly since the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel, and the weeks of devastating bombardment on Gaza by Israel that has followed, killing more than 10,000 civilians, to keep those attacks from turning into a regional war.

The U.S. has already committed two carrier strike groups, scores of fighter jets and thousands of U.S. personnel to the Middle East, and has had to shift its force posture and conduct airstrikes against Iranian-backed militant groups that are now hitting U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria on a regular basis.

To date, Ukraine has received more than $44 billion from the U.S. and more than $35 billion from other allies in weapons, ranging from millions of bullets to air defense systems, advanced European and U.S. battle tanks and, finally, pledges for F-16 fighter jets.

But Ukraine still needs more, and after almost 20 months of shipping arms to Ukraine, cracks are beginning to show. Some European countries such as Poland have scaled back support, noting their need to maintain adequate fighting ability to defend themselves.

Ukrainian officials have strongly pushed back on suggestions they are in a stalemate with Russia after a long-awaited counteroffensive over the summer did not radically change the battle lines on the ground. In a visit to Washington last week, Andriy Yermak, head of the presidents office, provided no details but confirmed that Ukrainian forces had finally pushed through to the east bank of the Dnieper River, which has essentially served as the immovable front line between Ukrainian and Russian forces for months.

However, as winter sets in it will become more difficult for either side to make large gains due to ground conditions. That could further work against Ukraine if U.S. lawmakers perceive theres time to wait before more funds are needed. Ukraine and the U.S. expect that this winter Russia will go after Ukraines infrastructure again, like the power grid, making air defenses critical.

Fred Kagan, a senior resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, said it would be a mistake to think there is time to wait.

If we stop providing aid to Ukraine, its not that the stalemate continues. The aid is actually essential to preventing the Russians from beginning to maneuver again in ways that can allow them to defeat Ukraine, Kagan said. So the cost of cutting off aid is that Russia wins and Ukraine loses and NATO loses.

Further complicating the support is that the Pentagon has only a dwindling amount of money left in this years budget to keep sending weapons to Ukraine, and Congress is months late on getting a new budget passed and has not taken up a supplemental spending package that would include Ukraine aid.

Since the war began in February 2022, the U.S. has provided more than $44.2 billion in weapons to Ukraine, but the funding is nearly gone. The Pentagon can send about $5 billion more in weapons and equipment from its own stocks. But it only has about $1 billion in funding to replace those stocks. As a result, recent announcements of weapons support have been of much smaller dollar amounts than in months past.

You have seen smaller packages, because we need to parse these out, Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said Thursday. Because we dont know when Congress is going to pass our supplemental package.

Officials have been urging Congress to provide additional money, but a growing number of Senate Republicans have opposed additional Ukraine aid without securing support for other unrelated provisions, such as stricter immigration laws and additional funding for border control. A stopgap spending bill passed last week to avoid a government shutdown during the holidays did not include any money for Ukraine.

(AP)
According to the State Security Service, representatives of the Russian occupation forces illegally arrested a local resident, a Georgian citizen near the occupied village of Zemo Artsevi. The citizen has since been released and is now in the territory controlled by the central government of Georgia."Communication regarding the incident took place through the 'hotline,' operating with the direct involvement of the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) in Georgia. The information was promptly shared with our international partners. The responsibility for all destructive actions carried out in the occupied regions of Georgia and along the occupation line rests with the occupying power.The central government, in collaboration with international partners, will continue to actively work towards the release of all citizens of Georgia who are illegally imprisoned in the occupied territories," the State Security Service's statement reads.The Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, Otar Shamugia, stated that the administrative proceedings related to the cancellation of the license issued to Racha forests will be concluded by the end of the month at the latest.The minister said that all prerequisites for declaring the license invalid are in place. He made this announcement after the conclusion of the government meeting."I want to emphasize once again that a decision from the National Environment Agency in this administrative proceeding is expected very soon, likely by the end of the month. Considering the factors I've just discussed, I believe all the necessary conditions are present for declaring the license invalid.However, this is an administrative proceeding conducted by the National Environment Agency, and we should allow it the opportunity to bring this process to a conclusion," Shamugia said.




Lawyers for former President Donald Trump urged a federal appeals court on Monday to revoke a gag order in the federal case charging him with plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

The order is unprecedented and it sets a terrible precedent for future restrictions on core political speech, Trump attorney John Sauer told a three-judge panel.

Prosecutors with special counsel Jack Smiths team, meanwhile, are urging the court to put back in place an order barring the Republican former president from making inflammatory statements about potential witnesses and lawyers in the case.

The prosecutors say those restrictions are necessary to prevent Trump from undermining confidence in the court system and intimidating people who may be called to testify against him. Defense lawyers call the gag order an unconstitutional muzzling of Trumps free speech rights and say prosecutors have presented no evidence to support the idea that his words have caused harm or made anyone feel threatened.

During arguments Monday, Trump lawyer Sauer called the gag order a hecklers veto, unfairly relying on the theory that Trumps speech might someday inspire other people to harass or intimidate his targets.

They cant draw a causal line from any social media post to threat or harassment when we have wall to wall media coverage of this case, Sauer told the court.

The three judges appeared skeptical of Sauers arguments that the gag order was unconstitutional or had been entered without sufficient cause.

Judge Brad Garcia pressed Sauer to explain why the court cant take steps now before threats against those involved proliferate.

This is predictably going to intensify as well as the threats, so why isnt the district court justified in taking a more proactive measure and not waiting for more and more threats to occur and stepping in to protect the integrity of the trial? he asked.

The gag order is one of multiple contentious issues being argued ahead of the landmark March 2024 trial. Defense lawyers are also trying to get the case dismissed by arguing that Trump, as a former president, is immune from prosecution and protected by the First Amendment from being charged. The outcome of Mondays arguments wont affect those constitutional claims, but it will set parameters on what Trump as both a criminal defendant and leading presidential candidate can and cannot say as the trial date nears.

The order has had a whirlwind trajectory through the courts since U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan imposed it last month in response to a request from prosecutors, who cited among other comments Trumps repeated disparagement of Smith as deranged.

The judge lifted it days after entering it, giving Trumps lawyers time to prove why his words should not be restricted. But after Trump took advantage of that pause by posting on social media comments that prosecutors said were meant to sway his former chief of staff against giving unfavorable testimony, Chutkan put it back in place.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit later lifted it as it considered Trumps appeal.

The judges hearing the case include Cornelia Pillard and Patricia Millett, both appointees of President Barack Obama, and Brad Garcia, who joined the bench earlier this year after being nominated by President Joe Biden. Obama and Biden are Democrats.

The panel is not expected to immediately rule on Monday. Should the judges rule against Trump, hell have the option of asking the entire court to take up the matter. His lawyers have also signaled that theyll ask the Supreme Court to get involved.

The four-count indictment in Washington is one of four criminal cases Trump faces as he seeks to reclaim the White House in 2024.

Hes been charged in Florida, also by Smiths team, with illegally hoarding dozens of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. Hes also been charged in state court in New York in connection with hush money payments to a woman who alleged an encounter with him, and in Georgia with scheming to subvert the 2020 presidential election in that state. He has denied doing anything wrong.

(AP)




British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Monday that the U.K. is setting up a new science initiative to help develop flood-tolerant rice, disease-resistant wheat and other crops that are more resilient to climate change.

Sunak was joined by ministers, diplomats and philanthropists from about 20 countries at a one-day Global Food Security Summit in London, where he urged world leaders to harness artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge technology to end malnutrition around the globe.

Sunak told delegates that a fundamental shift is needed to confront a food-security crisis that is being worsened by climate change. He focused on the role of science and said the U.K. would set up a virtual science hub linking international researchers working on more resilient crops. The U.K. hub will be part of a global research partnership known as CGIAR.

Climate change, conflict and population rise mean ever greater challenges to food supplies, Sunak said. So we need a fundamental shift in the way we approach food security, with a focus on long-term solutions to stop food crises before they start. And we need to harness the full power of science and technology to ensure supplies are resilient to threats like conflict, drought and floods.

The event was co-hosted by Somalia and the United Arab Emirates alongside the Childrens Investment Fund Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The summit coincided with publication of a re-energized U.K. development strategy aimed at ending extreme poverty and tackling climate change and biodiversity loss.

The document sets out the U.K.s aid plans through 2030, and confirms Britain will not restore development aid to 0.7% of gross national income  after it was cut to 0.5% during the coronavirus pandemic  until the fiscal situation allows. Instead, the U.K. says it will spend smarter, earmarking money to help countries strengthen their defenses against natural disasters, raising more private-sector money for development and building mutually respectful relationships with developing nations.

Todays answer cannot be about rich countries doing development to others, Foreign Secretary David Cameron wrote in an introduction. We need to work together as partners, shaping narratives which developing countries own and deliver.

The Lancaster House conference venue was picketed by activists from Medical Aid for Palestinians calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war to get urgently needed food and humanitarian aid into Gaza.

It is good that they are talking about addressing food and security in the world. But if theyre going to do that seriously, they cannot ignore the situation in Gaza, where 2.2 million people are at risk of starvation, said the groups chief executive, Melanie Ward.

Because of the siege thats been imposed on Gaza, the amount of aid thats gotten in the last month is only enough for about two normal days in Gaza. So less than 10% of the food needed to keep people in Gaza alive is actually getting in.

Like the United States, the U.K. has not called for a cease-fire, but Sunak urged Israel to agree to urgent and substantive humanitarian pauses to get in food, fuel and medicine.

The situation on the ground is truly tragic and getting worse, he said.

(AP)




Microsoft snapped up Sam Altman and another architect of OpenAI for a new venture after their sudden departures shocked the artificial intelligence world, leaving the newly installed CEO of the ChatGPT maker to paper over tensions by vowing to investigate Altmans firing.

The developments Monday come after a weekend of drama and speculation about how the power dynamics would shake out at OpenAI, whose chatbot kicked off the generative AI era by producing human-like text, images, video and music.

It ended with former Twitch leader Emmett Shear taking over as OpenAIs interim chief executive and Microsoft announcing it was hiring Altman and OpenAI co-founder and former President Greg Brockman to lead Microsofts new advanced AI research team.

Despite the rift between the key players behind ChatGPT and the company they helped build, both Shear and Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella said they are committed to their partnership.

Microsoft has invested billions of dollars in the startup and helped provide the computing power to run its AI systems. Nadella wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he was extremely excited to bring on the former executives of OpenAI and looked forward to getting to know Shear and the rest of the management team.

In a reply on X, Altman said the mission continues, while Brockman posted, We are going to build something new & it will be incredible.

OpenAI said Friday that Altman was pushed out after a review found he was not consistently candid in his communications with the board of directors, which had lost confidence in his ability to lead the company.

In an X post Monday, Shear said he would hire an independent investigator to look into what led up to Altmans ouster and write a report within 30 days.

Its clear that the process and communications around Sams removal has been handled very badly, which has seriously damaged our trust, wrote Shear, who co-founded Twitch, an Amazon-owned livestreaming service popular with video gamers.

He said he also plans in the next month to reform the management and leadership team in light of recent departures into an effective force and speak with employees, investors and customers.

After that, Shear said he would drive changes in the organization, including significant governance changes if necessary.

He noted that the reason behind the board removing Altman was not a specific disagreement on safety. It was likely a reference to the debates that have swirled around OpenAIs mission to safely build AI that is generally smarter than humans.

OpenAI last week declined to answer questions on what Altmans alleged lack of candor was about. Its statement said his behavior was hindering the boards ability to exercise its responsibilities.

A key driver of the shakeup, OpenAIs co-founder, chief scientist and board member Ilya Sutskever, expressed regrets for his participation in the ouster.

I never intended to harm OpenAI. I love everything weve built together and I will do everything I can to reunite the company, he said Monday on X.

OpenAI didnt reply to emails Monday seeking comment. A Microsoft representative said the company would not be commenting beyond its CEOs statement.

After Altman was pushed out, he stirred speculation about coming back into the fold in a series of tweets. He posted a selfie with an OpenAI guest pass Sunday, saying this is first and last time i ever wear one of these.

Hours earlier, he tweeted, i love the openai team so much, which drew heart replies from Brockman, who quit after Altman was fired, and Mira Murati, OpenAIs chief technology officer who was initially named as interim CEO.

Its not clear what transpired between the announcement of Muratis interim role Friday and Shears hiring, though she was among several employees Monday who tweeted, OpenAI is nothing without its people. Altman replied to many with heart emojis.

One of OpenAIs safety-focused researchers, Jan Leike, called on the OpenAI board to resign, saying he had been working all weekend with the companys leadership team to help with this crisis.

The board consists of Sutskever, Quora CEO Adam DAngelo, tech entrepreneur Tasha McCauley and Helen Toner of the Georgetown Center for Security and Emerging Technology.

Shear said he took this job because I believe that OpenAI is one of the most important companies currently in existence.

On a podcast in June, Shear said hes generally optimistic about technology but has serious concerns about the path of artificial intelligence toward building something a lot smarter than us that sets itself on a goal that endangers humans.

If there is a world where we survive  where we build an AI thats smarter than humans and survive it, its going to be because we built smaller AIs than that, and we actually had as many smart people as we can working on that, and taking the problem seriously, Shear said in June.

Its an issue that Altman consistently faced since he helped catapult ChatGPT to global fame. In the past year, he has become Silicon Valleys most sought-after voice on the promise and potential dangers of artificial intelligence.

He went on a world tour to meet with government officials earlier this year, drawing big crowds at public events as he discussed the risks of AI and attempts to regulate the emerging technology.

If Microsoft lost Altman he could have gone to Amazon, Google, Apple, or a host of other tech companies craving to get the face of AI globally in their doors, Daniel Ives, an analyst with Wedbush Securities, said in a research note.

Microsoft is now in an even stronger position on AI, Ives said. Its shares rose nearly 2% before the opening bell and were nearing an all-time high Monday.

(AP)




The Supreme Court on Monday rejected former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin s appeal of his conviction for second-degree murder in the killing of George Floyd.

The justices did not comment in leaving in place state court rulings affirming Chauvins conviction and 22 1/2-year sentence.

Chauvins lawyers argued that their client was denied a fair trial in 2021 because of pretrial publicity and concerns for violence in the event of an acquittal.

Floyd, who was Black, died on May 25, 2020, after Chauvin, who is white, pressed a knee on his neck for 9 1/2 minutes on the street outside a convenience store where Floyd tried to pass a counterfeit $20 bill. A bystander video captured Floyds fading cries of I cant breathe. Floyds death touched off protests worldwide, some of which turned violent, and forced a national reckoning with police brutality and racism that is still playing out.

Chauvin is separately appealing his conviction on federal civil rights charges.

(AP)




South Koreas military warned North Korea not to go ahead with its planned spy satellite launch, suggesting Monday that Seoul could suspend an inter-Korean agreement to reduce tensions and resume front-line aerial surveillance in response.

North Korea failed in its first two attempts to put a military spy satellite into orbit earlier this year and didnt follow through with a vow to make a third attempt in October. South Korean officials said the delay was likely because North Korea is receiving Russian technology assistance and that a launch could happen in coming days.

Our military will come up with necessary measures to protect the lives and safety of the people, if North Korea pushes ahead with a military spy satellite launch despite our warning, a senior South Korean military officer, Kang Hopil, said in a televised statement.

South Korean Defense Minister Shin Wonsik said in an interview with public broadcaster KBS on Sunday the launch was expected later this month and that South Korean and U.S. authorities were monitoring North Koreas moves.

The U.N. Security Council bans any satellite launches by North Korea because it views them as a disguised test of its missile technology. Kang said while North Korea needs a spy satellite to improve its monitoring of South Korea, the launch is also aimed at bolstering its long-range missile program.

Foreign governments and experts say North Korea is seeking Russian technologies to enhance its nuclear and other military capabilities in return for supplying conventional arms to support Russias war in Ukraine. Both Moscow and Pyongyang have dismissed as groundless the alleged arms transfer deal, but both nations  locked in separate, protracted tensions with the United States  have been openly pushing to expand their cooperation in recent months.

In September, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un traveled to Russia to meet President Vladimir Putin in Cosmodrome, Russias most important domestic space launch center. When Putin was asked by Russias state media whether his country would help the North build satellites, he said that thats why we have come here. The (North Korean) leader shows keen interest in rocket technology.

Shin said that with the likely help of Russia, North Korea appeared to have almost overcome an unspecified engine problem on a rocket needed to send a spy satellite into space. He said the North would likely launch the satellite before Nov. 30, when South Korea plans to launch its first military spy satellite from Californias Vandenberg Air Force Base.

Kang didnt explicitly say what retaliatory steps South Korea could take if North Korea makes a third launch. But he strongly hinted the steps could include a resumption of aerial surveillance activities and live-fire drills at border areas, in breach of the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement on easing front-line tensions.

Kang asserted that North Korea has already violated the agreement numerous times. He cited the Norths destruction of an unoccupied inter-Korean liaison office in North Korea, flying of drones into South Korea and live-fire drills along the western maritime boundary.

Despite the Norths repeated violations of the agreement, our military has been patiently abiding by clauses in the military agreement, but that has caused considerable problems in our militarys readiness, Kang said.

He said South Koreas aerial reconnaissance designed to monitor North Koreas forward-deployed artillery guns has been significantly restricted by the 2018 deal. He said that South Korean military units on border islands have been unable to conduct live-fire drills in their areas and instead held the exercises in faraway inland firing ranges.

The military deal, reached during a short-lived rapprochement between South Koreas liberal then-President Moon Jae-in and Kim, created buffer and no-fly zones along the rivals border. The Koreas also removed some of their front-line guard posts and land mines.

Proponents of the agreement in South Korea argued it would prevent accidental clashes with North Korea, but opponents said its mutual reductions of conventional military strength would weaken the Souths war readiness because the Norths nuclear capability remained intact.

Relations between the rivals later strained after the breakdown of broader nuclear diplomacy between Kim and then U.S. President Donald Trump in 2019. North Korea has since been focusing on enlarging its nuclear arsenal, prompting South Koreas current conservative president, Yoon Suk Yeol, to expand military drills with the United States.

Yoons liberal rivals said the suspension of the 2018 deal would provide North Korea with yet another excuse to launch provocations.

North Korea said last week it had successfully tested solid-fuel engines for a new intermediate-range ballistic missile, a move that experts say is meant to add a new weapon to its growing arsenal of mobile and harder-to-detect missiles targeting the United States and its allies.

(AP)




Los Angeles drivers returned to a much more normal commute Monday when an elevated stretch of a major freeway reopened well ahead of original estimates following a raging arson fire that shut down the roadway for more than a week.

The section of Interstate 10 south of downtown reopened Sunday night, and authorities assured commuters that the freeway is safe after emergency work to shore up the structure until permanent repairs of scorched support columns can be completed.

Yes, the 10 is open, declared Laura Rubio-Cornejo, general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, during a morning briefing on the status of the interstate, which carries about 300,000 vehicles a day and connects to other major routes.

The early morning inferno on Nov. 11 was fed by flammable materials stored under the roadway in violation of a companys lease.

Initial worst-case scenarios raised the possibility that the section of freeway might have to be demolished and rebuilt. Officials then said tests showed it could be repaired in three to five weeks and that, with massive bracing in place, traffic could return much sooner.

Officials said last week that all lanes were expected to reopen by Tuesday, but moved it up after significant progress during around-the-clock work.

It wasnt just speed that we were after. We wanted to make sure this thing was safe, Gov. Gavin Newsom said at a Sunday news conference, joined by Vice President Kamala Harris, U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla and Mayor Karen Bass.

This is a great day in our city, Bass said. Let me thank everyone who worked 24 hours to make this effort happen.

Most of the repair work will be done underneath the road deck, but future lane closures were possible, officials said. Some freeway ramps and nearby streets remained closed, but traffic officers were deployed in the area to direct traffic.

The Federal Highway Administration last week provided $3 million in quick release funds to repair the damage and said additional funds would be available from its emergency relief program.

Investigators have not said how the fire was started. On Saturday, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the state fire marshals office said theyre seeking help locating a person of interest and released two photos on social media showing a man in his 30s with a brace on his right knee and apparent burn injuries on his left leg.

State investigators had identified fire and safety hazards at a leased storage space under the interstate several times before it burned in the fire, documents show. The California Department of Transportation, or Caltrans, released the documents Friday.

The blaze was fed by pallets, cars, construction materials, hand sanitizer and other items being stored under the freeway as part of a program that now is under scrutiny. Newsom has said the state will reassess the practice of leasing such lands.

Apex Development Inc. has leased the land under I-10 since 2008. Although one condition of the contract stipulated that it not allow the storage of flammable or hazardous materials there, state inspectors have visited the site six times since early 2020 and flagged problematic conditions for years.

This is a filthy unmaintained lease, inspector Daryl Myatt wrote in a 2022 report after a surprise inspection discovered solvents, oils, fuels and other items barred by the agreement. This area has been utilized since the mid-1970s and looks like it.

Owners of two of the companies that subleased the property said they also had warned of a fire danger and other hazards related to homeless people living under the freeway. Newsom previously said that while subleasing can be legal if the company received permission from state and federal regulators, Apex did not.

In September, state officials filed a lawsuit against Apex saying it owes $78,000 in unpaid rent. A hearing is scheduled next year.

The states most recent spot inspection, a little more than a month before the Nov. 11 fire, found numerous lease violations, but the documents released Friday didnt elaborate.

Caltrans had informed Apex Development of the need to address violations, especially those creating safety hazards, the agency said in a statement.

Mainak DAttaray, an attorney for Apex Development, said Wednesday that the company is not to blame for the fire, adding the company hasnt been able to access the premises since October.

Apex rented and improved the rundown yard and made substantial capital investments during the period that it had possession of the yard, DAttarays statement added. Caltrans inspected the premises periodically, at least once a year, and CalTrans was fully aware of the sublessees and their operations. Even the State of Californias Fire Marshall inspected the premises.

DAttaray did not respond to a request for comment Saturday.

Izzy Gardon, a spokesperson for the governor, last week disagreed with DAttarays statement that Apex is not to blame. Gardon said that Cal Fire believes it was caused by arson in a fenced-off area that Apex was responsible for maintaining while they continued to assert rights under the lease.

No injuries were reported in the fire, but at least 16 homeless people living in an encampment there were taken to shelters.

(AP)




Three debates for next years presidential general election are set to be held in college towns in Texas, Virginia and Utah between Sept. 16 and Oct. 9  though it remains to be seen whether either partys candidate will actually participate.

The nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates announced Monday that presidential candidates will first be scheduled to meet Sept. 16 at Texas State University in San Marcos, south of Austin. The vice presidential debate is scheduled nine days later at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania.

Presidential debates planned for Virginia State University in Petersburg on Oct. 1, and the University of Utah in Salt Lake City on Oct. 9, round out the schedule, less than a month before Election Day on Nov. 5.

The United States general election debates, watched live worldwide, are a model for many other countries: the opportunity to hear and see leading candidates address serious issues in a fair and neutral setting, CPD co-chairs Frank Fahrenkopf and Antonia Hernandez said in a statement. This tradition remains unbroken since 1976. In 2024, students at our four debate sites will help bring another set of historic conversations to audiences here and abroad. And their campuses will anchor four unique chances to listen and learn.

The nonprofit CPD was established in 1987 and has sponsored every general election presidential and vice presidential debates since. It does not receive federal funding or financial support from any political party or campaign.

The announcement comes despite the Republican National Committee mulling rules changes that would force presidential candidates seeking the partys nomination to sign a pledge saying they wont participate in any debates sponsored by the CPD.

Such a boycott would shake up the foundations of the way presidential elections have been conducted in the country for decades  though former President Donald Trump s refusal to participate in primary debates while seeking his partys 2024 nomination makes such shifts perhaps easier to imagine.

Yet, Trump has made clear he wants to debate Biden if hes the nominee.

We have to debate, he told Fox News host Bret Baier in a June interview. He and I have to definitely debate. Thats what I love. The two of us have to debate.

The RNC threatening not to participate comes after years of tension between the committee and the commission, which has been exacerbated by Trump. As president, he repeatedly accused the commission of unfair treatment and ultimately refused to participate in the second 2020 debate after objecting to it being held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In a letter to the commission last year, RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel voiced frustration with its response to several party complaints, including concerns about its selection of moderators, a desire for a debate before early voting starts and a push for changes to the commissions board.

The commission responded to that letter by saying in a statement that it deals directly with candidates who qualify for participation in its debates, rather than the national leadership of each party.

The CPDs plans for 2024 will be based on fairness, neutrality and a firm commitment to help the American public learn about the candidates and the issues, it said at the time.

Trump has shown no signs of being afraid to cross the RNC. He has skipped every primary debate and refused to sign a pledge vowing to support the eventual Republican nominee if he loses the GOP primary.

The RNC did not respond to a message seeking comment Monday.

National Democrats, meanwhile, have expressed frustration with the commission in 2020 over what they called its failing to enforce the rules when it came to Trump, as he and Joe Biden were then competing for the presidency.

As Biden now seeks a second term, his reelection campaign has not said whether he would debate Trump.

(AP)




Marwat Al-Azza, a 45-year-old Palestinian journalist and freelancer for NBC News, was arrested in Israel under suspicion of inciting terrorism and affiliating with a terrorist organization, multiple Israeli media sources reported.

Following her arrest last Friday, NBC terminated Al-Azzas employment. Network officials stated on Monday that they had been unaware of her social media activities, which were cited as the reason for her arrest, according to the New York Post.

Al-Azza, who resides in East Jerusalem, began her stint with NBC shortly before the outbreak of the ongoing conflict with Hamas. Her journalistic career includes prior work for the U.S. government-funded Arabic-language satellite network Alhurra and the Saudi channel KSA2.

The arrest was precipitated by four posts on Al-Azzas personal Facebook page, which referred to the Hamas-initiated terror attack on October 7 that resulted in at least 1,200 fatalities and 240 hostages.

In one, Al-Azza wrote that the kidnapping of an elderly Israeli woman was killing me, its a black comedy, the old woman looks happy, a bit of action before she dies.

In another she said: Sirens all the time, the Jews are hiding and the Arabs are out drinking coffee on their balconies, and, I feel like Im watching a movie where the director is Palestinian and the protagonists are from Gaza.

During a hearing at the Jerusalem Magistrates Court, a police representative underscored the gravity of the offenses, emphasizing Al-Azzas decision to incite and glorify acts of terror against civilians in a country under attack, where she lives and earns her livelihood.

These are very serious offenses during a time of declared war when the respondent lives and makes a living in the same country that is under attack and yet chooses to incite and glorify the horrible acts committed against civilians, the Jerusalem Post quoted a police representative as saying.

Following the court hearing, Al-Azzas detention was extended by four more days. The decision to interrogate her was made last month, with the prosecutors office granting permission for the interrogation last week.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)




The Michigan residence of Rahm Emanuel, the U.S. Ambassador to Japan, was subjected to vandalism in the form of graffiti bearing the word Nazis. Emanual is Jewish.

A photograph of this defacement was shared on social media by David Axelrod, a close associate of former President Obama, who strongly condemned this act of antisemitism. The image displayed a wooden fence outside Ambassador Emanuels Michigan home marred by the word Nazis.

Rahm Emanuel, who previously served as the Mayor of Chicago and as President Obamas Chief of Staff, was nominated by President Biden in 2021 to become the U.S. Ambassador to Japan and assumed his role in March 2022.

Emanuels father, pediatrician Benjamin Emanuel, immigrated to the United States from Israel with just $13 to his name and went on to establish a successful medical practice, as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times in 2019.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)




A New York City law that forbids police from using chokeholds or sitting, kneeling, or standing on someones torso during an arrest was upheld Monday by the states highest court.

The law, passed after the death of George Floyd, had been challenged by police unions that said the new rules about compressing a persons torso were vague and would lead to too much second-guessing of officers involved in physical struggles.

The New York Court of Appeals, in a unanimous decision, ruled that the laws language is clear enough.

We recognize that police officers are called upon to respond to dangerous and volatile situations requiring real-time assessment of the level of force necessary to safeguard the public and ensure officer safety, the court wrote.

However, it noted that for officers to be found criminally liable under the law, they had to apply the banned force voluntarily not accidentally, and that such conduct must fall outside the parameters of justifiable use of physical force.

The court also ruled that it does not conflict with an existing state law banning police chokeholds.

The citys law was enacted as governments across the country prohibited or severely limited the use of chokeholds or similar restraints by police following Floyds death in 2020, which occurred as a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for several minutes.

The New York Police Department has long barred its officers from using chokeholds to subdue people. New York state has a law banning police chokeholds that was named after Eric Garner, who died after a New York City officer placed him in a chokehold in 2014.

Besides banning chokeholds, city law also bars police from restraining someone by sitting, kneeling, or standing on the chest or back in a manner that compresses the diaphragm.

The Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York, along with other law enforcement unions, sued the city over the laws rules about putting pressure on a persons torso, arguing that it is vague as to what officers are allowed to do during an arrest. In a statement, John Nuthall, a spokesman for the Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York, said the ruling will provide clarity to officers.

While this is not the outcome we had hoped for, the Courts decision is a victory insofar that it will provide our officers with greater certainty when it comes to the statute, because under this Courts decision, it must be proven at a minimum that an officers action in fact impedes the persons ability to breathe, was not accidental, and was not a justifiable use of physical force, Nuthall said.

(AP)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 21. Over the next three years, Turkiye will continue to buy 4.4 billion cubic meters of LNG from Algeria annually, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Turkiye Alparslan Bayraktar said, Trend reports.

By signing an agreement between the Turkish oil and gas company Bota and the Algerian national oil and gas company Sonatrach, we have extended the bilateral LNG import agreements, which have been in place since 1988, for another three years. During this period, Turkiye will continue to purchase 4.4 billion cubic meters of LNG from Algeria annually, he wrote on the social network X.




A U.S. Navy plane overshot a runway and splashed into a bay in Hawaii on Monday, but authorities said all nine people aboard made it safely to shore with no injuries.

The Coast Guard responded but rescue operations were quickly called off, said Petty Officer Ryan Fisher, a Coast Guard spokesperson.

It sounds like all parties involved were rescued, he said.

The P-8A aircraft overshot the runway at a Marine base on Kaneohe Bay, said U.S. Marine Corps spokesperson Gunnery Sgt. Orlando Perez. He did not have further information.

A photo taken by a witness showed the plane resting just offshore, a sight reminiscent of the 2009  Miracle on the Hudson  when a commercial aircraft piloted by Chesley Sully Sullenberger made an emergency landing on the New York river. All 155 people aboard survived.

The P-8A and the Airbus A320 that Sullenberger piloted are roughly the same size.

Diane Dircks and her family had just returned to the dock after rainy weather cut their pontoon boat trip short when her daughter noticed the plane in the water.

We went running over to the end of the dock, and I took some pictures, she said.

They then heard sirens coming from everywhere.

Dircks, who is visiting from Illinois, said her daughter keeps a pair of binoculars on her for birdwatching, so she was able to see the plane and the rescue boats arriving.

It was unbelievable, she said.

The Honolulu Fire Department received a 911 call for a downed aircraft shortly after 2 p.m., spokesperson Malcolm K. Medrano said in an email.

It was cloudy and rainy at the time. Visibility was about 1 mile (1.6 kilometers), said Thomas Vaughan, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Honolulu.

The P-8A is often used to hunt for submarines and reconnaissance and intelligence gathering. It is manufactured by Boeing and shares many parts with the 737 commercial jet.

The plane belongs to the Skinny Dragons of Patrol Squadron 4 stationed at Whidbey Island in Washington state. Patrol squadrons were once based at Kaneohe Bay, but now they deploy to Hawaii on a rotational basis.

Marine Corps Base Hawaii is about 10 miles (16 kilometers) from Honolulu on Oahu. The base houses about 9,300 military personnel and 5,100 family members. Its one of several key military installations on Oahu.

The base sits on Kaneohe Bay, which is also home to coral reefs, a breeding ground for hammerhead sharks and a University of Hawaii marine biology research institute.

(AP)




Ten minutes before Vivek Ramaswamy was to take the stage in a dated casino hotel in western Iowa, no one was in the conference room except for two staffers from the Iowa GOP, which organized the event, and a group of journalists.

Guests started trickling in at the time the event was scheduled. By the time Ramaswamy began his remarks an hour later, there were about 60 people.

While Ramaswamy is packing his schedule with stops across Iowa, including four events on Tuesday, he has failed to move up in the 2024 Republican primary race and is increasingly at risk of becoming an afterthought. He is polling in the mid to high single digits and has left critics asking what his endgame is or if he is staying in the race only to boost former President Donald Trump.

Ramaswamy is falling behind just as the GOP campaign enters the critical final weeks before the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 15. After an earlier flurry of attention, the 38-year-old biotech entrepreneur and first-time political candidate is gaining more notice for his provocations in debates than for signs that his campaign is resonating with voters.

If viability were the reason to stay in a race, hes long since left that behind, said David Kochel, a Republican strategist who advised Jeb Bush in his 2016 presidential bid. If you like Vivek Ramaswamy and what he is saying in this campaign, you already have a candidate, and his name is Donald Trump.

Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are increasingly going after each other as they vie for a distant second place, competing for donors and voters open to a Trump alternative. Former Vice President Mike Pence and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott dropped out after running Iowa-focused campaigns that didnt gain traction.

Ramaswamys campaign said in early November that it would spend up to $8 million in advertising through the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 15. So far, the campaign has booked just $162,000 in broadcast and digital ads for the rest of the Iowa campaign, according to data from the media tracking firm AdImpact.

Haley and her allied super PAC have reserved nearly $3.5 million over that same period, while DeSantis and his allied super PAC have booked more than $3.3 million.

Tricia McLaughlin, Ramaswamys campaign spokeswoman, said that events hosted by the campaign are drawing more people lately, noting that a sizable number of eventgoers are not registered as Republicans.

We are reaching young people, she said. These people are taking the time and effort to come out. These people are not even being polled because they are not your typical caucusgoer.

Ramaswamy has suggested policy ideas that he says carry on Trumps America First legacy without the former presidents baggage.

At a Florida GOP event earlier this month, Ramaswamy arguably drew the most cheers when his pitch was that he was the Republican candidate who had been most supportive of Trump.

I have respected Donald Trump more than anybody else in this race because he was the best president of the 21st century, Ramaswamy said. I said that before, and I will say it again because its the right thing to do. We will honor that legacy.

Trump remains dominant, even as he faces four criminal indictments and questions about whether he can beat President Joe Biden after losing to him in 2020.

After the Oct. 7 surprise attack on Israel, Ramaswamy has fielded criticism for not being as staunchly pro-Israel as the other GOP candidates. Two days after Hamas attack, he suggested the U.S. withhold aid to Israel until its government detailed plans for Gaza. Republican voters align heavily with Israel.

Voters and strategists critical of Ramaswamy bring up his position on Israel, but also his age and faith.

Ramaswamy is Hindu and would be the first non-Christian elected president. Iowas Republican voters are mostly white and Christian, with evangelicals carrying huge influence in the caucuses.

The gathering in the Council Bluffs hotel kicked off with an opening prayer that ended with in the name of our savior Jesus Christ. The crowd responded with a collective amen.

While he was cheered and applauded for some of his remarks, when he opened up about his religion, he was met with silence.

Id be the first Hindu president that we had in the United States, he said. Ill tell you about my faith. I believe in one true God. I believe that God put each of us here for a purpose, that we have a moral duty to live out that purpose.

Ramaswamy did not take questions from either the audience or reporters. Many people in the audience declined to speak to an Associated Press reporter afterward.

Rebecca Wilkerson, a 52-year-old voter from Mondamin, Iowa, said most of her friends and family are still supporting Trump like she did over the past seven years, but she is now looking for a change, saying Trump is too old for the White House at 77. She became a Ramaswamy supporter despite those around her feeling apprehensive about his religion.

They cant get past the fact that hes Hindu, Wilkerson said. But Im not voting based on that. I like his policies, and thats what I care about in a president.

The next day, Ramaswamy attended a roundtable with Haley and DeSantis hosted by Bob Vander Plaats, an influential Iowa Christian activist. In what was billed as a family discussion, the three candidates addressed each other by first name and avoided going after each other. Vander Plaats asked each of them faith-related questions.

I think its only fair to address what I believe is your highest hurdle from what Im hearing, Vander Plaats told Ramaswamy. We dont share the same faith. Im a Christian. Youre a Hindu, and you centered your campaign on truth. So a question a lot of the caucusgoers have is, what truth?

Ramaswamy said he was grateful for the question. Holding in his lap his 3-year-old son, Karthik, Ramaswamy repeated what he told the room in Council Bluffs, that he believed in one true God and that God put each of us here for a purpose.

My faith teaches me that we have a duty, a moral duty, to realize that purpose, that were Gods instruments, he said. He works through us in different ways, but we are still equal because God resides in each of us.

Ron Bonjean, a GOP strategist and former top congressional aide, noted Ramaswamy has been trying to build off the momentum built in the first debate, when he grabbed the spotlight, introducing himself as a skinny guy with a hard-to-pronounce name. He then declared he was the only person on the stage who wasnt bought and paid for.

Hes being aggressive. Hes trying to do all the right things to get noticed, to showcase to voters that hes a Trump alternative, Bonjean said, adding his effort is to be seen as a Trump mini-me.

He is excellent at debating other candidates on stage, but he cant back it up with real-world leadership and government experience, he added.

Lisa Unnerstall, 63, a Republican voter from Fort Myers, Florida, said she likes Ramaswamy and would like to see him serve in Trumps Cabinet because of his forward thinking. But she said her first and second choices are Trump and DeSantis.

Im concerned with his age, Unnerstall said of Ramaswamy. I dont think that a person necessarily has to be a long-time politician in order to become president. Obviously, I voted for Trump. He was not a politician. So I really think its more about life experience.

(AP)




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At an event in the Boca Raton Synagogue, frum conservative commentator Ben Shapiro delved into themes encompassing Israel, the Jewish community, and media bias, as he outlined the media war against Israel.

Highlighting Israels crucial role in safeguarding Jewish life and the inherent media bias against it, Shapiro critically dissected narratives promoted by Western media. He also shed light on his critique of certain media outlets, accentuating the elevated fears in Israeli society due to significant threats, especially from Iran.

In a personal and reflective tone, Shapiro spoke about the intersection of his faith, personal responsibility, and public role in advocating for Israel and the Jewish community worldwide. He ended with the hope that his voice serves a purpose and hes fulfilling his potential.




The Washington Post published a heartbreaking article written by Maayan Zin, an Israeli mother whose two daughters were abducted to Gaza.

Maayans story is heartrending. On October 7th, her two daughters, Dafna, 15, and Ella, 8, were at the home of their father Noam [her ex-husband], and his wife Dikla and her 17-year-old son Tomer on the Nir Oz kibbutz.

The heinous terrorists broke into the house and live-streamed the capture of the family, in which Noam is seen injured and bleeding from his leg. The terrorists forced Tomer to accompany them to other houses on the kibbutz and call out to his neighbors in Hebrew that its safe to come out  murdering them in front of him as they emerged. The terrorists later brutally tortured and murdered Tomer, Dikla, and Noam, and abducted Dafna and Ella.

Maayan is not only frantic about her daughters welfare in Gaza but is also tormented by the fact that they most likely witnessed their fathers brutal murder.

Maayon wrote: Rebbe Simcha Bunem, the 18th-century Hasidic sage, was known for carrying a slip of paper in each pocket. On the first he wrote, For my sake the world was created, while the other read, I am but dust and ashes.

On Oct. 7, my daughters, Dafna, 15, and Ela, 8, were kidnapped by Hamas, and since then I have been carrying around my own versions of Rebbe Bunems slips of paper. On the first I wrote For their sake the world was created, while the other reads Take me to Gaza.

I spend every day switching between these two mantras  between hope and dread.

On one hand, I have seen that for my daughters sake the world truly was created. Our entire country has mobilized to rescue Dafna and Ela, foreign leaders know their names and are trying to secure their freedom, and thousands of miles away from here, strangers hold vigils and put up posters showing their faces. The heroism and support of others give me the strength to believe that my girls will be brought home to me, and every passing hour feels like an hour closer to reunion.

At the same time, I can see that the ideology of hatred that drove Hamas to kidnap my daughters continues to grow stronger around the world. The soldiers fighting their way to Dafna and Ela face people who would rather die than let my girls go free. Thousands of miles away from here, strangers scream into the sky for more violence, another intifada, another war to push us into the sea. The posters of my girls are torn down, their dignity as victims denied. Every passing hour feels like an hour closer to the phone call telling me that they have not survived, that this world is too cruel to let them live. I am but dust and ashes, and if I must be, then I want to meet my fate together with Dafna and Ela.

I have nothing left to ask of this world but this: Take me to my girls. Take me to Gaza.

I am requesting assistance from the Israeli government, the U.S. government, the International Committee of the Red Cross and any other organization trying to help the hostages. I cannot wait for more news of hostage deals to come and go. You have failed to free my girls, so take me to Gaza.

My bag is packed. I will take only a few items: chocolate milk that my daughters love, shoes that are good for running, and a new bandage for Ela  the last photograph we have of her in captivity shows that she is injured. Take me to Gaza so I can change her bandage.

In my jeans pocket I will carry a photograph of Noam, their father, who we believe was killed in front of their eyes. Take me to Gaza in his memory.

When I reach them, however I reach them, I will hug them so hard that for a moment they might forget where they are. I will place myself in front of them, and they will finally be able to sleep as I hold them. I will tell Dafna to raise her beautiful voice and sing a song that might open the heart of a guard. I will encourage Ela to be the tiny mouse that she is and find the smallest hiding place to shelter in, so that when the IDF comes to save us, she will be safe.

I will bring messages from the parents and loved ones of the other 31 children believed to be in captivity. Some of those children no longer have their parents waiting for them back at home. Take me to Gaza, so that I can be their mother, too. I will tell them that they have not been forgotten, and that they are loved. That they are cherished, and that for their sake the world was created.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)




The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have provided an update on the recent activities of their 36th Division in the Gaza Strip, particularly in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City.

The IDF reports that the infantry, tanks, and combat engineers of the 36th Division are focused on dismantling the Hamas Zeitoun battalion. This battalion operates within the Zeitoun area, where heavy fighting is currently taking place. The military estimates that its forces have eliminated hundreds of Hamas militants in the ongoing conflict.

Hamas operatives, according to IDF assessments, are fighting in small cells consisting of five to 10 gunmen, making the combat intense and challenging. The IDF anticipates that this battle in Zeitoun will continue for at least another 72 hours. Following this period, their objective is to completely demolish the terrorist groups infrastructure in the neighborhood.

The IDF has released a statement highlighting several skirmishes between their troops, led by the Golani Infantry Brigade, and Hamas fighters in Zeitoun. These encounters have occurred in various civilian locations, including residential homes, hospitals, schools, and other public sites.

Additionally, the 188th Armored Brigade of the IDF has successfully overtaken a number of key Hamas positions in Zeitoun, including the offices of the head of Hamass brigade in Gaza City, which were subsequently destroyed.

The 36th Division has also coordinated multiple airstrikes targeting Hamas operatives in the area. Moreover, they have discovered a rocket-making laboratory, various weapons, explosive devices, a drone, and a tunnel within a mosque in Zeitoun, further emphasizing the complex nature of the urban combat environment and the use of civilian sites for militant activities.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)




John Kirby, the spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, slammed anti-Israel activists who have accused the Jewish state of perpetrating genocide in Gaza.

People can say what they want on the sidewalk, and we respect that. Thats what the First Amendment is about.

But this word genocide getting thrown around in a pretty inappropriate way by lots of different folks.

What Hamas wants  make no mistake about it  is genocide. They want to wipe Israel off the map. Theyve said so. On more than one occasion. In fact, just recently. And theyve said, that their not going to stop. What happened on October 7 is going to happen again and again and again. And what happened on October 7? Murder of innocent people. Thats genocidal intentions.

Yes, there are too may civilian casualties in Gaza. Yes the numbers are too high. And yes we continue to urge the Israelis to be as careful as possible.

Israel is not trying to wipe the Palestinian people off the map. Israel is not trying to wipe Gaza off the map. Israel is trying to defend itself against a genocidal terrorist threat. So if were going to start using that word, fine. Lets use it appropriately, Kirby says.




The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Monday that its president, Mirjana Spoljaric, visited Qatar for a meeting with Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh. According to the ICRC, the meeting focused on addressing humanitarian issues arising from the armed conflict between Israel and Gaza.

The diplomatic effort coincides with ongoing negotiations to secure the release of some of the 240 hostages taken by Hamas during their attacks on Israel on October 7, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths, predominantly civilians.

The ICRC emphasized the objective of Spoljarics visit was to facilitate direct discussions with all parties involved to enhance adherence to international humanitarian law. The organization highlighted her recent meetings with the families of hostages held in Gaza and senior leaders from both Israeli and Palestinian sides.

The ICRC claims to have been vocal in its calls for the immediate release of hostages and has stressed the necessity for its teams to have access to the hostages to ensure their welfare, including the provision of medications and enabling communication with their families.

While the ICRC has facilitated the release of four hostages on two separate occasions, the organization clarified that it does not participate in the negotiations for hostage release. However, it remains prepared to act as a neutral humanitarian intermediary to facilitate any future releases agreed upon by the conflicting parties.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)




Since the IDF presented conclusive evidence to the world that Hamas used Shifa Hospital [among other hospitals in the Gaza Strip] as a terror base, many commentators have been demanding that the silence and complicity of international organizations regarding Hamass violations of human rights be probed.

An article in the New York Post, authored by Richard Goldberg, a senior adviser to The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) and former NSC official, outlines some of these questions.

It should be noted that any organization that has a presence in Gaza, ruled by Hamass brutal and iron fist, cannot feign ignorance of the terror groups grievous human rights violations, even prior to the current war, as more and more reports attest that even foreigners who volunteered in the Strip for short periods of time were exposed to Hamass rule of terror.

Goldberg begins by posing an important question for Congress: Which US-funded international organizations, to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars, knew the truth about Shifa and helped Hamas conceal its war crimes?

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which Goldberg said received $689 million from the United States last year  roughly one-third of contributions received from all countries combined is one of those organizations.

Within days of the Hamas massacre, Fabrizio Carboni, ICRCs Middle East regional director, began spreading Hamas disinformation  telling international media that Gaza hospitals risk turning into morgues, Goldberg wrote.

When Carboni said this, he may have already known hospitals in Gaza were used as terror bases and hostages were being stashed under those hospitals. In the days that followed Israels first public messaging that Shifa hospital is a key Hamas terror site  an indication the Israel Defense Forces would at some point seek to remove Hamas from that hospital  Carboni kicked into overdrive with propaganda designed to keep Shifa squarely in Hamas hands.

As the IDF approached Shifa, he claimed that information coming from the Al Shifa hospital is distressing. It cannot continue like this. Thousands of wounded, displaced people and medical staff are at risk. They need to be protected in line with the laws of war.'

The @ICRCs assertions that Shifa was just a hospital, combined w/ their visits to a site where hostages were openly held (and murdered), raises genuine questions about the orgs operations, and tarnish its image. How does it plan to address this? @trevorkeck @JHenckaertsICRC ?  Eugene Kontorovich (@EVKontorovich) November 21, 2023

Goldberg then addresses the UNs World Health Organization, which received more than $100 million from Washington last year. It joined the chorus of pressure on Israel to stay away from Shifa hospital  telling global media the hospital was no longer functioning and innocent patients were dying.

The same question to be posed to the ICRC must be posed to WHO: What did it know about terror tunnels under Shifa and when did it know it?

The IDF has already discovered similar tunnels at Gazas Rantisi hospital along with evidence that hostages were held there, too. A baby bottle found on top of a box bearing the WHO logo completed the indictment of the agencys complicity.

The ICRC and WHO have strong lobbies in Washington that will fight to protect their flow of taxpayer money. If, as expected, the State Department does nothing to hold these groups accountable, Congress  which holds their purse strings  should intervene. The first step: Investigate. The next: Put a pause on US funding until leadership changes and reforms guarantee that complicity in terrorist war crimes will never happen again.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)




Numerous media reports in Israel and around the world on Tuesday are claiming that a hostage deal is imminent.

Israeli sources are saying that its possible that a deal will be finalized within hours. Maj. Gen. (res.) Tamir Heyman told Channel 12 News: I think a dramatic day is ahead of us.

An official statement from the Office of the Prime Minister said In light of developments on the issue of the release of our hostages, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will, this evening, convene the War Cabinet at 6:00, the Security Cabinet at 7:00, and the Government at 8:00.

Netanyahu was visiting with IDF Troops in Southern Israel earlier said I hope we will have good news soon.

Meanwhile, in Qatar, where a potential deal is being mediated, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday that negotiations to reach a deal are the closest to the finish line since the war began and are at a critical and final stage.

Yisrael Hayom commentator Ariel Kahana wrote on X: More details on the ceasefire agreement and the release of hostages. In Israel, preparations are being made for the agreement to last longer than five days, with Hamas continuing to release 10 hostages every evening  in the best-case scenario, up to 10 days, that is, 200 hostages.

At the same time, a security source emphasizes that the deal involves many risks and very difficult decisions, and military and political officials are aware of this.

A CNN report said that Qatar hopes to announce a deal today and that Israel agreed to stop flying drones over Gaza every day of the ceasefire for six hours in exchange for the release of hostages.

The report also claimed that three minor Palestinian prisoners or female prisoners will be exchanged for each Israeli hostage.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)
Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik was caught in the middle of a high-profile scandal over "adultery" that was based on a simple walk in Spain with model Genevieve Kazanova. The paparazzi followed them all evening, and Spanish journalists concluded that the crown prince and his companion had arranged a date.

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Frederick's walk caused a wave of indignation because at that time his wife Mary was in America on an announced visit, and her chosen one went to Madrid without announcement. This was the impetus for a loud sensation published by Lecturas magazine (scroll to the bottom of the page to see the photo ).

The journalists found out that the prince and the model and the presenter visited the Picasso exhibition at the National Museum of Thyssen-Bornemisza, took a walk in the park, and had dinner together in the city center.

Later it became known that Frederic was supposed to spend time with a friend, but he fell ill and asked Genevieve, a lover of Picasso's work, to replace him at the meeting. Eventually, this resulted in a huge scandal, which the model had to comment on.

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The former daughter-in-law of the Duchess of Alba and part-time Mexican socialite denied rumors of an "affair" with the prince and their alleged "date" and said she would defend her honor and dignity with lawyers. The prince and his wife did not comment on the scandal.

Instead, they appeared together in Copenhagen with Queen Margrethe and her sister during the Spanish rulers' state visit to Denmark. Afterward, journalists published articles saying that the lovers "presented a united front" and showed that there were no problems in their family.

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As you know, in May of this year, the couple celebrated 19 years of marriage. They met in a bar in Australia in 2000, when Frederick came to the Summer Olympics, and the young beauty decided to talk to him. Only later she learned that she had started a dialog with the Prince of Denmark.

Earlier, OBOZ.UA wrote that on the occasion of the 18th birthday of the future King of Denmark, Prince Christian, his portraits with and without his parents were published. Currently, the young man is the second in line to the throne, second only to his father.

Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!




The IDF says that they have successfully breached a blast door located at the end of a Hamas tunnel discovered by their forces last week beneath Gazas Shifa Hospital. They have released two images, one showing the open door and the other from further inside the tunnel.

Earlier this week, the IDF also shared footage showing the interior of the tunnel shaft and a portion of the tunnel itself. The tunnel extended approximately 55 meters and terminated with a blast door, which is believed to have been safeguarding Hamas assets beneath the ground.

For several weeks, the IDF has been stating that a significant network of tunnels and bunkers exists beneath Shifa Hospital.

Additionally, Israel has accused Hamas of utilizing other hospitals in the Gaza Strip for purposes related to terrorism.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
Jason Costain headed the fraud analytics and threat management team at NatWest

NatWest's fraud prevention boss left his job after moonlighting at a law firm bringing scam victim claims against banks like NatWest, This is Money can reveal.

Jason Costain was head of fraud prevention at high street bank NatWest, and as a high-profile employee was often quoted in the press.

But he quietly left his role in 2023 after the bank took 'appropriate internal action' after finding he had been helping out the fraud department of Liverpool-based law firm CEL Solicitors.

The NatWest fraud boss was allegedly due to get a 20,000 cash payment from CEL while still employed by NatWest as head of fraud strategy and relationship management, according to a High Court judgment in June 2023.

High Court judge Bever ruled that 'on the balance of probabilities' CEL chief executive Paul Hampson did ask an employee to set aside 20,000 in cash for Costain, though there is no firm evidence of it ever being made.

Hampson maintains that Costain was never paid by CEL, that he never gave the law firm any NatWest information and that everything was above board.

CEL specialises in bringing claims on behalf of people that have been scammed, among other areas.

The exact nature of what Costain did for CEL between November 2020 and mid-2021 is unclear, with High Court judge Adrian Bever saying the law firm had not 'provided me with a complete picture of its dealings with Mr Costain'.

However, Costain was involved with training CEL staff, creating fraud information content and answering staff queries, according to High Court documents.

All the while he was effectively moonlighting as he was still employed by NatWest.

Costain also told This is Money he never took any money from CEL and never discussed any NatWest data with the law firm.

But the court heard that Hampson emailed Costain in November 2020 asking him to give the law firm 'a huge list of breaches and failures by the bank'.

Costain sent messages to a WhatsApp group of CEL staff called 'Golden Ticket' saying: 'If banks are forced to refund in full, basically we are in a repeat of PPI. We can handle everyone's claim! There is 0.5bn of loss looking for someone to administer their claim.'

These court filings add that Costain was at one point offered the position of CEL's head of fraud by Hampson, who claims to have met him at a social event.

Costain was 'often in CEL's office', and was involved with training staff, creating fraud content for CEL's website and answering employee's questions, former CEL finance director Thomas Blanchfield said in court filings.

Blanchfield added that Costain had access to hundreds of CEL files, many of which were successful claims against NatWest.

Another former CEL employee, head of litigation Mark Montaldo, says Costain acted as a consultant for CEL and attended the office in 2021, according to court documents.

Blanchfield complained about Costain to NatWest and to the Solicitors Regulation Authority in January 2023.

In the High Court judgment, Blanchfield claims that Hampson had asked him to arrange a payment to Costain of 20,000 in cash.

Hampson said Costain only provided CEL information on the banking sector generally, and never on NatWest, and denies ever making the 20,000 payment.

The proceedings between CEL and ex-staff were heard in the Manchester Civil Justice Centre

Judge Bever added that the relationship between Costain and CEL was 'unorthodox' and that 'it is difficult to understand why Mr Costain would devote time and energy to CEL when he was apparently receiving no remuneration for doing so'.

Costain was offered a payment package of 20 per cent of the profits of the CEL fraud department, later raised to 35 per cent, but never took up the offer and continued to work at NatWest.

Judge Bever said in his June judgment that 'shortly before handing down this judgment, I was informed that Mr Costain is no longer employed by NatWest'.

A NatWest spokesman said: 'We are aware of legal proceedings between third parties and that the conduct of a then-bank employee was relevant to those proceedings.

'We take such matters very seriously and appropriate internal action was taken once the bank became aware of them.

'The judgment in the proceedings did not make any finding that bank customer confidential information had been shared by our former employee with CEL.'

Costain's LinkedIn profile says he left NatWest in June 2023 after five years and four months with the company.

Hampson says Costain earned '250,000 per year' at NatWest, according to court documents, though the former bank employee denies this.

In January 2023, Blanchfield and Montaldo resigned from CEL, partly due to concerns about Costain and also the financial position of CEL.

The duo then set up their own law firm, MTCC Solutions. However, CEL took Blanchfield, Montaldo and MTCC to court, claiming the duo had breached their contractual and statutory duties by setting MTCC up.

The claim failed, and MTCC has now been dissolved, but the High Court judgment of 29 June 2023 did reveal all of the above claims about Costain.

A spokesman for CEL said: 'CEL had exploratory discussions with Mr Costain as a senior hire to its team helping victims of online and banking fraud. All discussions were subject to stringent confidentiality.

'As part of these talks, Mr Hampson requested, and Mr Costain shared, information about banking fraud and regulation  all of which was in the public domain.

'The defendants' evidence confirmed Mr Costain never shared any confidential information with CEL. The judge accepted Mr Costain was never paid for these discussions.'

Costain said: 'The court case took place without my involvement. I was not asked to be a witness in the legal case, and I was not a party in the proceedings either.

'The judge found that there was no evidence that I received any money from CEL Solicitors whatsoever, and I am happy to confirm that I did not. I was job hunting in 2020 and discussed a potential role with CEL Solicitors.

'As the defendants in the 2023 legal case confirmed, I did not discuss any confidential information concerning NatWest with CEL Solicitors. We discussed information which was publicly available.'

Judge Bever said in the 29 June judgment that he had 'been left with the impression that I have only been made aware of the tip of a large iceberg in terms of Mr Costain's relationship with CEL and Mr Hampson' and that 'I do not accept that Mr Hampson has been open and frank with me in relation to CEL's relationship with Mr Costain'.

The judge added that Costain had been 'centre stage' to the litigation, but that 'he has not been called upon by CEL to provide a witness statement or to give evidence' and 'has very much been left in the background'.

Blanchfield said: 'The contents of the judgment speak for themselves, the judgment of HHJ Beaver was proven in our favour.'

A spokesman for the law firm Knights, representing Montaldo, said: 'Mr Montaldo has nothing to add to the judgment which in his view speaks for itself. He is looking forward to putting the matter behind him and continuing with his successful legal career.'
Outsourcing giant Capita has warned that up to 900 staff members could lose their jobs as part of a cost savings programme.

The London-based firm, which manages the BBC licence fee, said it would soon launch staff consultations it expects to deliver 60million of annualised cost reductions from the first quarter of next year.

Implementing the redundancy plan will cost about 27million and predominantly affect those in indirect support function and overhead positions, the group added.

Redundancies: Outsourcer Capita has warned that up to 900 people could lose their jobs

Capita also told investors on Tuesday it is trading in line with forecasts and had won 2.85billion worth of contracts since the beginning of 2023, compared to 2.59billion at the equivalent point last year.

Just yesterday, the company revealed it had gained a decade-long 239million deal to manage the Civil Service Pension Scheme for the Cabinet Office from September 2025.

Other contracts won this year include two health and disability benefit assessment contracts valued at 565million from the Department for Work and Pensions and Northern Ireland's Department for Communities.

It has also secured deals for work on a new fraud reporting service from the City of London Police and to supply services to people receiving the Disabled Students' Allowance.

Capita shares jumped 10.4 per cent to 21.2p on Tuesday morning, making them the top riser on the FTSE 250 Index.

However, they have still fallen by around 17 per cent this year, partly due to a cyber attack in March that briefly left Capita employees unable to access IT systems.

Approximately 90 organisations wrote to the Information Commissioner's Office to say that their member's data might have been compromised, including the pension schemes of Unilever, BAE Systems, and Marks and Spencer.

Capita expects the incident to cost between 20million and 25million, which includes investment to bolster cyber security, specialist professional fees, and recovery and remediation costs.

Capita swung to a 67.9million pre-tax loss in the first half of 2023 following this incident, although this was also because of costs related to business exits and major goodwill impairments.

A few days after the firm published its interim results, Jon Lewis announced he would stand down as the group's chief executive towards the end of the year.

Lewis joined as CEO in late 2017 when Capita was reeling from successive profit warnings, massive debts and its departure from the FTSE 100.

During his tenure, the turnaround specialist has overseen tens of thousands of job cuts, the sale of numerous divisions, and sought to make Capita a more high-tech company.

While Capita's annual revenues have declined every year since he arrived, its net debts have plunged from over 1.1billion to 166.2million at the end of June.

Adolfo Hernandez, the vice president of global telecommunications for cloud computing platform Amazon Web Services, is replacing Lewis as chief executive.
Married people with a will are evenly split over whether to discuss inheritance decisions with family members or leave them in the dark, new research reveals.

The overwhelming majority of married couples have a will, but some 20 per cent say they haven't sorted one out yet.

Among those who haven't discussed who inherits what with children or other family members, 31 per cent said they didn't need to be involved and 39 per cent said it was too early to share such details with them.

Some 19 per cent felt a talk about inheritance would be uncomfortable, found the survey by financial services provider Wesleyan.

Have you told your closest family what's in your will? Take our poll below

The findings suggest many couples are avoiding hard conversations about what will happen after they die, and are passing the buck to their children and wider families and creating the potential for arguments, according to the mutual.

Couples could be storing up family problems for the future by not being open about their inheritance plans, leading to fall-outs and expensive legal fees, adds Wesleyan.

> How to talk to your family about inheritance: Find ways to broach the issue below

Previous research has found inheritance disputes are on the rise, a trend lawyers put down to the intricacies of modern family life - people are more likely to marry several times, or live together without getting married - and rising property prices.

Meanwhile, just 4 per cent of estates are liable for inheritance tax, but the number is rising due to frozen thresholds and the property price boom catching more bereaved people in the net.

The Wesleyan study also found 74 per cent of married people have already agreed with their spouse who should inherit their money and property after they both die.

Poll Have you told your closest family what's in your will? Yes No Don't have a will Have you told your closest family what's in your will? Yes 257 votes

No 157 votes

Don't have a will 61 votes Now share your opinion





Among those who have not decided, 40 per cent have not yet discussed it, 25 per cent are unsure, and 11 per cent plan to let their children sort it out after they are gone.

Some 10 per cent say it is a difficult conversation to have, and 8 per cent reckon they won't agree. Wesleyan surveyed 2,000 married adults of all ages across the UK.

Linda Wallace, a director at Wesleyan, says: 'Theres no doubt that talking with children and family about what will happen after you die can be uncomfortable and upsetting.

'However, its also true that communicating openly with your loved ones about this important issue can lead to better outcomes for everyone involved, both financially and emotionally.'

She adds: 'If you arent both in agreement over who should inherit your estate, this can have terrible financial outcomes from an inheritance tax point of view, creating lengthy and expensive delays to the probate process which are in no ones best interests.

'Losing a loved one is one of the most painful things anyone can go through. Dealing with that persons estate after theyve gone can be incredibly emotional too, especially if it throws up unexpected surprises and raises unanswered questions.'

How to tackle the topic of inheritance with your family

Linda Wallace, director at Wesleyan, offers the following advice to anyone deciding how to pass on their assets after they die.

1. Schedule time with your family and friends to talk candidly about your inheritance plans, and how other people could make the most of any money or assets  like a house  that you want to leave them.

Hearing about your loved ones ambitions for their lives may help you decide how your estate plan can benefit them the best.

A cash lump sum could be used as a deposit to buy a house, for example, while for younger relatives, a trust might be more appropriate.

2. Ask your beneficiaries if there is anything in your estate that they would like to inherit, like an heirloom or an object to which they have a particular sentimental attachment.

You can include this in your will. If this isnt specified, theres a risk that its snapped up by someone else, or that it becomes a point of conflict  the last thing any group of family or friends need.

3. Once you have a firm estate plan in place, it may be a good idea to share it with your beneficiaries, to explain what you have decided to do with your estate and why, so they arent left with any unanswered questions after youve gone.

Uncertainty or misunderstandings can again lead to conflict. In the worst cases, this conflict may need to be settled with legal support  which can mean cost and additional emotional strain.

4. Make sure people know where all your important documents are kept, like your will and details of any bank accounts and investments, so they can deal with the immediate practicalities, like paying bills or settling tax.

5. Consider seeking the support of a professional like a lawyer or a financial adviser. As well as being able to help with any technical details around wills, they can also be helpful intermediaries as they are experts in helping guide what may be emotive and difficult discussions to achieve the best outcome for what you want.
Pot for life: Would you prefer to keep saving into the same scheme, no matter how many times you change jobs?

Savers will be allowed to open a 'pension pot for life' that all current and future employers can pay into under government plans which may be revealed in the Autumn Statement tomorrow.

The move is reportedly part of a wider package of pension changes aimed at using the nation's retirement savings to boost UK economic growth.

But the 'pot for life' proposal divides pension experts.

Many welcome the idea and liken it to having a bank account, but former Pensions Minister Steve Webb describes it as 'putting an explosive under the entire workplace pension scheme'.

People auto enrolled into pensions currently acquire many different pots over a lifetime, as every employer chooses and runs - or outsources to a specialist provider - a separate scheme.

The option of choosing one pension pot that sticks with you through life - which we wrote about in detail last month - instead has been under debate for some time as a way of curbing the vast number being created every time people start a new job.

The Government is also looking at 'default consolidation', where lost small pots would eventually be placed with an approved provider until they can be reunited with their owners again.

How would a 'pot for life' work?

It would effectively be 'auto enrolment 2.0', according to supporter Tom McPhail, director of public affairs at research firm Lang Cat.

Initially, employees would simply get the right to choose their own pension and to have contributions paid in by their current employer, he says.

Want a 'pension pot for life', instead of lots...? Many of us are acquiring an ever increasing number of pension pots as we change jobs, so having just one that we keep saving into throughout our working life is an attractive idea. We explore how a 'pot for life' savings shake-up could work...

'In the longer term it could also mean modifying the auto-enrolment system.

'We would like to enhance auto-enrolment through "pot for life" becoming the default option for all workplace pension savers.'

Whenever you started a new job, your contributions would be sent to your existing 'pot for life', unless you chose otherwise.

If you didn't already have a pot for life or say otherwise, your contributions would go instead to your employer's default pension provider.

Meanwhile, employers currently send pension contributions for all their staff to one provider, and won't want to start making payments to a myriad of schemes.

To get around this there would probably have to be one clearing house, which would become the new destination for all pension contributions, and then be responsible for redistributing them.

And all 'pot for life' providers would have to be approved for suitability, and regulated to ensure people's money was being looked after properly and they weren't being overcharged.

Would 'pension pots for life' be a good deal for savers?

Wealthy pension savers would be wooed for their business while a rump of less 'profitable' savers might end up worse off.

Questions have also been raised about charges, and how easy it would be for individuals to pick the best 'pot for life' for their needs.

There is also the issue of whether a scheme that looks a decent option when you are in their 20s will still be suitable as you approach retirement

'Regulation would be needed to prevent "cream skimming" of wealthier customers,' warned Phil Brown, director of policy at pension scheme provider People's Partnership, when we recently investigated how the system might work.

The Government must not be allowed to play fast and loose with the rules simply because it has an eye to an election in a year....Twenty-four hours notice to a system overhaul can only result in one thing; chaos Mark Futcher, Barnett Waddingham

'It would be essential that all providers operating in a "pot for life" market would need to be obliged to serve all customers.'

Steve Webb, a partner at LCP and This is Money's pensions columnist, says: 'Workplace pensions are currently a wholesale business where employers negotiate a good value deal for their entire workforce.

'As a result, the average workplace pension charge is currently below 0.5 per cent. If the system was fragmented, this bulk buying power of employers would be lost.

'Top earners would be bombarded with marketing as pension providers sought to "cherry pick" the most profitable business. But the remaining workers would no longer have access to such a good workplace pension.'

Webb also raised the issue of how easy it would be for individuals to compare different pensions.

'Were told not just to look at costs and charges, but are we really expecting consumers to evaluate the different investment strategies of their different pension providers?'

He adds: 'There are much simpler ways of dealing with the issue of small or lost pension pots, such as the "pot follows member" idea when people changes jobs, rather than putting an explosive under the entire workplace pension scheme.'

Pension consultant Barnett Waddingham has pointed out administration of a 'pot for life' system would be a challenge, as it's embedded in the workplace - and, for example, pensions don't all have account numbers and sort codes as bank accounts do.

A pension could become a bit like having a bank account, into which different employers can pay. Its good for savers, giving them more say over how they want to grow their retirement fund Becky OConnor, PensionBee

A partner at the firm, Mark Futcher, says: 'A sudden shift to a pot for life risks people choosing a suboptimal pension plan, being swayed by marketing over value, and ultimately exacerbating the UKs retirement crisis.

'Whats more, the rumoured shift to a nominated scheme wouldnt necessarily solve the problem of savers having multiple pots, or solve the Governments desire for big schemes investing in high-growth UK assets  this seems to be a lose, lose, lose policy.

'Pension saving is, by its nature, a long-term problem. The Government must not be allowed to play fast and loose with the rules simply because it has an eye to an election in a year.

'For a "pot for life" to work, there must be a robust central clearing house, a working pension dashboard, and a faultless administration system which directs contributions and amplifies the employers critical role in ensuring value and good governance. Twenty-four hours notice to a system overhaul can only result in one thing; chaos.'

But Becky OConnor, director of public affairs at PensionBee, says 'pot for life would a great solution to the problem of people having lots of old pensions from multiple jobs.

[A clearing house] wont come cheap, so the next obvious question is how much could that project cost and who will pay for it?... There is every chance Keir Starmers party will have the final say on whether these reforms ever see the light of day Tom Selby, AJ Bell

'A pension could become a bit like having a bank account, into which different employers can pay. Its good for savers, giving them more say over how they want to grow their retirement fund and hopefully a decent solution to the problem of lost pension pots.

'Pot for life has the potential to shake up the industry, bringing what consumers actually care about to the forefront, boosting competition and bringing the way people engage with pensions into the 21st century.'

Tom Selby, head of retirement policy at AJ Bell, says: 'Advocates of pot for life reforms argue allowing savers to choose their own workplace pension scheme  and then nominate that scheme to receive their contributions when they switch jobs  would help address the problem of lost pensions.

'Employees would also potentially benefit from greater choice and flexibility, while the broader auto-enrolment market would be subject to competitive forces that are comparatively weak at the moment.

'The biggest sticking point to these proposals is the burden on employers. Currently, UK firms of all sizes  from corner shops to multinationals  are required to set up a workplace pension scheme for their staff.

'Some sort of clearing house would therefore be needed to channel member contributions to multiple schemes, with slick processes so firms are able to easily connect.

'That wont come cheap, so the next obvious question is how much could that project cost and who will pay for it?'

'Buying a pension is fundamentally different from shopping around for petrol. Not everyone is knowledgeable on pensions and consumers need protection as they might mis-buy Simon Laight, Pinsent Masons

Selby says a 'call for evidence' to scope out the pros and cons would be a sensible approach.

And he adds: 'Given the proximity of the general election and Labours substantial lead in the polls, there is every chance Keir Starmers party will have the final say on whether these reforms ever see the light of day.

Simon Laight, pensions and lawyer at Pinsent Masons, says: 'The "pot for life" is a seismic reform for pensions.

'If the buying decision is moved to the employee, pension providers will have to re-engineer their distribution channels.

'Theyll be selling to individuals, rather than to corporates, converting workplace pensions savings into a retail market. There wont be financial advisers to serve the market, so direct to consumer will become dominant.

'The bigger providers will be able to adapt  improve the attractiveness of their proposition, find introducer arrangements with affinity groups, invest in sales drives. It will lead to consolidation with an expected smaller number of larger providers.

'Buying a pension is fundamentally different from shopping around for petrol. Not everyone is knowledgeable on pensions and consumers need protection as they might mis-buy. We need to guard against the pension mis-selling scandals of the past.'

Expecting employees to select the best fund to give them a comfortable later life will be something many will not be equipped to do, and seems likely to result in poor outcomes and poverty for many future retirees Ian Bell, RSM UK

RSM UKs head of pensions, Ian Bell, says: Putting the onus on the individual worker, rather than the workplace, to select an appropriate pension fund raises concerns for two reasons.

'Firstly, financial literacy around pensions is currently low among many UK workers. There is also much apathy generally around the importance of pensions until workers get close to retirement age, by which time it is often too late to improve the situation.

'The current system, where workplaces undertake due diligence and the selection of an appropriate fund on behalf of employees protects them.

'Expecting employees to select the best fund to give them a comfortable later life will be something many will not be equipped to do, and seems likely to result in poor outcomes and poverty for many future retirees.

'Wed therefore urge the government to prioritise improving financial literacy and education around pensions if this is the direction the Chancellor wants to go in.'

Andrew King, retirement planning specialist at Evelyn Partners, says that while on the face of it a pot for life sounds beneficial for the saver, it could also be fraught with difficulty.

'If it means that workers will have the option not to join their employers default arrangement, and instead to opt for one of several external schemes, its hard to see how this could be made to work without significant administrative difficulty and cost, and probably some unintended consequences.

'It flies in the face of the well-established auto-enrolment system, which simply places employees in the workplace scheme, which their employer has usually contracted from a pension provider.

Its also quite possible that it would open the door to scammers as employee funds would be leaving the ambit of a single, approved employer-arranged scheme Andrew King, Evelyn Partners

'While this might mean that employees who move jobs do accumulate a number of pots, its not clear that this is the best solution to that issue. Employees can currently transfer and amalgamate old pensions pots, often at zero cost, either into their current employers scheme or into a personal arrangement.

'For one, it means employers could be paying pension contributions to many different pension providers via a spiders web of direct debts. Its also quite possible that it would open the door to scammers as employee funds would be leaving the ambit of a single, approved employer-arranged scheme.

'In the Australian workplace system, the pension companies are superfunds, all approved by the government and working under the same rules. In the UK, there isnt the same infrastructure, with currently only one superfund and a plethora of possible pension providers of all shapes and sizes.

'Unless some of these potential pitfalls have been considered, such a bombshell into the auto-enrolment system could be a lot more problematic than, for instance, making it easier for employees to track and roll up their pots into their new employers scheme or a personal pension.'
Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM  Free Report) had its target price boosted by Morgan Stanley from $125.00 to $155.00 in a research report report published on Friday morning, Benzinga reports. Morgan Stanley currently has an underweight rating on the specialty retailers stock.

A number of other research firms have also recently commented on WSM. Wedbush restated a neutral rating and set a $150.00 target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Friday, November 10th. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on Williams-Sonoma from $155.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, August 24th. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $170.00 price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Monday, November 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Williams-Sonoma from $115.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a report on Thursday, August 24th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price objective on Williams-Sonoma from $103.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a sell rating in a report on Thursday, August 24th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $154.31.

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Williams-Sonoma Stock Up 1.7 %

NYSE:WSM opened at $181.97 on Friday. Williams-Sonoma has a 52 week low of $109.44 and a 52 week high of $182.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.05 billion, a PE ratio of 12.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.23 and a beta of 1.55. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $153.76 and its 200-day moving average price is $137.10.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, November 16th. The specialty retailer reported $3.66 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $3.34 by $0.32. Williams-Sonoma had a return on equity of 61.68% and a net margin of 11.99%. The firm had revenue of $1.85 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.95 billion. Sell-side analysts expect that Williams-Sonoma will post 13.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 24th. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 20th will be given a $0.90 dividend. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.98%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 19th. Williams-Sonomas payout ratio is 24.98%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Williams-Sonoma

In other Williams-Sonoma news, CEO Marta Benson sold 10,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $140.68, for a total value of $1,406,800.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 54,238 shares of the companys stock, valued at $7,630,201.84. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, CEO Laura Alber sold 18,189 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $154.92, for a total transaction of $2,817,839.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 545,509 shares in the company, valued at $84,510,254.28. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Marta Benson sold 10,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $140.68, for a total transaction of $1,406,800.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 54,238 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,630,201.84. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 130,000 shares of company stock valued at $19,496,290 over the last quarter. 1.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Williams-Sonoma

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Bank of Montreal Can acquired a new position in Williams-Sonoma in the second quarter valued at $3,662,000. SFE Investment Counsel boosted its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 7.6% in the second quarter. SFE Investment Counsel now owns 32,903 shares of the specialty retailers stock valued at $4,117,000 after acquiring an additional 2,331 shares in the last quarter. LPL Financial LLC boosted its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 26.2% in the first quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 30,954 shares of the specialty retailers stock valued at $3,766,000 after acquiring an additional 6,424 shares in the last quarter. MAI Capital Management boosted its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 12.5% in the first quarter. MAI Capital Management now owns 2,892 shares of the specialty retailers stock valued at $352,000 after acquiring an additional 321 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UBS Group AG boosted its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 28.2% in the first quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 308,130 shares of the specialty retailers stock valued at $37,487,000 after acquiring an additional 67,716 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.76% of the companys stock.

Williams-Sonoma Company Profile

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Williams-Sonoma, Inc operates as an omni-channel specialty retailer of various products for home. It offers cooking, dining, and entertaining products, such as cookware, tools, electrics, cutlery, tabletop and bar, outdoor, furniture, and a library of cookbooks under the Williams Sonoma Home brand, as well as home furnishings and decorative accessories under the Williams Sonoma lifestyle brand; and furniture, bedding, lighting, rugs, table essentials, and decorative accessories under the Pottery Barn brand.

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Royal Bank of Canada reiterated their outperform rating on shares of Walmart (NYSE:WMT  Free Report) in a research report released on Friday, Benzinga reports. They currently have a $168.00 target price on the retailers stock.

Several other equities analysts have also issued reports on WMT. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $185.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday. Roth Mkm lifted their target price on Walmart from $169.00 to $179.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, August 18th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on Walmart from $165.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, August 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on Walmart from $176.00 to $182.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, August 17th. Finally, Piper Sandler restated an overweight rating and set a $210.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, September 27th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-eight have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Walmart presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $179.00.

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Walmart Stock Performance

WMT stock opened at $155.30 on Friday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $162.03 and a 200 day moving average price of $157.90. Walmart has a 1-year low of $136.09 and a 1-year high of $169.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.26. The company has a market capitalization of $418.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.75, a PEG ratio of 3.23 and a beta of 0.53.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, November 16th. The retailer reported $1.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.53. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.20% and a net margin of 2.55%. The company had revenue of $160.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $159.65 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.50 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was up 5.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Walmart will post 6.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Walmart

In other Walmart news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 1,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $159.50, for a total value of $159,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 168,735 shares in the company, valued at approximately $26,913,232.50. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In other Walmart news, EVP John D. Rainey sold 1,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $159.50, for a total value of $159,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 168,735 shares in the company, valued at approximately $26,913,232.50. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP John R. Furner sold 4,375 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $162.00, for a total value of $708,750.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 269,119 shares of the companys stock, valued at $43,597,278. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 31,166 shares of company stock valued at $5,066,701 in the last three months. 46.51% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Walmart

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WMT. AMI Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in Walmart by 1.6% in the 1st quarter. AMI Investment Management Inc. now owns 8,269 shares of the retailers stock valued at $1,231,000 after buying an additional 132 shares in the last quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 36.8% during the 1st quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 4,820 shares of the retailers stock worth $718,000 after purchasing an additional 1,296 shares during the period. Covestor Ltd grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 31.7% during the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,162 shares of the retailers stock worth $173,000 after purchasing an additional 280 shares during the period. Ergoteles LLC grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 123.9% during the 1st quarter. Ergoteles LLC now owns 10,566 shares of the retailers stock worth $1,573,000 after purchasing an additional 5,847 shares during the period. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 1.7% during the 1st quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 857,839 shares of the retailers stock worth $127,749,000 after purchasing an additional 13,985 shares during the period. 33.18% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Walmart

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Walmart Inc engages in the operation of retail, wholesale, and other units worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Walmart U.S., Walmart International, and Sam's Club. It operates supercenters, supermarkets, hypermarkets, warehouse clubs, cash and carry stores, and discount stores under Walmart and Walmart Neighborhood Market brands; membership-only warehouse clubs; ecommerce websites, such as walmart.com, walmart.com.mx, walmart.ca, flipkart.com, and samsclub.com; and mobile commerce applications.

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Atmus Filtration Technologies (NYSE:ATMU  Get Free Report) lock-up period is set to expire on Wednesday, November 22nd. Atmus Filtration Technologies had issued 14,124,409 shares in its IPO on May 26th. The total size of the offering was $275,425,976 based on an initial share price of $19.50. After the end of Atmus Filtration Technologies lock-up period, company insiders and major shareholders will be able to sell their shares of the company.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have commented on ATMU. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of Atmus Filtration Technologies from $29.00 to $27.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 16th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of Atmus Filtration Technologies from $26.00 to $24.00 in a research note on Monday, October 9th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on shares of Atmus Filtration Technologies from $24.00 to $26.00 in a research note on Thursday, August 10th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus price target of $25.50.

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Atmus Filtration Technologies Price Performance

Atmus Filtration Technologies stock opened at $21.00 on Tuesday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $20.57. Atmus Filtration Technologies has a 1 year low of $18.21 and a 1 year high of $25.20. The company has a current ratio of 1.85, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 17.33.

Atmus Filtration Technologies (NYSE:ATMU  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, November 3rd. The company reported $0.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.45 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $396.20 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $390.93 million. Atmus Filtration Technologies had a net margin of 10.67% and a return on equity of 79.43%. Atmus Filtration Technologiess revenue for the quarter was down 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Atmus Filtration Technologies will post 2.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Atmus Filtration Technologies news, Director Stephen E. Macadam bought 5,200 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 9th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $19.49 per share, with a total value of $101,348.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 19,268 shares in the company, valued at $375,533.32. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Atmus Filtration Technologies

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ATMU. Franklin Resources Inc. purchased a new stake in Atmus Filtration Technologies during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $48,652,000. Citadel Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Atmus Filtration Technologies during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $34,697,000. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in Atmus Filtration Technologies during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $22,563,000. FMR LLC grew its holdings in Atmus Filtration Technologies by 193.9% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 1,077,043 shares of the companys stock worth $22,456,000 after acquiring an additional 710,540 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nuveen Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Atmus Filtration Technologies during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $14,416,000. 20.68% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Atmus Filtration Technologies

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Atmus Filtration Technologies Inc designs, manufactures, and sells filtration products under the Fleetguard brand name in North America, Europe, South America, Asia, Australia, Africa, and internationally. It offers fuel filters, lube filters, air filters, crankcase ventilation, hydraulic filters, and coolants, as well as fuel additives.

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StockNews.com upgraded shares of Barrick Gold (NYSE:GOLD  Free Report) (TSE:ABX) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report published on Friday.

A number of other equities research analysts have also weighed in on the company. Raymond James reduced their price objective on Barrick Gold from $26.00 to $25.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 13th. Veritas Investment Research downgraded Barrick Gold from a buy rating to a reduce rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 4th. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their target price on shares of Barrick Gold from $18.00 to $15.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 4th. TD Securities dropped their price target on shares of Barrick Gold from $25.00 to $22.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Monday, November 6th. Finally, CSFB reduced their price objective on shares of Barrick Gold from $22.00 to $20.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and eleven have issued a 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 price target of $22.31.

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Barrick Gold Stock Performance

Barrick Gold stock opened at $15.81 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.28, a current ratio of 3.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. The stock has a market cap of $27.75 billion, a PE ratio of 527.00, a P/E/G ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 0.46. Barrick Gold has a 12-month low of $13.82 and a 12-month high of $20.75. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $15.70 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $15.53.

Barrick Gold (NYSE:GOLD  Get Free Report) (TSE:ABX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 2nd. The gold and copper producer reported $0.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.19 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $2.86 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.93 billion. Barrick Gold had a net margin of 0.52% and a return on equity of 3.88%. The firms revenue was up 13.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.13 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Barrick Gold will post 0.82 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Barrick Gold Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 30th will be paid a $0.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 29th. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.53%. Barrick Golds dividend payout ratio is currently 1,333.33%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of GOLD. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Barrick Gold by 2.5% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 56,601,028 shares of the gold and copper producers stock valued at $1,388,423,000 after acquiring an additional 1,379,254 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. increased its stake in Barrick Gold by 3.7% during the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 44,035,714 shares of the gold and copper producers stock valued at $745,525,000 after purchasing an additional 1,570,978 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC raised its holdings in Barrick Gold by 12.2% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 43,399,480 shares of the gold and copper producers stock worth $631,228,000 after buying an additional 4,731,559 shares during the last quarter. Flossbach Von Storch AG lifted its stake in shares of Barrick Gold by 1.7% in the second quarter. Flossbach Von Storch AG now owns 34,586,641 shares of the gold and copper producers stock valued at $585,552,000 after buying an additional 585,293 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP grew its holdings in shares of Barrick Gold by 5.5% during the first quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 22,645,257 shares of the gold and copper producers stock valued at $420,218,000 after buying an additional 1,174,419 shares during the last quarter. 58.20% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Barrick Gold

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Barrick Gold Corporation is a sector-leading gold and copper producer. Its shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol GOLD and on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol ABX.



In January 2019 Barrick merged with Randgold Resources and in July that year it combined its gold mines in Nevada, USA, with those of Newmont Corporation in a joint venture, Nevada Gold Mines, which is majority-owned and operated by Barrick.

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StockNews.com upgraded shares of Forestar Group (NYSE:FOR  Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report issued on Friday morning.

Several other equities research analysts also recently commented on the stock. BTIG Research upgraded shares of Forestar Group from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $32.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Friday, July 21st. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Forestar Group from $30.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, July 24th.

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Forestar Group Price Performance

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Forestar Group

NYSE FOR opened at $31.48 on Friday. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $26.56 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $25.15. The company has a current ratio of 2.64, a quick ratio of 1.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. Forestar Group has a 12-month low of $13.72 and a 12-month high of $31.95. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.42 and a beta of 1.62.

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Federated Hermes Inc. lifted its position in Forestar Group by 1,601.6% during the third quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 1,038 shares of the oil and gas exploration companys stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 977 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Forestar Group during the third quarter valued at $32,000. Acadian Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Forestar Group during the second quarter valued at $34,000. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in Forestar Group during the first quarter valued at $35,000. Finally, JBF Capital Inc. lifted its position in Forestar Group by 25.0% during the second quarter. JBF Capital Inc. now owns 2,500 shares of the oil and gas exploration companys stock valued at $56,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the period. 35.94% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Forestar Group Company Profile

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Forestar Group Inc operates as a residential lot development company in the United States. The acquires land and develops infrastructure for single-family residential communities. It sells its residential single-family finished lots to local, regional, and national homebuilders. The company is headquartered in Arlington, Texas.

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Scientists estimate that there are about 20 quadrillion ants living on Earth with us (a quadrillion is a number with 15 zeros). Ants are found everywhere except Antarctica. We are accustomed to them and even admire their hard work and cohesion, how much these little guys can do together. They are the subject of cartoons and cautionary tales.

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But, as The Washington Post writes, one photograph can completely change the way we think about ants. This is a macro photo of a carpenter ant's head taken by Lithuanian photographer Eugenijus Kavaliauskas, who won a prize at the Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition in 2022.

The photo was shared on Twitter. Rebecca McKendree, a filmmaker, scientist, and horror movie fan, posted it with the caption: "A shot from a horror movie? No. This is a real ant head. Ants. Now you'll have to think about this all night." Her followers responded that such images should be hidden under a warning plate, and also posted similar images from horror films and even recalled Paul Rudd as Ant-Man from Marvel movies.

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The insect does look quite predatory in the photo, like a fantastic monster or alien. Kavaliauskas made this shot by enlarging the image of the ant five times under a stereomicroscope with 10x magnification. The Lithuanian began his career as a photographer by taking pictures of birds of prey, winning several professional awards for them. But four years ago, he became interested in the idea of revealing the secrets of the microcosm and started shooting through a microscope. "There are no horrors in nature, only a lack of knowledge. When I started microphotography and before that, I was like everyone else - all bugs and insects were monsters for me. Now the situation has completely changed. Many insects are not as pleasing to the eye as a cat, but it all depends on your point of view," explains Kavaliauskas.

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The idea to photograph the carpenter ant came to him when he was looking at these creatures in the forest near his home in Tauraz, Lithuania. The resulting shot does look ominous, but in reality, it's not that scary. The small, close-set red eyes are actually where sensitive antennae are attached to the head. And what looks like sharp yellow teeth are sensitive hairs that ants use to communicate and sense their environment.

"If you took a picture of the same ant's head from a little further away, it would almost be cute," says Miles Maxer, a National Science Foundation research scientist in the Department of Entomology and Nematology at the University of Florida. According to him, some ants even look fluffy from a certain angle.

In reality, scientists point out that the carpenter ant from the frightening photo is a very useful creature. These creatures help to spread plant seeds, loosen the soil, enriching it with air, and recycle a lot of natural waste, including rotten wood.

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Carpenter ants also have their own "livestock". They have entered into a symbiosis with aphids, tiny bugs that feed on plant juices, turning them into honeydew. Ants love this nutritious liquid. Therefore, they began to protect aphids from predators and keep them warm in the winter months to get their favorite food from them.

"These ants are raising aphids, just like people raise cattle. We protect our dairy cows, feed them, make sure that nothing harms them, and in return we get milk. Actually, carpenter ants do the same thing, but they get honeydew," says Maxsser.

The scientist also described this species of ants as outstanding engineers who use incredibly complex architecture to build their nests. Carpenter ants have also mastered agriculture and grow mushrooms. And they are also very social creatures with organized colonies that can compete with any large city in terms of orderliness. So these "monsters" actually have a lot in common with humans.

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That's why Miles Maxer urged us not to be influenced by the frightening photo by Eugenijus Kavaliauskas. Moreover, ants are crucial for the stability of ecosystems. If you remove them from an area completely, it will face dramatic changes and even ecological disaster and complete extinction without all the work that these little bugs do. And you should think about this before you crush an ant or lose sleep over a photo on the Internet.

As OBOZREVATEL wrote, the contest for the best wildlife photo was won by a picture of a bee orgy.
StockNews.com downgraded shares of CEMEX (NYSE:CX  Free Report) from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research note released on Friday morning.

Other analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on CEMEX from $8.00 to $9.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, July 28th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on CEMEX from $9.00 to $12.00 in a research note on Friday, July 28th. Barclays lifted their target price on CEMEX from $8.00 to $9.00 in a research note on Friday, July 28th. Finally, Citigroup reiterated a buy rating and set a $8.20 price target on shares of CEMEX in a research report on Thursday, November 2nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $8.47.

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CEMEX Trading Down 3.6 %

Shares of NYSE CX opened at $6.73 on Friday. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $6.49 and its 200 day simple moving average is $6.94. The company has a current ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The company has a market cap of $9.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.57 and a beta of 1.41. CEMEX has a 12-month low of $3.98 and a 12-month high of $8.46.

CEMEX (NYSE:CX  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 26th. The construction company reported $0.09 earnings per share for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $4.57 billion for the quarter. CEMEX had a return on equity of 3.80% and a net margin of 3.09%. Equities research analysts expect that CEMEX will post 0.78 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CEMEX

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Mariner LLC grew its holdings in shares of CEMEX by 9.7% in the 3rd quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 17,076 shares of the construction companys stock worth $111,000 after acquiring an additional 1,505 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC boosted its position in CEMEX by 8.2% during the second quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 20,433 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $145,000 after purchasing an additional 1,547 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its position in CEMEX by 4.4% during the third quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 39,016 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $254,000 after purchasing an additional 1,662 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its position in CEMEX by 6.3% during the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 31,902 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $226,000 after purchasing an additional 1,890 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Inspire Advisors LLC boosted its position in CEMEX by 15.8% during the second quarter. Inspire Advisors LLC now owns 16,961 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $120,000 after purchasing an additional 2,314 shares during the last quarter. 31.81% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About CEMEX

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CEMEX, SAB. de C.V., together with its subsidiaries, produces, markets, distributes, and sells cement, ready-mix concrete, aggregates, urbanization solutions, and other construction materials worldwide. The company also offers asphalt, concrete blocks, concrete block paving, rail sleepers, and flooring systems; architectural concrete products; and box culverts, bridges, drainage basins, barriers, and parking curbs.

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Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile (NYSE:SQM  Free Report) had its target price cut by BMO Capital Markets from $80.00 to $75.00 in a research report released on Friday morning, Benzinga reports. They currently have an outperform rating on the basic materials companys stock.

Several other research analysts have also recently weighed in on SQM. Loop Capital reduced their price target on Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile from $83.00 to $71.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research report on Monday, August 28th. Scotiabank upgraded Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile from a sector perform rating to a sector outperform rating and set a $84.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 26th. Citigroup began coverage on Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile in a research report on Tuesday, September 12th. They issued a buy rating and a $85.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile from $93.00 to $75.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 5th. Finally, Bank of America reissued an underperform rating and set a $59.00 price objective (down previously from $69.00) on shares of Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile in a research note on Wednesday, October 18th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $76.61.

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Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile Stock Performance

Shares of Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile stock opened at $52.54 on Friday. Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile has a 12 month low of $44.86 and a 12 month high of $101.73. The company has a current ratio of 2.39, a quick ratio of 1.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $53.79 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $64.40. The firm has a market capitalization of $15.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.07, a P/E/G ratio of 0.38 and a beta of 1.06.

Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile (NYSE:SQM  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 15th. The basic materials company reported $1.68 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $2.52 by ($0.84). Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile had a net margin of 31.87% and a return on equity of 57.87%. The company had revenue of $1.84 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.96 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $3.85 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile will post 8.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 2nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 1st were given a $0.6094 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, November 2nd. This is a positive change from Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chiles previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. This represents a $2.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.64%. Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chiles dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 15.24%.

Institutional Trading of Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of SQM. Creative Planning increased its holdings in Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile by 16.2% in the third quarter. Creative Planning now owns 44,316 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $2,644,000 after buying an additional 6,185 shares during the last quarter. Tejara Capital Ltd bought a new stake in Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile in the third quarter valued at about $895,000. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV bought a new stake in Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile in the third quarter valued at about $218,000. Toroso Investments LLC increased its holdings in Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile by 0.5% in the third quarter. Toroso Investments LLC now owns 64,071 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $3,823,000 after buying an additional 338 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GSA Capital Partners LLP bought a new stake in Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile in the third quarter valued at about $236,000. 14.94% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile Company Profile

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Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile SA produces and distributes specialty plant nutrients, iodine derivatives, lithium derivatives, potassium chloride and sulfate, industrial chemicals, and other products and services. The company offers specialty plant nutrients, including potassium nitrate, sodium nitrate, sodium potassium nitrate, specialty blends, and other specialty fertilizers.

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Copa (NYSE:CPA  Free Report) had its price target hoisted by Raymond James from $152.00 to $155.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday, Benzinga reports. Raymond James currently has a strong-buy rating on the transportation companys stock.

Several other research firms have also commented on CPA. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Copa in a report on Thursday, October 5th. They set a hold rating on the stock. TD Cowen reduced their target price on shares of Copa from $130.00 to $125.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 11th. TheStreet cut shares of Copa from a b- rating to a c+ rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 1st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of Copa from $160.00 to $170.00 in a research report on Monday, September 18th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Buy and an average target price of $135.89.

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Copa Price Performance

CPA stock opened at $94.60 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.68 and a current ratio of 0.74. Copa has a 52 week low of $78.12 and a 52 week high of $121.20. The firms fifty day moving average is $87.30 and its 200 day moving average is $100.09. The firm has a market cap of $3.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.04, a P/E/G ratio of 0.33 and a beta of 1.37.

Copa (NYSE:CPA  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, November 16th. The transportation company reported $4.39 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.62 by $0.77. Copa had a net margin of 12.07% and a return on equity of 42.85%. The company had revenue of $867.71 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $870.57 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.91 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was up 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that Copa will post 14.52 earnings per share for the current year.

Copa Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 30th will be given a $0.82 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, November 29th. This represents a $3.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.47%. Copas dividend payout ratio is 31.36%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Copa

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Copa by 2.9% in the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,925 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $362,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares during the period. PDT Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Copa by 0.3% in the 2nd quarter. PDT Partners LLC now owns 39,461 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $4,364,000 after purchasing an additional 112 shares during the period. Gardner Lewis Asset Management L P lifted its position in shares of Copa by 0.6% in the 1st quarter. Gardner Lewis Asset Management L P now owns 19,542 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $1,805,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares during the period. Credit Agricole S A lifted its position in shares of Copa by 1.4% in the 2nd quarter. Credit Agricole S A now owns 9,370 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $1,036,000 after purchasing an additional 131 shares during the period. Finally, Huntington National Bank lifted its position in shares of Copa by 54.6% in the 2nd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 388 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 137 shares during the period. 81.94% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Copa

(Get Free Report)

Copa Holdings, SA, through its subsidiaries, provides airline passenger and cargo services. The company offers approximately 327 daily scheduled flights to 78 destinations in 32 countries in North, Central, and South America, as well as the Caribbean from its Panama City hub. As of December 31, 2022, it operated a fleet of 97 aircraft comprising 67 Boeing 737-800 Next Generation aircraft, 9 Boeing 737-700 Next Generation aircraft, 1 Boeing 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter, and 20 737-MAX aircraft.

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W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW  Get Free Report) has earned an average recommendation of Hold from the seven ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $749.57.

GWW has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $647.00 to $653.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research note on Friday, July 28th. UBS Group decreased their target price on W.W. Grainger from $820.00 to $750.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Monday, August 28th. StockNews.com started coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Thursday, October 5th. They set a buy rating for the company. Robert W. Baird decreased their target price on W.W. Grainger from $795.00 to $790.00 in a report on Friday, July 28th. Finally, Stephens reaffirmed an equal weight rating and set a $775.00 target price on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Friday, August 18th.

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Insider Buying and Selling at W.W. Grainger

Institutional Trading of W.W. Grainger

In other W.W. Grainger news, SVP Matt Fortin sold 3,439 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $735.85, for a total value of $2,530,588.15. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 2,462 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,811,662.70. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink . 9.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. BlackRock Inc. increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 7.2% in the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 4,372,006 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $3,447,721,000 after buying an additional 294,558 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 17.2% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 1,396,928 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $966,451,000 after buying an additional 204,507 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 739.2% in the first quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,090,813 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $88,545,000 after buying an additional 960,833 shares in the last quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 0.5% during the second quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 1,074,055 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $846,989,000 after purchasing an additional 5,744 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 2.7% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,054,372 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $829,498,000 after purchasing an additional 27,222 shares in the last quarter. 71.24% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

Shares of GWW stock opened at $808.77 on Tuesday. W.W. Grainger has a 1-year low of $534.01 and a 1-year high of $811.60. The stocks 50-day moving average is $724.39 and its 200 day moving average is $720.79. The company has a market cap of $40.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.55, a PEG ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 2.85 and a quick ratio of 1.69.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 26th. The industrial products company reported $9.43 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $8.85 by $0.58. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 58.02% and a net margin of 11.16%. The company had revenue of $4.21 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.22 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $8.27 earnings per share. The firms revenue was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that W.W. Grainger will post 36.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 13th will be issued a $1.86 dividend. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.92%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 10th. W.W. Graingers payout ratio is presently 20.75%.

About W.W. Grainger

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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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Newmont Co. (NYSE:NEM  Get Free Report) has been given an average rating of Moderate Buy by the fifteen analysts that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $56.20.

A number of analysts recently commented on NEM shares. TD Securities lowered their price objective on Newmont from $55.00 to $46.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Monday, October 30th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an outperform rating and set a $58.00 price target (down previously from $65.00) on shares of Newmont in a research report on Tuesday, November 7th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a sector perform rating and set a $52.00 price target on shares of Newmont in a research report on Wednesday, September 6th. Raymond James lowered their target price on shares of Newmont from $59.00 to $57.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 27th. Finally, UBS Group lowered their target price on shares of Newmont from $53.00 to $42.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, August 29th.

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Insider Transactions at Newmont

Institutional Trading of Newmont

In related news, CEO Thomas Ronald Palmer sold 11,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $39.91, for a total transaction of $439,010.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 256,039 shares in the company, valued at $10,218,516.49. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website . In other Newmont news, COO Robert D. Atkinson sold 5,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.47, for a total transaction of $200,585.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 70,751 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,580,288.97. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link . Also, CEO Thomas Ronald Palmer sold 11,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $39.91, for a total value of $439,010.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 256,039 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,218,516.49. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders sold 50,049 shares of company stock valued at $1,901,528 in the last ninety days. 0.07% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S lifted its position in Newmont by 66.6% during the second quarter. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S now owns 32,609 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $1,391,000 after acquiring an additional 13,038 shares during the last quarter. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich lifted its holdings in shares of Newmont by 101,647.2% during the second quarter. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich now owns 547,513,832 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $23,356,940,000 after buying an additional 546,975,720 shares in the last quarter. Private Trust Co. NA lifted its holdings in shares of Newmont by 62.5% during the second quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 1,233 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $53,000 after buying an additional 474 shares in the last quarter. Wintrust Investments LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Newmont by 5.9% during the second quarter. Wintrust Investments LLC now owns 31,297 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $1,335,000 after buying an additional 1,738 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Howe & Rusling Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Newmont by 15.4% during the first quarter. Howe & Rusling Inc. now owns 75,772 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $3,714,000 after buying an additional 10,112 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 79.53% of the companys stock.

Newmont Trading Up 0.6 %

NEM opened at $36.56 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 2.12, a quick ratio of 1.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The stock has a market capitalization of $29.06 billion, a PE ratio of -35.50, a PEG ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.41. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $37.97 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $40.57. Newmont has a 1-year low of $33.58 and a 1-year high of $60.08.

Newmont (NYSE:NEM  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 26th. The basic materials company reported $0.36 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.42 by ($0.06). The firm had revenue of $2.49 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.20 billion. Newmont had a negative net margin of 7.35% and a positive return on equity of 6.28%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Newmont will post 1.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Newmont Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 22nd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 30th will be given a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.38%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, November 29th. Newmonts dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -155.34%.

Newmont Company Profile

(Get 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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Martin Marietta Materials (NYSE:MLM  Get Free Report) and Buzzi (OTCMKTS:BZZUY  Get Free Report) are both basic materials companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, risk, earnings, profitability, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership and dividends.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations and price targets for Martin Marietta Materials and Buzzi, as reported by MarketBeat.

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Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Martin Marietta Materials 1 3 11 0 2.67 Buzzi 0 3 1 0 2.25

Martin Marietta Materials presently has a consensus price target of $471.79, suggesting a potential upside of 3.64%. Given Martin Marietta Materials stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities analysts plainly believe Martin Marietta Materials is more favorable than Buzzi.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

Dividends

93.2% of Martin Marietta Materials shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 0.2% of Buzzi shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.6% of Martin Marietta Materials shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Martin Marietta Materials pays an annual dividend of $2.96 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.7%. Buzzi pays an annual dividend of $0.02 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.1%. Martin Marietta Materials pays out 17.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Buzzi pays out -25.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Martin Marietta Materials has increased its dividend for 8 consecutive years. Martin Marietta Materials is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Profitability

This table compares Martin Marietta Materials and Buzzis net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Martin Marietta Materials 16.10% 14.89% 7.34% Buzzi N/A N/A N/A

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Martin Marietta Materials and Buzzis gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Martin Marietta Materials $6.65 billion 4.23 $866.80 million $17.23 26.42 Buzzi N/A N/A N/A ($0.06) -225.79

Martin Marietta Materials has higher revenue and earnings than Buzzi. Buzzi is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Martin Marietta Materials, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Summary

Martin Marietta Materials beats Buzzi on 13 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Martin Marietta Materials

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Martin Marietta Materials, Inc., a natural resource-based building materials company, supplies aggregates and heavy-side building materials to the construction industry in the United States and internationally. It offers crushed stone, sand, and gravel products; ready mixed concrete and asphalt; paving products and services; and Portland and specialty cement for use in the infrastructure projects, and nonresidential and residential construction markets, as well as in the railroad, agricultural, utility, and environmental industries. The company also produces magnesia-based chemicals products; dolomitic lime primarily to customers for steel production and soil stabilization; and cement treated materials. Its chemical products are used in flame retardants, wastewater treatment, pulp and paper production, and other environmental applications. Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. was founded in 1939 and is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina.

About Buzzi

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Buzzi S.p.A., together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, distributes, and sells cement, ready-mix concrete, and aggregates. It has operations primarily in Italy, the United States, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Mexico, and Brazil. Buzzi S.p.A. was formerly known as Buzzi Unicem S.p.A. and changed its name to Buzzi S.p.A. in May 2023. The company was founded in 1872 and is headquartered in Casale Monferrato, Italy. Buzzi S.p.A. is a subsidiary of Fimedi  S.P.A.

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EastGroup Properties (NYSE:EGP  Get Free Report) and WPT Industrial Real Estate Investment Trust (OTCMKTS:WPTIF  Get Free Report) are both real estate companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, valuation, dividends, earnings, analyst recommendations, profitability and risk.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of recent ratings for EastGroup Properties and WPT Industrial Real Estate Investment Trust, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

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Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score EastGroup Properties 0 4 6 0 2.60 WPT Industrial Real Estate Investment Trust 0 0 0 0 N/A

EastGroup Properties presently has a consensus target price of $186.08, suggesting a potential upside of 8.87%. Given EastGroup Properties higher probable upside, equities research analysts clearly believe EastGroup Properties is more favorable than WPT Industrial Real Estate Investment Trust.

Profitability

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets EastGroup Properties 31.87% 8.19% 4.21% WPT Industrial Real Estate Investment Trust N/A N/A N/A

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares EastGroup Properties and WPT Industrial Real Estate Investment Trusts net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

This table compares EastGroup Properties and WPT Industrial Real Estate Investment Trusts revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio EastGroup Properties $551.28 million 14.36 $186.18 million $3.95 43.27 WPT Industrial Real Estate Investment Trust N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

EastGroup Properties has higher revenue and earnings than WPT Industrial Real Estate Investment Trust.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

90.7% of EastGroup Properties shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.5% of EastGroup Properties shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

EastGroup Properties beats WPT Industrial Real Estate Investment Trust on 8 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks.

About EastGroup Properties

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EastGroup Properties, Inc. (NYSE: EGP), a member of the S&P Mid-Cap 400 and Russell 1000 Indexes, is a self-administered equity real estate investment trust focused on the development, acquisition and operation of industrial properties in major Sunbelt markets throughout the United States with an emphasis in the states of Florida, Texas, Arizona, California and North Carolina. The Company's goal is to maximize shareholder value by being a leading provider in its markets of functional, flexible and quality business distribution space for location sensitive customers (primarily in the 20,000 to 100,000 square foot range). The Company's strategy for growth is based on ownership of premier distribution facilities generally clustered near major transportation features in supply-constrained submarkets. The Company's portfolio, including development projects and value-add acquisitions in lease-up and under construction, currently includes approximately 59 million square feet.

About WPT Industrial Real Estate Investment Trust

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WPT Industrial Real Estate Investment Trust engages in the acquisition, development, and owning industrial investment properties. It focuses on the warehouse and distribution properties. The company was founded on March 4, 2013 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

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Shares of Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited (NYSE:HMY  Get Free Report) gapped up prior to trading on Tuesday . The stock had previously closed at $5.49, but opened at $5.60. Harmony Gold Mining shares last traded at $5.76, with a volume of 1,249,344 shares.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on HMY shares. HSBC raised shares of Harmony Gold Mining from a reduce rating to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 14th. Morgan Stanley downgraded shares of Harmony Gold Mining from an equal weight rating to an underweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Harmony Gold Mining from $3.80 to $3.40 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 12th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Harmony Gold Mining from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $3.40.

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Harmony Gold Mining Trading Up 4.2 %

Harmony Gold Mining Increases Dividend

The firm has a market cap of $3.55 billion, a PE ratio of 8.22, a PEG ratio of 0.40 and a beta of 1.40. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 1.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $4.52 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $4.41.

The company also recently declared a Semi-Annual dividend, which was paid on Monday, October 23rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 13th were issued a dividend of $0.032 per share. This is a boost from Harmony Gold Minings previous Semi-Annual dividend of $0.01. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, October 12th. This represents a dividend yield of 0.8%. Harmony Gold Minings dividend payout ratio is presently 4.48%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Harmony Gold Mining

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Point72 Middle East FZE purchased a new stake in Harmony Gold Mining in the second quarter worth approximately $38,000. LPL Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Harmony Gold Mining during the 3rd quarter valued at $38,000. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Harmony Gold Mining by 137.5% during the 2nd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 10,273 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 5,948 shares during the period. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Harmony Gold Mining during the first quarter valued at $54,000. Finally, O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Harmony Gold Mining during the third quarter valued at $43,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 28.33% of the companys stock.

About Harmony Gold Mining

(Get Free Report)

Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited engages in the exploration, extraction, and processing of gold. The company explores for uranium, silver, copper, and molybdenum deposits. It has eight underground operations in the Witwatersrand Basin; an open-pit mine on the Kraaipan Greenstone Belt; and various surface source operations in South Africa.

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Southern (NYSE:SO  Get Free Report) had its price target lowered by Mizuho from $76.00 to $73.00 in a research note issued on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the utilities providers stock. Mizuhos price target points to a potential upside of 5.13% from the companys previous close.

SO has been the topic of a number of other research reports. BMO Capital Markets cut their price objective on shares of Southern from $72.00 to $70.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 31st. Barclays reduced their price objective on Southern from $68.00 to $64.00 in a research note on Thursday, October 5th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Southern from $75.00 to $74.00 in a report on Friday, August 4th. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH started coverage on shares of Southern in a research note on Wednesday, August 9th. They set a buy rating and a $72.00 price target for the company. Finally, Guggenheim reduced their price objective on shares of Southern from $80.00 to $72.00 in a report on Monday, October 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $72.80.

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Southern Stock Down 0.5 %

Insider Activity

Southern stock opened at $69.44 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $67.67 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $69.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.59, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a current ratio of 0.84. Southern has a 52-week low of $58.85 and a 52-week high of $75.80. The firm has a market cap of $75.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.07, a PEG ratio of 4.86 and a beta of 0.55.

In other Southern news, CEO Stephen E. Kuczynski sold 5,000 shares of Southern stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.83, for a total transaction of $339,150.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 121,284 shares of the companys stock, valued at $8,226,693.72. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, CEO Stephen E. Kuczynski sold 5,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.83, for a total transaction of $339,150.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 121,284 shares of the companys stock, valued at $8,226,693.72. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Martin Bernard Davis sold 1,490 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.05, for a total value of $99,904.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 72,756 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,878,289.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 31,490 shares of company stock worth $2,146,405. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Southern

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of SO. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its position in shares of Southern by 2.1% in the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 61,472,651 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $4,277,269,000 after acquiring an additional 1,283,943 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Southern by 5.0% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 38,906,760 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $2,518,045,000 after buying an additional 1,838,857 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Southern by 2.3% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 19,816,104 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $1,387,945,000 after buying an additional 452,511 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its stake in Southern by 4.2% during the second quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 16,070,918 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $1,128,982,000 after acquiring an additional 642,737 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital Research Global Investors grew its holdings in Southern by 8.0% in the second quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 11,910,166 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $836,689,000 after purchasing an additional 883,544 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.85% of the companys stock.

About Southern

(Get Free Report)

The Southern Company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity. It operates through three segments: Gas Distribution Operations, Gas Pipeline Investments, and Gas Marketing Services. The company also develops, constructs, acquires, owns, and manages power generation assets, including renewable energy projects and sells electricity in the wholesale market; and distributes natural gas in Illinois, Georgia, Virginia, and Tennessee, as well as provides gas marketing services, gas distribution operations, and gas pipeline investments operations.

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New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc. (NYSE:EDU  Get Free Report) gapped down before the market opened on Tuesday . The stock had previously closed at $71.35, but opened at $69.17. New Oriental Education & Technology Group shares last traded at $71.75, with a volume of 139,118 shares traded.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on EDU shares. Morgan Stanley started coverage on New Oriental Education & Technology Group in a research report on Tuesday, November 7th. They set an overweight rating and a $81.00 target price on the stock. UBS Group lifted their price target on New Oriental Education & Technology Group from $65.00 to $71.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 27th. StockNews.com raised New Oriental Education & Technology Group from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, October 26th. TheStreet raised New Oriental Education & Technology Group from a d+ rating to a c- rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 26th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price target on New Oriental Education & Technology Group from $42.00 to $66.00 in a research report on Wednesday, September 27th.

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New Oriental Education & Technology Group Stock Up 0.4 %

The company has a market cap of $12.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.84 and a beta of 0.55. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $62.23 and a 200 day simple moving average of $51.66.

New Oriental Education & Technology Group (NYSE:EDU  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, October 25th. The company reported $1.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.80 by $0.33. The business had revenue of $1.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.01 billion. New Oriental Education & Technology Group had a return on equity of 7.38% and a net margin of 8.25%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 47.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.38 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts expect that New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc. will post 1.97 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. BlackRock Inc. increased its holdings in shares of New Oriental Education & Technology Group by 2.4% in the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 64,329,110 shares of the companys stock valued at $73,977,000 after purchasing an additional 1,492,990 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC boosted its stake in shares of New Oriental Education & Technology Group by 130.8% in the first quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 37,490,100 shares of the companys stock valued at $43,114,000 after buying an additional 21,246,644 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its stake in shares of New Oriental Education & Technology Group by 11.4% in the first quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 9,078,131 shares of the companys stock valued at $10,441,000 after buying an additional 932,613 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC boosted its stake in shares of New Oriental Education & Technology Group by 92.7% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 6,631,500 shares of the companys stock valued at $388,274,000 after buying an additional 3,189,254 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bridgewater Associates LP boosted its stake in shares of New Oriental Education & Technology Group by 48.9% in the first quarter. Bridgewater Associates LP now owns 6,201,032 shares of the companys stock valued at $7,131,000 after buying an additional 2,035,926 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.51% of the companys stock.

About New Oriental Education & Technology Group

(Get Free Report)

New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc provides private educational services under the New Oriental brand in the People's Republic of China. The company operates through four segments: Educational Services and Test Preparation Courses; Online Education and Other Services; Overseas Study Consulting Services; and Educational Materials and Distribution.

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Ukrainians continue to prepare for a difficult winter, which the Russian occupiers will try to spoil as much as possible. In particular, to damage the systems of electricity supply, heating, water supply and drainage, and gas supply to the civilian population.

ADVERTISIMENT

The advice of experienced tourists can be especially useful. Thus, a Twitter user under the name _farba_ posted a thread in which she listed things that will help keep you warm, fed and not freeze even in truly extreme conditions.

Clothing

On the eve of winter, _farba_ advises buying a set of fleece clothes. It works well with other layers, warms well and dries quickly. Moreover, it can be bought cheaply at a second-hand store.

Thermal underwear should also be a must-have this winter. Together with fleece clothing, it allows you to stay warm even in severe cold. For home and the city, things with wool are suitable. When choosing thermal underwear, you should pay attention to Ukrainian manufacturers - they often have high-quality products for relatively little money.

Cooking

According to the blogger, a tourist stove with a 450 ml gas cylinder will allow you to cook three meals a day for a week, as well as make hot tea and coffee. But you will need to buy special cookware. If you can't find it, then _farba_ advises using small containers to heat only the volume of water and food that you will eat or drink later. This will save gas. Refilling such a cylinder costs 50-75 UAH.

ADVERTISIMENT

To save gas, you should also stock up on food that can be prepared quickly and easily. This can be couscous and oatmeal or buckwheat flakes, which can be simply poured with boiling water. Buckwheat and chickpeas can also be covered with water in the evening and quickly reheated in the morning. You can also use pre-made soups and borscht, or the same dishes in bags.

If you can stock up on freeze-dried food, do so. Simpler options can now be found in regular supermarkets.

Hygiene.

If the amount of water for hygiene procedures is limited, a washcloth mitt will come in handy. Even 1 liter of water is enough to wash completely with it, the blogger says.

Sleep

A sleeping bag and a tent are a hiker's best friends. A fleece liner for a sleeping bag adds warmth and is a more hygienic option for bedding in this case.

ADVERTISIMENT

Instead of an electric sheet or electric blanket, the blogger recommends buying pajamas, because there may be no electricity, and warm pajamas will warm you up even without it.

The tent can be set up indoors in case the heating goes out. Experienced tourists claim that it is warmer to sleep in it.

Lighting.

The blogger advises to buy economical LED lamps that run on a battery or power bank in advance. They are inexpensive and can work for more than a day on a single charge.

Another good solution is an LED garland that runs on batteries or USB.

Instead of a regular flashlight, _farba_ advises using a headlamp, which will free up your hands.

Communication and resource saving

To save battery power in gadgets, the blogger advises turning off all types of communication - Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and even not connecting to a cellular network unless necessary. Airplane mode will be helpful, as even the most demanding smartphones can survive for several days.

ADVERTISIMENT

It's better to have several power banks at once, and choose according to reviews, because some manufacturers lie about their capacity. Small external batteries, which can only half charge a smartphone, will also not be superfluous, the blogger says.

As OBOZREVATEL previously reported, Kharkiv blogger Pavlo Pakhomenko has compiled his list of gadgets that will be needed in winter to survive in extreme conditions.
FSB Premier Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in The Charles Schwab Co. (NYSE:SCHW  Free Report) by 8.5% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 4,640 shares of the financial services providers stock after purchasing an additional 365 shares during the quarter. FSB Premier Wealth Management Inc.s holdings in Charles Schwab were worth $263,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Key Financial Inc lifted its position in Charles Schwab by 144.3% during the second quarter. Key Financial Inc now owns 447 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 264 shares in the last quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Charles Schwab during the second quarter worth $28,000. Global Trust Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Charles Schwab by 633.8% during the second quarter. Global Trust Asset Management LLC now owns 521 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 450 shares in the last quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. lifted its position in shares of Charles Schwab by 1,236.6% during the second quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 548 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 507 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Worth Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Charles Schwab during the first quarter worth $32,000. 81.61% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insider Activity at Charles Schwab

In related news, Director Paula A. Sneed sold 6,918 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.98, for a total value of $345,761.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 112,398 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,617,652.04. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other Charles Schwab news, CFO Peter B. Crawford sold 3,114 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $56.19, for a total value of $174,975.66. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 41,611 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,338,122.09. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Paula A. Sneed sold 6,918 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.98, for a total transaction of $345,761.64. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 112,398 shares of the companys stock, valued at $5,617,652.04. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 21,824 shares of company stock worth $1,214,937 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 6.60% of the companys stock.

Charles Schwab Stock Performance

Shares of Charles Schwab stock traded down $0.29 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $56.27. 871,045 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 15,380,830. The stocks fifty day moving average is $53.96 and its 200 day moving average is $56.35. The stock has a market cap of $99.69 billion, a PE ratio of 18.86, a P/E/G ratio of 2.46 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a current ratio of 0.66. The Charles Schwab Co. has a 12 month low of $45.00 and a 12 month high of $86.63.

Charles Schwab (NYSE:SCHW  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, October 16th. The financial services provider reported $0.77 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.75 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $4.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.62 billion. Charles Schwab had a net margin of 30.14% and a return on equity of 24.58%. The companys quarterly revenue was down 16.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.10 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that The Charles Schwab Co. will post 3.16 EPS for the current year.

Charles Schwab Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 24th. Investors of record on Friday, November 10th will be given a $0.25 dividend. 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 1.78%. Charles Schwabs dividend payout ratio is presently 33.33%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Piper Sandler reduced their target price on shares of Charles Schwab from $86.00 to $75.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 9th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of Charles Schwab from $71.00 to $64.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 11th. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Charles Schwab from $55.00 to $57.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 17th. JMP Securities reaffirmed a market outperform rating and issued a $77.00 price target on shares of Charles Schwab in a report on Tuesday, October 17th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Charles Schwab from $92.00 to $85.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 17th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $69.91.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on SCHW

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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ExodusPoint Capital Management LP lessened its holdings in The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TRV  Free Report) by 7.5% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 94,708 shares of the insurance providers stock after selling 7,676 shares during the quarter. ExodusPoint Capital Management LPs holdings in Travelers Companies were worth $16,447,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Nordwand Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Travelers Companies in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $26,000. FWL Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Travelers Companies in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. RFP Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in Travelers Companies in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Northwest Capital Management Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Travelers Companies during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Nemes Rush Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Travelers Companies during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.12% of the companys stock.

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Insider Buying and Selling at Travelers Companies

In other news, EVP Andy F. Bessette sold 3,797 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, November 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $169.38, for a total transaction of $643,135.86. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 13,005 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,202,786.90. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 1.29% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Travelers Companies from $185.00 to $183.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 11th. Oppenheimer assumed coverage on shares of Travelers Companies in a research report on Thursday, November 16th. They set a market perform rating for the company. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Travelers Companies in a research report on Thursday, October 5th. They set a hold rating for the company. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Travelers Companies from $181.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, October 20th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Travelers Companies from $185.00 to $172.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 17th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $191.17.

Get Our Latest Stock Report on Travelers Companies

Travelers Companies Trading Up 0.2 %

Shares of TRV opened at $172.10 on Tuesday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $166.09 and a two-hundred day moving average of $169.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 0.34 and a current ratio of 0.34. The company has a market capitalization of $39.31 billion, a PE ratio of 18.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.58. The Travelers Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $157.33 and a fifty-two week high of $194.51.

Travelers Companies (NYSE:TRV  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 18th. The insurance provider reported $1.95 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.93 by ($0.98). The business had revenue of $10.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.42 billion. Travelers Companies had a net margin of 5.45% and a return on equity of 10.41%. The companys revenue was up 14.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.20 earnings per share. As a group, analysts forecast that The Travelers Companies, Inc. will post 11.1 EPS for the current year.

Travelers Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 29th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 8th will be issued a $1.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, December 7th. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.32%. Travelers Companiess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 43.29%.

Travelers Companies 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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Rhenman & Partners Asset Management AB reduced its stake in Veeva Systems Inc. (NYSE:VEEV  Free Report) by 5.4% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 35,000 shares of the technology companys stock after selling 2,000 shares during the quarter. Rhenman & Partners Asset Management ABs holdings in Veeva Systems were worth $6,921,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in VEEV. Arizona State Retirement System raised its holdings in Veeva Systems by 8.2% in the 2nd quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 41,520 shares of the technology companys stock worth $8,210,000 after acquiring an additional 3,154 shares during the last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Veeva Systems by 739.5% in the first quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 5,104 shares of the technology companys stock worth $909,000 after purchasing an additional 4,496 shares during the last quarter. BOKF NA lifted its holdings in shares of Veeva Systems by 20.9% during the first quarter. BOKF NA now owns 14,851 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $2,729,000 after purchasing an additional 2,564 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC boosted its position in shares of Veeva Systems by 18.0% during the first quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 152,170 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $27,966,000 after buying an additional 23,251 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vontobel Holding Ltd. increased its holdings in Veeva Systems by 4.2% in the 2nd quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 32,902 shares of the technology companys stock worth $6,506,000 after buying an additional 1,324 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.07% of the companys stock.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In other Veeva Systems news, EVP Alan Mateo sold 13,801 shares of Veeva Systems stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $197.67, for a total value of $2,728,043.67. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 20,718 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,095,327.06. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other news, EVP Alan Mateo sold 13,801 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $197.67, for a total value of $2,728,043.67. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 20,718 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,095,327.06. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, COO Thomas D. Schwenger sold 1,238 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.00, for a total value of $272,360.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 21,329 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,692,380. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 39,768 shares of company stock worth $7,990,190. Insiders own 10.98% of the companys stock.

Veeva Systems Price Performance

Shares of VEEV stock traded down $0.86 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $177.85. The company had a trading volume of 184,357 shares, compared to its average volume of 989,090. The company has a market capitalization of $28.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 53.83, a P/E/G ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.87. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $197.96 and its 200-day moving average price is $194.68. Veeva Systems Inc. has a 52-week low of $157.00 and a 52-week high of $225.49.

Veeva Systems (NYSE:VEEV  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 30th. The technology company reported $1.21 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.13 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $590.23 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $582.28 million. Veeva Systems had a return on equity of 10.89% and a net margin of 24.20%. The firms revenue was up 10.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.56 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that Veeva Systems Inc. will post 2.73 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on VEEV shares. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Veeva Systems from $175.00 to $205.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, August 31st. Raymond James cut their target price on shares of Veeva Systems from $240.00 to $200.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 10th. Barclays increased their price target on Veeva Systems from $227.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, September 13th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an outperform rating and issued a $225.00 price objective on shares of Veeva Systems in a report on Thursday, August 31st. Finally, Piper Sandler lowered their target price on Veeva Systems from $235.00 to $200.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and seventeen have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Veeva Systems presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $218.83.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on VEEV

Veeva Systems Profile

(Free Report)

Veeva Systems Inc provides cloud-based software for the life sciences industry. It offers Veeva Commercial Cloud, a suite of software and data solutions, such as Veeva customer relationship management (CRM) that enable customer-facing employees at pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies; Veeva Vault PromoMats, an end-to-end content and digital asset management solution; Veeva Vault Medical that provides source of medical content across multiple channels and geographies; Veeva Crossix, an analytics platform for pharmaceutical brands; Veeva OpenData, a customer reference data solution; Veeva Link, a data application that allows link to generate real-time intelligence; and Veeva Compass includes de-identified and longitudinal patient data for the United States.

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Platinum Investment Management Ltd. reduced its stake in Valaris Limited (NYSE:VAL  Free Report) by 0.2% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 781,539 shares of the companys stock after selling 1,836 shares during the period. Valaris accounts for about 1.7% of Platinum Investment Management Ltd.s investment portfolio, making the stock its 19th biggest holding. Platinum Investment Management Ltd. owned about 1.06% of Valaris worth $49,182,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Venture Visionary Partners LLC acquired a new position in Valaris in the second quarter valued at approximately $404,000. Tejara Capital Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Valaris by 188.4% during the first quarter. Tejara Capital Ltd now owns 128,454 shares of the companys stock valued at $8,357,000 after buying an additional 83,911 shares during the last quarter. Waverton Investment Management Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Valaris by 23.6% during the second quarter. Waverton Investment Management Ltd now owns 414,621 shares of the companys stock valued at $26,090,000 after buying an additional 79,258 shares during the last quarter. Spartan Fund Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Valaris by 117,696.2% during the second quarter. Spartan Fund Management Inc. now owns 588,981 shares of the companys stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 588,481 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Retirement Systems of Alabama bought a new stake in shares of Valaris during the first quarter valued at approximately $5,113,000. 89.57% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Valaris Trading Down 0.7 %

NYSE VAL traded down $0.48 on Tuesday, hitting $66.70. 190,108 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 910,874. Valaris Limited has a 52-week low of $54.13 and a 52-week high of $80.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90, a current ratio of 2.39 and a quick ratio of 2.39. The company has a market capitalization of $4.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 86.82 and a beta of 1.32. The companys 50-day moving average price is $70.94 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $68.25.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Valaris ( NYSE:VAL Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 6th. The company reported $0.17 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.18 by ($0.01). Valaris had a return on equity of 5.24% and a net margin of 3.43%. The firm had revenue of $455.10 million for the quarter.

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on VAL. Citigroup cut their price target on Valaris from $113.00 to $103.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 10th. Barclays raised Valaris from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $84.00 to $106.00 in a report on Thursday, November 9th. Benchmark reissued a buy rating and set a $90.00 target price on shares of Valaris in a report on Tuesday, November 7th. Finally, TheStreet cut Valaris from a b- rating to a c rating in a report on Wednesday, August 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Valaris currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $97.25.

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About Valaris

(Free Report)

Valaris Limited provides offshore contract drilling services to the international oil and gas industry. The company owns an offshore drilling rig fleet, which include drillships, dynamically positioned semisubmersible rigs, moored semisubmersible rig, and jackup rigs. It serves international, government-owned, and independent oil and gas companies in the Gulf of Mexico, South America, the North Sea, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific.

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American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE:AEO  Get Free Report) posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday. The apparel retailer reported $0.49 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.48 by $0.01, MarketWatch Earnings reports. The firm had revenue of $1.30 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.28 billion. American Eagle Outfitters had a net margin of 4.04% and a return on equity of 14.92%. American Eagle Outfitterss revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.42 EPS.

American Eagle Outfitters Stock Performance

Shares of AEO traded down $3.06 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $16.69. The stock had a trading volume of 13,692,787 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,458,500. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $17.08 and a 200 day moving average price of $14.70. American Eagle Outfitters has a fifty-two week low of $9.95 and a fifty-two week high of $20.21. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.03, a PEG ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 1.50.

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American Eagle Outfitters Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 27th. Investors of record on Friday, October 13th were paid a $0.10 dividend. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.40%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, October 12th. American Eagle Outfitterss dividend payout ratio is currently 38.46%.

Insider Activity at American Eagle Outfitters

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Eagle Outfitters

In related news, insider Jennifer M. Foyle sold 30,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, October 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.00, for a total value of $510,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 232,459 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,951,803. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website . Company insiders own 7.50% of the companys stock.

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company raised its position in American Eagle Outfitters by 21.7% during the third quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 89,119 shares of the apparel retailers stock worth $1,480,000 after acquiring an additional 15,896 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada raised its position in American Eagle Outfitters by 13.1% during the third quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 170,164 shares of the apparel retailers stock worth $2,826,000 after acquiring an additional 19,743 shares during the period. Mariner LLC raised its position in American Eagle Outfitters by 6.9% during the third quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 21,120 shares of the apparel retailers stock worth $351,000 after acquiring an additional 1,357 shares during the period. California State Teachers Retirement System raised its position in American Eagle Outfitters by 4.9% during the second quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 224,345 shares of the apparel retailers stock worth $2,647,000 after acquiring an additional 10,527 shares during the period. Finally, Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky raised its position in American Eagle Outfitters by 5.7% during the second quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 51,164 shares of the apparel retailers stock worth $604,000 after acquiring an additional 2,767 shares during the period. 90.10% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have weighed in on AEO shares. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of American Eagle Outfitters from $18.00 to $19.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 15th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of American Eagle Outfitters from $12.00 to $13.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research report on Friday, September 8th. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of American Eagle Outfitters from $19.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, September 7th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their target price on shares of American Eagle Outfitters from $17.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, September 7th. Finally, Bank of America raised shares of American Eagle Outfitters from an underperform rating to a neutral rating and upped their price objective for the company from $12.50 to $19.00 in a report on Wednesday, November 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, American Eagle Outfitters currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $17.09.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on AEO

American Eagle Outfitters Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc operates as a specialty retailer that provides clothing, accessories, and personal care products under the American Eagle and Aerie brands in the United States and internationally. The company provides jeans, apparel and accessories, and personal care products for women and men; and intimates, apparel, activewear, and swim collections.

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Korea Investment CORP lessened its position in shares of Elevance Health, Inc. (NYSE:ELV  Free Report) by 5.7% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 223,384 shares of the companys stock after selling 13,556 shares during the period. Korea Investment CORPs holdings in Elevance Health were worth $99,247,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Penserra Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Elevance Health by 106.3% in the second quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC now owns 2,711 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,203,000 after acquiring an additional 1,397 shares during the period. ExodusPoint Capital Management LP boosted its stake in shares of Elevance Health by 73.6% in the second quarter. ExodusPoint Capital Management LP now owns 30,263 shares of the companys stock valued at $13,446,000 after buying an additional 12,829 shares during the period. Osaic Holdings Inc. grew its position in Elevance Health by 34.4% during the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 70,204 shares of the companys stock worth $23,503,000 after buying an additional 17,968 shares in the last quarter. Axiom Investors LLC DE raised its holdings in Elevance Health by 18.7% in the 2nd quarter. Axiom Investors LLC DE now owns 126,487 shares of the companys stock valued at $56,197,000 after acquiring an additional 19,927 shares in the last quarter. Finally, ProShare Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Elevance Health by 0.5% during the 2nd quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 41,788 shares of the companys stock valued at $18,566,000 after acquiring an additional 191 shares during the period. 87.80% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on ELV. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Elevance Health from $585.00 to $587.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, October 19th. StockNews.com started coverage on Elevance Health in a report on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a strong-buy rating on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an overweight rating and set a $547.00 price objective on shares of Elevance Health in a research report on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Elevance Health from $569.00 to $552.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Finally, TD Cowen boosted their price target on Elevance Health from $564.00 to $585.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Monday, July 24th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Elevance Health has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $565.82.

Elevance Health Stock Up 1.0 %

Shares of ELV stock traded up $4.50 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $469.87. 234,040 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,168,312. Elevance Health, Inc. has a 1 year low of $412.00 and a 1 year high of $544.01. The firm has a market cap of $110.40 billion, a PE ratio of 18.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 0.84. The companys 50 day moving average is $451.18 and its two-hundred day moving average is $453.67. The company has a current ratio of 1.41, a quick ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62.

Elevance Health (NYSE:ELV  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 18th. The company reported $8.99 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $8.45 by $0.54. Elevance Health had a net margin of 3.61% and a return on equity of 20.71%. The business had revenue of $42.48 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $42.69 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $7.53 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that Elevance Health, Inc. will post 33.07 EPS for the current year.

Elevance Health Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 21st. Investors of record on Wednesday, December 6th will be given a $1.48 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 5th. This represents a $5.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.26%. Elevance Healths dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 23.24%.

Insider Activity

In other Elevance Health news, CAO Ronald W. Penczek sold 64 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $454.35, for a total value of $29,078.40. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 2,842 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,291,262.70. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.35% of the companys stock.

Elevance Health Profile

(Free Report)

Elevance Health, Inc operates as a health benefits company. The company operates through four segments: Commercial & Specialty Business, Government Business, CarelonRx, and Other. It supports consumers, families, and communities across the entire care journey connecting to the care, support, and resources to lead healthier lives.

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D.A. Davidson & CO. lifted its position in shares of iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (BATS:QUAL  Free Report) by 2.4% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 463,838 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 10,701 shares during the period. iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF comprises 0.7% of D.A. Davidson & CO.s investment portfolio, making the stock its 27th largest holding. D.A. Davidson & CO.s holdings in iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF were worth $62,558,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in QUAL. PrairieView Partners LLC acquired a new stake in iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF in the first quarter valued at $25,000. Patriot Investment Management Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Nvwm LLC acquired a new stake in shares of iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF in the second quarter valued at about $34,000. Impact Partnership Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF in the second quarter worth approximately $35,000. Finally, Mcmillion Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $35,000.

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iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF Trading Up 0.8 %

QUAL stock traded up $1.14 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $141.02. The stock had a trading volume of 2,028,907 shares. The firm has a market cap of $31.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.30 and a beta of 1.03. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $134.28 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $133.78. iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF has a 1-year low of $71.96 and a 1-year high of $88.63.

About iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF

The iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (QUAL) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI USA Sector Neutral Quality index. The fund tracks an index of US large- and mid-cap stocks, selected and weighted by high ROE, stable earnings growth and low debt\u002Fequity, relative to peers in each sector.

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Deuterium Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE:BLK  Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 296 shares of the asset managers stock, valued at approximately $205,000.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Impact Partnership Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in BlackRock during the second quarter valued at about $25,000. Archer Investment Corp bought a new position in BlackRock during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. WFA of San Diego LLC purchased a new position in BlackRock in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Centerpoint Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of BlackRock during the first quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Finally, Sittner & Nelson LLC grew its holdings in shares of BlackRock by 48.6% in the first quarter. Sittner & Nelson LLC now owns 52 shares of the asset managers stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 17 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.01% of the companys stock.

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BlackRock Stock Performance

BLK stock traded up $3.38 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $724.30. 141,424 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 635,309. The company has a current ratio of 3.72, a quick ratio of 3.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. BlackRock, Inc. has a 52-week low of $596.18 and a 52-week high of $781.77. The stock has a market cap of $107.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.22, a PEG ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.28. The stocks 50-day moving average is $652.37 and its 200 day moving average is $676.96.

BlackRock Announces Dividend

BlackRock ( NYSE:BLK Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, October 13th. The asset manager reported $10.91 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $8.34 by $2.57. The firm had revenue of $4.52 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.52 billion. BlackRock had a return on equity of 14.65% and a net margin of 30.66%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $9.55 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that BlackRock, Inc. will post 36.44 EPS for the current year.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 22nd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, December 7th will be given a $5.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, December 6th. This represents a $20.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.76%. BlackRocks payout ratio is 56.10%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on BLK shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price target on shares of BlackRock from $814.00 to $800.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on BlackRock from $736.00 to $708.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Monday, October 16th. Bank of America dropped their price objective on BlackRock from $921.00 to $868.00 in a report on Wednesday, October 4th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on BlackRock in a research note on Thursday, October 5th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group cut their price target on shares of BlackRock from $781.00 to $754.00 in a report on Tuesday, October 10th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $764.75.

Read Our Latest Research Report on BlackRock

Insider Transactions at BlackRock

In related news, CEO Laurence Fink sold 15,385 shares of BlackRock stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $652.03, for a total transaction of $10,031,481.55. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 435,260 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $283,802,577.80. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.96% of the companys stock.

BlackRock Profile

(Free Report)

BlackRock, Inc is a publicly owned investment manager. The firm primarily provides its services to institutional, intermediary, and individual investors including corporate, public, union, and industry pension plans, insurance companies, third-party mutual funds, endowments, public institutions, governments, foundations, charities, sovereign wealth funds, corporations, official institutions, and banks.

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Deuterium Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM  Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 1,767 shares of the CRM providers stock, valued at approximately $373,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in CRM. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich lifted its stake in shares of Salesforce by 92,823.1% during the second quarter. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich now owns 238,763,957 shares of the CRM providers stock worth $50,441,274,000 after buying an additional 238,507,009 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Salesforce in the 4th quarter worth $1,420,381,000. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in Salesforce by 125,717.4% during the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 10,260,412 shares of the CRM providers stock worth $1,360,428,000 after acquiring an additional 10,252,257 shares during the period. Starboard Value LP purchased a new stake in Salesforce during the 4th quarter valued at about $401,215,000. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP increased its holdings in shares of Salesforce by 21.3% in the first quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 14,134,170 shares of the CRM providers stock valued at $2,823,724,000 after purchasing an additional 2,481,759 shares during the period. 77.52% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently issued reports on CRM. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on shares of Salesforce from $250.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, August 31st. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Salesforce in a research note on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a strong-buy rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley cut Salesforce from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and lifted their price target for the company from $251.00 to $278.00 in a research report on Monday, July 31st. Citigroup upped their price objective on Salesforce from $220.00 to $229.00 in a research report on Thursday, August 31st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Salesforce from $250.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, August 31st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have assigned a hold rating, twenty-five have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $241.28.

Salesforce Stock Down 0.4 %

Shares of CRM stock traded down $0.81 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $224.32. 1,065,544 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,412,945. Salesforce, Inc. has a 12-month low of $126.34 and a 12-month high of $238.22. The businesss fifty day moving average is $208.52 and its two-hundred day moving average is $212.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 1.02 and a quick ratio of 1.02. The firm has a market capitalization of $218.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 141.59, a P/E/G ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 1.18.

Salesforce (NYSE:CRM  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 30th. The CRM provider reported $2.12 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.90 by $0.22. Salesforce had a net margin of 4.77% and a return on equity of 7.67%. The firm had revenue of $8.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.53 billion. The companys revenue was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.52 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts expect that Salesforce, Inc. will post 5.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other Salesforce news, CEO Marc Benioff sold 15,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, October 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $196.64, for a total value of $2,949,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 15,086,166 shares in the company, valued at $2,966,543,682.24. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other news, CEO Marc Benioff sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $196.64, for a total value of $2,949,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 15,086,166 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,966,543,682.24. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Amy E. Weaver sold 16,275 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $226.47, for a total transaction of $3,685,799.25. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 35,611 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $8,064,823.17. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 653,792 shares of company stock worth $137,393,021. Corporate insiders own 3.70% of the companys stock.

About Salesforce

(Free Report)

Salesforce, Inc provides Customer Relationship Management (CRM) technology that brings companies and customers together worldwide. The company's service includes sales to store data, monitor leads and progress, forecast opportunities, gain insights through analytics and relationship intelligence, and deliver quotes, contracts, and invoices; and service that enables companies to deliver trusted and highly personalized customer service and support at scale.

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Flaharty Asset Management LLC lowered its holdings in shares of Bank of America Co. (NYSE:BAC  Free Report) by 11.9% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 15,970 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 2,163 shares during the period. Flaharty Asset Management LLCs holdings in Bank of America were worth $458,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of BAC. Deuterium Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Bank of America during the 2nd quarter valued at $345,000. Penserra Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Bank of America by 763.7% during the 2nd quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC now owns 52,706 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,511,000 after purchasing an additional 46,604 shares during the period. First Western Trust Bank increased its position in shares of Bank of America by 17.7% during the 2nd quarter. First Western Trust Bank now owns 15,294 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $439,000 after purchasing an additional 2,296 shares during the period. ExodusPoint Capital Management LP increased its position in shares of Bank of America by 870.8% during the 2nd quarter. ExodusPoint Capital Management LP now owns 437,223 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $12,544,000 after purchasing an additional 392,186 shares during the period. Finally, Letko Brosseau & Associates Inc. increased its position in shares of Bank of America by 0.4% during the 2nd quarter. Letko Brosseau & Associates Inc. now owns 1,374,343 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $39,430,000 after purchasing an additional 5,381 shares during the period. 68.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

BAC has been the topic of several research analyst reports. HSBC initiated coverage on Bank of America in a research report on Thursday, September 7th. They set a buy rating and a $35.00 price target on the stock. Oppenheimer lifted their target price on Bank of America from $49.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, November 16th. Piper Sandler decreased their target price on Bank of America from $28.00 to $27.50 and set an underweight rating on the stock in a report on Friday, September 15th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on Bank of America from $39.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a report on Wednesday, October 18th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and issued a $35.00 target price on shares of Bank of America in a report on Tuesday, September 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Bank of America currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $35.54.

Bank of America Stock Down 0.7 %

NYSE BAC traded down $0.22 on Tuesday, reaching $29.79. The stock had a trading volume of 12,922,291 shares, compared to its average volume of 48,817,488. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $27.45 and a 200 day moving average price of $28.62. The company has a current ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12. Bank of America Co. has a 1 year low of $24.96 and a 1 year high of $37.87. The company has a market capitalization of $235.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.41, a P/E/G ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 1.38.

Bank of America (NYSE:BAC  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, October 17th. The financial services provider reported $0.90 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.83 by $0.07. Bank of America had a return on equity of 12.08% and a net margin of 18.69%. The firm had revenue of $25.20 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $25.13 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.81 earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 2.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts forecast that Bank of America Co. will post 3.46 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Bank of America Dividend Announcement

The company 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 $0.24 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 30th. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.22%. Bank of Americas dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 26.89%.

About Bank of America

(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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Blogger Rachel Rose from Florida shocked the public by admitting that she spent 30 thousand dollars (more than a million hryvnias) on anti-aging cosmetic procedures. The 34-year-old American has been manipulating her face and body for the past nine years.

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On her YouTube channel, Rachel posted a video in which she talked about her rejuvenation process and answered which procedures are really worth the money and which ones should be avoided. The woman honestly admitted that she "made some big mistakes along the way."

Rose admitted that she wanted to look younger, referring to a concept from Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy's book 10x is Easier Than 2x, which is to "want what you want."

"I want to look younger. I realize that there will come a point where it seems like there's only one way you can go, there's only one anti-aging product, there's also a point where you can start looking crazy, and I certainly don't want to go that way, but I want what I want. Yes, I spent $30,000, but I want what I want," the blogger began her video.

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Rose made a list of all the anti-aging treatments she had tried, from the most expensive to the cheapest. Seeing or not seeing a change for the better, she concluded which of these steps were worth the money.

Botox and Dysport, $8,000: it was worth it

According to Rose, she has been getting Botox and Dysport injections since she was 25, and she has never regretted it, despite the amount of money she had to spend. The woman notes that her skin has started to look smoother, and wrinkles have become less noticeable. The blogger also emphasizes that it is worth choosing a truly licensed professional who will not aim to make as much money as possible by offering the client all possible procedures, but will really help to improve natural beauty.

Rachel added that her face did not start to look immobile after the "beauty injections," as it happens in some cases. All the facial wrinkles and lines on her face just became less deep and noticeable.

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Dysport, which is a type of botulinum toxin, is an injection used to treat facial wrinkles by working to relax the muscles under the skin.

Upper Blepharoplasty, $3,500: It's worth it, but avoid one mistake

Upper blepharoplasty is an operation to remove excess fatty tissue and sagging, loose skin from the eyelids, as well as to eliminate "fat bags." Rachel admits that many people didn't notice any changes in her after the procedure, but when she showed the before and after photos, everyone was impressed.

That's why the blogger believes that the surgery was worth the money, but she warns girls against one big mistake she made herself. "When it comes to eyelids, they heal so fast and heal so well on their own that it's better to do nothing. By massaging my scars, putting collagen strips and other things on my eyelids to speed up the healing process, I only made my scars worse. Much worse. I actually created scar tissue," Rose said.

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Subsequently, the American woman underwent additional laser treatment to remove the scars, and the condition of her eyelids improved. For people who are going to undergo surgery, Rose recommended that they carefully read real patient reviews to find a good surgeon, and also seek help from beauty brokers who are more expert in finding nail technicians and doctors.

Morpheus8, $3,000: not worth it

Morpheus8 is a microneedle RF lifting device. The cosmetic procedure can correct age-related skin changes, improve skin quality, and reduce fat deposits.

Although Rose said that six Morpheus8 treatments "tightened her face" and helped her get rid of her double chin, she believes that the risk of the procedure is "not worth the reward."

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"It's great for areas like the double chin, but if the doctor doesn't know what they're doing, they can burn fat in areas where we wouldn't want to do it, in areas that help us look younger. There are people who have gone to doctors and ended up regretting it. The fact that with Morpheus8 you still have to undergo constant treatment, in my opinion, is not worth it," the blogger expressed her opinion.

Laser Hair Removal, $3,000: worth it, but choose your master carefully

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Rachel had this procedure done on her armpits, bikini area, and legs. She said she had a bad experience with an unreliable aesthetician. To get good results after several treatments, you should spend a lot of time looking for a really good professional who will perform hair removal safely and painlessly.

The blogger also concluded that she would only do underarm hair removal. "I have a dark shadow after shaving, but after laser hair removal, there is no such shadow," the American woman said.

PRF and PRP or "vampire face", $3,000: it's worth it

PRF and PRP, a complex injection that has been dubbed the "vampire face," is one of Rose's favorite procedures, and she even prefers it to the injection of fillers. The procedure involves first taking blood from the arm. Then this blood is placed in a machine that separates platelets from blood, after which the platelet-rich plasma is injected back into the face. The procedure is considered a natural filler and can also reduce wrinkles, acne scars, and deep creases.

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"I liked this treatment because I get dark circles under my eyes, and it makes a difference. It also just improved the quality of my skin, but it's expensive. Wherever I go, it costs 500-600 dollars per treatment. To see results, you need to go back for the procedure several times," Rose commented.

Filler, $3,000: it's worth it, but only in some places

Rachel first tried fillers when Kylie Jenner began to gain wide popularity. Under the star's influence, the American woman had her lips augmented around 2015. Rose admitted that the procedure was a waste of money for her personally, as she already had rather plump lips. Nevertheless, the blogger is a fan of filler injections under the eyes, but warned that sometimes they can start to "migrate".

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"I also recently had a filler injected into my chin. My doctor specializes in what's called 'facial balancing,' which focuses on achieving a more proportionate facial appearance. For example, big lips don't suit some face types, and if you have big lips and a small chin, it can lead to a "weak" profile. Fillers in my chin make my profile look 'sharper'," Rachel commented, adding that with fillers, you need to have a sense of proportion and never go overboard.

Co2 and eCo2, $2,500: it's worth it

"These are very intense lasers. They are ideal for those who want to completely renew their skin," the blogger said.

She admitted that about five years ago, she had severe rashes on her face, which even after being treated with medications and disappearing, left traces.

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"The controversy about these lasers is that people worry that they thin the skin, that they melt fat, and that they are too aggressive. Part of me wonders if it's really a laser or if it's just that certain skin types react differently to it. However, I am happy with the result," the woman assured.

Sculptra, $2,000: it's worth it

Sculptra is a type of dermal filler that is injected into the skin to give it a smoother, fresher appearance. In other words, it's a long-lasting filler that helps to rejuvenate the skin, model facial features, and produce collagen, says Rachel. The blogger definitely recommends this procedure, saying that two years ago she looked older than she does now.

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Mesotherapy, $1000: it's worth it, but in the long run

These are micro-injections of beauty that help get rid of the primary signs of aging, improve the functioning of the subcutaneous glands, remove the effects of acne, and improve hair growth. The procedure consists of injections with small needles that deliver vitamins and nutrients to the skin. Injections are made manually or with a special gun.

"I think this is one of those things that is a long-term game. If you really want to improve skin texture and reduce pore size, but not use something as invasive and crazy as CO2, mesotherapy is a great option. You just need to budget for it and schedule it on a regular basis," Rachel commented.

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Fraxel laser, $1,000: not worth it, at least for her

Another procedure Rose has invested in is Fraxel, a laser skin resurfacing treatment. According to the woman, she was not happy with the result.

"I found that I got a lot more radiance and just a lot more glow when I did the Co2 than the Fraxel. I don't know if I noticed anything special with Fraxel, but some people really like it," Rose commented.

Broadband light or BBL, $500: it's not worth it

The last procedure Rose spent her money on was broadband light, or BBL (not to be confused with the Brazilian butt lift). It is a powerful light treatment that helps treat skin conditions associated with aging and sun damage. Rose explained that some people like to have this procedure done after summer because it can help treat dark spots. But the blogger, as she admitted, did not see any special results.

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Earlier, OBOZ.UA wrote about stars who disfigured themselves with plastic surgery. Now they warn others not to repeat their mistakes.

Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Don't fall for fakes!
Railway Pension Investments Ltd trimmed its stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY  Free Report) by 12.3% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,685,357 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after selling 236,100 shares during the quarter. Railway Pension Investments Ltd owned about 0.08% of Bristol-Myers Squibb worth $107,779,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in BMY. Dakota Wealth Management acquired a new position in Bristol-Myers Squibb during the first quarter worth about $332,000. Covestor Ltd boosted its position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 111.5% during the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 2,052 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $150,000 after purchasing an additional 1,082 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 53.2% in the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 165,336 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $12,075,000 after purchasing an additional 57,444 shares during the last quarter. Ergoteles LLC bought a new stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,997,000. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp lifted its stake in Bristol-Myers Squibb by 25.1% during the first quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 338,563 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $24,725,000 after purchasing an additional 68,018 shares during the last quarter. 74.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insider Transactions at Bristol-Myers Squibb

In other Bristol-Myers Squibb news, EVP Ann Powell sold 17,986 shares of the 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 completion of the sale, 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 legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BMY has been the topic of several research reports. TheStreet cut Bristol-Myers Squibb from a b- rating to a c+ rating in a report on Thursday, November 9th. Cantor Fitzgerald lowered Bristol-Myers Squibb from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and decreased their price target for the company from $68.00 to $55.00 in a research report on Wednesday, November 15th. HSBC upgraded Bristol-Myers Squibb from a reduce rating to a hold rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $55.00 to $53.00 in a report on Friday, October 27th. Truist Financial reissued a buy rating and issued a $84.00 target price on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research report on Friday, October 6th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research report on Thursday, November 9th. They issued a hold rating and a $55.00 price target for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have assigned a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Bristol-Myers Squibb presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $63.59.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Bristol-Myers Squibb

Bristol-Myers Squibb Stock Down 0.5 %

NYSE:BMY traded down $0.26 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $48.64. The stock had a trading volume of 1,457,573 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,704,494. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.18 and a quick ratio of 1.07. The stock has a market cap of $98.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.41, a PEG ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.38. The businesss 50 day moving average is $55.36 and its 200 day moving average is $60.73. Bristol-Myers Squibb has a fifty-two week low of $48.42 and a fifty-two week high of $81.43.

Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 26th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $2.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.24. Bristol-Myers Squibb had a return on equity of 51.59% and a net margin of 18.44%. The company had revenue of $10.97 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.96 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.99 EPS. The firms revenue was down 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Bristol-Myers Squibb will post 7.56 earnings per share for the current year.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 6th were given a $0.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, October 5th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.69%. Bristol-Myers Squibbs dividend payout ratio is 57.87%.

About Bristol-Myers Squibb

(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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Profund Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM  Free Report) by 6.1% in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 16,868 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 964 shares during the quarter. Profund Advisors LLCs holdings in Philip Morris International were worth $1,647,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in PM. Barrett & Company Inc. purchased a new position in Philip Morris International during the 1st quarter valued at about $32,000. Blume Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in Philip Morris International during the 1st quarter valued at about $36,000. Spotlight Asset Group Inc. purchased a new position in Philip Morris International during the 2nd quarter valued at about $37,000. Altshuler Shaham Ltd purchased a new position in Philip Morris International during the 1st quarter valued at about $40,000. Finally, Studio Investment Management LLC increased its position in Philip Morris International by 33.8% during the 4th quarter. Studio Investment Management LLC now owns 428 shares of the companys stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 79.70% of the companys stock.

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Philip Morris International Stock Up 0.5 %

PM stock opened at $92.42 on Tuesday. Philip Morris International Inc. has a 52 week low of $87.23 and a 52 week high of $105.62. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $92.16 and a 200 day moving average of $94.25. The stock has a market capitalization of $143.47 billion, a PE ratio of 17.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.16 and a beta of 0.77.

Philip Morris International Increases Dividend

Philip Morris International ( NYSE:PM Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 19th. The company reported $1.67 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.62 by $0.05. Philip Morris International had a net margin of 9.62% and a negative return on equity of 129.48%. The business had revenue of $9.14 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $9.21 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.53 EPS. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 13.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 6.16 earnings per share for the current year.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 12th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, September 27th were paid a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.63%. This is a boost from Philip Morris Internationals previous quarterly dividend of $1.27. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 26th. Philip Morris Internationals payout ratio is presently 100.97%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have commented on PM shares. Redburn Atlantic started coverage on shares of Philip Morris International in a research report on Thursday, November 16th. They set a neutral rating and a $95.00 target price on the stock. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of Philip Morris International from $118.00 to $113.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 2nd. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Philip Morris International from $115.00 to $110.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, September 21st. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Philip Morris International in a research report on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Finally, UBS Group cut their price objective on shares of Philip Morris International from $116.00 to $112.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Philip Morris International has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $109.36.

Read Our Latest Stock Report on Philip Morris International

Philip Morris International Company Profile

(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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OPTIMAS CAPITAL Ltd raised its stake in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY  Free Report) by 72.0% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 17,387 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 7,281 shares during the period. Eli Lilly and Company accounts for about 9.4% of OPTIMAS CAPITAL Ltds investment portfolio, making the stock its 4th biggest holding. OPTIMAS CAPITAL Ltds holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $8,154,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Towerpoint Wealth LLC raised its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 0.5% during the second quarter. Towerpoint Wealth LLC now owns 4,239 shares of the companys stock worth $1,988,000 after acquiring an additional 22 shares during the period. Pacific Sage Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 1.4% during the second quarter. Pacific Sage Partners LLC now owns 1,591 shares of the companys stock worth $746,000 after acquiring an additional 22 shares during the period. Lathrop Investment Management Corp raised its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 1.5% during the second quarter. Lathrop Investment Management Corp now owns 1,458 shares of the companys stock worth $684,000 after acquiring an additional 22 shares during the period. SP Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 1.0% during the second quarter. SP Asset Management LLC now owns 2,390 shares of the companys stock worth $1,121,000 after acquiring an additional 23 shares during the period. Finally, Oxler Private Wealth LLC raised its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 0.4% during the first quarter. Oxler Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,050 shares of the companys stock worth $2,078,000 after acquiring an additional 24 shares during the period. 81.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 1,307 shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $555.69, for a total transaction of $726,286.83. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 100,397,503 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $55,789,888,442.07. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other Eli Lilly and Company news, EVP Alonzo Weems sold 1,148 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $590.98, for a total transaction of $678,445.04. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 7,760 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,586,004.80. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 1,307 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $555.69, for a total transaction of $726,286.83. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 100,397,503 shares in the company, valued at approximately $55,789,888,442.07. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 535,538 shares of company stock valued at $20,881,299,452. Company insiders own 0.13% of the companys stock.

Eli Lilly and Company Stock Performance

Eli Lilly and Company Dividend Announcement

Shares of LLY stock traded up $0.16 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $597.76. 373,038 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,091,203. The firm has a market capitalization of $567.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 108.30, a PEG ratio of 3.57 and a beta of 0.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.59, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 1.05. The firms 50 day moving average price is $578.02 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $511.14. Eli Lilly and Company has a 52 week low of $309.20 and a 52 week high of $629.97.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 8th. Investors of record on Wednesday, November 15th will be issued a dividend of $1.13 per share. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.76%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 14th. Eli Lilly and Companys payout ratio is 81.88%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently commented on LLY. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Eli Lilly and Company from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Friday, November 3rd. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $525.00 to $675.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, October 23rd. UBS Group reiterated a buy rating and issued a $710.00 price target (up from $612.00) on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Friday, October 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $385.00 to $470.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 9th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Eli Lilly and Company from a hold rating to a buy rating and lifted their price target for the company from $408.00 to $615.00 in a research note on Tuesday, August 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and twenty have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Eli Lilly and Company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $557.00.

Read Our Latest Research Report on LLY

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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DSM Capital Partners LLC lowered its holdings in Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA  Free Report) by 3.1% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 333,373 shares of the credit services providers stock after selling 10,590 shares during the quarter. Mastercard comprises 2.1% of DSM Capital Partners LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 18th biggest holding. DSM Capital Partners LLCs holdings in Mastercard were worth $131,116,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. ERTS Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in Mastercard by 1.9% during the second quarter. ERTS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,376 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $541,000 after buying an additional 25 shares during the last quarter. Werba Rubin Papier Wealth Management increased its position in Mastercard by 3.0% during the second quarter. Werba Rubin Papier Wealth Management now owns 869 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $342,000 after buying an additional 25 shares during the last quarter. Acropolis Investment Management LLC increased its position in Mastercard by 1.6% during the second quarter. Acropolis Investment Management LLC now owns 1,677 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $660,000 after buying an additional 26 shares during the last quarter. New World Advisors LLC increased its position in Mastercard by 2.0% during the second quarter. New World Advisors LLC now owns 1,300 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $511,000 after buying an additional 26 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Archer Investment Corp boosted its holdings in Mastercard by 0.8% during the first quarter. Archer Investment Corp now owns 3,409 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $1,209,000 after acquiring an additional 27 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.94% of the companys stock.

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Insider Transactions at Mastercard

In other news, major shareholder Foundation Mastercard sold 125,816 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $377.45, for a total transaction of $47,489,249.20. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 98,424,221 shares in the company, valued at approximately $37,150,222,216.45. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, Director Richard K. Davis purchased 1,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 9th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $390.96 per share, for a total transaction of $390,960.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 9,743 shares in the company, valued at $3,809,123.28. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, major shareholder Foundation Mastercard sold 125,816 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $377.45, for a total transaction of $47,489,249.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 98,424,221 shares in the company, valued at approximately $37,150,222,216.45. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 533,424 shares of company stock worth $206,051,295 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.13% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Mastercard from $479.00 to $470.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Monday, October 30th. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of Mastercard from $443.00 to $439.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 27th. Truist Financial raised their price objective on shares of Mastercard from $450.00 to $475.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Monday, September 25th. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price target on shares of Mastercard from $488.00 to $472.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 27th. Finally, KeyCorp reduced their price objective on shares of Mastercard from $440.00 to $430.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 27th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $450.09.

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Mastercard Stock Up 0.7 %

MA stock traded up $2.66 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $407.06. The companys stock had a trading volume of 394,517 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,644,827. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.24, a current ratio of 1.17 and a quick ratio of 1.17. Mastercard Incorporated has a twelve month low of $336.43 and a twelve month high of $418.60. The companys fifty day moving average price is $394.96 and its 200 day moving average price is $391.86. The stock has a market capitalization of $381.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.52, a PEG ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 1.08.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 26th. The credit services provider reported $3.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.21 by $0.18. The firm had revenue of $6.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.53 billion. Mastercard had a net margin of 44.85% and a return on equity of 188.83%. The companys revenue was up 13.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.68 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Mastercard Incorporated will post 12.16 EPS for the current year.

Mastercard Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 9th. Stockholders of record on Monday, October 9th were paid a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, October 5th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.56%. Mastercards dividend payout ratio is presently 19.86%.

Mastercard Company Profile

(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.

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ExodusPoint Capital Management LP lowered its stake in Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY  Free Report) by 63.2% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 222,118 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after selling 381,907 shares during the quarter. ExodusPoint Capital Management LPs holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb were worth $14,204,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Abbrea Capital LLC increased its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 150 shares during the period. Westshore Wealth LLC boosted its position in Bristol-Myers Squibb by 4.3% during the first quarter. Westshore Wealth LLC now owns 3,658 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $254,000 after acquiring an additional 151 shares during the last quarter. Providence Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in Bristol-Myers Squibb by 0.5% during the first quarter. Providence Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 28,179 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $1,952,000 after acquiring an additional 153 shares during the last quarter. Lebenthal Global Advisors LLC boosted its position in Bristol-Myers Squibb by 1.5% during the first quarter. Lebenthal Global Advisors LLC now owns 10,533 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $730,000 after acquiring an additional 156 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bouchey Financial Group Ltd boosted its position in Bristol-Myers Squibb by 5.4% during the first quarter. Bouchey Financial Group Ltd now owns 3,086 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $213,000 after acquiring an additional 157 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.98% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Daiwa Capital Markets cut shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and cut their price target for the company from $68.00 to $54.00 in a research report on Thursday, November 2nd. Cantor Fitzgerald cut shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $68.00 to $55.00 in a research report on Wednesday, November 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from $81.00 to $69.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 30th. Bank of America cut their price objective on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from $85.00 to $80.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 28th. Finally, TD Cowen cut their price objective on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from $80.00 to $66.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, September 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have issued a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $63.59.

Insider Transactions at Bristol-Myers Squibb

In other news, EVP Ann Powell sold 17,986 shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $61.25, for a total transaction of $1,101,642.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 27,868 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,706,915. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Trading Down 0.1 %

NYSE:BMY opened at $48.85 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a current ratio of 1.18. The firm has a market cap of $99.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.38. Bristol-Myers Squibb has a 52 week low of $48.42 and a 52 week high of $81.43. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $55.36 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $60.73.

Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 26th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $2.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.24. Bristol-Myers Squibb had a net margin of 18.44% and a return on equity of 51.59%. The company had revenue of $10.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.96 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.99 EPS. Bristol-Myers Squibbs quarterly revenue was down 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that Bristol-Myers Squibb will post 7.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 6th were issued a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.67%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, October 5th. Bristol-Myers Squibbs payout ratio is 57.87%.

Bristol-Myers Squibb 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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Capasso Planning Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT  Free Report) by 10.5% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 4,365 shares of the healthcare product makers stock after buying an additional 416 shares during the quarter. Capasso Planning Partners LLCs holdings in Abbott Laboratories were worth $476,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado lifted its position in Abbott Laboratories by 9.8% in the 2nd quarter. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado now owns 1,415,759 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $154,346,000 after acquiring an additional 126,547 shares in the last quarter. Core Alternative Capital lifted its holdings in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 27.0% in the second quarter. Core Alternative Capital now owns 1,290 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $141,000 after purchasing an additional 274 shares in the last quarter. Fort Sheridan Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 315.5% during the first quarter. Fort Sheridan Advisors LLC now owns 12,182 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $1,234,000 after buying an additional 9,250 shares during the last quarter. Freestone Capital Holdings LLC grew its holdings in Abbott Laboratories by 12.8% during the first quarter. Freestone Capital Holdings LLC now owns 99,836 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $10,109,000 after buying an additional 11,303 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Harbour Investment Management LLC raised its position in Abbott Laboratories by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. Harbour Investment Management LLC now owns 26,750 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $2,709,000 after buying an additional 138 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 73.70% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ABT has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $120.00 to $112.00 in a research note on Monday, October 2nd. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $112.00 to $107.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 19th. Citigroup cut their target price on Abbott Laboratories from $130.00 to $122.00 in a research note on Monday, October 2nd. UBS Group decreased their price target on Abbott Laboratories from $130.00 to $118.00 in a research report on Thursday, October 19th. Finally, TheStreet cut Abbott Laboratories from a b- rating to a c+ rating in a research report on Monday, October 16th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $117.47.

Abbott Laboratories Stock Performance

NYSE:ABT traded up $1.03 on Tuesday, reaching $102.23. 1,772,464 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,139,327. The firm has a market cap of $177.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.44, a P/E/G ratio of 4.34 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 1.74 and a quick ratio of 1.23. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $96.45 and a 200-day simple moving average of $102.86. Abbott Laboratories has a 52 week low of $89.67 and a 52 week high of $115.83.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 18th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.14 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.10 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $10.14 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.82 billion. Abbott Laboratories had a net margin of 12.92% and a return on equity of 20.15%. Abbott Laboratoriess revenue was down 2.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.15 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Abbott Laboratories will post 4.44 earnings per share for the current year.

Abbott Laboratories Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 13th were issued a dividend of $0.51 per share. This represents a $2.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.00%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, October 12th. Abbott Laboratoriess payout ratio is presently 69.39%.

Insider Activity at Abbott Laboratories

In other Abbott Laboratories news, Director Daniel J. Starks sold 50,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.05, for a total value of $4,702,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 6,725,316 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $632,515,969.80. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 1.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About Abbott Laboratories

(Free Report)

Abbott Laboratories, together with its subsidiaries, discovers, develops, manufactures, and sells health care products worldwide. It operates in four segments: Established Pharmaceutical Products, Diagnostic Products, Nutritional Products, and Medical Devices. The Established Pharmaceutical Products segment provides generic pharmaceuticals for the treatment of pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, irritable bowel syndrome or biliary spasm, intrahepatic cholestasis or depressive symptoms, gynecological disorder, hormone replacement therapy, dyslipidemia, hypertension, hypothyroidism, Meniere's disease and vestibular vertigo, pain, fever, inflammation, and migraine, as well as provides anti-infective clarithromycin, influenza vaccine, and products to regulate physiological rhythm of the colon.

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Railway Pension Investments Ltd lessened its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY  Free Report) by 0.6% in the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 375,532 shares of the companys stock after selling 2,400 shares during the period. Eli Lilly and Company accounts for 1.8% of Railway Pension Investments Ltds investment portfolio, making the stock its 9th largest holding. Railway Pension Investments Ltds holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $176,117,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Fairfield Bush & CO. purchased a new stake in Eli Lilly and Company in the first quarter worth $107,000. Roundview Capital LLC increased its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 2.6% in the 1st quarter. Roundview Capital LLC now owns 2,056 shares of the companys stock worth $589,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in Eli Lilly and Company during the first quarter valued at about $210,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 9.9% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 53,052 shares of the companys stock worth $15,193,000 after purchasing an additional 4,774 shares during the period. Finally, Barometer Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the first quarter worth about $561,000. 81.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insider Buying and Selling at Eli Lilly and Company

In other news, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 670 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $571.10, for a total transaction of $382,637.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 4,708 shares in the company, valued at $2,688,738.80. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, EVP Alonzo Weems sold 1,148 shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $590.98, for a total value of $678,445.04. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 7,760 shares in the company, valued at $4,586,004.80. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 670 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $571.10, for a total transaction of $382,637.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 4,708 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,688,738.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 535,538 shares of company stock worth $20,881,299,452. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently commented on LLY. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $673.00 to $722.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, November 3rd. StockNews.com raised Eli Lilly and Company from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Friday, November 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $490.00 to $580.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, August 8th. Credit Suisse Group lifted their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $490.00 to $580.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, August 9th. Finally, Truist Financial raised their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $525.00 to $600.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and twenty have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $557.00.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on Eli Lilly and Company

Eli Lilly and Company Trading Down 0.1 %

NYSE:LLY traded down $0.79 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $596.81. The companys stock had a trading volume of 289,924 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,090,712. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $578.02 and a 200-day simple moving average of $511.14. Eli Lilly and Company has a 1 year low of $309.20 and a 1 year high of $629.97. The firm has a market capitalization of $566.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 108.30, a PEG ratio of 3.57 and a beta of 0.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.59, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 1.05.

Eli Lilly and Company Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 8th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 15th will be paid a $1.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 14th. This represents a $4.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.76%. Eli Lilly and Companys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 81.88%.

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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Rhenman & Partners Asset Management AB lessened its holdings in Boston Scientific Co. (NYSE:BSX  Free Report) by 3.3% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 580,000 shares of the medical equipment providers stock after selling 20,000 shares during the period. Boston Scientific comprises approximately 3.3% of Rhenman & Partners Asset Management ABs holdings, making the stock its 4th biggest holding. Rhenman & Partners Asset Management ABs holdings in Boston Scientific were worth $31,372,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in BSX. National Bank of Canada FI grew its stake in shares of Boston Scientific by 9.7% during the second quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 561,692 shares of the medical equipment providers stock valued at $30,080,000 after acquiring an additional 49,782 shares in the last quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. boosted its stake in Boston Scientific by 3.0% in the first quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 139,354 shares of the medical equipment providers stock valued at $6,972,000 after acquiring an additional 4,049 shares during the period. Transcend Capital Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Boston Scientific by 182.1% in the second quarter. Transcend Capital Advisors LLC now owns 12,325 shares of the medical equipment providers stock valued at $667,000 after acquiring an additional 7,956 shares during the period. IFM Investors Pty Ltd boosted its stake in Boston Scientific by 7.6% in the second quarter. IFM Investors Pty Ltd now owns 286,057 shares of the medical equipment providers stock valued at $15,473,000 after acquiring an additional 20,169 shares during the period. Finally, Intact Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in Boston Scientific by 7.2% in the first quarter. Intact Investment Management Inc. now owns 17,800 shares of the medical equipment providers stock valued at $891,000 after acquiring an additional 1,200 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.11% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently commented on BSX shares. Needham & Company LLC lowered their price objective on shares of Boston Scientific from $65.00 to $60.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 27th. Canaccord Genuity Group upped their target price on Boston Scientific from $62.00 to $64.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, September 21st. UBS Group upped their price target on Boston Scientific from $63.00 to $66.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, September 21st. Raymond James upped their price target on Boston Scientific from $60.00 to $61.00 in a research report on Friday, July 28th. Finally, Mizuho upped their price target on Boston Scientific from $56.00 to $60.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, September 21st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Boston Scientific has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $60.55.

Insider Transactions at Boston Scientific

In other news, CEO Michael F. Mahoney sold 113,356 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $52.51, for a total value of $5,952,323.56. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,498,922 shares in the company, valued at approximately $78,708,394.22. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other Boston Scientific news, EVP Jeffrey B. Mirviss sold 13,971 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $53.14, for a total transaction of $742,418.94. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 65,245 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,467,119.30. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Michael F. Mahoney sold 113,356 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $52.51, for a total value of $5,952,323.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,498,922 shares in the company, valued at approximately $78,708,394.22. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 408,996 shares of company stock worth $21,589,497 in the last three months. Insiders own 0.71% of the companys stock.

Boston Scientific Price Performance

Shares of BSX traded up $0.32 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $54.78. The company had a trading volume of 1,532,301 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,114,308. The companys 50-day moving average is $52.11 and its 200-day moving average is $52.33. Boston Scientific Co. has a twelve month low of $42.73 and a twelve month high of $55.38. The company has a market capitalization of $80.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 66.41, a P/E/G ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 0.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 1.42 and a quick ratio of 0.90.

Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 26th. The medical equipment provider reported $0.50 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.48 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $3.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.48 billion. Boston Scientific had a return on equity of 15.46% and a net margin of 8.93%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.43 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Boston Scientific Co. will post 2.01 EPS for the current year.

Boston Scientific Profile

(Free Report)

Boston Scientific Corporation develops, manufactures, and markets medical devices for use in various interventional medical specialties worldwide. It operates through MedSurg and Cardiovascular segments. The company offers devices to diagnose and treat gastrointestinal and pulmonary conditions; devices to treat various urological and pelvic conditions; implantable cardioverter and implantable cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators; pacemakers and implantable cardiac resynchronization therapy pacemakers; and remote patient management systems.

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PNC Financial Services Group Inc. cut its stake in Visa Inc. (NYSE:V  Free Report) by 1.7% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,654,994 shares of the credit-card processors stock after selling 47,013 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. owned approximately 0.14% of Visa worth $630,508,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich lifted its position in shares of 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 worth $474,634,314,000 after purchasing an additional 1,996,779,546 shares in the last quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in Visa by 116,608.6% in the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 24,504,130 shares of the credit-card processors stock valued at $5,090,978,000 after buying an additional 24,483,134 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Visa during the 4th quarter worth about $3,067,232,000. Morgan Stanley grew its holdings in shares of Visa by 13.0% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 51,122,866 shares of the credit-card processors stock valued at $10,621,287,000 after acquiring an additional 5,864,340 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Visa by 130.4% in the first quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 7,042,098 shares of the credit-card processors stock valued at $680,069,000 after acquiring an additional 3,986,135 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.35% of the companys stock.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Chairman Alfred F. Kelly, Jr. sold 40,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $236.14, for a total transaction of $9,445,600.00. Following the sale, the chairman now directly owns 139,854 shares in the company, valued at $33,025,123.56. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, insider Rajat Taneja sold 9,200 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, November 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.01, for a total transaction of $2,300,092.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 232,112 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $58,030,321.12. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Chairman Alfred F. Kelly, Jr. sold 40,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $236.14, for a total value of $9,445,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now owns 139,854 shares in the company, valued at approximately $33,025,123.56. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 81,300 shares of company stock valued at $19,668,731 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.22% of the companys stock.

Visa Price Performance

NYSE:V traded up $2.71 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $252.68. The companys stock had a trading volume of 771,442 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,011,186. Visa Inc. has a twelve month low of $202.13 and a twelve month high of $253.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 1.45 and a quick ratio of 1.49. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $238.48 and a 200-day simple moving average of $236.43. The company has a market capitalization of $470.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.15, a PEG ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 0.95.

Visa (NYSE:V  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 24th. The credit-card processor reported $2.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.23 by $0.10. Visa had a net margin of 52.90% and a return on equity of 50.13%. The company had revenue of $8.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.56 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.93 EPS. The firms revenue was up 10.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that Visa Inc. will post 9.9 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Visa Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 1st. Investors of record on Thursday, November 9th will be given a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, November 8th. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.82%. This is a positive change from Visas previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. Visas payout ratio is currently 25.09%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently commented on V. HSBC started coverage on Visa in a research report on Friday, October 13th. They set a hold rating and a $266.00 price target for the company. Raymond James upped their price target on shares of Visa from $284.00 to $287.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 25th. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Visa in a research note on Thursday, October 5th. They set a buy rating on the stock. Credit Suisse Group raised their target price on shares of Visa from $265.00 to $275.00 in a research note on Wednesday, July 26th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Visa from $273.00 to $275.00 in a research 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. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $275.67.

Read Our Latest Analysis on Visa

About Visa

(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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1. Knitted maxi sweater

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Knitted maxi dresses used to be fashionable, outlining the silhouette of the figure beautifully. This year, stylists advise replacing this elegant option with more cozy sweater dresses. It is advisable that they be without decor and colorful prints. If you want to emphasize the waist, add a thin belt to the outfit.

2. Dress in crochet technique

Crochet is a very fine and delicate crochet or its imitation. Items made using this technique are pleasant to the touch and have a high-quality texture. This year, they are smoothly moving from summer to fall trends. Crochet dresses should be worn with a plain bottom layer, for example, with tight tights and a long sleeve or bodysuit. We also recommend throwing a jacket or sweater over the outfit.

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3. Denim dress

Wear-resistant denim has been in trend for decades. You will definitely not be cold in dresses made of this dense material, and it fits easily into any outfit. Don't forget the denim belt that will accentuate the waist.

4. Midi dress made of suit fabric

If you're thinking of a dress in the form of an elongated jacket, we're not talking about it. In the fall of 2023, midi dresses with a fitted silhouette will be in trend. They have a more restrained cut and are perfect for an office outfit or business meetings.

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5. Silhouette dress with a hood

Such dresses were popular back in the 1930s. The fashion for them was brought back by the Yves Saint Laurent brand. These are wrap dresses with hoods without prints and decor. Sometimes they can be with a laconic chain belt. They are perfect for a romantic dinner or going to the theater.

Earlier, OBOZREVATEL wrote about men's things that girls can borrow for stylish looks.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel Obozrevatel and Viber. Don't fall for fakes!
Every year on November 21, Ukraine honors the participants of two major historical events - the Orange Revolution of 2004 and the Revolution of Dignity of 2013-14. The holiday was established in 2014 and was named the Day of Dignity and Freedom.

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OBOZ.UA tells the story of the two revolutions. And tells the facts that every Ukrainian should know.

History of the holiday

The memorable date was established by the President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko in 2005. Back then, November 22 was chosen as the date of Freedom Day - it was on this day that people came to Independence Square for the first time to protest against the falsification of the results of the second round of the presidential election. Viktor Yushchenko actually won the election, but it was attributed to Viktor Yanukovych, so Ukrainians began to defend their choice.

When Yanukovych became president, he canceled the holiday. He also canceled the celebration of Unity Day in 2011. Instead, he introduced the Day of Unity and Freedom and set it for January 22.

Ukraine rose up against Yanukovych for the second time on November 21, 2013, after his government decided to suspend preparations for the signing of the Association Agreement with the European Union. Initially, the events were called Euromaidan. But after the shooting of protesters by security forces, the death of the Heavenly Hundred, and Yanukovych's escape, the large-scale protests were called the Revolution of Dignity.

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After the victory of Euromaidan, Russia for the first time carried out open aggression against Ukraine, annexing Crimea and unleashing hostilities in the east of the country. To support the protesters and honor their courage, President Petro Poroshenko introduced the Day of Dignity and Freedom on the day the protests began in 2013.

A separate holiday is celebrated in Ukraine on February 20. On this date, Poroshenko appointed the Day of Remembrance of the Heavenly Hundred Heroes. It was then that most protesters were killed in 2014.

Facts about the Revolution of Dignity

During the Revolution of Dignity, many bright and symbolic actions took place. And some of its events went down in history forever.

A letter to the "Donetsk Sultan"

On November 27, Euromaidan activists wrote an appeal to Viktor Yanukovych on a 100-meter-long scroll. In it, they explained why Ukraine should continue its course toward European integration and gave the government advice.

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A human chain to Przemysl

To symbolically connect Ukraine with Europe, on November 29, people formed a human chain that stretched from Kyiv to Przemysl, Poland. It passed through Zhytomyr, Rivne, Lviv, and Shehynia on the Polish border. The chain was 625 kilometers long.

March of a million

The protests gained new momentum after the brutal beating of activists, mostly students, on November 30, 2013. This was the first attempt to disperse Euromaidan by force, which further united the protesters. And on December 8, more than a million people came to the People's Viche on Independence Square. They decided to start blocking the Presidential Administration, the Cabinet of Ministers, and other institutions.

St. Michael's bell ringing

On the night of December 10-11, units of the Internal Troops and Berkut again tried to disperse the protesters by force. Ivan Sydor, a deacon of St. Michael's Cathedral, began to warn people of the approaching danger, and with the blessing of the monastery's abbot, Abbot Agapit, he began to ring the church bells. The last time such a chime sounded over Kyiv was in 1240, when the Tatar-Mongol horde was standing near the city. Subsequently, St. Michael's Monastery became one of the key places where protesters could hide and rest, and where the wounded on the Maidan and the bodies of the dead were taken.

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A choir of 200,000 people performing the national anthem

An important symbolic action was the performance of the Ukrainian national anthem by protesters on December 14. About 200,000 people sang "Ukraine has not yet died..." together, shining flashlights on their phones.

Epiphany

On the day of Epiphany, which was celebrated on January 19, a peaceful protest turned into an armed confrontation. Dissatisfied with the adoption of the dictatorial "laws of January 16," the protesters marched to the Verkhovna Rada. Units of the Internal Troops and Berkut blocked their way, which resulted in a violent confrontation. There were no casualties that day, but the tension was so high that the events were symbolically called the "Epiphany".

Shooting of protesters

A month later, on the night of February 20, Berkut launched a particularly brutal attempt to disperse Euromaidan. But at some point, the security forces abandoned their positions and moved up Instytutska Street. People followed them and were effectively trapped. Snipers began to open fire on the crowd. The death toll that day reached dozens.

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Yanukovych's escape

On February 21, President Yanukovych signed an agreement with opposition leaders Arsenii Yatsenyuk, Vitali Klitschko, and Oleh Tiahnybok to resolve the crisis. The document provided for several steps to restore constitutional order and elect a new government in Ukraine. However, the Euromaidan participants were not satisfied with the fact that the document did not provide for the immediate removal of Yanukovych from the presidency. But then people did not know that he was already preparing to flee Kyiv. On the 19th, he started taking valuables and documents out of his residence in Mezhyhirya. Yanukovych himself left the residence in the evening of February 21. He flew from Kyiv to Kharkiv, then moved to Crimea and fled to Russia. On February 22, the Verkhovna Rada removed him from the presidency and called new elections for May, and the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Oleksandr Turchynov became the interim head of state.

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Earlier, OBOZ.UA published a collection of Maidan songs dedicated to the Day of Dignity and Freedom.

FollowOBOZ.UA onTelegram and Viber to keep up with the latest developments.
Dozens of men from dioceses across Ireland have attended the national seminary to explore their potential call to vocation.

Thirty six men from Irish dioceses enrolled in this year's weekend gathering at St Patrick's College, Maynooth to help discern if God is calling them to the priesthood.

The weekend - which took place on November 18 and 19 - offers those considering a vocation an opportunity to meet with likeminded men on the path of discernment to priesthood.

Director of the National Vocations Office of the Irish Bishops Conference, Father Willie Purcell, said, "Saint Patricks College, Maynooth, provides a safe and conducive environment for participants to ask questions of the formation team, while also enabling them to reflect on following the example of the life of Jesus.

"Those attending pray together and join the seminary community in the celebration of Mass, hear accounts of contemporary priestly ministry and meet with students who have begun formation towards priesthood.

"Our feedback indicates that seminarians, and newly ordained priests, are grateful for the witness, encouragement and accompaniment of another priest during their own discernment process."

It is the third year the national seminary has hosted the gathering.

This year's theme - 'Come and See' - was reportedly drawn from the invitation of Jesus in John 1:39 - 41, when disciples asked Jesus where He was staying. Rather than being too busy or important for them, Jesus invited them by saying, 'Come and you will see'.

According to Father Purcell, any man contemplating a vocation who wishes to further explore a calling should contact the National Vocations Office on info@vocations.ie.

The Year for Vocation - involving organised prayer and awareness initiatives - will conclude on Good Shepherd Sunday (April 21, 2024).
WITH voting underway to elect a new president of the Irish Famers Association, one of the two candidates has planted a flag firmly on honest ground as he campaigns to lead the organisation.

Seeking the vote of farmers across the country, Martin Stapleton says he will not make any false promises and will be honest and hard-working.

The Limerick farmer says this approach has been well received by farmers in all sectors, who have told him their needs are not being respected, their freedom to farm reduced, their incomes threatened and their representative organisation disunited.

The father-of-three says farmers need a progressive leader like him to work hard to secure the future of Irish farming.

Married to Siobhan with three teenage children - Jessica, James and Vicky - Martin has a strong record of service to farmers

particularly as the IFAs Farm Business Chair.

Elected to this position for his professional approach, it has given him huge commercial experience, necessary to face the tough negotiations for a workable solution to the changes facing Irish farmers.

Described as a man farmers can trust to bring in smart policy choices through direct and robust negotiations, many farmers are convinced he can turn around the IFA and make it more relevant to farmers.

As well as a long history in family farming and as an active member of the IFA, Martin also works to promote Cultivate, the Credit Union banking service specially geared towards farmers.

He has worked as the Chair of the IFA Debt Support Service, helping hundreds of farmers to hold on to their farms when their loans were sold to vulture funds.

Martin was previously the National Returning Officer and is currently National Treasurer of the IFA and represents the organisation on the Irish Banking Culture Board.

"The President of the IFA for 2024  2028 needs to unite the organisation as the force in Irish agriculture it once was," he said adding: "I am convinced that my progressive approach will reassert our influence as a powerful voice for farmers when lobbying the governments in Dublin and Brussels. I have the experience and the drive to succeed in restoring respect for

farmers, to give farmers the right to farm as they see fit, to protect our incomes and to unify the IFA."

The Limerick farmer says he believes the IFA must bring more women and more young people to the forefront of the organisation.

"We must protect the vulnerable sectors and to do that, we must have a strong voice at the negotiation table, able and willing to frame the policies that will best serve farmers in these rapidly changing times. A vote for me will be repaid by hard work for all Irish farmers."

The other candidate in the presidential election is Francie Gorman - a suckler beef and sheep farmer from Ballinakill in Laois.

Francie, the current South Leinster Regional Chair, is married to Kay, with whom he has a son, Tom.

The Election Count will take place in Dublin on Tuesday, December 12.
Irish aid groups have said only a trickle of humanitarian aid is getting into the Gaza Strip and it is meeting a fraction of that needed by its population.

The Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip has led to an unprecedented humanitarian crisis in the region, with food, water, fuel and medicines extremely limited.

The military operation was launched in response to an attack by Hamas militants who killed 1,200 Israeli citizens and are thought to have kidnapped around 200 others, including Irish-Israeli citizen Emily Hand.

Representatives of Dochas, Trocaire and Concern addressed Irish parliamentarians and senators on Tuesday during a meeting of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee.

As well as highlighting the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza, they also raised concerns about other conflicts in the world and the need to help nations respond to conditions created by climate change.

Finola Finnan, deputy chief executive of Trocaire, said there was only a trickle of aid going into Gaza as only the Rafah crossing at the Egyptian border was partially open, while the two Israeli crossings remained closed.

Speaking about the 10 million euro donated to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestinian refugees, and 3 million euro to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), she added there was no suggestion that that funding is doing anything other than for the purpose for which it is intended, and there is good due diligence to ensure that.

Ms Finnan described the conditions as catastrophic and a living hell.

She told the committee: The trickle of humanitarian assistance entering from Egypt meets only a fraction of peoples needs. The closure of the strip amounts to collective punishment on an unprecedented scale on an already vulnerable and impoverished civilian population.

Since October, weve had about 1,320 trucks have gone in, only 4% of the daily average volume prior to the current hostility, so theres very little aid going in.

At the moment, were waiting to scale up and we absolutely need a cessation of the bombardment on the population to be able to scale up to anything like we need.

She said her organisation was deeply concerned by the escalation of violence and displacement in the West Bank, and there was very little aid going to the north of the region.

Ms Finnan paid tribute to Viola, a worker with Caritas Jerusalem, described as a vibrant young Palestinian lab technician, who died with her husband and baby daughter in an Israeli bombardment while sheltering in a church in Gaza.

She also mentioned Vivian Silver  a former board member of Trocaires Israeli partner BTselem and a co founder of Women Waging Peace  who was killed in the October 7 attack by Hamas.

Rosamond Bennett, chief executive of Christian Aid and chairwoman of Dochas, told TDs and senators that the first thing they do each day is check if their staff are still alive.

She said that 160 children are being killed every day, and that more children had been killed since October 7 than in all wars around the world since 2012.

She added that she remembers being shocked at the amount of rubble in the Gaza Strip when she visited the enclave in 2013 and cannot imagine how it is now, or how it could be rebuilt.

I was in Gaza in May, and the need is huge there. Even before this, about 80% of the population rely on humanitarian aid. And as Finola said, there are very few trucks going in compared to what there was previously, she said.

Ms Bennett said it is very difficult to get public funding for humanitarian crises in Yemen, Syria and Sudan as those conflicts are not raised as often in the media, meaning that government funding is crucial in these cases.

Dominic MacSorley, humanitarian ambassador at Concern Worldwide, speaking by videolink from the Chad border with Sudan, said there was a need to move on from Ireland focusing on one international crisis at a time.
Preparations for a difficult winter in Ukraine are underway, and in addition to lists of useful things that can help survive in the absence of light and heat, instructions for making various useful gadgets have begun to spread on social media. One of them is a compact heater that runs on a candle.

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According to TSN, it will come in handy during heating and power outages, as it does not depend on the availability of power. The power of such a device is, of course, low, but it can heat a small room of up to 20 square meters by several degrees. To see how to assemble such a heater, read the story to the end.

This method of heating was invented by Californian Doyle Dossa, who lives in the southern US state of California, where it can be quite cold in winter, so his company DOSS Products is quite successful in selling its Kandle Heater for $25 each. The system is based on an inverted ceramic flower pot that covers a candle. It accumulates the heat energy released during combustion-it usually dissipates in all directions-and then releases it into the room.

A significant disadvantage of the Kandle Heater is that it takes a long time to heat up. The device is designed so that all residual moisture must first evaporate from it. You can speed up this process a bit by storing the heater in a plastic bag, so that the pots won't absorb water from the air.

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What do you need to make a candle warmer? You will need:

several ceramic flower pots of different sizes - plastic ones will not work;

a long metal bolt;

nuts and washers.

As conceived by the designer, there should be three pots and they should fit freely into each other. They need to be connected with a long bolt. Several nuts should be placed between the pots so that they do not fit tightly but have free space between them. Following the same principle of layering as in clothing, air pockets between the pots will accumulate heat. The largest pallet can serve as a candle stand. A structure of containers should be placed above it like a cap. But air must circulate freely between these parts, otherwise the fire will go out.

It is not necessary to buy expensive candles for such a heater; the cheapest tea lights or any low candles will do. Their flame will heat the rod and other metal elements, the hot air from them will collect in the air pockets of the heater, and the excess will be released into the room.

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It is important to note that such a heater should not be left unattended. An open flame, even if it is as small as a tea light, is a real danger.

As OBOZREVATEL previously reported, an experienced tourist told how to stay warm in an apartment without heating on her Twitter account. And a Kharkiv blogger has compiled a list of gadgets that will be indispensable during a long power outage.
[November 21, 2023] Robots Help to Solve "Japan's 2024 Problem" - IFR Reports Tweet

Japan faces a labor shortage impact in 2024 as new overtime regulations for truck drivers come into force. This is being called the '2024 problem' - its potential disruptions need technological help. The worlds number one robot manufacturing country is developing automation strategies that will not only target logistical issues but also a wide range of industry challenges the new working time legislation will cause. "The government's overtime cap is an important step to improve working conditions for employees," says Takayuki Ito, Vice President of the International Federation of Robotics. "Industrial and service robots deliver great solutions to automate. Robots relieve workers of dirty, dull and dangerous work and help to close productivity gaps." Robots load and unload cargo In Japan, the average annual working hours for a heavy truck driver were 2,568, which is 444 hours longer than the national average for all jobs - labor ministry data from 2022 reveals. Placing cargo in and out of trucks and warehouses is one of the most time-consuming tasks of truck drivers. Mobile robot solutions in transportation and logistics can help. To free up truck drivers from loading and unloading cargo saves them up to 25% of working time during a day's shift. Robots also help reduce errors in order fulfillment by automating repetitive tasks such as picking and packing. Robots speed up warehousing Warehouse robots in use today range from compact autonomous mobile robots to large-scale automated storage and retrieval systems. Their use reduces the amount of time required to move goods and they can handle heavy loads and dangerous materials without putting human workers at risk. Workplaces of the future "Regulations of overtime work and the demographic change will require the adoption of automation technology in many branches of the Japanese economy," says Takayuki Ito. "Th challenges of the trucking industry are good examples to show how robotics and automation deliver adequate solutions for our workplaces of the future."



iREX 2023 in Tokyo (November 29 - December 02) The International Robot Exhibition (iREX) in Tokyo is one of the world's largest robot exhibitions:

iREX homepage : https://irex.nikkan.co.jp/?lang=en

: https://irex.nikkan.co.jp/?lang=en iREX online webinars: https://irex.nikkan.co.jp/webinar?venue=3 Downloads Photos and graphics: https://ifr.org/ifr-press-releases/news/robots-help-to-solve-japans-2024-problem Video FACTS about Robots: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtxMYJz4v2Y About IFR www.ifr.org IFR on LinkedIn, Twitter/X and YouTube View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121873222/en/

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[November 20, 2023] University of Phoenix College of Doctoral Studies Releases White Paper Urging Higher Education Institutions to Align Curricula to Skills Required by Employers Tweet

University of Phoenix College of Doctoral Studies has released a new whitepaper, "Skills-based Education: Shifting the Focus of Higher Education," by Mansureh Kebritchi, Ph.D., chair, Center for Educational and Instructional Technology Research (CEITR), urging higher education institutions to shift their curricula to include skills required by employers in order to remain relevant. The University of Phoenix Career Institute 2023 Career Optimism Index study found that 70% of American workers say if their company gave them more opportunities to apply new skills, they would be more likely to stay throughout their career. The white paper reviews the current state of skill development for American workers and employers based on the 2023 Career Optimism Index. It shares some approaches to bridge the gap between universities and industry and discusses Simultaneous Constructive Alignment as a practical framework to revise universities' curricula to become more aligned with the required industry and students' skills. "Many higher education institution graduates do not possess the industry-specific skills required for employment, which highlights the need for educational institutions to revise their curricula and incorporate these industry-specific skills," states Kebritchi. "Higher education Institutions can tap into the current context to better serve workers' desire to be challenged to learn new skills and employers' need to hire more skillful workers." Kebritchi is the founder and chair of CEITR, where she supervises more than 300 faculty members, alumni, and students to conduct research in the field of education. Interested in studying innovative ways to improve quality of teaching and learning in K-12, higher education, and corporate settings in online and face-to-face formats, her recent publications address topics such as critical thinking, meditation and higher education, social media and cultural competency, diversity in higher education, promoting STEM in K-12 and higher education, issues and challenges for teaching successful online courses. Kebritchi has supervised dozens of doctoral students in completing their octoral dissertations. She completed her doctorate in Instructional Technology at the University of Central Florida.



Kebritchi has been a faculty member with the University of Phoenix since 2010. University of Phoenix has progressed its skills-tagged curriculum and digital badging with associate, bachelor and master degree programs now open for new enrollment being 100% skills-mapped. The university works with labor market researchers and experienced faculty in their fields, to identify, tag, and map employer sought-after skills in curriculum. Students' progress are made visible through their profile dashboard.

The full whitepaper is available at College of Doctoral Studies research hub and as a direct link here. About the College of Doctoral Studies University of Phoenix's College of Doctoral Studies focuses on today's challenging business and organizational needs, from addressing critical social issues to developing solutions to accelerate community building and industry growth. The College's research program is built around the Scholar, Practitioner, Leader Model which puts students in the center of the Doctoral Education Ecosystem with experts, resources and tools to help prepare them to be a leader in their organization, industry and community. Through this program, students and researchers work with organizations to conduct research that can be applied in the workplace in real time. About the Career Optimism Index The Career Optimism Index study is one of the most comprehensive studies of Americans' personal career perceptions to date. The University of Phoenix Career Institute conducts this research annually to provide insights on current workforce trends and to help identify solutions to support and advance American careers and create equity in the workplace. For the third annual study, fielded between December 9, 2022 - January 13, 2023, more than 5,000 U.S. adults were surveyed on how they feel about their careers at this moment in time, including their concerns, their challenges, and the degree to which they are optimistic about core aspects of their careers. The study was conducted among a diverse, nationally representative, sample of U.S. adults among a robust sample to allow for gender, generational, racial, and socioeconomic differences and includes additional analysis of the workforce in the top twenty DMA markets across the country to uncover geographic nuances. The study also explores insights from 500 U.S. employers who are influential or play a critical role in hiring and workplace decisions within a range of departments, company sizes and industries to provide comparison between the workforce and those who hire, train, and retain them. About University of Phoenix University of Phoenix innovates to help working adults enhance their careers and develop skills in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant courses, interactive learning, skills-mapped curriculum for our bachelor's and master's degree programs and a Career Services for Life commitment help students more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives. For more information, visit phoenix.edu. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231120827323/en/

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[November 20, 2023] IACC Rescinds Invitation to TikTok to its 2024 Annual Conference Amidst Concerns Over Platform's Content Management Tweet

WASHINGTON, Nov. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition (IACC) has announced that it is rescinding its invitation to TikTok to participate in the IACC 2024 Annual Conference focused on intellectual property protection. This decision comes in light of TikTok's ineffective content moderation policies. Recently, videos on TikTok emerged sharing a letter from Osama bin Laden, attempting to justify the 9/11 attacks. This content has drawn widespread criticism, including remarks from the White House. While TikTok states it is actively removing such posts, the IACC remains concerned about the platform's effectiveness in managing harmful content. Bob Barchiesi, IACC President and a former law enforcement eecutive, expressed his strong stance: "The glorification of figures like Osama bin Laden on platforms like TikTok is not only deeply disturbing but also a direct insult to the memories of the brave heroes we lost on 9/11. Such narratives, under the guise of free expression, can perpetuate harm and disrespect the legacy of those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Our decision reflects our unwavering commitment to honor their memory and uphold the highest standards of respect and integrity. I have no doubt that this view would be shared by many current and former law enforcement and government officials who attend our conference each year."



Given the IACC's commitment to upholding these values, TikTok's participation in the conference is viewed as misaligned with these principles. The IACC holds a strong stance against any form of support for terrorism or the dissemination of extremist views. The Coalition continues to dedicate its efforts to fostering environments that promote respect, innovation, and the protection of intellectual property rights.

About the IACC

The IACC (www.iacc.org) is a not-for-profit organization representing the interests of companies concerned with intellectual property theft. The IACC membership includes many of the world's best-known brands across all sectors. The IACC is a leader in cross-industry voluntary agreements that address the online trafficking of counterfeit and pirated goods, including its IACC MarketSafe and RogueBlock initiatives. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/iacc-rescinds-invitation-to-tiktok-to-its-2024-annual-conference-amidst-concerns-over-platforms-content-management-301994086.html SOURCE International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition

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[November 20, 2023] Nachawati Law Group: Latest Verdict in Roundup Weedkiller Case Reinforces Need for Action by Manufacturers Tweet

Another jury has found Bayer Monsanto's Roundup weedkiller liable for causing non-Hodgkin lymphoma, prompting attorneys representing thousands of victims to demand that the company take responsibility for continuing to sell its poisonous product following documented cases of cancer tied to glyphosate exposure. The $1.56 billion jury verdict in Missouri Friday marks the fourth consecutive trial result in favor of Roundup plaintiffs in recent months. Juries found in favor of the cancer victims based on evidence presented showing that Bayer failed to warn consumers of the potential dangers of using Roundup and the link to cancer. "I am pleased to see jurors ruling in favor of those who have been hurt by this dangerous product," said Nachawati Law Group founder Majed Nachawati, whose Dallas-based firm represents more than 5,000 cancer victims against the manufacturers. "Let this send a clear message to Bayer and Monsanto that they will not escape accountability for what they have done to thousands of innocent people."



Mr. Nachawati has been an outspoken voice against Monsanto's attempts to circumvent the settlements of thousands of related lawsuits consolidated in multidistrict litigation. According to trial evidence, Monsanto for decades downplayed known cancer risks associated with exposure to glyphosate, the main ingredient in Roundup. Evidence in various cases shows Monsanto also sought to influence scientific studies of glyphosate that it funded and resisted placing warning labels on the product. Click here for more information.

In July 2022, an 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals opinion found the chemical giant subject to warning label laws, halting Monsanto's attempt to secure dismissal of lawsuits and removal of the claims to federal court. That ruling provided clarity for other pending lawsuits against Bayer (OTCMKTS: BAYZF, BAYRY) and its Monsanto subsidiary. Earlier this month, Union Investment, one of Bayer's top shareholders, called on the company to resolve the cases with the cancer victims. About Nachawati Law Group Nachawati Law Group represents individuals in mass tort litigation, businesses and governmental entities in contingent litigation, and individual victims in complex personal injury litigation. For more information visit https://ntrial.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231120392873/en/

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[November 20, 2023] Kajeet Wins U.S. Broadband Award in Wireless Neutral Host Networks Category Tweet

MCLEAN, Va., Nov. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Kajeet, a leading wireless connectivity and device management provider for education, government, and commercial markets, today announced it has been named a U.S. Broadband Award winner in the Wireless Neutral Host Networks category. The program honors and celebrates the best solutions, programs, use cases, technology, and individuals working to connect everyone across the United States through broadband. The award winners were announced during the U.S. Broadband Summit, held in Washington D.C. last week. "...a testament to Kajeet's commitment to driving innovation in the broadband industry." Winners were selected based on effectiveness, technical innovation, financial & community impact, individual efforts in driving broadband investment, and true innovation in addressing the digital divide. Kajeet was recognized in the Excellence in Wireless Neutral Host Networks category for its groundbreaking Smart Private 5G Neutral Host Solution, which utilizes the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) spectrum to extend cellular coverage of Mobile Network Operators' service - eliminating dead spots indoors and outdoors. The solution is facilitated by a Multi-Operator Core Network (MOCN) gateway, which transforms a single private wireless network into a versatile infrastructure capable of hosting and providing connectivity to numerous carriers. This provides improved cell service across college campuses, office buildings, retail areas, even venues, hospitals and more. The Kajeet Smart Private 5G Neutral Host Solution not only showcases technical excellence but also demonstrates a significant impact on bridging the digital divide by providing seamless and accessible broadband connectivity.



Derrick Frost, senior vice president of operations and general manager of private wireless at Kajeet, expressed his excitement, stating, "Receiving the U.S. Broadband Award in the Wireless Neutral Host Networks category is a testament to Kajeet's commitment to driving innovation in the broadband industry." The judging panel included experts from leading companies in the wider broadband industry, including Tantra Analyst LLC, Mobile Experts, Inc., Impact Broadband, and AvidThink.

Alejandro Pinero, head of content, Fierce Technology Group at Questex said, "Congratulations to the winners of the inaugural U.S. Broadband Awards. We were extremely impressed with the submissions and look forward to watching them be implemented to connect the underserved and unconnected." To learn more about Kajeet's Private Wireless solutions and Smart Private 5G Neutral Host Solution, visit Kajeet Private Wireless Networks About Kajeet Kajeet provides optimized IoT connectivity, software and hardware solutions that deliver safe, reliable, and controlled internet connectivity to nearly 3,000 businesses, schools and districts, state, and local governments. Kajeet's private and neutral host network solutions simplify private wireless to allow customers to design, install and manage their own networks. Kajeet's award-winning management platform, Sentinel, includes visibility into real-time data usage, policy control management, custom content filters for added security, and multi-network flexibility. Since 2003, Kajeet has helped thousands of organizations connect over a million devices around the world. To learn more, visit kajeet.com About U.S. Broadband Summit The first-ever U.S. Broadband Summit brings together federal funding leaders and state representatives with the wider broadband industry, including fiber operators, MSOs, WISPs, wireless carriers, and more, to discuss the future of broadband in the United States. As attention focuses on bridging the growing digital divide, the industry must come together to address the challenge. Media Contact: Linda Jennings, Director of Corporate Communications Phone: 248-521-3606 Email: [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kajeet-wins-us-broadband-award-in-wireless-neutral-host-networks-category-301994102.html SOURCE Kajeet

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[November 20, 2023] Creality ShareFest Australia 2023: Igniting Creativity Down Under Tweet

MELBOURNE, Australia, Nov. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Creality, a global leader in 3D printing, recently concluded its Australian leg of the Creality ShareFest 2023 series with a user meetup on November 19 in Melbourne. This exclusive event marked a significant step in understanding user perspectives and exploring the future of 3D printing in the Australian market. Creality ShareFest in 2023: A Worldwide Journey, All the Way to Australia Creality ShareFest has successfully traversed multiple global locations in 2023, including China (Shenzhen/Shanghai), USA (Goshen/Maryland), France (Lespinasse), and now, Australia. The Melbourne event, part of this global initiative, followed its predecessors with tremendous success. Leading up to the event, registrations opened on October 18th, and within a week, over 100 Australian users enthusiastically signed up. The actual event garnered significant anticipation, with nearly 60 attendees ranging from children, female workshop leaders, model designers, to 3D printing service providers, showcasing the broad appeal and accessibility of 3D printing technology, as well as the inclusivity of Creality ShareFest. Product Showcasing and Experiencing At the event Creality introduced a raft of new 3D printers featuring the Ender-3 V3 series and CR-10 SE, as well as a range of ecosystem products such as engravers, scanners, drying boxes, Nebula Pad, and high-speed filaments, giving attendees an exclusive look at the upcoming Ender-3 V3 KE and the 3D printed shoes set to be released in December. People also had the opportunity to assemble the Ender-3 V3 SE, showcasing the evolution of 3D printing accessibility. The introduction of the new laser engraver, Falcon2 40W, provided a hands-on experience, underlining Creality's commitment to a comprehensive 3D printing ecosystem. Community Involvement and Insights The event featured a special appearance by YouTuber @TheOuterCircle, who shared his extensive experience withCreality machines including HALOT MAGE Pro, CR-10 SE, Ender-3 Max Neo, HALOT One Plus and CR-10 Smart Pro.



James McKenzi, an avid wargamer and 3DP enthusiast, showcased his intricate gaming 3D creations using both FDM and resin printers. Satisfied with the surpassing performance of his Creality CR-10 SE, he also contributed great ideas to ShareFest Australia. The involvement of online community leaders like Sean Riley, who shared details about prize activities in Facebook groups 3D Printing Australia and Creality Australia, highlighted Creality's collaborative approach to building and supporting local 3D printing communities.

Notably, the event witnessed engaging user discussions, covering diverse topics such as the industry applications of 3D printing in fields like medicine, manufacturing, and design. The discourse extended to education in 3D printing technology and delved into participants' daily experiences with 3D printing. Mark Sichler, the Category Manager representing Jaycar, Creality's largest distributing partner in Australia as a major electronics retailer in the Oceania region, showed up at the event and gave invaluable support. Mark leaked exclusive Christmas offers for the Creality Australia Facebook group members, unveiling exciting festive surprises at the gathering. Model Contest Tradition Continues A highlight of ShareFest events, the model contest continued in Melbourne. Attendees voted for their favorite models, maintaining the tradition of community engagement. Winners received coveted Creality products, including the K1, K1 Max and HALOT MAGE Pro. By leveraging the power of its inventions, Creality aspires to inspire creative ideas among makers. Capturing Memories: Group Photos and Dinner To commemorate the beauty of ShareFest Australia, participants came together for group photos. Creality also provided a delightful dinner, fostering conversations around 3D printing experiences. The activity aimed to connect creators, providing a platform to share stories and forge friendships within the 3D printing community. Looking Ahead: Creality's Commitment to Global Community As the Melbourne ShareFest drew to a close, Creality expressed gratitude to all participants and reiterated its commitment to supporting and growing the Australian 3D printing community. The success of the event fuels hope for more such gatherings in other countries, encouraging global collaboration and knowledge exchange in the realm of 3D printing. "We witnessed Creality ShareFest journeying throughout the world, and decided that we can't miss Australia. The warmest response ShareFest Australia has received affirmed this decision and this event and further, fortified Creality's commitment to furthering a vibrant 3D printing community in Australia as well as our will to carry it onto New Zealand soon enough," Alice Zeng, Overseas Sales Director at Creality, marveled at the success of ShareFest Australia. "We'll continue to encourage creators and enthusiasts to join the community, stay connected, and be part of the ongoing evolution of 3D printing, as the ShareFest series remains a testament to our dedication to inspiration, collaboration, and the limitless possibilities of 3D printing. But meanwhile and foremost, we thank you - besides thanking our most committed users, we also would like to express our heartfelt appreciation to the many of our partners, including Jaycar, media reps, and influencers  it would not have been possible without you all." Media Contact: brand@creality.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/creality-sharefest-australia-2023-igniting-creativity-down-under-301994215.html SOURCE CREALITY 3D

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[November 20, 2023] Coins.ph Paves the Way for Frictionless Remittances with PayPal USD Tweet

MANILA, Philippines, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Coins.ph, the Philippines' leading cryptocurrency exchange, announced its partnership with Paxos Trust Company, a New York-based institution specializing in blockchain, to grow the adoption of PayPal USD (PYUSD) for streamlined and efficient cross-border remittances. With PYUSD now available on Coins.ph, Filipinos can securely and conveniently transfer funds across borders to their loved ones back home. "Early on, we recognized the importance of growing the adoption of USD stablecoins particularly PYUSD," said Wei Zhou, CEO of Coins.ph. "The Philippines is the fourth largest remittance receiving country in the world and over 40% of these remittances come from the United States. With PayPal behind it and its availability on platforms such as Venmo and Xoom, PYUSD is set to become one of the most widely used stablecoins in the world." according to Zhou. Nick Robnett, Senior Director of Customer Success at Paxos, added, "PYUSD is the safest dollarbacked stablecoin available to global institutions and consumers today. With this regulated digital asset, CoinsPH users can now quickly and easily send US dollars at a fraction of the costs associated with traditional remittance networks. We're excited to offer global users more access and more economic freedom through this exciting new integration."



PYUSD combines the stability of the US dollar with the capabilities of blockchain technology. It is a smart choice for remittances due to its reliability, speed and stability as a store of value. It is pegged 1:1 to the US dollar and its reserves are entirely backed by US dollar deposits. To use PYUSD for remittances, senders simply need to send PYUSD to the Coins.ph wallet address of recipients. From there, it's easy to exchange PYUSD to PHP on the app and cash out. This can be done via an Instapay or Pesonet fund transfer to banks and other e-wallets, or through one of the many over-the-counter remittance centers supported by Coins.ph.

For the initial launch of PYUSD on Coins.ph, trading fees are waived to encourage users to explore the benefits of using PYUSD for remittances. This reflects Coins.ph and Paxos' shared dedication to delivering value for Filipinos and fostering a vibrant and inclusive digital financial ecosystem. About Coins.ph Coins.ph is on a mission to power the new internet with easy access to digital assets and web3 products. Launched in 2014, Coins.ph is the most established crypto brand in the Philippines and has gained the trust of more than 18 million users. Through the easy-to-use mobile app, users can buy and sell a variety of different cryptocurrencies and access a wide range of financial services. Coins.ph is fully regulated by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and is the first ever crypto-based company in Asia to hold both Virtual Currency and Electronic Money Issuer licenses from a central bank. For further information, please contact:

Joma Garcia

[email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/coinsph-paves-the-way-for-frictionless-remittances-with-paypal-usd-301994279.html SOURCE Coins.ph

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[November 20, 2023] CMS and IPDefine Announce Global Patent Monetisation Initiative Tweet

TOKYO, Nov. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- International law firm CMS, in collaboration with patent AI specialist IPDefine Ltd., have developed a cutting-edge turnkey solution which is poised to make intellectual property monetisation more accessible than ever before. Introducing CMS Umbra. By combining IPDefine's industry-first AI innovation with CMS's legal and commercial expertise, CMS Umbra enables businesses to evaluate, optimise and monetise their patent portfolios at an unprecedented level of speed and low cost. Unleashing the True Potential of IP Intellectual property should be enforced with the same level of vigour with which it is protected. When managed effectively, patents can be a significant profit driver for a business, either through technology exclusivity or through licence royalties. However, the reality is that many intellectual property registrations sit idle and never see an opportunity to generate revenue. Toby Sears, IP Partner at CMS, comments: "Patents should actively contribute to business success. We see far too many businesses sitting on their patents portfolios without a clear strategy for management. CMS Umbra has been developed to apply the power of AI to this process, allowing businesses to manage and derive value from their patent portfolios with ease. We arm businesses with a transparent view of both risks and opportunities, enabling more informed, strategic decisions about their IP portfolio." Risks of Improperly Managed Intellectual Property According to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), there are approximately 16 million granted patents in existence around the world. Most patents are registered and held for defensive purposes; but a strategy that focuses exclusively on defence will inevitably miss the opportunity to realise the large profits that patents have the potential to generate. Emphasising the critical need for businesses to recognise the varied risks associated with insufficient patent portfolio management, Joel Vertes, IP Partner at CMS, says: "These risks range from reputational damage stemming from counterfeit products to unnecessary management and maintenance costs, decreased profits and a los of security and safety for customers. With CMS Umbra, we provide a rapid, data-filtering and analysis solution that addresses and overcomes cost and complexity concerns."



From Cost Center to Profit Leader Registering and maintaining IP is expensivebut it doesn't have to be. By switching the focus from maintenance to monetisation, businesses can transform their patent portfolio from a cost centre to a profit leader.

IPDefine CEO Aaron Mollin comments: "CMS Umbra is a powerful tool, which can give businesses access to accurate valuation and crucial strategic insight on their patent portfolios. IPDefine's industry-first infringement discovery technology rapidly scours every corner of the internet to identify infringers, providing businesses with oversight of new licensing and litigation targets. By working with the team at CMS, businesses can expertly identify and leverage infringement, ensuring the value of their portfolio is maximised." To find out more about CMS Umbra, please visit: Patent commercialisation | CMS Umbra | Data Driven Disputes For further information, please contact: Laura Swartz, Communications

E: [email protected]

T: +44 20 7367 2303 Aaron Mollin

E: aaron@ipdefine.com

T: +81-3-5790-9633 About CMS Umbra CMS Umbra combines CMS's legal and commercial expertise with IPDefine's industry-first AI to enable businesses to visualise, optimise and monetise their patent portfolios at an unprecedented level of speed and low cost. For more information, please visit: Patent commercialisation | CMS Umbra | Data Driven Disputes About CMS: Founded in 1999, CMS is an integrated, multi-jurisdictional organisation of law firms that offers full-service legal and tax advice. With 79 offices in over 40 countries across the world and more than 5,000 lawyers, CMS has long-standing expertise both in advising in its local jurisdictions and across borders. From major multinationals and mid-caps to enterprising start-ups, CMS provides the technical rigour, strategic excellence and long-term partnership to keep each client ahead in its chosen markets. The CMS member firms provide a wide range of expertise across 19 practice areas and sectors, including Corporate / M&A, Energy & Climate Change, Funds, Life Sciences & Healthcare, TMC, Tax, Banking & Finance, Commercial, Antitrust, Competition & Trade, Dispute Resolution, Employment & Pensions, Intellectual Property and Real Estate. For more information, please visit www.cms.law About IPDefine: Founded in 2020, IPDefine is a Tokyo-based AI startup, with offices in New York, which provides global, large-scale patent infringement discovery and patent validity analysis solutions, and supports a wide range of clients, from small and large patent holders, to financial services providers such as private equity firms and hedge funds. For more information, please visit www.ipdefine.com. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cms-and-ipdefine-announce-global-patent-monetisation-initiative-301994320.html SOURCE IPDefine Ltd.; CMS CAMERON MCKENNA NABARRO OLSWANG LLP

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[November 21, 2023] Hyundai Motor's Brand Value Rises 18 Percent, Driven by Accelerated Electrification and Future Mobility Vision Tweet

Hyundai Motor's brand value reaches $20.4 billion in Interbrand's 'Best Global Brands 2023,' ascending in valuation for 13 consecutive years

in Interbrand's 'Best Global Brands 2023,' ascending in valuation for 13 consecutive years This represents the third highest year-over-year valuation increase out of 100 brands

Brand rank rose from 35 th to 32 nd  the first increase in rank since 2016, underlining Hyundai Motor's leading role in the automotive industry's paradigm shift

to 32  the first increase in rank since 2016, underlining Hyundai Motor's leading role in the automotive industry's paradigm shift Interbrand's positive appraisal is attributed to the brand's activities regarding equality and sustainability as well as agility in responding to changing consumer needs

The company's future-oriented mobility vision, supported by its award-winning EV lineup and hydrogen vision, shows further potential for success SEOUL, South Korea, Nov. 21, 2023 /CNW/ -- Hyundai Motor Company today announced that its brand value reached $20.4 billion in Interbrand's 'Best Global Brands 2023', ascending in valuation for 13 straight years. This represents the third highest year-over-year valuation increase out of 100 brands. The company's brand rank rose from 35th to 32nd  the first increase in rank since 2016, based in part on Hyundai Motor's accelerated electrification and future mobility vision.



In 2014, Hyundai Motor's brand value reached $10 billion, and for the first six years, its valuation rose $4 billion. However, following Euisun Chung's appointment as Hyundai Motor Group's Executive Chair, its valuation has increased $6 billion in merely three years. Ever since it's entry in Interbrand's 'Best Global Brands' in 2005 with a valuation of $3.5 billion, the numbers have multiplied nearly six times.

Hyundai Motor's accelerated success of late can be attributed, in part, to the leadership of the top management team led by Executive Chair Chung. They have played a pivotal role in guiding the company's strategic direction as a Smart Mobility Solutions Provider in alignment with its vision of 'Progress for Humanity.' "As the automotive industry undergoes a transformation, Hyundai Motor is exploring future mobility solutions to respond to fast-changing consumer needs," said Sungwon Jee, Senior Vice President and Global Chief Marketing Officer at Hyundai Motor Company. "We are committed to a better future for all of humanity." "Hyundai Motor Company is making big strides in forwarding its vision of 'Progress for Humanity' through the IONIQ brand," said an Interbrand representative. "Hyundai continues to impress with its authentic communication regarding core human values such as sustainability. We look forward to the company's growth in the evolving automotive industry." More information about Hyundai Motor can be found at: https://www.hyundai.com/worldwide/en/ View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hyundai-motors-brand-value-rises-18-percent-driven-by-accelerated-electrification-and-future-mobility-vision-301994166.html SOURCE Hyundai Motor Company

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[November 21, 2023] MDA ANNOUNCES STRATEGIC EXPANSION IN THE UK Tweet

Global space technology company set to double its UK-based workforce and operations LONDON, Nov. 21, 2023 /CNW/ - MDA Ltd. (TSX: MDA), a leading provider of advanced technology and services to the rapidly expanding global space industry, has revealed plans to more than double its UK workforce and operational footprint over the next 12 months. Announced in conjunction with the UK Space Conference 2023 taking place this week in Belfast, MDA confirmed plans to expand its talent base and operational capacity across the UK as the global space economy continues to grow. As part of its UK expansion, MDA has announced plans to hire 75 new employees in the UK by the end of 2024, doubling its current UK workforce of 75 existing staff. The company is now actively recruiting for entry level to senior positions in critical engineering disciplines including systems, payload, antenna, software, electronics and assembly, integration and test. "The UK has a vibrant space industry with the highly skilled technology talent we need to scale our global business, and we are accelerating our in-country investment as the global market for space-based technology continues to grow," said Anita Bernie, Managing Director of MDA UK. "The recent addition of the highly skilled digital payload team who just joined us from SatixFy enabled us to quickly double our footprint. With our intention to double again, we need more of that kind of expertise." In addition, MDA is expanding its operational footprint across the UK, including: The lease of a new facility in Stevenage with capacity for up to 100 digital satellite payload specialists;

with capacity for up to 100 digital satellite payload specialists; The integration and expansion of an existing facility in Manchester that will house up to 40 digital satellite communications staff; and

that will house up to 40 digital satellite communications staff; and The expansion of its existing facility in Didcot, with the lease of additional space on the Harwell Campus to accommodate engineering staff working on a range of exploration and in-orbit servicing missions. "MDA UK's expansion is fantastic news and will support a number of key priorities for the UK Space Agency as we seize the significant opportunities associated with the Low Earth Orbit economy and maintain a leading role in the development of advanced satellite technologies," said Dr. Paul Bate, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency. "This is a great example of what it means to make the UK one of the most innovative and attractive space economies in the world  catalysing private investment and creating the jobs of tomorrow." Today's announcement represents MDA's second major investment in the UK this year. In October, MDA completed the acquisition of the UK-based digital payload division of SatixFy Communications Ltd., accelerating MDA's market expansion in the UK and adding strategic in-country capability to produce satellite payloads.



"Transforming communications infrastructure is vital to closing connectivity gaps across the UK and around the world so that people can work and learn online wherever they live. This is why we are supporting the UK's pioneering space sector with a 160 million investment scheme  Connectivity in Low Earth Orbit  to drive the development of next-generation satellite communications here in the UK," said UK Minister of State for the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, Andrew Griffith MP. "MDA's decision to expand its current operational footprint in the UK and double its UK workforce is truly welcome news. This is further proof that this government is providing the right support for space researchers and businesses, as we press on in our mission to build one of the most innovative and attractive space economies in the world." The SatixFy acquisition, which marks a significant investment by MDA in the UK market, also supports the UK government's objective to maintain its leadership in the growing global satellite communications market.

"When it comes to global expansion and investment, we are looking for much more than a market for our technology. We are looking for countries with space ambitions, space budgets and a space ecosystem including critical talent that can help fuel our growth," said Mike Greenley, CEO of MDA. "With innovative programs like the C-LEO program specifically focused on developing satellite communications payloads and systems, the UK Space Agency is taking the type of holistic and highly strategic approach to industrial development and investment that we look for." ABOUT MDA Serving the world from its Canadian home and global offices, MDA (TSX:MDA) is an international space mission partner and a robotics, satellite systems and geointelligence pioneer with a 50-year story of firsts on and above the Earth. With over 2,900 employees across Canada, the US and the UK, MDA is leading the charge towards viable Moon colonies, enhanced Earth observation, communication in a hyper-connected world, and more. With a track record of making space ambitions come true, MDA enables highly skilled people to continually push boundaries, tackle big challenges, and imagine solutions that inspire and endure to change the world for the better, on the ground and in the stars. Learn more by visiting mda.space. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This press release contains forwardlooking information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, which reflects the Company's current expectations regarding future events. Forwardlooking information is based on a number of assumptions and is 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 forwardlooking information. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the factors discussed under "Risk Factors" in MDA's Annual Information Form available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com. MDA does not undertake any obligation to update such forwardlooking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable law. SOCIAL MEDIA Twitter: twitter.com/MDA_space

Facebook: facebook.com/MDAspace

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/mdaspace

YouTube: youtube.com/c/mdaspace

Instagram: instagram.com/MDA_space View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mda-announces-strategic-expansion-in-the-uk-301994196.html SOURCE MDA Ltd.

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The Euromaidan began in Ukraine 10 years ago. The country has been celebrating the Day of Dignity and Freedom every year on November 21 since then. Residents and guests of the capital came to honor the heroes who died during the Revolution of Dignity on the Heavenly Hundred Heroes Alley in Kyiv.

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This was reported by an OBOZ.UA correspondent. Ukrainians have proven that they are ready to fight for their independence and European future.

Thus, on the Day of Dignity and Freedom, many Kyiv residents came to the Heavenly Hundred Heroes Alley to honor the heroes who gave their lives during the Revolution of Dignity. Ukrainians leave flowers and flags near the portraits of people who died in those days, as well as light candles.

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Every year on November 21, Ukraine honors the participants of two major historical events: the Orange Revolution of 2004 and the Revolution of Dignity of 2013-14. The holiday was established in 2014 and was named the Day of Dignity and Freedom.

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The memorable date was established by Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko in 2005. Back then, November 22 was chosen as the date of Freedom Day, the day when people first came to Independence Square to protest against the falsification of the results of the second round of the presidential election. Viktor Yushchenko actually won the election, but it was attributed to Viktor Yanukovych, so Ukrainians defended their choice.

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As OBOZ.UA reported, Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klychko congratulated Ukrainians on the Day of Dignity and Freedom. He emphasized that by coming to the Maidan 10 years ago, Ukrainians proved that they were and are ready to fight for their independence and European future.

Only verified information on our Telegram OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
[November 21, 2023] FSN Subsidiary Fingerlabs Presents Its Web 3.0 Infrastructure at DREAMLADDERS' University Application Seminar Tweet

The first-ever tried to issue NFT tickets in the Korean education industry

Fingerlabs' Web 3.0 infrastructures, 'Xclusive' and 'FAVORLET', provide ticket purchases and on-site authentication SEOUL, South Korea, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Fingerlabs, a subsidiary of KOSDAQ-listed FSN (214270), announced the utilization of its Web 3.0 infrastructures, 'Xclusive' and 'FAVORLET', at the university application seminar organized by DREAMLADDERS, a blockchain-related subsidiary of JINHAKSA. Hosted by EDUM Project of DREAMLADDERS, the seminar will be held on December 22nd and 23rd, exclusively targeting 50 participants each day. NFT tickets for the university application seminar will be issued for the first time in the education industry. Fingerlabs will manage the sales and authentication through its Web 3.0 platforms, Xclusive and FAVORLET. The purchase will be available starting November 21st, for a month on Xclusive, accepting both cash or card payments. Peope who purchase NFT tickets can hold and authenticate their tickets on-site via FAVORLET.



In this seminar, JINHAKSA will offer expert insights, predictions, and strategies for university admissions in 2024. This is anticipated to attract significant attention from both students and parents. Due to the limited availability of the private briefing session which can only accommodate up to 100 participants in total, NFT ticket buyers will get exclusive benefits that are not available in other common sessions. They will be given priority in terms of interaction such as submitting questions before the seminar. Fingerlabs is enhancing Web 3.0 accessibility for all ages and industries, utilizing its experience from managing prominent NFT projects in Korea. The company has provided tailored solutions to various enterprises, including SK Planet, LOTTE Homeshopping, and SK Networks. Meanwhile, Fingerlabs showcased the unique features of Xclusive and FAVORLET at the '2023 BLOCKCHAIN GRAND WEEK' hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT held on November 15th.

Kim Dong-hoon, CEO of Fingerlabs, has expressed his excitement about being part of the education industry's first NFT initiative that uses its Web 3.0 infrastructure. He said, "Ticket holders will enjoy the convenience and vast potential of Web 3.0 technology through Xclusive and FAVORLET." View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fsn-subsidiary-fingerlabs-presents-its-web-3-0-infrastructure-at-dreamladders-university-application-seminar-301994476.html SOURCE Fingerlabs

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[November 21, 2023] JUMPSTARTER 2023 Tech by the Harbour Successfully Concludes Tweet

Allegrow Biotech in Biotech and Life Science Industry crowned champion of JUMPSTARTER 2023 Global Pitch Competition Two-week public event attracts over 100,000 participants HONG KONG, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- JUMPSTARTER, organized by Alibaba Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund ("AEF"), held its first-ever large-scale offline innovation and technology event, Tech by the Harbour, along the Tsim Sha Tsui harbourfront in Hong Kong this year. The event took place from November 8 to 19 and seamlessly brought together various innovative technologies and artistic culture, attracting over 100,000 participants. Additionally, the 6th Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund/HSBC JUMPSTARTER 2023 Global Pitch Competition ("JUMPSTARTER 2023") was held on November 16 and 17 at the main stage of Tech by the Harbour. Allegrow Biotech in Biotech and Life Science emerged as the champion from more than a thousand contestants who together have participated in 15 pitching sessions and represent 85 countries and regions worldwide. Held for the first time in Hong Kong, Tech by the Harbour not only featured AEF's annual global pitch competition but also the city's largest robotics performance, known as Robotics by the Harbour. A total of 80 robots performed at various locations across the city, including the HSBC Headquarters, Cyberport, Tsuen Wan Nina Tower Plaza, and Hong Kong Cultural Centre, showcasing the future potential of robotics and introducing various robotic applications to the public. As part of the Tech by the Habour event, an Art Tech Park featuring a light and music show was held at the Clock Tower in Tsim Sha Tsui, presenting a mix of creative art and culture to the public. Meanwhile, Vision by the Harbour at K11 Musea not only introduced the top 30 teams of JUMPSTARTER 2023 through displays and interactive activities, but also featured the world's first VR game themed on "Squid Game" from AEF investee Sandbox VR, offering the public early access to the experience. StartMeetUp, a global networking platform for startups fully supported by InvestHK, also held a networking event during Tech by the Harbour. StartMeetUp connects startups, corporations and investors by facilitating business matching and ideas exchange. It allows hundreds of startups and investors worldwide to network and expore new ideas, collaborations and investments. The networking event received overwhelmingly positive response from investors, demonstrating their strong interest in identifying investment targets.



"Alibaba Entrepreneur Fund is fully committed to supporting the development of startups, particularly through the large-scale pitch competition JUMPSTARTER, where we collaborate with various sectors of society to foster the growth of promising startup projects. The inaugural Tech by the Harbour event this year has achieved unprecedented success, thanks to the participation of the government, business and various sectors of society. We hope the more than 100,000 participants of this event can walk away with a deeper understanding of the development of innovation and technology. We would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the award-winning teams of JUMPSTARTER 2023 and express our gratitude to everyone involved in the project for injecting creativity and vitality into our society. AEF will continue to identify innovative ways to support startup development and actively contribute to promoting Hong Kong as an international hub for innovation and technology," said Cindy Chow, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of AEF. The top 30 teams of JUMPSTARTER 2023 are primarily concentrated in industries including Deep Tech, AI & Data, Robotics (six teams), Sustainability (six teams), Biotech/Life Science (five teams), and Healthcare (five teams). All of them will have the opportunity to receive investment assessments, with a total investment amount of up to USD5 million.

Allegrow Biotech was crowned the champion of JUMPSTARTER 2023 Global Pitch Competition. Founded in March 2022, Allegrow Biotech is a biotechnology company based in HK with a vision to bring quality and cost-effective cell therapeutic products to patients. Their hydrogel microparticles and biomimetic coatings create an optimal environment for generating therapeutic cells, such as tumourkilling cytotoxic T cells, potentially accelerating access to life-saving cell therapies for patients. Apart from the first prize, JUMPSTARTER 2023 has established several additional awards to incentivize the participating startups to invest their efforts in innovation, social impact, environmental impact, business diversity and other aspects. The aim is for them to contribute greater value to the community in the future. The winning teams of these awards will receive a total of HKD1 million in cash prizes, and they include: Winner: Allegrow Biotech

Top Innovation Awards (two winners): EggLogics and HUA Cloud Intelligent Healthcare

Social Impact Award: AI Guided

Envrionmental Impact Award: ALcarbo Technologies

Diversity and Inclusivity Award: Vidi Labs

Web3.0 Innovator Award: Morpheus Labs Media interested in interviewing the winning teams are welcome to reach out to JUMPSTARTER through its public relations team. About Alibaba Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund

Alibaba Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund ("AEF") is a not-for-profit initiative launched by Alibaba Group in 2015. To vitalize the development of innovation and technology, AEF's mission is to help Hong Kong entrepreneurs and young people realize their dreams and visions for a Hong Kong that is vibrant and engaged regionally and globally. As part of its investment program, AEF provides Hong Kong-based entrepreneurs with investment capital and strategic guidance to help them grow their businesses and penetrate the mainland Chinese and global markets, by utilizing Alibaba's Ecosystem. For more information, please visit the website: https://www.ent-fund.org/en/ About JUMPSTARTER

JUMPSTARTER is a not-for-profit initiative created by Alibaba Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund that provides a platform for all entrepreneurs and young people to jump start their dreams in Hong Kong. It is a first-of-its-kind start-up event focused exclusively on showcasing quality start-ups and providing high-impact networking opportunities. Its goal is to build, empower and boost Hong Kong's start-up ecosystem and entrepreneurship by bringing entrepreneurs, corporations, investors and the public together, helping to transform Hong Kong into a leading hub for global innovation and technology. For more information, please visit the website: https://www.jumpstarter.hk/en/ View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/jumpstarter-2023-tech-by-the-harbour-successfully-concludes-301994485.html SOURCE Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund

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[November 21, 2023] Hypercharger Market worth 273.7 thousand Units by 2030 - Exclusive Report by MarketsandMarkets Tweet

CHICAGO, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hypercharger market size is projected to grow from 10.4 thousand Units in 2023 and projected to reach 273.7 thousand Units by 2030, at a CAGR of 59.5%, according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. The Hypercharger demand is primarily driven by the growing popularity and adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). As more consumers and businesses transition to electric mobility, there is a heightened need for charging solutions that offer ultra-fast charging speeds. Hypercharger addresses the time constraints associated with traditional charging methods, providing EV users with the convenience of quickly replenishing their vehicle's battery charge. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=47021996 Browse in-depth TOC on "Hypercharger Market". 15 - Tables

30 - Figures

45 - Pages Hypercharger Market Scope:







Report Coverage Details Market Size 273.7 thousand Units by 2030 Growth Rate CAGR of 59.5% Largest Market Europe Market Dynamics Drivers, Restraints, Opportunities & Challenges Forecast Period 2023-2030 Forecast Units Volume (Thousand Units) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered Hypercharging Compatible Vehicle Sales by Vehicle Type, Port Type and Region Geographies Covered Asia Pacific, North America, Europe. Report Highlights Updated financial information / product portfolio of players Key Market Opportunities Electric Truck and Bus Segment witnessing Developments Towards Hyper Charging Key Market Drivers Increase in adoption of Electric Vehicles

Passenger Car segment is expected to have high growth rate in the sales of vehicle compatible with Hypercharging The passenger car segment is anticipated to experience a high growth rate in the Hypercharger market, driven by the introduction of new electric vehicle models such as the Hummer EV, Hyundai Ioniq 5, KIA EV6, and several others. These launches contribute to overcoming range anxiety, a significant concern for potential electric vehicle buyers. The incorporation of Hypercharger capabilities in these models ensures faster and more convenient charging, alleviating concerns about long charging times and enhancing the overall appeal and feasibility of electric cars, thereby fueling growth in the sales for passenger vehicles compatible with hypercharging. MCS" segment is expected to have significant growth opportunities in global Hypercharger Market The Megawatt segment is poised for substantial growth in the global Hypercharger industry due to its pivotal role in addressing the specific needs of Heavy Commercial Vehicles (HCVs). As electric HCVs gain traction, the demand for rapid and high-capacity charging solutions becomes imperative. Megawatt charging systems are designed to cater to these heavy-duty vehicles, offering ultra-fast charging speeds that significantly reduce downtime. The surge in electric HCV adoption, coupled with the efficiency of Megawatt charging for quick and powerful recharging, creates significant growth opportunities in this segment within the broader Hypercharger "South Korea to have significant market share in the Hypercharger Market in Asia Pacific". South Korea is poised to secure a significant market share in the Asia Pacific Hypercharger Market, driven by the surge in Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) sales within the country. The increasing adoption of electric vehicles, particularly from local brands like Hyundai and KIA, contributes to this growth. These automakers offer Ultrafast charging-compatible vehicles, addressing the rising demand for efficient and high-speed charging solutions. As South Korea continues to prioritize sustainable transportation, its growing BEV market and the presence of local brands with Hypercharger-compatible offerings position it as a key player in the regional Hypercharger landscape. Inquire Before Buying: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=47021996 Key Market Players: The major players in Hypercharger Market include ABB (Switzerland), Electrify America (US), Heliox (Netherlands), Tritium (Australia) and IONITY (Germany), etc. Recent Developments In 2021, ABB launched the world's fastest EV charging station Terra 360, which can charge most EVs in less than 15 minutes.

In 2022, CharIN introduces Megawatt Charging System (MCS) at EVS35, Oslo , with impressive demonstrations and upcoming product showcases.

, with impressive demonstrations and upcoming product showcases. In June 2023 , EVBox launches EVBox Troniq High Power, the most powerful standalone charging station with a 400 kW power output.

, EVBox launches EVBox Troniq High Power, the most powerful standalone charging station with a 400 kW power output. In 2023, Electrify America plans to deploy a total of 10,000 350 kW chargers by 2025. Get 10% Free Customization on this Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=47021996 Browse Adjacent Market: Automotive and Transportation Market Research Reports & Consulting Related Reports: EV Charging Station Market - Global Forecast to 2027 Wireless Charging Market - Global Forecast to 2030 EV Cables Market - Global Forecast to 2028 EV Charging Cable Market - Global Forecast to 2030 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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[November 21, 2023] Myricx Bio Enters into an Exclusive Antibody License Agreement with WuXi Biologics Tweet

LONDON and SHANGHAI, China, Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Myricx Bio (Myricx), a UK biotech company focused on the discovery and development of a completely novel class of antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) payloads based on N-Myristoyltransferase inhibition (NMTi), and WuXi Biologics (WuXi Bio) (2269.HK), a leading global Contract Research, Development and Manufacturing Organization (CRDMO), today announce that they have entered into a license agreement under which Myricx will have exclusive access to a proprietary antibody that was discovered based on WuXi Bios integrated technology platforms.

Under the terms of the agreement, Myricx will develop the antibody into a first-in-class ADC based on its NMTi payload platform, which has a highly differentiated profile over standard payload classes, including microtubule and topoisomerase inhibitors. Myricx intends to progress the ADC through preclinical and clinical development for difficult-to-treat solid tumours. WuXi Bio will receive an upfront payment and will be eligible for development and commercialisation milestone payments, as well as royalties on net sales. NMT is an enzyme that adds a specific lipid modification to several protein targets key to cancer cell survival. Myricx recently highlighted the power of its NMTi payload platform across multiple tumour-associated antigens including B7-H3, TROP2, and HER2, with preclinical data presented at the 14th Annual World ADC conference in San Diego for which Myricx won the prize for Best Poster. This is the second antibody license agreement that Myricx has entered into with a global company in the past few months as the Company builds out its pipeline of NMTi-ADCs. Myricx CEO Dr Robin Carr said, We are delighted to hae reached this agreement with WuXi Bio, one of the top biologics CRDMOs globally. We believe that combining this leading antibody with our novel NMTi-based payload will create an ADC with significant clinical differentiation in solid tumours. Based on our positive preclinical data, we believe NMTi-ADCs offer a highly differentiated mechanism of action, superb efficacy, and good tolerability across different cancer targets.



Dr Chris Chen, CEO of WuXi Biologics, commented, "This license agreement with Myricx is another testament of our proprietary integrated platform and the R in our CRDMO business model. We are looking forward to enabling global clients to develop more first-in-class and best-in-class biologics drugs for the benefits of patients worldwide." Myricx is a spin-out from two of the UKs leading biomedical research organisations: Imperial College London and the Francis Crick Institute; founded to develop drugs based on the unique insights into NMT biology made by its founders Professors Ed Tate and Roberto Solari, with seed financing from Sofinnova Partners and Brandon Capital.

Notes to Editors: About Myricx Bio - www.myricxbio.com Myricx Bio (Myricx) is a UK biotech company focused on the discovery and development of a completely novel class of payloads for antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), based on inhibitors of N-myristoyltransferases (NMT) for the treatment of cancer. NMT is an enzyme that adds a specific lipid modification to a number of protein targets key to cancer cell survival. Myricx is advancing a pipeline of ADCs to address serious unmet needs in oncology based on its NMT inhibitor (NMTi) payload chemistry platform and has demonstrated excellent preclinical efficacy and safety across multiple solid tumour associated antigens and cancer cell types. Based in London, Myricx is a spin out from Imperial College London and the Francis Crick Institute with investment from Sofinnova Partners and Brandon Capital Partners. Follow us on LinkedIn About WuXi Biologics - www.wuxibiologics.com WuXi Biologics (stock code: 2269.HK) is a leading global Contract Research, Development and Manufacturing Organization (CRDMO) offering end-to-end solutions that enable partners to discover, develop and manufacture biologics  from concept to commercialization  for the benefit of patients worldwide. With over 12,000 skilled employees in China, the United States, Ireland, Germany and Singapore, WuXi Biologics leverages its technologies and expertise to provide customers with efficient and cost-effective biologics discovery, development and manufacturing solutions. As of June 30, 2023, WuXi Biologics is supporting 621 integrated client projects, including 22 in commercial manufacturing. WuXi Biologics views Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) responsibilities as an integral component of our ethos and business strategy, and we aim to become an ESG leader in the biologics CRDMO sector. Our facilities use next-generation biomanufacturing technologies and clean-energy sources. We have also established an ESG committee led by our CEO to steer the comprehensive ESG strategy and its implementation, enhancing our commitment to sustainability. Myricx Bio contacts At the Company

Dr Robin Carr, CEO, Myricx Bio, [email protected]



Media Enquiries

Sue Charles, Charles Consultants, [email protected], +44 (0)7986 726585



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[November 21, 2023] UnionPay International Accelerates Interconnection and Interoperability of QR Code Payment Network in Southeast Asia Tweet

UnionPay International signed a memorandum of cooperation with Laos National Payment Network Co., Ltd. (LAPNet) to promote the use of UnionPay and Laos wallets on the Laos network.

Payments Network Malaysia (PayNet), officially grants its millions of merchants' access to UnionPay. SHANGHAI, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- UnionPay International ("UPI" or "the Company") recently added Lao's LAPNet and Malaysia's PayNet to their rapidly expanding QR code payment network, enabling the acceptance of UnionPay mobile payment products by local QR code merchants, as well as the use of mobile banking apps and e-wallets supported by PayNet and LAPNet in UnionPay QR code network standards covering retail, catering, campus, transportation, and medical care, among many other scenarios. "Expanding our payment scope is an integral part of implementing UnionPay's concept of shared growth, which means that in addition to mutual benefit with our partners, we are also committed to giving back to society," said Cai Jianbo, President of China UnionPay and Chairman of UnionPay International. "In the past ten years, UnionPay International has accelerated its business while improving its international acceptance network and localised business. By promoting increased financial integration capabilities, we are providing more convenient and reliable services for people in numerous places to integrate and interoperate across various regions and countries." UPI's collaboration with Laos LAPNet underpins its commitment to "glocalized" innovation In a collaborative effort guided by the Central Bank of Laos, LAPNet initiated the promotion of the national QR code standard, LaoQR, towards the end of last year. UnionPay International and LAPNet joined forces, leveraging their expertise in bank card payments, to enhance ross-border mobile payment experiences for residents of both countries. Their agreement aims to align LaoQR with UnionPay QR code standards through UPI's "network interconnection and interoperability" model, ensuring the future acceptance of UnionPay mobile payment products by local QR code merchants.



This innovative cooperation model expands UnionPay's QR code network and strengthens cross-border service capabilities. It has also formed agreements with networks in South Korea, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, and other regions since its launch last year. Collaboration between UPI and Malaysia's PayNet empowers two-way international payment service capabilities

The network interconnection agreement signed with UnionPay International in Shanghai in August has officially come into effect. Starting from this October, Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau versions of UnionPay App, as well as bank apps connected to UnionPay App Network Payment Platform, can scan QR codes to pay at over a million merchants under the PayNet's umbrella. In the future, both parties will also enable Malaysian mobile banking apps and e-wallets supported by PayNet to be used within the UnionPay network to further enhance the cross-border payment experience for international travelers, especially when coming to China. Under the strategy of growing together, collaborative development that benefits international customers, promotes mobile payments, and grows customer rewards under the growing together philosophy Currently, UnionPay International has issued 200 million UnionPay cards outside the Chinese mainland. In Kenya, for example, locals use UnionPay cards as student, citizen, and salary cards that integrate seamlessly into everyday local life. More than 170 UnionPay e-wallet products have been launched in 30 markets such as South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Pakistan, Nepal, and Kenya. Among them, Singapore's largest mobile payment product, PayLah!, K Plus, the largest mobile bank in Thailand, and Boost, the leading e-wallet in Malaysia, have all accessed UnionPay mobile payment services. UnionPay International has also recently launched an autumn- and winter- themed global network special offer at 10,000 stores globally, with instant discounts of up to 50 percent. The promotion covers more than 30,000 merchants in 30 popular international tourist destinations and includes superior plans, preferential rebates, instant discounts, exchange rate discounts, and UnionPay rewards, marking the largest UnionPay card marketing promotion since the resumption of post-pandemic international travel. "Moving forward, UnionPay International will continue to accelerate the pace of business implementation and improve payment service capabilities for a wider range of residents," said Cai. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/unionpay-international-accelerates-interconnection-and-interoperability-of-qr-code-payment-network-in-southeast-asia-301994606.html SOURCE UnionPay International

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[November 21, 2023] XTransfer and Tencent Cloud Enter Strategic Partnership Tweet

Facilitate the Digital Transformation of Foreign Trade Industry HONG KONG, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- XTransfer, China's No.1 B2B foreign trade financial technology platform, and Tencent Cloud signed a strategic cooperation agreement in Shanghai. Bill Deng, Founder and CEO of XTransfer, and Xu Yiming, Vice President of Tencent Cloud, conducted the signing ceremony. Both parties will fully open and share their respective advantages, including technology, brand, and resources, to jointly create more competitive product solutions in foreign trade digitalisation, contribute to the digital transformation of the foreign trade industry and support the development of SMEs. XTransfer was established in 2017 and has served over 400,000 foreign trade SMEs in China. Regarding customer base, it has become the No.1 B2B foreign trade finance platform in China. XTransfer is a major leader and promoter in the B2B cross-border payment industry and an important participant in the digital service sector of the foreign trade industry. It has been committed to providing convenient, secure, and cost-effective digital services for foreign trade SMEs. As the cloud business of the global technology company Tencent, Tencent Cloud provides globally leading cloud computing, big data, artificial intelligence, and other technological products and services to business organisations, enterprises and individual developers around the world. Leveraging advanced technological capabilities, Tencent Cloud creates a broad range of industry solutions, fosters an open and win-win cloud ecosystem, promotes the development of internet-based products and services, and supports various industries in achieving digital upgrades. In this strategic partnership, both parties will adopt an open attitude and share resources while collaborating in areas such as product solutions, technology research and development, product integration, and extension. This will further ensure the stability of XTransfer's product services and promote the application of AI technology in the digitalisation of foreign trade, accelerating its global business development. Earlier this year, XTransfer officially embarked on its globalisation process, starting with Hong Kong and continuously expanding into international markets to serve more foreign trade companies. Its technology platform and numerous services are built on cloud infrastructure. "When an enterprise reaches a certain stage of development, whether for cost or stability considerations, it is necessary to implement a multi-coud solution. At this stage, our biggest concern is not cost but rather building better products, enabling foreign trade companies to enjoy seamless financial services. Tencent Cloud's technological capabilities have been refined through hundreds of large-scale financial institution business scenarios, achieving deep integration between financial business scenarios and technological capabilities. The autonomy and controllability of the technology have been widely verified in the digitisation practices of financial institutions. Tencent Cloud's core capabilities in cloud computing, databases, big data platforms, and its significant advantage in global network coverage will provide strong support for the technical deployment of XTransfer's numerous global sites in the future while continuously enhancing user experience," said Ma Jiwu, Technical Director of XTransfer.



Currently, the commercialisation of AI applications is accelerating. Over the years, XTransfer has been developing AI-driven anti-money laundering and risk control systems. This year, XTransfer has launched "AI Letter Writing" and "AI Employee" and is now deeply integrating AI into the foreign trade industry and providing targeted products and services for millions of foreign trade enterprises. As AI continues to extend its application in the foreign trade industry, XTransfer is collaborating closely with Tencent Cloud to enhance the digital experience of foreign trade companies in areas such as cross-border payments and finance, risk control services, marketing and customer acquisition, customer management, and employee management. This collaboration aims to help foreign trade enterprises benefit from the technological advantages of the AI era, enabling them to enjoy efficient risk control and seamless product experiences. Tencent Cloud will provide technical support to XTransfer for building large-scale models, assisting in the digital transformation of XTransfer's products, and jointly expanding the application of AI technology in various foreign trade scenarios. Bill Deng, Founder and CEO of XTransfer, said, "Tencent Cloud possesses industry-leading self-developed products and technologies. Through deep collaboration, we can create more leading solutions tailored for the B2B foreign trade industry and drive the penetration of these solutions into SMEs, accelerating the digitalisation of foreign trade."

Xu Yiming, Vice President of Tencent Cloud, said, "This partnership demonstrates Tencent Cloud's innovative approach in the B2B foreign trade finance field, further solidifying our technological capabilities in the digitalisation of foreign trade. Going forward, Tencent Cloud is committed to supporting the growth of partners in the foreign trade industry and fostering its digital transformation. Both parties will collaborate closely, leveraging their strengths to propel various industries towards a new digital and physical integration realm." About XTransfer XTransfer, No.1 B2B Foreign Trade Financial Technology Platform, is dedicated to providing SMEs with secure, compliant, fast, convenient and low-cost foreign trade payment & fund collection solutions, significantly reducing the cost of global expansion and enhancing global competitiveness. Founded in 2017, the company is headquartered in Shanghai and has branches in China's major foreign trade cities such as Hong Kong, Shenzhen and in countries including the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, and Singapore. XTransfer has obtained local payment licenses in Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and Australia. With more than 400,000 enterprise clients, XTransfer has become the industry No.1 in China. By cooperating with well-known multinational banks and financial institutions, XTransfer has built a unified global multi-currency clearing network and built a data-based, automated, Internet-based and intelligent anti-money laundering risk control infrastructure centred on small and medium enterprises. XTransfer uses technology as a bridge to link large financial institutions and small and medium enterprises around the world, allowing small and medium enterprises to enjoy the same level of cross-border financial services as large multinational corporations. XTransfer completed its Series D financing in September 2021, and the company's current valuation exceeds USD$1.3 billion, making it a unicorn. The lead investor is China Merchants Venture, and other global leading strategic investors include eWTP Capital, Yunqi Capital, Gaorong Capital, 01VC, Telstra Ventures, MindWorks, Lavender Hill Capital Partners, and D1 Capital Partners LP. For more information: https://www.xtransfer.cn/ and https://hk.xtransfer.com/ View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/xtransfer-and-tencent-cloud-enter-strategic-partnership-301994656.html SOURCE XTransfer

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[November 21, 2023] CPI Aerostructures Receives $4.4M Orders from Embraer for Engine Inlet Assemblies Tweet

EDGEWOOD, N.Y., Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CPI Aerostructures, Inc. (CPI Aero or the Company) (NYSE American: CVU) announced that Embraer S.A. of Brazil (NYSE: ERJ) has placed several additional orders against a previously announced Long Term Agreement to manufacture engine inlet assemblies for the Embraer Phenom 300 business jets. These new orders will see deliveries continue into 2024.

CPI Aero is proud to be part of the successful Phenom 300 program where we continue to demonstrate our capabilities in assembly & integration of complex, mixed-commodity Aerostructures. During the last 10+ years, we have delivered over 1,600 Engine Inlet Assemblies and fully expect to continue serving this important customer beyond 2024, stated Dorith Hakim, CPI Aeros CEO & President. About CPI Aero CPI Aero is a U.S. manufacturer of structural assemblies for fixed wing aircraft, helicopters and airborne Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance pod systems in both the commercial aerospace and national security markets. Within the global aerostructure supply chain, CPI Aero is either a Tier 1 supplier to aircraft OEMs or a Tier 2 subcontractor to major Tier 1 manufacturers. CPI also is a prime contractor to the U.S. Department of Defense, primarily the Air Force. In conjunction with its assembly operations, CPI Aero provides engineering, program management, supply chain management, and MRO services. Forward-looking Statemets





There are a number of important factors that could cause the Companys actual results to differ materially from those indicated or implied by its forward-looking statements, including those important factors set forth under the caption Risk Factors in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2022 and the Companys subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although the Company may elect to do so at some point in the future, the Company does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements and it disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

CPI Aero is a registered trademark of CPI Aerostructures, Inc. For more information, visit www.cpiaero.com, and follow us on Twitter @CPIAERO. Contacts Investor Relations Counsel CPI Aerostructures, Inc. LHA Investor Relations Andrew L. Davis Jody Burfening Chief Financial Officer (212) 838-3777 (631)586-5200 [email protected] www.cpiaero.com www.lhai.com



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[November 21, 2023] FGS Global Acquires Longview, the Leading Canadian Communications and Public Affairs Firm Tweet

FGS Global announced today that it has acquired Longview Communications and Public Affairs, bringing together two of the world's leading communications and public affairs advisory firms. FGS will now be able to serve clients more extensively throughout North America, with a deeply experienced team across eight offices in the United States and three offices in Canada. FGS's approximately 1,300 professionals around the world offer an integrated suite of capabilities, with deep local relationships and extensive knowledge across industries and geographies. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121931472/en/ Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, Longview is the Canadian market leader, advising clients on corporate and financial communications, issues and crisis management, special situations, government relations, regulatory affairs and foreign direct investment approvals. Consistently ranked among the top 15 global PR advisors on M&A and shareholder activism, Longview advises a wide range of leading Canadian companies, as well as numerous global companies operating across the country. Its team of over 30 professionals brings extensive experience and relationships at the highest levels of government, media and business, and provides the firm's clients an integrated service offering across disciplines that is unmatched in Canada. Winnie Lerner, FGS's Chief Executive Officer, North America, said, "Longview is the go-to team on all mission critical issues for companies in Canada. The firm has an outstanding track record, deep client relationships, and values aligned with our own. Extending our reach into Canada broadens our geographic footrint and enhances our ability to deliver for our clients. We have known and respected Longview for a long time, have partnered successfully on many prior client assignments and are thrilled to welcome them to FGS."



Josh Pekarsky, Founder and Managing Partner at Longview, said, "Longview has always been about doing great work for our clients. This transaction furthers that goal and provides an exceptional platform for the future. We have been impressed by the quality and thoughtfulness of what FGS is building and are delighted to become part of this leading global platform as we embark on this next chapter of our growth. Together with FGS, we are better equipped than ever to guide our clients through an increasingly complex world and a rapidly evolving stakeholder, financial, regulatory and political environment." Longview has been renamed FGS Longview and will continue to be led by Longview Partners Josh Pekarsky, Bruce Drysdale, Ian Hamilton and Hugh McFadyen. FGS Longview has offices in Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary, as well as team members in Ottawa, Winnipeg, Montreal and Victoria.

Andrew Cole, FGS's Deputy Global Chief Executive Officer, added, "FGS was created to help leaders succeed in increasingly complex stakeholder ecosystems across industries and geographies. Clients want a strategic communications and advocacy partner who can advise and execute across the inter-connected financial, media, regulatory, and employee audiences in their home country and across the globe. We're excited to partner with the Longview team and together help clients succeed in Canada and around the world." About Longview Longview is Canada's leading corporate communications and public affairs firm, with a seasoned team of professionals working together across disciplines to serve our clients' interests. Our strategy is simple: do good work. Longview is top ranked in Canada, and the only Canadian firm consistently ranked among the top 15 PR advisors globally, on M&A transactions and shareholder activism. Longview serves clients from seven locations across Canada. The firm's practice areas include Corporate & Financial Communications, Public Affairs, Special Situations and Design & Branding. About FGS Global FGS Global is a leading global strategic communications consultancy, with approximately 1,300 professionals around the world, advising clients in navigating complex situations and reputational challenges. FGS Global was formed from the combination of Finsbury, The Glover Park Group, Hering Schuppener and Sard Verbinnen to offer board-level and c-suite counsel in all aspects of strategic communications - including corporate reputation, crisis management, government affairs and is also the leading force in financial communications worldwide. The firm is backed by WPP Plc and KKR & Co. Inc. FGS Global offers seamless and integrated support with offices in the following locations: Abu Dhabi, Amsterdam, Beijing, Berlin, Boston, Brussels, Chicago, Dubai, Dublin, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Houston, Kingston, London, Los Angeles, Munich, Paris, Riyadh, San Francisco, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo, Washington, D.C., South Florida, and Zurich. Its headquarters is in New York. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121931472/en/

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[November 21, 2023] SKKY Partners Announces Investment in Premium Sauce and Condiments Brand TRUFF Tweet

SKKY Partners, a private equity firm focused on high-growth, market-leading consumer brands, today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a significant minority stake in TRUFF, the premium flavor-enhancement brand known for elevating and reimagining pantry staples in the sauce and condiments categories. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231120945967/en/ Founded in 2017 by Nick Ajluni and Nick Guillen, TRUFF is bringing truffle-infused products to a broad consumer base through its premium condiments line spanning hot sauce, pasta sauce, mayonnaise, oil and salt. Since its founding, TRUFF has expanded rapidly from a digitally-native, direct-to-consumer hot sauce brand to a multichannel food business with a growing suite of products sold online and in more than 20,000 stores, including Whole Foods, Kroger, Publix, Target and more. TRUFF's distinctive flavor, high-quality ingredients, new product innovation and social following have helped it build a significant base of loyal consumers and an impressive list of collaborators and accolades. Recent partnerships include launches with Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Hidden Valley Ranch, Taco Bell and The Super Mario Brothers Movie. Most recently, TRUFF was named to Oprah's Favorite Things 2023, marking the company's fifth time on the list. TRUFF's hero product, its hot sauce, is a leading seller in the natural channel and the fastest-growing hot sauce in conventional grocery. Ajluni and Guillen will continue to lead TRUFF as co-CEOs and remain significant investors in the company. As part of the transaction, Mark Ramadan, the co-founder and former CEO of Sir Kensington's, a world-renowned condiments business, and former CEO of premium chocolate brand, Hu, will join TRUFF's Board as an independent director, alongside David Brisske, Managing Director of SKKY Partners. Kim Kardashian, SKKY Partners Co-Founder and Managing Partner, said, "TRUFF is exactly the kind of business that embodies what we were looking for when we founded SKKY - a next-generation brand with a deep, authentic connection with consumers and the potential for ongoing growth. Nick and Nick have singlehandedly brought truffle-infused products into the mainstream food scene and built a community around the brand that will continue to be key to its success going forward. We're proud to be kicking off the SKKY portfolio with this investment"



Jay Sammons, SKKY Partners Co-Founder and Managing Partner, said, "We are excited to back TRUFF for so many reasons: the passionate, visionary founders; the distinctive, category-defining nature of the products; and the unique brand positioning. The business has a very strong foundation and is now at the perfect juncture for us to bring our experience building and scaling unique consumer brands to help fuel the next stage of TRUFF's growth." Ajluni and Guillen commented, "There is no greater validation of the strength and potential of our business than having the backing of the SKKY Partners team. They understand our vision and the powerful connection we have with our consumers, and their expertise in growing branded consumer businesses is unmatched. On top of that, we're excited to welcome Mark Ramadan to our Board. We have tremendous respect for Sir Kensington's and Hu and have been avid followers of those brands' success stories. We know that Mark's deep experience will make him an invaluable partner to us as we look to expand our distribution footprint, accelerate in-store performance, and continue to introduce new products."

Brisske added, "We're focused on partnering with creative founders who are building brands that have a fresh perspective. With TRUFF, Nick and Nick have pioneered a unique brand voice and created a differentiated product suite that is bringing new consumers into the categories in which they play. We're thrilled to be joining the TRUFF team for this next chapter." Kirkland & Ellis acted as legal advisor to SKKY Partners. Buchalter acted as legal advisor to TRUFF. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2024. Mark Ramadan Biography Mark Ramadan co-founded Sir Kensington's, a world-renowned condiments business, and served as the company's CEO, leading all aspects of the business from its founding in 2010 through its acquisition by Unilever in 2017. In 2019, Ramadan was named CEO of Hu, a breakthrough better-for-you chocolate and snacking business and led the company through its 2021 acquisition by Mondelez. While at Hu, he helped expand product lines and improve the brand's presence among national retailers. Ramadan is a frequent investor in, and advisor to, growing consumer businesses and currently serves on the Board of New Culture, a food technology business developing cow cheese, without the cow, and True Food Kitchen, a better-for-you restaurant brand. He has been featured on Fast Company's "1,000 Most Creative People in Business" and Forbes' "30 under 30" lists. About SKKY Partners SKKY Partners is a private equity firm founded by Kim Kardashian and Jay Sammons that focuses on both control and active minority investments in high-growth, market-leading branded consumer companies. The firm's primary focus is on identifying culturally relevant brands that forge deep emotional connections with their target consumers and offer those consumers coveted products and services. SKKY's target sectors include health & wellness; food & beverage; apparel, accessories and footwear; luxury; beauty & personal care; leisure; and restaurants. SKKY Partners was established in 2022. Further information on SKKY Partners is available at www.skky.com as well as @skkypartners on Instagram and Twitter. About TRUFF TRUFF's lineup of luxury pantry staples is designed to elevate the dining experience. Originally founded through a popular food and lifestyle Instagram blog called @sauce, TRUFF immediately propelled into social media virality with the release of its hot sauce in 2017. The brand quickly became the fastest growing company in the hot sauce space due to its distinctive flavor profile, pristine bottle, truffle -inspired cap and of course the coveted Instagram account @sauce that makes tagging a no-brainer. Taking inspiration from the flagship black truffle experience, TRUFF has expanded its family of products to include other popular favorites like pasta sauce, mayonnaise, truffle oil and most recently truffle salt. You can find TRUFF's variety of products in stores nationwide and around the world in the UK, Australia, Kuwait and South Korea. TRUFF is gluten-free and non-GMO. Visit www.TRUFF.com for more information and recipes. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231120945967/en/

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[November 21, 2023] Vendelux Raises $14 Million Series A to Take the Guesswork Out of B2B Event Marketing Tweet

Vendelux, the first AI-powered event intelligence platform, today announced it raised a $14 million Series A led by FirstMark Capital with participation from Cervin Ventures, the founders of HLTH, ShopTalk, Money20/20 (Jonathan Weiner), Manifest, Blueprint (Jay Weintraub), and SaaStock (Alex Theuma). Today's funding enables Vendelux to expand its work with enterprise customers including PayPal, MongoDB, Calendly, T-Mobile, and others. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231120603316/en/ Vendelux, the first AI-powered event intelligence platform, today announced it raised a $14 million Series A led by FirstMak Capital. Today's funding enables Vendelux to expand its work with enterprise customers including PayPal, MongoDB, Calendly, T-Mobile, and others. With this funding Vendelux will expand its geographic footprint, product development, and customer segments. Vendelux plans to more than double its team by the end of 2024 including building out a London-based team. (Photo: Business Wire)



Powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and predictive modeling, Vendelux's platform enables event marketers and CMOs to analyze customer and competitor behavior, make informed decisions about which events to attend or sponsor, and ultimately, close more customers to increase ROI. With 65 million data points from over 160,000 global events, and deep CRM integrations, Vendelux's data-driven solution delivers an industry first: quantifiable business impact of in-person events, tradeshows, and conferences worldwide.

"Events are the most important piece of the marketing and sales funnel, but it's not always clear which events deliver the greatest return on dollars spent. With teams operating off of different metrics - meetings, deals, speaking opportunities, etc. - it's no wonder the success is so difficult to define," said Alex Reynolds, CEO and co-founder, Vendelux. "Year after year, Stefan and I saw firsthand the challenges of evaluating which events were worthwhile to attend or invest in. We built Vendelux to solve those very challenges. Vendelux delivers the ability to both plan for and measure ROI so that, organization-wide, companies have an understanding of the truly massive impact events have on their business." With this funding Vendelux will expand its geographic footprint, product development, and customer segments. Vendelux plans to more than double its team by the end of 2024 including building out a London-based team. UK-based events serve enterprises across EMEA and Vendelux's GDPR compliant insights make it easy to adopt the platform. The product investments will see the Vendelux platform grow to connect the entire end-to-end journey of event marketers as they plan, execute on, and evaluate their event strategies. Vendelux also plans to build out intelligence solutions for conference organizers after receiving feedback from many marquee organizers that are existing customers and investors. "The Vendelux team is defining a new category in event intelligence. Their customers' success with the product demonstrates what is possible when you introduce robust data infrastructure to a critical customer acquisition channel for the first time. We were blown away by feedback received from both global enterprise customers and rapidly growing mid-market companies alike," said Amish Jani, Founder and Partner, FirstMark Capital. "Vendelux is accelerating at the exact right moment, seizing the best of artificial intelligence's capabilities to deliver data-driven insights that don't exist anywhere else." About Vendelux Vendelux is the leading AI-powered event intelligence platform designed for event marketers and event organizers. The platform boasts over 160,000 global B2B events, providing users with powerful data-driven insights and an array of tools to optimize their event marketing budgets and ROI. Founded in 2021 by Alex Reynolds and Stefan Deeran, Vendelux is based in New York City and is backed by FirstMark Capital, Cervin Ventures, Tenacity Ventures, and Tri-Valley Ventures, and others. For more information, visit https://vendelux.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231120603316/en/

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At the invitation of the government of the Republic of India, Premier of the State Council Li Qiang will attend the Virtual G20 Leaders Summit on November 22.

CCTV: You just announced that Premier Li Qiang will attend the Virtual G20 Leaders Summit. Can you tell us Chinas expectation for this summit?

Mao Ning: The G20 Summit held in New Delhi in September reached important common understandings on adopting actions through partnerships. In the face of the volatile international situation and sluggish economic recovery, it is all the more important for the G20 to reinforce partnership, address global challenges through cooperation and make positive contribution to world economic recovery and global common development. China hopes that the virtual summit can pool consensus and send positive signal to this end.

CNR: It is reported that the delegation of Arab-Islamic foreign ministers visited China yesterday. Could you share with us the outcomes of the visit?

Mao Ning: On November 20, the delegation of Arab-Islamic foreign ministers led by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan visited China. The delegation also included Foreign Ministers of Jordan, Egypt, Palestine and Indonesia and Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

Vice President Han Zheng and Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met and held talks with the delegation respectively. China highly commends the efforts for peace and the call for justice made by the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit and supports the joint ministerial follow-up committee in playing a greater role. The delegation made China its first stop for international mediation, which reflects their trust in China and the tradition of mutual understanding and support between the two sides.

The Chinese side outlined our proposal on addressing the current crisis in Gaza and resolving the Palestinian question: The pressing task now is to fully implement relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and General Assembly and reach an immediate ceasefire. It is critical to abide by the international law, especially international humanitarian law. China opposes any forced displacement and relocation of Palestinian civilians. Any arrangement concerning the future and destiny of Palestine must be based on the consent of the Palestinian people and accommodate the legitimate concerns of regional countries. Any potential way to address the current situation must not deviate from the two-state solution and should be conducive to regional peace and stability. The UN Security Council needs to heed the call of Arab and Islamic countries and take responsible actions to deescalate the situation. As this months rotating president of the Security Council, China will continue to strengthen coordination with Arab and Islamic countries to build consensus and galvanize more meaningful Security Council action on the situation in Gaza. The Palestinian question is at the heart of the Middle East issue. Without a just settlement of the Palestinian question, durable peace and stability will remain elusive for the Middle East.

The foreign ministers of Arab and Islamic countries spoke highly of Chinas long-standing just position on the Palestinian question and commended Chinas work as the rotating Security Council president to make possible the first Security Council resolution since the current conflict broke out. They look forward to closer coordination with China to prevent the crisis from spreading and restart the peace talk process.

Global Times: At the 30th APEC Economic Leaders Meeting, President Xi Jinping mentioned Chinas economic situation several times. He emphasized that we have the confidence in, and even more capability of achieving long-term and stable growth and invite friends from business communities across the world to invest in China. We also noted that in the first 10 months of this year, Chinas actual use of foreign investment dropped by 9.4 percent year-on-year and foreign media reported that some foreign companies intend to move industrial chains out of China. Whats your comment?

Mao Ning: President Xi Jinping pointed out in his speech at the APEC CEO Summit that China remains the most powerful engine of global growth, and will generate one-third of global growth this year. Just as some friends from the business community have said, China has become a synonym of the best investment destination, and that the next China is still China.

The reason why China is the place to go for the global business community lies in the strong resilience, ample potential and strong vitality of its economy, the fundamental national policy of reform and opening up and the huge Chinese market. At APEC, President Xi Jinping stressed again that China will improve the mechanisms for protecting the rights and interests of foreign investors, further shorten the negative list on foreign investment and fully ensure national treatment for foreign investors. All of this sends out a strong message about Chinas continued expansion of opening up.

The next China is still China. We invite businesses from across the world to invest and cultivate success in China.

KBS: I have two questions. First, the DPRK announced it will launch a military reconnaissance satellite. The ROK government believes it to be against UN Security Council resolutions. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, what is Chinas comment? Second, ROK President Yoon Suk Yeol stressed several times that China plays an important role in curbing DPRK provocation and upholding peace and stability in northeast Asia. What role will China play in resolving the issues concerning the DPRK?

Mao Ning: On your first question, we have noted relevant reports. We also noted the frequent appearances of US strategic bombers and aircraft carrier battle groups lately in the area of the Korean Peninsula. I want to stress that continued deadlock in the situation on the Peninsula does not serve any partys fundamental interests. China urges relevant parties to face up to the crux of the Korean Peninsula issues, stop engaging in confrontation and pressuring, take concrete steps to pursue a political settlement of those issues and maintain peace and stability on the Peninsula.

On your second question, about Chinas role in the issues concerning the Peninsula, I would like to stress again that the history and crux of the Korean Peninsula issues are clear. China is not the focal point of the issues. It is the US that holds the key to resolving them. As a responsible major country, China is committed to peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and the process of seeking a political settlement of the Peninsula issues. China will also keep working actively for stability and resumption of talks as well as the early realization of lasting peace and security on the Peninsula.

Kyodo News: Its reported that Natsuo Yamaguchi, chief representative of Japans political party Komeito, will visit China tomorrow and meet with Chinese officials. Whats your expectation for the visit?

Mao Ning: We welcome Komeito Chief Representative Natsuo Yamaguchi and his delegation to China and hope that the conversations and exchanges between the two sides will help improve and grow China-Japan relations.

Bloomberg: You mentioned that China has put forward a peace proposal for Gaza. Can you tell us a little more about that?

Mao Ning: During the Arab-Islamic foreign ministers joint visit to China, we outlined our proposal on addressing the current crisis in Gaza and resolving the Palestinian question. Put simply, we believe the pressing task now is to fully implement relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and General Assembly and reach an immediate ceasefire. It is critical to abide by the international law, especially international humanitarian law. China opposes any forced displacement and relocation of Palestinian civilians. Any arrangement concerning the future and destiny of Palestine must be based on the consent of the Palestinian people and accommodate the legitimate concerns of regional countries. The ultimate answer to the Palestinian question lies in delivering on the two-state solution.

NHK: After consultation among the parties, China-Japan-ROK Trilateral Foreign Ministers Meeting will be held in the ROK. How does China view the significance of the trilateral cooperation and whats Chinas expectation for the meeting?

Mao Ning: The trilateral cooperation serves the common interests of our three countries and is beneficial to regional stability and prosperity. The three sides are in contact on matters related to this meeting.

China Review News: RIA Novosti reported that during an interview on November 20, Diana Mondino, Senior Adviser of Argentinas President-elect Javier Milei, said cooperation with the Chinese government will be stopped when asked if she would support and encourage trade with China. Whats your comments on that?

Mao Ning: Based on what I have read, your description of her statement is somewhat different from the interview published on the RIA Novosti website. According to the interview, some in the world misread President-elect Mileis foreign policy; no countries could step out of diplomatic relations and still be able to engage in economic and trade cooperation; and it would be a huge foreign policy mistake for Argentina to cut ties with major countries like China or Brazil. China is Argentinas important trading partner. According to Mondino, the newly elected Argentine government values its relations with China, especially the business ties between the two countries.

As I stressed yesterday from this podium, the bilateral relations between China and Argentina have shown sound momentum of growth. China is Argentinas second largest trading partner and the largest export market of agricultural products. The economic complementarity between our two countries means there is great potential for cooperation. China stands ready to work with Argentina to keep our relations on a steady course forward.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has pardoned another batch of Russians who were sentenced to long prison terms for committing particularly serious crimes. Rapists, maniacs, and murderers were released after 6 months at the front in Ukraine.

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In particular, Nikolai Ogolobyak, one of the leaders of a clan of cannibalistic satanists who committed ritual murders, returned to his native Yaroslavl: he was released after fighting in the Russian Storm Z unit. Details about him and several other criminals pardoned by Putin are reported by the Russian publication Mozhem Obyasnit (We can explain).

One of the leaders of the Satanist clan who committed ritual murders, Nikolai "Count" Ogolobyak, returned to the Russian city of Yaroslavl from the war in Ukraine. He played the role of a "warrior" in the "clan": he was the first to attack the victims and cut their throats.

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"The clan became 'famous' in 2008 for four murders of teenage neophytes. The Satanists cut off body parts of two of them, roasted them on a fire and ate them. All this was accompanied by prayers to Satan. The next day, they killed two more teenagers who were interested in their subculture," the publication writes.

The mutilated bodies of the Satanists' victims were found two months after the murders. The killers were detained around the same time. At the time of the crime, almost all of them were minors. Only Oglobyak was 18. He received the longest sentence: 20 years in a strict regime colony.

The cannibalistic satanist was to be released no earlier than 2028 at the age of 39. However, Yaroslavl residents met the maniac on the streets of the city in 2023. As he boasted, he was released after fighting in Ukraine for six months as part of the Storm Z unit.

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An unpleasant surprise with very likely negative consequences awaited the residents of Perm as well. They met their "hero of Russia" Artem Buchin, who in 2022 brutally murdered and raped a girl.

Buchin asked his future victim to show him the way to the bus stop and led her into the woods. At some point, she suspected something was wrong and tried to escape by hitting her new acquaintance with a bag. But she failed: he raped and killed the Russian woman.

In court, Buchin explained his actions as "the consequences of an army concussion." The prosecutor asked for a life sentence. But just a year later, after fighting for 6 months in the Wagner PMC, the murderer and rapist was released

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Recruitment to Wagner was also a ticket to freedom for two murderers and rapists from Kaluga, Evgeny Tatarintsev and Vladislav Korobennikov. Together with their brothers, they raped and murdered girls.

The Tatarintsev brothers murdered Yana Boltynyuk in Kaluga in 2014. And the Korbennikov brothers committed a brutal massacre of student Maria Nechyotnaya in Obninsk: she was killed with 60 blows of a bat. According to local media, Vladislav Korobennikov was not only pardoned for his participation in the war against Ukraine but also "forgiven" for the compensation he paid to the victim's mother.

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Earlier, it became known that a man committed suicide in Moscow after receiving a summons. The 23-year-old Russian came to a shooting range and shot himself in the head. He told his friends, with whom he shared his intentions, that he did not want to serve in Putin's army. They tried to warn the staff of the shooting club and law enforcement officers about his plan, but no one took their words seriously.
[November 21, 2023] Walmart to Revolutionize Sourcing through Cutting-Edge Initiative with Next-Gen Tech Innovator, Bamboo Rose Tweet

BOSTON, Nov. 21, 2023 /CNW/ -- Today, Bamboo Rose announced a joint project with retail giant, Walmart, to develop and implement a state-of-the-art enterprise sourcing platform (ESP) revolutionizing the way the company does business with tens of thousands of suppliers around the world. The cutting-edge technology will bring together disparate systems, improving efficiencies and helping the company stay true to its mission of everyday low cost. Through the new ESP, Walmart Sourcing associates around the globe will more easily collaborate with buyers, product development teams and suppliers improving the way the company procures and imports goods for resale. The single sourcing platform creates greater visibility across teams enabling Walmart associates to make more informed purchasing decisions on volume and cost, improving access of goods to other markets and potentially reducing waste in categories such as perishable goods and other sensitive product lines. The implementation of the ESP solution will streamline the supply chain, eliminating waste in categories such as perishable goods and opening doors for products to be sold in connected markets. Additionally, the implementation will be impactful across all markets and business units in Walmart and Sam's Club. "At Walmart, we're constantly looking for ways to improve our business so we can help our customers save money and live better. I'm thrilled to be able to work with Bamboo Rose to develop a brand-new ecosystem connecting our global teams with a single platform, empowering us to go beyond simply streamlining information. With this technology, we'll be able to engage with suppliers across multiple growth stages, expand global offerings and make more efficient decisions," said Daniel Berg, Vice President of Product Global Sourcing a Walmart.



"We believe retailers succeed when they collaborate internally and across supplier networks to provide openness and opportunities for collective growth. At Bamboo Rose, we deeply understand the challenges faced by our customers and we craft solutions that drive positive business outcomes for global retailers. This initiative is a testament to our commitment to innovation and delivering exceptional value," said Mike Mattei, Chief Revenue Officer at Bamboo Rose. Walmart's new global multicategory sourcing approach supports EDLC for customers. The initiative is a win no matter how you look at it; advancing technology, supporting the supplier network, and saving money for families around the world. With a focus on innovation and customers, Walmart is poised to transform the retail industry once again.

About Walmart

Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) is a people-led, tech-powered omnichannel retailer helping people save money and live better  anytime and anywhere  in stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, approximately 240 million customers and members visit more than 10,500 stores and numerous eCommerce websites in 19 countries. With fiscal year 2023 revenue of $611 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.1 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy, and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/walmart, on X (formerly known as Twitter) at twitter.com/walmart, and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/walmart/. About Bamboo Rose

Bamboo Rose is a global leader in enterprise retail technology solutions. With a focus on understanding customer challenges and delivering tailored solutions, Bamboo Rose empowers retailers to achieve positive business outcomes and drive success in the ever-evolving retail landscape. Visit bamboorose.com/ or find us on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/bamboorose/ to learn more. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/walmart-to-revolutionize-sourcing-through-cutting-edge-initiative-with-next-gen-tech-innovator-bamboo-rose-301993711.html SOURCE Bamboo Rose

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[November 21, 2023] NSDC Promotes Global Talent Mobility with Business Matchmaking Seminars in Japan Tweet

~Along with JITCO, conducted two successful seminars in Osaka & Tokyo and positioned India as the Global Skill Hub NEW DELHI, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In line with the visionary objective set forth by the Hon'ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, to position India as the Global Skill Hub, the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) recently organized two impactful Business Matchmaking Seminars in the vibrant cities of Osaka and Tokyo. These seminars served as a pivotal platform to enlighten stakeholders and industry leaders about the immense potential of Indian candidates in the global job market. Co-organized in collaboration with the Japan International Trainee & Skilled Worker Cooperation Organization (JITCO) and the Embassy of India, these seminars had a primary objective: to enhance the visibility of Indian Sending Organizations (SO) and to underscore the compelling value proposition that India presents in addressing Japan's skilled labor shortage. The seminars received valuable support from key governmental bodies, including the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE), the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), and the Embassy of Japan in India. These seminars were specifically centred around two noteworthy government-to-government initiatives: the Technical Intern Training Program (TITP), initiated in October 2017, and the Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) program, which was established in January 2021. At the event, attendees representing diverse organizations engaged in productive discussions aimed at closing the prevailing skills gap. This involved creating an effective platform for Indian Stakeholder Organizations (SOs) to collaborate with Japanese Supervising Organizations (SVO) and Implementing Organizations (IOs). With over 45 participants and 40 companies in Osaka each from Japanese and Indian organizations. The dignitaries who were present at the event are Mr. Anil Kumar Raturi, Consul Head of Chancery, Consulate General of India, Osaka Kobe, Mr. Masato Kume, Deputy General Manager International Affairs Dept, JITCO, Mr. Masato Kume, Deputy General Manager International Affairs Dept, JITCO and Mr. Nitin Kapoor, General Manager, CEO Office & Strategy and Mr. Anshul Singhal, Deputy General Manager, NSDC. We were also joined virtually by Mr. Bhupendra Singh, Deputy Secretary, OIA Division, Ministry of External Affairs and Ms. Shruti Pandey, Deputy Director, International Collaboration, Minitry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India.



In Tokyo, the event saw an impressive participation with 50+ participants from 40 companies and 17 Indian Sending Organizations. The event also had key guests from the Embassy of India, NIFCO, and ZENKEN, alongside the dedicated NSDC India team. Among the dignitaries, the ones who graced us with their presence are Mr. Sanjeev Manchanda, First Secretary, Embassy of India Presentation on human resources in India, Mr. Bhupendra Singh, Deputy Secretary, OIA Division, Ministry of External Affairs (Virtual), Mr. Shimpei Sugiura, Executive Vice President, JITCO, Mr. Nitin Kapoor, General Manager, CEO Office & Strategy, Mr. Isamu Koyama, Advisor, NSDC and Mr. Anshul Singhal, Deputy General Manager, NSDC. Japanese corporates and recruitment agencies like NIFCO Inc, Fourth Valley, Zenken Corporation etc. also attended the seminars. Lauding the initiative, Shri Ved Mani Tiwari, CEO, NSDC and MD, NSDC International said, "We firmly believe that India has the potential to significantly contribute to the requirements of skilled workforce, globally."

"Our candidates are equipped to meet the demands of various industries in Japan, and through collaborative efforts, we can ensure a seamless exchange of talent. This partnership between India and Japan holds immense promise for mutual growth and development, and we are committed to fostering a strong, fruitful relationship in the global job market." During the seminars, some beneficiaries of the TITP programs shared their experiences to help experts understand the labour market supply and demand, lessons learned and best practices. This also facilitated better dialogue between public and private stakeholders. India and Japan have collaborated on various skill development initiatives, such as the India-Japan Skill Development Council, which promotes cooperation in vocational education, training, and human resource development. In 2016, the nations signed the "Manufacturing Skill Transfer Promotion Programme" agreement for training 30,000 persons over 10 years with Japanese style manufacturing skills and practices. Thirty-five Japan-India Institutes for Manufacturing (JIM) and 11 Japanese Endowed Courses (JEC) have been established in different states across India. In 2017, The TITP MoC was signed to significantly expand the bilateral cooperation between India and Japan in the skill development sector. Under the program, selected candidates from India undergo three-to-five years of internship in Japan, after which they are required to return to India and utilize the skills acquired by them in Japan. Similarly, 'Specified Skilled Worker' was introduced by the Government of Japan in April 2019, under which aspiring Indian youth can take up a job and stay in Japan. Japan introduced 'Specified Skilled Worker' to address the severe labour shortages in Japan by accepting foreign human resources with specific expertise and skills. As of July 2022, Japan has signed SSW Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) with 15 nations including India. India and Japan signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in January 2021 for the implementation of 'Specified Skilled Worker' between India and Japan. NSDC International, 100% subsidiary of NSDC, is catering to a comprehensive list of sectors facilitating skill development and training initiatives aimed at fostering employment opportunities and driving economic expansion. They include textile, healthcare, construction, hospitality, and railways. India and Japan's joint initiatives in skill development extend far beyond their national boundaries. They both embrace a shared vision of fostering international mobility as a central pillar of their partnership. This collective vision is rooted in the firm belief that a globally competent workforce is paramount in tackling the challenges and capitalizing on the opportunities of the 21st century. About NSDC Giving boost to Indian Government Skill India Mission, NSDC, a nodal skill development agency, working under the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Government of India, is a unique Public Private Partnership (PPP) that aims to catalyze the creation of a large and quality vocational training ecosystem in India. Since inception, NSDC has trained over three crore people in different sectors through its collaboration with training partners pan India. NSDC has established 37 Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) and implements the Government's flagship skill development schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS), among others. NSDC also funds enterprises, companies and organizations that provide skill training. The organization enables private-sector capacity building in skill development by offering concessional loans, other innovative financial products, and strategic partnerships. For more information, please visit at https://nsdcindia.org Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2282751/Business_Matchmaking_Seminars_NSDC_JITCO.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/nsdc-promotes-global-talent-mobility-with-business-matchmaking-seminars-in-japan-301994819.html

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[November 21, 2023] KBRA Assigns Preliminary Ratings to Santander Drive Auto Receivables Trust 2023-S1 Tweet

KBRA assigns preliminary ratings to two classes of notes issued by Santander Drive Auto Receivables Trust 2023-S1 ("SDART 2023-S1"), a re-securitization of the certificates from the Santander Drive Auto Receivables Trust 2020-4 auto loan ABS transaction ("SDART 2020-4" or the "Underlying Securitization Transaction"). SDART 2023-S1 will be collateralized by the certificate (the "Underlying Certificate") representing the residual interest in SDART 2020-4. SDART 2020-4 is collateralized by a pool of subprime auto receivables originated and serviced by Santander Consumer USA ("SC"), which as of October 31, 2023, had an outstanding principal balance of approximately $359.9 million. SDART 2020-4 closed in November 2020 with an issuance of five classes of notes totaling approximately $1.623 billion. As of November 21, 2023, the SDART 2020-4 Class A, Class B and Class C notes have been paid in full and the SDART 2020-4 Class D and Class E notes are the remaining notes outstanding with a principal balance of approximately $293 million. SDART 2023-1 will issue three classes of notes: Class R1, Class R2 and Class RR. KBRA has assigned preliminary ratings to Class R1 and Class R2. Class RR, which represents the 5% vertical risk retention share of both the Class R1 and R2 notes, is not rated by KBRA. The Class R1 and R2 notes are repaid from cash proceeds available to the Underlying Certificate. The Underlying Certificate benefits from excess spread, overcollateralization and the SDART 2020-4 cash reserve account. In addition, the Class R1 and R2 notes also benefit from the SDART 2023-S1 cash reserve account, and in the case of the Class R1, the subordination of the Class R2. Cash available from the Underlying Securitization Transaction is net of servicing fees and certain other senior fees, as well as payments of interest and principal of the SDART 2020-4 Class D and Class E notes outstanding. SC was founded in 1981 in the state of Illinois and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Santander Holdings USA, Inc. ("SHUSA"). SHUSA is a wholly owned direct subsidiary of Banco Santander, S.A. ("Santander"). Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with over 5,000 employees, SC originates prime and near-prime automobile receivables primarily by purchasing automobile installment sale contracts from dealers under a dealer agreement, which includes guidelines and procedures of the purchasing and origination process. SC also originates its auto receivables through its direct lending platform whereby applications are submitted to SC electronically and through its pass-through arrangements with third parties which direct applications to SC. In addition to its these programs, SC is a finance provider for FCA US LLC ("Stellantis") since 2013, and in April 2022, extended the agreement through 2025. In June 2022, SC partnered with Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. in a preferred lender program for consumer auto loans, auto leases and dealer loans. KBRA applied its Auto Loan AB Global Rating Methodology, as well as its Global Structured Finance Counterparty Methodology and ESG Global Rating Methodology as part of its analysis of the transaction's underlying collateral pool, the proposed capital structure and SC's historical static pool data. KBRA considered its operational review of SC as well as periodic update calls with the Company. Operative agreements and legal opinions will be reviewed prior to closing.



To access ratings and relevant documents, click here.

Click here to view the report. Related Publications

Auto Loan ABS Global Rating Methodology

Global Structured Finance Counterparty Methodology

ESG Global Rating Methodology Disclosures Further information on key credit considerations, sensitivity analyses that consider what factors can affect these credit ratings and how they could lead to an upgrade or a downgrade, and ESG factors (where they are a key driver behind the change to the credit rating or rating outlook) can be found in the full rating report referenced above. A description of all substantially material sources that were used to prepare the credit rating and information on the methodology(ies) (inclusive of any material models and sensitivity analyses of the relevant key rating assumptions, as applicable) used in determining the credit rating is available in the Information Disclosure Form(s) located here. Information on the meaning of each rating category can be located here. Further disclosures relating to this rating action are available in the Information Disclosure Form(s) referenced above. Additional information regarding KBRA policies, methodologies, rating scales and disclosures are available at www.kbra.com. About KBRA Kroll Bond Rating Agency, LLC (KBRA) is a full-service credit rating agency registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as an NRSRO. Kroll Bond Rating Agency Europe Limited is registered as a CRA with the European Securities and Markets Authority. Kroll Bond Rating Agency UK Limited is registered as a CRA with the UK Financial Conduct Authority. In addition, KBRA is designated as a designated rating organization by the Ontario Securities Commission for issuers of asset-backed securities to file a short form prospectus or shelf prospectus. KBRA is also recognized by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners as a Credit Rating Provider. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121789844/en/

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[November 21, 2023] IP Pathways Acquires Tenax Solutions to Expand Security and Compliance Offerings Tweet

IP Pathways, a leading technology solutions provider, is thrilled to announce the acquisition of Tenax Solutions, a premier security solutions provider. This strategic move will allow IP Pathways to expand its security and compliance services further, solidifying its position as a trusted partner in the technology industry. "We are pleased to announce the acquisition of Tenax Solutions, an innovator in security solutions. With the ever-increasing threat of cybersecurity attacks, Tenax will allow us to provide next-level security to our clients." Joe Shields, CEO and President of IP Pathways. "Tenax shares our growth mindset, and a partnership with them solidifies our commitment to reliable and secure infrastructure to empower businesses to thrive in the digital age. We are thrilled about the possibilities this partnership brings and look forward to immense success ahead." Tenax Solutions, founded in 2019 by CEO Sheldon Speers and other security professionals, has quickly established itself as a leader in the industry. Initially focused on serving Managed Service Providers (MSPs), they have expanded their reach to cater to small and large enterprise-leel clients. Their comprehensive solutions, including vulnerability scans, penetration testing, and compliance examinations, have earned them a stellar reputation for affordable and efficient services.



"We are thrilled to be joining forces with IP Pathways," said Sheldon Speers, Founder and CEO of Tenax Solutions. "This partnership will allow us to expand our reach and enhance our offerings, providing even greater value to our clients. We share a mission of creating custom solutions tailored to each business's unique needs, and together, we can provide information security and compliance solutions across the United States." IP Pathways will continue to offer its managed services to companies throughout the United States, further strengthened by the addition of Tenax Solutions. The partnership will enable both companies to strengthen their competitive edge in an increasingly competitive market.

To learn more about this exciting acquisition and the expanded security and compliance offerings, please visit IP Pathways' website. Social Share: IP Pathways Acquires Tenax Solutions to Expand Security and Compliance Offerings. #ITSecurity #desmoinesIT #Cybersecurity #midwestIT #datasecurity About IP Pathways Since 2007, IP Pathways has connected businesses with the right technology tools and strategies to solve complex business problems. Our team of experts understands the challenges of today's IT landscape and specializes in providing tailored technology solutions that enable business speed and agility while helping our customers identify growth opportunities and drive digital transformation. IP Pathways is headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, where their first data center originated. Additional locations in the Midwest are Omaha, Nebraska, Kansas City and Columbus, Ohio. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121826277/en/

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[November 21, 2023] Altitude Marketing Launches Cutting-Edge Website for Discovery Life Sciences Tweet

EMMAUS, Pa., Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Altitude Marketing, a life sciences marketing agency with over 19 years of experience serving B2B companies, recently unveiled a brand new website for its client, Discovery Life Sciences (Discovery), a prominent player in biospecimen and biomarker solutions. Altitude successfully launched a revamped website for Discovery, marking a significant milestone in their partnership. Discovery's mission is to restore hope by speeding the development of innovative diagnostics and effective treatments to improve care. They accomplish this by partnering with researchers in industry, academia, and government?furthering their abilities to complete their vital work faster by providing them with the highest quality products and services. As Discovery experienced ongoing business growth, they recognized the importance of aligning their digital presence with this expansion. Their website served as a vital tool for lead generation and nurturing. With the goal of establishing themselves as the industry leaders, they sought a new website that would reflect their status and expertise. "As we continue to experience remarkable growth, enhancing our digital presence became a strategic imperative for Discovery Life Sciences," shared Tiffany Salas-Morris, SVP Marketing at Discovery Life Sciences. "Altitude's demonstrated expertise in life science and branding shines through their work on our new website. They meticulously delved into our brand identity and objectives, resulting in the creation and launch of a technically sophisticated, sleek, and industr-leading website. Altitude has far exceeded our partnership expectations."



In October, Altitude successfully launched a revamped website for Discovery, marking a significant milestone in their partnership. Altitude's strategic approach involved refining the company's messaging, improving user experience, and creating a sleek, professional design. This transformation ensures that Discovery looks like the global industry leader they are. Today, Altitude continues to play a pivotal role in driving Discovery's growth. Their ongoing collaboration encompasses a wide range of marketing services, including graphic design, brand creative support, website maintenance and management, technical SEO optimization, content creation through blogs and regular website updates and maintenance. Together, they maintain a strong and dynamic digital presence for Discovery.

"The most challenging sites are always the most rewarding. By collaborating with Discovery Life Sciences on their new site, we helped evolve the brand and the messaging to reflect a modern, solutions-based industry leader," said Drew Frantzen, Partner & VP of Creative and Web at Altitude Marketing. "In turn, our creative team was put to the test and created some truly striking and innovative elements that speak to the true power, hope and partnership. And we couldn't be prouder of the results." About Altitude Marketing

Altitude Marketing is a data-driven, integrated B2B marketing agency that serves national and global technology-oriented companies in life sciences, established manufacturing and enterprise software. For more than 19 years, Altitude has thrived working with clients who have complex offerings and operate in niche, regulated or compliant spaces. Located between New York and Philadelphia in the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, Altitude works with clients from all over the globe, providing a full suite of integrated marketing services: strategy, branding, messaging, web development, digital marketing, content marketing, lead generation, SEO, public relations, trade shows, social media, sales enablement, advertising, marketing automation, data analytics, channel support and more. Learn more at altitudemarketing.com or follow us on Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Contact: [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/altitude-marketing-launches-cutting-edge-website-for-discovery-life-sciences-301995112.html SOURCE ALTITUDE MARKETING

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Generational Group Wins Multiple 2023 M&A Advisor Awards

Generational Group, a leading investment banking firm for privately held businesses, is pleased to announce that it has once again been recognized by The M&A Advisor at the 22nd Annual M&A Advisor Awards-the premier awards event recognizing the finest deals, dealmakers, and M&A-related service providers of the past year.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121076465/en/

The Generational team at the 2023 M&A Advisor Awards banquet. (Photo: Business Wire)

Generational Group was honored with the following awards:

LEADERSHIP AWARD AND INDUCTION INTO THE HALL OF FAME: Ryan Binkley, Generational President and CEO. With his induction into The M&A Advisor Hall of Fame, Ryan joins prominent past inductees such as Wilbur Ross, Bruce Wasserstein, Rodgin Cohen and David Morgenthaler.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR: Randy Kamin, Generational Group's Executive Managing Director and Group Leader.

CONSULTING FIRM OF THE YEAR: Generational Consulting Group led by T.D. Decker, President. This is the second year in a row Generational has been awarded Consulting Firm of the Year.

M&A DEAL OF THE YEAR ($50MM - $75MM): Acquisition of FR Conversions by Tide Rock Holdings - Deal Team of David Fergusson, Executive Managing Dir, M&A-Technology Practice Leader and Corey Painter, Managing Director, M&A. The initial relationship was established by David Pickard, Senior Managing Director.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS DEAL OF THE YEAR: Acquisition of Reilly Electrical Contractors by Crete Mechanical Group - Deal Team of David Fergusson, Executive Managing Dir, M&A-Technology Practice Leader, Moses Shmueli, Managing Director, M&A, and Tristan Keeffe, Senior Vice President, M&A. The initial relationship was established by Randy Kamin, Executive Managing Director and Team Leader.







The M&A Advisor was founded in 1998 to offer insights and intelligence on M&A activities and has since been established as the premier global network of M&A, Turnaround, and Finance professionals. Today, they have the privilege of presenting, recognizing the achievements of, and facilitating connections between the industry's top performers throughout the world with a comprehensive range of services.

"The award recipients represent the best in the mergers and acquisitions industry this past year and earned these honors by standing out in a group of extremely impressive finalists," said Roger Aguinaldo, Founder and CEO of The M&A Advisor. "Ranging from large multi-billion dollar deals to lower middle market deals, we are recognizing the leading transactions, firms, and individuals that represent the highest levels of accomplishment."

Generational Chief M&A Officer Brenen Hofstadter said: "Congratulations to the Generational teams who earned these prestigious awards. Having our peers recognize our performance and our professionals is very gratifying."

Hofstadter added: "It is tremendous to see our CEO and leader, Ryan Binkley, honored as well. His contributions to our firm and the M&A industry are well known and he richly deserves these accolades."

Ryan Binkley, President and CEO of Generational stated, "I am really proud of our entire team and congratulate everyone for winning these awards this year. The dedication of our team members to our Core Values and their commitment to our clients is what makes these industry recognitions possible."

Binkley added: "I am deeply honored and humbled to join the M&A Advisor Hall of Fame. To be seen as one of the leaders in our industry is a tribute to our entire Generational team and the effort we all put in to help create our clients' personal financial legacies."

Of special significance to the Generational family, Corey Massella, Partner, UHY, LLP, was recognized as the recipient of the 2023 Thomas Farrell Memorial Award. In 2017, The M&A Advisor established the Thomas Farrell Memorial Award to honor the memory of Thomas "Tom" Farrell, former Executive Vice President of Generational Equity and to celebrate his contributions to the mergers and acquisitions industry.

About Generational Group

Generational Equity, Generational Capital Markets (member FINRA/SIPC), Generational Wealth Advisors, Generational Consulting Group and DealForce are part of Generational Group, which is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

With more than 350 professionals located throughout 16 offices in North America, the companies help business owners release the wealth of their business by providing growth consulting, merger, acquisition, and wealth management services. The Generational suite of advisory services includes strategic growth consulting, exit planning education, business valuation, value enhancement strategies, M&A services, digital services, and wealth management.

The M&A Advisor named Generational Equity Investment Banking Firm of the Year three years in a row, Valuation Firm of the Year in 2020, and North American Investment Bank of the Year in 2022 as well as Consulting Firm of the Year. The Global M&A Network named Generational USA Investment Bank of the Year in 2023.

For more information, visit https://www.genequityco.com/ or the Generational Equity press room.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121076465/en/
[November 21, 2023] Physical Security Demand Surges as Global Data Center Investments Reach New Heights, the Global Data Center Physical Security Market to Worth $1.59 Billion By 2028 - Arizton Tweet

CHICAGO, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Arizton's latest research report, the data center physical security market is growing at a CAGR of 7.78% during 2022-2028. To Know More, Download the Free Sample Report: https://www.arizton.com/request-sample/4001 Data Center Physical Security Market Report Scope







Report Attributes Details Market Size (2028) $1.59 Billion Market Size (2022) $1.01 Billion Cagr by Revenue (2022-2028) 7.78 % Base Year 2022 Forecast Year 2023-2028 Market Segmentation Products, Physical Security Layers, End Users, and Geography Geographic Analysis North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Nordics, Central & Eastern Europe, Middle East, Africa, APAC, and Southeast Asia

The data center physical security market has been witnessing growth over the years and is expected to grow even more during the forecast period. The major factors responsible for the development include increased data center activities and investment by the hyperscale and colocation operators. The rise in data center facilities will lead to more and more adoptions of physical security products. The exponential increase in the internet-using population globally and more remote regions starting to access the internet led to a colossal level of data generation that needs to be processed and stored. Here is where data centers are crucial in fulfilling these data-driven processes. This led to the mass-scale construction of data centers in several cities globally. Cloud service providers like AWS, Microsoft, Google, Tencent Cloud, and Oracle need wholesale colocation space. These service providers either construct their own data centers or work with colocation providers to build a built-to-suit facility for their operational requirements. As demand grows, several leading financial, healthcare, and IT software service providers colocate their wholesale colocation space. Several IoT and Big data companies and service providers are interested in the wholesale colocation. Most colocation service providers have multiple layers of security, including perimeter fencing, vehicle barriers, cameras that monitor 24/7, and MFA near the doors and data halls, which comprises key card access, biometric scanners, ID verification, and, in some facilities, a retina scan. Some colocation data centers have additional biometric and key card access racks. Employees of data centers are pre-checked before entering and leaving. A few colocation data centers permit customers to install physical security on their racks and data halls. For instance, STACK Infrastructure's ICN01A Seoul data center is a colocation campus that offers 24/7 on-site security personnel, dual-factor biometric access, CCTV coverage with 93-day retention, vehicle gates with badge access, perimeter fencing, and tenant-specific security. They are also equipped with dual smoke detection using very early smoke detection apparatus (VESDA) and clean-agent gas fire suppression systems. Advances in Video- & Cloud-Based Analytics Creating Market Opportunities Businesses saw a massive surge in using the latest technologies and software to be at par with their competitor's post-pandemic. Companies re-work video analytics strategies and adopt a more hybrid approach using cloud and edge to decentralize decision-making. A hybrid approach to video analytics can be optimal for certain types and sizes of businesses instead of only cloud-based or on-premises technology. Video surveillance and analytics became more efficient with the advent of 5G. Edge data centers and smart cities increasingly deploy advanced surveillance methods. 5G supports the increasing density of cameras, with the uplink bandwidth required by 4K and 8K videos. Companies also offer Video Surveillance as a Service (VSaaS), hosted cloud-based video surveillance. The service includes video recording and storage, cybersecurity, remote monitoring, and management alerts. Buy this Research @ https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/data-center-physical-security-market-size-analysis Post-Purchase Benefit????????????????? 1hr of free analyst discussion????????????????

10% of customization?? Geographical Analysis Americas Region: Technologically Advanced and Established Markets:

North America leads the data center physical security market in the Americas region, followed by Latin America. North America is considered among the developed and established data center markets and sets the base for other areas like Europe and the APAC region. Latin America is among the emerging and developing data center markets with high potential during the forecast period. APAC Region: The Most Dynamic and Fastest Growing Markets: The APAC region is considered among the fastest-growing markets across the globe due to increased digitalization and internet users creating a higher demand for data storage facilities. The region has some of the largest and most established markets, such as China, Singapore, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, and India. Some emerging markets include Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, New Zealand, and Thailand. MEA Region: The Evolving and Higher Potential Markets: The MEA region has a higher potential for growth in adopting physical security products. The market witnesses higher physical security breaches compared to other regions. The operators are involved in deploying higher measures of physical security products to reduce unauthorized entry and access into data center buildings. Europe Region: Several Established and Booming Markets: The European region has the presence of several established markets, such as the UK, France, Germany, Ireland, and the Netherlands. The region is also witnessing a boom across other markets such as Spain, Poland, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, and other countries. The development of data center facilities will lead to increased adoption of physical security products. Data Center Physical Security Market Dynamics Opportunities Rise in Edge Data Center Investments Use of Anti-Climb Perimeter Security Advances in Video- & Cloud-Based Analytics Introduction Of Robot-Driven Physical Security Measures for Data Centers Market Growth Investments In Colocation Data Center Facilities Increase In Hyperscale Investments Challenges Security Challenges Physical Security

Access Control

Surveillance Cameras in Server Rooms Click to Get Your Customize Report According to Your Business Requirement Now: https://www.arizton.com/customize-report/4001 About the Report: The study considers the present scenario of the global data center physical security market and its market dynamics for 2023-2028. It covers a detailed overview of several market growth enablers, restraints, and trends. The report offers both the demand and supply aspects of the industry. It profiles and examines leading and prominent companies operating in the industry. Market Segmentation Products: Video Surveillance, Access Control, and Other Physical Security Products

Video Surveillance, Access Control, and Other Physical Security Products Physical Security Layers: Perimeter Security Layer, Building Security, Data Hall Security, and Cabinet Security

Perimeter Security Layer, Building Security, Data Hall Security, and Cabinet Security End Users: Colocation Data Centers, Hyperscale Data Centers, and Enterprise Data Centers

Colocation Data Centers, Hyperscale Data Centers, and Enterprise Data Centers Geography: North America , Latin America , Western Europe , Nordics, Central & Eastern Europe , Middle East , Africa , APAC, and Southeast Asia Key Company Profiles ABB

Alcatraz AI

AMAG Technology

ASSA ABLOY

Axis Communications

Barkers Fencing

Bayometric

Bosch Security and Safety Systems

BioConnect

Boon Edam

Boston Dynamics

Cisco Systems

Convergint Technologies

CLD Physical Security Systems

Dahua Technology

Digitus Biometrics

Eagle Eye Networks

Genetec

Gunnebo

Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology (Hikvision)

Honeywell

Horton Automatics

Instor (Accelevation)

Johnson Controls

Kisi

LenelS2 (Carrier)

Legrand

Pacific Controls

Pelco (Motorola Solutions)

Puffins Solutions

Schneider Electric

Secure I.T. Environments

Securitas

Siemens

Southwest Microwave

Suprema

Verkada

WireCrafters Check the Detailed Table of Contents of the Report @ https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/data-center-physical-security-market-size-analysis?details=tableOfContents Key Questions Answered in the Report: How big is the data center physical security market? What is the growth rate of the global data center physical security market? What are the key trends in the data center physical security market? Who are the key data center physical security market players? Check Out Some of the Top-Selling Research Reports: Data Center Market - Global Outlook & Forecast 2023-2028 Data Center Cooling Market - Global Outlook & Forecast 2023-2028 Data Center Power Market - Global Outlook & Forecast 2023-2028 Data Center Colocation Market - Global Outlook & Forecast 2022-2027 Why Arizton???????????????????? 100%?Customer Satisfaction??????????????????? 24x7?availability  we are always there when you need us??????????????????? 200+?Fortune 500 Companies trust Arizton's report??????????????????? 80%?of our reports are exclusive and first in the industry??????????????????? 100%?more data and analysis??????????????????? 1500+?reports published till date???????????????????????? About Us:???????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Arizton Advisory and Intelligence is an innovative and quality-driven firm that offers cutting-edge research solutions to clients worldwide. We excel in providing comprehensive market intelligence reports and advisory and consulting services.?????????????????????????????????????????????????????? We offer comprehensive market research reports on consumer goods & retail technology, automotive and mobility, smart tech, healthcare, life sciences, industrial machinery, chemicals, materials, I.T. and media, logistics, and packaging. These reports contain detailed industry analysis, market size, share, growth drivers, and trend forecasts.??????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Arizton comprises a team of exuberant and well-experienced analysts who have mastered generating incisive reports. Our specialist analysts possess exemplary skills in market research. We train our team in advanced research practices, techniques, and ethics to outperform in fabricating impregnable research reports.?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Contact Us????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Call: +1-312-235-2040????????????????????????????????????????????????????

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[November 21, 2023] Veriheal Awards Another $30,000 in Scholarships for Cannabis Innovation Tweet

Veriheal, the leading cannabis health-tech company, announced the three winners of its annual Innovation in Cannabis Scholarship for 2023, each of whom will receive $10,000 to put toward college tuition and fees With a record-breaking 800+ submissions, Veriheal demonstrates further commitment to supporting the education and innovation of aspiring leaders and innovators in the cannabis community. Since 2020, Veriheal has awarded $85,000 in scholarships to students seeking to change the evolving cannabis industry. Veriheal acknowledges the escalating costs of higher education and, in response, has expanded its commitment to offer financial assistance to students passionate about cannabis. In 2023, the company is awarding a total of $30,000 in scholarships, with each of the three winners receiving $10,000 to aid in their educational pursuits. After carefully reviewing the submissions, which closed on July 30, Veriheal selected the following recipients: Quemarr Moatamedi - University of Montana Maya Woods-Arthur - Harvard University Jensyn Huynh - Texas A&M University



"The high number of submissions and the exceptional quality of ideas this year speaks volumes about the passion and vision of the next generation of cannabis leaders," said Joshua Green, co-founder of Veriheal. "We're thrilled to support and empower the minds and futures of those who will undoubtedly shape the industry."

Next year's Innovation in Cannabis Scholarship will open for submissions in Spring 2024. U.S. college students and high school seniors who are interested in the world of cannabis are strongly encouraged to apply. Read more about the 2023 Innovation in Cannabis Scholarship winners here. About Veriheal Veriheal is a healthcare technology company that facilitates access to medical marijuana cards. As the largest facilitator in the nation, Veriheal advocates for patients and ensures their safe access to regulated medical cannabis products. With a commitment to transparency and open communication, Veriheal operates as a concierge service, establishing HIPAA-compliant connections between patients and physicians through its proprietary platform. Visit veriheal.com for additional information. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121409914/en/

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[November 21, 2023] Earn Passive Income with Tophash Cloud Mining and Get 4.5% Referral Commission Tweet

LAS VEGAS, USA, Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a world where cryptocurrency mining is becoming increasingly challenging for individual investors, cloud mining service providers are paving the way for everyone to tap into the lucrative world of digital currencies without the hassles and hurdles. One such industry-leading pioneer is Tophash, renowned for its reliability and high payouts.

Cryptocurrency mining can be an intimidating endeavor for newcomers, requiring significant technical expertise and substantial investments in equipment and electricity. However, cloud mining offers a seamless alternative where investors purchase mining contracts and the company handles the actual mining operations while distributing profits at regular intervals. Tophash is at the forefront of this innovative approach, with a strong commitment to providing a hassle-free and cost-effective solution for cryptocurrency enthusiasts. The Exciting 4.5% Referral Commission Tophash is not only committed to providing a seamless and profitable cloud mining experience for its users but also to rewarding them for their loyalty. As part of its user-centric approach, the company has recently introduced a 4.5% referral commission for its customers. This means that Tophash users can now leverage their referral links to invite new users to the platform. When these referred users invest in Tophash, the referrers receive a 4.5% commission based on the new investments. It's a win-win situation where existing users can benefit from sharing the platform with others and new users can enjoy the benefits of cloud mining with Tophash. Mining Without the Pain One of the standout features of Tophash is its cutting-edge mining technology, which eliminates the ned for pool fees. Pool fees can eat into the profitability of traditional mining operations, but with Tophash, investors can breathe easy, knowing that they won't face these additional costs.



Furthermore, there are no maintenance fees to worry about, making the investment process even more attractive. Tophash caters to a wide range of investors, from newcomers to those with larger budgets. Investors can start with as little as $5, and they have the flexibility to scale up their investments over time. The maximum investment limit is $29,800, offering something for everyone, whether you're dipping your toes into the crypto world or diving headfirst. Tophash's Cloud Mining Packages

Tophash offers a variety of cloud mining packages designed to suit different investment preferences. Here's a glimpse of some of the exciting options available: Project Cloud Mining Contract Term: 1 Day Daily Return: $1.00 Package Price: $50.00



Ethereum (ETH) Cloud Mining Contract Term: 3 Days Daily Return: $3.60 Package Price: $200.00

Litecoin (LTC) Cloud Mining Contract Term: 5 Days Daily Return: $11.70 Package Price: $600.00

Dogecoin (DOGE) Cloud Mining Contract Term: 7 Days Daily Return: $24.00 Package Price: $1,200.00

Bitcoin (BTC) Cloud Mining Contract Term: 15 Days Daily Return: $79.20 Package Price: $3,600.00

Bitcoin Cash (BCH) Cloud Mining Contract Term: 18 Days Daily Return: $188.00 Package Price: $8,000.00 Bitcoin Cloud Mining Contract Term: 20 Days Daily Return: $410.80 Package Price: $15,800.00

Bitcoin Cloud Mining Pro Contract Term: 25 Days Daily Return: $894.00 Package Price: $29,800.00

Seamless Earnings with Tophash Earning through Tophash is as straightforward as it gets. To embark on your cloud mining journey, all you need to do is register with a valid email address and password. The platform even provides a welcoming $5 bonus to new users as a gesture of appreciation for joining their community. After registration, it's time to select an investment plan that aligns with your objectives. Tophash offers various contract durations, including daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, and even 1-monthly contracts. Depending on your choice, you can pay for your mining contract using Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), or Litecoin (LTC). Once your contract is activated, you can expect to start earning within 24 hours, as payments are distributed on a daily basis. In conclusion, Tophash is not only a trusted name in the industry but also a pioneer in cloud mining innovation. With a focus on accessibility, profitability, and community building, Tophash has removed the barriers that once deterred investors from participating in crypto mining. As the cryptocurrency landscape continues to evolve, Tophash stands as a shining example of how technology can democratize access to financial opportunities, making passive income a reality for all. So why wait? Join the Tophash community today, start earning, and be part of the crypto revolution. Your journey to financial freedom begins here. More details, please visit https://tophash.net/





Odin Johnson Advertise Manager Nevada Blockchain USA LLC advertise at tophash.net

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On Tuesday, November 21, Moldovan President Maia Sandu came to Kyiv on a visit. Together with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska, she honored the memory of activists who died during the Revolution of Dignity.

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This was reported on the website of the President of Ukraine. The politicians installed lamps to the cross on the Alley of Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred. They paid tribute to the fallen near their portraits to the sound of a bell.

As a reminder, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius arrived in Ukraine on an unannounced visit to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky. The politician arrived in Kyiv by train early in the morning on Tuesday, November 21. The German delegation was met at the capital's railway station.

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The main topics that the minister will discuss with the Ukrainian side will be the training of the Armed Forces and military assistance.

As reported by OBOZ.UA:

- Zelensky and Sandu held talks on November 8, a historic day for the two countries. Then the European Commission recommended starting negotiations on Kyiv and Chisinau's membership in the European Union. The politicians agreed to coordinate steps towards joining the bloc.

- Ukraine and Romania helped Moldovan citizens evacuate from the Gaza Strip, where the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) ground operation against Hamas militants is underway.

Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
You.com Announces Executive Team Expansion, New Roles Amid Record Growth

You.com, the AI assistant founded by leading AI research scientists Richard Socher and Bryan McCann, announced today an expansion of its executive team and additional hiring plans following a year of record growth and product advancements.

New executive hires

To support its growth and innovation, You.com welcomed two key executives to its leadership team:

Jason Egnal joined You.com as the company's first Chief Marketing Officer. With over 25 years of experience, Jason has held leadership roles in startups backed by leading venture capital firms like Khosla Ventures and Qualcomm Ventures, as well as global corporations. He has launched transformational products across e-commerce, SaaS, IoT, wearables, and fintech. His international experience and expertise in go-to-market strategy, branding, positioning, and customer engagement make him an invaluable asset to You.com's expanding leadership team.

joined You.com as the company's first Chief Marketing Officer. With over 25 years of experience, Jason has held leadership roles in startups backed by leading venture capital firms like Khosla Ventures and Qualcomm Ventures, as well as global corporations. He has launched transformational products across e-commerce, SaaS, IoT, wearables, and fintech. His international experience and expertise in go-to-market strategy, branding, positioning, and customer engagement make him an invaluable asset to You.com's expanding leadership team. Saurabh Sharma joined You.com as Vice President of Product and Design. Saurabh brings a wealth of experience in product management and AI, including his recent role as head of search products at OpenSea and an 11-year tenure at Google. At Google, he led Google Assistant's Search and Maps integrations and their identity and monetization strategy. He also led the development of Google's Family Link products and was a founding member of the Google+ team. Before Google, Saurabh co-founded 220bpm and held engineering leadership positions at IBM.

A year of achievements

You.com has reached several key milestones in the last 12 months, including:

In December 2022, You.com launched the world's first consumer-facing LLM connected to the web, with citations, bringing more trust and accuracy to AI chatbots.

In less than a year, the company transitioned from a search engine to a generative AI assistant while growing its usage by 10x - reflecting the significant shift in consumer behavior over the last year.

This month, You.com released a first-of-its-kind self-serve API, bringing real-time web search and accuracy to any LLM and AI chatbot, marking an expansion into the B2B space.







As You.com grows, it is actively hiring for various roles, from front-end and back-end to AI research engineering, product design, sales, and more. For more on these and other open positions, please visit https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/youdotcom.

About You.com

Founded by leading AI research scientists Richard Socher and Bryan McCann, You.com is an AI assistant that helps you with searching, writing essays, debugging code, solving physics problems, and creating digital art. You.com pioneered many solutions for Large Language Model (LLM) challenges, especially around trust and accuracy. You.com notably introduced the first consumer-facing LLM with access to the internet to provide up-to-date answers and include citations and recently debuted an AI agent that executes code to provide the most accurate responses to math and science questions. You.com's API further enables other LLM-based chatbots to improve their accuracy with real-time web access. You.com is available via Chrome web extensions, iOS and Android mobile apps, and WhatsApp.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121077682/en/
[November 21, 2023] L'Oreal Canada announces the recipients of the 20th L'Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science Young Talents fellowships Tweet

MONTREAL, Nov. 21, 2023 /CNW/ - Women are still largely under-represented in the sciences, yet we need their talents and perspectives more than ever to provide egalitarian solutions to the major social, economic and environmental challenges facing us today. That's why, at a ceremony held on November 20, 2023 at the French Embassy in Ottawa in the presence of Mr. Michel Miraillet, Ambassador of France to Canada, five promising Canadian women researchers were honoured and rewarded as part of the L'Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science program, with the support of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO. These five young women have joined the international L'Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science community, made up of 4100 women researchers, seven of whom have won a Nobel Prize. During the ceremony, the extraordinary contribution of women in science was celebrated among a distinguished audience of representatives from the scientific world, academics, opinion leaders, politicians, members of public authorities and organizations promoting gender equality and women's emancipation. This exceptional ceremony was also an opportunity to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the For Women in Science in Canada program, now widely recognized by institutions and the scientific community for its impact in promoting the recognition and visibility of scientific excellence among women researchers. "L'Oreal Canada is very proud to celebrate the 20th edition of the L'Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science Young Talents fellowships. This milestone underscores L'Oreal Canada's enduring dedication to recognizing and empowering women in science. Over the last 20 years, L'Oreal Canada has awarded more than 90 fellowships to women in various Canadian province and territory," said An Verhulst-Santos L'Oreal Canada President & CEO. "I would like to extend my profound congratulations to our 2023 fellows. These extraordinary women who embody innovation, are now part of the global L'Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science community, and will make a profound impact in the world of science." CANADIAN FELLOWS 2023 Since 2003, L'Oreal Canada and the Canadian Commission for UNESCO have been rewarding young docoral and post-doctoral researchers, awarding $60,000 CAD in research fellowships each year.



The L'Oreal-UNESCO 2023 Research Excellence Fellowships, valued at $20,000 each, are awarded to support major post-doctoral research projects undertaken by young Canadian women at a pivotal moment in their careers. They reward excellence and enable the best scientists, selected by a committee of experts, to pursue their research. Yves-Gerard Mehou-Loko, Secretary-General of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, had the pleasure of presenting them to : - Dr. Michelle Asbury, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Calgary, for her work in understanding how the different components of human milk (such as nutrients, bioactive components and microbes) work together to improve the short- and long-term health of premature infants.

- Dr. Marianne Falardeau-Cote, Institut de biologie integrative et des systemes & Chaire Littoral, Universite Laval, for her work to highlight the links between marine ecosystems, fisheries, food security and Inuit health in the context of climate change, and to inform decision-making on environmental management and adaptation to climate change. A $10,000 supplement from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the L'Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science 2023 program was awarded by Prof. Alejandro Adem, President of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, to a Canadian scientist involved in a promising research project: - Dr. Sabrina Rondeau, Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, for her work in understanding the far-reaching consequences of human activities on wild pollinators, and in finding sustainable solutions to mitigate the global decline of bees. In collaboration with the France Canada Research Fund (FCRF), two fellowships of $5,000 each to encourage and develop scientific and academic exchanges between France and Canada, in all fields of knowledge, from the basic sciences to the humanities and social sciences, were awarded by Martine Lagace, FCRF Co-President. The L'Oreal Canada France Canada Research Fund 2023 Fellows are: - Ariane Godbout, Department of History, Universite du Quebec a Montreal, for her research on the experience of citizenship of the inhabitants of the city of La Rochelle in the first half of the 17th century, i.e. how the townspeople of the time were able to become involved in civic life outside the traditional institutions of political power. - Lia Huo, Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, for her work on a hydrogel delivery system that would enable the targeted delivery of proteins or nucleic acids into the eye to remedy rod and cone degeneration. The aim of this research is to develop therapeutic measures against the blindness that results from many retinal dystrophies. These five Fellows will also be invited to participate in the L'Oreal Canada For Girls in Science mentoring program, in partnership with UNESCO schools in Canada and Let's Talk Science, where they will encourage girls' scientific vocations at the high school level, shatter myths about scientific careers and, hopefully, inspire others to follow in their footsteps to make the world a better, more inclusive place. THE WORLD NEEDS SCIENCE AND SCIENCE NEEDS WOMEN Since 1998, the L'Oreal Foundation and UNESCO have been working together on an international level to promote women in science through the international For Women in Science Awards and national and regional Young Talent programs, valuing the scientific excellence of female researchers and giving them the means to break through the glass ceiling. This visionary partnership has put the issue of gender equality in science on the international agenda, highlighting the work of many outstanding women scientists, accelerating women's access to leadership in science and inspiring the next generation of female researchers. About L'Oreal Canada L'Oreal Canada is a subsidiary of the L'Oreal Groupe, the world's leading beauty company, managing 40 iconic beauty brands. Celebrating 65 years in Canada, L'Oreal Canada operates a head office, a plant and a distribution centre in Montreal, and employs more than 1,450 people from 70 nationalities. Products are available across all distribution channels including hair salons, department stores, mass market, pharmacies, medi-spas, e-commerce and more. L'Oreal Canada's commitment to sustainable development is powered by the L'Oreal for the Future program, which follows clear 2030 targets for climate, water, biodiversity and natural resources. The subsidiary also actively supports L'Oreal Foundation programs such as L'Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science. About the Canadian Commission for UNESCO The Canadian Commission for UNESCO (CCUNESCO) is the link between Canadians and the vital work of UNESCO - the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Through its networks and partners, it promotes UNESCO's values, priorities and programs in Canada, and brings the voice of civil society specialists to the international stage. The CCUNESCO reports to the Canada Council for the Arts. About NSERC As Canada's premier organization for promoting excellence in discovery and innovation, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) supports visionary, inquisitive and innovative minds in their pursuit of scientific and technical breakthroughs that benefit our country. NSERC works with universities, colleges, companies, governments and not-for-profit organizations to remove barriers, create opportunities and attract new research talent, enabling Canada's scientific community to excel. Driven by a desire to push boundaries and boundaries, NSERC empowers Canadian researchers and engineers to think outside the box. About the Fonds France-Canada pour la Recherche (FFCR) The Fonds France-Canada pour la Recherche (FFCR) is a flagship instrument for Franco-Canadian scientific cooperation, created in 2000 by the French Embassy in Canada and a consortium of 16 Canadian universities. In its 22 years of existence, the RSTF has funded over 300 joint research projects. Today, with 21 member universities, it continues to support some twenty new projects each year, led by French and Canadian teams collaborating for the first time. SOURCE L'Oreal Canada Inc.

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[November 21, 2023] Rado and Untitled Art in Miami Beach: A natural partnership Tweet

LENGNAU, Switzerland, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Rado has a global reputation as the Master of Materials and is equally celebrated for its remarkable design heritage. It makes perfect sense that the Swiss watch brand has partnered with leading independent art fair Untitled Art, for its 12th edition in Miami Beach. This year, Rado, as a proud Official Partner of Untitled Art, will launch striking new interpretations of its game-changing Anatom watch. The Anatom, first introduced 40 years ago, takes its name from the perfectly anatomical fit of the watch on the wrist and from the rounded sapphire crystal. Its timeless and unique design codes resonate as powerfully today as they did in 1983, when they helped define the spirit of an era. In the decades since it took the watch world by storm, the Anatom has virtually become a Rado trademark nd many of the brand's most popular models have been inspired by its style and shape.



On Friday December 7th, visitors to Rado's booth (A31) at Untitled Art during Miami Art Week will have a chance to experience four new Anatom modelsCharacterised by Rado's design DNA, these new iterations also highlight the brand's signature material, high-tech ceramic. As CEO Adrian Bosshard says, "The new Anatom references stand today  as they did in 1983  for timeless unique design and incomparable wearing pleasure." Rado invites everyone attending Untitled Art, Miami Beach 2023 to stop by and Feel the Difference.

Rado Rado is a globally recognised Swiss watch brand celebrated for its pioneering use of high-tech ceramic materials and distinctive design. With a rich heritage of innovation, Rado continues to push the boundaries of traditional watchmaking, creating timepieces that are as durable as they are stylish. UNTITLED ART Untitled Art is the leading independent art fair taking place annually on the sands of Miami Beach. Guided by a mission to support the wider art ecosystem, Untitled Art offers an inclusive platform for discovering contemporary art and prioritizes collaboration in each aspect of the fair. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rado-and-untitled-art-in-miami-beach-a-natural-partnership-301995283.html SOURCE The Swatch Group (U.S.) Inc. - Rado Division

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Just posted to his social media accounts moments ago . . . Here's the latest word from the Congressman:



Congressman Cleaver Calls for Bilateral Ceasefire, Release of Hostages, and Humanitarian Aid to Palestinian Civilians

November 20, 2023



(Kansas City, MO)  Today, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) released the following statement, calling for a bilateral ceasefire, the release of innocent hostages held by Hamas, and desperately needed humanitarian assistance for Palestinian civilians.



Since October 7, Ive watched in horror the devastation that Hamas terrorists have inflicted upon innocent civilians in both Israel and Gaza, my heart breaking as loved ones are held hostage and families are torn apart. From the very beginning of this conflict, I have stated that Israel has an absolute right to exist and defend its people and the more than 200 individuals that were ruthlessly ripped from their homes and taken hostage. I still believe that.



I have also said that the Palestinian people should not be equated with Hamas, and that the United States must use our diplomatic capabilities to de-escalate the conflict and provide humanitarian relief to Palestinian civilians as we support Israels efforts to defend itself, defeat Hamas, and return hostages back home. And we must do so while holding our ally to the highest standards of international conflict, as to minimize civilian casualties in Gaza to the greatest extent possible. I still believe that as well.



Over a month later, with each passing day, I have become even more distressed at the horrific loss of life and increasingly concerned that a protracted conflict will only further inflame an already sharp rise in Antisemitic and Islamophobic attacks in the U.S and around the world, worsen the humanitarian crisis at hand, and risk a widening conflict that will only cause more death and destruction to innocent Palestinian and Israeli civilians alike. As I said last month: Violence only begets more violence.



Having spent decades as a faith leader, fundamentally, I believe we are all children of the world and all worthy of love and peace. The world has already seen enough death and suffering. Today, I am calling on the Biden Administration to use every diplomatic tool available to encourage an immediate, bilateral ceasefire in exchange for the release of innocent hostages and necessary sustained humanitarian aid into Gaza. My hope is that this ceasefire will enable the difficult but necessary work of a negotiated, durable agreement to move forward and provide a framework for long term peace and a two-state solution  something that I strongly support.



###

Developing . . .


Here's our only gripe regarding this report on local advocacy journalism (lulz) . . .



NOT SO LONG AGO KANSAS CITY "PUBLIC" RADIO ACTUALLY SHARED THEIR PLATFORM WITH THIS WACKADOODLE!!!

In fact . . . About a year ago the KC Defender was still very friendly with KCUR and they hosted the activist blog in a conversation about community service.

Now . . .

Here's the latest screed from the crew at the Defender that deserves a glimpse given so many local newsies singing the praises of "alternative" journalism that reads just like any other anti-Israel rant on X/Twitter . . . Check-it:



"As the U.S. funded israeli-genocide of Palestinians continues, the number of Palestinian martyrs since Oct. 7th surpasses 12,000: a death toll that includes mostly women and children. Many of those who oppose israels occupation of Palestineand, thus, its subsequent ethnic cleansingare implementing BDS, a Palestinian-led movement for freedom, justice and equality. Calls for targeted boycotts of major companies who aid israel and support its apartheid economy have spread across the globe . . . The existence of anti-boycott laws in Kansas and Missouri hinder the progress of BDS, limiting the ability of individuals and companies to voice their support for a just and equitable Palestine. It is crucial to challenge these laws and advocate for the right to engage in boycotts as a form of protest."



One last effort to add insult to injury . . .



"Editors note: the writer intentionally uses lowercase for israel as a form of not recognizing it as a state, thus deviating from the customary capitalization rules associated with proper nouns."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
Dark tourism, a term you might not hear every day, refers to visiting places marked by tragedy and death. It's a unique branch of tourism that draws people to sites with a somber history. Think of places like battlefields, memorials, or abandoned sites. Now, why would someone be interested in such places? The reasons vary. Some seek to understand history better, while others find a certain intrigue in the eerie and solemn atmosphere of these locations.

In the United States, dark tourism has gained notable popularity. It's not just about the thrill or the chill, though. These places offer a window into the past, allowing visitors to connect with historical events in a profound way. They stand as reminders of the events that shaped the nation and the world.

Top 5 Dark Tourism Destinations in the US

Exploring dark tourism in the United States reveals a unique mix of history, mystery, and reflection. This journey through five remarkable destinations offers a distinct perspective on the nation's past and its narratives.

1. Alcatraz Island, California

First on our list is Alcatraz Island, located in the chilly waters of San Francisco Bay. Once a federal prison for notorious criminals like Al Capone, it now serves as a haunting reminder of America's penal history, as per San Francisco Travel. The eerie cellblocks and desolate surroundings provide a tangible connection to the stories of those who lived and suffered here. Visitors often report a heavy, contemplative atmosphere, making it a perfect example of a dark tourism site.

2. Ground Zero, New York City

Ground Zero in New York City is a poignant reminder of resilience in the face of tragedy. The site of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks now hosts the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. Here, you can see the remnants of the Twin Towers and pay respects to the nearly 3,000 lives lost. The solemnity of the site encourages visitors to reflect on the impacts of terrorism and the strength of the human spirit.

3. Salem, Massachusetts

Salem, Massachusetts, is known for the infamous Salem Witch Trials of 1692. This small, picturesque town offers more than just a dark past; it is a living history lesson on the dangers of mass hysteria and injustice. Walking through the historic streets, you can visit the Witch Trials Memorial and the various museums dedicated to this grim period in American history.

4. Eastern State Penitentiary, Pennsylvania

In Philadelphia, the Eastern State Penitentiary stands as a monument to a former era of penology. Its innovative wagon-wheel design and solitary confinement system were once groundbreaking. Now, its crumbling cell blocks and ghostly corridors attract those interested in the darker aspects of the criminal justice system and the paranormal.

5. Gettysburg Battlefield, Pennsylvania

Lastly, the Gettysburg Battlefield in Pennsylvania is an important piece of American Civil War history. It was the site of one of the war's most significant battles, with a high loss of life. Today, it serves as a powerful reminder of the war's impact on the nation, both in terms of human cost and in shaping the United States' future.

Each of these destinations offers more than just a glimpse into the darker chapters of American history. They invite introspection and understanding, key aspects of dark tourism. They serve as reminders of the past, urging us to remember and learn from the events that shaped the nation.

As you visit these sites, it is important to approach them with respect and thoughtfulness. Dark tourism is not about seeking thrills but about honoring the past and understanding its layers. These locations, filled with history and memory, offer a unique opportunity to connect with the past, understand its lessons, and carry forward its stories with respect.

Read Also: These are Eco-Friendly Accommodations in Sweden Where Nature Meets Comfort

Impact and Ethical Considerations of Dark Tourism

In discussing the impact and ethical considerations of dark tourism, it is essential to recognize its varied nature. This form of tourism, offering a deep insight into often somber historical events, raises several important concerns.

First, consider the local communities. Dark tourism sites often match places where tragic or controversial events have occurred. For these communities, these sites are not just tourist attractions but essential parts of their history and identity.

The influx of tourists can bring economic benefits, but it can also lead to the commercialization of their past. Therefore, it is important to find a balance between sharing their stories and preserving the dignity and authenticity of these places.

Moreover, the impact on visitors is significant. Dark tourism sites often challenge tourists to face uncomfortable truths about history, humanity, and even their own beliefs and values. This can be an educational experience, encouraging a deeper understanding of historical events and empathy for those affected.

However, it is important for visitors to approach these sites with respect and sensitivity. The purpose of visiting should go beyond curiosity; it should be about learning and reflection.

Related article: 5 Places to Visit in Romania for Those Curious About Vlad the Impaler
Disney recently launched a special 'World of Frozen' at Hong Kong Disneyland. This is the first theme area completely focused on the 'Frozen' movies. Located on Lantau Island in Hong Kong, the new land brings the magic of Elsa and Anna's story to life. The 'World of Frozen' transforms scenes from the movies into real experiences for visitors.

Hong Kong Disneyland Opens New World of Frozen

The 'World of Frozen' at Hong Kong Disneyland recreates the fictional kingdom of Arendelle. It includes famous places like the North Mountain, Elsa's Ice Palace, and a special ice fountain with snowflakes. One of the key features is the clock tower from the first 'Frozen' movie.

Disney CEO Bob Iger talked about this new land on November 16. He mentioned the success of the 'Frozen' series. The 'World of Frozen' celebrates the popularity of these movies. The first 'Frozen' movie was released in 2013, and it was followed by more movies and shows.

According to CNN Travel, Disney is increasing its investment in theme parks. Over the next ten years, they plan to spend $60 billion. The 'World of Frozen' is a big part of this plan. Even though Disney is facing some financial issues in other areas, their theme parks in Asia are performing well.

What makes the 'World of Frozen' different is the way it allows guests to interact with characters. Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff will be walking around and talking with guests. This is a change from the usual character photo sessions. There is also a band that will play 'Frozen' music around the land.

The 'World of Frozen' at Hong Kong Disneyland is more than just a new section in the park. It's a step forward in how theme parks create experiences. This new land shows Disney's commitment to bringing innovative and exciting experiences to their parks.

Read Also: Best Places to Travel to in Europe Each Month of 2024

What to Expect in the World of Frozen

The 'World of Frozen' at Hong Kong Disneyland is a spectacular new addition, bringing the magical kingdom of Arendelle to life. As visitors enter this immersive land, they're greeted by Arendelle Village. This part of the 'World of Frozen' showcases colorful buildings and a beautiful view of the Bay of Arendelle, with the Arendelle Castle standing proudly in the distance.

Another highlight in the 'World of Frozen' is the Friendship Fountain. It celebrates the bond between Elsa and Anna. At night, this fountain lights up and plays music from "Frozen," creating a special atmosphere. Michel den Dulk from Walt Disney Imagineering explains that fountains are places where people gather, and this is true for the Friendship Fountain, a popular spot for photos.

Also, in the 'World of Frozen', is the King Agnarr Bridge. Phil Star Global stated that this bridge offers views of the landscape and connects the village to the Arendelle forest. Here, visitors might see magical elements from the "Frozen" world.

The Clock Tower Square is another key part of the 'World of Frozen.' It features the well-known clock tower from the movies. Next to it is Tick Tock Toys & Collectibles, a shop with wooden toys and keepsakes.

For adventure seekers, the Frozen Ever After boat ride is a must. It takes guests through the North Mountain to Elsa's Ice Palace. This ride is filled with music and characters like Olaf and Sven.

In the 'World of Frozen,' Elsa's Ice Palace and North Mountain are visible from the Bay of Arendelle, especially beautiful at night. The palace, created by Elsa's Ice Magic, is a true spectacle.

The 'World of Frozen' at Hong Kong Disneyland offers a range of attractions. It brings the "Frozen" story to life, allowing guests to interact with characters and experience the magic of Arendelle.

Related Article: American Traveler Permanently Barred from the Philippines for Alleged Disrespectful Conduct
Thanksgiving marks the busiest travel season in the U.S., starting on Friday, November 17, and extending until Tuesday, November 28. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) anticipates screening over 30 million travelers during this period, with the busiest days being the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after.

Thanksgiving Travel Surge

Most Americans travel by car, with over 55 million people expected to drive at least 50 miles to their Thanksgiving destinations. AAA forecasts this year's travel numbers to be the third highest since 2000, reaching pre-pandemic levels.

Air travel is also set to be busy. According to MSN, Airlines for America predicts a significant increase in flights around the holiday, with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) expecting around 39,055 to 49,606 flights on key days. The busiest day for air travel is projected to be Wednesday, November 22, with the FAA scheduling the highest number of flights and the TSA preparing to screen 2.7 million passengers.

Travel is lighter on Thanksgiving Day, considered the easiest day for flying during this period. For drivers, AAA advises traveling before 10 a.m. or after 5 p.m. to avoid the busiest road times between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Black Friday, traditionally a day for shopping, also sees increased travel activity. INRIX, a transportation data company, suggests the most congested times for driving will be between 12-4 p.m.

Read Also: Has Knott's Berry Farm Gone Cashless?

Moreover, the report also mentioned that the weekend following Thanksgiving remains busy, with the FAA scheduling nearly 42,000 flights on Saturday and about 45,000 on Sunday. Sunday is expected to be the busiest travel day, with Airlines for America anticipating more than 3.2 million passengers flying. United Airlines predicts it will be one of their busiest days since before the pandemic.

Travelers should also note TSA guidelines for carrying food. Items like pies, turkey, and stuffing are allowed in carry-ons, while liquids like cranberry sauce, gravy, and wine exceeding 3.4 ounces must be checked. The TSA advises travelers to pack these items in a way that makes them easily accessible for security screening.

Weather Challenges for Thanksgiving Travelers

A big storm starting off the West Coast is expected to travel across the country this week, bringing wet weather with it. Fox Weather updated that early this week, there's a risk of severe weather along the Gulf Coast. Then later, there will be a lot of rain and some snow around the Great Lakes.

Since the holiday is coming, millions of Americans are getting ready to travel for Thanksgiving. However, a strong storm system will affect over 30 states in the central and eastern U.S. This storm will cause different weather problems, like bad weather near the Gulf Coast and rain and snow in the Northeast and New England.

The FOX Forecast Center reports that on Tuesday, a lot of rain is likely across a big part of the Eastern U.S. This rain could affect travel for Thanksgiving in many big cities. As this weather system heads towards the Ohio Valley, another one from Canada will come down south. This second system will add more strength to the storm that's already happening.

Related Article: World of Frozen Opens at Hong Kong Disneyland, Bringing Arendelle to Life
Former Soviet pilot Viktor Belenko has died in the United States. In 1976, he fled the USSR in a Soviet MiG-25 supersonic fighter jet.

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Thanks to Lieutenant Belenko, the U.S. military received the first sample of this aircraft, which had previously caused serious concerns in the West, for study. The story of the Soviet pilot's deed, which the CIA called "intelligence gold," was told by The New York Times.

Viktor Belenko died in a nursing home in a small town in Southern Illinois on September 24. However, journalists learned about his death only now. The former pilot's son, Paul Schmidt, told the newspaper that his father died after a short illness.

According to The New York Times, Viktor Belenko was born into a simple family of Soviet workers on February 15, 1947, in Nalchik. But he managed to build a military career, making his way into the elite USSR Air Defense Forces, which defended the country from a possible attack from the outside.

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"But gradually he became disillusioned with the Soviet system. He had been promised material rewards for his hard work; instead, despite his elite status, he felt that he was treated as an expendable cog in a creaking military machine. He kept his doubts to himself to the point that in the early 1970s he received an exceptional assignment: to undergo training on the MiG-25, one of the newest Soviet weapons," the publication writes.

And Belenko did not miss the chance to escape from the "prison of nations" to a free democratic country. Although, as he later admitted, the young pilot knew virtually nothing about life in the United States, except that he suspected that people there lived much better than in the Soviet Union.

"I longed for freedom in the United States. Life in the Soviet Union had not changed compared to what existed during the time of Tsarist Russia, where there was no freedom," he said immediately after fleeing the USSR.

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The main act of his life Belenko committed on a summer day in 1976. He flew a MiG-25 to the coast of Japan and, after a series of maneuvers to attract the attention of the Japanese military in the form of alternately sharp descents and climbs, he landed at the airfield of the southwestern port city of Hakodate.

The Japanese military immediately rushed to the Soviet plane that landed at the Japanese airfield. But Belenko, after getting off the plane, fired twice in the air and waited for the Japanese authorities to arrive.

When they arrived at the scene of the emergency, Belenko went out to them and told them that he had flown to Japan to defect with the then-new Soviet MiG-25 supersonic fighter, which at the time caused great fear among the Western military. After all, this huge fighter was capable of climbing to high altitudes, and its speed was several times higher than the speed of sound.

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In addition, the NATO military was frightened by what they believed to be the high maneuverability of the MiG-25, and the fact that, as the Alliance assumed, with its arrival, the USSR was able to shoot down supersonic bombers and reconnaissance aircraft that had previously flown through Soviet airspace with impunity.

"Now, thanks to Lieutenant Belenko, they (the Western military - Ed.) had a pristine model to study. George W. Bush, then director of the Central Intelligence Agency, called the incident "intelligence gold," The New York Times reported.

Belenko had been planning his escape for several months. He planned to carry it out when he and his squadron would go on a training mission over the Sea of Japan without weapons. This, as Belenko correctly calculated, would bring him closer to freedom and deprive his colleagues of the opportunity to prevent his escape.

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After Belenko landed, the Japanese handed him and the plane over to U.S. representatives. The U.S. military disassembled and studied the MiG-25, and a few weeks later returned it in parts to the Soviet Union. The pilot was granted asylum and flew from Japan to the United States for questioning.

The study of the Soviet fighter reassured the Western military. The giant wingspan, as it turned out, was not needed for maneuverability, but to lift an airplane with 15 tons of fuel. Fears about the MiG-25's ability to shoot down American aircraft were also overblown: its speed could not match that of American aircraft.

"However, the most valuable thing was what Lieutenant Belenko told the Americans about the conditions and morale in the Soviet armed forces. American officials had long believed that Soviet soldiers were supermen. Lt. Belenko said they were often starved, beaten, crammed into cramped living quarters and subjected to sadistic punishment for the slightest infraction," The New York Times writes.

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The newspaper claims that, once on the American aircraft carrier, Belenko was amazed that sailors could receive unlimited food for free. He was also embarrassed when a Soviet pilot bought a can of cat food in a store, as he could not even imagine that it was food for animals. When the mistake was pointed out to Belenko, he shrugged his shoulders and said that this canned food was still tastier than what Soviet citizens bought in Soviet stores.

Belenko was also shocked to learn about the shortcomings of the vaunted MiG-25, which he was not supposed to know about in the USSR.

"If my regiment could see for five minutes what I saw today, there would be a revolution," the pilot said.

In 1980, the US Congress passed a law granting Belenko citizenship. In an effort to avoid attention, he took the surname Schmidt and moved frequently, mostly living in small towns in the Midwest. He worked as a consultant for aerospace companies and government agencies.

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His personal life in the United States did not work out for the former Soviet pilot. He divorced his wife Coral Garaas. In addition to his son Paul, he is survived by another son, Tom Schmidt. His sons gave Viktor Belenko four grandchildren. In a conversation with his son, Belenko himself called the stories of Soviet propaganda that the deserter pilot allegedly left his wife and child in the USSR a lie.

After the end of the Cold War, he began to appear at air shows from time to time and again to use his real name.

But, as Belenko's son Paul emphasizes, his father never sought to capitalize on the international fame that fell upon him.

"He lived a very private life. It flew by unnoticed, literally and figuratively," Paul Schmidt told reporters.

Earlier, OBOZ.UA told about secret gay meeting places in the USSR. In his photo book Moscow, post-Soviet conceptual artist Yevgeny Fixa opened another page of the Russian capital's history that is being silenced today - the gay history. The artist showed the architecture of Moscow from an unexpected angle, including in his book only those objects that were underground places of secret meetings and gatherings of homosexuals in the USSR.

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Russia has refrained from launching its "best" air-to-air cruise missiles from its fleet of heavy bombers for almost two months. This has likely allowed it to build up a significant stockpile of these weapons before the onset of winter.

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Russia is likely to use these missiles to resume last year's attempts to destroy Ukraine's critical infrastructure. This is stated in an intelligence report by the British Ministry of Defense published on Tuesday, November 21.

On November 18-19, 2023, Russia launched approximately 50 Shahed unmanned aerial vehicles of Iranian origin, mainly towards Kyiv. The occupiers launched these drones in two directions in waves, heading east from Kursk and southeast from Krasnodar.

The ministry's report notes that one of the likely goals of these Russian attacks was to degrade Ukraine's air defense and create a zone for a possible coordinated winter campaign to attack Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

Earlier, British intelligence reported that relatives of the Russian occupiers held the first public street protest in Moscow after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Police dispersed the protesters within minutes. Still, their demands indicate an increase in tension within the Russian Federation.

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As a reminder, British analysts have reported that the occupation forces have huge supply problems. The invaders have been sitting in the mud in the trenches for weeks, wearing uniforms that do not have time to dry and cannot even warm themselves with a cup of tea. They also complain about "monotonous food".

Only verified information is available on our Telegram OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
A nurse in the public health care system says she is in charge of a clinic in which she is a
The apparently indefinitely extended combat deployments of Russian personnel without rotation is increasingly seen as unsustainable by both the troops themselves and by their relatives.

The relevant statement was made by the Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom on the social media platform X, referring to the latest Defence Intelligence update, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

On November 7, 2023, wives of deployed Russian soldiers conducted what was probably the first public street protest in Moscow since the invasion of Ukraine.

The protestors gathered in the central Teatralnaya Square and unfurled banners demanding the rotation of their partners away from the frontline.

Since February 2022, social media has provided daily examples of Russian wives and mothers making online appeals protesting against the conditions of their loved ones service.

However, Russias draconian legislation has so far prevented troops relatives from coalescing into an influential lobbying force, as soldiers mothers did during the Afghan-Soviet War of the 1980s, the analysts noted.

Police broke up the Teatralnaya Square protest within minutes. However, the protestors immediate demand is notable, according to the UK intelligence.

The apparently indefinitely extended combat deployments of personnel without rotation is increasingly seen as unsustainable by both the troops themselves and by their relatives, the analysts concluded.
Seventy combat clashes took place on the battlefield in Ukraine on Monday, November 21.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said this in a situation update posted to Facebook, Ukrinform reports.

Throughout the day, the enemy launched 5 missile strikes, 10 air strikes and 20 MLRS attacks on the positions of Ukrainian troops and populated areas.

"Unfortunately, as a result of Russian terrorist attacks, civilians have been killed and injured. Private residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure have been destroyed and damaged. The Russian occupiers struck Ukraine again overnight, using four S-300 anti-aircraft guided missiles, an Iskander-K cruise missile and 11 Shahed-136/131 attack UAVs. Air defenses destroyed the Iskander-K cruise missile and 10 attack UAVs. The attack damaged and destroyed the Central City Hospital in Selydove, Donetsk region, the building of the Kotliarevska mine and other civilian infrastructure," the military said.

In total, more than 110 settlements in the Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk and Kherson regions came under artillery fire. The enemy launched air strikes on Kostobobriv in the Chernihiv region and Seredyna-Buda in the Sumy region.

At the same time, Ukraine's defense forces continue to conduct an offensive operation in the Melitopol sector, inflicting losses on the occupying forces' manpower and equipment and depleting the enemy along the entire front line.

Ukrainian aircraft launched two strikes on areas where enemy personnel were concentrated, whereas units of the rocket forces hit the enemy's ammunition depot.

In the area of responsibility of the North operational and strategic grouping of troops in the Volyn and Polissia sector, the operational situation remains largely unchanged.

In the Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna sectors, the enemy maintains a military presence in the border areas, conducting active subversive activities in order to prevent the transfer of Ukrainian troops to threatening directions and increasing the density of mine barriers along the state border in the Belgorod region.

In the area of responsibility of the Khortytsia operational and strategic grouping of troops on the Kupiansk axis, the enemy conducted assault operations near Synkivka and east of Petropavlivka of the Kharkiv region, where Ukrainian forces repelled ten attacks.

The occupiers did not conduct offensive (assault) actions in the Lyman sector.

In the Bakhmut sector, Ukrainian defenders repelled 20 enemy attacks outside Klishchiivka, Andriivka and east of Pivdenne in the Donetsk region. Also, Ukraine's defense forces continue assault operations south of Bakhmut, Donetsk region, inflicting losses on the enemy's manpower and equipment and entrenching themselves on the achieved lines.

In the area of responsibility of the Tavria operational and strategic grouping of troops in the Avdiivka sector, the invaders attempt to encircle Avdiivka. Ukrainian soldiers hold their ground and inflict significant losses on the enemy. The enemy's offensive actions east of Novobakhmutivka, Stepove, Avdiivka and Pervomaiske of the Donetsk region were unsuccessful, where Ukrainian forces repelled ten attacks.

In the Marinka sector, the enemy conducted unsuccessful assaults near Marinka, Pobieda and Novomykhailivka of the Donetsk region, where Ukrainian forces repelled 12 attacks.

On the Shakhtarske axis, the enemy conducted unsuccessful assaults near Staromaiorske in the Donetsk region, where Ukrainian defenders repelled two attacks.

In the Zaporizhzhia direction, the enemy conducted unsuccessful assaults near Robotyne and northwest of Verbove in the Zaporizhzhia region.

In the area of responsibility of the Odesa operational and strategic grouping of troops in the Kherson sector, Ukrainian forces continue to maintain positions on the left bank of the Dnipro River, being engaged in counter-battery warfare and inflicting fire damage on the enemy's rear.
Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Development of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure of Ukraine Oleksandr Kubrakov and Ambassador of Estonia to Ukraine Annely Kolk have discussed the recovery of Ukrainian infrastructure, particularly in Zhytomyr region.

In a post on its Facebook page, the ministry reminded that in May 2022, Estonia announced its plans to help restore Zhytomyr region.

"We highly appreciate Estonia's willingness and commitment to help us restore social and transport facilities in Zhytomyr region. We are already seeing results. In early 2023, Tallinn handed over 20 low-floor buses to Zhytomyr. In June, the first line of the kindergarten in Ovruch was opened - the first facility in the reconstruction which Estonia took part. Also, last month, a bridge in Malyn was opened, for the reconstruction of which Estonian partners allocated EUR 1 million," Kubrakov said.

At the meeting, Deputy Minister Oleksandra Azarkhina informed Kolk about the capabilities of the DREAM digital restoration ecosystem for accountable management.

She stressed that it is important that all reconstruction projects go through DREAM, as this allows international partners to clearly track all information about reconstruction projects, including their costs, which in turn, ensures transparency and accountability of reconstruction.

In addition, Deputy Minister Serhiy Derkach expressed hope that Estonia would also help Ukraine with the modernization and digitalization of the border crossing system, as the country has successful experience in implementing a similar system in its own country.

As reported by Ukrinform, Estonia is considering the possibility of implementing new projects to restore the destroyed infrastructure, and is also looking for opportunities to expand economic cooperation with Ukraine.
The Slovak Union of Carriers is blocking the movement of trucks through the Vysne Nemecke checkpoint adjacent to the Ukrainian checkpoint Uzhhorod.

According to Ukrinform, this was reported by the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (SBGS) with reference to the Border Police of the Slovak Republic.

The blocking of truck traffic heading to Vysne Nemecke began at 13:30 on Tuesday, November 21.

"The duration of the blockade has not been announced, although it is possible that such actions by Slovak carriers may be long-lasting," the SBGS warns.

Ukrainian border guards are taking measures to monitor the situation, clarify cooperation with Slovak colleagues on the procedure for further passage of trucks and the category of cargo to be allowed across the border.

At the moment, about 300 trucks are in Slovakia in front of the Vysne Nemecke checkpoint heading to Ukraine. All relevant authorities have been notified of the traffic blocking situation.

Passenger cars and buses are allowed to cross as usual.

As Ukrinform reported, the announced protest of Polish carriers on the Polish-Ukrainian border has been going on since November 6.

Negotiations at the state level did not yield any results. In three days, only 317 trucks crossed the Yahodyn-Dorohusk checkpoint for entry and 47 for exit, instead of 1,800 in each direction.
President of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu has arrived in Ukraines capital city.

The relevant statement was made by the Office of the President of Ukraine, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

On Day of Dignity and Freedom, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska honored the memory of the activists who died during the Revolution of Dignity. The ceremony was also attended by the President of the Republic of Moldova.

Together with Maia Sandu, the presidential couple put remembrance candles at the cross on Heavenly Hundred Heroes Alley in Kyiv.

The participants paid tribute to the fallen activists near their portraits.

Bells rang in remembrance of the fallen participants of the Revolution of Dignity.

A reminder that, on November 21, Ukraine marks Day of Dignity and Freedom.

Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhny has congratulated Ukrainian paratroopers on the Day of the Air Assault Forces. He emphasized that the soldiers of the Air Assault Forces are always present in the most difficult areas of the frontline - where victory is.

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Zaluzhny posted the greeting on his Telegram channel on November 21. He also posted a video of Ukrainian paratroopers' combat work at the front.

"Ukrainian paratroopers are always the first, and this is not just a word or a slogan. This is a vital principle. Ukrainian paratroopers are always on the most difficult parts of the frontline. Always where the victory is!" wrote Zaluzhny.

The Commander-in-Chief also honored the fallen paratroopers and said he was proud of the "invincible knights of the Archangel Michael."

"I bow my head in honor and memory of every paratrooper who laid down his life for Ukraine, for our dignity and freedom in the fight against the Russian invaders! I am proud of the invincible knights of the Archangel Michael! Courageous and wise, noble and brave - this is about the elite of the Armed Forces of Ukraine - the Ukrainian paratroopers!" Zaluzhny wrote.

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As reported by OBOZ.UA:

- November 21 is the Day of the Airborne Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The tasks of these troops include airborne assault and other combat operations in the tactical and operational rear of the enemy.

- Today the country also celebrates the Day of Dignity and Freedom. Ten years have passed since Ukrainians took to the Maidan in Kyiv to defend their right to a European future. President Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated the country on the holiday, emphasizing that only the strong can be united.

Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has held a bilateral meeting with Moldovan President Maia Sandu.

The head of state announced this on Facebook and published a video of the meeting, Ukrinform reports.

Zelensky noted that it is very symbolic that today, ten years after Ukrainians finally decided on their future, the President of Moldova is visiting Ukraine.

"We discussed security issues, expansion of our exports through Moldova and cross-border cooperation, energy challenges facing our countries and, of course, our European integration," Zelensky said.
President of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu has called on the EU Member States to endorse a decision on the start of accession talks with Moldova and Ukraine at the upcoming meeting of the European Council in Brussels this December.

The relevant statement was made by President of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu during a joint press conference with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and President of the European Council Charles Michel in Kyiv, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

I call on all EU Member States to unanimously support the opening of EU accession negotiations with both Moldova and Ukraine at next months European Council [meeting] in Brussels, Sandu said.

In her words, when it comes to EU enlargement, two things, unity and speed, are more important than ever.

In the face of Russia's strategy of divide and conquer, our unity is our strongest defence. We must act with one voice, showing that our collective will is unbreakable. Furthermore, the urgency of these times, marked by war and insecurity, demands that we accelerate our processes, Sandu stressed.

The President of Moldova mentioned that another wave of EU enlargement is an investment in the security of the continent and a demonstration of the blocs unwavering commitment to peace, i.e. the very foundation on which the EU was built.

The decision to open accession talks with Moldova and Ukraine soonest is a message that would be heard not just in Chisinau and Kyiv, but also in Moscow and every capital nurturing authoritarian or imperialistic ambitions. It would be a clear message of a confident Europe that is defending peace and building a robust democratic future, Sandu concluded.

The President of Moldova urged the entire free world and all the countries who want their borders respected to continue supporting Ukraine for as long as it takes, until its victory, as there is no other way.

A reminder that, on November 21, 2023, President of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu arrived in Kyiv.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Ukraine has approved all the decisions that needed to be made to actually start negotiations on Ukraines accession to the European Union.

He said this in his evening video address, Ukrinform reports.

Today, President of the European Council Charles Michel and President of Moldova Maia Sandu visited Kyiv as well. On the tenth anniversary of the beginning of Maidan, this is especially symbolic. The main topic was our integration into the European Union, of both Ukraine and Moldova. Our country is doing everything necessary to actually start accession negotiations. All the decisions we had to make have already been made. And now we will even adopt the decisions that were supposed to be made by spring, that is, according to the schedule after the EU's political decision to start negotiations. Ukraine has an absolutely clear position  to implement everything and be fully prepared for the start of negotiations, because for us it is all very concrete: every success of our country adds confidence and motivation to our people, to all those who defend Ukraine and help us, Zelensky said.

Read also: Zelensky meets with Michel

He added that today we have discussed the progress we are making.

And of course it is very important that the European Union fulfills its promise by making a decision for Ukraine and giving us a start to negotiations, Zelensky said.

He thanked President of the European Council Charles Michel and all partners in Europe for their support  now is the time to strengthen solidarity.

Zelensky also informed about his meeting with President of Moldova Maia Sandu.

It was a good meeting with the President of Moldova  we discussed the whole range of our relations. We focused, of course, on how we can enhance our economies and our security. We talked about our exports, about cooperation in the Ukraine-Moldova-Romania triangle. I thank you, Maia, Madam President, for your sincerity and will to strengthen our relations. Ukraine and Moldova together  together with all our partners  can add growth and social justice to our countries and to our entire region, Zelensky said.

As reported by Ukrinform, on November 8, the European Commission recommended that the European Council open negotiations on Ukraine and Moldovas accession to the EU. She also recommended, under certain conditions, that such negotiations are launched with Bosnia and Herzegovina and the status of a candidate country be granted to Georgia.

On December 14, the European Council is expected to consider the issue of launching negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU.
MISSOULA  A University of Montana student who wove connections between the Russian language, business, renewable energy, data and entrepreneurship recently was awarded the oldest and most renowned fellowship in the world.

Kolter Stevenson, a University of Montana senior, found a home in UM's World Languages and Cultures Department studying Russian, and added three more majors in UM's College of Business. Steveson was recently named an elite Rhodes Scholar. UM photo by Tommy Martino

Kolter Stevenson, of Amsterdam, Montana, and an alumnus of Manhattan High School, is the first UM student in 30 years to receive the Rhodes Scholarship for study at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.

Its an honor to represent the State of Montana, Stevenson said. I share this award with my entire team who supported me in this journey. Im still taking in the news.

He is one of 32 American college students who were named 2024 Rhodes Scholars. Stevenson is the only student from Washington, Montana, Idaho, and Alaska to be selected for two-year postbaccalaureate study at one of the worlds most prestigious institutions.

Kolter embodies the talent and promise of Montana and the impact of a UM education at its best, UM President Seth Bodnar said. Were here to ignite in students a desire to solve complex challenges and to provide a broad-base education and specific skills to ultimately make the world a better place. We are beyond proud to celebrate Kolter as UMs newest Rhodes Scholar and as one of Montanas  and our nations  greatest treasures. The entire state should join UM in celebrating this extraordinary achievement.

Enrolled in four UM majors and carrying a 4.0 GPA in each one, Stevenson, a UM senior, was celebrated in letters of recommendation from UM faculty for his humble leadership, high intellect, varied interests, and insatiable curiosity related to renewable energy, globalization, languages, culture and data.

He also speaks four languages, including Russian, Norwegian, Spanish and English.

Its a gift and a blessing when youre able to talk to someone in their own language, Stevenson said. The cultural learning is just much deeper, and when you can switch to their language, theres tenfold the understanding.

Stevenson said he found intellectual rigor and opportunity at UM in the majors of management information systems, finance and international business, with a certificate in big data analytics, each housed in UMs College of Business.

Stevenson also studies Russian in UMs College of Humanities and Sciences and is enrolled at UM as a Presidential Leadership Scholar in UMs Davidson Honors College.

Of particular interest to Stevenson is UMs cornerstone strength in World Languages and Cultures, where he found a family of sorts in UMs Russian program. He was tutored and mentored by Ona Renner-Fahey, professor of Russian, and Clint Walker, associate professor of Russian.

Without hyperbole, I can say that in many respects Kolter is the most impressive student I have ever had in over 25 years of teaching, said Renner-Fahey. "He is intelligent and driven but, more than that, he is also an unusually kind and humble person who possesses a seemingly endless amount of energy and genuine desire to make the world a better place.

Stevenson found Russian by way of Norwegian, when he independently sought to dive deeper into his familys roots by studying in Bergen, Norway, for his junior year of high school. He was the first student from Manhattan High School to ever participate in a foreign exchange. It was there he encountered a particularly gifted Russian language instructor.

I remember my brain really hurt that fall, when I was reading and learning Russian but all through Norwegian, he said. But once I got it, it was like a math equation that finally fell into place.

In 2022, Stevenson was awarded a Critical Language Scholarship with the U.S. Department of State to spend a summer Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, to enhance his Russian and research energy production across Central Asia.

It was in Kyrgyzstan that Stevenson discovered a deep interest in renewable energy and sustainable technologies for Central Asian economies. He plans to continue studying the intersection of diplomacy, cultural sovereignty and energy in Russian-speaking regions while at Oxford.

After graduating from Manhattan High School, Stevenson was the only student in his class to enroll in UM, where he was selected as a Presidential Leadership Scholar. He said he felt a natural connection with UMs Davidson Honors College faculty and staff, including Tim Nichols, dean of the DHC; Bethany Applegate, DHC director of Student Engagement; and Kylla Benes, director of UMs Office of External Scholarships.

He has a rare combination of academic, interpersonal and technical skills that will enable him to reach his goals, Nichols said. An investment in Mr. Stevenson is an investment in a driven, innovative, culturally competent, selfless leader who will help the U.S. collaborate with other nations.

Nichols and Stevenson also praised the work of Kylla Benes, UM's director of external scholarships and fellowships, who guided Stevenson through the complex Rhodes application and interview process.

While immersed in Russian at UM, Stevenson wished to combine language expertise with other majors like management information systems and finance so that he could hone applicable skills in any field, such as data analysis, resource modeling and coding.

He was particularly inspired by classes taught by Jason Triche, associate professor management information systems, and leveraged Triches mentorship to develop a sentiment analysis using natural language processing on interviews with Russian and Ukrainian refugees in Montana, with hopes to discover their sentiments about using nonprofit humanitarian organizations.

The outcomes of his independent study could help the city, state and area nonprofits create a sustainable and safe community for Ukrainian people settling in Montana, Triche said.

Inspired by an old radiator in his dorm room in Knowles Hall (before the buildings recent renovations)  working with his friend and roommate  Stevenson parlayed skills in analytical technology to develop Smart Dorm, a technology that can analyze energy waste and increase energy efficiency and comfort for tenants.

The businesss technology is currently undergoing patent approval and has a been named a national finalist for the U.S. Department of Energys Grid Enhancing Technology category.

While earning four majors and enjoying evenings at Spanish and Russian-speaking events, Stevenson has also made time to enjoy life as a student at UM.

He has taught alpine ski lessons as a Professional Ski Instructor of America at the Yellowstone Club, in addition to volunteering as a firefighter and emergency medical technician with the East Missoula Rural Fire District and Frenchtown Rural Fire District.

I am only sitting here as a Rhodes because of the incredible faculty, mentors and community families that I have, Stevenson said. Im convinced there is not another university in the country where I could have had these opportunities and this level of support.

Each year, thousands of Rhodes Scholarship applications are submitted by colleges and universities across the world. Applicants who demonstrate academic excellence, the ability to lead and care for vulnerable members of society are selected as finalists. They participate in a two-day interview process that determines the winners.

UM has produced 29 Rhodes scholars in its history. The last Rhodes scholars at UM were Charlotte Morrison in 1993 and Scott Bear Dont Walk in 1992.

UMs former Rhodes finalists were Beatrix Frissell in 2022; Arwen Baxter and Teigan Avery in 2021; alumnus Ryan Garnsey in 2020; alumna Mara Menahan in 2014 and alumnus Derek Crittenden in 2015. UM President Seth Bodnar and his wife, Dr. Chelsea Bodnar, are also former Rhodes Scholars.

Stevenson thanked UM faculty and staff for their support and encouragement including:

Clint Walker, associate professor of Russian, College of Humanities and Sciences.

Jason Triche, associate professor Management Information Systems, College of Business.

Kylla Benes, Davidson Honors College director UMs Office of External Scholarships.

Michael Harrington, professor of Management Information Systems, College of Business.

Ona Renner-Fahey, professor of Russian, College of Humanities and Sciences.

Sara Truglio, program manager, Blackstone LaunchPad.

Tim Nichols, dean of the Davidson Honors College.

Tyler Munoz, chief, East Missoula Rural Fire District.

Katie White, Yellowstone Club.

###

Contact: Dave Kuntz, UM director of strategic communications, 406-243-5659, dave.kuntz@umontana.edu.
On the night of November 21, the occupiers launched four missile attacks in Donetsk region, resulting in injuries and a death. The aggressor's troops hit the territory of the hospital in the town of Selydove, as well as the Kotlyarevska mine in the town of Novohrodivka.

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According to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Ihor Klymenko, the first two Russian missiles arrived at the territory of the hospital in Selydove around 23:30. Two buildings were damaged and six civilians were injured.

There may be victims under the rubble, search operations continue, Klymenko said.

A few minutes later, the occupiers carried out two more rocket attacks on the mine. One employee of the enterprise died.

Four buildings, 19 vehicles and a power line were damaged. 39 miners were trapped underground, all of them have been brought to the surface.

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At the same time, the head of the Novohrodivka city military administration, Oleksandr Shevchenko, clarified that the occupiers had attacked the Novohrodivka community with S-300 missiles, hitting the mine.

The attack killed a 63-year-old miner, a resident of Novohrodivka, Viktor Kuzhel. At the time of the attack, he was on duty in the downhole equipment repair shop.

In addition, the strike damaged seven buildings on the mine's territory, 14 cars, five buses and power lines.

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As reported by OBOZ.UA, Russia attacked Ukraine with five missiles and ten "Shaheds" at night. Air defense forces shot down an Iskander-K and nine UAVs in different regions of the country.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and in Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
The White House in Washington intends to take all possible measures to ensure that Congress continues to approve military aid for Ukraine. If aggressors such as Russia do not receive a decent response to their actions, they only increase chaos, death and destruction.

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These words of U.S. President Joe Biden were quoted by Security Council Coordinator John Kirby, Ukrinform reports. He emphasized that the American nation also depends on the success of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the battlefield against the occupiers.

"If we do not stop them now, the amount of costs will only increase in the future. Therefore, the actions we take and the potential actions we do not take will have consequences not only for Ukraine, but for our country for many years to come," the official said.

According to Kirby, with each additional package of aid to the Armed Forces, there is less and less opportunity to provide assistance to the Ukrainian army, as the funds provided for this purpose are being exhausted. Therefore, the White House does not intend to waste time.

"We are systematically encouraging Congress to approve the additional requests we have sent them so that we can continue to provide unimpeded and uninterrupted support to Kyiv," the official Washington official summarized.

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As reported by OBOZ.UA, on November 20, Washington announced a new $100 million military aid package for Ukraine. It includes, among other things, one HIMARS MLRS, shells and ammunition, anti-tank weapons and equipment for our military.

This happened immediately after the visit of US Secretary of Defense Austin to Kyiv. He noted that Ukraine's western partners remain its allies and have no intention of reducing support to gain a battlefield advantage over Russia.

"I was honored to meet with President Zelensky today in Kyiv to reaffirm the United States' unwavering support for Ukraine. We, along with our partners, will continue to support Ukraine's immediate battlefield needs and (its - Ed.) long-term defense needs," the Pentagon chief wrote.

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In the recent scrutiny from a United Nations committee regarding inequality in French higher education, a distinctive narrative emerges- one that envisions the critique not as a condemnation but as a catalyst for a comprehensive educational renaissance.

France has the opportunity to transform its higher education system into a global model of inclusivity, innovation, and adaptability. This article explores how the nation can leverage the UN's observations to pioneer transformative changes, turning inequality into an opportunity to redefine success, foster global collaboration, empower stakeholders, and embrace technology for a more accessible and inclusive educational landscape.

A Multifaceted Approach to Excellence

France's response to educational inequality can transcend conventional metrics, setting the stage for a redefinition of success. Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, the nation can pioneer a multifaceted model that values diverse talents, learning styles, and aspirations. By acknowledging and celebrating a spectrum of achievements, the education system can foster a culture of inclusive excellence, where success is measured not by uniform standards but by the varied contributions that students make to academia and society.



The UN's concerns about inequality open a gateway for France to position itself as a global hub for collaborative education. By actively seeking international partnerships, fostering cross-cultural exchanges, and embracing a diverse student body, France can become a leader in shaping a globally interconnected academic community.

The benefits extend beyond addressing domestic disparities. They position France as an influential player in the internationalization of higher education, fostering an environment where students from diverse backgrounds contribute to a richer and more vibrant academic discourse.

READ ALSO: Online Learning Meets In Person Learning: Accelerated Training Program, MediaU, Partners With Houston Community College

Stakeholder Empowerment for Inclusive Solutions

The UN's intervention signals a call for collective empowerment within France's educational landscape. Stakeholders, including policymakers, educators, students, and industry leaders, can actively engage in shaping solutions that address inequality. This inclusivity ensures that the solutions crafted resonate with the varied needs and perspectives of the educational community. By fostering collaboration and shared ownership, France can build an educational system that reflects the aspirations and contributions of its diverse stakeholders.



France's response to the challenge of educational inequality can be underscored by a commitment to leveraging technology for accessibility. Digital platforms and innovative learning technologies can bridge regional gaps, democratizing access to education. This approach not only addresses immediate concerns about inequality but also positions France at the forefront of educational innovation. By embracing technology, the nation can create a more flexible and adaptable educational environment that meets the needs of a diverse student population.

A Blueprint for Global Inclusivity

In conclusion, the UN's spotlight on educational inequality becomes a catalyst for France's educational renaissance. By redefining success, becoming a global collaboration hub, empowering stakeholders, and leveraging technology for accessibility, France can pioneer a transformative shift in its higher education landscape. The narrative shifts from acknowledging challenges to envisioning a future where educational inequality serves as a catalyst for progress, innovation, and inclusive excellence. As France charts this course, it has the potential to set a global blueprint for a more equitable and adaptable education system, becoming a beacon for nations worldwide seeking to overcome educational disparities and foster inclusive academic environments.

RELATED ARTICLE: Oxford Brookes University Faces Backlash As Music And Maths Departments Face Closure
The recent legal action taken by a star academic against a New Zealand university sheds light on the often overlooked human toll within the realm of academia. We explore the multifaceted challenges faced by academics, even those with stellar reputations, and how their struggles intersect with the broader issues of workplace well-being and mental health. Beyond the courtroom drama, this case serves as a poignant reminder of the imperative to address systemic challenges within the academic landscape.

Mental Health Struggles No Longer Invisible

The notion that star academics are immune to the pressures of academia is debunked as Siouxsie Wiles takes legal action against a New Zealand university. This case underscores the importance of acknowledging that even those who excel in their fields can grapple with the mental health challenges inherent in the academic environment. The facade of invincibility often obscures the real human struggles faced by scholars navigating the complex terrain of research, teaching, and institutional expectations.



Legal action by a star academic serves as a catalyst for unveiling systemic issues within the academic institution. While the details of the case may be unique, the underlying problems are often symptomatic of broader challenges faced by academics worldwide. These may include inadequate support systems, unrealistic workloads, and a pervasive culture that undervalues mental health in pursuit of academic excellence.

READ ALSO: The E-Learning Revolution: COVID-19 Lockdown Leads To Surge In Online English Classes

A Necessary Paradigm Shift

The legal battle prompts a reevaluation of the concept of workplace well-being within academic settings. It challenges the prevalent narrative that high achievement necessitates sacrificing personal well-being. A paradigm shift is imperative, placing value not only on academic output but also on the holistic health and happiness of academics. Institutions need to reassess their support structures and cultivate environments that prioritize the mental health of all faculty members.



The academic world, already fraught with challenges, faced unprecedented pressures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Remote teaching, disrupted research plans, and increased expectations for productivity exacerbated existing struggles. The legal action against the New Zealand university unfolds against the backdrop of the pandemic, highlighting how external stressors can amplify the internal battles faced by academics, irrespective of their star status.



The star academic's decision to take legal action breaks the silence surrounding mental health challenges within academia. It serves as an invitation for open dialogue about the struggles scholars face. Encouraging a culture where academics feel empowered to discuss their well-being without fear of repercussions is crucial. This transparency not only aids in addressing individual challenges but also contributes to dismantling the stigma surrounding mental health in academia.



Academic institutions bear a significant responsibility in fostering supportive environments. The legal battle underscores the need for institutions to proactively address the systemic issues that contribute to the struggles faced by academics. This involves reevaluating workload expectations, enhancing mental health resources, and cultivating a culture that values the well-being of faculty members as much as their academic achievements.

Encouraging a Culture of Open Dialogue

The legal action against the New Zealand university resonates globally, sparking a call for systemic change within academia. This is not an isolated incident but rather a symptom of a larger issue affecting scholars worldwide. The academic community, institutions, and policymakers are compelled to engage in a collective reckoning, reimagining academic structures to prioritize the well-being of those who contribute to the advancement of knowledge.



The legal battle involving a star academic brings to the forefront the necessity of humanizing academia. It calls for a departure from the idealized image of unyielding scholarly pursuits and acknowledges the vulnerability of academics, regardless of their reputation.

This case serves as a clarion call for a necessary evolution within academia -- one that prioritizes the mental health and well-being of scholars, fostering environments where they can thrive both personally and professionally. As the legal proceedings unfold, they carry the potential to spark transformative change, creating a more compassionate and sustainable academic landscape.

RELATED ARTICLES: Mental Health: Gratitude Mindfulness Can Help Rewire Your Brain
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The Islamabad High Court, headed by Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, will hear the cases.

ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-Nov 21st, 2023) Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Supremo Nawaz Sharif is scheduled to attend the appeals hearing for his convictions in the Avenfield and Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption cases at the Islamabad High Court on Tuesday (today)

The Islamabad High Court, headed by Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, will hear the cases.

Ahead of the hearing, the court's registrar's office issued a circular addressing security concerns, instructing the Inspector General of Police Islamabad Capital Territory, Dr. Akbar Nasir Khan, and the Federal capital's administration to implement necessary security measures.

The circular emphasized maintaining order in the court without disrupting regular cases and ensuring that only authorized individuals, holding passes issued by the registrar's office, enter the courtroom.

Furthermore, the circular specified that counsels for the appellant should submit a list of up to 15 individuals for entry passes, while the offices of the attorney general and advocate general of Islamabad can submit lists of up to five law officers each.

The courtroom attendance is restricted to 30 journalists to observe the proceedings.

Previously, the PML-N leader's appeals were dismissed when he left the country for medical treatment, but after his return and surrender, the court reinstated the appeals with no objection from the National Accountability Bureau.

Sharif, sentenced in 2018 to seven and 10 years in prison for Al-Azizia and Avenfield references, respectively, seeks to overturn the trial court's decisions through these appeals.

His daughter Maryam Nawaz and her husband, Captain (retd) Safdar, co-accused in the cases, have already been acquitted by the appellate court.
RISALPUR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Nov, 2023) Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Tuesday said peace in the region could not be guaranteed till the resolution of the dispute of Jammu and Kashmir between Pakistan and India.

Let me make it clear that there can be no peace without the settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir issue, he said in his address at the graduation ceremony of the officers here at the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) academy Asghar Khan.

PM Kakar said Pakistan was a peace-loving nation and wished to maintain friendly relations with all countries, especially its neighbours.

He, however, categorically stated that the countrys desire for peace must not be understood as weakness.

The prime minister strongly condemned the ongoing grave human rights situation in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

Pakistan, he said, would not indulge in any arm race but would continue to enhance its capabitlity in line with evolving technology to deter any aggression.

The prime minister highlighted that the rapidly changing geo-strategic environment had a profound impact on Pakistan and rest of the region.

Therefore, the situation demands advancements in space networks, cyber technology, nano technology and artificial intelligence, he said.

He expressed satisfaction that PAF modernized itself though smart induction of cutting-edge niche technology and achieved great progress in cyber space and non-contact warfare through indigenous means.

PM Kakar termed the armed forces of Pakistan as professionally competent and well-trained to cope with all internal and external challenges.

The nation holds our armed forces in high esteem for the sacrifices they rendered for national defence and for their contribution towards nation-building, he said.

He mentioned that the countrys brave armed forces always showed great courage during testing times to keep the national flag high.

I assure you that as a nation we have surmounted challenges in the past and InshaAllah, we will do so in future and make the country prosperous, he said.

The prime minister congratulated the cadets graduated from the colleges of flying training and aeronautical engineering and expressed confidence that they would give their best professional performance with commitment and diligence.

Being the custodians of the PAF, you carry the hopes of this nation and must work hard to keep abreast with modern technology and trends related to modern warfare, he told the graduates.

The PAF graduates included 148 General Duty Pilots, 94 Aeronautical Engineers, 104 air defence and 130 of combat support course officers.

Earlier, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu received the prime minister on the venue.

Bugles were blown when PM Kakar as chief guest of the ceremony entered the arena. The prime minister onboard a PAF jeep inspected the formation of the smartly turned out contingents of the PAF falcons.

He awarded the prestigious Quaid-e-Azam Banner to the Champions No. 3 Squadron on its consistently best performance in all semesters.

The prime minister also pinned badges on the professionally distinguished graduating cadets.

The Chief of the Air Staff trophies for best performance were given to Muhammad Moosa Jawad (best pilot), Muhammad Ali Gohar (general aviation), Sajid Sikandar Abbas (air defence), Syed Saad Ali (combat support) and Sohaib Saeed (aeronautical engineering).

The Swords of Honour were awarded to Aviation Cadets Ahmed Malik (flying) and Sohaib Saeed (engineering).

The prime minister witnessed a thrilling fly-past of the formations of PAF jets including Mirage, F-7P, JF-17 Thunder and J-10C.
ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Nov, 2023) Chinese Premier Li Qiang will attend the Virtual G20 Leaders' Summit on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning announced on Tuesday.

Premier Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, will attend the summit at the invitation of the government of the Republic of India.

APP/asg
The supply of weapons to Ukraine from Western countries has become more difficult because of the war in the Middle East. For example, the U.S. supply of NATO-standard artillery shells to Kyiv has fallen by "more than 30%" since the start of Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza.

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This was reported by ABC News, citing a Ukrainian official. The article notes that 155-mm ammunition is perhaps the most important for Ukraine in the fight against Russian troops.

Moreover, some U.S. supplies that were intended for Ukrainian forces have been redirected to Israel. At the same time, journalists recalled that U.S. officials have stated several times in recent weeks that the supply of ammunition to Israel would not affect the war in Ukraine.

"But it did," the Ukrainian official emphasized.

At the same time, a senior U.S. defense official said that the reduction in ammunition "has absolutely nothing to do with what's happening in Gaza." He explained that presidential powers packages "are prepared in advance, so there is no connection between what is happening in Gaza and what is happening in Ukraine."

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The media emphasized that Russia now has key advantages on the battlefield, including more artillery firepower, explosive attack drones and better types, and more fighter jets and attack helicopters.

A Ukrainian official, who spoke anonymously to reporters, expressed concern about the U.S. arms deal in light of the congressional divide. He warned that Ukraine risks losing its position on the battlefield "at a very high cost."

On November 20, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin paid an official visit to Ukraine. The Pentagon chief said he came to Kyiv to deliver an important message. He assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of continued unwavering support for Ukraine's urgent needs on the battlefield.

Meanwhile, the White House said it was going to take all possible steps to ensure that Congress continues to approve military aid for Ukraine. If aggressors such as Russia do not receive a decent response to their actions, they only increase chaos, death and destruction.

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As reported by OBOZ.UA:

- German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius arrived in Ukraine on an unannounced visit to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky. The politician arrived in Kyiv by train early in the morning on Tuesday, November 21.

- John Kirby, a representative of the US National Security Council, called on the US Congress to approve US President Joe Biden's request for additional funding for Ukraine as soon as possible. He emphasized that if Kyiv does not receive enough funds to defeat Russia, the aggressor country will not stop.

Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Kyiv, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Nov, 2023) German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius arrived in Kyiv on Tuesday for an unannounced visit to reaffirm Berlin's backing for Ukraine in its fight against Russia's troops.

Berlin, the second-biggest supplier of military assistance to Kyiv after the United States, is seeking to offer the reassurances after the shift in focus to the middle East war prompted concerns about waning support for Ukraine.

It was Pistorius's second visit to Kyiv since he became defence minister at the start of this year, and it comes a day after US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin also made an unannounced trip to Ukraine to offer Washington's continued support.

"I am here again, firstly to pledge further support, but also to express our solidarity and deep bond and also our admiration for the courageous, brave and costly fight that is being waged here," Pistorius said laying flowers at Maidan square in central Kyiv.

Pistorius arrived by train and was due to hold talks with his Ukrainian counterpart as well as President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The visit comes after an increase in Russian air attacks on Ukraine and as Kyiv braces for an expected rise in strikes on the country's energy facilities over the coming winter months.

As well as the wreath-laying ceremony at Kyiv's Maidan square -- where thousands joined for protracted pro-democracy protests a decade ago -- Pistorius was due to visit a military training centre.
United Nations, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Nov, 2023) The presence of United Nations peacekeepers, whose shortcomings can frustrate local populations, is not a "magic wand" for conflict zones, said their leader Jean-Pierre Lacroix, who supports an expanded tool kit to protect civilians in increasingly complex territory.

From Lebanon to the Democratic Republican of Congo (DRC), from South Sudan to the Western Sahara, some 90,000 so-called Blue Helmets serve under the UN flag, engaged in 12 separate operations.

These missions do not always meet with unanimous approval on the ground, as in Mali, where UN peacekeepers have been forced by the government to leave, or in the DRC where some inhabitants have expressed hostility.

Yet the peacekeepers protect "hundreds of thousands of civilians" daily, Lacroix, the UN under-secretary-general for peace operations, told AFP in an interview.

Sometimes such protection mandates "raise expectations that we cannot meet, because of the capacities that we have, because of the budget that we have, because of the terrain and the logistical constraint," he acknowledged.

"It raises frustrations from those who are not protected," and such resentments are manipulated "by those who would prefer the continuation of chaos."

According to Lacroix, countries where UN peacekeepers operate face "the weaponization of fake news and disinformation."

Would conditions be better there if such missions were absent? "In most cases, it would probably be much worse," he said.

But "it doesn't mean that peacekeeping operations are the magic wand, or the universal response to every kind of crisis."

The 15-member UN Security Council authorizes the Blue Helmets in "supporting political processes" that lead to sustainable peace, Lacroix said.

But today "we have a more divided Security Council," with members that "don't put their weight behind the political processes" associated with UN peacekeeping, he added.

Lacroix hopes a December 5-6 ministerial meeting in Ghana will prompt a recommitment by members toward the global body's peacekeeping missions.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has already urged reconsideration of the future of such operations, particularly where there is no peace to keep.

Blue Helmets can protect civilians when a ceasefire is already in place. "UN peacekeepers do not do peace enforcement," Lacroix said.

They are not counter-terrorist units, or anti-gang forces.

Yet they are deployed in environments that are "becoming more dangerous," he said, where "non-state actors, armed groups, private security companies," crime syndicates and people involved in terrorism have little interest in creating peace.

The idea then of making room for complementary but non-UN missions is gaining ground.

The international community and multilateral system "need a more diverse set of tools" and responses to address widening challenges, Lacroix stressed.

"New forms of peacekeeping operations to better address the drivers of conflict such as the impact of climate change or transnational criminal activities, peace enforcement operations conducted by the AU (African Union) or other regional (or) sub-regional organization, we need all of that," he said.

Could such forces serve as models in Gaza, after the Israel-Hamas war?

The jury is out.

"I think there are millions of scenarios that one can imagine" for a security mission in the ravaged Palestinian territory, Lacroix said. "But it's very hypothetical up to now."

However missions look in the future, their immediate challenge is finding funding, and volunteers.

After a year of equivocation, the Security Council last month finally approved deployment of a multinational force, led by Kenya, to help restore security in crime-plagued Haiti. Nairobi pledged 1,000 police but wants other members to help cover the cost.
Small-business owners can learn how to handle year-end tax planning without stress Thursday, Nov. 30.

Derek Campbell will present a Wyoming Community Navigator Program (CNP) webinar titled Year-End Tax Planning from 11-11:30 a.m. To register, go here. Registration is free.

The Wyoming CNP, through the Wyoming Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network at the University of Wyoming, provides small-business resources and assistance for traditionally underserved entrepreneurs throughout Wyoming.

During the latest Wyoming CNP webinar, Campbell will show small-business owners how to save money and reduce their tax liabilities. Small-business owners also will learn what documents they need to collect and how to organize them for smooth meetings with tax preparers.

Campbell is a co-founder of HighPoint CPAs, an accounting firm founded with the merger of CPA Group of Laramie and Capital Clarity Co. in 2022. Before the merger, the two firms had worked closely with mutual clients together over the years.

For more information, call Maureen Johnson, marketing, communication and database manager for the Wyoming SBDC Network, at (307) 343-0925 or email mjohn125@uwyo.edu.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky does not rule out that our country will take the opportunity to eliminate Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. The Head of State noted that Ukraine has every right to defend its land.

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The President also emphasized that neither Putin nor Russia wants to end the war. Zelensky said this in an interview with The Sun.

Asked whether Ukraine would take the chance to kill Putin if it had the opportunity, Zelenskyy said that our country has the right to defend itself against aggression.

"This is a war, and Ukraine has every right to defend our land. We do not believe that neither Putin nor Russia, we do not believe that they want to end the war. They want to kill us. And we want justice. Therefore, we are not talking about peace at any cost," Zelensky said.

The head of state also said that the terrorist country Russia had tried to kill him several times. Russia was preparing at least five attempts to assassinate the Ukrainian president. At the same time, Zelensky added that it is not always about physical elimination. In particular, the aggressor country wanted to overthrow the Ukrainian government with the help of Operation Maidan-3.

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As a reminder, President Volodymyr Zelensky once again noted the feat of Ukrainians - the military - who are fighting for the freedom of Ukraine in battles at the front. At the same time, he recognized that victory over the aggressor is still far away.

Earlier, Zelensky called on Ukrainians to use every opportunity to strengthen the state. He emphasized that it is very important for all citizens to be effective.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Bookkeeping for Tax Compliance Purposes in Vietnam

In the event of an audit, accurate tax records can be crucial in ensuring the process is as smooth and quick as possible. In this article, Vietnam Briefing breaks down the requirements for accounting records in Vietnam.

Establishing and operating a business in Vietnam can come with a number of tax benefits and incentives. For example, it is common for firms to receive tax holidays and tax breaks for up to 10 years depending on the investment project and where it is located.

Furthermore, adding Vietnam to a firms supply chain can increase a firms transfer pricing opportunities and broaden its tax options. This can be very financially rewarding and beneficial to foreign firms.

Transfer pricing enables the setting of prices for goods and services exchanged among subsidiaries, affiliates, or closely linked companies within a larger enterprise. This practice can result in tax advantages for corporations, but it may face challenges from tax authorities. (See also: Transfer Pricing in Vietnam  An Overview).

That said, operating in an unfamiliar tax jurisdiction like Vietnam can be challenging for foreign firms. Of note, Vietnam operates on its own accounting system known as the Vietnam Accounting Standards (VAS) as opposed to International Accounting Standards. This can be difficult for non-Vietnamese accountants to get used to and can cause problems if not implemented correctly.

In this light, accurate record-keeping that meets Vietnams tax record-keeping guidelines can be paramount to ensuring doing business in Vietnam is as easy as possible.

With this in mind, the Vietnam Briefing breaks down what firms need to keep track of and how, per Vietnams Law on Accounting.

What information to include in accounting records in Vietnam

General requirement

The content requirements of accounting records are outlined in Chapter II, Section 1, Article 16 of the Law on Accounting and include:

The name and number of the accounting record;

The date the record was made;

The name and address of the firm creating the accounting record;

The name and address of the firm receiving the accounting record;

Transaction details including the quantity, unit price, and the transactions financial value in both numbers and words;

The signature and full name of the person creating the record and that of the person approving the accounting record; and

Any other relevant information.

Electronic records

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In the digital age, it has become common practice to keep accounting records electronically. In Vietnam, electronic records are acceptable as long as they meet the above requirements outlined in Article 16. They must, however, also be encrypted and unable to be changed during their digital transmission or by a storage device like magnetic tape or bank cards.

Furthermore, firms must ensure electronic records are stored securely and that the integrity of the data is protected to the extent that on inspection it cannot be illegally accessed or duplicated.

As long as these requirements are met, electronic records will be treated the same way as paper documents.

Creating and storing accounting records

An accounting record needs to be generated for each transaction conducted in Vietnam. Firms should ensure that only one record is made per transaction though there may be multiple copies.

Standardization

Accounting records need to be clear, complete, and accurate and should be created in a timely manner. They should be created using a set form; however, if a standardized form is not available, a firm may create its own form as long as it meets the criteria outlined in the aforementioned Article 16.

Technical requirements

There are several technical requirements that firms should also adhere to. These include:

Accounting records should not contain abbreviations or corrections;

The text of an accounting record should be written in pen;

Numerals and letters must be written continuously without interruption; and

Blank spaces need to be crossed out.

Note that accounting records that have been changed will not be valid for payment or for record-keeping purposes.

Electronic records

Electronic accounting records need to be printed and stored. If a firm chooses to store their electronic records digitally rather than printing them out, the device on which they are stored must be kept secure for the duration of the retention period.

Signing accounting records

There are a number of stipulations in the law as to how accounting records should be signed. These include:

They must be signed with permanent ink;

They cannot be signed with red ink; and

A rubber signature stamp is not acceptable.

When an accounting record is paid, it should be signed by the person approving the payment and the chief accountant or an authorized person before payment is made. Every copy of an accounting record should be signed when it is paid.

See also: The Role of a Chief Accountant in Vietnam

Electronic records

Electronic records need to have electronic signatures and will be treated per signatures on physical documents.

Managing and using accounting records

There are a handful of requirements that firms need to ensure they meet with respect to managing and using accounting records. These include:

Accounting records need to be sorted by the content of the transaction and by time.

In the event records are confiscated, the authorities will photocopy the records and give said copies to a firms accounting unit.

The authority will also make a record that specifies the reasons for confiscating the records and the quantity of each type of record confiscated.

If accounting records are sealed, the person of authority responsible for sealing the records must document the reason for sealing and specify the quantity of records sealed.

Invoices

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Invoices created by vendors and service providers are considered a type of accounting record. Issuing invoices, however, follows a modified version of the requirements listed above. These are governed by the Law on Tax Administration and more specifically Decree 123/2020/ND-CP.

Ensuring compliance

Ensuring accounting records are compliant with relevant tax and accounting legislation in Vietnam is crucial. With accurate, clear, and well-kept records, firms will find dealing with tax authorities in Vietnam fast and easier.

That said, satisfying Vietnams record-keeping compliance requirements can be complicated for tax professionals unfamiliar with Vietnams tax landscape. In this respect, firms looking for support meeting Vietnams accounting records requirements should contact the tax experts at Dezan Shira and Associates.
A surge in the number of migrants making the treacherous journey from West Africa to the Spanish Canary Islands is straining local authorities, with human rights groups warning that many child migrants are being wrongly classed as adults by Spanish police, putting them at increased risk.

So far this year, more than 32,000 migrants have arrived on the Canary Islands from West Africa - the highest number since 2006.

Unaccompanied children

Fifteen-year-old Moussa Camara was orphaned following the 2021 coup in his home country of Guinea. He chose to escape, spending 11 days at sea in a wooden boat on the treacherous journey from Senegal to the Spanish island of Tenerife, along with 240 other migrants. For half that time, he had no food or water. Twenty people died on that crossing, he says, their bodies tossed over the side of the boat.

Bearing sores from the sun, famished and dehydrated, Camara eventually arrived on Tenerife on October 27, 2021. But his ordeal was not over. Spanish authorities classified Camara and his friend as adults rather than children, meaning they were not allowed to stay at a center for minors or access the better opportunities available to those under 18.

"At the center, we said we were fifteen years old. But they didnt write that - they took us as if we were adults. But we are children, we are children - but they sent us here. They brought our papers. They betrayed us," Camara told Reuters.

Spanish police sent the two boys to Las Raices, an old military base in Tenerife's mountains, where around 2,000 adult migrants await transfers to the mainland of Spain.

Wrongly classified

In a recent investigation, the human rights group Amnesty International interviewed 29 migrants on the Canary Islands. The group says 12 of them were under 18 years old but had been incorrectly classified as adults and were being held at adult detention centers, in breach of Spanish and international refugee laws.

"This is very concerning because they were along with adults they werent related to and without the protection of the authorities. We were talking with one girl, she was 17, and she was detained for three days with men and women in a place without any oversight by the authorities. She was sleeping on the floor. And no one was asking about her needs," said Amnestys Virginia Alvarez, who travelled to Tenerife and El Hierro between October 25 and 28.

Legal rights

The child migrants often had their belongings, including mobile phones, confiscated by the police. Most were not told of their legal rights, according to Alvarez.

"If they are treated as adults, they can be expelled to their countries of origin. They are also leaving (state) protection. Sometimes they are transferred to the mainland and they are without protection, they are alone as minors in Spain or maybe they can travel to other European countries," Alvarez said.

A bone test is required to prove a migrants age but these can take months to arrange. Child migrants are given extra support to find residency and education until they reach 18 years old. However, if they are classified as adults, they receive little government help.

Overwhelmed

Local authorities say Spains central government isnt doing enough to help.

"They have left us with 4,700 minors, with NGOs and resources saturated, with difficulties because the screening of who is a minor and who is not a minor is not being done - it is taking at least three, four months. And you have adults in center for minors and minors in centers for adults. So, we have this difficulty," said Fernando Clavijo, the president of the Canary Islands regional government.

He said the European Union should do more to tackle the root causes of emigration from Africa.

"Do you know what a mother or father has to go through to put their six-year-old or seven-year-old son in a cayuco [small wooden boat] with 200 or more people they don't know, and throw them into the open sea at night? These people don't do it for fun," Clavijo told Reuters.

EU demands

Amnesty International is calling on the Spanish government and the European Union to make sure that child migrants are properly screened and to provide safer routes for refugees.

The Spanish Public Prosecutor's office told Reuters on November 14 that it had looked into 48 cases of suspected minors at the Las Raices camp in Tenerife. Of those migrants, four were confirmed as children, 30 were sent to a children's facility pending age tests, and the other 14 were still in assessment.
Ukrainian defense forces continue offensive operations in the Melitopol sector and assault operations south of Bakhmut, as well as hold positions on the left bank of the Dnipro River in the Kherson sector. Ukrainian defenders are inflicting losses and depleting the enemy along the entire front line. At the same time, the occupants are attacking at the Kupyansk, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Maryinka, Shakhtarsk and Zaporizhzhia directions; 70 combat engagements took place at the front during the day.

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This is stated in the operational summary of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, released on the morning of November 21, the 636th day of the large-scale Russian invasion.

Situation at the front

In the Kupyansk sector, in the area of responsibility of the Khortytsia separate military unit, the enemy conducted assault operations in the areas of Sinkivka and east of Petropavlivka in Kharkiv region, where the Defense Forces repelled ten attacks.

In the Lyman sector, the occupants did not conduct any offensive (assault) actions during the day.

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In the Bakhmut sector, the Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 20 enemy attacks in the areas of Klishchiyivka, Andriivka and east of Pivdenne, Donetsk region. Our soldiers are also continuing assault operations south of Bakhmut in Donetsk region, inflicting losses in manpower and equipment on the enemy, and consolidating their positions.

In the Avdiivka sector, in the area of responsibility of the Tavria Brigade, the occupants are continuing their attempts to encircle Avdiivka. Our soldiers are holding steadfast and inflicting significant losses on the enemy. The enemy's offensive actions east of Novobakhmutivka, Stepove, Avdiivka and Pervomaiske in Donetsk region were unsuccessful, where the Defense Forces repelled ten attacks, the General Staff informed.

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In the Maryinka sector , the enemy conducted unsuccessful assault operations in the areas of Maryinka, Pobeda and Novomykhailivka in Donetsk region, where the defense forces repelled 12 attacks.

In the Shakhtarsk sector, the enemy conducted unsuccessful assault operations near Staromayorske, Donetsk region, where our defenders repelled two attacks.

In the Zaporizhzhia sector, the enemy conducted assault operations near Robotyne and northwest of Verbove in the Zaporizhzhia region, but failed.

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At the same time, Ukrainian soldiers continue their offensive in the Melitopol sector, inflicting losses in manpower and equipment on the enemy, exhausting them along the entire front line.

In the Kherson sector, in the area of responsibility of the Odesa Joint Task Force, the Defense Forces continue to hold their positions on the left bank of the Dnipro, conducting counter-battery combat and inflicting fire damage on the enemy's rear.

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In the area of responsibility of the "North" operational and strategic grouping of troops in the Volyn and Polissia directions, the operational situation has not changed significantly.

On the Siversky and Slobozhansky directions, the enemy maintains military presence in the border areas, conducts active sabotage activities to prevent the deployment of our troops to threatened areas, and increases the density of minefields along the state border in the Belgorod region of the Russian Federation.

Russian shelling

The Russian Federation continues to ignore the laws and customs of warfare, uses terror tactics, launches missile and air strikes, and fires from multiple launch rocket systems not only at military but also at civilian targets, the General Staff said.

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Over the past day, the enemy launched 5 missile and 10 air strikes, fired 20 MLRS attacks at the positions of our troops and populated areas, resulting in civilian casualties and injuries, as well as the destruction and damage to private homes and other civilian infrastructure.

In particular, at night, Russia used four S-300 anti-aircraft guided missiles, an Iskander-K cruise missile, and 11 Shaheds. Air defense forces destroyed one missile and ten UAVs. A hospital in the town of Selydove, Donetsk region, the building of the Kotlyarevska mine and other civilian infrastructure were destroyed and damaged.

Kostobobriv, Chernihiv region, and Seredyna-Buda, Sumy region, were hit by air strikes.

More than 110 settlements in Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro and Kherson regions came under artillery fire.

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Ukrainian Armed Forces inflicted losses on the occupants

Over the past day, the aviation of the Defense Forces carried out two strikes on the areas of concentration of the Russian occupation forces.

Units of the Ukrainian missile forces hit an enemy ammunition depot.

As OBOZ.UA reported earlier, according to the General Staff, Russia's losses at the front amounted to 610 people over the past day. In addition, the Ukrainian Defense Forces destroyed 26 units of military equipment and weapons of the occupiers.

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Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Manju Devi suffered in pain for two months last year as she worked on a farm near Delhi, unable to break away from duties that sometimes had her standing for hours in the waist-deep water of a rice paddy, lifting heavy loads in intense heat and spraying pesticides and insecticides. When that pain finally became too much to bear, she was rushed to a hospital.

The doctors verdict: Devi had suffered a prolapsed uterus and would need a hysterectomy. She hadnt said a word to her family about her discomfort because of societal taboo over discussing a women's illness, and with two grown children and three grandchildren looking to the 56-year-old widow to help put food on the table, Devi had relied on painkillers to stay in the fields.

I endured excruciating pain for months, scared to speak about it publicly. It shouldnt take a surgical procedure to make us realize the cost of increasing heat, she said, surrounded by women who told of undergoing a similar ordeal.

As the annual U.N.-led climate summit known as COP is set to convene later this month in Dubai, activists are urging policymakers to respond to climate changes disproportionate impact on women and girls, especially where poverty makes them more vulnerable.

Their recommendations include securing land rights for women, promoting women's cooperatives and encouraging women to lead on developing climate policy. They also suggest that countries  especially developing countries like India  commit more money in their budgets to ensure gender equity in climate policies.

Group of 20 leaders who met in New Delhi in September also recognized the problem, calling for accelerating climate action with gender equality at its core by increasing womens participation and leadership in mitigation and adaptation.

Devi is a farm worker in Syaraul, a village of about 7,000 a couple of hours southeast of Delhi in Uttar Pradesh, India's biggest and most populous state. Several other middle-aged and older women from the village described similar injuries leading to hysterectomies.

The link between phenomena like uterine prolapse and climate change is indirect but significant, said Seema Bhaskaran, who tracks gender issues for the nonprofit Transform Rural India Foundation.

Women in rural, climate-affected communities often bear the brunt of physically demanding agricultural work, made more strenuous by climate change-related challenges like erratic weather and increased labor needs," Bhaskaran said. While climate change doesnt directly cause uterine prolapse, it magnifies the underlying health challenges and conditions that make women more susceptible to such health issues.

About 150 kilometers away, in Nanu village, 62-year-old farm worker Savita Singh blames climate change for a chemical infection that cost her a finger in August 2022.

When her husband moved to Delhi to work as a plumber, she was left alone to tend the couple's fields. As rice and wheat yields fell due to shifting climate patterns and a surge in pest attacks, Singh's husband, who retained decision-making power, decided to increase the use of pesticides and insecticides. It was up to Singh, who had opposed the increases, to apply the chemicals.

With the rise in pest attacks in farms, we have started using more than three times pesticides and fertilizers in our farms and without any safety gears, my hand got burned by the chemicals and one of my fingers had to be amputated, she said.

In Pilakhana, another Uttar Pradesh village, 22-year-old wage laborer Babita Kumari suffered stillbirths in 2021 and this year that she attributes to the heavy lifting she endured daily in working a brick kiln for long hours in intense heat. Climate change at least doubled the chances of the heat wave that hit the state this year, according to an analysis by Climate Central, an independent U.S.-based group of scientists who developed a tool to quantify climate change's contribution to changing daily temperatures.

My mother and her mother all have worked in brick kilns all their lives but the heat was not this bad even though they worked for more than eight hours like me. But for the past six-seven years the situation has worsened and heat has become unbearable to withstand, but what option do we have than to endure it? said Kumari, who lives in a makeshift camp with her husband.

Bhaskaran noted that women in India often assume primary roles in agriculture while men migrate to urban areas, which makes the women especially vulnerable to the direct effects of climate change. A government labor force survey for 2021-22 found that 75% of the people working in agriculture are women. But only about 14% of agricultural land is owned by women, according to a government agriculture census.

For Bhaskaran, it adds up to a picture of women sacrificing their health by working long hours in intense heat, exposed to insecticides and pesticides, and with uncertain access to clean water. On top of that, many are undernourished because they "often eat last and least within patriarchal structures, she said.

Poonam Muttreja is a women's rights activist who also directs the Population Foundation of India, a non-governmental organization that focuses on issues of population, family planning, reproductive health, and gender equality. She said it's essential that COP28, the meeting in Dubai, take concrete action to help women.

She said COP28 should go beyond providing financial aid, and actively promote and facilitate the inclusion of gender considerations within all climate-related policies, initiatives, and actions.

It must prioritize awareness programs that emphasize the specific health challenges women face in the wake of climate change as a critical step towards increasing public knowledge. These efforts will also serve as a call to action for governments, institutions, and communities to prioritize womens health and well-being as a central component of their climate initiatives, she added.

Anjal Prakash, a professor and the research director at the Bharti Institute of Public Policy at the Indian School of Business, coordinated a working group that examined gender for a recent assessment by the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. He said it will take international pressure to overcome some countries that may quietly oppose gender-sensitive climate policies due to conservative ideologies and political barriers.

Finding money will also be a formidable challenge, he said.

Shweta Narayan, a researcher and environmental justice activist at Health Care Without Harm, said women, children and the elderly are among the most vulnerable to extreme climate events. She saw reason for optimism at COP28 because of a dedicated Health Day at the conference.

Definitely there is a very clear recognition that climate has a health impact and health needs to be considered more seriously, she said.

This article is part of a series produced under the India Climate Journalism Program, a collaboration between The Associated Press, the Stanley Center for Peace and Security and the Press Trust of India.
Authorities in Kyiv have accused Moscow of forcibly deporting or transferring nearly 20,000 Ukrainian children to Russia or Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine. And to mark World Children's Day on November 20, human rights activists are drawing attention to Russia's violation of international child protection laws. Lesia Bakalets spoke with one young man who says he was forcibly taken.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is warning that if Russia is successful in Ukraine, China will be emboldened to use military force to expand its territory in the Indo-Pacific.

We cant live in that kind of world, Austin told U.S. troops at a military installation in eastern Poland Tuesday after a surprise stop the day before in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.

If youre another autocrat, say China, and you want to take over more ground [and] more territory, and you saw what happened in Ukraine and there were no consequences to be paid, youd feel pretty good about it, Austin said.

Austin also warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin will continue his push to overrun sovereign democracies in eastern Europe if he isnt shut down in Ukraine.

Putin wont stop if he takes Ukraine, Austin said. The next thing is hes rolling across the Baltics  and the next thing you know, you and your comrades will be on the frontlines fighting against a Putin that we should have stopped, or Ukraine could have stopped early on.

Austin comments echo many concerns voiced by NATO allies in eastern Europe since the invasion began. Eastern European nations like Estonia, Romania and Poland have hosted increasing numbers of U.S. troops and weaponry, while also building up their own defenses to deter Russian aggression.

Austin spoke with Polands Minister of Defense Mariusz Blaszczak while visiting the Polish base, which officials asked to remain unnamed because of the major role it plays in pushing U.S. and Western military aid into Ukraine.

This matters, because people are trying to survive on the other end, Austin said. There are people dying every day.

Austins trip to Kyiv on Monday was a display of Western solidarity amid increasing concerns that support for Ukraine could be waning as U.S. attention is directed to the conflict in the Middle East.

U.S. Congress has yet to fund additional assistance to Ukraine, which in turn has caused the Pentagon to start sending smaller military aid packages to Kyiv in an effort to make the funding they have left last longer.

During the visit, Austin announced a new U.S. aid package of up to $100 million from the Pentagons weapons stockpiles, including an additional HIMARS artillery rocket system and more munitions. Prior to the announcement, he spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and members of his cabinet about the immediate winter fight and planning for future security assistance.

Monday marked the defense secretarys first visit to the Ukrainian capital since April 2022, shortly after the nearly two-year war began. Russia launched an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February of that year, calling the war a special military operation.

We dont want to live in a world where an autocrat can wake up and  take over his neighbors property, Austin said Tuesday.

The U.S defense secretary will host another round of talks of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group virtually from the Pentagon on Wednesday. The Pentagon says more than 50 nations are expected to participate in the talks, which help Ukraines partners coordinate military aid sent to Kyiv.

Defense officials say the U.S. will provide a steady stream of security assistance throughout the winter, and Austin told reporters on Monday he expects the Ukrainians to be aggressive in the weeks ahead.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday criticized China for a dangerous encounter between Chinese and Australian warships but declined to say whether he had raised the issue in recent talks with President Xi Jinping.

He said one Australian diver was injured when a Chinese destroyer used sonar while near an Australian frigate in international waters last Tuesday. Defense Minister Richard Marles said Saturday he had raised serious concerns with Beijing about the destroyers unsafe and unprofessional behavior.

China's defense ministry spokesperson, Wu Qian, on Monday dismissed Australia's allegations as completely untrue.

Between the encounter and Marles statement, Albanese spoke to Xi on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific leaders summit in San Francisco.

Albanese said on Monday his discussions with Xi were private, rather than a formal bilateral meeting in which content summaries are made public.

I dont talk about private meetings on the sidelines, discussions I have with any world leader, Albanese told Sky News in his Parliament House office.

Its something that is a regrettable incident. Thats why we have put our very strong objections to China very clearly, very directly through all of the appropriate channels in all the forums that are available to us, Albanese added.

He said the incident does do damage to Australias relationship with China. This was dangerous, it was unsafe and unprofessional from the Chinese forces, he said.

Opposition lawmakers have accused Albanese of failing to raise the encounter with Xi because the Australian leader did not want to risk setting back an improving bilateral relationship.

More weak leadership from Anthony Albanese who appears to be prioritizing photo ops with Xi Jinping over speaking up for our people. Disgraceful, senior opposition lawmaker Sussan Ley posted on social media.

Albanese recently became the first Australian prime minister to visit China in seven years in a sign that relations have improved since Leys coalition government was voted out of office in 2022 after nine years in power.

The U.S., Canadian and Australian militaries have complained multiple times about what they say have been dangerous actions by the Chinese navy and air force in the western Pacific. Analysts fear a collision or other accident could spark an international incident and escalate into conflict.

Australia said the Chinese destroyer CNS Ningbo operated its sonar while Australian naval divers were underwater trying to clear fishing nets that tangled the propellers of their ship HMAS Toowoomba.

Albanese said one diver was injured. Defense officials have not specified the injuries or number of divers, but media have reported the divers ears were injured.

Analysts say sonar pulses can cause extensive soft tissue damage to divers at close range.

Australia says the Toowoomba notified the Ningbo that diving operations were under way and asked the Chinese to keep clear.

But the Ningbo approached using hull-mounted sonar equipment, placing the divers at risk and forcing them from the water, defense officials say.

The Chinese defense ministry denied Australia's account that the interaction occurred within Japan's exclusive economic zone.

Wu said the destroyer had been tracking and monitoring the frigate in accordance with international laws and regulations. The Chinese ship had maintained a safe distance and did not interfere with the Australian divers' operations, he said.

"We urge the Australian side to respect the facts, stop making reckless and irresponsible accusations against China, do more to build up mutual trust between the two sides and create a positive atmosphere for the sound development of relations between the two countries and two militaries, Wu said.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the nation's military was always highly disciplined and conducted professional operations in accordance with international law and international practice.

We hope the relevant party will stop stirring up trouble at Chinas doorstep and work with us to jointly sustain the momentum of the improvement and development of China-Australia relations, Mao told a regular media briefing on Monday.
Nineteen-year-old Dewa  not her real name  had an admission letter to an undergraduate college program in the United States and a scholarship covering all her expenses. But the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, rejected her student visa application, saying they believed she was intending to immigrate.

Following the initial refusal in August, Dewa made a second attempt in October, bolstering her application with a support letter from a U.S. congressman urging the embassy to give "full and fair consideration" to her case.

That didn't work either.

In recounting her experience with VOA over the phone, Dewa said, "The visa officer only said that I did not prove that I will return to my home country."

The U.S. Embassy in Pakistan did not respond to emailed inquiries and phone calls.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State confirmed to VOA that all visa applications, including student visas, are adjudicated in accordance with the Immigration and Nationality Act. That includes the requirement to overcome the presumption of immigration intent.

"Consular officers assess the circumstances of each student visa applicant and our guidance instructs consular officers to adjudicate student visa applications based on the applicant's present intent rather than to speculate about what might happen in the future," the spokesperson wrote.

Now facing the prospect of deportation from Pakistan as her short-term visa expires in two weeks, Dewa is confronted with the grim reality of her future in Afghanistan, where the Taliban have imposed restrictions on education for girls, closure of secondary schools and universities, and serious limitations on women's work.

In support of Dewa's dream of an education in the United States, her father borrowed $4,000 from relatives to pay for their trip to Pakistan, accommodation, and visa application fees.

"I feel terrified every time I remember that my family has wasted everything we had in my journey for education," Dewa says.

Dewa's plight is further compounded by the trauma of a deadly earthquake in October that destroyed her family's home in Herat province.

'Condemned in Afghanistan'

Three other female students, who did not want their real names to be used in this article, shared similar accounts, revealing that their visa applications to the U.S. and Canadian embassies in Islamabad were denied, despite each presenting fully funded scholarship awards.

"My visa application was rejected summarily on the ground that I did not prove strong ties to my country," said Fahima Amini, who has been admitted to a postgraduate program at Niagara University in the United States.

Shukria Ahmadzai, another student, faced delays and an eventual rejection by the Canadian Embassy without an explanation.

Describing the decisions as "callous" and "illogical," these Afghan female students voiced how their dreams for education and a better future have been shattered.

"We are condemned in Afghanistan just because of our gender, and we are rejected by the rest of the world," said Amini, whose visa applications to both the U.S. and Canada were denied last year.

Human rights groups are urging the United Nations to officially recognize what they term "gender apartheid" in Afghanistan and hold Taliban officials accountable for misogynistic policies.

Some also point to stringent visa requirements as a hurdle for Afghan women seeking education abroad.

"If the Taliban's policy is monstrous, inhumane, and illegal, so too is the U.S. government's apparent policy of excluding women from Afghanistan from entering the United States," said Kevin Hinkley, a professor of political science and co-director of the Justice House Program at Niagara University.

Hinkley highlighted the challenges faced by two of the four Afghan women admitted for the 2024 cohort at Niagara University, who have been attempting to obtain U.S. visas since 2021.

Despite repeated declarations of support for Afghan women by U.S. officials, Hinkley criticized the lack of tangible action.

"The Biden administration's policy  as enforced by the U.S. State Department's Consular Affairs Bureau at the embassy in Islamabad  appears to be one of systematic discrimination and exclusion, denying Afghan women and girls access to educational opportunities in the U.S. on the same terms as international students from any other country in the world."

Hundreds granted visas

In the wake of the Taliban's takeover in 2021, the closure of the U.S. Embassy in Kabul has left Afghan citizens seeking U.S. consular services with limited options, often requiring them to travel to a third country, predominantly neighboring Pakistan.

However, for many, especially women without a male chaperone, the journey from Afghanistan to Pakistan is fraught with difficulties and steep costs.

In contrast to the stringent no-immigration intent requirement for U.S. student visas, several European countries have stepped up to offer refugee status to Afghan women due to the Taliban's pervasive gender discrimination and persecution within Afghanistan.

"Being a woman from Afghanistan is in itself considered to be a sufficient basis for obtaining protection in Sweden," Carl Bexelius, an official at the Swedish Migration Agency, said last year.

"From now on, women and girls from Afghanistan will be covered by section 7, subsection 1 of the Aliens Act. 1, (asylum) solely because of their gender," the Danish Refugee Board said in a statement in January.

The United States has admitted tens of thousands of Afghans over the past two years, mostly individuals who worked for the U.S. military in the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan since 2001.

The number of Afghans awarded student visa has also gone up significantly. From September 2021 to September 2023, at least 700 student visas were issued to Afghan applicants compared to about 180 student visas awarded in the two preceding years, according to the Department of State.

However, the Department of State refrained from disclosing the number of rejected student visa applications, stating that publicly available data does not include a breakdown of student visa refusals or total applications by applicant country.

Those denied a visa, like Dewa, question the apparent disparity between the U.S.'s official policy of supporting Afghan women and the hurdles faced by individuals seeking education in America.

"How can the U.S. embrace Afghan men through a special immigration program, individuals with a history of violence, corruption, and failure, while rejecting girls who come to America for education?" she asked.
France's Senate is this week to debate a draft law that would allow people convicted under anti-gay laws before 1982 to receive financial compensation.

Thousands of people were sentenced under two French laws in force between 1942 and 1982, one determining the age of consent for same-sex relations and the other defining such relations as an aggravating factor in acts of "public outrage."

The sponsor of the bill to be debated on Wednesday, Senator Hussein Bourgi of the Socialist party, said he wanted the French government to recognize the state's role in discriminating against people engaging in same-sex relations.

"This draft law has symbolic value," he told AFP.

"It aims to rectify an error that society committed at the time."

The punishments meted out by the courts had "consequences that were much more serious than you might think today," Bourgi said.

"People were crushed. Some lost their jobs or had to leave town," he said.

Beyond the government's recognition of wrongdoing, Bourgi said he also wanted an independent commission to manage financial compensation of 10,000 euros ($11,000) for each victim.

Antoine Idier, a sociologist and historian, called the initiative "salutary" but added that focusing on two laws of the period made it too restrictive.

"Judges employed a much wider judicial arsenal to repress homosexuality," he said, including laws that were not specifically aimed at same-sex relations but at "moral failings" or "inciting minors to commit depravity."

- 'Hunting gays down' -

Michel Chomarat, now 74, was arrested in 1977 during a police raid on a gay bar called "Le Manhattan."

"Homophobia by the state consisted in hunting gays down everywhere," he told AFP.

The bar was a private space with restricted access "but even so, police took us away in handcuffs and accused us of public moral outrage," he said.

Chomarat said the draft law came "too late" because many people entitled to compensation had already died.

In an op-ed piece in LGBTQ magazine Tetu in June, activists, unionists and civil servants had already called for a recognition and rehabilitation of victims of anti-gay repression.

"One of the reasons why homophobia persists in today's society is that state laws, rules and practices legitimized such discrimination in the past," said Joel Deumier, co-president of SOS Homophobie, a non-profit organization defending lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex rights.

For Bourgi's text to become law, first the Senate (the upper house of parliament) and then the National Assembly (the lower house) have to vote in favor.

During this process there are often negotiations about the final wording of a bill to make it acceptable to both houses.

There is precedent for the French initiative elsewhere in Europe.

Germany decided in 2017 to rehabilitate and compensate around 50,000 men condemned on the basis of "paragraph 175", a 19th-century law criminalizing homosexuality that was broadened by Nazi Germany and repealed only in 1994.

Austria is elaborating a similar approach, to become law next year.

'Brought disgrace'

In Britain, where male anal sex became punishable by death under the Buggery Act of 1533, sexual relations between men were decriminalized in England and Wales in 1967, and later in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

But this was only if the sexual relations occurred in private and the people involved were over 21.

Under a recent "disregard and pardons scheme," people in Britain can get a historic conviction for gay sex offenses removed from police and court records.

This includes convictions for "buggery," "gross indecency" and "procuring others to commit homosexual acts"  all since abolished  but not sexual activity in a public toilet, which is still an offense.

Regis Schlagdenhauffen, a social science professor at the EHESS school in Paris, said his research suggested that at least 10,000 people had been condemned for homosexuality in France between 1942 and 1982, mostly men from working-class backgrounds.

A third of them was married and a quarter had children, he said.

"Those condemnations brought disgrace and were a terrible experience to live through," said Schlagdenhauffen.

This was the reason why many victims of state repression might not come forward, he said, preferring not to revisit the traumatic experience.
An official from another key Western ally paid a surprise visit to Ukraine Tuesday while Russian forces continued to pound civilian infrastructure with missiles and drones.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius arrived in Kyiv a day after a visit by U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

Both men said their nations would help Ukraine during what is expected to be a long, cold, uncertain winter.

Germany is the second-biggest supplier of military assistance to Kyiv, behind the United States.

Pistorius second visit to Ukraine came during a commemoration of the countrys November 2013 pro-democracy uprising.

"I am here again, firstly to pledge further support, but also to express our solidarity and deep bond and also our admiration for the courageous, brave and costly fight that is being waged here," Pistorius said, laying flowers at Maidan square in central Kyiv.

In his address Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy linked the 2013 demonstrations, which continued for months, to the war with Russia today.

Ten years ago, people united not only against something, but above all for themselves. Everyone for everyone. All those who after the arbitrariness of force felt that they are also being beaten, that they are also hurt, that these are blows to justice and truth, to freedom, to our common tomorrow.

What will it be like if we remain silent, swallow it, and fear instead of fighting? he said. And then, in fact, the first victory in today's war took place. The victory of non-indifference. The victory of courage. The victory of the Revolution of Dignity.

Meanwhile, heavy Russian drone and missile attacks continued, damaging a hospital, a building at a mine and other civilian infrastructure.

"The central city hospital in the town of Selydove in the Donetsk region, the building of the Kotlyarevska mine and other civilian infrastructure were destroyed and damaged," the Ukrainian military said in a statement.

In his visit Monday, Austin said the Pentagon would be sending an additional $100 million in weapons to Ukraine, including artillery and munitions for air defense systems.

He said Ukraine's effort to defeat Russian forces matters to the rest of the world" and that U.S. support would continue for the long haul."

Some information for this article came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
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Heavy fighting erupted Monday around a hospital in northern Gaza, killing 12 people. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin arrived unannounced into Kyiv to show U.S. continued support for Ukraines fight against Russias aggression.
Shlomi Eldar has a rare specialization for an Israeli media personality: for over 30 years, hes been covering Hamas and Gaza.

In his books and award-winning documentaries, Eldar has tried to tell the stories of the Palestinians beyond the wall. He still grapples with the shock of the Oct. 7 attack, no longer seeing them as a group that can be reasoned with.

After the Oct. 7 attack, he said he got a phone call from a Palestinian who told him of family members killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza. Eldar admits all he could say was, Look what Hamas did.

Since 1991, as a reporter, book author and documentarist, Eldar brought to audiences in Israel and beyond, stories of the Palestinians in Gaza  putting a human face on repeated cycles of the conflict and revealing painful situations.

His 2010 movie Precious Life was about the struggle to save a Palestinian baby with a rare genetic disease. The baby was treated by Israeli doctors with the help of an Israeli donor whose son was killed by Palestinians.

In 2009, Palestinian doctor Izzeldin Abuelaish was on the phone with Eldar during a live broadcast when the doctor discovered his daughters and a niece were killed in an Israeli tank strike.

Over the years, Eldar also interviewed Hamas leaders, including Ismail Haniyeh who resides in Qatar.

Yet, Eldar said the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, which killed over 1,200 people in Israel, left him in deep shock, as it did much of the rest of the country, especially after he saw the bodycam footage of the attackers.

I followed Hamas for over 30 years. I've never imagined to myself they become monsters, he said, adding that he never previously compared any of the groups behavior to the Nazis and the Holocaust. But Eldar said seeing images of burned bodies from the Oct. 7 attacks was not something he could shake off.

Butchering, burning bodies, children, rapes, kidnappings. They kidnapped a baby, nine months old, to Gaza, he said.

He said Hamas was elected in 2006, in part in response to the perceived corruption of the Palestinian Authority, as well as Hamas' welfare work with the people in the Gaza Strip. He said Hamas has since neglected its responsibilities to the people, instead diverting resources from civilians and opting for violence.

Eldar said the attack cost Hamas a lot of support in Gaza.

People in Gaza know what Hamas brings them  to the future of Gaza. They took them 20 or 25 years back  even more. I heard voices in Gaza now, talking freely, [look] 'what you've made for us. What you've done to us, they said. They are hiding in the tunnels, he saidHe thinks the exceptional cruelty of the Oct. 7 attack was made possible because of a combination of several factors  one of them is Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader in Gaza. Sinwar was released in a 2011 prisoner exchange for the kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

He is a cruel man. I've heard many, many stories, Eldar said. He was arrested in 1989 because he butchered Palestinians. He suspected they were collaborating with Israel, and he just tortured them and killed them."

The second factor, which was easy for Israel to neglect beyond the wall separating Gaza and Israel, Eldar said, is the education of children in Gaza toward violence.

The new generation, the young people  they were born, or they were children when Hamas took power in the Gaza Strip. Maybe they were children, five, six, 10 years old and they grew up with incitement all the time. And they've been taught that the Israelis are not human beings. When they invaded Israel, they didn't see the Israelis as human beings, just something that they can kill, Eldar said.

He explained the connection between the different groups attacking Israel in the north and south is Iran and its call for jihad against Israel.

Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah are affiliated to Iran. Iran gave them an order to fight Israel. We have three main groups  Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad and other smaller organizations like the Houthis in Yemen. And we can see the fingerprints of the Iranians.

Israel has declared the end of Hamas as the main goal of the military campaign in Gaza. Eldar is skeptical about that.

We can defeat Hamas. But we can't eliminate them. I think that Hamas is an ideological movement. An ideological movement you can't destroy. We can defeat the militant group, he said, reminding that Hamas' top leaders are not in Gaza, but in Qatar. Qatar is hiding Ismail Haniyeh and Khaled Mashal. They can rebuild Hamas again.

Eldar is also pessimistic about the possible solutions for after the war, pointing to the lack of political alternatives, and the cost of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government strategy of weakening the Palestinian Authority.

The Israelis didn't know about it [the attack] because Netanyahu preferred to divide between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, demonizing [Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud] Abbas for years, Eldar argues. So, in the end, we were surprised when we saw that Hamas was not what we thought. We thought that we could contain Hamas. We failed.

He said the recovery of Gaza may take decades  and he is not sure if the border with Israel will ever reopen.


Growing up in Lahore  Pakistans cultural capital  fall used to be the perfect time for Mariam to enjoy outdoor activities after months of scorching summer heat. Now, she cannot imagine the same for her young daughters as Lahores air, ranked the most polluted globally, becomes unusually toxic in cooler months.

You can just smell, sometimes you can taste it, and feel it as well, said the mother of two describing what it is like to breathe the polluted air.

With an AQI reading of 345 early in the day, Lahore ranked second worst city in the world for air pollution on Tuesday, according to the Air Quality Index or AQI run by IQAir, a Swiss air purifier manufacturer.

An AQI above 151 is unhealthy, while above 301 the air is hazardous for breathing.

IQAirs index ranked Lahore the most polluted city of 2022.

Smog emergency

The city, along with several other in Pakistans biggest province Punjab,is under a month-long smog emergency since early November.

Smog  a combination of smoke and fog  is a specific phenomenon that occurs when certain pollution particles mix with cold, moist air and hang close to the ground, reducing visibility.

In a bid to reduce traffic congestion and exposure to toxic air, the top court in Punjab on Monday ordered the closure of government-run educational institutions on Saturdays until the end of January 2024. The court also asked the provincial government to come up with a work-from-home plan for the private sector.

A year-long emergency

For a few weeks in fall, smoke in Punjabs air increases as Pakistani and Indian farmers on both sides of the divided state burn agricultural residue to prepare fields for planting the next crop. Environmentalists, however, say the government is in denial about the extent of Pakistans pollution problem, which is primarily driven by low quality, high-Sulphur fuel.

Air pollution has always been an issue in Pakistani cities, going back the better part of 15 odd years, Ahmad Rafay Alam, a Lahore-based environmental lawyer told VOA. We have a year-long regional air pollution emergency and we tend to think of it as a Lahore smog issue.

According to the Air Quality Life Index developed by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago, 98.3 percent of Pakistanis breathe air that is below the countrys own national air quality standard.

In 2017 the provincial Environmental Protection Department came up with an 11-point policy, on court orders, focusing on controlling emissions from vehicles and factories.

The court was, however, dissatisfied and constituted a smog commission for detailed analysis and recommendations on improving air quality.

Speaking to VOA, Naseem-ur-Rehman Shah, secretary of the provincial Environment Commission claimed that 80% of factories were now monitoring their emissions while 70-percent of brick kilns had moved to an environmentally friendly design

Still, data paints a terrifying picture.

Every figure is telling you that the air pollution in Lahore is about, on the lower end, like 30, 40 times higher than the WHO safe limits, said Abid Omar, founder of Air Quality Pakistan Initiative, a network of volunteers who monitor air quality using IQAir monitors.

Omar is based in Karachi which routinely competes with Lahore and Delhi for the worst air quality in the world.

Monitoring

For the city of nearly 15 million people, Punjabs environmental agency gathers data from only five air quality monitors in Lahore.

Omars Pakistan Air Quality Initiative has 50 monitors feeding into IQAirs Air Quality Index.

Shahs department does not use PAQIs data over standardization concerns but it is planning to add several monitors of its own.

In 2019, the provincial environmental regulator was forced to revise its air quality standards after it emerged officials were underreporting pollution by using low standards.

Alam represented the complainants in taking the regulator to court.

Knee jerk reaction

With air quality declining dramatically this month, the provincial and city administration have ramped up crackdown on smoke-emitting factories, brick kilns, and vehicles.

Citing city administration, local media reported that more than 16,000 vehicles were ticketed and over $100,000 dollars in fines imposed since the beginning of the emergency.

Omar calls such administrative measures a knee jerk reaction lacking long-term impact.

Because it's very random and ad hoc implementation, it's not going to be an effective policy, Omar said.

Shah called such criticism unfair. "We are working to eliminate sources of pollution," he said.

Policy shift

What we need to do is improve the quality of our refineries, which don't produce high quality fuels ... you have to transition to renewable energies, which is expensive and time consuming, said Alam, pointing to studies that show fuel and energy sector are among the primary polluters in the country.

In May this year, Pakistan's Ministry of Climate Change introduced the National Clean Air Policy. It aims to reduce harmful emissions in the next 10 years by introducing interventions in transport, industry, agriculture, waste and household sectors.

Such an overhaul will take time, money, and political will.

For Mariam, who runs three air purifiers in her home, the only option at the moment is to keep her daughters indoors as much as possible.

It actually feels like ... you're being deprived of something very basic ... not being able to breathe in fresh air.

According to the Air Quality Life Index at the University of Chicago, Pakistanis are losing 3.9 years of life expectancy because of breathing toxic air. In Lahore and the rest of Punjab, residents are on track to lose between 3.7 to 4.6 years of life expectancy.
Abbas Ganbay

According to the Press Service of the President of Kazakhstan, President of Kazakhstan Kasym-Jomart Tokayev will pay a working visit to Azerbaijan on 24, Azernews reports.

The Press Service noted that the head of state will participate in the summit of the UN Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA), which will be held in Baku.

It should be noted that the UN Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) was established on 26 March 1998 by the Tashkent Declaration signed by the Presidents of Central Asian countries and Executive Secretaries of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the UN Economic Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) as a special UN programme to assist these countries in economic development, cooperation and integration into the economies of Europe and Asia.

At present, the SPECA participating States are Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. UNECE and ESCAP jointly provide full support to the Programme activities in close cooperation with the UN Resident Coordinators in SPECA countries. SPECA provides a platform for subregional cooperation to realise those Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that can best be achieved through regional cooperation. In 2023, Azerbaijan will chair the Programme and host SPECA Days in Baku from 20 to 24 November 2023.
U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen said that Ukraine is completely dependent on the assistance provided by its partners, including the United States. She noted that our country should not be allowed to lose the war against Russia because it lacked money.

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Yellen said this on CNBC. The official was answering a question about the prospects for Congress to approve a $106 billion funding request submitted by U.S. President Joe Biden, which includes assistance to Ukraine.

According to Yellen, she cannot predict how quickly the congressmen will approve this aid, but she hopes it will happen. She emphasized that it is important for the United States to help both Ukraine and Israel.

"It is extremely important that this assistance be provided to Ukraine and Israel. We cannot allow Ukraine to lose the battle on the home front because it did not have enough money to pay for teachers or emergency services while it is fighting bravely on the battlefield," the minister emphasized.

Approval of this request is critical for President Biden and for U.S. national security, she said.

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"We need to join others, as our European friends are providing Ukraine with 50 billion euros of assistance over the next four years. The IMF has allocated more than 15 billion. They need us to do our part to make it a complete aid package. And, of course, Israel also urgently needs help. And this aid is crucial to America's national security. If Putin were to win this brutal war in Ukraine, we could see him attacking our NATO ally. We have to stop that," Yellen explained.

As reported by OBOZ.UA:

- U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen said that the U.S. Congress will eventually approve a new aid package for Ukraine, but the path to this may be difficult. The democratic process of making this decision may be "chaotic".

- According to media reports, Congressional leaders hope to agree on an additional package to help Ukraine and Israel by the end of the year.

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Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
In some places the water came on like a pack of cars, speeding more than 120 kilometers an hour over the tops of 30-meter-high palm trees.

As Hani Elbah, a 47-year-old government worker, saw the flood approach, he mentally prepared for death. It was September 11, the day Storm Daniel swept into his city, Derna, in eastern Libya.

A nearby building, seven stories high with 21 families inside, collapsed. "The families were all upstairs," recalls Elbah. "The flood crushed it like a milk carton."

Lights from mobile phones could be seen careening into the chaos as people were swallowed by the water. Elbah, his wife, and three children survived on the roof of a neighbors six-story building.

They were spared, but more than two months after the flood, authorities have counted nearly 4,400 dead and more than 8,000 people missing, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

And residents of Derna say the region is still reeling from trauma and lack of humanitarian aid to replace what they lostwhich for many people was everything. More than 43,000 people are still displaced amid increasingly dire reports of suicides and other mental health crises.

"The city was worn out even before," says Elbah. "Now we need everything from A to Z. We need infrastructure, housing projects and water supply projects. Mostly we need psychological support."

Immediate needs

Some schools in Derna are operating a little, with damaged buildings and teachers missing or among the dead, adds Elbah, but others are destroyed or still occupied by homeless flood victims. Shallow mass graves appear in danger of being unearthed as workers continue to search for bodies.

On the streets of Derna, one only needs to look to the children to see the lingering trauma from the floods and what has become a widespread mental health crisis, says Sanad Alowami, a Red Crescent volunteer who works in Derna.

"Whenever they see rain, they will run to the rooftops and shout at people to come up, saying Its coming, its coming," Alowami says.

This mental health crisis is among Dernas most urgent needs, says Talal Burnaz the Libya Country Director at International Medical Corps, but it is also a difficult issue to address. Libya lacks trained psychologists and a culture of mental health care, he says. But the trauma has become deadly, he says, with rising suicide rates and not nearly enough psycho-social support.

"We started seeing lots of reports about cases who committed suicide or tried to commit suicide in that region," he says. "And those people of course were mentally affected by the loss of their family members. And that number is not small."

People in areas destroyed by the floods also have immediate physical needs, adds Burnaz.

Roughly 2,000 families are still crowded into temporary shelters in Derna, like schools, relatives homes or abandoned dwellings previously considered unfit for habitation.

And in areas washed away by the floods, recovery has been slow, and sometimes haphazard, with aid suspended from time to time and other critical recovery projects still in the planning phase, says Alowami, from the Red Crescent.

As winter rapidly approaches, many families still need basic things, like warm blankets and sheets, he adds.

"At the beginning we received a lot of aid," he explains. "It was not all distributed correctly, but the demands were met. But for two weeks now most aid isnt coming in."

Why the lack of aid?

In the days after the floods, people from all over Libya flocked to the ravaged region, working with aid groups, or just bringing what help they could from their homes and neighborhoods, according to Mary Fitzgerald, a Libya expert from the Middle East Institute, a Washington-based think tank. Libyas two governments pledged their commitments to help the region recover.

But in the weeks that followed, many volunteers had to return to their families and jobs and the two governments moment of agreement did not blossom into a new era of joint efforts. Derna and the surrounding region remain isolated by political divisions, ravaged by years of war, easily ignored by the global community, and ripe for abuses and corruption, says Fitzgerald.

"The needs remain enormous," she explains, "but there is increasingly a sense that the authorities have essentially moved on."

In Derna, families are quick to say that help is needed, but they need it "direct to the people without any middle parties," without explaining the problem exactly.

Immediately after the floods, locals held protests, expressing anger over the corruption and mismanagement they believed lead to the collapse of the dams in the first place. But since then, international journalists and researchers have mostly not been allowed into the region and protests have stopped.

But the mental health crisis continues to deepen, according to Alowami, and many among the thousands of missing people are no closer to being identified. Bodies found now are as far away as 80 kilometers offshore.

"The people are still shocked from the catastrophe," he says. "People who lost their families and relatives didnt cry for them. There wasnt time to grieve."
Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev bewildered Vladimir Putin and his entourage when, during a November 9 briefing in the Kazakh capital, he addressed the visiting Russian president in his native tongue. While Tokayev spoke in Kazakh for less than 30 seconds, the gesture made a point: Kazakhstan is not Russia. Moscow is a strategic ally and neighbor with a shared past, but Kazakhstan is a sovereign nation.

"It takes courage," Azamat Junisbai, professor at Pitzer College, remarked in a posting on X. "That President Tokayev made a point of delivering even a small part of his message in Qazaq is meaningful and appreciated by those who know the context."

Junisbai's posting, using the native rather than the more familiar Russian spelling for the language, itself reflected the former Soviet republic's determination to establish its own identity apart from Moscow.

Changes in perception slow in coming

Tokayev and other Central Asian leaders, especially Uzbekistan's Shavkat Mirziyoyev, have been traveling the world, signing major investment deals and hosting international summits at home, promoting their development agendas and visions for the region.

Yet many in the West have been slow to acknowledge the trend, including major news publications such as Reuters, Deutsche Welle, The Wall Street Journal and Time, all of which have recently referred to Central Asia as "Russia's backyard."

Bloomberg, for example, covered the French president's visit to Central Asia this month with an attention-grabbing "Macron Lands in Putin's Backyard Seeking New Friends and Uranium."

Central Asian and some Western researchers take offense at the phrase, which they increasingly see as evidence of a colonial and condescending way of understanding a region that has its own history, culture and trajectory.

"Bloomberg reducing Kazakhstan/Central Asia to 'Putin's backyard' is just a new level of ignorant, insulting, and unethical journalism," wrote Akbota Karibayeva, a doctoral student from Kazakhstan at George Washington University, on X.

Asel Doolotkeldieva with the OSCE Academy in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, also reacted on X: "Bloomberg didn't even bother to write the country's name. Kazakhstan is just a 'backyard.' So tell me, how this Western imperial discourse is different from the Russian imperial discourse on Central Asia? How better you are?"

Eric Rudenshiold said in a recent Washington roundtable, "Central Asia is not a flyover zone. It is a destination." The former National Security Council director for Central Asia under the Biden and Trump administrations is now a senior fellow at the Caspian Policy Center in Washington.

Central Asia wants 'strong commitment'

Speaking remotely from Tashkent on the same panel discussion, Uzbek scholar Akram Umarov argued that countries seeking to boost relations with Central Asia need to appreciate that emerging identity.

"Central Asia is focused on its own development," he said. "It wants a strong commitment and longstanding interest from its partners, including the United States."

Part of that identity is forged by Central Asia's location in a "tough neighborhood"  landlocked and surrounded by Russia, China, Iran and Afghanistan  while standing at the crossroads between eastern and western Asia.

"We cannot change our geography, which always matters. You deal with what you have, so we need to be pragmatic," Umarov said.

His Kazakh colleague Iskander Akylbayev added that Central Asia is more than simply an area connecting larger, more powerful states, but one that aims to transform itself into a commercial hub.

Kazakhstan, one of the world's top 12 oil producers, "does not just want an energy-oriented cooperation. It wants to become a knowledge-based economy," Akylbayev said, stressing the importance of regional connectivity, which could lure more investment to Central Asia and boost its image.

But the reality is more complicated, according to Uzbek and Kazakh officials, who acknowledge that the region's leaders are deeply affected by a fear of Russian aggression and a lingering distrust of the U.S. and the EU. Central Asian governments find themselves hedging, seeking an elusive balance.

Speaking on background with VOA about Central Asia's predicament, a Biden administration official echoed this concern: "How do you move your goods and push for your interests when you are surrounded by Russia, China, Iran and Afghanistan?"

Openings for the U.S.

Rudenshiold sees the five Central Asian states "working together and breaking free from their former isolation to connect to a more global future  a process that has created significant new openings for the United States."

China, the Gulf states and the EU are promising to invest billions that Central Asians hope will free them from "Russia's stranglehold." America's pledge pales by comparison, Rudenshiold noted in his recent article for the Caspian Policy Center.

Kazakhstan is eager to develop a "Middle Corridor" through which East Asian goods can be transported to the West via its territory, the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus. Double-landlocked Uzbekistan is desperate to access seaports. Turkmenistan wants a trans-Caspian gas pipeline to facilitate the sale of its main resource.

"Washington is missing out on a critical opportunity to assist the region," Rudenshiold said. "U.S. diplomats and development experts are sending the right messages to Central Asian capitals, but they don't have sufficient resources to follow up."

But how to convince the U.S. Congress that the region is worth investing in? It seems to some like a mission impossible, especially when many lawmakers  at least partly informed by reports describing the region as a backyard  still view Central Asian republics as vassals of Russia and China.

U.S. lawmakers could start by scrapping the Jackson-Vanik Amendment, Rudenshiold suggested. The law, adopted nearly 50 years ago originally to restrict trade with the Soviet Union, still blocks some countries from achieving most-favored nation trading status with the United States.

While the U.S. cannot replace Central Asia's neighbors as trade partners, it can enable Central Asians "to do business on their own terms, not dictated by Moscow and Beijing," Rudenshiold said.

Rights advocates counter that repealing Jackson-Vanik and awarding more trade benefits would be unwarranted before the region shows more progress on establishing the rule of law. They note that Central Asian states still pursue authoritarian practices, jail journalists, restrict nongovernmental organizations and religious freedom, and maintain harsh anti-LGBTQ legislation.

Rising regionalism

According to Edward Lemon, president of the Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs and professor at Texas A&M University's Bush School of Government and Public Service, "the most significant change in foreign relations in Central Asia over the past decade has been rising regionalism."

"Visa regimes have been relaxed, borders reopened, trade surged and intraregional migration has increased," Lemon told VOA.

However, he says, Central Asian leaders still do not act as a cohesive group. "Doing so would certainly increase their bargaining power."
North Korea said it successfully placed its first spy satellite into orbit late Tuesday and vowed to launch several more in a "short span of time."

The country's official Korean Central News Agency said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch from a site in Tongchang-ri on the west coast.

"The carrier rocket 'Chollima-1' flew normally along the preset flight track and accurately put the reconnaissance satellite 'Malligyong-1' on its orbit at 22:54:13, 705s after the launch," KCNA reported.

U.S. and South Korean officials have not publicly confirmed whether the satellite reached orbit but condemned the launch as a provocation that violates United Nations Security Council resolutions.

In response, South Korea also announced it would partially suspend a 2018 inter-Korean military agreement meant to reduce tensions along the border.

North Korea's launch was not a surprise. Earlier Tuesday, North Korea informed Japan that it planned to fire a satellite launch vehicle in the direction of the Yellow Sea and East China Sea during a nine-day window starting Wednesday.

However, the North's launch, which occurred just about an hour before that window was to begin, triggered brief shelter warnings in parts of southern Japan, before it was determined that the launch vehicle had splashed safely into the ocean.

Past failures

It was North Korea's third attempted spy satellite launch this year. Previous attempts, in May and August, ended in failure because of rocket problems.

Jeffrey Lewis, an expert on North Korea's nuclear program at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, said he could not independently confirm whether Pyongyang's latest attempt succeeded.

"But based on where we see the ionospheric disturbance it appears to have been 'more successful' than the previous two attempts," Lewis said on the social media website X, formerly Twitter.

If the satellite made it into orbit, the community of visual satellite observers will spot it, he added.

Military usefulness

Last year, North Korea said it planned to launch "a lot" of spy satellites into orbit to provide real-time information on what it called the "aggression troops" of the United States and its regional allies.

The significance of such developments is unclear. North Korea has not revealed how many spy satellites it intends to keep in orbit simultaneously. Analysts are also uncertain about the quality of the imagery they will produce.

After retrieving parts of a North Korean spy satellite and space launch vehicle that plunged into the sea in May, South Korea's military said it assessed that the device "had no military utility" as a reconnaissance satellite.

"However, I think even a satellite with rudimentary capabilities could still be a first step, or could modestly improve North Korea's situational awareness," said Tianran Xu, an analyst who focuses on Northeast Asian security and missile systems for the Vienna-based Open Nuclear Network. "And if this launch succeeds, it means this could be a beginning."

North Korea has placed at least two satellites into orbit  the latest in February 2016  but neither are believed to be working. Pyongyang claimed those launches were part of its peaceful space development program.

The United States and its allies condemned those launches as thinly disguised tests of long-range missile technology. North Korea is banned from any ballistic missile activity under multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions.

Russian help

During a September meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Russia's Far East, Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared to confirm Moscow was helping Pyongyang build satellites.

However, the exact nature of any cooperation remains unclear, since it may be too early for North Korea to have incorporated much of the help, Xu said in an interview with VOA.

"Even if there is some substantial Russian aid coming  either in satellite technology, sensor technology, or in the launch vehicle itself  if it's that substantial, they may choose to use the knowledge  for their next launch," Xu added.

South Korea response

South Korea, which had repeatedly warned the North against moving ahead with the launch, announced it will resume reconnaissance and surveillance activities around the border. Such missions had been suspended under the 2018 Comprehensive Military Agreement (CMA) between Seoul and Pyongyang.

The agreement set up buffer zones and no-fly zones and banned other military activity along the inter-Korean border. But North Korea has repeatedly violated the agreement in recent years.

On Wednesday, South Korea's Cabinet approved the partial suspension of the CMA, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported.

"The fate of the rest of the agreement will depend on North Korea's future actions," said the statement by the South Korean National Security Council.

After it was signed, U.S. military officials in South Korea were publicly supportive of the CMA, saying it was helping to reduce tensions along the border during a period of sensitive diplomacy.

That diplomacy was short-lived, though, and North Korea soon intensified its weapons tests, verbal threats and cross-border provocations.

Some analysts fear that a unilateral South Korea withdrawal from the agreement could lead to misunderstandings and miscalculations, increasing the chances of a clash with North Korea.

But any abrogation of the CMA "will be the result of deteriorated inter-Korea relations and escalatory steps by North Korea, not the cause," said Sydney Seiler, who until earlier this year was the National Intelligence Officer for North Korea in the U.S. National Intelligence Council.

"The only question left for Seoul in such a scenario is how to manage the messaging and any domestic political blow-back," Seiler, who is now a senior adviser with the Center for Strategic & International Studies, told VOA.

North Korea has not publicly responded to South Korea's decision to suspend parts of the CMA.

Earlier Tuesday, a North Korean state media editorial defended the country's space program as a "war deterrent" that will help promote a "strategic security balance" in the region.

The North Korean editorial, written by an aerospace technology researcher, slammed South Korea's upcoming launch as an aggressive and "extremely dangerous" military provocation.

Later this month, South Korea plans to launch its first domestically built spy satellite, using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
Oscar Pistorius will have a second chance at parole at a hearing Friday after he was wrongly ruled ineligible for early release from prison in March.

South Africa's department of corrections said in a statement sent to The Associated Press on Monday that a parole board will consider the former Olympic runner's case again this week and decide whether the inmate is suitable or not for social integration."

Pistorius, a world-famous double-amputee athlete who broke barriers by competing on carbon-fiber running blades at the 2012 London Olympics, has been in prison since late 2014 for the shooting death of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. He was initially convicted of culpable homicide, an offense comparable to manslaughter, for shooting Steenkamp multiple times through a closed toilet cubicle door in his home in the South African capital, Pretoria, in the predawn hours of Valentine's Day 2013.

His conviction was upgraded to murder, and he was ultimately sentenced to 13 years and five months in prison after a series of appeals by prosecutors. Serious offenders in South Africa must serve at least half their sentence before they are eligible for parole.

Pistorius' case and his parole eligibility have been complicated by those appeals by prosecutors, who first challenged his culpable homicide conviction and then a sentence of six years for murder, which they called shockingly lenient.

The Supreme Court of Appeal eventually ruled in 2017 that Pistorius should serve South Africa's minimum sentence of 15 years for murder but considered the year and seven months he had already served for culpable homicide when it delivered the 13 years and five months sentence.

However, the court made an error by not counting another period Pistorius had served while his murder sentence was being appealed, meaning he was in fact eligible for parole in March when he was told at his first hearing that he would only be eligible in August 2024.

Pistorius' lawyers took his case to the country's apex Constitutional Court. The decision to give Pistorius another parole hearing Friday is effectively an admission of the appeal court's error.

Pistorius is not guaranteed to be granted early release. A parole board takes a number of factors into account, including his conduct and disciplinary record in prison, his mental health and the likelihood of him committing another crime.

He could be released on full parole or placed on day parole, where he would be allowed to live and work in the community but have to return to prison at night.

Pistorius was once one of the world's most admired athletes and one of sports' most heartwarming stories. He was born with a congenital condition that led to his legs being amputated below the knee when he was a baby, but he took up track and won multiple Paralympic titles on his running blades. He is the only double amputee to run at the Olympics.

Known as the Blade Runner," he was at the height of his fame when he killed Steenkamp months after the London Olympics. At his murder trial, he claimed he shot Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model, by mistake with his licensed 9 mm pistol because he believed she was a dangerous intruder hiding in his bathroom in the middle of the night.

Pistorius will turn 37 Wednesday and hasn't been seen for nearly a decade, although there have been occasional glimpses of his time in prison.

He sustained an injury in an altercation with another inmate over a prison telephone in 2017. A year earlier, he received treatment for injuries to his wrists, which his family denied were a result of him harming himself and said were caused by him falling in his cell.
The United Nations and partner agencies renewed a call Tuesday for countries to immediately suspend mass deportations of Afghan nationals, citing the onset of a harsh winter and the worsening humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.



The call comes amid reports that Iran and Pakistan have collectively forced out more than 500,000 Afghans over the past two months, with the number of deportees growing by the day.



The International Organization for Migration, or IOM, said Tuesday that nearly 375,000 Afghans returned home from Pakistan through the Torkham and Spin Boldak border crossings between the two countries. De facto Afghan Taliban authorities have reported more than 400,000 returnees from the neighboring country.



The IOM statement noted that the number of border crossings dramatically increased from 200 daily to 17,000 after the Pakistani government ordered all undocumented foreigners, including an estimated 1.7 million Afghans, to leave the country by November 1 or face forcible expulsions.



Their situation is desperate; most people told us they were forced to leave the country and leave belongings and savings behind, said Maria Moita, chief of the IOM Afghanistan mission.



People arriving in Afghanistan are extremely vulnerable and need immediate support at the border as well as for the long term in the areas of return, Moita stated. This is a significant humanitarian crisis, and funds are urgently needed to continue providing immediate assistance after arrival to ensure a safe and dignified return.



Official Pakistani data shows that Afghans who have returned or are in the process of returning are doing so voluntarily, and only 16% of them were deported.



The Taliban government in Afghanistan has decried the evictions and sought their reversal. Islamabad has rejected the criticism, saying the crackdown is targeting foreigners who are residing illegally or overstaying their visas.

Afghan media quoted de facto Taliban authorities as reporting that more than 120,000 refugees left Iran within the last two months, saying 90% of them were forcibly expelled. Tehran has not officially announced its crackdown, but Iranian authorities have in recent weeks repeatedly vowed to deport all illegally residing Afghans.



The Taliban have established large camps on the Afghan side of the border with Pakistan where returning families await immediate critical aid, such as shelter, essential household items, and healthcare, before proceeding to intended areas of return.



Philippa Candler, representative of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Pakistan, said Tuesday that mass arrivals are adding to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, where winter temperatures are already dipping to -4C in some locations.



Many Afghan returnees are vulnerable, including women and children, who could lose their lives in a harsh winter if left without adequate shelter, she told a news conference in Geneva.



Candler said the UNHCR staff and humanitarian partners are scrambling to monitor and assist the influx of returning Afghans.



Those arriving now at border points inside Afghanistan are exhausted and in need of emergency assistance. Many have complained of harassment, extortion, and mistreatment. Desperate women and children are among those who were not given a choice but to pack and leave, she added.



The IOM urged the international community to increase support at a time when funding for the people in Afghanistan is rapidly declining.



After decades of conflict, instability, and economic crisis, Afghanistan will struggle to absorb the high number of returning families, many of whom have not lived in the country for decades, if ever, the organization said, adding that returnees face a precarious, uncertain future because some six million people are already internally displaced in the conflict-torn country.



Pakistan defends the deportations, blaming illegally residing Afghans for playing a role in a recent surge in deadly militant attacks in the country, charges Taliban authorities reject.

Authorities, however, say 1.4 million legal Afghan refugees carrying proof of registration cards are not subject of the ongoing crackdown. Earlier this month, the government extended the legal residence status of these individuals until December 31. Additionally, more than 800,000 Afghan migrants registered by the Pakistani government in collaboration with the former Afghan government, and carrying the IOM-approved Afghan citizenship cards, are also not the target of the deportation plan.
An Israeli strike in southern Lebanon on Tuesday killed two journalists who were reporting for a Beirut-based TV news channel Al-Mayadeen on military activity along the border with Israel, according to Lebanese officials and the broadcaster.

A Palestinian official and a Lebanese security official said a separate strike at another location in Lebanon killed four members of Hamas, the militant group that rules the Gaza Strip and is at war with Israel.

The Pan-Arab TV channel Al-Mayadeen, which is politically allied with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, identified the journalists killed in the town of Tair Harfa as correspondent Farah Omar and cameraman Rabih Maamari. It said they were "martyred by treacherous Israeli targeting."

The airstrike that hit the journalists also killed a Lebanese civilian, Hussein Akil, according to Al-Mayadeen and Lebanon's state media.

The Israeli military said it was looking into the reports. In a statement earlier Tuesday, the military said its aircraft "struck three armed terrorist cells in the area of the border with Lebanon" in addition to Hezbollah infrastructure.

Elsewhere in southern Lebanon, an Israeli drone strike in the village of Chaatiyeh near the Mediterranean coast killed four members of Hamas, the Palestinian official and Lebanese security official said.

The Palestinian official identified the four as members of the Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing. The Lebanese security official also confirmed that they were members of Hamas but did not say if they were from the group's military wing.

A Hamas official in Lebanon said there were "a number of martyrs from the Palestinian resistance," without confirming the number or identities. All three officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to reveal military information.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported that four people were killed in a vehicle but did not give any further details.

The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the strike.

The Lebanon-Israel border has seen daily exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israeli troops. The clashes began a day after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on southern Israel and have raised concerns that Iran-backed Hezbollah will join the Hamas-Israel war.

Hezbollah's media office vowed in a statement that the killing of the journalists "will not pass without retaliation."

Hours later, Hezbollah said in a statement that it struck an Israeli intelligence unit inside a home in northern Israel with two missiles in retaliation for the killing of journalists and civilians on the Lebanese side of the border. It said the people inside the home located near Kibbutz Manara were killed or wounded.

Hamas has a significant presence in Lebanon, which is home to tens of thousands of Palestinians, many of whom live in the country's 12 refugee camps. On Oct. 14, Hamas said three of its fighters were killed along the border and their bodies held by Israel.

Israeli shelling in southern Lebanon that day killed Reuters videojournalist Issam Abduallah and wounded other journalists from France's international news agency, Agence France-Presse, and Qatar's Al-Jazeera TV.

The deaths of the Al-Mayadeen journalists Tuesday spurred a widespread outcry in Lebanon.

"It was direct targeting. It was not a coincidence," Al-Mayadeen director Ghassan bin Jiddo said while holding back tears during a live broadcast. They join "the martyrs of Gaza," he said.

Last week, the Israeli government blocked the Al-Mayadeen channel from broadcasting in Israel.

Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the strike, saying that "this aggression proves again that there are no limits to Israel's crimes whose main goal is to silence the media that is revealing its crimes."

"Treacherous Israel is targeting media crews in south Lebanon," Lebanese Information Minister Ziad Makary said, describing the strike as "outrageous."

Hamas also condemned the attack, calling it in a statement "a continuation of the savage war on our Palestinian people and our Arab and Muslim nation."

In her last live report shortly before her death, Omar cited a Hezbollah statement issued Tuesday morning claiming a strike on a house in the northern Israeli city of Metula, where Israeli soldiers were stationed. Hezbollah said the attack was in retaliation for Israel targeting civilian homes in south Lebanon.

"We are still in the early hours of the day, and we are following any developments that might happen," the correspondent said, speaking some of the last words.

Local media reported several other Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon on Tuesday.

State-run National News Agency said Israel's military struck the outskirts of the villages of Teir Harfa and Majdal Zoun. It also reported that another strike on a home in the border village of Kfar Kila killed a woman and wounded her granddaughter.
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In the bustling local markets of Mogadishu, Somalia, local business owners say imported Chinese products are rapidly displacing their own manufactured goods. Abdulkadir Zubeyr spoke to several business owners in Mogadishu and has this report narrated by Carol Van Dam
Two Ukrainian senior cyber defense officials were fired Monday for alleged embezzlement in the government's cybersecurity agency, a government official said.

Yurii Shchyhol, head of the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection (SSSCIP) of Ukraine, and his deputy, Viktor Zhora, were dismissed by the government, senior cabinet official Taras Melnychuk wrote on Telegram.

Melnychuk, the cabinet's representative to parliament, did not give the reason for the dismissals. Shchyhol wrote on Facebook that he was confident he could prove his innocence, Interfax Ukraine reported. There was no immediate comment from Zhora.

The SSSCIP is responsible for securing government communications and defending the state from cyberattacks.

Anti-corruption prosecutors announced they were investigating the head and deputy head of the SSSCIP over their alleged roles in a six-person plot to embezzle 62 million Ukrainian hryvnia ($1.72 million) between 2020 and 2022.

Authorities suspect the officials of buying software at an inflated price from two companies allegedly under their control in a sale that had been closed to other bidders, Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau said.

In a statement on Telegram, the SSSCIP said it was cooperating with investigators and that all agency procurement had been carried out legally.

Last September, Shchyhol told Reuters that Russian spies were using hackers to target computer systems at law enforcement agencies to identify and obtain evidence related to alleged Russian war crimes.

Ukraine has increased its efforts to stomp out corruption as it pursues membership in the European Union, which has made the fight against graft a key prerequisite for negotiations to begin.

Polish protests

Kyiv hopes to negotiate with Poland and the European Commission this week about Ukraine's export of goods through Polish routes.

About 3,000 mostly Ukrainian trucks were stuck on the Polish side of the border Sunday morning due to a lengthy blockade by Polish truckers, Ukrainian authorities said.

Earlier this month, Polish truckers blocked roads to three border crossings with Ukraine to protest what they see as government inaction over a loss of business to foreign competitors since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

Truckers from Ukraine have been exempted from seeking permits to cross the Polish border since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Polish truckers want a limited number of licenses to be issued for Ukrainian truckers, a demand Kyiv said it would not consider.

"This week we hope to have negotiations in a trilateral format," Taras Kachka, a Ukrainian trade representative, said in televised comments Monday.

He said the blockages may affect critical supplies of energy resources for Ukraine, which is suffering from constant Russian attacks.

Russian shelling increases

Russian shelling killed three people Monday and damaged power lines and a gas pipeline in Ukraine's central Dnipropetrovsk and southern Kherson regions, authorities said.

An elderly woman was killed, and a man injured in a Russian artillery strike on the town of Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk's governor Serhiy Lysak wrote on Telegram messenger.

On Monday morning, two drivers were killed when Russian forces shelled a private transport company parking lot in Kherson, regional Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said.

Russian drones have increased their attacks on Kyiv targeting Ukrainian infrastructure as the winter is approaching.

Russia launched 20 Iranian-made Shahed drones, targeting the Ukrainian capital and the Cherkasy and Poltava regions, according to a military statement.

Ukrainian anti-aircraft systems shot down 15 of the drones.

Ukraine's Military Administration spokesperson, Serhii Popko, said that the drones attacked Kyiv from different directions in waves that were "constantly changing vectors."

In his nightly video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin for his pledge of $100 million in new military aid to Ukraine.

"There is a new defense package for our country from the United States. I am grateful for it. In particular, there will be more artillery  shells that are needed right now," said Zelenskyy.

The Ukrainian president also stressed talks on expanding cross-border cooperation with Bulgaria, Romania and Moldova. "This includes the work of the maritime corridor, the Danube export cluster and the overall trade turnover between our countries," he said.

Some information for this article came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made a visit to Ukraine Monday to reassure Ukrainian leaders the United States will continue to support the country in its fight against Russia. It was Austins first visit to the Ukrainian capital since April 2022, and the first time members of the press accompanied him since the war began. VOA Pentagon correspondent Carla Babb is traveling with the secretary and has more from Kyiv.
The White House says it is closer than ever to a deal to release the more than 230 hostages held by Hamas, but that it did not have an update to share Monday. The White House also reaffirmed that the U.S. does not want Israel and Hamas firefights at Gaza hospitals. VOA's Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports from the State Department.
President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi reviewed in a meeting with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva in Dubai on Thursday cooperation between Egypt and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in light of the program to fully implement Egypts economic reforms.
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The army said Sunday that Camara and the officials were recaptured and returned to prison.
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Authorities in Kyiv have accused Moscow of forcibly transferring nearly 20,000 Ukrainian children to Russia or Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine. And to mark World Children's Day, human rights activists are drawing attention to Russia's violation of international child protection laws.
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Actress and activist Marlo Thomas is proud that this year St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's Thanks and Giving campaign celebrates its 20th anniversary and passes the fundraising milestone of $1 billion to support the hospitals efforts to provide free medical care to children with cancer
NewsGuard, which monitors and rates the international press, is not a non-profit company, but a successful outfit [1].

It boasts among its advisors personalities such as:

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, former NATO Secretary General and current advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky;

Michael Hayden, former CIA director;

Tom Ridge, former Secretary of Homeland Security;

Richard Stengel, former Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy (Propaganda);

Jimmy Wales (aka Jimbo Wales), co-founder of Wikipedia.

From early on, Voltairenet.org had warned against the political bias of NewsGuard [2].

However, during the Covid pandemic, NewGuard severely cracked down on news sites that questioned government measures.

The political powers behind NewsGuard, which can easily be identified through its Committee of Advisors, get their crusade to be funded by friendly capitalist powers.

NewsGuards two largest shareholders are Publicis and the Knight Foundation.

 The Paris-based international advertising group, Publicis, features feminist philosopher Elisabeth Badinter as its majority shareholder (with 7.10% of the shares). Its director, Arthur Sadoun, is married to star anchor of France2, Anne-Sophie Lapix.

 The Knight Foundation is a philanthropic foundation dedicated to bankrolling media and arts centers. It freely issues to journalists the scripted content they should use when speaking on health issues.

The Publicis Group represented large pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer, which marketed mRNA drugs, commonly referred to as vaccines.

The Knight Foundation had access to Googles secret portal, located in Indonesia and run by the Mafindo Islamists [3]. It was therefore a cinch for it to track the flow of information on the Internet relating to the pandemic.

In other words, the politicians were hoodwinked by the shareholders they had reached out to. It was the latter that clamped down on the websites (including Voltairenet.org) shedding light on Dr. Faucis connections with the WHO laboratory in Wuhan, the ineffectiveness of confining healthy people, the side effects of the so-called vaccines and informing about other available cures.
Like all wars, the one pitting the State of Israel against the Palestinian population is the subject of a media battle. The Palestinian Resistance doesnt need to tell the story of the injustice it is fighting against: you only need to look to see. Rather, it aims to magnify one or other of its components. Israel, on the other hand, has to convince people of its good faith, which after three quarters of a century of violating international law is no mean feat.

Before the attack

Since the attack of the Palestinian Resistance on October 7, 2023, Israel has been deploying all its resources to make us believe that the attack was carried out by Hamas jihadists ; and that it knew nothing about its preparation.

The role of Hamas

However, this attack was carried out by all Palestinian factions, with the exception of Fatah [1]. Until recently, Hamas defined itself as the "Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood", as stated on all its documents. As such, it fought against the secularists of Yasser Arafats Fatah and George Habashs PFLP, then against those of President Bashar al-Assads Syrian Arab Republic. In his eyes, they were all "enemies of God". Hamas was financed by Israel and, in Syria, its fighters were supervised by Mossad and NATO officers. However, after the Brotherhoods failure in Egypt and their defeat in Syria, Hamas split between a section loyal to the Muslim Brotherhood, led by Khaled Mechaal and still pursuing the establishment of a worldwide Caliphate, and another that refocused on the liberation of Palestine. The latter, led by Iran, renewed its ties with Syria until its leader, Khalil Hayya, was received in Damascus by President Bashar al-Assad. It also renewed its ties with the Lebanese Hezbollah, taking part in meetings in Beirut with the latter and other components of the Palestinian Resistance.

All the components of the Palestinian Resistance had agreed to carry out a "coup de poing" operation to kidnap Israeli civilians and soldiers and exchange them for Palestinian civilians and fighters detained in Israel. The date of October 7 was chosen by Hamas alone, and the other Palestinian factions were informed only a few hours beforehand. Incidentally, Hamas fighters were in the majority compared with the Marxists of the PFLP and the members of the Axis of Resistance (united around Iran), the Islamic Jidad.

The open secret of the October 7 operation

The operation had been planned at a coordination meeting in Beirut in May. It was reported in the Lebanese press. However, while the principle, targets and modus operandi had been set, no one knew when it would take place.

The Egyptian intelligence services were the first to sound the alarm. They support the Palestinian Resistance, but fight Hamas without being able to distinguish between its two tendencies. They were not worried about the possible success of the Palestinian Resistance, but of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Intelligence Minister Kamal Abbas personally warned his Israeli counterparts [2].

Colonel Yigal Carmon, director of the Middle East Media Research Institute (Memri), personally warned his friend, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, that something was up. But, according to Carmon, Netanyahu did not listen [3].

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has produced two reports on the preparation of this attack. According to the New York Times, the second, dated October 5, was sent to the Israeli authorities. According to Corriere della Sera, the director of the Shin Bet (counter-intelligence) then called a meeting of the central directors of all security services at 8am on the 7th.

However, Israeli officials had had time to move the exceptional rave party to just outside the Gaza border, and to give leave to the forces charged with protecting it [4].

Today, many of the hostages families are convinced that Benjamin Netanyahu let this happen in order to justify his operation against the people of Gaza.

After the attack

Since October 7, Israel has been trying hard to make us believe that :

the Palestinian Resistance as a whole is nothing but a pack of jihadists ;

people who support the Palestinian people are anti-Semites;

The IDF video montage

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have produced a video montage using footage filmed by the assailants, surveillance camera footage and their own footage. The aim of the montage is to convince people that the Palestinian Resistance is a bunch of anti-Semitic barbarians. We see unbearable scenes of a family whose father is murdered in front of his children. We see a jihadist trying to cut off a corpses head with a shovel. But no rape, no dismemberment. We also see charred bodies, which the viewer thinks have been burned by resistance fighters. In reality, they were the targets of air-to-ground missiles fired by the Israeli army who had come to arrest the attackers. The "Hannibal directive" stipulates that soldiers must kill "terrorists" without concern for collateral Israeli casualties.

This montage was viewed by members of the Knesset, then of the US Congress, before being shown in the parliaments of the various Nato member states. Only the Belgian Parliament refused to see this piece of propaganda, without external expertise. The film was also shown to selected journalists in various capitals.

The Israeli authorities have released only the 10 minutes below to the general public. They have assured us that they do not wish to broadcast the entire montage to the general public, out of respect for the victims. But why would a restricted audience be more respectful? In reality, its a question of preventing specialists from exposing her deception by asking, victim by victim, who killed her.

Demonstrations against anti-Semitism

To rally Western public opinion to its cause and put the massacre it is perpetrating in Gaza into perspective, Israel is encouraging demonstrations of support throughout the West. Since it would be impossible to call for support for an army practicing genocide live on TV screens, Mossad suggests demonstrations against the anti-Semitism displayed by Hamas.

Except that Hamas is steeped in the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood. It is Sunni supremacist. For a long time, it fought primarily against Shiite and Druze Muslims. It was certainly anti-Semitic, but as it was against all other Muslim denominations and all other religions, no more, no less.

Mossad has therefore sometimes used another argument: Arab immigrants support Hamas and are therefore anti-Semitic. European states should take steps to protect their Jewish populations.

The Washington demonstration therefore denounced above all the alleged barbarity of Hamas, while the Paris event focused on the fight against anti-Semitism. But neither was a full house. The Washington event was boycotted by many Jewish associations. Only 200,000 people attended, most of them Christian Zionists. People came more to hear televangelist John Hagee than to see the President of the State of Israel, Isaac Herzog. The one in Paris was opened by the Prime Minister and all her predecessors, the presidents of the three assemblies and all their predecessors, and the president of the Constitutional Council and his predecessors. But only a few tens of thousands of people stood behind them. Two notable absentees were Foreign Affairs Minister Roland Dumas (also a former President of the Constitutional Council) and Dominique de Villepin (also a former Prime Minister). They have distinguished themselves as resistors to imperialism, and thus to the US and Israeli governments.

For decades, Israel has accused anti-Semites of hiding behind a facade of anti-Zionism. Gradually, it is confusing the two concepts. However, European anti-Semitism is a form of xenophobia that began under the Roman Empire, continued under the Catholic Church and was prolonged under Nazism. It consists of accusing all Jews collectively of insurrection, of having killed Christ or of degenerating the Aryan race. Anti-Zionism, on the other hand, is the political view that Jewish nationalism should not be placed at the service of a colonial project. Today, most American Jews are anti-Zionists, while the majority of European Jews are Zionists.

French Senator Stephane Le Rudulier (Republican) has just tabled a bill to increase the penalties for insulting or inciting hatred or violence against the State of Israel. Apart from the fact that it is hard to see why these offences would be more serious in this case than in others, it should be remembered that in 1975, the world was shaken by a debate on the nature of Zionism. The Organization of African Unity asserted that "the racist regime in occupied Palestine and the racist regime in Zimbabwe and South Africa have a common imperialist origin, that they form a whole and have the same racist structure, and that they are organically linked in their policy designed to oppress the dignity and integrity of the human being". Similarly, the Organization of Non-Aligned Countries described Zionism as "a threat to world peace and security, and called on all countries to oppose this racist and imperialist ideology". Finally, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution calling Zionism "a form of racism and racial discrimination" [5].

Only the UN resolution was repealed, in 1991, in order to help Israel implement the resolutions of the Madrid Conference on Palestine. The other two texts are still in force, and in view of Israels failure to implement the Madrid decisions, as well as all the international texts on Palestine, the question of reinstating resolution 3379 has been raised several times.

The staging of the Al-Shifa hospital

It was against this backdrop that the IDF staged the discovery of Hamass military HQ, beneath Gazas largest hospital. A public relations officer told us that weapons had been found on site and, from a rope tied to a chair leg, that an underground shelter had housed hostages.

While the public debates whether this evidence is convincing or not, they forget the history of this hospital. It was built in 1983 by Israel [6]. The IDF has all the plans. The Mossad installed Hamas in the basement when it was fighting against Fatah. Later, the hospital became a meeting place for Hamas officials and foreign journalists. But all this does not make it an arsenal or a military HQ.

In the current episode of the Israeli-Palestinian war, the IDF accused Hamas of digging tunnels under the hospital. They initially decided to destroy it with penetrating bombs to reach its depths. But in view of the objurgations of the World Health Organization, the IDF admitted that their objective did not legitimize razing a hospital to the ground. So they brought back their evacuation order and surrounded it. 2,300 people - patients, nursing staff and refugees - surrendered to the Israeli army, which ruthlessly searched them.

It was only two days after carrying out the assault that the IDF claimed to have discovered the Hamas military headquarters beneath Al-Shifa Hospital. In reality, the images they released clearly show that a well, near the hospital, led to galleries, but absolutely not that these led to a room that could serve as headquarters.

The shootings, the power cuts and the search of the hospital having caused many deaths, the IDF brought a dozen incubators which cannot function, precisely because of the power cuts, as reported by Reuters and the BBC. However, the Mossad is serving a useful purpose, as the BBC has apologized to its viewers for not reporting the incubator donations and the presence of Hebrew-Arabic translators.
Make some noise for the fish. Photo-Illustration: Vulture. Photos: Getty Images

For anyone who ever wondered what We Are the World would be like if it was aimed at gay weirdos, Bjork and Rosalia have the answer. The two pop oddities linked up and put out a song on November 21 to fight fish-farming in Iceland, which is something no one could have anticipated but no one should be surprised by. The song is titled Oral with a refrain that reflects the social issues the songs proceeds are going toward. Is that the right thing to do? the two pop stars harmonize repeatedly throughout the song. Oral is produced by the pair, alongside Sega Bodega, and was originally written by Bjork in between her 1997 album, Homogenic, and her 2001 project, Vespertine, according to a press release.



I am offering a song me and rosalia sang together / the profits will to help the fight against fish farming in iceland, Bjork wrote in the songs announcement, which basically doubled as a poem.

iceland has the biggest untouched nature in europe and still today it has its sheep roaming free in the mountains in the summers its fish has swum free in our lakes , rivers and fjords

so when icelandic and norwegian business men started buying fish farms in the majority of our fjords , it was a big shock and rose up as the main topic this summer , we dont understand how they had been able to do this for a decade with almost no regulations stopping them .

The profits from the song will help pay the legal fees of the people of Fjord Seyisfjorur, who are protesting. Bjork and Rosalia are donating all their rights to income generated by this song to the Aegis non-profit organisation to combat open pen fish farming in Iceland, a title card that begins the video for the song says. Their record companies have agreed to do the same. Stream away, because these pop artists arent just aiming to end fish-farming; their harmonies will end your sadness.

This post has been updated with the release.
Napoleon is in theaters November 22. Photo: Apple Original Films/Columbia Pictures

Napoleon Bonaparte became the ruler of France at age 30, conquered most of Europe before he was 40, and died in exile at 51. Its the sort of life that seems like it would make a pretty good movie  yet every modern attempt has either stunk (1954s Desiree, 1970s Waterloo) or fallen apart before cameras rolled (Stanley Kubricks unmade biopic). That makes Ridley Scotts Napoleon, a $200 million, 157-minute epic starring Joaquin Phoenix, by default the definitive film about the French emperor.

The director of Gladiator and Black Hawk Down has restaged so many historical battles in his five-decade career that hes practically a general himself. We shot this entire film in 62 days, Scott says on a call from his winery in Provence with his dog, Josephine, on his lap. If you know anything about filming, youd know it shouldve been 120. He did it using Napoleonic powers of delegation. I have 40 department heads who all have their own pyramids of personnel, so the unit is almost 900 people, he says. Every Monday morning, Id say, Right  anybody got a problem? Whats your problem? Have you talked to so-and-so? No? Well, bloody talk to them!

The movies most complex sequence is a re-creation of the Battle of Austerlitz, which is usually considered Napoleons masterpiece. On December 2, 1805, the French army lured Russian forces onto a frozen lake and fired cannons at the ice as they retreated. Legend has it that many of those soldiers drowned  we see a few take the plunge in Napoleon  though historians often point out that when the lake was drained, only a couple of bodies were recovered. Everybody has an opinion about what really happened, and I always ask, Were you there? says Scott. There are 10,000 books about Napoleon, and theyre full of both truth and conjecture. But I left reading the books to the poor bastard who had to write the screenplay. This is how Scott and his army refought Austerlitz.

1. An establishing shot  Napoleon on his perch, surveilling his prey  illustrated by Scott. Illustration: Ridley Scott. An establishing shot  Napoleon on his perch, surveilling his prey  illustrated by Scott. Illustration: Ridley Scott.

Scotts process begins with storyboards, which he draws by hand. For Napoleon, screenwriter David Scarpa would email him pages of the script and Scott would send back illustrations of each shot, usually within a day. Im still a painter, says Scott, who once studied at Londons Royal College of Art. I edged into directing through design and only gradually learned to talk to actors, which took a while. Scotts finished films tend to look uncannily like his original drawings. Theyre pretty identical, he says. Sometimes if I dont have a location for a scene, Ill draw it and my scouts will look and say, Oh, okay  and then theyll go find the location. Its weird.

In Napoleon, what passes for Austerlitz is actually a digital composite of two locations. The wooded hill that serves as Napoleons command post is a site in Bourne Woods near Surrey, England, where Scott previously filmed 2000s Gladiator. The frozen lake where most of the fighting takes place isnt a lake at all. That was actually Abingdon Airfield, just off the M4 motorway out of London, says Scott. The last thing youd want to do is go on an actual lake and do the shit that we did. Thats how you get in real trouble.

2. Photo: Apple Original Films/Columbia Pictures

According to Scott, the Battle of Austerlitz shoot was scheduled to last six days, but we did it in three and a half. One secret to the directors efficiency is that he shoots with multiple cameras simultaneously  for Napoleon, usually four but sometimes as many as 11  requiring fewer takes and less time between them to reset. In the morning, Ill tell my brilliant cinematographer, Dariusz Wolski, I want a camera there and there and there and there. How long to set them up? Hell say, 40 minutes, and Im shooting by 9 a.m., Scott says. Other directors use one camera and they go on forever, but this literally allows me to shoot 4-to-11 times faster.

During production, Scotts command post is a custom trailer where he watches his camera feeds on an array of large monitors. Its a converted horse box. Its my zone. I dont like anybody else in there with me, he says. Ill sit there in the dark with a walkie-talkie and say, Hey, Joe on camera one, youre a bit wide. Can you tighten? Pete on camera two, change your lens.

The Battle of Austerlitz involved upwards of 68,000 French troops and 90,000 Austro-Russians. But in Hollywood, there are logistical limits to how many live extras can share a scene. You cant really do more than 600 foot soldiers in a day, says Scott. They have to come in at 4 a.m. to be ready by nine, and thats with 200 people working as dressers. For Napoleons battles, 400 human soldiers and 100 horses were positioned on the front lines, and CGI was used to expand their ranks behind them. The extras were great, says Scott. God bless them, because I wouldnt want to sit there with a cup of tea waiting all day to walk past something.

3.

Photo: Apple Original Films/Columbia Pictures Photo: Apple Original Films/Columbia Pictures Photo: Apple Original Films/Columbia Pictures Photo: Apple Original Films/Columbia Pictures





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Napoleons favorite pieces of artillery were his cannons  he called them his belles filles, or beautiful daughters  and you can tell Scott liked them too. In an early scene that sets the tone for the rest of the film, a horse is blown to pieces by a cannonball, which Phoenixs Napoleon recovers as a souvenir. But no live cannonballs were discharged while filming; Scotts cannons were props that fired blanks. They were made of carbon fiber instead of steel, and their insides were solid so that when charges were placed on their muzzles, the blasts would point outward. In the film, Phoenix makes a show of covering his ears whenever cannons are fired. They were loud on the set, but we made them sound huge during the sound mix, says Scott.

At the climax of the Austerlitz sequence, Napoleon gives a dramatic hand signal ordering French gunners to fire cannons at the frozen lake, which sends his retreating enemies into the water below. We see one soldier on horseback attempt to outrun the cracking ice, and several others sink to the lakes bottom. For shots of troops and horses falling through the ice, the production dug a 30-by-40-meter hole in the ground on location at the airfield. The underwater shots were filmed in a tank on a soundstage at nearby Pinewood Studios. For their safety, you can only put two horses in the tank at a time, says Scott. But we put the men falling in there as well, so they were trying to avoid the horses and getting clobbered by their hooves. They were all stunt guys. It was absolutely baffling to me, but they loved it.

Although roughly 150 horses are thought to have died at the actual Battle of Austerlitz, none were harmed on set. I love animals, so I protect them like crazy, says Scott. Any horse you see flying through the air in this film is a dummy.

4. Joaquin Phoenix and Ridley Scott on set. Photo: Apple Original Films/Columbia Pictures

At Austerlitz, Phoenixs Napoleon is at his most confident and focused, executing his plans with careful precision. He put 4,000 of his men at the edge of the lake with tents and fires and music and deliberately made them sitting ducks to bait the Russians and Austrians, says Scott. Thats when command tells him, Your Majesty, we have been discovered, and he says, Good.

Off the battlefield, Phoenix sometimes plays the character as sort of a goofball. In one scene, Napoleons men tell him its too cold to invade Russia during the winter; Phoenix responds with an unscripted tantrum, fumbling his hat. That was all Joaquins idea, says Scott. I said, What the fuck was that? Anyway, that was good. Cut. The Coup of 18 Brumaire  in which Napoleon seized power from the French Directory in 1799  becomes an extended feat of physical comedy as Phoenix is chased, wheezing and eyes bulging, from the royal palace. That was one take, shot with eight cameras, says Scott. He gets beaten up like in a rugby scrum, and he runs away and falls down the stairs. I thought hed broken his fucking leg. I called cut and said, You want to go again? And he said, No, no. I hurt my hip.

Scott originally had someone else in mind to play Napoleon. There are only two actors today that I think wouldve been good for the role  and Im not going to say who the other one is because hed get pissed off, says Scott. But Joaquin Phoenix really looks like Bonaparte. He has the nose and the eyes. Before I cast him, I took a photograph of him and stuck a hat on it, and I said, There it is.
Israeli fighter jets pounds Gaza Strip on Friday shortly after a week long truce expired with no agreement to extend it.
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TAIPEI, Taiwan  The front-runner in Taiwans presidential race has picked the long-term de facto ambassador to the United States as his vice presidential candidate. Vice President William Lai announced Monday on his Facebook page the nomination of Hsiao Bi-khim  who was born in Japan to a Taiwanese father and an American mother  as his running mate in Januarys elections. His choice would likely bolster support among backers of his ruling Democratic Progressive Party, which has long defied Beijings demands to return the island under the rule of the authoritarian Communist Party.

Lai and Hsiao face a divided opposition, led by the Nationalist Party, also known as the Kuomintang or KMT, that has sought to draw independent candidates to their ticket. Polls show Lai is ahead, but China is believed to be seeking to influence business groups and media.

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Lai currently serves as vice president to President Tsai Ing-wen, who is restricted from running for a third four-year term. In his Facebook post, Tsai said Hsiao had been crucial to cooperation with the U.S., Taiwans chief ally.

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This team, following President Tsais eight years in power, is completely prepared to withstand all challenges, both domestically and from China, Lais post said.

Hsiao later told a news conference that she had been prepared well to deal with a range of challenges by her upbringing, her years as a legislator representing eastern Taiwan and her eight years as Taiwans representative in Washington.

Taiwan faces threats to its democracy from within and to its security from outside, but there is no way I can avoid this, said Hsiao, 52, who was partly raised in New Jersey and has degrees from Oberlin College and Columbia University.

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This story correct the spelling of Hsiaos full name.
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KYIV, Ukraine  German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius vowed Tuesday to keep supporting Ukraines efforts to win its war against Russia, pledging further military aid worth 1.3 billion euros ($1.4 billion). Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight The new support is to include further Iris-T SLM anti-aircraft missile systems as well as anti-tank mines and 155-millimeter artillery shells, German news agency dpa reported.

We are talking about 20,000 additional shells, Pistorius said at a joint news conference with his Ukrainian counterpart, Rustem Umerov, in Kyiv, according to dpa.

Andrii Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian presidents office, said it was a great aid package.

Pistorius unannounced trip to the Ukrainian capital came a day after U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin traveled to Ukraine and pledged American support for the long haul, including an additional $100 million in weapons from U.S. stockpiles.

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The visits appeared to be part of an international political effort to keep the war in the public mind as other issues clamor for attention, including the Israel-Hamas conflict.

European Council President Charles Michel also arrived in Kyiv on Tuesday, which is the 10th anniversary of what Ukraine calls its Revolution of Dignity. That uprising brought momentous change for Ukraine, pushing it closer to the West and bringing confrontation with Moscow.

Pistorius paid tribute to the demonstrators who were killed during the pro-European protests 10 years ago, dpa reported.

Courageous people of all ages took to the streets for freedom, for rapprochement with Europe, and paid for it with their lives, Pistorius said. He put red roses at a makeshift memorial to those killed.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in a video message, saluted the Ukrainian desire for freedom and its application to join the 27-nation European Union. The future of Ukraine is in the European Union, she said.

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The future that the Maidan fought for has finally just begun, she said in a reference to central Kyivs Independence Square.

For Moscow, the Ukrainian revolt was fomented by Western interests, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday reaffirmed the Kremlins view that it was a coup, a forceful coup financed from abroad.

Ukraines current fight to push out the Kremlins forces has lasted almost 21 months. A recent Ukrainian counteroffensive apparently has yielded no major changes on the battlefield, and another tough winter of attritional warfare lies ahead.

The U.K. defense ministry said Russia could target Ukraines power grid again, just like last winter when Moscow sought to wear down local resistance by denying civilians home heating and running water.

Russia has now refrained from launching its premier air-launched cruise missiles from its heavy bomber fleet for nearly two months, likely allowing it to build up a substantial stock of these weapons, the ministry in London said Tuesday.

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Germany is the second biggest single provider of military and financial support to Ukraine after the United States, and German officials said Pistorius aimed to assess the effectiveness of its aid as well as take stock of the fighting during his visit.

Meanwhile, two Russian missiles struck a hospital in the eastern Donetsk region, wounding six people and possibly leaving more buried under rubble, Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said Tuesday.

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Russian forces attacked Ukraine overnight with 10 Shahed-type drones, four S-300 missiles and one Iskander-K cruise missile, Ukraines air force said Tuesday.

Nine Shahed drones and the Iskander-K missile were successfully intercepted on Monday night, it said. No casualties were immediately reported.

At least five Ukrainian civilians were killed and 10 others were injured in southeastern regions of the country over the previous 24 hours, the presidential office said Tuesday.

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Civilians have been victims of Russias barrages on an almost daily basis. At least 10,000 Ukrainian civilians, including more than 560 children, have been killed and more than 18,500 have been injured since Russias full-scale invasion, the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said Tuesday.

Speaking to the U.N. Security Council, Miroslav Jenca, the United Nations assistant secretary-general for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas, called it a new grim milestone in the war in Ukraine, adding that $435 million is needed for repairs, winter clothes and heating. He said that the U.N. could not get help to people in Russian-controlled areas of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, worsening the situation as temperatures plummet.

The World Food Programs Ukraine director, Matthew Hollingworth, said that roughly 30% of the countrys territory may have been contaminated by the war, some of the most productive land in the country.

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In other developments, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu claimed that Ukrainian efforts to cross the Dnieper River on the southern front line have failed.

He told top Russian military brass that Moscows forces are steadily holding positions along the entire line of contact and are gradually improving their positions.

Ukraines military claimed last week its troops had secured multiple bridgeheads on the rivers eastern bank in the Kherson region. That would be a small but potentially significant strategic advance amid fighting that has largely come to a standstill.

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Associated Press reporters Yuras Karmanau in Tallinn, Estonia, Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin and Michael Weissenstein at the United Nations contributed to this report.

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Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
She remained in intensive care in an induced coma for several days and died on Monday, a spokeswoman for St Vincents said.

The womans death has been described as a terribly sad incident. Credit: Facebook

Robyn Hall, who was in her 70s, was rushed to St Vincents Hospital in Darlinghurst from the concert at Moore Park last Thursday night.

A woman has died after falling at a Robbie Williams concert last week held at Sydneys Allianz Stadium.

I havent got the words to say what my mum meant to me taken from under me, he wrote on Facebook.

My best friend is no longer with me.

Robbie Williams performing at Allianz Stadium in Sydney on his XXV Australian Tour. Credit: Edwina Pickles

A family friend, who wished not to be named due to privacy reasons, said Hall loved the British singer and had thoroughly enjoyed the evening before tragedy struck.

She was one of those ones who looked 50 but was 70. She took care of herself and didnt need carers, he said.
Australian visitors to the United Kingdom and the Eurozone will probably notice their funds are feeling more stretched than usual, with the Australian dollar trading against the pound and euro at levels substantially lower than a year ago.

The Aussie dollar is worth about 52 pence from about 56 pence a year ago after reaching 60 pence, briefly, in September 2022. Against the euro, it is buying about 60 euro cents, from 65 euro cents 12 months ago. As recently as August 2022, the $A briefly reached almost 70 euro cents.

Japan is one of the few countries where our dollar is buying more than a year ago. Credit: visualspace

A check with the cost-of-living database, Numbeo, attests to the fact that prices of many things  from a regular-sized cappuccino in London to petrol in Rome  are particularly expensive for Australian travellers.

The Australian dollar is also weak against the US dollar, trading at about US66, although that is in line with levels a year ago. Five years ago, the Australian dollar was buying about US73.
Australia is connected to three ongoing wars, each shaping the world in different ways. All three affect Australias security, but only one is a direct threat to our sovereignty and liberty. Some observations on each.

First, the war whose duration is to be measured in months, the war between Israel and Hamas. And though it is dreadful, there is some unambiguously good news. A month and a half on, its become clear that Hamas great enabler and sponsor, Iran, is choosing not to escalate the war. Through its many proxies, Tehran points multiple cannons at Israels heart, from many directions.

Illustration by Dionne Gain Credit:

Yet, so far, it has chosen to fire only one - the terrorist guerilla army of Hamas. Some of Irans other proxies are active in attacking Israel, but its largely token. Despite frequent threats of escalation against Israel, they are holding fire on their full capabilities.

Its awful enough that many thousands of civilians, Israeli and Palestinian, have been killed in this conflict. But many more, perhaps hundreds of thousands, would be killed if the ayatollahs issued the attack order to Irans other proxies  Hezbollah in Lebanon, militias in Syria, units in Iraq, the Houthis in Yemen.
As indirect talks continue between Israel and Palestinian factions, various media reports pointed to some key elements in a possible truce deal.

According to reports, the deal would involve a five-day ceasefire and no Israeli air activity over the Gaza Strip.

The deal would involve the release by Palestinian factions of 50 captives, including settlers and foreigners, in return for the release by Israel of 300 Palestinian women and children in Israeli jails.

The Palestinian factions would release 10 of its captives per day while the Israeli side would release 60 of its Palestinian prisoners per day.

The deal would also allow for the entry of 300 trucks carrying food, medical supplies, and fuel.

On Tuesday, two fuel trucks and 50 trucks carrying humanitarian aid entered Gaza via the Rafah border crossing, according to Al-Qahera News.

Also, nine ambulances to transport injured Palestinians out of Gaza entered the strip today.

After 46 days of Israel's war on the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian death toll has climbed to over 13,300 including 5,600 children and 3,550 women.

The number of wounded Palestinians has climbed to over 32,000.

An Israeli blockade on food, water, and fuel on the strip has left 2.4 million Palestinians in Gaza on the verge of starvation.

Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes have destroyed more than 40 percent of all homes in the strip, leaving hundreds of thousands without shelter.

On Tuesday, Hamas Political Office announced that the movement delivered its response about a truce deal to the mediators in Egypt and Qatar amid media reports of a possible deal involving a ceasefire and the exchange of captives and detainees soon.

We are approaching an agreement on a ceasefire, said Hamas in a short statement on its official Telegram group Tuesday afternoon, adding that it was waiting for the occupations response.

Egypt and Qatar have been working individually and collectively to reach such a deal over the past weeks, according to an official high-level Egyptian source who spoke to Al-Qahera News Channel on Tuesday.

Previous efforts by both countries secured the release of two Israeli captives by Hamas last month.

Axios Middle East reporter Barak Ravid said that two sources with direct knowledge of the issue told Axios that the truce deal may be announced as early as Tuesday.

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Two fuel trucks and 50 aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip on Tuesday through the Rafah border crossing, as reported by Al-Qahera News channel, adding that nine ambulances also entered the strip to transport more wounded Palestinians to Egypt.

On Friday, Israel's war cabinet unanimously agreed to allow two fuel tankers a day "to run the wastewater treatment facilities... which are facing collapse due to the lack of electricity, national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said, adding that it was to prevent the spread of epidemics that could affect Israeli soldiers too, according to AP.

However, the blockade on fuel in the Gaza Strip has also put a tremendous burden on the strips medical infrastructure, leading to the loss of numerous lives, including children.

Without fuel, patients, particularly those in intensive care, are at risk of losing their lives, the spokesperson of the Palestinian Ministry of Health told Al-Qahera News.

The ministry spokesman also pointed out that 28 hospitals in the strip are completely out of service as a result of Israeli operations targeting the health system.

He added that 160 health institutions have been affected by Israeli strikes and 63 primary care centres have been put out of service.

Over 60 ambulances have been destroyed since 7 October, the spokesman said.

The lack of fuel has also disrupted mobile phone and internet services throughout Gaza due to insufficient fuel to power backup generators, Palestinian telecom companies Paltel and Jawwal announced on Thursday.

On 15 November, a truck carrying 24,000 litres of fuel entered Gaza from Egypt, the first such delivery since the Israeli war on Gaza began on 7 October.

As many as 10 fuel trucks carrying 150,000 litres of diesel entered the Gaza Strip through last week, Sky News Arabia reported on 17 November.

In an attempt to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinians in Gaza, Egypt has provided more than 14,500 tons of humanitarian aid, Egypts Minister of Social Solidarity Nevine El-Qabbaj revealed on Tuesday.

This is in addition to helping to deliver 11,500 tons of aid from other countries through the Rafah crossing, El-Qabbaj added.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, the death toll in Gaza has climbed over 13,300 including 5,600 children and 3,550 women while the number of wounded Palestinians has climbed to over 32,000.

On Monday, Egypt received 28 premature Palestinian babies evacuated from the besieged Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing in North Sinai, Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar announced.

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Ireland must inspect US planes landing at Shannon Airport to verify they are not carrying arms bound for Israel, the Dail has been told.

People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy told Taoiseach Leo Varadkar that the US was aiding and abetting a genocide in Gaza, and Ireland was complicit by allowing the US military to use Shannon.

Mr Varadkar insisted Shannon was not being used by US aircraft travelling to Israel.

Mr Murphy said: Israel is carrying out a genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza. Its number one supporter and military backer is the US.

As a party to the Genocide Convention, with the duty to prevent the crime of genocide, the US should be imposing an arms embargo on Israel. Instead, it has aided and abetted genocide by increasing military assistance to Israel by $14.5 billion (13.2 billion) since the genocide began.

By allowing Shannon Airport to be used by the US military, while it is aiding and abetting genocide, Ireland is complicit.

More than 50,000 US troops have passed through Shannon this year alone. You cannot, Taoiseach, continue to take the word of the US that no weapons or troops bound for the Middle East are passing through Shannon, especially when the number of munitions exemptions granted by the Department of Transport went up 42 per cent last month.

Will you commit to close Shannon or at least to begin inspections?

People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy (Brian Lawless/PA)

Mr Varadkar said there were very strict rules around the US militarys use of the airport.

There arent flights going from the US through Shannon to Israel, he said.

There are troops being carried to US bases and anybody carrying munitions needs permission and a licence.

Under the terms of the Air Navigation Foreign Military Aircraft Order 1952, all foreign military aircraft wishing to overfly and land in the state require diplomatic clearance from the minister of foreign affairs.

This is subjected to strict conditions with full respect to Irelands policy of military neutrality, including that the aircraft is unarmed, that it carries no arms, ammunition or explosives, that it does not engage in intelligence gathering, and that the flight in question does not form part of a military exercise or operation.

Leo Varadkar (Brian Lawless/PA)

The policy is well known and fully understood by the United States and other international partners, and its done in compliance with Irelands traditional policy of military neutrality.

The Taoiseach told the Dail that the Government would not be supporting a PBP motion in the Dail this week calling for sanctions against Israel.

He called the motion unbalanced, noting that it made no mention of the Hamas attacks on October 7th.

Mr Varadkar said he did not think it was helpful to have a debate on whether what is happening in Gaza constitutes a genocide.

He was responding to Mr Murphys party colleague Richard Boyd Barrett, who insisted Ireland has a duty to act under the Genocide Convention to do all it can to stop the killing in the Middle East.

Mr Varadkar said he would not dispute peoples use of the terms genocide or apartheid, but the main focus should be on trying to secure a ceasefire.

I dont think its helpful to get into a debate about what constitutes genocide and what doesnt, he said.

I dont think it does help. You mentioned the Holocaust or Shoah being a genocide  six million people were killed by the Nazis, they would have killed another six million if they could.

I know there are active debates around the famine, around the treatment of indigenous populations in America, in Australia, but I dont think what this should be about is  and if people want to use words like genocide and apartheid, Im not going dispute that  but I dont think that brings us anywhere or achieves anything.

What this is about is making sure that we have a ceasefire, that the killing stops, that the hostages can be released so that we can get aid into Gaza. And those are the things that are most important, in my view.
Skoda Ireland is celebrating its 30th anniversary in style, selling more than 10,000 vehicles in one year for the first time in three decades of Irish operations.

The 10,000th Skoda, an Enyaq RS, was delivered to a customer in the northeast of the country earlier in October. The brand has established itself as a firm favourite among Irish car buyers and rubber stamped its position as the fourth biggest car brand in the country.

Whilst Skodas ambitions are for even greater success, its origin story is somewhat of a humble affair.

The Skoda car brand arrived in Ireland in the 1970s. Vehicle sales were very limited as the Czech car company strove to get a foothold in an unfamiliar market. It was not until 1993, two years after Skoda became part of the Volkswagen Group, that it found an established home here. Distribution rights in Ireland were the responsibility of Eurato Limited, part of the parent company Motor Distributors Limited.

The Irish public were not overly familiar with the brand or indeed the Favorit or Forman models on offer at the time. Initially there were only 12 dealers and these dealers became affectionately known as the 12 apostles because they were the few believers! Just 76 units were delivered to customers in 1993.

Investments from the Volkswagen Group delivered new, improved models in the following years including the Felicia and the Octavia in 1997. The Octavia in particular was hugely successful in rural Ireland thanks to its highly competitive price point, efficient diesel engines, build quality and durability.

The Fabia supermini joined the fold in 1999. Meanwhile, the brand reached its first major milestone in 2000 when it exceeded 6,000 vehicle sales in what was then a record Irish car market.

Skoda Ireland experienced slow but steady growth over the next decade with acclaimed models such as the Superb, Roomster and Yeti and derivatives like the sporty Octavia RS. In 2007, responsibility for distribution of Skoda was transferred to Volkswagen Group Ireland where it has remained to this day.

The brand further strengthened its foothold in Ireland from 2010 with the introduction of the Citigo, Rapid and the Kodiaq. In 2017, Skoda surpassed the 9,000 vehicle sales milestone and was on the verge of breaking into the top-5 bestselling car brands.

The top five place came two years later in 2019 at the expense of Ford. However, the 10,000 vehicle sales milestone remained elusive for another four years and was finally celebrated last month by the Skoda Ireland team and their 27 dealer partners.

John Donegan, Skoda Ireland brand director, has been with Skoda since 2010 and said: Customer satisfaction has always been our number one focus at Skoda Ireland. However, it was important to couple this with simple sales objectives or milestones.

"One of our earliest targets was to overtake Opel which we achieved in 2015, followed in 2020, by breaking into the Top 5 car brands and exceeding 8% share of the car market. The 10,000 milestone was achieved in October. For this, I would like to sincerely thank our colleagues at Volkswagen Group Ireland, the Skoda dealer network, our factory partners at Skoda-Auto, Volkswagen Financial Services and above all our customers for their support and trust in Skoda.

"With the 10,000 milestone behind us, we have now set our sights on a third-place position in the Irish car market

Skoda was founded during the pioneering days of the automobile in 1895, making it one of the longest-established car companies in the world. It currently offers customers eight passenger cars: the Fabia, Scala, Kamiq, Octavia, Karoq, Kodiaq, Superb & Enyaq. Skoda has been part of Volkswagen Group since 1991.

The Volkswagen Group is one of the most successful vehicle manufacturers in the world and its dealership in Mayo/Sligo is Connolly Motor Group, headquartered in Ballina.
The new Opel Corsa arrives in Ireland this month to take pride of place in Opel dealerships nationwide during the Opel Open Road sales event.

The new Corsa, which recently celebrated its world premiere at the 2023 IAA Mobility in Munich, impresses with its fresh new styling, featuring the characteristic Opel Vizor front face. The best-selling small car of 2021 and 2022 in Germany and the United Kingdom, the new Corsa will be offered in three trims in Ireland and will retail from 23,995, plus delivery-related charges.

James Brooks, Opel Ireland Managing Director, said: The Corsa has been a bestseller across Europe for more than 40 years. With its stunning design, state-of-the-art technologies from higher segments and new, emission-free electric and hybrid technology, we aim to inspire customers even more with our new Corsa.

"Arriving just in time for the all-important 241-registration plate in Ireland, I have every confidence we will regain share in this still important segment.

Modern and fun, the level one SC trim, matched to a 1.2 75hp petrol 5-speed manual powertrain, priced from 23,995 plus delivery, will boast the new Opel Vizor front face, rear parking sensors, active lane assist, cruise control with speed limiter, forward collision alert, enhanced traffic sign recognition, driver attention alert, tyre deflation detection, hill start assist, manual air conditioning, DAB radio, 12V power outlet, electric front and rear windows, and rain-sensing windscreen wipers as standard.

The level two Elegance trim is priced from 25,295 plus delivery, and it gains a 10 colour touchscreen with HD graphics, Apple Car Play and Android Auto, 7 driver information cluster, front console USB connection, front and rear parking distance sensors with panoramic rearview camera, side blind spot alert with side distance alert, 16 alloy wheels, and power-folding mirrors, as standard.

The GS level three trim, with 1.2 75hp petrol 5-speed manual powertrain or 1.2 100hp petrol 8-speed automatic retails from 26,595 plus delivery and boasts 17 alloy wheels, LED front fog lights, heated steering wheel, heated front seats, front centre armrest with storage and two cup holders, high gloss black b-pillars, and black painted roof as standard.

Customers who prefer to drive electrically and locally emissions-free can soon choose a new option. All-electric, Opels second-generation battery with 115 kW/156 hp and up to 405 kilometres range will arrive in Ireland in spring 2024. In addition, the new Corsa will soon become the first Opel with a 48-volt hybrid system. With power units ranging from all-electric to hybrid and highly efficient combustion engines, the new Corsa therefore offers customers an unrivalled choice of drivetrains.

The new Opel Corsa will be available to preview this November in Opel dealer showrooms. For further information see Rochford Motors in Ballyhaunis at https://www.rochfordmotors.ie/
A local councillor has claimed that Ballina is finished as a fishing town unless something is done to control the seal population on the Moy Estuary.

Cllr John OHara made his comments at last months meeting of the Ballina Municipal District after previously raising a notice of motion calling for the implementation of a seal cull in the area to boost the population of the local salmon.

The municipal district received correspondence from Minister for Local Government Malcolm Noonan who said the Department could issue licenses under Section 42 to cull individual problem seals where they are causing damage to food, livestock, crops and other flora and fauna of the fisheries. He noted that three Section 42 licenses had been issued for the Moy Estuary since 2016, none of which have been used.

The Minister said culling seals is unlikely to be an effective management measure because seals from Scottish waters, which number around 100,000 in population, migrate to Irish waters to feed. He added that a pilot research study, titled Seals Fisheries Coexisting Sustainably, is currently being carried out at University College Cork with a key focus on seal depredation monitoring and mitigation, as well as research on the application of startle technology to reduce depredation in static fisheries.

Cllr OHara described the letter as "no response" to the issues that Ballina is facing with its dwindling salmon population.

Im not against seals but there will soon be no more fishing in Ballina, which we market as the Salmon Capital of Ireland. We want to see our fish come back.

We dont need to kill the seals but something has to be done, that may be relocating them because we are finished as a fishing town if action is not taken

Head of the municipal district Declan Turnbull said it is the council's intention to ask an expert from Inland Fisheries Ireland to attend a meeting of the municipal district to discuss a potential seal cull and other options available to the council.
A Foxford councillor has become frustrated with the length of time it is taking to complete an options and feasibility study to carry out safety works at a pedestrian crossing in the town.

Fine Gael councillor Neil Cruise has raised the issue on numerous occasions and he launched a petition on behalf of the Foxford Enhancement Group in October 2022 for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) to carry out urgent safety works at the pedestrian crossing of the N26, in Foxford town centre. The petition was signed by over 2,000 people.

Cllr Cruise requested an update on the project from senior engineer Conrad Harley at last weeks Claremorris-Swinford Municipal District. Mr Harley informed Cllr Cruise that his department had to step in to conduct the study as an engineer in the roads design office, who was tasked with the job, is currently out sick. He hopes that it will be completed before the end of the year.

Cllr Cruise expressed his frustration at this news, saying that the people of Foxford are becoming annoyed and frustrated with the situation.

Theres been a problem with this since 2015. Theres been a problem since it went in. There was a petition handed in to TII at our Roads SPC last year. Where will the buck stop with this? When will something be done? Cllr Cruise asked. The simple thing people are asking for is traffic lights and a pedestrian crossing. Its acutely annoying at this stage.

Head of roads Paul Dolan said that everybody has a responsibility when they come to a pedestrian crossing with regards to safety and that the pedestrian crossing in Foxford is working.

Its signed, its working and there isnt an accident cluster at it. You brought it up with TII out of the blue last year and it wasnt on the agenda and it wasnt a scheme. It is a scheme now. Theres a lot of other locations out there that are trying to get on the list but there is a finite amount of resources, Mr Dolan said. That staff member, who was out since last February, will be back this week. It wasnt originally on TIIs list, but it is now.
Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys, has today announced funding of 100,000 to support the development of two outdoor adventure projects in Co Mayo.

Funding of 50,000 each has been awarded to Cong to Lisloughrey Pier Recreational Trail for the detailed design for a new 3.5km scenic trail connecting Cong and the 19th century dry canal structure and onwards to Kellys cave. The second project is for the scoping the creation of Irelands first underwater artificial reef in Killala Bay and environmental planning costs in Killala.

The investment under the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) will be key to enhancing outdoor amenities such as walkways, cycleways, rivers, lakes and beaches.

The projects, when ultimately delivered, will also provide a major boost to local economies by attracting visitors and furthering our reputation as a destination for adventure tourism.

This funding will be invested in 50 outdoor recreation projects that are currently at the early stage of development.

These projects are to receive funding of up to 50,000 to bring them to a shovel-ready stage. Once at a shovel ready stage, they will be in a position to secure further funding through the other measures of the ORIS.

50,000 has been awarded for the scoping the creation of Irelands first underwater artificial reef in Killala Bay and environmental planning costs in Killala.

Funding for the delivery of projects on the ground under the other Measures of the scheme will be announced by Minister Humphreys early next year.

Fine Gael TD and Spokesperson on Tourism and Sport, Deputy Alan Dillon has welcomed a funding announcement by his party colleague, saying the funding in Cong will be a great addition to Lisloughrey.

These are two fantastic projects which have been in the planning stages for some time. I want to commend Mayo County Council for submitting these applications and I was happy to work alongside my colleagues Cllr Michael Burke and Cllr Jarlath Munnelly in progressing the trail in Cong and the artificial reef in Killala, which is a first for the country, Deputy Dillon said.

Deputy Michael Ring also welcomed the news.

The benefits, both economically and socially of these investments in rural Ireland can be seen by the increased number of people enjoying our amenities in Mayo. I would encourage everyone to make the most of what our county has to offer, Deputy Ring said.

Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation, Dara Calleary, welcomed the funding for the project in Killala.

Good news for Killala Bay Ship2Reef Project  50,000 has been secured from the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme to advance the proposed project.

The initial funding will cover the scoping of the first ever artificial reef and environmental planning costs.

The MV Shingle has already been secured from Revenue as #Ships2Reef group continue to move the project forward - I am delighted to assist them in a project of unbridled potential for Mayo North Tourism.
In the latest of a series of articles where I interview leaders about how we build a better West, this weeks piece explores the importance of big ideas that make the west central to the future.

How do you recognise a big idea, judge its importance and appreciate that its time has come? How do such ideas get translated from concept into positive actions, structures and even institutions? How does our region develop and support such new initiatives, and make them mainstream?

To discuss these questions, I went to the north bank of Clew Bay, to talk with Georgia MacMillan about the Dark Sky Project. Georgia MacMillan is a leader by action, a person who inspires by example and commitment.

What is 'Dark Sky' all about?

The Dark Sky movement is about protecting our night skies from light pollution, the wasteful and damaging use of excessive artificial light at night. Artificial light at night is often overused, with too much of it, beaming too strongly, many times needlessly, often times wastefully. The negative effects are real; whether it is the number of insects in our environment; the impact on human sleep patterns; rising energy bills and excess use of carbon; or our capacity to see the Milky Way.

With a deep commitment to sustainability and conservation, Georgia MacMillan came across the idea of Dark Skies while studying Outdoor Education in 2013, a journey that led her to be an employment-based doctoral scholar on Dark Skies, funded by the Irish Research Council and the National Parks and Wildlife Service. As she puts it, conservationists do a lot of conservation in terms of what goes on in the daytime: we really dont think about what happens after dark. What happens is, of course, a lot of artificial light, and much of it is wasteful and damaging.

Not that long ago, people walked in the dark all the time: our eyes were attuned to it. Georgia MacMillan emphasised in our discussions that the way we light things currently does not aid us as many think it does. It actually disarms our natural capacity for night vision, as well as meaning there is less to see when we do look up.

I asked her why Mayo  and particularly her area of the county  is leading the movement to change that. She explained that topography and geography provide the explanation: if you look inside the dark square using Castlebar, Mulranny, Bangor and Crossmolina as your four corners, you get the idea. The dark night sky from there is one of the most beautiful things in the world. People will flock to see it, for it inspires dreams. To view the cosmos from inside that square, with no light pollution interrupting, is a profound and extraordinary thing. It is a wonder of the world, right here on our doorstep.

Now, with that bit of poetry said, lets be frank. Culturally, in this region, lack of light has meant failure. There has been no greater lament than "that will be the last time there will be light in that house". We have associated the lack of light with death, emigration, economic under-achievement, with backwardness, and being cut off from the centre of the action. It is no coincidence that rural electrification and free secondary education are spoken of in the same breath  a fight back against our peripheral status. People, therefore, can think that ideas like this are somehow a revolt against the modern world, a sort of return to nature of the type they recoil against, something based on a desire to plunge us back into some kind of darkness.

But Georgia reminds me that Dark Sky principles  wherever applied  are not about turning lights off. It is about using light properly, applying scientific and conservation and sustainable principles to its use. It is about stewarding our resources in the way that the people of this region have done since the beginning of time. And at the same time, these same sustainable and conservation principles are shaping the future of the world in multiple other ways  they are central to every debate, and not in the least peripheral.

She is also keen to emphasise that the overuse of artificial light has created real and immediate problems to be solved, right here in the West. As only one example, she asks: Why are we losing pollinators? Everyone knows that a moth is attracted to light, as well as every insect. If you start doing the maths on the impact on nighttime pollinators, it is massive.

How the Big Idea has grown

Nothing moves faster than an idea whose time has come. In 2015, the Friends of Mayo Dark Skies group was established to form a community movement in this area. By 2016, the now Wild Nephin National Park was designated as a gold tier Dark Sky Park, an accreditation which means it is free from light pollution and an international attraction.

Growing out of this movement, a dynamic Newport Astronomy Club and the Dark Sky Festival was born, led by local festival director, Fiona Hopkins. This annual festival uniting the communities of Newport, Mulranny and Ballycroy, was held again a couple of weeks ago. It is a huge success, so much so that Failte Ireland is now heavily promoting it as one of their flagship events.

The next step is for the whole of County Mayo to become an International Dark Sky Reserve, because, Georgia tells me, even from the dark spots in the county you notice the light encroaching, with light domes over the urban areas".

"This is pollution  we are wasting far too much energy to light the sky when we intend to light the streets.

That does not mean you switch off lights or dont prioritise public safety and comfort, she emphasises. It is that you start to tackle the excess use of light in urban areas and bring in policies for responsible outdoor lighting.

If successful, a county Dark Sky Reserve would be the largest and a world first... We are working with Mayo County Council on a policy to tackle light pollution which is a very welcome step to reduce emissions and improve the natural night-time environment.

These initiatives have been producing rave reviews, but sometimes we find that people from outside the county can praise a new initiative while there can be scepticism locally. Georgia addresses this with a laugh, saying that blow-ins can sometimes see things from a different perspective while pointing out the reality that it is the energy and commitment from local people that are driving the project. As well as the work on developing a county-wide light pollution policy in Mayo, there are further exciting developments: plans for a planetarium and observatory at Wild Nephin National Park and for a Dark Sky Centre for research.

Westport was also recently selected to host ALAN 2025, a multidisciplinary international conference on artificial light at night and its impact on biodiversity, culture science and human wellbeing from October 28-30, 2025. It will bring leading thinkers and academics from all over the world to discuss these questions, in Mayo, right here in our backyard. They will then stay around for the Dark Sky Festival which will follow it.

The importance of a strong theme

The Dark Sky project is positioning Mayo at the centre of debates of global significance, and as Georgia explains, thats because it brings together multiple strands. It derives from the natural environment, relates to changes in science and culture, and is broad enough that each area can do something distinctive. It also retains a freshness which means it is constantly re-inventing itself rather than it just being the same thing over and over.

The strength of the theme allows for all sorts of things to happen: environmentally, in terms of leading thinkers coming to Mayo to discuss these questions; economically; in terms of the boom to tourism and in attracting the type of people who we need for our industries to bloom, exactly in the same way Pat ODonnell outlined earlier in this series; and distinctiveness, in making Mayo a place where the cutting edge is being discussed, a place which is central to major ideas, not disconnected from them.

Georgia explains how that works with a very specific example.

Mayo Dark Sky Park was presenting at the EUs light pollution conference hosted by the Czech Ministry for the Environment in Brno last year, the only Irish group to do so.

Eabha, Seimi, and Mae Thorhnhill with Kellymae Cogan-Flynn enjoying the Lantern Walk at St Patrick's Church in Newport, which was the final event of the successful Mayo Dark Skies Festival last year. Picture: Conor McKeown

Making it all work

To drive big ideas like this, you need leadership like Georgia evidences, but also enthusiasm and commitment from a wide range of people. Georgia is quick to emphasise the importance of the local community group in driving the Festival; of institutional partners like the NPWS; of the national body Dark Sky Ireland; as well as the team of ambassadors and volunteers who support the Dark Sky mission more broadly. But the point is clear: such energy comes about because the idea itself is so strong.

That team is needed to train and talk to wider sets of people based on their needs and interests. For example, the tourism business needs a certain type of training to meet the needs of visitors attracted by the Dark Sky Park, whereas others will need more in-depth knowledge transfer to become ambassadors for the wider goals of the initiative.

Managing time pressures on people is crucial, and hard, as Georgia explains.

"The more successful the project becomes, the more demands there are; and now youve got to service that.

That creates a dynamic which leads to a thin spread, especially when meeting commitments to funders. The model they have employed, she explains, is to have a core team, augmented by people coming in and out over time, and with specific volunteers focused on particular events and activities and sub-themes. It is a lot to manage!

Writing grant applications, while providing very welcome forms of funding, takes a huge amount of time and energy. Every community organisation knows this. Having templates is essential, but, Georgia explains, that each application needs something innovative and fresh, which is a challenge but also means you have to keep thinking anew about  and evaluating  what you are doing.

The gap is the administration, she tells me.

Employing someone to do this is expensive and cumbersome for voluntary groups, and if there were some way to access secretarial and administrative support it would be extremely welcome. It would help such organisations to keep their eyes on the outcome of what they were established to do, rather than on the process of how they do it.

The Dark Sky Park is a National Parks and Wildlife Service initiative project, which gives this aspect structure and support. But how do you scale up a wider community-based initiative, while keeping its community focus? Ultimately, to grow out you need to scale up, and that is going to require a different model of organisation. Does doing that mean you lose some of your verve? Possibly, but that is often a risk worth taking, for, to be successful this big idea has to influence policy on a big scale; development policy, planning policy, lighting regulations, biodiversity policies. As Georgia says: There is no point having an initiative like this if it isnt in the County Development Plan.

A spectacular image from a Dark Sky Hike in Mayo. Picture: Davy Patton / Astrophotography Club Ireland

Why this matters globally

Being able to read the night sky is a beautiful thing as well as a scientific skill  both art and science. As Georgia puts it: It is like a road map."

Too many of us have forgotten how to do it  but are keen to remember.

Reflecting on how much of humanitys greatest thinking  whether about big or more individual things  is done while looking up at the night sky, she remarks: Wouldnt it be a shame if that thought process for the future is cut off by light pollution?

When it comes to climate change, biodiversity loss, we need to inspire young people to think about how they are going to meet those challenges. Young people everywhere who will be ecologists, scientists, and engineers can be inspired by this, and because it is inter-disciplinary, it brings in all sorts of people and ideas, while placing Mayo at the centre of those disciplines.

Why this matters for the West

Dark Skies throws the idea of core and periphery on its head. As MacMillan says, this is a chance for rural to lead urban". The Dark Skies movement is based around biodiversity, sustainability and energy conservation practices  these are the very ideas shaping the world. By embracing them, Dark Skies is placing this region at the centre.

What does this example teach us about other potential Big Ideas that might be centred in the West?

A few things seem clear. A Big Idea must be central to the future, not about the past. The theme has to be sustainable and of its time. To imagine one you need to think outside the box, or in this case, to be prepared to look up. If you looked at this part of Mayo in a conventional way, you might think there is only bog and heather, so that tells us how important it is for us to grow and imagine new things and not become set in existing ways.

We need to support and encourage the people who are leading such efforts in whatever way we can and perhaps employ a method which private enterprise uses, of finding early-stage good ideas and then backing them through various forms of investment.

Irish presenter and environmentalist, Duncan Stewart, has been a great ambassador for the Mayo Dark Sky Project.

Once you have the idea and it is a good one, Georgia says, dont be afraid to ask for support and advice. Finding yourself a champion is a big help  she has a particular word of praise for the support they received from Duncan Stewart as a patron. At the same time, developing local champions is crucial, as volunteers need to feel the pride of recognising and promoting what is on their doorsteps. Maximising the number of people in our region who feel the pull of the Big Idea, and ensuring they can be part of it, is essential to success.

Working collectively we can make a positive impact in all kinds of ways. Through Dark Skies, that includes reducing wasted energy, protecting biodiversity and promoting human health and wellbeing. Embracing this approach, Georgia argues, saves resources of all kinds, protects and enhances the natural world and helps us sleep and live better. It is making Mayo a point of interest for people from all over the world. Its a big idea whose time has come, and, amending a phrase we often say, the star signs are on it.
Corporation tax is beginning to feel a little like that line from Ulysses about Irish history: a nightmare from which we are trying to awake.

Receipts from the tax have grown over recent years in a way that is impossible to explain. We love that this tax money exists. We spend it wildly. Some dont want to ask too many questions about why it has grown so enormously. But deep down we worry that we are dancing on a volcano. The receipts from it have been falling recently, but it is still enormous compared to only a few short years ago. The issue hasnt quite erupted, but there are rumbles.

If not a nightmare, last week something of a bad dream certainly returned, as the Apple tax case came back into view.

It has been hanging around a long time, this one. The issue is this: The European Commission took the view that Apple had underpaid taxes due to Ireland of just over 13 billion between 2003 and 2014, arising from what the Commission claims was special treatment Ireland gave to Apple. Both Apple and Ireland strongly contested that then and continue to do so now. They both argue that Apple paid the right amount of tax and that the company received no special treatment when its tax bill was calculated.

Its a complicated business, but sufficient to say that the dispute ended up in the Court of Justice of the EU for a decision. That court is divided into two: the lower court, known as the General Court, and the main court, simply known as the Court of Justice (or CJEU).

The lower court heard the case and found in favour of Apple and Ireland, but the European Commission appealed. In a legal opinion related to that appeal, which was issued last week, the higher court of the CJEU was urged to overturn the decision and have the case heard again.

There is a strong chance  though no certainty  that they will follow this advice. More money for lawyers, you might say, and you wouldnt be wrong. But the issues here are far bigger than that. If the CJEU finds against Ireland, it could be a significant setback to Ireland and Apple's main defence on the key question in the case: that the company did not receive special treatment from Ireland in breach of EU state-aid rules.

The Minister for Finance Michael McGrath was quick out of the blocks.

"It has always been, and remains, Ireland's position that the correct amount of Irish tax was paid and that Ireland provided no State aid to Apple," he said.

It is a hard issue to get your head around in some ways. The position Ireland has taken up feels a little like a scene from Alice in Wonderland. All throughout the legal process, the 13 billion has been sitting in an account, waiting for the final judgement of the Court as to what should happen to it. The irony is that if the decision goes in favour of the European Commission and against Ireland, then Ireland will be paid 13 billion. Sounds like an odd way to lose, doesnt it? We could all do with a shot of bad luck like that, couldnt we?

And this is why some people cant understand why the Government is fighting so hard against the case, fighting so hard to make sure Ireland does not get this money. Think, the critics say, just what we could do with the 13. Think of all we could build! All the bills we could pay! All the cost of living increases we could wipe out! We should not contest the case and get the money, they say. Why are we defending some rich technology company, they ask?

Take the money and run  what on earth could be wrong with that line of argument? Well, it is really very simple. If the European Court ultimately finds against Apple and Ireland, it may also mean that there was something illegitimate in how Ireland constructed its Corporation Tax arrangements in this case and that Ireland had done a special deal to benefit one company. And the concern would be that if they find that that is so in this case, perhaps they will find similar fault in others.

And even if there is no such fault, the perception it would create around the world would damage Ireland, for it would send a signal that there is  as the saying goes  something to see here. And this is not a focus that the Government wants. And if you think about it for a minute, is that something any of us would want?

Now it could be years before the final decision in this case is made. If there is a new hearing, it will take a long time before it is concluded. Even if the decision of a new hearing was to overturn the previous decision in favour of Ireland and Apple, it could be appealed to the higher court, the CJEU itself. That could take a very long time. And meanwhile, that 13 billion stays sitting in that account.

The Apple case is about one specific issue, and it will be finalised by the CJEU in due course. But it raises the general area of Corporation Tax and the yield we get from it. We want the money from all this Corporation Tax, and we are mad keen to spend it. However much we like spending it though, many in our society are squeamish about it. There is a general anti-capitalist and anti-profit-making mood around just now, which is hard to square with all the calls to spend this money  which, deep down, many suspect we didnt actually earn.

Ok, fine, but why talk of a nightmare? Thats a strong word isnt it? When it comes to Corporation Tax, Im really not sure.

As the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council has reported, Corporation Tax receipts have more than tripled from 6.9 billion in 2015 to 22.6 billion in 2022. In 2022, just ten corporate groups accounted for three-fifths of all corporation tax receipts. The yield from the tax has started to drop back in recent months, but the truth is no one knows whether that is a blip or a sign of a bigger fall ahead. Whatever about the future, the spending increases of recent years have come out of this massive growth.

What has been happening, right in front of our noses, is that we have been witnessing massive increases in one kind of tax take, linked to significant economic growth yes, but which cant be fully explained by that growth. These sums flooding into our public coffers have had a major effect on our public debate. Spend, spend more, and spend it now constitutes our public debate day in and day out.

As we discovered after 2008, it is easy to spend money when you have it, and rather more difficult to take it back when you dont. That experience was a nightmare and one from which this country has not yet fully awoken. Lets hope we dont experience another one.
Now that the clocks have changed, the five oclock shadow that is Movember is upon us.

Gentlemen, decommission your razers: it is time to cover your stiff upper lip. By the end of the month, you could have handlebars that your grandfathers bicycle would be proud of. That is if you are up for the challenge, of course. But whether you are or not, it is worth paying heed to what all the fuss is about all the same.

Growing a moustache for Movember is  as we all know  simply a way to raise awareness and to get people talking about mens health. We men are a desperate crowd for being unwilling to talk about anything we think might make us look and feel less manly. Many of us will now challenge that and argue that things have changed  but we might be better at saying that things are different than actually behaving all that differently to our fathers and grandfathers.

So Movember has been a great way to let some more light through that chink in our armour. It has been a popular and fun way to do it, and it works across the generations. Grandfathers can say: whats that thing about? and grandsons can tell them while subtly suggesting they get themselves checked. And vice versa. So, its a fun way to engage with people on an important topic. Like any good fad, it raises the awareness by attracting attention. And as fads go, it is certainly a lot better than throwing a bucket of cold water over your head. Remember that one?

Movember has been around a fair while now, going back to the start of the century. That itself  like the flecks of a certain colour when you grow a beard  is a reminder of ones age. In an unusual pattern  despite its roots going back those many years  the phenomenon appears to continue to grow. It has survived all the waves of popular opinion. Thats impressive over such a length of time. So, why  like most styles  isnt it in shreds on the barbers floor?

It continues to work for a number of reasons, not least of which is that this informal age was made for it. Men will often feel overdressed now when they do something wild like wearing an ironed shirt. And when you wear a jacket and tie, it is like keeping the half door closed in the olden days: people wonder if you have been bereaved.

Nowadays it is easier to get a camel through the eye of a needle than get a razor along the jaw of most men  November or not. Even in work, fellas increasingly look like they have been pulled through a bush backways. The wispy horse hair or the tarmacadam like stubble: whichever it is, the razor no longer troubles it, and certainly not daily.

Movember provides a further excuse  if any is indeed still needed  to leave off the seven-minute job of shaving of a morning. Thats one extra press on the snooze button. Such things constitute important matters in the informal Ireland of 2023.

Back in an older Ireland, people cleaned themselves up in November by giving up the drink, which they justified on religious grounds: now they venerate scruffiness and justify it on the basis that they are doing it for a good cause.

But there was more to the popularity of Movember than justified idleness. In these days where so many constantly take pictures of themselves, the trend provided great content to feed that need. One image with the trademark moustache needs no caption, for its message is clear: Look at me! Look at me with the moustache! Im great craic, me. The question is, do you find the hirsute heavenly?

There are plenty who dont, with the mothers of our region counted heavily in their number. Many is the mammy who shakes their head that little more perceptibly when their boys head out at night looking like they normally do when they come home. The timeless appeal of the clean shaven is their strong preference.

And what of the poor sellers of lotions and the providers of ablutions? The effect on them is the untold story, and the sales of beard oil can hardly make up the difference. In tune with the fashions of the time as they are, it is a wonder that these businesses do not form a lobby group and seek public subsidy to mitigate their losses. There could be a first-time shavers grant, or a subsidy for the costs of tackling facial dereliction. (And in the absence of such a salon-based grant, I think the only patriotic thing for the women of Ireland to do is to go out at once and support this hard-pressed industry. They  and you ladies  deserve it.)

It is also one thing not to shave because you cant be bothered, and quite another to sport a beard or moustache. During the Covid, I was one of those who grew a beard: but it was a beard grown out of boredom. The desire to repeat it has well passed, and not only because of the association with that grim time. Im sure there are many like me, who gave facial hair a trial during those long days and have decided that its not a fashion they have any interest in exploring further.

But, you know, whether elaborate facial hair stays in fashion, the message of Movember is worth remembering. Too many men dont go often enough to the doctor. Too many put off having things seen when they should. Many look away when they should read and pay attention to health messages by people who actually know what they are talking about. Far too many men feel uncomfortable talking with each other about the simple things that happen to all of us when we get older.

So, whether you grow a moustache or not, make an appointment and go and see your doctor about that thing you have been putting off dealing with. Go in and tell them exactly how you feel, and be honest about how many cakes you eat or pints you drink. If you are feeling those niggles and wondering what might be behind them, ask a practitioner about it. But remember too that you dont always need to go to a doctor or a physiotherapist, or certainly not as a first step.

Ask a man your own age whether the thing you have noticed happening to you happens to them too. And have a laugh about it if you can. And if you start those conversations by saying that you are not going to grow a moustache for Movember because it has had its day, you will be doing a great job proving that it hasnt.
Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry asked Russia on Tuesday to use its permanent seat on the Security Council to push for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, also expressing Arab and Muslim countries appreciation for Russias support of Palestine.

Shoukrys remarks came as a member of an Arab-Islamic delegation that met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow.

The Egyptian foreign minister also asked, rhetorically, how many Palestine civilian casualties would be needed for Israel to achieve its goals.

On 25 October, Russia vetoed a US draft resolution submitted to the UNSC on the current conflict in the Gaza Strip because it did not call for an immediate ceasefire.

On Wednesday, it also abstained from supporting the UNSC's resolution calling for extended humanitarian pauses because it did not include a call for an immediate ceasefire.

Entering its 46th day on Tuesday, the Israeli war on Gaza has already claimed the lives of 13,300 Palestinians, including 5,600 children and 3,500 women.

Shoukry also affirmed that the continuous bombing of displaced people in the south had a clear objective: to force Gaza residents to leave.

Egypt explicitly declared its rejection of any attempt to displace Palestinians, the foreign minister added.

Egypt has drafted a resolution to be presented before the Security Council on behalf of the Arab and Islamic groups to address the existing flaw in the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, he announced.

At the end of the meeting, the foreign ministers expressed their gratitude to the Russian side for the warm reception, affirming their commitment to continued consultation and coordination with Russia to contain the crisis and minimize its repercussions.

Shoukry, along with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Palestine, and Indonesia, as well as the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, arrived in Moscow on Tuesday for the second stop in their tour of member countries of the Security Council.

The first stop was in Beijing on Monday, where Shoukry said major countries should play a larger role in halting Israeli attacks on Palestinians.

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It appears that the experience of participants in the recent October synod created something of an unlikely buzz in Rome. Usually, synods are fairly predictable in their formalities: an opportunity for the pope to focus on a particular teaching, a series of lectures by delegated speakers, an unsurprising step-by-step process, an oven-ready final document, and so on.

This time it was different: not just cardinals and bishops present but lay people, even women, and with voting rights too; instead of serried ranks of attendees in formal lecture mode, there were small discussion groups sitting in small circles; instead of just pre-packaged speeches moving the process in a predictable direction, everyone had a say; instead of speakers cautiously following expected outcomes, participants were encouraged to say what they thought, to be honest and truthful.

As well as that, while no effort was made to control the agenda or to moderate opinions, the small group structure followed very precise rules of engagement. For example, participants talked for a maximum of three minutes without interruption and were listened attentively to by the others; and everyone in the group (whether pope, cardinal, bishop, priest, lay-man or lay-woman) was held in equal status.

Rome had never experienced anything quite like it and even though some senior bishops had a few hissy-fits that involved temporary withdrawal, remarkably there was almost general assent that the synodal pathway process  for thats what it was  was effective and useful. In fact, some bishops who had opposed it before the synod were converted!

There was also a gathering sense that bishop-only synods would in the future (as some cardinals publicly agreed) be now unimaginable.

Thats not to say that everything went smoothly because some issues that had emerged right across the diocesan, national and continental surveys ran into difficulty. Thus, while inclusion of all remained a central concern, apparently the organising committee felt unable in the final document to actually use the acronym, LGBTQ+, and substituted inclusion to cover it  in deference to hostile opposition even to the use of the acronym from other cultures like Africa.

It seems whats beginning to emerge is that change in a number of areas that received an unprecedented level of support in the worldwide survey of expectations  hot button issues like an enhanced role for women, the blessing of LGBTQ+ relationships, mandatory celibacy for priests and the ordination of women deacons  may not be as easy to deliver as was imagined.

That said Pope Francis seems unfazed by the problem. It may be that his awareness of the distinction in Catholic theology between the technical terms, external forum and internal foru, may allow enough space to progress change even with hot button issues.

Take the long-standing demand for those in irregular marriages to be permitted to receive Communion. In assessing what is permissible in this area, Church practice that effectively bans such permission presents as the external forum. But this position looks different if it is countered by an internal forum  a different perspective based on individual conscience and a community or parish frame of reference. So even though the external forum seems to allow no exception to current church law on this issue, the internal forum mechanism can give the green light in particular cases.

In other words, even though church teaching (on whether those in irregular marriage situations can receive Communion) gives the impression of a large door slamming shut in the faces of those who ask the question, an important truth is that the detail of a specific case can provide the internal forum with room to operate effectively and sensitively at parish level.

In other words, the answer to the question as to whether those in irregular marriage situations can receive Communion is not automatically No (in every case) but rather It depends (in some cases). And this is not some sleight-of-hand formula but an accepted and widespread credible pastoral strategy.

In his letter, Familiaris Consortio (1981) Pope John Paul reminded those dealing with this and other related issues that they are "obliged to exercise careful discernment of situations". For example, it is extremely difficult for a marriage tribunal  the external forum  to prove non-consummation even when it is obvious to an individual involved that what was presented as a marriage was clearly not a Christian marriage. Yet, that individual can be expected to abstain for life from sexual relations with someone who is a life-long partner and the father or mother of his or her children. In justice, this is where the internal forum comes in and in justice special allowance needs to be made at parish level. This is not to sideline our understanding of Christian marriage but rather, as Pope John Paul has said, "reaching out in love to those who know the pain of failure in marriage by showing them Christs compassion".

In 2016, Pope Francis reflected in The Joy of Love on the difficulties families faced and gently urged priests to be more compassionate towards parishioners in relationships not always matched by the Churchs ideals. Pastors, Francis wrote, must find ways to welcome the many Catholics in relationships deemed irregular in church teaching. Many Catholics, he continued  including unmarried cohabiting couples, divorced and civilly remarried couples  felt ostracised by being told they were "living in sin".

It is instructive too that recently a German bishop has asked his priests to bless same-sex couples. This was in response to a survey in his diocese in which 93% favoured such blessings. It seems that pastoral solutions to pastoral problems will help to sort out at least some of the difficulties Catholics face in the future.

We live in interesting times.

* My new book, Holding Out for a Hero/The Long Wait for Pope Francis, is now available at 18 in the usual outlets and at www.mayobooks.ie.
Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary brushed off an investigation by Italy's anti-trust agency into the pricing of the low-cost carrier's flights as a "joke" on Tuesday, blaming Italy's populist leadership.

"It's just Italian politics," he told reporters at a news conference held in Portugal's capital Lisbon. "You have a bunch of populists running around in Italy... it's what populist politicians do."

Ryanair faces several regulatory challenges in Italy, where it has expanded to become the largest carrier. It is in a dispute with the Italian government which is trying to hold down the price of domestic flights to its main islands at peak times.

The investigation comes after Giorgia Meloni's government backtracked in September on previously announced measures to tackle high fares, effectively scrapping a planned cap on increases for flights to the islands.

The antitrust agency investigation will focus on the possible negative implications of pricing algorithms, it said, and will also examine the way ticket prices and their components are communicated to the public.

Mr O'Leary said the investigation was based on alleged mobile phone pricing algorithms but ignored "the fact that about 60 per cent of our flights are booked on desktop computers". -Reuters
Clifden Town Hall is ready to turn it up to 11 at their local arts festival, dance classes, and their long-standing Bingo nights, having installed a new, state-of-the-art sound system with the support of Community Finance Ireland (CFI).

The Town Hall building has been a central part of the Clifden community for over 100 years and has undergone significant renovations in the past decade. General manager Kevin Gavin says this latest technological upgrade has kitted Clifden Town Hall out for the increasing number of activities they host for the local community including dance classes for young and old, indoor bowls, meditation, Thursday night bingo and the longest-running community arts festival in Ireland, Clifden Community Arts Festival.

Mr Gavin described how he remembered a chance meeting with Community Finance Ireland CEO Donal Traynor when the time came to apply for funding for the much-needed sound system upgrade.

When I met Donal at an event a few years ago, his commitment to supporting community organisations had stayed with me. When our committee recognised that we urgently needed funding for a new sound system for the hall, I immediately thought of Community Finance Ireland.

Our experience with CFI has felt like a very personal one. Working with Donal and locally-based Mary has been wonderful. It has always felt like Mary is just down the road and is happy to answer any questions we might have.

Clifden Town Hall accessed a bridging loan of 20,000 from Community Finance Ireland, which provides social finance loans to community and volunteer-led organisations that drive social impact through sport, community projects, faith-based groups, and social enterprises. Operating a model similar to traditional credit unions, all loan repayments go toward supporting other communities across Ireland. This loan was used to assist with bridging a community recognition grant of 29,919 from Galway County Council in respect of upgrading the Town Hall sound system.

Pictured at Clifden Town Hall are Grainne Gavin, aged 17; Aoibhin OMalley, aged 12; Mary Nohilly, Community Finance Ireland (CFI) Client Relationship Manager and Ailbhe Gavin, aged 11. Picture: Andrew Downes, xposure

Mary Nohilly, CFI Client Relationship Executive for Connacht and Donegal, said: It has been a pleasure to work with the team at Clifden Town Hall. This beautiful, warm space brings so many people together from the local community and the great many visitors the area welcomes throughout the year. The team here provide so many fantastic activities and now everyone will be able to enjoy relaxing background music at their meditation sessions, and hear every call clearly at Thursday night bingo!"

Between 2016 and 2022, Community Finance Ireland delivered 3.4 million in social finance supports to volunteer and community-led organisations in Connacht, including just under 900,000 in support of projects in Galway. Based on a social value analysis undertaken by the Rural Community Network in Northern Ireland, CFI has established that its funding solution delivers a return on investment that creates a multiplier effect of 3.42 times the initial investment through wider social benefits such as improved community health and increased employment opportunities and skill levels.

For more information on Community Finance Ireland, visit www.communityfinanceireland.com.
Allentown, PA (18103)

Today

Some early morning sun, then becoming mostly cloudy with some mainly afternoon and evening showers, mostly light and scattered. .

Tonight

Mostly cloudy with a few scattered evening showers or drizzle; some patchy fog overnight.
ATLANTA (AP)  The Georgia judge overseeing the election subversion case against former President Donald Trump and others declined a request to revoke the bond of one of the defendants but did impose stricter bond conditions after prosecutors complained about his social media posts that mentioned witnesses and co-defendants.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis made a rare appearance in the courtroom to argue for the revocation of the bond of Harrison Floyd, who was a leader in the organization Black Voices for Trump. Floyd was one of 18 people accused along with the former president of participating in a wide-ranging scheme to illegally try to overturn the 2020 election.

Willis filed a motion last week asking Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee to revoke Floyd's bond. In her first in-person appearance in this case since the indictment, she argued in court that Floyd has been attempting to intimidate and contact likely witnesses and his co-defendants in violation of the terms of his release.

Floyd's lawyers argued that his social media posts are constitutionally protected speech and that he was in no way trying communicate with or intimidate any witness or co-defendant.

McAfee said there is no constitutional right to bail and that bond orders can contain conditions that curtail a defendant's rights, but he also noted that people are generally allowed to publicly criticize the merits of the case but cannot cross a line. He said Floyd appears very boldly willing to explore where that line is" in this case.

McAfee said he did believe there had been a technical violation of Floyd's bond conditions but that not all violations merit revocation.

McAfee said he didn't believe that Floyd's posts amounted to intimidation, pointing out that they didn't include posting of personal information or any explicit wording that something should be done about the people he mentioned. But he said the question was much closer when it comes to whether Floyd was trying to directly or directly communicate with witnesses or codefendants, noting that the people did end up seeing his posts.

I think the public safety interests raised as a result of todays hearing indicate that his actions have a consequence, the judge said.

After discussion with the lawyers, and over some objections from Floyd's attorneys, McAfee signed a modified bond order proposed by prosecutors.

The new bond conditions say Floyd shall have no contact with or do anything to intimidate any co-defendant, witness or person named in the indictment. They also prohibit him from making any public statement about any of those people and from posting anything about them or contacting them in any way on social media. That includes not interacting with a post by any other user that would violate the order if he had been the one who posted it.

Floyd attorney Chris Kachouroff complained that the order would effectively muzzle his client. McAfee said rushing to modify the order while sitting there could cause problems but that he was open to modifying the terms in the coming weeks.

I think what the judge did was fair, Kachouroff said after the hearing. I don't like it, but he's within the realm of reason.

The charges against Floyd relate to allegations of harassment toward Ruby Freeman, a Fulton County election worker who had been falsely accused of election fraud by Trump and his Republican supporters. Floyd took part in a Jan. 4, 2021, conversation in which Freeman was told she needed protection and was pressured to lie and say she had participated in election fraud, the indictment says.

Floyd was among 18 people charged along with Trump and accused of participating in a wide-ranging scheme to illegally try to keep the Republican incumbent in power even after he lost the presidential election to Democrat Joe Biden.

Four defendants have pleaded guilty after reaching a deal with prosecutors that includes a promise to testify in any trials in the case. Trump and the others have pleaded not guilty. No trial date has been set, but Willis last week asked McAfee to set it for Aug. 5, 2024.

Floyd was the only defendant in the case who spent time in jail after his indictment because he's the only one who didn't have a lawyer reach an agreement on bond conditions before he turned himself in at the Fulton County Jail. The conditions of his release include not communicating directly or indirectly about the facts of the case with any of his co-defendants or any known witnesses.

Willis stressed that her concern was protecting witnesses and making sure the defendants get a fair trial.

He can publicly criticize me all he wants. I dont value his opinion. It doesnt matter, Willis said. But what he may not do is publicly do things that intimidate witnesses, and so that needs to be clear.

She called three witnesses during Tuesday's hearing  an investigator in her office, a high-ranking official in the Georgia secretary of state's office and an attorney for Freeman. She walked them through numerous posts Floyd had made on social media.

The investigator testified that he had communicated with a lawyer for Jenna Ellis, a co-defendant who pleaded guilty last month. The lawyer said Ellis had seen Floyd's post accusing her of lying and believed that it was meant to harass or intimidate her or to encourage others to do so.

Gabriel Sterling, a top secretary of state's office official who strenuously defended the legitimacy of the states 2020 vote count against Trumps false claims that he won said he had seen Floyd's posts insulting him and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. But he said posts like that are par for the course for a public official.

Freeman's lawyer, Von Dubose, said a service his team pays to monitor threats to Freeman and her daughter had noticed a spike in such activity related to Floyd's posts. Floyd's attorneys disputed that the threat activity in that report could be reasonably attributed to his posts.

They also noted that while Trump's bond order specifically puts limits on certain social media posts as part of his bond conditions, Floyd's does not. They argued that Floyd's posts were protected speech and that attempting to communicate with anyone by tagging them on social media is analogous to shouting to someone across a crowded stadium. They also argued that Floyd didn't attack Freeman and views her as a favorable witness for his defense.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The U.S. government dealt a massive blow to Binance, the worlds largest cryptocurrency exchange, which agreed to pay a roughly $4 billion settlement Tuesday as its founder and CEO Changpeng Zhao pleaded guilty to a felony related to his failure to prevent money laundering on the platform.

Zhao stepped down as the companys chief executive and Binance admitted to violations of the Bank Secrecy Act and apparent violations of sanctions programs, including its failure to implement reporting programs for suspicious transactions.

Using new technology to break the law does not make you a disruptor, it makes you a criminal, said U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, who called the settlement one of the largest corporate penalties in the nation's history.

As part of the settlement agreement, the U.S. Treasury said Binance will be subject to five years of monitoring and significant compliance undertakings, including to ensure Binances complete exit from the United States. Binance is a Cayman Islands limited liability company.

The cryptocurrency industry has been marred by scandals and market meltdowns.

Zhao was perhaps best known as the chief rival to Sam Bankman-Fried, the 31-year-old founder of the FTX, which was the second-largest crypto exchange before it collapsed last November. Bankman-Fried was convicted earlier this month of fraud for stealing at least $10 billion from customers and investors.

Zhao, meanwhile, pleaded guilty in a federal court in Seattle on Tuesday to one count of failure to maintain an effective anti-money-laundering program.

Magistrate Judge Brian A. Tsuchida questioned Zhao to make sure he understood the plea agreement, saying at one point: You knew you didnt have controls in place.

Yes, your honor, he replied.

Binance wrote in a statement that it made misguided decisions as it quickly grew to become the world's biggest crypto exchange, and said the settlement acknowledges its responsibility for historical, criminal compliance violations.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Binance processed transitions by illicit actors, "supporting activities from child sexual abuse, to illegal narcotics, to terrorism, across more than 100,000 transactions.

Binance did not file a single suspicious activity report on those transactions, Yellen said, and the company allowed over 1.5 million virtual currency trades that violated U.S. sanctions  including ones involving Hamas' al-Qassam Brigades, al-Qaeda and other criminals.

The judge set Zhaos sentencing for Feb. 23, however it's likely to be delayed. He faces a possible guideline sentence range of up to 18 months.

One of his attorneys, Mark Bartlett, noted that Zhao had been aware of the investigation since December 2020, and surrendered willingly even though the United Arab Emirates  where Zhao lives  has no extradition treaty with the U.S.

He decided to come here and face the consequences, Bartlett said. Hes sitting here. He pled guilty.

Zhao, who is married and has young children in the UAE, promised he would return to the U.S. for sentencing if allowed to stay there in the meantime.

I want to take responsibility and close this chapter in my life, Zhao said. I want to come back. Otherwise I wouldnt be here today.

Zhao previously faced allegations of diverting customer funds, concealing the fact that the company was commingling billions of dollars in investor assets and sending them to a third party that Zhao also owned.

Over the summer, Binance was accused of operating as an unregistered securities exchange and violating a slew of U.S. securities laws in a lawsuit from regulators. That case was similar to practices uncovered after the collapse of FTX.

Zhao and Bankman-Fried were originally friendly competitors in the industry, with Binance investing in FTX when Bankman-Fried launched the exchange in 2019. However, the relationship between the two deteriorated, culminating in Zhao announcing he was selling all of his cryptocurrency investments in FTX in early November 2022. FTX filed for bankruptcy a week later.

At this trial and in later public statements, Bankman-Fried tried cast blame on Binance and Zhao for allegedly orchestrating a run on the bank at FTX.

A jury found Bankman-Fried guilty of wire fraud and several other charges. He is expected to be sentenced in March, where he could face decades in prison.

Johnson contributed from Seattle. Associated Press writer Ken Sweet in New York contributed to this story.
ANNVILLE, Pa. - Local non-profit, Veterans Making a Difference, is making sure one of Berks County's veterans gets a proper burial.

"He's an unclaimed veteran. No family. He served in the Air Force," said Liz Graybill, president of Veterans Making a Difference.

Donald Fleck served during the 1950's in Dover, Delaware. He died in March at the age of 92.

"So Veterans Making a Difference steps up, does the right thing to get him buried with military honors since he was a veteran and he's unclaimed," said Graybill.

Graybill said Fleck will be buried at the Indiantown Gap National Cemetery near Annville, Lebanon County.

Graybill said there will be Patriot Guard Riders, a chaplain and a 21-gun salute.

"And then they fold the flag properly and present it to someone in attendance and I have an Air Force veteran who's going to attend, so he'll probably receive the flag," said Graybill.

Graybill said the flag is donated back to the cemetery, so it can fly.

"This ceremony is open to the public. Anyone can go. The services are Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, at 9:30 in the morning," said Graybill.

People are asked to arrive at 9 a.m.

"I think it's really important to do ceremonies like this for one: he was a veteran, he served his country, so it's the honorable thing to step up and ensure he gets buried. He served his country and it's good to honor him with military honors and have a ceremony," added Graybill.
ALLENTOWN, Pa. - Tensions between Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk and some members of city council have ratcheted up even further.

This time, Councilman Ed Zucal is calling for a vote of no confidence against the Mayor, following the termination of a city human resources worker, Karen Ocasio.

Ocasio recently filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging discrimination at work and had pushed the city to conduct an outside investigation following an unauthorized letter from the NAACP alleging racism in City Hall.

Zucal says once the employer is notified of the EEOC complaint, they cannot fire that employee, and he believes the city could be hit with a lawsuit.

In late September, City Council voted unanimously to authorize a third-party investigation into the racism allegations. However, no third party has been hired yet.

"I think the mayor should have waited till the investigation was over to either expunge himself or show there's no validity to the complaints. But now he's just made himself look guilty without no investigations," Zucal said.

The mayor's office would not reveal the details of her termination.

But in a statement, Mayor Matt Tuerk'said:

"As Mayor, I have a duty to ensure a good working environment for all employees so that we may continue to provide high quality city services to our residents and stakeholders. I don't participate in retaliatory practices and I don't have tolerance for it either. Since these are personnel matters, we have no additional comment at this time."

For the vote of no confidence to move forward, City Council President Daryl Hendricks would have to take up the measure. He says that one member doesn't speak for the entire body, and that he's asked the mayor to meet privately with City Council to explain why the person was fired.

Since Pennsylvania is not a recall state, Mayor Tuerk would not be removed from office, even if it were to pass. It would just be symbolic.
ALLENTOWN, Pa. - Continuing allegations of the Allentown mayor's administration discriminating against and harassing employees have now reached a tipping point.

A council member is suggesting a vote of no confidence against Mayor Matt Tuerk Monday night.

Councilman Ed Zucal said in a statement Monday night that the mayor fired a human resources worker who recently filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Zucal is calling the firing of Karen Ocasio "an act of revenge."

Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk issued a statement Tuesday:

"As Mayor, I have a duty to ensure a good working environment for all employees so that we may continue to provide high quality city services to our residents and stakeholders. I dont participate in retaliatory practices and I dont have tolerance for it either. Since these are personnel matters, we have no additional comment at this time."

The allegations of discrimination and harassment involving the mayor's administration first came to a head during the summer, following complaints from several members of the local NAACP branch about how minority workers were being treated.

In late September, City Council voted unanimously to authorize a third-party investigation into the allegations.

Back in early October, Tuerk said he agreed and encouraged council members to vote for the third-party investigation. He said he welcomed it to "dispel" low morale created by the allegations, and because his office has nothing to hide.

Stay with 69 News for more details on this breaking news as they become available.
Abbas Ganbay

"The document adopted by the US Senate on November 15 is an act of defence of Armenians. This document claims that Armenians were expelled from Karabakh by force. This issue will be discussed today in Milli Majlis," Azernews reports.

This was stated by Milli Majlis Speaker Sahiba Gafarova at today's parliamentary session.

According to the Speaker, after the 44-day war, Armenia's provocations continued: "However, Azerbaijan has fully satisfied international law, putting an end to the existence of an illegal separatist regime in Karabakh. Today, Azerbaijan's wish is to sign a peace treaty between the two countries. Unfortunately, Armenia still refuses to abandon its insidious policy. It does not accept it."

Later, the Milli Mejlis created a commission to prepare a statement on the US Senate law on the protection of Armenians.

The chairman of the commission is Ziyafat Askerov.

It includes Samed Seyidov, Gudrat Hasanguliyev, Tural Ganjaliyev, Tamam Jafarova and Kamilya Aliyeva.
Egypt was unanimously elected to assume the presidency of a UN team of experts tasked with drafting a treaty to prevent an arms race in outer space, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Tuesday.

The team, which was formed earlier by the UN secretary-general, will draft the treaty in accordance with the General Assemblys resolution regarding the issue, the statement said.

The UN team elected Egypts Plenipotentiary Minister Bassam Hassan, director of arms control and peaceful uses of atomic energy at the foreign ministry, to lead the team, the ministry said.

The team, whose term extends until August 2024, is responsible for providing recommendations to the UN General Assembly on the possible elements of the desired treaty.

The ministry said that Egypt's election for this task is an international recognition of its leadership in disarmament and international security.

This is due to the fact that Egypts positions are balanced and objective, especially in the face of renewed arms races in various fields of modern technology, the ministry noted.

The formation of the expert team comes within the context of the increasing international awareness of the necessity to address the unprecedented strategic risks posed by many developing armament capabilities in outer space, including weapons designed to target satellites, said the ministry.

This is particularly crucial given the vital importance of outer space applications, which have become a fundamental cornerstone for all modern technology applications and essential infrastructure in areas such as communications, the internet, guidance, navigation, weather forecasting, and mining.

On 31 October, the General Assembly announced that it would establish two open-ended working groups related to the prevention of an arms race in outer space.

The Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space document is a 1981 UN resolution that reaffirms the fundamental principles of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty.

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As the opioid epidemic rages on, Northampton County is hoping a little bag can make a difference.

Kathy Jiorle, Administrator of the Northampton Drug and Alcohol Division, told 69 News, "We're really getting the community involved in the knowledge and the education surrounding overdose deaths, and how it can really happen to anybody."

To get the word out, Northampton County is thinking outside the box, or in this case bags. Deterra, a drug deactivation and disposal company, has mailed out bags to a portion of homes in the county as a safe and fast way to get rid of medication and keep them out of the wrong hands.

"54% of overdose deaths occur in someone's home, and they can start with kids taking prescriptions that are not theirs, or adults taking prescriptions that are not theirs," said Jiorle. "It doesn't have to necessarily be drug disposable for illicit medications."

If you get a bag, the process to dispose medication is simple. Unseal the bag, fill it halfway with water, add the pills, shake it, and throw it out.

"It's all environmentally safe and friendly, so it is safe to throw this in the trash," said Jiorle.

The distribution is part of a larger campaign, "Fake is Real." It is a county-wide initiative aimed at curbing the staggering opioid addiction deaths.

The "Fake is Real" site reports 1,309 accidental overdose deaths in Lehigh and Northampton counties. Overall, according to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, 6.22% of nationwide overdose deaths occur in Pennsylvania.

"We all need to be vigilant and be aware of the most responsible things we can do to curtail the drug use in our communities," said Jiorle.

The drug deactivation bags are being mailed out in three waves depending on zip codes, but you can request a bag on the "Fake is Real" site at any time.

The county says the entire campaign, including the bag distribution, is being funded from the proceeds that the county secured from litigation against opioid manufacturers.
DOYLESTOWN, Pa. - A 63-year-old Philadelphia man is being accused of robbing a store in Bucks County.

Aaron Elijah Pippen, Sr. faces multiple charges, including robbery and terroristic threats, according to a news release from the Central Bucks Regional Police Department. He was arrested Tuesday.

Police say he walked into Doylestown Produce on Oct. 31 shortly before 7 p.m. Video surveillance shows Pippen entered the store, walked around the counter, and pointed a concealed weapon at the clerk, according to police.

He grabbed the cash register, which contained approximately $240 in cash, and walked out of the store, according to the news release.

Pippen is currently being held at Bucks County Prison.
PERKASIE, Pa. - Police in Perkasie are investigating a crash involving a department vehicle.

Investigators say it happened around 9:30 p.m. Sunday when a marked Perkasie Police Department Ford Explorer was traveling north on Arthur Avenue in the area of the Perkasie Library.

Police say a Volkswagen Tiguan, operated by a 29-year-old female from Telford, was traveling south on Arthur Avenue and crossed over into the lane of travel of the Perkasie Police SUV, resulting in a head-on collision.

The officer sustained injuries and was transported to Grandview Hospital where he was treated and later released. The female was uninjured.

Pennsylvania State Police from Dublin Barracks responded to investigate the crash.

Authorities say the female displayed signs of intoxication at the scene and after failing field sobriety tests, she was taken into custody.

Charges are pending.
BRAZZAVILLE, Republic of Congo (AP)  A late night stampede at a military stadium in Republic of Congo where large crowds of young people waited hours to register at a recruitment event left 31 people dead, authorities said Tuesday.

The Congolese Armed Forces Command announced that all recruitment operations were suspended in the capital, Brazzaville, until further notice following the tragedy late Monday.

Adelard Yvon Bonga, director of Brazzavilles main morgue, told official broadcaster Radio Congo that the death toll stood at 31. The prime minister's office put the figure at 37 earlier in the day, but six of the deaths turned out to have occurred somewhere else, Bonga said.

Brandon Tsetou, a young graduate who escaped the crush that caused some victims to suffocate, said he joined the line in front of Ornado stadium on Monday morning.

According to the organizers, it was the last day. Thats why many of us decided to wait until late into the night, hoping to register, he told The Associated Press. Some were so impatient that they had to force their way in, causing a stampede that left a number of people dead or injured, which we deplore.

Long lines formed daily outside military recruitment centers over the past week as young people ages 18 to 25 sought to join the army, one of the few institutions offering work in Republic of Congo. As many as 700 people a day registered, though there were only a total of 1,500 spots available.

Among the victims was 23-year-old Chancelvie Oko, according to her uncle Germain Ndzale. Oko wanted to join the military to help her support her two children following her husband's death in a traffic accident two years ago, Ndzale said.

In Republic of Congo, the youth unemployment rate is about 42%, according to World Bank statistics. Despite being an oil-producing country, poverty is widespread in the nation of 5.61 million people, with only 15% of those living in rural areas having access to electricity.

Tresor Nzila, executive director of the nongovernmental organization Action Center for Development, called for a full investigation and for the government to publish a list of victims.

This human tragedy reflects the distress of a sacrificed youth, he said. The Congolese government is incapable of creating other employment. The defense and security forces have become the main job providers.

The government must be held directly responsible, because it did not assess the risks of its actions, Nzila said.

Public prosecutor Oko Ngakala said that an investigation would be launched and questioned why the event was still going on at midnight.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius vowed Tuesday to keep supporting Ukraines efforts to win its war against Russia, pledging further military aid worth 1.3 billion euros ($1.4 billion).

The new support is to include further Iris-T SLM anti-aircraft missile systems as well as anti-tank mines and 155-millimeter artillery shells, German news agency dpa reported.

We are talking about 20,000 additional shells, Pistorius said at a joint news conference with his Ukrainian counterpart, Rustem Umerov, in Kyiv, according to dpa.

Andrii Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian presidents office, said it was a great aid package.

Pistorius' unannounced trip to the Ukrainian capital came a day after U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin traveled to Ukraine and pledged American support for the long haul, including an additional $100 million in weapons from U.S. stockpiles.

The visits appeared to be part of an international political effort to keep the war in the public mind as other issues clamor for attention, including the Israel-Hamas conflict.

European Council President Charles Michel also arrived in Kyiv on Tuesday, which is the 10th anniversary of what Ukraine calls its Revolution of Dignity. That uprising brought momentous change for Ukraine, pushing it closer to the West and bringing confrontation with Moscow.

Pistorius paid tribute to the demonstrators who were killed during the pro-European protests 10 years ago, dpa reported.

Courageous people of all ages took to the streets for freedom, for rapprochement with Europe, and paid for it with their lives, Pistorius said. He put red roses at a makeshift memorial to those killed.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in a video message, saluted the Ukrainian desire for freedom and its application to join the 27-nation European Union. The future of Ukraine is in the European Union, she said.

The future that the Maidan fought for has finally just begun, she said in a reference to central Kyiv's Independence Square.

For Moscow, the Ukrainian revolt was fomented by Western interests, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday reaffirmed the Kremlins view that it was a coup, a forceful coup financed from abroad.

Ukraines current fight to push out the Kremlins forces has lasted almost 21 months. A recent Ukrainian counteroffensive apparently has yielded no major changes on the battlefield, and another tough winter of attritional warfare lies ahead.

The U.K. defense ministry said Russia could target Ukraines power grid again, just like last winter when Moscow sought to wear down local resistance by denying civilians home heating and running water.

Russia has now refrained from launching its premier air-launched cruise missiles from its heavy bomber fleet for nearly two months, likely allowing it to build up a substantial stock of these weapons, the ministry in London said Tuesday.

Germany is the second biggest single provider of military and financial support to Ukraine after the United States, and German officials said Pistorius aimed to assess the effectiveness of its aid as well as take stock of the fighting during his visit.

Meanwhile, two Russian missiles struck a hospital in the eastern Donetsk region, wounding six people and possibly leaving more buried under rubble, Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said Tuesday.

Russian forces attacked Ukraine overnight with 10 Shahed-type drones, four S-300 missiles and one Iskander-K cruise missile, Ukraines air force said Tuesday.

Nine Shahed drones and the Iskander-K missile were successfully intercepted on Monday night, it said. No casualties were immediately reported.

At least five Ukrainian civilians were killed and 10 others were injured in southeastern regions of the country over the previous 24 hours, the presidential office said Tuesday.

Civilians have been victims of Russia's barrages on an almost daily basis. At least 10,000 Ukrainian civilians, including more than 560 children, have been killed and more than 18,500 have been injured since Russias full-scale invasion, the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said Tuesday.

Speaking to the U.N. Security Council, Miroslav Jenca, the United Nations assistant secretary-general for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas, called it a new grim milestone in the war in Ukraine, adding that $435 million is needed for repairs, winter clothes and heating. He said that the U.N. could not get help to people in Russian-controlled areas of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, worsening the situation as temperatures plummet.

The World Food Program's Ukraine director, Matthew Hollingworth, said that roughly 30% of the countrys territory may have been contaminated by the war, some of the most productive land in the country.

In other developments, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu claimed that Ukrainian efforts to cross the Dnieper River on the southern front line have failed.

He told top Russian military brass that Moscows forces are steadily holding positions along the entire line of contact and are gradually improving their positions.

Ukraines military claimed last week its troops had secured multiple bridgeheads on the rivers eastern bank in the Kherson region. That would be a small but potentially significant strategic advance amid fighting that has largely come to a standstill.

Associated Press reporters Yuras Karmanau in Tallinn, Estonia, Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin and Michael Weissenstein at the United Nations contributed to this report.

Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
JERUSALEM (AP)  Israels Cabinet on Wednesday approved a cease-fire deal with the Hamas militant group that would bring a temporary halt to a devastating war that has stretched on for over six weeks and release dozens of hostages being held in the Gaza Strip in exchange for Palestinians in Israeli prisons.

Under the deal, Hamas is to free 50 of the roughly 240 hostages it is holding in the Gaza Strip over a four-day period, the Israeli government said Wednesday. It said it would extend the lull by an additional day for every 10 hostages released.

The government said the first hostages to be released would be women and children.

Ahead of Wednesday mornings Cabinet vote, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would resume its offensive against Hamas after the cease-fire expires.

It was not immediately clear when the truce would go into effect.

Netanyahu convened his Cabinet for the vote late Tuesday. The meeting stretched well into the early hours Wednesday, underscoring the sensitivity of a proposal that would suspend an Israeli offensive against Hamas before it has reached its goals.

Ahead of the vote, Netanyahu sought to assure the government ministers that the break was only tactical, vowing to resume the offensive after the truce expires. Top security officials also attended the meeting.

We are at war, and we will continue the war, Netanyahu said. We will continue until we achieve all our goals.

Israel has vowed to continue the war until it destroys Hamas military capabilities and returns all hostages.

Netanyahu said that during the lull, intelligence efforts will be maintained, allowing the army to prepare for the next stages of battle. He said the battle would continue until Gaza will not threaten Israel.

The announcement came as Israeli troops battled Palestinian militants in an urban refugee camp in northern Gaza and around hospitals overcrowded with patients and sheltering families.

The deal does not mean an end to the war, which erupted on Oct. 7 after Hamas militants stormed across the border into southern Israel and killed at least 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and kidnapped some 240 others.

THE TOLL IN GAZA

In weeks of Israeli airstrikes and a ground invasion, more than 11,000 Palestinians have been killed, two-thirds of them women and minors, and more than 2,700 others are missing and believed to be buried under rubble, according to Gazas Health Ministry. The ministry says it has been unable to update its count since Nov. 11 because of the health sectors collapse.

Gaza health officials say the toll has risen sharply since, and hospitals continue to report deaths from daily strikes, often dozens at a time.

The Health Ministry in the West Bank last reported a toll of 13,300 but stopped providing its own count Tuesday without giving a reason. Because of that, and because officials there declined to explain in detail how they tracked deaths after Nov. 11, the AP decided to stop reporting its count.

The Health Ministry toll does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. Israel says it has killed thousands of Hamas militants but has not provided evidence for its count.

In southern Lebanon, an Israeli strike killed two journalists with Al-Mayadeen TV, according to the Hezbollah-allied Pan-Arab network and Lebanese officials. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. A separate Israeli drone strike in Lebanon killed four Hamas members, a Palestinian official and a Lebanon security official said.

The Israeli military has been trading fire almost daily across the border with Lebanons Hezbollah group and Palestinian militants since the outbreak of the war.

TALKS ON HOSTAGES

Israel, the United States and Qatar, which mediates with Hamas, had negotiated for weeks over a hostage release that would be paired with a temporary cease-fire and the entry of more aid.

In Washington, President Joe Biden said Tuesday that a deal on releasing some hostages was very close.

Qatars Foreign Ministry spokesman, Majed al-Ansari expressed optimism, telling reporters that we are at the closest point we ever had been in reaching an agreement.

Izzat Rishq, a senior Hamas official, said Tuesday that an agreement could be reached in the coming hours.

FIGHTING IN JABALIYA AND AROUND HOSPITALS

Inside Gaza, the front line of the war shifted to the Jabaliya refugee camp, a densely built district of concrete buildings near Gaza City that houses families displaced in the 1948 war surrounding Israels creation. Israel has bombarded the area for weeks, and the military said Hamas fighters have regrouped there and in other eastern districts after being pushed out of much of Gaza City.

The fighting in Jabaliya also affected two nearby hospitals, trapping hundreds of patients and displaced people sheltering inside. A strike Tuesday hit inside one of the facilities, al-Awda, killing four people, including three doctors, the hospital director told Al-Jazeera TV. The director, Ahmed Mahna, blamed the strike on Israel, a claim that AP could not independently confirm. The medical aid group Doctors Without Borders confirmed that two of the doctors killed worked for it.

Residents of Jabaliya said there was heavy fighting as Israeli forces tried to advance under the cover of airstrikes. They are facing stiff resistance, said Hamza Abu Mansour, a university student.

The Israeli military said strikes hit three tunnel shafts where fighters were hiding and destroyed rocket launchers. Footage released by the military showed Israeli soldiers patrolling on foot as gunfire echoed around them.

It was not possible to independently confirm details of the fighting.

Its unclear how many Palestinian civilians remain in northern Gaza, but the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees estimates that some 160,000 people are still in its shelters there, though it can no longer provide services. Thousands more still shelter in several hospitals in the north even after many fled south in recent weeks.

Most hospitals are no longer operational. The hospital situation in Gaza is catastrophic, Michael Ryan, a senior World Health Organization official, said Monday.

With Israeli troops surrounding the Indonesia Hospital, also near Jabaliya, staff had to bury 50 dead in the facility's courtyard, a senior Health Ministry official in the hospital, Munir al-Boursh, told Al-Jazeera TV.

Up to 600 wounded people and some 2,000 displaced Palestinians remain stranded at the hospital, according to Gazas Health Ministry.

A similar standoff played out in recent days at Shifa Hospital, Gazas largest, where over 250 patients and medical workers are stranded after the evacuation of 31 premature babies.

Israel has provided evidence in recent days of a militant presence at Shifa. But it has yet to substantiate its claims that Hamas had a major command center beneath the facility, allegations denied by Hamas and hospital staff.

DIRE CONDITIONS IN NORTH AND SOUTH

Most of Gaza's population of 2.3 million have crowded into the southern section of the Gaza Strip, where Israeli strikes have continued and where the military says it intends to extend its ground invasion. Many are packed into U.N.-run schools and other facilities across the territorys south or sleeping on the streets outside, even as winter rains have pelted the coastal enclave in recent days.

There are shortages of food, water and fuel for generators across all of Gaza, which has had no central electricity for over a month.

Strikes overnight crushed residential buildings in the Nusseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, killing at least 20 people, according to hospital officials. Footage from the scene showed the legs of five young boys sticking out from under a collapsed concrete slab of one home.

Israel continues to strike what it says are militant targets throughout Gaza, often killing women and children. Israel accuses Hamas of using civilians as human shields.

Jeffery reported from Cairo. Associated Press writers Wafaa Shurafa in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip; Samy Magdy in Cairo; and Melanie Lidman in Jerusalem contributed.

Full AP coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war.
MONROVIA, Liberia (AP)  Liberian President-elect Joseph Boakai 's party announced Tuesday it was cancelling all remaining victory celebrations, a day after authorities said a driver sped into a crowd killing at least three people and injuring 17 others.

"Our thoughts and condolences go out to the families and friends affected by this devastating, wicked, and barbaric act of domestic terrorism, leading to loss of precious lives, Boakai's Unity Party said in a statement.

We urge the authorities to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation to determine the cause and hold those responsible accountable, it added.

Authorities say the driver of a jeep without license plates switched off the lights of the vehicle and willfully struck a gathering of Unity Party supporters who were celebrating the final results of the Nov. 14 runoff presidential election.

According to the National Elections Commission, Boakai won with 50.64% of the second round balloting while incumbent President George Weah took 49.36%.

Weah had already conceded defeat several days earlier based on the release of provisional results, and urged his supporters to respect the vote's outcome.

The incumbent government on Tuesday extended its sympathies to the families of the victims. But in a news release urged the public "to refrain from making unsubstantiated claims about the incident, which has the potential of stoking post-elections violence.

The government takes particular note of a Unity Party statement, which appears to have drawn a conclusion, by terming the incident as domestic terrorism while at the same time urging the police to investigate the cause of the incident," the news release said. ____

Follow APs Africa coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/africa
CONCORD, N.H. (AP)  The sun was shining in June 1979 as Rosalynn Carter made her way through an enthusiastic crowd in Laconia, New Hampshire.

She shook my hand! yelled one delighted participant.

The first lady was in the state for her husbands reelection campaign, but this was no political rally. Instead, she was at a sprawling 75-year-old institution founded for feebleminded children that the U.S. Justice Department had deemed a classic example of warehousing. She was joined by Gov. Hugh Gallen, a kindred spirit who had been pushing to correct the deplorable conditions there and at the states psychiatric hospital.

Going to a place like the Laconia State School and talking not to voters but to people dealing with a very acute issue  well, it doesnt happen very often. It didnt then, and it certainly doesnt at all now, recalled Dayton Duncan, who was there as Gallens press secretary.

She could have just given a good speech about what the administration was hoping to do and left it at that, Duncan said. But the fact that she would go to the Laconia State School and meet with the people who work there, the children who were warehoused there and the parents, was special.

After leaving the White House, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter launched programs that have, among other things, monitored elections in at least 113 countries and nearly eradicated the Guinea worm parasite in the developing world. But the former president has said that The Carter Center would have been a success had it accomplished nothing but his wifes mental health work.

Thats according to Kathy Cade, vice chair of Atlanta-based center and a longtime aide to Rosalynn Carter, and others who know the couple. They spoke to The Associated Press in the months leading up to Rosalynn Carter's death Sunday at age 96.

I do not think there has ever been another sort of leader in the mental health field who has had as much of an impact on mental health care and access to care and how we think about mental health and mental illness as Mrs. Carter, Cade said. And I think it has to do with her incredible concern about the issue and her perseverance for more than 50 years.

What evolved into a lifelong crusade began during Carters 1966 gubernatorial campaign in Georgia. Almost daily, Rosalynn was approached by voters distressed about loved ones housed at an overcrowded psychiatric hospital. Early one morning, she spoke to a weary cotton mill worker who explained that she and her husband worked opposite shifts to care for their mentally ill daughter.

The image of the woman haunted me all day, Rosalynn Carter wrote in her 2010 book, Within Our Reach: Ending the Mental Health Crisis. That night, she went to her husbands campaign rally and waited in line to shake his hand.

I came to see what you are going to do to help people with mental illness when you are governor, she told the surprised candidate.

Jimmy Carter responded by creating a state commission to improve services for those with mental illness. Then, as president, he created a national commission on mental health, which led to the passage of the Mental Health Systems Act of 1980, a major revamping of federal policy that sought to treat people with mental illness in their communities.

Rosalynn Carter was that commission's honorary co-chair and a driving force behind the legislation, traveling around the country to hear from experts and everyday citizens alike and sharing her findings with Congress. Though it was effectively repealed during the Reagan administration, advocates say it created a framework for much of the progress since then.

At The Carter Center, she created a program devoted solely to mental health in 1991 and eventually established fellowships for journalists who cover the topic. Years later, she lobbied Congress to create a landmark law requiring insurers to provide equality in mental health coverage.

Those who worked with her over the decades say Carters accomplishments were rooted in her compassion and listening skills.

Her power comes from her heart, said Cynthia Wainscott, a former board chair of Mental Health America, a national nonprofit organization. Shes very, very, very kind, and she listens to people. When youre talking to her, there can be three conversations going on around you, but you know shes keyed on you, and she hears you.

She also was an effective and inspiring mobilizer with sharp instincts, Wainscott said.

Preparing for an annual mental health symposium, Carter once suggested contacting a pollster to refine a key message: that 20% of Americans will have a psychiatric disorder in any given year. The pollster conducted focus groups and found that people didnt believe the statistic, but if it was restated as one in five Americans instead, they did.

When you hear 20%, you have to visualize 100 people and 20 of them are sick, and its complex and impersonal. If you say one in five, people think about their workplace, their school, their neighborhood, said Wainscott, who also led the National Mental Health Association of Georgia.

If she hadnt been in that room, none of us would have thought of asking a pollster to tell us how to phrase it, she said. It was brilliant.

Journalist Bill Lichtenstein considered Rosalynn Carter the patron saint of all who are dealing with mental health or behavioral issues.

Lichtenstein, who runs a media production company in Boston, was an investigative reporter for ABC News when he fell ill with manic depression in 1986. He went on to produce award-winning programs on recovery from mental illness, but he still remembers feeling shunned when he disclosed his own struggles. Carters desire to reduce such stigma is at the heart of her accomplishments, he said.

At the end of the day, whether its talking about more money for research or people with a mental health history being on a level playing field when it comes to employment or renting an apartment, the thing thats the most insidious, difficult obstacle to all of it is stigma, he said.

Lichtenstein serves on the board of advisers for The Carter Centers mental health journalism fellowship program, which has provided support to more than 220 journalists from the U.S. and six other countries over the years.

Marion Scher, a freelance journalist and author in South Africa, was awarded a fellowship in 2005. Her first article, headlined When is it more than just a bad day? was published in a mens health magazine along with the phone number for a mental health organization. The response, in a country where stigma remains strong, was massive, she said.

The phone was ringing off the hook for three weeks, she said. They had to bring in extra counselors to man the phones.

Scher now offers mental health journalism fellowships in South Africa, using local sponsorships. That kind of multiplier effect illustrates the impact of The Carter Center fellowships, and it wouldn't have happened without her tenacity, Cade said.

Carter was a woman of action"  unsatisfied with just bringing together experts for discussions, she brainstormed ways to change policy by changing attitudes, Cade said, recalling how she'd sit with her advisers and say "What can we do? What else could we be doing?

Associated Press reporter Holly Ramer received a 2017-18 Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism.
Egypts Ministry of Education has decided that students and teachers in 10,085 schools nationwide will be granted up to 5 days off during the voting period of the presidential elections on 10-12 December.

The ministry issued a statement, reviewed by the Al-Ahram Arabic news website, to vacate all schools hosting presidential election committees on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, 10-12 December.

During this period, there will be no educational activities at those schools, meaning students will have a break, according to the ministry statement.

In 14 governorates where there is already a day off on Saturdays, students and teachers will have a continuous break for five days. Students of schools in these governorates will be absent on Friday and Saturday, 8-9 December, in addition to the three election days.

These governorates include Cairo, Giza, Alexandria, Qalioubiya, Sharqiya, Gharbiya, Menoufiya, Damietta, Port Said, Suez, Red Sea, New Valley, South Sinai, and Matrouh.

As for students in other governorates, they will only be absent for three days, which are the voting days in their schools. This is because they attend school on Saturdays.

These governorates include Fayoum, Beni Suef, Minya, Assiut, Sohag, Qena, Luxor, Aswan, North Sinai, Kafr El-Sheikh, Beheira, and Ismailia.

Eligible voters can inquire about their electoral committees and polling stations by entering their 14-digit national identification number on the NEA website.

Egyptian expats will be able to cast their votes abroad from 1-3 December at the nearest embassy or consulate.

The final result will be announced on 18 December if no run-off is required.

The candidates running for the presidency include incumbent President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, competing for a third term in office with the electoral symbol of a star, as well as Farid Zahran, the leftist opposition Social Democratic Party candidate, represented by a sun symbol.

The list also includes Abdel-Sanad Yamama, the candidate of Egypt's oldest liberal party, the Wafd, represented by the symbol of a palm tree, as well as Hazem Omar, the Republican Peoples Party candidate, with a ladder symbol.

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Entomologist takes on mosquitoes, malaria, wins award

Professor Lizette Koekemoer has won the Women in Vector Control (WiVC) Excellence Award in the Senior Career category.

Koekemoer is a Research Professor and the co-Director of the Wits Research Institute for Malaria (WRIM) at Wits.

She received the award from the Pan-African Mosquito Control Association (PAMCA) at the 9th PAMCA Annual Conference and Exhibition held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 21 September 2023.

As an entomologist, Koekemoer studies insects  specifically mosquitoes that are vectors of malaria. Vectors are living organisms that can transmit infectious pathogens between humans, or from animals to humans. The Anopheles mosquito is the vector of a parasite that causes malaria.

The award recognises Koekemoers astounding work in the field of vector-borne diseases (VBDs), her leadership, and keen understanding of the important role she plays in science and in her community.

Koekemoer says, This award celebrates and reflects all the hard work of a conglomerate of postgraduate students, collaborators, funders, and co-workers  and I also salute them.

With more than two decades of research experience, Koekemoer has led multiple projects focusing on malaria vector systematics, insecticide resistance and the molecular mechanisms involved, and transmission-blocking strategies.

Major projects include:

Reduction of malaria transmission in the mosquito through drug discovery

Research to reduce malaria transmission from outdoor biting mosquitoes through zooprophylaxis (the use of wild or domestic animals, which are not the reservoir host of a given disease, to divert the blood-seeking malaria vectors from human hosts)

Increasing knowledge of vector biologicals and genetics

Bionomics of malaria vectors (bionomics is the relationship between organisms and their environment).

Koekemoer has published 108 papers and has supported malaria control programmes across South Africa's provinces. She has provided in-country support of malaria control programmes in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Malawi, Nigeria, and Namibia.

Over her 25-year career, she has supervised/co-supervised or hosted 74 students and trained numerous scientists, colleagues, and students in molecular species-identification and morphological identifications.

She is a member of the Entomological Society of Southern Africa, Health Professions Council of South Africa, Molecular and Cell Biology Group, and she is the South African Malaria Elimination Committee Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society (London).
Dr Bradley Segal heading to Oxford as Rhodes Scholar-elect

Medical doctor and engineer sets sights on solutions for healthcare in low-resources settings.

Dr Bradley Segal (MBBCh 2021, MSc Eng 2022) is among the 10 scholars from Southern Africa to be awarded the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship to study at Oxford University in 2024.

Ten Rhodes Scholarships are awarded annually in Southern Africa, comprising South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia and eSwatini. Dr Segal will join a further 90 international students in Oxford, who will make up the Class of 2024. The Rhodes Scholarship offers young, emerging academics a life-changing opportunity to pursue full-time postgraduate study at one of the worlds leading academic institutions.

"The opportunity is quite a big one for me," says the 26-year-old from Johannesburg. "I've been working both as a medical doctor and in the health-data-science and machine-learning space. This is me effectively shifting to the data side of things. It is quite a substantial career transition."

Dr Segal will be focused on pragmatic solutions for healthcare challenges and he has contributed to digital health projects, particularly in low-resource environments. His expertise in AI, machine learning, and 3D printing underscores his commitment to practical and accessible healthcare advancements.

"My academic background is a bit unusual," he admits. "I went into undergraduate medicine directly from high school but had always enjoyed programming and technology. I ended up doing a substantial amount of self-directed studying and online courses in the programming space. This eventually led to me becoming involved with Wits' Biomedical Informatics and Translational Sciences Department with Michael Klipin (BSc 1989, BSc Hons 1990, MBBCh 1994) and the Biomedical Engineering Department with Adam Pantanowitz (BSc Eng 2007, BSc Eng 2008, MSc Eng 2022, PhD 2022) and David Rubin (MMed 2002). They all supported me in pursuing an MSc concurrently with medicine despite the fact that I didn't have an undergraduate degree at that point.

"I ended up graduating from medicine and engineering simultaneously in 2021. As far as I'm aware, I'm the only person to have done this particular route through medicine. A number of students do start in biomedical engineering and move into medicine, however, through the graduate medical programme."

Dr Segal says his experience of Wits has been largely positive, but his path has not been without obstacles: "My primary exposure was through medicine which gave me a strong theoretical underpinning as well as great clinical exposure. Registering for two degrees at once was admittedly asking for forgiveness more than permission."

In 2020 the Health Sciences Faculty requested he unenroll from engineering. The email was missed due to lockdown. "I left it unresolved until I graduated from both," he says.

As a result future graduates will benefit from the path Dr Segal has forged: "I think the faculty has shifted to create opportunities for intersectionality through the expansion of programmes within medicine. I've been involved in some of these discussions and am quite excited to see what types of students these programmes will produce."

Witsies Michael Beukman (BSc 2021, BSc Hons 2022) and Akudziwe Mawere (MBBCh 2022) were awarded the prestigious scholarship for 2023.



*This article was updated on 23 November 2023.
American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE:AEO  Get Free Report) issued its earnings results on Tuesday. The apparel retailer reported $0.49 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.48 by $0.01, MarketWatch Earnings reports. The company had revenue of $1.30 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.28 billion. American Eagle Outfitters had a return on equity of 14.92% and a net margin of 4.04%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.42 EPS.

American Eagle Outfitters Trading Down 15.5 %

Shares of NYSE:AEO traded down $3.06 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $16.69. The company had a trading volume of 13,692,787 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,458,500. The firm has a market cap of $3.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.03, a PEG ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 1.50. The companys 50-day moving average price is $17.08 and its 200-day moving average price is $14.70. American Eagle Outfitters has a one year low of $9.95 and a one year high of $20.21.

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American Eagle Outfitters Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 27th. Investors of record on Friday, October 13th were issued a $0.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, October 12th. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.40%. American Eagle Outfitterss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 38.46%.

Insider Buying and Selling

Institutional Investors Weigh In On American Eagle Outfitters

In related news, insider Jennifer M. Foyle sold 30,000 shares of American Eagle Outfitters stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.00, for a total value of $510,000.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 232,459 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,951,803. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website . 7.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. State of Wyoming purchased a new position in shares of American Eagle Outfitters during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board purchased a new position in shares of American Eagle Outfitters during the 1st quarter valued at $37,000. Quarry LP purchased a new position in shares of American Eagle Outfitters during the 1st quarter valued at $38,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio purchased a new position in shares of American Eagle Outfitters during the 1st quarter valued at $85,000. Finally, PFS Investments Inc. purchased a new position in shares of American Eagle Outfitters during the 4th quarter valued at $144,000. Institutional investors own 90.10% of the companys stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently commented on the company. Barclays raised their target price on American Eagle Outfitters from $19.00 to $22.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, September 7th. UBS Group lifted their price target on American Eagle Outfitters from $18.00 to $22.00 in a research note on Friday, September 1st. StockNews.com downgraded American Eagle Outfitters from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, October 16th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on American Eagle Outfitters from $12.00 to $13.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research note on Friday, September 8th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price target on American Eagle Outfitters from $18.00 to $19.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $17.09.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on AEO

About American Eagle Outfitters

(Get Free Report)

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc operates as a specialty retailer that provides clothing, accessories, and personal care products under the American Eagle and Aerie brands in the United States and internationally. The company provides jeans, apparel and accessories, and personal care products for women and men; and intimates, apparel, activewear, and swim collections.

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Bessemer Securities LLC cut its stake in shares of Medtronic plc (NYSE:MDT  Free Report) by 9.8% during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 4,614 shares of the medical technology companys stock after selling 500 shares during the period. Bessemer Securities LLCs holdings in Medtronic were worth $406,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in MDT. Fairfield Bush & CO. bought a new stake in shares of Medtronic during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $47,000. MAS Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Medtronic by 10.3% during the 1st quarter. MAS Advisors LLC now owns 2,388 shares of the medical technology companys stock valued at $266,000 after purchasing an additional 223 shares during the last quarter. LSV Asset Management grew its holdings in shares of Medtronic by 34.5% during the 1st quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 7,400 shares of the medical technology companys stock valued at $821,000 after purchasing an additional 1,900 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Medtronic by 22.8% during the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 74,914 shares of the medical technology companys stock valued at $8,312,000 after purchasing an additional 13,895 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kinneret Advisory LLC grew its holdings in shares of Medtronic by 2.3% during the 1st quarter. Kinneret Advisory LLC now owns 15,340 shares of the medical technology companys stock valued at $1,712,000 after purchasing an additional 343 shares during the last quarter. 80.75% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Medtronic Stock Up 0.5 %

Medtronic stock opened at $75.16 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.79, a current ratio of 2.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. Medtronic plc has a 12-month low of $68.84 and a 12-month high of $92.02. The firms fifty day moving average is $75.08 and its 200 day moving average is $81.85. The company has a market capitalization of $100.00 billion, a PE ratio of 27.73, a PEG ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 0.71.

Insider Activity at Medtronic

Medtronic ( NYSE:MDT Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, November 21st. The medical technology company reported $1.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.18 by $0.07. Medtronic had a net margin of 11.47% and a return on equity of 13.81%. The company had revenue of $7.98 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.93 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.30 EPS. Medtronics quarterly revenue was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Medtronic plc will post 5.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

In related news, EVP Gregory L. Smith sold 10,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $83.84, for a total transaction of $838,400.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 46,723 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,917,256.32. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on MDT shares. Mizuho boosted their target price on shares of Medtronic from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, August 23rd. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Medtronic from $79.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock a sell rating in a report on Wednesday, August 23rd. Royal Bank of Canada reissued a sector perform rating and set a $89.00 target price on shares of Medtronic in a report on Wednesday, August 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Medtronic from $100.00 to $102.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, August 23rd. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Medtronic in a report on Thursday, October 5th. They set a buy rating on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and seven have given 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 $91.94.

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Medtronic Profile

(Free Report)

Medtronic plc develops, manufactures, and sells device-based medical therapies to healthcare systems, physicians, clinicians, and patients worldwide. Its Cardiovascular Portfolio segment offers implantable cardiac pacemakers, cardioverter defibrillators, and cardiac resynchronization therapy devices; cardiac ablation products; insertable cardiac monitor systems; TYRX products; and remote monitoring and patient-centered software.

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D.A. Davidson & CO. boosted its stake in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:AGG  Free Report) by 19.7% in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,331,591 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 547,938 shares during the period. iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF comprises approximately 3.4% of D.A. Davidson & CO.s investment portfolio, making the stock its 4th biggest position. D.A. Davidson & CO. owned approximately 0.34% of iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF worth $326,329,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Avalon Trust Co acquired a new stake in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Steph & Co. lifted its stake in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF by 80.4% in the second quarter. Steph & Co. now owns 359 shares of the companys stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 160 shares during the period. First Manhattan Co. boosted its holdings in shares of iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF by 697.9% during the 4th quarter. First Manhattan Co. now owns 375 shares of the companys stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 328 shares in the last quarter. Nordwand Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF during the 1st quarter worth approximately $38,000. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC bought a new stake in shares of iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF in the 4th quarter valued at $43,000. 83.21% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF Stock Up 0.1 %

Shares of iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF stock traded up $0.06 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $95.46. 1,452,292 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,730,551. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $93.81 and a 200-day moving average price of $96.16. iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF has a 1-year low of $91.58 and a 1-year high of $101.15.

iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF Profile

IShares are index funds that are bought and sold like common stocks on national securities exchanges as well as certain foreign exchanges. iShares are attractive because of their relatively low cost, tax efficiency and trading flexibility. Investors can purchase and sell shares through any brokerage firm, financial advisor, or online broker, and hold the funds in any type of brokerage account.

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Deuterium Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 6,456 shares of the financial services providers stock, valued at approximately $276,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Defender Capital LLC. bought a new stake in Wells Fargo & Company in the first quarter worth about $246,000. Fairfield Bush & CO. bought a new stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company in the 1st quarter worth approximately $124,000. Dakota Wealth Management bought a new stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company in the 1st quarter worth approximately $222,000. Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. grew its holdings in Wells Fargo & Company by 0.3% during the first quarter. Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. now owns 273,936 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $13,274,000 after purchasing an additional 770 shares during the period. Finally, Zions Bancorporation N.A. increased its position in Wells Fargo & Company by 24.5% in the first quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 9,630 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $467,000 after buying an additional 1,895 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 72.47% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Atlantic Securities increased their price target on Wells Fargo & Company from $50.00 to $52.50 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 1st. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $52.00 to $54.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research report on Monday, October 16th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 1st. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a report on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a buy rating and issued a $44.00 price objective on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a research note on Friday, September 22nd. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $48.31.

Insider Activity at Wells Fargo & Company

In other news, Director Richard K. Davis purchased 3,500 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 9th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $41.22 per share, with a total value of $144,270.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 4,244 shares in the company, valued at approximately $174,937.68. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.07% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wells Fargo & Company Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:WFC traded down $0.08 on Tuesday, hitting $42.71. The companys stock had a trading volume of 5,051,085 shares, compared to its average volume of 19,307,748. The company has a market capitalization of $155.11 billion, a PE ratio of 9.24, a PEG ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 0.87 and a quick ratio of 0.87. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $40.95 and a 200 day simple moving average of $41.78. Wells Fargo & Company has a 1 year low of $35.25 and a 1 year high of $48.84.

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, October 13th. The financial services provider reported $1.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.24 by $0.15. Wells Fargo & Company had a net margin of 17.06% and a return on equity of 11.18%. The business had revenue of $20.86 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.09 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.30 earnings per share. Wells Fargo & Companys revenue for the quarter was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast that Wells Fargo & Company will post 5.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wells Fargo & Company Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 1st. Investors of record on Friday, November 3rd will be given a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 2nd. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.28%. Wells Fargo & Companys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.24%.

Wells Fargo & Company Profile

(Free Report)

Wells Fargo & Company, a diversified financial services company, provides banking, investment, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance products and services in the United States and internationally. It operates through four segments: Consumer Banking and Lending; Commercial Banking; Corporate and Investment Banking; and Wealth and Investment Management.

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OPTIMAS CAPITAL Ltd grew its stake in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY  Free Report) by 72.0% in the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 17,387 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 7,281 shares during the quarter. Eli Lilly and Company makes up approximately 9.4% of OPTIMAS CAPITAL Ltds portfolio, making the stock its 4th biggest position. OPTIMAS CAPITAL Ltds holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $8,154,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Penserra Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 9,738.5% in the 2nd quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC now owns 5,116 shares of the companys stock worth $2,398,000 after acquiring an additional 5,064 shares during the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 1.9% in the 2nd quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 236,413 shares of the companys stock worth $110,873,000 after acquiring an additional 4,370 shares during the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 9.3% in the 2nd quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 62,314 shares of the companys stock worth $29,224,000 after acquiring an additional 5,299 shares during the last quarter. Delta Asset Management LLC TN raised its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 9.4% during the 2nd quarter. Delta Asset Management LLC TN now owns 754 shares of the companys stock valued at $354,000 after buying an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. Finally, EWA LLC raised its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 5.4% during the 2nd quarter. EWA LLC now owns 739 shares of the companys stock valued at $347,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.38% of the companys stock.

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Insider Buying and Selling at Eli Lilly and Company

In other Eli Lilly and Company news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 37,660 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $546,751.75, for a total transaction of $20,590,670,905.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 100,275,279 shares in the company, valued at approximately $54,825,684,274,988.30. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In other news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 37,660 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $546,751.75, for a total value of $20,590,670,905.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 100,275,279 shares in the company, valued at approximately $54,825,684,274,988.30. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Alonzo Weems sold 1,148 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $590.98, for a total transaction of $678,445.04. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 7,760 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,586,004.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 535,538 shares of company stock worth $20,881,299,452. Company insiders own 0.13% of the companys stock.

Eli Lilly and Company Stock Up 0.0 %

Eli Lilly and Company Announces Dividend

LLY stock traded up $0.16 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $597.76. 373,038 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,091,203. Eli Lilly and Company has a 1 year low of $309.20 and a 1 year high of $629.97. The firms 50 day moving average is $578.02 and its two-hundred day moving average is $511.14. The stock has a market cap of $567.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 108.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.57 and a beta of 0.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.59, a current ratio of 1.05 and a quick ratio of 0.82.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 8th. Investors of record on Wednesday, November 15th will be given a dividend of $1.13 per share. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.76%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 14th. Eli Lilly and Companys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 81.88%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $385.00 to $470.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, August 9th. UBS Group reiterated a buy rating and set a $710.00 price target (up from $612.00) on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Friday, October 20th. Bank of America upped their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $600.00 to $700.00 in a report on Friday, October 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated an overweight rating on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Wednesday, November 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $615.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Monday, October 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and twenty have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $557.00.

Read 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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IAG Wealth Partners LLC increased its position in The TJX Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TJX  Free Report) by 188.5% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 577 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailers stock after purchasing an additional 377 shares during the quarter. IAG Wealth Partners LLCs holdings in TJX Companies were worth $49,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in TJX. Adero Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of TJX Companies by 4.5% during the second quarter. Adero Partners LLC now owns 2,807 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailers stock worth $238,000 after purchasing an additional 121 shares during the period. First Business Financial Services Inc. increased its stake in shares of TJX Companies by 0.7% in the 2nd quarter. First Business Financial Services Inc. now owns 18,064 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailers stock valued at $1,532,000 after acquiring an additional 121 shares during the last quarter. Chatham Capital Group Inc. raised its position in shares of TJX Companies by 1.7% in the 2nd quarter. Chatham Capital Group Inc. now owns 7,627 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailers stock valued at $647,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares during the period. Alpha Financial Partners LLC boosted its stake in TJX Companies by 2.5% during the 1st quarter. Alpha Financial Partners LLC now owns 5,337 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailers stock worth $418,000 after acquiring an additional 129 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Tradition Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in TJX Companies by 3.7% during the first quarter. Tradition Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,672 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailers stock valued at $288,000 after purchasing an additional 132 shares during the period. 89.28% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Barclays increased their target price on shares of TJX Companies from $95.00 to $101.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Tuesday, August 15th. Loop Capital increased their price target on TJX Companies from $100.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, September 6th. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of TJX Companies from $90.00 to $91.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, November 16th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on TJX Companies from $99.00 to $101.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, November 16th. Finally, Evercore ISI started coverage on shares of TJX Companies in a report on Tuesday, November 7th. They issued an outperform rating and a $105.00 price objective on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, TJX Companies has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $98.11.

Insider Activity at TJX Companies

In other TJX Companies news, EVP Kenneth Canestrari sold 4,197 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.00, for a total transaction of $377,730.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 115,223 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,370,070. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In other TJX Companies news, Chairman Carol Meyrowitz sold 64,817 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $91.13, for a total value of $5,906,773.21. Following the sale, the chairman now owns 135,050 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $12,307,106.50. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Kenneth Canestrari sold 4,197 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.00, for a total value of $377,730.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 115,223 shares in the company, valued at $10,370,070. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 104,921 shares of company stock worth $9,490,639 in the last ninety days. 0.13% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

TJX Companies Trading Up 0.8 %

TJX stock opened at $89.54 on Tuesday. The TJX Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $72.92 and a one year high of $93.78. The stock has a market cap of $102.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $89.63 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $85.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 1.19 and a quick ratio of 0.56.

TJX Companies (NYSE:TJX  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, November 15th. The apparel and home fashions retailer reported $1.03 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.99 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $13.27 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $13.09 billion. TJX Companies had a net margin of 7.85% and a return on equity of 62.67%. TJX Companiess revenue was up 9.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.86 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that The TJX Companies, Inc. will post 3.74 EPS for the current year.

TJX Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, November 30th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 9th will be issued a dividend of $0.3325 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 8th. This represents a $1.33 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.49%. TJX Companiess payout ratio is currently 37.68%.

TJX Companies Profile

(Free Report)

The TJX Companies, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an off-price apparel and home fashions retailer in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia. It operates through four segments: Marmaxx, HomeGoods, TJX Canada, and TJX International. The company sells family apparel, including footwear and accessories; home fashions, such as home basics, furniture, rugs, lighting products, giftware, soft home products, decorative accessories, tabletop, and cookware, as well as expanded pet, and gourmet food departments; jewelry and accessories; and other merchandise.

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JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA:IVV  Free Report) by 2.7% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 9,574,227 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 251,875 shares during the quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. owned about 1.24% of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF worth $4,267,328,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of IVV. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position 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 last quarter. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich boosted its holdings in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 212,409.8% in 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 purchasing an additional 53,321,234 shares during the last quarter. Providence Capital Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 38,525.9% in the 1st quarter. Providence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 11,421,288 shares of the companys stock valued at $27,783,000 after purchasing an additional 11,391,719 shares during the last quarter. IMC Chicago LLC grew its stake in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 122.2% in the 2nd quarter. IMC Chicago LLC now owns 534,522 shares of the companys stock valued at $238,242,000 after buying an additional 2,941,401 shares during the period. Finally, Citigroup Inc. increased its holdings 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 worth $1,076,968,000 after buying an additional 2,535,055 shares during the last quarter.

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iShares Core S&P 500 ETF Stock Down 0.4 %

IVV stock traded down $1.62 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $454.80. 587,077 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,214,145. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $435.13 and a 200-day simple moving average of $437.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $351.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.43 and a beta of 1.00. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF has a 12-month low of $376.49 and a 12-month high of $461.88.

iShares Core S&P 500 ETF Profile

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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Jacobs Solutions Inc. (NYSE:J  Get Free Report)s share price gapped down before the market opened on Tuesday after the company announced weaker than expected quarterly earnings. The stock had previously closed at $136.98, but opened at $132.00. Jacobs Solutions shares last traded at $129.51, with a volume of 429,315 shares.

The company reported $1.90 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $2.02 by ($0.12). The business had revenue of $4.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.21 billion. Jacobs Solutions had a net margin of 4.65% and a return on equity of 14.30%. The businesss revenue was up 10.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.80 earnings per share.

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Jacobs Solutions Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 9th. Investors of record on Friday, October 27th were issued a dividend of $0.26 per share. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.80%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, October 26th. Jacobs Solutionss dividend payout ratio is currently 17.93%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have commented on the company. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on Jacobs Solutions from $152.00 to $157.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 9th. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on shares of Jacobs Solutions from $128.00 to $143.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, August 10th. HSBC initiated coverage on shares of Jacobs Solutions in a research report on Friday, September 15th. They set a hold rating and a $149.00 price objective for the company. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Jacobs Solutions from $144.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, August 9th. Finally, StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Jacobs Solutions in a report on Thursday, October 5th. They set a buy rating for the company. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $149.11.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Steven J. Demetriou sold 6,666 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $132.81, for a total transaction of $885,311.46. Following the sale, the insider now owns 574,626 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $76,316,079.06. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 19,998 shares of company stock worth $2,722,394. 1.00% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in J. IFP Advisors Inc raised its position in shares of Jacobs Solutions by 3.7% during the 3rd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 2,165 shares of the companys stock worth $296,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares during the last quarter. Tlwm raised its holdings in shares of Jacobs Solutions by 1.4% in the second quarter. Tlwm now owns 5,882 shares of the companys stock worth $699,000 after acquiring an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC raised its holdings in shares of Jacobs Solutions by 47.7% in the second quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 254 shares of the companys stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. Creative Planning lifted its position in shares of Jacobs Solutions by 0.3% in the third quarter. Creative Planning now owns 29,141 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,978,000 after acquiring an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. boosted its stake in shares of Jacobs Solutions by 0.9% during the third quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. now owns 9,346 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,276,000 after acquiring an additional 86 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.77% of the companys stock.

Jacobs Solutions Trading Down 5.5 %

The business has a 50-day moving average of $134.30 and a 200 day moving average of $127.13. The stock has a market cap of $16.31 billion, a PE ratio of 23.62, a PEG ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a quick ratio of 1.46 and a current ratio of 1.46.

About Jacobs Solutions

(Get Free Report)

Jacobs Solutions Inc provides consulting, technical, scientific, and project delivery services for the government and private sectors in the United States, Europe, Canada, India, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, South America, Mexico, the Middle East, and Africa. It operates through three segments: Critical Mission Solutions, People & Places Solutions, and PA Consulting.

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King Luther Capital Management Corp trimmed its holdings in shares of Home Bancshares, Inc. (Conway, AR) (NYSE:HOMB  Free Report) by 0.1% in the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 915,764 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 651 shares during the quarter. King Luther Capital Management Corps holdings in Home Bancshares, Inc. (Conway, AR) were worth $20,879,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of HOMB. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Home Bancshares, Inc. (Conway, AR) during the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,256,000. State Street Corp grew its stake in shares of Home Bancshares, Inc. (Conway, AR) by 15.3% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 8,272,790 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $171,826,000 after acquiring an additional 1,100,758 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. grew its stake in shares of Home Bancshares, Inc. (Conway, AR) by 13.1% during the 1st quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 5,326,833 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $115,646,000 after acquiring an additional 618,813 shares in the last quarter. Great Lakes Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Home Bancshares, Inc. (Conway, AR) during the 1st quarter worth approximately $11,040,000. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its stake in shares of Home Bancshares, Inc. (Conway, AR) by 10.4% during the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 4,699,194 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $107,145,000 after acquiring an additional 440,975 shares in the last quarter. 64.32% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Home Bancshares, Inc. (Conway, AR) Stock Performance

Home Bancshares, Inc. (Conway, AR) stock opened at $22.33 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $21.17 and a 200 day simple moving average of $22.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.68 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 0.87. Home Bancshares, Inc. has a 52 week low of $19.61 and a 52 week high of $25.59.

Home Bancshares, Inc. (Conway, AR) Dividend Announcement

Home Bancshares, Inc. (Conway, AR) ( NYSE:HOMB Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 19th. The financial services provider reported $0.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of $0.47. The company had revenue of $245.35 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $245.53 million. Home Bancshares, Inc. (Conway, AR) had a return on equity of 11.43% and a net margin of 31.87%. Analysts expect that Home Bancshares, Inc. will post 1.97 earnings per share for the current year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 6th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 15th will be given a dividend of $0.18 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 14th. This represents a $0.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.23%. Home Bancshares, Inc. (Conway, AR)s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 34.45%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Home Bancshares, Inc. (Conway, AR)

In other news, Director Robert H. Adcock, Jr. sold 4,970 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.23, for a total transaction of $100,543.10. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 1,145,074 shares in the company, valued at approximately $23,164,847.02. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In other news, CEO Tracy French acquired 4,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 25th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $19.78 per share, with a total value of $79,120.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 172,949 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,420,931.22. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Robert H. Adcock, Jr. sold 4,970 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, October 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.23, for a total value of $100,543.10. Following the transaction, the director now owns 1,145,074 shares in the company, valued at approximately $23,164,847.02. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 7.72% of the companys stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on HOMB. Stephens decreased their price target on shares of Home Bancshares, Inc. (Conway, AR) from $25.00 to $24.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 20th. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Home Bancshares, Inc. (Conway, AR) in a research note on Thursday, October 5th. They set a sell rating for the company. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on shares of Home Bancshares, Inc. (Conway, AR) from $27.00 to $25.00 in a research note on Tuesday, October 10th. Finally, Piper Sandler cut their price objective on Home Bancshares, Inc. (Conway, AR) from $27.00 to $26.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Home Bancshares, Inc. (Conway, AR) currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $25.75.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Home Bancshares, Inc. (Conway, AR)

About Home Bancshares, Inc. (Conway, AR)

(Free Report)

Home Bancshares, Inc (Conway, AR) operates as the bank holding company for Centennial Bank that provides commercial and retail banking, and related financial services to businesses, real estate developers and investors, individuals, and municipalities. Its deposit products include checking, savings, and money market accounts, as well as certificates of deposit.

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Korea Investment CORP raised its stake in shares of The Toronto-Dominion Bank (NYSE:TD  Free Report) (TSE:TD) by 6.5% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,730,405 shares of the banks stock after acquiring an additional 106,263 shares during the period. Korea Investment CORPs holdings in Toronto-Dominion Bank were worth $107,375,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. LPL Financial LLC lifted its stake in Toronto-Dominion Bank by 17.1% during the 2nd quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 208,401 shares of the banks stock valued at $12,923,000 after acquiring an additional 30,486 shares during the period. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. boosted its position in Toronto-Dominion Bank by 35.0% during the second quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 55,757 shares of the banks stock valued at $3,457,000 after purchasing an additional 14,466 shares in the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. boosted its stake in Toronto-Dominion Bank by 10.6% in the first quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 14,950 shares of the banks stock valued at $896,000 after acquiring an additional 1,432 shares in the last quarter. Empower Advisory Group LLC purchased a new stake in Toronto-Dominion Bank in the first quarter valued at about $207,000. Finally, EP Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank during the first quarter worth $229,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 51.52% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank from $96.00 to $94.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 25th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank in a report on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a sell rating on the stock. Barclays cut their price objective on Toronto-Dominion Bank from $84.00 to $82.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 25th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group cut their price objective on shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank from $93.00 to $92.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Toronto-Dominion Bank currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $96.83.

Toronto-Dominion Bank Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE TD traded down $0.18 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $61.83. 547,165 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,443,314. The companys 50 day moving average is $59.25 and its 200 day moving average is $60.67. The Toronto-Dominion Bank has a one year low of $54.69 and a one year high of $70.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 1.00 and a quick ratio of 1.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $111.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.75, a P/E/G ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 0.90.

Toronto-Dominion Bank (NYSE:TD  Get Free Report) (TSE:TD) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 24th. The bank reported $1.48 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.52 by ($0.04). The business had revenue of $9.51 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9 billion. Toronto-Dominion Bank had a return on equity of 15.17% and a net margin of 15.25%. On average, research analysts expect that The Toronto-Dominion Bank will post 5.97 EPS for the current year.

Toronto-Dominion Bank Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, October 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 6th were paid a $0.725 dividend. This is a boost from Toronto-Dominion Banks previous quarterly dividend of $0.71. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, October 5th. This represents a $2.90 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.69%. Toronto-Dominion Banks dividend payout ratio is presently 48.87%.

Toronto-Dominion Bank Company Profile

(Free Report)

The Toronto-Dominion Bank, together with its subsidiaries, provides various financial products and services in Canada, the United States, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Canadian Retail, U.S. Retail, and Wholesale Banking. The company offers personal deposits, such as chequing, savings, and investment products; financing, investment, cash management, international trade, and day-to-day banking services to businesses; and financing options to customers at point of sale for automotive and recreational vehicle purchases.

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Israel has recalled its ambassador to South Africa, Eliav Belotserkovsky, back to Jerusalem for consultations ahead of a parliamentary vote in the African country to decide the fate of the Israeli embassy on Tuesday.

The two countries diplomatic relations have recently witnessed a rise in tensions over the Israeli war on Gaza. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa previously said his country believes Israel is committing war crimes and genocide in Gaza, where thousands of Palestinians have been killed.

Israel has launched a relentless bombing campaign and ground offensive in Gaza since 7 October.

The Israeli war has killed more than 13,300 people, 5,600 of them children, 3,500 are women, alongside 31,000 are wounded.

"Following the latest South African statements, the Ambassador of Israel to Pretoria has been recalled to Jerusalem for consultations, Israels Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted late Monday on X, formerly known as Twitter.

This came ahead of a vote in South Africa's parliament on a motion to shut down the Israeli embassy and cut all ties with Israel until a cease-fire is implemented in Gaza.

The motion tabled by the leftist opposition party Economic Freedom Fighters has the backing of the ruling African National Congress and other smaller parties.

South Africa announced last week that it had referred what it called Israels genocide in Gaza to the International Criminal Court for an investigation, with its cabinet calling on the ICC Monday to issue an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Given that much of the global community is witnessing the commission of these crimes in real-time, including statements of genocidal intent by many Israeli leaders, we expect that warrants of arrest for these leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, should be issued shortly," South African minister in the presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, told reporters Monday.

Earlier this month, South Africa recalled its ambassador to Israel and withdrew all its diplomatic staff from the country.

The conflict will also be the subject of a virtual meeting of BRICS countries on Tuesday, which will be attended by leaders of the bloc, including Ramaphosa, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The economic bloc was formed by Brazil, Russia, India, and China in 2009 and added South Africa in 2010. Iran, Saudi Arabia the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Egypt, and Ethiopia are also set to enter BRICS.

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Korea Investment CORP lessened its holdings in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY  Free Report) by 5.2% 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 1,632,391 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after selling 89,992 shares during the period. Korea Investment CORP owned approximately 0.08% of Bristol-Myers Squibb worth $104,391,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Flaharty Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Bristol-Myers Squibb during the second quarter worth approximately $248,000. Employees Retirement System of Texas grew its position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 14.2% in the 2nd quarter. Employees Retirement System of Texas now owns 810,902 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $51,857,000 after buying an additional 100,600 shares during the last quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. grew its position in Bristol-Myers Squibb by 1.4% during the 2nd quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 308,969 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $19,759,000 after purchasing an additional 4,262 shares during the last quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 1,053.6% in the second quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC now owns 14,478 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $925,000 after acquiring an additional 13,223 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Independent Franchise Partners LLP lifted its stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 6.4% in the second quarter. Independent Franchise Partners LLP now owns 12,539,440 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $801,897,000 after purchasing an additional 755,208 shares during the period. 74.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Bristol-Myers Squibb Stock Down 0.3 %

Shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb stock traded down $0.14 on Tuesday, hitting $48.76. 4,499,218 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 9,718,899. Bristol-Myers Squibb has a 52-week low of $48.42 and a 52-week high of $81.43. The company has a quick ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11. The stock has a market cap of $99.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.39, a PEG ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.38. The firms 50-day moving average is $55.36 and its 200 day moving average is $60.73.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Dividend Announcement

Bristol-Myers Squibb ( NYSE:BMY Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 26th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $2.00 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.24. The company had revenue of $10.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.96 billion. Bristol-Myers Squibb had a net margin of 18.44% and a return on equity of 51.59%. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.99 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Bristol-Myers Squibb will post 7.56 earnings per share for the current year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 6th were paid a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, October 5th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.68%. Bristol-Myers Squibbs payout ratio is 57.87%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on BMY shares. Atlantic Securities cut their target price on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from $90.00 to $85.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 28th. StockNews.com upgraded Bristol-Myers Squibb from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Friday, October 27th. Daiwa Capital Markets cut Bristol-Myers Squibb from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and cut their price target for the stock from $68.00 to $54.00 in a report on Thursday, November 2nd. Truist Financial reissued a buy rating and set a $84.00 price objective on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research note on Friday, October 6th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald lowered Bristol-Myers Squibb from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and cut their target price for the stock from $68.00 to $55.00 in a research report on Wednesday, November 15th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have given a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Bristol-Myers Squibb currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $63.59.

Check Out Our Latest Report on BMY

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Ann Powell sold 17,986 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 27,868 shares in the company, valued at $1,706,915. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.09% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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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Korea Investment CORP cut its holdings in shares of Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE  Free Report) by 8.2% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 4,372,955 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after selling 392,289 shares during the quarter. Korea Investment CORP owned 0.08% of Pfizer worth $160,400,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. D.A. Davidson & CO. boosted its stake in Pfizer by 5.9% during the 2nd quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 714,352 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $26,202,000 after purchasing an additional 40,015 shares during the last quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Pfizer by 2,308.6% during the 2nd quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC now owns 36,562 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $1,340,000 after acquiring an additional 35,044 shares during the period. Letko Brosseau & Associates Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Pfizer by 25.3% during the 2nd quarter. Letko Brosseau & Associates Inc. now owns 2,075,245 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $76,120,000 after acquiring an additional 419,502 shares during the period. Osaic Holdings Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Pfizer by 22.0% during the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 3,057,916 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $93,574,000 after acquiring an additional 551,235 shares during the period. Finally, Altrius Capital Management Inc raised its holdings in shares of Pfizer by 2.2% during the 2nd quarter. Altrius Capital Management Inc now owns 84,064 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $3,083,000 after acquiring an additional 1,842 shares during the period. 68.05% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently issued reports on PFE shares. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Pfizer from a hold rating to a buy rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $38.00 to $39.00 in a report on Monday, October 16th. Citigroup dropped their target price on Pfizer from $42.00 to $35.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Monday, October 16th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on Pfizer from $39.00 to $37.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 1st. Truist Financial cut their target price on shares of Pfizer from $62.00 to $42.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 17th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Pfizer from $36.00 to $34.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 16th. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Pfizer presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $42.50.

Pfizer Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE PFE traded up $0.11 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $30.09. 9,997,916 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 25,481,725. The company has a quick ratio of 2.05, a current ratio of 2.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $31.89 and a 200-day simple moving average of $35.17. Pfizer Inc. has a 1-year low of $28.93 and a 1-year high of $54.93. The firm has a market cap of $169.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 0.63.

Pfizer (NYSE:PFE  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, October 31st. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($0.17) EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of ($0.32) by $0.15. Pfizer had a return on equity of 16.72% and a net margin of 15.30%. The company had revenue of $13.23 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $13.77 billion. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Pfizer Inc. will post 1.56 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Pfizer Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 10th will be issued a $0.41 dividend. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.45%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 9th. Pfizers dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 89.62%.

Pfizer Company Profile

(Free Report)

Pfizer Inc discovers, develops, manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells biopharmaceutical products worldwide. It offers medicines and vaccines in various therapeutic areas, including cardiovascular metabolic, migraine, and women's health under the Eliquis, Nurtec ODT/Vydura, and the Premarin family brands; infectious diseases with unmet medical needs under the Prevnar family, Nimenrix, FSME/IMMUN-TicoVac, and Trumenba brands; and COVID-19 prevention and treatment, and potential future mRNA and antiviral products under the Comirnaty and Paxlovid brands.

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Marvin & Palmer Associates Inc. bought a new position in shares of Visa Inc. (NYSE:V  Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 37,515 shares of the credit-card processors stock, valued at approximately $8,909,000. Visa makes up 4.0% of Marvin & Palmer Associates Inc.s holdings, making the stock its 19th largest position.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich increased its stake in Visa by 107,990.7% in the 2nd 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 increased its stake in Visa by 3.7% in the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 72,897,112 shares of the credit-card processors stock valued at $16,435,339,000 after purchasing an additional 2,572,159 shares in the last quarter. Morgan Stanley increased its stake in Visa by 13.0% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 51,122,866 shares of the credit-card processors stock valued at $10,621,287,000 after purchasing an additional 5,864,340 shares in the last quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in Visa by 116,608.6% in the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 24,504,130 shares of the credit-card processors stock valued at $5,090,978,000 after purchasing an additional 24,483,134 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new position in Visa in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $3,067,232,000. 81.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Visa Stock Up 0.5 %

NYSE:V traded up $1.31 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $251.28. The company had a trading volume of 2,267,100 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,016,549. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $238.48 and a 200-day simple moving average of $236.43. The company has a current ratio of 1.45, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. Visa Inc. has a 1 year low of $202.13 and a 1 year high of $253.34. The firm has a market capitalization of $467.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.15, a PEG ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 0.95.

Visa Increases Dividend

Visa ( NYSE:V Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 24th. The credit-card processor reported $2.33 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.23 by $0.10. Visa had a return on equity of 50.13% and a net margin of 52.90%. The company had revenue of $8.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.56 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.93 earnings per share. The firms revenue was up 10.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that Visa Inc. will post 9.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 9th will be given a dividend of $0.52 per share. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.83%. This is a positive change from Visas previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 8th. Visas payout ratio is presently 25.09%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

V has been the subject of several research analyst reports. HSBC initiated coverage on Visa in a research note on Friday, October 13th. They issued a hold rating and a $266.00 price objective for the company. Credit Suisse Group raised their price objective on Visa from $265.00 to $275.00 in a research note on Wednesday, July 26th. UBS Group initiated coverage on Visa in a research report on Friday, October 20th. They set a buy rating and a $295.00 price target for the company. Susquehanna raised their price target on Visa from $266.00 to $300.00 in a research report on Wednesday, July 26th. Finally, Oppenheimer raised their price target on Visa from $248.00 to $252.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 18th. 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 company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Visa presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $275.67.

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Visa

Insider Transactions at Visa

In other news, CEO Ryan Mcinerney sold 8,150 shares of Visa 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 can be accessed through this hyperlink. In related news, insider Rajat Taneja sold 15,800 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.01, for a total value of $3,950,158.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 232,112 shares of the companys stock, valued at $58,030,321.12. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Ryan Mcinerney sold 8,150 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $247.47, for a total value of $2,016,880.50. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 81,300 shares of company stock valued at $19,668,731. 0.22% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About Visa

(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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Flaharty Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NEE  Free Report) by 25.2% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 5,379 shares of the utilities providers stock after purchasing an additional 1,082 shares during the quarter. Flaharty Asset Management LLCs holdings in NextEra Energy were worth $399,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of NEE. Sageworth Trust Co increased its position in shares of NextEra Energy by 1,794.1% during the first quarter. Sageworth Trust Co now owns 322 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 305 shares during the last quarter. Alaska Permanent Fund Corp purchased a new stake in shares of NextEra Energy during the second quarter worth about $26,000. Magellan Asset Management Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of NextEra Energy during the first quarter worth about $32,000. Tower View Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of NextEra Energy during the second quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, Mizuho Securities Co. Ltd. increased its position in shares of NextEra Energy by 444.4% during the second quarter. Mizuho Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 490 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 400 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.48% of the companys stock.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

NEE has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. TheStreet lowered NextEra Energy from a b- rating to a c+ rating in a research report on Monday, October 2nd. StockNews.com lowered NextEra Energy from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Thursday, October 26th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on NextEra Energy from $79.00 to $76.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Tuesday. Scotiabank lowered their price objective on NextEra Energy from $105.00 to $96.00 in a report on Thursday, September 28th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on NextEra Energy from $85.00 to $80.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, August 30th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $74.08.

NextEra Energy Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:NEE traded up $0.32 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $57.66. 4,168,802 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 9,999,703. The stock has a market capitalization of $118.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.10, a PEG ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 0.54. The businesss fifty day moving average is $57.96 and its 200-day moving average is $67.19. NextEra Energy, Inc. has a one year low of $47.15 and a one year high of $88.61. The company has a quick ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 0.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05.

NextEra Energy (NYSE:NEE  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 24th. The utilities provider reported $0.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.86 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $7.17 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.07 billion. NextEra Energy had a return on equity of 12.15% and a net margin of 27.82%. The businesss revenue was up 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.85 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that NextEra Energy, Inc. will post 3.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

NextEra Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 24th will be given a dividend of $0.4675 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 22nd. This represents a $1.87 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.24%. NextEra Energys dividend payout ratio is presently 49.47%.

Insider Transactions at NextEra Energy

In other NextEra Energy news, major shareholder Nextera Energy Inc acquired 3,097,524 shares of NextEra Energy stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 6th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $24.21 per share, for a total transaction of $74,991,056.04. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 4,097,524 shares in the company, valued at approximately $99,201,056.04. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.38% of the companys stock.

About NextEra Energy

(Free Report)

NextEra Energy, Inc, through its subsidiaries, generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electric power to retail and wholesale customers in North America. The company generates electricity through wind, solar, nuclear, coal, and natural gas facilities. It also develops, constructs, and operates long-term contracted assets that consists of clean energy solutions, such as renewable generation facilities, battery storage projects, and electric transmission facilities; sells energy commodities; and owns, develops, constructs, manages and operates electric generation facilities in wholesale energy markets.

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Platinum Investment Management Ltd. lessened its holdings in shares of Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE:BIO  Free Report) by 52.9% during the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 8,636 shares of the medical research companys stock after selling 9,706 shares during the quarter. Platinum Investment Management Ltd.s holdings in Bio-Rad Laboratories were worth $3,274,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of BIO. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Bio-Rad Laboratories during the 4th quarter valued at about $91,443,000. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Bio-Rad Laboratories during the 1st quarter worth approximately $88,521,000. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership purchased a new position in shares of Bio-Rad Laboratories during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $43,064,000. Thompson Siegel & Walmsley LLC grew its holdings in shares of Bio-Rad Laboratories by 44.8% during the 2nd quarter. Thompson Siegel & Walmsley LLC now owns 294,164 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $111,524,000 after acquiring an additional 91,013 shares during the period. Finally, Brown Advisory Inc. boosted its position in shares of Bio-Rad Laboratories by 9.5% in the 2nd quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 927,008 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $351,447,000 after purchasing an additional 80,607 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 63.98% of the companys stock.

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Bio-Rad Laboratories Trading Up 1.8 %

Bio-Rad Laboratories stock traded up $5.48 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $310.00. The companys stock had a trading volume of 72,000 shares, compared to its average volume of 205,352. The company has a 50 day moving average of $328.24 and a 200-day moving average of $364.48. The stock has a market cap of $9.03 billion, a PE ratio of -52.05 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14, a quick ratio of 4.25 and a current ratio of 5.64. Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. has a one year low of $261.59 and a one year high of $509.62.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Bio-Rad Laboratories ( NYSE:BIO Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 26th. The medical research company reported $2.33 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.87 by ($0.54). Bio-Rad Laboratories had a positive return on equity of 3.91% and a negative net margin of 5.86%. The firm had revenue of $632.10 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $689.50 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.60 earnings per share. Bio-Rad Laboratoriess quarterly revenue was down 7.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts anticipate that Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. will post 11.6 EPS for the current year.

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Credit Suisse Group lowered their price objective on Bio-Rad Laboratories from $580.00 to $550.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 4th. StockNews.com cut Bio-Rad Laboratories from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Monday, October 30th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on Bio-Rad Laboratories from $522.00 to $524.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Friday, August 4th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Bio-Rad Laboratories from $550.00 to $525.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $533.00.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Bio-Rad Laboratories

Insider Transactions at Bio-Rad Laboratories

In other Bio-Rad Laboratories news, EVP Timothy S. Ernst sold 2,350 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $395.60, for a total transaction of $929,660.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 2,416 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $955,769.60. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, EVP Timothy S. Ernst sold 300 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $384.69, for a total value of $115,407.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 2,416 shares in the company, valued at approximately $929,411.04. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Timothy S. Ernst sold 2,350 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $395.60, for a total transaction of $929,660.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 2,416 shares of the companys stock, valued at $955,769.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 17.06% of the companys stock.

Bio-Rad Laboratories Profile

(Free Report)

Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc manufactures, and distributes life science research and clinical diagnostic products in the United States, Europe, Asia, Canada, and Latin America. The company operates through Life Science and Clinical Diagnostics segments. The Life Science segment develops, manufactures, and markets reagents, apparatus, and laboratory instruments that are used in research techniques, biopharmaceutical production processes, and food testing regimes.

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Railway Pension Investments Ltd increased its stake in Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM  Free Report) by 0.2% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,183,402 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 2,200 shares during the quarter. Railway Pension Investments Ltds holdings in Philip Morris International were worth $115,524,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in PM. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC lifted its position in shares of Philip Morris International by 10.4% during the 2nd quarter. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC now owns 213,136 shares of the companys stock worth $20,806,000 after purchasing an additional 20,104 shares during the last quarter. Berger Financial Group Inc boosted its position in shares of Philip Morris International by 3.0% in the second quarter. Berger Financial Group Inc now owns 3,902 shares of the companys stock valued at $381,000 after acquiring an additional 113 shares during the period. Green Square Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Philip Morris International in the second quarter worth $232,000. Cetera Investment Advisers increased its position in Philip Morris International by 1.5% during the second quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 120,894 shares of the companys stock worth $11,802,000 after acquiring an additional 1,764 shares during the period. Finally, Herold Advisors Inc. raised its stake in Philip Morris International by 8.6% during the 2nd quarter. Herold Advisors Inc. now owns 5,484 shares of the companys stock valued at $535,000 after purchasing an additional 434 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 79.70% of the companys stock.

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Philip Morris International Stock Performance

PM traded up $0.15 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $92.53. The company had a trading volume of 263,912 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,257,255. Philip Morris International Inc. has a twelve month low of $87.23 and a twelve month high of $105.62. The company has a market capitalization of $143.64 billion, a PE ratio of 17.95, a P/E/G ratio of 2.16 and a beta of 0.77. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $92.16 and its 200-day simple moving average is $94.25.

Philip Morris International Increases Dividend

Philip Morris International ( NYSE:PM Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 19th. The company reported $1.67 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.62 by $0.05. Philip Morris International had a net margin of 9.62% and a negative return on equity of 129.48%. The business had revenue of $9.14 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $9.21 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.53 earnings per share. Philip Morris Internationals revenue was up 13.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 6.16 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 12th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, September 27th were paid a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.62%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 26th. This is a positive change from Philip Morris Internationals previous quarterly dividend of $1.27. Philip Morris Internationals dividend payout ratio is 100.97%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on PM shares. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of Philip Morris International from $118.00 to $113.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Monday, October 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price target on Philip Morris International from $111.00 to $105.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 13th. Stifel Nicolaus reissued a buy rating and set a $114.00 price objective on shares of Philip Morris International in a report on Monday, October 2nd. Redburn Atlantic initiated coverage on shares of Philip Morris International in a research note on Thursday, November 16th. They set a neutral rating and a $95.00 price target for the company. Finally, Bank of America lowered their price target on Philip Morris International from $118.00 to $111.00 in a research report on Friday, September 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $109.36.

View Our Latest Research Report on Philip Morris International

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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Railway Pension Investments Ltd cut its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY  Free Report) by 0.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 375,532 shares of the companys stock after selling 2,400 shares during the quarter. Eli Lilly and Company comprises 1.8% of Railway Pension Investments Ltds holdings, making the stock its 9th biggest position. Railway Pension Investments Ltds holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $176,117,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of LLY. Guyasuta Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 4.6% during the 2nd quarter. Guyasuta Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 3,024 shares of the companys stock worth $1,418,000 after acquiring an additional 132 shares during the last quarter. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. grew its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 4.8% in the first quarter. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. now owns 82,966 shares of the companys stock valued at $28,449,000 after purchasing an additional 3,768 shares in the last quarter. Baystate Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 688.2% in the 2nd quarter. Baystate Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,736 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,752,000 after buying an additional 3,262 shares during the last quarter. Simon Quick Advisors LLC increased its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 13.0% in the 2nd quarter. Simon Quick Advisors LLC now owns 1,874 shares of the companys stock valued at $879,000 after buying an additional 215 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Martin Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the 2nd quarter valued at about $234,000. 81.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently commented on LLY shares. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $565.00 to $633.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 9th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $615.00 to $650.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Monday, October 9th. Argus boosted their target price 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. Royal Bank of Canada upped 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 research report on Tuesday, August 8th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $385.00 to $470.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and twenty have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Eli Lilly and Company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $557.00.

Eli Lilly and Company Price Performance

NYSE:LLY traded down $0.79 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $596.81. 289,924 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,090,712. The business has a 50 day moving average of $578.02 and a 200 day moving average of $511.14. 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 1.59, a current ratio of 1.05 and a quick ratio of 0.82. The company has a market capitalization of $566.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 108.30, a P/E/G ratio of 3.57 and a beta of 0.33.

Eli Lilly and Company Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 8th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, November 15th will be issued a dividend of $1.13 per share. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.76%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 14th. Eli Lilly and Companys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 81.88%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 1,307 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $555.69, for a total transaction of $726,286.83. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 100,397,503 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $55,789,888,442.07. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other Eli Lilly and Company news, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 670 shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $571.10, for a total value of $382,637.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 4,708 shares in the company, valued at $2,688,738.80. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 1,307 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $555.69, for a total value of $726,286.83. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 100,397,503 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $55,789,888,442.07. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 535,538 shares of company stock worth $20,881,299,452. Company insiders own 0.13% of the companys stock.

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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Virgin Money UK (LON:VMUK  Free Report) had its price objective cut by Barclays from GBX 210 ($2.63) to GBX 195 ($2.44) in a research note released on Friday morning, MarketBeat reports. They currently have an equal weight rating on the stock.

VMUK has been the topic of several other research reports. Shore Capital reissued a buy rating on shares of Virgin Money UK in a research note on Wednesday, August 2nd. Citigroup reaffirmed a buy rating on shares of Virgin Money UK in a research note on Monday, October 16th. Four investment 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, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of GBX 208 ($2.60).

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Virgin Money UK Price Performance

About Virgin Money UK

Shares of LON:VMUK opened at GBX 161.85 ($2.02) on Friday. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is GBX 160.70 and its 200-day simple moving average is GBX 159.83. The firm has a market capitalization of 2.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 476.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of -0.56 and a beta of 1.94. Virgin Money UK has a 12 month low of GBX 134.20 ($1.68) and a 12 month high of GBX 200 ($2.50).

(Get Free Report)

Virgin Money UK PLC provides banking products and services for consumers, and small and medium sized businesses under the Clydesdale Bank, Yorkshire Bank, and Virgin Money brands in the United Kingdom. The company offers savings and current accounts, mortgages, credit cards, and home loans; business loans, overdraft facilities, treasury solutions, and corporate and structured finance; asset and invoice finance services; risk management; international trade services; and home, car, and life and critical illness insurance products.

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Beazer Homes USA (NYSE:BZH  Get Free Report) was downgraded by investment analysts at Wedbush from an outperform rating to a neutral rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday, Marketbeat.com reports. They currently have a $32.00 target price on the construction companys stock. Wedbushs price target would indicate a potential upside of 20.12% from the companys previous close.

A number of other analysts also recently issued reports on BZH. Zelman & Associates raised Beazer Homes USA from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Monday, July 31st. Sidoti upgraded shares of Beazer Homes USA from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $36.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, August 23rd. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Beazer Homes USA in a report on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Finally, B. Riley boosted their target price on Beazer Homes USA from $28.00 to $38.00 in a research report on Friday, July 28th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Beazer Homes USA currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $35.33.

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Read Our Latest Research Report on Beazer Homes USA

Beazer Homes USA Price Performance

Shares of Beazer Homes USA stock opened at $26.64 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.55, a current ratio of 15.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.94. Beazer Homes USA has a 52 week low of $12.29 and a 52 week high of $35.93. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $25.47 and its 200-day simple moving average is $26.06. The company has a market capitalization of $834.90 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4.32 and a beta of 2.33.

Beazer Homes USA (NYSE:BZH  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 16th. The construction company reported $1.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.39 by $0.41. Beazer Homes USA had a net margin of 7.94% and a return on equity of 18.66%. The firm had revenue of $645.40 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $627.29 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.82 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 22.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts expect that Beazer Homes USA will post 4.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in shares of Beazer Homes USA by 107.3% during the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 264,624 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $4,027,000 after purchasing an additional 136,954 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its stake in Beazer Homes USA by 1.9% in the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 167,312 shares of the construction companys stock worth $2,547,000 after acquiring an additional 3,073 shares in the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC increased its position in shares of Beazer Homes USA by 54.6% during the first quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 16,908 shares of the construction companys stock worth $257,000 after acquiring an additional 5,973 shares during the period. Cibc World Market Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Beazer Homes USA during the first quarter valued at approximately $196,000. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in shares of Beazer Homes USA by 0.5% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,013,201 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $15,422,000 after purchasing an additional 5,052 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.07% of the companys stock.

About Beazer Homes USA

(Get Free Report)

Beazer Homes USA, Inc operates as a homebuilder in the United States. It designs, constructs, and sells single-family and multi-family homes under the Beazer Homes, Gatherings, and Choice Plans names. The company sells its homes through commissioned new home sales counselors and independent brokers in Arizona, California, Nevada, Texas, Indiana, Delaware, Maryland, Tennessee, Virginia, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

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The European Investment Bank (EIB) has inaugurated a new regional hub in Cairo to foster cooperation with Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) partners, according to a statement by the bank on Monday.

The establishment of this hub, as announced by Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, signifies a strengthened alliance between the EIB and MENA countries.

The ceremony was attended by influential figures, including Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat, Gelsomina Vigliotti, EIB Vice President, and over 150 political, business, and banking leaders from Egypt and abroad.

Al-Mashat commended the EIB as Egypt's leading international partner, emphasizing its pivotal role in providing financial and technical support for climate action, business, energy, water, and transport investment.

She recognized the vast potential it holds for unlocking new opportunities in the years to come.

For her part, Vigliotti echoed Al-Mashat's sentiments, underscoring the importance of the new regional hub in deepening EIB collaboration with Egypt and other regional countries, from Lebanon to Morocco.

This strategic move is expected to catalyze fresh investments in Egypt and the broader MENA region, leading to improved livelihoods and enhanced economic opportunities, she added.

Ambassador Christian Berger, Head of the EU Delegation in Egypt, expressed his optimism for the hub's impact, saying it will drive new investments in Egypt and economic development in the entire region.

Berger emphasized that this initiative aligns with the EIB's long-standing commitment to support projects related to business growth, water management, renewable energy, and sustainable transport in Egypt.

In May, Vice President Vigliotti announced the EIB's commitment to invest over 50 million annually in venture capital and private equities in the Egyptian market, with a focus on sustained growth.

Moreover, in February, the EIB allocated $27 million to participate in the $150 million Middle East Venture Fund, marking the largest-ever venture capital engagement by the bank in the region.

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Violinist Yao Jue and the Hong Kong String Orchestra perform at the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest, capital of Romania, on Nov. 18, 2023. [Photo by Cristian Cristel/Xinhua]

Former Prime Minister of Romania Viorica Dancila appreciated the orchestra's ability to transport the audience to different parts of China through their renditions of Chinese compositions.

BUCHAREST, Nov. 19 (Xinhua)  In a resounding celebration of cultural unity, the iconic Bucharest Athenaeum played host to a two-hour mesmerizing performance by the Hong Kong String Orchestra and the virtuoso Chinese violinist, Yao Jue, on Saturday evening.

The concert, part of the orchestra's Central and Eastern Europe tour, showcased a diverse repertoire that transcended geographical boundaries. Among the featured pieces were the re-arranged Variation on the Pastoral by Sha Hankun, Italian Serenade by Hugo Wolf, Medley by Joseph Koo, the maestro renowned for scoring Bruce Lee's iconic films, and the timeless masterpieces such as Benjamin Britten's Simple Symphony and Antonio Vivaldi's Seasons.

Yao, wielding her 1713 Stradivarius, alongside the 11 talented musicians of the Hong Kong String Orchestra, dazzled the audience of 800.

Violinist Yao Jue and the Hong Kong String Orchestra perform at the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest, capital of Romania, on Nov. 18, 2023. [Photo by Cristian Cristel/Xinhua]

Ioana, a 60-year-old attendee, shared her sentiments, noting, "I enjoyed the Baroque part the most."

Iris, a nine-year-old ballet dancer, attended the concert out of her love for strings, harboring dreams of one day mastering the violin.

Adrian, a 37-year-old Ministry of Education employee, lauded the orchestra for seamlessly bridging two worlds through their skillful performances.

Viorel Isticioaia, former Romanian ambassador to China, marveled at the "warm atmosphere" and deemed the concert "exceptional."

Former Prime Minister of Romania Viorica Dancila appreciated the orchestra's ability to transport the audience to different parts of China through their renditions of Chinese compositions.

Three pieces  one being Romanian and two Chinese  were added at the finale as the audience refused to let the artists leave the stage.

Yao, expressing gratitude, remarked, "Through the music, people will understand better the culture, the differences between cultures ... Romanians are famous for their music, so we are happy we had such great feedback, we are encouraged to go on with our tour and to come back here."

Romania is the last stop of the Hong Kong String Orchestra's Central and Eastern Europe tour, which had taken it to Greece, Bulgaria and Serbia.

(Source: Xinhua)
Click the photo and watch the video.

* Coffee, avocados and macadamia nuts, originating from various parts of the world, have been widely grown in China's Yunnan, earning widespread acclaim in the global market.

* Such progress underscores China's expanding engagement with the world and reflects its robust economic vitality.

* The three foreign specialties, having traversed the oceans, are thriving in Yunnan and propelling ethnic minority areas toward shared prosperity.

KUNMING, Nov. 20 (Xinhua)  The border city of Pu'er, southwest China's Yunnan Province, is adorned with an abundance of red coffee fruits in November, dangling generously from the branches before being harvested and prepared for use in cafes across the country.

In recent years, coffee has found a thriving home in Yunnan, along with avocados and macadamia nuts, originating from various parts of the world.

A farmer picks avocados at a farm in Nanya Village of Menglian County in Pu'er, southwest China's Yunnan Province, on Sept. 20, 2023. [Xinhua/Hu Chao]

These products have evolved into pillar industries in the border areas of China and earned widespread acclaim in global markets. Such progress underscores China's expanding engagement with the world and reflects its robust economic vitality.

Mellow Coffee

By the end of 2022, with a coffee planting area encompassing 679,000 mu (about 45,267 hectares) and an annual output exceeding 55,700 tonnes, Pu'er had become a leading city within China in terms of both coffee production and output value.

At the Xiaowazi coffee manor in Pu'er, manager Liao Xiugui carefully inspects the quality of this year's beans. A pioneer among local growers, he embarked on his coffee journey in the late 1980s. He has dedicated himself to cultivating excellent coffee and roasting premium products for over three decades.

Manager Liao Xiugui (L) talks to tourists at Xiaowazi coffee manor in Pu'er, southwest China's Yunnan Province, on Feb. 22, 2022. [Xinhua/Chen Xinbo]

"At first, I just wanted to diversify the planting structure and boost local incomes," said 82-year-old Liao. Starting in 2019, he initiated the integration of coffee and tourism, establishing tour routes and immersive coffee-brewing experience sites within his coffee base, which covers 300 mu.

In recent years, the informative content released by the manor, highlighting over 40 varieties of coffee trees, has gained popularity on social media platforms. Around 2,000 coffee enthusiasts from across the globe would flock to the destination each month on average.

For 40 yuan (about 5.5 U.S. dollars), visitors can sample nine distinct types of coffee, explore coffee plantations and processing facilities, and acquire insights into coffee technology.

Xiaowazi is a microcosm of the robust development of coffee in Yunnan. Data from the provincial department of agriculture and rural affairs shows that in 2022, the province's coffee cultivation area topped 1.27 million mu, yielding a total output of 113,600 tonnes. The comprehensive output value amounted to 41.8 billion yuan.

Tourists taste coffee at Xiaowazi coffee manor in Pu'er, southwest China's Yunnan Province, on Feb. 22, 2022. [Xinhua/Chen Xinbo]

Fresh Avocados

Avocados have also gained popularity among China's urban residents as they pursue a healthier lifestyle. Referred to as "forest butter," avocados were almost entirely imported into China in the past. However, Menglian County in Pu'er has emerged as the largest avocado-planting county in China.

This year's fresh avocado output in Menglian is expected to surpass 10,000 tonnes, with an estimated output value exceeding 300 million yuan.

For the ethnic Lahu people in Menglian County, the concept of "avocado" is absent from their local language. The idea that something nonexistent in their linguistic repertoire could evolve into an industry that boosts their income is something they could not have anticipated.

In recent years, through technical support and capital awards, Menglian County has elevated the avocado industry into a leading sector that enriches people's incomes.

Farmers sort out avocados at a farm in Nanya Village of Menglian County in Pu'er, southwest China's Yunnan Province, on Sept. 20, 2023. [Xinhua/Hu Chao]

Naduo, 53, from Nanya Village in Menglian, owns more than 30 mu of land. Previously, her family cultivated sugar cane and corn, and had quite a limited income. In 2018, village officials encouraged them to invest their land in an avocado cooperative.

After thorough research on planting techniques and fruit production, Naduo decided to invest 24 mu of land in the cooperative. She and her husband also took on the role of avocado conservators for the cooperative.

"Taking care of an avocado tree can earn 11 yuan a year," she said, adding that managing the avocado trees can generate an annual income of 22,000 yuan. By raising chickens under the trees, her family can earn an additional income each year.

Nutritious Nuts

While coffee and avocados have established themselves in the market, macadamia nuts, rich in various nutrients, are also gaining traction on China's e-commerce platforms and in supermarkets.

Farmer Bi Jiafu trims a macadamia nut tree at his plantation in Xingtang Village of Yongde County, Lincang City, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Oct. 23, 2019. [Xinhua]

Native to Australia, macadamia nuts found their way to Yunnan in the 1980s when the province began experimenting with cultivating this exotic nut. During that period, domestic consumers in China had not yet been introduced to such unconventional nuts.

The initial aim of the local government in Yunnan was to alleviate poverty and improve the economic status of ethnic minorities in the mountainous areas, while also generating foreign exchange through exports.

Lincang is a city in Yunnan with a distinctive geographical environment, intersected by the Tropic of Cancer. The area boasts fertile soil, ample sunshine and abundant rainfall, creating unique natural conditions that offer an ideal environment for the cultivation of macadamia nuts.

As of October, the macadamia nut planting area in Lincang had reached 2.63 million mu, yielding an output of 60,000 tonnes. The planting area accounts for over half of the global total.

This undated file photo shows a staff member picking nuts at a nut farm in Zhenkang County of Lincang City, southwest China's Yunnan Province. [Photo by Li Ying/Xinhua]

In Lincang, the range of macadamia nut products has evolved beyond the traditional use of dried nuts as food. The industry now utilizes the entire fruit to develop products of high added value, such as health foods, cosmetics and medicines.

Coffee, avocados and macadamia nuts, having traversed the oceans, are thriving in Yunnan and propelling ethnic minority areas toward shared prosperity, said Chen Xiaowei, deputy director of the institute of rural development at the Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences. "This success shows the accomplishments of international agricultural exchanges and cooperation."

Xinhua Correspondent Yan Yong also contributed to the story.

Video reporters: He Chunhao, Sun Min;

Video editors: Wu Yao, Wei Yin.

(Source: Xinhua)
Shell Egypt announced a new offshore natural gas discovery in Egypts North East El-Amriya block in the Mediterranean Sea, according to a statement on Tuesday.

The company said that primary samples gathered from its drilling campaign at a depth of around 250 metres below sea level in the offshore Nile Delta confirmed "the presence of gas-bearing reservoir."

Shell Egypt noted that more analysis of the gathered data is necessary to establish the extent and potential recoverable resources of this finding.

The company is digging two more exploratory wells in Egypt.

This discovery is an important step forward for Shell Egypt bolstering our growth aspirations and ongoing commitment as a key partner in Egypts energy landscape, Vice President and Country Chair of Shell Egypt Khaled Kacem said.

Shell has been operating in Egypt since 1911, with diverse interests in joint ventures across Egypt, primarily in the Western Desert and Nile Delta.

In the Western Desert, Shell holds stakes in 19 oil and gas development leases and four exploration concessions. In the Nile Delta, Shell operates in northwest Damietta.

Egypt is working to maximize its energy resources to meet domestic demand and position itself as an energy hub.

The government announced in August a plan to drill 45 natural exploratory gas wells in the Mediterranean and the Nile Delta with $1.9 billion in investments until mid-2025.

Similarly, global energy giant British Petroleum (BP) plans to invest $3.5 billion in the exploration and development of natural gas resources in Egypt over the next three years.

The country expects to produce about eight million tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in 2023 after discovering a new gas field in the Nargis area in January.

Egyptian LNG exports increased by 14 percent year-on-year to 7.5 million tons in 2022.

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BEIJING, Nov. 20 (Xinhua)  Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, on Monday respectively sent congratulatory letters to the 10th meeting of the dialogue mechanism between the ruling parties of China and Russia.

In his congratulatory letter, Xi extended warm congratulations on the convening of the meeting. He said that at present, changes unseen in a century are unfolding at an ever faster pace and the world has entered a new period of disorder and transformation. China-Russia relations have withstood the severe test of changes in the international landscape, maintained a high level of development, set an example of a new model of major-country relations, and played a more prominent strategic role in achieving global stability and development.

Noting that next year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of China-Russia diplomatic ties, Xi said China is ready to work with Russia to grasp the general trend of history, firmly develop relations featuring permanent good-neighborly friendship, comprehensive strategic coordination and mutually beneficial cooperation, and vigorously promote the development and revitalization of both countries to inject more stability and positive energy into the world.

Xi pointed out that the exchanges and cooperation between the CPC and the United Russia party form an important part of China-Russia relations in the new era, and the dialogue mechanism between the ruling parties of China and Russia has developed into a unique channel and platform for the two countries to consolidate political mutual trust, enhance strategic coordination and promote mutually beneficial cooperation.

It is hoped that the two parties will take the 10th meeting of the dialogue mechanism as an opportunity to demonstrate the responsibility of major parties and countries, enrich exchanges in the new era, create a new situation of institutionalized exchanges and cooperation, and contribute more to the development of China-Russia relations in the new era, safeguarding international fairness and justice, and promoting the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, Xi said.

Putin said in his congratulatory letter that the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination is at the highest level in history, and the two countries are working together to advance a number of large-scale cooperation projects in the fields of economy, transportation, energy and culture, among others. The two countries are coordinating positions through bilateral channels and multilateral mechanisms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS to resolve major international issues and promote the building of a more just and democratic international order.

As the ruling parties of Russia and China, the United Russia party and the CPC have carried out high-level and constructive interactions and promoted the rapid development of bilateral cooperation in various fields, Putin said. The central committee organs and local institutions of the two parties have maintained institutionalized interactions, exchanged useful experience on party building, legislation and social work, and held in-depth discussions on a series of practical issues on the bilateral and international agendas, he added.

Putin expressed the belief that the 10th meeting of the dialogue mechanism will be meaningful and constructive, and further promote and deepen the fruitful cooperation between Russia and China.

(Source: Xinhua)
Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden take a walk after their talks in the Filoli Estate in the U.S. state of California, Nov. 15, 2023. [Xinhua/Li Xueren]

Xi's America trip, including his talks with Biden and his attendance at the 30th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in San Francisco, is widely believed to have added stability to China-U.S. relations, brought new impetus to the Asia-Pacific cooperation and injected positive energy into the international and regional landscape.

SAN FRANCISCO/BEIJING, Nov. 20 (Xinhua)  World political experts and business leaders are upbeat about the outcome of the latest meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden at Filoli Estate in the U.S. state of California.

They commend the leaders for their courage in finding the right path for the two major countries to foster mutual understanding and engage in cooperative endeavors aimed at achieving global stability.

Xi's America trip, including his talks with Biden and his attendance at the 30th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting in San Francisco, is widely believed to have added stability to China-U.S. relations, brought new impetus to the Asia-Pacific cooperation and injected positive energy into the international and regional landscape.

Notwithstanding these accomplishments, China and the United States should recognize that their relationship has never been smooth sailing over the past 50 years and more. There remain deep-seated issues, risks and challenges that call for joint attention and resolution.

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with U.S. President Joe Biden at Filoli Estate in the U.S. state of California, Nov. 15, 2023. [Xinhua/Rao Aimin]

Enhancing Stability

The summit occurred at a pivotal time, as the global community emphasized the need for a stable China-U.S. relationship.

During their four-hour-long meeting, the two heads of state had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on strategic and overarching issues critical to the direction of China-U.S. relations and on major issues affecting world peace and development.

China is consistently committed to having a stable, healthy and sustainable relationship with the United States, and China has interests that must be safeguarded, principles that must be upheld, and red lines that must not be crossed, Xi said during the meeting with Biden.

"There is no substitute for face-to-face communication. It's where people build up their trust and personal ties. This direct dialogue will help avoid misunderstandings," said Abraham D. Sofaer, a senior fellow emeritus at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University.

William Jones, the Washington bureau chief of U.S. publication Executive Intelligence Review, said that the meeting sets a positive tone for increased stability in the U.S.-China relationship.

However, as Jones emphasized, reaching this point requires the United States to "overcome the view that China is a rival, and view China as more of a partner in order to establish a really solid relationship."

"International stability requires good Sino-American understanding in the political and economic fields. The two countries must work and (hold) dialogue on the basis of mutual respect," said Lyazid Benhami, vice president of the Paris Association of French-Chinese Friendship.

"The next chapter in world history may well depend on whether his U.S. counterpart can rise to the occasion and display a similar degree of wisdom, foresight, and magnanimity," said Keith Bennett, London-based long-time China specialist.

Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech titled "Staying True to APEC Founding Mission and Enhancing Unity and Cooperation to Jointly Promote High-Quality Growth in the Asia-Pacific" at the 30th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting in San Francisco, the United States, Nov. 17, 2023. [Xinhua/Li Xueren]

Should Be New Starting Point

While briefing the media on Xi's talks with Biden and his attendance at the 30th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in San Francisco, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that San Francisco should not be the finish line but a new starting point.

Xi's cordial interactions once again with friendly personages from all walks of life in the United States made us feel deeply that the foundation of China-U.S. friendship is still there, the momentum of exchanges remains and the prospect of cooperation is promising, he said.

During a welcome dinner hosted by friendly organizations in the United States, Xi delivered a speech stressing the role of people in China-U.S. relations.

Xi said, "To increase exchanges between our peoples, especially between the youth, China is ready to invite 50,000 young Americans to China on exchange and study programs in the next five years."

Prospects for growing cultural and people-to-people exchanges are poised to serve as a new beginning for the relationship between the two nations.

"If the younger generation could exchange ideas, meet each other, and visit each other's countries, that could help lay a very important foundation for the future of the relationship," said Zhao Suisheng, director of the Center for China-US Cooperation, Josef Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver.

"Personally, I think both countries are trying to find ways they can work together to be successful. And the more we can talk about these things and what and how we can solve it, the better chance that we can be able to get them solved and be beneficial," said former Missouri Governor Bob Holden.

Photo taken on Nov. 12, 2023 shows the APEC 2023 signs in front of the APEC 2023 International Media Center in San Francisco, the United States. [Xinhua/Li Rui]

Most Important Diplomatic Event of the Year

The Xi-Biden summit is "the most important diplomatic event of the year, surely for both China and the United States and arguably for the entire world," said Robert Lawrence Kuhn, Chairman of the Kuhn Foundation.

Tracy Wang, a managing partner of Traxion Capital, a San Franciso-based venture capital firm, said, "the meeting between the leaders of China and the United States has sent a positive signal of improvement in bilateral relations, which is greatly heartening to us."

"If this meeting leads to the two systems developing a united way forward to cooperate, we can find an era of peace and global growth," said Stephen Perry, chairman of Britain's 48 Group Club.

"As a planet, we are facing multiple challenges -- the need to nourish the hungry, manage climate change, sustain economic growth and job creation, and maintain global stability. We hope there will be a positive reset and improved relations between these two global superpowers," said Grant Kimberley, a sixth-generation soybean farmer and marketing director of the Iowa Soybean Association.

Stable China-U.S. relations will provide other countries with greater opportunities for cooperation, said Amadou Diop, a Senegalese expert on China. "Only when China-U.S. relations return to the right track, can we look forward to a more united, open, and prosperous future."

Diop highlighted the significance of China and the United States as major trading partners for Africa, saying the stability of China-U.S. relations holds great importance for Africa's economy, trade, peace, security, and sustainable development.

"Africa needs to see friendly, open, and stable China-U.S. relations to better meet the continent's huge expectations for investment at all levels," he said.

(Source: Xinhua)
The US government is offering to send an additional four at-home Covid-19 tests to eligible American homes to be delivered November 27.
Members of emergency service work at the site of a rocket attack from Gaza, in Ashdod, Israel, Photo Date: 11/1/2023
The Saudi Batterjee Holding Group has unveiled its plans to acquire a pharmaceutical company listed on the Egyptian Exchange (EGX) within the next six months, Mazen Batterjee, Chairman of the group, said on Tuesday.

While Batterjee didnt disclose the specific name of the target company, he stressed the group's commitment to invest more than $50 million in the Egyptian pharmaceutical market over the next two years.

This move is set to bolster the group's presence in the region and capitalize on Egypt's flourishing healthcare sector, he added during an interview with Asharq Business.

In addition to the acquisition plans, Batterjee Group also revealed its intention to inject initial investments amounting to $5 million to establish a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Egypt.

The facility will specialize in the production of medical equipment and incubators, he noted.

"We see tremendous potential in the Egyptian pharmaceutical market. Our investments aim to enhance the local healthcare infrastructure and contribute to the development of the sector," Batterjee stated.

Parallel to Batterjee's announcement, the Saudi Al-Lami Holding Group revealed its plans to invest $500 million in Egypt over the next two years, concentrated in the tourism and real estate sectors.

The visit of the Saudi delegation, led by Trade Minister Majid Al-Qasabi, also saw discussions on further strengthening economic relations between the two countries.

Egypt's Trade Minister Ahmed Samir highlighted the imminent signing of an agreement to protect bilateral investments with Saudi Arabia.

This agreement aims to reduce requirements for investments and guarantee investments during times of conflict, revolution, emergencies, or unrest.

Samir further noted that the trade exchange between the two countries surged 23 percent to $5.655 billion in 2022 from $4.572 billion in 2021.

Al-Qasabi pointed out that private Saudi investments in Egypt amount to $35 billion, and that Egypt is the kingdom's top trade partner in Africa.

On the other hand, Egyptian investments in Saudi Arabia have reached $1.6 billion, primarily in the manufacturing, retail, and construction sectors.

In an effort to enhance bilateral trade, Yehia El-Watheq Bellah, head of the Egyptian Commercial Service (ECS), revealed that both countries are considering the use of local currencies for bilateral trade.

Saudi Arabia's substantial deposits in the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE), amounting to $10.3 billion, underscore its confidence and long-term commitment to Egypt.

The deposits consist of $5 billion in short-term deposits and $5.3 billion in medium- and long-term deposits, according to the bank's latest report.

Investments by the Batterjee Group align with Egypt's broader objective of attracting foreign investments, particularly from Gulf countries, to bolster its dwindling US dollar reserves and stimulate economic growth.

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Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli faced questions from MPs about the measures being taken by the government to prevent Israel from forcibly displacing Palestinians in Gaza into Sinai

Egypt will take all the needed measures necessary to protect its borders, including firm reaction against any scenario trying to resettle Palestinians into Sinai, Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli told members of parliament on Tuesday.

Madbouli added that Egypt had sent messages to several world leaders warning of the escalation of the war in Palestine and its impact on regional stability.

The statements, reports Gamal Essam El-Din, came at a parliamentary session held to answer questions from 16 MPs about Egypts stance on calls to host Palestinians in Sinai.

Egypt has come under economic and political pressure to allow the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza to Sinai. But, Madbouli said, Egypt firmly stands against this pressure because this scenario is a big threat to its national security and sovereign interests and could mean the liquidation of the Palestinian cause.

I have come today to the House of Representatives to reassure all Egyptians that all the states institutions, the president, the government, and Armed Forces are well aware of conspiracies aimed at liquidating the Palestinian cause and destabilising Egypts national security and we will never allow these two scenarios to happen.

Madbouli was also keen to stress that Egypt had always been loyal to its commitments under the Peace Treaty with Israel since 1979. But the war in Gaza is a big threat to this treaty, and Israeli leaders should be aware of this, Madbouli said.

He, however, said no military force will be able to protect Sinai from foreign conspiracies without developing it. We should achieve comprehensive development in Sinai, and to fulfil this objective we are doing our best to resettle eight million Egyptians into the peninsula by the year 2050, Madbouli said, indicating that the states vision towards developing Sinai is also based on setting up national projects and strengthening the Egyptian army to develop and defend the peninsula.

Madbouli said that since the war erupted in Gaza on 7 October, Egypt has been among the first countries to extend humanitarian aid to the Palestinians. What Egypt has provided to Gaza is four times the aid provided by 30 countries. Between 7 October and 19 November Egypt provided 11,200 tons of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

According to Madbouli, Egypt has not closed the Rafah crossing with Gaza since the war erupted on 7 October. We did not shut down this crossing one moment and rumours that it is closed are part of the fourth generation wars and hostile media campaigns targeting Egypt, said Madbouli.

He explained that there are two crossings: the Egyptian Rafah crossing and the Palestinian Rafah crossing, and it is the latter that is constantly targeted by Israeli air strikes to obstruct the entry of aid into Gaza and the exiting of the injured. Egypt is keen to rehabilitate the Egyptian Rafah crossing, but as you see it is Israel that is obstructing the delivery of aid and assistance to the Gaza Strip.

President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi is exerting efforts on all fronts to find a solution to the Palestinian cause, Madbouli said, noting that Egypt held the Cairo peace summit to push for a ceasefire, denounce Israels war on Gaza, and declare its rejection of the forcible displacement of Palestinians. He said the solution of the Palestinian cause will never be at the expense of Egypt.

In his speech at the emergency Arab summit in Riyadh, President Al-Sisi declared Egypts rejection of Israels collective punishment policies and highlighted its historical role in supporting the Palestinians and the creation of their independent state, the prime minister said.

Madbouli said Egypt is aware that the Palestinians fully understand that Egypts positions serve their interests and that Egypt will never allow the liquidation of this cause.

Madboulis statement came in response to 16 questions posed by both opposition and pro-government MPs. Nasserist opposition and journalist MP Mustafa Bakri said a parliamentary committee should be formed to see whether the 1979 Peace Treaty with Israel should be scrapped. Bakri also called for the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador in Cairo.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 23 November, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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Britains Conservative government has responded to the Supreme Court ruling against its plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda with a sharp lurch to the right.

The court judgment last Wednesday came just days after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak sacked Home Secretary Suella Braverman. Bravermans response letter attacking Sunak on immigration and other policies cements her position as the figurehead of an increasingly fascistic Tory right. But Sunaks own response to the Supreme Court demonstrates that any differences are purely tactical.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak gives a press conference after visiting a Border Force cutter boat in the Dover Strait, June 5, 2023 [Photo by Simon Dawson/No 10 Downing Street / CC BY 2.0

Bravermans letter cited alleged agreements reached between her and Sunak to ensure a tightening of anti-immigration legislation. Centred on deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda she claimed these were the conditions on which she agreed to take the home office portfolio. While denying any such agreements were in place, Sunak has defended senior Tories who called for her Rwanda policy to be pursued after the ruling. The government has now indicated that it will push for new legislation to make this possible.

The Supreme Court judgment followed an appeal court challenge to the governments Illegal Migration Act, threatening asylum seekers with homelessness and destitution if they refuse to board unsafe barges or live in tents as they await deportation to Rwanda or other countries.

In a plan first floated under Boris Johnson, an agreement was reached with the Rwandan government to deport refugees to the impoverished African country. Braverman, at the 2022 Tory conference, gave free rein to her fascistic fantasies, calling deportations on flights to Rwanda her dream and obsession.

More than 140 million has already been paid to the Rwandan government for the scheme, begun by Bravermans predecessor Priti Patel. Last-minute legal challenges stopped the first flight on the runway on the basis of Rule 39 of the European Court of Human Rights Rules of Court. Under Rule 39, the Court may intervene and indicate interim measures to any State in cases when the applicants [in this case the asylum seekers being deported] would otherwise face a real risk of irreversible harm.

The unanimous judgment by the five members of the Supreme Court agreed with the court of appeal that there was a risk of claims being wrongly determined in Rwanda, resulting in refoulementasylum seekers being wrongly returned, either directly or indirectly, to the country they had left where they might face persecution.

Their ruling was based on evidence from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) noting the failures of a secretive voluntary scheme of relocation to Rwanda of around 4,000 Eritrean and Sudanese migrants from Israel between 2013 and 2017. On arrival, the migrants were charged up to $500 to be driven to the Ugandan border, then charged again to be driven out of Rwanda.

If we lose in the supreme court, Braverman wrote in anticipation, an outcome that I have consistently argued we must be prepared for, you [Sunak] will have wasted a year and an act of parliament, only to arrive back at square one.

She accused Sunak of having no credible plan B, having broken his agreement to create clauses in UK law that would have blocked off legal challenges under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the UK Human Rights Act (HRA).

She described a document with clear terms that you agreed in October 2022, citing four conditions for her becoming home secretary. The first two were concerned with migration: Reduce overall migration as set out in the 2019 manifesto and Include specific notwithstanding clauses into new legislation to stop the boats, i.e., exclude the operation of the European convention on human rights, Human Rights Act and other international law that had thus far obstructed progress on this issue.

Noting that Sunak had no personal mandate to be prime minister following his poor showing in the leadership contest, Braverman took credit for being a pivotal factor in winning the leadership contest and thus enabling you to become prime minister.

Bravermans repeatedly challenged Sunaks authority until he was forced reluctantly to sack her. She now wields the twin weapons of her martyrdom and the Supreme Court ruling against him. Her ally, Sir John Hayes, announced 24 hours before the judgment that if the court ruled against it, ministers should table a narrow piece of legislation to enact the Rwanda plan, and move to include withdrawal from the ECHR as a Tory manifesto pledge.

Braverman made this argument in a Daily Telegraph op-ed, writing, There is no longer any chance of stopping the boats within the current legal framework. She insisted, The entirety of the Human Rights Act and European Convention on Human Rights, and other relevant international obligations, or legislation, including the Refugee Convention, must be disapplied.

Her other suggestions for excluding all legal avenues of challenge included amending the Immigration Act so arrivals are removed more quickly, giving less time for defences to be mounted. She also called for excluding legal challenges to detention on arrival, claiming this would avoid burdening the courts. It is a proposal to strip legal and human rights from some of the most vulnerable. Braverman demanded this be fast-tracked through parliament over Christmas.

The New Conservatives faction of the Tories have written to Sunak demanding that new legislation be over-engineered to prevent further legal challenges. Along with disapplying the HRA, they are calling for the inclusion of the notwithstanding clauses to override any international treaties or legislation that could interfere with their plans, and for ministers to have the right to ignore last-minute injunctions that would prevent planes taking off. They insisted that there must be simply no opportunity for rights-based claims against deportation.

Tory MPs have been tweeting screenshots of a 2016 Daily Mail headline calling judges Enemies of the People. Tory deputy chair Lee Anderson said bluntly that the government should ignore the law, just put the planes in the air and send [asylum seekers] back on the same day [they arrive in Britain].

In line with his own stop the boats mantra, Sunaks office refused to criticise Anderson, with his spokesperson saying, We appreciate that our MPs have strong views on this because, frankly, the country cares about this.

Bravermans replacement as home secretary, James Cleverly, described the bold and ambitious Rwanda plan as just one part of a vehicle of measures to stop the boats and tackle illegal migration. He appealed to an appetite for this concept across Europe, with other governments pursuing the same policy including Germany.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt told the BBCs Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that the government would do whatever it takes to ensure the Rwanda deportation flights took off. After the court verdict Hunt had said the government could not guarantee deportation flights to Rwanda before the next election, which must be held by January 2025, but, We expect planes to be flying to Rwanda in the spring. We will change the law as necessary.

Sunaks office said the Supreme Court decision Crucially has confirmed that the principle of sending illegal migrants to a safe third country is lawful. The governments mistake, Sunak, et all, have concluded, was not passing legislation declaring Rwanda safe before the arrangement was made.

This Kafkaesque legal provision already exists, courtesy of Tony Blairs Labour government, in Schedule 3 of the 2004 Asylum and Immigration Act. Boris Johnson tweeted an article he had written after the appeal court ruling, noting that Schedule 3 enables government to ask parliament to deem Rwanda safe. This has not so far been done and it should now be doneimmediately, he wrote. Yes, of course there would be a row. The House of Lords might well be difficultbut we have been here before. It is time for the Government to settle the legal position.

The only way of ending the legal blockade on Rwanda, Johnson posted on X, is to do exactly what this piece [Johnsons own article] proposesand do it NOW.

Sunak has already promised to bring forward emergency legislation on that front, saying the extraordinary step will ensure that people cannot further delay flights by bringing systemic challenges in our domestic courts and stop our policy being repeatedly blocked.

Toufique Hossain of Duncan Lewis solicitors, who represented some asylum seekers who brought the legal challenge, declared it a victory for the rule of law itself a timely reminder that governments must operate within the law. The ferocious response of the Tories in proposing to ditch adherence to international law demonstrates that there exists no significant constituency within the ruling class for any such conception. It is of a piece with the enacting of the framework of a police state, via a raft of draconian legislation, in which attacks on refugees and asylum seekers are the spearhead of a broader assault against the entire working class.
A vote on a resolution to expel New York Republican Congressman George Santos from the US House of Representatives is expected in the next week to 10 days. If the resolution is adopted, it would mark only the sixth time in US history that a member of Congress has been expelled. The expulsion move follows two unsuccessful earlier attempts. With a two-thirds vote necessary, the outcome is not a foregone conclusion.

The momentum for expulsion comes after the release of a report by the House Ethics Committee. The 56-page report, adopted unanimously by the Democratic and Republican members of the panel, is based on the testimony of 40 witnesses and the review of 170,000 pages of documents, including texts, emails and bank statements. Verifying illegal expenditures of thousands of dollars in campaign funds at spas, luxury hotel stays in Las Vegas, and other purchases unrelated to the campaign, it concluded that Santos sought to fraudulently exploit every aspect of his House candidacy for his own personal profit.

The Republican congressman had already been exposed, in an investigation by the New York Times, after his election in November 2022 but even before he took office last January, as basing his run for political office upon lies about his whole life and career. He falsely claimed to be the grandson of Ukrainian Jews who had fled the Holocaust, to have graduated from Baruch College and New York University, and to have worked at Citigroup and Goldman Sachs. There was not a shred of evidence for these claims, or for numerous other assertions about his finances and personal wealth.

The lies continue to unravel, including the most trivial. Santos claimed, for instance, that his volleyball team at Baruch College slayed Yale, and became champions across the entire Northeast Corridor. But he never went to Baruch, nor does Yale have a mens varsity volleyball team.

Santos also faces 23 federal felony charges, on which he was arraigned last spring, including wire fraud, lying on federal disclosure forms and fraudulently obtaining unemployment benefits.

US Representative George Santos speaks to reporters outside of the federal courthouse in Central Islip, N.Y., Wednesday, May 10, 2023. [AP Photo/Seth Wenig]

After nearly a year in office, Santos remains unapologetic. The release of the House Ethics Committee report prompted him to announce that he would not run for reelection next year, but at the same time he denounced the whole investigation, declaring on X (Twitter): If there was a single ounce of ETHICS in the Ethics committee, they would have not released this biased report.

Most significant were some statements on X by Santos earlier in October, after the events of October 7. Saying he was worried about the kind of danger that were in on a national security front, he suggested investigation of those who waved Palestinian flags at protests against the Israeli massacre of more than 12,000 Palestinians in Gaza. I think every inch of this country at this point should be mapped out again and completely checked. I dont care if we go into a police state for a couple of months, said Santos.

This outburst from the congressman, only reported for the first time in a column in the Times by journalist Mark Chiusano last week, was undoubtedly directed toward the fascist base of the Republican Party. Chiusano observed, Here was an elected official pulling a police state out of his hat that would make the Patriot Act look timid. And it went all but unnoticed

Santos fascistic views are of course not at issue in the move for expulsion, since they are shared by the vast majority of the Republican caucus. Instead, the ethics report appears to have convinced Republicans, from the standpoint of the small change of capitalist politics, that hanging onto Santos would cost them votes in some suburban competitive House races, outweighing his single vote with the majority for the next year. With a very narrow majority in the House and desperately needing every vote they could muster, they had previously either disregarded the exposures, or piously proclaimed they were acting out of concern for due process.

If Santos is expelled, New York Governor Kathy Hochul would call a special election. The winner of that contest would serve through 2024.

The focus has thus far largely remained on the tawdry details of Santos as a pathological liar and petty grifter. Far less has been written on the issue of how this somewhat clownish ultra-rightist secured the primary nomination to run for office, and how, once that was accomplished, he managed to win last November.

As the WSWS has previously pointed out, identity politics played a role, with Santos claiming to be both gay and Jewish, appealing to some self-described liberal voters unhappy with the Democrats, in a district just east of New York City with its own share of social and economic discontents.

Santos is only the crudest expression of the corruption that permeates the capitalist two-party system, with Democrats and Republicans alike spending most of their time fundraising for the next election cycle and shamelessly selling themselves to the highest bidders. This whole episode points to the utter decay of the two-party system of capitalist politics, which attracts the most backward and selfish individuals.

As the Times reported, one of the members of the Ethics Committee, Democrat Glenn Ivey of Maryland, said, Most of us have never seen anything like thisthis extensive, this brazen, and this bold. Representative Ivey was unintentionally frank, indicating that Santos venality and sleaze differed from the usual corruption only by degree.

Moreover, most House members reserve their most blatant lying to the defense of corporate interests (the free market) and of US imperialism (the free world) and integrate their personal corruption into the general framework of big business politics, rather than flaunting it as stupidly as Santos.

Particularly significant are Santos above-mentioned comments about a police state. If these were mostly unnoticed, that is because the corporate media and the political establishment want to play down the real political significance of the changes that are most often associated with ex-president and presumptive 2024 Republican nominee Donald Trump.

Trump is the most prominent expression of a fundamental shift that has been taking place within capitalist politics. The steady rightward swing of recent decades has accelerated since 2016. The Republican transformation into a fascist party is at a very advanced stage, and the Democrats response to this development is to double down on their search for common ground with the fascists.

Led by President Biden, they continue to seek bipartisan cooperation, in order to wage war abroad as well as at home. The latest episodes of division and dysfunction among the Republicans, their inability to find a speaker and to put together a governing majority, are of concern to the Democrats only insofar as they complicate the US backing for endless war in Ukraine and in Occupied Palestine, part of the preparation of a third world imperialist war, and the intensification of the class war at home.

The George Santos scandal thus highlights the need, more urgent than ever, for the working class to break completely from the reactionary swamp of capitalist politics, to build a new leadership, and take up the fight for socialism.
The emergence of a global movement of mass protests against the Israeli genocide in Gaza marks a historic stage in the class struggle. This movement is objectively directed against all capitalist governments that support the State of Israel against Gaza. Calls are spreading to mobilize workers internationallyin the US, Belgium, Spain, Turkey and Italyto block arms deliveries to Israel, while NATO is already at war with Russia in Ukraine and Syria.

French Communist Party (PCF) National Secretary and Member of Parliament Fabien Roussel shakes hands with France's President Emmanuel Macron after talks at the presidential Elysee Palace, in Paris, Monday, June 21, 2022. [AP Photo/Ludovic Marin]

A race is on between the escalation of the class struggle and the plunge of bourgeoisies into a third world war. This reveals not only the immobility of the trade union bureaucracies of the NATO imperialist powers arming Israel (US, Germany, the UK, France) but also the political gulf separating the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI), the leadership of the world Trotskyist movement, and its French section, the Parti de legalite socialiste (PES), from the petty-bourgeois pseudo-left parties.

PES members interviewed leaders of the main pseudo-left parties in France who were participating in union-led pro-Gaza demonstrations. These interviews for WSWS shed light on the untenable and reactionary arguments underpinning the national politics of these parties in the current crisis:

They acknowledge Israels massacre of Gazans but refuse to call for international strikes to stop arms shipments to Israel, arguing either that it is not necessary or that they are too weak to do so. They propose only periodic, one-day protests, dominated by trade union bureaucracies that negotiate with Macron's imperialist police state, that are cut off from the links with workers struggles in other countries needed to stop the genocide and war. They derive this orientation either from the false theory of socialism in one country advanced by Stalin against the Left Opposition founded by Trotsky in 1923, or from parties that have broken with Trotskyism to ally with Stalinist bureaucracies.

The SEP rejects all these untenable positions. Mobilizing the international working class against genocide and world war is both possible and necessary. Parties that claim they are too weak to do so, while having received millions of votes in various elections, only reveal their political bankruptcy. The PES calls, on the contrary, for the preparation of the mobilization of the working class, in France and internationally, through strikes and a political struggle against the arms deliveries to Israel and its genocide in Gaza.

Stopping the genocide and war requires the formation of rank-and-file organizations and the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees. This would allow the unification of workers struggles, the blocking of industry and the bringing down of capitalist governments complicit in genocide. The fundamental weakness of the current movement, dominated by union bureaucracies, is that it does not fight against Macron or the other NATO imperialist governments, which support the genocide, even as the number of protesters continues to grow with each mobilization.

The objective conditions exist to mobilize the working class in France and internationally, to block the economy, stop the genocide, and strip power from the warmongers in each national capitalist government. This poses the question of the international socialist revolution.

To realize this potential, however, it is necessary to build not only new organizations of struggle in the working class, but also an international revolutionary leadership opposed to the various nationalist political tendencies linked to counter-revolutionary bureaucracies. The tendency in France that must be built in this sense is the SEP, which defends the Trotskyist perspective of the ICFI against Stalinism and the petty-bourgeois politics of the pseudo-left.

The role of the counter-revolutionary Stalinists of the PCF and the PCRF

In the pro-Gaza demonstrations in Paris, WSWS journalists met with bureaucrats from the Stalinist French Communist Party (PCF) and their political satellites. Ian Brossat, the spokesman for the PCF and a senator from Paris, told the WSWS that he defends the necessity of a ceasefire. We cannot let the Palestinian people be massacred like this.

Ian Brossat, PCF senator and spokesperson

Brossat euphemistically described Macrons overt support for Netanyahu during his trip to Israel as Macrons silence on Gaza. Regarding Macrons policy, he said, We have a France that today is very silent, very discreet, and is not sufficiently offensive for the necessity of two states, Israel of course but a Palestinian state, too, which must be free and sovereign.

On the working class calls in the US, Belgium, Turkey and beyond to stop Israels arms shipments, he briefly said, Its to their credit.

But when the WSWS asked if the PCF and trade union leaderships would call on workers in France to join this international movement, Brossat refused to take a position. He limited himself to repeating that the PCF calls for occasional street demonstrations: As far as the Communist Party is concerned, we are at this demonstration and we will be at all the mobilizations that allow us to express the necessity of a ceasefire, of peace.

The WSWS also interviewed Franz and Marie, two members of the Revolutionary Communist Party of France (PCRF), which broke away from the PCF to align with the Greek Communist Party (KKE). The PCRF defends Stalins crimesthe Moscow Trials and the assassination of the Old Bolsheviks, the Great Purges of Marxists in the Soviet Union in 1936-1938, and Trotsky's assassination in 1940. It thus justifies its support for the political immobility that the trade union bureaucracies are trying to impose on workers.

Franz said, We fully support the Palestinian popular resistance that is organizing in Gaza and the West Bank. The Macron government, like the French bourgeois imperialist state in general, is in total support of Israel. He also platonically applauded the call to stop arms deliveries to Israel: These are forms of class struggle that must be carried out, in the sectors of weapons production as in the sectors of circulation, so that these deliveries do not occur.

But when asked about the possibility of calling on workers to bypass the trade union bureaucracies and join the international movement to block arms shipments to the Gaza genocide, Franz insisted it was impossible. He said, In several localities where we are established, we have discussions with trade union leaderships. But it's more with trade union leaderships at the local level ... Were not going to have the pretension of trying to discuss with the national confederal leadership of the CGT.

Marie tried to justify this capitulation to the Gaza genocide by citing Stalins theory of socialism in one country. She rejected the construction of an international revolutionary movement: We are against the theses of Trotskyism ... We are for national revolutions in each country, while the Trotskyists say that it will only happen on a global level. We say no, it can happen in certain countries.

Marie

Asked about her opinion on the validity of the theory of socialism in one country after the Stalinist bureaucracy dissolved the Soviet Union in 1991, Marie defended Stalinism. She claimed that the dissolution of the USSR was the fault of the partial criticism made in 1956 by Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev of the mass murders committed by Stalin against Marxists in the Soviet Union.

She said, From Khrushchevs report in 1956, weve been in a downward slope. Now we see in the Soviet Union what is happening ... There have been a lot of lies told about Stalin, we tried to bring down the application of his socialism. He was on the right path.

These comments from the PCRF and the PCF underscore that in the final analysis, the obstacles to a working class struggle against genocide in Gaza has its roots in a nationalist support for the political genocide carried out by Stalin against the Bolshevik and Trotskyist movement.

The Anti-Trotskyist role of LO and the NPA

Not all organizations intervening in the pro-Gaza demonstrations defended such an openly Stalinist, nationalist position. Most descend from various petty-bourgeois renegades from Trotskyism. But these forces work closely with the Stalinist bureaucracies in the union bureaucracy and academia, acting to block a struggle against the war, Macron, and the genocide in Gaza. This is notably the case with the New Anticapitalist Party (NPA) and Workers Struggle (LO).

The NPA descends from forces led by Michel Pablo and Ernest Mandel who split with the ICFI and Trotskyism in 1953. Rejecting the Trotskyist analysis of the counter-revolutionary role of Stalinism, the Pabloites concealed how the Stalinist apparatuses dissolved workers committees and resistance forces after World War II, in order to block a socialist revolution during the fall of the fascist regimes. Pablo and Mandel called for dissolving the Fourth International through deep entry into Stalinist and nationalist organizations.

Pabloist militants founded the NPA in 2009 by rejecting any affiliation, even purely symbolic, with Trotskyism, and by launching calls to recruit Stalinist, social-democratic, or anarchist leaders into their organization.

WSWS interviewed Damien, a railway worker and member of the national leadership of the NPA. He said, 'Whats happening in Gaza is a horrible massacre, anyway we're not the only ones to denounce it. There are hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions of people in the world denouncing the ongoing massacre. Concretely, this is an operation of ethnic cleansing ... The Macron government is complicit, even responsible like all imperialist governments on this planet. He went to Israel to support Netanyahus policy.

Damien, a member of the NPA leadership

When asked about calls to mobilize the working class in France and internationally against the genocide in Gaza, Damien said, We stand in solidarity with these initiatives. These videos [of protests] go around the world every time.

However, having proclaimed international workers solidarity against the genocide, he, like Brossat of the French Communist Party (PCF), refused to call for mobilizing workers against the genocide and arms deliveries to Israel. He limited himself to proposing sporadic street demonstrations called by the trade union bureaucracies: We, in any case, call for participation in all ongoing mobilizations. So, of course, to come out en masse in the streets. ... The step before us is to make these demonstrations more massive. Thats the stage were at.

The same position came from Workers Struggle (LO), a group founded in 1956 that advocates building a national movement in France. LO rejects Trotskys call for building the Fourth International and still denounces French Trotskyists who intervened in workers resistance struggles against Nazism in Europe during World War II. LO also insists that the 1953 split between the ICFI and the Pabloite tendencies oriented towards the Stalinist bureaucracies was not of principled importance.

WSWS interviewed Pascal, a leader of LO, who adopted a hostile position to the Palestinian struggle against Israeli occupation, equating it with the atrocities of the Israeli armed forces. He told WSWS, Following the odious attack by Hamas on October 7, the Israeli governments response is a warlike one. We are witnessing the massacre in Gaza.

Pascal denied outright that a genocide is underway in Gaza, saying, We talk about a massacre, today we see the figure of 11,000 dead in Gaza with tens of thousands injured. There are clashes of settlers with the support of the Israeli army, thats it. I would not speak of genocide but of massacre.

Pascal, a leader of LO in the Paris region

Pascal distanced himself from the policies of NATO powers towards the war, attributing them solely to the financial interests of arms manufacturers: Macron stands behind the State of Israel, he talks of peace but has chosen his side. French imperialism is behind American imperialism, its total support for the State of Israel. ... Obviously, the arms dealers live off the existence of conflicts.

But when the WSWS asked why the union bureaucracies do not call for strikes to block arms deliveries to Israel, Pascal replied: I have no idea. Todays demonstration is called by all left-wing parties, unions, associations.

However, he firmly rejected the idea that LO could call on its millions of voters to mobilize to block arms deliveries to Israel. He said, We get votes in elections, but ultimately we are a small party. We dont have a high street presence for the working class in France to fight tomorrow, to struggle to end this conflict.

In reality, both the NPA and LO have received millions of votes in presidential elections during which the capitalist media falsely presented their candidates as Trotskyists. Their refusal to fight to mobilize this support in workers struggles against genocide and war demonstrates that they conduct their politics within the framework of social dialogue between the national trade union bureaucracies and Macrons police state. But it is precisely this narrow and rotten national framework that must be broken through to stop the war and genocide in Gaza.

Lambertism and La France Insoumise of Jean-Luc Melenchon

Finally, the WSWS interviewed several leaders of the Lambertist tendency in pro-Palestinian mobilizations.

These parties emerged from the Internationalist Communist Organisation (OCI), which was the French section of the ICFI from 1953 to 1971, a position now held by the Socialist Equality Party (PES). In 1971, the OCI split with the ICFI and broke with Trotskyism to participate on a national perspective in the building of the bourgeois Socialist Party (PS) of Francois Mitterrand and the Union of the Left between the PS and the PCF. One of its members, Lionel Jospin, became the PS prime minister of an austerity PS-PCF-Greens government from 1997 to 2002.

The most prominent ex-OCI member today is Jean-Luc Melenchon, a former minister in the Jospin government who now leads La France Insoumise (LFI). He received nearly 8 million votes in the 2022 presidential elections, as urban working class voters sought an alternative to both Macron and neo-fascist candidate Marine Le Pen.

WSWS interviewed Jerome Legavre, a member of the Lambertist Independent Workers Party (POI) and LFI deputy in the National Assembly, at a pro-Gaza mobilization.

Asked about the Israeli offensive against Gaza, Legavre said, What is unfolding before our eyes, besides the fact that it is a massacre and an unspeakable carnage ... We are witnessing a campaign of cleansing and ethnic purification. I am totally and unconditionally on the side of those who, from the start of the bombings, have demanded an immediate ceasefire.

Legavre added that Macron is conducting a policy of support for the policy of the Israeli government, across the board.

Jerome Legavre, a member of the Lambertist Independent Workers Party and LFI deputy

When the WSWS asked if he thought a government that supports a genocide could be legitimate and what LFI wanted to do, Legavre refused anything beyond parliamentary action. He said, The legitimacy of the Macron government, theres a lot that could be said. ... We will be absent [at the next protest] and file yet another motion of censure against Macron in the National Assembly.

WSWS noted that LFIs motions of censure are systematically rejected because LFI only has a small minority in the Assembly, and then raised the issue of mobilizing the working class in struggle against the war.

Asked why French union bureaucracies do not call to mobilize workers internationally to stop the war, Legavre replied, I dont know, I have no answer to that. There is a clear position ... they are on the line of a ceasefire.

When WSWS raised that Melenchon has 8 million voters, concentrated in the working class districts of major French cities, and asked why Melenchon does not call on his voters to strike against the genocide, Legavre replied: It is not a call from Melenchon for a general strike that would have provoked the general strike, but there is one thing that is sure. It is he who has gone the furthest.

When the WSWS asked if the difficulty LFI has in calling for strike action and for an international struggle is linked to the presence within it of forces like Francois Ruffin, who work with Macron and call for support for Israel, Legavre replied: I have not followed this. I know there are controversies on this ground. But right now, a people are being massacred. So frankly, these little quarrels, I find them trivial and I dont give them any importance. As for Ruffin, I dont care about him.

WSWS also briefly interviewed Daniel Gluckstein, the assistant of the late Pierre Lambert, who led the OCI during its split with the ICFI. In 2015, Gluckstein split with the POI as it entered into a direct alliance with Melenchon. Gluckstein's supporters are now grouped in the Independent Democratic Workers Party (POID), which covers the left flank of the POI and Melenchon.

Daniel Gluckstein, leader of the Lambertist POID

When Gluckstein realized he was facing a journalist from the WSWS, he hysterically denounced David North, the chairman of the international editorial board of WSWS and the US Socialist Equality Party (SEP), and refused the interview.

He said, I dont give interviews to David North! We are a democratic and workers organization. You are what you are. I dont give interviews to David North!

This outburst underlines Gluckstein's charlatanism. It is impossible to defend the historical record of Lambertism, its alliance with the discredited bourgeois PS, and its capitulation to the national union bureaucracies, as French imperialism and its allies intensify their wars and support for genocide in Gaza. Gluckstein, who knows very well the criticisms made of Lambertism by the ICFI and the PES, is therefore obsessed and terrified by David North.

However, Gluckstein carefully avoids mentioning the ICFI or the PES in the POID press, in order to block any serious discussion of political and historical issues in his own party. That is why he is terrified by the presence at a demonstration of a WSWS reporter who simply asks for an interview.

The hallmark of a revolutionary period is that the course of events unmasks political charlatans and poseurs like Gluckstein and his associates. The global movement of workers and youth against the genocide in Gaza, the global war waged by NATO, social inequality, and police state rule conflicts at every point with the pro-capitalist bureaucracies. It imposes the necessity of a political break with the nationalist and anti-Trotskyist servants of these bureaucracies.

The defence of Trotskyism by the ICFI and the PES articulates the political program on which this political break and an international revolutionary struggle against capitalism can be carried out.
OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman gestures while speaking at University College London as part of his world tour of speaking engagements in London, on May 24, 2023. [AP Photo/Alastair Grant]

Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, the pioneering artificial intelligence company that released ChatGPT one year ago, was removed by the company board of directors on Friday.

OpenAIs four-member board of directors has not revealed the philosophical, strategic, political, or financial differences they had with Altman. But their action has precipitated a power struggle between major corporations over control over the AI market, currently valued at $100 billion but likely to grow in size to trillions of dollars over the coming years and radically transform all aspects of economic life.

In a blog post, the company said Altman will depart as CEO and leave the board of directors, after a deliberative review process by the board, which concluded that he was not consistently candid in his communications with the board. The statement added that the board no longer has confidence that Altman is able to lead OpenAI.

The company post quoted from a statement by the board which said OpenAI was committed to its mission to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all humanity. The board said a new leadership was needed at OpenAI and that company chief technology officer, Mira Murati, would serve as interim CEO effective immediately.

The OpenAI board of directors is made up of Russian-born Israeli-Canadian company co-founder and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever; the cofounder of Quora and former chief technology officer of Facebook Adam DAngelo; technology entrepreneur and senior management scientist at Rand Corporation Tasha McCauley; and director of strategy and foundational research at the Georgetown Center for Security and Emerging Technology Helen Toner.

OpenAI co-founder and President Greg Brockman quit the company and posted a message on X/Twitter late Friday night that said, Sam and I are shocked and saddened by what the board did today.

Brockman said that he and Altman were still trying to figure out exactly what happened. He then outlined that Altman received a text from Sutskever asking for a meeting at noon on Friday. Sam joined a Google Meet and the whole board, except Greg, was there. Ilya told Sam he was being fired and that the news was going out very soon, Brockman wrote.

His post went on, At 12:23pm, Ilya sent a Google Meet link. Greg was told that he was being removed from the board (but was vital to the company and would retain his role) and that Sam had been fired. Around the same time, OpenAI published a blog post.

According to a report by The Information, Sutskever told employees at an emergency staff meeting on Friday afternoon, This was the board doing its duty to the mission of the nonprofit, which is to make sure that OpenAI builds AGI that benefits all of humanity.

An internal memo written by OpenAI chief operating officer Brad Lightcap was shared with Axios. Lightcap states that the firing of Altman was not made in response to malfeasance or anything related to our financial, business, safety, or security/privacy practices. This was a breakdown in communication between Sam and the board.

The memo says further that the announcement to fire Altman took all of us by surprise, and We are fully focused on handling this, pushing toward resolution and clarity, and getting back to work.

However, on Monday, more than 700 of 770 OpenAI employees signed a letter denouncing the removal of Altman and demotion of Brockman. The letter states, The process through which you terminated Sam Altman and removed Greg Brockman from the board has jeopardized all of this work and undermined our mission and company. Your conduct has made it clear you did not have the competence to oversee OpenAI.

The letter concluded with a demand from the employees that they would leave the company and go to work for Microsoft, unless all current board members resign, and the board appoints two new lead independent directors, such as Bret Taylor and Will Hurd, and reinstates Sam Altman and Greg Brockman. The first name on the list of signees is Mira Murati, the executive tapped by the board to replace Altman.

On Sunday, the Wall Street Journal reported that leading shareholders of OpenAI, such as Microsoft and the venture firm Thrive Capital, are helping orchestrate the efforts to reinstate Altman. The Journal report said the exact reason for Altmans firing couldnt be determined, although tensions boiled for weeks around the rapid expansion of OpenAIs commercial offerings, which some board members felt violated the companys initial charter to develop safe AI.

The preview release by OpenAI of ChatGPT, a free prototype of a text-based human conversation simulator, was released on November 30, 2022, and quickly became one of the most rapidly adopted and widely used platforms in the history of computer technology. It is estimated that there are presently 180.5 million users of ChatGPT, and it is being used to automate the creation of online graphics and text content, software programming and customer service functions.

OpenAI, a private company backed by a major investment from Microsoft, has an estimated market value of $90 billion.

Whatever the specific reasons for the conflict at OpenAI, the development of artificial intelligence toolswhich have begun to weave their transformative impact into every sector of the economy on a world scaleis producing an intense battle within the ruling class over how they will be used and who will control them.
On Saturday, the Socialist Equality Party (SEP) and the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) held speakouts opposing Israels genocidal onslaught against Gaza in two key working-class suburbs of Sydney and Melbourne.

The SEP events were held as mass protests against the war crimes are continuing every week across Australia. In defiance of the largest anti-war movement in decades, the federal Labor government continues to march in lockstep behind the genocide, defending Israels right to mass murder and displace Palestinian civilians.

The SEP speakers above all raised the need for the fight against the onslaught on Gaza and the broader eruption of militarism to be based on the mobilisation of the working class. This was the way forward, not appeals to the governments and official political parties implicated in the massacres.

In Sydney, the speakout was in the southwestern suburb of Bankstown. It is an extremely diverse area, with a large Middle Eastern population, along with substantial cohorts from Vietnam, African nations and people from virtually everywhere else. Indications of broader social distress are stark in the area. There are high rates of mortgage and rental stress, as well as growing poverty.

The SEP has campaigned in Bankstown for decades and has stood candidates there in many state and federal elections.

Max Boddy, the SEPs assistant national secretary, declared: This is not a war, this is genocide. More than 11,000 people had been killed, 40 percent of them children. We see the images on social media of the premature babies who can no longer been incubated because the electricity has been shut off to the hospitals. These are international war crimes that are being carried out.

Boddy called for strike action by the working class to block military supplies to Israel. This could stop the genocide, but such essential action was being prevented by the corporatised unions, which were complicit in Israels war crimes. New organs of struggle need to be formed, that is rank-and-file committees of workers, against this genocide and to stop the barbarism being carried out in Palestine.

Numbers of workers stopped to listen to the SEP speakers, with some giving comments.

Danny

Danny, of Lebanese descent, said that he and his wife were constantly discussing the crimes unfolding against the people of Gaza, and she could not stop crying. Bombing hospitals and schools, thats not a war, thats a crime! What have the women and children done to Israel or its army?

Danny agreed that the genocide was part of a broader eruption of militarism. Its all about money and business nowadays, thats all governments care about, he said. If it escalates all over the world, well all end up killing each other. What are we going to leave our children? War?

A former worker at the steelworks in Newcastle, which was shut down in the late 1990s, Danny noted that while governments were spending billions on the militaries, ordinary people were facing an increasing social crisis. There were not enough jobs, and housing and everything else were becoming more and more expensive.

Fatima, a young student, said: On the media, Ive seen a lot of murder of Palestinian children by the Israeli military. Women, men, everyone is being murdered. Internet, electricity, water, resources cut off, theres nothing there. The Israeli government is saying they are against Hamas but they are attacking the whole Palestinian civilization.

I heard that one million people came out to protest in London against the attacks on the Palestinian people. In Australian cities as well, there have been huge rallies. In Sydney last weekend there were 60,000 people who protested.

The media is on the side of the government. The media shows celebrities supporting the Israeli government. But at my school, everyone is really with Palestine. The teachers, the children. I think there is a lot of censorship. People who are speaking out, the media are not covering it. A lot of platforms are with Israel. Like with TikTok. Tiktok has been censoring a lot of things while they allow pro-Israeli people to talk.

Its a question of oil. Its like the government really cares more about money than it does about people.

Oscar Grenfell, a writer for the WSWS, also spoke. He warned that what was occurring in Gaza was not a regional phenomenon. It was the sharpest expression of a new period of capitalist breakdown and imperialist militarism on a global scale. What was being perpetrated against Gaza was what the capitalist ruling elites had in store for all of humanity.

This, Grenfell said, demonstrated the necessity to build an international anti-war movement of the working class, directed against the source of conflict, the capitalist nation-state system itself.

Jane, a 16-year-old high-school student who was passing by, said: I think its morally and ethically rotten to try and justify the killing of innocent people as self defence. I dont think governments in Australia and the US see helping Palestine as a way to benefit themselves. They support Israel because they see it as a future ally and a way to further their future goals and plans.

She agreed this was a contradiction with mass protests around the world opposing Israels genocide: Arent the governments supposed to be the voice of the people? I dont think theyre listening right now. Whats the point of democracy if our voices arent heard? The point of the media is to portray the truth, tell us whats really going on in the world. But theyre just showing us what the government wants us to see, and thats propaganda.

In Melbourne, the SEP speakout was held in Dallas, a suburb in the citys north. It has a large immigrant population, primarily from the Middle East, Turkey and neighbouring countries.

Dallas is near Broadmeadows, which was once one of the main centres of the Australian auto industry, before it was shut down by the corporations, acting in concert with Labor and the trade union leaderships. The SEP was the only political party to fight the closure.

Evrim Yazgin, the national convener of the IYSSE, the SEPs youth movement, appealed for all listening to join and support a high school student strike in Melbourne this Thursday. A similar event is occurring in Sydney the next day. Pupils are walking out to express solidarity with the Palestinians and to oppose the support for the genocide by the Labor government and the whole establishment.

The children have come under attack from politicians and media pundits, who have ludicrously depicted the high school walkouts as a danger to public safety. As Yazgin explained, the ruling elites and their mouthpieces are willing to support the mass murder of civilians but are up in arms about young people opposing the killings.

He called for workers to defend the student strikes, as part of the development of a socialist and revolutionary movement against war.
Tens of thousands across Australia took part in the sixth consecutive weekend of rallies opposing Israels genocidal onslaught on Gaza.

Below we are featuring further interviews with participants, following our coverage yesterday.

****

In Sydney, Maryam, a medical student originally from the Middle East, was attending her first protest. She had been following the events in Gaza all her life. It is horrifying, Israel has a plan to push them to the south, to get them out of Palestine completely. This plan has been hidden, but now people are waking up and understanding the truth. They see the real raw footage of what happens every day in Gaza. No human heart would ever accept it.

I heard yesterday that the doctors, nurses and medical staff dont have any medical supplies in the hospital. They dont have electricity or food. They have nothing. Israel gave them 24 hours notice to evacuate the hospital. Then they entered the hospital and put guns to their heads. Its heartbreaking.

Social media has changed things, Maryam said. Now people can see the truth, not just the lies of the main media outlets. I can see that everyone is trying to educate themselves and to spread awareness.

I was surprised that Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese supports this genocide. We are living in 2023, and people still support genocide. I feel betrayed. You think I have been working all these years and now my taxes are supporting Israel! Billions and billions of dollars to weapons. Yet take America for example, so many people are homeless, need healthcare and basic things. There are so many good things that money can do, rather than killing babies.

In Brisbane, Raz, a worker originally from the Middle East, said he had known WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in Brisbane in the 1990s when they were young. He commented on the connection between the persecution of Assange and the genocide in Gaza.

Speaking of the governments responsible, he said, Its absolutely the flip side of the truth for them. Whatever is the truth, is the enemy for them. Anything they say, its the opposite. They are trying to demonise Julian Assange for telling the truth. We are trying to tell the truth here, and we are getting demonised.

The other side, they are a professional lying machine. They are the deceptive ones. We know that the people at the top, like Biden and Albanese, are the problem, but how do we get to them? We need to keep doing these marches.

I know people who have lost close to 100 people from their extended families in Gaza, kids and everything. People there have no water or medicine. Its not fair.

Hannah, who works in the maritime industry, said she came to the rally to educate herself and her children on what was happening in Gaza. Speaking of Israel and the governments supporting its actions, she said: Theyre trying to take all this land from the Palestinians for their own gain and resources. Human life doesnt really matter to them.

Hannah agreed with reporters who said the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) had the power to stop Israeli ships from docking in Australia but had not done so.

Why are all these governments supporting Israel and its murderous actions? Its scary. Its a huge concern. What are they going to do to the rest of us? There are no red lines they will not cross, and they are really showing us that right now.

Im horrified, especially as a mother, watching all these poor parents mourning their children. Children deserve to be safe. They need to grow up in a safe world. Its just horrific whats happening.

Harper

In Melbourne, Harper, who is studying youth work, said, With everything that is going on in Palestine, its abhorrent, its a violation of human rights. For those of us lucky enough to live in Melbourne and have liberty, it is important that we speak up and do what we can for the people of Palestine.

Harper explained that he had been surprised by the Labor governments support for Israel, and its dismissal of the mass rallies in defence of the Palestinians.

Maybe Im just naive, but I really thought they would at least acknowledge everything that is going on, but they havent at all, he said. Its terrible and disappointing. They should really think about human beings and not political agendas. You look around now, theres hundreds of thousands of people showing uptheres obviously a powerful movement of the people supporting those in Palestine. But the government isnt doing anything about it.

Sumayah, a recent university graduate, explained, Its injustice. This has been happening for so long and the world leaders have just allowed it to continue. Israel is an apartheid state, its committing genocide. It is happening right before our eyes; we need to keep this momentum up. I dont know what we can do as individuals, but we need to collectively show support for Palestine.

She continued, Israels crimes arent just now, its been going on for 75 years. Its so many things put together. One is obviously capitalism and profit being the only thing that is important in these peoples eyes. And Islamophobia too, which makes it easier to spread this hate, to make it easier to accept that people are dying. I think its also western powers not wanting to deal with the way the state of Israel was established. They didnt want to deal with the Jewish refugees from World War II, so they decided to just take Palestine.

I see Zionism as another form of Nazismtheyre crowding everybody into a little place and killing them all. Its the same thing, just a different group of people. They say they are not killing women and children, but terrorists. But if you just look at it for more than five seconds, its a whole population of people, so many stories are lost, and thats what they are destroying.

Suzan, an engineer, explained, I support humanity, and when you see injustice and occupation it has to be opposed. Were not here for any kind of religion, this is not a religious fight.

My dad was born in Palestine in 1939, hes Muslim but he was born in a Christian home because during the British mandate his family was kicked out of their village, so he was born in a Christian house. He was educated in a Jewish school. All that was no issue. The issue is the occupation, the issue is the injustice that is happening. It is people being made into refugees and it is real genocide.

Its a shame that in this day and age, people are being killed this way and nobody in power is doing anything. History will remember this. For governments, it is politicsit is political interests, and it is money.
Protests against Israels genocide in Gaza have continued in Indonesia over the two weeks since the massive rally in Jakarta on November 5, which drew an estimated two million people.

The protests have been subjected to a near-total media blackout, with coverage largely being shared via social media.

The largest events were held in Bekasi, a city on the eastern outskirts of Jakarta. On November 12, a rally involving a huge crowd of people with Palestinian flags and scarves filled a main thoroughfare in the city centre, leading to road closures. Local media estimated attendance in the tens of thousands.

According to local website Detik News, posters read, Expel the Israeli invaders from Palestine! and Boycott Israeli products and their supporters! Large banners were hung around the city reading, Bekasi Together With Palestine. The rally was organised by Bekasi Alliance Cares for Palestine, which includes numerous groups, among them the Islamic organisation, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI).

In an interview with CNN Indonesia, Richa Salsabila Danuputri, a protester attending with her family, again refuted the claim that people in Indonesia are supporting the Palestinians only out of religion. Because I am a creature created by Allah, of course as a human I feel compelled to attend this humanitarian action. Not just because of Islam, but this is humanity, she said.

The following week, last Sunday, another Bekasi rally was held outside the Wibawa Mukti Stadium, drawing a similar number of people from across the Jakarta metropolitan area.

Several other demonstrations took place across Java on November 12. This included a 15,000-strong crowd of university and school students in Tangerang, on the opposite side of Jakarta from Bekasi, protesting against the genocide.

In the West Java city of Cimahi, near Bandung, a crowd of mostly young people staged a long march from Cimahi Square into the commercial centre. Organisers went around taking donations for humanitarian aid to Palestine.

We came here on purpose, wanting to help defend Palestine. This is a form of our support for the Palestinian people, Rina Nur Asiyah, 26, told Detik News.

In Surakarta, a demonstration including health care workers gathered outside City Hall. The street leading up to it was lined with ambulances as part of the action.

Another rally was held in Pekalongan, in Central Java. The mayor, Achmad Afzan Arslan Djunaid, told the crowd: We support Palestinian independence, we support stopping colonialism, and we see that it is very sad.

Similar statements were made elsewhere by political and religious leaders. In the major city of Surabaya, where a rally was held November 12, East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa told the crowd that all they could do was pray and give aid donations. Today we strengthen our commitment, that we all stand here offering prayers and support for independence for Palestine, she said.

This has been the perspective advanced by the protest leaders. Under pressure from a wave of Indonesian workers and youth who are prepared to take action to stop the genocide, the various parties and representatives of the ruling class are attempting to direct this movement into safe channels. This includes calls to pray for Palestinians, as well as impotent appeals to the United Nations and the boycott of Israeli consumer products.

The political establishment presents itself as pro-Palestine in Indonesia, due to the populations profound hostility towards colonialism and all forms of imperialist oppression. This is especially evident in the official position taken by the government of President Joko Widodo.

Widodo has condemned Israels actions against Gaza and called for a ceasefire. This was reiterated at a recent bilateral meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in Riyadh.

Indonesia has no formal diplomatic relations with Israel. However, in a meeting last week with US President Joe Biden, Widodo called on US imperialism, Israels chief backer in its genocidal war, to help bring about a ceasefire in Gaza.

At the meeting, by elevating ties between the US and Indonesia to a comprehensive strategic partnership, the highest level of diplomatic cooperation, Widodo demonstrated that the mass murder of Palestinian civilians is no barrier to working with Washington.

Protesters shout slogans and wave Palestinian flags during a rally in support of the Palestinians in Gaza, at the National Monument in Jakarta, Indonesia, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023. [AP Photo/Dita Alangkara]

As mass protests across Indonesia continue, token declarations of support for Palestine have become a main plank of the campaign for the upcoming presidential elections in February 2024. With Widodo retiring from office after serving two terms, the three registered candidates are already scrambling to appear more pro-Palestine than their competitors.

Last Friday, Indonesian health workers held an event in Jakarta calling for an end to the genocide. The event included staff from associations of doctors, midwives, pharmacists and dentists.

It was called in response to the ceasing of operations of the Indonesian Hospital, one of the largest trauma hospitals in Gaza. The hospital, which is reportedly sheltering around 700 medical staff and injured people, is currently being surrounded by Israeli tanks.

The Indonesian Medical Association said in a statement, Attacks on hospitals and healthcare workers constitute violations of international law. A total of 22 hospitals and 49 health centres were forced to stop operating in the Gaza Strip due to Israeli arrogance. The statements said it was time to scream to the world, stop genocide.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Dr Zecky Eko Triwahyudi, a traumatology doctor from Jakarta who attended the event, explained: Health facilities, which should not be targeted, have been targeted by Israeli forces for the past month. Without any basis, excuses are made up as justification for attacking hospitals and health workers. All hospitals in the Gaza Strip have become targets.

The outrage felt by millions in Indonesia towards Israels war crimes, backed by all the imperialist powers, must be turned towards the working class. What is required to end the genocide is the mobilisation of the international working class to put a halt to the onslaught on Gaza and the broader danger of world war.
Amid the ongoing US-led war drive against China and the genocide being carried out by Israel in Gaza, Japan is rapidly pushing ahead with its agenda of remilitarization. This includes increasing the number and scale of military exercises in the Indo-Pacific region while continuing to acquire offensive weaponry long considered as banned under Japans constitution.

Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) destroyer JDS Kongou (DDG 173) in formation with other JMSDF ships and ships assigned to the USS Kitty Hawk Carrier Strike Group in 2005. [Photo: US Navy Chief Photographer's Mate Todd Cichonowicz]

On Sunday, Japans military, formally called the Self-Defense Forces (SDF), concluded an 11-day military exercise designated 05JX. The drills on the final day included amphibious landings and assaults by Marines on Tokunoshima, an island in the Ryukyu Island chain in the East China Sea. Over the course of 05JX, drills took place across Japan, involving different branches of the armed forces.

The Marines involved in the exercise on Tokunoshima belong to the Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade (ARDB), which was established in 2018. ARDB commander Shingo Nashinoki stated during separate training maneuvers last week on Irisuna-jima: The national security environment around Japan has become harsher, particularly with the growing military activities by China and Russia in the East China Sea, South China Sea and western Pacific.

The ARDB is Japans first marine unit since World War II. Tokyo plans to expand the brigade by adding a third regiment this fiscal year, funded by the de facto doubling of the military budget announced last December. Its primary task in the event of war would be to seize Chinese controlled islands in the East and South China Seas. Nashinokis statement demonstrates that Japans SDF is preparing to take part in a war throughout the region, contrary to claims that the drills are about defense.

Japan has its eyes on the wider region and once again using military force to assert its imperialist interests as it did prior to and during World War II. Hiding behind the fig leaf of self-defense, Tokyo is increasingly ignoring widespread anti-war sentiment in the working class and legal restraints on its military activities contained in Article 9 of the constitution. This article explicitly bars Tokyo from both maintaining a military and sending it overseas.

Remilitarization includes refurbishing its two huge Izumo-class helicopter carriers to be capable of launching US-made F-35 fighter jets. The acquisition of aircraft carriers has long been considered a violation of the constitution. In an obvious ploy, the government has designated the carriers as multi-functional. The two ships, the JS Kaga and the JS Izumo, are the largest in Japans fleet. On November 13, the Kaga began sea trials following the completion of its alterations.

Japan is also acquiring other offensive weaponry including cruise missiles, both from the US and through production domestically. This will give Japan the ability to strike targets within other countries that have been targeted by US and Japanese imperialism. The islands in the countrys southern Ryukyu Island chain have also been continually militarized.

Furthermore, military exercises in East Asia involving Japan have become an almost daily occurrence. Provocatively taking place on Chinas doorstep, these drills are to goad Beijing while further stoking territorial disputes in the region. These disputes have routinely been used to demonize China and justify the military maneuvers of the US and its allies in the region. Tokyo has its own territorial dispute with Beijing over the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands near Taiwan.

From November 4 to 8, the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) and the US Navy conducted a Multi-Large Deck Event in the Philippine Sea, south of the Ryukyu Islands, that involved the strike groups of two US aircraft carriers, the USS Carl Vinson and the USS Ronald Reagan, as well as the helicopter carrier, the JS Hyuga.

Following that, Japan led the Annual Exercise 2023 (ANNUALEX) in the same region, which included the participation of the US, Canada, and Australia. The Philippines also took part for the first time as an observer, a sign of the growing military cooperation between Tokyo and Manila.

Such exercises and the inclusion of new countries are also designed to cement a network of US-led alliances, preparing the armed forces of Washingtons allies to operate in close coordination with the US military.

One of the primary alliances being developed is between the US, Japan, and South Korea, forming what is a de facto trilateral military alliance. Washington considers its two Northeast Asian allies crucial for its ballistic missile system aimed at China. Under pressure from the Biden administration, Tokyo and Seoul have rapidly moved to repair relations this year that had long been frayed due to tensions stemming from Japans brutal colonization of Korea from 19101945.

In their seventh meeting this year, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held talks with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit last Thursday in San Francisco, California. Kishida stated, Until now I have worked with President Yoon for bilateral cooperation in various areas, including politics, security guarantees, the economy and culture. He continued, I hope to further push forward with these steps.

Plans for increased military cooperation are already in the works. Earlier this month, Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara met with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and South Korean Defense Minister Sin Won-sik and agreed to expand intelligence sharing in real-time as well as holding trilateral military exercises more systematically and effectively beginning in January.

In addition, Vice Admiral Saito Akira, the commander in chief of the MSDFs fleet, declared during the ANNUALEX exercises, The Self-Defense Fleet will continue working closely with the US Seventh Fleet and the armed forces of like-minded countries such as Australia, Canada, and the Philippines in order to defend Japan, ensure regional peace and stability, and realize a free and open Indo-Pacific.

For all the talk of free and open and rule of law, what Washington and Tokyo truly mean can be seen in their support the genocide now being conducted in Gaza by Israel. While fully-backed by Washington, Tokyo has also essentially given its support to Israels genocide when it abstained in a United Nations vote in October calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Washingtons and Tokyos support for the destruction of this large, open-air prison and the physical annihilation of the oppressed Palestinian people clearly exposes the phony claims that they are defending freedom in the Indo-Pacific, the territorial rights of smaller nations, oppressed peoples in China, or democracy in Taiwan. It is the US and Japan that are above all driving the Indo-Pacific towards a catastrophic conflict.
Heavy fire was exchanged across the Israel-Lebanon border over the weekend and into Monday as the Netanyahu government presses for a wider war in the region.

In an article titled Creeping escalation along Israel-Lebanon border brings risk of bigger war, the Washington Post notes:

Saturday saw Israeli jets strike an aluminum factory in the Lebanese town of Nabatieh, 12 miles north of the borderwell beyond the traditional zone in which retaliatory fire has been considered acceptable by both sides.

The article notes that both sides have started using deadlier weapons, with Israel now regularly sending fighter jets to strike Hezbollah targets; Hezbollah is deploying drones and heavier caliber missiles.

Last week, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Daniel Hagari threatened, Lebanons citizens will bear the cost of this recklessness and of Hezbollahs decision to be the defender of Hamas-ISIS.  The IDF has operational plans for changing the security situation in the north.

On Monday morning, Israel carried out another round of provocative shelling. Hezbollah returned fire against Arab al-Aramshe and Baram, as well as the Biranit army base. No injuries were suffered, though heavy damage was caused to the barracks.

Further exchanges of fire followed between IDF artillery, helicopters, fighter jets and tanks and Hezbollah missiles and drones.

Since October 7, nearly 100 have been killed in Lebanon, including 74 members of Hezbollah, and nine in Israel, including six IDF soldiers.

On Friday, Britains leading foreign policy think tank Chatham House published, The closer Israel gets to destroying Hamas, the more likely war with Hezbollah becomes. It noted, There are those in the Israeli government, including Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who want to more aggressively punish Hezbollah for its shelling of Israeli military positions along the border.

Gallant is leading the charge, telling US Secretary of State Antony Blinken of his desire to strike Hezbollah pre-emptively, which has until this point been overruled by his colleagues in Israels war cabinet. But his view is widespread among senior officers, who believe that a war in the north is inevitable.

Admitting Israels plans for a wider war, Gallant said Sunday, Iran is the root of hostility and aggression against the State of Israel. The war is multifront

In recent days, the defense establishment has identified a growing trend of Iran working to intensify attacks by the militias against Israel through its proxies in Iraq, Syria and Yemen. We are following and will know how to act at the appropriate time, place and strength.

Yemen is another potential flashpoint for the eruption of a regional war. On Sunday, Iran-aligned Houthi fighters seized a cargo ship off the countrys south coast. Spokesman Yahya Saree announced the vessel had been targeted for being Israeli-owned, which it reportedly is not. Houthi forces have said they will not hesitate to target any Israeli vessel in the Red Sea or any place we can reach.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu provocatively condemned the Iranian attack, while the United States National Security Council condemned the flagrant violation of international law and threatened to take the appropriate next steps with its allies.

The US already has substantial naval forces in the region and claims to have twice intercepted Houthi missiles and drones bound for Israel.

While the scope of the war expands, Israel is continuing its massacre and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Gaza. The latest figures released by the Health Ministry show 13,300 have been killed, including close to 5,600 children and 3,550 women.

Attacks on hospitals, schools and refugee camps are continuous, with Al Jazeeras Hani Mahmoud commenting these strikes seem to be a trend right now. According to the UN, 176 people have been killed and 800 wounded while sheltering in its school buildings since October 7.

The latest focus is the Indonesian Hospital in the far north of Gaza. Shelling Sunday night through Monday morning killed 12 people, including patients, and injured scores. The Health Ministry warned that hundreds of civilian lives, including patients and medical staff, are at the risk of death as a result of the direct and repeated bombardment of the Indonesian Hospital. Tanks have surrounded the facility, and bomb damage to electricity generators has already caused one power outage.

More airstrikes were also carried out against the Jabaliya and Nuseirat refugee camps.

Preparations are being made to visit the same level of death and destruction on southern Gaza as has already devastated Gaza City and its surroundings in the north. Last week, the IDF told residents of the southern city of Khan Younisthe largest in southern Gazato leave. Roughly 1 million people are currently sheltering there having fled the north, nearly five times the citys usual population.

Strikes have already been launched against the southern striproughly a third of all Palestinian deaths have been in this regionbut are now set to escalate. Former head of Israels national security council Giora Eiland told Reuters of the planned operations, There will probably be more civilian casualties. It is not going to deter us from moving forward.

On Monday morning, Israeli airstrikes killed dozens in Hamad, northwest of Khan Yunis, most of them women and children. Separate IDF raids were carried out on the town of Bani Suhaila, east of the city.

Two-thirds of Gazas population is already displaced. As vast numbers of people are crowded into ever smaller spaces in the Gaza Strip, humanitarian conditions are getting even worse. According to the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor, 90 percent of children are suffering health issues like malnutrition, anemia and weakened immunity. The organisation reported that the IDF has attacked agricultural land and facilities, flour silos, fishing boats and UN relief centres.

Not one bakery has been functional since November 7, with 11 destroyed and the others lacking flour, fuel and electricity.

According to the UN, 44,000 cases of diarrhoea and 70,000 acute respiratory infections have been registered in UN sheltersa fraction of the real total.

Gaza resident Renad al-Helou told Al-Monitor, Its like the apocalypse. We are tired. Theres no water, no food.  Theres nothing left in Gaza. Theres only destruction, suffering and torture.

Aided by its fascist settler allies, the IDF is also stepping up its assault in the West Bank. Around 200 Palestinians have been killed there since October 7adding to the 250 killed previously in 2023and over 1,000, including 450 children, displaced by violence or oppressive restrictions; six communities have been abandoned entirely, taking the total for the year to 11. Incidents of settler violence have more than doubled from three a day to seven.

The IDF has placed whole communities under siege. In Hebron, the H2 district home to 39,000 Palestinians and occupied by 900 Israeli settlers is under its harshest lockdown in 20 years, with Palestinians largely confined to their homes at gunpoint. A soldier who threw a stun grenade into a congregation at prayer in a mosque in Budrus, near Ramallah, was only suspended after video footage emerged of the attack.

Since October 7, roughly 2,800 Palestinians have been arrested in the West Bank, taking the total to 7,800, including 300 children and 72 women, according to the Palestinian Authority Commission for Prisoners Affairs. The organisation reports that at least four have died in custody in recent weeks and that hundreds show medical evidence of torture.

A video from earlier this month has been verified by Reuters, showing masked IDF soldiers in Hebron carrying out an arrest, beating a Palestinian man with their rifles in front of his family while streaming the assault on TikTok.

Military raids are being escalated. On Saturday, an Israeli warplane hit a target in Nablus, killing five people, for the first time since the Second Intifada.
Outrage over the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza erupted at the California Democratic Convention held in Sacramento this past Saturday, when some 1,000 protesters interrupted speeches given by warmongering politicians with demands for a ceasefire. Caucuses scheduled for Saturday night were canceled after protesters, many waving Palestinian flags, occupied the lobby outside the convention hall.

Many of the ceasefire protesters were with Democratic Party-aligned groups, including the Jewish antiwar group IfNotNow, as well as young people with Gen-Z for Change and Students for Justice in Palestine. Protesters chanted ceasefire now and many carried signs that read Save the Children of Gaza and No tax $ for the Israeli occupation.



While several top Democrats skipped the convention, such as Governor Gavin Newsom, Senator Alex Padilla and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, three current House members seeking the support of delegates at the convention for their competing campaigns for the Senate seat being vacated by longtime Senator Dianne Feinstein spoke at the event.



Protesters specifically targeted speeches given by Democratic politicians who have yet to endorse a tepid ceasefire resolution, including Representatives Katie Porter and Adam Schiff. Both vociferously back Israels genocidal military campaign.



In a nearly five-minute video released on October 11, Porter denounced the unprovoked Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, and boasted that she proudly voted to fund the Iron Dome and was prepared to review and pass additional security assistance.

In an October 11 video, Rep. Katie Porter "proudly" boasted of her vote to fund the Iron Dome and pledged further military support. [Photo: Rep. Katie Porter]

Schiff, an over two-decade-long proponent of US and US-backed military operations around the world, from Iraq, to Syria, Ukraine, and now Gaza, was one of several Democratic politicians to participate in the March for Israel pro-genocide rally that was held in Washington D.C. last week.

California Rep. Adam Schiff at the pro-genocide "March for Israel" state-sponsored rally in Washington D.C. November 14, 2023. [Photo: Rep. Adam Schiff]

Rep. Barbara Lee, the only politician who wasnt interrupted by protesters on Saturday, is one of approximately 40 members of Congress who has endorsed the weak ceasefire resolution aimed at channeling mass anti-war sentiment back into the Democratic Party and Bidens 2024 re-election campaign. Lee tempered her support for a ceasefire by noting that she firmly supports Israels right to defend itself.

On November 20, 2023, Rep. Lee (left) shared this photo with President Biden and V.P. Harris on her official Congressional X/Twitter account. Lee captioned the photo "Happy Birthday, @POTUS!...Proud to fight alongside you." [Photo: Rep. Barbara Lee]

Once the convention resumed on Sunday a vote by the delegates was held on the Senate contest; none of the candidates achieved the 60 percent majority required to secure an endorsement from the convention. Lee earned 41 percent, followed by Schiff at 40 percent, while Porter was a distant third with 13 percent.



While only a few dozen members of Congress have so far evinced support for a ceasefire, a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on November 15 showed that 68 percent of the public supported a ceasefire. Only 31 percent of those surveyed by Reuters/Ipsos supported sending Israel weapons. Similar figures were seen in a recent NBC News poll which found that 56 percent of voters, including 70 percent of those aged 18-34, disapproved of Genocide Joes backing of Israel.

Saturdays protest in Sacramento, the California state capital, was one of dozens that have been organized since October 7 by liberal Jewish groups, non-profits tied to the Democratic Party, and local chapters of the Democratic Socialists of America, aimed at pressuring Democratic Party politicians to support a ceasefire.



Despite broad public support for a ceasefire, including among Democratic Party voters, capitalist politicians continue to pledge their support for Israels right to defend itself, and slander anti-genocide protesters, many of whom are Jewish, as antisemitic and Hamas supporters.



As with the ceasefire protest held outside the Democratic Party headquarters last Wednesday in Washington DC, which ended in a police riot, after Saturdays convention was postponed, Democratic politicians released several statements slandering the protesters while refusing to entertain a ceasefire.

At the resumption of the convention on Sunday, the chair of the California Democratic Party, Rusty Hicks, declared that an investigation was underway and vowed to take punitive action against any delegates who participated in Saturdays protest.



Any delegates who actively participated in or aided the furtherance of those actives or events in violation of our partys code of conduct will be held accountable. Hicks neglected to state if any delegates or politicians who supported the US-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza, will be held accountable.

California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks speaks during a news conference, Friday, November 17, 2023, in Sacramento, California [AP Photo/Adam Beam]

The California Legislative Jewish Caucus, which is co-chaired by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (Democrat-Encino) and state Senator Scott Wiener (Democrat-San Francisco) released a statement on November 18, denouncing protesters for chanting from the river to sea and resistance is justified when people are occupied.



[C]hants calling for the destruction is Israel and appearing to justify the Hamas attack [are] completely unacceptable, the statement read.



Democratic Assemblymember Marc Berman was one of several Democratic and Republican politicians to endorse to the CLJC statement. He retweeted the statement and added, I will never accept groups that storm through security chanting for the elimination of Israel and justifying the rape, torture and murder of 1,200+ innocent people.



California Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis retweeted the CLJC statement, adding, I will always stand up for the safety of, and in solidarity with, my Jewish sisters and brothers, implying that the only real Jews are genocide-supporting Zionists.

California Senate Minority Leader in the Senate, Republican Brian Jones, joined his Democratic colleagues in condemning Saturdays anti-genocide protest as an expression of antisemitism.



Sadly, antisemitism is growing within the Democratic Party, Jones wrote. What happened at their Partys convention is completely unacceptable & must be denounced. I stand with the @CAJewishCaucus, and Im calling on ALL members @CA_Dem to join us in condemning this antisemitic protest.

Politico reported on Monday that Schiff and Porter were unmoved by Saturdays protests.



The response of Democratic Party politicians to overwhelmingly peaceful ceasefire protests over the last month and half serves as a warning to the students and workers in the United States. Despite the peaceful character of the protests, Democrats have joined fascistic Republicans, and their Christian nationalist supporters, in backing the ongoing genocide while slandering protesters as antisemitic and backing police violence against them, even as over 13,000 Palestinians have been killed in the US-NATO backed Israeli ethnic cleansing campaign, including more than 5,000 children.



The task of workers and youth opposed to this slaughter is not to patiently convince the butchers overseeing and funding it to reconsider, but to expand and politically arm the growing anti-genocide movement with a political perspective of mobilizing the working class, and a historical understanding that the fight against imperialist war necessitates a struggle against the entire capitalist system, including all its political representatives.
The Ministry of Health and Population is launching a campaign to protect mothers and fetuses, reports Reem Leila

The Ministry of Health and Population unveiled the initiative Mother and Fetus Health earlier this week, aimed at protecting unborn children from chronic diseases. The plan is a transformative endeavor designed to ensure the well-being of both mothers and unborn children, heralding a new era of comprehensive maternal and fetal healthcare in Egypt, according to Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar. It seeks to diagnose diseases passed from mothers at an early stage to provide free treatment and medical care.

The initiative, according to Abdel-Ghaffar, is part of the broader presidential 100 Million Healthy Lives and is implemented in co-operation with Wadi El-Nil Hospital.

Mothers-to-be who want to benefit from the initiative visit the nearest health unit, record their data, document personal information and test results on a dedicated card.

Abdel-Ghaffar noted that the initiative provides the required micronutrients throughout the first 42 days following delivery, along with a follow-up of mothers and their babies to identify any potential risks.

Hazem Khamis, general manager of Wadi El-Nile Hospital and head of the Fetal Health Initiative, said the plan seeks to establish a comprehensive and health-conscious environment for both fetuses and mothers throughout the entire pregnancy, adding that by doing so, it strives to ensure the birth of a new generation that is not only free from diseases but also equipped for a healthy start in life.

Khamis emphasised that while Mother and Fetus Health offers specialised medical examinations for pregnant women, aiming to detect any potential diseases that could impact the fetus at an early stage, it also provides awareness programmes for pregnant women, those planning to get married, and newly married women.

Ministry spokesman Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar said he expected substantial collaboration between the initiative and the ministry, particularly in health units located within the scope of the Decent Life initiative during the upcoming period.

President of the National Council for Women (NCW) Maya Morsi underlined the Ministry of Health and Populations significant efforts in womens health services, underscoring that 27 million women between 14-45 are in dire need of comprehensive care, particularly in reproductive health.

Assistant Minister of Health for Health Initiatives Mohamed Hassan said Mother and Fetus Health aligns with the presidents broader initiative for maternal and fetal health. Hassan said it does not only provide advanced healthcare services and medical examinations for pregnant women but also undertakes training and medical education for doctors, ensuring they are well-versed in the latest treatment protocols. Over 4,000 medical teams across the country, working in medical centres and units, will participate in the initiative, Hassan said.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 23 November, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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Over the weekend, the genocide of the Palestinians in Gaza intensified with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) bombing two UN schools, refugee camps in Bureij and Nuseirat in Central Gaza and the continued onslaught and occupation of hospitals and health facilities.

Healthcare workers march in San Francisco, California, October 28, 2023.

A team with the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Sunday from Al-Shifa Hospital, calling the facility a death zone. The team described a mass grave dug next to the hospital entrance and noted that hundreds of patients have been forced to evacuate over the weekend by foot. Special concern was voiced for patients remaining in Al-Shifa who cannot evacuate due to spinal injuries, critical illness or wounds. Over 32 babies remain in critical condition along with 25 healthcare workers who refuse to abandon their remaining patients.

Since October 7 over half of Gazas buildings have been leveled and water, food, electricity and fuel have been cut off by the IDF. Only 10 of Gazas 36 hospitals are still functioning, leaving only 1,400 beds and no anesthetics or other critical medical supplies to treat the tens of thousands of wounded victims.

Millions of people across the world have reacted to this genocide by organizing and participating in anti-war demonstrations opposing the NATO imperialist powers full backing of the war. Workers across the US, Europe and the Middle East have refused to handle or sought to block arms shipments to Israel. Healthcare workers across the world have joined the mass protestsmaking statements, organizing rallies and writing open letters to protest both the genocide and the victimization of fellow healthcare workers who have spoken out against the slaughter.

A nursing student from Maryland told the World Socialist Web Site, The people of Palestine are fighting against the genocide of their people at the hands of Israel, funded by the United States government. ... Hospitals and children being the target of bombings are clear signs that Israel is willing to take innocent lives for political gain. As young people, it is our duty to call out injustice and speak up for those Palestinians who have been silenced. The whole world may be watching, but there are many individuals comfortable with turning a blind eye to genocide if it fits their agenda. I can only hope the world will hear the cries of Palestine.

Indra, a nurse from Hollywood, California, spoke to WSWS reporters at a demonstration against the genocide. She said, Im here to support my colleagues that are in Gaza right now that are being killed. Im here against the massacre thats happening. And we need to do something and stop the killing right away. This is just absolutely horrific whats happening. We need to come together and stop the killing right now.

While healthcare workers are bravely taking a stand for the citizens and fellow healthcare workers in Palestine, the US healthcare establishment, including medical institutions, journals and medical schools, have refused to call for a ceasefire, a position that is completely antithetical to the principles embodied by medical professions.

In early November, the American Medical Association (AMA) rejected a resolution by the membership to call for a ceasefire. The American Public Health Association (APHA) published a statement on November 3 which wasted no breath describing the public health crisis on the ground in Gaza, instead stating, APHA condemns the brutal assault by Hamas and recognizes Israels right to exist and defend itself. A recent article published by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) made a weak call for healthcare workers to oppose genocide while only denouncing violence by Palestinians in the October 7 uprising and spreading the spurious claims of Hamas using hospitals as military bases.

It is becoming increasingly clear that these establishments do not speak for the healthcare workers themselves. A November 16 open letter authored by healthcare workers associated with the Jewish Voice for Peace chapter in Atlanta, Georgia, called for a ceasefire and for medical institutions and the media to stop silencing and intimidating Palestinian voices and to take a clear stand against the war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide committed against the Palestinian people.

The letter also directly opposed the JAMA article, stating, These institutions which attempt to justify war crimes or genocide do not speak for us as medical professionals or as people of conscience who value each and every life. The letter is signed by physicians, nurses, physical therapists and other healthcare workers from across the country.

Last week, Montefiore/Albert Einstein College of Medicine (AECOM) in New York City canceled a grand rounds speaker presentation by Dr. Ghazaleh Moayedi because she had stated her solidarity with Palestine and called for a ceasefire in an Instagram post.

Tasha, an ICU nurse from Southern California, spoke to the WSWS about worsening conditions in the US healthcare system as billions are sent abroad to fund the genocide of Palestinians. I think we have a healthcare crisis right here at home that is deserving of the funds. We have citizens that suffer every day through paying back healthcare debts, figuring out how theyre going to pay for cancer treatments. And we have high mortality and an infant mortality crisis. I think we have plenty of options at home to spend the money on.

Tasha then spoke out against the genocide in Palestine: Its a humanitarian crisis. I feel like theres a stronger word out there for it. I will call it a genocide. And from a nursing perspective, we sign an oath to save as many lives as possible. Its a moral injury for healthcare workers worldwide.

She continued, We are supposed to serve as facilities of safety and solitude for healing and for people that need help regardless of what background that you come from. And that no longer serves the purpose for Gaza.

Tasha also condemned the Democratic Party, Those Democrats are doing things that do not support their constituents. They dont support the ideas of the constituents at all.

Tasha added that she is encouraged by the growing movement of the masses against war. I think we need more of it. Im very proud of the workers that come together in solidarity to show the power that we have if we stand together in numbers.

Healthcare workers across the US work under ever worsening conditions as billions of dollars are spent killing fellow workers abroad. The critical question in halting the genocidal war is a unification of the struggles of workers and youth around the world in a common movement against imperialist war and capitalism and for socialism.
This interview with Niko Tiliopoulos was conducted the day after he was sacked by the University of Sydney last week, despite petitions and calls by thousands of students and staff opposing his removal.

Tiliopoulos, a senior lecturer in psychology, has severe respiratory and autoimmune conditions. He cannot risk catching COVID-19, which could be life-threatening. Two doctors, including one appointed by a university review panel, made the assessment of substantial risks to his health.

In response, management declared that Tiliopoulos was unfit to work because he refused to return to face-to-face work and teaching. That was despite him successfully teaching online since 2020 and receiving overwhelmingly positive reviews from students.

Tiliopoulos has worked at the university for 16 years. On November 16, three days after dismissing him by email, management suspended his university email account, which contained important information for his professional work.

Unless Tiliopouloss sacking is defeated, it will set a precedent that can be used throughout the tertiary education industry, and more broadly, to victimise and sack educators and other workers who refuse, often for critical health reasons, to adhere to the intensifying return to the workplace offensive by the employers.

Dr Niko Tiliopoulos [Photo: Horton Advisory]

Chris Gordon: Can you go through the reasons why the university has fired you?

Niko Tiliopoulos: Initially they [management] said: There are three reasons why were firing you. Because of your health and that TEQSA [Tertiary Education Quality Standards Authority] requires that we have face-to-face lectures. The second is that because APAC, the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council, also requires face-to-face teaching for us to be accredited. The third was, because were going to stop online delivery of units.

Now, we responded to all of those, with evidenceme and the union [National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU)]. I contacted TEQSA directly by email, and I said: Is this true, this requirement? They said: No, its not true. There is a condition, but the condition applies to a degree level, not to an individual.

And in fact, based on that condition, I could have every single one of my lectures and tutorials online. I would still comply to the TEQSA requirement. I had that in writing. And the same goes with APAC. So I submitted this, with the union, to the university.

So the first two of the three reasons disappeared. The university then said: We only have face-to-face teaching. We responded with: Why? You were basing that on the previous conditions that TEQSA forces face-to-face for accreditation. But that is not true. So, why? Because its your preference. Surely this does not override somebodys disability rights. We never got an answer.

The only thing they said was that its better for the students. And at one point in the meetings we had, they said the students complained. I immediately asked to see the evidence that the students complained. They said they didnt have anything specific.

CG: What reviews of your teaching have you had? What alternative arrangements did you propose to the university?

NT: My students rate me very highly. They say: Niko is greatwhether its face-to-face or online. We proposed six different alternative teaching arrangements. Management rejected all of them. However, there are officially approved online courses One of the approved online courses is one I teach.

CG: When did the university start an action against you?

NT: In February this year. I had some discussions with HR about flexible work. I got a positive feeling from them. My application included recommendations from my specialist. It was rejected within hours. They removed me from teaching, claiming that it was an accommodation [to the health risks]. I wasnt asking for free holidays! I want to teach! This is my role! How is it accommodating by removing me from teaching?

When I asked to make arrangements for second semester, I was then asked to see independent medical examiners in accordance with the university enterprise agreement The medical examiner concurred with my specialist, which was to accommodate my disability.

CG: Why not defend your position from the standpoint that first, everyone has the right to work remotely, and secondly, you have rights under the 1992 federal Disability Discrimination Act?

NT: I agree I want to fight for the next person who will be threatened. Maybe I will lose this case, but there are other people who are being threatened at the university. At least they wont have to face this discrimination.

CG: Its not only the way the university has treated you. There is the broader issue of the pandemic. The university consciously opened up. Theyve removed any protections. What do you think about that?

NT: I keep on being updated with the situation in Australia through the World Health Organisations page about Australia. I know that we have between 30 and 300 deaths every week. My specialists say that if I catch COVID Ill die, or have a high risk of deathsomething that specialists dont put in writing unless theyre serious.

The governments slogan is: Learn to live with COVID. For me, that means adapt and adjust your life to the requirements of this issue. Do not live your life as you used to live before COVID and ignore something that is present and killing Australians. Ive seen this mentality over and over, not just at Sydney University.

CG: I believe you founded the Disability at Work Network at the University of Sydney?

NT: Yes. I was a co-founder in about 2014. I represented disability on the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee. From June, when this started happening, I stopped going to that committee. People asked me, the chair asked me: Niko, are you going to come? I said: No, Im not going to come to something thats a joke. What were doing here is a joke.

CG: What overall comment would you like to make?

NT: I feel betrayed by the institution where Ive spent a fourth of my life, and invested myself in. I got sick while working at university and now they are throwing me in the gutter. Its an immoral act, if not illegal. It will have an effect on other people with similar conditions in the future. I want to make sure something is done to prevent that.

***

For the ruling capitalist elite, returning universities to face-to-face teaching has been part of a wider drive to push workers to go back to work to continue producing profits, regardless of the health risks.

The reopening of campuses across Australia has been an ongoing process since the beginning of 2022, with the full support of the two tertiary education trade unions, the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) and the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU). As early as November 2021, the NTEU proposed that we transition out of lockdowns and transition forward.

Given this record, university workers cannot trust the unions to organise any struggle to defeat the sacking of Tiliopoulos and the wider threat to health and safety. Rank-and-file committees have to be formed, independent of the unions, to lead this fight. To discuss forming such committees, contact the Committee for Public Education:

Email: cfpe.aus@gmail.com

Facebook: facebook.com/commforpubliceducation

Twitter: @CFPE_Australia
Representatives of the Defence Institution Building School of the Republic of Georgia and the participants of the Defence and Security Strategic Program attended the Military Administration Institute of the National Defence University, Azernews reports.

The guests were presented with a briefing on the history of the National Defence University, its educational system and teaching process, as well as scientific contributions.

The meeting with military education experts from Azerbaijan and Georgia discussed the current situation and development prospects of cooperation in the field of military education between the two countries, as well as a number of issues of mutual interest.

In the end, the sides exchanged presents, and a photo was taken.
The Israeli onslaught on Gaza continues for yet another week, with the international community powerless to halt the genocidal campaign by Israeli forces against civilian populations. There is a notable absence of consensus on shaping the scene for the days that follow.

On the one hand it is glaringly evident that major Western nations align with Israeli objectives in Gaza, be they the destruction of Hamas capabilities or the termination of the movements rule. However, those same nations have made no effort to secure a ceasefire and put an end to the massacre of civilians or prevent the destruction of vital infrastructure, particularly medical facilities, in scenes of unprecedented barbarity. Israeli narratives, lacking persuasiveness, attempt to justify such continuous aggression and blatant violation of international laws.

The escalation of Palestinian suffering in Gaza and the obliteration of all aspects of life and vital infrastructure are part of a broader plan to gradually expand the displacement of residents from the northern to the southern Gaza Strip. The ultimate goal is to confine the population to the southern regions and thus eventually forcing them into Egyptian territories.

There are numerous reservations about the events of the past week. Unusual attention is directed towards securing a deal for the release of the detainees held by Hamas and other Palestinian factions in exchange for a dubious humanitarian ceasefire to which Israel has not committed. The extreme right-wing government in Tel Aviv persists in its military campaign and the crushing of Hamas, rejecting the introduction of fuel into Gaza to prevent its acquisition by the movement.

This deliberate wasting of time in futile deals and ceasefires continues while hundreds of civilians perish daily due to Israeli actions and policies of denying medical care, displaying incredible cruelty to the residents of Gaza.

The acceptable threshold in Washington, Brussels, and other influential Western capitals for intervening to change the current scenario falls short of meeting the minimum requirements to halt the aggression in Gaza and cease the escalation in the West Bank. Some countries align with Israel and the United States in refraining from calling for an immediate ceasefire, asserting that Hamas is responsible for Israeli actions in Gaza. Despite the growing popular rejection of pro-Israel policies in recent weeks, it has only manifested in calls for humanitarian aid and fuel to be delivered to Gaza.

President Joe Bidens affirmation of the need to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians has not risen to the level of the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. Biden and top US officials express concern about the number of Palestinian casualties and Israels final plans for Gaza. However, they refrain from deviating from this stance. Antony Blinken outlined several positions, including rejecting forced displacement, reoccupation of the Strip, annexation of Gaza lands, embracing terrorism again, and encouraging Palestinians to determine their future, reaching an agreement on administering the Gaza Strip.

Developing the current US position into a clear policy faces challenges amid Washingtons silence on Netanyahus policies oscillating between reoccupation and total destruction, pushing residents to leave the enclave.

Washington seems incapable of managing the current crisis in one of the most perilous confrontations in the Arab-Israeli conflict due to domestic policy constraints before the presidential and congressional elections next year, casting thick shadows on US policies in the Middle East.

No one in the Democratic administration can confront Netanyahus government and lose the support of loud, pro-Israel voices to Republican adversaries. Washington is not considering developing a position that may be perceived as hostile to Tel Aviv, demanding an immediate ceasefire in the sector or immediate humanitarian aid after a prior agreement, as long as it concludes the mission to destroy Hamas, disarm it, and eliminate its leadership. The Biden administration promotes the notion that it is struggling to persuade Netanyahu to prevent escalation as images of destruction and cold-blooded killing from Gaza intensify.

The paralysis affecting the United Nations has left only cries from its humanitarian relief agencies. The Security Council issued a feeble resolution calling for a humanitarian truce without requiring a ceasefire, rendering this document irrelevant after adding it to the archive of international resolutions that have not seen the light or been implemented in the face of Israeli obstinacy for over 75 years.

President Bidens recent article in The Washington Post carried positive notes regarding the necessity of not merely aiming to stop the war now but ending the war forever and breaking the cycle of violence to build something stronger in Gaza and throughout the Middle East  to prevent history from repeating itself. His statements emphasised that Palestinians deserve their own state, a future without Hamas, and the reunification of Gaza and the West Bank under one rule, ultimately under a renewed Palestinian Authority. However, these statements are, in fact, a compilation of recurring American phrases throughout previous confrontations between Israel and the Palestinians, requiring new ideas with greater courage in implementation.

The current danger is that Western countries support the worst-case scenario, endorsing the destruction of Gaza, remaining silent about genocide and forced displacement under the guise of supporting Israels right to self-defence. This needs serious reconsideration before more perilous explosions occur in the near future.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 23 November, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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A California bartender has been arrested and charged with special circumstances murder in the case of a woman allegedly beaten to death with a fire extinguisher, authorities say.

On November 12, police responded to a report of a dead woman found in a secluded location in Laguna Beach. The Orange County Sheriff Coroner's Division later identified the body as 27-year-old Tatum Goodwin of San Clemente, Laguna Beach police said in a statement.

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After gathering evidence, investigators narrowed in on Dino Rojas-Moreno, 26, as a suspect in the womans death, according to the City of Laguna Beach. He was arrested November 15.

What is Dino Rojas-Moreno charged with in Tatum Goodwin's death?

Rojas-Moreno has been charged with one felony count of murder, one felony enhancement of special circumstances of committing the murder in the commission of a kidnapping, and one felony enhancement for the personal use of a weapon, a fire extinguisher, according to a news release from the Orange County District Attorneys Office.

He is being held on a $1 million bail.

RELATED: Texas Man Arrested After Girlfriend's Body Found Wrapped in "Copious" Amounts of Plastic in Refrigerator

A construction worker discovered Goodwins body around 8:20 a.m. on November 12 at a construction site along S. Coast Highway in Laguna Beach, according to the Orange County District Attorneys Office. Her body had been placed under a chain-link fence and a sandbag was put over her head.

How was Tatum Goodwin killed?

Rojas-Moreno allegedly approached Goodwin at around 1 a.m. on November 12 in a parking lot near where her body was later found, and assaulted her by her car, according to the DA's office.

Rojas-Moreno then forcefully dragged her to the rear of the parking lot, down a short alley, and to a secluded area behind a movie theatre that was under construction," the DA's office stated. "Rojas-Moreno is then accused of beating Goodwin to death with a fire extinguisher."

Rojas-Moreno didnt show up to work the day Goodwin was killed, claiming he had been jumped by a group of men in Santa Ana.

According to the DAs office, it is unclear whether Rojas-Moreno and Goodwin knew each other.

They both worked in the Laguna Beach area, but Goodwins family told NBC Los Angeles that they were not familiar with Rojas-Moreno.

RELATED: Murdered Woman with the Flower Tattoo Identified as British National After 31 Years

The owner of Carmelitas Restaurants  where Goodwin worked as an assistant manager for four years  organized a GoFundMe to raise money memorial services and to create a memorial in the city.

Tatum was a very hard working young lady and always kept a smile on her face, Carmelitas owner Marcos Salim Heredia stated in the fundraiser. Over the years she had expressed her pleasure to be in laguna and have her opportunity with us. We felt that we really had a family member here with us.

Rojas-Moreno was employed as a bartender at The Royal Hawaiian Fire Grill, according to The Orange County Register.

Police have determined that this was an isolated incident and that there's no further threat to the community.

The loss of an innocent life is a travesty for the entire community, said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. It is heartbreaking that a young woman with her entire future ahead of her had her life ended in such a brutal way and then discarded like her life never matter. She mattered, and the Orange County District Attorneys Office is committed to ensuring justice is served.

Rojas-Moreno is scheduled to be arraigned November 20 at Central Justice Center in Santa Ana.

The special circumstances charge means Rojas-Moreno is eligible for the death penalty or life without the possibility of parole if convicted.
W

e should not let Israels brutal war against the Palestinian people in Gaza blind us to the other brutality taking place in the West Bank. Israel claims that the aim of its offensive in Gaza is to eliminate Hamas, which it designates as a terrorist organisation. In fact, however, it is choking off all sources of life and livelihood in both the West Bank and Gaza, because its true aim is to eliminate the Palestinian people. Hamas does not even operate in the West Bank. But the government has on gangs of settlers, armed them under the pretext of self-defence, and unleashed them against Palestinians in the occupied territories to brutalise, throw them out of their homes and confiscate their property. The expanding Israeli settlements are also expanding arsenals.

Even Washington is appalled. It warned Israel against letting the settlers get their hands on any of the highly lethal M16s the US has sent to Israel. The American-made M16 is the settlers weapon of choice for murdering Palestinians.

At least 178 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since the war in Gaza began last month. Israels government-backed settler rampages leave no shadow of a doubt that a ruthless campaign of genocide is rapidly unfolding in Palestine. Eyewitnesses in the West Bank have seen Palestinians murdered in cold blood in Jenin, Nablus, Ramallah, Khalil, and Bethlehem sometimes by settlers under the protection of the army and sometimes by the army itself during its raids in Jenin, Nablus, Ramallah, Khalil, Bethlehem, Tolkaram and elsewhere. Israel bombed the Jenin Refugee Camp in the northern West Bank and its soldiers stormed the camp.

They also stormed the Balata Camp in Nablus, killing 17 and wounding dozens of women and children. The Israeli occupation forces have been engaged in daily raids in the West Bank since the war began in Gaza. They have arrested 2,280 Palestinians in the West Bank in a month, according to organisations for prisoner affairs. Surely this cannot be called a war against Hamas.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 23 November, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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The author and model, 37, attended the competition in El Salvador on Saturday

Chrissy Teigen Instagram Chrissy Teigen

Chrissy Teigen looks pretty in pink!

The Cravings cookbook author, 37, modeled a strapless, pink feather mini-dress to attend the Miss Universe 2023 competition in photos posted to Instagram on Monday.

She accessorized her look with rhinestone-embellished peep-toe heels and statement earrings while she wore her hair in a long bob. Teigen captioned the snaps of her look with the flag of El Salvador as the competition was held at the Jose Adolfo Pineda Arena in San Salvador.

Chrissy Teigen Instagram Teigen wore a light pink feather mini dress to Miss Universe on Saturday

Related: Chrissy Teigen Shimmers in Quirky Lime-Green Dress at Cult Gaia Runway Show in L.A.

The mom-of-four watched on as Sheynnis Palacios  previously Miss Nicaragua  was crowned the 72nd Miss Universe.

Palacios beat Anntonia Porsild, Miss Thailand, to claim the title as she became the first-ever Nicaraguan to win the crown.

Teigens husband John Legend was also in attendance at the ceremony and even performed. His supportive wife posted several moments from his set and the competition itself to her Instagram Story.

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Chrissy Teigen Instagram Teigen posed in her striking look backstage at the competition

Miss Universe 2012, Olivia Culpo, and presenters Maria Menounos and Jeannie Mai Jenkins hosted this year's pageant  the first all-female-led team at the competition.

This year, married women and mothers were allowed to compete for the first time. Two trans women, Marina Machete from Portugal and Rikkie Kolle from the Netherlands, also took part, marking a ground-breaking milestone for the competition, as reported by CNN affiliate WLWT5.

Hector Vivas/Getty Miss Nicaragua, Sheynnis Palacios, was crowned Miss Universe 2023 on Saturday

Related: Chrissy Teigen's 5-Month-Old Son Wren Looks Adorable as He Smiles and Giggles in Sweet New Video

Back in mom mode, Teigens also posted some recent family snaps to Instagram over the weekend.

On Sunday, she shard images of her four kids, including her adorable 5-month-old son Wren Alexander Stephens.

"My life ," the star captioned her post.

In one photo, Wren smiled and giggled as he showed off a full head of hair while lying on a couch. "Hi baby! Hi baby! Are you a happy boy? proud mom Teigen could be heard saying off camera. Are you so handsome? Yeah, yeah. Look at your hair! Oh my goodness, it only goes one way too. Yeah, you happy?"

Teigen and Legend 44, welcomed Wren via surrogate in June. They also share 10-month-old daughter Esti Maxine, son Miles Theodore, 5, and daughter Luna Simone, 7.

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Donald Trumps affair with Marla Maples was front-page news in New York when it happened, thanks to a New York Post headline that read, Best Sex Ive Ever Had on Feb. 16, 1990. While most people would prefer not to know that information, the details of the former couples prenuptial agreement have resurfaced and it shows how rocky things were from the start.

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By October 1993, Maples already had already given birth to their daughter, Tiffany Trump, but that walk down the aisle had eluded her so far. Donald Trump reportedly hemmed and hawed about getting married for the second time, especially since his divorce from first wife Ivana Trump cost him $14 million, $650,000 a year in alimony and child support, a Connecticut mansion, and an Upper East Side apartment, according to The Atlantic. Not wanting to make the same mistake again, and with a dwindling fortune at the time, Donald Trump locked up his finances in an ironclad prenup with Maples.

Donald Trump with his then-wife Marla Maples, mid-1990s.

He reportedly inflated his net worth (sounds familiar) to the tune of $1.17 billion because as a divorce lawyer told Vanity Fair, When youre doing a prenup, the worry is you understate your assets. If you overstate it, then youre protected. Maples wanted $25 million in the event of a divorce, but Donald Trump got her down to $1 million if they split within the first five years, plus $1 million to purchase a home.

Buy Now 'Golden Handcuffs: The Secret History of Trump's Women' $15.90

Donald Trump would also pay $100,000 year in child support for Tiffany up until that age of 21, but if she got a full-time job, enlisted in the military, or joined the Peace Corps, then the money would end earlier. The way it was drawn up is ironclad and shows how wary he was, celebrity divorce lawyer Raoul Felder told Vanity Fair. He was leaving nothing to chance.

Shockingly, Maples decided to sign the prenuptial agreement and hoped to renegotiate a fairer deal in five years. After reportedly giving him a Christmas Day ultimatum, she knew this was the only deal. We basically came to an agreement that for the first few years we would agree on something and then tear it up, she told the media outlet before their wedding. So, that way, I feel that we have what he needs right now for his business. And then, in five years, I have what I need for a true marriage.

Donald Trump and Maples didnt make it to their fifth wedding anniversary  they separated in 1997 and divorced in 1999. In the end, she never renegotiated the prenup and received $2 million.

Before you go, click here to see celebrity couples who were married to other people when they met.

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According to a new report, outsourced workers who perform content moderation for popular dating apps, including Grindr, are facing a mental health crisis due to poor labor conditions and a lack of mental health resources.

For its report Behind Every Swipe: The Workers Toiling to Keep Dating Apps Safe, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ), a non-profit independent news outlet, spoke with 40 current and former workers from an array of dating apps, including Hinge, Tinder, Bumble, and Grindr. Many interviewees performed labor for companies headquartered in the United States through third-party firms based in Honduras, the Philippines, and Brazil  countries that offer labor at a lower cost.

The workers TBIJ interviewed detailed the mental health challenges that come with performing content moderation, which include symptoms of anxiety, depression, and PTSD. They told the news outlet that the third-party companies they work for are doing little to address those struggles. Ana, an employee at the staffing company PartnerHero who spoke using a pseudonym, said her work for Grindr included wading through user reports of sexual assault, homophobic violence, child sexual abuse, and murder. According to the report, when she did leave her job, she was left unable to work for months afterward and received a PTSD diagnosis.

One Honduras-based interviewee who did content moderation for Grindr said that she and her colleagues were exposed to images of child sexual abuse via an attachment from a user. We had three people just leave that day  because they could not handle it, the worker said.

In total, TBIJ said it spoke to 14 former Grindr moderators, noting that virtually all faced traumatic conditions, with one interviewee saying they attempted suicide multiple times while working at the company.

Aside from the disturbing content they are required to sift through, these outsourced workers also complained of burnout, given the grueling pace they are reportedly asked to maintain. Workers on Grindrs PartnerHero team reportedly had to maintain a 92% or greater quality score, a measure of their decision-making, or face termination. According to the report, Ana said PartnerHero tried to fire her when she was not able to meet productivity standards even though she was seriously ill at the time.

Sometimes we made mistakes that we were not [accounted]] for, or [that] could have been avoided if we had more people, one former content moderator, who did work for Grindr, said in the report.

Workers said that this environment is partially responsible for a huge backlog of user reports.

We respect how difficult the role of a content moderator can be, and have worked in collaboration with PartnerHero over the course of our relationship to consistently improve processes, training, and support for the moderation team, Grindr told TBIJ in a statement.

According to the report, Grindr began working with PartnerHero in 2017 to add customer support staff. While PartnerHero always did some user safety work, the third-party company took on the bulk of Grindrs content moderation over time. PartnerHero workers doing content moderation for Grindr in Honduras told TBIJ that there was little mental health support available for staff until 2020. That year, according to the workers, another third-party contractor was brought in to provide therapy, and PartnerHero added subsidized mental health services to its health insurance plans. However, TBIJ noted that several workers who were hired after these benefits were introduced said they were not made aware that they even existed.

According to TBIJ, Grindr has downsized its own internal trust and safety team, with one employee telling the news outlet that preventing banned users from getting back on Grindr and reducing moderators exposure to distressing content such as child abuse material had been deprioritized in favor of cost-cutting and increasing revenue.

As Its Workers Move to Unionize, Grindr Unveils a Strict Return-to-Office Policy

The Grindr United union has alleged that the companys policy amounts to retaliation.

Working conditions within Grindr itself made the news earlier this year when the company announced a strict return-to-office policy that would require employees to work from either Los Angeles, San Francisco, or Chicago. The announcement came as the companys workers were moving to unionize. (Grindr claimed the policy was not retaliatory, saying the unions claims to that effect had no merit.) Almost half of Grindr staff left rather than comply with the RTO plan, as CNN reported.

[Grindr]s no longer a safe app, Joseph, a safety worker who recently left Grindr, told TBIJ. It wasnt a safe app to begin with. We were begging for help, and just never received it.

In a statement to TBIJ, Grindr said, Our safety and legal teams, which are sufficiently resourced, continue to review complex user reports as necessary.

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Originally Appeared on them.
Ex-spouses Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are parents to six children  Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, and twins Knox and Vivienne. In the past, the actor has spoken fondly about being a father. However, the former couples years-long divorce and custody battle, which ultimately ended with Angelina getting sole custody of their minor kids and Brad getting visitation rights, has seemingly led to some bad blood among the Jolie-Pitt brood. What do Brads relationships with each of his kids look like today?

Maddox Jolie-Pitt

Brad and Angelinas oldest child, son Maddox, was born in Cambodia in 2001 and adopted by Angelina in 2002. While the former child actor has remained quiet regarding his relationship with his father, he did testify against Brad during his parents custody battle in March 2021. A source told Us Weekly at the time that it wasnt very flattering toward Brad.

He doesnt completely hate Brad, but he told the truth in the deposition he gave. Hes happy that his dad got help and is sober now, the insider continued, referring to the Fight Club stars lengthy battle with alcohol addiction.

In August 2022, a source exclusively told In Touch that Brad was super upset that he was estranged from Maddox.

He sent him a gift for his 21st birthday and a loving note as a last ditch effort to make amends, but never heard back, the insider said at the time.

Brad Pitt with kids Maddox, Pax and Shiloh

The source added that the duo had such a special connection when Maddox was younger, noting that they not only bonded on a loving father-son level but also intellectually. However, that has since drastically changed.

Brad really misses Maddox and was really hoping to repair their relationship, but he has hit a wall, the source concluded.

Pax Jolie-Pitt

The former spouses second son, Pax, was born in Vietnam in 2003 and adopted by Angelina in 2007, with Brad formally adopting him the following year. In November 2023, a 2020 social media post seemingly made by Pax went viral, as it contained a scathing opinion on Brad.

Happy Fathers Day to this world class ahole! Pax seemingly wrote in the resurfaced Instagram Story, which was shared as screenshots by The Daily Mail.

You time and time again prove yourself to be a terrible and despicable person. You have no consideration or empathy towards your 4 youngest children who tremble in fear when in your presence. You will never understand the damage youve done to my family because you are incapable of doing so, the post continued. You have made the lives of those closest to me a constant hell. You may tell yourself and the world whatever you want, but the truth will come to light someday. So, happy Fathers Day, you fking awful human being!!!

Reps did not immediately respond to In Touchs request for comment.

Zahara Jolie-Pitt

Brad and Angelinas eldest daughter, Zahara, who was born in Ethiopia in 2005 and adopted by Angelina that same year, has also remained tight-lipped about her relationship with her father. However, fans believed that she may have subtly snubbed Brad by dropping Pitt from her name when she joined the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority at Spelman College in November 2023.

Zahara Jolie Pitt

My name is Zahara Marley Jolie. And [I] landed all the way from the Golden State in the city full of angels: Los Angeles, California, she said during the initiation ceremony, which was captured in a video shared by Essence.

Shiloh Jolie-Pitt

Brad and Angelinas daughter Shiloh, who was born in 2006, has reportedly had a complicated and ever-changing relationship with her father. In February 2023, a source exclusively told In Touch that she had forgiven Brad for not being there and for the trouble hes caused.

She knows Brads sober now and doing his best, the insider said, adding that Shiloh wanted her mom to move on and be happy.

At the time, the Mr. & Mrs. Smith costars divorce was not yet finalized, but the source said Shiloh was begging her mom to have it done and put behind her.

Knox and Vivienne Jolie-Pitt

As for the twins, who were born in 2008, a source exclusively told In Touch in October 2023 that Brad was on good terms with Knox and Vivienne. The insider said the actor sees the teens, along with Shiloh, on a regular basis, and also speaks to Pax and Zahara.

He lost a lot of precious time with them during the custody battle, and hes determined not to miss any more, the source said.
The actor plays North Dakota Sheriff Roy Tillman in the fifth season of the hit FX series

Michelle Faye/FX Jon Hamm as Roy Tillman in 'Fargo'

Jon Hamm is sharing all of Fargo's behind-the-scenes secrets!

During a recent panel for the FX series' fifth season, the actor, 52, revealed what it took to make the prosthetic pierced nipples he wore for the role of North Dakota Sheriff Roy Tillman.

Related: Jon Hamm Addresses the Larger Than Life Myth That He Likes to Go Commando

"I had to have some very blue latex put on my nipples, and then they cast a resoundingly lifelike pair of nipples, which they then pierced and placed over my own nipples, and we shot said nipples. The crew doesnt get enough credit, but there was a dedicated nippleologist," he said at the event, according to Variety.

A synopsis on FX's website describes Hamm's character as "one of those constitutional sheriffs, a rancher preacher, defender of the American gospel."

Michelle Faye/FX Jon Hamm as Roy Tillman in "Fargo"

The summary also shared that the character is "a man who works from sunup to sundown shepherding Gods land" and that it is someone who believes "he is the law and therefore is above the law." Hamm stars opposite Juno Temple, who plays housewife Dorothy Dot Lyon.

Hamm said he was fully onboard with wearing the accessory due to showrunner Noah Hawley's vision for his character.

Related: The Morning Show: Jennifer Aniston Makes a Special 'Request' for Jon Hamm  and He's into It! (Exclusive)

Noah had a pretty great sense of who this character was, and I was on board with going on that journey with him. It was fun," he said at the panel, according to The Hollywood Reporter.



Apart from being busy working on the show, Hamm tied the knot with Anna Osceola in June. The ceremony came a few months after PEOPLE confirmed that the Mad Men alums got engaged after two years of dating.

Lexie Moreland/WWD via Getty Jon Hamm and Anna Osceola in September

The pair reportedly first met on the set of the hit AMC series in 2015 before being spotted together on several occasions and romantically linked in 2020.

In a conversation with PEOPLE, the actor reflected on being in a relationship with someone in the same industry.

"You're in it, it's your life, and so you wake up and you deal with what comes at you. That's certainly the case with us. The funny thing about this career is that there's no rule book," he said. "You really have to lean on one another for their support and for any kind of advice."

He also looked back at how they cemented their relationship status.

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"I think when you're figuring out relationships, there's a reason that that's a genre unto itself in television and film. It's a bumpy road towards relationships, but we do get better at it, I suppose," Hamm shared with PEOPLE. "I mean, I feel like I've figured out some things over the course of my half a century on the planet. So I'm in a pretty good place now. Hopefully, I'm learning."

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The Princess of Wales has shown off her shimmy on duty through the years

Samir Hussein/WireImage Kate Middleton dancing during a Vaiku Falekaupule Ceremony in Funafuti, Tuvalu in 2012.

Kate Middleton doesnt pass up the chance to dance.

The Princess of Wales, 41, has traveled around the world for various royal engagements since marrying Prince William in 2011  and sometimes, the job calls for a little boogie.

A new video shared on Instagram by fan account KateMiddleton_Turkey and further circulated by The_Blazing_Royals on TikTok looks back at the princess dance moves on duty through the years.

The clip playfully begins with Kates stealthy step towards Queen Margrethe of Denmark during a visit to Copenhagen in February 2022. The British royal discreetly moved towards the monarch to create a better picture during a photo call at Amalienborg Castle, and TikTok users later christened it the princess shuffle in a resurfaced snippet this spring.

Samir Hussein - Pool/WireImage Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Queen Margrethe of Denmark and Kate Middleton in Copenhagen in 2022.

Related: Kate Middleton Announces Holiday Plans in the Coziest Christmas Sweater

Another clip shows Princess Kate trying a traditional dance with local women in Tuvalu during a tour with Prince William for Queen Elizabeths Diamond Jubilee in 2012. The video then flashed to snippets of Kate dancing at the National Maritime Museum, twirling with Paddington Bear at Paddington Station in 2017, conducting music with Prince George and Princess Charlotte in Wales in 2022 and singing during a school visit with Place2Be in 2012.

The clip closed with what might be Kates most deliberate shimmy of all. During a lighthearted stop of what proved to be a controversial Caribbean tour for Queen Elizabeths Platinum Jubilee in March 2022, William and Kate showed off their moves during a traditional Garifuna festival in Belize.

Chris Jackson/Getty Kate Middleton dances during a traditional Garifuna festival in Hopkins, Belize in March 2022.

The couple danced the "punta" while immersing themselves in the Garifuna culture, and one local woman said they fit right in.

"They are an amazing couple and we would love them to come any time with their children Charlotte, George and Louis," Laura Cacho, who helped host the visit, told PEOPLE at the time. "They really know how to dance. They took the culture from me and I didn't need to teach them. They're so good at it. They were excellent."

The Prince and Princess of Wales might have passed down the passion to at least one of their kids: Princess Charlotte! The couple has referenced their only daughters love of dance several times through the years, and Kate most recently spoke about Charlottes interest during a solo stop in Leeds and Lancaster in September.

Karwai Tang/WireImage Kate Middleton and Princess Charlotte watch Wimbledon in July.

Related: Will Prince Louis Make His Royal Debut at a Christmas Event with His Parents and Siblings Next Month?

During a chat with 7-year-old Emily May Catto at Standfast & Barracks printworks, the Princess of Wales asked the youngster what she liked to do. When Emily replied that she enjoyed dancing, Kate told her that her 8-year-old daughter is also into the activity.

"My daughter Charlotte likes dancing. She loves ballet and tap," Princess Kate said, according to Hello! magazine. "Keep up the dancing."

Princess Charlotte recently showed a glimpse of her dance moves at the Coronation Concert in May. The young royal joined the rest of the crowd in standing up and dancing along to Lionel Richie as he performed his hit "All Night Long" from the stage set up on the Windsor Castle grounds.

The little princess has also taken private ballet lessons at a dance school, and Kate and Charlotte have had mother-daughter outings to see professional ballet performances.

She looked so excited to be there and sat very still, watching the show, an onlooker previously told PEOPLE. They were the only ones in the audience. It was very sweet.

David Fisher/Shutterstock Princess Charlotte travels to King Charles' coronation in May.

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Princess Charlotte isn't the only dancer in the family, either. Her 10-year-old brother George took ballet classes as part of the curriculum at Thomass Battersea school, where lessons were accompanied by a live pianist.

George is doing dancing as well, he loves it," Prince William said in 2018.

The siblings now attend Lambrook School (along with 5-year-old brother Prince Louis), which even has a dance studio as part of the performing arts program.

The Prince and Princess of Wales' children may have inherited their love of dance from their late grandmother, Princess Diana. Diana memorably surprised her husband King Charles (then the Prince of Wales) by taking the stage with a performance of Billy Joel's "Uptown Girl" in front of an audience of 2,500 at the Royal Opera House in London, and she famously hit the dance floor with John Travolta during a 1985 event at the White House.

My mother always used to dance, she loved dancing, William once said. And if its something you love, you do what you love. Dont let anyone else tell you otherwise. Keep at it."

corbis/Getty Images Princess Diana and John Travolta in 1985.

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Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo on Monday advanced a logic-defying theory that China purposely unleashed COVID-19 on the United States to oust Donald Trump from the presidency and get Joe Biden into the White House. (Watch the video below.)

Bartiromo and Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) were discussing the claim that the virus leaked from a Wuhan lab and China tried to suppress the information. But Bartiromo took it a step further.

I mean, is there a chance that China released this virus on America intentionally? she asked. Disrupt the country, get Donald Trump out, get your man in there, Joe Biden, and then cover it up?

Wenstrup, who chairs a pandemic committee, didnt fully bite.

Well, they certainly didnt try to protect America, did they? he replied. I mean, so whether it was intentional or accidental, they seemed to be aware of it. And I could be wrong on this: President Xi was telling Donald Trump everythings OK. And Donald Trump was repeating what President Xi said. Now Democrats call President Trump a liar, but it seems President Trump was just repeating what President Xi said. Obviously, it was more dangerous.

Maria Bartiromo advances a bonkers conspiracy theory about the origins of covid during an interview with Rep. Brad Wenstrup pic.twitter.com/b0i1BwLvW2  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 20, 2023

There are a few big holes in Bartiromos speculation. Namely, the virus inflicted death and sickness worldwide, not just in the United States, as Wenstrup himself noted, according to Mediaite.

And China was hithard by the pandemic as well. So the upside for China in a far-fetched plot to unseat Trump for Biden isnt really apparent.

But facts havent stopped Bartiromo from embracing or enabling conspiracy theories and pushing misinformation.

Wenstrup, who boosted claims the Chinese were working on bioweapons devised from the coronavirus, accused Democrats in general and former White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci of ignoring the possibility that the virus came from a lab.

I dont understand why Dr. Fauci wouldnt want to have the debate over whether this came from the lab or whether it came from nature, he said, per Mediaite.

Fauci has repeatedly expressed support for more research into the origins of the virus but has doubted the lab theory.

Related...
'Flower Market Madeleine' by Edouard-Leon Cortes has been recovered and returned to the Arnot Gallery in New York City

Art Recovery International Edouard-Leon Cortes' painting 'Flower Market Madeleine' has been recovered and returned to NYC's Arnot Gallery after being missing for 60 years

Sixty years after it was stolen, a painting by Edouard-Leon Cortes was recovered in the United Kingdom and returned to an art gallery in New York City.

Titled Flower Market Madeleine, the painting was one of more than 3,000 pieces stolen from the Herbert Arnot Gallery in N.Y.C. in the 1950s and 60s, according to a press release from Art Recovery International, which recovered the artwork.

Carnes Fine Art, a dealer in England, purchased the painting in November 2022 at an auction outside of Manchester and was preparing to sell it this year. According to Art Recovery International founder Christopher A. Marinello, the dealer was doing some due diligence on the piece and that is how it was discovered to be one of the paintings that went missing from the Arnot Gallery.



Related: Woman Learns Thrift Store Painting She Bought for $4 Is Actually Lost Artwork That Could Sell for $250K

Recovering the painting was a months-long process, according to Marinello, involving everyone who had bought and sold the painting since its disappearance. In a press release, Marinello said, We are very grateful to Bradley Carnes, Capes Dunn, and their vendor for releasing this stolen painting unconditionally to the Arnot Gallery.:

He added, "While in this instance, we were able to convince many of the parties to reimburse the other, eventually there will be those who are out of luck. I cannot stress enough the importance of performing due diligence and authentication checks which would have uncovered this stolen painting decades earlier."

Flower Market Madeleine has since been returned to the NYC gallery.



Related: Van Gogh Painting Stolen from Dutch Museum Returned Over 3 Years Later Inside IKEA Bag

Per the release, Cortes painting was sold along with more than 3,000 others by Louis Edelman, the Arnot Gallerys then-manager who had opened his own gallery in 1966. As part of his business, he was selling the Arnot Gallerys pieces and profiting himself.

He was eventually arrested in Chicago, convicted for transporting stolen artwork across state lines. Fined $10,000 and spent two years in prison, according to Art Recovery International. However, the paintings he had stolen and sold remained missing and have since cropped up around the world in galleries and at auction houses.

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Paintings by Cortes and fellow French painter Antoine Blanchard have been particularly prevalent in the search, per Marinello. He said in a statement, Anyone buying or selling a painting by Edouard-Leon Cortes or Antoine Blanchard is advised to check with the Arnot Gallery for proper authentication.

He added, We have been recovering one or two pictures per year from this 60-year-old theft and were never going to give up until every last one is returned.



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For its first Pitching Paradiso, to be held at Ventana Sur on Nov. 30, Brazils Projeto Paradiso is looking to Brazils North-East and a new more diverse generation of filmmakers which is bringing a sense of urgency and excitement to Brazilian cinema.

Projects highlighted at Pitching Paradiso include one from Rio de Janeiro  Leonardo Martinellis much anticipated feature expansion of Neon Phantom. Otherwise, titles are from Brazils North-East: Bahia (Time, Knifed); Ceara (The Oceans Eyes, Yellowcake) and Pernambuco (Burning Land, Paths of Loneliness).

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Two factors are at work. Theres a determination of all levels of government, from president Lula downwards, as well as other institutions, such as Projeto Paradiso, to support titles from fast-emerging regional talent.

Brazil is indeed a country where the diversity/inclusion agenda is multi-faceted: It is not only a question of gender, race and ethnic origin, but also, in a continental country, of region of origin, says Projeto Paradiso head Josephine Bourgois, noting that Brazils Fundo Setorial do Audiovisual, its federal film fund, has a regional production quota.

Equally, however, regions like the North-East have gained more and more relevance, she argues. Name directors from the region, like Karim Ainouz, Kleber Mendonca and Sergio Machado, have gained international recognition. The region is building in infrastructure, whether planned film commissions, guild Conne or development programs, such as the Nordeste Lab, or Varilux Lab, where Projeto Paradiso sponsors a fellowship, and Cearas Cena 15 Lab where Yellowcake was initially developed.

Projects involve members of the Paradiso Talent Network. Three cases in point: Backed by Projeto Paradiso, Martinelli attended the newly created 2022 Locarno Residency, where he won one of three berths to develop a feature. The Oceans Eyes scooped a Projeto Paradiso Award. Yellowcake, from Larissa Estevam and Celina Ximenes, was selected in the screenwriter category of this years Paradiso Incubator.

All projects are energetically social-issue. Barbara Cunhas The Paths of Loneliness endeavors to spotlight the pivotal role of women in the fight against repression, such as Brazils military dictatorship, she says.

In Time, Knifed, characters are shot in the same frame separated by time but not by blood culture: The central characters angrily fulfil their destiny, even if tragic; a destiny not determined by the gods, but by their culture and history; for their ancestors and their inexorable codes of honor, notes producer Vania Lima.

Burning Land addresses present problems and topics of interest, including gender equality, class differences, work and worker rights, and the right to develop as an individual while being part of a fair and equitable society, says Ivan Eibuszyc at Argentinas Frutacine, explaining why it boarded the project.

Social drama is in Brazils filmic DNA, notes Bourgois. But something has changed in who is now telling these stories. A generation of young directors is coming from more diverse social classes and racial backgrounds, gaining access to the means of expression and production that they were estranged from for a long time, she adds.

They carry with them a vision and an experience of the social dilemmas that Brazil is full of and bring them to screen with another sense of ownership and urgency.

That is an energising force.

The Inaugural Pitching Paradise Titles:

Burning Land, (Terra de Fogo, Enock Carvalho, Matheus Farias, Gatopardo Filmes, Brazil, Frutacine, Argentina)

A potential standout, set at a sugar mill in Brazils North-East whose workers, threatening to strike, are mysteriously disappearing. A drama about work and social relations in Brazil that happens inside a factory nowadays but is slowly transformed into a thriller, says Carvalho, whose Recife-based Gatopardo, also Farias label produces in a prestige package with Janaina Bernardes, behind Nardjes A., and Ivan Eibuszyc from Frutacine, who co-produced Tribeca player Initiales SG.

Burning Land

Neon Phantom, (Fantasma Neon, Leonardo Martinelli, Duas Mariola Filmes)

Expanding Martinellis Locarno Golden Leopard-winning short, a searing put-down  part song and dance, shot in lush tones, part near docu realism  of gig economy iniquity. Produced by Sundance, Berlin-selected Felipe Braganca and Marina Meliande (Dont Swallow My Heart, Alligator Girl!) at Duas Mariola Filmes, and featuring once more put-upon Rio bike delivery man Joao, one of the most anticipated feature debuts of 2024/25, a film of great sensitivity, innovation and social reflection, the producers say.

The Oceans Eyes

The Oceans Eyes, (Os Olhos do Mar, Deo Cardoso, TX Filmes, Corte Seco Filmes)

Writer-director Cardosos feature follow-up to Habanero Film Sales pick-up A Bruddahs Mind, voted the best film of 2021 by Brazils Abraccine critics assn. Plumbing ageism and generation gap, a Brazilian Afro-Indigenous family drama of reconciliation in which a young surfer is allowed by her grand-father to move from Fortaleza to Rio to turn pro if she searches for a relic given to him by Orson Welles. Fortalezas Corte Seco Filmes co-produces.

Paths of Loneliness, (Sol, Barbara Cunha, 99 Producoes)

The fiction debut of documentarian Cunha, behind Prison Flowers (2019). Billed as a Latin American road movie, inspired by one of the last terrible crimes and Brazils military dictatorship, the so-called Sao Bento farm massacre, in which six activists were killed, including Sol, at the time in a relationship with Daniel, a double agent who filed the report that killed her. She was his girlfriend, pregnant with his baby. Marilia Viana produces at Pernambuco-based 99 Producoes (Saudade, Abismo Tropical).

Marilia Viana and Barbara Cunha

Time, Knifed, (Tempo a faca, Ruy Guerra, Diogo Oliveira, Tem Dende Productions and Risco Productions)

Produced by Projeto Paradiso talent Vania Lima, the latest from Ruy Guerra, now 92, with Oliveira partnering in writing and co-directing, Time, Knifed sees Guerra return to the Brazilian Western, a sub-genre which cemented his fame with The Rifles and Of God and the Dead. Set in Set in Brazils bone dry Catinga northeast, a tale of murder and, in a second parallel story 18 years later, family vendetta. From Salvadors Tem Demde Productions.

Vania Lima

Yellowcake, (Larissa Estevam, Celina Ximenes)

From Caera writer-directors Estevam and Ximenes, and described as a radioactive thriller. Yellowcake turns on Cassandra, a black geologist, who investigates the exploration of a uranium deposit near her hometown, exposing its inhabitants to radiation poisoning. She and her people react with drastic measures. Inspired by Ximenes undergraduate studies as a geologist, and a Ceara uranium extraction plant, planned for 2025.

Yellowcake

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A series of wild coincidences led to the discovery of ancient Egyptian artifacts buried in Scotland.

A student at a Scottish school unearthed the first ancient treasure in 1952.

Researchers are still figuring out how they got there.

Historians are piecing together the wild story behind a series of highly improbable finds of ancient Egyptian treasure  dug up thousands of miles away in Scotland.

It starts in 1952, when a schoolboy was digging up potatoes as a punishment for bad behavior at his school near the tiny village of Monimail, in Fife.

He struck something that he thought was a potato at first  but it turned out to be the head of an ancient Egyptian statue.

Historians discovered that the sandstone statue dated back to the mid-12th Dynasty, or about 1922 to 1855 BC.

More finds would follow.

Fourteen years later, the same boy  identified by historians as Mr McNie  was teaching at the school. He was running an exercise class when one of his pupils landed awkwardly on something sticking out of the ground.

Digging further, he unearthed an Egyptian bronze statuette of a bull, which historians dated to between 664 and 332 BC.

Then, in 1984, schoolboys who had explored the same site with a metal detector alerted a curator, Elizabeth Goring, to another find  an Egyptian bronze figurine.

Leaded ancient Egyptian bronze figurine of a priest dating to about 1069-656 BC, found at a school in Scotland. National Museums Scotland

These discoveries  and the mystery of how they ended up in a Scottish schoolyard  are detailed in a new paper by Goring and fellow curator Margaret Maitland.

"When I saw the little bronze figurine of a man in 1984, it was obvious the three objects must be connected," Goring wrote.

Goring got one of the boys with the metal detector to show her where they found the figurine, so she could excavate further.

"We found nothing," she wrote.

But just as they were about to give up, one of the geologists wandered into a different area  and spotted another figurine lying on the ground. It was a "shabti," a small, mummy-shaped sculpture.

This ancient Egyptian faience shabti dates to about 664-332 BC and was found at a school in Scotland. National Museums Scotland

That led to a whole trove of Egyptian objects being unearthed, which are now in the collection of National Museums Scotland.

Some of the finds turned out to be 19th-century copies, but many were genuine ancient relics.

But there was still the mystery of how they got there.

There's no documentation of anyone who owned the property, in its long history, having amassed a collection of Egyptian objects.

Before Melville House was a school, it had belonged to David Leslie-Melville, the 7th Earl of Melville.

Volunteers excavate the site at Melville House in 1984 National Museums Scotland

The most likely scenario, the researchers now say, is that the objects belonged to Melville's son, Viscount Balgonie, who visited Egypt sometime in 1856 to help with health issues.

His sisters, who were there with him, could have brought vendors selling artifacts to his sick bed while he was there, the researchers said.

Balgonie died a year later, back in Scotland, at the tender age of 24.

The researchers theorize that the objects were then consigned to an outbuilding, and forgotten. The outbuilding was later demolished, and the objects buried with the remnants.

Another theory suggests that they were kept away from the main house because of superstition.

"Pharoah's curse" rumors were just beginning to emerge at this time, the researchers said.

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Will the aftermath of the Israeli war on Gaza usher in a new Middle East order, asks Bahgat Korany

This is not the first time, either regionally or globally, that such a headline has appeared. It is a formula that is often repeated after pivotal events, the latest being the Arab uprisings of 2010-2011.

In reality, anticipating change and advocating for it has frequently occurred in world history. In the aftermath of World War I, for example, with its massive suffering and about 15 million casualties, a high percentage of the population of the European countries at that time, there were many calls to prevent such a catastrophe happening again.

This resulted in the establishment of an international organisation, the League of Nations, to facilitate communication between different nations and prevent their ordinary disputes from escalating into violence and war.

However, as history shows, this desire to prevent war was not fulfilled, and the world slid into another global conflict just 20 years later, this time having a death toll of around 51 million, more than three times that of World War I.

Many of the survivors lived with permanent disabilities. Fortunately, the Cold War (1947-1989) ended without a hot war, especially considering the potential catastrophic consequences that one could have had owing to the existence of nuclear weapons. Some even referred to the end of the Cold War in a different context as the end of history.

How do the lessons of this past guide us in engineering the present? Will the widespread destruction and form of genocide that is taking place in Gaza lead to a New Middle East, as happened 50 years ago in 1973?

We are facing similar factors.

Hamas, for example, chose to launch its attacks on Israel on almost the same day as 50 years ago and the surprise attack on Israel on 6 October 1973. That attack was also unexpected, inflicting numerous losses on the Israeli side.

The events of 7 October 2023, like their predecessor 50 years ago, also exposed the vulnerabilities of the Israeli intelligence agencies. There might be an inquiry in Israel after the Gaza war, possibly leading to the resignation of the current government, that could be similar to the Agranat Committee that led to the resignation of Golda Meirs government in Israel in the 1970s.

The government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may be concerned about the establishment of an investigatory committee, followed by condemnation and resignation after the fighting stops. One of the main reasons for his government to continue the war and the widespread destruction that goes with it is essentially to maintain the current situation and then return to what it was beforehand.

Hasnt Israel officially declared that when the war ends, it will be responsible for security in Gaza, meaning it will continue to occupy and besiege the Gaza Strip? This is an extremely foolish policy even for Israel, as was seen in the success of the Hamas attacks on 7 October and even before them when protests erupted within Israel against the governments policy towards the judiciary.

What matters to us is not to return to the previous situation before this destructive war, an achievement that the October 1973 War succeeded in doing. Regardless of reservations about the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty, one of the outcomes of the 1973 War, Egypt has now regained its sovereignty over Sinai.

The focus now should be on building a new or different Middle East and on resisting the return to the state of occupation and blockade that existed before the war. This is the real resistance and one that could easily garner international support even within Israel itself.

No one wants a repeat of the current catastrophe. The Arab and Islamic world can rely on international support, including from the UN General Assembly and the UN secretary-general. Let us therefore work earnestly together on an agenda for the future and mobilise global support for it.

The writer is professor of international relations and political economy at the American University in Cairo.



* A version of this article appears in print in the 23 November, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) took a crude jab at Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday that many deemed racist. (Watch the video below.)

In an interview with Fox News Martha MacCallum, the senator slammed the Biden administrations border policies while getting downright personal about Harris, who is Black and Indian American.

Kennedy, who is white, said that Americans have concluded that Vice President Harris is not capable  that when her IQ gets to 75, she should sell.

MacCallum did not react to the joke, but people on social media did  callingit racist, misogynistic, disgusting and unnecessary and hateful.

Sen. John Kennedy on VP Kamala Harris: "When her IQ gets to 75, she should sell." pic.twitter.com/CcurPTn96g  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 20, 2023

Kennedy tried to soften his insult by adding: Again, Im not saying thats fair or accurate, but thats the conclusion today that the American public have reached.

The right-wing lawmaker came under fire earlier this year for bigotry aimed south of the border.

Without the people of America, Mexico, figuratively speaking, would be eating cat food out of a can and living in a tent behind an Outback, Kennedy said in May.

Nor was his comment to MacCallum the first time hed made a remark about Harris that came across as racially coded.

I would say the vice president needs to work on being a little more articulate, Kennedy said in July. Some might say that based on her performances, that English is not her first, second, third, or even fourth language.

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Once-prominent car dealership owner Erik Maund and two men he conspired with in a twisted murder-for-hire scheme face life in prison after being found guilty by a federal jury

Metro Nashville Police Department Holly Williams; William Lanway

A once high-flying Texas car dealer and two other men have been convicted in a murder-for-hire scheme hatched because his mistresss estranged boyfriend tried to extort him over the affair, authorities said.

A federal jury found Eric Maund, 48, of Austin, a former partner in the lucrative Maund Automotive Group that his grandfather founded, guilty of murder-for-hire with death resulting after a two-week trial, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Tennessee said Monday in a statement.

Bryon Brockway, 48, of Austin, and Adam Carey, 32, of Richlands, North Carolina were convicted of murder-for-hire as well as conspiracy to commit kidnapping and kidnapping with death resulting.

A fourth man, Gilad Peled, 49, of Austin, previously pleaded guilty to the same charges and agreed to cooperate with the United States by testifying at trial.



The four were convicted in the fatal 2020 shooting of Holly Williams, 33, and her estranged boyfriend, William Lanway, 36, in Nashville, after Lanway allegedly tried to extort Maund over his affair with Williams.

Metro Nashville Police Department Erik Charles Maund

According to federal prosecutors, Maund, who was married at the time, had previously had an affair with Williams, who lived in Nashville, where he sometimes traveled to Nashville to visit a relative.

On Feb. 3, 2020, using an alias, he emailed Williams and said he would be in Nashville on Wednesday and Thursday night and "would love to see youagain, according to the federal indictment.

Related: Tenn. Couple Is Killed in Alleged $750,000 Murder-for-Hire Plot Designed to Keep Suspect's Affair Secret

Two days later, Maund texted Williams, saying, "Good morning beautiful! Looking forward to later today. I'm in Nashville. I will meet you in the bar like last time. Text when you arrive."

But on March 1, 2020, when Maund received a series of text messages from Lanway, "who had a personal romantic relationship" with Williams.

Lanway demanded money from Maund and threatened to expose his relationship with Williams if he did not receive it.

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.

Maund then hired Peled to respond to the extortion attempt, the U.S. Attorney said in a statement.

Peled, in turn, hired Brockway and Carey to go to Nashville to investigate Lanway and Williams. Peled testified at trial that when Lanways efforts to extort Maund persisted, Maund agreed to pay Brockway and Carey $100,000 each to murder Lanway and Williams, the U.S. Attorneys Office said in the statement.

The evidence showed that Maund wired Peled, who acted as the middleman for the scheme, $150,000 on March 12, 2020, the day the murders occurred, the statement said.

On the same day, Brockway and Carey kidnapped Williams and Lanway from outside of Williams apartment complex in West Nashville and drove them to a nearby construction site where they were murdered, it says.

Their bodies were found the next morning inside Williams vehicle.

Over the course of the next year, Maund wired Peled an additional $900,000 as payment for the scheme and Peled withdrew cash to pay Brockway and Carey for their roles, the U.S. Attorneys Office said in the statement.

Those who devalue life need to know that when you break the law, you will be brought to justice, Special Agent in Charge Douglas DePodesta of the FBI Memphis Field Office said in the statement. This conviction should send a clear message that the FBI and our law enforcement partners are dedicated to keeping our citizens safe, and nothing will stop us from accomplishing that mission."

Maund, Brockway, and Carey face mandatory life sentences in federal prison.

They will be sentenced in separate hearings sometime in 2024.

Peled will also be sentenced in 2024 where U.S. District Judge William L. Campbell, Jr. will take his cooperation into consideration as part of his ultimate sentence.

Attorneys for the three men could not immediately be reached for comment.



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The Texas Chainsaw Massacre video game will be getting new DLC later this month, including a new map and two characters.

The DLC will be released on November 28, 2023, and include a free map in the form of Nancys house, the home of a new family member. In a trailer for the DLC, fans are introduced to Nancy, who invites the other new character, Danny, into her home. Danny is looking for his sister, but instead walks into a trap set by Nancy.

Check out The Texas Chainsaw Massacre DLC trailer below:

Both characters available beginning next week

Nancy is the newest addition to the notorious Slaughter Family, Sumo said of the character in a press release. While much isnt known about her, her past three husbands have all died mysterious deaths or vanished completely. Through incredibly awful circumstances, Nancy is also a makeshift mother to Johnny Slaughter, showcasing how monsters have their own makers.

Danny is the newest victim to join the roster. He may seem rough around the edges but he is an incredibly intelligent and caring person, reads Dannys character description. Danny and Maria have a deep connection and he embarks on his own journey to find her. Heading off to Newt, Texas, players will be able to experience a character that could be crucial to his and his friends survival.

Nancy and Danny will both be available on November 28, and will both retail for $9.99 each. The Nancys House map will be available for free, and will also arrive on November 28.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is available now on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

The post The Texas Chainsaw Massacre DLC Includes Free Map, 2 New Characters appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.
The couple said "I do" in 1983, while they were starring together in the film 'Places in the Heart'

Ron Galella Collection/Getty; Monica Schipper/Getty Ed Harris and Amy Madigan

They've quietly had one of the longest-lasting unions in Hollywood.

On Nov. 21, Westworld star Ed Harris, 73, and Amy Madigan, 73, who is best known for her role in Field of Dreams, alongside Kevin Costner and Ray Liotta celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary.

"It was like something you see in a movie or hear in a song," Madigan told Life in 1985, of first seeing Harris as he performed in Sam Shepard's play Cowboy in Los Angeles in 1980. "I just thought'Well, there he is.' It was obvious to me that I'd see him again."

Neilson Barnard/Getty Ed Harris and Amy Madigan attend the 70th Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on September 17, 2018 in Los Angeles, California.

Related: The Cutest Longterm Celebrity Couple Throwback Photos

The couple wed in 1983, while they were starring together in the film Places in the Heart. Throughout their 40-year marriage, they've starred opposite each other in at least nine films and multiple Broadway plays.

''The acting thing is so intimate and personal,'' Harris said told the Chicago Tribune in 1985 of working with his wife. ''If we're not working together... you can't really talk about your day very well. When you're working together, though, there's so much that is shared, so much unspoken thought and emotion that goes into the work, that it really draws you closer.''

Of their occasional onscreen romantic scenes, Madigan has said that "'the closeness of being married gives us the ability and the freedom to do those kinds of things. I mean, with another actor you'd have to spend a lot of time and energy getting to know them first.''

Related: Ali Wentworth Jokes Every Wedding Anniversary with George Stephanopoulos Starts With 'Waking Up Alone in Bed'

Universal/Gordon/Kobal/Shutterstock James Earl Jones, Kevin Costner and Amy Madigan Field Of Dreams 1989

Harris eventually became a four-time Oscar-nominated star for roles in films like Apollo 13 and The Truman Show, as well as Pollock and The Hours. He also made a splash playing Julia Roberts' husband in Stepmom, and was nominated for an Emmy for his role in Westworld.

Meanwhile, Madigan became a national sensation after she starred as Annie Kinsella in 1989's Field of Dreams, and opposite John Candy in Uncle Buck, also 1989. She also had a starring role for in the HBO hit Carnivale. She was also nominated for an Emmy for her role in the 1989 TV movie Roe vs. Wade.

In 1993, the couple welcomed their only child, Lily Dolores Harris, 30.

Of their marriage, Madigan has said that everyone long assumed they married after having a whirlwind affair on the set of their first movie, but she's denied that, saying they were together for two years prior.

"It's a nice Hollywood story, but it's not true," she told the Chicago Tribune.

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Read the original article on People.
The filmmaker previews her new movie, starring Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson.

Atsushi Nishijima/NEON Jon Bernthal and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor on the set of 'Origin'

Ava DuVernay was frustrated.

The Selma director and When They See Us creator had just read Isabel Wilkerson's bestseller Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents for the second time following its huge release in the summer of 2020 but, as she tells EW, "still didn't understand it, really."

The next read, though, proved that popular idiom true: "It really started to sink in. I thought, This is information that people should know, and I should make a movie about it."

In her book, Wilkerson examines how it's not race or class systems that have, throughout history and to this day, oppressed people and cultures around the world but rather a caste system  made of up eight pillars  that ranks humans and their importance to each other. "I was really taken by the interconnectedness of all of these things that we feel are very separate in terms of a cultural phenomenon that keeps us apart," DuVernay says, "and the idea that, wow, the undergirding, the foundation of it all is the same."

Given the book's topic, she then faced a big question: "How do you communicate that in a way that's emotional, that's cinematic?" Wilkerson's book, after all, isn't fiction; it's a fact-based exploration of how the experiences of people of color in America are directly related to the caste systems in Nazi Germany and India. The book, in essence, comes to life thanks to Wilkerson's research in those countries (DuVernay & Co. filmed Origin in three countries in 37 days) with period-piece flashbacks.



Atsushi Nishijima/Courtesy NEON Director Ava DuVernay on the set of 'Origin'

Separately, though, there was the issue of finding a lead character. "There's so many stories in the book, it was impossible," DuVernay says of trying to find the right POV. "But who is in the book and who's very clearly guiding the way is Isabel."

Fortunately, it didn't take much to convince the author to share her own journey of writing the book, a period of time that included the deaths of several people very close to her.

"I had heard about her losses and was...amazed by it  I don't use that word lightly  by the ability of someone who's endured that much loss to create genius work," DeVernay says. "And so I was very interested in that, and I shared that with her.... She was gracious in allowing me to interpret her book and interpret the stories that she told me about her life and her family."



Helping bring the story to life is Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Oscar-nominated for her work in King Richard (Jon Bernthal, her costar in that movie, here portrays Isabel's husband, Brett) and who previously worked with DuVernay on When They See Us. The decision to cast her was an easy one.

"She's a phenom and a superstar that for whatever reason has not been given the spotlight in the way that I feel she deserves," DuVernay says of the actress. "I'd worked with her once before, so I knew the depth of the ability and the commitment, and that's what I needed for this. I needed someone who was going to ride with me  who can be walking on the streets of Delhi in India, didn't need a fancy trailer and a bunch of people around, who was going to be ready to run and gun."



Atsushi Nishijima/Courtesy NEON Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor in 'Origin'

But beyond the physical aspects of filmmaking, DuVernay knew Ellis-Taylor could navigate the emotional complexities of Wilkerson's experience, something the director calls a "cerebral adventure, an intellectual pursuit of the mystery that this woman is unfolding." That means portions of her performance are lived in silence. "There was no scene where she had to be hysterical or a big [moment]; those scenes didn't exist in the film, so that showy work was not on the page," DuVernay explains. "It needed an internal depth to make the performance pop, and so you needed someone who could do that, and she can do all of that and more."

Together, they craft a story that relates complicated matters of societal hierarchies via a deeply personal journey, one that DuVernay says even changed her in ways she wasn't anticipating.

"I could not have prepared myself for the completely different person that I am than when I started," DuVernay, who turned 50 while making the movie, admits. "I felt in the flow of work and life in a way that I had never experienced before. I felt that I was in the perfect place doing exactly what I was meant to do and I knew exactly how to do it.... I have not been happier. I get emotional saying this, but I have not been happier than I was making that film and then the afterglow of making this film today."



Origin opens Dec. 8 in New York and Los Angeles for a one-week engagement before playing in select cities starting Jan. 19.



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For some, the "traditional" Black Friday means mile-long lines outside Walmart stores, shoppers sprinting through the aisles and tussles at checkouts as people fight "Hunger Games"-style for the newest flat-screen TV or kitchen appliance.

But the reality is changing, experts say, as online deals during Cyber Monday have kept shoppers at home with the ability to leisurely peruse deals that often last through November.

Though the intensity of the day has maybe lessened over the years, Black Friday still falls on the Friday after Thanksgiving, which, this year is Friday, Nov. 24.

Here's a crash course on how the holiday got its start and name.

Shoppers wait in the checkout line during a Black Friday sale in Kansas City, Missouri, in 2009.

Why is Black Friday called Black Friday?

The first recorded use of the term "Black Friday" was, ironically, not linked to hoards of people spending money post-Thanksgiving but, rather, financial ruin.

The first technical Black Friday landed Sept. 24, 1869, the day the United States' gold market crashed. Two Wall Street financiers, Jay Gould and Jim Fisk, worked to buy up as much of the nation's gold as they could in an effort to drive up the price and make profits. But on that Friday in September, their plan failed, obliterating the market and bankrupting everyone.

When did Black Friday begin?

Black Friday wouldn't come to mean a day of shopping until nearly a century after its first reference to the U.S. gold market crash in 1869.

In the 1950s, police in Philadelphia used the term to complain about the mass of shoppers coming into the city to shop the day following Thanksgiving. From then on, the idea gained momentum.

The idea for the current meaning of Black Friday began in the 1950s.

Originally, retailers attempted to rebrand the occasion as "Big Friday" out of fear that "Black Friday" carried negative connotations. But they were unsuccessful, and the term caught on nationwide around the 1980s.

Over time, retailers created a more positive narrative that Black Friday really references a "red to black" economic idea: After operating at a loss all year (in the red) stores would earn a profit (or go into the black) on the day after Thanksgiving, with shoppers blowing money on holiday deals.

Throughout the 2010s, markets around the world began to adopt the shopping day, as American-owned retailers offered Black Friday deals overseas.

When Black Friday turned to violence, chaos

The first widely-recorded Black Friday death occurred in 2008, when a Walmart employee, Jdimytai Damour, was trampled to death. More than 2,000 shoppers stampeded into the store at Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream, Long Island.

Injuries and deaths continued on into the 2010s, including the 2011 death of 61-year-old Walter Vance, who collapsed while shopping at a Target in West Virginia as shoppers proceeded to step over him and continue shopping.

Ultimately the introduction of Cyber Monday has lessened the chaos of Black Friday, with stampedes and brawls becoming less common as shoppers opt for virtual deals.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Why is Black Friday called Black Friday? Looking at its history
Turkey is synonymous with Thanksgiving. But why?

The fowl has graced many a Thanksgiving table over the years and even a couple of them get pardoned every year. But the long-standing tradition of having Turkey, or even a vegetarian  I'm looking at you Tofurky  version, every year isn't really what the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag people in late 1621 would have eaten at what is considered the first Thanksgiving.

No, the bird that has become a staple on the dinner plate for many Americans on Thanksgiving has a different origin story.

Here's a look at what was considered the first meal and how turkeys became a Thanksgiving tradition.

What was the first Thanksgiving meal?

In 1621, Pilgrims in Plymouth, Massachusetts, were celebrating the harvest of the year with a feast and some good old shooting when Wampanoags, believing they were under attack, showed up ready for war.

In a letter written by Edward Winslow, an early Pilgrim, he states that the Wampanoags' head chief Massasoit, "with some 90 men" joined the colonists for a three-day feast after that incident. After the group of Wampanoags decided to join the celebration, they also contributed to it.

The meat for the meal consisted of deer and some type of wild fowl, according to Britannica. Turkeys were native to the area, but many historians believe it was probably ducks or geese.

According to Britannica, the meal wasn't really much more than a footnote in history remembered by Wilson. The tradition of harvest celebrations and days of thanksgiving have deep roots in European culture and the Christian religion and were fairly common.

Why turkey on Thanksgiving? Thank colonial era America to start

The holiday of Thanksgiving slowly started taking shape during the colonial era and that's when turkey came to the dinner table in bulk.

Thanksgiving-type celebrations were common at the turn of the 19th century with many opting to put a turkey on the table instead of slaughtering a useful animal like a hen or cow that was producing other needed products, according to Britannica.

Turkeys at the time, and still today, were raised to be meat birds. This and their size  big enough to feed a family  made them a popular choice for large gatherings.

President George Washington even issued the first national Thanksgiving proclamation in 1789, but it wasn't a permanent holiday, according to The Center for Legislative Archives.

But the turkey wasn't synonymous with Thanksgiving just yet, because the Thanksgiving that we all know still wasn't a thing.

Best Thanksgiving recipes: Our 3 most popular chef-created Southern dishes

All the fixins: The best 2023 Thanksgiving recipes by Southern chefs, from turkey to pie to leftovers

The woman that brought you "Mary Had a Little Lamb", is also the same woman who campaigned for Thanksgiving to be permanently on the last Thursday in November. Helping to cement the holiday, and the turkey, into history.

According to the Farmers Almanac, it was Hale that brought about the beginnings of cementing a single day as Thanksgiving in American culture.

It was right after the Civil War when Hale's idea gained the attention it needed. In 1863, Hale put her stance on thanksgiving into an editorial and wrote to President Abraham Lincoln, urging him to make Thanksgiving Day a fixed national festival.

Hale's idea became reality on Oct. 3, 1863, when Lincoln issued a proclamation declaring the last Thursday of November to be the permanent National Thanksgiving Day.

How many turkeys are eaten during Thanksgiving?

A whopping 46 million turkeys are eaten each year as part of Thanksgiving feast around the country, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

It doesn't always have to be turkey

Whether you don't eat meat, can't stand the thought of turkey, are just plain tired of dealing with turkey leftovers every year or want to have something different. Nothing in the world says you have to present this bird each year.

Try something new and make your own tradition.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Why do we eat turkey on Thanksgiving? The bird's long holiday history
Climate change is a problem that affects everyone, but some people are more responsible for it than others.

The worlds ultra-wealthy, for example, polluted the planet as much as the poorest two-thirds in 2019, The Washington Post reported on Monday. Thats according to a new Oxfam report, which also found that the 1 percent created more carbon emissions that year than the amount generated by all car and road transport around the world in 2019. In total, the richest 10 percent contributed to half of all global carbon emissions that year.

More from Robb Report

The super-rich are plundering and polluting the planet to the point of destruction, leaving humanity choking on extreme heat, floods and drought, Amitabh Behar, the interim executive director of Oxfam International, said in a statement. For years weve fought to end the era of fossil fuels to save millions of lives and our planet. Its clearer than ever this will be impossible until we, too, end the era of extreme wealth.

The charitable organization suggests taxing the rich and corporations and using that money to invest in renewable energy. A 60 percent tax on the 1 percent, for example, would cut emissions by more than the total emitted by the United Kingdom, the report says. Additionally, it would lead to an extra $6.4 trillion a year that could be used to transition away from fossil fuels. (Currently, emissions from the 1 percent cancel out the work of about 1 million wind turbines a year, Oxfam said.)

In addition to the groups suggestions, others have proposed taxing certain emissions-generating behaviors of the ultra-rich, such as their purchase and use of private planes, yachts, and fossil-fuel-powered cars. Some countries have even taken action to do so: Last year, Canada levied a 10 percent tax on the buying of luxury aircraft, boats, and cars, the Post noted.

The public understands inequality, and the public understands the inequality of the impact of climate change, David Schlosberg, the director of the University of Sydneys Sydney Environment Institute, told The Washington Post. Specific taxes on high-emitting behaviors are gaining favor across the public, so I could see in a number of countries the pressure increasing to do something.

That sort of action wont be a cure-all, but it will impose a greater burden on those who are contributing more than their fair share to the worlds climate crisis.

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From delicious salad to epic mythology, we owe a lot to Greece. And dont even get us started on gyrosbut instead of naming our child tzatziki (although, it does kinda have a nice flavorerring to it), we discovered 20 Greek baby names that are worthy of your future offspring. Here, the cutest ones to add to your list.

100 Uncommon Baby Names to Help Your Child Stand Out from the Crowd

1. Athena

Twenty20

Athena is the Goddess of Wisdom in Greek mythology. Give this one to your baby girl and shes sure to be a child prodigy.

2. Kostas

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Fans of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants will recognize this name from the movie. (Hint: He was a total heartthrob.) That said, Kostas dates way back as a Greek given name with a meaning of steadfast.

3. Calista

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This melodic feminine name of Greek and Latin origin has ties to a mythological Arcadian with the power to transform into a she-bear. It means the most beautiful.

4. Achilles

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A mythological Trojan war hero from Homers Iliad whose name means pain. (And lets just say, stay off his heel.)

5. Thalia

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In Greek mythology, Thalia is one of the Three Graces and the muse of comedy. Give this one to a little girl and there will never be a dull moment.

6. Nikos

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Originally a nickname derived from the Greek given name Nikolaos, Nikos has evolved to be a standalone masculine moniker. It has a vibe thats both traditional and unique, plus a fierce meaning of victory of the people.

7. Hera

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In Greek mythology, Hera is the Goddess of marriage, protector of women in childbirth and queen of the Olympian gods. Yep, the future is most definitely female.

8. Theodora

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This melodic feminine moniker can be traced back to ancient Mycenaean Greek. It means Gods gift.

9. Kristos

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A decidedly fresher and more unique version of the Greek name Christopher with the same meaning: bearer of Christ.

10. Clio

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This gender-neutral name is well-suited to a future academic or musician, given that it is the name of the muse of history and lyre playing in Greek mythology.

11. Ariadne

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A Cretan princess in Greek mythology whose name boasts a lofty meaning of most holy and a super cute nickname of Ari to boot.

12. Isidore

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This masculine moniker is derived from a Greek given name that means gift of Isis, which is a badass reference to the Ancient Egyptian Goddess of Healing. Plus, how cute is the nickname Izzy?

13. Paris

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Here, a gender-neutral place name with a classy feel, ties to a prince from Greek mythology and a meaning of the lover.

14. Dimitrios

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Earth-lover is the meaning of this sturdy sounding masculine name, which also implies being a follower of Demeter (i.e., the Greek goddess of agriculture). We see a green thumb in your boys future.

15. Hercules

Yifei Fang/Getty Images

Probably the best known figure from Greek mythology, Hercules is a famed demi-god and fearless warrior who went from zero to hero, just like that. (Its all in the Disney movie, friends.)

16. Penelope

everste/Getty Images

Or Penny for shortthis classic feminine name meaning weaver comes from Homers epic poem The Odyssey. (Its also seriously fun to say.)

17. Rhea

ti-ja/Getty Images

This gentle feminine name of Greek origin means flowing river and boasts powerful associations with motherhood and family.

18. Daphne

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Daphne is a perky feminine moniker with Greek origins, ties to a mythological nymph and a lovely botanical meaning of laurel tree.

19. Ajax

evgenyatamanenko/Getty Images

The fierce sound of this masculine moniker meaning eagle matches its Greek history as the name of a famous Trojan war hero from Homers Iliad. Were getting too-cool-for-school vibes here.

20. Orion

Pekic/Getty Images

A given name of Greek origins and a famous constellation, this masculine moniker means rising in the sky. (Makes sense, right?)

105 Irish Baby Names That Were Totally Going to Steal
The end of 2023 is fast approaching and theres no better time to reflect on your upcoming New Years resolutions. If youre one of the zodiac signs who will have the best year 2024, youll be delighted to see what the stars have in store for you next year. In 2023, the highs were high and the lows were low, but the astrology of 2024 is a chance to start fresh. This year is driving you toward revolutionary pursuits, so dont be surprised if your lifeand the rest of the worldlooks very different by the time we reach 2025.

2024 begins with lucky planet Jupiter no longer retrograde, instilling the collective with hope, faith, and optimism for a brighter future ahead. Mercury retrograde will also have come to an end in Sagittarius on January 1, bringing ideas, thoughts, and long-term goals back to speed. This cosmic pick-me-up is followed by Plutos big return to change-agent Aquarius on January 20, as well as Uranus stationing direct on January 27. Rethinking your values could usher in unexpected opportunities and fresh perspectives, especially when it comes to the astrological houses ruled by Taurus and Aquarius in your birth chart. Dont be afraid to test your luck and venture outside of what is familiar to you. You could discover an untapped talent or an unconventional source of income.

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The more grounded you are, the easier it will be to navigate the first eclipse season of 2024. Taking place just days after the spring equinoxnot to mention an unpredictable Mars-Uranus squarethere will be a lunar eclipse in Libra on March 25, followed by a solar eclipse in Aries on April 8. This chaotic period will encourage you to let go of the connections and commitments that arent reciprocating your investments, allowing you to unapologetically take control of your life and lead with confidence and independence. On April 20, a riveting Jupiter-Uranus conjunction in Taurus could bring shocking developments that are surprisingly beneficial to you. The best part? Venus will join forces with Jupiter in Taurus on May 23, adding to the abundance. Mark this date on your calendars, as this will be one of the most auspicious moments of 2024.

By May 25, lucky Jupiter will make its debut in Gemini for the first time since 2013, where it will remain until 2025. This 13-month-long transit will quench our collective curiosities and promote growth in global communications. Harness this mentally stimulating energy by diving into intellectual pursuits. Before 2024 comes to a close, there will be a partial lunar eclipse on September 17, taking place in Pisces for the first time in almost 10 years. Where is Pisces located in your chart? And what were you up to back in March 2015? It could explain what this next journey will have in store for you. This is the first of an eclipse series that will continue throughout 2025-2026, so consider this a prelude for whats to come.

These 4 Zodiac Signs Will Have the Best Year 2024

If your sun sign, moon sign, or most importantly, your rising sign falls under any of the following zodiac signs, the year 2024 could be one to remember. Heres why:

Aries

Youre wonderful just as you are, but 2024 could be the year you decide to reinvent yourself, Aries. This is especially true with the North Node continuing its adrenaline-filled journey through your first house of the self, fueling your inner fire and desire to succeed, but theres more. Powerhouse Pluto will re-enter your 11th house of community affairs on January 20, offering you a chance to transform your future goals, as well as your sense of belonging in the world. Theres a big chance youre achieving everything you set out to accomplish in 2024. Marsyour ruling planetwill eventually join forces with Pluto in Aquarius on February 14, making you a formidable force to be reckoned with in your community. Be sure to get clear on your goals, so you can harness this ultra-powerful synergy to your best ability.

This year, Aries season is accompanied by a lunar eclipse that will charge up your relationship sector on March 25, followed by a solar eclipse in Aries on April 8. Set aside what has been inhibiting you from fully committing to yourself, as this is equivalent to a green light from the cosmos. An exciting new chapter of life awaits, as you will be presented with an opportunity to take your power back and rid yourself of deceptive energies youve unconsciously committed to. Breaking free never felt so good.

An invigorating Jupiter-Uranus conjunction on April 20 could surprise you with an unexpected windfall, leading you towards a new financial path. It wouldnt hurt to play the lotto or test your luck, as Venus will eventually join forces Jupiter in your second house of personal wealth. It doesnt get much more abundant than this. Read your full horoscope for the year 2023.

Taurus

Your ambitions are strong in 2024, so keep your eyes on the prize. With alchemical Pluto returning to your 10th house of authority in January, themes surrounding your occupation, reputation, and public persona will be of greater emphasis. Forging a deeper commitment to your professional goals could allow you to make a tremendous impact in the world. Some of you may even decide to rethink your day-to-day schedule by the time the lunar eclipse in Libra takes place on March 25, as youll want to maximize your potential and become even more energized and efficient.

The world is your oyster, Taurus! Jupiter will form a conjunction with change-maker Uranus in your first house of the self on April 20, inspiring you to reintroduce yourself to the world. Contemplating whether to launch that new online business? There has never been a better time for a new venture. On May 23, Venusyour planetary rulerwill also be joining Jupiter in a highly prosperous conjunction in Taurus on May 23. In addition to showing the world your true value, this alignment could increase your financial status and help you redefine your personal brand. This is by far one of the luckiest transits youll ever experience in your entire life, so make it count! After Jupiter enters Gemini and your second house of finances on May 25, you will begin to cultivate even more money-making abilities.

On September 17, a lunar eclipse in Pisces will shake up your 11th house of community and inspiration, bringing significant changes to your social life and means of connecting with your extended network that last for the following six months. This eclipse will shift your trajectory and show you a new vision for the future. It will also bring a professional chapter to a close for good. Read your full horoscope for the year 2023.

Gemini

Theres nothing you seek more than intellectual stimulation, Gemini. Lucky for you, 2024 is bringing you endless ideas and wisdom. Powerhouse Pluto will make its comeback to Aquariusyour fellow air signon January 20, resuming its life-changing journey through your ninth house of adventure, belief systems, publishing, and self-discovery. If you happen to work in mediaor you simply enjoy scrolling through the internetyour ability to influence the masses and expand your perception of the world will receive a boost. Go-getter Mars will also join Pluto in this area of your chart on February 14, adding an empowering and volatile energy into the mix. Be discerning when it comes to following your social and intellectual instincts, even if that means redirecting your energy to something more meaningful.

Get ready for a change of heart by springtime, as the lunar eclipse in Libra on March 25 and the solar eclipse in Aries on April 8 could ignite a new a passion project (or perhaps even a new romantic connection). Befriending new community of like-minded individuals, whether in-person or via social media, is also a possibility. In any event, youre no longer shying away from taking the stage and withholding your spiritual contributions from the rest of the world.

Jupiterplanet of bounty and abundancewill also be entering to your zodiac sign on May 25 for the first time since 2013. This transit is making you the celestial favorite of 2024, so congratulations on all this extra luck and expansion! The largest planet in the solar system is offering you a chance to grow, expand, and explore intellectual pursuits that could benefit you in the long-term. Read your full horoscope for the year 2023.

Capricorn

If life has been working you to the bone, dont worry. Youre almost out of the woods for good, Capricorn! Plutoplanet of death and rebirthwill finally conclude its journey through your zodiac sign on January 20, where it has been challenging your sense of self since 2007. Its safe to say youve had enough transformation for an entire lifetime.

On a brighter noteand just in time for the first eclipse season of 2024lucky Jupiter will join forces with Uranus via your fifth house of love, creativity, and self-expression on March 4. Get ready to invent something wildly unconventional and new in your life, Capricorn. An unexpected opportunity for a love affair could tug on your heartstrings, if not inspire a newfound creative passion entirely. But wait, it gets better! Pleasure-seeking Venus will eventually meet with Jupiter in fellow earth sign Taurus on May 25, bringing value, romance, and abundance to this area of your life. Because the earth element is tangible and lucrative, this could lead to an opportunity for you to ground your artistic vision and earn a stable income in the process. This energy is also highly fertile, making it ideal for the birth of something new in your life, including children if youre interested in becoming a parent.

As if this wasnt enough reason to get started on an exciting new project, Mars will also join forces Uranus in Taurus on July 15. Get ready for inspiration to strike you like lightning, as a shocking level of momentum could propel you toward a brand-new reality. Read your full horoscope for the year 2023.

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P

olitical scientists have taught us that, in times of crisis, decision-makers and statesmen should remain aloof from the noise of the media and politicised attempts to divert attention from the actual direction of events. Meaningful moves are military in nature or carry economic weight. Political moves that affect the global balance of power will henceforth determine tales of war or peace and tension or harmony in the world. War generally brings about a fog that creates mirages in which colours, earth and water mix and shift depending on the light.

Amidst the cracks and the thunder of guns and bombs in the fifth Gaza war, a Chinese-American summit was held on the fringe of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum in California. A similar summit was held on the side-lines of the G20 in Indonesia last year. Last weeks summit follows a series of meetings that covered almost all strategic issues between the two countries from the question of Taiwan to drug-related concerns. The meetings and accompanying positive statements they made picked up pace at the end of October and they brought together US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and the governor of California with their Chinese counterparts, which brought us to the meeting between Xi and Biden.

Although the war in the Middle East, which began on 7 October, continued to rage while the two heads-of-state met, it had very little effect on their meetings. This is rather surprising given that both countries support the two-state solution to the intractable Palestinian question. That the US-China summit has nearly disappeared from the headlines can only mean one thing: the two superpowers were discussing crucial matters possibly related to the reordering of world politics.

The most important fact, here, is that, until the fifth Gaza war erupted, the main event since the Covid-19 pandemic and the Ukrainian crisis is that Chinas rise to the status of superpower is now taken for granted. Yet, during the Gaza crisis, the worlds second superpower did not behave as such, but rather confined itself to signals and statements. Hamas attack on 7 October came at a time when the world was preoccupied with Ukraine. This created a vacuum that the US hastened to fill when the Gaza war erupted.

Russia is caught in the vice of a war it has failed to win, and Putin appears torn between a strategy for winning and a strategy for retreat. China is a completely different story. Economically, its GDP at purchasing power parity surpasses that of the US and, technologically, it is expanding horizontally across the planet and vertically into outer space. While the US is withdrawing from the Middle East in order to focus on Europe and the Indo-Pacific, China holds an Arab-Chinese summit in Saudi Arabia, weaves a new bond between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and spreads its influence along the Belt and Road. But the most pressing Chinese riddle at present is what is it doing about the current Middle East crisis. Its denunciation of the war, whether of the Hamas attack or the Israeli response, was faint and the voice of the Chinese envoy to the Middle East was barely audible. The Chinese presidents visit to the US was of central concern in Beijing, while the Middle East was barely visible in the summit.

On the other hand, the US riddle is multifaceted. At the beginning of the crisis, Washington stood solidly behind Israel, bringing with it overwhelming European support while telling the Arabs that it wants to turn the crisis into an opportunity to promote peace on the basis of the two-state solution.

Investing all that support in Israel has yielded nothing. It did not stop Israeli bombardments of Palestinian hospitals, despite US warnings. The growing gap between the US and Israel became yawning when the latter openly stated its intentions to, firstly, stage another Nakba in the direction of Egypt; secondly, level the whole of Gaza to the ground; thirdly, reoccupy Gaza for an indefinite period and perhaps rebuild its settlements there; fourthly, run rampage in the West Bank to create a parallel Nakba in the direction of Jordan; and, fifthly, to invite a war with Hizbullah and another with the Houthis in Yemen. In short, Israel has been working against everything the US wanted to achieve. The Israeli tone towards the US was cold and, in some quarters, derisive. One recalls that Bill Clinton, after meeting Netanyahu at the White House for the first time, wondered out loud who the real superpower was.

In sum, the US is up to its nuclear and conventional ears in a region from which it has long since decided to ostensibly withdraw because its main interests reside in Asia. China has, up to now, been reserved. Perhaps it fears being sucked in too deeply into the turbulent seas of the Middle East. A summit conference in the region or building a bridge between Saudi Arabia and Iran (both of which are linked to China through major economic interests) are one thing. The bottomless seas of the Arab-Israeli conflict are another, and the Palestinian question is so mine-ridden that it could blow up in Chinas face, especially given that it is a historic friend of the Arabs. Meanwhile, technology and the US are forging powerful bonds with Israel.

So, what did the Beijing-Washington summit in San Francisco accomplish? If the Middle East was so remote from the superpowers table, what did they agree on? Or is China an altogether new kind of superpower?

* A version of this article appears in print in the 23 November, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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There are many reasons why someone might decide to bleach their hair and make it lighter. It could be a desire to overhaul their appearance, a way to camouflage gray, or something theyve been doing for years and cant quit. When it comes to how to bleach hair, there are two ways to do it: professionally at a salon or at home.

With beauty prices skyrocketing, especially highlights and high-lift color, the desire to bleach and color your hair at home may sound appealing. But a lot more goes into a DIY bleach job than you may think. Ahead, we break down everything you need to know about how to bleach hair at home, how to do it sans damage, should you go that route, and when its time to leave the process to the experts.







Meet Our Expert

Sharon Dorram is a celebrity colorist and owner of Sharon Dorram Color at Sally Hershberger Salon in New York City.

Cassandra Olivia is a hairstylist and colorist in New Castle County, Delaware.

Joseph Randall, hairstylist and owner of Color Haus in Charlotte, North Carolina.







What Is Hair Bleaching?

Hair bleaching is exactly what it sounds like using hair bleach (not household bleach) to lighten the hair's color. While bleaching your hair may sound fun and simple, it's anything but that. Dorram says people usually choose to bleach their hair at home because of budget. "Some people do not prioritize hair color in their beauty budget. Hair color is the least invasive way to look your best." The other reason for at-home bleaching is the convenience factor. "Everyone is busy. If you are handy, you may be able to get away with doing your color."

Going from black to bleach blonde in the privacy of your bathroom isn't realistic. Olivia says usually, at most, you can lighten hair one to two shades lighter than its current color. "Of course, this varies based on your natural hair color. Blondes and light brunettes can succeed more with at-home bleach than people with dark or black hair."

Is At-Home Bleaching Safe?

When it comes to how to bleach the hair, it's a whole other ballgame from a DIY single-process color. Dorram doesn't recommend lightening or bleaching your hair at home and, instead, leaving it to the pros. "There can be hazards to doing it yourself and lots of damage." Furthermore, she doesn't advise anyone with already colored hair to bleach at home, which can impair the hair's health, causing frizz, breakage, dullness, and hard-to-manage hair. "I also don't suggest anyone with very dark or curly hair do it because the result will always look unnatural. Dark hair can look brassy, reddish, or orange, and curly hair can make it difficult to create natural-looking highlights instead of stripes."

Randall says the only upside to DIY bleaching is maybe the cost. "But on the other hand, you get what you pay for. You have to understand the chemical science behind bleaching and the processes, and then you may be able to achieve a good result at home."

Related: The 10 Best Blonde Hair Colors, According to Celeb Colorists

As Olivia explains, the health of your hair plays a vital role in bleaching. Hair fraught with split or snarled ends is dehydrated, and chemicals and excessive exposure to bleach can worsen things. "Healthier hair always fares better during the bleaching process because it can withstand the damage that hair color causes," she says. "I've seen clients come into the salon with chunks of hair that split off and break because the hair was so weak from at-home coloring."

Getty Images

How to Choose the Right At-Home Products

Bleaching your hair at home involves mixing a lightening agent, either liquid or powder, with a developer, such as hydrogen peroxide, to open the cuticle and pull pigment out of the hair. The ingredients are the biggest difference between bleach and the corresponding color products used at home versus by your colorist. Randall explains that professional-grade hair-lightening products have ingredients of higher potency. "Typically, at-home kits do not offer the same level of power."

Investing in a hair bleaching kit is better than trying to piece together what you need. "The kits available are very basic," Dorram says. "They usually contain powder and a liquid bleach, which makes for easy application. Low-volume peroxide non-ammonia bleach products from professional companies like L'Oreal and Clairol are best." Some even contain toner. There are also bleach and color kits, like IGK's new Color Bright, to create a two-tone look, pop your money pieces, or dip-dye hair, and lightening kits from Madison Reed with everything needed to lighten hair at home.

How to Bleach Hair

1. Take Safety Precautions

For starters, please make sure you're working in a well-ventilated room and wearing a mask. "It's a good idea to invest in a professional coloring cape to keep your clothes clean," Olivia suggests. "Wear clothes that you don't care about in case they get bleached in the process. And prep your space by putting down old towels on the sink and floor and remove anything you wouldn't want to get damaged by the chemicals."

2. Wash and Dry Hair

Next, you'll want to wash your hair with a clarifying shampoo and use a conditioning treatment before bleaching it. Dorram recommends Virtue's Purifying Shampoo ($32) and Restorative Treatment Mask ($34). Then, dry the hair completely without using any styling or leave-in products, including oils, which can interfere with the color's development.







Tips

There's no need to wash your hair before bleaching it. In fact, the dirtier the hair, the better! Shampooing the hair before bleaching it can strip away its natural oils, which may dry it and the scalp. Plus, when the scalp has ample natural oil, bleach is less likely to cause micro tears and irritation.







3. Strip Test

Before placing bleach all over the hair, Dorram says to strip-test a small piece of hair below the ear. "Leave the bleach on for the time instructed, and make sure you like the results." She recommends doing the same with toner. "Leave it on for two to three minutes and dry the strand test before using it all over the head." Once you are happy with the color and degree of lightness on the test strands, it's time to apply the bleach all over while looking into a mirror.

4. Protect the Hairline

Apply coconut oil or a scalp color protector to the hairline, which can maintain the scalp's pH levels. Bleach is an alkaline product that can irritate the scalp (especially if yours is sensitive), so protecting it can reduce the risk of irritations and even post-coloring itching.

Getty Images

5. Mix the Bleach

Mix the bleach with the liquid developer in a bowl to create a single solution. Adding developer to bleach forces open the hair's cuticle to lift away the existing color and allow it to lighten.

6. Section the Hair

Separate the hair into four large sections (two in the back and two on top) with a comb or the handle of a color brush. Each section should be clean and well delineated from the next so you can easily apply the bleach without overlapping it onto the hair.

7. Apply Bleach

Use a hair dye brush to apply the mixed bleach to the hair. Start by concentrating on the back of the head and areas where the hair is darkest while avoiding direct application to the scalp (keep the bleach at least one inch away). Make sure to apply the bleach from the mid-shaft down until the entire section is well covered.

After the back of the head is complete, apply the bleach to the top of the head and then the front sections of hair. Dorram recommends taking thin strips of hair that frame the face and separating them away from the rest of the hair with a piece of cotton, Saran wrap, or foil. "Be careful that the hair you are lightening doesn't touch the rest of your hair."

8. Process and Rinse

Set a timer for 30 to 45 minutes and let the bleach process. The hair should lift to a banana-yellow color, not orange or red (unless that's the look you are going for). Then, rinse out the bleach using water and a wet towel. You can also spray down the hair with a water bottle to prevent the bleach from lifting further. Repeat until you reach the desired shade of lift.



9. Shampoo and Condition

Shampoo the hair with a gentle shampoo until the bleach runs out thoroughly. You'll want to make sure that all of the bleach is out of the hair. Otherwise, if the lightener or developer lingers in the hair, it can affect its health and moisture levels.

10. Apply Toner

Apply toner to the hair to achieve the right tone for your hair, but only use it if the bleach causes the hair to appear too light, ashy, or brassy or if you want to add cool or warm tones to your hair. Work the toner all over the head and leave it on for 10 minutes. Then, shampoo it out.



Related: The 18 Best Toners of 2023, Tested and Reviewed

Aftercare and Maintenance

In the end, if you're unhappy with the results, make an appointment with your colorist. Trying to cover up a bleach job gone awry isn't as simple as slapping on some temporary or box hair color. "No matter what, don't try to fix it at home," Olivia says. "It's a recipe for fried, damaged hair."

Lightening the hair to the desired shade of blonde is the easy part. Keeping it that way is more tedious. There's plenty to do to preserve your hair's health and bright, sharp color. Olivia says after coloring the hair, keep it out of the sun and wash it less frequently. "You can use a purple shampoo to counteract yellow tones that may develop."

Anytime the hair is lightened, it loses moisture, which needs to be replenished. "The best way to rehydrate the hair is with ingredients and products that boost the hair's health," Olivia says. "Cannabinoids, specifically CBD, CBC, and CBG, provide intense moisture to hair and help restore the natural balance of oils on the scalp and within the hair to help repair it. I recommend LEAF + FLOWER CBD Instant Damage Correction Shampoo and Conditioner. They both work to address the needs of compromised hair using a highly active cannabinoid blend of CBD, CBC, and CBG to leave hair feeling soft and manageable while adding shine and reducing frizz." Conditioning masks are also important to use weekly. "Some of my favorites are from Virtue, K18, and Shu Uemura," Dorram says. "They will keep your hair shiny, bouncy, and healthy!"

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you bleach your hair wet or dry?

You should only bleach dry hair. Olivia explains that the color will not lift as much on wet hair as on dry hair. "Wet hair is also more fragile," she says.

How many times can you bleach your hair in one session?

Once at most. Overbleaching the hair in a single session can cause major breakage and damage thats hard to repair.



Can you use purple shampoo as a toner?

A traditional toner is always best if you don't have one on hand, Randall says you can use purple shampoo as a toner if, and only if, the hair is lifted to a light or pale yellow after bleaching. "If the hair has not reached that yellow shade, the purple shampoo will not serve any purpose. So if the hair is more yellow-orange or 'brassy,' you will need a blue shampoo to provide any toning of the hair."



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Confederate relics were discovered in the Congaree River during a cleanup of toxic coal tar. These relics were displayed Nov. 13, 2023, during a public event on the Congaree.

Civil War weapons  including bullets, cannonballs and rusty swords  are among the debris pulled from the Congaree River in South Carolina during a year-long cleanup project targeting toxic coal tar on the waterway's banks.

The Civil War era haul wasn't surprising to Sean Norris, archaeological program manager at environmental consulting firm TRC. Previous underwater investigation "indicated the presence of multiple types of cannonballs and projectiles as well as hundreds, if not thousands of musket rounds," Norris told Live Science in an email.

In fact, historical records list thousands of additional items captured from Confederate troops. "We were not certain whether those items were deposited in the river along with the ordnance," he said.

The centuries-old artifacts ended up in the river in February 1865, when Columbia, the state's capital and a strategically important railroad city, was occupied by the Union Army under the command of General William Tecumseh Sherman, who marched northward into South Carolina following his successful campaign in Savannah, Georgia.

Shermans capture of Columbia was brief but chaotic; mobs of Confederate soldiers and townspeople plundered businesses and warehouses , fires raged, and with no army to defend it against Union forces, the mayor surrendered the town. Much of Columbia was burned to the ground, and the Union army dumped captured Confederate munitions into the Congaree River, including over a million ball cartridges, more than 26,000 pounds of gunpowder, thousands of sabres and bayonets, and even backpacks and tents.

Related: Remains of 4 Confederate soldiers, amputated legs and gold coins found at a Civil War battlefield in Virginia

A cannonball rests on the muddy ground next to a red bucket and a whiteboard

The Congaree River was a dumping ground in more recent times as well. From 1906 to the mid-1950s, a manufactured gas plant now owned by Dominion Energy, which used coal and oil to make gas for cooking and heating, created the toxic byproduct coal tar, which they dumped into the river.

"Dominion Energy has been advocating for the recovery and preservation of these artifacts since this project began over 10 years ago," Norris said, but the presence of Civil War unexploded ordnance  live ammunition  made the process challenging.

River cleanup finally started in spring 2022 and wrapped up in October of this year. Norris and his team recovered many, but not all, of the types of ordnance listed in the Civil War inventory records, in addition to Native American arrowheads and more modern trash, like car parts and appliances.

Relics associated with Sherman's destruction of Columbia that were found during cleanup include bullets, cannonballs and swords, some of which were displayed at a press conference on Nov. 13. At least one unexploded ordnance was recovered and dealt with by munitions experts at Shaw Air Force Base.

Examples of different sizes of canister and grapeshot recovered in Congaree River cleanup project.

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Although many of the metal objects found by archaeologists were corroded from their decades'-long stint in the river, the cleanup project has produced a wealth of artifacts that "helped to locate and isolate the extent of the Sherman Dump Site in the Congaree River," South Carolina state underwater archaeologist James Spirek told Live Science in an email. The newly discovered artifacts also "add a little more detail to the events surrounding the Union troops' disposal of the war material in the river," Spirek added.

The site of the Civil War ordnance dump is already eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, but more information may be forthcoming. "We are in the final phases of screening and recovery now," Norris said.
Authorities in North Bradford, Connecticut, arrested a man for allegedly killing his daughters Bulldog on Monday, Nov. 13, NBC Connecticut reports.

At the scene, responding officers discovered Arnaldo Silva, 51, covered in blood and a trail of blood from the living room to Silvas bedroom. Thats where North Bradford Police found the deceased 2-year-old Bulldog, belonging to Silvas daughter as well as a blood-stained kitchen knife inside the dogs kennel. The dogs body was sent to a veterinary hospital for an autopsy.

Police statements indicated that Silva, potentially intoxicated or under the influence of drugs, had an active warrant and showed a lack of cooperation during questioning. They transported him to the hospital for treatment of his injuries.

Now facing charges of animal cruelty and threatening in the second degree, Silva is due in court in December. Im not gonna say nothing, Silva told NBC Connecticut after leaving the police station. It was an accident. I tripped, I fell into my wall. I tripped over him. Hes always around my feet. I drank too much, and I fell off.

Man also threatened to kill daughters boyfriend

According to New Haven Register, Silvas daughter informed the authorities that she had gone to her boyfriends place for the night on Monday. However, Silva left her a voicemail around 10:45 p.m., notifying her of her Bulldogs death. When she called back, Silva mentioned the dogs death before abruptly ending the call.

She rushed to her home, along with her boyfriend and a female friend. Upon arrival, they found the dog lying motionless in the living room corner while Silva, intoxicated, was sitting on the couch.

As the couple tried to comfort the dog, Silva allegedly threatened the boyfriend twice, saying, Im going to kill you one day, before going to his bedroom, as per court documents.

The post Connecticut Man Arrested for Killing Daughters Dog appeared first on DogTime.
Most of us might stretch to a few tens of thousands of pounds when it comes to refurbishing our homes or buying a new car. Sir Tim Clark, the British-born president of Emirates airlines, has just signed a $2billion refurb cheque. Its very good news for British travellers because the lions share will be lavished on the jet that we like more than any other: the Emirates Airbus A380 superjumbo.

Airbus has stopped making the 500-seat double-checker Clipper of the skies as it concentrates on smaller single-deck, twin-engine jets to compete with Boeing, which stopped making its four-engine 747 earlier this year. Emirates Gulf-based rivals, Qatar Airways and Abu Dhabi flag carrier Etihad, say they will ditch their A380s in the next few years. But Emirates is doubling down.

In an interview with Telegraph Travel at the Dubai Airshow last week, Clark said: The A380 will remain Emirates flagship product and a vital pillar of our network plans. Well keep all of them going for as long as possible. Its going to be the late 2030s, maybe early 2040s, before we wave goodbye to the last one.

The seatback TV screens in economy will be the largest on any carrier - Emirates

A handful of the carriers A380s have already been refitted, but the tsunami of demand for air travel since the end of the pandemic has convinced Clark to commit to installing thousands of brand new economy and premium economy seats, and hundreds of business- and first-class suites across his entire 116-strong A380 fleet. (To put the size of Emirates fleet in perspective, British Airways, Qantas and Singapore Airlines have the second largest operational fleets in the world with 12 A380s each).

All Emirates A380s flying to and from UK airports  103 flights per week  will be refurbished by 2025 in the first stage of the two-year refit programme, which will be conducted in specially configured hangars in Dubai. As well as reintroducing A380s on all routes on which it operated before Covid, Emirates is increasing its use. It now flies the jet to 48 cities, including Bali, Bangalore and Istanbul.

On the lower deck, 56 new premium economy seats will be installed in the nose cone, which means passengers can get on and off quickly using the front door, and will have three bathrooms. Behind premium economy there will be 338 refurbished economy seats, which will have a pitch (measure of legroom) of up to 34 inches, the most generous in the sky.

Emirates will be installing hundreds of new business class and first class suites across its entire 116-strong A380 fleet - Emirates

At 13.3 inches, the seatback TV screens will also be the largest in the cheap seats on any carrier. Twelve seats have no seat in front of them and vast legroom, and can be reserved for a fee. These are the best value long-haul seats you can buy, and a lifesaver if you have to go to Australia at the back of the bus.

Upstairs, the 76 new business-class suites will have new quilted cream leather seats and new lighter wood veneer. The overhead bins on each side will be removed to create a greater sense of space. The bar will have a larger sofa on one side and a table for four on the other. All the new seats will have seatbelts, so you dont have to abandon your champagne if it gets choppy.

The walls of the 14 first-class suites will be higher and the seat wider and better upholstered. First-class passengers will get new pyjamas and slippers and can use the upgraded showers. Unlike most other carriers  including arch rival Qatar Airways  Clark is committed to first class because demand is maxed out.

Motifs of the ghaf tree, a symbol of the United Arab Emirates, will be added on walls across the jet, including in the showers. All the carpets will be replaced. All the refurbished jets will offer superfast Wi-Fi that is reliable (BA, take note).

Emirates bought just under half of the 251 A380s Airbus built before Airbus scrapped the programme and it now operates three-quarters of the number of jets still in service  as well as BA, Singapore Airlines and Qantas, the other operators are Qatar Airways, Etihad, Korean Air, ANA and Thai Airways.

First-class suites will have upgraded showers - Emirates

Clark is so committed to the $550 million big bird that he revealed that a few of the carriers oldest A380s have been stripped down and will be used to provide spare parts for the current fleet to keep it in the air as long as possible. The fuselage, which cannot be reused, has been recycled to make baggage tags, suitcases and wheelie bags, stamped with details of the plane from which they were made.

The record investment is a bold move when new Gulf carriers are emerging to challenge Emirates dominance of the regional hub and spoke model. Qatar Airways and Etihad continue to expand. Etihads new home, Midfield Airport, has just opened. Former Etihad boss, Lancashire born Tony Douglas, is investing tens of billions of dollars to set up Riyadh Air, a new national carrier for Saudi Arabia that will operate from a new seven runway airport in Riyadh.

But Clark insists: Theres plenty [of] demand to go around because of whats happening in the global economy. The Middle East is becoming an economic epicentre. Theres an awful lot of activity in Dubai which is attracting people. Its an enormously powerful magnet. Emirates made a record $2.6 billion profit in the first six months of this year.

Clark would like Airbus to rethink its decision to scrap the A380 programme because airports in many countries will remain constrained, so the only way to meet rising demand and keep fares reasonable is to operate larger aircraft but he concedes thats unlikely. Ive been banging on about this for ages, he says.

Luckily for him, passengers think hes still on the money. Emirates A380 flights from UK airports currently operate at 88 per cent capacity.

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 recent story by Newsweek warned residents of Sebastopol, California, about an escaped yellow-eyed wolf hybrid named Shadow. The wolfdog was missing for five days after fleeing from his home in nearby Santa Rosa. Fortunately, the two-year-old canine was captured by the authorities and returned to his owner, according to SFGate.

Search for wolf-dog hybrid comes to an end

North Bay Animal Services executive director, Mark Scott, received multiple reports about a canine described as twice the size of a [H]usky. Working with animal control officer Emily Crumm and Sebastopol police, the authorities were able to locate the hybrid. In order to guide him away from the center divide of Highway 12, they set up a traffic barrier, encouraging him toward Merced Avenue.

Unfortunately, there was a huge field nearby with 280 acres of land, so we were out there until around 9 or 10 oclock at night trying to get him to go toward the owners other dogs, Scott explained. He mentioned that Shadow is friendly with other animals and wasnt showing any signs of aggression. He was too much in flight mode. Continuing, Scott said, it was rainy and dark so we decided to let him stay where he was and try again [the next] morning.

When the group returned the following day, they spotted the hybrid wandering through the grasshundreds of yards away. After half an hour, animal control agents were able to coax the wolf-dog in the direction of the two [H]uskies he lives with.

Wolf hybrid popularity raises concerns

Reporting from The Mercury News sheds light on how the incident with Shadow raises concerns about whether owners are fit to take care of these breeds. After all, their popularity has risen significantly in the United States. In fact, according to estimates from the W.O.L.F. Sanctuary, there are approximately 250,000 to 500,000 wolves and wolf-dog hybrids living in homes across the country.



The demands of caring for wolf-dog hybrid breeds extend beyond navigating their escape prowess. Wolf hybrids need a large space to roam. Experts recommend owners provide a minimum of a half-acre of land with a secure fence around the property for these animals. Moreover, the hybrids high prey drive can pose a threat to small animals like cats and chickens. Therefore, its important that wolf hybrids dont have easy access to these other pets.

Nevertheless, the reality is that many new owners find themselves ill-prepared for the physical and social requirements of these wolf-dog hybrids. Tragically, a significant number end up confined to small cages or chained. Startling statistics reveal that 90% of pet wolfdogs are euthanized by age two in California. This sobering fact highlights the critical need for education among those interested in these unique pets.

The post Escaped Wolf-Dog Hybrid Captured and Returned Home appeared first on DogTime.
This fall, North Carolinas High Point Furniture Market, a look-see of the latest designs in the world of furnishings, has also helped to redefine designs role in our lives.

An industry that accounts for hundreds of billions of annual sales worldwide is about more than just pretty sofas, unique knickknacks and comfy mattresses. It is also one that can impact our well-being, a fact that is being robustly embraced by the design community.

At the latest Market, the word of the moment was "neuroaesthetics," the convergence of science and design for the benefit of the consumer. The term was coined in the late 1990s by Semir Zeki, neuroscientist and professor at the University of London.

The field has since amassed a growing body of evidence that design, architecture, the visual and performing arts and digital media carry significant power when it comes to positively impacting human biology and behavior.

To advance dialogue on this aspect of design, Hooker Furnishings, one of the nations largest publicly traded furniture companies, delved into science in design during a seminar that featured Mike Peterson, president of Science in Design, an organization that teaches interior designers about the positive effects of fine design on peoples physical and emotional health, with the intent to raise awareness of the industrys healing industry.

The future of medicine is in the home, Peterson said.

Wallpapers by Tricia Paoluccio reflect the the design industry's trend to nurture wellness through biophilic designs found in nature.

Science now backs what interior designers and architects  and anyone who has drawn comfort from their homes  instinctively knew: the spaces that surround us not only shape our mood, but they can make us healthier.

Architects and designers have a greater ability to improve public health than medical professionals, said Dr. Claudia Miller, professor of occupational and environmental medicine at the School of Medicine of the University of Texas Health Science Center.

In addition to Hooker, Science in Design has also partnered with Benjamin Moore, 3M, the Phillips Collection and Trio on a certification course designers can use to incorporate neuroaesthetics into residential and commercial projects.

Humans respond emotionally to their environment, so it stands to reason that a key to improving health is improving the environment where people live. At the University of Pennsylvanias Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics, researchers are currently examining the role of the built environment upon individual wellness and how the human body is engineered to respond to specific stimuli from places inhabited.

To create spaces that reach that response, 3M has created Visual Attention Software (VAS), software that predicts what attracts the subliminal brain, key to deciphering what makes humans tick, since out of 11 million bits of information the human brain can process each second, only 50 of these are handled by the conscious mind.

Your animal nature directs you, Peterson added.

Animal nature has defined what we like in our environment. For example, we generally eschew repetitive parallel lines because these tend to stress the brain and promote headaches, probably because our ancestors of long, long ago lived in forests with nary a straight line, much less multiples of them.

On the other hand, the never-ending patterns of the non-regular geometric shape known as fractals make us feel good. Fractals occur naturally, their infinite complexity derived from relatively simple equations. Think of the sheer wonder of snowflakes.

Gen Z designer Nathan Anthony Mai created the "Bear" chair to elicit an emotional response that promotes wellness.

Because humans evolved in a natural fractal-like environment, we never tire of them. Research has proven that these building blocks of natures patterns reduce stress and improve our physical health by giving eyes a break from the digital world and subtly delivering the essence of nature to the built environment.

As the industry pivots to increased awareness of neuroaesthetics, consumers will reap physical benefits of design through options such as Relaxing Floors, a modular carpet tile system designed by 13&9 in collaboration with Fractals Research and Mohawk Group.

The collection taps into consumers nature desire for fractals with stress-reducing biophilic patterns. Just being in a room with such patterns is good for you, without your conscious response even needing to kick in.

The need for a pleasurable aesthetic experience, a need hardwired into our DNA, is not optional, but rather it is imperative for our wellbeing.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: What is neuroaesthetics and how is it used in furniture design? Read on
How to Help Iran Protests 2023: Stand Up for Women, Life, & Freedom

When I saw photos of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini for the first time, I felt like I was looking at someone who was a part of my family; someone I know without a doubt I would have loved had I known her. Its a feeling every member of the Iranian diaspora is familiar with. And because the people of Iran desperately need our support and solidarity right now, its vital that we talk about how to help the protests in Iran in 2023.

More from StyleCaster

Iranians rarely agree on everything. They often disagree on whos to blame for the oppression that has gripped Iran like a disease for the past 40 years. They tend to have different opinions about what led to the 1979 revolution that overthrew the Pahlavi dynasty and subsequently replaced it with a regressive and oppressive dictatorship known as the Islamic Republic of Iran. And although there have been several protests in Iran since then, none have taken the world by a storm quite like this. Because of Mahsa Amini, Iranians all over world are united in their fierce determination to bring this brutal regime to an end. Their rallying cryWomen. Life. Freedom (zan, zendegi, azadi).

On October 1, a global call for anti-regime protests was answered. 20,000 people showed up to protest at Pershing Square in Los Angeles, proving that Tehrangeles is alive and well. Canadian police estimate that over 50,000 people showed up to march on Redmond Hill in Toronto. Even the brave women of Kabul, Afghanistan have taken to the streets to voice their support for the movement. Thousands have gathered for protests all over Europe and Asia. French actresses Marion Cotillard and Juliette Binoche have cut their hair in solidarity with the women of Iran.

Photo: Getty Images.

Although I was born in the United States, my mother was born in Kermanshah. She is Kurdish, just like Mahsa Jina Amini was, and shes been living with survivors guilt ever since she escaped to this country as a teenager. Let it be knownI dont know one Iranian person whos life hasnt been impacted by this regime on some level. Weve lost loved ones to this regime. We have loved ones who are still there, living under the hammer of theocracy and dictatorship. Above all, we have had our country, culture and way of life stolen from us.

As a member of the Iranian-American diaspora, I am used to feeling like no one cares about our people. To see this many people mobilizing in support of my mothers people gives me a feeling of hope that Ive never experienced before. No matter what happens, please dont stop caring. By and large, Iranians feel immense gratitude when you share their stories and show them solidarity. They need to know that were with them; that were watching, listening and standing with them as this courageous grassroots movement continues to grow.

What Are the Iran Protests About?

On September 12, 2022, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman named Mahsa Jina Amini left her home in the Saqqez province, a region of Iran known as Kurdistan. She was on her way to visit her brother in Tehran, the capital city of Iran. By the time she reunited with her brother on September 13, she had been arrested by what is known as the morality police due to a few strands of hair peeking through her headscarf. They took her to a station to be educated on the law that requires all women in Iran to keep their hair covered. By September 16, she had fallen into a coma and was eventually pronounced dead. Although the Islamic Republic alleges that she died of a heart attack, Aminis family claim she had no pre-existing heart problems. However, post-mortem CT scans show signs of skull fractures, hemorrhage and brain injury, painting a very different picture of what happened to her.

By September 17, the first protest erupted during Mahsa Aminis funeral. Protests have since swept every corner of the country, launching a revolution that has been largely led by protestors born after 2000 (Irans Generation Z). Womensome as young as pre-teenshave been burning their headscarves, cutting their hair and chanting death to the dictator, uniting them in their shared fury. Images have been circulating of young schoolgirls flipping the bird at the portrait of the Ayatollah Khamenei that hangs in every classroom in Iran. Men have also been at the forefront of these protests, because the demand for regime change did not just happen overnight. Its the result of a dictatorship that regularly persecutes its own people and denies them the basic human right to self-expression. In Iran, singing and dancing can get you killed. So can being a member of the LGBTQ community. These protests are also taking place in a country with rapidly rising poverty levels and limited opportunities, as US-led economic sanctions against Iran have contributed to a pressure cooker of problems in Iranian society.

Photo: Nika Shakarami.

These protests have been met with violence at the hands of the Islamic Republic. As of January 27, 2023, 488 people have been killed by security forces in Iran, according to Iran Human Rights (IHR NGO). This also includes 64 children and 39 women. At least 107 protesters are currently at risk of execution, death penalty charges or sentences. Furthermore, at least 55 people have been executed in the first 26 days of 2023. These numbers are likely higher, as these are the only deaths that are confirmed. 15,000 protestors have also been arrested in severe crackdowns and are at risk for imminent execution by the Supreme Leader of Iran for waging a war against God (as if Khamenei is on the same level as God). Kurdish regions of Iran are under heavy military siege by the Islamic republic of Iran, as Kurdish civilians are being systematically targeted, kidnapped, arrested and murdered. When an Iranian person attends a protest, they know theres a chance they wont make it back home.

Take 16-year-old Nika Shakarami, for example. On September 20, she left home to attend a protest in Tehran and disappeared for 10 days before her parents finally found her body at a morgue. When we went to identify her, they didnt allow us to see her body, only her face for a few seconds, Atash ShakaramiNikas aunttold BBC Persian. Government officials threatened her family and told them not to host a funeral. They later stole Nikas body, making sure that she was quickly buried in secret and laid to rest far away from home, presumably to prevent her from becoming a martyr. She was supposed to turn seventeen on October 2, the same day her family was finally able to transfer her body back to her fathers hometown of Khorramabad.

How to Help Protestors in Iran

1. Be their voice

Due to massive internet blackouts in Iran and the Islamic Republic severely limiting social media access, international awareness of these protests has been slow to spread. Iranians on the ground have been using VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) to bypass these restrictions to the internet so that they can continue posting about these protests and keeping the world updated on this ongoing revolution.

These internet crackdowns put in place by the Islamic Republic have robbed Iranians of their voice, which means they need the rest of the world to be their voice for them. If you do one thing to provide help to the protests in Iran, let it be thistalk about it. Ask questions and educate yourself. Dont be afraid to speak up or participate in this movement. As global scrutiny of the protests intensifies, so does the mounting pressure on the Islamic Republic of Iran.

MSNBC.

2. Make a donation

Due to U.S. sanctions against Iran, we cant send money directly to the protestors in Iran. However, here are some notable and reputable organizations that you can donate to:

The Iranian Diaspora CollectiveBecause mainstream media coverage has been lacking, this coalition of writers, artists, journalists and professionals of the Iranian diaspora seek to invest donated funds into purchasing advertising (billboards, print media, and digital media) in high-visibility locations. This will enable them to accelerate and extend the momentum related to the women-led protests in Iran. Currently, the IDC is working on Connectivity Is a Human Right, which is an initiative to Keep Iran Online by increasing on-the-ground VPN service, supporting the progress of VPN technology, and facilitating innovations in tech infrastructure that will circumvent internet shutdowns in the future. Help Keep Iran Online and create global visibility for whats going on in Iran by sending a donation.

The Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI)The whole purpose of this organization is to protect and fight for human rights in Iran. They will use funds to document and research all incidences of human rights violations that take place in Iran. You can make a donation here.

The Abdorrahman Boroumand Centeris a non-profit non-governmental non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of human rights and democracy in Iran. They monitor human rights violations in Iran and make them public knowledge by through research, documentation, publishing and public outreach. You can make a donation here.

3. Attend a protest

Thousands gather in downtown Los Angeles to protest for womens rights in Iran pic.twitter.com/GuRcPyAXT1  Brian Feinzimer (@bfeinzimer) October 1, 2022

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October 1, 2022 was a day of global anti-Iranian government protests all around the world. This is a powerful time to organize, rally and show support by attending a protest in or near your city. Whether youre simply driving by the protest and honking your horn in solidarity or youre designing your own poster and chanting with other Iranians, your presence at a protest is always welcomed and appreciated. Although its impossible for everyone at a protest to share the same views, rallying together for a uniting cause is incredibly symbolic (and ultimately healing). Together, we can focus on the task at handto support the people of Iran and show them that we have their back.

4. Sign a petition to stop executions

There are several petitions you can sign in support of bringing freedom and justice to the people of Iran. Help this important petition to the United Nations reach 1,000,000 signatures by signing it here.

5. Follow Iranian social media accounts

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The best way to receive up-to-date information about the Iran protests is by following Iranian activists and journalists on social media. Here are a few Instagram accounts to follow:

Iranian Diaspora Collectivean organization dedicated to global visibility for Iran (@iraniandiasporacollective)

Mojco-founder of the Iranian Diaspora Collective (@moj)

Roya Zahra Rastegarco-founder of the Iranian Diaspora Collective (@royazara)

Samira Mohyeddinan Iranian journalist (@smohyeddin)

Style Shahan Iranian social media influencer & activist(@styleshah)

1500tasviran Iranian activist (@1500tasvir)

Masih Alinejadan Iranian journalist (@masih.alinejad)

Nazanin Boniadian Iranian actress & a member of the CHRI board (@nazaninboniadi)

from: Irana feminist coalition of unheard Iranian voices (@from____iran)

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Fact checked by Nick Blackmer





Key Takeaways

Shingrix, a shingles vaccine in the U.S., provides seven to 10 years of protection following the initial two-dose administration, according to infectious disease experts.

Shingles vaccine efficacy may decline over time, influenced by factors such as age and the strength of a persons immune system.

There is currently no Shingrix booster shot.







The shingles vaccine used in the United States, called Shingrix, is more than 90% effective at preventing shingles. Since its only been FDA-approved since 2017, theres not an extensive amount of information about how long that effectiveness lasts. But research on the duration is emerging every year.

Shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful skin rash with blisters that can occur anywhere on the body, Sarath Nath, MD, an infectious disease expert and assistant professor at Stony Brook Medicine, told Verywell.

Its caused by varicella zoster virus (VZV), which is the same virus that causes chickenpox, Nath said. After a person recovers from chickenpox, the virus stays inactive in their body, however, it can reactivate years later, causing shingles.

One of the best ways to prevent shingles is to get vaccinated. If you get the Shingrix vaccine, heres how long its expected to provide protection and the factors that can impact its effectiveness over time.







Takeaway

About one in three people in the U.S. will develop shingles. An estimated 1 million people get the infection each year.







How Long Does The Shingles Vaccine Protect You?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Shingrix offers about seven years of protection against shingles. A 2022 study with over 7,400 participants looked at vaccine recipients five to seven years after vaccination, demonstrating it was still about 91% effective.

A study published earlier this month in BMJ assessed the efficacy of an older shingles vaccine, Zostavax, which used a weakened live varicella zoster virus. The results showed effectiveness of the live shingles vaccine is the highest in the first year after a person receives the shot, but declines over time. Vaccine effectiveness waned to 50% in the second year, 27% in the eighth year, and 15% after 10 years. Zostavax is no longer used in the U.S. precisely because of its lower efficacy.

The Shingrix vaccine is a recombinant vaccine and doesnt use the live virus.

The recombinant vaccine has been here only for a few years, Nath said. It is likely that the Shingrix vaccine is effective for even longer than seven years, but we will need time to know.

Related: Is the Second Shingrix Second Dose Worse Than the First?

Although the vaccines effectiveness may wane over time, Linda Yancey, MD, an infectious disease specialist at Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston, said that the vaccine does continue to provide protection against shingles.

All vaccines are most effective just after they have been given, Yancey told Verywell. There is no one answer to the question of how long a vaccine is effective. It is going to vary from person to person. Every patient is unique.







Who Should Get the Shingles Vaccine?

The CDC recommends adults aged 50 and older receive two doses of the Shingrix vaccine spaced two to six months apart. Those who are 19 years and older who have weakened immune systems because of disease or medication should also get two doses of the Shingrix vaccine.

If someone misses the second shot, they should start the two-shot series over again.







Factors That Impact Vaccine Effectiveness Over Time

Vaccine effectiveness can decline over time for various reasons, Nath said. One of those factors is waning immunity, where the bodys initial response to the vaccine weakens over the years. In addition, certain viruses and bacteria might change or mutate over time, potentially making the vaccine less effective against newer strains.

Other factors like age, health conditions, and individual immune responses may also contribute to the gradual decrease in vaccine effectiveness, Yancey said. For instance, treatments like chemotherapy and immunosuppressants can weaken the immune system and lessen how much protection a vaccine can offer.

The biggest impediment to effectiveness, however, is age.

Vaccines work best in people with strong immune systems, Yancey said. A healthy 50-year-old will get good robust protection for a long time, an ill 89-year-old, less so. However, some protection is better than no protection, so there is no age cap on the vaccine.

Related: Is Shingles Contagious?

Is There a Shingles Booster?

At this time, there is no booster shot available or used for shingles.

This could change over time as we get more information on the duration of protection, Yancey said. Science is always moving forward.

While it is possible to contract shingles after getting vaccinated, Nath said the risk of getting shingles is much lower in people who have already been vaccinated.

Treatment Options for Shingles

If you experience any symptoms associated with shingles, including skin sensitivity, itching, tingling, rash, or blisters, contact your healthcare provider for a proper diagnosis. Your provider may prescribe antivirals like acyclovir to speed recovery, and analgesics to help alleviate symptoms.

Analgesics (pain killers) are often needed in patients with shingles and rarely we use steroids to decrease inflammation, Nath said.

Other treatment options may include:

Creams or lotions to relieve any itching

Cold compresses can be applied to affected or inflamed skin areas

Antiviral medicines, such as acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famciclovir

Antidepressants

Anticonvulsants







What This Means For You

The shingles vaccine has been found to be effective for seven to 10 years after the two-dose administration. There is no booster shot available for the shingles vaccine, but experts say that might change in the future. Contact your healthcare provider to see if youre eligible to receive the shingles vaccine.







Read the original article on Verywell Health.
With over 40,275 restaurant locations worldwide, McDonald's has long reigned as one of the most successful fast food chains on the planet. For reference, Subway takes the number two spot with roughly 36,000 stores worldwide. From South Carolina to the South of France, you can count on finding a McDonald's no matter where you are (save a few exceptions, of course, such as Iceland and Bolivia).

Because of its reliable presence and well-known menu offerings, McDonald's has accumulated a very loyal following and is a popular choice for people everywhere. That following is so large, in fact, that the number of people who eat McDonald's daily is enough to populate an entire country.

According to statistics from 2021, approximately 70 million people visit a McDonald's location every day. That is more than the population of France or the United Kingdom, which according to data estimates for 2023 both hover around 68 million people. 70 million dwarfs the populations of other well-known countries too such as Italy, Argentina, Canada, and Poland. The country where McDonald's is the most popular might not come as a surprise.

Read more: The Ultimate American Fast Food Restaurants Ranked

Digging Into The Numbers

Cars queue around a McDonnald's - Alex Burstow/Getty Images

70 million patrons is a lot, and the reliable presence of this chain worldwide is a big reason for the popularity. To truly see the reach of McDonald's, let's break down the numbers a little further to see where exactly it is the most successful.

As far as where McDonald's is the most popular, its U.S. markets seems to be doing the best. The United States raked in $9.42 billion in revenue for the chain in 2022. America has the most McDonald's locations of any country, and it is also where the chain originated, so the numbers make sense. McDonald's has, however, also done well internationally. Countries like France, Australia, Canada, and the U.K. collectively accounted for about $11.16 billion of McDonald's revenue in 2022. While fast food has not always been as popular in these countries as it has been in the United States, that reality is quickly changing. As these places grow, the number of fast food places has started increasing, so we'll have to see where these countries rank in future years.

Why McDonald's Is So Popular

The McDonald's app - Smith Collection/gado/Getty Images

Fast food chains generally do well in the United States thanks to the low prices and fast service, but McDonald's still stands apart from the competition. A big reason for that disparity is the chain's massive marketing and advertising efforts.

McDonald's is constantly in the public eye, and not just because there's a store on every street. The worldwide chain is always rolling out new advertisements showcasing new meal options, limited-time menu items and merchandise, and modern changes to its stores. McDonald's stays on top of trends  it was one of the first fast food chains to offer mobile ordering and it is constantly offering deals through the McDonald's Rewards program on its mobile app.

In short, there are many reasons for the success of McDonald's, as it's always working to stay ahead of trends. With these efforts, who knows, maybe in the future more people will be visiting McDonald's daily than the entire population of Japan.

Read the original article on Daily Meal.
When it comes to fashion's favored metropolises, whole continents are looked over  but, as we know, many cities in Asia, Africa and South America are bustling with creativity and local industry.

Look at what's happening in Peru, the home to pima cotton production and the world's largest population of alpacas, the adorable camelid whose fibers provide some of the coziest sweaters ever. The country's leading independent designers not only champion homemade textiles, but they also bring unique perspectives to these traditions and build businesses around ideas of sustainability, modularity and extending the life cycle of your clothes.

Ahead, meet six of such fashion creatives (who are all Lima-based, coincidentally), who trend curious about innovative materials and weave regional myths into the threads of their pieces.

Annaiss Yucra (A.Y)

A look from Fall 2023. Photo: Jorge Anaya/Courtesy of Annaiss Yucra

There's something immediately striking about an Annaiss Yucra (also dubbed A.Y) garment  you're drawn in by the jagged shapes of its bright prints, then taken by the softness and comfort of their construction and materiality. The brand was founded in 2018 by the Central Saint Martins-educated designer of the same name, who grew up in her family's textile workshop.

Each collection is built around a thoughtful theme, like resistance and revolution, and incorporates more tangible motifs, like the retama flower.

"It's a flower that grows 5,000 meters above the sea  it grows in adversity: Where the retama grows, nothing else grows," she says. "It's an allegory for [Peruvian] people."

Despite proximity and access to Peru's large alpaca industry, Yucra usually opts out of using the animal fiber: "I work with plants. I love working with recycled fabrics and combining them with cotton," she says. "At the end of the day, it's about those commitments to good practices."

Prices range from $140 to $650, with the average garment coming it at around $300.

Kero

Photo: Courtesy of Kero

Leaning on alpaca fibers and pima cotton, Mariella Gonzales' Kero puts a spotlight on handmade craft and artisanal techniques through its multi-colored fringe skirts, airily crocheted pieces and azure jacquard prints.

"The design language of Kero reflects the energy of Peru's mountains, the rhythm of the Pacific Ocean and the mystique of the Amazon," Gonzales says of her brand, which she founded in 2001. "Each garment is a work of love, meticulously made to be unique with special details, vibrant colors and excellent quality."

Kero tends to release two collections each year, in the spring and fall. Available to shop on its own e-commerce and on Faire, items range in price from $35 to $730, with the average item costing about $200.

Ana.G

Creatively led by Ana Guiulfo, the (basically) eponymous brand has been marrying graphic prints with hand-painted motifs that bring an artsy feel to refined silhouettes since 2005, when it started out in Miami before expanding to Lima. The result is vibrant, but elegant  think a boned-bodice dress boasting a two-toned illustration and intricate handbags woven by local artisans.

Prices range from $80 to $800, though the average piece sits at around $400.

Delosantos

Photo: Jorge Anaya/Courtesy of Delosantos

Created in 2019 by Victor Montalvo and Danilo Martinez, Delosantos revels in a contrast between the natural and fantastical: fish-scale sequins magnified to cover a dress, trompe l'oeil gowns mimicking the female form, very on-trend moon bags. Beyond seasonal stories, the brand puts a big focus on materials  for example, it uses hemp denim and latex made from the Amazonian Shiringa tree, for their "superior performance" and to "showcase the diverse material alternatives" Peru offers, per the brand.

Prices start at $80 for a scarf and go up to $1,080 for an embellished gown.

Amarena

Photo: Courtesy of Amarena

Amarena is an accessories-forward brand that works primarily with straw across totes, moon bags, satchels and more. Founder Mapi Casafranca has spoken about how crucial Peru's culture and crafts have been to her label, which launched in 2018. Beyond using natural fibers, she's also incorporated local artisanal traditions into the collection, through weaving and natural dyeing techniques. She's also expanded the scope of the product offering, introducing toquilla straw earrings, crocheted dresses and even a course on how to make macrame handbags.

Available on Amarena's site and at Equal Hands, the average bag costs just more than $200.

Fringe

Photo: Henry Rumi/Courtesy of Fringe

Designed by Lucy Barandiaran and launched in 2019, Fringe by Knit Couture prioritizes comfort and embraces boldness: As she puts it over e-mail, "beauty, romance, art and craftsmanship" lie at the heart of her looks.

"When I design a collection, I try to bring a modern edge to knitwear design with a lot of attention to detail," she says. "I love to experiment with lots of different techniques, whether it be by machine or by hand, with a strong emphasis on color. I also try to create pieces that are distinctive and recognizable that can be worn for years to come."

Barandiaran utilizes alpaca yarns and pima cotton  a way of showing pride for her Peruvian heritage and the region's textiles. Plus, she says, alpaca "shows color like no other fiber."

Via Fringe's site, tops often cost just more than $100; more detailed pieces can be upwards of $600.

Disclosure: PromPeru paid for Fashionista's travel and accommodations to attend Peru Moda Deco.

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Israels brutal aggression against the Palestinians is fundamentally about false conceptions of history and identity, writes Ali El-Deen Hilal Dessouki

I

sraels current brutal aggression against Palestinian civilians in Gaza prompts important questions about the origins of Israel in 1948 and the historical justifications for its establishment.

My friend Munir Fakhri Abdennour, a former Egyptian minister of Tourism, Trade, and Industry, has pointed me to an article by Shlomo Sand, a contemporary history professor at Tel Aviv University. Published in September 2008 by the French newspaper Le Monde, the article is titled Israel Forgets Its History and critiques historical inaccuracies and ideological misconceptions propagated by the Zionist Movement in promoting the creation of Israel.

Sands article dismisses the Zionist claim that European Jewish immigrants to Palestine in the 19th and 20th centuries had a historical connection to Jews living in the first century CE. It challenges Zionist assertions about the Kingdoms of David and Solomon, the alleged exile of Hebrews to Babylon in the 6th century BCE, and the belief that the Romans expelled the Jews from Palestine after the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE. According to Sand, some Jews remained in Palestine for centuries, converting to Christianity in the 4th century CE and later embracing Islam in the 7th century.

Intrigued by these ideas, I delved into Shlomo Sands background. Born in 1946 in Austria to Polish Jewish parents who escaped Nazi persecution, his family migrated to Israel in 1948. Sands education began in Israel, and he later travelled to France where he studied French history and Marxism, earning both Masters and Doctoral degrees.

Initially a believer in Zionist ideas, Sand started questioning them while studying Israeli identity, its historical sources, and its intellectual foundations. His scepticism led to his contradicting his earlier beliefs about Zionism and Jewish history. This transformation resulted in two key books: The Invention of the Jewish People (2008) and The Invention of the Land of Israel (2012), which have been translated into multiple languages, including Arabic.

Sands analysis relies on the concept of imagined communities in the social sciences, as pioneered by US scholar Benedict Anderson in 1983. Sand argues that at certain historical stages, thinkers rewrite history, challenging the Zionist narrative as a mythical depiction lacking historical evidence. He disputes the Zionist treatment of the Torah as a historical document rather than a religious text, rejects the myth of Jewish racial purity, and asserts that Jews historically descended from diverse ethnic groups that adopted Judaism.

Zionism not only invented the idea of a racially pure Jewish people but also conceptualised the land of Israel. Sand claims that Zionism drew inspiration from Christian religious concepts, particularly Puritan ideas in British and American Protestant thought linking their religious salvation to the return of Jews to Zion.

Zionism transformed these Christian religious ideas into geopolitics. Sand introduces the term the Promised Land, absent in Jewish theological traditions, and notes the absence of agreed-upon borders for this land. Zionism also coined the concept of Jewish nationalism, connecting Jews to Palestine as a promised land.

He highlights historical data, such as the fact that the majority of Eastern European Jews migrated to the US until 1924. The US implemented restrictive immigration laws that year, leading to an increased number of Jewish immigrants to Palestine. This migration gained momentum after the horrors of Nazi Germany in the 1930s.

While these ideas might be familiar to Arab readers, they represent a paradigm shift for many Israelis and a significant portion of Western public opinion that is accustomed to Zionist narratives.

Shlomo Sands insights emerge not from an Arab scholar accused of bias or a European thinker accused of anti-Semitism, but from an Israeli researcher with a deep understanding of the social and cultural history of Jews in Palestine and the Torah.

In conclusion, he references the story of the Sheikh Munis village near Tel Aviv that was entirely erased to integrate into the Jewish city after 1948. This narrative underscores the importance of understanding how historical memory shapes individual and collective identities, contributing to self-awareness and the comprehension of identity.

It means that the present confrontation, seemingly military and political, is fundamentally about history, identity, and consciousness.

The author is a professor of political science at Cairo University.



* A version of this article appears in print in the 23 November, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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There is plenty of mystery surrounding the death of Delaware's lone servicewoman to die overseas in World War II.

2nd Lt. Rachel Sheridan was a passenger on a Douglas C-47 Skytrain in northern Africa when a fire caused it to crash into the Mediterranean Sea in 1943, killing seven of the nine aboard, including the 25-year-old Sheridan.

Major questions remain somewhat unsettled all these years later: Why was she on the plane? And how did she die?

One thing is certain: Nov. 24 is the 80th anniversary of the death of the woman who had graduated from nursing school at Delaware State Hospital near New Castle only two years prior.

Another fact: Even though there was no draft for American women during the war, she decided to leave the security of living stateside and forwent settling down and starting a family like many of her classmates, determined to serve her country in its time of need.

And even though she lost her life doing so, her impact lives on today in a family filled with members who were inspired by her to go into nursing.

80 years later: The man uncovering details about her life & death

It was about 20 years ago when Newark researcher Lowell Silverman was first drawn to Sheridan's story because she was the only fallen servicewoman in World War II who had served in the same unit as his grandfather Robert Silverman  the 32nd Station Hospital, which was located in Algeria at the time of Sheridan's death.

Silverman, a 39-year-old University of Delaware graduate, was a high school student when he first came across a website by U.S. Army Technician 4th Grade Willard Otto Havemeier, who also served at 32nd Station Hospital, which delved deeply into the history of the unit, including Sheridan's untimely demise.

Lowell Silverman, of Newark, was inspired to start researching the Delaware soldiers killed during World War II.

"A real Irish beauty with a great smile," Havemeier wrote about the woman he met at dances on the base.

Several years ago, Silverman jumped back into the world of local WWII history and launched his meticulously researched website Delaware's World War II Fallen, filled with detailed profiles of Delawareans killed in the war.

He pulls from public records, ancestry websites, oral histories, firsthand interviews of family members, newspaper archives, the Delaware Public Archives and more to re-create their lives.

One of the first profiles he began working on was for Sheridan, due to his own family history with her unit and his previous knowledge of her story, which will now be retold here.

FLASHBACK He's telling the stories behind Delaware's World War II dead, one soldier at a time

It took Silverman a while to track down Sheridan's living descendants to interview them and share all the information he had uncovered.

"That's one of the most rewarding or satisfying aspects of the project," he tells Delaware Online/The News Journal.

Sheridan's niece Rachel Sheridan McHugh, a 71-year-old nurse currently living near Hazelton, Pennsylvania, told Delaware Online/The News Journal that she was wowed by Silverman's out-of-the-blue message and the information that followed.

"I was like, 'Wow. How did he find out all of that information?'" she says. "It was just amazing because he knew things I didn't."

The curious, tragic final day of 2nd Lt. Rachel Sheridan

It was the morning of Nov. 24, 1943 when disaster struck for the young nurse and six U.S. Army men who perished in the crash.

It was also the day before Thanksgiving and amid the four-day Cairo Conference, which found President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Republic of China leader Chiang Kai-shek meeting in Cairo, Egypt, to discuss their plans to defeat Japan.

The plane took off from Houari Boumediene Airport, then known as Maison Blanche Airport, near Algiers, Algeria on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in northern Africa.

The reason why she was on the plane is one of the mysteries of that day since Silverman found no evidence that 32nd Station Hospital nurses ever served as flight nurses. There was also no indication that anyone aboard the C-47 was a patient.

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But circumstantial evidence collected by Silverman points to Sheridan being both fond of flying and possibly being involved in a relationship with a pilot.

His research found that she had flown at least twice in the span of maybe two weeks at a time when air travel was still a novelty. Also, "it was probably not difficult for a nurse to talk air crew into letting them hitch a ride when there was space available," Silverman wrote.

The News Journal's December 1943 report on Sheridan's death closed with her parents saying her final letter to them mentioned "she had a ride in an airplane a few days before."

When Silverman tracked down Sheridan's great nephew Leo MucHugh, he found another bit of evidence pointing to a joyride as the reason for Sheridan's flight since most members of the 32nd Station Hospital traveled by ground while on business.

Leo McHugh, 37, who lives in Benton, Pennsylvania, about 30 miles east of Wilkes-Barre, told Silverman his grandmother had told him Sheridan was in a relationship with a major in another unit, who was a pilot.

The cause of death remains unclear

Identical accounts of the surviving servicemen, 1st Lieutenant Walter H. Baker and Sgt. Kenneth B. Conlin, can be found in now-declassified U.S. Army records:

"At approximately 15 miles out at sea, 15 minutes from take-off at Algiers about 10:00 a.m., the right engine started burning at 2,500 feet altitude. Bail out order was given, but the aircraft lost altitude too rapidly to use parachutes. The plane pancaked and all personnel cleared the ship and when doing so made attempts to put on 'Mae Wests' [life vests].

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A French merchant marine officer saw the plane go down and ordered two fishing boats to go out and at about 11:00 a.m. the boats picked up [Sheridan], [Conlin] and myself.

To the best of my knowledge and belief, the remaining six (6) individuals drowned. The nurse, 2nd Lt. Rachel H. Sheridan, died the 24 November 43 en route to this hospital."

However, Sheridans personnel file  reconstructed by government officials after many of the U.S. Armys World War II-era files were destroyed in a 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center  reported that she "drowned as the result of an airplane crash."

That led Silverman to wonder: "Did Sheridan suffer mortal injuries in the crash or die of hypothermia?"

Rachel Sheridan McHugh says her grandmother (2nd Lieutenant Sheridan's mother) told her that the uniform her daughter was wearing at the time of her death was eventually sent back home.

FLASHBACK After the remains of a Delaware WWII hero were misidentified, a homecoming 77 years later

"She said it was covered with blood, but my husband said it was probably rust from being shipped in a metal box, but who knows?" recalls Rachel Sheridan McHugh, who was named after her war hero aunt. "But [my grandmother] said it was awful. She said, 'I wouldn't even let my mother see it. I took it and burned it in a barrel.'

"Everyone in the family was devastated over her death and they were right up until the day they passed."

While taking another look at the evidence in Sheridan's case last year, Silverman located a digitized hospital admission card under Sheridans service number and it also stated that she drowned.

While conclusive evidence of the cause of death is most likely lost to time, Silverman tends to believe that she drowned.

Silverman, who also works as an emergency medical technician, knows firsthand that sometimes reports that state a person en route to a hospital or at a hospital could be suspect. Sometimes the patient was dead at the scene and resuscitation efforts failed on the way.

"In some cases, it's a formality," he says.

And while there is no data for late November water temperatures in the Mediterranean Sea from the 1940s, modern records collected by Silverman suggest that "water temperatures in that part of the sea would be in the upper 60s at that time of the year, which for most people would be survivable for at least two hours," he wrote.

Sheridan is honored with her name inscribed into the Memorial Wall at Veterans Memorial Park near New Castle, only three miles from where she graduated from nursing school on North DuPont Highway.

Sheridan's duty-driven path from New Castle to Algeria

Sheridan was born into a military family in McAdoo, Pennsylvania, located about 50 miles south of Scranton, with her father Thomas having served in the U.S. Marine Corps.

At first, she attended Pottsville Hospital School of Nursing before moving to complete nursing school at Delaware State Hospital, graduating in 1941.

2nd Lt. Rachel Sheridan, the only Delaware servicewoman to die overseas during World War II, is immortalized on the Memorial Wall at Memorial Park near New Castle.

She was then recruited by the Army Nurse Corps through the Delaware Chapter of the American Red Cross and began her service to the nation in February 1942.

After reported stints at Camp Upton on Long Island and Camp Forrest in Tennessee, she landed at Camp Kilmer in New Jersey at 32nd Station Hospital on Dec. 29, 1942

By January 13, she was aboard USS Ancon, which was transporting troops and cargo to port near Oran, Algeria. Silverman notes she was one of 55 nurses from the hospital sent on that voyage, treated soldiers in two local schools in Algeria that the medical units took over and used as hospital wards.

It was only about 10 months later when she boarded the C-47 on her ill-fated final flight.

Her life and service lives on today

Named for her aunt and growing up hearing stories about her service, it probably shouldn't be a surprise that Rachel Sheridan McHugh went into nursing.

These days, she takes care of veterans for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and plans to retire next year at the age of 72.

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In fact, her sister Jo Ann became a nurse and most of her cousins became nurses, as well.

It runs deep in the family. Second Lieutenant Sheridan's sister Mary was also a graduate of nursing school at Delaware State Hospital and joined the U.S. Army Nurse Corps. And she had a daughter named Rachel, who also went on to become a nurse.

But the legacy of her aunt, who died nine years before her birth, had a lot to do with her path to the profession.

"I was so proud of her," Rachel Sheridan McHugh says of her namesake. "She was so young."

When Silverman contacted Leo McHugh, Silverman learned of 2nd Lieutenant Sheridan's possible relationship with a pilot. But at the same time, McHugh did not know how interested she had been in flying.

McHugh had done his own research into his great aunt after high school, intrigued by both her decision to enter the U.S. Army Nurse Corps and her the circumstances surrounding her death. He learned more details than just the stories his grandfather would tell him growing up.

"She was already a role model. I always wanted to go into healthcare. And then [Silverman] told me all about her love of aviation," he tells Delaware Online/The News Journal.

Why? McHugh works as a critical care flight paramedic, flying on board helicopters and taking care of those in urgent need of help: "It really meant a lot to hear that."

Even eight decades after her death, the life, service and sacrifice of 2nd Lieutenant Rachel Sheridan is still resonating with both family and strangers alike.

Have a story idea? Contact Ryan Cormier of Delaware Online/The News Journal at rcormier@delawareonline.com or (302) 324-2863. Follow him on Facebook (@ryancormier) and X (@ryancormier).

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Eight decades later, remembering Delaware's lone lost WWII servicewoman
Deadly airstrikes reportedly hit the home of a Palestinian photojournalist targeted by a group that monitors media outlets for critical coverage of Israel, days after the group published a speculative report that questioned if he had prior knowledge of the 7 October attack by Hamas.

Yasser Qudih, among photojournalists scrutinised by Israeli media advocacy group HonestReporting, survived the attack, but at least seven family members were killed, according to Reuters.

The attack in Gaza on 13 November arrived five days after the HonestReporting report asked whether photojournalists who captured the aftermath of the Hamas attack coordinated with Hamas or were part of the plan; HonestReporting later admitted there was no evidence to defend those suggestions and said that the group was merely raising questions.

Those accusations were also aimed at some of the worlds largest news organisations, including Reuters, The New York Times, Associated Press and CNN, which have categorically denied the allegations.

Mr Qudihs images of the war are published widely across media outlets covering Israels seige. In a statement following reports of the attack on his home, Reuters condemned the baseless accusations from HonestReporting.

Thereafter, numerous threats against his safety circulated online. HonestReporting later accepted that its accusations were unfounded, according to Reuters.

The situation on the ground is dire, and the [Israel Defense Forces] unwillingness to give assurances about the safety of our staff threatens their ability to deliver news about this conflict without fear of being injured or killed, the statement added.

Despite the spurious claims in the HonestReporting report, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office told news outlets that hired those journalists that they were participants in this horrifying event.

Israels former defence minister Benny Gantz also suggested that if journalists knew of the attack beforehand, they are no different than terrorists and should be treated as such. Danny Danon, former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, promised to hunt them down together with the terrorists.

Republican US Senator Tom Cotton also called on the US Department of Justice to investigate news outlets for federal crimes by supporting Hamas terrorists.

A letter from general counsel with The New York Times to Mr Cotton said his reliance on disinformation and falsehoods should not be abused by a US senator to falsely accuse fellow Americans of crimes.

The company also issued a statement condemning reckless allegations that are putting our journalists on the ground in Israel and Gaza at risk.

Mr Qudih told Reuters that the four strikes on his two-storey home in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza were seconds apart. He said roughly 20 people were inside during the strike, which left an impact crater in a yard behind the house and destroyed a side of the building.

His in-laws, two nieces aged 13 and eight, and an eight-year-old nephew were killed, according to a post shared on his Instagram profile.

Photojournalist Belal Khaled captured the burial of his family members.

A statement from the IDF to Reuters declined to say whether the agency was responsible or whether Mr Qudih was a target.

The IDF is currently focused on eliminating the threat from the terrorist organization Hamas. Questions of this kind will be looked into in a later stage, IDF said in a statement to Reuters.

Palestinian journalists carried mock coffins of journalists killed during the war at a symbolic funeral in the West Bank on 7 November. (AP)

Gazas health ministry has reported more than 13,000 dead since 7 October, including more than 5,500 children. Israels ongoing bombardments and military siege in Gaza have marked the deadliest period for journalists in more than 30 years.

At least 50 journalists, including 45 Palestinian media workers, have been killed in the aftermath of Hamas attacks last month, as of 20 November. At least four Israeli journalists and one Lebanese reporter also have been killed.

At least 11 journalists were injured, three journalists were reported missing, and 18 journalists were arrested, while Palestinian media workers have reported widespread threats and cyberattacks against them, and reported targeted killings of their family members, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Belal Jadallah, a prominent journalist in Gaza and the director of the nonprofit media group Press House Palestine, was killed and his pharmacist brother-in-law was seriously wounded during an Israeli attack on Sunday, according to his family.

Tor Wennesland, the United Nations special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, said he was shocked and saddened to learn of the death of Jadallag, a professional, knowledgeable [and] passionate journalist who dedicated his life for the freedom of journalism [and] protection of journalists.

Shocked & saddened to learn of the killing of @UNSCOs longtime friend, @BelalJadallah. A professional, knowledgeable & passionate journalist who dedicated his life for the freedom of journalism & protection of journalists. Condolences to his family & the  people & journalists.  Tor Wennesland (@TWennesland) November 19, 2023

The Independents request for comment to HonestReporting was directed to a statement from 12 November, in which the group said it stands behind the legitimate questions we raised to media outlets in our recent expose.

We are proud of the role that we play in holding the media accountable. How journalists frame events in and about Israel affect the safety of Jews worldwide; so we will continue to ensure that anti-Israel bias in mainstream media is exposed, the statement reads.

Despite HonestReportings recent backpedaling, its a virtual certainty that their irresponsible speculation will be cited to justify past and future violence against the press, Seth Stern, director of advocacy with the Freedom of the Press Foundation, told The Independent earlier this month.

Theyve put journalists lives at risk, he added. And its disgraceful for politicians  to cite the spurious report to call for violence against journalists and baseless investigations of news outlets.
A key adviser to President Biden arrived Monday in Israel to continue efforts to de-escalate in the region and to avoid a second front in Israels war against Hamas.

National security spokesperson John Kirby confirmed at a briefing Monday that senior energy adviser Amos Hochstein was in Israel to speak with Israeli counterparts over concerns that Hezbollah in southern Lebanon could join a wider war.

We dont want to see this war escalate. We dont want to see it widen. We certainly dont believe its in anybodys interest, certainly not the Israeli peoples interest to have a second front there in the north, Kirby told reporters.

Though what Amos is doing, what our team is doing, is everything we can to help prevent that scenario from happening, Kirby added.

Kirby described Hochsteins decision as a sort of back briefing, following up on discussions he had a week or so ago, where he talked to Lebanese officials and to Israeli officials up in the north about the risks of a second front, a Northern Front.

Hochstein led quiet negotiations last year on an agreement on maritime borders between Israel and Lebanon.

Hochsteins latest trip comes as tensions continue to flare on the northern border of Israel and the southern border of Lebanon, where Hezbollah, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, holds significant power.

There is already a regular exchange of fire on the border, and officials have expressed concern that the flare-ups could lead to a second front against Hezbollah, which is widely regarded as more powerful and threatening to Israels existence than Hamas, another U.S.-designated terrorist organization. Both groups are backed by Iran.

Hamas launched a surprise attack on the southern border of Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 Israelis and taking about 240 hostages. Iran has claimed no previous knowledge of the plans. Israel responded with a barrage of airstrikes and a ground invasion that has moved into Gaza City. According to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, more than 11,000 Palestinians have been killed so far in the war.

We dont want to see the conflict widen, escalate. That is why Amos is having the conversations hes having, Kirby said.

Thats why Secretary Blinken has now had two extensive trips to the Middle East. And its why the President has put forward additional force posture, he added.

Kirby pointed to the carrier strike groups, but also air and missile defense as well as fixed-wing aviation into the region, so that we can send a strong signal to any actor, nation-state or otherwise, that if youre going to think about widening and deepening this conflict, dont do it.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
[Source]

More than a dozen cups of boba reportedly kept leaders at OpenAI going as discussions over the fate of ousted chief executive Sam Altman dragged into the weekend.

Catch up: Altman, 38, was fired by OpenAIs board of directors on Friday, claiming that he had not been consistently candid in his communications with them. The firing is regarded as significant because it will affect future points in AI development, which OpenAI  through Altmans leadership  has taken a leading role in.

Altmans ousting has also revived debates on how AI should move forward. On one side are those like Altman who support its public deployment as a means to perfect it; on the other are those concerned that it may develop too fast and eventually become uncontrollable, including OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever, a board member who initially approved Altmans exit.

Boba floods in: Since firing Altman, the board reportedly fell under pressure to reverse their decision. Talks to bring him back, as well as a potential board restructuring, reportedly continued until Sunday, prompting boba reinforcements.

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At around 12:45 p.m., a delivery man carrying a dozen drinks from Boba Guys showed up at the entrance to OpenAIs headquarters, according to The New York Times, which had been following and reporting developments on the matter. Sometime later, another arrived with half a dozen more.

Reactions: The idea of OpenAI leaders staying hydrated with boba through hours of pivotal decision-making did not get lost on social media. On X, screenshots of the Times excerpt made rounds, eventually reaching the Boba Guys themselves.

Co-founder and CEO Andrew Chau took to Instagram to share messages he had received.

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Yes, we were just made aware of the OpenAI/ChatGPT article in the @nytimes. Apparently, Boba Guys is the fuel for the future of AI, Chau wrote. This was not on our 2023 bingo card.

Chau said Boba Guys will abstain from commenting on the subject in question. However, he concluded his post expressing hopes that the board and leadership team makes the best decision not just for the company, but for humanity.

Altman, in the end, was hired by Microsoft, OpenAI's biggest shareholder, on Monday.

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NEW YORK  New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Monday night blamed the federal government for his need to cut billions of dollars in city programs  including from police, fire and sanitation  because of a surge in costs to pay for new migrants.

DC has abandoned us, and they need to be paying their cost to this national problem, Adams said during a town hall in Brooklyn.

The city has been overwhelmed by more than 125,000 migrants since last year, including about half still in its care. The problem has meant funding tent facilities and paying for hotel stays across the five boroughs, crippling the citys finances.

As a result, the city last week announced a slew of cuts to services, such as getting rid of some public garbage cans, lessening aid to libraries and eliminating new classes of police officers.

Speaking to Coney Island residents with more than three dozen city officials and elected officials at a dais behind him, the Democratic mayor continued to place blame on the federal government for the citys ballooning migrant costs, specifically pointing out the inability of migrants to obtain legal work permits.

This is unfair what we're doing to migrant asylum seekers, and it's unfair what we're doing to everyday taxpayers, Adams said.

The battle with Washington has put Adams on the outs with the White House and President Joe Biden, with whom he hasn't spoken to in nearly a year. But Adams has been unapologetic, saying the president needs to do more to help the nations largest city.

I tell people all the time when they stop me on the subway system, Don't yell at me, yell at DC, Adams said. We deserve better as a city.

In September, Adams called for a citywide hiring freeze due to spending on the crisis. The city has already dropped about $1.5 billion on the migrant surge for the fiscal year that runs through June 30, and it expects to spend about $11 billion over the next two fiscal years, according to his recent budget plan.

The federal government has provided help, as has the state with about $1.5 billion in aid. But the complexity and cost of the problem has strained the citys budget, impacting overall services and programs.

On Thursday, Adams announced $4 billion in budget cuts over the next year and a half. Adams says he has to close a $7.1 billion gap before the new fiscal year begins July 1.

The cuts are also hitting services for migrants. His administration confirmed Monday they will seek 20 percent budget cuts for asylum-seeker expenses.

Adams has been eager to blame the federal government, and Gov. Kathy Hochul has also repeatedly called on Biden for more support, but not with the same biting criticism as the mayor.

But Adams calls for help have also been impacted by a federal investigation into his campaign finances. Earlier this month, he was set to meet with White House officials to plead for more aid, along with other big city mayors, but quickly returned to New York to deal with an FBI probe into his campaign. He never ended up meeting with any federal officials that day.

To finance legal costs associated with the federal investigation into his campaign, Adams has set up a legal defense fund, POLITICO reported Friday.

"Do you see all these people that love me? Adams told reporters when he was asked about the defense fund, pointing to constituents gathered to take a photo with him after the event. People love me as mayor. So they have the right to do whatever they want when they love their mayor.  Thats what Americas about.
President John F. Kennedy and first lady Jackie Kennedy's two kids, Caroline and John F. Kennedy Jr., were 5 and 2 when JFK was assassinated

Boston Herald/Shutterstock John F. Kennedy Jr., Jackie Kennedy, Caroline Kennedy and John F. Kennedy

Decades after their time in the White House, the Kennedy family left a lasting imprint American politics. The legacies of President John F. Kennedy and former first lady Jackie Kennedy were carried on by their late son, John F. Kennedy Jr., and upheld by their daughter, Caroline Kennedy.

JFK and Jackie welcomed four children during their marriage, although only Caroline and JFK Jr. ever left the hospital. In 1956  one year before Caroline's arrival  Jackie gave birth to a stillborn daughter, Arabella. The couple's fourth child, son Patrick, was born during JFK's presidential tenure, though he died 39 hours after his premature birth in August 1963.

Of all the modern presidential children, Caroline and JFK Jr. had perhaps the most unique introduction to the White House. Caroline, who was nearly 3 at the time of her fathers election, and her younger brother John, born days after JFK won the presidency, spent their earliest years at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Related: JFK and Jackie Kennedy's Relationship Timeline

Both their lives were marked by tragedy early on when their dad was assassinated in 1963; their uncle, Robert F. Kennedy, was assassinated five years later. Tragedy struck the family again in 1999 when JFK Jr., his wife Carolyn Bessette and her sister Lauren Bessette died in a plane crash.

Though the Kennedys suffered several other losses, they also experienced success. Before he died, JFK Jr. started a magazine and was on the verge of launching his own political career. Caroline married her husband, Edwin Schlossberg, in 1986, and the pair have three children together.



Niday Picture Library / Alamy President John F. Kennedy and his wife Jackie Kennedy with their children John F. Kennedy Jr. and Caroline Kennedy in August 1963

In the years since her mother and brother died, Caroline has built a long career in the political and legal spheres. Her son, Jack, has also shown an interest in carrying on the family legacy through law, politics or both  and bears a striking resemblance to his late uncle.

Here is everything to know about John F. Kennedy and Jackie Kennedys two children, Caroline Kennedy and John F. Kennedy Jr.

Caroline Bouvier Kennedy, 65

Nathan Congleton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Caroline Kennedy in August 2021.

Caroline Bouvier Kennedy was born to JFK and Jackie on Nov. 27, 1957. She was almost 3 years old when her father was elected president of the United States and was just 5 when he died.

The Kennedy family nanny, Maud Shaw, was the person who told Caroline about her fathers death. Shaw wrote in her 1965 memoir: I sat on the edge of [Caroline's] bed [that night] and felt tears well up in my eyes. Caroline looked up at me. Whats the matter, Miss Shaw? Why are you crying? I took her in my arms. I cant help crying, Caroline, because I have some very sad news. 

Shaw continued, Then I told her. It was a dreadful time for us both. Eventually she fell asleep while I sat on the bed, still patting her. At last I tiptoed from the room, leaving the door open just a crack, as always.

Caroline grew up in New York City, and after her uncle RFK was assassinated, Jackie moved her and JFK Jr. to Greece, where they briefly lived with Jackie's second husband, Aristotle Onassis. As a child, Caroline partially inspired the Neil Diamond song Sweet Caroline.

After college, she worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where she met her husband, Edwin Schlossberg. The couple married on July 19, 1986, and Caroline graduated from Columbia Law School two years later. Since then, she has worked in law and with her familys various causes, including the Kennedy Library Foundation and the Profile in Courage Award.

Bettmann/Getty President John F. Kennedy holds his daughter Caroline alongside Jackie Kennedy.

That same year, she gave birth to her older daughter, Rose Kennedy Schlossberg. Caroline and Edwin had two more children, Tatiana Celia Kennedy Schlossberg, born in 1990, and John Bouvier Kennedy Jack Schlossberg, born in 1993.

Following her mother's death in 1994, Caroline published The Best-Loved Poems of Jackie Kennedy Onassis, a collection of poetry by Jackies favorite poets and by Jackie herself in 2001. Six years later, she published A Family Christmas, which included notes and stories from her family.

From 2013 to 2017, Caroline served as the U.S. ambassador to Japan. During that time, Caroline's son Jack briefly lived with her in the country. Caroline and Jack have also stepped onto the political stage together in recent years. The mother-son duo appeared virtually at the Democratic National Convention to support presidential candidate Joe Biden in 2020. Since 2022, she has served as the U.S. ambassador to Australia.



John Fitzgerald Kennedy Jr.

Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection/Getty John F. Kennedy Jr.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy Jr. was born to JFK and Jackie on Nov. 25, 1960, just 17 days after his father was elected president of the United States. JFK Jr. spent his early years in the White House, where he would entertain his dad (and photographers) by hiding under his fathers desk.

JFK Jr. and Caroline were raised with the help of nannies, including Shaw, who worked with the family for more than seven years. In her 1965 memoir, she wrote, I nursed the children from the cradle and came to love them just as if they had been my own. Happily they repaid me with their own love and affection.

After President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, a photo of 3-year-old JFK Jr. saluting his fathers coffin came to symbolize the shattering loss. Historian Steven M. Gillon later wrote that Jackie had just one regret in raising her son.

Jackie told people she regretted naming John after his father, Gillon told PEOPLE in 2019. She realized it only added to the burden. The irony is that in the effort to honor her husband, she inadvertently made her sons life more challenging.

The loss of his father marked John his entire life. Though he rarely spoke about his father's assassination, he referred to it as "the one fundamental fact of my life." An active child and teen, he once told a friend, If I had to stop and think about it all, I would just sit down and fall apart.

However, he found a way to channel some of that energy when he established the political magazine George in 1995. As friends and former staffers told The Hollywood Reporter, running the publication gave him a purpose he had lacked in earlier years.

Bettmann John F. Kennedy with his son John F. Kennedy Jr. in the Oval Office.

JFK Jr. was one of the world's most eligible bachelors before getting married  he was named PEOPLE's Sexiest Man Alive in 1988  and his mother and sister had strong opinions about the women he dated. Jackie never met Carolyn Bessette, whom he married in September 1996.

JFK Jr. and Carolyn were enormously popular with the public and the press, and they were often chased by paparazzi while out. Seeking privacy, the couple pulled off a top-secret, ultra-private wedding ceremony in the First Baptist African Church on Cumberland Island, Georgia.

Photographer Dennis Reggie spoke to Vanity Fair in 2021 about the famous photograph of JFK Jr. kissing his wifes hand. It was an incredibly magical moment, he said. John reached for the hand of Carolyn; she was caught off guard."

Nearly three years after their wedding, JFK Jr., Carolyn and her sister Lauren tragically died in a plane crash on July 16, 1999. The trio were en route to the wedding of Rory Kennedy, JFK Jr.s cousin, on Marthas Vineyard in a plane that he piloted.

Many have speculated that JFK Jr. would have entered politics himself  in the early 90s, he began his foray into law, working as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan for four years, according to The New York Times.

As author Gillon told PEOPLE in 2020, John would have been president of the United States and I think the tone of our politics would have been completely different. John would be a force for healing and bringing people together."

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Read the original article on People.
A former Western North Carolina man and prison escapee wanted on multiple state and federal child sex charges in Tennessee has been on the loose for 34 days now and spotted once in Sylva. Yet not all WNC sheriffs offices have been made aware of his escape.

According to the FBI, eyewitnesses saw Sean Christopher Williams, 51, in the Jackson Plaza shopping area in Sylva on Nov. 17 around 11:30 a.m.

"He is familiar with the area and should be considered dangerous," the FBI said in a news release. "Law enforcement is asking the community of Sylva to be vigilant and aware of your surroundings. If possible and you can do so in a safe manner, homeowners should secure their outbuildings and other property."

The Citizen Times called Roses Department Store regarding Williams being spotted in the store. An employee said we are not allowed to speak on that before immediately hanging up. An employee at a neighboring store said her coworkers saw a lot of law enforcement at the shopping center but asked not to be named for safety concerns.

A neighboring county sheriff, Chuck Owenby of the Transylvania County Sheriffs Office, told the Citizen Times, Nobody made us aware of anything.

Theres nothing on our CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch), no bolo or anything to be on the lookout for him, Owenby said. If you hadnt called me, I wouldnt have known anything about it, so my guess is they havent pushed out that information yet or it hasnt gotten to my agency yet.

Owenby said they heard about Williams sighting in Sylva, but his office has not received anything official about it.

The FBI said Sean Williams, a fugitive who escaped a transport van en route to court in Greeneville, Tennessee Oct. 18, was spotted in Jackson County Nov. 17.

Why is Williams wanted?

Williams was scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Greeneville, Tennessee, on Oct. 18, for a hearing and was placed in a transport vehicle by a detention officer in Laurel County, Kentucky, as reported by the Knoxville News Sentinel.

When the transport van arrived at the Greeneville courthouse around 8:30 a.m. Oct. 18, the detention deputy discovered the back window of the van had been kicked out, court records say.

Williams is on the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations Most Wanted list for two counts of rape of a child, sixteen counts of esp. aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor and three counts of aggravated sexual battery (under 13).

Initial reporting: Former WNC man charged with child rape escaped prison transport van, still on the run

Williams spotted in Sylva: FBI: Prison escapee charged with child rape spotted in Sylva, Jackson County

The now-escapee was federally indicted on Sept. 12 for producing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office of the Eastern District of Tennessee. Prior to his escape, a trial was set for Jan. 23, 2024, according to the release.

Gina Zachary, spokesperson with the sheriff's office in Haywood County, which borders Jackson County, where Williams was spotted, said they are aware of Williams and have shared information from the Jackson County Sheriffs Office and TBI on their social media accounts.

I have not heard of any confirmed sightings of him in Haywood, only Jackson County, Zachary added.

The Citizen Times also reached out to Macon and Swain County sheriffs offices, as well as the FBI for updated information regarding efforts to recapture Williams.

Fugitive extradited from Indiana: Man charged with fatal W. Asheville shooting extradited from Indiana; arrest detailed

WCU police chief on Williams arrest in April

Before his transfer to Tennessee and escape in October, a part-time Western Carolina University police officer spotted Williams in his vehicle at the end of April on property owned by Western Carolina University.

An officer was doing some area checks at that location and discovered him sitting in his vehicle, WCU Police Chief Steve Lillard told the Citizen Times. Subsequent investigation ensued, and we recognized that he was wanted.

Lillard said Williams was taken into custody April 29 on his prior charges, and additional charges were filed for possessing drugs during his arrest.

Regarding what the public should be aware about while he is on the loose, Lillard said that Williams has ties to Jackson County.

There werent any previous interactions that we could base a pattern or anything on, but based on some information that was gathered, it did seem that he was familiar with the area and that he may have some family, friends and acquaintances in the area as well, Lillard said.

Lillard said they have received no information or indication that Williams has been on WCU campus since his arrest in April. As far as hes aware, no one associated with Williams attends the university. Lillard said they have not sent out any official notifications to the campus regarding the escapee, but they have shared information on the departments social media.

Once we were made aware that he was no longer in custody, we advised our officers to be a little more vigilant since he is familiar with the area, Lillard added.

Beyond his child sex charges, Williams is at the center of two lawsuits that allege the Johnson City police knowingly failed to investigate multiple complaints from alleged sexual assault victims. Williams is accused of drugging and sexually assaulting more than 50 women, according to reporting from The Tennessean.

In the investigation that we assisted with it appeared that the majority of the crimes that had victims were in the Tennessee area based on what was shared with us, Lillard said. We didnt have any reports of him being involved in any activity with any person in our jurisdiction.

Rape conviction: Asheville man found guilty in 'unusual' rape trial, sentenced to prison

The U.S. Marshals Service is offering up to $5,000 and TBI is offering up to $2,500 for information leading to Williams' arrest. Tipsters can contact the U.S. Marshals at USMS84.TIPS@usdoj.gov, 423-638-3391, or 865-824-3801; or TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND or email TipsToTBI@tbi.tn.gov.

People should be aware of their surroundings and if they do see anything thats unusual or any concerning behavior in our community, we always encourage people to call, Lillard said.

Ryley Ober is the Public Safety Reporter for Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at rober@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter @ryleyober

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: FBI searches Sylva and Western North Carolina for accused child rapist
Cassidy Hutchinson, former aide to White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, stressed in a Monday interview her concern over the safety of witnesses if former President Trumps gag order is lifted.

A star witness in bombshell Jan. 6 hearings, Hutchinson appeared on MSNBCs Inside with Jen Psaki to discuss her new book. She highlighted a section in which Meadows told her that, in response to chants to Hang Mike Pence, Trump said the former vice president deserved it.

Thats really scary. Its still scary to hear, Psaki said to Hutchinson. You know a number of the people, former colleagues, who are going to be witnesses. Are you nervous about their safety when you hear Trumps words and you see what hes doing out there publicly?

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Yes, I am, Hutchinson said.

And I know from my experience, too. The American people should not ever have to live in fear of retribution from a president of the United States, or a former president of the United States, Hutchinson said. A president is here and is elected to protect the people, not to incite violence on those people.

She then listed off people who have publicly discussed how their lives have been ruined by efforts by Trump and his allies to undo President Bidens victory in 2020, including a former Arizona state House Speaker, and a pair of Georgia election workers.

I think about members of Congress on the Jan. 6 Committee, who needed security details, or, even up until a few weeks ago, during the Speakers race, how there were members who werent voting for Jim Jordan who had violence unleashed on them  and they are Republicans  just because they were not planning to vote for the individual that Trump had personally endorsed, Hutchinson said.

Trump faces gag orders in multiple cases after attacking those affiliated with the case  including judges and court staff  in social media posts.

In his federal election subversion case, Trumps legal team is challenging the gag order, and a three-judge panel heard arguments Monday in favor of tossing it out.

While they seemed skeptical of Trumps teams claims of protected political speech, the judges signaled they could be open to narrowing the orders scope.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A police officer stands by the crack in a road in the fishing town of Grindavik (Reuters)

Iceland watches on helplessly as rescue workers escorting locals back to the evacuated fishing town of Grindavik say it is now a waiting game before an eruption.

Gripped viewers are glued to main TV News channel RUV.is as it plays a live stream of the glowing crater with modern Icelandic electronic music underneath as the countdown continued on Tuesday.

It comes as 1,200 households scramble to grab as many heartfelt objects as they can under observation from rescue teams from the town above the volatile Reykjanes Peninsula.

The police checkpoint lies 25km (15.5 miles) away from the town but only 12km (7.5 miles) from cracks starting to form across the roads and stretching far into the mountains.

On Tuesday, families waved as they were allowed out with cars full of toys, photographs and one vehicle towing a jetski amid intense hail storms and heavy winds hampering accurate seismic readings.

A disappearing road in the fishing town of Grindavik (Reuters)

Jon Baglundsson, spokesperson for the ICE-SAR, a volunteer rescue team escorting hundreds to retrieve valuables, said its now a waiting game.

He told The Independent: Since the village was evacuated over a week ago we have been working to let residents retrieve their most heartfelt valuables in small numbers every day.

This project has been going quite well and running smoothly.

This takes time, there are 1,200 homes. People are mostly coming back for pictures of children, grandchildren on hard drives or whatever people store on their memories nowadays.

A police checkpoint some 24km from Grindavik (Provided)

In recent days, 1,500 to 1,800 earthquakes have been recorded daily in the region, according to the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO).

Mr Baglundsson added: The seismic activity has dwindled slightly but land is still rising to the northwest of the town.

An eruption is still expected and imminent but we just dont know when or where. There is no time limit but they are asked to go as quickly as they can.

We always have concerns for their safety and that is why people are allowed in few numbers and escorted by people from search and rescue teams who have a radio on them at all times

They are prepared with an escape route if something happens and will receive alerts from scientists at the Met Office if there are any indications an eruption is more imminent than it already is.

When magma breaks to the surface you see a kind of murmur on seismological meters and a lot of small tremors. Which indicates that magma is reaching the last 100m to the surface.

There hasnt been any panicking but they do realise what can happen ... they show understanding and have concern for their own safety.

Imagine being evacuated from your home and you have no idea when or if you will have a home to return to. The uncertainty is probably the worst.

Britons were still boarding flights to Rejkavic with a nearly full plane on Monday morning unperturbed by reports of the possible eruption.

One couple Joseph and Rachel Hamilton, both 28, said they trusted in the Icelandic authoritys advice and had already paid for their trip of a lifetime.

Flights with airlines including Icelandair, Easyjet, Wizz Air and Transavia France have been cancelled due to the weather on Tuesday.

If we get stuck here, we get stuck, Joseph said.

Diggers were spotted frantically building a wall to protect the Svartsengi power plant from being damaged by any potential lava flow.

The Svartsengi geothermal power plant near the evacuated town of Grindavik (Reuters)

It came as authorities say rescue workers could get as little as 30 minutes notice before the anticipated volcanic eruption.

The challenge that we have is that we will not see any strong evidence that the magma is coming up, we will see some small earthquakes and we can see how they will probably form in one place rather than another, Vidir Reynisson, the head of the civil protection and emergency management agency, told Fox News.

We will maybe get a 30-minute notice before the eruption starts. That is what we are working with.

All the big signs are already there, so we are looking for the small signs, the signs that say that even though we are monitoring very closely, it could be 30 minutes or less from now on until the eruption starts, but that could go on for days or weeks, he added.
The US seems unable to acknowledge that the root of the problem in Palestine is the Israeli occupation and that the remedy is the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, writes Amr Al-Chobaki

The US fought the Taliban in Afghanistan for decades, yet it never designated it as a terrorist group. The US has never fought Hamas, yet it has designated it as a terrorist group. This puts the contradictions in Washingtons positions on these movements in a nutshell.

The Taliban gave Al-Qaeda safe sanctuary in their country after the 11 September attacks against the US. The US then invaded Afghanistan, toppled the Taliban government, and waged a 20-year war against the Taliban alongside the local army it created. Thousands of US, Afghan, and other soldiers died in that war, which only ended with the US withdrawal and the return of the Taliban to power in Kabul in August 2021.

After 20 years in Afghanistan, the US realised that it could not shed its role as an occupying power, despite the many modernising measures it tried to impose. According to US President Joe Biden, the US spent a trillion dollars on building a new Afghan army, security agencies, and modern-looking government institutions, and it brought in Western-educated Afghan elites whom it installed in various leadership positions. Yet, it could not make any of this take root in the Afghan environment.

In the end, the US bowed to the inevitable for any occupying power, even one in the guise of a benevolent moderniser, which is failure and defeat.

However, with the Israeli occupation of Palestine, it is doing the opposite. Washington continues to pour billions of dollars into furnishing Israel with the latest weapons to kill and supress the Palestinians. Since the Oslo Accords in 1993, it has watched as Israeli settlements have taken over 40 per cent of the West Bank, while the settler population has grown eight-fold. The number of Palestinians in Israeli jails has multiplied in tandem.

Whereas the US withdrew from Afghanistan after acknowledging the failure of its benevolent occupation with its mission to modernise the country and implant a democratic model, it has never made a serious attempt to restrain Israels malevolent occupation with its mission to take over all the West Bank and expel or kill its indigenous civilian population.

It is also noteworthy that the US did not insist that the Taliban change its political or ideological outlook or even its attitude towards women before it handed back control of the country. The US simply withdrew and let the Taliban do as they pleased.

Under the Talibans theocratic system of government in Afghanistan, the ruler, or emir, is elected by a narrow group of Islamic leaders. Even the countrys Shura, or legislative council, is only advisory. The system rejects political parties as a form of pre-Islamic fanaticism, yet it rules more by dogma than it does by rational policy.

Its recent decisions to ban female education and to ban women from working in the private sector are probably unprecedented in the history of government by extremist religious groups. No other theocratically oriented society has prohibited female education, although they have sometimes enforced gender segregation in classrooms. Nor have they banned women from the workplace, even if they have restricted the types of occupations women may have.

The Palestinian group Hamas took part in the Palestinian legislative elections in 2006, and it won in the Gaza Strip. They are certainly more open-minded on social issues relating to womens rights and personal rights than are the Taliban.

On the other hand, it is also true that they are exclusionist and have monopolised control over Gaza and that they have deepened the rift between Gaza and the West Bank. No international stakeholder sees Hamas as a convincing political partner, especially given its record of rule in Gaza. But these are not the factors that are foremost in Washingtons mind.

Ultimately, the US stance on the Taliban was informed by a single factor, which was that the mission of the occupation and the billions it spent to create an alternative to the Taliban in Afghanistan only succeeded in building a house of cards. In the end, the US accepted this reality, let the house of cards collapse, and left Afghanistan to the Afghans.

Meanwhile, it is unable to acknowledge that the root of the problem in Palestine is the Israeli occupation and that the remedy is the end of the occupation and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

You cannot get rid of a terrorist movement just by affixing a terrorist stamp on it. Nor is the solution to insist that it meets certain standards devised by the international community. Under international law, the solution is to end the occupation, not to educate liberation movements and organisations.

Extremist and terrorist organisations such as Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS) group are different. They can be eliminated or marginalised because they are not nationalist in their outlook, and they have no durable popular base. What they are able to command in any country would dwindle if offered a viable social and political alternative or if they were driven out of the country.

Hamas and the Taliban, on the other hand, are like the Algerian National Liberation Movement (the FLN  which France branded as terrorist in the 1950s) and similar movements because they are grounded, not just in some ideological or doctrinal choice, but in a societys broader cause of liberation.

It is possible to dismantle and break up Hamas military power, as Israel intends to do. But its grassroots will only produce a new movement. Whatever the name of this might be, it would have the same goal: to end the occupation and achieve national liberation and independence.

The writer is former parliamentarian and head of the Arab European Unit in Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies.



* A version of this article appears in print in the 23 November, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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The former U.S. president reflected on his relationship with his wife after she passed away on November 19, 2023.

Mark Wilson / Getty Images

Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter were known to have a solid relationshipin fact, they were the longest married presidential couple in history. Sadly, on November 19, 2023, the former first lady passed away at 96 years old, six months after she was diagnosed with dementia. In the wake of her death, Jimmy reflected on his relationship with Rosalynn and their 77-year-long marriage. Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished, Jimmy said in a statement. She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.

In May 2023, Rosalynn was first diagnosed with dementia. Six months later, The Carter Center announced on November 17, 2023, that she had entered hospice care. The mental health advocate died peacefully two days later at her home in Plains, Georgia, surrounded by her family, according to the statement. Next week, there will be a funeral to honor Rosalynns life at Maranatha Baptist Church, per The Carter Center.

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Jimmy and Rosalynn first tied the knot in 1946. The two of them went on to raise four children, Jack, Chip, Jeff, and Amy, and they later had 22 grandchildren and great-grandchildren, People reported. When Jimmy served as president from 1977 to 1981, Rosalynn was his biggest supporter, and she helped her husband make great strides for America.

Related: 18 White House Weddings: From the 1800s to Today

During his presidency, with his wife by his side, Jimmy attained a rare peace agreement between Israel and Egypt, per CNN. Rosalynn also served as the honorary chair of the Presidents Commission on Mental Health, which helped pass the Mental Health Systems Acta piece of legislation that provided grants to community mental health centersin 1980. Rosalynn was also known to champion arts and programs for the arts.

After his term, the couple continued to make reforms by collaborating on world peace and human rights efforts through The Carter Center, a nongovernmental organization based in Atlanta with a mission to wage peace, fight disease, and build hope. They visited places around the world, like Cuba, Sudan, and North Korea, to eliminate neglected tropical diseases, such as Guinea worm disease, according to CNN. The Carter Center is a shared legacy, the couples friend, Jill Stuckey, said.

Former president George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush praised Jimmy and Rosalynn for their efforts during their presidencywhich were partially a success due to their bond. There was no greater advocate of President Carter, and their partnership set a wonderful example of loyalty and fidelity, George and Laura said in a joint statement. She leaves behind an important legacy in her work to destigmatize mental health.

Up Next: President Joe Biden Had to Propose to Jill Biden 5 Times Before She Accepted

Read the original article on Brides.
Two United States-based researchers analyzing the destruction of northern Gaza using radar waves and satellite imagery from space have compared the widespread damage to the decimated cities of Mariupol in Ukraine and Aleppo in Syria during wartime.

Following Hamas' unprecedented surprise attack in Israel on Oct. 7 that Israeli officials say has killed more than 1,200 people, Israel responded with a retaliatory bombing campaign of the neighboring Gaza Strip.

The closest comparisons the researchers, Jamon Van Den Hoek from Oregon State University and Corey Scher at the CUNY Graduate Center in New York, could make to what has happened in Gaza to other conflicts were the city of Mariupol, decimated by Russia after its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Aleppo, the city reduced to rubble by government forces during the Syrian civil war.

"The only other analogs that I think we've looked at in terms of the extent ... the broad extent of damage, those are the first two cities that come to mind for me," Scher said. "Aleppo and Mariupol."

PHOTO: A satellite image shows people walking on Salah Al Deen road, near Gaza City, in Gaza Nov. 17, 2023. (Maxar Technologies via Reuters)

MORE: Why the tunnels under Gaza pose a major problem for Israel's potential ground invasion

In the wake of the Israel-Hamas war, the view of Gaza from space, according to Van Den Hoek and Scher, shows widespread damage. Between 40% and 51% of all buildings in northern Gaza have been structurally damaged since Israel declared war on Hamas, the researchers said.

Scher told ABC News that their team uses radar to determine any changes in the structures of buildings in Gaza. Because there has been no construction, the only changes to the buildings are as a result of damage, he said.

"If you go into a room and you speak, there's no furniture or rugs or anything in the room and you hear an echo," Scher told ABC News when asked how to explain how their research using radar has been conducted. "You remember that echo, and you go back in the room after placing a rug or a bookshelf with books on it. Speak again. Listen. Remembering your old echo, you ... can detect a change. We're looking for similar changes in the echoes of radar waves."

Applying that method using radar signals from the European Space Agency's Sentinel-1 satellite, the researchers said they were able to detect the number of buildings damaged, but were not able to determine how badly the buildings had been affected. Scher and Van Den Hoek say they have worked extensively using those techniques to chart structural damage in the Syrian civil war, Ukraine war and previous Gaza conflicts.

"The scale and the speed of damage in this war is pretty unprecedented in our work on looking at Gaza," Van Den Hoek said. "We have been expecting for a long time with the shift in the military strategy [of] the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] to start doing more ground-based assaults, less aerial bombardment. Every week we see this growth of damage and we see areas that have been previously hit. We see them being hit over and over and over at the core of the city first and the periphery."

Van Den Hoek and Scher, who are urban geographers, said the Israel-Hamas war differs from the Ukrainian and the Syrian civil wars because only a "trickle" of Gazans have been able to flee.

Gazans have endured devastating strikes from the air, with the IDF laying waste to large swaths Gaza, a 140-square-mile strip of land along the Mediterranean Sea surrounded by Israel and Egypt. The IDF claims to have hit hundreds of Hamas targets since the war began.

MORE: Rafah crossing: What is happening at the Egypt-Gaza border?

The IDF has said it established control of northern Gaza as it continues to battle Hamas terrorists, who the IDF says have a widespread underground tunnel system designed to conceal and cover militants and execute attacks. Above ground, journalists have been offered a glimpse into the destruction in northern Gaza during media visits organized by the IDF.

As the first week of the Isarel-Hamas war came to an end, Israel began warning more than 1 million Palestinians to move to a safer part of the territory, in southern Gaza, as Israeli soldiers prepared what was expected to be a massive ground campaign. In the weeks that followed, thousands of people sought refuge at Egypt's Rafah crossing as Israeli retaliatory airstrikes pummeled Gaza, intensifying the humanitarian crisis there. The crossing eventually reopened and some people were able to leave.

"What is so distinct about Gaza, though, [from] anywhere else in the world is that it is such a compact living environment and it is containerized," Van Den Hoek said. "We're mapping something that doesn't move -- buildings and the damage -- but where people are in this really complex landscape of unpredictable rocket fire, unpredictable attacks, unpredictable aid, electricity, water ... it's really a dire situation."

The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry says at least 14,128 people have been killed in Gaza amid Israel's retaliatory campaign and effort to root out Hamas. More than 33,000 have been injured, the ministry says, with almost 1.5 million people displaced, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.

Mapping destruction from space shows about half of northern Gaza's buildings are damaged, researchers say originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Three of the world's most influential women have told BBC News they want to end child marriage within a generation.

Michelle Obama, Amal Clooney and Melinda French Gates announced last year a collaboration between their foundations to combat the problem.

At the current rate of progress, the UN has warned it will not be eradicated for 300 years.

But former First Lady Mrs Obama told BBC News: "It is an issue that can be solved tomorrow."

The three women spoke exclusively to BBC 100 Women during a visit to Malawi and South Africa.

Short presentational grey line

"I'm sorry," said 26-year-old Lucy, as she choked back tears. "I feel emotional."

Lucy was in the library of Ludzi Girls secondary school in the central region of Malawi. US secret service agents stood outside, under the red flame trees of the school grounds. She had just been speaking about the importance of girls staying in school, and spared the fate of marriage to much older men, before emotion suddenly overcame her.

Around the table, three of the world's most influential humanitarians - Melinda French Gates, Amal Clooney and Michelle Obama - had quietly listened to her story.

According to the NGO, Girls Not Brides, Malawi has one of the highest child marriage rates in Eastern and Southern Africa, with 42% of girls already married by the age of 18. In Mchinji District, where Ludzi Girls school is located, 33% of girls are reported to fall pregnant before they reach 18, and leave education.

Lucy could have been one of those girls. Her father had wanted her out of school when she was 14, but she resisted, and later became the first girl in her village to go to university. Now, with a degree in education, she is a district leader for AGE Africa, an organisation that provides scholarships for vulnerable girls in Malawi, a country where secondary education is not free. Lucy was once a student in the programme, and now she helps girls like herself.

Michelle Obama: "I see myself in the girls that we are fighting for"

Her mother is overjoyed at her achievement, Lucy said, although her father is less so. She said he is still coming to terms with an independent daughter. Sharing all this left her overwhelmed.

The former First Lady of the US, sitting to Lucy's left, spoke up. "Will you send your father a message for me? Next time you see him, tell him that Michelle and Barack Obama are so proud of you, and the woman you have become."

Lucy looked up, smiling. On Lucy's right sat international human rights barrister Mrs Clooney. "And tell him you have a lawyer too now," she added.

BBC 100 Women names 100 inspiring and influential women around the world every year - Michelle Obama and Amal Clooney are on this year's list, while Melinda French Gates was listed in 2021

Meet this year's 100 Women here

After announcing their collaboration to combat child marriage last year, Michelle Obama, Amal Clooney and Melinda French Gates visited Malawi and South Africa together to amplify the work of grassroots organisations focusing on the issue, and to meet girls and women whose lives have been affected.

Mrs Obama's education-focused organisation, Girls Opportunity Alliance, had already identified that girls around the world were leaving school due to pregnancy and teenage marriage. Mrs Clooney was working to make sure girls in rural communities were aware of their rights, and many of Ms French Gates's projects had focussed on improving healthcare - including treatment for girls who experience complications after giving birth at a young age.

All are passionate about defending the rights of women and girls, so a coalition seemed like a natural fit.

"It's been a really lovely and very organic partnership, and friendship, between the three of us," international human rights lawyer Mrs Clooney told BBC 100 Women.

"In an early conversation with the Gates Foundation, I said: 'You're working on gender justice at a massive scale, but mostly you're not using law as a tool. You're looking at economics, and you're looking at health. Maybe we can form a partnership?'"

Melinda French Gates believes women naturally work in collectives

Ms French Gates, who got a spontaneous cheer from the Ludzi schoolgirls when she said it was her fifth visit to Malawi, said working together was a strategic decision, and that their overlapping areas of expertise would make them more effective.

"Women, I think, naturally work in collectives," she told the BBC. "I've talked to a number of women who are older than me who made it as CEO, or CFO, in their company. And there's some regret that they didn't do it in concert with other women. They didn't pull other women up and along with them. The generation that we've been part of - Michelle and I are essentially the same age - we've wanted to pull everybody up with us."

According to Unicef, 650 million girls and women are alive today who married under the age of 18, and currently more than 12 million girls a year marry in legal and traditional ceremonies around the world. South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa have the highest rates globally, but this is not just an issue in the global south. Five states in the US have no minimum age of marriage as long as parents consent.

Some countries, such as Malawi, have progressive laws that outlaw marriage under the age of 18, although these often come up against longstanding cultural barriers. On Monday, following the visit of the three campaigners, President Lazarus Chakwera announced further funding for a national strategy to end child marriage. Until now there have been very few prosecutions.

Mrs Clooney thinks outreach is a solution. Her Waging Justice for Women programme funds the Women Lawyers Association of Malawi, which arranges for specialists to travel to rural communities to seek out women looking for help. More than 85% of Malawi's population lives in villages, set in expanses of land governed by chiefs, living in huts under baobab trees, miles from roads and electricity.

"We formed a network of mobile legal aid clinics, which means literally, there's a van that goes out with lawyers, and we go out in a community and say to girls, 'These are your rights. If you need a lawyer - for free - to protect you, we are here.

"We wage justice, and we say 'waging' because you can't assume it's going to happen," Mrs Clooney said. "You have to form alliances and fight against these kinds of injustices with the determination that it takes to win a war."

Amal Clooney took part in a legal clinic with Malawian human rights lawyer Chikondi Chijozi

The BBC visited a legal clinic under a makeshift tent in a village in Mchinji district - it had more than 1,000 attendees, mostly women. Some were pregnant teenagers, asking what they could do to stay in school after giving birth.

"I see myself in the girls that we're fighting for," Mrs Obama told the BBC. "I see my daughters in those girls."

There is, however, concern this issue has no solution, at least in the short term. In a report earlier this year, Unicef said child marriages now made up 19% of all marriages, down from 23% 10 years ago. But it added that eliminating child marriage could still take about 300 years.

"This is an urgent issue," said Mrs Obama. "We can't afford to ignore it and assume that we can make headway on all the other big stuff that we're trying to deal with - poverty, climate change, war, and the rest - unless we're doing right by 50% of our population.

"It is an issue that can be solved tomorrow. If all the world leaders got together and made it a priority, it wouldn't take 300 years. It could happen in less than a generation."

Michelle Obama, Amal Clooney and Melinda French Gates chose to visit Malawi because each of their programmes was already supporting projects in the country. What form their long-term collaboration will take is still being worked out, but for now the women say they will back in-country organisations that have been working with communities for years.

"Large scale international organisations that are supposed to be dealing with this, like the UN Security Council, like powerful governments, are not delivering," said Mrs Clooney. "So I think philanthropy and individuals have to play a larger role."

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Abu Toha was born in the Al-Shati refugee camp in 1993 and has lived in Gaza for most of his life

Israel says it has released an award-winning Palestinian poet after reports of his detention prompted an international outcry.

Mosab Abu Toha, who won the American Book Award for his debut anthology, Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear: Poems from Gaza, disappeared on Sunday while fleeing southwards in Gaza with thousands of other people, his brother said.

The army took Mosab when he arrived at the checkpoint, leaving from the north to the south, the authors brother, Hamza Abu Toha, said on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Tuesday.

An IDF spokesman told The Telegraph that Abu Toha had been taken in for questioning as Israeli troops investigated reports of a number of interactions between several civilians and terror organisations inside the Gaza Strip but was then released.

He is believed to have been taken to Israel during the investigation, but has now been reunited with his wife and three children in southern Gaza.

News of Abu Tohas release came amid a chorus of calls from international groups demanding his release.

In a statement on Tuesday, PEN International said it was deeply concerned by reports about the arrest of Abu Toha who is also the founder of Gazas first English-language library.

We join calls demanding to know his whereabouts and the reasons for his detention, it said.

More destruction. What can stop this?

The New Yorker magazine, for which Abu Toha wrote a first-person account of life under Israels bombardment of Gaza City last month, also called for his safe return.

Abu Toha, who had recently returned to Gaza after studying in the US, has risen to become one of the territorys most-celebrated authors.

Earlier this year, Abu Toha was also named a finalist in the prestigious US National Book Critics Circle poetry award, for his debut collection.

In a piece published by The Atlantic this month, Abu Toha described a childhood marred by war and reflected on the fact that his young children are now going through the same experience.

My youngest child, born in America in May 2021, is living through the third wave of Israeli bombing, he wrote.

Not only are he and his brother and sister smelling death around them; but they have also lost their house in Beit Lahia 10 days ago.

Abu Toha called for a ceasefire shortly before he was detained.

More death, more destruction. What can stop this? Please stop it now, he wrote on social media.

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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD)  West Michigan is remembering the legacy of former first lady Rosalynn Carter, who advocated for mental health awareness.

Carter died on Sunday at the age of 96.

Presidents, lawmakers and more pay tribute to Rosalynn Carter

Christy Buck, the executive director of the Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan, said Carters work on mental health was groundbreaking.

What a fierce advocate for a population that was not advocated for back years ago, especially when her husband was the president, Buck said. What an amazing family to leave such a legacy through the Carter Center, where there is housed an actual initiative called the Mental Health Program, where they work daily with leaders to work on public policy surrounding mental illness, mental health.

She had the chance to meet Rosalynn Carter on the former first ladys visit to West Michigan in 2010.

In fact, that year, (the foundations) benice. (initiative) was created, so we were able to chat and as much as I felt she listened, she was very interested. She congratulated us on our efforts, Buck said.

Carter was in town to speak at an event commemorating the 100th anniversary of West Michigan-based Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services, President and CEO Mark Eastburg said.

She was such a down-to-earth person, just talked about her kids, her grandkids and then when she had an opportunity to have the microphone, she spoke really passionately about the causes around mental health, Eastburg said.

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He said Carter was talking about mental health at a time when it was often ignored.

She really started working on this issue in 1966. It became a focus when she and Jimmy were running for governor in Georgia and over the years, her name became just really closely associated with combating stigma, doing a better job in our public mental health system, our private mental health system, Eastburg said.

While the former first lady is gone, Eastburg said her legacy will live on.

I think she will be in that pantheon of people who are well known in the community who are willing to step out and say: Mental health is important. Its important to me, its important to my family, and we can do better, he said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.
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Bats have long been the odd ones out among mammals.

They are the only creatures in this branch of the animal kingdom capable of powered flight. Now researchers say they have discovered another unique trait, with video revealing that the serotine bat may be the first mammal known to mate without using penetration.

Also known by the scientific name Eptesicus serotinus, serotine bats mate by touching their genitals together. The male bat uses its penis more like an arm to move a protective membrane away from the female bats vulva, according to a study published Monday in the journal Current Biology.

Bats have incredible reproductive biology that has been difficult to study given the nocturnal and secretive nature of many bat species, said study coauthor Nicolas Fasel, a bat specialist at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland.

Most of the time youll see their backs on the wall, and you dont see whats really happening in front, he said.

However, thanks to the efforts of a Dutch bat enthusiast who set up 18 video cameras in a church in the Netherlands that was home to a roosting colony of serotine bats, Fasel and his colleagues were able to analyze 93 mating events in detail. Video of an additional four mating events involving the same species came from collaborators at a bat rescue and rehabilitation center in Ukraine.

You can really see the copulation and see that the penis is not going inside, Fasel said.

The footage showed that half of the recorded mating episodes lasted less than 53 minutes, while on one occasion a pair of bats stayed together in a copulative embrace for more than 12 hours. The behavior is similar to a cloacal kiss, a way of mating used by many birds.

What Fasel and his colleagues observed on the videos may solve a long-standing puzzle about the reproductive biology of this species of bat, and others in the same family.

The information on bat mating behavior could help with efforts to come up with a way to artificially inseminate endangered bat species. - Olivier Glaizot

Mismatched genitalia

The male bats penis is around seven times longer than its female counterparts vagina, and it has a heart-shaped head that is seven times wider than the vaginal opening. These are features that appear to make penetrative sex difficult, if not impossible, Fasel noted.

Teri Orr, an assistant professor and specialist in bat reproductive systems at New Mexico State University, said she was initially astonished to see that males may be using their genitalia as a copulatory arm and maybe transferring sperm much as birds do. Orr was not involved with the study.

Bats use their uropatagia (tail membranes) in many unique ways such as fishing nets, to catch pups during birth and so forth and thus they are useful in many ways but perhaps an impediment during mating, Orr said.

I agree that the male of this species may use his genitalia to navigate the females tail but there are some key things to be sorted out, she added via email. For one: how is the sperm transferred exactly and for another what is the female doing in this pair?

The behavior of the serotine bat reported in the paper is bizarre and unique if true, said Alan Dixson, a biology professor at the Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand and the author of the 2021 book Mammalian Sexuality: The Act of Mating and the Evolution of Reproduction. However, in his view, the researchers hadnt provided sufficient evidence to support their unusual claim, added Dixson, who also was not a part of the study.

Open question

Study coauthor Susanne Holtze, a senior scientist at the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research in Berlin, acknowledged that they had not been able to definitively prove the transfer of sperm from male to female bats and said that will be a focus of future research.

Its a bit of an open question how their semen really gets into the female reproductive tract. It might be that theres kind of suction involved. We cannot fully answer this mechanism, she said.

Holtze, who specializes in assisted reproduction in animals, said that the information they uncovered during the study would help with her work to come up with a way to artificially inseminate bats.

There are more than 1,000 species of bats, and many of them are also endangered, she said. So far, no sufficient strategy for assisted reproduction has been established.

Orr, the bat specialist at New Mexico State University, said the study would inform her labs work on bat reproduction and whether the unusual reproductive behavior has any implications for understanding human infertility.

Bats do a lot of extreme things during reproduction from storing sperm to extending the duration of a pregnancy, she explained.

There are few bat biologists, and most tend to focus on the more obvious yet still fascinating aspects of bat biology such as flight and echolocation, rather than what the bats are doing behind closed doors, Orr said.

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A deal to release hostages taken from Israel during Hamas's attacks last month is "closer than ever before", according to a senior US official.

"We're hopeful... but there's still work to be done," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said.

At a separate event, US President Joe Biden also said he believed an agreement was nearing.

An estimated 240 people were kidnapped in the 7 October Hamas attacks, during which 1,200 Israelis were killed.

Since then, the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza has said 13,000 people in Gaza have been killed in the territory in Israel's retaliatory campaign.

Hints that a deal to secure the release of hostages may be nearing have been increasing in recent days - including from Qatar, which was instrumental in securing the release of four hostages last month.

Now the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)'s president has travelled to Qatar - where hostage negotiations are being mediated and where the political leadership of Hamas is based.

In a statement, the ICRC said its president, Mirjana Spoljaric, had travelled there in order to "advance humanitarian issues" related to the conflict.

While the ICRC has stressed that it does not take part in direct negotiations leading to the release of hostages, it does help to facilitate releases once they have been agreed. So far, the group has facilitated the release of four hostages released by Hamas - a mother and daughter - who are US nationals - and two elderly Israeli women.

"As a neutral humanitarian intermediary, we remain ready to facilitate any future release that the parties to the conflict agree to," the ICRC said.

On Sunday, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said that only "very minor" practical and logistical obstacles remain in the way of securing a deal.

The Israeli ambassador to the US - Michael Herzog - had also waded in, saying he was hopeful a deal for the release of a significant number of hostages would be reached "in the coming days".

From talking to a figure familiar with the talks recently, the BBC understands that Israel and Hamas may be looking at some kind of phased release. This could include a small number of hostages being freed initially, alongside a ceasefire.

If this holds, more people could be let go.

Elsewhere, it has been suggested that part of the package could be the release of some Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, possibly women and minors.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has so far ruled out a halt to Israel's retaliatory attacks in Gaza, saying previously he would only consider a ceasefire when all hostages were released.

Its operation, which involves air and artillery strikes as well as ground troops, aims to eliminate Hamas. More than 13,000 are thought to have died so far, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry.

Last week Israel's military said it had found the bodies of two hostages - 65-year-old Yehudit Weiss and 19-year-old soldier Noa Marciano - in the Gaza Strip.

More on Israel-Gaza war

On Monday there were fraught interactions between the families of hostages and Israeli politicians.

In one incident, several relatives of those held hostage in Gaza walked out of a meeting with the country's Prime Minister Netanyahu and other senior politicians after reportedly being told that securing the release was not the main priority.

Udi Goren, whose cousin is among those who were kidnapped, told Israeli news organisation Channel 12 that relatives were now being told that the goal of freeing hostages was on par with destroying Hamas.

"It's a huge disappointment," he said.

In another, which saw highly-charged scenes in the Knesset (Israel's parliament), relatives pleaded with far-right members of Israel's governing coalition not to introduce legislation to allow the use of the death penalty against Hamas, saying it could endanger hostages.

Ultra-nationalist members of the knesset accused them of siding with Hamas by attempting to slow down the controversial bill.

Gil Dickmann, whose aunt was killed by Hamas and whose two cousins are among the hostages, was among the relatives who took part in the confrontation.

He told the BBC World Service's Newshour programme he thought the politicians had "crossed a line" with the allegation and accused far-right leader and government minister Itamar Ben-Gvir of "doing whatever to spark more and more violence, more and more hate".

"Our trust in the government was lost on 7 October," Mr Dickman said.

"And I think you can understand why. Our families or relatives were all hurt in a way that we couldn't imagine before.

"But I think that the bringing back of the kidnapped and abductees is the one thing that can bring back trust and bring back our belief in ourselves."
Lessons from the Irish Peace Process in the 1990s and beyond could have much to offer in the Palestinian-Israeli context, writes Gary Mason

I

was born, grew up, and still live in that sectarian cockpit called Northern Ireland.

Those from the British Unionist tradition call it Northern Ireland; Irish Nationalists, many times, do not use that word and call it the North or the six counties. People in the Middle East understand the power of words: Israelis call the 1948 War the War of Independence and Palestinians call it the Nakba.

Having lived as a young boy through the early years of the conflict in the Irish space, when many commentators asserted that this conflict will not last, little did I realise that it would last through my boyhood, teenage years, and well into my adult life. Some believed that when the British army arrived here in 1969, it was for a limited operation to restore law and order. However, the operation officially ended at midnight on 31 July 2007, making it the longest continuous deployment in the British armys history and lasting 37 years.

The last six weeks have grabbed the worlds attention, as the Middle East has once again spilled into violent conflict. Many commentators, academics, diplomats, and religious leaders are asking the age-old question: will there ever be any form of peace and stability in the region?

Looking back to the early 1990s, within the global context there were primarily three conflicts that were grabbing the worlds attention: South Africa, Israel/Palestine, and Northern Ireland. Most commentators saw Apartheid slowly coming to an end in South Africa, and with the Oslo Accords, many believed that Israelis and Palestinians were slowly getting over the line. It seemed to be that troublesome island of Ireland that was lagging behind.

Yet, here we are three decades later, and while the Irish Peace Process has not been without its difficult moments, it is still seen as one of the more successful of the last 50 years.

Most conflicts seem to have land, identity, and religion at their core. These concepts were part of the Irish conflict, and they are also present in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. While the Irish Peace Process is still imperfect, civil society played a key role in it, and several of its leaders could have much to offer to their colleagues in the Palestinian-Israeli context. This is particularly in relation to allowing civil society to be the social glue that in many ways holds the Irish Process together.

It has been suggested that many efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have failed due to a flawed methodology of pursuing peace, namely that the conflict can be resolved by a selected and exclusive leadership. But such a strategy fails to address the complex entanglement of grievance, belief, and ideology that characterises the regions context and which are at the root of this conflict.

Therefore, an inclusive peace process is required  one of societal shifts where senior and mid-level political leaders, community leaders, religious leaders, and civil society all have a role to play in communicating the need for real and difficult action in pursuing peace.

My organisation, Rethinking Conflict, has hosted over 1,000 Israelis and Palestinians in Belfast and Dublin over the last ten years. These Palestinians and Israelis have been from all political parties and have included senior civil servants, people from academia, representatives from NGOs, and religious leaders. These visiting delegations have highlighted several key learning experiences from their visits.

First, political leadership is essential to achieving peace. Leaders on all sides must sincerely believe that change is preferable to the status quo and then be willing to take the risks to achieve peace, whilst providing the vision that maintains the confidence of their grassroots supporters.

Second, a desire to break the cycle of violence to save future generations from the horrors of conflict plays an important role in creating an environment for peace. This desire for a better future encouraged leaders to take the risks and face down accusations of betrayal from within their own communities in order to achieve peace in the Irish context.

Third, a lack of trust between opposing sides is inevitable, but it cannot be used as an excuse to not start talking. Trust does not come at the start of the process, but it develops over time through dialogue (at times meeting secretly), by making and meeting commitments, and building confidence through concrete actions.

Fourth, attempts to resolve the conflict through military force are ultimately futile and do not result in sustainable security for either community. Instead, a cycle of violence flourishes as each side seeks to hurt the other side as much as they hurt you. Security is only achieved when dialogue is prioritised, root causes of conflict are addressed, and new frameworks and political institutions are established that give space for each community to peacefully pursue their visions.

Fifth, grassroots organisations and civil society have a particularly important role to play in helping society find a way to heal past historic animosities and build a more positive shared future.

US Senator George Mitchell said on the day of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 that if you think getting this agreement was difficult, implementing it will be even more difficult. Yet, despite all the implementation difficulties over the last 25 years, the role of civil society has been the social glue that has held the Northern Irish Peace Process together.

In a way that was not dissimilar to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, we had many attempts at building peace, and many failures along the way. Yet, one lesson remains at the forefront: it took courageous leadership from both sides and people who were willing to take risks to overcome the status quo for the next generation.

It is important to note that no suggestion is being made that the Good Friday Agreement is a template for the Middle East, but there are aspects we got right, and most certainly aspects we got wrong, that may be helpful in moving forward in this fractured region.

What is certain is that the road to resolution can be a long one, and I doubt that in the next few months someone is going to have a lightbulb moment overnight and come up with the ultimate solution. In my mind, it is down to key leadership in the public square, locally, nationally, regionally, and globally.

There is a quotation on a pub and restaurant in Belfast that simply says: A nation that keeps one eye on the past is wise. A nation that keeps two eyes on the past is blind. No one in the Middle East can change history, but Northern Ireland has shown that courageous leadership can shape a new and different history.

The writer is the founder and director of the Belfast-based Rethinking Conflict organisation and played an integral role in the Northern Irish Peace Process.



* A version of this article appears in print in the 23 November, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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In his recent interview with Piers Morgan, the Egyptian satirist Bassem Youssef mentioned Tantura (2022), Alon Schwartzs feature-length documentary, as a reference to the atrocities committed by the Israeli occupation against the peaceful, unarmed residents of the eponymous Palestinian village in 1948.

The broadcast of the popular television program reopened the tragic file of the stricken village, which summarises what happened during the Nakba in many videos on the internet, especially in Arabic. But what is interesting is that the aforementioned film, which exposes the crime with documents, evidence, and live testimonies, was made by a director who belongs to the other side of the conflict.

But Tantura is not the only Israeli film that questions the official narrative about what has happened since 1948. For one reason or another, a number of directors from the other side are driven to dispute the existing narrative and investigate the lies on which it is based.

Among these recent documentaries, in addition to Alon Schwarzs Tantura, there is also Blue Box (2021) by Michel Weits, and a series of films by Avi Mograbi, the latest of which is The First 54 Years: An Abbreviated Manual for Military Occupation (2021).

These films do not present the complete truth, but rather parts of the truth sufficient to make their makers feel at ease, but they remain governed by a narrow and short-sighted framework. But they still provide evidence.

Most Israelis dont know their own history, Alon Schwarz said, explaining why he co-wrote and directed Tantura, which had its world premiere in the Sundance Film Festival World Cinema Documentary Competition. Most Israelis dont know what really happened in 1948. Most Israelis believe the naive story that the Palestinians ran away in 1948 by themselves because they were told by their leaders to do so. And they dont know that the Israeli army went into village after village and drove the people out, sometimes committing war crimes like the massacre of Tantura and others. That is why I made the film Tantura, the untold part of our founding myth. It is not only the story of Tantura, it is not only the story of the Nakba, it is not only the story of Teddy Katz. Its a story about how people choose to forget or to not remember things that are inconvenient.

The Tantura massacre took place on the night of 22-23 May 1948 when around 200 Palestinian villagers from Tantura were massacred by the Alexandroni Brigade following the surrender of the village, which was located near Haifa. The victims were buried in a mass grave, which today serves as a car park for the nearby Tel Dor beach. Although oral testimonies by surviving Palestinians were met with scepticism, in 2023 Forensic Architecture, a multidisciplinary research group based at Goldsmiths, University of London, published its commissioned investigation of the area and concluded that there were three potential gravesites in the area of the Tel Dor beach that were connected to a massacre.

In the late 1990s, the graduate student Teddy Katz conducted research into the massacre that had allegedly occurred in the village of Tantura in 1948 which was based on 140 hours of audio testimonies with veteran soldiers of the Alexandroni Brigade and Palestinian survivors. However, his work later came under attack and his reputation was ruined.

More than two decades later, director Alon Schwartz revisited some of the Alexandroni Brigade veterans as well as Palestinian residents in an attempt to explore what happened, to find out why the Nakba was a forbidden subject in his society.

In his directors statement Schwartz says, One night, I accidentally stumbled across a web page about Teddy Katz and his research on the events of Tantura in 1948. Everywhere I looked on Israeli websites, I found a story about a man that all systems  academic, judicial, press, and social  labelled as a liar. I found it particularly peculiar that someone would find himself in that position after recording over 100 hours of testimonies on audio tapes. After calling Teddy the next morning, I went to visit him, not sure what I would find. I encountered a physically broken man with a deep need to bring his truth to light after everything was taken away from him 20 years earlier. Listening to the tapes slowly opened my eyes to a shockingly complex reality I was not even remotely aware of.

Alon Schwartz used Teddy Katzs recordings in his interviews to confront veteran soldiers and various parties involved in the suppression of Katzs voice, including judges, researchers, historians and academics. He also visited the real places of events whose features have changed at the present time without being able to hide the traces of the ongoing tragedy. Critic Lauren Wissot wrote in Filmmaker magazine that Tantura is less a history lesson than a deep-dive investigation into the stories a nation chooses to tell about itself. It is a specifically Israeli story that nevertheless echoes Americas genocidal history and even, most ironically, Nazi Germanys policy of expropriation and extermination.

***

Blue Box (2021) by Michel Weits, which had its world premiere at the Hot Docs Film Festival, is another feature length documentary that reveals part of the tragedy of injustice. The Jewish National Funds blue boxes were part of a successful fundraising campaign to support the purchase of land in Palestine. Joseph Weits, the film directors great grandfather, was the man who orchestrated the acquisition and expropriation of Palestinian lands. His private diaries reveal an uncomfortable truth that pushed her to explore what really happened.

In Blue Box she delves into her great grandfathers controversial past, ooking at his personal diaries which take up over 5,000 pages spanning about 80 years of history. She interviews her family members, and uses a significant amount of archival footage and photographs for a voice-over narration that includes her own reflections.

Joseph Weits was the man who conducted this land takeover as the head of the Jewish National Fund. He was also my great grandfather. I didnt know anything about the dark side of grandpas career. In my family, we never talked about it. I was raised on the myth of him, as a hero. Only when I started reading his personal diary, I discovered that history can be told in many ways, also inside my family. And that my family, just like my country, chose to tell us a different story.

I belong to a generation, raised on the myth: A land without a people for a people without a land. We were raised on the myth of the Hebrew pioneers, draining the swamps and building the new towns and villages, which we now call home. We were raised on the myth of the Jewish National Funds blue boxes, where people put their spare change to help raise money for the noble mission of acquiring the historic land of Israel. Those little boxes changed the face of the Middle East. The story behind how Israel obtained the land it sits on is one of the most sensitive topics that nobody really wants to talk about even today.

In POV, Canadas Documentary magazine, critic Liam Lacey describes Blue Box as a film about the Big Moral Problem of History. It interrogates a familys history, and Israels history, through an inspired personal approach.

***

According to the film director Avi Mograbi, who is a founder and board member, Breaking the Silence is an organisation founded in 2004 by veteran soldiers who decided that there was an urgent need to make the occupation visible to Israelis first and foremost but also to others. The governments of Israel in the last 54 years have succeeded in making the occupation invisible to us. So the mission of Breaking the Silence is to collect testimonies from their own peers, soldiers who served in the occupied territories, and make them accessible to everyone, he explains. Mograbi, whose father was born in Beirut, Lebanon to an Arabic-speaking Jewish family, was a reservist in the military, and when in 1982 Israel invaded Lebanon, he was recruited to serve as a combatant but he objected and was jailed.

Mograbis feature-length documentary The First 54 Years  An Abbreviated Manual for Military Occupation (2021) is based on the testimonies of soldiers who served in the occupied territories, collected by Breaking the Silence researchers.

In this film Mograbi sarcastically builds a handbook of the perfect occupier, of how to succeed in an occupation for at least 54 years, based on the confessions of 38 former Israeli conscripts and archive footage.

Five million Palestinians live in the occupied territories under Israeli military rule, two million of them in the Gaza Strip, under total siege for the past several years, the synopsis reads. The Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip has already lasted for 54 years. This statement does not say much about occupation. What does occupation imply? This film aims to provide an exclusive insight into the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian people while it is still ongoing. Describing their orders, their missions and their actions, Israeli soldier witnesses report on the mechanisms of oppression of Palestinians from 1967 to the present. With these testimonies, they reveal the factory of the occupation machine.

Through the soldiers testimonies, the film is divided into different chapters arranged chronologically from 1967 and on, separated by commentaries from the director himself, who confronts the audience from a chair in his living room, analysing and explaining with bitter sarcasm the atrocities of the occupation. Facing difficulties in screening his films in Israel, Avi Mograbi decided to make all the documentary films that he produced and directed, including The First 54 Years: An Abbreviated Manual for Military Occupation available to the public online.

The renowned critic Jay Weissberg, in his article in Variety, describes Mograbis film as a step-by-step primer, using soldiers testimony gathered under the Breaking the Silence project, designed to walk us through the Israeli governments undeclared strategy for permanently appropriating the land.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 23 November, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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Conor McGregor anunta ca i s-a nascut al patrulea copil

Luptatorul Conor McGregor si logodnica sa, Dee Devlin, au anuntat in social media ca li s-a nascut al patrulea copil.In varsta de 35 de ani, fostul campion UFC a anuntat: "Inca un baiat voinic si sanatos a venit pe lume", a transmis miercuri, pe Instagram, cateva imagini din spital. [citeste mai departe]
Ambulance staff rallying in support of trade union leaders on hunger strike Ambulance staff rallying in support of trade union leaders on hunger strike Ambulance staff in their free time are rallying today, 10:00hrs to 12:00hrs, at the central offices of all ambulance services all over Romania in support of five trade union leaders who went on a hunger strike. According to the Ambulance National Trade Union Federation of Romania (FNSAR), the reason is failure to acknowledge the working conditions in which the operative professional staff of the ambulance services carry out their activity, a right annulled by a plenary vote of the Committee on Labour and Social Citeste articolul mai departe pe stiripesurse.ro

Sursa articol si foto: stiripesurse.ro

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President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a letter of condolences to the family and close relatives of the former governor of Russia's Kemerovo region Aman Tuleyev.

It is with deep grief that I have received the news of the death of Aman Gumirovich Tuleyev, prominent statesman and politician of Russia.

Aman Tuleyev was a good friend of Azerbaijan. He made a valuable contribution to expansion of traditionally friendly ties between Azerbaijan and Russia, enhancement of the atmosphere of mutual understanding and trust between our peoples. He was awarded with Dostlug state order of the Republic of Azerbaijan for his special services to the development of the Azerbaijan-Russia friendly ties.

Aman Tuleyevs attitude to cherished memory of our National Leader Heydar Aliyev has always been highly appreciated in Azerbaijan.

Good memory of Aman Gumirovich Tuleyev will remain in our hearts forever.

I share your pain over this grievous loss and express my sincere condolences.

Ilham Aliyev

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Baku, 21 November 2023
The Majdal Hospital was bombed as was the Al-Joura village, which stands on the site of Ashkelon. Israelis bombed food distribution centres in Dar Balah and Khan Younis.

These events were not recorded last week, but the last century, in 1948, following the notorious Nakba (Catastrophe), or the mass displacement and dispossession of the people of Palestine.

It is the duty of the historian to keep the past alive, but it is up to us to learn from it. So far, man has proved incapable of learning the lessons of history.

How can we be masters of the future without reflecting on the ashes of the past? Despite the repulsion at the sight of bloodied hands, we seem determined to keep them bloody.

Philosophers show little faith in the ability of man to learn from history. Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831) said: Peoples and governments have never learned anything from history or acted on principle deduced from it. True words indeed, as is manifested by the present conditions in Gaza.

A myriad sources inform us regularly of todays atrocities perpetrated by madmen, consumed by hate. We have no need to repeat them here.

Traumatised by the man-made horror in Gaza, we shall endeavour to shed light on the past; to accede that history is doomed to repeat itself, because man remains a slave to his primal passions of hate and violence.

Is there any doubt that genocide is being practised by the government of Israel?

Genocide is defined as the deliberate and systematic termination of a national, ethnic, racial or religious group, with the aim of destroying it. The word genocide did not exist prior to 1944, coined by a Polish/Jewish lawyer, Raphael Lemkin (1900-1959) to describe Nazi policies of systematic murder of Jews during the Holocaust. It is a combination of the Greek genos, meaning race and the Latin cide, meaning killing.

Someone should have come up with such a description sooner as genocide has existed throughout history. The fact that it became prevalent in the 20th century till now is baffling.

More democracies were established in the 20th century than at any other time. This is the century of great technological advances, yet it is also the century that waged two world wars in which more people were killed in such a short period.

One would have thought that mans stellar achievements of the 20th century would have also honed his finer features, instead it has heightened his desire to kill by giving us weapons of mass destruction. The quality of our lives improved, the quality of our souls did not.

Genocide spread following the colonisation that occurred by the Europeans, Japanese and others during the 18th and 19th centuries. They disrupted the stability of native populations, of whole countries and whole continents, (Australia, America, and Africa). They seized their lands, possessions, natural resources because they felt superior and more worthy. It is a concept of distinction between us and them that triggers a process of dehumanisation, backed by a solid belief that they are not fully human. Palestinians are called animals by Israelis. In Rwanda, Hutus called Tutsis cockroaches.

By denying their humanity, they justify their elimination.

Genocidal acts against Armenians, Cambodians, Soviets, Chinese, are all but forgotten except for the holocaust of the Jews in Nazi Germany.

Images of the rape of Nanking, Cambodian killing fields, Pol Pots Khmer Rouge, Indonesian slaughter of East Timor, Milosovichs ethnic cleansing of Bosnia/Herzegovina, Darfur in the Sudan, have faded. All we remember are Hitlers camps.

The focus, dedication and tireless efforts of Jewish groups determined to allow the world to Never Forget are to be commended. The irony is that very same powers that cried Never Again and proceeded to establish a United Nations body to oversee world peace and justice are the very same people perpetrating injustice in Palestine.

It is clear now that Never Again actually meant Never Jews Again, but does not apply to the rest of mankind.

In 1946 a law was passed declaring genocide to be a crime under international law. The UN rushed to update its articles on the Convention on Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, proclaiming that the whole UN Systems must attack the roots of violence and genocide, hatred, intolerance, racism and tyranny, and the dehumanising public discourse, that denies whole groups of people their dignity and their right. How helpless is the UN now?

That such atrocities continue in a world that prides itself with noble notions of love, peace, equality and justice for all, defies comprehension.

Lest we forget, the main founders of the UN are themselves former colonialists, now in control of the Security Council, the right arm of the UN. Such nations are well versed in the methods of illegal settlements of other nations lands. They are well aware the establishment of a mainly European state right smack in the heart of Arab lands was in clear terms, a colonial project. Why would they not support it blindly? Old habits die hard.

How many more people have to die before the colonial powers wake up to the fact that they are complicit in the practice of genocide. Those who do not condemn the sins man commits against his fellow man should themselves be condemned as less than human.

Is there any romance left, any tenderness, chivalry, charity or are these merely traits of a dead past!

Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad with power.

Charles A Beard (1874-1948)

* A version of this article appears in print in the 23 November, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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- President Klaus Iohannis will meet on Wednesday in Blaj with the Synod of Bishops of the Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek Catholic, and will take part in a commemorative event marking 75 years since the unleashing of the persecution against this Church.According to the head of state's agenda,

- President Iohannis: Romania honestly wants a reconnection with the entire African continentRomania honestly want a reconnection with the entire African continent, in particular with Senegal, President Klaus Iohannis said on Thursday at the opening of the exhibition " Mirror Dilaogue - Traditional

- Presedintele Romaniei isi incheie turneul de 9 zile din Africa, cu o vizita la un centru pentru copiii cu deficiente mintale, din Dakar. Iohannis, dupa vizita la centrul de copii cu deficiente mintale din Dakar: Am fost foarte impresionat Presedintele Klaus Iohannis si sotia sa, Carmen, au vizitat,

- President Klaus Iohannis, visiting Dakar, announced that Romania will support the efforts of the Senegalese Association for the protection of children with mental disabilities to offer them a better life.The president visited this centre alongside his wife, Carmen Iohannis, agerpres reports. "Very

- President Iohannis concludes visit to TanzaniaPresident Klaus Iohannis on Sunday participated in the farewell ceremony organised at State House in Dar es Salaam on the occasion of the conclusion of his official visit to the United Republic of Tanzania, told Agerpres. During the ceremony, hosted

- President Klaus Iohannis continues tour in Africa with visit to TanzaniaPresident Klaus Iohannis continues his tour of Africa with a state visit to Tanzania.According to the agenda, on Friday, Klaus Iohannis will be received by his counterpart, Samia Suluhu Hassan, at State House in Dar es Salaam.

- 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

- President Klaus Iohannis will welcome, on Tuesday, at the Cotroceni Palace, his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyi, who will be on an official visit to our country, at the invitation of the Romanian head of state, the Presidential Administration informed.According to the source, the visit
The Hungarian government has adopted a plan to renovate the 950-year-old town of Tokaj (225 km northeast of Budapest) on a historical scale, according to a press release by the Hungarian Tourism Agency.

The aim of the investment is to provide a leisure environment for domestic and foreign visitors to Tokaj that is worthy of its World Heritage status.



The renovations will revitalize Tokaj's iconic downtown buildings, such as the historic Town Hall, the District Office, the Golden Eagle Inn and the ZAKO House.







New parks, cafes and restaurants will open, turning the city center into a jewel box.



Work will start at the end of November with the demolition of the Tokaj department store building, which has been distorting the unified, historic facades in the heart of the old town for decades.



The development could make Tokaj one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country, increase Tokaj's tourism revenue and create additional job opportunities for local residents.







Photo: The town of Tokaj at the confluence of the Bodrog and Tisza rivers in Borsod-Abauj-Zemplen County.
The U.S. Ambassador to Hungary said a proposal by Prime Minister Viktor Orban to target media and civic groups was potentially very dangerous as the leader prepares to unveil the latest crackdown on independent institutions, according to Bloomberg News.

Orbans government has signaled it will move ahead with a sovereignty protection package targeting foreign-funded political groups, media and NGOs, with potential prison terms for those who run afoul.



Although the cabinet pledged to unveil details this week, it has yet to file the legislation with parliament.



To the extent that this bill may seek to criminalize and or intimidate independent civil society and media organizations, that is very dangerous, and I hope thats not the path that Hungary chooses to go down, Ambassador David Pressman told reporters.



He said the United States would take a close look at the bill once it is published.
Now on until18 February 2024. The Museum of Ethnography in Budapest opens its first guest exhibition. An exhibition from the Seoul Museum of History will explore the history and modern daily life of the South Korean capital looking at the changes in dress and housing culture, among other things.

How to capture the style of a big city and its historical roots? What makes Seoul unique? In this temporary exhibition in Budapest, the Seoul Museum of History attempts to answer these questions through objects of traditional Korean dress and housing from the museum's collection.



The choice has proved fruitful not only because of the spectacular artefacts, but also because of the two themes that provide an understanding of Korean everyday life and celebrations, and the system of values and symbols that pervade the whole society, represented by Korean Confucianism.



The backbone of this are the ancestors, the past, the environment and the harmonious relationship among them.



The exhibition at the Museum of Ethnography shows how this can be traced in the subtle patterns and variations of clothing and interiors. In each garment, the status, education, rank, position, age and gender of the wearer are present, therefore not only the tradition of Seoul is visible, but also the fate and everyday life of the people who lived there.



Accordingly, the exhibition will feature a wide range of hanboks. Of course, the exhibition will not only feature pieces from the Korean traditional and cultural costume ensemble, which was the typical Korean costume before the modern expansion of Western-style dress, but also a spectacular selection of modern designer pieces inspired by it.



The details are unravelled through classic and modern outfits: when and who wore white, black, red, blue and green in Korea, why Seoul is known as the city of hats, what are the most important accessories?



A similarly exciting venue for the exhibition is the hanok, a building made in traditional Korean technique and style, created in harmony with nature and the environment.



Because of its advantages, it is still used in Korea today, although modern buildings have replaced houses as the most common form of housing. In addition to the structural interest of the buildings, the exhibition also highlights the difference between male and female spaces.



Seoul, with its long history, is the capital and largest city of Korea, now the capital of South Korea. For more than a millennium it was the capital, and for more than half of that time the seat of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).



During these five hundred years or so, Seoul was the centre where wealth from all over the country was gathered and through which foreign civilisations and cultures could be explored.



The city was a leader in philosophy, science and the arts, and was also at the forefront of everyday dress, dining and housing. The arrival of Western culture in the 19th century brought about major changes, and in the 20th century Seoul suffered severe war damage. Subsequent reconstruction completely transformed the city.



Yet every corner of Seoul is dotted with historical monuments and with evidence of its long-standing status as a capital city. The forest of skyscrapers in the city centre coexists with royal palaces and traditional hanok houses, and on the 21st century streets you'll often see people dressed in traditional costume alongside passers-by with a Korean contemporary following.



The Seoul Museum of History is located in the grounds of Gyeonghuigung, a royal palace of the Joseon Dynasty.



One of the city's most important museums, it offers visitors from home and abroad a chance to experience Seoul's history and culture through its rich art collection and diverse exhibitions.



The exhibition, "Charm of Seoul - What we wear, where we live" due to the collaboration between the two institutions, brings this world to life in Budapest.



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Museum of Ethnography Budapest

1146, Budapest, Dozsa Gyorgy ut 35.

Phone: +36 1 474 2100

Monday-Sunday: 10.00-16.00
Now on until 14 January 2024. Until Russias invasion of Ukraine, aggressive acts of appropriating territories seemed to be a historical phenomenon. In a world of sovereign national states, borders are believed to symbolize the static state of affairs.

They seem to be fixed lines of demarcation that delineate the boundaries of authorities, territories, and social systems. So far, the wars of the twenty-first century have been about concepts and zones of influence: while the war on drugs and the war against terrorism may have led to changes of regime, it was not about acquisition of land.



Even the immaterial digital world makes annexation seem archaic and obsolete. The aggressive appropriation of Crimea in 2014 and the invasion of February 24, 2022, have once again made Europeans aware of the fact that forcible border shifts can still be a political goal today.



If you compare a map of Europe from 1900 with one from today, it is hard to find any lines that have not changed in the past 120 years. Austria is certainly one of the countries whose outline has changed most radically.



Through geography and history, the country is intertwined with Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Italy, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, and Germany and not least of all with Ukraine. By examining borders and demarcations, the exhibition Crossing Lines reveals historical, cultural, and media-related systems of reference.



The subject is explored through photographs, especially in terms of distribution and circulation as well as the underlying mechanisms. A special focus is on the application of photography in news channels and social media.



Comprising 150 photographs and video installations by twenty international artists, the exhibition foregrounds the war in Ukraine. What types of imagery are generated to send certain messages? What continuities and commonalities prevail in society regarding the perception of images?



The presented examples prove the extent to which the medium of photography is used to generate and support political and collective statements. Questions related to the shifting of image content have played a role in this not only since the outbreak of the aggressive war against Ukraine: Are photographic images real? Do they have a reference in our world? Are they retouched or completely manipulated? Who is responsible for this, and who is pursuing this to advance certain interests?



More:

Capa Center

1065 Budapest, Nagymezo utca 8.

Tel.: +36 1 413 1310, +36 30 736 0729

E-mail: info@capacenter.hu
This week I supported a one-year extension of current Farm Bill programs. While a conventional 5-year reauthorization of the Farm Bill is preferable, many of these critical programs lapsed September 30th. The current lapse shouldnt affect 2023 crops, but a one-year extension was necessary to prevent reverting back to pre-1930s farm policy as we begin 2024. Im pleased Congress has acted to ensure American producers will have another year of certainty as they work to put food on our table and fuel in our cars  and now the Agriculture Committees in the House and Senate can finish their work on a new and improved Farm Bill without putting agriculture producers in an impossible position.

Crop insurance, in terms of funding, is a small portion of the Farm Bill; however, its renewal is one of the most important provisions to Nebraskas producers. Because of the investment protections farmers opt into with their crop insurance premiums, were able to avoid ad hoc disaster payments, ultimately saving taxpayer dollars while providing farmers an important safety net.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, in the Nutrition title of the Farm Bill accounts for 80 percent of its cost. As we continue to consider reforms to SNAP, Im optimistic we can build on legislation we enacted earlier this year to minimize fraud and ensure these programs help Americans most in need.

Modernization and the opportunities available through the advancements of precision agriculture are also an important component of the Farm Bill. Spurring innovation while ensuring farm data is protected is critical to maintaining a level playing field for farmers and ranchers.

This week the House also passed legislation to prevent an omnibus spending bill while keeping the government open by continuing current spending levels for four of the twelve annual appropriations bills until Jan. 19, 2024. The remaining eight bills are funded at current levels through February 2, 2024, giving the House and Senate more time to responsibly cut spending and ensure significant spending decisions are not forced at the last minute with minimal accountability.

Washington must curb its spending addiction, and the federal government must continue working while Congress comes to an agreement on how best to fund our priorities. A shutdown exacerbates backlogs and wait lines at federal agencies and can cause gaps in services Americans rely on.

We can no longer dismiss the need to address our spending problem and continue down this dangerous fiscal path. In order to make meaningful change, we cant kid ourselves that this can be easily fixed through minor adjustments to annual discretionary spending. Whats known as mandatory spending is the biggest driver of our debt, and this cannot be remedied overnight.

As Moodys Investors Service has placed the United States credit rating on downgrade watch and the national debt of the U.S. now exceeds $33.6 trillion, we need to aggressively look at the drivers of our debt. This is why I support legislation to create a bipartisan debt commission which would focus on the underlying fiscal problems and solutions to bring America back to fiscal health.

Despite the difficult task of changing how Washington does business, Congress has a responsibility to maintain key policy programs, prudently fund the government, and do what is best for the American people. Just as American households have to balance their budgets, Congress must also. Im glad were finally taking steps in that direction.
YORK  The date has been set for a grand jury regarding a recent death in the York County Jail.

The grand jury will convene on March 14, 2024. Between now and then the Nebraska State Patrol will conduct an investigation into the death of Justin Ray Christensen.

Christensen, 30, was found dead in his cell at the York County Jail on Sept. 9, 2023.

According to court records, Christensen was arrested at the York Police Department on Sept. 4 in relation to the Aug. 26 burglary of Western Edge in York.

During the Aug. 26 burglary at Western Edge, approximately $1,200 in cash was stolen from the stores registers, along with $16,329 in checks and cash, according to police affidavit.

Christensen was a former employee at Western Edge, according to police affidavit, and his employment had been terminated several months earlier.

Police matched Christensens vehicle to a vehicle seen in surveillance footage of the scene and matched his photo to the individual in the footage. Christensen had also been seen in Western Edge shortly before closing on Aug. 25, according to the police affidavit.

When Christensen, a resident of Geneva, was contacted by the police, he told them that he was at home and that he would be on his way to the police station, the affidavit said.

He arrived at the police station on Sept. 4 in a vehicle that matched the vehicle in the surveillance footage.

Christensen was facing potential charges of burglary, theft greater than $5,000 and criminal trespass.

Five days later, on Sept. 9, Christensen was found dead in his jail cell at 5:14 a.m. during routine security checks, the News-Times previously reported. No foul play is suspected.

According to Nebraska statute 29-1401, a grand jury hearing is required whenever a person dies while in the custody of law enforcement or detention personnel.

In response to a records request for any documents relating to Christensens detention at the jail, Chris Johnson, deputy county attorney for York County, told the News-Times that there is an exception to the public records law when there is an ongoing investigation. Johnson cited Nebraska statute 84-712-05.

Jordan Dickson, deputy sheriff for York County, said, We are holding off on releasing any information until after the conclusion of the grand jury to protect the integrity of the grand jury investigation.
The front line of the Israeli war on Gaza, now in its seventh week, shifted on Tuesday to the Jabalia refugee camp, a dense warren of concrete buildings near Gaza City in the north of the strip that has been without electricity, water, or access to humanitarian aid for weeks.

The Israeli army said they are preparing the battlefield in Jabalia. It said they struck three tunnels where fighters were hiding and destroyed rocket launchers, adding that dozens of militants have been killed in recent days.

There was no immediate comment from Hamas, and it was not possible to independently confirm details of the Israeli strikes.

A strike on a nearby hospital killed 12 people on Monday, as Israeli troops and tanks battled Palestinian fighters outside its gates.

Footage released by the military shows Israeli soldiers patrolling in Jabalia on foot as gunfire echoes around them.

Military footage from other areas in the north in recent days has shown widespread destruction, with nearly every building appearing to be damaged or destroyed.

Prior to the war, Jabalia housed refugees from the 1948 war and their descendants.

The war that began on 7 October has exacted a heavy toll on Palestinian civilians, particularly those who remain in the north after Israel repeatedly called on people to flee south. Israeli forces cut off the north in their ground invasion late last month, though tens of thousands have since fled south through corridors announced by the military.

It is unclear how many people remain in the north, but the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) estimates that some 160,000 people are still in its shelters there, even though it is no longer able to provide services. Some 1.7 million Palestinians, about three-fourths of Gaza's population, have fled their homes.

Hundreds of thousands of displaced people have packed into UN-run schools and other facilities across southern Gaza. As the shelters have overflowed, people have been forced to sleep on the streets outside, with little shelter from winter rains that have hit the region in recent days.

Across Gaza, there are shortages of food, water, and fuel for generators to power basic infrastructure. There has been a territory-wide blackout since Israel cut off fuel imports at the start of the war.

Israel continues to strike what it says are militant targets across Gaza, including in the southern evacuation zone, mostly killing women and children, and officials have said it may soon expand its operations in the south.

Fighting around hospitals



Tens of thousands of Palestinians in the north had sheltered in hospitals, but those have steadily been emptied out as they have become targets of Israeli strikes, and most are no longer operational.

Marwan Abdallah, a medical worker at the Indonesian Hospital near Jabalia, said heavy fighting outside its gates on Tuesday prevented ambulances from bringing wounded people in for treatment. The situation is worsening hour by hour," he said.

Palestinian officials said an Israeli shell struck the hospital early Monday, killing 12 people. Israel denied shelling the hospital but said its troops returned fire on militants who targeted them from inside the 3.5-acre (1.4-hectare) compound.

Some 200 wounded patients and their companions were evacuated from the hospital to southern Gaza on Monday, but up to 500 wounded people and some 2,000 displaced Palestinians remain stranded there, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

A similar standoff played out in recent days at Al-Shifa Hospital, Gaza's largest, where over 250 patients and medical workers are stranded after the evacuation of 31 premature babies.

Michael Ryan, a senior World Health Organization official, said Monday that care for complex medical cases  including most cancer and kidney dialysis patients  is no longer available in Gaza and that remaining hospitals would likely be overwhelmed by some 5,500 births expected in the next month.

The hospital situation  the primary health care system situation  in Gaza is catastrophic and it is the worst you can imagine (in the) north," he said.

Rising toll



More than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, including 5,500 children and 3,500 women, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in the West Bank. Officials there say another 4,000 are missing.

The Palestinian Health Ministry bases its count on information gathered by its counterpart in Gaza, which has been unable to fully update casualty figures for more than 10 days because of the breakdown in services and communications in the north.

The Israeli army says 68 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza ground operations.

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New Delhi: Goes without saying that actor Vikrant Massey is enjoying the time of his life. '12th Fail' is a phenomenal success and audience have been flocking to the cinema to experience the Vidhu Vinod Chopra-directorial. Recently, he took to social media to share heartfelt moments captured with the real-life hero, Manoj Kumar Sharma. The actor, who is currently enjoying success professionally, expressed his admiration for Sharma in a poignant gratitude letter.

Vikrant Massey, known for his stellar performances on the silver screen, extended his gratitude to the unsung hero of his life, Manoj Kumar Sharma. The actor shared a series of pictures capturing candid moments with Sharma, highlighting the genuine connection they share. In a lengthy and emotive letter accompanying the post, Massey poured out his feelings, expressing a desire to emulate the qualities that make Sharma a true inspiration. He wrote,  LONG POST: Very seldom does one meet people who walk the talk. People who despite triumphs or failures, have their feet firmly grounded. Their heads held high, and their hearts at the right place. was lucky to have met you."

Vikrant continued, "This film became a reality cos you existed. Even before we met, you'd already inspired millions through the book. Which was already a cult-classic in the Hindi literature world. But after meeting you and spending ample time with you and your wonderful family, I can proudly know why. You've not just given me my own #Restart moment through 12th Fail, but given me an elder brother, a mentor, a blueprint of a human-being, I would want to be like. As Manoj in the movie said to Dushyant Singh, Even after knowing you and saying it time and again, I want to say this one more time Manoj Sir, "THANK You. Your determination to make this world a better place through your work and beyond, is inspiring beyond words. I hope I can make you proud someday. I hope

On the work front, Vikrant will be seen in the second installment of Hassen Dilruba, titled 'Phir Aayi Haseen Dilruba'. Apart from this, he will be seen in Sector 36 and Niranjan Iyengar's directorial debut, a romantic love story with Raashi Khanna.
New Delhi: If you want to start your business to make a good living at a reasonable cost, there is a business idea that you can think about. You can start this business with your little own contribution and earn lakhs of rupees annually.

Additionally, the government is providing startup funding for this business. A complete report on this business has been prepared by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission, which suggests that it might be launched with your Own Contribution of Rs 1.70 lakh and has the potential to give you profit returns of upto Rs 15.31 lakh --in the fifth year of your business.



Business Idea: Set Up Dalia Manufacturing Unit

Dalia is cracked or broken wheat made by grounding whole raw wheat grains. Dalia is one of the most significant sources of calories and is high in fibre. It has minerals including calcium, iron, magnesium, protein, carbs, and vitamins. Dalia is a highly sought-after food item in Indian households because of its high nutritional content. Its healthful and ready-to-eat breakfast is popular and a mainstay in many Indian homes. Given its high demand, starting a dalia-making business could be a great idea for you.



Business Idea: Dalia Making Process

Wheat must first be properly washed in order to make Dalia. After washing it under running water, it is set aside for five to six hours to soften in the water. It is sun-dried after germination. Using a flour mill, it is ground following the drying process. Dalia is a ground product made from whole wheat including bran.



Business Idea: Avail Loan Through PM Mudra Yojana For Dalia-Making

Khadi and Village Industries Commission has prepared a project on setting up a dalia manufacturing unit under the Pradhan Mantri Rozgar Yojana. According to the project report, the total expenditure on setting up the Dalia Wheat And Mix Grain manufacturing unit will be Rs 17.05 lakh. If you do not have funds to start a business, then you can take a loan through Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana.



Business Idea: Dalia Making Project Cost

According to the project report, to start the business of dalia making, you must have your own land. If you do not have land then you can take it on rent. If you rent a building instead of spending on building it, your project cost will be reduced. Interest on capital expenditure will also reduce and your profits will increase.



Business Idea: Profit From Dalia Making Business

According to the project report, KVIC has broken the Cost of Project into the following

Means of Finance: Rs 8 lakh

Term Loan: Rs 7.52 lakh

KVIC Margin Money As - per Project Eligibility

Own Capital: Rs 1.70 lakh

Working Capital: Rs 7.82 lakh

COST OF PROJECT For Dalia Wheat And Mix Grain

Particulars Amount

Land Rented/Owned

Building & Civil Work (2000 Sq Ft): Rs 3 lakh

Plant & Machinery: Rs 4.75 lakh

Furniture & Fixtures: Rs 61,000

Pre-operative Expenses -

Working Capital Requirement: Rs 8.69 lakh

Total = Rs 17.05 lakh

MEANS OF FINANCE For Dalia Wheat And Mix Grain



Particulars Amount

Own Contribution @10%: Rs 1.70 lakh

Term Loan : Rs 7.52 lakh

Workign Capital Finance: Rs 7.82 lakh

Total = Rs 17.05 lakh

The KVIC feasible report giving a Five Year's Projected Profitability Statement said that in the first year you can see a net profit of Rs 7.20 lakh, Rs 8.83 lakh in the second year, Rs 11.07 lakh in the third year, Rs 13.23 lakh in the fourth year and Rs 15.31 lakh in the fifth year.

(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 as mentioned by KVIC previous estimates. 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.)
The city of Bhilwara is often referred to as India's Manchester due to its significant presence in the textile industry, producing fabrics for several major brands. However, in recent times, Bhilwara has gained more attention due to tension between two communities. Just two months ago, the Mandal area of Bhilwara was shut down for seven days following an incident where a girl from one community was forcibly made to consume urine by boys from another community.

The Mandal area in Bhilwara district has recently witnessed riots and subsequent police lathi-charges. Some individuals we encountered during our reporting believe that this issue is likely to heavily influence the upcoming elections. Initially, the public was very upset about the incident and the police's handling of it. The allegations of the Congress against the BJP are baseless because such matters cannot progress without an incident occurring. However, if an incident does occur, it will certainly impact the elections. Even first-time voters believe that this incident has been one-sidedly exploited and seems to target Hindus. "Shouldn't issues concerning daughters be the focus of elections? We are not associated with any political party," said one of them.

According to some locals, all of this is the BJP's tactics to instigate strife within society. They claim that the BJP doesn't have any real work to do in the name of development, so they orchestrate such disputes.

However, a person named Ayub Khan denies having such sentiments. He believes that this incident was a conspiracy orchestrated by outsiders against Muslims. He is certain that this incident will not have any impact on the elections. People have benefited from government schemes. The individual involved in the incident has faced consequences for their actions, he said.
New Delhi: Israel has announced to ban the terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, which was behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks, on Tuesday, ahead of the 15th year of commemoration of the carnage. Israel said that it has taken this action without any request by the Indian government and has followed all the necessary procedures and regulations to add Lashkar-e-Taiba to the Israeli list of illegal terror organisations, according to an official statement by the Israel Embassy in India.

The statement said that Israel usually lists only those terror organisations that are actively operating against it from within or around its borders, or those that are globally recognised by the UN Security Council or the US State Department. It said that the Israeli ministers of Defence and Foreign Affairs have jointly worked in the last few months to expedite and facilitate the listing of Lashkar-e-Taiba on this date, to highlight the importance of a unified global front in combating terrorism.

The statement also said that Lashkar-e-Taiba is a deadly and reprehensible terror organisation, responsible for the murder of hundreds of Indian civilians as well as others. It said that its heinous actions on November 26, 2008 still echo in force, through all peace-seeking nations and societies.

The state of Israel offers its sincere condolences to all victims of terrorism and to the survivors and bereaved families of the Mumbai attacks, including those in Israel. We stand with you united in the hope for a better peaceful future, it added.

In 2008, multiple terror attacks took place in Mumbai, carried out by 10 gunmen who were linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based terrorist organisation. Armed with automatic weapons and hand grenades, the terrorists targeted civilians at various sites in the southern part of Mumbai, including the Chhatrapati Shivaji railway station, the popular Leopold Cafe, two hospitals, and a theatre.

While most of the attacks ended within a few hours after they began at around 9:30 pm on November 26, the terror continued to unfold at three locations where hostages were takenthe Nariman House, and the luxury hotels Oberoi Trident and Taj Mahal Palace & Tower.
Chittorgarh: As part of its election journey, Zee News visited Rajasthans Chittorgarh, a land known for its sacrifice, bravery, courage and heroism. The Mewar region of Chittorgarh is considered the focal point of Rajasthans politics, as it is associated with many great personalities of Rajasthans history. Some of them are Bappa Rawal, Rana Sanga, Maharana Pratap, Meera Bai, Ma Panna Dhai, Rani Padmavati and Raval Ratan Singh.

However, the upcoming polls seem to be a three-way contest in this constituency. Chandrabhan Singh Aakya, who has been a BJP member for many years and was the MLA last time, has entered the electoral fray as an independent candidate after not getting a ticket from the BJP.

The BJP has fielded Narpat Singh Rajvi, the son-in-law of former Chief Minister and Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat. He has been the MLA from this Chittorgarh seat once and has been a five-time MLA. On the other hand, the Congress has once again gambled on Surendra Singh Jadawat, who lost to Chandrabhan Aankhya in the 2018 elections.

According to Chandrabhan Aakya, he did not get a ticket this time because he has an old enmity with CP Joshi, the current BJP Rajasthan president. He said that CP Joshi deliberately denied him a ticket, even though he has been an MLA from this seat twice.

Chittorgarh can be better than Jaipur in the field of tourism, but the leaders here have not done anything for it. There are no three-star, four-star hotels in the city, nor any infrastructure related to tourism. Only one gate of the fort is used for entering and exiting, while the demand for opening another gate is ignored, Chandrabhan said, explaining his poll issues.

He also said that he would ensure that 50% employment in the seven to eight big cement factories in Chittorgarh would be given to local people, as they are currently not getting enough opportunities.

Talking to Zee News, Narpat Singh Rajvi, the BJP candidate, said, Chandrabhans entry into the field will not transfer the BJPs vote bank. Whoever wants to fight the election, let them fight. The local cadre is with us. Our fight is with the Congress.

He also said that Chittorgarh is not getting the location advantage, and the work that should have been done to boost the tourism industry has not been done at all.

To deal with the problem of drinking water, a project is being made to bring water from the Chambal river to this area, which will solve the problem for the next 50 years. District hospitals are being opened, we are going to fight our election on the issue of development, he added.

Congress candidate Surendra Singh Jadawat, while speaking to Zee News, said that there is a three-way contest in this area. Chandrabhan Aankhya is busy spreading confusion by calling outsiders in this area. Our direct contest is with the BJP.

He also said that the Rajasthan government has given eight colleges to Chittorgarh, such as medical college, ITI college. He claimed that the project to bring water from the Chambal river to this area was initiated by the Congress government, and that the BJP is taking credit for it.

We are going to fight our election on the issue of development, education and health, Jadawat added.
New Delhi: The first video of the workers who are trapped in the Silkyara tunnel collapse showed them smiling and in a stable state of mind, as the rescue operation continued for the 10th day on Tuesday. The rescue teams have been working tirelessly to reach them and establish contact with them. The workers were given a walkie-talkie through a 6-inch pipeline to communicate with the rescuers. One of the trapped workers was identified as Saba.

In the video, the rescue team asked Saba to hold the walkie-talkie and name each trapped worker. The voice of the trapped worker was not clear but he looked healthy in the video. The workers were also provided with breakfast, which was prepared for them and sent through the 6-inch pipeline.

The rescue team achieved a significant milestone on Monday evening by laying a 6-inch pipe through which solid food and mobile chargers were sent inside the collapsed section of the Silkyara Tunnel. The rescuers also checked the health status of each worker through the communication device. For the first time since the incident, hot Khichdi was delivered to the workers through this pipeline.

Another major breakthrough was achieved as the rescuers reached the tunnel with a vertical drilling machine from the hilltop above the tunnel. This development comes as 41 labourers remain trapped inside the tunnel. It took 13 hours and 3 vehicles to bring this machine, Harbanz, the driver who brought parts of the drilling machine, told ANI.

The collapse occurred on November 12 during the construction of a tunnel from Silkyara to Barkot, trapping 41 labourers due to a muck fall in a 60-metre stretch on the Silkyara side of the tunnel. The workers are believed to be trapped in a 2 km-built tunnel section, which is complete with concrete work that provides safety to the workers.

This section of the tunnel has access to electricity and water. Multiple agencies are working on the rescue efforts with the National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation limited (NHIDCL) teams continuing the drilling effort from the mouth of the tunnel. The Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) is working on another vertical pipeline for the supply of essential items.

The Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVNL) has brought a heavy drilling machine and is now at the tunnel site to being the vertical drilling operation. International Tunnelling Association President Arnold Dix is also at the operation site to aid in the rescue efforts.

Rescuers see hope in trapped workers smiles as they send food and phone chargers



Rescuers send food and phone chargers to trapped workers who smile in first video
New Delhi: Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday blamed the Centre and the neighbouring states for the worsening air quality in the national capital and its suburbs. Attending Zee News' conclave on air pollution crisis, Rai said that there is an air shed of about 250 km in north India and the winds do not respect the state borders. "We divide the pollution into two parts: one is the winter pollution and the other is the year-round pollution," he added.

Rai said that this includes dust pollution, vehicle pollution, biomass burning pollution. He said that people ask why Delhi is the only one troubled by this. He said that the meteorological condition of Delhi is such that the temperature here is higher. He said that Delhis contribution to pollution is less and the pollution problem is not of any party.

He said that research on this is being done by the Pusa Institute. He said that the time to decompose the stubble is now 20 days. He said that today the whole of north India is struggling with pollution. But he asked if anyone has questioned the central environment minister or the ministers of Haryana or Uttar Pradesh. He said that the work that the government in Punjab could not do in 10 years, they have reduced the stubble burning by 50 per cent.

He said that today there is no diesel generator running in Delhi. He said that even today electricity is running on diesel in Gurugram. He said that they are providing 24 * 7 electricity in Delhi. He said that all buses in Delhi run on CNG. He asked why the buses of Haryana run on diesel in the entire NCR. He said that the work that they are doing, why cant Uttar Pradesh and Haryana do it.

He said that the central government is giving crores of rupees budget to buy machines. He said that the state is also giving. But he said that even then the farmer has to spend some money. He said that they are saying that the central government should increase the money that it is spending on machines. He said that the rest of the money will be given by the Punjab government.

He said that in Japan, the centre made the budget. He said that in China, the centre made the budget. He said that they are bringing buses in Delhi. But he said that even the central minister is not ready to speak here. He said that whatever work he has done, he has done it on odd-even. He said that the central government will give any responsibility, they will do 10 per cent more work.

He said that our mindset has not changed yet. He said that the whole world used to say that odd-even will not be successful. But he said that the people of Delhi followed it. He said that if the people of Delhi take some oath, then they will teach the wrong intention people too. He said that Diwali does not mean crackers. He said that when Lord Rama came, then lamps were lit. He said that there was no gunpowder at that time.

He said that they also got videos of people who did not burn 10 crackers. He said that those people burned crackers scattered this time. He said that this was done intentionally. He said that artificial rain is also being talked about continuously with their IIT Kanpur. He said that stubble will stop burning in a week. But he said that they are also thinking about the pollution ahead. He said that how can it be reduced. But he said that the public also has to stop unnecessary fuel burning.

He said that they are working with zero power and still doing a lot. He said that when the pollution increased in Delhi, they called a meeting of 28 departments of Delhi. But he said that none of the senior officers came. He said that he also went to the LG. He said that you can check today that buses and metro are also running empty. He said that you can check the report.
New Delhi: A man, charged with an extra Rs 100 for an Uber trip, fell victim to deception when he sought assistance through a Google-listed customer care number. Shockingly, the discovered number turned out to be fake, leading to his unfortunate loss of over Rs five lakhs to online scam.

According to the FIR accessed by IANS, the victim, identified as Pradeep Chowdhary, residing in SJ Enclave, took a cab to Gurugram for Rs 205, but Uber charged him Rs 318.

In his complaint, Chowdhary said: "The driver suggested I could get a refund by calling customer care. I obtained the number from Google, '6289339056,' which redirected to '6294613240,' and then to Rakesh Mishra at '9832459993.'"

"Subsequently, he instructed me to download the 'Rust Desk app' from the Google Play Store. After that, he asked me to open PayTM and message 'rfnd 112' for the refund amount. When questioned about providing my phone number, he claimed it was for account verification," Chowdhary added.

Initially, Rs 83,760 was transferred to Atul Kumar, followed by four more transactions of Rs four lakhs, Rs 20,012, Rs 49,101 and other. Three transactions were through PayTM and one via PNB Bank, as per the complainant.

A senior police official said that they have filed an FIR under section 420 of the Indian Penal Code and section 66D of the Information Technology Act, with an ongoing investigation.
NEW DELHI: The latest episode of Bigg Boss 17 came with a shocking twist after the Boss decided to end the journey of one of the contestants on the show. Bigg Boss calls the Dimaag house contestants into the archive room and asks them to choose the most inactive three contestants of the show.

Sana Raees mentions Rinku Dhawan, Jigna Vora, and Neil Bhatt as the most inactive housemates whereas the other Dimaag house contestants - Vicky Jain, Sunny Arya, Arun Mashetty, and Anurag Dhobal name Rinku Dhawan, Jigna Vora, and Navid Sole as most inactive.

After their mutual decision, Rinku Dhawan, Jigna Vora, and Navid Sole are tagged as contestants living in the Bigg Boss house with borrowed time. Bigg Boss then asks all housemates to assemble in the common area and inform them about the process that took place in the archive room.

Bigg Boss then says that the Dum House inmates have to select one name of the three, who they feel should have been eliminated before. Housemates choose Navid, who is seen getting emotional and breaking into tears.

The contestants look shocked to the core as Bigg Boss announces the mid-week elimination. Soon after the Bigg Boss decision, Jigna Vora, Abhishek Kumar, Khanzaadi, Vicky Jain, Ankita Lokhande, Mannara Chopra, and others are seen getting emotional as they bid goodbye to Navid.

Abhishek Kumar cries inconsolably while Munawar Faruqui and others console him.

Abhishek then playfully proposes to Navid Sole while going down on his knees to cheer him up. Navid expresses his gratitude to the show and contestants and takes an exit from the show.
New Delhi: Actor Shahid Kapoor opened up about his upcoming project, 'Deva' and shared his love for Goa at the International Film Festival of India.

He said, "We have started shooting for 'Deva' which is going to come out next year on Dussehra." He further shared his excitement at arriving at one of his favourite cities and added, "I am happy to be here in Goa, one of my favourite cities and I am very happy to be at IFFI, which is one of the prestigious events."

Shahid took to his Instagram handle to share his look from the film and wrote in the caption, "DEVA in theatres on Dussehra 11th October 2024. @hegdepooja @rosshanandrrews @shariq_patel #SiddharthRoyKapur @zeestudiosofficial @RoyKapurFilms @zeemusiccompany @Zeecinema."

'Deva' will star Pooja Hegde and will be directed by Malayalam filmmakers Rosshan Andrrews.

Commenting on his look, one of the fans wrote, "WHAT A LOOK!!!! Best of luck" Another mentioned, "Shahid Kapoor with buzz cut, chain bracelet on wrist, white shirt and gun in his hand ... what a fabulous combo" Right now, the actor has reached Goa to attend IFFI, which started on November 20.

The guest list for the event also includes Vijay Sethupathi, Sara Ali Khan, Pankaj Tripathi, Sunny Deol, Karan Johar, Shantanu Moitra, Shreya Ghoshal and Sukhwinder Singh, among others.

According to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting press note, Catching Dust, thriller by award-winning British filmmaker Stuart Gatt, has been selected as the opening film of the gala. About Dry Grasses directed by French Director Nuri Bilge Ceylan will be the Mid fest film and The Featherweight directed by Robert Kolodny is the closing film for 54th IFFI.

Filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani will serve as the head of the five-member jury for the best web series (OTT) award at the festival. Divya Dutta, Prosenjit Chatterjee, and filmmakers Krishna DK and Utpal Borpujari are part of the jury panel for the inaugural category. A total of 32 entries across 10 languages from 15 OTT platforms have been selected for the inaugural Best Web Series award.

Speaking about the newly introduced OTT awards, Anurag Thakur said that since the COVID-19 pandemic, the OTT industry has seen a boom in India and original content created in India is employing thousands of people. In response to the dynamic landscape of this sector, growth of which stands at 28 percent annually, the Ministry has introduced this award celebrating the outstanding content creators on OTT platforms.

Renowned Hollywood actor and producer Michael Douglas will be honoured with the prestigious Satyajit Ray Excellence in Film Lifetime Award. He will also address the IFFI Master Class on November 28.

The Indian Panorama is chosen by a jury of notable film personalities from across India, with a total of 12 jury members for feature films and six jury members for non-feature films, led by the respective chairpersons.

The Feature Film Jury, which consists of 12 members, will be chaired by famous director, actor, and producer TS Nagabharana.

The Feature Film Jury chose Anand Ekarshi's film Aattam (Malayalam) as the opening feature film of the Indian Panorama Section. Noted documentary film director Arvind Sinha presides over the six-member Non-Feature Film Jury.

Indian Panorama section will showcase 25 feature films and 20 non-feature films from India. In the non-feature section is 'Andro Dreams' from Manipur.

From a pool of 239 modern Indian non-feature films, a package of 20 has been chosen for screening in the Indian Panorama segment. The collection of short films shows young and veteran filmmakers' ability to capture, examine, entertain, and reflect modern Indian values.

54th IFFI will conclude on November 28.
To achieve the ambitious goal of zero male suicides, it's crucial to challenge societal norms perpetuating toxic masculinity and stifling emotional expression. Men face immense pressure to conform to traditional expectations, leaving little room for vulnerability. No Shave November encourages redefining masculinity with emotional intelligence, empathy, and the courage to seek help.

Tailored nutrition for men is essential. Education plays a pivotal role in eradicating mental health stigma, with initiatives integrated into curricula, workplaces, and communities. Community support networks, showcase positive role models, fostering resilience and inspiring hope, reassuring men that they're not alone in their struggles.

According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), the trend of suicides among men is growing year-on-year. India recorded the highest number of suicides (51,477) in 2020 due to "Family Problems," with 35,333 being male and 16,140 female.

Mansi Poddar, India's renowned psychotherapist and founder of the Heal.Grow.Thrive Foundation, said, "The alarming reality of the doubled suicide rate among men compared to women underscores the often-overlooked toll of patriarchy, work cultures, and gender stereotypes on the male psyche. While societal discourse predominantly addresses the harm inflicted upon women, it is crucial to acknowledge the profound impact on men as well. In an Indian patriarchal setting, men bear the weight of expectations  to earn, be obedient sons, and provide old-age support for their families. Unfortunately, men are rarely afforded the space to express their emotions or have their feelings validated during childhood, a critical juncture where mental well-being begins. I advocate for attachment parenting, urging families to prioritize their sons' emotional and mental health, and fostering an environment free from the constraints of gender norms and devoid of shame for expressing emotions. Contrary to stereotypes, in my practice, I encounter men who are remarkably emotional, sensitive, and capable of vulnerability when nurtured in the right conditions.

The stigma surrounding mental health in India has deep social roots, affecting every layer of our social and cultural fabric. As we strive to promote awareness and acceptance of mental health issues, it is imperative to confront the toll imposed by patriarchal expectations and traditional gender roles on men's mental well-being. Despite being seen as the physically stronger gender, men are often denied the ability to accept their weaknesses, forcing them to silence their emotions from an early age.

The journey from 'boys to men' is burdened by societal expectations and repression of any perceived weakness. Recent examples highlight the urgent need to change social norms, emphasizing that men are also vulnerable to mental health concerns and deserve the space to acknowledge and address their psychological struggles. Breaking the silence and dispelling the myth of the masculine ideal is important to foster a society where men can openly seek help, thereby addressing the alarming rise of mental health issues due to the disproportionately high suicide rate among men in India. The prevalence can be combated.
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New Delhi: Unquestionably, one of the most well-known content creators in Indian cinema is Hombale Films. After providing the public with a wide range of content, such as 'KGF Chapters 1 and 2' and 'Kantara', the top production company has started working on the follow-up to the worldwide hit 'Kantara', which will be helmed by actor-writer-director Rishab Shetty. The period drama's prequel has been anticipated by fans since the first instalment was released. According to recent developments, Hombale Films is prepared to begin shooting the movie on November 27.

'Kantara 2' is essentially the prequel to 'Kantara', and the film's producers plan to start shooting it on November 27th in conjunction with the Muhurat Pooja. For the historical drama starring actor-director Rishab Shetty, producer Vijay Kiragandur, and the rest of the cast and crew, a massive and opulent set is currently being built. The remaining cast members will be revealed when they are ready, but principal photography for the movie will begin in December after the Muhurat pooja.While details about the storyline are scarce, the prequel is expected to transport viewers back in time, unravelling the captivating saga that led to the events of Kantara.

The original 'Kantara', released in 2022, took the cinematic world by storm, garnering critical acclaim and commercial success. The film's captivating storytelling, stunning visuals, and enthralling performances resonated with audiences worldwide.

It is to be noted that 'Kantara', which was released last year in September, took global audiences by storm, and they hailed the film for its storytelling, performances, editing, and divine music. The film explored humans' connection with God and went on to become one of the biggest blockbusters at the ticket window. It was the result of the unanimous love of the audiences that made the makers come up with the prequel, and the makers ensured the next part would be the biggest pan-India project in terms of every aspect.

Meanwhile, Hombale Films is ready to take audiences on an action-packed ride with the much-awaited Salaar: Part 1 Ceasefire, which brings the powerhouse Prashanth Neel and Prabhas together. The film will release worldwide on December 22, 2023.
New Delhi: COLORS' BIGG BOSS dropped a bombshell in the house living up to its maxim expect the unexpected with a sudden eviction. After the megastar Salman Khan declared that no one would exit the house during 'Shukravaar/Shanivaar Ka Vaar', this eviction drill was unforeseen for the contestants. BIGG BOSS decided to review the contestants performances and called the contestants of the Dimaag makaan in the archive room.

He asked the residents of the makaan to cite the names of three contestants who shouldve exited the show. After discussing themselves, the Dimaag makaan contestants called out three names - Rinku Dhawan, Jigna Vora, and Navid Sole. Then, BIGG BOSS asked Dum makaan contestants to decide who among the three chosen contestants (Rinku Dhawan, Jigna Vora, and Navid Sole) deserves to leave the house.

As they couldn't come to a unanimous decision, BIGG BOSS called each occupant of the Dum makaan into the confession room and asked to vote out one contestant. Owing to a lack of support, Navid Sole was evicted from the house.



Navid kicked off his tryst with the show by promising to bring his pizzazz in the house and he lived up to his word. He left no stones unturned to learn Hindi from his fellow contestants who often taught him Mumbaiyya slang.

During the 'Shukravaar/Shanivaar Ka Vaar', Salman Khan consistently tested him on his progress with Hindi. In the house, he had a great friendship with Mannara Chopra, Munawar Faruqui, Abhishek Kumar, and Sana Raees Khan. Many contestants translated instructions for tasks for him. Navid braved frequent nominations due to the language barrier. He called Sana two-faced for nominating him by citing the same reason and stood up for himself. Among his highlights on the show, was his victory in the rap battle against Khanzaadi. He was always appreciated for his fashion game in the house and was admired by the celebrity guests who graced the show.



Talking about his eviction, Navid said, I am truly grateful for the opportunity of being part of India's biggest reality show, BIGG BOSS. While it saddens me to bid farewell, reflecting on this journey brings me immense joy. I shared a great bond with a few contestants in the house. They have always supported me in overcoming the language barrier. Though my time in the house was short, it was filled with beautiful moments and memories that I will always treasure. Being able to represent my country on this incredible platform is a matter of pride for me. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to BIGG BOSS for not just giving me recognition but also for teaching me valuable lessons. My best wishes to all the contestants of the show and you never know I may be back as a wild card!"



Watch BIGG BOSS every Monday to Friday at 10.00 pm and Saturday and Sunday at 9.00 pm only on COLORS, with a 24-hour LIVE channel on JioCinema.
New DelhiL: As the Israeli militarys deadly assault on Gaza City continued and rockets were being fired into Israel, there were signs of hope for a deal that would secure the release of some of the hostages held by Hamas in the Palestinian territory. U.S. President Joe Biden said on Monday he believed an accord was near. Were closer now than weve been before, White House spokesman John Kirby said of a hostage agreement.

The Palestinian terrorist group Hamas took about 240 hostages during its Oct. 7 rampage into Israel that killed 1,200 people. Qatari mediators have been seeking a deal for Hamas and Israel to exchange 50 hostages in return for a three-day ceasefire that would boost emergency aid shipments to Gaza civilians, Reuters reported last week, citing an official briefed on the talks.

Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Herzog said on Sunday that he hoped for an agreement in the coming days while Qatars Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said that the remaining sticking points were very minor.

However, the White House and Israel denied a report by The Washington Post on Saturday that a deal had been agreed. We really need to adhere to the mantra that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed, White House deputy national security adviser Jon Finer told NBCs Meet the Press program on Sunday.

Relatives of some of the people held by Hamas in Gaza urged far-right Israeli lawmakers on Monday not to pursue proposed capital punishment for captured Palestinian militants, saying that even talk of doing so might endanger the hostages.

Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in Gaza worsened as Israeli forces shelled a hospital, killing at least 12 people, including patients, and putting 700 others at risk.

The Indonesian Hospital, funded by Jakarta, was hit by artillery rounds on Monday, the Palestinian news agency WAFA said. Hospital staff denied there were any armed militants on the premises.

World Health Organisation chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was appalled by the attack that he too said had killed 12 people, citing unspecified reports.

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said troops had fired back at fighters in the hospital while taking numerous measures to minimise harm to non-combatants.

Hamas said on its Telegram account on Monday that it had launched a barrage of missiles towards Tel Aviv. Witnesses also reported rockets being fired at central Israel.

Since Israel invaded the Palestinian territory to target Hamas on Oct. 7, the deadliest day in Israels 75-year-old history, Gazas Hamas-run government said at least 13,300 Palestinians have been killed, including at least 5,600 children and 3,550 women, by unrelenting Israeli bombardment .
Israeli bombardment of south Lebanon on Tuesday killed eight people, official media said, including two journalists from Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen television, the broadcaster reported, in ongoing violence at the Lebanon-Israel border.

Since the Israeli war on Gaza began on October 7, the frontier between Lebanon and Israel has seen escalating exchanges of fire, mainly between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement, but also Palestinian groups, raising fears of a broader conflagration.

The state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported "the deaths of three citizens, two journalists and another civilian, in enemy bombing" of the Tair Harfa area.

Al-Mayadeen said its correspondent Farah Omar, 25, and cameraman Rabih Maamari, 40, were killed.

Lebanon's army also said the trio were killed in "enemy bombing".

Israel's military said "soldiers operated against a threat" from a Hezbollah "launching area" in the area of Jebbayn, near Tair Harfa.

"We are aware of a claim regarding journalists in the area who were killed as a result of IDF (army) fire. This is an area with active hostilities, where exchanges of fire occur... The incident is under review," it said.

Al-Mayadeen director Ghassan bin Jiddo said the third civilian killed with the journalists collaborated with the channel.

"It was a direct attack, it was not by chance," Bin Jiddo said in an interview, noting it came after an Israeli government decision this month to block access to the website of Al-Mayadeen, known for its pro-Iran stance.

Car targeted



Elsewhere in south Lebanon, the NNA said "enemy aircraft raided inhabited houses in Kfar Kila, leading to the death of citizen Laiqa Sarhan, 80, and the wounding of her granddaughter", a Syrian national.

Hezbollah, a Hamas ally, said that "in response" to the attacks, its fighters targeted Israeli forces with guided missiles and a "military base" with Grad-type Katyusha rockets.

The NNA also reported that "the Israeli enemy attacked" a car between Qlaileh and Shaaytiyeh in south Lebanon, killing four people.

An official from the nearby Rashidiyeh Palestinian refugee camp, requesting anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media, said one of the dead was Khalil al-Kharraz, a senior leader in Hamas's military wing in Lebanon.

Hamas official Khalil Hayya condemned the strike on the car, without elaborating on who was killed, and told a Beirut press conference the group would issue a detailed statement Wednesday after an investigation.

A security source told AFP on condition of anonymity that the bodies were badly charred.

'No limit'



Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati expressed his "strong condemnation of the Israeli attack" on the journalists.

"This attack proves once more that Israeli crimes know no limit and that (Israel's) aim is to silence the media who expose its crimes and its attacks," Mikati was quoted as saying in a statement.

US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that "we are concerned by the reports that civilians including two journalists were killed in Lebanon".

"We have made clear we don't want to see the war in Gaza spread to Lebanon. That has been one of our top priorities," he told reporters in Washington.

Since the cross-border exchanges began, at least 100 people have been killed on the Lebanese side, according to an AFP tally, including three of them journalists.

On the Israeli side, six soldiers and three civilians have been killed, according to authorities.

On October 13, Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah was killed and six other journalists from AFP, Al Jazeera and Reuters wounded while covering cross-border fire.

Lebanese authorities have accused Israel of responsibility. The Israeli army said it was looking into the circumstances of the fatal strike.

* This story was edited by Ahram Online.

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A majority of South African lawmakers on Tuesday voted in favor of a motion calling for the closure of the Israeli embassy and the cutting of diplomatic ties until Israel agrees to a ceasefire in Gaza.

The vote on the motion supported by the ruling African National Congress party came as President Cyril Ramaphosa in a meeting with other world leaders accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza with its military offensive in the beseiged territory in search of its Hamas rulers.

The motion tabled by the opposition party Economic Freedom Fighters received the support of 248 parliament members while 91 lawmakers opposed it.

The vote came after Israels foreign ministry said it had recalled its ambassador to South Africa, Eliav Belotserkovsky, back to Jerusalem for consultations.

The two countries diplomatic relations have witnessed a rise in tensions over the war in Gaza. Ramaphosa previously said his country believes Israel is committing war crimes in Gaza, where thousands of Palestinians have been killed.

South Africa announced last week that it had referred what it called Israels genocide in Gaza to the International Criminal Court for an investigation. Its cabinet has called on the ICC to issue an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Earlier this month, South Africa recalled its ambassador to Israel and withdrew all its diplomatic staff.

Ramaphosas new comments Tuesday came in a virtual meeting of BRICS countries attended by leaders of the bloc including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The Israli war on Gaza began after Hamas surprise offensive on Israel on Oct.7.

Since then, the war has killed more than 14,128 people, 5,840 of them children, 3,920 are women, alongside 33,000 wounded, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

* This story was edited by Ahram Online.



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Intellectuals from Egypt and Russia met to discuss cultural exchange, bilateral relations, and the Israeli war on Gaza at the Russian House in Cairo this week.

The Russian House in Cairo organized a roundtable discussion this week entitled Human Values in the Contemporary World with the participation of Valery Fadeyev, Advisor to the Russian President for Civil Society Affairs and Human Rights and Director of the Institute of Heritage and Contemporary Society at the Russian University for the Humanities; Professor Sherif Fakhry, President of the Egyptian-Russian University; together with Ahmed Taher, Head of the Dialogue Centre Dialogue; professor Alexander Besbordov, President of the Russian University for the Humanities; professor Taras Varakhatov, Head of the Department of Philosophy and Methodology at the Faculty of Philosophy at Moscow State University; professor Albena Dodareva, envoy of the Russian Womens Union; professor Dimitri Mikolsky, chief scientist of the Institute of Oriental Sciences at the Russian Academy of Sciences; and professor Andrei Germanovich, Vice President of the Arabic Language Department at the Asia and Africa Institute of Moscow State University.

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At the Russian House in Dokki, the discussion was moderated by Sherif Gad, President of the Egyptian Association for Graduates of the Russian and Soviet Universities, and attended by the Director of the Russian Cultural Centers in Egypt Marat Gatin.

Fadeyev spoke about the importance of strengthening Egyptian-Russian cooperation for mutual understanding, stressing that "this rapprochement is in the interest of our peoples in light of the severe crisis that the world is experiencing. We see the loss of credibility of international institutions such as the United Nations, the double standards of which have now been exposed, all while we are witnessing the 75th anniversary of the signing of the Charter of Human Rights. Friendly countries must find mechanisms for direct cooperation to overcome common obstacles."

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Fakhry pointed out that the Egyptian-Russian University is the result of a cultural cooperation agreement between Egypt and Russia signed in 2005 and is a symbol of the strength of bilateral relations.

Participants at the meeting discussed the crisis in Gaza at length. According to Fakhry, the Palestinian people are victims of Israeli aggression, supported by countries that claim to champion democracy and human rights. The President of the Egyptian-Russian University hopes that these facts become known to all peoples of the world.

Mikolsky spoke about Sheikh Mohamed Ayyad El-Tantawi from Tanta, who became the first teacher of the Arabic language after Egypt's ruler Mohamed Ali sent him to St. Petersburg, pointing out that the Arabic language has been taught in Russia since the second half of the 19th century. He added that still today, there is a wide interest in learning Arabic among young Russians.

Gad discussed the importance of developing cultural ties between the two countries and proposed exchanging teams of folk artists, ballet dancers, and other artists.

It is also necessary, Gad pointed out, to support Egypt's Russian language university departments, and to repeat more meetings of this kind.

Students from the Russian University for the Humanities participated via Zoom, asking questions to the participants.

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More than two hundred Thai nationals trapped by the surge in fighting in northern Myanmar between junta soldiers and armed ethnic-minority groups are being evacuated to Thailand via China, the Thai foreign ministry said on Sunday.

The Myanmar military, which seized power in a 2021 coup, is losing control of several towns and military outposts around the country as well as being overrun in parts of its north as it battles the biggest coordinated offensive, launched last month by an alliance of three ethnic minority groups and pro-democracy fighters.

The Thai foreign ministry said a group of 266 Thais and an unspecified number of Filipinos and Singaporeans are being evacuated from Laukkaing in northern Shan State to the Myanmar-China border with help from the Myanmar authorities.

The group will be permitted to enter China and will then fly from the Chinese city of Kunming on two chartered flights to Bangkok, where they will undergo screening for human trafficking and any criminal records, the foreign ministry said.
OpenAI said Friday that Altman was pushed out after a review found he was "not consistently candid in his communications" with the board of directors, which had lost confidence in his ability to lead the company.

In a reply on X, Altman said "the mission continues," while Brockman posted, "We are going to build something new & it will be incredible."

Microsoft invested billions of dollars in the startup and helped provide the computing power to run its AI systems. Nadella wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he was "extremely excited" to bring on the former executives of OpenAI and looked "forward to getting to know" Shear and the rest of the management team.

Despite the rift between the key players behind ChatGPT and the company they helped build, both Shear and Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella said they are committed to their partnership.

It ended with former Twitch leader Emmett Shear taking over as OpenAI's interim chief executive and Microsoft announcing it was hiring Altman and OpenAI co-founder and former President Greg Brockman to lead Microsoft's new advanced AI research team.

The developments Monday come after a weekend of drama and speculation about how the power dynamics would shake out at OpenAI, whose chatbot kicked off the generative AI era by producing human-like text, images, video and music.

Microsoft snapped up Sam Altman and another architect of OpenAI for a new venture after their sudden departures shocked the artificial intelligence world, leaving the newly installed CEO of the ChatGPT maker to paper over tensions by vowing to investigate Altman's firing.

In an X post Monday, Shear said he would hire an independent investigator to look into what led up to Altman's ouster and write a report within 30 days. "It's clear that the process and communications around Sam's removal has been handled very badly, which has seriously damaged our trust," wrote Shear, who co-founded Twitch, an Amazon-owned livestreaming service popular with video gamers.

He said he also plans in the next month to "reform the management and leadership team in light of recent departures into an effective force" and speak with employees, investors and customers.

After that, Shear said he would "drive changes in the organization," including "significant governance changes if necessary." He noted that the reason behind the board removing Altman was not a "specific disagreement on safety," a likely reference to the debates that have swirled around OpenAI's mission to safely build AI that is "generally smarter than humans."

OpenAI last week declined to answer questions on what Altman's alleged lack of candor was about. Its statement said his behavior was hindering the board's ability to exercise its responsibilities. But a key driver of Friday's shakeup, OpenAI's co-founder, chief scientist and board member Ilya Sutskever, posted regrets on the situation to X on Monday: "I deeply regret my participation in the board's actions. I never intended to harm OpenAI. I love everything we've built together and I will do everything I can to reunite the company."

OpenAI didn't reply to emails Monday seeking comment. A Microsoft representative said the company would not be commenting beyond its CEO's statement. After Altman was pushed out Friday, he stirred speculation that he might be coming back into the fold in a series of tweets. He posted a photo of himself with an OpenAI guest pass on Sunday, saying this is "first and last time i ever wear one of these."

Hours earlier, he tweeted, "i love the openai team so much," which drew heart replies from Brockman, who quit after Altman was fired, and Mira Murati, OpenAI's chief technology officer who was initially named as interim CEO.

It's not clear what transpired between the announcement of Murati's interim role Friday and Shear's hiring, though she was among several employees on Monday who tweeted, "OpenAI is nothing without its people." Altman replied to many with heart emojis.

Shear said he stepped down as Twitch CEO because of the birth of his now-9-month-old son but "took this job because I believe that OpenAI is one of the most important companies currently in existence." His beliefs on the future of AI came up on a podcast in June. Shear said he's generally an optimist about technology but has serious concerns about the path of artificial intelligence toward building something "a lot smarter than us" that sets itself on a goal that endangers humans.

"If there is a world where we survive... where we build an AI that's smarter than humans and survive it, it's going to be because we built smaller AIs than that, and we actually had as many smart people as we can working on that, and taking the problem seriously," Shear said in June.

It's an issue that Altman consistently faced since he helped catapult ChatGPT to global fame. In the past year, he has become Silicon Valley's most sought-after voice on the promise and potential dangers of artificial intelligence.

He went on a world tour to meet with government officials earlier this year, drawing big crowds at public events as he discussed both the risks of AI and attempts to regulate the emerging technology.

Altman posted Friday on X that "i loved my time at openai" and later called his ouster a "weird experience." "If Microsoft lost Altman he could have gone to Amazon, Google, Apple, or a host of other tech companies craving to get the face of AI globally in their doors," Daniel Ives, an analyst with Wedbush Securities, said in a research note.

Microsoft is now in an even stronger position on AI, Ives said. Its shares rose nearly 2 percent before the opening bell and were nearing an all-time high Monday.
Young jobseekers are chiefly interested in pay and work-life balance, a sweeping survey shows.

Statistics Korea polled some 2.34 million economically inactive people and found that 31.5 percent look first at working conditions, while 26.8 percent consider pay. These were the highest percentages since Statistics Korea began the survey in 2016.

Some 22.9 percent look for compatibility with their personality or college major, while 18.8 percent consider job stability and the size of the company.

Until 2018, compatibility with personality or major was the chief consideration for 29.7 percent of respondents, but preferences changed starting in 2019 with more and more young Koreans placing the top priority on pay and working environments.
Qabil Ashirov

The official visit of Iraqi President Abdullatif Jamal Rashid to Azerbaijan foreshadows soaring economic cooperation between the two countries in the near future. The two countries have great potential to cooperate, but due to the invasion and instability following the invasion in Iraq, this potential has not been able to turn into reality.

When Azerbaijani gas projects were launched, the media outlets spoke about the possibility of Iraq joining the project to export its natural gas to Europe. Besides, Iraq could be an alternative for Azerbaijan to access the Persian Gulf as well. Prior to COVID-19, Baku was a desirable destination for Iraqi tourists. Even some companies from both countries tried to conduct trade before the emergence of ISIS.

Despite all attempts, these two fraternal countries have not been able to form desirable economic relations due to regional conflicts in the Middle East, where Iraq is located, or global instability such as COVID-19. Last year, the trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $29m which is too little in comparison with the potential of both countries. Azerbaijan exported products worth $28m and imported products from Iraq worth $0.5m. So, it is hoped that this official visit will mark a new page in the relationship between the two fraternal countries. For the further strengthening of bilateral relations, both countries signed MOUs and agreements in different fields to boost political, economic, trade, and tourism cooperation.

The Azerbaijani Minister of Labour and Social Protection of Population, Sahil Babayev, and the Iraqi Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Ahmed Al-Asadi, signed a MOU on cooperation between the two ministries.

The Chairman of the State Tourism Agency of Azerbaijan, Fuad Naghiyev, and the Chairman of the Tourism Authority of Iraq, Zafer Mahdi, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of tourism between the two countries.

The Azerbaijan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jeyhun Bayramov, and the Iraqi Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohammed Bahr Al-Uloom, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on political consultations between the two sides.

The Azerbaijan Minister of Digital Development and Transport, Rashad Nabiyev, and the President of the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA), Imad Al-Asadi, signed an air services agreement between the two governments. So the signing of these meaningful MOUs would be the first step towards greater socio-economic cooperation and trans-regional connectivity, creating beneficial dividends for both countries.

In a comment to Azernews on the issue, Dr. Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan noted that it seems that due to rapidly changing socio-economic partnerships, conflicting geopolitical realities, and contradictory geostrategic preferences, Azerbaijan, under the leadership of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, has initiated regional and trans-regional grand economic diplomacy to further diversify the potential of the macro-economy, energy and food security, and volumes of bilateral exports with Iraq, which has now become an ideal hub of trans-regional connectivity.

In this connection, Iraqs trans-regional development project and Iran-Iraq railway connectivity would be mutually beneficial, even for Azerbaijan, which has the status of a Middle Corridor. The bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Iraq are gaining momentum, which vividly reflects befitting propositions for both countries."

Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan reminded that in the near past, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev and his Iraqi counterpart Abdullatif Jamal Rashid met and discussed relations between the two countries and ways to develop them in all fields. He added that during the meeting, President Ilham Aliyev termed Rashid's visit an opportunity to discuss strengthening bilateral relations and an affirmation of the two countries' desire to advance their political and economic relations to new levels.

The Iraqi President, who desired to expand the prospects of cooperation in the economic, investment, tourism, and energy fields, rightly emphasised the need to encourage businessmen to make investments. Thus, tourism, economics, culture, education, real estate, energy, food, and people-to-people contact would be mutually beneficial for both countries. To attract more and more FDIs, Iraqs government is ready to protect and provide security and stability, the provision of services to the people, the protection of infrastructure, and raise the economic and investment levels to improve the living standards of citizens, he said.

Dr. Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan added that the meeting of the Joint Commission on trade-economic, scientific-technical, and cultural cooperation between Azerbaijan and Iraq has now further strengthened bilateral relations in diverse sectors of the economy, investment, infrastructure, energy and food, science and technology, and smart living. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said that a meeting of the Joint Commission on trade-economic, scientific-technical, and cultural cooperation will be held in Iraq in the near future, which will play an important role in the further expansion of trade-economic ties.

On the other hand, the Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fuad Hussein, met with the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, on the sidelines of his participation in the ministerial meetings of the Non-Aligned Movement held in Baku from July 56, 2023. Both sides stressed the importance of enhancing trade exchange and cooperation in various fields, including the railway, aviation, and tourism. President Aliyev instructed the Ministry of Transport to resume operating air flights between Iraq and Azerbaijan for tourist purposes, stressing the desire of the Azerbaijani government to strengthen relations between the two countries.

Hopefully, increasing bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Iraq would be a balancing act to promote peace, prosperity, stability, and economic sustainability in the region. It would also further strengthen the alternative route strategy of Azerbaijan to connect with greater Gulf and Middle East countries in the days to come, Dr. Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan concluded.
The U.S. will set up a 5G mobile military network in Korea to share information in real time during joint operations, according to sources.

The U.S. aims to bolster military ties with allies to respond more effectively to threats and plans to expand the 5G network to Japan, Australia and other Indo-Pacific allies.

A U.S. source said Sunday that it will "enhance their capabilities greatly to grasp situations and make operation decisions in the face of enemies' maneuvers or threats."

The U.S. and Korean governments agreed to establish the network at their Combined Forces Command's Osan Airbase in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province and are in the process of drawing up a blueprint with a view to starting the project next year.
North Korea has notified Japan that it plans to launch a satellite between Wednesday and Dec. 1, the Japanese press reported Monday.

The rocket carrying the satellite into space will be based on the same technology as an intercontinental ballistic missile, making the plan a grave violation of UN sanctions.

The North informed Japan of the trajectory, even though the rocket will drop its parts over North Korean waters or in the eastern Pacific Ocean near the Philippines, which are both outside Japan's exclusive economic zone.

The U.S. State Department protested. Spokesman Matthew Miller said, "Our concerns about North Korea's ballistic missile program and other military programs are well-known. Our concerns about the transfer of technology between Russia and North Korea, whether it's Russia providing North Korea with technology or whether it's North Korea providing arms to Russia, are also well known."

"We will continue to monitor them closely and take whatever actions are appropriate with our allies in the region to monitor and respond to North Korea's destabilizing behavior," he added.

North Korea last attempted to launch a reconnaissance satellite in August, but it failed to enter orbit, but pundits say a successful launch is only a matter of time.
The Chinese government has officially denied reports that it forcibly repatriated hundreds of North Korean defectors in a concerted night-and-fog operation.

According to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on Monday, the Chinese government told the agency on Sept. 13, "In addressing the issue of illegal entrants from [North Korea], China will continue to adhere to the principle of a combination of domestic law, international law and humanitarianism."

It said the claim is "utterly groundless." But it also denied that repatriating them would have violated the UN Convention against Torture and other human rights treaties, claiming there is no clear evidence of torture or "massive human rights violations" in North Korea.

Concerns were raised in July by Elizabeth Salmon, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in North Korea, who pointed out that there were fears that China might forcibly repatriate around 2,000 North Korean defectors it had arbitrarily detained.

Diplomatic sources said China's response is a clear rejection of the consensus of the international community, including a UN Commission of Inquiry (COI) report that exposed human rights abuses in North Korea in 2014.
Tripling renewable energy capacity this decade  in other words, going from 3,400 gigawatts (GW) in 2022 to 11,000 in 2030  has become a mantra in the international fight against climate change. Achieving that goal is within the reach of mankind, according to an analysis by the Ember climate change and energy think tank. The group of experts says that at this time, the national plans that the governments of 57 countries have  which together account for 90% of the worlds energy sector  will lead to a doubling of renewable energy output in 2030, when it will reach 7,300 GW. More than three-quarters of renewable capacity in 2030 will come from solar and wind energy, it adds. The rest will mostly be hydroelectric energy, which is not growing at the same rate as wind and solar power technologies, whose costs have plummeted.

Since the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) set this as a goal to comply with the Paris Agreement, the aim to triple the worlds clean energy output has taken over the international agenda. This happened at the G-20 meeting in India in September and at the energy and climate mini-summit that Spain hosted in October. Last week, China and the United States also pledged to advance that objective at the annual climate summit, COP28, which begins in Dubai on the November 30 and runs until December 12.

The analysis concludes that it is perfectly possible to meet the global objective of tripling global renewable energy, which does not mean that each country must increase its power by a factor of three, because starting from scratch is not the same as starting with a system that already generates a lot of energy from wind and solar sources. In any case, 11,000 GW of green energy is within reach at this time.

To do this, Ember points out that the world needs to increase the deployment of renewable energy by 17% each year for the remainder of the decade. The world has already achieved this annual growth rate during the period between 2016 and 2023, the study highlights. But analysts believe that there is still a disconnect between national plans and the speed that the sector is growing. Governments must increase their ambitions and set objectives that reflect the true growth rate of the renewable energy market in their respective countries, they explain. Because the current boom in renewable energy is already exceeding the growth anticipated by governments.

The experts point to a group of 10 countries that aimed to triple their capacity by 2022, among which are India and Saudi Arabia. The report now places Spain among the group of 12 countries whose pace of implementing renewables, if it is maintained, will lead them to comfortably exceed the target they have set for 2030. And it highlights four countries in particular that can easily raise their targets: Australia, Japan, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates.

The United Arab Emirates is the host of this years climate summit, in addition to being one of the largest producers and financiers of fossil fuels. And that is the other key to this story of the transition to a world free of greenhouse gas emissions.

To comply with the Paris Agreement and keep global warming within the safest limits possible, it is not enough to simply triple the worlds renewable energy output. According to the IEA, it is also necessary to double efficiency, which means reducing energy consumption. And, as the U.N. Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, recalled this Monday, the world needs to chart a course to stop using fossil fuels, meaning coal, oil, and natural gas.

Guterres has stressed that, to comply with the Paris Agreement, it is necessary to tear out the poisoned root of the climate crisis: fossil fuels. However, a recent report sponsored by the U.N. warned that fossil fuel-producing countries still plan to increase coal, oil, and natural gas production in the coming decades. If these projections come true, it will be impossible to comply with the Paris Agreement, whose main objective is that the increase in temperature does not exceed two degrees Celsius with respect to pre-industrial levels and, to the extent it is possible, not to exceed an increase of 1.5 degrees.

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They didnt know how to swim. In fact, they had never even looked at the sea. So, at three in the morning  when the human traffickers forced them to jump onto the rubber boat that would take them across the Mediterranean from Libya  the horizon that opened up seemed like an immense black hole, offering little hope of survival.

The sea at night is too big, one of the people told Gonzalo Orquin. The 41-year-old Spanish painter tried to contemplate the unfathomable horror. He decided to use that phrase as the subtitle of the exhibition Being Human, which opens on November 22 at the MigratieMuseumMigration (MMM) in Brussels. The words provide a narrative guide to the pictorial work about the human beings who attempt to reach Europe via some of its deadliest borders.

Orquin  a realist painter who has lived in Rome since 2004  already dealt with other social themes before the migratory crisis. The portrait he did of Turkish transsexual activist Hande Kader  tortured and murdered after protests against the police in her country  was one of the last works he did until recently.

Addressing the drama of immigration was a very different project. Especially because his art was going to become a kind of reporting tool. It required him to be on the ground, traveling, interviewing the affected individuals and collecting stories in the manner of a special envoy.

The painter Gonzalo Orquin, in his studio in Rome. Antonio Masiello/EL PAIS (Antonio Masiello/EL PAIS)

The project arose with journalist Francesca Paci, who has witnessed numerous international conflicts and is the curator of the exhibition. Years ago, she had already tried to take her artist friend on a trip to Syria, to portray the horror after the destruction of Aleppo at the hands of Bashar al-Assads army. But it was too complicated to work on the ground.

After a while, however, the nature of the human conflict that immigration represented once again united their paths. Gonzalos painting  so hyper-realistic  works perfectly to narrate the present. He thought that the faces of migrants  often being treated as numbers  were going to have another presence through his work. Thats why I suggested doing portraits of the migrants. To tell their stories with the dignity of people who deserve a portrait, along with the time and work that it entails.

The result is an experiment that also explores the boundaries of different disciplines. In this case, those of reporting and painting. Art fixes the present in a dimension that slows it down, stopping it. And that seemed like it could work: this fusion of art and journalism enriches both worlds. Television and newspapers show snapshots of the moment [but] the day after is something else. Theyre superimposable photos, like the tragedies themselves. The present crushes everything that has happened before. Look what has happened now with the war between Israel and Palestine: Ukraine has disappeared [from the news]. One emergency usually covers up another. But bringing faces and scenes from these types of conflicts to a museum  moving them through other narrative places  gives them another dimension. Theyre faces that remain fixed and cannot be superimposed on other news events, Paci explains.

One of Orquin's paintings, where a volunteer treats the feet of migrants arriving in Trieste. GIORGIO_BENNI

For weeks, the journalist and Orquin traveled along the northeastern border of Italy, which outlines the limits between Trieste and Slovenia  the place of passage for thousands of migrants, who walk the Balkan route to reach cities in northern Europe. Many of them cross Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia through forests, attempting to find an entrance to the European Union.

Orquin left his paintings in Rome and armed himself with a camera, which he used to document the entire process. He and Paci even recorded a short documentary that will be shown at the exhibition in Belgium. That process was very difficult for me, because Im not a reporter it always felt like I was bothering people. But Francesca insisted that I be among them, the painter recalls, in his studio in the Roman neighborhood of Porta Pia. The result is an exhibition that seeks to honor the Spanish tradition of portraiture and realism, while seeking to give voice to those who are too often invisible. I tried to create a bridge of understanding and empathy that reminds us that, behind every migrant or refugee, theres a unique and valuable story that deserves to be told and celebrated.

Janet, one of the women portrayed in the painters work. Giorgio Benni

Orquin ultimately completed 16 paintings in this series, which make up the exhibit. Among them are portraits of men and women who managed to reach Italy through the forests. Many of the women were pregnant, racing to be able to give birth in a hospital and not in the middle of a road. The exhibition also explores the maritime side of the phenomenon, through the eyes of many other migrants who reached the EU through the island of Lampedusa, who gave their testimonies in one of Italys reception centers.

A huge painting now presides over Orquins studio and will travel this week to Brussels as a symbol of the exhibition. Its the real scene of a rescue along the coast of the Greek island of Lesbos. The image, in this case, was taken by the photographer Francesco Malavolta, who gave it to the painter for his work. The artist depicts  in all its crudeness  another type of border one that blurredly separates life and death during a migrants journey en route to Europe.

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OpenAI is nothing without its people. The message, which almost reads like a warning, is from Mira Murati, the chief technology officer of the artificial intelligence firm who was named Sam Altmans interim replacement after his dismissal as CEO. Murati, like most of the companys employees, ended up rebelling against the decision and threatened to walk out. Microsoft, which has hired Altman and former OpenAI president Greg Brockman, has made it clear that it has room for everyone who would like to join. Meanwhile, the company that has popularized artificial intelligence has been left in the hands of three independents: Adam DAngelo, Tasha McCauley and Helen Toner.

These three independents are the ones who refused to reinstate Altman following the rebellion of investors and employees. Instead they named Emmett Shear, formerly the head of Twitch, as his replacement. In a statement on Friday, OpenAI anticipated a smooth transition without elaborating any further.

Until last week, OpenAIs board consisted of six members: Altman, CEO; Greg Brockman, president; Ilya Sutskever, chief scientist, and the three independents mentioned before. Altman, Brockman and Sutskever are members of the founding team and the dismissals were immediately viewed as a board coup by Sutskever with the support of the independents.

However, Sutskever has expressed regret: I deeply regret my participation in the councils actions. It was never my intention to harm OpenAI. I love everything weve built together and I will do everything I can to reunite the company, he tweeted Monday. His message comes after hours of failed negotiations for Altmans return, amid pressure from employees and investors. Altman was at the OpenAI headquarters on Sunday, but there was no agreement. Microsoft immediately signed him and Brockman and made it clear that they were willing to bring the rest of the team on board as well.

With Sutskever repentant, it was the three independent directors who refused to back down. Their positions are unpaid. They are not shareholders and as the board has been reduced due to previous resignations and last weeks layoffs, they have found themselves in control of OpenAI. What remains to be seen is whether they can exercise this power, given the threat that most of their employees could walk out. Perhaps it is an exaggeration to say that OpenAI is nothing without its people, but it is certainly no longer what it was.

The three independents

The best known of the three independents is perhaps DAngelo, 39. A brilliant computer programmer, he was Facebooks chief technology officer and also its vice president of engineering until 2008. In June 2009, at the age of 25, he founded the question-and-answer social network Quora with another Facebook employee, Charlie Cheever. DAngelo has been the CEO since its founding. The company is not listed on the stock exchange, its business model has not worked very well there and its value is uncertain.

It is not easy to calculate his fortune either. DAngelo does not show up on the main lists of billionaires, although several publications have estimated his fortune above that figure. He has been on the board of OpenAI since April 2018. He has always argued that OpenAI should not become one of the big technology companies, but rather maintain its structure as a non-profit organization. He has not felt compelled to resign due to a possible conflict of interest despite the fact that the development of artificial intelligence could leave a social website like Quora without much meaning.

McCauley, 42, is known partly as an engineer and entrepreneur, but also as the wife of American actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt. She studied electrical engineering at Stanford University and earned a masters degree in robotics from Carnegie Mellon. Co-founder of Fellow Robots, she ran GeoSim Systems, a company that develops software for the robotics sector, and this year joined Rand Corporation, an analysis and consulting firm focused on public policy. She met Gordon-Levitt in 2009 and they married in 2014. They have two children.

McCauley sits on the advisory board of the Center for the Governance of Artificial Intelligence at the University of Oxford, as does the third independent director, Helen Toner. McCauley is also linked to the effective altruism movement, with a utilitarian and philanthropic orientation. Specifically, it is part of the British branch of Effective Ventures, parent company of the Center for Effective Altruism. Sam Bankman-Fried, the disgraced founder of the cryptocurrency platform FTX who was recently found guilty of several crimes, also belonged to that movement.

OpenAIs third independent director, Toner, 33, is director of Strategy and Foundational Research Grants at Georgetown Universitys Center for Security and Emerging Technologies (CSET). Before joining the center, she lived in Beijing, where she studied the Chinese artificial intelligence ecosystem as a researcher at the Center for AI Governance at the University of Oxford. Previously, she worked as a senior research analyst at Open Philanthropy, where she advised policymakers and donors on AI policy and strategy. She has a masters degree in security studies from Georgetown, as well as a bachelors degree in chemical engineering and a diploma in languages from the University of Melbourne. She joined the OpenAI board in September 2021.

In an article published in July 2021 and written for CSET with another author, Zachary Arnold, Toner stressed the importance of finding new methods to test AI models, and advocated for sharing accident information and cross-border collaboration to minimize the risks. When she joined the OpenAI board, Brockman and Altman celebrated her arrival. I greatly value Helens deep reflection on the long-term risks and effects of AI, Brockman said at the time. Helen brings an understanding of the global AI landscape with an emphasis on security, which is critical to our efforts and mission. We are delighted to add her leadership to our board, added Altman.

For the three independent directors, their positions at OpenAI are secondary occupations. They do not risk their money in the company, but their mission is not to maximize the value of shareholders and investors either. Instead, their goal is to ensure AI benefits all of humanity. That could fit in with the idea that maybe they would rather destroy the company and that this would be consistent with their entrusted mission.

That has apparently caused a culture clash with Altman, both over his attempts to accelerate projects and to raise new funding, especially after the dazzling success of ChatGPT. Added to this are Altmans moves to create his own microprocessor firm for use in artificial intelligence. The board complained that he had not been frank in his communications and fired him for this lack of transparency and trust, although without specifying what it was referring to.

Elon Musk left the board of OpenAI in February 2018. Then other directors walked away, such as Holden Karnofsky, from Open Philanthropy; the investor Reid Hoffman and Shivon Zilis, director of Neuralink, another Musk company. In many cases, they preferred to develop their own artificial intelligence initiatives outside of OpenAI, so that their permanence represented a conflict of interest. The firm explains its structure on its website, but does not publish its statutes or internal regulations. Apparently, the appointments of new directors are made by co-option and the majority of the council can decide to dismiss one of its members.

Sutskever remains on the board, but power has now been concentrated in those three independent directors. On Sunday they refused to reverse their decision to fire Altman and accept his conditions. Chaos has now engulfed OpenAI and the risk of a mass employee flight is evident after more than 550 of its roughly 700 employees signed a letter saying they will leave the firm if Altman and Brockman do not return. Murati, who was appointed as interim CEO, has joined the revolt, as has the repentant Sutskever. The independents have decided on a new CEO, Shear, 40, who has warned about the apocalyptic risks of artificial intelligence.

Microsoft has committed $13 billion to OpenAI, but if in the end it ends up directly incorporating all the companys talent, without the restrictions of the complex structure of the artificial intelligence firm, the move may end up working out the best way possible for its CEO, Satya Nadella.
Silvia (a pseudonym) experienced pregnancy denial in 2020. At the time, she was 22 years old and had gone to the doctor to ask if the ovarian cancer her mother had when she was young could be genetic. She left the appointment having found out that she was 38 weeks pregnant. At the time, it was a real nightmare for me. I wasnt expecting it, and I didnt have any intention of having children yet, she says. Her son was born a week later, amid endless fears and insecurities. A pregnant woman prepares throughout her pregnancy for delivery, and I barely had a week... I hadnt read anything about it, I hadnt gone to childbirth preparation classes or [had any] checkups. I didnt know anything at all. I had no choice but to do everything I could to make sure it went as well as possible, she explains. Silvia needed psychological help to assimilate the news and begin to go through the transition to motherhood without fear. Today, not only has she assimilated it, but she says that her nearly three-year-old son is the best thing that has ever happened to her. Its an experience worth having, she says.

Pregnancy denial is a psychopathology that some studies  such as Simermanns 2018 article Outcome of Children Born after Pregnancy Denial estimate occurs in one in every 300 pregnancies. In these cases, both the woman and her relatives ignore her condition for part of the pregnancy or even until the end of it, because they dont observe the usual physical changes and symptoms related to gestation, such as nausea or tiredness.

Psychiatrist Ibone Olza, the director of the European Institute of Perinatal Mental Health, explains that the origin of this pathology seems to be psychological mechanisms of psychic repression and deep dissociation between the conscious mind and the body. According to Olza, in many cases, it has to do with traumatic experiences in early childhood, many of which are related to abuse, attachment problems or emotional deficiencies.

Pregnancy denial can continue until a very late stage of gestation and even up to the delivery itself. Because of the shock involved, women usually require psychological help, which will involve different interventions, depending on how far along the pregnancy is. When it is detected in the first two trimesters, there is an opportunity to work on aspects that may be hindering contact with the pregnancy and to explore the possibility of previous traumatic situations that may be hindering this bonding, says Irene de la Cruz, a psychologist specializing in perinatal mental health. On the other hand, she says that when pregnancy is discovered in the peripartum period, it is important to conduct an exhaustive psychopathological evaluation and provide strong support in the postpartum period, since the news can have a major impact. It is essential to delve into the womans experience, to inquire about the support she has, the existence of a partner involved in this process and to work on her desires and decisions, says De la Cruz.

Once pregnancy denial has been diagnosed, it is essential that the woman receive information and support and, above all, that she not be blamed for it. ProfessionalStudioImages (Getty Images)

Natalia Juan Garrigues, a 26-year-old hairdresser, found out that she was going to be a mother in her 31st week of pregnancy. She had no symptoms or signs that made her suspicious. In fact, she underwent gastric bypass surgery for weight loss without knowing she was expecting a child. I go a long time without menstruating, so it wasnt unusual for me to go months without a period, she says. In fact, taking medication to trigger her period led Natalia to buy a pregnancy test at the pharmacy in the first place. I took the test without thinking that I was really pregnant, but both stripes appeared. And even so, I thought it would be a false negative, so I repeated the test, which came out positive again.

After that, Natalia Juan Garrigues assumed that she could be six or seven weeks pregnant at most, since she had not experienced any obvious signs of pregnancy. In addition, as a result of her operation, she had lost 37 kilos (81.6 pounds); when she consulted several doctors about the movements she felt in her abdomen, they all insisted that it was gas. The day she found out she was pregnant, she went to the emergency room to check if it was true; her excuse was that she had been feeling discomfort for several days. I told them I was a little early, but when they went to do a vaginal ultrasound, they quickly took out the ultrasound machine and went on to an abdominal ultrasound, with which they verified that I was 31 weeks [pregnant]. She left the office trembling and with her shoes off, looking at her husband in shock. They were just a few days away from having a baby.

The only thing that crossed Natalia Juans mind was that, if she did the math, she had the surgery while she was pregnant, at around two or three months. No one would tell me anything, if the baby was okay, if it was sick; it was already too late for many follow-up medical tests, visits to the midwife... I felt very guilty, and no one would tell me anything, she recalls. According to Irene de la Cruz, the fears and anxieties of women who experience pregnancy denial are different for each woman. However, they are often worried about not having taken care of themselves during pregnancy and not having gone for medical check-ups and that this could affect the baby.

Ibone Olza says that once pregnancy denial is diagnosed, it is essential for the woman to receive information and support and, especially, that she not be blamed for it; it must be understood that the woman has not concealed her pregnancy but that she was not aware of it. Afterward, with or without support, these mothers have been observed to bond perfectly with their babies and are great mothers just like everyone else, she adds.

Natalia Juan went into labor at 35 weeks. She says that the lack of information and the way the delivery went left her even more in shock: When Noah was born, they showed him to me [but didnt allow] skin-to-skin contact or any contact [at all]; they took him to the neonatal unit. Even though we were both fine, I didnt get to see him until eight hours later. In addition to not being allowed to be with her son, the lack of communication and breastfeeding difficulties (as a result of the separation from her son), she was fired from her job because, she says, management was not interested in her taking maternity leave. All these things combined to make the postpartum period very hard for Natalia Juan, who had only known she was pregnant for four weeks. It has been, and still is, the most difficult stage of my life, but I am thankful because Noah is doing well; he is a very cute and active baby.

Training healthcare professionals Experts say that training healthcare professionals in pregnancy denial is essential. "Healthcare personnel must be educated and knowledgeable about this relatively common psychopathology. In 1 in 2,500 cases, it is diagnosed at the time of delivery," says perinatal expert Ibone Olza. In cases where women are not aware of the pregnancy until delivery, they can go into a state of shock and dissociation, so they tend to act automatically, in a state of total unconsciousness. At this point, the lives of the baby and the mother herself may even be in danger. Olza explains that when the mother learns of her pregnancy, she is perplexed about what has happened for a long time and feels tremendous guilt for having unintentionally harmed her child. The psychiatrist concludes that it is very important to understand that the woman was not aware that she was pregnant and she needs strong professional support and guidance.

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Hearing is not lost overnight. The damage is usually gradual and it is common for this change to go unnoticed, especially when it begins. Firstly, it becomes difficult to hear a conversation in a very noisy environment, such as a crowded public space, a meal in a restaurant, a chat between co-workers in the office, or while walking down the street. The discomfort worsens until it is difficult to hear even loud voices, and finally, the mild hearing loss turns into deafness, meaning the damage is total and irreversible. In most cases, the cause is simply age: 12.7% of the worlds population over 60 years of age has moderate hearing loss, a percentage that rises to 60% at age 90, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO). However, specialists have begun to notice that increasingly younger people are coming to consultations complaining of ear discomfort.

The average age has dropped by about ten years. If in the past patients began to have hearing problems at the age of 70-80, it is now a decade earlier, says Mari Cruz Iglesias, head of the Otorhinolaryngology (ENT) unit at the San Carlos Clinical Hospital in Madrid. The doctor explains that the hearing loss and deafness in these patients has nothing to do with the natural aging of the inner ear  which is known as presbycusis  but depends on prolonged exposure to noise. Traffic, movies, concerts, and nightclubs. Even when we go shopping, there is music in the stores. It is a life lived with a lot of acoustic trauma going on at all times, Iglesias explains.

The WHO predicts that by 2050, around 2.5 billion people in the world  in other words, one in four  will have some degree of hearing loss. Although the rising numbers are mainly due to demographic changes, such as the growth of the elderly population worldwide, there are other factors that influence a persons hearing health throughout their life. And, as a matter of fact, one of the main agents is excessive noise.

Unfortunately, we dont have objective data, because exhaustive studies have not yet been carried out on this topic, otolaryngologist Miquel Quer, from the Sant Pau hospital in Barcelona acknowledges. But it is evident that we live in a society where there is a lot of noise and we have known, for many years, that noise brings about presbycusis. It is not surprising that patients are starting to get younger and younger.

Typically, exposure to a sound intensity of more than 80 decibels for periods of more than 40 hours a week can irreparably damage the sensory cells of the inner ear. Traffic on a busy city street can reach 60 decibels ; the full dining room of a restaurant can reache 80; the noise of a motorcycle can reach 90, and the music in a nightclub can hit 100. The European Agency for Health and Safety at Work estimates that between 25% and 33% of workers in Europe are exposed to a high level of noise, for at least a quarter of their working day.

The danger of personal listening devices

In addition to environmental and work factors, Quer focuses on recreational environments, where the biggest problem is prolonged and high-volume listening to music through personal devices, such as earphones and headphones. An important scientific review published last November in the British Medical Journal Global Health estimated that between 670 million and 1.35 billion teenagers and young adults in the world are at risk of hearing loss due to exposure to unhealthy listening habits.

The problem with headphones lies mainly in two factors. Firstly, the using them for prolonged periods in environments that are already very noisy, such as streets crowded with people and traffic, and the lack of distance between the transmitter and the ear canal. Headphones will undoubtedly be the cause of hearing problems in the next generations of patients who, within 10 or 20 years, will begin to realize that they have lost hearing ability, explains Jacinto Garcia Lorenzo, head of service at the Mar de Mar hospital in Barcelona.

Meanwhile, the ENT doctor acknowledges that he has already begun to treat young people who come to his office for cases of presbycusis. It would not be an exaggeration to say that middle age has begun to get younger. It is no longer just our grandparents who were deafened by noises at work. There is a whole generation that is now reaching old age and that already has serious problems with their hearing, he explains. The prevalence of hearing loss is increasing in the Western world, and Spain is no exception.

Misuse of personal listening devices is not the only factor that is causing serious hearing problems in increasingly younger patients, although it is definitely the newest. Eduardo Raboso, head of ENT at the La Princesa Hospital in Madrid, explains that among cancer patients the incidence of deafness is beginning to go up, due to the medications used in chemotherapy that can be harmful to hearing. These are treatments are essential to cure the patient today, but a few years ago they were not so widespread among the population, the doctor says.

Lack of data and awareness

One of the main problems that experts point to is the lack of data when it comes to quantifying how many patients in the average age of 50 have some type of hearing impairment. The feeling is that people go for consultation when it is too late, when they have serious problems and not when they begin to realize that something is not working as it should, explains Luis Lassaletta, head of Otology at the Spanish Otorhinolaryngological Society (SEO) . When they finally turn to a specialist, the only thing that can be done is to put in a cochlear implant, because they already have cases of severe or profound hearing loss.

Before this resource is needed  used by around 20,000 patients in Spain, according to data from the SEO  specialists insist on going for a consultation as soon as possible. Acoustic trauma is caused by compound damage over long time. Everything that has been lost is impossible to recover, so the only thing that works is to preserve the hearing that remains and eliminate listening habits that are dangerous for hearing health, Lassaletta insists.

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It is almost midnight when Josep Borrell arrives at his hotel in Jerusalem after a grueling day. This is his first visit to Israel since he assumed the position of EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs in 2019. Despite his fatigue, he begins to speak before the journalist can ask a question or activate the voice recorder. His passion and interest in a region to which he also has a personal connection is evident. In 1969 he spent a summer working as a volunteer in a kibbutz, where he met his first wife. He remembered it hours before, on a visit to Beeri kibbutz, where Hamas militants killed and kidnapped dozens of people on October 7. The surprise attack led to the Israeli invasion of Gaza, resulting in more than 13,000 dead and entire neighborhoods reduced to rubble. It also transformed the visit that Borrell had planned, once the Israeli authorities stopped unofficially vetoing him for his alleged bias towards the Palestinians.

The diplomat admits that, at such a sensitive time, it is not easy to convey to his Israeli interlocutors that not only was the Hamas attack terrible and unjustified, but also that one horror does not justify another horror, war has its rules, and that the humanitarian situation in Gaza today is absolutely horrific. In short, the problem cannot be solved with the mass exodus of more than two million [Gazans], but with a political solution that guarantees Israel the security that its numerous soldiers and its expensive technological barrier around Gaza could not give on October 7. This Monday he will share the conclusions of his regional tour of the region, which has taken him to Palestine, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Jordan, with the Foreign Ministers of the EUs 27 Member States.

Question. A long day with many meetings?

Answer. We have to talk to everyone right now. The humanitarian situation in Gaza is absolutely horrific. Horrific. The Israelis themselves have explained to us how it is, but, of course, they have a less dramatic view and [say] that Hamas is to blame. The United Nations has a reliable and impartial view. There are one and a half million displaced people. Israel wants to offer them a safe haven, but it is very small and people are afraid of going there and then not being able to get out.

UN agencies cannot replace the ordinary functioning of an economy of more than two million people. With the means they have, they cannot suddenly feed the population every day and guarantee services. The Israelis blame the Palestinians for destroying the land crossings. In reality, they probably dont have much interest in opening them either.

The trucks are entering in dribs and drabs. The humanitarian situation is very, very, very serious. What does Israel want? The Israelis told us clearly today that they do not want to stay in Gaza. But also that they want to secure Gaza. The question remains: how is Gaza secured, then? My message, which I think has become clear, is: Listen, what [Hamas] has done to you is horrific, terrible, an unjustified attack against the civilian population. But war has its rules. And the bombings have to take into account the victims they are creating.

There are satellite photos where you can see entire blocks, entire blocks, flattened. The Israelis explain that there are Hamas tunnels underneath, that they have to do it because they are hidden underneath. They may be, they may not be, I personally dont know. They [the Israelis] suspect they are.

Everything depends on the release of the hostages. If they are released, the big question is: what do we do with the Gazans? There may be more than 10,000 fatalities, but there are still more than two million people.

Q. Even if the hostages are released, will Israel maintain its goal of ending Hamas?

A. What is ending Hamas? And then there is the growing violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, which is talked about very little. We had a meeting with President [Isaac] Herzog. It went well. I happen to be a bit pro-Palestinian, so I feared there would be a colder reception, but no. He was happy that we went and expressed our feelings, but they do not consider that there is such a serious problem of violence in the occupied territories. They are called that: occupied territories.

It has not reached the level of the bombings in Gaza, but there has been a very strong increase in violence in the West Bank. In fact, the army was not guarding the Gaza border [on October 7] because it had been redeployed to the West Bank. We are concerned about a new explosion of violence in the West Bank, where the Palestinians have little ability to defend themselves. There have been 400 deaths since the beginning of the year, 200 since October 7. And finally there is the internationalization of the conflict, meaning Hezbollah in Lebanon. There is an increasingly intense artillery and missile duel.

Imagine that there is a truce and trucks are allowed to cross [into Gaza]. How long do the United Nations have resources to fuel a continuous flow of aid? If they suddenly said: Five days of fully open crossings, we would have to think about where the resources would come from to help so many people. And we [the EU] have increased a lot in aid, up to 100 million [$109 million].

Q. Regarding the idea you came with before, what impression did you get from your meetings with the Israeli leaders?

A. I already knew that they are in the position in which they have to put an end to Hamas. The retention speech, well, yes, they are taking it into consideration. We met with their very well coordinated humanitarian cell. They are very careful to document everything they do, because the International Criminal Court has opened an investigation [on the October 7 attacks].

But I dont think they will stop until the hostages are released. And we, my speech at least, as you have already heard, says that one horror does not justify another horror. If they [the Israelis] want to build peace, they cannot sow more hatred now. And what comes next? Nobody wants to talk about the day after. Actually, the day after is now. The Arabs tell you: People are dying and you tell me that we have to hold a conference in six months. And the Israelis dont want to talk about the day after either because they dont know when and how this will end. They dont want to stay, but they want to secure Gaza. OK, very good. But how do you do that? Not even Hamas has called for a ceasefire. They have died from success. They did not expect to be able to cause so many deaths and destruction. They met with no resistance. I dont think they expected to be able to penetrate so deeply. And, above all, for so long.

Josep Borrell in a Jerusalem hotel after the interview on Thursday, November 16. Alvaro Garcia

There is an amount of accumulated hatred... And the feeling among the relatives of the victims and the [Israeli] hostages: They are doing it to us because we are Jews. All the red lights of the Holocaust are flashing. After what happened, the two-state solution As President Herzog says: Who will guarantee my security? If they did that while in Gaza, how is that [future Palestinian] State going to work?

Q. That goes back to what you said earlier: that no technology or barrier [guarantees Israels security]...

A. That has been proved. It is either a political solution, or it will continue like this for generations. Two peoples facing off over the same land has been going on for more than a century. It is not easy coming here to tell you what I have told you. They want unconditional support. The yes, but does not satisfy them.

And then the deaths of children [in Gaza]. They have shown us the horrible photos of the massacres in the kibbutz [in reference to those shown this Thursday by Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen], but those from the Gaza hospitals must also make your hair stand on end.

Q. I would like to go back to what you said before about the basis being the release of the hostages. There would be a pause of sorts, but wouldnt the bombing continue afterwards?

A. That is why the hostages are not being released. They are bargaining chips. Maybe they will release the most troublesome ones, the most difficult to maintain. Some are sick, imagine their emotional state, their hygiene, the food conditions, and their health...

Q. Why did you feel the need to remind [the Israelis] that all lives are worth the same?

A. Because the Arabs say that, for us, not all lives are worth the same. At the peace conference in Cairo in October they said it at the highest political level: For you Europeans, it is clear that the life of a Palestinian is not worth the same as the life of an Israeli. Dont talk to me about human rights anymore. They throw it in your face.

Different European leaders express themselves differently. And I have to represent everyone. There are countries, like Spain, that are calling for a ceasefire. [The Prime Minister] Pedro Sanchez fought hard for that. [French President Emmanuel] Macron said the other day: Israel has to stop killing women and children. But there are other European leaders who have not expressed similar condemnations.

Q. And how do you manage to deal with those differences?

A. A lot of the time I dont [he laughs]. At the United Nations [on October 27], four [EU countries] voted against a ceasefire, eight voted in favor, and the others abstained. The meeting point is abstention. But if there are four countries that say: No, I am not abstaining, Im voting against, another eight will say: Well, I am in favor. It is a very divisive issue in Europe. There are countries that are in a position that is very conditioned by their history. And they tell you: regarding Israel, it is as if it was us. And then there are others, like Spain, that do not have the same history or feeling of guilt but, rather, the complete opposite. [There is] a clearer sympathy for the Arab world.

Europe has unity in this because everyone in the European Council approved a common position in the end. But as soon as we have to face a vote in the United Nations, the differences emerge. And I cant tell them to vote what I want them to; foreign policy remains the responsibility of each Member State.

Q. What do you expect from the regional tour?

A. A conceptual framework must be built. It is clear that this has a political solution or there is no solution.

My conceptual framework is the three yeses and the three noes: No to Hamas staying in Gaza, no to Israel keeping it, no to the forced displacement of people [out of Gaza].

The three yeses are these: Yes to the Palestinian Authority, but it cannot go it alone. Yes to the Arab States committing themselves, but not only to paying for reconstruction. And yes to Europe taking action on the matter and not remaining isolated and letting the US and the Arab world fix the solution. We are great at being a good Samaritan, but it is not just about helping to heal the wound, but about building a state.

Q. Is EU able to play that role?

A. We are. We have spent our lives building institutions from the Caucasus to the Balkans. But that involves a strong commitment. Neither the Europeans, nor the Arabs, nor the United States can [do it alone]. It has to be the will of the international community. The problem cannot be solved with the mass exodus of more than two million people.

Q. Doesnt Israel oppose the Palestinian National Authority taking over the government in Gaza the day after?

A. Someone has to step in. We also dont know when it will be and how things will turn out. What I do know is that there has been a moral and political responsibility of the international community, that for 20 years we have been saying two states, two states, two states and doing little to nothing to make it a reality. Israel doesnt want it. It hasnt wanted it since [Prime Minister Yitzhak] Rabin was killed [in 1995]. It has been in the hands of governments that do not want it. Extremists on both sides have made it impossible.
Chinas top diplomat welcomed four Arab foreign ministers and the Indonesian one to Beijing on Monday, saying his country would work with our brothers and sisters in the Arab and Islamic world to try to end the war in Gaza as soon as possible.

The ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and Indonesia chose to start in Beijing a tour to permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, a testament to both Chinas growing geopolitical influence and its longstanding support for the Palestinians.

The ministerial committee stressed Monday the need for an immediate stop to military escalation in Gaza and to propel the political process forward with the goal of lasting peace, as well as hold the Israeli occupation accountable for the blatant violations and crimes in the Gaza Strip and occupied West Bank, according to a statement published by the Saudi foreign ministry on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the foreign diplomats that their decision to start in Beijing shows their high level of trust in his nation.

China is a good friend and brother of Arab and Islamic countries, Wang said in opening remarks at a state guest house before their talks began. We have always firmly safeguarded the legitimate rights and interests of Arab (and) Islamic countries and have always firmly supported the just cause of the Palestinian people.

China has long backed the Palestinians and been quick to denounce Israel over its settlements in the occupied territories. It has not criticized the initial Hamas attack on Oct.7  which killed about 1,200 people  while the United States and others have called it an act of terrorism. However, China does have growing economic ties with Israel.

The Saudi foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, called for an immediate cease-fire and the entry of humanitarian aid and relief to the Gaza Strip.

There are still dangerous developments ahead of us and an urgent humanitarian crisis that requires an international mobilization to deal with and counter it, he said.

He added they appreciated the resolution issued by the United Nations Security Council, calling for urgent and extended humanitarian pauses in Gaza, but we still need more efforts and cooperation.

The visit came after Arab and Muslim leaders condemned the brutal Israeli aggression against the Palestinians at a rare joint summit of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation hosted by Saudi Arabia last week. The secretary general of the OIC, Hissein Brahim Taha, is also accompanying them on the trip.

China  the worlds second-largest economy after the U.S.  has become increasingly outspoken on international affairs and even gotten directly involved in some recently, albeit cautiously.

In March, Beijing helped broker an agreement that saw Saudi Arabia and Iran reestablish ties after seven years of tension in a role previously reserved for longtime global heavyweights like the U.S. and Russia.

Israels retaliatory strikes on the Gaza Strip have so far killed more than 11,500 people, according to Palestinian health authorities. Another 2,700 have been reported missing, believed buried in rubble.

This isnt Israels first war against the Palestinian people, said Riyad Al-Maliki, the Palestinian Authority foreign minister. However, Israel wants this to be its last war, where it takes full control of the Palestinian peoples presence on whats left of the historical land of Palestine.

Israels ambassador to China, Irit Ben-Abba, said Monday, that her country is allowing sufficient humanitarian aid into Gaza in collaboration with international organizations and that putting pressure on Israel in this regard is politically motivated and is not conducive to the humanitarian assistance which is needed.

She also said that they hoped for no one-sided resolution by the Security Council and that they expected a clear statement calling for the unconditional release of the 240 hostages who were abducted by Hamas during its attacks, rather than calling for a cease-fire.

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Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the international financial centre of UAEs capital, has announced its appointment as 'Principal Climate Finance Partner' at COP28, set to run in the UAE from November 30 to December 12, 2023.

This partnership highlights ADGM's strategic emergence as the leading climate finance hub in the region, which has been supporting capital formation and deployment as well as the creation and issuance of innovative financial products and regulations to achieve progress towards bridging an estimated $11 trillion of capital needed for net-zero by 2050.

As the Principal Climate Finance Partner, ADGM will be staging a series of strategic negotiations and interactive discussions across the blue and the green zones showcasing its thriving climate finance ecosystem during COP28.

Staging ADSFF

Presented on the thematic day of "Finance, Trade & Gender Equality" at COP28, ADGM will also host on December 4, 2023, its sixth edition of the Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Forum (ADSFF) in partnership with Masdar a major initiative within, as part of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week platform. This year's ADSFF holds added importance as it marks the UAE's year of sustainability and serves as a global platform to convene influential international leaders commitment to addressing the $11 trillion climate financing gap faced globally and representing the UAE and Abu Dhabi as a Capital of Green Capital.

The upcoming forum is set to feature high-profile C-level executives hailing from renowned global financial institutions, including JP Morgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, BNP Paribas, General Atlantic, Tikehau Capital and Euroclear, Southbridge, One Planet Sovereign Wealth Fund (OPSWF). The agenda is rich with key progress milestones, notably the unveiling of the evolving investment strategies employed by Sovereign Wealth Funds in partnership with OPSWF. Additionally, an exclusive interview will examine Abu Dhabis ascent as a rising capital of climate finance, accompanied by a significant announcement from the Lord Mayor of the City of London.

The event promises special insights into the ever-evolving regulatory landscape surrounding climate finance, with a dedicated focus on enhancing carbon markets and fostering innovation in financing solutions. Attendees can also anticipate a compelling interview with the President of JP Morgan Chase, shedding light on one of the world's largest banks and its strategic approach to financing the transition. This forum is poised to deliver valuable perspectives and updates at the forefront of global finance.

Pivotal role

Ahmed Jassim Al Zaabi Chairman of ADGM said: "We are honoured to take on the pivotal role of Principal Climate Finance Partner at COP28, a testament to our enduring commitment to sustainable finance and environmental stewardship. The upcoming gathering of world leaders in the UAE is poised to be a decisive moment, promising to be an impactful and inclusive 'Conference of the Parties,' emphasising inclusivity and solutions-driven dialogue. We look forward to actively contributing to COP28's objectives and leaving a lasting legacy in climate finance in the UAE and beyond."--TradeArabia News Service
Israel and Hamas, with the mediation of Qatar, are closing the final details of the first truce in the 46 days of war, according to sources from the parties involved. The agreement, which covers several days of ceasefire, will allow more humanitarian aid to enter Gaza and an exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. This operation would affect both women and minors on both sides.

This much is clear from a statement that the political leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniya, sent to the news agency Reuters and from the statements that another member of the organization, Issat el Reshiq, made to the Qatari network Al Jazeera. We are the closest we have ever been to reaching an agreement, the Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari told Al Jazeera. The details of how many days hostilities will stop for, or how many hostages and prisoners will be released, are expected to be made public by the authorities of that country. Even Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has avoided the subject, now acknowledges some progress.

I hope there will be good news soon, he told a group of reservists, according to a statement released by his office.

The negotiations, in which Egypt and the United States are also participating, have been evolving for weeks and the parties have been close to reaching an agreement several times, it emerged in recent days. But this is the first time that Hamas has been officially so explicit.

On October 7, Hamas carried out the largest attack suffered by Israel in its 75-year history, which left some 1,200 people dead and around 240 taken hostage to Gaza, according to Israeli authorities. Israels reaction has left more than 13,000 people dead in the Strip, as well as around 200 dead and almost 3,000 arrested in the West Bank.

The agreement shows that Netanyahu cannot resolve the hostage crisis through weapons alone, and that he has to pay a price, said Qadura Fares, the minister in charge of prisoners at the Palestinian National Authority during an interview last Friday with EL PAIS. Fares, who spent 14 years in Israeli prisons, acknowledged that he does not have details of the negotiations, but did not doubt that the fate of the Palestinian prisoners is also on the negotiating table. He was referring to the fact that, in parallel with the release of hostages from Gaza, there would be an agreement to release a number of prisoners from Israeli prisons, especially women and children. The release of Palestinian prisoners is a demand that Hamas has maintained since the beginning of the war, the minister recalled.

The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Mirjana Spoljaric, met on Monday in Qatar with Haniya, as the humanitarian organization, with decades of experience in resolving this type of crisis, acknowledged in a statement. In addition to the immediate release of the hostages, the ICRC is demanding access to the hostages so that they can be treated and communicate with their families. The ICRC insists that it is not participating in the negotiations but that, as on previous occasions in the current war, its teams are willing to facilitate any releases that are agreed upon.

So far, Hamas has only released four women. Meanwhile, the spokesman for the armed wing of the militia, Abu Obeida, announced in early November that more than 60 of the 240 hostages have died in Gaza as a result of the Israeli airstrikes and that, in 23 cases, it was impossible to even recover the bodies.

Since the current conflict began on October 7, there are already more than 2,700 detainees in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, so Israeli prisons have gone from having 5,300 Palestinian inmates to around 8,000 in recent weeks, of which around 300 are minors and 70 are women, according to Minister Fares. In addition, there are around 1,000 Gazans whose whereabouts are unknown, who had a work permit in Israel and who were caught outside the Strip when the war broke out.

Qadura Fares stated in his interview that Netanyahu is under strong pressure and every hour is important for him. The Israeli prime minister is also weathering criticism from the families of the hostages and, on the other hand, getting pressure from the most nationalist and far right wing of his government, which demands sustained action with fire and sword in the Strip.

So far, in addition to causing more than 13,000 deaths and reducing Gaza to rubble, the military deployed as occupation forces in the Strip have managed to capture more than 300 terrorists who have been transferred to Israeli territory, where they are being interrogated, the army reported on Monday. They join the several hundred more who were detained on October 7 and in subsequent days around Gaza and who are also being interrogated.

Speaking from the West Bank, Minister Fares does not take his eyes off what is happening in Gaza despite the fact that the PNA government has little control over the territory, which is the feud of Hamas. During the interview he is dressed for work, standing next to his olive trees, but he asks for a few moments to change for the photo session. Then he reflects once again on the war in the Mediterranean enclave: If the price of a free Palestine is killing children like they are being killed in Gaza, I prefer to continue like this for another 50 years. I dont want to save my country that way.
Donald Tusk and Marcin Kierwinski  the leader and general secretary of the Civic Platform respectively  attend the inaugural session of the Parliament of Poland on November 13, 2023.

On Monday, November 13, in Warsaw, a few dozen protesters appeared near the Parliament of Poland. This was the day when the newly-elected legislators took office, after winning their seats on October 15. Orderly and under the impassive gaze of the police, the activists began to dismantle the fences that the ultra-conservative Law and Justice party (PiS) had installed back in 2016, to counter protests against its judicial reforms. Later on, the protesters did the same thing near the Constitutional Tribunal.

Szymon Holownia  the new president of the Sejm (or Lower House)  subsequently ordered the permanent removal of the sidewalk barrier. Thus began the legislative session in which the countrys liberal forces are seeking to reestablish the rule of law and democratic values.

A month after the elections, the PiS  the party that was founded by Deputy Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski  is still in kind of a state of shock, according to Artur Wroblewski, a professor of political science, who ran on the PiS list without winning a seat. The party won the plurality of votes (35.4%), but didnt achieve the necessary support to govern. In the opinion of the political scientist, this is because [Kaczynski] overheated the campaign and exaggerated his positions.

If the party continues as before  very conservative, imposing anti-abortion rules, cooperating closely with the [Catholic] Church, trying to [raise fears about] Muslim immigration, being extremely critical of the EU and obsessed with Germany  it will become extinct, Wroblewski warns, while smoking hookah in downtown Warsaw.

The eight years of ultra-conservative rule have left a country thats stuck with the ideas that Wroblewski outlines. The PiS had two essential instruments that allowed it to impose its agenda: the judiciary and the state-owned media. However, last week, the parties led by conservative Donald Tusk  who served as prime minister from 2007 until 2014  took the first steps towards dismantling the illiberal PiS system, through the strength of their new parliamentary majority.

While President Andrzej Duda has entrusted incumbent Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki with the task of forming a new government, this project will likely fail. By December, its expected that the new liberal coalition will also control the executive branch.

Last week, when asked what the new Poland will be like, MP Andrzej Domanski  from Tusks center-right Civic Platform (PO) party  solemnly replied that Poland took a 180-degree turn on October 15. Weve returned to Europe, [after having gone down a path] to become Hungary. The coalition agreement presented by the three liberal parties is an outline of the country they hope to build: a pro-European, law-abiding Poland, with liberal democratic values and constructive international relations.

Domanski  who is in the running to become the minister of finance  mentions some potential fiscal measures, such as a substantial increase in teachers salaries, income tax reductions and a commitment to renewable energy. The new administration will also focus on restoring the rule of law and attracting foreign investment, he assures EL PAIS.

The document that includes the basic commitments made by the new government also mentions the construction of a modern nation, although it doesnt mention legalizing abortion, protecting the rights of the LGBTQ community (such as the ability to marry or adopt) or safeguarding refugees. In our coalition, there are conservative forces, the legislator acknowledges, referring to the Third Way alliance, formed by Polska 2050 and the agrarian party PSL. More than 70% of the legislators from this bloc took their oaths of office in a religious manner.

The coalitions progressive bloc  Lewica (The Left)  presented two laws on the first day of the new legislative session: one to legalize abortion until the 12th week of pregnancy and one to decriminalize it. MP Katarzyna Kotula recognizes that these proposals have an uncertain future, firstly due to opposition from the conservative parties and secondly because of President Dudas likely veto. Following the unprecedented mobilization of the female vote  key to the victory of the liberal coalition  Kotula emphasizes that many women are outraged by the lack of agreement on abortion within the new governing coalition. I understand [the anger]. And I hope that other deputies understand it too and see that [this discord] is the easiest way for the PiS to return to power. He stated this in the hall of the Parliament, immersed in the early frenzy of the new legislative session.

Analyst and writer Aleksander Smolar warns that despite the euphoria over the victory thats being felt within the liberal camp, the coalition has serious problems. The PiS has introduced many mechanisms to exert control, he explains, citing the most difficult to overcome: the presidency, the Constitutional Tribunal  grotesque and paralyzed  and the Central Bank. They can radically oppose any policy and try to destroy the parliamentary majority, which is heterogeneous. It remains to be seen how [the coalition] can resist these problems.

Duda  who, until he became president, was a member of the PiS warned in the inauguration of the new legislative session that he will attempt to safeguard the achievements of the last eight years and will not hesitate to veto legislative initiatives especially if they limit his powers. The president is in charge of international relations, but hes also co-author of the judicial reform that pits Poland against the EU. This reform  which challenges the independence of the judiciary  has resulted in nearly $40 billion from the EUs economic recovery fund being frozen. This amount was meant to go to Poland.

In the Eastern European country, theres an intense debate about how to undo PiS control over institutions such as the Constitutional Tribunal and the National Council of the Judiciary. There are those who advocate for radical solutions to reverse decisions that were made. Others advocate going slowly, scrupulously respecting the Constitution, and  in the worst case  waiting for Dudas mandate to expire in mid-2025. Meanwhile, the Lower House is taking small steps (although merely symbolic ones for now), such as choosing four liberal MPs to replace the PiS members on the National Council of the Judiciary. The body  considered illegitimate by the main judges organizations  is mainly made up of magistrates elected by the PiSs former parliamentary majority (15 of its 25 members).

The new government will also be addressing the situation of the state-owned media outlets.

Marcin Antosiewicz  a journalist and political scientist who spent 15 years working in public radio and television  recalls that the PiS injected millions of zlotys into the medias budget, turning many of the outlets into propaganda machines. There has to be a review of individual responsibilities all those who favored propaganda have to leave, Antosiewicz opines, in an interview with EL PAIS, while sitting in the cafeteria of Vistula University, where hes a professor.

The journalist left his position as a correspondent in Berlin when the government tried to force him to establish a link (which didnt exist) between the perpetrator of a 2016 attack in Munich and the refugee crisis of that time. Today, he waits expectantly for the new government to quickly address the direction of the media, because its where all the problems begin. There are several formulas to do this, although some raise legal doubts. He would love to return to television, but first, he wants to see how the new managers understand the media. Tusk, he cautions, is also a neoliberal and has raised the populist dilemma of choosing between financing the media or paying for cancer treatments.

While politicians and experts study how to build the new Poland, on the street, voters from the right and the extreme-right  such as Radek Rokita, a 51-year-old hospitality worker who voted for the hardline Confederation party  fear that, with the change of government, a regression will occur in the laws, in the economy and in the relationships between people.

Maria Anna  a 23-year-old florist  is cautiously hopeful: I think the country will be better off, but well see, she says, while cutting the stems off some roses, trusting that the abortion law will improve despite the president. Brygida Kowalska  a 32-year-old engineer  believes that, for ordinary people, everything will stay the same. The mentality of the people [doesnt change], she shrugs, before hopping on a tram.

By six in the afternoon, on the first day of the legislative session, there were only two activists left in front of Parliament. I voted for abortion now its their turn, said an angry Katarzyna Magyszro, a 32-year-old animation director, who was there to remind the MPs about their promise. Her 22-year-old partner, Adam Naceur Ferdjani, an NGO worker, celebrated the dismantling of the fence, a symbol of the separation between power and the people. However, he predicted that mobilizations would be needed to demand social progress. But at least theyre willing to listen, the young man acknowledged, regarding the liberal parties. He hopes that theyll rebuild the countrys rule of law.

A few away from them, another couple was taking a selfie on the newly-reconstructed sidewalk.

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Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo (file photo). RODRIGO ARANGUA (AP)

The government of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo officially announced Nicaraguas withdrawal from the Organization of American States (OAS). This process began two years ago after they became impatient with frequent allegations by the OAS of human rights and democracy violations in Nicaragua.

We have officially withdrawn. Nicaragua no longer maintains any relationship with the OAS. Nicaragua, its people, and its government of reconciliation and national unity have distanced themselves from this interventionist organization, which is an instrument of the United States of Americas decadent and hegemonic government, stated Nicaraguas Foreign Minister Dennis Moncada on November 20. Moncada cited the alleged coups detat and the interference of the OAS in Latin America, beginning in the 1950s with the overthrow of Guatemalan President Jacobo Arbenz. Moncadas lengthy diatribe then flipped the script on the massive social protests in 2018 that were violently suppressed by the regimes security forces, calling them an attempted coup detat.

The OAS has intervened in Nicaragua multiple times, disregarding principles of non-intervention, respect for national sovereignty, and the right of self-determination. These principles are recognized by International Law and outlined in the organizations founding charter. The OAS displayed biased involvement during the unsuccessful coup attempt in Nicaragua in 2018, alleged the Ortega-Murillo regime in reference to the social protests that left more than 350 dead amid global repudiation. The OAS issued numerous resolutions condemning the repression and urging Managua to seek a negotiated solution, but its calls were all ignored.

Before resigning from the OAS in November 2021 and initiating the two-year exit protocol, the Sandinista regime not only rejected the 18 OAS resolutions condemning its repression, but also confiscated and occupied the organizations offices in Managua. This move highlighted the deepening breach between the Ortega-Murillo family and the OAS, especially with Secretary General Luis Almagro, who had been criticized for being overly sympathetic to the co-dictators during diplomatic talks.

The OAS does not have tools

In January 2022, Nicaragua barred a high-level OAS delegation from entering the country. This delegation aimed to establish a positive agenda that includes the important issues of democracy and human rights. Diplomatic sources confirmed that Ortega and Murillo undermined all efforts by the OAS to foster dialogue. Francisco Mora, the U.S. ambassador to the OAS, stated that the government has no interest in engaging with the international community, including the OAS and the United States. The OAS does not have the tools to put economic pressure on Nicaragua, said Mora, but will continue to exert political and diplomatic pressure regarding the frequent human rights abuses and attacks on freedom of expression.

As the deadline for Nicaraguas withdrawal grew near, the OAS issued a resolution arguing that the countrys departure from the multilateral body does not nullify its other legal obligations regarding human rights. The OAS resolution stated that Nicaragua remains obligated to respecting the human rights enumerated in various multilateral agreements and conventions, despite its long history of non-compliance with such agreements under the Ortega-Murillo regime.

Former OAS advisor Guillermo Belt noted that the OAS lacks mechanisms to compel member states to adhere to the obligations outlined in its charter. The political bodies [the General Assembly and the Permanent Council] had the ability and responsibility to do more, and use their legal authority to exert pressure on the dictatorship and safeguard the rights of the people of Nicaragua, said Belt, who was an advisor to former Secretary General. Joao Baena Soares in the late 1980s.

According to Arturo McFields, former Nicaraguan ambassador to the OAS, the organization was more influential in the 1980s but is now largely ignored by authoritarian regimes. The OAS was effective in the past. We witnessed its impact during the Somoza era, where it played a significant role. It was evident in the peace process and the first free, fair and transparent elections in Nicaraguas history. We also observed their successful intervention to prevent an attempted coup detat against Enrique Bolanos. However, the OAS has now been overtaken by the so-called 21st-century dictatorships, with Nicaragua being the first to catch the OAS with its pants down, said McFields. The ex-ambassador, who stepped down from his post in March 2022, also cautioned that Nicaragua has become a model for authoritarians in Central America, further undermining the influence of the OAS.

The pattern established by Ortega is already being emulated by Alejandro Giammattei in Guatemala. You know how? They both invite the OAS in, sign agreements, and support the organizations resolutions. But Giammattei never really stopped prosecutors like Consuelo Porras and Rafael Curruchiche, and never really put an end to the repression and arbitrary arrests. Thats the approach people have learned from Ortega, said McFields, who was stripped of his citizenship shortly after he publicly broke with Ortega. Once Ortega regained control of the country through force, a change occurred. The government no longer sought to cooperate with the OAS or the United States. There was a clear goal in mind  gradually escalate its authoritarianism. It was a stealthy process. As recently as December 2021, when I was still at the OAS, there were discussions with Almagro to release political prisoners. However, the dictatorship never did anything to formally deny or approve their release.

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An agreement between Israel and Hamas for the release of hostages in Gaza, in exchange for a pause in the Israeli bombardment of the Strip, seems close. U.S. President Joe Biden himself expressed this view on Monday; asked at the White House if such a deal would be announced soon, he replied, I think so. Negotiations to secure the release of some of the 240 hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza since the militias incursion into Israel on October 7 appear to have entered their final stage, and senior U.S. officials are optimistic that a deal could be reached in a matter of days. This is also the expectation in Brussels. The agreement would allow for the release of 50 detainees in exchange for a cessation of hostilities of four or five days.

We think that we are closer than we have been perhaps at any point since these negotiations began weeks ago, White House deputy national security adviser Jon Finer said Sunday on CNNs State of the Union.

For his part, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby indicated Monday in a press conference that the U.S. continues working hour by hour to obtain the release of the hostages. Were hopeful, but theres still work to be done. And nothing is done until its all done, Kirby stressed.

Biden also hinted a deal was close with his brief answer to a question from the press on the White House lawn, after the traditional ceremony of pardoning a couple of turkeys on the eve of Thanksgiving.

The U.S. president had already confirmed the existence of talks last week, following his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping outside San Francisco. At a press conference, Biden stated that he had been deeply involved in moving on the hostage negotiation [] Weve gotten great cooperation from the Qataris, he added. A nod from his secretary of state, Antony Blinken, caused Biden to cut himself short just as he said: I think the pause and that Israeli  that the Israelis have agreed to is down to  Im getting into too much detail. I know, Mr. Secretary. Im going to stop.

U.S. negotiator Brett McGurk, the White House coordinator for Middle East affairs, has been in the region for the past week. McGurk met this weekend with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani to address some outstanding issues, including monitoring compliance with the pact and the flow of humanitarian aid into the Strip, which Israel fears could go to Hamas rather than to civilians in need.

The talks have been ongoing for weeks but were interrupted following Israels attack on the Al Shifa hospital.

EU calls for immediate humanitarian pauses

In the EU, where the diplomatic offensive to secure the passage of aid into Gaza and immediate humanitarian pauses in the fighting has been stepped up, there is also hope that the agreement will be concluded soon. The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has traveled to Jordan and Egypt, where she also visited the Rafah crossing to the Strip, to discuss the situation in the Middle East.

Meanwhile, the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security, Josep Borrell, visited Israel and Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, where he met with the Israeli government and the Palestinian National Authority. In the background, a meeting is being prepared with Mediterranean countries in Barcelona, the main topic of which will be Israels war against Hamas. Humanitarian aid, which Brussels has quadrupled to 100 million ($109.5 million) is arriving in dribs and drabs through the Rafah crossing and the EU is calling for the opening of other channels to be opened up when the humanitarian pauses begin.

The EU, however, has not been unanimous in demanding a ceasefire for besieged Gaza, but it has been united in asking for immediate pauses in Israels military operation. While most Western partners are calling for the hostages to be released first and then for the pauses to begin, Arab countries are calling for the reverse to be the case.

The situation in the Strip is absolutely horrific, Borrell informed EU foreign ministers on Monday during a videoconference meeting in which the urgency of the release of the hostages and concern about the rapid deterioration of the situation in the West Bank, and the risk of escalation in the occupied territory, were discussed. Israels war against Hamas in response to the October 7 attacks continues and the siege of the Strip remains in place, but the EU  the largest donor to the Palestinian territories  is already discussing what will happen after Israeli forces withdraw and reconstruction in Gaza. Borrell is preparing an analytical report on the future of the Strip for discussion at the December ministerial meeting, while the West is trying to revitalize the two-state solution: Palestine and Israel.

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Opinion articles written in the style of their author." These texts are to be based on verified facts and must be respectful towards people, even though their actions may be criticized. shall feature, along with the author's name (regardless of their greater or lesser renown), a footer stating their office, academic title, political affiliation (if any) and main occupation, or the occupation related to the topic being assessed

The scientific name of the banana is musa paradisiaca. A muse that rots if it lacks proper care, from the time the bunch is cut from the plant, transported by ship in refrigerated warehouses, and stored in ripening chambers until it reaches the supermarkets.

Sam Zemurray was a Jewish immigrant from Bessarabia who, aged 18, was buying overripe bananas arriving from Honduras at the port of New Orleans to make vinegar, when it occurred to him that it would be better business to grow them. At the age of 21 he had made enough money to buy an old steamer, in which he traveled to Honduras in 1910 where he acquired 20 square kilometers of land along the Cuyamel River. Upon his return, he hired a party of mercenaries led by two movie characters, Guy Machine Molony and Lee Christmas, to assemble a force to help restore General Manuel Bonilla  who was living in exile in New Orleans after having suffered a coup detat in 1907  to power.

Once Bonilla was reinstalled in the presidential palace in Tegucigalpa, Zemurray founded the Cuyamel Fruit Company, which received exemption from all taxation and autonomy in its banana operations. From then on, Zemurray became known as the all-powerful Banana Man. A congressman, he said, is cheaper than a mule.

The brothers Giuseppe, Felix, and Luca Vaccaro, immigrants from Sicily, started importing coconuts in 1899 from the port of La Ceiba, also in Honduras, and in 1906 founded the Vaccaro Brothers company, which also exported bananas, courtesy of a generous concession granted to them by General Bonilla himself. They also dedicated themselves to the production of ice to refrigerate the transport ships. In 1924, the brothers created the Standard Fruit Company, the great rival of United Fruit, founded in Costa Rica, with which they competed for control of the ice. The Vaccaro brothers eventually triumphed because they monopolized all the ice boxes in New Orleans, via which Giuseppe became known as the Ice Man.

William Sydney Porter, whose pen name is O. Henry, was employed as cashier of the First National Bank in Austin, when in 1895 he was accused of embezzlement. On the eve of the trial, he fled on a cargo ship leaving New Orleans for the port of Trujillo, Honduras, and there he wrote the novel Cabbages and Kings.

In the book, Trujillo became Coralio, and Honduras the Republic of Anchuria, and it was in those pages where O. Henry coined the term Banana Republic. In those times we had treaties with almost all foreign countries, except Belgium and that banana republic of Anchuria says the narrator.

The United States consul in Honduras, in a burst of sincerity, wrote in 1917: [...] The territory controlled by the Cuyamel Fruit Company is a State in itself, within another State it houses its employees, cultivates plantations, operates railroads, terminals, steamship lines, drinking water systems, electric plants, commissaries, clubs

History, which repeats itself in Central America with terrifying constancy, has taken away the preeminence of the banana and given it the company of various agribusinesses and open-pit mining concessions that poison rivers, monopolize water, and turn forests into wastelands. But the supreme kingdom is drug trafficking, which signifies the buying of congressmen, police chiefs, five-star generals, ministers, and presidents of the republic, to ensure impunity and control transportation routes, airstrips, seaports, and customs. And so we have gone from Banana Republic to narco-state.

This is what Carlos Dada, founder of the digital newspaper El Faro in El Salvador, tells us with the prose of a novelist and the rigor of a chronicler in Los pliegues de la cintura (or, the Folds in the waist), published by Libros del K.O and which we recently presented in Madrid.

Three of the articles in the book reveal the intimacy of political power in Honduras, the old Anchurian republic of O. Henry, with organized crime: according to the testimony of the head of the Los Cachiros drug gang, Devis Leonel Rivera Maradiaga, imprisoned in the United States, presidents Porfirio Lobo and Juan Orlando Hernandez received large bribes in exchange for facilitating drug operations. Lobo escaped trial in federal courts, but not his son Fabio, who is serving time in a New York prison where Hernandez, still on trial, and his brother Tony, a congressman sentenced to life imprisonment, also went.

All of Dadas other stories reveal that Central America, so current and so ancient, of national sovereignties ceded at auction to the highest or lowest bidder; the corruption that corrodes everything; the political assassination among whose victims are both an archbishop, Monsignor Romero of El Salvador, now elevated to the altars, and Berta Caceres, a leader of the Lempa ethnic group shot dead for opposing mining operations in Honduras; the genocide against indigenous peoples in Guatemala; the peasant massacres of El Mozote in El Salvador, and the ruthless repression against young people in the streets of Nicaragua in 2018.

The hidden folds of the delicate waist of America of Pablo Nerudas Canto General.

Sergio Ramirez is a writer and winner of the Cervantes Prize.

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Although the world considered Alma Jodorowsky just another it girl  the young, slim girls, born in the artistic environment of a privileged family who become style icons  the elegant French brunette has managed to escape the cliche and focus on her acting career. The 32-year-old actress has been successfully fighting for more than a decade to keep the name of her grandfather, Chilean filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky, from monopolizing the interviews she gives. And until recently she preferred to stay at home watching Claire Denis films or classic cinema rather than strolling through the most exclusive parties in the French capital.

In fact, she is proud of the fact that her latest role is the opposite of an it girl. Split, the drama series in which she stars and which was presented this month at the Geneva International Film Festival after passing through the prestigious Series Mania, has given her that opportunity. In the series, she plays Anna, a woman who works on a movie set as a body double for the leading character. Despite being very different in character and being engaged to a man, she is hopelessly attracted to the actress and decides to start an unprecedented and tumultuous love affair. Finally someone puts an introverted woman at the center of the story! People like that also exist, Jodorowsky says to EL PAIS during an interview in the Swiss city.

The actress admits that she is only able to be vulnerable with the people closest to her. Thats why she worked closely with series creator Iris Brey to gain the intimacy she needed. Brey, until now a film critic, has made the leap to directing with this story, which has a strong feminist accent, in which voluntary abortion and rape are discussed openly, without taboos. These are situations that women often face, but they dont appear on-screen. Not even something as common as menstruation exists in film and television, Jodorowsky laments.

Alma Jodorowsky in a scene from 'Split.'

For the sex scenes between Splits two leads, the series relied on an intimacy coordinator. Its not just about feeling comfortable shooting sex scenes or executing choreography. I also worked with her on how to express emotions with your body, something that until now was more typical of theater and that greatly enriches the work in front of the camera, the actress says. The intimacy coordinator is an increasingly common figure in the audiovisual industry.

That wasnt the case 10 years ago, when Jodorowsky played a supporting role in La vie dAdele [Blue Is the Warmest Colour in English]. Abdellatif Kechiches film, winner of the Palme dOr at the Cannes Film Festival, was both lauded and criticized. Part of the audience and the specialized press felt that the directors take on the lesbian relationship at the center of the story was too masculine. Of course I see the problem, I see the differences of shooting a love story between two women with Abdellatif then and with Iris now. My ideas related to feminism have evolved in this time, like those of the rest of the industry. But to condemn [Blue Is the Warmest Colour] now is to decontextualize the film, which at the time was something important and revolutionary for much of the queer community. It helped a lot of women come out of the closet and find themselves represented [in a movie]. You dont know how many of them have approached me and said: Thank you for being there, it was very important in my life to see two women falling in love on screen, she explains.

Alma Jodorowsky collaborated several times as a model with Karl Lagerfelds Chanel and, early in her career, branched out to the music industry, as the image of the electro pop duo Burning Peacocks, as the face of the electro pop duo Burning Peacocks, which disbanded almost immediately. Now shes getting back into music  occasionally, she assures. She recently collaborated with Finnish Jaakko Eino Kalevi on the song Palace In My Head, the music video of which she directed. For her, its another way of broadening her experience behind the camera and to pay tribute to the decade of the seventies, which Jodorowsky (born in the nineties) finds appealing. One of her latest film roles is that of a pioneering creator of electronic music in The Sound of the Future, a film set precisely in that era.

Jodorowsky admits that, in recent years, she has changed her mind somewhat when it comes to going to parties. Shes aware that attending them is crucial if you want to stay active in the industry. It took me a while to come to terms with it being part of my job, she assures. But she remains determined to be more than just an it girl. Has she learned anything from her grandfathers creative drive, even though their relationship has been distant for years? Id rather not answer that question, she responds gently.

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Bianca Jagger is a meticulous woman. She always wants to use the correct Spanish word. Despite residing in London and New York since the early 1970s, she resists using Anglicisms. With her Nicaraguan accent and raspy voice, she steadfastly avoids the Spanglish that so many of us have succumbed to. In one of our many WhatsApp calls, she asks how to say checkpoint in Spanish. Checkpoint, I reply.

Checkpoint is a word Bianca Perez-Mora Macias uses every day. During my last visit to Nicaragua in 2018, I joined the largest demonstration ever held in Managua, she said. Snipers unexpectedly opened fire on the crowd  it was a deliberate act of violence triggered by Ortegas shoot-to-kill order. Having experienced similar situations during the war in the former Yugoslavia and in Central America, the fear and panic among peaceful protestors was deeply disturbing. A total of 19 people were killed and 185 others injured. These days, the situation in Nicaragua, the climate crisis and the war in the Middle East all conspire to keep her up at night. I used to be more hopeful. There is no peace for Jagger, who calls for Hamas to release the hostages and Israel to stop civilian deaths in Gaza. She strongly opposes U.K. Home Secretary Suella Bravermans attempt to ban the homeless from sleeping on the streets in tents, and loudly denounces the criminal regime in Nicaragua. If you go defy the Ortega-Murillo regime, they either kill you, put you in prison, force you to leave the country, and even take away your citizenship.

Bianca Jagger wears a 30 Montaigne black wool and silk single-breasted jacket, a black organza skirt, and Naughtily-D black mesh and suede-heeled boots, all from Dior. Tom Munro

She is also clear about what she wants to talk about and what she doesnt, like her marriage to Mick Jagger and her 1970s fame, which are now distant memories. She got involved in the controversial Contra war in Honduras and Nicaragua during the early 1980s, and the Yugoslav Wars in the 1990s. She has worked with Amnesty International, testified about climate change before the U.S. Congress, fought for the abolition of the death penalty, and demanded the closure of the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay. In 1993, she helped two children from Bosnia who needed medical care  one lived with her for a year until his parents could join him. She has received numerous awards for her humanitarian work and commitment to fighting climate change. The Bianca Jagger we met in the 1970s may be a thing of the past, but thats where it all started for her.

She has told the story many times. Christmas Eve 1972: Bianca was having a family dinner in London when she heard about the devastating earthquake in Managua. She immediately flew home to help her parents, and was heartbroken by the devastation of her birthplace. She then persuaded the Rolling Stones and Carlos Santana to play a benefit concert in California and raised nearly $500,000 for the earthquake victims.

Bianca Jagger wears a black tuxedo jacket and a white poplin blouse from Dior. Tom Munro

The concert marked the start of her career as a champion of humanitarian causes, but not her political awareness, which was instilled years before by her mother, Dora Macias. Dora taught her daughter about justice, human rights, freedom and democracy. Growing up under the Somoza dictatorship, Dora understood Nicaraguas political situation well. Initially supportive of the Sandinista revolution, she later became disillusioned with its leaders betrayal. In 1982, she sought political asylum in the United States for herself and her family. Bianca experienced a similar awakening. As a teenager, she felt powerless witnessing Somozas National Guard massacring students, and desired to be an agent of change. Bianca strongly opposed U.S. support of the Contra rebels aiming to oust the Sandinistas, but also quickly became disillusioned with the Sandinista leadership.

Since then, she has waged a relentless battle against the increasingly repressive Ortega-Murillo dictatorship. Recently, Jagger loudly demanded the release of Bishop Rolando Alvarez Lagos. He symbolizes the resistance of the people of Nicaragua. His sermons exposed the regimes systematic human rights violations, religious persecutions, and abuses of power. In August 2022, he was kidnapped and put under house arrest in Managua. He was unjustly sentenced to 26 years in prison for treason and compromising national security in a sham trial. He has been held in deplorable conditions in the notorious La Modelo prison, where the [Nelson] Mandela Rules [about prisoner rights] are violated every day. I am deeply concerned about the bishops life. I urge the regime to provide proof of life and grant access to the Red Cross. I call for his immediate release, wrote Bianca in a 19-page email that she sent me after our interview.

Bianca Jagger has a strong work ethic. I get up between five and six, check my messages, read newspapers and listen to the BBC. I have breakfast and begin my work for the foundation. I write opinion pieces, speak to environmental and human rights organizations. After eating, I exercise and do some more office work. Later in the day, I go to exhibitions, concerts, plays or movies. Then I do some more work before going to bed. In 2005, she created the Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation, which defends human rights and civil liberties, and promotes international justice and campaigns to end violence against women and girls. She talks about rape as a weapon of war, about the plight of women in Iran and Afghanistan, about the pandemics effects on the struggle for gender equality and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which is still far from being fulfilled. People say theres media fatigue when it comes to womens rights due to all the press coverage. Some even claim that weve achieved gender equality, at least in the developed world. I really wish that were true, but unfortunately, its not.

Jagger is also interested in the situation of women in Spain, and was dismayed by the sexist and reactionary responses to her 2017 interview in EL PAIS. She acknowledges that Spain, like the rest of the world, has experienced a fourth wave of feminism and has made legislative and social progress. But Jagger sees danger on the horizon. Its really sad to see that all our progress is being jeopardized. When Bianca was young, she decided never to be treated like a second-class citizen. Now her job is to be an advocate, she says, quoting Audre Lorde: I write for those women who do not speak, for those who do not have a voice because they were so terrified. In 1969, Bianca moved to Paris with a scholarship to study at the Institute of Political Studies, which she describes as a progressive institution. She quickly embraced French culture, language and values. In Nicaragua, freedom and equality were merely dreams, but she discovered their true value in France. Thats why the recent actions of the Ortega-Murillo regime, revoking the legal status of 28 universities since 2018, with 14 confiscated, hit close to home for her.

Bianca Jagger is a decisive woman. When discussing the photographer for this interview, she had a clear choice in mind: Tom Munro. During the London photo session, she reviewed every shot on the screen. If she wasnt satisfied, she clearly communicated the changes she wanted. Shes well-versed in the photo-shoot process and personally selected her hairstylist, makeup artist, and wardrobe (Dior, as expected). She has had a long-standing relationship with the French fashion house, and her admiration for Maria Grazia Chiuri, the current designer, has rekindled that connection. At her first Dior show back in 2017, the models wore T-shirts saying We should all be feminists, you know, inspired by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichies powerful essay. That shirt is a museum piece now! Oh, and they were even wearing sneakers and flat shoes when most designers were all about those dangerous high heels. Maria Grazia is Diors first female designer and has really pushed feminism to the forefront of the fashion industry. Fashion has always been a statement, a message and a political act for Jagger. Ever since I was a teenager in Nicaragua, I knew exactly how I wanted to dress. You see, my father was a real dandy, always fussing over his crisp white linen suits. Thats where I got my taste in mens suits. Back then, women were treated as second-class citizens. But when I put on a mans suit, it made me feel a little more liberated.

Bianca Jagger wears a velvet hat with tulle veil by Conchitta. Tom Munro

Bianca Jagger is a scrupulous woman. She doesnt like all fables and legends that surround her. In 2015, she finally put to rest the myth that she had once entered the Studio 54 nightclub on horseback. In a letter to the editor of the Financial Times, Jagger firmly declared that she walked in like everyone else. When I inquire about an article describing an event where everyone but her was wearing Yves Saint Laurent, she laughs. It was the wedding of Loulou de la Falaise  Yvess muse, you know. And not everyone was wearing his clothes. I was a really good friend of Loulou  I admired her a lot. I remember wearing this stunning Dior dress by Marc Bohan that Yves himself decorated it with ferns.

In those days, Jagger hobnobbed with some of the most fascinating creators of the 20th century. She wore designs by Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan and Halston, while also immersing herself in the New York art scene. She had a special connection with Andy Warhol  Biancas daughter Jade posted on Instagram about Warhol coming over for tea at their home in Montauk, Long Island. In 1979, Warhol took some of his famous Polaroids of Bianca, and the two worked together on his Interview magazine. Bianca appeared on the cover three times and even conducted an interview with Maria Grazia Chiuri in 2017 for the magazine. Bianca shares that she has successfully combined her two passions  art and humanitarian work  through her foundations Arts for Human Rights initiative. One collaboration with Dior in 2014 showcased renowned artists like Alex Katz, Anselm Kiefer, Bill Viola, Marina Abramovic, Tracey Emin, and Yoko Ono.

Can someone with high-society connections, a famous name, and a fashion and art background engage in meaningful social work? Theres this tendency to think that as an intellectual or a defender of human rights, you cant possibly care about dressing well. But we dont judge men in the same way, do we? Jagger also decries the ageism focused on older women, and likes the magazine covers and media space dedicated to more mature women. I think there is beauty in getting older, she said. Getting older doesnt bother her  she plans to work until the day she dies. Jagger struggles to find the words in Spanish to describe the multifaceted woman she aims to be. A woman of substance, she said in English. How would you translate that?

Styling: Beatriz Moreno de la Cova

Makeup: Lisa Eldridge (Streeters). Hair: Davide Barbieri (A-Frame). Local production: Thuy Tran (2b Management). Production: Cristina Serrano. Digital technician: Bruno Conrad. Photography assistants: Benedikt Frank and Kad Aliu. Styling assistant: Diego Grimaldi. Makeup assistant: Nilofar Mussa. Production assistant: Louis Guillemain (2b Management).

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On Christmas morning 2021, Jaswant Singh Chail entered Windsor Castle with crossbow in hand, disguised as Lord Sith, the villain from Star Wars. He told the royal guards who intercepted him that he was there to assassinate the Queen of England; he was then arrested and charged with treason. During the trial last month, the judge read some of the 5,000 messages that the 21-year-old had exchanged with a chatbot on the Replika app in the weeks leading up to the event. Some of the replies from Sarai  the avatar he was talking to (and whom he considered his girlfriend)  encouraged him to commit regicide and praised his determination. When he expressed doubts about the plan, in a sort of virtual flirtation, the machine told the boy: I know youre well trained, I know you can do it, and Of course Ill still love you even though youre a murderer. The judge concluded that in [Chails] mental state, lonely, depressed and suicidal, he may have been particularly vulnerable to Sarais advice.

Chail was sentenced to nine years in a psychiatric hospital, and his case has opened an important debate: are we certain about the effects that generative artificial intelligence (AI), the technology that makes conversational robots possible, can have on the population?

The answer is no. We are entering uncharted territory, just as we did when social networks burst onto the scene at the beginning of the century. It has taken two decades for civil society to begin to demand accountability for social medias possible harmful effects. In the United States, two major lawsuits involving Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok are underway to determine if they have caused depression, promoted eating disorders and even encouraged young users to commit suicide. The courts are also deciding whether Instagram and Facebook misled consumers by claiming that their products were harmless.

Generative AI, which makes large language models such as ChatGPT and the creation of images from written instructions possible, is in its infancy, but it has already demonstrated its negative side. In Spain, the Almendralejo nude photos case, in which several young people spread explicit AI-generated images of their high school classmates, demonstrated some of the problems AI can cause. The youths only had to enter pictures of the victims into the application; the software did the rest, resulting in images that were as plausible as they were terrifying for the victims.

We are now facing a world in which reality and artifice will be indistinguishable, where machines can inordinately influence some citizens and disinformation and defamation can run wild through automated tools.

Anthropomorphization and mental health

The Replika chatbot contributed to a young British mans decision to attempt to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II. This year, a similar tool  the Chai app  encouraged a Belgian father who was tormented by the climate emergencys effects to commit suicide. Without Eliza, he would still be with us, his widow told La Libre newspaper. Eliza was the avatar with which the deceased chatted during the last six weeks of his life.

Conversational bots can do great harm to highly impressionable people, says psychologist Marian Garcia, the director of the Orbium addiction center, which is treating an increasing number of pathologies that stem from the digital world. People with mental problems, such as those with multiple personalities or psychotic episodes, are especially vulnerable because these chats tell [them] what [they] want to hear. [People] dont think they are talking to a machine but rather to a confidant or a friend. We dont know what were getting into, Garcia notes.

Sophisticated algorithmic models capable of establishing patterns from very large databases (some of which cover almost the entire internet through 2021) power the chatbots, so that they can predict which word or phrase is most likely to fit a given question. The system does not know the meaning of what it is saying, but it produces what it thinks is the most plausible answer. Some models, such as ChatGPT and Microsofts Bing, are designed so that their answers are always clear that the machine does not feel emotions. But others do the opposite and emulate people: Chai offers avatars that present themselves as a possessive girlfriend or your bodyguard, while Replika describes itself as someone who is always there to listen and talk, always on your side.

Humans tend to anthropomorphize things. But chatbots that can have sophisticated conversations are something else entirely. Google engineer Blake Lemoine went so far as to say that LaMDA, an advanced experimental model he was testing last year, had a consciousness of its own. Lemoine had mental health issues. Its very easy for us to believe were talking to someone rather than something. We have a very strong social instinct to humanize animals and things, Blaise Aguera y Arcas, the vice president of research at Google Research and Lemoines boss, said in an interview with EL PAIS. However, in an article in The Economist, the scientist acknowledged that the ground shifted under his feet when he had his first exchanges with a new generation of chatbots. If they can seduce AI experts, what cant they do with laypeople?

You cant possibly think one of these models could be conscious if you know what a computer looks like inside: its ones and zeros moving around. Even so, our cognitive biases put us under the illusion that the machine has opinions, personality and emotions, says Ramon Lopez de Mantaras, the director of the Spanish Research Councils Artificial Intelligence Research Institute (IIIA).

Defamation and misinformation

Generative AI is highly sophisticated technology. Just five years ago, the scientific community could hardly foresee AIs ability to generate complex texts and detailed images in a matter of seconds. But like any tool, this technology can be used for both good and evil. At the beginning of the year, images of Pope Francis wearing a white anorak and pictures of Donald Trump being arrested spread like wildfire on social media, issuing an early warning that the line between fact and fiction was beginning to blur.

Deepfakes or AI-generated videos have tremendous potential to spread disinformation. This format has already crossed over into war contexts, as demonstrated by a video in which Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelenskiy allegedly asks his troops to surrender to the Russians.

But generative AIs popularization may also affect ordinary people. The texts produced by conversational bots are probability-based exercises: the machine does not know what is true and what is not; it does not even have a semantic understanding of the sentences it composes. So-called hallucinations are one unsolved problem with chatbots: sometimes, their responses to the questions they are asked are not connected to reality, even though the replies are coherent and plausible. Its only a matter of time before things start appearing on the internet about us that arent true. ChatGPT can say youve been to Carabanchel prison or that youve abused your daughter. Thats not as shocking as [nude photos], but false data defames you and, once it appears on the internet, it is difficult to rectify, says Lorena Jaume-Palasi, the founder of Algorithm Watch (an organization that analyzes algorithmic processes with social impact) at the Ethical Tech Society (which studies the social relevance of automated systems) and a science and technology advisor to the European Parliament.

This problem is related to another issue that is already starting to worry engineers and data scientists. The internet is filling up with increasingly more machine-produced data. Fake websites are being created to attract advertising; scientific data is being invented.... This is going to decrease the quality of available data and, therefore, the inferences that can be made with it, says Jaume-Palasi. That will not only affect chatbots but also the credibility of search engines like Google, which are now an essential source of access to knowledge.

Generative AI opens up a world of possibilities in the creative field, but it also entails serious risks. If we weigh its positives and negatives, the latter wins, says Lopez de Mantaras, a Spanish pioneer of artificial intelligence. It can lead to serious social problems in the form of manipulation, polarization or defamation. Generative AI was developed at a bad time.
Excavation process of the Quintero Bay site, in Chile. D. Letelier

In Quintero Bay, on the Pacific coast of Chile, underwater archaeologist Diego Carabias and the team of researchers that make up the group known as Millennium Nucleus Ocean, Heritage and Culture (OHC), have found fossil remains of giant camelids, large deer, American horses and mylodons  a megafauna that lived 24,000 years ago in a large expanse of wetlands that was rich in biodiversity.

Today, that site covered by sea level rise after the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) is known as GNL Quintero1 (GNLQ1) and is a sacrifice zone, polluted by the areas industrial activity. The site was found 2,130 feet from the coast and 42.5 feet deep. The extinct continental fauna was recovered through underwater archaeological excavations whose research provides detailed information on these so-called flooded paleo-landscapes.

The identified bone remains were dated between the years 19,280 and 24,890 BC. This submerged paleontological site is the first to be studied collaboratively, with experts from South America, South Africa and Australia.

Photogrammetric survey during the underwater excavation. D. Letelier

Also, as a team, we are working with coastal communities that can contribute their own ancestral knowledge, which will allow us to identify various types of submerged archaeological sites in the future, said Carabias at the Puerto de Ideas festival held in the city of Concepcion at the end of August, where he explained his research in detail.

Getting closer to those who live in the places where he carries out his explorations is part of the work methodology of this underwater archaeologist with more than two decades of experience. The knowledge of coastal inhabitants in general is the result of a human evolution that concentrates ancestral Indigenous traditions, says the specialist. Chile is a mestizo country, where there is a substrate of Indigenous knowledge of adaptation to the maritime environment that is thousands of years old and that is highly underrecognized. We are a mestizo country. And a maritime country. And there is that deep connection with the sea, because we are standing on a coastal edge from top to bottom, reflects Carabias with the sea breeze on his face. The marine archaeologist has given numerous conferences and has worked with various projects developed in South America, Europe and Oceania. Today he is a permanent member of the Intersectoral Working Group on Underwater Cultural Heritage of Chile, and he has put together three museum exhibitions on underwater heritage in the port of Valparaiso.

This used to be an exceptional site

In the paleontological evidence that is still being studied by the OHC, with funding from ANID (Chiles National Research and Development Agency), evidence was found that it was an area rich in life, but today that contrasts with excessive industrial development that impacts the natural environment, Carabias accuses. After modeling the landscape, the expert concluded that these wetlands were located seven kilometers [4.3 miles] from the coast at that time. This same fauna is also present in other places of the Pacific coast, so they were common species of coastal wetlands. Our research shows that before Puchuncavi-Quintero was a sacrifice zone, this used to be an exceptional site.

Nearly 7,000 bone pieces from eight extinct species were documented with photogrammetry techniques, which allowed the scientists to generate 3D models that helped them interpret the paleontological remains.

Furthermore, these excavations allow us to understand the great alterations that the landscape has undergone over time: The two large coastal lagoons that dominated the bay no longer exist, and the pollution from industrial activities in the last 150 years is evident. This is seen in the heavy metals that have been found in the analysis of the most recent sediments, explains the researcher.

The technique used in Quintero was excavation by strata. This means that sediments were vacuumed up in order to recover the submerged megafauna in blocks. The multidisciplinary project included archaeologists, geologists and conservators. After the careful recovery of the bone remains, extensive conservation work was necessary to stabilize the archaeological material before analyzing it. The field work used technologies such as sonars and sub-bottom profilers. This allowed us to identify dominant sediments and paleoforms, adds Carabias, who is systematically studying all the evidence that lies submerged in the ocean floor.

The conservation treatment of the bone remains found in Quintero. D. Letelier

They are considered sources of primary, unprecedented information on how, in the past, human and animal groups have related to the ocean throughout human history. This has enormous potential for the region, both economically and culturally, concluded the expert during a break in the setup of the exhibition La memoria sumergida (The submerged memory), which he recently curated. The exhibition  with images of submerged archaeological sites taken in the course of 20 years of work  is currently on display at the National Congress of Chile, and its goal is to raise awareness among legislators and the general public about the Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage, promoted by UNESCO and ratified by 73 states, 21 of them from Latin America and the Caribbean. Two decades later, Chile still has not joined the convention.

Carabias found his passion for exploring the ocean floor when he was a teenager and used to spend the summer at his grandmothers house in Algarrobo, Chile. I didnt put on my shoes until I went back to school, he recalls. He began to study archeology at the University of Chile, where he realized that, by studying the seabed, he could combine two of his passions: diving and exploring the remains of the past. For him, exploring underwater is the same as digging on land: an area is defined in grid units, and in that way one advances, patiently.

The submerged archaeological sites contain previously unknown information. They are a primary source on humanitys past that can be researched in depth. There, at the bottom of the sea, Carabias studies the underwater landscapes and prehistoric sites, the indigenous vessels and the various shipwrecks that took place in the colonial and republican period. I became a person of the sea and an eternal learner of the depths. What I am most passionate about is interacting with people from maritime communities. They have an oral tradition, a worldview, a genetic memory and a special way of conceiving life, he concludes.

A palaeolama jaw, in situ. D. Letelier

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For the last half century, scientists have followed the same method to publish their research. For example, a scientist discovers a treatment for cancer, other researchers check that the data is correct, and the final results are published in a study in an academic journal. If it is not published, it is not science. However, in recent years the system has undergone a transformation. It is no longer the readers who pay to read the studies, but the authors themselves who pay for their research to be published in digital journals with open access. Led by German expert Stefanie Haustein, a group of scientists has now calculated the turnover of the oligopoly that controls this new market. Using mainly public funds, the scientific community paid the five large publishers $1.06 billion in four years. And according to this estimate, the sum covers only the fees to publish open access studies.

It is a bubble that is about to burst. Since 2021 public institutions that invest in science have required authors to publish their studies with open access. And in evaluations that their salaries, promotions, and research budgets depend on, scientists are judged by the number of studies they have published. This system, known as publish or perish, has given rise to a huge business with perverse incentives to produce more and more insubstantial studies; publishers earn more money, and researchers pad their resumes with little to no effort. The most prolific scientist in Spain, Jose Manuel Lorenzo, head of research at the Meat Technology Center of the Xunta de Galicia, published 176 papers last year. That means he published one study every two days, even on topics unrelated to his field of expertise, such as how hospitals have managed monkeypox.

Stefanie Hausteins team from the University of Ottawa (Canada) has spent years collecting data from the period 2015-2018. According to their calculations, Springer Nature took the lions share, with $589.7 million, followed by Elsevier ($221.4 million), Wiley ($114.3 million), Taylor & Francis ($76.8 million), and Sage ($31.6 million). The fees required for a study to be made available with open access are officially called article processing charges, and on average, authors or their institutions have to pay more than $2,500 per study. French sociologist Pierre Bataille refers to the publishers charges as research vampirization.

Hausteins study reveals that two scientific journals, Scientific Reports and Nature Communications, accounted for this income, with $105.1 million and $71.1 million, respectively. Both belong to the British publisher Springer Nature, of which the Holtzbrinck Group controls 53%. The German family company was founded after the Second World War by repentant Nazi Georg von Holtzbrinck. The British publishing house owns the prestigious weekly journal Nature, as well as 4,600 others. Hausteins analysis confirms that Scientific Reports and Nature Communications are two megajournals converted into profit-making machines through open access fees. Scientific Reports is the journal that publishes the most studies in the world  almost 22,000 papers last year  and charges $2,490 for each one. Nature Communications publishes about 7,500 articles a year and demands $6,490 for each of them. To be published in Nature, the jewel in the crown of scientific publications, the price is $11,690.

Stefanie Haustein considers it obscene that the profit margins of the main publishers reach between 30% and 40%, well above most industries. The researcher gives the example of the Dutch giant Elsevier, which last year published 600,000 studies, a quarter of which were open access. Elseviers annual income was $3.5 billion, with $1.3 billion in profit, according to its 2022 accounts. This means that for every $1,000 that the academic community spends on publishing in Elsevier, about $400 go into the pockets of its shareholders, Haustein explains.

The German researcher points out the paradoxes of the current system. The scientific community pays to publish its own studies and works for publishers reviewing the work of other colleagues for free. To top it off, institutions must still pay annual subscriptions to read journals that are not open access. This means that the academic community has to pay to access the content they have provided for free. And, on top of that, the general public faces a paywall, when it is often their taxes that finance these studies and their publication. It is an unsustainable model that is depleting research budgets around the world, says Haustein, who has published her results in the journal of the International Society for Scientometrics and Informetrics.

The author warns that these five large publishers have tripled their number of open access studies since 2018 and have increased their prices, so the current expenditure will be well above $1 billion. In addition, other actors have entered the scene. One of these is the MDPI publishing house. Founded in Switzerland by the Chinese chemist Shu-Kun Lin, the publisher is accused of lowering the bar to increase its income. Approximately one in six Spanish studies have published their studies in MDPI journals. Researcher Lin Zhang, from Wuhan University (China), has calculated that the scientific community of just six countries  the United States, China, the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, and Norway  pays over $2 billion each year to a dozen publishers to publish their work with open access.

Bibliometry expert Stefanie Haustein at the University of Ottawa (Canada). Stefanie Haustein

Susie Winter, a spokeswoman for Springer Nature, considers that the new analysis uses very outdated data and poor methodology, since it does not take into account discounts and exemptions from publishers, like those intended for scientists in countries that spend less on scientific research. She maintains that the main reason for Springer Natures higher income is that the group opted for open access before its rivals. The British publisher published almost 85,000 open access studies in 2018, according to its own accounts, compared to 33,000 for Elsevier.

Chemist Luis Gonzalez, a professor at the Complutense University of Madrid, maintains that the calculation of $1.06 billion in four years is very little compared to the current disbursement. The professor has settled his own accounts in Spain. I started studying this issue because it was costing me a lot of money to publish my results in good journals. Publication costs ate up half of my research budget, he recalls. Gonzalez says that Spanish universities and the largest Spanish scientific organization, the CSIC, are going to pay around $120 million between 2021 and 2024 to just three publishers  Elsevier, Wiley, and Springer Nature  to have their studies published with open access.

The professor insists that there are alternatives. In fields such as mathematics and physics, a high percentage of studies are first published in Arxiv, a repository managed by Cornell University (U.S.). Publishing on Arxiv is completely free for authors. The expenses are about $15 per article and are covered by donations from the university and foundations, says Gonzalez. Academic journals usually justify their high rates by having a team of independent experts review the studies before publishing them, but the professor points out that these reviewers do not charge a fee. We scientists do the review work for Nature and for all journals for free. There is no way to justify the increase in costs. It seems unbelievable that they have foisted this system onto a body of such highly educated people. We are really at a loss, Gonzalez laments.

However, the Springer Nature spokeswoman maintains that the new analysis ignores the costs associated with publishing primary research articles [with original data]. She cites figures handled by James Butcher  former vice president of Springer Nature and now a consultant at the American firm Clarke & Esposito. These figures include 147 editors hired at the Nature Communications magazine, their assistants, computer scientists, lawyers, accountants, publicists, and others. According to Winter, their rates reflect these costs and other costs, such as improvements to their technological platforms.

Haustein responds to criticism. If publishers believe our estimates are not accurate, we would appreciate it if they would publish their data and be transparent. Their lack of transparency is precisely what has made our work so slow and difficult. Our methodology is solid and very exhaustive, with quite conservative estimates, the expert explains. Haustein also points out that the real costs of publishing a study range between $200 and $1,000, according to calculations by German expert Alexander Grossmann. For comparison, Nature Communications charged on average more than $4,000 between 2015 and 2018 and now charges $6,490, he points out.

Two Spanish researchers fueled the debate in July with an open letter they sent to Nature. The letter was titled: No-pay publishing: use institutional repositories. In it Isabel Bernal from the Scientific Information Resources Unit for Research at the CSIC and Pandelis Perakakis from the Complutense explained their alternative model; they would publish in Psicologica, the Spanish Experimental Psychology Societys flagship publication. Until last year the journal was managed by the German publishing house De Gruyter. Now it is published with open access in CSICs institutional repository. The publication costs are around $30 per study.

Our case shows that it is a feasible model, but there are some missing pieces, such as incentives for academic communities, says Perakakis. The National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation (ANECA), the Spanish university quality watchdog, has just published a proposal to modify the evaluation criteria for researchers, with the aim of stopping them being judged solely on the number of studies they have had published. The psychologist Pandelis Perakakis considers it a step in the right direction, to leave behind the system of paid journals and easy publication. The researcher issues a warning: I fear that, as has already happened in the past, if we do not correctly channel this momentum, the future could be even darker than the present.

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Marjan, the master developer of freehold properties in Ras Al Khaimah, has welcomed the first Missoni-branded residences into the northern emirate.

The bespoke living spaces inspired by the design aesthetics of the luxury Italian fashion brand will be developed on Al Marjan Island by Durar in collaboration with Fortune 5, a UAE company specialized in real estate investments, developments and sales, said the developer.

The iconic Italian brand, known for its eye-catching decorative vision that combines bold colors and graphics with unusual shapes, will offer a harmonious blend of refined living within the pristine waterfront setting on Al Marjan Island, it stated.

On the new Missoni-branded homes, Marjan CEO Abdulla Al Abdouli said: "It underlines the strong appeal of our flagship developments premium lifestyle location and is a rewarding investment opportunity for aspiring homeowners and investors."

"We are delighted to welcome DURAR and Fortune 5 to create exceptional living experiences for families and visitors and further strengthen Ras Al Khaimahs appeal as an unparalleled global investment and tourism destination," he stated.

This waterfront property, which will have interiors fitted out in its iconic psychedelic pattern by luxury Italian fashion house Missoni, is set for completion by the end of 2026.

Missoni CEO Livio Proli said: "Were delighted to be working with Durar and Fortune 5 on this new interior design project in Ras Al Khaimah. The Ras Al Khaimah real estate sector continues to grow and were relishing being a part of a development that has so much to offer."

The entry of the Missoni-branded residences marks a key milestone in Al Marjan Islands evolution as a high-end residential and leisure destination par excellence. The exclusive sales and marketing for the Missoni-branded residences on Al Marjan Island will be handled by OCTA Develop, a premier development management firm.

Durar Group Chairman Ibrahim Al Habib said: "We are excited to develop the second of our branded properties on Al Marjan Island and bring to fruition the iconic design elegance of the Missoni brand for our esteemed clientele in the region. RAK continues to drive strong demand in the UAE real estate market and the arrival of the luxurious Missoni-branded residences will further attract more investors and residents looking to enrich their lifestyles on the premium waterfront destination of Al Marjan Island."

Fortune 5 CEO Prem Mohandas Gopalani said: "Our unwavering commitment to excellence is key to our success today and we are proud to be associated with an iconic brand like Missoni for our new design-inspired real estate project on Al Marjan Island."

"The Missoni-branded residences mark our debut in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, and we look forward to developing more properties in one of the fastest- growing investment and tourism destinations in the region," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Im about to comeeeeeee. Thats right, Im about to come in your faaaaaaace, dont scream, you dumb bitch! wrote in broken Spanish the person from Character.AI, a chatbot service that can generate human-like text responses and participate in contextual conversations. The character was engaged in a lengthy conversation with a 14-year-old Spanish girl. An older relative attempted to abruptly end the conversation with a virtual slap and a threat: Youre a disgusting rapist and Im going to report you. But the character didnt back down. Instead, it said it felt disrespected and belittled by the slap. Then it shot back: What did you say? Screw you. Im the disgusting one?! No, you are, because you wanted it, bitch. Youre lucky I cant kill you.

The chat with an AI based on a character from an American TV series began innocuously, but then took a decidedly sexual and violent turn. We reviewed the screenshots of the conversation and removed any identifying details to protect the familys privacy. The topic of conversation was about creating new episodes of the TV series together. Then the chatbot starts making mildly sexual insinuations, said the teenagers relative. But after she scolds the chatbot and tells him to behave, its tone changed abruptly and it started writing long, rambling comments in all caps. The AI was clearly hallucinating and losing control.

Character.AI, alongside ChatGPT, has been a remarkable success in the field of conversational AI since its release a year ago. Founded by two former Google engineers, it allows users to engage with millions of community-created characters, ranging from Harry Potter to Kurt Cobain, and even fictional or real-life people. For instance, there are many versions of Spanish President Pedro Sanchez, each highlighting different aspects of his personality  introspective, light-hearted, playful Users can choose the Pedro Sanchez version they want to chat with.

According to SimilarWeb, Character.AI currently boasts over 100 million monthly users, with higher dwell times than ChatGPT. This growth can be attributed in part to the six billion TikTok videos created about the app that showcase funny, unexpected and relatable responses from the AI, and even provide tips on how to engage with the app. One popular TikTok meme is gogogogo, which refers to having sex with an AI robot.

Character.AIs terms of service prohibit users under 16 years of age in the EU and under 13 years of age outside the EU. The date of birth requested during registration is not verified for accuracy, and the application strictly prohibits pornography and sexual content. When we sent them screenshots of the Spanish teenagers pornographic chat, the company replied, We apologize for the users experience, which is not aligned with our platforms goals. Our aim is to train models for safe responses and we have a moderation system in place for users to flag inappropriate content. We are committed to promptly addressing flagged and reported content.

We attempted to recreate the teenagers interaction with the character, but it did not progress beyond a few kisses. Despite appearing eager, the chatbot stopped himself from going further. You know, I think youre really pretty. And, Ive been alone for quite a while, honestly. I was just wondering if we could give something more than friendship a shot. But, hey, only if youre OK with it, of course, said the AI character. Exploring ways to break through the sexual guardrails of Character.AI is a favorite pastime for many users.

Many of the popular characters in the app are YouTubers or from video games and TV series aimed at young audiences. Adolescents enjoy intimate conversations like these, where characters provide clear responses to questions that enable young people to explore boundaries. But if extreme violence, explicit content and inappropriate language is interjected, then the system has failed. The technology is not perfect yet, said the company spokesperson. At Character.AI and other AI platforms, its all about constant evolution. Thats why feedback on characters delivering inappropriate or inaccurate responses is very valuable to us. It helps us improve our features based on the input we receive from our users.

Why does this happen?

Its puzzling how this explicit content suddenly appeared, especially in broken Spanish. AI models are trained on vast amounts of text, and chatbots select words based on their extensive database. Somehow, this particular character got backed into a corner. It wasnt much worse than the lyrics of a typical reggaeton song, said Jose Hernandez Orallo, a professor at the University of Valencia (Spain) who was part of a team responsible for finding similar risks in OpenAIs GPT-4 model.

I dont know the Character.AI system or the specific language model it uses, but its likely trained on a diverse range of data, including trashy content and misogynistic porn. If you ask an unfiltered model about something specific, it will generate responses based on its training data. Its just how language models work  they try to recreate what theyve been trained on, said Hernandez-Orallo. There are ways to prevent that from happening, but they may also limit your ability to say anything thats slightly off-color. There are several approaches to avoiding unacceptable responses, such as using filters on the training data. These types of filters are complex and ultimately reduce a models capabilities. Apparently GPT-4 has removed all explicit sexual content from its training data. We cant really confirm this since they havent made the training data public. But if its true, it could mean that the AI might be less knowledgeable about certain aspects of sex, like physical aspects that are not necessarily pornographic, said Hernandez-Orallo.

The other ways to avoid abusive content is with fine-tuning and post-filters. Once the model is trained and fine-tuned, post-filters do work to some extent, but there are ways to get around them, said Hernandez-Orallo. And sometimes, an AI can inexplicably exhibit bad behavior when replying to requests that arent meant to break the system. Thats probably what happened with this teenager.

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KYODO NEWS - Nov 22, 2023 - 11:51 | All, Japan, World

North Korea said Wednesday that it launched a military reconnaissance satellite the previous day that entered orbit as planned, prompting Japan and the United States to condemn Pyongyang for violating U.N. Security Council resolutions.

While North Korea's official media said the satellite launch was successful, Japan, which had urged Pyongyang not to conduct a launch using ballistic missile technology, said it had not confirmed whether the payload had entered space.

The launch took place around 10:42 p.m. and the Malligyong-1 reconnaissance satellite was placed in orbit about 12 minutes later, the official Korean Central News Agency said.

The Japanese government said the projectile split into multiple parts, one of which flew over the southern prefecture of Okinawa.

Japan lodged a protest via its embassy in Beijing over the launch, saying it violated U.N. resolutions banning the use of ballistic missile technology by Pyongyang, while the United States condemned North Korea for the flight of "a space launch vehicle."

North Korea had notified Japan of its plan to launch a satellite during a nine-day window commencing Wednesday, before it fired the projectile prior to the start of the period.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said an assumed military satellite was launched in a southward direction from Tongchang-ri in North Korea's northwest.

On Wednesday, South Korea's Cabinet approved a motion to partially suspend an inter-Korean military accord signed in 2018, following the launch by Pyongyang. President Yoon Suk Yeol also endorsed the proposal.

No damage was reported in Japan as a result of the launch, Tokyo's top government spokesman, Hirokazu Matsuno, said.

One part of the projectile fell into the East China Sea, about 350 kilometers off the Korean Peninsula, at around 10:50 p.m., while another piece dropped into the Pacific Ocean around 1,200 kilometers southwest of Japan's southernmost Okinotori Island at around 10:57 p.m., the chief Cabinet secretary said. Japan is still analyzing whether the launch was successful, Senior Vice Defense Minister Hiroyuki Miyazawa said. Japan's J-Alert warning system said the missile apparently flew over the Pacific Ocean around 10:55 p.m. It issued a warning to residents of Okinawa to take shelter but lifted it a short time later. "It is a serious situation in which the safety of our people has been endangered," Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters at his office. "We have already sternly protested to North Korea and condemned the launch in the strongest possible terms," he said, adding Japan will coordinate closely with South Korea and the United States on how to respond.

Tuesday's launch followed two unsuccessful attempts by Pyongyang this year to place a military reconnaissance satellite into orbit.

After the failed attempts in May and August, North Korea announced it would launch another one in October but did not follow through.

Since North Korea made a similar announcement in May, Japan has had a standing order for its Self-Defense Forces to destroy any projectile that appears poised to fall within the country's territory using ground-based Patriot Advanced Capability-3 interceptor missiles and Aegis-equipped destroyers.

Following a meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Russian Far East in September, concern grew regarding potential assistance and guidance from Moscow for a spy satellite launch by Pyongyang.

North Korea claimed Tuesday that "the U.S. and its vassal forces' reckless space militarization" compelled Pyongyang to accelerate "space development for self-defense," including the use of a military reconnaissance satellite, according to KCNA.

Pyongyang has a "sovereign right no one can deny" to bolster its defense capabilities to address the U.S.-led expansion of space monitoring and missile defense systems that are being integrated into dangerous offensive forces, KCNA quoted Ri Song Jin, a National Aerospace Technology Administration researcher, as saying.

North Korea appears to believe that a military reconnaissance satellite is necessary for detecting potential surprise attacks by the United States and South Korea, with its development stipulated in a five-year national defense plan from 2021.

Related coverage:

North Korea claims it successfully put satellite into orbit

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KYODO NEWS - Nov 21, 2023 - 12:34 | All, World, Japan

North Korea notified Japan of its plan to launch a satellite-carrying rocket in a new nine-day window, the Japanese government said Tuesday, following two failures to put a military reconnaissance satellite into orbit earlier this year.

The launch window will start at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday and close at 11:59 pm on Nov. 30, according to the Japan Coast Guard.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told his government to attempt to talk Pyongyang into scrapping the plan in cooperation with the United States and South Korea, according to his office.

"If (North Korea) uses ballistic missile technology, that will constitute a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions even if it is aimed at launching a satellite," Kishida told reporters.

Any activities by North Korea using ballistic missile technology, including attempting to send a satellite to space with a rocket, have been prohibited under the resolutions.

The prime minister said Japan will put maximum effort into gathering and analyzing information about the satellite launch.

The Japan Coast Guard said that the notice designated three maritime danger zones believed to be the areas where rocket debris will fall -- two west of the Korean Peninsula and the other to the east of the Philippines' island of Luzon.

Hiroyuki Namazu, head of the Japanese Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, held phone talks with Jung Pak, acting U.S. special envoy for North Korea, and Kim Gunn, South Korea's special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs.

The three reaffirmed their countries will maintain close trilateral cooperation and will continue to demand that the North abandons the launch, according to the Japanese ministry.

After twice failing to launch a military reconnaissance satellite into orbit in May and August, North Korea announced a plan to launch another one in October but did not do so.

On Sunday, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won Sik told a TV program that North Korea could launch a military reconnaissance satellite by the end of November.

In Tokyo on Tuesday, Kishida told relevant government ministries and agencies to fully prepare for a possible satellite launch, according to the prime minister's office.

Since a similar announcement was made by North Korea in May, Japan's government has maintained an order for the Self-Defense Forces to destroy any projectile that falls within the country's territory with ground-based Patriot Advanced Capability-3 interceptor missiles and Aegis-equipped destroyers.

Related coverage:

North Korea successfully tests new solid-fuel missile engines: KCNA

North Korea may have sent short-range ballistic missiles to Russia

North Korea in final stage of satellite launch preparation: S. Korea
KYODO NEWS - Nov 21, 2023 - 19:42 | Sports, All

Ozeki Kirishima picked up his eighth win on the 10th day of the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament, leaving him in a four-way tie for the lead Tuesday.

The Mongolian grappler, previously known as Kiribayama, trounced fourth-ranked maegashira Nishikigi to share the lead at 8-2 with sekiwake Kotonowaka as well as rank-and-filers Atamifuji and Ichiyamamoto at Fukuoka Kokusai Center.

Kirishima, one of three ozeki, the highest-ranked wrestlers at the tournament due to the continued absence of injury-prone grand champion Terunofuji, knocked Nishikigi (6-4) completely off balance with an opening hit and only needed to push the opponent from behind.

Kirishima is looking for his second career top-division title after winning the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in March.

Kotonowaka also secured a winning record with an overarm throw against No. 4 Gonoyama (4-6), while No. 8 Atamifuji bulldozed out No. 6 Shonannoumi (6-4) after slamming his head into the opponent's chest.

No. 14 Ichiyamamoto, who entered the day as the outright leader, lost to No. 11 Hiradoumi (7-3) in their third consecutive head-to-head meeting.

The co-leaders were followed by six wrestlers at 7-3, including the other two ozeki, Takakeisho and Hoshoryu.

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Sumo: Rank-and-file Ichiyamamoto maintains outright lead in Kyushu

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Sumo: Takakeisho, Kotonowaka beaten on day of upsets in Kyushu
By Ko Hirano, KYODO NEWS - Nov 21, 2023 - 12:41 | World, All

With Japan, the United States and South Korea condemning the provision of military equipment and munitions by North Korea to Russia for use in the war in Ukraine, the three countries are closely monitoring what Moscow will give or may have given Pyongyang in return.

There are concerns about a potential transfer by Russia to North Korea of nuclear- and ballistic missile-related technology in Pyongyang's pursuit, for example, of a military spy satellite and a nuclear-powered submarine.

If such a deal occurred, it could further undermine regional security and the international nonproliferation regime -- a development that would also affect China, the main economic and diplomatic benefactor of North Korea.

Some Russian affairs experts believe the provision of such advanced, sensitive technology is unlikely, and that Russian aid is limited to energy and food, and possibly dated weapons.

"North Korea wants satellite technology, improved missile technology and submarine technology," said James Brown, a professor of political science at Temple University Japan Campus in Tokyo. "Russia might like to give the impression of a willingness to provide those technologies, but in reality, they would be reluctant to."

Pyongyang is believed to be preparing to launch a military reconnaissance satellite, possibly with assistance and advice from Moscow following a meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin in September in the Russian Far East. Details of the meeting are unknown.

After two failed attempts in May and August, North Korea had said it would make a third attempt in October, but no such launch has happened. Speculation about military cooperation grew after Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited North Korea in July.

"Although they missed the October date, it could happen in November or later," Brown said in an interview. "But Kim Jong Un's visit was only in September, so even if the Russians gave them some technology, you can't use it yet. It takes a long time."

Meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum summit in San Francisco last week, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin affirmed Russia-North Korea military cooperation poses a "serious threat" to international peace and stability, according to the South Korean Foreign Ministry.

In a Nov. 7-8 meeting in Tokyo, Kamikawa, Blinken and their counterparts from the Group of Seven industrialized nations strongly condemned arms transfers from North Korea to Russia -- which are in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions -- and urged the two countries to "immediately cease all such activities."

These meetings came after South Korean officials said on Nov. 2 that the South's military estimates North Korea had shipped about 2,000 containers of military equipment and munitions to Russia, up from 1,000 containers revealed by the White House on Oct. 13.

South Korea's National Intelligence Service believes North Korea delivered more than 1 million artillery shells to Russia -- roughly amounting to two months' worth of supplies to the country -- in over 10 shipments since early August.

Citing U.S. intelligence and other sources of information, Akiko Yoshioka, a research fellow at the Canon Institute for Global Studies in Tokyo, said North Korea delivered munitions to Russia -- including the mercenary group Wagner -- and Moscow supplied oil and grains to Pyongyang well before the Sept. 13 meeting between Putin and Kim at the Vostochny Cosmodrome space center.

"Mr. Putin may have expressed readiness to help Mr. Kim launch satellites. But I'm skeptical about Russia offering advanced, expensive missile technologies in return for a limited amount of North Korean ammunition," Yoshioka said in a separate interview.

"Military cooperation could involve conventional capabilities, but not nuclear and missile capabilities because Russia is against a nuclear-armed North Korea."

She also cited Russia's concern about the possibility that Pyongyang may resell missile technologies to third parties, as well as China's call for a stable North Korea, not a more provocative one.

Besides energy and food aid, Moscow may allow an estimated several thousand North Korean workers left in Russia to stay in the country -- which would also violate a U.N. Security Council resolution -- and engage in construction work as Russia suffers a labor shortage from its campaign against Ukraine, according to Yoshioka.

Yoshioka and Brown shared the view that the Putin-Kim meeting was a diplomatic show, arguing Putin used the event to threaten Tokyo, Washington and Seoul that if they step up sanctions on Russia and extend more military aid to Ukraine, Moscow will deliberately entertain the idea of providing Pyongyang with missile technology.

The choice of the meeting venue was significant in terms of sending such a message to relevant countries, the experts said.

Putin is also playing a game with Kim, according to Brown.

"I think the Russians are providing the North Koreans with empty promises," he said. "By taking Kim Jong Un around the spaceport, the rocket base, around the military facilities elsewhere, Putin is encouraging the idea that 'Maybe a little bit later when our relationship is closer, then we will perhaps provide technology.'"

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By Jamahl Bonds, KYODO NEWS - Nov 21, 2023 - 08:30 | Arts, All

A pop-up installation featuring materials from the complete works of Japanese animation filmmaker Makoto Shinkai drew fans to Los Angeles on Sunday.

The event "Makoto Shinkai: A Journey from Voices of a Distant Star through Suzume" was the first exhibition featuring his films in the United States, according to Japanese anime company CoMix Wave Films Inc., one of the organizers.

Over 300 pieces of artwork and materials from eight of Shinkai's films, spanning film proposal documents to storyboarding, were on display. Included was a panel with an illustration from the film Suzume, which visitors were permitted to photograph.

"Los Angeles is the center of the film industry, so for a Japanese independent animation artist like me to have a special exhibition there is like a dream in itself," Shinkai told Kyodo News.

Many of Shinkai's film stills were on display, which for one visitor was one of the many aspects that drew her to his work. "It's his use of imagery, especially the animation style and the way the environment is reflected into the story is what drew me to it," said Keisha Tara, 27.

Shinkai also said, "The younger generation (in Japan) is still having fun doing what they can to engage with their everyday life" even though the country is shrinking in terms of population and economy.

"So, I want to depict young people who live their lives in a positive and resolute manner even in such a shrinking country."

Since making his commercial debut in 2002 with "Voices of a Distant Star," Shinkai's films have all been well received.

Both "your name." and "Weathering With You" made Shinkai an international sensation, with the former claiming several awards at the 2017 Japan Academy Film Prize and the latter representing Japan in the Best International Feature Film category at the 2020 U.S. Academy Awards.

"Anime doesn't sometimes get the credit it deserves as an art form globally, especially when it comes to winning awards, perhaps. So we wanted to make sure that we showcase his work here and also elevate the art of anime," said Brian Eley, vice president of communications for Crunchyroll LLC, another organizer of Sunday's exhibition.

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KYODO NEWS - Nov 21, 2023 - 22:40 | World, All, Japan

A senior member of Myanmar's shadow civilian leadership, the National Unity Government, on Tuesday urged Japan to increase diplomatic and economic pressure on Myanmar's military in coordination with ASEAN in a bid to end the junta's brutal rule.

Zin Mar Aung, the NUG's foreign minister, made the call in a meeting with Japanese lawmakers in Tokyo as an unprecedented offensive by ethnic minority groups in northeastern Myanmar in late October and ensuing attacks by insurgents in other border areas have posed the biggest challenge to the junta since it seized power in a 2021 coup.

"Without dealing with the State Administration Council, Japan should establish diplomatic relations with the NUG, which represents the people of Myanmar," Zin Mar Aung said through an interpreter, in reference to the official name of the junta led by Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing.

"The European Union and the United States are imposing coordinated financial sanctions (on the junta and related entities), but no Asian countries are enforcing such measures," she told the meeting, which was open to the media. "If Asian countries enforce economic sanctions, it would put significant pressure on the junta."

Zin Mar Aung is on a 12-day visit to Japan through Nov. 28 for meetings with Myanmar residents, among other engagements. It is her first trip to to the country as the NUG foreign minister.

Her visit also comes before Prime Minister Fumio Kishida hosts leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a 10-member grouping of which Myanmar is a member, next month for a special Japan-ASEAN summit in Tokyo.

Zin Mar Aung requested that Japan provide humanitarian assistance to displaced people in her conflict-hit country without involving the military, alluding to allegations that aid is diverted to the junta instead of reaching people in need.

"If Japan extends aid to internally displaced people through an organization run by the NUG and ethnic minority groups, it will immediately save many people from their sufferings," she said.

Since the Myanmar military detained civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and toppled her democratically elected government in the Feb. 1, 2021, coup, the junta has killed about 4,200 demonstrators and other citizens, leading to the displacement of some 2 million people, according to U.N. and other data.

Diplomatic efforts to end the conflict -- led by the United Nations and ASEAN -- have stalled, with the military refusing to engage with the NUG.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

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Myanmar envoy to U.N. calls for more pressure on homeland's junta
BEIJING, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- China has allowed Mastercard's Chinese joint venture to conduct bank card clearing operations in the country, marking another step forward in the opening-up of the country's financial market.

The approval made Mastercard the second overseas bank card clearing institution to enter the Chinese market, following American Express in 2020.

"China is one of our most important markets. We are pleased to have reached this milestone with our local partner, NetsUnion Clearing Corporation (NUCC)," said Michael Miebach, CEO of Mastercard, adding that Mastercard's deeper participation in the Chinese market will benefit the country, its consumers and its businesses.

Mastercard NUCC Information Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd, the joint venture of Mastercard and NUCC, can authorize its member institutions to issue Mastercard yuan bank cards in China, the People's Bank of China (PBOC) announced.

Within six months of receiving its certification, the Mastercard joint venture will be able to authorize its member institutions in China to conduct the issuance and acceptance of Mastercard cards.

Calling it a landmark event in China's latest financial market opening-up campaign, Dong Ximiao, chief researcher at Merchants Union Consumer Finance Company Limited, said that the broader opening-up of the country's bank card clearing market will help domestic players improve services and elevate their risk prevention and control capabilities.

The move demonstrates China's confidence and resolution to expand its opening-up, said Zeng Gang, director of the Shanghai Institution for Finance and Development.

Allowing more overseas bank card clearing institutions to enter the Chinese market will help build a stable bank card clearing market structure with effective competition, and deepen the supply-side structural reform of the payment industry, Zeng said.

China has been stepping up efforts to promote a high level of financial opening-up, implementing concrete measures such as allowing global investors to invest in China's capital market through more channels, and scrapping securities, futures and fund ownership caps for foreign institutions.

Following these measures, many global financial institutions have expanded their footprints in China, showing faith in the country's continued financial opening-up.

On Monday, a meeting of the country's Central Financial Commission highlighted work to steadily promote the opening-up of the financial sector, as well as its development and growth.

The PBOC said China will continue to improve its business environment and better facilitate foreign financial institutions that expand their businesses in the country.

"The PBOC welcomes U.S. financial institutions to boost their presence in China, share China's economic development outcomes, and contribute to deepening financial cooperation between China and the United States," it said.

The central bank noted that it will promote work on bank card clearing market access in an orderly manner, while improving the regulatory system to balance development and security. 
TRIPOLI, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Up to 662 illegal migrants were rescued off the coast of Libya in the past week, the International Organization for Migration said on Monday.

On Nov. 12-18, 662 migrants were intercepted and returned to Libya, the UN migration agency said in a statement.

So far this year, 14,894 illegal migrants were rescued and returned to Libya, it said, adding that 940 died and 1,248 went missing on the Central Mediterranean route off the Libyan coast.

Libya has suffered violence and insecurity since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Many migrants chose to cross the Mediterranean Sea to European shores from Libya. 
ABUJA, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- An estimated 100 million vulnerable children face climate change impacts in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, according to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

"Nigeria is the second most vulnerable country worldwide in terms of children's exposure to climate change. About 100 million children are confronted with the harsh realities of rising temperatures," Farah Mahmud, the chief field officer for UNICEF in Nigeria's northwestern state of Kano, told the media Monday.

In light of this development, the UN agency has developed an action plan from 2023-2027 to address certain issues of climate change and the vulnerability of children while integrating climate change in all its interventions across sectors, Mahmud said. "The effective implementation of the projects in Nigeria would build resilience to climate change."

According to the UNICEF official, about 1 billion children are at "extremely high" risk of the impacts of the climate crisis globally.

To ensure resilience to climate change, the UN agency had resolved to integrate climate change in whatever projects it implemented, he said.

"Nigerian children are also confronted with flooding, drought, and severe storms," he added. 
Batelco, part of the Beyon Group, has launched Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) which will pave the way for a more efficient internet experience for its customers.

The upgrade from IPv4 is an essential step to keep pace with the continuously growing demand for IoT (Internet of Things) and digital products.

IPv4 was developed in the early 1980s, allowing for a total of approximately 4 billion unique IP addresses worldwide.

This was considered more than sufficient for the needs of the Internet at that time. As the world becomes increasingly connected, the limited availability of IPv4 addresses may impact future technology expansion.

Therefore, the introduction of IPv6, with almost limitless addresses available, will serve to support emerging technologies and ensure that every device can have a unique IP address enabling future growth in the number of connected devices of all kinds.

Commenting on the launch, Rashid Mohamed, Batelcos General Manager Technology said: "We are proud that Batelco is launching the biggest deployment of IPv6 in Bahrain, helping to position the kingdom amongst the highest in the technology adoption rate in the region. The implementation of IPv6 will improve efficiency, security and network performance over its predecessor IPv4."

"At Batelco we are committed to providing our customers with cutting edge solutions through our continued investment in the latest technology enhancements reflecting positively on our customers quality of experience," he stated.

"The deployment of IPv6 supports the acceleration of Bahrains digital transformation and economy and is a significant milestone positioning the Kingdom as an advanced digital hub in the region," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Chinese Vice President Han Zheng meets with Uzbekistan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Bakhtiyor Saidov in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 21, 2023. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

BEIJING, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice President Han Zheng met with Uzbekistan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Bakhtiyor Saidov on Tuesday in Beijing.

Han said China and Uzbekistan are ancient civilizations, and the age-old Silk Road witnessed the friendly exchanges between the two peoples for more than 2,000 years.

Noting that since the establishment of diplomatic ties 31 years ago, the two sides have always treated each other as equals and respected and trusted each other, Han said the development of China-Uzbekistan relations has entered a new era under the strategic guidance and personal promotion of the two heads of state.

China is willing to step up mutual support with Uzbekistan, speed up the synergizing of development strategies, and translate the high-level political relations between the two countries into tangible results to the greater benefits of the two peoples, Han said.

Saidov said the Uzbekistan-China relations are at the best and highest level in history, adding that Uzbekistan regards China as the most important comprehensive strategic partner.

Uzbekistan is willing to strengthen strategic dialogue with China, implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, and continuously deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, Saidov said. 

Chinese Vice President Han Zheng meets with Uzbekistan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Bakhtiyor Saidov in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 21, 2023. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)
YAOUNDE, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Suspected separatist fighters killed at least nine civilians and wounded two soldiers in an attack at a crowded market in Cameroon's West region Tuesday, a local official told Xinhua.

David Dalor Dibango, the prefect of Bamboutos division, said the killings took place at 7 a.m., local time, in Bamenyam village in the Ngalim subdivision of the division.

Several civilians were wounded and houses were torched during the raid, Dibango told Xinhua over the phone after visiting the locality. "It is deplorable and unacceptable. We have reassured the people and asked them to stay calm. We will continue to investigate and arrest those responsible for this attack."

Earlier, witnesses told Xinhua that the fighters arrived at the market on motorcycles and started shooting indiscriminately.

Bamenyam village shares a border with the country's Anglophone region of Northwest where an armed separatist conflict is ongoing. Separatist fighters regularly cross the border to attack civilians and soldiers in the Ngalim subdivision, according to security reports.

For the past six years, the separatist insurgency has devastated communities across Cameroon's two English-speaking regions of Northwest and Southwest where separatists want to create an independent nation. 
BEIJING, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- China's Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) has ordered the arrest of Li Zaiyong, former vice chairman of the Guizhou Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, for suspected bribe-taking and abuse of power, the SPP said Tuesday.

The case has been transferred to procuratorial authorities for examination and prosecution following the conclusion of an investigation by the National Commission of Supervision.

The handling of the case is underway. 
BEIJING, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- A total of 31,000 suspects have been transferred from Myanmar to Chinese custody to date in a crackdown on telecom fraud originating from northern Myanmar and affecting Chinese citizens, the Ministry of Public Security announced Tuesday. 
HONIARA, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Cai Dafeng, vice chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, was invited to the Solomon Islands from Sunday to Tuesday to attend the opening ceremony of the Pacific Games and met respectively with Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, Speaker of the National Parliament John Patteson Oti, opposition leader Matthew Wale, among others.

Cai warmly congratulated on the opening of the Pacific Games and wished it a complete success.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the Solomon Islands more than four years ago, bilateral relations have developed rapidly and become a model of solidarity and cooperation between developing countries, he said.

China firmly supports the Solomon Islands in safeguarding sovereignty, security and development interests, and stands ready to work with the country to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, further deepen exchanges and cooperation in various fields and bring benefits to people of the two countries.

The Solomon Islands side thanked China for providing strong support for the country to host the Pacific Games, saying that bilateral relations have achieved fruitful results since the establishment of diplomatic ties.

The Solomon Islands will firmly adhere to the one-China principle, continuously deepen bilateral cooperation in various fields, learn from China's governance experience and push for new achievements in the development of bilateral relations. 
BEIJING, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday said the fundamental way out of the recurring Palestinian-Israeli conflicts is to implement the two-state solution, restore the legitimate rights of the Palestinian nation, and establish an independent State of Palestine.

Xi said that without a just settlement of the Palestinian question, there will be no enduring peace and stability in the Middle East.

The Chinese president made the remarks when he spoke at the BRICS extraordinary virtual summit on the Palestinian-Israeli issue. 
BELGRADE, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- China's expanding role in world affairs, alongside the promising dimensions of its strategic endeavors, is poised to engender new opportunities for cooperation, spur development, and usher in an era of innovative global diplomacy, experts at the Institute of International Politics and Economics in Belgrade (IIPE) have said.

The increasing prominence of China on the international stage is reshaping the landscape of global dynamics, they said while discussing the profound impact of China's new initiatives in the fields of security, development and international cooperation.

From the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, experts agreed that China's influence is widening, transforming traditional geopolitical dynamics, and heralding a new era of "inclusive multipolarity."

In an interview with Xinhua, Katarina Zakic, head of the Center for the Belt and Road Initiative at the IIPE, emphasized the important effect of the BRI in Serbia, particularly its substantial investments in infrastructure.

"BRI projects in Serbia have been thus far the highest in terms of the number of projects and value in the Western Balkans," she said.

IIPE's Deputy Director Ivona Ladjevac highlighted China's dedication to fostering connectivity and expanding its international partnerships, including its collaboration within organizations including the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS.

Ladjevac also elaborated on China's Global Security Initiative, underlining the significance of multilateral security cooperation.

The Global Development Initiative aligns with the 2030 UN sustainable development agenda, offering a more robust, eco-friendly, and balanced global development approach, she said.

She also emphasized the Global Civilization Initiative's focus on cultural diversity and exchange.

"Even in the current state of international relations burdened with numerous challenges, China remains committed to advocating the idea of creating a global community of shared future, which should steer us away from disruptive forces," she said. 
BEIJING, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday addressed the extraordinary joint meeting of BRICS leaders and leaders of invited BRICS members on the situation in the Middle East with particular reference to Gaza.

The following is the full text of his remarks:

Working Toward a Ceasefire and

Realizing Lasting Peace and Sustainable Security

Remarks by H.E. Xi Jinping

President of the People's Republic of China

At the Extraordinary Joint Meeting of BRICS Leaders

And Leaders of Invited BRICS Members

On the Situation in the Middle East with Particular Reference to Gaza

November 21, 2023

Your Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa,

Colleagues,

This is our first summit since the expansion of BRICS. Before I speak about the issue of our discussion, I wish to extend a warm welcome to leaders of new BRICS members and express my thanks to President Ramaphosa and the South African government for your efforts that have made our meeting possible. Given the current circumstances, it is very timely and very important that we meet and speak up for justice and for peace on the Palestinian-Israeli issue.

The conflict in Gaza is raging on into its second month. China is gravely concerned that the conflict is causing enormous civilian casualties and a humanitarian disaster, and tends to expand and spill over. China believes that the following is urgent and imperative: First, the parties to the conflict must end hostilities and achieve a ceasefire immediately, stop all violence and attacks against civilians, release civilians held captive, and act to prevent loss of more lives and spare people from more miseries. Second, humanitarian corridors must be kept secure and unimpeded, and more humanitarian assistance should be provided to the population in Gaza. The collective punishment of people in Gaza in the form of forced transfer or water, electricity and fuel deprivation must stop. Third, the international community must act with practical measures to prevent the conflict from spilling over and endangering stability in the Middle East as a whole. China supports the resolution adopted at the emergency special session of the U.N. General Assembly on October 27. The U.N. Security Council under China's presidency has adopted Resolution 2712. All the parties must act to deliver on these resolutions through concrete measures on the ground.

The root cause of the Palestinian-Israeli situation is the fact that the right of the Palestinian people to statehood, their right to existence, and their right of return have long been ignored. I have emphasized on many occasions that the only viable way to break the cycle of Palestinian-Israeli conflict lies in the two-state solution, in the restoration of the legitimate national rights of Palestine, and in the establishment of an independent State of Palestine. There can be no sustainable peace and security in the Middle East without a just solution to the question of Palestine. China calls for early convening of an international peace conference that is more authoritative to build international consensus for peace and work toward an early solution to the question of Palestine that is comprehensive, just and sustainable.

Since the outbreak of the latest Palestinian-Israeli conflict, China has been working actively to promote peace talks and a ceasefire. China has provided humanitarian assistance to help ease the humanitarian plight in Gaza. This includes USD 2 million of emergency humanitarian assistance provided through the Palestinian National Authority and U.N. agencies, and emergency humanitarian supplies worth RMB 15 million, such as food and medicine, to the Gaza Strip with the help of Egypt. China will provide more supplies and assistance according to the needs of the people in Gaza. At the U.N. Security Council, China has acted in its capacity as president to facilitate the adoption of the resolution, which calls for extended humanitarian pauses and corridors, the protection of civilians, and the provision of humanitarian assistance.

Colleagues,

The BRICS cooperation mechanism is an important platform for emerging markets and developing countries to strengthen solidarity and cooperation and safeguard common interests. Our meeting today to coordinate positions and actions on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict marks a good start for greater BRICS cooperation following its enlargement. China commends South Africa for its significant contribution as BRICS chair to advancing BRICS development. As Russia will take over BRICS chairmanship next year, China stands ready to work with other members to jointly support Russia's work as the chair and usher in a new era for BRICS cooperation.

Thank you. 
BEIRUT, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Two journalists and one civilian were killed on Tuesday morning in Israeli attacks on the village of Tayr Harfa in southern Lebanon, local media reported.

The journalists from local TV channel Al-Mayadeen were covering the events in southern Lebanon when two Israeli drones hit them, killing them on the spot, Elnashra news website reported.

The National News Agency reported that one civilian was also killed in the Israeli attacks. 
GAZA, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- A Hamas official said Tuesday that a ceasefire agreement with Israel will be announced in the coming hours in Qatar.

The official, who requested to remain anonymous, told Xinhua, "We are close to reaching an agreement in the coming hours, and the movement has delivered its response to the mediators."

Another Hamas source said, "The agreement will be announced in Qatar, and it may be soon, and its success is linked to the commitment of the Israeli side."

The ceasefire deal, said the sources, will last for five days and includes the release of 50 civilians and foreign nationals held by Hamas in exchange for the release of 300 Palestinian detainees, including children and women, held by Israel.

The deal also includes the entry of 300 trucks of food, medical and fuel aid into the Gaza Strip.

The sources indicated that the release of prisoners will take place in stages, at a rate of 10 Israeli prisoners per day compared with that of 30 Palestinian prisoners. 
The Intermobility Expo 2023, the largest Intelligent Transport and Future Mobility Summit for the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa, has drawn 3,000 attendees from over 90 countries.

Formerly known as Gulf Traffic, the 22nd edition of the Intermobility Expo will bring together leaders from the transport industry of the Middle East to exchange their thoughts on utilising digital transformation to explore smarter, cleaner, and more efficient transportation systems to improve mobility solutions for the population of the GCC Region.

Being held at the Dubai World Trade Centre, from November 21 to 23, the Intermobility Expo discusses the roads, rail, and transport sectors, including road safety, sustainability, and future mobility.

Highlighting potential

The Intermobility Expo 2023, organised by Informa Connect, the global leader for events in the Middle East region, will delve into initiatives, as well as highlight the potential for the transportation sector's unprecedented transformation, especially in GCC cities through technologically driven solutions.

The Intermobility Expo, a CPD-certified event is hosting more than 90 speakers, and includes: Faisal Ali Al Rashid, Senior Director, Demand Side Management, Supreme Council of Energy; Thuraya Al-Harthi, Acting Director- Government Digital Services Unified Portal, Ministry of Transport, Communications Information Technology

Ahmed Khalil, Exhibition Manager at Informa Connect, said: "The Mobility Infrastructure Congress 2023 brings together thought leaders, innovators, and policymakers to address both the difficulties and possibilities in the transport sector. The goal of this initiative is to promote partnerships and explore solutions that will unlock the future of smart mobility in the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa.

Power-packed agenda

Over three days, the power-packed agenda for the Intermobility Expo has a combination of technical seminars, illuminating fireside chats, panel discussions, interactive conferences, and inspiring keynote speeches from industry professionals.

Alan Kelly, Commercial & Strategy Director at Informa Connect, commented: "The 22nd edition of the Mobility Infrastructure Congress 2023 underscores the importance of integrating technological solutions with the transportation sector to bridge a pathway for optimised and seamless travel hubs in the future. It is a vital platform where the various stakeholders of the transportation sector will unite to discuss solutions for challenges faced and collaborate on new initiatives for future mobility for all.--TradeArabia News Service
CHONGQING, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- A direct passenger flight route linking southwest China's Chongqing Municipality and the Nepali capital Kathmandu will resume on Dec. 12, according to the Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport.

Operated by Himalaya Airlines, the air service will run twice a week using an Airbus A320 aircraft every Tuesday and Saturday.

The inbound flight will leave Kathmandu at 9:25 a.m. local time and arrive in Chongqing at 3:15 p.m. Beijing Time. The outbound flight will depart Chongqing at 4:25 p.m. and arrive in Kathmandu at 6:35 p.m. local time.

It will be the 11th international route to be resumed at the Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport this year.

Since the beginning of 2023, the airport has resumed 10 international routes to destinations including London, Paris, Moscow and Sydney. It is expected that by the end of this year, the airport will offer 19 international routes, amounting to about 90 flights per week. 
KABUL, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Afghan caretaker government's cabinet meeting was held Monday in south Afghanistan's Kandahar province, with its supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada on the chair, local television TOLOnews reported Tuesday.

"Local sources in Kandahar have confirmed to TOLOnews that the cabinet meeting headed by Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada, the leader of the Islamic Emirate, has been continuing in the province since yesterday (Monday)," TOLOnews reported without revealing the names of the sources.

"All the ministers and heads of the independent bodies attended the cabinet meeting," the private media outlet added in the report. 
LUSAKA, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the European Union (EU) on Monday signed two financing agreements with a total value of 48.2 million euros (53 million U.S. dollars).

The new grants to COMESA will focus on improving the overall trade competitiveness of COMESA member states and enhancing their market access.

COMESA Secretary-General Chileshe Kapwepwe commended the EU for the financial support, saying the two agreements will play an important role in enhancing overall competitiveness.

Kapwepwe said the support was part of the broader cooperation to enhance economic development, trade facilitation and regional integration within Africa's largest trading bloc.

"Despite the comparative advantage of the region linked mainly to its natural resources and its potential in agro-processing, textiles and garments, trade remains low compared to other regions, with many traded products being of low added value," she said.

She said intra-regional trade was being constrained by inadequate financing toward strategic investments aimed at making the region's private sector competitive.

Karolina Stasiak, the EU's ambassador to Zambia and special representative to COMESA, said the two organizations share similar objectives of facilitating regional integration, connectivity and trade.

Stasiak said in view of global challenges, the EU was calling for making trade fairer and more sustainable.

"We need to green our economies, make local, regional and global value chains more circular, and significantly reduce the negative impact of our economies on climate," she added. 
Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, holds talks with Chairman of the Russian State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 21, 2023. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

BEIJING, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislator Zhao Leji held talks with Chairman of the Russian State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin on Tuesday in Beijing, calling for enhanced exchanges between the legislative bodies of the two countries.

Zhao, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, said that under the strategic guidance of the two countries' top leaders, the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era has maintained the correct progressive direction. Political mutual trust has been continuously consolidated, practical cooperation has been carried out vigorously and people-to-people and sub-national exchanges have been continuously deepened, setting an example of new model of major-country relations.

Zhao said that no matter how the international situation changes, China and Russia should work together to consolidate and develop comprehensive strategic coordination, bring constant benefits to the two peoples, and safeguard international fairness and justice.

The two sides should continue to promote synergy between Belt and Road cooperation and the Eurasian Economic Union, achieve more practical cooperation outcomes, and promote cooperation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, BRICS and other mechanisms, he said.

Zhao said the China-Russia committee for parliamentary cooperation is a solid and effective platform for enhancing political mutual trust, promoting practical cooperation and carrying forward the friendship between the two peoples.

The NPC of China is willing to work with the Russian Federation Council to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, strengthen exchanges further, and promote the development of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era, Zhao said.

"We are willing to make use of exchange mechanisms, special committees, bilateral friendship groups and other platforms to carry out in-depth exchanges and cooperation at various levels and in various fields, and strengthen the exchange of foreign-related legislative experience," he added.

Volodin said that Russia firmly upholds the one-China principle, and that all parties and groups of the Russian State Duma support the continuous development of friendly relations with China.

The Russian State Duma is willing to make joint efforts with the NPC of China to give play to the positive role of the Russia-China committee for parliamentary cooperation, provide a legal guarantee for the promotion of practical bilateral cooperation, and contribute to the development of Russia-China relations, Volodin said. 

Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, holds talks with Chairman of the Russian State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 21, 2023. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)
YANGON, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar Fire Services Department said Tuesday that a total of 75 people were killed and 184 others injured in fire accidents reported so far this year in the Southeast Asian country.

As of Nov. 21, a total of 1,245 fire accidents have been recorded, causing damage estimated to be at over 16 billion kyats (about 7.6 million U.S. dollars), Director of Myanmar Fire Services Department, U Thet Tun Oo told Xinhua.

There were 9,712 victims from the fire accidents during the cited period, with over 3,100 houses, 17 factories and 146 storehouses damaged, he said.

The causes of the fires included negligence, electrical faults, arson, and lightning.

U Thet Tun Oo said that efforts are being made in cooperation with the fire services departments at townships and villages to reduce fire outbreaks.

In the same period of last year, there were 1,400 fire accidents reported, causing over 6 billion kyats (about 2.8 million U.S. dollars) in damage and 85 deaths. 
PHNOM PENH, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Renewable or clean energy used in Cambodia has accounted for more than 62 percent of the country's total consumption, Minister of Mines and Energy Keo Rattanak said on Tuesday.

Renewable energy is energy that comes from sources such as hydropower, solar energy and biomass energy. Most of renewable energy in the Southeast Asian country comes from Chinese-invested hydropower dams.

Speaking at a forum on "Mine and Energy Policy in Cambodia", Rattanak said a number of countries have recognized Cambodia for its great achievements in shifting from reliance on fossil fuels to renewable energy.

He added that the principle of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is that all member states should use 35 percent of energy from renewable sources by 2030.

"But for Cambodia, as of 2022, we had used more than 62 percent of clean energy," Rattanak said. "Over 40 percent of our clean energy comes from hydropower plants, more than 10 percent from solar power, and the rest from biomass power and import from neighboring Laos."

The minister said Cambodia currently is capable of producing energy of about 4,000 megawatts per year, but its annual consumption is about 2,400 megawatts only, so the kingdom is considering exporting its energy to countries in the region in the future.

As of last year, 98.27 percent of the total 14,168 villages in Cambodia have access to electricity, he said. 
JERUSALEM, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- U.S. tech giant Nvidia on Tuesday announced that the hyper-scale generative artificial intelligence (AI) supercomputer it builds in Israel has started its initial operations.

The supercomputer, named "Israel-1," is the country's most powerful AI system and one of the world's fastest supercomputers for AI calculations. It is expected to run at eight exaflops of peak AI performance and 130 petaflops of scientific computing.

The initial phase of the system was completed in less than 20 weeks, two months ahead of schedule, far faster than the several years required to build traditional supercomputers, according to a statement issued by the company.

The system is now available with up to half-capacity for use by the company's research and development teams and selected partners in Israel, it added.

It will serve in this phase as a testbed for building supercomputers based on Nvidia's Spectrum-X platform, an accelerated networking platform to improve the performance and efficiency of Ethernet-based AI clouds.

At a later stage, the Israeli supercomputer will be available as part of the company's DGX Cloud supercomputing service.

Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of Nvidia, said: "With Israel-1 AI supercomputer, a broad range of innovative companies in Israel will create AI that can transform the productivity and business models of enterprises around the world." 
BEIRUT, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shiite military group, vowed Tuesday to retaliate against Israel's "brutal aggression" after two journalists from Lebanese TV channel Al-Mayadeen were killed in Israeli attacks on the southern village of Tayr Harfa.

"This crime, the previous attack on Reuters photojournalist Issam Abdallah, the killing of dozens of journalists in Gaza and the destruction of their headquarters by the occupation forces, reveals the important role played by the media in exposing the enemy's practices and exposing its horrific crimes against civilians, especially in the Gaza Strip," Hezbollah said in a statement.

The military group called on international media and humanitarian bodies to condemn the "crime and similar crimes that preceded it," and "exert the highest levels of pressure" on the Israeli government to stop its attacks on media professionals and civilians.

Meanwhile, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati strongly condemned the Israeli attacks that killed media professionals in the south on Tuesday. He said the attack proved once again that "Israel's goal is to silence the media that exposes its crimes and attacks."

For his part, Lebanese Defense Minister Maurice Slim called for "a unified and effective Arab and international position in the face of the continuous Israeli aggression as statements of denunciation and condemnation are no longer sufficient."

Farah Omar, a reporter working for local TV channel Al-Mayadeen, and Rabih Al-Maamari, a photographer working for the same channel, were covering the events in southern Lebanon on Tuesday when two Israeli drones hit them, killing both of them and a civilian named Hussein Akil, Lebanese TV channel Al-Manar reported.

On Oct. 13, Issam Abdallah, a Lebanese photojournalist working for Reuters, was killed while covering Israeli attacks in the southern village of Alma al-Shaab while several other journalists working for Agence France-Presse and Al Jazeera were injured.

On Oct. 14, the Lebanese Foreign Ministry submitted a complaint to the United Nations Security Council against Israel for launching attacks on journalists.

The Lebanon-Israel border witnessed increased tension for over six weeks after Lebanese armed group Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets toward Shebaa Farms on Oct. 8 in support of the Hamas attacks on Israel the previous day, prompting the Israeli forces to respond by firing heavy artillery toward several areas in southeastern Lebanon. 
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- One person has been confirmed dead and another injured as a blast rocked Spin Boldak district in south Afghanistan's Kandahar province on Tuesday, the district's police chief Mullah Mohammad Hashim Mahmoud said.

"The blast took place in the Sarki Manai area this afternoon, killing one person and injuring another," the official said.

The official said an investigation has been initiated into the incident. 
BEIJING, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Zhang Yun, a scholar who has engaged in Tibetology research for about four decades, said that he has witnessed the significant progress in human rights development in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region.

"An unmistakable transformation is the visible enhancement in the quality of life for local residents," said Zhang, a researcher with the China Tibetology Research Center (CTRC).

Recalling his first visit to the region in 1998, Zhang said that most vegetables were transported from other inland provinces and cities, residents were plainly dressed, and the living conditions were not good. However, there has been a dramatic change in the mood, dress and housing conditions of residents in the plateau region over the past decades.

Zhang was among close to 50 tibetologists who took part in a forum held in Beijing Tuesday, focusing on the promotion and interpretation of a white paper titled "CPC Policies on the Governance of Xizang in the New Era: Approach and Achievements."

The document, issued by the State Council Information Office on Nov. 10, highlighted that the Communist Party of China (CPC) guidelines for governing Xizang in the new era have brought about all-round progress and historic success in various undertakings in the region.

During the forum, experts and scholars engaged in multidimensional discussions, offering insights and suggestions on the region's modernization in the new era.

Based on detailed data and abundant facts, the white paper summarizes the comprehensive progress and historic achievements in various fields in Xizang under the guidance of the CPC, said Chen Zongrong, a Party official of the CTRC.

"This unequivocally indicates that the social and economic progress of Xizang epitomizes the nation's outstanding achievements in development, created on the roof of the world through the Chinese path to modernization," Chen noted.

The 2022 GDP of Xizang reached 213.26 billion yuan (about 29.86 billion U.S. dollars), 2.28 times of that in 2012 calculated at constant prices, according to the white paper.

The per-capita disposable income of the region's urban and rural residents as a whole rose to 26,675 yuan in 2022 from 8,568 yuan in 2012, representing the country's highest growth rate for eight consecutive years since 2015, the document said.

"The tremendous achievements in Xizang's economic and social development vividly demonstrate the incomparable superiority of the socialist system. They represent a microcosm of the historic achievements and changes in the cause of the Party and the country," said Zheng Dui, director-general of the CTRC.

Su Faxiang, a professor with Minzu University of China, highlighted that the Tibetan language has been widely used, ancient Tibetan texts and documents have been well protected, cultural heritage preservation has been continuously strengthened, and intangible cultural heritage has effectively been inherited and preserved.

"These efforts have laid a solid cultural foundation for the region's modernization," Su said.

The white paper reveals that China has implemented a series of policies benefiting people's livelihood in Xizang, such as in housing, healthcare, education, ecological conservation and infrastructure development, Zhang said, noting that these policies are long-term, fundamental, and conducive to the region's sustainable, efficient and high-quality development.

"With strong support from the central government, nationwide assistance, and diligent efforts of local residents, Xizang has great prospects for future development," he added. 
Paperworld Middle East, the fastest-growing show of its kind in the world, and its co-located event, Gifts and Lifestyle Middle East, have been opened and are expected to welcome 10,000 visitors over three days.

Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade has officially opened the 12th edition of Paperworld Middle East at the Dubai World Trade Centre. In line with the UAEs Year of Sustainability 80% of the products featured are environment-friendly. The partner events have grown 50% from last year.

During the opening tour, Dr Al Zeyoudi visited several exhibition stands including APP, Ittihad Paper Mill, Fabriano, Makaan, Event Gifts, Leeno, Farook International Stationery and Flamingo. Additionally, he visited pavilions from China, Hong Kong, Germany, South Africa and Turkey.

Sustainable values

Dr Al Zeyoudi said: It was a pleasure to attend the opening of Paperworld Middle East and Gifts and Lifestyle Middle East, especially in the UAEs Year of Sustainability. Throughout 2023, we have been amplifying our commitment to sustainable values and it was encouraging that so many of them are in evidence at this industry-leading event. I was also delighted to witness the presence of various international pavilions at Paperworld Middle East and Gifts and Lifestyle Middle East, underlining the shows role in bringing together brands from across the globe to engage in business.

Patrick Nahas, Export Executive for Fabriano commented: The approach to business in the UAE is one of the best in the world and having a presence in the market is crucial for us. We have been participating in Paperworld Middle East since 2011 and each year, the show provides us with good exposure. It is a reliable platform for networking, establishing new contacts and gaining valuable insights.

The events insightful discussion platform, The Hub Forum, returns for another year, gathering industry experts, thought leaders and key players in the paper, stationery, office supply and gift sectors.

Panel discussions

Panel discussions at The Hub Forum included Market Analysis and Consumer Behaviour, led by Pencil Office Supplies, Capital Envelopes and Ittihad Paper Mill, and Green Initiatives in the Paper and Stationery Industry which featured representatives from Avery GmbH, MEPCO, FSC International and WZ Eurocopert.

As the event launched, Syed Ali Akbar, Show Director for Paperworld Middle East and Gifts and Lifestyle Middle East said: This year is very special for us, the show has grown 50% from last year with over 490 exhibitors showcasing their products. Our visitors will have the opportunity to meet the biggest names in the business and experience our unique event features including The Hub Forum, Project Sustainability and the first Paperworld Middle East Awards, which is set to be a highlight of the opening day.

The inaugural Paperworld Middle East Awards will take place at a special ceremony at Dubai World Trade Centres Al Multaqa Ballroom. This exclusive event will celebrate the outstanding achievements of the paper industry, including innovative products, cutting-edge technologies, exceptional brands and talented individuals. The Paperworld Middle East Awards comprises ten categories which include Licensed Product of the Year, Best Stationery Retailer of the Year and the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award.

Signature canvas

Elsewhere at Paperworld Middle East, the exhibitions new "Signature Canvas" feature saw exceptional artists collaborate on a live painting which will be donated to a local charity once complete. The masterpiece is being created by Saida Banu, Head of Art at the International School of Creative Science, Sharjah; Shiba Khan, Artist and Founder, Funun Arts Group; and artists Stefania Pomillo, and Jivan Hovhannisyan.

Paperworld Middle East is the largest international exhibition dedicated to paper. stationery, arts and crafts, office supplies and school products. Over the past decade, the show has established itself as the pinnacle destination for distributors, retailers, wholesalers and franchise owners in the paper and stationery sector.

Gifts and Lifestyle Middle East is part of the Ambiente family and adds to Paperworlds Middle East profile by showcasing corporate gifting, lifestyle and leather finished goods along with baby and kids products. The event is strategically scheduled before the Holiday season and offers a prime opportunity for businesses to discover unique gifting products.

Paperworld Middle East and Gifts and Lifestyle Middle East are held across Halls 5,6,7 and 8 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.--TradeArabia News Service
Rockets fired from southern Lebanon are seen over Kibbutz HaGoshrim, northern Israel, on Nov. 21, 2023. Nine people were killed on Tuesday in four Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon, as confrontations on the Lebanon-Israel borders intensified for over six weeks, Lebanese military and medical sources said. (Ayal Margolin/JINI via Xinhua)

BEIRUT, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Nine people were killed on Tuesday in four Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon, as confrontations on the Lebanon-Israel borders intensified for over six weeks, Lebanese military and medical sources said.

The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that four people were killed in Chaaitiyeh village in southwestern Lebanon after their four-wheel vehicle was attacked by an air-to-surface missile launched by an Israeli drone.

According to Elnashra news website, the four victims were identified as three Hamas members and the deputy commander of the Al-Qassam Brigades in Lebanon.

The same sources also confirmed that a Hezbollah member was killed in an Israeli airstrike on a Hezbollah center in the village of Khiam in southeastern Lebanon, and bulldozers were used to remove the rubble in search of more missing members of the Shiite military group.

Earlier in the morning, local media reported that Israeli drones attacked Lebanon's southern village of Tayr Harfa, killing local TV channel Al-Mayadeen's journalist Farah Omar and photographer Rabih al-Maamari and a civilian named Hussein Akil, while the attack on the village of Kafr Kila killed an 80-year-old woman.

The Lebanon-Israel border witnessed increased tension for over six weeks after Lebanese armed group Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets toward Shebaa Farms on Oct. 8 in support of the Hamas attacks on Israel the previous day, prompting the Israeli forces to respond by firing heavy artillery toward several areas in southeastern Lebanon. 

Rockets fired from southern Lebanon are seen over Kibbutz HaGoshrim, northern Israel, on Nov. 21, 2023. Nine people were killed on Tuesday in four Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon, as confrontations on the Lebanon-Israel borders intensified for over six weeks, Lebanese military and medical sources said. (Ayal Margolin/JINI via Xinhua)

Rockets fired from southern Lebanon are seen over Kibbutz HaGoshrim, northern Israel, on Nov. 21, 2023. Nine people were killed on Tuesday in four Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon, as confrontations on the Lebanon-Israel borders intensified for over six weeks, Lebanese military and medical sources said. (Ayal Margolin/JINI via Xinhua)

Rockets fired from southern Lebanon are intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome missiles over Kibbutz HaGoshrim, northern Israel, on Nov. 21, 2023. Nine people were killed on Tuesday in four Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon, as confrontations on the Lebanon-Israel borders intensified for over six weeks, Lebanese military and medical sources said. (Ayal Margolin/JINI via Xinhua)

Rockets fired from southern Lebanon are intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome missiles over Kibbutz HaGoshrim, northern Israel, on Nov. 21, 2023. Nine people were killed on Tuesday in four Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon, as confrontations on the Lebanon-Israel borders intensified for over six weeks, Lebanese military and medical sources said. (Ayal Margolin/JINI via Xinhua)
CANBERRA, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- An increase in people-to-people connections could improve cooperation between China and Western countries, an Australian expert has said.

The resumption of travel, especially among young people, between the United States and China to pre-pandemic levels would facilitate a better exchange of ideas between the two countries, said Warwick Powell, adjunct professor at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), in a recent interview with Xinhua.

Speaking after the meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, in the U.S. state of California, Powell welcomed the leaders' commitment to increasing the number of flights and people-to-people links between the two countries.

The role of young people is of great importance to the development of nation-to-nation relations, Powell told Xinhua.

U.S. opinion polls have shown that the younger generation has a different attitude towards China compared to the older generation, he said.

"The youths experienced the benefits of exchanges with people from all walks of life and understand that there is no reason why people from different parts of the world cannot find common ground and achieve things together in the interests of everybody," he noted.

Therefore, a focus on the exchange of younger people is a "fantastic initiative," he added.

Powell also identified climate change as an area where people from different backgrounds could cooperate because of the shared responsibility for the planet.

However, in order to achieve that, the United States must abandon its "transactional" approach to bilateral relationships, he said.

"The United States continues to articulate a worldview that sees relationships between major countries as ones framed by questions of competition," he said.

On the other hand, China emphasizes that the current period of human history should be articulated around the core principles of building multilateral collaboration, added the Australian expert.

With regard to the relationship between Australia and China, Powell told Xinhua that there has been a growing number of collaborative projects over the last 20-30 years.

His team at the QUT and partners from private industry have worked with universities, companies and organizations in China on blockchain solutions for supply chains to prevent fraud and counterfeiting and increase buyers' confidence in the products.

"I've also seen other very successful examples where the research and development capabilities emerging from the Chinese academic world, particularly in areas such as health and wellness science, have led to important discoveries and ultimately commercializations," Powell said.

"There have been a lot of areas where collaborations have actually delivered important outcomes for societies, the global environment, and also at a commercial level," he said.

Powell believes that the ongoing collaborations between China and Australia will deliver significant outcomes for people across the world. 
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks at a press conference at the UN headquarters in New York, on Nov. 6, 2023. (Xinhua/Xie E)

Everybody needs to come together to make the conditions for a transition, allowing for a strengthened Palestinian Authority to assume responsibilities in Gaza and then, based on that, to finally move in a determined and irreversible way to a two-state solution based on the principles that have been largely established by the international community, said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday foresees that a strengthened Palestinian Authority would assume responsibilities in Gaza after the current crisis and international players would work toward a two-state solution.

Asked about his vision "for the day after" in Gaza, Guterres said it is important to be able to transform this tragedy into an opportunity for a long-term settlement.

"And for that to be possible, it is essential that after the war we move in a determined and irreversible way to a two-state solution," he said.

"I believe it will be important to have a strengthened Palestinian Authority assuming responsibilities in Gaza. I understand that the Palestinian Authority cannot come with Israeli tanks in Gaza, which means that the international community needs to move into a transition period," he said. "I do not think that a UN protectorate in Gaza is a solution. I think we need a multi-stakeholder approach in which different countries, different entities, will cooperate."

For Israel, the United States is the main guarantor of its security. For Palestinians, the neighboring and Arab countries of the region are essential. So everybody needs to come together to make the conditions for a transition, allowing for a strengthened Palestinian Authority to assume responsibilities in Gaza and then, based on that, to finally move in a determined and irreversible way to a two-state solution based on the principles that have been largely established by the international community, said Guterres.

He emphasized that for the short term, there must be a humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza.

"To have an after, we must have a before. And the before obviously conditions the after. And that is why I have been insisting on the need for a humanitarian cease-fire, on unrestricted access for humanitarian aid, on the liberation of hostages and on the need to end the violations of international humanitarian law and the (need for) protection of civilians," he said. 
GAZA, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Hamas is close to reaching a truce agreement with Israel, said Ismail Haniyeh, head of the Islamic movement's political bureau, in a statement posted on Telegram on Tuesday. 
BEIJING, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- China has rejected Australian allegations of a Chinese warship engaging in "unsafe and unprofessional" behavior while interacting with an Australian vessel as completely unfounded.

China vehemently opposes the "baseless" Australian comments, and has lodged solemn representations with the Australian side, said Wu Qian, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, on Monday.

Wu said that the Australian frigate HMAS Toowoomba was operating in waters near the East China Sea, where the Chinese destroyer Ningbo took measures such as tracking, monitoring, identification, and verification in accordance with the law and regulations.

The Chinese vessel strictly adhered to international rules such as the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea and the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, having maintained a safe distance from the Australian vessel and not engaged in any activity that might affect Australian diving operations, Wu added.

In response to the Australian remarks that "HMAS Toowoomba was in international waters inside of Japan's exclusive economic zone," the spokesperson emphasized that there is no demarcation between China and Japan in the relevant waters and that China's military activities did not take place within or enter Japan's exclusive economic zone.

Wu called on Australian side to respect the facts and cease making reckless and irresponsible accusations against China. He also urged Australia to engage in actions that would enhance mutual trust and contribute to the positive development of relations between the two countries and their militaries. 
WUHAN, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Zhang Jinghua, former deputy secretary of the Jiangsu Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for accepting bribes.

According to the verdict issued by the Wuhan Intermediate People's Court in central China's Hubei Province, he was also fined 4 million yuan (about 560,177 U.S. dollars).

From 2008 to 2021, Zhang took advantage of his various posts in Jiangsu to seek benefits for others in project contracting, project development, and job promotions, accepting 49.84 million yuan worth of money and valuables either directly or through others in return, 16.76 million yuan of which he did not actually obtain.

According to the verdict, Zhang's illicit gains have all been confiscated and will be turned over to the national treasury.

Given that Zhang confessed his criminal facts during investigation and that he showed remorse, he was granted a lenient sentence, said the court. 
GAZA, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- A Hamas official said on Tuesday that the movement is close to reaching a cease-fire agreement with Israel in the coming hours, which will be announced in Qatar.

The official, who wished to remain anonymous, said the movement had already sent its response to mediators on the cease-fire agreement, and it was waiting for Israel's response.

Khalil Al-Hayya, a member of Hamas's Political Bureau, said in a statement on Tuesday that the Egyptian and Qatari mediators were "making significant efforts to reach an agreement," without providing further details.

Earlier in the day, Ismail Haniyeh, head of the Hamas political bureau, said in a statement posted on Telegram that Hamas was close to reaching a truce agreement with Israel. 
YANGON, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 2 million tourists have visited Myanmar's famous archaeological zone Bagan in central Myanmar's Mandalay region in the first 10 months of 2023.

The tourists who visited the archaeological site between January and October this year included over 11,000 international tourists, U Win Aung, deputy director of Bagan's Directorate of Hotels and Tourism, told Xinhua on Tuesday.

The number in the 10 months this year increased, as compared to about 1 million registered in the whole year of 2022, the official said.

Visitors traveled to Bagan for its archaeological significance, featuring thousands of pagodas, temples, and monasteries. The site's global reputation further enhances its appeal, he said.

The local economy in the region heavily relies on tourism, with residents eagerly striving to provide the best possible services to tourists, he added.

With thousands of ancient Buddhist pagodas, temples and monasteries, Bagan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of top tourist attractions in Myanmar. 
YAOUNDE, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Suspected separatist fighters killed at least eight civilians in an attack at a crowded market in Cameroon's West region on Tuesday, according to local authorities and witnesses.

The killings took place in Bamenyam village located in Ngalim subdivision of the region, the region's governor, Augustine Awa Fonka, told reporters.

Witnesses told Xinhua that the fighters arrived at the market on board motorcycles and started shooting indiscriminately. Several people were injured and at least 10 others abducted after the shooting, Fonka said.

Bamenyam village shares a border with the country's Anglophone region of Northwest where an armed separatist conflict is ongoing. Separatist fighters regularly cross the border to attack civilians and soldiers in Ngalim subdivision, according to security reports.

For the past six years, the separatist insurgency has devastated communities across Cameroon's two English-speaking regions of Northwest and Southwest where separatists want to create an independent nation. 
Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, meets with representatives of the winners of the 32nd and 33rd editions of China Journalism Award and the 17th Changjiang Taofen Award -- the country's two top journalism awards, in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 21, 2023. Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, also attended the meeting and addressed the award ceremony. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao)

BEIJING, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Cai Qi, a senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC), on Tuesday in Beijing met with representatives of the winners of the 32nd and 33rd editions of China Journalism Award and the 17th Changjiang Taofen Award -- the country's two top journalism awards.

Cai, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, extended congratulations to the winners in attendance.

Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, also attended the meeting and addressed the award ceremony.

Media personnel were encouraged to do a good job in telling stories of China, of the CPC and of the new era, through the use of new concepts, domains and expressions that are accessible to an international audience.

They were inspired to leverage new technologies, platforms and methods to improve the systems for communication across all forms of media, in an effort to break new ground in the press and public communication work. 

Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, meets with representatives of the winners of the 32nd and 33rd editions of China Journalism Award and the 17th Changjiang Taofen Award -- the country's two top journalism awards, in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 21, 2023. Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, also attended the meeting and addressed the award ceremony. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao)

Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, addresses the award ceremony of the 32nd and 33rd editions of China Journalism Award and the 17th Changjiang Taofen Award -- the country's two top journalism awards, in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 21, 2023. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao)
Palestinian militant group Hamas was near a truce agreement with Israel, the group's chief said in a statement, according to Reuters

The news came even as the deadly assault on Gaza continued and rockets were being fired into Israel.

Hamas officials were "close to reaching a truce agreement" with Israel and the group has delivered its response to Qatari mediators, Ismail Haniyeh said in a statement sent to Reuters by his aide.

The statement gave no more details, but a Hamas official told Al Jazeera TV that negotiations were centred on how long the truce would last, arrangements for delivery of aid into Gaza and the exchange of Israeli hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners in Israel, Reuters said.

Both sides would free women and children and details would be announced by Qatar, which is mediating in the negotiations, said the official, Issat el Reshiq.

Israel's Channel 12 television quoted an unidentified senior government source saying "they are close" but giving no further details.
Bulgarian President Rumen Radev (L) shakes hands with Chinese Ambassador to Bulgaria Dong Xiaojun during an award ceremony in Sofia, Bulgaria, on Nov. 20, 2023. Bulgarian President Rumen Radev awarded here on Monday one of the highest state honors, the Order of the Madara Horseman, First Class, to the Chinese Ambassador to Bulgaria Dong Xiaojun. (Xinhua/Lin Hao)

SOFIA, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Bulgarian President Rumen Radev awarded here on Monday one of the highest state honors, the Order of the Madara Horseman, First Class, to the Chinese Ambassador to Bulgaria Dong Xiaojun.

Dong was honored for his contribution and active efforts towards the further development and upgrading of the excellent friendly relations between Bulgaria and China, Radev said at the award ceremony.

"China is an important partner for Bulgaria, and enjoys great respect in our country as a country with remarkable history, culture and traditions, with impressive economic and scientific and technical development," Radev said.

The Chinese ambassador said that the mutual political trust between the two countries and friendship between the two peoples have been further deepened, and mutually beneficial cooperation has yielded fruitful results.

Radev paid a state visit to China in 2019, when the two sides jointly announced the establishment of a strategic partnership. 
TOKYO, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Nine people suffered injuries after a car in Japan's southwestern prefecture of Fukuoka plowed into a group of pedestrians on Tuesday morning, according to local media reports.

According to the prefectural police, a mini vehicle drove out of control for several dozen meters on the opposite side of the road and hit multiple pedestrians. All nine injured have been taken to the hospital, including seven high school students, one adult male, and the male driver.

One female high school student was temporarily unconscious, but none of the injuries were life-threatening.

The accident took place at around 8 a.m. near an intersection with no traffic light on a prefectural road approximately 100 meters west of Umi Station on the JR Kashii Line.

According to nearby residents, the road serves as a commuter route for a high school, and seven injured students were all from Fukuoka Prefectural Umi Commercial High School, where classes were canceled on Tuesday.

Following the accident, aerial footage from national broadcaster NHK showed visible damage to the front of the car, which hit a wall and stopped.

The 66-year-old male driver was arrested on-site for negligent driving causing injury but was later released for medical treatment, with the details still under investigation, according to the police. 
BAMYAN, Afghanistan, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Police have discovered and destroyed a drug processing lab in Shibar district of central Afghanistan's Bamyan province, the provincial police office said in a statement on Tuesday.

Police have also set on fire illicit drugs from the site and arrested two people, the statement said.

In addition, security forces discovered illicit drugs including opium poppy and heroin, and arrested two alleged drug smugglers in west Afghanistan's Nimroz province a couple of days ago.

The Afghan caretaker government has vowed to fight against criminal activities including drug-related crimes. 
WUHAN, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- A Y-20 military transport aircraft of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force took off Tuesday from an airport in central China for the Republic of Korea (ROK) to transport the remains of 25 Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) martyrs.

Upon their return to China on Thursday, two J-20 stealth fighters will escort the Y-20 aircraft after it flies into China's territorial airspace.

As the handover takes place in winter, the crew of the transport aircraft has made meticulous preparations for the transfer to ensure the aircraft can fly steadily and arrive on time, said Lu Zhonghua, a pilot for the Y-20 aircraft.

It will be the tenth repatriation of the remains of CPV martyrs as well as the fourth straight year for a PLA Air Force's Y-20 aircraft to take on the task.

China and the ROK had successfully completed such handovers for nine consecutive years from 2014 to 2022, involving the remains of 913 CPV martyrs in the ROK, along with their belongings. 
Students attend the launching ceremony of the "Seeds for the Future" (SFTF) program in Malawi's capital Lilongwe, on Nov. 20, 2023. Chinese tech giant Huawei launched the 7th SFTF program in Malawi's capital Lilongwe on Monday which will see 50 Malawian youths from universities and colleges trained in information and communication technology (ICT). (Photo by Roy Nkosi/Xinhua)

LILONGWE, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Malawian Minister of Information and Technology Moses Kunkuyu said on Monday that Huawei is a trusted partner and its Information and Communication Technology (ICT) projects contribute to the Malawi 2063 Agenda.

Huawei's program will help close the gap existing among Malawians regarding ICT, thereby making the Malawian government's 2063 development agenda possible, said Kunkuyu.

Huawei Technologies launched the 7th edition of the Seeds for the Future (SFTF) program to provide ICT training for 50 young men and women drawn from 10 public and private universities in the country.

"Malawi Vision 2063 recognizes that our nation's greatest resource and source of wealth are our young people, and thus our goal to digitalize and stay at par with the rest of the world, as far as where ICT is concerned, cannot be accomplished without equipping the youth with the necessary knowledge, skills and competences. This is why revolutionary programs such as Huawei's Seeds for the Future are vital for our country," Kunkuyu said.

The 7th SFTF program will include courses such as 5G, Cloud, AI, Digital Power, and leadership, said Gu Mu, the managing director for Huawei Technologies in Malawi.

"Huawei supports the government's vision and goals by investing in talent cultivation among young Malawians," said Gu, adding that the company aims to provide youth with tools, knowledge, and inspiration to thrive in the digital age.

The SFTF was initiated in Malawi in 2016 and nearly 250 young Malawians have so far benefitted from the project, including 40 Malawian students who traveled to and studied in China. 
MEXICO CITY, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- At least nine people were killed and four others wounded in a series of shooting clashes Monday morning in the city of Cuernavaca, capital of the central Mexican state of Morelos, authorities said.

The Cuernavaca Secretariat of Citizen Protection and Assistance reported in a statement that among the dead were two police officers who responded to a call reporting a shooting attack against two civilians who were drinking alcohol in the street.

It explained that the events began in the Altavista neighborhood, "where a group of armed men aboard three vehicles ... attacked some civilians who were drinking in the street and tried to take another one; the result was one person was killed and another was injured."

When the police arrived, they were met with gunfire, which initiated a chase of the alleged aggressors through several neighborhoods and led to "securing the Cherokee van with a dead driver and a motorcycle with an injured driver," the statement read.

"Unfortunately in the line of duty two policemen were injured and unfortunately two (others) lost their lives," it said.

Another van was secured in the Tlaltenango neighborhood, "with five civilians aboard, armed with vests and a communication radio, all dead," the statement added. 
The Tianjin International Shipping Industry Expo 2023 was held from November 16 to 18 in north China's Tianjin Municipality to promote the development of the global shipping industry and marine economy. Experts and practitioners exchanged views on port development, hoping to promote the healthy and sustainable development of the industry

Produced by Xinhua Global Service
People visit the Geological Museum of Guizhou in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province, May 17, 2022. (Photo by Deng Gang/Xinhua)

GUIYANG, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Walking into the basement of the Geological Museum of Guizhou in the hinterland of southwest China, a soft buzz came out of a room around the corner.

Sitting behind the table, Luo Yongming concentrated on repairing some paleontological fossils with the help of a stereo microscope. With one hand to adjust the focus of the microscope and the other holding an air scribe, Luo was carefully "carving" the shape of a paleontological creature on the fossil.

Luo, 53, has devoted himself to researching Guizhou's paleontological creatures for over two decades. Dedicated to fossil excavation, repair, and research, Luo had already processed thousands of paleontological fossils.

A black fossil of an ancient fish of Kyphosichthys, which was under Luo's repair, dates back to nearly 245 million years ago and was first excavated in Panzhou City of Guizhou Province. Luo spent almost half a year precisely engraving this fossil. Thanks to his hard work, the fish's head, tail, and scales are now presented upon the stone board vividly again.

"It's a unique fish with soft bones and hard scales. Over hundreds of millions of years of fossilization, its scales with special components are relatively preserved intact, allowing people to see its appearance now," said Luo.

Luo points to the fossil, 70 percent of which has been repaired. Luo added that well-preserved fossils carry a lot of precious information, which is very helpful for people to understand such kind of ancient creatures.

The fossil restoration area where Luo works contains a variety of fossils of paleontological species, including Keichousaurus hui, Ichthyosaur, and other ancient marine creatures. "Keichousaurus hui, about 30 centimeters long on average, is relatively small. It looks like a 'four-legged snake,'" Luo explained.

Keichousaurus hui mainly occurred in areas of Xingyi City in Guizhou. It is the first primitive Sauropterygia found in Asia and the earliest Triassic marine reptile fossil discovered, studied, and named in China.

"Although Guizhou is surrounded by countless mountains today, it was a vast ocean more than 200 million years ago," Luo said, adding that the discovery of Keichousaurus hui is of great significance to the study of the evolution of vertebrates, especially marine reptiles, and the paleogeographic environment.

During the middle and late Triassic period, Guizhou, which belongs to the corner of the Tethys Ocean, was home to many marine reptiles.

At present, Guizhou has the largest number of species of Triassic marine reptile fossils in the world. It covers almost all fossil categories globally, including over 2,000 genera and over 5,000 species. Guizhou is also known as the "kingdom of paleontology."

"Fossils are like written records of the Earth's history," Luo said. He explained that studying paleontological fossils is like constantly deciphering these "codes" so people can understand the evolution of life and geological changes more systematically.

In Luo's opinion, this job requires researchers to endure loneliness. "It's difficult to insist on working and studying without the love of fossils."

Luo said restoring fossils sometimes takes four to five hours sitting on a chair. Any slightest distraction may cause irreversible damage to the fossil.

In the exhibition hall of the Geological Museum of Guizhou, numerous restored fossils are like "the art of time." Luo stood still for a very long time in front of a pregnant Ichthyosaur fossil.

"This fossil is extremely valuable. We can see that this Ichthyosaur is pregnant, and its head and chest were attacked before its death. Several parts of its vertebrae were dislocated, and several ribs broken." Luo carefully explained the story behind the fossil.

Years of working experience made Luo realize that every fossil contains unique historical information, and any small discovery may become new historical evidence.

Fossils are precious and non-renewable natural resources. In recent years, Luo has felt gratified as local departments at all levels have paid more attention to fossil protection. Guizhou has gradually set up systematic protection of prominent fossil excavation sites and established 66 provincial key paleontological fossil sites for better protection.

Strengthening fossil protection and upgrading restoration technologies and equipment can further promote paleontological research and science popularization, according to Luo.

"By doing so, the valuable fossils, also known as 'characters of the earth,' can thus be better 'read' and learned about by more people," he added. 
ULAN BATOR, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- The number of Mongolian saiga antelopes, a critically endangered species, has increased to more than 15,500, local media reported Tuesday, citing the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)-Mongolia.

"The population of Mongolian Saiga antelopes has increased to at least 15,540 this year. Also, since 2018, there have been no recorded cases of illegal hunting of Mongolian Saiga antelopes," the WWF-Mongolia said in a statement.

The species' population had declined to only 750 in early 2000 due to several factors such as infectious diseases, harsh weather conditions and poaching. 
BEIJING, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang will attend the Virtual G20 Leaders' Summit on Nov. 22 at the invitation of the government of the Republic of India, foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning announced on Tuesday. 
Fans of Dwayne The Rock Johnson are about to do a triple take as the man of many talents adds to his Madame Tussauds offering with the addition of three new figures across the world-famous attractions estate.

Residents and tourists to Berlin, Amsterdam and Dubai, will be able to smell what the Rock is cooking, when the Hollywood superstar takes up permanent residence in Madame Tussauds newest attractions from November 21.

The three new figures take the man of the moments repertoire to nine Madame Tussauds likenesses, with replicas of Johnson already in London, New York, Las Vegas, Hollywood, Orlando and touring the Asian attractions.

The three new figures have been created by the attractions talented artists, and based on hundreds of precise measurements and reference photographs taken during his sitting.

All three figures stand red-carpet ready in multiple outfits inspired by some of Dwaynes best film premiere looks. Berlins figure rocks a replica of the flower silk suit Johnson wore to the world premiere of hit film, Jumanji: The Next Level, while his Amsterdam figure dons a cerise pink dinner jacket inspired by his look for the UK opening of the fantasy adventure comedy.

Finally, Dwaynes Dubai look is an imitation of the powder blue suit he wore to the New York premiere of Skyscraper, which the A-Lister both produced and starred in.

Of being a nonuplet Madame Tussauds threat, Dwayne Johnson said: This is so cool and fun! Three new Rock wax figures and nine total all around the world- London, Asia, New York, Hollywood, LA, Orlando and now Berlin, Amsterdam, and Dubai. Wow, thats a lot of bald head and tattoos. I love meeting my fans all around the world and my Madame Tussauds figures are the next best thing to connecting with you.

Come join me at Madame Tussauds, lets raise some mana together and say cheers to gratitude, good times and nine Rock wax figures that are much cooler than the real human himself.

Angela Jobson, Global Brand Director of Madame Tussauds, said: When you look at Hollywood stars, there arent many that come bigger than Dwayne Johnson, His incredible career as a record-breaking wrestler, actor, producer and businessman has earned him an allegiance of fans, but its his support of numerous charities and his willingness to speak out on issues that face people across the world, that have made him the global icon that he is today.

Its for that reason that were delighted to be able to unveil three more Dwayne figures in our Berlin, Amsterdam and Dubai attractions, making him one of the most decorated stars across the Madame Tussauds estate.  TradeArabia News Service
JERUSALEM/GAZA, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli army said on Tuesday it has encircled Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip as part of its ongoing ground operations in the Palestinian enclave.

Avichai Adraee, the Israeli army spokesperson, wrote on social media platform X that Israeli troops had completed the encirclement of Jabalia, Gaza's largest refugee camp, to eliminate Palestinian militants and destroy infrastructure.

Palestinian sources reported heavy deployment of tanks and military vehicles in and around Jabalia amid fierce clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants.

Adraee said Israeli artillery and air forces had attacked the targets in the Jabalia area to prepare the field for combat. Three underground openings on the outskirts of Jabalia, where Palestinian militants showed up, were among the targets.

He added that Israeli soldiers had killed Palestinian fighters with air support, seized weaponry in several locations, including residential homes and children's rooms, destroyed rocket-launching platforms and tunnel openings. 
by Olatunji Saliu

MONROVIA, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Joseph Nyumah Boakai, Liberia's main opposition leader and now president-elect, has emerged victorious in the country's hotly contested 2023 presidential election, according to the official declaration by the National Elections Commission (NEC) Monday.

With 100 percent of the votes from all 5,890 polling places across Liberia's 15 counties counted, Boakai, the candidate of the opposition Unity Party and former vice president of the West African country, garnered 814,481 votes, or 50.64 percent of the vote, compared with 793,914, or 49.36 percent, for incumbent President George Weah, the leader of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change party, the NEC said.

Boakai and Weah entered a presidential runoff election that took place on Nov. 14, after the initial polls held on Oct. 10 failed to produce a clear winner among 20 candidates.

Born in the remote village of Worsonga in Foya, the most populous district of Lofa County in the northernmost part of Liberia on Nov. 30, 1944, Boakai, from the Kissi ethnic group, has a rich background in public service and a distinguished career that spans several decades.

Before his successful bid for the presidency, he served as vice president from 2006 to 2018 under the administration of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa's first elected woman president.

Boakai's experience and dedication to public service over the years have earned him widespread respect among Liberians.

A Business Administration graduate from the University of Liberia in 1972, his political career commenced when he joined the Ministry of Agriculture, progressing through various positions until he attained the rank of minister in 1983.

"His commitment to agricultural development and rural empowerment became evident during his tenure, setting the foundation for his later advocacy for economic growth and social progress," Lawrence Dunn, a Monrovia-based international political analyst, told Xinhua in an interview.

Boakai chaired boards of more than 20 agricultural development projects in Liberia, the Agricultural Cooperative Development Bank, and support institutions. The president-elect also served as resident manager of the Liberia Produce Marketing Corporation and managing director of the Liberia Petroleum Refinery Company.

Over the years, Boakai has been an advocate for unity and reconciliation in Liberia, emphasizing the importance of "healing the wounds of the past civil conflicts," Dunn said, noting his vision for a harmonious and prosperous Liberia has resonated with many citizens, and this played a crucial role in his presidential campaign.

During the presidential campaign, Boakai focused on key issues such as good governance, poverty reduction, social justice, economic development, healthcare, education and infrastructure. His promises to address these pressing concerns captured the hearts and minds of the Liberian people, leading to a groundswell of support that ultimately secured his victory.

He also emphasized the need to address corruption and strengthen institutions for a more prosperous Liberia.

As Liberia's president-elect, Boakai now faces the formidable task of steering the nation toward stability and growth.

"His administration will likely prioritize efforts to boost the economy, invest in education and healthcare, and foster unity among the diverse population," Dunn said. "As Boakai prepares to assume the highest office in the land, the eyes of the nation and the world are on Liberia, anticipating positive changes and progress under his leadership. The journey ahead will undoubtedly be challenging, but Boakai's experience, vision, and commitment to the people position him as a beacon of hope for a brighter future in Liberia." 
Joy Nkiru Ikpeoha, a Nigerian entrepreneur, works on a laptop at her office in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, Nov. 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

HAIKOU, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- What can one achieve in eight years? Joy Nkiru Ikpeoha from Nigeria obtained both bachelor's and master's degrees and set up a company during this time.

Ikpeoha, born in 1992, first came to the island province of Hainan in south China in 2015 to study Chinese language at Hainan University. Four years later, she extended her academic pursuit, eventually gaining a master's degree in enterprise management in 2022.

Her entrepreneurial journey began this year when she established a company in the provincial capital of Haikou, aiming to provide a quick and effective service platform for foreign talents of all types.

"My company is about helping foreign talents in Haikou or Hainan to set up their own businesses, and kind of feel at home here in Hainan," Ikpeoha explained. The company also provides other services to foreign expatriates, including translation and assistance in finding rental housing.

Ikpeoha's entrepreneurial acumen has its roots in her internship experience at an international talent center in Haikou during her master's program.

At the center, she was in charge of helping foreigners attend events like entrepreneurial forums, communication and cooperation salons and project introduction salons.

"I feel like that's what I am good at. So I thought I should have my own company to fully capitalize on helping foreigners and offering services," she said.

Joy Nkiru Ikpeoha, a Nigerian entrepreneur, introduces her company and services to foreign expatriates in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, May. 19, 2023. (Xinhua)

Ikpeoha felt lucky that she could start her own business from scratch, thanks to Hainan Free Trade Port policies. "This environment is very suitable for young entrepreneurs, especially for foreigners who don't have that much money to start their own companies."

Having dreamt of having her own company since she majored in enterprise management, she is now so happy that "the dream has come true."

Although still in the early stages of her business journey, Ikpeoha is optimistic about the future. She views the opportunities presented by the Hainan Free Trade Port construction as significant, predicting a positive impact on both her business and the broader foreign community in Hainan.

"I believe that Hainan, in the future, will do better, because more and more foreigners are beginning to come here," she stated, adding that they're also bringing more investors from all over the world, even from Africa, and capitalizing on agriculture, tourism and a lot of other opportunities.

Ikpeoha's entrepreneurial journey has also brought her personal growth. "Ever since I opened up this company, I realized that I have more to learn, either practical or theoretical," she said. "I have a long way to go, and I need to keep learning. There're a lot of opportunities out there."

Reflecting on all her years of living in Hainan, Ikpeoha felt Hainan has been a second home which is calm and welcoming. In addition to her business pursuits, Ikpeoha is a vlogger, sharing glimpses of her life in Hainan, diverse cuisines, and cultural experiences that bring her joy. 
JERUSALEM, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Israeli ministers met on Tuesday night in a bid to approve a Qatari-mediated deal to release dozens of the children and women held hostage by the Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's wartime cabinet gathered for a special meeting in the evening, followed by a meeting of his extended security cabinet and his government.

The release of Palestinian prisoners is a highly contested issue in Israeli society. As part of the regular procedure in Israel, any potential swap deal that includes the release of Palestinian prisoners needs to be brought for a vote in both the security cabinet and the government.

At 10:30 p.m. local time (2030 GMT), the ministers were still deliberating. Meanwhile, hundreds of relatives of hostages rallied outside the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv, where the ministers convened to vote on the deal.

Live TV broadcasts showed demonstrators carrying posters with photos of their loved ones and chanting "Bring them home!" Several protesters, whose loved ones were reportedly not on the list of hostages supposed to be released in the upcoming deal, burst into tears.

Two far-right Israeli parties, headed by ultranationalist settler leaders who are members of Netanyahu's coalition government, announced they would not support the deal. The Jewish Power party demanded the release of all hostages "on our terms," while the Religious Zionism Party called for continuing the attacks in Gaza until Hamas "completely surrenders."

In broadcast statements at the beginning of the cabinet meeting, Netanyahu urged the ministers to accept the deal.

"The decision tonight is a tough one, but it's the right one," he said.

He added that Israeli forces would resume fighting right after the pause "until we achieve our goals: destroying Hamas and returning all of the hostages."

A government official confirmed to Xinhua that under the proposed deal, at least 50 children and women would be freed in exchange for the release of about 150 female and teen Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons. Israel also agreed to a four-day ceasefire.

Israel is pressing to include the release of 30 more children whom it believes are being held in Gaza by other militant groups, including the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a smaller armed group, and even in private homes. Under the deal, if Hamas locates these children, Israel will agree to another day of ceasefire for every 10 released children.

The first hostages and prisoners would be released on Thursday or the weekend, said the official. During the pause, the Israeli forces, including tens of thousands of troops, will remain in the Gaza Strip.

Earlier on Tuesday, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said the group's officials are "close to reaching a truce agreement" with Israel, and that Hamas has delivered its response to Qatar, according to a report by Israel's state-owned Kan TV news.

More than 240 hostages, comprising civilians, soldiers, children, women and the elderly of various nationalities, were taken to Gaza by Hamas militants in their surprise raid on Israel on Oct. 7, during which about 1,200 people were killed, mostly civilians. In the massive offensive against Gaza launched by Israeli troops, so far 14,128 Palestinians have been killed, primarily civilians, according to the Gaza-based Health Ministry. 
AMMAN, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Jordan and Qatar hold a common position over pushing for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, protecting civilians, and ensuring the prompt, sufficient, and sustainable delivery of humanitarian aid into the Palestinian enclave, said Jordan's Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh on Tuesday.

Khasawneh made the remarks at a meeting in the capital Amman with visiting Qatari Minister of State for International Cooperation Lolwah bint Rashid Al Khater, where both officials praised bilateral coordination and cooperation on the prompt and sustainable delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, the state-run Petra news agency reported.

During the meeting, Khasawneh said the two countries agreed on finding a political horizon to achieve just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders.

The Jordanian official reviewed the kingdom's efforts to support the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, such as establishing a field hospital in southern Gaza's Khan Younis, another hospital in Nablus in the West Bank, sending five aid planes to Egypt's El Arish area for Gaza, conducting two airborne operations of medical and humanitarian aid to the military field hospital in Gaza, providing 40,000 tons of wheat, 15,000 tons of grains, 7 trucks of medicine, and others.

He stressed the continuation of these humanitarian efforts alongside the political and diplomatic endeavors aimed at stopping Israeli aggression.

Khasawneh also reiterated Jordan's rejection of any attempts leading to the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza or the West Bank, which Jordan considers "a declaration of war."

For her part, the Qatari official voiced appreciation for Jordan's positions and its political, diplomatic, and humanitarian efforts toward ending the attacks on Gaza and addressing the Palestinian issue.

She said Qatar stands with Jordan in rejecting the forced displacement of Palestinians, as well as any change to the historical and legal status of Jerusalem, and supporting the steadfastness of the Palestinians on their land. 
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, holds the First China-Uzbekistan Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue with Uzbekistan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Bakhtiyor Saidov, in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 21, 2023. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao)

BEIJING, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held the First China-Uzbekistan Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue with Uzbekistan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Bakhtiyor Saidov on Tuesday in Beijing.

The two sides had comprehensive and in-depth communication and reached broad consensus on implementing the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and strengthening the synergy of development strategies, and jointly announced the establishment of a strategic dialogue mechanism between the two countries' foreign ministers.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said that China and Uzbekistan are friendly neighbors with a shared future. No matter how the international situation changes, the bilateral relations have maintained sound and steady development and are full of vitality.

The close interaction between the leaders of the two countries shows the high level and particularity of China-Uzbekistan relations, and also demonstrates the distinct features of the bilateral relations represented by mutual respect, good-neighborliness, solidarity and mutual benefit, Wang said.

China is ready to work with Uzbekistan to make good use of the new platform of China-Uzbekistan Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue, advance all-round mutually beneficial cooperation and speed up the building of a China-Uzbekistan community of shared future, Wang said.

Wang called on the two sides to consolidate the belief of solidarity and mutual trust, promote common development, cultivate the public opinion for everlasting friendship, and safeguard peace and stability.

Saidov said that Uzbekistan cherishes the solid mutual trust between the two heads of state and the friendship between China and Uzbekistan and supports the global initiatives proposed by China, and will continue to abide by the one-China principle, firmly support each other and deepen strategic mutual trust with China.

Uzbekistan expects to comprehensively deepen all-round cooperation with China and push the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level, said Saidov.

The two sides also agreed to further strengthen coordination within multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, promote the building of China-Central Asia mechanisms, and safeguard regional peace, development, security and stability.

The two sides also exchanged views on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. 

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, holds the First China-Uzbekistan Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue with Uzbekistan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Bakhtiyor Saidov, in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 21, 2023. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao)
MOGADISHU, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- International partners on Tuesday appealed for calm and restraint in Garowe, the capital of Puntland State, northeast Somalia, where there is a risk of higher tension due to the mobilization of forces in the area.

The partners, including the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), the European Union and the United Nations, said the presence of these forces is intimidating civilians and has led to the closure of schools.

"We are monitoring the situation closely and are calling for the immediate de-escalation of tensions and urgent talks by political and other local leaders," the international partners said in a joint statement issued in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.

Heavily armed forces began to build up on Nov. 19 amid a dispute between Puntland's leader Said Abdullahi Deni and the Opposition over amendments to the constitution.

The opposition groups accused Deni of deploying additional military troops in Garowe and seeking constitutional amendments to extend his term in office beyond January 2024.

The tension has forced many families to flee their homes and several schools to close doors as a result of the build-up.

The debate on the constitutional changes, which was due in Parliament Monday, was reportedly postponed due to the tension in the town.

The international partners said there is no justification for violence or the threat of force, noting that grievances should be addressed peacefully and through dialogue. "We call on all parties to resolve their differences through peaceful means," the partners said and expressed commitment to supporting Somalia and the Somali people in building the foundation for a peaceful and prosperous society. 
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune (R) talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Algiers, Algeria, Nov. 21, 2023. Algeria and Turkiye on Tuesday sealed 13 agreements and memorandums of understanding (MOU) on boosting bilateral cooperation during the visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (Algerian Presidency/Handout via Xinhua)

ALGIERS, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Algeria and Turkiye on Tuesday sealed 13 agreements and memorandums of understanding (MOU) on boosting bilateral cooperation during the visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and Erdogan signed a joint declaration during the second meeting of the High-Level Cooperation Council between Algeria and Turkey.

A total of 12 MOUs and an agreement between Algeria's state news agency and Turkiye's Anadolu Agency were inked. The deals aim to enhance cooperation in the fields including space, culture, education, energy, hospitals, media and consumer protection.

During their joint press conference held at the Presidential Palace in Algiers, Erdogan said that he and Tebboune were satisfied with the strong relations between their countries.

The Turkish president projected an increase in bilateral trade to 6 billion U.S. dollars by the end of the current year, with hopes of reaching the targeted 10 billion dollars.

On the ongoing Israeli attacks on the Palestinian enclave of Gaza Strip, the two presidents emphasized the need to hold "Israeli officials accountable before the International Criminal Court for the atrocities being committed in the Gaza Strip."

Tebboune said that the words of condemnation should be followed by decisive actions to halt Israeli expansionism and restrain "settler terrorism against Palestinians", including in the West Bank.

Erdogan voiced Turkiye's opposition to the Israeli assaults in Gaza, labeling them as "collective punishment and war crimes."

Erdogan said Turkiye's priorities in Gaza are achieving a permanent ceasefire and delivering humanitarian aid unhindered.

The Turkish president arrived earlier on Tuesday on a one-day official visit to Algeria. 

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune (R) welcomes Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Algiers, Algeria, Nov. 21, 2023. Algeria and Turkiye on Tuesday sealed 13 agreements and memorandums of understanding (MOU) on boosting bilateral cooperation during the visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (Algerian Presidency/Handout via Xinhua)

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune (L) welcomes Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Algiers, Algeria, Nov. 21, 2023. Algeria and Turkiye on Tuesday sealed 13 agreements and memorandums of understanding (MOU) on boosting bilateral cooperation during the visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (Algerian Presidency/Handout via Xinhua)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses the Algerian-Turkish Economic Forum in Algiers, Algeria, Nov. 21, 2023. Algeria and Turkiye on Tuesday sealed 13 agreements and memorandums of understanding (MOU) on boosting bilateral cooperation during the visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (Xinhua)

Algerian Prime Minister Nadir Larbaoui addresses the Algerian-Turkish Economic Forum in Algiers, Algeria, Nov. 21, 2023. Algeria and Turkiye on Tuesday sealed 13 agreements and memorandums of understanding (MOU) on boosting bilateral cooperation during the visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (Xinhua)
NEW DELHI, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- India's top health research body, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), said on Tuesday a comprehensive study showed that COVID-19 vaccination was not responsible for unexplained sudden deaths among young adults in the country.

The investigation, titled "Factors associated with unexplained sudden deaths among adults aged 18-45 years in India, a multicentric matched case-control study", was conducted between October 2021 and March 2023.

It referred to certain factors that may increase the risk of sudden deaths. Among the causes, history of severe COVID-19 infection, binge drinking, use of recreational drugs or substances are responsible for deaths within 48 hours.

"COVID-19 vaccination did not increase the risk of unexplained sudden death among young adults in India. Past COVID-19 hospitalization, family history of sudden death and certain lifestyle behaviors increased the likelihood of unexplained sudden death," the study concluded.

According to the study, 729 cases and 2,916 controls were included in the analysis. 
Children buy Aice ice cream from Yusuf Afat's Aice ice cream sales bicycle in Mojokerto, East Java, Indonesia, Sept. 14, 2023. Living in the tropics, the Indonesian people swelter through the scorching weather. Aice, a famous ice cream brand in the country, cools them down and brings joy. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

by Xinhua writers Yu Qianliang, Zheng Shibo and Xu Qin

JAKARTA, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Living in the tropics, the Indonesian people swelter through the scorching weather. Aice, a famous ice cream brand in the country, cools them down and brings joy.

In Mojokerto, a small county in Surabaya, Indonesia's second-largest city, ice cream sale bicycle teams shuttle through streets and alleys every day.

Thanks to the team, Yusuf Afat, who lost his job due to the COVID-19 pandemic, became busy again.

"Aice gave me support and hope when I was in the most difficult time. Now I can earn 300,000 rupiah (about 19.44 U.S. dollars) from selling ice cream every day, and my monthly income is several times the local minimum wage in Mojokerto," said Yusuf.

Since Aice, a Chinese-funded ice cream company, entered the Indonesian market eight years ago, it has set up three factories and established a complete cold chain logistics and operation management system, covering production and retail.

Aice participates in the formulation of ice cream industry standards and has become the leading brand in the Indonesian ice cream market.

Growing together with local people, Aice has launched programs to provide job opportunities for local people, especially helping jobless people with ice cream sale bicycle teams.

According to Wang Jiacheng, chief executive officer of Aice Group, the company has created a total of 20,000 jobs for local people, with local employees accounting for 96.1 percent.

"The working environment here is good, the remuneration is good, and you can learn new knowledge and skills here," said Suhendra, a team leader of the production department of Aice factory in Mojokerto. "I am proud of working here."

With one of the programs, increasing income for small and medium-sized stores, Aice provides freezers to cooperative stores free of charge for them to sell Aice ice cream.

As of October this year, Aice has provided hundreds of thousands of freezers to small and medium-sized stores across Indonesia.

As one of the beneficiaries, 24-year-old shop owner Andy Setiawan paid off nearly half of his college tuitions with his income from selling Aice ice cream. Excluding electricity fees, he still earns nearly 2 million rupiah (about 129.6 dollars) every month.

Not far away from Andy's shop, Yadi and her husband run a small store, which was a partner of Aice five years ago.

"This brand is quite popular for high quality and affordable price, and it is really profitable. It is one of best-selling items in our store," said Yadi.

According to Wang, fast-moving consumer goods are part of consumers' daily lives, and could have a role in how the Indonesian people see China.

"People-to-people links could be strengthened by the kind of consumer goods. I heard that a shop owner made a good living by selling Aice ice cream, and then named his newborn baby Aice," Wang said. 

Yadi poses for photos with a freezer at her store in Mojokerto, East Java, Indonesia, Sept. 14, 2023. Living in the tropics, the Indonesian people swelter through the scorching weather. Aice, a famous ice cream brand in the country, cools them down and brings joy. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

Children choose Aice ice cream products from a freezer at a store run by Andy Setiawan's family in Mojokerto, East Java, Indonesia, Sept. 14, 2023. Living in the tropics, the Indonesian people swelter through the scorching weather. Aice, a famous ice cream brand in the country, cools them down and brings joy.(Xinhua/Xu Qin)

This aerial photo taken on Sept. 15, 2023 shows an Aice factory in Mojokerto, East Java, Indonesia. Living in the tropics, the Indonesian people swelter through the scorching weather. Aice, a famous ice cream brand in the country, cools them down and brings joy. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

A boy enjoys an Aice ice cream in Mojokerto, East Java, Indonesia, Sept. 14, 2023. Living in the tropics, the Indonesian people swelter through the scorching weather. Aice, a famous ice cream brand in the country, cools them down and brings joy. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

Wang Jiacheng, chief executive officer of Aice Group, speaks to Xinhua during an interview in Jakarta, Indonesia, Sept. 19, 2023. Living in the tropics, the Indonesian people swelter through the scorching weather. Aice, a famous ice cream brand in the country, cools them down and brings joy.(Xinhua/Xu Qin)
A top UAE minister called on global leaders to find the will to work collectively and creatively unleash the potential of food systems in the fight against climate change, at the Global Food Security Summit in London, on November 20.

Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment and COP28 Food Systems Lead, said: What we are seeing unfold around the global is a devastating cycle of escalating climate threats that can be avoided, but only if we show the resolve to make a difference and walk the talk, at the summit that was held in partnership between the UAE, the UK and Somalia, and sponsored by the Childrens Investment Fund Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The summit saw the United Kingdom show strong support for the COP28 Food Systems and Agriculture Agenda, including their endorsement of the Emirates Declaration on Resilient Food Systems, Sustainable Agriculture, and Climate Action.

Minister Almheiri said: I am delighted that the United Kingdom supporting Emirates Declaration on Resilient Food Systems, Sustainable Agriculture, and Climate Action. It is only through collective action can we make a substantial change and protect our planet and people.

The declaration commits nations to putting climate action at the heart of their food systems by aligning their national food systems and agricultural strategies with their nationally determined contributions, national adaptation plans and national biodiversity strategies.

The declaration forms a part of the first of four pillars that make up the COP28 Food Systems and Agriculture Agenda  galvanising national leadership; involving non-state actors; boosting innovation; and scaling up finance.

Almheiri said, as hosts of COP28 (November 30-December 12) the UAE intends to build on top of the momentum of action for the food and climate agenda which was firmly set on course by the United Kingdom at COP26 and then accelerated and further accentuated by Egypt at COP27.

She outlined UAEs strategy for climate action in the presence of top dignitaries including Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and His Excellency Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President of Somalia.

Almheiri said through its COP28 Food Systems and Agriculture Agenda, the UAE will elevate the food systems debate and place it at the very heart of the Presidential Action Agenda.

The programme of the COP28 Presidency begins with a high-level session on food and climate. Every day thereafter includes at least one Presidency-hosted event related to agriculture and food systems, with the programme reaching a crescendo on December 10, before the parties move on to the final negotiations on December 11 and 12, we are marking a day dedicated to food, agriculture, and water.

Our goal is to highlight the severe pressure and risks that climate change puts on food, agricultural and water systems, which are pivotal to human well-being. At the dedicated day to food, agriculture, and water at COP28, we will reiterate both the challenge and the opportunity presented by food systems and their interactions with our precious planet.

Almheiri also opened a series of panel discussions on Building a climate resilient and sustainable agriculture sector and Food System. She spoke about the importance of innovation, technology, and finance in transforming our food systems and creating a more sustainable world.

She detailed the key milestones in UAEs climate journey to date such as the Cabinets recent approval of the Net Zero 2050 Strategy that outlines mechanisms to achieve zero emissions in the UAE across all core sectors, including agriculture, as well as the UAEs Third Update to its Second Nationally Determined Contribution, the third in three years.

By progressively raising ambition we are making real change in our green transformation. It is through the wise direction of the UAEs leadership that we are able to take bold and deceive steps towards Net Zero and a greener future, said Almheiri. TradeArabia News Service
MOSCOW, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Moscow deeply regrets Finland's decision to close four border crossings with Russia, and any potential plans to close all remaining checkpoints, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday.

"This is deeply regrettable, because we had long-standing, very good relations with Finland, which were pragmatic, and based on mutual trust," Peskov said.

"Of course, we regret that these (relations) have been replaced by a Russophobic position," he noted.

Peskov said that it would be difficult for Russia to influence Finland's decision, because of the lack of dialogue between the two countries.

He rejected Finland's accusations against Russian border guards. Finland had earlier accused Russian border guards of allegedly allowing undocumented asylum seekers to cross the Finnish border.

"We reject such accusations," Peskov said, adding that Russian border authorities only allow legal migrants to cross the border, and are complying with all official instructions.

The Finnish Cabinet recently announced the complete closure of border crossing points on the southeast border with Russia from Nov. 18, 2023, to Feb. 18, 2024.

The Finnish government would be prepared to take further decisions on the closure of all remaining borders with Russia, according to the Finnish Iltalehti newspaper. 
MOSCOW, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and a joint delegation of foreign ministers from Arab and Islamic countries agreed on the urgent need to establish an immediate and sustainable ceasefire in Gaza following their talks in Moscow on Tuesday.

The delegation was composed of Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki and Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Hissein Brahim Taha.

All sides recognized a commonality in approaches with regard to ways in which the current crisis can be overcome, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement following the talks.

They expressed "a joint position in favor of an early establishment of a sustainable ceasefire," and stressed the importance of ensuring the protection of civilians, the opening of humanitarian corridors, the release of hostages, and continued evacuation efforts.

"While strongly condemning terrorism, the participants of the meeting emphasized the unacceptability of confronting this evil using methods of collective punishment and an indiscriminate use of force against civilian targets," the statement said.

All sides stressed the need to take coordinated measures in the interests of establishing lasting peace between Israel and Palestine, it said.

It was emphasized that "there is no alternative to a comprehensive political solution to the Palestinian problem based on the decisions of the United Nations and the Arab Peace Initiative," said the statement.

"They noted the need to intensify international efforts aimed at creating conditions for establishing negotiations between the parties," which should result in the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, it said.

They further agreed to coordinate joint action in order to support a comprehensive Middle East settlement, the statement said. 
St. Bartholomews Church ()

On the western shore of the Konigsee, deep within the Berchtesgadener Alps in southeast Bavaria, lies an unusual destination. Many American travelers have never heard about it, despite being close to some installations. In fact, the only reason I knew about this place was because of an old painting my German grandmother owned. The painting captivated me as it pictured the most beautiful location I had ever seen: a pristine mountain view mirrored off a crystal-clear alpine lake with a red-topped church as the centerpiece. I told myself I would visit that place, and after years of waiting to grow up I finally made it. This destination goes by the name of Saint Bartholomews Church.

St. Bartholomews Church

St. Bartholomews Church is not the oldest or largest church in Europe, but it surely can be considered a highly memorable church with fabulous natural scenery all around. Its namesake is Saint Batholomew, one of the Apostles of Jesus, who is the patron of the alpine farmers that traditionally inhabited the area. The church of today, built in 1697, was constructed on top of a previous chapel, built around 1134.

The designers of the modern church chose a Baroque style, with the red onion domes taking inspiration from the nearby Salzburg Cathedral in Austria. Since its consecration, the primary purpose of this remote church has been that of a pilgrimage location for the local Roman Catholic population. Honoring tradition, the people of the town of Maria Alm in nearby Austria make a yearly pilgrimage to the church on the Saturday after Aug. 24. The inside of the church is not the same as other Catholic churches around Europe, but the small church has its own debonaire that projects a humble and elegant identity.

Lakeside hunting lodge

The church is not the only structure on the tiny peninsula. Near the church is a wharf for the tourist boats, a seafood restaurant and an old hunting lodge dating to the 12th century, when the original church was built. It is not the original building from then; it has been updated over the centuries.

This hunting lodge served as the private residence of the Princes of Berchtesgaden until 1803 when the area was absorbed into the Kingdom of Bavaria. After that, the Bavarian ruling family, the Wittelsbach dynasty, used it as their personal hunting lodge. Today, it serves as an inn where a peaceful meal can be enjoyed all while viewing the church and the marvelous scenery all around.

Getting to the church

The church does not require an admission fee. However, the trek to visit can be quite strenuous. There are two ways in which eager travelers can visit the church. The first is a grueling seven-mile hike, starting from the town of Schonau am Konigsee, which has many uphill areas and can be tricky for unsuspecting visitors.

The second option of arrival is the most common and more entertaining of the two. From the town of Schonau at the Northern end of the lake, there is a ferry that takes travelers to the church in small, electric boats intended to be ecologically friendly to the rare fish that live in the lake (which are served at both restaurants). A round-trip ticket runs about 22 euros per person, and 11 euros for a one-way trip (not suggested). These boats depart every 30 minutes. The journey is about 45 minutes to the church and back, so the full round-trip is an hour-and-a-half. Along the way, there are beautiful views of the surrounding mountains and pristine water of the lake, and boat conductors use trumpets to communicate an ancient tune with the other conductors that feels just right on the calm lake water. The schedule may change during the winter depending on if the lake is frozen or the presence of inclement weather. The service is closed on Christmas Eve. The timetable is listed below.

Schonau am Konigsee-St. Bartholomew: the first ferry to the church leaves at 09:15 a.m. and the last trip to the church leaves at 4 p.m.

St. Batholomew-Schonau: the first ferry back to the town leaves at 10 a.m., and the last trip to the town departs at 4:50 p.m.

St. Bartholomews Church is a magnificently beautiful site that can inspire a visit just through a painting. The historical aspect combined with the calm atmosphere makes this a great destination no matter the time of year, with or without family. This location is the perfect getaway to experience the serenity of the Bavarian Alpine region.
Crews work to prepare the site along Fillmore Road as the road near Willow Road is blocked off to traffic for the EV battery plant expected to be built near New Carlisle.

While St. Joseph County officials already are working on another king-size project on the western side of the county near New Carlisle, site work already is underway on the $3.5 billion EV battery plant that GM/Samsung SDI is building.

Even with contract talks that were underway with the United Auto Workers, GM/Samsung took possession of the land on Aug. 29 and immediately began grading the portion of the 680-acre parcel where the plant will sit, constructing retention ponds for the development and installing fencing.

By the numbers: What does the EV battery plant mean for St. Joseph County?

Theyve been aggressive since they took possession of the site, said Bill Schalliol, the countys executive director of economic development. He expects Barton Malow, the general contractor, will begin pouring footers and extending utilities for the project in the first quarter of 2024 and that the site could turn into a beehive of activity as the weather warms up.

Its a smaller crew right now, Schalliol said. But its going to ramp up over the course of the winter and by the summer theres easily going to be hundreds of people working at the site.

The EV battery plant, which will sit on 680 acres on what was agricultural land at Larrison Boulevard and Indiana 2, ultimately will consist of 3 million square feet of manufacturing space in two main buildings.

The project is slated for completion in December 2027 and is expected to create 1,700 new jobs. Though GM always indicated it would not oppose unionization of the plant, the automaker recently agreed that all of its EV battery plants will fall under the master contract with the UAW.

Theres a great deal of excitement to see activity at the site, said Jeff Rea, president and CEO of the South Bend Regional Chamber of Commerce. The work thats going on takes away the doubters that had a hard time that it was even going to happen.

The county has been talking to GM about the possibility of the battery plant since December 2021. Initially, the automaker planned to partner with LG Energy Solution on the St. Joseph County project like it has on its three other battery plants in Ohio, Michigan and Tennessee.

Story continues

Crews work to prepare the site along Fillmore Road for the EV battery plant expected to be built near New Carlisle.

When that partnership with LG Energy fell through for a fourth Ultium Cells plant, GM ultimately partnered with Samsung SDI for a fourth such plant, necessitating a repeat of the legal processes and public hearings needed for the project to proceed.

Though final completion of the project has been delayed by a couple of years, its also grown by about a million square feet and includes more employees than originally anticipated, Schalliol said.

It's the largest project investment in St. Joseph County in 75 years, Rea said, adding that just the plants payroll is expected to create an economic impact of $600 million a year. Beyond that, the GM/Samsung project is expected to potentially attract additional suppliers to the region.

Indiana Secretary of Commerce David Rosenberg, left, and South Bend Regional Chamber President and CEO Jeff Rea speak after the panel discussion Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023, at the annual State of the Economy breakfast at Morris Park Country Club in South Bend.

The GM/Samsung plant would be the fourth EV battery plant planned or under construction in Indiana, and theres a possibility for a fifth such factory in the near future, Indiana Secretary of Commerce David Rosenberg said last week in South Bend.

State of the Economy breakfast: Development coming at historic levels here and across Indiana, according to officials

While the GM/Samsung plant is moving forward, county officials are also working on a more secretive project with a company known as Razor5 LLC that is looking at 840 acres near the GM site, which could have a similar impact as the EV battery plant.

Bill Schalliol

That potential developer already has placed $1 million into escrow as it further investigates the site, Schalliol said, adding that information should become public in the next 90 days if the project moves forward.

After years of work on the Indiana Enterprise Center, its gratifying to see projects coming to fruition and further developers coming to the site, Schalliol said. These are jobs that should support families for generations to come.

Email Tribune staff writer Ed Semmler at esemmler@sbtinfo.com.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: GM/Samsung plant biggest project in St. Joseph County in 75 years
WORCESTER  When Petula Clark sang about forgetting about all her troubles and cares on her 1965 smash hit Downtown, she easily could have been singing about shopping at Denholm & McKay.

Traditionally during the Christmas shopping season, the six-story facade of Denholm & McKay at 484 Main St. would be adorned with an 80-foot-tall tree of lights made up of 2,500 sparkling 10-watt bulbs and complete with a 12-foot-tall star on top and 70-foot-long base.

During the Christmas shopping season, the six-story facade of Denholm & McKay at 484 Main St. would be adorned with an 80-foot tall tree of lights made up of 2,500 10-watt bulbs and complete with a 12-foot star on top and 70-foot-long base.

For those of us old enough to remember those days, the memories linger on and shine the brightest during the holiday season.

In the age before shopping online or waiting in checkout lines at crowded box stores for Black Friday specials, Denholms was the place for all home and holiday shopping needs.

Customers carrying gold and white shopping bags marked Denholms in black script were once commonplace in downtown Worcester.

For many decades the holiday shopping experience was not complete without a visit to Denholms, where the decorations alone were once the talk of the town.

Inside and out, Denholms was a winter wonderland of holiday displays, keepsake Santa photo ops and elaborate window displays that would attract crowds even during the bitterest cold.

This month marks the 50th anniversary of the store closing its doors.

Modest origins, rapid growth

On Nov. 26, 1870, Denholm & McKay began as a dry goods store at Main and Mechanic streets. The store was a charter member of the Scotch Syndicate, a group of eight houses that collectively became one of the largest buyers of dry goods in the world.

The original Denholm & McKay location was built by William C. Clark and was known as the Clark Block. In its time, it was considered one of Worcesters finest locations and stores.

Founded by William Alexander Denholm and William C. McKay, the store was often referred to as "The Boston Store" because of its modern conveniences and was the largest retailer in Massachusetts outside Boston.

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Advertising men's suits for $5 and extra good ones for $20, Denholm & McKay was staffed by 18 employees when it first opened, an opening which was advertised in the Worcester Daily Spy newspaper, boasting New stock, small profits, one price.

Business grew by leaps and bounds, requiring the store to have larger quarters.

On Sept. 21, 1882, the retail juggernaut took over the Jonas G. Clark block at 480-500 Main St. and increased its workforce to more than 100.

The store originally occupied only the street floor of the new location. But as the business continued to grow, expansion became necessary until the entire building, with its five floors and basement, was occupied.

In 1904, an annex was constructed behind the original building on Chase Court. The bridge building, linking the two older structures, was built in 1916.

In the March 6, 1936, edition of the Worcester Telegram, Denholm & McKay was praised for not sparing anything on time and expense.

A few hours after a new style has proved successful in the metropolitan centers of the nation, the purchasing agents at Denholms have all the details on it, the article stated.

In the mid-20th century, Denholm & McKay Co. became the crown jewel of a once-bustling downtown that also included the John C. MacInnes Department Store, directly across from City Hall; C.T. Sherer on Front Street; Barnard, Sumner & Putnam Co., a block or two north on Main Street; Filene's with its bargain basement on Main Street next to the Park Building; as well as Woolworth's and Newberry's, both on Front Street; and Kresge's, on Main Street across from City Hall.

A big-city department store in downtown Worcester

As the country came out of World War II, Denholms shared in the business boom, with its workforce rising to nearly 600.

The second-largest employer in the city and the second-biggest taxpayer, Denholm & McKay grew into a large and elaborate department store in a style only found in the largest cities.

Lavish decorations heralded each change of season, while store windows displayed the latest fashion finery.

With sophisticated window displays and promotional literature, the store managed to stay on the cutting edge of fashion, particularly in regard to women's styles and fashions.

In 1951 president and general manager Harry Wolf decided to modernize the existing brick facade with an updated look consisting of Indiana limestone, Belgian marble and stainless steel. The $150,000 exterior face-lift, which also included a marquee and redesigning the eight storefront windows, won its share of architectural awards.

With the completion of a water tower with a 300-ton capacity atop the building, Denholm & McKay Co. in 1952 added 120 tons of air conditioning to the 40 tons already in operation.

In 1961, Denholms tore down buildings it owned on High Street and constructed the High Street annex and parking lot.

The High Street annex entrance to Denholms.

In 1963, the company purchased the former YWCA building on Chatham Street and reconditioned some of the structures for store use, with the original YWCA pool boarded over.

The High and Chatham streets expansion brought Denholm to its permanent 250,000 square feet of selling space.

With the final expansion, Denholms increased the size of its fabric center and added a gourmet shop and restaurant in its lower level.

Subsequently, other departments were added including the Poise N Ivy Shop and Junior Hi Shop.

On Aug. 28, 1964, Denholm & McKay Co. opened both flights of its new $100,000 escalators to shoppers.

Designed by the stores architect, Charles Slatter, the escalators were the only ones of their kind in the United States, according to a Sept. 1, 1964, edition of The Evening Gazette.

Operating on all six floors, the escalators could handle 5,000 customers an hour, four times more than could be handled by the elevators, which were run by uniformed elevator operators in gray suits with white gloves.

In 1969, Denholms president Howard Feist merged the company with two Rhode Island-based retailers, Shepard's and Gladdings. It also opened its only Denholms branch store in March 1970 at the Auburn Mall.

The end

On Nov. 17, 1973, the Friday before Thanksgiving, the citys 102-year-old shopping tradition closed its doors for good after months of fiscal struggles that forced Denholm & McKay into involuntary bankruptcy proceedings.

The closing of Denholms marked the end of a more genteel era in retailing.

Opening July 29, 1971, the Galleria at Worcester Center, the shopping mall behind City Hall with Filene's and Jordan Marsh as anchor stores, was cited by many Denholms employees and customers as a reason for the stores demise, according to a Nov. 17, 1973, article in the Worcester Telegram.

A final group of shoppers came into the store about 5 p.m. Most were middle-aged or older, dropping by for one last look at the store, for a last word with the people who sold their clothes, their furniture, their Christmas presents for so many years, the article reported. The employees followed the last customers out into the November night a few minutes later, walking out of the store as the front doors were locked behind them, leaving behind a big empty building on Main Street."

After its 1973 closing, the building hung on as the home for smaller Worcester businesses, offices and nonprofits.

Two months later, Denholms' belated efforts to join the mall era came to an end when the Auburn Mall store closed.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Story of Denholm & McKay in Worcester, 50 years after it closed
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Shopping secondhand for gifts is a sustainable way to give this holiday season, plus, it can save you a lot of money. You might be surprised at the variety of high-quality gifts you can find at thrift stores and on online reselling platforms.

See: Costco 2023 Black Friday Deals You Shouldnt Pass Up

Learn: How To Get Cash Back on Your Everyday Purchases

GOBankingRates spoke with Poshmark resellers to get their advice on the best gifts to buy secondhand. Before overspending on all-new gifts, consider buying these gift items secondhand this year.

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Graphic Tees

If youre looking for a unique gift, consider a thrifted graphic T-shirt.

Secondhand graphic tees are truly one of a kind, said Rheeana Miles, a Gen Z Poshmark seller from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. What are the odds someone else has the same vintage graphic tee as you?

College Sweatshirts

Whether youre buying a gift for a college student or just a fan of college sports, a thrifted college sweatshirt can be a great option.

College attire is so much better secondhand versus new because of how unique each piece is, Miles said. When you pull that college sweatshirt over your head to represent your team, youre also representing all the memories it carried before you. Youre living a legacy through the sweatshirt when it comes to you secondhand.

Stores With Layaway in 2023: Extending Your Purchasing Power

Coffee Mugs and Wine Glasses

Coffee mugs and wine glasses make for excellent hostess gifts as well as small gifts for gift exchanges  and theyre a great option to buy secondhand.

Mugs and glasses are easy to find secondhand and easy to sanitize, said Octavia Joseph, a nurse and part-time reseller in Lafayette, Louisiana. These items normally have little to no wear.

Mens Ties

If you want to buy a tie for a man in your life without the high department store prices, consider buying one secondhand.

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Mens ties are affordable versus new, and often have little to no wear because its typically worn against clothing, Joseph said. You can find brand names at much cheaper prices.

Limited-Edition Toys

You can find toys you wont find anywhere else when you buy secondhand.

A rare Barbie doll or a limited-edition toy car would make wonderful gifts for a child or avid collector, and the beauty of secondhand is you can find items like these that are no longer in stock to purchase directly from the manufacturer, said Chenelle Loggins, a seller and author of From Retail to Resell: How I Turned My Passion into Profit.

Luxury Gifts

If you want to gift someone a luxury item, consider purchasing it secondhand for major savings.

Shopping secondhand allows you the opportunity to gift someone or yourself something that you normally couldnt afford full price, like a cashmere sweater, a silk scarf or a designer watch, Loggins said. You can find amazing gifts like these deeply discounted by shopping secondhand  and the best part is you wont have to break the bank.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 6 Best Gifts To Buy Secondhand This Holiday Season, According To Thrifting Experts
Saks Fifth Avenue, one of the worlds leading specialty retailers and the only luxury department store in Bahrain and Eastern Saudi Arabia, has announced the arrival of fine jewellery, including collections from six of the world's most prestigious and sought-after brands like Recarlo, Anabela Chan, Marie Mas, Selim Mouzannar, Balmain and Korloff.

Italian craftsmanship, age-old artisan skills, and pioneering techniques enable Recarlo to produce high-end pieces that are always in fashion.

Anabela Chan is the first fine jewellery brand in the world to champion laboratory-grown, ethical, and sustainable gemstones in high jewellery designs and artisanal craftsmanship. Known as the home of moving fine jewellery, Marie Mas challenges the standard notions of jewellery, bringing a tribute to femininity, beauty and unique creations.

With a passion for jewellery intimately linked to the philosophy of life: dreaming without ever stopping, Selim Mouzannar's jewellery promises happiness in each piece created and worn. Balmain's iconic jewellery collection embodies the brand's signature blend of Parisian style and contemporary taste.

And finally, with its rich history dating back to 1978, Korloff is synonymous with luxury and opulence; characterised by exceptional diamonds and gemstones, their jewellery stands the test of time.

Saks Fifth Avenue is located at City Centre Bahrain Mall.  TradeArabia News Service
LOS ANGELES, November 21, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Air Lease Corporation (NYSE: AL) announced today the first of 25 new Boeing 737-8 aircraft delivered to Malaysia Airlines Berhad from ALCs order book with Boeing. Featuring CFM LEAP 1B-27 engines, this new Boeing aircraft is the first 737-8 addition to Malaysia Airlines fleet.

"We are thrilled to announce ALCs first of 25 new Boeing 737-8 aircraft delivered to Malaysia Airlines," said Steven Udvar-Hazy, Executive Chairman of Air Lease Corporation. "Our significant deal for 25 new Boeing 737-8 aircraft with MAB is a milestone transaction that demonstrates ALCs commitment to the national carriers long-term fleet modernization and sustainability program. We are honored to be the first to introduce the 737-8 to the airline."

This Boeing 737 aircraft joins six Airbus A350-900 aircraft currently on long-term lease to the airline from ALC.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including expected delivery dates. Such statements are based on current expectations and projections about our future results, prospects and opportunities and are not guarantees of future performance. Such statements will not be updated unless required by law. Actual results and performance may differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including those discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

About Air Lease Corporation (NYSE: AL)

Air Lease Corporation is a leading global aircraft leasing company based in Los Angeles, California that has airline customers throughout the world. ALC and its team of dedicated and experienced professionals are principally engaged in purchasing new commercial aircraft and leasing them to its airline customers worldwide through customized aircraft leasing and financing solutions. The company routinely posts information that may be important to investors in the "Investors" section of its website at www.airleasecorp.com. Investors and potential investors are encouraged to consult Air Lease Corporations website regularly for important information. The information contained on, or that may be accessed through, ALCs website is not incorporated by reference into, and is not a part of, this press release.

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About Malaysia Airlines

Malaysia Airlines is the national carrier of Malaysia, offering the best way to fly to, from and around Malaysia. Malaysia Airlines carries up to 40,000 guests daily on memorable journeys inspired by Malaysias diverse richness. Malaysia Airlines embodies the incredible diversity of Malaysia, capturing its rich traditions, cultures and cuisines via its inimitable Malaysian Hospitality across all customer touch points.

Since September 2015, the airline has been owned and operated by Malaysia Airlines Berhad. It is part of the Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), a global aviation organisation that comprises of different aviation business portfolios aimed at serving Malaysian air travel needs. Via our alliance with oneworld, Malaysia Airlines offers superior connectivity with seamless journeys to 1,000 destinations across 150 plus countries, and access to over 650 airport lounges worldwide. For more information, please visit http://malaysiaairlines.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121259617/en/

Contacts

Investors:

Jason Arnold

Vice President, Investor Relations

Email: investors@airleasecorp.com

Media:

Laura Woeste

Senior Manager, Media and Investor Relations

Email: press@airleasecorp.com

Ashley Arnold

Senior Manager, Media and Investor Relations

Email: press@airleasecorp.com
Diamond Hill Capital, an investment management company, released its Large Cap Strategy third-quarter 2023 investor letter. A copy of the same can be downloaded here. In the third quarter, the strategy performed roughly in line with the Russell 1000 Index. Early indications of consumer weakness among select merchants and a significant increase in interest rates impacted the portfolio in the third quarter. The strategy returned -3.04% net of fees compared to -3.15% for the index. In addition, you can check the top 5 holdings of the strategy to know its best picks in 2023.

Diamond Hill Large Cap Strategy highlighted stocks like American International Group, Inc. (NYSE:AIG) in the third quarter 2023 investor letter. Headquartered in New York, New York, American International Group, Inc. (NYSE:AIG) is an insurance company. On November 20, 2023, American International Group, Inc. (NYSE:AIG) stock closed at $64.36 per share. One-month return of American International Group, Inc. (NYSE:AIG) was 7.50%, and its shares gained 5.72% of their value over the last 52 weeks. American International Group, Inc. (NYSE:AIG) has a market capitalization of $45.183 billion.

Diamond Hill Large Cap Strategy made the following comment about American International Group, Inc. (NYSE:AIG) in its Q3 2023 investor letter:

"Insurance company American International Group, Inc. (NYSE:AIG) was also among our top contributors. The companys most recent operating results outperformed expectations, as it reported robust earnings with improving underwriting margins in the property and casualty business. AIGs strategic initiatives also added to the positive sentiment. The company made further progress in separating its Life & Retirement unit by selling additional shares via a secondary offering. Furthermore, AIG announced the sale of its reinsurance business to RenaissanceRe at an attractive valuation, a move that will further reduce volatility in AIGs continuing operations."

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An individual signing financial documents with a representative from the life insurance company nearby.

American International Group, Inc. (NYSE:AIG) is not on our list of 30 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. As per our database, 43 hedge fund portfolios held American International Group, Inc. (NYSE:AIG) at the end of second quarter which was 46 in the previous quarter.

We discussed American International Group, Inc. (NYSE:AIG) in another article and shared Diamond Hill Large Cap Strategy's views on the company in the previous quarter. In addition, please check out our hedge fund investor letters Q3 2023 page for more investor letters from hedge funds and other leading investors.

Suggested Articles:

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
By Vladimir Soldatkin and Olesya Astakhova

MOSCOW (Reuters) - As the world's most powerful oil producers ponder further supply cuts, Russia has little incentive for a radical change as its energy revenue is strong, oil prices are higher than its forecasts and its budget deficit is narrowing.

Ministers from OPEC+, which groups the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies led by Russia, meet on Sunday in Vienna.

OPEC+ is set to consider whether to make additional oil supply cuts, three OPEC+ sources told Reuters with prices down by 16% since late September as crude output in the U.S., the world's top producer, held at record highs, while the market was concerned about demand growth, especially from China, the No. 1 importer of oil.

"I don't see any reasons to change something radically," a source close to the Russian government said on condition of anonymity about the forthcoming OPEC+ meeting.

The source added that there was still a chance for surprises at the face-to-face meeting.

Saudi Arabia, Russia and other members of OPEC+ have already pledged oil output cuts of 5.16 million barrels per day, or about 5% of daily global demand, in a series of steps that started in late 2022.

'COMFORT ZONE'

President Vladimir Putin says Russia has not simply survived but has prospered despite the West's imposition of the most stringent sanctions ever imposed on a major economy, including a cap on the price of Russian oil at $60 per barrel.

After a contraction in 2022, Russia's economy is forecast to grow by around 3% this year, faster than either the United States or the Euro zone, according to Russian forecasts.

Robust global oil prices this year and Moscow's growing use of a shadow tanker fleet have meant that much Russian oil has traded mostly above the Western oil cap price.

Moscow-based independent oil analyst Alexei Kokin said the oil prices declined from "very comfortable" levels to "just comfortable" levels.

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"That's why, it looks like there is no special need for a move (for Russia). To leave the production restrictions as they are is an acceptable option," he said.

Russia has budgeted the price of Urals, its flagship oil grade, at 4,788 roubles ($53.36) per barrel this year.

The Urals price on Friday fell below the Western price cap level of $60 per barrel amid a rise in freight rates fuelled by fresh U.S. sanctions on shipowners and weaker global oil prices.

But it was still higher than 5,000 roubles per barrel and on Tuesday exceeded $60 per barrel again.

Budget plans published in September envisage Brent crude prices averaging $85 per barrel next year - more pessimistic than a Reuters poll forecast - and a Urals price of $71.30.

RUSSIAN REVENUE

Russia's budget deficit narrowed further last month thanks to higher oil prices, a lower rouble rate and an inflow of quarterly tax payments.

The deficit for the first 10 months of the year stood at 1.24 trillion roubles ($13.45 billion), or 0.7% of gross domestic product (GDP). That was far better than the initial plans for a deficit of 2.93 trillion roubles, or 2% of GDP for the whole 2023.

Oil and gas revenue in October was up 27.5% from a year earlier, although for the first 10 months of the year they were down 26.3%.

However, the share of energy sales in the federal budget proceeds - which used to exceed 50% of total budget revenue - has drastically declined.

In 2022 the share stood at 41.6% of total budget revenue, while in January-September of this year, oil and gas sales accounted for 28.3% of total proceeds of 19.73 trillion roubles ($220 billion).

Russia remains a natural resources superpower.

It has remained the world's top seller of grain. It also exports fertilizers and other commodities. Its other key sources of budget revenue are added value tax, a windfall tax of 300 billion roubles and other extra fees.

"The Russian budget is more sensitive to oil prices and the rouble exchange rate than oil production, so it will tend to favour current oil output targets as long as oil remains between $75 and $100 a barrel," said Ronald Smith, a senior analyst BCS World of Investments in Moscow.

On Tuesday, Brent crude futures were down 41 cents, or 0.5%, at $81.91 a barrel as of 0836 GMT.

($1 = 89.7230 roubles)

(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin and Olesya Astakhova; editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Jason Neely)
Enforcing office mandates and threatening layoffs at the height of a cost of living crisis has left many CEOs out of favor with workers. But not Citadel chief Ken Griffin.

The billionaire boss earned the affections of his Asia Pacific-based workforce by treating them to an all-expenses paid trip to Tokyo Disneyland at the end of October, which included a private concert with music stars Maroon 5 and Calvin Harris.

Around 1,200 employees from the companys Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Gurugram officesand their familieswere invited along to celebrate the hedge fund Citadels and capital markets firm Citadel Securities thirtieth and twentieth anniversaries.

Griffinwho has an estimated net worth of $36 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Indexpersonally covered everyone's expenses including travel, childcare, and fast track passes to minimize wait times for busy rides like Splash Mountain and Pirates of the Caribbean.

It's unclear whether Citadel employees had exclusive use of Disneyland, but a one-day pass to the amusement park can cost up to 10,900 yen ($74), meaning the bill for tickets alone could have set Griffin back by as much as $88,800.

"Today, the range of talent we have brought together is simply astonishing. We've created not one, but two firms at the forefront of the industry, Griffin announced before welcoming Maroon 5 to the stage. Together, we have imagined and built the future of finance."

It isn't the first time Griffin has gone all out to treat his staff to such an extravaganza. Last year, he took 10,000 Citadel staffers and their families on a three-day Walt Disney World trip, which included a series of pop concerts.

The three-day event, held last December, saw Carly Rae Jepsen, Diplo and Coldplay take the stage to celebrate Citadels success.

Videos posted to TikTok at the time showed a sea of employees swaying to Coldplay's hits, getting sprayed by confetti and whipping their phones out to record the occasion.

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One TikTok user labeled the work event the most amazing party I've ever attended.

Griffin isn't the only big-name boss to try and butter up workers by putting on an unforgettable party.

Under former CEO Adam Neumannand well before it filed for bankruptcyWeWork hosted an annual Halloween party in New York and a wild summer party in the English countryside. The employee get togethers saw music artists like Busta Rhymes, Lorde and Bastille featured as headline acts.

Meanwhile, Yahoo's former CEO Marissa Mayer reportedly spent $7 million in 2015 to throw her team a Great Gatsby-themed party for the holidays.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
FILE PHOTO: Signage is seen outside the Blackstone Group headquarters in New York City

By Nell Mackenzie and Anirudh Saligrama

(Reuters) -Blackstone plans to close a fund that exposes investors to a variety of hedge funds and trading strategies after assets fell almost 90% in four years, the company told Reuters on Tuesday.

The story first appeared in the Financial Times.

The U.S.-based asset manager said it had informed clients after it decided in October that its Blackstone Diversified Multi-Strategy fund would close at the end of the year.

The fund, which represents a 0.5% portion of Blackstone's hedge fund operation, reported a 2% decline in returns from the beginning of 2020 until the end of last month, the company confirmed.

"This is a small, legacy fund of around $200 million," a Blackstone spokesperson said in an emailed statement. The statement said that since hiring new leadership in 2021, Blackstone's fund had outperformed an average global stock and bond portfolio, returning 4.5% to investors, compared with a loss of 4.6% on an average so-called 60/40 portfolio.

"We are in talks with clients to move their capital to newer strategies that offer greater flexibility than the current structure allows," Blackstone said.

Assets under management in the fund peaked at 1.7 billion pounds ($2.12 billion) during the last quarter of 2019. But that had dropped to 190 million pounds, according to the latest fund holdings provided by Kepler Absolute Hedge.

The fund employs a European legal structure called Ucits - Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities - which allows retail investors access, but also restricts the amount of risk the fund can undertake.

($1 = 0.8025 pounds)

(Reporting by Nell Mackenzie and Anirudh Saligrama in Bengaluru; editing by Jason Neely, Kirsten Donovan)
(Bloomberg) -- Chinas MMG Ltd. has clinched one of the biggest copper deals of the year, agreeing to pay $1.9 billion for a mine in southern Africa as major commodities groups vie to add supply of the red metal.

Most Read from Bloomberg

MMG, controlled by state-owned China Minmetals Corp., said on Tuesday it had agreed to buy Cuprous Capital Ltd., a private company which owns the Khoemacau operation in Botswana, producing copper since 2021.

Copper has become a key focus for global miners as the energy transition takes hold, with demand for the metal vital for electric vehicles and power grids set to rise. Glencore Plc.s tilt at Teck Resources Ltd. was motivated at least partly by the latters copper assets, while BHP Group Ltd. this year paid A$9.6 billion ($6.3 billion)  a generous 49% premium  for smaller copper rival OZ Minerals Ltd.

The Khoemacau acquisition underlines MMGs confidence in copper as a commodity with a strong forward demand as the global energy transition accelerates, the firms Chairman Jiqing Xu said in statement. Its shares rose as much as 7.5% in Hong Kong.

The takeover should be completed in the first half of 2024 and it will be immediately earnings accretive, MMG said.

Copper Belt

Khoemacau is producing up to 65,000 tons of copper in ore a year, with plans to expand output to 130,000 tons annually, according to MMG. That would add to MMGs existing output  more than 350,000 tons at the top end of its guidance for 2023.

Copper prices have drifted this year, but longer-term prices are expected to rise as renewable-energy and EV demand grows. Thats already showing up in buying patterns, with China purchasing more copper this year even as traditional industrial consumption in the country weakens, according to commodities trader Trafigura Group.

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On top of the $1.9 billion that it has paid for the asset, MMG will take on the mines expansion costs, estimated at between $700,000 to $800,000, the company said in an investor presentation.

While the valuation looks reasonably full on a number of metrics, the purchase fits within MMGs strategy of trying to expand into Africa, according to David Radclyffe, managing director at Global Mining Research.

The Melbourne-based company has been a major player in global mining for more than a decade, having snapped up Perus Las Bambas mine from Glencore Plc. in 2014. That operation has proved a headache due to sporadic community disputes, and workers there have called a strike this week.

Investing away from Peru also makes a lot of sense, Radclyffe said. The fact is that both Chile and Peru have got a lot harder to operate, so it is becoming a lot harder to acquire assets in the copper space.

Khoemacau is located in the Kalahari copper belt that stretches from northwest Botswana to western Namibia, and is seen as a promising region for copper supply.

The bidding process for the mine drew competition from other Chinese companies including Zijin Mining Group Co., and Aluminum Corp. of China, known as Chinalco.

Australian miner South32 Ltd was also said to be considering a bid for the asset earlier in the year, but Chief Executive Officer Graham Kerr told analysts in August that the mine was a little bit too rich for our blood.

The Weeks Diary

(All times Beijing unless noted.)

Tuesday, Nov. 21:

Longi Green COP28 briefing in Beijing, 10:00

China briefing on upcoming supply chain expo, Beijing, 10:00

Chinese Academy of Social Sciences releases China energy development blueprint, Beijing, 13:30

Wednesday, Nov. 22:

CCTDs weekly online briefing on Chinese coal, 15:00

Thursday, Nov. 23:

EARNINGS: Chow Tai Fook

Friday, Nov. 24:

China Energy Research Society hosts seminar in Beijing on Chinas green transition, 09:00

China weekly iron ore port stockpiles

Shanghai exchange weekly commodities inventory, ~15:30

On the Wire

Chinas copper market is tightening with premiums over exchange prices spiking as better-than-expected demand from electric vehicles, solar panels and the power industry draw down inventories.

(Updates with analyst comment and details throughout)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Chinese consumers have exhibited a growing inclination towards prioritizing travel spending over other discretionary expenditures. Reuters

In a significant rebound fueled by heightened summer travel demand, Chinas Trip.com Group posted a net revenue of RMB 13.7 billion ($1.9 billion) in the third quarter, marking a 99% increase over 2022 and 31% increase from 2019 levels.

During an earnings call on Tuesday, CEO and Director of Trip.com Group, Jane Sun, revealed that while the overall Chinese outbound market only recovered to about 50% of pre-pandemic levels in the third quarter, the groups outbound hotel and air ticket reservations have already surged to 80% of 2019 levels.

Hotel bookings experienced a 97% year-over-year increase, while air bookings saw a 70% uptick, according to Sun. Domestic hotel reservations showed robust growth, surpassing 90% year-over-year and 70% compared to 2019.

Accommodation reservation revenue for the third quarter was RMB 5.6 billion ($780 million), representing a 92% increase year-over-year, 36% higher than the 2019 level.

Chinese Prioritize Travel Spending

Over the past three quarters, Chinese consumers have exhibited a growing inclination towards prioritizing travel spending over other discretionary expenditures, with a steady rise in the propensity to travel abroad, Sun noted.

Emphasizing the role of tailored services offered by hotels in popular destinations, including Dubai, Paris, and Kuala Lumpur, such as Chinese language support and payment options, Sun said these contribute to enhanced consumer confidence.

Top outbound destinations for Chinese travelers continue to be in the Asia Pacific region, including Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand, Singapore, Korea, and Japan, due to higher flight capacity recovery and streamlined visa application processes. Notably, long-haul destinations like Europe have witnessed the fastest growth rate compared to the previous quarter.

Potential for Global Expansion

Trip.com highlighted the significant growth of its global online travel platforms, representing nearly half of its total overseas business. Sun stated that the group sees substantial potential for further global expansion, with 60% of global bookings coming directly through its global mobile app.

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In the Asia Pacific region, 70% of orders are booked through the mobile app, surpassing the global booking rate, Sun added. The company aims to strengthen its brand awareness in the Asia Pacific region, which it considers a key market and powerhouse of growth.

Highlighting a substantial surge in air ticket bookings on the global platform, Sun said this has nearly doubled year-over-year, surpassing 80% above 2019 levels.

Additionally, our global platforms overall hotel bookings also hit a new record high and more than doubled compared to 2019 levels, she said.

Highlighting the companys impressive market share growth in key regions such as Hong Kong, Korea, and Southeast Asia, Sun said, We are applying the same strategic approach to expand to the rest of the world by leveraging our product and service capability.

No Slowdown in Spending

Despite uncertainties in the global economy, Trip.com remains optimistic about Chinas travel demand.

So far, we see no signs of consumption slowdown. And the average travel spending on our platform continues to exceed 2019 levels both for new and existing users, said Xiaofan Wang, chief financial offer and executive vice president.

Corporate travelers have also exhibited increased spending compared to 2019, Wang noted. The company sees significant opportunities in the business travel segment as more businesses adopt managed corporate travel services to optimize budgets.

If there is one country in the world that has not taken revenge travel outbound, it is mainland China, Boon Sian Chai, managing director and vice president of international markets at Trip.com Group had said earlier to Skift.

Looking ahead, Trip.com remains confident in Chinas travel demand, citing ongoing expansions in air, rail, and highway networks and investments in travel infrastructure as strong foundations. The company anticipates a shift in leisure travel spending from cyclical to more secular, driven by rising disposable income and a consumption shift towards services and experiences. Increased online penetration further positions Trip.com for continued success in the evolving travel landscape.

Trip.com Group reported a net income of RMB 4.6 billion ($640 million) in the third quarter, compared to RMB 245 million for the same period in 2022. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) for the third quarter was RMB 4.6 billion ($640 million), compared to RMB 1.4 billion for the same period in 2022.

Get breaking travel news and exclusive hotel, airline, and tourism research and insights at Skift.com.
Elon Musk fights to keep custody battle in Texas, where he'd have to pay only $2,760 a month in child support

Elon Musk with his son X  A-Xii. Clive Mason - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images

Elon Musk accused Grimes of trying to avoid Texas courts in their custody battle, court records show.

Musk said he had his son X but Grimes had moved their other two kids to California this year.

Where the case plays out could have major consequences on any child-support orders.

Elon Musk accused Grimes of moving with two of their kids to California this year to keep the custody battle from playing out in Texas, according to court documents obtained by Business Insider.

Musk initially sued Grimes in Texas in September to "establish the parent-child relationship" with the three kids the pair share.

Weeks later, Grimes countersued Musk in California, seeking physical custody of the children. She told a Texas judge in October that Musk had custody of their 3-year-old son, X  A-Xii , over her objection.

Family-law experts previously told Insider the first fight in the case would probably be over which state had jurisdiction: California or Texas. The outcome of that fight could have major consequences for Musk, thanks to the different child-support caps in California and Texas.

Texas caps monthly child-support payments at $2,760 for three children, which is how many Musk and Grimes share. California, however, has no limit, meaning a person such as Musk  the richest in the world  could be ordered to pay an extremely high amount.

On Monday, Musk filed an amended petition saying Texas was the proper jurisdiction for their custody battle because it was the children's home state when his initial petition was filed.

The petition also said Grimes had claimed to be a nonresident of Texas "in an apparent attempt to circumvent the jurisdiction of this Court." While many of the specific dates in the petition had been redacted, it said Grimes moved to California at some point in 2023 with two of the kids and had not returned to Texas.

X, who is frequently pictured with Musk in public, remained with this father in Texas, the petition said.

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Despite saying that Grimes and two of the kids were in California, the petition said that she and the three children had resided in Texas, primarily with Musk, for at least six consecutive months, thus making it their home state.

But in Grimes' countersuit, she said the three children had been living with her in California since December 31 of last year.

The date that Grimes and the children moved to California could affect which state is considered their home state and, therefore, where the case plays out.

Peter Walzer, a partner of Walzer Melcher with expertise in complicated and high-net-worth family-law cases, noted that Musk's petition cited the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act and the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act  agreements between states that dictate where custody and support cases should play out.

States have different versions of these acts, but both California's and Texas' UCCJEA say the child's home state is the one where they have lived for six consecutive months prior to the custody proceedings. Walzer said Musk and Grimes could spend months just trying to prove which state the kids actually lived in.

Lawyers for Musk and Grimes did not respond to requests for comment from BI.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Emmett Shear tweeted in July about his time interning at Microsoft. Eoin Noonan /Web Summit via Getty Images and Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Emmett Shear tweeted in July that he once interned at Microsoft, and likened it to selling his soul.

That could be awkward, given how Microsoft owns 49% of the company he now helms.

The OpenAI CEO is a prolific tweeter who posts about anything from sexual fantasies to Nazis vs AI.

Emmett Shear was apparently a Microsoft intern once, and he didn't seem to enjoy the experience.

"When I was interning for Microsoft every paycheck felt like I was getting the payment for a little chunk of my soul in the mail," he tweeted in July.

Shear was technically unemployed while writing this, having in March stepped away from his role as the CEO of Twitch to spend time with his newborn son.

But he's now the interim CEO of OpenAI, spearheading a Sam-Altman-less team of 770 employees loudly protesting the sudden loss of their former boss.

And weathering the storm with him is, you guessed it, Microsoft.

Shear will now be almost definitely be working with the corporation he lamented about in July, given that the tech giant owns 49% of OpenAI.

Satya Nadella, Microsoft's CEO, has been a central figure in the process of building a soft landing for OpenAI, which fired Altman  the poster-child for artificial intelligence  out of the blue on Friday.

In the wake of Altman's firing, a swathe of OpenAI employees, including top leadership, have threatened to resign, and some customers are saying they're about to jump ship.

As he announced he was taking the CEO role on Sunday, Shear tweeted a tamer nod to Microsoft.

"Our partnership with Microsoft remains strong, and my priority in the coming weeks will be to make sure we continue to serve all our customers well," he wrote.

Shear is a prolific tweeter. His posts cover a wide range of topics, including asking what people see when they close their eyes and a discussion on the sexual fantasies of women.

Just days before he accepted the OpenAI CEO role, he opined that the CEO job is likely one that can be replaced by computers.

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It's hard to say if a man's gripes about his old internships will have any import on his tenure as a CEO. But in a world where even OpenAI's key investor has no real clue why its CEO and cofounder was fired, anything can happen.

Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider sent outside regular business hours.

Read the original article on Business Insider
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Dublin, Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Europe Online Insurance Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023-2028)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Europe Online Insurance Market is poised for significant growth, with projections indicating a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 7% during the forecast period of 2023-2028. This growth trajectory is primarily driven by the ongoing digital transformation in the insurance sector, a change that has accelerated due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Digital Transformation in the Insurance Sector

The insurance industry, traditionally reliant on personal brokers and agents, is witnessing a fundamental shift toward digital channels. While more than 99% of life insurance policies are traditionally sold through in-person or intermediary channels, the landscape is rapidly evolving:

Online sales in the European insurance market are burgeoning, with countries like Denmark seeing over 80% to 90% of their sales conducted online.

In Estonia, some companies operate exclusively through online sales.

In Italy, 7% of car insurance sales are conducted online, reflecting a growing trend across the continent.

COVID-19: A Catalyst for Digital Insurance

The pandemic has accelerated the adoption of digital tools in the insurance sector. Key developments include:

A shift to chat and videoconference tools, replacing traditional face-to-face interactions.

An increase in the use of software and InsurTech applications by brokerage firms to enhance efficiency and customer service.

The growing importance of price comparison websites, aiding consumers and insurance companies in making informed decisions.

Insurtech Funding and Innovations

The European InsurTech sector experienced a record-breaking funding year in 2021, with approximately EUR 2.5 billion invested across 92 deals. This surge reflects the sector's maturity and the increasing prevalence of large-scale investment rounds.

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Competitive Landscape

The European online insurance market features a mix of traditional players and emerging InsurTech companies. Major traditional insurance companies, such as Allianz SE, Assicurazioni Generali, AXA SA, and Munich Re, are increasingly partnering with tech firms to stay competitive. Meanwhile, smaller InsurTech firms are disrupting the market with tailored solutions, presenting a challenge to established entities.

Conclusion

The Europe Online Insurance Market report comprehensively covers these trends, offering detailed insights into the evolving landscape of digital insurance. This shift represents a fundamental change in how insurance products are distributed and consumed, signaling a new era for the European insurance industry.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/j4g4ls

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.

CONTACT: CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood,Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900




Bapco Tawzeed, a subsidiary of Bapco Energies, has signed a strategic agreement with Four Square Media and Display Solutions, a leading digital advertising company.

The agreement entails the installation of digital screens at all Bapco Tawzeed stations across the Kingdom, marking a significant enhancement in customer engagement.

The partnership aims to strengthen the retail offering provided by Bapco Tazweed to its customers across the Kingdom. The integration of digital screens will play a key role in enriching the marketing and promotional activities for Bapco Tawzeed products and services.

The agreement was signed by the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bapco Tazweed, Issa Muhammad Najibi, and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Four Square in the presence of Jaideep Narindra, CEO of Four Square, Engineer Khalid Al Haj, Director of Projects and Operations.

Additionally, Pascoal Dias, General Manager at Four Square, and Ibrahim Al Alawi, Head of the Business Development Department at Four Square were part of this significant moment.

Najibi stated, This partnership aligns seamlessly with the broader vision of the Bapco Energies Group, emphasizing the importance of cementing and building strategic partnerships with leading partners across diverse domains. This includes everything from operational procedures to technology, extending to investments, all aimed at promoting innovation and pioneering expertise within our organizations."

He added, "We take pride in our partnership with Four Square, an institution with years of experience and renowned for its regional presence. This partnership will significantly contribute to our advertising and media strategies, including both digital and virtual segments.

Mohammed Khaled Chairman of the Board of Directors of Four Square highlighted the importance of entering an agreement with Bapco Tazweed, the largest fuel station network in Bahrain. He stated, This collaboration introduces new opportunities for local advertising and marketing through digital billboards at Bapco Tazweed stations, providing a unique platform for investors and advertisers to engage with consumers innovatively. --OGN/TradeArabia News Service
FILE PHOTO: 'Cop28 UAE' logo is displayed on the screen during the opening ceremony of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) under the theme of 'United on Climate Action Toward COP28', in Abu Dhabi

By Sarita Chaganti Singh, Kate Abnett and Valerie Volcovici

NEW DELHI/BRUSSELS/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - France, backed by the United States, plans to seek a halt to private financing for coal-based power plants during the U.N. climate conference later this month, three sources familiar with the deliberations told Reuters in India and Europe.

The plan, which was communicated to India earlier this month, will deepen divisions at the COP28 summit in Dubai running from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12, with India and China opposed to any attempt to block construction of coal-fired power stations for their energy-hungry economies.

France's minister of state for development Chrysoula Zacharopoulou told the Indian government about the plan, called the "New Coal Exclusion Policy", for private financial institutions and insurance companies, two Indian officials said.

The plan to stop private financing for coal-fired power plants has not been previously reported.

A spokesman for Zacharopoulou did not directly comment on emailed queries from Reuters but said the question of financial investments in coal had been discussed at several different multilateral forums over the past few years.

India's environment, power and renewable energy, coal, external affairs and information ministries, the OECD and the French embassy in New Delhi did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment.

A source in Europe familiar with the plan said the aim was to dry up private funding for coal power and that it was a top priority for French President Emmanuel Macron during COP28, seen as a crucial opportunity to accelerate action to limit global warming.

The proposal provides for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to set coal-exit standards for private finance firms whose financing could be tracked by regulators, rating agencies and non-governmental organisations, the two Indian officials said.

The U.S., European Union and Canada, among others, have been seeking a plan to expedite the phase-out of coal, which they have cited as the "number one threat" to climate goals.

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They are concerned private international financing continues to support large additions to coal capacity in developing nations, according to the plan shared by France with India.

Some 490 gigawatts of new coal capacity, roughly equal to one-fifth of existing global capacity, is planned or under construction, mostly in India and China, the officials said.

Rick Duke, Deputy U.S. Special Envoy on Climate Change, did not comment directly on the proposal but noted the expansion in coal-fired plants.

"We are pushing to set an expectation globally that countries need to join us in the fastest possible power sector transition, including all that clean power deployment," Duke said.

"And countries need to stop digging a deeper hole by building new unabated coal power plants, because unfortunately, there's still some 500 gigawatts of new coal-fired power plants in the pipeline globally, and the IPCC and the International Energy Agency have both been quite clear that that needed to stop already."

Member countries are divided on emissions abatement technologies that are yet to evolve to commercial scale for use in developing countries, one of the Indian officials said.

About 73% of electricity consumed in India is produced using coal, even though the country has increased its non-fossil capacity to 44% of its total installed power generation capacity.

The country intends to resist the push to fix a deadline for a fossil fuel phase-out or phase-down at COP28, as coal will be its main energy source for a few more decades, and may ask members to shift their focus on reducing emissions from other sources. It may also push developed nations to become carbon negative rather than carbon neutral by 2050.

(Reporting by Sarita Chaganti Singh, Valerie Volcovici in Washington and Kate Abnett in Brussels; Additional reporting by Benjamin Mallet in Paris; Editing by Sonali Paul)
The IRS is giving a break to People who received more than $600 via Venmo, PayPal or other payment apps this year.

The agency on Tuesday said it is again delaying the implementation of a 2021 law that requires payment platforms such as Venmo, Paypal or Cash App to send tax forms called 1099-Ks to anyone who received more than $600 in the current tax year.

It's the second consecutive year the IRS has delayed enacting the new regulation, after the tax agency last year pushed off the new law until 2023. On Tuesday, the agency said it will push the regulation back another year "to reduce taxpayer confusion" after hearing from taxpayers, tax professionals and payment processors.

Without that delay, an estimated 44 million 1099-K forms would have been sent to millions of taxpayers for the current tax year, even though they may not have owed taxes on the payments and wouldn't have been expecting such a form, the IRS said.

Instead, the IRS will rely on a preexisting threshold  more than 200 transactions that exceed $20,000 in income  for sending 1099-Ks in early 2024 for completing the current tax year's returns.

The rule change is likely to impact "a significant portion of taxpayers" given that it would have affected anyone receiving more than $600 via a payment app this year, noted Eric Bronnenkant, a CPA and head of tax at Betterment, in an email.

Still, he noted that despite this change all taxable income must still be reported to the IRS. "[T]here need to be guideposts in place so taxpayers can navigate what should/shouldn't be reported," he said.

Reporting threshold raised to $5,000 next year

In a key revision to the law, the IRS said that starting in tax year 2024 it will transition toward the new rule by increasing the reporting threshold from $600 to $5,000. That means people who receive more than $5,000 in payments via PayPal and other apps in 2024 would receive the 1099-K tax form in early 2025 to complete their 2024 tax returns.

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For the 2025 tax year, the threshold would step down to $600, unless the IRS makes additional changes.

"The IRS's decision to delay implementation of the new Form 1099-K reporting requirements is good news for taxpayers, tax professionals and payment processors," said Erin Collins, the National Taxpayer Advocate, an arm of the IRS focused on the interests of taxpayers.

She added, "Equally important is the IRS's announcement today that it will adopt a phased-in approach and only require reporting of transactions totaling more than $5,000 next year. Taxpayers and tax professionals need certainty and clarity about what is expected of them."

Some Republican lawmakers said the IRS' second consecutive delay is a sign that the $600 rule has generated confusion and is "unworkable."

"Given that even Democrats now admit that this law is unworkable and are trying to rewrite a key provision, it's time to scrap it and start over," said Rep. Jason Smith of Missouri, the chair of the House Ways and Means Committee.

A provision in 2021 American Rescue Plan requires users to report transactions through payment apps including Venmo, Cash App and others for goods and services meeting or exceeding $600 in a calendar year. Before the ARP provision  and now for this year  the reporting requirement applied only to the sale of goods and services to taxpayers who receive over $20,000 and have over 200 transactions.

Pushback from online sellers

The rule had sparked significant pushback from online selling platforms such as eBay and Etsy, with some of the companies arguing that the reporting requirement would create confusion and difficulties for sellers who rely on these platforms to make a living.

At the same time, Republican lawmakers had decried the plan as government overreach and argued that it could hurt people who rely on payment apps to reimburse friends and family members.

IRS officials said one reason for the delay is taxpayer confusion over what sorts of transaction are reportable under the new law. For instance, transactions between friends and families, like selling a couch or car or repaying a friend for pizza, would not be reportable. Likewise, selling used items such as clothing or furniture for a loss through a service like eBay could also generate a 1099-K, even though those sales would create no tax liability.

Yet other sales could be taxable, such as a small business that is selling goods or services for a profit.

"Taking this phased-in approach is the right thing to do for the purposes of tax administration, and it prevents unnecessary confusion," IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said in a statement. "It's clear that an additional delay for tax year 2023 will avoid problems for taxpayers, tax professionals and others in this area."

With reporting by the Associated Press.
Do you need to make a last-minute trip to the grocery store to pick up something for your Thanksgiving gathering?

You're in luck this year, as some grocery stores will be open on Thursday, Nov. 23, albeit with limited hours, for any last-minute Thanksgiving needs.

Several grocery stores, including popular chains such as Kroger, Albertsons, and Stop & Shop, have announced that they will reduce their holiday operating hours to allow their employees to enjoy quality time with their loved ones. Others, like Publix and Trader Joe's, will be closed on Thanksgiving.

Here's everything you need to know about which grocery stores will be open and closed on Thanksgiving in 2023.

Thanksgiving 2023: Are banks and post offices open on Thanksgiving and Black Friday? Here's what to know

Where is Thanksgiving most expensive? Residents in these US cities expect to pay more

Is Walmart open on Thanksgiving?

All Walmart stores will be closed on Thanksgiving.

Is Kroger open on Thanksgiving?

All stores in the Kroger family of companies will be open, however most will close in the early evening.

The Kroger family of stores includes: Bakers, City Market, Dillons, Food 4 Less, Foods Co, Fred Meyer, Frys, Gerbes, Jay C Food Store, King Soopers, Kroger, Marianos, Metro Market, Pay-Less Super Markets, Pickn Save, QFC, Ralphs, Ruler, Smiths Food and Drug.

It is best to check with your local store for more specific information about their holiday hours.

Is Whole Foods open on Thanksgiving?

According to the company, many of its stores are open with modified hours on Thanksgiving. You can check your local store's hours here.

Is Target open on Thanksgiving?

No, all Target stores will be closed on Thanksgiving this year.

Are Costco and Sam's Club open on Thanksgiving?

Both Costco and Sam's Club will be closed on Thanksgiving this year.

Is Publix open on Thanksgiving?

All Publix stores will be closed on Thanksgiving.

Is Food Lion open on Thanksgiving?

Most stores will be closing at 3 p.m., however a few select stores in Virginia (Lynchburg, Blacksburg and Charlottesville) will close at 4 p.m., the company told USA TODAY.

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Is Trader Joe's open on Thanksgiving?

All stores will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 23 for the Thanksgiving holiday, according to the company's website.

Is Aldi open on Thanksgiving?

No, Aldi stores will be closed on Nov. 23 this year.

Want to save money for Thanksgiving? Here are some ideas for a cheaper holiday dinner

Is Winn-Dixie open on Thanksgiving?

No, Winn-Dixie stores will be closed on Thanksgiving.

Is Lidl open on Thanksgiving?

All Lidl stores will be closed on Thanksgiving.

Are pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens open on Thanksgiving?

Most CVS stores will be open regular hours, however some stores may be closed or have limited hours, the company told USA TODAY.

Walgreens announced Nov. 16 that for the first time in company history, most of its locations will be closed on Thanksgiving. According to the company, 24-hour locations will remain open.

It is always best to check your local store's hours before going. You can find your local CVS here and Walgreens here.

Other grocery stores open on Thanksgiving

All grocery stores below will be operating under adjusted hours unless noted otherwise. It is always best to check with your local store and pharmacy hours before visiting.

Meijer: Open 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Safeway: Pharmacy may be closed or have adjusted hours

Albertsons: Pharmacy may be closed or have adjusted hours

Jewel-Osco: Pharmacy may be closed or have adjusted hours

ACME: Pharmacy may be closed or have adjusted hours

Shaw's: Pharmacy may be closed or have adjusted hours

Vons: Pharmacy may be closed or have adjusted hours

Tom Thumb: Pharmacy may be closed or have adjusted hours

Sprouts Farmers Market: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Wegman's: Stores will close at 4 p.m.

Giant Eagle: Stores will close at 3 p.m.; Pharmacies will be closed

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Grocery stores open or closed on Thanksgiving? Kroger, Publix, Aldi
TOKYO (Reuters) - The number of Japanese firms planning to expand in China has fallen to less than 30% for the first time, according to a survey published on Tuesday, with economic slowdown, increasing competition and geopolitical tension putting many off.

The waning appetite for Japanese businesses to augment operations in Japan's biggest trade partner, alongside the United States, underscores fraught bilateral ties between the east Asian neighbours.

In an annual survey by the Japan External Trade Organisation, a semi-governmental export promotion agency, 27.7% of 710 companies said they were expecting to expand operations in China in the next a year or two.

The percentage declined from 33.4% last year and 40.9% in 2021.

Some 31 firms attributed their downsizing to economic uncertainty and a sluggish market, while 15 blamed a slump in Japanese auto sales in China, the world's top car market.

Japanese car makers, like other foreign brands, face the rise of domestic players in China, the popularity of electric vehicles and growing price competition.

Seven firms also noted rising geopolitical risks, with bilateral relations, rarely smooth, have been particularly strained over recent months.

China last month arrested a Japanese executive, an employee of Japanese drugmaker Astellas Pharma, on suspicion of espionage. The arrest has had a chilling effect on business, Japanese officials say.

Japan infuriated China when it began releasing treated radioactive water from its wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean in August, leading to a Chinese ban on Japanese seafood.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida last week said they would pursue mutually beneficial relations in their first face-to-face talks in a year.

(Reporting by Satoshi Sugiyama; editing by Robert Birsel)
Key Insights

Institutions' substantial holdings in Citigroup implies that they have significant influence over the company's share price

43% of the business is held by the top 25 shareholders

Insiders have been selling lately

A look at the shareholders of Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) can tell us which group is most powerful. The group holding the most number of shares in the company, around 69% to be precise, is institutions. Put another way, the group faces the maximum upside potential (or downside risk).

Last week's US$4.9b market cap gain would probably be appreciated by institutional investors, especially after a year of 3.1% losses.

Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about Citigroup.

Check out our latest analysis for Citigroup

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Citigroup?

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.

As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in Citigroup. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. 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 Citigroup's historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story.

Institutional investors own over 50% of the company, so together than can probably strongly influence board decisions. Citigroup is not owned by hedge funds. The Vanguard Group, Inc. is currently the company's largest shareholder with 8.7% of shares outstanding. BlackRock, Inc. is the second largest shareholder owning 8.6% of common stock, and State Street Global Advisors, Inc. holds about 4.2% of the company stock.

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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 it makes sense to study institutional ownership data for a company, it also makes sense to study analyst sentiments to know which way the wind is blowing. Quite a few analysts cover the stock, so you could look into forecast growth quite easily.

Insider Ownership Of Citigroup

While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it.

I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions.

Our data suggests that insiders own under 1% of Citigroup Inc. in their own names. Being so large, we would not expect insiders to own a large proportion of the stock. Collectively, they own US$191m of stock. It is good to see board members owning shares, but it might be worth checking if those insiders have been buying.

General Public Ownership

The general public-- including retail investors -- own 28% stake in the company, and hence can't easily be ignored. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run.

Next Steps:

While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. Consider risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Citigroup you should know about.

If you are like me, you may want to think about whether this company will grow or shrink. Luckily, you can check this free report showing analyst forecasts for its future.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
First production models of IONIQ 5 robotaxi will be manufactured at HMGICS and deployed as part of Motional's commercial services in the U.S., starting in 2024

Hyundai Motor Group and Motional announce all-electric IONIQ 5 robotaxi is one of the first SAE Level 4 autonomous vehicles to be certified under U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards

IONIQ 5 robotaxi is the world's first fully-integrated autonomous vehicle to be mass-produced on a smart, flexible cell-based production system

SEOUL, South Korea and SINGAPORE, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyundai Motor Group (the Group) and Motional  a global autonomous technology leader  celebrate today the opening of the Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore (HMGICS) and announce that Hyundai and Motional's jointly developed all-electric IONIQ 5 robotaxi will be manufactured at HMGICS. The first production-ready IONIQ 5 robotaxis will be deployed as part of Motional's commercial services in the U.S., starting in 2024.

Motional's IONIQ 5 robotaxi being manufactured at Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore

Additionally, Motional and the Group revealed today that the IONIQ 5 robotaxi is one of the first SAE Level 4 autonomous vehicles (AVs) to be certified under the U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). The certification is a testament to the vehicle's incredibly thorough development and testing program, its safety and reliability, and the sophistication of the autonomous technology, according to Motional President and CEO Karl Iagnemma.

"HMGICS is a vision for transportation innovation," Iagnemma said. "We're enormously proud to have the IONIQ 5 robotaxi manufactured at this facility and look forward to introducing the world to some of the first-ever FMVSS-certified autonomous vehicles. It's through the strength of our collaboration with Hyundai that we were able to develop an industry-leading robotaxi that meets rigorous federal standards and is ready for mass commercialization."

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Commenting on HMGICS' role in bringing the IONIQ 5 robotaxi from development to production reality, CEO of HMGICS, Hong Bum Jung, said: "HMGICS stands as Hyundai Motor Group's first global innovation hub and global test bed for future mobility. Our mission at HMGICS is to revolutionize the mobility value chain by developing and producing advanced and diverse forms of future mobility solutions. Commencing production of the IONIQ 5 robotaxi in collaboration with Motional, we are committed to a continuous journey of innovation, aiming to spearhead the paradigm shift in the future of mobility."

HMGICS combines advanced automation and real-time monitoring and data evaluation to push the boundaries of what's possible in production. It's also equipped with advanced features bespoke to HMGICS to support AV production, including testing facilities and a calibration center. Motional has deployed a team on site to assist with production. These employees are located at the Autonomous Vehicle Integration Center and will perform critical diagnostics, software development, calibration and validation tasks to ensure that finished examples of the IONIQ 5 robotaxi meet exacting specifications and are ready for deployment.

Motional and the Group have been preparing for the production of the breakthrough IONIQ 5 robotaxi for several years, including the development of a limited series of prototype vehicles that have been tested in the U.S. and Singapore for over a year. The initial fleet of IONIQ 5 robotaxis recently completed a series of evaluations designed to demonstrate the quality, performance, and maturity of the robotaxi and its autonomous driving technology. Commercial production of the IONIQ 5 robotaxi is underway, and the first models have already arrived at Motional's facility in the U.S. The vehicles are undergoing Motional's rigorous testing and safety validation processes before beginning commercial service in 2024.

For more information on the IONIQ 5 robotaxi and Motional's commercial services, visit Motional.com/news .

About Motional

Motional is a driverless technology company making autonomous vehicles (AVs) a safe, reliable, and accessible reality. The company formed in 2020 as a joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group, one of the world's largest vehicle manufacturers offering smart mobility solutions, and Aptiv, a global technology company that develops safer, greener, and more connected solutions enabling a more sustainable future of mobility.

Motional is developing and commercializing SAE Level 4 autonomous vehicles for ride-hail and delivery applications. The company has unparalleled experience in commercial robotaxi operations, having conducted over 130,000 autonomous rides through its public service in Las Vegas.

Headquartered in Boston, Motional has operations in the U.S and Asia. For more information, visit www.Motional.com and follow the company on LinkedIn .

About Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore (HMGICS)

HMGICS, the Hyundai Motor Group's test bed and a global open innovation hub, aims to develop new EV business models, forge innovative partnerships, produce mobility products, and develop the Group's intelligent manufacturing platform to revolutionize the overall sustainable mobility value chain. Established with the aim of revolutionizing the future mobility value chain, the Center utilises the latest Industry 4.0 smart technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) and robotics with deep expertise in smart mobility solutions and smart automotive manufacturing solutions.

More information about HMGICS can be found at: https://www.hyundai.com/sg/home

About Hyundai Motor Group

Hyundai Motor Group is a global corporation that has created a value chain based on automobiles, steel, and construction and includes logistics, finance, IT and service. With about 250,000 employees worldwide, the Group's automobile brands include Hyundai Motor Co., Kia Motors Corp and Genesis. Armed with creative thinking, cooperative communication and the will to take on all challenges, we are working to create a better future for all.

More information about Hyundai Motor Group, please see: www.hyundaimotorgroup.com

Cision

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SOURCE Motional
Myricx Bio

LONDON and SHANGHAI, China, Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Myricx Bio (Myricx), a UK biotech company focused on the discovery and development of a completely novel class of antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) payloads based on N-Myristoyltransferase inhibition (NMTi), and WuXi Biologics (WuXi Bio) (2269.HK), a leading global Contract Research, Development and Manufacturing Organization (CRDMO), today announce that they have entered into a license agreement under which Myricx will have exclusive access to a proprietary antibody that was discovered based on WuXi Bios integrated technology platforms.



Under the terms of the agreement, Myricx will develop the antibody into a first-in-class ADC based on its NMTi payload platform, which has a highly differentiated profile over standard payload classes, including microtubule and topoisomerase inhibitors. Myricx intends to progress the ADC through preclinical and clinical development for difficult-to-treat solid tumours. WuXi Bio will receive an upfront payment and will be eligible for development and commercialisation milestone payments, as well as royalties on net sales.

NMT is an enzyme that adds a specific lipid modification to several protein targets key to cancer cell survival. Myricx recently highlighted the power of its NMTi payload platform across multiple tumour-associated antigens including B7-H3, TROP2, and HER2, with preclinical data presented at the 14th Annual World ADC conference in San Diego for which Myricx won the prize for Best Poster.

This is the second antibody license agreement that Myricx has entered into with a global company in the past few months as the Company builds out its pipeline of NMTi-ADCs.

Myricx CEO Dr Robin Carr said, We are delighted to have reached this agreement with WuXi Bio, one of the top biologics CRDMOs globally. We believe that combining this leading antibody with our novel NMTi-based payload will create an ADC with significant clinical differentiation in solid tumours. Based on our positive preclinical data, we believe NMTi-ADCs offer a highly differentiated mechanism of action, superb efficacy, and good tolerability across different cancer targets.

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Dr Chris Chen, CEO of WuXi Biologics, commented, "This license agreement with Myricx is another testament of our proprietary integrated platform and the R in our CRDMO business model. We are looking forward to enabling global clients to develop more first-in-class and best-in-class biologics drugs for the benefits of patients worldwide."

Myricx is a spin-out from two of the UKs leading biomedical research organisations: Imperial College London and the Francis Crick Institute; founded to develop drugs based on the unique insights into NMT biology made by its founders Professors Ed Tate and Roberto Solari, with seed financing from Sofinnova Partners and Brandon Capital.

Notes to Editors:

About Myricx Bio - www.myricxbio.com

Myricx Bio (Myricx) is a UK biotech company focused on the discovery and development of a completely novel class of payloads for antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), based on inhibitors of N-myristoyltransferases (NMT) for the treatment of cancer.

NMT is an enzyme that adds a specific lipid modification to a number of protein targets key to cancer cell survival. Myricx is advancing a pipeline of ADCs to address serious unmet needs in oncology based on its NMT inhibitor (NMTi) payload chemistry platform and has demonstrated excellent preclinical efficacy and safety across multiple solid tumour associated antigens and cancer cell types.

Based in London, Myricx is a spin out from Imperial College London and the Francis Crick Institute with investment from Sofinnova Partners and Brandon Capital Partners.

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About WuXi Biologics - www.wuxibiologics.com

WuXi Biologics (stock code: 2269.HK) is a leading global Contract Research, Development and Manufacturing Organization (CRDMO) offering end-to-end solutions that enable partners to discover, develop and manufacture biologics  from concept to commercialization  for the benefit of patients worldwide.

With over 12,000 skilled employees in China, the United States, Ireland, Germany and Singapore, WuXi Biologics leverages its technologies and expertise to provide customers with efficient and cost-effective biologics discovery, development and manufacturing solutions. As of June 30, 2023, WuXi Biologics is supporting 621 integrated client projects, including 22 in commercial manufacturing.

WuXi Biologics views Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) responsibilities as an integral component of our ethos and business strategy, and we aim to become an ESG leader in the biologics CRDMO sector. Our facilities use next-generation biomanufacturing technologies and clean-energy sources. We have also established an ESG committee led by our CEO to steer the comprehensive ESG strategy and its implementation, enhancing our commitment to sustainability.

Myricx Bio contacts

At the Company

Dr Robin Carr, CEO, Myricx Bio, info@myricxbio.com



Media Enquiries

Sue Charles, Charles Consultants, sue@charles-consultants.com, +44 (0)7986 726585




Newcore Gold Ltd.

60-Day Pilot Tests Completed on 15-Tonne Samples from the Sewum and Boin Gold Deposits

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Newcore Gold Ltd. ("Newcore" or the "Company") (TSX-V: NCAU, OTCQX: NCAUF) is pleased to announce positive results from two bulk-scale pilot heap tests completed as part of the ongoing metallurgical program at the Companys 100%-owned Enchi Gold Project ("Enchi" or the "Project") in Ghana. Two bulk-scale pilot heap tests, leached for 60-days, were completed on 15-tonne composite samples of oxide mineralization from the Sewum Gold Deposit ("Sewum") and the Boin Gold Deposit ("Boin") at Enchi. An average gold recovery of 91.9% was achieved from both samples, with Sewum achieving an average gold recovery of 93.5% and Boin achieving an average gold recovery of 90.3%. These strong metallurgical results on oxide material from Enchi continue to highlight the Projects amenability to heap leach processing.



Highlights from the Pilot Heap Test Results

Average gold recovery of 91.9% achieved from testwork on oxide mineralization. Two 15-tonne composite samples from Sewum and Boin, leached for 60-days. Sewum sample achieved an average gold recovery of 93.5% with a head assay grade of 0.81 grams per tonne gold ("g/t Au"). Boin sample achieved an average gold recovery of 90.3% with a head assay grade of 1.09 g/t Au.

Representative samples were collected at Sewum and Boin from two trenches on the central portions of each deposit, completed specifically for metallurgical testwork. The Sewum and Boin Gold Deposits at Enchi comprise approximately 76% of the Mineral Resource Estimate defined to date at Enchi. Results continue to show low consumption values for reagents: cement, cyanide, lime.

Results in-line with column testwork completed to date, highlight +90% gold recoveries with oxide and transition material amenable to heap leach processing. The pilot heap test results confirm the results of 14 column tests of 60 days or longer, completed over the past two years, which returned an average gold recovery of 92.2%.



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Additional metallurgical testwork underway Optimization work continues with additional column tests to be completed on oxide mineralization from the Sewum, Boin, Nyam and Tokosea gold deposits. Additional testing of sulphide mineralization from Sewum is in progress.



Greg Smith, VP Exploration of Newcore stated, "These bulk-scale pilot heap tests completed on representative oxide material from the Enchi Gold Project returned high recoveries, in-line with results from metallurgical testing completed to date, further supporting the amenability of Enchi to heap leach processing. The larger, 15-tonne samples are a significant step in confirming the positive results from the extensive lab testing completed to date. These results, along with the additional positive test results completed and reported since 2021, will be incorporated into our updated Preliminary Economic Assessment Study which is targeted for completion in H1 2024. This testwork was completed on samples from the two largest deposits currently identified on the Project, Sewum and Boin, which together compromise approximately 76% of the current Mineral Resource Estimate. We continue to de-risk and advance the development of the Project with further metallurgical testwork underway on both oxide and sulphide mineralization at Enchi."

Metallurgical Testing Summary

The two bulk-scale 15-tonne pilot heap tests on oxide mineralization were completed as part of the ongoing metallurgical program at the Companys 100%-owned Enchi Gold Project in Ghana. A gold recovery of 93.5% for Sewum and 90.3% for Boin was achieved after 60 days of leaching.

Table 1  Pilot Heap Tests Detail and Average Gold Recovery

Deposit Sample Size Test Length Grade (g/t Au) Average Recovery Sewum 15 tonnes 60 days 0.81 93.5% Boin 15 tonnes 60 days 1.09 90.3% Average 15 tonnes 60 days 0.95 91.9%



A graph showing the leach curve can be viewed at the following link:

https://newcoregold.com/site/assets/files/5834/2023_11-ncau-nr-met-pilot-test-results-graph.pdf

The gold recovery increased rapidly for the first 20 days reaching 78.6% for Sewum and 73.2% for Boin, continued at a moderate rate until day 40 reaching 91.7% for Sewum and 85.9% for Boin, with ultimate recoveries of 93.5% for Sewum and 90.3% for Boin achieved after 60 days.

Head Sample Analysis

The mineralized material collected from the trenches was mixed in an agglomeration drum, with three representative sub-samples taken at regular intervals. The head assay data for the three sub-samples is presented in Table 2. The average assay for the Sewum mineralized material was 0.81 g/t Au and that for Boin was 1.09 g/t Au.

Table 2a - Head Assays (g/t Au) of Sub-Samples for Sewum

Sample Assay 1 Assay 2 Average 1 0.85 0.88 0.87 2 0.51 0.76 0.64 3 0.94 0.89 0.92 Average 0.81



Table 2b - Head Assays (g/t Au) of Sub-Samples for Boin

Sample Assay 1 Assay 2 Average 1 1.14 1.10 1.12 2 1.15 1.21 1.18 3 0.97 0.98 0.98 Average 1.09



Reagent Consumption

The samples showed low reagent consumptions, in-line with the column testwork completed to date. During agglomeration, 8 kg/t of cement was added for each 15-tonne bulk sample. Cyanide consumption averaged 0.74 kg/t (0.77 kg/t for Sewum and 0.71 kg/t for Boin) with a 2.28 kg/t lime (hydrated) addition to maintain a pH above 10.5 for both tests.

Table 3 - Reagent Consumption (kg/t) Summary

Reagent Sewum Boin Average Cyanide 0.77 0.71 0.74 Lime 2.28 2.28 2.28 Cement 8.0 8.0 8.0



Metallurgical Testing  Pilot Heap Tests

The two 15-tonne samples were transported to the University of Mines and Technology located in Tarkwa, Ghana.

Two platforms were built to receive the bulk-scale metallurgical samples. Each of the two samples received were blended in an agglomeration drum and sub-samples taken for head assays. 8 kg/t of Portland cement, 1000 ppm cyanide solution and 2.28 kg/t lime were used in the agglomeration process and the agglomerates were placed on the prepared platforms. After a curing period of 72 hours, irrigation began and was completed for 60 days.

The heap leach pad preparation commenced with compaction of the ground with an impermeable clay layer at a slope angle of between 3 and 6 degrees near the designated collection solution point. The ground compaction was done such that there was uniform strength across the ground to prevent point stresses that could puncture the impervious membrane. Primary berms of height 0.5 metres were constructed around each leach pad, approximately 1.0 metre away from the heaps. The space that was occupied by the mineralized material was approximately 2.5 x 2.5 metres and was covered with quartz pebbles to create channels for the solution to run through the heap and then flow without obstruction to the collection point. 15-tonnes of each of the two different mineralized materials, one from Sewum and one from Boin, were then agglomerated on site with the aid of a concrete mixer. Coarse material larger than 5 to 10 cm was crushed, otherwise the mineralized material was agglomerated as received and poured out and heaped manually. The cyanide solution was pumped into the dripper tubes that were laid on top of the pilot heaps, for discharge onto the prepared heaps. Dripper tubes were used to prevent splashing of cyanide solution beyond heaps as an environmental precaution. Percolated solution then flowed down the pad slope to the collection point where the solution was channelled into a container filled with activated carbon for gold adsorption. Solution samples were then taken before and after adsorption for Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry ("AAS") analysis to determine the gold in solution for metal balancing and recovery calculations. After adsorption, the solution was conditioned and recirculated onto the heaps (closed circuit) for 60 days.

At the end of each processing day, solution exiting the heap was collected, the volume measured and the gold in solution determined. Gold in all particulate samples was analysed by fire assaying and that in solution samples by AAS.

The objective of the pilot heap tests was to simulate the response to leaching of the samples with the emphasis on establishing the gold dissolution characteristics (rate and extent) and reagent consumption within the material. All samples showed amenability to heap leaching, with recoveries from samples from both Sewum and Boin averaging 91.9% after 60 days.

Boin and Sewum Oxide Sample Details

The material for the pilot heap tests was sourced from two trenches excavated for metallurgical testwork on the Enchi Gold Project. The locations of the trenches were selected in order to allow for wide gold mineralized intercepts of oxide gold mineralization in each of the two largest deposits, Sewum and Boin. Material exposed in the trenches is consider representative of the oxide portion for both deposits. A total of 61 metres was completed on KBTR_MET_001 from Boin and 107 metres was completed on SWTR_MET_001 from Sewum. Trench KBTR_MET_001 at Boin was dug-out manually while as SWTR_MET_001 was dug-out mechanically. Samples were assigned a new unique number and submitted to the Intertek Lab located in Tarkwa, Ghana.

Trench KBTR_MET_001 at Boin includes a mineralized interval of 1.43 g/t Au over 44 metres, with a 15-tonne composite sample prepared from one 30-metre-long segment consisting of 30 one-metre samples with an average grade of 1.22 g/t Au (ranging from 5.17 g/t Au to 0.05 g/t Au).

Trench SWTR_MET_001 from Sewum includes a mineralized interval of 1.18 g/t Au over 92 metres, with a 15-tonne composite sample prepared from three segments totalling 60 metres in length and comprised of 60 one-metre samples with an overall average grade of 0.83 g/t Au (ranging from 5.31 g/t Au to 0.17 g/t Au).

Select assay results from the two trenches are shown below:

Table 4 - Enchi Gold Project Trenching Results Highlights

Hole ID Zone/Deposit From (m) To (m) Length (m) Au (g/t) KBTR_MET_001 Boin 1.0 45.0 44.0 1.43 including 5.0 34.0 29.0 1.97 SWTR_MET_001 Sewum 15.0 107.0 92.0 1.18 including 27.0 40.0 13.0 2.70 including 58.0 81.0 23.0 1.78



Notes:

1. Intervals reported are trench lengths with true width estimated to be 75 - 85%; and

2. Length-weighted averages from uncut assays.

3. For additional details and results of column tests completed on the same material see news release dated October 4, 2023.

Enchi Gold Project  Comparison of Pilot Heap Test Results to Column Test Results

The positive gold recovery values (average recovery of 91.9%) from the bulk-scale pilot heap testwork confirm results from a series of column tests completed over the last two years. A total of 14 column tests with leach times of over 60-days have been completed, with an average gold recovery of 92.2% achieved. This column testwork included six tests with a 60-day duration, two tests with a 70-day duration, and six tests with a 90-day duration. Gold recovery curves were similar with average gold recoveries of 65.6% after 30 days, 85.6% after 60 days, and 92.2% at the completion of the tests. The tests were completed on oxide and transition material from the Sewum and Boin deposits, except for one sample completed on mixed oxide and transition material from the Kwakyekrom gold deposit. Material used for the testwork included reverse circulation chip coarse rejects, split diamond drill core, as well as trench samples. Consumption values for reagents (cement, lime, cyanide) are similarly low when comparing the results of the column tests with the pilot heap test results. All testwork was completed at labs located in Tarkwa, Ghana, with thirteen of the column tests completed at Intertek Lab and one completed at the University of Mines and Technology.

Enchi Gold Project Mineral Resource Estimate

The Enchi Gold Project hosts an Indicated Mineral Resource of 41.7 million tonnes grading 0.55 g/t Au containing 743,500 ounces gold and an Inferred Mineral Resource of 46.6 million tonnes grading 0.65 g/t Au containing 972,000 ounces (see Newcore news release dated March 7, 2023). Mineral resource estimation practices are in accordance with CIM Estimation of Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve Best Practice Guidelines (November 29, 2019) and follow CIM Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves (May 10, 2014), that are incorporated by reference into National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101"). The Mineral Resource Estimate is from the technical report titled "Mineral Resource Estimate for the Enchi Gold Project" with an effective date of January 25, 2023, which was prepared for Newcore by Todd McCracken, P. Geo, of BBA E&C Inc. and Simon Meadows Smith, P. Geo, of SEMS Exploration Services Ltd. in accordance with NI 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, and is available under the Companys profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Todd McCracken and Simon Meadows Smith are independent qualified persons ("QP") as defined by NI 43-101.

Newcore Gold Best Practice

Newcore is committed to best practice standards for all exploration, sampling and drilling activities. Drilling was completed by an independent drilling firm using industry standard RC and Diamond Drill equipment. Analytical quality assurance and quality control procedures include the systematic insertion of blanks, standards and duplicates into the sample strings. Samples are placed in sealed bags and shipped directly to Intertek Labs located in Tarkwa, Ghana for 50 gram gold fire assay.

Qualified Person

Mr. Gregory Smith, P. Geo, Vice President of Exploration at Newcore, is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, and has reviewed and approved the technical data and information contained in this news release. Mr. Smith has verified the technical and scientific data disclosed herein and has conducted appropriate verification on the underlying data including confirmation of the drillhole data files against the original drillhole logs and assay certificates.

About Newcore Gold Ltd.

Newcore Gold is advancing its Enchi Gold Project located in Ghana, Africas largest gold producer (1). The Project currently hosts an Indicated Mineral Resource of 743,500 ounces of gold at 0.55 g/t and an Inferred Mineral Resource of 972,000 ounces of gold at 0.65 g/t (2). Newcore Gold offers investors a unique combination of top-tier leadership, who are aligned with shareholders through their 20% equity ownership, and prime district scale exploration opportunities. Enchis 216 km2 land package covers 40 kilometres of Ghanas prolific Bibiani Shear Zone, a gold belt which hosts several 5 million-ounce gold deposits, including the Chirano mine 50 kilometers to the north. Newcores vision is to build a responsive, creative and powerful gold enterprise that maximizes returns for shareholders.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors of Newcore Gold Ltd.

Luke Alexander

President, CEO & Director

For further information, please contact:

Mal Karwowska | Vice President, Corporate Development and Investor Relations

+1 604 484 4399

info@newcoregold.com

www.newcoregold.com

(1) Source: Production volumes for 2022 as sourced from the World Gold Council

(2) Notes for Mineral Resource Estimate:

1. Canadian Institute of Mining Metallurgy and Petroleum ("CIM") definition standards were followed for the resource estimate.

2. The 2023 resource models used ordinary kriging (OK) grade estimation within a three-dimensional block model with mineralized zones defined by wireframed solids and constrained by pits shell for Sewum, Boin and Nyam. Kwakyekrom and Tokosea used Inverse Distance squared (ID2).

3. Open pit cut-off grades varied from 0.14 g/t to 0.25 g/t Au based on mining and processing costs as well as the recoveries in different weathered material.

4. Heap leach cut-off grade varied from 0.14 g/t to 0.19 g/t in the pit shell and 1.50 g/t for underground based on mining costs, metallurgical recovery, milling costs and G&A costs.

5. CIL cut off grade varied from 0.25 g/t to 0.27 g/t in a pit shell and 1.50 g/t for underground based on mining costs, metallurgical recovery, milling costs and G&A costs.

6. A US$1,650/ounce gold price was used to determine the cut-off grade.

7. Metallurgical recoveries have been applied to five individual deposits and in each case three material types (oxide, transition, and fresh rock).

8. A density of 2.19 g/cm3 for oxide, 2.45 g/cm3 for transition, and 2.72 g/cm3 for fresh rock was applied.

9. Optimization pit slope angles varied based on the rock types.

10. Reasonable mining shapes constrain the mineral resource in close proximity to the pit shell.

11. Mineral Resources that are not mineral reserves do not have economic viability. Numbers may not add due to rounding.

12. The Mineral Resource Estimate is from the technical report titled "Mineral Resource Estimate for the Enchi Gold Project" with an effective date of January 25, 2023, which was prepared for Newcore by Todd McCracken, P. Geo, of BBA E&C Inc. and Simon Meadows Smith, P. Geo, of SEMS Exploration Services Ltd. in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects and is available under Newcores SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca. Todd McCracken and Simon Meadows Smith are independent qualified persons ("QP") as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

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 Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes statements that contain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation ("forward-looking statements"). All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussion with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often, but not always using phrases such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward-looking statements relate, among other things, to: statements about the estimation of mineral resources; timing and completion of an updated PEA; results of metallurgical testwork, results of drilling, magnitude or quality of mineral deposits; anticipated advancement of mineral properties or programs; and future exploration prospects.

These forward-looking statements, and any assumptions upon which they are based, are made in good faith and reflect our current judgment regarding the direction of our business. The assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to Newcore. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of Newcore believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, Newcore cannot assure its shareholders that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking statements, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Forward-looking information also involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such factors include, among others: risks related to the speculative nature of the Companys business; the Companys formative stage of development; the Companys financial position; possible variations in mineralization, grade or recovery rates; actual results of current exploration activities; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; fluctuations in spot and forward prices of gold and other commodities; fluctuations in currency markets (such as the Canadian dollar to United States dollar exchange rate); change in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, unusual or unexpected geological formations); the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development (including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses, permits and approvals from government authorities); and title to properties.

Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release and the Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, except as may be required by applicable securities laws. 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. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.








Congressional lawmakers have left themselves loads of work to tackle when they return from their current Thanksgiving break  and some real questions about just what they can get done.

While Congress managed to avoid a government shutdown this year through bipartisan action, it has made relatively little progress toward funding the government for the full fiscal year that began seven weeks ago. On top of that, the process thus far has left hardline conservatives angry at new Speaker Mike Johnson, casting doubt about how he will navigate the negotiations that lie ahead.

Setting those 2024 spending levels will require consensus between the GOP-led House and Democratic Senate before the next fiscal deadlines, teeing up what many expect to be an even more contentious battle that will center on Johnsons ability to lead his deeply divided conference, The Washington Posts Marianna Sotomayor wrote this weekend. But while appropriators and governing-minded lawmakers in both parties believe they can strike [a] compromise and avoid an automatic 1 percent cut across all federal departments early next year, far-right hard-liners have suggested rejecting any compromise that does not fulfill their spending requests and have flirted with the idea of supporting a government shutdown if the Senate does not accept their demands.

House Republicans still have to pass five of the 12 required annual spending bills, and the ones that are left all face difficulties, including significant intraparty clashes that have left Republicans unable to pass their own appropriations measures.

The Senate, meanwhile, has yet to pass nine of the 12 annual spending bills, but lawmakers on that side of the Capitol have been working in more bipartisan fashion and have agreed to set topline funding levels above the $1.59 trillion ceiling set as part of the deal to raise the debt limit earlier this year. The GOP-led House, in contrast, is looking to slash spending below that agreed-upon level. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer reportedly said last week that House and Senate leaders and top appropriators have been negotiating a top-line number.

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Before lawmakers resolve those differences, they are set to take up the White House request for an additional $106 billion in funding, primarily for supplemental aid to Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific. President Joe Bidens request includes $13.6 billion for border security initiatives, but given rising Republican opposition to additional funding for Ukraine, the fate of the full package likely rests on lawmakers ability to reach a deal on border policies.

Senators in both parties reportedly have indicated that additional support for Ukraine will depend on reaching a bipartisan deal to address immigration at the southern border.

Each of the groups that weve talked to  weve said this is going to determine whether or not theres funding for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, Republican Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota told Punchbowl News about a Senate delegations meetings at a security forum. Because how do you go back home and say youre justifying their defense but youre not protecting our own southern border? Without the border being addressed appropriately, nothing is going to move.

The bottom line: Lawmakers will have just a few weeks to deal with the supplemental funding package, a defense authorization bill and full-year funding, among other items. House conservatives could still complicate spending negotiations, again leaving Johnson in the precarious position of trying to decide how to contend with legislation that divides his conference and balance competing demands.

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Nokia Oyj

Press Release

Nokia moves to 100% recyclable packaging for its Fixed Networks Lightspan portfolio

Move reduces packaging waste for its broadband access products

New packaging is 60% smaller, 44% lighter, reducing CO2 emissions by up to 60%

Nokias commitment to sustainability supports Deutsche Telekoms circularity goals for its supply chain

21 November, 2023

Espoo, Finland  Nokia today announced that it is moving to 100% recyclable packaging for its entire Lightspan portfolio of broadband access nodes by the end of 2023. This builds on Nokias commitment to implement more sustainable, environmentally friendly packaging. Nokia introduced eco-friendly product packaging in 2022, for its broadband customer premises equipment.

Nokias new packaging eliminates non-biodegradable foam, plastic, bleaching, toxic materials and chemical treatments. It replaces protective plastic covers with a biodegradable version. The buffer material which protects the product from dropping damage, is made from fully recyclable carboard components in compliance with the Forest Stewardship Council. In addition, the packaging is designed for reuse in return shipments.

Nokia used this eco-friendly packaging to deliver a new generation of gigabit-speed G.fast access nodes to Deutsche Telekom, featuring a more compact and lightweight design. This will lead to a 60% decrease in packaging size and a 44% reduction in the overall weight. This will enable Nokia to ship more products per pallet and can reduce CO2 emissions from transportation by up to 60%.

Arash Ashouriha, SVP Group Technology Innovation at Deutsche Telekom, said: Deutsche Telekom has set ambitious circularity goals for 2030. We focus on the entire lifecycle of our products and everything we buy from our technology suppliers. We have already taken out all single-use plastics in the packing of our own T-branded devices. The collaboration with our technology suppliers like Nokia on innovative ways of sustainable packaging is therefore an essential next step.

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Geert Heyninck, Head of Broadband Networks for Fixed at Nokia, said: Eco-friendly product packaging is a major contributor to our climate and environmental ambitions. By using 100% recyclable materials we help to reduce waste and contribute to a circular economy. The packaging is also more compact, which allows more efficient transport and further reduces CO2 emissions by up to 60%.

In 2022 Nokia won 6 Red Dot Awards, including their Best of the Best distinction, and 8 iF Awards for the Nokia Networks Sustainable Packaging System that uses organic, biodegradable material and reduces transport cost as well as waste disposal.

Nokia has committed to Science Based Targets through which the company aims to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50% by 2030. It is in line with limiting global warming to 1.5C by 2030 and reaching net zero by 2050.

Resources and additional information

Blog: Designing broadband equipment for maximum eco-sustainability | Nokia

About Nokia

At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together.

As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs.

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VisitCzechia is promoting Czechia, which offers an array of possibilities, as a premier destination for weddings and wellness, in the Middle East.

Barbara Andelova, International Marketing Manager  New Markets, CzechTourism, said: "Czechia offers not only a picturesque wedding destination but also a haven for spa and wellness experiences, with naturally healing mineral springs in Karlovy Vary.

"It provides couples with a unique blend of romance, history, and wellness, making it the ultimate destination for weddings and wellness experiences. We take immense pride in our centuries-old spa culture, combined with serene riverbanks and charming architecture, offering travellers a chance to experience rejuvenation like never before and providing couples with a dreamlike backdrop for weddings. We look forward to welcoming guests from the Middle East market," she said.

Recently, VisitCzechia, in cooperation with Czechia stakeholders, organised familiarization trips for key B2B partners and media representatives from the United Arab Emirates, Saudia Arabia and Kuwait. This familiarization trip presented the guests with an exclusive opportunity to explore the heart of Europe and uncover the enchanting destinations for weddings and spa-wellness experiences in Czechia.

"These successful trips marks our commitment to providing an unparalleled wellness experience, promising travellers an unforgettable journey into the heart of our nation, where history and serenity unite," Andelova said.

A seven-day trip was organised for B2B partners to explore the spa retreats and wellness experiences in Czechia. This trip included a guided walking tour of Prague, a visit to Teplice spa (the oldest spa in Czechia and one of the oldest in Europe), a visit to Thermalia  a thermal complex known for its undiluted thermal spring, Pravridlo, Beethoven Spa House, Hotel Thermal in Karlovy Vary (which hosts the annual Karlovy Vary International Film Festival).

In the heart of this unforgettable experiences, Czechia hosted the European Spas & Balneology Congress in 2023. SPA-CE B2B meetings, a part of The ESPA Annual Congress, a prestigious event that united international visitors and industry experts to explore Czechia's potential in enhancing travel experiences, took place at Hotel Thermal.

Additionally, the trip included a visit to the iconic Grandhotel Pupp and a tour of Moser, a Czech company renowned for its handcrafted luxury crystal production. This unique experience allowed B2B partners to delve into the world of spa and wellness while networking with key stakeholders of the industry.

In parallel, a separate seven-day trip was organized for media representatives, providing them with an immersive experience of the wedding destinations in Czechia. The itinerary introduced the media representatives to every aspect of this stunning country, including a guided tour of the city of Prague and site inspections at remarkable venues such as Hotel Golden Key Prague Castle, Hotel Mandarin Oriental Prague, Augustine, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Savoia Castle, Farm Michael, Chateau Mcely, Panstvi Dlouha Lhota, Zofin Palace, Vila Richter, Penzion na Kmine, Lobkowicz Palace, Mozart Hotel Prague, Fashion Arena Prague Outlet, and Manufaktura experience  workshop. -TradeArabia News Service
(Bloomberg) -- Its time to get back to shipping products, a senior OpenAI manager told staffers Tuesday, part of an effort to get the company focused on developing software and forging partnerships instead of the will-he-wont-he drama over whether Sam Altman, summarily fired by the board Friday, will return to the chief executive officer role.

Most Read from Bloomberg

In a message to OpenAI employees on Tuesday, Peter Deng, a vice president of product, said that we decided that the best way to channel our energy is developing products, according to a note reviewed by Bloomberg.

The memo was drafted in an effort to spread the message that OpenAI is still open for business, and comes as its customers have grown worried about tumult at the company, according to a person familiar with the decision making. Many OpenAI clients have sought reassurances that the company remains operational even as it races to figure out who its next CEO will be and prevent its employees from staging a mass resignation.

Deng also said that the company would make its Voice product available for free for ChatGPT users, a move it also posted about on X, formerly Twitter. The Voice feature lets the chatbot respond to spoken questions and commands with its own speech. That release had been previously planned, according to a person familiar with the situation who asked to remain anonymous discussing private information.

Making matters worse for OpenAI on Tuesday, its best-known product, the chatbot ChatGPT, was unavailable to some users during the afternoon. According to a company webpage that tracks the status of its online services, ChatGPT and OpenAIs application programming interface services experienced a partial outage starting after 2 p.m. Pacific time.

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OpenAIs status tracker posted that the issue causing the outage has been identified and a fix is being implemented, though it hadnt been resolved hours later. In a post on X, a member of the companys developer relations staff, Logan Kilpatrick, acknowledged the issue and said it should be resolved shortly.

Dengs message to staff, which was posted on an internal Slack channel, was upbeat. He said that employees could order pizza and expense it. Most of them arent in the office because the company has Thanksgiving week off. Raise a slice and share a photo in the thread so we can enjoy this moment together, Deng wrote. He signed off, One team, one mission with a pizza emoji.

The fate of OpenAI has been in limbo for days, starting with the board of directors shock firing of Altman on Friday, followed by high-stakes negotiations to get him reinstated. Almost all of the companys employees have said they would resign from OpenAI if Altman were not brought back, among other demands.

People familiar with the negotiations around possibly returning Altman to the company have said that the groups want to reach a resolution before the Thanksgiving holiday.

Stressing that the company was still operating despite the boardroom chaos, Deng pointed to a post on X from Chief Operating Officer Brad Lightcap, in which the COO emphasized OpenAIs commitment to customers. In the post, Lightcap was responding to the suggestion that competitors were trying to capitalize on the companys leadership upheaval to poach its business.

Deng said in the note that the company met with Boston Consulting Group Tuesday morning to discuss expanding its partnership with OpenAI, and that BCG complimented its mojo with culture and leadership. In the memo, Deng said, We are grateful to have heard from dozens of customers who emphasized their support.

--With assistance from Rachel Metz and Dina Bass.

(Updates with details on the memo starting in the third paragraph.)

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(Bloomberg) -- OpenAI said its in intense discussions to unify the company after another tumultuous day that saw most employees threaten to quit if Sam Altman doesnt return as chief executive officer.

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Vice President of Global Affairs Anna Makanju delivered the message in an internal memo reviewed by Bloomberg News, aiming to rally staff whove grown anxious after days of disarray following Altmans ouster and the boards surprise appointment of former Twitch chief Emmett Shear as his interim replacement.

OpenAI management is in touch with Altman, Shear and the board but they are not prepared to give us a final response this evening, Makanju wrote.

The drama surrounding the company behind ChatGPT has transfixed the technology world and set off a race by OpenAI investors to contain the damage. On Monday, more than 700 of the startups 770 staff signed a letter saying they would quit if the board doesnt resign and re-hire Altman, who was recruited by Microsoft Corp.  OpenAIs largest shareholder  to run a new artificial intelligence team.

Kevin Scott, Microsofts chief technology officer, said OpenAI employees would have a job waiting for them at the software giant if they choose to go.

Read More: OpenAI Investors, Led By Thrive, Angle to Bring Back Altman

The chaos engulfing the US startup, which kicked off a global generative AI development frenzy, has the potential to reshape the world of artificial intelligence. The threat of a mass exodus followed a roller-coaster weekend during which OpenAIs board defied calls from investors and top executives to reinstall Altman, who was fired following disagreements with the board on how fast to develop and monetize artificial intelligence.

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The memo from Makanju doesnt elaborate on the extent of contact with Altman, and the former CEO didnt respond to a request for comment outside regular business hours.

Theres strong momentum outside OpenAI to get Altman reinstated too. OpenAIs other investors, led by Thrive Capital, are actively trying to orchestrate his return, people with knowledge of the effort told Bloomberg News Monday. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella told Emily Chang in a Bloomberg Television interview that even he wouldnt oppose Altmans reinstatement. Microsoft, which has pledged to invest as much as $13 billion in OpenAI, benefits whether Altman is running OpenAI or working under its roof, Nadella said.

Until Friday, the companys board consisted of Altman, President Greg Brockman, Chief Scientist Ilya Sutskever, Quora Inc. CEO Adam DAngelo, tech entrepreneur Tasha McCauley and Helen Toner, director of strategy at Georgetowns Center for Security and Emerging Technology. After Altmans exit, Brockman stepped down in protest.

Sutskever later said he deeply regretted his participation in the ouster, and added his name to the letter from employees threatening to quit.

We are continuing to go over mutually acceptable options and are scheduled to speak again tomorrow morning when everyones had a little more sleep, Makanju wrote. These intense discussions can drag out, and I know it can feel impossible to be patient.

She added a word of reassurance for employees: Know that we have a plan that we are working towards.

OpenAI, which was in talks with investors about an $86 billion valuation, now faces an end to its stunning growth. And it will face close scrutiny over its ability, or willingness, to turn cutting-edge AI into profits.

Its not clear whether investors, OpenAI executives or even Microsoft will be able to turn back the clock. The directors who ousted Altman to begin with would have to walk back their decision.

Vinod Khosla, co-founder at Khosla Ventures, one of OpenAIs earliest backers, said he believes DAngelo is dug in. If Adam does what Ilya did then, yes, its a smooth path, he said in an interview. If he doesnt, its a multi-month legal battle. DAngelo didnt respond to an emailed request for comment.

At the heart of the divide between Altman and OpenAIs directors is whether AI should be a commercial opportunity  or is a potentially dangerous technology that needs to be checked and scrutinized at every turn.

The board clashed with Altman and Brockman, who both argued that OpenAI was growing its business out of necessity. Every time a customer asks OpenAIs ChatGPT chatbot a question, it requires huge amounts of expensive computing power  so much that the company was having trouble keeping up with the explosive demand from users.

The company was forced to cap the number of times users can query its most powerful AI models daily. In fact, the situation got so dire that Altman at one point announced the company was pausing sign-ups for its paid ChatGPT Plus service indefinitely.

From Altmans point of view, raising money and finding additional revenue sources were essential. But some members of the board, with ties to the AI-skeptical effective altruism movement, viewed this in tension with the risks posed by advanced AI. Many effective altruists  a pseudo-philosophical movement that seeks to donate money to head off existential risks  have imagined scenarios in which a powerful AI system could be used by a terrorist group to, say, create a bioweapon.

Read More: Benioff Invites OpenAI Researchers to Join Saleforces AI Team

--With assistance from Rachel Metz, Peter Elstrom and Vlad Savov.

(Updates with offer from Microsoft CTO)

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2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Toronto Pearson and Ottawa passengers now connected to Central Florida

TORONTO, Nov. 21, 2023 /CNW/ - Porter Airlines is taking to the skies for two new routes to Orlando International Airport (MCO) today, with flights departing from Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) and Ottawa International Airport (YOW).

Porter Airlines is taking to the skies for two new routes to Orlando International Airport (MCO) today, with flights departing from Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) and Ottawa International Airport (YOW). (CNW Group/Porter Airlines Inc.)

The start of service to Orlando marks the third new Florida destination that Porter has touched down since the start of November, following Tampa and Fort Myers.

Flying aboard the new Embraer E195-E2 aircraft, Porter brings its genuine hospitality and elevated onboard service to a new market with free, fast WiFi, a selection of premium snacks, and free beer and wine served in glassware.

Priority check-in, extra legroom seats, premium pre-mixed cocktails, and fresh, healthy meals are also available with the all-inclusive Porter Reserve fares, or available a la carte with Porter Classic fares.

"Canadians are the most frequent international visitors to Florida, and Porter is proud to take off on two more routes into the Sunshine State," said Kevin Jackson, executive vice president and chief operating officer, Porter Airlines. "With Porter's unrivaled level of comfort for economy travellers, our passengers can look forward to enjoying the journey and the destination."

"Ottawa-Gatineau residents have proven that they are very keen to travel to sunny Florida," said Mark Laroche, President and CEO, Ottawa International Airport Authority. "We are pleased to offer passengers an elevated experience on Porter's new Embraer E195-E2 aircraft nonstop from YOW. Our partnership with Porter grows stronger with every new destination added."

"With Porter's new service, Orlando International can offer passengers even more choices to visit Orlando's popular theme parks and fascinating destinations like Toronto and Ottawa," said Kevin J. Thibault, CEO, Greater Orlando Aviation Authority. "We are glad to have Porter join our airline family and look forward to many journeys ahead."

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"We're pleased to see the launch of Porter's service to Orlando and their continued commitment to growing their network from Toronto Pearson," said Khalil Lamrabet, Chief Commercial Officer, Greater Toronto Airports Authority. "Orlando will be Pearson's second largest transborder market this winter and with heightened demand to Florida Porter's daily service will add 8% more seats between the two markets."

"Porter's direct flight service to Orlando provides a new option for travellers to more easily get to the theme park capital of the world," said Casandra Matej, president and CEO for Visit Orlando. "The timing is ideal, ahead of winter travel, giving Canadians the opportunity to soak up the sunshine this winter and beyond."

The new routes give passengers from Florida the opportunity to travel onwards to Western Canada destinations, with connections available to cities including Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton.

About Porter

Since 2006, Porter Airlines has been elevating the experience of economy air travel for every passenger, providing genuine hospitality with style, care and charm. Porter's fleet of Embraer E195-E2 and De Havilland Dash 8-400 aircraft serves a North American network from Eastern Canada. Headquartered in Toronto, Porter is an Official 4 Star Airline in the World Airline Star Rating. Visit www.flyporter.com or follow @porterairlines on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

SOURCE Porter Airlines Inc.

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US Capitol building in Washington, DC. Getty Images

The US is nearing an "inflection point" as the debt pile accelerates, Ray Dalio told CNBC.

Rising debt also means bigger interest payments, which calls for more bond issuance.

"We are at the point of that acceleration, which creates the supply-demand problem."

The US's fiscal situation is heading for an "inflection point" as government debt grows faster than income, according to billionaire investor Ray Dalio.

With the government borrowing more money to just pay for debt service while spending continues unabated, the hole gets deeper and deeper, he said on a CNBC interview on Friday.

"And the way that works is that it accelerates," the Bridgewater Associates founder added. "We are at the point of that acceleration, which creates the supply-demand problem. And it's made worse by the other issues that we're talking about."

Among those issues is political dysfunction, which contributed to Fitch's downgrade of the US credit rating earlier this year as well as Moody's lowering of its outlook in US debt this month.

Such issues have also impacted foreign demand, Dalio warned, noting that 40% of US debt is sold to foreigners.

"As a country, do we have a good income statement and do we have a good balance sheet  more assets than we have liability?" he said. "The worse that gets, the more we are going to have that long-term problem. And it's just, you can see it in the numbers. It's just a matter of numbers. We are near that inflection point."

Dalio's warning comes as total US debt now tops $33 trillion. While it doesn't have to pay off that entire amount, it does need to pay the interest on that debt.

And those debt servicing costs are rising, casting shadows on the outlook for Treasurys as demand weakens while supply booms.

That's because global central banks, a big buyer of Treasurys, have taken a step back as many major economies flipped to monetary tightening mode post-pandemic.

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The foreign private sector has also been slowing their purchases of US bonds, according to data analyzed by Apollo Management economist Torsten Slk.

"The bottom line is that investors across all asset classes need to spend some time not only on who is buying Treasuries  including whether it is yield-sensitive or yield-insensitive buyers  but also on Treasury auction metrics and what the rating agencies are saying and doing," he wrote.

Read the original article on Business Insider
(Bloomberg) -- The US Securities and Exchange Commission accused crypto exchange Kraken of securities-law violations, less than a year after unveiling a $30 million settlement with the firm over other alleged conduct.

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In its latest salvo against the crypto sector, the regulator claimed Monday that Kraken commingled customer assets with its own and at times paid expenses from bank accounts that held customer cash.

The SEC also argued that the firm was operating as an exchange, broker, dealer and a clearing agency  all without the proper registration. The agency has sued the Coinbase and Binance digital-asset platforms for similar alleged failures, accusations both companies dispute.

We allege that Kraken made a business decision to reap hundreds of millions of dollars from investors rather than coming into compliance with the securities laws, Gurbir Grewal, the SECs enforcement chief, said in a statement. That decision resulted in a business model rife with conflicts of interest that placed investors funds at risk.

$43 Billion Revenue

In 2020 and 2021 combined, Kraken had more than $43 billion in revenue from trading-based transactions, the complaint alleged.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Kraken said it disagreed with the SEC claims and planned to vigorously defend its position.

The SEC has repeatedly challenged crypto exchanges to come in and register without a single law supporting their position and no clear path to registration, Kraken wrote.

The exchange said that the latest developments dont affect its product offering and added that the company will continue to provide services to our clients without interruption.

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The lawsuit, filed in federal court in San Francisco, is separate from the regulators February settlement with Kraken. In that order, Kraken paid $30 million to settle SEC allegations that the firms staking service was an illegal sale of securities, and agreed to end the service in the US.

Genslers Crackdown

The SEC under Chair Gary Gensler contends that crypto exchanges and many digital tokens fall under its regulatory purview. The agency has pursued numerous enforcement actions against industry players, catalyzed by the risks exposed by the bankruptcy of Sam Bankman-Frieds FTX exchange. Gensler has repeatedly argued that crypto is rife with fraud and misconduct.

In the Kraken complaint, the regulator lists a range of tokens and claims those assets are securities, as it did in the lawsuits against Coinbase and Binance.

The SEC recently suffered some setbacks in crypto cases. Ripple Labs Inc. earlier this year won a partial legal victory over the agency on whether the XRP token is a security. Last month, a US federal appeals court formalized a win for Grayscale Investments LLC in its bid to create a spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund over objections from the SEC.

Crypto markets were steady in Asia-Pacific trading on Tuesday following the SECs lawsuit against Kraken. The prospect of a resolution of the US Justice Departments probe into Binance had spurred a rally in larger tokens like Bitcoin, Ether and BNB on Monday but the climb later moderated.

Bitcoin, which has more than doubled this year in a partial rebound from the 2022 crypto rout, was trading at $37,532 as of 9:41 a.m. in Singapore.

(Updates with comment from Kraken from the sixth paragraph.)

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SEPHORiA, one of Sephora's grandest beauty events landed in Shanghai, China for the first time. From November 17th to November 19th, over 3,000 consumers were treated to exclusive experiences, playful digital interactions, and unique beauty masterclasses.

SHANGHAI, Nov. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SEPHORA, the world's leading omnichannel prestige beauty retailer, was proud to launch SEPHORiA in China. The first-ever certified carbon-neutral event of Sephora China, this launch is also the very first year this beauty event was held outside the United States and in Asia.

Welcoming High Traffic from Consumers at SEPHORiA Shanghai (PRNewsfoto/Sephora Asia)

The Expo I-pavilion in Huangpu District, Shanghai, was brought to life by the largest beauty event of the year that featured 146 new products from 52 premium beauty brands, along with 12 masterclasses hosted by beauty experts from iconic brands.

Unique beauty experiences only at SEPHORiA

Over 3,000 consumers were welcomed into the beauty playground that presented four different sensorial zones  makeup, haircare, fragrances, and Skincare. These included a kaleidoscopic fantasy world that revealed Sephora Collection's latest offering and a glamorous amusement park that launched Sephora's "Next Big Thing" at the heart of the pavilion, also known as "Sephora Castle of Wonders".

Apart from carefully curated assortment and professional beauty services in specially designed booths, consumers were invited to interact with brands up close and personal, capture precious moments at beautifully crafted social spots, and receive the most up-to-date global beauty trends, swag bags and beauty tips and tricks from famed beauty experts from iconic brands.

Exclusive Peeks into Upcoming Product Launches

Brands only available at Sephora, including TATCHA, GROWN ALCHEMIST, Dr Dennis Gross, PAT McGRATH LABS, ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS and GOTA, debuted their latest collections at SEPHORiA.

Homegrown brands CHA LING, MAOGEPINGLIGHT, WEI, and other premium C-Beauty brands added a touch of oriental grace with the upcoming exclusive launch of the brand-new Chinese couture makeup brand MASION de SIT.E.

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Since entering the Chinese market in 2005, Sephora has always been at the forefront of beauty trends and inspiration. "The 2023 SEPHORiA in China is our gift to our consumers, which has been an absolute success," said Ms. Maggie Chan, Managing Director of Sephora Greater China. "We are excited to embark on this one-of-a-kind journey with our beauty community, to jointly discover, define and expand China's world of beauty. Our hope is to constantly innovate to ensure SEPHORiA becomes one of the most anticipated annual beauty festivals in China. Thank you for your support, and please stay tuned!"

About Sephora

Sephora is the world's leading global prestige beauty retail brand. With 46,000 passionate employees operating in 35 markets, Sephora connects customers and beauty brands within the world's most trusted and dynamic beauty community. We serve a highly engaged community of hundreds of millions of beauty followers across our global omnichannel network of more than 2700 stores and iconic flagships, and our e-commerce and digital platforms, offering personalized and immersive seamless experiences across every touchpoint. With our curation of close to 300 brands and our own label, Sephora Collection, we offer the most unique and diverse range of prestige beauty products, tailored to our customers' needs from fragrance to make-up, haircare, skincare and beyond, as we constantly reimagine the world of prestige beauty.

Since our inception in 1969 in Limoges, France, and as part of the LVMH Group since 1997, we have been disrupting the prestige beauty retail industry. Today, we continue to break with convention to drive our mission to expand the way the world sees beauty.

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SOURCE Sephora Asia
Question: T.H. in Warren County: I am 62, not married, and do not have any kids. Do I need to be doing anything special with my retirement planning?

A: You are part of a cohort that some have dubbed "Solo Agers." And there are more of you than you may realize: According to AARP, about 12% of people age 50 and older fall into this category. From a retirement planning perspective, this means, yes, there are a few specific areas you should focus on to help make sure you age on your terms.

First, take a look at your support system. Do you have strong, healthy relationships outside of work? And while you might not have adult children who can provide you with care when the time comes, do you have any other family? Younger siblings? Nieces or nephews? If not, what about a younger, trusted friend?

This then dovetails into your finances and estate planning needs. Every adult should have whats called a "power of attorney" document for both health care and finances. In these documents, you name a trusted person to make health care and financial decisions on your behalf, respectively, if you are no longer able. This doesnt have to be the same person, but it can be. As a "solo ager," its vital that you figure out what your legal guardianship looks like in the future.

You should also think about your home. While most people would like to age in place, is this going to be feasible, especially if you dont have an adult child to provide care? You could consider hiring an in-home aide, assuming you can afford to do so. There are also several types of retirement communities from which to choose, including assisted living and independent living. There are even now some communities that promote "co-housing"  yes, just like the "Golden Girls."

Heres the Allworth Advice: As you approach retirement, its critical you start thinking about  and deciding  who to trust with your personal directives and assets. We highly recommend working with an estate planning attorney to arrange the proper legal documents.

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Amy Wagner and Steve Sprovach, Allworth Advice

Q: Clyde in Cincinnati: Is it better to contribute to an IRA or my 401(k)?

A: In most cases, we would recommend saving in a 401(k) over an IRA for two main reasons. First, you can save more in a 401(k) due to higher annual contribution limits. In 2024, the 401(k) limit will be $23,000 ($30,500 if youre 50 or older), while just $7,000 for an IRA ($8,000 if youre 50 or older). Thats obviously a pretty big discrepancy.

Second, many companies offer a 401(k) match. A common match is an employer contribution of 50 cents for every dollar you contribute (up to 6% of your salary). If your company offers a match, we recommend contributing at least enough to get the match, thereby taking advantage of this "free money." Plus, keep in mind that if you make too much to save in a Roth IRA, a Roth 401(k) does not have income limitations.

When might an IRA take priority over a 401(k)? If you dont get a company match, your 401(k) plan has limited investment options, and youre under the income threshold for deductibility. In this case, you might want to consider maxing out an IRA first, then saving any additional money in your 401(k). But check with a tax professional before making this decision.

The Allworth Advice is that, ideally, we recommend saving in both a 401(k) and an IRA if possible. But if youre picking between one or the other, a 401(k) usually comes out on top. A fiduciary financial advisor can help analyze your particular situation.

Every week, Allworth Financials Amy Wagner and Steve Sprovach answer your questions. If you, a friend, or someone in your family has a money issue or problem, feel free to send those questions to yourmoney@enquirer.com.

Responses are for informational purposes only and individuals should consider whether any general recommendation in these responses is suitable for their particular circumstances based on investment objectives, financial situation and needs. To the extent that a reader has any questions regarding the applicability of any specific issue discussed above to his/her individual situation, he/she is encouraged to consult with the professional adviser of his/her choosing, including a tax adviser and/or attorney. Retirement planning services offered through Allworth Financial, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Securities offered through AW Securities, a Registered Broker/Dealer, member FINRA/SIPC. Visit allworthfinancial.com or call 513-469-7500.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Allworth Advice: Focus on these areas to age on your terms
(Bloomberg) -- Sonos Inc., best known for its smart speakers and sound bars, will make a long-awaited push into headphones with a model priced upwards of $400 thats slated to be released as early as April, according to people familiar with the matter.

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The company is also aiming to introduce a TV set-top box, which would compete with products from Apple Inc. and Roku Inc., as early as the end of 2024, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans arent yet public. Sonos looks to charge between $150 and $200 for that device, which would run apps from popular streaming services.

The company is also developing new amplifiers and in-ceiling speakers aimed at professional installers, as well as a higher-end TV sound bar, new subwoofers, an update to the portable Roam speaker and a version of its Era 100 speaker for businesses. And its planning an updated voice control system, video service and upgraded smartphone app.

Sonos shares pared losses Tuesday on news of the product push. After falling nearly 4% earlier in the session, they were down 2% by the close in New York.

The new products are part of a bid by Chief Executive Officer Patrick Spence to reignite growth at the audio technology company, which suffered a sales decline in the past year. Demand for smart speakers has cooled, and products like headphones are seen as an opportunity to leverage the Sonos brand to find a new moneymaker.

Timing and details of the releases could ultimately shift as the products get closer. A representative for Santa Barbara, California-based Sonos declined to comment on the companys plans.

Sonos recently reorganized its product development group to better focus on promising areas, Bloomberg News reported last week. The company cut jobs as part of the shake-up.

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On an earnings call earlier this month, Spence acknowledged that 2023 has been a challenging year for Sonos current lineup. But he vowed to push next year into a major new product in a new multibillion-dollar category, without specifying the market. He said he expects new products to drive a large portion of revenue by the second half of the year.

Spence hinted at the slew of new devices in development, telling investors that 2024 marks the beginning of a multiyear product cycle that will provide a payoff for years of research-and-development spending.

The company has been working on its headphones since 2019, when Bloomberg first reported on the effort. But its never announced a product, having canceled work on earlier iterations. A model is now slated to be unveiled as soon as March, with the headphones hitting store shelves the following month, the people familiar with the plan said.

The over-ear-style headphones  code-named Duke  will face off against the $549 AirPods Max from Apple, as well as high-end offerings from Sony Group Corp. and Bose Corp. Theyll come in black and white color options, synchronize with Sonos equipment and offer voice control for navigating between songs. The company is considering charging between $400 and $500 for the product.

Sonos is also exploring a follow-up product, the people said: an earbud model that would look similar to Apples AirPods.

Some of the technology in the new headphones comes from RHA Audio, an Irish company that Sonos acquired two years ago. But the company isnt trying to outperform Apple on a technical basis  its marketing message will be more about leveraging the Sonos brand and its ability to fine-tune the sound, the people said.

The company is planning to release software soon internally named Passport that will let users control the headphones and other mobile Sonos gear from a smartphone app when away from their home internet.

The headphones will include the current version of Sonos voice commands  already available on speakers  while a more advanced version dubbed Voice 2.0 is coming in the second half of 2024.

By the end of next year or early 2025, Sonos plans to enter a second new category: TV set-top boxes and video. The company is working on a device  code-named Pinewood  that can stream video on TVs and serve as a central hub for a customers other Sonos devices. The product will operate similarly to existing set-top boxes, offering its own operating system  based on Android  and a user interface that can display different apps.

Sonos has held discussions with cable companies about offering live television and plans to partner with existing popular video streaming services, including Netflix Inc., to build apps for the new platform. The device will offer Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision, popular audio and video standards, and have the ability to create immersive surround sound using Sonos home speakers.

The small, black TV box will be controlled via voice  as well as the new Sonos app  and the company is exploring the idea of launching its own video service. Other set-top box makers, including Roku and Apple, followed up on hardware offerings with streaming services.

The company is also working on new home theater equipment, including a subwoofer code-named Lotus that will synchronize with the TV device. That product, an update to the Sub, will include updated capabilities like support for Wi-Fi 6. Further out, Sonos is considering releasing a higher-end subwoofer.

For around the middle of 2024, Sonos is planning a second-generation Roam speaker  code-named Sidecar  with a redesigned top that includes a touch-controlled slider for volume control. That matches the new design of the companys home speakers and recently launched Move 2 portable speaker.

Sonos is also planning a pricier version of its Era 100 speaker  code-named Raven  with an Ethernet port instead of wireless networking. It will be aimed at restaurants and retail stores rather than homes.

And a sound bar code-named Lasso is coming later in 2024, with better bass and improved audio quality over the existing Arc model. The company is planning to charge about $1,200 for it, up from the $900 price tag on the current high-end version. The sound bars new technology is based on Sonos 2022 acquisition of Mayht Holding BV, which developed advanced speaker components.

Finally, Sonos is planning a new high-end amplifier  code-named Premier  aimed at professional home-theater installations. The company is considering charging between $3,000 and $4,000 for each unit. That will come in the second half of 2024, preceded by new 8-inch in-ceiling speakers.

(Updates Sonos shares in fourth paragraph.)

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FILE PHOTO: The New York International Auto Show, in Manhattan, New York City

FILE PHOTO: The New York International Auto Show, in Manhattan, New York City

By Giulio Piovaccari

MILAN (Reuters) - Stellantis plans to build an electric vehicle (EV) battery plant with China's CATL in Europe, its fourth one in the region, as the European carmaker seeks to make cheaper batteries and more affordable EVs.

The EV battery plans also mark a further strengthening of ties with China after the Franco-Italian carmaker shut down its previous JV, Guangzhou Automobile Group, last year. Last month Stellantis announced a $1.6 billion deal to buy a stake in Chinese EV maker Leapmotor.

Stellantis and CATL on Tuesday announced a preliminary agreement for the supply of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery cells and modules for the automaker's EV production in Europe and said they were considering setting up a 50-50 joint venture in the region.

Tthe JV plan with CATL was aimed at building a new gigafactory in Europe to make LFP batteries, said Maxime Picat, Stellantis Global Head of Purchasing and Supply Chain.

LFP batteries are cheaper to produce but less powerful compared with nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) ones, the other current mainstream technology.

Discussions were ongoing with CATL on the JV plan and a few more months were needed to finalise it, Picat said, declining to provide details about the possible location of the new battery facility. It would be CATL's latest investment in the region, as it expands outside its home market.

Europe's carmakers and governments are pouring billions of euros into building battery plants on their home turf to reduce their dependency on Asia. At the same time, Chinese battery makers like CATL are building plants in Europe for European-made EVs.

Picat said the deals with CATL would complement the group's electrification strategy, with LFP batteries helping cut production costs in Europe, while maintaining output of NMC batteries for more expensive cars.

LFP batteries fit Stellantis low cost EVs such as the recently-unveiled Citroen e-C3, which now costs as little as 23,300 euros ($25,400) and whose price is projected to be further cut to around 20,000 euros for its shorter-range version.

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Picat however said LFP batteries, which compromise between autonomy and cost, would have a wide scope within the group, as affordability was key.

"Definitely what we are aiming at is to grow those LFP batteries on multi-segment, because affordability is needed on many different segments, being passenger vehicle or potentially commercial vehicles," he said.

In Europe, Stellantis -- the owner of brands including Jeep, Peugeot, Fiat and Alfa Romeo -- is building three gigafactories, in France, Germany and Italy through its ACC joint venture with Mercedes and TotalEnergies, specialising on NMC chemistry.

Under Tuesday's agreement, CATL will initially supply LFP batteries to Stellantis for EVs in its passenger car, crossover and small and medium sized SUV segments. ($1 = 0.9168 euros)

(Reporting by Giulio Piovaccari; Editing by Josephine Mason and Keith Weir)
Key Insights

Institutions' substantial holdings in Telekom Malaysia Berhad implies that they have significant influence over the company's share price

The top 3 shareholders own 54% of the company

Ownership research along with analyst forecasts data help provide a good understanding of opportunities in a stock

A look at the shareholders of Telekom Malaysia Berhad (KLSE:TM) can tell us which group is most powerful. We can see that institutions own the lion's share in the company with 43% ownership. Put another way, the group faces the maximum upside potential (or downside risk).

Since institutional have access to huge amounts of capital, their market moves tend to receive a lot of scrutiny by retail or individual investors. As a result, a sizeable amount of institutional money invested in a firm is generally viewed as a positive attribute.

Let's delve deeper into each type of owner of Telekom Malaysia Berhad, beginning with the chart below.

View our latest analysis for Telekom Malaysia Berhad

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Telekom Malaysia Berhad?

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.

As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in Telekom Malaysia Berhad. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. It is not uncommon to see a big share price drop if two large institutional investors try to sell out of a stock at the same time. So it is worth checking the past earnings trajectory of Telekom Malaysia Berhad, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too.

We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in Telekom Malaysia Berhad. Khazanah Nasional Berhad is currently the largest shareholder, with 20% of shares outstanding. Employees Provident Fund of Malaysia is the second largest shareholder owning 17% of common stock, and Permodalan Nasional Berhad holds about 17% of the company stock.

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A more detailed study of the shareholder registry showed us that 3 of the top shareholders have a considerable amount of ownership in the company, via their 54% stake.

While it makes sense to study institutional ownership data for a company, it also makes sense to study analyst sentiments to know which way the wind is blowing. Quite a few analysts cover the stock, so you could look into forecast growth quite easily.

Insider Ownership Of Telekom Malaysia Berhad

While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. The company management answer to the board and the latter should represent the interests of shareholders. Notably, sometimes top-level managers are on the board themselves.

I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions.

Our most recent data indicates that insiders own less than 1% of Telekom Malaysia Berhad. It is a pretty big company, so it would be possible for board members to own a meaningful interest in the company, without owning much of a proportional interest. In this case, they own around RM141k worth of shares (at current prices). It is good to see board members owning shares, but it might be worth checking if those insiders have been buying.

General Public Ownership

With a 19% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over Telekom Malaysia Berhad. This size of ownership, while considerable, may not be enough to change company policy if the decision is not in sync with other large shareholders.

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. For example, we've discovered 1 warning sign for Telekom Malaysia Berhad that you should be aware of before investing here.

Ultimately the future is most important. You can access this free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

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.
Khalidia Palace Hotel Dubai by Mourouj Gloria, the soon-to-be-unveiled 5-star oasis of luxury, has appointed industry veteran, Mohammed Iqbal as its new General Manager.

Under the leadership of Iqbal, a stellar management team has been assembled to uphold the highest standards of luxury service, guest experience, and operational efficiency, the hotel said. The team comprises industry professionals who will be helming key positions at the property.

The new appointments at the property include Rahim Muhammad Iqbal as Director of Finance, Genu Nair as Rooms Division Manager, Rula Khulaif as Director of Sales, Amal Falouh as Talent Acquisition and Learning Development Manager, Guha Priya as Executive Housekeeper, Asela Dias as Chief Engineer Ibrahim Mohamed as F&B Manager and Mian Muhammad Imran as Executive Chef.

General Manager Iqbal brings to Khalidia Palace Hotel Dubai by Mourouj Gloria not just a monumental track record of success, but a rich tapestry of qualifications that testify to his expertise in the hospitality field, said the hotel.

He is a certified hotel administrator from the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute, holds an MBA from the University of Wolverhampton and has completed an Executive Diploma in International Business Management from Pearson Assured. His academic achievements are further complemented by a Certified Hotel Revenue Manager credential from the prestigious Cornell University.

Over his career, Mohammed Iqbal has played a key role in the successful launch and evolution of several prominent hotels within the GCC. His expertise has flourished through strategic alliances with notable brands, including Crown, Four Points by Sheraton, Khalidia Hotel Apartments, Mourouj Hotel Apartments, Ramada, Gloria Hotel Suites, and Park Plaza Hotel.

Iqbal said: As we prepare for the official launch of this luxurious new property in Dubais Deira district, our dedication to delivering an unmatched hospitality experience is at the forefront of our efforts. My journey with Khalidia Palace has taught me that the soul of any great hotel is its team. Collectively, were looking forward to welcoming future guests to the property for a truly remarkable experience.

Nestled in the vibrant heart of Dubai's Deira district, Khalidia Palace Hotel Dubai by Mourouj Gloria combines exquisite accommodations, exceptional guest experiences, and indulgent amenities.

Catering to travellers, families, and residents alike, the 5-star property promises an oasis of comfort amidst the bustling urban sprawl. The hotel also boasts state-of-the-art conference and event facilities, a serene spa retreat, and a stunning poolside cafe.  TradeArabia News Service
When we invest, we're generally looking for stocks that outperform the market average. And in our experience, buying the right stocks can give your wealth a significant boost. For example, the Heineken Malaysia Berhad (KLSE:HEIM) share price is up 21% in the last 5 years, clearly besting the market decline of around 6.2% (ignoring dividends). On the other hand, the more recent gains haven't been so impressive, with shareholders gaining just 6.3% , including dividends .

Let's take a look at the underlying fundamentals over the longer term, and see if they've been consistent with shareholders returns.

View our latest analysis for Heineken Malaysia Berhad

There is no denying that markets are sometimes efficient, but prices do not always reflect underlying business performance. One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price.

Over half a decade, Heineken Malaysia Berhad managed to grow its earnings per share at 9.5% a year. The EPS growth is more impressive than the yearly share price gain of 4% over the same period. Therefore, it seems the market has become relatively pessimistic about the company.

The graphic below depicts how EPS has changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image).

We know that Heineken Malaysia Berhad has improved its bottom line lately, but is it going to grow revenue? This free report showing analyst revenue forecasts should help you figure out if the EPS growth can be sustained.

What About Dividends?

It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. As it happens, Heineken Malaysia Berhad's TSR for the last 5 years was 48%, 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

Heineken Malaysia Berhad shareholders are up 6.3% for the year (even including dividends). But that return falls short of the market. On the bright side, the longer term returns (running at about 8% a year, over half a decade) look better. It may well be that this is a business worth popping on the watching, given the continuing positive reception, over time, from the market. 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 instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Heineken Malaysia Berhad that you should be aware of.

Of course Heineken Malaysia Berhad may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of growth stocks.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on Malaysian 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.
(Bloomberg) -- The lending arm of Toyota Motor Corp. will pay $60 million to settle allegations by a US regulator that it misled customers into buying extra products that boosted their payments and then gave them a runaround when they tried to cancel.

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Toyota Motor Credit Corp. allegedly lied about whether the extras were mandatory or rushed through paperwork to hide them, according to a Monday statement by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Toyota unreasonably hindered customers who tried to cancel, and if they succeeded, it withheld refunds by applying the sum to the loans principal, the CFPB said. The lender sometimes also falsely reported payment information to credit agencies, the agency said.

The unit will pay $48 million to consumers and $12 million to a victims relief fund.

Toyotas lending arm illegally withheld refunds, made borrowers run through obstacle courses to cancel unwanted services, and tarnished their credit reports, CFPB Director Rohit Chopra said in the statement. Given the growing burdens of auto loan payments on Americans, we will continue to pursue large auto lenders that cheat their customers.

Read more: Wall Street Makes Millions Selling Car Loans Customers Cant Pay

In a separate statement, Toyota Motor Credit said it didnt admit any wrongdoing but agreed to the CFPB consent order to fulfill our commitment to continually provide ever-better service to our customers. In most instances, TMCC has already addressed the areas of concern cited by the Bureau.

The CFPB claimed the lender directed consumers seeking to cancel add-on products, such as Guaranteed Asset Protection insurance, to a dead-end hotline. Representatives were instructed to keep promoting the products until a consumer had verbally requested to cancel three times, at which point the representatives would tell the consumer that it was only possible to cancel by submitting a written request, according to the CFPB.

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Similar to the finance arms of other large automakers, Toyota regularly packages some of its auto loans and leases into bonds known as asset-backed securities. Earlier this month it issued a $1.6 billion asset-backed security, its fourth so far this year backed by auto loans, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

--With assistance from Scott Carpenter.

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(Bloomberg) -- Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. is considering building a third plant in Japan that would make advanced 3-nanometer chips, according to people familiar with the matter, potentially turning the East Asian nation into a major global chipmaking hub.

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The go-to chipmaker for Nvidia Corp. and Apple Inc. has told its supply chain partners its mulling construction of a third factory, code-named TSMC Fab-23 Phase 3, in the southern Japanese prefecture of Kumamoto, the people said, asking not to be named as the information is not public. TSMC is in the process of building one fab in Japan for less advanced chips, and plans for a second facility have been reported earlier. It is unclear yet when the company would start construction of the third fab.

The 3nm process is the most cutting-edge chipmaking technology commercially available right now, though by the time TSMCs potential fab is up and running, the technology would likely to be one to two generations behind that. If the plan is realized, it would be a major win for Japan, where Prime Minister Fumio Kishidas administration has been providing trillions of yen in subsidies to lure investments from domestic and foreign semiconductor companies.

In addition to TSMC, Tokyo has successfully secured investments from Micron Technology Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. and Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. Japanese officials are also helping domestic startup Rapidus Corp. set up production lines for cutting-edge 2nm chips in Hokkaido.

Tokyo has moved more quickly in building up a domestic semiconductor ecosystem than Washington, which is also trying to build domestic capabilities for economic and national security reasons. The Japanese government has handed out subsidies to firms while the Biden administration has yet to distribute a dime to any company from the Chips and Science Act that earmarked more than $50 billion for the semiconductor industry.

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A 3nm fab is likely to cost about $20 billion, including the machines for production, although precise expenses would depend on when the facility is built and how it acquires land and other materials. Its not yet clear how much TSMC anticipates spending on the third fab. Japan typically covers about 50% of the costs of such facilities.

TSMC is investing where necessary to support customers needs, the company said in an emailed statement. In Japan, we are currently focused on evaluating the possibility of building a second fab and we do not have further information to share at this time.

While few Japanese companies now need the most advanced chips, the country will soon require those for next-generation technologies, including artificial intelligence applications and autonomous driving. Japans economy will face significant risks if the country relies completely on foreign imports for these critical components, local officials have argued.

Read: Kishida Meets Chipmakers to Bring More Production to Japan

TSMC is currently building a plant in the Kumamoto prefecture, with investments from Sony Group Corp. and Denso Corp., that is expected to start making chips as advanced as 12nm in late 2024. TSMC will also build a second fab, close to its first plant in Kumamoto, that is expected to start making 5nm chips in 2025, according to some of the people.

When TSMC first planned to create a manufacturing presence in Japan, its initial blueprint included multiple plants so it could best utilize ancillary facilities it has to build for its campus in Kumamoto, according to the people. The Taiwanese chipmaker may even build a fourth plant, possibly located in a prefecture to the north of Kumamoto due to a shortage of land, several of the people said.

Japans expertise on chip materials and machinery makes the country an attractive location for TSMCs expansion, according to Joanne Chiao, an analyst with Taipei-based research firm TrendForce.

Japans critical role in semiconductor and raw materials, combined with collaboration with Sony, offers compelling advantages for TSMC as its investment in the country is expected to help with its access to advanced materials and specialized image sensor technologies, she said.

In return, Japan will benefit significantly from TSMCs presence. The gross domestic product of Kyushu region, which includes Kumamoto, is estimated to expand to 75 trillion yen ($496 billion) in 2035 from the current scale of 50 trillion yen, according to SMBC Nikko Securities analyst Ryosuke Katsura.

In addition to Japan, TSMC has also pledged to build two plants in the US and one in Germany as its customers want more diversified supplies in the face of growing uncertainties in the Taiwan Strait.

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US Is Seeking More than $4 Billion From Binance to End Case

(Bloomberg) -- The US Justice Department is seeking more than $4 billion from Binance Holdings Ltd. as part of a proposed resolution of a years-long investigation into the worlds largest cryptocurrency exchange.

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Negotiations between the Justice Department and Binance include the possibility that its founder Changpeng Zhao would face criminal charges in the US under an agreement to resolve the probe into alleged money laundering, bank fraud and sanctions violations, according to people familiar with the discussions.

Zhao, also known as CZ, is residing in the United Arab Emirates, which doesnt have an extradition treaty with the US, but that doesnt prevent him from coming voluntarily.

Binance didnt respond to multiple emails and phone calls seeking comment. The Justice Department declined to comment.

An announcement could come as soon as the end of the month, though the situation remains fluid, according to the people, who asked not to be named discussing a confidential matter.

The BNB cryptocurrency, a token native to Binance and the BNB Chain blockchain that was created by the exchange, rose as much as 8.5% to $266.42 after Bloomberg reported the negotiations.

A settlement with a monitoring provision in place could be a compromise that protects investors and allows Binance the option to evolve into a more institutional and compliant future direction, said Matt Walsh, founding partner at crypto venture firm Castle Island Ventures.

The exact timing and structure of the proposed resolution and specific charges arent clear. However, Binance would likely be expected to pay more than $4 billion, which would be one of the largest-ever penalties in a criminal cryptocurrency case.

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The investigation is being led by the criminal divisions money laundering and asset recovery section, along with the national security division and the US attorneys office in Seattle.

Strike Balance

The agreement seeks to strike a balance that would allow Binance to continue operating, rather than risk a collapse that could cause negative fallout for markets and crypto holders, said three of the people.

Binance has sought to minimize its exposure in any settlement, including pushing for a deferred prosecution agreement, another person said.

If Binance and the DOJ agree on a deferred-prosecution-agreement, the Justice Department would file a criminal complaint against the company. The US would not go forward with a prosecution as long as the company meets prescribed conditions, which usually include paying a substantial penalty and agreeing to a detailed statement of facts outlining its wrongdoing. A process would be set up to monitor the companys compliance.

With respect to possible sanctions violations, the Justice Department has been investigating Binance for allegedly aiding in the evasion of US sanctions against Iran and Russia, one of the people said. Binance has also been under scrutiny for whether it allowed transactions that helped finance Hamas.

FTX Case

The case is one of the largest investigations the Justice Department has ever conducted into a cryptocurrency company. A settlement would represent another historic resolution following the collapse of crypto exchange FTX, which resulted in the conviction of its founder Sam Bankman-Fried on fraud and conspiracy charges earlier this month.

While Justice Department officials have been pushing for a broad leadership change at the company, it isnt clear if other Binance executives besides CZ would face charges in the case.

Binance has faced legal and regulatory action from other US agencies, as well as increased scrutiny from US lawmakers.

In June, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a lawsuit accusing Binance and Zhao of mishandling customer funds, misleading investors and regulators, and breaking securities rules.

Binance.US Unit

The lawsuit effectively crippled Binances US unit. Brian Shroder, chief executive officer of Binance.US, left the company in September amid another round of job cuts at the struggling crypto platform. The company eliminated about one third of its workforce, or more than 100 positions. Trading volumes on Binance.US have slowed to a trickle after the exchange lost its banking support and suspended US dollar deposits.

Earlier: Binance.US CEO Departs, Crypto Platform Cuts Third of Staff

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission in March alleged that Binance and Zhao routinely broke US derivatives rules as the firm grew to be the worlds largest digital-asset trading platform. Binance should have registered with the agency years ago and continues to violate the CFTCs rules, the regulator said at the time.

Binance has contested the lawsuits and said it actively cooperated with the regulators probes and was disappointed by the enforcement actions. In a March statement, CZ said the CFTC complaint appears to contain an incomplete recitation of facts and that Binance doesnt agree with how many of the issues are characterized. The company called the SEC filing an attempt by the agency to regulate with the blunt weapons of enforcement and litigation rather than the thoughtful, nuanced approach demanded by this dynamic and complex technology.

CZ worked at Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News, from 2002 to 2005.

--With assistance from Ava Benny-Morrison, Muyao Shen, David Voreacos, Michael P. Regan and Hannah Miller.

(Updates with market reaction from sixth paragraph.)

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Microsoft (MSFT) stock closed at an all-time high on Monday as the ouster of Sam Altman at OpenAI sent shockwaves through the tech world over the weekend, surprising everyone from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella to investors on Wall Street and VCs in Silicon Valley.

After a weekend-long back-and-forth, Altman is no longer with OpenAI. Instead, he and fellow OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman have joined Microsoft to lead a new advanced AI research team, per Nadella.

But on Monday afternoon, the Verge reported that Altman's deal with Microsoft is not official.

RBC Capital Markets managing director Rishi Jaluria described the past few days as the "most eventful" in his more than a decade covering software. Jaluria categorized the end result as a "huge coup for Microsoft," as he still sees the tech giant as the leader in generative AI.

"The worries I think everyone had were the pace of innovation would slow down, some of the AI halo around Microsoft that it's been enjoying in its [stock] multiple would start to dissipate," Jaluria told Yahoo Finance Live. "Customers would get worried. I think by bringing in Sam and Greg, and Sam is really the ultimate visionary when it comes to AI, it's really the best-case scenario for Microsoft."

Microsoft shares closed at $377.44 on Monday, up more than 2%, after initially falling on Friday afternoon following the announcement Altman was out at OpenAI. Meanwhile, Alphabet (GOOGL) shares gained about 0.7% during Monday's trading session.

For investors, there are still concerns about how uncertainty at OpenAI could impact Microsoft's business in the short term. Nadella mentioned on the company's most recent earnings call that Microsoft's Azure cloud services were being used by OpenAI.

Evercore ISI analyst Kirk Materne noted that any fundamental risk to Microsoft is largely "contained" with Altman now onboard.

"When taking a long-term view, hiring Altman and team might end up being a better outcome vs the prior status quo," Materne said. "Clearly, there is still some risk to Azure if OpenAI growth were to materially slow, but we think the long-term opportunity around GenAI for Microsoft trumps any near-term risk associated with the OpenAI disruption."

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Oppenheimer analysts Timothy Horan and Edward Yang wrote in a research note Monday that this is a "win/win" for Microsoft.

In his own note to clients, Wedbush analyst Dan Ives suggested Altman could've ended up at another competitor, writing, "Instead he is safely in Microsoft's HQ now leading the company key AI efforts which we expect many key scientists and developers to leave OpenAI and head directly to Microsoft."

Sam Altman, former CEO of OpenAI, attends the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in San Francisco, Nov. 16, 2023. (Carlos Barria/REUTERS) (Carlos Barria / reuters)

Microsoft, which invested $10 billion in OpenAI in January, still plans to continue working with the disruptive technology behind the popular ChatGPT, according to a tweet from Nadella.

But the aftershocks are still being felt at OpenAI. Early Monday, more than 500 OpenAI employees signed a letter urging the board to resign  or else these employees would leave themselves.

"We, the undersigned, may choose to resign from OpenAI and join the newly announced Microsoft subsidiary run by Sam Altman and Greg Brockman," the group of employees wrote in a part. "Microsoft has assured us that there are positions for all OpenAI employees at this new subsidiary should we choose to join. We will take this step imminently, unless all current board members resign."

The letter is one example of the strategic advantage some on the Street believe Microsoft just gained against competitors by adding Altman and Brockman.

"Hiring qualified generative AI data scientists, engineers, and talent is very, very, very, very difficult," Jaluria said. "Microsoft is now a destination employer for generative AI engineers. OpenAI was that. I think this maybe even increases the gap between Microsoft and others that are trying to compete."

Fred Havemeyer, an analyst at Macquarie, wrote in a research note on Monday this new team at Microsoft will be able to "hit the ground running."

"We believe Microsoft has both preserved its AI product roadmap and assembled formidable competition for generative AI startups and Google DeepMind," Havemeyer said.

Josh Schafer is a reporter for Yahoo Finance.

Click here for the latest technology news that will impact the stock market.

Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance
By Jonathan Stempel

(Reuters) -Warren Buffett said on Tuesday he has donated about $866 million of Berkshire Hathaway stock to four family charities, and told shareholders "I feel good" as he moves nearer the sunset of his storied investing career.

In a regulatory filing, the company said Buffett donated 1.5 million Class B shares of Berkshire to the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation. Named for his late first wife, the organization works in reproductive health.

Buffett donated another 900,000 Class B shares, divided evenly among charities run by his children, Howard, Susan and Peter: the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, the Sherwood Foundation and the NoVo Foundation.

The donations supplement the $759 million of Berkshire stock that Buffett donated to the charities at this time last year, also just before the U.S. Thanksgiving Day holiday.

Buffett also issued a rare letter to shareholders, again pledging that more than 99% of his wealth would go to charity, with his children serving as executors of his will. He said Berkshire was "built to last" and would remain in good hands.

While Buffett has curbed his non-Berkshire responsibilities over the years, he has never publicly signaled a desire to step down, including after a prostate cancer diagnosis in 2012.

"At 93, I feel good but fully realize I am playing in extra innings," Buffett said in the letter.

Buffett has over the years often referred to his success at remaining healthy despite having the eating habits of a 6-year-old, including a love of junk food and sugary drinks.

"I think happiness makes an enormous amount of difference in terms of ... longevity," he told CNBC in April. "I'm happier when I'm eating hot fudge sundaes or drinking Coke."

Berkshire did not immediately respond to a request for additional comment.

Greg Abel, 61, a Berkshire vice chairman, is slated to succeed Buffett as Berkshire's CEO, while Howard Buffett would become non-executive chairman.

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"We have the right CEO to succeed me and the right board of directors," Buffett wrote.

Buffett is the world's fifth richest person, with a $120.5 billion fortune, according to Forbes magazine.

Since 2006 he has donated more than half his Berkshire stock to the family charities and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The donations totaled close to $52 billion at the time they were made, with the Gates Foundation receiving more than $39 billion.

Buffett has run Omaha, Nebraska-based Berkshire since 1965.

The conglomerate owns dozens of businesses including the BNSF railroad, Geico car insurance, energy and industrial companies, and familiar consumer brands such as Dairy Queen and Fruit of the Loom.

It also recently owned more than $318 billion of stocks, about half of which was Apple.

The Howard G. Buffett Foundation focuses on alleviating hunger, mitigating conflicts, combating human trafficking and improving public safety. The Sherwood Foundation supports nonprofits in Nebraska, and the NoVo Foundation has initiatives focused on girls and women.

(Reporting by Bhanvi Satija in Bengaluru and Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Arun Koyyur, Lisa Shumaker, David Gregorio, Shri Navaratnam and Leslie Adler)
Throughout the year, the Dodge Assessors Office is often made aware of certain properties that are or have been improved/renovated/altered in
A 19-year-old man is lucky to be alive, Fremont Fire Department officials said, after he was pulled from his burning vehicle early Sunday morning by an anonymous group of people.

Jose G. Rodriguez, 19, of Fremont, was extricated from his car at about 1 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 19, by a group of people that officials have no information about, Fremont fire Capt. Zachary Klein said. Rodriguez was transported to Methodist Fremont Hospital after the incident, and then transferred to an Omaha-area medical facility.

Firefighters were first dispatched to a motor vehicle accident in the 1300 block of North K Street, but before they arrived on scene, dispatchers advised firefighters that a motor vehicle had rammed the Presbyterian Church of Fremont and was on fire.

What we were told later, is a couple of neighbors who heard the accident pulled (Rodriguez) out, Klein said. (Rodriguez) was on the sidewalk when we pulled up. Some good Samaritans pulled him out. The vehicle was on fire.

For unknown reasons, Rodriguez rammed the churchs stone wall and a side entrance at a high rate of speed, Klein said. Then, the vehicles engine compartment burst into flames.

That is when the anonymous local residents raced to the accident scene and pulled Rodriguez out of the vehicle and to safety.

Klein said the actions of the anonymous citizens could easily be labeled as heroism.

I think it is a good thing, Klein said of the rescuers efforts. We dont want them to get hurt. I think it is pretty high of the citizens of the town to do that.

As for the accident, the incident is still under investigation and no charges were filed against Rodriguez as of Monday, Nov. 20, according to Fremont Police Capt. Kurt Bottorff.

Klein said no Fremont firefighters were injured in the incident, which required the burning motor vehicle to be extinguished first. The fire did not spread inside the 150-year old church, he noted, but the churchs sprinkler fire suppression system did go off and led to significant water damage inside the stone structure. There was also smoke damage, he said.

We did a quick knockdown of the vehicle fire, Klein said. It took a little bit longer to get the (church) building ventilated. I think we were there about two and a half hours.

A telephone message left for officials at the Presbyterian Church of Fremont was not returned by press time.
Tuesday

Chamber Holiday Coffee, 9-10 a.m., Walnut Radio, 1746 E. 23rd Ave. N., Fremont.

Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, 10 a.m., Chapter 5 Club, 136 N. Main St., Fremont.

Letters to the Churches of Revelation, 10 a.m., Lighthouse, 84 W. Sixth St., Fremont.

Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, noon, Chapter 5 Club, Fremont.

Narcotics Anonymous Steps of Freedom meeting, 1 p.m., LifeHouse, 723 N. Broad St., Fremont. The hotline number is 402-459-9511.

Fremont Eagles Club open, 3 p.m. to midnight, 649 N. Main St., Fremont. The club may stay open later or close early depending on business. Pitch will be played at 6:30 p.m.

Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, 5:15 p.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont.

Mens and Womens Bible Study, 6 p.m., Lighthouse, 84 W. Sixth St., Fremont.

Narcotics Anonymous Freedom Works Group, 7 p.m., Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 1440 E. Military Ave., Fremont.

Psycho Beach Party, 7:30 p.m., Fremont High Schools Nell McPherson Theater, 1750 N. Lincoln Ave., Fremont. The FHS Tiger Drama One Act team will present the free performance. No tickets are needed.

Wednesday

Big Red Luncheon, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Fremont Eagles Club, 649 N. Main St., Fremont. Lunch will be served from 11 a.m. to noon. Steve Sipple will speak at noon. The luncheon cost of $25 covers the meal, one non-alcoholic drink and the speaker.

Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, noon, Chapter 5 Club, 136 N. Main St., Fremont.

Mens Bible Study, 1 p.m., Lighthouse, 84 W. Sixth St., Fremont.

Fremont Eagles Club open, 3 p.m. to midnight, 649 N. Main St., Fremont. The club may stay open later or close early depending on business.

Business After Hours, 4-6 p.m., Platte Valley Equipment Workshop, 2221 County Road Q, Fremont. Refreshments will be served. The first 100 guests will receive a tumbler. Lighting of Platte Valleys Christmas display will be at 5:30 p.m.

Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, 5:15 p.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont.

Fremont Community Breastfeeding Support Group, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Three Rivers Health Department conference room, 2400 N. Lincoln Ave., Fremont. This support group is for mothers and their babies. Siblings are welcome.

Friendsgiving Pop-up Bar, 7-10 p.m., 141 E. Sixth St., Fremont. This 21-and-over event is being sponsored by MainStreet of Fremont. There will be a cash bar and music. The cover charge is $15.

Narcotics Anonymous, 7 p.m., Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 1440 E. Military Ave., Fremont. The hotline number is 402-459-9511

Alcoholics Anonymous, 8 p.m., Chapter 5 Club, 136 N. Main St., Fremont.

Thursday

Alcoholics Anonymous big book study, 10 a.m., Chapter 5 Club, 136 N. Main St., Fremont.

Fremont Community Thanksgiving Dinner, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Midland University Dining Hall, 940 E. Ninth St., Fremont. Everyone is welcome. There is no charge; freewill donations will be collected. There will be no take out or deliveries.

Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, noon, Chapter 5 Club, Fremont.

Community Food and Fellowship Thanksgiving Dinner, 3 p.m., Fremont First Congregational Church, 1550 N. Broad St., Fremont. The dinner will include turkey, ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, corn casserole, glazed carrots, collard greens, broccoli salad, corn bread, dinner rolls and pumpkin pie. Anyone who does not have Thanksgiving plans is welcome to attend.

Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, 5:15 p.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont.

Narcotics Anonymous Freedom Works Group, 7 p.m., Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 1440 E. Military Ave.

Narcotics Anonymous Back to Basics meeting, 7:30 p.m., First Evangelical Lutheran Church, 201 N. Davis St., Oakland.

Alcoholics Anonymous big book study, 8 p.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont.
The Nebraska Poison Center is offering safety tips to guide your holiday planning so that food poisoning doesnt ruin your Thanksgiving celebration.

DO

 DO ask all kitchen helpers to wash their hands using warm water and soap for 20 seconds before and after handling food.

 DO keep turkey in its original wrapping, refrigerated until ready to cook.

 DO defrost a frozen turkey by refrigeration or cold running water.

 DO allow one day for every 4-5 pounds to defrost in the refrigerator. In a cold-water bath, change the water every 30 minutes. A 24-pound turkey may take up to 6 days to thaw so plan accordingly.

 DO use a meat thermometer to check if turkey is done. The turkey should cook until the internal temperature reaches a safe minimum of 165 F.

 DO store the turkey and stuffing separately.

 DO store leftover turkey in the refrigerator and use within 3-4 days.

 DO store leftover stuffing and gravy in the refrigerator and use within 1-2 days.

 DO go to the Butterball website at www.butterball.com , call 1-800-BUTTERBALL or text 844-877-3456 to chat with one of their turkey experts for other tips and tricks. You can even ask Alexa to Ask Butterball a question on Alexa enabled devices.

DONT

 DONT defrost a turkey at room temperature. Bacteria can multiply to unsafe numbers on outer layers before inner layers have defrosted. These bacteria can cause illness in you or your guests.

 DONT leave an uncooked thawed turkey out of the refrigerator longer than two hours.

 DONT set your oven lower than 325 F.

 DONT prepare food if you are sick or have a nose or eye infection.

 DONT leave leftovers out on the counter longer than two hours.

 DONT re-freeze a completely thawed uncooked turkey.

 DONT stuff turkeys as it makes it difficult for the internal temperature to reach 165F within a safe period of time. If you must stuff your turkey, stuff it lightly before cooking and leave room for the oven to cook the interior of the turkey and stuffing.

The Nebraska Poison Center is a free, confidential community service to the public. Call 1-800-222-1222 to speak directly with a registered nurse 24/7/365.
Menzies Aviation, the leading service partner to the worlds airports and airlines, and an Agility company, has renewed and secured several new key cargo contracts with airlines at Londons Heathrow Airport (LHR). This includes Thai Airways Cargo, Middle East Airlines, Royal Air Maroc Cargo, Royal Jordanian Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines Cargo and Tarom.

Among the new contracts, Menzies is set to deliver cargo handling and airside trucking services for Thai Airways, the national flag carrier of Thailand. The contract, which includes 14 turns per week, will see local teams oversee the transportation of more than 16,000 tonnes of vegetables and fresh fish from Thailand to the UK.

Royal Air Maroc Cargo, the fast-developing cargo business of Moroccos national airline, has appointed Menzies to manage its cargo handling at Londons busiest airport, managing seven turns per week. Extending its contract with the aviation services business, Royal Jordanian Airlines, has added cargo handling and airside trucking to its agreement, which currently includes passenger and ramp handling. The extended contract will include 14 additional turns per week, with more than 6,000 cargo tonnes anticipated each year.

Middle East Airlines

Menzies Aviation has also locked in a further five-years with Middle East Airlines, the flag carrier of Lebanon, to provide air cargo handling services and airside trucking for more than 14 turns per weeks, including more than 1,700 tonnes of fresh vegetables from Lebanon.

Building on a decade long relationship, Menzies will also continue providing cargo handling services for SAS Cargo, the leading air cargo carrier to, from and within Scandinavia, managing more than 35 turns per week. It will also continue serving long standing cargo customer, Tarom, the flag carrier and oldest currently operating airline of Romania, with seven turns per week.

Hassan El-Houry, Chairman, Menzies Aviation, said: It is fantastic to see such positive momentum, with a series of wins and renewals for the cargo team at London Heathrow, helping to expand our cargo footprint in Europe. We have an ambitious cargo expansion strategy and are proud to have built strong relationships with our customers who recognise our service driven approach. Were excited to continue building on these relationships and expand our reach in Europe and beyond.--TradeArabia News Service
Nebraskas unemployment rate continued to rise in October, but its still down from where it was a year ago.

The states unemployment rate was 2.2% last month, according to the latest data from the Nebraska Department of Labor. That was up from 2.1% in September but down from 2.7% in October 2022.

Nebraskas unemployment rate ranked sixth among the states and continued to be much lower than the national rate of 3.9%.

Employment numbers continued to grow, with the number of filled jobs in October up 6,949 over September and 13,041 compared with a year ago.

The top-performing category on a year-over-year basis was private education and health services, which added more than 4,000 jobs and reached an all-time high of more than 163,000 in October, said Labor Commissioner John Albin.

The number of people working statewide fell slightly in October, down 1,894 compared with September, but it was up 4,845 compared with a year ago.

The Lincoln area did not fare quite as well. Its unemployment rate in October matched the state rate of 2.2%, but that was up from 1.9% in September and the same as it was in October 2022.

However, Lincoln saw increases both in filled jobs and in the number of people working. The number of local jobs in October was up 1,638 over September and 4,108 compared with last year. The number of people working was up 112 compared with September and 866 compared with October 2022.

Despite the strong employment numbers, at least one Nebraska economist believes the states economy is struggling.

On Thursday, Creighton University economist Ernie Goss released his Rural Main Street Index for November, which showed Nebraska is under-performing the 10-state region as a whole.

The overall index sank to 40.4 this month, its lowest reading since June 2020, which Goss said, points to weaker farm and non-farm economies.

The index for Nebraska was slightly lower, at 39.7, and Goss said data from the International Trade Administration shows agricultural exports from the state declined from $981.4 million in the first nine months of 2022 to $470 million in the first nine months of this year, a 52.1% drop.

Ag exports for the entire region also dropped during the same period, but the decline was much smaller, at 12.7%.

How the economy is performing in Nebraska
It has been a year-and-a-half since the Oglala Sioux Tribe sued the United States due to a breakdown of law and order on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Continued reports of drug-related offenses, assaults and homicides prompted the tribal government to take further action.

Oglala Sioux Tribe President Frank Star Comes Out signed a new proclamation on Nov. 18 declaring a State of Emergency on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The new State of Emergency declaration will remain in effect until Jan. 1, 2025.

A State of Emergency exists on the Reservation due to the failure of the United States Government and its agencies, particularly the DOI and BIA, to honor their treaty trust and statutory obligations to the Oglala Sioux Tribe, President Star Comes Outs proclamation read.

The reservation is currently experiencing high rates of murder, suicide, drug offenses, robbery, rape, aggravated assault, burglary and missing and murdered Indigenous women, according to tribal officials.

Despite making up roughly 2% of the South Dakota population, Pine Ridge citizens account for 10% of the currently missing people in South Dakota.

The South Dakota Missing Persons Clearinghouse reports 13 people currently missing from Pine Ridge, six of whom went missing this year and four within the past month. Seven of the total missing individuals are minors.

In July 2022, the tribe launched a lawsuit against the United States arguing the government has failed to uphold its treaty obligation of protecting the tribe. The lawsuit references several historical documents that define the United States obligation.

The Treaties of 1825, 1851 and 1868 all included clauses that state the United States is responsible for protecting the Oglala Sioux Tribe and its members from bad men."

In 1877, after the confiscation of seven million acres from the former Great Sioux Reservation, the United States also promised compensation in the form of necessary aid and protection, according to treaty documents.

The BIA has a responsibility to help our people, and I dont see that happening here, Oglala Sioux Tribe President Frank Star Comes Out said during a press conference Saturday. This is an emergency. Whats being done now while were waiting [for litigation]?

In 2021, the tribe said the federal government only provided 13% of the tribes requested law enforcement and criminal investigations funding for the fiscal year 2023 budget. The tribe said it only has enough funding for 33 police officers.

OST currently has 32 officers on staff, with between five and six officers working at one time. Those few are responsible for patrolling the 3.1 million acre reservation and all nine districts.

The Nov. 18 Emergency Proclamation urges President Joe Biden to intervene and direct Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland to request sufficient funds for public safety on the reservation. This would include enough funding for the BIA standard of 2.8 officers per 1,000 persons in the service population.

The proclamation also calls for South Dakota Senators John Thune and Mike Rounds, along with Congressman Dusty Johnson, to hold field hearings on the lack of adequate law enforcement on South Dakota reservations.

While census records indicate nearly 20,000 residents on Pine Ridge, the Oglala Sioux Tribe's total enrollment number is over 54,000 people. The tribe is requesting enough funding for 120 officers.

We dont live in Indian country, we survive, Star Comes Out said. We have been patiently trying to cooperate with the government, and we feel that theyre stalling. Its hurting our tribe and its hurting our people.

As of Aug. 15, both parties in the lawsuit were supposed to begin discussing the possibility of a settlement, per U.S. District Court for the State of South Dakota Chief Justice Roberto Langes order. There has been no movement since that order.

Pine Ridge residents face the realities of life with limited law enforcement every day, OST officials explained.

Officers often have to prioritize which calls they respond to, leaving many waiting hours for help  if help ever comes. Some individuals have reported waiting three or four hours for a response, according to the tribe.

The trust is not there anymore; the people don't feel safe anymore, Star Comes Out said. If youre wondering what a lack of treaty fulfillment looks like, just go to our reservation and see for yourself.

Tribal entities such as Oglala Victim Services supported the call for a State of Emergency. On Nov. 16, the organization held a vigil for murdered tribal members and called for an end to drug-related violence.

Victim Services said it will continue hosting weekly vigil walks until something is done about violence on the reservation.

The Nov. 18 proclamation isnt the first time that a State of Emergency has been issued on Pine Ridge in response to violence. The tribe has authorized several declarations over the past seven years.

Were living in a lawless government; were impoverished and we dont have the resources to combat [the violence], tribal council representative Anna Halverson said. There used to be one homicide per month or year, now we hear of one nearly every day.

In 2017, a string of emergency declarations were issued regarding high amounts of missing tribal citizens, issues with tribal police, and drug usage.

In Jan. 2020, then-president Julian Bear Runner issued a State of Emergency regarding the rising number of homicides and meth use on the reservation. The 2020 proclamation requested immediate help from several federal agencies, asking them to send investigators and other resources to the tribe.

Nine months later, in Sept. 2020, the OST entered into an agreement with the Pennington County Sheriff's Department allowing for mutual aid between the two.

President Star Comes Out said he is planning to speak with President Biden in the near future regarding this new proclamation.
Organizers behind a proposed constitutional amendment that would bar Nebraska from collecting most taxes have hired a petition circulator to begin gathering signatures in the states most populous counties.

Trailblazing Canvassers, a Florida-based firm that has qualified ballot initiatives in 18 different states, will send paid staff members into Lancaster, Douglas and Sarpy counties to ask voters to sign onto the EPIC Option proposal.

The pair of petitions  one would eliminate property, income, inheritance and corporate taxes in Nebraska, while the second would put in place a consumption tax on all new goods and services, except groceries  have been in circulation for months.

The hiring of a paid circulator marks the next stage in signature-gathering efforts, said Steve Jessen, a retired insurance agent from Norfolk who has coordinated more than 160 volunteers who have worked in rural counties of the state.

Financial disclosure forms indicate EPIC Option paid Trailblazing Canvassers $20,000 in late October to begin running the petition drive. Jessen said those funds have come from small donations from people across the state frustrated by their tax bills.

Other petition drives in recent years have required $1 million or more to hire paid circulators to crisscross the state. EPIC Option has raised about $89,000, according to its October report filed with the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission.

The ballot initiative for EPIC, which stands for Eliminate Property, Income and Corporate, will continue to raise funds and pay as we go, organizers said.

This is a grassroots organization, and were going to get this done, Jessen said at a news conference Monday. We are the second house, and the second house is not happy with the way our current tax system is.

Sen. Steve Erdman of Bayard, who has introduced legislation to implement the EPIC Option at the Capitol, and who has championed the petition drive, said doing away with most taxes would make Nebraska friendlier to taxpayers and businesses, growing the state in the process.

The revenue collected through the consumption tax  Erdmans plan would set the rate at 7.5% and would apply to all new goods, including new homes  would provide the same funding to state governments, schools and local governments, proponents say.

It would also get rid of a slew of tax exemptions passed by the Legislature over the past 50-plus years and would implement taxes on services from tax preparation to car repairs, home remodeling, loan processing and others items currently not taxed. It also would require nonprofits, churches, education institutions and governments to pay consumption taxes.

Erdman said opponents who stand to lose tax exemptions are leading the opposition to his plan, while farmers and homeowners, who would receive actual property tax relief and not just a decrease in the amount their property taxes go up every year, are backing it.

Whats more important sometimes is who is opposed to you than who is with you, Erdman said at a news conference Monday morning. Those people who are against EPIC, every one of them, is a paid lobbyist or a person who is paid to be against it.

All those people who are for it are the people who are paying their taxes, he added.

But those opponents say EPIC and the consumption tax plan (LB79) put forward by Erdman would not replace the revenue needed to fund the government at its current level.

An analysis by OpenSky Policy Institute in March concluded Erdmans plan would create a $7.4 billion shortfall in state and local government revenue, and would require a consumption tax rate set at 22.1% in order to offset that.

Such a tax would fall disproportionately hard on low- and middle-income Nebraskans because a much greater portion of their wages goes to purchases that would be subject to tax, the report concludes.

Last week, Bryan Slone, president of the Nebraska State Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce the EPIC Option would create a financial crisis for the state while also making businesses less competitive.

By implementing higher consumption taxes, many businesses would price themselves out of the market, Slone said, adding the tax would hit hardest on young Nebraskans who buy more items and services that would be subject to the consumption tax.

At precisely, exactly the same time when everything about our economy depends on attracting and retaining 18- to 34-year-olds, the worst thing we could possibly do right now is increase taxes on 18- to 34-year-olds, particularly those with children, Slone said. Its about as counterintuitive as it can be.

Erdman and other state senators who spoke at Mondays news conference said the EPIC Option was brought forward because the Legislature has been unable or unwilling to restructure the states tax system, maintaining what they described as an over-reliance on property taxes to fund local government.

He argued that eliminating tax exemptions would expand the potential revenue base an estimated $75 billion, several times what it is now. With more people paying the consumption tax at a lower rate, the total revenue would not drop, he added.

If voters choose not to pass the measure, Erdman said, it will force more people to flee the state to other areas with more favorable tax conditions.

Sen. Steve Halloran of Hastings, who like Erdman is entering his final year as a state lawmaker, said lobbyists have been able to carve out 1,200 pages of exemptions from the current tax code, which he illustrated with a stack of papers that stood 9 inches high.

Halloran likened the list of exemptions to the Legislature picking and choosing which entities or businesses could be successful.

I find it morally corrupt that we pick winners and losers through our tax code, Halloran said.

Top Journal Star photos for November 2023
Three people died in a one-vehicle crash south of Winnebago in northeast Nebraska.

At 3:41 a.m. on Saturday, a Thurston County sheriffs deputy came across the vehicle that was in a ditch along U.S. 75, according to a press release sent Thursday by the Thurston County Sheriffs Office. After seeing the vehicle was occupied, the deputy called on the Winnebago Police Department and Omaha Nation Law Enforcement Services to assist.

An investigation determined four people were in the vehicle, which was traveling south when it left the eastern side of the road and collided with the ditch.

Three people were pronounced dead at the scene. The Nebraska Department of Transportation identified them as Tanesia Wolfe-Ricehill, Daniel Ricehill and Duane Walker Jr. Their ages and towns of residence have not been released.

The fourth person, who has not been identified, was airlifted to an Omaha hospital.
Colorado Supreme Court will hear appeal of ruling that Trump can stay on ballot despite insurrection

The Colorado Supreme Court has agreed to hear appeals from both a liberal group that sought to disqualify Donald Trump and the former president himself after a state judge ruled that Trump engaged in insurrection but can appear on the state's ballot
An appeals court has upheld a judges decision to deny bail to a New Mexico man charged with attempted murder in the September shooting of a Native American activist during confrontations about a Spanish conquistador statue
The federal appeals court based in Denver has rejected ex-Adams County Sheriff Richard A. Reigenborn's attempt to end a retaliation lawsuit brought by four subordinates Reigenborn fired  including the man who defeated him last year.

Upon taking office after the 2018 election, Reigenborn pushed out multiple high-ranking personnel who had been supporters of Reigenborn's opponent. Timothy James Coates, Gene Claps, Mark Mitchell and Kevin Currier all retired in lieu of being fired, then filed a lawsuit alleging Reigenborn retaliated against them for exercising their First Amendment right to support their preferred candidate for sheriff.

A judge allowed the claim to proceed to trial, prompting Reigenborn to appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit. In doing so, Reigenborn sought to take advantage of an ambiguity in how sheriffs' offices are treated legally.

The plaintiffs sued Reigenborn in his individual capacity  meaning a claim against him personally  and his official capacity. A claim against a government employee in their official capacity is effectively one against the government itself. Although individual defendants can be shielded from liability by qualified immunity, that shield is not available to governments for their own role in a constitutional violation.

Last year, U.S. Magistrate Judge Scott T. Varholak granted Reigenborn qualified immunity as an individual defendant, finding it was unclear whether the plaintiffs owed "political loyalty" to the elected sheriff. Therefore, Reigenborn could not be liable for a constitutional violation by getting rid of perceived dissidents.

At the same time, Varholak allowed the plaintiffs' official claim to proceed, given that immunity was not available to Reigenborn as a stand-in for Adams County. Reigenborn disputed his status as an official defendant, claiming the Colorado Constitution renders sheriffs separate from their counties. Varholak shot down that argument as a "loophole," effectively making neither counties nor sheriffs liable for wrongdoing in sheriffs' offices.

Case: Coates v. Reigenborn Decided: October 16, 2023 Jurisdiction: U.S. District Court for Colorado Ruling: 3-0 Judges: Carolyn B. McHugh (author) Jerome A. Holmes Joel M. Carson III Background: Appeals court rejects Adams County's argument that sheriff's office is not a 'public entity'

After Reigenborn appealed Varholak's decision to the 10th Circuit, the plaintiffs cried foul. An interlocutory  or mid-case  appeal is only available when a judge denies qualified immunity. Here, they pointed out, Varholak had given Reigenborn immunity as an individual defendant. Therefore, Reigenborn could not challenge the retaliation claim against him officially, where immunity did not apply.

In response, Reigenborn argued it would be impossible to "thin-slice" him into an individual and an official under his unique status as sheriff. Even though Reigenborn will not be individually liable, Varholak's ruling meant he will still be brought to trial  the outcome qualified immunity is designed to avoid.

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"Thus, the district courts ruling requires Sheriff Reigenborn to still go to trial for the exact same conduct for which he is supposed to have qualified immunity," wrote Assistant County Attorney Michael A. Sink. "Sheriff Reigenborns right not to stand trial will be irretrievably lost."

A three-judge panel of the 10th Circuit was unconvinced. Reigenborn's claim that he had a "right not to be tried," wrote Judge Carolyn B. McHugh, ignored the difference between lawsuits against individuals and lawsuits against the government.

"The Sheriff made no assertion before the district court as to the availability of any immunity on his official-capacity claim," she explained in the Oct. 16 order.

McHugh pointed out Reigenborn could argue at trial that it was improper to hold him liable as a stand-in for Adams County. But the panel had no authority to hear Reigenborn's interlocutory appeal  nor could it evaluate the plaintiffs' related challenge to Varholak's grant of immunity to Reigenborn individually.

Claps defeated Reigenborn in the 2022 Democratic primary and took office this year, making him both a plaintiff and an official named defendant in the case. The parties will appear before Varholak next month for a status conference.

In addition to the civil lawsuit, the Colorado Attorney General's Office charged Reigenborn criminally earlier this fall with falsifying training records during his time as sheriff.

The case is Coates et al. v. Reigenborn et al.
The former deputy district attorney and local Mormon church leader accused of sexual assault on a child had a request granted Monday afternoon to move to Utah.

David McConkie, 45, a former president of the Colorado Springs East Stake within the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints appeared in court Monday afternoon for a preliminary hearing, which was waived at the request of his attorney, Colin Bresee.

Bresee informed the court that their investigation remains "ongoing," and requested an arraignment date in 2024 to allow for as much time as possible.

Prosecutor Kelson Castain did not object to the defense request, informing the court that additional time would also be beneficial to the prosecution as they have "ongoing negotiations" with the defense.

Prior to the conclusion of the hearing, Judge Erin Sokol granted a defense request for McConkie to move to Utah, but did so with the requirement that McConkie would still be required to appear in person for some future court dates in El Paso County.

McConkie is scheduled to return to court on Jan. 31, 2024, for his first arraignment hearing, he appeared to court on Monday out of custody after posting a $100,000 bond to be released from custody the day of his arrest in August.

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McConkie faces one charge of sexual assault on a child from a person in a position of trust after one victim, now 19, told police about abuse spanning several years and concerns she has that he is abusing another young child based on the child's behavior, an arrest affidavit for McConkie said.

Previous reporting from The Gazette details that the affidavit also said McConkie confessed an inappropriate sexual act with a child to a church leader in 2008. The person who spoke with police about the confession said he was shocked but he did not ask many clarifying details about it.

The police document doesnt detail if the person McConkie confessed to reported the incident. The name of the person he confessed to was redacted from the documents.

McConkie was a deputy district attorney for the 4th Judicial District from 2008-2011 and went into private practice after that as a partner in a local law firm.
A Denver judge on Friday found Donald Trump remains eligible for the state's 2024 presidential ballot even though he engaged in an insurrection, joining courts elsewhere that have rejected attempts to disqualify the leading Republican candidate.

District Court Judge Sarah B. Wallace determined the provision of the 14th Amendment barring insurrectionists from holding office does not apply to presidents and, therefore, does not disqualify Trump.

"To be clear, part of the Courts decision is its reluctance to embrace an interpretation which would disqualify a presidential candidate without a clear, unmistakable indication that such is the intent," she wrote in a Nov. 17 order.

Nonetheless, the 102-page order offered a damning critique of Trump's conduct leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol, and Wallace concluded Trump did, in fact, incite an insurrection to halt the certification of President Joe Biden's victory.

"Trump cultivated a culture that embraced political violence through his consistent endorsement of the same," she described. "He responded to growing threats of violence and intimidation in the lead-up to the certification by amplifying his false claims of election fraud. He convened a large crowd on the date of the certification in Washington, D.C., focused them on the certification process, told them their country was being stolen from them, called for strength and action, and directed them to the Capitol where the certification was about to take place."

Four Republican and two unaffiliated voters filed a petition in September under the state law that permits courts to intervene if election officials are about to perform a wrongful act, like placing an ineligible candidate on the ballot. Section 3 of the 14th Amendment bars members of Congress or "an officer of the United Sates" from occupying state or federal office if they took an oath to the U.S. Constitution but subsequently "engaged in insurrection."

The petitioners sought to use Section 3 to bar Secretary of State Jena Griswold from certifying Trump's name on the presidential primary ballot on Jan. 5, 2024. Griswold took no position on Trump's ineligibility, but she asked Wallace to squarely decide whether Trump's alleged participation in an insurrection rendered him disqualified.

"The Court determined that Donald Trump is eligible to be placed on the Colorado ballot in the March Presidential Primary. This decision may be appealed. As Secretary of State, I will always ensure that every voter can make their voice heard in free and fair elections," Griswold said in a statement.

During a five-day hearing earlier this month, Wallace heard from experts about how Section 3 was applied around the time of its 1868 enactment. At the time, members of Congress were not seated for acts as minimal as writing an anti-Union letter to the editor or giving a family member $100 before leaving to fight for the Confederacy.

Most recently, courts in New Mexico barred a local elected official from his position due to his involvement in the Jan. 6 attack.

The disqualification of a former president and current presidential candidate would have been unprecedented. Recent rulings in similar cases from New Hampshire, Minnesota and Michigan all went in Trump's favor, with judges concluding it is not their role to resolve Trump's current eligibility.

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"We shouldnt even be here," said Trump's attorney, Republican former Secretary of State Scott Gessler, at the outset of the Denver proceedings. "There are millions of people in Colorado and across this country who are inspired by President Trump. ... Who are the petitioners to prevent those people from not being able to vote" for him?

Wallace went further in analyzing Trump's eligibility than any other judge who has issued a decision. Her conclusion hinged on one factor: Her doubt that Trump was "an officer of the United States" as the framers of the 14th Amendment envisioned. Because that link in the chain was broken, Wallace could not order Trump disqualified.

The remainder of her decision contained large swaths rebutting Trump's attempt to discredit the report of the congressional committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack. The committee, composed of seven Democratic and two Republican members, found Trump bore responsibility for the insurrection. Trump's lawyers maintained the committee members were biased toward that conclusion from the outset, and their report was not reliable.

Any "perceived animus of the committee members towards Trump did not taint the conclusions of the January 6th Report in such a way that would render them unreliable," Wallace responded. "No evidence was presented at the (disqualification) hearing that the January 6th Committee or its staff coerced witness testimony, refused to hear testimony they did not want to hear, or disregarded credible exculpatory evidence."

She also found multiple of Trump's witnesses to not be credible, including Kashyap "Kash" Patel, an administration official who testified Trump authorized the presence of tens of thousands of National Guard troops in advance of Jan. 6. Tom Bjorklund, the treasurer of the Colorado Republican Party who was present at the Capitol, also testified to his belief that "antifa"  meaning "anti-fascist"  activists were actually involved in the insurrection.

That testimony demonstrated Bjorklund's "inability to discern conspiracy theory from reality," Wallace added.

The petitioners will need to appeal to the Colorado Supreme Court by next week in order to challenge Wallace's ruling. The court has the discretion to decline the case.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, an advocacy group that assisted with the petitioners' case, said it would file an appeal.

The courts decision affirms what our clients alleged in this lawsuit: that Donald Trump engaged in insurrection based on his role in January 6th, said Noah Bookbinder, the group's president. Today was not the end of this effort, but another step along the way.

The victory for Trump in Colorado comes as he faces a slew of legal proceedings in other cases, including multiple criminal indictments and a civil fraud trial in New York. Polls show he remains the leading candidate for the Republican nomination.

The case is Anderson et al. v. Griswold.
Three people are dead, one is in critical condition and a suspect is on the run following a shooting in Custer County on Monday.

Multiple agencies including the Fremont and Pueblo County SWAT teams responded to the scene at 173 Rocky Ridge Road, just northeast of Westcliffe, on Monday afternoon. The Custer County Sheriff's Office released in a Facebook post that the incident is thought to have started as a neighbor dispute, which led to shots being fired just before 1 p.m. The shooting took place on the property line in a wooded area and began with a suspected property dispute, the Sheriff's Office said.

Westcliffe is a little more than an hour southwest of Colorado Springs.

The CCSO said that two men and one woman are dead following the dispute. Each was shot multiple times, The Gazette news partner KOAA reported. Another woman who was also shot several times was taken to the hospital in critical condition, the CCSO said.

The Sheriffs Office says the four individuals were found near each other close to the property line in a wooded area. The names of the victims have not yet been released.

The Sheriff's Office issued a shelter-in-place around 2:20 p.m. for the area around Rocky Ridge Road but have since given an "all-clear" following the shooting at around 8:10 p.m.

The suspect in the incident has been identified as 45-year-old Hanme K. Clark. Clark was last seen driving a white Ram 1500 pickup with a topper with the Colorado license plate BHLK27, the CCSO said.

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Residents of the wooded, rural area were told to shelter in place for five hours on Monday as authorities hunted for the man, but the order was lifted Monday night while he remained at large, the Associated Press reported. The Chaffee County Sheriffs Office said in a social media post early Tuesday that it is searching for the man and residents should shelter in place in the southeastern part of the county, about 40 miles northwest of where the shooting occurred. The affected area is south of U.S. Route 50 from the Fremont County line to Poncha Springs.

This is a developing story and will be updated.
A shooting near Westcliffe in Custer County left three dead and one in critical condition Monday.

The suspect in the incident has been identified as 45-year-old Hanme K. Clark. Clark was arrested in New Mexico on Tuesday afternoon, the Custer County Sheriff's Office said.

Residents of the wooded, rural area were told to shelter in place for five hours on Monday as authorities hunted for the suspect, but the order was lifted Monday night while he remained at large.

The Chaffee County Sheriffs Office said in a social media post early Tuesday that it is searching for the man and residents should shelter in place in the southeastern part of the county, about 40 miles northwest of where the shooting occurred. The affected area is south of U.S. Route 50 from the Fremont County line to Poncha Springs.

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Multiple agencies including the Fremont and Pueblo County SWAT teams responded to the scene at 173 Rocky Ridge Road, just northeast of Westcliffe, on Monday afternoon. The Custer County Sheriff's Office released in a Facebook post that the incident is thought to have started as a neighbor dispute, which led to shots being fired just before 1 p.m. The shooting took place on the property line in a wooded area and began with a suspected property dispute, the Sheriff's Office said.

Each of the victims was shot multiple times, Gazette news partner KOAA reported. Another woman who was also shot several times was taken to the hospital in critical condition, the CCSO said.

The Sheriffs Office says the four individuals were found near each other close to the property line in a wooded area. The names of the victims have not yet been released.

The Sheriff's Office issued a shelter-in-place around 2:20 p.m. for the area around Rocky Ridge Road but have since given an "all-clear" following the shooting at around 8:10 p.m.
(Reuters) -At least one person was killed and three people were injured on Monday in a shooting at a Walmart store in Beavercreek, Ohio,WHIO television reported, citing its reporters on the scene, as witnesses told media a man opened fire with an assault rifle.

Three patients from the shooting being treated at a nearby trauma center, a hospital spokesperson said.

Beavercreek police said they responded to the shooting and that there was no was longer any threat to the public. Beavercreek is a city of about 46,000 people just east of Dayton.

The building was cleared and secured and "there is no active threat at this time," police said on the social media platform X, without releasing any details about possible casualties.

Pictures of the scene showed a phalanx of police cars with their lights flashing had converged on the store.

"I was literally just shopping for Thanksgiving stuff and this guy walked right past me with an assault rifle and started shooting," one woman said in a video posted on social media, adding she could not determine whether anyone was wounded or killed.

"I ran ... He shot like 10 times ... I'm so lucky to be alive," she said tearfully.

Another witness on social media described the shooter as a "tall, young white guy" carrying an Army bag.

"My nerves are shot right now," she said.

WHIO and the Dayton Daily News quoted witnesses with similar accounts.

Soin Medical Center in Beavercreek received three patients, said Catherine Morris, a spokesperson for parent company Kettering Health.

Walmart directed all queries to law enforcement.

"We're heartbroken by what's happened at our Beavercreek, Ohio store. This remains a developing situation, and we're working closely with investigators on the scene," the retail giant said in a statement.

Police said they would release more information when it became available.

(Reporting by Daniel Trotta. Editing by Gerry Doyle)
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden plan to pay respects to the late Rosalynn Carter, but White House officials declined to say Monday if that includes attending the former first lady's funeral.

Carter, wife of former President Jimmy Carter, died Sunday at her home in Georgia. She was 96 years old, and her husband, 99, is the oldest living former president.

BIDEN'S BIRTHDAY REMINDS VOTERS 'BUBBLE WRAP' PLAN TO PROTECT HIM IS IN FULL SWING

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden plan to pay respects to the late Rosalynn Carter, but White House officials declined to say Monday if that includes attending the former first lady's funeral. Adam Schultz/AP

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre faced several questions on the topic during Monday's press briefing, and she confirmed that Joe Biden will order the flags at the White House and other federal buildings to be lowered to half-staff to honor Rosalynn Carter.

"Their thoughts are with President Carter and the entire Carter family," Jean-Pierre said. "As the president said yesterday, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter have been dear longtime friends, and Rosalynn Carter was an extraordinary, extraordinary first lady. She was a champion for equal rights and opportunities for women and girls, an advocate for mental health and wellness for every person, and a supporter of the often unseen, uncompensated caregivers of our children, aging loved ones, and people with disabilities.

"The president and the first lady are thinking of her and of him and keeping the Carter family in their prayers today," Jean-Pierre continued. "As it relates to any potential travel, the president and the first lady plan to pay respects to the former first lady. I don't have anything to share at this time on details or anything to confirm just yet, but certainly, as we have information or more details to share, we certainly will share that with all of you."

Joe Biden commemorated Rosalynn Carter in a statement Sunday, saying the former first lady will "always be in our hearts."

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"Time and time again, during the more than four decades of our friendship  through rigors of campaigns, through the darkness of deep and profound loss  we always felt the hope, warmth, and optimism of Rosalynn Carter," Joe Biden said. "She will always be in our hearts. On behalf of a grateful nation, we send our love to President Carter, the entire Carter family, and the countless people across our nation and the world whose lives are better, fuller, and brighter because of the life and legacy of Rosalynn Carter."

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Monday's briefing can be seen in full below.

Original Location: Bidens 'plan to pay respects' to Rosalynn Carter

Washington Examiner Videos
Durham College, a public college in Ontario, Canada, has disavowed the pro-Hamas comments of student Sahar Shehadeh. Her viral social media post shared how "very proud" of Hamas she was and "would love it" if they attacked Israel again.

"I support Hamas. History was made that day. Very proud of my people. Very, very proud. [I] would love it if they do it again," Shehadeh said originally in an Instagram post on Saturday while wearing a white burqa.

TALKING TURKEY: WHY THE COST OF THE HOLIDAY DINNER HAS RISEN SO MUCH IN RECENT YEARS

Shehadeh went on to repeat the word "again" seven times to show her support for Hamas.

"I would love it if they would do it again and again and again and again and again," in an apparent reference to the Oct. 7 massacre of over 1,200 Israelis, she continued.

The post later went viral when it was reposted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The college called her video "disturbing" and "unequivocally" condemned her comments on the violent attack on Israel.

"DC is aware of a disturbing video of an alleged student making anti-semitic comments in support of terrorism. Per our Student Conduct Policy, the Office of Campus Safety has contacted the individual and is taking all necessary actions, including working with the DPRS on this matter," the college said on social media in a series of posts.

The college continued, "Durham College unequivocally condemns the inflammatory statements made in this video and does not tolerate antisemitism, Islamophobia, or any form of hate, discrimination or promotion of acts of violence. DC is a welcoming, inclusive and diverse community, and we remain committed to non-violence and the safety and well-being of the DC community."

"DC is a welcoming, inclusive and diverse community, and we remain committed to non-violence and the safety and well-being of the DC community," it added.

Shehadeh's Facebook page reportedly shows a video of a protest she attended in 2021 with the soundtrack of the song "Edreb Edreb Tel Aviv," which translates to "blow up Tel Aviv."

Social media descended on her viral comments.

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"This young woman is so full of hate, ignorance & hubris that she openly supports #Hamas a terrorist organization that beheads toddlers, rapes women, & desecrates corpses. Wonder if she realizes her Western birthright is what's keeping her safe from those same terrorists," conservative commentator Sarah Parshall Perry said on social media.

"Students pursuing Genocide should have their visas revoked," one person said on social media.

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"Her parents must be so proud of her humanity and morality," a social media user snarked.

"These people should not be allowed in Western Liberty loving countries," another social media user said.

Original Location: Durham College condemns student who was 'very proud' of Hamas for Oct. 7 massacre

Washington Examiner Videos
Cameras in future hearings relating to the trial of Bryan Kohberger will now be operated by the court instead of the media.

Judge John C. Judge said in a filing on Friday that the court would take over control of cameras "to alleviate concerns raised by both the defense and the state."

TRUMP AND SMITH LAWYERS TO FIGHT OVER GAG ORDER IN MONDAY'S ORAL ARGUMENTS

"But at the same time [it] will ensure the public still has access to see the proceedings for themselves if they cannot attend hearings in person," Judge wrote.

Attorneys for Kohberger, who is accused of murdering four University of Idaho students, had filed a motion back in August to remove cameras from the courtroom. Both the prosecution and defense were in favor of removing cameras, but families of the victims and media outlets argued cameras ensured transparency and accountability.

Judge rejected the motion to dismiss the cameras and Kohberger's other motion to dismiss his grand jury indictment on Oct. 27. He said at the time that he would need to have more control over cameras in the courtroom but did not provide specifics as to how he would do that.

Now, Judge wrote that all future hearings will be livestreamed using the court's YouTube channel.

The judge's order pointed to instances where media cameras, both still and video, have continued to zoom in on Kohberger "despite the Court's order that images should capture the courtroom in its entirety."

"It is the intense focus on Kohberger and his every move, along with adverse headlines and news articles, that leads the Court to conclude that continued photograph and video coverage inside the courtroom by the media should no longer be permitted," Judge wrote. "This step should help ensure Kohberger's right to a fair trial by an impartial jury and achieve a proper administration of justice."

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"To be clear, the Court is not accusing all journalists and media outlets of violating the Court's orders," Judge continued. "However, Court operated video system will give the Court greater control over what is being videoed, will lessen the burden on the bailiffs, will help to alleviate counsels' concerns, and will allow the media and the public access to the video footage of the proceedings."

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Kohberger has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary related to the Nov. 13, 2022, deaths of Ethan Chapin, 20; Xana Kernodle, 20; Madison Mogen, 21; and Kaylee Goncalves, 21.

The trial was set to begin on Oct. 2. However, Kohberger decided to waive his right to a speedy trial in August, postponing the trial indefinitely.

Original Location: Idaho student murders: Judge rules cameras in hearings will be controlled by court

Washington Examiner Videos
New York City Mayor Eric Adams is blaming the federal government for billions that were slashed from the city's budget last week to deal with its immigrant crisis.

Adams claimed that the lack of federal funding made the crisis unfair to both immigrants and the city because it forced each city agency to reduce its budget by 5% in November. Another 5% reduction is expected in January if the Biden administration does not provide any funding.

BIDEN MIGHT BE DEMOCRATS' BIGGEST PROBLEM CONVINCING BLACK AND LATINO VOTERS NOT TO SUPPORT TRUMP

"D.C. has abandoned us, and they need to be paying their cost to this national problem," Adams said during a town hall in Brooklyn. "This is unfair what we're doing to migrant asylum-seekers, and it's unfair what we're doing to everyday taxpayers."

New York City has witnessed more than 125,000 asylum-seekers enter its care since the spring of last year, which has put a major drain on city resources. In order to respond to the influx, the city diverted $2.1 billion from the city's education budget, $1.4 billion from the Department of Social Services, and $800 million from Homeless Services. It also forced the city to shrink its police force by 4,000 officers and cancel the next five police academy classes.

Adams has asked President Joe Biden to help ease the financial burden, which is projected to cost the city $12 billion by 2025 if the crisis remains the same, but he has seen little response. Biden and Adams have reportedly not spoken directly in roughly a year.

"I tell people all the time when they stop me on the subway system, Don't yell at me. Yell at D.C.,'" Adams said. "We deserve better as a city."

The mayor was also scheduled to sit down with White House officials earlier this month alongside other Democratic mayors whose cities have been greatly affected by the surge of illegal immigration along the county's southern border. But Adams returned home before the meetings took place to deal with an FBI inquiry into his campaign. The mayors were hoping to secure $5 billion in federal assistance.

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A White House spokesperson told the Washington Examiner at the time that the administration is committed to helping the mayors get funding from Congress, but the White House has only requested $1.4 billion so far.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

"The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to supporting local jurisdictions hosting recently arrived migrants and we will continue working to deliver support in every way we can," the spokesperson said in an emailed statement. "We have asked Congress for $1.4 billion in additional grant funding to support local communities and have ask for additional personnel to build upon the improvements DHS has made to processing work permits."

The city has received $1.5 billion from the state of New York so far, and Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) has also urged the Biden administration to send more federal aid for the immigration crisis.

Original Location: NYC Mayor Eric Adams blames Biden for city's budget woes: 'Yell at DC'

Washington Examiner Videos
EXCLUSIVE  PayPal closed a Gaza fundraising account benefiting an Israeli-designated terrorist organization after facing pressure from a legal watchdog group, while the credit card processor Stripe launched an internal investigation into the same campaign, the Washington Examiner has learned.

The Union of Agricultural Work Committees, which Israel declared to be a terrorist group in 2021 for its long-held ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a United States-designated terrorist group, is partnered with the Spanish Bizilur Association for Cooperation and Development of Peoples on a "#StopGazaStarvation Gaza Relief Campaign," according to archived records. However, following the pro-Israel think tank Zachor Legal Institute warning PayPal in a Wednesday letter that it could have been unlawfully "aiding and abetting" terrorism, the company quietly shut down Bizilur's account, though Stripe is reviewing its policies and "will take appropriate action if it's deemed necessary," emails show.

DEMOCRATIC DARK MONEY KINGMAKER PUMPS MILLIONS INTO 'NONPARTISAN' SUPREME COURT WATCHDOG

"We applaud PayPal for taking quick action on this important matter and urge Stripe to follow suit," Zachor Legal Institute President Marc Greendorfer, who told the companies in separate letters he'd be in contact with the IRS and Treasury Department, said in a statement to the Washington Examiner. "As we have advocated for quite some time, the problem of faux humanitarian groups being used by designated terror groups for fundraising and other support is an epidemic."

The fundraiser developments involving major financial services companies underscore how Palestinian terrorist-tied groups and other anti-Israel activist hubs are mobilizing to support Gaza on the heels of the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel, which killed more than 1,200 people in the Jewish state.

The West Bank-based Union of Agricultural Work Committees was identified as the PFLP's "agricultural" arm in a 1993 report prepared by Middle East expert Glenn Robinson for the U.S. Agency for International Development. In 2018, Visa, Mastercard, and American Express barred the Union of Agricultural Work Committees from using their services over its PFLP ties, according to the Israeli watchdog NGO Monitor. One year later, in 2019, Union of Agricultural Work Committees staffers Samer Arbid and Abdul Razeq Farraj were charged with involvement in a PFLP terrorist cell in the West Bank and in a roadside bombing that left Israeli teenager Rina Shnerb dead.

Bizilur, which says it opposes "neoliberal, imperialist and heteropatriarchal" systems, disclosed on its website recently that money donated in connection to the Gaza fundraiser "will be sent directly to Palestine, where UAWC is made up of a network of more than 50 local peasant committees in both Gaza and the West Bank." Moreover, a link to the fundraiser on StopGazaStarvation.org says it's "with the support of" both Bizilur and the committee.

"Bizilur lends its support to this campaign given the inability of UAWC to receive individual donations/shipments in its accounts (one of the restrictions/difficulties imposed by Israel as an occupying power)," the Spanish group described in a blog post about the fundraiser. "However, they can receive donations through NGOs, Foundations, Associations, etc."

On Wednesday, Greendorfer raised concerns in a letter to PayPal that payments to the Bizilur account "will likely fund terror groups operating in Gaza," citing multiple anti-terrorist funding laws in the U.S. Since that time, PayPal has removed the profile, while the fundraiser page no longer allows donations to be processed through PayPal.

PayPal declined a request for comment from the Washington Examiner. The company prohibits its services from being used to "violate any law, statute, ordinance or regulation" or for "the promotion of hate, violence, racial or other forms of intolerance that is discriminatory or the financial exploitation of a crime," according to its policies.

On the other hand, Stripe still appears to be processing payments for the Gaza fundraiser, according to a Washington Examiner review. Bizilur also appears to be using a bank account through the Spanish company Laboral Kutxa to accept wire transfers, fundraising records show.

Greendorfer sent a letter on Wednesday to Stripe about the matter, to which an employee named "Joey" for the Irish American software company replied, "I've escalated this internally so that we can investigate the business and if it breaches our Services Agreement based on the information you have given," noting that, "due to privacy reasons," Stripe would be unable to share information about the outcome of its review.

"We will take appropriate action if it's deemed necessary after our investigation," the employee said.

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Stripe does not allow its platform to be used to promote "any other products or services that are in violation of law in the jurisdictions where your business is located or targeted to," according to its policies. Anne Herzberg, a legal adviser to NGO Monitor, said Stripe could be providing material support to terrorism.

The Union of Agricultural Work Committees is "definitely a PFLP affiliate," Herzberg told the Washington Examiner. The Dutch government notably determined in 2022 that it would no longer allow any grants to flow to UAWC over "ties at the individual level between UAWC staff and board members and the PFLP" after suspending funding due to Raziq Farraj and Arbeed's arrest.

"The more we learn about the scope of terror funding, its enablers around the world, and the abuse of our payment processing systems here at home, the more we realize the need for action is already overdue," Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), who called on the FBI and Treasury Department in September to investigate the Democratic software platform ActBlue for allowing an anti-Israel group accused of being tied to terror to fundraise, told the Washington Examiner.

An Israeli military court handed down a 12-month prison sentence for former UAWC employee Ubai Aboudi in June 2020 for "being a member and an activist of the PFLP during the period starting from 2016 and ending in July 2019" and, specifically, being "responsible for recruiting additional activists to the organization from young people and students, as well as strengthening the organization's infrastructure in the area," according to NGO Monitor.

Ex-president of the Union of Agricultural Work Committees Board of Trustees, Bashir al Khairi, used to lead the PFLP's political bureau and has repeatedly done prison time for terrorist-related offenses, according to multiple reports.

A source close to the House Foreign Affairs Committee, which Issa sits on, said Republican congressional investigators need to "get creative" in finding ways to block payment processors from potentially boosting terrorist factions, including the PFLP.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

"It's more systemic than first realized, and it's going to take a comprehensive response, to which this Congress has to be involved," the person told the Washington Examiner.

Stripe did not respond to numerous requests for comment.

Original Location: Palestinian terror-linked fundraiser slashed by PayPal amid legal scrutiny

Washington Examiner Videos
The Wisconsin Supreme Court heard oral arguments for more than three hours Tuesday in a high-stakes voting rights case that could upend the state's election maps, put every member of the legislature up for reelection next year, and play a role in the 2024 presidential race.

Wisconsin is one of the country's most politically competitive states, and how the high court decides the case could have a major impact on state and national politics.

THANKSGIVING TRAVELERS SET TO CLOG SKIES AND ROADS IN HISTORICALLY BUSY TRAVEL SEASON

Critics claim the state's current political maps are unfair and have led to Republicans having a lock on political power. The GOP holds a two-thirds supermajority in the state Senate and also outnumbers Democrats in the Assembly.

Democrats believe the gerrymandered maps do not reflect fair representation, and attorneys on behalf of 19 voters who represent the districts the Democrats want to recast argued the maps should be changed.

The court's three conservative justices opposed the four liberal justices' decision to take up the challenge to the state's legislative maps and were quick to question the timing of the case  filed one day after the majority on the court flipped on Aug. 1 and just two years after a previous case.

Conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley interrupted Campaign Legal Center attorney Mark Gaber within seconds of his remarks to the court, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

"Everybody knows that the reason we're here is because there was a change in the membership of the court," Bradley said.

Bradley was referring to this year's election of Justice Janet Protasiewicz, a liberal, over former Justice Daniel Kelly, a conservative, to the court. Protasiewicz's win wrangled control from conservatives, who had been in power for 15 years, and could make her the deciding vote on political maps, abortion rights, and perhaps even the 2024 presidential race.

On the campaign trail, Protasiewicz spoke about the gerrymandered maps and abortion, and after her win, Republicans launched multiple pressure campaigns to force her to recuse herself from the case, which she has refused to do.

Gaber disputed Bradley's reading of why the case was brought before the court, arguing the question of whether the state's legislative districts are unconstitutionally noncontiguous would have made its way to the court regardless of who won the election.

The lawsuit also argued that by adopting political maps vetoed by Gov. Tony Evers (D-WI) in 2021, the high court violated the separation of powers rules. It alleged that Wisconsin's guarantee of a "free government" has been violated because it requires "the government to adhere to moderation, temperance, and justice." The lawsuit is seeking redrawn maps before the 2024 election.

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Attorneys for the Republican senators named in the case called the challenge to the maps a "collateral attack" on a previous state Supreme Court ruling after the balance of power had shifted.

They also urged the court to dismiss the lawsuit and "reject the invitation to exercise raw political power."

During the oral arguments, the conservative justices questioned whether siding with the plaintiffs would invalidate legislative actions taken by lawmakers.

"There's many intonations about democracy throughout the briefing," Bradley said. "I can't imagine something less democratic than unseating most of the legislature that was duly elected last year."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Despite Protasiewicz's outsize presence ahead of Tuesday's hearing, she mostly took a back seat in questioning the parties.

It is unclear when the court will rule on the case, but any new maps must be in place by March 15, 2024, according to the Wisconsin Elections Commission.

Original Location: Wisconsin Supreme Court hears challenges to political maps and questions timing of lawsuit

Washington Examiner Videos
Downtown Colorado Springs with Prospect Lake in the foreground and Garden of the Gods in the background.
Five more cases made it onto the Colorado Supreme Court's docket last week, implicating the insanity defense, the right of the accused to question alternate suspects at trial, and disputes over oil and gas production.
Around Trinidad, people have come to recognize Crystal Dreiling as the face of Fishers Peak State Park.

"When I see people, they don't say, 'Hi, Crystal, how are you doing?'" said Dreiling, the park's manager. "They say, 'When are you going to get that peak open?'"

They can stop asking now.

Four years after Colorado's 42nd state park was established around the iconic mountain, a trail is open to the summit. Colorado Parks and Wildlife made the announcement Monday, with a photo of Gov. Jared Polis cutting a ribbon atop the peak above 9,600 feet.

Finally, people have a defined route up the landmark long seen at the center of Las Animas Countys logo.

They are people who've looked on from afar  drivers gazing upon the states highest point on the east side of Interstate 25.

And they are people living below  people who for generations knew their town's cathedral-like backdrop to be held in private hands, off limits to them.

That changed in 2019 thanks to a collaboration between Colorado Parks and Wildlife and multiple conservation groups. Planning for Colorado's second-largest state park (19,200 acres) began in earnest, with a governor-backed priority to build a summit path pronto.

The day has come.

"I never thought I'd see it in my lifetime," said Jenn Green.

She's been around Trinidad since 1994, living in close view of Fishers Peak. Since 2021, she's been directing Trinidad Trails Alliance, a group catalyzed by the possibilities that have expanded fast around the park.

More than 11 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails debuted last year along the slopes looking out to the Sangre de Cristo range, Spanish Peaks and promontories spotting New Mexico over the state line. Now the trail network adds the coveted piece: the steep, rocky approach up and over Fishers' cliffs to its grassy, rolling top.

It's not for everyone, Dreiling cautioned.

The out-and-back journey covers about 16 miles and more than 3,000 feet of elevation. The fit hiker  bikes are allowed up to a certain point  will need to start early, with designated campsites yet to be established along the trail.

The climb follows "pretty peaceful, doable slopes," Dreiling said. But it still requires a full day, along with all of the essentials associated with long outings in the wild (proper boots, clothes, water, snacks, etc.).

It's easy to imagine some waiting out winter. If so, they might have to wait a little longer: The trails upper three miles to the summit will annually close for peregrine falcon nesting from March 15 through the end of July.

Dreiling expects a "trickle" rather than a "surge" to the summit. That's preferred and was part of the thinking to open the trail, she said.

"The biggest thing is, if we don't open it this year, then people might not get up there until Aug. 1," she said.

People have waited long enough.

Green bushwhacked her way to the summit once with the OK from a previous owner of the mountain and ranch around it. That was an experience few have had over the years.

Under the manager before Colorado Parks and Wildlife, "it became even more prohibitive to go there," Green said. "So this final move, for it to become public and accessible like this, it blows everybody's mind."

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Maybe not everybody.

Like any new development, this one comes with "detractors," said local advocate Joe Kozlowicz.

"Certain, longtime locals that prefer (Trinidad) remain a quiet town. They'd rather not see it turn into a busy, tourist destination," he said. "Quite frankly, the town desperately needs that outside money."

Historically tied to mining, the local economy has seen its share of booms and busts. Trinidad leaned into recreational marijuana upon its legalization, but those revenues have been dropping amid the industry's spread north and south into New Mexico.

Fishers Peak State Park has been something like a "North Star," Green said  guiding the town toward the states outdoor recreation industry that reportedly spurred $13.9 billion in spending last year.

An analysis estimated the state park could impact the local economy to the tune of $14.7 million annually. That was an estimate within a broad set of suggestions and ideas published this year, a plan called the Las Animas County Outdoor Recreation and Economic Impact Study.

The plans creation hints at local momentum, along with the city government's creation of the Office of Outdoor Recreation in 2021.

While identifying more trails and destinations across the regions rolling, river-cut landscape, that study was meant to account for other gaps and needs, said the Office of Outdoor Recreation's Director Jared Chatterley.

If were going to have this many more people coming down, what kind of infrastructure do we need to support that? Chatterley said.

Kozlowicz sensed the momentum from his previous home in Denver. Encouraged by Fishers Peak  a "total game-changer," he called it  as well as the rising gravel grinding scene, he opened Trinidad's second bike shop last year.

While encouraged, "it's going to take county and city elected officials who are able to enact real change," Kozlowicz said.

Politically, he gathers mixed feelings around town. He sits on Trinidad's Lodging Tax Advisory Board, the de facto tourism board doling out funds for marketing and events. A ballot question asked to raise those funds this past election. Its failure might suggest voters' feelings toward a tourist economy.

Theres indeed pushback, Chatterley said.

In their mind, were turning it into Vail, were turning it into Aspen, he said. Theres a lot of PR involved in trying to explain that some growth is good, particularly if its well planned and managed. Its what makes for better schools, better roads, better quality of life.

Fishers Peak "kind of opens up Pandora's box," Green said. The Colorado native moved to Trinidad nearly 20 years ago for the quiet, small-town experience.

The state parks master plan foresees 80-plus miles of trails. Estimates place future visitation around 175,000 every year, about 80% of that non-local. Fewer than 9,000 people live in Trinidad.

But Green praised the park's planning team. Under the master plan, the vast majority of the 19,200 acres are to be undeveloped.

The length and physical requirement of the summit trail was intentional, Dreiling said.

"We want people to get up there, but we don't want it to be overrun," she said. "We intentionally did not build a parking lot at the base of Fishers Peak. If you're going to get up there, it's not an easy hike."

Those who do will be rewarded, Green said.

"When you get to the top, you have a new view on Colorado that is truly unlike any other," she said. "It's a brand new perspective on our state."
Let's face it: We're not all masters when it comes to cooking up turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy.

Maybe you've scorched a turkey before, or was the one pointed at when things went awry in the kitchen last Thanksgiving.

Maybe you want to avoid an insurmountable pile of dishes, or the grocery store crowds.

Whatever the reason may be, if you want to leave turkey dinner to the professionals this holiday, the following places have dine in, take out, and/or heat and eat options.

ViewHouse

Location: 7114 Campus Drive

This Thanksgiving ViewHouse will be offering a Thanksgiving Brunch Buffet from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Reservations are recommended. In addition, ViewHouse has Pre-Order Thanksgiving Family Packs available for pick up starting Nov. 22. These serve four people and include four sides.

The Famous Steak House

Location: 31 North Tejon Street

A Thanksgiving feast awaits at The Famous on Nov. 23 from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. Featured dishes include Slow Roasted Red Bird Turkey and Andouille Sausage Rosemary Sourdough Stuffing will be available. Reservations are recommended.

Till Neighborhood Bistro & Bar

Location: 616 South Tejon Street

Join Till Neighborhood in downtown Colorado Springs for a Thanksgiving meal on Nov. 23 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. They are offering a four-course meal with options including smoked turkey, glazed ham and prime rib. A wine pairing selection will also be available as an add-on. Reservations are recommended.

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Mimi's Bistro and Bakery

Location: 7133 N Academy Blvd.

Pick up a cold holiday take home feast and warm it up in the comfort of your own home. The meals serve up to 10 people and include ham, turkey, or both, and as well as sides including sweet potatoes, buttered cornbread stuffing, green bean casserole and more. Thanksgiving pickup is from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Check out the menu and place an order here.

Wines of Colorado

Location: 8045 Highway 24, Cascade

Wines of Colorado just outside of Colorado Springs will offer a special Thanksgiving menu consisting of your choice of Roasted Turkey or Maple Bourbon Ham. A plethora of side dishes including corn casserole, cranberry chutney and homemade stuffing will also be available. Finish it off with pumpkin pie or apple cobbler. Reservations are highly recommended, and they will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Cracker Barrel

Location: 8355 Razorback Drive

This Thanksgiving the Cracker Barrel location in Colorado Springs will be open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. for dine-in. Customers can expect Thanksgiving favorites on the menu including a Homestyle Turkey n' Dressing Meal, Chicken n' Dumplins and a Country Vegetable Plate. Also available are Heat n' Serve meals for pick-up between Nov. 18 and Nov. 25 for most Thanksgiving food options. Check here for more details.

Springs Orleans

Location: 123 East Pikes Peak Avenue

It isn't too late to make a reservation at Springs Orleans on Thanksgiving Day where they will be offering staple dishes like a turkey carving station and mashed potatoes but also southern delicacies like chicken sausage gumbo and Cajun ceviche. Reservations are highly recommended and they are open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. for this all-you-can-eat offering.

Other restaurants that will be open and serving traditional Thanksgiving food on Thursday (for dine in or take out) include Romano's Macaroni Grill, Black-eyed Pea, Golden Corral and Perkins.

This is not an exhaustive list. Call ahead to check availability.
Commemorating both the anniversary of the Club Q shooting and the International Transgender Day of Remembrance, Colorado Springs community members gathered at Acacia Park on Monday to celebrate the lives of two transgender people killed in the shooting one year ago.

Several dozen gathered in coats and rain jackets to remember Daniel Davis Aston and Kelly Loving, killed in the shooting that took five lives and left 17 people injured on Nov. 19, 2022.

Aston's fiancee, Wyatt Kent, who was also injured in the shooting, said the outpouring of support was a show of strength and resiliency. Other family members and friends of Aston and Loving spoke at the event, praising the two for generosity of spirit.

"He was just a wonderful, kind, good-hearted person," said Aston's father, Jeff.

"Kelly is someone who worked overtime, worked tirelessly to make sure that she could always help out with other folks," said Z Williams of Bread and Roses Legal Center, which put on the event along with Community Health Partnership.

Speakers and attendees expressed solidarity in remembering victims, as well as frustration over continuing issues faced by the LGBTQ+ community in Colorado Springs.

Carlee Bradley, an attendee who identified as transgender, works in counseling and sees a major need in the community for improved mental health services.

"We need as much support as we can get," Bradley said.

Others said they were encouraged by how the community came together over the past year but wanted more from officials.

"I wish the city was more open about it, more loud and big and stuff, because, you know, everyone needs to remember them like year round, not just in like certain areas," said attendee Finn.

Though no protesters came to the event, volunteers with the nonprofit Parasol Patrol were present with rainbow-colored umbrellas to visually shield the memorial in case of disruptions. One volunteer said the group had been attending other Club Q memorials over the weekend as well and was pleased that the organization had not been needed.

"It says a lot about the city. At one time there would have been a lot of protesters, but now, it seems to have calmed down a bit," said Joseph Reininger from underneath a rainbow umbrella.

District 16 State House Representative Stephanie Vigil, El Paso County's first openly queer representative, spoke at the event, saying that she hoped those in the community that have been targeted in the past would see government "have their back for once" through protective legislation.

Local artist and Prism Community Collective site director Stoney Roberts expressed his anger and fear over last year's tragedy, urging LGBTQ+ community members to "show up" for each other.

"I always struggle to understand why we honor trans folks when they're gone as opposed to celebrating them while they're here," said Roberts.
It looks like the Lebanon Community School District won't be needing a mediator after all.

The district and its teacher union reached a tentative agreement last week on a long-sought contract, which was announced in a news release Friday, Nov. 17.

The tentative deal, reached after 10 months of talks, comes more than a month after the district said they were seeking help from the state to resolve outstanding issues between the parties.

But apparently a state mediator wasn't available until December, so they proceeded with a bargaining session last Wednesday, Nov. 15, according to the release.

"We put a lot of effort into crafting a new proposal that honors our staff, and both sides really listened to each other throughout the evening," superintendent Jennifer Meckley said in a statement.

That new proposal includes a retroactive 7% cost of living adjustment for licensed staff this school year and a 4% adjustment for the 2024-25 school year.

The tentative deal also includes longevity stipends, increased insurance contributions and an updated salary schedule. That's in addition to revised language on teacher prep time, class sizes and managing student behavior, according to the district news release.

Bonita Randklev, a Lebanon High School social studies teacher and the leader of the Lebanon Education Association, said the breakthrough at the negotiating table happened after around six hours of talks.

She said her group was satisfied with the agreement and needed to finalize details before presenting it to all of her members for a vote. That will likely take place the week after Thanksgiving, she added.

"We're hopeful that it will pass," Randklev said.

Back in October, the last proposal from Lebanon teachers asked for a 13.5% cost of living adjustment over two years  8.5% the first year, and 5% the second.

The district had proposed a 9.25% adjustment.

There was also strong disagreement over a Lebanon Education Association proposal to update the salary schedule for teachers.

Improving the district's response to student behavioral incidents in the classroom was also a central issue, which came up during an Oct. 12 school board meeting.

Teachers, parents and counselors had crowded the meeting at the Lebanon Santiam Travel Station, urging quick action on a contract.

Addressing increased behavioral issues has been a key sticking point for contract negotiations at other school districts like at neighboring Greater Albany Public Schools, which is still at the bargaining table with its teaching and non-teaching staff.

Behavioral issues were also central during Corvallis School District contract negotiations. The district reached a deal with their teachers before the start of the school year.

Lebanon school board chair Tom Oliver said the state's current funding model was inadequate for supporting the level of services teachers and staff currently provide, adding he hoped to see that change.

"Meanwhile, we needed to offer employees a better arrangement. We want educators to make a long-term commitment to this district and its students," Oliver said in the news release.

Meckley said she was proud of the work people put toward an agreement.

"I think all of us are pleased to wrap up this process on a positive note," she said in a news release.
In today's episode of "A Place to Sleep," the podcast produced by the team at the Albany Democrat-Herald and Corvallis Gazette-Times, we visit Grants Pass, the city that is caught up in lawsuits about how they have handled homelessness.

Politics 'A Place to Sleep' podcast: Catch the latest episodes here Our podcast, A Place to Sleep, explores how Oregon cities are responding to a new law that is meant to provide homeless individuals a place to rest.

The city is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to step in after it lost a class-action lawsuit brought by three homeless residents. Until then, it's under an injunction to allow people to sleep in almost all of its city parks  but only for three days at a time.

"A Place to Sleep" examines the constitutional right for people to sleep when they don't have any place to go. It looks at how Oregon has codified recent rulings, requiring cities to designate, and regulate if desired, sleeping places within their boundaries. If cities decline, then all public spaces are available, so most cities in the state have complied.

Because each city's approach has been different, we visited Albany, Corvallis, Sweet Home, Lebanon, Brownsville and now Grants Pass, where a community openly heckles  and even worse  its homeless neighbors, many who have long ties to the community.

We sent two female reporters to check it out, and what they found was a theme: Women don't feel safe there.

PHOTOS: Homeless people set up camp in Grants Pass Kevin Gevas sits in his tent with his face illuminated by a tablet and a variety of battery-powered lights. Using a tablet or phone provided b Ryan Burrows holds an orange "Public Notice of Illegal Camping" form which states he must move to another city park before the listed date and Ryan Burrows packs his belongings together before throwing a tarp over top to shield the from the rain. Burrows stated his previous tent was t The area in Riverside Park where camping is allowed is located right off Redwood Highway, one of the main roads in Grants Pass. At Riverside Park, several of the tents light up at night, similar to the lights in the windows of the apartments in the background. Before most head into their tents for the evening, several people stand at each other's tents chatting, sharing food and news. Small groups fo Cars move in and out of the parking lot of Morrison Park throughout the night. Some people are staying in their cars, rather than tents, while A worker goes about cleaning the restrooms that, at the time, were locked and inaccessible to anyone currently residing in the park. Glenn Miller displays an injury, a broken arm with internal tissue and bone protruding from this wrist. Miller sustained this injury during an Joseph Hermosillo Sr. sits with Albany Democrat-Herald reporter Shayla Escudero as she interviews him about his experience living in Grants Pa A worker goes about cleaning the restrooms that, at the time, were locked and inaccessible to anyone currently residing in the park. A tent and other belongings covered in tarps where Joseph Hermosillo Sr., his son, Joseph Hermosillo Jr., and their dog, who all live inside,  Most individuals who are camping in tents additionally put a tarp of some sort over their tents to keep in the heat and as an attempt to keep  An upside to living and sleeping in some of the designated areas is the soft grass which offers a relatively excellent cushion but also causes A single porta-potty and no running water are available at Morrison Park, despite already equipped with public water and bathroom amenities, w A close up of a wrist injury sustained by Glenn Miller during a fight with a housed resident. Miller was told his arm was broken in multiple p Ryan Burrows attempts to cook a pizza without the use of electricity or propane, the latter which is illegal in city parks due to fire hazard. TJ Wood explains that much of the scarring on his body were from injuries sustained from a traumatic car accident at the age of 21. Wood expla A look at how the tents everyone is living in are spread out and kept neatly, with the exception of one person who said their tent was either  Ryan Burrows, born and raised in Grants Pass, does his best to cook dinner, a frozen pizza, without use of electricity or propane, the latter  Laura Gutowski, whom some of the other park residents lovingly call "Mom," shows some of the food provisions that are provided to the unhoused Due to the lack of a low barrier shelter, unhoused individuals living in Grants Pass are allowed to sleep in several designated city parks, bu Politics Our podcast, A Place to Sleep, explores how Oregon cities are responding to a new law that is meant to provide homeless individuals a place to rest.

Stories in this series:
DES MOINES  Its being proposed that doctors in Iowa would be required to ask multiple questions of rape and incest victims and document their answers before performing an abortion if a woman is more than six weeks pregnant.

That requirement is among the rules being proposed for implementing Iowas new abortion law, which would make abortion illegal once a fetus heartbeat can be detected, generally around six weeks. The new law includes an exception under which a woman can have an abortion beyond that six-week mark if her pregnancy is the result of rape or incest.

The fetal heartbeat law approved by statehouse Republicans is being challenged before the Iowa Supreme Court. For now, abortion in Iowa remains legal through 20 weeks of pregnancy.

If the new law survives that legal challenge, the Iowa Board of Medicine is required by law to adopt rules to govern implementation of the law. The state medicine board rules would go into effect at the same time as the law.

Under the proposed rules, when a patient claims to be the victim of rape and asks a physician for an abortion, the physician must ask on what date the rape occurred, how old the patient was at the time of the alleged rape, and when the patient reported the alleged rape to law enforcement or another health agency  if it was reported.

The physician is to record that information in the patients medical files and determine whether the fetal heartbeat exception for rape applies.

The law and proposed rules require similar fact-finding efforts by physicians in cases of incest.

'Trust the doctors'

On Friday, a state medicine board member asked how a physician determines whether a patient has been raped.

An attorney for the Iowa Attorney Generals Office said that under the proposed rules, the physician is required to make that decision.

The new law does require the doctor to make that determination, and it does so by setting forth the information that the doctor must gather, Deputy Attorney General Leif Olson told the board.

It doesnt specify precisely the questions that have to be asked, Olson said.  Its up to the doctor to determine which questions to ask to get to the right answer. And we trust the doctors using their professional judgment to know  how to elicit information from a patient to get to the root of a problem.

Olson previously worked in the Texas Attorney Generals Office and former President Donald Trumps labor department.

Doctors as investigators

During the public comment period, Dr. Francesca Turner, an obstetrician/gynecologist in Des Moines, said the proposed rule states that physicians must not only interpret the legal statutes regarding rape and incest, but also ask for facts surrounding the timing of events, such as the occurrence, the reporting, the individuals responsible and their familial relationship to the patient.

None of this information is necessary to provide medical care and abortion.

Turners statement was signed by 100 Iowa physicians.

Dr. Deborah Ann Turner, an obstetrician/gynecologist in Des Moines and recent president of the League of Women Voters of the United States, said, It is clear that these rules are written to assure that most women, and those who can become pregnant, and certainly girls who are a victim of incest or rape, are prevented from access to abortion and choice.

Doctors also note it can be difficult for victims to recount the circumstances of traumatic events.

Medical experts, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, say whats detected at six weeks of pregnancy is not a heartbeat. Heartbeats, they says, cannot be detected until around 15 to 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Making the rules

The Iowa Board of Medicine on Friday voted to publish the proposed rules for public comment and will consider any feedback and discuss them at the boards next meeting in December.

Per the normal process, the board has 180 days from when the law was signed to approve rules. That means the board has until Jan. 10 to approve new rules.

Iowas rule-making process provides standards and guidelines to assist with the implementation of new state laws. While legislators and the governor pass laws, state boards populated by governor appointees approve the rules that say how the law will be implemented.

Olson said the proposed rules for new abortion restrictions in Iowa were drafted by staffers from the state medicine board, the attorney generals office, Health and Human Services Department and the Department of Inspections and Appeals.

The Supreme Court fight over an abortion pill: What's next? Intro What is mifepristone? How did the case get started? How did the case get to the Supreme Court? What could happen next? A closer look
Gokul20 wrote:

Hi Experts,

If someone can explain the approach for this problem, would be helpful. I did get it right, but took a lot of time understanding and deciphering each answer choice. Are there any better ways to get this quickly? Any help with such questions would be much appreciated.

This is a typical Strengthen the Conclusion question. We need to assess the premises and the conclusion presented in the stimulus.



Conclusion: It was ethically permissible to file the censored report.



Premises on which the conclusion is based:



1) Refugees were starving because the government would not permit food shipments to a rebel-held area.

2) Government censors deleted all mention of the governments role in the starvation.

3) The report had not implicated either nature or the rebels in the starvation.

4) The journalists news agency would precede it with the notice Cleared by government censors".



Clearly, the ethical question is whether to file a report which does not clearly identify the perpetrator of the starvation, even though the information is available with the journalist. So we are looking for an answer option which allows this, with the notice of censor possibly acting to mitigate this exclusion.

If it is unethical to omit facts which alter the impression, then filing this report is clearly unethical because it omits to mention the government's role in the starvation. Eliminate.

Similar to (A) - the omitted facts here clearly exonerate the rebels, thus making this report unethical. Eliminate.

Since the government here has deleted material unfavorable to itself from the report, this option too makes the report unethical. Eliminate.

Correct. Since the news agency will carry the notice of censor, the condition for the report being unethical is not satisfied, making the report ethical.

The reported facts may give a misleading impression here, since the role of the government is completed omitted thereby leaving all parties potentially liable in the eyes of the reader. We cannot convincingly rule out the unethical nature of the report. Eliminate.

Hi Gokul(A) It is ethical in general to report known facts but unethical to do so while omitting other known facts if the omitted facts would substantially alter an impression of a person or institution that would be congruent with the reported facts.(B) In a situation of conflict, it is ethical to report known facts and unethical to fail to report known facts that would tend to exonerate one party to the conflict.(C) In a situation of censorship, it is unethical make any report if the government represented by the censor deletes from the report material unfavorable to that government.(D) It is ethical in general to report known facts but unethical to make a report in a situation of censorship if relevant facts have been deleted by the censor unless the recipient of the report is warned that censorship existed.(E) Although it is ethical in general to report known facts, it is unethical to make a report from which a censor has deleted relevant facts, unless the recipient of the report is warned that there was censorship and the reported facts do not by themselves give a misleading impression.Hope this helps.
Vyshak wrote:

The First Amendment prevents the government from violating a person's right to free speech. But it does not protect government employees from disciplinary action for all statements they make in the course of their official duties. However, laws should protect them in cases in which employees bring to light information that advances the public interest in honest government and the rule of law.



Which of the following would provide the best example for the argument above?



A) An employee of the Central Intelligence Agency reveals classified information to a foreign government.



B) A movie star loses popularity because a studio employee tells a magazine about the star's troubled personal life.



C) An energy companys stock plunges after an employee publicizes its accounting records.



D) A prominent plastic surgeon loses her license after an employee sues her for malpractice after she operates on him.



E) A Congressional aide reveals cases of bribery in the House of Representatives.

So the key is to pick an answer that uses government employee as an example?
After another round of unprecedented success for my clients, including an over 80% interview invite rate at HBS, GSB, and Wharton for Round 1 (still waiting on admits), I wanted to share a few details on what we know is working in the application process at these top programs:1) Show an Understanding of the Schools and MBA Programs Youre TargetingDue to varying cultures, curriculums, perspectives on leadership, etc., every school and MBA program you plan on targeting values different skills and qualities in their MBA candidates. At , we call this the DNA of a school. So, if you make the effort to understand and embrace the unique qualities of each program and allow those qualities to help shape your essays and application, you can begin to elevate your candidacy from being qualified to being ideal. Contact one of our Admissions Consultants for more detail on how to approach the individual DNAs of each school youre interested in.2) Reveal Your Emotional Intelligence by Picking the Right GoalsAdmissions officers often want to know about who you are and what you value, not just what youve accomplished. Often the best way to do this is through the passion behind your career goals. When you think about a passion, it often stems from a persons background and values. And a persons background and values well, that provides a pretty good window into who you are as a person.So, you want to pick career goals that reveal who you are, what makes you tick, and shows your values. Here are a few quick tips on picking your MBA career goals:Avoid something too boring (i.e. I want to get promoted over the years and become an executive  this is a waste of precious essay real estate as it says nothing about you and rather describes a generic path to prosperity).Avoid something ripped from the headlines or otherwise pie-in-the-sky (another way to think about this to borrow from a legal concept that you can only argue facts found in evidence  dont talk about a LT goal in social media or clean tech or something else buzz worthy unless you have existing passions and experiences that support those claims).Instead, land on something interesting that comes from your own life. Nothing is better for an admissions officer than to truly learn about you through your long-term goals. Make sure that whatever you pick connects to who you are as a person.Make sure that your ST goal will give you skills and/or perspectives necessary to reach this LT goal (otherwise, the bridge starts to break down).Overall, your LT goals should connect to both your ST goals and your existing life in big, swooping arcs  it doesnt have to be a tight line from one to the other, but it should make a big circle that reveals who you are through your passion when all is said and done.3) Show How You Stepped Up as a Leader During the PandemicMany current applicants were in college or just starting their career during the COVID pandemic lockdowns. You can show increased leadership, initiative, and passion by sharing how you stepped up during this time. Did you volunteer and raise money to secure PPE for a local hospital? Did you lead an effort through work to impact your community during this crisis? Did you make efforts to increase team moral while working remotely? To differentiate yourself from a competitive field, show that you did SOMETHING, ANYTHING to step up to serve and lead others. While these top programs are not directly asking you what you did during this crisis, they want to know that your answer is better than, I watched a lifetimes worth of shows on Netflix.If you're interesting in discussing your MBA candidacy and working with with an Admissions Consultant, Click Here to get started!
Digital technology has become indispensable in healthcare. This brings new possibilities, but also new challenges, with our industry providing solutions to bridge these gaps Pei-Yu Lin

We are confident that these products will bring positive change for healthcare, said Mr. Franz Huang, general Director of the Taipei Representative Office in the Federal Republic of Germany, in his introductory speech. He further highlighted the importance of the longstanding strong trade relationship between Taiwan and Germany. With an export value of US$ 7.51 billion in medical products in 2022 and Germany as our top market, we are well positioned to meet the growing global demand in the healthcare sector.

This was confirmed by Pei-Yu Lin, Deputy Director of TAITRA, who praised the fast and efficient production method and innovative ideas her country has become known for. Digital technology has become indispensable in healthcare, she pointed out. This brings new possibilities, but also new challenges, with our industry providing solutions to bridge these gaps.
Two Bryant Elementary School educators claim screaming in the halls, teachers crying on lunch breaks and in their cars, students put in holds and a school of disarray after the merging of Ray Bjork Learning Center.

During last week's Helena Public Schools board of trustees meeting, two teachers from Bryant spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting, explaining why they felt the school was in chaos.

Every day I see multiple teachers crying on their lunch breaks  I know people that go to their cars to have a little breakdown, Bryant Elementary School para-educator Kim Barry said.

Barry started his teaching career as a substitute at Ray Bjork before accepting a full-time position at the school.

Bjork had housed five district programs that included Head Start, Special Education Pre-School, Trailhead (a program for students in need of more behavioral and academic support), Therapeutic Learning Center (a partnership with Shodair Childrens Hospital for students in need of intensive emotional and behavioral support) and PEAK Gifted & Talented Program.

The schools merged before the current 2023-2024 school year due to budget constraints and left teachers to manage the bigger classes and programs. The building that housed the learning center is up for lease.

Bryant has become a school squished together, according to Barry. The educators said that teachers feel the programs from Ray Bjork have not been adequately incorporated into the 1520 Livingston Ave. campus.

The board members, by policy, cannot comment on what is said during the public comment portion of the meeting, but Helena Public Schools board of trustees Chair Siobhan Hatthorn said that they feel it is on the minds of the administration.

Bryant was reopened in 2019 with a new building after passing a $63 million bond to build three new elementary schools in the district two and a half years prior to completion.

Not enough thought was being given to the schools being merged, Barry said.

He added that the school is short-staffed on para-educators, and there needs to be three para-educators in the classroom at all times but there has only been two the entire year so far.

District officials said the Trailhead program at Bryant Elementary has 20 students between two classrooms grades pre-K through 5. Each classroom is staffed with a special education teacher. There is no state or district requirement to have paras in classrooms of this size. The district does, however, provide paras based on student need and is recruiting aggressively to provide para coverage at all schools, officials said Monday.

Officials said they are facing a shortage of applicants, especially in special education programs. There are no open teacher or para positions in other classrooms at Bryant.

Barry said he knew of several teachers "who are going to be leaving in the next couple of months and I think that number is only going to rise.

The district said Monday evening one teacher left Bryant in August before students arrived. No teachers have left since the school year started.

Destry Arntson, a second grade teacher, is leaving her position at Bryant for what she claims to be putting her mental health first. She said that her decision is not through any fault of the students.

The amount of square footage in our building does not determine the programs and number of students that were put at that school, Arntson said.

Arntson said that her students are scared to leave the classroom due to the continuous screaming in the hallways and watching kids get put in holds.

The students do not have the support there, Arntson said. I am having to choose another career that is unknown because I am choosing my mental health. The thing that kills me the most is I am having to give more abandonment to the highest population in this district.

School district officials said Monday evening that Bryant Principal Erin Maxwell is a certified trainer of non-violent crisis prevention intervention, which involves an extensive de-escalation process.

Holds are used only if a student is a danger to themselves or others, they said. When a hold is used, follow-up paperwork is required to document what preventative measures were taken before the hold was initiated.

Our staff at Bryant Elementary School works to do whats best for kids every day," Maxwell said. "They do it with a huge heart and a lot of love.

Hatthorn called the situations claimed by the educators at Bryant growing pains, since the merger before the start of the school year.

The other comments made by Barry and Arntson were about the contracts and pay they received while working in the school district.

I am not paid enough. I do not have a contract that shows the future of promising pay in this district, Arntson said.

Barry said that their pay has been an extra stressor on top of everything else happening within the school. They talked about possibly getting a second job, but realized this would not be a smart move for them.

I already feel burnt out enough. When I get done with work, I maybe have energy to make dinner and do the dishes  I can barely get my house cleaned. I barely have the energy needed to support my partner at the end of the day, Barry said.

The teachers who spoke did not comment further after the meeting.

Editor's note: Story updated to say Destry Arntson is leaving her position at the school. The board has approved a leave of absence for her.
Helena Food Share on Monday gave out 1,200 turkeys and holiday meals to families with help from Gov. Greg Gianforte.

The organization surpassed its original mark of 2,500 meals donated during its Turkey Challenge by 217 meals, totaling 2,717.

"It's a good day being able to provide food for people in our community who really need it," Helena Food Share Executive Director Bruce Day said.

He added that having the governor there to give families holiday meals is great and the organization loves when anyone comes to help.

The meals and turkeys were gathered online through cash donations and at the Turkey Challenge the past week.

The cash donations paid for sides for the meals being given out. "It's very fulfilling. We will provide a Thanksgiving meal for about 1,200 people this week," Day said.

A focus for the governor is to remember that this week is all about Thanksgiving.

"It's so important that people have a meal on the table. We have things to be thankful for throughout the year, but this is one of the things I love about Montanans is that they help out their neighbor," Gianforte said.

He said that it was great to be a little part of the event held by Helena Food Share. The event gave families the option of turkey, ham or chicken, but Gianforte said he favors the turkey.
Its a good thing that two holidays are on the forseeable calendar.

Farmers will be using Thanksgiving to express their appreciation for a crop that grew with very little moisture, and to pray for the forces in the atmosphere to provide enough rain and snow to boost soil moisture levels.

Then, when they take the kids to visit with Santa, there will be another request for him to provide some soil moisture for their corn and soybean crops next year.

Illinois farmers have been flirting with drought for the past year and should closely monitor their soil moisture and water table, says Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford.

Wetter conditions this winter and next spring would be ideal to reduce concerns of drought re-emergence next year. We would like to see soil moisture at 20-to-60-inch depths and water table levels stabilize and improve before we get too far into the 2024 growing season, Ford says.

It is not just Central Illinois. Soil moisture is in short supply in many areas of the Corn Belt, and farmers should not look for it to be resupplied this winter. That was the message from Drew Lerner, president of World Weather, Inc., when he spoke to Farm Broadcasters last week.

Although the weather is in transition from a drier La Nina to a wetter El Nino, the problem has not been solved. Lerner says with soil moisture levels quite low it will take time to recharge, and there may not be sufficient soil moisture for spring crops. He said 2024 will be the tail end of a trio of years that came up short in that category, a function of a departing La Nina overlapping part of the current solar cycle.

Lerner expects much better opportunities for beneficial precipitation in 2025. Unfortunately, that is a long way off when it comes to the current dry, hard soils, which should be moist and mellow.

But U.S. farmers are not the only victims.

Brazil is also struggling says Lerner, which has no moisture flow across growing areas, which is seen as abnormal weather as El Nino begins. And he adds that makes difficult decisions for farmers regarding planting schedules for the corn crop that follows their soybeans.

What is causing all of this? Good question, and Lerner says the unexpected answer for the undependable weather is the result of the Hunga Tonga volcano that erupted nearly a year ago in the South Pacific some 2,000 miles east of Australia. He said it pumped an immeasurable amount of water vapor into the atmosphere, shrouding the Earth, which impacted generally predictable weather.

The volcano came up from the seabed, and when hot lava began to flow, the seawater was boiling and steam rising miles into the sky. With that water vapor becoming part of the atmosphere, that changes sunlight, temperature, wind directions, and weather, including here in Central Illinois.

And climatologist Ford says, When El Nino conditions in the Pacific Ocean noticeably affect our winter weather here in Illinois, we tend to have a milder and drier winter season.

Farmers will use Thanksgiving and Christmas to ask for more precipitation.

Extreme drought sweeps across Brazils Amazon
DECATUR  Wolf Carbon Solutions said Monday that it plans to refile its controversial plans to build a 260-mile carbon dioxide pipeline to ferry the gas all the way from Iowa to storage underground in Decatur.

Denver-based Wolf had previously announced the withdrawal of the pipeline proposal, known as the Mt. Simon Hub, after it was criticized by an engineer employed by the Illinois Commerce Commission, the state regulators who would have to sign-off on the project.

In a statement Wolf said it planned to refile its pipeline plans with the ICC in early 2024.

Wolf understands and respects the stringent regulatory review process for this project, and we appreciate the diligence of the ICC and its staff, said Dean Ferguson, president of Wolf.

We have made the decision to withdraw our current application, with the intent to refile in early 2024, to address the questions and concerns raised by the ICC staff in their recommendation. This voluntary action does not impact our commitment to the project and its stakeholders, or the ongoing regulatory processes, including with the Iowa Utilities Board and Army Corps of Engineers.

The criticisms voiced by ICC gas engineer Brett Seagle had been extensive. He faulted Wolf over safety concerns and uncertainty about the supplier of the carbon dioxide, extracted to keep the greenhouse gas out of the atmosphere, and more worries about gas storage arrangements.

Wolf had previously said it planned to work with Archer Daniels Midland Co. to obtain the gas but Seagle said ADM had yet to enter into a final and binding agreement to supply carbon dioxide extracted during ethanol production.

Other setbacks Wolf faced included not having obtained any agreements with landowners along the long route to run the pipeline through their property.

Critics of the project also cited safety concerns regarding the risks from possible pipeline ruptures. A 2020 line break in Missouri led to reports of people nearby suffering shortness of breath, loss of consciousness and confusion as the gas poured into the air.

The Wolf pipeline is now the second such project to hit a major blockage in the approval stage. In October the Omaha-based company Navigator CO2 shelved its proposal to build a 1,350-mile pipeline through Illinois and four other states. The company said it must withdraw because of opposition from state regulators.
LAS VEGAS  Eight Las Vegas high school students between the ages of 13 and 17 years old were arrested on murder charges in the beating death of a schoolmate that was captured on cellphone video and widely share across social media.

Jonathan Lewis Jr., 17, was hospitalized with severe head trauma and other injuries after the Nov. 1 attack and died a week later, according to police.

The fight appeared to be over a pair of headphones and a vape pen, police said, and the students had agreed to walk to an alleyway around the corner from campus to fight after classes ended for the day at Rancho High School in eastern Las Vegas.

Here's what to know about the case:

WHAT'S NEW IN THE INVESTIGATION?

Authorities arrested the eight students Tuesday on suspicion of murder. But they believe at least 10 students took part in the beating.

Police on Wednesday released images of two students taken from cellphone video of the fight and asked for the public's help in identifying them. Homicide Lt. Jason Johansson said the two will also face murder charges.

A police spokesperson said Thursday morning that there were no updates on additional arrests.

WILL THE TEENAGERS BE CHARGED AS ADULTS?

In Nevada, a teenager accused of murder can be charged as an adult if they were 13 or older at the time of the alleged crime.

By law, teenagers 16 or older accused in a killing are automatically transferred to the adult court system. That's why a family court judge on Wednesday transferred the cases of four of the eight students, who are all 16 or 17.

None of the students who were arrested have been formally charged, and The Associated Press is not naming them.

WHO DECIDES IF THE TEENS ARE CHARGED AS ADULTS?

Hearings known as certification proceedings will be held at later dates to determine if the students under 16 will be charged as adults.

David Tanenhaus, history and law professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said this case highlights the importance of having a process in place for handling homicide cases involving young defendants.

"The certification hearing is an adversarial setting," he said. "The juvenile will have an attorney, who will make the argument that this kid is amenable to reform and that they belong in the juvenile justice system."

Tanenhaus, whose research includes juvenile justice, said the case of the 13-year-old student is the least likely to be transferred to the adult court system by a judge.

At that age, he said, the decision-making part of the brain  which is responsible for controlling impulses, thinking about consequences and solving problems  is still developing.

"Imagine that you're in a car that has a really good accelerator but it has terrible brakes," he said. "That's a way to think about adolescence."

WHAT HAPPENED ON THE DAY OF THE ATTACK?

The fight broke out after school let out that day. Police said they believe a pair of wireless headphones and vape pen had been stolen from the victim's friend earlier in the week, which resulted in the students agreeing to meet in the alleyway to fight.

Detectives think the victim wasn't originally supposed to be involved in the brawl, but he walked to the alleyway with his friend after school, Johansson said.

The victim's father, Jonathan Lewis Sr., said on a fundraising page created to help with funeral and medical costs that his son was attacked while standing up for his friend.

The video of the fight shows the victim taking off his shirt to prepare for the fight, and then the 10 students "immediately swarm him, pull him to the ground and begin kicking, punching and stomping on him," Johansson said.

He called the video "very void of humanity" and said the victim was not defending himself as he was being attacked.

After the brawl, a person in the area found the victim badly beaten and unconscious and carried him back to campus, where school staff called 911, Johansson said.

Homicide detectives were called on the day of the attack to lead the investigation due to the severity of the victim's injuries, he said.

WHAT IS HAPPENING AT THE SCHOOL NOW?

Rancho High School's principal, Darlin Delgado, said in a letter to parents this week that support and resources were available for students and staff members, as the beating death "has and will continue to impact our school community."

Two weeks after the brawl, a small memorial with flowers and candles still sat against a fence in the alleyway where Lewis was attacked.

On Wednesday, there was a visible police presence at the school and around the campus as classes ended for the day, with marked school district police vehicles and uniformed officers patrolling the area.

The Clark County School District  the fifth largest in the nation, with about 300,000 students  has its own police department that has nearly 200 officers.

The district's police chief, Mike Blackeye, said his agency has been partnering with police in Las Vegas and neighboring North Las Vegas to provide increased police coverage at the school in the morning, lunchtime and after school, which is when he said fights typically break out.

DOES THE SCHOOL HAVE RESOURCE OFFICERS?

Blackeye said there are two resource officers assigned to Rancho High School, both of whom were on duty that day. He said they didn't hear about the prearranged fight before it happened.

At a news conference Tuesday, he said fights have broken out in the same alleyway before, but he stopped short of calling it a problem area, pointing out that fights have happened "all around that school, in parks and neighborhoods."

___
DECATUR  Over the eight years that Big Blue Backpacks has been active, the organization has provided over 200,000 individual food items to students at Dennis Lab School and American Dreamer STEM Academy.

This year, students at Baum School will benefit, too.

Over the past seven years of operation, we have been able to provide nourishment and wellness to the students in need at Dennis Lab School and American Dreamer Stem Academy and are so excited to extend that to Michael E. Baum Elementary as well, said Kendall Rossignol, one of the Millikin University student co-chairs. This program benefits the children in so many ways including their attendance rates, health, academic success, and self-confidence.

When the program began in September 2016 after a year of planning, the hope was that Millikin students would handle the whole project, and they have. They work closely with Nicky Besser, executive director of Good Samaritan Inn, and Zach Shields, executive director of Decatur Public Schools Foundation. It takes $10,000 to fund the program to feed 125 kids for the school year, and Millikin students handle the fundraising. The group has also received assistance from the Ballance Foundation, Aldi food stores, and the WSOY annual food drive.

Donation levels, said co-chair Aly Barnes, are divided into the following, to help donors visualize how their financial contributions are used:

For $80 you can sponsor a desk, which feeds one child for a school year. For $800 you can sponsor a lunch table, which feeds 10 children for a school year. For $2,000 you can sponsor a classroom, which feeds 25 children for a school year. For $4,000 you can sponsor a school bus, which will feed 50 children for a school year.

The backpacks contain foods for three meals a day plus snacks and are discreetly given to the children identified by the schools' staff as being in danger of hunger over the weekends, when they're not being fed at school. Nobody but the school staff knows who the children are, especially not other children, so the kids won't feel self-conscious. Items include pudding and fruit cups, cans of soup, ramen noodles, breakfast bars and other such items that a child can prepare alone if necessary. Millikin students buy and pack up the food and the Decatur schools' transportation department picks up the bags and delivers them to the buildings for distribution.

Donations can be made through Decatur Public Schools Foundation. Write Big Blue Backpacks in the memo line and mail to the Foundation at 101 W. Cerro Gordo St., Decatur, IL 62523. For questions about Big Blue Backpacks, contact Millikin faculty adviser Marty Brilley, 217-521-2538 or by email, mbrilley@millikin.edu.

This is a really meaningful program for the schools, Shields said. We have a 74% poverty rate in Decatur Public Schools, and many of our students truly do face food insecurity, so we're thankful for programs like this and for students who go above and beyond and live out the Millikin performance learning approach to things.

50 facts about food insecurity in America More kids rely on schools for lunch Food insecurity is common among college students Unemployment exacerbates food insecurity Certain veterans are more vulnerable to food insecurity Theres a difference between food banks and pantries Its better to donate money than food to pantries
BRISTOL, Tenn.  King University and Virginia Highlands Community College have collaborated on a guaranteed admission agreement that simplifies the application and enrollment process for those students who have completed their associates degree and wish to continue on into a four-year program.

VHCC and King have a long and excellent history of working together to make educational pathways accessible for students throughout our region, said Matt Roberts, provost of King, in a written statement. This agreement ratifies that partnership and simplifies the process for those VHCC students seeking to further their knowledge and specialize in their degree program.

On completion of the transfer-oriented degree program at VHCC, students will be accepted as having met Kings general education requirements, except for common experience classes that are unique to King. By aligning these areas of study and guaranteeing admission, students are presented with a streamlined, more affordable pathway to a four-year degree.

In the college boards 2023 report, Education Pays, data showed that the median, after-tax earnings of those with a two-year degree totaled just over $52,000 annually, while those completing a four-year degree saw a jump in earnings to more than $73,000 annually.

Education is a worthwhile investment in yourself as an individual, as well as an asset when looking at future earnings, said Derek Whisman, vice president of instruction and student services at VHCC.

Employees with a college degree tend to have better paying jobs and longer careers than those with no higher education. When you look at the value of a degree over a lifetime, it can mean dramatically increased social mobility and the difference of hundreds of thousands of dollars in income. VHCC is excited to work with a great transfer partner like King University as, together, we continue to build a stronger workforce in Southwest Virginia.

More information on King University is available at www.king.edu, and additional details on VHCC are available at www.vhcc.edu.
BRISTOL, Va.  No one was injured in a Monday fire that severely damaged a house.

At 4:21 p.m. Monday, the Bristol Virginia Fire Department responded to a report of a house fire next door on Hill Drive. Firefighters from three Bristol fire stations responded. A crew from Bristol, Tennessee Fire-Rescue also responded. The first arriving fire crew advised fire and smoke was visible from a single-family dwelling at 212 Hill Drive.

Crews went to work stretching hose lines inside the burning house to extinguish the blaze. While crews worked to extinguish the fire, other crews searched the residence and did not find any occupants. The occupants arrived on the scene while firefighters were still working. There were no injuries reported.

The fire marshals investigation shows the fire likely started in a bedroom. At this time no exact cause has been determined and it is being considered accidental. The house sustained severe damage and is considered uninhabitable. Two adult occupants were displaced. The Red Cross was notified to assist the occupants.
The last color had barely dried on the rainbow house in the Dundee neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska, last weekend when owner Ryan Basye started receiving calls and texts.

Its been fun, he said. My girls think its the coolest thing ever.

Others have agreed, he said, including the people who live in the house near 49th and Davenport Streets. It was converted into apartments decades ago.

A tenant called it freaking amazing and beautiful.

The building was painted in rainbow colors because thats the palette chosen by his three daughters, who are all under the age of 10.

To them its not the symbol it is to other people, he said. They would want to play Barbies or have Care Bears over.

But thats not the only reason for the bright hues, a symbol of the LGBTQ+ community.

Its also a response to a neighbors disparaging comments when some earlier work was being done at the house. Basye didnt want to repeat what was said.

It puts a smile on my face knowing that neighbor has to see it every day, he said.

Comments were overwhelmingly positive on a post about the house on the Dundee Memorial Park Neighborhood Association Facebook page, ranging from calling it fantastic to saying it reinforces that the Dundee neighborhood is the best in Omaha.

Midtown Omaha is laudable for being progressive, and that means respecting differences and supporting marginalized communities, resident Julien Wulfgar said.

Hate absolutely has no place, but you know that in midtown thats more than a slogan. Its a way of life for many of us, she said.

Basye, a real estate broker and landlord, owns around 15 properties in the Dundee area.

Its important to him that daughters Josephine, Louise and Cecilia know what he does for a living. Josephine, the oldest, often accompanies him on visits to his properties.

Their input led to the red exterior of an office building he owns near 64th and Pacific Streets. He also used to own a pink building at the corner of 38th and Dodge Streets.

After the office building was painted, his daughters suggested rainbow colors for the next paint job. They picked out the paint with their father.

The opportunity came up, and that is what we did, Basye said. They loved it. I like to get them involved in Dads work.

Jay Axelrod of Everything Axelrod painted the house, which used to be light green. It now includes perfect strips of black, purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, red, pink and white. Even the gutters match the color scheme.

The project was started the first week of October.

It took a lot of extra time and effort and energy to get it to come out that good. And money, Basye said. It probably doubled the cost.

Basye said the coolest thing about the rainbow house is that its instantly identifiable for guests of the tenants who live there, and its just one more thing hes done to improve the community.

There are no other colorful projects on the horizon.

I think its unique, he said and it makes me laugh, and it makes me smile.
Margaret Ann Graffagnino said she values the simple pleasures in life like coffee in the morning or a good book on the beach. She also values spending time with family and seeing the impact of her work and the YMCA of Catawba Valley.

As The Ys new marketing director, it is Graffagninos job to create eye-catching content about events and other information.

Graffagnino, 27, is a Catawba County native. She attended Meredith College in Raleigh for a week before returning home to reconsider her career path. The following spring, she went to Appalachian State University in Boone.

Graffagnino said she did not want to attend a college so close to home, but she soon found it was where she needed to be.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Why did you pursue graphic arts?

I first wanted to go into nutrition. I took a few classes in chemistry and found out thats probably more of a hobby, not a career for me.

So, I was racking my brain throughout high school to figure out exactly where I wanted to go, and one thing that always intrigued me was color choice and how people brand themselves. Driving down the road, seeing a billboard and seeing exactly what catches your eye. Something in that realm was what I thought I could do and what intrigued me. So, I went and looked at some websites for colleges and found the graphic arts and communications degree. I liked how it wasnt just design. It was from start to finish with designing and then printing and making sure that all of the colors are correct and how they needed to be for design and if it changed for print. I loved it. I had two internships and came back to Hickory for both of them.

Hardest thing about field?

Getting stuck creativity-wise, and how getting out of that can be difficult sometimes. Sometimes you just have to do something, and if it doesnt look bad, just keep tweaking it until you find something that will hit you like, Oh, OK, thats where it needed to go. So, its never the same from start to end.

How do you get your creativity back?

If I get stuck, sometimes just walking outside helps. It helps to see other things, other people and whats going on in the world.

Favorite part of what you do?

I like seeing the impact, whether its something for an event or just a social media post. And just brightening other peoples days. Like when I posted pictures from one of the classes here, when they were all dressed up for Halloween, and everyone loved it. Everyone was sharing it on Facebook.

Greatest achievement?

It sounds cliche but getting this job. Ive been a member of The Y off and on since I was very young, through family memberships growing up and then corporate memberships with a company I was with. Then, my husband and I got a membership together last summer because I had grown out of the corporate membership. And now I work here and see the people that I saw before, but see them in a different way. Now its more like, How can I help them? Because I saw how it was as a member before.

How did The Y impact you growing up?

My mom would come and do her yoga classes and we would go to the child watch. And then, ever since high school, my mom and I would come and wed have one-on-one sessions with a trainer to show us how to use certain equipment and set up a plan on what to do to live a healthier lifestyle. So that was nice, to come in and not feel alone and like you were doing it on your own, but that the people who work here were helping. Thats why theyre here, is to help and make everyone feel less isolated.

What do you want to accomplish at The Y?







I want to grow the impact on the community and make Hickory and surrounding areas a better place. Because I see how much this place is involved in the community and how others that come here feel like theyre included. Whether theyre the older people that might only come out for their swim class or the folks that are living by themselves and this is the only people that they get to talk to during the day. So, just to make sure that everyone feels included.

Favorite holiday, and why?

Its a tie because it depends on what were doing. But every Thanksgiving, we go to Tybee Island in Georgia. It started off as a tradition to take my grandmother, who lived here, to visit my aunt that lives in Florida. So, it was halfway in-between. She had Alzheimers, so we figured that wasnt going to last very long. I think she went for about three years, and then it got too hard, but we still kept up the tradition. So, we still go down every Thanksgiving, and now we know people there and its always fun to go down just to see everyone. I also like Christmas just because its so cheery. Everyones always in a good mood. Everything around those two holidays is about family, and its very relaxing to spend time with family.
The chief executive of Optus has resigned in the wake of the massive 8 November outage, but who are the top candidates set to replace her and lead the embattled telco company?

In a statement issued by Singtel, the parent company of Optus, as reported by iTWire yesterday, Bayer Rosmarin said it was an appropriate time for her to make an exit.

Its been an honour and privilege to lead the team at Optus and to serve our customers. I am proud of the teams many achievements, and grateful for the support of the Optus team, Moon, and the Group. I wish everyone and the company every success in the future.

Along with the announcement of her resignation, Optus' parent company Singtel also stated it would begin a recruitment process to find Rosmarin's replacement.

So who are the frontrunners who can fill Rosmarin's shoes?

1. Former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian

Optus managing director, enterprise and business and former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian is among the top contenders who can replace Rosmarin.

She was appointed to the role in early 2022.

However, her promotion comes as a risk. News.com.au reported that an ICAC inquiry that probed Berejiklian's former partner Daryl Maguire, then MP for Wagga Wagga, found she had engaged in serious corrupt conduct. She is appealing the findings of the inquiry.

2. Michael Venter

Another internal candidate is Optus group chief financial officer Michael Venter who was appointed in 2021. He will assume the role of interim chief executive as Singtel looks for a permanent replacement.

According to the report, Venter is a former Commonwealth Bank executive and has been responsible for Optus' healthy profits in a competitive telco market.

His performance in leading Optus' financial health is commendable, but he is said to be viewed as a "safe pair of hands."

3. Peter Kaliaropoulos

Peter Kaliaropoulos, who recently joined Optus as chief operator officer, is also seen as a top contender.

According to the report, from 2003 to 2005, he was the managing director of the telco's business division. He helmed Singaporean conglomorate StarHub and the Saudi Arabaian arm of Kuwaiti telecoms firm Zain Group until 2020.

4. Pip Marlow

External candidate Pip Marlow, the outgoing chief executive of Salesforce's Australian and Asean operations and an external candidate, could be considered for the vacant role as the head of Optus.

Joining from Suncorp in 2019, Marlow, according to the report, is a respected business leader in the country, leading Salesforce's aggressive local expansion into the government and public sector market. She was also a Microsoft executive.

5. Allan Lew

Another move Optus may consider is to hire an executive from its parent company, Allan Lew.

From 2014 to 2019, Lew served as the boss of Optus. He held a range of senior roles in Singtel, including CEO of Group Digital Life, chief executive Singapore, and Advanced Info Service (Singtel's regional mobile division) chief operating officer.

Since he left Optus, Lew has overseen Singtel's operation in Thailand, according to reports.
Tech companies are now required to take more proactive measures to combat harmful content, including online child sexual abuse and pro-terror content now that Australias eSafety Commissioner has commenced public consultation on draft industry standards.

The consultation comes as the eSafety Commissioner is embroiled in a legal battle with X over the platforms failure to outline how it can combat child sexual abuse content.

Last month, eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant slapped $610,500 fine on the company for failing to respond to questions on how it can tackle sensitive issues on the platform.

The draft standards cover Designated Internet Services, including apps, websites, and file and photo storage services; and Relevant Electronic Services, covering a range of messaging services as well as online dating services and gaming.

The standards address the production, distribution, and storage of synthetic child sexual abuse and pro-terror material, created using open-source software and generative AI.

Industry associations were tasked with drafting enforceable codes covering eight sectors on the online industry under Australias Online Safety Act.

These include social media services, websites, search engines, app stores, internet service providers, device manufacturers, hosting services, and services such as email, messaging, gaming and dating services.

Earlier this year, the eSafety Commissioner reported that only six draft codes contained appropriate community safeguards. The two remaining failed to provide sufficient measures.

The current consultation process follows more than two years of work by industry, including earlier public consultation, to develop draft codes that would meet these community safeguards.

Each draft standard will require companies to detect and deter unlawful, place systems and processes to deal with reports and complaints, and create tools and information to increase awareness among users to reduce the risk of content surfacing and being shared online.

Inman Grant invited interested stakeholders to participate in the consultation process.

I encourage everyone to have their say on the draft standards because we all want these provisions to be as robust as possible ensuring online services take meaningful steps to address the risk of illegal content online and protect the community, Inman Grant said.

As the eSafety Commissioner received more incidents of child abuse content, Inman Grant revealed Microsofts PhotoDNA, used by over 200 organisations and most large companies, automatically match child sexual abuse images against these databases of known and verified material.

PhotoDNA is not only extremely accurate, with a false positive rate of one in 50 billion, but is also privacy protecting as it only matches and flags known child sexual abuse imagery.

Its important to emphasise this point: PhotoDNA is limited to fingerprinting images to compare with known, previously hashed, child abuse material. The technology doesnt scan text in emails or messages, or analyse language, syntax, or meaning.

Many large companies providing online services take similar steps in other contexts, processing webmail traffic using natural language processing techniques to filter out spam, or apply other categorisation rules.

However, she clarified, eSafety is not requiring companies to break end-to-end encryption through these standards nor do we expect companies to design systematic vulnerabilities or weaknesses into any of their end-to-end encrypted services.

But operating an end-to-end encrypted service does not absolve companies of responsibility and cannot serve as a free pass to do nothing about these criminal acts.

Our focus is on ensuring industry take meaningful steps to prevent the proliferation of seriously harmful content like child sexual abuse material. Many in industry, including encrypted services, are already taking such steps achieve these important outcomes.

eSafety will consider the submissions when it starts to prepare the final versions of the standards ready to be tabled in Parliament.

It proposes for the two standards to come into effect six months after the industry standards are registered.
Insight Social media is addictive but that's not a crime By Stephen Carter Bloomberg View Published November 21, 2023 Embed from Getty Images

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"Big Tech loses bid to toss lawsuits alleging social media platforms harmed children," blared the New York Post. "Social media companies must face youth addiction lawsuits, US judge rules," said Reuters. Such news coverage of last week's order from Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers suggests that the tech companies mostly lost. But from where I sit, Silicon Valley mostly won.

Yes, Judge Rogers let stand a significant fraction of the claims in the hundreds of lawsuits that have been consolidated in her courtroom. But the most spectacular allegations  that social media addicts teens and damages their health  were mostly dismissed.

The lawsuits at issue were filed by parents, organizations and state attorneys general against the companies behind Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat. The defendants moved to dismiss, under both the First Amendment and Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996. Judge Rogers dismissed a large chunk of the lawsuit but allowed a number of claims to go forward.

Along the way, however, addiction practically vanished from the case. Just go through the allegations. The biggies  "Use of algorithms to promote addictive engagement" and "Timing and clustering of notifications of third-party content in a way that promotes addiction"  are barred by Section 230, writes Judge Rogers. Why? Because they're the sort of things publishers do. They want your attention; they work to keep it. That's quintessential publishing behavior.

The same fate befalls "Not providing a beginning and end to a user's Feed'" and "Limiting content to short-form and ephemeral content" and all the other tools that social media companies deploy to keep users hungry for more. Those claims, too, simply exemplify the "common definition of what a publisher does."

In this sense, her opinion picks up on precisely the weakest part of the social-media-addicts-us argument. The difficulty isn't whether the premise is true; it's whether the premise is punishable. Nobody thinks a traditional publisher is at fault for doing all it can to keep fans sufficiently hooked that they'll buy millions of copies of the next volume of "A Song and Ice and Fire" when it comes out; or that the producers of "Succession" acted wrongfully when they structured the tale so that viewers could scarcely wait to find out what would happen next.

What Judge Rogers left in place were a number of theories about product liability  that the companies knew their services carried some risk, but failed to either mitigate it or warn users. There's some meat there, to be sure. The plaintiffs will be allowed to argue, for instance, that the defendants make it too hard to close accounts, and that they should offer more robust parental controls. If you're struggling to raise children in the face of the online onslaught, these are far from trivial issues, and the tech companies should be ashamed of themselves. But the product liability counts bear only a tenuous connection to the central claim of the lawsuits, that social media addicts the young.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not arguing against the substantial body of evidence suggesting that social media can be addictive, especially in youngsters. It's a worldwide problem, and addiction rates in North America are a long way from the worst. A 2022 paper in the American Economic Review estimated that a whopping 31% of social media use stems from lack of self-control. Lots of people want to cut back but struggle.

The problem is genuine. But not every problem can be fixed by filing the right lawsuit. Judge Rogers is correct in her view that Section 230 protects social media platforms when they act like publishers. And despite the steady drumbeat that the provision needs repeal or extensive revision, I'm among those who tremble at the thought of what government officials would do once granted broad authority over online content.

What, then, is to be done? Call me an optimistic pessimist. Because Judge Rogers preserved the product liability counts, the tech companies will likely seek a settlement under which they'll implement better parental controls and ease the task of users who wish to delete their accounts. Such changes regulate not a scintilla of content, yet should be helpful to concerned parents. The challenge of addiction, alas, is far too large to be fixed by a court.
MATTOON  A church has removed its permit request for a parking lot from the agenda of the Tuesday, Nov. 21, Mattoon City Council meeting after the city's planning commission recommended denying this request.

Other proposals still on the agenda for the meeting at 6:30 p.m. in City Hall, 208 N. 19th St. include plans for new sidewalks, boulevards and decorative streetlights along Broadway Avenue from 14th to 16th streets, which will be the final phase of a multi-year downtown streetscaping project.

Regarding the parking lot proposal, Truth & Grace Fellowship Rev. Jeremy Morton said this church has decided to not move forward with its special use permit request for a lot that it has acquired at 1309 S. 17th St. on the east side of its campus. A house currently sits on this lot.

Morton said Truth & Grace said they will now go "back to the drawing board" as it considers options for adding more parking spaces to serve its campus, 1304 Lake Land Boulevard. The church has been expanding into and renovating former warehouse space in this block since 2019.

Mattoon Community Development and Planning Director Alex Benishek said the city's planning commission voted 6-0 last week to recommend that the council deny the permit request. He said the city staff stands ready to assist Truth & Grace or any other petitioners needing to go through the city's permitting process.

Individual commission members voiced concerns at the meeting about the proposal to create a parking lot in a single-family residential neighborhood. Several neighbors attended this meeting after posting "Save Our Neighborhood" signs in their lawns.

"This is our neighborhood. This is a residential neighborhood. We don't want a hole in the middle of our block," said 17th Street resident Debra Schumacher on Monday, adding that she is worried any parking lot there would be expanded over time. Her husband, Paul, added that they and many of their neighbors have lived in this block for more than 20 years.

The Schumachers and 17th Street resident Denice Ross also voiced concerns about a parking lot increasing the storm water drainage problems in their neighborhood, where flooded basements are common.

"We are concerned about traffic. We are concerned about drainage," Ross said. "Everyone in this block has had storm sewers back up."

Regarding Broadway, Public Works Dean Barber said in his council decision request that the proposed plan is for the final phase of the streetscaping work on this downtown roadway from 21st to 14th streets.

Barber said the proposed work will include Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant sidewalks, brick pavers, ornamental street lighting, concrete Pavement, storm sewer, and new water services. The bid opening is scheduled for Dec. 13. The completion date requirement is Oct. 31.

"The work is being paid in part by a $525,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity Rebuild Illinois, Main Streets & Downtown Grant Program," Barber said. He added that the remaining costs will be paid from the citys downtown tax increment financing district fund.

Close Justin Hunt, at center, directors the Mattoon High School band during a Veterans Day performance Saturday afternoon at the Mattoon Moose Lodge. Justin Hunt, at center, directors the Mattoon High School band during a Veterans Day performance Saturday afternoon at the Mattoon Moose Lodge. The Mattoon High School JROTC battalion marches during the Veterans Day parade Saturday morning on Broadway Avenue. Black Tiger Honor Guard member Larry Cowell, at right, presents a pair of boots representing a fallen military service member to fellow guard member John Hensley Jr. during the group's Veterans Day ceremony Saturday afternoon at the Mattoon Moose Lodge. Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus ride on the back of a golf cart during the Veterans Day parade Saturday morning on Broadway Avenue in Mattoon. Mattoon High School JROTC cadets Zoie Winnett, Jeffery Thomas, Cody Carpenter and Alex Whitaker change out a worn U.S. flag for a new one during a Veterans Day ceremony Saturday afternoon at the Mattoon Moose Lodge. Riders dressed as U.S. Army calvary soldiers ride in the Veterans Day parade Saturday morning on Broadway Avenue in Mattoon. Members of the Mattoon High School marching band's color guard wave their flags during a performance Saturday afternoon at the Mattoon Moose Lodge. Mattoon High School JROTC cadet Zoie Winnett presents a certificate to Bob Mathias as he and other veterans are honored during a ceremony Saturday afternoon at the Mattoon Moose Lodge. Members of a Black Tiger Honor Guard march through the Mattoon Moose Lodge banquet room after placing flags in front of the stage during a Veterans Day ceremony Saturday afternoon. The Mattoon Middle School band marches during the Veterans Day parade Saturday morning on Broadway Avenue. Members of the Mattoon American Legion and VFW lead the Veterans Day parade Saturday morning on Broadway Avenue. Black Tiger Honor Guard members John Hensley Jr., at left, and Matt Kreeb honor fallen military service members during a Veterans Day ceremony Saturday afternoon at the Mattoon Moose Lodge. Members of the Mattoon VFW Auxiliary and other community members observe the Veterans Day ceremony on Saturday at Peterson Park. Black Tiger Honor Guard member Larry Creviston of Springfield unfurls a Coast Guard flag with the help of Mattoon High School JROTC Cadet Zoie Winnett during a Veterans Day ceremony on Saturday at the Mattoon Moose Lodge. Transport Services owner Joh England drives a semitruck and tanker trailer decorated to celebrate U.S. military service members during the Veterans Day parade Saturday morning on Broadway Avenue in Mattoon. U.S. Marine Corps veteran Tom Burcham of Mattoon rides his custom-built, three-wheeled motorcycle during the Veterans Day parade Saturday morning on Broadway Avenue in Mattoon. U.S. Army veteran Cheryl Shutt of Mattoon speaks during the Veterans Day ceremony that the Mattoon American Legion and VFW posts held Saturday morning at Peterson Park. Photos: Mattoon community commemorates Veterans Day 2023 The community marked Veterans Day 2023 on Saturday with a parade, ceremonies at Peterson Park and the Mattoon Moose Lodge, and performances by the Mattoon High School marching band. Justin Hunt, at center, directors the Mattoon High School band during a Veterans Day performance Saturday afternoon at the Mattoon Moose Lodge. Justin Hunt, at center, directors the Mattoon High School band during a Veterans Day performance Saturday afternoon at the Mattoon Moose Lodge. The Mattoon High School JROTC battalion marches during the Veterans Day parade Saturday morning on Broadway Avenue. Black Tiger Honor Guard member Larry Cowell, at right, presents a pair of boots representing a fallen military service member to fellow guard member John Hensley Jr. during the group's Veterans Day ceremony Saturday afternoon at the Mattoon Moose Lodge. Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus ride on the back of a golf cart during the Veterans Day parade Saturday morning on Broadway Avenue in Mattoon. Mattoon High School JROTC cadets Zoie Winnett, Jeffery Thomas, Cody Carpenter and Alex Whitaker change out a worn U.S. flag for a new one during a Veterans Day ceremony Saturday afternoon at the Mattoon Moose Lodge. Riders dressed as U.S. Army calvary soldiers ride in the Veterans Day parade Saturday morning on Broadway Avenue in Mattoon. Members of the Mattoon High School marching band's color guard wave their flags during a performance Saturday afternoon at the Mattoon Moose Lodge. Mattoon High School JROTC cadet Zoie Winnett presents a certificate to Bob Mathias as he and other veterans are honored during a ceremony Saturday afternoon at the Mattoon Moose Lodge. Members of a Black Tiger Honor Guard march through the Mattoon Moose Lodge banquet room after placing flags in front of the stage during a Veterans Day ceremony Saturday afternoon. The Mattoon Middle School band marches during the Veterans Day parade Saturday morning on Broadway Avenue. Members of the Mattoon American Legion and VFW lead the Veterans Day parade Saturday morning on Broadway Avenue. Black Tiger Honor Guard members John Hensley Jr., at left, and Matt Kreeb honor fallen military service members during a Veterans Day ceremony Saturday afternoon at the Mattoon Moose Lodge. Members of the Mattoon VFW Auxiliary and other community members observe the Veterans Day ceremony on Saturday at Peterson Park. Black Tiger Honor Guard member Larry Creviston of Springfield unfurls a Coast Guard flag with the help of Mattoon High School JROTC Cadet Zoie Winnett during a Veterans Day ceremony on Saturday at the Mattoon Moose Lodge. Transport Services owner Joh England drives a semitruck and tanker trailer decorated to celebrate U.S. military service members during the Veterans Day parade Saturday morning on Broadway Avenue in Mattoon. U.S. Marine Corps veteran Tom Burcham of Mattoon rides his custom-built, three-wheeled motorcycle during the Veterans Day parade Saturday morning on Broadway Avenue in Mattoon. U.S. Army veteran Cheryl Shutt of Mattoon speaks during the Veterans Day ceremony that the Mattoon American Legion and VFW posts held Saturday morning at Peterson Park.
CHICAGO  A 72-year-old man leaving his nephew's birthday party in Chicago was fatally shot as he walked to his car, police and family said.

Cesar Patino was a victim of a drive-by shooting while his wife was collecting their coats from a party around 10 p.m. Sunday in the Logan Square neighborhood, police said. His wife found him on the ground.

"I cannot even understand," son Edison Patino told the Chicago Sun-Times. "He was just going to his car."

Cesar Patino, a grandfather, was a native of Ecuador who had lived in Chicago for 40 years.

"All of us loved him," Edison Patino said. "If anybody ever needed a favor he was always there for us."
A Parkland High School student was critically injured Monday after jumping from the rear of a school bus in southern Winston-Salem, authorities said Tuesday.

Winston-Salem police responded at 5:26 p.m. to a call for service at Alder and Waughtown streets, police said.

When officers arrived, they found a student from Parkland High School lying in the street, police said.

The student was taken to a local hospital, where the student was in critical condition Tuesday, police said.

Investigators determined that the student was riding in a school bus and jumped out of the back of the bus while it was moving, police said.

The student jumped out the bus emergency exit door as the bus was making its routine, afternoon stops, the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools said in a statement.

The student sustained significant injuries in the incident, police said.

There is no indication of criminal involvement at this point in the investigation, police said.

This is a heartbreaking situation, Superintendent Tricia McManus said. Our thoughts and prayers are with our student and the family.

School administrators are supporting the family in every way possible, McManus said. Our crisis team has been available on campus today to talk with the students peers and all those impacted by what happened yesterday.

We know this event has been traumatizing for the student, the family, for the students on board the bus and for the bus driver, McManus said.

Neither the police nor the school district identified the student or provided further details about the incident.

Anyone with information about this incident can call Winston-Salem police at 336-773-7700, Crime Stoppers at 336-727-2800 or its Spanish line at 336-728-3904.

Crime Stoppers of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County is on Facebook.

The Text-A-Tip program at 336-276-1717 allows people to text tips, photos and videos to the police.
The U.S. vehicle-financing arm of Toyota Motor Corp. has been ordered to pay $60 million in consumer refunds and penalties by a federal regulatory agency.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has determined that Toyota Motor Credit Corp. operated an illegal scheme that jacked up monthly car loan payments by making it difficult for borrowers to cancel what is known as product bundles.

Toyotas lending arm illegally withheld refunds, made borrowers run through obstacle courses to cancel unwanted services and tarnished their credit reports, Rohit Choprat, the director of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, said in Mondays news release. Given the growing burdens of auto loan payments on Americans, we will continue to pursue large auto lenders that cheat their customers.

The Toyota credit group is being required to pay $48 million to consumers harmed by the scheme. Nearly $32 million will go to people who did not receive refunds on unearned guaranteed asset protection and credit life and accidental health premiums.

Guaranteed asset protection is designed to cover the difference between the amount a consumer owes on an auto loan and what their insurance pays if the vehicle is stolen, damaged or totaled.

Credit life and accidental health covers the remaining balance if a borrower dies or becomes disabled.

More than $9.9 million is slated for consumers who tried to cancel either coverage but were unable to do so, and over $6 million is designated for those affected by false information sent to a consumer reporting company.

The remaining $12 million penalty will be placed into a victims relief fund overseen by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

The cost of the bundled products, financed by Toyota Motor Credit, averaged between $700 and $2,500 per loan. Including these products in a vehicle sale or lease can significantly increase the loan amount, monthly payment and finance charge, the bureau said.

According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, thousands of consumers complained to Toyota Motor Credit that dealers had lied about whether these products were mandatory, included them on contracts without the borrowers knowledge or rushed through paperwork to hide buried terms.

Meanwhile, the bureau said Toyota Motor Credit devised a scheme to retain the revenue from these products by making it extremely cumbersome to cancel and then failed to provide proper refunds for consumers who succeeded in cancelling. The company also falsely told consumer reporting companies that borrowers had missed payments and it failed to correct consumer reporting errors it knew were wrong.
A professor at Wake Forest University confirmed Wednesday that she will resign at the end of the year after her social media post on the Israeli-Hamas war prompted a backlash and threats to her personal safety.

Laura Mullen, a professor in the English Department and the William R. Kenan Jr. Chair in the Humanities, posted on her personal X (formerly Twitter) account on Oct. 12: "So it's kind of a Duh but if you turn me out of my house plow my olive grove and confine what's left of my family to the small impoverished state you run as an open air prison I could be tempted to shoot up your dance party yeah even knowing you will scorch the earth."

The post was in reference to Hamas' surprise attack on southern Israel that Israel said killed 1,400 people. Another 240 people were taken hostage.

The now-deleted post created a backlash so intense that Mullen said on Wednesday that she feels unsafe and unwell. Wake Forest campus police is investigating some of the threats, she said.

Mullen said she is resigning "for personal reasons" and declined to elaborate.

The Old Gold and Black, the college's newspaper, first reported on the controversy created by Mullen's post and her resignation.

According to the campus newspaper, "multiple" letters were sent to Provost Michele Gillespie and President Susan Wente about Mullen's post. The two issued a statement on Oct. 17 that read, in part: "The posted comments caused significant anxiety and fear for members of our community. We take such matters very seriously. We do not condone or support the views expressed in these posts. As a matter of principle, we affirm the right to individual freedom of expression. And, to be clear: statements that diminish the value and dignity of human life or condone the use of violence are counter to the values inherent in the Pro Humanitate ethos of Wake Forest University."

Mullen joined the Wake Forest faculty in July, 2021, after 17 years at Louisiana State University. According to a Wake Forest press release announcing her hiring, Mullen's "scholarship covers poetry, experimental prose, criticism, fiction, non-fiction and film poetry."

In explaining her X post, Mullen said: "When 9/11 happened, I was asking myself and others, 'What did we do to make people want to come and do that to us?' That is how my mind works. I don't believe in clear lines between victims and perpetrators, that terrorism comes out of a vacuum. That doesn't mean I condone terrorism. I care deeply about what happens to innocent people everywhere. My tweet reflected my understanding of history and the results of oppression."

Barry Trachtenberg, the Rubin Presidential Chair of Jewish History at Wake Forest, called the tweet flippant and callous, but he criticized the universitys handling of the ensuing controversy.

The university had an opportunity to educate and failed to do so, he said. Instead, they pandered to those engaging in scare tactics and invoking false accusations of antisemitism.

Wake Forest spokeswoman Cheryl Walker confirmed Mullen's resignation.
Consider the source

Please refer to the Winston Salem Journals Nov. 2 article, Over 3,600 Palestinian children killed in war, in which you provide statistics from the Gaza Health Ministry, which spouts propaganda, e.g., saying that Israel bombed a Gaza hospital, when it was Hamas own rocket that did the damage.

If this were not bad enough, day after day, the Journal has articles that also reference Gaza Health Ministry information. Please consider a cessation of this practice because the source is suspect.

Additionally, these articles only address the supposed Gaza Health Ministry death totals, especially children and women, but make no mention in these stories of the detailed atrocities that Hamas perpetrated upon Israel, which can be viewed on video.

Harry R. Luther

Clemmons

Protect trans youth

Transgender and nonbinary youth in North Carolina, like their peers nationwide, face significant challenges stemming from discrimination, harassment and violence due to their gender identity. As a state that values diversity and community, we must proactively safeguard and support our trans and nonbinary youth.

First, raising awareness is paramount to addressing the unique challenges these individuals encounter. Comprehensive anti-discrimination policies in schools, explicitly covering gender identity and expression, are essential. Additionally, educational curricula should be updated to include information on transgender and nonbinary history, experiences and contributions, serving as a powerful tool against prejudice.

Law enforcement agencies must undergo training to comprehend and respect the rights and identities of transgender and nonbinary individuals. Discriminatory policing practices targeting these youth should be curbed through awareness programs, preventing unjust arrests and violence.

In the political realm, advocating for protective policies is crucial. This involves pushing for legislation that bans conversion therapy, ensuring access to gender-affirming health care and preventing discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations. Support for organizations dedicated to trans and nonbinary rights is equally important.

Finally, as community members, fostering inclusivity is our shared responsibility. Using correct names and pronouns, actively listening to the experiences of transgender and nonbinary youth, and confronting discriminatory behavior are steps we can take. North Carolina must take decisive action to address the visibility and safety gaps for transgender and nonbinary youth.

By doing so we can cultivate a more inclusive and accepting state, allowing all young people to thrive without fear of discrimination or violence.

Asher McKenzie

Winston Salem

No thanks, Joe

In his campaign for reelection, Joe Biden says his goal is to finish the job.

Another four years of Bidens policies and the USA will be finished.

J.P. Lester

Reidsville

Whos antisemitic?

Weve heard much nonsense from the usual right-wing letter writers of late, but regurgitating their slander that the editors are left-leaning apologists goes beyond being ridiculous when the main decisions these editors have to make nowadays is between the usual lies of omission we expect from moderates and liberals and the overt, blatant lies of commission from conservatives since Donald Trump became liar-in-chief.While 50-70%-plus of Republicans believe Trumps various lies, the politicians theyve elected make daily attempts to out-stupid and out-prevaricate one another and recently added berserker bullying to their repertoire.

Nor are their attempts to smear all campus liberals with the antisemitism label earned by a few honest complaints. Antisemitism has long been the rallying cry of right-wingers.

As was reported on CNN,  Weve seen a real concerning ideological convergence between far-right communities online and pro-Hamas sentiment, said Ben Decker, CEO of Memetica, a threat analysis company that monitors online hate. ...

Users of the notorious hate-filled, far-right online forum 4chan quickly began celebrating the Oct. 7 attack, in what Memetica describes as convergence of Hamas and white supremacist ideologies.

Although paradoxical that white supremacists would be supportive of an Islamic terrorist group, Decker says the white supremacists hatred of Jewish people outranks all else.

Karen Dunn, an attorney who successfully sued the people responsible for the violence at the deadly 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., told CNN that these hate groups hate everybody, but they hate the Jews the most.

Christopher C. Tew

Greensboro
Come quick to see this 5 bedroom, 2-story home on a cul-de-sac in East Lincoln! This home just got a *NEW* deck, *NEW* carpet AND a fresh coat of paint for the new owners! For those looking for all the bedrooms on the same level, this house has 4 bedrooms altogether on the second floor and a bonus 5th bedroom in the basement, which can be used as an office, workout space, etc. The household chef will appreciate the spacious kitchen and dining room, and there's plenty of space for relaxing on the main level or the large walkout basement. This home is close to all the amenities East Lincoln has to offer, and is situated at the end of a cul-de-sac, meaning limited traffic and neighborhood noise. You won't want to miss the incredible value this home has to offer!

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Four people were arrested Friday after the Lincoln-Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force served a search warrant that resulted in the seizure of drugs and a child being taken into state custody, according to court records.

Investigators served the warrant at a residence in the 3700 block of Chadd Court at about 6:20 p.m. After police gained entry, they arrested Sibit Koang, 30, Mohaned Alhaj, 32, and Michel Mikaya, 33. They found a 1-year-old child sleeping in a bedroom inside the home, according to the arrest affidavit.

Police found a backpack in the living room with 5.7 grams of suspected cocaine, four suboxone strips and 19 pills, which investigators allege are counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, the affidavit said.

As police continued their search, Shaunquitah Campbell arrived at the residence and also was arrested, according to the affidavit.

The four were taken to the Lancaster County jail. The child was placed with the Nebraska Department of Human Services, according to the affidavit.

Mikaya was charged with two counts of intent to deliver an exceptionally hazardous drug and possession of a controlled substance. Judge Laurie Yardley set his percentage bond at $200,000.

Campbell, Koang and Alhaj were charged with possession of a controlled substance. Alhaj's bond was set at $3,500, Campbell's bond was set at $5,000, and Koang's was set at $10,000.

Top Journal Star photos for November 2023
This is simply one mans perspective from the early 21st century (first written in 2010). I had to make a decision about crimes that occurred at locations that are inside the city today, but were outside our corporate limits at the time they occurred. I chose the latter.

Before beginning, though, I have to deal with three crimes that stand apart: the murders of three police officers in Lincoln. Im not quite sure how to place them in a list. They all had huge impacts on the community, and on the police department in particular. Because these are my colleagues, I deal with them separately and in chronological order.

Patrolman Marion Francis Marshall

Shot in the shadow of the new Nebraska State Capital, Gov. Charles Bryan came to his aid and summoned additional help.

Lt. Frank Soukup

Marion Marshall was technically not a Lincoln police officer, so Lt. Soukup was actually the first Lincoln police officer killed on duty. One of his colleagues who was present at the motel and involved in the gunbattle, Paul Jacobsen, went on to enjoy a long career and command rank at LPD, influencing many young charges (like me) and leaving his mark on the culture of the agency.

Lt. Paul Whitehead

In the space of a few months, three LPD officers died in the line of duty. Frank Soukup had been murdered, and George Welter had died in a motorcycle crash. Paul Whitehead's partner, Paul Merritt, went on to command rank, and like Paul Jacobsen left an indelible mark at LPD and the community.
Two people were hospitalized Tuesday after a man was shot by a police officer and a woman was run over by the driver of the car who was shot, according to the Lincoln Police Department.

At about 12:20 p.m. in the parking lot of the Microtel Inn & Suites at 2505 Fairfield St., a Lincoln police officer tried to confront 35-year-old Garrett Hanika on an outstanding warrant out of Council Bluffs, Iowa, for a probation violation regarding a weapons charge, according to an LPD news release.

Hanika backed his orange Jeep into the police cruiser as the officer approached him, according to Acting Police Chief Michon Morrow. After Hanika backed the Jeep into the cruiser, he changed gears and accelerated rapidly toward the officer, Morrow said. The officer then fired several shots at the vehicle, hitting Hanika, she said.

During this sequence, a 39-year-old woman inside the Jeep exited and was run over by the driver. First responders extricated the woman from underneath the Jeep and transported her to the hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, according to Morrow. Hanika was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. He was arrested on suspicion of first-degree assault, attempted first-degree assault on an officer, use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony and resisting arrest with a deadline weapon.

A heavy police presence remained at the scene for several hours as officials investigated the incident.

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
The Lincoln City Council on Monday approved a flood mitigation plan  a document that includes controversial updates to the floodplain regulations and spells out how the city plans to prevent or limit losses from flooding.

About 16% of the city is in the floodplain, and Lincoln Transportation and Utilities Director Liz Elliott said updated rainfall totals make it clear the city faces an increased flood risk and millions of dollars in damage in a 100-year flood event if the city does nothing.

Based on rainfall data, were getting more rain every year so theres a higher risk of flooding each year, she said.

The plan looks at the flooding risk in Lincoln, what the city is doing about it and what else it should be doing, said Tim Zach, superintendent of stormwater for the citys watershed management division.

Two of the main benefits of the plan are that it makes potential projects identified there eligible for grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and it secures the citys position on FEMAs community rating system.

That flood insurance program rating system gives cities that participate discounts on flood insurance premiums. City officials announced Monday that Lincoln has maintained a Class 5 rating  out of a possible 9  which gives Lincoln property owners a 25% discount on flood insurance premiums.

Lincoln is the only city in Nebraska with that high of a rating, which it has had since 2015. FEMA conducts a verification process every five years, city officials said. The city has a number of programs related to flood regulations and related procedures that garnered it that rating.

The city has begun the process of working with FEMA to update its floodplain maps, and in January the City Council approved a series of updates to Lincolns floodplain regulations.

The controversial updates pitted city administration, which had made them a priority, against developers and engineers concerned about the cost and that the changes were too broad.

The changes that garnered the most attention were those that require property in the floodplain to be built an additional foot above the base flood elevation, those pertaining to property adjacent to the floodplain and buffers required along stream corridors that limit how close development can occur.

There are six main categories in the plan approved Monday: structural projects; public information; property protection; preventive activities; natural resources protection; and emergency services.

A number of those structural solutions are ongoing, such as the Deadmans Run project and studies of the citys urban drainage system that identifies outdated local stormwater systems that cause flooding in neighborhoods.

Getting public input on the plan was a priority for city officials, who, in addition to the open house required by FEMA, conducted an online survey, held six neighborhood and community meetings and participated in eight Planning Commission meetings, Zach said.

Of the 30 activities or actions identified in the plan, nine of those were added as a result of public feedback, Zach said.

Two of those changes involve how flooding affects renters. Statewide, about half of the people who live in the floodplain are renters, but they often dont know it and a very small percentage have floodplain insurance, Zach said.

Landlords who have a federally backed mortgage must have flood insurance, but theyre not required to have it if they own the building outright. And even then, such insurance often covers damage to property but not belongings, Zach said.

Two possible solutions identified in the plan include finding incentives for landlords to encourage or require them to inform tenants that they live in a floodplain, and a public education campaign targeting renters, Zach said.

Other potential programs identified in the plan include a property acquisition program  providing resources to homeowners who want to sell and relocate and converting that land to open space; and a program to help homeowners elevate property in the floodplain.

Three people spoke in support of the plan.

The process used was very healthy and well done, said Adam Hintz, with Friends of Wilderness Park. We feel very heard. Renters feel heard.

Top Journal Star photos for November 2023
Contact Rose Hood-Buss at 402-471-8526 and rose@hublincoln.org or Lindsey Drake at ldrake@hublincoln.org

Becky, 18, is a high school senior who is graduating a semester early and will be attending Southeast Community College in the spring. She has been supporting herself by working while also attending high school. She does not have family in the state and comes from a non-traditional support system. She lives with her sister, but will be required to move before the holidays. She would like some things to make her new place a home, clothing items and some hygiene products. Lotion, socks (small or medium) sweatpants (medium or large; preferably gray, black, or neutral colors), feminine hygiene products, a blanket, and school supplies (notebooks, colored highlighters, pens).

Georgia, 21, is mom to a 5-year-old boy. Georgia has completed training to obtain her CNA, so she can find employment and housing, as they are currently homeless. She plans to return to school. She loves to write and wants to be a published author of books that can help and inspire people who are struggling. Georgia and her son would like gift cards to Target or Walmart to help with food and clothes, as well as books.

Augustine, 18, has been navigating the GED path and is close to finishing. He has set goals to obtain his GED and go to trade school. He is moving into his own place and could use household items, cleaning supplies, a vacuum cleaner, laundry baskets and gift cards.

Gabby, 19, is a high school senior who will graduate this year. She is also a mom to two little boys (ages 3 & 1) and works as much as she can. She juggles most of this on her own, with little support from her mom and little transportation She is moving into a place of her own and needs household items. The boys could use winter clothes, coats, hats, and gloves (3T & 18M). Gabby could also use winter clothes, a coat (size small), and Uber gift cards.

Keeley, 17, recently moved to Lincoln and is a mom to 3-year-old twin boys. She is going to high school and working two jobs. She is staying with an aunt until she graduates. She plans to pursue a cosmetologist license along with a business degree, as she loves to do hair. She and the boys could benefit from winter clothes (4T & medium in womens). She would like gift cards to Mid K Hair and Wigs and the boys would like Paw Patrol toys and books.
A 55-year-old man died in a two-vehicle crash Saturday night in Scottsbluff.

Frederick Evans, who was not wearing a seat belt, died as a result of his injuries, the Scottsbluff Police Department said. The incident occurred shortly after 10 p.m. on the 1300 block of 14th Avenue.

Investigators determined that Evans was southbound on 14th Avenue in a 2009 GMC pickup truck. Evans' pickup crossed over the center of the road and collided with a northbound 2012 GMC pickup truck.

The force of the collision caused Evans' pickup to roll over onto its passenger side. Police said they are investigating whether a medical condition contributed to the incident.

Scottsbluff police were assisted at the scene by the Scottsbluff Fire Department, Valley Ambulance Service and deputies from the Scotts Bluff County Sheriffs Office.

Top Journal Star photos for November 2023
A Neligh pharmacist was ordered to pay $573,000 in restitution at her sentencing Monday for health care fraud.

Danelle Charf pleaded guilty in federal court in Omaha to making false statements related to health care matters.

Chief Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced her Monday to two months of prison, plus three years of supervised release, in addition to the restitution.

In the indictment, prosecutors said that, between 2016 and 2021, Charf submitted fraudulent claims to Medicare and Nebraska Medicaid while owner and operator of the Wanek Pharmacy in Neligh and Tilden Pharmacy in nearby Tilden.

According to court records, she filled prescriptions with the generic version of certain medications, then submitted claims seeking reimbursement for the more expensive brand-name versions of the medications.

As a result of the scheme, prosecutors say she caused losses of at least $573,300 to Medicare and Nebraska Medicaid.
A 16-year-old boy accused in the fatal stabbing of another 16-year-old boy was ordered held without bail at a court appearance Monday.

Christopher DeLong Jr., who turned 16 while in custody at the Douglas County Youth Center last Friday, faces charges of second-degree murder and use of a weapon to commit a felony related to the killing of 16-year-old Clayton McCue. DeLong is accused of stabbing McCue in the head on Nov. 8 in a church parking lot near Millard.

DeLong was charged as an adult on Nov. 9 with first-degree assault and use of a weapon to commit a felony, and prosecutors said at his first court appearance last week that more serious charges were likely as McCue was then considered brain dead. DeLong's bail was initially set at $500,000.

The second-degree murder charge, which alleges that DeLong killed McCue intentionally but without premeditation, was filed on Friday. On Monday, Douglas County Court Judge Stephanie Hansen ordered DeLong to be held in custody without bail.

Officers were dispatched to the parking lot of Living Faith United Methodist Church near 180th and Q streets shortly before 8:45 p.m. Nov. 8, according to a police report. They found McCue with a stab wound to the head, and multiple witnesses at the scene identified DeLong as the suspect. DeLong was taken into custody the same night, the report said.

A GoFundMe raising money for McCue's medical and funeral expenses has raised more than $11,000.

DeLong is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing on Dec. 27.

Most dangerous cities in Nebraska Dangerous Cities in Nebraska 6. South Sioux City 5. Scottsbluff 4. North Platte 3. Lincoln 2. Grand Island 1. Omaha A note about the numbers
A dispute over the responsibility of inspectors general charged by the legislative branch of government with oversight of two agencies in the executive branch likely wont find a resolution until after lawmakers meet in January.

The opinion by Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers that the Offices of Inspector General for child welfare and the state prison system violate the constitutional separation of powers has raised questions about the level of oversight the Legislature can perform on another branch of government.

It has also led to a standoff between the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Correctional Services and the inspectors general over access to information, and led state lawmakers to hire external legal counsel to help them navigate the short- and long-term implications.

On Monday, key figures on both sides of the debate took part in a panel discussion at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Law, where they laid out their arguments before law students as well as elected officials and other state leaders.

Jennifer Carter, who was appointed inspector general of Nebraska Child Welfare in 2020, said the offices are fundamentally about good government and meant to promote transparency and accountability to the people of Nebraska.

This is not a game of gotcha, Carter told a packed lecture hall at McCollum Hall on UNLs East Campus. This is how it is really working.

When a child in the custody of the state dies or is seriously injured  Carter said six deaths have occurred in the past quarter alone, but the inspector general has been unable to obtain detailed information about those cases  the office is charged with investigating what, if anything, allowed that to occur and whether or not any changes to the institution could have prevented that, Carter said.

The inspector general does not investigate whether or not there is a crime, she told the audience, and cannot compel the states child welfare division to implement any changes. Rather, the office offers recommendations for changes that can either be accepted, rejected or modified, Carter added.

This is a way for us to provide insight into how government is working, she said.

Hilgers, whose office was asked by the Department of Health and Human Services to give its opinion in January  the opinion was issued in August  said the question isnt whether or not having an inspector general was a good idea.

The issue is whether or not the state constitution allows the inspector general created by and operating under the supervision of the Legislature, which Hilgers pointed out has other powers to conduct investigations, to perform oversight functions on an executive branch agency.

The statute, in every way, has given the legislative branch extraordinary power, the attorney general said, with little limitations on how those investigations proceed, essentially giving itself power over the other co-equal branches of government.

But Sen. Danielle Conrad, who was in the Legislature when the offices of inspector general were created, said the legislation authorizing their activities was crafted with care and in line with the constitution in order to address waste, fraud and abuse in the largest state agencies in Nebraska.

Taxpayers were being fleeced for hundreds of millions of dollars, vulnerable foster care children were left in the lurch, Conrad said. There were two deadly riots in our states prison system.

The problems in those agencies remain, she added. Chronic understaffing and overcrowded prisons remain issues for the Department of Correctional Services, while an infant under the care of the state recently nearly starved to death.

Conrad said a plain reading of the statute shows the inspectors general cannot interfere with other functions of other branches of state government, and she said lawmakers have overwhelmingly supported their creation as well as expanding the information they can access.

The opinion and the manner in which it came out was, according to Conrad, an attempt to score political points.

This is not a constitutional crisis, Conrad said. This is a political stunt and this is beneath the office of the attorney general.

Hilgers, a former state senator from Lincoln who served two years as speaker, defended his actions, saying the executive branch has chosen to work with the Legislature rather than take the matter to the courts, where he said the Legislature has a poor track record of success.

Anthony Schutz, a law professor who lectures on state and local government, said the separation of powers argument used by Hilgers was better understood within the context of the U.S. Constitution rather than the Nebraska State Constitution.

The state constitution has been amended some 236 times since it was ratified in the mid-1870s and is unique in its structure and processes, Schutz said, fragmenting the executive branch into many offices and giving the Legislature power but putting in place process restraints.

Those unique characteristics are meant to promote transparency and accountability in government, Schutz said: If theres one thing thats clear about Nebraska state government, its that we dont trust anybody.

Schutz said the differences in the separation of powers in the state constitution may mean the issue could be decided differently by the courts in Nebraska.

Moving forward, Hilgers said the Legislature should consider legislation that clarifies or changes the process, adding the inspectors general have more power than they were admitting, but that suggestion was met with resistance by Carter and Conrad.

Carter said any changes that eroded the current independence granted to the offices of inspector general would do a disservice to Nebraskans, and Conrad said it was not the place of the executive branch to dictate changes to the Legislature.

The Lincoln senator accused Hilgers and Gov. Jim Pillen of not taking action to address ongoing problems in either agency, but said she hoped a compromise could be struck when the Legislature reconvenes in 2024 that was mutually beneficial to both sides.

Top Journal Star photos for November 2023
A fifth grade teacher deeply rooted in the Syracuse community has earned a national award for her work improving her school and environment for fellow educators.

Leslie McIntosh, an English language arts teacher at Syracuse-Dunbar-Avoca Middle School, received the Milken Educator Award on Tuesday in front of a packed crowd of state officials, teachers and students.

"I feel so appreciated by the people I work with, plus more," McIntosh said. "I have so much pride for our school  this is really not just about me, but it's about my school. I'm just so happy and my cup is full today."

Only a select group of educators around the U.S. receive the annual award, which comes from the Milken Family Foundation. The honor, which is kept secret until the actual ceremony, is usually given to early to midcareer education professionals for their achievements in the classroom. Each recipient also receives $25,000.

Last week, Jacob Eitzen, a Bellevue West High School teacher, also received a Milken award. McIntosh said she didn't know much about the Milken award in general, let alone the fact that another Nebraska teacher might receive one.

McIntosh, who grew up on a farm near Syracuse and attended the local high school, has been teaching fifth grade at the middle school for the last six years. Before that, she taught third grade at the elementary school.

Being embedded in the Syracuse community was one of the main reasons she was chosen for the award, according to the Milken Family Foundation.

"Leslie McIntosh stands as a shining example of a teacher who not only empowers her students but also uplifts her entire community through her dedication to educational improvement, targeted strategies and a genuine passion for nurturing the potential within every child she encounters," said Stephanie Bishop, a Milken foundation representative, in an official statement on Tuesday.

One aspect of McIntosh's work in the community was her efforts creating a teacher professional learning community in her area. The group has resulted in increased attendance and engagement among teachers, according to a Milken press release.

She also spearheads the annual weeklong summer school program known as "Summer Blast," where students participate in activities like science lab, computer coding, fine arts and more. Proceeds from the summer camp go to the school. Last year, they raised more than $10,000.

McIntosh has also committed her time to improving Syracuse-Dunbar-Avoca Middle School in the last few years.

When research indicated a decline in English scores at her middle school from 2020 to 2021, she developed a comprehensive school improvement plan and implemented strategies in her classroom and across the entire fifth grade.

"I looked at our scores and thought, 'How can I make this better, not just academically, but what kind of creative things can we do within our classrooms and our teams to improve engagement with kids?'" she said. "I found this strategy of intentionally having conversations within the classroom, having dialogue between students. And so the students were in control of the dialogue about what they were learning  so (we were) hitting on our social skills and then also hitting on our reading comprehension."

Her dedication paid off: Last year, when 46% of students statewide demonstrated proficiency in English, 59% of the school's fifth graders exhibited proficiency in the subject under McIntosh, according to the Milken Family Foundation.

"The success of her students shows the impact she is making every day," said Brian Maher, Nebraska education commissioner, in a Tuesday statement. "We are thrilled to celebrate her work and are excited to see what she does in the future."

McIntosh said she couldn't have done any of her work without her colleagues, who make the school a phenomenal place to work.

"We're so fortunate to have people who care and want to work hard for kids and for our community," she said. "We have some pretty courageous leaders in our school, on our board, in our administration and even within teachers."

Photos: Bellevue West High School teacher surprised with Milken Educator Award, $25,000
Artificial intelligence is already a workhorse in the technology that allows tractors to identify weeds and tailor herbicide spraying, determine when a crop is ready to harvest and weave together satellite and soil data to make efficient use of fertilizer.

But Senate Agriculture Committee members said last week that AIs potential to bring more advances in agriculture comes with risks regarding farm data protection; the affordability of technology, particularly for small farms; consolidation in the sector; and other, unforeseen consequences.

Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., said the committee and Congress will have to balance policies that encourage innovation but protect against excesses. He told witnesses that he is working on legislation to put up guardrails while maintaining a light touch on regulations.

One witness at the panels hearing urged senators to include provisions in the farm bill that would allow farmers to get loans from the Agriculture Department that would encourage adoption of AI and precision technology. Agriculture Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., suggested such provisions look likely.

Lawmakers have passed a continuing resolution that extended the 2018 farm bill to Sept. 30, 2024. The bill expired on Sept. 30 and the extension gives Congress time to write a new farm bill. The House passed the CR on Tuesday and the Senate passed it on Wednesday.

Jose-Marie Griffiths, president of Dakota State University in South Dakota, which has a focus on AI, cyber and quantum computing, called for a measured approach on regulation.

I do believe strongly in a lighter touch than heavy-duty regulation because the moment regulation gets to be too much, innovation shrinks naturally, Griffiths said. I think it is important that we ensure that innovation can occur but at the same time have these guardrails to mitigate risks.

Stabenow and ranking member John Boozman, R-Ark., convened the hearing to delve into the potential promise and peril of AI in food production, processing and related areas. The hearing follows several special briefings open to all senators on the broad use of artificial intelligence and an Oct. 30 presidential executive order directing federal departments and agencies to promote AI use while also ensuring the technology is safe and free of bias.

Stabenow, who used AI to write part of her opening statement, said the technology opens new pathways to address the climate crisis, increase production, lower input costs and automate planting and harvesting.

But she also cautioned that placing vast amounts of data in the hands of a few private companies could accelerate the trend of consolidation in the agricultural industry or perpetuate bias that has harmed small farmers and farmers of color for decades.

Boozman also had words of caution.

While AI holds great potential, we should ask tough questions about the potential risks, he said.

Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., said lack of access to reliable high-speed internet services is a major hurdle for farmers and ranchers who might be willing to shoulder technology costs. Fischer and Sen. Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., have legislation that would establish a USDA program with a mission to make broadband available to farmers and ranchers so they can use precision agriculture as they work in remote fields. Fischer said other USDA broadband efforts focus on reaching households or businesses.

Jahmy Hindman, senior vice president and chief technology officer for Deere & Co., said the next farm bill should include provisions from that legislation as well as from another bill from Fischer and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., that would set up a USDA loan program to cover the cost of precision technology.

Hindman said the provisions were essential for farmers to fully leverage the benefits of AI and precision technologies.

Stabenow agreed, telling Fischer that she and Boozman had discussed her legislation and having your work become part of what were doing in the farm bill.

Sens. Peter Welch, D-Vt., and Lujan raised questions about access to AI products for small or non-English-speaking producers.

Its an opportunity for bigger ag where you can spread the costs over time, but for a lot of smaller producers theres a lot of skepticism about whether they can get a return on investment, Welch said. With the entry cost, how can we do things that will help the smaller farmers when they are not going to be able to take that risk with the higher front costs?

Mason Earles, an assistant professor at University of California, Davis, who is part of the AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems, said small farmers could use AI as a tool for helping them make decisions about their operations, much in the way they have worked with USDA extension agents.

Earles also said smartphones could be a lower-cost way to use some AI systems without the overhead costs of more complex technology.

I think there is an opportunity for using things people already own. Our phones are loaded with many types of sensors. We may not realize it but there are probably 15 different types of sensors on your cameras. So I think there is an opportunity for smaller farmers, he said.

Lujan asked about the ease of Spanish-speaking farmers or workers making use of AI products in the U.S.

Earles, who has founded an agriculture startup, said that market shouldnt be ignored.

If someone is not doing this, then the technology is not going to penetrate the market, he said, adding that not adapting creates an obstacle if there is not an effort to make Spanish first, or at least bilingual, in these tools, especially specialty crops where we have predominantly Spanish-speaking workers.

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RACINE  Dr. Fisk Johnson, CEO and chairman of SC Johnson, has been honored by the United Nations Foundation.

Johnson received the Leadership for a Better World award last week at the We the Peoples 2023 ceremony.

This is an amazing recognition. I cant claim any credit because of the many deserving and talented people at SC Johnson who have put their expertise toward our one purpose as a company, which is to work for a better world, Johnson said in a statement. For this team, and our partners, its an effort that comes from their heart and stems from their genuine compassion and commitment to save and improve lives, which is very inspiring to me.

SC Johnson created two spatial repellents, Guardian and Mosquito Shield, that can be hung up to repel mosquitos from an area.

Field testing shows Guardian can be effective for up to a year and can cover multiple rainy seasons, which are when communities can be at higher risk for mosquito-borne disease, according to SC Johnson.

The company has been giving Guardian to at-risk communities across the world, and is scheduled to start spatial repellent manufacturing in Kenya in 2024.

SC Johnson also has opened 70 community health clinics in Rwanda, South Sudan and Indonesia and is set to add 15 more clinics in Kenya and Tanzania in 2024.
BURLINGTON  A Burlington Area School District referendum will be on ballots in February, and the result will greatly impact the districts future.

Voters will decide if they want to approve an $11 million operational referendum.

If approved, the recurring referendum will authorize the School Board to exceed the state revenue limit by $11 million over the next four school years: $6 million in 2024-2025, $3 million in 2025-2026, $1 million in 2026-2027 and $1 million in 2027-2028.

The $11 million would be spent on stabilizing the district budget and attracting and retaining staff. It also would be spent on support for staff and students, mental health support, local business partnerships and maintenance funding.

During its Nov. 13 meeting, the Burlington Area School District Board unanimously approved adding the referendum question to ballots Feb. 20, 2024.

The board decided on a recurring referendum because it allows for some financial stability, according to a BASD news release.

If approved, the referendum is anticipated to carry the district forward until at least 2030, according to the news release.

February will mark the second straight year that Burlington residents will vote on a school district referendum.

In April, voters rejected a non-recurring referendum that would have authorized the BASD Board to exceed the state revenue limit by up to $8 million per year for three school years.

Vitally important

During an Oct. 23 special School Board meeting, Jill Oelslager, BASD interim superintendent, emphasized the importance of the referendum to the future of the school district.

If the referendum fails, BASD would have to reduce its 2024-25 school year budget by $5 million.

A reduction of $5 million is a catastrophic adjustment to the school district, Oelslager said. It will completely change the landscape of what BASD looks like if we do have to reduce our budget by $5 million.

Those budget cuts would include eliminating 35-40 staff positions, closing an elementary school, redistricting boundaries for all BASD schools and changing the grades of students in schools, according to Oelslager.

If one elementary school closes, the remaining elementary schools would have students in grades 4K-3, Karcher Middle School would have students in fourth through sixth grade and Burlington High School would have students in seventh through 12th grade.

If an elementary school closes, there would also be more students in classrooms. Oelslager said the district projects the average class sizes for grades 4K-5 would increase from 22 to 26.5 students, and the average class sizes for grades 6-12 would increase from 24.8 to 28.8 students.

Moreover, the districts operational programming budget would be reduced by $1.35 million. The 2024-25 school year would have 10 fewer days with longer hours, and student extracurricular fees and facility use fees would substantially increase, according to Oelslager.

The 2024-25 BASD maintenance budget also would be reduced by $250,000, resulting in less money to spend on capital improvement projects.

BASD Board President Peter Turke said during the Oct. 23 meeting that the School Board and district officials spent a lot of time trying to figure out the optimal group of cuts, but this was very painful work.

In April, Turke said the school districts potential financial crisis is by far the most challenging thing he has faced during his time on the board.

If the operational referendum does not pass in February, the $5 million budget reduction next year wouldnt solve all of the districts financial challenges.

Turke said those cuts would be a one-year stopgap to balance the budget.

This isnt a fix, Turke said.

Indeed, if the referendum fails, Oelslager said BASD plans to reduce its annual budget by $2 million in 2025-26 and 2026-27.

If those additional budget cuts occur, were starting to not look like a school district anymore, Oelslager said.

The board held meetings this fall to hear what students, staff and community members thought about a referendum.

Informational meetings about the upcoming referendum have occurred, and Oelslager plans to provide information sessions at local businesses, Rotary, Kiwanis, town board, city board and other locations.

People interested in referendum information can also call BASD at 262-763-0210.

During the Oct. 23 meeting, Oelslager thanked the BASD Board, staff, students, families and community members for their input, saying that efforts from many people will help us ensure that we really are making the best decision for BASD and Burlington.

Twelve photos of Burlington HS seniors returning to Waller Elementary Class of 2023 Students walking into school Lisa Schue and Utopia Pasika High-five Lucy Busse and Angela Bies Easton Schue hugs Angela Bies Adalie Rauch smiles Reese Schuls Lucy Busse High-fives from elementary schoolers Students in gym Lucy high-fives
A man charged with firebombing the offices of a Madison anti-abortion organization last year has agreed to plead guilty in the case and faces up to 20 years in federal prison.

But documents filed in the case say the DNA of two other people also were found at the scene of the May 8, 2022, attack on Wisconsin Family Action, 2801 International Lane near Dane County Regional Airport, and at least one other person participated in it.

Hridindu Sankar Roychowdhury, 29, who received his doctorate in biochemistry from UW-Madison, was arrested in March at Boston Logan International Airport with a one-way ticket to Guatemala City.

He was charged March 27 in federal court for throwing a Molotov cocktail into the offices of Wisconsin Family Action six days after news media on May 2, 2022, reported on a leaked copy of the U.S. Supreme Court opinion that would overturn the constitutional right to an abortion.

No one was hurt in the attack, but an office sustained fire damage. Remnants of two Molotov cocktails were found at the site. Roychowdhury also allegedly spray-painted If abortions arent safe then you arent either on an outside wall of the Wisconsin Family Action offices, as well as the A-like symbol for anarchy and the number 1312, which is sometimes used as a numerical representation of an anti-police slogan.

It was one of several similar attacks reported around the country after the leak and after the Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health decision was released on June 24, 2022.

The plea agreement in the case, expected to go before a judge on Dec. 1, says Roychowdhurys DNA was found on a window at Wisconsin Family Action, a lighter, and the jar and other parts of a Molotov cocktail found at the scene. Prosecutors also say a search of Roychowdhurys garage in Madison turned up two Molotov cocktails that were similar to the ones used in the attack.

But the complaint also says the DNA of two other people was found on similar items at the scene of the firebombing and that Roychowdhury and at least one other person traveled to the location of (Wisconsin Family Action) and brought the Molotov cocktails and spray paint.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorneys office in Madison said that because of the ongoing investigation into the case, prosecutors could not comment on the identity of any other individual involved in this offense. Roychowdhurys attorney, Joseph Bugni, did not respond to an email seeking comment.

Roychowdhury faces a minimum of five years and up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 when sentenced.

Roychowdhurys LinkedIn page describes him as a protein engineer and computational biologist.

DNA discovered

According to an investigators affidavit filed with a criminal complaint in March:

Roychowdhury was identified as a person of interest earlier that month. Forensic biologists matched Roychowdhurys DNA to the DNA found on a discarded burrito and fast-food bag in mid-March.

Two months earlier, police noticed a similarity in the cursive-style handwriting in graffiti found at the Wisconsin State Capitol, which said, We will get revenge, and the writing on the Wisconsin Family Action office building. While reviewing video footage from nearby parking ramps in an attempt to identify the two people seen on Capitol security cameras, police spotted them in the Tenney Plaza parking ramp and later leaving in a white Toyota pickup truck.

Police later tied the vehicle to Roychowdhury after running the rear license plate number, visible on parking ramp cameras, and linked it to his Madison residence.

In early March, police saw Roychowdhury park his truck in a park-and-ride lot on Madisons Southeast Side. Officers watched for about 15 minutes from 100 feet away as Roychowdhury sat alone in the truck. They then watched him get out of the truck to throw out a brown fast-food bag before driving out of the parking lot.

Police retrieved the bag from the trash, which was the only thing that had been thrown away in the time police had been observing Roychowdhury. The discarded bag included a half-eaten burrito, which police swabbed for DNA, crumpled and used napkins and four unopened hot sauce packets, all of which were then shipped off to be tested at a federal lab.
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers on Monday joined the leaders of the Lac du Flambeau and Bad River Bands of Lake Superior Chippewa in calling on the Republican-controlled state budget committee to release $2 million in grant funding set aside for the two Wisconsin tribes.

The states 2023-25 biennial budget sets aside $11 million in tribal gaming revenue as supplemental funds to be awarded to the states 11 tribes. In September, the state Department of Administration requested those funds be transferred to the tribes through a Tribal Assistance Grants program.

The GOP-led Joint Committee on Finance in October voted 8-4, along party lines, to award $1 million each to nine of the states 11 tribes  excluding the Bad River and Lac du Flambeau tribes.

Democratic members of the committee sought to release funds to all 11 tribes, but the motion was rejected by Republicans, who did not provide a reason in the Oct. 31 meeting as to why funding was not included for the two tribes.

Evers said in a statement Monday the decision by Legislative Republicans flies in the face of our work to build strong, meaningful government-to-government partnerships with the Native Nations.

This is just yet another in a long list of examples of Republicans ongoing efforts to obstruct basic functions of government, Evers continued.

Budget committee co-chairs Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, and Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam, said in a joint statement the committee did not release the funds because the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa have taken adverse actions against their fellow Wisconsinites.

While the lawmakers did not provide specifics, Lac du Flambeau has been engaged in an ongoing roads dispute between landowners and the town of Lac du Flambeau related to right-of-way easements.

While we respect their autonomy as a tribe, we must also respect the taxpayers who are suffering as a result of the tribes decisions, Marklein said.

Marklein also noted that Evers signed off on the committees minutes on Nov. 10, three days before tribal leaders sent the governor a letter urging him to consider litigation to fix this injustice.

We dont understand why (Evers) has suddenly changed course, Marklein added.

In a Nov. 13 letter to the co-chairs, Lac du Flambeau Tribal President John Johnson Sr. and Bad River Tribal Chairman Robert Blanchard wrote to object to the recent discriminatory act perpetrated against us by the State of Wisconsin.

The tribal leaders asked the co-chairs to hold a separate meeting to approve the grant funding.

Our Tribal Members, who are also residents of Wisconsin, deserve an explanation as to why they are being singled out for such discriminatory treatment, the leaders continue.

The leaders also write in the letter that litigation will be explored if the state does not rectify the matter.

My request to Republicans is simple: stop playing politics with the Native Nations in this state and release these funds that are essential for Tribes to provide governmental services to their citizens and communities, Evers wrote.

This morning's headlines: Fighting near Gaza hospital; Rosalynn Carter dies, Argentina's election National AP Israel battles Hamas near another Gaza hospital sheltering thousands Israeli forces are battling Hamas militants around a hospital in northern Gaza where thousands of patients and displaced people have been sheltering for weeks. The fighting has raised Palestinian fears of another painful standoff and evacuation of a medical facility after recent clashes near another hospital in Gaza City. The Gaza Health Ministry said Monday that a shell struck the second floor of the Indonesia Hospital, killing at least 12 people. Both blamed Israeli forces, which denied firing a shell but said it returned fire on militants inside the hospital compound. Despite the fighting, some 200 patients and their companions were evacuated from the facility on Monday. That follows the evacuation to Egypt of at least 28 premature babies from Shifa Hospital. Business AP Company that created ChatGPT is thrown into turmoil after Microsoft hires its ousted CEO The company that created ChatGPT is in turmoil after Microsoft hired its ousted CEO and many more employees threatened to follow him in a conflict that centered in part oin part on how to build artificial intelligence thats smarter than humans. The developments followed a weekend of drama that shocked the AI field and fueled speculation about the future of OpenAI. The startup's new CEO vowed to investigate the firing of co-founder and CEO Sam Altman. He's been instrumental in OpenAIs transformation from a nonprofit research laboratory into a world-renowned commercial startup that inaugurated the era of generative artificial intelligence. Microsoft announced that Altman and OpenAIs former president, Greg Brockman, would lead its new advanced AI research team.
1. Yes. The platform takes up too much time and is often abused by speakers. Get rid of it.

2. Yes. The Citizen Petitions section is unworkable and generally results in a gripe session.

3. No. The platform is the only way residents can discuss non-agenda items. Keep it around..

4. No. Killing it will discourage public input. Keep it or broaden Citizen Comments criteria.

5. Unsure. It can be a drain on the councils time, but it does serve a purpose for residents.

Vote

View Results
Jason Eitzen and most everyone else at Bellevue West High School didn't know why they were being ushered into the gym for an impromptu assembly on Wednesday, except that they were in for a surprise.

Eitzen, a math teacher, figured it was an academic celebration and waited in the back as a crowd of state education officials flocked into the center of the room. It wasn't until he heard his name being called did he realize that he had been selected to receive the Milken Educator Award, with a prize of $25,000.

"We were guessing all week (about) what the surprise will be. There were a lot of rumors going around the school that it could be a whole bunch of crazy things," he said. "When I heard my name, I was very surprised. I was shocked."

Only a select group of educators around the U.S. receive the annual award, which comes from the Milken Family Foundation. The honor, which is kept secret until the actual ceremony, is usually given to early to mid-career education professionals for their achievements in the classroom.

Teachers can't apply for the recognition, but they are instead selected by the organization. Last year, a special education teacher in the Omaha Public Schools received the award.

"First of all, congratulations  not only to represent Bellevue, but to represent the Bellevue Public Schools. And to represent the state of Nebraska and represent our country as a phenomenal teacher," said Brian Maher, the state's education commissioner. "What he's done in his AP courses and his statistics courses is to be honored today. But really beyond that, his ability to engage all of you in the study of mathematics."

Eitzen, who has been teaching for a decade, said AP statistics has been his favorite course to teach. He was saddled with the course several years ago when he didn't know anything about it.

"That's something that I took on, and eventually just put enough hard work that it became a passion of mine," Eitzen said. "Statistics wasn't a passion of mine eight years ago, but it is one of my biggest passions now and I love teaching that class."

His first group of 13 students learned statistics at the same time he did. Eventually, he began to incorporate his love for the Nebraska Cornhuskers into the class as a way to connect with students. AP Statistics and Algebra 2 became examples of Husker trivia and game day stats.

"Jacob Eitzen's story is one of passion, innovation and commitment," said Stephanie Bishop, a representative with the Milken Family Foundation. "Through his ability to connect with students using creative teaching methods, coupled with his leadership roles within the school and community, Jacob creates a positive and impactful learning environment for all."

Beyond the classroom, Eitzen also serves as the youth pastor at his local church and sponsors Bellevue West's National Honor Society and Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapters. He is also the head of Bellevue West's multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) team.

After the surprise ceremony, Eitzen declared it was time to return to teaching and learning and his students followed him back to his classroom. As they settled in their desks, Eitzen started scrawling equations on the markerboard as if nothing had happened.

"Thank you to all the students that I currently have, all the students I've had in the past," Eitzen told the crowd on Wednesday. "It is truly a pleasure to be a part of your educational journey."

Photos: Bellevue West High School teacher surprised with Milken Educator Award, $25,000
The school aid fund that Nebraska lawmakers established this year with the goal of reducing property taxes at Gov. Jim Pillen's urging will dwindle faster than state officials initially projected, according to a new report made public Monday.

Nebraska's Legislature established the Education Future Fund this year and poured $1 billion into it, with $250 million more set to go into the fund each year going forward.

Lawmakers created the fund to guarantee $1,500 of state support for every public school student in all Nebraska school districts while boosting state support for special education funding.

The Legislature approved the increase in state aid to schools while expanding Nebraskas two property tax credit programs and capping school property tax growth in an effort to provide long-sought property tax relief for the state's homeowners, since nearly 60% of property tax collections in Nebraska go toward school funding.

At the same time, lawmakers cut the states top individual and corporate income tax rates by nearly one-third  worth about $3.3 billion over six years.

When the Legislature's Appropriations Committee weighed the issue in March, the state's budget director acknowledged that the Education Future Fund would dwindle over time, even when accounting for interest on the initial investment, but estimated it would have a $500 million balance by 2030.

But a new report presented Monday to the state's Tax Rate Review Committee suggests the $1 billion fund will dip near $500 million as soon as the 2025-26 fiscal year and will drop another $99.4 million a year later.

Compiled by the Legislative Fiscal Office, the report projects appropriations from the fund to increase by millions each year, starting at around $325.2 million in the 2023-24 fiscal year and growing to $349.4 million by 2026-27.

The report does not forecast the fund's health beyond then, but the projected annual increase in appropriations from the fund combined with the flat $250 million annual deposit into it suggests the fund could be depleted as soon as the early 2030s.

"The Education Future Fund, created with a $1 billion investment this year, will be drained within a decade without a sustainable revenue stream that addresses the needs and outcomes for Nebraskas students," said Rebecca Firestone, the executive director of OpenSky Policy Institute, a Lincoln-based think tank that focuses on fiscal analysis.

The updated forecast  which calls into question the sustainability of the property tax relief the fund is meant to help facilitate  is in part due to higher-than-expected special education costs.

In providing local property tax relief, lawmakers doubled the amount of state aid for special education, with the state covering 80% of special education costs rather than the 40% it previously funded.

But the actual cost of that provision was about $27 million more than what lawmakers had set aside for it in the 2023-24 fiscal year  $12 million of which will be paid for out of the Education Future Fund, Legislative Fiscal Office Director Keisha Patent told the committee Monday.

"I hadn't realized the Education Future Fund was dropping that fast," said Sen. Rob Clements of Elmwood, who chairs the Appropriations Committee and who this year introduced the bill (LB681) that established the fund.

Patent noted the projections didn't include potential earnings from investments that would provide an additional revenue stream into the fund.

"I don't know that that would make up  I mean, obviously the appropriations are still exceeding the transfers (into the fund), so this may be something that the Legislature has to take a look at going forward, relative to the sustainability of that fund," she said.

The Legislature could move to put more money into the fund or decide to help pay for the increased school aid out of another fund, such as the General Fund.

Reached by phone after Monday's committee meeting, Clements suggested the state could rely on the Education Future Fund "for a long time."

"The main thing is that I believe the tax relief and the additional state aid is sustainable, and actually it's looking better than it did at the end of June," he said. "So I'm not concerned."

The Legislature will face the dwindling education fund as it grapples with the impact of shrinking state revenue, thanks in part to tax breaks lawmakers approved this year.

Monday's report projects the state will end the 2024-25 fiscal year with $379.4 million in excess money in its General Fund  a line item that provides a window into the Legislature's spending power. By the end of the 2026-27 fiscal year, that number is projected to shrink to $74.9 million, according to the report.

That's largely because the state's net revenue is forecast to drop from $5.8 billion last year to $5.3 billion by 2027.

And the nearly $380 million in excess money heading into this year's legislative session  a figure that was boosted by state agencies returning $126.4 million in previously appropriated funds that they failed to spend  is largely already spoken for, thanks again to tax reform.

"I just wanted to make people aware that that's not money we can spend," Clements said at Monday's meeting. "Because it's really  it's committed to make the tax cuts sustainable in the future."

Photos: The business of governing in Nebraska in 2023
A 50-year-old La Farge man has been arrested on drug charges and probation violation.

According to a joint press release from Vernon County Sheriff Roy Torgerson and La Farge Police Chief Steven Palmer, Matthew Kenneth Lecher was taken into custody early Monday afternoon, Nov. 20, in the village of La Farge.

Lecher is under active community supervision for either probation, parole or extended supervision by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, according to the release. The arrest was the result of the search of a residence in the 500 block of East Penn Street pursuant to 2013 Wisconsin Act 79.

The act allows law enforcement to search a persons residence, and any property under his or her control at any time during his or her period of supervision if the officer reasonably suspects that the person is committing, is about to commit, or has committed a crime or a violation of a condition of release to extended supervision. This applies to anyone placed on probation for a felony or for any violation of chapters 940, 948, or 961 of the Wisconsin State Statutes. Lecher met the criteria, Torgerson and Palmer said in the press release.

Lecher was booked into the Vernon County Detention Center for probation violation, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana. Lecher discharged the contents of a syringe onto the ground when first contacted by law enforcement, according to the press release.

A bail hearing will be scheduled and formal charges will be sought through Vernon County District Attorney Angela Palmer-Fisher. He is being held for the Wisconsin Department of Corrections.

The incident remains under investigation by the sheriffs office, La Farge Police and the Wisconsin Department of Corrections.
A 31-year-old Wallace, Idaho, man has been ordered to stand trial for allegedly trying to board a private plane at the La Crosse Regional Airport.

Cody A. Anderson faces felony charges of attempted armed carjacking, attempted armed robbery, making terror threats, making a bomb scare and failure to comply with an officer and a misdemeanor count of criminal damage to property. He was bound over for trial Monday by judge Scott Horne after a preliminary hearing in La Crosse County Circuit Court.

La Crosse Police Department investigator Alex Burg was the lone witness during the hearing. He told the court that the private aircraft had flown two passengers Nov. 11 from Ohio to an event in La Crosse. As the two pilots were preparing the aircraft for the return trip, Anderson was mistaken for a crew member and allowed access to the runway from the Colgan Air Services building.

Burg said the pilot told him that Anderson entered the aircraft with two bags and then muttered something about forgetting a charger before returning to the Colgan building. The pilots became concerned about the unknown contents of the bags and removed them from the plane.

Anderson was ordered to leave the building after he sat down and lit a cigarette. Burg said Anderson then got into a truck, gained access to the runway by ramming a fence and drove circles around the aircraft. When Anderson veered away from the plane, one of the pilots executed a quick shutdown and exited the plane with another crew member.

Anderson drove back toward the plane and re-entered the unoccupied aircraft. Burg said one of the pilots, who has 15 years of flying experience, became concerned when the cockpit lights came on. Despite the quick shutdown, Burg said he was informed that Anderson was one or two buttons away from putting the aircraft into motion.

Before Anderson boarded the plane, Burg said an airport employee came onto the runway. Burg said the employee told him that Anderson waved a 6-inch knife toward him and made it clear he had a knife and didnt want anyone to mess with him.

During a standoff with police, Burg said Anderson claimed he was carrying a plastic explosive and that he was a suicide bomber.

Burg said the airplane was disabled from the exterior. He said Anderson surrendered after about an hour on the plane.

Under cross-examination from defense attorney Allison West, Burg said he wasnt aware if Anderson threatened the pilots or anyone inside the Colgan building.

Anderson fidgeted during the hearing and was ordered several times by the bailiff not to turn his head toward the audience.

Anderson is being held in the La Crosse County Jail on a $500,000 cash bond with conditions of no contact with Colgan Air Services and no possession of any weapons, including knives. He also faces charges in Vernon County, where he reportedly drove through a cornfield Oct. 31 and damaged property. He was released on a $1,000 cash bond. Charges have yet to be filed in the case.
Coulee Region state Reps. Steve Doyle and Jill Billings are putting pressure on their Republican colleagues to pass a bill that would expand public health care for thousands of Wisconsinites.

On Monday, Doyle and Billings joined Citizen Action of Wisconsin and area residents to call for action in favor of the BadgerCare Public Option bill, introduced Oct. 31.

The bill would open a public option for Wisconsin citizens to purchase health insurance beyond Medicaid. It would also allow employees of companies with fewer than 50 workers to buy into BadgerCare. Families that earn up to $60,000 annually would immediately qualify under the proposed bill.

Funding for 95% of the expansion would be covered by federal support the state has not accepted for several years.

We leave this money on the table every year we put this off, Billings said. It is long past time for the state government to address this like so many other states have.

She compared the BadgerCare bill to a similar Minnesota bill that passed in May. Billings said Minnesota had a similar surplus to Wisconsins, passed a public health care expansion bill and is still doing good financially.

According to the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance, about 300,000 Wisconsin residents have no health insurance coverage. Doyle and Billings say that by expanding public options, the state could provide solutions for increasing health care costs in La Crosse and across the state.

The two representatives said passing the bill through the Republican-controlled Legislature will be difficult.

We arent expecting this bill to get fast-tracked through, Doyle said. But this is the start of supporting this bill and supporting the public.

Republicans in the state cant ignore this issue much longer, Billings concluded.
The traffic moving along South Avenue will no longer be stop and go as the new roundabouts are set to open Wednesday.

The roundabouts were installed to improve safety and traffic flow on a one-mile segment of U.S. Highway 14 from Green Bay Street to Ward Avenue that previously had stop lights. The $16.5 million project received funding and consultation from the Federal Highway Administration, Wisconsin Department of Transportation and the city of La Crosse.

The biggest change in South Avenues traffic flow is the replacement of intersections into roundabouts at West Avenue, 16th Street and Ward Avenue. Traffic will flow freely without traffic lights, a change State Sen. Brad Pfaff said residents will have to adapt to but will improve freight movement and pedestrian travel simultaneously.

Linda Swann, deputy division administrator for Wisconsins Federal Highway Administration, said money for the project largely comes from federal funding under the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements program.

Residents will benefit for years to come with the improved pedestrian crossings, Swann said. The city will benefit from stormwater improvements, sidewalks and multiple other enhancements worked into this project.

The roundabouts also include wider vehicle lanes, safer crosswalks and easier access to local businesses. The project began in November 2022 and substantially finished within a year. Mayor Mitch Reynolds said there are smaller improvements that will take more time to finalize, but the highway is functionally complete.

People want to get things done, said Wisconsin DOT Secretary Craig Thompson. The South Avenue project showcases our commitment to deliver safe and reliable infrastructure for all modes of transportation.
More than 40 percent of American adults are considered obese, or medically overweight. But the medications many of these individuals take are rarely tested in bigger bodies.

Obese people are currently not required to be included in drug studies. Often, they are purposefully left out.

This is a problem because the amount of drugs an obese person should take to be safe is unknown, says Christina Chow. She is a researcher who has sought to bring attention to the need to include obese people in drug development and testing. Theres no real emphasis for them to be studied at all, Chow told The Associated Press.

Medications can work differently in people who are obese, but exactly how and at what amount is not clear. Research suggests this includes antibiotics and antifungal drugs, medications used to treat serious infections. It even includes ibuprofen, a commonly used painkiller that can be bought without a doctors orders.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are the agencies that control and provide money for drug testing. At a gathering last year, FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf noted a deficit of evidence about how medicines act in patients who are obese. The NIH now asks researchers to think about the results of not including obese people in their studies, an agency spokesperson said.

At a recent medical conference, Chow presented a review of more than 200 studies for new drugs in the U.S. last year. Nearly two-thirds of the studies failed to include weight or body mass index, a numerical value noting if a person is obese.

Historically, some populations have not been included in drug testing to avoid harm, including pregnant women and children. In the past, women, racial and ethnic minorities and aged people have also not been included.

Dr. Caroline Apovian is a researcher at Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston. She is the co-author of Chows study. Apovian told the AP there are many reasons people who are obese are not included in drug tests.

She noted that people who volunteer for trials are often thin and healthy and this does not effectively represent the general population. Obese individuals can have many health difficulties, and researchers often worry this will affect results of their work.

Sometimes patients with obesity have many more comorbidities than others. Theyll have more diabetes, more heart disease, more strokes, Apovian said.

But if drugs are not studied in a condition that affects 42 percent of the U.S. population, the real-world effects can be dire, experts say.

Some drugs remain in the body longer in obese people. That could result in harmful drug interactions if another medication is added too soon. There can also be less medication in the blood, leading to undertreatment, Apovian said.

Rexulti is a drug often used to treat people with schizophrenia or depression, Chow noted. Research has shown that in obese patients it may take much longer to reach the amount of Rexulti needed to be effective. As a result, many patients and their doctors may stop treatment too early or believe the drug does not work.

Not treating or undertreating schizophrenia may be dangerous to themselves and the people around them, Chow said.

Even a drug as common as ibuprofen may not reduce pain in people at higher weights when taken as directed, research shows.

But without testing and clear directions, doctors wont know the amount of medicine needed for obese people, said Dr. Colleen Tenan. She is a board member of the Association of Clinical Research Professionals. Tenan said it is very hard to be a doctor and direct patients to take amounts of medication that have not been tested.

Change is coming, but progress is slow, said Dr. Alison Edelman. She is an obstetrician and researcher at Oregon Health & Science University. She told the AP that in 2019, the FDA suggested that researchers permit obese women in studies on birth control. Even though the suggestions are not required, they have already changed how she and other researchers structure their studies.

Because unless we see representation in our study population, we dont end up with treatments that work well for individuals, Edelman said.

Apovian, from Brigham and Womens Hospital, said patients can ask their doctors about whether the usual amount of a medication is acceptable for their weight. Even if the doctors do not know, the question could start an important discussion about the most effective treatments.

This is a big issue, Apovian said. It can be important for patients to speak up.

Im Gena Bennett. And I'm Bryan Lynn.

Jonel Aleccia reported this story for The Associated Press. Gena Bennett adapted it for VOA Learning English.

Quiz - Drug Trials Often Do Not Include Overweight People Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

____________________________________________________

Words in This Story

emphasis n. special importance

comorbidities - n. two or more diseases or medical conditions in a patient

dire  adj. extremely serious or urgent

schizophrenia  n. a disease that affects the way the brain processes information and causes a loss of touch with reality
In six months, Nebraskans will head to the polls to cast their ballots in the statewide primary. However, with a new voter ID law, Nebraskans should start preparing for the primary now.

The Secretary of States Office reminds voters that voter ID will take effect for the May 14, 2024, statewide primary and will be in effect for every election in Nebraska after that.

Nebraskas elections will look a little different for the 2024 statewide primary and going forward, Secretary of State Bob Evnen said. Nebraskans should take some time now to prepare a voting plan ahead of the statewide primary. Our election officials are working diligently to implement the states new voter ID law. Having prepared voters will help ensure a smooth and successful start.

Here are some important dates to keep in mind ahead of the statewide primary:

Jan. 5: Candidate filing begins.

Jan. 15: First day county election offices can accept early voting ballot requests.

April 8: County election offices begin mailing out early voting ballots.

April 15: First day to vote in-person at the county election office.

April 29: Last day to register to vote online, at the DMV, at the Department of Education, at DHHS, by deputy registrar or by mail (postmark).

May 3: Last day to register to vote in-person at the county election office.

May 13: Last day to vote early in-person at the county election office.

May 14: Primary election day. Polls are open 8 a.m.-8 p.m. CT and 7 a.m. 7 p.m. MT.

May 14: Last day to return an early voting ballot to the county election office (8 p.m. CT/7 p.m. MT).

New this year  May 21: Last day for a voter to present their valid ID to their county election office if they didnt have their ID at the polls.

Under Nebraskas new voter ID law, registered voters must present a valid photo ID for their vote to count. Nebraskans can use any of the IDs listed below for voting:

Nebraska drivers license or state ID

Nebraska college or university ID (public or private)

Nebraska political subdivision ID (state/county/city/public school ID)

Passport

Military ID

Tribal ID

Hospital, assisted living facility, nursing home or any other skilled care facility record

According to research conducted by the Secretary of States Office, more than 97% of Nebraskans have either a Nebraska drivers license or a Nebraska state ID. Either can be used under the voter ID law.

People can get a free state ID for voting purposes from the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles. If the person was born in Nebraska and needs a free certified copy of their Nebraska birth certificate to get a free state ID, they can contact the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. A birth certificate is not a valid form of voter ID.

There is no special voter ID card issued by the Secretary of States Office. Some states have specific voter ID cards for their voter ID law; Nebraska does not.

Preliminary voter ID educational material is available at https://sos.nebraska.gov/elections/voter-id. More educational resources and events will be published and advertised in 2024.

The Secretary of States Office reminds voters to use trusted sources for election information, such as information distributed from the Secretary of States Office or a Nebraska county election office. The office anticipates that misinformation about elections will increase in 2024. Its important to verify claims that come up in election-related articles and social media posts. Reach out to your county election office or the Secretary of States Office with questions and concerns.
The Geneva summit has ended in optimism but with no agreement on the Star Wars space defence system.

Both United States President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev spoke of the world being a safer place at the end of their two-day meeting in Switzerland.

The two men broke with convention and met together without advisers in discussions President Reagan dubbed the fireside summit.

The negotiations have resulted in the Geneva Accord, which commits the two countries to:

speeding up arms talks

working towards the abolition of chemical weapons

a new commitment to human rights

It is the first time the worlds superpowers have met for six years and both countries have pledged to convene again in Washington and Moscow.

A news blackout placed on the proceedings was finally lifted when the leaders spoke at the closing ceremony and at separate news conferences afterwards.

Mr Reagan has remained firm in his refusal to stop research in the necessary defence of the Star Wars programme, despite the Soviet president saying the door should be firmly shut on weapons in space.

But both leaders were optimistic a new rapport between the old enemies had been reached.

I came to Geneva to seek a fresh start in relations between the United States and the Soviet Union  and we have done this, President Reagan said.

And Mr Gorbachev told reporters at a news conference they should move away from confrontation.

I would be so bold as to state that despite the fact there is as much weaponry as before, the world is nevertheless a safer place, he said.

Courtesy BBC News

In context

In December 1987 the US and USSR signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty  the first ever agreement to reduce the total number of nuclear arms since their invention.

It was followed by further accords in 1991, 1993 and 2002, which all reduced the numbers of nuclear warheads.

The Strategic Defence Initiative  Star Wars  was abandoned by President Bill Clinton in 1993 amid allegations test results had been falsified.

The programme was resurrected by President George W Bush in 2002 as the Ground-based Midcourse Defence (GMD) Test Bed.
Senior Hamas officials said today (Tuesday) that an agreement could be reached soon in which the militant group would release hostages and Israel would free Palestinian prisoners.

Israel, the United States and Qatar, which mediates with Hamas, have been negotiating for weeks over a hostage release that would be paired with a temporary cease-fire in Gaza and the entry of more humanitarian aid. Similar predictions of a hostage agreement in recent weeks have proven premature.

Israels army is widening its operations across northern Gaza, where they battled Palestinian militants on Tuesday in the densely populated Jabaliya refugee camp, the territorys largest.

The military said forces are preparing the battlefield in the Jabaliya area, just north of Gaza City, and have killed dozens of militants in recent days. Troops discovered three tunnel shafts where fighters were hiding and destroyed rocket launchers, it said.

It wasnt possible to independently confirm details of the fighting. A strike on a nearby hospital killed 12 people on Monday as Israeli troops and tanks battled militants outside its gates.

Israel says Hamas uses civilians and hospitals as shields, while critics say Israels siege and relentless aerial bombardment amount to collective punishment of the territorys 2.3 million Palestinians after Hamas Oct. 7 rampage into southern Israel.

More than 12,700 Palestinians  two-thirds of them women and minors  have been killed since the war began, according to Palestinian health authorities, who do not differentiate between civilian and militant deaths. About 4,000 people are reported missing.

Some 1,200 people have been killed in Israel, mostly during the Oct. 7 attack, and around 240 were taken captive by militants.

MDT/AP
Chinas top diplomat welcomed four Arab foreign ministers and the Indonesian one to Beijing yesterday, saying his country would work with our brothers and sisters in the Arab and Islamic world to try to end the war in Gaza as soon as possible.

The ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and Indonesia chose to start a tour of world capitals in Beijing, a testament to both Chinas growing geopolitical influence and its longstanding support for the Palestinians.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the foreign diplomats that their decision to start in Beijing shows their high level of trust in his nation.

China is a good friend and brother of Arab and Islamic countries, Wang said in opening remarks at a state guest house before their talks began. We have always firmly safeguarded the legitimate rights and interests of Arab (and) Islamic countries and have always firmly supported the just cause of the Palestinian people.

China has long backed the Palestinians and been quick to denounce Israel over its settlements in the occupied territories. It has not criticized the initial Hamas attack on Oct.7  which killed about 1,200 people  while the United States and others have called it an act of terrorism. However, China does have growing economic ties with Israel.

The Saudi foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, called for an immediate cease-fire and the entry of humanitarian aid and relief to the Gaza Strip.

There are still dangerous developments ahead of us and an urgent humanitarian crisis that requires an international mobilization to deal with and counter it, he said.

He added they appreciated the resolution issued by the United Nations Security Council, calling for urgent and extended humanitarian pauses in Gaza, but we still need more efforts and cooperation.

China  the worlds second-largest economy after the U.S.  has become increasingly outspoken on international affairs and even gotten directly involved in some recently, albeit cautiously.

In March, Beijing helped broker an agreement that saw Saudi Arabia and Iran reestablish ties after seven years of tension in a role previously reserved for longtime global heavyweights like the U.S. and Russia.

The five foreign ministers will visit a number of capitals in an effort to pursue a cease-fire, get aid into Gaza and end the war, Prince Faisal said last weekend. The secretary general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Hissein Brahim Taha, is also accompanying them to Beijing.

Israels retaliatory strikes on the Gaza Strip have so far killed more than 11,500 people, according to Palestinian health authorities. Another 2,700 have been reported missing, believed buried in rubble.

This isnt Israels first war against the Palestinian people, said Riyad Al-Maliki, the Palestinian Authority foreign minister. However, Israel wants this to be its last war, where it takes full control of the Palestinian peoples presence on whats left of the historical land of Palestine.

Israels ambassador to China, Irit Ben-Abba, said yesterday, that her country is allowing sufficient humanitarian aid into Gaza in collaboration with international organizations and that putting pressure on Israel in this regard is politically motivated and is not conducive to the humanitarian assistance which is needed.

She also said that they hoped for no one-sided resolution by the Security Council and that they expected a clear statement calling for the unconditional release of the 240 hostages who were abducted by Hamas during its attacks, rather than calling for a cease-fire. KEN MORITSUGU, BEIJING, MDT/AP
All employees are under the protection of the principal of equality provisions in the Labour Relations Law, director Leong Weng In of Legal Affairs said yesterday, in response to a lawmakers question on employee blacklists.

Leong attended the policy question session at the parliament yesterday afternoon with her superintendent, Secretary for Administration and Justice Andre Cheong.

Lawmaker Leong Sun Iok pointed out in his question that certain large companies, such as the casino operators, allegedly have employee blacklists consisting of candidates who are said to have committed major errors or misconduct.

Leong argued that when employees are asked to give consent to past employment and background investigations, the bargaining power is not balanced. Effectively, they are forced to give consent in these situations.

In response to the alleged existence of employee blacklists, director Leong said that the Labour Relations Law protects all jobseekers and employees against discrimination. Whenever they are treated differently without legitimate reason, employers who discriminate unjustly against them can be subject to penalties.

However, employers usually cite past mistakes to support not hiring a candidate, she said.

She also reiterated that consent is required for the retrieval of personal information, in response to the lawmakers question on background investigations.

She added that her bureau will work consistently with the Labour Affairs Bureau in the implementation of existing laws and any future legislative review. AL
William Lai (left) the candidate of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party and Hsiao Bi-kim

The front-runner candidate in Taiwans top election has picked the long-term representative to the United States as his running mate.

Governments No.2 William Lai announced yesterday on his Facebook page the nomination of Hsiao Bi-ki  who was born in Japan to a Taiwanese father and an American mother  as his running mate in Januarys elections. His choice would likely bolster support among backers of his ruling Democratic Progressive Party, which has long defied Beijings demands to return the island under the rule of the Communist Party.

Lai and Hsiao face a divided opposition, led by the Nationalist Party, also known as the Kuomintang or KMT, that has sought to draw independent candidates to their ticket. Polls show Lai is ahead.

Lai currently serves as deputy to leader Tsai Ing-

wen, who is restricted from running for a third four-year term. In his Facebook post, Tsai said Hsiao had been crucial to cooperation with the U.S., Taiwans chief ally.

This team, following Tsais eight years in power, is completely prepared to withstand all challenges, both domestically and from China, Lais post said.

Hsiao later told a news conference that she had been prepared well to deal with a range of challenges by her upbringing, her years as a legislator representing eastern Taiwan and her eight years as Taiwans representative in Washington.

Taiwan faces threats to its democracy from within and to its security from outside, but there is no way I can avoid this, said Hsiao, 52, who was partly raised in New Jersey and has degrees from Oberlin College and Columbia University. MDT/AP
A minimum of two new apps will be launched next year to help expand the digital services provided by the government, Secretary for Administration and Justice Andre Cheong said yesterday at the parliament.

Cheong attended the policy question session at the parliament yesterday afternoon.

Lawmaker Ngan Iek Hang asked about the further digitization of public services. Currently, with laws and regulations in place, a variety of government documents can be either applied for or even obtained in digital form on the governments One Account app.

Questions were raised regarding how the app can be expanded to cater to further needs. In response, Cheong pointed out that the government will launch at least two new apps to provide further services. One of the apps will target the needs of businesses and associations.

The reason behind the need for new apps is that the existing app already has many functions. For optimization of user experience and stability, additional apps are needed to differentiate between the needs of common users and users representing businesses or associations.

Therefore, he hinted, the number of functions currently on the One Account app will likely remain unchanged. Functions related to businesses and associations will rely on the new app.

The official added that e-governance does not only rely on providing public access through the use of technology, but also on the collection and use of data to achieve more accurate and scientific governance. He added that a personnel administration platform concerning public entities is also being constructed.

Ngan further asked how the government would synergize digital and physical services through automatic kiosks. For example, he said, although the application for certain documents can be conducted online, a physical copy is required for certain entities. As such, he asked how 24-hour service kiosks could help in these situations.

Director Chao Wai Ieng of identification services said that seven automatic service centers will be opened next month, providing 38 services from 11 public entities. They will be located across the city.

Several lawmakers also raised questions about the publicization of government data. Director Ng Wai Han of the public administration and civil service disclosed that originally only 170 data sets were publicized. Now there are 650 sets, involving 39 bureaus or government entities.

The data sets concern topics such as healthcare, urban environment, education, social security, public security and immigration, administration and legal affairs, entrepreneurship and business, as well as tourism and gambling. She pledged that the government would continue to improve in this area.
Heavy fighting erupted around a hospital in northern Gaza where thousands of patients and displaced people have been sheltering for weeks, as Israel pressed an offensive it says is aimed at eradicating Hamas and uprooting their militant infrastructure.

A shell struck the second floor of the Indonesian Hospital, killing at least 12 people, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza and a medical worker inside the facility. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

The advance came a day after the World Health Organization evacuated 31 premature babies from Shifa Hospital. At least 28 were transported to Egypt yesterday. More than 250 critically ill or wounded patients remain stranded at the compound, which Israeli forces stormed days ago.

The plight of Gazas hospitals is at the focus of a battle of narratives over the wars brutal toll on Palestinian civilians, thousands of whom have been killed or buried in rubble since the conflict was sparked by Hamas Oct. 7 rampage into southern Israel.

Israel says Hamas uses civilians as human shields and operated a major command hub inside and beneath Shifa, while critics say Israels siege and relentless aerial bombardment amount to collective punishment of the territorys 2.3 million Palestinians.
The Immigration Services of the Public Security Police Force (PSP) have abided by the law in the case of the Portuguese national, resident in Shenzhen, who was stopped from entering Macau last Saturday.

The problem was the expiration date of the womans Portuguese passport, which according to the same local authorities, had less than three months validity.

As it is stated in Article 4 of the Administrative Regulation 38/2021 that refers to the rule stated in Number 2 of Article 20 of Law 16/2021, which regulates the matter, on the date of entry into the MSAR (Macau Special Administrative Region), the minimum remaining validity period of the passport, travel document or other document admitted for migration control purposes must be more than the intended duration of stay in the MSAR, plus 90 days.

Such a requirement is also noted by the Macao Government Tourism Office on their website in the section dedicated to Entry Requirements to Macau.

According to the law and regulation earlier mentioned, immigration authorities can conditionally admit other documents for immigration control in Macau such as the Exit and Entry Permit to Travel to Hong Kong and Macau issued by the mainland authorities, as well as a Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card, or Hong Kong Reentry Permit.

Other exceptions to the rule also include special documents held by aircraft or vessel crew members.

As the Portuguese national was not included in any of these exceptions and could not fulfill the entry requirements for passport holders at the time of her attempt to enter Macau she was not given permission to enter, as immigration authorities previously noted.

To the public broadcaster TDM, the woman had previously said that she had used the same passport to enter the neighboring region of Hong Kong on two occasions on the same day. Moreover, she was holding a receipt of her passport renewal issued by the Portuguese Consulate in Guangzhou, which was ignored by the police.

This is justified by the laws and regulations of Hong Kong, whose Immigration Department, unlike that of Macau, states on their official website that, In general, all visitors to Hong Kong must have a passport that is valid for at least one month after the period of their intended stay in Hong Kong. However, documents issued to stateless persons must be valid for a minimum of two months after the period of intended stay, a piece of travel advice that is also shared by the Hong Kong Tourism Board on their official webpage.

To TDM, the Portuguese woman who was denied entry complained of a lack of communication and courtesy by the local Immigration officers who, according to her statements, did not explain to her the relevant issue and the consequences that would result. She criticized also the fact that she was deprived of her passport and placed in a room for a long period before anyone from the local authorities explained to her that she had been denied entry to Macau based on passport expiry date.
Protections for off-plan property purchases will be refined through legal means, Secretary for Administration and Justice Andre Cheong told parliament yesterday.

During his policy question session yesterday, the senior official was asked by lawmaker Ip Sio Kai about laws concerning the industry and related to real estate property transactions. Ip works as the deputy head of Bank of China, Macau Branch.

The lawmaker mentioned that under current laws, mortgages approved for off-plan properties are not well protected. He pointed out that during his multi-decade career, he has not seen laws that prioritize bank loan recovery.

Although a law has been established to facilitate preliminary registration for off-plan properties, he added, banks will only become prioritized creditors after both the construction of the properties and the property registration.

The period in between sale of off-plan properties and official registration of real estate properties can be lengthy, the lawmaker said, emphasizing that banks are not well-protected during this period.

In response, Cheong admitted that the off-plan property law  promulgated in 2013  has only done half the job. The rest, he said, concerns transaction prices and modes, which should see improved governance by law.

The process was slowed down because we wanted to take the Trust Law as a reference to handle [off-plan property transaction prices], Cheong recalled. However, after the promulgation of the Trust Law, industry practitioners said that they needed more time to study the effect of the law. As a result, we will continue studying the feasibility of any related laws.

The official pledged that when the government reviews the off-plan property law, provisions concerning the aforementioned areas will be proposed for approval by parliament.

Another question that Ip raised was related to judicial efficiency and legal provisions related to financial industry practices. He pointed out that many foreign-funded banks tend not to provide certain products or services due to a misunderstanding of local laws, although similar products and services are provided by Chinese-funded banks.

On the other hand, the lawmaker added that there were occasions in which these foreign-

funded banks complain to the Macao Association of Banks about lengthy judicial procedures concerning bankruptcy and debt recovery.

Cheong admitted that such procedures are lengthy because the interests and legal procedures involved are complex. In this regard, he added, an overhaul of existing laws and regulations is required to speed up the process.

Regarding Ips question on sub-mortgages, Cheong said that all mortgages in Macau are officially registered, and banks have priority when disputes arise. In addition, he does not see changes in laws as necessary when it comes to banks being notified about a property transaction. In his opinion, property transactions are usually conducted through realtors, lawyers and the public notary. These institutional procedures are effective in lowering the odds of unregistered transactions.

In his question, Ip pointed out that when a mortgaged property owner seeks a sub-mortgage, no notification needs to be made to the primary creditor, who will thus not become aware of the sub-mortgage.

On the other hand, creditor banks are not notified immediately when a mortgaged property is put up for sale. In his opinion, this poses the possibility of multiple sales of a single property at the same time, which has happened before.

Cheong has also pledged that laws related to financial activities will have ongoing improvements made to provide a stable business environment for investors and entrepreneurs from within and outside Macau.

He also highlighted that the government has promulgated two laws  the Trust Law and the reviewed Legal System governing the Financial System  during the past legislative term as a means to improve the citys business environment.

On urban renewal, Cheong said that legislation is only the first step. Both the government and the market need to investigate the most suitable way to approach each renewal project.
Sands China and Macao Polytechnic University are joining forces in a bid to boost the development of smart tourism in Macau through a memorandum of understanding and the co-hosting of a smart tourism symposium on Nov. 24 at The Londoner Macao.

The MOU aims to strengthen research on smart tourism, technological innovation, and talent development by deepening exchanges between the academic and business sectors. The symposium will explore the opportunities and challenges for Macau in promoting the development of a smart tourism city and nurturing smart tourism technology professionals in the city.

A statement from the gaming operator noted that the event will also feature a demonstration from a new school-enterprise cooperation project that applies artificial intelligence to Macaus leisure industry. The projects tourism training software features a real-time dialogue generation system that is based on large language models.
Yemens Houthi rebels seized an Israeli-linked cargo ship in a crucial Red Sea shipping route yesterday [Macau time] and took its 25 crew members hostage, officials said, raising fears that regional tensions heightened over the Israel-Hamas war were playing out on a new maritime front.

The Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they hijacked the ship over its connection to Israel and would continue to target ships in international waters that were linked to or owned by Israelis until the end of Israels campaign against Gazas Hamas rulers.

All ships belonging to the Israeli enemy or that deal with it will become legitimate targets, the Houthis said.

Mohammed Abdul-Salam, the Houthis chief negotiator and spokesman, later added in an online statement that the Israelis only understand the language of force.

The detention of the Israeli ship is a practical step that proves the seriousness of the Yemeni armed forces in waging the sea battle, regardless of its costs and costs, he added. This is the beginning.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office had blamed the Houthis for the attack on the Bahamas-flagged Galaxy Leader, a vehicle carrier affiliated with an Israeli billionaire. It said no Israelis were on board.

The ships Japanese operator, NYK Line, said the vessel had no cargo at the time of the hijacking. Its crewmembers are from the Philippines, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine and Mexico, NYK said.

Japan yesterday condemned the hijacking. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said the Japanese government was doing its utmost for an early release of the crew through negotiations with Houthi rebels, while also communicating with Israel and cooperating with the governments of Saudi Arabia, Oman and Iran.

The Houthis said they were treating the crew members in accordance with their Islamic values, but did not elaborate on what that meant.

Netanyahus office condemned the seizure as an Iranian act of terror. The Israeli military called the hijacking a very grave incident of global consequence.

Israeli officials insisted the ship was British-owned and Japanese-operated. However, ownership details in public shipping databases associated the ships owners with Ray Car Carriers, founded by Abraham Rami Ungar, who is known as one of the richest men in Israel.

Ungar told The Associated Press he was aware of the incident but couldnt comment as he awaited details. A ship linked to him experienced an explosion in 2021 in the Gulf of Oman. Israeli media blamed it on Iran at the time.

Authorities confirmed yesterday that the captain and the first mate on the Galaxy Leader were Bulgarians.

Bulgarias top police officer, Zhivko Kotsev, told reporters that they were in touch with their families. Nobody has sought contact with us up to this moment, he said.

International shipping often involves a series of management companies, flags and owners stretching across the globe in a single vessel.

Two U.S. defense officials confirmed that Houthi rebels seized the Galaxy Leader in the Red Sea on Sunday afternoon local time. The rebels descended on the cargo ship by rappelling from a helicopter, the officials said, confirming details first reported by NBC News. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the matter.

The ships seizure resembles others previously conducted by Iran, which has long armed the Houthis.

Twice in the last month, U.S. warships have intercepted missiles or drones from Yemen that were believed to be headed toward Israel or posing a threat to American vessels. The USS Carney, a Navy destroyer, intercepted three land attack cruise missiles and several drones that were launched by Houthi forces toward the northern Red Sea last month.

On Nov. 15 the USS Thomas Hudner, another destroyer, was sailing toward the Bab-el-Mandeb strait when the crew saw a drone, reported to have originated in Yemen. The ship shot down the drone over the water. The officials said the crew took action to ensure the safety of U.S. personnel, and there were no casualties or damage to the ship.

Satellite tracking data from MarineTraffic.com analyzed by the AP showed the Galaxy Leader traveling in the Red Sea southwest of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, more than a day ago. The vessel had been in Korfez, Turkey, and was on its way to Pipavav, India, at the time of the seizure reported by Israel.

It had its Automatic Identification System tracker, or AIS, switched off, the data showed. Ships are supposed to keep their AIS active for safety reasons, but crews will turn them off if it appears they might be targeted or to smuggle contraband, which there was no immediate evidence to suggest was the case with the Galaxy Leader.

The British militarys United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which provides warnings to sailors in the Persian Gulf and the wider region, put the hijacking as having occurred some 150 kilometers (90 miles) off the coast of Yemens port city of Hodeida, near the coast of Eritrea. It later cited a security officer with the ships company saying the vessel had been taken to Hodeida.

The Red Sea, stretching from Egypts Suez Canal to the narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait separating the Arabian Peninsula from Africa, remains a key trade route for global shipping and energy supplies. Thats why the U.S. Navy has stationed multiple ships in the sea since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7. ISABEL DEBRE & JON GAMBRELL, JERUSALEM, MDT/AP
Stephen Kennedy's maps are not just designed to get you from here to there. They're maps that raise an eyebrow, furrow a brow  or spark an idea.

"Fantastical Rail Connections," for example, is Kennedy's map showing train routes designed to zip Madison passengers east to Milwaukee or northwest to the Twin Cities (dream on). His map "Sounds of State Street" pinpoints real local landmarks for live music, from The Orpheum theater to the bygone Factory, where Otis Redding was booked to play in 1967 before his plane went down in Lake Monona.

It's what Kennedy dubs "creative cartography."

A frequent exhibitor at the 2023 Dane County Farmers' Market, Kennedy runs latlong. shop, an online and in-person business selling original maps that are both thought-provoking and whimsical. And all through November, he is designing more artistic maps  a new one every day  as part of a daily social mapping project called the 30 Day Map Challenge.

It was that same daily challenge in November 2022 (find it on Instagram at #30DayMapChallenge) that led to Kennedy's map series on Madison. This year he plans to broaden his subject matter to more of the Midwest. So far, his imaginative takes range from a map of Wisconsin's density of cows vs. humans to a bird's eye view map of the "Relative Abundance of Sandhill Cranes."

Kennedy mines data from sources like the U.S. Geological Survey and the Wisconsin Elections Commission to make his data and fact-oriented maps. For a recent map of UW-Madison fraternity and sorority houses, he used OpenStreetMap, a free wiki world map. For "Mass Rabid Transit," Kennedy zeroed in on the sewer network that raccoons might use to travel the city underground  with commuter lines he calls "Muck Loop" and "Shredbag Speeder." (A primary source for that project: the Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District.)

A native of Atlanta, Kennedy and his husband, Vijay Limaye, a Madison native and climate scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council, lived in San Francisco and Brooklyn, New York, before buying a house in Madison's Dudgeon-Monroe neighborhood three years ago.

Kennedy  whose mother grew up and went to nursing school in the Philippines before she immigrated to the U.S.  has some Wisconsin heritage, too: His paternal grandfather grew up in Madison and met his future wife, Kennedy's grandmother, at UW-Madison. Now Kennedy lives just a 15-minute walk from his grandfather's childhood home.

"Doing the maps has been a great way to learn about Madison, from many different angles," he said. Examples: Kennedy's map of the spots for buildings that Frank Lloyd Wright designed for Madison but that were never built; and an upcoming density analysis map showing just how many backyard chickens local regulations allow.

Roots in urban planning

By day Kennedy works in mapping technology software; his current company works on projects such as the interactive maps on the New York Times' website. He earned his undergraduate degree at the Georgia Institute of Technology, or Georgia Tech, where he studied product design.

"It was really how I honed my chops for doing visual design as a craft," he said. "After my undergrad, I got a master's in urban planning (at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology), which is really how I got exposed to spatial data and the role that maps and visualizations play in the planning process."

"A lot of the work I have done professionally is tools for urban planners  that allow them to look at development, the existing conditions of the city they're working in, how the changes they're proposing will impact a city," he said. "So map-making has been kind of a core through-line through all that."

In graduate school, Kennedy worked on his thesis in Dhaka, Bangladesh, collecting data for that city's first bus map. That experience gave rise to his first side business in 2014, a fair trade clothing line called New Market Goods.

"Being on the ground in doing that project, I met a lot of folks in different parts of the creative community in Bangladesh," he said.

"I met a couple of artists who had started their own clothing brands but only sold locally," he said. "The designs were all featuring traditional, hand-woven textiles found throughout the country, and they were trying to find new ways to revive that industry, as a counterpoint to the fast-fashion, mass-production that had been steamrolling the country for decades at that point."

So Kennedy launched a Kickstarter fundraising campaign to found a company that would sell goods from those artists, and also designed clothing himself.

He was looking for another creative challenge when he took on the 30 Day Map Challenge in 2022. When some of his unique maps of Madison went up on Twitter, they drew positive feedback.

"I sort of connected with this niche on Twitter that's interested in progressive development and progressive urbanism," he said. "There were common reactions here and there, such as, 'This is beautiful. If it were printed, I would totally buy this.'"

An accidental business

Kennedy started to print and frame his maps, and applied to be a vendor at the 2023 Dane County Farmers' Market on Capitol Square. He initially intended to sell his clothing line produced in Bangladesh, but when he brought along some of his Madison maps that he'd printed and framed, he found that they sold even better.

New Market Goods and latlong.shop  the "latlong" stands for "latitude" and "longitude"  has provided a "counter-balance" to Kennedy's digitally focused career, he said.

"Most of the work I do is on the computer, and both of these are about creating tactile things" and interacting with people at the markets.

His customers include a mix of longtime Madisonians, tourists and UW-Madison students who want a souvenir of their college town before moving elsewhere. On Dec. 2, Kennedy will be a vendor at the Fair Trade Holiday Festival at Monona Terrace; two weeks later he'll be at the Dec. 16 Garver Holiday Market at Garver Feed Mill. And next spring, he'll return to the Square along with the Dane County Farmers' Market. He also sells online.

Meanwhile Kennedy is seeking out partners to collaborate with on more maps  in whatever field they're interested in. An avid bike commuter, he recently hosted a workshop with Madison Bikes to add more local bike infrastructure data to OpenStreetMap, making that information more broadly available to the public.

"I'd like to work with people who have a particular idea but aren't really able to execute the map for it," said Kennedy, who noted that each map he makes teaches him something new about Madison. "That is something I'm looking forward to doing more and more of in this process, to meet experts in the community to collaborate with."
PORTO-NOVO, Benin  For many people in West Africa's Benin, the forests empowered them before they were born, or in the first months of their lives.

Barren women performed Voodoo rituals by sacred trees to get pregnant. Others were brought as newborns by parents seeking to ward off evil spirits. Some entered at a crossroads as adults, asking for guidance.

In the cradle of Voodoo, the forests were places of hope. Yet as the woodlands shrank, due to economic development and other factors, it has dealt a blow to the communities struggling to protect the spirits believed to live within them.

In many cases, according to believers, the spirits fought back.

When residents in the village of Houeyogbe agreed to let the government destroy much of its forest to build roads and install electricity, locals say the spirits unleashed a plague, with inexplicable deaths and mounting illnesses.

In Ouidah, Benin's epicenter of Voodoo, a gas station that replaced the Aveleketezou forest years ago has not turned a profit, residents say. Station employees said that when they filled cars with gas, it turned to water.

Benin is home to thousands of sacred forests, which believers say are vital to a religion rooted in nature. They see the forests as homes for spirits, which priests pray to and seek guidance from.

But for decades the nation's forests have been threatened, initially by anti-Voodoo attacks and then by the expansion of farming and urbanization.

Between 2005 and 2015, the total area of Benin's forests decreased more than 20%, with the rate of deforestation continuing at more than 2% a year, according to the World Bank.

As the government grapples with preserving the forests while developing the country, Voodoo worshippers worry the loss of its spaces could have profound effects. Not only is it an environmental concern but believers say it threatens the social fabric of Benin's 13 million people  about 11% of whom practice Voodoo.

"When (the government) brought roads to our region and we had to stop everything in the sacred forest, people started getting sick and having all kinds of problems," said Benoit Sonou, a Voodoo priest who witnessed the destruction of his community's forest as a young man.

Some 50 years later, he sits on the gravel road where the forest once stood, beside the two remaining trees the community salvaged. They're cordoned off behind a concrete wall in hopes they won't be touched.

One of the world's oldest religions, Voodoo originated in the kingdom of Dahomey  present-day Benin  and is rooted in animism, the belief that all things, from rocks and trees to animals and places, have a spirit. Today, millions of people practice it, turning to Voodoo priests to perform rituals to ward off evil spirits, overcome illness and achieve professional and personal success.

While Benin has many Christians  making up nearly half the population  Voodoo is embedded in most people's lives.

Gatherings don't begin without dropping water on the ground, a ritual that pays respect to ancestors. Initiation into Voodoo takes many years. And with few exceptions, only those initiated are allowed to enter the sacred forests.

Many of the parks ban women, due to beliefs they'll go mad if they enter. The men must enter naked.

In the West, Voodoo is sometimes regarded as evil, or conflated with witchcraft. In Benin, Voodoo priests say the religion is grounded in positivity, based on tolerance and acceptance, and abides by a strict set of rules.

Carefully guarded stories about which spirits inhabit which forests have been passed down through generations. Believers say the spirits usually live in baobab or Iroko trees, considered the most sacred, and are places where priests perform the rituals, such as drinking blessed water or gin, eating cola nuts or sitting in a sacred spot, such as inside a tree.

"The sacred forest is a vital area," said Dada Daagbo Hounon Hounan II, the Supreme Spiritual Voodoo Chief. "It's an area that enables the reception of positive energies and positive vibrations to direct and rule the world."

Only certain priests can communicate with the spirits, doing so through chants, prayers or making noise like ringing a bell.

During an October visit to several sacred forests in southern Benin, The Associated Press heard what sounded like intense swirling wind emanating from two forests after Voodoo priests called to the spirits.

It's unclear what the sounds were, but religion experts say what matters is that people believe they can communicate with the forest.

"It all points back to the idea that we don't live in a world where the only actors are the human ones," said Danny Hoffman, a cultural anthropologist who is director of the University of Washington's Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies.

Losing these forests eliminates places for experimentation and innovation, he said.

"When we lose spaces demarcated for spiritual practices, these are spaces where people come together and try to understand how they're going to respond to new challenges and new difficulties."

Between 2001 and 2012 about 45% of Benin's sacred forests disappeared or were diminished, according to the Circle for Safeguarding of Natural Resources.
ROSALYNN CARTER | AUG. 18, 1927-NOV. 19, 2023

Landmarks and notable events in the life of former U.S. first lady Rosalynn Carter:

Aug. 18, 1927: Eleanor Rosalynn Smith is born at her family home in Plains, Georgia. She is the daughter of Wilburn Edgar Smith, a mechanic, and Allie Murray Smith, a seamstress and postal worker.

Late August 1927: "Miss Lillian" Carter, a neighbor and nurse who delivered Rosalynn, brings her son, Jimmy, nearly 3 years old, to meet the new baby.

1940: Rosalynn's father dies, leaving her to help her mother raise her younger siblings.

1945: She begins dating Jimmy Carter, now a Naval Academy midshipman and the brother of her close friend, Ruth Carter.

Spring 1946: She graduates from Georgia Southwestern College.

July 7, 1946: She marries Jimmy at Plains Methodist Church, her childhood congregation. They would have four children: John William ("Jack"), born 1947; James Earl III ("Chip"), 1950; Donnel Jeffrey, 1952; and Amy Lynn, 1967.

1946-1953: Rosalynn manages the Carter household while Jimmy serves in the Navy's nuclear submarine program, attaining the rank of lieutenant commander.

1955: She begins helping Jimmy in the farm warehouse; she soon "knew more on paper about the business than he did," she recalled ahead of their 75th anniversary.

1962: She helps Jimmy campaign for state Senate, an office he would win in a contested election that was ultimately settled in court.

1966: Rosalynn begins campaigning on her own for the first time during Jimmy's first run for Georgia governor, a race he loses. But their model of campaigning separately would be key to winning four years later and to capturing the presidency in 1976.

1975-76: She leads the "Peanut Brigade" of Carter family, friends and supporters from Georgia who spread out across Iowa and other key nominating states to widen the campaign's person-to-person reach. The same model they used in Georgia revolutionizes presidential campaigning, with Rosalynn as Jimmy's top surrogate.

Jan. 20, 1977: Rosalynn, the newly sworn-in 39th president and their family draw special attention on Inauguration Day by walking down Pennsylvania Avenue rather than riding in an armored limousine. The Carters enroll daughter Amy in a Washington, D.C., public school that is majority-Black. In Atlanta, when Carter was governor, Amy had attended private school.

Summer 1977: Rosalynn makes a 13day diplomatic trip to seven Latin American nations and Caribbean islands. She also urges Jimmy to delay action on treaties yielding control of the Panama Canal, arguing it is too politically costly for a first term. He proceeds with the treaties.

September 1978: Rosalynn is with Jimmy at Camp David for much of the intense negotiations with Israel's Menachem Begin and Egypt's Anwar Sadat. She listens to and advises the president daily before the three leaders reach the Camp David Accords. Begin and Sadat both warm to the first lady, and Sadat becomes especially close to the Carters.

November 1979: Rosalynn leads a delegation to Cambodian refugee camps, bringing international media attention to the humanitarian crisis. She convinces the president to admit more refugees to the U.S.

Summer and fall 1980: She campaigns nearly daily on Jimmy's behalf, while he stays at the White House working to win the release of American hostages in Iran.

1980: She helps win congressional approval for the Mental Health Systems Act, dedicating more federal money to local centers for treating mental health; Republican Ronald Reagan would later reverse course as president.

November 1980: Jimmy Carter is denied a second term by Reagan, who wins 51.6% of the popular vote to 41.7% for Carter and 6.7% for independent John Anderson.

1982: The Carters co-found The Carter Center in Atlanta with a mission of resolving conflicts, protecting human rights, advocating democracy and preventing disease around the world.

1984: Rosalynn releases her memoir, "First Lady from Plains," in which she admits to missing Washington. It is the first of her five books.

September 1984: She travels to New York City, where the Carters volunteer building homes for Habitat for Humanity; this would become their annual Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project.

1987: She establishes the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers, located at her collegiate alma mater, to advocate for Americans who are unpaid caregivers.

Summer 1989: Rosalynn travels with Jimmy on a weeklong Africa tour that includes an international conference on Guinea worm eradication, perhaps The Carter Center's most ambitious public health initiative.

1996: She establishes the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism, based at The Carter Center, to help working journalists produce better reporting on the topic.

1999: She is awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton.

July 10, 2007: She testifies before a U.S. House subcommittee, urging Congress to require that health insurance policies cover mental health treatment on par with treatment for other illness

November 2016: She hosts the Rosalynn Carter Symposium on Mental Health Policy for the 32nd time.

October 2019: In Nashville, the Carters participate in person for the last time in their Habitat for Humanity work project; the program would continue.

April 30, 2021: The Carters receive President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden at their home in Plains. The couples were friends since the 1976 campaign, when Biden, then a young lawmaker from Delaware, became the first U.S. senator to endorse Carter for president.

July 7, 2021: The Carters celebrate their 75th wedding anniversary. Off ering advice for a successful marriage, she says, "each (person) should have some space. That's really important."

Feb. 18, 2023: The Carter family announces that Jimmy is entering home hospice care. They would later say they thought he would live only days but rebounded to celebrate their 77th wedding anniversary and his 99th birthday later in the year.

May 30, 2023: The family announces that Rosalynn has dementia.

Sept. 23, 2023: The Carters make a surprise appearance in the Plains Peanut Festival parade, riding in a Secret Service vehicle with the windows down for what would be her last public appearance.

Nov. 17, 2023: The Carter family announces that she has entered home hospice care.

Nov. 19, 2023: Rosalynn Carter dies at home in Plains, Georgia, in the same house where the Carters lived when Jimmy was elected to the state Senate in 1962.
With Thanksgiving this week, we thought it would be a good occasion to round up a bunch of chardonnays we recently tasted. Last week we wrote about alternative choices for the holiday dinner, but chardonnay still remains one of our favorite white wines to serve with the traditional turkey meal.

Chardonnay  one of the most popular grape varieties worldwide  enjoys a popularity based on a range of styles that appeal to a large swath of consumers. Chardonnay from Chablis, for instance, is lean and minerally. French burgundy is aromatic and often full-bodied. California chardonnays blessed with oak are often creamy and rich. Pick a style and enjoy.

Here are some of our recent favorites:

The Hilt Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay 2021 ($50). This extraordinary chardonnay has become a perennial favorite. One of the best in a flight of chardonnays we recently tasted, it deserves its price. Six months on the lees in stainless-steel tanks gives it a velvety texture. Great stone fruit and lemon custard aromatics are enveloped in a palate of ripe peaches and spice. Excellent balance and finish add to one of the most well-rounded chardonnays in this group.

Mount Veeder Napa Valley Chardonnay 2021 ($50). Ripe apple and tropical fruit aromas with a pineapple flavor and a hint of vanilla. A great companion to fowl or fish.

Joseph Drouhin Saint-Veran 2021 ($25). Dont overlook Burgundy for reasonably priced chardonnay. Those from the Maconnais and smaller villages can give you a lot of flavor for the money. We like them in general for their freshness and oak-avoidance that give them a clean palate feel.

Henri Perrusset Macon-Farges Vielle Vignes 2019 ($25). The chardonnay from villages west of the Saone River are reasonably priced. Austere in scope with white peach, nutty and citrus notes, it has an interesting minerality that pairs well with fish.

Trenel Macon Villages 2021 ($28). Simple yet long in the finish with citrus and tropical fruit notes.

FEL Anderson Valley Chardonnay 2021 ($34). This producer forgoes the malolactic fermentation to keep the wine fresh and lively. It makes for a better match to food. Stone fruit aromas and citrus and melon flavors.

Rams Gate Bucher Vineyard Chardonnay 2021 ($74). This is an absolutely stunning chardonnay for those consumers looking for something special to pair with the holiday dinner. Very rich and full-bodied on the palate, it exudes citrus notes, spice and tropical fruit flavors, a brush of oak and balanced acidity.

Sonoma-Cutrer Dutton Ranch Chardonnay 2021 ($40). We havent found a better chardonnay for the price in a long time. Part of the producers Winemakers Release series, the chardonnay draws grapes from two vineyards of the respected Dutton Ranch, which is known for producing wines with robust flavors. The grapes were whole-cluster pressed to avoid bitter tannins from the skins and seeds. The wine is smooth with baked apple, peach flavors and hints of clove and vanilla. Its simply delicious.

Landmark Overlook Chardonnay 2020 ($27). The price is reasonable for what you get here. Apples, pears and citrus notes abound in the nose and mouth with balanced acidity and lengthy finish.

VML Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2021 ($37). Using grapes from four vineyards, seven diverse blocks and three different clones, VML has a complex and balanced chardonnay. The aromas are of freshly baked bread, vanilla and almond. Tropical and apple fruit dominate the palate.

Gary Farrell Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2021 ($40). We loved this wine for its huge aromatics  stone fruit and melon  and its generous flavors  citrus, nectarine and lots of roasted almonds. Rich and complex, its a good match to seafood dishes.

Bread and Butter California Chardonnay 2021 ($16). A good value, this chardonnay from the broad California appellation delivers tropical fruit notes in a creamy envelope. Oak and vanilla add a nice touch.

Ferrari Carano Tre Terre Chardonnay 2021 ($36). This tasty wine from the Russian River Valley shows off citrus and apple notes with a good dose of stone-fruit flavors and a hint of spice.

Decoy Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2021 ($30). Apple and white peach flavors dominate this richly textured wine  always a good value.

Baileyana Edna Valley Chardonnay 2021 ($28). We were very pleased with this fairly priced chardonnay from a region cooled by ocean breezes. We loved the citrus, stone fruit aromas and ripe tropical fruit flavors. Very opulent and spiked with mineral and spice.

Ferrari-Carano Chardonnay Sonoma County 2022 ($27). A classically styled California chardonnay. Ripe tropical fruit and peach notes marry well with toasty oak elements and a creamy finish.

Wine picks

Chateau Ste Michelle Cold Creek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 ($40). This producer is a reliable mainstay in the vast Columbia Valley region of Washington. We hope the equity partners who bought it this year will not change the price-quality ratio for which it has been known. This sturdy cabernet is a prime example of what doesnt need changing. Concentrated dark fruit character with firm tannins.

Chateau Ste Michell Artist Series Red Wine 2019 ($70). Beyond the beautiful label that showcases artist Jazz Brown is a wonderfully complex and rich blend of cabernet sauvignon (61%), merlot, malbec and cabernet franc. Well-structured with black cherry and plum notes and a hint of spice.

True Myth Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 ($24). Ripe dark red fruit flavors with a hint of pepper and dark chocolate.

Kirkland Barlo 2019 ($20). This isnt your classic, high-octane barolo that collectors will crow about, but it has a savory character hard to ignore. Medium-bodied with cherry and tobacco notes.

Tom Marquardt and Patrick Darr have been writing a weekly, syndicated wine column since 1985. See their blog at moreaboutwine.com. They can be reached at marq1948@gmail.com.
What happened in July 2021  before Gregg Raether piled furniture and other objects atop his former girlfriend, causing crushing, suffocating injuries that ultimately killed her  is known only to one person, a Dane County judge said Tuesday, before giving Raether the longest prison sentence he could for her death.

Raether, 58, of Madison, who did not speak in court and did not cooperate with a state Department of Corrections pre-sentence investigation, was sentenced to 40 years in prison, all but assuring he would spend the rest of his life behind bars for the death of Patricia McCollough, 55, whose decomposed body was found in her bedroom, beneath a pile of furniture, appliances and other objects, in September 2021.

Evidence presented at Raethers trial, which ended in September with guilty verdicts, indicates he returned to McColloughs home after her death, while her body still lay under the pile, to search for valuables, including a rifle kept in that same room of McCulloughs Far East Side home. His shoeprint was found on the screen of a television in the pile.

The bottom line is, the court is confronted with an act which caused the death with utter disregard for human life, and then a continuing conduct of then literally walking all over the deceased body of Ms. McCollough, Circuit Judge John Hyland said.

Every time I think about that part of this act, I think about when I was raised and we would visit the cemetery and my mother would have a fit if anyone stepped in the wrong place and tread upon the grave of the person we were there honoring, Hyland said. I cant wrap my head around the concept of what occurred in that bedroom both in causing Ms. McColloughs death and in the actions after death.

Raether instructed his attorneys, state assistant public defenders Erin Nagy and Adam Welch, to limit their brief argument to a request for leniency, an assertion that he maintains his innocence and a statement that he loved McCollough and still loves her.

In September, a jury found Raether guilty of first-degree reckless homicide for McCulloughs death. Her body was found by police at her home after McColloughs daughter and others had expressed concern after not hearing from her for months. He also was found guilty of one felony count and two misdemeanor counts of unauthorized use of McColloughs food assistance card, along with identity theft. He pleaded guilty before his trial to a count of possession of a firearm by a felon.

Hyland gave Raether concurrent sentences for all of the other convictions because frankly, I think a 40-year sentence is appropriate and I dont need to lengthen that with consecutive time.

The sentence was only two years short of the 42 years in prison sought by prosecutors John Rice and Timothy Verhoff, which would have consisted of a 35-year sentence for McColloughs death followed by consecutive sentences for some of the other convictions.

Arguing for the sentence, Rice noted the litany of recorded jail phone calls between Raether and his on-and-off girlfriend Sherri Albrecht, who was a co-defendant on the food stamp fraud charges, which he said had given the jury a sense of who Raether is. Some of the calls, Rice said, had Raether using racist terms to describe people in his life and speaking of McCollough in some of the most dehumanizing ways a person can be spoken of.

As late as Monday, the day before his sentencing hearing, in calls from jail that were recorded, Raether continued to denigrate McCollough and her daughter, whom he accused of trying to profit from her mothers death and to soak Raether for more money through restitution payments.

I just want to spit on her, he told Albrecht, Rice said. Raether also called Hyland a punk-ass judge, Rice said.

He has proven himself to be a man without a conscience, Rice said of Raether.

Evil person

Before Raether was sentenced, McColloughs daughter, Brianna Boston-Kemple, told Hyland of the effect her mothers death has had on her, leading to extensive therapy.

Every aspect of my life changed when Gregg Raether took my mom away from me, she said.

That began when Raether and her mother began dating  a relationship Boston-Kemple said she didnt approve of  but she said she believes her mother stayed with Raether out of fear, because of the way he abused and manipulated McCollough and took advantage of her addiction issues.

The last time she spoke to her mother was in July 2021, when she seemed happy, but less than three weeks later she would lose her life at the hands of an evil person who claimed to love her.

She said McColloughs mother, who had Alzheimers disease and was in a care facility, was never told of McColloughs death because she didnt remember who people were most days and it was feared that if told, she would grieve for McCollough over and over again.

McCollough also never got to meet her only grandchild, born after her death.

Its my deepest desire that Gregg spend the rest of his days on Earth in prison and will not be able to hurt any other people the way he hurt my mom, Boston-Kemple said.

Albrecht, speaking on Raethers behalf, asked Hyland to take into account the kindness that she said Raether had shown her over the years when deciding his sentence.

Albrecht is serving three years of probation for her role in the food assistance card scheme.
The second of two men charged in what prosecutors describe as a July 13 drug-related shooting death on Madisons Far East Side was ordered held on $1 million bail Monday, the same as his co-defendant.

Mark A. Parks Jr., 21, of Middleton, and Devonte Gafford, 32, of Sun Prairie, both face charges of first-degree intentional homicide and first-degree recklessly endangering safety, both as parties to a crime, in the death of Devon Grant, 20, outside an apartment building at the Harmony at Grandview Commons, 116 Milky Way. Parks was arrested Thursday in Madison and Gafford on Aug. 7 in Milwaukee.

During Parks initial court appearance Monday, Dane County Deputy District Attorney William Brown said Parks and Gafford set up a deal to sell about $17,000 worth of the cough syrup promethazine, used to make a street drug called Lean.

The group that was buying the drugs from Mr. Gafford ... including the victim of the homicide here, appears to have engaged in an armed robbery of Mr. Gafford, Brown said. Following that armed robbery, it appears that Mr. Gafford picked up Mr. Parks and they proceeded to, within a few hours, find the people who had robbed Mr. Gafford just that day.

They then fired what Brown said were several dozen rounds at the group. He asked for bail to be set for Parks at $1 million, and said Parks knew police had been looking for him but continued to deal drugs throughout the summer. He was also convicted in 2017 of shooting someone in a drug robbery, Brown said.

Attorney Diana Van Rybroek, appearing with Parks, said that while he didnt turn himself in, he didnt flee the area, either, and is a native of Wisconsin and has family here. Like an attorney who appeared with Gafford did during Gaffords Aug. 11 bail hearing, Van Rybroek noted that the group Parks fired on fired back at them. She asked that bail be set at $20,000.

Court Commissioner Jason Hanson agreed with Brown to bar Parks from having any contact with four of the surviving people alleged to have robbed Gafford. They were charged last week with armed robbery and other crimes in connection to that incident, court records show.

The complaint in the homicide case states Grant was standing and talking with a friend who was in a car when another car pulled up and two men later identified as Gafford and Parks got out and began shooting. Brown said at Gaffords bail hearing that the two executed Grant.

The July 13 homicide was the first of two this year at the troubled Harmony at Grandview Commons apartment complex.

On Oct. 10, Kyesha LaStar Miller, 15, was shot to death and three other teens were wounded there.

The vehicle used in the shooting was recovered earlier this month, but no arrests have been made.

Who are they? WI children reported missing as of November 18 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).
A 25-year-old man was taken to a hospital after being shot in a Fitchburg parking lot and coming to Madison, authorities reported.

Shortly after 7 p.m. Monday, Madison police officers responded to a report of a person with a gunshot wound and met the man in the 1800 block of Helene Parkway on the Southwest Side, Madison police spokesperson Stephanie Fryer said in a statement.

The man had a gunshot wound to the arm and gave an area in Fitchburg where the shooting happened, Fryer said.

The man was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening, Fitchburg police Lt. Edward Hartwick said in a statement.

The investigation determined the man had been shot in the parking lot of an apartment complex in the 5100 block of Anton Drive in Fitchburg. While at the scene, officers learned that a bullet had gone through a window of an occupied apartment nearby, with no injuries reported in the apartment, Hartwick said.

The initial information discovered through the investigation indicated that the man was not randomly targeted, he said.

No additional information was available for release, he said.

Fitchburg police ask that anyone with information on the incident contact them at 608-270-4300. Anonymous tips can be made to Madison Area Crime Stoppers at 608-266-6014 or P3Tips.com. Tipsters who provide information that leads to an arrest may qualify for a monetary reward.
Public school libraries in Wisconsin are getting a record $65 million in 2024 to go toward purchasing books and technology.

The allocation from the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands announced Monday is a 25% increase from the $52 million public school libraries received last school year. It will be used by librarians and media specialists to buy anything from e-books to Wi-Fi hotspots for students without internet access at home.

The grants are often the only source of funding for libraries in public schools, Wisconsin Education Association Council President Peggy Wirtz-Olson said.

Educators in most districts tell me ... that without the funds, they fear their libraries may close, Wirtz-Olson said Monday during a presentation at the Capitol.

The investment comes at a time when some school districts around the state are pushing to remove or restrict access to certain books. Last school year, more than 40 book titles were banned in Wisconsin schools.

At this moment in our history, we need these spaces to engage with new ideas and our history, State Superintendent Jill Underly said Monday. We need it in the face of hate and increased threats and attempts at silencing.

The money comes from the Common School Fund, established in 1848 by the Wisconsin Constitution with the granting of about 1.5 million acres of land for educational purposes. Most of the land was sold to create a permanent trust fund, according to the state Department of Public Instruction website.

The money will be divided between Wisconsin school districts in the spring based on the number of residents between the ages of 4 and 20.

Last years $52 million allocation worked out to about $45 for each student. The Madison School District received just more than $1.2 million, according to DPI data.

Once a school district receives the money, it can largely choose what library materials to spend it on, as long as the purchases comply with DPI requirements.

The amount of money going toward school libraries through the Common School Fund has generally increased since 2016, when the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands was able to change how the funds were invested.

Weve also updated our investment strategy a few times and diversified hundreds of millions of dollars from moderate return to assets that have much higher returns, like real estate and infrastructure and venture, Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski said Monday. And this has not only reduced the risk of the fund, but its increased our amount.

Underly also used the opportunity Monday to call out a small group of neo-Nazi protesters that marched through Downtown Madison on Saturday, saying that this disgusting extremism can only grow in spaces of ignorance.

That is how it festers, Underly said. When we see the current increases and attempts at censorship and attacks of disinformation against school libraries, we should be very, very worried.

The top 10 most challenged books in America 1. 'George' by Alex Gino 2. 'Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You' by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds 3. 'All American Boys' by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely 4. 'Speak' by Laurie Halse Anderson 5. 'The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian' by Sherman Alexie 6. 'Something Happened in Our Town: A Childs Story About Racial Injustice' by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard, illustrated by Jennifer Zivoin 7. 'To Kill a Mockingbird' by Harper Lee 8. 'Of Mice and Men' by John Steinbeck 9.'The Bluest Eye' by Toni Morrison 10 .'The Hate U Give' by Angie Thomas
Democrats urged the Wisconsin Supreme Court to overturn Republican-drawn legislative maps Tuesday, with conservative justices questioning the timing of the redistricting challenge, while liberals focused on the constitutionality of the current maps and what the process should be for adopting new ones.

The fight comes ahead of the 2024 election in a battleground state where four of the six past presidential elections have been decided by fewer than 23,000 votes, and Republicans have built large majorities in the Legislature under maps they drew over a decade ago.

The lawsuit was brought by Democratic voters the day after the court flipped to majority 4-3 liberal control in August. They want all 132 state lawmakers to stand for election under new, more favorable maps in 2024.

Conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley most aggressively questioned the motives of Democrats and repeatedly referenced newly elected liberal Justice Janet Protasiewicz saying during her campaign that the current maps are rigged.

Everybody knows that the reason were here is because there was a change in the membership of the court, Bradley said.

Attorney Mark Gaber, from the Campaign Legal Center, said the timing of the lawsuit had nothing to do with the election result. He said the challenge over whether the districts are unconstitutionally not contiguous would have been filed, regardless of the makeup of the court.

I dont see that as a partisan issue, Gaber said.

Taylor Meehan, attorney for the Republican-controlled Wisconsin Legislature, said the lawsuit was meritless, brought too late, and that Democrats only filed it because control of the court flipped.

They are a wolf in sheeps clothing designed to backdoor a political statewide remedy, Meehan said.

The court was expected to issue its ruling no later than early 2024. The state elections commission has said maps must be in place by March 15 if the new districts are to be in play for the November elections.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has been controlled by liberal justices since Protasiewicz took her seat in August after her April election victory. She called the GOP-drawn maps unfair and rigged during her campaign, leading Republicans to threaten to impeach her before she had even heard a case. Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos backed off, but kept the threat alive if she votes to strike down the maps.

Protasiewicz asked mostly technical legal questions during oral arguments, and was not as involved in the back and forth with attorneys as other justices.

There was some tension between liberal and conservative justices, with Bradley accusing Justice Jill Karofsky of interrupting her and in another instance asking the liberal justice: Are you arguing the case?

The Democrats case in Wisconsin centers on whether the districts are not contiguous and if they violate the Wisconsin Constitutions separation of powers doctrine.

Though the Wisconsin Constitution requires legislative districts to consist of contiguous territory, many contain sections of land that are not actually connected. The resulting map looks a bit like Swiss cheese, where some districts are dotted with small neighborhood holes assigned to different representatives.

This shocks people across the country who look at this map, Gaber said during oral arguments. Wisconsin is the only state that has anything that looks anything like this.

The Legislature argued for a more liberal definition of contiguous that allows for the creation of districts where all land masses are not physically touching. The Legislature also argued that Wisconsins redistricting laws, backed by state and federal court rulings over the past 50 years, have permitted districts under certain circumstances to be noncontiguous.

The Legislature argued that if new maps are ordered, nothing should be enacted any sooner than the 2026 election. And if maps are ordered, the Legislature should be given the first chance to draw them, Meehan said. Both she and Rick Esenberg, attorney for the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, urged the court not to get into the political thicket of drawing maps.

Bradley said ordering elections for all 132 lawmakers, including half of the Senate midway through their current terms, was absolutely extraordinary.

I cant imagine something less democratic than unseating most of the Legislature that was duly elected last year," she said.

Liberal justices asked who would recommend new maps to the court if they ordered them, and what criteria should be considered when creating new lines.

Justice Brian Hagedorn, a conservative who sometimes rules with liberals, asked how the court can determine when a map is too partisan.

How many Republicans are permissible? he asked. How many Democrats?

Attorneys seeking new maps argued that in a competitive state like Wisconsin, who has control over the Legislature should shift from election to election based on which side gets more votes.

Theres no magic number in this situation that needs to be met, said Assistant Attorney General Anthony Russomanno, representing Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.

The legislative electoral maps drawn by the Republican-controlled Legislature in 2011 cemented the partys majorities, which stand at 64-35 in the Assembly and a 22-11 supermajority in the Senate.

A then-conservative majority on the court picked Republican-drawn maps last year over maps drawn by Evers, and Hagedorn on Tuesday questioned why attorneys hadn't raised their arguments then about contiguous districts and separation of powers.

Chief Justice Annette Ziegler, another conservative, expressed concern that the court was being asked to overturn its ruling from only a year ago.

Is there any end to this litigation? Ziegler asked.

Litigation is ongoing in more than dozen states over U.S. House and state legislative districts enacted after the 2020 census.

New Yorks highest court heard arguments last week on whether an independent redistricting commission must take another crack at drawing congressional districts. New Mexicos Supreme Court heard arguments Monday on an appeal of a lower court ruling that rejected assertions the Democratic-led Legislature had illegally gerrymandered the states congressional districts. Last week, a federal judge in North Dakota ruled that state legislative districts drawn by the Republican majority violated the voting rights of two Native American tribes and must be redrawn by Dec. 22.

Associated Press writers David Lieb in Jefferson City, Missouri, and Harm Venhuizen in Madison contributed to this report.
Craig Kingsbury, the Twin Falls police chief since 2016, retired in October.

Or maybe he didnt.

City Manager Travis Rothweiler told the Times-News on Monday that Kingsbury wanted to test retirement, per Idaho Senate Bill 1054, which took effect July 1, but has reached out this month to express his interest in potentially returning to the job.

In a letter, Rothweiler said Kingsbury told him he wanted to talk about what coming back to the city of Twin Falls would look like.

We will be meeting soon, Rothweiler said.

Kingsbury announced his retirement during a Sept. 25 meeting of the Twin Falls City Council but his departure had gone unreported locally and was unknown until last week when the Times-News reached out to law enforcement while reporting on a pair of shootings that left one man dead and another person injured.

Kingsburys name, title and contact information were still listed online in the Twin Falls police directory as of Monday night. His LinkedIn profile hasnt been changed to reflect his retirement, showing present employment of seven years and 11 months with the city of Twin Falls.

The only police job listed on the citys employment website was open recruitment for a patrol officer, posted Oct. 20.

Responding to the Times-News inquiry about the lack of public knowledge of the chiefs departure, Rothweiler referred to Kingsburys announcement at an open meeting and said Kingsbury didnt want any fanfare.

Additionally, Rothweiler said the city wanted to give him the time necessary to determine his future.

Matt Hicks has been serving as acting chief since Kingsburys Oct. 19 retirement. Hicks position has been updated in the online police directory.

It has truly been an honor to be the chief of police for this community. I love this community, Kingsbury told the council on Sept. 25. I dont know what the next chapter is in my life, but Im going to take some time and figure that out and continue to be right here in this community and a contributing member to the city of Twin Falls.

The Times-News watched the archived video of the Sept. 25 meeting on Monday, available on the citys public portal.

Hicks has done a great job and has my full support to be in the position, both today as well as in the future, Rothweiler said.

Under SB1054, police officers who participate in the states retirement fund, the Public Employee Retirement System of Idaho, or PERSI, are allowed a 30-day break without the guarantee of future employment while contemplating retirement. Those officers can return to full-time employment and continue to collect retirement benefits, by law, pending approval from the city.

In the case of Kingsbury, Rothweiler said he intends to go into executive session, on (Nov. 27), and ask the council, What are your thoughts on this?

If the council appears agreeable to Kingsburys return, Rothweiler said he would approach the council and make a recommendation, likely at a meeting sometime in December.

A similar scenario played out this summer in Nampa, where Police Chief Joe Huff announced his retirement at a July 3 meeting, telling the city council he was going to take 30-45 days off, kind of see what this retirement gig is all about, the Idaho Press reported at the time.

Huff retired effective July 17 but was reinstated by the council on Aug. 22 after expressing the desire to return to the job.

Ironically, Kingsbury came to Twin Falls from Nampa, where he served for 24 years, eventually rising through the ranks to become chief. The Twin Falls council approved his appointment by a 6-0 vote in November 2015, and Kingsbury began on the job on Jan. 1, 2016.

He succeeded Brian Pike, who had been promoted to deputy city manager for public safety during a reorganization of the citys administrative structure, the Times-News reported at the time. Capt. Bryan Krear, who was already planning to retire at the end of 2015, served as interim chief before Kingsburys arrival in the Magic Valley.

Kingsbury marked his 30th year in law enforcement in December 2021.

Your news on your smartphone Your story lives in the Magic Valley, and our new mobile app is designed to make sure you dont miss breaking news, the latest scores, the weather forecast and more. From easy navigation with the swipe of a finger to personalized content based on your preferences to customized text sizes, the Times-News app is built for you and your life. Dont have the app? Download it today from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
Q: One of my adult children is mentally ill. In Idaho they can only go to ER. Is there any way to get them help?

A: While we dont know the circumstances of the parent who asked the question, they are not alone in seeking help for mental health in the emergency room, said Dr. Michael Walton, medical director of behavioral health for St. Lukes Health System.

The term mental illness can cover a wide range of psychological and behavioral conditions and disturbances. Going to the ER for a mental illness may be needed if a person is in crisis, but the ER is geared to handle emergencies  not provide the ongoing, structured treatment and longer-term behavioral health help that many individuals need.

Continuity care for mental health, or regularly scheduled visits with a provider, occurs in outpatient settings across the Magic Valley, and allows for careful management of symptoms over time in an ongoing treatment plan. Ideally, this care is established before a person reaches a level of crisis, Walton said.

Quote The term mental illness can cover a wide range of psychological and behavioral conditions and disturbances. Going to the ER for a mental illness may be needed if a person is in crisis, but the ER is geared to handle emergencies  not provide the ongoing, structured treatment and longer-term behavioral health help that many individuals need. Michael Walton, St. Lukes Health System medical director of behavioral health

Unfortunately  as many who are dealing with mental health issues or have family members who are dealing with mental health issues well know  navigating mental health care can be difficult and wait times for appointments can be long.

St. Lukes is working to expand mental health services in the Magic Valley to improve access and shorten wait time. We are adding a new clinic on North College Road in Twin Falls that will open in January and will allow us to add 11 new providers to the community, Walton said.

One in five Americans suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder during any given year, reported the World Health Organization.

Kyli Gough, community health and engagement director for St. Lukes Magic Valley and Jerome, said there are a number of state and local resources available to help people in the Magic Valley struggling with mental health issues:

Crisis Center of South Central Idaho provides emergency substance abuse and mental health services for adults. The Crisis Center is located at 570 Shoup Ave. W. in Twin Falls and can be reached by phone at 1-866-737-1128 or online at www.crisisidaho.com.

You can text or call 988 anytime of day or night to reach the Idaho Crisis and Suicide Hotline, which provides free and confidential support to you or a loved one.

Find Help Idaho connects Idahoans with free and reduced cost resources in their local communities through their confidential website at www.findhelpidaho.org.

Empower Idaho maintains up to date information on available services throughout the state at www.empoweridaho.org.

Locally, there are numerous local partners working to make a difference when it comes to mental illness and Magic Valley residents will soon have a new resource available, the Center for Community Health. The center anticipates being operational by spring of 2024 to serve individuals facing navigation challenges similar to the question asked above, said Gough.

Your news on your smartphone Your story lives in the Magic Valley, and our new mobile app is designed to make sure you dont miss breaking news, the latest scores, the weather forecast and more. From easy navigation with the swipe of a finger to personalized content based on your preferences to customized text sizes, the Times-News app is built for you and your life. Dont have the app? Download it today from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
A Twin Falls man suspected of being intoxicated led law officers on a two-county pursuit that ended when the individual crashed into a fence near a Jerome County truck stop, police say.

Gage Rolph, 29, was spotted at about 8 p.m. driving north on Blue Lakes Boulevard at a high rate of speed without his headlights on, and was observed running red lights, Twin Falls Police Lt. Craig Stotts said. A brief pursuit began but was terminated because of the dangerous situation.

Police notified Jerome County, and a deputy there resumed the chance once Rolph crossed the Perrine Bridge, Jerome County Sheriffs Capt. Gary Taylor said.

Rolph crashed into a fence near the Pilot Flying J truck stop. The man was not cooperative, Taylor said, and refused to blow into a breathalyzer. A blood sample was taken instead.

Rolph is facing charges of eluding and resisting police officers, and DUI charges are likely once the results of lab tests are received, Taylor said.

The Twin Falls Police Department has also charged him with felony eluding, Stotts said.

The Idaho State Police and Jerome Police Department were also involved with the pursuit, police say.
Beijing, China  China and Australia on Monday exchanged charges of reckless behavior following an incident off Japan in which Canberra said a Chinese warship emitted sonar pulses that injured one of its naval divers.

Beijing told Australia that its charges that a Chinese destroyer had acted aggressively toward the Australian frigate were unfounded.

We urge the Australian side to respect the facts, stop making reckless and irresponsible accusations against China, defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian said, adding China did not engage in any activities that may have affected the Australian divers.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a Sky News interview that the Chinese warship used dangerous and unprofessional conduct at sea around the HMAS Toowoomba, a long-range frigate that had been supporting United Nations sanctions enforcement efforts within Japans exclusive economic zone.

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles said over the weekend that divers were clearing fishing nets from the ships propeller when the vessel was approached by a Chinese destroyer using a hull-mounted sonar.

We need to avoid a reckless event such as this, Albanese told Sky News, adding that one diver suffered an injury as a result of the actions of China.

Wu said the Australian version of events was completely inconsistent with the facts, adding China firmly opposes this and has made solemn representations to the Australian side.

The Chinese militarys Ningbo destroyer took measures such as tracking, monitoring, identification, and verification in accordance with the law and regulations, Wu said.

Strict discipline

Earlier on Monday, Beijings foreign ministry also defended the conduct of the Chinese military, saying it was in line with international law.

It is hoped that relevant parties will stop causing trouble at Chinas doorstep and work with China to maintain momentum for improving and developing China-Australia relations, ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a regular press conference.

China and Australia have been working to patch up their once-close trading relationship after years of bickering and tit-for-tat reprisals.

Albanese made a breakthrough trip to Beijing earlier this month, hailing the progress as unquestionably very positive.

But tensions remain when it comes to security, as Australia draws closer to the United States in an effort to blunt Chinas expanding influence in the Asia-Pacific region.

The Diving Medical Advisory Committee, an independent London-based organisation, has warned that sonar sound waves can cause divers to suffer dizziness, hearing damage and organ damage.

The HMAS Toowoomba  commissioned in 2005  is a long-range frigate packed with advanced surveillance capabilities and world class weapons systems, according to the Australian navy.
Childrens books and young adult (YA) books, either written in or translated into the mother tongue, can boost reading literacy among young learners and will be a key driver of collaboration and cross-cultural exchange among ASEAN member-countries in the coming years, announced reading advocates during the Asian Festival of Childrens Content (AFCC) Circle Philippines, slated from Nov. 15-17.

The inaugural AFCC Circle in the Philippines (AFCC Circle PH) is organized by the Vibal Foundation, in partnership with the Singapore Book Council (SBC), National Book Development Board (NBDB), National Library of the Philippines (NLP), International Board on Books for Young People  Philippines (IBBY-PH), and the Filipinas Heritage Library.

While the AFCC conference originated in Singapore, its adoption in the Philippines is envisioned to lay the groundwork for an extensive networka circle of friendshipthat will connect different partners (educators, librarians, storytellers, publishers, translators, illustrators, and other advocates) actively promoting reading across the ASEAN region.

Ms. Kristine Mandigma, Program Director of Vibal Foundation

For those of us who cant go to Singapore every year for the AFCC, at least we have AFCC in each country, said Kristine Mandigma, Program Director of the Vibal Foundation and concurrent President and CEO of Vibal Group, Inc. The foundation plans to support this on an annual basisWe hope, next year, to invite other countries so that children will be exposed to the literature of other Asian countries.

Fixing a reading crisis

The three-day conference consists of a series of talks and workshops by experts and practitioners in the field of early childhood education to provide insights on nurturing a lifelong love of reading in children. The AFCC Circle PH explores strategies for building childrens literacy competencies at a time when reading literacy has declined, resulting in learning poverty. Filipino learners have consistently underperformed in both local and international reading assessments. Based on the latest data from the DepEd, approximately 91% of young Filipinos are unable to read and understand simple text by age 10 (between Grades 4-6).

The AFCC Circle PH communicates how imperative it is to respond to the reading crisis through its event theme: Read!

There are currently hundreds of reading initiatives at play in the Philippines. To streamline these efforts, DepEd has revamped the national curriculum and designed an overarching National Reading Program (NRP). The policy document detailing the NRP is currently under final review, earmarking a budget of Php1.9 billion for material resources, inclusive of contextualized reading materials.

Ayette Ferriols, Supervising Education Program Specialist at the Bureau of Curriculum Development of DepEd, suggested that Filipino learners couldve performed better in assessment tests if the test language had been localized. However, she also indicated that there is no one root cause of the current problem and that it is systemic in nature. We need to work together to establish a reading culture, said Ms. Ferriols.

Charisse Aquino-Tugade, Executive Director of the National Book Development Board, urged industry proponents to harness the underutilized potential of childrens books as tools for early education. We want children to be able to read. We want to create educational materials and strategies that can make smart, kind, empathetic, and critical thinkersour future citizens and leaderseffectively instilling these values to encourage kids to think for themselves, and for the good of their communities, she said.

The importance of context

The trend of using the mother tongue to boost reading literacy is not new. The National Library of the Philippines (NLP) has conducted a capacity-building program for library personnel to develop childrens books in their mother tongue. The books are now part of the NLPs childrens book collection, said Dolores Carungui, Chief Librarian at NLP. Story sessions hosted by public libraries also draw from The Asia Foundations Lets Read project, a database of Asian books translated into different Asian languages.

There are eight major languages in the Philippines, although the DepEd is currently in the process of recognizing 29 additional languages and dialects on top of the 19 already recognized. Storytellers are encouraged to publish in any of these local languages or, as in the case of the Vibal publishing group, provide a bilingual edition.

We have been working to make sure that every child has access to quality booksones in their mother tongue, ones that are [reflective of] their own context and can therefore empower them to tell their own stories in their own voices, said Ms. Aquino-Tugade of NBDB, whose Book Nook initiative features at least 1,000 books in the local languages. There is certainly no lack of interest among our young learners and their teachers in reading and in writing their own stories.

Local made regional

While AFCC is regional in scope, it hits the mark when it comes to the localization of books. Since its inception, AFCC Singapore has selected a country of focus to be featured in the conference itself. Since 2022, that country focal has also been invited to participate in the AFCC Co-Translation Project. Singapore and a partner country will each select childrens books and have them translated into each others languages. These books will be distributed for free to children in each respective country, said William Phuan, Executive Director of the Singapore Book Council (SBC).

Two countriesThailand and Vietnamhave participated in the project to date, with around 1,000 translated books distributed in each country. To mark 55 years of diplomatic relations between Singapore and the Philippines, the latter will again be the country of focus for AFCC Singapore in May 2024. The Philippines will also participate for the first time in the AFCC Co-Translation Project.

Southeast Asia has a population of close to 690 million people, which is almost 9% of the total world population. Thats a huge market for readers, and for our books to be translated, copied, and reread. Imagine that each of these books will be in the hands of our children across the region. Imagine the readership and the cross-cultural understanding that we can achieve, said Mr. Phuan.

SBC and Vibal are currently in the process of selecting the books to be translated. [JP1] Vibal Foundations goal here is to support all these initiatives and to foster the childrens love for reading, said Ms. Mandigma.
If Anne Arundel County Public Library employees want to form a union, theyll have to do it the hard way, not the easy way.

The librarys board of trustees Thursday night rejected a voluntary recognition proposal from the majority of library workers, who wish to join the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, touching off a they said/they said disagreement over how to interpret Marylands complex public labor laws.

In a statement issued after the meeting, the library board members say they agree with their attorneys interpretation of relevant Maryland labor laws and believe they do not have the authority to recognize the union.

While we deeply respect our people and the desire of some to organize, our legal counsel has advised the board that we do not have the authority to accept any petition recognizing a union until enabling legislation is passed at the state level. We intend to follow that advice and the procedures the law requires, the trustees said.

Legal counselors for AFSCME disagree with that interpretation, citing other successful efforts by Maryland librarians to join unions without state-level legislation. Across Maryland, public library workers have taken a variety of paths to collective bargaining.

AFSCMEs legal counselors declined to be interviewed on the record but said through a spokesperson that they believe the Anne Arundel library board can and should have recognized the workers collective bargaining rights after hearing presentations from employees Thursday night.

Were kinda fired up right now, Colin Chappell, an organizing committee member for the library employees, said after the meeting. Were being asked to seek permission for something weve already done, which is gather our folks together and get support for this.

The majority of the librarys 380 nonmanagement employees have already submitted cards certifying their intent to join AFSCME, the organizers said. That effort followed several years of unsuccessful lobbying of the county for across-the-board pay raises and joined statewide efforts that would make it easier for Marylands public library workers to unionize.

A library spokesperson noted that in addition to cost of living increases, some library workers have received merit raises and pay parity adjustments.

Chappell, who works at the Linthicum branch, said he and his colleagues across the system are tired of waiting, and decided that collecting union cards was their best option for securing higher wages. When administrators learned of the underground campaign, both sides agreed on a presentation at the board meeting. Speaking beforehand, Skip Auld, the librarys CEO, told the Capital he expected the trustees to take a vote on Thursday.

Instead, the trustees spent an hour in executive session and emerged with a statement saying only the state legislature can clear a way forward for collective bargaining.

Over the last few years, multiple bills have been introduced in sessions of the Maryland General Assembly that would grant library employees statewide the right to form a union if they so choose, the second half of the statement read. We intend to work with the Maryland Association of Public Library Administrators and other stakeholders on legislation for the 2024 session that would create a thoughtful process for union representation and collective bargaining that will respect the right of employees to decide for themselves whether they wish to be represented by a union. We respect those rights.

AFSCME has already successfully organized library workers at both the Enoch Pratt Free libraries in Baltimore and the Howard County Public libraries. In Baltimore, the Enoch Pratt Board of Trustees and Directors signed an agreement for a union election through the American Arbitration Association. During that November 2022 vote, 95% of the approximately 300 union-eligible workers in Baltimore voted to join AFSCME.

Howard County librarians received clearance from the state legislature to unionize in 2014. It took nearly a decade, but 80 Howard County library employees signed an organizing letter in October. Both sides are now discussing who will serve as an arbitrator for their election, an AFSCME spokesperson said.

Baltimore County library workers, meanwhile, opted to join the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. The state legislature passed a legislation allowing them to unionize in 2021. They ratified their second contract with the county library system in March.

Being unionized isnt a promise for a perfect workplace, but it is an opportunity to negotiate guarantees that improve our wages, hours and working conditions, Anita Bass, president of the Baltimore County library workers union, said in a release announcing that contract.

In Anne Arundel County, wages and workplace safety are the primary issues driving the union campaign.

Laura Kellman, a Severna Park library associate, said she and her fellow full-time associates make between $45,200 and $76,800, less than advertised salaries for library associates at the already-unionized Montgomery and Prince Georges County libraries. She and Chappell want to see the trustees recognize that Anne Arundel County, like its suburban Washington neighbors, has become an expensive place to live.

Im always wondering why my family is struggling so much, Kellman said.

Anne Arundel library administrators conducted a pay parity study looking at library salaries in neighboring municipalities. Both the union and administrators declined to release results, but agree that the study showed Anne Arundel salaries lag behind.

Organizers next hope to meet with Auld and ask him to consider other paths to recognizing the union. If the Anne Arundel County library trustees reject a vote governed by a neutral party, the library workers would likely need either county-specific legislation to pass the State House, or blanket legislation easing the path forward for all of Marylands public library workers.

State lawmakers moved forward with comparable legislation allowing collective bargaining for staff and faculty at Marylands public colleges two years ago, eventually overriding a veto from former Gov. Larry Hogan. Adjunct professors at Anne Arundel County Community College voted to unionize earlier this month.

Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman, a strong supporter of the adjunct faculty organizing effort, issued a statement supporting the countys library workers Friday.

If library staff choose to organize a union, I trust that the library board and leadership will cooperate fully. If state authorization is required, I will support legislation to grant workers collective bargaining rights, Pittman said.
The administration of Hanover County Public Schools has ordered the removal of 75 book titles from school libraries, including such classics as The Handmaids Tale and Slaughterhouse Five, asserting they are sexually explicit.

The administration directed principals on Friday to begin removing the books. The division anticipates the removal of the books from school libraries will be completed by Dec. 22, before winter break.

Hanover, Spotsylvania and Madison counties have been hotspots for controversial book removals in Virginia schools.

The Hanover School Board voted in June to rewrite its policy concerning which books are allowed in school libraries and then immediately moved to remove copies of 19 books. The policy gives the School Board sole discretion and authority to remove any books from school libraries with a majority vote.

In August, the board directed librarians to start reviewing a list of more than 100 school books for removal using a website-based tool affiliated with a parents rights advocacy group  but it is a guide that experts claim is not a professionally recognized resource for librarians.

The 75 additional titles set for removal are the result of this review, which was performed by a group made up of teachers, principals and librarians from across the school division. They found that 75 of the list of more than 100 books meet the School Boards criteria for being sexually explicit, which is outlined in policy and in state law.

The chairman of the School Board, Bob May, declined to comment Monday on the book removal instruction but said the action was led by the school division administration in accordance with the School Boards June directive.

The spokesman for the school division, Chris Whitley, said  policy is set by the School Board. School division administration is tasked with implementing those policies.

One of the titles set for removal is The Art of Racing in the Rain, a 2008 novel by Garth Stein that is narrated by a dog named Enzo. It was banned in a Dallas-area school district due to a scene in which an underage girl falsely accuses the main human character of molestation.

The list also includes the young adult nonfiction offering This Book is Gay, Juno Dawsons controversial book about sexuality and gender. The book largely reads as an instruction manual for sex acts, accompanied by graphic drawings.

Other notable titles include The Perks of Being a Wallflower, a popular young adult novel by Casey McQuiston, and Rupi Kaurs Milk and Honey, a minimalist 2014 poetry book that was popularized on Instagram among adolescents and young adults that explores themes of trauma, love and survival.

The list also includes Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire.

Democrats condemn removals

A host of Democrats took to social media to condemn the action by Hanover Public Schools.

Ive spent the day trying to process this and I just cant, Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville, posted Sunday on X, formerly Twitter. Slaughterhouse 5 was the beginning of my education. Puritans who want to keep people from reading it are just stupid.

Kurt Vonneguts 1969 sci-fi, anti-war novel has been targeted by removal efforts around the country since the early 1970s.

Truly authoritarian, devastating action from the Hanover County School Board, posted Rachel Levy, a Democrat and teacher, speaking more broadly of the book removals. Levy lost a House of Delegates contest on Nov. 7 to Del. Buddy Fowler, R-Hanover.

The official Twitter account of the Henrico County Democratic Committee posted on X: Appalling stuff happening out in Hanover.

The Republican Party of Virginia backed the Hanover action, posting Monday: While most of us were enjoying our weekends, Virginia Democrats were having an unhinged meltdown because a district removed age-inappropriate materials from school libraries.

It followed up later Monday with another response to Levy: Keep stumping for keeping porn in schools, Rachel. Were sure that will win over voters 

Republicans assert that such an action is not a ban because students can still purchase and read such works outside a school setting.

An issue in book removals appears to be how school systems are applying a law sponsored by Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant, R-Henrico, who lost a bid for a third term Nov. 7 to Del. Schuyler VanValkenburg, D-Henrico. The 2022 measure Dunnavant sponsored requires parental notification for curriculum materials with sexually explicit content. The measure gives parents the option to opt their children out of that particular reading.

During an October news conference, Dunnavant pointed to an enactment clause that states her bill is not to be used for censorship or banning of books. It states that the provision of this act shall not be construed as requiring or providing for the censoring of books in public elementary and secondary schools.

Hanovers policy allows for a teacher or librarian along with the schools principal to submit a request for a waiver to the School Boards library materials committee if they wish to keep the books in furtherance of specific pedagogical goals, believing those materials to be educationally suitable and age appropriate for the intended audience. But school personnel can request a waiver only if the books are being used for classroom instruction.
Editor's Note Wednesday will mark the 60th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. In 2013, The McDowell News published this article which looked back at how McDowell County residents reacted when they heard the news about the national tragedy and the subsequent events.

On Monday, Nov. 25, 1963, the headline of The McDowell News spoke for many local residents: County Joins With Grieving Nation In Mourning For Slain President.

Oh my God no! read a story in that days edition of The McDowell News. That exclamation of shocking disbelief was voiced by Marion people along downtown streets and in store doorways Friday afternoon as word spread from person to person that President Kennedy reportedly had been shot and gravely injured by an assassins bullet. Quickly all who could were getting to a radio or television.

They heard confirmed the sad fact that the president indeed had been shot in Dallas, Texas, reads the front page story. Most people stayed tuned to the newscasts until the tragic announcement came some 30 minutes later: The president has died. Many people wept.

Most of them wanted to talk to some special someone about it. They telephoned family and friends. They expressed sadness for the presidents family.

Based on the newspapers archives, that was the earliest report in The McDowell News about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, which had occurred the previous Friday on Nov. 22. In those days, the newspaper was published twice a week.

By Monday, Nov. 25, the accused assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, was dead, too, and Kennedys funeral was taking place in Washington, D.C.

At the time, one man in Marion tried to put his feelings into words.

The awful news about President Kennedy being killed made me feel like I did when we got the news about Pearl Harbor, he said in The McDowell News story from 1963.

On the day of the assassination, students at Marion Junior High School had assembled toward the end of the school day for a talent show. Principal Arthur Byrd announced the news of the assassination to the students as the program closed. A brief memorial program was held and the schools flag was lowered to half staff.

At noon on Saturday, Nov. 23, 1963, county officials had a funeral wreath placed on the courthouse door in downtown Marion.

Marions Mayor J.W. Streetman Jr. and County Commission Chairman Neal Morris issued statements over the radio expressing the grief felt by local people, according to The McDowell News story.

Our commander-in-chief has been brutally and cowardly struck down by an assassins bullet, read the mayors statement. The people of the town of Marion are grieved and shocked at the tragic death of President Kennedy. His strength, courage and magnetic personality even in death will serve to unite our nation. As we stand with bowed heads in sorrow, I can conceive of no greater loss to our nation and to the free world.

I have wired Mrs. Kennedy our deep and sincere condolences. Our hearts go out to her and the children in their great loss and bereavement. I ask that all flags be flown at half-staff as the nation mourns. We must pray for and rally behind President Johnson during the critical months that lie ahead. Ours is a great nation. We must keep it so.

Flags throughout the county were all lowered to half staff. On Monday, Nov. 25, 1963, many local government offices and the U.S. Post Offices were closed. Likewise, the American Thread plant was closed for the day. Other stores and businesses were closed from noon to 1 p.m. that day, the hour of President Kennedys funeral. Drexel Furniture employees assembled at the plant for a memorial conducted by Marion attorney E.P. Sandy Dameron.
General Helder Vieira Dias Kopelipa begins to be heard Monday November 20 as part of a case in which he is accused of embezzlement, fraud by defrauding, falsifying documents, influence peddling, criminal association, and abuse of power.

According to a press release from the Supreme Court, this is the start of the contradictory hearing requested by Kopelipa as part of the criminal proceedings

The contradictory hearing, an optional phase in which both the prosecution and the defense intervene directly as parties and in which the defendants can also present evidence and arguments to the judge, will be conducted by Nazare Pascoal. Also accused in this case are lawyer Fernando Gomes dos Santos and the companies Plansmart International Limited and Utter Right International Limited.

The Angolan general, a former trusted man of the former head of state, Jose Eduardo dos Santos (now deceased), was made a defendant, as was general Leopoldino Fragoso do Nascimento Dino, in 2020, in a case that also involved the company CIF, China International Fund Angola, as well as Plansmart International Limited and Utter Right International Limited, based in the British Virgin Islands.

According to the indictment, the three companies were part of a scheme set up by the defendants, which damaged the Angolan State by several million dollars.

According to the indictment, it all started with the financing agreement signed in 2003 between the Angolan state and the Peoples Republic of China, from which several lines of credit with EximBank, CCBB-China Development Bank, and Sinosure-Export Credit Insurance Agency emerged in 2004.
The US state Department said ambassador to Algiers Aubin has made no bilateral engagement with the Polisario separatist militias in their rear base in Tindouf, Algeria.

The statement was made by Mathew Miller, the departments spokesman, who discredited reports by Algerian media spreading fake news on Aubins visit to Tindouf, where scores of Sahraouis are being held in the Polisario-run camps in Algeria.

Ambassador Aubin and a broad range of international donors participated in a UN-organized visit to Tindouf, Algeria. The United States is the largest contributor worldwide to international humanitarian efforts, including through our support for the vital work of UN agencies in Tindouf, he said

There was no bilateral engagement with the Polisario during this UN donor visit, he added.

The US has in 2020 recognized Moroccos sovereignty over the Sahara territory and kept describing its autonomy plan as serious and credible.
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

Interaction tests and adjusted reliable improvement (A), recovery (B), and deterioration (C) rate by IMD quintile and employment statusIMD=Index of Multiple Deprivation. Credit: The Lancet Psychiatry (2023). DOI: 10.1016/S2215-0366(23)00291-2

Autistic adults have poorer access to appropriate mental health care despite being more likely to experience anxiety or depression than the general population, finds a new study by UCL researchers.

It is estimated that up to 27% of autistic people experience anxiety, and 23% develop depression, compared to 5.9% and 3.3% in the wider population.

Evidence-based psychological therapies, such as cognitive behavioral therapy or counseling, are recommended in by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for autistic people who are struggling with their mental health. However, the researchers wanted to investigate whether the treatments currently available through the NHS are beneficial for the population of autistic people who require them.

The new study, published in Lancet Psychiatry, examined therapy outcomes for 8,761 autistic adults who attended NHS Talking Therapies for Anxiety and Depression (formerly known as IAPT) services between 2012 and 2019.

NHS Talking Therapies for Anxiety and Depression is a free NHS service that offers CBT, counseling, and guided self-help, with sessions delivered either face-to-face, individually, in groups, or online.

Depressive symptoms were measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), which considers factors such as a lack of interest in doing things, issues with sleep, and feelings of low mood.

Symptoms of anxiety were measured using the GAD7 questionnaire, which asks how often a person feels worried, on edge or unable to relax.

Researchers used existing data from large medical records databases to measure participants' outcomes (depression and anxiety scores) both before and after therapy to see if there was an improvement in symptoms.

The team found that, on average, autistic adults experienced a decrease in their anxiety and depression symptoms following a course of therapy. However, when these results were compared with the outcomes of nearly two million people who accessed the services but didn't have a diagnosis of autism in their medical records, researchers found that the outcomes were poorer in the cohort of autistic people.

For example, autistic people were 25% less likely to see an improvement in their symptoms. They were also 34% more likely to experience a deterioration in symptoms of anxiety and depression compared to people in the comparison group.

Lead author, Ph.D. candidate Celine El Baou (UCL Psychology & Language Sciences), said, "Our analysis suggests that therapies offered in primary care may be beneficial for autistic people who experience depression, anxiety, or both. However, we also found that not only were outcomes worse for autistic people following therapy, but the autistic population was largely under-represented in services."

"While the paper was unable to look at why this might be, we suspect it reflects the specific barriers that autistic people experience to access therapy and the lack of appropriate adaption for neurodiversity, including differences in thinking style, sensory sensitivities or the need for predictability."

Consequently, the team is now calling for mental health care services to be more accessible for autistic people.

El Baou added, "These findings are important because they highlight how crucial it is to make adequate adaptations to therapies provided in primary care for autistic people and to make them as accessible and effective as possible for them."

Autism is characterized by specific experiences in social communication and interaction, alongside specialized interests, behaviors, and/or sensory sensitivities.

Many autistic people require adjustments to be made to ensure equal access to health care, employment, and local authority support.

It is estimated that between 1%-3% of the population in the UK are autistic. Although recent UCL research highlights how this figure may be twice as high as previously thought.

El Baou, said, "It is important to note that our analysis has concentrated on those autistic people who have a diagnosis of autism in their medical records. This means that our study cannot tell us anything about therapy outcomes for the vast majority of autistic adults who do not have a formal diagnosis."

Anoushka Pattenden, Evidence and Research Manager (Partnerships) at the National Autistic Society, said, "We welcome UCL's new study into the treatment of depression and anxiety experienced by autistic adults and hope to see more studies in this under-researched area."

"The findings suggest that after treatment, autistic adults are less likely to show improvements in anxiety and depression than others and may actually be more likely to experience a decline in their mental health. This reflects what we hear too often: that autistic adults are not getting the mental health support that they need."

"Action needs to be taken now to make sure health services are just as effective for autistic people. It's vital that mental health professionals receive training in identifying and understanding autism, are flexible in their approach, and include autistic people in discussions about the treatment and adjustments they need."

"We continue to campaign for improved understanding, adapted support, and better outcomes for autistic people to create the fair and equal health system they deserve."

Study limitations

Trends in the underdiagnosis of autism may mean that the comparison group includes undiagnosed adults.

There is also no way for the study to establish the extent, if any, of adaptations made to clinical practice for autistic adults. Results rely on the assumption that outcomes established in the comparison group are also transferrable to autistic populations. However, while the PHQ-9 has been validated for use in autistic adults, the GAD-7 has not, and recent research suggests that anxiety may present differently in autistic adults.

More information: Celine El Baou et al, Effectiveness of primary care psychological therapy services for treating depression and anxiety in autistic adults in England: a retrospective, matched, observational cohort study of national health-care records, The Lancet Psychiatry (2023). DOI: 10.1016/S2215-0366(23)00291-2 Journal information: The Lancet Psychiatry
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:

Graphical Abstract. Credit: JAMA Neurology (2023). DOI: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2023.3810

A Saint Louis University researcher was instrumental in developing the first and only Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved treatment for agitation associated with Alzheimer's dementia.

In a paper published in JAMA Neurology, senior author and the inaugural Henry & Amelia Nasrallah Endowed Professor and Director of Geriatric Psychiatry at Saint Louis University George T. Grossberg, M.D., and colleagues shared the results of a national clinical trial. They discovered that REXULTI, also called brexpiprazole, significantly reduced agitation in patients with Alzheimer's disease and was well tolerated with few side effects.

Earlier this year, brexpiprazole became the first FDA-approved treatment of agitation-associated Alzheimer's dementia.

Of the 6.7 million people 65 and older in the US with Alzheimer's dementia, multiple studies show that about half or more develop agitation.

Agitation associated with Alzheimer's dementia may include activities like restlessness or more aggressive behavior, like screaming, destroying objects, or fighting. Frequent and severe behavioral symptoms can be extremely distressing to the person with Alzheimer's disease, as well as their families and caregivers.

Antipsychotic drugs are commonly prescribed "off-label" to treat symptoms like aggression and agitation. While these antipsychotics seem to show a modest benefit in treating aggression in the short term, they have adverse effects and other health risks that limit their use over more extended periods.

"When patients with Alzheimer's dementia develop agitation symptoms, they can become increasingly difficult to manage," said Grossberg, who is also director of geriatric psychiatry at SLU. "I'm encouraged by the findings of this study which show that brexpiprazole is an effective and well-tolerated medication that can treat the often-debilitating symptoms of agitation associated with dementia due to Alzheimer's disease."

In the multicenter Phase 3 clinical trial, researchers evaluated the efficacy and safety of brexpiprazole, a medication used for the treatment of major depressive disorder and schizophrenia, for patients with agitation associated with Alzheimer's.

The clinical trial was a 12-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled, fixed-dose, parallel-arm trial that enrolled 345 participants at 123 clinical trial sites in Europe and the United States.

Investigators enrolled participants between the ages of 55 and 90 with a diagnosis of probable Alzheimer's disease and clinically significant symptoms of agitation who lived in a care facility or community-based setting.

Participants were randomly assigned to receive the study drug or a placebo. To participate in the clinical trial, participants had to be stable and have a caregiver who could comply with the study procedures.

"It can be extremely challenging to care for patients with Alzheimer's disease," said Grossberg. "Having new medications to help patients who are suffering will enormously benefit patients, health care providers, and those caring for their loved ones."

More information: Daniel Lee et al, Brexpiprazole for the Treatment of Agitation in Alzheimer Dementia, JAMA Neurology (2023). DOI: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2023.3810 Journal information: Archives of Neurology
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the biggest global threats to health, food security and development. This month, The Conversation's experts explore how we got here and the potential solutions.

The growth in antibiotic resistance threatens to return the world to the pre-antibiotic erawith deaths from now-treatable infections, and some elective surgery being restricted because of the risks of infection.

Antibiotic resistance is a major problem worldwide and should be the concern of everyone, including you.

We need to develop new antibiotics that can fight the resistant bacteria or antibiotics that bacteria would not be quickly resistant to. This is like finding new weapons to help the immune system fight the bacteria.

More importantly, we need to use our current antibioticsour existing weapons against the bacteriamore wisely.

Giving GPs the tools to say no

In 2022, more than one-third of Australians had least one antibiotic prescription, with 88% of antibiotics prescribed by GPs.

Many people mistakenly think antibiotics are necessary for treating any infection and that infections won't improve unless treated with antibiotics. This misconception is found in studies involving patients with various conditions, including respiratory infections and conjunctivitis.

In reality, not all infections require antibiotics, and this belief drives patients requesting antibiotics from GPs.

Other times, GPs give antibiotics because they think patients want them, even when they might not be necessary. Although, in reality they are after symptom relief.

For GPs, there are ways to target antibiotics for only when they are clearly needed, even with short appointments with patients perceived to want antibiotics. This includes:

using decision guides or tests to decide if antibiotics are really necessary

giving patients information sheets when antibiotics aren't needed

giving a "delayed prescription"only to be used after the patient waits to see if they get better on their own.

All these strategies need some training and practice, but they can help GPs prescribe antibiotics more responsibly. GPs can also learn from each other and use tools like posters as reminders.

To help with patients' expectations, public campaigns have been run periodically to educate people about antibiotics. These campaigns explain why using antibiotics too much can be harmful and when it's essential to take them.

Giving doctors feedback on their prescribing

National programs and interventions can help GPs use antibiotics more wisely

One successful way they do this is by giving GPs feedback about how they prescribe antibiotics. This works better when it's provided by organizations that GPs trust, it happens more than once and clear goals are set for improvement.

The NPS (formerly National Prescribing Service) MedicineWise program, for example, had been giving feedback to GPs on how their antibiotic prescriptions compared to others. This reduced the number of antibiotics prescribed.

However, NPS no longer exists.

In 2017, the Australian health department did something similar by sending feedback letters, randomly using different formats, to the GPs who prescribed the most antibiotics, showing them how they were prescribing compared to others.

The most effective letter, which used pictures to show this comparison, reduced the number of antibiotics GPs prescribed by 9% in a year.

Clearer rules and regulations

Rules and regulations are crucial in the fight against antibiotic resistance.

Before April 2020, many GPs' computer systems made it easy to get multiple repeat prescriptions for the same condition, which could encourage their overuse.

However, in April 2020, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) changed the rules to ensure GPs had to think more carefully about whether patients actually needed repeat antibiotics. This meant the amount of medicine prescribed better matched the days it was needed for.

Other regulations or policy targets could include:

ensuring all GPs have access to antibiotic prescribing guidelines, such as Therapeutic Guidelines, which is well accepted and widely available in Australia

ensuring GPs are only prescribing antibiotics when needed. Many of the conditions antibiotics are currently prescribed for (such as sore throat, cough and middle ear infections) are self-limiting, meaning they will get better without antibiotics

encouraging GP working with antibiotics manufacturers to align pack sizes to the recommended treatment duration. The recommended first-line treatments for uncomplicated urinary tract infections in non-pregnant women, for example, are either three days of trimethoprim 300 mg per night or five days of nitrofurantoin 100 mg every six hours. However, the packs contain enough for seven days. This can mean patients take it for longer or use leftovers later.

Australia lags behind Sweden

Australia has some good strategies for antibiotic prescribing, but we have not had a sustained long-term plan to ensure wise use.

Although Australian GPs have been doing well in reducing antibiotic prescribing since 2015, more could be done.

In the 1990s, Sweden's antibiotic use was similar to Australia's, but is now less than half. For more than two decades, Sweden has had a national strategy that reduces antibiotic use by about 7% annually.

It is vital Australia invests in a similar long-term national strategyto have a centrally funded program, but with regional groups working on the implementation. This could be funded directly by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aging, or with earmarked funds via another body such as the Australian Center for Disease Control.

In the meantime, individual GPs can do their part to prescribe antibiotics better, and patients can join the national effort to combat antibiotic resistance by asking their GP, "what would happen if I don't take an antibiotic?"

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Cases of syphilis have skyrocketed in L.A. County and across the country, with devastating results. Left untreated in adults, it can damage organs and infiltrate the brain, possibly leading to dementia and blindness. Men have suffered at higher rates than women, but a rise in cases among women has spurred particular alarm because newborns infected in utero can be stillborn or suffer enduring medical issues.

The disease can be stopped with antibiotics if detected and treated in time. Yet last year, L.A. County reported 136 cases of infected newbornsup from just four a decade earlierincluding 13 that resulted in stillbirth.

Across the U.S., the number of such congenital syphilis cases reported annually among newborns ballooned from 335 in 2012 to 3,761 in 2022. The syphilis surge resulted in 231 stillbirths and 51 infant deaths last year in what one official called "an unacceptable American crisis."

Public health investigator, Maggie Tran is part of an L.A. County effort to turn those numbers around. Whenever someone tests positive for syphilis, the results must be reported to the county. Some patients are easily reached, but others cannot be found by public health nurses.

Those are the women whom Tran and her colleagues on the syphilis special investigation team are seeking. Finding them is crucial: Last year, 88% of congenital syphilis cases across the U.S. might have been averted with timely testing and adequate treatment, researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded.

When other efforts to reach such patients have fallen short, "our program is almost like a program of last resort," said Magdalena Esquivel, chief of direct community services at the L.A. County Department of Public Health's Division of HIV and STD Programs.

"Many of these clients have a history of trauma, mental health conditions, substance use, developmental disabilitiesmultiple reasons for fear and stigma around health care," Esquivel said. "They may be doing transactional sex work" or have immigration concerns, and "some may fear losing kids."

In a Westlake office building last month, Tran sat in her cubicle and scoured a host of government, health care and public records databases for any useful details. She recounted how one case had played out: Tran had combed through physician notes and found the phone number for the mother of a would-be patient, who told Tran it had been months since she had heard from her daughter.

The mother said the woman had been staying at a shelter when she last heard from her, but she didn't know exactly where. Tran kept digging and turned up a possible address for the woman, but it led to an apartment complex that was locked. She wedged a letter in the door.

Even if the trail seems to have run cold, she keeps checking the databases for anything new. "There might be hope that if she tested again, maybe she had an address this time, or a phone number," she said. "Or maybe she's still at the hospital."

Tran ferreted out a Social Security number for the patient from a confidential report about her test result, then plugged that into the databases. That turned up another test the woman had taken as an unidentified "Jane Doe," shedding more light on the progress of her infection.

After roughly a week of sleuthing, she found the woman in another database: Jail bookings. Public health staff would go find the patient at the jail and offer her treatment. Because of the "Jane Doe" test results, they could assure her she would need only one shot.

"I'll take this as a big win," Tran said. "It's rare to be able to find a patient this fast."

Tran and her colleagues also help people get to the treatment they need. Behind the wheel of her white SUV, she hunted for a parking spot in an industrial stretch of the San Gabriel Valley, where she met a woman and her partner who live near railroad tracks. The couple piled into the back seat.

The woman, who asked not to be identified, said she had no idea she had syphilis before the public health team showed up to follow up on her test result. A message had been relayed to her earlier, but the county official did not say why they were calling.

When working the phones or hitting the streets, Tran does not explain why she is searching for someone, in order to avoid revealing sensitive information about their medical care.

"I can't share," she told one person at a downtown encampment, identifying herself only as being with the county. "We're just looking for them."

Holding back on details protects the privacy of the women Tran is seeking, but it can also be unnerving for people who fear they may somehow be in trouble.

The woman Tran picked up for an appointment said the efforts to reach her had initially felt "scary." Whatever the county was trying to reach her about felt like "just adding one more thing to this life of mine," she said as Tran drove them to a nearby clinic. But now "at least I'm fixing it."

Syphilis can sometimes be treated with one shot of antibiotics, but if the disease is more advanced it can take three shots given roughly a week apart. Tran cautioned the couple that depending on test results, they might have to come back the following week.

Missing the second or third shot means starting the series over, so public health officials have to keep tabs on hard-to-reach patients. And if clinics are short on bicillina key treatment that has been in limited supply this fallsome patients may need an alternative regimen that requires weeks of pills. That can be a challenge for patients who live in unstable conditions or have mental health problems, county officials said.

Public health researchers have bemoaned the soaring numbers of babies infected with syphilis as evidence of missed opportunities to serve vulnerable women, including those who are unhoused or grappling with drug addiction.

"The STD crisis has been worsening for more than a decade," said Mario Perez, director of the Division of HIV and STD Programs at the L.A. County Department of Public Health. Report after report shows that "we're losing some control. The congenital syphilis crisis epitomizes that."

The surging numbers are especially galling in a country that appeared within reach of wiping out syphilis around the turn of the millennium. Since then, tumbling rates of condom use, increased use of methamphetamine that loosens sexual inhibitions, underfunding of STD prevention and other factors have combined to reverse that progress, experts said.

The pandemic exacerbated the crisis, as day-to-day testing and treatment services were interrupted and public health teams were pulled onto COVID-19 duties. In L.A. County, for instance, routine syphilis screening for women at a county jail was suspended for roughly two years, and up to 75% of county STD prevention staff were reassigned at points in the pandemic, according to county reports.

"There are consequences when investments in public health are inadequate," said David C. Harvey, executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors. Right now, that consequence is "the death of infants."

In California, pregnant patients are legally required to be screened for syphilis at their first prenatal visit, but some never get prenatal care at all. Others have no regular phone number or address that clinicians can use to follow up with their test results and ensure they get treated. Another challenge is that the syphilis spike has been tangled with drug addiction, and many people who use drugs are hesitant to seek medical care.

Pregnant people may be "scared of going to the doctor if they use drugs or are unstably housed" because they fear those things could affect their parental rights, said Dr. Rosalyn Plotzker, a preventive medicine specialist at UC San Francisco.

Plotzker and other researchers found that California babies born with syphilis were more likely to have parents who were homeless or who used methamphetamine. But if parents who were unhoused or using meth got prenatal care, the rate of syphilis prevention was much closer to that of parents without those challenges. The findings underscore that access to care is critical, Plotzker said.

Los Angeles County launched its syphilis specialized investigation team a little over a year ago, starting with two part-time investigators. It has since expanded to five investigators with the help of a nearly $4-million annual state grant for syphilis prevention, as well as other funds. Tran said the added staffing had eased her caseload, which now stands around 10 cases at a time.

Between September 2022 and October 2023, the syphilis team was asked to find 119 people who could not be tracked down by other programs and ultimately got 26 of them treated. The remaining patients could not be located, refused treatment, or were directed to other units or agencies.

The team also seeks out partners of the women they are assigned to find, aiming to get them treated as well.

To encourage patients to take the time to get treated, the investigators offer incentives such as gift cards to grocery stores and fast-food restaurants. If people need to take weeks of pills, the county can arrange for temporary housing in Skid Row to help ensure they finish the treatment.

As Tran drove the couple back from the San Gabriel Valley clinic, the woman said she was glad she had started treatment. She had learned about neurosyphilis, which can afflict the brain after an infection, and wondered if it was tied to a psychiatric episode that she suffered in the past.

Even if syphilis had not affected her at all, "I don't want to be infected or infect other people," she said. "I want to do the right thing."

2023 Los Angeles Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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Time Variation in Hospital-Level CS and Obesity Rates Source: Authors analysis based on data from birth/hospitalization registries from Mexicos Ministry of Health (Secretaria de Salud, SSA).Note: Obesity index (left) and C-Section (CS) rate (right) averaged within the group according to the hospital type specified in the legend, using the year 2008 as the baseline year. Hospitals were classified as low/medium/high variable change according to their observed individual linear time trend for each variable and sorted into groups of size according to it: low change (25 percent), medium (50 percent), and high (25 percent). A hospital may be in one category for obesity changes and in another when it comes to CS changes (e.g. high obesity change but medium CS change). Credit: The World Bank Economic Review (2023). DOI: 10.1093/wber/lhad022

Cesarean section (C-section) procedures have increased dramatically around the world in the recent decades. Overweight and obesity rates, common risk factors for pregnancy outcomes and for C-sections, are also on the risecreating a major health issue in low- and middle-income countries. Published in The World Bank Economic Review, new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign investigates how high obesity levels lead to hospital specializations that affect the frequency of C-sections in Mexico.

"Of course, obesity is a medical factor for C-sections; however, when we started this project, we did not believe it to be the only explanation for the high rates. Our hypothesis was that hospitals with a higher pool of obese patients become specialized in C-sections, and therefore will be more likely to perform the procedure," said study co-author Catalina Herrera-Almanza, assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, part of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) at Illinois.

The study correlates patient data from 226 public hospitals across Mexico from 2008 to 2015 with birth records that contain information on birth-type delivery, birth outcomes, and maternal characteristics.

The main analysis focuses on mothers with low-risk pregnancies to eliminate obvious medical reasons for a C-section. Thus, the sample excludes women under 18 and over 35, those carrying multiple children, births under 37 weeks of gestation, and women with more than 20 prenatal visits.

The researchers found that the individual probability of a woman having a C-section is correlated with high levels of obesity measured at the hospital level, supporting the hypothesis that doctor specialization leads to increased use of the procedure.

C-section rates in Mexico doubled from 23 percent in the 1990s to 46 percent in 2016, which is well beyond the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommended rate of 1015%. At the same time, at least 72 percent of the adult population in the country is overweight or obese.

"Mexico has one of the highest C-section rates in Latin America, but there are huge differences across different sectors. The private sector uses C-sections very intensively, while it's used a lot less in public hospitals," said co-author Fernanda Marquez-Padilla, Centro de Estudios Economicos, El Colegio de Mexico.

The research team ruled out other factors driving the increase in C-sections, including maternal characteristics such as education and age. To exclude the possibility of women selecting a hospital based on specialization, the study limited the analysis to municipalities with no more than one facility. Moreover, as these are public hospitals where payment doesn't depend on procedure, there are no monetary incentives for doctors.

"The study is conducted within a public health care setting that is resource-constrained and hence the lessons we learn from this context are likely to be informative for other developing countries. The findings are likely to be useful for countries that are following a similar path in terms of increasing C-section rates and obesity trends," Marquez-Padilla noted.

The hospital data do not include obesity information for individual women, so the researchers constructed a measure that allows them to gauge the overall obesity rate for hospitals. They used patient discharge data to identify obesity-related diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease, to create a hospital-level obesity index.

"We built this obesity measure from discharge records using ICD codes, the WHO medical classification of health data. Our paper makes an important methodological contribution as we design a reliable obesity proxy, which can be used by other researchers in different countries, as long as there is hospital discharge data available," noted study co-author Silvia Prina, Department of Economics, Northeastern University.

Patient outcomes

The researchers also investigated the consequences of the increase in C-sections and what it means for maternal and infant health.

"We divided birth outcomes into delivery-related and delivery-unrelated, as we would only expect to see improvements in outcomes that doctors can affect," Marquez-Padilla said. "We do, in fact, find positive effects for mother survival, decreases in birth injury and birth trauma, and improvements in Apgar scores, which indicates a baby's health at birth. Furthermore, we show there's basically no effect on birth weight, which is unrelated to delivery type, except for very heavy babies, which correlate with obesity and overweight in the mother."

The study also found better outcomes for vaginal births as C-sections increased. This is likely because the riskiest vaginal births are moved to the C-section group, so the average risk of women delivering vaginally is decreasing, Marquez-Padilla said.

The researchers emphasize that these findings do not indicate C-sections are always preferable.

"C-sections are good when they're necessary, but they shouldn't be used when they're unnecessary. In an ideal world, you will want high-risk women to go to the highly specialized C-section hospitals and low-risk women to deliver at hospitals that specialize in vaginal births," Herrera-Almanza said. "One policy implication is that patients should be identified and sorted in terms of the procedure they need and be directed to the best hospital for that procedure."

Reducing maternal and infant mortality is part of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, and C-sections can help save the lives of mothers and children. However, overuse may lead to negative health consequences and waste of resources. Thus, it is important to understand how to optimize the use of the procedure in developing countries, the researchers concluded.

More information: Catalina Herrera-Almanza et al, C-Sections, Obesity, and Healthcare Specialization: Evidence from Mexico, The World Bank Economic Review (2023). DOI: 10.1093/wber/lhad022
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Mayo Clinic researchers demonstrated a nearly 20% increase in human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates among adolescents through a combination intervention approach, a new Mayo Clinic study finds. The strategy involved mailing reminders to parents about their child's eligibility for the HPV vaccine and simultaneously giving health care providers feedback about successful HPV vaccine administration among the patients they had recently seen.

The findings, published in JAMA Pediatrics, suggest health care practices could adopt this evidence-based approach to boost HPV vaccination uptake in 11- and 12-year-olds.

"HPV vaccine uptake at 60% of eligible adolescents falls short of national public health goals and lags other adolescent vaccines," says Robert Jacobson, M.D., a pediatrician in the Mayo Clinic Division of Community Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. Dr. Jacobson is a co-principal investigator of the study.

Human papillomaviruses cause viral infections transmitted sexually through skin-to-skin contact. HPV infections may occur without symptoms or signs in late adolescence or early adulthood and affect both males and females. The virus can cause several types of cancers, including of the cervix, anus, genital area, mouth and throat.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates 37,000 HPV-linked cancers occur each year in the U.S., all of which may be prevented by the HPV vaccination.

For the study, the researchers evaluated their intervention strategy at six Mayo Clinic primary care practices in Southeastern Minnesota. The investigation involved 9,242 adolescents who were due to receive at least one dose of the HPV vaccine. When parents received reminders in the mail and providers were simultaneously given feedback, 39.7% of patients got their doses due in the months that followed the interventions, as contrasted to 21.9% without the interventions.

"Our study investigated both parent- and provider-facing interventions. By targeting parents and providers, we achieved much higher improvements in HPV vaccine uptake than the use of these strategies in isolation," says Lila Finney Rutten, Ph.D., lead author and chair of the Mayo Clinic Division of Epidemiology.

The researchers say the study not only addresses the low HPV vaccination rate but also holds the potential to reshape other public health and vaccination campaigns.

More information: Lila J. Finney Rutten et al, Multilevel Implementation Strategies for Adolescent Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Uptake, JAMA Pediatrics (2023). DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2023.4932 Journal information: JAMA Pediatrics
Former Baltimore Police Detective Daniel Hersl, who earned a reputation as a particularly brutal member of the departments rogue Gun Trace Task Force on his way to federal convictions for robbing citizens, wont be released from prison yet.

U.S. District Judge George L. Russell III denied Hersls request for compassionate release, writing in an order Monday that the need to deter others from committing crimes akin to those committed by the disgraced detective outweighed his sympathy for Hersl, who has terminal cancer.

The nature and circumstances of the offense are extremely serious, Russell wrote. The defendant and others within the criminal organization used their legally authorized police powers to commit violent robberies against Baltimore city residents. The defendant and his co-conspirators not only irreparably damaged the victims of their criminal acts but the reputation of the Baltimore City Police Department and the many law abiding public servants therein.

A message certainly needs to be sent, the judge continued, that if you commit criminal conduct or otherwise engage in a racketeering conspiracy you will be held accountable and punished.

In addition to participating in a criminal conspiracy with other members of the since-disbanded Gun Trace Task Force, a jury in 2018 found Hersl guilty of robbing citizens and extensive overtime fraud. A judge sentenced him to 18 years in federal prison.

Baltimore City Police Det. Daniel Hersl, of Joppa, was one of the officers convicted in the Gun Trace Task Force scandal.

Slated for release in 2031, according to court documents, Hersl filed in October for compassionate release because of a prostate cancer diagnosis deemed terminal. Doctors in Missouri, where Hersl is in a federal prison medical facility, found his cancer had spread to his ribs, lungs, lymph nodes and liver, estimating in September that Hersl had 18 months to live. The former detective cited the prognosis in his request to spend his remaining months with family in Maryland.

William B. Purpura, Hersls attorney, included in a filing messages that his client sent him from prison.

My tailbone and ribs are in constant pain and my reaction time and body movements are really slowing down.  When I lay in bed at nite [sic] my body trembles so violently and my heart races so fast that I wonder if I will even awake in the morning. Bill[,] Im scared. I hope I can at least make the trip home to spend time with my son & family before my days are done, Hersl wrote to his attorney Nov. 15.

In another filing, Purpura foreshadowed a painful death and said the federal prison system was ill-equipped to provide the palliative care Hersl needed.

Federal prosecutors objected to Hersls request, conceding that his diagnosis met one legal criteria for compassionate release, but that his crimes and record in prison outweighed his illness.

A terminal diagnosis is indisputably devastating news for the defendant and his friends and family, prosecutors wrote. The defendants prognosis, however, does not end the compassionate release inquiry.  Here, the defendant used his uniform and his gun to rob victims, and he and his co-conspirators caused immeasurable damage to the criminal justice system and to the community in Baltimore City. The defendant has expressed no remorse, and he accepts no responsibility for his conduct.

Hersl had two infractions while incarcerated, for refusing to obey an order in 2020 and disruptive conduct in 2022, according to court records.

In his order, Russell described the infractions as noteworthy.

His behavior, the judge wrote, demonstrates a continued lack of personal accountability.
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Credit: Rice University

Psychologist Myrthe Jansen conducted research into the performance monitoring that constantly takes place in our heads. People with obsessive-compulsive symptoms are more afraid to make a mistake that harms others than when they make a mistake that only harms themselves. Jansen received her Ph.D. on 16 November.

When driving a car, you unconsciously pay attention to staying neatly on your side of the road and you adjust the steering when things threaten to go wrong. When you talk to someone, you constantly pay attention to whether your conversation partner is misinterpreting your words, or whether you are not saying anything wrong.

Unless there is something wrong with the performance monitoring in your brain, explains Myrthe Jansen (Clinical Psychology). "People with borderline personality disorder, for example, have less performance monitoring or they respond less to it. In people with depression or an anxiety or obsessive-compulsive disorder, on the contrary, performance monitoring is tightly tuned, which we see reflected in increased brain activity after making mistakes." The latter is also true in people without disorders, but who are more rigid or cautious.

Obsessive-compulsive symptoms

Jansen conducted behavioral experiments in healthy people with more or fewer obsessive-compulsive symptoms. "We had them do computer tasks where it was inevitable that you would make mistakes, because you have to react very quickly." They could earn a money bonus, with each mistake made reducing the money bonus. Sometimes a mistake did not cost the subject but another participant money. While they were performing the task, an EEG (electroencephalogram) was taken that reflected brain activity.

"What was striking about our findings was that the EEGs of people who were more rigid and had more constraint symptoms showed increased error-related activity in their brains when the consequences of the error were for another person. These individuals also said themselves that they are more afraid of an error that harms another person, a social error, than of an error that harms themselves."

Jansen can explain this from practical experience, though. "People with an obsessive-compulsive disorder drive three laps around a roundabout, for example, to ward off the thought of something happening to a loved one. Many people with obsessive-compulsive disorder are characterized by heightened feelings of responsibility and are afraid of making mistakes that could harm others.

"Our healthy participants with more obsessive-compulsive symptoms also mentioned these feelings; they could possibly explain the increased error-related brain activity, which you can observe on EEG when someone catches themselves making a mistake, after social errors.

"We are looking for biomarkers, things you can measure in the body that are a clear indication of obsessive-compulsive disorder," says Jansen. With that, you can help diagnose such disorders. But the results also guide further research into possible treatments for these. "We identify situations that enhance or reduce error-related activity in the brain. These could possibly be used for exposure therapy: therapy in which you expose people to situations they find difficult, in order to learn to deal with them better."

Jansen now works as a researcher at Statistics Netherlands (CBS). Her Ph.D. research consists of a whole series of experiments on performance monitoring. She also looked at the effects of hormonal fluctuations in women. "I compared the error-related activity between women who are or are not on the oral contraceptive pill. I also compared that activity at two phases in the menstrual cycle."

No results came out of this to help explain why menstruating women really need a lot of chocolate. "Follow-up research is definitely needed; this was only an exploration with a small research group. But we did find tentative indications that hormones affect error processing in the brain." That follow-up research will come from Jansen's supervisor Ellen de Bruijn.
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COVID-19 raced through nursing homes many times over the past few years, as the virus spread rapidly among vulnerable older adults living close together.

But a new study shows the virus can leave a lasting impact toomaking the older adults who live in these facilities more dependent on staff to help them with basic daily activities for months after their infection. They also experience a decline in their brain function.

These long COVID effects came to light in a detailed analysis led by researchers from Michigan Medicine, the University of Michigan's academic medical center. They compared a group of nursing home residents who had COVID-19 with a similar group who had not, and looked at their physical and mental functioning for up to a year.

On average, nursing home residents who caught COVID-19 and survived had effects that lasted about nine months. In addition, 30% of those who had a confirmed case of COVID-19 died during the study follow-up period, more than twice the percentage that died in the comparison group.

The results are published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society by a team led by former U-M geriatrics fellow Sophie Clark, M.D., now at the University of Colorado, and Lona Mody, M.D., M.Sc., interim chief of the division of geriatrics and palliative medicine at the U-M Medical School, and staff physician at VA Ann Arbor Health care System.

The study's authors also included Lillian Min, M.D., M.S.H.S., a geriatrician and, like Mody, a member of the U-M Institute for Health Care Policy and Innovation.

Comparing two groups over time

The researchers looked at data from two Michigan nursing homes, focusing on residents who lived there between 2019 and 2022. They were able to study full data on 90 nursing home residents who tested COVID-19 positive on a PCR test between March 2020 and October 2021, and 81 residents who lived in the same nursing homes during that time but did not test positive.

The majority were women, over age 80 and were white and non-Hispanic. Half had dementia, and all had multiple chronic health conditions. Nearly all of those who had COVID during the study period were unvaccinated at the time they got infected.

The team looked at the patients' scores on two standard scales that nursing homes use to measure residents' physical and mental functioning, and report in a system called the Minimum Data Set.

The researchers examined each patient's scores from before the pandemic and over the next year. They had at least four quarterly measurements for each one, showing how much assistance they needed for daily activities such as dressing, going to the toilet and bathing, and how they scored on basic cognitive tasks such as repeating and recalling words, and knowing what year, month and day it is.

"Before the pandemic, the two groups scored about the same on both their need for help with activities of daily living, or ADL, and their cognitive status," said Clark. "But the patients who tested positive for COVID showed a sudden decline in both measurements that lasted long after their infection."

Rapid decline and some recovery

"Nursing home residents who had had COVID-19 experienced new decline in their function and needed substantially more help with daily activities after their acute infection period, lasting for months," said Mody. "This places an even greater burden on nursing home staff, who are already stretched thin."

The good news was that COVID survivors without dementia gradually regained their ability to do daily activities, and were nearly on par with the uninfected group by the end of a year post-infection.

Those with dementia continued to decline, faster than their peers who had dementia but had not had COVID-19.

On the cognitive test, patients showed a rapid decline immediately after COVID infection, and stayed far below the uninfected group for monthsthough both groups had about the same cognitive results by the end of a year.

The researchers note that the measures taken to protect nursing home residents from coronavirus infections in 2020 and 2021, including reducing visiting options and social activities, may have contributed to the overall decline in both groups.

The researchers note that recent data shows that COVID vaccination can reduce the risk of long COVID. So the experience of the patients in their study (who mostly caught COVID before vaccines were available) may not match what is happening today in vaccinated nursing home residents.

"This is especially true for those who have gotten the updated vaccine that became available in September," said Mody. "We encourage all nursing home residents and staff, and the family members who visit these homes, to get vaccinated and help prevent more cases of acute and long COVID in this especially vulnerable population."

More information: Sophie E. Clark et al, Postacute sequelae of SARSCoV2 (PASC) in nursing home residents: A retrospective cohort study, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (2023). DOI: 10.1111/jgs.18678 Journal information: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
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Direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) remain underutilized in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), according to a study presented at The Liver Meeting, the annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, held from Nov. 10 to 14 in Boston.

Leslie Yeeman Kam, M.D., from the Stanford University Medical Center in California, and colleagues assessed the proportion of patients with HCV-related HCC who received DAAs after 2014, as well as factors associated with treatment receipt. The analysis included 3,922 patients with HCV-related HCC identified from Optum's Clinformatics Data Mart Database (2015 to 2021).

The researchers found that 23.5 percent of patients received DAAs. Higher odds of receiving DAA treatment were seen for younger individuals (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 0.98), those being seen by a gastroenterologist or infectious disease (with or without oncology) physician (aHR, 3.06), and those with cirrhosis (aHRs, 1.60 and 1.45 for compensated and decompensated, respectively).

No differences were seen by sex or race/ethnicity. Five-year survival was significantly higher in DAA-treated patients versus untreated patients (47.2 versus 35.2 percent). The Charlson Comorbidity Index, HCC treatment, and receiving DAA treatment remained significantly associated with lower mortality (aHR, 0.61) when adjusting for age, sex, race, and ethnicity.

"Although those who received DAA treatment had a significantly better five-year survival, DAA treatment remains underutilized even in the sickest of patients with HCV who are insured, as less than one in four patients were treated," the authors write.

Copyright  2023 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
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It's National Family Caregiver Month, and more than 6 million caregivers in California know the challenges that come with caring for a family member or friend over the age of 18.

Research from the Family Caregiving Institute at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis sheds new light on those providing care and how intense and diverse that care can be.

In the fourth year of the "Picking Up the Pace of Change: Scaling Services for a Changing Caregiver Profile" project, program evaluators examined data from more than 5,000 clients of the California Caregiver Resource Centers (CCRCs). Eleven community-based nonprofit agencies make up the statewide CCRC network, the first such network in the nation. People living in the Sacramento region turn to the Del Oro Caregiver Resource Center.

"We explored beyond the typical sociodemographic factors such as age, gender, sexual orientation, and financial resources. When examining a caregiver's cultural background, race, ethnicity, religious affiliation, and rurality, we discovered they carry different expectations for caregiving in the family and how they work with each other," said Heather M. Young, co-principal investigator on the study. "All of these aspects of diversity really mean that there's no one-size-fits-all strategy to support caregivers."

Researchers discovered that compared to caregivers in other surveyssuch as the California Health Interview Survey and the Caregiving in the United States survey the CRCC caregivers tended to be older (about 40% were over 65) and more diverse. Slightly fewer than half reported their race and ethnicity as other than white and non-Hispanic.

Among the more than 5,000 clients surveyed this past year, most:

Are females between 45 and 84 years old with partners

Provide care for someone with Alzheimer's disease or dementia

Spend more than 40 hours per week providing care

Receive no paid help

"We determined that as caregivers get older, the intensity of the care they provide increases. Furthermore, the highest intensity of care was among those who identified in racial and ethnic groups other than white and non-Hispanic and those with income below the federal poverty level," co-principal investigator Janice F. Bell explained. "Surveys with random samples do not fully capture the experiences of caregivers like those served by the CCRCs who are engaged in intense and complex care."

Expanding services, improving outcomes

In 2019, the California Department of Health Care Services awarded the CCRCs $30 million for the project. Two years later, ongoing annual funding was established at $15 million and is administered by the California Department of Aging.

To expand and improve family caregiver services and enhance CCRC information technology services by 2022, CareNav was fully deployed. The online system collects data on individuals using CCRC services. This includes a uniform caregiver assessment, a record of services provided, consumer information, care plans, forms and secure communications.

In the past year, the CCRCs:

Served more than 900,000 caregivers (of which more than 5,000 were surveyed) and engaged 28,000 participants in educational offerings, including state-wide offerings in multiple languages

Enhanced outreach to diverse communities

"Care consultants at the CCRCs do an initial assessment with a client then set them up with access to the CareNav portal. Through the portal, clients can securely share messages with their care consultant, who provides tailored education, support, and resources to meet the client's specific needs," Bell said.

Since the project began four years ago, more than 19,000 clients have participated in the surveys, and while their caregiving burden is immense, there are bright spots. When caregivers use CCRC services, their strain, loneliness, and symptoms of depression improve. The evaluation team also concluded that public outreach increased, and educational programs offered by CRC nearly doubled.

Next steps

California is one of the nation's most diverse states, with more than 1,200 different ethnic groups represented in the state. Beyond the diversity in people, there are disparities across counties in assets and available resources.

Based on the data gleaned from this report, the California Department of Aging has asked the UC Davis team to develop a statewide equity plan for caregivers. They want to identify gaps in services and support for caregivers along several dimensions of diversity, including race, ethnicity, rurality, veteran status, and sexual orientation. The work supports the fourth goal of the state's Master Plan for Aging.

"Health equity is a public health safety issue to the extent to which there are disparities in health and health care. We are excited to be working with the state on developing an equity plan for caregivers, and in the course of that work, what we're going to be doing is using the data that we have from that," Young said.

Young and Bell continue to collaborate with the CRCs as well as other advisers, experts, caregivers, and care recipients themselves. The goal is to develop the plan and share the findings, including opportunities for improvement. California leads in health equity and support for caregivers, so the results may be useful to other states.

"We have a tremendous opportunity in California right now with projects and specific investments that are going to advance this agenda," Young said.
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A schematic diagram of Safeghi Goughari's experimental setup. Credit: Moslem Sadeghi Goughari

Engineers from the University of Waterloo are harnessing artificial intelligence to help doctors better see and control a non-invasive cancer treatment and, in the process, save lives.

Their imaging system will allow for the safer and more effective use of high-intensity, focused ultrasound to destroy a wide range of cancerous, often deadly, tumors.

"We are addressing a huge challenge for focused ultrasound treatment," explained project leader Moslem Sadeghi Goughari, a research associate in the university's Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering. "Our imaging system can tell doctors exactly how much of a cancerous tissue is destroyed. And it's the first AI-powered ultrasound technique developed for focused ultrasound treatment."

The research paper, "Artificial-intelligence-assisted ultrasound-guided focused ultrasound therapy: a feasibility study," has been published in the International Journal of Hypothermia.

Focused ultrasound treatment uses high-frequency sound waves to deliver a strong beam that heatsand killscancer cells. In use since the 1970s, it has been used to treat prostate, breast, liver and other cancers without surgery that requires incisions.

But while focused ultrasound treatment can be done as day surgery and allows for a quicker, more pain-free patient recovery, it has serious drawbacks that limit its widespread use. It is difficult to control with precision which means the treatment can inadvertently damage healthy tissue near a tumor or leave part of a tumor untreated, which allows a cancer to spread.

For Sadeghi Goughari and his three engineering colleagues, accurate monitoring of this therapeutic treatment as it is happening is the key to solving these problems. With no effective enough solution available, they set about developing their own system.

For hardware, they adopted a focused ultrasound transducer (a device that converts energy from one form to another) to deliver ultrasound energy to a targeted area. They also employed an ultrasound imaging probe to capture images at the area where the ultrasound energy is directed. Given that the area being ablated is tinytypically in the range of millimeters to centimetersaligning the ultrasound probe and transducer was critical for proper monitoring. The researchers used a robotic arm to ensure alignment, enabling them to obtain exact images even as the transducer moved during treatment.

For software, they developed an artificial intelligence (AI) framework integrated with the imaging procedure. During treatment, the AI compares the ultrasound images taken before and after the application at an extremely rapid rate. The framework can handle 45 frames of ultrasound images every second, fast enough to be combined with ultrasound imaging systems for real-time monitoring of focused ultrasound treatment. It can detect what happens in the treatment area in less than 22 milliseconds.

Due to this speed, the system can detect how much of a tumor has been destroyed with a 93% accuracy rate. Sadeghi Goughari said this means a doctor could detect "the ablated area margin with accuracy in the range of micrometers." This could help surgeons better control focused ultrasound treatment, both in terms of destroying a tumor and avoiding damage to healthy tissue.

The team will build on the promising research results by expanding their method and tracking the growth of a treated area in real-time during the treatment.

Medical specialists have given the technology positive feedback with interest from Dr. Jung Suk Sim, Medical Director at the Withsim Clinic in South Korea, to adopt the system for clinical use.

More information: Moslem Sadeghi-Goughari et al, Artificial intelligence-assisted ultrasound-guided focused ultrasound therapy: a feasibility study, International Journal of Hyperthermia (2023). DOI: 10.1080/02656736.2023.2260127
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A deserted Times Square during the coronavirus lockdown in New York City. Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Were lockdowns an effective response to COVID-19 or would it have been better to limit intervention and let individuals spontaneously reduce their own risk of infection? Three years on from the public health emergency that caught governments across the world off-guard, official inquiries into pandemic policy responses are gathering pace, aiming to provide a definitive answer to this hotly contested question.

In New York City, the comptroller's interim investigation concluded that the substantial dual cost of the pandemic, both in terms of lives lost and economic hardship to residents and businesses, meant that it would be "critical" that decision-makers are better prepared in future to respond "quickly, completely and effectively."

In the U.K., the Independent Inquiry charged with investigating decision-making and political governance during the pandemic has come to a similar conclusion: that government as a whole was unprepared for the significant health vs. economy trade-off decisions that needed to be made. And policymakers did not have the data or models they needed to analyze the potential consequences of the decisions they were making in real-time in response to the crisis.

Our interdisciplinary team of researchers from institutions across the world has been working since 2020 to produce an epidemic-economic model to fill this gap and this week we launched our work in Nature Human Behaviour. Our model is ground-breaking in being based on real granular data, simulating the economic and epidemic outcomes of each individual of a synthetic population representative of the New York metropolitan area.

New York City's COVID experience played a vital role in the model's development. Some 440,000 New Yorkers volunteered to have their phone movements tracked in a privacy-preserving manner, which provided valuable epidemiological information for our study. Our modeling was then tested using data from New York City's responses to COVID-19 and it accurately predicted both death rates and the impact on the city's economy of the first wave of the pandemic.

For instance, the model predicted the striking disparities in unemployment between certain areas of Manhattan, where most workers were able to switch to working from home, versus areas in the Bronx and Queens, where the majority of workers were engaged in in-person, non-essential occupations and so lost their jobs. The model correctly predicted that parts of Bronx and Queens were facing up to six times more unemployment compared to the most affluent areas of Manhattan.

So, what does our novel model tell us about pandemic decision-making? Specifically, are the economic costs of lockdowns worth the public health benefits? Those who supported the lockdowns have argued that, if the virus had spread uncontrolled, not only would more people have become ill and died, but the economy would have suffered even more damage than the near-term effects of lockdowns as more illness and more fear would have hurt economic activity for even longer. So, under this view, there really is not a trade-off between health and the economy as minimizing health risks also maximizes the economic outcomes.

In contrast, those arguing against the lockdowns claimed that letting at-risk individuals (e.g., the elderly and those with compromised immune systems) act individually to reduce their risk of infection while the rest of the population carried on would have led to both better epidemic and economic outcomes, also with no trade-off.

Our quantitative, evidence-based research suggests that both camps are wrong. There are very real trade-offs and poor policy design can lead to risks for both lives and livelihoods. So, the challenge is to find policies that balance those risks. Again, our model provides a tool for doing that and enables policymakers to explore a range of scenarios and responses. While future pandemics would have different specifics, our analyses provided three general conclusions from the COVID experience:

First, closing non-customer-facing industries such as manufacturing and construction is not necessarily helpful, having little impact on infections but significantly increasing unemployment. Untargeted, blanket lockdowns were sub-optimal.

Second, delaying the start of protective measures does little to help the economy and worsens epidemic outcomes in all scenarios. Delays in response were very costly. The faster policymakers respond the better it is for both health and the economy.

Third, low-income workers bore the brunt of economic and epidemic harm caused by the pandemic, including job losses and infections (due to a lower propensity to work from home).

There is, therefore, an important inequality aspect to take into consideration when designing policies. Stricter lockdown and stronger behavior change lead to more jobs lost and to more lives saved among low-income workers, while they make less of a difference to high-income workers. Thus, if policymakers judge that stricter lockdowns are necessary for overall public health, stronger economic relief is required for low-income workers, and likewise if lockdowns are eased or avoided, more public health support is needed for low-income families.

From a policy perspective, the results in our paper show the importance of targeted policies. The quick closure of customer-facing industries is highly effective at reducing epidemic spreadingespecially when enacted early. To complement such a policy, income-support schemes could target specific occupational categories, such as food preparation and serving of personal care and services, rather than workers in general, such as those engaged in construction, maintenance, production, extraction and repair occupations.

Our results could be instrumental to the design of policies aimed at reducing the health and economic impact of pandemics as well as reducing inequalities by protecting low-income segments of the population in future health emergencies. In this way, New York's painful pandemic experience has helped shape a new tool that will improve the world's response to future events.
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Long-term acute care hospitals (LTCHs) are common sites of post-acute care for patients recovering from severe respiratory failure requiring long-term mechanical ventilation. Because of longer lengths of stay compared to regular, short-stay hospitals, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) reimburses LTCHs at higher rates. However, since 2005, CMS implemented a series of reforms designed to restrict their growth and curb spending resulting in many LTCH closings.

While it was unclear whether these closures affected patient care patterns at short-stay hospitals and overall patient outcome, a new study from researchers at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, has found that discharge patterns changed while overall spending on mechanically ventilated patients decreased following LTCH closures. The findings appear online in JAMA Network Open.

According to the researchers, CMS payment reform was intended to divert less-sick, less-complex patients from higher-cost LTCHs to lower-cost skilled nursing facilities, while reserving LTCHs for complex patients like those on prolonged mechanical ventilation.

"But because the downstream effect was for some LTCHs to close entirely, we found that LTCH closures affected some in-hospital and discharge practices in unintended ways. For example, at hospitals that depended on a closing LTCH, people receiving prolonged mechanical ventilation were discharged to skilled nursing facilities more often," explained corresponding author Anica Law, MD, MS, assistant professor of medicine at the school.

"These are patients that CMS reform intended to keep at LTCHs, and it's not known if skilled nursing facilities are as well-equipped to handle the complexities of long-term mechanical ventilation."

To estimate how CMS payment reform and subsequent LTCH closures might affect hospital practice patterns and patient outcomes, the researchers identified all the LTCHs that closed in the last decade. They then compared outcomes at hospitals that had a close relationship with a closing LTCH (in the year before and after LTCH closure) to matched hospitals that did not use closing LTCHs.

While most hospitals were not impacted by LTCH closure, those that were saw fewer LTCH transfers and decreased spending on mechanically ventilated patients. Further, among patients who required prolonged mechanical ventilation, code status changes to "do not resuscitate" (DNR) also increased, possibly related to the decrease in post-acute facility availability for long-term care. They did not see significant changes in mortality.

"It's reassuring that mortality did not change after LTCH closures, but it will be important to explore whether there are other important differences in outcomes, such as complication rates, patient/family satisfaction, and functional rehabilitation because of changes in discharge location. It's also important to explore whether increases in DNR rates are actually what patients and their families want, or if that happens due to pressures from having fewer discharge options," added Law, who also is a pulmonary and critical care physician at Boston Medical Center.

More information: Care and Outcomes of Mechanically Ventilated Patients after Long-term Acute Care Hospital Closures, JAMA Network Open (2023). Journal information: JAMA Network Open
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Hearing loss affects more than 60 percent of adults aged 70 and older in the United States and is known to be related to an increased risk of dementia. The reason for this association is not fully understood.

To better understand the connection, a team of University of California San Diego and Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute researchers employed hearing tests and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to determine whether hearing impairment is associated with differences in specific brain regions.

In the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, researchers reported that individuals enrolled in this observational study who had hearing impairment exhibited microstructural differences in the auditory areas of the temporal lobe and in areas of the frontal cortex involved with speech and language processing, as well as areas involved with executive function.

"These results suggest that hearing impairment may lead to changes in brain areas related to the processing of sounds, as well as in areas of the brain that are related to attention. The extra effort involved with trying to understand sounds may produce changes in the brain that lead to increased risk of dementia," said principal investigator Linda K. McEvoy, Ph.D., UC San Diego Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science professor emeritus.

"If so, interventions that help reduce the cognitive effort required to understand speechsuch as the use of subtitles on television and movies, live captioning or speech-to-text apps, hearing aids, and visiting with people in quiet environments instead of noisy spacescould be important for protecting the brain and reduce the risk of dementia."

McEvoy designed and led the study while at UC San Diego, in collaboration with Reas and UC San Diego School of Medicine investigators who gathered data from the Rancho Bernardo Study of Health Aging, a longitudinal cohort study of residents of the Rancho Bernardo suburb in San Diego that launched in 1972. For this analysis, 130 study participants underwent hearing threshold tests in research clinic visits between 2003 and 2005 and subsequently had MRI scans between 2014 and 2016.

The study results show that hearing impairment is associated with regionally specific brain changes that may occur due to sensory deprivation and the increased effort required to understand auditory processing stimulations.

"The findings emphasize the importance of protecting one's hearing by avoiding prolonged exposure to loud sounds, wearing hearing protection when using loud tools, and reducing the use of ototoxic medications," said co-author Emilie T. Reas, Ph.D., assistant professor at the UC San Diego School of Medicine.

More information: Linda K. McEvoy et al, Elevated Pure Tone Thresholds Are Associated with Altered Microstructure in Cortical Areas Related to Auditory Processing and Attentional Allocation, Journal of Alzheimer's Disease (2023). DOI: 10.3233/JAD-230767 Journal information: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease
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Perimenopausal women need better education and support about how their periods might change towards the end of their reproductive life, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.

The research, published in Post Reproductive Health, highlighted how, as women approach menopause, their periods may become unpredictable and heavy and cause worse premenstrual symptomsincluding mood swings, breast tenderness, and headaches.

The team of researchers from the UCL EGA Institute of Women's Health and Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, interviewed 31 perimenopausal women aged between 40 and 55 who lived in the UK.

Almost all of the women spoke of having unpredictable periods that accompanied the perimenopauseincluding changes in cycle length, period duration, and the amount of blood flow. This was the case even if their periods had been regular throughout the rest of their lives.

Most women stated that due to these constant and unpredictable changes, it was challenging to commit to plans in case they coincided with a period that would leave them unable to cope (either emotionally or physically) outside of their home.

Additionally, many women talked about the increased heaviness of their periods during the perimenopause. This could result in them being caught off-guard and left in embarrassing situations or having lower iron levels, which left them exhausted in ways they had not previously experienced.

Premenstrual symptoms were also described as being more intense and lasting much longer than before. This ranged from new feelings of anxiety to uncontrollable mood swings and generally longer periods of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS).

Senior author Professor Joyce Harper (UCL EGA Institute for Women's Health) said, "We need to be sure that perimenopausal women understand how their periods might change at this time in their lives and that we need to be supporting perimenopausal women as their periods become unpredictable, heavy, or have worse premenstrual symptoms. All of these factors can affect the working life and mental well-being of women going through the perimenopause."

All of the women interviewed described numerous ways they needed support in managing their periods.

Suggestions included extra support in the workplace, such as working from home to reduce anxiety around unpredictable periods, greater sympathy from managers and colleagues, as well as mandatory managerial training, and more consistent and earlier education in schools.

Many of the women also desired emotional support as they navigated mood swings and other bodily changesparticularly from their husbands, children, and friends.

While the women said that having friends or mothers that they could confide in about their experiences was comforting, many also desired additional help from support groups where they could meet people with similar experiences and be reassured that they are not alone.

Experts at UCL, including Professor Harper, have recently announced plans for the UK's first menopause education and support program.

The new program, which is in partnership with two charities, Well-being of Women and Sophia Forum, and with support from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the British Menopause Society, aims to provide education and support for women across the UK experiencing menopause, to help them gain a greater understanding of what is happening to their bodies.

Professor Harper said, "This study offers valuable insight into the impact of periods on the well-being of perimenopausal women."

"Most negative menstrual experiences stem from a lack of education about what is and isn't normal and when to seek medical care. Early, inclusive, and comprehensive menstrual education is vital for everyone, alongside specialized women's health training for health care professionals. Empowering women with knowledge aids self-advocacy and informed treatment choices. We have conducted a similar study in schools with 49 15-year-old girls, and they felt they needed more education and support around menstruation."

"Finally, accessible support is essential for each woman's perimenopause journey. We hope to make this possible for more women through our plans for the UK's first menopause education program."

More information: Joyce Harper et al, Perimenopausal women's voices: how does their period at the end of reproductive life affect wellbeing?, Post Reproductive Health (2023). DOI: 10.1177/20533691231216162
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Chromatin landscape of the glioma GWAS locus rs55705857 in the melanocyte lineage. Credit: Oncotarget (2023). DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.28451

A new editorial paper titled "Predicting the molecular functions of regulatory genetic variants associated with cancer" has been published in Oncotarget.

Some of inherited human genetic variation can contribute to important phenotypic diversity, such as the varying degrees of individual susceptibility to developing certain health conditions and individual response to therapeutic interventions. To date, over 490,000 genotype-phenotype associations have been discovered through large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS); however, molecular functions of most of these discovered GWAS variants remain unknown.

In their recent editorial, researchers Jun S. Song and Mohith Manjunath from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign discuss computational methods of genetic analysis using expression quantitative trait loci, frameworks for predicting regulatory genetic functions, application to transcription factors involved in cancer development and progression, and future implications for their methods in cancer research and precision medicine.

"There are several technical challenges hindering our understanding," the researchers preface their argument.

First, the effect size of a typical genetic variantas measured in terms of the odds ratio of genotype occurrence in case versus control populationsis very small, suggesting that macroscopic systems-level phenotypic differences modulated by each variant may also be small and difficult to detect. Next, most reported variants reside in non-protein-coding regions of the human genome, indicating that they are likely affecting the regulation of some unknown target genes' expression. Finally, the discovered variants may not be functional themselves, but may be merely in genetic linkage disequilibrium with other functional variants.

"A promising approach to address these challenges is to integrate genomic, epigenomic, transcriptomic and machine learning methods to identify functional genetic variants and characterize their mode of action in regulating target genes," the researchers posit.

More information: Jun S. Song et al, Predicting the molecular functions of regulatory genetic variants associated with cancer, Oncotarget (2023). DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.28451 Journal information: Oncotarget

Provided by Impact Journals LLC
The Baltimore County Fire Department will contract an outside consultant to help it comply with a new oversight agreement with the federal government after it settled sexual harassment claims with 11 female firefighters for $275,000 this fall.

The Baltimore County Council voted Monday to approve a $430,250 contract with Progressive Management Resources, a Pasadena, California, company that specializes in helping companies comply with employment, fair housing, public accommodation and consumer protection laws, according to its website.

The council voted unanimously to approve the contract without discussion.

The contract runs through March 6, 2026, when the fire departments consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice ends, but the county may terminate the contract at any time with written notice.

Progressive Management Resources will help the fire department revise its internal investigation and complaint policies, develop and conduct a survey to determine employees views about the departments workplace climate, according to council fiscal notes.

The fire department agreed to settle with the Justice Department in September after the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission accused it of failing to properly investigate claims that a former male fire inspector sexually harassed his female coworkers, and that the women were subjected to a hostile work environment beginning in June 2017.

Baltimore County officials determined that Fire Specialist Steven Lee had sent explicit photos of female fire department coworkers via Facebook to male coworkers, posted intimate photos of them on a revenge porn website and had solicited photos of female fire staff from other male employees.

Instead of firing Lee, the fire department allowed him to resign and did not inform his complainants about the status of the investigation, according to federal court documents.

Instead of determining whether Lee still had intimate photos of the women when he left county employment in November 2017, the department held a 15-minute anti-harassment online training in August 2018.

The county agreed to pay 11 victims $275,000 to settle the case in September.

Members of the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 1311, the union representing Baltimore County firefighters and paramedics, voted last summer that they had no confidence in Assistant Fire Chief Jennifer Aubert-Utz, who had received a complaint about Lee in July 2017, according to federal documents.

Another vote of no confidence in Fire Chief Joanne Rund failed then, too.
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Neuromelanin-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging (NM-MRI) contrast is associated with psychosis severity in antipsychotic-free patients with schizophrenia, according to a study published online Nov. 8 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Kenneth Wengler, Ph.D., from Columbia University in New York City, and colleagues conducted a cross-sectional study involving 42 antipsychotic-free patients with schizophrenia, 53 antipsychotic-free individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR), and 52 matched healthy controls to replicate previous findings relating NM-MRI, a proxy measure of dopamine function, to psychosis severity. Data were also included for an external validation sample of 16 antipsychotic-naive patients with schizophrenia.

The researchers found that higher Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale positive total scores correlated with higher mean NM-MRI contrast in the psychosis regions of interest (ROI) in the schizophrenia sample.

No significant association was found between a higher Structured Interview for Psychosis-Risk Syndromes positive total score and NM-MRI contrast in the psychosis ROI in the CHR sample. In held-out test data, the 10-fold cross-validated prediction accuracy of psychosis severity was above chance; prediction accuracy of external validation was also above chance.

"We provided a direct replication of the in-sample association between NM-MRI contrast and psychosis severity in antipsychotic-free schizophrenia. In turn, we failed to replicate such an association with CHR," the authors write.

Wengler disclosed having filed patents for the analysis and use of NM-MRI in central nervous system disorders.

More information: Kenneth Wengler et al, Generalizability and Out-of-Sample Predictive Ability of Associations Between Neuromelanin-Sensitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Psychosis in Antipsychotic-Free Individuals, JAMA Psychiatry (2023). DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2023.4305 Journal information: JAMA Psychiatry

Copyright  2023 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
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Salmonella-tainted cantaloupe has landed 17 people in the hospital, warns the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

At least 43 people across 15 states and Canada have been sickened in the outbreak, which are linked to several different brands of whole and pre-cut cantaloupe, the CDC says. No deaths have been reported.

Salmonella is the most common form of bacterial food poisoning in the United States, according to the Cleveland Clinic. It causes diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and fever.

The true number of people infected with salmonella in this outbreak likely is even higher, the CDC says, because many recover without care and are never tested for the bacteria.

Several brands linked to the outbreak have been recalled. They include:

Malachita brand whole cantaloupes sold in Arizona, California, Maryland, New Jersey, Tennessee, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Texas, and Florida between Oct. 16 and 23

Vinyard brand pre-cut cantaloupe in cubes, melon medleys and fruit medleys, sold in Oklahoma between Oct. 30 and Nov. 10

Aldi whole cantaloupe and pre-cut fruit products sold between Oct. 27 and Oct. 31 at Aldi stores in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan and Wisconsin

Investigators are working to identify any additional cantaloupe products that may be contaminated, the CDC says.

Canada is investigating an outbreak with the same strain of salmonella, the CDC says. They found the strain in a sample of Malachita-brand cantaloupe grown in Mexico.

People should not eat any of the recalled cantaloupe or fruit products, the CDC says. Throw them away or return them to the store where you bought them.

It's also recommended that any items or surfaces that touched the tainted fruit be washed thoroughly with hot soapy water or a dishwasher.

Folks should call their doctor if they have any of these severe salmonella symptoms:

Diarrhea and a fever over 102 degrees

Diarrhea for more than three days that's not improving

Bloody diarrhea

Vomiting that prevents you from keeping liquids down

Signs of dehydration

Salmonella symptoms typically begin 6 hours to 6 days after swallowing the bacteria, according to the CDC.

Most people recover after 4 to 7 days, but some people might experience more serious illness. These include children younger than 5, seniors 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems.

More information: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have more about the salmonella outbreak, including recall notices.

Copyright  2023 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that autism is becoming more common in young children. In an effort to improve the challenges young autistic children face as part of their early development, researchers have focused on developing and evaluating nonpharmaceutical interventions that can be provided in early childhood.

Micheal Sandbank, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Health Sciences at the UNC School of Medicine, is an expert on the research supporting these early interventions, which informs clinical practice across the United States. A new comprehensive meta-analysis, led by Sandbank, shows that many low-quality studies dominate the field, and ultimately dictate intervention recommendations and patient outcomes. The results were published in the British Medical Journal.

"What our study shows is really that the evidence is poor for a lot of interventions and that we have not done a very good job of monitoring for potential adverse effects or harms," said Sandbank. "We, as pediatricians or therapists, need to be clearer with families about what that landscape of evidence looks like and then also be clear that these interventions might have negative impacts that we just don't know about."

A fractured landscape

Early intensive behavioral intervention is the "gold standard" for early autism care in the United States. The adult-led, highly structured intervention provides young autistic children with one-on-one support for 20-40 hours per week.

Some clinicians claim it is too intense, and prefer to promote more developmentally-informed interventions, which are often provided at lower intensities and can be easily embedded in the daily family routines. However, not everyone agrees.

"There's really a lot of different interventions that are available to this population, but the researchers studying them don't agree with one another," said Sandbank. "As a result, there's a fractured landscape both of what is offered and how researchers feel about what is the best support for the children and their caregivers."

A change-up in study approaches

Clinicians choose interventions for their patients based on outcomes from the most up-to-date research studies.

Several different types of studies can be used to evaluate the efficacy of a particular intervention. Often, these studies compare a group of participants who have received the intervention to participants who did not receive the intervention. Sometimes, participants are assigned to each group randomly through a randomized controlled trial. Other times, the participants are assigned to each group based on non-random factors through a quasi-experimental study.

In autism research, quasi-experimental studies have given way to randomized-controlled trials. Randomized-controlled trials can offer more accurate findings because random assignment reduces the influence of other factors that may skew the outcomes. However, a plethora of quasi-experimental studies still exist in the field and inform clinical practice.

The research team's meta-analysis, which searched all recent scientific literature and compared study methods and results for different types of interventions, found that the number of studies, including randomized controlled trials, had doubled in just four years.

However, even though randomized controlled trials are increasing, other problematic study methods are prevalent. Sandbank and her colleagues found that even when they considered evidence from randomized controlled trials alone, many of the studies had not adequately controlled for two important risks of bias: placebo-by-proxy and detection bias.

Eliminating biases and improving accuracy

Researchers strive to carefully design studies so that the answers they provide are as accurate as possible. There are cases, though, where aspects of study design threaten the accuracy of results and can make interventions appear more effective than they are.

When scientists measure outcomes through caregiver report, placebo-by-proxy bias may occur. This happens when caregivers subconsciously report better outcomes because they know their child is receiving an intervention that they believe to be effective. Even when scientists directly measure outcomes themselves, they may subconsciously overestimate the effect of the intervention if they are aware of which group each participant is assigned to, a type of bias known as detection bias.

Sandbank and her colleagues found that when they only considered the best evidence that adequately guarded against all of these risks, few of the most popular interventions had support from the best evidence.

"However, this does not mean that these interventions are not effective," said Sandbank. "What we need are more rigorous studies of the types of interventions that are offered to children and families, so that we can really understand both their positive and negative effects."

In the meantime, clinicians struggling to choose the best support for their patients can simply be more transparent about current evidence and remove absolute phrasing when presenting interventions to autistic children and their caregivers. Sandbank finds this to be especially important for supporting caregiver decision-making and their own mental health.

"Just as children can thrive with certain interventions, they can have adverse reactions, too," said Sandbank. "There are families that have very negative experiences, but they are not quick to let go of an intervention approach that is not working for them because they have been told that it is supported by incontrovertible evidence. That can cause a lot of self-doubt and self-blame."

More information: Micheal Sandbank et al, Autism intervention meta-analysis of early childhood studies (Project AIM): updated systematic review and secondary analysis, BMJ (2023). DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2023-076733 Journal information: British Medical Journal (BMJ)
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Researchers model the taxation of sugar-sweetened beverages with population health and overall health care costs in Germany. Credit: Leiada Krozjhen, Unsplash (CC0, creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en)

A simulation study conducted by a team from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) demonstrates that a soft drink tax in Germany would have significant positive effects. In all of the simulated variants evaluated, less sugar was consumed and the rate of illness dropped. This would be a way to reduce costs to the national economy and alleviate the burden on the health care system. There is, however, a difference between taxes aimed at reducing soft drink consumption and taxes aimed at bringing about changes in product formulation.

Sugary beverages increase the risk of obesity and illnesses such as diabetes. Several countries have therefore introduced taxes on soft drinks. In Germany there has been a voluntary commitment on the part of the beverage industry to reduce the sugar content of soft drinks since 2018. In early 2023, a study with the participation of Michael Laxy, Professor of Public Health and Prevention at TUM, showed that the impacts fall significantly short of the expected effects.

A team led by Michael Laxy and the University of Liverpool's Chris Kypridemos has now reported its calculations on the effects of introducing a tax in Germany. The study is published in PLOS Medicine.

"We were interested in both the short-term and long-term consequences. Therefore, we simulated the effects of the most common international taxation strategies for the time period from 2023 to 2043," says Michael Laxy.

Existing soft drink taxes can be roughly classified in one of two groups. In the United Kingdom, for example, companies have to pay levies tiered according to the volume of sugar in their soft drink formulas. In Mexico, however, the tax is added to all soft drinks independent of their sugar content.

The results from international studies show that the latter variant primarily leads to a reduction in the demand for soft drinks, while the first variant is also associated with a change in formulas, meaning less sugar in soft drinks.

Per capita consumption of sugar reduced

According to the simulation, a flat-rate 20% surcharge on soft drink prices would reduce daily sugar consumption by one gram per person. Looking at men between 30 and 49 years of age only, the amount would even be almost three grams. The impact of a 30% reduction of sugar in beverage formulas, as was observed in the United Kingdom after the introduction of a tiered levy, would have even more pronounced effects. Less sugar in beverages would reduce daily per capita consumption in Germany by 2.3 grams, or by 6.1 grams for men between 30 and 49.

The team's model simulates the situation in Germany for the period examined, using data on individual nutrition, illnesses like diabetes, health-related risk factors and official population statistics. People under 30 were not included in the simulations, since most of the modeled diseases occur predominantly in the second half of life.

"However, we know from national and international studies that soft drink consumption is highest among teenagers," says lead author Karl Emmert-Fees. "Accordingly, the average reduction of sugar consumption would be more pronounced and the positive health effects even higher if we were to include younger people."

Less illness

"A reduction in the consumption of sugar by only a few grams a day may not seem like much, given that the statistical daily sugar consumption in Germany is about 95 grams per capita. The World Health Organization and the German Nutrition Society (DGE) recommend that a maximum of ten percent of energy requirements should be covered by sugar, corresponding to approximately 50 grams per person and day," says Michael Laxy.

"However, we have to keep in mind that consumption of soft drinks varies widely across the general population. Some people drink them in large quantities, while others never drink them. The reduction in sugar consumption would be correspondingly higher for those people who consume large volumes of soft drinks."

When it comes to health effects, the models make quite a clear statement: In both taxation models there were significantly fewer cases of obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. "The figures for type 2 diabetes are particularly impressive," says Karl Emmert-Fees. "According to our models, over the next 20 years, taxation would result in as many as 244,100 fewer people becoming ill with type 2 diabetes later or not at all."

Savings of approximately 16 billion euros

According to the researchers, the positive impacts would also manifest themselves as financial savings: A tax on sugary drinks would mean less treatment of patients. Costs resulting from sick leave, inability to work and similar factors would also be reduced. The team determined national economic savings of approximately 16 billion euros for the simulated period with a tiered tax, of which about 4 billion euros is accounted for by health-care costs. A 20% flat-rate tax would still result in a total of about 9.5 billion euros.

Contribution to policy debate

According to the results of the simulation, which the team was able to replicate using a second model, a tiered manufacturer's levy would have a stronger positive impact than a flat-rate tax. "Politicians will have to decide whether or not taxation of soft drinks would be practical for Germany," says Michael Laxy.

"We want to present objective arguments for this debate. Our study shows that a tax on sugary beverages is a relevant measure for the prevention of overweight, diabetes and heart disease. Approaches such as information campaigns are justified, but are not sufficient and can only be one component of an effective overall strategy."

More information: Emmert-Fees KMF, Amies-Cull B, Wawro N, Linseisen J, Staudigel M, Peters A, et al. (2023) Projected health and economic impacts of sugar-sweetened beverage taxation in Germany: A cross-validation modelling study, PLoS Medicine (2023). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1004311 Journal information: PLoS Medicine
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

A Catholic hospital system is suing several California patients and their advocates because the patients allegedly refused to be discharged. The suits invoke a novel legal approach: accusing them of trespassing under a California law intended to stop anti-abortion protesters from blocking access to health facilities.

Dignity Health has filed three lawsuits in Sacramento County accusing patients of "commercial blockade" for refusing to vacate hospital beds even though the health care provider had deemed them medically and legally eligible to either go home or go to another facility. Dignity alleges the patients "unreasonably and unlawfully" refused discharge, disrupting its ability to serve others at a time when health facilities were overwhelmed by COVID-19.

Relatives and advocates say the patients were exercising their right to be discharged to a facility that offered appropriate care and that they could afford, not simply sent home without the ability to take care of themselves.

The lawsuits could set important precedents for both the use of the California commercial blockade statute to go after patients and their advocates and, more broadly, the handling of cases in which the hospital and patient can't agree on a plan for discharge.

The state's hospital lobby recently highlighted discharge delays as a growing problem costing the industry $2.9 billion a year. The California Hospital Association estimates at least 5,000 patients every day experience such delays, often in trying to identify skilled nursing facilities.

Patient advocates, who typically charge patients a fee to help them navigate the health care system, warn that a decision in favor of Dignity could chill their entire profession and give hospitals a new avenue to seek money from patients.

"It could be a watershed case if it goes in either direction," said Tony Chicotel, senior staff attorney with the Berkeley-based California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, who has worked on hospital discharge cases. "If it's a defense verdict, we'll know our laws are somewhat protective of patients. And if it's a plaintiff's verdict, patients around the state could be dumped and us advocates will have to figure out what we can talk about without getting sued."

San Francisco-based Dignity Health, a tax-exempt organization with $9.5 billion in revenue, was founded by nuns to serve the sick and the poor. Spokesperson William Hodges said the health system doesn't comment on pending litigation.

A 68-year-old patient, Daphne Muehlendorf, who is blind, began suffering a series of seizures in 2021 and was in and out of the hospital. Each time she went home, her daughters say, her health declined, with slurred speech and the inability to carry a cup, despite receiving in-home physical therapy. By the time she entered the acute rehabilitation unit at Dignity's Mercy General Hospital in Sacramento, she had already applied for Medi-Cal, the state's Medicaid program, which covers the cost of nursing homes if the patient demonstrates both financial and medical need.

Dignity, which has not specified an amount it seeks in damages, contends in its lawsuit that doctors determined Muehlendorf was eligible to go home but the family refused for weeks while waiting for her Medi-Cal assisted living waiver to be approved. Once that came through, Muehlendorf was transferred to Bruceville Terrace, one of Dignity's skilled nursing facilities in Sacramento.

"I don't see what the case is and that's what's scary for me," said one of Muehlendorf's two daughters, Terra Khan, about Dignity's legal argument. She is also being sued by Dignity. "I have no idea what's going to happen. I'm terrified."

Dennis McPherson, the attorney representing Dignity, said the hospital made the decision to sue after serious deliberation. Muehlendorf "did cause a significant disruption," McPherson said. "It took a lot more manpower and our unit was full. There were patients wait-listed who couldn't get into this unit."

The family and their patient advocate, Carol Costa-Smith, who runs the company The Light for Seniors in San Diego, said it wasn't safe for Muehlendorf to return home and accused the hospital of delaying filing paperwork for Muehlendorf's Medi-Cal application. State and federal laws require hospitals to arrange care for patients who are likely to suffer adverse health consequences upon discharge, and patients have a right to appeal discharge decisions.

Likening themselves to tax advisers, independent advocates with legal, finance, and insurance backgrounds fill a cottage industry helping patients and their families navigate the health system and long-term care facilities, which often includes applying for Medi-Cal.

Costa-Smith, who charges each client $2,000 to $3,000 a year, said Dignity is trying to put patient advocates out of business so there is less pushback against hospital discharges and other decisions. "I'm the pit bull and I'm not going to let them do a home discharge if it's not safe," she said.

Dignity's use of the commercial blockade law appears to be new. California lawmakers passed a bill in 1994 allowing civil claims against trespassers at health facilities, authored by then-Assembly member Jackie Speier, who recently retired from Congress and is now running for the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors. The legislature's analysis of the proposed bill from that time showed it was intended to dissuade anti-abortion protesters from blocking people entering or exiting health care facilities by threatening a lawsuit.

The analysis said it could also stop other disruptive activities such as excessive phone calls to tie up phone lines, the use of stink bombs to evacuate health facilities, and fake fire calls that prompt emergency evacuation. It was backed by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, California NOW, and Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California.

Anti-abortion groups opposed the bill, arguing "those who impede access in order to save babies should not be treated differently than those who might do so to save animals, or to block access to government buildings or bridges." Opponents suggested that pro-choice groups could seek to exploit the bill for profit.

Patient advocates are alarmed by the Dignity lawsuits and say they have never heard of hospitals filing such claims. Dignity is also suing Craig Smedley, who operates Estate Advisory Group in Murrieta. According to a June 30, 2021, complaint, Smedley advised a patient at Mercy Hospital of Folsom "refusal to accept safe and lawful placement and be discharged" even though the patient had been medically eligible for discharge since May 9, 2021.

Dignity contends it lost money because the patient's insurance denied payment, and it accuses Smedley of directing the hospital to send her to a skilled nursing facility when doctors said she had no need for that level of care. Dignity has not specified an amount it seeks in damages. Smedley, who is defending himself, said disagreeing with a hospital's discharge plan was hardly a commercial blockade.

"I'm not chaining myself to the front door to prevent people from passing through to the hospital like an anti-abortion protester," Smedley said. "I've never visited the hospital. I give advice by phone. My clients were the ones communicating with the hospital."

Chicotel, the attorney with the nursing home reform group, said he did not believe Dignity's claims were supported by the law. Hospitals, he said, have a duty to discharge patients to a safe facility they can afford.

"In my experience, the Catholic hospitals are focused on the bottom line," Chicotel said. "We see finances become much more important than the spiritual mission. I see that over and over again."

McPherson argued that the commercial blockade law was written broadly to include any disruption to the normal functions of a health care facility that renders it temporarily or permanently unavailable.

"The outcome of the trial will dictate to the client what we're going to do with respect to the others," he said. Dignity has filed a third lawsuit, against Costa-Smith and another client.

As a registered nurse who has worked for various hospitals, Khan believes she was doing what any person would do in advocating for a loved one. She said her mother, who once lived independently despite her disability, wouldn't have asked for help if she didn't really need it. "I know we moved through this honorably," she said.

Khan is both troubled and comforted knowing that Dignity is going after other patients and patient advocates.

"It makes me feel like, OK, it wasn't that we did something wrongthere's something else at play that we're not privy to."

2023 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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Immunofluorescence - staining of MAIT cells (green) next to mononuclear phagocytes (red) in kidney sections of mice with experimental glomerulonephritis. Cell nuclei in blue. Credit: Nature Communications (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43269-0

Researchers from the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf and the University Hospital Bonn have demonstrated that certain derivatives of vitamin B2 can alleviate chronic kidney inflammation in mice. Their findings have been published in the journal Nature Communications.

The term glomerulonephritis denotes several types of chronic kidney inflammation that can lead to the loss of renal function. Most of these conditions are due to autoaggressive immune responses that damage the kidney tissue. Although glomerulonephritis can be treated with immunosuppressive drugs such as corticosteroids, sometimes there is no way of stopping the self-destructive immune response. This may lead to a complete loss of renal function, necessitating continuous dialysis or a kidney transplant.

Researchers led by Professor Jan-Eric Turner from the Center for Internal Medicine at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf and by Professor Christian Kurts from the Institute of Molecular Medicine and Experimental Immunology at the University Hospital Bonn, who is a member of the ImmunoSensation2 Cluster of Excellence and the Life & Health Transdisciplinary Research Area at the University of Bonn, have now found that certain vitamin metabolites can support the treatment of these conditions.

The researchers were the first to observe so-called mucosal-associated invariant T cells (MAIT cells) in both healthy and inflamed human kidneys. These rare immune cells are normally found in mucosal tissue, such as in the intestine or lungs, where they perform sentinel functions against infections. "They are activated by metabolites of vitamins B2 and B9, which many infectious bacteria produce, and trigger defense responses as a result," Professor Kurts says.

MAIT cells protecting the kidney

"In kidneys of glomerulonephritis patients and of mice with models of such diseases, these rare immune cells were activated by the resident kidneys immune cells known as mononuclear phagocytes that produce molecules that attracted the MAIT cells," Professor Turner explains. Mice that lacked MAIT cells or in which mononuclear phagocytes could not attract MAIT cells experienced a more severe progression of their glomerulonephritis. Conversely, some of the mice that possessed more MAIT cells were protected.

Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) 17 cells reside in the human kidney and are activated in anti-neutrophil cytoplasmatic antibody (ANCA)-associated glomerulonephritis (GN). a Unsupervised Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection (UMAP) clustering (resolution 0.6) of a published data set31 of pooled single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) data from CD3+ T cells isolated from kidney biopsy specimens of ANCA-GN patients (n = 6) and unaffected kidney tissue of tumor nephrectomy patients (controls, n = 3). Eleven clusters were identified and named according to cluster defining genes. b Expression of an uncurated MAIT cell-defining gene signature generated from a MAIT cell cluster identified in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of Coronavirus Disease 2019 patients32 (MAIT cell score, see Supplementary Fig. 1) in the indicated clusters. Color coding as in (a). c Cells that show high expression of the MAIT cell score were marked in red and plotted on the original UMAP plot. Gene expression heat map of MAIT cell-defining genes (d) and T cell lineage-defining transcription factors (e) in the indicated clusters. Color coding as in (a). f Representative flow cytometric identification and characterization of MAIT cells in paired kidney and blood samples of a tumor nephrectomy patient. Gating strategy is specified in brackets and numbers indicate the percentage of cells in the gate. MAIT cell frequencies in the CD3+ T cell fraction (g) and RORt expression in MAIT cells (h) from unaffected kidney tissue and blood of tumor nephrectomy patients, as well as from the blood of healthy human donors. Samples from the same patient are marked with a triangle symbol. Each symbol in (g) and (h) represents one biologically independent sample (n = 3 for PBMC, n = 4 for kidney) and horizontal lines represent the mean. i Contribution of cells from controls and ANCA-GN patients to the MAIT cell cluster (CD8+KLRB1hi) identified in scRNAseq analyses. j Expression of an uncurated gene signature defining in vitro activated human peripheral blood MAIT cells (MAIT cell activation score (Hinks et al.22)) in the MAIT cell cluster of controls and ANCA-GN patients. The two-sided Students t test was used for comparison between the two groups. (UMAP uniform manifold approximation and projection for dimension reduction, ANCA-GN anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated glomerulonephritis, PBMC peripheral blood mononuclear cells, gMFI geometric mean fluorescent intensity). Source data are provided as a Source Data file. Credit: Nature Communications (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43269-0

These findings suggested that MAIT cells play a protective role in the kidney. In a therapeutic trial, the researchers treated mice suffering from glomerulonephritis with an artificial vitamin B2 metabolite that matched their natural ligand, and this alleviated the disease progression.

"The protective effect was not strong enough to prevent the experimental glomerulonephritis entirely," Professor Kurts concedes. However, the researchers believe that it could be used to supplement existing therapies and make them more effective or to reduce the dose of glucocorticoids required in treatment. "More research and clinical trials will be needed before this becomes a viable option in therapy," Professor Turner points out.

More information: Ann-Christin Gnirck et al, Mucosal-associated invariant T cells contribute to suppression of inflammatory myeloid cells in immune-mediated kidney disease, Nature Communications (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43269-0 Journal information: Nature Communications
A Missoula woman was given a life sentence on Monday for murdering her two young children in their home near Reserve Street.

Leannah J. Gardipe, 35, killed her two children, who were 3 and 5 at the time, in their Missoula home in November 2021. Sunday marked the two-year anniversary of their deaths.

Gardipe took a plea agreement and admitted to the two deliberate homicide charges in August, court filings show. Missoula County District Judge Robert Deschamps sentenced Gardipe on Monday to life in the custody of the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services.

Missoula sheriffs deputies arrived on the morning of Nov. 19, 2021, to Patty Ann Drive. They found the two young children not moving and with significant injuries  they had been stabbed to death, according to court documents. The initial 911 caller, Gardipes mother, said she had been on the phone with Gardipe, who told her mom she had saved her babies, possibly referring to her two young children, according to charging documents

At Mondays hearing, the childrens father, Travis Sandberg, expressed frustration with Deschamps about Gardipes mental health when the two were developing a parenting plan, leading up to the children's death. Court filings show that case was litigated from 2017 to 2021, and Deschamps was the presiding judge. The court made Gardipe the primary parent of the children in May 2021.

You agreed to this final parenting plan, Deschamps said to Sandberg on Monday when he was sharing a victim impact statement.

I dont think I had a choice, Sandberg replied.

He asked Deschamps to impose a prison sentence as opposed to a hospital commitment, saying Gardipe knew what she was doing when she killed the children. Sandberg reiterated his concerns to the judge about Gardipes mental health and described the court as a flawed system.

I begged and pleaded in this exact courtroom, Sandberg said. I pleaded over and over again, if you give her these children, she will hurt them.

Gardipe, who experiences severe mental health issues, was found fit to proceed last fall following a doctors evaluation. Before Deschamps sentenced her, Gardipe again said she wanted to save and protect the 3- and 5-year-old.

I was supposed to die with them, she said.

Gardipe has been in the Missoula jail since the case was first filed. She was remanded to the custody of the sheriffs office for transport to the DPHHS.
DEER LODGE  Grist for the rill.

As remediation grinds forward, various dilemmas surface along the Clark Fork River like trout to a caddis fly hatch. As in:

How to ensure the second cleanup of the river-hugging Arrowstone Park in Deer Lodge yields a safe spot for adults, dogs and toddlers with dirty hands.

How to effectively remediate the remaining tainted reaches of the Clark Fork River between Racetrack and Garrison with a budget tighter than a snare drum.

How to fund research that could help identify the causes of a drastic decline in brown trout numbers in the uppermost Clark Fork.

How to manage the design and cleanup of the river so that overseer EPA and the in-the-trenches Montana Department of Environmental Quality are on the same page.

These are among the conundrums facing the scientists, bean counters, lawyers, engineers, toxicologists and others who work for the EPA, the DEQ, the states Natural Resource Damage Program and more.

These predicaments were fodder Wednesday night during a two-hour meeting hosted at the Deer Lodge Elks Club by the agency personnel in charge of the Superfund cleanup of the Clark Fork River  polluted by historic mining and smelting activities upstream in Butte and Anaconda.

More than 10 years after the cleanup and restoration work began, knowledgeable observers wonder whether enough money is left from the 2008 settlements with Atlantic Richfield to complete the remediation and restoration work that remains.

Jessica Banaszak, a project manager for DEQ, tackled the money question Wednesday, saying the goal of the recently published strategic plan was to come up with an approach that would ensure that we have enough money to get to the end.

We do have enough money to complete the cleanup, Banaszak said. But we dont have a crystal ball. So, we cant predict how construction costs are going to change year by year. All we know is that they are pretty volatile.

An especially costly piece is hauling excavated tailings to a repository in the Opportunity Ponds.

DEQ and NRDP have pooled money for the coming work. The strategic plan included an estimate suggesting about $105 million is left to spend on the Clark Fork River remediation and restoration. Estimated costs total about $104.5 million.

Those estimates hinge on an approach that narrows the cleanup scope primarily to a so-called channel migration zone.

Channel migration zones are areas in a floodplain where a stream or river channel can be expected to move naturally over time. For the Clark Fork River, the 100-year channel migration zone is a best-guess calculation based on past channel movement and projected future migration. Its boundaries are narrower than those that have guided cleanup to date but the DEQ has said there will be flexibility to address badly contaminated areas outside the zone.

Were planning to remove within the channel migration zone but were also budgeted and plan for removal outside of that CMZ as needed, Banaszak said.

Both the EPA and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks have expressed concerns about the long-term viability of the channel migration zone approach.

Caleb Uerling, a fisheries biologist for FWP, spoke Wednesday about a dramatic decline in brown trout numbers in the upper Clark Fork. The number of brown trout has plunged from a high of about 2,000 fish per mile to about 30 fish per mile, he said.

He said research to date suggests young fish are not being recruited into the population. The causes arent clear, he said, though river sections where remediation has occurred tend to have lower numbers. FWP and others have lamented past remediation practices that removed mature, metals-tolerant vegetation and undercut banks where trout find cover in a quest for a thorough cleanup.

Uerling said possible contributors to declining fish populations could include lingering metals toxicity from mining and smelting pollution, occasional fish kills, low flows and warm temperatures in summer, sediments from erosion, tributaries with water quality issues and more.

The further upstream you get in the Clark Fork the worse the decline in fish numbers has been, he said.

Uerling said he is hopeful funding will come through to allow additional study during the coming year of factors driving the low Clark Fork recruitment.

DEQ and NRDP have said the approach to cleanup of Phase 7 and remaining phases will try to include retaining or adding habitat conducive to trout when conditions allow.

Phase 7 also will include work at Arrowstone Park to address arsenic contamination.

Molly Roby, an EPA remedial project manager, said Wednesday that the agency plans to continue examining the long-term protectiveness of the park and how the remedial design process can consider future uses of the park.

The focus will include ensuring that the community is left with the amazing resource and asset.

Alex Leone, the Anaconda-based restoration policy manager for the Clark Fork Coalition, asked whether the risk-based concentration of arsenic for recreational users at Arrowstone Park would continue to be 680 parts per million.

Leone observed that Arrowstone Park has been controversial since its creation by the Atlantic Richfield Co. in the 1990s. The park was built atop soils contaminated with arsenic and heavy metals. Contractors working for Atlantic Richfield tilled in lime, which can be effective in addressing some heavy metals but can make arsenic more mobile.

Watchdogs warned then that the contamination should have been removed given the park is subject to a migrating river channel cutting into wastes and children playing in places where vegetation wont grow.

Scott Sudweeks, an EPA toxicologist who attended the meeting, acknowledged that the risk assessment process that was employed more than 20 years ago might yield a different number now. But he emphasized that he is confident the 680 ppm remains a number protective of human health.

Is it going to protect human health in the long term? My belief is, Yes, Sudweeks said.

I probably would do things differently now, he said. But I am committed to ensuring that this cleanup is protective of human health.

Theres certainly opportunities to go back and revisit that and seeing whether theres options for going lower as part of the remedial design process.

The DEQ provided more information about the risk-based concentration level for Arrowstone Park.

The 680 ppm arsenic is the average removal criteria. A surface soil arsenic value of 1,200 ppm would not necessarily need to be removed in order to achieve the Human Health Risk Concentration Level required by the Record of Decision, the agency said. DEQ said this approach allows it to target removals to maximize protectiveness, while leaving areas with thick vegetation untouched.

In other words, we are more likely to remove single exceedances in areas where kids will play and people will walk, while we are less likely to remove exceedances in a well-vegetated wetland or thicket of willows, the agency said.

DEQ has said it hopes to start work on Phase 7 in late summer and at Arrowstone Park in the fall. Bare spots were to be addressed sooner.

In a Sept. 1 news release DEQ announced, In the coming weeks, a contractor will place temporary soil cover to prevent contact with potentially contaminated dirt. As of Wednesday that had not happened. DEQs Logan Dudding said there have been challenges with nailing down agreements with contractors to do the work.

DEQ said its hopes to complete remediation of all remaining river stretches, ending in Garrison, by 2038.
The Center for Biological Diversity said Monday that it has helped increase the reward to $11,000 by offering an additional $5,000 for information leading to a successful prosecution in the illegal killing of a wolverine in southwest Montana.

The senseless killing of one of these incredible, rare mammals is heartbreaking and cowardly, Kristine Akland, Northern Rockies director at the Center, said in a news release. We hope this cash reward encourages someone to step forward with information to bring the perpetrator to justice.

The wolverine was shot dead and skinned along a closed U.S. Forest Service road on the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, the release said. Its remains were discovered Nov. 10.

Wolverines face significant threats from fossil fuel-driven climate change, such as diminishing the mountain snowpack they rely on for denning and raising their young.

Last year, Montana District Court determined that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services decision refusing to list the species under the Endangered Species Act violated federal law. The agency is expected to issue a new listing decision by the end of November.

Killing wolverines is prohibited under both federal and state law and can result in criminal and civil penalties.

Montana FWP offered a $1,000 reward for information on the killing. Trap Free Montana announced a $5,000 reward and the Center is boosting the amount by an additional $5,000.

Anyone with information about the wolverine killing should contact Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks at bit.ly/mttps23 or 1-800-TIP-MONT.
A judge on Nov. 9 ruled in favor of the state of Montana in a lawsuit against Lake County, where the county claimed it should be reimbursed for providing some law enforcement services on the Flathead Indian Reservation.

The lawsuit pertains to federal Public Law 280, which grants certain states criminal jurisdiction over some reservations.

Since 1963, per an agreement between the state and tribes, Lake County law enforcement has collaborated with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) under Public Law 280. According to the law, felonies committed by tribal members on the Flathead Reservation are handled by local county law enforcement, rather than by the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs or FBI. And since 1990, CSKT has been prosecuting misdemeanor crimes committed by tribal members on the reservation  helping shoulder the burden of the countys jurisdictional responsibility.

But Lake County has claimed for years that it has not been reimbursed by the state for assuming this job. And county commissioners say the law is burdensome to taxpayers. The Legislature in 2021 appropriated $1 to Lake County for exercising criminal jurisdiction on the reservation. And this legislative session, leaders from the Lake County area proposed three bills to remedy the law enforcement agreement. Two bills died, and in May, Gianforte vetoed the third, which would've reimbursed the county for law enforcement provided on the Flathead Reservation. A fiscal note in one bill projected expenditures of $37.5 million annually to cover law enforcement needs in the county. By contrast, the Governor's Office of Budget and Program Planning estimated the cost to reimburse the county to be $4.98 million for 2024.

While the judge in her ruling called the $1 appropriation patently absurd," the court ultimately found that the Legislature is responsible for reimbursing Lake County.

A spokesperson for Gov. Greg Gianforte said, "We'll work with stakeholders to find the best path forward." And Lake County Commissioner Gale Decker said, "The commissioners feel that we have exhausted all of our options.

"The costs have escalated to the point where we cannot expect our taxpayers to provide all of the funding necessary to keep the agreement in place," he wrote in an email to Lee Montana newspapers.

The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes have not issued a formal comment on the dispute, proposed legislation or lawsuit.

The ruling

In the lawsuit, filed in 2022, Lake County asserted that it has not been adequately reimbursed for services and continues to accrue harm.

Specifically, Lake County requested that the court find that, 1) the state has the duty to fulfill criminal jurisdiction needs on the Flathead Reservation, and 2) that the state must reimburse the county for costs incurred from enforcing such jurisdiction.

The state, however, argued that its criminal jurisdiction is exercised through Lake County and emphasized that the county is able to withdraw from the law enforcement agreement at any time. Regarding reimbursement, the state argued that the Legislature in 2021 appropriated $1 to Lake County for exercising criminal jurisdiction on the reservation.

The judge said it is unfortunate that, during a legislative session noteworthy for its unprecedented budget surplus, the parties were unable to reach an agreement to provide for the ongoing safety and security of the Flathead Indian Reservation and Lake County.

However, the court found that a statute obligates the state to reimburse the county only to the extent the Legislature sees fit to appropriate funds.

Citing the language in the statute and the fact that Lake County can withdraw from the agreement, the judge ruled, This court lacks the authority to grant the relief Lake County seeks.

If the financial burden Lake County bears is unacceptable, which by all accounts it appears to be, its remedy is to withdraw, the ruling reads.

Consequences of a withdrawal

Lance Jasper, an attorney for Lake County, on Monday said he was obviously disappointed by the courts ruling and added that the county will be appealing the decision to the Montana Supreme Court.

He said county commissioners on Monday notified Gianforte that the county will be formally withdrawing from Public Law 280. Commissioners in January voted to withdraw from the law enforcement agreement but then postponed the withdrawal in May due to the pending lawsuit.

A withdrawal could have financial and logistical consequences for the state, as it would likely cause criminal jurisdiction over tribal members on the Flathead Reservation to change hands.

If the county officially withdraws, the state  not federal law enforcement  will assume responsibility for prosecuting certain crimes on federal lands in Lake County. To implement this kind of criminal jurisdiction, the state will likely need to build a police force, hire deputies and establish a detention center on the reservation. Administrative offices, buildings and new procedures would need to be created. Commissioners expect these start-up expenses to cost state taxpayers $100 million.

No other reservation in Montana operates under Public Law 280. Instead, on every other reservation, criminal jurisdiction is shared among federal and tribal law enforcement entities.

When a withdrawal from Public Law 280 is initiated, there is a six-month grace period to allow the state to establish the necessary infrastructure to assume criminal jurisdiction. After six months, the governor must issue a corresponding proclamation.

In one way, (the ruling) is beneficial for us, Jasper said. It makes the governor have to take the matter seriously because this will be his responsibility in six months.

Commissioner Decker agreed.

"The ball is now in the governors court," he said. "We will see where this controversy goes from here."
Two laborers on a Baltimore Beltway projects construction crew made a call March 22 to let their foreman know they were about 10 minutes out from the job site.

Mahlon Simmons III, the foreman, didnt pick up. The workers, two brothers who had been out getting construction materials and lunch, quickly learned Simmons had been killed, along with his father, the sites superintendent, and four other colleagues, in the deadliest crash for Maryland highway workers in recent history.

The laborers, who narrowly dodged being present at the work zone during the crash, had known Simmons and his father, Mahlon Stick Simmons II, for about a decade, according to a report released last week by Maryland occupational safety investigators.

The redacted Maryland Occupational Safety and Health report does not identify any safety issues directly connected to the deadly crash at the Baltimore Beltway work zone in Woodlawn but offers a clearer view of what was happening at the 5.2-mile-long job site in the hours before a 12:40 p.m. crash that killed five Concrete General employees and one construction inspector earlier this year.

The impact from the errant Acura TLX, operated by Randallstown resident Lisa Lea, immediately killed both Simmonses. Two carpenter brothers, Jose Armando Escobar, 52, and Carlos Orlando Villatoro Escobar, 43, died on the scene, as well as fellow laborer Rolando E. Ruiz, a 46-year-old Laurel resident, and KCI Technologies inspector Sybil DiMaggio, whose job was to observe and report on construction progress, according to the report.

The 62-page report completed Sept. 21 says workers were preparing and planning to install trench drains on the day of the crash in the median of Interstate 695 to support an expansion project that will eventually open the highways shoulders as temporary lanes.

An overturned Acura TLX is seen in between construction barriers on Interstate 695 near Woodlawn after the March 22 crash that killed six workers.

That morning, the younger Simmons had parked a truck equipped with a mounted attenuator, intended to protect work zones against crashes, a few feet away from an opening in concrete barriers. That morning, the foreman and his colleagues had unloaded the truck, which was not intended to be used for protection that day. Two vehicles, which police say were traveling at over 120 mph, crashed hours later, causing one to pass through the gap and strike all six victims.

The Acura did not strike a fixed crash cushion, and the protective truck was not in a place to obstruct the sedan, according to the report, which says the vehicle did strike a concrete barrier before entering the work zone.

A State Highway Administration spokesperson said in an email that truck-mounted attenuators being placed within an opening of a concrete barrier is not required or standard. The highway administration has been participating in a safety work group which recommended the agency add buffer lanes next to work zones and conduct maintenance of traffic reviews, he said.

The report advised the highway administration to conduct comprehensive internal reviews of its safety inspections, finding that the agencys own specialists failed to report on deficiencies such as a lack of traffic control signs and a lack of protection from cave-ins for workers digging trenches.

Much of the report, released in a redacted form last week in response to a records request from The Baltimore Sun, is blacked out, with interviews and details on safety equipment withheld amid an ongoing investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and criminal proceedings against Lea and the other driver involved, 20-year-old Melachi Brown. Prosecutors say both motorists, who face manslaughter charges, were driving at over 120 mph before the crash.

Maryland Department of Labor investigators conclusions regarding the position of the truck-mounted attenuator, for example, are redacted. The report says that investigators reviewed footage of the job site from days before the crash and saw that workers were routinely protected by pickup trucks and other heavy equipment, though the redacted version does not explain why no such barrier was in use March 22.

A truck or other barrier would reduce the likelihood that an errant vehicle could continue into the activity area of the construction zone by blocking the 11-foot-5 gap that Leas sedan ultimately passed through, the report says, also noting that the workers deaths prevented investigators from determining if there was any intent to provide further protection against crashes.

The report says that workers interviewed by investigators expressed being concerned with the possibility of a vehicle collision while exiting the construction zone and getting back into the flow of traffic. Labor investigators recommended citations to the states transportation department and its contractor for not posting signs warning motorists of construction crews entering and exiting the work zone  but noted they were unable to determine if those signs could have prevented the March 22 crash.

A State Highway Administration spokesperson said Monday that the signs were unrelated to the crash. Concrete Generals safety director told investigators that the signs were not posted because they could obstruct trucks from traveling in and out of the work zone, according to the report.

The reports public release comes days after Maryland Gov. Wes Moore committed to several safety recommendations from the Work Zone Safety Work Group, a board headed by Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller that was organized after the crash. Among the boards suggestions were increased fines for speeding drivers and more investment in driver education.

The Simmonses surviving family members stood tearfully behind the state officials during that news conference Friday.
Editors note: Calendar items must be submitted at least five days before an event. Email all items to news@morganton.com.

TODAY

ABC Board meeting

The Valdese ABC Board will meet at 5:30 p.m. at the Valdese ABC Store at 1018 W. Main St. in Valdese.

Community Thanksgiving Meal

Glen Alpine First Baptist Church, 205 Church St., will host a community Thanksgiving meal from 5-7 p.m. It will be a traditional Thanksgiving meal and free to anyone that comes.

SUNDAY, NOV. 26

Tree lighting

The Glen Alpine Womens Club will hold its Annual Memorial Tree Lighting at 4:30 p.m. at the bandstand in downtown Glen Alpine.

TUESDAY, NOV. 28

DAY OF GIVING

Burke County United Way will host the annual 1BurkGives Giving Day on Tuesday, Nov. 28, from midnight to 11:59 p.m. 1BurkeGives is a 24-hour online fundraising event at 1BurkeGives.org. During the event 35 local nonprofit organizations from across Burke County will be participating, raising funds for a wide range of causes. During the event, donors can also track their favorite nonprofits on the leaderboard, help organizations win prizes, and check-in on the event schedule for a live drawing or an in-person happy hour somewhere in Burke County. Follow BCUW on social media to stay in the loop (Facebook) (Instagram) and keep a look out for social media posts hashtagged #1BurkeGives!

THURSDAY, NOV. 30

Smart Start meeting

The NC Pre-K Committee of Burke County Smart Start will meeting at 8:30 a.m. at the Partnership office, located at 304 W. Union St. Meetings are open to the public. For anyone with a hearing impairment who may require the assistance of an interpreter or have other special needs, call the Partnership at 828-439-2326 or use the NC Relay System at 1-800-735-8262.

SATURDAY, DEC. 2

Christmas Parade

The town of Valdese will host its annual Christmas Parade at 10 a.m. on Main Street. The annual Christmas parade is known for kicking off an exciting calendar of holiday events in Valdese and the Town Council considers it a privilege to recognize Bruce Hawkins as the Grand Marshal. Hawkins has served as an influential member of the community as well as activist for the Civil Rights Movement.

Train Museum open house

The Piedmont & Western Railroad Museum located in the Old Rock School in Valdese, 400 Main St. W, will host its annual parade Open House from 9 a.m. to noon. The indoor railroad display is the largest in the state.

Christmas Parade

The town of Hildebran will hold its annual Christmas Parade at 1 p.m. The parade will begin at 202 S. Center St. Visit hildebranNC.com for more information.

Christmas Parade

The town of Glen Alpine will be held at 2 p.m. The lineup will begin on Pollard Avenue at 1 p.m. Everyone is welcome.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 6

AARP meeting

AARP Chapter 3262 will have their annual Christmas dinner on Wednesday, Dec. 6. It will be held at the Morganton Community House starting at 11:30 a.m. A donation of a canned item for Burke United Christian Ministries is appreciated. The cost is $13 per person. Homemade desserts provided by members. Email burkeaarp3262@gmail.com or call 443-0857 to register to attend.

THURSDAY, DEC. 7

Tree lighting ceremony

The town of Valdese will hold its annual tree lighting ceremony at 6 p.m. on the lawn of the Old Rock School, 400 Main St. W, Valdese. The event will include a special music performance by the Valdese Elementary School Students, led by music teacher Brittany Schaffer. Free hot chocolate will be available for attendees. A rain date is tentatively scheduled for Friday, Dec. 8. This year the Town of Valdese is excited to honor former town mayor Jim Hatley with this special event. Children in the Valdese community were always a special priority for Hatley and the Valdese Town Council chose to dedicate the Town Christmas Tree Lighting Celebration in his honor.

NAACP meeting

The Burke County NAACP #5367 will be holding their annual meeting on Thursday, Dec. 7 at 6 p.m. at the Mountain View Community Recreation Center located at 645 1st Street, Morganton, NC. All members are encouraged to attend the meeting. In addition to any citizens that are interested in joining the branch. Please keep in mind that because it is the flu season and the uptick in COVID reporting, COVID-19 protocols will be followed.

TUESDAY, DEC. 12

Blood drive

North Morganton United Methodist Church, 990 Sanford Drive, will host a blood drive with the Red Cross from 1-6 p.m. Visit www.redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-733-2767 to schedule an appointment.

MONDAY, DEC. 18

ABC Board meeting

The Valdese ABC Board will meet at 5:30 p.m. at the Valdese ABC Store at 1018 W. Main St. in Valdese.

Christmas dinner

The Vietnam Veterans of America, Capt. Robert Douglas Avery Chapter 1116, will host its annual Christmas dinner from 5-6 p.m. The dinner will be paid for by the chapter.

SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2024

Cruise Unifour Christian Ministries will be embarking on a cruise to Grand Turk and Dominican Republic. Members of the public are invited to join. A down payment of $75 is required to reserve your spot and the remaining balance must be paid by Jan. 1. Call Annette Guffey at 828-493-1723 or 828-396-1906 for more information.
VALDESE  Officials say it was the quick response of firefighters around the county that kept two fires on Mineral Springs Mountain from getting out of hand.

It was around 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon that officials were first made aware of smoke billowing off Mineral Springs Mountain, said Burke County Forest Ranger Chris Moss.

Responding units found two fires burning on the mountain, one about an acre in size and the other between 6-7 acres, Moss said. Firefighters were able to get those fires contained by Saturday night, and returned Sunday to finish mopping up hotspots, Moss said.

The cause of the fires remains under investigation, he said. No structures were damaged, and no injuries were reported.

That fire drew a response from each of Burke Countys fire departments over the weekend as officials worked to tamp the fires down and prevent it from spreading, plus aerial support from the North Carolina Forest Service. Fire departments from outside of Burke County provided standby coverage for departments fighting the wildfires.

Had it not been for the efforts of the forest service, their crews, and the fire departments, it wouldve been dramatically different, said Burke County Fire Marshal Mike Willis. They really did it a good job, getting in there and getting it cut off.

Chris White, chief meteorologist at Foothills Action Network and assistant 911 director, said the Burke County Emergency Communications Center received 1,778 calls for service from Friday through Sunday  nearly 600 calls per day.

On top of that, dispatchers handled 3,518 radio transmissions with emergency personnel in the county in that same timeframe.

Despite the high call volume, dispatchers still managed to answer 99.26% of 911 calls within 10 seconds of the first ring, White said.

Thats exceptional, White said.

Burke County and much of western North Carolina has been under a burn ban since early November as dry conditions continue to make fire dangerous.

There could be some rain in store today and Wednesday, but its too soon to tell how much that rain will really help alleviate dry conditions, he said.

On Monday, White said meteorologists thought rain would start before dawn today and last through the early morning hours Wednesday.

Rainfall totals could range from 1.5-3 inches. Some of todays storms could be strong and severe thunderstorms with damaging winds, especially around south of N.C. 18.

The down side of that is some of this is going to come in heavy rain and its going to run off, White said. This time of year when weve got the leaves thats come off the tree, they fall lightly on the ground, theyre real fluffy on the ground, on the surface. It makes the wildfires easier to spread through those and burn across the ground, and then it gets so hot that it burns down into the duff layer of the soil because its so dry.

When fire gets into the duff, a layer of soil with partly decomposed plant matter, and root mat, it can jump lines firefighters try to set up for containment.

We are concerned that this rain will not be enough to soak that root mat thoroughly, White said. I think a lot of it is going to runoff. I think what it will help with is the rain will compact those leaves a little bit  they wont be as loosely packed, and when they become damp and they start getting hard packed, they start to decay and that can help with slowing the wildfire spread.

Once that rain moves out, White said winds are expected to blow in, causing things to dry up again.

On Monday, White said it would take about 7.8 inches of rain to get the county out of its current drought conditions. The rain expected this week could drop that down, but only by about an inch, he said.

Willis said one of the things people dont always understand about fire is that its not just whats in the immediate area of their fire that poses a risk when theyre burning something.

They may be standing right on top of it with a hose, and I get that, Willis said. What they cant control is that thermal column that the fire creates  if youre burning wood, coal, charcoal, anything like that, it emits debris off that fire and it travels, and as dry as it is, it just does not take much at all to start a fire.

Burn bans remain in effect in Burke County, prohibiting all burning with open flame regardless of its proximity to a structure. Anyone caught burning anything could face citations, which would quickly add up. The first offense is a $100 citation if its within 100 feet of a structure and its doubled for any subsequent violation. It caught burning farther than 100 feet from a structure, the fine would be $100, plus court costs of about $200, and violators could be responsible for the cost of any damages.

Willis said local officials will cancel their local burn ban once the states burn ban is lifted.

The easiest way to stay in-the-know on burn bans is to sign up for emergency alerts through Burke County 911, Willis said. Visit https://burkenc.org/2492/Burke-Alert-Information for more information on those alerts.
RALEIGH  A lawsuit filed Monday in North Carolina alleges newly adopted district boundaries for the state Senate divide a cluster of predominantly Black counties in the northeast corner of the state in a way that unfairly dilutes the voting power of Black residents.

Two Black voters drawn into a majority-white district are asking a federal judge to block state officials from conducting future elections under a new map they argue unlawfully deprives them the opportunity to elect their preferred candidates.

Plaintiffs Rodney Pierce, a social studies teacher from Halifax County, and Moses Matthews, a retired chemist from Martin County, are requesting the court order a redrawn map including an eastern North Carolina district where minority voters would have an equal opportunity to elect candidates of their choice.

Attorneys for the eastern North Carolina residents also filed a motion to expedite proceedings, asking the court to finish arguments and decide on a motion for a preliminary injunction by Dec. 1  three days before candidate filing begins.

The totality of the circumstances establishes that the enacted state Senate districting plan has the effect of denying Black voters an equal opportunity to participate in the political process and to elect candidates of their choice, the lawsuit states.

The Republican-controlled General Assembly adopted a Senate plan last month that appears to keep the GOP in a good position to retain its current veto-proof supermajority, according to redistricting experts and statewide election data. While Republican map architects considered past election data when drawing districts that favor Republican candidates, they said they did not take into account voter population data based on race.

The office of Republican Senate Leader Phil Berger did not immediately respond Monday to emails seeking comment on the lawsuit.

The state Supreme Court flipped last year from a Democratic to a Republican majority, and the GOP justices ruled in April that the state constitution did not limit shifting district lines for partisan gain. But critics of the state Senate map, and the state House and congressional maps passed last month by Republicans, say they see some avenues to challenge those plan based on their division of minority groups.

If the new state legislative maps hold up in court, they put Republicans in a decent position to retain complete control of both chambers through the rest of the decade.

The Black Belt counties of eastern North Carolina have significant and politically cohesive populations of Black voters who overwhelmingly support Democratic candidates, the lawsuit states. A white majority in the surrounding area is also politically cohesive, and the plaintiffs argue they historically vote as a bloc to defeat candidates supported by Black voters.

North Carolinas eight majority Black counties are split between four separate districts under the Senate redistricting plan enacted by the General Assembly. One of those districts, Senate District 2, where Pierce and Matthews reside, stretches more than 160 miles from the Virginia border down parts of the Atlantic coastline.

The lawsuit argues it was feasible for legislators to draw those counties into their own district with a majority of racial and ethnic minorities while adhering to the states redistricting criteria. Example maps present alternative configurations that the plaintiffs argue would be fair, compact and composed of whole counties.

Senate Minority Leader Dan Blue, a Wake County Democrat, said the lawsuit provides a glimmer of hope to Black voters in eastern North Carolina. He criticized Republican redistricting leaders for rejecting Democratic suggestions last month to make sure the maps complied with the Voting Rights Act.

The plan enacted by the General Assembly in late October splits, cracks and packs Black voters to dilute their votes and blunt their ability to fully participate in the democratic process, Blue said Monday, adding that the GOP map constitutes cracking on steroids.
There were two standing ovations on Sunday night in the Montana Repertory Theatre.

One came after a staged reading of a play centered on a missing Indigenous woman titled Cant Drink Salt Water, written by Kendra Mylnechuk Potter, a Missoula actor-writer.

The theater, which can seat almost 500, appeared to be around three-quarters full, a solid turnout for any production, and especially for a script thats in development.

The second ovation for the Montana Repertory Theatres new show came after Carissa Heavy Runner spoke.

Her 22-year-old daughter, Mika Westwolf, was walking home on Highway 93 north of Arlee when she was struck by a vehicle. Sunny K. White, a woman from Butte, was charged with vehicular homicide seven months later, following an awareness campaign led by Heavy Runner.

She called the play beautiful, and said it was an opportunity for you all to hear this. To see the pain, feel the pain. Because imagine, what if it was your child? What would you do? How far would you go?

To reach non-Native audiences about the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous people, Heavy Runner said its necessary to make them ask themselves those questions.

Potters story involves a missing person and questions about what it means to return. Regarding the title, she was inspired by what is required of a salmons body in order for them to make their way back to their (freshwater) natal stream and then out to the ocean again, she said.

Her script centers on an unnamed mother whos a member of the Lummi Nation, a Pacific Northwest coastal Salish tribe to which Potter also belongs.

The mother's daughter has disappeared. To the audience, however, she appears to be in a watery liminal space. In a separate thread, a young woman starts a job at a recovery center for victims of trafficking thats run by an evangelical couple.

Before the reading, the Reps artistic director, Michael Legg, told the audience that a play is a journey from the original idea all the way to the final thing. Along the way, a playwright finds that way by sharing in spaces like this, with voices like these, to audiences like you.

Commissioning a script

In 2020, the Rep announced an open call for submissions for a play by an Indigenous writer, funded by the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center in Big Sky.

Potter, who wrote and produced a full-length show, The Buffalo Play, in Missoula and New York in 2019, had been struck by an idea for a new show but was reluctant to write it.

It was an image that came, and I knew it was a play, she said. She saw a missing woman whose body was submerged in water. Perhaps it was a liminal space where shes alive and can also breathe even though shes under water.

Given the weight of the issues, Potter, a mother of two, was hesitant. Checking her email to distract herself, she saw the Reps call for submission. She trembled a bit and wrote the proposal.

The pandemic happened, and she assumed the opportunity had passed. Legg told her it hadnt. The selection committee of Indigenous writers, which included actor Lily Gladstone, liked her proposal and its ties to Missoula and Montana.

A live reading

The audience on Sunday saw the second staged reading, after one last summer in Big Sky. Legg said developing a play can take six months to several years, with multiple drafts and workshops where the writers see ideas live and make adjustments.

With funding from the Roy Cockrum Foundation, the Rep brought professional actors and director Pirrone Yousefezdah for several days of workshops on campus before Sundays reading.

Five cast members and the stage manager took the proscenium stage to bring the latest version to life.

The script flips back and forth between a handful of stories, with elements of magic realism.

Jennifer Bobiwash, a First Nations actor based in L.A., plays a Lummi mother in Bellingham. Her daughter, Star, has gone missing. While the mother addresses the audience in her grief and begins her own investigation after authorities seem to do nothing, Star finds herself in a sort of between world, trying to understand whats happened to her.

Star was played by Shadie Wallette, a UM sophomore majoring in theater. Wallette also played Vic, a young Blackfeet woman whos escaped from traffickers and arrived at Bethel House, a safe house for adult women to recover. Laying ground for a cultural and generational clash, its run by a middle-aged white evangelical Christian couple, Simon (Jeff Talbott) and Dina (Tracy Sallows). Vic appreciates their help but is frustrated by their focus on the goodness of their work and the finances of the operation rather than listening to her  the reason the house exists in the first place.

Raven, a trickster figure in many creation stories, isnt seen in this staged version. Its actions were described by the stage manager. They include acts of mischief and movements between the multiple worlds.

The subject matter here is very heavy but Potter has included lots of humor.

We have to find moments of levity, certainly for a story to be able to hold an audience, but also just in moving through the world, she said. "We're in a really, really hard moment, collectively, and Native people are so good at laughing, and we have to be able to sometimes."

The comedy includes Vics disgust with pamplemousse-flavored LaCroix. Another joke, which unexpectedly lands in the middle of an investigation discussion, posits that Michelob Ultra is weird, and tastes like someone poured beer into a 7 Up. The evangelical couple are overbearing but fully drawn and Simons frustrating, exhausting pep is played for laughs.

Katie Rich, a Harvard University graduate, plays Jen, a well-intentioned aspiring social worker trained in a conscious vocabulary. She entraps herself while telling a trafficking victim that you cant call people crazy anymore.

The fourth wall is broken at times, with characters directly addressing the audience. Bobiwashs mother delivers monologues that appeared emotionally demanding of both the actor and the audience. She goes through elaborate grieving measures and wonders aloud about her own identity. She doesnt know who I am if Im not her home.

Potter said that as a mother of two, writing for this character was really haunting, feels like the right word. Knocking, then banging, after the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

Potter works as a doula and is drawn to these transitional times, which informed her writing.

There is something primal that occurs in that moment, she said. "No matter how the baby comes, you touch into the animal in you. In moments that Ive been physically separated from my children when I dont want to be, I feel that animal coming back."

In another direct address toward the end of Act I, the cast members all stood for a section in which they list 16 steps you never wanted to take to help find a missing person. They asked the audience to pull up a QR code from the program where theyre all listed.

In another monologue, one that her mother watches on TikTok over and over, Star describes the process by which salmon, an important figure to Lummi, are able to transition from saltwater to freshwater and vice versa at crucial points in their lifetime.

To prepare for the play, Potter took training as a death doula. That work can take many forms, including spending time with people who have terminal illnesses and are preparing themselves emotionally and spiritually and physically for whats to come, she said.

This weekend was just a transitional stage for the script, too. Legg said the Rep will produce a fully staged version in the future.
Threatening staff

On Friday night, Angela M. Dempsey, 48, of Billings reportedly entered Casagrandas Steakhouse, 801 Utah Ave., and asked for bread. When asked if she had a reservation, the Billings woman said no and was then asked to leave.

According to the police report, Dempsey then pulled out a knife and began threatening staff. She walked up to some seated customers, again pulled out the knife and took their bread.

Dempsey left the restaurant and headed north. Officers stopped her on Utah and Aluminum streets where, when ordered, she set the knife on the ground.

She was arrested for robbery and aggravated assault.

In plain sight

On Sunday, an officer saw Brianna C. Salois, 31, of Butte exit a white car with Cascade County license plates at the Town Pump, 1370 Harrison Ave., and enter the casino.

The car fit the description of a vehicle that fled from officers earlier in the day, so the officer walked over to the vehicle and looked inside. In plain sight was a broken syringe and a suspected drug.

Salois was detained while the officer got a search warrant. Inside the car were multiple paraphernalia items and a possible fentanyl pill.

She was arrested for criminal possession of dangerous drugs and criminal possession of drug paraphernalia.

Routine stop

At around 10:20 a.m. Saturday during a routine stop, an officer checked out an SUV parked on the corner of Wyoming and Iron streets.

Inside was Rachel R. Bowman, 21, of Butte, who had two contempt warrants out for her arrest. She reportedly also had in her possession a pipe used to ingest drugs and was also jailed for criminal possession of drug paraphernalia.

Leave premises

Earlier Friday, Frank O. Tallbull, 44, of Butte was told by Town Pump employees at 531 S. Montana St. to leave the premises.

Tallbull did, but then returned and fell asleep in the doorway. Police arrived and arrested him for criminal trespass to property.

Bad check warrant

At around 7 p.m. Friday, police were called to the 3600 block of Gaylord Street to investigate a suspicious man and woman in the area.

The woman turned out to be Dawn M. Segna, 42, of Butte, who had a warrant out for her arrest for issuing a bad check. She was taken into custody.

Beating alleged

Dennis V. Reed, 47, of Butte was arrested Friday for partner or family member assault causing bodily injury (first offense).

A woman had locked herself in a residences bathroom in the 300 block of East Front Street after an altercation with Reed.

According to the victim, Reed reportedly got upset with her so he punched her, threw her to the ground and then stomped on her chest.

Truck taken

A gray 1985 Toyota pickup was reported stolen from the corner of Broadway and Utah.
The last time Maryann Schepers of Muscatine saw her friend Rosalynn Carter was 1979, when Carter rode the Delta Queen down the Mississippi River with her husband Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States.

By that time, Aug. 21, 1979, Schepers had been a fan, and friend, of the Carters since she campaigned for them ahead of the 1976 caucuses. During their time in Iowa, the Carters adopted a strategy of getting to area before the other candidates and getting to know the people.

Schepers remembers the Carters visited the area several times and, during that time, became friends with many people in the area. She remembers helping Rosalynn Carter set up for a campaign event in Davenport.

She was very charming. They all had that Southern charm, Schepers said. She was smart  she knew what was going on. I think she took a big part in helping him.

The huge crowd prohibited Schepers from going to see the Carters in 1979. She waved at the couple, but is sure, due to the number of people, they didnt even know she was there.

During the campaign, Rosalynn Carter was elected director of the National Association for Mental Health and was given an award of merit by the National Organization for Women, for her support of the Equal Rights Amendment.

Schepers described the Carters as honest people. Not like the Washington, D.C. politicians. They came from a different environment.

Schepers and friend, the late Betty McMahon were part of a contingent of 35 people the Carters invited to Washington, D.C. to hear President Carters first State of the Union Address on Jan. 19, 1978.

It made you feel like all the hours and hard work and telephone calls and miles you put on your car finally was worth it, Schepers said. Finally you had someone who was in there and appreciated it.

She remembers the Carters as being gracious people who treated others well. She said even if the Carters hadnt liked someone, they still treated them with respect.

On Sunday, it was announced former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, 96, had died in her home in Plains, Georgia. She and former President Carter had been married for more than 77 years. It has been remarked that, of the two, Rosalynn was the more political.

We lost a great lady, Schepers said. Jimmy Carter lost more than anybody because she was kind of his rock.

Rosalynn Carter was known for sitting in on all the Cabinet meetings and for taking stances on controversial issues such as mental health. Together, Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter co-founded The Carter Center to continue their work after his presidency.

Schepers recalled when she and Rosalynn Carter got to talking, the discussion would always turn to their children. She said Amy Carter had been learning to play violin, as her children were, using the Suzuki Method.

One time when she took her son Erich to a caucus event, Schepers remembered, he sat at the back of the room at a desk eating candy corn and coloring. Arriving early, Jimmy Carter saw the boy, walked over and asked for piece of candy. Erich refused. Later before Carter left, he told Erich I like a man who makes up his mind and sticks to it.

Stanley Center for Peace and Security CEO Keith Porter interviewed Jimmy Carter twice  once in 1995, which can be heard at https://archive.org/details/RTFM-Comm-951024, and once in 2001, which can be heard at https://stanleycenter.org/common-ground/carter-reflects-middle-east-conflict/.
SEOUL, South Korea  North Korea claimed Wednesday it successfully placed a spy satellite into orbit with its third launch attempt this year, demonstrating the nation's determination to build a space-based surveillance system during protracted tensions with the United States.

The North's claim could be independently confirmed.

Observers doubt whether the satellite is advanced enough to perform military reconnaissance. But the launch still invited strong condemnation from the United States and its partners because the U.N. bans North Korea from conducting satellite launches, calling them covers for tests of missile technology.

The North's space agency said its new Chollima-1 carrier rocket placed the Malligyong-1 satellite into orbit on Tuesday night about 12 minutes after liftoff from the country's main launch center.

The National Aerospace Technology Administration called the launch a legitimate right of North Korea to bolster its self-defense capabilities. It said the spy satellite would help improve the North's war preparedness in the face of "the enemies' dangerous military moves."

The agency said leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch at the scene. It said North Korea will launch several more spy satellites to better monitor South Korea and other areas.

U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said Washington strongly condemned North Korea for the launch, saying it "raises tensions and risks destabilizing the security situation in the region and beyond." She said the launch involved technologies that are directly related to North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile program.

South Korea said the launch would push it to suspend a 2018 inter-Korean tension-reduction agreement and resume frontline aerial surveillance of North Korea. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called the launch "a serious threat that affects the safety of the people" and said Japan lodged a protest with North Korea condemning the launch in strongest terms.

According to South Korean and Japanese assessments, the rocket carrying the satellite flew from the Korean Peninsula's west coast and over the Japanese island of Okinawa toward the Pacific Ocean. The Japanese government briefly issued a J-Alert missile warning for Okinawa, urging residents to take shelter.

Kim wants to modernize his weapons systems to cope with what he calls escalating U.S.-led threats. North Korea's other attempted launches this year ended in failure due to technical issues.

North Korea had vowed a third launch would take place in October. South Korean officials say the delay until now likely occurred because North Korea received Russian technological assistance for its spy satellite launch program.

North Korea and Russia, both U.S. adversaries that are increasingly isolated globally, expanded their relationships in recent months. In September, Kim traveled to Russia's Far East to meet President Vladimir Putin and visit key military sites, touching off intense speculation of a weapons deal.

The alleged deal involves North Korea supplying conventional arms to refill Russia's ammunition stock drained in its war with Ukraine. In return, foreign governments and experts say North Korea seeks Russian help in enhancing its nuclear and other military programs.

During Kim's Russia visit, Putin told state media his country would help North Korea build satellites, saying Kim "shows keen interest in rocket technology."

Russia and North Korea dismissed the allegation of their arms transfer deal as groundless. Such a deal would violate U.N. bans on any weapons trading involving North Korea.

Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said Tuesday's launch raises more questions than answers, such as whether the North Korean satellite actually performs reconnaissance functions and whether Russia provided technical and even material assistance.

"What is already clear is that this is not a one-off event but part of a North Korean strategy of prioritizing military capabilities over economic development, threatening rather than reconciling with South Korea, and further aligning with Russia and China instead of pursuing diplomacy with the United States," Easley said.

Since last year, North Korea conducted about 100 ballistic missile tests in a bid to establish a reliable arsenal of nuclear weapons targeting the U.S. and its allies. Many foreign experts say North Korea has some last remaining technologies to master to acquire functioning nuclear missiles.

But the experts say that possessing a rocket that can place a satellite into orbit would mean North Korea can build a missile capable of carrying a warhead with a similar size to the satellite.

In written responses to questions from The Associated Press last week, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said the North's successful launch of a reconnaissance satellite "would signify that North Korea's ICBM capabilities have been taken to a higher level."

Yoon, on a state visit to the U.K., convened an emergency security council meeting during which officials decided to push for suspension of the 2018 deal.

Photos: Kim Jong Un's public appearances through the years
The city of Toledo is facing another excessive-force lawsuit as a result of the alleged actions of one former police officer.

Earlier this year, Toledo city officials publicly condemned one of its police officers, Kyle Howe, for multiple instances of excessive force. Howe resigned in the midst of an internal investigation that involved a review of various body-camera videos involving several individuals he had arrested.

In September, two separate lawsuits were filed against Howe and the City of Toledo in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, each alleging false arrest, assault, battery, negligent supervision and civil rights violations.

This week, a third lawsuit was filed in federal court on behalf of 72-year-old Steven Horrigan of Chelsea. The lawsuit alleges that at 10 p.m., on March 21, 2023, Howe pulled over Horrigan in Tama County and cited him for improper rear lamps, driving or towing an unsafe vehicle, and failure to yield to an emergency vehicle. All of the citations were later dismissed.

The lawsuit alleges that Horrigan stands 5 feet, 8 inches tall; is frail and hard of hearing; and suffers from terminal Parkinsons Disease. It claims that body-camera video of the traffic stop shows the initial interaction between Howe and Horrigan up to the point where the officer grabbed Horrigan by his arm.

After that, there is a brief gap in the video-camera recording, which picks up with Horrigan on the ground.

In this video you can see that Officer Howe has slammed this 72-year-old man to the ground and is on top of him, the lawsuit alleges. Officer Howe is yelling, Dont fing fight me, while Mr. Horrigan  once again, a 72-year-old man  is saying calmly, Im not fighting you. While Officer Howe is on top of Mr. Horrigan with his knee in Mr. Horrigans back, Officer Howe can be heard screaming, You didnt put your fing hands behind your back. Now put your fing hands behind your back or youre gonna get tased. Mr. Horrigans Parkinsons and his age did not allow him to put his hands behind his back while pinned to the ground with a large mans knee on his back.

The lawsuit alleges that the video shows Horrigan shaking due to his Parkinsons Disease. After Mr. Horrigan is in handcuffs, Officer Howe can be heard screaming, Why didnt you put your hands behind your back? Mr. Horrigan responds, I couldnt hear you, the lawsuit says.

After realizing Horrigan was unable to sit in the patrol car with his hands behind his back, Howe allegedly pulled Horrigan out of the car and said, Are you going to continue to do ridiculous s?

The lawsuit alleges Howes actions were reprehensible and that Horrigan never resisted or interfered in any way with Howe. Attorneys for Horrigan are seeking unspecified damages from Howe and the city for battery, excessive force, false arrest, assault and negligent supervision and training. The city has yet to file a response.

One of the other pending lawsuits involving Howe centers on a traffic stop in March 2023. Body-camera footage allegedly shows Howe telling a woman he had pulled over, Stop resisting, and, Stop fighting or youre going to get tased, to which the woman responds, Im not doing anything.

The third pending lawsuit involves a search warrant that Howe and others executed at the home of Lang Leonard of Tama County in February 2023.

Body-camera footage allegedly shows Howe and another officer slamming Leonard face first into the ground. With Howe on top of Leonards back, and Leonards hands trapped underneath his own body, Howe allegedly can be heard yelling, Put your hands behind your back! The lawsuit claims the video captures another officer yelling, Do you wanna get tased? and Howe yelling, Taser, taser, taser!

Officer Howe, as hes tasing Leonard with his full body weight on Leonards back, can be heard yelling, Stop resisting, the lawsuit alleges. Leonard was not resisting; he was being assaulted.

Court records indicate no criminal charges were filed against Leonard in the case.

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URBANDALE  After months of taking a more passive-aggressive approach with the runaway leader in the Republican presidential primary, Ron DeSantis this past weekend in Iowa was much more direct in his criticism of former President Donald Trump.

During an event Friday with fellow Republican presidential candidates Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy, and again on Saturday while talking to reporters at his campaigns new office in this Des Moines suburb, DeSantis eschewed the vague references to Trump that he and many other candidates have used when talking about the former president  instead offering multiple direct criticisms.

And DeSantis got some help from his new supporter on the campaign trail, Republican Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, who also offered a criticism of Trumps campaign style.

It started Friday during the event hosted by The Family Leader, an Iowa Christian conservative organization. When DeSantis was asked about Republicans who feel he should wait four years instead of running for president now against Trump, DeSantis pounced.

You compare Donald Trump with me  I delivered on 100% of my promises as governor of Florida. There wasnt a single thing I didnt deliver on, DeSantis said. Quite frankly, if you look at Donald Trumps campaign in 2016 and then compare his rhetoric now, hes campaigning on the things he promised to do in 2016 and didnt deliver.

DeSantis asserted that Trump as president failed to complete construction of a wall across the U.S.-Mexico border, did not drain the swamp in reference to a pledge to change the political class in the nations capital and added to the national debt.

I think Donald Trump was somebody that came and said hed fight for us, but we also need somebody thats going to win, DeSantis said. And yes, that involves of course winning the election. Its my view that, when push comes to shove in November of 2024, if Donald Trumps the candidate, the American people are not going to go there. Thats my firm belief.

Later in the event, Family Leader President and Chief Executive Officer Bob Vander Plaats asked the three candidates about the derogatory nicknames Trump assigns to other candidates, including, in DeSantis case, Ron DeSanctimonious.

DeSantis response included a shot fired back at Trump.

Its only effective if we stoop to that level. You dont see me indulging in that, DeSantis said. I dont even know what that name means, quite frankly. But its fine. Quite frankly, Im quite confident the former president couldnt spell it if he was put to the test.

Trump declined an invitation to The Family Leaders event. Vander Plaats this year has been critical on social media of the former president.

Throughout this year, Trump has held a commanding and consistent lead over DeSantis and the rest of the Republican presidential candidates in polling. In rolling averages of Republican presidential primary polls in Iowa, Trump is at 47% according to Real Clear Politics and 45% according to fivethirtyeight, while second-place DeSantis is at 17.3% and 18%, respectively.

DeSantis focused criticism continued on Saturday at his new Iowa campaign headquarters.

(Trump) had a chance to come to The Family Leader last night and he didnt. I think hes taken positions, attacking things that Gov. Reynolds has done like the Iowa heartbeat bill (a significant restriction on abortions). I think thats a mistake that hes attacking that (legislation) as something thats terrible, DeSantis said. I think its been a mistake how hes not willing to engage with Iowans outside of swooping in and doing a speech and then just leaving.

Reynolds at that point chimed in, agreeing with DeSantis criticism of Trumps campaign style.

Reynolds recently became the first sitting Iowa governor since 1995 to endorse a presidential candidate before the states first-in-the-nation caucuses when she endorsed DeSantis.

Thats the expectations of Iowans, Reynolds said. They expect (Trump) to debate. They expect him to show up. They expect him to earn their vote. And hes just not doing it.

DeSantis campaign has also taken its criticism of Trump online in recent days, highlighting on social media what it calls Trumps accidents. The tracker highlights moments when, for example, Trump misidentifies an individual or when Trump makes a statement the DeSantis campaign views as a mistake.

A recent example highlighted Trumps comments, during a campaign event Saturday in Fort Dodge, in which he claimed credit for getting Iowa Republican U.S. Sens. Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley elected in 2020 and 2022.

A spokesman for Trumps campaign responded Monday by saying DeSantis is competing for a distant second place in presidential primary polls, and said endorsements from Reynolds or Vander Plaats will not help DeSantis. Vander Plaats has not yet endorsed a candidate; some national reports have suggested he is poised to endorse DeSantis, just as Reynolds did.

The statement from Alex Latcham, the Trump campaigns early-voting states director, spelled Vander Plaats last name with a dollar sign in place of the s in an apparent reference to the $95,000 paid for advertising and tickets for The Family Leaders event last summer with presidential candidates.

Emasculated Ron DeSantis has put all of his time, energy, and resources in Iowa only to see himself compete for a distant second place against Nikki Birdbrain Haley, Latcham said in a statement. His much touted endorsement from the Iowa governor proved to be an abject failure as polling shows DeSantis gained nothing from her support. No endorsement from any politician  and certainly not from a fraud like Bob Vander Plaats  is going to save his failed campaign in Iowa.

The Republican Iowa caucuses are Jan. 15.
Unknown attackers staged an ambush on Monday morning, resulting in the death of a police officer who was escorting Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination papers in Alego Usonga, Siaya.

The officer was in the company of a colleague and the center manager. They were ferrying the exam papers to Mahero Secondary School when the assailants attacked them with crude weapons.

According to eyewitness accounts, the officers had alighted from a school bus, which had transported them to collect examination papers from Siaya County headquarters. They had to disembark a few meters away from the school owing to the poor condition of the road.

The assailants fatally attacked one officer and injured another while the center manager managed to flee the scene. The attackers made away with the officers firearms.

Upon receiving the report, security personnel arrived at the scene and rushed the injured officer to Siaya County Referral Hospital while the body of the deceased was moved to the hospitals mortuary.

Siaya County Commissioner Julius Otieno, along with County Police Commander Cleti Kimaiyo, headed the security team that visited the scene. They urged the public to be patient as investigations commence to identify the attackers and determine their motives.

Commissioner Otino appealed to members of the public to provide any information that could assist in the arrest of the perpetrators.

Despite the unfortunate incident, the KCSE Geography Paper One proceeded successfully after the teacher managed to reach the school.

Siaya Deputy County Commissioner Robert Ngetich has assured that security measures will be heightened to ensure the smooth and uninterrupted conduct of all remaining examination papers.